#royal!jeonghan

[snallavanta]

MY SEVENTEEN POSTS ARE GAINING TRACTION SO IF YOU'RE A CARAT HI PLS INTERACT & LET ME MAKE MORE CARAT FRIENDS

[craby-bouquet]

Betrayal {CH-Jeonghan}

~part 1~

Yoon Jeonghan x Reader

Romance, Royal!AU

1.3k words

Masterlist | SVT Masterlist | CH Masterlist

Pt.1 | Pt.2

“You go little sis, I wish I was as lucky as you are.”

Lucky, right. Easy for him to say. He was going to marry the person he loved, or at least got the chance to do so. You didn't think yourself lucky, getting married off and sent away. 

Mingyu kissed your head and hugged you tight.  You kind of wished he'd never let go, would refuse to you going away. Then you could stay and everything would be alright. But his safe arms let you go anyway. Traitor. 

Your mother had told you the news about two weeks ago during dinner. Your brother thought it wonderful, prince Jeonghan was a wonderful man, he trusted he would be good to you. And you were sure he was right.  But getting married? You didn't even know him. 

Yes, you had met him at a party once or twice. As you got old enough you sometimes were allowed to go to royal parties as long as you stayed close to your big brother. And seeing as prince Jeonghan and Mingyu were friends, like how all the other royal princes seemed to be friends, you had been introduced. And, sure, he did seem nice. But marrying him? Had your mother lost her mind? 

So you had yelled before walking out the dining room. A thing your mother had not appreciated. You treat the queen with respect, even if she is your mother. 

But she just threw you away. Sold you to the first buyer. You weren't an item or nice accessory, you were a human. A person. 

The day you left, Mingyu had tried his best to keep in his tears. He thought you marrying the future king of Aegiburg was wonderful, but you were still the little sister he wanted to protect from harm. And now you were going to live on the other side of Pledis. 

You hadn't cried. You couldn't. You had done so before and you were over it. You were pissed, didn’t say goodbye to your mother and just took off. 

You didn’t look at your maid the entire way. Though the journey was long and you were seated beside her in the limo, you had turned your head away looking out the window. But you didn’t see anything, lost in your own thoughts.

Your maid, Soyi, had tried to converse with you multiple times and you appreciated how hard she tried. You couldn't imagine this to be easy for her. 

But you were pissed, and had to show someone you were. She was the unlucky person who was with you. Yes, you realized if anyone couldn't help your current situation it was her. And yes, you realized you were really mean and you should appreciate her by your side and that you should focus your anger on your mother. But she wasn’t here. So your maid would just have to endure it.

“We’re almost there, your highness.” Soyi said hesitantly. It was the first thing she had said in about half an hour, you greatly appreciated her staying quiet. It gave you room to think.

“Hmm.” was your response.

She held the door open for you as the limo stopped in front of the villa of Aegiburg. But this was not at all what you had expected. The castle of Min Ate, where you came from, was nothing like this. 

You knew Aegiburg was known for its many architects but the building itself was a piece of art. The white pillars were circled by roses in a pink color, leading all the way up to the roof of the front porch. The stairs leading up to the entrance of the building were layered with a red kind of carpet, guards stood beside it.

On top of the stairs stood a man you didn't recognize. He wasn't very tall, his shoulders were broad and his eyes stood very friendly. You were confused, this wasn't prince Jeonghan.

You forced a fake smile on your face as you walked up the stairs, maid behind you, limo, with all your luggage, driving on.

The man joyfully came walking towards you, bowing.

“Princess,” he greeted. He gestured to the villa “welcome to our noble home. Prince Jeonghan is currently finishing some things, he'll be with us shortly. I'm his butler Jiwon.”

“It is an honor.” 

What kind of prince didn't greet his guests? Didn't greet his betrothed? 

Jiwon escorted you inside the building, leading you through the hall, your maid following you silently.

“Did you have a nice journey?” he asked to break the awkward silence between you two.

“Terrific.” you answered, sarcasm dripping from the words. 

“Oh. Good.” 

It was silent for a bit, until you broke the silence “I must say this is a gorgeous building. You have great interior and exterior designers…” you weren't sure why you made an effort to converse, you just didn't want your first impression to be rude.

He smiled proudly “Thank you, I must say I agree. I think it's a lovely place to live, I hope you will experience it that way as well.”

After some silence Jiwon cleared his throat and smiled again “So… would you like a tour around the villa..?” 

You didn’t respond, you really did not want a tour around the villa. You just wanted this day to be over. But you didn't want to tell him that. You were trying to think of an excuse to get out of this tour.

“...so you'll know where everything is…” he added carefully to once again break the awkward tension.

You turned to look at him “You know, I'm actually really tired from the long journey… Maybe you could show me to my room?” you tried to sound sincere and not as if you wanted to get away from everyone. But all you wanted was to get some time to take everything in.

He seemed perplexed for a fraction of a second before blinking twice “Of course, please follow me.” he started walking again “You’ll be staying in a guest room for the time being. Since the wedding is in two weeks and after that your highness and prince Jeonghan both move to the master bedroom, where the king and queen sleep, that seemed like the most reasonable thing. But don't worry, we prepared the best room for you. The prince his favorite one…”

The room he brought you to sure was gorgeous, bigger than your room in Min Ate. It was the perfect mixture of modern and classic, creating its own, wonderful style. You wouldn't mind it if this would be your room for the rest of your time here. You couldn't possibly imagine sharing a room with prince Jeonghan. 

“Your luggage will be brought up shortly.” Jiwon announced “I hope the room is to your liking.”

You nodded, not looking at him. 

He turned to Soyi “If you'd walk with me miss, I'll show you your room as well, and we have to go over the rules and ways here at villa Aegiburg.”

Soyi nodded, you saw her look away to hide her blush. You couldn't blame her: Jiwon was good looking and very charming. 

“But my lady..?” She gestured to you, indicating she wasn't sure if she was allowed to leave you. 

You had walked over to the bed and slowly sat down on it. Soft, but not too soft. Just right.

“Go.” You said shortly. She had to know where her room was after all and you could very well handle yourself. What did she expect you to do? Run away? …Could you? 

She still hesitated but went with Jiwon anyway “We'll be right back, your highness.”

You wanted them to stay away as long as possible.

Masterlist | SVT Masterlist | CH Masterlist

Pt.1 | Pt.2

[fantasyescapes17]

In Pursuit of Wedded Bliss (Updated Masterlist)

A Seventeen Regency!AU Series

It is the season- and London is full of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, waiting to be swept up in a whirlwind of romance, passion and matrimony as they each fight their own battles for happiness in London's elite society.

BEFORE YOU READ:

All installments are interlinked and take place in the same universe. The timeline can be confusing, especially if you read out of order. These are listed in recommended reading order.

The combined series word count is around 100k. Don't start reading right before an exam.

There are seven members covered in the full installments. I will not be doing full installments for the other 6 members.

Happy reading!

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

Patience: Choi Seungcheol (complete!)

An elaborate charade- that is what your life has been for these past few years, and it has taken the help of more than one person to balance your delicate lies and secrets. Now entering your final season as an eligible young lady seeking wedded bliss, will you be able to keep up the act in order to achieve your dreams?

Part 1 Part 2

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

2. Candle: Yoon Jeonghan (complete!)

You have always received the best of everything life has to offer: be it education, family, fortune or happiness. Mr. Yoon Jeonghan- one of the ton's renowned villains- cannot possibly bring you happiness of any kind, never mind wedded bliss. But can you evade Jeonghan's charms? Or will you find yourself falling victim to this clever rogue?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

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

3. Manners: Joshua Hong (complete!)

Viscount Joshua Hong is by far the most eligible bachelor in London. Rich, handsome, and renowned for his excellent manners and refined tastes. Young woman would kill for the chance to be the Viscount's chosen bride. But nobody can quite determine which of the young ladies he prefers, and you are beginning to have your doubts. Is the Viscount really as gentlemanly as the ton seems to think?

Part 1 Part 2

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

4. Scandal: Jeon Wonwoo (complete!)

The Viscount's sister with an enormous dowry, beauty and unmistakable talent- you began the London season as the most desired woman in any room. But Jeon Wonwoo (a man who would rather hide in the library than dance at a ball) was beyond your comprehension. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it embroiled you into a scandal with a man you could never love.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

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5. Wings: Kim Mingyu (complete!)

Your debut in society was as spectacular as one could be, but nobody had prepared you for what came afterward. When you find yourself overwhelmed during your very first season and unable to keep up with the rat race to secure yourself an eligible husband, a curious mentor appears- in the form of notorious flirt and self-proclaimed rake, Mr. Kim Mingyu.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

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6. Closed Doors: Kwon Soonyoung (complete!)

Soonyoung had made peace with his station in life. A younger son of a little-known family, he was not set to inherit a fortune and had nothing to recommend him but his bright personality. Nobody expected Soonyoung to make the match of the season. But when you- a woman with ties to the royal family and riches beyond his imagination, a Duchess in your own right- seeks Soonyoung's hand in marriage, his life begins to spiral entirely out of his control.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

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

7. Luck: Lee Chan (coming soon!)

A mixture of hard work and sheer good fortune had landed you a coveted position as the governess for Viscountess Hong's little sisters. But when the Viscountess' notorious younger brother returns from his time at Oxford, you find yourself treading dangerous waters. Mr. Lee Chan- with his boyish smile and passion for horses- seems determined to make your job very difficult indeed.

[smileysuh]

heir

🌙 staring. mingyu x afab!Reader

🔮 preview. As a princess, you’d grown up knowing you’d marry a prince and help him sire a number of adorable little royals. Truth be told, one of the things that had drawn you to Mingyu had been the way he’d interacted with his young cousins, children that would run up to him- and despite his princely stature, Mingyu always had time to entertain them, with a glint of adoration in his eye that had convinced you he was the one to marry- moreso than any of his older brothers.

cw/ tw. unprotected sex, breeding/baby kink, fingering, size kink, big!mingyu, mentions of mingyu taking y/n's virginity, dumbification, praise, finger-licking, etc... I petnames. (hers) darling, pretty little princess, wife.

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 3.4k

🍭 aus. royal/prince au, established relationship, etc...

☀️ mlist + an. I wanted to do a short and sweet Mingyu smut, I figured prince au and breeding would be a fun variation from my usual work :)

You look like a dream; dressed to the nines, with a pretty, sparkling tiara atop your head. The hem of your gown brushes by the floor with each movement of your hips, and a hand slides across your corsetted waist-

Mingyu takes a sip of his scotch with a grimace, because you’re his dream, and yet, he’s not the one dancing with you. 

“It’s a wonder that prince Minghao can’t feel your eyes glaring into the back of his head,” Prince Jeonghan says on Mingyu’s right with a knowing smile, and it causes the larger man to release a deep sigh.

“Am I being that obvious?” the newlywed asks; he’s still getting used to the idea that you’re his now, that there’s no risk of you running away, not that you would wish to-

“Yes,” Jeonghan tells him, “but with a wife like her-” both of them look to you again, and the elder of the two princes shakes his head, swallowing thickly, “who can blame you.”

You’d never do anything to hurt Mingyu, and the prince knows it. He knows you love him, through and through, or you wouldn’t have married him over one of his elder brothers, who are closer in line to inheriting the throne.

There’s something else, a different emotion hiding under the hot fires of jealousy that lick heat against Mingyu’s throat- a feeling in his chest that becomes apparent when you make your way over to him after your dance.

He’s proud that you’re his, and the jealousy of seeing you in the arms of other men doesn’t stem from the thought of losing you- but the thought of losing precious moments where you could be in his arms instead. 

When the two of you arrive at your suite in the wing of the castle Mingyu had gifted you for your wedding present, your husband is quick to dismiss your royal ladies in waiting.

“But, her dress-” your head maid protests, as Mingyu ushers them from your room.

“I’ll help her out of it,” the prince assures the shocked and now scandalized trio of women who usually help you with your nightly duties, especially when removing a dress from a ball is involved. 

But this won’t be the first time Mingyu helps you out of your clothes - he’d wrangled with the many lacy ribbons of your wedding gown after all - and it definitely won’t be the last, because when your husband turns to look at you, there’s a hunger in his eyes that you only see when a thorough unwrapping is involved. 

You’re his little present, and you can tell that the prince can’t wait to get to you- God, he has a thing for opening you up- 

“Darling?” You hold out your hands for him, and your husband is quick to approach you. “Are you alright?”

“I’m perfect,” he tells you, grabbing at your waist and leaning down to press a kiss you. His mouth lingers on your own, teeth gently grazing by your lip, and you find yourself sighing as you melt against his strong chest.

“You looked upset-” you try to continue as he moves to press his lips to your neck, “when I was dancing with Minghao-”

“Are you suggesting I was jealous?” Mingyu smiles against your throat, nipping at your skin and making you groan.

“Were you?” 

Your husband’s hand slips behind you, and he tugs at one of the ribbons keeping your corset tight, the ribbed fabric slackens ever so slightly. “You're my wife,” he tells you, pinching your chin between two fingers, “I have no need to be jealous… do I?”

He’s so beautiful- his brown eyes dark and seductive, his lips as kissable as they’ve ever been-

“No,” you assure him, swallowing thickly. “No need to be jealous at all.”

“Good,” he breathes, releasing your chin in favour of spinning you around so your back is to his chest. His mouth returns to your throat, and he ghosts his lips to your ear, making you shiver with sensitivity as his fingers begin to work at your corset. “If anything…” he continues, “I was upset that other princes still find it appropriate to ask you to dance, even though you’re my wife.” 

“Minghao only wanted to inquire as to how our honeymoon went.”

“And?” 

He roughly tugs at the roping of your corset and you stifle a groan at the sensation before responding. “I told him I couldn’t have wished for anything better.” 

“I’m not so sure that’s true.” Your husband’s breath is hot against your bare shoulders, and his words make your stomach twist into confused knots.

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” he continues to unwrap you with unforgiving fingers, tugging at your corset, “I know it’s too early to tell, but I’m sure my little princess would love to have come out of our honeymoon more full than when she’s started.”

“Do you mean-” your heart is thundering in your chest and you can hardly find the words. 

Luckily, you don’t have to, because your husband is quick to fill in the gaps, pressing his lips to your neck again as he whispers, “A baby. I know you’d like for me to give you one.”

“We’re newly weds-”

“So?” Mingyu chuckles, and a moment later your corset is undone enough for him to pull it up and over your head. “Tell me you don’t want to give me an heir.” 

You open your mouth- but nothing comes out. Because Mingyu is right, as he always is when it comes to you. 

Of course you want to give him an heir. As a princess, you’d grown up knowing you’d marry a prince and help him sire a number of adorable little royals. Truth be told, one of the things that had drawn you to Mingyu had been the way he’d interacted with his young cousins, children that would run up to him- and despite his princely stature, Mingyu always had time to entertain them, with a glint of adoration in his eye that had convinced you he was the one to marry- moreso than any of his older brothers.

Sure, being a queen would be nice- but you’ve never been one who thirsts for power. No, you’d much prefer a luxurious, happy life, with a husband who loves you, and children running around. 

Mingyu also happens to be right about the fact that it’s much too early to tell if you’re pregnant. Your wedding night had been the kind of whirlwind that left you weak in the legs and unable to get out of bed- not that your husband had minded. 

“What do you say, princess?” Mingyu asks, turning you in his arms so he can look you in the eyes. “Should we continue to practice baby making and hope this one sticks?”

“As if I’d ever say no to you,” you smile, pressing your hands to his chest and getting on your tiptoes to bring your mouth to his own.

It’s nice to already be thinking about children with Mingyu, and to be speaking about it openly like this. Your kisses are more passionate now, and his tongue slips into your mouth, teasing you. 

A whimper bubbles out of your chest, and your husband returns it with a growl of his own. His hands slip down to your bum, and he lifts you off the floor effortlessly. 

Despite the long fabrics of your gown, your able to wrap your legs around his waist securely, and Mingyu carries you the short distance to your bed.

He doesn’t simply toss you down, as a motion like that would dislodge the tiara from your hair. Instead, he holds you with one hand, reaching up to take the crown off your head while you marvel at his strength. 

“Mingyu-” you whine his name as his lips make contact with your throat, tongue trailing up your jugular-

With your tiara safely in his grasp, he lowers you to the mattress, and your gown floofs out around you before he pulls away, straightening to his tall stature and looking down at you with lust filled eyes.

“You’re so beautiful-” he breathes, taking off his own crown. “How are you always so beautiful?” 

He’s such a sweet talker, and it makes you smile as you gather up your skirts, teasing them up your legs.

“Would you hate me if I tore your dress?” Mingyu asks, and it brings you back to your wedding night. 

“I could never hate you,” you tell him, watching as he sets your crows to the side, free hands now grabbing at your legs- “but my dress maker would have a fit.”

Mingyu sighs. “And we can’t have that, can we?”

“No,” you shake your head, “it would be unprincely of you-”

“Would it really be unprincely of me, naughty princess?” 

His warm palm skims up your thigh, pushing your skirt fabrics and underdress higher. 

“Very scandalous of the both of us, I think,” you tell him, shifting on the bed as your husband’s hands reach your panties. 

On your wedding night, he’d simply burrowed under all the fabric, mouth eagerly searching out your pussy- but that’s not what Mingyu does this time. 

This time, it’s his fingers that rub against your entrance, playing with you through your underwear. “Already so wet for me, darling,” he coos. “I didn’t realize talking about babies would do this to you.”

You whine his name as he pushes your panties to the side, and two of his fingers easily slip into your core. 

“Such pretty sounds from my pretty princess,” he groans, thumb finding your clit. 

The sensation makes you whimper again, pushing your hips up toward his hand.

“Steady, princess,” Mingyu warns you, free hand flattening in all the fabrics around your waist. He pins you to the bed as easily as ever, and there’s something so freeing in the slight confinement. “Let me open you up.”

He’s very good at foreplay- good at getting you prepped to take his cock. You’d been a virgin on your wedding night- as is custom for royals in your positon, and you’re still not used to the size of him- you’re not sure you’ll ever be.

But at least you can take two fingers easily now, and the feeling of them curling up and stroking your inner walls has your eyes rolling into the back of your head.

“Does that feel good, princess?” His lips press against your inner thigh and you twitch at the feeling.

“Yes- Mingyu- you’re so good to me-” 

“You deserve it, don’t you, wife?”

You moan as he crooks his fingers just right, finding the spot that makes your toes curl. “Yes- please-”

“Please what?”

You swallow thickly, grabbing at your skirts to pull them higher. “I need you-”

“Where?” he asks, stroking your spot, “here?” 

“I want to be full, like you said-” It’s becoming harder and harder to form coherent sentences, your mind much too fixed on the feeling of pleasure that’s coursing through you with each motion of his fingers. 

“How about you cum for me first?” He suggests. “You can be my good little princess wife and cum for me, right?”

His words make the chord in your stomach tighten, and when his thumb begins to rub gentle circles on your clit it’s enough to make you snap, gasping loudly as your orgasm is torn out of you by your princely lover. 

“That’s it,” Mingyu groans, pumping his fingers in and out of your core expertly as his thumb continues to work your most sensitive spot. “You always sound so pretty for me, darling. My pretty little princess.”

You moan louder, enjoying the praise that always seems to tumble out of your husband. You love him more than you could ever express-

“Mingyu-” you whimper his name when the feeling of pleasure almost begins to be too much for you to handle, and your husband relents, slowing his pace and taking the pressure off your clit.

He pulls his fingers from you, and you open your eyes to watch your royal lover do something completely sinful- he licks his digits clean, groaning at your taste. 

The vision makes your pussy twitch with interest again, and you let out a small gasp, feeling needier than ever. You’d never thought marriage could be like this- never thought you’d get as lucky as you’ve been with Mingyu.

“My love-” your petname for him draws Mingyu’s attention back down to you, and he takes his hand from his lips, spit covered fingers finding the buttons at the front of his royal attire.

“Just a moment, darling,” he assures you. 

You’re impatient- more impatient than you’ve ever been in your life.

That’s the thing about Mingyu- with him, all your royal training can go out the window. He brings out the feral side of you, a side reserved just for him.

“I know, princess, I know,” your husband sighs, “I’m not sure I can wait either.”

There’s always so much fabric that needs to be taken off- so many buttons and ribbons and layers- 

You don’t want him to tear your clothes, but you know neither of you have the time or patience for the dressing gown that’s still covering your form. So you do what you think will be easiest, moving slightly up the bed and flipping onto your stomach, hiking your dress up high to your waist, arching your back-

“Princess-”  His voice is breathy, and a moment later he’s grabbing at your ass with his large hand, massaging you and pressing his warm palm to your skin. “You’re so beautiful- always so beautiful for me.” 

“Mingyu-” you whine, “I need you-”

You can hear the rustling of fabric, perhaps the sound of your husband pushing his pants down, and then he’s joining you on the bed, mattress dipping to accommodate his size. 

“How did I ever get so lucky?” Mingyu asks, pulling your asscheek to the side so he can access your core. The head of his cock presses to your entrance, and you can tell from the feeling of it that your husband has lubed it- likely with his own spit.

The thought has you arching your back even more, eager for him to push into you-

“Please-” 

“Relax for me, princess, I don’t want to hurt you-” his breath is hot against your back, and it makes you shiver. You do your best to clear your mind, to release the tension in your body-

The head of his cock slips into you and you moan desperately, pressing your face down against the bed to muffle the sound-

A gentle hand wraps around your throat, forcing you to tilt your head out of the covers- “I want to hear you,” your husband whispers, kissing your cheek and nosing your skin. “Want to hear all your pretty sounds-”

“So deep-” you whimper as he sheiths himself inside of you, hips flush with your ass. “So big-”

Mingyu smiles, and you know he enjoys the size difference between you two- enjoys stretching you out to accommodate his massive girth- 

In all your princess training, one of the big rules was never to swear, but you find all sorts of naughty words coming to mind as your husband ruts into you, quickening his pace as you get used to his cock. 

You bite your tongue, releasing whimpers and whines while Mingyu kisses your shoulders and neck, one hand pressed against the small of your back to keep you pinned.

He’d been similarly trained, and the first ‘fuck’ you’d ever heard slip past his lips on your wedding night had opened the flood gate for you both- but in the short time you’ve been married, you’ve become accustomed to letting him make the first move. 

Tonight, the first swear to grace your ears is a low “shit,” it’s whispered as his fingers dig into your hip, pace quickening- and your husband’s teeth graze by your ear. “You sound perfect, princess- I want to fill you so bad- you want to be filled, right?”

You moan loudly, nodding as you find your own words. “Please- Mingyu-”

“Tell me, darling, tell me you want to be full.”

“I want to be full-”

“Tell me you want to be bred- want to be all swollen and pretty for me-” He fucks into you harder. “You’re going to give me pretty little heirs- pretty little heirs from my pretty little princess-” 

“I want to be bred-” you repeat diligently, grabbing at the sheets to ground yourself as the pleasure between your legs increases rapidly- “I want to give you all the pretty little heirs- please, Mingyu-”

“Your pussy is getting so tight around my cock, darling-” he groans sinfully in your ear. “You’re doing so well for me- always so good-” 

“Please-” you whine again, feeling your orgasm getting closer and closer-

“Always such good manners too,” Mingyu chuckles, lips teasing by your ear. “Who’s my good, well mannered, needy little princess?”

“I am-” you shiver, closing your eyes and enjoying the perfect feeling of being fucked by your lover-

“Yeah, you are-” Mingyu breathes, pressing his fingers against your hip again. “You deserve to be full, right? Deserve to have that pretty pussy coated in cum-”

You love when he talks dirty like this, and you whine loudly in response, nodding as you hold off your orgasm, eager to reach your high with your husband. 

“Are you close, princess?”

“Uh huh-” you nod eagerly, “waiting for you-”

“Yeah?” You feel him grin against your shoulder. “Good princess. Tell me you want me to cum with you.”

“I want you to,” you confirm.

“Say the whole sentence, darling, I want to hear the words coming from my perfect princess- wanna hear you admitting how dirty you are for me.”

“I want you to cum with me-” you whimper, a flush of embaressment heating your skin at the full admittance. “Want you to fill me up-”

“Fuck, you sound so good-” he groans. “I’m almost there- keep talking, keep talking for me-” 

“Please- Mingyu- it feels so good- I just want to be full!” You give up on all your self restraint, and the moans of appreciation in your ear spur you on. “You’ll make me full- I know you will- always make me so perfectly full and satisfied-”

“Shit-” Your husband sounds glorious even when he grunts, and you think this must truly be love, as he pins you to the bed and uses you to reach his own end while you enjoy every moment of it- every motion- 

“Please-” you say again, knowing that he loves it when you beg for him. “I’m so close- I just want to cum with you-”

“Then cum with me angel- let go and squeeze my cock with that pretty fucking princess pussy of yours-” 

A shiver of stimulation runs through your form as you let go, and a surge of release jitters out from your core, causing you to gasp and grab at the bedsheets.

Your husband is moaning loudly behind you, and you can feel him cumming deep in your pussy, his forehad pressed against your shoulder, fingers digging into your hips as he rides you both through your orgasms. 

You love giving in to Mingyu- giving him complete control. You trust him more than you’ve ever trusted anyone. The thought of having children with him is in the periphery of your mind as your heart races and your pussy pulses around his cock. Something tells you that the two of you will have no problem producing a sweet little heir.

“You feel so good- so perfect for me,” Mingyu groans in your ear as his thrusts begin to slow.

The most you can do is smile, mind too hazy to come up with a worded response- not that your husband needs one, as he presses kisses along your throat.

His hips come to a stop, cock still burried deep in your pussy. “You know… I’m not sure if this really did the trick.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, confused.

“I just mean… maybe you’ll get pregnant from this, but maybe I should strip us both naked and try again, you know… to better the odds.” 

Yeah, you’ll definitely have no problems producing an heir with Mingyu, and with a laugh, you agree to the idea, knowing you have a long, wonderful night ahead of you.

☀️ mlist + an. thank you for reading! my soft spot for Gyu has been raging lately

🍭 support me by. sending a tip here or here - or become a patron to access monthly bonus content and extensions for fics like this one :) find the Patreon teaser below! 

🔮 preview. “Are you sure my massive cock won’t hurt you or the baby?”

cw/ tw. unprotected sex, breast play, fingering, oral (f receiving), praise, breeding kink, early-stage pregnancy, quickie, etc... I petnames. (hers) pretty princess, darling. (his) perfect prince, my love.

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 2.4k I teaser wc. 250

🌙 staring. mingyu x afab!Reader  

bonus

Your husband has been busy all day. He’s been in meetings of all sorts, and the brief interaction you’d had around lunchtime hadn’t been a long enough opportunity to tell him your good news. 

Besides, you know how Mingyu is going to react once you tell him what your court doctor had told you in the morning, and you’d wanted him to be focused during his day of diplomacy. 

You’ve been testing your own patience, and you’re nearly buzzing when Mingyu finally returns to your chambers after missing your nightly dinner in favour of royal duties.

It’s a stark contrast in moods, and you try not to overwhelm the exhausted man as he trudges into your room, royal jacket already half off and ready to be thrown on your bed. 

“You had a long day,” you muse as you open your arms for your lover. 

Despite being substantially taller than you, Mingyu bends down so he can rest his cheek against your bosom, and he releases a low groan. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Your fingers thread through his silky hair, and you do your best to calm yourself- to be a pillar of safety for the man you love, but within moments he’s pulling away from your chest and giving you a quizzical look. 

“You’re heart’s racing,” he tells you. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” you shake your head, fighting the smile that threatens to overtake your features. “In fact… something is very right.” 

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general taglist:

@gotshinct - @subhyuck - @fraechan - @learnthisfeeling

@runahways - @d-abin - @milkteade - @woogyuhae 

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@mocha000 - @darthlunaa​ - @just-here-to-read-01​ - @shiningnono

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svt taglist:

@rebeccasficrecs - @alltowoo - @taestrwbrry - @greysdarling

@joonsneptune - @candidupped - @cheolussy

@yourfavoritefreakyhan - @asjkdk - @romromthedeer

@strawbwebbie

[novalpha]

𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝐎𝐓𝟏𝟑 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙨

[ Contains poly, single member at once x reader, and others..]

♡ Fluff || ୨୧ Angst || ★ Smut || ꗃ SMAU || ✹ Humor|| ⌗ Series || ✿ Drabble || ♤ Mature (No smut)

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ The Xperiments ⌗♡୨୧ -> @gamerwoo

Synopsis : Growing too strong to stay at the lab you grew up in, you’re shipped off to South Korea to continue your life in their much bigger and more high-tech lab. That’s where you meet thirteen other experiments who are just like you, only knowing life inside the labs which consists of constant inhuman studies and awful mistreatment. However, being kept solitary for your whole life, you find it difficult to trust even the experiments who know exactly what you’ve gone through. But the labs simply creating these experiments because they can may not be the only reason for your existence, and trusting the other experiments might be your only way to freedom – assuming you can stay hidden from the white coats.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Play along ★⌗ -> @xddaengx

Pt 1 , Pt 2 , Pt 3 , Pt 4 , Pt 5 , Pt 6 , Pt 7 , Deleted Scene , Pt 8

Summary: Your boyfriend proposes the idea, that he shares you with his 12 best friends.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Challenge Me ♡୨୧★⌗✹ -> @seokgyuu

Synopsis: you have never been a person who turns down a challenge, but when your best friend challenges you to hook up with 13 boys in one semester you kind of wish you were.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Horanghae ⌗♡★ -> (Hoshi centric, OT13) @horanghaejamjam

Summary: Everyone knows that Soonyoung loves tigers. The term Horanghae literally means “I tiger you”. Needless to say, the Seventeen members shouldn’t have been as surprised as they were the night he came home with a very timid white tiger curled against him.  

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Kitten ears ♡୨୧★⌗ -> @hansols-yoda-boxers

Synopsis: Your first family wasn’t terrible, but they weren’t very loving either and they didn’t have much space for you so you were happy to leave. Except that you were useless when it came to working so the shelter was really your only option. After a lot of waiting you were happy that you might finally be getting a family that really wanted you and cared about, despite how painfully shy and skittish you could be.

Now you just had to worry about how to handle your next heat.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ And the universe said ⌗♡୨୧♤✹ -> @thepixelelf

Synopsis: When soulmates are suddenly thrust upon the world, you are one in a million who wishes they weren't -- and that's before you meet the person (people?!) making your life much harder than it needs to be. And before someone asks you to sign an NDA.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Under the Sun ⌗♡୨୧♤ -> @wooahaes

Summary: It all starts when you wake up in a field without a name or any memories to define yourself with. Thirteen men take you in as one of their own, and slowly you begin to wonder what is going on within this world... and between you and one of them.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ thief | ʇsᴉǝɥ ★⌗ -> @meltwonu

synopsis: Working under Jeonghan had it perks. On most days, he was kind and even a little lazy; opting to let you approach certain projects on your own while letting you keep half of the profit. But on the days you royally fuck up are the days that remind you that he’s the one in charge, despite him giving you some semblance of authority.

Seperate member x reader (OT13)

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Tales from the pack ♡୨୧★⌗ -> @gamerwoo

Summary: The adventures of werewolf!Seventeen as they try to cope with finding their mates, and try their best to stay hidden from the eyes of the humans who want them dead.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Imprinted ♡୨୧★⌗ -> @gamerwoo

Summary: How the thirteen boys met their mates in a modern day world where werewolves must try to blend in with society but keep their secret hidden.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Tales from Camp ♡୨୧★⌗ -> @kwanisms

Synopsis: Thirteen friends reconnect on a camping trip, reminiscing about their times as camp counselors when they were in college.

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Don't listen in secret ♡୨୧★⌗ -> @j6shua

imagine being best friends with idol group seventeen! very fun! and you get to sleep with them as a friendly favor! yay... hold on,

in order words, adventures as all of seventeen’s fuck buddy organized into a series masterlist

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ SVT hospital ♡ꗃ୨୧ -> @taeyegu

summary ━ four different departments, four different love stories, all in one hospital; hospitalplaylist!au

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ In pursuit of wedded bliss ♡୨୧⌗ -> @fantasyescapes17 (A Seventeen Regency!AU Series)

It is the season- and London is full of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, waiting to be swept up in a whirlwind of romance, passion and matrimony as they each fight their own battles for happiness in London's elite society.

Single member x reader (ft OT13)

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘ ⌕ Fate and desire ♡୨୧⌗✹ -> @gamerwoo

You know you’ve found your soulmate when your pendant turns red. It’s just your luck you meet an entire host club of 13 boys – save for your best friend, Jeonghan, and his boyfriend – all at once. Your pendant is now red, and all of theirs are always hidden in their shirts. But one person in particular kind of makes you want to forget about the whole “fate” thing.

[ More ot13 fic recs will be updated ]

Want more seventeen fix recs? -> Click here

[hwanghyunjinenthusiast]

Delayed

AN: I have been wanting to write about this hair since Super, and now I finally have the motivation and time. Super Jeonghan, you will always be famous to me. The Jeonghan brainworms are very severe right now.

Synopsis: Tonight is arguably one of the important dinners in the kingdom's history. It could make or break relations with the Wen family. Your husband, however, is much more interested in dragging you to bed than building political alliances at the moment.

General tags and warnings: Yoon Jeonghan x Fem! Reader, established relationship, implied arranged marriage, hinted at former enemies to lovers, extremely vague historical AU, royalty AU and there is zero plot here.

Smut tags and warnings: dirty talk, fingering (f. receiving), Reader gets edged once, petnames, having children gets brought up once and it's mostly a joke, nipple and breast play (f. receiving), handjob (m. receiving), piv sex without a condom and creampie.

Word count: 2.5k.

I will block you if you are a minor and/or have no easily visible indication of your age on your blog if you interact with me in any way.

“Your brother is going to lecture our ears off if we're late,” you remind Jeonghan, trying your best not to lose yourself in the way his hands drag along your sides and the way he breathes in your freshly washed hair. 

“Who cares what Joshua thinks?” he mutters dismissively into your neck, leaving goosebumps in his wake, “I'd much rather spend my evening with you instead of at that dinner filled with people I can't stand,” he finishes off, teasing the hem of your robe with his long fingers. 

“As sweet of a sentiment as that is, we have guests from the Wen family visiting. We can't just not show up,” you argue, still remaining in his arms and shuddering when his lips press against the exposed skin of your shoulder. You bite back a whimper when one of his hands continues to trail higher up your thigh, pushing the fabric of your robe out of the way as much as he can to expose as much of your skin as possible to his scorching touch. Jeonghan is arguably the smartest man you know. Hell, you'd go as far as to say he's the smartest man in the nation. You're well aware he's just trying to sway you right now but, you can't pretend he's not being very convincing right now. 

“You've got me there,” he concedes but, his hand doesn't slow in the slightest, “We'll just be a little late, that's all,” he whispers and you swear you've never heard a more tempting offer in your life. It's so much worse when he spins you around to face him. As though you weren't feeling dizzy and lightheaded enough. The lust in his eyes shines brighter than the moon outside of your bedroom window. The charcoal one of his servants applied around them amplifies his want that causes your own desire to flare up viciously. And to think, a year ago you couldn't stand this man and struggled to imagine yourself liking him in any capacity. 

How things have changed. 

“You're a terrible influence,” is all you say before pulling him by his own robe and smashing your lips together. You resist the impulse to roll your eyes when you feel him chuckle against your lips. Fortunately, his hands do a fantastic job of distracting you from his smugness. Nimble fingers untying the knot at the front of your robe with practiced ease. It doesn't quite pool around you but, it does grant your husband all the access he needs. Warm hands wasting no time in kneading and massaging as much of your tits as he's able to. Groaning into your mouth when he feels your hardened nipples underneath his palms. 

“They can't be mad at us for being late anyway,” he mumbles against your lips, “They've been harassing us for an heir for months now. We're just fulfilling our royal duties.” You laugh harder than you anticipate. Your laughter doesn't deter Jeonghan, though. His attention simply shifts to kissing along your jaw and running his hands along your body as though this is the first time he's touching you. As though he didn't have those same hands on you this morning. Out of everything you've learned about him these last few months, his seemingly bottomless lust has caught you the most by surprise. 

“You're ridiculous,” you finally manage to say once you've calmed down sufficiently, allowing your fingers to play with the ends of his hair while his mouth reacquaintes itself with your neck. “Am I wrong?” He asks brazenly, briefly shooting you a look that's equal parts exasperated and knowing before continuing with his very important task of mapping your body with as much of his lips and hands as possible.

“No, you're not,” you concede, letting him pull you towards your ridiculously ornate bed, “but, you're not doing a great job of trying to sway me into believing you suddenly care about your royal duties,” you say with a smile that hurts your face a little. “What? A man can't change his mind?” He asks with faux seriousness. 

“He can but, maybe he should change it another time. Not when we're meant to be getting dressed for a dinner that's very important for the future of our kingdom,” you muse, joining him on your silk sheets and letting him palm your thighs and litter your collarbone with messy kisses. “We'll make it,” he says with so much certainty that you really can't find it within yourself to disagree or argue with him. Especially not when his hand is making its way up your inner thigh, “We just have to be quick and efficient, that's all.” 

Jeonghan doesn't give you much time to digest his words. Dragging you into another impassioned kiss while his fingers brush your delicate folds. He swallows your quiet gasps eagerly. Devouring every sound the swipes and presses of his fingers pluck from you. “I tho–thought you said we had to hurry,” you whine when he continues to toy with you. His touches far too light and far too quick, not allowing you a second to savour them. “You're right, you're right. My apologies.” He has the nerve to chuckle into your mouth but, any snark you're about to unleash on him is forgotten instantaneously when he finally presses his fingertips to your clit with enough pressure to make your eyes flutter and your hands fist his robe. 

“Han–Hannie,” you whimper, allowing yourself to get lost in his skilled fingers and mouth. The thought of political dinners completely vanished from your mind. His mouth finds its way to your neck, kissing along your jugular before descending to your collarbone. You're certain that he could kiss every part of you over and over and over again and it would still never be enough for him. He pushes two fingers into you at the same time that he latches onto your hardened nipple. Dark eyes watching you under his lashes as his mouth draws breathy gasps of his name (well, attempts of his name) and his fingers gradually open you up for him. 

Not one to be outdone, you find enough coherence to palm him through his undergarments. Pride swelling in your chest when you feel his fingers falter and his quiet groan pressed into your skin. He's already so hard and the urge to sit on him and swallow his cock to its hilt grips you violently. So violently in fact that it doesn't take much more prompting for you to slip your hand into his undergarments and grasp him directly. Your walls squeezing around his fingers in time with the way he pulses in your hand. 

“You're going to be the death of me,” he hisses, finding his composure rather quickly (because of course he does) and curling his fingers inside you in the way he knows will make stars dance in your vision. Frankly, you wouldn't be shocked if he was a warlock because the reactions he pulls from you are not normal in the slightest. “You ah started all of th–this,” you remind him, gradually stroking him and delighting in the way his cock throbs in your palm with every movement. It's always lovely to be reminded that he's just as far gone for you as you are for him. 

Jeonghan chooses not to respond. Electing instead to increase the intensity of the way his fingers curl inside of you and covering your breasts in kisses while he shallowly thrusts into your hand. It's all messy and barely coordinated but, you find the tension in your core building. Every brush of your clit, every touch of his fingers, every kiss and lick of his mouth just pushes you closer and closer to the edge. You're sure he can feel the way your thighs quiver and the lack of focus you're able to provide to his slick cock in your hand. It's so close that you can practically taste it. 

And just like that, Jeonghan pulls his drenched fingers out of you. 

You're not sure when your eyes shut but, they fly open within an instant. Shooting your husband with a look that you're sure is equal parts betrayal and frustration. You can't help the way your hips jolt, searching for any sort of stimulation. Instinctively looking for anything to help ease the fluttering of your walls and the incessant pulse of your clit.

“Jeonghan.” 

He does at least look a little ashamed but, not enough for your liking. You can still see the amusement too clearly in his eyes. “I'm sorry, love,” he doesn't sound sorry in the slightest, “You know I can't help myself sometimes,” he says with an upturn of his lips that makes your stomach twist horribly and your ache between your thighs worsen. “Let me make it up to you,” he offers, maneuvering his way between your thighs before you can blink and recognise he's no longer in your grasp. Gods, you know his hair is going to be ruined by the time the two of you are finished but, you truly hope not. He's looked otherworldly before but, seeing him from this angle is an entirely different experience altogether. You've got to slip his servants a generous amount of gold coins in thanks. 

His kiss is gentle this time. A stark contrast to the way you can feel his tip prodding at your dripping, eager entrance. “I love you,” he sighs before pushing into you and, you really don't think that's all that fair. You really did marry a dirty trickster of a man. “Always so eager and ready for me,” he continues, his voice hoarse with desire as he finds his pace and all you can do is cling to his back for some form of grounding, “My beautiful, lovely, brilliant, erotic wife,” he grits out, one of his hands gripping your hip fiercely. 

It's hard to think of anything other than his gorgeous face twisted in the most arousing expressions you've ever seen in your life and the way his cock drags along the deepest, most intimate parts of you. You knew you were close before but, a few thrusts already have you dangerously teetering on the edge. “You're so unfair,” you gasp out while he focuses his attention on nipping at your throat while twisting and tugging at your nipples with those stupidly skilled fingers of his. 

“Unfair?” He laughs breathlessly, meeting your lidded gaze with his own, “Maybe you shouldn't have seduced me with that flimsy robe of yours,” he argues. The following snap of his hips is sharp and you can't really find it in you to respond. Grasping his own robe for purchase as the tension in your core begins to reach a fever pitch. “How was I meant to stop myself when you looked like that?” He rasps into your ear and you think it's deeply unfair how many of your weaknesses he's learned and, is using against you. He chuckles into your skin when all you're able to reply with are choked gasps and whines of his name. You can feel him smile into you when you jolt just as he presses his fingers to your swollen clit. Not giving you a chance to collect yourself before he rubs circles into you that cause your thighs to shake violently and your walls to tighten around him. 

“You wanted to cum, right?” His tone is teasing and you swear you hate him. It's difficult to speak when you can practically taste your climax with every touch of his fingers and stroke of his cock, “I want you to,” he breathes, a touch of desperation to his tone, “I want to feel it when you do. Want to feel you cum all over me, all around me,” he whispers straight into your ear and you can already feel the beginnings of electricity shooting down your spine, “I need to.” 

You're not sure what causes the cord to snap entirely. His cock? His fingers? His words? His voice? Him? You're not sure it really matters, ultimately. Your breaths turn to gasps and whimpers moans of his name while your thighs quiver around his slender hips. Every extremity tingling with the lightning you can feel coursing through you as Jeonghan continues his movements even through your mind numbing orgasm. You're too lost in a daze to make out what he's saying but, the bleary vision of him with his carefully styled hair sticking to his sweaty face and his smeared, charcoal liner make your stomach swoop all the same. 

“–beautiful you are,” are the rushed words you do manage to catch just as his grip on your hips grows harsher and his face morphs in pleasure. Jeonghan's stamina is impressive. Another aspect of him that you never quite expected. And usually, you'd be more than happy to let him continue making love to you until you both pass out but, you both have duties to attend to.

Jeonghan isn't the only one who has picked up a trick or two over the course of your marriage. 

Using what little energy you have left, you wrap your arms around him. Jeonghan lets you pull him closer to you, his breath stuttering when you intentionally clench your walls around him and drag your fingernails along the parts of scalp that aren't covered in hair clips. “Hannie,” you add an extra bit of whine in your voice, reveling in the way you feel him shudder and his cock throb inside of you, “Love you, Hannie.” He makes a noise you barely register before kissing you fiercely and holding you in place as he snaps his hips faster and faster, his blunt nails digging into your skin and your kiss being more tongue and spit than anything else. 

You're not sure what pushes him over the edge but, it's not long before he moans long and quietly into your mouth and you feel his cock shoot rope after rope of his release into you. The warmth that fills you is familiar and just so him that you can't help the soft whines that fall from your lips as you feel him ride out his climax. You can tell he's trying his best to not just collapse onto you but, the shakiness in his arms is evident and he's practically on you already. A small laugh bubbles out of you and you can't help but, smile when he shoots you a curious look.

“What?” He asks, running his thumb along the marks his nails left on your hip. 

“You can rest on me if you want to, beloved husband,” your face hurts from how much you're smiling. You must look insane, “You won't crush me.” 

Either he's just as insane as you are or he shares your bizarre sense of elation right now because he smiles right back at you before responding, “I thought we had a dinner to attend?” You decide to ignore how attractive he looks with his eyebrow raised. 

“We're already running late anyway. What's a few more minutes?” 

He really has become a terrible influence. 

Reblogs are greatly appreciated.

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Seventeen Masterlist | Ko-Fi

[fairyhaos]

how seventeen would act as a webtoon fantasy world prince

this was written with those virtual character dating simulation thingies in mind btw?? like. those unrealistic webtoon isekai-esque stuff. ive never played them before but this is based on my interpretation of them lmao

masterlist

seungcheol

either you fall in love with prince seungcheol at first sight or it's some charged enemies to lovers dynamic until someone finally realises they've fallen. he's just such a huge and great and formidable presence and he is just The Best protector. there's ofc gonna be some sort of altercation where you get hurt and you can bet that his eyes go stormy and he's asking "who did this to you" in a low voice, full of promise to murder anyone who hurt you. watches you with stars in his eyes when you descend the staircase in the beautiful outfit you're wearing as his partner to a royal ball, and that's how he knows that you're the one

jeonghan

prettier than you. every time he appears on screen there's a bunch of shiny sparkles and floating hearts and at least one of the other faceless side-princesses has to faint at his beauty in the background of the scene. he's charactertised by his soft eyes and the glinting teeth in his smile and the way he always has the most out-of-pocket sentences that leave his lips. he's really pretty and really smart but also???? unexpectedly does little things that show that he cares about you. prince jeonghan is written as the webtoon trope where he looks like a laid-back pretty boy but secretly loves you dearly and would defend you with his life

joshua

childhood friends who drifted away due to circumstances in their own kingdoms before finally reuniting at a ball and realising oh god... they both grew up to be so beautiful. there's some underlying, dramatic plot involving betrayal and corruption in the temple (dude it's always the temple) but your love for one another is always there, unspoken but ringing true constantly. does it kind of give you plot armour? yeah, bc the writer doesn't want anything to happen to joshua. (or you. but mostly joshua.) but there's also at least 6 shirtless prince joshua scenes bc the writer loves him so. take what you can get.

junhui

he's just Doing His Best okay. he's been married off to you, a royal from another kingdom, and he's kinda having a bad time bc the climate of your kingdoms are just so different but you're also kind of being all snappish with him like he chose to be married off to you?? but you're also really pretty and sometimes you're quite nice and it's obvious you're a good person from how you talk about your subjects and he knows that you don't like him but he thinks he might be falling in love with you, which is kind of confusing for everyone. comedy-fluff-misunderstandings webtoon style.

hoshi

playful younger prince. rebellious. you first meet him in some rundown, peasant area and you genuinely think he's just the illegitimate son of a noble rather than the prince himself bc he's just so friendly and blatantly disregarding all sorts of common court etiquette. as someone stifled by the rigid aristocratic structures, you find it refreshing, and talking to him is just so easy and you get to express yourself so well around him. before you know it, you're in love, and when you feel horribly betrayed at the reveal that he's the prince, well.... perhaps someone else out of the two of you managed to catch feelings too.

wonwoo

he's always so calm and composed and it makes you want to climb him like a tree and wring his shoulders to finally ruffle his leaves a little and find out what makes him tick. you want to be the one to crack the secret to prince jeon wonwoo, basically. will he let you? no. he hates you. at least, that's what you think, before something happens at a horse-riding tournament through the woods that you're participating in and your horse becomes out of control, and from then on, wonwoo never leaves your side. almost as if he was scared that he'd truly lose you, and he realises that he never wants that to happen, ever.

woozi

guys. guys prince jihoon is perfect for a prince x knight trope. prince jihoon who's head knight and always ends up sniping with you, the one knight in his charge that always snarks back. prince jihoon who spars with his knights often and always seems to be the closest in skill level with you. prince jihoon who mostly sees you in your armour so to see you dressed in finery at a ball makes him blink because you're actually rather beautiful. and you, who feel torn between your duty and the comfortable banter that you've developed with the crown prince that makes you crave more and more every time he turns to leave.

minghao

you rarely go out to balls but this time your family convinces you to come to the masquerade ball the royal family are holding for the crown prince. there, you meet a handsome masked man, who leads you through one of the fast dances and has you laughing into him before you share a fascinatingly intellectual conversation with him until the ball ends and from there, you're whisked away by your chatty (but well-meaning) family and you never see him again until a dramatic encounter at the market where you're about to get robbed but a familiar voice steps in. is it a cliche plot? yeah, but prince minghao is drawn to be utterly gorgeous so people will stay for the art

mingyu

is literally soooo drop-dead gorgeous that you promise yourself you're not gonna fall in love with him bc like???? he's the prince from a neighbouring kingdom that you're being forced to marry. this off-the-charts handsomeness is just a ploy to get you to act out a cliche of falling for him. but the more time you spend with him, the more you find that despite being (almost terrifyingly) handsome, he's also kind of... adorable? so... maybe you'll rethink your decision to not fall in love with him.... especially when he trips over his feet and accidentally blurts out how he's in love with you when on a walk in the palace gardens

dokyeom

ray-of-sunshine crown prince who is so annoyingly perfect that you feel kind of irritated. literally it's soooo obvious that the writer has a thing for puppy-coded sunshine bright boys bc it even makes the reader fall for him too. you have an (admittedly one-sided) rivalry with him, bc he's just so kind and loved by all and it fills you with hatred bc you've been nothing but despised and shunned your entire life. but then, some small, kind gesture that he does to you marks the beginning of change in your feelings, and it's as his eyes find yours during yet another ball that you realise... oh. perhaps you've fallen for him after all.

seungkwan

spoilt brat. but also your childhood best friend, so you've learnt to deal with his tendencies and know how to hold him back from kicking someone in the shins in a very un-royal way, and have even grown to love him. like a friend, ofc. however, the weird feeling in your stomach from seeing him having to entertain foreign royalty.... it's definitely not jealousy, right? definitely not. at least, you don't think it is, until seungkwan and you overhear his parents talking of an arranged marriage with another kingdom and you realise with startling clarity that you never want to lose seungkwan to someone else

vernon

honestly. vernon is probably the ordinary guy who was isekai-ed into a fantasy novel as the crown prince. but like, Why does he manage to do so well in his role???? he's panicking the entire time, but he's not necessarily doing badly, and he manages to make you fall for him even harder than you do in the original novel. the second male lead doesn't even have the chance to be an option bc vernon is literally the only person you see. he doesn't know how it happens, but he speed-runs the entire book in one month and then you're confessing your love for him and uh. he might actually be in love with you too.

chan

prince chan is the most gentle and most courteous prince of all time. bows all deeply and respectfully when you first meet him, and he's careful not to touch you without your permission. has such a captivating smile and such captivating words that you can't help but find your gaze gravitating to him at all times. stares at you all awed when you laugh at a particularly funny joke he made. he will 100% definitely treat you right forever. kisses you all soft when he leaves for a battle, your handkerchief tucked into his clothes as a reminder of what he can never leave behind

reactions tags: @weird-bookworm @minhui896 @bunnyiix @slytherinshua @haowrld @belladaises @newgirlygirl @moonlitskiiies @mirxzii @wonranghaeee @yonabutnotyuna @crackedpumpkin @wqnwoos @kthstrawberryshortcake-main @kawennote09 @a-wandering-stay @icyminghao @valenhui @sweet-like-caramel @evasaysstuff @odxrilove @kyeomyun @chansburgah @pepperonijem @jeonride @kellesvt @hanniehaee @astrozuya @eightlightstar @onlyyjeonghan @aaniag @amxlia-stars @all-american-fangirl @f1uffyjun @jeonghanfr

[lovelyhan]

— promise ring ⟢

no one would've guessed that the daughter of the town’s royal mage has a soft spot for the clumsiest fire elemental in the entire realm. but when the crown prince suddenly asks for your hand in marriage, you're forced to consider how you feel about a certain lee jung chan a lot more seriously.

★ FEATURING; chan x reader (ft. joshua x reader)

★ WORD COUNT; 21k words

★ TAGS; fantasy, royalty, childhood friends, mutual pining, love triangle, LOTS of drama, jeonghan being a menace, slow burn, angst, smut

★ NOTES; full disclosure that the plot to porn ratio is probably 80:20 so if you're simply looking for filth, i might not recommend this,,, but if you're down for 20k words of slow burn childhood friends to lovers topped with a juicy love triangle with our best boy chan, then this should be perfect for you <3

this is part of the secret garden, a svthub spring collab and the it's complicated series!

★ SMUT TAGS; vanilla, lots of making out, unprotected sex, touch starved chan and reader, first time, body worship, dom/sub undertones, lots of loving n endearing language during the act bc they've pined for each other long Enough, corruption kink if you squint but chan doesn't rly act on it

★ TAGLIST; @cheolhub - @pretty-trustme - @just-here-to-read-01 - @idkmelkro - @dejavernon - @venusrae - @jeonghancvunt - @jyiiscool - @jiniesclub - @junhui-recs - @bldelaine - @featmia - @fruitzcup - @hoeforhao - @candidupped - @emmmui - @billboard-singer - @caratochan - @novalpha - @dahliatopia - @0717luv

When you wake up, it’s to a strange feeling that something big is going to happen today.

You open your eyes to radiant sunlight filtering into the room through a crack in the curtains. The songbirds chirp happily by the windowsill as the rest of the town prepares to meet the day head-on. You lie in bed for a few minutes more, wondering what’s causing your chest to stir with misplaced anticipation. None of the annual festivals are drawing near and you’re certain you haven’t forgotten anyone’s birthdays either.

The sensation carries over as you head to the Academy with your father. Being from the family who founded the school several decades ago, he makes it a point to uphold the legacy your ancestors have left behind. That includes being at the school grounds an hour before any of the formal magic classes are scheduled to start, apparently.

Some students arrive much earlier than both of you, practicing spells and incantations in the small quadrangle as a means of preparing for their assessments later in the day. You giggle to yourself when you spot one of the older mages—a water elemental named Seungmin—fumble with his technique a little. 

Whether intentionally or not, his friend, Changbin takes the brunt of it—his robes rendered sopping wet from the water that Seungmin had (accidentally?) blasted him with. Though it doesn’t take much to undo the damage since Changbin is easily one of the best fire elementals in the Academy. With one snap of his fingers, his clothes are instantly dry. 

There are times (like this) when you envy the versatility of fire magic. But your father once told you that the gods grant each person with their respective elements for a reason. Instead of questioning their grace, you must show your gratitude by mastering what you've been blessed with instead. 

Yours comes in the form of nurturing all the plants and flora you set your eyes on. It’s for this reason that you still bother to come to the Academy even if you’ve already completed its scholastic program over three years ago. 

Despite your father constantly insisting for you to find a job that suits your talents in the royal capital, you prefer to impart your magical knowledge to the other students in your hometown instead. 

In fact, you don’t miss the wistful look in his eyes as you part ways for the day—him to the headmaster's office and you to the greenhouse at the edge of campus.

As you direct yourself to your destination, that feeling from earlier is yet to subside. Though much more muted now that you’re surrounded by fellow mages both students and faculty alike, it still remains. Quiet yet foreboding, as if telling you not to let your guard down just yet.

So lost in your own thoughts, you startle at the sound of someone calling your name in the distance. 

“Thank goodness you’re here!” One of the junior mages, Chaewon groans before bracing her hands on her knees to catch her breath. “He’s done it again!” 

A worried smile stretches across your lips. Life in your hometown is but a cycle of doing the same things over and over everyday. You don’t particularly mind the monotone of your routine—you’re at peace with it, honestly—but if Lee Jung Chan keeps accidentally burning someone’s precious plants, you’re going to have to make a few changes.

Chaewon leads you to the crime scene swiftly, explaining how your best friend set fire to the monsteras she personally grew from little seedlings with an irritated pout. While you’re completely sympathetic to Chaewon's plight—being her mentor and all—you can’t help the soft laugh that bubbles in your chest at the story.

“Why are you laughing?” she whines. “You’re not gonna let him get away with it just ‘cause you’ve been friends since you were babies, right? I worked so hard to enchant those plants with exotic flowers!” 

The two of you arrive before you can issue an apology on Chan’s behalf. Not that your best friend wouldn’t have already expressed his remorse directly to Chaewon the moment the monsteras caught his flames. 

You can easily spot the repentance in his posture as Chan stands awkwardly outside the greenhouse. From the looks of it, he’s currently being lectured by a school instructor who’s also named Chan, though most of the students and staff call him Chris for easier identification. 

You’re certain that Chris has it all under control. Though you’re not sure how, since he’s a non-elemental mage. You can’t exactly see him putting out a fire with musical magic no matter how good he is, but you’re grateful for his intervention still. 

“I know you only wanted to help out, but Chaewon isn’t the headmaster’s daughter. She’s yet to learn how to properly foolproof her handiwork against clumsy fire elementals.” Chris sighs deeply, arms crossed with a serious look before his eyes catch yours from the distance. “Speak of the devil…”

One would expect Chan to be mortified at the sight of you. After all, he did just inadvertently fuck up Chaewon’s project for her elemental assessment this month. As her mentor, you have all the right to rain hell on earth in the name of your precious student, but the thing about you is that you can never get mad at Lee Jung Chan—no matter how badly he messes up sometimes.

“Hi,” he squeaks with a small wave. “I swear I was just watering Chaewon’s plants ‘cause they were looking kind of…dry.  I do it for you all the time right? But then a cat snuck inside the greenhouse and knocked over a bunch of pots from the high shelves. It scared the living daylights out of me and—”

“Chan, have you at least apologized to her?” you sigh, patting your student’s head while she shoots Chan a hard glare from where she’s hiding behind you. 

“O-Of course!” he stammers, hands flying everywhere in an attempt to express his damage control better. “I even asked Chris where I can get seeds so I can replace them for her! You know I never leave any debts unpaid.”

It’s difficult to keep your mask of professionalism in place when he’s being so unintentionally adorable. Right now, you’re one of the Academy’s respected alumni as well as an instructor that many students look up to. You wouldn’t make the mistake of fawning over your best friend while he explains his not-so-innocence, but that doesn’t mean it makes keeping up appearances any easier for you .

“I told him that BamBam sells everything under the sun at his shop in the next town over,” Chris informs you with a tight-lipped smile. “Though Chan might have to be careful when talking to that guy. He’s a bit…”

“Eccentric?” you supply.

“Exactly.”

“Can he do that now?” Chaewon huffs impatiently. “I was meaning to start another experiment after I made sure this one didn’t fall through, but I guess I’m back to square one.” 

You flash your student a placating stare, rubbing her back in soothing circles. “Hey, your next assessment isn’t until the end of the month, right? You don’t have to rush. Besides, I’ve been thinking about teaching you how to brew your own instant growth potion.”

The enticing promise of a new technique visibly piques Chaewon’s interest. She gasps, taking your hands in hers before letting out a loud shriek. “Really?! You’re really going to teach me that? You know there are no take-backs once you say it, right?”

“Yes, I know.” You chuckle. “Now go head off to class. You have Chris here for first period, right?”

Your student groans. “Yeah… I still don’t know why I took musical theory as an elective.”

“You talk like I’m the worst instructor among the school faculty,” Chris huffs before walking back to the path leading to the main building. “Come on, Chaewon. You’ll be late.”

“How can I be late if I’m with you, though?”

“If you don’t stop being smart with me, I’ll tell BamBam to switch your monstera seeds with venus flytraps.” 

As the two of them bicker all the way to the entrance, you’re left alone with your troublemaking best friend. Chan still has his shoulders set as if the guilt from his earlier actions is still fresh in his heart. You sigh, gesturing for him to follow you into the greenhouse before stepping inside the enclosure.

Out of all the projects you’ve dedicated to mastering your elemental magic, the Academy’s greenhouse is by far your most renowned feat. It started as a pipe dream during your first year of attendance and in your final year, you managed to convince the board of elder mages to build the greenhouse with the help of your father.

Of course, since he’s a royal mage—the town’s representative in the courts of the royal capital—you won’t deny that he might’ve pulled a few strings here and there to make your dreams a reality. 

(If you can recall correctly, you once heard Chaewon’s friend, Yunjin jokingly whisper something about nepotism during one of the on-field classes you held.)

But whatever the means, the greenhouse proved to be an effective medium for magic of varying affinities. Both elemental and non-elemental mages often stop by to test their ideas about innovative applications of their powers. 

Some water mages have tested if plants can purify contaminated samples from the upstream river. A spatial mage once tried to clone a bonsai tree by multiplying their cells in an exact mirror image. 

And your best friend often tests the limits of what he can and can’t do around all the flora—given his magical constitution.

“So I’m guessing you already forgive me?” Chan asks with a sheepish smile on his face. “I promise I’ll just help out somewhere else when you’re not around. Baekho’s been inviting me to the magical combat wing a lot these days, but I need to think about it first ‘cause…you know.”

You do know. And out of every single person who knows Lee Jung Chan, you like to think that you understand his predicament better than anyone else.

Both of you started studying at the Academy at the same time, but you’re the only one who got to graduate after senior year. This made Chan ineligible for any sort of teaching position, since official employment required being an alumnus of any recognized magic school in the realm. The most he can be offered is a spot as a teaching aide and none else.

You’re well aware that because of that smudge on his track record, coupled with his clumsy tendencies, people often assume that Chan is a failure of a mage. A fire elemental who has no idea how to wield his own flames.

But what they don’t know is that in terms of raw power alone, even your father agrees that Chan surpasses every single student that’s ever had the pleasure to graduate from this school. The reason he can’t control his own flames is because of how potent they are. How powerful and all-consuming they can be if kept unchecked.

Your father once offered to bring him to one of his friends in the southern cities—someone who can help Chan tame his powers in ways he failed to guide him to. But your best friend declined, insisting that someone who can’t control their own flames doesn’t deserve the time and hospitality of anyone outside your hometown.

To this day, you still haven’t forgotten the resignation in his voice as he said the words. Like he’s so certain that all he deserves is to be some aberration kept in the shadows. You’ve always hated it whenever he sells himself short, but it’s not as if you can do anything about it if he’s so complacent with where he is now.

“Hey? You’re spacing out on me all of a sudden.”

You blink, nonplussed by Chan’s voice despite the fact that you’ve been standing with him inside the greenhouse for over five minutes. He’s posed a respectable distance away from any of the potted plants and flowers in the vicinity—standing so still, you almost find it funny.

“What made you drop by so early in the morning anyways?” you ask in an attempt at small talk. Your first class of the day doesn’t start until an hour, so you can afford to squander some time. “Don’t you usually get out of bed at noon?” 

“Hey, I get out of bed at eleven!” He insists as if that’s any better. “But anyways, the reason I showed up so early is because someone made a wrong delivery to my house. Ma was so surprised to see a huge crate at our doorstep, but she was even more surprised to see it was addressed to you.”

…A delivery? For you?

“What do you mean?” you wonder, head craned with confusion. “What was inside? Did it say who it was from?”

Chan shakes his head before pointing at the far end of the greenhouse. There, you see the massive wooden crate he must be talking about. “A bunch of flowers in a plant box with no return address. Maybe it’s one of those scholars from the capital who want you to study them again? You did work on a research project about hydrangeas last month right?” 

Strange flower delivery aside, you gape at him—heart fluttering at his thoughtfulness. “You remember that?” 

“Of course I do,” he says easily. “Now are you going to check out the crate so you can tell me what those flowers are or are we gonna stand in the middle of all these highly flammable plants all day?”

You don’t even bother asking how Chan managed to transfer such a huge thing from his house to the greenhouse. He must’ve asked help from Mingyu, another instructor’s aide who does a lot of heavy lifting around the school. Or maybe he even roped Baekho into this whole thing.

Either way, as soon as you open the mystery package, it’s as Chan described it: a plant box brimming with an assortment of flowers arranged in a way only professionals can put together. All the vibrant blooms are expertly placed so that one wouldn’t outshine the other and whoever sent this, they’ve certainly earned your approval. 

“So which is which?” Chan wonders as he peeps inside the crate again.

“Well,” you start, hands tracing each flower delicately. “This one is called a primrose, the dark pink ones are chrysanthemums, while the dantier flowers are carnations.”

As you explain how different they are from the other, it’s hard to miss how Chan struggles to keep himself from reaching into the crate to touch them. You feel kind of bad, but you know he’s only holding himself back because he doesn’t want to unintentionally start another fire. 

“What do they mean? In the language of flowers?” he wonders. “You always go on and on about how each one has its own special meaning. What about these guys?”

You ponder on it for a moment, actively recalling what you’ve been taught. “Hm. Primroses usually represent youth and optimism. Chrysanthemums are for friendship, and carnations…”

When its meaning flits to the forefront of your mind, your eyes widen as an abrupt realization hits you in the next moment. Your gaze drifts back to the flowers as Chan patiently waits for you to continue, and that’s when you notice something strange inside. 

Tucked in the middle of the assortment of lush flowers is a small envelope that wasn’t there before. The flap is enclosed with a familiar wax seal: the royal family’s crest. 

You’ve seen your father open enough letters from them to recognize the sigil pressed into the bright red wax, but you’ve never once received one for yourself. 

“Carnations signify fascination. Love,” you continue, swallowing the lump in your throat. “But I’m sure whoever sent these doesn’t know all that. They could’ve just picked these out because they’re pretty to look at together.”

Chan looks unconvinced. “Why don’t you open the envelope? I’m just guessing here, but maybe it was made to respond to your magic specifically? It would explain why it didn’t appear when I first checked the flowers out.”

For all his foolishness, he might actually be on to something this time.

But instead of brimming curiosity, that bothersome sensation from earlier surfaces again. It cloys in your chest, stirring your heart with trepidation before sinking like a stone in the pit of your stomach. 

Your hands go clammy as you inspect the envelope as if it’s hiding a beast so it could swallow you whole. The royal family hasn’t given you any reason to even be remotely wary of them, but your reluctance refuses to waver.

In the end, you choose to brush it off, picking at the seal until it detaches from the envelope. When you take out what’s inside, the familiar scent of rich red roses laces the fine parchment. 

It’s fairly easy to figure out who the sender is after that.

The greenhouse falls silent as you read through the letter’s contents. You’re acutely aware of Chan’s equally engrossed stare, but with each passing second, you grow more and more cognizant of the fact that this is definitely the reason why you awoke so keyed up first thing in the morning.

“Prince Joshua, huh?” He whispers somewhat disbelievingly before turning to you with curious eyes. “I figured you were friends since your father brings you along to the royal balls so often. Didn’t think he was this into you though.”

You didn’t either. You can hardly call the prince who’s second in line to the throne your friend, much more, a romantic prospect. Sure, Joshua is always hospitable whenever he catches you nursing a drink in the ballroom before asking for a dance, but you never would’ve imagined he harbored those kinds of feelings for you. 

What’s more is, though you came from a highly regarded lineage of mages, there isn’t a drop of royal blood in your veins. But here he is, asking you to be his fiancée all while giving you the prettiest flowers you’ve ever received.

“Do you think it could be a mistake?” you mumble, reading over the letter once more to make sure you aren’t dreaming.

Chan rolls his eyes. “Look, that’s clearly your name he mentioned at the top. And don’t you think that someone as important as Prince Joshua will be more careful about sending out gestures of grandeur? He can’t just give any beautiful girl flowers, you know.”

His words shouldn’t faze you as much as they do. It’s always been easy for Chan to compliment people when the chance arises and he’s called you beautiful dozens of times before. Sometimes teasingly, more often genuinely. 

It’s so strange. The most sought-after man in the kingdom just asked for your hand in marriage, but here you are—heart doing somersaults all because of your best friend’s easy admission.

Oh, heavens, you muse to yourself as Chan goes off on a tangent about how you’re mandated to get him front row seats to the wedding. 

This is going to be difficult.

“That’s good news!”

When you dragged Chan to your father’s office once all your classes for the day were finished, you expected him to at least mull over Joshua’s abrupt proposal a little longer. It’s not that he was strict about the men you let in your life, but he looks much too elated for someone whose daughter is on the brink of being married off to someone else.

Well. When that ‘someone else’ is Prince Joshua, you think the proposal holds more weight than it otherwise would with any other commoner.

“But I don’t understand,” you tell him, chewing the inside of your cheek. “Why does Prince Joshua want to marry me all of a sudden? He hasn’t expressed any sort of romantic interest in me before, so why…?”

Your father chuckles from behind his desk, one finger guiding the drink from his glass with magic so he can spin it around in circles. Water elementals can be so strange at times. 

“If I told you the prince has felt the way he claims in his letter for a good few years now, would it help you consider the proposal better?” he asks before putting the stream of wine he’s playing with back to its proper place. 

“Wait a moment,” Chan pipes up from his seat. “Are you saying he’s been in love with her for a long time now?” 

“Well, I’m not sure of the specifics, but the prince informed me of his affections a few months ago to seek my approval,” your father explains before leaning back into his seat to cast you a fond stare. “But I told him that regardless of what I think about the whole ordeal, the final decision isn’t up to me at all.” 

The weight of their stares suddenly falls on your form.

You swallow thickly, having known all this time that your father wouldn’t possibly push you to go through with the proposal despite how happy it made him. It’s not that you don’t think Joshua is suitable to be your husband, but…

“Isn’t he taking things a bit too fast?” you ask dryly. “He could at least court me first—”

“My sweet girl, you know the way things work at the castle are much different from how they are in this small town of ours,” your father sighs. “You’ve heard about the royal assimilation period, yes?”

You have. It’s a sort of probationary period imposed on non-royals who wish to marry into the family. You know of a few acquaintances who had to spend a full year in the castles of other kingdoms without setting foot outside the premises during its entirety. At the time, you found the idea of isolation dreadful and that you can’t ever see yourself being in their place.

Now here you are, at the brink of being tied down to a prince you barely even know.

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t spend a chunk of your day thinking about the pros and cons of marrying into the royal family. Becoming princess consort means you’ll be given a voice in the political court of the castle. Though your father does just fine in representing your hometown as its royal mage, being part of the regency itself grants you more authority over the decisions being made for the kingdom’s sake.

The thought of being able to improve the quality of life in your hometown as well as bringing more adequate funds for the Academy makes the offer all sorts of tempting. This is the place that made you who you are today, and you’d want nothing more than to give back however you can. 

Plus, the thought of being married to Prince Joshua isn’t as daunting as it was when you found his letter hidden between the flowers he’d given. Since you had the whole work day to think about it, you managed to get over the initial dread and actually consider how having him as a partner would be.

His reputation as the kingdom’s most esteemed gentleman precedes him even in other places. It was once a popular opinion that Joshua would marry and settle down much sooner than his older brother, Jeonghan simply because of how adored he is among the people. Yet he’s already halfway through his twenties without any prospective partners.

Until now.

“I think you should accept his proposal.”

It shocks you that Chan is the one who tells you that. You stare at him with glaring disbelief while your father merely raises an eyebrow with mild interest before his lips break into a grin. “See? Even Chan over here agrees. I know it’s a bit much to suddenly become the fiancée of someone so important, but you’ll get to know each other better during the assimilation period anyways.”

Chan nods in agreement. “Besides, we can still visit you every now and again, right?”

The smile on your father’s face falls. “Oh, about that… Prospective royals aren’t allowed to entertain visitors that aren’t immediate family until the assimilation period concludes. But you can send letters if you end up missing each other too much.”

Your father says the words in such a light-hearted manner, you’re sure he didn’t say them in jest. He knows how close you and Chan have been since childhood; knows how important he is to you. If you accept Joshua’s proposal and whisk yourself off to the castle, it would be the longest you’ve gone without seeing your best friend in your entire life.

With Chan added to the equation, you realize that it’s not your level of familiarity with Joshua that makes you so reluctant to go through with it, nor is it the idea of being isolated from the outside for an entire year. 

It’s the fact that you won’t be able to meet Chan for its entirety.

“Well, it’s not like it’s something you have to decide on right away,” your father interjects when he senses that the atmosphere has dipped. “I’ll keep in touch with the prince about the whole thing, but I’m sure he’d like you to take your time anyways. This is a lifelong commitment we’re talking about after all.”

This is ridiculous. Well, not as ridiculous when you remember you’re now of marriageable age and the prince has been harboring feelings for you for longer than you thought. 

Still… 

When you look at Chan, you half-expect him to at least comment on your father’s words, but he merely grins as if he’s completely on board with the idea.

Yet you can’t help but notice how that smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

You end up accepting Joshua’s proposal a week later.

From what you could tell when he responded to your letter, the prince was ecstatic. He went into great detail about how he promises to make the entire assimilation process comfortable for you and that he can’t wait to have you at the castle. What makes the entire exchange all the more endearing is the fact that he’s genuinely apologetic about the abruptness of his proposal and that he honestly didn’t expect for you to agree.

You didn’t either.

If Joshua was ecstatic, your father was over the moon. When you informed him that you’re exchanging correspondences with the prince about the entire arrangement, he was quick to put together a farewell party when the final date of your assimilation period has been set in stone. 

In other words, the past month was extremely busy for you. It consisted of several back and forth trips to the royal capital so you and Joshua could get all the paperwork involved done together. He’s just as sweet and accommodating as you remember—making the whole process less intimidating than it’s supposed to be. The more time you spend with the prince and soon-to-be-fiance, the less nervous you are for what’s to come.

The anxiety finally wears off by the time your farewell party comes around. Your father made sure to invite close friends and family as well as a few of his students and yours. Chaewon was in tears at the news that another mentor is going to be assigned for her because of the circumstances, but you promised to keep in touch when you come back.

Although once you’ve had your final conversations with most of your guests, you start to feel how wary you are from interacting with so many people at once. Eyes scanning through the small venue your father rented for the occasion, you attempt to look for a single person—a pout tugging at your lips when you can’t find him amidst the crowd.

No one knows Lee Jung Chan better than you do, so you’re right on the money when you venture out to the nearby river—immediately spotting him sitting alone by the banks.

You can only guess how many stones he’s already skipped across the stream, but Chan doesn’t even flinch as you settle down beside him, pulling your legs to your chest so you can rest your chin on your knees.

“You haven’t come here in a while,” you murmur quietly. “Something on your mind?”

“Mmm.” His eyes are pulled straight forward as if still lost in thought. You sigh before opting to stew in the sound of the flowing river—gazing at the slowly setting sun in the far horizon.

It hits you at that moment just how much you’ll miss him. Quiet afternoons with your best friend have become few and far in between ever since you started teaching at the Academy. Now that you’re Joshua’s fiancée, you don’t even know if you’ll ever get to watch sunsets with him like this again. The thought fills you with that same sinking feeling that you only learned to overlook recently and it must show on your face because Chan is quick to turn to you with a curious look on his face.

“You nervous?” he asks. 

You shake your head. “Not really.”

“Then why do you look so…”

“So?”

“I don’t know…that.”

“You have to be specific, Chan.”

He huffs, taking another stone from a pile he collected at his side before skipping it across the water. “Well, you look like the way you did before your first magical assessment. Remember when the headmaster called me to sleep over because you were practically shaking with anxiety? Even if you’re literally from the best sorcerer family in the city?”

“Hey! Just because my father is good at everything doesn’t mean I am too!”

“But you don’t have to be good at everything.” Chan smiles and you’re unprepared for how your heart lurches at how breathtaking he looks. “You just have to be yourself.”

A pause hovers in the midst of the conversation and you can feel the heat starting to creep up your cheeks. If your best friend notices, he doesn’t let you know.

“I remember that you aced that assessment. Scored highest in our entire year too,” he recalls with a hint of fondness. “I think you’ll do just fine in that assimilation period. Wait, no. I know you will.”

You’ve always admired how easy it is for Chan to uplift others, despite the harsh words some people have used to put him down countless times. It’s like he soaks up the negativity in his life and lets it all out in a more productive manner. 

The steady flowing stream rings in your ears as the silence sets yet again, heart threatening to beat out of your ribcage as you drink in the sight of your best friend. Rays of muted sunlight filter through the trees onto his face and it makes the kind grin on his face glow even brighter.

Chan lets out a choked up sound when you immediately pull him in for a hug. He’s speechless for a couple of seconds—wondering what on earth got into you. In the end, he lets out a defeated sigh and returns your embrace with twice as much affection. 

“Sounds to me like you’re perfectly okay with marrying off your best friend to some guy,” you murmur jokingly, breathing in his scent like it’s your last. Burnt sugar and just a hint of musk. 

He laughs and the sound vibrates across your skin. “Prince Joshua is not some guy. And why wouldn’t I be happy that you’ll be married to such a great person? He can give you everything, you know? Even if I used to give all the dudes who got close to you back then a lot of shit, I know the prince will make you happy.”

Happy…

That’s something you haven’t really considered ever since you and Joshua started making the preparations for your assimilation. He’s a good prince who values his people over his own interests and he’s also a gentleman that always considers your input in every step. 

But not once did it ever occur to you that marrying him would equate to your own happiness.

The thought fills you with shame—especially knowing how much Joshua has done for you for the past month. You tell yourself that maybe it’s because you still don’t know him that well; that you just need a little more time before you can think of him as a person who can make you genuinely happy and not just someone who you have to marry for the sake of your town.

If there is someone who makes you feel that way without breaking a sweat, however…

Chan shoots you a puzzled look when you break away, rising back to your feet all while tugging at his arm. Still, he lets you pull him up—a determined look settling across your features.

“Follow me.”

During weekends, the Academy only grants entry to both students and faculty until mid-noon. But luckily for you, you’ve spent years sneaking into the greenhouse when you were still carefully cultivating all the plants you have on display.

Chan voices out his concern when you bring him inside, muttering something about trespassing on school territory but he tails you from behind anyway. 

The plant box full of dazzling flowers he brought a month ago isn’t here anymore—having been planted safely in the garden of your house. In its place is a brand new shipment of flowers you ordered from BamBam about two weeks ago.

Chan hasn’t seen them yet since he’s made it a point to avoid the greenhouse while Chaewon is in the middle of her experiments. But the curiosity in his eyes shines when you show them to him.

“These are called forget-me-nots,” you say, a warm smile tugging at your lips. “They aren’t that rare, but…they’ve always been my favorite. The first time I saw them was in a forest near the southern cities, where Father taught me the names of all kinds of trees and flowers.”

Chan nods with an expression that tells you he doesn’t quite get it, but is happy for you nonetheless. You stifle a laugh and his face immediately reddens as he clears his throat. “Um, why’d you ask BamBam for these though? They look kind of…simple compared to everything else you already have here.”

“It’s because they’re so simple that they stood out to me, silly,” you chuckle. “That forest was teeming with the most exotic plant life I’ve seen. Flowers of all shapes and colors, trees that grew up to the clouds… Even in such an abundant forest, simple flowers like these grew unassumingly by the side—still thriving despite being considered inferior.”

When you stare at Chan, you realize how much these flowers remind you of him. And it’s for that reason that you’re about to ask him a huge favor.

“Can you take care of them for me while I’m gone?” you whisper—voice carrying a hopeful tone. “I know it’s a tall request but—”

“Are you kidding? Nothing’s ever a tall request from you.” He huffs. “Of course I’ll do it.”

Your mouth hangs slightly agape—not expecting Chan to agree to it so easily. It takes you a moment to pick up your train of thought, but when you do, you break into an even wider grin. 

“Really? Notorious plant-killer Lee Jung Chan is agreeing to take care of a bunch of flowers for an entire year?” you tease. 

“Hey, you’re the one who asked, so why are you suddenly questioning my credibility?” The pout on his face just makes you want to tease him even more. “I’m probably going to end up burning a few of them by accident, but I won’t be seeing you for a long time. This is the least I can do while I wait for you to come back, right?”

You are going to miss him so much, it makes your heart hurt.

Unlike earlier, Chan immediately reciprocates the hug you pull him into. You bury your face in the crook of your neck, ingraining the scent of him in your mind so that you’ll never forget your best friend even if you tried.

“I’ll come back for them in the spring,” you whisper. 

Chan hums, his thumb tracing idle shapes along your shoulder blades. “Is that a promise?”

It feels like forever before you break away from him, but when you do, the desolate feeling you got from the thought of being apart from him goes up in smoke. Chan raises an eyebrow when you reach into the plant box to pluck two forget-me-nots from the soil—enchanting the blooms with your magic so the stems could morph into rings.

One for you and one for Chan.

“It’s a promise.”

“Miss, you’ve got a letter again.”

You’re in the middle of reading up on a compilation of the kingdom’s annual state of affairs when your handmaiden, Sakura, finds you in the castle gardens. She gathers her skirts with one hand while the other carries an unassuming envelope. It’s routine at this point.

“Thank you, Kkura,” you murmur before flashing her a warm smile. “Has Prince Joshua returned yet?”

She shakes her head. “The peace talks between the four kingdoms are taking much longer than anticipated. Although he and Prince Jeonghan should be back by tomorrow, if what the socialites are gossiping about in the main plaza are true.”

You stifle a soft laugh. “I bet Prince Jeonghan’s stirring up trouble in a foreign court as we speak.”

“You can say that again,” Sakura agrees with a withering sigh. “One of the reasons the king won’t easily let Prince Jeonghan take his place is because of his constant deviance. I’d bet my salary that he was just waiting for Prince Joshua to take up a wife before handing him the crown instead.”

“Kkura, the others might hear,” you scold, but there’s a chuckle wedged between the words. “Well, if a miracle happens and they arrive home earlier than expected, you know where to find me.”

“You’re very diligent about reading, aren’t you, miss?” She comments, impressed. “I know a couple of princess consorts in the making, but you’re probably the only one who cares to read about the technicalities of running a kingdom. Most of them are only in it for the chance to marry into a royal family.” 

“Those waiting for me back home wouldn’t be very proud if I only leeched off my engagement with Prince Joshua,” you say a-matter-of-factly.

“You mean your father?”

There’s a pause in the conversation—one long enough for you to suddenly be cognizant of several things at once. The water running from a nearby fountain. Birds chirping before migrating into their nests for the night. In the silence, you let your eyes wander to the rings in your fingers.

A diamond engagement ring that probably costs more than what you’ve earned in your entire life on your ring finger and a bright blue forget-me-not wrapped around your pinky.

Right. Sakura doesn’t know about… 

“Yes,” you tell her, but there’s hesitation in your voice that you hope she won’t hear. “He’s been very thorough about giving me advice on how to make the best decisions for a lot of people.”

“As expected of a royal mage,” she sighs, “Oh well, I’ll leave you be, miss. If your father is as thorough as you say he is, then I can only imagine what he’s written in that new letter.”

Well, she’s not exactly wrong.

After exchanging farewells, Sakura bows her head with a practiced curtsy—saying something about supper being ready in an hour or two before leaving you to your own devices. When you find yourself all alone once more, you rip open the envelope with a hint of excitement buzzing on your fingertips. 

It’s been about three months since you’ve left your hometown and started your assimilation period. During those three months, you were constantly fed with a multitude of information that comes with being part of the regency. From etiquette classes to foreign relations—your teachers all expected you to take everything they told you to heart. 

While the process sounds much too tedious, especially for someone who’s quite literally stuck here for another nine months, Joshua always took it upon himself to make sure you wouldn’t feel too bored with all the stringent formalities. 

He’s wonderful company—never running out of stories to tell. From childhood embarrassments at the hands of his older brother to his own share of mischief that’s always overshadowed by the gravity of Jeonghan’s, Joshua kept you constantly entertained.

Your fiancé even suggested that the two of you sneak out into the city sometime just so he could show you that pub near the outskirts that he enjoys frequenting while undercover as an ordinary citizen. Of course, the offer sounded tempting at first, but you rightfully declined out of respect for both the royal family and the tradition that has kept the kingdom going for so long.

However, Joshua isn’t always here to keep you company. Being one of the most important figures in the kingdom, he and Jeonghan are regularly called in and out of the castle to attend to some business that their parents are too busy to sneak into their own schedules. 

It’s during your fiancé’s bouts of absence that you look forward to your next form of entertainment—all the letters sent from home.

Just as you’ve told Sakura, your father accommodates all your questions about ruling over one’s constituents as much as he can—telling you to pay attention to the needs of the people above all else.

But aside from the detailed notes he leaves you with, there’s always another letter wedged inside the envelopes he sends to the castle every fortnight.

Hey.

How are you? Has the prince been treating you well, still? Sorry I couldn’t write to you last time. Training’s been hell and Jongkook hasn’t let me breathe for the past week. When the headmaster told me that becoming that guy’s apprentice wasn’t going to be easy, I didn’t think he was that serious. It’s a miracle I haven’t gotten third degree burns from all this temperature training.

Things are a little a lot different in the southern cities compared to home. Everyone is as mean as they could be. Jongkook called it the survival of the fittest and I kind of get where he’s coming from. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to see someone smiling every now and again, right? It’s a good thing I’m allowed to go home every week, or else my sanity would’ve disappeared before we could even see each other again.

About your flowers: have I told you that Chaewon’s helping me maintain them whenever I’m away? We’ve buried the hatchet and agreed to look after your forget-me-nots together! But she kind of emphasized that she’s doing this for you and not because she’s completely forgiven me for the monstera incident. But hey, progress is progress, right?

I checked them out personally when I got home today. They seemed more vibrant than usual. Almost like they’re happy to know I’m back. Seeing them made me think how I’d probably feel when your assimilation period is over. Ah, but I’m running out of parchment to write on. Sorry about that. There isn’t much going on with me anyways. 

Tell me about your classes when you write back, yeah? You also mentioned a pub that Prince Joshua wanted to sneak you into last time. Did you go through with it? Did you have fun? I can’t wait to hear from you so the story better be exciting!

P.S. If the prince himself encourages you to sneak out of the castle, would you consider doing that so we can wander around the main plaza sometime?

P.P.S. That was a joke, by the way. Don’t have the royal guard arrest me. 

P.P.P.S. But if you’re up for it, I wouldn’t say no.

Chan writes his letters the same way he talks in real life. You can almost hear his voice inside your head as you go through every word. You’re glad that he still has enthusiasm to spare over receiving tutelage from someone as important as Kim Jongkook, but even you can tell that his training is no walk in the park. 

There were tears in your eyes when he first broke the news. You thought he’d spend his entire life without getting the proper guidance he needs to hone his powers. But a month after your departure, Chan quickly kept you up to speed about his newfound mentor with a promise that he’ll be the best fire elemental in your hometown by the time you got back.

But with how he bemoans the rigorous training in his letters, you ponder if he sometimes gets hit with the thought of quitting halfway. While his excruciating routines are a far cry from the year’s worth of assimilation classes you’re required to attend, you like to think that you and Chan have a similar threshold for the things you’ll willingly bear without complaints. 

Though you’ve already accustomed yourself with your life at the castle, it’s a no-brainer to say you’d choose to leave for home in a heartbeat if given the chance. But your conscience won’t let you entertain the idea for too long, especially knowing how much you owe it to your hometown to persevere until the end.

That’s why even if you’d want nothing more than to see your best friend, you decidedly draw a fine line between your responsibilities and your heart’s desires. You want so badly to meet Chan again even if that means sneaking past the royal guards, but you’ve never really been one to bend and break the rules for selfish reasons like that. 

Instead, you tuck your best friend’s letter away in the envelope beside your father’s. Nothing but the sound of the water spilling from the fountain rings in your ears. 

As you stare at the pretty blue flower tied at the base of your pinky, you wonder for the hundredth time if you’ve made the right decision at all.

Prince Joshua is easy to love.

By your sixth month in the castle, you can genuinely say that you’ve at least developed a kind of attachment to the prince that borders on romantic. He’s handsome, thoughtful, kind, and many other traits that would only quantify him as a perfect husband. 

Jeonghan regularly catches your gaze lingering several seconds too long on your fiancé every suppertime and it’s no surprise that the eldest prince would tease you to the ends of the earth for it. Saying something along the lines of if you’re already making moony eyes at him now, what more when you finally tie the knot?

It’s something that always flusters you no matter how many times Jeonghan brings it up. But it’s not because you’re embarrassed about what you feel for Joshua. It mostly stems from the fact that you don’t know what to feel for him.

Despite having lived under the same roof for six months, you’re still unsure of where your heart stands when it comes to Joshua. It’s a standstill of emotions that frustrates you to no end. You know nothing will be lost if you just surrender to your budding feelings, but it’s like there’s something always holding you back. 

When the king hosts an overdue gala in the castle, you finally realize what it is.

It’s been more than half a year since they last held one within the premises out of respect for your ongoing assimilation. But now that you’ve passed the six-month mark, the royal court deemed it appropriate to give you more exposure to social functions such as this.

You’re understandably nervous for your first public appearance as Prince Joshua’s fiancée. Sakura has told you about how ruthless the kingdom's nobles could be when it comes to unearthing other people’s business. But your handmaiden assured you there’s nothing to worry about since you’ve done flawlessly with your classes since day one.

So there you are in front of the ballroom, arm linked with Joshua’s as the queen introduces you to every single noble in attendance. You wonder if the prince can tell just how nervous you are but you can at least hope that your smile can convince a hundred other strangers otherwise.

“Hey,” he whispers—eyes still riveted towards the crowd.

“What?”

“You don’t have to be so uptight.”

You try your best not to make a face. “Easy for you to say, Mister I’ve-been-attending-galas-since-I-was-in-the-womb.”

Joshua chuckles softly. “But you’ve been attending these frequently, too. That’s how we met, remember?” 

“Yeah, but I’ve never been the center of attention!”

“Well…” He pauses before shifting his gaze towards the crowd—his mother’s sweet voice echoing throughout the ballroom as she tells everyone how excited she is to welcome you to the family soon. “If it helps, there’s a certain someone in the crowd that’s definitely rooting for you.”

Your confusion visibly shows on your face before you follow his line of sight. You knew your father would be in attendance as is required of all royal mages, but it’s not him that you spot in the crowd.

It’s Chan.

He’s a lot different than you remember—looking much too dapper to pass as the boy you knew as your best friend. He’s donned in expensive-looking garbs, the maroon silk of his tunic hanging loosely off his frame. His hair is slicked back and styled in a way that would make anyone think he was from one of the noble houses. Even the manner he’s holding a glass of champagne looks way too sophisticated for someone you frequently teased for his lack of etiquette and—

There’s a woman hanging off his arm. A woman you don’t know, but looks just as breathtaking as any maiden inside this damn ballroom.

Who is she? Chan has never mentioned any new friends in his letters. Hell, he didn’t even tell you he was going to be here tonight. Instead of feeling at peace with the fact your best friend is finally in front of you like Joshua assumed, all it does is stir a plethora of unpleasant feelings in the pit of your stomach.

“Now that we’ve got the formalities out of the way,” the queen says with a smile—snapping you out of your trance, “how about we let our stars of the night lead the first dance? I know the lot of you have missed our parties. On behalf of the royal family and your future king and queen, we hope you’ll enjoy this night of music and liquor. Have a good evening, everyone.”

Forcing yourself not to think about how the queen just referred to you and Joshua as the kingdom’s future king and queen, you let your fiancé lead you to the dancefloor. Joshua is careful as ever as he helps you down the polished marble steps—that handsome smile never leaving his face. You feel like your heart would’ve fluttered as the two of you exchange the opening bows, but your heartbeat is all over the place knowing Chan is here watching everything unfold.

“You remember what we practiced, right?” Joshua murmurs as the orchestra starts the song. 

“U-Uh, yeah,” you stammer—hoping your hands aren’t sweating through your silk gloves. “I won’t step on your toes anymore. Promise.”

“That’s my girl.”

His smooth-talking is not doing you any favors, but you try to dance the same way you practiced with for weeks. The thing about Joshua is that he always makes things easier for you—be it your engagement or some opening dance his parents requested for you to do. He’s so unbelievably accommodating that your initial nervousness easily falls away as the music continues to fill the ballroom.

You only notice that the other guests have already paired up with their own partners on the dancefloor when Joshua twirls you around and hands you over to a noble gentleman you find vaguely familiar. He grins at you when he receives his next dance partner, mouthing “You can do it,” before he spins her away. 

This is the part that you barely rehearsed for. Joshua simply told you to have fun and the rest will come easily. His unhelpful advice threw you off a little, since you were so accustomed to doing things by the book—to abiding by the rules that have been set. 

Your current partner—Hyunjin, as he introduced himself—seems to pick up on your nervousness.

“You’re the kid of one of the royal mages, right?” he asks. “I’m the same. You’ve done this partner exchange thing before, haven’t you? I’ve seen you around a few times in the past.” 

You laugh dryly. “Yeah, but I’m just really nervous today.”

Hyunjin laughs. “Understandable. Don’t think about it too much and just let the music guide you through it.”

Well that’s easier said than done. The noblemen in the kingdom must have some sort of dance class where they’re taught to just take it easy because that’s definitely something you can picture Joshua saying to you as well. 

But as the orchestra continues to play song after song, you find your initial inhibitions ebbing away with each partner that passes. Hyunjin is right—you have done this before and you’re slowly remembering how fun it feels to dance with strangers in the middle of the castle’s ballroom. 

As the last few songs start to play, there’s no trace of nervousness left to be seen on your face. You’re finally in your element.

Until you finally find yourself in the arms of the same person who amplified your anxiety in the first place.

“Hey,” Chan greets with a soft smile as he fits one hand over your waist and entwines the other with yours. “I thought I’d never be able to get to you.”

You spend a couple of seconds just gawking at him, but your body thankfully still moves to the rhythm. Chan has the gall to stifle a laugh at your reaction and you nearly step on his foot on purpose.

“What are you doing here?” you hiss as he twirls you around. 

“Whoa. Don’t get so worked up. The headmaster invited me, so my presence here is completely legal,” he responds, that stupid smile never leaving his face. “Anyway, you look beautiful tonight.” 

“Thanks, but you could’ve at least told me you’ll be here!”

“Now where’s the fun in that?”

You want to snap at him and scold him for taking you by surprise like that. Part of you kind of wants to ask about his date for the night too, but past the frustration, you’re still glad to see him. It’s been too long and you know you have lots of catching up to do in person. So instead of an endless barrage of questions, you simply bask in the feel of being in your best friend’s safe hands after going so long without him.

You lose yourself to the music. At that moment, it’s as if you and Chan are the only two people in the world—contained in your own little bubble. When your gaze lands on the hand clasped with yours, your heart soars at the fact that he’s still wearing the ring you gave to him all those months ago.

A forget-me-not at the base of his pinky—much like your own.

“I’m not sure if I can steal you away for a quick chat after this so…” He purses his lips together as if he’s unsure of what to say. “You’re doing great. The queen seems enamored with you from what I could tell from her speech, so I hope you won’t put yourself down like you always do. You’ll be the best princess consort ever.

“And you seem really happy with Prince Joshua. I’m glad.”

Before you could even issue a response, he’s already turning you over to your next partner—making the words dissipate on your tongue before you can say them out loud.

Your next partner is none other than your future brother-in-law and you’re not sure if this is a good thing or not.

“Having fun?” Jeonghan asks with mirth coloring his tone. 

“As much fun as someone who’s wearing heels all night can have,” you sigh as you match his careful yet precise movements. “Am I really going to have to do this all the time once Prince Joshua and I are married?”

The older man hums. “Mmm… You and Shua getting married? Not too sure about that, love.”

You furrow your brows at him. “What?” 

“Ah, forgive me. I was just teasing,” Jeonghan muses with a sleazy look that’s rubbing you the wrong way. “It’s just that…I noticed you and that last partner of yours have matching rings, as well. Seems too good to be a coincidence on my end, but I could just be making the wrong assumptions.”

You don’t know why, but your chest seizes with panic—immediately explaining to Jeonghan that Chan is your best friend and nothing else. It’s not that you’re ashamed of him, but…

“Relax, little dove. I never insinuated otherwise,” Jeonghan chuckles. “But if you’re going to settle down with my brother, I suggest you do it with an unwavering heart. That’s all.” 

You know you didn’t do anything remotely wrong, but Jeonghan is making it seem like he’s just caught you red handed for a crime you aren’t aware of committing. The same cheery smile lingers on his face for the entire dance, but there was an uncharacteristic seriousness in his words when he told you that last part.

A quiet voice inside your head tells you that you completely deserve the suspicion. 

“Go find your fiancé for the final dance, love,” Jeonghan says with one last gentlemanly bow. “It’s only fair to  properly conclude something you started together.” 

Something tells you that there’s a double meaning behind his words, but even with how much time you’ve spent with Jeonghan, you still can’t easily parse what he means to say. Despite this, you do as you’re told—weaving through the crowd of visitors in search of Joshua.

You find him near the orchestra, dancing with the same woman whose arm was linked in Chan’s earlier tonight. There’s an dazzled look on her face that you’ve seen on the other ladies your fiancé has danced with and you chalk it up to the usual enchantment people are subjected to when they’re in Joshua’s company. He has that effect on people, it seems.

But she promptly snaps out of it when her eyes drift off to you—whispering something for Joshua to hear before the prince spins around with a welcoming look. He grins like he’s oh-so happy to see you and even if you know you should feel just as elated…

All that swells in your chest is guilt.

“They want us to what?” 

A few days after the royal gala, Joshua pays your bedchambers a visit early in the morning. Sakura had just finished helping you into your corset and dress when the prince came knocking and despite your initial surprise, you gladly welcomed him at the doorway.

“Mother and Father want us to pay the local orphanage a visit,” Joshua reiterates the same words he just mentioned a minute ago, bemusement clear on his face. “They’ve been dispatching royal mages to hold magic classes for the young mages there lately. Jeonghan is usually the one who oversees it, but he has something more urgent to take care of today.”

Your throat bobs at the news. “But…I haven’t completed my assimilation yet.”

Joshua waves away your concerns. “About that. Since you’ve done such a remarkable job with your training thus far, and since you’ve apparently enamored dozens of guests the other day, I asked Father to reconsider the restrictions that come with the process.”

Enamored dozens of…? You shake your head, focusing on the matter at hand. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the assimilation period is still in effect, but we’ve decided to…rectify a few of the rules that come with it,” Joshua explains with a cheeky smile. “Once royal protégés like you have passed the half-year mark, you’ll be allowed to go in and out of the castle as you please.”

Your jaw nearly drops to the floor. Is he being serious? Or is this a test? 

“Come on, you’re making that face again.”

“What face?”

“Like what I’m saying is too good to be true.” Your fiancé pouts. "Don’t you want to go out? If I was stuck for six months in the castle without getting a taste of the outside, I honestly would’ve gone insane. Abiding by the one year rule is simply inhumane and it should’ve been amended a long time ago.”

…There he is again—making things easier for you like he always does.

You’ve never once thought of the castle as a prison, but… You did miss the outside. You miss early morning strolls in parks, weaving through markets to buy produce from local vendors. It’s been so long since you’ve had actual freedom that you forgot that you were quietly longing for it at all.

And Joshua went out of his way to give you just that.

“Okay,” you tell him—cautiousness still evident in your tone, but much less pronounced.

“What time do we leave?”

You have a feeling that the gods are out to smite you today. 

No, really. They are. Because what sort of sick game is at play right now? Just when you thought you’ve found even more reasons to stick by Joshua until the end, they decide to throw a curveball at you in the form of…

“Oh, hello,” Chan greets with a stunned look when he appears behind the double doors to the orphanage—white marks that suspiciously look like cake batter smeared across his face. “I didn’t know that you were coming today. Prince Jeonghan said—”

“Yeah, Prince Jeonghan was busy so here we are,” you speak before Joshua could even explain, which you think is all kinds of rude, but your mouth starts running before your brain can even process the fact that your best friend is right in front of you. “Pray tell, what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same, princess-consort-in-the-making. What’re you doing outside the castle?” Chan laughs as he opens the door wider with an apologetic bow given to Joshua. “Forgive me, Your Highness. We’re always just this familiar with each other.”

“So I’ve been told,” Joshua chuckles before turning to you. “Didn’t your father tell you? Chan is his newly appointed aide. He’s dealing with something in your hometown right now, so he often sends him to tend to matters like this in his stead.”

No, your father did not tell you anything about this at all. Your incredulous expression shifts between your fiancé and best friend as if you’re waiting for the punchline of some joke shared between them.

It never comes.

“I-I see,” you say instead, clearing your throat before looking at Joshua again. “So is there anything I need to do?” 

“Mmm, you can go meet the children with Chan while I talk to the orphanage directress,” he suggests. “You’ll be alright with that, right Chan?”

Your best friend nods. “Of course, Your Highness.”

“No need to be so formal with me. My fiancée's friends are mine as well,” the prince chuckles while he shakes his head. “I best be off to the directress’ office. I’ll come find the two of you after. Does that sound alright?”

“Yes, of course,” Chan answers. “It’s a pleasure to have you.”

Joshua grins. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

And that’s how you found yourself in the  orphanage’s communal kitchen—rounding up children who might or might not hurt each other with their own play magic.

They were apparently in the middle of baking a cake for the directress when you and Joshua made your unannounced visit. From how smitten the kids are with Chan, you figure that he must’ve been spending a lot of time here lately.

Your best friend mentioned that he has a new…sideline going on, but you never imagined it to be this.

“Channie, who’s this?” Iseul—as Chan introduced—asks while he eyes you with a doe-eyed look. “Your wife?”

“Iseul,” reprimands one of the other kids. This one’s Eri, if you recall correctly. “That’s rude…”

The boy laughs nervously before fidgeting with his fingers. “O-Oh, sorry. I just thought so since she’s wearing the same ring Channie’s wearing.”

As if on cue, you and Chan both glance at your rings—two forget-me-nots stare back. 

Your best friend is the first to address their curiosity. “No, she’s not my wife.”

Iseul cranes his head. “Then why’re you two wearing matching rings? The directress told me that only people who are married can do that.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” he chuckles before walking towards the brick oven in the middle of the kitchen—striking the coals with a precise shot of flame magic. A quiet ember immediately smolders beneath. “We wear rings as a symbol of a promise we made to each other. Isn’t that right?”

Trying not to look too stunned with his precise technique, you clear your throat. “Um, yes. Chan is my best friend. We make promises all the time.”

You kind of fear that the explanation might not be enough for Iseul, but surprisingly, he just nods in understanding. “Ohhh. Just like me and Eri then!”

At the mention of her name, Eri’s face goes red, but she doesn’t make any moves to deny it. 

“Yup. Just like you and Eri,” Chan agrees with a laugh. “Come on. Let’s put the cake we worked so hard on in the oven. You want to give this as a gift to the directress, right?” 

Ten minutes later, the other kids joined the fray as they watched the cake rise inside the oven. You and Chan watch them carefully from a distance, making sure no one comes too close to burn themselves. 

“Sooo,” your best friend starts, leaning against the wooden counter. “Did the prince sneak you out or?”

You sigh, shaking your head. “No. But he did negotiate with the king to overhaul the terms that come with the assimilation period. Once someone manages to last for six months, they’re allowed to go outside.”

Chan whistles. “Now that’s a guy who’ll do anything for his wife. Uh, future wife.”

If those words were uttered by someone else, you would’ve felt flattered. It’s an honor to have someone like Joshua as your fiancé. He’s done more than enough for you over the past year and you can’t even begin to comprehend how you’re supposed to pay him back for his kindness.

But when Chan says them, it fills your chest with a feeling you can’t name.

“Anyway,” you begin, “were you planning on telling me that you’re Father’s aide now or was I just going to find that out from Prince Joshua after all?” 

“Hehe, sorry,” he says, sounding anything but apologetic. “I…kinda wanted to keep it a surprise until your assimilation period is over. But turns out, I could get to see you much sooner after all.”

You roll your eyes despite the smile that creeps up your face. 

It’s common practice for royal mages to appoint aides that they’re training to be the next royal mage. You can only imagine how much Chan has improved over the last six months to have garnered your father’s approval like this. That man’s standards are crazy high.

But then again, you’ve always known that Chan was always cut out to be an amazing mage.

As the children’s attention shifts to Eri, who’s being egged on by Iseul to ‘do that trick with the flowers again’, you find yourself quietly observing them. With red cheeks, Eri relents—snapping her fingers once before a pretty sunflower materializes out of thin air.

That casual display even catches you off guard. 

At your side, Chan stifles a laugh and you shoot him a dirty look. “You and Eri have the same elemental affinity. She doesn’t know her way around plants yet, but she can make flowers from sheer will alone.”

That’s…quite impressive, actually. You haven’t met a promising mage with an affinity for plant life since Chaewon. And Eri is barely ten years old. 

“I bet she’ll grow up to be a fine mage,” you comment fondly as you keep your eyes on the kids. 

Just as you say the words, Iseul claps his hands enthusiastically—lone spurts of fire jumping from his fingers. The other kids all exclaim as they avoid the flames before telling Iseul to knock it off.

“Uh, yeah. Iseul is a fire elemental,” Chan says dryly. “He’s also kinda having trouble controlling his powers. But don’t worry, that’s why I’m here.”

At that moment, you realize that a lot can change in the span of six months. Before you left your hometown, you never would’ve imagined Chan being responsible for another child’s magical progress. You were so used to hearing him putting himself down that the confidence he now exudes surprises you. In a good way. 

Whatever he went through in the southern cities, you think of extending your gratitude to his mentor, Jongkook. You can only imagine what he put your best friend through for him to have this much trust in himself and his powers now.

Chan heaves a laugh that he pulls from the bottom of his stomach when one of the kids douses Iseul with a magical spray of water. It’s a sound you’ve longed to hear for months and now that his laughter is singing in your ears, you can’t help but stare at him a little too fondly.

What’s more is that he still has cake batter smeared across his cheek. You wonder if he genuinely isn’t aware it’s there or he’s just keeping it on for laughs. Still, you unconsciously lean closer—raising your hand to brush your fingers across the cream. Your best friend visibly startles at the gesture but makes no moves to shy away from your touch.

With your faces inches away, you start to realize just how close you’ve gotten. You can almost feel the hitch of his breath across your skin and… 

Has Chan always been this handsome?

But those few precious moments are immediately shattered like glass when Iseul gasps and points to the entrance of the kitchen. “Look! It’s Prince Jeonghan!”

You and Chan break apart like you’ve both been burned by Iseul’s flames. Confusion races through your brain because you were told that Jeonghan was busy today, so why…?

“Common mistake, but I’m not Prince Jeonghan. I’m his brother,” Joshua clarifies as he steps into the kitchen with a bright smile. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”

One of the other kids gasps. “Are you a prince too?” 

“He is.”

It surprises you that Chan is the one to speak up—having moved away from the counter and closer to the kids. You feel your heart twist when he leaves, but you shove down the emotion since Chan is beaming like he always is.

“He’s Prince Joshua and he’s getting married soon,” he continues before gesturing to you. “To her, actually.”

The children let out noises of awe, blinking up at you and Joshua with mouths agape like they’ve just witnessed someone do a neat trick with their magic. You can feel your face heat up at the sudden attention and you would’ve been glad to know that Joshua—for all his confidence and wit—isn’t faring so well either.

If only you weren’t so put down by the fact that your best friend just drew a fine line between the two of you. A line that he probably, definitely won’t cross.

“That’s right. If all goes well, we’re having the wedding in six months,” Joshua agrees quietly—his initial shock morphing into fondness. 

“Whoa! A royal wedding?” Iseul gasps. “Are we invited too?”

The atmosphere proceeds to blur into a buzz of questions that Joshua is happy to accommodate. For children who are probably no older than twelve years old, they seem very engrossed in the relationships interspersed between the royal family.

You wonder if Jeonghan had a hand in their particular interest in the matter, but you don’t ponder on it too much because Chan eventually excuses himself from the kitchen—asking you to watch over the cake while he goes to check on the other kids playing in the backyard.

Your eyes stay riveted to the entrance even when your best friend is long gone.

You’re not sure how you’ve managed to last nine months away from home, but here you are.

As the end of your assimilation draws near, so does the royal wedding that’s been the talk of the capital for weeks now. Ever since you’ve been given freedom to go out of the castle as you please, you’ve made several friends among the elite socialites. 

They’re always dying to get their hands on an inside scoop about what you and Joshua have planned for the final quarter of the process, but you often turn these requests down before convincing one of the ladies to tell you about the diamond necklace her husband got her for their anniversary. 

It’s a scheme that Sakura told you in passing: if you want to get the nosy ones off your back, just trick them into talking about themselves instead. 

Speaking of your handmaiden, she’s been busy booking you several trips to the most renowned boutique in the capital. With only three months left until the wedding, you’re expected to look out for the perfect dress to wear on that special day. 

Despite knowing that you’re more level-headed than most marriageable women your age, you have fantasized about what you would look like in a wedding gown. Although sixteen year-old you never would’ve considered getting to sample the designs of well-known tailors across the kingdom, much more being fussed over by the royal family itself.

What you pictured was a simple wedding in your hometown—donned with a dainty white dress that didn’t boast much glamor and glitz. The only visitors would be your family, some close friends, along with your colleagues and students. A spring wedding always seemed perfect to you, and whenever you imagined yourself walking down the aisle, the person waiting for you at the altar is—

“Oh my goodness,” the seamstress behind all the stunning dresses you're trying on gasps when she lets herself inside the dressing room—eyes glittering like rhinestones. “You look absolutely stunning! I definitely like the fit of this more than the others, miss!”

You startle out of your careful reminiscing as your brain zones back in on your reflection in the mirror. This dress is as white as an angel’s wings and though she is completely right about it easily being the best you’ve tried on so far, it’s a far cry from the one you dreamed about wearing as a teen. 

You’re not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

“You think so?” you murmur, pushing down those past preferences into the furthest vestiges of your mind. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Aside from wedding gowns, the queen often consults you about the venue of the wedding. You’re actually quite surprised with how much agency they’re allowing you over the necessary decisions, but she insisted that it’s only fair for her future daughter-in-law to have a say with how her own wedding is going to pan out.

“I was thinking of holding it in the castle’s courtyard for all the kingdom to see,” she tells you over afternoon tea, a kind smile settled on her face. “That’s how all royal weddings usually take place, but I thought we could use some fresh input, you know?”

“Fresh input?” you repeat. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I don’t think I can follow…”

The queen shakes her head. “Silly girl, I’m asking if you have another venue in mind! Your ideas about royal politics have always been refreshing to hear, so I figured that you must have an alternative sitting inside that pretty mind of yours.”

The moment the words leave her lips, you immediately picture the riverbanks back in your hometown. It’s not a place that could accommodate hundreds upon thousands of guests like royal weddings should. But if you were to settle with a more intimate gathering, that would be your best bet.

Of course, you tell the queen none of this.

“I think holding it at the courtyard is a splendid idea already, Your Highness,” you tell her with a smile that you don’t quite believe in. “After all, there’s no place like home.”

Another thing to consider is the guestlist. Even if this is an event that the royal family encourages the entire kingdom to look forward to, only a select few are allowed inside the castle premises. 

For some reason, Jeonghan is the one saddled with the job to curate who gets to witness you being hailed both as Joshua’s wife and as princess-consort. He’s hard at work when you find him in the castle library one day, buried in stacks upon stacks of invitations with a look on his face that screams why am I even here?

Curious, you slide into one of the empty seats at the table. “I didn’t think they’d hand you a job so tedious.”

“They didn’t,” Jeonghan frames the words with a sigh. “I volunteered ‘cause I know it would make Shua happy.”

“You can make your little brother happy in other ways too,” you joke.

The older prince hums as he scribbles onto a fine sheet of parchment. “You’d know a lot about making my brother happy, now would you?”

Jeonghan has a reputation for being a scheming, sharp-tongued prince. You’re fully aware of this, but getting to live with him for almost a year made you see sides of him he doesn’t usually show to the public.

Though not as openly as Joshua does, he cares for his family and the staff in his own, quiet way. You like to think that his subtle thoughtfulness even extended to you during these fateful months in the castle. 

But after that fateful encounter in the ballroom during the six-month mark of your assimilation, something told you that you no longer had the privilege of being on the receiving end of his support.

“It’s kind of ironic, really,” Jeonghan muses before dipping his pen into the inkwell. “I’m willingly overseeing this blasted guestlist despite the fact that my brother is getting married to someone who doesn’t even love him. But I suppose it’s an older brother’s job to cater to the fantasy until he sees things for how they are on his own.”

“Your Highness, forgive me but it’s rather bold of you to assume that I don’t harbor an ounce of love for my fiancé,” you tell him outright, lacing your fingers together tightly on your lap. 

Right next to the lavish ring Joshua had given to you, a forget-me-not sits unassumingly by its side. 

Jeonghan laughs. “Really? That’s quite amusing, since I think it’s even bolder for you to choose responsibility over the man your heart truly longs for.”

Silence rings in the room like white noise and you aren’t able to school your expression into neutrality fast enough to escape Jeonghan’s observant eyes. The complacent set of his jaw clues you in on just how much he actually knows and you aren’t certain about what to make of it.

“Whatever you think is going on with me and…that person,” you start, the address tasting like acid on your tongue, “I guarantee you that it’s long gone. He’s the one who made it clear several months before and I never once intended to go back on something I already started.”

Jeonghan rolls his eyes before pointing the tip of his quill at you. “You know, things would be much easier if you were just a gold-digging commoner and none else.”

Your face twists with offense. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he retaliates as he leans back in his seat. “If you were in this for money and power like every other woman out there, Shua would’ve called off the engagement much sooner. But even I know that you’re too good for that.”

Your momentary vexation with Jeonghan blurs into confusion in a matter of seconds. Is he making a jab at you or complimenting you?

When he recognizes the puzzled look on your face, he heaves a long-winded sigh before putting down his pen altogether.

“Let me put it this way: you’re objectively the best princess-consort-in-training that I’ve had the pleasure to meet. You do everything you’re told flawlessly—sticking by the book at all times if you can help it. You’d even sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of others. 

“While that sense of responsibility would make for a great leader in the future…my little brother doesn’t deserve to be loved as half-heartedly as you love him.”

Your heart thumps inside your ribcage as if it was a prison it longs to break free from. Part of you knows you should refute every single thing that Jeonghan just said. It’s what a future princess-consort should do. 

But every time your mind flashes back to that old spring wedding fantasy you conjured up in your hometown, Chan’s lovely smile burns itself into the back of your eyelids.

Wordlessly, Jeonghan goes back to work and you stew in the silence of the library much longer than you have to. It’s only when one of the servants calls both of your attention to have lunch in the dining hall that he speaks again.

“You still have several weeks to make up your mind, little dove,” Jeonghan whispers slowly the moment you both enter the dining hall. It doesn’t help your case when Joshua perks up in his seat at the sight of you walking inside with his older brother like he hasn’t given you an ultimatum right then and there. 

“Make sure each one counts.”

You don’t really receive letters from Chan anymore.

He’s stopped sending them together after you last met him in the orphanage. Your father explained that he’s been entrusted with several tasks both in and out of the Academy and that those take up most of his time. 

You want to tell him that your best friend never once missed a letter even during those hellish days he spent in the southern cities, but in the end, you decide to keep your silence.

Thoughts about letters that won’t come are the last thing on your mind when winter falls upon the kingdom. The preparations are in full swing despite the fact that there’s still a month left before the wedding itself and because you refuse to be a sitting duck that lets everyone do all the work, you decide to contribute every now and again.

But even if there’s a sense of accomplishment in being able to help around, this season has always been your least favorite. 

You’re a mage who practices with plants and flowers alike, so it’s only natural for you to feel under the weather this time around. The fact that you’ve scarcely gotten to practice your magic ever since you set foot in the capital does little in contributing to your peace of mind as well.

Your hometown is teeming with plant life that you could nurture with the simplest spells. Inside the stone walls and marble floors of the royal castle, there’s barely anything that requires your constant care. 

It’s a given that royals tend to avoid relying on magic for all matters concerning the regency. You were taught that cleverness and wit are the two things that will keep you alive among the foreign courts of other kingdoms and that things like magic can be entrusted to the royal mages instead.

But all it takes is a withering winter to make you realize that you don’t want your magic—the very core of who you are—to dwindle into nothingness.

It’s for that reason that you find yourself heading over to the castle gardens despite the fact that you promised Sakura that you’d start practicing for matrimonial dance with your usual instructor this afternoon. The sun has barely peeked beyond the clouds these days, but you’re convinced that you’ll at least find comfort in the flowers that grew sparsely inside.

There, you find Joshua crouched next to a shrub of carnations.

He’s dressed down today—comfortably enough to let you know that he doesn’t have any plans for the meantime. Your fiancé is examining each bloom with such rapt attention, you’re convinced he didn’t even notice your arrival. 

Surely enough, as you take the first step to approach him, he rises back to his full height—turning around with a vibrant carnation in his hand.

Everyone inside the castle uses their magic so infrequently that you sometimes forget that you and Joshua share the same elemental affinity. Maybe that’s the reason it was so easy for you to get along with him for the past eleven months. 

But you know better than most that there’s more to it than just that.

“You’ve been very busy lately,” Joshua comments with an easygoing smile. “I barely see you these days.”

You sigh, tucking your cardigan closer to your form. “If I’m not helping with the wedding preparations, I’m holed up in my bedchambers. I…don’t really like winters.”

“Neither do I,” he chuckles. “But my duties won’t stop just because I loathe the cold. I’m sure you understand that well.”

The quiet settles over the both of you like a blanket of snow—making you wonder how you used to deal with long winters in the past. 

Then you remember a boy who’s always brought warmth in your life without even trying. Nights spent sleeping in front of the fireplace, tucked in the warmth of his body no matter how harsh the blizzards could be. Collective yearning for the day the snow finally melts and spring returns with a flowery smile. 

But that’s the thing—it’s all in the past.

“Can I…ask you something?”

The hesitation in Joshua’s words makes you stare at him pensively. 

He always sounds sure of himself. Attractively confident. Not in a way that others would find obnoxious, but the complete opposite. There’s a reason why Joshua is so loved in his own kingdom yet right now, you’re starting to see the cracks forming on his gentlemanly demeanor. 

“What is it?” you murmur softly despite dread slowly sinking its claws into your skin.

Joshua tilts his head up to the overcast sky like he’s wondering if it’s going to snow today. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, inhaling deeply before meeting your eyes again.

“Are you certain you still want to go through with the wedding?”

This…oddly feels like the time you found Jeonghan in the library. The guilt you’ve been harboring for the longest time festers at the implications of his question and you wonder if everything you’ve worked so hard on for the past year will come crashing down today.

“Of course,” you tell him but you’re well aware Joshua knows a lie when he hears it. 

“Really?”

“Is there something specific that you wish for me to say?”

He sighs—the cold starting to materialize with each breath. “No, nothing in particular.”

“It’s just that I believe it would be unfair of me to impose marriage when your heart already belongs to someone else.”

The water running from the fountain is all that plagues your ears yet Joshua’s admission doesn’t evoke the visceral reaction you had to Jeonghan telling you nearly the same thing. Hearing the words come from your fiancé’s mouth doesn’t instill you with guilt.

No… This is something much closer to acceptance.

“I once thought that your time in the castle would give enough leeway for us to get to know each other better,” he continues with a sad smile. “And it did. I’m certain that we’re much closer now than we were a year ago. But… I was a fool to think I could ever get you to love me the same way you love him.”

You’re immediately seized with the need to placate him somehow. After all, you were taught that it’s a wife’s duty to ease her husband’s troubles should he confide in her.

But you’re not Joshua’s wife. 

(And from how this conversation is going, you might never be.)

All of a sudden, something that Jeonghan said to you in the library resurfaces in your mind. At the time, you were too frustrated with him to actually process the words, but suddenly all of it makes sense.

I suppose it’s an older brother’s job to cater to the fantasy until he sees things for how they are on his own.

“You’ve known all this time,” you tell him incredulously. “Why… Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to think that you were obligated to love me for my sake. That’s something that should never be imposed,” he murmurs, twirling the flower in his hands almost wistfully. “I assumed that…maybe if I just gave you enough time, it would come to you naturally. But sometimes things just don’t work out the way you thought and that’s okay.”

If you weren’t trembling in your shoes a minute ago, you certainly are now.

“Joshua,” you whisper. “What are you saying?”

The smile on his face never wavers even as he crosses the distance between you and pulls you into a sound embrace. It catches you off guard for a second because Joshua has never initiated this kind of contact during your entire stay. 

But even with the warmth of his body pressed against yours, the fact that your mind immediately compares it to how it feels to have Chan’s heat permeating your skin…

It only means that this engagement is as good as over.

“I wanted to say thank you,” Joshua whispers back—one hand smoothing across your hair as he holds you in place. “For giving yourself the chance to love me. For being selfless enough to do everything you’ve done so far. I used to admire your self-sacrificing tendencies, but…

“Now I’m sure it’s high time that you chose yourself for a change.”

You don’t know when the tears started to fall, but you find comfort in the crook of Joshua’s neck as you sob into his arms. He doesn’t say a word as you let it out—all the years you spent looking after others, putting their wellbeing first before your own.

You’ve gotten so accustomed to taking responsibility for everyone around you that it never really occurred to you that things don’t have to be that way.

You’re allowed to choose yourself. You’re allowed to be selfish. 

“Go,” Joshua murmurs against the crown of your head. “Go back home. You deserve as much.”

You look up at him, sniffling. “B-But the wedding—”

“There won’t be a wedding,” he reassures with the same sad smile that breaks your heart to see. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll explain the situation to everyone. Right now…you have to go because your father informed me that he’s leaving soon.”

As if you haven’t already been given enough to deal with in a single day, you feel like an anvil has been dropped into the pit of your stomach.

“What do you mean?” 

“Lee Jung Chan was assigned to travel to another reputable magic school on the other side of the continent to build an alliance with the Academy,” Joshua explains swiftly. “He leaves tonight and won’t come back in a long, long while depending on how the initial negotiations turn out.”

An alliance…? 

Is that what he’s been so preoccupied with these days? So much that he can’t even spare the time to write to you anymore?

Before the next bout of tears could spill from your eyes, Joshua calmingly tucks a loose tuft of your hair behind your ear. He looks at you with so much adoration and longing that you briefly entertain the possibility of you loving him unconditionally in another life.

You hope he’ll be happier there.

“There’s a carriage waiting for you at the gates of the capital,” Joshua says. “Leave now while you still have time.”

You want to say something. To apologize to him. To thank him. To tell him that he deserves the world and much, much more. 

But all you do is slide off the diamond engagement ring from your finger, handing it to Joshua with an apologetic look before bolting to the castle entrance—not even sparing him a single word in goodbye.

Venues? Wedding gowns? Invitations? None of these mattered anymore.

Not when you're about to lose your best friend—the love of your life.

Joshua tries not to think about how your hand looked now that it was devoid of his gift; how all that remained is a promise ring that he should’ve taken as a sign to give up a long time ago. 

Just as he hears the commotion stirring down the winding halls, Joshua looks up at the sky again. When he closes his eyes, he feels the first few snowflakes land on his face—cold and solitary, much like himself.

Even so...

You broke his heart in the middle of winter, yet Joshua still looks forward to the flowery smile of spring.

The moment you arrived at your hometown, you weren’t sure where to start looking. For one, the coachman who brought you here said that your father was out of town for undisclosed reasons. You couldn’t exactly march up to the headmaster’s office in the Academy to interrogate him about Chan’s whereabouts. 

That’s why you opted to start with your best friend’s house openly greeted by his mother with a shocked expression as she asks what on earth you were doing so far away from the royal capital.

“Uh, it’s a long story,” you tell her sheepishly as you try not to shiver too much from the cold. “I promise I’ll keep you up to speed, but for now I really need to find Chan.”

She hesitates for a moment and you chalk it up to the fact that Chan’s mother must be thinking she’s going to have a hand in something illegal if she helps you. After all, she’s always had good instincts when either you or her son were up to no good.

But you tell yourself that this is probably the most good you’ve done for yourself in a long, long time. 

In the end, she directs you to the Academy—saying something about Chan wanting to deal with a few things first before he leaves. With just half an hour until nightfall, several students can be seen walking out of the gates after a long day. Some just pass by you without a word, while others throw second glances over their shoulder—as if they couldn’t believe that you’re back either. 

You recognize those kids to be some of your former students, but you can’t bring yourself to stop for a quick chat—simply hoping they’ll forgive you for your haste.

But through the thundering of your heart, you hear a familiar voice call your name in the crowd.

“You’re back!" Chaewon remarks with a delightful gasp before tackling you with a firm embrace. “Why didn’t you tell us you were visiting? Did you bring Prince Joshua with—?”

“Chaewon, where’s Chan?” you interject almost desperately.

Your old student blinks up at you, rightfully confused. “Um, he’s going on a trip for a while. Yunjin told me just now that she saw the other royal mages that gathered here leave on their horses an hour ago. Why? Did you need something from him?”

The news makes you feel like your head has been submerged in murky waters—cloying your senses until you could no longer make sense of what’s around you. Chaewon flashes you a disconcerted look, asking if everything is alright. 

You want to tell her that you’re fine, but you can’t find the words. Your mouth feels cottony and your eyes are starting to sting. Instead of answering, you turn on your heel, biting down the guilt that comes with dismissing one of your favorite students as you run towards the opposite direction.

Chaewon calls out for you several times, but you don’t look back.

Maybe you should just head back to the castle and tell Joshua that this was all a mistake—a lapse in judgment that can still be taken back. You should just see your assimilation through until the end. You’ve already made it so far, after all.

But you just know, deep in your gut, that Joshua wouldn’t accept that so easily. He made it clear that he wants you to want him with no holds barred. Not because you feel responsible for his feelings. Not because the love of your life has already left. That’s just who he is as a person.

Not wanting to burst into tears for the second time today, you find yourself walking towards the greenhouse—craving that familiar solace you always get whenever you’re inside. Your father told you he was going to keep an eye on it while you were gone and you figure that he’d been telling the truth when you find the enclosure just as you’ve left it. 

Several of your personal experiments seem like someone enchanted them with time suspension magic—looking the exact way they did before you left almost a year ago. Among the other plants and flora are other pieces you don’t recognize. You figure that these must be Chaewon’s work and you remind yourself to compliment her once you sort yourself out. 

But when you don’t spot a certain plant box you were looking for, a frown roots itself on your face.

Did Chan move your forget-me-nots somewhere else? The vibrant blue flowers should’ve been easy to spot even amidst the lush blooms all around you, but there’s nothing like that in the vicinity. 

You take your search outside for reasons unknown. Perhaps it’s the restlessness of just staying in one place when you know the very symbol of your promise with your best friend is nowhere to be found. As you make your way out, you glance at the single flower sitting at the base of your pinky—sadly wondering if Chan is even still wearing his. 

But the moment you make it to the back of the greenhouse, you’re much too stunned with the sight that beholds you.

What once was a vacant patch of grasslands is now filled to the brim with forget-me-nots that glow vibrantly in comparison to the bleak gray winter. Despite the drop in temperature, the field of blue flowers stretches on until the borders of the Academy and you have to pinch yourself and make sure you’re not dreaming. 

Then, as if this situation can’t get any more unbelievable, you spot someone crouched in the middle of the field of forget-me-nots.

Your best friend.

Chan doesn’t immediately notice you—seemingly lost in thought, just like the day you found him by the riverbanks a year ago. For someone that’s leaving on an indefinite trip to the other side of the continent, he surely doesn’t look dressed the part, having opted for his comfortable cotton tunic and trousers instead of the garbs royal mages and aides are required to don.

You don’t think twice. You just run.

He lets out an undignified yelp when you tackle him into the ground—palms heating up with a flare of his magic with the full intention of blasting away the intruder. But when he finds his best friend lying right on top of him amidst the forget-me-nots, he’s engulfed with a different kind of heat entirely.

“You asshole,” you hiss with teary eyes, beating your fists weakly against his chest. “You’re going away for a long time and you didn’t even bother to tell me? Am I suddenly not your best friend anymore?”

There’s nothing more that Chan hates than seeing you cry, but he loathes it even more when he’s the cause of your tears. He doesn’t even know if you’re actually here with him. You should be back at the royal castle, preparing for your wedding and not sobbing because of your best friend.

But the warmth of your body nestled on top of his own is much too real. It’s the same sensation he’s craved since you left. The same feeling he’s always longed for, for as long as he can remember. 

And he’s not such a glutton for punishment that he’ll deprive himself of it any longer.

Chan cracks a barely there smile, the breath of his laughter materializing in front of him as he reaches up to tuck your hair behind your ear. He’s not sure if your face flushes because of him or the cold, but he likes to think it’s the former.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere,” he reassures, opting to save his many questions for later. “Dunno how you found out about the trip, but I backed out of it last minute. Told the headmaster that I’m not the best with negotiations and that I might unknowingly start a war in the process.”

He half-expects you to either laugh in his face despite the clearly distraught expression you’re wearing or fume at him for being so ridiculous. You probably made the trip from the capital to your hometown just to see him off and he’ll understand your frustration at the fact that his participation was rendered null and void.

But you do neither of these things.

Instead, you curl your fingers into the fabric of his shirt—pulling him up and leaning forward at the same time. 

You’d be lying if you said you never thought about kissing Chan at least once in your life. But you can attest to the fact that you didn’t imagine it to happen while you’re freshly broken up from a year-long engagement—snowflakes starting to fall in the field of flowers you asked him to take care of.

Those he promised to take care of.

“I love you,” you whisper breathlessly, hands trembling from where they grip Chan’s clothes as you force your breathing to even out. “I’ve always loved you and I’m the biggest idiot in the world for not accepting that sooner.”

Chan gazes up at you in stunned silence, lips moving as if meaning to say something in return but the words evade him. But just when you’re about to emphasize your point again, Chan raises an arm to  shield his eyes with the back of his hand.

“You’re lying,” he chuckles almost helplessly. “You’ve got to be messing with me.”

A scowl stretches across your lips. How could that be his first reaction? You thought he’d be elated that you came back and professed your feelings. 

But then you entertain the possibility that…what if you’ve read the entire situation wrong? What if Chan never had any feelings of the romantic kind for you at all?

What if you risked everything for nothing?

“Lee Jung Chan,” you whisper threateningly. “I left the Crown Prince himself in a heartbeat when I found out you were going away. Made the entire trip from the capital to here just for the slim chance of seeing you before you left. I even kissed you outside in the middle of winter because I was so fucking glad that you’re here to stay. If that isn’t genuine enough for you, then what else do you want me to do?” 

Your best friend lowers his hand and you try not to waver at the sight of his puffy red eyes. He sucks in a deep breath that almost whistles down his throat before taking one of your hands and lifting it closer to his face.

At the base of your pinky is the same ring he’s never once taken off since you gave it to him.

As night falls and the endless snow falls upon your hometown, two lone figures in a field full of flowers remain undisturbed in their lonesome. 

For some, love is something you don’t give half-heartedly. For others, it should never be imposed.

For you, it’s a whirlwind of emotions that you could never quite figure out how to deal with.

Yet when it comes to Lee Jung Chan, you realize that love has always been easy.

“Chan,” you sigh into the cold air of his bedroom as your best friend peppers your neck with kisses much too heated than you expected. “S-Slow down a little.”

He breathes out a laugh that sounds much too airy for your liking. Chan detaches his lips from your skin as he flashes you a gummy smile. “Slow down? I’ve been waiting for you my whole life. I don’t think I can slow down anymore, princess.”

You have to fight the urge to hit him with his choice of words. “Act any more cheeky and I’m walking out of your house.”

“Duly noted.” 

Then his mouth is back on yours. 

The trip back to Chan’s house—a new, one bedroom apartment near the town square, not his mother’s house—was a bit tricky. For one, you had to walk around where virtually everyone knows you to be Prince Joshua’s fiancée, answering questions about what you’re doing back home with the wedding coming up so close. 

You keep your answers curt and short—not wanting to ignite the scandal of a lifetime before Joshua can even prepare the ample damage control. That and each time someone mentions how happy they are for your engagement, you can feel Chan’s eyes boring into the back of your head. 

So now you’re here, crowded beneath your best friend on his mattress as he kisses your breath away. 

You’ve never done this before. The most daring thing you’ve done with Joshua, who was literally your fiancé for almost a year, was that last hug you shared before you left the castle for good. So you suppose no one can blame you for feeling so lightheaded from the feel of Chan’s lips pressed against yours alone.

It doesn’t help that, even through his desperation to leave no space between the two of you, there’s still caution weighted beneath his desire. He could probably sense the hesitation in your movements as you reciprocate his vigor—kissing back almost awkwardly despite how good his kisses are making you feel. 

“Open your mouth a little for me,” he murmurs, one hand cradling your jaw as you let out a little whimper. “Come on, don’t get shy on me now. I promise you’ll like it.”

Not wanting to keep either of you waiting for much longer, you do as you’re told—opening your mouth just a tad wider right after Chan kisses you again. He easily muffles the gasp you make with his lips when you feel his tongue lick into your mouth. The sensation makes gooseflesh prickle your arms and he coaxes out another embarrassing noise from you—one too salacious for others to hear freely.

“See? What’d I tell you?” he whispers breathlessly against your lips—a strong arm coiling around your waist as he pulls you against his body. “You like it that much?”

You nod meekly. Chan laughs.

“I wanna try something. Hold on.”

Confused, you watch your best friend take a spot beside you on his bed, legs sprawled across the mattress as he tugs you closer to him. You resist his ministrations for a moment as you try to figure out what on earth he’s planning to do. But then it dawns on you. 

He wants you to sit on his lap.

“Too much?” he asks with a hint of caution, to which you quickly respond with a shake of your head. 

“Just…surprising,” you admit as you settle your hips across his thighs. 

You kind of want to ask where he even learned about all this, but part of you doesn’t want to know the answer. Picturing Chan lying with someone else like this is enough to kill your mood, so you decide to push the thought far away until you could no longer remember it.

Despite how…strange and new this is to you, it’s much more comfortable than having his weight press you down into the mattress. Not to mention, you can just brace your hands on Chan’s shoulders as he licks further into your mouth—fingers laced behind the small of your back as you continue whimpering into his kisses.

Gods above. Will you even get out of this alive?

“You taste so sweet,” Chan murmurs before carding his fingers through your hair. “Much better than I imagined.”

You find it in you to chuckle in spite of yourself. “You’ve been imagining this?”

“Enough times to grant me admission to an asylum,” your best friend replies with a sigh as he continues combing your tresses. “I’m crazy about you, if that isn’t obvious enough. Wanted to kiss you so bad back in the orphanage when you leaned in way too close.”

You didn’t know it at the time, but looking back at it now, you definitely felt the same. Now you’re not sure whether or not you should treat Joshua’s untimely entrance in the kitchen that day as a miracle or a curse. 

“I did too,” you profess with little hesitation, tracing the curve of his lips with your thumb before resting your forehead against his. “We’re so stupid. If only we admitted our feelings earlier, we wouldn’t be in such a huge mess.”

Chan hums. “You mean…if I just spoke up when you got Prince Joshua’s proposal, you would’ve rejected it?”

“Of course I would,” you nearly exclaim. “I’ve loved you since we were kids, Chan.”

“Ditto. Guess we have lots of missed time to make up for.”

When he claims your lips again, it’s charged with want so potent you can almost taste it on your tongue. Chan presses your body even closer to his, if that’s even possible and as he continues building up the fever pitch of your desire, you start to shift uncomfortably on his lap—slick beginning to pool between your thighs the deeper he kisses you. 

The evidence of his own arousal pokes against your middle as well—leaving Chan a groaning mess each time you unknowingly jerk your hips to chase after the barest hint of friction. You don’t know where all this will lead nor do you know what comes after.

All that matters is that Chan is with you right here, right now.

Your clothes all come off one by one. Chan doesn’t forget to drag his lips across every inch of newly exposed skin—a quiet, unrelenting profession of his feelings. He wants to engrave himself into every part of you; to leave his mark so that you’ll remember him still even if he only gets to have you for the night.

But what Chan just doesn’t get is that your heart has already been set on him since the start.

“Tell me if it’s too much,” he whispers, trailing his calloused fingers along the sensitive curve of your waist when he lays you down on your back. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t like.”

It’s so Chan of him to be this concerned about your boundaries. But you don’t know how else to say that you want nothing more than to take things all the way aside from tugging him back down for another breathtaking kiss.

“Is it going to hurt?” you ask, genuinely curious, just a tad bit afraid.

Your best friend purses his lips, the heat of his body offering you some much needed comfort as he plants another kiss on the corner of your mouth. “It will for a while. But I’ll ease you into it and make you feel good. I promise.”

Chan says the words like you have anything but trust in him. You know he needs a verbal confirmation out of you, but you’re both too embarrassed and too aroused to give him the green light out loud. Instead, you nod your head twice—leaning closer to his ear to whisper:

“Okay. I’m ready.”

Your best friend sighs out something that suspiciously sounds like gods, I love you, before burying his face in your exposed chest—lips latching onto one of the pert nipples as he massages your other breast languidly. The wet sound of his mouth getting to work makes your face flush several shades of red and your sex to leak even more slick than it already has. 

There’s just something so arousing about how careful Chan is with your body. He handles you like you’re the most precious thing in the world and throws your mind into an inexplicable haze.

But then again, maybe you’re just that in love with the guy.

You visibly tense underneath his touch when you feel him start to prod his fingers along your glistening seam. You’re so sensitive that you twitch from the slightest contact and Chan sighs a laugh into your chest when he feels it.

“Relax,” he murmurs. “I can’t make you feel good if you’re too high-strung.”

“Easy for you to say,” you huff. “You’re not the one who’s about to be fucked into oblivion.”

Chan startles from how easily the words fall from your lips—mouth agape like a fish out of water. You wonder if you said something out of turn but when he kisses you for the millionth time today, you notice something else eclipsing his ready set gentleness.

Something more carnal.

“You can’t rile me up by talking so filthily like that,” he whispers hoarsely. “I’m trying to be a good lover by taking things slow. Promise you won’t catch me off guard like that again?”

You shake your head with a laugh. “Chan, you know I don’t make promises I can’t keep. But I'll try~”

“Fuck. Alright. I can work with that.”

When he eases a finger inside your awaiting heat, you find the sensation a little uncomfortable. It’s like having something inside you that doesn’t quite belong there. Chan analyzes your reactions in the silence as he continues prodding your entrance—looking for any signs of discomfort like a hawk as he experimentally thrusts that single digit in and out of you.

“F-Feels weird,” you mumble. “Is it supposed to feel weird?”

“I guess you’d feel that way if it was your first time,” he chuckles and your eyes narrow at the implication behind his words. “But I’ve got to loosen you up if I don’t want to hurt you.”

So this wasn’t his first after all. Though you want nothing more than to hear tales about former escapades, you decide to grill him about it later. 

You’re about to question how something like this can do that before Chan robs you of your capacity to think coherently, curling his slender finger inside you until he brushes a spot that has your muscles spasming underneath him. A wicked smile finds its way to his face as he slips in another finger so easily—the pads grazing that sensitive patch of flesh to coax out the same reaction from you.

“Still weird?” he laughs. 

“Good…” you whimper, grinding your hips shamelessly into his hand. “Feels so good, Chan.” 

Your best friend sighs as he watches you slowly cross the threshold between awkward curiosity and the beginnings of an enjoyable time. You’re wet and wanting—just like how he hoped you’d be and the way your tight walls clench around his fingers barely tempers the raw anticipation that sizzles in his veins. 

Gentle. He needs to be gentle. 

He doesn’t want to lose control when he’s waited oh-so long for this moment.

But god fucking damn are you making it so hard when you’re moaning so prettily for him.

“C-Chan,” you mewl and he feels you tighten even more around his digits. “It feels weird again… Like something’s coming.”

He sucks in a sharp breath before pressing open-mouthed kisses along the column of your throat. The sensation makes you buck further into his hand and Chan can only do so much to keep himself from just fucking you into the bed.

“Let go,” he tells you before flicking his thumb across your puffy clit. “Let it all go, beautiful. Don’t be scared. I’m right here.”

The newfound stimulation blindsides you in a way you didn’t expect—reducing you into a mumbling mess of arousal beneath your best friend as he continues tracing tight circles around the sensitive nub. Your first (of many) orgasms crashes over you like a tidal wave and you sigh out his name so needily, he can barely contain himself for much longer. 

But he doesn’t rush you no matter how pent up he is—he won’t, he won’t, he won’t. 

Besides, the sight of you so fucked out from taking his fingers alone—lips parted, chest heaving, eyes pulling in and out of focus—is a reward in and of itself. 

“You still with me?” your best friend checks in with a concerned look, wiping the sweat that beads across your forehead with the back of his hand. 

But the moment his skin makes contact with yours again, you absentmindedly grab his hand—pressing a soft kiss on his knuckles.

“I’ll always be with you.”

Gods above. He doesn’t deserve you.

When he’s sure you’re ready, Chan positions himself right before your entrance—carefully nudging your thighs apart as he fists the angry red erection he’s been sporting all night. The sight of his cock makes you blush, but you figure there’s no point in acting coy now that you’ve made it this far.

“You know what to do when I do something you don’t like, right?” 

You nod—not really hearing the words with how transfixed you are on other things. “Y-Yes.”

Chan offers up a lazy smile. “That’s my girl.”

You take all of him inch by unbearable inch—your walls meeting the stretch that his girth offers with mild resistance. His fingers are child’s play compared to this and you force yourself to power through it despite how it burns. 

Of course, Chan doesn’t miss a beat despite how hard you try to conceal your discomfort.

“I’m hurting you, aren’t I?” he asks with an apologetic smile, wiping the tears that are pooling in the corners of your eyes. “I’m sorry. Just a bit more and you’ll get used to it.”

“You promise?”

Your best friend brings an outstretched pinky close to your face—the same pinky with the ring that started all of this staring back at you. The moment you hook your own finger around his, your best friend murmurs:

“I promise.”

Chan is quite patient despite the fact that he’s balls-deep inside of you—keeping the innate desire to just ram his length into you until you’re a sobbing, crying mess for him. The Academy’s best graduate, the kingdom’s sweetheart, his perfect best friend. All reduced to tears on his cock.

“Chan,” you breathe in deeply, having finally accustomed yourself to how he stretches you out. “Y-You can move now.”

Shit. You sound so shy, so innocent.

How could he not give you what you want?

The first outward drag of his hips pulls a pretty little whimper out of you and an even prettier moan when he thrusts back in. Chan sighs as he minds the pace he’s set, cradling your face with one hand as he steadies you with the other.

“I love you,” he murmurs, pressing a featherlight kiss on your nose. “More than there are stars in the sky, more than how many flowers you’ll ask me to look after while you’re gone.”

His sweet words are subverted with a harsh thrust that he does experimentally to see how you’d react to it. When Chan doesn’t see any indication of pain or dislike, he repeats it—again and again until he can feel you coating his length in the slick of your leaking arousal. 

“Feels so fucking good around me,” he rasps, keeping himself from biting into your shoulder because he isn’t sure of how you feel about those kinds of marks just yet. “Perfect… You’re so, so perfect. I’ve never loved anyone else as much as I love you.”

It feels a bit worrisome, admitting all this in the heat of it all. Chan fears that you would find his words a tad disingenuous. For all he knows, you’re thinking that it’s your wonderful cunt making him say all these sweet nothings. 

But you’re too far gone yourself to even think about the specifics.

“Deeper,” you beg, lacing your fingers around his neck as more tears start to cascade down your cheeks. “Need to feel you deeper, Chan.”

You’re going to be the death of him—this he’s finally sure of.

The fat head of his cock batters your poor, abused pussy with the vigor of someone who’s been waiting for you all his life. Chan babbles out a mantra of compliments and praise all strung together in a haze of pleasurable delirium as your nails start to rake across his back. 

“Want you to be mine forever,” he sighs against your lips—his hot breath fanning against your face. “Can I have you? For the rest of my life?”

Even in the throes of passion, the answer comes to you so easily.

“I’m yours,” you cry out as he angles his cock just right and grazes the spot that makes you see stars. “I’m yours, Chan. Always yours. Forever yours.”

Your mind crumbles as your release crests out of nowhere—coherence draining from every recess of your mind while Chan fucks you through your high. He snaps his hips unforgivingly as he chases his own orgasm. His fingers leave red imprints on your thighs with how firmly they dig into your supple flesh and they stay there even when he finally pinpoints his release. 

The two of you collapse onto the mattress with shallow breaths, sweat-slicked skin sticking to each other with how close your bodies are. When your mind finally returns to the shores of reality, you dare to crack your eyes open—only to see your best friend looking back at you with a tired smile.

This is the man who saw you cry over a stick fort that he accidentally stepped on when you were kids. 

The one who thinks you’re still pretty even when your face is rife with tears and snot.

The one who skips stones with you in the river at sunset. 

The one who keeps you warm by the fireplace during every winter.

The one who defended you from classmates who accused you of being a fraud that rode on her father’s coattails. 

The one you’ll gladly spend the rest of your life with.

You think you should find it strange how Joshua suddenly comes to mind now that you’re finally where you want to be. But if it weren’t for him, you never would’ve gotten that final push to be selfish—to choose yourself for once and not feel any ounce of remorse for doing so.

If it weren’t for him, you never would’ve felt what true happiness feels like.

“So…” your best friend starts as he pulls a blanket over your naked bodies. “For tonight’s pillow talk, you get to decide the topic of interest.”

You snort. “Okay. What are my choices?”

“Hm. The first is: what are we going to do now that we’re together-together when the entire kingdom still thinks you’re still Prince Joshua’s fiancé? You still owe me a story about how the engagement fell through, by the way. Unless I’m actually a homewrecker…?”

Rolling your eyes, you playfully slap his chest. “What’s the second option?”

He grins at you cheekily. “What pet names can I use on you while we’re having sex because…I honestly held back the entire time ‘cause I didn’t know what you were comfortable with.”

“I don’t really mind anything,” you say. “Just…nothing too degrading?” 

“Alright.” Chan nods. “What do you say about lovebug?”

The suggestion is met with a scowl, making Chan giggle underneath the covers.

“Not a fan? How about my little dew drop? My chrysalis blooming into a beautiful butterfly? My hundred year-old tree that never ceases to amaze me with your beauty? My spectacle in an endless galaxy? My—”

“Lee Jung Chan, if you don’t shut up right now, I might just march back to the capital right this moment after all.”

Chan responds to your threat with a needy whine as he cages you around his arms. Your best friend nuzzles his face in the crook of your neck with a sulky pout.

“No! You’re mine. I don’t care if everyone else thinks otherwise.” He huffs and you entertain him with a laugh before Chan eventually disentangles himself from you—the playful expression on his face morphing into something more sobering.

“I was serious about the first pillow talk suggestion, by the way,” he murmurs. “Once the news breaks out, it isn’t going to be easy for any of us.” 

“I know.”

Chan raises an eyebrow at your nonchalance. “Hm? You’re usually the type to psych yourself out way too much when problems like this arise. Who are you and what did you do to my worrywart of a best friend?”

Paying his teasing no mind, you lean in to press your lips to his. The moment Chan’s shoulders sink in surrender, you smile against his mouth.

“Honestly? I don’t really care about what happens,” you admit, tracing the outline of his chest with your finger. “As long as I’m with you, I think we’ll be alright.”

Chan is quiet for a while—a loving look glazing over his eyes at the sight of you.

“Yeah.” 

Your best friend presses another kiss to your temple, lacing your fingers together.

Two forget-me-nots finally find their way back to each other. 

“We’ll be alright.”

⟢ end notes: and that concludes the longest oneshot i've ever written for a seventeen member :') honestly considered breaking this into parts, but decided not to in the end bcs telling their story in one go felt like the best way to go about it! shoutouts to my good buddies and pals from svthub for the constant support and pep talk they offered while i was writing this monster of a fic. freya, my bridgerton sunbae, and zeta, my favorite wonwoorideul (real), thank you tons for your lovely input <3 your silly comments on the doc always made me smile. ofc i won't forget nana who gave me an...interesting list of pet names chan would unironically use on his s/o lol that said, thank you for reading! i hope you enjoy the other fics posted under the spring collab! all writers who contributed poured their hearts into each piece <3

this is part of the secret garden, a svthub spring collab and the it's complicated series!

[ts19009]

Seventeen Fic Rec's Part 2

(CONTAINS SMUT AND MATURE SUBJECT MATTER)

(Bold title means favorite)

(UPDATED: February 3rd, 2024)

Kim Mingyu

Urban Hearts, Rural Souls (farmer mingyu) @hoshifighting

oh no, he's in love? (k.m.g) (dilf!mingyu x afab reader  | chan x afab reader) @ncteez

Need A Hand? (farmhand!mingyu x farmer's daughter!reader) @everyonewooeverywhere

✧ back to december (smut (18+ / mdni), fluff, angst (resolved!), best friends to strangers to lovers) @toruro

Between the heavens and the earth (Royal!AU, smut so MDNI!, angst, pining) @gyuldaengi

New Rules (basketballplayer!mingyu, collegestudent!reader, fakedating!au, fluff, angst, s2l, smut) @leejihoonownsmyheart

BLOOM FOR ME (college au, slice of life, strangers to fwb to lovers, angst, fem!reader, slowburn-ish, rollercoaster of somewhat unrealistic events, minor use of the fake dating trope, not proofread, explicit sexual content, inexpressive!reader, fear of intimacy, once again a fic that seemed better in my head than the finished product but idc!) @sanakiras

Honeyboy (SLOWBURN, back and forth PINING, angst, summer romance, spice/nsfw mentions and smut, eventual friends to lovers, brief high school!au, fluff, slight love triangle, lots of teasing/flirting.) @chocosvt

Lilac Lace (roomates au, fluff, pwp, humour, roomates to lovers.) @starlightxsvt

How to Win Hearts for Dummies (the answer is lattes and banana bread) (Idol!mingyu x makeup-artist!reader) @gyuswhore

xu minghao

now or never (when you make a chance encounter with your ex, you end up saying that you’re engaged to your estranged neighbor xu minghao. when you find out your ex is coming to your friend’s wedding, you’ve only got a month to become a convincing couple.) @heartkyeom

to love easily (non-idol!minghao x fem!reader) @minghaoyoudoin

rush hour (enemies to lovers, dancer au? unresolved sexual tension, smut) @lovelyhan

terrified (idolverse, established relationship, hao trying (and failing) to play it cool about the wanting-to-be-a-father thing, brief discussion abt family planning, this is only a little sad bc hao has overthinkeritis,) @lovelyhan

Remembrance of Ice (ice king!xu minghao x fem spy!reader) @gyuswhore

Apple of My Eye — xmh (fluff, descendants au, child of snow white reader, reader is shorter than minghao) @rubyreduji

Jeon WonWoo

new beginnings (: in which a certain someone starts getting extra clingy to you, leading you to find out you're pregnant.) @etherealyoungk

the bore next door (j.ww) @ncteez

Patterns (fuckboy(ish) wonwoo, friends(?) with benefits) @highvern

under wisteria blossoms (town doctor!wonwoo x reader) @lovequartz

Before the Day Begins (an interesting way to start an early sunday morning with your boyfriend wonwoo) @kyeomofhearts

wedding weekends with wonwoo (fake dating, non-idol au, photographer!wonwoo, florist! + gn!reader, fluff, angst if you looked hard enough (honestly, it’s kinda cheesy lol) @suhnshinehaos

OVERSET (ai!wonwoo x R&D!reader) @drunk-on-dk

Say Yes to Me (1960s!AU - Childhood bestfriend! Wonwoo x F!Reader) @ssinboo

roommates with benefits (smut, fluff, humor, college au, roommate au, frat au) @shuaflix

Hong Jisoo

Cockroach (Joshua hates cockroaches. Never in a million years would he ever be able to kill one, but thank goodness he has you to take care of that.) @beomboomboom

fine line (figure skater!joshua, writer/fangirl!reader, best friend!jeonghan, dad!seungcheol, smut, fluff, angst, some occasional skating jargon, this is a lot about the Olympics) @heartkyeom

leaning on the everlasting arms (childhood best friend! pastor's son!joshua x f reader) @onlyhuis

golden hour (fluff, slice of life, best friends to lovers, summer vacation au ━ best friend!joshua) @dkfile

wildest dreams | joshua hong (best friends to lovers!au, fake dating!au (kinda), fluff, humor) @viastro

yoon jeonghan

𝘋𝘰 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 ? (enemies to roommates to lovers, angst, fluff, smut (mdni 18+) @wonustars

lens of ice | yjh | one (figure skater jeonghan, light angst, a little fluff) @wongyuuu

January 9th | Prologue (Actor!Y. Jeonghan x Single mom!reader) @sunnylovespickles

The Christmas Boyfriend — yjh (fluff, smut (minors dni), fwb, fake dating, college!au) @rubyredujibyredujii

I THINK WE MARRIED IN VEGAS (comedy (?), angst, smut (minors don't interact)) @ressonancee

Kwon Soon-young

hoshi; vowels and veracity (m) (teacher!soonyoung x single mother!reader) @hansolmates

Deserted (Sci-Fi AU!, Reader-Insert, Smut, Some Plot, Hookup/One-Night-Stand/Strangers) @ihavethedreamies

Edible Arrangements (college roommate!soonyoung x afab!reader) @bitchlessdino

highrise (ceo!au… ish) walking around your apartment naked has never been a problem, since you live in a high-rise and no one can see in, at least that’s what you thought…) @sluttywonwoo

[idyllic-ghost]

Bee's SVT Masterlist

longer stories: (+) shorter stories: (-) medium stories: (~)

specific trigger warnings can be found on each post

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆S.Coups

✦ My Darling [smut] (~)

✦ Baby, It's Cold Outside [fluff, smut] (~)

✦ 09:57 PM [fluff] (-)

✦ Birthday [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ Punishment [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ What A Man (What A Mighty Good Man) [fluff, suggestive] (-)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆Jeonghan

✦ The Dress [fluff] (-)

✦ The Grapefruit Technique [smut] (~)

✦ The Most Precious Thing [fluff] (~)

✦ Put On a Show [smut] (~)

✦ Casual Confession [fluff] (-)

✦ Sick-day Soup [fluff] (-)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆Joshua

✦ Phone Call [fluff] (-)

✦ The Royal Gambit [angst, smut, fluff] (+)

✦ Priest and Demon [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Jun

✦ Learning to Love [angst, fluff] (~)

✦ Unrequited [angst] (-)

✦ The Right Moment [fluff] (~)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Hoshi

Delicate [fluff] (-)

✦✦✦

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Wonwoo

✦ Late Night [fluff] (~)

✦ Rest [hurt and comfort] (-)

✦ Just Ask [smut, fluff] (~)

✦ Pomegranates [angst] (+)

✦ Sweet (Eye) Candy [smut] (+)

✦ Sir [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Woozi

✦ Trial and Error [smut, fluff] (~)

✦ Dear Valentine [fluff] (~)

✦ One Final Moment [fluff, angst] (-)

✦ A Whisper From the Forest [fluff, smut] (+)

✦ Forever Yours, Faithfully [fluff, angst, smut] (+)

✦ 03:26 PM [angst] (-)

✦ Only You (03:26 PM Part 2) [angst, fluff] (-)

✦ Hands [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ Finally~ [smut, fluff] (~)

✦ Aftercare [fluff, suggestive] (-)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ DK

✦ Waiting It Out [angst, comfort] (-)

✦ Overstimulation [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ Do Stars Collapse Into Black Holes or Fall Into Something Unknown? [angst, fluff] (+)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Mingyu

✦ The Other Woman (original series) [fluff, angst]: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

✦ A Helping Hand [fluff] (-)

✦ Wear Sunscreen! [smut] (-)

✦ The Other Woman (Reworked) [angst, fluff, smut] (+)

✦ Car Ride [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ Good Boy [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ Jacuzzi [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ The8

✦ Dancing [fluff] (-)

✦ Our Future [fluff] (-)

✦ And We Meet Again [angst, fluff] (~)

✦ To Keep You Warm [fluff] (~)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Seungkwan

✦ Glasses [fluff] (-)

✦ Picture [hard hours, smut] (-)

✦ Sunday Morning [fluff, comfort] (-)

✦ Strawberry Jazz; Love on the Train to Tokyo [fluff] (+)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Vernon

✦ A Promise Between Soulmates [fluff] (-)

✦ To Choose a Mortal Life [fluff] (-)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Dino

✦ Dreams Do Come True [fluff, smut] (~)

✦ Dreams Do Come True: The Aftermath [fluff] (-)

✦ First Time [fluff, smut] (~)

✦ Vacation [angst, fluff] (~)

✦ Stay [angst, fluff] (-)

✦ Make It Better [angst, fluff] (-)

✦ Fantasies [smut] (-)

✦ Light of My Life, Treasure of My Memories [angst, fluff] (+)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

☆ Multiple members

✦ OT13 reaction to a sexy summer comeback [fluff]

✦ OT13 reaction to you fainting on stage [angst, fluff]

✦ OT13 reaction to you filming a kiss scene [fluff]

✦ OT13 reaction to you listening to their music [fluff]

✦ OT13 reaction to you being sensitive [angst, fluff]

✦ Hard hours, threesome (Jeonghan, Mingyu) [smut]

✦ Hard hours, threesome (Vernon, Mingyu) [smut]

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

If anything doesn't work, or if you can't find a fic, send in an ask!

[woozivrse]

sniff kiss: seungcheol, jun, mingyu, seungkwan, vernon

this one needs a lil explaining bc it's not super common? but it's just someone smelling you(usually into the top of your head or like your cheek) and it's done in like primarily south east asian cultures i believe?

but like this is really, really indulgent of me but i grew up with my mom and aunts kissing me like this so it feels so??? loving?? and nostalgic to me?? like, it feels like a warm hug and i get transported to being a kid again. it's like being protected, knowing no matter what, there's someone there who will help pick you up and support you.

kiss on the knuckles: joshua, wonwoo, minghao

you two are probably holding hands, maybe walking around somewhere or just sitting down across from each other. either way he can't just kiss you without causing a disturbance(stopping in the middle of the sidewalk) or getting up from his chair, so he kisses your knuckles. this feels like a royal romance movie, the prince is looking at their beloved and they kiss their knuckles without breaking eye contact. he probably does this to see you get shy and you know he does it because you're just so cute when you try to hide your face from him.

kiss on the cheek: jeonghan, soonyoung, jihoon, seokmin, chan

it's quick, these men are busy but they want to show you their love. they're maybe just about to leave but they want to say bye without waking you, or they're taking a break from whatever they're doing and just wanna kiss you quickly so you know they're thinking about you. or, he wants to show you his love and he's peppering kissing across your face, and this is where he starts. either way, it's full of love and adoration, saying “i love you” without the words.

happy svt comeback to those who celebrate :) i had this idea for a lil but i decided to finish it for the comeback! cheers to youth is prob my fav of the new songs but lalali and spell are so good...

[seuonji]

彡 my heart is beating for two. — yoon jeonghan

part 1 ๑ part 2 ๑ part 3

notes ๑ daycare worker yn! x secretary jeonghan — jeonghan becomes fond of the daycare worker he met the other day. they finally exchanged numbers! how does it go on from there?

genre ๑ fluff, new interest, mutual pining.

warnings ๑ profanity, mentions of eating.

word count ๑ 2.4k

from aya: please reblog if you enjoyed! feedback is always appreciated<3

“beep, the number you have dialled can’t be reached. please try again.”

either you were getting seriously played by this man or he was just seriously dumb.

you shook your head and moved on to call mr.choi. it wasn’t the time to be upset over something like this.

the call connected and surely, yuna’s father picked up.

“yn! i’m so sorry, i’m already nearby.”

you bit your lip thinking about how you wouldn’t be seeing jeonghan later on like you hoped you would. the mild heavy feeling only piled on cause tomorrow would be the weekend and the weekend meant no work. usually that would’ve been great news but that man had you in a chokehold somehow.

you wanted to see him.

“no worries! drive safely, see you soon.”

+

seungcheol hurriedly ran to the front door and you immediately saw him since you were at reception while yuna was napping in one of the rooms.

you quickly clicked the button which opened the doors and seungcheol strutted in, “i deeply apologise.”

you shook your head and reassured him that it wasn’t a problem, “it’s no worries mr.choi, you’re a busy man.”

you were just about to get yuna but seungcheol stopped you in your tracks.

“hey yn, yuna’s birthday is coming soon and i’m not sure if you’d be interested but i’m sure she would love it if you came to her party this weekend,” he smiled as he handed you an envelop which encased an invitation, “it’s on sunday, sorry for the late notice but i hope you can come!”

you had a confound look on your face but you kindly took the letter, “me? are you sure?”

“of course? yuna adores you,” he spoke with genuine words.

“oh, that’s touching,” you looked at the envelope and placed it into your bag, “i’ll see my schedule.”

+

you were free that faithful sunday.

you took slow steps into the large venue and peered around looking for seungcheol who was really the only person you knew there.

the party was royal themed for yuna’s princess dream so people were dressed extravagantly, it was a shock how well organised the place was. ‘so this is what you can get with money,’ you thought. the room was crowded to say the least and the kids running around only added to the chaos.

you felt so out of place.

you were pretty hesitant to attend in the first place. you were only attending to oblige yuna’s wishes but then again what were you gonna do for the rest of the night?

perhaps you should just wish yuna a happy birthday, leave the gift then leave the place altogether, but just as you were trudging into deep thought, you felt someone pat your back. “yn you came!” seungcheol gleefully acknowledged your presence.

“mr.choi! hi, yea i happened to be free.” you tried your best to engage with the same energy.

“oh hey, you two have met right?” seungcheol asked as he pulled his secretary forward giving a pat to his back.

suddenly the crowds noise seemed to have disappeared.

“jeonghan, right?” you nonchalantly said.

his eyes seemed to widen but he stuck his hand out for a handshake before anyone could notice, “it’s nice to see you again yn!”

you smiled as a silent response before returning your attention to seungcheol, “where’s yuna? i want to greet her!”

seungcheol’s hands gripped his secretary’s shoulders as he lightly pushed him towards you, “jeonghan will bring you to her! he’s like a walking gps for my little girl,” he chuckled.

jeonghan seemed to have an equally shocked reaction but he knew how to hide well.

“oh, alright,” you nodded your head and plastered on a smile.

your smile somehow calmed him down yet at the same time, he felt his heart race.

“okay, this way yn,” he gestured with his hand as he lead the way.

he walked with his back straight, he held his hands at is back having an utmost professional posture.

seungcheol who watched discretely, saw jeonghan leading and you just walking a little behind. he thought you two suited each other. also, he’d never seen jeonghan walk so stiffly and properly.

you fidgeted with the gift box trying to find a comfortable way to hold it. it was kind of bulky so you struggled a bit.

“need help?” jeonghan halted and extended his arms reaching for the gift after he heard the rummaging in the back.

“no it’s alright,” you softly said. your throat was closing up from the awkwardness of the situation.

you had a passiveness to you that day and jeonghan couldn’t tell why. but he continued walking and placed his hands in his pockets trying to find yuna.

eventually you reached her. she was playing with the other kids, some you even recognised from daycare and they instantly ran up to you.

“yn you’re here!” yuna excitedly swung your arm. “i am, happy birthday yuna!”

you sat down on the mini couch yuna had pulled you to and shortly conversed. yuna didn’t even question why you’re here, she was just pleased that you were. you showed her the gift you got her and she asked jeonghan to put it on the top of the mountain of gifts the other guests got her. she really treasured you the most.

“yn do you want to play with us?” one of the kids asked.

you felt touched with the kindness and honestly, they were the only ones you could probably stay around with cause it’s not like you knew anyone else here, as sad as that may sound— but you were admittedly famished so you sort of hesitated. before you could even speak, jeonghan squatted down to their height, “best we let the guest eat first right? i’m sure yn can play with you later.”

they understood and went back to doing their own thing.

“care for directions to the buffet?” he stood up and he held out a hand to help you get up.

you looked at his hand then to his eyes. “that would be appreciated,” you held his hand and got up.

jeonghan started leading the way again but he walked at a pace that allowed him to be beside you.

“how’ve you been?” he asked.

you gave him a puzzled look and he understood why you’d be confused. it’s not like you guys were even acquaintances, he just met you like what, twice? now’s the third but why would be be concerned about your whereabouts.

but you answered regardless, “i’ve been good, you?”

“good, seungcheol’s business became not-so-busy quite fast,” he chuckled. he was referring to the way it wasn’t too hectic at work anymore so seungcheol was able to pick up yuna again as per usual.

you giggled softly, “yea i figured, he’d been the one coming to get yuna recently.”

your ‘meet-ups’ with jeonghan had departed as quickly as they came.

by now you both have reached the food service area, “thanks for helping me get around,” you said.

jeonghan looked around the room and back to you, “uhm, i could stay with you tonight? unless you have plans to see someone else.”

if he stayed with you, you wouldn’t be alone tonight.

parts of you, mostly the prideful side wanted to reject. you still had a feeling he was just playing you. but perhaps you could just try and oblige to his offer.

you happened to answer quickly, “no one in particular.”

he smiled then tilted his head to the food, “well get your food, i’ll find us a table.”

+

you two were seated at the table. it was a circular table and it was set in the corner of the room so there wasn’t much attention set on you two. there would occasionally be people coming up to jeonghan and sparking a conversation but he was quick to end it.

“how do you like the celebration?” he asked.

you just took a bite of your food but you covered your mouth and answered, “it’s a new experience actually, i’ve never seen such an extravagant party. it’s amazing what you can do with money.”

jeonghan laughed at the way you described it, “seungcheol loves yuna a lot.”

“he’s a kind man, yuna is lucky,” you said before taking another bite.

there was a silence for a few seconds. jeonghan took a sip from his drink as if it was beer. he sighed biting his lip thinking of things to talk about.

you continued to eat waiting for another conversation starter to come to your head.

but there was something you two wanted to talk about.

and jeonghan happened to beat you to it.

“hey i wanted to talk about that day, i gave you my number but you still called seungcheol first. why’s that? still don’t trust me?” he said with a teasing tone.

you were baffled. “excuse me?” you said clearly confused.

“what?”

you placed your utensils down and faced him, “i called you but the line didn’t work.”

“you sure that wasn’t just an error on your side, like maybe you mistyped it?” he furrowed his eyebrows.

“i tried three times.” you calmly said.

“wow, wanted to see me huh?” he cheekily spoke.

“i was working overtime and someone had to pick up yuna!?” you whisper-screamed.

he scooted his chair closer to you, “maybe you didn’t pay your phone bills.”

“then how did the call to mr.choi connect?” you firmly spoke.

“then you probably typed my phone number incorrectly,” he went back to the first point making you laugh.

he wasn’t being arrogant about it, it was more of a playful banter. but at the same time, was he seriously trying to gaslight you into thinking you entered the number incorrectly?

“come, show me the contact you typed in,” he rested his arm on the back of your chair, getting closer to your vicinity.

you huffed and took the business card from out form your phone case then placed it side by side with the contact typed in your phone.

suddenly it’s as if jeonghan had seen a ghost.

you tilted your head, “so?”

“holy shit the printing company got it wrong.”

“what?” you blurted loudly.

he leaned back into his seat and looked lifelessly to the ceiling, “i’ve given that card to so many people and it has the wrong number printed on it.”

you felt a tad bit guilty and patted his back, “how bad could it be?”

he slowly turned to you with the most helpless look on his face. "i told you so?" you joked trying to lighten up the mood.

he suddenly let out a chuckle. he straightened his back continuing to laugh, "you were right, yn."

you bit your lip holding back a laugh but jeonghan was busy wheezing while looking at the card, was he going manic? yet you couldn't help but laugh as well. you two were getting the attention of people around but you both couldn't care less.

gosh, what were the chances he was just seriously dumb.

"im so sorry yn, honestly, sorry for putting you through that trouble," he said after the laughs.

"its really no big deal, i'm more concerned for the people trying to contact you."

"it's fine, i only cared about your call anyways," he glanced at you with a different look in his eyes.

"what?"

he rested his head on his hand and repeated, "i only cared about your call."

"wow, you must really care about yuna," you acted oblivious.

"i do, i do," he pursed his lips holding back his smile, "but also in general, i was just interested in getting to know you better."

you didn't expect him to be so straghtforward. you knew he was probably the confident type but you thought it would've taken a lot to get his attention.

you leaned into your chair and squinted your eyes, "really? why?"

"don't know, why don't we talk about it over a cup of coffee?" he smugly grinned.

you played with the hem of your clothes, thinking twice before answering. but you already spent a whole evening with him and you couldn't lie, you were enjoying his presence.

"sure, why not."

you couldn't tell but he was mentally cheering, "come, let me give you the right phone number," he pointed to your phone.

you slid your phone to him and continued eating, "if that phone number doesn't go through, be careful, i know where you work."

he silently giggled at your joke, simultaneously, he called the number on your phone, and from his pocket, his phone buzzed, "you trust me now?"

"with you, who knows."

+

a workday again. you were at reception and there you saw jeonghan walk in with yuna hand in hand.

"hi yuna, i'll be in right away, just let me finish some of the work back here," you instructed as per usual.

you two watched yuna descend into the playroom and again, it was just the two of you.

"what's this? i thought mr.choi was becoming not-so-busy, did you actually manipulate his schedule just so that you could see me?" you joked.

you recalled his words from the coffee date you had with him just a few days ago. one of the details he mentioned on ‘why he was interested’ was that he felt the urge to make his boss more busy just so that he'd be asked to get yuna from daycare to see you. you couldn't tell again, if he was just seriously dumb or just passionate.

"not really, just pulled a few strings, told seungcheol i would like to see my crush more often, now he lets me bring yuna to daycare where my crush conveniently works," he innocently explained with an angel-like smile.

your eyes were on the screen of the laptop but you were listening, "poor mr.choi, his father-daughter time is decreasing," you pouted.

"he'll live."

you were trying to finish the work on the computer but you still looked up, entertained by him, “well don’t decrease your boss-secretary time, leave.”

“you’re mean.”

“you’ll live.”

he playfully clicked his tongue as he got a taste of his own medicine. he walked towards you and stepped closer to reception. he leaned over the table and his face was close yours. as he placed a kiss on your forehead, he asked, “wanna get dinner together tonight?”

“sure,” you smiled.

to say the least, the coffee date went well.

[krakgkaglstosk]

Seventeen TBR

Last updated: 07.18.24

[Seventeen Rec List]

I do NOT tag my recs/order them in any particular way so BE AWARE of NSFW

Authors are no longer tagged bc there's too many 😭😭

Ah! Love by @/thepixelelf

Kissing them Mid-Argument by @/babyleostuff

SCOUPS:

I Love You, Again by @/jnginlov

Eat. Play. Love by @/husbandhoshi

Confusion Contusion by @/seungkwansphd

In This Life by @/trblsvt

Pure Math 171 by @/gyuswhore

Fifteen to Forever by @/gyuswhore

Read All About It by @/deedeekpop

Sweater by @/vanillacheol

Take Trouble, Make it Double by @/sluttywoozi

Sapiosexual by @/smileysuh

Jeonghan:

Can't You See Me? by @/toruro

Ode to You by @/lovelyhan

Lucky Girl by @/horangare

Anything but by @/yoongiseesawmp3

Love Cafe by @/chocosvt

Take Trouble, Make it Double by @/sluttywoozi

I Think We Married in Vegas by @/ressonancee

Mingyu:

First Time Trying Sex Toys by @/sunnylovespickles

Dry Humping by @/undermoonlightst

Parties, Yatchs, and Wishful Thinking by @/ithinkilikeit-reactions

Hot or Cold by @/jjuniehao

Honeyboy by @/chocosvt

Puppy Love by @/smileysuh

Lilac Lace by @/starlightxsvt

His Smile by @/angelwonie

Local Lover Boy by @/cheolism

Spoiled by @/wonusite

Confidently Lost by @/gfcheol

Stay at Home Husband Mingyu by @/celestiababie

We Don't Usually Hold Hands by @/gyukult

Kim Mingyu's Unhelpful Guide to Losing Your Virginity by @/shuaflix

Multitasking by @/himbocoups

Evening Glow by @/cheolhub

Cliche But That's Okay by @/twogyuu

The Other Woman by @/idyllic-ghost

Hits Different (...Cause it's You) by @/gyuswhore

Never a Goodbye by @/ssentimentals

Hoshi:

Greed by @/cheolism

Over and Under by @/sluttywoozi

Horanghae by @/rubywonu

The Biggest Fanboy by @/hoshifighting

Joshua:

Isohel by @/toruro

505 by @/lovelyhan

The Royal Gambit by @/idyllic-ghost

Devil by the Window by @/toruro

Sleepy by @/ikigaisvt

Wonwoo:

Heart & Seoul by @/milfgyuu

Her by @/chocosvt

Game Over by @/lovelyhan

Scrawled in the Sand by @/toruro

Horror Game by @/myung-heee

[959] by @/twogyuu

Melting Point by @/lovelyhan

Sir, Please by @gyuwoncheol

Dino:

Bitchless by @/milfgyuu

Woozi:

Over and Under by @/sluttywoozi

Love Shot by @/blue-jisungs

Still Mad by @/slytherinshua

Like a Melody by @/sluttywoozi

Somewhere In the Middle by @/sluttywoozi

DK:

Falling for You by @/onlymingyus

Sleepy Bunny by @/slytherinshua

Vernon:

Not Really Magic by @/twogyuu

Renege by @/twogyuu

Minghao:

SVT as your bf: Hao edition by @/fairyhaos

Seungkwan:

Nothing yet!

Dino:

Nothing yet!

[hannyoontify]

an interview with an angel - hong joshua

member | news reporter!joshua x fencer!reader

genre | meet cute, fluff

word count | 2.5k

synopsis | for some people, when they’re in a dire situation, god sends them an angel. for you, he sent you an attractive young man who goes by the name of ‘Joshua’

warnings | cursing, reader has a slight(?) panic attack but shua is an absolute sweetheart, poor flirting bc yours truly doesn’t know how to flirt

notes | inspired by that one scene in ep 6 of twenty five twenty one, not proofread

If you had to explain your current situation in two words, it would be royally fucked. 

You’re a newbie, basically a nobody in the fencing world (according to Yu-rim’s kind words) that somehow managed to climb their way into the national fencing team and become a finalist in the Asian Games. No one knows how you did it, but when you first stepped onto the piste for your first match, you had managed to grab the attention of every person in the arena. 

You’re a rising star, you realized. As you sit in your train seat and twiddle your thumbs impatiently, you notice more and more people stealing glances towards your direction. You don’t know when you transitioned from a nobody to a rising star, but something told you that qualifying for the national team played a big role in familiarizing your name with the general public. You found yourself slowly sinking into your seat, trying to hide yourself from the prying eyes of passersby, but your bright red fencing bag and your obvious national team jacket didn’t do a good job of keeping you low-profile.

You were a newbie, now a rising star, a rising star that is now royally fucked. After mixing up your fencing bag with another athlete from Singapore, you caught the first train to the station where the athlete and her couch were waiting, swapped bags, and you were now on your way back to Gyeongju. The scheduled arrival time was 1:05 pm, leaving you with plenty of time to go back, warm up, and maybe squeeze in a short interview.

It was now almost 2 pm and you were nowhere near Gyeongju. The train had inched forward maybeonly a few yards and that was an hour ago. You’re usually a calm person, the type to remain calm and composed under any amount of pressure, but today was different. This was your first international competition and you worked so hard to get to where you were now, you were not about to lose your chance to become Yu-rim’s rival because of a stupid delayed train.

You had been contemplating what to do for the past 30 minutes, and just as you finally made up your mind to try and talk to a staff member, the train lurched forward, chugging down the tracks as it picked up momentum.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, we will arrive at Gyeongju Station at 2:10 pm.”

Hearing this made you release a breath you didn’t know you were holding, and you could feel some tension leaving your shoulders. You glanced down at your watch. Your match was supposed to start at 3:00.

You could make it. There was no way in hell you were going to forfeit. 

Joshua poked his head out the window and let out a loud groan when he saw the traffic in front of him. There was no way he could stop by SBS’s temporary office and get back to the arena in time. Most roads were closed off for the safety of the athletes participating in the Asian Games, meaning that everyone in the area had to use the same road to get to their destinations. Joshua isn’t usually an impatient person, but he was in a bit of a rush. He was supposed to submit his report for athlete Go Yu-Rim and return to the arena shortly after for his interview with athlete [Name].

He drummed his fingers against the wheel impatiently, checking his watch every 30 seconds out of pure annoyance. And as luck would have it, Joshua saw an incoming call from his fellow reporter, Yoon Jeonghan. Nothing good usually came out of calling with that sly man. Behind every word was a double meaning, and you would find yourself agreeing to anything that he said before you could even process what he was saying. 

“SBS News, Joshua Hong speaki-”

“Of course I know it’s you, Hong Jisoo,” the voice on the other line sounded frantic. Panicked. This sent a wave of dread through Joshua’s body. Jeonghan was never frantic. Never.  “Seungcheol’s waiting at the train station right now. His train was supposed to arrive an hour ago and I was supposed to pick him up since you were in the middle of a match. But his train got delayed by almost an hour and my event’s about to start- Do you think you can pick him up? He has an event at the same time as you and it won’t start for another hour, right?”

Joshua was at a loss for words. Almost nothing had gone right for him today, from the coffee spill on his work shirt this morning to the traffic mess in front of him and now this. He had to pick up Seungcheol, meaning that he wouldn’t be able to submit his report in time.

No matter. His friend was more important than a dingy old report.

“Sure, I can pick him up,” Joshua replied, already switching the gear of his car to take a left instead of continuing forward.

“Thank the great heavens above, you’re a godsend, Hong Jisoo,” Jeonghan rambled, his voice now sounding more distant as he presumably fumbled through his messenger bag to find his notepad and pen. “I’ll call you after your event is over, we deserve to get a drink after all the shit we went through today.”

“You got that right,” Joshua mumbled under his breath, his cellphone tucked between his ear and shoulder as he tried to maneuver through the cars to get to Gyeongju Station as fast as he could without breaking any traffic laws. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Bye, Shuji! Talk to you later.”

Once he grunted out a farewell, Joshua turned his attention back to the road as he pressed on the gas. Ten minutes passed quickly, and Joshua found himself running around the train station, looking for his blonde friend. Seungcheol had gotten in a lot of trouble from the company when he had first bleached his hair, saying that it made him look unprofessional and gave him a bad image. Fortunately for Seungcheol, he had two friends who had the best persuasive skills in probably the entire country. Joshua and Jeonghan had vouched for Seungcheol, convincing the head of the sports news that not only was Seungcheol a great reporter who was very thorough when he fact checks but he was also breaking stereotypes about dyed hair and the public’s perception of dyed hair.

Joshua searched the different boarding and disembarking platforms, looking for a familiar head of blonde hair, but it was nowhere to be found. He rested his hands on hips to catch his breath. He was more out of shape than he thought he was. Joshua made a mental note to start working out again regularly when he spotted a blur of bright red that zig-zagged around the big crowds of people.

Joshua almost immediately recognized that red bag. It belonged to you, a rising fencing star that he had been keeping an eye since the qualifiers for the national team. He sensed something from you. Perhaps it was potential, maybe stardom. He didn’t know yet, but he knew from the moment he saw you step onto the piste that you were going to do well.

But what the fuck you were doing here, 50 minutes before your first international game?

The moment you stepped off the train, you bolted through the station, not even sure of where you were going. You just knew you had to get back as soon as possible. 

So when a strong hand grabbed your wrist, stopping you, you almost threw a flying kick out of pure frustration. The last thing you needed right now was a fan who wanted an autograph or some stranger who wanted to know why you carried a big red bag on your shoulders. (Yes you’ve gotten that question quite a bit since you were in middle school)

“Excuse me, but I really need to-” You turned around, ready to lash out on whoever was clueless enough to stop you. But instead, you were met with intense, sparkling doe eyes that peered into yours.

“Athlete [Name]? Why are you- Your game starts in less than 50 minutes, follow me!” Joshua grabbed your hand and began pulling you through the train station with amazing speed. If you hadn’t done that training with Coach Yang, you were pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to keep up right now. 

Joshua wordlessly grabbed your fencing bag and threw it over his shoulder as he weaved through the big crowd, his hand never losing grip of your wrist. “Excuse me! Please make way! National athlete coming through! Future gold medalist right here, please make way!”

You felt your cheeks warming up at those words. Future gold medalist. You didn’t know who this man was, but did he really think you were good enough to become a gold medalist? 

Joshua spotted a blonde head up ahead, but he had far more pressing matters now. Seungcheol raised his hand and greeted the familiar face with a smile. “Shua! You came to pick me up?”

Joshua ran straight past Seungcheol without sparing him a single glance.

Seungcheol pouted, upset that his friend had just completely ignored him until he noticed who Joshua had in tow. The rising fencing star, [Name]. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Seungcheol decided to let it slide with a quiet chuckle. 

Adrenaline coursed through your veins as you and the mysterious– and frankly attractive–young man ran into the bustling parking lot. Joshua reached into his pocket and fumbled for his car keys and pointed it to a blue, expensive looking car. It beeped back in response to its owner.

“Get in,” Joshua set down your fencing bag in the backseat as you climbed into the passenger seat. You closed your eyes and tried to catch your breath, but your breath came in short gasps. 

Joshua busied himself with starting the car engine and was about to tell you to fasten your seatbelt when he noticed that you were shaking. He reached out and held one of your trembling hands in his own.

“Hey, hey. Look at me,” When you opened your eyes, you found the same doe eyes from earlier peering into your eyes. Except this time, they weren’t intense and in its place was a certain tenderness in his dark brown eyes that brought you a sense of comfort. “We’re going to get to the arena in 15 minutes, you’re going to warm up for 30 minutes, and you’re going to compete and win, okay? There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll be okay.”

You let out a shaky exhale and nodded slightly. “We stopped for almost an hour and I was so- so scared that I would have to forfeit from my first international game and-” 

“Breathe, [Name]. Breathe in,” Joshua also took a deep breath in with you so you would feel less embarrassed. “And out. See? You’re okay. You’ll do great today,” He squeezed your hand reassuringly and you gave him a weak smile.

“You think so?”

Joshua smiled back at you. “I know so. Now buckle up, this is going to be a rough ride.”

He wasn’t kidding when he said that it was going to be a rough ride. Your escort was a reckless driver who was also a bit of a dare-devil. You lost count of how many times he almost ran a red light, but considering your dire situation, you didn’t really mind.

“By the way, I never caught your name.”

Joshua glanced over at you and smiled. “Open up the glove compartment. There should be a stack of business cards tied together with a rubber band. That’s my business card.”

You did as he told you to, and pulled out a card amongst the (messy) stack. “Hong Jisoo.. from SBS?”

Joshua flashed you his signature smile. “At your service. Although, I do prefer Joshua over Jisoo.”

“Did you study abroad? I’ve never met a Korean person who goes by an English name,” You said, a skeptical brow raised at the stranger.

“For a while, yes. I studied in America for a couple years and came back 3 years ago when things got a little financially difficult for my family.”

“And SBS? I’ve never heard of SBS before, are you guys new?”

Joshua nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! SBS is a new broadcasting station and my friends and I are here to cover the Asian Games this year.”

“I see…. What sector are you covering?” You asked. 

Joshua couldn’t help but laugh at the current situation he was in. “Sorry but, I’m the reporter here but why does it feel like I’m the one getting interviewed?”

“Oh..” You felt heat rising up to your face, your cheeks and the tips of your ears burning a bright shade of red, similar to your fencing bag. His laugh sounded so pretty, you wanted to hear it again. “Would you like to interview me then?”

This made Joshua laugh again, and you smiled at the sound. “Of course,” He lifted a hand up to your face in the shape of a fist, pretending to hold a mic in front of you. “I have two questions for you, Athlete [Name]. This is your first international competition and you’ve made your way to the final. How are you feeling? Did you expect to make it this far?”

You grinned. “I feel honored to be here. I’m still recovering from the shock I was in when I first qualified for the national team. I genuinely can’t believe I’m competing in the finals round of the Asian Games, I still occasionally pinch myself to remind myself that everything is real. It’s been a huge honor competing with every athlete I’ve sparred with and I’m so grateful for all the love and support I’ve been receiving, especially my coaches. I hope to not disappoint them and return the love by winning the gold medal.”

Joshua listened to you intently, occasionally glancing at you whenever he could. He would be lying if he said that he didn’t feel attracted to you. The natural blush on your cheeks from running, the wind blowing past your hair, and the gentle smile that graced your lips as you talked about how grateful you were to be at such an esteemed competition. 

At one point, Joshua was so engrossed in your words and your voice and your face that he almost missed a red light.

“I know I’m attractive but you gotta keep your eyes on the road, buddy,” you joked. When you said that, the last thing you were expecting was for the reporter to agree with you.

“You’re right, that’s my bad,” Joshua grinned at you with that cheshire grin of his. You looked away, a warm glow rising up into your face. “Time for the second question.

“If I asked you out on a date after this, what would your response be?”

You answered almost immediately, your heart in your throat. “My answer would be yes.”

reblogs and feedback is always appreciated ^-^

[slytherinshua]

SEVENTEEN ATLA HEADCANONS

genre. headcanons. avatar the last airbender au. warnings. none. featuring. ot13 seventeen. wc. 1.6k. (around 100 words each) request. no. a/n. obviously i've been on a svt atla kick since burnt promises, second chances. i'd be open to writing fics for any of these small headcanons if anyone is particularly interested :)

SEUNGCHEOL

Ugh, Cheol is really hard. I kinda see him as any nation and also none at the same time. For the lack of other Water Tribe on the list, I’ll give him Water Tribe, but I don’t even think he’s a bender. He’d be a passionate hunter of the Southern Water Tribe, and a very good one, but not a bender. He’d always be eager to help out and fit his role as a true leader. He’s looked up to because he protects his people without fail. He’s good at strategics and known for his bravery. I see him fitting a role like Sokka’s father, but I don’t see him as anything glamorous like Water Tribe Royalty. He’s down to Earth and humble and honest. He leads and the people follow.

JEONGHAN

Jeonghan is an airbender. He’s witty and intelligent, and a great asset to his nation. He’d be in an Air temple close to the Earth Kingdom, and he often helps out with strategics if they ever need it. Definitely a kind and angel baby, but if there’s anyone who needs dealing with, he will personally take the task up. He’s world renowned and has allies and friends in every single nation. When he’s not busy, he’ll spend his time travelling around and immersing himself in the different cultures of the nations. He’s beaten Water Tribe hunters at their own hunt, evaded earthbender attacks in the ring because of how light he is on his feet. And his agility and wit proves to be useful whenever he goes head to head with a firebender. He can often predict their next moves and avoid attacks before they’re even fired at him.

JOSHUA

Joshua is Water Tribe!! Definitely a Water Tribe prince, or even a poor boy from the Northern Water Tribe whose parents couldn’t afford water bending lessons for him, so he would sneak around and watch lessons without getting caught. He’s mostly self taught, so he’s not exactly the best, but he can still hold his own. If he’s a Water Tribe prince, then he probably got bored with water bending very quickly as a child and started figuring out ways to skip his lessons lol. He knows clever ways to bribe or fool his masters into letting him slack off, but he also has to build enough skill to show at least a little improvement. He’s probably more interested in carving proposal necklaces to give to his future girlfriend than improving his bending skills.

JUNHUI

Jun is Fire Nation, and he’s extremely talented at Fire Bending. He probably runs a tea shop with his family and takes lessons on the side; just a regular middle class kid. He’s not aiming for a military position or anything high up, but he uses his skills to help him in daily life. He might have friends from places higher up in the city, and because of that, he got to take a visit to Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Definitely turns some heads— practically the whole school is crushing on him by the end of the 2 hour visit, and he enjoys the attention that he wouldn’t usually get at home. It’s safe to say that he’s invited back given the significant improvement in attendance and performance after his initial visit. 

SOONYOUNG

Another airbender, only because he’s so agile. Like the spider choreo really makes me see him as someone who just likes to swing around upside down for fun. He’ll play pranks on the older monks, or just anyone he can get his hands on. He’s a lot like Aang in that way. He definitely creates his own airbending moves, because he is a choreographer!!! Somehow takes a trip to the Earth Kingdom because it was his life goal to see a tigerdillo in real life. Once he meets one, he somehow adopts it, and settles down in the Earth Kingdom from there on! He’s perfectly happy, and can he even pose as an earthbender if he’s smart about it.

WONWOO

Anyone could probably guess that I see Wonwoo as Fire Nation. I wrote an entire 14.5k fic about it which is expecting a part 2, but I just think he fits it so much? Especially in a role like the Fire Lord or some notable higher up who is skilled at firebending and definitely owns a dragon (if we’re talking a time period before/during the dragon hunts). He’d be the type to just be a natural at it and reach a high mastery at an early age. He’s such a skilled fighter, and definitely knows how to control his flame. He prefers to study directly from dragons instead of old masters, whose teachings feel regurgitated and watered down, which sounds pretentious, but it’s one of the reasons why he got so good.

JIHOON

I see Jihoon as an Earth bender. He’s short and stout but HE'S SO BUFF. He definitely has the density in him to move some rocks, he’s practically built like The Boulder but without the height????? I definitely see him as part of the royal guard, but definitely not an Earth King. He might teach Earth Bending or get posted out on the coast near the Fire Nation or something— but he definitely has a military position. Somewhere where he can use his earthbending to its full potential. Not the most talkative, but definitely the most efficient, so he climbs the ranks like nobody's business and everyone knows to respect every word that comes out of his mouth. If you say even a word about his height, he’ll throw a rock at your head before you can finish the sentence.

SEOKMIN

It was hard to pick between Water Tribe and Fire Nation for Seokmin, but I think he’s ultimately Fire Nation. I see him as an actor for plays, and he definitely uses his firebending to win over the audience. It got to the point that even though he’s from a small town in the Fire Nation, he became a household name and got increasingly popular until he eventually found himself acting in front of the Fire Lord. Once he got rich enough from it, he got a spot in the most infamous acting troupe in the Fire Nation. His favourite role to play is, of course, the Dragon Emperor in Love Amongst the Dragons.

MINGYU

Just a bulky earthbender I don’t know what to say. He probably got recruited to some military position because he’s fit and can hold his own in a fight, but boy’s just really a sweetheart. He doesn’t enjoy smashing people with rocks, so he tries to get out of the military as soon as possible. He instead works as a carpenter of sorts? Builds elaborate structures with his earthbending, and has a surprisingly artistic touch to his creations. Popular with the older ladies because he is a gentleman.

MINGHAO

I see him as an airbender, but I cannot imagine him with a bald head LIKE HELP. But let's say he is, and for aesthetic purposes, keep the long haired Minghao. He practically floats and flies through the air with his airbendings. He’s probably more of a lemur guy than a sky bison guy. I can imagine him having 1 or 2 lemurs who he spends most of his time with. Obviously very light on his feet and into meditation. He’s one of those star students in the class that the teacher picks as an example for the other students to watch and learn from.

SEUNGKWAN

A waterbender, and he’s good because he focused and studied the traditions of it. He knows the importance of the basics, and when he’s teaching, he can get mad pretty quick if he catches a novice waterbender doing a technique lazily. He teaches them the hard way, making the floor an ice rink or slapping in the face with a water tentacle if they make a silly mistake. But he’s a respected master. (Not to say that he’s old, but he holds the respect of an old master). Also a great healer for the Water Tribe. He thinks it’s important for the men to not just learn how to fight with spears and slices of water, but also to heal the tribe, and he offers his lessons to the women of the tribe as well.

VERNON

Another Fire Nation boy. He’s so skilled he can redirect lightning and all that jazz. He’s a worldwide guy too, so he’s definitely familiar with the other nations and their bending to a certain extent. (Like Iroh, studying the Water Tribe helped him with creating new techniques within firebending). He has a dragon because he’s hot like that, and would hold master firebending classes lol. Definitely has connections to the Royal Family and I could even see him serving as a personal guard or something of that sort. His skills aren’t to be wasted, so he can snag a high paying position practically anywhere he wants.  

CHAN

Earth Kingdom kid from a poor family™, I mean it’s just so clear in my mind. I imagine his mom runs a corner store, and he likes to use his very limited earth bending skills to make the shop look prettier. If the wooden tables break down over time, he’ll earth bend a makeshift counter to display the trinkets for sale. He’s quite charming even though he doesn’t have much to say about himself. In the lower class of the Earth Kingdom, practically everyone knows him because he likes to go around and make new friends when he’s bored. He’ll help out the elderly if they need it, and flash a toothy grin to anyone he comes across.

↳ svt taglist: @kangtaehyunzzz,, @eternalgyu,, @ddeonudepressions,, @hannahsophie0103,, @minholing,, @shuabby1994,, @icyminghao,, @98-0603,, @weird-bookworm,, @candewlsy,, @wonwooz1,, @cyberpunksunwoo,, @haecien,, @amara-mars

[hongcherry]

pretty please (hear me out) || c.sc

Seungcheol's four weeks after the Big Argument™ in Chapter 5.

💔 Pairing: Seungcheol x Reader (f) 💔 Rating/Genres/AUs: NC-17; Angst, college au, Pretty Please Couple 💔 Warnings: Reader has she/her pronouns, implications of slut-shaming, name-calling, bullying 💔 Word Count: 2.8k 💔 Author’s Note: Been in the drafts for ages and I've finally finished it 😪

pretty please masterpost | seventeen masterlist | main masterlist

this blog is 18+. minors do not interact. plz & ty!

Seungcheol knows he royally fucked up.

He knows he just said the stupidest shit ever in his life.

He knows he may have just lost you forever.

He wants to slam his fist into the drywall to expel all the frustration he’s feeling. His legs urge him to chase Jeonghan’s car so he can convince you to talk to him.

He just wants to make this right.

“You gonna talk about what just happened?” Chan inquires while watching Seungcheol pace his living room.

“I’m such a fucking idiot,” Seungcheol growls.

“What did you do?” Jun asks.

“I—” Seungcheol begins to reply, but just recalling his dumbass words makes him halt and huff instead.

“Take a breath, hyung. I’m sure you two can make up,” Chan tries to reassure.

“Here’s some water,” Soonyoung says, coming back from the kitchen and offering a cold glass.

Seungcheol mutters a thanks and takes a long swig. Despite the coldness feeling refreshing to his heated body, he doesn’t calm down.

There’s a knock at the door that startles everyone. Seungcheol slams the glass down and rushes to open it.

In his mind, he knows it’s not really you, but in his heart, he hopes it is.

“I’m back,” Jeonghan says sheepishly. “And I come bearing a gift.”

Jeonghan slowly raises Seungcheol’s car keys. Seungcheol snatches them and tries to make a beeline for his car, but Jeonghan stops him with a hand on his chest.

“I would give her some time,” he explains.

Seungcheol shakes his head. “No, I need to apologize to her.”

Jeonghan eases him into the apartment again, locking the door.

“You know she’s not going to listen to you,” he sighs.

“He’s got a point,” Jun interjects timidly.

“Yeah, you’re both really upset. You two should calm down before having any conversation,” Soonyoung adds.

Seungcheol’s first response is to ignore them. He doesn’t want his words to linger in your mind more than they already have. He doesn’t want you to see him as a bad person despite it might be too late.

He’s just eager to save the good pieces of the relationship before they get tarnished too.

But he knows his friends are right.

He’ll probably make matters worse.

Seungcheol tosses his keys on the stand and staggers to his seat again.

“Did she get home safe?” Seungcheol asks Jeonghan after a moment of tense silence.

Jeonghan nods.

“Good,” he mumbles.

The room falls silent. No one says a word and the air grows thicker as each minute passes.

Finally, Soonyoung says, “Is there anything we can do for you?”

Seungcheol continues to stare a hole into his flooring. A lot is being processed in his mind and he’s starting to feel numb.

“No,” he answers dully.

Soonyoung glances at Jeonghan as if silently asking for help.

Jeonghan sighs. “Maybe we can help lessen the situation if you tell us what happened,” he tries.

Seungcheol leans forward, elbows on his knees and head planted in his hands.

“I basically called her a campus whore,” he huffs out.

“W-What?” Jun and Chan gasp in unison, only making Seungcheol’s heart heavier with guilt.

“Did she do something that made you say that?” Jeonghan wonders.

“I thought she told Dae she was a virgin, and I found that hard to believe. I said some stupid shit after.”

They’re quiet again for some time.

Seungcheol, unable to stand the judgmental silence, pushes himself from his seat to pace the room again. Images of you in the same room appear in his mind—the scene playing out once more.

“Do you really think she’s a,” Chan trails off, not wanting to repeat Seungcheol’s words.

“No, so I don’t know why I said it,” he groans.

“Maybe you believe the rumors more than you think you do,” Soonyoung says.

“It doesn’t help Hajun, Hana, and Doyun talk down on her, too,” Jun adds.

“They’ve always been the gossipers.” Soonyoung frowns.

Seungcheol groans as he falls back in his seat, defeated.

“She’s never going to forgive me,” he insists.

“Give her some time. Hopefully, once you both talk, it’ll get better,” Chan says.

“Just show you’re sorry and make sure she knows you don’t actually believe what you said,” Soonyoung chimes in.

“I doubt she’ll even listen to me for five minutes,” Seungcheol scoffs, annoyed he put himself in this position.

“She definitely won’t right now, which is why you need to give her space,” Jeonghan says.

“Let’s go eat. Maybe some food will help you think about how to fix this,” Jun suggests.

Although Seungcheol wants to stay indoors and have guilt consume him, he agrees to go. Maybe it will help.

Seungcheol watches you detour from him on campus for the sixth time. It’s been nearly two weeks and you refuse to speak to him. Hell, you act as if seeing him will burn your eyes out. He’s become a plagued rat to you.

You want nothing to do with him.

He knew you were upset and would ignore him the first few attempts, but he didn’t expect you to drop him from your life completely.

He just needs five minutes of your time. He needs you to know he deeply regrets the words he said. He hasn’t been able to think of a way to prove it to you, but he figures putting distance between him and Hajun would be a good start.

“No luck?” someone asks behind him.

Seungcheol turns to see Joshua.

“I think she’s done with me,” Seungcheol replies, gaze still on the spot where you had turned the corner.

“She’ll come around,” he says.

Seungcheol shakes his head. “No, I don’t think she will.”

As he says those words, another chip falls from his broken heart. He hadn’t realized how much he had grown to like you until you stormed out his door that weekend. Sure, he knew he liked you more than a friend, but not to this extent.

Though perhaps he’s feeling so strongly because you paint him as a villain. He hates knowing you think so badly about him. He said some very untrue, very fucked up shit, but he’s not a bad person.

At least he hopes he’s not.

Joshua places a friendly hand on Seungcheol’s shoulders.

“Don’t be so sure,” Joshua says.

Seungcheol finally looks at his friend. There’s not much hope in his eyes.

Seungcheol stares at the flood of messages he’s sent you.

Still no response.

Sighing, he exits out of the app and sets his phone down. Maybe he’s just digging himself a deeper hole. Maybe all the texts and attempted talks irritate you. Perhaps all you think about is that damned conversation when you see his name or see his face. There’s a possibility you’ll never forgive him.

“You’ve barely started,” Hajun says as she leans over to his side of the table. Her gaze is on the open document on the screen. He’s only managed to type four paragraphs in the past hour.

“We have to turn this in in two weeks,” she continues with a disapproving expression.

Seungcheol subtly scoots away.

“I know,” he replies. “I’ll get my part done in time. Don’t worry.”

Hajun doesn’t take the hint and stares at him.

“Is something going on with you? You’ve been distracted in class and… slower with finishing your work,” she observes.

“Nothing you need to know about,” Seungcheol says.

“Everything okay with your family?” she questions.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about me.”

She frowns and rests her hand over his. Her touch lacks the warmth and jittery feelings he used to get from someone else.

“I can’t help it,” she says. “I care.”

“Plus, if you slack off, we have to pick up the work,” Doyun teases.

“I said I’ll get it done.” Seungcheol’s tone is a bit firmer. He slides his hand from Hajun’s and stands up.

“I’m going to get something to drink,” he announces. After closing his laptop, he steps out of the study room. His mind takes him back to when you stood outside this very same room. You were dressed in such bright colors that you looked out of place. However, he hadn’t felt like you were. It had felt right to have you so near.

Now, the hallway is empty.

Just like his heart.

When Seungcheol sees you in the cafeteria two days later, he turns away.

His heart seems torn in two. One half screams at him to stomp over and recite the speech he’s created in his head; the other half says it’s too late for redemption.

He isn’t putting in the towel, but he’s giving you the space you want. He’s decided to stop pestering you with text messages and campus visits. It’s obvious his advances aren’t doing him any good. If he ends up frustrating you more, you’ll never hear him out. Maybe you need to come to him instead.

But maybe you never will.

Seungcheol’s appetite dissipates. He walks back to the business building, finds a quiet place to sit, and falls asleep slumped to the side. The last memory he has before greeting slumber is holding you from behind after Seoah had left the living room in his apartment. He remembers teasing you and feeling content with his arms around you. He wonders if he’ll ever get that opportunity again.

Seungcheol sulks at the grade glaring at him.

He’s had worse, but it’s been a few years since he got them.

A shoulder bumps into him. He sets down his phone and looks up. Hajun smiles, pointing to his phone.

“I got a 93. Did I finally beat you?” she teases.

Seungcheol nods his head.

Hajun’s smile grows as she leans over his table.

“Really?” she asks.

“Yeah,” he says, lacking her enthusiasm.

“So, what’d you get?” she questions and takes the empty seat beside him.

“A 66,” he answers, shifting his gaze away.

Hajun gasps. “You’re not playing a game with me, are you?”

“No,” he sighs.

She pauses for a moment then leans in close like she’s about to tell him a secret.

“Is it because of Yn?”

There’s a subtle distaste when she says your name that makes him annoyed.

“Not everything is because of her,” he replies.

“Maybe, but a lot,” Hajun says.

Seungcheol turns his gaze to her. “Like?”

“For starters your low grades,” she replies unhesitatingly. Seungcheol begins to instantly regret asking. “Then, there’s your cranky attitude. You’ve been in a sour mood for weeks.”

She shifts closer to inspect him. Seungcheol moves away, not liking how much she’s in his bubble.

“Wait, I haven’t seen her lately. Is that why you’re… like this?” Hajun asks. She tries to mask the disgust she feels, but Seungcheol notices it.

“Where has she been? Too busy with that silly fashion show?” she continues.

“It’s not silly,” Seungcheol says.

Hajun gives him a look of disbelief. “Seriously? Her whole major is silly.”

Seungcheol takes a deep breath to calm himself down. At first, Seungcheol also didn’t understand why you would major in something frivolous, but he’s seen how passionate you are about the field. He knows how hard you work for your goals, and he finds that admirable. He supports you because he can see how much it means to you.

“Just drop it, Hajun,” he mumbles.

“Or maybe,” she begins to say with a smirk. “Was the sex really that disappointing?”

Seungcheol narrows his eyes; his body becomes rigid.

Hajun’s eyes widen. “You two actually had sex?! Really, Seungcheol? With her?”

“That’s none of your business, Hajun,” he nearly growls.

Seungcheol typically tries not to show frustration toward his friends, but she’s stepped over the line. Again.

“I told you she wasn’t worth it,” she sighs, frowning. Her voice becomes softer. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Seungcheol picks up his phone and backpack.

“Yeah, do what I said earlier and drop it,” he grumbles, rising from his seat.

Hajun watches with big eyes, a little stunned by his harsh response. She silently pleads for him to stay.

“I—I just want you to be happy,” she says.

No, she just wants him to be happy doing what she wants. He realizes she doesn’t even apologize for what she’s said.

He doesn’t reply and finds another seat in the classroom. Thankfully, she doesn’t follow. He can feel her eyes on him, but he ignores it. He’s tempted to leave the room entirely, but with his low grades, he needs to attend the lecture.

Hana, Doyun, and Vernon walk into the room a few minutes later. Hana looks confused to see him and Hajun sitting on opposite sides of the room. Hana hesitates for a second before deciding to sit with Hajun. Doyun follows her while Vernon splits and sits by him.

“You alright?” Vernon asks as he gets his supplies from his bag.

“Should I say yes?” he questions, sinking lower in his seat from the weight of his problems.

“No,” Vernon says.

“Then no. I’m not,” Seungcheol huffs.

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Okay,” Vernon pauses. “I’m here though whenever.”

Seungcheol looks at his friend. He offers a small smile.

“Thanks,” he says.

Vernon returns the expression and nods.

Even though Seungcheol tries his hardest to pay attention, his mind wanders frequently. He checks his phone even though he knows you haven’t texted him. Would you ever again?

The question brings back memories of you. He remembers going out of town with his family for spring break and texting you any chance he got. He remembers being teased about being a phone-addict. He’s not usually, but he felt like it then. He’d check his phone and be excited to see your messages. 

He also remembers talking to you on the phone for hours once he got back. He enjoyed learning more about you; he almost felt a little special that you allowed him your time. He knew you were busy, yet you had talked to him until he started falling asleep.

He shoves the device deep in his pockets, hoping he can do the same with his thoughts. 

Seungcheol doesn’t have a break between classes and heads directly to his next classroom with Vernon. Neither of them speaks much, and he’s grateful his friend understands his need for privacy. Vernon’s never been the one to push him to speak before he’s ready, and he appreciates that aspect of Vernon.

Like before, he still struggles with following along. He can review his notes later; hopefully, some of the content will come back to him.

After class, Vernon bid Seungcheol goodbye. It’s Seungcheol’s last class of the day and normally, he’d head home, but on days when he’s falling behind, he stays on campus. He often feels more focused. However before he can crack open his books, he needs a refresher.

Seungcheol leaves the business building and makes his way toward the central hub that houses several beverage and food options. He pushes the doors open and starts heading straight for the drinks line. However, familiar voices make his footsteps slow.

“She must’ve really needed to use the bathroom,” Mingyu says.

“Or maybe she ditched us,” Jeonghan replies with a chuckle.

Seungcheol takes a quick glance around and spots his friends near the pickup counter.

“We’ve got her drink, though,” Mingyu says, emphasizing his point by gesturing to one of the cups Jeonghan holds.

“I’ll go see if she’s lost,” Jeonghan sighs and leaves.

Seungcheol’s not sure who they’re talking about, but something in his gut says it’s about you.

Seungcheol detours and stops in front of Mingyu.

“Oh, hey,” Mingyu greets with a toothy grin.

“Hey,” Seungcheol replies.

“How were classes?” Mingyu asks.

Seungcheol shrugs, not feeling like doing small talk. He doesn’t want to seem too eager to talk about you, but he can’t help it.

“You here alone?” Seungcheol questions, knowing damn well he’s not.

Mingyu shakes his head. “No, I’m with Jeonghan and Yn… Speaking of, Jeonghan went to go check on her and hasn’t come back.”

As Mingyu speaks, his features become more puzzled. He turns without a word toward where Jeonghan went. Seungcheol follows.

Mingyu rounds the corner, asking, “Is she okay? What’s taking so long?”

Hajun is smiling at Jeonghan nearby while you stand a few feet away, a mixture of emotions on your face. But amidst them all is pain.

Seungcheol’s own heart squeezes at knowing something is wrong. Though, something’s been wrong.

And it’s then he realizes you’re doing something you haven’t done in weeks.

You’re looking at him for longer than three seconds.

It sounds ridiculous, but you’ve been avoiding him so much that a simple stare feels like stumbling upon a four-leaf clover.

Your gaze stirs something inside his chest. Something akin to hope.

Hope that you’ll finally hear him out.

Hope that you’ll forgive him one day.

Hope that you’ll let him back into your life.

He wants it all so badly.

A/N: More to come eventually 😫

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