#valiant maple

[rexsarmscar]

Gay horses :)

[malisonquill]

[jisungsdaydreamer]

Anti-Romantic | CHAPTER THREE | 18+

«GENERAL M.LIST» · «NAVIGATION» · «TALK TO ME» · «TAGLIST»

DRUNK IN LOVE

“I haven’t been the same since we met.”

«PREVIOUS CHAPTER» · «SERIES MASTERLIST»

Pairing: Hyunjin x Fem!Reader Genre: Non idol au, fluff, smut, romcom, drama, opposites attract Chapter Warnings: explicit sexual content, switch!Hyunjin, switch!reader, mentions of emotionally abusive ex, mutual fantasizing, sexual fantasy sequence (dom!reader, sub!Hyunjin), masturbation (f), heavy insecurity and self deprecation, oral (f receiving), rough sex, degradation, edging/orgasm denial, unprotected sex, misuse of alcohol (reader is a very sad drunk), both of them are actual idiots that will make you want to scream :( Word Count: 20.5k

P.S. ♡ If you like my work, please consider giving me feedback in the form of reblogs, comments, and asks! ♡

The first thing Hyunjin understands when he comes to is how disgusting his mouth tastes. The faint, bitter taste of alcohol lingering on his tongue brings the memory of the night prior’s bad decisions; he’s never gone a single day in his life without brushing his teeth at night, in addition to the rest of his extensive pre-bedtime routine. The lack of moisture that pulls at his skin like a scratchy draft has him reaching for his nightstand, from where he’s burrowed in blankets like a corn dog. For a few embarrassing minutes, Hyunjin puts up a valiant effort trying to locate his special night repair face lotion solely with his flailing palm, before he’s rudely interrupted.

“Wake the fuck up, Sleeping Beauty.” 

The strangely familiar, feminine yet husky voice brings him hurtling back into reality. Cautiously, Hyunjin retracts his arm and opens his eyes; the blinding light that meets them does not help his splitting headache that rivals the shaking faultlines of San Andreas. 

When he finally adjusts to the brightness, he realizes that he’s in a room that’s definitely not his. The vast SolarSmart windows that would have already dimmed to match his sleepy blinking have been replaced by an antique bay window. Instead of the aristocratic fragrance of his favorite Le Labo candle, the air is thick with the smell of maple syrup. And his beloved Egyptian cotton sheets are gone in favor of a sherpa set that has him sweating in the year-round heat, which isn’t helped by the fact that this place isn’t humidity controlled.

“I’ve always thought of myself as more of a Rapunzel,” Hyunjin groans, stretching and tilting his head up to meet Lisa’s eyes. “You know, great hair and all.”

“Ha ha.” Lisa rolls her eyes, trying to maintain her expression of annoyance, but Hyunjin catches the hint of a smile on her lips; it’s inevitable, trying to fight the effect of his charms, especially when he’s just woken up all adorable and rumpled by sleep. “It’s almost noon, I thought I’d wake you up.”

“Noon?!” Hyunjin flies into a sitting position, frozen in an unfamiliar panic and unable to think of what to do next. By this time in his usual daily routine, he would have been enjoying a light lunch in his office while journaling in his gratitude notebook. Fuck, his stomach calls out for a nice balsamic arugula salad, maybe with a freshly-squeezed orange juice on the side to help with the regrettable effects of alcohol.

Lisa coughs lightly, bending down to pick up a discarded collection of clothing strewn on the floor, before handing it over to Hyunjin. The nausea rises up in Hyunjin’s stomach as he sifts through the clothes that he recognizes as his own. And then, as if in sudden remembrance, he looks down at himself and realizes that he’s completely naked except for his Gucci boxers. Horrified, he looks over at Lisa, but before he can say anything, she cuts him off.

“No. We didn’t have sex.” Lisa avoids Hyunjin’s eyes, picking at one of her burgundy-painted nails. She seems strangely skittish, in stark comparison to her confident, nearly feline-like mannerisms last night.

“Then what happened last night?” Hyunjin slips on his shirt and slides out of bed to pull his pants on, resolving to get dressed already right there; at this point, there is no more mortifying himself.

Lisa shrugs, an embarrassed blush overtaking her features. “We did some shots at the bar, before I suggested you come over for better drinks, so we could, well, you know. Hook-up. But you really did drink more. A lot more. And just as you took off your clothes, you blacked-out.”

“Blacked-out?” Hyunjin’s whole body feels racked with disbelief. And yet, the memories come fading back in: the botched matchmaking event, him retreating to drink away his sorrows, the handsy taxi ride back to Lisa’s place. “I barely even get tipsy.”

“It seemed like there was a lot on your mind last night. I don’t know what to say to you right now.” Lisa scratches her wrist lightly, as if trying to occupy herself while waiting for Hyunjin to get the hell out of her home. But the movement draws Hyunjin’s attention to her hand, where a fat, glimmering diamond rests on her ring finger, one that wasn’t there the previous night.

Realization flows in, ghastly and unwarranted. He clears his throat, tossing his jacket over his shoulders. “And you’re fucking married.”

Lisa freezes, the blood completely draining out of her face as her lips go paper thin. “I can explain.”

Hyunjin tilts his head with fresh resolve, taking his phone and wallet from where they’re fortunately perched on top of the nightstand. “Nope. I’m getting out of here. Looks like you’ve got some personal things going—” 

“Hyunjin, I’m not married. Please, just—” Lisa quickly crosses in front of him, blocking the doorway, looking at him with pleading eyes. “I’m engaged.”

“Big difference that makes,” Hyunjin mutters, crossing his arms. Nevertheless, he waits for her to speak, softening when he catches the glimpse of pain flash in her eyes.

“My fiancé. He’s… I- I know he’s not working late all those nights, like he says he is.” Lisa exhales shakily, closing her eyes. “I know who you are. The Love Doctor. Initially, I thought I would talk to Jake, maybe book us an appointment with you. But then I saw you at the bar, and I don’t know, it felt like a sign.”

“And you wanted to make him hurt like he hurt you,” Hyunjin finishes for her. He’d had clients like Lisa, the vengeful wives looking to bite back at the ones who wronged them— he just never imagined that he would have almost been a part of such a plot. 

She nods guiltily. “And I also just wanted to forget everything, even if it was going to be temporary. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, so when you fell asleep, I was kind of relieved.”

Hyunjin snorts and snaps back with no real malice in his words, just a hint of mirth. “Glad me blacking out worked well for you.”

Lisa shoots him a tiny, sheepish grin. “To be fair, I don’t think you really wanted to go through with it. When you were drunk, you kept repeating the same name over and over again.”

He stills at her response, remembering no such event. But of course it makes sense; there’s a certain someone lingering in his thoughts 24/7, and she has no plan of leaving him anytime soon. “I guess.”

If she notices the immediate color in Hyunjin’s cheeks, Lisa says nothing. She just shuffles to the side, letting Hyunjin exit the bedroom before leading him to the main entrance of her apartment. “Again, I’m sorry about everything, Hyunjin. I shouldn’t have tried to use you like that. I really am sorry.”

Hyunjin accepts her apology, a strange mix of sympathy and understanding unfurling in his stomach. After all, he tried doing the same thing, to find someone else to warm his bed and take his mind off of the one person he really wanted. It was a bad night for both of them. “You’re still welcome to find me anytime.”

“Thanks a lot.” Lisa gives him a smile, before it fades into something more playful, one that fits her better than any expression he’s seen on her so far. “If I’m being honest, though, you're not really my type.”

“You know exactly what I mean. Call my secretary and book an appointment if you ever want one. With or without your fiancé.” Hyunjin scoffs, glaring at Lisa over his shoulder as he walks away. “And I’m everyone’s type.”

When his Uber finally pulls up in front of Oasis, Hyunjin hurries up to his penthouse and tries to make the most out of the rest of the cruelly shortened day— after a quick shower to wash off the stench of alcohol and pine air freshener.

Hunched over a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch at his kitchen island, Hyunjin swipes through all of the pop-ups on his laptop, going through everything that he’s missed in the time during which he’d dissociated from all common sense. Everyday, Wonyoung makes sure Hyunjin stays up-to-date on all of his engagements by adding all of his event invitations to his Google calendar; Hyunjin spends a good few minutes clicking through everything, accepting all of his upcoming meetings. He’s been slacking off at work lately, skipping team lunches and sitting out on evening debriefs— but that’s all about to change, because Hyunjin needs to get his life back together again. And that includes making things right with you. 

“Want to pull up for a quick afternoon appointment?” Hyunjin mouths out loud. He then makes a face and deletes the letter, groaning out loud. “This isn’t a high school date…”

After a few more failed attempts at trying to write a breezy but appropriate check-in email to you, Hyunjin resolves to call his no-nonsense secretary, knowing that the Velma to his Daphne would help him rediscover his suavity again. Maybe she could even catch him up on today’s SeoulSpark gossip that he’d missed, if they had time. But he underestimates her temper when she finally picks up after the fourth ring:

“Where the fuck were you?” Wonyoung screeches into the phone, making Hyunjin wince and pull his iPhone away from his ear. “Do you know how worried sick I was? How many times have I called you? You didn’t even show up to the brunch you had with the Carters! I had to practically beg Beyoncé not to drop us, only after promising her and Jay-Z five free sessions! I hope you’re ready to deal with the company's losses!”

“I’m sorry, I know, I know.” Hyunjin whines. “I know I’ve been really sidetracked, but I promise I’m making things right.”

“You’d better, Hyunjin.” Wonyoung bites, before taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. “I want you over at SeoulSpark on Monday at 6 AM, sharp. We will be going over each and every single client, and then making a game plan for the next five months. You have a meeting with Dr. Jeon, and then Mr. Jung. And Ms. Y/L/N requested an appointment last night, and you can most certainly afford it right now, so you’ll also be meeting with her. Respectfully, I suggest you get your ass over here as soon as possible.”

“Yes, yes— wait.” Hyunjin perks up, dropping his spoon into the soggy bowl of cereal, not minding the tiny droplets of milk that splash up at him. “Did you say Y/N?”

“What’s the matter?”

He shakes his head, dumping the remnants of his meal into the sink. “Nothing. I’ll see you!”

The slow drag of the days until the next week turns into a blur on Monday morning. Hyunjin pulls on a crisp white Celine t-shirt to go with a flowy pair of pleated trousers from the back of his closet, the kind of casual, chic outfit tailored that can always uplift any day. As a final touch, Hyunjin shrugs on a simple yet effective cardigan and dabs some cologne onto his wrists. 

During the drive over to SeoulSpark, Hyunjin reflects on the fact that he’d be seeing you in just a few hours, even though he just saw you a few days ago. When you could barely look Hyunjin in the eye after his colossal blunder. When you’d run away to be far, far away from him, somewhere he couldn’t hurt you again. But he wouldn’t let that happen again, ever. You’re far too precious, and he doesn’t plan on losing you anytime soon, even if you’ll never know what you truly mean to him.

He sighs, parking Cami in her specially reserved spot in the SeoulSpark garage, before taking off his shades and heading inside. As soon as he steps through the sliding glass doors, he can barely muster up a ‘hello’ to his receptionist, Felix, before Wonyoung pounces on him. In the blink of an eye, Wonyoung has dragged him up to his office, where she sits him down at his desk and begins to ferociously rattle off his to-do list for the day.

Luckily, he’s saved by Dr. Jeon, who raps on the open door with a wry smile on his face. “Can I come in, Wonyoung, or are you still busy disciplining Hyunjin?”

Wonyoung huffs at him, before picking up her tablet and making her way out. “He’s all yours. Make it snappy, though. He has a full schedule.”

“Yes, Ms. Jang.” Dr. Jeon says with mock seriousness that makes Wonyoung shoot him a murderous glare, before making himself comfortable on the sofa and turning to Hyunjin. “Damn, where’d you buy this thing? I could take a fat nap here.”

“West Elm.” Hyunjin is unable to keep the smile off of his face. “What’s up, Jungkook?”

“Well, this is kind of an awkward question, if you don’t mind…” Jungkook shoots him a hopeful look, and Hyunjin gives him a nod to continue. “I was just wondering about the company policy about dating clients? It isn’t clear whether we’re allowed to or not, but I know it’s a little iffy.”

Hyunjin sits up in surprise, mind immediately going to you. The SeoulSpark guidelines on dating clients were never explicit to begin with, but it was kind of unsaid that dating clients is out of the question, especially when it could jeopardize business. Of course he’d thought about this before, on the nights when he had been feeling extra delusional over the thought of having you all to himself. But it could never be real.

“What’s this all about, Jungkook?” Hyunjin shifts in his seat warily. “We generally advise against it, even after clients decide to end their memberships. It’s messy territory, one that we try to avoid.”

Jungkook clears his throat. “I mean, she’s not even my client. I think she’s one of yours, actually. She caught my eye at the matchmaking event yesterday— she was wearing this sexy blue sundress. Y/N was her name, I think? I thought, I don't know, that I could maybe ask her out or something? If she didn’t have any matches?”

Oh, hell no.

Hyunjin’s blood immediately goes cold. He likes Jungkook— a lot, actually. He’s a good colleague and friend, and a great drinking buddy when he feels up to it. Jungkook has tagged along with him and Seungmin quite often, whenever they decide to go out to find someone to warm their beds for the night. The topic of women has never been foreign between them, especially in a setting like SeoulSpark. But his woman? Absolutely not. 

Even if you aren’t actually his, Hyunjin would rather break Jungkook’s annoyingly perfect nose than see his hands all over you, and that’s saying something, because Hyunjin hates killing even mosquitos. Jungkook watching you laugh over a plate of pasta. Jungkook helping you into his car. Jungkook kissing you while he brings heaven to you in his bed. All of the things that Hyunjin should get to do.

Technically, it wouldn’t be the end of the world for SeoulSpark if Jungkook dated you, especially since you aren’t his client— but it would be for Hyunjin. Hell if Jeon Jungkook, the notorious player of SeoulSpark, would have you in his stead.

“No.”

Jungkook frowns. “But—”

“I said no, Dr. Jeon. Don’t make me repeat myself,” Hyunjin snaps coldly, barely fazed by that uncharacteristic iciness in his own tone. “Please see yourself out, and come to me when you have something actually useful to discuss.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, running his hands through his hair. “You seem to be in a mood today, Hyunjin. But whatever, I’ll back off. See you later, I guess.”

Hyunjin knows he should feel bad as he watches Jungkook shrink out his view, but all he has is a vicious sense of satisfaction. That’ll teach him— Christ, is he jealous? Hwang Hyunjin doesn’t get jealous. The world is an oyster, and you, his shimmering pearl. He really is so screwed.

The next few hours are a blur, as Hyunjin does his best to be attentive as he sits through meetings with his executive team, including the one with his Chief Marketing Officer, Jung Hoseok, to discuss potential brand partnerships that would be good for SeoulSpark. He deserves an award for not falling asleep during the very essential Zoom call to confirm whether he should allow his face to be stamped onto a cat food brand (the answer was no, he’s forever a dog person).

By the time the sun has dipped below the horizon, Hyunjin has finished meeting with his second-to-last client of the day, Yang Jeongin, that brazen college student who had talked back to him during his TED talk. Poor guy had been through so much, really, with a history of being dumped, the latest offender being a cheating girlfriend who had effectively ruined his outlook on life. But over the past few months, Hyunjin had been able to chip through that broken exterior to find a brilliant young man in need of just a push in the right direction. He reminds Hyunjin of you so much.

“Thanks, Hyun. I’ll see you next week.” Jeongin waves goodbye at Hyunjin, who’s already rifling through his desk drawer for his compact mirror and breath mints.

Hyunjin flashes him a quick smile. “You too, Jeongin.”

As quick as Jeongin has left, the feeling of being alone washes away when you step into the room, knocking the wind out of Hyunjin’s lungs, as always. Today, you’ve foregone those usual pinks, a constant that Hyunjin had loved so much about your outfits. Nevertheless, you’re stunning; the sea-green floral maxi dress floats delicately around your ankles, and Hyunjin has to mentally kick himself to stop staring at the dainty line of buttons crossed along the ruched bust of the bodice.

“There you are!” Hyunjin beams like the sun, the stress of the day’s burdens melting away.

But instead of getting all cute and flustered at his theatrics like you always do, you give him a thin smile and sit down on the couch. “Hey, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin tries not to let the concern flood into his logic, but it’s impossible, when it comes to you. However, he makes a valiant effort in crossing his legs and trying to hide the turbulence of emotions beneath his skin by plastering a placid expression onto his face. “So… want to talk about last week?”

“There’s not much to talk about.” You shrug and avoid Hyunjin’s gaze, looking out the window with a forlorn glint in your eyes. 

“Darling, please.” Hyunjin breaks. He gets up from behind his desk and folds himself into the space next to you, failing to maintain his impartiality. He hates to see you like this, like you so steadfastly believe that you’re alone, when he’s been here for you the entire time. “Open up to me.”

You look directly into Hyunjin’s eyes, prompting a shiver to run down his spine. He wishes you could look at him like that while forcing him down onto his knees. “I had sex with Han Jisung.” 

Of everything, hearing that was not on Hyunjin’s 2023 bingo card. For a moment, he just gapes at you in shock. As your dating coach, he never thought you’d be ready to become intimate with someone so soon, especially the guy who made you run off in horror just a few days prior. And as the person who is secretly in love with you, he could never actually imagine you with anyone except for him. Yet, he now has the wonderful, vivid image of you and Han Jisung getting it on. How nice. 

And then comes the complete fury. But before he can act upon it, throwing aside his zen policy to bestow you with an aggressive line of questioning— that he is absolutely not entitled to, at all— you hold up your hand, shutting him up.

“And I think we should stop seeing each other.”

In that moment, nothing but utter horror slashes through every fiber of Hyunjin’s being. Of all of the scenarios he’d gone through in his mind, the worst case is actually happening— goddamnit, universe. What would the point of life be if you weren’t in his, anymore? “Are you… are you breaking up with me?”

You give Hyunjin a pitiful smile that makes him want to go crawl into a hole somewhere and die. “That’s one way to put it, I guess. But I’m your client. This is a good sign.”

That’s not all you are. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This can’t be real. 

“You know what I mean!”

“Shouldn’t you be happy for me?” You purse your lips. “I guess I’ve finally moved on from Jisung, now that I’ve slept with someone else. I can finally go forth in the world without his shadow holding me back. I’m completely over it.”

Hyunjin closes his eyes, lightly massaging his temples using the stress-prevention technique that his old masseuse taught him before she moved back to Thailand. It doesn’t work. Fuck, is he sweating? “Well, I think you’re not completely over it. This is a step, not the destination. Having sex with a guy you just met is definitely not what we programmed into your love life GPS— we’re still driving! Besides, you still have a month of sessions left on your contract!”

“Uhhh, okay.” You give Hyunjin a puzzled look that makes him cringe inwardly— fuck his fruity metaphors. “Either way, I just don’t think I need your help anymore, to be honest. But I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“No.” Hyunjin shakes his head stubbornly, resolve set deep inside of him. If you wanted him to get all technical and make himself sound like a pretentious prick, then fine. Anything to keep you from leaving. “As the person who you have entrusted to provide you with a professional opinion, I do not accept your rationale for ending our contract. It’s sudden, and you’d just be wasting your own money because everything was prepaid. It doesn’t make sense for you to go like this, don’t you think? Talk to me.”

And Hyunjin sees you pause, the doubt written across your gorgeous features. You put on a little eyeliner today, and when your eyes crinkle in doubt, the winged ends of the liner downturn, making you look impossibly cute. Hyunjin wants nothing more than to kiss that pout on your lips— not smooth it away, but make it his, somehow, to watch you look down at him with that same expression when he’s on his knees for you.

He waits with bated breath, until you finally throw your hands up, relenting. “Okay. Alright. But only because I have a month left. After that, I won’t be renewing the contract.”

You grumpily sit back down on the sofa, and Hyunjin has to clench his jaw to keep from grinning like an idiot. “So, tell me. What’s gotten you so worked up?”

You sigh, looking away from Hyunjin as you toy with one of the beads on the skirt of your dress. You take your time thinking, and Hyunjin doesn’t rush you, wanting you to be as authentic as possible when providing him with an answer. “There’s this guy…”

Hyunjin then feels all of the blood drain out of face right then. If the abrupt announcement of your departure from SeoulSpark’s services had not sent him into a panic, then this definitely did. He sees that unsure yet determined look in your eye, the kind he’s observed appearing whenever you have a strong opinion to share, the thoughts of other people be damned.

“Who… who is it?” He manages to spit out, thinking back to his go-to metaphoric fork and stabbing himself in the thigh with it, over and over again, to keep himself in place. “Someone from the matchmaking event?”

“It’s not any of those guys, no. You probably don’t even know him. Some guy from work,” you explain quickly, prompting a fresh wave of confusion to wash over Hyunjin. “But that’s not the point. He’s, um, always on my mind. I can’t stop thinking about him, no matter how much I don’t want to. Because, for obvious reasons, I can’t be with him. And I don’t want to hurt him, because the pain from the past— from Jisung— is still there, even if I don’t love him anymore. I don’t trust myself with love.”

Love? Is that what this is? Do you love whoever this useless idiot is? 

Hyunjin’s thoughts cower in betrayal, even though you owe him absolutely nothing. He shakes them away, focusing on everything else you’ve just confided in him with. “It’s okay to not be completely over the past. You might never be, and that’s okay, because what you went through was traumatic. That kind of hurt sticks, and you’re strong for trying to move forward. But you can’t let the fear of the unknown stop you.”

You shake your head. “But it’s too significant to ignore, that fear. My worst nightmare is hurting him like Jisung did to me. What if I end up doing that, Hyunjin? What if I leave him, like Jisung left me?”

“Don’t compare yourself to that piece of shit,” Hyunjin says sharply, making you jump a little. Normally, he’d apologize for coming on too strong, but he couldn’t. Not when you talk about yourself like that. “And it’s just a risk you’re going to have to take. And if he’s really worth it, then he’ll stay by your side no matter what.” 

I would. I wouldn’t ever fucking leave you. 

Before you can say anything, Hyunjin keeps going, unable to restrain himself from asking this next question, because he has to know. He has to know if you truly mean it. “So, the question is, do you think he is? Is he worth it?”

“I love who I am because of him,” you state, and with the way your voice doesn’t even waver, Hyunjin knows it to be completely true. “I’m ten times less pessimistic than I usually am. He makes me feel like a morning person, even though I’m not. And I actually want to do more with my life, see everything it has to offer. He makes me a better person, but I never feel forced to do anything for his attention, for the way he cares.”

“He- he sounds wonderful,” Hyunjin responds, and he’s trying— he really is— but he just doesn’t believe he can be genuine, not now. Not when he feels his heart breaking inside, not when he knows he’s a selfish bastard who should be celebrating you. And what did he fucking expect? That someone wouldn’t see a diamond and pick it up, keeping it for themselves? He’s so, so stupid. 

“He is.” You give him a meaningful look that makes his head spin. Now, what does that mean? Hyunjin doesn’t have it in him to be an interpreter today, strolling across the shoreline rocks of your mind, trying to decipher what today’s tides bring. It’s his literal job to know what you’re thinking, and yet, today his mind is completely clear of any sense of logic.

“He makes me feel seen, even if he may never feel the same,” you continue, biting your lip. “He’s the most beautiful person I know.”

“I’m not supposed to say this, but anyone who wouldn’t return your feelings is a total idiot.” Hyunjin smiles at the way you shoot him a skeptical look. He wants to at least try to convey even a single sign that tells you that he’s glad you’ve found someone good, someone that could make you happy— what he could never do for you himself. “And I’m glad, Y/N. It’s a good thing we still have a month, because I can tell that there’s still some unease on your end, because you’re clearly holding yourself back. I just want the best for you.”

“I know,” you sigh. “I’m sorry if I was making a scene. I just so want to be done with all of this fixing. I just want to be ready to let go of all of that baggage, and I guess I was in a rush to do so.”

“No, no. Don’t apologize. Trust me, I get the feeling, more than you know.” Hyunjin reaches across and places his hand on yours, trying to relax you. “It’s okay to want to move on. It’s okay to be frustrated. And it’s okay to want someone. Let yourself be happy, because ultimately, you’re the only one who can control that, no one else.”

For the first time during your meeting today, you break out into a smile, and Hyunjin has to blink to readjust him to the sight. It’s like a rainbow has cut through a stormy sky, joining in a perfect Yin and Yang. Hyunjin loves all of you, both the color and the tempest, because together, they make you who you are. He wouldn’t change you for the world; all he’s ever done for you was try to make you realize that yourself.

“You are such a gift, Hyunjin,” you say fondly, and Hyunjin has to remind himself that it’s because you see him as a friend, as a confidante. It would never be in the way he completely wants it to be, and he’ll have to make his peace with that, for you.

“I know. All I’m missing is a big pink bow,” Hyunjin jokes, plastering a smile onto his face. For the first time ever, he wishes you would walk out of his office, taking with you your infectious laugh and incandescent gaze. You can’t be here when he falls apart like he so badly needs to. 

You laugh, thankfully not sensing his internal turmoil. “Alright, Hyunjin. I have to get going. But I’ll see you next week?”

He nods, rising as you stand and turn for the door. “Of course. Have a good one, darling.”

“Same goes for you.” You reach up and give his shoulder a little squeeze, before you’re walking away, too soon and yet, not fast enough.

From where you touched him over his cardigan, Hyunjin’s skin burns with desire. But it isn’t enough to keep him from clumsily shutting the door closed behind him as he stumbles back inside of his office. He screws his eyes shut and tries to rapidly think of a list of his favorite things. Pink roses. Sequined Versace blazers. Puppies. Monet paintings.

But he should know by now that such sorrow is inevitable. It was written in his fate, the moment he set his eyes and heart upon you, knowing he would never get that happy ending. After all, he’s the Love Doctor, not a miracle worker. He knows this to be true especially when he feels a dampness on his cheeks and thinks it to be some kind of bewitched rain that’s able to fall inside his office. It’s only when he looks into his compact mirror that he realizes that he’s crying, broken and hopelessly gone for you.

That did not go well. You walked into SeoulSpark with a plan and had promptly failed, when Hyunjin decided to persuade you into staying. But you gave in to his pretty eyes and assuaging words, conveniently forgetting about the half-hour long promises you made with yourself in the morning. 

You were supposed to end your contract, regardless of whether you would be wasting your money or not. That would have been a small price to pay for the pain of love. And you know you’re right, because you start to cry during your shameful walk through the parking lot.

You don’t know what it is that made you open up so profoundly to Hyunjin, past the point where it was safe to conceal your feelings for him. But you just had to keep speaking, going so far as to describe Hyunjin as the object of all of your agitation and pretending like it was someone else that he had no idea of. You’re a fraud, and your only consolation is that Hyunjin sees you so platonically that he probably would never catch onto your feelings. After all, in what world would someone like you being with someone of his caliber ever make any sense? And it’s ironic, really, that you’ve fallen for him, the person who is there to help you find someone else to spend lonely nights with.

After unlocking your car, you collapse into the front seat, letting all of your emotions out for a good few minutes into the night. When the sides of your face finally begin to dry, you open your eyes with a groan, turning the key in the ignition and driving back home. 

You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow, because that godforsaken networking party was looming sooner in the future than you’d like, and you still had to buy something to wear. Your current wardrobe was much more vibrant than it had been just a few months ago, the jeans and plaid blazers hidden behind fluttery sundresses and silky skirts. However, it was all far too casual for the heightened class that you knew the event would require, and therefore, you’d recruited Yeonjun to help you shop, with the promise of all of his meals being paid for the next day.

As soon as you get home, you toss your keys onto the little side table next to the doorway with a huff, knocking your heels off and not bothering to arrange them neatly back onto your shoe stand. With the efficiency of a carpenter ant on a mission, you march into your bathroom and slip out of that god-awful dress, changing into a pair of soft pink pajamas with a magenta heart pattern printed all over them. The set had caught your eye as you were strolling through Costco the other day, a little more expensive than you’d like, but they reminded you of Hyunjin, so into the cart they went. You could allow yourself this comfort, you tell yourself.

Once freshened up, you head into the kitchen, dumping some leftover pasta into a bowl to heat it up, glowering at the microwave as the seconds tick by far too slowly. And as always, you eat at your crappy dining table, alone. Just this morning, you had been sitting in this same place, brainstorming ways to secure project funding, navigating the path to reviving your old startup, ITEM.

Before Hyunjin, you had ditched the excitement of indulging in work, your passion, for more self-destructive, wasteful behavior. In the past few months, after meeting him, there was this renewed sense of productivity in you— he inspired you, made you ache to find your own success in the world. So even though Mark denied you the opportunity to participate in the upcoming function, you disobeyed him and secretly went through with your own idea anyway, especially after hearing through the office grapevine that a lot of big-name investors would be attending. Somehow, you decided, you would figure out a way to present to them and achieve your dream. It was optimistic, maybe a little foolishly so, but that hadn’t bothered you. 

Today, however, you felt this sense of loss that hadn’t touched you in a while. It was nothing related to work, fortunately, but still, you couldn’t focus, mind wandering to your meeting with Hyunjin at the end of the day. For the first time, the thought of him was hurting you, not motivating you. And it still hurts you, with the way you disinterestedly poke at your fettuccine. 

So when you go to bed that night, touching yourself to the thought of him doesn’t have the same velvety allure to it. No, it’s more of a physiological need that forces its way into your hand that glides down your body. It’s the rabic, animalistic desire that drives the tips of your fingers under the waistband of your shorts. It’s the anguish, the longing, that makes you spread your legs, hips bucking up against the mattress.

You had smiled at him, earlier today, after that short drama you’d exerted, when he calmed you down and placated you with a soft, but commanding tone. You had poured your heart out to him, holding back just his name on the tip of your tongue, and he had listened. And you had feigned being amiable, and he accepted it, when in reality, you were so fucking furious with Hyunjin.

After you paraded into his office like a brat, demanding to end the contract as if you cared nothing as to what he might think, he had still treated you with so much understanding, with a quiet concern. You haven’t lost your temper in a long time now, but Hyunjin never failed to respond so well, so kindly to you. In every way that you were irked, he remained calm and gracious. It makes you inexplicably angry, so much that you just want to scream into the cool Angeles night air, letting the sound reverberate off the crumbling buildings of your shitty neighborhood. You hate how good is to you almost as much as you despise yourself in your absolute lowest moments, moments like these. You don’t want the sensuality of his gaze washing over you, worshiping you. You don’t want to melt into his touch, let him take care of you. You don’t want to fuck him like a lover would— no, you want his tears, you want to ruin him like he has done so easily to you.

You think of Hyunjin and his lovely, lovely mouth. A lip pulled in between his teeth in thought, slightly slick with spit when he licks them before speaking. You want to feel the stretch of them around your fingers as you force them into his mouth, choking him and chasing away his breathy complaints. 

You close your eyes, the image of you working yourself with your fingers fading in favor of imagining Hyunjin doing it for you instead. You, gripping his wrist harshly, pumping Hyunjin’s own fingers into yourself, berating him for not being able to do it well enough on his own. 

Then you’d slap his hands away, pushing him onto your bed and straddle his narrow hips, grinding your dripping pussy onto his thighs while getting off both in the friction and Hyunjin’s pleas for you to ride his cock instead. 

But when you decide to put an end to his torture, it wouldn’t be for his pleasure. You want to fuck Hyunjin hard, fuck him sore, the minuscule gap between your bodies clogged and messy with sweat and a mixture of arousal and saliva, from where you’d spit onto his cock. You want him on his back, staring up at you hopefully as he falls apart, begging you to let him come. You want to refuse him, snap at him and make it mean, but he’ll come anyway, guilt and arousal on his beautiful face. Of course he’ll have to clean up his own mess, sucking obediently on your fingers covered with the come you had retrieved from where it was splattered between your legs. 

And then you’d kiss him, slow and deep, nothing like how you took him apart under the sheets. You’d cup his face and whisper praises, running your hands down his body. Declarations of love would fall from your lips, because no matter how much he worked you up, the truth would never change. 

You finish to that final thought, barely hearing the shameful, wet sounds of you abusing your cunt with your fingers that thrust in and out of yourself wildly. But even though you have already come, you cup your pussy again and run your finger, feather-light, through your folds, imagining it was Hyunjin’s lips placing a kiss there, instead. Imagining that no matter how many spiteful words you spat at him during the time you fucked him, he knew that you would never hate him. You understand, that no matter how enraged you have the potential to be, you will never, ever hate Hyunjin. Because you love him— so much that it hurts.

“You’d think that my body was made for Gucci, but there’s something about Privé that turns me on so bad.”

You fight the urge to gag as Yeonjun brings the ugly sweatshirt up to his chest, holding it up in front of the mirror in an attempt to model it on his scrawny frame. You briskly snatch it out of his hands and shove it back onto its hanger, grasping your cousin’s hand like a mother and her toddler. 

“Stop talking about brands like you want to fuck them,” you scold him. Yeonjun rolls his eyes and sticks his tongue out at you in retaliation, but doesn’t try to wriggle out of your hold when you drag him to the women’s section. Sometimes, you feel like you’re an exasperated single parent, toting him around and snapping at him to behave, even though he is barely three years younger than you.

As you enter the evening wear end of the department store, you let go of Yeonjun to sift through the variety of fabrics available. He gleefully bounces around, swishing through the dresses you’re both drowning in and nearly knocking a couple of them off of their racks. But you can’t find it in yourself to chide him again, not when he looks so happy to be here with you. Not that you would ever let him know that you have the capacity to be soft when it comes to him.

“This beats working on job applications,” Yeonjun sighs, sticking his arm through an armhole on a particularly gaudy tea gown. You snicker at how the satin pools beneath his underarms, making him look like a child cosplaying in their mother’s old outfits.

“How’s senior year? I haven’t even been asking you about school, lately.” The last part is less of a rationale for your question to him, and more of a surprised self-proclamation on your end. You can’t remember the last time you ever listened to Yeonjun complain about his ancient professors and weird roommate. The thought fills you with a certain sense of regret; you might not have a lot, but Yeonjun has always been there for you. Most of the time, he annoys you to no end, but his constant presence reminds you that you’re never alone.

The playfulness melts out of Yeonjun’s demeanor, a sight to see with someone who is always so easy-going, never taking life seriously. But you see the somber look in his eyes as he turns to gaze at you critically. “You’ve got a lot going on, I know that.”

You flush, mind automatically going to Hyunjin. Outside of the slice of your day in which you are truly focused on work, the rest of your time goes into dreaming about the attainable object of your fantasies. Eat, sleep, work, and think about Hyunjin. “I— yeah. Work’s been crazy. And reopening ITEM, as well. But that’s no excuse. I’m sorry.”

Yeonjun gives you a wry little smile, foxy and sly. “Work. Sure. Definitely not a certain sexy ass dating coach, right?”

For a guy that presents himself to be so unendingly superficial, Yeonjun has the ability to read people in the snap of a finger. You don’t understand why he tries to act so vapid when he has such a capacity— if you had such a power, you’d use it to no end. 

Your cheeks flush, embarrassingly evident. “Got me there, but I’ve already reached a resolution about him. I’ll go through with the rest of the contract, pull away gradually, and then stop seeing him. Easy.”

Except it is not easy, and both of you know it. Yeonjun rolls his eyes, clicking his tongue in disapproval. “I just don’t get it. Why are you so down bad for him? He’s pretty, don’t get me wrong, but there are a lot of pretty people. He’s the guy who’s supposed to be setting you up with other people. Like, you’re not supposed to be falling for him.”

“I know, Jun,” you sigh. “But I think we’re more alike than outward perceptions allow. I feel like he never really lets his guard down around other people. I just wish I could have the chance to make him feel as seen as he does for me. He’s like no one I’ve ever met.”

Yeonjun stays quiet for a long moment, scrutinizing the way you lower your eyes and resume haphazardly shuffling through the dresses. “I think you should tell him how you feel.”

You would burst into laughter at how ridiculous his proposition is, except it’s not funny at all. “Now that would be crossing the line. Our relationship is completely platonic. Imagine how uncomfortable it would be, to find out that the client you’re trying to help connect with others falls for you instead? I couldn’t do that to Hyunjin.”

“I think Hyunjin still deserves to know. He’s your dating coach, Y/N. If there’s anyone who can understand you, it’s him, because if he really cares about you, nothing about your relationship will change. And who knows, maybe he reciprocates. You never know.”

Listening to your cousin give you such advice makes you feel strange, but not in an unpleasant way. You truly are thankful for it, even if you might not completely trust in it. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Jun.”

Yeonjun looks like he wants to say more, but he seems to notice the note of finality in your voice and decides to move on. “Back to me. Ask me again, about how school’s going, and I’ll tell you all of the tea.”

“How is school going?” 

“Oh, thank God you asked. Beomgyu is still trying to get me to feature my feet on his OnlyFans, but even though he’s a little creepy with it, he’s the only one who agrees to come thrift shopping with me. And he’s a pretty chill roommate overall, so I can’t really complain. Ugh, and it turns out, my evil ex is still obsessed with me…”

You grin and listen to Yeonjun ramble on about his very animated life at UCLA, thankful for the distraction as you comb through the racks. After a few minutes of tuning into Yeonjun’s story about how he walked in on Beomgyu hooking up with some guy named Jeongin, you freeze, because you meet eyes with the one person you wished you would never see again. Yeonjun’s babbling comes to a jarring stop, and you both just stare at the monster who tried to ruin your life.

“Y/N! Is that you?” 

He saunters forward as you stay rooted to where you are, and it’s like he has walked right out of an old photo album carrying the bitter memories of your past. You recognize those round, sparkling doe eyes, the ones that reminded you of the dark pearls in the milk tea drinks you both would always share at night markets. The same choppy, boyish haircut streaked with caramel, the locks you would quietly run your fingers through after every time you forgave him. That delicate, nearly fairy-like face, the one that you could never bring yourself to hate, no matter how much he pushed you. Park Jisung has not changed one bit, except for the space you used to clutch on his arms has now been occupied by someone new. 

The girl is stunning, you can admit, but on closer look, you realize that it’s Kazuha Nakamura, the last girl he cheated on you with, the one that severed the final threads of your relationship. She, on the other hand, looks completely different, with her blonde curls chopped into a dark Brazilian-permed lob that swishes when she tilts her head down derisively, surveying you from head-to-toe. She looks like the epitome of the girl that Jisung was always trying to get you to be, stuck into the mold of a life predetermined for her. And for the first time in a long time, you’re glad you didn’t fit.

You regain your bearings a moment later after the initial shock wears off, when Park Jisung laughs, a deep, rumbling sound that contrasts with the way Kazuha titters next to him. But instead of acknowledging Jisung, you turn to Kazuha first instead.

“Kazuha! What a surprise!” You smile sweetly at her while she just gapes at you blankly, clearly surprised by your absence of hostility. In the periphery of your eye, you can see Jisung ball his fists at his side, ever the narcissist to be irked by even a slight dearth of attention. “You look great, girl!”

“And you look exactly the same, Jisung,” Yeonjun says flatly in a way that obviously conveys insult, before slinging a protective arm around your shoulder. You stifle a snort, and watch the way Jisung rolls his eyes.

“Ever a delight, aren’t you, Yeonjun?” Jisung shoots him a venomous smile, that Yeonjun responds to with a cheesy little salute. This time, you can’t contain the chuckle that escapes your lips. 

Before anyone can say more, you pipe up, determined to have the last word in the conversation you have no intention of repeating. “It was wonderful to see you, Jisung. You and Kazuha make a lovely pair— hope it works out!”

With one last gracious nod of your head, you loop your arm through Yeonjun’s and move past where Jisung and Kazuha stand rooted to the spot, speechless. As you and Yeonjun flounce away, you feel Jisung’s gaze burning into the back of your neck, but you don’t care. Not anymore.

“Damn, and I thought I’d get to watch a fight today. I really would have liked to see that dickwad get his just desserts,” Yeonjun grumbles, but you see the impressed look on his face.

You feel an unfamiliar rush of both adrenaline and triumph coursing through your veins; you saved your anger, and yet, you know you’ve won. For months, you told yourself that if you ever got the chance to tell Jisung off, you would use it. But the thought didn’t bring you as much satisfaction as it did before, and besides, you have someone more worth your tears now. Seeing Jisung again didn’t affect you as much as it once would have, because you finally, truly have moved on. And comparably, your current predicament seems much more daunting than some loser who never deserved you. 

“They looked like morons when we didn’t give them the reaction they wanted. Besides, I’m taking the high road.”

“You’re boring when you’re not a bitch.”

“Thanks.” You grin, pausing your gait when you see it. The giddiness drains into something more mournful as you take in the dress, delicate folds of pink chiffon that dissolve into a painstakingly threaded gold-beaded skirt. “This is the one, Jun.”

Yeonjun doesn’t miss the beat of sadness in your voice, the thickness of your words. “Seriously though, you don’t have to talk about Jisung, but I feel like that’s not who you’re upset about. You don’t seem okay.”

“I’ve found my peace with Jisung, but there’s still something else.” You inhale sharply. “I’m in love with Hyunjin.”

He stays quiet for a moment, before taking the dress off of the rack for you. “This is on me.”

“I appreciate it, but you don’t have to—”

“I want to. And if you’re not busy tonight, I have somewhere to be, and I’d like it if you came with me. What do you say?”

You’re not oblivious— you recognize the sympathy, Yeonjun’s clear attempt to cheer you up, a switch-up from the banter you usually trade. Before, you would refuse, retreating home to bury yourself deeper into a hole. But for once, you don’t want to push away the people who care about you. So you accept and look forward, accepting the poignance of it all.

“Hwang Hyunjin, you’d better get your ass over here on time, or else I’ll—”

Hyunjin bursts into a dramatic fit of coughing, cutting off Seungmin’s nagging. “Remind me to take you to one of my yoga sessions. Your chakras are seriously off, but there’s nothing that Dr. Sachet can’t fix.”

“Hyunjin.” 

“I know! I just got here, Seungmin.” Hyunjin sighs, ending the call before Seungmin has the chance to say anything further. He slides his phone into his pocket, already regretting his choice to accept Seungmin’s request— which was actually more of a demand— to be his plus-one at his college reunion. 

Any other day, he would have loved to ditch his introverted activities to accompany his best friend to get tipsy and gossip about everyone’s glow ups. Today, however, all he really wants to do is curl up in his bed with Princess Diana and binge-watch Friends. But alas, his loyalty— and fear— for Seungmin won out, and now here he is, standing in a rounded glass elevator on his way up to Highlight, the upscale rooftop bar venue of the event. 

When the elevator finally reaches the top floor, the telltale bell dings, opening the door into what can only be described as high-end chaos: people decked out in crisp suits and cocktail dresses and jewels, as they crowd around the lighted bar counters, shouting out their drink orders to harried bartenders while trying to brag about how successful they’ve become over the past few years. Waiters walk around, serving hors d'oeuvres to the guests that promptly ignore them, and the orchestral jazz, courtesy of the live band crowded into the corner, is drowned out by the raucous laughter of a group of men situated at a section of tables next to the windows. The whole effect is ridiculously ostentatious, and even Hyunjin has to restrain himself from letting his lip curl with disgust.

“Fuck, there you are.” Hyunjin feels a warm hand on his shoulder, and turns to see Seungmin staring at him with an overwhelmed look in his eye.

Hyunjin takes in his friend for a moment, admiring his black and white silk polka dot shirt that’s tucked into a pair of belted navy slacks. At least someone at this place had style, and it’s always a pleasure for it to be Seungmin, as by now, Hyunjin has gotten used to seeing him wearing bloodied scrubs. “You look good, man. But why in the world would you want to come here and see all of these jerks?”

Seungmin shrugs, and Hyunjin is surprised to see a slight blush overtake his features. He traces Seungmin’s wandering gaze over to the edge of the open balcony, where a devastatingly handsome man strangely stands on his own, sipping on his cocktail while observing the view of skyscrapers stretching out around the building. Ah. 

“He’s Seungcheol, isn’t he? Your old crush that you never talked to? That’s why we’re here?” Hyunjin teases, remembering those nights when he got Seungmin tipsy enough to confess his unrequited feelings for Choi Seungcheol, the resident heartbreaker of the pre-med student body at UCLA. 

“Shut the fuck up.” Seungmin grumbles, but his complexion betrays him, turning as red as a tomato. 

Hyunjin laughs heartily, thanking a passing waitress before accepting a mango and vanilla parfait from her tray. “Alright.”

And then it’s Seungmin’s turn to check out Hyunjin, who strikes a little pose and preens at the attention. “I don’t know how, but even with all of your designer shit, you never seem like a dick.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Hyunjin grins. Hyunjin never dresses to appease the dress code— instead, he makes it his bitch, and does it in a way that’s classy, not ostentatious. It’s clear in today’s sophisticated yet roguish ensemble: a crisp white Givenchy suit paired with Nike Air Forces to deflate the grandiose of the former brand. And the sheer black tank top and silver chain-link necklace under his oversized blazer was just enough to add a touch of gender-bending sexiness. 

The corner of Seungmin’s mouth quirks up, and he hooks his arm into Hyunjin’s, steering him towards a high table tucked into a more quiet section of the bar. “Having fun, Hyun?”

Hyunjin fights a smile. “Moresoe now that you’re here with me, babe.”

That is Seungmin’s cue to shove Hyunjin away, who continues to bat his lashes prettily. “I hate you. I should’ve asked Nicholas the hot nurse to be my date instead.”

“But then you couldn’t flirt with our Seungcheol!”

Seungmin groans, head falling onto the table, lolling to the side hopelessly. “I don’t even know how to approach him, though. I mean, did you see him? He just managed to get even more gorgeous! His hair? His height? He’s totally out of my league.”

Hyunjin immediately morphs into wingman mode. “Trust me, I can just tell he has a thing for cute nerds. And, not to be crass, but his body language screams brat tamer.”

“I am not a brat,” Seungmin scowls. 

“Touché.” 

After a few more minutes of hyping Seungmin up, Hyunjin triumphantly sits back and watches his friend slink off in the direction of Seungcheol; he snickers to himself when Seungmin tentatively taps on Seungcheol’s shoulder, shaking like a fangirl about to ask a celebrity for a picture. Seungcheol turns, a friendly beam cutting across his stern features. Seungmin says something indiscernible to Seungcheol that makes him laugh, and that’s Hyunjin’s sign to leave the rest to his friend. 

By this time, the company around him has eased slightly, with everyone digging into the buffet-style dinner that the caterers have set out. 

“Don’t mind if I do,” Hyunjin mutters under his breath, thinking back to the flimsy cup of ramyun that he had scarfed down earlier. He picks up a plate from one of the long tables and gets in line, mouth already watering at the spread of food. After loading his plate with copious helpings of every dish of carbs in sight, he also makes sure to secure dessert, snagging a couple pastries and slices of cake. The gaggle of ladies behind him shoot him pointed looks, but he ignores them, walking away to find seating; he’s needed this, after the week he’s had.

He winds up sitting next to a giddy couple that just cannot keep their hands off of each other. Most of the time, when he winds up somewhere with people who exhibit excessive public displays of affection, he tries to discreetly slip away or make himself as unknown as possible, the hopeless romantic in him quietly cheering them on. Now, however, he unceremoniously plops onto the farthest end of the loveseat opposite of them, all alone and just grateful that the food is good.

“Earth to Hyunjin!”

Hyunjin looks up, mouth stuffed embarrassingly full of a caprese salad sandwich. “Mrph?”

Seungmin stands there, hands on his knees while he pants a little to catch his breath. “You will not believe what just happened.”

“Well, what happened?”

“Seungcheol and I are going out to dinner tomorrow!” Seungmin huffs, cheeks flushed a bright red as he looks over at Seungcheol where he’s standing by the elevator. Seungcheol gives him a shy smile before quickly looking away. Seungmin smirks and leans down to speak into Hyunjin’s ear. “And he just asked me if I have any plans for the rest of the night.”

He leans back to gauge Hyunjin’s reaction, which, in Hyunjin’s knowledge of his friend, does not disappoint. Hyunjin gasps theatrically and nearly drops his plate in trying to clap him on the back in congratulations. “That’s my man!”

“That’s right!” 

Hyunjin grins. “Even your ship name would be cute. 2Seung. Meant to be.”

“You’re such a dork.” Seungmin rolls his eyes, but fails to hide his blush. “Now, I’m gonna go get railed by the man of my dreams.”

Hyunjin bids Seungmin goodbye, remaining enthusiastic up until the moment he sees Seungmin and Seuncheol take their leave. As soon as they do, he lets his smile fall. He’s happy for Seungmin, really. He just wishes it could be him disappearing into that glass elevator with his lover. He would press you up against that heavy gold railing that rounds the inside, kissing you as you begin your descent down the building. Kissing you as fireworks go off in the distance, brighter than the Los Angeles skyline. Kissing you even when the elevator door opens, an irked crowd of people waiting to get in. He wishes he could flaunt you off to everyone in the world, show everyone how perfect you are for him. 

Hyunjin is so lost in his muddled, wistful thoughts that he doesn’t notice the couch dip, someone just as miserable as him occupying the tiny space next to him. 

“Hyunjin?”

He turns his head, slowly, to see you, of all people, glaring at him with a bewildered expression on your face. He remains in a momentary stunned silence, taking in the slight redness of your nose, how watery your eyes are. The space in between your eyebrows that’s painfully scrunched. The way your lips are pressed together tightly. You’ve been crying. Still gorgeous, no matter what.

“Darling?”

For the second time today, you are caught off guard. You have been stewing in your loneliness all evening, ruminating over your hopelessly unrequited love. It surprised you, a little bit, how you were barely affected by the run-in with Jisung, but that faded away when you took your first sip at the absurdly lavish open bar. For others, alcohol can be liquid courage— for you, it’s a depressant that brings out the sad drunk in you.

You shake your head, trying not to let the immediate horror seep into you. But how can it not, when the gorgeous man you are in love with has just become witness to your ugly tears for the second time? And from where did he just appear out of, when you thought you were going to be able to spend your time wallowing in your sorrows alone? Life is truly unfair.

“What- what are you doing here?” You sputter. 

You imagine that Hyunjin looks stunned, for a moment, but his face lights up when he realizes that it is you who is the mess curled up next to him. If he seems put off by the remnants of your crying, he does not show it. “I was here as my friend’s date, but it seems as though he’s ditched me for a better one.”

He gives you a furtive smile that makes you feel like you’re in on a joke, and in spite of your pitiful state, you immediately feel the warmth spread through you. “The Love Doctor always works, doesn’t he?”

“It’s my nine-to-five, as well as my five-to-nine,” Hyunjin jokes, chuckling. “So, you’re a UCLA alum? You didn’t strike me as the sort, I didn’t think.”

You scoff playfully. “Absolutely not. Proud Case Western grad here. Where else would I get my inherent computer geek complex?”

Hyunjin’s eyes sparkle. “Then what brings you here?”

“My cousin.” You jerk your chin in the direction of Yeonjun, who’s currently trying to break up a fight between two men who seem to be arguing about something related to stocks. “He’s trying to fulfill his senior undergraduate community service requirement by volunteering at this thing. But this is barely community service— I think the UCLA Alumni Association just wanted some free labor.”

Hyunjin laughs at your shitty joke, and you nearly feel like your attitude just turns up at that sound, unfurling like petals when touched by sunshine. “Are you enjoying the party?”

“Too kitsch.” You tilt your head towards the dizzying display of debauchery currently swarming your little bubble: most of the guests have separated into their own cliques by now, and the one closest to you has set up an uproarious gambling circle on their table. This is a bit much, even if for a swanky college reunion.

“Agreed.” Hyunjin stays quiet for a moment, and you watch him curiously, wondering what he’s thinking of. He relieves you a moment later. “Darling, I don’t want to intrude, but I just wanted to ask if everything’s okay?”

You hesitate to answer, because although you know he genuinely wants to check up on you, given the astronomically considerate person he is, you don’t want to burden him with your problems— especially if the problem is him. So you do what any sensible person would do and deflect. “It’s a long story. How about we check out the bar?”

You expect him to turn you down, but maybe you’re not the only one who needs a drink, because he accepts. “I feel like I’ll regret it, but alright.”

Hyunjin helps you up from where you sit, grabbing your purse for you and handing it to you as you stand, making your heart squeeze even tighter in your chest. But you both make your way over to the open bar, snagging two seats at the very end of the counter on one side. 

The teariness made your intoxication a bit more discreet, so you’re openly able to ask for a beer without raising Hyunjin’s eyebrows. Hyunjin, on the other hand, orders a pink champagne on the rocks. He really is so sophisticated. After you both finish speaking with the bartender, he turns to you, placing his elbow on the counter and propping up his chin in his arm. The soft smile on his face fits perfectly as his eyes lock onto yours, and it feels… flirtatious. 

You’re suddenly transported into all of those times you were alone at a bar, men approaching you with a similar demeanor, but with very much different intentions. Therein, with Hyunjin, the aura of respect and boundaries still hangs in the air, so it doesn’t linger, no matter how much you wish it would stay. 

The bartender sets your choices in front of you, and you try to enjoy the drink, but the overwhelming bitterness of it just makes everything come crashing down. You sniffle, and then immediately hope that Hyunjin has not noticed that you are beginning to cry pathetically— again— into your mug of beer.

Hyunjin looks concerned, leaning forward as if to put his arm around you, but after a moment’s hesitation, he retracts his arm and instead, focuses on your face. "Y/N?"

Shit. You try to laugh it off as an extremely severe case of allergies, but even besides the fact that there's barely any pollen in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, you suck at acting. Too bad Hollywood is only a ten-minute commute from your apartment.

"I’m… I’m okay. I'm totally okay." You try to laugh it off, but instead, it sounds like a strange, very unattractive quack. The thick tears that begin to roll down your cheeks are not even necessary for Hyunjin to call you out. He is not buying any of it.

"Darling, please. Don’t lie to me.”

"Hyunjin, I'm fine! God!"

At this point, you're full on sobbing in the middle of the room, and people are shooting you weird looks. Hyunjin should leave. Being seen with a mess like you could taint his spotless, perfect image, and outside of his office, he has absolutely no obligation to you. Fuck, you don’t even know why you’re being such a crybaby— before Hyunjin, you could actually down booze without losing it on the spot, especially surrounded by a bunch of strangers.

But as if he couldn’t tug at you anymore, he doesn’t think this time to cross the miniscule space between you both and pull you into a tight hug. You feel like utter crap, and it’s been so long since someone just held you, assuring you that everything is going to be fine. But you can’t help notice one insignificant detail: Hyunjin smells fucking amazing and expensive and elegant— perhaps Chanel or Tom Ford? And in that glorious suit too, he’s like the real-life, less embarrassing embodiment of the mafia overlords that dominated your questionable high school fanfiction phase. Fuck. This isn’t helping the situation.

Hyunjin, meanwhile, rubs soothing circles on your back, definitely unaware of your inappropriate intrusive thoughts. “Shhh, it’s going to be okay. Do you wanna get out of here?”

You blink up at him tearily, mind frazzled but remembering your engagement. “But, Yeonjun…”

And as if the devil whispers in his ears, your cousin manifests out of thin air, collapsing onto the empty stool next to you. “My dear cuz, smack some sense into me if I ever volunteer again with— wait. Bro, are you crying?”

The shame piles up on you again, heating up your skin in a way that’s too obvious. But before you can muster up a lie, Hyunjin speaks for you, taking the mug away from your hands. “I think it’s best if Y/N gets some rest, she isn’t feeling too well.”

Yeonjun just stares dumbly at Hyunjin for a second, jaw hanging open a little, as it does for anyone when they are first in the presence of Hwang Hyunjin. “I, uh. Yeah. That’s good. You’re Hwang Hyunjin, right? Her dating coach?”

Even through your intoxication, you feel like you see something flicker in Hyunjin’s eyes, but as always, it doesn’t last. “Yes, it’s wonderful to meet you, Yeonjun. Y/N has spoken a lot about you.”

“Same to you.” Yeonjun snickers, before clearing his throat and turning serious. “Listen, man, I hate to ask you this. But can you please help her home? I can text you the address? I really can’t leave this stupid shindig until it’s over, but I don’t wanna leave her alone—”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of her.” Hyunjin states firmly, motioning to the bartender to bring you a large class of water. The way he’s looking out for you brings up something hot, aroused in your stomach. 

Yeonjun nods, and to his credit, he really does look as apologetic as you can discern in your drunk haze. Hyunjin helps you finish your water, before buying a water bottle for you to sip from, as he slides his arm around your shoulders and helps you out of that terrible room. In most cases, when sober and thinking straight, you would be as rigid as a bar, humiliated and unsure of what to do with yourself. But you let yourself have this, just once, melting into his side and enjoying your misery more than you should.

Sometimes, Hyunjin really can be such a piece of shit. Like the time he promised Princess Diana extra cuddles before bedtime, but forgot because he had been working late at SeoulSpark on some overdue reports; he had felt like such a horrible father to his baby. Or the time he mentioned a Gucci product during an interview, inadvertently advertising for Versace’s biggest competitor; Donatella wouldn’t reply to his texts for nearly a week. But all of that seems tame in comparison to today.

You’ve had too much to drink and can’t stop crying, and here Hyunjin is, thinking about how much he wants to kiss you. In his defense, you look so adorable, with your cheeks flushed from the alcohol, eyes drooping with drowsiness and lips pouted preciously. But it’s still highly inappropriate of Hyunjin to be thinking of you in such a way, so he shoves those treacherous thoughts into the back of his mind and focuses on staring at anything but you.

After a few swipes on the Uber app, your ride pulls up in front of the hotel in which Highlight is located inside. At this point, you’ve become pliant in Hyunjin’s arms, cuddling into his side and clutching at his waist. Hyunjin can barely breathe, and is vastly thankful for the distraction of the car's arrival.

He helps you into the backseat of the car, before getting in from the other side. The drive back to your place is quiet, save for the breezy orchestra music that the driver plays on the low and the soft sounds of your sniffling. Hyunjin clenches his jaw and stares out the window, trying to focus on the green highway signs whizzing by and not the fact that you’re barely centimeters away from him, humming sadly along to the radio. 

Twenty minutes pass, and suddenly, you’re both standing in front of your apartment building, an old but dreamy housing complex tucked away in one of the quieter sectors of the city. Hyunjin walks you up to your door, telling himself that he’ll leave as soon as you’re safe inside. He watches you sway on your feet a little while you take a few extra minutes to fumble with the door lock. Hyunjin wants you to go inside and slam the door in his face, bringing him back to his senses. Instead, you look over at him, a lilt to your voice.

“Wanna come inside?” You slightly slur over your words, giving him a small glance. It’s innocent enough that Hyunjin knows your motives are pure, even if a tiny part of him wishes they weren’t. 

He hesitates, the logical side of his mind screaming at him to politely refuse and bid you a goodnight. But then again, he hasn’t been very logical whenever it comes to you. He now promises himself that this is just a little post-party hangout. You can be friends, can’t you? And besides, you need someone to look after you. And friends look after each other, don’t they?

Hyunjin steps inside, instantly in awe of your apartment. The open floor concept allows him to explore the entire layout with his eyes, from the soft throw blanket lying on your very comfortable-looking couch to the bellowing linen curtains hanging over your windows. The mismatched furniture and nearly overflowing book cases are incredibly charming, the artful dissonance of your decor coming together in a harmony that just makes everything feel so cozy. 

In Hyunjin’s mind, your apartment is so quintessentially you, a feeling of home that his own place never quite felt like. Yes, he loves Oasis more than anything, but there’s this slightly pretentious air to it, this urge to keep it constantly pristine. It feeds into Hyunjin’s obsession over perfection, instead of being the one place where he can truly be himself. Here, however, Hyunjin feels comfortable, secure in his own skin, even when in reality, he probably looks ridiculously out of place in his over-the-top outfit.

“Hm,” you mumble, prompting Hyunjin to whirl around and rush forward to steady you when you lean a little too forward. “Do you wanna drink?”

Hyunjin frowns at you while you just giggle nonsensically. You’re nowhere near sober, but at the very least, at least you’re not distressed anymore. Hyunjin hates to see you upset; your face was made for smiling.

“Absolutely not. We have done enough drinking for today.” Hyunjin chides you sternly. “You can’t go to bed on an empty stomach, though.”

You prop yourself on one of the chairs at your dining table, giving him an anticipating look that Hyunjin takes as permission to rummage through your cupboards. After looking through the fridge as well, Hyunjin settles on cooking you his comfort grilled cheese recipe. He pours you a glass of water and gives you a little pat on your head when you obediently finish the entire thing and accept another.

You quietly watch Hyunjin while he putters around the kitchen; the sheer domesticity of it all makes him yearn for this to be a regular occurrence. He’d cook for you everyday, filling you to the brim with all of the affection you deserve. But that’s not going to happen, so he keeps his head down and concentrates. Hyunjin flips the sourdough bread on the griddle until it’s golden brown, spreading liberal amounts of butter on each side. And the pièce de résistance, he adds one-third white cheddar, one-third yellow cheddar, and one-third American cheese, his favorite combination of cheeses for a rainy day. 

“This is so yummy,” you declare after your first bite, eyes full of delight. “Here, have some. You’re such a good cook, Hyunnie.”

Hyunjin doesn’t know whether to be more shocked at the fact that you’re holding out your own sandwich for Hyunjin to try, or how you just called him such an endearing nickname. “I– it’s okay, darling. I’m not hungry.”

But you don’t accept it, because it looks like you’re just as stubborn even when inebriated. “You need to taste, or else I’ll be sad.”

You flash him a heartbroken set of puppy dog eyes that makes him melt and give in. He reaches across the rickety little table and tries to take the sandwich in his own hands, but you pull away slightly and hold it out to him expectantly. Oh. 

Hyunjin gingerly leans forward and lets you feed him a bite of the grilled cheese. He chews quickly, trying not to blush under the intensity of your gaze. Once he swallows, he watches you finish off the rest of the sandwich, satisfied with his compliance. When you’re done, you look up at him proudly, and he just can’t help but be endeared by you. 

Hyunjin clears the table and washes the dishes, wiping his hands on the fluffy towel hanging from the oven handle. After a moment’s hesitation, he reaches out to brush a few stray crumbs off of the corner of your mouth, trying not to revel in the sensation of how soft your lips are under his thumb.

“Thank you,” you say, giving him a guileless smile while you bite down on an orange-colored candy from the small bowl on the counter. “Let’s do something fun, that party was so boring.”

Hyunjin lets you wrap your fingers around his wrist, pulling him to the living room and onto the couch. He huffs out a laugh as you clumsily fall onto the sofa, moving to get comfortable. “What are you thinking?”

You tap your chin dramatically, making a show of trying to decide what to do. “How about… karaoke?”

Hyunjin grins and takes the TV remote that you hand him, hopping onto YouTube and flipping through the list of lyrical videos. “Any preference for a song?”

You shake your head vigorously. “Surprise me.”

He settles on “Gone Away,” a ballad by one of his favorite underground rock bands. The slow notes of a love song float out through the speaker, the lovely voice of the lead singer, J.One, filling his ears. He nervously glances over at you, but you give him an encouraging nod, and Hyunjin lets himself go.

“Inside collapsed time, even my hopes for us to be together, no longer matter,” Hyunjin sings along to the lyrics, the song resonating within him more than he wishes it did. “My love, tangled up while looking for you, is gone, gone away, gone away.”

“I don’t think I can stop you from leaving anymore,” you join in softly, and Hyunjin looks over at you in surprise, but you’re staring straight ahead at the TV. He tamps down his nerves and gets through the rest of the song with you, both of you somehow harmonizing together in tune. At some point in the middle, the tears start pouring down his cheeks slowly, in the way he can never control. He just hopes that you don’t notice every time he reaches up to swipe at them, before inevitably fall.

The song doesn’t finish quick enough, and an advertisement begins to run on autoplay, but Hyunjin can’t bring himself to look at you again, terrified of the way his heart beats so deafeningly in his chest.

“Hyunjin.”

Serious, without a single hint of playfulness. Hyunjin clears his throat and lifts his head to see your indecipherable expression. He notices the traces of haziness in your eyes, but there’s undeniable determination written across your face. “Yes?”

“Don’t cry,” You nearly sob out, breath catching in your throat. “It doesn’t suit such a beautiful person to be filled with so much grief.”

Hyunjin covers up his astonishment at your words with denial, trying to push them off as an emotional reaction to the song. But you’ve just called him beautiful, and that cannot be covered up. “I’m sorry, that was a bit much.”

You swallow harshly, the dry sound of it audible. Maybe Hyunjin should excuse himself to bring you some water and escape this conversation. But— “You can never be too much. I want you, all the time. I think of you, all the time.”

This time, Hyunjin is effectively rendered gone. Frozen to the couch, time stopped and his train of rational thought put on hold. He reruns the sentence in his brain, trying to piece them together. You want him. You think of him? You want him? His confused, frantic contemplation is interrupted when you crawl over the couch and lift your palm to cup his jaw, so close that he can nearly feel the soft puff of your breathing against his face. Fuck, you’re still drunk.

“I’m gonna kiss you now,” you murmur. Hyunjin is sure he has died and gone to some otherworldly dimension— maybe heaven, or hell, depending on how the higher powers have judged his situation to be— when he feels your lips slot against his, reeling him in like a needle through thread. So what else can he do, but accept what you give him and circle his arms around your waist, pulling you in closer so you’re on his lap.

You taste like the mango candy you popped earlier, sweet with a hint of tanginess, and it’s driving Hyunjin absolute nuts. Your eyes flutter shut and so do Hyunjin’s, both of you melting into each other, diving into the dangerous waters that Hyunjin swore that he wouldn’t tread. But he can’t stop, he just can’t, not when you lick into his mouth with a passion to rival the one he’s felt for you since day one. 

“Hyunjin…” You whisper, a long, obscenely drawn-out syllable that’s reminiscent of the noises that Hyunjin imagined eliciting from you. That one sound snaps him out of it. You’re drunk, you’re drunk, and this means nothing. This means nothing to you, and he’s just been here, the unfortunate sap to receive your sweet, empty words just because he’s been here for you once. He doesn’t deserve any of it. You’re not going to remember any of it. You are so fucking drunk.

Before he knows it, he’s shoving you off, and with the way you heavily land on the cushion next to him, he wasn’t gentle at all, in his panic. You just stare at him with a half-dazed, half-dismayed look on your face that makes him cringe away. 

“I am so sorry,” Hyunjin croaks, grabbing his phone and scrambling to stand up. He will pull himself together, eventually, in time to see you for the next appointment. And then he will remind himself that he is a mere service to you, and nothing more. As it should be, and as it always was.

Hyunjin doesn’t even wait for your response before he’s running out the door and into the night.

You come to at around noon, groggily blinking a few times before the memories come flooding back in. You drinking yourself stupid at the bar. Hyunjin leading the way back home. Karaoke while relaxed on your shitty couch from Craig’s List. Kissing like in a movie before the atomic bomb dropped. You kissed Hyunjin. Your drunk, sentimental ass was lucid enough to remember your feelings, but not sober enough to remember to conceal them. You kissed Hwang motherfucking Hyunjin, and you have colossally fucked up. 

You scream about it for a good half hour, ripping at your hair and keeling over on the couch, dry heaving in a failed attempt to let out your guilt. It sticks. You’re mortified. Scared. Disgusted. How, how could you do that to him? Taking advantage of him when he was in your own home? You didn’t even get proper consent from him! You are such a damn asshole, and now, Hyunjin is probably never going to want to see you again. 

All you want to do is jump under your covers and cry yourself to a sleep that you’ll never have to wake up from. But you love Hyunjin too much to do that to him. You owe him an apology and the entire world, which you have no qualms about bringing to him if he asked you.

And that’s why you’re at SeoulSpark, ignoring the fear pulsing in your body as you push open the door, closing your eyes as the cool gust of the air conditioning washes over your skin. But the drop in temperature does nothing to tamp down the nerves boiling under your skin. 

All of the composure that you have carefully curated in the past few minutes shrivels up— charred to a crisp and punted out of Hyunjin’s ridiculously extravagant floor-to-ceiling windows— when you lay eyes on him. Because that’s the effect he’s always had on you, and you feel like an idiot for not already anticipating that familiar cyclone of emotions that hits you whenever he’s in vicinity. 

There he stands, gazing out at the view leisurely spread out at his feet, lax hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers like he has no worries at all. In the perfect world, you could have just an ounce of his self-command, of how assuredly he carries himself. You envy him almost as much as you want him. Almost. 

When he turns away from the glass at the sound of entrance, the sharp angle of his side profile is shadowed by the light pouring in from behind him, portraying him as some magnificent sort of Greek god. And he might as well be, with the way he has directed both torrents of lightning and spelled arrows through your heart. 

You just stand there awkwardly as he steps out of the sun and completely into your vision; you don’t trust that there will ever be a day when you are not so devastatingly floored by his beauty. The buttons of his shirt are haphazardly hooked in a way that seems not so careless, but more effortless, and you have to fight everything in yourself to not stare at the smooth expanse of skin revealed at the top. 

The moment Hyunjin recognizes the intruder of his office as you, his lips erupt into a smile that seems too genuine given the stunt you pulled just a few hours prior. If he carries any disgust towards you as a result of last night’s events, he doesn’t show it. Warmth pools in his eyes like honey, and you find yourself swimming in it, insatiable and begging for more of that lovely taste. You wish you knew how it would feel to have him look at you so sweetly while he harshly fucks into you, a complete juxtaposition to the adoration painting his expression.

“Hey,” you wave your hand lamely, and then immediately mentally punch yourself in the face; you really missed your calling as the awkward main character of a Disney original show. 

“Good morning, darling. I wasn’t expecting you today.” Hyunjin gestures towards the sofa and you hastily sit down on it, whereas Hyunjin elegantly settles himself across from you. 

“I know.” You avert your gaze, feeling the blush creeping up your neck and onto your face. “Last night was, uh, something.”

That’s one fucking way to put it.

Hyunjin lets out a surprised little chuckle, a sound so cute that you have to ponder ways to inconspicuously pinch your arm. “Well, I was talking about how you didn’t have an appointment. But I’m glad that you’re using the walk-in hours.”

“Yeah… so I thought we should maybe talk about what happened,” you stutter out, shifting under Hyunjin’s steady gaze. “I don’t even know where to begin though.”

Hyunjin hums encouragingly. “It’s okay. What do you want to tell me?”

You take a deep breath, thinking back to the previous night. “I’m sorry. I crossed so many lines yesterday and I was too drunk out of my mind to even tell. I must have made you feel so uncomfortable, and that’s the last thing I would ever want to do.”

And you mean every word. You would rather hurtle yourself into the Grand Canyon than hurt Hyunjin, Hyunjin who has been so good to you even when you never deserved it, Hyunjin who you’re hopelessly and utterly in love with. Hyunjin, who you can never have.

Hyunjin doesn’t say anything during that miniscule gap in which you pause, so you take it as a sign to keep going. You’d rather get it off your chest all in one go anyway, as you fear you may not be able to finish if you stop. “I get it if this changes things. If you don’t want to see me anymore.” 

You shut your eyes as soon as you finish speaking, too apprehensive to see his reaction. This is it. This is the part where he agrees and so very politely asks you to leave his office and never come back again. It’ll probably take Wonyoung all of five seconds to boot you out of Hyunjin’s Google calendar, and then Hyunjin will go back to charming the next poor sucker to walk into his office. Gosh, you want to continue being that poor sucker, as pathetic as it is.

“Did you mean any of it?”

Against every fiber of your being telling you not to, to stay in blissful ignorance, you pry your eyes open to see Hyunjin waiting with his arms folded. Something about the intensity of his gaze, coupled with the unexpected potency in his usually soft voice, makes you shift uneasily. 

“I know it was inappropriate. I’m sorry—”

Hyunjin cuts you off, shaking his head in exasperation. “I need you to tell me the truth. Did you mean what you said to me last night?”

You tilt your head down so that you get an eyeful of the plush rug spread under the sofa. Of course you meant everything. You might have been drunk, but the intoxication only brought out the deepest, most hidden parts of yourself; it gave you the courage to manifest what you want the most. But to admit anything to Hyunjin— again— when he clearly did not want any part in it would hurt even more, because this time, you didn’t have alcohol in you to numb the pain of rejection. 

“Why did you leave?”

For a moment, you think that Hyunjin will ignore your question and insist on you giving him a hard answer. Instead, he tentatively reaches his hand out and hooks his thumb and index finger under your chin, carefully angling your head up to meet your eyes. That familiar gentleness once again radiates from him, and you have to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from melting into it. In spite of how utterly miserable you feel right now, the telltale flutter of your heart betrays you. God, you want to be his. 

“I left because I didn’t know how much of it was real,” Hyunjin rasps. His words are hushed, but you feel the weight of them, soaked and dripping with both tenderness and hesitation. “I didn’t want you holding my heart when you couldn’t fully feel it in your hands.”

You exhale slowly, trying to ignore the false hope rising like bile in your throat. The way his eyes brighten whenever he sees you. The stolen glances you thought you were imagining all this time. Darling. It can’t be. “Hyunjin… what are you saying?” 

“Do you have feelings for me? Because I do.” Hyunjin purses his lips and slides his palm up to caress your cheek. “I have feelings for you, and I’m so tired of pretending that I don’t.”

“You what?” You search his eyes wildly for any sign of a joke, because you’re unwilling to believe that this is really, truly happening. All of your reasoning feels tightened by this nostalgic lavender haze, a dizzying sense of deja vu pulled from your thoughts. The ones in which you get to call Hyunjin yours. They cannot be real, not in this universe.

He nods bashfully, a pretty new color in his cheeks— a shade that both astounds and confounds you. The cherry lips that you’ve endlessly fantasized about shine red and swollen with how he has so anxiously bitten into them. Hyunjin’s eyes shine in the hazy glow of his sunset lamp, full of feeling and twinkling brighter than any high rise. You’ve never seen him like this, vulnerable and laid bare in front of you. You’ve always been the one to fall apart in front of him, and yet, here he is, surprising you once again. And that’s something that will never change, how he remains the warlock of your wildest dreams and unraveling sanity. 

“I haven’t been the same since we met.” Hyunjin murmurs, softly stroking the side of your face. “And- and after last night, I think I actually might be going crazy. Because maybe it’s not all in my head. Maybe you want me as much as I do. Do you?”

You shake your head, heart fluctuating with every emotion that has ever been registered in your mind. Exhilaration. Doubt. Fear. Devotion. You are so overwhelmingly in love with the man in front of you that it hurts, even when he stands in front of you with his heart in his hands. It hurts, because you know that no matter what, there’s no going back now. You know you can’t leave him alone now; you are completely and utterly his. 

“Hyunjin—”

“Y/N.” Hyunjin pleads, and all you can feel is disappointment at the address. Not darling. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. Just please—”

“Hyunjin.” You cut him off harshly, and he freezes, his arms dropping back to his side. You immediately feel the magnitude of losing his touch on your skin, and it does nothing to tamp down the mix of frustration and arousal inside of you. “Hwang Hyunjin. You drive me absolutely insane.”

There’s a moment of charged silence, before his lips are on yours. When you were younger, you’d spend hours hunched over romance novels and rereading the parts when the leads finally kissed, their repressed emotions finally amalgamating in one stunning, golden moment. But nothing about kissing Hyunjin feels golden; it never did. 

No, it’s an ardent, burning red, a fire blooming in the hands that you use to yank him closer to you, a distance that will always feel unending whenever it’s him. It’s sin, pouring over hot coals and shimmering ore, enchanting yet raw. It’s so perfectly imperfect, wet and frantic, shameless and desperate. It’s rose vines creeping up crumbling brick and the roll of thunder in the middle of the night. It’s you and him and no inhibitions whatsoever, until… 

“Wait, wait, wait.” To your disappointment, Hyunjin pulls back. Even though he was the one who kissed you, you don’t fail to recognize the uncertainty written on his reddened lips. 

You bite the inside of your cheek, trying to block out the nagging thoughts in which Hyunjin has already regretted you. Moving out of his hold, you give him space by backing away. “Is everything okay?”

“I wanted to make sure that you are one-hundred percent okay with this. Like, I drive you insane in a good way, right? Not a bad way? Just checking. Consent is key and all,” Hyunjin breathlessly, letting out a nervous giggle. It’s a display that is shockingly similar to how you act whenever you’re agitated, and you never expected it to be put on by Hyunjin, of all people. It’s… cute. 

You give him a small smile, letting your handbag carelessly slip off your shoulder and onto the rug. You take a tiny step towards him, wrapping your arms around Hyunjin’s slender waist and reveling in how Hyunjin’s breathing quickens, pulse jumping with your touch. Drawing him close to you, just until your lips are barely touching, you look up at him through your eyelashes, focusing on that gorgeous beauty mark under his eye. 

“Hyunjin, is the door locked?”

He just stares at you for a good moment, and you let him, enjoying the way his lips part at your husky tone. “No. I didn’t lock it.”

“Good.” You lift your hand and trace the outline of Hyunjin’s bottom lip with your finger, observing the way he shivers at your touch. “Pay attention, because I’m about to prove to you just how much I like you.”

A blush speckled across his features is all that is needed to induce that familiar urge in you, the one that makes you unreasonably aroused. You want to make him yours, to take care of him and demonstrate to him specifically how insane you are for him. You want to make his wildest dreams come alive, just like he has done for you.

Hyunjin’s eyes flutter shut, a movement so delicate that it almost makes you cry. “Please… just touch me.”

Talking will come, eventually. Both of you will sit down tomorrow morning and establish what exactly this is, what you have done by that point— what you plan to do to Hyunjin now. You’ll find out what this is for Hyunjin— whether this is lust, a brazen act committed in the heat of the moment, or the complete opposite, what you’re too afraid to even think of. Your heart wishes for the latter to be true, for Hyunjin to want you not only as much as you want him, but in the same way as well. Maybe you can’t put it in words, what you feel for him, but you can show him your sincerity in other ways. It’s all you can imagine doing, after Hyunjin has currently rendered you with no other form of thought. Right now, it’s just you and him and a novel of proofs to be written on each other. 

And so you cup his cheek and draw his body closer to yours; this time, you move slowly, every action deliberate, exploring Hyunjin and his depths. Your lips touch his softly, a ghost of longing on skin. In turn, Hyunjin’s hands clutch at yours, silently asking you for more, and you indulge your prince, because there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for him.

Hwang Hyunjin tastes like a sunrise, if dawn’s dainty fingertips blessing the sky with a brilliant, fiery spectrum of light could be encapsulated in that sense. Coffee ice cream, spearmint, unadulterated eroticism. Finally, you’ve found the end of your questions. You shut your eyes as Hyunjin slips his hands into your hair, pulling it out of its tight hold and deftly sliding the tiny pink elastic around his wrist. You mirror his actions, carding your fingers through his soft, silky strands and holding onto him as he deepens the kiss. Instinctively, almost, you part your lips, allowing for him to slip his tongue inside and have his own answers.

Hyunjin pulls back from you to look at you directly when he starts to run his trembling hands down over the curve of your hips, the way he regards you full of attention and lust. You are sure that the confidence that you might have projected earlier has diffused into something more unfocused, with the way you already feel so high off of Hyunjin. Taking control has always been something that has come to you easily, until Park Jisung subjugated that part of you. But you don’t mind it right now, Hyunjin taking all of you and turning you into a mess, because this is the very comfort that you’ve been craving for so long.

“Are you sure?” Hyunjin whispers, even though there’s no secret to be kept. He leans down so that his forehead touches your own, in a way that feels too intimate, but at the same time, it makes you want it and more. It’s a genuine question ringing with the slightest hint of hesitation, and yet, you can’t believe he has to ask you; you love him, even though you may not be able to say it, yet. 

“This. This is what you do to me.” You take Hyunjin’s hand into yours and lead it to the place between your legs that’s been begging for his touch since you first laid eyes on him, second to only your heart. Hyunjin’s eyes widen in surprise when you guide his hand under your skirt, pupils dilating in want when he realizes how drenched you are just for him. But his reaction is nothing compared to you, to how you suck in a sharp breath and try not to fall apart with just one touch.

That one sound is enough for his gaze to darken, before he’s gripping your hips like a vice and pushing you against his desk. You let out a small gasp at the roughness of the movement, and even more so at how Hyunjin is finally taking what has always belonged to him, and him only. In response, he captures your bottom lip with his teeth, nipping at you slightly, not enough to cause pain but just enough to have your back arching at the sting of it.

“Did that hurt?” Hyunjin asks you, a smirk painting his features as he drags his lips across your cupid bow ever-so-softly.

You try to hide your blush by rolling your eyes defiantly, fisting the collar of his shirt in your hands. “No, it didn’t.”

Hyunjin laughs as he places one last kiss on the corner of your mouth, before he’s moving to your neck, attentively peppering kisses along it just to garner more proof of the utter pleasure that has pervaded your senses— and he has barely even touched you yet.  

Your hands slide down to the bottom of his shirt and to tug at it, the desperation of the movement mirroring the pulse of your heart. Hyunjin lets you unhook the top few buttons before hastily tearing off the rest of it, the tiny silver knobs scattering across the floor. But you can’t think about the mess now, not when Hyunjin takes your hands in his and runs them down smooth, toned places of his torso. 

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he mutters under his breath, easily untying your blouse with just his right hand, something that shouldn’t be as attractive to you as it is. He pushes it off of your body, the material now a nuisance to the way he begins to explore every inch of skin his lips can find purchase on. 

You decide to help him out, unzipping your skirt to step out of it, kicking it away along with your heels to some forgotten corner of the office. Seeing no point in prolonging your mutual misery, you also reach behind your back and unhook your bra to free your breasts to him, shrugging it off with a smile as you meet Hyunjin’s eyes.

“Do you want to touch me?” You give him a teasing grin, loving the way he audibly gulps when taking in how you’re nearly bare, all for him. 

“I want to fucking ravish you.”

You tense with his words and how his gaze hardens with the challenge, trying to maintain your cocky front. “Let’s see how you do, Dr. Hwang.” 

Hyunjin doesn’t reply immediately, the corner of his lips just barely tipping up. His fingers find the band of your panties, hooking under to pull you forward to him as he guides you to sit on the desk. “I can literally smell how wet you are for me, you know.”

And you nearly come to his words, but he doesn’t give you the chance, hands coyly smoothing up your stomach before gripping your panties on either side and ripping them off your body. Before the lace has even touched the floor, his mouth is on your cunt, blazing hot and wet. 

You gasp, sucking in a shattering breath as his lips move against your pussy as if spelling out letters in the filthiest language known to man. He envelops your clit with his lips in a slight kiss before you feel his tongue delve out, adventuring between your folds and getting his first, full taste of you. Hyunjin moans as he dips into you, blessing your ears with the prettiest sound to grace them, and it seems as if eating you out pleases him just as much as it does for you, if not more.

Hyunjin pulls away momentarily to look at your center, hands wrapping around your thighs and encouraging them even farther apart. Trailing kisses along your shin, he lifts your right leg to place it comfortably on the desk, caging himself between your legs. The sight makes you clench and grasp onto his hair, bringing him right back into you. 

“Fuck,” he breathes out as he pressed his mouth against you once more, relentlessly starving and savouring the taste of you at the same time. “You taste even better than I imagined.”

You moan, taking fistfuls of his soft, soft hair as he fulfills his sinful promises. You can’t think of any good comeback like you would prefer to do, but this position, while compromising, isn’t anything but ideal at this moment. The worlds have coiled in your throat, coming out as broken sobs, and you have effectively gone crazy for Hyunjin.

“So pretty,” he compliments, eyes drinking in your core before softening as they glance up at you. He slides a lone finger inside of you, and you immediately tighten around it, making him chuckle. “You like that? Like my mouth on your cunt? Like how I’m fucking you like this, so slow yet not enough?”

You just whimper in answer, but Hyunjin remains unbothered by your lack of coherent response. “You taste fucking heavenly, by the way.”

“Oh my God—”

He hooks two of fingers inside of you this time, thrusting in and walking the tips of them along your g-spot, making your head go hazy with pleasure. Your breathing hitches as a pressure starts to build in your lower stomach, your walls shamelessly sucking at Hyunjin’s fingers. 

“Mm, you’re going to drench me, aren’t you? You talk up a big storm, but you’re dripping down my hand already.”

Hyunjin’s talk is almost as dangerous as his touch, and he knows it, with how he grins knowingly at you while he so sweetly puts you in your place. He attaches his mouth to your clit, sucks deftly, and moves his entire arm against that one beautiful place, making your legs give out beneath you. 

“Hyunjin, please,” you sob, amazed with how you were even able to form that sorry excuse for a sentence. “I need—”

“Need what?” Hyunjin mocks you, knowing exactly what you want, but he takes his time, playing with you and drawing out this sublime form of torture on your body. “Can’t wait for me to fill you up, yes? So greedy.”

Fuck, you love the way he talks. Measured and polite when fully clothed, but uninhibited and dirty behind closed doors. Your spine straightens as he starts to pump you so hard that you begin to see stars, or maybe just the lights from the buildings outside. You can’t be sure. You begin to arch your back, trying to lessen the intensity of his movements, but he wraps his arm around your hips to hold you down.

He flicks your clit mercilessly, his tongue winding you close to your climax. You mewl his name softly, rolling your hips up towards his face and on his fingers, clenching impossibly tight around him, but he only responds by fucking you harder. Faster. 

You can feel your orgasm approaching in addition to his heightened attention in your blissful facial expressions, watching the way your brows turn up in the middle. 

“Close, aren’t you?” He murmurs against your clit, and you concentrate on his voice, the sole thing you can comprehend past the obliterating pleasure you’re suspended in. You swear he smiles, before he pulls away from you. 

You cry out pathetically at the loss of contact, feeling that tsunami of ecstasy fail to crest and eventually fade back into the shallows, leaving just an unbearable ripple of disturbance behind. You can feel the tears form in your eyes at your interrupted orgasm that was so cruelly taken from you, and you narrow your gaze at Hyunjin. 

“And you’re such a brat, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” Hyunjin responds cheekily, tracing his middle finger slightly against your folds, and you have to grind your teeth to keep from shuddering. “I want you to come on my cock instead.”

You’ve had enough of his games. This is something that you started, and you completely intend to finish it, even if it means not playing by Hyunjin’s twisted rules and making your own board. You dig your nails into Hyunjin’s shoulders, feeling him wince under your touch, and push him back roughly. He collapses onto the couch, looking up at you in wide-eyed surprise. 

“Did you have fun, Hyunjin? I hope you did.” It’s your turn to smirk down at him, all of the explicit thoughts of what you would love to do to him running through your head. “Because we’re going to be doing things my way now.”

Before he can even muster up a retort, you are already straddling him, shifting back to unzip his trousers and shove them down his legs, while he just obediently lifts up his hips to help. All in one go, you get both his pants and boxers off, freeing his length. And he really is so pretty— all of him, down to his cock that’s perfectly hardened for you to use. 

Hyunjin shivers as you experimentally palm his cock, testing how sensitive he is, and you’re pleased with what you discover. “What are you going to do to me?” 

“What do you want me to do to you?” You question him right back, pretending to actually listen to him. Hyunjin takes the bait, relief and desire evident in his features.

“I want you to fuck me with that sweet little pussy,” he responds, the urgency filling his throat making you smile.

“I see.” 

You shrug nonchalantly, gripping him and enjoying the way he gets even harder in your hands. Slowly, you begin to pump him, spitting into your palm and spreading it down his length for better friction. It works, with the way he curses under his breath and looks at you pleadingly. 

“Darling, stop… stop doing that,” he pleads, eyes involuntarily rolling back as you lean forward, pressing your tits together and sliding his dick between them teasingly. 

You cock your head to the side and let your hair fall slightly over your eyes, smiling innocently at him. “Stop doing what, baby?”

“Stop fucking teasing me!” He gasps out, watching you lift yourself just barely onto his cock, holding him at the base and rubbing his tip between your slick folds. Both of you let out soft sighs at the sensation of him nudging your entrance, but you still don’t relent. 

“I don’t know… I kinda like the position we’re in. Think I could get myself off just watching you like this,” you say, lightly circling your hips as you grind your clit on his cock. “Be patient.”

“I’ve been patient for months,” he whines— in any other situation, you’d laugh at how adorable he is if you weren’t so damn turned on right now. He places his arms around your waist, squeezing lightly. “I have to have you.”

You take Hyunjin’s hands and bring them up to rest over your breasts, keeping eye contact with him. As if a trying to placate you by seduction, he traces his fingers over your nipples, sending a jolt through your body; he need not know that you have been wrapped around his finger ever since he pushed you against that desk, and that you’re this close to surrendering to his pleas. You need him.

“Say ‘please’,” you giggle, your cocky façade cracking. After all, you’re endlessly weak for him. 

Hyunjin rolls his eyes, but obliges you anyway. “Please, fuck me.”

You want to have one last word with his attitude, but then his palm cracks hard against your thigh, and your legs give up. Your hips sink fully down onto his lap, and you both cry out at the feeling of being sated in the best possible way. Hyunjin is so deep inside you that you feel like you can barely breathe; yet, your chest rises and falls rapidly, as Hyunjin anchors his hands on your ass, assisting you in riding him.

Hyunjin tilts his head back, the veins along the graceful arch of his neck prominent as your walls pulse around him. Meanwhile, you’re practically shaking at how full he makes you feel, pressed up so deliciously inside of you. You’ll lose your mind if it means you can’t have him like this in every moment for the rest of your life, but it’s an unfortunate truth you’ll have to confront later. For now, you know he’s going to make an absolute mess of you.

“There we go, sweetheart. Use me, take all of what you want from me.” Hyunjin just whispers, guiding the roll of your hips while staring up at you in a way you can’t believe is reserved just for you. Enamored, raptured, and completely captivated. It’s so similar to the way you know you always look at him, that you nearly want to cry at the sight.

You’re breathless, gazing down at the man you love through hazy eyes. Hyunjin always looks beautiful no matter what, but right now, he’s simply breathtaking, with how his hair is so artfully mussed, and how his cheeks are tinged with the blush of pleasure. He’s especially exquisite, knowing that he’s like this just for you.

“F-feel so good, Hyunjin,” you manage, both of you fucking each other at this point— you bouncing on top of him while he fucks into from below with equal energy.

Hyunjin smirks, control coming back to him as you give it up. He licks the pad of his thumb and reaches between you both to rub slow, firm circles on your clit. “Fuck, are you going to come already?” 

In spite of yourself, you shoot him a look that isn’t nearly as sharp as you intended it to be. “You already got me halfway there.”

“Definitely more than halfway— eighty-percent’s more accurate,” Hyunjin responds with haphazardly feigned indignance, before shaking his head and kissing you. He bows his head down to encase your nipple with his lips, gently sucking at the bud while his hand trails over across your chest to grasp and squeeze at your other breast, eliciting a strangled moan from you. “It’s that nice, right? I know, baby. Let go for me.”

And you do. Shattering, fierce, red-hot. You can’t handle the way he’s looking at you, touching you, talking to you. Your toes are numb from how harshly they curl, and your fingers sting from how you dragged them down Hyunjin’s back, hopefully leaving marks for him to smile at later.

“Hyun—” You can’t finish even calling out his name, the attempt fading into something nonsensical. Your eyes water from the intensity of your climax, before nestling into his neck.

But he pulls away to look you in the eye when you come, whimpering hopelessly. “That’s it, let go for me, darling.”

Your vision blurs as your orgasm finally crashes into you, overwhelming and so earth-shatteringly beautiful. Hyunjin’s voice soothes you as he guides you through your high, whispering hushed praises against your skin and doing dangerous things to your heart. A wave of unmatchable euphoria washes over you, but it never passes, like his body is an expert in prolonging the pleasure so intricately. You cannot believe that Hyunjin is real, with the way each time he thrusts into you tips you closer and closer into a never-ending free fall into absolute ecstasy. 

With a soft, drawn out sigh, you finally come, and Hyunjin swears under his breath as you clench around him, your pussy gripping his cock so hard that it almost draws the climax from his body. You find a single ounce of strength in the aftermath, wrapping your arm around Hyunjin’s neck and turning his chin to make him look at you.

“I need you to come for me, Hyunjin,” you say, lips quivering against his.

He groans into your mouth, kissing you deeply. “Where, baby? Tell me where.”

“Inside of me.”

Hyunjin throws his head back, moaning desperately before capturing your mouth in a messy kiss. When he breaks away, a string of saliva connects your lips, and it feels so treacherously erotic. Hyunjin comes while calling your name over and over again, pressing your ass down on his lap as his thrusts become shallower, and more erratic. He rolls his hips a final time, pumping his come as deep as he can into you. And then he slumps against you, panting heavily as he gently lays you back down on the couch to fit you comfortably under the crook of his arm.

You hold each other just like that for a long time, hands clasped together while simply existing in the universe that feels like it is all your own. Hyunjin sighs, kissing you deeply in a way that makes your heart flip. He then pulls back to look down and inspect you, both concern and care written deep in his expression. 

“Are you okay, darling? Was that too much?”

You give him a fucked-out grin, cupping his beautiful face with your palms and reveling in how warm his skin is. “No. That was perfect. You are perfect.”

“I… I’m glad.” Hyunjin blushes and looks away like he’s suddenly tongue-tied, as if he wasn’t moaning the dirtiest things into your mouth just minutes earlier. “I don’t even have the words to describe how I feel about you. You’re… everything, and I won’t ever be able to convey that to you completely.”

Something tells you that he isn’t lying, that he means every word, that this isn’t just some kind of lust-filled one-night stand that’ll merit those awkward, unwanted conversations in the future. Maybe it’s the earnesty in his voice, the pure devotion in his eyes, or maybe, you’ll allow this for yourself, just once. You’ll let yourself be happy, let yourself fall and be caught in his arms. 

“I feel the same way,” you say, feeling the tears of something bittersweet form. “You’re gorgeous, Hyunjin. You know that? I just need you to know that.”

Hyunjin wipes the fresh dampness on your cheeks away with his lips, placing a kiss on your forehead when he’s finished. “We have so much time for you to tell me. We’ll talk tomorrow, baby, I promise. Just rest, for now.”

You sniffle, swiping the backs of your hands over your eyes. “I just wish I was completely sober for our first kiss. I remember it perfectly, but it just had to happen when I was a drunk mess.”

He shakes his head, blinking at you like you make no sense to him. “I wish you could see yourself the way I do.”

“Hyunjin,” you start, heart aching and wistful for his thoughts. It seems like you would want to know everything going on in his mind, but perhaps, the challenge of not knowing and being vulnerable to the mystery, that’s what makes it truly so special.

“I wouldn’t change our first kiss for anything. You were so cute, I should have taken a picture.” Hyunjin smiles down at you fondly, tapping the tip of your nose with his finger. “But if you really want, we can say our first kiss was today.”

You give him a doubtful but adoring look. “That wouldn’t be real.”

Hyunjin shrugs carelessly, nothing but adoration in his tone. “No one has to know except for us. Our lives. Our rules. Our secret. Don’t you trust me?”

Our. You can’t help but feel giddy at that word, the very one that joins you two in the harmony that you’ve yearned for so long. 

“Always.”

Long after the sun has dipped far below the horizon, after every other SeoulSpark employee has gone home for the day, you and Hyunjin lie together on his sofa in a tangle of sated exhaustion. The many hours of finally acting on long pent-up desires have rightfully ended with you drawn close against his chest as you both silently gaze out at the twinkling cityscape. 

For the years that he has been settled in this office, Hyunjin couldn’t help but feel a strange twinge of sadness whenever he looked out at the stretch of towering skyscrapers. After all, he spent all of his time helping others find love, but there he was, left with a great view that he would never be able to share. He told himself that he didn’t mind it, not when his dreams lay solely in working. He would be happy to be the one to bring love to others, if it was never meant to be his. And he repeated it to himself everyday like it was just another mundane step in his cherished daily routine, until he truly started to believe it. 

But how could any of that be true, when he can feel your heartbeat against his own? When the scent of your gardenia shampoo has so gracefully invaded all of his senses? When the moon so delicately traces every single one of your curves, bathing your smooth skin in a silver glow? How could he ever be meant to be alone, when the void in both his heart and arms have finally been filled?

It’s too soon to tell, and it scares the hell out of him to even think about it. But when you look up at him with those starry, radiant eyes, it all seems so worth it, so justified. You are simply the aurora to his night sky— you light him up beyond his own flimsy understanding. Therein lay the words that haven’t strayed from the tip of his tongue ever since he laid his eyes on you. The words he so fervently spelled earlier into your core, joining them with your essence. The words he’ll bite back for as long as he can because he doesn’t want you to leave.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

«GENERAL M.LIST» · «NAVIGATION» · «TALK TO ME» · «TAGLIST»

AUTHOR'S NOTE (& IMPORTANT WRITING UPDATE) Announcement: Jisungsdaydreamer™ has risen from the dead after, like, four months. I apologize, once again, for the terrible wait time. This was my longest gap in posting yet, because it took a while for me to make the adjustment to college. I'm trying to get back to regularly writing, but even when I don't respond/post on here for a while, I just want you to know that I'm still here, and I see you, and I appreciate you! Anyway, I hope you liked the turning point this chapter was (i.e. THEY FINALLY CONFESSED!!!). Cue the fireworks and doves and wedding music!! Also, I just want to mention Yeonjun being a UCLA student- he is sooo Los Angeles coded, and I could totally see him being one of the most popular students at a school like UCLA. And did anyone get my Jane the Virgin reference (hint: it has to do with the grilled cheese recipe)? I used to be obsessed with that show and I have re-watched to the point that I remember almost all of the dialogue... Another thing- for Hyunjin's outfit at the reunion party, I totally was going for what Jungkook was wearing in the 3D music video. I would actually die if Hyunjin dressed up like that IRL. If you know, you know! Here's to Dr. Hwang and designer obsessions and being on that sigma grindset. For the next two weeks, I'll be crying over my textbooks in the library while blasting Rock-Star in my headphones. Here's to getting through what I believe is the worst time of year for students! Stay strong and 樂 on 🎸💫 -Dreamy

TAGLIST @skzfelixlove @army-stay-noel, @hwangjuhong, @chizumiyoshi @hyunjinswifeee @geneziesm @sherryblossom @yeetfellx @bennetbutton @chillseo @hyuneyeon @seosalad @nhyunn @hyunjinnie2000 @ajxreads @n2tl4na @yeahhspider @8makes1scream @jetblackbelle @143hyunes @raginghellfire @sinforsuccubus @lixiesw1fe @chartrucewhore @freckleboilix @ultimatestayandminoronce @cheesytangerine @leyknowsbin @stay278 @strawberry-dreamland @lvrgrl-xo @moasworld @hyunnielix @httphans @chaotic-world-of-the-j @nyasstars @beautifulmusicaddict-blog @imasimplol @1clickawayfrominsane @xsw-void @queen-klarissa @hyunjinsamdl @heavenhannie @moasworld @kykeu @sxlxna @writingkills @boomfrogg @tyongyuta @levislifeline @hyunzerolv @starlost-andfound @browniebearr @hanniemylovelyquokka @ardef38 @loveemmy08 @anyhow-everything @liillii @sweetpickledjins @insertsomethingaboutanimehere @kylielovesu @moon0fthenight

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©jisungsdaydreamer 2023 | All rights reserved. I do not condone translations or transfers of my work onto other platforms such as Wattpad, AO3, etc. Tumblr is my only platform. Acts of plagiarism are strictly prohibited.

[eclecticwitch666]

Pathworking as an Eclectic Witch

My nearly decade-long craft is an amalgamation of varying Pagan elements, combined in a perfect ratio and tailor-made for my life. One of my favorite practices as a witch is meditation and its varying levels. Pathworking allows me to seek guidance in safe, comfortable place. Depending on the purpose of a particular session, my main spirit guide is usually there waiting for me in the distance; or, the deity or ancestor I am seeking advice from is there. Pathworking is a fully-customizable experience and is incredibly effective for grounding, seeking wisdom, and realignment. I begin my pathworking sessions through basic meditation, and when I feel a deeper level hit me, I know it is time to begin.

Every time this level starts, I see a wall of ivy. With concentration, the wall eventually opens up into an archway tunnel lined with more ivy. To create a deeper connection, I imagine how the dirt under my bare feet feels, what it sounds like as I walk. I run my fingers along the ivy wall in darkness until the end of the tunnel manifests. It is as this point that I am blinded by warm glowing light and I am able to enter my pathworking space. It is a large autumnal opening in a forest--I believe the trees are oaks and maples.

The open space is surrounded by the forest from all angles; however, there is an opening to the left in the distance. This opening looks like a cliff and is slightly elevated, but I have never explored the area. I typically sit close to the entrance or lay in the grass as I watch the clouds pass by. Aurora--my main spirit guide--is a massive white wolf with radiant amber eyes. She is always waiting for me in the left-hand opening in the distance. There is an interesting element to this space that I have not entirely explored yet. If I look to my right from the entry point, there is a slight downward slope; at the bottom is another part of the surrounding forest. What is most peculiar about this section are the trees.

All the trees in my pathworking space are bright, vivid beyond belief, and the entire field/area flows in cinematic Golden Hour light. The trees at the bottom of the hill are mostly alive, but there are two that are dying. Their trunks seem older than the others and may have even started to rot, too. The two dying trees are side-by-side with space between them and act as an entrance to that part of the forest. The entrance is dark. I have always acknowledged this section of my pathworking space, yet have never thought to walk to it. Two nights ago, I sought advice from Lucifer. Aurora was not there waiting for me, but a knight on horseback stood silent, valiant in her usual spot. This was incredibly strange and confusing to me—Aurora was always there. Both the knight and horse were embellished in armor and purple accents of silk and feathers. They came over to me, the knight offered his hand, and assisted me onto the horse. We then made our way to the dark side of the forest opening.

I asked the knight who he was as I held onto him. His response was, "I am not permitted to say." I asked a few more questions that I cannot remember at this moment, and his response was the same. His tone was not cold but not cheery, either. He seemed concerned. Was he worried about me? The guidance I was seeking? The answers I may receive?

We came to the opening, ducking our heads under low-hanging branches. I was expecting a continuation of the beautiful Golden Hour essence within the forest, but it was all dead. Skinny trees void of leaves, some seeming burned. No wildlife was present. Not a single songbird could be heard. It was dark as we slowly made our way through the dead forest; and we were eventually met with another opening--light beaming in an eerie yet welcoming haze. We traversed the light.

On the other side of this light was a stone temple, walls of glossy slate gray, dewy and wet. It was cold and moist and I wondered if we were now underground. This sacred space was a trifold structure: a large center wall with two walls on either side. Water gentle streamed down each of three walls. The temple possessed a a soothing blueish-green aura from light sources I could not discern--water gently streaming down the left, middle, and right walls. In the center of the room was a large fountain. I could not differentiate much detail from it, but I remember running my fingers along the surface of the water. When I touched the cool fountain water, it glowed like bioluminescent algae.

Suddenly, I realized I was no longer on the horse, and both the knight and horse were no longer with me. In this instance, I felt the presence of power, royalty. I did not have the opportunity to look Him in the face, but I knew who he was--Lucifer. i could feel it under my skin, in my pounding heart, in my shaking breaths. He was gentle yet firm in tone. I asked a couple questions of which I cannot remember now. It felt like I was in a dream, where I knew I was speaking but didn't know what I was saying. When He responded, it was as if I knew He was speaking to me, yet I could not understand. Once this confusion settled in, I then struggled to maintain a strong connection. Before I knew it, I was thanking Him for his time, apologized for not being ready/not being able to maintain a strong enough connection to the pathwork to stay longer, and I returned to Earth.

I work with deities frequently, but I have never had the inability to witness a deity's visage. However, while I work with Lucifer often in ritual, this was my first attempt to witness Him in whatever form He chose to take. Perhaps, I just wasn't in the right mindset to witness Him. But I do hope I am able to view Him soon and will post an update soon.

[aryamistwood]

NEW HORSE NAMES

This morning, SSO releases a bunch of new options for first and second horse names. I've tried to sort through and pull which are new.

Did I find out when I was 70% done that SSO had already made the list public and that all of my time was wasted? Yes, but I refuse admit my efforts were in vain.

FIRST NAMES:

All Amaryllis Any Arcane Archer Ardent Arrow Aster August Aura Banana Bard Baron Baroness Bell Bill Bolt Boogie Box Bravado Briar Brittle Bulwark Captain Carousel Challenger Champion Charger Chivalry Cinnabar Circus Clash Conqueror Corporal Count Countess Covenant Cow Coyote Creed Crucible Daffodil Dahlia Dauntless Dear Destiny Dino Dryad Earl Element Emperor Empress Enchanted Enigma Epic Errant Eternal Euphoria Even Expedition Express Fabulous Fawn Fear Forest Foxglove Frenzy Frozen Gallant Gargoyle General Genie Glacier Glimmer Goblin Golden Grace Harmony Hazelnut Heart Heliodor Herald Hermit Hill Honor Hope Hyacinth I Impress Inferno Ink Innocent Iris Ivy Jadeite Jasmine Jester Jinx Jolly Joust Justice Karma Knightly Lace Lance Laurel Leaf Lizard Loyalty Mac Mad Maiden Malachite Mandrake Maple Marigold Mars Max Mc Memory Mercury Merry Minstrel Mocha Moose Muffin Musing Nephrite Newt Niccolite Nimbus Nixie Nougat O Oath Olde Oracle Oz Pancake Pandoria Papaya Paradise Patch Peanut Pegasus Peony Pineapple Pixie Pledge Pluto Polo Pony Precious Pretty Puff Puffin Queen Questing Radiant Reindeer Ring Rising Risk Rite Rover Sacred Safe Saffron Sage Shield Sire Slow Smoky Snap Snowball Soda Solar Sorcerer Sorceress Sour Space Sparrow Sprinkles Steed Stellar Super Swan Sword Tango Tanzanite Teak Techno Teddy Tektite Tempest The Tie Torch Tourmaline Tower Trick U Valiant Valor Venus Verdant Virtue Vow Wanderer Warm Watcher Wraith Wyvern Y Yoga Youth Yule Zeppelin Zircon Zoisite Zoom

SECOND NAMES:

Able Abyss al ala Alarm ana Arrow ax ay ba Badger Bard Baron Baroness Bearer Blight bo Bravado Brooke by ca Captain ce cha Challenger Charger Chivalry cie Circus City Claw co Coast Cone Conqueror Count Countess Covenant Creed Crucible cy da Dauntless Day Dear Delight Dinosaur do Doria Double Dryad Dutchess dy e Earl ed el Element Elf elle ember en energy enigma er es ess est et ette Euphoria eus Expedition Express ey Fable Flare Flip Forest ful Gallant Gargoyle Genie Giant Goblin Heliodor Herald Hermit ia ian ic ica id ille im ing Innocent ios is ist ite ive ix ja Jadeite jar Jarl Jester Jinx Jolly Joust Justice Karma Kelpie ko la Lace Lance Laurel let ley Lizard lot Loyalty Maiden Malachite Max Minstrel mir mo Moose mor Musing my n na Nephrite ness Newt Nimbus Nixie no Noble nom Nougat ny Oath on one or Oracle ox oz Papaya Paradise Pegasus Pixie Pledge Polo Pony Potato Puff Puffin Questing ra Radiant Reindeer rey ria Rite ro ros Rover Ruler ry s sa Sacred Sage Serpent Shield Soda Sorcerer Sorceress Squire Steed Stellar Sword ta Tale Talon Tango Tanzanite Teak Tech Teddy Thunder tie to ton Tower Trick Trot Trotter ty u us ute Valiant Vixen Vow Wanderer Warlock Well West Wraith Wyrm Wyvern ya yo yx za Zircon zo Zoisite Zoom zy

[horsegamergirl]

Game master Jess shared lists of all First and Second options for names, that were added to the game, total of 439!

Written down under the cut ↓

First options (total: 211)

A - All, Amaryllis, Any, Arcane, Archer, Ardent, Arrow, Aster, August, Aura B - Banshee, Bard, Baron, Baroness, Bell, Bill, Bolt, Boogie, Boots, Bravado, Briar, Brittle, Buddy, Bulwark C - Captain, Carousel, Challenger, Champion, Charger, Chivalry, Cinnabar, Circus, Conqueror, Corporal, Count, Countess, Covenant, Cow, Creed, Crucible D - Daffodil, Dahlia, Dauntless, Dear, Destiny, Dino, Dryad, Duck E - E, Early, Eld, Element, Emperor, Empress, Enchanted, Enigma, Errant, Eternal, Euphoria, Even, Expedition, Express F - Fabulous, Fawn, Fear, Foxglove, Frozen G - Gallant, Gargoyle, General, Genie, Glacier, Glimmer, Goblin, Golden H - Harmony, Hazelnut, Heart, Heliodor, Herald, Hermit, Honor, Hope, Hyacinth I - I, Impress, Inferno, Ink, Innocent, Iris, Ivy J - Jadeite, Jasmine, Jester, Jinx, Jolly, Joust, Jupiter, Justice K - Karma, Knightly L - Lace, Lance, Laurel, Lizard, Loyalty M - Mac, Mad, Maiden, Malachite, Mandrake, Maple, Marigold, Mars, Max, Mc, Mercury, Merry, Minstrel, Mocha, Moose, Muffin, Musing N - Nephrite, Newt, Niccolite P - Pandoria N - Nimbus, Nixie, Nougat O - O, Oath, Olde, Oracle, Oz P - Pancake, Papaya, Paradise, Patch, Peanut, Pegasus, Peony, Pineapple, Pixie, Pledge, Pluto, Polo, Pony, Precious, Pretty, Puff, Puffin Q - Queen, Questing R - Radiant, Reindeer, Risk, Rite, Rover S - Sacred, Safe, Saffron, Sage, Shield, Sire, Slow, Smoky, Snap, Snowball, Soda, Solar, Sorcerer, Sorceress, Sour, Sparrow, Sprinkles, Squire, Steed, Stellar, Swan, Sword T - Tango, Tanzanite, Teak, Techno, Teddy, Tektite, Tempest, The, Tie, Torch, Tourmaline, Tower, Trick U - U V - Valiant, Valor, Venus, Verdant, Virtue, Vow W - Wanderer, Warm, Watcher, Wraith, Wyvern Y - Y Z - Zeppelin, Zircon, Zoisite, Zoom

Second options (total: 228)

A - a, able, abyss, al, ala, alarm, ana, arrow, ax, ay B - ba, badger. bard, baron, baroness, bearer, blight, bloom, bo, bravado, buddy, by C - ca, captain, ce, cha, challenger, chivalry, cie, circus, city, claw, co, coast, cone, conqueror, count, countess, covenant, creed, crucible, cy D - da, dauntless, day, dear, delight, dinosaur, do, doria, double, dryad, duchess, dy E - e, earl, ed, el, element, elf, elle, ember, energy, enigma, er, es, ess, est, et, ette, euphoria, eus, expedition, express, ey F - fable, flare, flip, forest, ful G - gallant, gargoyle, genie, giant, goblin H - heliodor, herald, hermit I - ia, ian, ic, ica, id, ille, im, ing, innocent, ios, is, ist, ite, ive, ix J - ja, jadeite, jar, jarl, jester, jinx, jolly, joust, justice K - karma, kelpie, ko L - la, lace, lance, laurel, let, ley, lizard, lot, loyalty M - maiden, malachite, max, minstrel, mir, mo, moose, mor, musing, my N - n, na, nephrite, ness, newt, nimbus, nixie, no, noble, nom, nougat, ny O - oath, on, one, or, oracle, os, ox, oz P - papaya, paradise, pegasus, pixie, pledge, polo, pony, potato, puff, puffin Q - questing R - ra, radiant, reindeer, rey, ria, rite, ro, ros, rover, ruler, ry S - s, sa, sacred, sage, serpent, shield, snap, soda, sorcerer, sorceress, squire, steed, stellar, sword T - ta, tale, talon, tango, tanzanite, teak, tech, teddy, thunder, tie, to, ton, tower, trick, trot, trotter, ty U - u, us, ute V - valiant, vixen, vow W - wanderer, warlock, well, west, wraith, wyrm, wyvern Y - ya, yo, yx Z - za, zircon, zo, zoisite, zoom, zy

[waokevale]

@the-valiant-valkyrie 's DST teas review (VERY LATE)

~~~~~~~~~~~

WX-78 Blend

By itself, it smells very herbal, the lemon aroma is very distinguishable and pleasant. I added about a teaspoon or so, and brewed it for the recommended time on the page. At first it tastes somewhat like chamomile, then, I added sugar and lemon juice and it started taking on a more homey vibe. The lemon certainly brought out the distinct black tea flavor + strengthened the natural lemon flavoring.

Update: made it a second time, this time added two and a half teaspoons of sugar, 2 slices of lemon and a touch of lemon zest (for about 3/4 of the 400ml mug filled.) It was AMAZING, very pleasant flavor, lightly sour and sweet, brings back memories, legit became one of my favorite teas, I'd definitely buy a bigger bag at some point in the future if it'd still be available.

All in all I would highly recommend it, If you're fond of relaxing teas such as this one.

First impression: 6/10

Current impression: 8.5/10

(forgive my shitty phone lighting)

Walani Blend

Upon first smelling it, it's very fruity and exotic, that smells only intensifies upon brewing.

Quite sour by itself, adding a tad of sugar (about 2 and a half teaspoons per half a 400ml mug for me, again) then it's just a right mix of sweet and sour, the flavor somewhat reminds me of raspberry. You can pick out the orange and mango if you feel for it, but they're not that intense. The coconut and apple are the most pronounced in the aftertaste.

(Overall, very enjoyable, especially on mornings and late nights 6.5/10)

Lunar Blend

The coconut gives it a very nutty feel, with the added scent of flowers.

When brewed, dull and slightly bitter without any add-ons, although the coconut and chocolate chips are especially prominent. When added some cream and sweetener, it becomes more light, it doesn't have an especially compelling flavor, but it's not bad either.

(Then again I'm not an expert on tea, 98% of the time I just drink black tea)

For me personally, it's a 5/10

Willow blend

When first smelling it, the dark chocolate and strawberry are the most distinguishable, cinnamon is only there if you really smell for it. After brewing, both of the formerly mentioned scents mixed further.

By itself it's very bitter obviously, but after adding some cream and sugar, it tastes more like coffee with a note of strawberry and cinnamon.

There's also a herbal after taste.

Overall pleasant , though people who like their tea with milk/cream would enjoy it the most.

First impression: 5.5/10

Second impression 6/10

Wormwood Blend

Straight out of the box it has a wild berry feel to it with a flowery scent.

After brewing it, momentarily the mint leaves make themselves known, but after tasting, they're only present in the after taste.

The chamomile becomes very distinct, with the flowers on the side. I can taste some hibiscus, orange and the apples, but they're not that present.

I added a bit of lemon and sugar and the taste immediately changed into a more comforting sweet tea.

Overall 7.5/10 for me

Woodie and Lucy Blend

When fiest opened, it smells very nutty and sweet. The apple and the safflower are barely noticable, you'd have to seriously smell it, in order to feel them.

Upon brewing, the fruity scent catches up to the nutty one, and it becomes sort of a mix of the two.

At first I added some almond milk and maple syrup, but it just didn't stick with me. It was alright, but there was just something missing.

The second time I added some UHT cream and condensed milk and JACKPOT, this was it (at least for me) the cream softened up the flavor and the condensed milk made it sweeter, more cozy, it adapted perfectly for my taste.

First impression: 5/10

Second impression 7.5/10

~~~~~~~~~

All in all, very nice teas! I recommend y'all try them!

[mapleeeewee]

˚ ༘♡ ·˚꒰welcome to my blog꒱ ₊˚ˑ༄

On this Blog I usually post art of everything I've drawn, talk about opinions about characters, redesigns, etcetera. Every type of art I've made has the names of the characters included, so just search it up on my blog. (Example: "Breezepelt")

Nicknames: Maple, Maps, Mappy(close friends only), Magpie, Mag, Marble, Marb

Age Range: 14-17

Sexuality and Pronouns: Demisexual and Trans Man, I use he/him only. Questioning my attraction

Nationality: Italian

Personality Type: INTP

I'm a Multishipper and Rareshipper

DNI: darkshippers, pedophiles, groomers, feral NSFW, AI "artists", zoophiles, fighterfelines, transphobes, homophobes, . Plus! +18 people may not comment, re-quote or DM me. You may follow, like, re-post and request a cat, but you may not do those.

Fandoms I'm in:

Vocaloid ,Warrior Cats, Wings of Fire, Pokémon, Minecraft, Object Shows, Murder Drones, Monster High, Ever After High, My Little Pony, RainWorld, ARK, SCP, Sonic, Sanrio, Kipo, Yandere Simulator, Mouthwashing, South Park, A Hat in Time, Sailor Moon,Omori, Jurassic Park/World, Homestuck, Madoka Magica, Arcane, How to Train Your Dragon, Strawberry Shortcake, Miraculous Ladybug, Object Show Community, Lion King, Doki Doki Literature Club, Life is Strange, Little Witch Academia, Little Nightmares, Needy Streamer Overload, Baldi's Basics, Cult of the Lamb, Night in The Woods, Children of Silenttown, Class of '09, Kinitopet, Ena, Resident Evil, Spider-Man, Animal Crossing, Paw Patrol, Winx, Aristogatti, Sweet Tooth, Scenecore Artists, Chi: Une Vie de Chat, DinoWorld, Sally Face, SkullGirls, Kindergarten, Lacey's Games, Coraline, Bad Parenting, Little Big Planet, Ponytown, The Lego Movie, Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball, Scott Pilgrim, Tomodachi Life, The Sims 4, Mindless Self Indulgence, KORN, Mitski, Total Drama, Toca Boca, Cuphead, She-Ra, Zoochosis, A Little To The Left, Goat Simulator, Pile Up!, My Child Lebensborn, Papers, Please!, Pal World, What Remains of Edith Finch, Untitled Goose Game, Inscryption, Kill It with Fire, Donut County, That's Not My Neighbor, Planet Crafter, Journey to The Savage Planet, Slime Rancher, Deponia, Chuchel, House Flipper, Kena, Hell Architect, Man-eater, Bioshock, Stick It To The Stickman, Octodad, Beyond Two Souls, It Takes Two, Shady Part of Me, Spore, Infectionator 3 Apocalypse, My Little Blacksmith Shop, Rock of Ages, Ancestors, Job Simulator, Dawn of Man, Subnautica, Subnautica Below Zero, Hitman 2, Unravel Two, Parkasaurus, Megaquarium, Let's Build a Zoo, God of War 4, A Way Out, The Forest, Pixark, The Sexy Brutale, Shadows of The Colossus, Staxel, Hob, Quantum Conondrum, Astroneer, Never Alone, Carried Away, State of Decay, The Universim, Bermuda, 60 SECONDS, Valiant Hearts, The Unfinished Swan, Yonder, The Long Dark, Suicide Guy, Conarium, Blackwood Crossing, Rime, Silence, Snake Pass, Guts and Glory, Night in The Woods, The Wardrobe, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Happy Room, Raft, The Town of Light, Pokémon Evolved (ARK mod), Maize, Lara Croft GO, Beholder, Hello Neighbor, Mr. President, Manual Samuel, Abzû, Anarcute, Fire Watch, The Marvellous Miss Take, The Guest, Pony Island, Broken Age, The Escapists, Pac-Man, Is This Seat Taken?, Clan Gen, Bugcat Capoo, WGF, Two Point Museum, Stars in The Trash, Wolf Quest, Little Kitty, Big City!, Planet Zoo, Pikmin 4, Cattails, Stray, Cat Cafe Manager, The Wandering Village, A Street Cat's Tale, Pupperazzi, Life is a Game, Unpacking, Endling, Old Friends Dog Game, Prehistoric Kingdom, Shelter 2, Niche, WildCraft, Ultimate Cat Simulator, Warrior Cats: Untold Tales, To The Rescue: Dog Shelter Simulator, Yellowjackets, Final Destination, Department Q, Scott Pilgrim, Under Paris, The Shark, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

My favorite Characters: Moonwatcher, Ashfur, Ferncloud, Squirrelflight, Breezepelt, Brindleface, Leafpool, Onyx, Ethan Winters, Rodrick Heffley, Carl, Nat

Warrior Cats Opinions-

Favorite Arc: Power of Three and The Broken Code

Favorite Clan: RiverClan

Favorite Artist: @femmekinkajou , gekkozilla

Other Socials:

[multitrackdrifting]

peer into my mind filled with f2p games:

Flyff

DOMO

Dragon's Nest

Maple Story

BOTS

MU

Gunbound

Ragnarok Online Private Servers

Combat Arms

Vindictus

Grand Chase

Rappelz

Asda Story

Rose Online

Dragonica

Runescape

Adventure Quest

Cabal

Silkroad

Trickster

Mabinogi

Tibia

Perfect World

Fiesta

GunZ The Duel

Lunia

Tera

Dofus (later following it was Wakfu)

S4 League

Atlantica

Rohan

Florensia

Audition

Cross Fire

Rakion

Kart Rider

Conquer

Crazy Tao

Martial Heroes

Twelve Sky 2

Jade Dynasty

Sudden Attack

Blacklight Retribution

Alliance of Valiant Arms (AVA)

The Legend of Mir 3

Dungeon Fighter Online

Grand Fantasia

Forsaken Worlds

Allods

MicroVolts

Legend of Edda

Sherwood Dungeon

Wurm

Tribes Ascend

Continent of the Ninth (C9)

Super Monday Night Combat

Planetside 2

Furcadia

Habbo

Eudemons

Scions of Fate

Metin 2

Rumble Fighter

LaTale

NosTale

FusionFall

Ether Saga

[pokemon-variants-pokedex]

Hi Professor Maple! I have a question on behalf of a friend of mine who works at a Pokémon sanctuary for retired battling Pokémon. They recently got in a Flygon from one of those world-traveling trainers, so she's been all over, but she's got some interesting behaviors and the sanctuary is wondering if she might be a Flygon variant.

I've got the relevant info from the sanctuary below. If you need more info, I will reach back out to my friend with your questions.

She is native to the Orre region.

She prefers to walk/hop places as opposed to fly. I am told that her wings are functional, if a bit small, and she can fly if she's surprised or wants to be first to feeding time.

Prefers colder environments. She's been seen initiating play with several Ice-types at the sanctuary, which seems unusual given her Ground/Dragon typing. She doesn't like swimming or water, though, it has to be ice.

Unfortunately, we can't ask her trainer anything else about her background as he himself passed away recently, hence her surrender to the sanctuary, and there isn't any family the sanctuary has been able to find for questions either.

Anything you might know would be super helpful to the sanctuary to help give this wonderful Flygon the retirement she deserves.

Thanks!

(///ooc: The dex I used as a reference for this was a fan-made fully fleshed out Orre regional dex that included modern day pokemon.)

Hello! After doing some research with the information giving, my guess is that she may be a crossbreed between a Flygon and a Kommo-o, known as the Valiant breed. Kommo-os and their kin tend to live in the colder parts of the Orre region and often adopted ice types into their packs. Kommo-os don't like swimming because their plates weigh them down and will often teach their young to avoid swimming whenever possible, even if they have no reason to.

The Valiant breed is a popular battle breed over there. My guess is that her father was a Kommo-o or maybe she was adopted into a Kommo-o pack? Either way, she was probably raised by a Kommo-o!

I'd say, as long as she's not hurting any of the ice types and they aren't hurting her, then they can continue playing! Right now, it sounds like your doing great!

-Prof. V. Maple.

[malisonquill]

Pony RB! AKA Valiant Maple! He's a very pretty, if inept, alicorn xD

[fundieshaderoom]

Fundie and Adjacent Families I Follow: November in a Glimpse

Pregnancy Announcements:

Hannah (Wissmann) and Jeremiah Duggar announced they are expecting their second child. This child will join older sister Brynley.

Anastasia (Salyer) and James Silberman announced they are expecting their second child. This child will join older sister Geneva in June 2024.

Morgan and Paul Olligies announced they are expecting their second child. This child will join older brother Luca.

Nurie (Rodrigues) and Nathan Keller announced they are expecting their third child. This child will join two older brothers.

Rebecca and Levi Moravek announced they are expecting their first child.

Births:

Amber (Perez) and Levi Schadt welcomed their fourth son James Ezra on November 1.

Michelle (Seewald) and Elijah Barger welcomed their first child Isla Jane on November 3.

Rachelle (Waller) and Joseph Afarian welcomed their sixth child Isaiah Valiant Arakel on November 10. He joins 3 older sisters and 2 older brothers.

Sophia (Meggs) and Jacob Roberts welcomed their first child Kimberleigh Noel on November 26.

Engagements:

Merritt Robertson and Tyler Metro are engaged.

Relationship Announcements:

Warden Bates is now dating Floridian Taylor Maples.

Losses:

Elika and Jason Hartono announced they suffered a miscarriage recently.

[groundcontroltopossum]

“You!”

“Oh, hey!” I whipped my hand up in welcome as the waitress settled the fourth plate of pancakes in front of me. Strawberries and bananas glazed in pure maple syrup decorated the pillowy surface in an enticing display. “You found me!”

The man-thing grumbled as it stomped up to the table while I shoveled a spoonful of Tres Leche pancakes into my mouth from the first plate to arrive. It was almost comical how out of place it looked in the diner. Dressed in the garb of a runner complete with overly expensive headphones and sneakers but the skin it had slipped on looked to be a size too small. Stretching obscenely in places like an ill-fitting sweater, the obvious other wearing the epidermis of another human seemed to fly under everyone's rader except for me. Must be a result of the curse.

“Well, come on then, pop a squat” I encouraged with a point to the opposite bench “have some! These are Butter Pecan, a little grainy for my taste but probably right up your alley”

“Disgusting” he grimaced at the second plate of pancakes and reluctantly slid into the booth, keeping his hands firmly in his hoodie pockets “and just what do you think you are doing?”

“Breakfast” my cheeks bulged as I spoke around the forkful in my mouth. His face screwed up as he curled away from the bits of food that flew out at him. I giggled and offered little more than a smirk.

“I distinctly remember humans not requiring this much substance for the morning meal” 

“What? Are you worried I’ll get fat?” I teased as I gestured over my relative buffet before perking up as the waitress, a kindly older woman named Gertie with a terrible red dye job, walked up to the table carrying a fifth plate.

“Here’s your Triple Chocolate Bypass” She struggled for a moment to find an open space and eventually settled on a back corner.

“Yes, thank you” I crowed, immediately stabbing the top one and stuffing it into my mouth. A look of fear and revulsion was quickly shared between the two witnesses to my act before Gertie shrugged and pulled out her notebook and pen.

“Anything for you, hon?”

“No, he’s fine” I cut in before the horror show broke his cover “he’s watching his figure”

“Alright then, the rest will be out soon” She darted away, her attention quickly caught at another table. My companion attempted to stare me down, milky eyes picking at my skin. The attempt was valiant but short lived as my continued aggressive sampling of the various pancake offerings quickly succeeded in crossing it out. Did it eat, I wondered, remembering the warnings about never consuming food in the fae realm lest you be stuck there forever. However was the aforementioned offering actually there to feed the fairy folk or did it simply exist as temptation? For once in my life, it wasn't my appetite that had landed me in a mess, it was my habit of covering things up. 

Still, if this is the punishment for telling a fib, I can’t say I’ve learned my lesson. 

“Why are you…you’re supposed to…you aren't doing this right!” It seemed the fae could get frustrated and upset. I had always figured them to be ethereal beings unbothered by petty emotions like the rest of us. Maybe I was mixing them up with elves but to be honest my knowledge of the supernatural extended barely past some cult classic tv shows and book series involving long journeys and cursed jewelry. 

Whatever was true, it seemed stuttering and an inability to hold uncomfortable silence was in their repertoire.

“How dare you tell me how to enjoy my own curse” I teased, taking a drink from a tall glass of milk. 

“Enjoy? You aren't supposed to enjoy it! It’s a punishment!”

“Well, I’m having a great time” the look on his over stretched face broke a chuckle out of me. Who knew that messing with the faire folk would be so much fun? “I mean I can’t really see a downside to reliving the same day over and over again, this is really a blast”

“But you aren't doing anything!” his voice raised enough to draw a few looks before he let out a loud sigh and dropped his head into his hands. So the fae feels exasperation? And painted their nails if the glittery green polish was anything to go by. “Ok, look. I am going to do you a favor and assume that maybe the rules of the fae aren't as widely taught anymore or that you are just one of the stupider humans to cross that part of the woods…”

“Hey”

“...so let’s do a quick little run down. You humans get the town from parking lot to parking lot and we, the fae, get the forest from the end of the park to the clift. That is our home. We have allowed the little walking paths to the clift face and accept the little offerings left behind when it gets used; the crusts of bread, the half emptied juice boxes, the pacifiers…”

“Litter, you are picking up litter”

“...which may not be our usual requests for offerings but we are not arrogant to the changing of times. However, we also still like to requisition offerings in person. Is it wrong that we want to have a word with your kind every once in a while? See how things have changed and what news there is? All we ask is that you keep to the old rules. You have to be polite, tell the truth, and respect nature. On top of that, if you break any of the customs such as telling us your name or accepting a gift then we get to enact the rituals of the old ways. If people break the rules, then they bear the consequences whether that be through mild curses or being invited for a more personal stay…”

“Kidnapping”

“...Now when we met, you broke one of the rules and I was not overly unkind with the punishment. I could have been so much worse but I am generally considered a very forgiving member of this society. However, the curse of an eternally repetitive day was meant to teach you a lesson and then be broken through a thorough apology and a righting of the wrong. Not an excuse for you to sleep through several days, eating your body weight in sugar and flour products, and shopping sprees!”

There was a marked beat of silence at the end of his tirade, broken only by the quiet murmurs of the other patrons and the scrap of my fork against a plate. 

“But I’m having fun”

“FUCK You” he hissed, sending me into a fit of laughter. Somehow the thing managed to make the veins on it’s human skin suit bulge in fury and the eyes widened so much they actually seemed to fit the gaping holes that had previously resemble a cheap halloween mask but the anger of this immortal terror only caused me to choke out more laughter until I was holding my sides and gasping for air.

“Oh my god, stop, I’m going to throw up” I pushed the empty plate in front of me out of the way, still surrounded by four other stacks in various levels of consumption but the Tres Leches had been hands down the best so far. 

“You’d deserve it” He sneered, flicking a blueberry onto the floor in a childish tantrum “What is there even to enjoy about this? You are repeating the same day over and over again. You wake up, go to sleep, wake up, go to sleep but nothing is changing. It is overcast and fifty five degrees everyday! These people are coming here over and over again, eating the same swill and having the same mind numbing conversation. It doesn't matter what you do or who you talk to, it all gets erased when you fall asleep. How are you having so much fun that you are content to stay here? Nothing is changing!”

“Exactly” We were briefly interrupted by Gertie dropping by with a plate of Peaches and Cream pancakes. Peaches had never been my favorite but the dinner boasted about its range of flavors and when I told Gertie I wanted one of each, I wasn’t going to try to nitpick “nothing changes”.

“I don’t understand” he huffed and started to mindlessly tear apart the Butter Pecan cakes in front of him with his fingers.

“You live in the woods right? You get your news of the world from passersby. That's if you don’t curse them in some way or steal their skin to wear” I looked pointed at the jogger he was wearing.

“This was a particularly rude gentleman” He looked down at the sports logo on the hoodie “he will get it back eventually”.

“Well, let me share a piece of news with you. The world is shit” I leaned forward, making sure to hold the gaze of those milky eyes “Everything is going to hell and there is nothing we can do to stop it. The economy is in the shitter, the political atmosphere is equivalent to a torture chamber from SAW, and the possiblity of losing basic human rights is something that hovers in the background daily. Majority of us are two paychecks away from being homeless, it's pretty common knowledge that cures for all major diseases have been found but because treating the disease is so lucrative those cures have been hidden away from the public, and the systems that once benefited and protected people are being systematically removed. Everything is terrible and I am scared all the time. But not today. Nothing bad happens today ever. Since time is not moving forward, none of the things I am really scared of can happen. Nothing can get any worse than it was on the day I walked out to the cliffside and that wasn’t a bad day.”

“Oh” he seemed lost for words and his attack on the pecan pancakes continued as the weight of my words settled over for him.

“I am one person and pretty low on the totem pole of human society. I cannot prevent terrible things from happening. My family could get sick and die or the economy could go belly up and I could end up on the streets. Things could continue to get steadily worse and worse but that doesn’t happen today. So, no, I don’t want today to end because it is the only power I have. I can keep this day going for as long as I want and keep things from getting worse during that time. You are right. Nothing changes, everyone does the same thing they were doing today over and over and over again. But that also means that this is as bad as it gets and honestly, I need that break from the constant anxiety and fear when things are moving forward that I have no ability to stop. This may have been your version of a punishment but this has been an absolute gift to me”

The silence that followed felt weighted. My appetite was lost and I sat back, looking over at him. He had finally broken eye contact some time during the speech but it seemed more like he was trying to understand than any kind of shock or empathy. 

“I get to make this day a good day over and over again. I can sleep in as late as I want, I can eat whatever I want, spend all my money, talk to anyone I please about whatever I want. It doesn’t matter because tomorrow I get a redo. All the money is back on my card, anything embarrassing that I said or did is erased, and I get to do something else new or fun or lazy. Can you see how I might not want to let that go?” 

The Fae continued to avoid my eyes, rolling things around in his mind as he unconsciously pressed his fingertips into the mound of destroyed pancakes in front of him. Gertie walked over and I quietly asked her to take it all away and to bring me the check. It wasn’t until she lifted the plate away from him that he even looked up again. We both wordlessly stared each other down until the table had been cleared and we were once again alone in that public privacy that a restaurant provides. 

“Why were you in the woods that day?” He asked in a parody of the question that originally got me into this mess. That day when I got jumpscared by the strange looking man in the woods who asked what I was doing out there and I had quickly blurted out a lie that ended with me in an eternal ‘Groundhog’s Day’ scenario.

“Going for a walk” 

“You’re lying” he sounded sad. Disappointed.

“I’m not ready for this day to end”. 

And that’s how it went from there. Everyday, he would find me again, wearing the same jogger as before, always asking “Why were you in the woods that day?”. In order to end the cycle, all I would have to do was answer him honestly but everyday I answered the same. “Going for a walk”. I lost count how many times I replayed that day, how many different things I did or changed. I found out I couldn't leave the town early on. If I tried to drive out of the city limits it hard reset the day. One minute I would be driving towards the boundary, the next I would wake back up in bed. It didn’t prevent me from enjoying the redo. The people I talked to, the food I ate, the fun I had. 

But everything has to end sometime. 

One day I woke up and just knew. It was time. Dressing in the same clothes I wore the first day, I walked across town to the familiar path that led to the cliff side and began to hike. Halfway through, I heard footsteps behind me. This time I didn’t turn around. I let the Fae follow me up to the cliff overlook. It was always so beautiful up here, the air was crisp, the water rushed below. There was no place more peaceful than here. 

“Why were you in the woods that day?”

“I was going to kill myself” I replied without looking back “My plan was to hike up here and jump. I was tired, so tired. Anxious, exhausted, all of it. I just couldn’t find it in me anymore to try. I figured that a fall from this height would do it, they always warned us about that when we would come out for walks in school”

“You’re telling the truth” There was no emotion in his voice. Just acknowledgement.

“I am truly sorry for lying to you” I offered, smiling despite the tears I felt in my eyes. “In polite human society, we are taught not to say things like that to other people no matter how true it is.” 

“Why are you in the woods today?” A nervous chuckle broke through my lips. A sob on its heels. Another trap? An offering to extend the curse? It didn’t feel like he truly cared if I was here again with the same purpose but was just curious. Just following his script.

“Going for a walk” I finally turned back to look at him, wiping at my face with my sleeve “Just walking to the cliff, it’s so beautiful up here” He looked different. No longer was the ill fitting jogger skin stretched over something inhuman but just a man. The same man I had met in the woods the first time with the slight film on his eyes and skin that fit correctly. I giggled, slightly hysterical, realizing that it truly was the curse causing me to see him for what he was. Now that it was over, I could no longer see the disguise. 

“Would you like me to walk you back?” He offered and I thought I saw the edge of his mouth raise in a momentary smile before that neutral look returned.

“I’m grateful but I must decline” I walked towards him, heading back towards the trail “however if you would like to walk with me, we could talk. I have many stories of the world, some that I think you would enjoy”.

“I would love that” He turned to follow as I headed back to a world in motion. 

The Fae that trapped you in a Groundhog Day-style time loop is extremely frustrated that you’re taking advantage of the situation to just sleep all day, every day.

[the-joy-team]

What would your Pokémon team look like?

“We all decided to pick one Pokémon to represent ourselves. Here is our team:

Penelope- Tandemaus

Ellen- Iron Valiant

Duckton- Psyduck

Terry- Charizard

Maple- Stantler

Chad- Machamp” -🐭

[sonxofxgondor]

@ofthevanyar asked: come sit down. have a brandy with us.

Casablanca (1942) Prompts

Draped in the colors of Aragorn and his Arwen, from the windows and across the arches of walls, the fabrics of the returned king decorated the ancient dining hall. Tapestries and textiles dedicated to he. Bold silvers and vibrant lilacs - threaded work that spanned stories - breathed life into the once abandoned room. Dust from the wooden floorboards cleaned, until the mahogany sparkled, the scarlet woven carpet that rested above made soft to the touch. Centuries of gross and grime scrubbed free; the table at the center was dressed in pristine ivory cloth, runner of gold turned immaculate, plates and cups akin more to valued treasures than means to eat and drink. Apples and grapes stacked into ceramic bowl of blue, roasted pig served hot onto bronze platter, and baked breads with fresh cheeses presented on flat cuts of oak, the spread of the meal was a divine sight. Able to cause the mouth to water and the stomach to growl; Boromir drawn to it from first notice, the moment when doors were pulled open and scents flooded toward, the call of his beloved Amarie the final coax.

Adornments kept simple and understated, for the dining hall was still without the pieces of old grandeur, the keepsakes of past kings, physical resplendence was instead replaced by courtesy. Shadows of framed portraits all that remained on the stone walls, memories that took to shape in war-garb and battle-swords put away, stored someplace else. Years of peace and prosperity to be found in Gondor, no more was there to be reminders of loss, of the selfishness of Man or the deaths that pure evils delivered. So many good taken, so many brave and valiant buried in the graveyards, Gondor was reborn. Under the careful hand of Aragorn and his bride, Arwen tender to the fates of those she ruled, noted even as they eat their share of fruits and meat, sipped their drinks and smiled warmly. Unlike anything witnessed before, all the troubles that were endured were finished with, never to be seen again. Boromir was spectator to dreams come true; all that he had wished for, all that was prayed for, found, finally.

Taking the chair closest to Amarie, the delicate scrape of dark maple onto floor as he did so, upholstery stitched in combination of rich oranges and muted tawny, Boromir made himself comfortable. Shifted on the cushion until content, the plush filling still stiff, never used before, grabbed a plate for himself and made his pickings, the slab of pork with the most fried fat sliver, the thickest slice of bread with the thickest slice of cheese, pungent and with hints of nut. A cup of brandy taken for himself also, subtle cinnamon to the tastes, savored from the first sip.

Mouth corners wiped with napkin tip, the bits of pork and bread that clung to, crumbs of grain and flecks of smoked skin, before another bite was devoured, Boromir grasped Amarie's hand and lifted it. Held her slender bone within his larger, admired how they married so well together, pressed a kiss to her flesh, lingered. Breathed in her fragrance - ethereal and refined, sunshine and goodness - poured all his love for her into the caress of his lips, the tickle of his beard as it graced her. Gray eyes lost in the world that was Amarie's; what Boromir would live and die for, his purpose and happiness, his forever love.

Boromir whispered, so that only he and her ears could hear. "Hello, my beautiful."

Delicate in his lips' release of her, Boromir parted from Amarie, returned to his feasting but kept one hand upon hers still, the other busy with the efforts of shinny fork. Beneath the table where neither Aragorn nor Arwen could see without strain, onto Amarie's gown-covered lap, a special affection just for they and none else.

Boromir asked with closed mouth smile, pork grizzle chewed and swallowed as if it were the mightiest of beasts, a gulp from the throat, "my friends, may I inquire about your gathering? When the housecarl mentioned I would find you lot here, I was surprised! Aragorn, Arwen, it is so often that you are found together outside for your luncheons. I can't recall a time when I did not see you two underneath the shade of the White Tree! Something about this meal feels very, well, mischievous. Do tell, is there a plan in the works, a scheme that you all have plotted? And, my Amarie! You have a look about you! Please, as your faithful and devoted man, do not leave me in the dark. I promise, I'll not tell a soul whatever is you three have cooked up. But, my sweet, won't you spoil some of the details? I hate to be left in suspense! Especially when a good adventure is in the works!"

[prcject-utcpia]

Their stay at the hotel was... questionable. Cedar rose from their slumber, and, after a quick brush of their teeth, they had their jacket slung over their shoulders, hallway floor creaking below their blue-sneakered feet as they made their way to any hotel's best feature: continental breakfast.

Though the pickings were vast, they would ultimately settle for yogurt, home fries, a blueberry muffin and two strips of bacon. The news feed on the tv overhead was showing an unnervingly familiar scene behind a reporter discussing a fight that had broken out the night before, between local legend Maple Sunbrand and a "malfunctioning" security drone.

"...What could be recovered from the drone footage showed a valiant effort by the legend themselves, to defend an innocent caught at the wrong place at the wrong time," the reporter drones onward.

The dragon's eyes glaze over as they shove another creamy spoonful of fruity, gurty goodness into their waiting gullet. Figures, that other brand-bearer had fashioned themselves a local hero. Had Cedar been that naive, perhaps they could have done the same.

"Batchburg Enterprises has not yet commented on the scuffle, but local first responders did find evidence of a shooting, close by."

Their chewing stops, their ears straightening up. One pierced ear swivels toward the door, where a large figure in black-blocc enters, mask and sunglasses covering any identifying features. Stepping over to the front counter, the figure pulls a phone from black sweatpants and shows the lit screen to the receptionist. She shakes her head and responds to whatever the newcomer showed her in hushed tones.

"Hm," Cedar grunts, keeping a peripheral eye on the new entry. Another strip of bacon is lost to the void of their stomach. Their hood is pulled over their head as they stand quietly, and slip away from the table and down a side hallway.

Fluorescent light buzz overhead, their luminance exposing the dingy carpet below to scrutiny as the Brand-bearer slips out an emergency exit. Alarms blare behind them as they unfurl their wings and take flight.

A quick Roulette search had very easily pulled up Maple's personal info. Far more easily than Cedar would've liked. It did unfortunately, make it child's play to track down the other dragon. Somewhere below, in the concrete expanse that is Eclipse City was a little soup kitchen feeding those who are down on their luck.

Windows and screens shimmer gold in the morning sunrise, blinding Cedar's poor baby blues as they descend to the asphalt below. Their wings dissipate into static as sneakers hit the ground. Silvery eyes scan the surroundings, and, satisfied, they continue, gaze fixed on Roulette Maps over their phone.

The atmosphere in the kitchen is lively. Scaled red hands deftly slice any and all ingredients in knife range. The back of the knife slides diced meats and veggies into a hot oiled pan. Spices dance over the quickly heating mixture, the scent of seared flavor overtaking the room with gusto.

"Hey Aspen," Maple calls out. A spritely deer with an antler and a half looks up from their pot. "Can you please pass me the water spritzer?"

Collagen coated fingertips quickly toss a nozzled bottle over to the dragon.

"Anything to keep you from spitting fire into the food again," Aspen snarks back. The projectile is snatched from the air.

"Oh har-dee-har-fuckin'-har," the Sun-bearer snorts. A squirt of water is all it takes for flames to briefly shoot up around the sautéing contents of Maple's pan. They jiggle the pan forward and back a couple times before, with a flick of the wrist, they send sizzling beef, carrots, onions and potatoes into the air, and back into the pan. Another burst of flame punctuates the gesture.

"It was literally the one time," they continue, reaching for the stove's dial. "Extenuating circumstances!"

"I don't think 'getting scouted for the position of a Batchburg executive's personal chef' counts as that in a court of law," the deer retorts.

Their pot of richly scented curry is offered to the dragon, who upends the contents of their pan into the mixture. The curry pot is placed back on their stove, which continues to simmer the delectable dish.

The door to the kitchen creaks open, prompting the pair of pals to swivel their heads. A familiar blue snout pokes in, silvery eyes flicking back and forth. An ear twitches as they step into the room. As they do, Maple's eyes widen, and a grin splits their face in two.

"Oh! Aspen, this is the one I was telling you about!" Their voice lilts up, tail twitching behind them. The deer beside them also stood at attention, their finger poking out toward the blue dragon.

"OH! So YOU'RE the legendary Dick Destroyer!" The ungulate spouts, with just a bit too much glee. Maple chokes on their own laughter, trying (and failing) to stifle a snort behind a hand. Cedar bristles at their crass new title.

"I SAID I WAS SORRY, GODS DAMNIT!" the Moon-bearer protests. They cross their arms in defiance and look away from the jovial jesters with a huff. If they knew they'd be dealing with a pair of veritable children, they might have re-thought this whole arrangement... is what they'd say had they not had so many questions...

"I'm here about last night anyway, not your vienna sausage. Either we talk, or I leave."

It was Aspen's turn to snort. "Heck yes, someone else to torture Maple with!"

This drew a small, unwitting smile from Cedar. Maple merely blinks in response, their half-lidded, unamused stare hiding genuine bemusement.

"Yeah. Sure."

A bit of true emotion shines through with the crack of a lopsided smirk.

"There's a decent chain nearby," the Sun-bearer suggests. "Or we could check out a nice tea place that just opened."

The other dragon shrugs.

"I think the chain might be better," the Moon-bearer decides, an ear flicking absently. "More people, so we're less likely to be overheard."

Maple's brow furrows.

"Wait, why would more people make us harder to overhear?" The Sun-bearer inquires.

Cedar resists the urge to scoff. It's not their fault, after all, that fiction has mislead people.

"It's louder. They'll focus more on their own business and leave us to ours."

Aspen taps a fingertip to their cheek. "So the reason cafés are popular for first dates is..."

"It's less private, yes," the Moon-bearer confirms. "Can't exactly tell someone in a quiet café that they're gonna get stabbed without turning a few heads."

"Speaking from experience?" Maple jibes, eliciting a scowl from the other. Too close to the truth for comfort.

"If you don't keep your mouth shut, you'll sure find out!" Cedar retorts, punctuating the threat with a raised brow.

The Sun-bearer's ears droop at their response. Tough crowd.

"Now are we going or not?" The Moon-bearer asks. Answer quickly, Maple.

Maple's gaze drifts to Aspen, who merely shoos the pair.

"I'm not going. I've got a potential lead on the bunker I need to check," The deer rebuffs. "You two have fun though. I'd say 'stay safe', but I'm pretty sure 'Reckless' is Maple's middle name."

A bemused noise is pulled from Cedar's throat. Maple merely rolls their eyes. The former nods toward the door.

"I'll bring you back some fries," the red dragon offers, the corners of their mouth tugging upward. "Make sure you live long enough to eat them, Captain Urbex."

They wave to their friend, and turn to follow Cedar out of the kitchen.

"Ha-ha," the deer counters sardonically. "You owe me for cleaning up the grease pit, by the way!"

"Thank youuuuuuuuu!" Maple calls back, the expression of gratitude quickly being muffled by the closing of the door.

As the pair of dragons shuffle off, Aspen is left in silence. Curry bubbles in a pot behind them. After an exhale, the deer turns to survey the kitchen.

"Welp," they ponder, bringing their thumbs up to scratch at their palms. "Where to begin...?"

[ next ==> ]