#what if your eyes looked up and met mine one more time

[jo-com]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ➛ Mine

Charles Leclerc x fem!reader

Summary: He's yours, and you're his. That's how it should be.

Tw: DARK, implied smut, obsession, manipulation, possessive behavior, branding, angst, jealous charles, some grammatical error, not proofread, google translated french cause i can't speak french and sorry if i wrote it wrong i just started writing again so idk if this is good or not.

words: 1.1k

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ───

From the start, Charles was nothing more than amazing—he would give you endless adoration and assurance, and overall was the perfect boyfriend. He would worship you like you were some kind of goddess—well,  in his eyes, you were. 

But Over time, his once pure love became a crazy obsession.

The need to always be by your side and not let any other guys come closer to you, talk to you, or even breathe the same air as you intoxicated his mind and clouded his judgment.

And you start to see changes that would never occur in the past—changes that weren't good. Like that time when you and Carlos were just casually talking and catching up—that sight alone was enough to make his once-puppy dog eyes become piercing ones. Burning a hole in both the backs of your heads, from across the room you could see how tensed he was, his jaws clenched and his hands gripped the seat making the texture of the seat all crinkly.

At that time you only shook it off as a "concerned gesture" and never said anything about it to him.

But then it was constantly happening; he would always get riled up whenever someone would just approach you, whether it was a girl, boy, kid, or even animals; he was getting jealous over almost everything. 

You started to worry that things would get even more complicated as they continued. So you stood your ground and got up the courage to voice your concern to him. 

...

"Charlie?" you said softly, entering the room, where he was reading. Your eyes scanned around the room then stopped when you spotted his figure.

There he was, sitting by the fireside with a book in his right hand and the other resting on the armrest. He looked like one of those guys that were sculptured to perfection, but you knew that, underneath that godlike demeanor was one possessive beast that was hard to tame.

Hearing your voice, Charles looked up from your direction and immediately lit up. "Oui? Mon chéri," he responded with his thick French accent. 

You smiled half-heartedly and slowly walked to where he sat. From your action, he could tell that something was bothering you. 

His face scrunched up with a frown as he stared intently at you as you sat down on one of the armrests. 

"Is there something bothering you, Mon cœur?" he asked, lowering down the book he was reading and then slowly snaked up his free hand to rest on your waist.

You let out a deep sigh before answering, "You'll tell me when something's up right?"

He didn’t answer but just tilted his head and stared at you blankly. At that moment there were many questions running through his mind, but one particular thought stood out: Why would you ask something out of the blue when everything has been perfect? not unless someone put thoughts into that pretty little naive head of yours. 

He let out a low chuckle—the grip on your waist tightened as he sucked out a breath—your eyes met his. Seeing the lack of emotion as he stared back at you, sent shivers down your spine, and what scared you even more was when he gave you a calm but menacing smile.

"What makes you think that there's a problem sweetheart?"

You bit your lower lip, holding back the urge to just blurt out your thoughts.

That small gesture was not left unnoticed by Charles. He raised his other hand and touched your lower lip, softly grazing his thumb to where you sunk your teeth. "You know you can tell me anything, right? Mon cœur? he assured.

His expression didn't change; the loving eyes that you once knew were now an emotionless void. With that look, you knew he was getting impatient the longer you stayed silent.

Breaking the silence, you slowly nodded your head and smiled lightly. "Yeah, I know baby, it’s just that you’ve been off lately and you get so riled up easily, mon amour—I know that you mean no harm, but it’s just too much and i-"

“Do you think I like being that way? ”Charles cuts you off.

He gazed at you—eyes filled with rage from what you just said. You squeaked at his burning glare and were quick to look away. The hand that used to rest in your waist was now at the bridge of his nose, pinching it with frustration. 

"You know i wouldn't be that way if not for you, y/n. I am just keeping you safe from all those disgusting men at the paddock, tu ne sais pas de quoi ils sont capables y/n (you don't know what they are capable of)."

You kept your head down and stayed quiet, not wanting to say anything further that might ignite more of his anger. 

Charles stared at your weak state and sighed heavily. 

He stood up, standing in front of you. His hands are cupping both your cheeks, forcing you to stare at him. Charles rubbed your rosy cheeks soothingly, making you lean in on his touch.

"Everything I do is for you, mon chéri, okay?"

You looked at him through your eyelashes and smiled. Charles just wants you to be safe and there's nothing wrong with it, maybe your just overthinking it?.

Charles smiled and kissed your temple; hugging you close to him as if you'd leave once he let's go.

Only a fool would believe that Charles's "just wants you to be safe".

Y/n was a fool

...

Your body jolted at the sensation, your hand moving to your mouth as you bit down the urge to moan out loud.

The two of you were inside a closet room in the pit. Charles decided to pull this stunt the moment he laid eyes on you and Max talking. Like usual, he got riled up and dragged you somewhere secluded to "teach you a lesson".

Tears swell up your eyes, making your vision go blurry. Your other hand was pushing his head away and attempting to stop him from diving into your cunt and eating it like there was no tomorrow. 

"Stop," Charles hissed, grabbing both your wrist and pinning it above your head—restricting your movements.

"What did i tell you about talking to others?"

You gulped down the lump in your throat and shook your head. "I am sorry, mon amour" your eyes pleading for him to stop.

Charles scoffed, gripping your jaw tightly. "espèce de salope (you slut), you just want everyone's attention, don't you?"

"Charlie, no, it's not like that," you begged, your voice shaking as his grip on your jaw tightened.

"Oh, I'll give you attention alright, Chienne (bitch)," he cussed, his accent making his aura more frightening.

...

You lay emotionless on the table, tears falling down your face—your clothes on the ground, your hair a mess, and your body filled with his markings.

In the corner of the room, Charles was fixing his clothes. Acting as if nothing had happened. 

He then went over to you and pulled your body towards him, crassing your hair and kissing your temple. "Je t'aime tellement mon amour."

...

Should i make a part 2?? Btw hope you like this idk if i did it okay i just wanted to write again and like always my request are open!!

[writtenwhalien]

jump then fall (into you) | part 1

banner by the talented @jimilter​ 💖

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader

genre ↠ cruise AU, fake dating AU, best friends to lovers AU | fluff, angst, smut

word count ↠ 52k (split into 3 parts | pt 1. 24k)

18+ | warnings ↠ swearing, drinking, sexual content: foreplay, oral m. and f., nipple play, protected sex etc.

summary ↠ bringing Jungkook along as your date to your ex’s lavish cruise wedding seemed like a perfect idea at first — all of your family and close friends together, nothing can go wrong… then Jungkook’s ex shows up and all of a sudden you’re in a years long relationship with him. You don’t mind though, really, how hard can sharing a cabin and pretending to be deeply in love with your best friend really be?

note. i'm backkkkk...?! with a disclaimer too:

I’ve been writing this on and off for pretty much two years so 1. it's not proofread bc i have not got the attention span to do that for 50k+ and I never got to read over what I previously wrote before working on it again so it might be a bit mismatched…?  2. I can’t say I’m hugely happy with this fic because it wasn’t a continuous workflow, it just doesn’t match the standards I have for myself but i tried and I’ll do better for the next ones which I’m excited about ;)

please interact and tell me how you find it! <3 it's been forever and i've missed you all 🥺

due to tumblr text post limitations, I’ve had to publish in three parts — links for part 2 + 3 can be found at the end.

 ↠ a part of the seven seas collab hosted by the wonderful yannie @ressjeon 🌊🥰 two years late but I made it :’)

part 1

“Gosh, Y/N, it’s a three week trip, you’re not going for a year!” 

The frustration in Jungkook’s voice has you whipping around, a pair of Valentino’s in one hand, Manolo’s in the other. “It’s Alex’s wedding cruise, Jungkook. Everyone and their parents are going to be there, mine included!” 

“Not mine!” he huffs, putting the last of your swimsuits into the suitcase open in front of him. You don’t blame him for being so frustrated, after all, he has been folding your clothes for the last hour while his single suitcase sits ready to go downstairs in the foyer. 

“Actually in case you’ve forgotten,” you start, stepping carefully through the piles of clothes in your massive closet to go towards him, “my mom has fed and even bathed you once after that time you wet yourself, so technically she’s as good as yours too.”

“That was one time, and I barely even remember it so it doesn’t count.”

“I do,” you smile, coming to stop in front of him. 

He sighs, looking down at the stilettos you’re holding. “We’ve been packing for hours already, you should’ve done this nights ago if it was gonna take this long.”

Now it’s you who’s sighing. “It’s been an hour not hours, besides we’re almost done now.”

Jungkook arches his brow, folding his arms in front of him. “Then what’re all your clothes doing on the floor?”

“They just need to go in one of the suitcases,” you smile. “See, we’re almost done.”

Unconvinced, Jungkook looks around at the mess but eventually nods. “Fine, but you can finish yourself, I’m going to eat—“

“No, wait, you can’t leave me!” you exclaim, reaching for Jungkook as your eyes go wide as a doe.

Telltale traces of a smile on Jungkook’s features let you know he was expecting this. He looks down at you, a loose curl hanging over his forehead. There was once a time when you were the taller one, but that only lasted a few years before Jungkook got in a good few inches between you. 

Both of you were just turning six when you first met although it always felt like Jungkook was a little younger to you in the first few years of your friendship, probably because of his naturally introverted nature which he more often steps out of when he feels comfortable to do so. But back then, he was just a wide eyed six year old who hid behind his mother as she came to work on her first day at the estate you call home. 

Knowing Jungkook was the same age as you and from a single parent household, your mom suggested that he could stay with you instead of his mom needing to hire someone to look after him while she worked. That was probably one of the best things that ever happened to the both of you. Jungkook became a better friend to you than many of those at your private school full of elementary school kids who wished they were ten years older than they were, and as the years went on there was nothing you didn’t do together. 

Naturally, your family got to know Jungkook well and being the little smartass he’s always been, Jungkook impressed your father so much that he helped him to apply for a scholarship position as you moved into high school. Of course Jungkook got in, and though it was only a partial scholarship, your father insisted on paying the rest of his fees which his mother found hard to accept but Jungkook promised your father to pay him back in the future. Fast forward a little more than a decade and Jungkook has paid back all of the fees thanks to being CEO of an affluent software company developed from his love of gaming. 

He struggles to fight his smile and you can see he’s contemplating going down or not, having to choose between food or you.  “What do you even need me for?” he asks, taking the smallest step closer, so small you don’t even notice. 

“Fashion advice?” you shrug, keeping an iron-like grip on his arms. 

He narrows his eyes. “You told me my fashion style is shit.”

“Was,” you correct, sliding your hands up his arms and down his chest with a satisfied smile. “Now is different though, I’ve rubbed off on you.” You glance down at his figure too, checking out his outfit. 

Jungkook chuckles as he follows your gaze. “Why would you need my help when you have yourself then, hm?”

Pouting at him, your arms slip around his waist and squeeze him in a hug. “You’re Mr Muscle, who else is gonna help me carry all this stuff?”

He pouts back sarcastically. “Is princess gonna break a heel if she carries her own suitcase?”

As you shrug, your brows remain furrowed. “Maybe, or a nail,” you say, letting one hand off his waist to show off a fresh manicure. As you wiggle your fingers ahead of him, he breaks into a smile. 

“You know you have a bunch of dudes in suits downstairs, just waiting to help you with this stuff. I’m pretty sure it’s their job.” 

“Yes, but they don’t give me fashion advice like you do,” you respond with a cheeky wink.

Jungkook takes the heels you’re holding off of you. “Here’s some advice — pack light.” He throws the heels behind him somewhere in your closet, earning a frown from you as your eyes follow where they land in the middle of your blown out closet. 

“Fine,” you sigh, looking back up at him. “I’ll lose the heels if you promise you’ll stay with me now.”

As a small smile grows on his lips, Jungkook’s arms find their way around your waist too. “Only if you promise you’ll make me a sandwich before we go?” His smile grows knowingly as he gives in to your charm — you’ve always found it’s easy to encourage Jungkook to go along with whatever you want, he just can’t seem to say no to you. 

“PB and J?” you ask with a smile that matches his.

He nods once, eyes shimmering as he still gazes at you. 

“Of all the foods you could ask for, it’s always PB and J,” you laugh.

He shrugs, letting go as you move to finish packing. “There’s nothing else I want.”

Arching a brow, you throw a few pairs of linen pants towards one of the suitcases in your closet. “We literally have a live-in chef, you know, Frederico, the guy you have a secret handshake with?”

“Yes, what of him?” Jungkook says huffing. 

“And you still want PB and J when he can make you anything?”

Jungkook steps towards your suitcase and picks up a pair of pants to roll. “I know that, but I just need some food in me and quick, so the simple option is best.”

Stepping forward, you take the pants off of him and roll them yourself. “If you would be patient enough to wait a few more minutes then you could have a sandwich that’ll fill you up for longer than half an hour.”

“And if you didn’t have more clothes than half the country combined then we would probably already be on our way to the airport,” Jungkook responds sassily, cocking his head.

“Don’t get smart with me or I won’t make your sandwich,” you sass back.

“I’ll just ask Freddie to make it for me and you don’t get Mr Muscle.”

Grumbling, you shove the rolled pants back into his hands as he laughs, taking them to place in one of the open suitcases. Not long after, all of your suitcases are packed and in the car, ready to go. 

The drive to the airport takes a little under an hour and upon arriving, the car takes you straight to the jet. Apparently you did take a little too long packing as your mom so pointedly lets you know after arriving, but luckily for you there’s a few others missing from the families you’re taking the jet with. With time to kill, Jungkook and you have a few idle chats with the others, most of whom you went to school with so the conversation comes easily but eventually you settle into the seats opposite your parents. 

“How was your drive here, darling?” your mom asks while closing her bag after a little skin TLC. 

“It was fine,” you answer, pulling out your own bag full of the skincare you deemed necessary to carry for the plane trip. 

“And how did you find it, Jungkook?” 

Jungkook shrugs. “It was good.”

“Lovely,” she smiles. “It’s going to be a wonderful trip.”

From beside her, your dad sighs, putting away his tablet. “Do we know how long the flight is to Marbella?”

“Oh, honey,” your mom frowns disapprovingly. “Don’t be such a grumpy lump before we’re even in the air.”

Jokingly, your father looks at Jungkook and you, and then gives your mom a side eye. “I just had a few important meetings that Chris accidentally scheduled for today so I’m wondering if I could still make them online.”

Dismissively, your mom waves her hand. “No work talk, we’re here to enjoy ourselves.”

“Alright, you’re right,” your dad concedes. “Maybe to start we could get a few drinks then, eh?” He raises his brow at Jungkook who approves with a big smile and both of them flag down a flight attendant. 

Once there’s a drink in everyone’s hand, your parents settle into conversation with Jungkook and you. 

“So are you excited to see Alex, Y/N?” your father asks. 

“Absolutely,” you smile. “Though I think I’m more excited to see Sophia and Alias, it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to spend time with them.”

“Oh, Jungkook, you must be excited to see Sophia too,” your mom says with a bit of a cheeky smile.

Jungkook chuckles nervously, glancing at you though you’re sporting the same smile as your mother. “I mean, yeah, we’re good friends.”

“Well if you weren’t, things would be pretty awkward,” your dad laughs before helping himself to some food he ordered with the drinks. 

“Yeah,” Jungkook mutters, managing a small laugh.

“Oh come on, guys,” you laugh, nudging him. “She’s happy you’re coming too.”

He nods appreciatively before taking a sip of his drink. “It’s her parents I’m more worried about.”

At this, your mom laughs too. “Oh, Leon and Helena love you really, dear, it’s all just for a laugh.” She leans forwards and squeezes his hand with her usual tender smile. “Though if it really bothers you, we could have a word with them, without letting on it’s coming from you of course.”

Smiling, Jungkook shakes his head. “Thanks, that’s really sweet of you but it’s alright, I can take the daggers I get from them,” he chuckles. “After all, what I did was pretty awful.”

“You were sixteen,” you say, patting on the last of your moisturiser. 

He shrugs. “I know, but she’s their little princess.” He looks across at you and then glances at your parents. “It’s like someone doing that to you, your parents would be mad.” 

At that, your father hums in agreement.

“Heck, I’d be mad,” Jungkook adds. 

Looking at him, he shrugs again and smiles. Before you can say anything, he carries on. “Sixteen or not, I literally left Sophia on one of the most important nights of her life.”

“Yeah, it was pretty awful at the time,” you sigh, remembering the night as clear as day.

Almost ten years ago now, the night of both yours and Sophia’s entry into society, the debutante ball. For you, the night was a bit of a blur with it being the first night Alex and you made things official in your relationship, sealing it with a first kiss and many more that evening. It was a magical and whimsical night, and although Alex and you didn’t last, your love for each other still remains as best friends and you couldn’t be happier for him getting married to his dream girl now. 

For Sophia, the night went a little differently... She'd had a crush on Jungkook for a while since, being Alex’s younger sister, she’d seen him often with you. After he found out, he asked her to be her escort to the ball. She of course said yes and everything seemed to be going perfectly until the moment Jungkook was supposed to escort her down the stairs but he had completely disappeared. Sophia was left all alone and completely embarrassed, even after Alias, the ever caring older brother, stepped in and acted as her escort. Jungkook still hasn’t told you the reason he left so abruptly that night. All you remember is not being able to reach him the whole weekend, even when you tried going to his house he was never home. When you finally saw him, he told you he didn’t want to talk about it so you didn’t. 

Of course, everyone else forgot about the incident and even Sophia forgave him after he apologised profusely and endlessly, but Mr and Mrs Cirillo were less forgiving for a while, but after many years it’s just become a joke between them. The fact that he’s invited on the cruise just shows it’s all in the past now. 

However that doesn’t mean Mr and Mrs Cirillo ever pass up an opportunity to remind him of the past… 

“It’s lovely to see you, Y/N, dear,” Mrs Cirillo says, bringing you in for a hug. 

Mr Cirillo stands behind her, taking your hand as soon as his wife lets go. “How was the flight here?”

“It was good, I slept for most of it really.” Stepping away, you turn to look at Jungkook as he approaches them with a meek smile.

Mrs Cirillo smiles back, her words carrying a playful lilt. “There he is, the heartbreaker.”

Jungkook lowers his head at that and you can see his nose scrunching a little. “That’s me, unfortunately,” he says, stepping into Mrs Cirillo’s arms for a brief hug. 

When he takes Mr Cirillo’s hand to shake, the older man shows the same playfulness as his wife. “Nice to see you again, Jungkook. My favourite and least favourite man on board.” 

Jungkook chuckles and Mr Cirillo pulls him in for a hug. “Stay out of trouble, yes?” 

“Of course,” Jungkook smiles, stepping away to stand next to you as your parents walk out onto the main deck.

Their eyes light up as the old friends all greet each other and you take Jungkook’s hand and slip away together before you get roped into a conversation. 

“You alright?” you ask casually as you scan the people all on the deck.

“Good, thanks,” he responds with a gentle squeeze of your hand. He knows that you know how he finds it a little tedious sometimes every time Sophia’s parents mention the past, but he knows he messed up so he doesn’t ever complain about it. In a way, it annoys you when the Cirillo’s always mention it but you know it’s not your place to say anything, especially if Jungkook hasn’t said anything. 

Looking around, you take in many of the familiar faces while scanning the crowds for Alex or one of his siblings. There’s no unfamiliar faces on this part of the deck, and seeing all the waiters walking around offering canapés and drinks, you realise the Cirillo’s must’ve rented out this part of the deck. The excited buzz amongst everyone extends to you as you turn to look out past the balcony towards the sea, stepping towards it and taking Jungkook with you. 

Taking a deep breath of the fresh sea, enjoying the warmth glowing from the sun as a steady breeze blows. Exhaling, you turn around to Jungkook beaming. 

It seems like he was already watching you, waiting as though he knows you’re gonna say something now. Seeing you smile, his corner of his lips turn too. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“Very,” you nod, turning around to look out again, lowering the sunglasses from your head to stop from squinting. 

“Y/N!” A familiar voice calls your name and you turn around, breaking into the biggest smile when you see Alex approaching, his arms outstretched. “Jungkook!” 

You meet him halfway, excitedly skipping into his hug. He hugs you tight, releasing a sigh as he lets go and hugs Jungkook. “Gosh, it’s been so bloody long, I’ve missed you guys.” 

“Missed you more, buddy,” Jungkook smiles, patting Alex’s back before he lets go. “Congrats on the wedding too, we’re well excited to be here for you.”

Alex laughs, flashing his perfect pearly smile. “Honestly, I’m happier to have you guys here. Half of the people here haven’t even spoken to me in years.” He glances around before adding, “you know how it is.” 

“Mhm,” you nod, squeezing his arm. “You’ve got us though, we’re here for you every step of the way.” 

“Thanks,” he responds, taking two drinks from a passing waiter to give to you both. “You were allowed plus ones though, when do I get to meet them?” He looks across at both of you expectantly, though you see a subtle raise of his brow matched with a small smile that seems to hint he already knows the answer.

“Well, we didn’t really get the chance to ask anyone,” Jungkook answers, looking sideways at you. “So we just thought we’d come with each other.”

“Ah.” The smile on Alex’s lips grows. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Because you know how busy we’ve both been,” you say, shrugging lightly before taking a long sip of your drink.

“Hm, that’s it,” Alex says quietly. 

“BOO!” Large hands tap your shoulders before the man himself jumps in front of you. 

“Alias,” you squeal excitedly, returning the hug he’s already given you. Slightly more wild albeit still as focused as his younger brother, Alias is the eldest of the Cirillo siblings and has become more of an older brother to you over the years.

“You look like you’ve grown,” he says, moving back and beaming as he pulls Jungkook in for a hug. “Both of you.”

“We literally saw you like a month ago,” Jungkook chuckles. 

“Really?” Alias raises his brows in surprise. “Damn, you kids grow fast.” 

“I could say the same thing about that moustache of yours,” you say. 

He smiles smugly. “Looks good right?”

Shrugging, you lean against the balcony. “I think you looked better without it.”

Alias frowns, hand coming up to stroke his moustache subconsciously. “Really?” he asks, looking at you in time to see you raising your glass to your lips to hide your smile. 

“I knew you liked it,” he laughs. “Apparently a lot of people do.”

“Ah, Alias, no one wants to know,” Alex grimaces at his older brother.

Before Alias can defend himself, Jungkook says, “I do.” Alex and you both look at him and he shrugs. “Might grow mine out.”

Alias laughs, throwing his arm around Jungkook’s shoulder. “C’mon buddy, I’ll tell you all about it.”

As Alias pulls him away, Alex steps to stand next to you and both of you watch them walk away with Alias talking in a hushed tone as though no one else can find out. 

As you watch them walk away with a fond smile on your face, Alex turns to you.  “So, how have you been?”

Still absentmindedly watching Jungkook and Alias, you hum. “Great.”

“How’s work?”

“Mm, I actually just secured a deal with Park Motors last week.”

Glancing at Alex, you see his brows raise. “Impressive.”

“Yeah, it was a pretty big win for the company and dad was proud of me.” 

Alex smiles. “And were you proud of yourself?”

As Jungkook’s head disappears from the crowd, you turn to face Alex too, taking another sip of your drink. “I know people think I’m just riding off my parent’s success, which yeah, it’s true for the most part, but after doing this all myself I was pretty proud.”

“Good,” he grins. “You should be. You may be one of the most princess-ed girls I know,” he adds with a teasing lilt, “but you’re also one of the most hard working.”

Laughing, you nudge him lightly. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.” He leans against the balcony too, pulling down his shades as he turns towards the sea where the sun shines down on the horizon. “What about things with Jungkook?”

Shrugging, you take a small sip. “He’s good.”

Alex glances at you from the corner of his eye with the curve of his lips growing. “Hm, anything else?”

Levelling his face, you break into a smile. “Oh, Alex, you’re never gonna let this go are you?”

He smiles, shaking his head. “Not as long as I see it’s there.” 

Straightening your expression a little, you tilt your head. “But there’s nothing there.”

“Y/N, there’s everything there,” he says, matching your tone. 

“Alex, come on,” you say quietly, traces of a smile returning. 

He shrugs. “I make a perfectly valid point.”

Turning towards the deck again, you sigh. “I don’t see it.”

“I do!” Alex almost exclaims excitedly. “And I have for the longest time.” Letting out a small laugh, he puts his arm around you and squeezes gently. “His big doe eyes used to torture me all the time when I was dating you.”

You can’t help but laugh at that. Jungkook does have doe eyes but you don’t remember seeing them often while dating Alex. 

“Seriously,” Alex says, fighting his case onwards. “I dated you for what, almost a year I think and I’ve never seen anyone sulk for that long.”

“He wasn’t sulking.”

“Listen, I’m almost a married man now, Y/N, and I can tell you all the looks of love…”

When you arch a brow quizzically, Alex sighs and continues. “That boy was sulking for weeks because he hated seeing you with someone else.”

“Oh come on, maybe he had a crush in the past but he’s a grown man now and has had plenty of his own romances.”

Now it’s Alex who’s looking at you with his brow raised. “Like who?”

It takes you a moment to think of a name but a few still come to mind. “Remember Alia, the intern from my dad's company?” you ask rather smugly, although Alex’s reaction shows no surprise. 

“The girl who he went out with like five times.”

You shrug. “That counts for something.

“It really doesn’t,” Alex says matter-of-factly. “Anyway, who else?”

“Hmmm… ooh, Rachel, that super hot secretary!”

“Y/N, that was a one night stand, it literally doesn’t count.”

Sighing, you rack your memory for more, and then comes the answer. “Valentina.”

Alex almost snorts, prompting you to frown at him.

“What?” you question. “That was a real romance, there were feelings there.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Alex almost snorts again. “The most real thing about that relationship was the Chopard watch Valentina tried to use to bribe Jungkook back to her.”

Wincing, you remember the finer details of that supposedly real romance. You turn back out to face the horizon, pulling your own shades down. “Alright, I guess I see your point.”

Gently pushing his point, Alex carries on. “Not to mention that I was your last serious relationship, which was how many years ago now?”

You simply shrug. “I’m not looking for anyone.”

Alex hums thoughtfully. “Or you’ve already ‘found’ your someone.” This earns a glare from you but Alex ignores this. “He’s practically your boyfriend already!” 

“In what way?!”

“You do almost everything together!” Alex exclaims back. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve had sex already!” 

“Alex!” Something in your stomach curls unbidden at the thought. “We haven’t had sex!” you whisper hotly, glancing around to make sure no one heard. 

“Sorry,” Alex mumbles, looking over his shoulder too. Luckily there’s no one nearby, everyone seems too busy engaging in their own excited conversations about the weeks to come. 

Everything you’re hearing now isn’t news to you, you know plenty of people have questioned the relationship between Jungkook and you, and you totally get why, but you’ve been friends since such a young age and that’s perfectly okay. Neither you nor Jungkook have made a move to take things further and maybe that’s just how things are meant to stay, despite what Alex seems to think. 

“Also, what friend agrees to come on a 3 week long cruise for you, knowing full well my father doesn’t miss a single opportunity to roast him.” 

“Here’s here for you, not me.”

“Actually,” Alex raises a finger, “I invited him before you and he said he would meet us in Italy because things were busy with the company. I invited you after him, and the next thing I know is Jungkook is calling me telling me he’ll be coming with you from the start.”

As your eyes narrow, you start to think of how that happened. After Alex invited you, you texted Jungkook straight away to ask if he’d come with you as a date to the wedding. As soon as he said yes, you started waffling on about how fun the trip was going to be and it must’ve been after that that Jungkook told Alex he’d come sooner than he previously planned. 

“Well, any best friend would do that,” you say simply. 

Alex pushes his lips out, brows raised. “I’m your best friend and I wouldn’t do that for you.”

“Hey!” You shove him hard but he barely moves. 

“Oh c’mon, you wouldn’t do it for me either.” Alex looks at you with a smile. 

“Yeah,” you relent. “I probably wouldn’t unless you really needed me.”

Just then, you see Jungkook walking towards you, holding a platter of something. He simply beams when you frown at him in confusion. 

From beside you, Alex raises his glass to his lips. “I’m telling you, the boy is whipped,” he says quietly before taking a sip. 

Jungkook comes within ears width before you can say anything.  “Y/N, look,” he holds out the tray he’s holding, “they have those little cracker things you like with capa, uh, capa-something.” He pushes it closer, gesturing for you to take one while looking pleased with himself.

Looking at the platter, your lips curl mindlessly into a smile. “Caponata,” you say, correcting him gently. 

It’s when Jungkook remembers the little things like this that his place in your heart grows and you’re grateful for having him as your best friend. 

“Yeah, that’s the one,” he smiles. “Here, I got them for you.”

Your brows furrow together as you look down. “The whole platter?”

“Well, yeah,” he says looking down too. “You like them and I’m sure there’s more going around for everyone else.”

From beside you, Alex starts coughing and you’re more than certain you hear the word “whipped” coming out of his mouth. One glance at him proves you’re right as he raises his brows before looking away. 

Jungkook, not having noticed the word Alex let slip, is eating one of the canapés before holding one out for you too. Smiling and thanking him, you take it. 

“Good right?” Jungkook asks, his mouth full as you also eat one whole. 

“So good,” you mumble, brows furrowed as you keep eating. 

Jungkook holds the tray towards Alex. “Want one?” 

“I’m good,” he smiles. “I’ll leave you two to it though, I’ve still got some guests I need to greet.” His smile seems weary though you don’t blame him, sometimes the supposed family friends in your circle don’t seem very much like friends. After saying a temporary goodbye, he takes his leave, leaving Jungkook and you to continue devouring the canapés. 

For a moment, you’re both quiet, save the sounds of pleasure from eating, then Jungkook speaks. “Sophia’s not coming with us by the way.”

Eyes wide, you turn to look at him. “What?!” you question, mouth half full. 

Jungkook takes one glance at you and chuckles. His thumb comes up and wipes something close to your lips. “She’s joining us later, from Nice.”

“Oh.” Your lips turn into a pout. “Who am I gonna hang out with?” 

“You-bo-me,” Jungkook says with his mouthful again.  

“No,” you sigh. “I don’t got you. As soon as Alias is about, you and him turn into Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”

A small laugh escapes Jungkook's lips and you frown at him.

“I’m sorry,” he laughs again, placing the mostly empty tray down on a nearby table. “Look,” he takes your hands and squeezes them, “I promise I’ll stay with you, we can just hang out with Alias too.”

“Yeah, I know,” you say looking up at him. “It’s fine though, you can hang out with whoever you want. You don’t have to stay with me.”

Jungkook hides an amused smile. “I’ll stay with you, we can’t have our princess being alone,” he chuckles again, letting go of your hands to squeeze your cheeks. 

“Mm, my makeup,” you mumble, prying his fingers off your cheeks. “And you can stay with me if you really want to,” you shrug, hiding your smug expression. 

Jungkook scoffs, laughing as you put your sunglasses back on. “I changed my mind.”

“Hey!” you exclaim, and before you get another word out, Jungkook is laughing, wrapping his arm around your waist to pull you in.

“I’m joking, now let’s go say hi to the Morgan’s, they’ve been looking this way since Alex was here.”

“They’re probably just judging us,” you grumble. 

Jungkook smiles, turning you around and walking with you. “More reason to say hello.”

Most of the first day is spent the same way, greeting some families who you like and some who you don’t but at least you get to do it with a glass of champagne and Jungkook by your side. By the early evening, everyone is settling into their cabins and exploring the cruise ship which feels more like a palace. 

It’s well past midnight when Jungkook is walking you to your cabin which unfortunately is on another level to yours – Alex mentioned he couldn’t get your cabins closer since Jungkook was supposed to be joining later.

“I am so ready to knockout,” you yawn, pulling out the keycard.

“Make sure you don’t forget to take your makeup off,” Jungkook says as a gentle reminder.

Turning around at the threshold of your door, you look at him as he leans against the wall opposite. “I won’t, and you don’t forget to shower, you still stink of chlorine.”

Jungkook chuckles quietly, careful not to disturb any of the neighbouring cabins who are most likely asleep. Alias and him decided it would be fun to cannonball into the deck pool during prohibited hours and subsequently ended up running away from some of the cruise crew and you just happened to be with them even though you refused to jump in because it’s breaking the rules.

“I’m making you join us next time,” he says.

“That’s never gonna happen.”

Smiling slightly, Jungkook tilts his head. “That sounds like a challenge.”

Laughing, you step out of your room towards him. “I wouldn’t try, Jeon.” Raising your hand, you pinch his nose. “You’ll just fail.”

“Or,” Jungkook raises his brows, taking your hand into his, “it could be one of the best nights you spend here, plus running away is fun,” he grins. 

“You call that fun?” you laugh. 

“Tell me it wasn't.”

You shrug. “I have fun whenever I'm with you anyway.” 

Jungkook smiles, and so do you. It’s not hard to be honest around him, it never has been. That’s probably why you’ve been best friends for so long. “So all the time?” he says. 

“All the time,” you repeat, laughing. 

Lips still holding a gentle smile, Jungkook looks down at you and for a second you wait for him to say something but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he releases a small sigh and pulls you into a hug. 

You feel your body relax in his embrace, the weariness of today’s jet lag and socialising and cheeky antics slowly melting away as you breathe in the comforting smell of his cologne. Even though it’s tainted with chlorine, his arms around you seem to make it worth putting up with. 

His hands slide up your back, patting you softly. “I’ll see you in the morning, hm.”

“Just don’t wake me up before noon,” you mumble.

He laughs, pulling away. “Breakfast ends at 11.”

Groaning, you step towards your door again. “I wish Freddie was with us.”

Chuckling quietly, he starts to make his way towards his cabin. “Good night, Y/N.”

“Night,” you wave, seeing him disappear from view as the door closes. You almost collapse onto your bed but manage to trudge to the bathroom to wash off your makeup and get into your pyjamas before finally sinking into bed and falling asleep.

Knock knock knock

Knock knock.

“Y/N?"

Knock knock knock. “Y/N!”

Grumbling, you pull your pillow over your head.

There’s a few more impatient knocks before you hear Jungkook. “Come on, or I’m going down without you.”

“Go,” you groan, tossing in bed. “I’ll eat later.”

Then you hear a series of whining outside the door. “It's already almost 11, it's embarrassing going by myself you have to come with me, please.”

With one final groan, you force yourself out of bed and open the door. “I said not before noon, Koo.”

“Please,” he says, lips forming an effortless pout. “I’m hungry.”

Well you can’t say no now. Sighing, you step aside for him to come in. “Give me twenty minutes.”

Jungkook slumps onto your bed, already dressed casually in a white tee and black shorts. “You have ten.”

With Jungkook rushing you, you meet halfway and manage to get ready in 15 minutes instead. It seems the Cirillo’s spared no expense and managed to keep an entire upper deck private for all of the meals served on sea days. There’s a breakfast buffet laid out inside but before you can even grab yourself a plate, you see your mom frowning at you from her seat outside. She raises her brows and points to her wrist, her not so subtle way of reminding you you’re late.

With a big smile, you mouth sorry and she just laughs to herself, shaking her head. 

“Y/N,” Jungkook calls your name. You look over at him and he’s already standing behind a few people up for seconds, waiting his turn. Walking over, you take a plate and glance down at the table ahead of you. 

“This looks good,” you think out loud. 

“It does, doesn’t it?” Jungkook says, glancing around. He frowns at something, moving his head to get a better look. 

“What? What’s wro–?”

His eyes widen and suddenly he’s crouching enough to remove the inches difference between you, hands gripping your arms. “Hide me.”

“What?” 

“Hide me,” he repeats, the insistence in his voice clearer than before. 

Putting your plate down, you push his shoulders lower. “I am,” you whisper harshly. “But why?” you say, glancing around. 

“No, don’t look,” Jungkook says, his tone becoming something like a whine. “She’ll come over if she sees you.”

“Who?”

Jungkook groans, eyes closing. “Why is she here?”

Ignoring his request not to look, you turn around and scan the room, looking for any familiar faces while your mind goes through a mental list of names of people who could make Jungkook want to hide before a whole breakfast buffet. Just as your name arrives at a potential suspect, the woman herself comes into your view.

“Oh.” 

Tall, glamorous and even graceful, Valentina Forero struts her preppy, perfect figure, dressed head to toe in designer and a handbag so small you’re sure not even her phone can fit in there. 

Immediately, you look away from her and down at Jungkook. He’s already looking up at you with a weary expression. Your lips form an apologetic smile and he sighs, a string of curse words coming out from his mouth in the form of a hushed whisper while he stays pressed against your side trying to hide himself from view.

Of all the things that could possibly go wrong, this has to be the single worst thing.

Valentina is Jungkook’s ex friend with benefits of almost a year. They met shortly after college at your grad party and they started off as casual and eventually there were some feelings involved but they never really bloomed. 

When Jungkook tried to end things after some months, Valentina had a lot to say and for some reason just didn’t want to let him go even though she wasn’t looking for something real. 

You don’t blame her, Jungkook attracts people like a magnet, but their relationship was a little more on the toxic side with some jealousy and so many stupid arguments no doubt stemming from the feelings that budded but never grew. It was better for both of them to call it quits, so they never made things official but to call Valentina anything less than an ex would be an injustice to some of the things they went through.

Stealing a glance at her again, you watch for a few seconds as she makes her way through the families, greeting each one with a bright smile.

As she moves, Jungkook moves too, trying to stay hidden from her view behind you. His head presses against your arm, cheek almost against your left boob.

“Um, Jungkook,” you say, smiling. “I get you’re trying to hide but uh, I don’t think this is a good look…”

“What?” he says, still distracted as he glances towards where Valentina is.

“We’re standing at a breakfast bar on a family cruise and your face is pretty close to my boobs.”

He looks up at you, eyes widening when he realises. “Oh, sorry.” He stands straight, turning to face the bar instead. 

“It’s cool,” you answer, picking up your plate again and nudging him to move forward. “”I’m sure we’ve given the Collins something to talk about for today.” Turning to your right at the eyes ogling you, you smile plastically at Mr and Mrs Collins.

“Sorry,” Jungkook mutters again absentmindedly as he slowly fills his plate.

“Jungkook,” you say, nudging him again as you fill your own. “It’s gonna be fine, there’s so many people here I’m sure you won’t see each other that much, and even if you do, you have me.” You’re already beaming when he looks at you, and his own eyes crease in the corners and he smiles too. “Thanks. I guess you’re right but please don’t ever let me be alone with her.”

“I won’t,” you laugh. “Although once she knows you’re here, I’m sure she’ll try to hookup with you at least once.”

“I hope not,” Jungkook sighs. “She’s not a bad girl but I just don’t wanna go back there, y’know?”

“Mhm, I know,” you say, turning towards the table your parents are seated at. “But what I don’t know is how we’re gonna get to sit without her seeing you.” You nod in the direction of your parents.

Jungkook glances around. “Let’s go sit with Alex and Thalia,” he says, nodding in the opposite direction.

Stealthily, the two of you make your way out onto the deck and approach Alex and his fiancee unseen.

“Oh, Y/N,” Thalia beams, leaning in for a hug as soon as she sees you. “You look beautiful.” 

You snort. “I woke up half an hour ago, I definitely look awful.”

“Absolutely not,’ Thalia says with a gracious wave of her hand before Jungkook gets up to greet her too. “You both look lovely and I'm so happy you’re here!”

“Of course,” you say, smiling at both her and Alex. “We’re even happier to be here and so excited for you.”

“Thank you, angel,” she winks.

“Jungkook, are you okay?” Alex asks quietly, frowning as he watches Jungkook carefully. Glancing to your right, you also notice Jungkook is hunched over his food.

“You’re just drawing more attention to yourself like that,” you let him know before turning back to Alex. “Valentina is here,” you say with a small raise of your brow and both Alex and Thalia immediately let out a little “ah”.

Thalia winces apologetically when she glances back at Jungkook. “I do believe that may be on me. My mother is in the same club as her mother so it seems an invitation was deemed non-negotiable, unfortunately,” she adds, placing subtle emphasis on the last word.

Jungkook shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it, I was gonna end up seeing her again eventually at some point.”

Alex coughs, his expression changing. “I do believe that time is coming sooner than you want though.”

Jungkook frowns but you understand what Alex means, as does Thalia as you both look up just in time to see Valentina a few feet away, approaching your table.

With a smile that’s far too innocent for her, she stands at the edge of the table closest to Jungkook. “Well, hello there.”

Alex, being the sweetheart he is, is the first to respond to her greeting, and without surprise, Thalia follows quickly. “Thank you for coming,” Alex says as he gives her a quick hug.

“Thank you for having me.” Valentina steps to the side to greet Thalia too. “And congratulations, I’m so happy for both of you!”

“Thank you,” Thalia says with a genuine smile. As she takes her seat, you get up to greet her too. 

“It’s nice to see you again, Val,” you say as you meet her in a brief hug, although you can’t say you mean it but you hold no animosity towards her. 

“You too, Y/N,” she winks. 

Before she even releases you, Jungkook is getting up and already avoiding eye contact with her. “Hey,” he says, just as she leans towards him too. 

“Hello, Jungkook.” When she gives him a hug, it’s a little longer than your own but Jungkook doesn’t push away despite his expression looking like he wants to. 

Alex, Thalia and you have to fight to keep your smiles contained.

“Gosh, it’s been so long, hasn’t it?” Valentina says as she steps back and takes a seat. 

“I guess,” Jungkook says, showing little expression as he sits back down and resumes eating his breakfast. 

“Oh, come on, it’s been almost two years.” She gives him a knowing expression before flicking her hair behind her shoulder with a flamboyant flair that’s signature for Valentina. “I’m sure you missed me.” She leans her elbows on the table. “I know I’ve missed you.”

Seeing Jungkook’s constipated expression, you step in to help him out. “We all missed you, Valentina,” you smile. “It’s impossible not to.” That’s not a lie either, although she was a big personality to deal with sometimes, she still knew how to have fun and was great to talk to. 

“Thank you, Y/N,” she says, returning your smile before turning her attention back to Jungkook. “You still look as good as you always have too, Kookie.” She leans forward and squeezes his bicep, maybe one too many times. “You’re still going to the gym I see.”

Jungkook stiffens next to you, meanwhile, your eyes are fixated on her hand on his arm. In a gesture of support, you discreetly slip your hand behind his elbow. 

Sitting across from you, your friends both notice this. Then, the cogs in the brilliant mind of Alexander Cirillo turn and he comes up with what can only be a genius idea. Perhaps it's all the romance he’s been experiencing recently with his own fiancee, but Alex is convinced that this can only have one outcome, the only possible outcome – the one that’s been written in the stars since Jungkook and you met so many years ago, he’s sure of it.

Beaming, Alex looks at Valentina. “Don’t they look so good together?”

She pauses then frowns. “Together?”

Your own expression matches Valentina’s as you glance at Alex too. 

“Yes, together,” he repeats as a fact, smiling at Jungkook and you before looking at Valentina.

“You’ve heard, no? Jungkook and Y/N are together.”

From next to you, Jungkook swallows hard and your hand subconsciously tightens around his arm. Both of you are staring at Alex and he just gives you a subtle raise of his brow. 

“Oh, my,” Valentina smiles, and although there’s some kind of genuinity to it, there’s more you can see but haven’t got the mental capacity to try to decipher right now when you’re still trying to figure out what Alex is doing.

 “I should’ve known this was gonna happen, you always were inseparable,” she says with somewhat of an eye roll. 

Jungkook laughs awkwardly, but he’s not stupid and he knows Alex isn’t either. This is one surefire way he can keep Valentina and any of her advances away from him for the next three weeks. All he has to do is pretend to be dating you… how hard can that be?

“Yeah, I guess it was meant to be,” he says, sounding a little stilted. 

You’re still sitting a little dumbfounded but Thalia also gives you an expression that tells you to improvise better. The most you can manage is a meek smile. 

Jungkook responds almost as awkwardly, putting his arm around you which makes Alex laugh.

“Oh, don’t be so coy,” he says, sneaking in a wink to you as Valentina’s eyes remain locked on you both. “It’s been almost what? Eight months?”

“Uh, yeah, almost,” you answer, suddenly feeling shy with the way Jungkook’s hand is gripping your waist. 

It’s not like he’s never had his hand on your waist before — his face was all up in your boobs only fifteen minutes ago — but the feeling remains. It makes your cheeks go warm, your heart races a little faster and your fingers go fuzzy. 

You’re sure it’s showing on your face but Valentina doesn’t seem to notice, or if she does, she must think it’s down to you finding this awkward. 

“Well, congratulations to you too then,” she says, wearing a smile that doesn’t actually seem anything less than genuine, but you’re aware there’s more to her words.

“Thank you,” Jungkook and you say in unison. 

Valentina nods, taking it as her cue to leave. “I’ll see you all around, and except for the engaged couple who get a pass, let’s keep the pda to a minimum please,” she adds airily, words directed to Jungkook and you as she saunters off. 

“Can’t promise anything with these two,” Alex calls out after her.

When he looks back at you, he’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Thalia purses her lips in a smile that resembles a child trying not to laugh while they’re getting told off. 

Turning to them, you burst. “What the hell was that?” you say hotly, seeming more flustered than anything else. 

Alex shrugs. “Sorry, it was the best thing I could think of.” 

“It could be worse,” Thalia adds with a smile that’s supposed to be apologetic but the gleam in her eyes tells you she’s finding this just as amusing as her fiancé. 

Then, Jungkook shifts from beside you and only now do you realise you’re still holding his arm. “Well,” he says, briefly glancing down as you let go, “I guess we’re dating now.”

With a small raise of your brows, you shrug lightly and try not to show any signs of how flustered you’re feeling. “I guess so.”

When you meet his gaze, for a second you go still and think of what it means, how might you be expected to act with Jungkook — but really, it doesn’t seem that much different from how you already are now. Except of course, if you ever had to indulge in any public displays of affection, cheek kisses, lingering hugs, maybe even a peck on the lips…  

The thought of it all sets loose a swirl of butterflies in your stomach and only then do you realise that your gaze is still locked on Jungkook, and he too, is still staring at you. 

With those butterflies still swarming, you abruptly break away from his gaze and notice the tips of his ears are turning pink. You wonder if he’s thinking the same as you right now. 

“See, already believable.”

Alex’s voice interrupts your thoughts and when you turn to flare at him, he’s got a smug smirk on his face. 

“You’re supposed to be smart,” you say with a sigh, pushing down the butterflies that it almost seems like Alex knows all about. “Couldn’t have come up with something smarter?”

“This is smart,” Alex says with a hint of sass.

“How?” you sass back. 

Leaning back, he puts his arm around Thalia as his smirk grows into a smile. “You’ll see, just give it some time,” he sighs, punctuating his sentence with a wink. 

The end of the first night in Cartagena is celebrated with a formal dinner at a private venue with the most beautiful view of the coast. 

The Cirillo’s had a special menu created of authentic foods from the town and the dishes were nothing less than exquisite. So much so that Alias and you are both slumped on a hammock on the balcony with bellies full and happy. A few of the guests walk past and side eye you both, probably because Alias has ungraciously undone the top button of his suit pants but it doesn’t bother either of you. 

“Probably shouldn’t have eaten so much,” you mumble, looking up at the night sky.

“We’ve still got dessert,” Alias sighs, patting his belly. 

“Well sitting there isn’t going to help,” Jungkook’s voice says from behind you. 

Turning your head, you smile when you see Jungkook with two dessert plates in his hand. He comes and sits next to you, handing one to each of you.

Alias still manages to devour his serving in silence, but you take a little longer to eat, wondering if Valentina might be somewhere near now that Jungkook is here; you’re certain she’ll be keeping a closer eye on you both so you ought to be making a conscious effort to act more like a couple but you’re not really sure what else to do. Jungkook bringing you dessert seems couple-ish enough, even though it’s what you would do on a usual night anyway.

The three of you fall into a comfortable silence and you give Alias the rest of your dessert to finish as you collapse into the hammock again. As you do so, you feel Jungkook’s hand brush against yours and immediately you glance down at your hands, noticing how your arms and thighs are touching too. Again, it’s nothing unusual for you, but you start to wonder why it feels a little different now you’ve noticed it.

“Don’t look now,” he says, voice barely a murmur, “but she’s watching us.”

When you hum quietly in acknowledgement, his fingers brush the back of yours tentatively again and for some reason unrelated to the wind that’s blowing, you feel your skin prickling. Releasing a small breath, Jungkook curls his hand, fingers slipping between yours. The pads of your fingers press against him and you return your focus to the night sky above rather than the weird way your heart is beating now.

From your other side, Alias lets out a satisfied sigh before sitting back beside you. “So,” he says without missing a beat, “what’s up between you guys?”

“Hm?” You look at him with a small frown.

“You heard me,” he repeats with the signature boyish grin that he and his brother share. It’s enough to let you know that he knows.

“We’re, uh, together,” Jungkook answers.

Alias snorts. “You gotta sound more convincing than that, Jungkook.”

“I’d like to see you pretend to date someone,” you say, nudging his side.

Shifting to face you, Alias raises a brow. “That’s easy, watch and learn, lover boy.” He leans closer, arm moving across your chest to touch some hair behind your ears.

You get his point – Alias is close enough to lean in and kiss you if he wanted to, and the small action seems intimate enough since you’re almost laying down with him beside you.

His hand gently traces down your cheek and you giggle, finding it funny as he keeps glancing at Jungkook who shoves him back before he goes any further.

“Alright, I get it,” Jungkook says, somehow shifting even closer to you.

When you glance at him, you can’t help but giggle at his expression. He looks a little annoyed, and although you don’t think it, anyone else might think he’s crossed the fine line to jealous — Alias certainly does. 

“Alright, I know, hands off your girlfriend,” he says, raising his hands in surrender. 

Rolling his eyes, Jungkook mutters, “Yeah, whatever.”

Alias just chuckles, leaning back and resting his palm behind his head but unlucky for him, his moment of rest is short lived. 

“Oh for goodness sake Alias!” The hushed whisper of Mrs Cirillo has all of your heads turning. She appears out of nowhere beside the hammock, a look of shock and horror on her face. “Is there a reason you’re basking in the sunset with your trousers half undone?” 

“Actually,” Alias says unbothered, holding up a finger, “only the zipper is undone, so by the length of the trousers, mother, they’re nowhere near half undone.” 

Frustrated, she glances around. “People must be thinking all sorts.” She looks at Jungkook and you who smile awkwardly, sitting up straight as you hope not to get scolded. 

Mrs Cirillo is no stranger when it comes to teaching etiquette and given the many years of friendship between your families, she’s definitely not a stranger to teaching you a few things, and over the years, Jungkook too. 

She sighs when she looks at you. “Darling, you look beautiful. Jungkook, you too, please teach my son a thing or two.” She sighs again impatiently and Alias grumbles next to you as he does up his zipper. “Now, when you’ve made yourself decent, please come with me, your father wants you to meet someone,” she says, not waiting for a response.

Alias groans. “Who? I thought I had met them all.”

“Not this one,” Mrs Cirillo replies airily as she’s still walking away. “He’s just joined us tonight.”

Like the dutiful son he is, Alias gets up and follows his mother, though not without groaning about it some more.

Jungkook and you watch him go, but just like Alias, your moment of rest is short lived.

“Um, Y/N…” Jungkook’s voice sounds apprehensive and when you look at him, his expression seems the same. He’s stretching his neck and looking out towards the opposite direction of the balcony towards the main hall. “Is that… Valentina, with your parents?”

Standing up to get a better look, you realise that Jungkook is right. Valentina is mid-way greeting your parents, your mom leaning in to give her a hug. 

Looking down at Jungkook, you both realise at the same time – your parents don’t know about the two of you. 

Jungkook doesn’t wait for you to say anything and instead – with zero regard for the high heels on your feet – he grabs your hand and rushes you towards them.

“Ow, wait, Jungkook, slow down!”

“Can’t,” he says, although you feel his pace slow down a little. “She’s gonna say something, of course she is.”

Jungkook isn’t wrong and the look on your parents face as you’re less than a few feet away from them tells you that Valentina has just said it. Your dad looks confused and your mom is frowning, her head tilting in the way it does when she’s not sure she believes something.

“Mom!” 

She turns her head to the sound of your voice, as does Valentina and your father.

“Dad,” you smile, catching your breath as Jungkook and you stop in front of them. 

Jungkook chuckles awkwardly next to you and you feel his hand go around your waist. “Sorry to, uh, interrupt…” he purposely avoids Valentina’s gaze. “We just, uh,” he glances at you, “we had a question.” 

“Well, so do we,” your dad starts, looking at you with the same confused expression. “What—”

“The dresses for the couple dance!” you blurt, knowing exactly what your father was about to ask. It would totally blow your cover if it seemed like your parents didn’t know about Jungkook so you need to come up with something fast. “We need to know the colours of the dresses for the couple’s dance, for the wedding.”

If your dad looked confused before, he looks almost dumbfounded now. “A couple’s dance?”

“Y/N, what couple dance?” your mom asks somewhat impatiently and you’re certain she wants to ask the same question your dad was about to, which is most likely about Jungkook and you.

“The one for the wedding,” Jungkook answers for you. “All the couples are doing a dance after Alex and Thalia, you know? At the wedding.” He squeezes your waist gently and you chuckle.

“Exactly,” you say, taking your mom's hand discreetly. “Since Jungkook and I are dancing together, well, he needs to know the colour of my dress and I’ve forgotten.” You say it with no hesitation but with the way you’re squeezing her hand repeatedly, your mom still seems confused.

She glances at Valentina who is now staring at Jungkook’s hand right around your waist, before glancing back at you. 

Taking advantage of Valentina’s momentary lapse in attention, you give her a subtle raise of your brow and hope that mother-daughter telepathy is a real thing. 

“A couple’s dance?” your father asks again. “Honey, I didn’t know about this,” he says to your mom. 

“Well, yes, I suppose I forgot to tell you,” she says, squeezing your hand back and you let out a grateful sigh of relief, as does Jungkook. 

“Y/N, your dress is periwinkle blue for the party,” she says to you before looking at Jungkook. You can see the apprehension in her expression though it’s only noticeable to you. “Jungkook, sweetheart, I’ll make sure your suit is matching with Y/N’s of course.”

“Thank you,” he nods, lips pursed. 

Together, you glance at Valentina who already seems bored. 

“Well, I’ll come find you later, Mrs L/N,” she says, already turning to step away. 

Your mom says a quick goodbye before Jungkook and you are left alone with her and your dad. 

“Is there a reason I didn’t know about this couple's dance?”

Letting out a small laugh, Jungkook pats your dad's shoulder. “Sorry, we made that up, there isn’t a couple’s dance.“

“There isn’t?”

“No, there isn’t,” your mom answers, her brow raises as she looks between Jungkook and you. “But what I would like to know is why we just had to lie and why on earth is Valentina congratulating your father and I about you two and your relationship?”

“It’s because of me,” Jungkook answers immediately which prompts a look of surprise from your parents. “I just wanted an easy way to keep away from Valentina and saying I’m with Y/N was the best way for me to do it.” He lowers his head looking a bit ashamed. 

“Well it was actually Alex who said it first,” you say, stepping forward. “He pretty much roped us into it with Valentina right there, we were clueless.” You take Jungkook’s arm and smile at your parents. “It’s just a little white lie and honestly as long as Jungkook and I are okay with it, then it’s harmless.”

“And you are okay with it?” your dad asks. 

“Sure.”

Your mother frowns, the apprehension still not having left her expression. “And Jungkook… you’re okay with it too?”

Jungkook nods. “Very okay with it.”

“Alright then, but just be wary.” Your mom glances between you both. She opens her mouth as if to say more but shakes her head instead. “Who else knows?”

“Alex, Thalia, Alias, and now you both.”

“Hm, if you want to keep it a secret then I would keep it to that. The more people who know the more likely it is to come out.”

“Yes, I agree,” your dad says, frowning as he thinks. “Although I do think it would make sense to tell Leon and Helena.”

Your mom agrees with him. “I suppose it does but it’s up to you both.”

“Are you sure?” you ask, brows raising. It’s not unusual for your parents to share something with the Cirillo’s, but when it’s something like this, a lie, you don’t imagine your parents telling them.

Jungkook shuffles awkwardly. “Uh, they’re coming over now.”

Your mom looks up, smiling as they come over. “Yes, Y/N, after all it’s not really such a big lie. Jungkook and you do everything together anyway, how much more different can this be?”

“Right,” you nod, confused by the sentiment those words make you feel — perhaps Alex isn’t so wrong, maybe you do do everything with Jungkook. It must be giving the wrong idea to people… 

Though that doesn’t matter now since you need to seem like you’re dating him. 

“Just who I was looking for,” Mrs Cirillo beams as she approaches, but instead of looking at your mom, she’s looking at you.

“Me?” you ask, surprised. 

“Yes.” She looks at Jungkook too. “And you.”

Jungkook shares the same expression as you. “Me?”

“Oh, yes, and don’t act so shy either of you.” Her smile seems rather cheeky, as does Mr Cirillo’s who stands beside her. “What’s this I hear about you two dating now, hm?”

“Oh.” Smiling hesitantly, you prepare yourself to tell them the truth as well. This feels a bit different though because you can see the excitement in Mrs Cirillo’s face, even in Mr Cirillo. 

“I mean it’s about time,” Mr Cirillo says with a deep chuckle, looking at your parents to agree. 

Jungkook looks rather pained as he looks between them both. “Who told you?”

“Alias, of course,” Mrs Cirillo says. “He said you’ve been keeping it a secret for some time though I don’t see why, this is wonderful news!” 

She waves her hand with the statement and with it, a part of you suddenly feels like you’re being let down by yourself. It’s odd to see them so happy for Jungkook and you, only for it not to be real. 

You don’t blame them though — you’ve only been pretending to date Jungkook for a day but you’re already starting to see Alex’s point a little bit more. Having Jungkook by your side just feels right. 

Come to think of it, if anyone else asked you to pretend to be their girlfriend for a few weeks, you’d definitely say no. It would be hard to act so close with someone not only emotionally but physically, whereas thinking of the way Jungkook was so close to your side just a little while ago on the hammock, fingers curled around yours, you feel yourself coil at even the thought of being with anyone else. 

That’s not unusual though, right? The only reason you can’t imagine it with anyone else is because Jungkook is your best friend. He’s the guy you’re most comfortable around and so you feel safe with him. Thoughts pausing, your gaze drifts to him as you briefly zone out from whatever joke Mrs Cirillo is making. 

Jungkook still looks on hesitantly and the way his bottom lip moves, you can tell he’s waiting to say something. As soon as he sees his chance and quickly gets a word in. “Oh, well, actually, Mrs Cirillo, it’s not really real.”

She looks towards him and frowns a little. “What do you mean?” There’s disappointment in her tone that you (for some unknown reason) can relate to.

“It’s more of a make believe relationship, if that’s one way to put it,” your dad answers albeit looking confused himself. 

Mr Cirillo appears to be on the same brainwave as your dad as he looks confused too. “That’s absurd. I believe it very much.”

“Yes, yes,” Mrs Cirillo says, nodding. “Who wouldn’t?”

Pushing aside your own confused feelings, you help clear up this mess. “What we’re trying to say is that it’s not a real relationship.” You glance at Jungkook who looks at you and nods. “We’re just pretending to date.”

“Oh.” Their expressions fall, small frowns replacing the excitement in their eyes. 

“Why would you do that?” Mr Cirillo asks. 

“My ex is on the cruise,” Jungkook answers. “You probably remember her, Valentina?” 

There’s a few seconds of quiet until Mr Cirillo finds the name familiar. “Ah, yes, tall girl, Forero if I’m not mistaken?”

Jungkook nods, lips pursed. 

“So she’s the reason you’re doing this?” Mrs Cirillo gestures between Jungkook and you. 

Jungkook nods again. 

She sighs quietly. “Honestly, it all seems a bit fuddy duddy, Valentina is harmless. There’s better ways to keep someone away, Jungkook, wouldn’t it be better to just ask her to stay away from you?”

“That might come across as more rude than this,” you say with a shrug. “Also, we ought to mention that this was all Alex’s idea.”

“Alex?!” Mrs Cirillo exclaims. “Did he even ask you first?”

“Nope,” you shake your head with a smile having absolutely no qualms throwing your best friend under the bus. 

“Oh, why didn’t you say so sooner?” Mrs Cirillo turns and reaches for her husband's hand. “Leon, I do believe that boy is getting almost as troublesome as his older brother.”

Mr Cirillo laughs. “Oh, it’s just a little fun, besides, having Jungkook and Y/N pretending to play house can’t be all that bad.” He turns to Jungkook and you and winks.

You return his cheek with a smile. “It’s actually easier than it looks.”

“I’m sure it is,” he quips with a quick raise of his brow. His smirk seems telling but you don’t think anything of it at the moment as you feel Jungkook’s hand on your arm.

“Just don’t tell anyone please,” he says, chuckling nervously.

“Of course not,” Mrs Cirillo says. “I think Alex may have been onto something anyway.” She glances towards your mom and they share a smile. “Let’s get something to drink, hm?”

Your mom laughs, taking her arm. “Yes, please, I need one.”

Together, they walk off and to you it looks like they’re high schoolers sharing secrets again — you’re sure they’re going to have lots to talk about again today. 

Mr Cirillo chuckles as they go off. “Three guesses what they’re talking about,” he says quietly to your dad who shares a smile with his friend before they both turn to Jungkook and you.

“Well, I think I’m going to go and look for more dessert,” you say, slowly taking a step back to excuse yourself and Jungkook. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna do that too,” Jungkook says, nodding his head at your dad and Mr Cirillo.

“Of course, I’ll see you later on,” your dad smiles. His eyes fall to where Jungkook’s hand is holding your arm and his smile grows just a little wider but before you can think anything of it, Mr Cirillo makes a comment.

“That’s a nice suit you’re wearing, Jungkook.” He nods, looking visibly impressed.

“Thanks.”

Mr Cirillo continues. “I remember when you would wear your suits from those high street stores with the cheap labels but look at you now, kid.”

Pausing in your slow retreat, you blink. You’ve known Mr Cirillo all your life so you know that the comment really holds no ill intent, and also bearing in mind the fact that you know just how much he has come to admire Jungkook and cares for him as much as he does for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay for Mr Cirillo to make a comment like that.

Jungkook only smiles, though he doesn’t need to say anything for anyone to see that the backhanded compliment isn’t appreciated. He continues to step away but now you’re rooted firmly in the spot.

“Well with a personality like his and far more brains than most people combined, Jungkook has never needed material to make him look good, wouldn’t you agree, Mr Cirillo?” Your expression is friendly enough but your tone? Not so much.

He smiles awkwardly, immediately having understood his mistake. “Does that mean the opposite for myself?” he asks lightly.

“Oh, I’ve never thought so,” you say, smiling plastically. “Those words came from your own mouth.”

Mr Cirillo laughs. “You’re a sharp one, Y/N. That's why I like you a lot.”

“Likewise, Leon,” you wink, reaching for Jungkook’s arm. “Now we’ll be off.”

Mr Cirillo still chuckles and you catch your dad smiling at you as you walk away with Jungkook.

“Did you just call him ugly?” Jungkook asks with a small laugh once you're out of earshot. 

“I didn’t call him anything,” you shrug.

He laughs again, coming to a stop with you near the dessert table where you both browse the selection. “You know I could’ve answered myself though,” he says after a moment. 

Taking your pick, you turn to him with a small pout. It’s not the first time someone has made a comment about Jungkook that has annoyed you more than him, and you know that Jungkook prefers to pick and choose his battles wisely, unlike you always feeling as though you have to say something. 

“I know, sorry,” you wince a little. “Force of habit.”

“It’s okay,” he smiles, taking a bowl of Eton mess. 

Together, you start walking towards the same hammock you were previously sitting at.

“I actually think it’s kinda cute,” he adds.

Your brows raise inquisitively. “Having me as your knight in shining armour?”

He shrugs, taking a spoonful into his mouth as you both sit down. “More like my princess with her many privileges.” His lips curl into a smile as he says it.

Laughing, you lean back comfortably into the hammock. “Well, of course, Mr Cirillo wouldn’t dare say anything to me.”

“And no one else other than you would insult Mr Cirillo to his face.”

Holding up your fork, you laugh again. “I only implied, there’s a difference.”

Jungkook hums, leaning back next to you. He takes a big spoonful into his mouth, eating this slowly while you steal some of his. Swallowing, he sits up a little beside you. “You know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Looking up at him, you frown. “Do what?”

“Pretend to date me.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to?”

He shrugs. “If it makes you uncomfortable, or even if you just don’t want to.”

“I don’t mind,” you say, sitting up with him.

He doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, watching your expression for any signs of a lie. “You sure?”

“I’m sure,” you repeat.

With those words, Jungkook seems to relax. “Okay.” Faint traces of a smile appear on his face as he leans back. 

“The soap here smells amazing,” Thalia says, bringing her hands to her nose to sniff again a few times after drying them. 

Tossing your used hand towel in the hamper, you take a sniff too. “Mm, it does. I smell coconut.”

“And yuzu,” Thalia says, still inhaling the smell. 

Laughing, you pull her hands away from her nose as you walk out of the washroom together. 

The corridor is dimly lit as you walk back towards the restaurant but you’re very impressed by the interior, the burgundy and golden interior of this part of the venue complimenting each other well, especially with the many plants lining the corridors. 

“Where’s Alex?” you ask.

“Somewhere around here,” Thalia answers. “Honestly I lost him an hour ago after he went to check out the golf course here.”

“There’s a golf course here?” you ask, surprised. Though really you don’t know why you’re surprised, walking to the bathroom was a mission on its own, this place is huge. 

“Yeah they have everything, tennis courts, basketball, there’s even a riding school.”

At that, your ears perk up. “Are the horses available to hire?”

Thalia turns to you with a smile. “You wanna go for a canter?”

“Can we?” You ask, eyes lighting up too. “Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve been riding.”

“We’ll have to ask but I’m sure my dad could sort something out for us. Although we have booked a resort for when we get to Barcelona and later on in Malta too. They’re renowned for their riding instructors.”

Laughing, you walk around the next corner together. “How have you booked resorts while we’re on a cruise? I bet Mrs Cirillo had something to do with it,” you add, knowing that she always has to have everything and the best of it for her kids.

Thalia nods with a smile. “My mom and yeah, Helena. They’ve been planning this for a year, of course there’s going to be something for everyone.” 

“Strippers?” you ask, brows raising.

“Except that.”

“Hm, fair,” you say, frowning as you walk around another corner. “Anyway, I don’t really care for the instructors but it’ll have to be Barcelona. I just wanna ride, it’s been so long since I last went.”

Thalia agrees. “Sure, I’ll ask my dad, I’m pretty sure he’s already friends with the owner of the one in Barcelona so it should be easy.”

“Great,” you smile, excited by the thought, though your smile turns into a frown as you realise you’re walking by the same door you just walked out of a little while ago. 

At the same time, Thalia slows down. “Are we lost?” she asks.

Looking up at the women’s washroom sign, your frown deepens. “Yeah, I think we’ve just gone in a circle.” You look up and down the corridor, taking a few steps in the opposite direction from which you just came to follow a different path. “Maybe we should try going left from here instead?”

“There really should be a clearer exit,” Thalia huffs. “My feet hurt.”

Laughing, you glance back at her. “I don’t think anyone was taking into account the fact that people might be walking in 6-inch heels down these corridors– oh.” Mid-sentence, you bump into someone as you’re walking around the next corner. “Sorry,” you say, looking up at the guy as you feel steady hands on your arms to stop you from stumbling. 

“I’m so sorry,” he says at the same time, looking down.

Oh. 

His brows knit together before a smile breaks out on his face. “Y/N?”

“Lawrence!” A smile appears on your face embarrassingly fast. “Hi!”

He chuckles softly, taking a step back and taking his hands with him. You don’t know whether to appreciate the sweetness or be sad they’re gone.

Lawrence Goldman is one of the most beautiful men you’ve ever laid eyes on with a personality to match, and he was your high school crush for years. He was everyone’s crush to be honest, but even in uni, you never were able to stop swooning over him, but that’s all it’s ever been, a crush. For some reason, you could never let yourself take it further despite him showing interest a few times. 

“It’s been so long, my gosh, how are you?” he asks, eyes skimming your figure. “You look absolutely amazing,” he adds without a second thought.

“Hey again,” Thalia says, appearing beside you.

Lawrence gives her a smile, his attention quickly returning to you.

“I’m great,” you beam, “how are you? I’m surprised to see you, I thought you were working in Singapore?”

“I am,” he nods before looking at Thalia. “Well I was, but there was no way I was gonna miss this one’s wedding.”

Thalia laughs, putting her arm around him briefly. “Love you for it, Goldie.”

Lawrence rolls his eyes at the nickname and you smile. Thalia and Lawrence attended the same prep school before reuniting in college, and it’s through Lawrence that Thalia was introduced to Alex and the rest of you — your world is apparently a very small world so Lawrence being here really shouldn’t be a surprise to you, but with everything else going on, you may have forgotten about Lawrence. 

“I’ve only just joined because I had a meeting I couldn’t miss yesterday,” he adds, eyes skimming down your figure once more while he thinks you’re still smiling at Thalia but you definitely don’t miss it. 

“Ah, I see.” You can’t help it when you mirror his actions, noting how the top two buttons of his shirt are undone, giving a peak of the chain he’s always worn since he Longbottom-ed — he clearly knows the effect it has. “So you’re joining us for the rest of the cruise?” When your eyes meet his again, his lips curl into a smirk. 

“Yes,” he nods. “I’ll be here.”

Noticing Thalia glancing between you both, you realise you ought to stop whatever weirdness is going on right now before she thinks there’s something between you, not that she won’t ask you herself anyway. 

“Well that’s great,” you smile, taking a step closer to Thalia’s side.

“Mhm, I’m looking forward to spending time with you,” he says.

Your response is on the top of your tongue — “so am I” — and you intend to say it with a flutter of your lashes, but before you can say anything, Thalia answers for you. 

“We all are,” she grins, hand winding around your waist where she squeezes with a light force when she says the next words. “Including Jungkook and Alex.”

For a second you’re confused but the mention of Jungkook sparks your memory and you remember everything that’s happened in the past few days.

Jungkook and you are dating — you realise now why Thalia interjected and she was right to do so, otherwise you might’ve made a silly mess by opening yourself up to flirting with Lawrence. 

“Oh, yes,” you answer, perking up. “Jungkook will definitely be happy to see you I’m sure, it’s been a while since we all met last.”

“Yeah?” Lawrence casually responds. 

“Of course,” Thalia says with a wiggle of her brows. “Y/N is his girlfriend, she would know of course.”

As you smile dutifully, you catch the confusion briefly show on Lawrence’s face before he quickly disguises it as surprise. “You and Jungkook?” he says, lips turning into a smile. It’s the kind of smile that could mean many things. 

“Yep,” you nod, lips pursed in a smile. 

Something resembling a sigh leaves him. “You guys will have to catch me up on that for sure,” he says.

“There’ll be lots to catch you up on,” Thalia grins, “but right now, can we figure out how to get out of here?”

Lawrence chuckles, stepping to the side. “Of course, I know the way.” He gestures towards the left, waiting for you and Thalia to pass. 

As you fall into stride with Thalia on one side and Lawrence on the other side, you can’t help but feel some kind of disappointment at Lawrence’s reaction, though what did you expect? 

Of course he’s not going to say or do anything differently, and as long as you’ve agreed to be Jungkook’s girlfriend, you shouldn’t want him to react any differently. You’re lucky Thalia stepped in when she did or you might’ve completely forgotten you’re supposed to be in a relationship with someone else and would’ve ended up blowing the story for Jungkook entirely. 

“Ah, here we are!” Thalia skips forward out into the late evening night.

The view on the balcony now is even more beautiful with fairy lights adorning the trees along its perimeter. Everyone you recognise seems to be congregating towards one area as it’s almost time to leave to board the cruise ship again. 

“Oh there you are.” Jungkook appears from the middle of the crowd, not seeming to have noticed Lawrence who’s more closely following Thalia. “We’re leaving soon, here.” He hands you your purse you left with him a while earlier. 

“Thanks,” you answer, taking it and checking you haven’t left anything else. “Sorry, we got a bit lost inside.”

“Mhm, that’s fine, I was just about to come look for you anyway,” Jungkook says, looking at Thalia and only then does he notice Lawrence. The lines expressing concern in his face deepen into confusion.

Seeing this change, Lawrence smiles. “Hey mate.”

In a split second Jungkook’s confused frown changes to a smile. “Lawrence!” Reaching forward, the two share a pleasant exchange. 

“It’s been a while, how’ve you been?”

“Not bad, yourself?”

Jungkook nods. “I’ve been alright.”

“Better than alright from what I hear,” Lawrence says, brow raising as he glances in your direction. 

Jungkook’s gaze follows and you smile with a little shrug, subtly nodding at Jungkook.

“Ah.” Jungkook chuckles, taking a step towards your side. “Well, yeah, better than alright,” he confirms with a very believable smile. 

Lawrence laughs, looking between you. From behind him, you catch Thalia standing beside Alex as they watch the interaction play out. 

“I think it’s amazing,” Lawrence says, patting Jungkook’s arm. “You two are great together.”

“You’ve only just seen us again,” you say with a smile. 

“Hm, I’ve seen it for years,” Lawrence replies with a nod of his head and a small sigh as he looks at you. He’s still smiling but when you look at him, the brightness in his eyes has faded. “Trust me,” he says quieter than before, “I was always watching.”

Pursing your lips, you smile but you still feel self conscious as his gaze on you doesn’t budge. “That sounds a little stalker-ish, Lawrence,” you chuckle. 

Laughing, he shrugs. “Might’ve been. I always was a bit of a recluse.”

“I wouldn’t say you were a recluse.”

He arches his brow, lips morphing into a cocky smile. “Then what would you say I was?”

Mirroring his expression, you scoff. “What d’you want me to say, huh? Tall, handsome and mysterious?”

“Took the words right from my mouth,” he says smugly. 

“Ha,” you laugh. Despite it being somewhat true, you respond to say otherwise. “You wish.”

Lawrence smiles. “Ah, I guess those words are reserved for this one, huh?” He nods towards Jungkook. 

“Hm…” you look towards Jungkook who smiles with his lips pursed. It’s not his usual full smile and behind it there seems to be a reservation that tells you he’s being more quiet than usual. Nudging him gently, you beam when he meets your eyes. “Nah, I’ve got better words for this one.”

He nods and chuckles quietly but only briefly. 

You wonder what’s caused the shift in his mood since he seemed so bright only a moment ago when greeting Lawrence. 

“Oh, you’ll have to tell me all about it, I’m interested to hear how things happened between you,” Lawrence says.

Humming quietly, you nod as your attention remains on Jungkook. “Some other time, I think we need to get moving now,” you say, nodding towards the crowd of moving guests ahead of you. 

“Ah, yes,” he answers, turning to look behind him. “I’ll see you around though, yeah?” He places his hand on your arm. 

You don’t pay much attention to it but feel Jungkook pull on your hand gently. 

“Yeah man, we’ll see you around,” he says, reaching to pat Lawrence’s arm. 

Lawrence nods, throwing you a smile before he turns and joins the rest of your party. 

As he walks away, Jungkook turns to you. “Shall we go too?”

You nod, allowing him to lead the way, hand still in yours. There’s a hum of conversation around you as everyone makes their way back towards the cars to take you to the port, but you’re grateful no one interrupts the two of you as you walk alone, a little behind the rest. 

“You okay?” you ask after a quiet moment. 

Jungkook answers almost right away. “Yeah. You?”

“Mhm.” You watch him as he kicks some of the sand beneath his feet with every step. “You sure though?”

He turns to look at you, a smile on his lips though his brows furrow a little in the middle. “Yeah, why?”

“Just,” you shrug. “I thought you seemed a bit quiet back there with Lawrence.”

Jungkook turns away and shrugs. “I’m all good, no reason not to be.” 

It’s not exactly convincing to you, but you take his word for it. If it’s something he wants to tell you, he’ll tell you in his own time if he wants to. Or, it’s actually just nothing and you’re overthinking this for no reason. After all, there is no explanation that you can think of for Jungkook to be upset with Lawrence, especially when he was so happy to see him just now. Yes, you’re just overthinking it. 

“Y/N, Jungkook, please be on time for breakfast tomorrow and not an hour late like last time,” your mother scolds airily as she waves her hand behind her. 

“Yes, mom,” you smile as she turns into her cabin. 

“Will do,” Jungkook nods, raising a hand to say good night to your parents. 

Once their door is closed, Jungkook continues to walk with you towards your cabin. 

“You better wake up earlier this time,” you yawn, pulling out your key card. 

Jungkook scoffs, coming to a stop next to your door. “Me?!” He rests his hand against the door frame, leaning closer. “You’re the one who was still sleeping when I came down.”

Smiling, you shake your head. “You have no proof.”

He matches your smile, cocking his head. “Alright, I’m recording you tomorrow morning, don’t get mad at me when I get your bed head and dried dribble face on camera.”

“Hey,” you pout, leaning against the door frame. “I don’t dribble.”

Jungkook shrugs, smiling. ”Tomorrow I’ll have proof.”

You narrow your eyes at him, internally vowing to wake up early so you can be ready before he comes to you. “There’s no—“

“Oh, Jungkook, Y/N!” 

The sickeningly sweet cotton candy voice has your smile faltering. Jungkook winces, his face hidden from Valentina as she approaches from behind you. 

Slowly, you turn around to face her.

“Well isn’t this just perfect,” she beams, coming to stop beside you both. “We’re neighbours here!” 

Chuckling, you nod your head. “That really is perfect.” 

Valentine smiles again, glancing between the two of you before shrugging. “Well,” she sighs, opening her purse to look for her key card. “Don’t mind me, I was just grabbing a few things. You two enjoy your night.” She waves airily but doesn’t move. 

“Mhm, you too,” you nod. 

As she pulls out her key card, she’s just about to walk away before she pauses to focus on Jungkook and a delicate frown appears on her face. 

Glancing at him, you’re not surprised to see she’s frowning. Jungkook hasn’t said a word and he looks rather pained right now.

“Jungkook, are you okay?” She tilts her head. “You look a little…” She steps closer, frown deepening as she moves until all of a sudden she stops. “Oh.” Her eyes widen, an apologetic pout appearing on her face. “I see, was I interrupting something?” She asks, pointing between you both. 

For a second you’re confused — yes, she interrupted your conversation with Jungkook and she knows that already — but then you remember that you’re supposed to be in a romantic relationship with Jungkook, and the expression on Valentina's face tells you she thinks she’s interrupted something else. 

Jungkook is obviously just as confused. “Huh?”

“You’re both going to bed now, are you not?”

He frowns. “Uh, yeah…”

“Yes, I thought so. Apologies then…” She glances down towards Jungkook’s crotch as the words that follow imply it — “oh, sorry, I must’ve put that fire out.”

A strangled noise escapes Jungkook’s throat and he looks relatively mortified. “What?— no!” He takes a step closer to your side while you somehow pull him closer to your side protectively in an attempt to hide him from her. 

Valentina doesn’t respond to the expressions on neither of your faces and only sighs disappointedly, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. “I remember there was a time when I was the one to ignite the fire in your loins.”

The same strangled noise comes from Jungkook and you have to stop from bursting out into laughter. 

“Val,” Jungkook says, “were you not going somewhere?”

“Oh, yes.” She perks up, smiling brightly again. “Well you two lovebirds go ahead.” 

Just when you expect her to walk away, she doesn’t. In fact she stands there waiting for Jungkook and you to go into what she thinks is your shared cabin. 

“We will,” Jungkook says with the fakest smile you’ve seen on him.

Valentina only nods, still waiting.

Jungkook is about to say something again but you know there’s no point. Unlocking your door, you pull him into your room with you. “Bye, Val.”

“Good night,” you hear her respond as the door closes shut. 

Turning around to face Jungkook, you look at him with an expression crossed between shock and amusement. “Oh my God, how did you ever date her?!”

Jungkook groans, collapsing face down onto the end of your bed. “I swear she isn’t that bad, she’s doing it on purpose,” he says, muffled into the sheets.

Humming, you sit at the end of your bed beside him. “I guess so.” You lie down so you’re level with him.

Lying beside him, it’s quiet for a moment as you replay the exchange in your head. “So, she must’ve really been something if she was igniting the fire in your loins.” You can’t help but snort after saying it and Jungkook laughs beside you too, head still buried. 

Now that Valentina isn’t here, you allow yourself to laugh at it and you’re glad Jungkook does too. By the time you’re done laughing at it, you’re wiping away tears.

Lifting his head, he shakes his head. “This isn’t gonna be easy,” he says. 

“Yeah, she really doesn’t make it easy,” you respond quietly. 

Both of you fall silent for a moment again, listening carefully to see if you can hear her footsteps. 

“I can’t hear her anymore,” Jungkook says.

“Me neither.” You turn to look at him. 

He props himself up on his elbows. “So what now?”

“Well, we could wait till she goes away and then you sneak out,” you think aloud. “But how are we gonna do that every night?”

Jungkook nods, understanding. “So I should just stay?”

“I’m cool with it if you are,” you shrug.

For a moment, Jungkook doesn’t say anything, then he looks at you with a soft frown creasing his forehead. “Are you sure?”

“Totally sure,” you nod, rolling onto your side to lean on your elbow. “Besides, it’s not like we’ve made things easy for ourselves,” you add with a laugh. 

The lines seem to have disappeared from Jungkook’s face but when your eyes search for some kind of clue to his feelings, you find something you can’t decipher hiding behind the brown of his eyes. 

He smiles, releasing a soft breath as he does so, and only now do you realise how close your face is to his. 

“Promise me you’ll tell me if you feel uncomfortable?” he says. 

Nodding, you lift your pinky finger. 

He raises his own hand and closes his own pinky finger around yours. 

“I will,” you promise him.

His smile grows and oddly, you feel your heart do a little flutter in your chest as a warm feeling spreads through you. You’re suddenly reminded of how you felt earlier on in the evening as you lay on the balcony with Jungkook… has he always made you feel this way? Before you can let yourself think about it, Jungkook is leaping off the bed and with him, the feeling disappears. 

“So, I don’t plan on having your mum tell me off tomorrow morning so I’m going to sleep.” He turns to look at you, placing his hand on his hips.  “Slight problem though, my clothes are in my cabin.” 

“Then go get them, duh,” you answer.

“What if Valentina is still outside?” he says, pointing to the door. “It’s only been a few minutes, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s trying to eavesdrop on us right now.”

“Hmm…” you can’t deny he has a point. “Well I guess,” you say, dropping your voice to a whisper, “you won’t know until you try.”

“Alright,” Jungkook sighs, grabbing his phone from the bed. 

You follow him to the door and you’re actually almost surprised when he opens it to reveal no one is there. Jungkook turns to look at you sporting a similar expression on his face and shrugs before stepping out. 

“I guess that makes things easier for us—“

You’re interrupted mid-sentence as Jungkook immediately turns back into the room with a slightly panicked expression, barging into you. 

“Jungkook!” Losing your balance, you feel yourself falling backwards with Jungkook stumbling forward. Your ass hits the floor first and you just manage to bring your arms behind you in time but your head still hits the carpeted floor behind you, and Jungkook who seems to fall in slow motion with you, eventually lands on top of you. 

“Oh I’m sorry,” he mumbles, pushing himself up onto his forearms.

“That really hurt,” you groan, squirming on the floor. You’re grateful the floor is carpeted but both your head and ass still hurt. 

Jungkook looks down at you with concern replacing any previous features. “Where?” 

Rubbing the back of your head, you frown at him. “Everywhere. Why’d you turn back?”

“She’s right there!” Jungkook suddenly whispers instead. “She was practically having sex against the wall with some guy.”

Still recovering from your fall, you look at him confused. “What?”

Jungkook grimaces. “She was outside her room with some guy.”

“But we just saw her!” you respond in a hushed whisper. 

“I know! He must’ve been close by and they were making out like their lives depended on—” 

“Well, this is interesting.”

Rolling your eyes at the sound of her voice, you let your head drop back onto the floor while Jungkook scrambles to move off of you. Moving beside you, he reveals Valentina standing at the door, her lipstick smudged and her hair a bit messier than it was a little while earlier.

She narrows her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. “Foreplay on the floor is new to me, and leaving the door open…” She looks directly at Jungkook. “I didn’t know you were into voyeurism.”

Jungkook visibly freaks out, getting up and pulling you with him. “No, gosh, it was an accident.”

Valentina frowns. “I don’t judge, Jungkook,” she says matter-of-factly.

“I wouldn’t care if you did,” he replies almost exasperatedly. “But this was just an accident, we fell over.”

“Hm, okay,” she says with a shrug as she glances at the bed. 

You know she doesn’t believe him but really there’s nothing else you can say to make her think otherwise. Besides, you don’t really care what she thinks while your head still hurts. 

“Well, anyway, I’ve got to go.” She looks back at you with a smirk. “How about we both do our best to keep it down tonight, hm?” she winks before turning and fluttering her fingers. “Ta-ta angels, see you in the morning!”

As soon as she’s disappeared from view, you go shut the door behind her, leaning against the wood. 

“Okay, she is so doing it on purpose.”

“I know,” Jungkook agrees almost immediately. “I don’t get why though.”

“I know why,” you say, raising your brows. “She probably still isn’t over you.”

Jungkook shakes his head. “If anything, she’s just not used to people moving on from her. Her exes were always all over her when we were together.”

“So she expects you to go crawling back to her?”

“Pretty much,” he shrugs. “She’s really not helping herself though. Maybe I should talk to her, tell her to just give me space…” He looks at you, raising his brow in question.

“You could, but I reckon she’ll just act innocent and pretend she has no clue what you’re talking about.”

“True,” Jungkook sighs.

“Look, it’s fine,” you say, walking over to the drawer. “It’s just Val, nothing we haven’t dealt with before.” Throwing a set of satin pyjamas on the bed, you turn around to face him again. “Besides, I’m tired now, my head hurts and I’d like to sleep.”

The frown on Jungkook’s face doesn’t disappear. “It still hurts?” he asks, coming over to you. 

“Yeah, you knocked me over pretty hard, my ass hurts too,” you pout.

Jungkook chuckles, hands coming to rest on your shoulders and he squeezes gently. “Want me to massage it?” he jokes.

“Ooh, good idea. Let’s leave the door open too,” you laugh.

Jungkook smiles, still giving you a shoulder massage and you feel yourself letting go slowly. 

“Mm,” you hum softly, head relaxing. Jungkook steps closer and you let your forehead rest against his chest.

You don’t realise as Jungkook’s hands stop working and gently make their way around your waist, holding you up as you get lost in the warmth of his embrace.

“Should we go to bed before you fall asleep here?” Jungkook says after a moment. 

Pulling away from him, you smile with tired eyes. “Dibs on the bathroom first.”

Jungkook obliges and sits down on your bed while you go first. When it’s his turn, he goes quickly since he has the most minimal night time routine, one of which you’ve always been envious of. 

You’re just finishing brushing your hair when he’s coming out.

“What time is it?” he asks, stepping out as he dries his face. 

“Almost two,” you respond, getting up to walk over to your pyjamas on the bed. 

Jungkook turns around without being told, facing the opposite direction. “D’you think I could go get my clothes from upstairs now?”

You pull on your pyjama bottoms. “Probably not. I don’t think I have anything that would fit you either.”

“What do I do then?” Jungkook asks, his confused tone making you laugh.

“Don’t act like you don’t sleep naked half the time, Jeon.”

“Well when I’m alone, yeah. I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable,” he says.

“I’m not, don’t worry.” You clamber into bed, pulling the sheets up to your shoulders as you get comfortable. “Just get into bed.”

Still facing away from you, Jungkook shrugs before pulling off his top. You don’t realise you’re staring at him strip until he starts pulling down his pants.

Abruptly, you pull the covers up even higher so you can’t see him. You hear him shuffling and then he stops but you can’t feel him getting into bed.

“Really?” he says. “My abs offend you that much?”

You can’t help but laugh, still keeping your eyes closed as you move the sheets down but place your hand in front of your eyes instead.  “Actually, they make for pretty good eye candy.”

Jungkook gasps scandalously, still shuffling about the room. “Have you been checking me out, Y/N?”

Cocking your head, you smile. “Now what kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t appreciate you and your God given looks, hm?”

“A terrible one.”

“Exactly.”

“So why are you covering your eyes?” he asks, his voice growing louder as you feel the covers move beside you. 

“Because there’s another friend of yours that I don’t think I should be seeing as your best friend,” you say, ignoring the way you feel your cheeks go warm when you say it, and especially the way Jungkook’s deep chuckle sounds as you notice the bed dip beside you.

“He’s covered,” he says quietly.

“Not enough.”

Jungkook laughs again and this time you can feel his body beside yours. “That friend is hidden safe and sound, Y/N. You can look now.”

Peeking your eyes open slowly, you see Jungkook right beside you in bed. He’s sitting up, smiling down at you with his abs eye level to you. You’ve seen Jungkook topless before plenty of times, but being this close and being in bed with him is new to you. You’re sure it’s the reason you feel your heart rate rising. 

“Good,” you say, turning away. “Now hide the eye candy please. It’s bedtime, I’ve brushed my teeth and I’m not trying to get a cavity.”

Jungkook laughs, sliding down further into the bed to cover himself up to his shoulders. 

“They’re that sweet, huh?”

“I’d be disappointed if they weren’t, all that time in the gym would just be a waste.”

“Now that’s true,” Jungkook says with a smile, shifting in the bed so he’s more comfortable.

You hum quietly, staying still as Jungkook moves. Only once he’s found his comfortable position, then you do the same, turning onto your belly facing him. 

Jungkook happens to be facing you too and he smiles sleepily as his eyes close. “Good night, Y/N.”

Your eyes remain open for a few seconds as you look at him a little longer. “Mhm, night Koo,” you whisper, smiling even though he can’t see you. 

He looks pretty when he sleeps. You take in every one of his features, unaware that there is still a smile on your face as you do so.

Catching you unaware, Jungkook winks an eye open. “What’re you looking at, hm?” he asks softly with a teasing lilt to his voice. 

You feel flustered, eyes going wide. “There’s something on your face,” you say quickly, brushing nothing off of his face. “Eyelash or something,” you mutter, subconsciously shifting away from him a little since the close proximity definitely isn’t helping. 

“Uh-huh,” he nods, hiding a smile. 

You’re not sure what it is about his smile that makes your heart skip a beat and your senses go fuzzy like they’ve done so more than once now because of Jungkook. It’s odd, he’s not doing anything different, yet you feel different. Mentally, you officially dub this The Jungkook Effect. 

There’s not much you can say to defend yourself so you press your eyes shut and fight back a smile yourself. “Well, anyway, good night.”

“You sure you wanna sleep?” Jungkook teases. 

“Oh shut up,” you say with a laugh, you pull one of the pillows out from behind your head and place it in the small space between your torsos. 

Jungkook lifts his own head off his pillow and looks down at it with an amused smile. “Is this really necessary?”

Lifting your own head and resting on your palm, you arch your brow at him. “I’ve read enough books to know what happens when two people who aren’t dating share a bed.”

Jungkook mirrors your expression and dares to move an inch closer. “And what’s that?”

Smiling like the little know it all you are, you answer, “They wake up in the morning with someone’s cute ass, which would be mine in this case, conveniently pushed up against someone’s dick.”

Jungkook clicks his tongue and the smirk on his lips is clear as day. “Ah, which would be mine,” he says, briefly looking down. His lips look wet when he says it and for some reason you find yourself wanting this conversation to continue on the same wavelength it is right now… but it’s also at this moment you realise you’re lying in bed and practically flirting with your best friend.

“Exactly,” you say, letting out a small breath as you fall back into your pillow, looking up to the ceiling.

Pursing his lips, Jungkook hides a smile. “Well I guess we definitely don’t want that to happen.”

You stifle a laugh as you lightly whack him with the pillow between you before putting it back in its place. “Shut it, Jeon.” 

He chuckles, falling back into his pillow. “Just kidding,” he murmurs, sliding further beneath the covers and getting comfortable. “Good night, Y/N.”

With a tired smile, you hum. “Good night, Koo.”

The stops at St Tropez and Nice both pass as quickly as the first few cities in Spain and before you know it, you’ve visited all the cities scheduled for France too. The stop in Barcelona has been your favourite so far though — the resort the Diamindis’ booked for the families on the cruise most definitely did not disappoint and the riding you got to do was just a big bonus, especially watching Alias struggling with his mare. 

The whole Jungkook situation has been pretty easy to navigate too. Now that the important people in your life know it’s not real, it makes it easier and Jungkook and you only need to behave as you normally do so you’re both happy. On top of that, you’ve noted that you haven’t had any more experiences with the Jungkook effect, though you’re not sure you can say that pleases you. 

It’s also been a while since you’ve hung out with Lawrence. He seemed to stay close in the first few days but you figured it must be his parents encouraging him to socialise with some of the other families since he’s not at home much. This became true enough when you saw him stuck at a table in some fancy restaurant in Nice with the Maddison’s. 

Although you did hope to get to spend some more time with Lawrence, at least for old times sake, you can’t say you care much, especially since Sophia has finally joined you. 

“Why don’t we go to the pool?” you say, raising your brows at Sophia. It’s almost midnight but you’re still lounging on a quieter deck with Jungkook and Alias. Since it’s a sea day tomorrow, you don’t need to be up early and it seems like it’ll be more fun than the last time now that Sophia is here too.

She perks up at that, turning towards you. “It’s closed right?”

“Yep, but that just makes it better,” you smile, ignoring Jungkook and Alias scoffing at your change in opinion — last time you were adamant that you should be following the rules. 

“Okay, let’s do it.” She looks at Jungkook and Alias. “You guys joining us?”

“Sure,” Alias hops up. “It’ll be fun to see Y/N break the rules,” he grins at you.

Sassing him, you get up too. “This time I’m pushing you in.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Alias tenses, flexing his biceps. “I’m 73 kilos of this,” he nods.

It’s no secret that Alias has an impressive figure, but unwilling to cave, you just roll your eyes and playfully swat his arm. “Whatever.”

“Alright, let’s meet at the top deck pool in ten minutes?” Jungkook says hopping up from the lounge. 

“Make that fifteen,” Sophia says. “I don’t know where I put all my swimsuits.”

Agreeing, you all head towards the upper decks, only splitting up to go towards your respective corridors to your cabins. Sophia and Alias go right towards the corridor where their family cabins are situated, while Jungkook and you still need to walk a little further to get back to your shared cabin.

Surprisingly, it’s been easy to share a cabin with Jungkook. Most days you come back from whatever activity you had that day and knock out easily since you’re so tired. On top of that, your pillow idea seems to be working perfectly and you haven’t experienced any awkward or uncomfortable moments. There have, however, been a few times you’ve mistaken the pillow for Jungkook and in the split second it takes you to realise it’s only the pillow, you can swear your heart skips a beat and your pulse races. The disappointment that follows is something you can’t seem to explain to yourself. 

“So Sophia comes and all of a sudden you’re Little Miss Daredevil, huh?” Jungkook says, as you walk together. 

You glance at him and note how handsome he looks today. After spending some time in the sea while in Nice, his dark locks are curled and framing his face perfectly. He walks with his hands in his short pockets and the linen material of his shirt blows in the evening air giving the occasional glimpse of his lean figure. It occurs to you that this is going to be coming off in a short while when you go to the pool—

Oop. You pause your thoughts, realising that the little flutter you just felt down south was definitely due to picturing your best friend topless. A part of you feels guilty wondering if Jungkook would be embarrassed, but you also know that Jungkook knows what you think of his physique. You pretty much said it all the other night and he’s caught you looking plenty of times before that, even making jokes about it when you did.

“She brings out that side of me,” you sigh, smiling as you descend the steps that lead towards your corridor.

“Alias and I aren’t good enough for you, huh?”

“Don’t take it personally,” you joke, and Jungkook just laughs quietly so he doesn’t wake up anyone as you walk past some cabins. 

Once back at your own, you quickly change into a bathing suit and throw on a hoodie and shorts so in case any staff see you, they don’t suspect you’re planning on going to the pool.

Alias is already waiting at the top deck and you can also see he’s brought some drinks along with him. He’s chosen not to cover up and is revealing his washboard abs for the whole world to see, and let’s not forget those killer thighs of his. 

“Beat you here,” he says without even thinking.

“Who was counting?” Jungkook says, bumping shoulders with him on purpose. 

“I was,” Alias responds, and quickly the two resort to their childish antics as Jungkook pulls him into a headlock. You choose to sit and watch, dipping your toes in the pool as you throw your hoodie to the side. 

“Guys, shut up, we can hear you from a mile away,” you hear Sophia’s voice from behind you as she climbs the steps to your deck. 

Jungkook and Alias stop mid-wrestle and you get up to pull your shorts off. 

“Huh?” Alias frowns, pulling himself free from Jungkook. “We?”

Once Sophia is standing on the deck, you see someone else coming up behind her. 

Lawrence. 

Sophia steps to the side as he steps up. “Yeah, we,” she repeats. 

“Hey guys,” Lawrence says with a harmless smile, glancing across at you all.

“Hey,” you smile back.

“Oh, hey man,” Alias waves. 

Jungkook smiles too with a nod of his head. 

“I saw Lawrence on the way so I thought I’d ask him to join us,” Sophia explains as she too pulls off an oversized hoodie. 

“I hope that’s alright,” Lawrence chuckles awkwardly.

“The more the merrier,” Alias says with a shrug. “So,” he looks at you, “who are we pushing in first?”

“You,” you smile. 

Alias spreads his arms, inviting you. “I’d love to see you try, babe.”

Glancing to his right, you subtly raise your brow at Jungkook who smiles back at you. In a split second, Alias is being lifted from the ground and tossed into the pool. 

Sophia and you jump into the pool right after, surfacing close to Alias.

“I thought we were friends,” he laughs at Jungkook splashing water towards him. “Gosh, I forgot how whipped you are.” 

Jungkook just laughs and shrugs. “Sorry, man,” is all he says.

“You getting in?” Sophia asks Lawrence as she joins you next to the pool, dipping your toes first. 

He nods. “I guess.” He glances around looking at the empty surroundings. This top deck is pretty big considering it’s wholly private.

“What?” Alias holds out his arms. “We’re not good enough for you?” he jokes. 

“Of course you are,” Lawrence says before he shrugs, lips curving into a smile. “I just think with all this space, we could do something more.”

“Oh.” Sophia raises her brows, intrigued. “Like what?”

She speaks for all of you as you all look at him.

“I risk sounding like a five year old,” he says with a small laugh, “but how about hide and seek.” He looks around again. “We’re on a ship, we’ve got plenty of hiding spaces.”

The rest of you glance at each other and it’s clear that you’re all in agreement.

Alias jumps out of the pool. “Alright, but it’s hide and seek chase.” He grabs a towel and dries himself off. “I’m it first,” he adds with a devilish smile.

“Even better,” Lawrence says, pleased that everyone is on board. “Are we splitting up or staying together?”

“I’ll go with Y/N,” Jungkook says, approaching your side as you get up from the side of the pool. The air is chilly to your wet skin but you quickly warm up as Jungkook helps you pat dry.

“I’ll stay with Lawrence,” Sophia says, walking over to his side.

“Alright let’s stick to the top two decks when hiding, but if I’m chasing you, we can go anywhere,” Alias says, pulling on a linen tee.

“Where’s the base?” you ask, covering yourself up too. 

“Here?” Sophia proposes.

“Or only inside the pool,” Jungkook adds to the suggestion with a shrug.

Lawrence nods in agreement, as do the rest of you.

“Alright,” Alias smirks. “Ready?” He doesn’t wait for an answer before starting to count down, “one hundred, ninety nine, ninety eight…”

The rest of you bolt immediately knowing that 100 seconds with Alias will only be 50, if that.

Sophia doesn’t even wait for Lawrence’s confirmation before running in the direction she came from but he follows her anyway.

With a tight hold on your hand, Jungkook pulls you in the opposite direction, already running faster than you can keep up with. 

“Slow down,” you laugh, squeezing his hand.

“C’mon,” he says without turning back and without slowing down. “We gotta get away first, he’s only gonna count to ten.”

Just as you suspected, even with the distance that’s been put between you already, you can hear Alias yell out for you all to hear.

“Ready or not, here I come.”

You’re just grateful there’s no cabins near here. 

It feels like you’re running for a mile, starting outside before Jungkook takes you through a door and down multiple corridors and even two smaller staircases you had no idea existed. He’s slower now which comes and a relief to you, but you’re still panting from all the sprinting.

“Koo, where the hell are we going?” you ask, tugging on his hand to make him stop.minutes, you find yourself on a part of the ship you’ve never been to before.

“You’re lost, aren’t you?” you say, not really caring about being lost because you’re just glad Jungkook stopped running.

“No, I’ve been here before.” Judging by the way he’s walking, it does seem like he knows where he’s going. “We’re near our cabin.” 

“Really?” You look around, frowning at your surroundings. “I don’t recognise it.”

“Yep,” Jungkook takes your hand as he taps his pass on a door to go down a corridor which you still don’t recognise but from the smell, seems to be near the kitchen. 

“Wait, Jungkook…” you pause, looking back at a small sign above where Jungkook tapped his card. Staff only. “How?” you ask in bewilderment.

Jungkook just pulls you forward with a smug look on his face “Alias gave it to me. He got one for himself and Alex too.”

Of course he did. “He’s trying to get us kicked off, I swear.”

“It’s just for a little fun,” Jungkook grins. “Besides, this way, we can win the game.”

“Yeah, except Alias can get in here too then.”

Coming to a split in the corridor, Jungkook stops. “Oh yeah,” he mumbles. “Well, 

“Hey!”

Jungkook and you both turn on the spot to the sound of a voice from ahead of you. It’s a member of staff, the same one from the night Alias and Jungkook jumped in the pool. He seemed pretty mad at the time and seeing his expression now as he starts walking towards you, he seems the same. You don’t blame him, he was chasing you guys for the better part of ten minutes.

“Run?” Jungkook whispers, his fingers clasping yours tightly.

“Run,” you nod.

Before you know it, your legs are moving as Jungkook leads you down the closest corridor.

“Hey! Stop!” 

You almost feel bad about running away, but at the same time, you know that the guy is only trying to stop you to feed whatever power trip he’s on, so you keep running as fast as you can to try to keep up with Jungkook.

“Do you know where you’re going?” you huff, looking over your shoulder.

The guy is right behind you. 

“No,” Jungkook laughs, slowing down as he sees a corridor to his right. 

“Keep going,” you laugh too, pulling him down the corridor before the guy can catch up. 

“Oi, I said stop!” he yells.

“What d’you think, Y/N?” Jungkook asks, though he shows no sign of stopping. “Should we listen to him?”

“Never,” you respond, glancing back again. He seems to be slowing down but you don’t stop yet. This time, you take the lead and go down a smaller corridor which you realise leads to a staircase.

“Up,” Jungkook ushers you, letting you go first. Luckily it;s a short one and Jungkook comes up close behind you.

“Left or right?” you ask, glancing down the corridor. The left leads to a door which heads outside, the right leads to a door which seems to hide a dimly lit corridor.

Jungkook takes your hand again, going left. As he pushes the door open, you hear the guy is still coming close behind you. “Stop,” he yells.

You’re honestly surprised he’s still chasing you but you’re also tired now and really just want to stop. “Koo, I think I have asthma,” you breathe out, feeling your steps slow down.

Jungkoook chuckles, looking back at you. “Y/N, we’ve been through this before, you don’t have asthma.”

You would pout because you know he’s righ and you still want to stop but you also don’t want that guy to catch up to you. 

Still, Jungkook glances around while jogging as though he’s looking for something. “Ah, there!”

You’re too tired to ask what, only letting Jungkook lead you across the deck to a door which takes you back inside. As you enter, you see the staff still coming behind you. Gosh, he’s bothered. After only a few yards, Jungkook uses the staff pass to open a door on your right. Inside is a small room with a few shelves lining the walls and one big one in the middle; it’s full of rescue equipment.

“What the hell, Koo?” you laugh, letting him take you inside as he closes the door quickly. 

He takes you to hide behind the biggest shelf in the middle of the room. With your back pressed against it, he stands close in front of you so he can still see the door.

When you look up at him, you see a massive grin on his face and that mischievous gleam in his eyes that you love.

“You’re crazy,” you murmur, restraining a laugh.

“Shh,” he whispers, placing his hand beside your head as he takes the smallest step closer, one that’s enough for you to feel the warmth of his breathing as his chest rises and falls so close to you. 

The sensation makes you fall quiet anyway and you’re sure that even if you did speak, no one from outside would be able to hear you, but you’re rather enjoying the feeling of having him this close to you. The smell of his perfume – your favourite – fills you with every heavy inhale as you catch your breath too, and suddenly, you find this feeling familiar.

That damned Jungkook effect. 

Since you’re stuck here hiding for a few moments, you can do nothing but just embrace it as it comes. Apparently you’re embracing it a little too much as you don’t realise your eyes close and your head slowly moves closer to his chest. It just feels so good being this close to him – feeling his warmth, smelling him… his body is so close to yours, you wonder what would happen if you just took another step forward and–

“You okay there?” Jungkook’s voice comes out low with a humorous lilt.

‘“Hm?” Your eyes go wide as you realise your head was resting on his chest. “Sorry,” you mumble, suddenly feeling your cheeks go warm. “I’m tired, it’s late.”

“Mhm, that’s okay.”

Looking up, you see the mischievous gleam in his eyes has changed to something playful. 

“You can use me as a pillow anytime,” he adds with a wink.

Scoffing, you poke him in the chest. “Well I gotta put these pecs to use somehow.”

He laughs quietly before poking his head out to the side. “Come on, I think he’s gone and we’ve got a game to get back to.”

You follow him to the door and find the corridor empty, thankfully. “Alias has probably already found the other guys.”

“That would make us the winners.”

“Mm, I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to get back to base first.”

“Oh, yeah.” Jungkook pauses, looking around. “Where is the base from here?”

“Um…” Stopping beside him, you look around too. It’s hard to tell when it’s dark but there’s some parts of the deck which look familiar to you. “I think we keep going forward.”

“Actually, I think we’ve passed the way up.”

“What?” you frown, looking up confused. 

“Well the pool was at one of the top decks and there’s one way up which we missed, no?”

“I don’t think so.”

Jungkook looks down at you, his brows raised. “Really?”

“Really,” you say, taking his hand to tug him along, except he doesn’t move. When you look back at him, you see he’s got his brows raised with a smile, one that only spells a challenge. 

“Oh, c’mon, Koo,” you sigh. 

He shrugs before swinging your hand. “Let’s see who gets there first then,” he says in a sing-songy voice.

“Fine,” you shrug, already turning away from him. “Just be careful Alias doesn’t get you on your way.”

“I’ll be fine, just look out for yourself,” he responds as he already starts skipping back the other way. 

Shaking your head, you turn back to look at your surroundings. You’re sure there’s a small staircase somewhere near here that you’re supposed to go up which should be close to the pool. It’s when you’re glancing around now that you realise it’s actually quite scary being alone on an empty deck late at night with no company but the sea.

Taking a few steps back, you look down the way you came to see if Jungkook might still be there but of course he’s not – he’s probably running to make sure he gets back before you.

Sighing, you continue down the path that seems familiar to you, only to hear a small bang from somewhere in front of you. Immediately, you’re relieved to see Lawrence coming around the corner ahead of you.

He smiles when he sees you. “Hey,” he says, voice hushed. 

“Hey,” you answer, looking behind him. “Was that bang you?”

He looks back, confused for a split second before he nods. “Oh, yeah, I just jumped down the last few steps when I was coming down.”

“Right. Where’s Alias and Sophia?”

“Well Alias tried to get me just a little while ago but I lost him,” he says, looking proud of himself before he frowns. “Where’s Jungkook?”

“We split up,” you answer with a smug smile. “He thinks the base is back this way.” You point in the direction that he went in. “But I know it’s this way.” You point in the opposite direction.

Lawrence chuckles, looking at you somewhat endearingly though it goes unnoticed by you. “Uh, Y/N, it’s the other way.”

“Huh?” you frown, looking back. “Really?” 

“Yep,” he nods, hiding an amused smile. “I can show you the way if you like?”

Sighing in defeat, you agree to go with him. “It’s not like I have any chances of beating him now.”

“Ah,” Lawrence sighs as he falls into stride beside you. “Still got the competitive streak I see?”

“Me?” you laugh quietly, glancing at him.

“Mhm, you,” he says matter-of-factly, still sporting a smile.

Looking at him now, you note how relaxed and care-free he seems. You’re not sure whether it’s because his usually swept back hair is now falling freely, or if it’s because of the glow on his face from the light sheen of sweat from the humidity of the evening air. It’s nice to see him like this, even the smile is a difference – growing up he always seemed so mysterious and quiet which no doubt had to do with the pressure he faced as an only child and a big family name to live up to. 

“Well, it’s good you remember. I won’t be losing today either,” you say with a playful nudge.

“Oh, don’t worry,” he laughs. “If we bump into Alias, I’m ditching you fast.”

“I hope so, you’re dead weight to me.”

“Hey!” He nudges you back as he still laughs, loosely running his hand through his hair.

“Mm, remember when we were kids?” you say, suddenly reminiscing. “We used to do this stuff all the time.”

Lawrence nods. “I do,” he says with a smile. “There was one Christmas, we all went up to that chalet in… oh, where was it?” he frowns, looking at you. “Courchevel?”

“Hm…” You shake your head as it rings a bell. “I don’t think so, there was only one year we celebrated Christmas abroad all together and it wasn’t in France.”

“Switzerland?”

“Yes!” You say, pointing your finger at him as you suddenly remember the finer details of the trip.  “At St Moritz, we had that massive suite at Kempinski.”

“That's the one,” Lawrence says with a smile matching yours. “D’you remember those nights we would always want to go out but our parents never let us? So we used to run around hiding from them.”

“Mhm,” you nod. “I remember Leon and Helena would get so mad, even I was scared of them but their own kids never even cared.”

“My parents got mad too but we still did it every night,” Lawrence laughs, his walk slowing down as the two of you approach the bow. “I wonder how he were so brave,” he continues, “I bet it was Alias’s idea, all the fun stuff was always his idea.”

“Mm, actually, I think it was yours,” you say, tilting your head towards him. 

“Really?” Lawrence questions, brow raised as he walks closer to the ledge overlooking the tranquil evening sea though you can’t actually see much besides a distant glittering coastline. 

“Mhm, really,” you nod, coming to stand beside him.

Lawrence turns so he’s facing you, a thoughtful expression on his face but his lips are still curved in a smile as they have been this whole time. “I’m surprised you remember.”

You shrug. “I remember a lot of things.”

Lawrence opens his mouth as though to say something before closing it. 

“What?” you ask, turning to face him too. 

He shakes his head. “I was about to ask something but it’s probably gonna sound stupid.”

“Stupid questions are my favourite to answer,” you say with a smile. 

He arches a brow, his smile changing to something more timid. “D’you remember a lot about me or just everything in general?”

You laugh, not having expected that. Lawrence isn’t really the conceited type so you don’t think it’s coming from a place of vanity, and the shy hesitancy he says it with almost makes him seem cute — like he wants you to say him.

“Both I guess,” you answer honestly. 

He laughs too, one that reminds you of the days you spent daydreaming about him. It feels almost nostalgic, certainly not the same. If this was a few years ago you might’ve gotten butterflies from just hearing that laugh but now you only feel happy to see him letting his guard down and smiling which is a rare occurrence with him.

“Are you surprised?” you ask.

“Well, yeah,” he says, still with a shyness. “I thought I just went unnoticed in school.”

“Unnoticed? You were without a doubt one of the most popular guys in school.”

He shrugs. “Never felt like it.”

You scoff in amusement. “Yeah, because imagine being the one to receive almost 100 cards on Valentine’s Day every year, not to mention the endless notes in your lockers.”

“Ah,” Lawrence laughs softly. “Okay I see your point.” He glances towards you. “Never got one from you though.”

“I was too shy,” you say, trying to hide the truth a little with a tone of sarcasm. 

“Probably would’ve said yes if it was from you,” he says with a playful smirk.

“Thanks for telling me this late,“ you laugh. “But wait…” You look at him in amusement, having just processed some of what he’s said. “So you’re telling me you had no idea that I had a crush on you in school?!”

Confusion is the first and only emotion you manage to catch on Lawrence’s face, the rest passing in a second. “I had no idea!” he says, half laughing while still in what can only be surprise. “You liked me?” He looks at you and you notice a tinge of pink colouring his cheeks.

“For a long time,” you laugh. “Though I don’t know why, you never paid me much attention until college.”

Lawrence doesn’t skip a beat when answering. “I had to! I’m two years older than you, any attention I wanted to give you throughout school might’ve just caused problems and I didn’t want that for you.”

“Well, how thoughtful of you to not want me to be the subject of stupid rumours, meanwhile I was left to pine over you,” you say somewhat sarcastically but still humourful. “If only I knew that you were being so considerate…” only now do you realise exactly what it is that Lawrence has just said… “Hang on.” You pause, brows creasing as you turn to look at him. “You what?”

Lawrence suddenly hesitates, timidly. “I had a thing for you,” he mumbles after a few seconds.

“You did?”

“Mhm, for a while. It’s always been there… still is.”

Your head is reeling… you could’ve had Lawrence. You still could have Lawrence – he’s telling you as much – but…

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” you ask softly, still dumbfounded.

“I wanted to,” he admits with a small smile, just about managing to look at you now. “Your first year of college, but you seemed so carefree and I didn’t wanna be the older guy tying you down. Even though it’s just one year, everyone has fun in first year so I wanted you to have that too.” He purses his lips before releasing a small breath as he looks away. 

“I wouldn’t have cared about that,” you say quietly with a laugh. 

To your relief, Lawrence laughs too, albeit awkwardly. “Really?”

“Yeah,” you shrug.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I tried again in my last year, your third.” He glances at you before shrugging. “I don’t think you cared for it though.”

It’s easy to remember what he’s talking about now — there’s no way you wouldn’t remember all the times Lawrence tried to shoot his shot with you, especially because you could never figure out why you denied it to him and yourself.

Lawrence continues in your moment of silence. “I always thought it was because of Jungkook.”

All the thoughts come to a standstill in your mind… 

“Now I know I was right,” Lawrence says with a wistful smile. 

Is this your answer? The reason you never wanted to pursue Lawrence even after having a crush on him for so long — because of Jungkook? 

It’s even crazier to you that right now, it doesn’t seem so bizarre. 

Jungkook has always felt right. Maybe you do care about him in more ways than you realised, maybe everything Lawrence is saying is true, and maybe everything Alex has been saying for months now is true. There’s obviously a reason you’ve started to feel differently around him, not to mention you’re always finding any and every excuse to be with him.

Lawrence continues, unaware of the thoughts unravelling in your head. “I just wish I’d had the courage to say something sooner, but it’s my fault.” He takes a step closer and the feeling of his hand brushing yours draws you back into this moment. 

Looking up, you meet his gaze to see soft eyes and furrowed brows. 

“Now it’s all out there though,” he says in a voice quiet enough to be a whisper, “I have to know…” 

His eyes search yours and he hesitates for a brief moment before you feel his fingers lace between yours. “It is too late, right?”

note. please interact with all parts and share your thoughts with me! <3 part 2 here

[pretty-little-mind33]

Tangerine x fem!reader

Summary: You never told Tangerine he has a daughter in the hopes of never seeing him again.

Genre: Angst (happy ending)

Warnings: swearing, single mom!reader, allusions to sex, pregnancy, kinda wanted to give Tan a real name for this story's sake but I couldn't decide on one (🙃) so let's all pretend Tangerine is an appropriate first name end not make it weird? kay? love you guys :)

~ honestly inspired by all of @little-miss-dilf-lover's dad!Tan content ~

Family is important to Tangerine. You've known this ever since you'd met him—which is why when you lay in the hospital bed, beads of sweat dampening your hairline and your mother asked you if you'd changed your mind and wanted someone to call him, prompting you to shake your head, it broke your heart almost more than it had the night he'd left. 

How could you keep her from him?

How could he leave you like he did? 

So, you raised your daughter on your own with the hopes that you'd never run into Tangerine or his brother. By Cerise's fourth birthday, there were still no signs of them and as much as you ignored how her brown curls reminded you of him and how she had his mannerisms, you couldn't deny their similarity anymore. 

"Darling, you can't have candy now, it's almost supper," you reprimand when Cerise reaches for a candy bar as you pay for your groceries and the older lady at the counter chuckles.

Cerise looks at you with an annoyed pout as she crosses her arms. You ruffle her hair, "I'm sorry, Cece," you say and kiss her forehead behind her bangs.

You're too busy with the cashier to see Cerise slip down from the cart and wander off. When you finish paying and turn to hand her a box of raspberries, your heart sinks. "Cece?" you call, turning to the old woman who doesn't know how to help you.

Your heart thumps loudly, your skin clammy and cold as you abandon your groceries and call out again, "Cerise!"

The store isn't that huge so in theory, Cerise shouldn't be far and you just pray she didn't wander off into the open road. You feel hopeless until you turn into the fruit aisle.

Your breath leaves you when you see Cerise. "Oh thank God!" you exclaim and run to her, kneeling on your knees and pulling her into your arms. You hold her to you and caress her pigtails. "You can't scare Mummy like that, okay?" you whisper into her small shoulder. 

"The man said he would buy me candy," Cerise declares, holding onto your neck. 

"What?!" you exclaim, finally looking up at the man who'd been talking to your daughter. You're prepared to find some creepy old man but instead, a familiar face is staring down at you.

He's dressed in dressy clothes, his hair slicked neatly, and he has a thick mustache—he didn't have a mustache the last time you saw him, but that had been four years ago.  

This has to be a joke. "Y/n?" Tangerine says your name so smoothly and the sound causes a shiver down your spine. You stand, taking Cerise into your arms as she holds onto you.

"Tangerine," you whisper, staring into his striking blue eyes and you realize with a heavy heart that Cerise's are truly a carbon copy of his.

Tangerine looks at the child in your arms and clears his throat, "I- she ran over here and started talking to me. She wanted candy and I said I could buy 'er a chocolate bar if she'd help me find 'er parents—are ya—?" 

"Yeah, she's mine," you say, voice strained. "I- thank you for the offer but I told her no to candy."

Tangerine looks embarrassed and he rubs his nape as he says, "Y-yeah, sorry." He looks at Cerise more closely as she turns her head to him and smiles. "How old is she?" he asks and your heart pounds. 

Tangerine is smart, and you wonder if he sees through you already. You wonder if he'll know she's his daughter. 

You feel your cheeks warm. "She just turned four." You can't lie to him. You've never been able to lie directly to his face. He's always known you too well for that. Tangerine's face falls for a moment and you can almost see the panic. He blinks and then his expression turns blank as if a switch had been turned on. 

You always hated it when he did that.

"Ah, right, well, it'was pleasant seeing ya, darlin'," he says, adjusting his cuffs, and just like that he turns away without a second glance and he disappears from your life—again.

Your heart feels like someone had just stomped on it a thousand times and you want to cry. You hold Cerise tighter as she plays with your hair. 

He didn't even ask for her name. 

* * *

"You didn't even ask for her name?" Lemon asks with disbelief, watching from the small couch in their hotel room as his brother completely loses his mind.

Tangerine doesn't look at Lemon and his voice is strained, "Why would I do that?" 

"'Cause she's probably your kid, dimwit," Lemon sounds unamused. 

"Bull," Tangerine throws the knife he'd been using to cut an apple into the small sink and turns around, angrily popping a slice into his mouth, "Absolute bull, Lem, she's not mine. I mean—Y/n was definitely with other guys after me—like I was with other girls—" his sentence dies. 

"Yeah, 'cause you're a slut, and the only reason ya shagged those other birds that soon was because you missed 'er and wouldn't admit it. Ya know she isn't like that. She's better than ya," Lemon says honestly.

"And she was madly in love with ya. Isn't that why we left? Because she loved ya and you loved her? 'Cause ya didn't want her mixed up in our life? Do'you really think she'd fuck some other bastard that soon? No. Tangerine, that kid is yours."

Tangerine pinches the bridge of his nose, "No. She would have told me."

"Would she?" Lemon raises an eyebrow, "You left 'er."

Tangerine is annoyed at Lemon because he's right. He isn't stupid, the little girl with you had looked too much like him not to be his daughter, and that realization alone makes him want to throw up. 

He cannot be a father—not when he couldn't even be a good lover. You and your baby girl deserved so much better than him. 

"Listen, it's your life, but will ya ever forgive yourself if ya don't at least find out for sure?" Lemon adds, looking at his brother with sympathy. He shrugs. "If anything, bruv, help 'er with money. Ya'know we have loads extra and t'is the least you could do for 'er."

Tangerine knows Lemon's right—at least on the money. He wants you and your baby to live comfortably. 

"Yeah," is all he answers. 

* * *

You feel tired gross and dirty as Cerise runs around your small suburban house outside of the city, refusing to put on her socks. You haven't showered in three terribly long days and your hair is a mess.

"Cece, no, come here," you say, desperately trying to keep your phone pressed to your ear to continue your conversation.

"No mum, I know that and I've been looking around but I can't afford any private pre-schools," you say, catching Cerise mid-run and scooping her into your arms, "I turned out just fine without a fancy pre-school, didn't I?"

Your mother continues to chat your ear off you hear the doorbell and you position Cerise on your hip, ignoring her cries as you try and find her little feet. "Mum, someone's at the door, I'll call you later, okay," you say, walking and opening the door.

You're thankful that your mother hung up because otherwise, she would have heard your gasp as you see who your visitor is.

"Tangerine," you say, holding Cerise closer as you put your phone in the back pocket of your jeans. 

"Hi, darlin'," Tangerine says. He's holding a basket filled with cookies, candies, and flowers. Your favorites. "Can I come in?" he asks.

You're star-struck as you nod and move aside so he can come inside. You shut the door behind him and set Cerise down, who immediately runs back to the living room where her toys are scattered around. Tangerine can't hide his smile as he watches her. "How did you find me?" you ask quietly, which causes him to turn around and hand you the basket. 

You take it as he says, "I have my ways," he cracks an all-too-familiar smile that makes your heart flutter. 

"Cryptic," you tease, your sentence dying, you look down and then try to tame your hair, "Sorry—I look like such a mess," you whisper.

Tangerine smiles kindly, "Nonsense, you look beautiful."

You strain a smile and focus on the real question, "Tangerine, why are you here?"

He walks closer and it takes everything in you not to stay put and let his warmth envelope you.

God, you missed him.

Instead, you back away and stare into his eyes. "Y/n, is she mine?" he whispers, his voice cracking. 

You frown. "No," you say, and then your voice softens, "I mean yes, she has your DNA but she's not yours. You don't even know her name. You don't know her. She's mine. I'm her mother and you're just some guy I fucked," your voice sounds breathless and you inhale as you shut your mouth. You feel dizzy as you see Tangerine's hurt look.

"I deserved that," he says calmly after a moment and runs a hand in his hair, "But, was I really just someone you fucked?" he asks, unfamiliar insecurities creeping into his voice. 

You lean against your wall, exhausted, "I- no- you weren't but you left," you say.

"I had to leave—ya don't understand—"

"Yeah, because you never let me understand," you whisper and look up at him with a look that leaves him completely heartbroken.

He sniffs and looks away and down the hall where he sees Cerise run up to you and envelop her tiny hands around your knees. She looks up at him, her eyes round and her brown curly hair framing her forehead, and she smiles. 

Tangerine knees feel weak as she grins at him and he knows that he would kill to make so no one ever wipes that smile from his daughter's face. He would rather die. He looks up at you and you're running a hand in Cerise's hair— "Maybe you should leave—"

"What's her name?" he interrupts and looks at you for permission to let him kneel and speak to her. 

You nod, unable to deny him that. 

"Hi, angel, what's your name?" he says and crouches in front of her, smiling as he looks at her. She's adorable. She looks like you. Tangerine's heart melts. 

"Cece," she says, holding you tighter and looking up at you. 

"Cerise," you say as Tangerine stands again, "It means Cherry in French, but everyone just calls her Cece because she can't pronounce her full name correctly yet."

Tangerine smiles, "It's a very pretty name," he looks you over and then clears his throat, "Would you mind if I–stay a little?" 

You look at him sternly and frown, "I was gonna take her to the playground. She has so much energy this afternoon," you whisper and Cerise takes this as a cue to sprint back into the living room and make more chaos. 

"One cuppa?" Tangerine almost pleads again, his tone hopeful. He looks genuinely sincere. "I want to know all about her—and you," he pauses and then hesitates, "I did miss you, darlin'."

Your heart clenches and you run a hand in your hair again, murmuring a curse under your breath. You missed him too.

"One cup," you say and hold out your arm to take his suit jacket, "on the condition we drink it at Cerise's play-table. I promised her I'd play with her."

Tangerine nods and sheds his suit jacket and his shoes. He looks around your house at all the pictures you have of your friends, family, and of course Cerise. His heart aches and he realizes that he's missing from all these pictures. 

"Black tea?" you call from the kitchen and Tangerine smiles. You remember that it's his favorite. 

"Yes, luv, thank you."

So, Tangerine finds himself sitting on one of Cerise's small chairs as she sits in front of him, pouring him some invisible tea in the tiny cup on the small table in front of him. His knees bang on the table and Cerise looks at him, her tiny nose scrunched in disapproval.

Tangerine's heart flutters. She looks so much like you. "Sorry, angel," he whispers and steadies the table with his hand. 

Cerise hums and continues to pour air into the cups. 

You walk back in, holding a mug of tea for Tangerine and one for you and Cerise to share. You can't help the smile that forms on your lips when you see Tangerine sitting with your daughter.

You sit on the ground next to them and hand him his cup. He shakes his head, causing you to put the mug down near his arm, and he picks up the small cup and pretends to sip the non-existent contents for Cerise. 

The little girl's smile widens when he says, "Mmm, yum," and puts the cup down. Your heart melts when you hear Cerise's happy laugh and she says, 

"There's no tea in there, silly," she tilts her head, "it's all pretend."

Tangerine looks embarrassed and you feel bad so you put your hand on his arm, silently thanking him for the kind gesture. "She's a smart kid—she just has a big imagination," you explain softly, smiling at Tangerine kindly. 

You hate how familiar this feels but oh god do you love it too.

"She's smart, just like you," Tangerine breathes out, drinking his real tea this time and he puts his hand on the one you have on his forearm. "I'm sorry," he says sincerely, his voice small and as you stare into his eyes, time stands frozen. 

You strain a small smile and answer honestly. "We'll have plenty of time for sorries," you whisper and are revived by the instant nod Tangerine does.

Yes, we will, he says with his eyes, and although he wouldn't say it aloud, he's determined not to leave you again.

"For now, let's have a tea party," you tickle Cerise's tummy with your other hand.

Cerise giggles and Tangerine knows he's done for.

[st7rnioioss]

ੈ‧₊˚ i’m marrying mommy

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: chris sturniolo x reader

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: part 2 to "when are you gonna marry mommy?". chris finally gets to propose to you, but not without help from his favourite buddy. (part 1 here)

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: fluff, cursing, kissing, nothing really!

───────── 🐇

since you and chris’s son, connor, had sleepily talked to chris about proposing to you, chris’s mind had been stirring with thoughts. he was constantly thinking about when, how and where he would do it, propose, to you.

he knew connor was right - you do love chris more than anything, but at the same time proposing is not an everyday activity.

In secret, chris had been looking around online, as well as in-store to find the perfect ring for you. If he was going to propose, it had to be perfect.

and of course, chris had invited Connor with him. the small trips to the ice cream shop were in fact trips to the jeweler. and it went unnoticed by you, because after going to the jeweller, chris took connor to get ice cream, so every few days you were met with your favorite boys with ice cream cones in their hands.

“how do you like that one, buddy?” chris leaned down to be at the same height as your five-year-old, pressing a finger to the glass with the prettiest and sparkliest rings. It was like watching a diamond mine, but up close.

“hm. I don't think mommy likes the shape. all her rings are round, not square.” connor speculates. chris thought it was the cutest thing ever - he was chris’s biggest supporter in this.

“yeah, you’re right,” chris smiled at connor, eyeing the cashier who was chuckling silently. It wasn’t every day you saw a five-year-old being so passionate about engagement rings.

───────── 🐇

after months of looking at rings and lots of trips to different jewellers, connor and chris had decided on a beautiful, silver round engagement ring. It was perfect. chris and connor had seen it at the same time, immediately agreeing it was the one.

the following days the two boys were trying to plan where to propose. Sure, it doesn't sound too fun to do that with a child, but connor and chris were best friends, plus, everyone knows chris is a little childish from time to time.

“where have you two been?” you ask with a smile, raising an eyebrow at chris and connor as you cross your arms. they were hand in hand, looking like deers in headlights.

Unannounced, they had been out to buy the ring they had been looking at for the past few days. you had come home to an empty house and no message from chris.

“we-” chris started but was cut off by connor running up to you.

“mommy! I missed you,” he giggled, wrapping his arms around your waist. “me and daddy went to get ice cream again.” connor smiled, looking back at his dad with a wide grin.

“you heard him,” chris chuckled, pointing at connor as he walked up to you, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“hm, I don’t see any cones. are you two sneaking around?” you giggled, returning the kiss chris gave you.

“no, because daddy said I could only get one scoop!” Connor huffed, looking at chris with squinted eyes and a sly smile.

chris faked a gasp, his hands immediately flying to his chest to act hurt.

“stop exposing me! don’t snitch,” chris faked an offended expression, connor immediately started giggling.

you and chris had discussed getting married before, but it was when connor was just a tiny boy. you ended up agreeing to do it at some point when connor was old enough to remember it.

───────── 🐇

a few weeks later, it finally hit chris.

“hey, man. I’ve got an idea,” chris smiles, sitting down beside connor on the couch.

You were out buying groceries, so the boys had the house to themselves.

“what?” connor giggles, putting his crayons down.

“so, I thought about where to propose to mommy. When mommy and I were teenagers, we went to the park just down the street, and I kissed mommy there for the first time, ever.” chris explains to connor, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks, reliving the nostalgic memory.

“chris, you’re getting ice cream on me! stop!” you giggled, pushing chris’s hand with the spoonful of ice cream away.

chris had invited you out on a date, taking you to the park to get ice cream

“it’s on your nose!” chris laughed loudly, withdrawing his hand from your face.

carefully, he leaned in with a napkin, wiping the ice cream off your nose.

“fuck you,” you chuckled, keeping eye contact with him as he got it all off.

there was silence for a bit, and you suddenly felt very close on the tiny bench. you were both almost in a trance, gazing into each other's eyes.

“ca... can I kiss you?” chris whispered, being careful not to do anything wrong to make you uncomfortable.

“yeah,” you whispered back, a small smile tugging at your lips. he chuckled softly, cupping your face with both of his hands, as gently as possibly kissing your chapped lips.

“Ew, kissing..” connor did a disgusted expression, making chris laugh.

“no, buddy, I’m saying I propose to mommy in that park. what do you think?” chris smiles, tickling connors sides.

“daddy, stop! yes! It- it’s a good idea!” connor giggled, the childish laughter warming chris's heart.

───────── 🐇

and finally the time came around. chris had tried his best to dress connor nicely, but not too nicely. he told you that he was inviting you and connor on a picnic in the park, and you instantly agreed.

it was the perfect day as well, the sun was shining, but it wasn’t too hot. you guys had found a spot underneath a big tree, leaving a nice shadow.

“connor, stop! your drink is gonna spill,” you smiled, taking connor’s glass out of his tiny hand.

after a second, chris eyed connor to signal it was time for the real deal.

chris stood up, getting off the blanket to avoid getting it dirty. you looked up at him, a little confused as you were just getting started on the picnic.

“so,” chris cleared his throat. “y/n,” he said, slowly getting down on one knee, fumbling in his pocket for the box.

at this point you were in utter shock, unable to do anything but just stare at chris in absolute disbelief.

“we’ve been together for a while now. 9 fantastic years, maybe even the best years of my life. we have an amazing kid, thanks for the help buddy. and I couldn’t imagine my 26-year-old self being anywhere besides here. with you. and connor-” he winked at him, immediately adverting his gaze back to yours. 

“so uh- I.. will- will you marry me?” chris asked, chuckling a bit as he struggled to open the velvet box with the ring in it.

you were beyond surprised. nothing could’ve prepared you for this.

“oh my fuc- good god. yes, a thousand times yes!” you whisper-yelled, a single tear rolling down your cheek. you got up to hug chris with the biggest smile on both your faces, chris even shedding a small tear.

“god, i love you so so much,” chris sniffled, holding you tightly before gently pulling back.

“now, look at that,” he beamed, holding out your hand, now with a ring on it.

you looked up at him, your eyes filled with pure love, looking down at connor who was standing next to you.

“yay, finally! i love you mommy, and daddy!” connor laughed, hugging you both by your hips.

“oh connor, i love you a million times more,” you wiped a tear, picking conor up by your hip, giving him a fat kiss to his cheek.

“me and daddy didn’t get ice cream at all, we were looking for the diamond rings at the jeweller,” he smiled smugly at chris who was already laughing.

“oh yeah. he’ll definitely be one of the bridesmen. thanks for the help, buddy.” chris kissed the top of his head, looking back at you to kiss you - now engaged.

“ew, stop!”

───────── 🐇

a/n: i hope this lived up to ur expectations! im so sorry ive been practically gone i havent been motived at all :( ily all so much!🤍

[calicoheartz]

hey! i saw u ask for pazzi related ideas so i though i'd shoot my shot, i honestly am leaning on the suggestive side... but if not i love fluff to so thats perfect and maybe the plot can be a jealous paige bc of azzi (nonchalantly) talking to some person who came up to here at a bar or anywhere else n P is like "no she's mine!" . Anyways I love your work so work your magic girl!!!

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃 ; 𝐏𝐀𝐙𝐙𝐈

꣑୧ — summary | basically the 2 prompts !! 🪩

wc ; 687

— warnings | angst , suggestive content (read at your own risk) mature themes , swearing , jealousy , etc

my master list ㇀♡

a/n : yippee my first pazzi fic !! sososo much more to come in the future! Thank you so much for requesting (the both of you) & enjoy besties ◡̈

The bar was filled with a lively crowd, the thumping bass of the music reverberating through the air.

It was one of those rare nights when Paige and her girlfriend Azzi, along with their teammates, could unwind and let loose.

Paige was at the bar, grabbing drinks for the group, when she spotted Azzi near the back of the bar, engaging in conversation with someone that she did not recognize. The stranger was leaning in close, their eyes fixed on Azzi with a look of lust that made Paige’s blood boil.

Azzi, always the friendly one, was smiling and laughing, seemingly unaware of the stranger’s obvious intentions. Paige’s jaw tightened as she saw the stranger place a hand on Azzi’s arm, their fingers lingering for a moment too long.

Paige made her way through the energetic crowd, the drinks long forgotten, with her eyes never leaving sight of the brunette and the mysterious figure. As she got closer, she could hear the stranger’s voice, practically dripping with flirtation.

“So, Azzi, you must get a lot of attention. I mean, you’re pretty incredible on the court and even more stunning in person.” Azzi chuckled, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Thanks, but its really a team effort. I couldn’t have done it without my girls.”

The stranger smiled, clearly enjoying the conversation. “Well, your humility is just as attractive-” Paige’s patience snapped right then and there. She stepped in between the two, slipping an arm possessively around Azzi’s waist. “Hey babe, everything alright here?”

Azzi looked up, a bit startled but quickly recovering. “Oh, hey P. Yeah, just talking to a fan.”

Paige’s eyes flickered to the stranger, her gaze cold and unforgiving. “Well, thanks for the support. We appreciate our fans, but it’s time for us to go.”

The stranger took a step back, sensing the tension. “Of course. Nice meeting you, Azzi.”

As the stranger walked away, Azzi turned to Paige, a mix of amusement and irritation in her eyes. “Paige, what was that about?”

Paige’s grip on Azzi’s waist did loosen. “I didn’t like the way they were looking at you. You’re mine, Azzi. I don’t want anyone else getting any ideas.”

Azzi sighed, gently pulling Paige towards a quieter corner of the bar. “Paige, you can’t get jealous every time someone talks to me. It’s not healthy for us.”

Paige looked down, her expression softening. “I know. It’s just… I can’t stand the thought of losing you. You mean everything to me, Azzi.”

Azzi cupped Paige’s face, her touch soft yet firm. “I’m not going anywhere, Paige. You have to trust that. Trust me.”

Paige met her gaze, the fear and love evident in her eyes. “I do trust you. But seeing someone else trying to move in on you… it drives me crazy.”

Azzi leaned in, her lips brushing against Paige’s in a tender yet passionate kiss. “Then show me,” she whispered against Paige’s lips. “Show me that I’m yours.”

Paige’s breath hitched, a spark of desire flaring in her eyes. She deepened the kiss, her hands roaming over Azzi’s back, pulling her closer. Azzi responded eagerly, her fingers tangling in Paige’s hair.

The world around them faded as their kisses grew more intense, each one a claim, a promise. Paige pressed Azzi against the wall, her lips moving down to Azzi’s neck, leaving a trail of heated kisses. Azzi’s breathy moans spurred her on, her hands gripping Paige’s shoulders for support.

“Paige,” Azzi gasped, her voice a mixture of need and longing.

Paige pulled back slightly, her eyes dark with desire. “You’re mine, Azzi. Only mine.”

Azzi nodded, her own eyes glazed with passion. “Only yours, Paige.”

Their lips met again, the kiss more urgent, more demanding. Paige’s hands slid under Azzi’s shirt, her fingers tracing the smooth skin of her back. Azzi arched into the touch, her body craving more.

Just then, the bartender called out, breaking their trance. “Hey, you two! No funny business here.”

Paige chuckled, her forehead resting against Azzi’s. “Guess we should take this somewhere more private.”

Azzi smiled, her eyes still filled with desire.

“your place or mine?”

[stillgotscars]

are we ready to talk about the “i don’t wanna look at anything else now that i saw you” to “i look in people’s windows / in case you’re at their table / what if your eyes looked up and met mine one more time” pipeline, or is it still too soon?

[hazbinhotelie]

Hi! I've just read through your whole blog and I love your writing!

Could I make a personal request of Alastor x reader of how Alastor would react to reader being sick? More specifically symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, and overall fatigue which often gives the impression of being about to faint or die.

How would Alastor take care of the person? What would he do in that situation?

Bonus points if you could include a scene where the reader wants a dance with Alastor but is physically too weak/breathless to actually dance, I'll let you think of what Al would do then

Thank you in advance, I really need the comfort right now 😊🥰 (and before you worry, everything is being taken care of from a medical standpoint, I just need something cosy and comforting)

I. Look,,,,

I tried

I think that’s what matters here.

I also didn’t proof read. Sorry

I never expected to fall ill in Hell, of all places. The symptoms came out of nowhere—dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, and an overwhelming fatigue that made it hard to even sit up straight. Alastor noticed immediately.

“Dear, you’re looking quite pale. Are you feeling alright?” His voice carried a mix of genuine concern and curiosity.

I nodded weakly, but my body betrayed me. The world around me swayed, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Alastor was at my side in an instant, his usual jaunty grin replaced by a more serious expression.

“Let’s get you comfortable,” he said, helping me to the nearest sofa. His touch was surprisingly gentle as he eased me down onto the cushions. “You need rest. I’ll take care of you.”

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. The room spun less when I wasn’t looking at it. Alastor’s presence was a strange comfort. I felt the cool touch of a damp cloth on my forehead and opened my eyes to see him dabbing away the sweat that had formed.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I continued to lay on the sofa, bitter at the fact I couldn’t snuggle with him right now. My breaths were coming in shallow gasps, every heartbeat a painful reminder of my fragile state. The dizziness made everything around me blur into indistinct shapes, and the fatigue was so overwhelming it felt like I was sinking into the cushions. Alastor’s keen eyes never left me, his usual jovial mask replaced by a look concern.

“You need to take it easy, dear,” he said, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. He placed a cool cloth on my forehead again- a different one, to replace the last. The sensation soothing against my burning skin. “We can’t have you dying on us, now can we?”

Despite my discomfort, I managed a small smile. “I don’t plan on going anywhere,” I whispered, my voice weak.

He leaned closer, his face inches from mine, eyes searching. “Good. I’d miss you terribly if you did.” His words, though spoken lightly, carried a weight that made my heart flutter.

Alastor’s presence was oddly reassuring. He was a constant, an anchor in the aching pain from whatever illness I’d picked up. He moved around the room with his usual grace, fetching water and blankets, adjusting the pillows to ensure I was as comfortable as possible. When the dizziness became too much, he held my hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my skin.

“Here, drink this,” he said, holding a glass of water to my lips. I sipped slowly, the cool liquid easing my parched throat.

“Thank you,” I murmured, closing my eyes again. “You’re being so kind.”

A soft chuckle escaped him. “Even I have my moments of benevolence, my dear. Besides, I find your company... most agreeable.”

Time seemed to blur as I drifted in and out of sleep, Alastor’s constant care a comforting presence. He hummed softly, a tune that seemed to wrap around me like a warm blanket. Occasionally, he would read aloud from one of his old books, his rich voice a soothing balm to my aching head.

“Do you remember when we first met?” he asked one evening, as he adjusted the blanket over me. “You were so full of fire and defiance. I knew then that you were something special.”

I smiled faintly. “And you were... intimidating. But intriguing.”

He laughed, a genuine sound that made my heart lift. “Intimidating? I suppose I do have that effect on people.”

The days passed in a comforting routine. Alastor was always there, attentive and caring. One evening, as I lay watching the shadows dance on the ceiling (he’d put them there to entertain me, since I couldn’t do much) I felt a sudden longing. “Alastor,” I called softly.

He was by my side in an instant. “Yes, dear?”

“Would you... would you dance with me?”

He looked at me, surprised. “Dance? In your condition?”

I nodded, giving him a small smile. “I’ve always wanted to dance with you.”

Alastor’s expression softened, and he placed a hand over mine. “I think that might be a bit too strenuous for you at the moment. But...” He hesitated for a moment, then smiled gently. “If that’s what you wish.” He helped me to my feet, supporting my weight easily. His touch was firm yet gentle, his arm around my waist as he held my hand in his.

We swayed slowly, a mockery of a real dance but beautiful in its own way. I leaned into him, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my chest. The dizziness was still there, but his presence made it bearable.

“You’re doing wonderfully,” he whispered, his lips close to my ear. “How about we go back to resting now?”

“Just a little longer,” I mumbled. He sighed, but relented and we continued for another few moments. “Thank you,” I said softly, leaning into him more than before, having trouble keeping myself up.

He smiled, a genuine smile that I rarely saw. “Anything for you, my dear. Now, let’s get you back to the sofa. You need your strength.”

As he helped me back to the sofa, I felt a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest.. Despite his usual antics and eerie demeanor, he showed me a side of him that was capable of deep care and affection.

“That’s it, just relax…” he said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

I held his hand, squeezing it weakly. “Thank you, Alastor. For everything.”

His smile was warm, eyes soft as he looked at me. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Now sleep, and know that I’m here.”

And with that, I closed my eyes, letting the comfort of his presence lull me into a much-needed sleep.

[turnnblurb]

only angel - harry styles

pairing - bob floyd x pilot!reader

warning - 18+ only, smut, oral (fem receiving), talks of p in v, mutual pining, bob comes in his pants, bob fucks.

this is bob’s song for pilot!reader. it’s all he hears watching you flaunt around in your flight suit, tied at the waist to sport the tight white tank underneath. skin tanned and spotted from days spent flying too close to the sun. watching you maneuver your F/A-18 through windy skies as if you were born for the one thing and that thing alone.

i’m just happy getting you stuck in between my teeth, and there’s nothing i can do about it

he sees you through the window before you actually make way into the confined hard deck. off-white sundress barely brushing your lower thighs. he has to flex the muscles in his neck to keep his head from rolling back. grips his bottle too hard in order to refrain from piercing skin with his own nails. chastised himself for being like every other man in the room, you didn’t want his attention nor anyones.

but, you did. so desperately.

he misses the way you automatically look for him when you step into the bar. misses the way your cheeks blush when his eyes follow down your figure unintentionally. he’s downright blind to how your eyes only shimmer when you’re speaking with him.

bob is an honorable man. he open’s doors, tips well, lets people through in traffic. he’s a good man. there’s nothing good about fighting off the urge to sit you on the pool table and eat you out in front of every patron of the hard deck.

when the pool pit fills up you find yourself backed into a corner against him. his chest to the backs of your shoulders. it’s innocent, the way you crane your neck to the right to smile at him to make sure he saw hangman’s failure of a shot. your smile faltering when you see that his eyes were already on you, his face devoid of any readable emotion. you take a step forward with a small ‘sorry’, figuring that you had largely invaded his personal space due to your lack of comfortability in standing next to anyone else in the crowded area.

“oh.”

his hand is the one pulling you back into him from your front, not pushing you away. you hear a barely audible groan pull from the back of his throat. you’re closer now. much closer.

he looks around to make sure your privacy is sealed before he leans down and brushes his lips to your ear.

“i know this isn’t like me, but if i have to spend ‘nother second here with you not being mine, i might as well have myself honorably discharged from the navy.” his voice had deepened with the low tone of his voice. he takes a shaky breath into your ear. he’s missed a lot, but he doesn’t miss how you slightly shiver more into him. “you ruin me.”

“well, i won’t have you losing your career over me. that wouldn’t be very kind.” ever so considerate you were. you feel a hand squeeze tightly at your waist, unaware that it had been there the whole time.

it takes five minutes for him to break and quite obviously pull you out the front doors of the hard deck.

i must admit i thought id like to make you mine

the ride turns torturous when you accept that you have to wait exactly thirteen minutes to get your hands on him. he’s clenched jawed and laser focused on the stop lights ahead, but his twitching grip on your thigh tells you all you need to know.

“how long?” it breaks you from your trance, and despite his lack for better word you know exactly what he’s asking.

“ever since we met at the hard deck.” your confession has no power behind it. it’s a breathless response. he lets his foot fall heavier onto the petal. he fights the urge to pull into an abandoned lot just so he can kiss you more wordless than both of you already are.

when the thirteen minute mark passes he’s placing his truck in park outside of his one bedroom townhouse. you swallow your spit when he’s outside of the truck, power walking to the passenger door. he pulls it open, reaches over to unbuckle your seatbelt, and offers you his hand to step down. there’s no use for words when you both know.

there is a use for them when you both are inside and he has your back pressed against his front door. hand releasing yours to find home on the side your neck, the large warmth of his stretching to the nape of it.

“do you know how in love with you i am?” he’s scared to ask it. scared of a laugh that will never come from your lips. his forehead falls to yours. “my ma told me once that i’d never be able to love a woman until i truly knew one inside and out. but, i knew you the moment i laid my eyes on you.”

“bobby..” a sigh falls from his lips at the call of his name. a call of his name from you. “if the feeling wasn’t mutual, i don’t think i would’ve worn this dress tonight.”

“god, honey. that fuckin’ dress.” his laugh comes more strangled then he planned it to be. “your thighs. your laugh. the way you crinkle your damn nose.”

“bobby.” his eyes meet yours and through the shaded light of the lamp you can see the blue of his eyes fade into black. “kiss me. please”

he does. one to your forehead. your chin. left cheek, right. he marks a cross on your face with his lips before softly pressing them to your own. his grip on the back of your neck tightening. for all things holy, he was about to worship.

the soft press of his lips was enough for your knees to weaken. the growing fire behind them was enough to make you fully moan into his mouth, egging him on as if he needed it. his tongue simmered into yours because it was meant to be there.

she’s an angel, my only angel

he had you pressed against the door for a good thirty minutes before you made just the right noise when his thigh met between your legs. he pulled back, having to gasp for the air in his lungs.

“how much do you want?” he slurred through his accent, head drunk with you. if he left his hands on you any longer they might stick there, he wouldn’t mind.

“all of it. how much do you want?” you hold him with two hands on the sides of his head, fingers threading with the strands of his now mused hair.

“everything.”

he guided you by the small of your back through his hallway, having to take an intermission every now and again to press you back up against the wall.

his bedroom was simple, but it was him. a plaid brown comforter on the bed. two books sat on his side table. an antique dresser topped with more books and a death star lego set. you didn’t have the chance to notice anything else before he was pressed against your back, hands taking their rightful place on your waist.

“when you walked into the hard deck today there was only one thought in my head.” he pressed kisses to your neck between words, moving your hair to make room for his love. “and it’s still on my mind.”

“hmm?” his answer is silent as he moves you to the edge of his own bed. your mouth is agape when he sinks to his knees. the whimper you let out has him in a battle with his tightening pants.

he takes his precious time, eyes never leaving yours. he reaches a hand to the smooth expanse of your calf, trailing down so he can remove your shoes. your dress is still on, and he plans to keep it that way for now. he does allow himself to push the hem of it further up your thighs, and he thinks maybe that wasn’t such a good idea because he is surely going to spill a load into his pants.

he pulls himself closer to you where his hands are still wrapped around your calves. nudging his head between your shaking knees until he’s right where he wants to be. he stays there for a moment, breathing hard enough so that you can feel it on your clothed heat. nothing could have prepared you for the feeling of his mouth on you. he kisses you there, before spreading his tongue wide against the fabric.

“bobby.” you whine futilely, he already has his teeth tight on the white material, pulling it down your legs. his hands smooth over your legs before they pull the underwear all the way down and off your body.

“honey..” his eyebrows are furrowed and serious as he looks you in the eyes. “if it gets to much stop me, i just want to make you feel good. are you gonna let me make you feel good?”

you nod probably too much, he lets out an airy laugh.

“words, honey. wanna hear you.” his hand has traveled farther up your leg, pushing your dress up further.

“please, please make me feel good.” it’s all he needs, laying a wet kiss on your thigh before meeting you back at where your want is melting off of you and onto his clean bed.

he’s steady and first. immediately drawling attention to your clit, tonguing it slowly in tight circles. when you move your own hands to lift your dress from his head he pulls them to his hair. it’s all the leverage you need for when he becomes ravenous.

his mouth expands over your whole center, licking one long line before his tongue finds your entrance. it’s quick work when you hear and feel his moan into you, his hips bucking at the taste of you on his lips and the sound of you on his ears.

“oh— s’feels so good please—” your words fall on understanding ears, before you can process the ecstasy of it all two of his fingers are slipping onto your tongue and pulling right back out. they find their way back to your clit, rubbing hot and fast at the nerve.

within three minutes, bob floyd has you coming on his mouth. for the first time.

his ministrations don’t stop there. he’s insatiable now that he’s got you. now that you’re his, and this is his. he’s always aimed to please. whether that be in school, in the air, or in between the most perfect thighs he had ever seen.

he feels the grip on his hair tighten and encourages it with a loud groan that shakes you to your core. he pushes himself impossibly further into you, the attention his hands were once paying you long forgotten, as they now squeeze roughly into the meat of your hips. he has you with just his mouth.

his heels are lifting off the ground and he’s pushing you further into his bed with the foundation of the second orgasm he gives you. he detaches for a moment.

“so pretty like this, angel. taste so good.” he squeezes your hip tighter. “all mine.”

when you come again, he’s matching your moans and whimpers. hips now furiously bucking into nothing except the tight constraint of his slacks. he doesn’t even give himself a moment to feel embarrassed, because what does he have to be embarrassed of? the fact that he made you come undone in approximately seven minutes with only his mouth not once, but twice? he feels his seed warm his front when you whine his name once more.

he’s pulling you through it, but slower this time. a post sign that he’s taken what he wanted, for now. he pulls off of you with a sickeningly sweet kiss to your clit. taking his own breaths with his head resting on your thigh.

“can i..” he hears you softly ask, he chuckles at himself and not at you.

“problem took care of itself, sweet girl.” he smiles at you from where his head still lays on your thigh. “i’ll take care of both of us later.”

that has your cheeks and stomach burning again.

he lifts himself from the floor with his hands on either side of you, from between your legs he leans down and kisses you softly.

“let’s get you cleaned up, and maybe after a shower i’ll be able to look at you without ruining my pants.”

[mustainegf]

can you write a dave mustaine smut with rockstar reader who's band is a rival of Megadeth? maybe with some back and forth degradation and them fighting for the top position (your choice on who ended up being the bottom).

then them seeing a rumor abt them on the press days later🤭

THANK YOU I LOVE YOU SOSOSOSOSO MUCH MARRY ME PLS

YES ILL MARRY YOU!??? THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST REQS IVE GOTTEN I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING!!!

The pulsating bass of the music throbbed through the walls, mingling with the laughter and shouts that filled the air.

The party was loud, a chaotic jumble of rockstars, groupies, and industry insiders.

The elite of the metal world were all gathered under one roof, the tension between rival bands almost unbearable.

I scanned the crowded room, my sharp eyes taking in the scene. As the lead guitarist of a thrash band, I’d learned to read a room quickly.

"Look who decided to grace us with her presence," a low, sardonic voice drawled from behind me. I turned, already knowing who it was.

Dave Mustaine.

The notorious frontman of Megadeth stood there, a smirk playing on his lips. His fiery red hair was a stark contrast to the dim lighting, and his piercing caramel eyes bore into mine with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

Dave and I never got along, not completely at least. He could switch on a dime from sweet to salty and it seems he’s made his pick for the night.

"Mustaine," I greeted coolly, my tone icy enough to rival his.

"Surprised you could tear yourself away from your little fan club," he remarked, his gaze sweeping over the room before settling back on me.

My eyes narrowed. "And I'm surprised you could tear yourself away from your ego."

Dave chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that settled in my stomach. "Still got that razor-sharp tongue, I see. Just like on stage."

"Someone's got to keep you in check," I shot back, my heart pounding despite my steady voice. The air between us crackled with animosity and something else.. something darker, more primal.

"Funny," Dave said, stepping closer, his presence overwhelming. "I thought that was your job. Keeping the wannabes in check."

My jaw clenched. "Watch it, Mustaine. You're not as untouchable as you think."

"Is that a threat?" he asked, his voice dropping lower, challenging.

I met his gaze head-on, the tension between us tightening like a coiled spring. "It's a promise."

He glared, a flicker of desire masked behind his eyes. I could hardly get a chance to continue before he had his large calloused hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging me along with him.

I glanced at the surrounding area, wondering where we were going. A bathroom. We were heading toward a small private restroom, the door already shut behind us. I didn't have time to prepare myself.

The restrooms here were like small rooms, private once you got inside. And I knew this was going to work in our favour.

Dave glared down at me, his hands pressing on either side of the wall by my head. He leaned over me, leaving me in his shadow.

"You better be careful. I don't take kindly to threats," he warned, his eyes blazing with heat.

"And I won't hesitate to prove it." I smirked, uncaring about his warning. In fact, I dared him to try. "I told you it was a promise, not a threat," I grinned.

He scowled at me, his eyes flashing with anger. He stepped back, giving me some breathing room.

"We'll see who's laughing at the end of this," he growled, his words like a promise.

I narrowed my eyes at him, not caring what happened next. "Do it then," I taunted, pushing him to make his move. I could feel his eyes on me, assessing my every move.

He was trying to gauge my reactions, figuring out what made me tick. I met his gaze head-on, my heart pounding in my chest. His eyes flashed with a flare of desire.

Dave wasted no time, shoving his lips onto mine, his fingers working at pulling my shirt off.

He tore the fabric off of me, leaving my laced bra and boobs in his attention. "Think you're so much better than me? Huh?" Dave growled, harshly gripping my breasts before unhooking my bra and tossing it into the corner.

I smirked at him, my eyes flashing with challenge.

I could feel his eyes roaming over me, taking in my body. It felt like he was assessing me, trying to figure out how to handle me.

"I don't think I'm better than you," I whispered, giving him a soft peck before finishing. "I know I am."

Dave's eyes flashed with anger, but he couldn't hide the lust in them. "You're nothing more than a pretty face."

Dave gave up unbottoning his shirt, leaving it down to his stomach before he was tugging at his jeans.

"Let's see how pretty your face is when I'm done with you," he murmured, his voice thick with lust.

"How does that sound?" I took a step back, not bothering to hide the lust in my eyes.

"Lets see if you can hold up," I gave him a pout, kicking off my pants whilre watching him angrily tug down his jeans and boxers.

He stood before me, all arrogant confidence, a sight that never failed to turn me on. I smiled to myself, staring at his cock for the first time.

"Take your panties off, slut.." he groaned, standing over me as I stripped my final layer for him.

Ilooked down as his hand gently teased his length, massaging his precum into the tip.

My eyes rose back up to meet his as he smirked at me. "Go ahead, pretty boy... Play with yourself," I chuckled.

Dave glared at this, eyeing me down. "Don't you get smart with me," he snapped slightly, leaning closer.

"Or I'll show you what happens when you do." I raised a brow at him, feigning innocence. I knew he would cave soon enough.

"You want to play rough, then I can definitely do that," I said slowly, running my finger across my nipple, circling it. "Such a slut."

he muttered, his eyes flashing with lust. Dave grabbed me suddenly, holding me close against the wall. My legs wrapped instinctively around his waist. My core shuddered at being this close to his throbbing cock.

I wanted to taste him, feel him, have him. My hands ran up his chest, feeling the muscles flex under my touch. Dave stared at me, his eyes hard and intense.

"You're so sure of yourself, aren't you?" He held me by the hips, his other hand massaging my breast.

"Yes," I answered honestly, biting my lip slightly, and I could see his pupils dilate at my response.

"That's what I thought," he rumbled. I shivered at his words, loving that he had taken charge.

I was becoming needier for him, I was practically dripping.

I nodded eagerly, looking up at him through my lashes. "Take me," I whispered, my voice trembling. Dave's eyes darkened.

"I think you should say please," he said, his voice husky with need. "Please, take me," I repeated, making sure I spoke the word clearly. Dave smiled smugly. I felt inferior knowing he had beat me to dominance.

It only took seconds before Dave and lined himself with me, slipping his full length into me with a swift pump.

I gasped as he filled me, my body quivering from the force of his thrusts. He grunted with each one, using his hand to keep my hips in place, holding me firmly against him and the cold tile wall.

"Yeah," he grunted, his eyes darkening. "So good.

So wet for me, slut." I moaned, lost in the sensations. This man knew exactly what he was doing. He was taking control. He was showing me how much better he was.

"Look at you, all fucked out and I've hardly been inside you for a minute." Dave heaved, staring at me with an evil smirk. "Still think you're better than me?" He snipped.

I smirked back at him. I was a little breathless, but I managed to get out, "No," I whispered, my eyes meeting his, my smile growing wider. "Never," I said as I moved my hips to match his, adding to his thrusts.

I knew he would never ever let me live it down, but in the moment I couldn't care less.

All I cared about was how perfect he felt inside me, every vein teasing my gummy walls. Dave growled, matching my movements. He reached up to kiss me again, his hand moving down to massage my clit as he did.

"Fuck! Fuck!" he cursed, the veins bulging along his neck. He slammed home, hissing out another curse. I felt his cock throb deep within me, his hot cum filling me.

Dave didnt stop though, he continued pumping, he knew I hadn't cum yet. Something about that turned me on.

"Cum for me, do it..." he grunted, burying his face in my neck. His cum slipped out of me as he thrusted.

"So desperate aren't you?" I teased, watching his face which was contorted in sexual frustration.

"Fuck," he swore, his eyes nearly rolling into the back of his head. I laughed at the way he was acting. He might have been the best thing I ever laid my eyes on.

"Dave, mmm right there... I'm so close, baby.." I whined, running my fingers through his long curly hair. Never once did I think I'd ever call Dave Mustaine "baby" while he held me and fucked me loose.

But in this moment, I felt like the world had shifted. Everything made sense. "Cum for me, beautiful," he urged, his eyes boring into mine, daring me to cum.

"Yesss!" I yelled, twitched as I came all over him.

I heard him groan, and I saw him go still. "Wow," I sighed, smiling contentedly. Dave looked at me as if he didn't know whether to be angry or pleased.

He cleared his throat. "Well that was unexpected." I snickered. "Shh," I hushed him, enjoying the warmth of his body pressed against mine. I trailed my fingertips over his arms, and his chest.

"This doesn't change anything.." Dave huffed. But the way he cuddled into me said different.

I gazed into those sharp eyes of his, realizing how pretty they were. "You sure?" I asked with a smirk.

Dave's expression hardened for a moment, a flicker of the defiance I was so familiar with.

He brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Fuck, I don’t know.” He muttered.

I leaned into his touch, the lingering heat between us impossible to ignore.

A few days later, the tabloids were ablaze with rumors. Headlines screamed about Dave and I.

The metal world was in a frenzy, fans and critics alike speculating about what this meant for our bands.

"Enemies in Public, Lovers in Private?"

Part of me was annoyed. The last thing I needed was the press dissecting my personal life. But another part of me-the part that thrived on chaos and defiance-kind of liked it. The whole thing felt taboo, forbidden. It was a secret thrill that I couldn't quite shake.

Truth was, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about Dave. The way his hands had felt on my skin, the rough passion of our encounter. I wanted more. The thought of it made my heart race, a mix of excitement and danger. I wondered if maybe the fiery frontman would be willing to see me again.

[acquity]

Gaara Relationship Headcanons (Part 1 - Catching Feelings)

Summary: Some personal headcanons of mine for how Gaara would catch feelings for his partner.

Warnings: Mentions of Death.

Notes: Since I am lacking inspiration for a longer fic, here are some ideas of mine for how Gaara would catch feelings for his lover! May do more of these for other Naurto boys, so if you have a specific request let me know! :)

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Gaara had a rough upbringing to put it simply, and for him to even catch feelings for someone would take a while. I feel he could adore anyone; he doesn't care about your appearance at all that wouldn't be the reason he'd catch feelings for you.

Most likely he'd fall for someone from the Hidden Leaf. Say you two met during the Chūnin Exams where you were a part of Team Seven with Naruto. You were one of the few who didn't immediately fear him and even attempted to speak to him. You were met with a threatening response of course, and the look on your face he'd definitely remember.

You looked disappointed, before listening to his threat and backing off respecting his boundaries. He felt something then that he hadn't felt for a long time, he felt guilty that the small frown on your expression would haunt him throughout the entire duration of the exams.

No one had ever wanted to speak to him before, yet you did and it seemed genuine, but he convinced himself that you were just like his uncle faking being interested in him to gain an advantage to kill him later.

The boy would most likely attempt to kill you, only to be stopped by the combined efforts of you and Naruto after he let Shukaku take over.

You then offered your hand to help him up. He was a monster, yet you offered your hand to help him up even after he tried to kill you. He was shocked. When that occurred, you and Naruto helped open his eyes and he felt guilty for attempting to kill you.

Before he could take your hand, his siblings came to get him and he was still thinking about you and Naruto when he returned to the Hidden Sand.

But, more often than not he found himself thinking about you. Your smile and the way you still held your hand out for him were what motivated him to become better.

You two ran into each other every so often on combined missions between the Sand and the Leaf but he couldn't bring himself to speak to you beyond what was needed for the mission at hand.

The next time he encountered you and really spoke to you was when you came to his village with Naruto and a few other Leaf shinobi to rescue him from the hands of the Akatsuki. While you didn't arrive to save him on time before he was killed, when he was revived by Granny Chiyo your face filled with tears was the first thing he saw.

And the first words he uttered was an apology to you. Why on earth would you cry for him? Yes, he was the Kazekage now but surely you didn't still think of him as much as he thought of you.

He had been waiting to see you, more than he realized at the time, he had tried to take your life, yet you cried when he lost his.

It warmed his heart in a way that only occurred when you first offered him your hand and when you first tried to speak to him three years ago.

But what really brought warmth back into his body was when you instantly lit up when you saw that he was alive once again wiping your tears and offering your hand to help him up like you had done all those years ago. This time he was able to take it and you and Naurto helped the Kazekage back to the village.

He thanked the two of you giving you both a smile, and from then on he found himself requesting you for joint missions to the Hidden Sand more often when he could. Gaara didn't even really realize why he was, he just found himself drawn to your presence.

It didn't take long for Kankurō and Temari to realize how much he requested you be sent on the joint missions to Sunagakure and they stayed silent at first to confirm their suspicions on your next mission.

They noticed how their younger brother seemed to go out of his way to speak to you directly even when it wasn't necessary as you weren't the captain of these missions. On the surface, it may just look like he was being extra cautious, but they knew Gaara better than that and confronted him.

Kankurō first teased Gaara about it, and when he didn't get a response Temari asked him about you. The Kazekage was confused by what his older siblings were on about until they explained how he favored you.

It was then that he finally confessed about this strange feeling in his chest and the warmth he felt when you were around. That was when his older siblings explained to him that what he felt towards you was love or as Kankurō put it a "crush." He didn't know what to do with this information, there was no way you felt the same.

However, with a little push in the right direction and some not-so-helpful ideas from his brother he may have an idea on how to make his true feelings known because deep down he wants your love but would never force you he wants to go about earning your heart in the right way.

[rosanna-writer]

we said hello and your eyes look like coming home (21/?)

Summary: A canon-divergent AU where the bond snaps for Rhys on Calanmai, Feyre unwittingly accepts it, and Fire Night magic proves to be more transformative than anyone bargained for. Feyre drags a mate she hardly knows out from Under the Mountain, then puts him back together as war with Hybern approaches. Warnings: dubious consent, canon-typical sexual violence, canon-typical violence Rating: Explicit Chapter Word Count: ~4.6k

ch. 1 - 10 | ch. 11-20 | ch. 21 - i wouldn't marry me either

Feyre gets her ring, and there's angst about it that literally no one asked for.

Some text in this chapter is taken directly from A Court of Mist and Fury.

Read on AO3 or you can find the twenty-first chapter below the readmore.

Well met, High Lady.

The words clanged through me.

But there was hardly time to consider them. The Weaver's dress rustled as she stood and prowled towards me. Though her features were so rotted and warped that they could hardly be called a face anymore, I still recognized a look of hunger—I'd seen it enough back in that cabin.

I suspected, however, that her appetite was far more gruesome than mine.

"I'm here to make a bargain," I said quickly.

She took another step closer, the motion oddly graceful—the Weaver carried herself more like a lady than I could ever manage. Perhaps, millennia ago, she'd been one.

"What could you possibly have to offer me?" she said in that voice that sounded so youthful, so clear and lovely.

"Lives," I said. "A few dozen, enough for several meals and bolts of cloth. There isn't much meat on my bones, but they'll have more."

"Not even a thread from your own life, little wolf?" The Weaver reached out a sickly-looking bone-white hand, running a gnarled, spindly finger down my ribs. I trembled. Her touch was feather-light, but it seemed to leech the heat from me all the same. "The one I see right here is quite beautiful."

The mating bond. Nothing was worth giving that away. I took a step back, all-too-aware that I was dangerously close to being cornered.

"That is not on offer."

The Weaver's laugh was bright and and musical. "Are you sure about that?Powerful magic makes for fine cloth. I'd pay a pretty penny for a golden thread like that."

The Weaver of the Wood might have been a death-god, but she sounded no different than the businessmen I'd overheard meeting with my father before his downfall. I was too much of a merchant's daughter to fall for it.

"I"m here to retrieve the ring that's rightfully mine as Lady of the Night Court. Nothing more." I seldom voiced my title aloud, and perhaps for the first time, saying it didn't make me feel like a girl playing dress-up with clothes far too big for her.

The dark lines of the Weaver's mouth widened into what might have been a grin. "And I was told by the last one not to make it easy on you."

Of course his mother did—Rhys could be maddening, and I supposed he must have gotten it from somewhere.

"If you accept my offer, there may be more than one mating bond in it for you. I don't know how many of them have a mate, but the rogue Illyrian war-bands are yours if you return my ring and allow me to leave this place unharmed."

I'd practiced the words in my head, careful to close a loophole, but it still came as a surprise that my voice didn't shake. The Weaver circled me, occasionally reaching out a bony hand to inspect the knives strapped to my waist and thighs. I let her look, even as I shivered—if they were something she wanted, she could have them, too.

"You will touch nothing in this cottage save the ring. Bring me half of your prisoners as a show of good faith, and you will have until I'm finished with them to find what's yours. Then deliver the rest immediately and leave me be."

I doubted she'd take very long doing…whatever she did to her victims. But I still didn't feel a pull towards a single object in any of the crowded shelves or piles of junk filling the cottage. There wouldn't be time for a thorough search.

And the bloodthirsty delight sparking in pits that should have been her eyes told me she knew it, too.

"What happens if I don't find the ring?" I said, letting my hand drift towards the handle of the knife at my hip.

"My terms have been more than generous, High Lady. Don't push me any further."

There it was again…that title. "Why did you call me that?" I should have focused on bargaining, but the words were out of my mouth before I could think them through.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

More cryptic faerie bullshit, then. I flexed the fingers of my left hand self-consciously. A death-god could probably see through a glamour. Nothing more.

I squared my shoulders. "Fine. I accept the terms of your bargain."

The tang of magic filled the air as a small, curling tattoo formed just behind my ear. A crescent moon—its twin was now inked on the Weaver's forearm.

One tug on the bond, and Rhys delivered half of the rogue Illyrians to the cottage door.

I'd turned away just as the Weaver's mouth of stumped teeth went wide in anticipation. There were screams, sickly gurgles, wet noises as she ripped flesh into pieces, the crunch and crack of bones breaking.

Bones. Snapping, splintering bones, just like—

I forced myself to breathe, even as my heart raced and bile climbed up my throat. Borrowed time. I was on borrowed time, and there wouldn't be much of it.

I scanned the shelves, hoping to catch sight of a jewel glittering in the gloom. But all I saw was junk, even as I crouched and looked over the cluttered tables and overstuffed drawers…

Then I felt it.

A tug, a tap on the shoulder. A glimmer of something reaching for me, familiar as the whorls of night that had left me with my tattoo, laced with a constellation pointing the way. But even as it grasped me…there was something else.

The star-flecked power felt quintessentially Rhys, but…there was something of me in it, too. It was strange, like looking into a mirror and finding two sets of eyes—one violet and one blue-grey—staring back.

Take me home, it seemed to say. I've been away far too long.

Heedless of the horrible noises behind me, I barreled through the maze of tables and junk, letting the pulse guide the way. I stopped at the shelf on the wall next to the hearth. Close—it was close.

An old letter knife, books in leather that I did not want to touch or smell; a handful of acorns, a tarnished crown of ruby and jasper, and—

The ring.

It was made of twisted strands of gold and silver, flecked with pearl, and set with a stone of deepest, solid blue. Sapphire—but different. I’d never seen a sapphire like that, even at my father’s offices. This one…I could have sworn that in the pale light, the lines of a six-pointed star radiated across the round, opaque surface.

My ring.

"There you are," I couldn't help but whisper. "I've been looking for you."

Careful to keep my bargain, I plucked it from the shelf, pinching it between my forefinger and thumb to avoid touching anything else. Time to go. I turned towards the door.

And nearly retched on the spot. The Illyrians weren't dead yet—they were still shrieking like wounded animals—but their shredded entrails were…everywhere. And the Weaver had unhinged her jaw to sate that unholy hunger.

As I walked past them to leave the cottage, I did not look away. I had chosen this fate for them, horrible as it was. The least I could do was bear witness, even as my feet slid along the blood-soaked floor and crossed the threshold.

The rest of them were hers, too. The screams started again, and I felt the tattoo fade. As I stalked towards the trees, I clutched the ring so tightly that the prongs around the sapphire nearly split open my skin.

And perhaps it made me a monster, a murderous human with ice in her heart, but…I didn't feel guilty. If anything, I was relieved. The echo of magic that had wormed its way into my soul belonged solely to the Night Court, and there was nothing linking me back to Tamlin or Spring. I wasn't…tainted.

I found Rhys leaning casually against a tree, hands in his pockets—lounging practically. As I approached, his groomed brows flicked up in a silent question.

I held up the ring.

A smile—a real one, not a smirk, something boyish and decidedly un-High-Lord-like—bloomed on his face. Despite the agonized screams still ringing in my ears, my stomach flipped pleasantly. I grinned back.

With the horror growing even more distant, I let myself feel proud of what I'd done. And maybe it was just the way Rhys was smiling at me, but I felt…lighter. Giddy, almost.

I'd done it. The ring in my hand was tangible proof that I deserved my place in the Night Court, at his side, and I hadn't realized how much better it made me feel to have it.

Too eager to walk, Rhys winnowed the last few feet of distance between us. I pressed forward to kiss him, rising up on my toes, and he scooped me up in one smooth movement.

Not that I'd ever doubt you, he said in my head, but should I take this to mean it all went smoothly?

Of course it did—I only ever bargain fairly.

Rhys laughed against my lips, setting me back down. When he pulled away, his violet eyes were soft. "You're brilliant," he breathed, reaching up to run a thumb along my cheek. "I didn't think I'd ever see that ring again."

He took my free hand and winnowed us away. I'd assumed we were going to the townhouse, or at least, back to Velaris, and blinked in surprise when a clearing in a pine forest materialized instead. Illyria.

Before us were two stones—headstones. They were small but unworn, with no decoration or text other than two names I didn't recognize. And in front of them, the grass was covered in pebbles and small rocks.

Rhys must have understood my confusion. Voice thick, he said, "Our kind don't leave flowers on graves like humans do. As immortals…we prefer something more permanent and leave stones instead."

Each stone a visit, and there were piles of them, small stacks like miniature fortresses. I wondered how many Rhys had left, if any had been added since he'd been imprisoned Under the Mountain. The grass around the graves was well-kept—someone had been taking care of this place, or at least cast a few preserving spells. Rhys slipped his hand from mine and stepped forward, folding his wings back so they didn't drag on the ground as he sat in an empty patch of grass.

"I'm sorry," he said, and I almost asked why he was apologizing before I realized he wasn't speaking to me, "for going so long without visiting both of you. I was— It's over now. I'm back. And I didn't come back alone. This is Feyre. She's my mate, and I kept my promise, mama. Feyre bargained and got the ring back."

Still feeling like a bit of an intruder, I took a few cautious steps forward and sat in the grass next to him. I reached a hand out, but Rhys didn't take it, just wiped at his eyes. For a long moment, everything was quiet except for the distant sound of birds and the wind blowing through the pines.

I'd never visited my own mother's grave. It had been years since I'd missed her, and if our situations had been reversed, I doubted she would have visited mine. I'd long since made my peace with it.

Perhaps my mother-in-law could have filed that void, been someone I could lean on. But all I had from her was a lesson on ruthlessness that had won me the ring in my hand.

"I wish I could have asked you for advice, on how to be Lady of Night when you're a nineteen-year-old outsider. I have the ring but…I don't know if it's enough," I said quietly. "More than anything, though, I'd like to thank you. For raising him."

A ragged noise escaped Rhys, and I reached my free hand out again. He interlaced our fingers, squeezing almost to the point of pain. I squeezed back, then turned to the other grave. "I grew up with two sisters, Nesta and Elain. But now…I suppose I have three," I said.

As one, Rhys and I got to our feet. We stood there, hand-in-hand, and for a moment, the hole where his family should have been seemed deep enough to swallow everything. It didn't matter that centuries had passed—so much was missing and irreparably broken.

But I wasn't finished, and I forced myself to keep going. I'd fulfilled a promise today, but I had a new oath to swear. "The male who got you killed ripped me from my family and manipulated me for his own ends. If Rhys and I hadn't found each other…my blood would have been on Tamlin's hands, too. I won't allow him to endanger a Night Court female again."

We lingered in silence a bit longer, then left two stones behind on each grave. Rhys winnowed us to the living room of the townhouse. There was more to do—Amren would no doubt want to be informed about what I'd sensed in the Weaver's cottage, and I wanted to change out of my leathers first.

But I couldn't keep holding onto the ring forever. I uncurled my fingers, holding it out to him. "Do you…want it back?"

"It's yours," he said, as if that settled it.

I didn't have the nerve to slip the ring on, even after shedding blood to get it. Not even here, in the privacy of our own home. I'd never questioned the mating bond—how could I when it was the strongest thing I'd ever known? But this was different.

The bond belonged to the two of us. Wearing a family ring was a public declaration.

Rhys cocked his head, studying me again. I was still too caught up in my own thoughts to move. For a moment, I expected a familiar caress of talons against my shields, but it never came.

No, Rhys just plucked the ring from my hand and dropped down to one knee. "Feyre—"

My heart hammered in my chest, and I nearly bolted upstairs. But I couldn't run from him without a word—not again and certainly not like this.

"Don't," I choked out. Rhys went utterly still, forcing his expression into something blank and composed. My eyes stung, but I kept going before I made this worse than it already was. "You wouldn't marry me if I were a faerie."

He blinked. "Of course I—"

"You wouldn't. Because marriage is a silly, pointless formality when there's already an unbreakable thread binding our souls together. But I…" My throat bobbed. "Please don't start treating me differently because I'm human."

In Spring, I'd been something to be gawked at, addressed as "human" instead of my name. I'd felt small and stupid and useless, and I would not let anyone do that to me again, not even if they meant well, like he did.

And especially not in the Night Court, where I belonged.

Rhys stood and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down my cheeks. I let the soft brush of his calloused hands settle me as his wings nudged me closer and encircled us both.

"I'm sorry. You looked so unsure just now, and I… I needed you to know I'd choose you in every way possible."

A surprised—if still a bit teary—laugh bubbled out of me. I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder. "I know you would. Sometimes what we feel for each other is the only thing I think I'm sure of."

I felt the tension melt from his body. With a stab of guilt, I wondered if running off to the House of Wind on our first night back had left him with doubts that ran deeper than I'd originally thought. But I let it go—it was hard to keep dwelling on the past when he was letting out a contented hum and kissing the top of my head.

I let myself savor the peace for a few heartbeats, but I couldn't ignore the way he'd only wrapped one arm around me. The other still held the ring.

"For what it's worth, I do want to wear it," I whispered. "I know I can't, at least for now, but if things were different, I would. Every day."

Rhys stepped back and smiled, taking my left hand in his, cradling it as if it were something delicate—not calloused in odd places from holding a bow, with crescents of dirt and blood under my ragged nails. The glamour fell away, revealing the swirling lines of the half-finished tattoo.

He slid the ring onto my finger. I'd thought it might look wrong there, but the ring was Illyrian and my hands were rough like a warrior's. The fit was perfect, and it sat in a gap that had been left between the whorls of my tattoo.

Like it was always meant to be there.

The intensity of emotions rippling across his face was so strong I nearly had to look away. Love, reverent adoration…and that purely male, possessive gleam in his star-flecked eyes. My toes curled in my boots.

"I'm yours, mate," I whispered.

His mouth crashed into mine just the way I'd hoped it would. I parted my lips eagerly, ready to lose myself in the sweep of his tongue.

Maybe I'd never get used to how quickly I could be ready and aching for him. But the pleasure he'd wrung from me last night hadn't been enough, not after several days keeping our hands off each other in Illyria. One scrape of his teeth against my bottom lip, and I was scrabbling at the fastenings of his leathers.

I reached for him through the bond, and his shields were down in an instant. Will you wear one too, Rhys? To let everyone know you're mine?

Those last two words dragged a groan from deep in his throat. He shucked the leathers and undershirt off in one smooth movement, and I ran my hands down, down the hard planes of his muscled chest. Lower and lower, until I brushed the trail of soft hair above the waistband of his pants.

Even in our minds, I sounded breathless. Fuck me while I wear the ring and nothing else.

A flash of pain sparked and lit up the mating bond, even as his tongue plunged deeper into my mouth. I leaped back, shocked as if a bucket of ice had been thrown over us both.

Rhys was breathing hard, eyes wide and wild. He pushed me out of his mind, and his shields were firmly in place again. The walls of adamant were higher and thicker than I'd ever felt them.

"What's wrong?" I said aloud.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. Darkness fell from his shoulders in pulsing, furious waves. A few tendrils wrapped around him like a cloak, and the rest dimmed the room.

He reached for me. I stepped back again. "Rhysand. Tell me what's wrong."

For a long moment, Rhys said nothing. He pressed his eyes shut, his breathing still uneven. I waited. The darkness kept leaking into the room, and when it was pitch-black, he finally spoke.

"The ring with Jurian's eye. She never took it off. Not even when we…" he managed to say.

My heart cracked in two.

"Cauldron, Rhys, I'm so sorry. I should have realized." That ring had featured in so many of our nightmares; I'd been utterly, monumentally stupid not to think of it.

I wanted to hold him, but that seemed….unwise. It might startle him if the dark was too thick for him to see me coming closer. With his shields up, I couldn't reach down the bond and drag him back to the present like I wanted to.

His wings. He still had his wings out. "Rhys," I said, as gently as I could manage. "Go fly. Circle Velaris as many times as you need to. I'll be here when you get back."

There was a rustling noise as his wings snapped outward. Something soft brushed my cheek, and then I was alone, squinting in the too-bright sunlight when the darkness disappeared with him.

I'd ruined everything, so there was nothing to be done but change out of my leathers and wait. My heart was heavy as I sank into one of the chairs on the roof and watched the sky, hoping for a glimpse of him.

I wished I'd been the sort of person who could have just smiled and happily accepted a proposal. Or at the very least, not someone who made it worse by dredging up his nightmares unexpectedly.

Maybe we'd never get completely free from Under the Mountain.

The other end of the bond was silent, and I twisted the ring around my finger so many times I nearly rubbed the skin raw. I could just make out his dark shape against the clouds, the powerful beat of his wings as he looped and looped over the city. One day, I hoped, he'd do the same and carry me with him.

It was a while before Rhys landed on the roof. The movement was easy and graceful, the draft of wind from that massive wingspan ruffling my hair as he touched down with silent feet. He regarded me, eyes dry, standing stiff-backed in a way that seemed unnatural for him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I said, though I knew he didn't.

He shook his head. "I just want you."

In an instant, I was on his lap on the other chair. His breath was warm against my ear as he sighed, draping both arms over my shoulders as he leaned his chest against my back. Exhaustion seemed to roll off him the way his power usually did. We said nothing, but Rhys laced our fingers together and pressed a kiss to the knuckle of my left hand, right next to the ring.

No hard feelings, then.

It was another day before we met with Amren, who made me describe everything I'd felt in the Weaver's cottage in excruciating detail. There was more research to be done, but she had a new working theory—that the Spring Court hadn't left me with any of its own magic, just reshaped the Night Court's existing claim on me.

The faint magic within me wasn't an echo—it had become a seed.

Whether it would bloom or bear fruit or something else entirely was anyone's guess. If given the opportunity, I had the sense Amren would pick me apart to find out. But it was better than going on no information at all.

A few weeks later, I landed a hit on Cassian with a wooden sword the same day I finished the first book I ever read from cover-to-cover. The days had passed as a steady rhythm of training and reading, mostly spent in the House of Wind.

Life was…quiet. Better, though not perfect. Rhys and I still depended on the sleeping draught, and the library was the only windowless place either of us could tolerate for more than an hour at a time. We chipped away at the work of catching up—me on literacy, him on the business of running the Night Court—in companionable silence on sunlit balconies or tucked away among the priestesses.

The rest days were the hardest to tolerate. Without exhaustion to settle my mind, I found myself wandering the city aimlessly, too restless to sit still. The streets of Velaris quickly became familiar.

All of it, except for the Rainbow. I hadn't gotten up the nerve to set foot in the artists' quarter. I'd skirted the edges carefully, and in truth, stared at it wistfully on more than one occasion.

I suspected that Tamlin had given me paints as a distraction, a ploy to quiet me down and soften my feelings towards him. And even if it had just been an attempt to break the curse and save his people…it hurt. Something I loved had been used against me, and I wasn't sure I could throw my whole self into painting so fearlessly ever again.

But I did finish the snowdrops lining the edges of the kitchen table. And it had felt…good. My heart squeezed at the way Rhys smiled every time he looked at them.

There were more leftover paints, so I took to hiding clever decorations in my room, just as I had in the cabin. Behind the curtains, under the dressing table, inside drawers…and nothing more than flowering vines, curls of flame, or intricate, abstract designs. Nothing with me in it.

It was all I could manage. Not a secret, but…I didn't want to be watched or talk about it.

Rhys spotted them eventually, of course. He'd been sprawled out on my bed one morning, staring at my ass as I slipped off my nightgown to get ready for the day. When I heard his sharp intake of breath behind me, I figured he'd noticed the ivy painted on the inside of the drawer I'd just opened.

I'd whirled around, ready to lob a pair of socks at his head in response to a teasing remark. Or worse, for him to be upset that I hadn't told him I'd painted.

But he'd just tilted his head, regarded me thoughtfully, and said, "That's one way to hide what's precious to you."

He'd once said something similar about his wings. And I'd supposed the same thing was true for keeping Velaris and our mating bond hidden. Those violet eyes met mine, and I felt…understood. Somehow, it wasn't terrifying.

It gave me the confidence to start leaving those little hidden designs around the rest of the townhouse. I'd started with his room, then expanded to the kitchen and the foyer. Claiming marks, if you knew where to look for them.

Similar to my mating band, which I took to wearing hidden on a chain under my shirt. Rhys did the same, after he'd offered to find a horrible creature to retrieve his from and call us even.

I wasn't quite sure what I'd do when the paints ran out, and I'd been deliberately not thinking much about it. But my walks took me past the city's outdoor sculptures and murals more often lately, and perhaps that was progress.

But it was only a matter of time before the peace was broken again. We were roused from our beds with news of another attack on a temple, this one at Sangravah.

The security measures Rhys had arranged for the priestesses left survivors this time, though not many. Once he left for the temple, I headed to the library, prepared to help with whatever the priestesses needed, just like before.

I'd expected to prepare more bodies for burial, but Mor walked in with an auburn-haired female wrapped in a blood-soaked cloak that was far too big for her.

"I healed her," Mor said, "but she needs someone to help her get settled."

I agreed to handle it, and the priestess turned at the sound of my voice. Her teal eyes were distant—haunted, really. More blood, hers or someone else's, had spattered on her face.

Clearing the mess away with magic wouldn't be enough for her to feel clean after whatever ordeal she'd just gone through—I knew that after everything Under the Mountain. I fetched a washcloth and basin and helped her clean off.

She didn't speak. And perhaps that was for the best—I had no idea what I would have said anyway. Later that night, I learned from another priestess that her name was Gwyneth Berdara and Hybern had slaughtered her twin sister during the attack.

As Catrin Berdara's name was read during the funeral service a few hours later, I decided it was finally time to stop avoiding my own sisters. Mortal lives were short, and in a hundred years, I'd regret not making the most of the time I had with them.

Even if I couldn't find the words to tell Nesta and Elain all the ways my life had changed since coming to Prythian, I'd go to the mortal lands tomorrow.

[createdbytragedy]

MY GIRLFRIEND (4)

୨୧A/N: Okay, I was suppose to post this first instead of the (3) one because basically, this is the (3) but I got it messed up and accidentally posted that one first so I guess this'll be number (4. )

(lol, this didn't make sense)

୨୧ (3),(2),(1)

୨୧Pairing: Choi Beomgyu X raeder

୨୧Genre: Fluff

"Come on, they would really love you......" Beomgyu said, looking up at you with his adorable eyes. You chuckled, patting his head that rested on your lap.

"You think so?" you asked. He nodded, beaming up at you," I know so. Who in their right mind could not love? you're so pretty and kind and patient. I literally feel so lucky I even met you." his words made you smile, a blush forming on how genuine he sounded.

"Are you bribing me with your compliments?" you teases, brushing away strands of hair from his forehead. God, you loved your boyfriend like this. Bare faced with no make up on, wearing worn out t shirts and looking just a little bit less than perfect. It was a side only you get to see and it somewhat felt privileged knowing that.

"Mmmm, maybe, but no. You really are awesome, (y/n)," he grinned, just staring at your eyes like he sees the universe in it, like he was lost in your consuming beauty. You were too. Watching the way his eyes squint into crescents and the curve of his lips.

"So are you, baby." you placed a kiss on his nose that had him giggling. "Hey, you're distracting me from the conversation!" he playfully pouts, pinching your belly softly as a punishment.

"Why do we need to make it public, baby? Aren't happy with the secret rendezvous?" you playfully remarked. Beomgyu shook his head, lips puckered out slightly in a pout as he played with strands of your hair that fell on his face.

"I just wanna tell the world that you're mine." He whispered. You giggled, placing another kiss on his nose. That instantly lifted his mood, pointing and puckering up his lips for more kisses. You happily gave it to them, smiling and giggling between each other's lips.

"That's it!" he exclaimed, startling you a bit when he abruptly got up from your lap, " I wanna kiss you on live baby. I wanna take you to public places and kiss you IN public because people would be SOOO jealous and I'LL BE LIKE ," HA! LOOK WHAT A CUTE FACE I'M KISSING!!" I wanna take you everywhere. Our concerts, tours, fan meetings-- I wanna spoil you and do cute things together, you know, like, matching fits, making one of those cringey couple videos with you. I wanna show you off to the world and share rides, food, sunsets and drinks. I would place cute lil kisses on your nose and take secret pictures of you. OR we could go to aquariums and one of those dolphin shows you're always on about. I just wanna hold your hand and kiss you beautiful face, you know. Just because I can. " You couldn't help the laugh that escaped your lips by watching the way his face gleamed, ranting about the things he wanted to do with you.

It sounded so pure and it almost made you tear up, watching him wave his hands around, blabbering on and on like he knew there will be a future for you both. Like, he wanted to make a future for you both. It was unreal. The way Beomgyu made you feel so loved and secure.

"But if people don't know about us, we would have to be out in public with those ugly, black sunglasses and face mask and sweaty, smelly caps and have to act like we're spies on a mission," you continued to watch him, unaware of the smile that stretched across as your face as you do so," but if we public our relationship, we could actually enjoy all those things without looking at our back all the freaking time. Great idea, don't you agree?" he grinned proudly and you smiled, ruffling his hair that was already disheveled.

"You're so cute, Gyu. Its hard to say no to you sometimes."

"Does that mean I can post our picture of tonight?" he asks, tone full of joy. You contemplated. The action was precarious and you weren't certain if the outcome would be necessarily positive. +But you knew that Beomgyu would be there for you when things go downhill. He would be there to console you and make things right. So, maybe, it didn't hurt t

"With all that lipstick stain?" you snickered, shades of red painted on his handsome face.

"Hell, yeah, they should know my girlfriend has the best taste in lipstick shade!!"

[xoxochb]

can you make a Jason x fem reader hc but reader has glasses, just basic hcs abt their relationship ?

˗ˋ what if your eyes looked up and met mine one more time ˊ˗

warnings: dangerously short

pairing: jason grace x reader with glasses

summary: all in the request

A/N: I truly love this request because I have glasses myself, and honestly I think about this a lot

OMG

okay…

I really love this, oh my lord

hear me out on this:

he probably takes off his glasses and takes off yours and makes you try on his while he tries on yours!

“can I see your glasses for a second?” he says looking up at you, taking off his glasses in the process

“yeah sure, why?” you say handing them to him, and he gently takes them from your hand, putting them on

“oh my gods, you’re blind,” he says handing you his glasses “put mine on”

and you do

“what is the point of this?” you laugh, confused with his antics

“just for fun…” he says, watching you struggle to adjust to the new lens, “you look good with my glasses- really good”

you blush and take them off, placing them back on his face with a kiss to his forehead

I need him

anyways…

I think it’s cannon that he looses his glasses a lot, I don’t remember if this is true or not, but I saw someone say something about it so…

I have this irrational fear of loosing my glasses idk how he does it

so, you made this spot somewhere (literally could be anywhere, you choose) where he can put his glasses whenever he isn’t wearing them so he doesn’t loose them as often

it doesn’t really help though

he’s the type of person to call you a nerd for wearing glasses (what a hypocrite!)

he probably takes your glasses off before kissing you because I know that cannot be comfortable

I feel like he was kind of insecure of wearing glasses at first because he never really saw anyone with glasses, but then he met you and was really happy to see someone else with glasses! 🫶🏼

anywaysss, that’s really it, I struggled to think of anything else and I didn’t want to leave this in my drafts for too long

and with that, to wrap this up I have got to say, this dynamic is so cute and I’m obsessed

[saturnsconstellation]

I know this is controversial to my “I don’t like Taylor Swift” post but in my defense the new album is fire. Anyway I’d love a Wolfstar angsty microfic based on “I look in peoples windows” but it’s Sirius looking for Remus everywhere he goes.

Fic writers do your thing!

[gayri-chmac]

i look in people’s windows but it’s jimmy checking on timmy every so often after he loses his memories knowing that he will never speak to him again

[hazbinhotelie]

Could you do an Alastor x extremely flirty reader?

Be warned, these assholes have the worst pickup lines. I’m also a horrible flirt so yk. That probably reflects in my writing lol

From the moment I first met Alastor, the so-called Radio Demon, I knew this was going to be fun. His perpetual grin, the way his voice crackled like an old radio broadcast, and that vintage red suit – he was a character straight out of a noir film. I couldn’t resist; I had to flirt with him. It started innocently enough, a comment here, a wink there, testing the waters.

"Alastor," I said one day, leaning against the bar in the hotel lobby, "do you come here often, or just when you know I'm around?"

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. "I live here, my dear," he replied, his voice as smooth and eerie as ever. "Why do you ask?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Oh, just making conversation."

Days passed, and my flirtations became more overt. "Alastor, if you were a vegetable, you'd be a cute-cumber," I said, smirking at my own cleverness.

He blinked, clearly perplexed. "A...cute-cumber? I assure you, my dear, I have never been associated with vegetables."

It was almost adorable how the demon didn’t catch on at first. But then something shifted. One day, after another of my shameless attempts – "Alastor, if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together" – I saw a flicker of realization in his eyes.

"Interesting proposition," he murmured, and there was a new edge to his smile. He still seemed unsure why I was flirting, but it was clear he was beginning to understand.

Then, without warning, he decided to play along.

"You know," he began, cornering me in the hallway one evening, his grin even more devilish than usual, "if you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple."

I laughed, genuinely delighted. So, the game was on.

Each day became a duel of wits and charm. "Alastor, do you have a map? Because I just got lost in your eyes," I said, batting my eyelashes dramatically.

"Ah, my dear," he countered, "if you were words on a page, you'd be the fine print."

It became our ritual. I’d flirt, he’d counter, both of us trying to outdo the other. It was exhilarating, a thrilling challenge I hadn’t expected.

One evening, as we stood in the dimly lit lounge, I decided to step up my game. "Alastor," I said softly, leaning closer, "are you a magician? Because whenever I look at you, everyone else disappears."

His eyes gleamed with mischief. "My dear," he purred, his voice sending shivers down my spine, "if you were a melody, you'd be my favorite tune, played on repeat."

“Oh? Maybe I don’t have to be a tune for that. You’re playing with me enough already,” I said slyly. I couldn’t help but laugh. This powerful demon- a literal overlord!- was now fully engaged in our playful flirtation, and it was more entertaining than I could have imagined.

"Touché," he said, raising his glass to me.

He inclined his head, his grin widening. "It appears we have reached a stalemate," he said, his tone dripping with amusement. "But rest assured, my dear, I will emerge victorious in this delightful game."

"We’ll see about that," I replied, winking at him.

One afternoon, I found him in the library, poring over an ancient tome. Probably something Charlie or Lucifer owned. The dim light cast long shadows, making the atmosphere perfect for my plan. Silently, I approached and, leaning over his shoulder, whispered, "What’s a charming demon like you doing in a dusty place like this?"

He turned slowly, his crimson eyes meeting mine with a glint of amusement. "Searching for knowledge, my dear. And what brings you here?"

"Just wanted to see if the stories about you were true," I said, my voice low and playful.

"Stories?" His eyebrow arched.

"Yes," I continued, moving closer until our faces were just inches apart. This was the first time I’d done this with him without anyone else nearby- the first time we were guaranteed to be uninterrupted… "About how dangerously captivating you are."

Alastor’s grin widened, and for a moment, I thought he might close the distance. But instead, he leaned back, putting just a bit of space between us. "Captivating, you say? I do aim to please."

I laughed, stepping back and allowing him to see the light blush on my cheeks. He had played that one perfectly, but he didn’t make another move. Today wasn’t the day, then.

Another day, as I lounged in the hotel's garden, I saw him approaching. "Alastor," I called out, reclining on a bench with deliberate nonchalance, "have you ever danced in a garden before?"

His eyes sparkled with curiosity. "I can't say that I have. Are you offering to teach me?"

Without a word, I stood and held out my hand. He took it, and I led him to a small clearing among the flowers. We began to dance, the steps slow and intimate, the space between us almost nonexistent. At one point, I spun and ended up with my back against his chest. I could feel his breath on my neck, and I almost dared to close the distance, but instead, I turned around swiftly, creating a sudden gap.

"Nice moves," I said with a smirk.

Alastor chuckled, clearly enjoying the game. "You’re quite the dancer yourself, my dear."

That night, the stakes were raised even higher. We found ourselves alone in one of the hotel’s many hallways, the moonlight casting eerie patterns through the windows. I decided it was time for a bold move. "Alastor," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper, "have you ever wondered what it’s like to kiss me?"

He seemed taken aback for a moment, then recovered, his grin returning. "I can't say the thought has ever crossed my mind." A lie.

"Really?" I stepped closer, our bodies almost touching. "Not even once?"

He leaned in, his lips just inches from mine, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the heat between us, the tension almost unbearable. Just as our lips were about to meet, I pulled back, a teasing smile on my face.

"Maybe another time," I said, turning on my heel and walking away, leaving him standing there, momentarily speechless.

The next morning, he caught me off guard. As I was sipping my coffee in the dining room, he appeared beside me, leaning down so close that his breath tickled my ear. "You know," he murmured, "you left me quite intrigued last night."

I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat. "Did I now?"

"Oh, indeed," he said, his voice a seductive purr. "Perhaps we should continue where we left off."

He reached out, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face, and for a second, I thought he might actually kiss me. But just like I had done, he pulled back at the last moment, his grin widening.

"Or perhaps not," he teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement.