#why is his outfit so complicated i cried

[koyuxim]

them,, they're.. so cute 🧧💝

[scrixtcn]

diamonds in the sky

genre: sugar daddy/ceo!au | strangers to lovers!au | equal amounts of fluff and complicated not quite angst but angsty feelings

pairing: choi seungcheol x reader 

word count: 12.2k

a/n: coups is sweet and caring but also is perfectly able to throw money at his problems for them to not be problems anymore. also him in any kind of suit kills me. 

You knew this would be another one of those nights.

“This way, darlings,” the hotel manager whistles while ushering you and three other girls out of the elevator. “They won’t wait, you know.”

At the very top of the building is the hotel bar, a rather infamous location frequented by the rich and elite 1%. Word on the street had the Starlight bar as the coveted meetup for all sorts of transactions—both shady and open market deals between those seeking and those offering their “services” for a price. You belonged to the unfortunate latter, one slip-up in the contract signing you off as a female escort rather than the aspiring model that had been advertised in the agency’s flyers.

“Can I borrow some lipstick?”

You dig through your silver clutch, coming up empty-handed at hearing your fellow escort/best friend’s inquiry.

“Sorry, Hana, I don’t have any on me.”

The girl on the right hands over hers, and you stifle a giggle at the orange shade that doesn’t fit Hana’s look at all.

“Hana,” you begin slowly, holding out a compact mirror, “You might want to look at yourself before going in.”

She glances at the reflection and screams, the shrill sound startling even the manager. He turns around from his conversation at the bar counter, wondering if everything is alright. Not wanting to start a fuss, Hana nods furiously and tugs you aside, giving dirty glares to the one who offered her the disastrous tube of lipstick in the first place.

“Please tell me you have something—anything—in your bag to save my lips.”

“Well…” You look again and settle on a pack of tissues and clear lip gloss. “Maybe you can wipe it off?”

Letting out a low growl, she takes you on the offer and excuses herself from the group to freshen up in the bathroom. Left alone with the other two girls, you shrug off the questions on Hana’s outburst with an apologetic smile. No need to offer more than necessary to girls you probably wouldn’t ever see again.

Once the bartender announces that the guests in the private rooms are ready and waiting, you start to follow the others, only to be held back by a firm hand.

“One of the clients is arriving late,” the manager informs you, “Can you go to the 3rd floor instead?”

You frown. “This wasn’t what was paid for.

“And why me? Why me and not them?”

“You were handpicked,” the manager answers, giving you a once-over. “Y/N, right? He said you’d be wearing a black off-shoulder dress with frills?”

The exact description of your outfit brings bitterness to your tongue. There was only one person who knew exactly what you’d be wearing tonight—the guy who had gifted you the dress during one of your nights with him the week before.

“Fine,” you grumble, “But tell Jeonghan he owes me double from what he usually pays.”

—

Yoon Jeonghan was a snake if you ever saw one.

You were never able to pinpoint why he was so infatuated with you, always eager to see you whenever your paths crossed during your other “work events”. There were times when he even called the agency to specifically ask for your company, earning yourself the title as “Jeonghan’s favorite” amongst your colleagues. Maybe he did like spending time with you. Or maybe… maybe he just wanted a new toy to play with after he got bored with his other girlies.

As expected, Jeonghan extends his arms for a hug the moment you get out of the elevator to the 3rd floor, a gesture you purposely avoid to show your displeasure at being pulled aside from the group call you had agreed to.

“Who stepped on your tail?” he asks coyly, giving a mock bow to kiss your hand. “Love the dress, by the way.”

“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight,” you answer crisply, “Let alone pull me aside to cater to whatever scheme you’re plotting right now.”

He laughs, a devilish sound like you just stumbled right into his clutches. “Everything will play out as it always does.”

A card key is tossed your direction before you can press on for more details.

“I need you to keep a look out for my friend. He’s staying in this room.”

You catch it before it falls to the floor and study the card. VIP Suite. Not an ordinary person by the looks of it.

“Why me?”

“Believe it or not, I don’t trust anyone else but you.”

Hearing Jeonghan mention trust brings an unexpected cackle from your throat. Since when was the devil trustworthy?

“I’m serious,” he repeats, turning tail and holding up a hand. “Take good care of him, sweetheart.”

“Wait, I don’t even know how he looks like!”

You watch as Jeonghan leaves, his figure growing smaller and smaller down the hallway. With a huff, you walk down the hall, stopping once you locate the correct room. One swipe of the card key and you find yourself stepping into the biggest space you’d ever seen at Starlight. The room not one of your caliber can easily enter, you find yourself frozen in place until you remember what Jeonghan had said before he left.

I need you to keep a lookout for my friend.

Shaking off your shoes, you step barefoot onto the carpet and wiggle your toes in excitement at exploring the space. Jeonghan never said you couldn’t look around while waiting for his friend.

“Whoa…” There is a whole separate hallway linking to the bathroom and bedroom, the entire suite no different than a service apartment targeted for long term stay. Obviously, luxury took precedent—even the sliding glass doors leading to the outdoor Jacuzzi are shined to perfection, the lights catching glimmers in contrast to the slowly darkening sky. Stepping back inside, you pranced around the open kitchen, where there’s a small stove for cooking next to the fridge.

“Well equipped.”

Midway into digging through the fridge for a bite to eat, you hear the door click open and startle, bumping your head atop the inner ceiling of the icebox.

“Who are you?”

Shuffling backwards, you shake your head and meet the dazed eyes of a drunken man. Tie in hand, his shirt is unbuttoned and to be honest, you weren’t expecting one of Jeonghan’s friends to look so slovenly at the first meeting.

“Hi, I’m—”

His chest heaves, and you have the shock of your life when he throws up directly onto the carpet and the conveniently placed heels you had taken off to freely explore his suite.  

God dammit.

—

Seungcheol doesn’t remember a thing when he opens his eyes the next morning, yawning as he sits up in bed. There had been drinks sure, but the exact amount remains a mystery after blacking out last night. How he made it back to the hotel was also a story for another day when he sees the cheerful grin of his friend sitting directly next to.

“You were quite a mess last night,” Jeonghan snickers, handing over a glass of water. “I didn’t know you had it in you to drink so much.”

“I…” Taking the water, he drinks and a flickering memory surfaces in his mind.

“Was there someone else here?”

Jeonghan chuckles. “You really don’t remember what you did to her last night?”

“What do you mean?” Panic settles in his throat and he immediately puts down the glass, grabbing Jeonghan by the shoulders. “What… What did I do?”

“You…” Jeonghan breaks into laughter mid-explanation. “You threw up all over my friend’s shoes, that’s what.”

Oh, shit.

—

Hana hadn’t stopped laughing once she heard about your unfortunate night, irritating you to no end when she brings it up again during weekend brunch with her sister.

“So Y/N goes down to the guy’s suite,” Hana reiterates, waving her fork in the process, “Looking around, and the guy just throws up once he’s inside. All over her shoes, too!”

“I swear, I will knock your mimosa onto the floor if you bring it up again.”

Unfazed by your empty threat, she shifts her glass to the other side and mimics throwing up, an all-inclusive experience with sounds of vomiting and contortions of her face in disgust. Her sister tries to keep a straight face, but you can see the giggles already starting to break through from the tightened lips.

“Okay, laugh,” you sigh, giving in to the inevitable. “Poke fun at my misery after having to walk home in wet and smelly heels.”

Giggles echo around the table, catching the attention of the other guests at the restaurant. You pick up your cutlery knife and angrily cut apart the omelet on the plate, mutilating the yellow pillow of egg with other meats and veggies tucked inside.

“it’s just so funny,” Hana snickers, letting out the last laughs before taking a deep breath and making a zipping motion over her lips. “That’s it, I promise.”

Her sister does the same, promising to leave it at that.

“Did you manage to get his number at least?”

You shake your head. “He was out like a snuffed candle after he finished throwing up all over the floor. I had to call room service and make sure they put it on his tab before I left.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Hana exchanges a glance with her sister and her sister proceeds to take out a business card, sliding it over to you. “Which is why I had my sister get it for you!”

“Huh?”

Her sister pushes up the glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. “I asked my journalist friends and they told me it’s him.”

You pick up the business card and read the name printed in black font.

“Choi… Seungcheol?”

“He’s the CEO of the hotel chain that Starlight is under,” your friend’s sister continues, “Quite a big name, so there’s always someone keeping tabs on him.”

“You should give him a call,” Hana insists, “Get compensation for your shoes, at the very least.”

“I don’t know…” You fold up the business card and stuff it in your purse. “I’d rather not get reminded about what he did.”

“It’s only right he gives you back a new pair of shoes!”

Your phone rings before you can offer a rebuttal, it being no other than the guy who had gotten you into such a mess from the start. You accept the call and hold the phone close to your ear, not giving the sisters a chance to eavesdrop.

“Hi, Jeonghan.”

“Are you free?” his voice chirps through the speaker. “My friend said he wants to apologize for last night.”

“I…” You stand up from your seat, mouthing goodbye to your friends while walking to a quieter spot to answer his call.

“I don’t really want to see him, if I’m being honest.”

Jeonghan whines at your hesitation. “He really feels bad and wants to make it up to you, sweetheart.”

“If anything, you should be the one to make it up to me!” you snap, voice raising outside the restaurant doors. “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t—”

“Fine,” he relinquishes, “It’s my fault and I’ll pay triple if you go meet with him. Do it for me, please?”

Mention of the extra pay tickles your taste buds, but you push down the thought with a huff. He takes it as agreement and blows kisses from his end, offering to send his limousine to pick you up after asking for your current whereabouts. He was always like this, agreeing to anything and everything if things went his way. You didn’t like being pulled along to his whims, but didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness to you either.

The limousine pulls up in a matter of minutes, quicker than you expected. Perhaps he had been in the area, the driver offering a quick bow once he recognizes it’s you he’s picking up.

“Young Master Jeonghan said to drop you off at Starlight, miss?”

“Wherever he said to go, that’s where I’m going,” you reply, making yourself comfortable in the back. “He didn’t tell me where.”

“Understood.” He hops back into the driver’s seat and shifts gear. “We will be at Starlight shortly.”

—

“Hey.”

It’s strange how you know which table to go to once you arrive at the Starlight bar, the lone figure before the dry martini somehow pulling at your heartstrings as you slide into the seat next to.

“Do you… remember me?”

He looks up, and you nearly have a double take. This Choi Seungcheol looked nothing like yesterday’s drunken state. Today he is soberly dressed in a dark pinstripe suit, hair slicked back. The silver ring on his pinky knocks against the counter as he taps his hand on the surface, gesturing for the bartender. He proceeds to order a shot of tequila—Jeonghan must have told him your usual go-to drink before you arrived.

“No,” he admits, “But Jeonghan said I threw up all over your shoes?”

The memory brings back unpleasant thoughts. Panic at his passed-out figure by the door after he finished vomiting, frantic calls to room service and emphasizing for them to put the service charge on his tab…

He notices the grimace on your face and apologizes again. 

“I’m terribly sorry you had to clean up my mess.”

You wave it off, nodding in thanks to the bartender who brings over the shot of tequila.

“It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” he presses on, lifting the martini and consuming half the cocktail in one long sip. “I can make it up to you.”

“It’s just a pair of shoes, no big deal.

“Another shot of tequila, please.”

The bartender holds up an ‘OK’, which makes you smile and you spin to face Seungcheol.

“If you want to make it up to me, Mister Choi, can you treat me to another round of drinks?”

He does a double take at hearing his name, garnering a chuckle from your parted lips.

“It’s not hard to get information about someone as well-known as you.”

Seungcheol cracks a smile at your words. “I didn’t know I was so popular.”

The second shot of tequila makes its way before you, accompanying it a second martini for Seungcheol courtesy of the bartender.

“Cheers? You’re forgiven for throwing up on my shoes, Mister Choi Seungcheol.”

“Just call me Seungcheol,” he laughs, a hearty sound that echoes warmly across the bar when the glasses clink. “But really, this won’t do when I ruined your shoes.”

“Hmm… I can’t think of anything now, so l’ll take a rain check on your offer.”

“Then I’ll have Jeonghan give you my number. That way, you can call me once you decide how you want me to make it up to you.”

◇

You never did call Seungcheol to cash in on his offer, not one to insist on compensation for something as trivial as ruined shoes. Vomiting happened when people drank a bit too much. It wasn’t like those shoes were valuable or even held any sentimental value (they were gifted by a former colleague after she left to sign to a rival agency with better pay and benefits).

Jeonghan had pestered you for a week asking why you never contacted his friend, but you held your ground and purposely ignored his calls whenever he asked about you contacting Seungcheol, rendering you going without pay that week due to not seeing him. Curse the clause in your contract that stated you had to attend individual calls at least three times a week or else pay from group calls would be forfeited entirely to the agency.

“How much longer are you going to play hooky?”

Hana stands by the desk in your room with a bag of chips in hand, digging into the bag while waiting for your response. Crumbs trickle onto the floor and you get up from bed, shooing her out to stand by the door if she had to eat while talking.

“You’re sweeping these up yourself if you take one more step forward while eating your chips.”

She rolls her eyes and reaches for another chip. “You heard me, missy. No pay means no rent. No rent means you and I are going to have to sleep on the streets.”

“I know,” you enunciate, crossing your arms in distaste. “I’ll figure something out before the end of the month.”

“I’m holding you to it,” Hana declares, flicking a chip crumb your direction. “You said you’d figure it out.”

“Get out before I hand you the broom to sweep up my room.”

Once she leaves, you close the door and sigh. The end of the month was coming up in three days’ time. You’re sure Hana isn't the type to save either, so likely you’d have to cover her share (or part of it) as you usually do. Her big spending always end in maxed out credit cards every month, an amount not even help from her sister can cover to pay in full as you liked.

Jeonghan usually more than willing to offer financial assistance, your latest cold war with him had turned him to call for other girls to accompany him to parties or other work events. No way in hell were you going to ask him for help.

Perhaps…

—

“Welcome to Andromeda, do you have an appointment?”

You swallow nervously at seeing the crisp beige wallpaper and red sofas lined around the corners for those waiting to see the CEO to sit at. Everything screamed precision and order, two things you never had in your line of work as an escort. Even the receptionist’s white blouse and black pencil skirt were neater than the scuffed blue denim dress you picked out of your closet just an hour prior.

Talk about two different worlds.

“I… I do,” you lie, crossing your hands behind your back. “Can you tell Seung… Mister Choi he owes me a new pair of shoes?”

The receptionist looks up at you from her computer and you put on your best smile.

“Please? Your boss will understand.”

If there is the slightest sigh from her parted lips, you miss it, digging your nails into your palms as she picks up the telephone and dials into his office. To your delight, she hangs up and proceeds to gesture for you to enter. You nod in thanks and uncross your hands; the nail marks leaving indents on the skin, you quickly rub your palms to soothe your frantic nerves and push open the doors.

Seungcheol looks up from his desk and blinks twice at seeing you in person. A rare sight that has him standing up, mouth widening to a grin when he recognizes you.

“I was wondering who it was that I owed a pair of shoes.”

You smile and take a seat. “I’m glad you still remember.”

“What’s the occasion?” he asks, sitting back down and sliding his documents and files aside. “You could’ve texted me; you have my business card.”

“Can you lend me some money?”

Straight to the point, it catches him off guard and he asks you to repeat it to make sure he heard it right the first time. You reiterate the request for a loan and watch carefully as he leans back in his chair.

“What’s it for?”

“Rent,” you begin slowly, “I have three days before the end of the month when it’s due. And…”

“And?”

“I really can’t think of anyone else to help me but you, Seungcheol.”

His face is expressionless, and you continue in hopes to move him enough to lend a helping hand.

“I’m sorry if me coming here unannounced was rude. Really, I… Jeonghan’s been annoying me and I’ve been ignoring his calls because all he does is ask if I had you compensate me for ruining my shoes that night. In… In my—”

You flourish a hand around the phrase ‘line of work’. “In my line of work, there’s a clause with my agency that states escorts have to take individual calls at least three times a week or else pay is turned over entirely to the management company. I haven’t been paid in the last two weeks and you’re the only one who can help me this time.”

The silence in his office is overbearing, so thick in the air that you nearly make a notion to get up and open the windows until he breaks the silence himself.

“You’ve been ignoring Jeonghan’s calls?”

“Y-Yeah,” you mumble, taking out your phone to show him the call history. “Even have his number blocked.”  

The tiniest snort breaks way into a full bout of warm laughter, the same laughter that tickled your insides from your first meeting with him at the Starlight bar. Clearly he is amused by your answer, even delighted at the fact that you’d been ignoring Jeonghan.

“No wonder he’s been sulky,” Seungcheol chuckles. “All because his favorite escort girl wasn’t answering his calls.”

Still laughing to himself, he reaches into one of the drawers and takes out a checkbook. You watch as he grabs a pen from the container on his desk and scribbles an amount onto one of the checks, tearing it out and handing it over once he signs off on it.

“I hope this is enough?”

You glance over the amount written at the top right and hold back a gasp. It was more than enough. Enough to pay for the next three months, enough to pay off Hana’s credit card bill overdue from last month, enough to even treat yourself to some new dresses to wear to work after subtracting the necessary expenses first.

“I…”

“Do you need more?”

“No,” you blurt out, reaching your hand out to take away his container of pens. “It’s… It’s too much.”

An arched eyebrow and his curious gaze pierces straight through you; you fidget a little but proceed to reaffirm your stance on his check.

“It’s too much. I only need enough to pay for this month’s rent.”

“Then consider the rest my compensation for a new pair of shoes.” He gestures to his pens and you quickly hand them back, embarrassed by your rash behavior to someone kind enough to lend money for your troubles.  

Picking up the fallen check from across the desk, Seungcheol stands up, offering the much-needed money to you again.

“This check is yours. Even has your name on it and everything.”

Hesitant fingers eventually grab hold of the check and tuck the slip carefully into your cross-body bag. Taking a deep breath, you bow in thanks and he hurriedly makes his way around to hold your hands.

“No, no, don’t do that,” he blubbers, panic settling in his eyes. “I-I didn’t mean to sound mean, really—”

“You’re very kind, Seungcheol.” Rubbing at your eyes, the budding tears of gratitude are flicked away and your lips widen to a grin that uproots the tension and anxiety about making ends meet. “I’m glad I blocked Jeonghan’s number on my phone.”

He laughs at your remark. “Well, it’s not every day I see him sulk and get flustered, so it was worth every penny.

“Are you free tonight, by the way?”

The question catches you by surprise. “Tonight?”

“For dinner,” he explains, “To celebrate being able to pay rent for next month.”

“You want to treat me to dinner with more of your money?”

“Sorry,” you wince, taking a step back, “I didn’t intend to sound so… harsh.”

Seungcheol shakes his head. The hint of the smallest smile dances around the corner of his lips, one that carries a bit more than amusement and awe at your sharp words.

“It’s fine. It means you have nothing to hide from me.

“So dinner at 7pm tonight?”

You nod, tucking the memory of the smile to the back of your mind.

“I’d love to.”

—

Dinner with Seungcheol didn’t just happen that one night, but for (surprisingly) many more consecutive nights. You might have already sampled every single high-end restaurant featured in the local magazines at this rate, candlelight dinners in the presence of one of the richest men in the city with complimentary wine and dessert. Seungcheol also had a habit of greeting you with a gift each time he picked you up from work, the gesture bordering on more than mere friendliness whenever you consulted Hana about it.

“He likes you,” she had said in the simplest explanatory manner, “Maybe he even sees himself as a sugar daddy of some sort to you.”

The term eliciting a nose scrunch and firm shake of your head, you firmly tell yourself that cannot be. Surely it’s anything but that when you technically still owed him money. Why would he want to spend time (and more money) on someone indebted to him?

—

“Bestie, your boo’s calling.”

You look up from the dresser, lipstick in hand. “Who?”

“The one and only Yoon Jeonghan, that’s who.”

Capping the lipstick, you get up and head out to the living room. Hana gestures to the phone still ringing on the coffee table, two pieces of chips in between her manicured fingers. Scooting past her, you scan the screen and a pang of disappointment tickles your bones when you see it really is Jeonghan calling and not someone else.

“Hello?”

“Finally remembered to unblock my number?”

His crisp tone does little to faze you. 

“Should I re-enter it to my block list?”

“Well, no.” There’s sniffling on his end, and you overhear a distant sneeze. “I was just checking to see if you really unblocked me like Cheol said you did.”

Tingles tickle your stomach at hearing Seungcheol’s name, but you push it down with a huff.

“You know I’m a woman of my word, Jeonghan.”

“I do. Which is why I’d like you to go out to buy some soup for me right now.”

“What?” You check the time on your phone and it’s already 7:15pm. “I can’t get soup for you. Me and Hana are having a girls’ night out today.”

“Please. You’re the only one who can do this for me.”

“Jeonghan, can’t you just—”

His voice is muffled, and you catch the tail ends of a cough when he resumes speaking into the phone.

“I would stay here to take care of him, but there is a dinner I absolutely cannot miss out on, sweetheart.” Desperation laced in his pleas, Jeonghan’s voice is muffled again and you stand stumped at the cutoffs in the conversation. The phone call then ends altogether, leaving you even more confused when the entire thing sounded like an emergency.

“What the fuck?”

Your phone then pings with an incoming text, complete with pictures of a bedridden Seungcheol next to a mountain of used tissues and the address to deliver the soup to once you bought it.

“Hana,” you begin once you tuck your phone into the back pocket of your jeans. “I can’t go with you tonight. One of my friends is sick.”

◇

You will never forget the look of relief on Jeonghan’s face when he opens the door to Seungcheol’s VIP Suite at Hotel Celestia, a Choi establishment on the other side of the city.  

“Thank god you’re here,” he sighs, rummaging into his wallet and taking out two of his credit cards. “Use these if you need anything else.”

Gone before you can even say goodbye, you hold up a hand and wave anyway, closing the door. The lights are on the dimmest setting once you step in, the choice to keep your shoes on a firm one after the fiasco from your first meeting. This time, the suite didn’t hold the luxurious feel it should’ve had for a hotel suite, but rather an emptiness at the lack of another presence besides the coughing heard from around the corner.

“Seungcheol?”

Around the corner, you spot the mountain of used tissues on the floor and see him bundled up in bed. Picking your way through, you set down the container of soup on whatever space is left on the nightstand and slowly place a hand on his forehead.

“You’re burning up.”

Somehow you take on the role of a nurse for the remainder of the evening, shuffling from the kitchen to heat up the soup to the bathroom and back after cleaning up the tissue mountain and messy bedroom. Washing your hands diligently after touching all the germs, you pull up a chair and take off the towel on his forehead, feeling his temperature again.

“Not as hot as before.”

As quietly as possible, you lean forward and tap him on the shoulder. Seungcheol stirs, eyes barely open when he feels your touch.

“Jeonghan called me over,” you explain, “I brought some soup, you should—”

He mumbles something you fail to catch, and when he repeats it you realize he’s not calling for you in his feverish state.

Who is he asking for?

Seungcheol blinks, and he quickly shakes his head when he notices you sitting before him.

“H-Hi.”

You offer a wave and gesture at the now-cold soup.

“For you. Courtesy of Jeonghan.”

He nods and you hand over the container of soup, which he drinks straight out of in large gulps.

“T…Thanks.”

Taking the empty container, you nod and set it down before speaking.

“You still have a bit of a temperature, but it’s a lot better than before.”

His eyes more energetic than earlier, Seungcheol shakes his head and looks at you with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry you had to… see me like this.”

You cross your legs and fiddle with your fingers, the unknown name bugging your mind. To ask or not to ask, especially when he is unwell.

“Did… Did you eat?”

“Sorry,” you blurt out, standing up from the chair. “I… I have to go.”

“So soon?”

“Yeah, I…” Without looking at him, you grab your purse and hurriedly wave, not catching the last bit as you take your leave.

—

“Rent’s due again, bestie.”

You gesture at the envelope sitting on your desk. “Give that to the landlord when you see him later.”

Hana skips towards your desk and picks up the envelope. A low whistle twinkles through the room at the stack of bills nestled inside.

“You got this from Seungcheol?”

“Jeonghan,” you correct her, “I asked him for a favor and that’s what he gave me.”

“I thought Seungcheol was your new sugar daddy now.”

Picking up a pillow from your spot on the bed, you throw it at her and she quickly dodges.

“What did I say wrong now??”

“He’s just a friend,” you mutter, digging deeper into the covers. “Nothing more.”

“Girl, he was taking you out to dinner every night and getting you all those exquisite gifts. I don’t think that’s something a regular friend would do.”

Poking your head out, you let out a guttural scream and she leaves, closing the door behind her while taking the envelope. No longer in the mood to sleep, you kick the blankets off and sit up. Ever since his sick day, you’d been avoiding Seungcheol like the plague—ignoring his texts, purposely not picking up his calls, using Jeonghan as an excuse whenever he tried to ask you out on the off chance he crossed paths during your other calls. If Jeonghan had noticed you were playing the ghost card he didn’t show it, not one to pry when he was back on your good graces.

A vibration buzzes from your nightstand and you reach over a hand; panic lights up in your eyes when you see the caller id. The phone rings for two more times, then buzzes again, this time from your roommate.

“What is it, Hana?”

“Can you come out here? There’s someone here to see you.”

“Wait, who in the—” You hurriedly get out of bed and change to a set of more presentable clothes. Fixing your hair, you brush out any knots and rush out.

“Is the landlord here early, I saw you take the money…”

Your words fade when you see who is standing next to Hana in the living room.

“I’m sorry,” she mouths, holding up two envelopes (the second one equally as thick as the one she took for rent). “He said I can have another envelope of the same amount if I can get you out of your room.”

She scurries away before you can scold her for taking bribes and you sigh, a deep breath echoing across the four walls. 

“Why are you here?”

Seungcheol adjusts the collar of his white silk shirt. “You wouldn’t take my calls.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Busy enough to ghost me but free to spend time with Jeonghan?”

The barb in his words is prickly, and you take a step back when he moves forward.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” you murmur, unable to look him in the eye. “I mean, technically no.”

The gentlest of touches rests on your face and you muster the courage to look at him. Concern pools in his eyes as he studies your silence, lips contorted to a frown.

“You can tell me,” he reassures you. “You know I’ve never said no to you.”

The kindness unusually sharp, it digs into your heart and you wince at hearing his words.

“You need to leave.” Pushing him aside, you walk to open the front door and look away. “I can’t do this today, Seungcheol.”

“Wait, but—”

“Please.” You stand your ground. “You need to leave.”

He gives in, head low as he takes his exit. Once he fully passes through the threshold between your apartment and the hall, you slam the door shut and slump to the ground. You didn’t know why you were so frustrated at him over a name. This angry curiosity you’ve been carrying around since that day…

Not jealousy, no. But it festers like an untended wound, threatening to consume your insides the longer you leave it unchecked.

“God, this fucking sucks.”

◇

“Cheol brought these for you.”

You gloss over the Celine handbags, trying hard to not stare at the vintage pink one that had been out-of-stock for weeks. You mentioned it to Seungcheol once as an off-handed comment when he took you to the store to get you a gift, wistfully staring at the empty rack when the saleslady regretfully informed him they were out of that color for the bag. He promised to keep an eye out for it and apparently had taken it to heart, finally managing to get the pink one you wanted so long ago.  

“The smaller leather ones are very you,” Jeonghan muses, holding up each one in curiosity. “He knows your taste.”

“I don’t like this brand anymore,” you lie, shaking your head when he offers them your way. “Give them to your other girlfriends.”

He waves his hand, and one of his household staff comes forward to take away all the handbags.

“You know I’ll only keep them here until you’re in the mood to take them home.”

Glaring at his cheekiness, you scowl and he slings an arm over your shoulders.

“What did Cheol do this time to mess up your pretty smile?”

“He… You remember the day he got sick?”

“Yeah.”

“He… He was calling for someone else. It was a girl’s name, but I didn’t recognize it.”  

“…Then he still hasn’t forgotten about her.”

Jeonghan notices your tense posture and sighs.

“It’s not my story to tell.”

“But,” you begin, unable to hide the tremor in your voice. “But… Don’t you know a little… a little bit? Can’t you tell me a little bit?”

“I can’t.” Jeonghan releases his hold on you and stands up. “It’s really not my story to tell.”

Not even the puppy-dog eyes that usually worked wonders proves effective in prying open Jeonghan’s mouth, rendering you hopeless while pouting on the couch. He notices and takes your hand, pulling you up from your seat and squeezing your fingers for reassurance.

“Come on, I’ll treat you to dessert instead.”

“I don’t want it.”

“Not even matcha crepe cake? It’s the newest flavor at the dessert place you like so much.”

Unable to resist, you accept his hand and follow him out.

“Fine, but you’re paying.”

—

Maybe deep down you’d already known a man like Seungcheol would have a story to tell. A story he kept hidden from his closest friends, one he keeps close to his heart with vulnerabilities he has only shared with one other person.

You knew you weren’t that person, yet you couldn’t help but want to be the more you ruminated over the mysterious name. The her he clearly still wanted to see again despite their extremely publicized breakup. She, who moved on and was now married to the heir of one of the richest real estate firms in the country. The paparazzi periodically did feature spreads on whatever snippets they managed to snap of the couple’s private life: brunches, cocktail parties, pool fun, outings with their two children, etc. They looked happy, smiles all around.  

He had been happy for her. When you first brought up the magazine to him after doing your own research on the matter, you hadn’t caught the look of wistfulness in his eyes then, but now…

Now it made sense. The silence, diverted glances, abrupt changes in topic, it all now made sense.

“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

Startled, you turn your head and find yourself not at home, but in a private room at the Starlight bar. Just short of knocking the cocktail glass off your neighbor’s hand, apologies trickle from your parted lips and he chuckles.

“Jeonghan, you didn’t tell me she’s the airhead type.”

“She’s usually not,” Jeonghan muses, waving a hand in front of your face. “What are you thinking about?”

Ignoring his prying, you turn to his friend and offer another wave of apologies, raising your own glass of water.

“Buy her a drink, Joshua,” Jeonghan nags, “It’s the least you can do for taking my favorite girl away from me.”

“No, it’s okay,” you blurt out, not in the mood to drink tonight. “I’m not—”

“She doesn’t want a drink,” Joshua retorts, swinging an arm around your shoulder. “I’ll keep her company while—”

The door to the private room squeaks open, interrupting Joshua mid-sentence. You look up and freeze, not expecting to see Seungcheol of all people standing by the entryway. Jeonghan notices the growing tension and stands—ushering Seungcheol to sit—but Joshua is oblivious, grandiosely introducing you to his friend (whom he didn’t know you were already on very familiar terms with).

“She’s with me tonight,” Joshua smiles, closing the gap between you and him. “But she doesn’t seem to be warming up to me.”

Seungcheol turns to you with his eyebrows raised.

“Are you and Joshua together now?”  

It rubs you the wrong way, the way he asks the question. Why was he so quick to assume you already had somewhat of an intimate relationship with Joshua when you just met the guy today?

Jeonghan spots the fire in your gaze and extinguishes the flame with an interjected “No”, slapping Joshua’s arm off your shoulder and squeezing himself in the middle. One hand rests on your thigh, a comforting touch that helps in stilling the building anger and snappiness crawling up your throat to be spat out.

“Sorry, she’s with me actually,” Jeonghan smiles, “I’ve been booking her consistently since—you know—since you stopped asking for her.”

“Wait, she’s not—”

Joshua holds his tongue after seeing the sharp glance from Jeonghan, promising to call you again as he excuses himself to leave the tense atmosphere in the room. The trio of you, Seungcheol, and Jeonghan now alone, Jeonghan is the first to break the silence.

“I’m going to let you and Cheol have some time to sort out your problems,” he says to you, standing up and shaking his head when you tug at his sleeve for him to stay. “Call me when you’re done.”

You throw a glare at him, one that Seungcheol overlooks as he bids goodbye to Jeonghan.

Not liking the situation one bit, you reach for Joshua’s glass and down the margarita in one go, the burn in your throat akin to liquid courage for the upcoming confrontation.

“You scared off both my clients,” you begin with a huff. “Just because you’re also rich like them doesn’t mean—”

“Then I’ll pay triple for tonight,” The words slide off Seungcheol’s mouth smooth as honey. “You won’t be missing out on the two of them when I can pay for their share as well as mine.”

He scoots closer while you instinctively slide to the left. The gesture brings a scowl to his face and your hands curl into fists.

“I do not appreciate being bought out like that, Mister Choi.”

“I didn’t…” He licks his lips. “You were the one who kept avoiding me!”

“I wasn’t avoiding you,” you lie, angling your body away. “My schedule has been fully booked each time you reached out.”

A heavy sigh leaves his mouth. Clearly he picked up on the fact that you weren’t going to make this easy for him.

“Can you at least tell me when you’ll have more free time to meet with me?”

“I don’t know what I am to you, Seungcheol.”

He pauses, clasping his hands together and resting them on his knees.

“Care to explain why you think that way?”

You bite your lips, glancing back at him. He is as patient as ever while waiting for you to answer, and that is when you knew you had to come clean for your own sake if not his own.

“I… Who was it you were calling for that night you were sick?”

It’s funny how you can practically see the gears turning his brain, Seungcheol practically an open book to everyone around him. Never one to keep secrets (or someone able to keep a secret), but clearly even those who are usually open books have their own share of hidden chapters within the pages.

“I didn’t know,” he begins carefully, eyes downcast. “I didn’t know Jeonghan had called you to stop by.”

“Are you still thinking of her?”

“…No. She is happily married now.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything the first time?”

He tears his gaze away from the floor, fingers digging into his knuckles as tears pool in his eyes.

“Because I’m scared you won’t believe me when I say I feel nothing for her anymore. I’m scared of how much I don’t want to lose you when I realized I was starting to fall in love again.”

—

Much to Jeonghan’s disappointment, you had gone home with Seungcheol that night, his hand ever so tightly grasping yours while leaving Starlight. Making sure to let your roommate/best friend know of your whereabouts, you send her a quick text that you’d be staying at Seungcheol’s place and she all but replies back with a “:P”. No doubt her dirty mind expected more than just a good night’s sleep.

Nothing happened that was out of your expectations: an offer for a fresh change of clothes, shower, a late midnight snack (he had virtually nothing in his fridge but you weren’t hungry anyway), and sleeping in his bed while he set up camp in his study. You sense he wanted to elaborate on where things had ended in the bar, from the constant side glances and hesitation at even touching your hand when he brings over a clean shirt and pair of gray sweatpants in exchange for the pink pleated mini dress you chose to meet Jeonghan and Joshua in. It’s one thing to hear him out, but another to recharge and clear your mind after such an eventful night with some space and well-needed sleep.

Sleep was minimal, perhaps the enormous size of his bed daunting and keeping you awake with the thought of him tucked away in his study. He looked no better (dark eye bags and large yawns) alongside the messy bedhead and nearly bumps into the bathroom door if you didn’t alert him after freshening up.

“Did you have a good sleep?”

You turn around from your seat by the open kitchen, mug of instant coffee in hand.  

“I slept…okay.”

Yawning, he nods at hearing your answer and shuffles towards the fridge. His hair still sticking up on all ends, you have half a notion to get up and run your fingers through his dark locks to smooth it out when hearty chuckles echo across the kitchen area.

“Something wrong?” you ask, getting up and placing down your mug of coffee by the sink.

“I…” Seungcheol turns to face you with a sheepish smile. “I have absolutely nothing in my fridge for you to eat.”

“That’s fine. Jeonghan actually bought me dinner before we went for drinks at Starlight.” You grab the mug and take another large sip. “Plus, I usually skip breakfast on weekends anyway. Coffee is enough.”

The refrigerator closes softly and Seungcheol holds up his hands in defeat.

“Guess I’ll wait until later to eat too, then.”

“What, no, that’s—” You usher him out of the kitchen and towards his room. “Go change.”

“Change?”

“Get changed,” you clarify, “I’ll treat you to breakfast.”

—

You knew fast food was the last thing on his mind when you pull Seungcheol into the McDonald’s at the corner of the street.

“What is this place?”

Your mouth drops. “Choi Seungcheol, are you telling me you have never been to a McDonald’s before in your entire life?”

He returns an awkward grin, interest reclaimed by the large screen for self-ordering.

“You just tap here and then click pay?”

The disbelief is thick in your voice as you mutter away while ordering two Big Macs and French fries, ignoring his murmurs of awe at all the choices available on the menu.

“What’s this one?”

You follow his finger at the Happy Meal. Of course, he would ask about that one.

“That one comes with a toy.”

His eyes light up at the mention of a toy, and you aren’t surprised when he taps to include one Happy Meal into the order. Refusing to let him pay, you beat him to it once the order is confirmed, delegating him the responsibility of finding a vacant table while you wait to pick up the food from the front. The wait is thankfully not too long, and you spot him sitting at one of the tables by the window while looking extremely out of place in his purple dress shirt and black slacks.

“Do you always dress so formally?” you speak up the moment you place down the tray of food. “Even for something as simple as eating fast food?”

“I didn’t know you’d be bringing me here,” he replies, tunnel vision for the red box containing the Happy Meal. “This is the one with the toy, right?”

You nod, hiding a scoff as you watch him tear into the box. His eyes shine at the sight of the blue toy car and its driver, excitement prickling in the surrounding air.

“Wow,” you marvel at the large shell and ferocious jaws of Bowser, the character Seungcheol received in his Happy Meal. “Of all the ones to get from the Mario franchise, you get the one that’s the evilest.”

The shock on his face catches you by surprise, and you can’t find it in you to tease him anymore when he looks devastated at the idea.

“I’m just playing, Bowser’s cool in his own way.”

“He’s going in my office,” Seungcheol murmurs, tucking the toy away into the front pocket of his slacks. “Keep me company during the day.”

“Suit yourself.”

He reaches hesitantly for one of the burgers and unwraps it. You watch his reaction and snort at the look of awe on his face as he takes one, two, three more subsequent bites. It was the first time you had seen anyone so excited over fast food—let alone something as trivial as McDonald’s.

“May I?”

He hovers a hand over the French fries and you hand him the entire container.

“Eat your heart away.”

He must not eat fast food often, judging from the glow in his eyes. The Big Mac demolished in seconds, now it is the French fries that are tossed into the cave that is his stomach. You can feel the curious gazes of those around your table and continue to pick at your own burger, small bites all throughout.

“That was delicious,” Seungcheol hums, leaving no crumb of potato behind. “I can’t believe I’ve never had this before.”

“Fast food is common for people like me,” you laugh, crumpling the wrapper once you’ve finished eating. “It’s not as exciting as you’re making it out to be.”

He follows you like a puppy when you get up and clear the table, tossing the trash and putting the tray away before opening the door for him. The passerby all stare at Seungcheol like he’s an alien, the formality in his outfit sticking out like a sore thumb especially from the entrance to a McDonald’s. You try to walk fast to not catch attention, but the sudden grip on your forearm catches you off guard and you pause.

“Yes?”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re still here.”

“People are staring,” you sigh, easing his hand off you and interlacing your fingers to his. “Let’s go before they start asking questions about what someone like you is doing near a McDonald’s.”

The walk somehow turns into a window shopping adventure, Seungcheol stopping every few feet to stare at stores that catch his eye. He pulls you in after him despite your protests, making a lap around but not buying anything like he usually does. Clothing, makeup, even the local coffee shop catches his attention like Christmas had come early this year. Each time you humor him by letting him pull you in, no different from the role of a parent monitoring an excited child.

It stings your heart when you realize he was having fun because he probably never had the opportunity for such simple pleasures in life. Eating fast food or window shopping were things of minimal priority to his daily schedule, not like meeting with important clients or managing an entire social hierarchy of employees and upper management as CEO to one of the largest hotel chains in the city. People always say the sky’s the limit, but right now it feels as though there is an astronomical distance between his world and your very own.

So how is it possible for the silver spoon that is Choi Seungcheol to fall in love with you, the dullest utensil in the tray?

—

It would be unfair to assume he wasn’t interested in you.

Nearly everyone said the same: he liked you, he loved you, he clearly saw you as more than a friend or even one of the girls he chose to spend money on. He didn’t act like a mere sugar daddy who dropped thousands on you without breaking a sweat. Seungcheol had pretty much confessed the night he caught you at Starlight, no Jeonghan for you to use a shield to deflect to.

“So do you like him or not?”

You roll your eyes at your roommate, unamused at her habit of barging in without knocking.

“Hana, do you want to take him off my hands instead?”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “I’m not against the idea, but ask anybody and they can see he only has eyes for you.”

Scoffing, you turn your attention back to the open closet and settle on a black mini dress with a contrasting white collar. The bow tie and sleeves adding just the right amount of elegance, you pick it up and show it to Hana, who wrinkles her nose at seeing your choice.

“It’s cute and all, but sleeves?”

“What would you pick?”

She eases herself into the array and sifts through. Fingers expertly parting each hanger, she snaps her fingers once she finds what she deems worthy to wear for the night: an off-shoulder red satin dress with a high slit.

“No,” you refuse, ignoring her objections. “It’s just a cocktail party.”

“Then you gotta look the part! Who goes to a cocktail party wearing something an office secretary would wear?”    

Against your protests, your roommate insists on her dress of choice, even to the point of placing herself directly in front of your closet door so you had to physically push her aside if you wanted to switch dresses. Knowing how stubborn she can be…

“Okay, I’ll stick with this one,” you sigh, holding up the red dress. “Black heels good?”

She nods in confirmation, giddiness taking over when she spots your makeup bag on the dresser.

“Can I do your makeup? You’ll catch everyone’s attention for sure once I’m done with you!”

“…Just don’t go too crazy.”

—

Sometimes you wish you weren’t so kind.

There was clearly a reason why your instinctively felt the urge to follow a monochromatic color scheme. The sea of black suits and white gowns said it all, yet here you are in a shade of red that stuck out like bloodstains on a clean towel.

Did she know ahead of time? Impossible when she hadn’t even been invited.

Was the universe out to get you? Most definitely.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

Looking up from your glass of champagne, you take the offered hand and squeeze. Jeonghan’s eyes widen, surprised at your iron grip.

“Hey, I’m not the one who didn’t follow the dress code.”

“I was coerced into wearing this,” you groan, throwing up your hands in defeat. “It wasn’t my idea.”

“Well, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks.”

Snorting at your half-hearted thank-you, Jeonghan offers a hand and you take it, comforted by his presence as he introduces you to the other guests. Not one to socialize much at these types of meet-and-greets between the elites, you plaster on the politest smile you can muster and let Jeonghan do all the talking.  Occasionally you hear your name mentioned and chime in a word or two, but anyone can see your mind wandering if they look closely, costing you your first mistake of the night when your fingers lose their grip on the half-empty champagne glass. The spilled liquid leaves a stain on your shoes, déjà vu eliciting a thin smile at the memory of walking home barefoot while holding a pair of smelly, vomit-clad heels.

“You okay?”

“Sorry, I…” You smile apologetically. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Go that way and then take another left at the corner.”

Apologizing again, you pick up your dress and quickly walk towards the left. Curiosity drips from the onlookers of the red dress flapping about, but luckily no one stops you on your way to the bathroom.

No one except…

“You’re here.”

Your brain comes up empty while trying to think of an excuse to get away from Seungcheol, and he offers an enthusiastic grin at seeing you at the party.

“Did you arrive with Jeonghan?”

“He sent his driver,” you answer, shuffling your feet anxiously. The sign to the ladies’ room is practically two leaps away. “Saw him just a few minutes ago actually.”

“I see.”

Before he can continue, you rush past him and nearly collapse onto the tiled floor once you enter the bathroom—sinks empty and stall doors open. Slamming your hands on one of the sink counters, you take a deep breath and catch sight of your winded reflection in the overhead mirror.  

“I look like shit.”

Checking to confirm the stalls are void of others, you give yourself a quick pep talk and take more deep breaths, steadily calming down before fixing your makeup. Another glance at the mirror, and you’re surprised to find Seungcheol still standing where you had left him once you leave the bathroom.

“You’re still here.”

He looks up from his phone, shoulders relaxing before tucking away the device.

“Wanted to see if you were okay when you practically sprinted in there.”

“I’m okay,” you hum, brushing off imaginary dust from your arms. “Just needed some air.”

Nodding, Seungcheol then extends an arm for you to hold.

“May I have this dance?”

You pause. Instinct tells you to pull back, but the earnest look in his eyes is too strong to resist. Slowly, you take his arm and the smile on his face practically lights up the entire room despite the dimmed glow of the ballroom fixtures. Dimmed lights, slowed music for a waltz, the ambiance almost rivals Cinderella’s first dance at the prince’s ball.

But you aren’t Cinderella, and you break away before the magic can end at midnight.

“I’m sorry,” you murmur, shaking your head. “I—”

“Is it because of my ex?” Reaching into his back pocket, Seungcheol takes out his phone and taps on the screen, pulling up a text thread for you to see.

“I was just telling her I finally found someone I want to be with,” he continues, “She wished me good luck right before I asked you to dance.”

“Why me?” you sniffle, holding back the brimming tears in your eyes. “I’m… I’m just another escort.”

“You’ve always been honest with me. That’s more than what all the other girls could ever offer when I’m just another bank for them to extract money from.

“And you even showed me McDonald’s,” he adds with a hearty chuckle, “It was the first time someone has ever treated me to such a delicious meal.”

“Seungcheol, that’s—”

“I love you,” His voice drops to a whisper. “I love you for just being you.”

—

The heart knows what it wants. People can get muddled by what they see and what they hear, but the heart ultimately knows what it wants. And in trying to convince yourself otherwise, you had somehow gotten hold of Seungcheol’s heart before you knew you even wanted it.

“Can you please go see him?”

“I can’t.” You bury your face in your hands. “I don’t want to know how he thinks of me after I walked out on him like that.”

Hana rolls her eyes, not understanding your self-induced predicament. “The guy literally told you he loves you.”

“So? He’s someone who can have whatever he wants with a snap of his fingers when I’m just a—”

“Don’t you start calling yourself a nobody when you’re not.”

The remainder of your sentence falls short. Just like her to know exactly what you wanted to say.

“Enough about him, then,” she sighs, taking your hands and swinging them ever so slightly. “Are you certain you want to terminate your contract with the agency?”

“I really can’t do this anymore.” The risk of running into Seungcheol when you were contractually bound to serve others like him is too much for your mental health to withstand. Even though he was totally the type to fill your schedule exclusively for his company so others couldn’t book you, your conscience couldn’t live with the notion of him throwing even more money your way when you technically left him hanging after he confessed his love for you. “I’ll figure something out if things don’t go through, but I really need you to start budgeting and saving for the end of the month to pay for rent.”

“Okay, Mom, I won’t buy new clothes or bags when you have extras in your closet for me to borrow.”

Rolling your eyes, you shake out of her hold and take the lead in heading inside the building that housed your escort agency. To your surprise, the usually empty lobby is filled with boxes and lines of people filing in and out.

“What’s going on?” comes the curious question from behind you. “Looks like a shitstorm in here.”

“I don’t know,” you whisper, not knowing where to look at the elevator doors that continue to open and close with movers coming down with furniture and other fixtures to move out. “It seems like the entire place is shutting down.”

“Does that mean the agency is also…”

The two of you exchange a glance and make way towards the elevators, squeezing through the movers to find an elevator heading up rather than down. Once the doors open at the fifth floor, you follow her out and don't know what to make of the now vacant space that used to be the escort agency.

“What on Earth…”

Stripped bare of furniture and other knickknacks such as the familiar plants and backboard listing each escort’s daily scheduled “meetings”, the place reminds you of a freshly renovated office space ready to be leased out for a new term.

“Are we jobless?”

You don’t know how to answer the question, still processing the sight of the vacant agency when low murmuring catches your attention. From down the hallway, you spot none other than Jeonghan and the conniving witch who had conned you into signing the escort contract in the first place walking your direction. Hana puts up her middle finger on sight, but lowers her hand when you usher for her to step out before things get ugly.

“Aren’t you meeting with that one guy today? What’s his name, again, Jun?”

“I can just cancel. He’s kind of too quiet for my taste.”

“It’s not right to bail when he already paid upfront,” you convince her, “I’ll ask Jeonghan what’s going on and update you in the evening.”

“But—”

“I know you’ve been eyeing one of my Celine bags; have this Jun take you on a shopping spree to get you one.”

Already knowing she’s sold on the idea of using her date as today’s ATM machine, you shoo her away and watch from behind a corner once Jeonghan and your “former boss” stop by the front entrance. Picking up hints of an alleged “takeover” and “waste of money”, you hold your tongue until Jeonghan is alone, debating whether to reveal yourself from your hiding place when he places a hand over his mouth and coughs knowingly.

“I saw you from a mile away, sweetheart.”

You stand from your crouched position, wincing at the slight numbness in your legs.

“What’s going on? It’s completely empty here.”

He smiles, tilting his head back at the sight of the empty space.

“I bought the place!”

“You what?”

“Technically, my name was used to buy out the agency,” Jeonghan clarifies, chuckling at the absurdity of cleaning out an entire establishment with his money. “It was a completely one-sided proposal but I can’t believe it still went through.”

“Who asked you to buy out this place?” You try your best to not cry but the water in your eyes is already pooling along the corners. “I… We… How am I supposed to pay for my living expenses if I’m suddenly out of a job?”

“Sweetheart, it’s not a bad thing—”

“What would you know?” you yell, fed up with the whims of the wealthy. “You don’t know what it’s like to live paycheck by paycheck! You and your friends are silver spoons from the very moment you were born! I am sick and tired of being toyed with like—”

Jeonghan reaches a hand into his blazer and thrusts a business card in front of your face, successfully shutting you up when it drops onto your outstretched hands.

“Here’s the contact for the new owner of the building. Go talk to him if you need someone to yell at because that person is not going to be me.”

—

“Please wait here. Mister Choi will meet with you shortly.”

You nod awkwardly, thanking the receptionist after she sets down the requested cup of coffee. Leaving the coffee untouched, you close your eyes, praying your guess on the identity of this Mister Choi will be proven false when you hear the approaching footsteps. Not daring to look up, you open your eyes and grab the coffee mug, nearly staining your white dress with splashes of mocha from the quick swipe of your arm.

“I can have someone bring in a new dress if you need it.”

“Why did you do that?”

A scraping sound against the tiled floor, and you manage to lift your head up at the figure that takes the empty seat before you.

“Do what?” Seungcheol asks innocently.

It’s irritating, the subtle smirk on his face. The corners of your mouth twitch and he notices, leaning forward with his hands clasped together.

“You know what you did,” you grumble, refusing to entertain his antics. “Mister ‘I just bought out your agency because I have the money to’.”

“For starters,” he begins, knocking a hand on the table. The silver ring sitting on his pinky catches a glimmer from the faint sunlight, eliciting the memories of drinking tequila with him at the bar. “I didn’t buy out the building entirely for you. It was a business decision agreed by my board of directors to expand the hotel chain.

“Secondly, the proposed amount for this building and clearing out its tenants has no relation to you when Jeonghan was willing to pay half as a personal favor.

“And most importantly,” Seungcheol murmurs, voice dropping to almost a whisper. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you seeing other men just to make ends meet, so I did what I had to.”

You sit speechless, not knowing what to say as he gets up, eyes downcast.

“Even if you don’t choose me, I still want you to be happy. Of course, after I calculate the exact amount of compen—”

His eyes widen at the sudden tug on his sleeve, and you get up from your seat, snaking your arms around him before he can slip away.

“Why do you do the things that you do for me?”

He chuckles, turning around with a gaze full of love and adoration. Paired with the hints of the dimples in his grin, you finally realize he’d given his heart to you long before he even knew he had already done so.

“Because I love you and want you to be able to do the things you want to do. You mentioned you initially wanted to be a model, so I’m planning on turning this building into a modeling agency for you to pursue that dream.”

“Choi Seungcheol, you—”

He shakes his head, pleased that you hadn’t reprimanded him. “My board approved the acquisition, but ultimately I make the final call on how to repurpose the building.”

“I hate this,” you mutter, “I hate you for doing all this for someone like me.”

“You hate me?” he echoes. “Should I make a call to resell the building, then?”

Unsure if he’s joking or serious, you hit him lightly and he takes it with a warm laugh, a sound that tugs fondly at your heartstrings.

“I love you.”

—

“So when’s the wedding?”

You nearly choke on your drink and your best friend/roommate snorts, not understanding your reaction to her question.

“You and Choi Seungcheol have been dating for almost a whole year now. Men like him are bound to have butterflies fluttering around trying to get some of that good stuff.”

So much has happened since the events prior, from the initial meeting over a soiled pair of heels to avoiding him like the plague when you found out he loved you and even bought out your contract from the escort agency for you to be free from their shackles. Not one to take anything for granted, you made it clear to him from the beginning that it was never about the money, but he liked to think of it as an additional way for him to show how much he loved and wanted to take care of you in the blossoming relationship.

“You really should put a ring on it so people know he’s yours.”

“Hana, don’t you think it should be the other way around?” you refute, scowling at her assumption at marriage being a surefire happening. “I mean, Jeonghan still claims I have every right to choose someone else until I’m officially not single anymore.”

“Please, your Seungcheol will be out for blood if Jeonghan tries anything funny.”

You snuff out the cough growing in your throat, fully aware of Seungcheol’s slight possessive streak.

“Yeah, I suppose.”

The gloating look on her face says it all, but you take a pause on forming a rebuttal when you feel the vibration of your phone against the nightstand. Sensing you wanted privacy, she closes the bedroom door behind her when she exits and you pick up to a breathless sounding Seungcheol on the other line.

“Are you running?”

“C-Can you meet me now?” he pants, sharp intakes of breath in between each word. “I… I got something… something important to give you.”

“Where?”

“I’m actually—”

The line cuts off before he finishes his sentence.

“Seungcheol?”

No response, and you rush out of your apartment, frantically pushing the button on the elevator that eventually takes you all the way down to the main lobby. He never broke off midway through a phone call, what if—

“Hey.”

You bite back a retort, balling your hands into fists and run at full speed, punching Seungcheol square on his chest when you spot him standing by the bus stop at the corner of the block from your apartment building.

“You idiot! I thought something happened to you over the phone!”

He frowns, not understanding your panic until he offers the cracked phone in his hand towards you.

“I dropped my phone mid-conversation on the ground and the screen cracked. Is this what you’re referring to?”

“Unbelievable.” You pull away, but he grabs your hand just as you fall out of reach.

“Cute,” he smiles, his other hand taking out a small box from the pocket of his white jacket. “Here’s a gift for being so worried about me.”

“You called me out just to give me a gift?”

The raised eyebrow does little to erase the growing pout on his face, and you roll your eyes before taking his gift, revealing a stunning flower-shaped diamond ring sitting within the cushioned jewelry box.

“W-What is this?”

“I’m sorry for not being more formal,” he apologizes, “I had my driver bring me directly to the jeweler when they called and said the ring I wanted was ready for pickup.” Gesturing to his casual white zip-up jacket, blue tee, and matching white pants that completed his rushed morning look, Seungcheol smiles awkwardly and gets down on one knee, catching you completely by surprise.

“I don’t look like a man about to propose, but I really hope you’ll say yes?”

“Choi Seungcheol, this is the most comfortable outfit I’ve seen you in since we started dating,” you laugh, easing the ring out of its box and placing it onto your finger. “I’m not going to say no when you came to me dressed down like this.”

The beaming grin on his face says it all, and you give him a peck on the cheek once he stands up.

“I’ll need to check with my assistant, but if it works for you, we can hold the wedding sometime in… September? Of course, feel free to tell me what ideas you have and I can make it happen. We can book an entire—”

You put a finger over his mouth to stop him from rambling, excitement practically dancing from every inch of his being at the thought of planning the perfect wedding.

“I’m perfectly happy with a simple vacation wedding plus honeymoon.”

“That’s it?” The disappointment in his voice couldn’t be more clear. “Just a vacation?”

“Mhm. Just a simple around-the-world trip will do.

“In fact, why don’t we go right now?”

“Now?” he echoes, “I still haven’t found contractors to revamp the building I bought for you.”

“That can wait,” you groan, checking the sign by the bus stop that announced three minutes before the next bus arrives. “I’m not in a rush to start work when I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts!” The bus rolls closer and closer until it is only one red light away. “You can make your calls to arrange for passports and everything else on the way to the airport, but let’s go before we miss this bus!”

Waving down the bus driver with a furious wave, you take note of the secure fingers wrapped around your right hand. A comforting yet trusting touch, you know Seungcheol is equally on board with the idea despite the initial hesitation at the abrupt proposition to leave everything behind in his hectic corporate world. Rash and borderline irresponsible when he oversees so much in his business on the daily and has an entire pyramid of people dependent on him to make executive decisions, there’s little to change his mind when he’s finally able to go along with what he would like to do for once in his life.

“You know I’ll go wherever you go.”

[twsthc]

housewardens favorite movies & series 🎬

⚠️ warnings: mentions of azuls ed

last updated: august 7, 2023

☆

🌹📽 RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS: Spirited Away, The Office

thinks Spirited Away is really cute and loves ghibli movies in general

is really enchanted w the way chihiro works so hard for her parents (he kins her)

he thinks The Office is the funniest shit ever

its the most explicit media his mom has let him watch ever

probably wasnt allowed to watch spongebob as a kid

🥩🎬 LEONA KINGSCHOLAR: Bullet Train, Family Guy

likes thrillers/movies with complicated plots

i watched Bullet Train like 4 times so maybe im a little biased

got emotional when [certain character] died and [other character] cried over it

Family Guy is the type of show he'd put on then fall asleep to

he giggles at the first 5 episodes then hes out cold

🐙📽 AZUL ASHENGROTTO: The Devil Wears Prada, Shark Tank

we must not forget azuls drag queen roots

likes the business aspect, the drama, the outfits, miranda, etc...

the "one cube of cheese" line hit hard

shark tank is kind of obvious

sometimes he screams at the screen like "50% IS TOO HIGH"

🌞🎬 KALIM AL-ASIM: Big Hero 6, Regular Show

cried during #that scene

inspired by this tweet and this tweet (spoiler warning for the 2 people who havent watched bh6 yet for whatever reason)

gets distracted during thrillers/complicated movies a lot

bh6 has just enough twists that wont confuse him if he wasnt paying attention

regular show is just good idk

👑📽 VIL SCHOENHEIT: Misery, The Bachelor

i would do The Devil Wears Prada but it was taken...

i think shed like horror/thriller anyway

probably listens to stephanie soo's baking a mystery podcast

started the bachelor because rook recommended it

it was a joke at first

its not a joke anymore

☠🎬 IDIA SHROUD: Baron Omatsuri, Blue Exorcist

I LOVE BARON OMATSURI its so good

also the themes of loss probably hit hard for idia

hes 100% caught up with one piece

blue exorcist is the type of animanga thats just edgy/funny/??? enough that makes me think idia would like it the most

also based off of what we know ab his current preferences

the one remaining member of the BE fandom...

🐲📽 MALLEUS DRACONIA: When the Wind Blows, I Love Lucy

likes older movies because all he had in his castle was a super crusty ancient box tv for entertainment

not sure why i think hed like wtwb... im just right

learned everything he knows about humans through old sitcoms

The Golden Girls, The Brady Bunch, I Love Lucy, etc...

uses really old sayings because he thinks theyre still popular

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine trying to set Jun up with your friend having no idea he likes you

You met Jun through The8. You and The8 weren't a couple but you were casually hooking up and hung out a lot. So you saw Jun and the others often and got along with Jun a lot. Jun liked you the first moment he saw you but he knew you and The8 were together so he ignored the attraction. Then as he chatted to you more and more he realised it wasn't just physical attraction. He liked your personality and found you very funny. You had a similar sense of humour to him and he loved it. He knew he should've stopped hanging out with you as soon as he developed more complicated feelings for you but he couldn't. He loved being around you and decided it was worth it...until you started trying to set him up with someone else. "Just the man I wanted to see" you called walking into the Seventeen house and Jun smiled as he realised you meant him. "You're always happy to see me" Jun argued and you smiled "yeah I am but today I'm extra happy because I have great news!". "Yeah?" Jun asked. The thought that you and The8 had broken up immediately popped into his head but he pushed it away, cursing himself for even thinking it. "I've found you the perfect girl" you cried and Jun's smile wavered. "Oh?" he asked and you nodded not noticing. "Yeah she's my friend Nali. She's pretty and fun and the two of you would look amazing together! She's from Japan so totally gets the stress of moving to Korea and I think the two of you would really hit it off". Jun smiled "thanks Y/n but I don't really do blind dates". "It doesn't have to be blind! I'm seeing her tonight so why don't you come too? Some other friends are coming so it won't be obvious and you can assess one another before agreeing to anything". Jun paused "how big a group?". "Just 5 including me and you. They're really nice and I promise I'll be by your side the whole time". Now that did make it appealing to Jun. "Pleaseeee" you cried "for me?". Jun sighed at those magic words and agreed "okay". You squealed and hugged him "thanks Jun you're the best!". He hugged you back and supposed he'd go on tons of dates with other girls if it made you this happy.

So you and Jun walked to the cinema together and grabbed a coffee. Jun loved being with you, especially in public. You were just so vibrant and made everything feel fun so he was disappointed when your friends showed up. You introduced them all and Jun noticed the girl you'd told him about watching him. She was pretty but next to you that was pointless. You stuck to your word and didn't let on you wanted to set them up. You sat beside Jun in the cinema and chatted with him. Afterwards you went out for dinner and sat next to him again. The girl started talking to him so he replied and tried asking her the same questions. You spotted it and sent him a huge grin which made him blush and beam at you. He really wasn't interested in what Nali was saying but he did it for you. As you walked home together (you were staying with the8) you asked what he thought of her. "She liked you" you told him and he nodded "she was nice and interesting. I've never met a marine biologist before". "I know isn't it the coolest?" you asked. Jun nodded and you looked at him "so would you wanna see her again?". Jun paused "I don't know maybe...". You didn't push it and changed the subject. So Jun thought that was it when a week later you asked if he wanted to go on a double date with you, The8 and Nali. It was to a carnival so wouldn't really be a double date. You'd do your own thing for most of the time but Jun agreed still unable to let you down. He and The8 came together and you and Nali were waiting at the gate. "Wow" The8 said spotting your outfit and Jun nodded "yeah". The8 smiled and assumed Jun meant Nali which of course he didn’t. "We're lucky guys huh?" he asked and patted Jun's back. "You sure are" Jun replied in his head. You shot them both a huge smile when you saw them and gave them both hugs. "Wow Jun your jumper is so soft!" you cried and he smiled "thanks...". You looked at Nali "so okay you two remember each other right?". "Of course" Nali nodded and Jun smiled "how have you been?". "Good thanks" she replied and you beamed "okay so here are your tickets how about we meet back here in 2 hours?". Everyone nodded and you dispersed. Jun found himself alone with Nali and didn't know what to say. Luckily she was quite the conversationalist and kept Jun talking by asking him questions. He returned the favour and figured they knew more about each other than either of them needed to know. Jun saw you around a few times and you'd always smile and wave to him. When Jun and Nali were getting food you and The8 also happened to be and so you sat together. That was the most fun part of the whole day and you and Jun got into a very excited debate over his best hair colour over the years. Jun was disappointed when he was alone again with Nali but luckily he'd never have to do this again. While they were walking out she turned to him "this was fun but I don't think we should see each other again". Jun paused "oh okay, if that's what you want then totally". "It's not you. it's just...Y/n" she said. Jun frowned "Y/n?". Nali sighed "come on, you're so obviously into her!". Jun blushed "no I...were just friends". Nali laughed "you said that so sadly. It might be true but you don't want it to be and your heart belongs to her. So your cute but I'm not dating an unavailable guy, sorry". Jun shook his head "I get it...just do me a favour and don't tell Y/n?". Nali nodded "of course that's your secret to share" and she left. Jun sighed, would he ever be able to find someone or would he always just want you? Nali left and when you and The8 arrived Jun explained they weren't going to see each other anymore. When you found out she ended it you wrongly assumed Jun would be upset and encouraged The8 to take him out for some fun. You couldn't come because you had work early the next morning so the duo went out together. Jun's head really wasn't in it but they went to a bar and had a few drinks. The8 was enjoying himself and quickly caught the eye of a bartender. He insisted on going up for all the drinks and even though you and The8 weren't exclusive it made Jun mad. When The8 returned after having a five-minute conversation with the girl Jun sighed. "So what are you and Y/n anyway?" Jun asked. The8's smile froze "me and Y/n? You know were casual". "So you're not dating her and this is okay?" he asked gesturing to the girl watching The8 across the room. The8 frowned "yeah exactly...am I missing something? Did I marry her accidentally?". "No" Jun said and The8 nodded "so why are you acting like I did?". "I don't mean to it's just...why aren't you dating her? Why wouldn't you want to?". The8 frowned "well you know I don't date". "Yeah but it's Y/n! She's practically perfect in every way and you already spend so much time together. I just don't get why you haven't worked that out yet, you'll never find someone better than her". The8 paused "look I get how great Y/n is but I just don't see myself dating her or maybe anyone. I'm happy with the way things are...but has Y/n said otherwise? Is that what this is about?". Jun shook his head "no Y/n didn't say anything". "So you're just...looking out for her?" The8 asked. Jun nodded "yeah I guess". The8 nodded but wasn't convinced. Then it suddenly dawned on him what was happening and he wondered how he'd missed it. Jun was in love with you. The8 debated telling you but figured it should come from Jun. He didn't tell Jun he knew because that would freak him out and make him feel awkward. So he stayed quiet and watched as his best friend struggled to tell the girl he was in love with about his feelings. Jun had changed a little since the carnival and was more than a little annoyed at himself and your obliviousness to his feelings for you. He kept getting drunk as a way to handle it but that just made his emotions more likely to spill out as his outburst at The8 proved. You noticed the change in Jun and were a little worried. You were at Scoups' birthday party a few weeks later and saw how Jun was isolating himself from the others. He wasn't his usual happy self and was drinking a lot. When you asked him if he was okay he said he was but you knew he was lying, you just couldn't work out about what. "Is Jun okay?" you asked The8 who paused "why?". "He's been acting different, tell me you've noticed it too". The8 nodded "I have but he doesn't want to talk to any of us...however he might be willing to talk to you. He's always had a thing for you". That took you by surprise but you figured The8 just meant as friends. "Okay I'll go take him to one side" you said and The8 nodded. You approached Jun and smiled "hey, can you help me get something from upstairs?". Jun smiled but it didn't reach his eyes "if this is a ploy to get me to carry you up the stairs again you'll have to do better than that". "That happened one time!" you cried and Jun laughed. "I promise no carrying me" you said and Jun nodded following you. Unsure where to go you led him to The8's room. You grabbed the first thing you saw which was a lip balm and turned to Jun "are you really okay?". Jun immediately got more guarded "is this what you brought me up here for? Just to ask me a question I already answered". "But Jun I can tell something's bothering you so please just let me help you". "You can't do anything about it Y/n" Jun said and you frowned "at least talk to me about it, talking helps". Jun crossed his arms refusing to respond and you sighed "it is about Nali?". "What! No" Jun cried but he could tell you didn't believe him. " Nali wouldn't even tell me why you two didn't work out. She just said to ask you to explain". Jun shook his head "we just weren't compatible". "But why wouldn't she just say that? Jun did you call it off? It's okay if you did you can just say". Jun shook his head "no Nali did". "So why didn't she just say that?". Jun hesitated and you frowned "why do i feel like there's something you're not telling me? Jun what's going on?". He sighed "I didn't call it off name did but she didn't really have a choice considering I'm unavailable". "You are? So you're seeing someone?". The excitement in your voice really made Jun cringe and more than a little angry. "No but you don't have to be dating someone to be unavailable. Sometimes people take your heart without them even knowing and you should know that better than anyone". "I should...Jun I don't get what you mean" you said and he sighed. "I'm in love with you Y/n!" he replied and kissed you. You were in shock at the words Jun had just said so you didn't even realise he was leaning in to kiss you. So he kissed you before you could even process what was happening and you were surprised once again because it felt good. Really good. You could feel the emotions coming from Jun and kissed him back. He felt that and picked up the intensity moving closer to you, making you back up against a wall. Jun very happily trapped you against it and carried on kissing as he'd always wanted to until he realised this wasn't the fairytale romance he'd always hoped for and he pulled away. "Now do you get it?" he asked. You nodded breathlessly and Jun walked away. You watched him go before rushing after him. You caught him on the corridor just before he was going downstairs. "Jun!" you called and he hesitated at the top of the stairs. "You can't just tell me you love me and then walk away" you said and Jun paused "I can't?". "No" you said "I have so many questions...how? Why?". Jun shook his head "did you really never know? Nali spent a few hours with us and spotted it. Why didn't you?". You froze "I...I'm not sure". Jun turned away hurt and felt a tear leak down his cheek. "Jun wait!” you called and tugged his arm making him turn to face you "I'm sorry for not noticing but why didn't you tell me?". "Because I could tell you didn't feel the same way. You didn't look at me like you looked at The8". You shook your head "that's because I didn't know. How am I looking at you now?". Jun met your eyes and paused to see the emotion and want there. He'd been dreaming of this for so long. To see you staring at him like that. So he just completely caved and kissed you again.   This time you were anticipating it so you kissed him back immediately. "Jun" you said breathlessly and he just replied with your name which sent a shiver down your spine. You had no idea Jun could make you feel this way and also were kicking yourself for never realising how gorgeous he was. The way he was looking at you made your stomach do cartwheels and he was intoxicating. You'd never wanted something like you wanted him and you had to tell him. "I want you" was all you managed but it was all Jun needed. Nobody at the party noticed you were gone except for The8 who smiled to see Jun's locked door and your car still parked outside. Jun however wasn't feeling so happy. He laid beside you in bed feeling pretty vulnerable. He had no idea what had just happened and he couldn't sleep no matter how much he wanted to. He hadn't spent ages loving you just for one night? He sat up and went to get some water when he heard you call his name "Jun? Are you okay?" you called sensing he'd moved. He sighed and you flicked a light on "Jun? What's wrong?". He looked down nervously "I...what is this?". "Us?" you asked and he nodded "I enjoyed it but I don't just want what you and The8 have and I didn't even think about The8'” he sighed. You called his name and told him to sit down. "Breathe it's okay" you told him gently holding his hand and he listened to you. "Jun I want this to be more than what I have with The8 too". Jun looked at you "you do". You nodded "I might've been blind before but I see you now and nobodies ever made me feel like you do. Now I think about it I feel like an idiot. You always made me laugh and smile and feel safe. You were the perfect man for me and I never even realised". Jun smiled and kissed you again when he paused "but will The8 be mad?". You shook your head "The8 did something a few weeks ago which i thought was strange but now I think might been about this...he told me if I ever met someone and I wanted to date them that was fine and he'd step aside. I think he meant you". Jun blushed and felt a deep admiration for his friend. "So we have nothing stopping us..." you said and Jun felt elated  "so you're...I'm...we’re...". "Yes" you said and Jun grinned hugging you. "Now I can sleep happily" he cried and you laughed. Jun did sleep after that and didn't wake until mid-morning when a knock at his door woke him up. He blinked his eyes open and saw you lying across from him. He smiled and went to cuddle you more when the knocking persisted and he sighed. He disentangled himself from the bed and made his way to the door. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw it was The8. "The8...hey" he said drawing the door further closed to hide you. The8 nodded "some of us are going for breakfast, I was just going to ask if you wanted a coffee or something?". Jun nodded "yeah sounds good". The8 nodded and went to walk away before he paused "and would Y/n like anything?". Jun froze until The8 smiled making him relax. "It's cool I'd never get in the way of something serious, you should've told me you liked her sooner" The8 said. Jun nodded "thanks you're the best. Can you get Y/n a chai latte with oat milk". The8 nodded "sure thing" finding it adorable how Jun knew your favourite drink order and left the two of you alone. Jun returned to bed and you moved when he laid beside you. "Who was that?" you asked cosying up to him and Jun wrapped an arm around you pulling you closer. "Just The8". You paused and opened an eye "did he know I was...". Jun nodded "yeah and he's fine with it. He's bringing you a chai latte". You relaxed "wow he's a good guy...not that i had any doubts". Jun nodded "I know. I feel very lucky to have him and you". You smiled "I feel the exact same, we're really killing this couple thing huh?" making Jun laugh. "Totally" he agreed and laid back down with you and fell back into a soundless sleep.

[0-kuki-0]

Genshin Headcanons: Sibling Edition!

Traveler: has a burning passion for stealing all your clothes, big or small Theyre theirs now.

Aether: If you don’t label your food before you put it in the fridge, it’s his. Whether it’s a jar of pickles, or leftover cake, he’ll finish the whole thing in one sitting.

Lumine: wakes you up by death metal screaming in the shower and her annoying ass alarm.

Paimon: starts fights and then runs behind you because aw hell nah I ain’t fighting that bitch- she did once break your wrist when you were younger though so uH.

Amber: insists she’s not touching you, tells the worst best jokes, and will bring you bugs to show them off. Her favorites are scorpions it’s horrifying. Also has a pet bunny you share, his name is Philanthropy because you wouldn’t let her name him the Baron.

Noelle: she’s the sweetest sister ever. Baked your birthday cake, and it was delicious you almost cried. She also teaches you how to clean and broke a harbingers face open for attempting to enhance in combat with you. She scares and cares for you. Double edged sword.

Kaeya: Gave himself a mullet in the bathroom at your middle school, and has no sense of direction. You are his google maps. You spend everything nights talking shit and trying to get him not to steal your expensive perfume/cologne/teabags.

Diluc: Had no sense of style for a good while so you had to pick out his clothes for the longest time. If he can’t figure out an outfit he just robs your closet.

Lisa: exclusively shops at book stores and introduced you to several wlw books. You think she has a crush on Jean, but every timer you ask she smiles scarily. Good anime recommendations tho.

Venti: steals alcohol and bribes you with his iPod to get you not to snitch to your parents. Is also the only one with a car so you rely on him for transportation.

Jean: will fuck any of these bitches up in your defense. Doesn’t matter who or why they’re free game for pissed off older sister. Golden child syndrome and has higher expectations of herself then Mt Everest.

Barbara: purposely uses her hydro vision to make her rain drop win the race. Will win any bet you make with her and enforces a heavy interest fee. Also sings in the shower, and will kiss your bruises to make you feel better before bandaging.

Rosaria: owns serval copies of ‘Art of War’, books that discusses women’s suffrage through out history and where there rights stand now, and could kill a man with her pinkie. She also loses horrifically at uno though so she’s not that cool.

Klee: helps you make bombs to prank her siblings (Jean, Albedo, Razor). Also is the only reason you passed chemistry, but we don’t ask about why she knows those formulas.

Diona: use to spend her nights making complex cocktails for you to try with whatever is in the fridge. The best one was half milk, quarter apple juice, quarter orange and a hint of cranberry.

Razor: the younger sibling who brings you a bunch of random shit because he wants your approval. You’ll fuck up anyone who makes the baby sad.

Eula: if anyone fucks with you, they fuck with her. She terrified the majority of mondstadt citizens into leaving you the fuck alone. Please share your expensive tea set with her girly needs to relax. She also takes you ice fishing but it’s really just her diving into dragonspine lakes and catching them bear handed.

Bennett: absolute menace to society. This is the third time you’ve accidentally burnt down the kitchen. MAKING CEREAL. The two of you watch movie marathons together though, and you’ve trained him to be less chaotic for headpats.

Fischl: Your best friend. Doesn’t matter if you’re siblings the two of you talk so much shit together and so fancily too… it’s great. She also has a great taste in metal music.

Sucrose: is the only one you trust to dye and take care of your hair besides Aether. She has the most complicated but best hair care routine you’ll ever know. Her skincare too??? Immaculate.

Albedo: likes to show off your baby photos, and has a collection of photos of the two of you over the years. Also taught you basic Alchemy, and teaches you how therapeutic art is. Also would slowly close the fridge and try to balance the light switch with you.

Fakebedo: taught you combat and likes to take you out to throw rocks at passing bystanders. Venti fears you because whenever he tries to throw them back at him you appear with Diona held above your head. Instant god repellent.

Mona: You have a schedule of when to bring her food and will not hesitate to break into this mf’s house. You’ve done it once before.

Timmy: you might’ve broken Kaeya’s nose for fucking with your little brother. Only you can bully him, no one else.

————————————————————

Here’s the Mondstadt edition! Have a nice day y’all! :D

[mamichigo]

shumika // stage

*

Mika knew, from the moment they accepted the idea for this live, that Shu's nerves would be frayed. Part of him almost expected Shu to pull out at the very last second, or to fall into an anxious episode bad enough it'd force them to retreat for the day. He knew, he expected it all; it still didn't prepare him to see Shu's hand trembling so much that he couldn't fasten the clasps of his outfit.

It was their first time on stage with fine since Tanabata.

Mika swallowed a whimper, a desperate need to hold Shu like he'd do to the kids back at the orphanage when they cried at night. Instead, he approached Shu slowly, as one would a skittish animal, his hands extended but not reaching--showing he meant no harm.

"Oshi-san," he called slowly, doubting himself already.

Shu looked up with trembling eyes, and Mika swallowed thickly.

"What is it," Shu replied haughtily, but it lacked heat.

"D-Didja need any help…? Yer hands are shakin' real bad."

"This is nothing! It's beyond me to be anything other than composed when we're about to go on stage. That's why I--" He seemed lost as he stared at his own palms. "I…"

"Let me?"

It was all he said, but the meaning came across. After another second of hesitation, Shu stepped closer, then thrust his wrists into Mika's waiting hands. With utmost care--as everything made by Shu's own hands ought to be treated--he fluffed up the lacing and set the cufflinks in place. He inspected the rest of the outfit, looking for other unfinished details.

In silence, Mika fastened the loose corset, fixed a tangled earring, and adjusted a brooch that had been a second away from falling off. He smiled to himself, satisfied; his oshi-san should always be perfect, an absolute figure under the spotlight. Mika would never allow anyone else to witness this fragile, disheveled state that only he was privy to.

"Oshi-san, yer missing the choker," he pointed out lastly, already rummaging through Shu's belongings for the right accessory.

"Ah, you're right. I apologize, it's unbecoming to be this absentminded--"

"It's fine." He held up the choker between thumb and forefinger. There was a complicated feeling burning in his gut. "I'll do it fer ya. Just sit tight and think about the performance, 'kay?"

Although he looked as if he wanted to protest, Shu's mouth fell closed at the first touch of Mika's fingers to the curve of his neck. Without a word, he turned his back to Mika, who observed the exposed skin with obsessive fascination. Before he clasped the choker in place, he pressed two fingers to Shu's skin, where he could feel his pulse hammering away anxiously. 

"I can do it. I can take care of it," Mika said, with more than one meaning.

Once the choker was in place, Shu insisted he do the same for Mika. The matching accessory swayed in his still shaking hands. They didn't talk about it, although they both knew the reason. They didn't talk about the unlit stage that permeated Shu's nightmares.

As he stepped up to perform his task, Shu lingered, not really working but instead running his hands along Mika's hair, his skin.

"Your hair has gotten longer again," he muttered.

"Why didja accept this job, Oshi-san?"

Shu paused. He played with a strand of hair, not yet moving to clasp the choker.

"To prove a point, I suppose. Is there any other reason than pride?"

Mika nodded, understanding. They had to overcome fine, one day. They just had to. And he knew that Shu longed to beat them into the dirt, bury their corpses. To affirm his suffering by telling the world I overcame my weakness, you're not taking me down again. And so, Mika made that his dream, too.

Slowly, bit by bit, Shu's hand stopped shaking. For a brief second, he leaned on Mika, face pressed to the crown of his hair. Then, he breathed in and out, clasped the choker into place and took exactly two steps back. Mika turned around to find his expression set in steel, the lines of his shoulders firm. Shu tipped his head, nose up, an arrogant smirk on his lips. His eyes burned with the desire for triumph.

"We've stalled long enough, Kagehira. Let us remind those fools the stage is meant only for the highest quality of art."

Shu’s palm was steady on his back as he directed them towards the stage. Mika watched that face, not even a little bit scared of being yelled at for staring.

There, there he was.

His oshi-san. The most beautiful person in the world.

[under-the-cherrytree]

Could you do a triplet reader? It takes place during the time Amane was ill and tsukasa and reader wish for the Amane to get better and I'm assumeing you read the manga (because of your profile picture) so you know the consequence of that wish- Time skip, the (fake👀maybe?) reader is a ghost now who acts a similar way to Tsukasa, meets Amane again he is obviously scared by their appearance and Nene is reminded of the day Tsukasa found Hanako. Sorry if this is too long/ complicated!

Yugi triplet reader who sees Hanako again❣︎

Warning: major manga spoilers for the red house, talk of death, talk of suicide

A/n: yes you can!!!

I am caught up with the manga, yes yes

So sorry for how long this took- and y/n is about to be making a better enterance than Tsukasa

I hope you enjoy!!

“Hanako! You need to stop visiting senpai during class! It’s distracting and shes trying to focus!” Kou scolded him.

“What? Would you rather me visit you~?” Hanako grinned at Kou.

“Of course not!!” Kou shouted back.

“Boys…” Nene sighed as she opened the door to the bathroom. She grabbed the mop in the corner of the room and Kou grabbed a bucket and a rag. Yashiro started mopping the floor and noticed a black origami flower.

“Hey guys, what’s this?” Yashiro asked as she picked up the flower. She quickly threw it down when she felt it burn her finger tips, wincing due to the pain as she held her injured hand close to her. The flower started to unfold and smoke came from it. Hanako and Kou quickly came to her side, preparing for battle if they had to.

Soon a figure was able to be seen through the smoke. The figure looked like Hanako but was different. They wore a different outfit than the twins. This person also had two wisps but they weren’t like Hanako and Tsukasa wisps, they were gray and red and blue blotches painted the gray parts.

“Amane!!!” You hugged your brother tightly, catching him off guard. “I missed you so much!! Tsukasa said I could find you here~” Hanako felt his heart sink as he looked at you, afraid to speak.

“Wait… who the hell are you?!” Kou demanded an answer. You looked to the boy, debating whether you should answer his question or not.

“I’m Y/n! Y/n Yugi!! The middle child of the Yugi triplets!!” You smiled at him.

“Y-y/n… I’m sorry… I-“ You turned your attention back to your brother who was muttering.

“Don’t be sorry, silly!! I missed you!” You giggled “The last I saw you was when you killed Tsukasa and I thought it would be boring to be the only sibling alive so I killed myself as well!” Tears formed in your brother's eyes by your words, his heart crushed hearing you talk about the situation so casually. He hated the fact he killed his brother and he hated the fact you decided to join them in death. It crushed him to have this weight on his shoulder. He felt responsible for you death.

“I didn’t want that to happen…” He tries to wipe away his tears.

“It’s all in the past now!! I’m here and that's what matters, right~?”

Yashiro recognized this. Hanako cried seeing his sibling again but she didn’t know he had another twin. If you were anything like Tsukasa, she knew she needed to do something about it. She quickly stepped in between you two, holding her mop up in the air as defense.

“That’s enough!! Stay away from Hanako-kun!” She shouted at you causing you to only laugh.

“Are you going to defend my brother with this?” You snaps the mop in half and throws it to the side. You placed your hands on her shoulder and pulled her close to you “Why are you getting in the way of me talking to my brother?” You whispered to her “Well~?”

“That’s enough!!” Hanako broke you two up. You were quite shocked with how bold he’s become since you last saw him. He seemed different to you in a way.

“Fine, I guess I should be going anyways!” You grinned at the three who were looking at you in fear. Your whips started to encircle you in a cloud of gray, red, and blue smoke and you vanished. “Bye~”

[mythgirlimagines]

Did you ever notice how Tsukasa Tenma and Catarina Claes have similar outfits, right down to the colors? Because I sure did, and the similarities wouldn't leave my head!

THAT'S WHY HE LOOKED SO FAMILIAR TO ME IN HIS UNIT OUTFIT!!!! I couldn't place it but you're so right omg

...kinda wanna draw a clotheswap between them now but I drew Katarina's outfit once and it's so complicated I nearly cried lol

[hanahaki-ghost]

So again, I’m an artists not a drawer this has a somewhat rushed ending because I was tired and didn’t edit it

————————————

Archives link:

Fandom:The property of hate

Character(s):RGB, Negative, Hero, Click, Hate

Summary: RGB makes a deal believing it will help hero get out of make believe or at least stay safe from hate

Hero makes a deal hoping to have her guide returned to her

—————————

“P-please leave her alone” a voice rang through the void weakly. The voice belonged to a tv headed man who was reaching towards a young white haired girl who was being held by a female figure.

“And why should I?” She said glaring at the man who was pulling himself up.

“Please I’ll do anything you wish just let her go she’s just a child” he said leaning on his cane for support but trying to get to the girl.

“Anything?” The figure said still holding the frightened child.

“RGB no! Please don’t do it” the young girl begged he guardian of the journey she had taken.

“Yes…anything you wish” he said and before he could say anything else hero was dropped and RGB fell to his knees against as chains grabbed onto his wrists and neck.

“I am in need of a new puppet and you would be perfect for my new story.” Hate said wickedly as RGB tugged against the restraints but knew he could break them.

Hero ran over to him putting her hands in his tv head “please don’t we can stop her you don’t have to do this” she begged

“It will be alright hero find Madras and she can help yo-“ before anything else could be said he was thrown backwards by the chains away from hero and out of her sight.

“RGB!!!” She screamed as she reached to him as he was dragged away and his hat fell to the ground. She looked at it and whimpered picking it up and holding it close.

“Now for you” Hate said.

“W-wait! Please don’t kill him” she begged.

“Why not? Once his souls gone he’s a perfect puppet” she said to the girl.

“If you don’t kill him I…I’ll be your puppet” she begged the complications were hate couldn’t harm hero due to her deal with RGB but that doesn’t mean she can’t do anything to her.

“Tell me young hero do you know about knights?” She asked getting a nod from the young girl making her smile and snap. Hero cried out as her schism suddenly came to the forefront and her outfit changed now giving her a chest plate and combat boots.

“You can be my new soldier” she said as hero felt her mind change to submit to Hate. Hate simply smiled letting it happen after which she guided hero through her void.

“I’ll have you work with click for now as I work on something” she said leaving the child with the tin soldier who looked and glared.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with that dumb tv?” he asked hatefully.

“He…” she went quite as she felt she was going to cry only get an eye roll from click.

As time passed Hero still didn’t talk with the tin soldier who was supposed to be guiding her around make-believe.

The day seemed to be the same as any other as they walked by the lake and Hero stopped to look at the water frowning.

“Come on kid keep up” click hissed to her.

“…” she went to as she was suddenly dragged backwards with a scream and fell into the water before click could react. Once he saw her disappear he simply sighed walking away glad to be rid of her but also not wanting to risk rust.

Hero struggled as she sank before she hit the bottom looking around frantically as she held her breath.

As she did she saw what looked like a statue that looked familiar which made things worse as she thought to her guide knowing he definitely couldn’t help her there.

She was just going to accept her fate moving to the statue just at least wanting to be near something familiar. But before she could a light suddenly shown on her as she looked for the source.

The source was a screen with a big eye now looking at her making her freeze she wanted to scream or swim away but her body was to weak.

She heard something snap and looked as a chained hand reached for her and as she cowered away it grabbed her and brought her into one arm gently before looking around.

Hero slowly fell unconscious at this point and before she could register what was happening they were on the surface the monochrome tv headed man over her with vines and roses around her.

She noticed the chains on his and how they seemed to be undone and she started to tear up huddling close to the familiar figure.

While he seemed to be RGB she knew he wasn’t but the comfort was still there and she hoped she would wake up and RGB be back after he healed. She hoped so bad for this as she drifted back into unconsciousness in his arms hoping for her guide back…but not dreaming.

[kenobster]

For the ask game: 1, 2, & 10!

Your Pal's Star Wars Ask Game

OOOOH these are good ones, thanks anon!

1. Qui-Gon Jinn: love or hate? Discuss.

I very passionately could not care less. He's boring! I don't love or hate, I'm boooored. But that's a terrible answer, so let's go through every single Qui-Gon subject I could possibly have feelings on and describe why I don't.

(Oh boy this list became extremely rude but shit fam, I'm being asked my personal opinion lol. What else am I supposed to do?)

Phantom Menace? Meh. He's the mystical wise type... but Yoda does it better. He's the seemingly disciplined and empathetic role model/teacher, both as Anakin's male!parental figure and as a Padawan's Jedi Master, but... Obi-Wan does that better. He's a rebel, a rule breaker; he doesn't follow the Jedi code perfectly (and, as a result of George Lucas's whiteness, is a little bit racist), but... Anakin does that better worse. Apparently ppl were mad at him for using his final words to ask Obi-Wan to train the Boy, instead of saying "I love you" or something... but I snored through that scene until Obi-Wan's Sith-slaughter woke me up... so unfortunately I didn't hear any of that shit. 🤷‍♀️

Jude Watson? I skip his POV lol. No seriously, he's pretty boring, his internal conflicts are kinda kid-like, not very Jedi-Master-like, not even really very complicated or compelling. And maybe that'd be enough to hate him, but fandom's response to the series neutralizes my opinion in his defense. Re, first two books as an example, Qui-Gon was going about minding his own business when Yoda came along and tried to shove a child onto him -- him, a man who not only didn't want and wasn't ready for a new kid (after the old one became a freak), but also explicitly stated so to Yoda numerous times. Yoda did not take no for an answer. In fact, Yoda pretty much egged Obi-Wan on to pull the same guilt-tripping nonsense, despite Qui-Gon repeatedly saying to both of them stop, no, don't. And neither Yoda nor child listened. Luckily Obi-Wan grew on Qui-Gon so everything worked out in the end, but Qui-Gon didnt do shit wrong lol. It's not his fault Obi-Wan was being sent to the agricorp. It's not his fault Obi-Wan repeatedly disobeyed everyone's instructions and put himself into danger... or that Xanatos was a sadistic freak. And it's certainly not his fault that Yoda (in these books) lacked an understanding of consent and riled up an angsty Padawan into hoping falsely. The book may be boring af, especially Qui-Gon's character arc, but give the man a break, ffs. (And stop letting Tumblr gaslight you.)

Obi-Wan Kenobi show? Yeah Qui-Gon being someone his Padawan cried to abt his nightmares made Obi-Wan look suitably pathetic and sad, and I liked that a lot. But the second Qui-Gon appeared? Ugh. You just had to ruin Depressed!Obi-Wan for me, didn't ya? 🙄 I liked you better when you were playing hard to get.

Fanfiction? Ppl can do what they want and I support them. But I am tired of how Qui-Gon is either the villain or the saint and extremely two-dimensional. That's okay to have 2d characters! It really is! They serve a purpose! But this two-dimensional Jedi ain't for me. And honestly him being angelified is just as much of a dealbreaker to me as him being demonized. I like Messy. I like Trying Hard and Failing. I like Loving and Hurting and Hating and Loving. I like whatever Obi-Wan and Anakin got going on. Qui-Gon is boring and even worse, his presence in fic tends to make Obi-Wan into a two-dimensional victim, which drags Obi-Wan into boringville too. :(

Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray? Hmm, actually, this was some good shit. Would read again. Take notes, kids. This be how you write a Qui-Gon.

Anyway this is how I feel, and I can't help how I feel. So go enjoy your mystical, potentially abusive wildcard in peace. I won't stop you! ^_^

2. Pick a Padme outfit to be your signature look.

This one all the fucking way (and the ROTS version of this hairstyle too):

If I were in Star Wars, I'd exclusively put my hair in a bow. Also, it looks really cute on Padme specifically.

10. If you could pull a George Lucas and sneak into Disney plus and edit any Star Wars scene, what changes would you make?

I answered this question on a whim earlier, but you know what? I absolutely stand by it. Make Palpatine caress Anakin's face as he injects our favorite nineteen-year-old boy with Unwanted Sexual Sithcraft. That is the only correct scene revision.

[whatisalifeihaveablog]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Ooh I don't mind at all but also this is a very hard question 🤣 I'll make a caveat that this top 10 is not necessarily in order and is subject to change but I love any opportunity to talk about my faves <3. Think of it as list of characters that I love more than a proper top 10

Yuki Sohma (Fruits Basket) - Gotta start with the guy that's been my icon on here for several years now. I read the Fruits Basket manga when I was in 7th grade and I resonated so hard with Yuki's internal struggles. I've always said our life circumstances are very different but our anxieties and personal difficulties are so similar and I had never encountered a character I related to so hard before so I latched on and have not let go to this day

Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100) - I'm currently rewatching this series and keep thinking about how if it had come out when I was younger I would have probably latched on to Mob just as much as I did Yuki for how relatable he can be lmao. As an adult I watch it and really root for this kid and feel genuinely proud in every moment of growth he experiences.

Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho) - A character I was younger than the first time I watched the anime and am currently significantly older than and he has become my anime son. I adore this boy in all of his asshole tough guy posturing and his wit and genuine care for his friends and determination and just all of it. I also want to wrap him in a blanket and give him some delicious hot soup.

Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass) - One thing about me is if a character is pretty and cunning and deadly intelligent and morally grey, they are likely going to be a favorite and Lelouch was an early example of this for me. Code Geass is one of my favorite animes I've ever watched and watching Lelouch scheme and generally be him is so damn delightful every time. He's a character I feel like I could write an entire dissertation on, I honestly could with any of these characters, but I am trying to avoid that for the sake of the length of this post lmao

Wei Wuxian (Mdzs/The Untamed) - How did it take me this long to talk about mdzs? Wei Wuxian is absolutely amazing to watch or read about in every single scene. Complicated and brilliant and cocky and so very tragic. He's another one who hits a LOT of points on the "Who is gonna be Sarah's next favorite character" bingo card. I've scarcely cried for a character as much as I've cried for Wei Wuxian, he is so dear to my heart.

Chuuya Nakahara (Bungo Stray Dogs) - What can I say? I love an angry boy. I'll be honest, a lot of my initial love for Chuuya was aesthetics. His hair and outfit alone had me primed to love him from the start but then he came in with that cocky/angry attitude and honestly fucking sick power and that solidified it lmao. And then the more I learned about him beyond the aesthetics and immediate impressions the more I loved him.

Jiang Cheng (Mdzs/The Untamed) - Definitely gotta mention my favorite angry boy of all my angry boys <3. This man has so many flaws and I honestly do get why it's hard for some people to like him but man I love him so much. His temper, to me, is just another side of his passion which also extends into his ambition and love and he rebuilt his clan from nothing and I'm definitely a person who even when it comes to his more "wrong" decisions/actions I think they're more understandable than the people who hate him say. I feel a strong need to defend him a lot of the time

Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) - Nothing but respect for my pirate king!!!! Luffy is such a fun character. Like truly one of my favorite shonen protags of all time and that mostly comes down to how hard he makes me smile while reading just constantly. Everything he says and everything he does is so wildly entertaining while also being so earnest and honest and simultaneously laid back. The way he loves his crew and puts everything he has into being their captain. I love him so much lol

Wen Kexing (Word of Honor) - Pretty, cunning, morally grey, do I need to say more? His totally shameless attitude in the beginning was so funny all the time and then the deeper we got into his character the more he went from being the most entertaining person on screen to, well still that, but also a character I feel so many emotions for all the time.

Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Now here's some top tier anime son material. My love for Al has only ever grown with the years and subsequent rewatches of this series. I. Love. This. Boy. He has seen and been through too much and is still so good and loving and steadfast in his goals and values. Literally couldn't find a better boy. 10/10

[bitchlessdino]

x.m.h. ; humiliation

“Erotic Humiliation” (e·rot·ic hu·mil·i·a·tion)

consensual psychological humiliation performed in order to produce erotic excitement or sexual arousal.

Pairing: fem!reader X neighbor!Minghao

Genre: smut

Word count: 2.1k

BEWARE OF: mentions of cameras, degradation, name calling, kitchen sex, panty stuffing, facial, hard dom!minghao, sub!reader

Series Masterlist

Minghao has only lived next to you for a month now, but so far experienced all the ups and downs your life needed. The first day he moved in, you got drunk off the birthday shots distributed by your friends, and seeing him for the first time, you hit on him relentlessly, noticing how handsome he was. He still teased you about it to this day. Sometime after, he experienced your breakup with your boyfriend, where you cried buckets and used his shoulder to cry on. And this week was your first at-home break-in, urging a newly developed sense of paranoia and brand new purchase.

“So, they’re in every part of the house? All six cameras?”

You hummed, scanning the locations of your new state-of-the-art security. “Every corner and possible blind spot. If the camera sees it, I can too. Gotta love modern technology.”

Minghao looked at the cameras through the screen of your iPad, swiping through the captured pictures, confirming as you said. They really did see everything. “It’s an online archive.”

“Yeah, all I need is a username and a password and I can access it.” You added, adjusting the camera just slightly more center of the living room.

“Then, that means anyone that finds out your username and a password can access it. It’s pretty much public.”

You shook your head, disagreeing. “Both the username and the password are complicated enough that no one can guess.”

“Tell that to the black hat hackers. They’ll find the guessing game entertaining.”

You clicked your tongue at the pessimistic man. Minghao looked up from the couch, awaiting your refute. “What? I’m right, aren’t I? Don’t think it’ll make much of a difference.”

“This is so Scorpio of you. Don’t you have some art to paint? Why are you always in my apartment when you literally live next door?” You nagged.

“You buy good wine.” He answered curtly.

“You have wine older than you in your own home.”

“Your place has a nice view.”

“We have the same view.”

He peered up at your figure. “...You’re the only friend I made in the building.”

You chuckled at his relinquishing expression. “That was cute.”

He flicked his hair, returning to his suave outward appearance. “Took you long enough to notice.”

You gave him a hard eye roll, took the iPad away from his hands, and checked over the cameras with your own eyes, also content with the thoroughness of your placement. “Now that that’s done, it’s time for you to offer me some real help.”

“And what’s that, my friend?”

“Outfit ideas,” you exclaimed excitedly.

He nodded with an expected grin. “Of course. Where to now? Girls night, a night on the town, a late-night pizza run?”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “No, a date.”

His expression faltered. “A date?”

“Yeah. Seokmin set me up on one. Apparently, he was sweet, nice, can make me laugh—”

Minghao scoffed. “Sounds generic to me.”

“I mean doesn’t everyone before a first date. I just need to get out there, maybe I’ll get over Hansol finally, you know.” You raise your hand defensively. “I’ll take anything at this point.”

“Even if it means going out with a stranger? Sounds like a waste of time” He returned his attention to his phone.

“Why are you—Ugh, I need a drink.” You headed to your fridge in need of something to calm you down, Minghao trailing behind you, placing the phone back in his pocket.

“Don’t go on the date.” He said as you cracked open the canned rosé from your fridge. “And while you’re at it, don't drink that garbage either. You’re better off drinking real rosé, or sewage water for all that matters.”

You looked straight into his eyes, infuriated with his behavior as you began to chug the can, taking several gulps before you downed it entirely. The aluminum crushed in your fist before throwing it in his direction, hitting his chest, earning an offended Minghao. “Y/n, what the fuck?”

“Why are you being such an asshole today, Hao?”

“I’m your friend. I’m giving you my honest input.”

“I never asked?”

“Just don’t go on the date.” He rested a hand on your shoulder. “It’s better this way.”

You shoved away his hand with a scowl. “What are you thinking telling me what to do, Hao? Why would it bother you?”

He sighed, dipping his head as he ran his fingers through his hair, taking a moment before looking back at you. “Do you really want to know why I’m not letting you go?”

“Why Minghao? What’s so fucking important that I shouldn’t go?”

He glared at you, approaching you slowly, not faltering from his stance for a moment as he backed you against the fridge. You made glances at his daunting frame, unable to meet his eyes as he got closer in proximity. His forearm landed on the side of your head against the fridge, staring you down unwaveringly.

“Do you really want to know? You don’t think you’ll regret hearing what I have to say?”

You gulped down the saliva building up in your mouth, finding it difficult to cough up words of negation. His hand begins crawling up along your cheek, bringing up your chin to level eyes, and then shot down at your lips. Without a moment of hesitation, he met your lips with his and grasped your hand. You moved in sync with Minghao, clutching his shirt in your fingertips.

He widened the gap between your lips, staring back into your eyes. “You’re not going to stop me?”

You shook your head, still unable to form words in your mouth.

Minghao lets out a smile. “I’m going to need to hear how far you’re willing to go with me.”

You met his eyes with a look that match his, “…I want you to keep kissing me, and I don’t care what happens afterward.”

With an understanding glint in his eyes, Minghao reunited your lips. Your bodies pressed against each other fluidly on the large hum on the fridge before he hoisted you up in the air, your legs entangled around his waist. An arm under each leg, he stabilized your position as your hands got lost in his neck-length locks. His tongue, warm and giving, evaded your mouth boldly, ensuring he latched properly against your lips.

Straightening his posture, he heaved you over the kitchen island and letting go of you in his arms, you landed your bottom on the cool marble. He helped you out of your oversized t-shirt, revealing the comfortable bralette you had underneath, heavily self-conscious of your body in that moment.

“You like the idea of having cameras around? So whoever’s monitoring can see how fast I can make you fold?” You whimpered against his lip, a burning sensation in your loins. “You don’t care what happens? Is that what you said? Well, I’ll take that into great consideration as I use you until you are embarrassed enough to only fuck me until you’re red in the face.”

You had no idea what he meant by that. What did he mean by that?

He pulled down your shorts, seeing them hit the ground, while your panties were bundles in his hands. His face inched closer to yours as his fingers began to sink the garment between your folds. Your stomach churned at the sensation of the cloth's friction and the force of his digits, stuffing the lacy material in your entrance until what was left was the tag that came with it peeking out. Minghao tugged on the tag, watching you react to it pulling on the skin of your folds.

“Little panty stuffer, are you? Are you embarrassed it’s all recorded in the security cameras showing what a dirty little pervert you are? The walls are thin, you know. Now I won’t be the only one to hear you moan my name.”

He grabbed your hands, placing them on the buttons of his silk top. “Undo them.”

Like his puppet, you did as you were told, unattached the buttons one by one. His hands ran up thighs, massaging the warmth of them in his hands until you were finishing off his shirt and abandoned it to the ground.

“Pervert,” he scoffed, “you sure know how to listen.”

He dug into your wet cunt, drenching your panties until its limit. His long digits drive deep inside you, thumbing over your clit in a swift motion.

“Ah…ah…Hao…”

His lips engaged with yours, cutting you off from saying anything else, establishing his power status. “You…regretting saying you don’t care?”

You shook your head once again.

“Then how about this,” he pulled on the tag hanging out to remove them from your body completely, soaked to his liking, and filled the empty occupancy in your mouth.

Startled, you yelp out at the last of your juice coating your tongue and gums, frowning at every finger of his poking the fabric so none was left behind.

“Now, you’re putting your panties in your mouth. God, I can’t take you anywhere.” He loosened the strings of his pants, pulling them down along with his briefs. “I guess we’re forgetting the date and staying inside all day. You’re better off me fucking your holes anyway for all the cameras to see. I hope they’re getting a good show.”

He stroked his cock with one hand, running through his hair with the other, exposing the forehead that formed a light layer of sweat. You muffled your moans at the sight, your hands hooking at the edge of the counter. His perfect lean body approached you with a knowing smile on his face as his erect member got harder in his hand, setting up to align inside you.

Finding how on your waist, he pulled your body to him and eased through your cavern, hearing you muffle his name from your panty-gagged mouth. “You’re so tight, I would think a little pervert like you would be all used up. It feels like you were made to choke around my cock.”

He levied your legs to sides, embracing them against his frame, and steadily thrust inside you. Your hands planted on the counter, every hard pound you endured matched the beat against your chest. Every now and then he’d readjusted his grip, but quickened his pace. He threw back his head, finding a spot in you he quite liked, licking his lips every time you tighten around his cock.

“God, you feel fucking good. I can't wait for you to cum all over my cock. I’ll be playing back the tape until I’m sick of seeing it. Come ‘ere.”

He reached for your hand to pull your upper body towards him, trailing wet kisses all over your neck, leaving memorable bites that you can just envision having to cover up later. With the panties still in your mouth, you struggled to voice out your moans of gratitude, reminding Minghao you were unable to speak. With a snicker, he pulled them out of your mouth and frantically stuffed them in your bra. “We’ll leave that there for now.”

“Thank you,” you gasped, having only been able to breathe your nose this entire time.

“Don’t thank me now, pervert. Thank me after I defile your hole some more.”

He helped himself by returning to his pace, coherently taking in every utterance that escaped you. It was a perfect mixture of your voice, the moisture of your collision, and the clapping sounds that would echo after that created a symphony of contentment in Minghaos sexually frustrated system. The blood rushing to your cheeks in panic was pure bliss, reminding him of one of his first encounters with him, drunk and complimenting and being embarrassed the next day. He couldn’t stop thinking about it since, hoping for the day he could replicate that face once more.

“H-hao…I’m g-gonna—“

“Do it, pervert. My cock better be drowning in your cum.”

When he gave you the word, you went for it. Your pussy twitched in gratification as you felt yourself loosen around him, his cock being pulled out only to have a string of your clear arousal stretch in mid-air.

“Now, down here,” he nudged you off the counter and planted you on your knees.

He pumped his cock with the remaining power he had, aiming his tip at your mouth. You followed suit by opening your mouth, shutting your eyes to evade it from getting it there, and anticipated the white ribbons to hit your tongue. Not to your knowledge, they not only hit your tongue and also spread across your face, staining your cheeks and chin, to only leave the lingering scent of his conclusion. You were careful not to inhale the fluid and barely open your eyes with enough vision to see the cheeky grin on his face.

“Look at you all pretty with my cum on your face. How do you feel?”

“…sticky.” You said deadpan.

“Looks like you’ve finally come to your senses. So. What’s that user and password?”

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

So do you guys remember my post about Jedi meeting their birth families and being chill with it? 

I’ve been thinking a bit - a lot, for like a year - about all the headcanons around Jedi’s biological people, and there are really only two possible cases that seem to get explored: the pure of heart, flawed but loving, desperate parents who ‘had’ to give up their precious child to the Jedi and didn’t feel they had a choice (most commonly seen from the more Jedi critical parts of the fandom, but not always), and the horribly abusive no good parents at all who gladly dumped their baby onto the Order (which appears to be the way of some Jedi fans to ‘justify’ the adoption into the Order as legitimate, which really shouldn’t be the point because adoptions are just as legitimate without abuse factoring in).

What’s kinda sad is how little we’re willing to explore all the possibilities, maybe because we don’t want to be perceived as on the wrong side of the fandom by our own pals. We all deal with just so much bad faith discourse that we smooth out any sort of human drama and nuance to try and have clear cut narratives that are so black and white that they must prevent bad faith interpretations. Jedi have to be perfect pure angels that have never done anything wrong to be recognized as good, because we’re afraid that if we write them in an interesting way people will jump on the opportunity to accuse them of all sorts of stuff.

Well, I’m tired of vanilla fics and good guys vs bad guys when dealing with purely human everyday stuff. Bad guys are for the galactic battles, the epic clash of eternal forces. When dealing with how Jedi younglings come to the Order, we can have plenty of amazing, heart-wrenching drama and warm, happy moments where all sorts of good and regular people have different goals and meet and clash without anyone being at ‘fault’ or being to blame for it. I want to see (*sigh* to write) complex, difficult situations that can’t be perfectly resolved but where people do try and everyone feels like a *person*.

With that out of the way, what about:

- the unanimously proud communities, so honored that their daughter will represent their people and traditions among the Order, wear their clothing and bear their name

- the desperate mother with proud relatives, who doesn’t want to give away her child, but feels pressured into it by well-meaning relatives. The Master feels her reluctance and tries to reassure her, but she insists that it’s fine - and it is, she wants it to be, she wants to believe it’s for the best but it’s just so hard...

- Stass Allie’s parents, who saw their niece Adi GAllia go to the Order a few years prior. Their two families are influential on Coruscant, but with Adi already in the Order, do they need to send Stass too? Will people think they’re making a grab for power? Will Stass be better off over there, with her cousin? 

- Tiplar and Tiplee’s parents. How many children do they have, besides their twins? Is it easier to let your children go when you know they will be together? Did they make the Master promise they wouldn’t be separated no matter what? Did they dress them in matching outfits, or were the Jedi the ones to come up with that?

- the teenaged single mom who cries tears of relief when she realizes her baby will have a good life

- the single dad who can’t bring himself to let his daughter go, because she’s his whole world. The Master presses, not fully understanding, because she would would give up everything for the good of her Padawan, including her relationship with him if need be. The dad still says no.

- the struggling addict parent who is glad to dump that kid (but who still wakes up at night crying, cursing the Jedi, cursing themselves - who get their life back on track for their next kid, maybe? Who meets more Jedi and is thankful after all, or who never does and stays bitter, but better...)

- the family using the adoption for clout, and the consequences for the Order PR-wise, with the younger Jedi having to let go of the bitterness and the anger

- the communities with their own customs surrounding the Force that the young Knight or the wise Master’s inexperienced Padawan struggle to grasp and accept

- the happy parents who are mildly Force-sensitive themselves but didn’t know (or did know, and expected some of their children to be sensitive too), with the Master or the Knight pondering what their own life would look like as a civilian, maybe a parent themselves, maybe giving their own child to the Order like those are doing now. Would they do it? If they could met that hypothetical version of themselves, what would they say about the life they have? 

- the superstitious, incredulous or religious parents who are just glad to get a real explanation for the floating rocks, instead of all the theories and the judging and the gossip

- the ones who are desperately poor, and so very grateful, and the younger Jedi struggling with this, wondering if that’s why they were given to the Order as well. Struggling not to judge, because they wouldn’t be happy to give up their own younglings no matter what, right? Learning to be grateful, and understanding, and compassionate. 

- the parents who decide to give their child away against the community’s pressure, finding comfort in the Jedi’s genuine desire to support them

- the siblings struggling not to feel betrayed by their parents’ choice - and the jealous ones, the proud ones, the amazed ones, the ones who were just toddlers and spend their life holding onto faded memories

And on the flipside to all of that, what about:

- the Jedi who find a baby among dead bodies, like Mace and Depa, and are so thankful they could save this one tiny light

- the Knights filled to burst with warmth and pride as the three of them get this little toddler to giggle on the way home

- the baby who has been screaming in the Force for weeks, wanting to go home, and who finally gets to feel a presence caressing his mind gently, telling him someone is coming

- the Masters who hold the little ones at night, when those who miss their old home feel lonely or sad, rocking them and singing to them

- the Jedi who have their niece, nephew, cousin, or sibling arrive in the Creche, who call their birth family to reassure them that it’ll all be okay, and yes, ‘the child will know who I am, don’t worry, we keep our names. I’ll help them along the way, I’ll keep an eye on them.’

- the Knight who shows up somewhere and experience a supersonic boom because that’s the one, this little one will be his Padawan, he knows it

- the Knight awkwardly trying to comfort the parents, but she can see that they can see that the baby has already latched onto her, and she senses their turmoil

- the Master feeling that the child won’t be suited for the life of a Jedi, and saying that, even as it’s so hard to turn away from those sparkling baby eyes and that little mental tug 

- the Padawan balancing babbling triplets on his shoulders, because they’re from a species that makes a lot of babies

- the Master-Padawan pair visiting a child a lot during the transition period, and bonding with the other siblings as well

... Just... a mess of relationships and love on all parts, with understandings being reached, people finding peace and joy, and the opposite of all that, all acknowledging that there are no bad guys here, just complicated circumstances.

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine Wooyoung getting jealous of you and Yeosang getting closer because he likes you

You'd always been a trio. You, Yeosang and Wooyoung ever since your trainee days and were very close. You'd even stayed that way after you debuted but recently things started to change. Wooyoung had begun branching off on his own more, leaving you and Yeosang to hang out with other people. This was normal in the sense that Wooyoung was more social than the two of you and tended to have more friends than both of you...but it still hurt and was made worse by the fact you had a crush on Wooyoung.

In your defence he was pretty gorgeous and had an amazing sense of humour so how were you not supposed to like him? You'd admired him ever since you met him but weren't sure if he felt the same way and didn't want to risk your friendship just to find out. You loved being Wooyoung's friend and that was more than good enough but apparently not for Wooyoung. Wooyoung had a very different view on the matter. In his mind you and Yeosang were separating yourselves from a trio to a duo and he figured there was only one reason why this would occur...the two of you were together. He'd always worried it would happen, you both got on so well and really cherished one another and your relationship. Wooyoung worried he was too different to both of you and now it seemed like his worst fear was coming true. In response to his perceived abandonment Wooyoung became very defensive and started freezing you both out. You and he basically weren't talking anymore but anytime he did see you, he'd just say a quick hi and then rush off pretending to be really busy.

Things with Yeosang were a little more complicated seeing as they worked together. Wooyoung tried avoiding him and speaking to other members instead but it made things awkward and Hongjoong finally had enough. When Wooyoung purposefully didn’t hand Yeosang a piece of cake until last, he demanded they both stay in the room and talk it out.  

They sat in awkward silence and Yeosang started talking first “so...have we done anything to offend you?”. Wooyoung shook his head “no I just figured you wanted me gone”. Yeosang frowned “why on earth would you think that?”. Wooyoung rolled his eyes “ow come on you were so obvious! Going out of your way to avoid me and not inviting me to your meet-ups”. "We never excluded you Wooyoung you just stopped replying!" Yeosang explained "and so it became a habit not to ask you". "That seems pretty convenient, why can't you just admit you like her?". Yeosang was so genuinely confused at the idea of liking you romantically that he actually asked who wooyoung meant. "Y/n!" he cried "you've always had a thing for her". Yeosang raised an eyebrow "I think you're getting me confused with you". "What? I don't have a thing for y/n". Yeosang managed not to roll his eyes "but you do! Wooyoung you've always liked her! We first became friends with her because your jaw dropped when she walked in. You flirt with her any chance you get and the only time you’ve ever yelled at me is when you thought I was dating her". Wooyoung paused "i...but we’re just friends so it doesn’t matter or we were friends". Yeosang shook his head “y/n is just mad she doesn’t want to lose you. If you explain to her what you told me she’ll get it”. Wooyoung sighed “i’m not sure...y/n can be pretty fierce when she wants to be”. Yeosang didn’t deny it “true but do you really want to avoid her forever. I know you miss her and she misses you too”. “She does?” Wooyoung asked and Yeosang smiled “yes”. That bolstered Wooyoung so he nodded “okay, she’s going to that event on Friday right? I’ll speak to her then”. 

You arrived at the party to find Yeosang and Wooyoung together. Neither spotted you and you waited for Wooyoung to leave before going over. Yeosang greeted you, complimenting your outfit and you did the same for him. "So is his highness still angry at me?" you asked Yeosang "he’s so pathetic". Yeosang paused and you raised an eyebrow "don’t tell me he’s got to you. He always does this! He does something bad and you just forgive him". "He’s not got to me just I had it out with him and we’re better now". "You argued? You?" you asked and Yeosang smiled "yeah I even raised my voice a little". You smirked "I'll believe it when I see it". 

Then as if you were drawn to him you spotted Wooyoung across the hall watching you. He looked really good and you felt your anger lessen before pulling yourself together. He walked over to his members and was soon laughing and joking. You sighed and touched Yeosang’s arm "you wanna dance?". He shrugged "okay" and you took his hand.

Wooyoung now knew there was nothing going on between you but he still paused seeing you pull Yeosang along after you to the dancer floor. Then again as you stepped closer and began dancing together. You placed a hand around Yeosang’s shoulder and Wooyoung sighed. "I'm going to get a shot" he told Mingi and went to the bar but still even two drinks later he couldn’t get his mind off you. So he decided to follow Yeosang’s advice and speak to you. You were having a good time with Yeosang and had lost sight of wooyoung...until he appeared right in front of you. He smiled at you both and came closer "mind if I cut in?" he asked. "Yes I do mind" you replied but Yeosang stepped back immediately. "Yeosang!" you cried but he looked down "just listen to him y/n" and he quickly walked away making you wonder what Yeosang hadn't told you. You sighed "well just because he left doesn't mean I have to stay" and you went to walk away when Wooyoung grabbed your arm. He didn't use any pressure but you still glared until you noticed his eyes. They were very soft and he was staring at you almost pleadingly. "Please" he said and you paused, never hearing his voice so desperate. "5 minutes" you told him and came back to him. Neither of you were dancing and you were just stood staring at each other in the sea of people. "Whenever you're ready" you prompted and Wooyoung nodded. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting, isolating myself and avoiding you...it's just because I was jealous of you and Yeosang" he admitted but you didn't understand. "But that's so childish, to begrudge your friend from being friends with other people? We've never gotten mad when you hang out with other people". Wooyung shook his head "no I wasn't jealous because you were friends with Yeosang, I was jealous because I thought you were more than friends". You paused "you thought me and Yeosang...that's crazy!". He nodded "I get that now but I didn't know it at the time and it drove me crazy with jealousy and anger". "You were jealous?" you asked "why because we left you out?". He shook his head "because in this fantasy I wanted to be your Yeosang". You went to speak before it click and only managed an "ohhh". Wooyoung nodded "oh" and you realised how close the two of you were standing. "So how do you...feel about me?" you asked softly and Wooyoung smiled. "You're one of my oldest friends and I love and respect your friendship more than anything. I think you're an excellent performer and have one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. I'm mesmerised every time you dance because you're so graceful but also so hot that I swear everything you do leaves me a mess. I want you more than I've ever wanted anything and I can't picture myself with anyone but you" Wooyoung told you "and I wouldn't want to". He was now inches away from you and he stared at you with a beautiful look "now your turn". Your mouth went dry and you panicked. "I...you...i think i like you too". Wooyoung smiled "you do huh? Care to elaborate?" with that signature smirk that always made your heart flutter. "Well you've been my comfort through debuting and everything. Moving here, moving out of dorms, hate comments, basically everything and I really care about you but it goes beyond that. Nobody can make me as angry as you can and every time I saw you leave a club with someone it made me feel weird...i think I didn't like seeing you with other people because I wanted it to be me but I'm not sure". Wooyoung nodded "well how about we test that?". You nodded and he leaned in and kissed you.

Years of pent-up attraction and the jealousy you’d both been feeling came together in a huge crash of emotion. So of course the kiss was amazing but still Wooyoung didn’t let up and that spurred you on too. You could’ve got lost in it forever but Wooyoung separated with another smirk "well that's a resounding yes". You blushed but smacked him lightly "shut up". He smiled looping his arms around your neck "make me". You gripped his waist and kissed him again just as Hongjoong and Seonghwa appeared. "As happy as we are the two of you finally worked this out can you stop making out in the middle of the floor. People are staring to stare". "Let them" Wooyoung replied holding you tighter against him and you laughed. "Okay we'll find somewhere more private" you smiled and led Wooyoung away. He kept an arm around you and as you headed outside, you saw Yeosang. He smiled "so I take it, it went well?" looking at Wooyoung and your eyes widened. "You knew?" you asked and he smiled "sorry he swore me to secrecy and you know I can't break a promise". "Dammit I hate how angelic you are sometimes" you pouted. “Aww come on you love it really” Wooyoung said kissing your cheek and you melted “yeah I do”. Yeosang smiled “i’m really happy for you both...does this mean I’m going to be the one being left out now?”. “Of course not!” you cried while Wooyoung nodded “yes”. You and Yeosang both slapped him lightly and Yeosang grinned “fine i’ll just replace you with San” and skipped past you both to him. 

You smiled watching Yeosang  “he’s so cute”. “But i’m cuter” Wooyoung replied and you smirked “hmmm i’m not sure, I think i’ll need convincing”. “It would be my pleasure” Wooyoung replied with a gleam in his eye and all you could think was thank god for Yeosang, for getting the two of you to speak to one another. You’d be getting him a huge birthday present for sure. 

[hansolmates]

common law marriage | 07

banner made by the iconic @dnrequests​ / @dee-ehn​

summary; you and jungkook do the thing you’ve been talking about since haru’s first birthday pairing; dilf!jk x best friend!reader (f) genre/warnings; fluff, angst, longing, pining, mc is a homebody, unrequited love (or is it?), potential idiots 2 lovers, best friends 2 lovers, mentions of sex, alcohol use, heaving flirting, profanity, a singular daddy joke (or 2) w/c; 2.3k a/n; hello hello! welcome to part 2 of day by day, which is definitely a very different turn from the first, must less angsty hehe. this is a 2 year time skip, so the dynamics of all the relationships have changed a lot, so if the development feels too fast this is why! friendly reminder that if you’re in the taglist, please make sure u have your tags on. enjoy!  [day by day masterpost]

"You're doing everything without a label. This is literally a common law marriage." 

"Not true,” you hiss under your breath, pressing the phone smack against your cheek, “we don’t live together, and we’re not paying each other’s bills, and more importantly, we’re not in love.” 

“Right,” Yoongi whispers dramatically on the line, unconvinced. 

“I saw Jungkook drop off her lunch at work,” you hear Hoseok mutter on the other line, “that’s domestic as hell.” 

“Oh yeah, and did you see her Instagram story?” you roll your eyes, resting your head in your hands as you hear them speak as if they didn’t call you five minutes ago, “she literally took Haru to a ‘Mommy and Daughter Paint n’Sip’.” 

“There was a coupon!” you blurt, letting yourself out of the bathroom stall so you can wash your hands. 

“Uh huh,” Yoongi hums, and you can imagine him playing with his nails, staring blankly into the void, “and pray tell, what are you doing this week for Haru’s birthday?” 

Gritting your teeth, you bark, “I’m at Tokyo Disney.” 

“They’re totally playing house,” Hoseok cries, doubling over in laughter. “Who the fuck goes with their best friend and their family to Disney? Thirteen year old boys, and pretty single women  who are out for some Disney Daddy—” 

Promptly hanging up, you decide to splash your face to wake you up from the long ride. The cool, double-filtered water clears your eyes and washes the oil from your hectic morning. After drying with a spare washcloth in your backpack, you quickly take out your tinted lip balm, trying to add some life to your complexion. 

Your shoulders relax considerably as you get into the motions, spreading the soft pink balm over your lips. Smacking it a few times and nodding appreciatively at the strawberry scent, you take a deep breath and try to erase Yoongi and Hoseok’s call from your mind. 

It isn’t weird to go to Disney with the single father you’re in love with and his daughter, right? 

Three little knocks break you from your reverie, and you plaster a smile and open the bathroom door of your hotel room. 

“Auntie, are you okay?” 

Being called Auntie isn’t as cute as being called Mommy, but it’s for the best. As Haru got older, she recognized that you never slept over or kissed Jungkook like the way she saw other parents do whenever she went out. Jungkook told you it was a rough discussion, but it’s best to draw the line when she can comprehend, otherwise it would get too complicated. 

Your smile soon turns sappy and melty at the sight of Haru in her little outfit. She’s Minnie Mouse-themed today, due to her love of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Since it’s a chilly day, she’s wearing a light pink jacket with white polka dots, paired with a tulle skirt with pink tights underneath. The finishing touch is two matching Mickey and Minnie hair bows, tying off her nubby pigtails. 

“Sorry bub, were you waiting long? You got ready way faster than me, you’re so ready to meet Mickey and Minnie!” 

“And Elsa,” Haru adds pointedly. 

“And Elsa,” you smile, leading her over to sit on her bed. Easily grabbing her by the armpits you throw her on the pile of pillows on your unmade bed. She laughs, her bubbly laughter filling your hotel room as she burrows herself between the cream sheets. “Where’s daddy?” 

“Showering in gramma n’ grandpa’s room,” she supplies helpfully. Her speaking has gotten more concrete since turning three, which is mighty helpful when you need to know what she wants, “but daddy said you had fruit snacks in your backpack, so that’s why he let me in.” 

“Ah,” you nod, “you can go into the front pocket, bubby. Only one packet. You can watch television until daddy’s ready, okay? What do you wanna watch?” 

“Frozen!” 

“There’s this really cute movie called The Parent Trap—” 

“Frozen!” 

“You really don’t want to try something new—?” 

“Frozen 2?”  

Shaking your head, you queue up the movie on Disney+. Even Haru can’t escape the Frozen Fever. Jungkook and you have been trying to introduce her to new kinds of films, and while she’s enticed by many princesses and superheroes, nothing beats the Ice Queen. 

While Haru chews on her snacks and enjoys her movie, you make sure your backpack is filled with all the essentials. The baby wipes, hand sanitizer, water bottles, and pass cards are all in there. Most importantly, the autograph book you bought from the gift shop is there, paired with a fluffy purple pen. Haru can’t read yet, but you thought it would be nice to have the book started while she’s still young. Checking the time on your phone, you hope that you can hit the park early enough so the lines aren’t too long. 

“Good morning, what are my two favorite girls up to?” 

Jungkook steps into the hotel room, freshly showered and ready to go. Jungkook is subtly matching with his daughter in a simple grey sweater with a black Mickey fill-in and black jeans. He’s also come with libations, a pastel blue paper bag with sweet smelling pastries inside. He has two cups in his hand, liquid caffeine made just the way you like it. 

“Daddy, are we leaving?” Haru asks, lips red and sticky from the cherry flavored gummies. 

“In a second, baby. Auntie and I are just going to have our breakfast and then we’ll have fun,” Jungkook says, pulling up the coffee table to set up your little breakfast bar. Taking a plastic knife and setting up the paper bag like a plate, he splits a chocolate croissant between the two of you. 

“Where’s your parents?” you ask casually, popping a buttery piece of croissant in your mouth, “mhm, so flaky.” 

“Spa day,” Jungkook answers shortly, “besides, they wouldn’t want to keep up with us. Haru wants to get as many pictures as she can today with the characters.”  

Jungkook has been planning this trip for months. Your heart softens at the way he regards Haru’s wants and needs for this birthday vacation. After having a banger first birthday party (thanks to you, of course) the second birthday party was far more muted due to both Jungkook and Hana getting a terrible stomach flu. You and his parents stopped by with a small cake and a movie. 

That’s why Jungkook wants to go all out this year. He figured it would be more memorable to have a more intimate celebration, a big vacation with the closest of family members. 

“Isn’t it crazy?” Jungkook says quietly, and so soft that you almost thought he was speaking to himself, “two years ago we talked about going to Disney, and now we’re here. She’s growing up so fast. Life goes by so fast.” 

“So let’s enjoy it while we can,” you squeeze his shoulder, finishing up your food and getting ready to depart. 

Jungkook swipes Haru’s face with a fresh washcloth, and you get on her Minnie-bowed mary jane shoes. Haru can’t wait, jumping up and down on the elevator to pretend she’s floating in space. 

Before you can board the rail train, a hotel employee comes over with a fancy camera. “Family picture?” she asks sweetly. 

You hold up a hand and force a small, polite smile. “Ah, now’s not a good time—” 

“Would you also be able to take a picture with my phone?” Jungkook easily hands the photographer his black iPhone, and throws an arm around you. “C’mon, this will look great in the baby album.” 

Despite all your time with Jungkook, you still feel flushed whenever you’re put in a more than intimate situation. It’s more than physical, but a non-tangible block you always reach whenever people refer to you as a family. You can’t deny that it’s true, you’re an unconventional family. However, you can only imagine what it looks like in other people’s eyes, a picture-perfect young couple having the time of their lives with their beautiful daughter. 

“Pick me up, daddy! Pick me up!” 

Haru immediately climbs up Jungkook’s body, fitting herself between you two. You’re forced to hold up your hand to share half of her weight, as she doesn’t budge herself. Nudging her little cheeks, they press against each of yours like two warm marshmallows. 

“Do the thing Uncle Seokjin taught you,” Jungkook encourages lightly.

You smile when Haru’s hands make a mini heart, dead center between the three of you. Softening, you relax against the Jeon family.  

Jungkook took his turn to use the bathroom after a couple hours of fun, and you told him to meet you and Haru at the carousel. 

You’re more than okay with standing around while Haru pretends she’s riding a dolphin. You sneakily take some candid pictures and take large gulps of water while Haru blows raspberries, pretending she’s underwater. It’s so cute, seeing how the simple things keep Haru so enthralled. When Jungkook didn’t return for the first ride, you immediately got back in line for a second ride.

Circle after circle, you finally notice Jungkook emerging from the nearby bathroom. The urge to wave and call out to Jungkook is on the tip of your tongue, and you almost signal to Haru if not for what Jungkook was doing. 

Or not doing, you’re unsure. 

It took a total of thirty seconds (or three slow, carousel rotations) for Jungkook to go to the neighboring popcorn stand and buy a bucket. He gets the one you’ve been looking at on Instagram, the Tangled one that lights up like the lanterns in the film. 

He only gets to walk two seconds in the direction of the carousel when he’s stopped by the next person in line. It’s a pretty woman in a lavender and pink sundress, blonde hair done in a flowered braid, presumably Disneybounding to be Rapunzel. 

Rotation one, it seems that the woman wants to address that she and Jungkook got matching popcorn buckets. She’s blushing, fair skin pulling pink as she points to his bucket. 

Rotation two, Jungkook is showing something on his hand, holding it up to the air and into the sun. The woman tilts her head, unsure. What kind of conversation is this? 

Rotation three, the woman is squeezing Jungkook’s bicep, attempting to flirt him into a stupor. Classic. 

You smoothly unbuckle Haru from her seatbelt, pulling her down from the light blue dolphin and walking her towards the exit. Instead of going straight to Jungkook however, you and Haru walk up towards one of the available maps, planning your next ride. 

Jungkook and you have gone on dates with other people. According to Jungkook’s mom, it’s sparingly and apparently none of the dates have gone as far as to reach an introduction to Haru. You don’t understand why, 

As for you, you’re terribly hung up on Jungkook and Haru. You don’t know if anyone would understand the desire for you to stay by Haru’s side despite not being an official parent. The small, selfish part of you is also content with being single forever, as long as you have  Jungkook’s friendship by your side. 

While Haru occupies herself with the magical glitter touchscreen of the park map, you turn your head to find Jungkook stepping away from the girl and gesture wildly to you. 

“See?” you hear Jungkook cry exasperatedly, “I told you I have a wife and daughter!”  

A wife and daughter? You look down at Haru, blissfully unaware of her father’s conundrum. Jungkook practically engulfs you, putting his arm around you and pulling you flush against his waist. You look over his body to see the woman who tried so hard to seduce Jungkook, shoulders slumped in defeat. If only she knew. 

“Jungkook,” you deadpan, “you’re a grown-ass man and you’re running away from a pretty woman?”

“Only because she didn’t take the hint,” Jungkook scoffs, practically stuffing his hand into Haru’s open popcorn bucket. It’s much to Haru’s displeasure, and you stifle your giggle as she cries out in horror when he stuffs a handful in his mouth. “Ugh, ‘sides. She wasn’t that pretty, you’re prettier.”  

“I feel a little bad for her,” you pout slightly, trying to tamp down the mirth you feel dancing in your heart. 

“Oh c’mon, the only girls I’m prioritizing this week are you and Haru,” he shakes his head, “and my mom, if she ever decides to leave the spa.” 

“Mm, is that so?” boldly, you sneak a hand up where Jungkook’s arm falls over your shoulder. Your fingers tingle and burn as you lace yours with Jungkook’s, continuing his little ruse flawlessly. “Then go ahead and treat us to some ice cream too, daddy.” You smirk teasingly, pointing your nose up in the air. 

Jungkook narrows his eyes, and his mouth curls into a tricky little grin that has you sweating a bit. You’re tiptoeing, you know. Three years down the line and you’ve gotten a lot bolder with your flirtation attempts. After all, you have nothing to lose. It’s either he subtly ignores you, or? 

“Careful with what you say, honey,” Jungkook’s voice deepens, or maybe it’s the illusion that it’s deepened because of how close he is to your ear, “our daughter could be listening.” 

Your breath hitches when you feel Jungkook’s fingers curl tighter around yours, a rough grip yet soft touch. Biting your lip, you keep your eyes on Jungkook, unable to look away. Is the pretty woman still staring at you, or is he enjoying playing Husband and Wife with you? If Haru was more inquisitive, you’d imagine the both of you would be in for an earful. 

“Gimmie my popcorn!” Haru thankfully squeals, jumping in between you in favor of getting her lantern carrier that’s swinging around Jungkook’s side.

[jaehyunfirstlove]

You decide you’re ready to have a baby. The catch? You’re not seeing anyone at the moment. Enter your best friend, Jeong Jaehyun. Will he be the answer to your dilemma?

Pairing: best friend!Jaehyun x f.reader

Genre: best friends to fwb to lovers, fluff, angst, smut (18+ only)

Warnings: mentions of infertility, pregnancy and childbirth, sperm donors, IVF (in vitro fertilization), fertility drugs, mood swings, fingering, unprotected sex, cum play, nipple play, breeding kink, oral sex (f.receiving), dirty talk, pregnant sex, rough sex

Word count: 10.6k

Taglist: @jaehyunnie77​ @mrg-jjh​ @keeach​ (send me a message if you want to be tagged in future fics)

A/N: this was only meant to be a short fic but it morphed into this monstrosity. I tried to tag for everything but if I missed anything please let me know. Inspired by the fact that Jaehyun wanted to be a teen dad (but they are not teens in this story, just thought I’d make that clear :) Also please excuse my unimaginative name for the baby, I’m terrible at coming up with names lol

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional so please excuse any inconsistencies.

“So what have you got planned for today?” your best friend, Jaehyun, asked you as he took a sip of his coffee, shielding his eyes from the sun’s rays coming through the window of the cafe.

It was your weekly Saturday brunch, at which Jaehyun would show up, nine times out of ten, hungover, wearing dark sunglasses, a baseball cap, a black t-shirt and sweats. There was never a deviation from this outfit, even on the times when he came not hungover.

“Oh not much, just an appointment at the fertility clinic this afternoon.”

Jaehyun paused, as you took a sip of your latte. You couldn’t see the look in his eyes through the sunglasses but his fork had stopped midway to his mouth. It hovered in the air, scrambled eggs sliding off of it and plopping onto the plate below.

“The where?” he asked, tipping his head to look at you above the top of his sunglasses.

“Fertility clinic. Looking into getting a sperm donor.”

The matter-of-fact way you were saying everything seemed to shock him, his fork still not moving towards his mouth or back onto the plate.

“Excuse me, a sperm donor?”

You put your coffee cup down, and sighed. “I don’t know why you’re so shocked, I told you before I wanted to have a baby.”

“I thought you were joking!”

“Well I wasn’t!” you don’t know why you were being so indignant, maybe because all you’d heard from everyone around you, from your parents to your doctor to the lady that sold you pretzels from a street cart, was negative. You shouldn’t have a baby without a partner, was the main point of contention, but how was that going to happen if you weren’t seeing anyone, and hadn’t had a serious relationship in almost a year.

“But a sperm donor, Y/N?” he asked, after mulling over what you just said.

“Yeah? What’s wrong with it?” you countered. You were so sick of everyone around you criticizing your plan.

“I don’t know, what if he’s like, a serial killer or something?”

“They do psychiatric assessments on everyone who donates.”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an undiagnosed illness-”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Jaehyun!” you’d had it, letting out an exasperated huff, “Do you have a better idea? Do you want to be my sperm donor?”

You weren’t at all serious, you were just mainly upset and unfortunately, taking it out on him, but he actually sat back in his chair, eyebrows raised, as if he were contemplating it.

“Anyway, forget it. I don’t need your approval. I just hoped that you’d support me, of all people.” You couldn’t help but pout. He was your best friend and he’d stuck with you when no one else had. You may have said you didn’t need his approval but deep down you wanted him to be on your side.

He leaned forward, took his sunglasses off and looked you in the eye. “Of course I support you,” he said sincerely. “If this is what you want, then I’m with you one hundred percent of the way.”

You smiled, your heart feeling lighter, and just as you took a sip of your latte he said the one thing that would complicate your life forever.

“But I get to be that sperm donor.”

You spluttered, almost choking on your latte. “I wasn’t being at all serious, Jaehyun,” you chuckled nervously, but one look at his face and you could see he was being completely serious.

“I just don’t like the idea of some stranger being the father of your child,” he said quietly, looking down at his plate of food while he said it, “might as well be me, right?” He looked up at you hopefully.

You didn’t know what to say. This was your best friend, the one you’d grown up with, the one you’d catch tadpoles with, the one you’d drag to the playground with you, the one you told all your innermost secrets to. The one who knew you best. Didn’t it make sense then, that he would be the one to share this with you, in the end? You looked at his face; open, sincere, beautiful. You knew he was attractive, with the trail of broken hearts he’d leave in his wake, but you hadn’t really looked at him in that way before. Suddenly he was a new person to you, and now you didn’t know how to feel.

“Jaehyun, I-” you rubbed your hands together nervously, still unsure of what to say, “it’s a big thing, you know? This will change the rest of your life.”

He nodded, but there was no trace of hesitation in his actions. In fact, he looked as sure as anything. “Yeah that’s a given. But I’ve thought about it and I’m ready.”

“Jaehyun, you’ve literally thought about it for, like, the few minutes we’ve been sitting here.”

He smiled, “Actually I’ve thought about it for a long time.”

“About being a sperm donor?”

He laughed. “No, not specifically a sperm donor. But it’s a start,” he shrugged. “So what do I have to do?”

---

Jaehyun accompanied you to the appointment at the fertility clinic, where they outlined the plan and what was required of the two of you. It didn’t sound too bad, but you did find that having Jaehyun there to support you was really helpful. Every time the doctor explained something that made you nervous you would look over at him and he would smile confidently at you, sometimes squeezing your hand if you looked particularly concerned.

It was the fertility drugs they gave you, that threw your world into chaos. They had warned you of the side effects but you didn’t think it would be this bad. Your mood swung back and forth like a pendulum, one moment you were happy, the next you were crying into your cereal. You were irritable more than you had ever been in your life, and constantly snapped at every little thing. Not to mention that your breasts were sore and you had nausea, making you feel like you were pregnant already. You felt bad for Jaehyun when he was around for your mood swings and irritable moments, but he handled it much better than you thought he would. He’d give you your space when you needed it, but also sit by your side when you didn’t want to be alone. You found yourself thinking about how he would be as a father, but then you would remember that he was just the sperm donor.

One day, when he was sitting beside you on the couch, rubbing your back after you’d cried over your coffee order being wrong, you ended up asking him how much he wanted to be involved.

“We didn’t talk about the ‘after’,” you said, still sniffling. He stopped rubbing your back and looked at you.

“What do you want the ‘after’ to look like?” He asked, his tone level and gentle.

You had visions of Jaehyun rocking the baby to sleep, of Jaehyun seeing the baby walk for the first time, of Jaehyun teaching your child how to ride a bike, piano lessons, soccer games, first day of school. The perfect family. Except he wasn’t your husband, he wasn’t even your boyfriend. You didn’t know what to ask of him.

“I don’t know,” you whispered. He went back to rubbing your back.

“I’ll be as involved as you want me to be,” he said softly, “my only request is that I get to be a part of their life.”

That sounded fair, you thought. This was certainly going to be more complicated than getting a stranger as a sperm donor.

---

You went through several cycles of IVF, but none had been successful and you were losing hope. Not to mention the fertility drugs were really taking a toll on you, and the doctor had recommended taking a break. You were devastated, seeing it as the end of your dream, no matter how much the doctor reassured you that it wasn’t.

“There has to be another solution,” you pleaded at one appointment. Jaehyun hadn’t accompanied you and you felt yourself falling apart without his presence.

“Well, of course there’s the surefire way,” the doctor shrugged.

“What’s that? I’ll do anything!” you were hopeful once again at the doctor’s words.

“Regular sexual intercourse.”

Of course, you thought bitterly. You couldn’t help but think this was society punishing you for doing this without a husband. Undeterred, you resolved to discuss it with Jaehyun.

---

The look on Jaehyun’s face when you broached the subject was one you had never seen on him before. It was a mixture of shock, terror, resignation, and… something else, almost like acceptance, as if this were the natural course of things.

You resolved not to make it weird, it was just sex after all, and you would get a baby out of it, and that was the most important thing. However, your palms still got sweaty at the thought of it, your heart racing imagining him naked. You’d gone swimming with him plenty of times, went on beach outings often, and you realized you’d always avert your eyes from his bare chest. You figured you were just doing it to be polite, but you had no trouble looking at other men’s chests (you were only human, after all). You shook your head of your thoughts, while waiting patiently for him to agree or disagree to your request.

“I know it’s weird,” you began, when he still hadn’t said anything, “but I promise it won’t change anything in our relationship.” You needed him to agree, and at this point you would say anything to convince him. He looked at you thoughtfully, before he nodded.

“Okay, I’m in.”

---

You’d been keeping track of your cycle and had the days you were ovulating marked on your calendar, which you had shared with Jaehyun. It was agreed that he would come to your place after work, where you would have sex in the hopes of making a baby.

The first night you were nervous, pacing your room as you waited for him to come over. When the doorbell rang you literally jumped out of your skin. When you opened the door you were relieved to see that he was nervous too, although he tried his best to hide it. He joked around with you, trying to keep the mood light, and you had to admit you appreciated it. But when you got to the bedroom, you both went quiet. Jaehyun stood at one end of the room and you stood at the other, the bed looming between you.

“Do you want me to turn around while you get undressed?” he asked awkwardly, and you realized you hadn’t thought through the details.

“Um, yeah, sure,” you replied, and when he turned around you hastily undressed and jumped under the covers. “Done,” you advised, and he turned around. He didn’t make a move though, just looking at you pointedly, until you realized and turned your head away. Once he was done undressing you felt him lift the covers and get into the bed with you, and you couldn’t stop your heart from hammering in your chest.

“Y/N,” he said softly, because you still hadn’t turned back to him. “Can I touch you?”

You bit your lip, still not looking his way, and nodded. His touch made you jolt, even though his hand was warm, the electricity you felt made all your nerve endings feel like they were on fire.

“Is this okay?” he asked, his hand moving tentatively across your stomach. You nodded but you realized you were panting already, and he had barely touched you. “Tell me if I do anything you don’t like,” he suddenly whispered in your ear, and then he was kissing your neck.

You weren’t prepared for the intimacy, you had really only thought about the intercourse part. You hadn’t prepared yourself for the kissing, and the touching, and how he was so good at making you feel good. You felt like you weren’t supposed to enjoy it, that it was supposed to be “just sex” because you were friends and you weren’t doing this because you loved each other, you were only doing it to have a baby. But the more he touched you, the more he kissed you, the more you fell under his spell. You felt like you should tell him to stop, to just get on with it, but you knew he was doing it to get you nice and wet and therefore more comfortable to take him.

His kisses started to move along your jaw, towards your lips, and when he was finally there, his lips on yours, you felt a panic bubble up in your chest. It was too intimate, too much for someone who wasn’t yours. You pulled away, and he looked at you in surprise.

“No kissing on the lips,” you managed to say, maybe that would be enough to keep it less intimate, you told yourself. He nodded without saying a word, his hand coming up to your breast.

“Is it okay if I touch you here?” he asked, his eyes on yours. You thought for a moment and decided it was okay, and when you nodded he cupped your breast tentatively, all the while watching you for your reaction. When you didn’t pull away he squeezed gently, rubbing your nipple with his thumb.

You pressed your lips together, trying to suppress a moan, because everything he was doing was making you feel so good. He kept watching your reaction, and when he was satisfied that you were reacting favorably he got bolder, his hand slipping down between your legs.

You yelped when he touched you there, your legs involuntarily closing and trapping his hand. He froze, looking at you with wide eyes.

“Sorry,” you apologized, flushing with embarrassment, “reflex reaction.”

“It’s okay,” he said softly, as you slowly opened up your legs again. He moved his hand slowly, gently, just rubbing the inside of your thigh. “You can relax, Y/N, I promise I won’t hurt you.” His words were soft, his tone gentle, and it did wonders to calm and soothe you.

You nodded, giving him the go-ahead, and he reached tentatively with his finger, just lightly touching your folds. The electricity you felt when he first touched you came back with a vengeance, and you almost melted right into the bed. Your reaction encouraged him though, and he pressed his finger further in, rubbing your wetness around. When he was satisfied with the state of your arousal he got into position between your legs, placing the tip of his cock at your entrance. He paused, looking you in the eye, gently stroking your cheek.

“Ready?” he asked gently, “I’ll go slow.”

You nodded vigorously, to be honest the anticipation was killing you and you were very much aroused, wanting him to just get on with it. When he pushed into you though, you realized you should really be careful what you wished for. The feeling of him stretching you was almost too much, every inch he pushed in agonizingly slow amplifying your arousal to a dizzying degree. By the time he was seated all the way inside you you were panting, almost out of breath already.

“Okay?” he asked, through gritted teeth. You could tell he was holding back for dear life, but he purposely went achingly slow to make sure you were comfortable.

“Yes,” you said, having adjusted to his size, “you can move now.” Your pussy clenched involuntarily around him and he hissed.

“Don’t do that, Y/N,” he groaned, “I won’t last.”

“Sorry,” you said sheepishly, and as if to get you back he snapped his hips, making you cry out.

“Fuck!” you screamed, and that definitely encouraged him, and he set a pace, fucking you into the mattress. You felt your toes curl, a familiar knot building in your stomach. Once again, you thought, you felt like you shouldn’t be enjoying it as much as you were, it was more important for him to come inside you. “Come on, baby, come for me,” you whispered in his ear, hoping the dirty talk would encourage him.

“Almost there,” he grunted, and as much as you tried not to enjoy it, the way he was drilling into you felt too good. You bit your lip and grasped at the sheets, trying to keep your orgasm down, but he took it as a sign that you were about to come. He reached between you and thumbed your clit, and at that moment your orgasm exploded out of you without warning. He groaned as you clenched around him, finally spilling his seed inside you. You were dizzy, mind hazy from your orgasm, but you were content at the feeling of his cum inside you. He started to pull out, then stopped.

“Oh,” he said, and you looked up at him to see why he was saying that.

“What is it?” you asked.

“It’s leaking out of you,” he pointed down between your legs. You panicked.

“Well you’re not supposed to pull out right away!” you wrung your hands frantically, “push it back in!”

He looked at you incredulously, before looking down at his already softening cock, realizing it was useless at that point. So he just used his fingers, gathering up the cum that had leaked down and pushing it back into your pussy. You bit your lip again, because the more he pushed in, the more aroused you became, surprised that you weren’t oversensitive at this point. He must’ve noticed your reaction because he didn’t stop, pushing in further and further, in and out, faster and faster, until you were coming again, pussy pulsing around his fingers.

You took a deep breath to regulate your breathing, while he pulled his fingers out of you and sat back.

“Are you okay?” he asked, when you still lay there, unmoving.

“Yes,” you responded, staring up at the ceiling.

“Well, I guess I’ll get going,” he said awkwardly, when you didn’t say anything else.

You nodded, still staring up at the ceiling. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll be here.” He dressed without saying anything more and left the room.

---

He came over again the next night, and you repeated the same awkward scene from the night before. This continued for a few cycles, with no success, and again you were losing hope.

“Maybe there’s something wrong with me,” you said dejectedly one day. Jaehyun looked over at you, concern etched on his face.

“The doctor said you were fine,” he replied, attempting to soothe you.

“Maybe there’s something wrong with you then,” you huffed, but Jaehyun just shook his head.

“Y/N, they put us through a bunch of tests and said we’re both fine,” he put a hand on your knee to reassure you.

“Then why isn’t it working?” you lamented, on the verge of tears.

“Do you want my opinion?” he asked hesitantly. You looked up at him in surprise.

“Yeah, of course,” you replied, curious as to what he had to say.

“Well, I’ve been reading those links the doctor sent, and it said stress is a big factor,” he stated carefully, “I think you just need to relax, and let it happen.”

You were floored. On the one hand you were touched that he had actually read the links the doctor had sent (you had been too impatient to bother), on the other hand, what exactly did he mean by ‘letting it happen’?

“Let’s do things differently next time, what do you think?” he had a twinkle in his eye that was starting to alarm you.

“What do you have in mind?” you asked suspiciously.

“You’ll see.” He smiled, much too widely for your liking.

---

The next time came around and you were more nervous than you were the first night, and if this was his idea of making it more relaxed he was already failing miserably. When he showed up at your door though, you almost didn’t recognize him. 

Instead of a t-shirt and sweats, he was wearing a crisp white button-down and jeans that sat sexily on his hips. Instead of his hair flat and falling in his face he had it pulled back, with just a few strands falling over his forehead. He also smelled incredible, a musky scent that forever trapped you in his hold, and made you want him in every way he would let you.

He smiled at you, but not in the way a friend smiles at a friend, and when he leaned in to give you a kiss on the cheek you almost passed out from the warmth of his lips and the intoxicating scent emanating from his skin. He walked past you to the bedroom, leaving you standing there with your mouth open and your underwear dampening.

When you finally collected yourself, you went upstairs to hear the bath running. You walked into the bathroom to see him drawing a bath, candles surrounding the tub, flower petals in the water, and the most luscious smelling bath bomb marinating in it.

“Jaehyun, what-” 

“Shh,” he put a finger to your lips, and even that act was so sensual you had to squeeze your legs together, “let me take care of you.” He reached down and turned off the water. “Get undressed and get in the bath, and I’ll come back and help you get relaxed.” He left the room and you did what he said, calling him back in once you were in the bath and the cloudy bubbly water reached the tops of your breasts.

He had such a calm and serene look on his face that it almost threw you off, but then he was taking your puff and squeezing body wash on it.

“May I?” he asked, and when you nodded he gently took your arm and ran the puff along it. He did the same with the other arm, and that simple act, along with the warmth of the bath water, did wonders to soothe you. You felt like you were floating, with the calming scents of the bath bomb, and his gentle touch. He started to run the puff along your neck and you bent your head back and sighed. Soon enough he was dipping below the surface of the water, running the puff between your breasts, and you sighed even deeper as he got lower, past your stomach, and lower still. The puff was forgotten, and now it was just his hand, reaching down between your legs. It all felt so good, you spread your legs even wider, wanting more.

“How does it feel?” he whispered, so close to your ear you shuddered.

“So good,” you couldn’t help but moan, and then his hand was there, cupping your pussy.

“I want to make you feel good, Y/N,” he purred, his voice like honey, “will you let me make you feel good?”

“Yes,” the word came out on a long exhale, as he plunged a finger between your folds, and you couldn’t help but fall apart. He fingered you until you came, water splashing all around you as you writhed in pleasure. When you were done he picked you up out of the bath, not caring that his clothes were getting wet, and carried you to the bed. You couldn’t care that you were probably soaking the bed, because his lips were on your neck, hot and urgent, leaving marks that you’d have trouble concealing the next day.

You pulled at his shirt, wanting it off already, and he obliged, throwing the damp fabric to a corner of the room. You rubbed your hands all over his chest, feeling the firm muscle there, then down to his abs. He groaned against your neck when you undid his belt and slipped your hand over his hardened cock.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he hissed, when you wrapped your hand around it and pumped.

“Don’t come yet,” you whispered, taking your hand away, opting instead to pull the rest of his jeans and boxers off. You wrapped your legs around him, encouraging him to enter you, but he pulled back slightly.

“Slow down,” he breathed, and you could feel him smiling against your neck, “this isn’t a race, Y/N,” he continued kissing down the column of your neck, down to your chest, “relax, and let me make you feel good.”

You finally relented, relaxing as he’d ordered, letting yourself melt into the mattress as he sucked on your skin. Your body was on fire, both from the heat of the bath you just had as well as the way his lips were ruining you. When he got down to your lower stomach you realized where he was headed, and instead of fighting the pleasure you were feeling you simply gave in. As soon as his wet tongue collided with your wet folds you let go, moaning wantonly at the feeling. Every sound you made spurred him on, every jerk and jolt of your body gave him the impetus to push you to the height of pleasure, until you were yanking at his hair and convulsing around his tongue.

“That was fucking hot, Y/N,” he almost growled, wiping at his chin as he moved to hover above you, “I almost came.”

“Don’t,” you panted, trying to catch your breath, “you need to come inside me.”

“You want it? Want my cum inside you, fill you up,” his voice was deep, intense, a tone you’d never heard from him, and certainly words you’d never heard from him, but it certainly was doing the job and making you very aroused.

“Oh god,” you exclaimed, unaware that dirty talk was something you liked. Your previous boyfriends hadn’t been this filthy, but you found you loved it.

“I’m gonna fuck you hard, and you’re gonna take all of my cum,” he continued, voice raspy, breath hot in your ear, “I’m gonna knock you the fuck up, and watch your belly grow with my baby.”

“Jaehyun!” you cried out, losing yourself completely. You grabbed a hold of his neck and pulled him down, and for a split second you saw his eyes grow wide as you smashed your lips against his, your no-kissing rule forgotten. He kissed you with the same passion and intensity that he ate you out with, and you wondered why you had ever put that no-kissing rule into place if he could make you feel like that with his lips. You moaned when his tongue entered your mouth, just as he slid his cock inside you.

This time you didn’t hold back, allowing yourself to feel everything. The way his cock slid in and out of you, the way the tip kept hitting that spot so deep inside you. The way his tongue moved in your mouth, the way his hands rubbed up and down your body, sometimes squeezing your breasts and flicking your nipples. Your hands roamed over his back, feeling his muscles move, and when you felt your orgasm start to build you dragged your nails against his skin.

“Fuck, Y/N, I’m gonna come,” he broke from the kiss to drop his head down to your chest, his thrusts getting harder but more erratic.

“Oh god, do it,” you panted, your orgasm about to burst out of you, “fill me up, baby, I want your cum so bad.”

That was enough to send him over the edge, and he pulled you flush against him as he came inside you, the particularly forceful thrusts triggering your own orgasm and making you clench around him. He let out a loud groan as you milked him, fingernails digging into his back.

When you were both done you held him against you, not wanting to let him go. He obliged, just holding you, his face tucked against your neck. You could feel his hot breath against your skin and that, along with his arms around you and his weight on top of you was all oddly comforting.

“I’m gonna pull out,” he finally said, when he had gone soft inside you. You sighed but nodded, and once he had pulled out you clamped your legs together, trying to keep as much of his cum inside you as you could.

He dressed quietly and you watched him, heart stuttering in your chest, your mind reeling. You had promised him that the sex wouldn’t change anything in your relationship, but you couldn’t believe how wrong you were. You wanted to reach for him, wanted him to stay, but you held back.

“Thanks for that,” you said quietly, and he turned to you and smiled.

“You’re welcome,” he said sincerely, “I’ll do anything for you,” and he brought his hand up and cupped your cheek, his eyes soft as he looked at you, “you’re my best friend.”

You smiled at him, but inside your heart was breaking. How could you ever think you could do this and keep your friendship as it was?

---

A few weeks later you were late, and although you tried not to get your hopes up you couldn’t help but think this was it. You waited to take the pregnancy test, wanting Jaehyun to be there no matter the outcome.

“What is it? What’s wrong? You said it’s an emergency.” He looked so concerned when he came over, and you almost felt bad for not saying what it was about right away.

“I’m late, Jaehyun,” you announced nervously.

“Where do you have to be?”

“No, I mean my period! I haven’t gotten my period yet!”

He paused, the pieces finally falling into place, and his face suddenly lit up. “Oh shit!” He covered his mouth with his hand as he looked at you with wide eyes.

“Come with me, I’m gonna take a pregnancy test.” You led him upstairs where he waited outside the bathroom door while you took the test. You placed the stick on the counter and opened the door to let him in.

“Well? What does it say?” he asked, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

“It’s gonna take a few minutes,” you answered nervously, “I can’t look, tell me what it says.” You turned away, so anxious you thought you would pass out.

“One line, so far,” he stated, and you tried to stay calm but your heart was beating out of your chest.

“Hold my hand,” you reached behind you and he took your hand in his, squeezing to comfort you. He was silent for a while, and you couldn’t take it anymore. “Well? What does it say now?”

“I see…” he started to say, and you so desperately wanted to turn around but you were too scared.

“What?! Just say it!”

He pulled you to him, turning you around and lifting the stick up to your eye level. “Two lines.”

You blinked a few times, wanting to make sure you were seeing it right, but every time you opened your eyes there were two solid lines. You were pregnant.

“Oh my god,” you whispered, both of your hands going up to cover your mouth. Jaehyun whooped in celebration, jumping up and down with glee. You saw the genuine happiness in his face and so many emotions ran through you that the only thing you could do was burst into tears.

“Aw, Y/N, don’t cry!” he laughed, gathering you into his arms, thinking you were just crying from happiness. But it was so much more complicated than that. You were getting what you wanted, a baby, but you hadn’t prepared yourself for all the complications of having a baby with your best friend, who you may have developed feelings for.

---

The first trimester was hell. You were throwing up every morning, and feeling nausea for the rest of the day. You had an aversion to most food, even hating the smell of certain things, like meat. The only things you could keep down were bread and noodles, and you wondered how the baby could grow when that was all that you ate. But at every appointment the doctor reassured you that the baby was doing well and developing at a good rate. Jaehyun insisted on going with you to your first ultrasound and as much as you wanted him to, you also dreaded it.

When the fuzzy form of your baby showed up on the screen for the first time you felt a surge of happiness overcome you, tears springing to your eyes at the sight of the tiny figure on the screen. You heard Jaehyun inhale sharply and turned to look at him. The awe in his face was so endearing it made the tears run down your cheeks, and seeing your reaction he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in for a hug.

“That’s our baby,” he whispered, his voice almost breaking, and you cried harder.

“Congratulations!” the technician said, patting you both on the shoulder. You felt like you should correct her, tell her that although the baby was technically yours and Jaehyun’s, you weren’t together and wouldn’t be raising the baby as such. But how do you explain that to a complete stranger? You looked over at Jaehyun, who was smiling from ear to ear, shaking the technician’s hand and making no move to explain the situation.

Later, as you were getting ready to leave the clinic, you saw the technician hand over a copy of the ultrasound picture to Jaehyun. He took it happily in his hands, as if it were the most precious thing in the world. As he walked towards you he slipped it into the plastic window spot in his wallet, where your drivers’ license should be, but his now housed a blurry black and white photo of your baby.

“Hey, wanna get something to eat to celebrate?” he asked, slinging an arm around you as you both left the clinic.

You shook your head. As much as you wanted to spend time with him, you found it hurt more than it helped. Once the baby was born you’d have to deal with him being around more often, so it was better to save up your strength for that.

“I’m actually really tired, I just want to go home and rest,” you answered without looking up at him, “besides, I’m still off most foods.”

“Oh, okay, makes sense.” He said, removing his arm from around your shoulder and stuffing his hands in his pockets. He didn’t sound upset or offended, but when you looked at him out of the corner of your eye you saw a flash of emotion cross his face, almost like hurt or disappointment. You felt bad, knowing you had been avoiding him, even giving up your weekly brunches, but you felt it was better this way.

“Listen, I’ll let you know when the next ultrasound is, okay? You can come with me again.” You wanted just to wipe the look of disappointment off his face, and luckily it worked.

“Yeah, that would be great! Thanks so much, Y/N,” he leaned down and hugged you, and it was the closest he’d been to you since the last time you’d had sex to make the baby. You held him close, committing the feel of him and the scent of him to memory, before you pulled away and walked towards your car.

---

If the first trimester had been hell, the second trimester was heaven. Miraculously the nausea disappeared, and you found yourself actually craving food. You felt more energized and less tired, and slept so much better. Your belly was starting to grow, and you actually had to start shopping for maternity clothes. Your mood was so much better, but what really came back with a vengeance was your libido. During the first trimester you couldn’t even think about sex, but now, it was all you could think about.

Usually your vibrator would do the trick, but there were always moments where you’d think about Jaehyun, think about how good he could make you feel. Sometimes just thinking about him fucking you was enough to get you off, but when you really thought about him, about the feeling of his cock parting your folds, or the feeling of his strong hips pounding into you, his face sweaty and his scent overpowering the air between you, nothing was better than the real thing.

Which is how you found yourself one night, holding your phone and dialing his number without hesitation.

“Hey, what’s up,” he answered, his voice sounding distant. You realized you hadn’t spoken to or seen him in weeks, and instantly you felt terrible.

“Um, actually nothing. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t wake me,” you could hear him shuffling around, like he had been lying down and started to sit up, “is something wrong, Y/N?”

He always saw right through you, you could hear the concern is his voice, and there was no turning back now.

“Could you come over? I think I need some… company.” You didn’t know if you could just ask for sex over the phone, and was it really only sex that you wanted? Or did you just want him there, with you.

“Yeah, yeah, sure, I can come over,” you heard more shuffling, like he was getting dressed, “are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’ll be better when you’re here.” You answered truthfully.

When he showed up at your door you couldn’t stop yourself from pulling him towards you and hugging him tightly. He didn’t protest, just held you and rubbed your back gently.

“What’s wrong, Y/N?” he asked softly against your hair.

“I miss you,” you admitted, voice muffled against his chest because you were too ashamed to look at him.

“I’m around, you know,” he chuckled, “you’re the one who cancelled our brunches.”

You pulled back and forced yourself to make eye contact with him. “No, Jaehyun, I miss you.” You touched his chest when you said it, giving him a look laden with meaning. He understood right away, his eyebrows rising slightly. You took him by the hand and pulled him inside, leading him upstairs and to your bedroom. He let himself be led, but once you were behind closed doors he suddenly took you into his arms and kissed you. The kiss wasn’t subtle, or gentle, it was intense and forceful, his intent surely to rile you up. It definitely worked, because you could feel wetness pooling in your panties as he stuck his tongue down your throat.

“You want my cock again,” he growled, breaking from the kiss to suck a line down your throat. You gasped at his aggressiveness, but you had to admit it really turned you on.

“Yes,” you breathed out, as he stripped you of your clothes and pushed you towards the bed. You fumbled at his clothes, trying to get them off but you found your limbs were weak from the way he was handling you. He took over, stripping off the rest of his clothes, his cock springing forward when he pulled his boxers down. You admired it for only a second before he turned you around, pushing you onto your hands and knees on the bed.

“You like my cock, don’t you, you like me fucking into your little pussy,” he spoke so low, his chest flush against your back so you could feel the reverberation of his voice.

You didn’t have a chance to answer, because he rammed his cock into you, a scream tearing from your throat as he went as deep as he could.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he groaned, his hands gripping your hips as he started to pound into you. You weren’t sure how pregnant sex would feel, since so many things were changing in your body, but you weren’t prepared for what you got. It felt like your entire body was on fire, pleasure coursing through every part of you. He hit places inside you that you’d never felt before, and all of it was like nothing you’d ever experienced.

“Jae,” you panted, “Jae, oh my god!” your orgasm was coming on, super fast and beyond your control.

“You’re gonna come already, baby? Alright, come on, come all over my cock,” he reached down, and although it was a little awkward because of your belly, he managed to get to your clit and rub it with the pad of his thumb.

Your vision went white when your orgasm hit, your fingers and toes going numb as your pussy clenched around his cock. You could barely hold yourself up, your upper body falling to the bed as you convulsed around him. He kept going, fucking you through it, and when you stilled he pulled out and lay you on your back. He gave you a moment to catch your breath, before he entered you again. You cried out at the oversensitivity, but he went slowly, and soon enough you started to feel pleasure again.

“I can keep going,” he said, as he fucked into you at a slow but deliberate pace, “you want more, don’t you?”

You nodded vigorously, already feeling another orgasm building. He propped himself up then, and pounded into you, the bed shaking from his harsh thrusts. You gripped and pulled at the sheets, unable to contain the needy whines and moans coming up out of your mouth. You forced your eyes open to see him hovering over you, a look of intense concentration on his face, his brow sweaty, hair falling into his eyes. When he saw you looking at him his concentration faltered, and he bent his head down for a kiss. You were expecting a kiss to match the intensity with which he was fucking you, but instead it was soft, gentle, lingering. You felt something in it, something above and beyond what he was doing to you, something that carried you where you most wanted to be but didn’t dare go. The orgasm you had then was different, not just purely physical, not just filled with lust, but something more elevated, more emotional.

He broke the kiss to grunt loudly as he came, spilling more of his seed inside you. When he was done he pulled out, and sat at the edge of the bed.

“Y/N,” he said, and you don’t know why he sounded so defeated. You sat up, preparing yourself for what he was going to say.

“Jaehyun,” you reached for him but thought better of it, your hand dropping into your lap.

“I can’t keep doing this with you,” he said, his voice quiet but determined, “it’s fucking me up and I don’t know what to do with myself.”

Your heart sank. He was pulling out of your life, and it was all your fault for doing this to him. “I’m so sorry, Jaehyun.”

He got dressed hurriedly, without looking back at you, and before he opened the door to leave he turned back.

“You need to decide for yourself what you want me to be,” he still didn’t look at you, opting to look at the floor instead, “I’ll always be here for you, but I need to know where I stand.”

The door closing behind him echoed in the room, the absence of him already settling into your heart.

---

You went through the rest of the second trimester on your own, too ashamed and heartbroken to see Jaehyun, and too confused to sort out your feelings. He’d text you once in a while to ask you how you were doing, how you were feeling, but there was no talk beyond the pregnancy. He didn’t come to any more of your doctor’s appointments, nor did you ever invite him to any more in the first place. The third trimester hit even worse than the first, your belly was now so big it was almost uncomfortable to do anything, you now had constant heartburn, and you were going to the bathroom every ten minutes because of the weight on your bladder.

About a month before your due date, you were making dinner in the kitchen when you felt an uncomfortable tightening in your abdomen. You clutched your stomach, gripping the counter in alarm and wondering what you should do. The feeling came and went, but returned after a few minutes. Concerned, you called your doctor, who advised you to come in to the hospital just to get checked out. As you were getting ready you got a text from Jaehyun, asking how you were doing.

Jaehyun: hey just doing my check-in

JH: how is it going today

Me: well it’s probably nothing but

Me: just going to the hospital to get checked out

JH: wait what

JH: let me take you

Me: i should be ok

JH: Y/N pls let me take you

Me: ok

JH: thank you i’ll be right there

You sighed, wishing you had never told him and made him worry. Luckily you didn’t have to wait long since he lived nearby, and soon enough he was pulling up to your house. You didn’t bother to wait for him to come to the door, coming out as soon as you saw his car. You were locking the front door when the uncomfortable feeling came back, making you double over, clutching your stomach.

“Y/N!” you heard Jaehyun yell behind you, and soon enough his arms were cradling you as you crouched over. “What happened? What’s going on?”

His voice sounded frantic, terrified, and when you looked up in his eyes he looked so scared that it made your chest ache.

You smiled weakly, trying to placate him, “Don’t worry, it’s probably just false labor,” you patted him on the arm and soon enough the feeling went away. “My doctor just wants me to come in and get checked out, just in case.”

He nodded, but didn’t look reassured at all, creases of worry still lining his face. He also didn’t let you go, holding onto your arm as you walked to the car. At the hospital he didn’t leave your side, until the doctor came to do your examination.

“I’ll wait outside,” he said hesitantly, but you could tell he didn’t want to leave at all, eyes looking longingly back at you as he left the room.

After the doctor examined you and reassured you that it really was just false labor, you were cleared to leave and found Jaehyun in the hall, pacing. Once he saw you he ran up to you, searching your face with frantic eyes.

“Well? What happened?” he’d taken your hands in his, and his palms felt cold and clammy.

“It was nothing, just false labor, the doctor told me to go home and rest.” You reassured him, squeezing his hands and smiling softly at him. He let out a long breath, collapsing into a nearby chair.

“Oh my god, Y/N, I almost died!” he passed the back of his hand over his eyes dramatically, and you suppressed a giggle at his overdramatic show.

“Don’t laugh!” he sat up and looked at you incredulously, “I lost ten years of my life just now!”

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” you pressed your lips together trying not to smile. He broke into a wide grin then, pleased with himself that he had managed to lighten your mood with his sense of humor.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

---

The drive from the hospital had been quiet, both of you realizing that there was still this huge wall between you, and neither of you were brave enough to breach it. He walked you to your door in continued silence, and once you reached your doorstep he turned around to walk back to his car.

“Jaehyun,” you called, unable to stand it anymore, “do you wanna come in and talk?”

He turned around, a mixture of hope, fear, and resignation on his face, and nodded.

The time apart had made you realize how much you missed him, and seeing him again had made you realize how much you still wanted him to be a part of your life. You were hoping to salvage something of your relationship, but you were fully aware that you could never go back to what it had been.

You sat him down on the sofa and took a deep breath.

“Jaehyun,” you began, getting more and more nervous as you went on, “I know I made things weird, even though I promised I wouldn’t,” he opened his mouth to say something but you stopped him, determined to get out what you wanted to say. “I was so focused on having a baby that I didn’t think about what involving you would mean, and what it would do to our friendship. I think I was just naive, I didn’t think anything would change, and I was so wrong.”

He sat across from you, and even though he was just inches away it felt like he was miles away, like an unfathomable chasm had opened up between you. Then he looked up at you, hesitant, but determined.

“Y/N, we can’t go back and change things anymore. What’s happened has happened.” He tilted his head to regard you, taking a deep breath before moving on, “so I just need to know one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Do you want me to be a part of your life?”

“Yes. Always.” You answered truthfully, without a doubt in your mind. He smiled, but there was still something behind his eyes.

“Hey, do you remember that pact we made in eighth grade?” He suddenly asked, his eyes twinkling.

“The marriage one?” you scanned your eighth grade memories and that was the only pact you could think of.

“Yeah, the one where we said if neither of us are married by the time we’re thirty, we’ll marry each other?”

“Yes, I remember.” It was during PE class, when you and Jaehyun were sitting in the field while everyone else was running around chasing soccer balls. You don’t remember how the subject came up, but soon enough you were doing pinky swears and Jaehyun was fashioning rings out of blades of grass for you and him to wear. You both had a good laugh over it, and never thought about it again until this moment.

“So what if we didn’t wait?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if we didn’t wait until we’re thirty, what if we just did it now? I mean, we’re having a baby together already.”

“Jaehyun, are you proposing right now?” you said it as a joke, even chuckling to yourself, you weren’t taking the whole thing seriously at all, except Jaehyun wasn’t laughing.

“I mean, I don’t have a ring, but…” he looked around the room, and seeing your spider plant on a nearby table he picked a leaf off and rolled it around itself, making a ring out of it, and slipped it on your finger. You were speechless.

“Jaehyun, you’re serious.” You managed to say after the thoughts stopped running through your brain. You hadn’t really thought about marriage, none of the guys you’d dated had ever made you think about it. You knew you wanted kids, but marriage was something you figured you couldn’t achieve, never having found the right guy. Yet here he was all along, Jeong Jaehyun,  your best friend, someone who knew you inside and out. A dawning realization hit you then, that maybe none of your relationships ever worked out because you kept comparing them to Jaehyun, and no one ever held up. You were in love with your best friend, and you didn’t even know it.

“Well?” he asked, with raised eyebrows and hopeful eyes. You stared at the leaf ring on your finger, turning it around and around, your heart and mind finally finding peace in your realization. You looked up at him, cupping his face, and he looked like he was bracing himself for a possibly negative response.

“Yes.” You answered, smiling brightly at him, and it took him a moment to realize you weren’t turning him down. His face broke out into a wide grin, his dimples as deep as ever, his eyes shiny. He pulled you in for a hug, but your belly made it somewhat awkward.

“Oh my god, Y/N, you’re huge!” he looked down at your belly in awe.

“Jaehyun what the fuck!” you smacked him on the arm, slightly offended.

“No, I meant I was too busy being worried about you that I never noticed how big your belly had gotten.” He reached out his hand tentatively. “Can I touch?”

“Of course,” you said, happy that you could share this with him. You took his hand and placed it on your belly.

“Can you feel the baby move?” He asked, eyes growing wide when his hand landed on your stomach.

“Sometimes, mostly when I’m lying still though.” You let him rub his hand over your stomach, endeared at how awestruck he was, his mouth forming a little ‘o’ as he moved his hand around. He suddenly leaned forward, his face getting very close to your belly.

“Hey little one,” he called softly, and your heart clenched at the sight of him talking to the baby in your belly, “I’m your dad.”

Suddenly you felt a jolt in your ribs, as the baby stretched and kicked inside you.

“Oh my god, Y/N! Did you feel that?” Jaehyun clapped excitedly.

“Damn right I felt it,” you groaned, patting your stomach, “keep it down in there, kicking mama in the ribs really hurts!”

Jaehyun burst out laughing, gathering you in his arms and hugging you tightly. “That was adorable!” he exclaimed, and your heart felt warm as you wrapped your arms around him.

---

You decided to just do a small backyard ceremony for your wedding, neither of you fond of big parties that meant even bigger expenses. Jaehyun moved into your house since he had been rooming with a friend, and once all of his things had been moved in and installed, you were left alone with each other once again.

You don’t know why, but your first night as a married couple felt like the first night you’d had sex, awkward as hell. Once again you stood on either side of the bed, unsure as to what to do.

“Bed?” he finally asked after you’d both stood there for too long.

“Bed,” you answered, and you both got in at the same time. You couldn’t help but laugh at your awkwardness, and that certainly broke the tension. You turned to your side, the only way you could get comfortable with how big your belly was, and he slotted his body behind you, wrapping an arm around you and resting his hand on your belly. You sighed contentedly, loving the feeling of being in his arms.

“This is nice,” he whispered, but his breath against your ear made you shiver, and suddenly contentment wasn’t the only thing you were feeling. Not to mention his hand that was on your belly had moved to your hip, fingers tracing wide circles over the fabric of your sleep shorts.

“Jaehyun,” you didn’t mean to, but his name came out in a moan, and his hand stopped its circuit, the faintest bit of pressure being applied to your hip.

“Y/N?” he questioned, but you were taking his hand and moving it up to your breasts. Once he cupped them you moaned again. “Holy shit, Y/N, your boobs are huge!”

“Jaehyun!” you reprimanded him, but he apologized quickly.

“Sorry, sorry, I just-” he cupped and squeezed, feeling the weight of them, “wow,” was all he could say.

“Well they won’t be this big for too long, so you better take advantage of them now,” you encouraged, and he did, tweaking your nipples until you were moaning into your pillow.

“Tell me if I do anything that hurts, or makes you feel uncomfortable, okay?” he whispered into your ear, before he started to plant wet kisses along your neck and shoulder. Your mind went hazy at the feeling of his lips on your skin, and soon he slipped a hand down, past the waistband of your shorts.

You inhaled sharply when his fingers found you wet, when he gathered some of your arousal to rub it around your clit. You moaned loudly when he made circles around your bud, pressing your face further into your pillow.

“Don’t do that, baby, I wanna hear you,” he pulled the covers off and pushed your pillow away, helping you take off your shirt and the rest of your clothes so you were fully exposed to him. He looked at you, lust and hunger clouding his eyes. “Fuck, you look so gorgeous knocked up with my baby.”

Your pussy clenched at his words and you pulled at his own clothes to get him to take them off. “Come here and fuck me, husband.”

Your words ignited something in him, and he bent down, throwing one of your legs over his shoulder and pushing into you. You cried out, not caring anymore how loud you were being, the feeling of his cock inside you throwing you into the heights of pleasure. Once you started though, you couldn’t stop, moans and whimpers and whines tumbling out of your lips as he pumped his cock inside you.

“You like it, don’t you?” he growled, “you like my cock so much you let me knock you up.”

You moaned even louder at his words, your orgasm starting to build in the pit of your stomach. “Yes, god, yes!”

“You want my cum, baby? Look at where it got you, huh? You let me come inside you and now you’re knocked up.” His voice was raspy, deep, and it cut right to your core.

“Fuck, Jaehyun! I’m gonna come!” you warned him, grasping at the sheets as your orgasm hit you, your pussy pulsing around his cock. It didn’t take much longer for him to come, one last thrust that took your breath away, and he spilled his seed into you.

“Are you okay?” he asked, brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen into your face, “did it hurt at all?”

“No, not at all, it felt good,” you smiled at him, wanting to alleviate his concern. He looked relieved, before he bent down and kissed the swell of your stomach.

“Sorry, baby,” he said sheepishly, addressing the baby, and you could only laugh, rubbing a hand through his hair as he smiled up at you.

---

The next day Jaehyun had left for work, and you were almost out the door yourself when you felt something gush between your legs. You figured you knew what it was and, resolved to stay calm, you quickly called Jaehyun.

“Babe, what is it?” he answered on the first ring.

“I think my water broke.” 

“Okay, stay calm, I’m on my way back.”

It didn’t take long for him to come back since he’d just left, and you drove to the hospital all the while holding tightly to his hand. The contractions started then, not too bad at first but as time went on the pain was hard to bear. By the time you reached the hospital you were grimacing in pain and Jaehyun was yelling for someone to come and help you.

You labored for hours, Jaehyun never leaving your side, giving you strength even when you felt like you had no more to give. You wondered how you could have ever done this without him, without his unwavering support, his cheerful but calm demeanor raising you up when you felt like giving in. Soon enough you had a healthy baby in your hands, a boy that an ecstatic Jaehyun had already dubbed his ‘mini me’.

---

If you had known what the first few weeks with a newborn would have been like you would have seriously rethought having a baby in the first place. You were exhausted more than you had ever been in your life, catching sleep for only those precious moments when the baby would sleep. Your breasts were sore from breastfeeding, and if you never saw another poopy diaper in your life it would be too soon. What made it all worth it, was the look of pure innocence in your baby’s eyes, and the way your husband would stare at him like he was the most precious person in the world.

One night you were woken again by the baby’s cries, and trudging to his room you were surprised to see Jaehyun already there.

“Sorry to wake you,” he whispered, “I was changing him and he lost his binky.” You stood in the doorway and watched as your husband expertly handled your son, swaddling him in his blankets and making sure the pacifier was situated in his mouth. “Go back to bed, I got this.”

Jaehyun had done many things during your time together that you considered sexy, but this was probably the sexiest thing he had ever done. You walked back to your bedroom, mentally reminding yourself to reward him when you were more awake.

You lay in bed though, unable to fall back asleep. Your mind was racing, anxieties resurfacing at that dark and quiet time of night. Jaehyun eventually came back, sliding into the bed and spooning you, his arm coming to wrap around your waist.

“Jae?” you whispered, hoping he hadn’t fallen back asleep right away.

“Hm? I thought you were asleep.” He sounded tired, tightening his arm around you.

“Is this the life you wanted?” you asked him, rubbing his arm that was wrapped around you.

“Absolutely.” He answered, without hesitation.

“No, I’m serious.”

“So am I. Why wouldn’t you think I was being serious?” he suddenly propped himself up on his elbow so he could see your face.

“Because you had a life before this, and now it’s just-” you waved your hand in the air, “me and the baby.”

“Just you and the baby? Y/N, you and Yuno are the most important things in my life right now.” He pressed a soft kiss to your cheek. “Yeah I had Friday night drinks and Sunday basketball games, and that was fun and all, but you two are my family now.”

“Don’t you miss it?”

“If I did I’d just go and do it? So no, I don’t miss it right now. Maybe eventually? But that doesn’t mean I’d love you and Yuno less.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d told you he loved you, but you knew you’d never get tired of hearing it. You’d been surprised when he’d told you he’d been in love with you for a while, not daring to say anything about it for fear of ruining your friendship. When you’d told him that you wanted to have a baby he knew that there was no one else in the world that he wanted to bear his children except you, and he was relieved when you accepted his offer of being a sperm donor. He had been prepared to be just that, but the sex threw everything into chaos, including his feelings for you and his resolve to keep your relationship as just friends. He felt himself falling even deeper for you, but his heart couldn’t handle the push and pull he was feeling from you. He never wanted to pull out of your life, and he spent more time staring at his phone waiting for you to call or text than he dared to admit. Bringing up the marriage pact had been a gamble, and he was terrified that you’d say no, but when you said yes, he could barely contain his happiness.

“Listen,” he said, taking your hand in his, “this life is more than I could have ever asked for.”

“Really?” you asked, turning to look at him, “With me?”

“Baby, it’s always been you.”