A/n: Wow, a once in awhile post? Maybe I’ll continue, it depends if I get inspired to write again!! Anyway enjoy!!!
Summary: Be careful who you love and be careful of others feelings, because in this world each heartbreak chips away at your emotions until you feel empty. (In other words, another AU similar to Hanahaki but not)
Prologue
The (h/c) haired man looked blankly outside the window, feeling numb and empty. There was no joy or sadness watching the birds fly in the beautiful sky as sunset, that he used to love so much, turned to night. There was nothing, and he wished he could hate it. But he couldn’t, right now he was just an emotionless doll waiting for a doctor to fix him and the man only wished he listened to his mom when she said to be careful. He laid down and closed his eyes to remember what brought him to the cold white room of a hospital.
The world was both lovely and cruel as humanity evolved where feelings and empathy mattered more than anything. People were more considerate on who they truly loved as they learned that each heartbreak will take away emotions from the person who has been hurt. Luckily, it wasn’t something small like unrequited crushes or small fights with a friend/lover or something unavoidable like death taking away a loved one. No, when someone you love and hold dear betrays you or crushes your heart and trust is when your heart is chipped, the more important they are in your life, the bigger the chip. Of course, the world has found a way around a feeling empty forever. If it’s a couple of chips then simple therapy and medicine will help heal you with time but for more severe cases and those who are completely empty, there is a procedure performed where doctors will piece and fix the broken heart but at the cost of the memories of those who broke it. May it be parents, lovers, best friends, anyone who hurt the person will be forgotten.
(Y/n) learned to be careful from his mother as his father left them when he turned 5 and saw his mom become less caring, not completely but her love became less apparent. While his father was never there enough for (Y/n)’s heart to chip, his mother suffered greatly, she got better after a few years but she had told him to make sure that the person he chose to love was true and to never hurt them like his father did to her.
He knew to be careful who he gave his heart to but then in college he met someone who made his heart beat fast, Kim Seokjin, an acting major who was slightly older than the other. They hit it off when they were paired up for a scene in an acting class, and were often teasing each other and trying to get the other to break character in class. On one of their practice days, Seokjin took the other back to his dorm to practice where he met his 6 bandmates. The 6 were enamoured by the scene they performed and cheered for their hyungs. After that, the (h/c) male often visited the dorms to hang out and cheer on his new friends as they trained and debuted.
(Y/n) found that hangouts were either loud and exciting as a whole or small group or a quiet one on one with a member. Of course, the male was never with one member for too long as another would join soon after, pouting (mostly the maknae line) and wanting attention. This escalated to a day where they all fought for (Y/n)’s attention and while the other found it flattering, it got tiring dealing with the same squabbling and confronted them about it. It led to the band looking away and turning red from embarrassment as they sputtered excuses. (Y/n) expressed his concerns of him not wanting to ruin their band if they’re going to fight because of him and he’s willing to leave them alone if he’s causing them too much trouble. They quickly went to him and tackled him to the ground in a group hug, yelling not to leave and saying it’s because they all were trying to court him and see who he would choose.
It was (Y/n)’s turn to flush red and let out a small “oh”. He then started to laugh, much to the others confusion and hurt. (Y/n) apologized and quickly explained that he didn’t realize that they were actually flirting with them and felt stupid(to which all of them denied and said he’s amazing). He admitted to having crushes on all of them but didn’t want to choose and hoped they would rather be friends rather than someone getting hurt if he chose only one. They all cooed at his sweetness and shared a look and nodded.
They said they’re willing to share if the other will have all of them and (Y/n)’s eyes widened as he asked if they were sure. The boys answered him with kisses making him laugh and kiss them back with the same enthusiasm. They were the happiest men in the world. This was it, this was love, it was all theirs to cherish and to hold.
Sequel to I know, You probably should read this to understand what’s going on.
Pairing: Past!Jung Hoseok x Male Reader
Genre: Angst, Hurt/comfort
TW: small unhealthy coping habits
A/N: Each side has slight differences in time period. Requested by @stan-joonies, hope you enjoy! Thank you for requesting!
(Side: Hoseok)
Hoseok laid on his bed in his new apartment, staring blankly at the ceiling. It’s been a couple months since his and (Y/n)’s break up and in those couple of months so much had happened. (Y/n) had the managers change schedules so they wouldn’t see each other and even asked them to prevent any meetings and collaborations with him, he had to move into a shared apartment with Jimin and Taehyung, Mina and (Y/n) “broke up” but they still hang out and while Hyuna wanted to stay together with Hoseok, he couldn’t find the love he once felt for her or the strength to stay with her and ended their relationship after a month of trying.
Just thinking about it made him tear up again and he ended up scrubbing his eyes to try to stop them but it was useless as he ended up sobbing. He only stopped when he heard knocking on his bedroom door.
“Hobi-hyung?” A voice called out before the person opened the door and walked in.
Hoseok looked to see that it was Jimin and Taehyung. They sighed and laid by his sides, trying to comfort him with cuddling.
“Hyungie don’t you want to eat? Jin-hyung came over and he’s preparing some lunch.” Taehyung asked.
Hoseok shook his head and continued to stare at the ceiling.
“Please? You haven’t eaten a proper meal in weeks. And Jinnie-hyung wants to see you!” Jimin tried but was only met with another shake of Hoseok’s head.
Taehyung sighed, “Fine, we tried to do this the easy way. Jungkook! He refused!” He yelled.
Hoseok looked at him in confusion before Taehyung and Jimin leaped up and wrapped him in his blanket as Jungkook came in and lifted him up.
“Hey! What are you- No stop! I don’t want to do anything!” Hoseok tried to get out but the blanket acted as restraints to prevent him from struggling.
Jungkook carried him to the living room where he saw the rest of the members waiting and sat him down on the couch beside Yoongi and Namjoon. Jin came in and put a plate of food in front of him before sitting on a chair with Jungkook. Hoseok freed himself and crossed his arms, pissed at his members for going against his wishes.
“I’m not hung-“ he said but was interrupted by Jin.
“Eat.” Jin said looking at him expectantly.
He shook his head so Jin got up and took a spoon full and lifted it to his mouth with a ‘smile’, “I said. Eat.”
Hoseok shivered at the look he was getting so he opened his mouth to have Jin shove the spoon in. He choked at the forcefulness but swallowed the food.
Jin rolled his eyes and offered the spoon, “Now do you want to feed yourself or do you need me to keep feeding you?” He asked.
Hoseok took the spoon with haste and started eating to please his hyung, Jin smiled and sat back down. It was uncomfortable as his members watched him eat and when he finished, he muttered a thank you and got up but was stopped as Yoongi and Namjoon took his hands and pulled him back down.
“We need to talk.” Namjoon said.
Hoseok shook his head, “There’s nothing-“
“Bullshit. Ever since you and (Y/n) broke up, you’ve been sulking. While it’s okay to do so, you’re not getting better and you need to stop wallowing in guilt and self-pity and try to move on because it’s affecting the whole group.” Yoongi said bluntly.
“Hyung!””Yoongi!” The others hissed at him.
Yoongi just shrugged, stood up and set a hand on Hoseok’s shoulder, “No, he needs to wake up. Us babying him and sugar coating everything isn’t going to help him. Hoseok, You need to move on and learn to forgive yourself.” He sighed.
Hoseok took a sharp intake of breath as tears welled up in his eyes. He knew Yoongi was right but it hurt to try to move on and he didn’t know how.
He let out a small sob, “How can I? How can I forgive myself when even (Y/n)-hyung, the most forgiving person I know, can’t forgive me?” He cried.
Jimin and Taehyung moved and hugged him as he cried.
“(Y/n)-hyung may not forgive you. But do you think that you wallowing in self pity and guilt is going to change anything? What’s done is done, hyung. You need to learn to let go of your past with him, learn from your mistakes, not stay stuck in what you could’ve done. Right now, he’s hurting as much as you are but he needs to heal from his hurt before he can ever forgive you and you need time to figure out what you need not what you want.” Namjoon spoke softly.
It was quiet for a moment saved for Hoseok’s sniffles.
“I don’t even know where to begin with.” Hoseok said quietly.
The small response was enough to make the others smile, “We’ll help you. Remember you never walk alone.” Seokjin said with a giggle and earned collective groans and giggles.
Hoseok smiled softly. Who knows? Maybe one day it’ll be better and (Y/n) will find it in his heart to forgive him. But for now, he’ll make sure to become a better person, someone worth forgiving.
(Side: (Y/n))
(Y/n) smiled in his cup of tea as he listened to Mina rattle off about her new choreography that was a little too hard. They had “broken up” a half a year ago but said that they’ll maintain their friendship which they did well. He chuckled as she groaned and laid her head down on his dinner table and sighed.
“Anyway, that’s how my part of life is going. Other than that the girls understand why I’m uncomfortable with Hyuna and don’t force me to interact with her more than I need to, thank god, but she still apologises from time to time. I don’t think I can forgive her though.” Mina said, getting quieter towards the end and putting her head down on the table.
(Y/n) put his cup down and reached over to pat her head, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. As long as you could work with her, you don’t have to forgive her just yet. You need time, we need time.” He spoke softly.
Mina looked up and smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes, “How are you doing? Is everything fine with BigHit? The boys? You haven’t spoken about them in so long.” She asked.
She saw how his eyes hardened and looked away, “The company understands my problem with working with Hoseok and does well with keeping us separate. The boys on the other hand, I don’t really talk to them at all. The first couple months, they comforted me and such but at some point they would always want to talk about Hoseok and how he is when I don’t ask and some point I asked them to stop and that I don’t want to talk about him. After that, I just haven’t wanted to hang out with them because they would always look at me with something of pity and I know that they wanted me to just talk to Hoseok. I get that they want to help Hoseok and he’s their friend but it hurts that they forget that I’m their friend too and that they expect me to forgive him just so everything can go back to the way it was.” He ranted quietly but no anger can be heard only sadness.
Mina frowned at his rant. It wasn’t hard to notice how the other changed and it concerned her to a degree. He wasn’t as outgoing or as nice to people as he used to be. (Y/n) had become less trusting and closed himself off from everyone else, bitter at the world. She remembered clearly when one of their other friends asked why he said that he trusted people too much and it hurt when it backfired on him. His fans noticed how his music turned into a darker theme than the lighter tones he used to produce, how his Vlives became quieter and less.
“(Y/n)…” She sat up and looked at him, “Listen I’m not trying to be mean but you can’t keep letting Hoseok’s mistake affect you. You need to let go of your anger at yourself and him, not necessarily forgive him but look how you’re letting it affect you! You pushed away your best friends instead of talking to them. You used to be able to talk to people you had problems with and fix them, not run away from them as soon as you were scared of being hurt.” She looked at him with concern.
(Y/n) sighed, “It’s not easy. I can’t- I can’t forget how no matter how I tried to talk about my concerns with Hoseok and how he still-“ he paused, and tried to clear the limp in his throat that formed, “How it didn’t matter. How in the end talking and trusting got me nowhere but hurt.” He whispered.
Mina went to where he sat and rubbed his back, she knew he still hurt from everything and it’s about time he confronted it. But she also knew that he needed time away from things that reminded him of Hoseok and asked their companies in advance for a vacation.
“Not everyone will do that to you (Y/n). You need to learn to trust others again. I know it’s not easy but it’ll get better, you’re right that it’ll take time so,” she paused to get something from her bag which got him to look at her as she pulled a plane ticket out, “Go take some time to yourself to find some peace. God knows I am.” She smiled.
He took a look at it confused, “But I still need-“
“BigHit gave you the green light saying it’ll do you some good to take a month off since you don’t take any breaks. At all. So travel for a while. That ticket to Hawaii is for tomorrow.” Mina smiled and got up to leave.
(Y/n) got up still stunned, “Wait. I-um. Thank you for-“ Mina interrupted with a giggle.
“No problem, think of it as a way of me paying you back for being my friend. Now go pack.” She shooed him before leaving.
“Oh and (Y/n)?” She called out before closing the door, “Talk to the other boys when you get back at least. Talk about what hurt you when you were with them, make them understand okay? You’ll at least do that for me?” She asked.
(Y/n) paused and nodded. She smiled before closing the door.
(Y/n) smiled and shook his head at her kindness. He went to his room and fell on his bed, looking at the ceiling before holding his ticket up to look at it, some time away will do him good.
He wondered what he would do for a month but didn’t let his mind wander too far, he had some packing to do. After all, he knew Mina was right, he needed some time alone to help him move on if being around here didn’t. Who knows, maybe he’ll find some peace being alone.
A/n: I wrote a lot of things over break but I haven’t posted anything @mikothedreamer Thank you for requesting! So Sorry it’s late. Um I used two random names here, so they’re not based off anyone.
Prompt line:“I don’t want to choose.” “I never had a choice!" "I believed in a lie!” “Do you still love me?”
Two males glare at each other with anger, neither willing to back down, no matter how their throats burned from yelling at each other.
“How could you make such a big decision without me?” (Y/n) yelled.
“I’m sorry okay?! It was brought to the table when I met with the managers and the only solution was for everything to be okay was to date them!” Hoseok explained again.
(Y/n) pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “So let me get this straight: because some other couple got caught dating in public, our managers decided that because we-,” He paused to motion between the two for emphasis, “are in a relationship that could also turn into a scandal that we should cover up and date the ones that got caught?! And when presented to you, my childhood love, who knows that I don’t like it when a decision is made for me without actually discussing it with me, agreed to it and didn’t tell me so I could find out through our companies making a public statement!” The enraged male yelled.
Hoseok winced as he really didn’t have an argument, “They wanted an answer right there and then. They said if I agreed to it then we wouldn’t have to worry about a scandal and that skin ship would be more okay because people would think we’re in a relationship with Mina and Hyuna and not think twice about it! They said if I disagreed, then the other two would have to quit being idols and that we would have to end our relationship to prevent media from ruining both of us! I never had a choice! I’m sorry!” He cried out, tears welling up and threatening to fall.
(Y/n) softened at the explanation. Knowing that Hoseok did it with everyone in mind, he hugged the other and soothed him. But He wanted to know more of the terms of the agreement so he changed his tone to a softer one, “What do we do? Just go on dates they plan, and hold hands with them?” (Y/n) asked softly.
Hoseok nodded, “Only that and look like we like them when we’re together, I made sure it was only that. I’m sorry.” He apologized again and pressed further into the other’s embrace.
“I know, it’s okay Hoseok.” (Y/n) said, forgivingly, causing the other to whine.
(Y/n) pulled away to look at the other with slight confusion, causing the other to throw himself back into an embrace, “You’re still mad, you don’t like calling me Hoseok. Please call me love, Hobi, honey, anything! You still love me, right?” Hoseok begged.
(Y/n) smiled at his boyfriend’s cute behavior and gave him an Eskimo kiss before giving him an actual kiss, “Of course baby, I still love you! This won’t stop me from loving you. I don’t think anything will.” He said and began peppering kisses on Hoseok.
Hoseok whined but gave a heart smile to let the other know that he loved the attention, “Hyung! Stop!” He halfheartedly pushed the other away.
The other hummed as if in thought, “Nope! Have to prove I love you, sunshine.” (Y/n) chuckled.
(Y/n) pulled Hoseok into a passionate kiss, “I’ll make sure to show how much I love you tonight but I have to punish you for being bad don’t I?” He whispered into Hoseok’s ear.
Hoseok whined and nodded, “m sorry.” He said with eyes starting to glaze causing (Y/n) to smirk and lead him to their bedroom.
——————
The weeks following, the two were able to increase the skin ship but also were not able to go out as offer due to them having to take Mina and Hyuna on dates. More than not, Hoseok and Hyuna got more dates as their relationship became more popular with the fans and (Y/n) had to watch as their time together depleted more and more as Hoseok spent more time with Hyuna.
He began to doubt himself and the relationship as he knew that Hyuna was his ideal for a girl. While he was Hoseok’s ideal for a guy, it didn’t stop his doubts as Hoseok began to drift away from him. Funnily enough, (Y/n) went to Mina to talk about his fears, too scared going to any of the other boys would affect their band and ruining their closeness. Mina didn’t mind (Y/n)’s company and vise versa and the two had become good friends over the time they were forced together.
As he explained his fears on one of their “dates” at a quiet cafe, Mina’s expression became more steeled and serious. When he finished, he nervously looked at her for denial that Hyuna was acting different and that he doubted the two unjustly.
Mina looked away, not wanting to look at the other’s reaction, “You noticed too, huh? Hyuna hasn’t even looked at me in a week. She just comes home and goes on her phone before sleeping.” She said quietly.
As much as she didn’t want to fuel (Y/n)’s fears, the coincidence in both behaviors was too much and she couldn’t lie to his face, she knew he deserved more than that.
But Mina’s words made (Y/n)’s heart feel like it was going to burst and he quickly got up to leave with her following to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. They quickly ran to a direction and Mina recognized they were at the BigHit building.
Mina quickly tugged (Y/n) to a stop, “Hey, we shouldn’t interrupt the boys practice-“ She tried to reason with him but immediately stopped as she looked at him closely.
The male was shaking with anxiety and Mina looked to see his eyes becoming unfocused, his hand shakily toying with a necklace and his breathing becoming irregular and knew he was about to have an anxiety attack, something he briefly let her know about when they met but assured her, he hasn’t had one in awhile. Mina quickly brought him inside and went straight to his studio, ignoring anything and anyone who tried to question them even briefly passing by a surprised Hyuna on their way. She hoped (Y/n) didn’t see her but the way his breathing stuttered had told her otherwise.
She had (Y/n) try to unlock the door and after a couple tries he did it but not without tears building up every time he got it wrong. As soon as they got inside and closed the door, Mina went through the process of trying to calm (Y/n) down from putting on calming music to asking him to try and focus on breathing with her to telling her about items around the room. When he finally recovered, she laid him down on his couch to sleep and covered him with the blanket left on the couch for overnight work days.
Mina sighed and left the room to let him rest and confront the female she saw earlier. She quickly went to the dance studio but no one was there so she went to Hoseok studio. She knocked and wasn’t impressed as Hyuna opened it with messy hair and swollen lips and pushed passed her to go to where Hoseok sat working on a song and tapped Hoseok’s shoulder.
Hoseok blinked in surprise at her presence when he turned around but smiled and greeted her awkwardly, “Hey Mina-“
Mina shook her head and interrupted him, “(Y/n)’s in his studio, sleeping, after having an anxiety attack.” She said with an accusing tone, “It would be better if he woke up to his boyfriend,” she emphasized, “I know you’ve been busy with each other, but (Y/n) and I don’t deserve this. (Y/n) especially.” She finished before turning to leave the two shocked people.
She turned her head towards Hyuna, “You’re stuff will be moved back to the dorm. Don’t show up at the apartment yeah? and I hope you help cover your hickey you left on him.” With that she left.
Hoseok immediately drowned in guilt, hand going to cover the hickey. Did he cause the attack? Were you okay? Why did he let Hyuna take their fake relationship become something more? He wanted to think about it and drown more but remembered (Y/n) was alone in his studio and rushed to be at his side, ignoring Hyuna calling out for him.
He quickly went to his boyfriend’s studio and punched in the code. Hoseok found his love curled up on the couch, and kneeled down near him and ran his hand through the other’s hair.
He jumped when the other murmured softly, “Don’t touch me.” And sat up, elbows resting on his knees and stared at him with cold eyes.
“Love, I-“ He started.
(Y/n) scoffed, “Do you still love me?” He asked, going straight to the point.
Hoseok flinched at the coldness but quickly recovered and nodded, “Yes of course! I do-“
“Than why did you let her kiss you? Mark you like you’re her actual boyfriend?” (Y/n) tilted his head and pointed to his neck as he asked, monotonous and still drained from earlier.
Hoseok breathing halted and covered the mark with his hand before putting it down knowing it was no use in converting it now. (Y/n) sighed and ran a hand down his face.
“Why are you here in my studio, Hoseok?” He asked quietly.
Hoseok didn’t know what he hated more, the lack of the nickname or the fact that (Y/n) wasn’t yelling at him for cheating.
He quickly went to explain fruitlessly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to go this far. We just- When we went on that dancing date, the slow dance and one thing led to another and we kissed. It just that-“
“That date was three weeks ago. You’ve been doing this for three weeks.” (Y/n) said, voice cracking in heartbreak, “Did you come here to break my heart? Because you did it! Why are you still here?” He asked as tears built up in both of their eyes.
Hoseok shook his head, “No, I wanted to tell you I love you. Please, I’ll break up with her. I’ll tell our managers that we don’t want to do this anymore- please don’t break up with me.” He begged, trying to reach for (Y/n).
But (Y/n) looked at him with disappointment and shied away from the touch. He shook his head and scoffed, “Love me? Three weeks, Hoseok. I believed in a lie that you loved me but you didn’t love me for three weeks, y-you loved her.” He said with his voice cracking so he paused to take a breath and continued, “Honestly, I don’t think “we” work out anymore because you made the choice to keep going for three weeks, and I’m starting to think that maybe subconsciously, when you made the choice for us to start fake dating Hyuna and Mina, maybe you chose to stop dating me.” He said with a teary smile.
Hoseok shook his head frantically and took (Y/n)’s hands into his own, “No, I swear I only want you. Please don’t do this. I don’t want to lose you. Please, I’ll do anything just stay with me. Choose to stay with me.” He begs and ‘I regret not choosing you.’ Goes unsaid.
(Y/n) slowly retracts his hands from Hoseok’s hold and reaches for the door and opened it, “But I don’t want to choose. How can I choose you? You made the decision for me already…and I think it’s best for both of us if you were to leave. I hope your stuff is gone from the apartment by the end of the week, I’ll call the managers to arrange some help for you and to let them know the situation.” He said with heartbreak, quickly ending any hopes and arguments Hoseok would have had.
Hoseok cried but he knew it was over and it was his fault. He stood up and went to the door but gripped the door frame said quietly, “I’m sorry.” One last time, hoping it would do anything.
(Y/n) looked away from him, afraid he’ll go weak when he sees the other’s pleading eyes, “I know.” He said, not giving the forgiveness Hoseok wanted, what he needed.
(Y/n) closed the door, and heard sobs immediately from the other side. Tears of his own cascaded down his face but there was nothing more to be said, the chapter to their story as a couple ended and all they could do is move on.
A/n: Thank you @ kurochan3 for requesting! I was going to post this on Christmas but was busy sorry! Happy (late) Holidays!
(Y/n) watched with a fond look as his love walked down the aisle with a dimpled smile, eyes warm and full of love. He didn’t want to cry at how beautiful the male looked in front of the others as the other stood in front of him and shooting a big smile before turning his back to look at the girl he was marrying. He Looked down so no one could see his smile turn into a frown and schooled his expression and looked up with a teary smile.
As the vows were said, he closed his eyes and reminisced his time with his best friend.
“When we met it was like a scene from a movie. It was fall and the leaves scattered on the ground, a cup of coffee in hand and I was reading on my phone.”
A five year old Namjoon sat under the trees, busy reading a book his mom bought him instead of playing on the playground with others. A thermos of hot chocolate sat by his side, and he picked it up, drinking slowly from it, still reading and ignoring his surroundings. Namjoon didn’t notice another child coming up to him with a curious smile.
“Hey!” The child yelled, startling Namjoon and making him spill a bit of hot chocolate on himself.
Namjoon winced at the heat while the other child quickly stammered out apologies,
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you, I just wanted to be friends. Does it hurt? I’m sorry!” The child bowed.
Honestly, Namjoon wanted to cry a bit at the chocolate burning him but he saw the other tearing up. He quickly took out napkins his mom gave him and wiped his shirt and offered another one to the other.
“It’s okay. Don’t cry, look it doesn’t hurt at all!” He comforted with a smile.
The child didn’t look convinced so Namjoon smiled even more, “I’m Namjoon! You wanted to be friends?” He asked
This got the other to smile and nod happily, “Yes! I’m (Y/n), I’m seven. What book are you reading? Is it good? Is there a hero? A prince? Oooo what about a-“ (Y/n) asked excitedly.
Namjoon answered the questions with the same enthusiasm and the two sat with each other until their parents called them to go home. The two begged for a play date to which Namjoon’s mom was surprised since Namjoon didn’t prefer to play with other kids but because the two kids hit it off so well, she agreed with a smile.
“Our days together as friends, was amazing and you supported me for anything and everything and soon enough, I fell in love with you.”
The two highschoolers talked about a book they read as they walked together to lunch.
“I’m just saying Joonie, you could write something better. You’re so smart that you skipped some years of school and your poetry and songs are so lovely and well thought out.” (Y/n) argued.
Namjoon blushed at his words and shook his head, “I don’t know. I don’t think I could stand writing a whole book, at least poetry and songs are quick.” He said.
(Y/n) eyes lit up, “Then, how about becoming a song producer! You’ll be so successful that others will buy all your albums and want you to write songs for them.” He encouraged.
Namjoon looked at him with thought and a blush at the amount of support his friend always showed him. He knew (Y/n) was genuine but also loved seeing him flustered so he gave him a smile, “Only if your beautiful voice is there to sing my songs then maybe I’ll be a producer. After all, I need someone cute to sing since I can’t at all.” He hummed.
(Y/n) turned red and stumbled over his feet and glared as Namjoon paused his walking to laugh at him.
Namjoon thought he got him there but (Y/n) just smirked, “So I’m someone cute?” He questioned.
Namjoon choked on his laugh and quickly looked away but a hand took his and turned him around.
(Y/n) has a fond look on his face, “Don’t worry. I think you’re pretty cute yourself.” He said.
Namjoon blush turned even redder but he didn’t let go of (Y/n)’s hand as they continued walking into the cafeteria in a soft silence.
“You’ve always took care of me and showed your constant love for me.”
Namjoon sat in his studio, working on his latest song when someone bursted threw his door and hugged him from behind, “Joonie! The love of my life, my soulmate. I have come to make sure you don’t starve to death and overwork!” (Y/n) said with a giggle.
Namjoon blushed and laughed at the other’s cuteness. He turned his chair around and looked at (Y/n) with fondness. (Y/n) set the food on the table and tackled the sitting male and kissed him with a chuckle.
Causing Namjoon to laugh and half heartedly push him away, “Okay, okay! Thank you, my love.” He said.
“How’s the new song going? Can I listen?” (Y/n) asked excitingly.
“It’s going smoothly since I had inspiration. Here.” Namjoon said and put headphones (Y/n)’s head.
(Y/n) listened with his eyes closed and smiled as the demo played. When it was done he smiled at his boyfriend, “As always, it’s lovely!” He said and kissed him.
“Through our fights, we grew. Through the hard times, we fought together.”
(Y/n) growled as Namjoon yelled at him, “All I wanted was to come home and relax with you (Y/n), and you come at me with all this bs saying I don’t love you?!”
(Y/n) pulled his (h/c) hair as frustration and anxiety built up, “You said you would be here for dinner but instead you were with her! It’s been months since we had time together for a date because you’ve spent time with her instead of me!” He cried out.
Namjoon glared at him, “I can’t hang out with others now? God, you act like I’m cheating on you! Just for a couple missed dates? It’s like you haven’t known me for years! You know I wouldn’t do that.” He scolded the other.
(Y/n) looked away, “The Namjoon I know wouldn’t have been so condescending of how I felt. The Namjoon I know, would have noticed earlier how agitated I’ve been with the missing time. The Namjoon I know wouldn’t promise me dates he knew he would miss and would call when he knew he would and not make me wait hours alone at a restaurant! The Namjoon I know wouldn’t have forgotten our anniversary!” He whispered getting louder with each sentence, pausing when he heard an intake of air from the other and calmed himself.
He gently brought his phone out and showed the picture to Namjoon causing him to stop breathing, “The Namjoon I know wouldn’t have lied and cheated on me. But I guess I never really know you, did I?” He said with heartbreak.
(Y/n) walked to their bedroom and left the stunned male alone. He grabbed his bag he already prepared and passed Namjoon one last time before saying quietly, “The article said that you wanted me as your best man, to save you the trouble of the public questioning you, I will be just that. Just your best friend, nothing more and as your best friend, I hope you two will be very happy.” He said and left their apartment.
Namjoon fell to his knees and sobbed because he knew he messed up and it hurt because no matter how much he hurt (Y/n), the (h/c) haired man cared about and loved him.
“I love you, Lee Hyuna, and I’ll never leave your side.” Namjoon finished with a big smile.
After the vows, the priest asked if anyone objects to their union. People’s eyes turned to the best man, knowing the history between the two but (Y/n) just smiled and stayed quiet. The ceremony ended and everyone cheered as the couple walked out to live their happily ever after.
(Y/n) clapped and waved as the couple waved goodbye. A hand was on his shoulder and he looked behind him and found Seokjin staring at him with a pitting look.
He led (Y/n) away until they were alone, and pulled him into a tight hug, “We’re alone now, it’s okay to cry. You’re so strong, but it’s okay to let go now.” He said quietly.
Suddenly the tears he held back, leaked out and like a dam, it broke loose and (Y/n) held his friend with dear life and sobbed and screamed until he couldn’t anymore.
(Y/n) brokenly whispered in his friend’s chest, “Cheers, to those who moved on.”
His love married someone else and (Y/n) was left with nothing but heartbreak.
Genre: Angst/Fluff Pairing: Park Jimin x Male Reader
A young man sat on his bed, curled in on himself as he looked at pictures of a happier time on his phone. Pictures of him and his loved one, the man who made him the happiest, who helped him when everything seemed to go wrong and comforted him when he cried. But now, that man was gone. No one can wipe away his tears, tell him that he’s perfect in every way and silence his insecurities, the same ones that in the end drove the man away.
So the one left behind cried in their once shared room, muttering one small phrase, “(Y/n) come back, please? I’m sorry.” Over and over.
He looked over the half empty room, devoid of most his ex lovers things.
Their last fight was one of the worst, all because he accused his love of cheating with his band member, while (Y/n) tried to explain that wasn’t the case, the demons in his head made him scream at the innocent man. He yelled, poking at all his lover’s own insecurities and scenarios that (Y/n) did that were fabricated in his head. The other looked hurt as he screamed for him to leave and never show his unfaithful face to him again and did just as he told. He packed most of his necessities and quite a few clothes before taking his leave without a single goodbye but with hesitance waiting for his lover to call out for him, to hold him back in his arms but he slacked his shoulders when he realised that the other was too in his head to try.
The memory haunted him but before the lonely male could break down and cry about his mistakes, his phone rang, without looking at it he answered immediately, hoping it was the person he lost.
“Jiminie-hyung? It’s me, Taehyung, we’re worried about you since you haven’t been to practice in a couple of weeks.” The voice said, disappointing the crying man.
“Yeah Tae. I’m fine, just under the weather. I have to go.” He muttered before hanging up, despite the protests on the other end.
Tears started to stream down his face again, Jimin couldn’t help but start sobbing again as the silence got to him again. He laid his head down on (Y/n)’s pillow and snuggled into it, smelling the shampoo and scent he missed so much. There he cried himself to sleep, praying for his lover to come back.
When he woke up an arm was wrapped around his waist and a soft snoring was heard behind him. Jimin quickly sat up and brought a hand to the waking male’s face. He let out a sob of relief when he felt the warmth he longed for the past few days. The other smiled softly at him, sitting up and wrapping his arms around the crying man.
Jimin cling to him like he was going to disappear and cried out, “You came back! You came back. I’m sorry for what I said-“ He rambled.
(Y/n) let him, while running a hand through his lover’s hair. After a few minutes he shushed him and quietly said, “It’s okay. I’m here now, my Mochi. I missed you, I couldn’t go anywhere because you are my home. While you said things that hurt me, I love you so much and I’m sorry I left you here to your demons when I know they torture you.”
Jimin sobbed saying it wasn’t his fault, but the other shushed him and laid them both back down. (Y/n) hugged him tighter, repeating that he’ll never leave again, and that he loved Jimin forever and more. Soon enough, they fell asleep once more, in each other’s arms, with small smiles and dried tears.
Anon asked: Could I have a Yandere BTS reaction where S/o, who was kidnapped, coldly speaks: “You can control me… what I do, what I say… But know this. You will not control who I love. And that will never be you” please? Thank you!
Wow! Loving the creativity! Here you go lovely!
Seokjin
He would be astonished, by your wit and nerve, but it didn’t sway him even the slightest. If it was one thing he knew, it was that he wasn’t going to let you get away. You could say all you pleased, but you were his, and his alone. The only thing he would muster up after the time you spent bickering with him, would be a simple “tch” with a click of his tongue, as if desregarding all you had to say in that moment.
“Tch- Are you done?”
Namjoon
The smile and laughter that came from him would grow uneasy, until it disappeared all together. At first he would try to laugh it off, making jokes here and there, asking through a smile what you were going on about, but as he noticed that your were being serious, he too grew serious himself. After all he did for you, he thought you would be happy, and want to stay by his side, but hearing how unhappy that you were with him, would put him in a anxious frenzy. He wanted nothing more than for you to be his, but he also wanted you to be happy about it too.
“Huahah- Wh..what did you say? You don’t want to be with me?”
Yoongi
You wouldn’t have the time to speak for long, as the minute you brought up how you didn’t want to be there with him, he would get up from where he was crouched in front of you, and make his leave from the bedroom, making sure to lock the door behind him so you wouldn’t try to escape. After taking you from the filth of the outside world and people, you had wanted to leave yet to return back to it? He was not about to listen to any of that.
“Im doing this all..for you. The least you can do is be grateful and not try to shove it right back into my face. You’ll come out when you’re grateful again.”
Hoseok
This man would do a whole 360. The usual smiling Hoseok would be replace by a serious one as you talked down to him. He was always keen when it came to you saying what you wanted, and he always listened with interest and love, but he couldn’t with this. He didn’t like to show you this more abrasive side of him in front of you, but he couldn’t help it. You had really dug under his skin with what you said.
“Baby…let’s not get too hasty right now. You’re probably just tired, and should go take a nap and sleep on this. You don’t know what you’re saying right now.”
Jimin
He would go into a full breakdown as you explained how and why you could no longer be tied down to him. He didn’t want to hear it, no he couldn’t hear it. He started to pull on his hair and smack his head with his hands and he pulled from the strands, with a “No, No, No! Don’t say that!” Until he was finally able to calm down, somewhat, before getting on his knees and pleading to you.
“(y/n)…please.. you can’t do this- or-or-or say that! I love you….please…”
Taehyung
As soon as you brought up how unhappy you were, and how you wanted to leave he wasn’t going to hear it. Immediately, he slammed his hands on the table he was sitting at as he pushed himself from his chair and went over to you with a shake of his head. He would grab you by the shoulders, of course he didn’t want to be rough with you, that was the last thing he had wanted, but his mind and vision was cloudy as he tried to gain his composure, but it was no use, all he could do was gently shake you back and forth as he asked, “why, why why-“ over and over again.
Jungkook
Being the king of manipulation, he would sit there, pouting as he listened to all your anger and sadness. Tears would start to form at the corner of his eyes as he tried to plead with you. Of course this was all just an act, that he put on in hopes you would fall for it and stay. He never wanted to lay a hand on you and use force so he did what all he knew he could and that was use his pitifulness and charm.
“Don’t leave (y/n)..I’m sorry, I’ll change, you know I’ll do anything, for you. “
Anon Asked: Heeey beautiful peeps,if it’s not to much trouble how would vampire!Bts react to a banshee s/o? Btw your writing is amazing
Aww thank you angel!~ This is so cool! Here you go !
Seokjin
This boy would be as cocky as can be. He would always brag to his family and friends, that the two of you would have the cutest children if that was in the cards for the both you; claiming that becuae of his suave and swift genes, being paired with your beautiful and graceful ones, you were bound to make beautiful and strong babies. His friend where a little worried. Although he seemed happy, they warned of how it might not be a success relationship, and that your mind was known to be “moody” or so they thought. The words and warning of others didn’t sway him though; He knew exactly how to handle anyone, and knew that if it came down to it, he would be able to do so, with a raise of his eyebrow, and a flash of that smoldering smile of his. If anyone needed the warning, it was you, because he was a ball of s*x appeal and charm.
“To hell with them! You are the love of my life, and I pretty much like it that way.”
Namjoon
At first he was timid. He wasn’t really sure how he should’ve approached you, being as he knew you weren’t a vampire such as himself, but he also didn’t know just exactly what you were. After telling him, he grew wide- eyed, but continued conversing with you, then one thing led to the next. Now, here he was, paired with a creature who wasn’t seen with vampires too often, but he wasn’t complaining. The two of you would earn some odd looks and whispers, but after soemtime he would just pull you into a warm hug in front of everyone,as he grazed your neck playfully with his teeth, but never breaking skin. You two had so much in common, and had so much fun together, that not one comment or word changed the way he felt. He just saw you as someone that he loved, and knew that he would love for a very long time; maybe even forever.
“I really do love you (y/n). I don’t care what anyone else says, or thinks.”
Yoongi
He was never really one to get out, let alone date. Sure, he had friends and family that he visit and who he visited occasionally, but never had he been interested in someone before. It wasn’t until he met you. He had met you at a party his friend Taehyung was hosting. Of course, he knew who you were, at least when it came to face value since he was watching you from across the room almost all night long, but he suddenly grew closed off when he brought you two together. In all honesty, he was just nervous more than anything, but after a few laughs and small conversations, the two of you hit it off. Now here you were, months down the road, happily together. Like Namjooon, he never cared at where the two of you came from, all he cared about was you as a person (half person you could say) and the moments that you two now shared. You made him comfortable and come out of his shell more. You made him feel alive (again)
“I don’t know what it is about you…but its like you drew me in. No one has ever had that effect on me.”
Hoseok
He absolutely loved that you were different than him. Vampires? Yawn. Just kidding! He loved his kind, and his family being the most important thing to him, were just the same! But it was almost like a culture shock when it came to you and your own. He was actually excited to learn more about you and all the traditions and history behind you. He wasn’t that weirded out like most would be when it came to dating another species. No no, this boy was so comfortable around you, it would actually surprise you! He based most of the relationship on your personalities and the way you connect to each other. However, that came as no problem for him, for he was not your typical dark, and cynical vampy, oh no, he was the playful and optimistic type; which was pretty uncommon in his community. Which is why the two of you worked out so well. He could care less about what people said about him, so he would give the same care for the thoughts towards his relationship with you. Unless, it was directly towards you, then he would show his evil side.
“ I love you so so soooo much! nothing it going to stop that !”
Jimin
He would treat you the same just as he would anyone else, but with more love and affection, being as you were his someone special. Although, with you he came off a quiet clingy, and it wasn’t just because he was a bloodsucker. Oh no. This boy found you ravishing and mysterious, and just like Yoongi, he wanted to know everything about you, but he was outright about it. You were timid, you admit. Vampires of his kind were known to be mischievous liars and cheats, but he was different. At first he was flirty, even with your own friends. You thought he would at least go for your Bestfriend who was a forest fairy, but was surprised by his interest in you. When you did ask him why he had chosen you out of everyone else he just ruffled his hair back and flashed a warm and sincere smile,
“ I was drawn to you, by your beauty and mystery.. even if you don’t think you are, to me, you’ll always be the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Taehyung
He would always be taken aback by you. Not because of what you were, but for the fact that he had never been close to your kind before. He was a nervous wreck around you, and always found himself to be tongue tied. Just like a smitten kitten, he would be cautious, in a sense of doing things that made you happy, rather than annoyed, worried you would fall for a werewolf, or perhaps a merman. He also wouldn’t want you getting upset with him, in fear of you screeching at him, although that was something else that had him interested, for he had never been with someone who held such power.This made him giddy; he loved bringing you along to anything whether it be family gatherings, or just hanging out with friends. He wanted to show you off, and he would just do that.
“Wow…I’ve never met someone with such grace and strength at the same time! You never cease to amaze me, my love.”
Jungkook
Just like Taehyung, he found you very interesting, even if the two of you were together for some time now. He sadly admit that he was unsure of you and being with you. He was still too easily swayed by others words, but after seeing you and spending time with you, he soon found himself missing you when you weren’t around more and more, and thus he knew he had caught feelings. It was strange to him being as he stayed traditional, dating only in the vampire community, but he just found you so exotic and interesting, how could he stay away? It wasn’t until he was introduced to you, that he was hooked. He just coudn’t take his eyes off of you the minute that he laid them upon you. You would find his starring quite often, but you didn’t mind, it just made you flustered. For one thing, this vampire would be quite clingy, and somewhat possessive. He didn’t want anyone else, but you.
“I’m sorry for starring, you’re just so lovely my dear.”
i@petalskook asked: Hi bae I can ask for a reaction to bts mafia au when a rival member enters his house (in order to scare his wife but ends up almost ab*sing her) and they arrive and see that scene. I know it’s a sensitive issue, but I want to see blood thanks
Here you go sweetheart!~ Enjoy!
WARNING! This post contains material that might trigger some, so please read at your own risk!
Seokjin
This man would go full on “killer-mode” the minute he saw you on the carpeted floor of the living room, with a man towering over you, and his fist high in the air above your head. He would waste no time, as he grabbed this man and picked him up so far off the ground, that for a moment, his feet couldn’t touch it as he slammed him against a wall nearby, with hate in his eyes, and rage in his voice as he yelled at the top of his lungs, screaming and asking what he was doing there in his house, let alone what he was doing to you.The man would try fighting him off, but it was no use,Seokjin, was much more powerful than him in that moment. All he could see was red, nothing else mattered in that moment, but the want to kill him. Even if you tried to yell for everything to just stop, he wouldn’t listen, it’s not that he didn’t listen to you, but his mind wasn’t in the right place then and there. He would be beyond gone. Seeing you in pain, broke him like no other. His mind would get the better of him as he pulled the man from the wall, another thought of you being in pain crossed his mind, another slam against the wall the man went. Then another thought crossed his mind, making him slam him against the wall once more. By this time, the man started to stir as he started to slowly loose consciousness, but this still didn’t stop Seokjin from continuing to slam him, again, and again. It wouldn’t stop until, the man blacked out and grew limp.
“I’ll never ever let you or anyone else touch (y/n) ever again!! “
Namjoon
He was a smart man when it came to everything around him. That’s why he was so great when it came to how he did business. That’s why he knew he had to remain that way once he saw this man in his house, with his wife. No. He wasn’t having it. He would go over to the two of you, rip you away from him and put him behind you.as he pulled out his g*n and aimed it at him with a blank expression. He had no remorse for this person right here and now. How could he? He broke into a place that was supposed to be his own personal space, and roughed up his girl, and now he was going to rough him up, but not without asking some questions first. He knew that someone put him up to this, and he wanted to know just who. The man told him he wouldn’t say a word, because of loyalty, but this made Namjoon raise an eyebrow, and found himself pulling the trigger, but click his tongue as he missed and gently grazed his shoulder.But this still wasn’t enough to make him talk. It wouldn’t be until Namjoon hit him with the butt of the g*n, before aiming it at him again, saying how he wasn’t going to ask twice. He finally talked, but not without making sure Namjoon kept his word on not to shoot him again. Once he talked, he pulled the trigger with a solemn expression as the room grew quiet. After he made sure he wasn’t going to make another sound he recoiled his weapon and turned to you with a sadly tone, apologizing that you had to see that.
“I don’t keep my word when it comes to the (rival gang name), or anyone who touches my woman.”
Yoongi
Even though he would be seething with anger the minute that he saw this other man about to hurt his most favorite person in the world, not to mention even touching you, he would put that aside, as something within his head snapped. The other man, knowing just how crazy thatthe Min Yoongi, could be, he quickly moved away from you, throwing you against the couch in the process; He just had to get away, but it was too late as Yoongi was by him in the blink of an eye, gripping his shoulder tightly, so tightly that he the man thought if he squeezed an inch harder, his acromion would surely break in his hands. Through the cries and groans from the rival member, Yoongi would talk to him, in a amused yet calm tone, reminding him on how he knew just where his family lived, and it would be a shame if something were to happen to them, due to this careless act of his. After the whole ordeal, he let him off the hook, only because he loved to put fear in others, it gave him so much pleasure, and he definitely knew that this man was doing just that now, fearing him. As he scurried out the house, Yoongi would then make his way over to you, to make sure you were okay. Of course, then you would see his true emotions as a look of sadness and pain crossed his face, but he didn’t care. You made him vulnerable and he wanted to show you, just how sorry he was that he wasn’t there in the first place.
“Now…I know your parents live on Richmond street along with your little sisters. It would be a shame if something were to happen to them while in the safety of their own home, wouldn’t it?”
Hoseok
Even though he was one of the big bosses around town, his smile and positive attitude still held some weight. People around town found him crazier this way, because they never knew when he was going to snap, or what he was ever thinking. His smile, was his poker face. That’s why whenever he flashed a smile towards the man who had ahold of you, it was instant regret for him. The rival member slowly stood up, with your arm still in his hand after his episode of him shaking you. Hoseok, seeing how frightened you were as he sat down across the room, motioned over to you and pat his thigh, with a soothing voice as he cooed out, “Come here, baby.” He knew the man was going to let go as you easily slipped your arm from his now shaking and clammy hand.After you went over to go sit down, and he made sure his arm was firmly, but warmly wrapped around you, that’s when business would start. He would motion for his right hand man, who had also been in the room behind him, to grab him before he could cause anymore trouble. He would then set you down gently, on the chair he sat on, before getting up and rolling up his sleeves. The smile that was once plastered on his face, was now turn downward into a frown as he walked up to this man. He paused for a moment, wanting him to see the rage he felt, before he finally pushed his fast into his stomach, reeling it back to his at his fist, then smile before swiping it across his mouth once, twice, and a third time. He would wail on him until no end.
“You’re going to regret touching my precious wife. I’ll make sure of that.”
Jimin
Just like Jin, he would see red. He had just came home from working out at the gym, but stopped in the doorway, only to see this man atop of you, as you thrashed about, as he tried to grab your arms and hold you down. Immediately, he would run over to where the scene was unfolding with a booming, “NO!” as he grabbed the strap of the bag and threw it over the man’s neck, before giving it as tight tug. He put all his might and strength into choking him. No matter how hard the man smacked his flailing hands back against Jimin’s face, as he tried to get him off of him he never let up. And he couldn’t until he knew he was dead, or at least unconscious. He would try pulling him back away from you, not wanting him to fall against you, but during this, the man broke free and turned the tables on Jimin as he started to wail on him with his fists while he tried gaining composure yet again, but it would be of no use. Even if he gave him a few good hits, Jimin wouldn’t feel any of them as there was still adrenaline coursing through his body. All you could do was watch in horror as the fighting continued on, until the other man grew so tired and weak, that he finally gave up. He laid there, in his sweat and blood, as Jimin stood up and spit at him,before ordering the man who was with him, waiting outside, to “take out the trash” and clean up the mess, before going over to you, and cradling you in his arms, apologizing over and over again for not being here with you instead and letting it get this far.
“I’m so so sorry babygirl…don’t worry. He’s never going to touch you again…”
Taehyung
He was the kind of boss-man who loved to play mind games with his victims, and that’s just what he did with this man who was in a sacred place of his, scaring the love of his life. He had to hold back whenever he saw this man holding onto a scared and crying you. He stood there for a moment, with a few of his men who had followed him inside, feeling that something wasn’t right that night, and they were right. He stood there for a moment, with a finger tapping against his lips while he hummed out, going around and asking each person what they thought that this mans punishment should be for breaking into his haven, and touching his angel. He chuckled at the responses, before shaking his head and agreeing that he should give him a pass this once, and let him go. The man ran from you and towards the front door, before Taehyung could change his mind, but was pummeled with Taehyung’s fist, sending him falling to his knees. That’s when Taehyung howled then got serious as he crouched down to his eye level, with a stare as cold as ice. He couldn’t believe that this man, thought he would let him leave without a scratch on him. He would then shake his head with a click of his tongue before letting his boys have at him. He would then proceed to go over and take you in his arms, leading you away from the scene behind you, and the screams of the man.
“You really think I would let you go so easily? Ha! You touched the most important person in my life. Boys- It’s free game from here.”
Jungkook
He would be in an array of emotions, since he wasn’t one to display them so well or easily. The only ones who he expressed true emotion towards, was you and his family. Everyone else had thought he was ‘hard-shell’ or cold blooded. In which, he was when it came to certain people. And truly the minute that he unlocked the door to his house, and saw this man scrambling away from you, as soon as he walked into the giant living room, man did his blood run cold. He scrambled to his feet as the man scrambled to his, while he tried getting away from you and the now angry Jungkook. But it was no use as Jungkook would tackle him to the ground and pin him down, with his hands to his throat. His eyes glazed over with a blank expression as he dug his hands deeper against his skin. You not wanting this to go any further, would yell out at him to stop. His hands would shake as his glazed over look stopped as it was replaced with anger. He would shake his head, and tell you how he hated him and wanted him to die for touching you. His emotions would get the better of him. He wouldn’t think clearly and this was his downfall, as the youngest boss. When it came to you, he would hurt anyone that even dare look your way, but this man did more, so he wanted him to pay with his life. He was out for blood.
“Don’t you dare touch her you b*sterd !!I’ll end you right now!!”
Anon Asked: Hi, I don’t know if you’re still taking requests, but could you write a BTS reaction to meeting their little sister’s boyfriend? Thank you
How cute! Here you go honeybun!~
Seokjin
He would be a mix of emotions, with both good and bad. Hearing of you having a boyfriend made him scratch his head a few time. When did you start growing up so fast already to this point in time right now? It’s not that he didn’t want to make a good impression on this boy, because he did! He wanted to appear as the cool, but mature older brother, but that wouldn’t go quite as planned. Immediately, he started to throw out jokes here and there, some actually making you two laugh, but the rest made you cringe, and once this happened, he started getting nervous as he told embarrassing stories on when you were younger once upon a time to try and cover up the awkward silence, but it just seemed to make things worse. But it was all in good fun. If he could laugh at all his joke, no matter how “ bad” them seemed, then he was a good candidate in his book.
“Awww (y/n)! Don’t make that face! We’re just joking around. That reminds me! She used to make that face when she was young with our parents. It was a funny story…”
Namjoon
An exasperated and heavy sigh would escape him as he heard about this boy and the news of his coming over so he could met your parent(s) and him. He knew the day when you would start dating would come, but he didn’t know it would be so soon, and although he was all for others to do what they wanted as long as it made him happy, he would have some trouble with this when it came to your and your love life, but he would push away his thoughts and disagreements, until he met your boyfriend first. He couldn’t judge something or someone without sitting down and getting to know them first, and that’s just what he intended to do. The talk with him went well, as he would be serious but understanding of all he would say, though he remembered to remind him that even though he seemed like a good guy right now, he could always change into the bad guy if pushed enough, and that usually happened when it came to his family or members. But you being his only baby sister, he had a softer spot for you, and just wanted to make sure this boy knew.
“It was nice meeting you. You’re not a bad kid at all and I feel you have good intentions for (y/n). Please, don’t make me regret saying that.”
Yoongi
It would worry you when telling your big bro, Yoongi, because it was never good when it came to boys being around you. You thought back to the time, some guy was looking your way, before going up to you with intentions of getting your number, but that didn’t happen, as Yoongi was set off and attacked him like a loyal dog, protecting their owner. He was that protective of you. And although you didn’t mind that, this was totally different. When you told him, you expected him to go into a fit of rage, but he was surprisingly chill and mature about the situation. Of course he wanted to meet him right away, before things between you two could escalate, and that’s just what he did. He would talk calmly, but sternly with him, making sure his words reached him. He wanted to know all about him, and made sure he wasn’t caught up in bad crowds or around anything that could potentially hurt you later on. Even though he knew relationships sometimes didn’t last he made sure to let him know how he felt about him being with his little sister.
“This is me being nice, because you’re someone my sister likes. But if you don’t treat he well, then you’ll end up seeing another side of me.”
Hoseok
You thought that maybe he would be happy for you, which he was! But his initial reactions was to be serious and sit down with you and him to have a just as serious conversation with him. This would worry you a little, being as you though he would be different about this whole situation, but he was just watching out for you, his baby sister. You’ve seen the way he could get whenever he was upset, and you thought that’s how he was right now, and you were scared that he would run off your new boyfriend, but that feeling went away as he smiled at him, before he polietly and seriously talked with him.He didn’t want to know his whole life story, maybe not until he knew you were going to be around for a while, but he wanted to know things from the people he was around, if he drank or smoked, if he was safe when it came to driving and being out and about, and the most important question, if he really and genuinely, liked you and saw a relationship with you. Even if it was something that embarrassed you, he had to know his answer so he knew that he was being forreal and not just stringing you along.
“I get it. What’s not to like about (y/n)? She’s a jung. But I want to know what you like about her..and if you really like her, like her.”
Jimin
The two of you were so close, that hearing about you having a boyfriend would set him off, but he pushed it back with all he had. He saw just how much you were growing and didn’t want to get in the way or hold you back from doing so, but it would be just so hard to watch it all unfold. Now that there was a new addition to the family though, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat threatened. Though he knew that this jealousy was selfish, so he would do his utter most best to try and get to know this other guy. Of course the mature side of his would peak little by little until he found himself sitting down with him, having a nice conversation with him here and there. At times he found himself gritting his teeth so he wouldn’t say something rude or out of turn, so he kept all his smart remarks to himself for your sake. By the end of the day, he thought to himself that this kid wasn’t as bad as he thought, and he kicked himself for being so rude right away, even if he was doing it discreetly. Still, he would make sure to keep an eye on him nonetheless, but eased up on him.
“I guess you’re alright, I’m just watching out for (y/n)..I love her so much and just want whats best for her.”
Taehyung
At first, he would not be happy whatsoever. Even when you joked with him or talked to him in a lighthearted tone, that frown didn’t lessen up. It’s not that he didn’t want you to do what was best for you or made you happy, but it was hard to get over his anger and annoyance. Here you were, his little sister, dating some guy he had never met, but even still, when you told him he was coming over for dinner, Things just got worse, he would say how he didn’t want him coming over. He was only going to be home for a while longer before leaving again for work, so he didn’t want to have to spend that time with someone he didn’t know very well. Even though this was a lie. Tae loved meeting people left and right. He was a people person and got along with everyone he met. But it was a different story when it came to someone who could later on hurt someone he loved dearly.When you realized he wasn’t going to change his mind, the only thing you could do was plead with him. After seeing you do this, he realized how happy you were with this guy, and who was he to take away your happiness?
“Okay, okay..Just stop crying..Big brother is sorry..I’ll do my best to accept him, if it’ll make you happy.”
Jungkook
Now having him as your older brother would make him a little pest from time to time, especially with this. Like Jimin, he would be a little salty, but he wouldn’t even try to hide it, it would just directly come out, and without warning too. When he came over for a family dinner, that’s when everything turned upside down. He would make snark remarks at him, trying to jab at him and get under his skin, earning glares and frowns from you. All he could do was smirk and chuckle with a smug shoulder raise. Your parent(s) seeing the way this was making you and your boyfriend feel, made sure to pull him aside to let him know. That’s when he would start to feel bad, and feel that, maybe, he was going to far. He apologized to the both of you, and expressed how he really felt, even if it did put a bad taste in his mouth, but he wanted you to know that he didn’t want you to feel bad for the person you took interest in. He would retaliate for tonight, until the next time.
“I’m so sorry (y/n)…I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, I was just being protective of you..”
Smoke and Mirrors: a magician’s trick, the art of making an entity appear to be floating through the use of smoke and mirrors. In figurative speech, something which, once examined, is proven to be an illusion. Like the moon reflected on water, or a flower reflected in a mirror. Unable to be touched.
Description: Listless idol Jeon Jungkook has lost his creative spark. Something just feels…missing. And between jet-setting across the world and constantly evading public scandals, Jungkook’s life up until now has felt like a movie. One thing Jungkook can count on, however, is video games. Y/N has been gaming forever. And when a new VR game called Arcana is released, both Y/N and Jungkook are all over it. But what will become of Jungkook’s online persona when life forces the two to work together? And will Jungkook manage to keep his identity a secret from one of his closest Internet friends?
Genre: Romance, Drama, Fluff, Angst
Pairing: Jungkook x (gender unspecified) Reader
Word Count: 12.1k
Tags: Solo Idol!Jungkook, Gamer!Jungkook, Makeup Artist!Reader, Manager!Seokjin, Florist!Hoseok
Warnings: Swearing and mentions of alcohol, although infrequently
A/N: Haha….ha….ha….um, well this is awkward isn’t it? I haven’t been active on here in a long, long time! But God does it feel nice to return. In the time I’ve been away, I’ve been working on a lot of things at once. Too many chefs in the kitchen, except the chefs are projects/responsibilities and the kitchen is me and is also on fire. I think right now more than ever, I’ve leaned into writing to help me feel a bit better about the world. So if this story can make you happy that’s honestly all I can ask for. I don’t think I’ll be keeping a posting schedule, as that feels like too much for me right now, but maybe in the future I’ll come up with a schedule that doesn’t feel overwhelming! Regardless, I’ve missed you guys and I’ve really missed posting my writing here. I hope you all still remember me! And I hope you enjoy this story. Really. As always, please feel free to send me any thoughts or concerns! Questions, critique, comments: send them all my way! I can’t wait to get chatting with you all again.
And I’m on Twitter! I’ll put the link here if you want to follow. I’m very active over there!
“Well work harder, damn. Tiki’s about to go down,” you say, gritting your teeth as you whip around toward the dragon staring your party down.
It circles you, never once looking away, several stories tall with glowing yellow eyes that seem to leave trails behind in the darkness of the cavern. You feel at once impossibly small and impossibly fragile in front of such a behemoth, all purple scales and saliva stringing across pointed fangs.
“Just focus on offense for now,” says Sapphire, grunting as he lunges sword-first toward the dragon.
Your brows shoot sky high as Sapphire, a DPS like you, runs straight for the enemy. His silver knight’s armor clanks in his wake. “Wait!” you call, but it’s too late. Your teammate has his sword plunging in and slicing out and slashing wild before you can even prep your next spell. “Jesus, Saph!”
You hear his laughter like bells echo through the cavern, seeming to bounce against the domed ceiling and drip like water from the clinging stalactites. “Tiki! Distract!” you call as the dragon whips wildly: first toward Sapphire and then toward you. “Shit,” you whisper, examining your mana with a hiss. “I need a second to recover!”
Tiki, a massive green orc and also your team’s tank, rushes in with his battle axe. Upon the first hit, the dragon writhes in pain and turns toward Tiki, ire in its yellow eyes. Tiki says nothing, just lets out a string of labored breaths as he swings his heavy weapon. Sapphire is quick to attack at the dragon’s heels. The dragon opens its mouth to spew flames across the charred cavern, aiming right for Tiki, but before it can Zero finally heals him with a flash of white light and a bolt straight to his broad green chest. You jump, turn to the side to see Zero is standing beside you about twenty feet from the dragon.
“Get spelling, Nova!” he shouts, long blonde hair flying in the breeze his spell created.
His voice, deep and gruff, doesn’t suit his pretty, dark-skinned elven body: particularly the well-rendered female…curvature. Every time he talks, it takes you off guard. You shake it off and nod once.
“Loli! Get punching!” you call to your resident monk as she idles near the dragon’s tail. She says nothing. You sigh, rest a hand on your hip. “Loli!”
She jumps to attention. “Sorry! My roommate needed me,” she says with a laugh, rubbing the back of her half-shaven head.
“Tell her to piss off!” calls Tiki as the dragon, halted by Zero’s healing spell, recovers and swings a mighty paw his way.
Your mana is finally restored and, shutting your eyes, you summon a bolt of ice. With a shout, you spin your staff over your head before slamming it down with a thunderous clap. Ice splinters dizzyingly fast from the ground beneath your staff and crawls like frost until it hits the dragon, stunning it still for a few seconds.
“Health’s low! Saph, go for the kill!” Lolita shouts as she lands a solid punch on the dragon’s belly that shatters your freezing spell.
Without waiting a second more, Sapphire shoves his sword into the dragon’s heaving chest as it writhes from pain. It looses a cry that sends vibrations through the cavern. A few rocks tumble from fissures in the cave walls, and a stalactite cracks and careens toward the ground where it explodes into shards.
And, with that, the massive beast falls to its stomach, its head clunking to the ground in front of Tiki’s feet. The ensuing silence rings in your ears as the five of you stand completely still, waiting. It wouldn’t be the first time an enemy has fallen only to reveal a dormant ability that results in a second battle. None of you says a thing until the massive body before you begins to dissolve into pixels, leaving you with only the skull as a prize and a bag of loot in place of a carcass.
Lolita is the first to break the silence with a loud hoot. “Wooh! Hell yeah!” she shouts, clapping her hands.
You chuckle, lean on your staff. “Loli, you can only celebrate halfway since you missed half the fight,” you tease with a fond sigh.
She rushes toward you, wipes off her blue robes and crosses her arms. “My roommate came in!”
“And you didn’t warn us,” Zero chides as he smooths a few flyaway hairs, smiling. That model of his is just too pretty…
“I-,”
“Guys!” Sapphire shouts, jumping once as he examines the loot bag. “Look at this!”
You spin your staff in your hand and jog to stand beside the knight. His red eyes are bright, digging through the bag until he produces in one gloved hand—
“Is that a Philosopher’s Stone Fragment?” asks Tiki, similarly enraptured as he comes up beside Sapphire’s flank.
Sapphire nods. “Which means—,”
“Which means we’re one step closer,” you say, and you lock eager eyes with Sapphire who only nods. “Well shit!”
“Also means we were right to come this way,” Lolita says, holding up one finger as if correcting us. “And whose idea was that?”
Zero shoves Lolita by the head and turns back toward the loot bag. “Anything else?” he asks.
Sapphire digs around before shrugging. “A shield,” he says.
“Don’t need it,” Tiki says.
“And…mm…,” he pauses, brow furrowing as he pulls out a piece of paper. He purses his lips, runs a hand through his blue-black hair, cocks his head to the side. “Schematic?”
“For what?”
“Oh!” he exclaims, turning to you as he hands you the paper. You look it over and scoff. “Superior elemental staff.”
“Cuts down the mana I need to do spells,” you say, rolling your eyes as you pocket the paper. “Coulda used that today.”
Sapphire claps your shoulder. “Next time! We’ve still got three fragments to find before anyone else does.”
You nod. “Well, with that settled…,” you begin, itching to use the bathroom.
“Ah! You gotta leave?” asks Sapphire.
You nod. “Got work in the morning.”
“Eugh,” he sighs, shoulders slumping. “Me too.”
“Me three,” says Zero.
“Ah, the working world. We’re lucky, huh Tiki?” Lolita says with a wistful sigh as water from overhead drips onto her shoulder. She jumps a little, but settles easily. “Don’t you miss your reckless college days?”
You laugh. “I only graduated last year,” you say, turning toward Sapphire. “Speaking of which, Saph did you ever go to school?”
He stiffens. “Ah, uh…,” he begins, glancing at his feet. He’s quiet for a moment. “No. Not past high school,” he says with an almost sheepish nod.
You don’t say anything, but it seems like there’s something he’s keeping to himself, something he doesn’t want to share. Sapphire is always like that, but this feels a little different.
“Hm,” you say, sensing his discomfort. “Welp, I’m gonna peace out for the night. Message me when you guys wanna go for the next fragment. I’ll keep researching where it might be.”
“Mm, sounds good,” says Tiki. “I’m starving. Loli, wanna get some food?”
Lolita glances at Tiki out the corner of her eye. “You mean, like, real food?”
Tiki sighs. “Obviously real food. I don’t wanna waste money on game food.”
She laughs and nods. “Alright. I’ll meet you at your dorm.”
“Mm.”
Without another word, both Tiki and Lolita blink out, leaving nothing behind them. You turn toward Zero and pat his back. “Sorry for getting on your case tonight,” you say. “I was worried Tiki would fall and then…well, you get it.”
Zero shrugs, examining one of his perfect fingernails. “No, I wasn’t on my game tonight. I’ll be better next time.”
“Me too,” you say, waving as Zero too blinks out.
You turn toward Sapphire and offer a smile. “Sorry for asking about college,” you say.
He stiffens, brows raised. “Hm? Oh, no it’s fine,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck with a smile. “It’s just, uh…well, you know my dad always wanted me to go to college so…”
You wave your hands, shake your head. “Forget it, alright? I won’t bring it up unless you do first.” You smirk. “You played tank tonight, didn’t you?”
He laughs. “Yeah, a little.”
“Don’t do that shit,” you say, but you can’t help your smile. “What would we do if we lost you in the middle of a battle?”
You can see his posture go a little straight. He turns to you, blinking. “You…?” he begins, but cuts himself off with a laugh. “Ah, mm, well…I’d better get going.”
“Mhm. Message me if you get any new info about fragment locations,” you say, then chuckle. “Or if you just wanna talk about The Bachelor or something.”
He laughs with you. “I don’t watch The Bachelor!”
“Well, whatever you watch!” you call as you jog a few paces away. You offer a wave which Sapphire mimics before pressing the disconnect button on your headset.
You shake your head, disoriented as you return to your bedroom, your window sitting before you, the outskirts of Bucheon spreading out in spindly arms around you. Your head throbs a little and you wince, removing your sensor gloves and setting them gently on the light wood table beside your computer. You guide one of the philodendron leaves to the side so it won’t tickle the gloves. You shuck off the sensor jacket too and leave it draped over the back of your gaming chair. Slowly, you return your attention to the window, smiling down at the sea of lights undulating in the dark. It’s a nice evening, you notice as you press the pads of your fingers to the cool glass.
Your phone, until then sitting dormant on the tabletop beside your potted jade plant, pings to life with a notification. Your eyes widen and you grab for it, stretching your torso as you do to work out your aching muscles. Tonight’s session with the group had gone long, and the fatigue on your back is severe from slumping in that gaming chair like a shrimp. And even though you have to move your upper body to activate the full range of Arcana’s sensor controls, your ass feels like you’ve just sat through back-to-back, four-hour lectures.
BeastSlayers™
SacredSapphire: miss u guys already :-(
You laugh, watch as Tiki begins writing a message in response.
TikiTikiRoom: ..
TikiTikiRoom: dont be soft bitch ill kill you
You pad down the hallway, watching your phone as you stumble through the dark apartment with one hand on the wall bracing you. You connect your phone to the TV speakers and play some lofi something or other, bop your head as you enter the kitchen and flip on a flickering yellow light. You rifle through the freezer, produce a cherry red popsicle. You press it to your lips and smile.
Lolovely: I haven’t even made it to Tik’s dorm wtf why are you being sappy already?
CodenameZer0: Looool, Saph? More like SAP.
TikiTikiRoom: press f
SuperNova: I think it’s sweet :’)
SuperNova: Wanna voice chat?
SacredSapphire: nonono
SacredSapphire: someone’s coming over lol
Lolovely: ominous…
You chuckle and take a bite of your popsicle. But as you do, the thing turns to mush and slides from the stick like slop, staining your white shirt and your lips red. “Shit!” you exclaim, then rush to the freezer.
With a sigh, you notice that a layer of ice is frosted over the back. And as you jam your hand in, you can feel that the temperature is higher than it should be. Hence, melty popsicle. You groan, take to it with a knife from the creaky drawer. You chip away at the ice and keep chipping until the back of the freezer is visible once more.
“Cheap piece of crap,” you mumble, kicking the fridge with your socked toe.
You return to the group chat to a slew of messages.
TikiTikiRoom: WAIT SAPH DO YOU HAVE A BOY/GIRL/THEYFRIEND??
TikiTikiRoom: IM GONNA HAVE AN ANEURISM
Lolovely: !!!!!!!!!
Lolovely: ??????
CodenameZer0: Hohohoh
CodenameZer0: Could it be?
SacredSapphire: NO!!
SacredSapphire: i don’t have a boy/girl/theyfriend! i’m too busy, rip
SacredSapphire: it’s just someone
SacredSapphire: don’t worry about it lol
Lolovely: sus…
Lolovely: nova’s better at this stuff
Lolovely: interrogation
Lolovely: think if i scream hard enough nova will come back?
Lolovely: NOVAAAAAA
You laugh and take a few photos. First of the old laminate floor which now resembles a crime scene in cherry popsicle red. Next of your shirt, now streaked in slush. Third, of your face, lips stained like you’ve smeared lip tint on your skin. You pull a pout before snapping the shot, then send all three together.
SuperNova: I crave death.
SuperNova: Stupid cheap fridge. Freezes over literally monthly.
SuperNova: I hate it here.
Lolovely: oooh that pic…
Lolovely: kinda….sexy hehe
SuperNova: ???
You set your phone aside and take to cleaning the floor. Last thing you need in this shithole is an ant infestation. Your music bumps gently through the sound bar beneath your TV. Sure, your apartment is decked out in tech, but the place itself?
You glance around the kitchen, a sanitary white with pretty fixtures, and suppress a sigh. It’s all for show anyway, this apartment. Like almost all the others in the area, it only looks nice. The reality, however…
Well, it’s melted popsicles and a shower that only runs lukewarm.
You check your phone with a hip against the countertop.
TikiTikiRoom: lewd lol
SuperNova: Shut up lmao nothing lewd about my shitty fridge.
SuperNova: Anyway, no I’m not gonna help you bully Saph.
SuperNova: Leave him alone or I’ll bite your ankles.
Lolovely: !!!
Lolovely: qu'est-ce que pas?
Lolovely: Nova…you’ve been defending Saph lately…
Lolovely: hold on i’m seeing something…
CodenameZer0: Don’t threaten my ankles.
SacredSapphire: nova baby ur the only loyal one here
Laughing, you type your response and make your way to the couch, falling flat on your stomach with an unpleasant thump.
Jeon Jungkook sits still, swiveling in his gaming chair with a soft smile as he watches the messages surge through the Discord group chat. Even though they’re busy teasing him, Jungkook can’t help the swell of fondness in his chest for his group mates. He leans back precariously far, the room nearly pitch black save for the shifting LEDs on his keyboard and the purple screensaver on his monitor.
SuperNova: It’s you and me, Saph.
SuperNova: Now come here and get your kith :3
Jungkook chokes a laugh with his hand, covering his mouth as his eyes squint. He tosses his head to the side, lets out a sigh. Quietly, he touches the photo you sent and lets it spread across his screen. He chuckles, examining your expression. Displeased, you eye the camera with furrowed brows and a pout. Briefly, Jungkook considers telling you it’s cute.
But he quickly clicks out of the photo, clears his throat, and catches up with the chat.
CodenameZer0: God, barf.
TikiTikiRoom: no kithes for zero
Lolovely: lolol i want a kith :(
SuperNova: Get in line then. Saph first.
SacredSapphire: i….*blushes*
SacredSapphire: N-N-Noona!
CodenameZer0: FUCKING BARF GOODBYE
Zero’s icon goes offline and Jungkook laughs in earnest now, his head lolling back. But before he can respond, the door to his studio opens with a robotic jingle. He jumps a little, turning his whole body toward the door. He nearly falls off the chair as he swivels.
In the doorway, Kim Seokjin shuffling across the threshold with two cups of coffee in a carrier. He looks a little disheveled, hair windswept and eyes scanning the room round and round. His gaze lingers here and there: resting on Jungkook’s wall of figurines, then on the futon still pulled down and covered in a messy heap of sheets, then on Jungkook’s face as he sits perfectly still, perfectly redhanded. Jungkook’s mouth agape, his fingers poised to type another message to the group chat, his computer monitor showing no lyrics, no notes, no Ableton. Just his screensaver.
Jungkook had planned to pull up his WIP song before Jin arrived, but the opportunity to do that has long since passed.
“Uh…,” Jungkook says, dumbfounded with round eyes glowing in the flashing keyboard lights. “Hey, Seokjin.”
Jin’s nostrils flare, his expression fiery. His attention flashes to the sensor gloves, the controllers sitting beneath them, the sensor jacket left astray on the ground, haphazard.
“Jeon Jungkook-,”
“I can explain!”
Seokjin glares at him, cocks one single brow. “Uh-huh?”
“I…,” Jungkook begins, flustered as he rises to his feet. He feels like he’s in school again. Seokjin’s gaze is disarming, intense, and his knuckles are white as he crushes the cardboard handle of the coffee carrier. “Uh…I was taking a small tiny little break.”
“A small,” Seokjin begins, placing the coffee on Jungkook’s work desk and resting his palm beside it, “tiny,” he continues, leveling his eyes with Jungkook’s, “little break?” Jin’s jaw is clenched.
Jungkook swallows hard. “Mhm…”
Jungkook expects Seokjin to bare his canines, to sneer at him, to scold him to kingdom come. But his manager simply eases into a sigh and leans away from Jungkook, rubbing his forehead. It’s clear the will to fight with Jungkook is slowly leaking, and before long Seokjin has fallen backwards onto the futon, crushing the blanket mountain in his descent.
“Listen,” Seokjin says, fatigue in his voice. “You’ve got…so much going on in the next few months, you know?”
“I know!” Jungkook says, quick to sit beside Seokjin, brows knitting. He feels like a kid again, and the disappointment laced through Jin’s words feels like his childhood. “Trust me, I’m not just…like, procrastinating. It’s not that.”
Jin eyes him sidelong. “Then what is it?”
Jungkook stiffens, his back straight as a board. He clears his throat, stares at the coffee. “Let me get those,” he says, rushing to his feet with a clumsy stumble and grabbing the coffees before returning to his spot beside Jin. He hands Jin a coffee, expectant and, begrudgingly, Seokjin takes it and sips.
“Don’t avoid the question,” he says, stern. “If anyone’ll understand, it’s gotta be me, right?”
Jungkook nods. “No, you’re right!”
“Like, we’ve gone through some hard shit and where have I been? Right behind you. From day one,” he says, leveling a serious look at Jungkook. The lighthearted mood has fled from the room through the cracks in the walls. “All I’m asking is for you to put in the effort.”
Jungkook sighs, rests his forearms on his knees, laces his fingers around the coffee cup. He stares at the space between his toes. “I just…,” he begins, voice choked with insecurity. He doesn’t want to say it. In fact, he’d rather do just about anything else.
Because, after all, saying it means it’s real.
And if it’s real, then it’s a real problem.
“Listen,” Jin begins, patting Jungkook’s back. “I get it. Making music…it can be really tiring, right?” he says. Jungkook can only shrug. “And sometimes you might not feel like you can do it. Like you don’t have the inspiration.”
“Mm…”
Seokjin gives another pat, stronger this time. “But that’s how life is, Jungkook. Work doesn’t just wait. You’re an adult now. You’ve got adult responsibilities. And when you make a passion into your full-time job, you kinda sacrifice the freedom. Deadlines are a thing. You can’t just…be flippant and casual about it.”
“I’m not being casual,” says Jungkook, and for the first time since Jin walked in his voice is strong and steady. He sits up straight and meets Jin’s imploring eyes.
Seokjin offers a small smile. “Good,” he says. “I trust you. And, you know, you’ve got a whole team of producers behind you who wanna see you succeed. All you’ve gotta do is call.”
“I know.”
“You’re not doing it alone, alright?” he asks, and Jungkook’s throat tightens a little. “That’s the good thing about making your passion into your full-time job, huh? Now…well, now it’s not just your responsibility. It’s divided.”
“Yeah.”
“Well…,” Seokjin says, patting his thighs as he pushes to his feet. “Just wanted to drop by and check on you.”
Jungkook offers a smile and nods, standing with his manager. “Yup.”
“You do remember what’s on deck for tomorrow, right?” asks Seokjin, cocking a brow as he takes another swig of coffee.
Jungkook nods again. “Screen test with the drama people.”
Jin smacks the side of Jungkook’s head and crosses his arms. “Not the drama people!” he says, rolling his eyes. “It’s IJBC.”
“IJBC, right,” Jungkook says as he tenderly rubs the side of his head. “I remember.”
“Do you even know the name of the drama?” The younger boy falls silent, sheepish. “It’s called Give Up Generation, Jungkook.”
“I remember,” Jungkook says, pouting a little. “I just…forgot for a minute.”
Jin can’t help chuckling. “Get to bed early then so you don’t have dark circles,” Jin says with a smile, nodding as he turns toward the door. “Ah!” Seokjin pivots around, casting a disdainful look over Jungkook’s shoulder at the foldout futon. He pulls a scowl. “Sleep at home tonight, will you?”
Jungkook chuckles. “Alright. Stop nagging now,” he says, patting Jin’s back as he guides him out the door and into the hallway. “Bye, Jin!” he calls, not awaiting a response.
Slowly and with his head down, Jungkook shuffles back inside and slumps into his gaming chair, staring at his screensaver. He heaves a deep down sigh, lets it escape through his lips nearly pinched shut. Like exhaling cigarette smoke.
His phone pings to life with an incoming message.
SuperNova: Alright, I had your back before but I don’t cosign the Noona Agenda. I don’t even know if I am your noona.
Lolovely: seconded.
Lolovely: plus it’s icky.
TikiTikiRoom: boooooo
SuperNova: Wait, I think I just heard something in the hallway. Hold on.
Lolovely: SCARY!
TikiTikiRoom: burglars lol
Lolovely: ctrl z yourself, tiki
Lolovely: what if it is though…?
TikiTikiRoom: doubt it.
SuperNova: !!!
SuperNova: Lol it was a package…?
Lolovely: so late…?
SuperNova: Yeah…Lemme open it hold on.
The next message that comes through is a photo you send. Jungkook sits up straighter, opens it quick, and grins once he realizes what it is. A cardboard box, relatively big, sitting torn open on your kitchen floor, the photo features a look inside at several pretty makeup palettes and brushes. Jungkook doesn’t know the names of everything he sees, but he knows why it’s a big deal.
SacredSapphire: !! they finally sent it!!
SuperNova: They did!!
Lolovely: wait what? what did who send?
SuperNova: Lol, sorry. Uh I guess I only told Saph. But the brand I’ve been communicating with actually sent me a PR package! I’m gonna use it on my next job.
SuperNova: This shit’s super expensive too, so I’m lucky I’ve been in contact with a rep.
SuperNova: Gotta use the best to be the best!
TikiTikiRoom: i forgot ur a makeup artist lol
TikiTikiRoom: .-.
SuperNova: …
SuperNova: We’ve been group mates for like four months jfc
SuperNova: Anyway, yeah I’m glad. I guess they sent it to the wrong apartment? So my neighbor brought it over. He just got back from work.
Lolovely: neighbor?
Lolovely: cute neighbor?
SuperNova: He’s like seventy so no, not really my type.
SacredSapphire: nova, that’s super cool. i’m sure you’re gonna get big gigs soon.
SuperNova: Well, I can hope haha.
SuperNova: No, well…all I can do is work hard.
SuperNova: >:-)
All you can do is work hard, huh?
Jungkook tosses his phone to the side and rubs his hands up and down his face. He pinches his eyes shut and relaxes into the back of his chair, feeling the lull of sleepiness finally pulling at him.
And instead of going home like Jin asked, Jungkook simply pads over to the futon and, without moving the blankets, collapses atop them and falls asleep where he falls.
“I’m very sorry.”
“No…uh, no it’s fine.”
“Of course, you can keep the fees or whatever.”
“Oh, um, I…no, I’ll refund those too.”
“Really? I’ll give you a really good review!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m really sorry.”
You sigh, plant a hand on your forehead and heave a sigh. Forcing a smile, you shake your head and press your phone into the crook of your shoulder, bending down to give your fiddle-leaf fig a hose down with your watering can.
“It’s fine. Things come up, you know?”
The girl on the other side of the phone, a young independent model going in for headshots, had called you an hour ago and had spoken at length about why she has to cancel her appointment with you today. How the photographer did this or that, how she actually watched a few tutorials online and figured she could do it herself, how she felt so so bad. You feel bad for her, of course. Kind of.
“Listen, I’ll give you a shoutout on my page, alright? I’ll tag you in my story,” she says.
You shake your head. “No, that’s fine. Just, um…you know, take care. Remember to clean your brushes.”
At this, she laughs. “Thanks for being so cool. I was actually super nervous to call and cancel. I’ve had to cancel a few things like this before, and I’ve had bad experiences,” she says. “Anyway, I’ll recommend you!”
“Alright.”
“Thanks!”
You nod as she hangs up the phone. Gently, you rise to your feet and set your watering can aside on the kitchen table. You set the phone beside it, pausing to glare at the black screen. Well…there goes your Sunday. You turn over your shoulder, pad to the window, crack it open a little. A bracing breeze whistles through, cooling your skin. You shut your eyes against it — only for a moment — before you turn on your heel, shove your feet into your sneakers sockless, swipe your phone and house keys, and shove out the door.
The florist’s is a healthy walk away, but the weather is nice enough and you’re too tired to brave the subway even if it’s only a few stops. You pass buildings and parks as the landscape becomes more and more urban and the high rises look like they could puncture the cloud layer. Before long, you’re standing in front of Happy Garden and, stepping through the sliding doors that are always left open and all-but nonfunctioning with the lush green plants climbing all around. You breathe a sigh of relief, pat your chest a little as the fresh, grassy scent settles your heart.
You aren’t there for more than half a minute before Hoseok stumbles out from the back room, grinning wide with a bouquet of hydrangeas in his hands, wrapped in butcher paper and twine. He curves around the stumbling greenery littering every surface and encroaching on every walkway and comes to a stop in front of you. He smiles.
“Hey,” you say before he gets the chance. You hold up one limp hand in a lazy wave.
He glances up and down, from your head to your toes, and sighs. Still holding the hydrangeas, he rests a hip on the checkout counter and cocks a brow.
“That is the opposite of encouraging,” you remark with a scowl.
He chuckles, pats your arm. “What’s up?” He jerks his head toward the front of the store where bouquets are displayed and you follow behind him as he leads you there. “Unsuccessful raid?”
“Contrary to popular belief, my life doesn’t revolve around video games, actually,” you say, but his laugh wipes the grimace from your face.
His fluffy hair bounces as he bends down to add the hydrangeas to the display and when he stands upright once more he crosses his arms. “You know what I mean. You’ve been in here a lot lately.”
“Pardon me for trying to raise plants,” you say with a pout.
Again, he laughs. “Jesus, stop trying to pick a fight!” he says. “You must be in a really bad mood if you’re here acting like this.”
“Well what’s that supposed to mean?” you begin, outrage all over your face, before locking eyes with Hoseok and composing yourself. You sigh, nod your head. “Yeah, no I’m being annoying.”
He smiles, heart-shaped, and the apples of his cheeks grow rounder. What a joyful guy, you think to yourself with a wistful sigh. “Tell me about it then.”
He pulls one of the empty display boxes over and offers you a seat as he begins tending to the plants all around. You oblige, settle in, and sigh again. “It’s just…everything kinda feels like a dead end right now.”
“Hm?” he asks over his shoulder, graceful hands guiding a waxy leaf back in place.
“Like with my work,” you say, then shake your head. “No, that’s not it. Not entirely.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like…things are okay, you know? I’m getting PR gifts. I’m growing my following on Instagram. I’ve got consistent clients,” you say, nodding. “Like everything is fine, you know?”
“But something feels…missing maybe?” Hoseok offers as he moves to spraying the ferns with water.
You shake your head. “More than that, it’s…like, I feel like I’ve hit the ceiling of what I can do, you know? Like what if this is the best I’ll ever do?”
“Is that bad?” he asks.
You sigh. “Not bad, just…disappointing,” you say. “I wanna work on movies. Red carpets. Editorials.” You rest your chin in your hand and your elbow on your knee. You stare up at Hoseok, now trimming brown leaves from another plant across the store. “I don’t wanna be stuck doing birthday parties forever.”
Hoseok hums, turns toward you with his hands in his apron pocket. He offers a smile. “You sound like a brat.”
You stiffen, eyes wide. “I-,” you start, but there’s really not much you can say to retort. So, softly, you slump once more and shrug. “Yeah…”
“And if you keep that attitude, you’re never gonna be an editorial makeup artist. I can promise you that,” he says with a nod as he approaches once more and crouches before your knees, still smiling. “Everyone has to grow somehow, you know? Be grateful you’ve got opportunities to build your resume.”
You nod. “Yeah.”
“What brought all of this on?”
Shrugging, you glance away toward the big croton plant in the corner, basking in morning sunlight, leaves all stiff and red and green. It’s a pretty plant. You tilt your head to the side, stare longer.
“That model bailed,” you say, but you’ve almost forgotten the self-pity of a moment ago. You stand to your feet and wander toward the plant, hitting halfway up your thigh. You crouch before it and look it over. “Hoseok, this is a really big croton.”
He laughs. “Mhm.”
“How much?”
“With the pot and given its height, it’s going for thirty-five-thousand won.”
You raise your brows. “I expected worse.”
“We’re fair here!” he protests, wagging his finger at you as he comes to stand beside you.
You smile softly, run a finger along the edge of a leaf. “It’s really pretty.”
“Suits you,” he says.
Without noticing, your anxiety begins to subside. “I think I’ll take it.”
“I’ll give you five-thousand off since you’re having a bad day,” he says, patting your back.
You turn to him with a smile. “Thanks.”
He chuckles. “I’ll loan you the dolly so you can get that thing home. Just bring it back before two.”
You stand up, stare down at the plant, nod once. “Mhm.”
Hoseok makes his way toward the cash register, punches in a few numbers. You linger a few steps behind, still staring at the croton. You get a good feeling off that one. Hoseok would tease you if you said as much, but you know when to listen to your intuition.
“Your big break will come Y/N,” Hoseok says as he rings you up, not once glancing to meet your eyes. “Just keep going.”
Jungkook sits with his head leaning against the rattling van window, eyes half-shut. Seoul blurs past him in shades of silvery grey and it’s all he can do to keep himself from falling asleep. For all his nagging, Seokjin had been right about one thing: Jungkook was sporting purplish bags beneath his eyes from a restless night’s sleep. Jin sits beside him now, frowning at his phone as he scrolls through Twitter. He’d given Jungkook a very stern talking to once he’d seen him, and really Jungkook deserved it. He knows that.
“Your voice is in good condition, right?” asks Jin.
Jungkook sits up straight, clears his throat. He shrugs. “Yeah. Why?”
Still stewing over his phone, Seokjin waves his hand without looking up. “Don’t worry about it.”
Jungkook sighs, leans back once more, gazes out the window once more. His phone buzzes once and he grabs it quickly, eager to distract himself.
BeastSlayers™
SuperNova: [image attached]
SuperNova: check him out OJO
Jungkook clicks the image you sent and chuckles as it loads up. The photo features nothing of you save for one hand, reaching out from behind the camera, throwing up a peace sign. Behind your hand, a houseplant. A pretty big one at that.
Jungkook smiles and drafts his reply, but the others are quicker.
CodenameZer0: Another plant? Lol isn’t your apartment overflowing with them by now?
SuperNova: Hush. Look at him.
LoLovely: cute!
LoLovely: does he have a name?
SuperNova: I don’t name my plants.
TikiTikiRoom: lol
TikiTikiRoom: because THAT would be weird
CodenameZer0: At least Nova can care care for a plant in the first place.
CodenameZer0: Let’s be honest here, Nova’s probably the only one among us who is even remotely responsible enough.
SacredSapphire: Nova it’s cute!
SacredSapphire: name him after me ;3
SuperNova: Sapphire?
SacredSapphire: hmmm say my name hehe
CodenameZer0: STOP IT FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST
CodenameZer0: IF THE FLIRTING DOESN’T STOP I’M GETTING YOU A TWO-WEEK BAN ON ARCANA
SacredSapphire: SHIT okay okay, let’s just take it easy
SacredSapphire: talk this out like adults…
SuperNova: Once I’ve finished setting up my new plant, I’m gonna play Animal Crossing. Anyone free to join? I’ve got oranges and mums.
SuperNova: Also had a meteor shower last night and have leftover star fragments first come first served.
The offer is tempting, to be sure. Not only would he receive star fragments, he’d be able to wander your island with the others. It might feel like you guys are side-by-side for real. Jungkook reaches into his backpack, slumped between his knees, and rifles around for his Switch. But as he produces the case, Seokjin shoots him the evil eye.
“If you’ve got time to play games, you’ve got time to review your lines,” he says, cocking a brow.
Jungkook sighs a little, slides the Switch back inside his bag. “I’ll look them over again.”
“Good.”
He takes one last look at his cell phone, checking the group chat with a frown that pinches the sides of his lips.
TikiTikiRoom: MEMEMEME
TikiTikiRoom: if any of you fakes get there before me ill go apeshit
TikiTikiRoom: i need so many
LoLovely: don’t need fragments, just wanna see ur cute face hehe
SuperNova: /blushes
SuperNova: I’ll open the gates once Sapphire Junior is nice and settled.
CodenameZer0: I’ll come too. I wanna shop.
SuperNova: Can’t you be cute like Lolita?
CodenameZer0: /gags
SuperNova: You coming, Saph? I’ll save a few fragments for you.
TikiTikiRoom: FAVORITISM
SuperNova: I am transparent about my favoritism toward Sapphire.
SuperNova: Because he is indeed my favorite.
LoLovely: *shocked pikachu face*
SacredSapphire: soz :-( i can’t
SacredSapphire: working
SuperNova: :-(
SuperNova: Next time we’ll all come to your island.
Jungkook tries not to feel that twinge of melancholy that tugs at his chest. That one he always gets when his friends go out for barbecue or grab drinks and hit the karaoke rooms. The one that feels like he’s really, deeply, fundamentally missing out on something important.
No, he doesn’t feel it. Instead, he focuses his attention on the printout Seokjin had given him three days ago. He scans the lines over and over, committing them to memory.
“No! That’s the thing, she didn’t even tell me!” says the girl below your brush.
You attempt to guide the highlighter across her cheekbones, but before you can make contact with her skin she’s jerked away once more, talking so animatedly that you can’t even tell if you’ve made her eyebrows even.
“That’s shitty,” says her friend beside her, likewise preoccupied as Jieun struggles to match her skintone.
The two of you lock eyes, both hovering over the two women as they chat over matching cups of coffee. Jieun puffs out her cheeks, raises her brows, and goes back to work, smoothing foundation on to the client’s chin with a brush.
You stand in a nice apartment — all marble floors and high ceilings and windowed walls overlooking Seoul. When you’d gotten the offer for a Seoul gig with Jieun, you’d been hesitant. The subway ride is long and you prefer to stay relatively local. But something made you agree. You don’t know exactly what. Call it divine intervention or epiphany or Jung Hoseok, but the words just keep going had been replaying in your brain since you last saw your friend. The pair of women — likely in their thirties — had booked both you and Jieun to do their makeup for a Sunday luncheon.
“And you know she’s looking out for him,” says Hyejin with a scoff. “As if I’m gonna bite the kid’s head off.”
“Maybe you will,” jokes the other woman, laughing just as Jieun reaches in to apply some liquid blush to her cheeks. “You know she’s got a soft spot for him.”
“Yeah well it’s a soft spot in all of our wallets if he doesn’t get his shit together,” says Hyejin, sighing. There is real woe in her expression and you can feel from the shift in atmosphere that things have turned serious. “He’s talented, you know? But…sometimes I think she goes too easy on him,” she continues, and this time her tone is decidedly softer, the movement of her face less pronounced.
You use the opportunity to work some powder beneath her eyes with a sponge. “Well, that’s motherhood for you,” says the other, flippant.
“Have you seen what the folks are saying on Twitter?” asks Hyejin as you apply shadow to her eyelids. “About his voice.”
“Hm?”
“Well some of his bigger hate communities have been compiling all the footage of his stage mistakes and they’re spreading it around,” Hyejin says with a huff. “Stupid, honestly. They’re making it out like he makes those mistakes all the time.”
“Netizens are like that, Hyejin,” says the other woman, now easing into her chair with her eyes shut as Jieun can finally get to work setting her base.
“Still…”
“Nowyou’re the one defending him,” she remarks with a laugh.
“It’s not that,” Hyejin says, scoffing. “It’s just…like if he doesn’t prove himself soon, all those commenters are gonna have more ammunition, you know? Which is annoying for all of us.”
“Sounds like you care a little bit.”
“I dont.”
“Hm.”
You focus on Hyejin’s full lashes, applying mascara with delicate, steady strokes. She hums a little as you use the pad of your fingertips to tame stubborn eyeshadow into blending more seamlessly. It seems, at least, that the conversation has died down. For that, you are very grateful.
“Say, do you two know anything about k-pop?” asks Jieun’s client.
The two of you lock eyes once more. It’s true that you are well-versed in pop culture: video games, TV shows, YouTube drama. But you’d be lying if you said you tune in to Inkigayo every week. And despite Jieun’s age and her trendy look, you know she’s not the type to keep updated on current idols. And you see in her brown eyes your own shock mirrored.
“Um…no, not particularly,” you answer for the both of you. Jieun releases a breath she’d been holding and smiles her thanks. “Do you two work in the field?”
Hyejin waves her hand and sighs. “Don’t go bothering them with those sorts of questions,” she says, and you notice for the first time the easy poshness that this woman has. Even with her head tilted back and her eyes shut tight, she seems sure of herself.
You envy her just a little for that.
“What? They’re young,” says the other woman, grinning with her eyes shut as Jieun works on her eyeliner. “You ever heard of RTE?”
“Hey now,” says Hyejin, warning in her voice.
“I’m just curious,” the woman continues with a sigh. “Look us up if you haven’t.” The woman chuckles, reaching out blind to smack Hyejin’s upper arm. “Hey, maybe even tweet something nice about our artists!”
“Knock it off and let them work,” Hyejin says, prying open one eye to meet yours. She offers a smile, apologetic, and sighs. “She’s just playing around. You can ignore her. It’s what I do.” She nods her head and leans it back once more.
Quietly, you get back to work. But you can’t help but feel like this woman’s incredible presence makes you paler somehow.
“What’s the point if it makes me unhappy?” Jungkook shouts, brows knitting, eyes growing watery. “The money, the lifestyle…what good is it?” his voice settles into a bare whisper, cracked.
“You only say that because you’re young! You’re stupid! You’re naive! You think things work out just because you want them bad enough?” says his costar, glancing down at the script every now and again as the two stand across from one another.
The set bustles on behind them, crew carrying tall lights and fixtures as they scuttle by. But Jungkook and his costar — a man named Namjoon acting as his older brother — continue their scene under the watchful eye of the cameras, trained right on them. Less of a screen test and more of a chemistry check between actors, Director Lim watches the monitor closely with his scrabbly chin in his palm.
“So what if I fail?” Jungkook asks with a quiver, referencing his script once to make sure he got the line right. “What’re you gonna do? Tattle on me to Dad?”
“I won’t have to,” Namjoon says, sighing as he grips the bridge of his nose. “He’s got his watchdogs trained right on you.”
Jungkook stiffens. “He’s been…following me?”
“I told you you’re too naive for the real world, Jiwon.”
Director Lim claps his hands and in an instant the tension and the scene are broken. Jungkook takes a respectful step back from his costar, and Namjoon offers him a bow of the head. Jungkook returns it, fighting off a nervous grin, and turns to the director as he circles around the equipment to stand in front of them. He’s a middle-aged man, handsome in a way with salt-and-pepper hair and eyes that seem to grab you and hold on like a snare. Jungkook is pinned in place like a bug in a shadowbox.
But Director Lim’s face splits in a crooked smile and Jungkook feels himself ease, exhaling long and slow. “Great job, boys!” he says, clapping both of their shoulders. “You were selling it well.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Jungkook replies too quick, like an eager child.
Director Lim chuckles, pats him again. “I’m praising you, kid. Don’t look so scared.”
He swallows hard. “I…I know. Um…thank you, Sir.”
Behind the trio, a group of stylists cart a rack of costumes quickly to the other side of the set, snagging the back of Jungkook’s shoe as they do. Jungkook stumbles to his knees, caught off guard, and the girls jerk to a stop as they catch themselves on the clothing rack. The two stare down at Jungkook, wide-eyed, and each of them covers their mouths. Immediately, they bow their heads in apology, both muttering sorry, so sorry almost too quietly to hear. Jungkook shakes his head and stands to his feet.
He too bows his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been standing there,” he says gently, hoping to assuage their concerns.
But the girls remain bowed, as if too afraid to even lift their heads. Jungkook, puzzled, leans down slightly to meet their eyes, but they glance away so quickly that he can’t even get a proper look at either of their faces.
“Um…it’s really not a problem,” he says, but before he can say more Director Lim approaches with a grim severity in his eyes. Jungkook, quick to stand up straight and face the director, stutters a little as he settles himself in front of the stylists. “It’s no big deal,” he says to Director Lim, but it’s like the man can’t even hear him.
“We were distracted, Sir,” says one of the girls, raising her head slightly to meet Director Lim’s gaze. “We are very, very sorry.”
“It really isn’t-,” Jungkook begins.
“You think it’s appropriate to crash into my actors? In the middle of a conversation about their performance?” Lim asks, but it’s clear the question isn’t meant to be answered. His tone has shifted into something cold. “You could have very well injured Jungkook.”
“I’m fine-,”
“But what if you weren’t?”
Jungkook shuts his mouth, staring helpless at the girls as they both stand up straight once more, eyes on the floor and hands knitted in front of them. He feels a hand on his back between his shoulder blades and jumps a little, turning quick to find Namjoon standing close.
“Don’t,” is all he says, voice terse and so quiet Jungkook almost doesn’t hear it, before dropping his hand and taking a half step back.
Jungkook’s jaw clenches, his hands work into balls as he stares. The lighting is low, dramatic as if a scene composed by Lim himself. The two girls lift only their eyes to gaze up at him.
“We’re very, very sorry, Sir,” says one of the stylists, guiding a lock of dark hair behind her ear.
“Mhm,” he says, looming. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again. Can’t afford to replace two stylists and a makeup artist in the same week.”
Jungkook simply stares, Namjoon’s warning freezing through him like ice. His limbs feel leaden. And as the two girls rush off, dragging their rack behind them, Jungkook focuses again on Director Lim.
He swivels back around to the two actors with a bright, fatherly smile. “Pardon me,” he says, waving his hand with a warm laugh. “Gotta keep the crew in check otherwise they’ll slack off.”
“Ha,” Jungkook puffs out in response, smiling in turn.
Namjoon hums a little. “Why don’t we try the reconciliation scene?”
“What in the world do you mean?” Hyejin yells into her phone just as she ushers you into her apartment. You eye her as her face grows red, her brows coming together. “He’s not quitting!”
Hyejin pauses to offer you an apologetic smile. She’s dressed in a modest pajama dress, padding barefoot along the cool marble floors. She leans against the arm of a nice black leather sofa, raises a hand to her flushed cheek, looks at her toes with vexation. Carefully, you set your makeup kit on her kitchen island, meeting her eyes with raised brows as if asking permission. She waves her hand, nods once before pinching the bridge of her nose between her index finger and her thumb.
“Listen, we knew Lim was difficult. But this is a huge opportunity for his career.” Hyejin rubs her kneecap, massaging. Her short hair falls along the line of her jaw as she dips her head in a deep sigh. “I know you know that, Seokjin. But you’re his manager. You’ve gotta keep convincing him.”
You begin unpacking your things, setting them neatly along the edge of the countertop, and try not to eavesdrop as Hyejin continues letting out chopped sighs. You can hear her fidget around the apartment behind you. She’d called you again, only a few days later, to secure you for another important event. A meeting, she’d said. You didn’t want to agree. Wanted to say you were too busy, that the commute was too much.
“Hey,” she whispers behind you. You jump, but turn nonetheless to find her cupping one hand over the phone’s receiver. Her eyes are severe, jaw clenched. “How long can you stay? This call might take a while.”
You raise your brows, think back over your schedule. “Hm…,” you respond, then shake your head. “I’m free all day. But…when’s your meeting?”
She stiffens, eyes flashing to the clock on the oven. “Shit,” she mutters. She approaches you with a frown. “I’ve only got two hours to get everything ready—Yes! Yes, I’m still here Seokjin. Stop panicking, for Christ’s sake—,” she says, her shoulders pinching. She glances at you again. “Um…”
You glance around the apartment. It’s spotless, as usual. But you spy in the corner beside a massive potted umbrella tree a taupe pantsuit, hanging beside a steamer. You’d have thought someone in her position would have sent it to the cleaners to be properly steamed, but perhaps it had slipped her mind. With the way she’s pacing around the apartment, still dressed in her pajamas, you wonder if perhaps she’s not as put together as you thought.
“I’ll steam that,” you say with a nod, pointing to the suit.
She stares at you, wide-eyed. “Oh, no. You don’t have to do something like that-,”
You shake your head. “No problem. What else do you need done here?” you ask, consulting your wristwatch with a hum. “If we keep it light, I can have your makeup done in forty-five minutes.”
She blinks at you. “Uh…well…,” she begins, then jumps a little as a voice in the phone shouts loud enough for you to hear. “No! No! Can you relax? I’ll talk you through it in just a minute! I’ve gotta sort some things out,” she shouts back at the phone. She turns her attention back to you with a sheepish smile. “Um, I need to steam the suit, wrap the fruits — they’re a gift for the client —, call the restaurant to confirm the reservation, shine my shoes, organize our documents chronologically and set them up in a binder,” she says.
You have to admit that the sheer volume of busywork has you taken aback. But you steel yourself with a bracing sigh, nod once, and offer her a smile. “Consider it taken care of,” you say.
“Ah! I…I really feel bad dumping all of this on you,” she says, crossing her arms with knit brows. “Normally I’d have my assistant doing all of this, but she’s ill.”
“Not a problem,” you say, smiling once more. “Just take care of your phone call and leave the rest to me! As long as we’ve got forty-five minutes for makeup, we’ll be fine.”
She lets out a sigh that seems to deflate her, shoulders slumping as if in profound relief. She nods once, smiling, and turns on her heel. “I’ll be in my office, alright? I promise I’ll be out in time!”
You give one wave as she rushes through a clouded glass door and shuts it behind her. You roll up the sleeves of your sweater and get to work on the suit.
Two hours later, and you’re accompanying Hyejin out into the apartment hallway. She pauses as the door clicks shut, waiting for it to give a chime, and turns to you with a sigh. She looks pretty. You had to rush a bit once she emerged from her office, and after taking care of the other chores you found it difficult to focus on her makeup, but you’re proud enough of your work given the circumstances. You’ve managed to match her eyeshadow to her pantsuit with gentle oranges and reds.
Since you were rushing to finish everything in time, the two of you hadn’t had a chance to exchange words. Perhaps you are curious — just a little — about the emergency she had to quell over the phone. Or maybe you just want a proper thank you. So you linger beside her in the well-lit hallway, you let your eyes wander to a potted fern in the corner by the elevator, wait for Hyejin to say something.
“I’m sorry,” she says, sighing. She glances at you through her lashes.
Your eyes go wide. “Hm? What for?”
“For having you do all of that,” she says, flitting one manicured hand. “I feel guilty.”
You shake your head. “No,” you say with a smile. “It’s no problem at all, honestly. You had me booked for an hour and a half anyway.”
She sighs again. “I really feel bad.”
“Don’t worry about it…,” you say, eyeing her. She crosses her arms, vexed, and purses her lips a little. “Um…was that call about an artist?” you ask.
She snaps back to herself, glancing at you. “Oh? Yes. That was about our biggest artist actually,” she says. “I think I’ve got it taken care of though, thanks to you.” She guides the two of you to the elevator. “I’ll pay you extra, alright?”
You laugh. “No, no. It’s fine! I’m just glad it all worked out.”
She stares at you, scanning you for a very long moment as the elevator rises to your floor. You try not to fidget, not to shrink under her scrutiny, but you feel yourself recoiling just a little. Her gaze is intense, knowing, as if she can see right through you and she’s looking for something. And as the elevator arrives, she gives a hum that sounds contented and you wonder if she’s found it.
Jungkook glances around the empty pavilion, scanning the cobbled streets for any sign of escape. From above, a dark mage is laying waste to the small shanty town. Not a single player has ventured out this way, all following a lead in the Elysian Forest to the west. But after you had mentioned a tip you got from researching at the Library of Arcana, you’d suggested visiting the seaside nook on the far south of the map. A legendary evil slumbers hidden, you’d recited over voice chat with a laugh, Sounds about right.
Only now, Jungkook’s alone. His hands are sweaty around the controllers in his palms and the realistic graphics are serving only to make him more nervous as the mage swings low near the central fountain and sets off a spray of fire just in front of him. Jungkook can almost feel the heat.
Jungkook had set out to do some scouting. Nothing extreme. Just a simple peek about, seeing if he could find any clues. He sent a message to the group chat, but he hadn’t waited on a response before he signed in. He’d had no idea that the Big Bad herself would come flying from the fountain the moment he touched the water with his sword. And now she’s circling him like some sort of hawk. Quickly, Jungkook calls up his inventory menu and searches through his items. A few extra swords he picked up, some ritual herbs, his old chainmail armor, some healing potions and…
The fragment…
If this mage takes him out, he’ll end up dropping his entire inventory. Including the fragment.
And by the time he can make his way back over here, other players will have come running from the commotion.
And the fragment will be gone.
“Shit,” he hisses out, dismissing the menu and focusing back on the mage as she releases a chilling cackle.
The quaint village is smoking, with thatched roofs catching fire and whole storefronts crumbling into piles of simmering stone. The sky is nearly blotted out with ash, and all he can see is that mage, swirling around up there in billowing black robes and shiny white teeth exposed in a wicked grin.
Jungkook glances over his shoulder toward the street he’d taken in to the village, but it’s too smokey to see anything more than the outlines of ruined buildings. There’s no way he’ll be able to navigate his way out of here without a lantern. And if it’s this smokey, he’s absolutely positive that nearby players have noticed. Which means more competition.
And more people to snatch his fragment when he falls.
The mage gives a cry, shouts her line, “Not enough yet?!”, and swoops down at a dizzying pace. Jungkook stumbles back, but he’s not fast enough. She’s approaching in a dark blur, too quickly for him to counter. A flash of regret washes through him as he squeezes his eyes shut inside his VR headset. He doesn’t want to see this.
He waits for a tense moment that way, anticipating the melancholy piano chords that accompany in-game death, but none come. Instead, he hears very keenly the sound of the mage grunting as if in pain. And, in an instant, he opens his eyes wide to see standing on the other side of the fount
Request: fluff: Friend group travelling (wherever inspires you most! I’m thinking someplace like Hawai where they visit secret beaches and stuff! Site-seeing in the city could also be interesting!). Jimin and and OC know eachother through friends. OC is independent and not TOO into the whole adventuring deal but does it to enjoy some quality time with her friends. Jimin is flirty and playful and makes the trip all the more interesting for her. (I don’t know how you want to set it up but maybe two friends are dating and they invite their two seperate friend groups on this trip to meet. Or maybe it’s a wedding and OC is a bridesmaid? Anything works honestly!) - @silviasgotyourback
Description: You’re not too keen on…you know…risk-taking. In fact, it scares you to your core. But when your close friend Kim Namjoon gets in your head, you agree to a crazy trip to Fiji with him and his pals. But what happens when one of those pals – specifically Park Jimin – sweeps you off your feet not only figuratively, but literally?
A/N: Wow what a long break I’ve taken haha! But I’m back (kinda) to post some one shots (slowly)! I’ve been working really hard on my graduate school writing sample and auto statements, and I’ve just started my senior year of college AND started a new job so I’ve been incredibly busy! I apologize nonetheless for my absence. It’s felt horrible being away. Very guilty lol. Anyway, thank you my dear for requesting and for being so so so SO patient with me. I hope you like the result!
Also, if you want to follow me on Twitter please do so! My handle is @/nirvana_namu. I would post a link, but rumor has it Tumblr killed links and I’m not taking any chances.
- Mercury
You’re not sure why you agreed to this.
Standing at the tippy top of a mountain, looking out over the entire surf as it roils in the golden island sun, you watch your best friend get strapped into a harness with a laugh that echoes through the humid air. His gaze is focused downward, along the slope of treetops leading to the water. A zipline. A really steep, really fast one. One of the longest in the world! Namjoon had proclaimed with no small measure of wonder in his round eyes before you’d boarded the plane side by side only a day prior. If you weren’t so scared, you’d want to paint it.
You really don’t know why you agreed to do any of this.
The vested employee adjusts the straps secured around Namjoon’s hips, tugs them once or twice — not nearly enough by your standards — and mumbles something unintelligible into the receiver of a walkie-talkie. Enveloped in greenery, Namjoon pauses to turn and look at you and, upon snagging your eyes, offers a big, stupid, dimpled grin. He waves one hand over his head at you as you wait to be loaded into the next harness. And it looks like his eyes are squinted against the sun, but really they’re squinted from the sheer force of his joy. A joy too big to be contained in a smile alone.
That’s exactly why, you think to yourself with a grimace as you shamble forward along the worn footpath, second-to-last in line, arms crossed over your torso as if they can protect you from whatever fresh hell Namjoon’s planned out.
The employee pats Namjoon’s bare shoulder before releasing him and sending him speeding down the swaying cable with a scream so loud it pierces your ears. His body falls out of sight for a frozen millisecond before the cable gives a mighty bounce and his head reappears, bobbing up and down as he slides toward the bottom. You wince, more out of fear than discomfort, and pause to peek over the edge of the loading platform, following the line of the cable all the way to the bottom. Your heart races as your eyes trace the dense tree line, seemingly endless, and the sheer drop that had claimed Namjoon just seconds before.
And that’s when, as you sweep your twitching gaze out behind you, you lock eyes with Park Jimin. Standing behind you, the very last of the group to depart down the cliffside, his lips are quirked into a smirk that reads cocky and his brows are raised, unyielding eyes stuck on you like tree sap. Of all people to be stuck with on the top of a mountain…
Your face goes hot and your spine stiffens by a few degrees. You stare back at him, trying to discern any measure of fear in his smiling expression, his half-exposed teeth, his rosy cheeks, his teasing brown eyes. But instead all you see is, as usual, a perfect facade of composure.
Well, that and a sinfully handsome face.
He saunters up beside you, scans you from head to toe, and hums a little. “Nervous?” he asks, as if he doesn’t already know.
You clear your throat, fan yourself with your hand as a futile defense against the jungle heat, and nod your head once. “Mm.”
Upon hearing your response, Jimin’s demeanor shifts a little. He uncrosses his arms and his smirk slips, brows raising. He leans closer to examine your face and you avert your gaze, heart hammering. “Whoa, you’re actually spooked, huh,” he remarks before glancing around the platform. “Shit, I don’t think the guide’s gonna let you turn back now.”
You’d expected him to make fun of you, perhaps laugh at your weak constitution. But this…
This is new.
Though well-meaning, Jimin’s words serve only to set your palms sweating and your heart racing faster. Your throat feels a little funny, tight like asthma. You shift your weight from foot to foot. “I-It’s fine,” you mumble, sliding past him as the employee beckons you forward with a lazy wave. “I’ll just…do it.”
Jimin hangs close behind you as the employee begins strapping you in, not sparing even a single word for you. “Hey, uh, my friend’s a little nervous,” Jimin says lowly to the young man working on hooking the harness around your hip. He glances up to meet your eyes before looking toward Jimin. “Any way you can, like, go gentle or something?” Jimin offers a convincing smile, the kind of grin that could get anyone to do anything.
The employee surprises you by releasing a puffy laugh and straightening to his full height, pausing to pat the dust off the backs of his legs. He chuckles and pats your back. “I can’t control the cable,” he says, then pauses for a moment to think. “But…,” he continues as Jimin turns pleading eyes his way, “if you’re feeling really nervous, I’ve heard it helps to shut your eyes and count to ten. Like, tell yourself you’re definitely gonna do it once you reach ten and just…go.”
You swallow hard and inhale sharply through your nose. “Alright,” you say, but his words have fled from your brain as soon as they’d been uttered. Your voice is shaky. Almost as shaky as your hands as you raise them to grip the straps of your harness.
Have you always had such a strong grip?
Your brain goes a little fuzzy, looking out over the precipice on which you stand, unsteady feet and rushing pulse. It’s dizzying. Like the world is spinning, but you’re not spinning with it. Or perhaps you’re spinning and it’s the world that’s gone still. Either way, the stretch of trees extending far beyond the tips of your hiking boots looks like it’s swaying on an axis, and each blink tilts the view some different way. You wonder if you’re breathing enough, or maybe too much, because your head is spinning. Like when you stand up too quickly after sitting for a while. You wonder if you’ll pass out before you reach the bottom.
If you reach the bottom.
Jesus, you hadn’t even considered the possibility of this stupid cable snapping. It doesn’t look too stable, upon closer inspection. Bouncing in the breeze. And as the employee finishes strapping you in, you pause for a moment to move your legs about and find, to your horror, that the straps are slightly loose.
Oh God.
You’re gonna throw up.
“Hey,” says a soft voice from beside you.
You feel a warm hand slide along the skin of your upper back, resting to cup your shoulder. Slowly, you turn your toward Jimin, standing with one arm wrapped around you and the other braced on his own knee so he can level his eyes with yours. He’s smiling a little. A different one this time, a soft one. The wind blows his dark hair from his eyes and carries the scent of his cologne. Somehow, you feel yourself relax a little against his side.
“It’s gonna be okay, alright?” he asks gently, and this is an entirely new Park Jimin to you. A tender young man with kind eyes. He smiles again and gives your shoulder a squeeze. “I’m right behind you.”
And for some reason, that comforts you. You don’t have time to dissect it however, as the employee takes up your other side and raises his brows, asking silently if you’re ready to go. Of course, you aren’t. How can you be? But again, Jimin squeezes your shoulder and seizes your attention with another smile, this one turning his eyes to crescents as he nods his head.
“Um…yeah,” you say, taking a moment to focus on your breath.
“Remember,” says Jimin as he steps away from you. “Count to ten, okay?”
“Okay,” you say, shutting your eyes.
One.
You’re gonna do it.
Two.
On ten, you’re just gonna go.
Three.
It’ll be fine.
Four.
Joon did it, and he’s fine.
Five.
And Tae before him, and that guy Jimin brought.
Six.
Nobody’s died yet.
Seven.
You can do it too.
Eight.
And even if I’m scared, at least you’re not alone up here.
Nine.
Jimin’s right behind you.
Ten.
Your scream rips through the valley below.
And, seconds later, so does your unfettered laughter.
You met Park Jimin on the worst day of your life a month ago. Freshly laid off from your job as a financial analyst — a job which Namjoon disliked from the start —, and disappointed by a string of bad dates after a catastrophic breakup, you’d agreed to meet up with a few college friends for a drink at your local stomping ground. You’d found Jimin sitting in the middle of a smoky bar with a girl on one arm and a guy on the other. Gross, was all you’d thought in passing. You’d paid him little mind, too busy wallowing in your own self pity to think too hard about any one thing, but it seemed he was incessant on grabbing your attention by any means necessary.
You’d sidled up to the bar, awaiting Namjoon’s I’m here text, and had only just ordered your drink when the strange young man with the unusually bright smile took up the space beside you. Now alone, he offered you a grin and his hand for you to shake. For a few seconds, you only stared at his outstretched palm. At the lines cutting across it. What was that long line called? The life line?
Eventually, however, you realized he wasn’t going anywhere, planted firmly in the wobbly barstool to your right, and you relented with a handshake. But that wasn’t what this stranger was after. He yanked you just a little once your hands connected.
“Hey, honey!” he said as he pulled you in toward his chest, sweeping you up in a tight, firm hug that knocked the wind from your lungs.
You were neither playful enough nor drunk enough to reciprocate and instead sat there stiffly, arms pressed against your sides as the stranger with the cute face hugged you close. Over his shoulder, you locked eyes with the girl who’d previously ornamented his left arm, watching you keenly, and it didn’t take you long to understand what was going on.
“Dodging an ex?” you whispered without moving your lips too much.
You felt a wave of shivers trace up your spine and it only took you a few seconds to realize why. It was just the sort of thing you imagined Hanseul doing if he ever bumped into you…
He chuckled. “Two, actually,” he responded as the young man he’d been entertaining also lifted his eyes from his drink to give you a once-over.
You sighed. “You’d better be buying my drink,” was all you said as the two of you broke away.
He’d laughed — that melodic sort of laugh that made you feel a little floaty — and rubbed your shoulder with a grin. “I’ll buy you twenty,” he joked, sliding the bartender a bill as he returned with your cocktail.
“So how’d you manage to get caught up with two exes at once?” you asked, nursing your glass.
He rubbed his jaw and shook his head, smiling at the bar table before him. “They were friends to begin with,” he said. And when you said nothing, only recoiled slightly, he met your eyes with a bright laugh. “C’mon don’t give me that look!”
You cleared your throat, turned away, and worked your straw between your teeth. “I dunno, sounds like maybe you brought it on yourself then,” you said, taking a healthy sip.
The stranger laughed again — more like a disbelieving scoff — and adjusted one of the several rings on his slender fingers. “Well I didn’t ask the two of them to come out tonight,” he said with a shrug. “And besides, neither of them looked unhappy to see me.”
“Ugh,” you mumbled, eyeing him sidelong as he chuckled.
He smirked and leaned across the bar toward you. “What?” he asked, and something about the heavy-lidded look he gave you, the simmering something in his eyes, made your pulse quicken. He rested his cheek in his hand and cocked his head to the side, now close enough to smell a whiff of his cologne. “You think I’m a bad guy?”
You swallowed hard before downing the rest of your drink and slamming the glass back on the bar. You waved the bartender over and pointed to the empty glass. Wordlessly, he began fixing you a replacement. You peeked back at the guy to find him smiling at you, musing perhaps, with the strangest mix of curiosity and pity in his expression.
You were definitely going to need another drink.
“Do good guys usually do stuff like that?” you asked, watching the bartender as he shook your drink around his metal tumbler.
He chuckled. “Can goodness be quantified by things like who we date?” he asked.
You stiffened. “Not by who you date,” you continued, shaking your head as memories of your own ex resurfaced. “But who you hurt, sure.”
He rolled his eyes, swiveling in his barstool to look at you head on. “Why’s it my fault who gets hurt?” he asked.
You cocked a brow. “You…can’t be serious…” But from the expression he wore you were certain that he was indeed quite serious.
He shrugged. “It’s not my intention to hurt someone, so why do I have to take responsibility if they get hurt?” he asked, then smirked and gave your thigh a nudge with his knee. “The way I see it, if you get hurt you’re the one whose expectations were too high.”
“That’s gross,” you said, inching away. You were inclined to simply leave, abandon this conversation and the bar at large and call it a night. But the bartender wasn’t finished with your drink and you weren’t about to piss him off. Not on a day like today. “If you’re dating someone, you’re committing to them.”
“What about polyamorous people?” he countered with a smug grin.
You rolled your eyes. “I’m not talking about polyamorous people. I’m talking about monogamy.”
“But why does everyone expect monogamy?” asked Jimin, tossing his hands up in the air with a breathy laugh. “Anyway, I always make it clear from the start that I’m not the kind of person who wants to be…well, you know…,” he started, then furrowed his brow and waved his hand. “Like, in a relationship.”
You sighed, nodded your thanks to the bartender as he slid you your drink, and watched as Jimin again offered cash in return. “And that’s fine, but you can’t expect someone to stick around and be okay with that.” You rubbed your temples as memories swirled together. “Be okay with half of you.”
If you really loved me, you’d understand that I could have any person in the world and you’d still be my number one!
Scumbag.
This gave him pause and, slowly, he shifted his eyes your way once more, scanning you. “Half of me?”
You nodded and downed a gulp of your drink with a wince. “Giving half is fine if the other person is giving half too. If you both only expect half,” you began, then ran your hands along your neck. Your skin was feverish, alcohol making your head light. “But if one person wants more, it’s not fair to string them along.”
He stared at you gravely, eyes hard and jaw set, and furrowed his brow. “That’s too old-school,” he said.
You huffed and crossed your arms. “It’s not old-school!” you said, wagging a finger at him. “It’s about respecting the other person enough to let them go when you realize you can’t be what they need.”
He pouted a little and rolled his eyes. “You sound ancient,” he said, then paused to give you a knowing smirk. “Wait, don’t tell me,” he began, scooting closer with a conspiratorial look. “You were scorned by your ex. Like…I dunno, like they cheated or something. Broke your heart, ruined your trust, blah, blah, blah. And now you’ve got this vendetta or something because you got hurt.” He grinned and wiggled his brows.
You stiffened, eyes wide, and stared at him. “I…,” you began.
He laughed from his gut and nodded. “Ah, nailed it, didn’t I?” he asked.
There was a cruel edge to his teasing, an ill-intentioned bite that felt like it was made to injure. You couldn’t quite put your finger on why, but you knew you felt it in that hazy bar, surrounded by throngs of people gathered here and there, enveloped in smoke and conversation. But like a heat-seeking missile, it seemed his words were engineered to uncover the softest parts of you and destroy them.
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was something else, but your eyes welled with tears and your throat constricted. You stared at him, this stranger who had pegged you without err, and felt the weight of your frustrations pressing down on the tops of your shoulders like sandbags. And as he perceived the shift in your expression, his own face changed from a cold sort of scrutiny to a round-eyed concern that washed away all evidence of his previous behavior.
“Oh shit,” he said, standing up and blocking your face from view. You felt a few hot tears spilling over and were quick to wipe them, but the humiliation was there on display whether you cried or not.
He’d gotten you.
Luckily for you, Namjoon’s timing had been particularly impeccable that day and he’d barreled into the bar with a lopsided grin and clapped both you and the stranger on the backs, Taehyung and Yoongi sauntering behind him. You’d startled a bit, jumping slightly at his approach, but once again luckily — or perhaps unluckily — Namjoon seemed to have little regard for the poor mood he’d stepped into and didn’t seem to notice your glassy eyes as you buried your nose in your drink.
“Well jeez, look at you two already getting acquainted!” Namjoon exclaimed with a big laugh.
You paused your sipping for a moment to slide only your eyes up toward your friend. “Huh?”
He blinked down at you, one hand still clamped onto the stranger’s shoulder, and raised his brows. “Didn’t I tell you I was inviting some work friends?”
You spat your drink, sending droplets of sweet alcohol splattering across the bar. Quick to right yourself, you faced Namjoon properly and, sputtering, replied, “Him?”
Namjoon laughed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you guys didn’t introduce yourselves,” he said, adding theatrics to his heavy sigh. “This is Park Jimin. That choreographer I’ve been telling you about? He’s coming with us to Fiji.”
Still coughing up the remains of your rum and Coke, you pat your chest. This was the kind-hearted dance major wunderkind who dazzled everyone at Namjoon’s entertainment company? This was the kid who, at the age of twenty-four, had more accolades than both his predecessors combined? This was the guy who befriended all the trainees and brought them sports drinks during long days of practice?
This was the guy you were going to spend two weeks with on an island in the middle of the Pacific?
Namjoon, standing between the two of you, moved to taste your drink and as he leaned forward you locked eyes with the acclaimed young choreographer over the plane of his back. Park Jimin stared at you with wide eyes and lips parted as if to speak. But even after Namjoon had straightened up and begun complaining about your drink order, Park Jimin, still with mouth agape, said nothing.
And so, as you go ripping through the jungle on a wobbling cable, screaming and laughing and crying just a little, you wonder how exactly that very same Park Jimin is the one who comforted you into taking this leap of faith. Below your dangling feet is a patchwork of different greens, all bleeding into a motion blur as your body is propelled down toward the bottom platform. As you slide along, you can just see Namjoon’s figure, reduced to a small silhouette amongst the trees, as he stands waving like mad at the edge of the platform. Laughing, you shoot both hands above your head and wave them around, causing you to sway on the cable. Startled, you quickly return your hands to gripping the straps near your chest.
You feel like a bullet whizzing through humid air and then, all at once, friction takes hold once more and you seize, eyes squeezing shut from the whiplash, head throbbing just a little, suspended over the platform. You are greeted by a chorus of applause and hollers of encouragement as the employee begins the process of disconnecting you from your harness and, as your feet land stiffly on the concrete slab, you lift wild eyes to meet Namjoon’s. You find him still with that grin plastered across his face, hair windswept, shirt askew.
“Wow!” is all you can say as the group laughs.
Namjoon smiles and claps your shoulder. “Right?” he asks and you can only nod and turn your eyes back up toward the cliff from which you’d descended.
Now far too distant to discern amongst the foliage, the loading platform sits somewhere lost in green. And, without meaning to, your mind wanders back to Park Jimin and you wonder idly if he’s counting to ten.
Sunset drenches the island as you lounge on the warm sand, leaning back on your elbows with eyes half-shut as you gaze out at the glittering ocean touching the horizon line. The sky is darkening by degrees, with vibrant reds and oranges spreading like watercolor into the navy blue edges. And for a blissful moment, you’re alone with it. Alone with the profound. And you’re not thinking about the new job you’d taken, or the text messages Hanseul left you this morning, or the bills you know you’ve got to pay soon. You’re not thinking about anything.
It’s beautiful.
Of course, it’d be more beautiful with a pina colada, but you don’t let your mind linger there too long. After all, Namjoon said this trip was supposed to be about adventure and ‘finding yourself’. You aren’t sure how much of yourself you can really find at the bottom of a fruity drink.
Namjoon invited you on this trip a year ago. He’d done it in typical Namjoon fashion: calling you up at two in the morning and rambling incoherently for a while before eventually getting to the point. You’d become so used to his pipe dreams that you’d half expected this plan to fall through like the others. The second the words left his lips, you’d rolled your eyes.
“What I’m saying is,” he began, breathless over the phone, as you push yourself up onto your bottom, bed sinking beneath you, “let’s go to Fiji.”
“Joon…,” you groaned. “Please, I have work tomorrow-,”
“Listen, fuck your job,” he said and you could practically see him waving his hands like a man gone mad. “This is important. Like…might be the most important thing we’ve ever done together, you know?”
“Where is this even coming from?” you asked, stifling a yawn. You glanced out your window and saw the city painted black, pinpricks of yellow office building lights.
He sighed. “I was looking up tropical music for this new song I’m working on for the trainees and I stumbled upon this incredible video about Fiji.”
“Like a generic white girl vlog?” you asked with a laugh, but Namjoon seemed deathly serious as he remained silent. You paused a moment. “Wait, you’re like…for real with this, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, of course.” He was quiet. “I just…I dunno…I guess, while we’re still young enough to do it, I wanna experience something incredible. While we still can. While things are still like this.”
“What do you mean?” You raised a hand to open your window, let in some cool night air, but as you jammed your hand along the pane, the thing only rattled dumbly in response. You huffed, focused.
“I mean life is transient and nothing’s guaranteed,” he said. “Who knows who we’ll be tomorrow, you know? Who knows how long these moments will last?”
You stilled for a moment, staring out your closed window, hand still poised to force it open. You glanced over your shoulder at your tiny apartment — clothes strewn over every piece of furniture, easel gathering dust in the corner of your living room, unused for the better part of a year, paintings still unhung propped against walls on the floor — and couldn’t help but sigh. As silver moonlight filtered in through your curtains, you felt an unfamiliar tug in your chest. A longing that didn’t make sense.
You had the job, the boyfriend, the social life…
You had it all.
But why did Namjoon’s words make you feel so hollow?
And before you even realized what you were doing, you replied, “How much is it gonna cost?”
“What’re you thinking about?” asks a soft voice from beside you.
Startled, you scramble slightly, sending a spray of sand flying through the air. You sputter a little, having inhaled too quickly for your lungs to handle, and squint against the golden sun. But as you settle enough to face the person beside you, you’re surprised to see it’s Jimin. Sunset drenches the expanse of shoreline, catches in the ends of his black hair, outlines the side of his rosy cheek as he gives you an easy smile.
You raise your brows. “Hm?”
He chuckles, rubs the back of his neck, and shrugs as he digs the heels of his hands into the sand, leans back on them. “Just…looked pensive.”
“Pensive…,” you repeat, mulling it over. You purse your lips. “I guess just…thinking about this trip.”
“What about it?”
“Just…why I even bothered coming,” you begin, then chuckled and eyed him sidelong. “You saw how I was today. The whole…adventure thing isn’t really my scene.”
He smiles, revealing on closer inspection one charming crooked tooth, and tilts his head to the side. “What do you mean? You looked like you were having the time of your life!” he says, nudging you with his elbow.
You smile at your knees, now pulled toward your chest, and sigh. “Thanks for saying that, but you know I was a mess.”
He pouts a little. “You weren’t.”
Glancing his way, you find him with furrowed brows staring distantly at the ocean. “Mm…,” you mumble in response.
He sighs. “You were scared,” he begins, then shrugs. “But you did it anyway. What’s so bad about that?”
You sense that he’s perhaps talking about something else while talking about you. Like he’s saying two things at once. But you don’t bother prying. Instead, you simply sigh and join him staring at the surf.
“It’s beautiful, huh?” you remark as the two of you sit side by side. And there’s a gentle sort of quiet between you, one you never expected to share with someone like Jimin.
But somehow, here he is. And looking at him as he watches the waves splash forward and recede, you can’t help but feel a little guilty for your attitude towards him. Guilty for the dread you’d felt as you boarded the plane behind him. Guilty for the scowl you’d worn as he walked beside you on the trail up to the zipline today. Guilty for the complaints you’d aired to Namjoon about him.
“Yeah,” he says with a pleasant, lazy smile.
Birdsongs welcome you to the fresh island morning. Lazily, you roll onto your side and peel your eyes open, straining against the sunlight pouring in through your ocean-facing windows. You yawn, pushing yourself up onto your bottom to stretch sore arms above your head. You twist your torso this way and that, crack your knuckles, point your toes as you extend your legs before you. The room is filled with bright morning light, all hardwood floors and tapestries on the walls. You glance around your bedroom – one of eight private rooms in this massive Airbnb – and realize with a start that this is the first morning in years that you haven’t immediately grabbed for your phone to check for work emails.
You expect, perhaps, to be unnerved by this. This lack of structure, lack of organization.
But, perhaps more unsettlingly, you are…
Surprisingly calm.
You shake your head and pad on bare feet into the bathroom beside your room. As you brush your teeth, you lock sleepy eyes with your reflection and can’t help but crack a little smile. For the first time in a long time, you look like you’ve had a proper night’s sleep.
You emerge in the living room a few moments later to find Taehyung – Namjoon’s stylist friend – and Seokjin – Namjoon’s actor friend – still sleeping on the couch, the TV still droning on as they’d likely forgotten to turn it off. And, standing in the kitchen by himself nursing a cup of coffee and a calm smile, is Namjoon. He’s caught a bit of a tan, glowing in the gentle sunlight, and his eyes are warm and fond as he looks out across the living room at his friends.
As quietly as you can manage, you maneuver around the sleeping boys and take a place beside Namjoon, resting a hip against the marble counter. “Morning,” he says softly.
You nod once. “Morning,” you repeat, and hold your hand out for his mug of coffee, wiggling your eager fingers. He chuckles and relents without much fight, offering the handle to you carefully. You take a warm, welcome sip and sigh. “How’d you sleep?” you ask.
He hums a little and adjusts the sleeve of his loose tee. “So tired I didn’t even dream,” he says with a laugh.
Smiling you reply, “Me either.”
He eyes you with a knowing smile and squints a little. Like he’s teasing you. “You like it here, don’t you?” he asks.
You roll your eyes and give his shoulder a healthy shove. He laughs in response, but says nothing more as you sweep your gaze out toward the wall of windows leading down to the beach. It’s immaculate in the morning time. Not a single silhouette dots the shoreline, only fishing boats just beyond the surf. Tourists are still asleep, you reckon, and you feel a little proud to not be one of them sleeping away the most beautiful hours of the day. You can see faint traces of clouds ringing the horizon, and the pastel yellows of sunrise giving way to the azure blue sky.
“It’s…really nice,” you admit with a nod, sipping the coffee once more. And, without meaning to, you think of Jimin yesterday. His hand on your shoulder, his comforting words reminding you to ground yourself before you floated away. “Yeah…,” you add, concealing an unintended smile.
Namjoon, however, has always been the smarter one out of the two of you and, predictably, he catches this shift in your expression and turns to you head on with raised brows. “Whoa!” he remarks with a grin. He points to your face with his index finger. “Look at that!”
You swat his hand away with a laugh and roll your eyes. “Lay off, alright? I’m having a good time. Isn’t that the whole point?”
He chuckles and sighs as he rests once more beside you. Gently, he lifts a hand to softly pat the top of your head. You’re certain your shock registers plainly on your face as he pats again. “I’m proud of you,” he says.
And in the simplest of phrases, he’s managed to pluck something profound from inside of you. You don’t need to ask to know precisely what he means.
Why does it make you want to cry?
“Morning,” says a quiet voice from behind Namjoon and, leaning slightly so you can see around your friend’s broad chest, you notice Jimin standing there and can’t help but smile.
He glances between Namjoon and you for a few seconds, brows lifted as if in question, before Namjoon clears his throat and wordlessly excuses himself, snatching his coffee on his way back into the living room where he begins rallying the boys awake.
You sigh, running a finger along the countertop’s perfect edge. “What’s on the agenda for today?” asks Jimin as he settles beside you.
You pause to think. “Um…,” you begin, tapping your lips with your fingers. “I think…,” you continue, musing as you begin to work your lower lip between your index finger and thumb. “Something about ATVs.”
But before you’ve even finished your sentence, Jimin has seized your hand in his and is now standing so close you can smell the scent of his detergent wafting up from his pajama shirt. He stares down at you with heavy-lidded eyes and a smirk, gaze flashing around your face before landing on your lips as he pulls both your hands down toward your shoulder. Your heart begins to race, eyes wide, skin hot where his fingers touch yours, and you swallow hard as he chuckles a few times, his breath fanning out across your warm face.
“Sorry,” he says, voice low and breathy. “It was distracting.” He then drops your hand and swivels on his heel, back toward the hallway from which he’d come. He pauses, however, to shoot you a wink over his shoulder. “Hard to focus when you do that,” he says, tapping his own plump lower lip with his fingertip before offering a wave and meandering down the hall.
And you stand there dumb, heart pounding so loud you can’t hear the crashing waves just outside the window.
You were shocked when you found out Hanseul had been messing around behind your back. Gutted, really. If it hadn’t been for Hanseul leaving his Instagram logged on to your phone, you’d probably never have found out to begin with. He’d always been that sort of guy, though.
Reckless.
And how very cliche, you’d thought as you read through months of exchanged messages, that he’d exchanged you like a used car for a newer model once he’d gotten tired of you. You dragged your finger almost lazily across the screen, brows raised as you rested on your couch, reruns of The Office blending into background noise. And where perhaps you’d expected hurt and resentment, you found only a grim acceptance.
Of course, you thought to yourself with a strange chuckle as you read the most recent message. A sappy sort of love IM that made your stomach churn. Riddled with sentimentality and grand platitudes, the messages reminded you of the ones you’d exchanged with Hanseul in the beginning. The ones that made you hopeful. Of course.
Somewhere amongst that grim acceptance, however, was something you didn’t expect. Something primal. A sort of fear that had no name.
Fear, perhaps, of the implications.
Fear of all the things that would have to change, all the comforts you’d known for years chipping away like old paint left on the wall too long.
And so, like a house of cards, your world shook and crumbled mightily down to its very foundation.
You’re slack-jawed as you stare at the row of ATVs standing equidistant before you. Eight identical machines pointed down the rolling hills behind you. An instructor standing with a grin and hands on her hips as she watches you scan the locomotives with your eyes wide and round. Beside you is Namjoon, smiling too broadly for his face to accommodate, with Seokjin and Taehyung drowsily fighting yawns. Jimin stands on your other side, arms crossed as he smirks at the ATVs like he’s done it all and seen it all before. His friend Jungkook is practically vibrating with anticipation, and Hoseok – another choreographer from the company – stands whispering in low tones with Yoongi, the young PD Namjoon never stops talking about.
The imposing green trees sway in the breeze around you: all potential threats as your group nears the line of ATVs. You wonder just how long you can manage on one of the things before hitting one of those tall waving trees. Anxiously, you glance over your shoulder at the hills extending as far as you can see. More possibilities for horrific injury.
As you tromp through the yielding sand underfoot, you feel someone step closer to you and you don’t need to lift your eyes from your boots to know who it is.
“You know, if you’re scared-,” Namjoon begins, but you silence him with a look, gaze severe.
He raises his hands in surrender before chuckling and patting your shoulder. He says nothing more as he swerves around you to hook his elbow around Taehyung’s neck. The two, laughing, continue toward the row of ATVs. Taking a moment to manage your breath, you press your palm against the rubber handle. You shut your eyes.
One.
You’re getting on this fucking ATV.
Two.
You’ve come this far, you can’t chicken out now.
Three.
You always chicken out.
Four.
When was the last time you did something that scared you this much?
Five.
Well…yesterday.
Six.
Before that though.
Seven.
When was the last time you took a risk?
Eight.
When was the last time you did something you wanted to do?
Nine.
Something you really wanted…
Ten.
You take a long inhale, nod once, and swing your leg over the side of the ATV. With both shaking hands gripping the handlebars, you glance to the side to see everyone else has mounted their vehicles, except for one. Jimin stands at the end of the line, talking with the guide too quietly to hear, but the way he’s waving his hands makes it seem like there’s a problem. The guide glances around, brows knit, before shrugging his shoulders and cupping a hand around the side of his mouth to shout.
“Hey guys! Looks like we’re one ATV short! Someone’s gonna have to share!” he calls, and grumbles resound around the group.
Beside you, Namjoon and Taehyung complain about having to share, both clearly not too keen on offering Jimin a spot on their ATV. You briefly feel bad for him, standing on the edge without a place to go to. You wonder if he feels left out, or if perhaps he’s considering staying back so the guide can show you the way. Without meaning to, you turn your head and lock eyes with Jimin and the instant you to you wish you hadn’t. Because now his eyes have lit up and his face is splitting in a small, hopeful smile.
And you know you’re cooked.
With a sigh, you raise your hand and wave it like mad, beckoning Jimin over. After all that, the breathing exercises and everything, after finding your courage, here you are handing over the reins.
“You can ride with me,” you say with a sigh as Jimin emerges at your side, smiling bright.
“Thank you,” he says with a laugh before hoisting himself up behind you.
“Oh!” you exclaim as Jimin rests his hands on his knees, right beside your thighs. He leans around your side and eyes you with wide brows. “I figured you’d wanna drive…,” you say, face going hot.
He blinks at you for a moment longer than normal before splitting into a grin and nudging your hip with his knee. “Well why would I do that?” he asks, rolling his eyes. “You looked really determined.”
Just like that, he understands exactly how you feel.
Startled, you turn to face him halfway, twisting your torso awkwardly as you lock eyes. He’s still smiling, still bright. The apples of his cheeks are redder than yesterday, and the bridge of his nose. A sunburn. He looks peaceful. As if he trusts you to drive this massive machine. As if it’s not even a thought that’s crossed his mind.
As if he never even considered taking this ATV from you.
“You guys ready?” shouts the guide with a hoot.
The boys around you holler their responses but you stay silent, still just staring at Jimin as he shields his face from the sun with one hand, still smiling, still peaceful.
You grip the handlebars and kick the ATV to life.
You first met Namjoon when you were in high school. He was a grade above you, so you’d never had reason to speak with him. Aside from passing him in the halls every now and again, you didn’t really interact with him at all. But things changed when he approached you after class as you finished cleaning off the blackboards. You’d stayed behind not because you wanted to, but because your classmate had pawned their classroom duties on you after a miserable game of Gin Rummy at lunch. You hadn’t protested much once the responsibility had fallen on your shoulders.
Another excuse to avoid going home.
Bony knuckles rapped against the blackboard beside your head and you jumped out of your skin, releasing a scream several octaves higher than you anticipated. But as the moment of panic passed, you realized with a start that the one who’d roused your attention was indeed upperclassman Kim Namjoon. And there he stood with a small dimpled smile and gentle eyes scanning you. You weren’t sure what he was looking for when he looked at you, but the way he tilted his head to the side made you think that perhaps he’d found it.
“Hey,” he said, face outlined by the last golden rays of autumn daylight.
You swallowed hard and took half a step back toward the podium. “Uh…hi…?”
“This yours?” he asked, dangling a sketchbook before you with one hand.
It took you several moments of squinting at the Strathmore sketchbook to realize that, in fact, it was yours. Your name was right there in the right corner where you’d scribbled it a month ago. And there was the tear in the cover from when your mother had tried to rip the thing from your hands – unsuccessfully.
A rush of fear swelled through you and you snatched the pad from his outstretched hands like you were a prisoner and he was offering you food. Scared he’d rescind his offer if given even a moment to think it over. And as you clutched the thing to your chest, you scanned him with narrowed eyes.
“Where did you get this?” you asked. You were certain you had kept it safely in your bookbag since lunch. But glancing at the bookbag again, you found it surprisingly empty.
Namjoon raised his brows and raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, then chuckled with a shrug. “What kind of thief would return the thing they stole anyway?”
You paused for a moment, brows furrowed, before sighing and nodding. “I guess that’s true,” you admitted before gently guiding the sketchbook back into the mouth of your backpack. “Um…,” you hedged as you turned back to the guy. You held out your hand to him and he rolled up the long sleeve of his uniform cardigan to take it in his own. “Thanks,” you finished with a shake.
He shook his head. “Don’t mention it,” he said, laughing a little. “Had to ask around to find out which class you were in though.”
You felt a warm bloom of embarrassment and pulled your hand away, shoving it back into your pocket and averting your eyes. “I don’t have a job or anything,” you said.
He blinked at you. “Hm? What’re you talking about?”
You rubbed the side of your arm and shrugged. “My family’s kinda poor too. Like, we do fine, but my parents are really serious about money so…,”
“What’s your point?” asked Namjoon with wide, curious brown eyes.
You stared at him for a moment, puzzled, before continuing. “Aren’t you gonna ask for, like, reward money or something?”
He released a booming, chesty laugh before waving his arms like mad and shaking his head. “No! God, do I look like a thug to you?”
You eyed him from top to bottom and shrugged. “I don’t really know what a thug is supposed to look like.”
He sighed and gripped the bridge of his nose between his fingertips. “Forget the money,” he said, pausing to give you a warm smile. “I just wanted to meet the person who made those drawings.”
You went stiffer than a board. For a moment, time stood still. Namjoon froze before you, the gently falling leaves outside the classroom window froze, and you froze too. Like your feet were rooted to the ground.
“You…did you look through it?” you asked softly, too horrified to raise your voice above a bare whisper.
He nodded. “Of course,” he said. “I was looking for a phone number or something on the inside flap, but then I got distracted by the art.”
“You…”
“You’re really talented,” he said, offering another big smile. “Like, you could go pro if you wanted to.”
You swallowed hard, your throat constricting, and chucked the dirty blackboard eraser on the podium with a puff of fine dust. Without another word, you zipped up your backpack and slung it over your shoulders. You walked past him quickly, not even sparing him a glance, and walked faster when he followed you, calling after you and begging you to turn around.
Namjoon followed you around for a month after that: waiting outside your classroom after school, catching you off guard as you sketched in the courtyard during your lunch break, walking his bike behind you as you led the way to the bus stop, cheering for you at the sports festival and causing you to miss the volleyball coming straight for you. Every time he’d come around, you’d turn grey with horror and you wouldn’t say a word. But luckily for you, Namjoon said plenty enough for both of you. It was always, When are you gonna join the drawing club?or,You should start working on a portfolio, or, If you love art so much, why aren’t you applying to an arts college?
You didn’t bother asking how he knew where you were applying. As you’d gotten to know him, you’d begun to understand his uncanny ability to secure sensitive information from teachers. It seemed they all loved him about as much as you despised him. Not long after that comment, you finally began responding when he spoke to you. And you even began bickering like real friends.
After a while, you grew accustomed to him being around all the time. To the point that, when he graduated a year before you and went on to pursue a degree in music, you’d felt almost lonesome without him. And to the point that, when you texted him about your choice to pursue a degree in business, you were almost relieved when he caught the late bus out to your house to scold you.
One day you’re gonna snap, he’d said that night in a moment of calm. You’re gonna finally have enough of living for them. And it’s gonna hurt when it happens. Bad.
But the scolding had never been enough.
Because, in the end, that persistent fear ran like still waters through your body.
You’re realizing more and more that it’s the same fear. That it’s always been the same fear. Back then when you were so scared of losing Hanseul that you considered not even telling him you’d found the messages. In high school when you were too scared to show anyone your sketchbook. Even now, as you straddle the vibrating ATV, Jimin’s arms wrapped lazily around your middle as he giggles behind you, you’re scared to make a single sound for fear of messing up your focus on the hills before you.
If you really think about it, it’s all the same.
When you boil it down to its core, it’s always been the same.
Fear of fucking up.
Like you’ve been walking a tightrope from the start, and any small misstep will result in you plummeting, face first, into the ground below.
Your knuckles go white against your skin as you clutch the handlebars. Stiff, you follow the guide as he vaults over a hill, having no choice but to do the same. You launch your ATV over the sandy bump, sending both you and Jimin flying through the air. And even though a part of you expects to go splat in the dirt, after a few weightless seconds of flight, the two of you return to earth in one piece. This time, it isn’t Jimin’s laughter that startles you.
It’s your own.
“Holy shit!” Namjoon shouts as he runs toward you, face covered in fine dust. He grins at you like you’re his child, and as you slide off the side of the ATV, he sweeps you up in a big hug, laughing. “You did so good!”
You laugh too, patting his flexed bicep, and lean away slightly to get a better look at his dirty face. “God,” you say with a laugh, running the pad of your fingertip along his cheek, leaving behind a stripe of clean skin. “You need a shower, Joon.”
He nods and peels himself away, turning his attention to Jimin behind you. “You don’t look so good,” he remarks with raised brows.
And as you turn to see for yourself, you notice that in fact Jimin doesn’t look so good. Up until then it had been all laughter and smiles and playful squeezes, but now that he was standing in the dirt, arms crossed, leaning back against the ATV with his helmet in his hand, he looked…less than pleased. He watches you and Namjoon with narrowed eyes.
Oh God, you think in a moment of blind panic, I bet he wanted to drive the ATV after all…
But the moment Namjoon approaches and claps his hand against Jimin’s shoulder, the latter perks up and his eyes go bright once more. He turns a grin towards you and offers a big thumbs up. The sky above his waving hair is a perfect blue, and the sun is unrelenting, but somehow his smile is brighter. Carefully, you join the duo and pat the ATV with a sigh. Looking at it now, it doesn’t seem so scary at all. And after all the tips your guide had given throughout the course, you feel ready to do it all again if you get the chance.
Jimin eyes you with a fond smile. “How’d you like it?” he asks.
You hum. “It was…really exhilarating,” you say with a grin. Gently, you reach out your hand for Jimin to shake and without missing a beat he laughs and takes it.
But instead of shaking it, he gives a sharp yank and you go tumbling into his chest. Heart hammering, you struggle to regain your footing, but before you can process what’s going on, Jimin wraps both arms around your back and holds you tight. You’re sure your face reveals your chagrin, so you’re careful to keep it buried in his chest. And although it’s muffled through the fabric of his shirt, you can hear Jimin’s heart thumping quick.
“Thanks for letting me ride with you,” he says quietly against your hair.
You swallow hard, nerves making your hands sweat, and nod once. “Um…yeah, of course.” You can’t help the nervous laugh that escapes your parted lips and, hesitantly, you reach around to pat Jimin’s back with one hand. “It was fun.”
He backs up with a smile, but keeps one hand on your shoulder. “Yeah. Let’s do it again when we get home.”
You laugh again, eyes wide. “Are there ATV courses at home?”
Jimin pauses, purses his lips, and shrugs. “Let’s find out.”
Namjoon snaps his fingers. “Shoot! What time is it?” he asks, brows knitting.
You check the watch around your wrist and squint at it, but it’s hard to focus on anything with Jimin still touching you. “Um…half past two,” you say, brain foggy as Jimin steps closer.
He glances over your shoulder to stare intently at your wristwatch. Easily, he slides his hand along your shoulder blades before letting it rest at the small of your back. You can feel the ends of his hair tickling your hot cheek. He hums a little beside you and nods once, as if he is simply verifying the time. Perhaps he is simply doing that.
“Shoot!” Namjoon exclaims again. “If we don’t leave, like, now we’re gonna be late for snorkeling!”
Without meaning to, you slide your eyes toward Jimin and raise your brows only to find him staring at you with the same expression. The two of you share a knowing look before breaking into small smiles.
“Wouldn’t wanna be late for snorkeling,” Jimin says under his breath as Namjoon jogs back toward the guide, all the while frantically miming with his hands.
You grin. “God forbid.”
Hanseul said something once that really stuck with you. Not the sort of sentimental thing that you thought might’ve stuck with you, but something entirely mundane. Something trivial, something said in passing.
It was a Sunday afternoon. Neither of you had work, so you’d decided to take a nice long drive through the city. The sky was endlessly blue and beautiful, and even though you were just one car in the infinite stream of vehicles on the highway, you felt somehow free. With the windows rolled down all the way and music bumping softly through Hanseul’s car’s speaker, you remember shutting your eyes and just…breathing for a minute. And that was enough.
“Jesus Christ!” Hanseul shouted with a belabored sigh, and your eyes snapped open once more. You were quick to locate the source of his frustration and found, merging into your lane from the right, a massive freight truck. “I will never understand the hubris of semi drivers who think it’s a good idea to pass other semi drivers.”
Settling your racing heart, you sighed and breathed a laugh. “Impatience I guess,” you remarked, but he was prickly beside you and you knew he wasn’t finished.
He scoffed. “As if passing that guy is gonna get him there any faster,” he said, then rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Everyone should just go their own pace.”
And with that, he stopped talking. And you returned to leaning your head against the passenger doorframe, gazing out at the line of cars entering the highway.
The sun is white hot on your bare skin as you tread water, face bobbing just below the ocean’s surface. Floating like a buoy, you squint into the endless blue to catch a glimpse of some wildlife. It’s not as easy as it looks on Instagram, that much is clear to you now. The waves waves are gentle but restless as they rock you around and the plastic of the snorkel pushes uncomfortably against the sensitive skin of your lips. Your arms and legs are still sore from the previous day’s hike, and now your thighs ache from gripping the ATV. But somehow, despite the hardiness of it all, as you float parallel to the ocean floor, you can’t help but stare with wide-eyed wonder every time a flash of red fin or plume of underwater dust catches your eye. And so, mystified, you swim onward.
You feel someone swim up beside you, but it’s too much labor to look and you can’t tear your eyes away from a particularly beautiful fish cresting over the top of some coral beyond your fingertips. It’s only when that someone taps your shoulder that you finally snap from your daze and, blinking quickly, burst out from beneath the water and shove your snorkel to the side. Fearing catastrophe, you turn gasping toward Jimin as he wades beside you with a grin.
And your heart settles down.
You pat your chest a little and sigh. “Jesus,” you mumble.
“Scared you?” he asks, and from this close it’s hard not to get caught up in the brown of his eyes, in the wet ends of his dark hair as they dangle just above his eyebrows.
With the saltwater and the sunlight kissing his skin, he’s practically glowing.
You shake your head. “What’s up?” you ask.
He points with one finger toward the water below and wiggles his brows. “You wanna go down with me? The instructor said it’s really awesome.”
You stare at him for a long moment, trying to discern any malintent or ulterior motive and, upon gleaning none, settle for a nervous, breathy laugh. “Ah, I dunno…,” you say, rubbing your nose with the side of your finger. You look away, toward Jungkook’s fins as they flap violently against the glassy surface of the water. “I’m happy just looking from up here.”
Jimin hums a little. “You sure?” he asks, eyeing you like he knows something you don’t. “You seemed really into it when I came over.”
You swallow hard and your mouth tastes like seawater and anxiety. “No, I’m…,” you start, but it’s weak. The sentence trails into nothing.
He smiles bright enough to blind and you almost have to shield your eyes. “Come on,” he says, offering his hand toward you. “We’ll go down together and come back up together. I’ll hold your hand the whole time.”
You stare at his outstretched fingers, pruny and slightly sunkissed, and ponder for a moment. Were you always so tepid? So lukewarm? Wasn’t there ever a time in your life when you did things just because they sounded fun? Thinking back, it’s hard to pinpoint the precise moment you became so pragmatic, so afraid. Perhaps when your parents told you a career in art wouldn’t work out for you. That you didn’t have the stuff. Perhaps even before that.
But deep down, buried deeper than you’d like you admit, there’s a part of you that’s always wanted to zipline through the jungle. To ride ATVs. To see the coral up close.
That slumbering part of you is beginning to awaken.
And you wonder as you take Jimin’s hand with an uncertain smile if this has been your pace all along.
He giggles and the two of you dive in unison. You follow the instructions the snorkeling teachers gave you on the boat, and you hold your breath just the way you’re supposed to. Nonetheless, the deeper you swim, the cooler the water becomes and the more your nerves begin to rattle.
Only this time, you don’t find it unpleasant. Not at all, actually.
Because Jimin’s hand is warm.
The two of you coast to a stop in front of the vibrant red coral as a school of orange fish rushes by in a wave. You both reel back for only a moment and then, catching each other’s eyes, exchange the biggest smiles your snorkels allow. And boy is Jimin right. It is awesome. You swear you’ve never seen colors like this. Juxtaposed against the perfect blue all around, the coral reef stands like a mountain underwater, fish flying like birds around the jagged pink peaks, hiding in the deep purple. Anemones wave so close you’re tempted to touch them, and as you lean closer for a better look, you see a red seahorse nestled beside a green sea plant. As if sensing you there, the tiny fish scoots out from its cover and makes its way toward you. Eagerly, you extend your index finger and the creature nudges you just slightly before continuing on its way to the other side of the coral barrier.
Your heart is pounding, racing like a sports car and loud like one too. You turn toward Jimin with eyes blown wide and he’s grinning at you, so fond. He gives your hand a squeeze and you can’t help but squeeze back. Wordlessly, he jerks his head toward the surface, and the way the water plays with his hair makes it look like silk. You’re distracted for a moment by how beautiful it is, how beautiful he is, but he squeezes your hand again and once more jerks his chin upward. Ah! You need air!
You only realize it as Jimin makes a motion toward the surface, but now that you’re conscious of it it’s all you can think of. Q
Summary - You would never expect it really. He’s doting. He’s sweet. He’s hardworking. But he’s forgotten his morals. Suspecting it is one thing, but when he confirms it, will you stay or walk away.
Warning - Cheating(Aftermath);
Word Count - 6.3k
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‘You know, I don’t see why we can’t just gatecrash the bachelorette party.’ Jimin whined over the phone.
‘Mini, I love you, I do, but it’s girl’s only.’ You rolled your eyes and smiled into the phone. ‘Plus, you guys have to be there for Kenta. Be the life of the party,’ you lifted your shoulders,’ I don’t know… guy talk.’
He scoffed. ‘It’s wayyy better to shake my ass with our party girls, and I know for a fact there’s going to be shit talking. The soulmates are the life of the party, y/n.’
You shut your car door and talked on your way up Yuna’s steps. ‘So be the life of thatparty.’
You heard him grumble to Taehyung who was probably next to him.
Fidgeting with the spare key in your hand you sighed. ‘Okay let me do this, I have Kae-Lee, Ria, Lirrah and Jia with us tonight. So let me see where the night is headed, and if it’s cool with the girls, I’ll give you guys a sign to come through.’
‘What about Yuna?’
You snorted. ‘Please, that bitch would never mind the two of you.’
‘Okay. Let’s see if we can get this party started. If it sucks, we’re jumping ship.’
You chuckled at their lack of remorse. 'We’ll be happy to have you aboard.’
You jumped out of your skin as you heard a crash come from inside the house, then a scream.
Yuna!
'Gotta go.'
Ending the call and shoving the phone in your pocket, you hurriedly twisted the knob on the door. Finding it open, you pushed your way inside.
'You are one crazy bitch!'
The sound was that of a kitchen utensil hitting the floor, so you headed straight for the kitchen and rounded the corner to its entrance.
'What the fuck is going on here?’ You looked at the tray and crumbs of broken muffins strewn across the floor then between the two individuals that shared the same face, but couldn’t be more different.
'Oh great.’ Helen let out a cold spurt of laughter. 'Here to save the day, as always, y/n.’
Helen and Yuna had had their fair share of fights. You and Helen had enough experience getting in each other’s way, but something… seemed different this time.
She looked wild, and unhinged. A cold trail built up your spine, one that had your protective instincts rearing its head.
Pushing aside any fear, you walked to Yuna, giving her a once over.
'Are you okay?’You pushed her hair out of her face and noted the shock etched on her features.
'I’m fine.’ She gave you a hard look. That look would fool anyone… anyone that didn’t know her.
She was scared, and in pain, and this may have never been your fight, but you would always choose to protect her, even if she hadn’t asked.
Eyes blazing, you turned on the cause of Yuna’s distress. 'What the fuck are you doing here, Helen?’
'This is my sister’s house.’ She feigned nonchalance, but you could see she was rattled. ‘I don’t owe you an explanation.’
'What. Do. You. Want?’ You ground out each word. You had no time for games.
She opened her mouth to speak and paused. Chuckling incredulously, she turned her head to the ceiling, hands on her hips, 'You are really a thorn in my side, y/n.’ Looking back at you she crossed her arms, and pursed her lips. 'You have been for a long time.’
Helen Mei was strong, independent and cutthroat. She did her job well. She carried herself well. She fought the system, was brutally honest and would never back down from a fight. As a person, it would hardly be a struggle to get along with her, as Yuna’s sister she was less than tolerable. You had an inkling and a fear about her true feelings toward you, a friction between the two of you that could never be bypassed or erased. But up until the fight you had weeks ago, and now, you didn’t know how far her insecurities ran. Then again, it wasn’t an insecurity if it was true.
She continued without waiting for you to speak. 'It just wasn’t enough for you, was it?’ Her question didn’t sound rhetorical at all, as if she was actually looking for an explanation. 'It wasn’t enough to disappoint your family, disappointing your father,’ her voice felt like a whip cracking against old wounds, opening them up, 'to push them away, leave them high and dry,’ she frowned at you, 'you had to steal mine as well.’
'When I had none left!’ You flinched at her outburst and felt your throat flex with a hard swallow. You decided to bite your tongue against any of her words – this was a long time coming.
'My uncle,’ she said bitterly, 'God knows what made him just absolutely love you.’ Nausea roiled within you, a darker nightmare, trying to make itself known. 'My sister,’ she motioned to Yuna, 'still loves you, my parents…’ she offered a sad smile to the floor, her next words came out in a whisper, 'my parents are dead y/n.’
She looked up at you, her eyes accusing. 'They’re dead! I have no one. I only have me. Because of you!’
For the first time, in a long time, you almost felt remorse at pushing your parents out of your life. Almost. They were alive and well, but you centralized yourself in a maze that would take nothing but time to navigate and lead to sheer dissatisfaction. You never took their calls. You barely answered texts. Any advice you required from your father, any document requiring his signature was purely through conference call in actual professional meetings, and email. Ria could handle your father just fine, and perfected the skill so you had the privilege to dodge him.
You even kept your mom at arm’s length.
Not to say they hadn’t tried to reach out, to meet, to make things right, but you weren’t ready. You might never be ready.
Even Helen, for all the truth behind her temper, couldn’t make you regret your choices.
The canary was missing from its gilded golden cage, its small door wide open. It would remain that way.
'The only reason,’ Yuna stirred beside you, 'you are alone…’ she turned to face her sister fully, 'is because you are selfish, Helen.
Y/n has never told you no. When we were kids, she never only asked for me. She’s always included you. She’s never been anyone but herself… and yet you have hated her.’ Yuna’s tone was laced with contempt, 'You never gave her a chance.’
You resisted the urge to butt in. It was true that you captured more than your fair share of Yuna’s time, it was also true that you had tolerated Helen’s presence. It wasn’t mean or rude. Your energies didn’t gel, didn’t see eye to eye, couldn’t shake hands. That happened in life. But you had never asked Yuna to distance herself, or choose. You never would. Even now, you were willing to make sure Yuna stayed with her sister.
’…ried to distance her from you. I had to hang out with her and not you. I could not have you whining, and brooding and hating one of the people that’s always been there for me. In front of me.’
'What about me? What about me!’ Helen pointed to herself, 'As soon as I was out of the picture… I was out of the fucking picture, Yuna. You had no time for me. You didn’t even make the effort to say, “Hey Helen, come join us”.'
Helen looked less polished than usual. Her hair was unkempt. Her make-up, subpar, your internal monologue commented, as you took her in. Her eyes had a twinge of purple peeking out, as if she wasn’t getting enough sleep. Before you could berate yourself for being so callous as she had a breakdown in front of you, she cracked. 'That, I could have understood. You created a space between her,’ you tried not to make a face as she pointed to you, 'and me. That was fine. But every time we were together… we couldn’t talk. You shut me out. As if the best secrets were for y/n, as if your best moments and your memories were y/n’s first. Y/n this. Y/n that. I asked y/n and she said this. Y/n. Y/n. Y/n! She took my fucking place!’ Helen pointed to herself. 'I was supposed to be the Maid of Honor. Me!’
'I told you, you could have it.’ It was a long shot. It wouldn’t fix anything. It wouldn’t take back all the years of personal vendetta she seemed to have against you. And as important as the role was to you, and to Yuna, you would give anything to fix this.
It also remained that you didn’t want to be hated so badly. Other people were other people, but for someone that had known you for years, to hate you, to this extent…
Helen squeezed her eyes shut as if the very sound of your voice would set her off. 'I don’t need your pity.’
Emotion clogged your throat, needing her to see that you had never meant for any of this, that pushing her out of Yuna’s life was never a plan and you hadn’t actually stolen her twin from her. 'If it will make you come to the wedding, I do not mind stepping aside.’
'No.’ Yuna squeezed my wrist. 'The Maid of Honor, is the bride’s choice. It’s not the sister or the best friend or the closest one, it’s the person they need the most in one of the happiest moments of their lives. And that is you, y/n.’ You sucked in a deep breath, unable to look at her, knowing if you even glanced her way, you would both start crying.
Instead you cleared your throat, and tamped down the panic you felt as the situation got more out of control. 'I can’t take back anything, Helen. Truly, I don’t know when this all started.’
'Of course, play dumb.’
You clenched your teeth. 'I don’t. As far as I knew, we were all friends, and then we weren’t. But now that I know, now that we know, it’s me and my presence, let’s start fresh.’ You implored her, trying your best to get through to her, honestly you wondered if a slap would wake her the fuck up. 'Yuna is leaving, Helen. She’s leaving. She won’t be near me for quite a while. You need to be there for her wedding and give her a proper goodbye.’
'Don’t you dare fucking tell me what to do,’ she charged at you, 'Don’t make it look like this is all my fault, that I need to be the bigger person.’
'Heli, stop it!’ Yuna surged forward and pushed her back. 'Just stop.’
'You’re always defending her!'
'And I always will! Because she has always put me above everything.’ Yuna’s voice broke. 'She picks up my phone calls and comes over when I don’t ask her to. Y/n sits down with me when I’m sad or fucked up or having a bad day. Y/n picks me up off the floor and dusts me off to move on. Y/n listens and fights and is never afraid to be honest with me. Helen, y/n does not make plans with me, y/n moves her plans around me, if necessary. I would do the same. That is how important she is. So between you and her…’ Yuna squeezed your hand, placing everything into her next words, ’it will always be her.’
Helen was dumbstruck. The last few years were the last few years, but this moment, this declaration – it devastated her.
You couldn’t see Yuna’s face, but you had a good idea of her level of determination from how sure she sounded. No remorse. No regrets.
'You’re my sister.’ Helen whispered. 'You’re my twin.’ Her face twisted into a mask of cruelty, her eyes betrayed her anguish, 'Yuna, I’m blood!’
‘Yuna –,’ you tugged on her hand to stop her from putting any more nails in the coffin.
'Blood has never determined family.’ You closed your eyes against Yuna’s statement. There was no coming back from this.
'I have always given you the benefit of the doubt, Heli. But y/n has never given you a reason to hate her. You just have. And then you built on it and built on it and generalized and harbored so much of these negative feelings. But I have given you enough compassion… at some point, it’s your character… and I can’t deal with it anymore.’ She sniffed and turned her nose to the floor. ‘I mean, I offered you a muffin and now they’re on the floor.’ A pause, then a painful whisper. ’Says a lot.’
The tension was thick, almost suffocating, but you couldn’t run, you couldn’t speak, you couldn’t stop her either.
'You are still my sister. You are still invited to my wedding.’ Yuna turned away to face the counter behind you. She stretched her arms across it to support herself. ‘I would very much like you there.'
You curled your own arm around one of hers and felt the tension bleed out of her.
Never taking your eyes off Helen, you watched as tears cascaded down her face, the wild panic in her gaze, a person that was well and truly lost. Her lips tightened, and she shook her head before whispering, 'You’ve made your choice.’
Against your better judgment, you wished to hug her, to hold her and reassure her that despite your role in Yuna’s life and how deep it went, she was Yuna’s twin, her sister, always would be.
You resisted the urge to suck in a harsh breath when she met your gaze. 'How does it feel? Princess!’ She spat the word, as if it was a slur. 'How does it feel to have everything?’
She swiped at her tears, removing evidence of her pain and her rage.
You didn’t have everything. More than most, you would admit. But not everything. You wanted to fix this, but how? How?! With no answer, no solution, you let yourself feel the words she threw at you and took full responsibility. It felt heavy, insanely heavy, a certain pressure in your chest as Helen Mei looked at you, as if you had shattered her heart.
'Remember it.’ A chill went up your spine at her tone, all traces of sadness replaced with vehemence. 'Remember the feeling for when you have nothing left.’
You watched her leave and felt a tear roll down your eye at the curse she’d thrown so easily. You wished, if there was a law in the universe that bad things shouldn’t happen to good people, despite the countless individuals that had to go through it to prove it wrong, you wouldn’t be one of them.
———–
Orbit. Anyone would think it a funny name for a nightclub. Anyone that didn’t know the owner, that is. But everyone knew Braelyn.
She was the wild Barbie of her three sisters and made good in her role by managing a thriving nightclub in the middle of the idol circle of Seoul.
Hazlyn, aka Hazey, was the moon, Candelyn, aka Clandy, the Earth and Braelyn, more commonly, Bree, was the sun that the two older sisters orbited.
Kenta looked into all three women when y/n started associating herself with them. A single father, moved to Seoul with his three young daughters, adored them, loved them and left them an equal share of all his money before passing peacefully in his sleep. Despite being foreigners, not born, but raised in the community, the women made their own circles that the elite and the known wanted to be in.
Kenta had to hand it to y/n. Business was business, make or break, but bonds stood firm. She had a knack for earning the handshake and head nods of people with potential, because she exercised an ability her father never could; impartiality. Kim Y/n gave respect to both the doorman and the boss, and it took her very far in her line of work.
In his prime, Sung Y/l/n, would not be caught dead, doing renovations for the “middle class”. High-rise, skyscrapers, towers with glass that shattered light, that was how far he reached – a contradiction to his down to Earth daughter.
But y/n backpedaled when she took over. Kenta could hear her now, “the bigger picture can only be done one portion at a time”. Four years and three renovations later, renovations that y/n quoted for less than half her actual price, Kim Y/n had three trusted, powerful women in her corner, should a favor ever need to be called.
Hazey’s Bar, Clandy’s Cafe, Bree’s Orbit, all regulars for the rich and famous. It helped that the locations lived up to their names.
The bar was quiet, steady, a night cap, a couple of stories, a way to look back or contemplate. The cafe was the day, collecting snippets of people’s daily lives and routines, short conversations and the before or after, for work headaches and hard days. The nightclub was where the memories were made, reckless abandon, emotions spilling over quite literally, and housing a number of regrets that led a person to the bar a couple roads away.
It shouldn’t seem that deep. It already was.
As Kenta walked through the empty dance floor, a contrast to the sea of bodies that usually riddled it, he couldn’t help admiring the handiwork of his charge.
Y/n was no copycat. No one he knew would add textured wallpaper in a deep burgundy and pair it with black trimmings. It would seem gaudy… and yet. The overhead lights, blue and white, danced across the skeleton of the black roof trusses and exposed scaffolding painted the same color. She had no fear in showcasing her originality and she had a better understanding of people’s energies than she gave herself credit for. The nightclub screamed Braelyn – a dark Barbie that would stab with her stiletto as easily as she would walk the runway with it.
Y/n wasn’t psychic. But Kenta had learned the hard way to trust y/n’s gut and her receptiveness to energy.
At a meeting when she was eighteen, and he wasn’t her designated bodyguard, y/n had to meet one of her fathers old clients, a woman in her late forties that owned several upscale salons and make-up artists that were well sought after. Y/n usually showed respect. She did just that, save for the furrowed brow and the fidgety fingers, y/n addressed the lady with utmost civility.
Kenta and y/n had their cordial interactions, and had seen each other on a daily basis for at least a year till that meeting. Of course he asked his boss’s daughter if something was wrong when it was adjourned.
Y/n merely shrugged, and muttered “she feels… off”. She left straight after. Upon further inspection, by his own means that Kenta would never admit to having access to, the woman had an appetite for young boys. A sickening, downgraded version of Mrs. Robinson, in Kenta’s opinion.
Right then, despite the nine year gap between them, Kenta learned to trust y/n more.
'Which VIP room did y/n book?’ Huru flanked Kenta, as they walked through the empty club, courtesy of the owner who was just upstairs in her office.
Bree would cause a rebellion over the type of vodka that should be used in any Blue Curaçao cocktail, but she would never question security, especially for her high-end clients.
Y/n happened to be a paying friend, she was as high-end as it got, before anyone made it to the sister circle.
'VIP 3.’ Kenta pointed it out. 'It’s the one on the far end, at the edge of the stage, where the DJ will set up tonight.’
'Isn’t that too loud?'
Kenta’s lip curved upwards on the right. 'They’re going to be too drunk to care.’ Settling back into his signature poker face, Kenta decided to pry. 'Why are you here?’
Kenta did these alone. He had no actual reason to believe anyone from Bree’s staff or Bree herself, would invade Yuna or Y/n’s privacy, but he could never be too careful. He would do a necessary check of the room, liaise with Orbit’s security for the night, who would clock in anytime after 3pm to do their rounds, and confer with his team. He would touch all bases.
'Scoping out the area.’ Huru glanced up to the second floor and further. The ceiling was in the shape of a pyramid, the point at the most central part above the dancefloor. Huru definitely noticed that Bree’s main office sat behind an incline of the stained glass ceiling, a hidden third floor, an easy way to observe. He made no comment about it. 'I’ve never been to this place and I don’t have other jobs lined up.’ He met Kenta’s eyes. 'So why not?’
Kenta let it fly for now. He had a job to do. Entering the room he reminded himself to be thorough considering one of his favorite human’s and the love of his life would be partying where he stood. And he’d be damned if he didn’t keep them safe.
It was pretty standard, except for the pink… everything. The couches were pink. The champagne flutes and ice bucket were pink. The fucking bottles of alcohol lining the bar on the left, pink only. He almost smirked at the face y/n would make as she sipped on any of the pink stuff. Y/n was by far the most tomboyish person he’d ever met, and yet she pulled off the ice-queen thing perfectly. He smiled inwardly. She was anything but.
A sudden wave of protectiveness ensnared him. He would rather be on the job tonight. But his best men were adamant about him doing a bachelor party and he would not refuse his new found family.
It would be fine. His team would take over, and he would trust them. Zwahn, Yeon, Kiri, Xan, and Yoshi would lead. He’d sent Jinx back into training to get her ass handed to her by Sylo.
Xan was the most inexperienced and the youngest, but he’d be in the club, as the playboy looking for a good fuck. Zwahn was already filling in for a bouncer; Yeon by his side. Kiri would be bartending, and Yoshi would do what Kenta did, make sure everyone was in place. Kenta sipped water that looked like vodka in settings like these and chose the top floors to scope out everyone’s position. It was easy for him to be eyes and ears. He liked it. More importantly, Yoshi was at home in Kenta’s shadow.
Although…Kenta spared a side glance to the other male he had grown to afford a significant amount of trust, Huru had asked y/n for Kenta’s position already.
If recent encounters were anything to judge by, Kenta was almost sure, y/n would agree to it.
It’s not that he was against the idea. Huru by all means, could handle y/n’s protection. He had a black belt in taekwondo, knew his weapons on sight and could watch people without getting antsy. But Kenta had never just protected y/n.
Y/n at eighteen, was a quiet woman that worked hard with her head down and listened to her father. Y/n, at nineteen, because of a man drunk on power, had to become a fully grown mature woman, robbed of the perks a young adult life had to offer. Y/n at twenty something took over said father. Y/n by herself, ate less, barely had any social interaction outside of work and lost herself. Kenta forced food toward her when she forgot to eat or didn’t eat. Kenta carried y/n from her office chair to the couch and covered her with a throw blanket when she fell asleep at her desk. Kenta pulled y/n out of the crowds and hid her from view when she had a panic attack. He knew about Namjoon first. He knew about Hoseok first. He knew her favorite foods and her countless ill-timed reactions, her temper tantrums, any health problems, her past, her parents, her company growth, Kenta was not just a bodyguard and Kenta did not have a problem with another bodyguard.
He had a problem with anyone, including Huru, ever taking his place with y/n.
It was an immature thought, an insecure one. So he would assure himself. Regardless of who she picked or how many, the minute he wanted back in, she would allow it.
That was not at the forefront of his concerns, though. Kenta especially had a problem with Huru learning y/n’s secrets and about her mindless babbling, and her incoherent sentences when she cried at the drop of a hat. But not because Huru, robot-like as he was, wouldn’t react in the correct manner or show sympathy, of course there was that minor detail, but really, Huru paid too much attention to y/n. Huru took to y/n. Huru had never taken to anyone.
Y/n would never cheat, but temptation was a bitch and Huru cared a little too much than Kenta was comfortable with. Most importantly, though he would never admit it, he didn’t want anyone seeing y/n that vulnerable and developing a need to protect her. He knew firsthand.
‘I’m not keen on broaching this subject, but I have to.’ Kenta started his search on the lining of the door frame. ‘Why are you so invested in y/n?’
Huru averted his gaze, making his way to the opposite end of the room. Avoiding eye contact. Hmm. Probably one of the most human things he’d done today. Kenta wasn’t even sure the man’s lungs took a breath without controlled precision.
‘I –,’
‘Anddon’t bullshit me.’ Kenta cut him off when he started. 'I know you better than you think I do.’
And skirting around the truth did absolutely fuckall.
Kenta may have been the subordinate within the organization once upon a time, but this was his world now.
They had a mini stare down before Huru sighed, his body going lax. ‘She’s… intriguing.’
Huru and Kenta were mismatched. Kenta got into Sylo’s company the same year Huru branched out on his own. Huru was two years his senior and taught Kenta the ins and outs till he said his goodbyes. The only reason they actually got along, was because of their aversion to people and kissing ass.
‘As far as I know, no one, nothing, has ever intrigued you.’ Of course, in the beginning, Kenta didn’t take kindly to Huru’s superiority, and Huru wanted to smack Kenta upside the head for his disrespect.
Yuna had fun hearing the stories, a true writer in her own right, took crib notes of their original characters and character development. Kenta would have to keep an eye out for a bodyguard script some time in the future.
Huru’s lips curved slightly on one end, it was as close to a smirk as he’d get. ‘Can you blame me?’ As they circled each other in the room, and went about their business, it seemed incidental, but both men out of habit kept their backs away from each other, like two alphas seconds away from pouncing. ‘Considering how protective you are, trying to ask me something without actually asking… you understand that she’s worth the time. You care.’
‘She is important.’ Kenta agreed. He would never refute the simple fact. He got on his knees to check underneath the inside of the bar, and around the many shades of pink bottles.
‘She’s trouble and very stubborn.’
Kenta fought the urge to smile, but not from amusement. He just knew damn well how much trouble she could be. ‘She’s gotten under your skin.’
Kenta immediately scowled in disapproval after he said the words. Huru was dangerous and his controlling nature was a front for a dark obsession if ever he had one. He wouldn’t presume anything yet, but it was concerning that Huru didn’t bother to deny or hide it. ‘Regardless, I’m finding it hard to fathom your growing interest in her, going as far as to offer yourself up for my position.’
Huru liked the shadows, flexible ties or none at all. It’s why he traveled, moved coast to coast, and blended in. Being Kim Y/n’s bodyguard, was the opposite of blending in. It was also an indication of how far Huru’s fixation went. But how far was he willing to go, before giving up?
‘Am I overstepping?’
‘With me, no.’ Kenta lied. Huru didn’t need to know that. They were not so close that Kenta would confess his fear of losing his place with y/n. 'But I believe, with your skill and experience… It’s a downgrade.’ Truth be told, they weren’t close. In their line of work trust was akin to gold; Kenta and Huru knew each other’s abilities. Huru was an expert sniper, Kenta was specialist in hand-to-hand combat, one preferred guns, the other knives, should an intruder walk in, they would be able to handle him without words. That was as close as it got.
However,’ Kenta straightened up. 'You overstepped when you insulted the leader in front of his band and his wife.’
Jungkook, usually the most complacent of all seven members, was lethal in his curiosity. Huru, the PI, was already a known and unspoken, undesirable individual. Namjoon was Alpha. His pack, especially the most loyal, wouldn’t take kindly to any threat of their Alpha.
And so the youngest, instead of cornering y/n or comforting his leader hyung, came after Kenta, the source. The maknae was smarter and sharper than he was given credit for. He had no qualms in giving Kenta a play by play, and voicing his concerns over the interactions he’d witnessed within the board room.
Huru shot Kenta a dark look. ‘The self-righteous leader doesn’t appreciate what he has.’
‘And you feel you will?’ Kenta couldn’t keep the challenge out of his voice. He felt a twinge of annoyance at the jab and felt protective over y/n and her relationship. Kim Namjoon was not under the impression that he was superior by any means, unless he was playing his part of RM.
'Don’t accuse me. I haven’t pursued her. But, make no mistake, Kenta, my woman, whoever she may be… is mine, I wouldn’t cheat on her.'
Well… fuck.
Huru and Kenta were both beyond beating around the bush and beyond lies. But hearing a confirmation made Kenta wary. Huru might actually like, y/n.
As Huru pulled up the blueprint of the club on his phone, Kenta sidled up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘I trust y/n. But she is vulnerable, right now. The last thing anyone needs is a picture of what “can be”.’
Huru pinned him with a look. ‘At least, you agree I would treat her better.'
Kenta wanted to dispute him, but the fact remained, that Namjoon had cheated on her. Any defense against it would be a waste of time.
Sensing Kenta’s uneasiness, Huru dropped the eye contact once more and Kenta’s hand fell away. 'I won’t make her cheat on her husband Kenta. If you didn’t already know, she has stars in her eyes for the leader.’
Kenta frowned, not only at the condescension laced in the two words. ‘It’s that deep.’ Somehow a statement and a question.
‘Truthfully, no.’ Huru blinked. 'But she has a nice smile. And she makes me pause.’ a shadow fell over his features. 'It’s disconcerting.'
Kenta could imagine it was. Yuna did that to him. Sure, he smiled at the guys, y/n especially, he was himself with them. But it only happened over time, over experiences and memories and conversations. With Yuna, Kenta had never been able to get a good grip on his emotions. She caused a tick in his jaw, and his eye twitched under his dark sunglasses when she went above and beyond to piss him off. Like her best friend, Yuna didn’t do well with orders. And unlike y/n, who stayed away from men, Yuna got the blood raging under Kentas skin, to knock the teeth out of the mouth of every fucking prick she dated and do even worse to the sleazebags in the entertainment industry that tried to get into her panties.
Shelving his fury at past encounters that still enraged him, he could admit to himself that he wanted her. Every part of every minute, every day. He wanted to kiss Yuna and claim her and protect her in any way he could. Yuna was fucking frustrating and loud, she loved pink and shopping and she had high standards. She didn’t keep up an outward persona like y/n. What you see, is what you get. If she hated a cupcake, she would frown, if she loved a series she’d be content, if Yuna loved, she loved with all her heart, and if she hated, she had no trouble in making it known.
Kenta had exercised his emotions for the better part of his life, but Yuna steamrolled those fortified walls, causing him to feel something fierce, and he still didn’t know how to navigate the waters. He didn’t know how to be… normal. Hell, the idea of standing at the foot of that aisle in a tailored suit and polished shoes, and preparing for a waltz of all things, it all almost had him bolting to the hills when he had never considered it an option before. But he wanted Yuna. So he would do it all. He would figure it out. He would learn how to be a husband and someday a great father. He would leave his old life behind and transition to something new.
'Any other day, I would be very happy for you. But not, y/n.’ He was sincere in both his support and his underlying threat.
'Your disapproval is so heavy, Kenta.’ Huru’s voice dripped with sarcasm. ‘You shouldn’t be worrying about such things when you’re getting married in a day.’
Kenta ignored him. Everyone underestimated his role in Y/n’s life – they learned the hard way. Taking Huru’s phone, he swiped on the blueprints of the club and refreshed his memory, noting the entrances and emergency exits. He already had a visual on where his team would be positioned.
He pulled out his own phone to text his team… and stopped. Yoshi would be leading sooner rather than later. It would be prudent to allow him to take the lead.
'What if she’s not happy anymore, Ken?’ Kenta lifted his head to find Huru at the bar, a bottle of vodka that looked entirely too expensive to open in his hand. 'What then?'
Huru still hadn’t made eye contact for more than a couple of seconds. Kenta relied on eye contact. For once, he was unsure of Huru and his line of thinking, which made foreshadowing his actions impossible. 'Doesn’t mean you will make her happy.'
'You don’t know that.'
Kenta bristled. Huru was asking to get punched. 'I do know.’ He did. Without a doubt. 'I know y/n. I know she only has eyes for Namjoon.’ Done with the bullshit, Kenta bypassed the tension and set the record straight. 'She gives you time of day, because y/n likes puzzles. Her foundation of Kim Y/n is built on emotion. So your robot-like nature makes her want to poke, till you snap your teeth at her. She is being friendly and trusting because she trusts me. Do not break that trust. Do not make me regret ever including you in her life. You are not Kim Namjoon, Huru. You cannot ever overstep with Kim Y/n. He is her heart. He is a part of her.’
Huru stepped up to him. 'I have no intention of shaming you. You can trust me to take care of her. I will. I am capable of protecting her.’
'That’s up to her to choose.’
‘Now, whose bullshitting?’ Huru called him out. ‘She would say yes or no, depending on your decision.’
Damn straight.
‘Maybe,’ Kenta neither confirmed or denied it. ’But know this, she will stay in her marriage and she will only be whole with Namjoon. She’s forgiven him… It’s only a matter of time that they continue to build on an already solid foundation. All that said, there doesn’t seem to be any room for you in that picture. So if you do anything to hurt her emotionally, if you do anything to fuck with her mentally…’
Kenta didn’t finish his sentence. Truly, he didn’t know what he would do. But it would be a bloodbath if Huru and Kenta ever came to blows. And in any battlefield he would be on the side of his family. The band. Namjoon. Hoseok. Yuna. Y/n.
‘You think so little of me.’
Huru didn’t sound offended. Kenta would be if the roles were reversed, but the stakes were too high for him to care. Anything Kim Y/n related was personal. ‘A bodyguard’s role is to protect, defend and evacuate,’ Kenta stood at his full height and let Huru read him loud and clear, ‘you are one wrong word away from identifying yourself as a threat.’
Huru’s grip on the bottle tightened, before he reined himself in. 'That’s that then.’ Huru turned on his heel and set the bottle down, and spent more than a few seconds, turning the label to face the front. 'Ken,’ he released a pent-up breath. 'I may be wrong. But… from what I gather about your ice-queen and the way she thinks … she’s forgiven her husband, as you say…but…’ The stark honesty in Huru’s gaze when he lifted his head and his words thereafter, turned the blood in Kenta’s veins to ice. 'Will she be able to forgive herself for staying?’
Summary - You would never expect it really. He’s doting. He’s sweet. He’s hardworking. But he’s forgotten his morals. Suspecting it is one thing, but when he confirms it, will you stay or walk away.
Warning - Cheating(Aftermath); Borderline Smut;
Word Count - 4.6k
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During the course of the day, tensions settled somewhat since the meeting that morning. Having a wedding around the corner, being deep in planning and helping out, as well as feeling the aftereffects of the tempest of y/n and Namjoon’s relationship, Jin made the decision to have a huge supper at the dorm.
When ordering out, it was ideal to get food from one location. But since the band felt more like a band after the meeting earlier, Jin decided everyone should get their preference.
Chaos ensued during the decision making with seven different menus going around the room, but eventually Jin and Namjoon got everyone’s orders and had food on its way from no less than four restaurants.
Going their separate ways for the moment, Namjoon currently hovered near the entrance of the dorm with Jimin across from him. God knows how he was left to do collections, when he was the klutz.
‘How likely is it for a fashion emergency to happen at the wedding?’
Namjoon looked up from his phone. He was aimlessly scrolling through his texts and watching the time tick by. Secretly, he hoped the pizzas that were ordered would be delivered after thirty minutes, so they could get it free.
Y/n would make fun of him for being a millionaire and yet biding his time for free pizza, but old habits die hard and some things help keep a person grounded. For some it was memories that backtracked to the days ago where the position and lifestyle and financial standing was difficult, for some it was reminding themselves to save for a rainy day, like a trauma response to deal with the guilt of overspending, for some, like Namjoon, it was the Earth and the rain and y/n and a free pizza.
Namjoon had no doubt in his mind that Jin had his timer on his watch set as well.
'Well, the odds are pretty slim, considering how meticulous y/n and Yuna are about their clothing and that you and Tae will be handling the final touches of everyone’s outfits and approving before we leave our respective rooms.’ Namjoon watched Jimin scarf down his alcohol in one gulp as if it was water, 'but then again, anything can happen.’
Jimin shook his head, a frown playing on his features. 'I feel a bit useless. We just have the outfits to cover.’ He looked at Namjoon pointedly. 'Which, of course, is important. But once the ceremony is going on, and after, what then?’
Namjoon regarded his dongsaeng for a minute. He knew why y/n kept the soulmates free. They were a wild card and a soothing presence, Taehyung and Jimin, in that order. Which meant they could stand in, handle, inform, and save any situation, any issue, any problem that made itself known.
Jimin could calm anyone down, clear a fight, provide clarity, anything the wedding party would require. Taehyung was a charmer, he would handle guests, he would maneuver his way through the technical roles such as the photography and the music and still keep up a playful ruse.
'I think y/n is using you both as safety nets, should anything happen.’ Namjoon had no qualms in saying it out loud. 'She relies and trusts the both of you.’
Jimin grimaced. 'Hyung, I’m drinking right now. You and I both know, I don’t need a reason to be emotional.’
'Kinda late for that considering how the day has gone.’ Namjoon regarded himself and shook his head at the memories. 'I need a drink or two myself.’
'Don’t berate yourself, hyung.’ Jimin picked his glass up, and held it against the light, 'I’ll tell on you.’
Namjoon did not want that. He wasn’t a pussy. But y/n was a force to be reckoned with, and he’d already used his quota of overruling her for the day. 'It just feels premature.’
Neither of them needed to clarify what the leader was talking about.
'It’s life. Whatever has to happen next, will happen. We just have to… control our emotions. I wish I could switch mine off.’ Jimin added as an afterthought.
'Hey,’ Namjoon straightened his posture, 'emotions have always been your strength.’
'Yeah,’ Jimin’s expression dulled, despite the pep his alcohol should have provided. 'Things have been wack these days, I just want to drink and eat good food, and call it a night.’
Namjoon felt a crease from between his eyebrows. 'What’s the matter with you?’ Somehow this felt less about the band and more about Jimin. Even during the meeting, he wasn’t his usual, opinionated self.
Besides the meeting, Jimin didn’t hide his feelings, nor did he talk about them as if they were a hindrance. He was the most emotional of all the members. Clearly, something else was going on for the male to be so wound up.
'Nothing,’ his dongsaeng, shrugged, but he didn’t look Namjoon in the eye. A clear lie.
'Come on, Chim,’ Namjoon urged, 'you can talk to me.’
Come to think of it, Jimin was missing his sass and his attitude. It was that extra pop in his presence that captured attention and kept him on the fence of both his soft and hard personalities.
But tonight, Jimin’s bags showed under his eyes, he looked… dare Namjoon think the word, but Jimin looked thin, and somehow, if it made any sense to anyone at all, Jimin looked older, like a male in his late twenties, no longer Namjoon’s softest maknae.
No. This was a man that had something going on. That had nothing to do with any of his brothers.
Jimin opened his mouth to answer when – 'Namjoon,’ y/n called from above them, as she leaned over the balustrade, 'a minute please.’
'I’ll be up in a sec,’ Namjoon instinctively called back.
Wait. This was it… wasn’t it. This was what he did all the time. Y/n always had to wait, had to come second, had to be patient.
When y/n called or needed something, Namjoon didn’t always drop everything and leave. And she didn’t complain, nor did she ask for explanations.
This was why there was insecurity in her heart.
But, he looked at Jimin, his dongsaeng, who he’d just had a big fight with and was going to confide in Namjoon…
As if making a decision for his hyung, Jimin motioned to y/n with his empty glass, Jimin mouthed the word 'Later.’
Namjoon hesitated, 'Are you sure?’
A curt nod. 'Later. Promise.’
Namjoon was not convinced but he filed a reminder in his brain to circle back to Jimin once the night was over.
He trudged up the stairs to where y/n entered the home gym, through the door next to Jungkook’s.
When he walked in, y/n was pacing and immediately his adrenaline skyrocketed. He eyed her form, noting her hair, no marks, no physical hurt, no objects around her were broken, that was good… but something was clearly wrong.
But he didn’t show his anxiety. He didn’t dare show it. This was a response he’d have to handle.
For all he knew, she could be stressed about the wedding or Yuna or really anything in the world, it didn’t mean she was pissed at him, or that she was leaving him.
He shut the door behind him and closed his eyes for a second. Breathe, Namjoon. Breathe.
He cleared his throat and turned around to face his wife, 'Y/n?’
She stopped pacing, crossed her arms and nodded her head slowly, as if putting pieces together in her brain. That was nothelping.He immediately knew he did something wrong. But what?
'So,’well fuck that tone, 'I had to visit the office this morning.’ She motioned to him, 'as you know.’
He nodded, his eyes wide and biding the seconds through the suspense in the air.
'You see, Ria got some feedback…’ she narrowed her eyes, 'on the materials I was compensated for, some time ago,’ her tongue poked her cheek, 'and apparently these suppliers were visited by lawyers, big-shot, no-nonsense kinda lawyers.’ Fuck. Double fuck.
She walked slowly toward him and he resisted the urge to step back as her tone grazed over his body like a velvet cover on a sharp-edged knife. 'Do you think it’s fair… that you didn’t tell me about this?’
He wouldn’t bother lying. He wouldn’t lie to her. He didn’t do it when he cheated. He wouldn’t do it over something like this. 'We weren’t talking y/n.’
She threw her hands up in the air. 'So you’re gonna fight my battles for me. Like what,’ she narrowed her eyes, 'some damsel in distress.’ She spat the words, as if it was the biggest insult.
'It’s not like that!’ He protested. Fuck no. He didn’t like it when she was upset, but he would never ever disrespect her independence. 'They fucked up your order, I wanted to get your money back. That’s it.’
She ran her fingers through her hair, looking away from him and back. 'I would have taken the loss Namjoon. I didn’t ask for you to step in. You’ve never overstepped like this before.’ Her jaw clenched, as if reigning in her emotions.
He knew of the line she spoke of. He never meddled with the affairs of her company, just like she held her tongue about his idol life until they were behind closed doors. But he wouldn’t back down.
'You were already stressed out about me, y/n,’ he pointed to himself, 'I wanted to help and I knew you wouldn’t have let me.’
'So instead of offering help, you went behind my back instead?’ She spread her arms wide.
Oh. Stones. They were throwing stones. Okay. Unable to help himself he replied through his teeth. 'The same way you spoke to Heeyoung without informing me.’
A momentary pause. 'That has nothing to do with this.’
'Like hell! It’s the same situation.’ He stalked her this time. 'I wanted to save you without you knowing and I did. You wanted to protect our family without me knowing and you did.’
'Namjoon –,’ she moved back, trying to maintain distance from him.
He knew why. He was her kryptonite. He was always her kryptonite. His scent. His face. His presence. His cock. The unwavering, ice queen melted only with him. And he fucking loved it. She knew, she knew, he would always give as good as he got from her. But he was not in a mood to play. Not yet.
'Are you sure this is about the materials?’ He backed her against the wall and placed a hand above her head.
'What?’ Her eyes flashed. Fuck. He would never get over her. He towered her, and yet she tipped, her chin up, relentless and unyielding.
He got his cock and the brain cells connected to it under control somehow. 'Are you not mad about the article or about the discussion earlier and you’re just projecting?’
'Don’t fucking discount the validity of my feelings!’ A hard shove from her took him by surprise, but he didn’t go far. 'I’ve told you enough times that I am not mad about the article. And the decision about Maiya is done.’ She made a cut off motion with her hand.
'I feel like you’re lying.’ He believed her. He believed she believed what she was saying. But after the breakdown she’d had and the shortcomings he’d realized, he would rather make sure. And the only way to get anything out of y/n when she was in denial, was by pushing her.
It wasn’t ideal. It wasn’t very healthy either. But he refused to go backwards.
'Oh for fucks sake!’ She grabbed onto his lapels and tried to bring herself to his height pushing herself to her tiptoes. 'Namjoon,’ she softened her tone, his name a caress, 'the party was fake. Everything you did… was fake. You told me. Jin told me. Yoongi told me. The maknaes told me. Even Kenta vouched for you, that the whole thing was fake. And I kinda knew.’ Tired, she sat back on her heels and looked away.
'But Maiya wasn’t fake. I was mad about Maiya and I hated that article because I know it wasn’t fake, she actually had your cock in her mouth and she flaunted it.’
She pulled away from him, and faced the window on her right. She hugged herself as she watched the city lights below her.
'You’re an idol Namjoon. You’re a freaking loved idol. Some women are actually crazy enough to kill me to make sure you’re available for the off chance that you could fall for them. There’s not much that can scare you about the media after six years. So the article.’ She clicked her tongue, much like his Yoongi hyung would, after a nonsense statement, 'sand through my hand.’
Meaning it had already fallen through the cracks of her fingers and would not be picked up again.
His hands found her hips, and pulled her body flush against him. One, because he knew her quick fuse was almost out, and two, because he couldn’t bear to not hold her in his arms. As far as he knew, she was in his imagination, a figment, a dream he never wanted to wake up from.
'I’m sorry, for accusing you.’ He placed a chaste peck on her exposed shoulder. 'I’m just rattled. I’m just,’ he closed his eyes ‘… Fuck!’
He hid his face in her hair. How did he explain? That he was being himself, as he was before the cheating, but still didn’t know if he was saying the right things, doing the right things, making it worse, pushing her away…
He felt her turn in his hold and placed gentle fingers on his nape. 'Scared,’ she whispered against his lips, when he opened his eyes to look at her. 'I know. I caused this. And I’m sorry it’s become this voice in your head.’ She placed her forehead against his jaw, 'but I am telling the truth. I am not mad about that article. Our family discussed things today… and made a choice. I have to accept that, even if it breaks my heart.’
He inhaled her scent, and reveled in her touch, she held herself to him, she held him to the Earth.
'We have the weight of our world on our shoulders, Joon. If I’m not honest with you, especially about my feelings, all of this is for nothing.’
He flexed his hand on her hip, enjoying the feel of her, the proximity, she responded by getting closer. 'I’m sorry for going to see Heeyoung behind your back.’
'I’m sorry for threatening your suppliers behind yours.’ His fingers grazed the edge of her waistline, the exposed skin forming tiny bumps of goose flesh.
'Oreos?’ She moved her head back and forth, brushing her hair against his jawline.
'Coffee.’ He replied instantly, feeling… safe and somehow feeling… claimed.
He felt her fingers lock behind his neck and he pulled her flush against him.
'So…’ she lifted her head, 'how much did it cost to get the studio lawyers to handle the legalities?’
He almost smiled at her stubbornness. 'If I don’t tell you, you’ll phone Ji-ho and compensate me accordingly anyway.’
She shook her head. ‘Arem will.’
Hmm. 'Arem paying RM.’ He snorted at the homophone and conceded. 'I’ll get you the figures.’
She tilted her head to the side and smirked at him.
'What?’ He brushed his lips against her forehead, curious to know what was going through his head.
'RM. Real Me.’
He scrunched his eyebrows. 'What about it?’
'I mean, it could stand for… other things.’
'Like?’
Her hand moved to cup his cheek, and she tipped up her head to speak against his lips.
'I feel it’s more like… Rail Me.’
He closed his eyes and let out a groan. 'I should get sainthood for having any sort of willpower against you.’
She peppered kisses along his jaw, ’… if you didn’t have willpower… what would you do?’
His hand splayed across her back, keeping her flush against him, his other hand cupped her ass. 'Are we really doing this?’ He growled. 'After our conversation yesterday? Are you sure? You have to be sure.’
'I am.’
He searched her face for any indication, anything at all, that refuted her consent.
'Y/n…’ He breathed.
'No. No more waiting. I’m doing what you asked.’
He wanted to listen to her, he wanted her, but he would not get this wrong, 'I don’t think you’re ready to sleep with me again, baby.’
'But that,’ she nipped at him, 'is up to me. Right?’
Her bite, as light as it was, made its way straight to his cock and he answered with it in mind. 'Right.’
Not waiting for any further explanation, she continued, 'So tell me, what would you do if you didn’t have willpower.’
He pressed his hand to the glass behind her and pushed her up against it, caging her in. A masculine part of him stretched languidly at his actions, that part of him watching, and waiting, and willing for more. 'I can’t hold back, y/n,’ he ground out, 'it’s been too long without you…’
'Namjoon.’ Her hands moved to tug on his hair. ‘What would you do to me?’
His fingers curled around her nape, and he responded with the two words that started this. 'I’d rail you.’
Unphased, she moved her hands to his chest, enjoying the feel of him, 'Jin will not be very happy,’ she rubbed her cheek on his jaw, 'with us doing it on the gym floor.’ Pulling back, she bit her lip, aiming to tease, and succeeding. 'Think of his carpets.’
'The carpets and my hyung,’ he hissed, 'are the last things on my mind… when you’re biting your lip the way you are.’
'You don’t play fair, either.’ He felt her leg curl around his calf. 'Do you have any idea how good you look in black?’
'Don’t throw stones baby,’ his freehand moved to brush a finger across her nipple, 'you’re not using a bra under this shirt.’
He elicited a gasp from her. 'Because I had a sweater over this.’
'… and now your nipples are poking through your shirt. What if I bit one of them right now?’ He whispered.
She clearly didn’t think through her response. 'Why don’t you?’
His eyes snapped to hers. 'Don’t push me. Your dirty mouth has been crossing lines even before today.’ He pulled back, trying to leash his harsh tone, 'I don’t want to hurt you, y/n.’
'Aww, but you said I had pretty lips yesterday.’
His pulse hammered, he could feel he thrum of it, because the fucking sass on this woman. His woman. 'They get you in your fair share of trouble.’ He didn’t bother to bring back the last time they spoke about her lips. Then again, the separation of the two subject matters seemed to help.
'You never had a problem with that.’ Desire coated her gaze, dripping from her words. He wanted to rip her clothes off and make good on his word for baiting him.
'I don’t. It makes sinking my cock into you much more enjoyable.’ He flexed the palm at her head, as it rested against the window. If he wrapped it in her hair, this would be over. She would be on the floor, legs spread and she wouldn’t stop him.
She leaned back, dropping her head against the glass, 'Joon.’ The mental image didn’t help him either, if the tightness in his pants was any indication.
She was so close. Her knee between his legs, just barely reaching his hard on. Her one hand on his chest, the other cradling his jaw.
He rubbed his jaw along her chest, 'Fuck, I miss touching you. And I miss being inside you.’
She shivered as her lips parted and her breaths became uneven.
He pressed an open mouthed kiss on the base of her neck and when her fingers clawed at his back, he felt it through his shirt. Y/n, as independent as she was, enjoyed submitting. That didn’t mean she would ever come quietly.
Biting the juncture between her shoulder and neck to reprimand her, her body arched against him.
'Baby,’ he whispered, trailing his nose along her jaw, and stopping directly in front of her lips. 'Tell me to stop. If this isn’t working and it’s not good for you…. tell me to stop.’
She answered by leaning forward to kiss his forehead and made her way down to his lips.
Her gentleness was just a ruse, he soon found out, when she teased his front with her nails. His hips jerked in a slight reaction.
He growled, ‘You’ll pay for that.’ He made her do exactly that when he moved his head and bit her nipple through her shirt.
Her back arched, inadvertently pushing her breasts closer. 'Namjoon,’ she inhaled sharply at the sting, but she leaned further into him.
‘Say my name just like that.’ Her hands moved to cradle his head as he sucked hard at the nipple that was between his teeth. She moaned this time, and the sound went straight to his throbbing cock.
This was heaven for Namjoon. His brain brought up a surge of memories of his wife being vulnerable and open and pliant, her moans and her screams, calling out his name like a mantra, the tears that were caused by the overwhelming pleasure and love they shared… Only he had that right, only he had that claim, no one was ever allowed to have her like this.
It only just occurred to him when he saw how easily she let him in, that her body would be pining for him as much as he was for her.
And if the rush of sensation would overwhelm her with pleasure, help her fight her thoughts and her demons, he’d be damned if he didn’t do a good job of it.
Truth be told, he wanted to reach between them and shove his fingers into her panties, but he knew she’d be wet and ready, and he would probably go insane. He was a law unto himself when Y/n was involved. His logic, calm, clarity… all out the fucking window.
So he fought for his control as he reached for her neglected nipple and played with the hard bud with his fingers.
She whimpered when he pinched hard and she tightened her hold in retaliation. 'Fucking tease.’
He felt his lips lift at the corners. God, he loved her, and he loved her breasts. He loved her ass and he loved y/n and he loved so many more things, but her breasts in his hands, in his hold, fuck they were so sexy, she was so sexy.
He let go and used both thumbs to rub across both nipples flicking hard.
'Fuck,’ she groaned, letting him do whatever he wanted, as he wanted, but not for long.
Y/n was not an easy lover, she would beg, and whimper, and give and give and keep giving, but she also knew when to bite, when to demand, and when to take when she wanted.
She tugged hard at the strands of his hair so he met her eyes and no one, not even the voice in his mind could dispute the fire and the need in them.
Deep inside of him, elation broke through the haze of arousal, because his lover, his wife, his y/n was coming back to him. This was all her. And she was allhis.
'Catch.’ She hopped, and he instinctively caught both her legs, crossing them over his thighs and pulled her further into the heat of his body.
He took advantage, the feel of her fueling him, and pushed his hard on at the softness between her legs, rocking his hips into hers in a harsh motion. ‘Fuck,’ he groaned. And he did it again when she cried out.
He loved her moans and her cries, it drove him in a way nothing else would in the bedroom. Chasing her pleasure, chasing her release, watching her come undone under, so uniquely satisfying.
As he rocked into her, teasing, their breaths mingling, his cock threatening to burst out of his pants, he realized how far this was going.
If he didn’t stop… but he couldn’t think, he couldn’t think of the logic that they were in the gym, at the dorm, that he was fueling a need they both held back from and craved for so long, there was no stopping if he continued. He ground against her core anyway, and her back arched harshly against the glass, her head thrown back, her eyes closed, completely lost in the sensations he was causing. She chased her high with his ministrations.
When she finally opened her eyes, he saw the frustration, and reveled in it, because y/n was no longer teasing. She was not toying with him. She wanted to cum. He resisted the urge to plaster a feral smirk on his face at the satisfaction.
She wrapped her arms around his back and surged forward, squeezing his backside with her crossed legs, stopping a hair’s breadth away from his lips, her tongue running across the bottom one, 'Kiss me.’
Thank fuck. She was breathless and needy and all his. He wanted to kiss her. To taste her. To mark her –
'Hyung, the food is – AH!’
Her legs dropped from around his waist, as they broke apart. Only his hands on her ass kept her upright against him, or she would have fallen flat when Jimin walked in.
'Fuck!’ He growled out in frustration, as the hyung of the maknae line walked out the same door before it could swing shut.
Namjoon was breathing hard against her forehead, and y/n was in no better shape, her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace, her pupils blown wide with arousal. Neither of them went after Jimin.
The thought only came to him, when the momentary fog faded, whispers of their arousal still dancing around them.
He knew this fear, the apprehension he tried not to show. After dancing around each other for so long, would it be too soon to play a happy couple, would it be weird for any of their family to see them kissing or doing more than the hugs and the hand holding.
The last thing they wanted was to make anyone uncomfortable. ‘Steady?’ he asked her, but it came out more like a rumble.
She licked her bottom lip, a breathless, ‘Yeah,’ leaving her lips and he dropped his hands.
He nodded and swallowed hard, ‘Go on ahead, I, uh… I need a minute.’ He placed a hand on the glass in front of him, sinking into the cool touch at his fingertips as he tried to get his raging hard on under control. They were literally going to have sex in the gym of dorm.
A knowing smirk formed on her lips and she moved completely out of his arms to follow their maknae, but before she could take a step to the door, they heard Jimin from down the hall.
'Jin hyung! Y/n and Namjoon hyung are being ugly in the gym!’
He looked at y/n, at the same time she turned to him and their eye contact was immediate, Matching grins broke out a second later.
Y/n dropped her head onto his chest and he felt the vibrations of her laughter as she relaxed into him again.
He enclosed her in his embrace as warmth bloomed in his chest at the sound, her laughter curling around his heart like a blanket. This was y/n, this was his wife, this was home. The moment may have been ruined. But it would happen again, he’d have a lifetime to prove his love to her.
'Jin hyung’s gonna kill us,’ he murmured against her hair.
'Nope.’ She giggled, unrepentant, 'Jin’s gonna kill you.’
Summary - You would never expect it really. He’s doting. He’s sweet. He’s hardworking. But he’s forgotten his morals. Suspecting it is one thing, but when he confirms it, will you stay or walk away.
Warning - Cheating(Aftermath);
Word Count - 6.3k
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A/N - Additional Warning - The topics in the following update hit closer to home for some of us than I care to admit. Should the concept of future disbandment be a trigger, I suggest treading carefully.
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‘No, you’re incorrect, you fuck!’ You slammed the damned laptop closed after trying your password three times.
You glared in Jimin’s direction and your hand twitched for the stapler when you heard his loud convulsive laughter from opposite the table.
Instead of following through, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. 'Jiminie,’ you placed a saccharine smile on your face, still not opening your eyes, 'shut the fuckup.’
For the life of you, you couldn’t remember your password. It was muscle memory for the longest time and the desktop showed up on its own some days. But today, when you actually needed to get into the work laptop, you couldn’t remember your password.
'What do you expect me to do, when you react like that. It’s entertaining to me.’
You frowned, but didn’t reply. A part of you was happy you made him laugh, but your more serious side needed to know what your executive assistant was up your ass about. Ria had been blowing up your phone all morning. The woman was supposed to be enjoying her Christmas holidays away from the snow in the bustle of Mumbai and yet, she was texting you at odd hours of the morning to check your mail.
A part of you felt ashamed, being a business owner meant that work didn’t stop and there should always be an open door for communication, but your last few weeks were a whirlwind to say the least and your first baby, your Arem, was being neglected.
The company was still standing, of course, you had the best staff, a loyal right-hand like Ria and a legal and PR team at the ready, but it deserved more attention when the new year kicked off.
'Close your eyes and do it.’ Jimin suggested from his sunk-in position in the office chair. His back was going to hurt later.
'Yeah, if it’s muscle memory, it’ll work.’ Tae backed him up from his position on the couch, at your right, his finger swiping aimlessly on one of his socials.
The soulmates had accompanied you to work, which wouldn’t even be an option if Ria just fucking told you what the issue was. The problem arose when you realized your work email wasn’t signed in on your phone. So work was the next best bet, because your work email was signed onto the work laptop. Usually you’d sync the devices, but it wasn’t working for some reason. And the only device automatically signed in…at work. Hence, your predicament. Technology was a blessing and a curse.
You threw your hands up in the air. 'I’m not usually like this! You know I keep lists and passwords and I know what’s going on.’
Taehyung shrugged. 'Chill, everyone forgets their passwords.’
You caught Jimin’s gaze and he motioned to the laptop with his eyes. Oh yeah. You were supposed to close your eyes and input your password.
Incorrect.
‘Fuck this!’ you pulled out your phone, having no choice but to get in touch with your IT department head.
Y/n [10.31] : Seo-Hyun, apologies for being an inconvenience on your holiday, but can you give me access to my work laptop please.
Seo-Hyun [10.32] : Do you ever take a break? Also, this is the third time this year I’m overriding on a day off. Did you forget again?
Y/n [10.33] : If you double up, I’ll get your department that expensive cappuccino machine you’ve been raving about.
Y/n [10.33] : Please.
Y/n [10.33] : I’ll explain at our annual meeting.
Seo-Hyun [10.34] : Give me a couple of minutes.
Y/n [10.34] : I’ll put the order in ASAP.
‘Are you sure you typed it in right?’ Tae asked, as you drummed your nails on the table in wait.
You nodded, feeling too antsy to reply. Ria was a professional. A cold, calculated, meticulous professional. She wouldn’t push if it wasn’t urgent, but also, if it was that urgent why couldn’t she just tell you.
‘Okay,’ Tae came to stand at your table, ‘how about, close your eyes, and as you feel the distance between the keys, open your eyes and make sure you press the correct one. So one key at a time.’
‘Come on, we’ll do it with you.’ Jimin leaned over the table toward you.
Tae clicked on the spacebar. ‘What’s your password?’
‘AremArc, shift, the first three numbers on the top.’
Tae and Jimin met each other’s eyes and then yours. ‘How the hell are you going to remember that type of password.’
‘It’s always been AremArc,’ you averted your gaze, ‘it was my dad’s, I just added the numbers.’
Sensing the change in your tone, they let the subject drop immediately. In all honesty, you didn’t have an explanation as to why you carried over your dad’s password. It just felt weird to notuse it.
Taehyung moved to cover your eyes with his hand and Jimin pulled your hands forward to hover at the keyboard.
‘Okay, feel it out.’
You rested the front of your wrists directly in front of the spacebar, following Jimin’s words, you typed without thinking.
You knew the Arem had a capital letter, Jimin helped with that, the Arc had another and then Tae held the shift button while you typed in the numbers.
‘Ah, you hesitated!’ Taehyung exclaimed.
Opening your eyes you watched your fingers hover over the numbers. Your ring finger felt right, as it rested on the ‘1’, the middle finger on the ‘2’ but your forefinger was…off. It was curved to match the ‘3’, but you didn’t remember curving the finger. Straightening it out, your forefinger met the ‘4’ and that felt right. A side glance affirmed that Tae still had the shift key down, so you tapped on the ‘4’.
Almost immediately the desktop came into view.
‘Well,’ Tae straightened up and crossed his arms. ‘We see why it was such a mission before.’
‘Thank you,’ You muttered ruefully, trying to hide your smile as Jimin reached over to fistbump his soulmate.
Looking back at your screen, you watched as a mouse moved on the screen of its own accord and a white pop up box requesting the change of your password was ticked. Seo-Hyun’s teamviewer did it’s thing and you panicked for your phone to tell her you got in.
'Check your stuff,’ Jimin reminded you, ‘it’s almost time to leave for the studio.’
'Actually,’ your doors swung open, revealing Seokjin, 'we just decided to crash here.’
One by one, they found a place in your office, as if they’d been here a hundred times and felt right at home.
You raised your eyebrows. 'I don’t recall giving anyone access.’
Unbothered, Jungkook plopped himself next to Tae, who returned to his original seat, Hoseok lounged opposite them, his arms spread wide across the back of the sofa and crossed legs on the table in front of him. Yoongi went to stand by your floor length windows, Jin came to stand by your chair, Namjoon sat on your desk on your right after pressing a light kiss to your hair and Ji-ho, your favorite lawyer, placed his books on your desk, evidently claiming the office chair, next to Jimin.
Your question might imply such, but you were far from annoyed. Your family was allowed in any of your spaces at any time, but you were confused as to how they got in.
During the holiday season, only you and necessary personnel knew the codes to get in and out, unless you trusted someone enough to share them.
None of the band members had codes to your company, not even Namjoon, because business was business. They were idols, a band, your architecture firm was not on their daily route, not even Hoseok and Jin.
Hurudid have access… depending, because it would be futile to not give him a code considering he frequented Arem to update you and he was capable of acquiring any access codes on his own. Why fool yourself and waste either of your time?
The only other person who had access to any location you frequented and reason to make calls and perform actions without clearing it with you was – 'Kenta,’ Jin tapped your chair and answered your statement.
That one word puts you at ease. Kenta would have been subtle. Satisfied with the answer, you leaned back in your leather chair, and rested your elbows on either side, like a lady in wait.
'Why the location change?’ Jimin voiced your next question.
‘I don’t come here often.’ Ji-ho answered, as if that was enough explanation. ‘I love your view, y/n.’ He walked around the office, stopping to scan your shelf, his finger brushing across your Map of the Seven 7 Album before rounding on you. 'Can I visit you anytime?’
Namjoon gave him the side-eye.
Ji-ho played up his serious persona, but even you could see the glint in his eye.‘You know,’ he put both hands in his pockets, blatantly ignoring Namjoon’s gaze, ‘if ever paperwork needs signing… or have a heart to heart or… something.’
‘Okay, let’s cut to the chase.’ Every single member smirked as Namjoon turned fully to Ji-ho who held his hands up in surrender.
Namjoon tried to be playful, you could see a smirk playing at the side of his lips, but it wasn’t genuine.
You could do nothing but shake your head at the situation.
Logically speaking, Ji-ho was a very handsome male, single, in a good job with impeccable financial wit and an open personality, but he would never make a move on you, he was very loyal to Namjoon and friends with him for a long time. But Namjoon, well… he was not logical when you were involved and even banter was a thin-ice sort of thing. Hoseok, Jin, the maknaes, even Yoongi, Namjoon would be fine with alone visits, but despite the deep friendship, Ji-ho was not family, he was not Kenta, and he existed outside the small circle of people Namjoon would trust blindly.
There was a difference with your husband. He loved deep, and he loved in levels. Love was love and trust was trust. Blind, unquestionable trust was a different tier.
Reaching over to lace your fingers through his, he looked down at you, a warm smile gracing his features, but his eyes were hard, serious, slightly protective even.
You were reminded all over again, of how deeply embedded he was in your existence, how there would never and could never be anyone else. The past was the past. It had to be. You had a future to build with this man.
Ji-ho made his way to his seat and placed three different booklets in front of Namjoon. Within those seconds, as a unit, the energy in the room shifted. It could practically be felt, the way the band stood at attention, despite their relaxed stances.
‘Wait!’ Seokjin stopped Ji-ho just as he opened his mouth. 'I brought bubble wrap.’
True enough, Jin pulled out a piece of bubble wrap from his coat pocket.
'Why do you need bubble wrap?’ Ji-ho asked with genuine confusion.
'For y/n.’ Jin passed it over. 'Bubble wrap relaxes her.’
You giddily, made grabby hands and started popping them one by one, quietly and in sequence.
'Okay. So. What does everyone know?’
'Wait, wait,’ Taehyung interrupted Ji-ho, 'Jin hyung, we’ll be using swear words.’
It wasn’t a question and it wasn’t lost on anyone that Taehyung was not asking for permission.
'Since we’re being honest, hyung.’ Jimin came to his soulmate’s aid.
'Namjoon?’ The man in question turned his chin toward the leader.
Your husband looked down at you and you shrugged. Swear words and blunt talk did nothing for you or to you. You preferred it.
Namjoon pressed, 'Are you comfortable with that?’
You assured him. 'I’ve thought worse.’
'And said it.’ Jimin muttered under his breath.
You kicked him under the table and felt satisfaction at his soft 'Ow’.
'Hyung,’ Namjoon addressed his Jin, 'no language barriers since this is an open and honest discussion.’
Seokjin sighed. 'I need bubble wrap too.’
'Okay,’ Ji-ho, started, 'again,’ he looked around the room, searching for any opening mouths and add ons, 'What do we know?’
The answers came fast.
'That Namjoon hyung cheated at a bar sometime in October.’ Jungkook stated.
You didn’t even flinch, neither did Namjoon. Props to both of you. Either it was getting better, you were stronger, or maybe it was because of who stated it, Jungkook held no malice in his tone. He’d just stated a fact.
Smart move. Coming from a hyung, it could have been taken as disappointment, from a maknae, as judgment, but Jungkook was one of the maknaes that provided clarity instead of further confusion. Fact was fact. That’s all it was now. Namjoon had cheated. It was time to move on.
'That the bitch signed two NDAs one of which cannot be used against her and the second has a partial loophole to work with.’ Hoseok looked to be sucking on a sweet in his mouth, the round shape of it being pushed to either cheek when he spoke, 'She also submitted photos via her brother, which we got on video feed from Heeyoung.’
'Maiya makes herself look put together,’ Yoongi has his back turned to everyone, hands in his pockets as he watched the skyline before him, 'but she’s had a hard life, a hard past and despite her job, she makes it look like she comes from money, which we all initially thought, but she’s struggling and she’s taking care of her problematic brother.’
'A brother who was down the wrong path and caught in such, and is still on the run.’ You felt Jin’s hand by your head, on the back of your chair. 'She kept blaming a roommate that she supposedly had and now can’t be found. A bullshit story if we’ve ever heard one.’ Jin derided without humor, 'Why lie if you can’t do it properly?’ He asked no one in particular.
'Her lawyer fell off the face of the earth after leaving a prestigious company and has probably washed her hands of her brother’s case. So,’ Jimin clicked his tongue, 'no way out, no end in sight. A bar, an idol, money, … five seconds of fame.’
'So she’s broke, desperate and sees Namjoon hyung as an opening,’ Taehyung stands up, and walks around Hoseok’s couch, 'she wants to wash her hands off the situation once she signs the NDA and gets her money and payment from the company for keeping her mouth shut, maybe to save her brother to pay that lawyer, or buy a new life altogether…’ he stops next to his Yoongi hyung. 'But then she gets vindictive when we dismiss her. Greedy. Manipulative.’
'But we have y/n’s NDA,’ you felt Namjoon’s pride in you, his tone holding nothing back, 'with an acute connection, but a connection nonetheless, which we enforce.’
And ruin her.
You blinked at the intrusive thought. Blowing out a breath, quickly and quietly so as not to draw any attention from the men beside you, you pushed the negativity away. Yes, you hated her. You wanted to wring her fucking neck, truly and probably go to far. Even then, you might not feel remorse. In reality you weren’t capable of such cruelty, but that didn’t mean you weren’t angry.
'Alright,’ Ji-ho clapped his hand together, 'everyone’s on par.’
He pulled forward one of the booklets and entered lawyer mode. 'Well, let’s not beat around the bush, the brother is going to be taken into custody, we know this. He can’t clear his name. And he’s racked up quite the rap sheet.’ He picked up what looked like a criminal record and scanned it quickly before putting it back. 'Unfortunately,’ he looked up at you and sighed. 'There is nothing that can be done to save him, from what I know, because there are no witnesses on his side, the owner caught him fair and square and the video feed wasn’t working.’
Steepling his fingers, he watched as Yoongi moved to stand behind Jin, leaning casually against the wall, hands still in his pocket.
You understood. Some felt closer to others. Some felt more protective of others. It was why Jin leaned on your office chair, his forearms crossed over the back as he loomed over you. Yoongi behind him.
Hoseok and Jungkook were up and both leaning on the back of a single seater couch, crossed arms, facing you.
'We have to remember that it’s deep in the holiday season.’ The lawyer leaned back in his chair as Taehyung, last to form the protective circle, sat on your desk, his feet on the space of Jimin’s chair. It was a laughable situation. There was enough space, but everyone practically hovered over one another and it felt… right. 'The best I could do from my side was get a signature from our CEO on a written document stating the threat of her being sued and that she could be required to pay’ he reached over to open the second booklet, 'financial damages and related costs, as we have stated.’ He put the page down. Most probably a mock up of her NDA.
'Why can’t things be simple?’ Hoseok rolled his eyes in impatience.
You tilted your head to the side. Your Hobi, lovely Hobi, filled with so much love. The person that would eventually feel the full force of that love, would be truly blessed.
'If only.’ Taehyung derided after his hyungs annoyed statement.
'So now, we just have another pending issue.’ Jin asked pointedly, his arms crossed, making him out to be the hyung with the most business sense and legal knowledge.
'Well, yeah, I can’t call a court in session in the middle of the holiday, hyung, especially one of this magnitude. It’s not like we’re on a remand list. This is new.’ Ji-ho held his own against the oldest irritation. 'This band, even a minor picture, of someone unknown, a random fact that could be taken negatively, would cause uproar. Your fans are… passionate.’
You dropped your face to hide your smile and popped another couple of bubbles slowly.
Internally, you cheered Ji-ho on. The boys were very protective of their ARMY. Rightly so. But being a part of them, having your own hidden stan Twitter, having read Tumblr fanfic and seen reactions first-hand, some of them were borderline problematic and delusional.
The good ones made up for it. Yeah. Some of the soft stans were so loving and pure. Some of the hardstans were the most honest and savage. They made up for it.
'So, I will enforce this as soon as I can, and I will in no way back down, or settle for any sum of money because,’ he looked at you and Namjoon, 'it’s the two of you. Regardless of the shortcomings you see in yourselves, you are two upstanding citizens in society. You, y/n, represent yourself, a progressive female that develops the community and country, and you represent Namjoon, as a backbone of the band, his family and the leader that he is. Namjoon I don’t need to explain to you who you are.
Because of this, a case like this would draw a lot of attention. She would not look good of course, but neither will we.’
You liked how he said 'we’. As a company you would face this. Together.
'The question,’ Ji-ho stood up, and walked to the center of the room, addressing all of you at once, 'will be why are we going so hard, why are we pushing for this.’
'But first,’ he looked at Yoongi, 'What are NDAs?’
The man looked mildly startled, but replied after clearing his throat. 'Non-disclosure agreements.’
'Yes, but what do they stand for.’
'They’re a barrier.’ Namjoon narrowed his eyes, following Ji-ho’s prompting. 'They safeguard, doing their best to keep them in place as well as state consequences of crossing those barriers.’
'Exactly.’ A curl of his lip on one end, and then poker face. 'If we enforce this NDA, the consequences for Maiya Song will already be taking place.’ He motioned with his hands, from one position to another. Moving from one side to the other. You blinked. Like crossing a bridge.
Jin straightened up so fast you felt a draft by the movement. 'Which means there’s no barrier.’
His tone had your eyes widening.
'Which means she can reveal that I cheated.’ Namjoon mimicked his hyungs tone.
The realization was heavy, and caused internal panic to start building within you. Because how the fuck could you be so stupid.
Ji-ho stood in front of your family, unnerved. 'I am here with paperwork that I will get to processing in the new year, and I will take her down. I needed all of you, because I am asking the seven of you… to think about this again.’ You watched his eyes move to each face. 'Because once Namjoon is labeled a cheater, there is significant risk for not only him, but for this band.’
The silence that descended on your family… was deafening.
This was… this was new information. You wanted to laugh. Hysterically so. The bubble wrap discarded on your desk you viewed the small samurai sword set in front of you.
Yoongi had gifted you those. For the longest time, Yoongi kept you at arms length. It was who he was. Because he cared about his band, he cared about his brothers and his music. No one had the right to ruin that.
But here you were, getting justice, for a fucking blowjob, being vindictive, letting them go through with this when the world could turn against them.
They wouldn’t understand. They wouldn’t get it. Namjoon was not a bad person. Namjoon was the best human being. He was so much more than just a leader and a millionaire and an idol. He wove dreams from threads as delicate as spiderwebs, he valued the world around him, his surroundings, his family, his parents and his brothers, his life, his heart, his soul was built on the monumental victories of sharing his feelings, of his words translating onto paper, to create new meanings, to create a safety net that held people to the Earth between life and death.
People needed to see that. People needed to understand. One mistake didn’t undo his rights. And that one mistake couldn’t steal six other futures.
You felt the sting at the edge of your eye. Your throat tightened at the thought of any of their realities being altered.
The mere potential of someone pushing them into early retirement, the alarm that made wee-woo fucking sounds in your brain sounded out at the thought of the band nolo her being a band.
No comeback. No more harmonies and concepts. No tours. No concerts. Separate ways.
You looked up at Namjoon, almost hyperventilating, in his separate lifestyle he’d choose music, composing, mentoring, producing like Yoongi, but none of it, absolutely none of it would go smoothly if he was labeled a cheater.
'Well, we’ve had a good run.’ Jungkook pulled you out of your thoughts.
The last person you expected to say something like that.
'Excuse me?’ You seethed. Clenching your fists to keep from growling at the maknae.
He met your hard stare, unflinching. 'We have.’
'No,’ you stood up and pushed your chair back with enough force to send it backwards. 'Hello. This,’ you pointed at everyone, including him, 'is the band. The fucking band, we are talking about. I don’t need to say the full fucking name for any of you to know what I’m emphasising.’ You felt Namjoon’s hand at your back and closed your eyes to take a deep shuddering breath. Tears spilled out of your eyes. You couldn’t pinpoint why. 'This changes everything, Ji-ho.’
'I can’t believe we didn’t think of this.’ Jin whispered next to you as if you weren’t shouting.
'Realistically speaking,’ Namjoon mumbled, 'as cocky as it may sound, I have pulled in the industry. I would be the known face, and she would be the outsider.’ His voice grew loud. 'Therefore my supposed story is more believable.’
Ji-ho shook his head. 'You’d still be under scrutiny. Everything would change. You would not be the desired, saintlike, grounded, humble male that everyone sees of you.’
'You will hear words like, 'I knew something was wrong with him.“ You scoffed, willing yourself to stop leaking fucking tears when you weren’t crying. Frustration was a helluva bitch.
'Somethingis wrong with me.’ He plastered his body against yours. 'I cheated on my wife. I did the wrong thing. I deserve anything I get for it.’
You attempted to shrug out of his hold as he grabbed a tissue to wipe your cheeks. 'This isn’t just about you.’ Grabbing the tissue from your husband’s hand, you turned back to Ji-ho. 'Don’t do it.’
'Now, y/n,’ he offered you an apologetic smile, 'unfortunately, your say in this, has to be put aside. I need the band’s consent. Management will be on your asses as soon as I get this paperwork to them, you all know this.’
Yoongi pushed off the wall. 'Why does it sound like you’re convincing us to not sue her?’
Was he out of his mind? The most ruthless of the group. The most protective. Was he actually considering going through with this?
'I adore y/n, hyung. But this isn’t just about your band. This is the intent of the message you carry across in your songs, this is the validity of your statements, these are profits, and finance, and stocks. It’s tourism and globalization. This band is not just a band.’
No one could dispute his statement.
'This is a family first, before a band.’ Jin stood tall, taking his place as the solid head of a structure. 'We understand where Ji-ho is coming from. So, everyone… thoughts.’
Taehyung waved his hand. 'Sue the bitch.’
'Y/n deserves justice.’ Jimin didn’t look up, his finger tracing a pattern on Taehyung’s pants.
'Hey now, wait –,’ you protested.
'We’ll survive,’ Hoseok raised his eyebrow at you, 'we can do other things.’
They were being so nonchalant, so agreeable. What the fuck!
Jungkook nodded to Ji-ho. 'Do your thing, hyung.’
'Guys, stop!’ You shouted, but no one seemed to be listening.
'Priorities change.’ Yoongi added. Somehow the two words said so much.
'That’s it!’ You banged the table. 'Are you all crazy? We can’t have anyone knowing exactly what happened.’
'Baby,’ Namjoon soothed, crowding you with his presence, his scent, his hand on your thigh.
He was calling to you so calmly. As if you weren’t in a frenzy, as if the consequences be damned.
You broke out of his hold and walked up to Ji-ho threateningly. 'Fuck that bitch. And fuck her brother and fuck what happened. Whatever. It’s over. She doesn’t have any other leverage, since she handed the pictures. The NDA is still in place to make sure she keeps her cock sucking mouth shut and she has her money.’ You breathed hard as you offloaded on the lawyer who looked taken aback. You didn’t care. You didn’t give a fuck.
Raising a shaky hand, you pointed a threatening finger in his face. 'You will save this band. And you will save my husband. We are not risking this.’ You closed your hand into a fist and turned away, hands on your hips. The emotions churned inside you as you held your head. Feeling a fresh wave of vindication, you whipped back to him. 'Let her go. Let her brother go. Fuck her lawyer and her case. Screw her plans, fuck her life, and fuck her fucking lipstick color, just fuck it!’
Namjoon grabbed your arm and pulled you into his hold before you could say anymore. Shaking like a leaf, you hid in his jacket, in his warmth, wanting to scream at the new developments and downright refusing to accept the end of one of most glorious eras you had ever had the blessing to experience.
You dared not peep at Namjoon. You knew what you would find. Sadness and resignation only, as he held you so close to his heart. His arms around you were so tight, it was as if he wanted to keep you there forever. He started rocking from side to side and kissed your forehead.
'You’re going to court Ji-ho.’
You attempted to push out of his hold, your panic rising again, but he held strong, he held you to him. He was making himself clear, he would be making this decision. He would not listen to you.
'Namjoon,’ you tried shoved at his chest and tried to protest, but it came out muffled.
'No.’ He held strong at your neck and met your eye. 'I’ve wronged you. And you have done enough for me and this family. It’s time for us to show you how much we love you. It’s time for change.’
'ARMY’s –,’
’– will understand.’ Jin completed for you.
You looked above Namjoon’s shoulder blade to see your comfort human offer a sad smile.
You closed your eyes and stopped shoving, burying yourself in Namjoons hold.
'I am human, y/n.’ He sounded like he was reminding himself as much as you. 'And if your true love can accept that, and make sense of it, then my real fans will. If it comes out.’
'Joon, please.’ You whispered into his shoulder.
'Shh,’ he rocked you again. He kissed your forehead again. 'Shh.’
In any other setting, with anyone else, you would never let anyone see what power Namjoon had over you, but you couldn’t care, this time, power dynamics were the least of your problems.
'Unless…’ Yoongi murmured.
Your eyes snapped open to the male behind Jin.
'Unless what?’ Jin voiced your question.
'Namjoon makes a statement instead.’ Yoongi looked behind you, silently asking Ji-ho for his opinion.
'Take the ball completely out of her court.’ A deep respect laced the words that came from behind you.
'No.’ You shook your head stubbornly. 'As admirable and as brave as that is. We’d rather not go that far.’
What was the use? The consequences racing through your mind was for a 'what if’ situation. If Namjoon put out a statement, it would be a sure thing.
Namjoon shifted you back, keeping you at arm’s length. 'You trust me right. Right, y/n?’
'I do.’ The words left your lips, as your fingers dug into his forearm. You were under scrutiny. Such a question, in such a setting, a moment’s hesitation would have been warranted, and it would have made a world of difference.
But the fact that you could answer, as you looked into your husband’s face and held onto his hands, in front of your whole family, without doubt – it was a testament to the strength of the foundation of your marriage.
Namjoon leaned forward, an arm curling around your waist, a thumb and forefinger tipping up your chin. 'Will you leave me,’ he breathed against you, 'when the world thinks bad of me?’
The refutation was instant. 'No!’ Your hands curled into fists on his jacket. 'We’re in this together.’
A slow smirk graced his face and uplifted your heart. He brushed his nose against yours and… you crumbled. Closing your eyes, taking in the feel of him, his unshakeable resolve wafted over you. That easily, the fight was lost to you.
'Ji-ho.’ Your husband lifted his head and said after a moment. 'A statementif things go south.’
'I’ll inform the authorities about her brother. And send the letter thereafter.’
You could feel Ji-ho move, stopping directly behind you. You felt a gentle hand on your hair a second later.
'Sleep with one eye open, Ji-ho.’ You threatened lowly.
Namjoon’s lips twitched.
No one said anything as the lawyer sighed, gathered his stuff and showed himself out.
The ones left, were family only. This was the necessary circle.
Namjoon met his hyungs eyes and then each of the members in turn, a silent message that bared so much understanding, passing between each of them, his knees buckled and you yelped, grabbing a hold of whatever material you could between your fingers as Hoseok and Jungkook caught him and Jimin pushed Ji-ho’s discarded chair under him.
'Joon,’ you whispered in concern as he dropped his head in his hand and covered his eyes with his palm.
You stood next to him, petting his hair, his face near your abdomen. No one said anything.
He finally looked up, after minutes of silence. 'I’m sorry.’
'No.’ The person you least expected, came toward his fellow 94-liner. 'No more apologizing.’
Hoseok looked ready for war. It did everyone good to see that the most optimistic one, was finally on the same page as the leader.
'I don’t know if she will reveal it.’ Jin had a Jungkook attached to his back. You almost smiled, the maknae would go to his comfort place too. 'And if she does there’s no guarantee that our days as a band will come to an end. But we always knew it was numbered.’
'Our ages.’ Yoongi stated, his focus back on the skyline.
'Our schedules.’ Taehyung suggested.
That reason would come from him because he would go into acting full-time.
'Our lives.’ Jimin muttered. His leg up on the chair, the other resting below. 'We can finally have workable, breathable, lives.’
'And we’re adults now. It’s not always going to be hopeful and happy.’ Jungkook reminded everyone. The maknae had to know though, he would always be the baby.
'This could be a real outlook for everyone actually.’ Jin nodded his head as the wheels turned in his head. 'We’ve grown up, so why can’t our message?
In fact, our message only gets carried across as it does, because we’re being true to ourselves. Like what’s happening in our hearts and brains and our lives. It would only make sense to be true to ourselves and our journey by expressing it through our music.’
'We can all express this change through our music.’ Hoseok admitted, following his hyungs train of thought.
'There was a fear before of not being able to date or show significant others or get married because of the fan base and the demographic and the desirability,’ Taehyung looked up, and met Namjoon’s eyes, 'but you took that step hyung, and we are still thriving. We have packed schedules for at least the next two years and plenty of comebacks individually and together. We won’t fall apart yet. And we have time to put ourselves across and build our Plan B.’
'We are allowed to step out of the boundaries they had for us.’ Jin’s determination carried itself across. 'This is life and it will not always be great but we will learn from it. And maybe someone could save their marriage or think differently or remember to forgive when it’s necessary.’
'This band,’ Yoongi finally looked at you, 'is what it is, because we make our own path and take risks. And some of them were worth it.’ Seeing the tumultuous emotions on your face, that you felt inside, he looked away before continuing. 'And besides being a band, we are a family. We want wives. Kids. Lives. Soon.’
'No more running.’ Jimin stated, more to himself.
The wording confused you. Running? From what? From… who?
'I find it easy these days.’ Jungkook said from behind Jin’s back.
'What’s that, Kook?’ Jin asked over his shoulder.
'To not care about anyone’s approval and disapproval.’
Jungkook struggled a lot with himself and his fans. He didn’t want to embarrass anyone or feel embarrassed. Being himself was one thing, but for such a long time, he gave what was asked and showed only what was wanted. To say those words and be confident in himself… it was a feat.
You felt Namjoon’s palm at your back and the side of his face placed at your stomach.
Instantly your brain whipped up one word, 'submission.’
Namjoon, Kim Namjoon, the leader, the idol, the rapper, was holding onto you for strength, in front of his band.
You didn’t push him away. You were slightly confused with his actions. But you would never push him away. He needed comfort. His family was saving him from his own mess. He’d need all the strength you had to offer.
So you settled both your hands in his hair instead. His other arm pulled you closer to him straight after.
'Kook’s right.’ Taehyung reaffirmed his only dongsaeng’s words. 'When was the last time we looked for approval?’
'The only people that matter… are in this room.’ Hoseok crouched low, and Namjoon turned away from you to meet the eyes of his fellow 94 liner. Hoseok swallowed hard before saying his piece. ’'Even when this rain stops, when the clouds go away, I stand here, just the same.”
'Hobi –,’
’Iam here.’ Hoseok touched Namjoon’s knee. 'Your best friend. I will be here through it all. We will do this.’ Once Joon nodded, Hoseok stood up and checked on each member. 'Everyone here needs to remember that there are always second chances, no matter what happens, and with whatever does happen, we can get through it together.’
Head nods, affirmations, high-fives were met all round and you bent forward to place a kiss on Namjoons head.
To others, it would seem dramatic. But to the band, to the ones that had experienced Hoseok and Namjoon first hand, it was a shift.
No one, no one ever, fucked with their family. Even backed into a corner, they would adapt and stay strong, and they would fight, should the need arise.
You always knew this day would come. But for it to be so real and for such a reason…
'Not that this is relevant at all,’ Taehyung lifted his shoulders, as if what he was about to say was no big deal, 'but y/n… what’s wrong with Maiya’s lipstick shade?’
⤑ Paring: Jungkook x reader (with a little bit Namjoon x reader and Taehyung x reader)
⤑ Genre: wolf!au, soulmate!au, collage!au
⤑ Summary: y/n has been feeling a certain darkness ever since she got her period. Something was calling her and one day that ‘light’ came into vision. You’d never thought however, that it would be a werewolf.
⤑ Rating: 18+
⤑ Warnings: mentions of rape, depression, smut, oral sex, window-sex, shower-sex, knotting, marking and animalistic behaviour.
⤑ Wordcount: 9.5k
⤑ A/n:hey!! This will be my first story on this account. I used to run another tumblr account, but I felt like I needed a new start hehe. Hope you enjoyed this one!
‘why is it so dark?’, you ask yourself as you try to see, but nonetheless fail to do so. It’s too dark. You can’t understand what you feel, but it has been the darkest feeling you have had in your whole life, though you might not yet be that old. It is creeping up on you, like a tiger or some other creature. It might’ve always been there, but never this strong. Never since this very moment. A white ray stands tall in front of you, all too sudden but not unwelcome. You feel like you need to be there, like this might be the place that brings you the peace you have been seeking. You know the feeling, the dark feeling, ends with this light. It all fits too well…
You take a step forward, but when you look down to see where you are walking on, you don’t see your feet. It’s only you, like a floating conscious. Even though it got you distracted for the smallest second, you knew this wasn’t important enough. The only thing worth doing right now is taking another step towards this warm and sunny light. Another step was taken and you feel your body heating up. Even though the light is your answer, you are still reacting to it in all the negative ways. ‘Is this what I need? It’s probably better than that horrifying darkness around us. Around me and this light’.
So without another thought, you take three more steps. There it is, right in front of you. You can feel your whole body reacting in heath, but you still feel save somehow. It’s resisting and it feels unnatural, but you haven’t felt as connected in so long with such a simple thing. You want it. No, you need it. And it also needs you. Two sides, two consciousnesses needing one another. But it doesn’t feel enough. You need more. You need to be closer. You need hi-.
‘Y/n? You are burning up! Are you okay? Wake up!’.
The sudden voice wakes you up in one simple snap. Your eyes spring wide open as you look scared towards your friend, who just as well returns that look. Namjoon puts his hand on your forehead. You flinch as he retracts his hand as fast as lighting, making a gesture as if your forehead is about a 100 degrees. ‘Damn y/n, that should be illegal. It’s way too hot. Please go to the nurses office’, he exclaims.
You put your hand on your heart, feeling how fast it’s beating. It’s so fast that you can feel it in your whole body. You are trying to recall your dream, but you only seem to remember that you felt a dark feeling. It must’ve been a nightmare. You check out your surroundings as you felt quite out of place, but you soon notice you are still in the comfort of your school’s library. You let out a breath, shaking off that weird experience and you try to calm down your body. ‘I think I had some kind of nightmare’, you inform Namjoon before picking up your pencil.
You have been working all night with your classmate. You were assigned to work together on a project. Since the both of you had a hard time to find a good spot in your agendas to work together, you found that only today you could really work on it. So you both took the chance and ended up working all night. You pull out your phone and you notice it’s already 11 pm. Your eyes widen. ‘Namjoon, why didn’t you wake me up? We really need to get going. Can we still get out of the building?’. He chuckles and shrugs. ‘Thought you could use some rest, you’ve only been gone for twenty minutes, so don’t worry. But you’re right. We should go home’. You let out a small sigh before clearing out your desk. He didn’t mean it bad, so you let it go. You both pack your things and go home.
As you walk your way to your dorm, you can’t help but feel that same creeping feeling. You feel that darkness. It’s not uncommon for you anymore. It has been a few years already, the moment you had your period. You have felt it ever since that moment. You can still remember the first dream about it. It was like just now, dark and alone. As if there was something or someone missing from your life. Your mother showed her concern about it and took you to a doctor, who gave you a number of a psychologist. There we thorough experiments, but no one could really tell what it was and how to get rid of it. At some point you found yourself at a more spiritual room. That was even more traumatic, as she just looked at you in fear and told you to leave within a few seconds. It got you thinking. Are you some kind of devil? Some kind of lost soul from another world, what certainly isn’t holy? This time though, this last dream, it was different. Different from your other dreams. You did feel the darkness, but there was something else. It felt refreshing and warm, something you haven’t felt in so long. Whatever it is, you hope that same feeling will return to you. And this time you won’t be woken up. This time it will stay with you.
A/N: I just saw the Joker and I just HAVE to write a story about it, so here ya go :). I am thinking of maybe making a part 2 of this, so just let me know if you like that idea!
Genre: Joker!Taehyung, Angst, smut, oneshot (?)
Paring: Taehyung X reader
Word-count:6.5k
Warnings: Sexual content, groping, kissing, pinning, smoking, slapping, name-calling, Stockholm-syndrome.
Summary:You’d never thought you had to face the well-known criminal: the Joker, since he always targets rich people. Still, somehow the tables turn when you go to the famous club ‘La Farceur’ and to be faced with (maybe?) your worse nightmare.
‘Again, the so-called ‘Joker’ has raided another bank. 9 people have been shot during the raid, which of 4 have died. 20 people are badly wounded. This has been the fifth time this two weeks. How long do we have to wait for someone to act on this?’
You attentively watch the news as you see the blurred images of the man, who calls himself ‘the Joker’, and who does so much terrible things. You can’t imagine someone being so devilish; he doesn’t even do it for money you’ve heard. He is pure evil; he does it for his own satisfaction and happiness. People like this really do exist, which normally isn’t the case. People often do bad stuff because of lack of money or something, but he has all the money now and still continues to do bad stuff. Maybe he’s in depth with someone, it must be. It’s the only logical explanation.
‘That guy is plainly sick’, you hear your friend comment from beside you, eating cereal just like you are doing. It’s really a tradition for the both of you to watch the news together in the morning, making that your bonding-time as roommates. Discussing politics and such. ‘He must be on some shit’, Lisa continues before taking another bite. You huff before agreeing, that man can’t be right in his mind. Or maybe he was fucked up in his childhood by his father or something, anything. Luckily you’re not likely to ever have to face him, being a student. He mostly targets rich people, like banks and stuff. Well ‘being rich’ is something that you certainly aren’t.
‘He does have something hot though, I don’t know what’, Lisa comments, making you laugh out of disbelieve. ‘Damn Lisa, going out with criminals now hm?’, you tease her and she nudges you back. ‘I mean, it’s kind off wild. It isn’t a boring relationship, that’s for sure.’ You laugh even louder at that. ‘Well, true that honey. Still wouldn’t be my first pick though’, you response, shaking your head.
The both of you finish your food and get ready for your first class. You walk to the campus together, talking about anything you could think of. You’ve really grown to like Lisa. You’ve now been roommates for 5 months, you being the somewhat silent person and she being the outgoing on. You really always need one of the two between friends, otherwise it won’t work. She takes you out to parties and you make sure she goes to school. You’re always together, having grown a strong bond together.
‘So, still up for some alcohol tonight? How about a bar or something?’, Lisa suggests and you nod. ‘Why not? It’s not like we have anything else to do.’ She looks with exciting eyes at you. ‘Wow, really? Thought you would’ve refused. Do I see a new woman in front of me?’ Lisa takes a step back as she looks at you in awe. You chuckle, lightly punching her shoulder. ‘We don’t have any tests or assignments, so why not? Therewith, I haven’t gotten laid in ages. It’s time’, you confess, carrying a frustrated face. She frowns. ‘How long’, she asks and you hold up 5 fingers. She gasps as she stops her pace beside you. ‘No… I’m so sorry for you. Why didn’t you tell me?’ She puts an arm around you as she still has a worried face, making you huff. ‘Well damn, it’s not something to discuss on a daily basis.’ You look around you to see if anyone has heard your conversation, being slightly embarrassed. You don’t see anyone, except this big guy standing along the sidewalk. He does kind of seem odd to you, but you decide not to pay any attention to him and to continue your walk with your worried friend.
You both arrive at the class, entering as Lisa keeps on asking about your sex life. ‘Lisa stop! I will get laid tonight and I will be okay.’ You stop her ramble. She pouts before agreeing. ‘Okay, but you’re going to have to put my sexy clothes on. A normal skirt wont do it with this mission’, she notes and you scoff. ‘Whatever makes you satisfied’, you say before you let yourself focus on the class, which is just about to start.
‘How does one own such a tight and short dress’, you complain as you walk down the street, trying to pull your dress further down. Lisa holds your arm hooked around hers, pulling you back up. ‘Don’t bend down like that, your boobies will maybe pop out doing that’, she giggles as she shakes her head. You scoff, not liking this outfit only one bit. Yeah, you want to get laid. But like this, it’s kind of cheap and that’s not really what you had in mind. You just want a one-night-stand, but not with some gross dude. He needs to have class and be a gentleman. But knowing Lisa, she doesn’t really mind about that. And there is nothing wrong with that; the girl has needs too. Your standards are just different.
You arrive at the familiar club ‘Le Farceur’, being one of the hottest clubs in the city right now. You often come here, knowing you’d get the optimal club-experience. You’d be surprised how many clubs aren’t great at all. Some clubs have old gross men on the side who keep on looking at you with there old eyes. Others just have awkward young people who don’t know how to party nor to throw one. ‘Le Farceur’ really knows how to do it having: great DJs; cute barmen; great lights and a beautiful dance floor made out of glass. You love the club and you always feel like you walk into another universe.
‘May I get that coat?’ The doorman asks and you nod, giving him exactly that. Lisa also gives her coat to the other man standing a bit further in the hall. You can already hear the music dancing off of the walls. When you take a turn to Lisa, you already see her flirting with that very guy. You don’t know how she does it with that much ease, you simply can’t. You can already hear Lisa say: ‘What makes you different, makes you special.’ Yeah, say that to the girl who will stay alone forever in her little house with her thousand cats.
‘Ready?’, Lisa asks as she approaches you. You nod and the both of you enter the hall. The club is already full with sweaty dancing people. The smokers are fully on and everything looks blurry as you enter the room. Immediately Lisa grabs your hand and pushes through the crowd, trying to find the bar at the other side of the club. The music is loud as you walk through the people. Some people are singing, some are talking with their friends; some are trying to flirt with others. You like this, it’s as if anyone can finally let loose in this room. There are no worries, just maybe the growing feeling that you might throw up because of the many drinks one has taken. No tests, no pressure from school. Just loud music and beautiful people around you.
‘You want the usual?’ Lisa asks and you nod. You look around as Lisa starts ordering. You can see a few familiar faces in the crowd, being people you know from school. You’re not surprised, this is a well-known club. Everyone at the campus talks about it. About people who have hooked up there, or even split up.
‘Here you go, one tequila shot, a lemon and some salt. Let’s go!’ Lisa yells after putting some salt on your hand. You immediately lick it off of your hand, shot the tequila through your throat and put the lemon in your mouth. You frown out of disgust, but then laugh because of the thrill it gives you. Lisa mirrors you exact, making you laugh even more. The both of you do a few more shots before heading to the dance floor, dancing together before Lisa finds a very handsome young man to dance with.
You can feel yourself getting drunk by the second, loosing up and dancing more freely. You let yourself focus on the music, though you don’t know the song. You don’t really care though.
Suddenly you feel a hand on your shoulder, making you turn around. A tall guy stands in front of you. You giggle as you take a step closer and you can recognize his face. It’s the guy from this morning, he was standing along the sidewalk. I guess he did hear us talk and probably wants a peace. He looks mysterious, having dark glasses and this black suit on. It’s like he’s straight out of Man In Black. You just know he could take you just the way you’ve needed someone to for the last 5 months. A strong tall guy, maybe even a gentleman.
He now firmly holds your arm, almost painfully as he start dragging you through the crowd. You don’t know how to react, but you’re kind off too drunk to know how. You start pulling on your arm, hoping that the guy will just let go. It’s now that you’re beginning to panic, what does this guy want? Why is nobody stopping this guy? People see me right? They see me getting dragged out of the crowd? Or maybe I’ve done something wrong and is it security trying to escort me out. I just can’t remember myself misbehaving.
You arrive at a door in the corner of the club. The guy has been silent the whole time as you were trying to follow his fast pace through the crowd. You want to be sober so you could try to make sense out of this, but you can’t. You’re stuck being this drunk fuck that’s busy trying to keep her balance.
‘Who are you?’ you manage to get out. The man doesn’t answer and just starts dialing some number beside the door. You figured he is taking you in there. But why? This can’t be something bad, right? People didn’t just let a girl dragged through the club only to get raped. Or do things like this happen this easily? Thinking about it, drunk people don’t really keep an eye on others around them. So it’s possible. You begin to pull harder on your arm, even wiggling in hope that he magically let your arm go. The guy grunts, making the grip on your arm tighter. You let out a small yell out of pain, body falling in each other. You try to stay up, but together with your drunk mind you can’t really keep it that way.
You hear a soft beep and the door in front of you opens. The guy drags you through the door and closes it behind you. He didn’t come along with you; you’re just alone there in this room, that’s what you think at least. You don’t dare to look up; you just look down at your hands, which you can’t quite get focused because of the alcohol that flows through your system. You do notice the room is pinkish and the floor from is wood. Your eyes slowly make their way up and you now see a white carpet on the ground. Something like a sofa is on the end and a little coffee table on the side.
‘He hasn’t hurt you, has he?’ You suddenly hear someone say at the end of the room. Your body shocks by hearing this sudden voice. It does sound familiar, like you’ve heard it somewhere before, but not face-to-face. The voice doesn’t give you a good feeling though. You want to look up, but you’re a bit too dizzy to do so. At this point you don’t really know what’s real anyways.
‘You look weak, I didn’t fucking ask for a weak one’, the person says again, talking in a irritating manner. You frown, still looking down. ‘Then why don’t you fuck off’, you reply, not caring for the words you are using. You slowly sit up, finally finding your balance. You scan the room. You notice how the walls are red, the black ceiling and the golden decorations around the room. At the side you see a pole and you realize this must be some sex-room. At the end you see a big sofa with a man sitting on it. He’s sitting with his legs crossed and his head hiding behind a newspaper. You frown as you start to scan the man. He has a colorful appearance, wearing some form of a suit. You can even see the top of his head, showing a green color or maybe blue? You can’t really see that well, not with the blurry vision thanks to the alcohol. You do see some kind of smoke surrounding the man and when you start to smell, you just know it’s a cigarette.
‘So you are feisty’, you hear him say with a smug sound. You scoff, trying to prove you’re not scared, but you fucking are. You don’t know what to do, but you do know this man has power.
Then his newspaper goes down and the painted face looks back at you, a cigarette resting on his lips and showing a cocky expression. Your eyes go wide and your heart starts to race a million times faster than it already was. It’s the fucking maniac. The guy you’ve now seen for months upon months, doing terrible things against the nation. It’s the man who has stolen billons of dollars from rich people and not hesitating to make a few kills for it.
He has a dark grin on his face, as he looks you up and down, standing up from the couch in the uncanny manner. You move your body as far as possibly away from him, that being your natural actions. How the fuck did I get in this situation. You try to move further back, but your head still tolls by the alcohol you’ve been drinking merely moments ago. He walks up to you with a fast pace, making you scared. He knows what he is doing and he loves it. He loves to make people scared.
He crouches down beside you and grabs your hair, pulling it back harshly so you look into his eyes. You can hear a soft thud beside your face, being it the cigarette he puts out on the wall you’re pressed up against. His face is very close to you now, his lips hovering above yours and breath hitting against your skin. The smoke is still coming out of his mouth when he starts speaking.
‘I’ve heard you that you are looking for something naughty, my ‘lady ’, he says with a low and dark voice, now letting himself sit down on your lap. You don’t know how to react to this, but your body does the job as you feel a certain warmth stream through you. You feel yourself now breathe much louder and your body wants something, you can feel it. You know the feeling all too well, maybe even loving the adrenaline flowing through your body that goes with it.
No, stop (y/n). It’s just the alcohol. You can’t feel this way towards this ‘man’.
The Joker smirks down at you upon seeing you struggle underneath him. He yanks your hair back ever so slightly, exposing your delicate neck to him. His eyes meet yours, still as dark as they always are, before he reaches down and gently kissing the exposed skin, surprising you with the gently touches. It’s not something you’d expect from such a masterminded criminal like him, the Joker. Your body shakes as you let yourself embrace the tinkling feeling on your skin, which are vastly changing into sloppy kisses and making you moan ever so quietly. Why is he so damn good at this?
‘Let’s see what you’ve got, baby’, he whispers into your ear after parting his lips with your neck, he even had inspected the red skin it had turned to. Suddenly he yanks on your hair as he stands up himself, forcing you to get off the ground. You let out a small whine as you try to follow his forcing moves. He pushes you towards the couch, not so gentle anymore, and bends you over right on that spot. You inhale sharply upon this action, but you don’t fight it for some reason. Your brains are telling you to scream and kick your way out of it, but the alcohol is letting that voice fade into the background together with the pounding noises from outside the wall, where people are still dancing and shouting along the music. The only thing you can focus on now is his groin pressed up against your ass, feeling so thick and long, and the way it makes your body ache for more.
‘You know what ‘Le Farceur’ stands for baby?’ His hands are finding its way around your butt, tracing soothing circles and making it hard for your knees to stay up. Then, with no warner whatsoever, he pulls his hand up and lets it down with great force against your ass. You let out a small high-pitched moan, making yourself again amazed at the way this man can make you weak like this. You can hear him laugh behind you, cocky that he could make you feel this hot by only slapping you. ‘It stands for ‘the Joker’’, He says, both hands groping you harshly, your body pleading you for more. You lean into him as he does so and you can’t do anything but to plead out your pleasure.
‘F-Fuck daddy.’
You feel another slap on your butt, but this time a bit stronger and with more passion than before. You hiss this time, not feeling any pleasure by that, rather pain. But not the kind of pain you want to run away from. Your arms almost give in by the force of the slap. He grabs your hair again and pulls you up straight against his body, his hard cock pressed up against your butt with more force. You can already taste it on your mouth.
‘who?’ He asks as he moves his hips forcefully against your ass, making your back to arch into him. You love this, you love the way he makes you dripping wet, the way his cock forces its way against your ass and making you hope you didn’t have any panties on.
‘J-Joker’, you reply, almost moaning, as he remains to move against your ass from behind you. You can practically feel the way he smirks behind you, eyes printed on you as he does so. He lets go of your hair slowly, his fingers wondering down. He touches every single feature of yours, beginning from your neck, down to your arms and gently groping you and making you rill all over. His hands grab the soft fabric of your dress and pull the strings over your shoulder. The newly exposed skin are immediately marked with his wet kisses, making you arch into him. You want to be closer to him. He doesn’t react to it, he just continues his way down, letting the dress slowly slide off your body. You feel nervous as he does his action, too much anticipated and wanting him to fuck you already. You even let out a soft whine, hoping he would punish you or anything, but he doesn’t. A mastermind indeed.
When your dress finally hits the ground, only wearing your panties now, you can feel his hands caressing your breasts. You can hear him grunt when he start pinching your nipples, pleasure getting ahead of him as he does so. You hum when he gropes your breasts with more force, pulling you closer against his body and you feel his dick again close against you. He is such a tease, being so slow with you, not fucking you immediately.
‘Patience my baby girl’, He whispers into your ear as he lets go of you. You let out a small noise, feeling so naked and untouched when you don’t feel him against you anymore. You want to turn around, but you can hear a disapproving sound when you almost did. ‘No can do, baby doll. Patience I said’, he instructed and you obeyed. How hot he might be and how much you want him inside of you, he still is one of the biggest criminals. He is still dangerous and you wouldn’t want to get actually hurt by this little game he is playing with you.
You can hear something hitting the ground, some kind of fabric maybe. You don’t really know where he is in the room since the noise from outside is still pounding through the walls, music and talking people getting right through. It makes you even more wet upon knowing he’s about to fuck you so hard while people are right there outside. Oh, you want him to. So badly.
‘Lay down’, you suddenly hear from behind you. You say as you are told, lying down on the sofa in front of you. First you sit down, making eye contact with the man in the room and you are not upset with what you are met with. He is standing in front of you, fully naked. His body is painted with thick caramel-colored muscles, shining under the dim-pink lights around you. His legs look strong and his chest looks so inviting, something you want to have a taste of. His cock is standing strong and proudly, looking so good and delicious. You just know he’s going to fill you up the way you want him to and with that dazzling expression, he is promising he will just do that.
‘You like what you see, don’t you baby?’, He declares as he sees your longing eyes, finally laid down on the sofa. You swallow back your words, knowing you can’t get too excited. You’ve learned your lesson now; you won’t let him tease you that long again. You need him right now and toying with you is definitely not the way to go.
Your eyes are widened when he decides to slowly walk up to you, making your body ache of desire. His muscles move strongly, but still so delicate. You hate the fact that you can’t see his face, though you still find the façade kind of exciting. His eyes still look dark when he finally reaches you, like he is fucking you with them, but not touching you yet. You squirm on your place, trying to calm yourself down and to net get too excited.
In one swift move he had placed himself above your waist, his dick throbbing as you can basically taste him. He is so close, you just have to lean forward and you can just-
‘No no, sweetheart. I’ll guide you’, he says as he pushes you back on your place, making you whine once again. You knew you shouldn’t have whined that much, because suddenly his eyes looked angry, making you shiver. He grabs your hair once again and yanks it back. There flew a shot of pain through your neck, since he has bend your neck over the handrail. You let out a small yell upon feeling that, but before you could say anything was his face already close you yours.
‘Whine fucking once again and I will snap that neck.’ His threat got through to you and you just nod, eyes wide open, as you feel terrified. He sits back on your waist as he suddenly puts a cigarette in his mouth, lightening it with a small lighter. You look at him with awe as he pulls his hair back and taking a deep inhale of his cigarette. Though he had just threatened you, you still think he is so beautiful, in some ways.
‘Now, darling. Open wide’, He says as he suddenly closes the gab between you and his cock, his body now placed above you. You open your mouth as far as you could, your hands finding its way to his cock and placing it right in your mouth. You can hair him grunt as you lick his dick wet, making it ready for you to suck on. You begin slowly, making your mouth hallow as you let him enter your mouth. You can taste the saltiness of his skin, but still the way it’s so delicious. His hips slowly begin to rock with your movements, making a pace onto your mouth. You can now smell the smoke again and when you look up, you see him exhaling all that smoke out of his lungs.
How can one be so damn hot when smoking?
You begin to suck, making slurping sounds with your mouth as you do so. It’s now that he grabs your hair and starts to moan a little upon feeling your mouth surrounding his cock. You make sure your hands are making rotating movements around his dick while sucking him dry. He feels the urge to go faster, so he starts pulling your head and you let him guide you. His pace is fast and it’s not easy to keep on sucking, so you instead make your mouth hallow again and let him go as deep as he wants. He loved that move and immediately makes use of it.
‘Yes baby, let me fuck that mouth hmm’, he grunts as he rocks his dick as far as he could into your throat. You make gagging sounds and you have to gasp for air, but somehow that makes him hornier and he only goes faster by it. You don’t really care about it, you want him to abuse your mouth like this.
‘Fuck I need that pussy.’ He thrusts his dick as far as he could into your mouth for the last time, staying there for a few seconds, making your gasp as you almost past out for air before releasing you. You lay back as you have to come to your senses for a few seconds and look back up, seeing his cocky face with his dark eyes. He again blows out some smoke as he had just taken an inhale from that cigarette. It makes you frown in the haste of the moment, thinking of how bad smoking is. But it occurred to you that he isn’t a healthy man and that a cigarette is probably the least of his problems.
He puts the cigarette down on the edge of the coffee table beside the sofa. You look at him, anticipating on his next actions.
He grabs your hips and lays you on your belly in one swift move. He then pulls your hips up, leveling with his cock. He starts dragging his cock against your damp panties, which you sadly are still wearing. Your body leans into the touch and you start to wiggle your ass, hoping he would feel more tempted to fuck you. Instead he lets his hand fall down on your butt with a great force, making you exhale sharply and feeling the way your skin burns under his touch. If anything, that made you want him even more. You could never find a better sex partner than him.
‘P-Please’, you breathe out, arching yourself into him again. He presses his dick further up against you, rubbing up and down. ‘Please what, my princess’, he asks and you immediately reply. ‘Please… Joker’
He suddenly pulls your panties to the side and you are met with something other than his dick. You can feel his tongue gliding between your folds, licking up and down. Your body sinks down and your ass perks up, wanting him to hit certain spots. He finds your clit with ease and his hand begins to toy with the little nub, making circular motions. You moan into the sofa as he finally gives you the relieve you’ve been searching. He even ads another finger into the mix, inserting it into your hole. His fingers a tall and thick as it moves through your insides, hitting al the right spots when hit curls inside of you. Nobody has ever known to pleasure you like this, not even once.
Through all of this he hasn’t stopped to taste you and even groan when he does so. He seems to enjoy you so much; he has never felt such passion with anyone before. Nobody ever really wants to fuck him, he is the Joker nonetheless. They are always afraid of him; so he often has to force them, really, and after that probably kill these women. But you, you have the same kind of crazy mind like he has. The way you want to stay good, but for him you’d do everything. His little slut. And no way he will throw that away. He will keep you, his own little whore to enjoy.
Your body begins to shake as he keeps on pleasuring you and you feel great heath rising in you. You can’t help yourself but to reach behind you and grab his hair, you need to hold something. In return, he grabs that hand and forces it down beside you and pushing your ass way further back so he can insert his tongue into you. Out of pleasure, you begin to moan loudly, calling his name multiple times. He keeps on thrusting into you and rubbing your clit when you finally come, the heath finally bursting out of you and leaving you breathless on that sofa.
You can feel his eyes on your back, probably smirking for the thousandth time as he sees you laying there, body still weak as you’ve just cum. That rest didn’t take long as he turns you back on your back and pulling your legs upwards, hooking them on his shoulders. You look up into his eyes, still breathing loudly as you do so. He looks back in yours, an uncanny grin on his face as his cigarette is back in his mouth. He blows some smoke out into your face, making you cough slightly. His grin turns into a small laugh upon seeing you like this, taking another inhale before taking out the cigarette and connecting your lips.
You inhale the smoke into your lungs as he kisses you with all the passion he has to offer. Your tongues immediately connect an you again can feel his cock pushing up against your entrance, making your inhale against his lips. He explores your mouth with his tongue as he slowly rocks his hips up and down, feeling your wetness against him. He grunts and his breath begins to make a pace. He makes one swift move, putting his cigarette back down before saying: ‘You really are one special slut, aren’t you my love?’
With that he suddenly thrusts his cock inside of you, breaking your lips apart as you inhale sharply. The pain shoots through your body, not being used to his size and also not having had sex for a couple of months. You grab his arms out of discomfort, nails digging into his flesh and making him his too. He stops moving by that as he looks at you, expression filled with passion, though you can’t see it since your eyes are tightly closed in pain.
‘Easy baby doll, relax’, he says, leaning down to your ear. He slowly starts kissing you on that spot, trying to make you focus on his lips and not on the pain that shoots through you. Like magic, you can only focus on his kisses and you start to hum in enjoyment. You thought he wouldn’t stop for you to adjust, but he does. That isn’t something the ‘Joker’ would do, is what you thought. Maybe he is just a big softy from the inside?
As his kisses become rougher, his hips slowly start to move, at first a bit rough, but slowly better and better. You begin to moan against his shoulders as his pace goes faster with the second, eyes frowning by the pleasure it is bringing you. Your arms find their way around his neck as you try to get him closer to you, smelling his scent and savoring it in your memories. God, you hope you can remember this tomorrow.
His pace has gone up again and is now pounding into you, skin making loud noises against each other in the room. Your moans are just as loudly heard, slipping through your lips when you are not kissing his neck. You love the way his body is so close to you, how he feels so good and big inside of you. He fills you up better than you’d thought he would. Everything is better than you’d thought, he is the perfect man. He knows just the right ways to please you, like how he angles his hips to hit that special spot inside you. Damn Joker, you look like a criminal but fuck like a goddamn god.
‘Fuck, you are so tight and so good. So well behaved, my little doll’, he mutters under his breath as he grabs your throat, putting a soft pressure on it. You feel the way your air ways are getting blocked until you can barely breath and you can’t help yourself but to moan. You want him to own you like this, to make you his slut. ‘Such a fucking freak.’ His eyes are so dark as he leans down to kiss you again, hand still on your throat and hips slamming into yours. You don’t know what to do with yourself as the pleasure rushes through you, heath again growing inside of you.
It’s then that he pulls out of you, making you pout as he does so. He smirks down at you before he grabs your legs and unhooking them from his shoulders. He sits down on the couch, legs spread widely as he grabs his still-lightened cigarette from the little coffee table. He takes another inhale before exhaling again, letting the smoke wander into the room. You look at him in awe as you sit right up, admiring his looks again. His silhouette looks so beautiful from this angle and the smoke seems to almost dance around him.
‘Take a seat, darling.’ He really loves naming you things and it always seems to work on you, since you get wetter every time. You do as he tells you and sit on his lap. He looks up at you, silent as he observes every single detail of your face, taking a few smokes a he does so. He then leans in to slowly lick your breast, making circular movements around your nipple. You hum in pleasure as you push your panties to the side and lining his dick up with your entrance. You slowly sink down on it until you can’t get any fuller. He grunts against your breasts, loving the feeling of you around him.
You move your hips up and down, slowly building up. He keeps on looking at you as he takes his inhales from his cigarettes, making you feel enchanted by his state of being. He does it just so well.
He puts his cigarette down again and starts to move with your hips, making a faster pace. You now are breathing loudly again as your body works hard to keep the pace that he wants and you can’t help but moan loudly because of it. He grabs your hips as he bounces you up and down his dick, making wet noises with your pussy rushing against his skin. He seems to love the noise as he keeps on trying to go harder into you. You pull your head back as you get lost in the pleasure he is giving you, body slightly beginning to tremble as the heath slowly grows into you. It only takes a few hard strokes for you to cum even harder than the last time. Your pussy clenches by the feeling and your body twitches, as you can’t help but to fall into his arms. He holds you, but doesn’t lose his pace as he also finds his own high. He makes a few hard thrusts as he suddenly comes into you, dick buried deep inside of you as he does so.
You both breathe loudly as you lay on top of him. He holds you tightly against his body when he still makes the last few strokes inside of you. He wants to burry that cum very deep inside of you, you’re his and that’s where his cum should be too.
‘Crazy girl’, he breathes out into your neck and you can’t help but to chuckle at that. You’ve just fucked the Joker, the person you basically hated. But you couldn’t get enough of him, though he might be a criminal. This must be some Stockholm syndrome or something.
‘You’re now mine, baby girl.’
Your eyes widen for a second, but then you realize that you probably don’t have a choice. He’s one of the bad guys and is probably the best one there is. You don’t have any input in this. That’s what you tell yourself at least. What’s really going on is, he fucks well and he feels good with you. You know it’s not good for wanting him, but it’s the plain truth and you actually don’t give a shit about it anymore.
‘You will live with me, you don’t have to do anything but to fuck with me like a good girl’, he says before leaving small kisses on your neck. You hum by the feeling, again tingling your neck. ‘I don’t care, as long as I stay with you’, you answer and he huffs. ‘You really are my crazy doll, aren’t you?’
He hooks your legs around his waist, dick still buried inside of you and standing up. You cling close to him, as he seems to walk to a wall, pinning you up against it and pounding a few times into you, making you moan by the similar sensation. Then he continues his walk towards some door and opens it without hesitation, you still clinging onto him. A man is standing there, the same man who had brought you into this room. You widen your eyes and you try to hide yourself, but instead you only hear the Joker chuckle.
‘We’ll be staying here for a couple of hours, get it done’, he says to the man before closing the door again. He lets you slowly slide down, his dick now out of you as he pins you to the door, which has been closed. He looks deep into your eyes with a small smile, looking like a different person.
