*Bonus chapter - Flashback alert* This takes place before chapter 1 (and after chapter 8.5 ‘envy’). There’s a lot of negative emotions in this one so proceed with caution ~ 3K words
“There’s an error,” Yoongi says, frowning at you from his desk in his private office. It ticks your nerves, you don’t have time for his usual bickering today.
“No I didn’t,” you snap, turning away with a roll to your eyes but he grabs your hand gently, coming to stand next to you as he leans you against the desk as if that would brace you somehow.
“The margins are 1.5, for pink and pink they have to be 1.25,” he tries to lighten the mood by scrunching his nose similar to the maknae and while you found it adorable the implication of his words had you reeling.
“I made a mistake?” Your voice is small but Yoongi can hear the sinking feeling in your chest through it. You skimmed the formatting instructions for this company very briefly, a jaded feeling running through your veins when you were given the project, images of Jungkook and Jin with the Pink and Pink CEO running through your mind. But that was no excuse for not doing your job properly.
Boys are so stupid. But then again, she’s so silly. If I didn’t like her I would lecture her about her self-image issues like the big fucking hypocrite I am! But all those negative thoughts keep piling up and the pressure is increasing, alongside with the existence of Susan because if I get my hands on that bitch I will wipe those luxurious floors with her face. Women should not hate on other women, especially because of men. I hate how she acts like YN is the one seeking them out. The CEOs follow after her like lost puppies and suddenly it’s YN’s fault that the boys don’t pay attention to Susan. UGH, so annoying.
The jealousy… jealousy… poor baby. I wonder how the boys would react if they saw her ex… Omg I’m a sadist that would be so funny. I can see the steam coming out of their ears *cackles* oblivious little duckling, so cute and so sad. I can’t decide.
I might have to *coughs* admit that the CEOs’s worry is cute. *coughs and makes a weird face - must be the pain from the previous chapter when she was choking on a dick so big I felt it - swallows hard* oh wow i could not have written anything weirder… I feel like I’m challenging myself and If I don’t fuck off this reblog will take a w h i l e
So they’re sweet and have to communicate *blushes in hypocrite* with my little duckling to make them happy and horny. Da boom tss.
I love this. I love this a lot. Brilliant work by Brilliant Blue
“Come on beautiful girl, let’s get you cleaned up,” Jin smiles, watching your dazed eyes happily.
“I don’t think I can move,” you giggle, making the three of them laugh with you.
“Come on,” you’re lifted into Jin’s arms bridal style and in any other circumstance you’d complain, but you weren’t going to tonight.
“I’m so sleepy,” you yawn, closing your eyes as you were moved.
Hobi follows you both into Namjoon’s en-suite, hair band in his hand to tie up your hair, you could wash it tomorrow they’d keep to the essentials for now. Yoongi isn’t far behind with Namjoon’s top and boxers, steadying you when Jin places you on your feet.
“We’ll have to go in tomorrow, but I think the Maknaes should be allowed to take a last minute day off,” Hobi mumbles to Jin and Yoongi as he ties up your hair, you barely register the words. Jin turns the shower on, setting it to the right temperature while Yoongi handled the towels.
“Namjoon’s sorting it,” is all Yoongi says.
“She’s not going in,” Hobi states what he thinks is the obvious. “We’ll get a doctor to call.”
“Deal with it in the morning, let’s just get my kitten to bed,” you couldn’t make out the words but you could hear the fondness in Yoongi’s voice. You opened your eyes long enough to take in his face and that soft smile he had for you, you’d never seen this one before, it was new, and it was making your heart beat faster, ridding your bones of sleep. Was the steam making the bathroom hotter?
You have to look away, it’s not an intense look of love he’s wearing but it’s so pure it does something to your insides.
“Hyung, why are you taking off the rest of your clothes?” Hoseok says, breaking the moment in an unimpressed tone.
“She can barely stand, I’m not sending her in there alone,” Jin replies aghast as the other two shake their heads in disapproval.
Soft hands pull you under warm water, watching the content sleepy grin on your face as soap lathers on your skin, stealing kisses as the other CEOs watch through the glass, happy envy in their smiles.
That’s it, that’s the tweet. If hell exists, or anything like it, I’ll be there and I’ll see all of you here because I’m sure there is a special place just for us When “possible hell” appreciates you more…damn, I love life (note the fucking sarcasm)
Ok so I’m not going to go into a detailed explanation about how much I enjoyed this whole chapter. Maknae line knows their shit. We stan. I hope the aftercare was good because my throat was hurting and I didn’t choke on Tae’s dick. I know it’s big, ok? I JUST KNOW IT. My throat feels it (it might be Covid, but eh). And then Jimin-ssi… Bro, just take my life and go. I don’t need it anymore. AND THEN JK. I’M NOT CUT OUT FOR THIS I’M TOO FRAGILE NOW I CAN’T THAT WAS SO HOT PLS THE BITING NEVER SEEMED SO HOT. FUCK.
Also, I love the hyung line, but stealing the nickname because “her reaction to it” and “they couldn’t help it” is not an excuse. They should sue. I would. SO THAT MEANS THAT I’M FUCKING CACKLING AT THEIR RAGE SJEHDJDNSJSNSJSJSB. This is gold. I love the revenge/suicide. It’s the best way to go. Adios.
Blue, I have missed you! AND YOUR STORIES! I’M SO SORRY I’VE DISAPPEARED PLEASE FORGIVE ME You’re the best! Brilliant Blue!
“a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.”
Summary: You had been working at Bangtan Corporation for almost two years now, and not once have you ever laid eyes on your bosses. That was, until you met them when out with some of your coworkers. Now, you almost wish you hadn’t. Almost.
Chapter Warnings: fat phobia, mentions of trauma, some pieces of jungkooks past, mc questioning everything again, nasty clerks, just tons of feelings, angst, major feelings of inferiority, angry jimin,
Entering Yoongi’s office, you find a whole buffet laid out against the wall next to the large window and papasan chairs. There were different fruits, cut up into squares, as well as meats, cheeses and even bread rolls. Drinks were off to the side along with some plates and silverware. You stood in awe of the room while Jungkook and Jimin made a dash for the food, not even bothering with a plate as they began to shove their mouths full of food.
A hand on your back tore your eyes away from the hungry pups.
“Here baby, why don’t you go sit down with Yoongi and I will make you a plate, hmm?” Jin asked, more like pushed you over to where Yoongi sat with Hobi on his lap.
Listening to him, you had no urge or need to say anything, more than content to just listen to his words. Sitting down in the oversize seat, you look down at your lap, waiting for Jin to return with your plate of food. It only took him a couple of seconds, two plates in hand, one with fruit and a couple bread rolls, and the other with some meats and cheeses for you to nibble on.
“Good girl.” He muttered, loud enough for you to hear, and consequently blush, as he moved to sit next to you, his side pressed right up against yours. You held no fire in your eyes as you let him feed you little bits of fruit. You held no thoughts as you let him take care of you, content with listening to the others talk and discuss the gala coming up in a couple of weeks.
You were content just being in their presence.
Hoseok couldn’t explain the satisfaction and pride swelling up in his chest at seeing you nuzzled up into his mate’s side, your sharp and cold demeanor now that of a newborn puppy. Like an omega in her alpha’s side. The marks littered across your neck had his alpha crooning, pure happiness that you were claimed as theirs.
He could see the struggle within, could see how much you truly needed the reassurance only they could provide you. The amount of information he managed to get on your past greatly upset him, made him want to protect you even more. He needed to make sure you were always safe and comfortable; that you were loved and taken care of.
Watching Jin feed you little bits of fruit as you looked up at him with stars in your eyes settled his protective instincts, if only for a while. Knowing that you were starving yourself, not getting enough food in your belly, made his alpha crazy with need. He couldn’t stand the fact that you weren’t taking care of yourself, that you were depriving yourself of nutrients because of your past.
You didn’t even comprehend that Seokjin was feeding you, your mind blank with content as you leaned your head against his broad shoulder. You felt fuzzy, like everything was passing by you while you sat. You couldn’t make out anything anyone was saying at this point. You could only feel the warmth Seokjin was providing, could feel his hand wrapped round your waist as he held you to him.
You just let yourself feed into your inner desires at this point. Unknowingly giving Seokjin the opportunity to feed his own. His chest was puffed out in pride, happy rumbles leaving his body as he felt you lean into him more and more as time went on. His alpha was happy that you were finally letting him take care of you, letting him sate his instincts and provide for his omega.
He, along with Yoongi and Hoseok, could see that you, on the inside, wanted to be taken care of. That you wanted to give up control. And they were all too happy to provide. They were completely ready for you to leave your job, to move in with them so they could keep you safe in their den.
Seokjin especially wished nothing more than to wake up to the sight of you in the nest he would help you make. Your eyes closed as you slept, wrapped in his mate’s arms as he held you close. Their den would be your safe space, would symbolize the comfort and safety they could provide you.
Realizing you were asleep, Seokjin moved his phone out of his pocket, quickly going to the online omega store he had bookmarked this morning after you had left in the elevator with Taehyung.
He quickly scrolled down to the nesting blankets, buying the softest one he could find. When he was in your apartment, he noticed the soft blues that seemed to fill up your living room, the powder blue imprinted into his mind as a comfort for you. He may not have seen your room, but he could only imagine the number of blankets and other comfort items the walls held within.
Of the time he has known you, he has realized you were a creature of comfort, someone who needed to self soothe with items. He noticed how you always rubbed your fingers together, probably subconsciously. He noticed all of your clothing was of the same material, soft cotton that probably felt good against your skin.
And he also noticed the way you bit at your lip and cheek, an anxious tic that had probably developed when you were younger. He and his alpha hated that they had not been able to find you sooner, had not been able to show you the love you deserved sooner. Maybe then you would feel more comfortable in your own skin. Maybe then you would be able to accept their love without thinking it was a joke.
Seokjin just wanted you to see yourself the way that they saw you. He hoped that their courting of you would be able to help you truly love yourself, and not just the façade you seemed to put up. The start to his packs courting of you was food and flowers, typical courting items that most packs started with.
But after that, it usually differed depending on the person being courted. For Jungkook, his second phase of courting involved trips to Han River where he could lay in the grass, picnics by the waterfront as they listened to the trees rustle in the wind.
Jungkook’s background was very sheltered, and he was not allowed to leave the house until he was 18. So, the beginning of their courting was secret, hidden from his family. His family believed that Alphas were a menace to society, that they were all dominant assholes who intimidated and dominated to get their way.
For Jungkook to present as an Alpha when he was 12, that was the worst possible nightmare coming true for the calm and anxious boy. After that night, he was only allowed to go to school and back and would then be locked in his room without food. His family had wanted to beat and starve the alpha wolf out of their son.
Jungkook had met the boys through school, when he was still in the after school sports program. He had met Yoongi first, who was his mentor in basketball. He was sixteen when he and Yoongi had met Hoseok, Jin, and Namjoon, and it seemed as though he wasn’t alone anymore. Jimin and Taehyung had come later, when Jungkook was eighteen and had just began to feel safe leaving Yoongi and Jin’s home.
None of the boys had any idea about Jungkook’s home life until he didn’t show up to school one day. The day after his younger brother had presented. Yoongi had immediately felt as though something was wrong. Could feel the pain through their bond, Jin, Hoseok, and Namjoon feeling the same thing.
By the time Jungkook was ready to confess to his mates about his home life, Seokjin and Yoongi had already figured it out, showing up at his home and forcibly entering, police behind them as they rushed to their mate’s room, saving him and bringing him back to their now shared home.
Seokjin knew your home life was nothing of the sort, but emotional abuse was sometimes just as bad, if not worse than physical. And he would do anything he could to help bring you out of your shell. If that meant buying you comfort items as your personalized courting gifts, then so be it.
Clicking buy on the soft, powder blue blanket, he made sure to add a couple of other things to his cart, things he knew you would love and cherish, even if you didn’t show it at first.
He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of you pouting at him, not wanting him to buy you anything.
He knew that you would love it though. Knew that when you saw it, you would cuddle deeper into the fabric. Would nuzzle deeper into the symbol of his complete protection.
-*-*-
You had fallen asleep in Seokjin’s side, waking up to the comfort of your own bed. You were wrapped up in a pretty blue blanket, the fabric so soft you couldn’t help but bring it to your head and nuzzle your cheek into it.
You don’t remember buying the blanket, knowing it probably cost more than your entire apartment with how soft the fabric is. The only thing you could think of is Seokjin, knowing he had seen the colors you decorated your apartment with.
Slowly pushing yourself up off the bed, you rested back on your pillows only to feel your pillow move up and down behind you. Turning around, you come face to face with Jimin, his cheeks puffy with sleep as he tightens his grip on your shirt, something you hadn’t noticed before.
“Morning ‘mega.” Snapping your head to your door, you noticed Hoseok leaning against your bedroom’s door frame. You were now beyond confused at the situation you woke up in. How did you even get home? Did one of them carry you in? Were the others here as well?
Watching as Hoseok took a sip out of one of the mugs you had managed to collect, you rubbed at your cheek, wiping away any trace of drool you might have managed to produce. Hoseok could only smile at your actions, glad he was the only one awake after Jimin passed out.
Hoseok had been the one to carry you home, Jimin tagging along after he begged to come along, claiming he needed to be with you. He could tell the younger needed to calm his instincts, and if that meant being with you, then he was fine.
Jin wanted to come, but instead had gone home to see if he could help Taehyung with Namjoon. There is only so many times the poor boy could take the head alpha’s knot. Jungkook and Yoongi unfortunately had to go back to work. Jungkook, to deal with the drama of Jinae being dragged out of the office, and Yoongi because he had a rehearsal he had to supervise.
Jin was a little concerned with how the alpha was handling everything, given how out of control he seemed with his wolf. Namjoon usually had the most control out of the entire pack. It appears their omega was affecting him more than they originally estimated. Anyone would go crazy over you, Jin thought with a smile on his face.
Hoseok could understand where his pack alpha was coming from, seeing you slowly try to untangle yourself from Jimin’s koala grip. You were the cutest thing he had ever seen, and he had seen Jungkook as a bare faced adolescent.
You struggled for a couple of minutes, until finally getting out from under Jimin’s tight grip. Getting off your bed, you know you should be embarrassed at the fact that the two men were in your room, but you couldn’t be bothered. You were still a little fizzy from before, and instead chose to move to Hoseok, leaning against his chest.
Making sure you didn’t knock into the mug in his hands, he wraps his arms around your back, just enough for you to feel the weight against your skin. He hummed, bringing his chin to rest on the top of your head. Deciding to sit on the couch with you, he slowly moved towards the piece of furniture, your legs shuffling along as you followed his lead.
Sitting down, you quickly slump into the cushion, grabbing the blanket you always keep on the back of the couch to wrap around you. You feel Hoseok grab the blanket from you, tucking you under it and bringing your legs onto his lap, a small smile on his face when you don’t fight him.
However, when you finally open your eyes, and he can see them, he notices how hazy they look. He can tell that you were fuzzy, feeling out of it. Now that he caught a glimpse, your actions made sense. You were in the middle of a scent high, probably so sensitive to it because you had never been scented before.
This realization made Hoseok bring you in closer, careful not to push out any more pheromones. Typing out a quick message into the group chat he shared with the boys, he moved in to hold you. He didn’t want you to drop, having the idea that you would experience subspace sooner or later. Watching you earlier, leaning into Jin’s side, he had some idea of your headspace, but didn’t knew entirely until now.
He savored it while he could, not even letting Jimin hold you when he woke up. He continued to hold you close, breathing in your scent. He knew once you were completely coherent that you would pull away from them, would return to being closed off and anxious of them.
Jimin whined a little, but with one look form the older alpha, Jimin was resting on the other side of the couch. Close enough o feel your warmth but far enough to not incur Hoseok’s wrath. The slight pout on his lips remained, even well after you had regained your clarity, pushing away from Hoseok, muttering apologies as you stood from the couch.
Hoseok joined the other alpha, slight pout to his lips as he stands as well, moving to follow you into your kitchen.
“Y/N, little one, it’s okay. Please don’t apologize.” His tone is like one you would use to calm down a scared puppy, and it made your insecurities rise even more. He had his hands raised, coming closer as if sensing your distress.
“There is nothing wrong with what happened. I’m happy that you felt comfortable enough to let me hold you, to let me in even if it was for a small amount of time.” He spoke softly, eye holding warmth and hope as you let him move in closer. He stopped when he saw you tense, raising his hands once more.
“Please, little one. You are safe with us. If you need more reassurance, I know our Jiminie has no problem with adding more claims to that pretty neck of yours.”
“More claims!” Jimin yells from behind, pure excitement lacing his words as he moves to stand behind Hoseok, jumping in his spot as he giggles. You chuckled at his reaction, at Hoseok’s attempt to lighten the atmosphere.
Hoseok grins, pushing Jimin slightly more behind him, whispering promises if creating claims later. Turning back to you, his lips tilt up in a smirk, catching sight of your hand wrapped around your neck, covering the marks Jimin worked so hard on earlier.
“You don’t have to hide your pretty marks from us baby. We all have them. In fact, we all love to give them as well.” He smirks again, moving closer until he has you caged against the counter.
“Jimin told us all about what happened. How you needed the reassurance we were yours.” He cups your cheek so softly that you don’t even hear the door opening, your mind caught in the soft and sweet hold he was providing.
“I don’t know why you are holding yourself back, but I promise we will be here, always. You won’t ever be alone again.” Your eyes began to tear up, those words soothing the ache in your heart you had long thought normal.
“Now, now. None of that. Our pretty omega should never cry.” He wiped his thumb across your cheek, the tears that escaped quickly trapped under his skin and disappearing.
“Jung Hoseok! Did you make our baby cry?!” You snapped your head to the shriek, Jin, Namjoon, and Taehyung all standing in the middle of your living room with bags filled with food in their hands.
Your eyes quickly moved to the head alpha, his presence undeniable and all-encompassing as his large frame stands in the middle of my now smaller living room. Your apartment was barely big enough for you, let alone when Haneul came over. Now with five out of your seven alphas, their bodies taking up space, you realize just how small your living room really was. There was no way you could fit all in here comfortably.
You become embarrassed of your space, thinking that the boys are used to so much more. They probably have such a nice house, clean and neat, large enough for all of them to move comfortably and without question.
You don’t even notice when you begin to bite the skin of your lip, fingers rubbing together as your anxiety manifests physically. You only realize when Hoseok’s fingers tug your lip away from your teeth, his finger making contact with your tongue for a quick second before you pull back.
“What’s going on in that head of yours pretty girl?” Hoseok’s voice broke through your inner thoughts once again, his eyebrows furrowed as he visibly shows his worry. He had quickly caught the change in your scent, your sweet vanilla becoming burnt, his nostrils burning as he breathes in.
“Nothing.” You say or try to say strongly to the best of your abilities. You, however forgot about the immensely strong sense of smell wolves have, catching your lie before it even leaves your lips.
“How about you try one more time, and this time, tell us the truth. We can’t help you if we don’t know what is wrong.” Jin speaks up from his spot next to Namjoon and Jimin, eyes narrowed at your figure.
The pressure of all of their eyes on you has your shoulders tensing, not used to the attention, and you probably will never be. Looking at the others, you don’t see anger, or any other negative feeling, you just see concern and worry.
These men are quickly erasing all your previous thoughts on them, on relationships in general. They seem so sincere and loving with each other, with you, that you can feel yourself seeking out their touch more. You catch yourself wanting to give in to them, and you don’t think you can hold yourself back any longer.
You can feel the small cracks in your walls growing larger, leaving holes in the foundation and opportunity for some serious damage.
Taking in a deep breath, you try to put your feelings and thoughts into words, knowing they really do want to help.
“I just, I know that you are probably used to so much more than my little apartment and I don’t want you guys to feel uncomfortable here. It’s so small and you guys are so large…” You trail off, seeing the way their lips quirk up, noses scrunched as they try not to laugh.
Seeing their expressions, you quickly become deflated, all confidence you might have had at one point now non-existent. Your mind becomes entranced in your memories, remembering many a times when you had spoken to be met with laughter.
You hated how someone could ruin all of the love you had built up for yourself, could ruin your confidence at the tilt of a lip. It angered you, made you want to kick them out of your safe place. Made you regret ever letting Seokjin into it in the first place.
“Stop laughing. If you are going to act like this over my insecurities, something that took a lot of courage for me to tell you, then you can leave.” You snap, bringing your hand up and pointing a finger towards your door.
Your words have the boys freezing, their expressions falling as they take your tone in, realize how much they’ve upset you in such a small amount of time. Namjoon quickly walks forward, ignoring your body tensing up as he brings you into his chest.
“We are not laughing at you, my love. It’s just, being in your apartment, surrounded by your scent, is probably the most at-home we’ve felt in years.” He nuzzles against your hair, lips quirking at the skip in your heartbeat at his close proximity. He could feel your scent coming back to the sweetness he already loves.
“Even though everything would be better if we had your scent in our den…” Jimin’s words broke off as Jin smacked him on the arm. Jin had noticed you, had noticed how you struggled to move away from Namjoon, but couldn’t find it in you to do so.
Hoseok had confirmed his thoughts on the scent high Jimin unknowingly sent you into, and he felt bad for leaving you like that. It was his duty to take care of you, and he was upset with himself. He was glad that his mate was able to be there for you.
You do manage to pull your head away from Namjoon’s chest, looking up at him in confusion, eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched.
“You’re…you’re not laughing at me?” You ask, needing to hear them say it again, needed to reassure yourself. Namjoon just smiles down at you, bringing his hands up to cup your cheeks, brushing the small baby hairs away from near your ear.
“We would never, baby girl.”
-*-*-
It was said that courage sometimes passed by generations; you hoped it wasn’t true. You would need all the courage you had to even sit on the couch right now.
It had only been minutes after the alphas had left, not wanting to overstep your clearly drawn boundaries. They had each given you a kiss on the cheek, a smile on their face as they pulled back. They left after making sure you were okay, subtle but visible glimpse towards the marks of claim on your skin left behind by Jimin, who smirked proudly once he noticed his mates looks.
Once they had left, your home was empty, making you feel somehow weird inside, like you were also empty. Your blankets and pillows were laid across your couch and chair, the boys having held them while Seokjin and Hoseok had tried to shoo you out of the small kitchen, claiming they didn’t need your help setting up the dinner Seokjin had brought.
You had asked where Jungkook and Yoongi had been but were reassured that they had just been busy with work and would be meeting them at home. Seokjin had even held a little smirk when you asked the question, surprised but not shocked to hear you voice concern for the two missing alphas.
Now that you were left alone, you wished you held more courage.
You had never had your brother in your home, at any of the homes you lived in alone, let alone letting five CEO alphas who claim you as their mate in your tiny apartment you could barely afford.
But yet, that was not why you felt you needed courage.
You wanted so badly to wrap yourself in the fabric that only moments ago Taehyung and Jimin were fighting over. You wanted to lay your head on the pillow that Namjoon was holding to his chest only minutes ago.
They were your things, so why could you not take the few steps and sit on your couch?
Groaning in distress, you just bypass your living room and head straight to your bed, only to remember the new blanket you had woken up to. You had no thoughts as you moved forward, your mind completely blank as you clutch the soft blanket in between your fingers.
You had never felt something so soft and were so sure it was Seokjin who had got it for you. You couldn’t lie, you had fallen in love with the powder blue blanket as soon as you woke up from your nap.
You knew you should return it, give it back to Seokjin and claim it was too much to give you, but you couldn’t. You wanted to indulge in the gift, wanted to wrap yourself up like a burrito and remain in it forever, never to leave the soft claim you knew Seokjin was trying to give you. You knew the blanket had to be a courting gift, like the food and chocolates they were sending you.
Having courage felt like losing sometimes. It felt like you were, in reality, being fearful of a different outcome. You guess you were, being fearful that it. You wear afraid that these men, who had shown you so much love and care in the past two days, were lying. You were afraid that they would leave once they got whatever it is they wanted from you.
Courage and fear are two paths on the same road, two sides of the same coin. You couldn’t have one without the other.
In your fear of being rejected and humiliated again, you had lost the courage to accept these men and their affection. The walls around your heart were slowly growing larger cracks, and you were afraid that when it did collapse, they wouldn’t be there to catch you.
Holding the soft fabric to your cheek, you held your breath, trying your hardest to gain the courage you wanted. The courage you wish you had from the beginning. You wished you had the courage to accept their love, to accept their affection.
Taking in a deep breath, you laid in bed, the blue blanket from Seokjin in your grasp as you laid on it, half of it wrapped around your shoulder. Your head laid on the spot where Jimin had rested, letting yourself indulge in the soft pine his clothes left behind.
Hearing your phone ding from somewhere on your bed, you thrash your arm around, not caring, and find it under one of your pillows. Grabbing it and unlocking it, you see a text left behind from Yoongi.
Yoongi: I’m sorry I missed out on dinner at your home. I look forward to next time.
You can’t help the smile that grows across your cheeks, and stays when you receive a text from Jungkook, his making you let out a small giggle.
Jungkook: I hope you didn’t forget about me I wanna see your nest next!
You didn’t know where he had gotten that from as you didn’t have a nest. Yes, you collected blankest and other soft fabrics, but you weren’t a wolf. You didn’t have those nesting instincts.
You: But I don’t have a nest?
You replied and not even a second later you could see the three little dots indicating that Jungkook was typing.
Jungkook: Jimin told me you have a pile of blankets on your bed that you sleep in. That is a nest baby
You didn’t reply, now looking around at the surface of your bed. He was right, you did have an abundance of blankets and pillows on your bed, surrounding the area where you sleep. The indent of your body in the middle of the fabric. The new blanket already incorporated into your pile, your nest.
Trying not to think about his words, or their implications, you plug your phone into the charger by your nightstand, and turn around onto your stomach, exhaustion hitting you quickly as you passed out.
-*-*-
That night was the best night of sleep you had experienced in years. You woke up with Seokjin’s blanket smushed into your face, your nose practically squished into the fabric.
You had woken up to your alarm with no issue. Had gotten dressed with no question to what you were going to wear, a common fight you had with yourself every morning. You had even eaten the breakfast that had shown up at your door, a note from Seokjin with a single heart written on it by his name.
The tension usually latched onto your back had all but disappeared, shoulders dropped as you walked into the building that morning, having caught the bus after telling Seokjin and Haneul that they didn’t need to pick you up.
You had felt way better than you have ever remembered. You felt like nothing could stop you…that was until you were cornered in the elevator by Taehyung and Jimin. The two blocking anyone else from entering the elevator as they held slight grins on their lips.
“Uhh. Hello?” You said awkwardly, your body becoming nervous by the looks they were wearing.
“Hello beautiful. Feel like going on a field trip with us?” Jimin flirts, making you even more nervous. The way they both looked at you had you wondering if you were their prey at the moment. As if you were the meal they so badly wanted to indulge in.
“What do you say baby? Come spend the day with Jimin and I?” Taehyung coos, pushing forward off the rails on the wall and moving to hold your hands, bringing them up to his lips and pressing small kisses on the inside of your palm.
The two could see you wanting to say yes, could see that you only needed a little bit more reassurance before you caved into their whims.
“We’ve already talked to your supervisor, Sooyoung. She said you were ahead of your work anyways, and that she was glad you were taking a much-needed break.” Jimin started, followed by Taehyung who continued to press your palm to his cheek.
“You haven’t taken a day off since you moved here baby girl. That’s not very good. You need to take better care of yourself.”
“And if you won’t—”
“We will.”
The look in their eyes told you they weren’t kidding, that they really would take care of you. You didn’t think you weren’t taking care of yourself; you had believed you were doing well, never taking time off and doing what was expected of you.
“It’s okay baby! We will take care of you!” Jimin’s eyes were closed as he smiled down at you, confusing your own confusion for guilt.
You don’t have the chance to say anything before you are dragged back out of the elevator and brought back out of the lobby. Multiple heads turned your way as the two CEO’s dragged you to a large SUV waiting out front.
They moved quickly, giving you no room to back out as they helped you into the vehicle, Taehyung leaning over you to buckle you into the back seat as he moved in to sit next to you. Jimin got into the front seat and once everyone was buckled, he took off.
Just as you turned off of the street Bangtan Co. was on, you received a text from Namjoon.
Namjoon: Enjoy your day with Minie and Tae baby girl. But don’t have too much fun
So, they had this planned? A laugh from your side had you looking at Taehyung, a grin on his face as he looks over your shoulder at the message from his mate.
“See baby? Even Namjoon wants you to take a break.” You place your phone into your pocket, grumbling as you cross your arms over your chest. Looking away from the teasing and still laughing alpha as he brought you into his chest.
“Oh, don’t pout. We promised Jin that we would take care of you and keep you safe and happy. So just relax, let your alphas take care of you, okay?” He mused, pressing a couple of kisses to the side of your head and cheek as he spoke.
You were quiet the rest of the drive, just watching the world pass by as you listened to the two men talk about where to take you first. You knew you would never get a word in, seeing as how they were both determined to spoil you today. And because you received a warning from Seokjin in the form of a message.
Seokjin: Baby girl, I know you can’t take care of yourself properly, and that’s okay. That’s what your alphas are for so let the boys spoil you. Now, don’t be a bad girl and refuse them their chance to be good alphas, okay?
Well, it wasn’t really a threat per say, but you knew how alphas could get when they felt like they were being horrible mates. You remember from school that most alphas have the extreme instinct to take care of their mates, to protect and provide, and you could only guess that all seven of the boys had this instinct.
If you refused to any of their whims today, their opportunity to take care of you, to provide for you, then they would feel like they are bad mates, the ultimate insult to a wolf. You were just beginning to let go around them, and you didn’t want to give them even a single chance to change their mind about you. You didn’t want them to change their minds about loving you.
When you pulled up to Lotte world, you stared up in amazement, completely entranced by the sight of the large mall and amusement park. You had yet to come here in the two years you had been in South Korea. Actually, you had yet to really go anywhere besides work and your apartment unless it was to visit Haneul and her father.
You were so focused on the sight that you didn’t feel the car stop nor the arms moving around you to unbuckle your seat belt. Taehyung helped you out of the car, smiling softly at the amazement on your face.
“Have you never been here before baby?” He asked, moving to close the door behind you.
“No. I uh, never had the time to.” You reply softly, their words from earlier now ringing in your head. You had never really thought about it, about taking time off. Not until they said you weren’t taking care of yourself.
You had been on your own for as long as you could remember, your father in and out of the picture, and your mother too worried about your younger siblings to pay attention to you. You were used to taking care of yourself, using your studies and work to keep your mind busy that you didn’t even think you were doing a poor job.
You spent years figuring out how to be an adult at a young age, bills and money always being a worry for you. You had gotten so used to taking care of yourself you hated the thought of letting someone else do it.
“Alright little one. Namjoon gave us his card so get whatever you want, okay?” Jimin spoke from your side, his hand in yours as Taehyung moves to grab your other. You bag conveniently left inside the car as the boys quicky moved you away from your own wallet.
You internally cringed at the thought of using someone else’s money, money you didn’t earn on your own. You swore to yourself that you would only get a couple of things, shirts or something that were in your normal price range. Just enough to satisfy the boys.
That was your thought until you were immediately brought into the closest Gucci store, your grip tightening on their hands as you tried to pull away from them. Just the thought of breathing in the store makes you tense. You could spend your entire paycheck, heck, two months’ worth on a single tissue from here.
“C’mon baby! I want to see how you look in this dress I saw here the other day!” Taehyung’s boxy grin had you pausing in your thoughts. The thought of you in a dress he picked out had him so happy, had him feeling prideful. Something you hadn’t seen before. He looked so happy at the thought of buying you something that you felt you couldn’t deny him.
Letting them drag you in, your hands still in their own, you stood just inside the entrance when a women in a nice blouse and skirt walked up to you, her name tag reading “Ella”. She walked up and didn’t even acknowledge you.
“Hello Mr. Park, Mr. Kim. Can I be of any assistance today?” She looked Taehyung and Jimin up and down, her eyes straying far longer than you would have liked while they didn’t even look her way. Taehyung was busy looking for the dress, his fingers starting to stray from your own as he tried to pull you farther down one of the aisles while Jimin stayed still, looking at one of the displays in front of him.
“No. We are fine.” Jimin’s words were cold, lacking interest as he didn’t even turn to the woman. You watched the woman’s face fall, her eyes catching yours before they narrowed just as quickly as they returned to normal.
“Well, you just let me know if you need anything, okay? Anything at all.” The woman, Ella, almost purred at the end of her sentence, eyes fluttering in their direction before she walked away to help another customer.
You couldn’t help but rolling your eyes, finding the situation entirely ridiculous. When Taehyung began to whine that Jimin was taking too long, Jimin finally moved, letting the both of you be tugged to Taehyung’s whims. It took him all of two seconds before Taehyung’s eyes widened, grabbing the dress off the hook.
It looked entirely too small to fit, the fabric didn’t even look like it would stretch around your stomach. Your old insecurities were coming back, something you hadn’t felt since you were in high school surrounded by your “friends” in your local shopping mall.
“I don’t think that’s going to fit, Taehyung.” You whisper, still eyeing the dark fabric in his grasp.
“No baby. I checked the sizes last night. They are supposed to have two in your size. We just have to find them!” He clenches his jaw in confidence, smile on his lips as he lets go of your hand so he had both to look through the clothes.
Jimin let go as well, telling you that Taehyung might take a while and to see if I could find anything else I liked. With a kiss on your cheek, Jimin nudged you to a different aisle, watching you with a smile on his face as you kept turning around to look at him, reassurance written all over his face.
He could see how nervous you were when Taehyung brought out the dress, at least three sizes too small for you. He could see how upset and anxious you became, could smell your vanilla becoming bitter.
“Tae, baby?” He mutters, getting close to Taehyung so no one else could hear.
“Hm?”
“I know you were excited to see her in that dress we saw the other day, but I don’t think any of us realized how insecure she is.” Taehyung froze at his older mate’s words, completely forgetting the most important thing.
“oh no.” Taehyung turns to look for you, not seeing you near him. He immediately felt as though he did everything wrong. Feeling like he messed up, and not seeing you in his immediate sight, he began to panic.
While Jimin was talking with Taehyung, you had begun to wander the aisles, trying to find something remotely even close to your size so Taehyung didn’t feel bad about bringing you in here when he couldn’t find the dress. Stopping at a couple jackets you hear someone cough behind you.
Turning around, you find yourself face to face with Ella, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she stares you down. You sigh inwardly, already knowing the type of woman Ella was, and what conversation she was about to start with you.
“There is nothing for you in here.” Yup, you were right.
“I am just here with my, uhm, alphas.” You replied, not exactly knowing what to call the boys. You had only just accepted to being courted, which felt entirely too intimate to be calling them just your bosses. But you also didn’t feel like you deserved to call them your mates yet either.
“Well, there is nothing in the store that will fit your, uh, figure. So, I think it would be best if you waited outside. You might make our clientele feel uncomfortable.” She spoke while making a silhouette of your figure with her hands, her lips brought up into a seemingly polite smile, like she was speaking to any other person.
“There is no one else currently in the store besides two of your coworkers and my two alphas; there is no one to make uncomfortable but you. So, tell me what’s really upsetting you?” You turn around and continue looking at the jacket you were looking at before the women touches your shoulder.
You turn back around, not expecting her to touch you.
“Listen here, don’t expect to keep ‘your alphas’ to yourself.” She spoke, using air quotations when referring to the two men. “Not when you look as fat as you do. Do you really think you’d be able to satisfy them? You might as well just leave now before you get your feelings hurt.” You visibly roll your eyes, this conversation already had with you using different words.
You were about to say something back when you felt a presence behind you, Ella’s face morphing into one of shock. A hand on your waist is followed by a low rumble from his chest. Jimin’s voice came from your right, meaning Taehyung is the one behind you.
“She satisfies all seven of our mates without even lifting a finger. You just insulted my mate,” Jimin’s spat, enunciated the last two words with force, making the woman begin to shake. Jimin was now on the attack, his eyes shifting between his deep brown and the gold of his wolf.
“And deemed her unworthy. You are lucky I have control over my wolf, and that I don’t want my baby mate to see me get angry.” Before you could see anything else, Taehyung is ushering you out of the store, keeping you in front of him as he walked.
“Don’t worry baby, Jiminie is just protective and is making sure that never happens again.” Taehyung whispers in your ear, head nudging against your own as you try to look back behind him, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jimin or the woman.
You hadn’t thought he would stand up for you, and his actions had you feel the cracks on your walls becoming deeper, close to breaking.
“a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.”
Summary: You had been working at Bangtan Corporation for almost two years now, and not once have you ever laid eyes on your bosses. That was, until you met them when out with some of your coworkers. Now, you almost wish you hadn’t. Almost.
Of the time he has known you, he has realized you were a creature of comfort, someone who needed to self soothe with items. He noticed how you always rubbed your fingers together, probably subconsciously. He noticed all of your clothing was of the same material, soft cotton that probably felt good against your skin.
He and his alpha hated that they had not been able to find you sooner, had not been able to show you the love you deserved sooner. Maybe then you would be able to accept their love without thinking it was a joke.
Seokjin just wanted you to see yourself the way that they saw you. He hoped that their courting of you would be able to help you truly love yourself, and not just the façade you seemed to put up.
The start to his packs courting of you was food and flowers, typical courting items that most packs started with.
But after that, it usually differed depending on the person being courted.
For Jungkook, his second phase of courting involved trips to Han River where he could lay in the grass, picnics by the waterfront as they listened to the trees rustle in the wind.
Jungkook’s background was very sheltered, and he was not allowed to leave the house until he was 18. So, the beginning of their courting was secret, hidden from his family.
After he presented, he was only allowed to go to school and back, his family had wanted to take the alpha wolf out of their son.
Seokjin knew your home life was nothing of the sort, but emotional abuse was sometimes just as bad, if not worse than physical. And he would do anything he could to help bring you out of your shell. If that meant buying you comfort items as your personalized courting gifts, then so be it.
sum ᝰ park jimin looked at you like you held all the answers to the universe, playing it off as an endearing act of his, you don’t think much of it. until his sweet smiles and loving personality makes your stomach flutter and your heart skip a beat. but you’re his boss — the person who helped him escape his past and horrid boss, there was no way you could ever admit your feelings for him, even if he does say it first.
pairing ᝰ assistant!jimin x ceo!yn (slightly plus size but not much detail)
genre ᝰ fluff, angst, romance, smut, s2f2l.
word count ᝰ13.1k
warnings ᝰ curse words, strong mentions of physical abuse, yn is kinda mean, anxiety, depression, mentions of a stutter, mentions of a lost loved one, therapy, smut, blowjob, yn is so dumb, mentions of weight. i do say a size but it’s just for the story, imagine it as you’d like.
an ᝰ can we please ignore how bad i am at making banners AND choosing fic titles. but i was listening to say it first by sam smith and it just stuck but yay, i loved this idea and it’s not the most heart wrenching or deepest fic, but i thought it was sweet! thank you for reading! reblog, comment and do all that jazz if you liked it! wishing you all the best! :) <3
The first time you had ever met Park Jimin, he was trudging behind Baekhyun, a business partner of yours. His hair was slightly frazzled, to which Baekhyun sent him a harsh glare for. It was no secret the partner of yours was harsh, it’s how he got to be so successful, it still didn’t seem right to instill fear in your workers. But alas, you ignored it as Jimin pat his hair down, placing a few Manila folders across from you, his boss, and the other two individuals in the room.
The meeting went smoothly. Baekhyun presented his own numbers for your business’ integration for a section in your magazine and website. The other two were board members in charge of seeing it through, the ones to pick up messes and nitpick before the company blew up. Jimin rushed about the room at Baekhyun’s every command. It didn’t go unnoticed by any of you just how terrified Jimin was, eyes narrowing as his hands shook when handing the man a paper, which he yanked from his hold every time.
The meeting concluded and you bid the two goodbye, not having much time to look into the assistant and his boss.
The next meeting didn’t go as smoothly. Baekhyun’s proposals weren’t lining up, neither the numbers, story, or projector. It was a complete mess and the boss blamed his meek assistant who wore big round glasses. He cursed at the guy in the hallway, holding onto Jimin rather harshly.
Now, you weren’t a meek person. You couldn’t be meek when running a multi-million company, it simply wouldn’t work. It’s why you questioned every word that came from Baekhyun’s mouth, it’s why his angry look didn’t deter you from your clear path to success, it’s why you walked out of the conference room, ushering Baekhyun to continue with the meeting or you were officially through with him.
You ended the meeting, taking notice of how tense and tired your workers were. It frustrated Baekhyun who wanted to get the deal over with. “Don’t rush me.” Is all you had said as you walked out of the room, carrying your own folders.
The next meeting, Jimin wasn’t there. You had asked Baekhyun and he dismissed you by saying he had a cold. It didn’t sit right with you. The meeting went a lot smoother, and despite the protest from your board members, you continued going slow with the collaboration. Something just hadn’t sat right with you, even more with the past meeting and how badly he was messing up. You needed nothing but perfection and you didn’t seem to be getting it.
sum ᝰ park jimin looked at you like you held all the answers to the universe, playing it off as an endearing act of his, you don’t think much of it. until his sweet smiles and loving personality makes your stomach flutter and your heart skip a beat. but you’re his boss — the person who helped him escape his past and horrid boss, there was no way you could ever admit your feelings for him, even if he does say it first.
pairing ᝰ assistant!jimin x ceo!yn (slightly plus size but not much detail)
genre ᝰ fluff, angst, romance, smut, s2f2l.
word count ᝰ13.1k
warnings ᝰ curse words, strong mentions of physical abuse, yn is kinda mean, anxiety, depression, mentions of a stutter, mentions of a lost loved one, therapy, smut, blowjob, yn is so dumb, mentions of weight. i do say a size but it’s just for the story, imagine it as you’d like.
an ᝰ can we please ignore how bad i am at making banners AND choosing fic titles. but i was listening to say it first by sam smith and it just stuck but yay, i loved this idea and it’s not the most heart wrenching or deepest fic, but i thought it was sweet! thank you for reading! reblog, comment and do all that jazz if you liked it! wishing you all the best! :) <3
The first time you had ever met Park Jimin, he was trudging behind Baekhyun, a business partner of yours. His hair was slightly frazzled, to which Baekhyun sent him a harsh glare for. It was no secret the partner of yours was harsh, it’s how he got to be so successful, it still didn’t seem right to instill fear in your workers. But alas, you ignored it as Jimin pat his hair down, placing a few Manila folders across from you, his boss, and the other two individuals in the room.
The meeting went smoothly. Baekhyun presented his own numbers for your business’ integration for a section in your magazine and website. The other two were board members in charge of seeing it through, the ones to pick up messes and nitpick before the company blew up. Jimin rushed about the room at Baekhyun’s every command. It didn’t go unnoticed by any of you just how terrified Jimin was, eyes narrowing as his hands shook when handing the man a paper, which he yanked from his hold every time.
The meeting concluded and you bid the two goodbye, not having much time to look into the assistant and his boss.
The next meeting didn’t go as smoothly. Baekhyun’s proposals weren’t lining up, neither the numbers, story, or projector. It was a complete mess and the boss blamed his meek assistant who wore big round glasses. He cursed at the guy in the hallway, holding onto Jimin rather harshly.
Now, you weren’t a meek person. You couldn’t be meek when running a multi-million company, it simply wouldn’t work. It’s why you questioned every word that came from Baekhyun’s mouth, it’s why his angry look didn’t deter you from your clear path to success, it’s why you walked out of the conference room, ushering Baekhyun to continue with the meeting or you were officially through with him.
You ended the meeting, taking notice of how tense and tired your workers were. It frustrated Baekhyun who wanted to get the deal over with. “Don’t rush me.” Is all you had said as you walked out of the room, carrying your own folders.
The next meeting, Jimin wasn’t there. You had asked Baekhyun and he dismissed you by saying he had a cold. It didn’t sit right with you. The meeting went a lot smoother, and despite the protest from your board members, you continued going slow with the collaboration. Something just hadn’t sat right with you, even more with the past meeting and how badly he was messing up. You needed nothing but perfection and you didn’t seem to be getting it.
There were only two more meetings to go and the next, Jimin was back. It was only a week later and the black eye told you he wasn’t gone because of a cold. Whatever fucked up crap Baekhyun dealt with, he released his frustrations against his shy assistant.
You had asked him if he was alright, he responded with a shy smile, unable to look you in the eyes, assuring you he was fine. You couldn’t sit still for the rest of the meeting, watching as Jimin winced every time a single muscle in his face moved. Beckoning the intern watching from the end of the room, you send her off to fetch a bag of ice for the man.
“He really doesn’t need it.” Baekhyun tries as the intern hands the assistant the ice pack.
“Did I ask you?” You shut him down, the man now quiet as you send him one of your harsh looks.
The meeting went fine. The numbers he had messed up before were perfect. Too perfect for someone who was sweating while presenting. But you decide to ignore it for now, shaking his hand as it concludes, telling him of the plans to close the deal at the meeting that’s to come.
You spent the rest of your day in your office, only walking out when you needed to call someone to speak to. It was quite a hassle not having someone to do menial tasks for you but you made it work. Every assistant you had ever had was incompetent and only added much more stress onto your already stressful days.
Your last assistant, who you were very close to, was the last you felt you needed. He was young, but he was smart, graduating from Harvard in journalism and he wanted to rise through the ranks. You took him under your wing, you were harsh but you felt it was needed to get him to succeed and he appreciated it. You were the first person he went to when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant, and you congratulated him, to which he cried. It was a bit awkward but you gave him a small hug, telling him he’d be a good father.
His girlfriend, who you had met over dinner a few times, had asked you to be the godmother to their baby. You were taken aback of course, but she had confided in you that the only motherly figure Jungkook had was you and he spoke highly of you more than anyone he had ever met. You accepted, meeting Yoongi, the godfather, at the baptism recitals. Jungkook was over the moon to have two people he adored to help with his baby girl if anything were to happen. He had taken a three week break when his son was born, only to come back to find his desk empty.
He was terrified he had been fired but you got your intern to show him to his new desk, away from your office and into the space where the other hard hitting journalists sat. The goofy and emotional guy he was, he sprinted up to you, engulfing you in a big hug. A loud yelp came from your mouth as he picked you up off the floor, spinning you. You had reprimanded him after, warning him about boundaries but sent him a comforting pat to his shoulder as you walked off, wishing him the best.
That was almost two years ago. Assistants came and went, some left crying, others left cursing. But you didn’t care, who better to rely on than yourself?
It was when you were leaving your building that the security handed you a package that had been left for you. You thanked him as you walked over to your black, sleek car, ripping the top to grab the papers from inside. Your eyes skimmed across the numbers, the paragraphs detailing the deal you were set to close in a few days. The information led you to rushing back into your office, calling up your legal team and spending a long night conversing and going through the stacks of papers collected.
You burned that bridge with Baekhyun when he showed up to the meeting, cocky and fully ready to sign the deal, Jimin by his side. Your legal team spoke for you as you watched Baekhyun’s face contort from confusion, to anger, then to distress. He begged and pleaded with you to take a chance on him, his company was dying and he had no idea how to save himself.
“I’m not a bank.” You shrugged him off, only enraging him further. He topples over the table, ready to grab you, getting pulled by the security you had called up. You hadn’t even flinched as he was dragged out of the room, cursing and calling you every derogatory term he could scrounge up.
Jimin sat to the side, eyes wide at the scene. You watched him carefully, not catching a single second of doubt though. Just shocked that his previous boss would stoop so low as to hurt you, the most powerful person in the city.
You don’t get up from your seat as your legal team leaves, along with the intern you had been dragging to meetings with you. Instead, you turn in your seat, cocking your head to the side as you watch Jimin wiggle under your stare. “Was it the ice pack?” You ask, making him flinch slightly.
“I-I’m sorry?” He mumbles.
“Raise your voice when speaking to me.” He does as told, looking up at you and straightening his posture. “Did the ice pack fool you into believing I needed help?”
He shakes his head frantically, eyes wide. “N-no! I just… I don’t think I could live with myself if he brought you down with him.”
“So it was all for you? To clear your conscience?” You question. He stays silent, a shaky breath coming from his plump lips as he looks down at the floor in shame. “You can be honest.”
“… Yes.” He answers after a few seconds of silence.
You nod with a soft sigh, rising from your seat. He takes that as his cue to leave as well, rushing to the door. “Do you want to work for me?” Your sudden offer makes him stop in his steps, hand stilling on the handle of the room. “I like that you did it for you. You finally stood up for yourself.”
“I-I can’t work for you.” He shakes his head, refusing to look over at you.
“Why not?” You scoff. “I’ve seen how hard you work. You’re smart, diligent, and resourceful. What else could I want?”
“I think I’m done being an assistant.” He shrugs.
You nod, grabbing a business card from your wallet. Walking over to the guy, your hand touches his as you reach for the handle, opening the door. Pushing your card out to him, you continue to make your way out of the room. “Call me when you decide to work for me.”
He showed up a week later clad in an oversized vest, button up underneath it. He stuttered as he explained how he’d been dwelling over the offer and decided it was best for him.
That was two years ago, and you and Jimin were in the swing of things. He knew your schedule like the back of his hand, he knew your likes and dislikes, your allergies, your diets, your mother, and all that involved your life intertwining with his job. He was a bit slow at first, not used to doing actual tasks like organizing and actively learning to keep up with the business. His entire four years with Baekhyun were spent doing nothing but coffee runs and cleaning up after him. But he seemed to enjoy it.
Sometimes you had to reel back your harsh tone and looks, noticing how often he flinched over you. It wasn’t only you either, it would be anyone who held any authority over him and that made your heartache. You were intense when it came to work but not once had you ever threatened or hurt anyone who works or has worked under you. Baekhyun had done a real number on him and you made sure to go about it carefully.
It wasn’t until the first year into working with you that you admitted you went to therapy. He was shocked at your revelation, not seeing a therapist or any appointments in your shared google calendar. You told him you hadn’t wanted anyone to know, despite how normal your feelings were, you were still a woman running a business amongst men. No one could know you were even slightly “unstable” as a past partner had told you back when. You told him how it helped you come to terms with your fathers death and all the bad choices you made after. You hadn’t gone into much detail but you made sure to tell him that it was possibly the best move you could make and pointed out the free mental healthcare your company provided. Three months later he had admitted he took your advice and began seeing someone — there was a sparkle in his eye as he told you how much better he had been feeling.
Now, you were sauntering into your building, phone in hand with Jungkook trailing after you.
“I’m not lying!” He holds onto the strap of his bag, chasing after your lengthy strides.
“I’m not saying you’re lying. I’m just saying it doesn’t seem possible.” You reiterate.
“Are you saying my daughter isn’t smart?” He scoffs.
“No, I’m saying she’s three and there’s no way she solved world hunger with her babbles.”
“She can, though!”
“I’m sure she can, and when she does, I’ll gladly invest in it, but she barely knows how to say my name.”
Jungkook pouts from beside you, “you don’t believe in my little Hyuna.”
You scoff in turn, “tell that to her college fund.”
“You’re still with that? I’m not letting you pay for her college.”
“Why not? I have more than enough and I adore her. Plus, she’s gonna be a woman in STEM and I want to support her.”
“What if she wants to go into the arts?”
“Then she’ll go into STEAM.” You shrug.
“You’re by far the dumbest CEO I know.”
“Thanks.” You wave him off as you walk into your office, Jimin quickly getting up from his desk and following after you.
“Good morning, ____. Here’s your coffee.”
You wave your hand, clicking your computer on. “No coffee today.”
“Another diet?”
You turn up at him with a small smile, “yeah. My sister’s wedding is coming up and I’m a bridesmaid, I need to fit into that dress.”
“I think you look perfect.” He smiles brightly, eyes turning into crescents.
“As much as I love receiving compliments from you, I need those stats from the beauty department, bring them.”
“Sure thing.” His smile is still prominent as he rushes from the room, a small chuckle coming from your mouth at his sunny disposition.
He seemed to be doing much better when it came to his confidence and meek personality. He spoke louder now, rarely getting stuck on a word with nerves. He stood tall and proud, even slightly changed his work clothes to give off a stronger aura. But his sweet smile and shiny eyes contrasted him from the others clad in suits. It was nice though, everyone in the office confided in him and he had a ton of friends, even taking a liking to Jungkook immediately. You hadn’t known what his life was like before he started at your company, but it seemed better and you felt a sense of pride as you watched him go about his good days.
A few hours passed of work, both you and Jimin working alongside one another to better grasp it and hurry in time for lunch.
“Want me to bring your lunch in here?” Jimin asks from his spot across from you, stacks of folders surrounding him.
You don’t need to look away from your computer as you answer, “I’m not hungry. You go and have lunch.”
“It’s fine.” He shakes his head, “I had a big breakfast.”
You glance at him from the side of your computer as his stomach growls. Jimin looks mortified, cheeks tinting red at his obvious lie and loud body noises. “Jungkook’s going to be lonely without having anyone to eat with. Go, Jimin.”
“I-I don’t want to leave you.”
“You won’t be gone for long,” you can’t help but laugh at his cute words. “It’s just an hour, tops. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay… but I’ll bring you something.”
“Just some rice please.”
“Okay!” Your agreement to eating something sets him off, waving at you as he leaves your office.
You feel you can finally breathe when he’s gone. In no way did he make you uncomfortable, but lately, his bright smile and words of encouragement made your stomach flutter. It was a bit scary at first, how odd you felt around him all of a sudden, but you seemed to get used to it, choosing to ignore it.
The loud sound of your phone ringing brings you out of your nervous trance. You pick up the call quickly, putting it on speaker. “I told you not to call me during work hours.
“You’re so lame.” Your sister’s voice is heard from the other line.
“Is mom with you?”
“Uhm… no?”
You sigh, stapling a few sheets of paper together. “Hello, mother.”
“Don’t sound so formal.” Your mother’s familiar voice is heard. “We just called to check up on you.”
“No, you just called to see if I have a date.”
“Well, do you?” The older woman urges.
“It was the same this morning, it’s the same now.”
“Honey, you should put yourself out there some more! You’re stunning and any man would be lucky to have you.”
“Mom, she doesn’t need a date.” You hear your sister but your mom shushes her up.
“She’s right, I don’t need a date.”
“When did you become so rude? Listen to your mom!” She scolds, earning her an eye roll. You’re quite lucky she can’t see you, she would have definitely smacked you for the disrespect. “I can set you up on a blind date!”
“No way,” you shake your head fervently, scared at the idea. “Mom, those are the worst!”
“You dated Hoseok for a while, so they can’t be too bad.”
“Mom.” You deadpan, “we never dated.”
“Yes you did.”
“He’s gay mom.”
The line goes silent.
“Okay, my gaydar may be a little off but he was sweet, right? I can get you another sweet guy!”
“No.”
“Yes.” She ignores you. “A friend of mine, she’s got this CEO of a son too! His name is Namjoon, he likes art, long walks on the beach and he’s a hard worker. That’s right up your alley.”
“You don’t know what’s right up my alley.” You protest.
“He’s got these really cute dimples. He has a sweet smile. He’s kind too! He spends his time at an animal shelter and he has so many cute pictures posted with them!”
You can hear your sister cackle in the back, “mom, are you sure you don’t want to date him?”
“I might!” You can’t help but laugh at her admittance. “He should be snatched up!”
“You’re ridiculous.” You continue laughing along with your sister. Your mother was chastising your sister for teasing her, but it was all in good manners, you and your sister having a nice and lively time.
The conversation flowed back onto Namjoon and he seemed pleasant. His company wasn’t huge, but it was slowly getting there. He owned a record company, signing artists and getting them the recognition they deserved. After agreeing to stalk his socials, you were on your phone, family still talking and you skimmed through his photos. He was cute, dimples prominent in every picture. Some were of his dogs, which he had countless of them, others were at the shelter your mother referred to, and the others were of him with his trainees. He captioned all the pictures with sweet words, enticing enough to make you awe and smile.
“Do you want me to set it up?” Your mother asks one last time before having to go.
“Uhm…” you pause and think for a second. It had been a long while since you had a proper relationship. Taehyung had been your last, in the beginning of college but you broke up amicably by the end of it. Neither of you spoke but you followed one another on social media — he had a perfect partner and a kid on the way. It made you feel jealous. Not for him, you were long over him, but you wanted what he has. What Jungkook has. What your sister has with Jin. You wanted it. But then Jimin walked in. The same soft smile plastered on his face, carrying a few trays of food, coaxing it to you as he lifted it up. “I’ll get back to you.”
“Honey, someone’s going to steal him from you!”
“I’m hanging up.” You hum out, hanging up on the woman.
“Who’s stealing who from who?” Jimin asks, taking a seat on his previous chair across from you.
“Nothing.” You shrug, hoping he lets it go. And he does. “I didn’t get much done,” you admit, a sheepish look on your face. “My sister called.”
“That’s fine,” there goes the fluttering as he smiles. “That’s why I’m here.”
—
“Jungkook, enough!” You huff out with annoyance as he tugs your dress up from the sides. “It doesn’t fit!”
“Yes it does! You just need to suck it in a little more!”
“I can’t just suck it in!”
A knock on the door brings the two of you out of your fit. You were breathless, struggling with the dress that Jungkook tried to shove you into. “Are you two okay in there?” Jimin’s soft voice is heard.
“I need another hand!” Jungkook calls out but you quickly smack his hand away from the lock of the dressing room.
“Don’t you dare!” You seethe, face red with embarrassment. “We’re fine, Jimin. Can you call June for me?”
“Uhm… okay.” He sounds different, voice showing his timid self.
You turn back to Jungkook with a glare. “You can’t just offer him to head in here!”
“And why not?”
“He’s my assistant and my boobs are falling out?!”
“No they’re not,” he scoffs. “I would have left a long time ago out of respect for June if they were.”
“I was summoned.” June’s graceful voice is heard as she knocks on the door.
“My angel,” Jungkook happily sighs, opening the door and dragging her into the room. Your face flushed more, nervous that someone has to see you struggle with a dress. “____ needs help. She won’t suck it in.” He pokes your stomach.
“You shithead,” you threaten. “Don’t touch your boss like that!”
“Boss, shmoss. We’re way past that line,” he looks over at his girlfriend with a dopey smile. “Can you help us, baby?”
June brightens up at the thought of being able to dress you. “Of course! You’re going to be the prettiest girl at that wedding!” She giggles as she rushes to you, taking a glance at the size of the dress. “What size are you?” She questions.
“Eleven.”
“Jungkook, you idiot!” June glares at her boyfriend. “You’re suffocating the poor girl in a size nine!”
“It was an accident!”
“So I didn’t magically gain weight in just two days?” You sigh in relief, shoulders sagging down.
“How could you mess that up? You know what, never mind! Go to your daughter, I left her with Jimin.” She scolds the guy, ushering him out as he squeaks out a few apologies. “He’s an idiot.” She huffs out.
You can’t help but laugh at her words, “sorta.”
“It probably felt scary,” she sends you a sad look. “I know weight is tricky to handle… sorry he made you freak.”
“It’s fine.” You shake your head, sending her a kind smile as she reaches outside to grab your correct sizing. “I just didn’t exactly want to ruin my sister’s wedding. This dress doesn’t go higher than twelve.”
She lets out a puff of air. “Stupid brands. I don’t know why they can’t accommodate to bigger bodies. And I’m sure your sister would have understood.”
“She definitely would have,” you agree. “But the wedding is already putting her a little behind, getting new dresses would cost.”
“And I’m assuming she declined your offer to pay?”
You chuckle at her correct deduction. “Yeah. Something about not needing the ‘handout’ or whatever. I’m just always happy to help.”
“Yeah… uhm… I heard about the college fund thing.” She brings it up, a nervous smile on her face.
“Don’t stress it.” You try to calm her down. It was no lie she was intimidated by you, although it was a little weird at first, but Jungkook awkwardly admitted that you two were just polar opposites. She was the type of person who yearned to be a housewife, a mother, the type of woman who spoke softly and kindly. You weren’t any of those, and she often felt inferior compared to how far in life you had gotten to. “It was a half joke. I know you guys are saving up, I’m just offering to pay anything that isn’t met once she’s eighteen.”
“Of course, I just… I wouldn’t know how to accept that.”
“Well… it’s not really for you.” You admit, trying to be kind when speaking with her. “I love that little girl and it would ease all our minds if she got the education she deserves.”
“It would…” she nods, a small smile on her face. “We’ll pay you back.”
“You can pay me back when she’s got a stable career.” There’s a reassuring tone to your voice that she received loud and clear. “I promise I’m in no rush to get a few bills back. Knowing how hardworking you and Jungkook are, you’ll make the mark by then, so again, don’t stress it, okay?”
“You’re too kind.”
“Says no one ever.” You joke.
“Really!” She nods, helping you slip into your dress. “Everyone at your office always speaks highly of you!”
You feel weird as she compliments you, but you take in her words. “I’m just decent. It’s basic human decency.”
“Not just any person with basic human decency would help Nayeon pay for her daughter’s private school. Or give Soojin those paid days off to care for her mother. Most of your money goes to your employees than it does you — no business man or woman does that.”
You feel shy as she lists off your recent endeavors. You liked to keep them hidden, never speaking of them yourself but the people you helped loved to shower you with thanks, despite telling them it wasn’t necessary. You were just lucky to have the platform and wealth you have and you knew you wanted to use it well when you first started. It’s why your magazine, website, channel, and your shows were highly acclaimed. You and your workers told the truth and nothing but, mixed with fun tips, for all individuals alike. Honesty and kindness was very much needed and you are more than happy to give it away.
“By the way…” she trails off as she helps you zip the dress up. “Are you and Jimin dating?”
You still at her question. “Huh?”
“It just… he looks like a dorky little boyfriend following after you.”
You laugh nervously at her words, that annoying fluttering your stomach back as you speak of the guy. “He’s just a dork in general. And he’s my assistant, he has to follow me everywhere.”
She hums before patting the dress down for you, the both of you looking into the body length mirror. “You know that look Jungkook gets when I walk into a room?” You nod for response. It was grossly cute. The both of them would shoot up excitedly, eyes sparkling with unadulterated love. “That’s how he was acting when we met up.”
You deny her words by shaking your head, eyes wide. “No… he’s just a happy person.”
“Whatever you say.” She shrugs as she fixes up your hair. “Ready to show off your gorgeous self?”
“You flatter me too much.” You giggle, walking out of the dressing room with the woman. You feel nervous as you’re walking down the hallway and into the room you had rented out with your sister. Sadly, she couldn’t make it, having a few more cake tests with her fiancé, but you quickly rushed the lovely couple and your assistant who had been working all morning.
“Everyone, everyone, please, keep it in your pants.” June jokes as you fully walk into the room, shoes clacking against the marbled floor.
“How do I look?” You ask the two men, as the little girl squeals at the sight of you.
“Pretty auntie!” The little girl jumps up and down beside her father, clapping with excitement.
You send her a bright and loving smile. “Thank you, lovely.” You blow her a soft kiss, turning to look at her father. “Do I look like seaweed?” You ask, referring to the dark green color of the dress. He had teased about it before and promised to edit a picture of the dress next to a piece of seaweed.
“Slightly pretty seaweed.” He admits, making the two of you laugh. It’s then that you turn to Jimin, wanting to hear his opinion, but the awestruck look on his face makes your face feel hot.
“Is it nice?” You hadn’t ever felt so unsure of yourself, looking down at the pretty dress. It was a dark green mermaid dress with a slit at its side, showcasing your smooth leg. The upper half was built as a corset but it didn’t tighten like one usually did. Your shoulders are out on display with the off the shoulder top. It was pretty, despite the risky color, sure the hues would look just fine at the venue.
“You-you… uhm…” he coughs, turning away from you with a quick motion. “You l-look beautiful.” This time, it’s not just your stomach that flutters, heart skipping a beat at his kind compliment.
—
It would be a huge risk to ever get into a relationship with anyone you worked with. Your position stood higher than anyone else’s and it was a clear abuse of power. What if you asked someone out and they only agree because they’re afraid to lose their job? It wasn’t safe for your company.
But the more time that passed, the more you felt your mind ridden with thoughts of Jimin. Of his sweet smile, the way your hands would meet when you accidentally go for the same paper, the way his eyes shine bright when he spots something he likes, or the way he bites his plump lip when in deep concentration. You were completely enraptured with the thought of him and it wasn’t okay.
“I’ll go on the date.” You tell your mother as she sits in your office, clad in her typical two piece she often wore.
“Eeek!” She squeals, jumping up from her seat. “You’ve made me the happiest mother!” She takes your figure and wraps her tiny arms around you.
“Okay, okay, simmer down.” You groan, pulling from her hold. “It’s only one date. We probably won’t even click.”
“Don’t be so negative! You two are meant to be, I just know it!”
“Yeah, yeah,” you shrug her off. “Give him my number.”
“Already did.”
You turn to her with a look of bewilderment. “Mother, you can’t give out my number without my consent.”
“But he’s your soulmate.”
“And you’re insane.”
“I’ll ignore that because I’m too happy.” The knock on your door makes your mother turn, smiling as Jimin walks in. “Jiminie!” She greets him kindly as he bows respectfully to her.
“It’s lovely to see you again, ma’am.” His beautiful smile is on display, making you turn away before you get too wrapped up in him. “Just here to drop off some reports.” He displays the Manila folders, placing them onto your desk.
“Thank you.” You send him a stiff smile, turning immediately, missing the way his face falls.
“Jimin, I’m going to need you to make reservations at the best restaurant in the city.”
“Definitely, ma’am, could I ask who I should put it under?”
“The future wife and son-in-law!” She squeals like a schoolgirl.
“Mom,” you scold the older woman, sending Jimin an apologetic smile. “Stop being obnoxious.”
“Oh, would it be for your sister and her fiancé?” He questions, turning to you for confirmation.
“No, just my name.” You confirm.
“I finally got her to agree to a blind date and I’m getting a little ahead of myself,” your mother giggles. “Sorry!”
It’s eerily quiet for a second, Jimin’s mind catching up with the words thrown at him. Hesitantly, you look up at him, a shocked look on his face. “Don’t look too shocked, some people do find me pleasant.” It’s a joke (partly) but Jimin doesn’t seem to catch on.
“N-no! I-I… I know people find you pleasant! Not that I don’t. I do. I find you pleasant. More than pleasant actually. I didn’t mean to insinuate that you aren’t pleasant. Because you are. Like I’ve stated. Many… many… times.” He clears his throat as your mother watches the exchange with a raised eyebrow. “I-I’ll, uhm… I’ll make the reservations now.”
“Jimin.” You call out to the guy before he makes his way out of your office. He turns around rather quickly, making your mother jump in her spot, the room full of awkward tension. “I haven’t told you for when.”
He nods, refusing to look up at you. And just like that, timid Jimin is back.
—
“Do you want to look at me?” You question as you stand across from a kneeling Jimin whose hands shook as he picked up the spilled sheets.
“I-I’m busy.”
“I’m your boss, I’ll make sure you un-busy yourself.”
“That… that shouldn’t be happening.”
That was just the first occurrence. When you asked him to bring you lunch, he placed it quickly on your desk and left the room. Next, he assured you he could do his work from his desk outside. He wouldn’t come knocking at your door like he usually did, with a cup of water or snacks. He didn’t come skipping into your office to tell you of the latest gossip in the office, despite you not liking it, but it was nice to be kept in the loop.
It had gone on for a few more days until the day of your date. You had gone into work dressed a bit more prettier than you have before, sure you wouldn’t be able to go back home and change. Your pants were long and a black velvet touch. They flowed nicely down your legs but were tight around your waist, accentuating your curves. Your top was just a buttoned up Chanel tweed jacket, a black and white pattern drawn on it. You matched it with black Saint Laurent Opyum heels, and the prettiest jewelry dangling from your wrists, neck, and ears. You received countless compliments from your hard workers while heading into your office.
Sitting at your desk, you hopped right into your work, dismissing Jimin, sure he wasn’t up for talking like he had the past few days. It didn’t sit right with you to leave things so tense with him, but you also didn’t want to push him into telling you what the problem was. It would only push him further from you and it could be quite scary and triggering considering his past. You let him be. Despite how badly you wanted him to walk back into your cold office with his warm smile.
Clicking the intercom on your phone, you call the man up right after lunch. He doesn’t rush into your room like he usually does. “When I tell you to come quickly, I mean it.” You scold him. Despite what he was holding against you, he couldn’t fall behind in his work.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“I’m not asking for an apology. Just don’t do it from here on out.”
He nods, writing down all you needed him to do for the remaining hours of work. You felt a twinge of guilt at his shaky hands, but you couldn’t baby him at this time — despite how either of you were feeling, you needed to keep going or you’d end up risking a fallout with your channel. But you speak before he could leave, “I don’t mean to be mean. You’re due for a promotion and having you slack off only means you won’t receive it and I don’t want that for you.”
He nods, eyes still on the floor as he leaves the room. You let out a saddened sigh, rubbing at your temples in exasperation. The small ding from your phone makes you feel a bit of relief. ‘Can’t wait to see you! :)’ reads a text from Namjoon. Despite how kind he’s being, you ignore his message, putting your phone on silent, ignoring the world.
“Woah,” Jungkook pretends to grimace, covering his eyes with his hand at the sight of you.
“What?” You question frantically. “Do I look bad?”
“Your beauty just blinded me!” That earns a scoff from you, trying to hide your shy smile. He removes his hand with a laugh, poking at the dangling hoop from your ear. “Why are you so dolled up?”
“I’ve got that date, remember?”
“Oh yeah, with that Joon guy.” He nods, taking his cup of coffee in the cupboard of the office lunch room. “You excited?”
You shrug, glancing around the room. The space was small, a simple couch in the corner, a table in the middle and your typical kitchen appliances. It wasn’t used often, only for some in-between snacks and coffee, the cafeteria in your building being used more often.
“Aw, come on, it’s your first in like two years. Liven up.” He hums as he takes a sip of his warm coffee.
“I’m just a little nervous.” You admit. “It’s been too long. What if it goes deadly quiet. I’m bad at keeping conversation going.”
He looks at you as if you’ve grown two heads. “Aren’t you the person who single handedly took down Park Jinyoung?”
“I didn’t take him down.” You scoff, tapping your acrylic nails against the white table.
“I’m pretty sure you destroying his company and dragging him for filth in your ‘Women’s Architect’ section of every platform of yours, is considered destroying him.”
“The women he hurt destroyed him. I simply wrote.”
“Wrote a dissertation and built up an entire case of all his crimes. You stood across a courtroom of people and didn’t stutter once. I’m sure you can figure out how to talk to a guy.” He shakes his head, trying to dismiss your bad feelings.
“Okay… but even then, I know how to destroy men, not speak sweetly to them.”
He lets out a chuckle at your admittance. “Men are weak. Just talk to him like you speak to a child, slow and careful. I’m sure he’ll like that.”
“I’m not treating my date like a child, that’s condescending.”
“Most men are.” He shrugs.
“You bear a lot of hatred towards your kind.”
“What can I say? Men are trash.” You laugh at his ridiculous smile.
It goes quiet for a second as Jungkook happily sips on his coffee. Your mind is running before deciding to ask what’s on your mind, “do you know what’s wrong with Jimin?” Jungkook turns to you with a raised eyebrow. “He won’t speak much to me and he seems terrified again.”
“He’s not so much terrified as he is upset.”
You feel your heart drop at his words. “Did I do something to upset him?”
“Not purposefully.”
“Do you want to tell me what I did?”
“No can do,” he clicks his tongue repeatedly. “I’d be breaking bro code.”
“Just now you hated all men, now you’re protecting one?” It’s a joke, but you’re sure he can see how badly you wanted to know how Jimin was.
“He’s my best friend,” he laughs at the worried look on your face. “I can’t do him like that.”
You scoff, “I was your friend first.”
“I’ll give you a clue since you’re too stupid to notice —
“That’s not nice.”
“This all started when you made him make you reservations for a date.”
“Does he not like his job?”
Jungkook sighs, putting his cup down in the sink. “You’re a lost cause.”
—
By the time night time rolls around, all of your employees are gone, as well Jimin. You hadn’t even been able to bid him a goodbye, sprinting out of the office once the clock hit five. It irked you a bit, but you figured he had a bad day — you had scolded him a few times too many. It was better he shake the day off instead of staying and perhaps messing up more with his muddled mind. And it happened at times, so you wouldn’t hold it against him.
But you couldn’t stop thinking of Jungkook’s so-called hint. The day he had walked into your office, not much had happened. Your mother behaved when you told her to, so it couldn’t be her mouthy self that made him upset. You hadn’t done anything either, other than make him rush to your drying cleaners and pick up your dress for a gala you need next week. But that was as far as you had gotten — it was an uneventful day.
You sigh, shaking your thoughts away, not wanting to be tense when you meet up with Namjoon, which was just a half an hour away. Putting your long jacket over your figure, you make way to grab your bag, only to jump when the door to your office is pushed open. You let out a small yell but calm down when you catch sight of Jimin, in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt too big for his small figure. His hair is messy, chest rising up and down as if he had sprinted up to the highest floor.
“Jimin? What’s wrong? Did you leave something behind?” You ask, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I’m just heading out, do you think you can lock up if you’ll be here long?”
“Don’t go.” The look of confusion doesn’t go missed by him. “Don’t go on the date.”
“What?” You watched him carefully, “why not?”
“B-because…” he stutters, refusing to look at you. You put your bag down onto your desk, worried. “I-I, I… uhm…”
“Jimin,” you call out soflty. “Are you okay? If this is about today, I’m sorry for being harsh. You know I only do it to help—”
“I love you!” The room goes quiet at his sudden loud words. You take a step back at his loud voice, face falling. You can feel your heart beating hard against your chest, worried for him. “I-I don’t want to be sappy… but I can’t help it. I… I think I’ve loved you from the first day I met you. You were kind and you spoke so confidently — it was weird. I-in a good way!”
“Jimin…”
“I liked that you didn’t take any crap from Baekhyun, I like that you didn’t let him deter you from your business, I like that you took pity upon his lowly assistant and fetched some ice for me. You were the first person to show me kindness in so long. Even to this day — everything you do, you do for your workers, your company, you do it for me. Even when you’re yelling at me, I-I can’t help but love you more because you’re doing it to help me rise in your company. You’re that good.”
“Jimin, please…”
“I like that you like to mess around with your mother and sister, despite pretending you hate it when they’re around. I like that you bring Hyuna into your office when Jungkook has to care for her for the day. I like that you give everyone opportunities that they deserve. God, you’re such an amazing person and how everyone in the office hasn’t fallen madly in love with you is shocking but I did. I fell madly in love with you and I don’t… I can’t handle the idea of you going on a date with some random guy.”
“Jimin.” You breathe out shakily, mind muddled with his long and strong confession. Your stomach, the butterflies that you often felt for him dropped, sitting in your stomach, leaving an unsettling feeling. But your heart was completely different. It beat hard, a slight wave of excitement and happiness being covered by the bad emotions. “I’m your boss.”
“I-I don’t care. I’ll quit if I have to.” He rushes towards you, taking a hold of your hands.
“You shouldn’t have to quit your job for anyone.” You shake your head, refusing to let your feelings get the better of you. “I thought we talked about this? You can’t let others get in the way of your future.”
“I want you as my future.” He sounds as if he’s pleading with you. He lets out a small laugh as he begins once more, “I remember I used to be made fun of for telling my teacher’s that all I wanted in life is to be a good husband. No boy ever said that, they all wanted to be an astronaut or another cool job. But me… I always wanted someone I could be good to, someone I could love and care for until the end of time. I want that with you.”
“You don’t.”
“You can’t tell me what I’m feeling,” his beautiful eyes, the ones that hide when he smiles so bright were wide open, tears brimming them. “And I know you feel the same.”
You shake your head, pulling away from him. “I don’t.” He calls out for you, but you’ve grabbed your purse. “I expect to see you here tomorrow at 9 AM sharp.”
“Wait, no—”
“I can’t accept your feelings, Jimin.” It takes everything within you to turn him down. To take in his sweet words and not hold him, certain that those little things you felt around him meant the same. “I’m your boss. Nothing more, nothing less. Nine, tomorrow.”
“I-I…” he rushes after you, the sound of your heels clicking is the only thing heard as you make your way out of your office. You feel your hands shaking but you bring them up, hoping it goes undetected. “___, stop.”
“I’m running late.”
You make way into the elevator, pressing the button for the garage. You pray and hope the beloved guy doesn’t rush into the enclosed space with you… and he doesn’t. Rather, he stands ahead of the elevator, looking into the space and at you with such a pained look. You have to turn your head away, your own eyes brimming with tears at the sight of his hurt face.
“I… I quit…”
You nod your head, despite how frantic you feel at his resignation. “Okay. Send HR the official letter.” Is all you say before the doors close, giving you the space you had been begging for. Your back lays against the smooth wall, heart aching as a small sob racks your body.
—
“Do you know what fractions are?” You’re not yelling, but your tone is serious as you stare down at your office of employees. “Half of you are Ivy League graduates and you don’t know simple fractions?” The office is silent as you stare down at them.
You slam the folder down onto the nearest desk, making the intern jump up. “Who’s the dumbass who handed this in?”
Quiet once more. “That’s fine.” You scoff. “I hire my workers for their honesty, if you need help, you have a ton of resources and people around you. Don’t just sit on your desk like a moron, waiting on me to coddle you!” Now you were yelling. The smartest people you knew were staring back at you with wide and scared eyes, and it only irked you further.
“Jeon Jungkook.” Your glare is turned to the man who shot up from his seat. “Get your ass in my office. Now.” He shares a pitiful look with his coworkers who all push him into the lion’s den. But you ignore it all as you saunter back into your office.
It was a mess. There were papers strewn about the place and you felt as if you were going crazy. Nothing was organized, nothing was highlighted the way you liked it, and you had barely eaten without the constant nagging of the guy whose glasses you detested.
“Y-yes, ma’am?”
“Why the hell are you calling me ma’am?” You scoff, sitting at your desk. “Pick this up for me.”
He lets out a chuckle, “yeeaaah, no.” He shakes his head which only earns him a glare as he plops down onto the chair across your desk.
“I wasn’t asking.”
“I don’t really care.” He shrugs, kicking his feet up on your desk. “You should call him.”
“I’m not begging for him back.”
“I’m not saying to beg. But apologize.”
“Apologize for not liking him back? I have nothing to apologize for.”
“Could have let the man down better.” There goes that heinous shrugging.
“I don’t need to coddle a man when I reject them.”
“Why are you acting as if you don’t like him back?” There’s confusion evident on his face.
“I’m his superior.”
“You’re my superior and you let me run about this place.”
“I’m not dating you.”
“But you are the godmother to my daughter.”
“I’m still not dating you.”
“And you’re the boss. You make the rules.”
“Exactly. I need to set an example.”
He scoffs, “what example?”
“Of not abusing my power!”
“How is it abusing your power? He confessed to you. You never held anything against him… like ever. I just don’t understand how you’re looking at all this.”
You sigh dramatically, dropping your body further into your chair. “How is he?”
“Sad.”
“He shouldn’t be.”
“You can’t tell him how he should feel.”
“I’m not even all that. Tell him to move on. He’s young and pretty — he’ll get better.”
“Hmm.” The guy hums out, nodding as he looks about the room. “I know you’re like deathly afraid you’re going to become Baekhyun—”
“Who said that?”
“But this isn’t a Baekhyun situation.” He ignores your scoff. “Baekhyun treated him like he was scum. Beat him when he didn’t match the pace he wanted him to. You haven’t given any indication that you would hurt another person in such a malicious way.”
“But he abused his power.” You repeat, hoping your point comes across. Because he was right. Baekhyun was the type of man you detested, the type of man that you worked for before you managed to make it big by crawling to the top. You knew what it felt like to only say yes because your career was on the line and Jimin did too. How could you ever look your peers in the face after pulling such a cruel act? “I’d be abusing my power. I’d be another Baekhyun and that guy can not… he can’t go back to being a wimpy kid who fell to his knees for everyone.”
“First of all, harsh.” You roll your eyes.
“You know I mean to harm, but you saw how often others would throw their work at him because he couldn’t say no.”
“Yeah… but he’s so much better. I don’t remember the last time he ever agreed to something he didn’t want. Working here, under you specifically, has changed him for the better. I’m not gonna say some sappy shit like ‘you changed him’ because you and I both know that’s not true — you’re sort of a bitch.”
“I can literally fire you for that.”
“He changed for himself and he did it because you helped him out of a situation that beat him down. That’s all you did. The rest? He did it himself. He worked to get to a comfortable place in his life because his circumstances changed and that… that’s beautiful. He saw the beauty and hope in that because he’s cheesy as hell, and you can’t blame him for falling for the amazing woman who yelled at him a little too much.”
You sit in silence, taking his words in. And he was damn right. Jimin was a strong person, he had been through more than half of your friends and family had ever gone through in life. Yet, he stood tall, always kind and always bright. It was almost unbelievable to you how strong an individual could be in such a situation — you weren’t even sure if you were strong enough for it. But he is. Park Jimin is the epitome of complete hard work and passion that you struggled with and he was the only person who could ever make you stumble.
“How was the date with Namjoon?”
“We’re both hung up on other people.” You sigh, grabbing a pen and placing it between your fingers, moving it anxiously.
“So you admit it.” The smile on his face makes you roll. “Do what you will with what I said, but I think you two could work nicely together.”
“Jungkook?”
“Yes, Wonder Woman?”
“Call me a bitch again and I’ll fire you with absolutely no severance.”
“You love me too much for that.”
“You’re fired.”
—
Despite your date with Namjoon going in a completely different direction, you still kept in contact. He sent you countless threads of messages cooing at how the head of his legal team was utterly adorable. In return, you kept him updated on your own situation. He listened to your rant a few nights ago, where he not once interrupted you. He was a great friend, and you were glad you went to that tasty restaurant that night.
Now, he was sitting besides you as you and all the other bridesmaids spoke to your sister.
Your sister immediately took a liking to him, and you felt like a third wheel as they clicked. Your sister teased you with the fact that he really was perfect and mom would snatch him up. You shrugged it off though, letting the makeup artist fix you up. Your silence didn’t go undetected by her, giving Namjoon a look which he oddly understood within the two hours of knowing her. He ushered the other bridesmaids out of the room, promising to give out the number of his most promised artist, leaving you and your favorite person in the messy room.
“Want to tell me what’s wrong.”
“Not really.”
“It wasn’t actually a question,”
You scoff, “you’re a horrible sister.”
“Cry about it.”
You sigh, turning in your seat to face her. She sat in her comfortable chair looking beautiful. Her face was painted with the most expensive makeup she could get her hands on, for the picture of course. She wore a simple white slip which would be worn under her white dress for the most romantic day of her life. She was the epitome of absolute beauty and grace. You couldn’t lie and say you didn’t envy her growing up, but as you grew older, you realized she was just as human as you, strengthening your bond.
“You never told me how you and Jin met.” You watch as her eyes brighten at the mention of her beloved fiancé. You almost scoff at the loving look.
“God… it feels like you so long ago.” She hums, reminiscing on their love story. “I hated him.”
Your eyes widen at her admittance. “What?”
She nods, popping her mouth. “He was the worst. So cocky, entitled, his ego was through the roof.”
“Ew.” A grimace falls on your face, slightly shuddering. “How the hell did you fall for him? How the hell is he not any of those things? He’s the nicest person I know.”
“It took a lot of work.” She laughs at the shock on your face. “You know how I was in Alpha Phi?” You nod. “He was in Delta Chi. We didn’t interact much at first, not until the president of our sorority started dating the president of his frat. We were all pushed to one another from there, all our fundraisers and community service began to mesh up simply because Hera and Daniel wanted to spend time together.”
“This is like out of a romcom.” You moved around your seat, finding comfort in your sister’s story and love filled words and trance.
“One of my sorority sisters was hung up on him. The douche he was, he slept with her and completely ghosted her.”
You gasp, “what an ass!”
“Right? I tell him that to this day!” The two of you share a giggle. “But she pushed me to ask him if he had a girlfriend, because despite how loved he was on campus, no one actually knew a thing about him. And so I asked. The little shit thought I was interested in him!”
You scoff. “Little shit.” You reiterate her words.
“God, he was so annoying. He hung around me like a lost puppy. He was cocky, swore I’d fall for him, swore he’d make me see how much I was supposedly missing.”
“Men and their egos.” You roll your eyes.
“I can’t lie… he was stunning… so I sorta liked the chase but I knew I wouldn’t give him any time of day. But he still stuck around, even when my sorority sisters would glare him down, the ball of weirdness stayed by my side. I don’t know how it happened… but after a few arguments in the beginning, we just sorta became friends.” She shrugs, fidgeting with the bottom of her slip. “He gave up on chasing me and I was more than happy. We fell into a nice friendship. Remember Uriel?”
“Ugh, that douche you dated your junior year?”
“Yeah… Jin didn’t like him. At all. They couldn’t even be in the same room. And… well, you know how that went down.” And you did. The sorry excuse of a man cheated on her and in turn blamed her for being friends with other men (for being friends with Jin really.). It was around the same time you began to realize your sister was just like you. Lost and reeling from the pain of losing the one man who was supposed to stick by your side forever. “I wallowed in pity with him. He helped me out of my slump and I won’t exactly go into details, but we argued. Big time. Worse than ever before and split. No texts. No glances. We acted like we didn’t know one another.”
Your eyes widen as you remember what happened next. You were a senior in high school, sitting around the kitchen island when Seokjin showed up to your home, drenched and carrying some messed up flowers. Your sister scolded him that night, “there’s a hurricane warning!” she yelled as she dragged him in. Now, you were too entranced in your own messed up love life with Taehyung (who you had barely begun the talking phase with) that you hadn’t realized what was really happening.
She had dragged him into the house where you ran up to your room, giddy to speak to Tae. Your mother though, she watched as her eldest continuously scolded the man who looked at her like she hung the stars. She excitedly told you of how your sisters promised she’d hate him until the end of time if he ever pulled such a dangerous stunt until he asked to kiss her, despite her anger. She had said no and he respected it. The two sat in silence after that until your sister had enough and kissed him first.
You and your mother squealed together that next morning and teased the two of them when she made breakfast for you all. Despite not having the biggest age gap, Seokjin treated you like a sister. But the one you would tease and punch the number amount of times on their birthday. You spent countless nights at the apartment later on, broken after you were fired by the boss who took you for granted. You spent countless nights in their living room when you were so broke you couldn’t afford to buy yourself basic necessities such as toothpaste.
And throughout it all, you saw how much they loved one another. It wasn’t the type of relationships you saw throughout college — toxic. Always fighting, jealousy, forbidding things from one another. It was the healthiest relationship you had seen, besides your parents of course. But you had such perfect examples of love your entire life, you felt embarrassed for being such a wimp.
“Why do you ask?” Her interest is piqued as she watches you shut your eyes right with a loud groan.
“I think I’m in love.”
“With Jimin.” It’s not a question, rather, a statement.
You perk up, looking at her carefully. “How do you know?”
“Mom called me the day you agreed to the blind date. We had our suspicions in the past but she confirmed it with the way he reacted.”
“And you guys didn’t tell me anything?” You hiss out, smacking her arm.
“What were we supposed to do?” She laughs at your distress. “You’re the most emotionally constipated person we know. We sorta figured you would go to him on your own terms.”
“What if I had wafted towards Namjoon?”
“You would have never fallen for that dork.” She scoffs.
You smile gently, thinking of your bigger dork. The guy whose main wardrobe piece was those hideous vests he loved. The guy who’s glasses fogged up when he was nervous around you. The guy who made sure you took care of yourself throughout the day, refilling your bottle with water or bringing you light meals because you were on another crazy diet. The guy who managed to fight against every scary thought of his to confess, only for his nightmares to come true. You rejected him without a second thought. Tossed him to the side as if he meant nothing to you.
A loud knock on the door makes you both jump. “It’s just me!” Jin’s familiar voice is heard. “Can I come in? There’s some annoying guy in my room trying to get me to join his company!”
You and your sister snicker at the thought of Namjoon chasing after the beautiful man. “Okay, but close your eyes.” Your sister rushes to open the door for him.
“Are you in your dress already? I’m going to cry if you say you are.” He questions as he stumbles into the room, hand placed over his eyes.
“I’m not, love.” Your sister laughs at her fiancé. “But my makeup is too pretty to spoil.”
He lets out a loving sigh, holding onto her hand with his free one. “You look so pretty.”
“You can’t even see me.” She laughs.
“I don’t need to! I can feel it around me. Like this pretty aura.”
“You guys are so gross.” You groan in your seat, yearning to be as sickly sweet as the two.
“Hey, bug.” Seokjin greets you, “ready to party?”
“I’m ready to gouge my eyes out. Seriously, you guys are gross.”
“Don’t be mean to my beautiful fiance on her wedding day!”
“Jinnie, guess what?” Your sister squeals excitedly. “___’s in love!”
“With Jimin?”
“Yes!”
“Why does everyone know this?”
“Whatever your mom tells your sister, she tells me. It’s, like, rule number one to dating. Always tell your significant other.”
“Whatever.” You scoff, a smile on your face as you watch the two giggle to one another.
—
“Jeon Jungkook, I’m going to kill you!”
“There’s a child in the car! I can’t drive faster!”
Hyuna giggles in her seat as her mom coos at her. The two were dragged out of the after party to the beautiful ceremony your sister had. Their vows made everyone in the church cry, you ended up awkwardly comforting one of the aunts whose perfume made you want to sneeze. You felt a bit bad rushing out from your sister’s party after the toasts, but she urged you to go after Jimin.
Now, you were in Jungkook’s hideous dad car, a van painted a hideous shade of green. There were toys sprawled about the vehicle, and a few splatters of food from the toddlers previous lunches. From when? You were too scared to ask. You never wanted children.
“No, idiot, you passed his house!”
“Oh.” He shrugs, turning back around. “Sorry… it’s weird not having a screen for the GPS.”
“Hey, what happened to your old car? It was prettier than this contraption.” You look around the inside of the car. The seats were all a suede material, an ugly tinge of grey.
