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kooktrash · 5 months

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million dollar darling | jeon jungkook

summary: jeon jungkook is well aware of how privileged he is to have been born into the life he was given. it was glamorous and influential yet close-knit and suffocating, something he thought he wanted to escape from. a trip back home to the circle of wealth and snottiness for his best friend’s million dollar wedding has reminded him of all the reasons why he wanted to leave in the first place… and all the reasons he should stay — the main one being you, the spoiled rich girl he knew was utterly perfect for him.

➣ genre/au: jungkook x model!reader [she/her, female anatomy], old money au, smut, plot [soft on the e2l/f2l tropes]

[loosely inspired by ‘crazy rich asians’ movie/book by kevin kwan]

➣19.7k words

warnings: heavy plot. smut. model oc. jk is a wander but he’s really just a rich guy in disguise. oc and jk got heavy tension but good banter. oc is kinda snotty but not really? namjoon x oc [not y/n]. rich, old money snotty bts. sex on a yacht. teasing. foreplay. oral [f and m receiving]. jk goes to town on oc. cunnilingus. unprotected. missionary. oc on top. jk is tatted up in a polo. heavy makeout. breast play. fingering. dirty talk. oc goes down on jk while he’s on the phone with hobi 😭. jk’s villain arc as he slowly turns back into a cocky rich boy hehe. jk gets sex flashbacks at dolce and gabbana

“Come on, it’s my wedding and I want you as my best man. Do it for your best friend.”

The sky had been clear when he landed, a bright blue cloudless sky that resembled the clarity of the sea he had left behind. The air already seemed stiffer and the bleakness of the airport brought his mood down almost immediately.

The only thing to make him somewhat happy to be home was the sight of the person in front of him, a huge grin on his face as he saw him. The man was dressed casual in a pair of sweats and a hoodie but the small details of his watch matched with the luxury car parked outside brought unwelcome attention to Jungkook when people stared.

“I was worried you bailed last minute,” Namjoon said with a grin as he pulled him into a hug, “It’s good to see you.”

“I wouldn’t,” Jungkook reached into the pocket of his oversized black hoodie and slid his face mask off, taking a cigarette and lighting it once they were outside the airport, “It’s been too long without seeing your beautiful face.”

“Yeah, don’t tell Yeonwoo, but I’d marry you if you weren’t such a man,” Namjoon joked, playfully flirting which Jungkook just laughed off.

“Too bad you’re not my type,” Jungkook patted his shoulder apologetically, “Besides, where is the bride?”

“Getting her hair done for tonight,” Namjoon said as they got into a Bentley Mulssane, “Also, please drive, I’m scared.”

“Hyung,” Jungkook scoffed, taking the keys anyway, “If you hate driving so much why buy an expensive car?”

“Yeonwoo liked the color,” Namjoon said as he got in the passenger’s seat of his own car, “Are you staying with your parents? I could still find you an apartment.”

“For a week? Don’t bother, I’m staying at a hotel,” Jungkook said, turning the engine on and driving out.

Namjoon sighed, “So you really are leaving again?”

“Was there ever a doubt I was?” Jungkook asked in surprise.

“Duh, kid. We miss you, you rarely call, you never visit, you barely respond and we know nothing that goes on with you,” Namjoon said, “I thought once you got your fill of life experiences, you’d come back.”

Jungkook didn’t say anything at that, sniffling uncomfortably as he tried switching the subject, “So, who’s my partner?”

This time Namjoon was the one to freeze up, staring out the window with sunglasses on and his jaw locked. With a shy smile, he asked, “Are you gonna bring a date?”

His brows furrowed as he looked at his friend, “Who’s the Maid of Honor?”

Namjoon released a nervous laugh, “Y/n L/n.”

The silence in the car was loud and from the way Jungkook’s jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed, it was easy to see he wasn’t happy about that. You? You were the Maid of Honor and his partner down the aisle?

“You know, her and Yeonwoo are close and Yeonwoo’s always thinking about who looks the best next to her on camera and obviously she’s gonna choose the runway model but listen,” Namjoon could barely catch a breath, “Y/n’s matured more now and she’s going to be there tonight so please be on your best behavior.”

“Tonight? What’s tonight?” Jungkook’s tone was sharper now and Namjoon huffed in annoyance.

“The rehearsal dinner on the pier, it was all in the catalog I sent you,” Namjoon said, “It’s for press. Our parents want to get it on Forbes and Vogue, they want to make it the Wedding of the Year.”

They both laughed at that and Jungkook sighed, “So there’s gonna be cameras?”

“Yeah but don’t worry they won’t focus on you,” Namjoon said with a smirk, “The attention’s going on me.”

When Jungkook pulled up to the hotel he would be staying at for the week, Namjoon left him to settle in with a promise that he would make it tonight so he had no choice not to. A letter from a close friend was sitting on the coffee table and he set his things down to get it.

It was a big envelope with a card and a few things rattling inside that made him curious. Jungkook turned the envelope down so the contents would fall onto his palm and a roll of condoms slipped out.

‘Welcome home buddy, enjoy the penthouse and may all your frustrations come undone — Jung Hoseok.’

The note itself made him scoff in disbelief. His womanizing friend making jokes before they’ve actually reunited. He left the things on the table and left to shower, doing what he could to make himself look presentable for tonight.

Tonight was the beginning of a soon-to-be hectic week of photoshoots, brunches, parties and finally the wedding. You were one of the ones front and center, never taking the limelight from the bride but carrying your own sense of grace that had people turning heads when you walked into a room—or in this case riverwalk.

You vowed to appear your best tonight and opted for a silk, powder blue Prada dress paired with Swarovski crystals on your neck. You did your part as Maid of Honor, directing all attention to your friend, polite smile and gentle assurance when needed in front of a crowd. Yeonwoo found it comical how well you fit into character when you need to.

“The perfect friend,” Yeonwoo joked as you dabbed smeared lip gloss from her lips, “What would I do without you?”

“Oh, I hope you never have to find out,” You said in a gentle voice that feigned innocence and longing. Yeonwoo laughed as she was called toward other people and you let her go as you found the nearest server holding a glass of champagne. You took a glass, turning toward the railing overlooking the shore, tipping your glass back and chugging as much of the drink as possible.

“So this is where the Maid of Honor will be spending her night?” A familiar deep voice spoke up from behind you and a mischievous smile grew on your face. You set the glass down, straightened your posture and turned to him with a soft gaze.

“Now you know that’s not fair, Joon, I’ve been with Yeonwoo most of the night,” you told him, already motioning for another server to give you a glass, completely ignoring the man standing beside him.

“I believe you, darling, now why don’t you come say hi to the Best Man,” Namjoon pushed Jungkook forward who just glared at him in response, “You remember Jeon Jungkook, right?”

“It’s been two years, not ten,” You said, finally looking at Jungkook with a glimmer of annoyance in your eyes, matched by his stare of unamusement.

“Alright well why don’t you two get reacquainted while I search for the gorgeous love of my life,” Namjoon said, making his escape as quick as possible.

“You counted?” Jungkook asked, taking just one step toward you, trying to stop his eyes from trailing down your figure.

“Of course,” You said sarcastically, “I’ve just missed you so.”

He couldn’t stop the roll of his eyes as he turned to the water, “You knew we were partners?”

“Obviously, I know everything,” you said with a scoff that had his tongue pressing against his cheek, clearly annoyed, “Like how you’re staying at one of the Jung’s hotels instead of home. How you plan on leaving still, where you landed, how long you’ve been her—“

“So you’re stalking me?” Jungkook asked, only half joking.

“Don’t you wish,” you laughed, “You’re all over the news.”

His smile dropped. When he had nothing to say, you grew bored and left him behind, making sure to lightly graze your fingers against his arm as you said, “And just remember, you’re the one who despises me, not the other way around.”

With that, you left without looking back and he was left watching the sway of your hips when you walked away.

Money rules the world, even when people want to say it doesn’t. The people who have it are living the dream and the ones who don’t, want the dream. It doesn’t even have to be the luxurious wonders of the world, it could be as little as financial stability or surviving. At the end of the day, it was a Rich Man’s world and this group of individuals were born lucky.

First, the groom: Kim Namjoon. The man with it all, the money, the family, the education, son of millionaires with three hospitals in their name and a line of pharmacies all across the globe.

The bride: soon-to-be, Kim Yeonwoo. The heiress to half a dozen airlines, an airport funded by her family for decades and a beautiful island in her name off the coast.

Kim Seokjin, practically a prince, generations worth of politicians, the highest education and a trust fund worth millions. He was the one you’ll see with the president or in Australia, golfing with men in charge.

Jung Hoseok, the hotel heir to a chain of ten thousand hotels across the globe. He was the one you’ll most likely catch partying in Venice with a princess whose name he couldn’t actually remember—or maybe giving a waitress the night of her life.

Min Yoongi, eldest son of an elite banking firm formed a hundred years ago. He was private about his life, similar to Jungkook, he only came out when he was summoned by one of the others.

Kim Taehyung was wild as Hoseok but more quiet about it. He’ll soon be heir of the billion dollar empire his family built in the Art world of museums and curations and performing arts.

Now, Jungkook’s story was a bit different from the others. His family worked in land development, most of the country being built on the backs of the Jeon’s who brought cities to rural areas and avoided the public’s eye.

They had the kind of old money that everyone knew, even when they tried to stay out of the news.

It was the kind of old money, people could never stop talking about and you understood what that meant most.

There was a mystery to the fortune of your family, it was old money, so old nobody knew where it came from. Some say oil, some claim aristocrats but it was too far back, and too private for any to know. All the public knew were the generous and loving philanthropists and their perfect daughter, the Nation’s Sweetheart, you.

You really were loved by all, the camera, the press, everyone. They all saw the kind, innocent girl in the public’s eye but only a few saw the snotty, spoiled and downright disrespectful side of you that was real.

Where Jungkook craved independence and isolation from his family name, you soaked in it. The attention. The money. The dependence, you were the complete opposite of him and it drew him insane.

One might ask why he was around you if he really did despise you, but for a long time it wasn’t up to him. The group didn’t all become friends one magical night when you compared your family’s net worth.

No, this bond had grown between galas, private academies, horse riding lessons at the country club and family businesses. It was a very elite, classist society where only the ultra rich could really only trust in each other and keep a country afloat off of it.

Do you think Namjoon would have been allowed to marry Yeonwoo if her parents weren’t as rich as they were?

Do you think Seokjin would have married his wife that he met at Oxford if her family hadn’t been international shipping magnates?

It was like a spider web, they were all connected in some way, all controlled and that’s what Jungkook hated.

He loved his friends, truly, but he hated the control. Not a single one of them had real freedom and every little thing they did came with a price and he couldn’t live that way anymore. He understood his own privilege and how lucky he was to grow up in such a way but he knew there was more to life than just that. When he left home for the first time, he didn’t expect to feel so free. It was like a sense of independence he’s not sure any of his friends have felt and now that he’s back he’s reminded once again of how suffocating it all is.

There had to be at least a hundred guests in attendance tonight and he couldn’t find a moment of silence. The suit he wore felt uncomfortable and he hated the way it seemed to confine him, make him more rigid and stiff.

“Please Jungkook, I was only being funny. Did it bother you that much?” Hoseok asked with a tinge of mischief in his voice.

“No,” Jungkook shrugged as he looked around the banquet hall, “I just found it unnecessary.”

“Really? I would’ve assumed the opposite considering you’ll be spending a lot of time with Y/n this week,” Taehyung said with a shrug as the three of them stood off to the side, talking amongst themselves as the guests of the charity banquet focused on your parents who stood on stage making some speech about the importance of giving.

As if on cue, the spotlight turned toward you where you smiled politely and acted shyly for the cameras.

A scoff left his lips as he pulled his gaze away from you, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hoseok chuckled, “Oh come on man, everyone knows you have a thing for her—you’re really bad at hiding it.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jungkook stepped away from his friends, “You guys don’t know anything.”

He didn’t have a thing for you.

Sure, you’ve known each other for a long time but that means nothing. He’s known them all for a long time and if anything he's made his distaste toward you pretty evident. When you were younger it was only because you were so spoiled and the attention had to always be on you. He hated watching everyone fall for your sweetness and do whatever you asked of them. He almost fell for it himself a couple times but then he would see the way you judged or looked down on people and he just despised you more.

There’s nothing about you that attracts him aside from your looks…

Tonight you were dressed more modestly in a Chanel sweater and skirt set that looked like you would soon be relaxing at the country club. You wore a black headband with a bow on it and satin gloves, looking as polite as ever while you talked to anyone who approached you.

You were the perfect, doting daughter and anyone with eyes could see that.

“So how mad are you?” Yeonwoo asked once you had settled back in your chair next to her and Namjoon. Even Namjoon seemed to listen in on the question, waiting to hear what you would say.

“What do I have to be mad at?” You asked with a tight smile as you reached toward her to fix a slight smudge on her cheek, “ Jungkook?”

“Well, we know you have some sort of disliking toward each other but…” Yeonwoo bit her lip nervously, “Joonie and Jungkook are really close.”

“We know you two don’t like each other but you should have expected this, right?” Namjoon chuckled nervously, “You’re both our best friends and…”

“Am I saying anything?” You asked.

They shared a look with each other, “I guess not.”

You smiled, “Okay, then let’s just make sure everything runs smoothly this week.”

You did in fact feel a type of way about Jeon Jungkook but you weren’t going to admit that right now surrounded by so many people always lingering around trying to listen. You’ve learned to be very careful about how you act in public and there’s no way your friends will get you to act out by asking about him.

Jungkook was not someone you wished to exhort so much energy on. He wasn’t worth anything to you and despite how many years you’ve known him, you’ve never wished to get to know him. You don’t care where he goes when he’s not home or who he talks to, nor what he does. He doesn’t cross your mind at all through your normal day to day and you surely weren’t going to let him in this week. All he has going for him is his money and his looks.

Ever since you learned he would be the Best Man you thought about what that would mean and accepted that he would be the one to walk with you down the aisle. Despite not being happy about it, you managed to hide your resentment quite well.

You know how he feels about you and over time that’s made you develop a disliking toward him which you find only fair. He might dislike you for being spoiled but you dislike him for being so entitled.

For some reason, he thinks distancing himself from this life means he’s better than everyone else and you hate that. He thinks that by moving away and making his own money suddenly makes him different than the rest of you but that’s not true. He just wants to act like he’s self made so he can feel superior to all of you trust fund babies and that is what annoyed you.

After some time third wheeling, you were getting tired and slightly annoyed watching the couple act lovey dovey. You hated couples, they grossed you out even if they were your best friends.

“Mind if I keep you company? You look like you need it.”

With a furrow in your brows, you turned to face the person who felt the need to whisper in your ear and get close to you without permission. A smile spread across your lips at the man standing directly behind you, his arm draping over your front and hugging you.

“Hello, darling, I’ve missed you,” Jimin’s voice was soft yet sultry and you gave each other kisses on the cheek in greeting as he moved to the empty seat beside you.

“I didn’t realize you were back,” You said to him, “How was Paris?”

He released a sigh, “Oh the usual, shopping… a few events here and there.”

“Mhm, and when’d you get back?” You asked, now intrigued by his presence.

“Just last night. I was planning on visiting you earlier but things came up,” Jimin said, adjusting the Swiss watch on his wrist, admiring the shine, “What has happened since I was gone?”

“Oh God, he’s back,” Hoseok rolled his eyes from across the room, “I ran into him in Marseille the other day and the guy wanted to act like he didn’t know me.”

“He’s been insufferable since Uni,” Taehyung muttered under his breath, “I don’t understand why Y/n puts up with him.”

“Who?” Jungkook asked, only half curious. He hadn’t been paying attention until he heard your name and his reason for hearing it was purely coincidental.

“Park Jimin,” Hoseok clarified, making Jungkook look closer at the man who sat very close to you, making you smile and touch his arms when you spoke.

“Am I supposed to know who that is?” Jungkook seemed indifferent as he looked down at his glass of champagne, trying to resist the urge to look back at you.

“Not at all,” Taehyung said, “He’s just some guy we went to Uni with here. I don’t know how he met Y/n though, probably at some shitty party but he’s nobody that matters.”

Well… Park Jimin was the son of starlets. His great grandmother, his grandmother was an actress, his mother was an actress and he’s been in a few independent films here and there. He spends most of his time sailing on yachts or speaking of the Cannes Film Festival. He’s insanely rich, but he’s still not rich enough despite his accumulated generational wealth.

Unlike Jungkook’s wealth which held actual value especially in real estate, Jimin’s just didn’t compare to his or any of his friends for that matter. So why did you seem captivated by him?

He is aware he shouldn’t think this way, it’s only him reverting back to his old self which was all arrogance and entitlement. He shouldn’t think about how much wealthier he was compared to Jimin.

Unfortunately, Jungkook couldn’t seem to drag his gaze away from the pair as he tipped his champagne glass back, liquid pouring down his throat.

“Do you think she’ll take him to the wedding? I doubt Namjoon or Yeonwoo would ever invite him themselves,” Hoseok said and the three seemed like a group of gossips, the way they huddled around each other.

In Jungkook’s defense, he was barely listening to his friends. He was too busy watching the interaction happening not far from where he stood, eyes narrowed trying to understand what was happening.

First, he didn’t like you. He found you unbearable and you were the epitome of everything he hated about the High Society he had been raised in.

Second, he was only looking because you were next to his best friends. Maybe he wanted to see how in love Namjoon and Yeonwoo were but he couldn’t see because of you and your… friend.

Third, he wanted to know how you managed to stand out in your outfit despite the room being filled with people in extravagant clothes.

“I’m not sure, actually, rumors say she might,” Taehyung said and Jungkook couldn’t help but look over.

“What?”

“We’re just wondering if the Maid of Honor would bring her little boy toy to the wedding,” Hoseok said, looking at Jungkook as his jaw tensed, “What do you think?”

“I don’t care if Y/n brings anyone, we’re just dates for the pictures and ceremony,” Jungkook said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“So are you going to take a date too then?” Taehyung asked.

“Maybe,” Jungkook said as a server came around holding a tray of champagne glasses and he switched his empty one out for a full one. He didn’t bother to look back at his friends as he began walking away, “I’ll be back.”

“It’s so hard for him to act like he doesn’t care.”

“Kook! Come here, man,” Namjoon said with a wide grin as he saw his best friend walking by them. Jungkook didn’t bother glancing down at you as he greeted his friend.

“Kooky, I haven’t seen you all night,” Yeonwoo stood up to hug him, “Please don’t seduce my future husband, everyone has already RSVP’d.”

“Oh Yeonie,” Jungkook softly caressed her cheek, tipping her chin up to look at him, “If I wanted him, I would have had him by now.”

“Joon!” Yeonwoo whined clinging to Namjoon who just winked at Jungkook, further amplifying his fiancé’s feigned sobs. Jungkook smiled watching her squirm and without him meaning to, he let his gaze fall toward you.

“Y/n.”

You met his intense stare with your own and you could hear Jimin say he was going to get a drink but you didn’t look at him. You looked down at what Jungkook was wearing—a plain black Prada suit, how boring. “Jungkook.”

“Is that who you’re bringing to the wedding?” Jungkook asked, looking back at the infamous Park Jimin who stood with Taehyung and Hoseok, all three of them pretending to enjoy each other’s company.

“Maybe, we do get along very well,” you said with a sly smile as you stood up, not yet reaching Jungkook’s height but he didn’t intimidate you, “Is that a problem?

“No,” Jungkook said, voice low and deep, “I was just curious.”

“And why were you curious?” You asked, a mocking tone in your voice that he didn’t like, “Do tell me, how often are you curious about what I do?”

A scoff left his lips as he looked away from you first, “It was just a question, don’t get ahead of yourself and think you matter to me more than you do.”

An evident pout appeared on your lips and for a second his expression changed with worry but the moment was fleeting. You just laughed [giggled, actually] and with a gentle touch to his arm, said, “No need to lie to yourself.”

His eyes narrowed, anger bubbling up inside him when he heard a shutter of cameras going off, flash in his face and without thinking, he took your hand in his and left.

“If you plan on kidnapping me, it won’t work,” You said teasingly as you left to some dark corner behind large pillars.

“I’m not going to put up with a week of your games,” Jungkook said as he let go of your hand, missing the way your eyes fell to the black ink on his knuckles—something you had never noticed before, not even on the yacht when it was dark out.

“Then stop playing into them,” you said with a laugh, “If I drive you crazy, why bother talking to me at all? I think we’re both very capable of ignoring each other enough to not have to say a single word.”

“What I mean is, you can put on this act of yours for the cameras but don’t drag me into it,” Jungkook told you, ignoring the idea you had thrown out there. He was referring to your strange smiles and touches you give him when in the public.

“I’m not dragging you into anything,” You rolled your eyes, “And you seem to forget all eyes have been on you since you got back—heir to the Jeon Corporation. What do you think people will say when they find out you dragged me out here all alone? The Big, Bad & Rebellious Jeon Jungkook and The Nation’s Sweetheart, me.”

His eyes shut with a hint of anger that he tried to subdue, “Sweetheart?”

“That’s what I said,” you smiled sweetly to prove your point making him scoff.

“You’re not a sweetheart, you’re a spoiled brat,” Jungkook said, looking down at you in your pretty clothes with your pretty jewelry and your pretty face.

“Nice of you to finally notice,” you said bitterly and with a roll of your eyes, you pushed into his shoulder on purpose as you walked past him, “But we’re all the same, aren’t we? Just some of us like to act all high and mighty because you leave home craving independence, ignoring your privilege to seem like better people.”

Jungkook felt the jab of your words but he let you walk past him without a rebuttal.

With a sense of frustration, he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to collect himself to rejoin High Society and finish the night with his head held high.

When Jungkook left his hotel the day of the Bachelor Party, he hadn’t been sure what to expect. Hoseok had done most of the planning for it since he had been abroad and when it comes to Hobi, you never know what to expect. It was almost two days of festivities and it was only toward the end that everyone would separate into their respective groups. That meant that once again he was forced into the same place as you.

The yacht sailed toward the private island the events would be at and as big as it was, he couldn’t escape you. There were the main group of friends that were always together and a few added guests, mostly Yeonwoo’s friends. Hoseok had already been hyping up the party tonight more than anything and everytime Namjoon would grow more worried. He didn’t need a big party thrown by his notorious womanizing friend.

“So what do the girls have planned?” Jungkook asked Namjoon as they sat at a table, looking at everyone aboard. Some people wore little clothing, others casual clothes, you wore something in between. It was casual yet attractive.

“ I don’t know, something probably calmer than what Hobi’s got for us,” Namjoon said but his friend had tuned him out after the first part, “Y/n planned it all and leant us the Yacht for the guests.”

“The yacht?” Jungkook asked, looking around at the luxury super yacht.

“14.7 million dollar yacht for Y/n’s birthday last year,” Namjoon explained to Jungkook, “She wanted a Booze Cruise.”

Jungkook couldn’t help but scoff, “So Y/n got a yacht?”

“It comes in handy, doesn’t it?” A soft voice spoke from behind him and his breath hitched. You looked over to Namjoon, “Yeonie is looking for you.”

“The wife calls,” Namjoon said with a cheesy smile as he left you two behind.

“So, are you ready to go party with Hobi tonight?” You asked with a laugh, “I heard he’s got some former Miss Universe models coming in.”

“Oh, fun,” Jungkook said, slightly sarcastic.

“Kook, you’re not old enough to not like partying with models,” You teased making him look over at you. For a moment he wondered if what you said had a double meaning considering you were a model but he didn’t want to speak up about it.

“I’m sorry, I’m not a party animal,” Jungkook said truthfully, only a hint of joking as he looked around at the packed floor, “I think even this is too much.”

“Wow, how could you be a former Socialite if you don’t like partying?” You asked, “Is it all that time in the jungle or desert you spent alone that changed you?”

Jungkook could hear the sarcasm in your tone but he knew it wasn’t in an offensive way. He had backpacked to a small village in Indonesia for a few weeks before leaving to Nevada or Dubai—and he hated that you knew it all. He enjoyed traveling alone and experiencing things alone; he doesn’t need parties with too loud of music or too many drunks. He’s like Namjoon, they want to celebrate with their small group of friends rather than a party full of strangers who don’t even know what the occasion is.

“It might’ve,” Jungkook said, clearing his throat and checked the time.

You didn’t say much else after that and he got the impression that you grew bored talking to him. He looked at you still waiting to see if you would say something else but instead, you just looked off into the distance, not bothering to hide the sudden boredom you must have felt.

He’s sure he could have found something else to say to you but it was no use when he could see you beginning to slip away when you looked down at your cellphone with a bright smile. You didn’t utter out a goodbye as you left him behind to answer your phone, “Chimmy, I’ve missed you. How’s Morocco?”

“Warm,” Jimin said, “I’ve just finished a shoot and I believe I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Oh I won’t be home, remember?” You said as the final thing Jungkook was able to hear from you before you walked away.

Jungkook couldn’t help but look after you, thinking about who might’ve called you and how things were handled and he had to be honest, he was curious. He wasn’t attracted to you but he found you attractive… He thought you were charming and charismatic but not enough for him to want you, maybe…

The two of you just seem so different. He’s seen as the Black Sheep of the group, not because he’s not wealthy or attractive but because his past decisions have apparently been awful ones.

He was never one for parties so he wasn’t wild and defiant. He did make a declaration to leave all the money behind and pursue his dreams—something rich people were not allowed to do. Especially not if you were next in line to inherit it all like Jungkook was.

You are more free than he is and yet you like being in your bubble. You like the glamor and the responsibilities because unlike him, you know how to play both sides. Do your parents care that you’re out wasted at European raves or sailing on your yacht with a foreign prince? No, why? Because you know how to act like the innocent, perfect princess you’re supposed to be.

Jungkook can’t pretend that well. He can’t hide his tattoos or piercings or signs of nonconformity.

So, yes, he finds you attractive but he can’t let himself fall for you when he thinks you’re too different from each other. It just doesn’t stop his brain from thinking about you though.

“Have you seen Y/n?” Jungkook asked Taehyung who had been sandwiched between two women he couldn’t name.

Taehyung, evidently drunk, shook his head no, “Are you ready to confess your undying love for her?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes, scoffing as he said, “Fuck off.”

All Taehyung did was laugh, making the girls he had his arms around laugh too and Jungkook left feeling annoyed. He was just curious to know where you were, that’s all. Namjoon and Yeonwoo are busy making their rounds, greeting and thanking everyone on the boat and his other friends were off doing their own things. He’s already spent too much time sulking by the railing, staring down at the dark blue water that he can’t take it anymore. He doesn’t want to drink to the point that he’s drunk so really, his last hope is you.

“Have you seen Y/n?” Jungkook asked as he went to the rooftop where Hoseok was sitting in a hot tub full of strangers. Hoseok looked like such an asshole [something Jungkook had permission to say] with his designer sunglasses and Vacheron Constantin watch, just barely above the water surface.

Hoseok barely glanced his way as he said, “I don’t know, check downstairs.”

That was all Jungkook needed to know before he was heading down to find you. It took a while of asking any person he passed by, where you might be and through all this, he couldn’t remember why he was looking for you in the first place.

He had no idea where he was going, he just found himself walking down what felt like endless corridors of rooms, following the directions of whatever housekeeper he could find. The boat really was big, and he couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that this was a simple birthday present.

“Now, who do we have here?” You looked down the empty hallway toward the man in front of you. It pained you to see just how attractive Jeon Jungkook really was.

You have to admit, he really knows how to dress for occasions. The rare times he’s photographed in some news article, he’s dressed casually, clearly trying to hide from the public eye but now that he’s back it seems his fashion has picked up. He wore a striped black flannel Dolce & Gabbana shirt tucked into cream colored slacks, and matching velvet black slippers from their newest collection.

“I’m just… wandering,” Jungkook cleared his throat, whatever excuse he had made up earlier, completely out of mind, “What happened to your dress?”

A large red stain adorned the front of your pink dress from the chest down your torso. You looked down at the stain with a roll of your eyes, “Some stupid bitch worker. She’s off the boat tomorrow.”

Jungkook widened his eyes, feeling you brush past him and down the hall, “So you’re firing someone for spilling a drink?”

“Um, this is Valento? Do you know how hard it is to get rid of a stain like this?” You asked with a slight scoff as you went to the door straight at the end, pushing your key card in to open it, “It took the dry cleaners ages last time.”

“I didn’t take you as an Outfit Repeater to be worrying about things like that,” he stopped at the door, already looking around at what was evidently the master cabin. The water out the windows was a dark, midnight blue and it reflected into the room of silver and gray. It had a walk-in closet, and king sized bed with a view of the open water and a private deck. He didn’t dare go in and put himself in personal quarters with you.

You gasped, stopping your movements of rummaging through your closet to say, “I am an environmentalist.”

He couldn’t tell if you were being serious or not and he had to fight back a grin at how un-woke you sounded considering you were ruining the planet with a private yacht of this size.

You pulled out an off-white dress, a Jaquemus piece, ‘La Robe Artichaut’, “Ugh, after this week, I am firing a lot of people.”

“What happened this time?” Jungkook asked, leaning against the doorframe watching you, waiting for you to kick him out but you just went toward the windows overlooking the dark blue ocean. As much as you claimed to not get along, you talked like old friends.

You reached your hands toward your back, attempting to undo the back of your dress on your own, “I told my assistant not to pack anything close to white and she packs this dress? I swear people can’t do anything right.”

“If people ask just say you’re supposed to match me,” Jungkook said referring to his slacks, “Yeonie won’t be mad her Maid of Honor is wearing off-white.”

“I guess,” you sighed, letting go of your dress and not bothering to look back at him as you said, “Undo the back.”

Jungkook stood silently at the door, staring at you with dark eyes. The fabric of your dress was thin and soft to the touch—he could just tell with the way your figure had so effortlessly shaped the dress. It is a real pity you had to change out of it, he’ll admit that, but now he’s been asked—no, demanded—to help you to take it off.

He has no idea why you think you could just boss him around but this seems to have always been the case. The two of you were never close in the past but the very few times you would run into each other… as much as he hated it, there was always some sort of tension there.

With your back to him, you hadn’t seen the way he silently made his way across the room, shutting the door behind him as he went right to you. You could sense his presence behind you, see his reflection in the dark window and feel his rough fingers brush against your back.

“I meant to tell you, I like your shoes,” You said casually, his fingers beginning to work the knot that tied the ribbon of your dress, “My friend wore them in Paris just a week ago.”

“Friend?” Jungkook raised a brow curiously, his eyes trained slowly on the ribbon he was ever so slowly pulling loose. His gaze shifted to your reflection in the window as he pulled a little rougher than earlier, “Is this the one you’re always running off on the phone with?”

“You mean Park Jimin?” You asked, not bothering to react at all to his roughness or his speed, “Yes, him.”

You could feel Jungkook’s deep exhale as he pulled it as loose as he could while still being appropriate, “Are you seeing him?”

A mischievous smile couldn’t help but make its way to your face as you turned to face him, holding your arms around yourself modestly, “Is that what you wanted to talk about all along? You could have asked me earlier instead of spending who knows how long looking for me.”

He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself agreeing with you, and with a tense jaw he asked again, “Well, are you?”

“I’m going to get changed,” you motioned toward the door, telling him to leave, “Unless you want to help me with that too.”

A scoff left his lips as he took a step back, annoyed that you wouldn’t just answer his question and annoyed he even cared enough to ask. What did it matter to Jungkook if you took a date? He wasn’t in a relationship with you and he barely considered you a friend.

When he wasn’t here and he was traveling, he was perfectly fine not knowing a thing about you aside from whatever article or magazine you appeared in. Why now that he returns and he sees how… glamorously beautiful you are, is he curious about you?

“And just so we’re clear, no, I’m not seeing Jimin,” You told him as he walked toward the door, stopping midway to listen to you, “Because I know it would make you jealous.”

To be honest, you didn’t think he would actually be jealous, it’s just a joke. Something about you just gets under Jungkook’s skin and it wants you to push his buttons that much more. As obvious as it was that he wasn’t at all amused by your sweetness, it was your arrogant charm that seemed to get him every time.

You knew you were beautiful, you knew you had every right to be arrogant and as much as Jungkook could deny he’s attracted to you at all, it’s very noticeable. You’ve never been told no a day in your life. You’ve never been rejected either and you know Jungkook wouldn’t dare reject you if you actually went for it.

Despite how vocal he is about his distaste toward you, you can’t help but still get giddy in his presence. You just want to rile him up and know that he’s attainable to you. You’ve always had a thing for him, he was an absolute gorgeous man and he was wealthy, extremely wealthy. He was educated and had class but at the same time he was rugged and intimidating. You’ve seen the small glimpses of ink on his knuckles and you just know that under all his long sleeves, he had more to show.

Whether you felt seriously for him or if you just figured it’s a spur of the moment situation, you want him.

“Jealous?” Jungkook attempted to scoff but the word caught in his throat with some truth to it, “Why would I be jealous?”

“I don’t know,” You shrugged, sliding the strap of your down your shoulder, “Because then you would have to share my attention with someone else.”

Jungkook knows he should leave. You had asked him to leave yet you kept going back and forth, and it was stopping him from doing so.

He should go.

He needs to go before he does or say something he’ll regret.

If he caves in to your taunts then he’ll be disappointed in himself, like part of him was allowing his return to his old lifestyle of luxury and privilege.

“Y/n, you always say things you don’t know,” Jungkook asked you with a deep voice that had you smiling, practically feeling him give in. His gaze was dark and there was no hiding the growing tension, “And you must think you’re real cute trying to act out now that we’re alone.”

“No, I know I am,” you said, not backing away from the eye contact. “And you know it too.”

“I don’t,” Jungkook loomed over you, eyes tracing down the curve of your nose and to the slight part in your lips, “I think… I think you’re…”

You blinked up at him, “Well say it, or are you too busy thinking about kissing me?”

An annoyed huff left his lips as one of his hands pulled you toward him at your waist and the other tilted your chin up until his lips were grazing over yours. You reached toward him, making the first real press of your mouths together and there was no use in acting like he hadn’t been in fact thinking about kissing you.

Jungkook let his eyes fall shut as yours did and he pulled you closer into his chest with the hand on your jaw sliding down toward the curve of your neck, making sure you didn’t pull away just yet. You kept up with the pace he had set of slow yet hungry kisses, pulling on your lips or letting his tongue slide against yours tenderly.

“Well?” You gasped feeling his soft lips kiss along your jaw, his soft black hair brushing against your face, a light scent of his shampoo or cologne that left you feeling intoxicated. The hand he had on your waist tightened at your words, pulling away with a quiet grunt, he looked you in the eye.

“Don’t ask me any more questions,” Jungkook groaned, the taste of your lips still on his tongue and there was a light sheen of gloss coating his lips from yours.

It’s shameful for him to admit how easy it was for you to break him down into every other man who seems to fall at your feet when given the chance. This is exactly what he didn’t want and now he’s pulling the godforsaken stained dress he undid and watching it slip down your body, revealing your naked form to his hungry eyes.

Above your bedroom was a deck filled with people celebrating the soon-to-be newlyweds while the Best Man and Maid of Honor are in the master cabin, half undressed, and stumbling onto the bed.

Jungkook was gentle but firm, he wasted no time popping the buttons of his shirt open, exposing the toned muscles of his body and the ink covering most of his arm. Your eyes scanned the markings, surprise and wonder evident on your face with how well he managed to hide how much he’s gotten done since he left.

“Surprised?” Jungkook asked, eyes low when your hands ran over his slacks, pulling at his belt and nails lightly scratching at his abdomen. His voice dripped with arousal when you sat up from beneath him, pressing light butterfly kisses to his abs and tattoos.

“You always surprise me,” You admitted, not as teasing as before but with a hint of playfulness still there. You looked up from his chest, the height of your sitting form and his standing one looked endless as he towered over you. “For instance, I didn’t think it would be this easy to get you in my bed.”

You kissed along his neck now, sitting on your knees to reach him better and nipping at his sensitive spots. His hand tightened around the neck of your head, not pulling your hair but definitely getting your eyes on his, “Why do your words sound so dirty when you say them so… “

Jungkook couldn’t even finish his sentence before succumbing to you once more and kissing your lips. With little force applied, he was laying you back down on the bed with his tattooed and muscular body just melting into yours effortlessly. With one hand on your neck and the other sliding down to the curve of your thigh, it felt like he was all over you.

“Let’s take this off you,” Jungkook murmured between kisses down your neck as he began to finally take off the ruined dress that had been in his way since you got him to undo it in the first place, “You’ve been teasing me with this since earlier.”

“Maybe because I wanted to see you get worked up,” you sighed as you made yourself comfortable on the king side bed, your body slowly unveiled to his hungry eyes. Once he had pulled the dress off you completely and threw it to the side, sitting up between your spread legs and staring.

Jungkook didn’t bother with discreteness as he eyed down your naked body still in shock that he was seeing it before him. Your breasts were on full display and the only piece of fabric hiding you was a thin lace underwear that felt so nimble and soft under his fingertips, so easy for him to just tear off of you. You looked gorgeous laying so pliantly underneath him and he couldn’t help but let his hands slide down from your bent knees to your inner thighs.

“Did it work?” You asked just above a whisper as he hovered over you, leaving needy kisses between your breasts while he tugged at the hem of your panties until he was sliding them down your legs.

“It really fucking worked,” Jungkook groaned as he cupped your boobs in his hands, letting his tongue lick at your pert nipples and feeling the way they stiffened underneath him. Your hands went to his hair, legs nearly wrapping around his torso when you felt his teeth lightly press into your nipple, sucking and tugging when needed.

His kisses began to run down toward your navel with his hands replacing his lips and kneading your breasts in the palm of them while he moved down to lay between your legs, “I want a taste, pretty girl.”

“Then get one,” you said in a whiny tone that had his big rounded eyes turning to look at you with surprise. A knowing smirk falling on his lips as he lifted your knees and pulled your thighs apart as far as they could go until he was eye level with your pretty cunt. Jungkook was never one to stop and tease when he needed sex, he had a tendency to get a little rough and take what he wants but it’s so hard to move it along when he’s met with the sight of you laying so pretty for him. He could tell your patience was running thin with how long he was taking to do anything and just before he felt you close to snapping at him, he leaned into you.

“Oh fuck,” you gasped in surprise with the sudden swipe at your clit by Jungkook’a flattened, long tongue and you’ll admit it caused goosebumps to form on your skin. You couldn’t see the way he smiled as his hands circled around your thighs, repeating his teasing flick of his tongue, feeling the way your folds began to react to him.

He felt your fingers run through his soft hair for anchor and for some reason that slight grip you had on him had his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he let himself get lost in the taste of your pussy. No longer up for any sense of teasing, Jungkook lets his mouth fall open, kissing your wet heat with his tongue pressing between your folds and finding your clit. Your hips were slowly bucking into his face, showing him just how much you liked his tongue and he knew just what to do to have you coming undone underneath him.

He sucked your clit into his mouth, his lips wrapped around the hard bud while his tongue swiped against the tip of it. He began a repetition of that and grazing his teeth ever so softly against your sensitive folds knowing he found your weak spot when he sucked your labia into his mouth and had your soft moans filling the cabin.

“Jungkook,” you moaned softly, fingers tugging at his hair roughly, “Oh god.”

He didn’t dare pull his mouth off you to give you a response and instead let his actions grow rougher. He unwrapped a hand from around your thigh and slipped it down to your pussy where he let his finger begin to draw patterns into your labia, so close to your entrance that he could feel your arousal quite literally leak out of you.

Your body was filled by pleasure that Jungkook was bringing you and you couldn’t help but bring your free hand to your neglected chest, trying to fill the void that Jungkook’s hand had left as you groped your breasts. Jungkook looked up completely enamored with the way you played with yourself while he ate you out and without any second thoughts, he pressed his long middle finger into your waiting cunt.

“That’s it,” he whispered, pressing a light kiss along your pelvis, “Cum for me, darling.”

“Jungkook,” you whined as he pushed a second finger in, hooking them upwardward just past your pubic bone and finding that soft, spongy spot with ease. With the way your walls fluttered around his fingers, he knew you were close and all it took was his lips around your clit while thrusting into that pleasure spot of yours, for you to wrap your legs around his shoulders and shake with release, “Oh my god.”

“Mm,” Jungkook groaned with pleasure, feeling your arousal flood his fingers in your release. He looked down at his wet hand, bringing it to his lips where he licked off the release that threatened to drip down his forearm, “Sweet.”

You looked like a mess trying to catch your breath and come to understand what had just happened between you to think too long about the fact that he was pressing his fingers into your waiting mouth till you licked your own release off him. He lifted a brow as your tongue circled around his fingers while sucking on them with your cheeks hollowed in. It had his breath hitching, trying to pull his fingers back out before he came just from that and began to pull at his own pants.

“Condom?” He asked in an unusually low and raspy tone. You blinked, “It’s fine, I’m on the pill.”

He didn’t press for more as he kicked his slacks and briefs off, hard cock pointed up stiffly. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from it. You wanted to wrap your lips around him and take him deep in your mouth because his dick was surprisingly so fucking pretty you just needed it desperately.

With your mind decided, you attempted to sit up when he pushed you back down, cock in his hand as he gave himself a couple strokes to relieve some tension and pulled your legs apart, “I need you now.”

“Impatient, are we?” You asked with a laugh, making yourself relax when you felt his cock head brush against your exposed clit. Jungkook wasn’t paying attention to what you said as much as he was to the way his mushroom tip fit perfectly between your folds.

A soft gasp left your lips as he pushed it against your clit, playing with your labia and letting the clear liquid that dripped out of his tip, coat your clit.

“Fuck,” Jungkook took a deep breath as his cock nearly slipped inside of you, playing with your earlier release to cover his length in it, “Such a pretty pussy.”

With an annoyed roll of your eyes, you grew tired of his teasing and with a quick hook of your leg around his slim waist, you pushed his cock into you eliciting a deep groan [almost growl] to slip from his lips, “Fucking hell, Y/n.”

“You were taking too long,” you moaned, legs falling back again as you tried to ease the slight pain that came from his thick member entering your tight walls. Jungkook’s hair was brushing against your face as he looked down at the way you took him in, “I was trying to be gentle.”

“Did I ask you to be?” You asked with a scoff. Jungkook rolled his eyes, spreading his legs further apart and digging his knees into the bed for support as he covered you with his body, laying down to plant a quick kiss to your lips. “Brat.”

“Jeon Jungkook,” your manicured nails traced down his back until your hands were under his thighs as if ready to make him move on your own, “Are you going to fuck me yet?”

He couldn’t help but scoff in disbelief, an amused smile on his face and without saying a word, he pulled out until on his tip was past your ring of nerves, and suddenly pushed back in. Your lips fell open in a silent gasp as your eyes locked with his and he smirked.

“You need it that bad?” Jungkook asked as he pulled your legs up, pressing them toward your chest and holding them down with his arms as he kissed your neck, dragging his cock back out, “How bad?”

“Jungkook,” you groaned, trying to move your hips but in this position it was useless, “Start moving.”

“Make me,” he kissed the tip of your nose, slowly sliding himself back in just a little. You rolled your eyes, moving your hand to hide your face as you felt yourself getting annoyed.

Jungkook was smiling like this was all just so amusing to him and with his lip pulled between his teeth, he thrusted in with little restraint, starting a slow yet steady rhythm, “Don’t hide your face, darling. I wanna see the Y/n L/n moaning for me.”

“Fuck you,” you shook your head feeling your pussy tighten around him with your legs pulled to your chest unable to escape his thrusts that were becoming more rough by the second.

“Come on darling, you can do it,” Jungkook groaned, feeling like he was on cloud 9 from the way your pussy took him in. He doesn’t know how to explain it but he felt really fucking good right now. He’s not sure if it’s that he hasn’t had sex in a while, or if it had something to do with the fact that it was you, but he was fucking you with all his energy, letting himself relax and just feel good in the moment.

“Jungkook,” you moaned his name, hand slipping from your face so you could wrap it around his neck, “Kiss me.”

“Kiss?” He asked, out of breath as his rhythm faltered and without thinking, he let go of your legs and let them fall back onto the bed as he tilted your chin up with a hand to kiss you. He set his other hand down on the bed for support, getting lost between your lips and your tight pussy.

Jungkook’s tongue licked against yours swallowing your moans, “Y/n, it’s s’good.”

“Mhm,” you circled your legs around him, “Fuck.”

Jungkook kissed down your neck, hands sneaking down to your waist and with one swift movement, rolled onto his back with you on top. He needed a change of pace because if he kept going, he would cum sooner than he wanted to and he needed you to cum one more time for him so if that meant letting you get in top, he would.

And it had been such a good idea because the sight of you sitting on his cock, leaning back and placing your hands on his thighs instead of chest, made him more excited. Your knees dug into the bed and with your fingers scratching at his muscular thighs and raised your hips, lifting yourself off his cock before plunging him back in.

“Fucking hell,” Jungkook groaned throwing his head back into the pillows, a hand on your hip but not daring to take control, “That’s it darling, fuck yourself on my cock.”

“Jungkook,” the new position was having him reach newer parts inside you that had your thighs shaking, “I’m so close.”

“Take it,” Jungkook growled, holding you in place as he dug his feet into the mattress and began to fuck up into you, “Take my fucking dick, fuck.”

“Oh my god,” you fell forward, hands scratching at his chest, feeling the knot in your stomach tighten, “I—I can’t. Jungkook, baby, oh my—“

“Take it,” he groaned, grabbing your hips harshly and moving once again so he was on top, thrusting into you despite how hard it was getting to pull out of your tight walls, “Take it.”

“I—I,” your lips fell open in a loud cry, pinching his biceps for stability, and felt your walls come undone. For the second time in less than hour, your orgasm hit you hard. Jungkook released a string of grunts, feeling your pussy convulse around him and his cock was greeted with a flood of warmth that had his legs shaking, trying to support him but he couldn’t take it. He barely had time to slip out before he was letting go, his cum dribbling down to your thighs as he let out one final moan of your name.

His body seemed to collapse down next to yours, panting and out of breath, “Fuck.”

The two of you were a mess, sweaty and sore and all you wanted to do was lay down and possibly sleep but where you were did not go past you unnoticed. You searched around for your cellphone, knowing you set it down somewhere before trying to change and found it on your nightstand with six missed calls from the Bride-To-Be.

Jungkook took a deep breath, sitting up and looking down at the mess the two of you made on the bed. He got up, not bothering with covering himself up as he found a towel and tried cleaning himself off with it while you got on your phone.

“Duty calls,” you joked with a sigh as he came to your side and began to wipe down your thighs. Yeonwoo sent you a dozen messages talking about a midlife crisis of some sorts. You sat up carefully, thanking him for handing you your robe and you slipped it on.

“What happened?” Jungkook asked with an awkward clear of his throat as he began putting on his clothes again. He’ll admit he was taking his time getting dressed and you left to the bathroom to freshen up.

“I don’t know, something with the gift boxes for everyone. I think Yeonie’s assistant forgot them,” you told him as you found new underwear to wear, making sure you were cleaned before putting them on. You left the door to the bathroom open to talk to him but you still changed into the white Jacquemus dress from earlier.

You walked up to him and he got the memo about zipping your back up and this time he couldn’t help but lean down to press a kiss to your shoulder blade, “Are you going up yet?”

“I’m gonna touch up my makeup first,” you told him honestly, “You go ahead.”

When Jungkook reached upstairs again, finding the party just as he left it earlier, it’s like nobody noticed he had even left for so long. They were all too focused on your new dress — which Yeonwoo absolutely adored on you. He found a glass of champagne and tried to escape from the swarm of people trying to hold a conversation with him when he wasn’t thinking clearly at all.

Unfortunately for the two of you, the matching off-white shade of your clothing and the sudden mark on his neck wasn’t lost on anyone else. Soon, pictures from every angle possible would paint a story neither of you wanted.

There was a sense of guilt that came with disassociating yourself from your best friend’s wedding plans. Jungkook could barely remember what they had done once they got to the island after a surprising night of visiting your cabin.

He hasn’t had an actual conversation with you since that night and he has to be honest and say, he barely remembers the actual wedding. He hadn’t seen you since the yacht before being dragged away by Hoseok the following day to do some activities for Namjoon’s groomsmen. You had gone to do your Maid of Honor duties and he’s felt out-of-loop since.

The entire day had been packed with things to do and he’s aware he looked dashing in every photo the photographers took of him in his 12,000$ Kiton suit. The matching suits they all wore made the groomsmen look classy and cohesive while the Balmain dresses the bridesmaids wore made them elegant and surreal—well at least for you.

That’s what he thinks is the problem.

His best friends got married and yet all he was able to think about was you. It didn’t help that despite the wedding being on a private island, there was still press everywhere, capturing every angle of this beautiful matrimony between nepo babies.

The reception had been filled with various questions from various interviewers that left all your shared friends staring at you suspiciously—especially when questions of the hickey on his neck came forward.

As awful as it sounded considering the 46 million dollar wedding in the mountains of an island was stunning, he could barely remember half of what hadn’t been photographed. He left the day after the wedding with an excuse that he had things to take care of where he’s currently at and his friends bid him farewell.

He got to the mainland a day before the others and it gave him time to return home before he left on another voyage alone.

“How was the wedding?” His older brother asked, swinging his mallet just slightly, trying to find his nail before shooting the ball through the hoop, “I can't believe I was caught up in meetings all week in Tokyo.”

Jungkook looked oddly bright today compared to how he felt and he didn’t want to say it was because his casual and boring clothes he wore abroad stuck out here in ways he didn’t like. That’s why today—his last day home—he visited his family’s 150 acre estate for a game of Croquet and possibly tennis, wearing a matcha colored Loro Piana cashmere polo with short sleeves.

“Um, it was great,” Jungkook said as he brought his cigarette to his lips and lighting the end before inhaling.

“That’s it?” JungHyun asked with a scoff as he motioned for Jungkook to take his turn and he took his brother’s cigarette, “Did you have an orgy with any models or were you your usual gentleman self that won the crowd against me?”

His older brother had been well known in his younger days for many reasons, his partying, his charm, his youth and education. When he was in his mid twenties, you could always catch him in some article their parents tried taking down in regards to driving under the influence or insulting a server. Unlike Jungkook who preferred a quiet life he could escape to, his brother did not and now he’s some big shot finance guy because his attitude growing up had ruined his chance of inheriting everything from their grandparents. Now it will all go to Jungkook—something they’re all aware of—and maybe that’s why JungHyun makes snide remarks here and there.

He’s not asking about the wedding because he’s curious, he’s bitter that despite his perfect appearance and Jungkook’s more intimidating kind, Jungkook was still the most well-mannered of the two and therefore the favorite—if only he stayed and fulfilled his duties.

“No orgy,” Jungkook said with a hint of disgust as he finished his round of the game, one step closer to winning, “Just Y/n.”

JungHyun had been mid-swing when he mentioned you and his aim went astray making him miss the next ring, “What do you mean just Y/n?”

“I slept with her—“

A loud and annoying laugh cut him off as JungHyun let his mallet go, “Ah, so you can’t remember the events of your best friend’s wedding because you were too busy sleeping with the nation’s sweetheart? Oh I cannot wait till father hears about this, maybe your wedding is next and then you’ll finally step up to the plate.”

Jungkook scoffed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means now that you’re back, and dating the richest girl in the country, there’s no way Father won’t hand you down the company now,” JungHyun said bitterly, “And everyone said you running away would be a bad thing, but clearly it’s reminded you of who you are.”

“I’m not… I’m not staying,” Jungkook said, “I leave tomorrow but I wanted to see you all. And Y/n and I aren’t going to date, it was a… um.”

“Mistake?” JungHyun asked, “Jungkook, don’t be an idiot. You’ve been obsessed with her for years.”

“I have not.”

“You have, you just don’t want to admit that all your talk about being independent and leaving the money behind to be free was complete bullshit,” JungHyun said with a scoff, “Or why would you mess around with her of all people. A relationship with Y/n is going to put you at the top once again and there’s nothing that won’t be handed to you—and she’s someone mother would approve.”

“You’re dramatic,” Jungkook huffed, “One night doesn’t mean we’re dating or getting married or any of that other shit. I still don’t want to run the business… I just want, I don’t know.”

“Yeah, you never know what you want,” JungHyun said, “But whatever, if you’re set on running away again, so be it. I’m tired of trying to make you see how you blindly follow along with everything you seem to hate.”

“Master, your wife is on line three and she’s wondering who is picking up the kids.”

“Fuck, I don’t know,” JungHyun groaned, annoyed and no longer interested in talking to his little brother, “The driver?”

Jungkook watched his brother leave him behind and with a defeated sigh, he left.

“So are you leaving?” Youngi asked him as he watched the bubbles in his pink champagne, “Or have you changed your mind?”

“I haven’t changed my mind,” Jungkook said stiffly as he fixed the suit jacket he was currently getting fit into, “I’m just postponing my leave but I have a few things to take care of here.”

“Like with you and Y/n?” Youngi asked, making sure the fitting room at Dolce & Gabbana was empty aside from just them two. Jungkook didn’t even flinch at the mention of you. Since the two arrived at this store his vision has been filled with large framed photos of you and your dear friend Park Jimin all over the store. Apparently you were one of the brand’s favorite Ambassadors and they made it known you modeled their products. Right now he’s facing the mirror with a picture of you modeling a satin baldonétte bra and high waisted panties. You looked beautiful and seductive and its been hard for him to not just stare at all your pictures since he got here. Now Yoongi is attempting to bring you up and he refuses to give in to the extent his relationship with you has gone.

You haven’t even spoken since the wedding and even that had just been an exchange of pleasantries and no real depth to either of your words.

“No, with my father,” Jungkook said stiffly as he shrugged off the suit jacket and called in the stylist to find something else. Yoongi sat up in his seat slightly more interested, “Really? About what? Don’t tell me you're back in the running.”

“We're going to discuss it,” Jungkook mumbled to himself.

He wanted to make one thing clear, his decision to seek out his father and work out some sort of plan where he can get back into the job he had been assigned to do, while also having freedom had absolutely nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with the fact that you’re here, and he’s interested in you, and that it would be his parent’s dream for him to stay and be in a relationship with you and also take over the business finally…

This was his decision because his brother’s right. He can't just keep running away.

“And what do you mean, with Y/n?” Jungkook asked, clearing his throat awkwardly as he glanced up at your five foot photo framed above the mirror, remembering the shape of your body against his, moaning his name and tightening your walls around him.

“Haven’t you heard the rumors?” Youngi asked as he got on his phone, “It seems as though you have competition.”

Jungkook didn’t need to be told more as he took Yoongi’s phone from his outstretched hand and read what was on the screen with furrowed brows.

At the end of the article, in big, fat letters, the conclusion said: ‘Now the question is, will L/n choose the best friend, Park Jimin, or the elegant and influential Best Man, Jeon Jungkook—possibly as the country’s newest IT couple?’

When he gave Yoongi his phone back, there was no denying the sudden irritation that contorted his features. It’s not like he expected this to not happen but… he doesn’t like what they’re implying. Yoongi studied him closely to see if he would get a response, but Jungkook gave nothing away. Instead he just ordered the tailor to pack the two suits he tried on so he could buy both, “I’ll meet you out there.”

Yoongi left Jungkook to get changed and while he stood alone in the fitting room staring up at your boudoir photos framed around him, he took his phone and dialed your number.

“Hello?” Your end of the call sounded hectic, louder and busier than his did. You were in the middle of an interview for Vogue and were taking a short break. It seemed like he called at just the right time since you were getting your makeup touched up.

“Are you busy?” Jungkook asked with a sharp tone that fell on deaf ears when the call went silent for a moment. He really did admire the photo of you, remembering just what it was like to trace his hands along your figure.

“Who is this?” You finally asked, making his jaw clench slightly.

“Jeon Jungkook.”

“Oh you see, I wouldn’t have known that considering you didn’t even say a hello or anything,” You told him in a sarcastic tone that made him want to smile but also roll his eyes, “Besides, I am busy.”

As if on cue, the call of your name in the background made your claim concrete. He bit his lip in thought, wondering what it was you were doing and how long it would take, “When can I see you?”

A smile played on your lips as you held up a finger to your assistant who was trying to hurry you along, “Did you make an appointment with my assistant?”

He couldn’t help but scoff as his gaze turned toward a glare, practically imagining that picture of you smiling at him, “I didn’t know I needed one, darling. When can I schedule one?”

“I’m not sure, i'll let you know,” you said and before Jungkook could respond, the call ended and he was left in shock that you just hung up on him. He gathered his things and met Yoongi outside to pay, completely bewildered by the fact that you just hung up on him so easily. He knows you haven’t spoken since the night of the wedding where you were forced to speak but this is all he gets?

“What took you so long?” Yoongi asked as they left Dolce & Gabbana with new things.

xxx-xxx-xxxx: Appointment scheduled for, 6:30 pm today, L/n Residence @ the Northbrook Estates

Jungkook couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief at the confirmation of an appointed meeting with you tonight.

The night on the yacht had been unexpected yet also long-awaited and now that its done with, neither of you seemed to know what to do about it. You wont lie and say you didn’t enjoy that moment with him but you were also realistic. You and Jungkook would just never work out, you’re too different on the outside and that’s why you’re so confused now as to why he called you.

“So, Y/n, its been a busy season for you this year,” an interviewer said as the camera zoomed in on your expression as they continued, “Not only did you walk thirteen shows but I hear you also celebrated your close friends wedding. How was that? You must have been exhausted.”

“You know it was a lot but it was exciting, I hold my friends dearly and I’m just thankful I was able to make time for such an event,” you said and you’ll admit your response sounded scripted. You didn’t dive too deeply which is what you’re sure the interviewer wanted. You should have known that this stupid interview wouldn’t just be about your newly established modeling career.

Whether you’ve become Model of the Year for your catwalk, or for nepotism, you didn’t are much either way. All you cared about was the fact that the interviewer has found a way to slip in questions they didn’t need to know. It’s like you can just sense the things they’ll ask and have already prepared and calculated the exact responses you need to give.

“Of course, and what a star-studded party,” the interviewer continued, “The Best Man being Jeon Jungkook must have been exciting for you.”

“Well, we’ve all known each other for a long time now so…” You cleared your throat, looking a bit disinterested.

“Yes, of course,” the interviewer said with a nervous laugh, “And pardon me, Y/n, but I just have to ask, did anything happen between the two of you on this very intimate trip?”

Your smile strained but you never looked anything less than sweet as you said, “We are all just very close friends. Most of them have supported me in modeling.”

It was a clear attempt on your part to direct the conversation back to what it was supposed to be about. She ignored your last comment and said, “So… I guess we’re all curious, some pictures from the parties were released of the two of you awfully close in certain open waters, and an evident hickey on his neck—not to mention the matching clothes, please, is there something between you and the heir of Jeon Corporation?”

“Nothing that should concern you, no,” you smiled sweetly and the interviewer seemed to freeze up, unsure if she had gone too far in her questions.

Silence filled the space around them and there was no way to cut these parts out since it was a video shoot and after a while of the interviewer struggling to find which questions to ask, a person who worked for you stepped forward, “How about another short break?”

The interviewer released a shaky breath while the both of you made your way off camera and your glam team was quick to touch up your hair and makeup as the director of the shoot approached you, “Y/n darling, how are we feeling?”

“Annoyed,” you answered honestly, “I thought this was supposed to be about my modeling.”

“You’re absolutely right, darling, we apologize for any mistake we’ve done on our part, I—She must have taken it as an opportunity to ask her own questions and I promise you, we will have a deep conversation about this. We aren’t TMZ…” the director said and you rolled your eyes.

“I’m done filming if she’ll be the one continuing the interview,” You told him as you began to walk away from him, not caring for the excuses or whatever and you can hear your publicist repeat your words to him.

It wasn’t even that she was bad at her job or that she asked anything too deep but she just quickly got on your bad side with her persistence to not let the subject drop.

In the end you got your wish and filming ended smoothly before you were driven away to whatever was next in your schedule, trying not to think about the interview or the fact that there was a chance you would be seeing Jungkook later.

Things are evidently strange between you two and its not like you’ve been blind to the articles or posts about you but you don’t want to address anything. That night on the yacht seems like a fluke and like it shouldn’t have happened at all despite how you felt in the moment. Your parents aren’t the type to be invested in what is put in the tabloids but when their lifelong, country club going, friends call them and ask if there’s anything between you and Jeon Corporation’s Jungkook, they’re going to want answers.

It was just one night, one night where the two of you put aside whatever indifference you had toward each other just so you could release tension and this is the consequence for that. Of course everyone would want to know and of course no one was able to turn a blind eye to you. Even Yeonwoo managed to ask what you had been doing in the cabins withJungkook or so long that night and even when you tried to ignore her she kept pressing you for an answer.

In truth you had nothing to say. You were both adults and it didn’t matter if anyone else was dying to know if there was anything going on between you.

You resented each other.

You had sex.

Plus, he’s going to leave soon and you don’t think that bothers you?

When your driver pulled up to the tall skyscraper you called home, you headed inside alone.

“Good evening, Miss L/n,” the lobbyist held the door open for you, “You have a visitor waiting in the lobby.”

Your brows furrowed, checking the time before heading to the library where sure enough, Jeon Jungkook was sitting by the fireplace reading whatever magazine was set out for him. At the sound of your Miu Miu kitten heels, he turned staring at you with his big rounded eyes being the only thing you could see beside his face mask, “You’re early.”

Jungkook wrapped an arm around your waist as he pressed his lips to your cheek in greeting and you did the same, he joined you in the elevator and said, “I like to get to my appointments early.”

“You’re lucky my shoot ended early or else you might have had to wait outside like a dog,” you teased as you pushed the button for the top floor where your penthouse was located. As part of the infinite amount of wealth your family has, you also dabble in real estate, mostly in the country as luxury apartments but you do have some homes overseas: Paris, New York, Argentina, etc.

The place you call home is a top floor penthouse with terrace and rooftop. The floor in which it was located was completely shut off for just you and included a private gym, yoga studio, three walk-in closets, and on top of that an elevator parking garage with a Mary Kay Pink Rolls Royce sitting pretty inside it.

Jungkook has never stepped foot in your home before and it was overwhelmingly stunning with four bedrooms, two living rooms (one on the top floor and one on the main floor too), an open kitchen, poolside terrace, and five bathrooms. You lived in ultimate modern luxury with traditional themes throughout the home like its hand carved wooden furniture and expensive marble walls.

“Is this different from your little magic treehouse in the woods you ran off to?” You asked, tempted to push his buttons as you removed your coat and handed it to your housekeeper who waited at the door.

“Well, considering my magic treehouse is worth 2.6 million dollars, no I wouldn’t consider this that different from it,” Jungkook couldn’t help but boast, feeling like he’s competing. It’s like when he was in school and the students would brag about whatever exotic trip they got to go in the summer and he would have to make sure to tell them what he did was better. “Maybe I’ll bring you with someday.”

Fuck. Why did he say that? Why is he indulging in any of this in the first place? You and Jungkook should never be together, right?

“Speaking of which, I thought you would have ran off now that the wedding is over,” You said as you mumbled something to the housekeeper making her leave, “Drink?”

“Water is fine,” Jungkook said as he made his way down to your 70’s inspired talking pit of suede Anabei sectional couches, “And I thought I would have been gone by now too”

“What changed?” You skied curiously, “Don’t tell me it's because you would miss me.”

You held your hand to your chest as if to seem touched by the thought and Jungkook just rolled his eyes as you continued, “How would all the other girls feel knowing I’m keeping you here?”

Jungkook scoffed as he practically pushed your legs off his lap, “Can you not joke for just one second?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, even if part of you felt confused wondering if this was supposed to be a serious moment or not. Jungkook huffed, running his fingers through his black hair, “I’m here because I wanted to talk to you about all those articles. My parents are working on taking those down, are you okay?”

Your eyebrows knitted together with confusion, “Me? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because I’ve never seen anything bad written about you and suddenly you’re being painted as a two-timer by spending a night with me while also… doing whatever it is you do with that friend of yours.” He was not jealous. He swears.

To be clear, there really is nothing going on with you and Jimin. You’re just two friends in the modeling world who happen to like attending secret parties together and maybe making out drunkenly every now and then. That’s it. You’ve never slept with him and Jimin has too many girls on his line for you to ever consider him.

“I’ll survive,” You mumbled as you looked over at him, seeing him in deep thought.

“I’m thinking of staying a while longer,” Jungkook said suddenly with a clear of his throat.

Jungkook was not the shy type and to be honest he’s not even sure why he’s letting you know [as if it made a difference] but the words just slipped out.

He did not like you.

Well, he didn’t like you like that. It sounds harsh he’s well aware of that but he was never romantically attracted to you before so how is he going to suddenly feel that way after only a week in contact again. Maybe it was just unresolved sexual tension after years of feeling that way but that can’t be the only thing that’s making him want to revert back to what his life was like before he left to live on his own.

He escaped all this so that he could live somewhere quietly and do what he really wanted to do without worrying about anything else. Now he’s contemplating moving back and possibly involving himself with his father’s business again. Too much is going on for him to understand why.

“For how long?” you asked as your fingers began to softly run through the ends of his hair making him look at you. You couldn’t hide your curiosity and how close the two of you are.

When he had pulled you down to sit with him, it was with your legs thrown over his lap which he had been caressing every now and then.

An arrogant smirk formed on his lips as he licked them, tapping your calf lightly, “How long do you want me here?”

Fuck, Jungkook is staying to get back in business… not for you.

It’s not for you.

It’s not for yo—

His breath hitched as a sudden weight shifted to his lap, his hands immediately went to your waist, helping you get comfortable on him. It’s embarrassing the way Jungkook didn’t hesitate to reach for you when you sat on his lap feeling your arms thrown around his neck, “Here as in…”

You looked down at the short skirt you wore which rolled up a little from how your legs straddled his thighs and said, “Under me?”

A scoff in disbelief left his lips as he couldn’t help but laugh, sliding your hips closer, “Yeah.”

It was attractive the way your conversations never seemed to fall unless you wanted them to. It was a constant cat and mouse game, banter back and forth and he catches on quickly.

You couldn’t help it, okay. Anytime you would see pictures of Jungkook since he left, he was always in a hoodie and sweats or something that just hid his entire body. Right now he’s wearing this Christian Dior white button-up shirt [which he rolled the sleeves up at some point since he got here] and it was messily untucking from his black slacks and he looks so hot right now. His hair was messy in a sexy way and he looked just like he used to, except this time with tattoos and a different sense of maturity.

Without wasting another moment debating if you should or shouldn’t, you leaned down and kissed him. Jungkook’s lips parted against yours, stretching his neck to kiss you with more need. Unlike the first night you kissed, this one wasn’t as rushed and angry. He took his time longer, pulling your bottom lip between his and doing it over again.

You pressed your chest against his, with your tongue swiping against his lip teasingly until you met his. Jungkook’s hands pinched the satin fabric of your skirt, feeling it tighten and rise, unable to stop the growing desire he was feeling for you. His briefs were getting tighter every time you shifted on his lap and whatever he had been thinking before you started making out.

“You want to play?” He asked, shifting his head to deepen the kiss without bumping noses. You pulled away feeling desperate to catch your breath as his kisses began to travel down toward your exposed neck, licking and nipping under your jaw while beginning to make

“Maybe,” you sighed in pleasure, running your hands through his hair when you felt him kiss down your collarbone, closer and closer down the deep-v in your Miu Miu chiffon top. The strap to your shirt slipped down your shoulder as Jungkook’s rough fingers traced down the side of your arms.

You cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to go back to kiss your lips as you felt his growing erection press into you. It was hard for him to ignore the fact that the only thing covering what was under your skirt was a flimsy, thin piece of lace he shifted you closer until his bulge was tucked between your legs, placing your hips right over where he wanted them to be. Now that he moved you, his outline was more evident and had you grinding along him.

Jungkook released a groan with a sharp breath once he felt that sudden move and he couldn’t help but buck his hips against you, feeling the fabric of his briefs constrict his hardened cock. It was a frustrating feeling yet he felt so eager with his tongue down your throat and his covered dick tucked nicely between your covered folds that he couldn’t even think to stop and remove the layers.

His lips were feeling swollen against yours yet he didn’t want to pull away, the friction he was getting from the way you humped him was turning him on with how needy it felt. You kissed along his jaw, grinding against his aching dick while your nimble fingers began to unbutton his shirt.

“God damn,” Jungkook groaned as he threw his head back, relishing in the way your hips moved expertly against him while kissing down his naked chest. He slid his ass down your back, stopping over your butt and pulling your skirt out of the way for him to get a better feel of you underneath. With firm hands, he turned your sensual grinding into harsher and more deep movements that he met with his hips.

He’s not sure he could take just this any longer. Anytime he’s with you now it’s like he can’t do anything but fall for you and despite how annoying it is, he doesn’t do anything to stop it. Instead, he welcomes it and right now all he wants to do and rip off the remaining layers between you so he could have your legs wrapped around him once more. It’s only been days since the first time and he has not been able to stop thinking about it.

The day of the wedding he had been so distracted by you that he barely remembers any of it and now his best friends are on their honeymoon and he’s here thinking about you again.

Giving up on arguing how much he wants to have you, he wanted to get your clothes off and you were letting him. His hands had barely made it to the end of your top, ready to pull it off, when a loud ringtone cut through the living room, echoing off the walls and hard to ignore. The two of you looked at each other confused.

He sat up, reaching his hand into his pocket and pulling out his phone, annoyed that someone had thought to call him.

“Answer,” you said breathlessly as you looked at the caller, already sliding yourself off his lap.

“It’s just Hobi,” Jungkook said, letting out a huff in annoyance as he set his phone back down, turning to kiss you but it rang once again. Your eyes met his and he begrudgingly grabbed his phone and swiped to answer, “Hello?”

“Hey man, I just got off the phone with your Yoongi,” Hoseok said as he sat in a large closet filled with designer clothes, “And why am I always the last to know if you’re leaving or not?”

“What?” Jungkook looked visibly annoyed with his scrunched brows and tense jaw and for some reason that made him hotter to you. His shirt was undone completely and his belt was halfway pulled off and with his legs spread, it was very hard to ignore his hard on.

Your eyes softened with curiosity and you couldn’t help but bite down on your bottom lip as you decided to just go for it. First, your hand rested on his thigh as he listened to whatever Hoseok said, but slowly you made your way toward his bulge.

“You’re gonna start working with your dad again?” Hoseok asked, unaware of the way Jungkook’s attention had drifted down to the palm of your hand, right over his dick. Your fingers pressed against the underside of his member, massaging your palm into it and feeling the way his hips raised. “What happened to not caring about the money and the company and all that blah blah blah?”

Jungkook couldn’t help but roll his eyes, snapping back to his friend instead of what was going on. His fingers wrapped around your wrist, tightening their grip as if in warning. It was a useless attempt considering he tried helping you pull his belt off and saying, “Come on man, it was never like that.”

He could hear his own tone falter somewhere between lying and having his cock free from the confines of his tight briefs with your hand feeling him.

Hoseok laughed, debating what suit he should wear, “No, it’s exactly like that.”

Jungkook’s hand went to your head, softly caressing you as you kissed down his navel, your hand wet with spit, jerking him off while licking just above his dick. He didn’t bother with a response to his friend as he continued speaking anyway, “Is it true you and our princess are messing around? It’s all over the tabloids.”

Sarcasm was evident in Hoseok’s tone but Jungkook was too focused on your tongue licking up the length of his hard cock, wetting it with spit that made your hand movements smoother.

“Look I get it, you’ve had all this tension something was bound to happen but damn, why didn’t you tell me that either?” Hoseok asked with evident shock, unaware of the blowjob his friend was receiving on the other end. Your lips were wrapped tightly around his length and with your hand too, it was hard for Jungkook to keep his reactions to a minimum.

“Hobi, I—I, yknow I just,” Jungkook cleared his throat uncomfortably to hide an evident groan. He was beginning to fidget under your ministrations, especially when you squeezed under his cock, massaging his balls, “Sorry.”

“Sorry?! That’s all you gotta say after chewing me out for giving you condoms as a joke.” Hoseok was lying in a pile of Louis Vuitton suits on the floor, engrossed in his one-sided conversation, “Our friendship seems one-sided buddy. I thought when you came up to me… I thought, ‘Hey, maybe my good buddy Jungkook will get in this dandy hot tub with me’ but no, you know what you do instead? You ask where Y/n is! God I should’ve known—“

Jungkook threw his head back in a mixture of pleasure and obvious irritation that he couldn’t take it anymore. His finger pressed into the red button and the call was cut to end suddenly. As soon as his phone hit the couch, you pulled off his length with a deep huff for air, “That wasn’t very nice of you.”

“He’ll get over it,” Jungkook mumbled as he reached for your hand to pull you toward him, “Come here.”

“I’m not done,” you leaned away from the kiss he was trying to give you but his hand held your head in place, not caring to kiss the lips that had just been around his hard dick. Jungkook wasn’t as gentle as his need grew heavier and with a strategic pull at your top, it ripped down the back, “Jungkook!”

“What?” He asked with a giddy smile, tempted to be playful, “It was in my way.”

You rolled your eyes, sitting up to take your skirt off yourself and prevent another hazard while Jungkook finished undressing himself. “It was custom, asshole.”

Jungkook’s smile dropped with worry, lips parted in surprise until you burst out into a laugh and fell onto his lap, “You should see the look on your face.”

“Ha ha, don’t scare me like that,” Jungkook chuckled, “I was already thinking about the fortune I would have to pay to fix that.”

“Jungkook,” you ignored the fact that the two of you were naked, in the middle of an intimate moment and asked, “What did you mean earlier?”

“When?” Jungkook asked, caressing your leg, “About staying? Yeah, I’m serious.”

“You are?” You crossed your arms over your bare chest, “Why?”

“Why?” He was visibly taken back, “What do you mean why?”

“I mean… just a few days ago you were adamant on leaving right after the wedding and when you left the resort before everyone else we all kind of figured you had left but you’re here now and…” You took a deep breath in thought.

“Do you want me to leave?” Jungkook asked, sounding more hurt than he intended to. All this time pushing and pulling his feelings for how he felt about being here and seeing you was getting to him. He’s very aware how confusing he is and spending a night with you shouldn’t have changed his mind this quickly while he also refused to admit.

“We didn’t talk about what happened at the party,” you said suddenly, feeling Jungkook drape his shirt over your naked figure as the conversation shifted drastically.

“I know,” he dropped his head, “I’m sorry, I was really confused and I couldn’t tell what I was feeling or how you were feeling and I was mad and… I thought you probably didn’t care.”

“I mean, I didn’t,” you shrugged, “But because I figured it was just a one time thing since you were very obvious with how little you thought of me and now you’re saying you’re staying longer while visiting me at home and it just… I don’t get it.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Jungkook was in his slacks again, trying to fix whatever mess he might have made over time, “I just… I was just being dumb. I wanted to act like I wasn’t into you at all because I was mad at everyone else and it wasn’t fair that I took it out on you but I thought you didn’t like me either.”

“And you’re right, you were mean to me,” you nudged him with your foot, “So really, I shouldn’t even be in this position with you right now.”

Jungkook didn’t dare argue when you called him out, “You always pretended to hate me even when you’d get jealous if someone else talked to me and you could never take your eyes off me.”

His brows furrowed, reminded of the trip and how everyone always joked that he wanted you when he was so stubborn on saying he didn’t. He didn’t like how predictable his life was.

“Because I knew everyone thought you were perfect,” Jungkook tried pulling you toward him, “And they didn’t know how you liked to push my buttons and say things you knew would get to my head and how you were actually so unbelievably perfect that it pissed me off everytime I let you get to me.”

“Don’t sweet talk me now,” you teased when he leaned over to lay between your legs, content with the sight of you in his Dior shirt, “How are you gonna repay me for being such a dick?”

“Whatever you want,” Jungkook admitted, “Say the word and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“I have everything I want,” you ran your fingers through his hair.

“Come on Y/n, don’t make this hard on me,” he whined playfully, “Everyone else is already making it hard and I just want to spend the night with you. I’ll let you use me.”

Your brow raised and with a soft laugh you pulled him toward you for a kiss, “I get to use the Jeon Jungkook? What will everyone say?”

“That they saw it coming,” Jungkook chuckled as he pressed his lips to yours, “So don’t stop the inevitable.”

You rolled your eyes, feeling your arousal from earlier slowly make its return, “You’re so spoiled.”

“I know.”

Jeon Jungkook now knows what an awful liar he’s been these last couple of years. All of this talk about wanting to be different, break free from his family’s influences and the world of money and power, was meaningless in the end. He tried, he really did but his rebellion of running off and doing whatever he pleased, refusing to acknowledge the company, the wealth and the people in it was short lived because he never actually wanted to escape it.

He was still going to be friends with the people he grew up with and fall back to his old routine of country clubs and parading on yachts or private islands.

He was still going to take over his share of his father’s company and dress himself up in designer Kiton suits that he used to despise wearing.

He was still going to fall for you, the person he despised simply for being an exact reflection of himself. You were perfect for him in every way on paper and that made him want to push you away but in the end, he still fell for you like he knew he would.

Some people dream about having the life he does, or growing up the way he did and yet here he was selfishly wishing it all away. It was perfect, it was so insanely perfect and unfair that Jungkook ever thought he wouldn’t be happy with what he had been handed down to him for simply being born.

“This person gathered valuable experiences in the world and has shown such a strong will to portray it all into commitment for the company and that makes me a proud father,” A deep voice spoke from behind a podium with an echoing mic that had the attention of over a hundred people, “Please, welcome the newest V.P. for Jeon Corporation, my youngest son, Jeon Jungkook.”

Jungkook had an arrogant smile on his lips as he walked onto stage, thanking everyone for congratulating him on his quick and easy advance in the company—even surpassing his older brother.

“Honestly, it is a big thank you to everyone close to me, for helping me see how ready I am to step into this role and fulfill my duty as a member of this corporation,” Jungkook said confidently, looking at all his friends who had a mixture of confused yet knowing smiles on their faces.

“What a brat,” Hoseok joked with Namjoon, “And I blame you for this.”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen someone get pulled back into the country’s good graces so easily,” Namjoon laughed, remembering all the articles about how my ridiculous Jungkook was for publicly stating he would never be a part of the company.

“That’s because he’s spoiled,” Jungkook’s older brother chimed in, “Even after he says he’s gonna walk away from it, he’s still gonna be welcomed back with open arms.”

Taehyung released a playful sigh, “I want to be Jeon Jungkook when I grow up, the perfect life just handed to me and I’m just too blind to appreciate it.”

“Tae, you’re rich,” Yeonwoo whispered to him, Taehyung grinning at her reminder and sitting up straighter.

“How was it?” Jungkook asked his friends as he looked around the table.

“Well rehearsed,” Taehyung gave him the thumbs up, “Also, where’s Y/n? I thought she’d be here.”

Jungkook checked the time on his watch, his leg already bouncing underneath the table, “Yeah, I thought so too.”

It shouldn’t be that big of a deal to him. This was all just some flashy way for his father to make Jungkook’s debut in the business widely anticipated and you had other things to do than be here. The two of you aren’t even officially together yet so it’s not like you owe it to him or anything.

“Y/n,” Jimin whined as he watched the valet open the limo door for you, “Please don’t ditch me. I’m your best friend, imagine how much fun we could be having. Everyone’s going to ask where you ran off to after the dinner.”

“Well you can tell them,” you hurried to finish applying your lip gloss, “That I had more important things to do than get drunk at some fashion party.”

“Right, just throw me to the side like I mean nothing,” Jimin said dramatically, “Is this how you treat friends now?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, knowing he was only trying to cause a scene. Jimin knew you would be calling it an early night but he just wanted it to be difficult. With a small sigh, you double checked that you looked fine in the mirror and said, “Okay, wish me luck, I’m hoping I get laid tonight.”

“I also hope you get laid tonight so that I don’t have to listen to you talk about how much you want to see him,” Jimin said as you made your way out the car, “Goodnight.”

By the time you got to the banquet, the cameras had been long gone from the entrance and so you were able to make your appearance quietly. You would have been here earlier if there hadn’t been an ambassador dinner tonight that you had already agreed to do before Jungkook decided on staying and you just couldn’t miss it.

You felt bad because Jungkook had asked you to come be his date but he understood why you couldn’t make it right away. If anything he should be happy that you hurried over from dinner to the banquet without an outfit change. Despite the number of attendants, it was really a private affair with only a couple people from the press but nothing too grand and over the top. It made arriving late less miserable and finding Jungkook and your friends much easier.

And when you first involved yourself with Jungkook in this way, you should have known it wouldn’t all be easy. You were now somewhat seeing the most eligible bachelor in the country and nobody knows about it aside from speculation. Speculation won’t stop spoiled rich girls who want him to themselves and that’s what you saw when you found him.

“It’s so great to have you back Kooky, it’s like… the best thing to ever happen,” some girl gushed at him from the once empty seat to his left. She seemed unaffected by the stares she received from around the table and didn’t care at all that Jungkook wasn’t even glancing her way. He doesn’t know her, she’s probably just the daughter of some wealthy couple who thinks she has a chance with him.

Jungkook stared forward, watching his friends’ faces as their eyes softened, no longer listening to the girl who said, “Maybe we can get together some time.”

A gentle hand touched his shoulder, soft lips brushing against his ear as you said, “Maybe we can get together some time too.”

There was no denying the smile that grew on his face as he turned to look at you and how close you were to him. Jungkook’s lips parted in pleasant surprise, ready to talk to you when someone else spoke up.

“Excuse us, sweetheart,” Namjoon said to the girl, “It seems our table is full, maybe you can try somewhere else?”

She left with an annoyed scoff, making room for you to sit down, “Sorry I’m late, did any of you miss me?”

You had a sweet smile on your face, a camera clicked somewhere else in the distance surely capturing how close you were to Jungkook specifically, who was tracing his hand along your thigh.

“Dearly,” Jungkook said as he leaned into you for a quick kiss on the lips, “Thanks for coming.”

“I told you I’d try and make it,” you said to him, “I missed the speech didn’t I?”

“It was nothing special,” Jungkook’s hand began to slide down the space between your legs—or at least as far as your dress would let it, “Just the usual talk about how amazing I am, it was all very boring.”

“But I love talking about you,” Your tone was sarcastic yet flirty, your hand falling over his in warning when he began to pull up your dress just a little. You were sitting at a table with a large draped tablecloth that hid your legs underneath but you were still very aware of the fact that your friends were all around the table.

“Y/n,” Hoseok called for you from across the table, “How does it feel to have the Jeon Jungkook wrapped around your finger?”

Jungkook turned to his friend with a harsh glare, knowing he was just poking fun at it all but still managing to get under his skin. You looked at Jungkook with a knowing grin, “Like nothing I didn’t expect.”

He scoffed, squeezing your thigh possessively, “I think the feelings are mutual, darling.”

You leaned into him, not caring for being around so many important people with cameras trying to capture whatever moment they can, “They are.”

::.

a/n omg it took me literally forever to write this and idk how I feel about it but yknow what 😭it’s finished and that’s what matters. I was in the mood for some rich kdrama feel fic and I hope I managed to pull that off at least a litttlleeeeeeere

thanks for everyone that waited patiently and please feel free to lmk what you think <3

permanent taglist: @notmyfaultbutours @rerefundslocals @fandems @sugaluvmyg @guvgguk @kimyishin @libra04 @kooromiwrld @classycreationcupcake-blog @cherrymonlightt @nikkiordonez12 @asking4-sanity @thvlover @saweetspoiled @shaybts-blog @babycandy111 @jeonninja @yellowcupid08 @02010802faves @skzthinker @unnatae @beautywine @lilliankoo @annenakamura @lesoleile @burnahtsw @kooloveys @ku-ku @chaelvrx @minnie-mouser22 @whoa-jo @marvelbun @sunnikthv @kochycooky @acielelyseen @giselleswifeee @ilikeitlikethatt @bangmechanpls @lvr2seok @badbyeyoongi @jaerisdiction @watermelonjuice15 @artmsmaid @xyahrinx @angeleen777 @jooniesxbby @dream-cvtcher @jksjx @kissyfacekoo @joyjunk @caro134340lina @hyunjinswifeee @oldermenluverrr @caro134340lina @olivialeesstuff [taglist is too long so I’ll have to make two versions of it]

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venusjeon · 7 months

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angel in the marble

after you fail to pickpocket him, the famous yet arrogant artist Jeon Jungkook takes you off the streets to make you his servant, and the more you know him, the more you realise he's not as detestable as everyone claims he is.

♔ PAIRING: michelangelo!jungkook x servant!reader

♔ GENRE: high renaissance au, angst, smut, humour

♔ WORD COUNT: 8k

♔ WARNINGS: homelessness, stealing, mild swearing/violence/drinking, 90% of this is bickering lmao, mentions of minor characters' death, jealousy and kinda possessiveness?, referenced unconsensual groping (not by jk), a bit of blasphemy, making out, groping, fingering, rough angry sexxx, choking, slapping

♔ AUTHOR'S NOTE: fun fact this is mostly historically accurate! jk's characterisation, the grocery list doodles, the sack of rome, the beef with his brother, the encounter with his rival (raphael)... are all taken from michelangelo's actual life, even some stuff is quoted from his letters lol. man was fanfic material.

1529, Rome

“How much for that one?”

“No, that one’s sold already.”

It was a lively morning. After days of heavy rainfall, those of high social class were eager to get out and meet under the gentle sun of spring, whose glare reflected on the precious stones of their jewellery; while those of low, out of necessity, couldn’t wait to reopen their businesses or set up their stalls and get back to work. You liked to eye them all as you strolled the streets of Rome.

“To whom?”

“Your friend Taehyung.”

“Agh… How much is that prick paying you?”

The point of the matter was that it was bustling, some colliding if they looked away from where they were going for more than a breath. It worked in your favour for it was then easier to make yourself scarce right after stealing bags of coins, such as those of the three men seemingly bargaining by a workshop’s entrance out of which a large block of marble was being dragged. Perfect.

“Three ducats.”

“Three?! He’s robbing you of two ducats. I’ll pay you the five it’s worth.”

You kept your head low as you approached the pair that seemed wealthier and with those stealthy hands of yours unfastened the bags tied to their belts. After all, pickpocketing was a skill you’d had under your own for some years now, so this was bound to go smoothly.

Because you didn’t realise there was a guardian with them, perhaps you’d grown arrogant.

“I’m sorry, maestro. It’s reserved.”

“But it’ll become a waste in his possession!”

As you slipped away into the crowd, mouth watering at the fresh-baked bread you were going to devour as soon as bought, this brown dog leaped up at you out of nowhere, ignoring your desperate efforts to shake him off. If anything, they caused him to bark.

No, no, no…

The three men turned to the scene playing out not so far, and thinking his dog was bothering you one of them shouted, “Bam, come here, boy!” but as he obediently ran to his owner, you were too slow to hide the bags in your hands. It only took the pair a second to make them out, check whether theirs still hung on their belts, find them not, work out you’d stolen them, look back up, and find you not either.

Of course, you’d made your escape by then, dived into the sea of people and swum through them as quickly as possible, only stopping when you reached an empty vaulted alley to catch your breath.

That was ridiculously close. If you weren’t more careful next–

Your train of thought was interrupted by someone grabbing you by the arm from behind and pushing you against the nearest wall. A grunt accompanied the thud, and a gasp followed at the sight of the two men from before—dog included. Pinned in place, it’d be a bad idea to fight back or attempt to run away again. Fuck’s sake.

“Do you know what happens to thieves?” the one cornering you asked so close that when the cold breeze rustled his hair, some strands grazed your face. You looked away to avoid the tickling rather than out of fear, or so you wanted to believe. “They have a hand cut off. Seems fair, doesn’t it, Jimin?”

By contrast, that Jimin didn’t look intimidating, otherwise still catching his breath from the chase, but he did snatch the coin bags from your hands. “It doesn’t have to be so, maestro. We got our money back. She’s… just a girl.”

“And that exempts her of crime?”

“Please, don’t report me,” you begged, humiliating as though it was.

“Why shouldn’t we?” the maestro scoffed. Maestro… You were being threatened by a damned craftsman, the other one probably his assistant.

“Because I don’t want to lose a hand?”

“Oh, but we wanted to lose money, did we?” You rolled your eyes, and he released his grip only to step away. “Take us to your father, brat. He’ll answer for you.”

It took you a moment to respond, “I don’t have a father, or anyone... Only I can answer for my actions.”

“You’re a beggar?” Jimin asked, taking pity as he studied your appearance for the first time. Dishevelled hair, tattered dress, unpleasant smell… Yes, they should’ve guessed.

“She doesn’t beg, though, does she? She steals.”

“Only from cunts.”

His head snapped to meet your glare, and Jimin laughed, “You seem to not know whom you speak to.” He could be Jesus for all you cared. Uninterested, you petted the dog, Bam, seeing as he’d leapt up at you again. “This is Jeon Jungkook.”

You froze. The Jeon Jungkook? The famous artist who painted and sculpted for the Pope? Whom faraway kings and even emperors commissioned? The one whose genius was said to be changing the world?

At the lack of attention, Bam returned to his master, and that snapped you out of your shock to ask, “Then why do you whine?” The two men frowned, having clearly expected an apology paired with the usual bootlicking. “As if you need that bag more than I!”

“What nerve,” he scoffed again, making you wince by grabbing your arm tighter than before and starting to drag you into the next street. “You’re going straight to the authorities!”

“Wait,” Jimin intervened, thank God. “Weren’t you in need of a servant, maestro?”

“So?”

Jimin pointed at you with his gaze as though it was obvious. “You’re in need of a servant, she’s in need of a roof.”

“I would rather have a hand cut off.”

“I would rather have her hand cut off too.”

Jungkook tried to resume dragging you, but Jimin blocked his way with a soft smile. “What’s your name?”

“Y/N…”

“Do you know how to take care of a household?” Slowly, you nodded, melancholy engulfing you at the memory of cooking or sweeping the floor with your mother once upon a time. Somehow, she always found a way to make chores fun... “Then you qualify for the job. You’ll have three meals a day and a bed to sleep on. And you, maestro, a servant who’ll work her hardest, lest you fire her and she ends up in the streets again.”

Both you and Jungkook reluctantly glanced at each other. Truth be told, you didn’t prefer losing a hand to living with him, you just didn’t like him. Despite being a celebrity, he was a stranger. It just wouldn’t work.

But then, why were you holding your breath, hoping he’d accept?

“We shouldn’t have left Namjoon’s workshop. The marble is about to be delivered,” he said walking away. The air left your lungs in disappointment. It seemed you were to remain a stray cat. Jimin pressed his plump lips apologetically as he gave you enough coins to buy that bread, and you nodded, grateful all the same for his trying. You watched him rush to Jungkook’s side but when this one saw him, he turned around. “Hurry up, brat. If Taehyung gets that block of marble, I’ll not take you in.”

Since the first day, you could attest to Jeon Jungkook’s nature being as rough and uncouth as the rumours claimed, and after living alone with him for two months still believed gossip such as that he’d got the scar on his left cheek in a tavern fight—in which, if you’d chanced to be present, you would’ve rooted for the other individual.

It appeared it wasn’t just others Jungkook was harsh to. However rich his talent had turned him, he behaved like a poor man, consuming food and drink sparingly and out of necessity instead of pleasure, spending only the money required to live decently, sleeping little in order to work on commissions from dawn to midnight…

Why he chose to take little care of himself was a mystery to someone who previously had not been allowed a choice, even if putting work before all was in order to thwart Kim Taehyung’s plans of ruining his career, as he claimed. You doubted his rival was obsessed with him so, but had learned to agree with whatever Jungkook grumbled to avoid disputes. Most times.

Deep down, you had a feeling your boldness amused him. Who else dared get on his nerves?

“I think all you artists fluttering around the Pope are no more than slaves to money,” you let drop once while making his bed. Bam was sleeping peacefully under the window, while Jungkook leaning against the door’s frame behind you, offended to the core. He could help, you thought, or at least loosen my corset a little…

“I, a slave? I’ll be damned… There is an angel inside every block of marble, and I’ll have you know I carve to set it free.”

“Is it the angel that charges the Pope, then, master?” You could feel him barely restraining the urge to throw you out the window, smiled as you finished smoothing out the blankets.

“You missed a wrinkle there.”

Hands on your hips and frown on your brows, you examined the neatly arranged coverings of his bed. “Where?”

“On your face,” he muttered before making his leave.

Not his finest jibe, but the metaphor did stay with you. An angel inside the marble… It perhaps applied to Jungkook himself, though you’d never tell him.

One instance it came to mind was recently, when his assistants and apprentices were invited over for dinner.

Usually, he’d tell you which meals he liked and you’d ask at the marketplace which ingredients to buy, but now that about ten meals were to be cooked a list was needed. So there he sat on his desk in his study, inking said list as you waited in front of him, fiddling with the undershirt that peeked out of your dress’ sleeves. Given that your eyes were fixed on it, you only learned Jungkook was done when the sound of his quill scratching the paper ceased.

“Be back no later than dusk,” he ordered, “I bet there are still Germans and Spaniards lurking about.”

A year had passed since the Sack of Rome, but the mention of it sent a shiver of fear down your spine. Whatever the political reasons for it, you hated everyone involved, for Hell itself would’ve been a more beautiful sight to behold those nine months when the Tiber’s waters remained painted red…

You were lucky to make it through. Your family wasn’t.

“Yes, master.”

“Here,” he said handing you the paper, then picked another letter from a pile of correspondence he’d been going through before your arrival. Jungkook was about to snap its wax seal when he looked up to realise you hadn’t moved an inch. “Why are you here? Away with you!” He saw the reason in the way you avoided eye contact. “You can’t read, can you?” Met with a silence charged with embarrassment, he leaned back in his chair and sighed, “Give me the list.”

Getting hold of the quill again, Jungkook began… doodling?

You tilted your head but couldn’t see well what he was drawing until he finished and returned the list to you. Then, your lips parted. Each item on the list was illustrated next to its name: ten loaves of bread, a jug of wine, tortellini, four anchovies, two fennel soups…

“I’ll teach you to read when I have time. This will do for now.”

“You’d do that?” For me?

Jungkook ignored you, before he went back to reading his letters complimenting the good gesture with an irritated, “Hurry up.”

That night his co-workers arrived one by one, Jimin the first. The sight of him when you opened the door brightened up your mood.

Unlike a certain someone he was always sweet to you, genuinely interested to know how you fared even if you were just a servant. He claimed that mattered not to him, that you were both commoners and thus equals.

“Look at this place, it’s spotless! And you know I’m furtive, so I won’t get in your way,” you told Jimin as you escorted him through a hallway, bright from the torches hung on the walls that you’d lit up earlier.

He laughed, “I cannot make you my servant, Y/N, you’re maestro’s.”

“But he’s going to drive me mad… To tell you one of many examples, he often falls asleep in his clothes, and who but I is to take his boots off so they don’t get the sheets dirty? If the chalk on his fingers or the dust from the chiseling on his hair won’t already. Bam is far cleaner…”

Jungkook had a workshop he barely set foot in, preferred his team made use of it instead to not be bothered by their idiocy. His words. So it was in a chamber on the ground floor of this house he gave way to artistic insanity. In your book, that meant constant cleaning.

Jimin looked at you fondly. “Sounds nightmarish.”

“It truly is!”

As soon as the two of you entered the dining hall, Bam ran from Jungkook’s side by the fireplace to Jimin, who was as excited to see him.

“Good night, maes–”

“Do you think I’m deaf, ungrateful brat?” Jungkook interrupted him to bark at you. “Rome is full of people begging to get a piece of me, so if you don’t like it here, I’ll just get someone else!”

“You say that and yet keep me like a prisoner!”

“As if you don’t have it better here than anywhere you’ve burdened with your presence before!”

“There, there…” Jimin interjected to de-escalate, kneeling to better stroke Bam. “Maestro, I’ve seen your latest sketch of the Virgin and Child. She resembles Y/N.”

Both you and Jungkook failed to fight off the embarrassment, gazes unable to find a place to settle. Sitting down on the large table, he explained, “It was just one time… I had used Yoongi as a model, but the Madonna looked too masculine... and rather than going through the trouble of finding some girl and hiring her, I had Y/N pose for me… So what! Why bring it up out of nowhere…”

“Because maybe you just need a bit of distance from time to time. With permission, I too would have Y/N pose for m–”

“Absolutely not.”

“Now, why the hell not?” you groaned stamping your foot, startling poor Bam. Hope had been born inside you in a second and cruelly crushed in the next.

“Because I say so. And watch your tone with me.” As usual, the mutual glaring would trick anyone into thinking the next step would be murder. Jimin, who knelt there awkwardly, certainly thought so, at least until the bell rang. “Now go answer the door!”

What happened later, though, rendered the fury Jungkook had evoked in your heart nonexistent and instead seized the thing in a clasp of distress.

In the morning, he walked in when you were sweeping the kitchen. At once you forced the sobs to stop and turned around so he wouldn’t see you wipe your tears.

“It’s past nine, where’s breakfast?” he asked in shock that you hadn’t even started making it, the table there empty.

You swore under your breath before leaving the broomstick leaning against the nearest wall, flushed face kept out of Jungkook’s sight, then in a haste fetched a plate, a knife, and a leftover bread loaf. “Apologies, master, I forgot. I’ll be upstairs in a minute.”

Sniffling betrayed you, at which Jungkook frowned. “Are you crying?”

Great, the question just about especially designed to make one well up. Not trusting your voice anymore, you shook your head. Jungkook approached, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look away from the task at hand, now cutting a few slices of the bread.

“Have you broken something?” You shook your head again, the suppressed sobs making your chin tremble. Jungkook took a deep breath before asking with a surprisingly soothing tone, “Then what’s wrong?”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

Within an hour, he’d summoned a meeting consisting of all who’d attended dinner the previous night.

A seemingly calm Jungkook was sat at the head of the table, elbows sunk on it and fingers interlocked. You stood behind him, head still low out of shame. A tense silence had fallen in the chamber some time ago, and sick of it, Jimin shattered it.

“Have you anything to tell us, maestro?”

“I was waiting for Biagio to do so.”

The man was one of Jungkook’s favourite assistants who had worked with him for years, even longer than Jimin. And if it was possible for your position to be trickier, he belonged to some noble family.

“Me? But I’ve nothing to say, maestro.”

Jungkook leaned back in his chair. “My servant will, then. Y/N?”

Bastard. If you are going to fire me, why make me go through this?

“Last night, w-when I left this hall to go refill the wine jug… Messer Biagio followed me into the kitchen, and… h-he trapped me from behind, and started t-to touch me…” Your vision soon blurred, hence why you couldn’t see clearly how concerned Jimin was for you, or how Biagio jumped up in outrage. “I managed to push him away, and ran upst–”

“How dare you slander me, wench? Maestro, you do not believe this!”

“Do I not?”

“She’s lying! I caught her stealing sketches from your study, likely to sell them, so she’s trying to get rid of me!”

You almost scoffed. Only an idiot would choose the one occasion guests had come over and her absence would be noticed to carry out a theft.

Jungkook tilted his head. “I thought you had nothing to say. Why would you keep such a thing just now?”

Biagio gulped. “I deemed it best to mention it later, in private... You won’t believe a pickpocket before an old friend, will you?”

Silence returned, your breath still as you saw all the assistants and apprentices visibly take pity on him. The only one who didn’t was Jimin, but even on his face there was a hint of hesitation. Jungkook’s, you couldn’t see from behind, but after an eternity he stood up and walked over only to put a hand on the shoulder of Biagio, who smiled in relief.

A quiet sob broke through your lips, heart sinking. You’d needed Jungkook to believe you in this. Not because of the consequences his protection as your master could save you from, but because, like it or not… he was the closest thing to family you had.

It turned out he did believe you, judging by the punch landed on Biagio’s jaw out of nowhere. And the next one on his cheekbone, and on his nose. Before everyone around the table had barely stood up to stop Jungkook, he’d already thrown Biagio down and straddled him, pulling his doublet’s collar in a close, tight grip as he continued beating him up. Blood was drawn, but for once, you didn’t mind having to scrub it later.

Jungkook’s influence trumped a whole noble house’s, you learned in the course of the months Biagio tried his mightiest and failed most miserably to have him arrested. Perhaps because of the Pope sitting on his shoulder.

That he’d taken your side was still hard to believe, all he’d grumbled with a shrug when you thanked him while tending to his wounds from the fight being, “I’d been waiting for the chance. I always thought Biagio was a weasel.”

With the matter resolved, life returned to normal—well, whatever that meant in Jeon Jungkook’s household. Because calling for you at the top of his lungs like a madman was not normal. The first time he’d done it you’d raced downstairs, afraid something horrible had happened, only for him to have you close a window as it was getting chilly. Devil rot him. You rushed no longer after that, much to his complaints.

Today, he didn’t notice right away when you appeared under the cased opening, and good thing he didn’t, for he was polishing a bust with sandpaper… shirtless.

Product of hours carving stone into his desired shape or occasionally beating someone up, he could brag of having muscles, which the current task had covered in a layer of sweat and dust. The way they flexed with each movement had you compelled, wanting to reach out, feel if his skin was as hot as the blood pumping through your veins faster and faster. Then your gaze moved to the bust and whatever spell you were under broke.

Hardly an angel was that widowed noblewoman, whom you wished had stayed trapped inside a block of marble. Her name was Madonna Maddalena, and she’d come some weeks past to make a commission covered in pearls, gold, and boldness.

“My friends refused to accompany me today. You’re said to be… disagreeable, which I’m sure is untrue. However, all of them do want to know if you’re as fine-looking as is also rumoured, maestro” she told Jungkook within minutes of meeting him, still by the entrance!

Now you can tell them he’s not, you bit your tongue before it remarked, as this wasn’t Jimin but a patron not to be scared away by your bickering. It wouldn’t be true anyway. All your master lacked in manners, he made up for with looks… Which you’d never say out loud. You’d never say either that he looked even better when irked.

“I’ve heard many rumours about myself, most of them nonsense. My appearance was involved in none.”

She smiled seductively. “I suppose I’ll have to be the one to spread them.”

“The weather is pleasant today,” Jungkook changed the subject, flustered beneath the formal demeanour. “Shall we have wine in the garden?” You left to prepare it not before catching Maddalena raise her brow at you in disapproval. She must’ve been able to tell you thought she was a pompous cunt.

The beautiful flowers you cared for tried their best outside, but the air didn’t get any better.

Sat around a small table, Maddalena explained she wanted a bust of herself by his talented hand to decorate the main hall of her palazzo. You served them wine, not really listening until Jungkook started playing hard to get. The hundred times you’d told him it wasn’t a good tactic to make his labour out to be too prestigious had apparently fallen on deaf ears.

“Any other artist could carry this out, Madonna. I am working for the Pope these days…” he subtly scolded her, a mere mortal, for wasting his precious time. And he wondered why he had a reputation for being arrogant.

Maddalena put his thoughts into plain words, “So why should you stoop to taking commissions from an insignificant widow?”

“Correct,” you said under your breath, luckily heard by none from the background, where you stood holding a wine jug until the madonna raised her cup and you approached to refill it.

“It is then fortunate I’m to marry a nephew of the Pope’s.”

Swayed by her future influence, Jungkook smiled back. “So it is.”

“But not for another week. ‘Till then, I belong to no man.” The suggestion in her tone almost drove you to spill wine all over her. No, better yet: order Bam to sic on her. He’d do it.

Just, who did this woman think she was? And why did Jungkook not kick her out right afterwards? It made you wonder whether he’d enjoyed the flirtation. Whether he would’ve been the one to take things further had his inconvenient servant not been present. It was common for men to have affairs and lovers, but it didn’t sit well with you that Jungkook might. Not that you ever imagined him doing any of that, for goodness’ sake–

“What took you so long?”

Jungkook’s voice brought you back to the present, under the cased opening.

“I was lazing about, as always,” you quoted his favourite false reprimand, making him roll his eyes, your own dropping to the floor when he walked closer.

“In that case, prepare a bath for me.”

“Yes, master.”

You sighed at all the work ahead. That being a servant was worlds better than living in the streets didn’t mean you looked forward to collecting gallons of water from a well, carrying them back, heating them, transferring them to a tub, then washing Jungkook—because you did wash him.

Biagio had hurt his left shoulder bad and ever since, he’d needed assistance in certain activities. Curious how he could otherwise chisel a goddamned bust without problem.

Jungkook’s full nudity only made you blush if you stopped scrubbing, so knelt with tucked up sleeves before the wooden tub he was reclined on, scrubbing away the dirt on his skin with lavender-scented soap you were. Maybe all the stupid feelings you’d been suffering lately stemmed from there…

Head resting on the edge, he was exhausted from the long day of work, taking your rubbing as a relaxing massage. You, however, couldn’t ignore the stinging guilt, what with the scar on his shoulder right in front of your face. He probably felt your breathing on it.

“I’m sorry you got hurt…”

Jungkook fought heavy lids only to see you avoid him. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable in front of him was embarrassing, as when he’d caught you crying, but he didn’t take advantage of the fact to humiliate you. Jungkook may be an ogre, but he wasn’t cruel.

“I’ve received worse for less,” he assured you in a calm, low voice. It sounded soothing to your ears.

“That, I don’t doubt,” you scoffed, glancing at his other scar on the cheek. “Did you also get that one in defence of some lady?”

“You’re nowhere close to a lady.” It could be done, you mused. Drowning him. “This was courtesy of my brother.”

“You have a brother?” It dawned on you how little you knew of him. Surely, most had heard it all about the divine Jeon Jungkook, but you’d never cared enough to learn past the shell of gossip, even after months of living with him. In fairness, he’d never asked about you either. You preferred it that way.

“Brothers,” he corrected you. “The one who did this to me was a wayward fool. Had to teach him a lesson.”

“Looks like he taught one to you.”

“I left with a scratch, he with a limp.” The conception of two brothers hurting each other so harshly widened your eyes for a second, and Jungkook noticed, for he added, “He was whoring around, wasting the money I worked hard to send, bullying our other brothers as well.”

Much made sense about Jungkook all of a sudden. Not his personality, that was incomprehensible. But why he killed himself to earn money and yet barely spent it… He had a family to provide for. Once again, you were reminded of his metaphor. Could an angel be in there?

Carrying on washing Jungkook, you dragged the sponge over to his neck. Then his collarbones, his chest, his abs just peaking above the water... They did look like a sculpture’s, especially wet and soaped, reminiscent of polished marble when the light of the torches reflected on them. Swallowing hard, the back of your fingers gingerly graced Jungkook’s muscles, both soft and firm. Slippery. Whatever possessed you to keep feeling them, you lacked the will to expel from your body, and so without realising your grip on the sponge loosened until it fell to float away, fingertips now free to roam over his abs.

You were slowly trailing downwards, past the water’s surface, when your wrist was seized and held in the air in a warning manner, the startle almost making you scream.

Sat upright, Jungkook was glaring at you so fiercely you feared for your life. But he didn’t say anything and instead just breathed hard, jaw clenched… almost as if he was holding back. Your rising heartbeat was deafening in the silence waiting for something to happen, anything, but what did wasn’t what a side of you anticipated with excitement.

Jungkook just let go of your wrist and returned to his previous position, and you got hold of the sponge and finished washing him, albeit holding your breath the entire time.

Days later, you came dangerously close to being fired.

The Pope had summoned Jungkook—something about a portrait commission—and you were to carry his bag filled with sketches for him due to his shoulder injury. As you navigated the ever-busy streets of Rome with him, the cold autumn breeze made you regret not putting on an overgown. The cioppa you’d bought with your own salary and not stolen. It brought a smile to your lips that faded at the realisation your mother would’ve reminded you to put it on before going out.

The sorrow pestering you turned to confusion when Jungkook stopped walking and tsked, telling you loud enough to be heard by all, “Look at him, the chief of police, with such an assemblage.”

A well-dressed man and what appeared to be his entourage walked in your direction, halting near enough. You didn’t have to ask to know this was his rival, the renowned painter Kim Taehyung.

“Whereas you, like an executioner, walk alone,” he mocked Jungkook, then noticed you standing behind him like a timid child. “Not completely, my mistake. Maestro, where in your barren soil did you plant such a flower?” He walked over to you, intentionally bumping Jungkook’s wounded shoulder as he passed, causing him to grunt lowly. From up close one was bound to marvel at how handsome Taehyung was, but you didn’t need proximity to tell he was a prick. Miles away, you would’ve known. “Why don’t you come work for me, flower? I’ll make you my muse.”

Jungkook scoffed again, “What, for your horseshit paintings? She’d be a fool to.”

Taehyung turned around to face him, feigning confusion with a smile. “But, maestro, how could they be so if you were once heard saying that all I have in art, I got from you?”

"You naturally have to resort to plagiarising my master’s genius if all you do is horseshit,” you countered, earning surprised looks from every man present, some laughs too, you were proud to say. Jungkook was certainly smirking. Taehyung opened his mouth, but you walked past him uninterested before a response came out of it.

“Good girl,” Jungkook laughed while leaving the crime scene, and for some reason your cheeks burned hot.

The incident happened once inside the Vatican.

Its grandiose corridors alone made you feel small, too unimportant to walk them, whereas Jungkook did so with determination, knowing he belonged at the top of the world. What with your tempestuous relationship, it was easy to forget he was famous throughout Europe. His feet would still never be kissed by you. Someone had to humble the man, right?

At some point the two of you arrived at a door flanked by guards, and averse, you grabbed the sleeve of Jungkook’s doublet.

“Do I have to go in?”

“Too good for the Pope, are you?” He shook you off. “Come on.”

“Damn you…” you muttered.

“What did you just say to me?”

“After you, master.”

Telling himself he’d be late if he scolded you, Jungkook turned and nodded at the guards, who opened the door of a chamber whose walls were frescoed with angels and saints, likely by Taehyung, giving off the impression one was in Heaven. When you saw him sat on a golden chair, old and grey, enjoying the tune of a lute player, you felt as though you’d just entered Hell.

The audience lasted for ever. While you stood by the door, Jungkook showed the Pope some sketches of the portrait for him to choose his favourite and then they talked and talked of politics. All you could do was fix your gaze somewhere on the floor and sigh.

“Yes, Your Holiness, this is the servant I mentioned…” A frown proceeded your looking up to see Jungkook somewhat embarrassed, scratching his nose as if to hide his face. He talked of you to others? Doubtless to complain…

With a sweet voice as if he was talking to a little girl, the Pope asked you, “What is your name?”

“None of your business, Your Holiness.”

The musician’s tune ceased abruptly, allowing Jungkook’s faint gasp to be heard. Then fell a short silence spent by the Pope blinking, taken aback. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me.”

Jungkook was quick to fake a laugh, though sweat formed at his temples. “A jest! She meant no offence, Your Holiness, but to make you laugh.”

You held the Pope’s glare in defiance, indifferent to the fact he was the most powerful man in the whole of Christendom.

By some miracle, he let it go, and you left that chamber minutes later with your head as yet attached to your body. Your arm wouldn’t be for much longer, though, given Jungkook was forcibly dragging you all the way out to the streets, pushing you into the first alley he saw.

“Are you out of your mind?!” he shouted, towering over you menacingly. Unlike the day you’d met, you weren’t scared, rather furious as him as you stood your ground. “That was the Pope, you fool!”

“So?”

Jungkook was in utter disbelief. “He could’ve ordered your execution– mine too!”

“Well, nothing happened!”

“Nothing?! I’m sure to fall out of favour!” He paced around, anxiety quickening his breath. “Years of pouring my soul into my craft, of grovelling before the right people, all thrown away! Good God, your attitude may cost me everything…”

“And what about me?! Everything lost to me does not matter?!”

Jungkook stopped to frown. “What the hell are you talking about?”

It was now you who walked up to him. “I didn’t have a job, or a reputation, or admirers. I had only a family, and I never wished for anything else! That monster you work for took them from me. When the foreigners’ armies came and everyone rushed to Castel Sant’Angelo, he gave the order to close the gates as soon as he was safe behind them! You must have been there with him, weren’t you? Well, we weren’t. We were left outside to be slaughtered. And I wish I had been, like my parents, so I didn’t have to suffer the likes of you any longer!”

Tears were streaming down your face by the end, Jungkook just staring back at you. It didn’t surprise him that your parents were dead or that they’d been killed during the Sack, but that it was so deep a wound left festering in your heart that you didn’t mind being put out of misery. He surmised your disrespectful behaviour towards him was also fruit of your pain, especially if you deemed him an ally of the one who caused it.

“The few things I own… They’re wasted on me. Throw them away or give them to your next servant,” you sobbed, taking for granted you were fired. Anyone with half a brain would indeed have you dismissed, and part of you knew it was bound to happen, that you would go back to breaking in fucking churches to spend the night.

So you turned around into the main street, set on wandering until your legs became too sore not to collapse. With any luck, a carriage would run over you. But warmth then surrounded your hand, and you looked down to see Jungkook’s holding it tight enough to force you to halt. Though still mad, a hint of compassion sparkled in his eyes.

“Let’s… Let us just go home.”

Home. His house had felt so for a while now, truth be told. Himself too.

After that, you non-verbally agreed on a ceasefire—avoiding quarrels, that is, which was quite the task for both.

Such as now that Jungkook had you inking down a letter in his name. First of all, did you look like a scribe? If you’d known in advance the lazy arse would teach you to read and write for this, you’d have chosen to remain illiterate. And second, this was your short break before making dinner, intended to be spent playing with Bam. The poor thing was also in the study, at least being stroked by his owner, who was sat beside you on the desk.

“… I send you my regards, may God keep you from all harm. Jeon Jungkook in Rome,” he finally finished dictating, and you recording. “Give it to me, I’ll seal it.”

He was melting the wax with which to do so when the bell rang, to his surprise. Sighing, you stood up and went to open the door to whom turned out to be Jimin. The sight of him brightened you up, and yours stretched his lips into a smile.

“Evening, Y/N.”

“Good evening! I didn’t know the master was expecting you.”

“He isn’t…” You welcomed him in, brows joining at how he continuously chewed on his aforementioned lip and breathed deep through his nose as he followed you. Had something happened…? A decision to eavesdrop was made en route to the study.

Though Jimin requested for you to stay once there, and nothing could have prepared you for the reason why.

“This actually concerns Y/N…” You and Jungkook exchanged confused looks, him leaning against the desk and crossing arms as though he didn’t like the sound of that. Jimin fixed his already perfect clothes before addressing him, “I’ve come to ask for her hand in marriage.” Your jaw dropped. “I know it’s sudden at the lack of previous courtship, but I thought I should ask for your permission before engaging in it, maestro. She’s a lovely girl… and I think she’d be happy as my wife. Worry not, I won’t ask for a dowry or for her to stop working… Although on second thought, fewer hours of service would be ideal.”

This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be happening.

Jungkook must be thinking the same, for he squinted to ask, “Are you drunk?”

“N-No, of course not.”

“Are you sure? You want to marry a servant with little to her name.” He had a point, so you weren’t offended. If politics weren’t the reason for a union, did this mean… Jimin had feelings for you?

“Maestro, you say it as if I were a lord,” he chuckled. “I don’t care about Y/N’s possessions, I’ll provide for her anyway. I’ve… always been fond of her. And I dare say she shares the sentiment.”

Betrayal hid safely behind a look that asked if there was any truth to that. Obviously not! There was no romance in your own fondness for Jimin. If anything, you had thought he saw you as a younger sister to look after, therefore as a protective older brother you saw him. But so shocked were you still that no words managed to come out, and Jungkook’s gaze shifted back to Jimin.

“I’ll think about it. You may go.”

A curt tone was the norm for Jungkook, it was not being granted his blessing that disappointed Jimin. He knew for a fact he was an honourable man, so why wouldn't he entrust you to him?

“Quite well… I’ll show myself out.” he uttered, before making his leave failing to hide his low spirit by giving you one last shy smile you hadn’t the heart to return.

An awkward silence filled the air that even Bam daren’t break. Only once the front door was heard shutting did you walk closer to Jungkook.

“You won’t agree to this, will you?”

“Why shouldn’t I? I have to get rid of you at some point.”

“Rid of me? Like I’m a burden?” you asked, voice rising. How a servant could be so was unknown to you until, like wooden ship toys did when you’d submerge them in a bucket of water as a child, certain guesses surfaced in your thoughts. Trying to pickpocket him, the constant clashing, Biagio, that bath, the Pope… Yes, you may perhaps be described as a burden. But you didn’t want to leave. With a calmer tone, you pleaded, “I’ll behave from now on. I won’t cause any more trouble, I swear.”

Jungkook didn’t deign to look your way as he left, followed by Bam. “You have to marry at some point, Y/N. Otherwise people will gossip.”

Since when did he care about what people said of him? And why should you?

Winter having dropped its anchor, nightfall arrived early. Not early enough, you brooded as you cooked dinner, longing for the day to end once and for all. With any hope, all of this was a nightmare and upon waking up in the morning life would go back to normal. You didn’t even know why you wanted to stay with Jungkook, as the occasions in which you’d begged Jimin to employ you to leave this house were countless. The only certain thing was that you were upset.

Later, after washing all plates and cups, you began to put off all torches lighting the house, finding out in the hall that Jungkook hadn’t moved from the seat he’d dined in. You considered carrying on with your job and leaving him in the dark, but he wouldn’t find it as funny. Instead, you stood before him.

“Will that be all, master?”

The coldness in your expression made him sigh, “Y/N–”

“I shall retire, then.” You turned to leave but were made to stop in your tracks.

“It’s an advantageous proposal for you,” he lectured to whom he must believe an idiot. “Jimin works for me, he’s wealthy. A better match than you could ever aspire to. And he asks for no dowry because he doesn’t want money, he wants you…” His words were tainted with resentment. “He’ll take good care of you.”

Skirt of your dress swirling along, you faked a smile. “If you think so, master, then it must be so.”

He shook his head as he leaned back in defeat. “Suit yourself, but I won’t be the one to reject Jimin. You crush his heart.”

A laugh escaped you. “If you genuinely cared about him, you wouldn’t let him marry a woman in love with–” Oh no. It only hit you as you were saying it.

Jungkook had appeared annoyed, but now he was mad. “Who?” He stood up abruptly—chair’s feet scratching against the floor making you wince—and walked so close you were backed against the wall, face forced to turn to a side. In a low, deep voice, he repeated, less as a question and more as an order this time, “Who.”

There was no way in the nine circles of Hell you’d say it, when you didn’t want to believe it in the first place. For fuck’s sake, why? Jungkook only ever made you want to get away from him. That was the case right now, but then… why were your feet frozen?

Some unreasonable part of you seemed to have prevailed upon the others, casting away all resistance from your body and allowing yourself to indulge in Jungkook’s proximity. You met his eyes without fear, held his dark gaze. It didn’t take him long to work it out, yet he kept close, so close your unsteady breaths mingled, the effect akin to intoxication. He was visibly trying to hold back, telling himself it’d be a bad idea, but you prayed he wouldn’t care.

By God or the Devil, your prayers were heard.

Jungkook finally smashed his lips into yours, devouring them with a hunger you shared and felt growing as he gripped your waist to press you against him. A minute ago, you wouldn’t have imagined his tongue belonged inside your mouth, swirling around your own, and now you wanted it all over your body. As if reading your mind, Jungkook broke the ardent kiss to move down to your neck, which he licked painfully slowly before sucking hard, making you hiss with pleasure. He knew that would leave a mark, the bastard. You wondered if it was meant for Jimin, so he’d see you were Jungkook’s, and in such case you didn’t mind, let your eyelids close to enjoy it.

Steered by the lust possessing you, one hand grabbed his soft hair in a fistful, keeping his head in place where he was sweetly abusing your neck, while the other travelled southwards until it reached his crotch and held it over the trousers, feeling his cock stiffen. Jungkook groaned—a vibration to your skin—in retaliation lifting your skirt. You’d thought he'd take his time, tease you, but after ensuring you were wet enough by gliding his middle finger along your core, he slid it inside and began making beckoning motions.

“Master…” you moaned, legs shaking. Jungkook forsook your neck to pull back, watch how you struggled to keep it together as he added another finger, curling and uncurling them both, hitting all the right places, and unwilling to give him that satisfaction without consequences you groped his erection with the same vigour. Although he was in good control of his expression, his breath quivered against your lips, so he kissed them again, biting hard into your lower one.

He exhaled, “You’re driving me to sin…”

Indeed, the same fingers that held the brushes when he painted religious artwork were buried deep inside your cunt, bringing you the most sinful ecstasy. It made you chuckle. Jungkook took that as the mockery it was and, crossed, pulled his fingers out of you to drag you by the arm to the edge of the table, where he had you sit. Without delay he lifted your skirt again, only this time he also pulled down his trousers to reveal his cock, thick and throbbing, which he pumped as he watched you spread your legs eagerly, ready to take all of him.

With his free hand Jungkook cupped your cheek, thumb caressing your lower lip, coated with saliva and reddened still from when he’d bit it. He could sense your desire, that you craved him inside, had for a while. Desperately. And however much tempted he was to make you beg for it, his own arousal led his cock to your entrance and eased it inside already, another groan hitting the back of his bared teeth. You didn’t have time to gasp, his thrusts so quick they earned only moans, so wonderful did it feel.

Jungkook’s hand on your cheek then wrapped around your neck. “Do you know how often I’ve fantasised strangling you?”

You chuckled again as you slapped him across the face. Jungkook halted his movements in shock, glared at you. “And I slapping you?”

It took him a moment, but he scoffed and pushed you back so that you were lying down, climbing next atop you, confident that the wooden table was sturdy enough to hold both. So legs hooked around his torso and arms around his neck, you welcomed his thrusts, rough enough to make your eyes water. But it felt heavenly, how he ravished you... The mutual irritation and tension building up for over half a year translated into indescribable pleasure.

He kissed you again, flicking his tongue against yours as he pounded into you without mercy. Overwhelmed by the sensation, all you could do to express you were nearing your limit was sink your nails into Jungkook’s biceps at each side of you, moan inside his mouth. He took the hint and fucked you as fast as his body would allow, within mere seconds your walls clenching tight around him. The sight of you collapsing under him, overcome with bliss, made him reach his own highest shortly, spurting his warm seed inside you.

As his movements gradually ceased, so did your panting. Before a complete silence fell, you asked, “Am I still to marry Jimin?”

Jungkook grabbed your face and growled against your pouted lips, “You’re not going anywhere.”

#bts au #jeon jungkook #jeon jungkook x reader #jungkook x reader #jungkook imagine #bts jungkook #jungkook angst #jungkook smut #bts #bts x reader #bts fanfiction #bts scenarios #bangtan imagine #bts smut #jeon jungkook scenarios #bts fic #jeongguk #bangtan #bts x you

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2hightocare · 29 days

Text

DOWN BAD! 01

Synopsis: Despite undeniable chemistry, your guys’ relationship remains undefined, caught between playful teasing to deeper, unspoken longing,

Pairings: bad boy! jungkook x fem! reader

Genre: friends to lovers. college au.

Warnings: toxicity, jealousy, explicit content, angsty, smoking, usage of drugs and alcohol, fighting, profanity, slowburn, jungkook and oc are literally in love but do nothing about it, crying, hurtful words being thrown out when arguing, slapping.

a/n: IM BACK!! this is something super different than anything I have ever wrote sooooo… but i actually really love it. This would be a two-shot. Hope you enjoy🪽🪽 <3

pinterest board. playlist 02! 03!

"He pisses me off," you say while dropping onto the couch with a loud annoyed sigh, catching Taehyung's and Dahlia's attention.

"What did he do now?" Taehyung jokes, adjusting his tie on his uniform. "Look at another girl, that's what he did," you clench your teeth, fighting the urge to roll your eyes. Your fingers play with the hem of your short navy squared skirt.

Your friends let out a collective laugh, making you scoff at them. "He asked a girl for a cigarette," you mumble under your breath, feeling the pang of jealousy hit your heart.

"Morning," a deep voice speaks from behind you, sending shivers down your body almost automatically. Your brows furrow as Jungkook makes his way beside you on the small couch in the lounge room after acknowledging his friends. His white button-up is opened, revealing a peak of his skin, which annoys you. He tugs on his navy tie, the same one as yours, undoing it and letting it hang loosely around his neck.

"Are you done being mad?" He tilts his head to the side, staring at you. His breath smells of the cigarette he had been smoking, the same one he accepted from a girl who had a crush on him, which irked you. You almost wanted to snatch the cigarette from his lips and stomp on it like a child when he lit it up.

"No, I'm not done being mad," you scoff, getting up from the couch in a swift motion. Jungkook lets out a frustrated sigh behind you before reaching for your skirt and pulling it down.

"Too short," he says, ignoring your whole tantrum.

You don’t reply. Instead, you smack his hand away from your ass before picking up your backpack and throwing it at him.

"Let’s go to class," you say, crossing your arms in front of you, making your boobs push up from the white button-up—you had intentionally left two buttons open after seeing him. His eyes immediately drop to your chest, and Jungkook pokes his cheek with his tongue on the inside before letting out a soft growl and reaching to button up your shirt.

"You’re insufferable," he lets out, fixing your shirt.

"You’re insufferable," you mock back, earning a grin from him.

"Are you ready to talk to me?" He bites his bottom lip, picking up your pink backpack and hanging it over his shoulder, something he was used to doing by now. "No, but the attitude is kinda hot, not gonna lie," you say, before making your way to your first period, with Jungkook trailing behind you like a puppy on a leash.

You and Jungkook weren’t dating, nor were you friends with benefits either. You were just friends with feelings bigger than Mount Everest. It all started on the first day of sophomore year of high school.

“No more fights, okay. First day only and you already got into a fight,” Namjoon blows out a sigh, running a hand down his face.

Jungkook scoffs, pulling on his tie. “This uniform is pissing me off.” He growls, ignoring Namjoon's attempt to coax him into a conversation about controlling his anger issues. Jungkook wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of it, especially today.

“Yeah, well, fancy private schools love their uniforms,” Namjoon jokes, but Jungkook's expression remains jaded.

“Anyways, you’re lucky you didn’t get suspended,” Namjoon continues, shooting Taehyung a look that screams for help.

“Lucky? I would’ve preferred if they expelled me,” Jungkook mumbles, leaning back on his chair, throwing his head back in annoyance.

Before Namjoon could mutter another response about self-sabotaging, a female voice catches Jungkook's interest. “I don’t give a fuck, she literally ripped my new tights,” you whine, your hair disheveled, the lipstick once on your lips now smeared, and your new black over-the-knee tights, ripped.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you could tackle her to the ground, Yn,” another girl says, nudging you, which makes you pout more. “My mom is going to kill me for getting into a fight on the first day.” You sit down in front of Jungkook, not even glancing his way, throwing your pink backpack on the ground beside you, keeping your eyes on the ground.

Jungkook takes notice of your appearance, and his heart rate skyrockets. You were beautiful, like an angel, but Jungkook knew better than to think you were innocent. The skirt was much shorter than it was supposed to be, your blouse more open than closed, which had Jungkook's eyes dropping to the tie between your tits, taking notice of the cross necklace hanging on your neck.

Angel with dirty wings. Jungkook thought to himself as he took you in, the smeared lipstick adding to your allure. Your full and pouty messy lips, had him imagining things only he imagined when he was in his room at night with his hand wrapped around his cock.

Instead, he's sitting at the front office with a pretty girl in front of him for the same reason he was. As he is thinking about far more inappropriate things than fighting. Before Jungkook could look away, your eyes met his.

“You’re new,” you grin at the bruised-up boy manspreading with a matching grin on his face in front of you.

“I am,” Jungkook replies, licking his bloody bottom lip with his tongue. Eyes still remain glued to yours as you nod. “I’ve never seen you around,” you state, tilting your head to the side, leaning forward.

“And I’m pretty sure I would remember someone that looked like you,” you continue, taking him in. The black blazer, with the school logo, he was supposed to be wearing was discarded on the chair beside him, leaving him in the white button-up, sleeves rolled up halfway, giving you a full view of the veins on his arms. His black hair was tousled on his head, the bloody lip made him hotter than you cared to admit.

“Is this a way of telling me you don’t have a boyfriend?” Jungkook flirts, ignoring his friends' obvious stares from beside him.

“Not yet,” you quirk, tapping your finger on your bare thigh. “What’s your name?” you ask, wanting to know more about the boy in front of you besides the fact that he gets into fights on the first day of school.

“Does it matter? You’ll be calling me “baby” by the end of the day,” Jungkook says aloof, which gets him a small smile from you. “Smooth,” you shrug, leaning backward.

"Angel," he says, his hands snaking around your waist, pulling you in.

"Hi," you smile at him, your eyes twinkling with unspoken affection.

"Hi," Jungkook responds, his dimple carving into his skin as he leans forward, his nose touching yours, nuzzling—a short, quick gesture that steals the air from your lungs. You almost feel yourself hanging onto these moments by a thread—moments where he isn’t high or drunk out of his mind or fighting with anyone who pisses him off in the slightest.

"Do you like my costume?" You flutter your eyelashes at him sarcastically, eliciting a small laugh as he throws his head back into the wall. "I don’t know, do I?" he says, his tone dipped in enticing sarcasm. His tattooed hand drops lower on your back, causing your breath to hitch in your mouth.

The music suddenly muffles out as you focus on Jungkook’s finger dipping into the waistband of your skirt. "You look pretty," he whispers into your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

"Where’s your halo, baby?" he says, pulling on your perfectly curled hair, making you look up at him. "Lost it while I was dancing," you pout, wrapping your arms around his waist, pulling him in closer to you.

You’ve never understood when people said, “home could be a person,” but you hundred percent get it now. It's almost embarrassing how quickly you melt into his embrace, your limbs relaxing—inhaling his scent. Your brain suddenly shuts down, not thinking about anything besides him, the moment he wraps his arms over your shoulders, dropping his lips on the crown of your head, leaving a soft kiss there.

"Don’t smile," you jut out, peeping your head up to see the small curved smile displayed on his face. "Why not?" he pokes, amusement clear in his face as his smile widens, deepening his dimples.

"Stop," you giggle, placing a small hand over his face.

"What?" he chuckles, getting a hold of your hand, giving your wrist a kiss before letting it hang beside you. "Your dimples are showing, and they’re only mine to see. Bitches love dimples," you say, only making him smile more.

Anyone else who saw Jungkook smiling all giddy at you would know better than to poke fun at him—but it was rare to see Jungkook smiling and laughing so casually out in the open. Behind closed doors, Jungkook was the epitome of a teddy bear; he loved head and back scratches and loved being a little spoon, all contrary to his dark clothes, cigarettes hanging from his mouth, and the heavy amount of alcohol he could consume.

"Be a good boyfriend and stop smiling, please," you quip, untangling from his embrace and looking around for Dahlia, only to be met with her making out with Taehyung on the countertop.

"I’m not your boyfriend, angel," Jungkook says beside you, putting a hand over your shoulders, taking a chug out of his beer.

"Oh yeah, my bad. I forgot. You’re my bitch," you turn to look at him, a mischievous smile on your face, which has him playfully rolling his eyes, mumbling something under his breath that you couldn’t quite catch before he took his arm off your shoulder, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cigarette.

"Let’s go outside," he holds out his hand, which you don’t think twice before intertwining yours with his. You feel giddy as you walk past the crowd holding his hand, as he leads you outside. You hated how many small moments like this had you wanting more from him, knowing this is the most he could ever give you. Jungkook had walls larger than the walls of China. You tried your hardest to stand up on your tiptoes and look. But whenever you got a sneak peek from what's inside, Jungkook built them right back up.

Ever since sophomore year of high school, you had the hugest crush on Jungkook, and you knew deep down he did too, but he never said anything all these years. It was embarrassing how you found yourself waiting for him—you couldn’t help it; your heart basically beat for him.

As you both reach a tall seat wall, before you know it, he's picking you up and placing you on the cold brick wall. Goosebumps appear on your bare thighs while he rubs his warm, calloused hands up and down.

"Cold," you whine, looking down at your angel costume—the white, flowy short skirt, your long white knee-high socks with the tall heels. And don’t forget your lace white top that kept getting tangled with your belly piercing. "I know ways to keep you warm," Jungkook waggles his eyebrows, moving closer to you. You feel his hands on your knees, opening your legs before he steps in between them. The closeness was something you were used to—the cheek kisses, the hand on your thigh, but never this. He was too close to your face—you could feel his warm breath whenever he would breathe. You felt your chest heave as everything you wanted was for him to put his lips on yours. Jungkook's face moved closer in.

You felt your heart stop in your chest almost abruptly. If it wasn't for his face millimeters away from yours, you would think you just had a heart attack.

Your eyelids fluttered closed, waiting for his lips to make contact with yours, but you're met with nothing. Then you feel the warmth of his hand on your thighs disappear, and the same with his body between your legs. You open your eyes to be met with Jungkook lighting up a joint instead of a cigarette. Before you could stop yourself, you pull it out of his mouth with a hard tug.

"What the fuck," Jungkook says, an unreadable expression on his face when he looks at you. "Are you fucking serious?" Your eyebrows furrow as you throw the rolled-up paper somewhere far—jumping down the wall. Your heels click on the pavement as you walk closer to him. The heels didn't do anything for you, as you still had to look up at him to meet his eyes.

"You said you’d stop," your voice cracks like your heart, as you push on his chest.

"It's just weed," Jungkook lets out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "That's what you said at first then you ended up in my room, high off oxy. So don't tell me it's just weed, Jungkook," you shove him, sending him tumbling backward.

The knock on your window sends your soul leaping out of your body. The sight of your favorite boy outside has your heart beating faster—it's past midnight, so seeing him there sends a different feeling down your body.

“Hi, what are you doing here?” You ask, opening the window to let him climb in. His eyes don’t meet yours as he walks in and sits on your bed, watching you close the window.

“Just wanted to see you,” Jungkook mumbles softly, his voice raspy.

“Well... hi,” you say as you drop beside him on your bed. “Hi,” he says, his eyes avoiding eye contact as he looks down at his twiddling fingers.

“What’s wrong?” You ask, worry picking up as your hand moves to his cheek. His skin is hot under your palm as you move his face to look at you.

The moment his eyes lock with yours, you feel as if the ground disappears beneath you. Jungkook's eyes are unnervingly vacant, the pupils dilated into enlarged black circles.

“What did you take?” Your voice cracks, holding his face in your hands as he slumps into you. “Baby... don’t be mad,” he slurs, his eyes fluttering closed—your hand immediately goes to his heart, finding his heartbeat. This isn’t the first time this has happened; it’s a repeating cycle where he gets high, ends up at your house, and you hear every apology in the book, but it doesn’t mean anything since he’d do it again. The new thing is you don’t yell anymore; instead, you feel the tears start rolling down your face.

“Fuck. Don’t cry. Yell at me, be mad,” Jungkook slurs, trying to reach for you, only for his arm to drop beside him.

“I can’t...” you sob, “why do you do this?” Another sob racks through your body as you pull him into your chest in a hug. His body is limp in your arms.

“Baby... I’m so fucking sorry,” he groans into your chest as you squeeze your eyes shut, trying to calm down. “I love you,” he whispers, and you feel like you can’t breathe as another sob breaks out of you.

“Tell me when you’re sober,” you sniffle, knowing he wouldn’t remember in the morning, laying him down onto your bed and placing the pink covers over his shaking body. You know you’re just feeding into the cycle, but right now all you can do is cry. You prefer him in the safety of your room instead of outside on the streets. So instead, you wrap your arms around him and pray to god he’ll be okay.

“Why do you give a fuck about what I do?” Jungkook scoffs, “it’s none of your business,” he continues, but now it’s your turn to scoff.

“Right, it’s none of my business, asshole,” you throw out.

“You just don’t get it, do you? I’m not good for you,” Jungkook says, his tone much higher than he had anticipated. “I don’t give a fuck, I want you. Don’t you get that,” you frustratedly point your finger into his chest, almost annoyed that he still didn’t get it.

“You want this?” He motions between us, “us fighting all the time, because that’s all we do,” Jungkook scowls, the hard expression on his face has your heart shattering—you almost even hear the cracks as he continues to talk.

“I don’t need you being all up in my business; you’re not my mother,” Jungkook says, letting out a sigh of frustration—rubbing a hand over his face. “I care about you,” you say, looking at him, your voice betraying you as it cracks, again.

“Don’t,” he steps backwards, a shaky laugh escaping him as he avoids meeting your eyes. “Why?” You find yourself asking, making his head snap to look at you.

“Why what?” He asks, brows furrowed as he locks eyes with yours.

“Why did you lead me on then? If you don’t want me,” you ask, wrapping your hands over your waist, feeling vulnerable out in the open as you lay your heart in front of the man you were in love with. He had two choices, break it or carefully pick it up and lock it somewhere safe. You were praying he would pick option two—instead, he decided on the first option.

“What other reason would there be?” Jungkook says, his tone low, stepping closer to you, backing you into the brick wall. Your eyes move to his lips then back to his eyes.

“Maybe because you so easily would open your legs for me. All I have to do is ask,” he spits out. Before you know it, your hand is making contact with his cheek.

“Fuck you,” your teeth clench as you feel a tear stream down your face, “and this is why you shouldn’t want me,” Jungkook clicks his tongue before stepping away from you— a pained expression on his face.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. Come back,” you hurriedly say as your eyes fill with tears, watching him walk away into the dark street.

2K notes · View notes

aajjks · 25 days

Text

Baby O Baby (m)

synopsis. Is it really a little happy accident?

warnings. ëxplïcït sèx, ünprôtèctèd sèx, bábytráppïng, cúmmïng insïde, fèm!rèàder, rèplácïng bïrth côntrôl w/ô cônsènt, cóarcátïôn, 18+ smút, kïssïng, prôfánïty, ábôrtíön, mânïpülátïôn.

note. tc jk in a modern universe HAHAHA. shouto’s ver on my anime blog, check it out. please talk to this new jk and SHARE FEEDBACK.

smut below MDNI.

No no no no.

You hadn’t realised that a tear escaped your eye, your blurry gaze was focused on your shaky hand. The white blue stick in your hand trembled. “N-No..” you could barely whisper. Your legs felt wobbly all of a sudden, the two bright red straight lines was all you could focus on.

You were pregnant.

You couldn’t believe this, horror filled your eyes as you kept staring, the longer you stared, the more suffocated you were beginning to feel. The large grey bathroom felt like a small cave, your mouth trembled as you inhaled a shaky breath in, “fuck fuck fuck!!” You cried, finally letting it out, the bile that rose up to your throat almost made you want to throw up again.

How could you not have known?

A broken cry left your mouth as you fell down to your knees, it all came rushing back to you. You tried to be careful, you had warned Jungkook, your boyfriend.

P-Please Koo… n-not inside…” you moaned out his name as the man panted breathlessly in the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent, the seductive feeling of his lips made you tingle. his face was nuzzled in your neck as he only thrusted harder. You heard him grunt deeply, the feeling only made your eyes almost roll back to your head as you tried your best to hold back another moan that threatened to spill from your swollen lips.

Jungkook ignored you. He was so busy, buried deep inside you as he desperately tried to chase his high, his fingers gripped onto your naked shoulders as he mewled weakly in your neck.

“Fuck baby… you feel so fuckin good, could stay buried deep inside you forever.. fuck…” his voice was rough and deep, there was a hint of desperation in his tone, the way he hit all of your weak spots made you see black dots.

He felt so good.

“Love you so fucking much, baby.. love you too much…” he pressed a kiss on your neck as you felt him loosing himself inside you.

“F-Fuck Jungkook- n-not inside p-please-ah fuck..” a sharp thrust interrupted you as you felt his hip bucking up. “C-Can’t help it baby… you feel like heaven all clenched up around me… please ‘dont wanna pull out… please Y/N… let me have completely please..”

He rocked his hips into you, the force almost making you bounce up, he was strong, undeniably so, but the way he made those shameful lewd sounds made you think otherwise. He pulled your body closer, his hair was sweaty, he had been at it for hours, making you feel exhausted almost, after almost milking you out multiple times, you felt tired.

But he was making you feel so fucking good, it was almost impossible for you to stop him.

“M’gonna fill you full of me… “‘youre mine aren’t you?” His next thrust inside your core made your toes curl, a deep grunt erupted from his throat. Your core felt like it was actually on fire, the feeling of him inside you was almost addictive,

He fit so perfectly inside you.

He rocked his hips into yours and a broken moan left you at the lewd contact of his skin into yours. Your legs unknowingly wrapped around his waist, his hands only caged you into him, locking you into place. Not giving you a moment to resist him.

Your nails dig deeper into his buffed back, his teeth bit down into your shoulders. “F-Fuck that felt so good baby please don’t stop!” He begged.

A loud whine left his lips as he began to pump his hips into yours, his rhythm was fast and brutal, you whined, your consciousness immediately shut down as he sank himself deeper inside you, a pathetic whine escaped your lips as you felt something tightening up.

“fuck baby ‘m gonna go insane if i don’t cum, gonna fuck you full of me…” that was all you heard him say as he came inside you, and the next thing you knew,

You were full of him, as he swallowed your moans by kissing you passionately on the lips.

And you were too late to realise.

Until now.

A knock interrupted your flashback as you heard a familiar voice and your heart skipped a beat, “Y-Y/N can I come in? Are you okay? Why are you crying? Please tell me what’s wrong? Sweetheart?” It was Jungkook, “Y/N you’ve been in the bathroom for so long now, You feelin’ okay, baby?” He continued, his tone was so gentle that it should’ve relaxed you,

But except it didn't. “I told you that we should go see a doctor! Y/N you haven’t been feeling well for a month! Please let’s just go!” You heard him plea to you, he beat his fist against the door again.

Until you were forced to open the door and come out.

Your head hurt, stress was building up inside you, Jungkook’s heart dropped in his chest as he saw your face, filled with hot tears. “B-Baby?” He stuttered as he pulled you into a tight hug, “what’s wrong? Are you okay?” He kissed the crown of your head as he caressed your head, in an attempt to calm your shaking body down.

“K-Koo…” you cried on your boyfriend's warmth, his big muscles flexed as he tightened his hold on you.

You were both too young to have a baby… that was all you could think of. “Yes, baby tell me, what’s wrong?” He whispered carefully, as he pressed small pecks on your hair. His scent calms you down but only for a bit as reality hits you once again.

“Y/N baby?” Jungkook deep voice called out for you, you were only 23 and he was 26…

“Jungkook I’m p-pregnant!” You choked out, tears still fresh, falling from your red eyes. As you remove yourself from his grip, you fall down to your knees, your hands cover your face, you start sobbing again.

Would jungkook leave you now?

You were busy crying when you didn’t notice a big smile taking over his face, but only for a moment as he quickly concealed it and got on his knees, on your level. “W-What?” He stuttered.

He was playing dumb with you.

Were you really telling the truth? Had Jungkook really succeeded?

His hands fell on your back as he tried to pick you up. “Baby please answer me? Are you sure?” He looked at you, a hint of hope in his eyes.

You always adored children, you would love yours too, he was sure, almost as much as loved you.

“Yes jungkook! I-I took seven tests!” You sobbed. “We’re n-not ready! Please.”

Jungkook couldn’t slip up, it was hard for him to mask his happiness, but he managed to sound shocked and confused.

He almost tsked. He was more than ready. And he knew that deep down, you were too, you were just shocked, that’s it, right?

“Jungkook! H-How is this even possible?!? I was on birth control?! I didn’t t-think much about missing my period last month, a-and I thought that the morning sickness was because of the stress of my job…” you hiccuped, Jungkook’s heart broke seeing you like that.

But in reality, this was all his plan. He wanted to get you pregnant for as long as he could remember. The first time he ever saw you, he fell head over heels for you, fast and hard.

You were beautiful, ethereal and perfect, you were a goddess that anyone would kill to have.

And that’s exactly what he did. But still, that was not enough to secure you from slipping up from him.

He couldn’t bring himself to risk losing you.

So that’s why he replaced your birth control pills with fake ones. Of course you didn’t know that.

He just couldn’t believe that he was going to be a dad and you were going to be a mommy.

If Jungkook was being honest, he’d always wanted to make you a mommy.

Oh, you would be such a great mommy… jungkook had been fantasising about this moment for so long, your belly swollen ever so beautifully with his child in your pretty womb…

Jungkook exhaled a shaky breath out as the images flashed before his eyes.

His dream finally came true.

“I-I don’t know what I’m gonna do, koo! What are w-we gonna do! We’re too young for a baby right now!” You panicked.

“I-I’m probably gonna have an abo-NO!” Jungkook’s eyes snapped open at your words, his words boomed across the large walls of his room. “I-I mean, baby relax… please think with a cool mind..” he picked your body up. You stared at him with shocked eyes.

His body felt giddy, he was so happy.

“We’re gonna figure this out together okay? Together…” he kissed your head again, as he nuzzled his nose against yours. “Don’t you worry… we’re gonna be in this… together.” He cooed.

“Baby this is our happy little accident,” he cooed again. Kissing your lips chastely and not giving you a chance to argue.

Was it really though?

The answer was simple, No.

1K notes · View notes

jeonggukieverse · 7 months

Note

So I saw you were taking requests, how about writing on this idea that Jungkook is dating someone (they have been dating for a long time) who would always smile and say it's okay whenever Jk misses out on important things of y/n's life, and the boys would constantly hint that jk should give y/n more time. Jk gets super sad once she realises that he might be not making y/n happy anymore. A fluffy ending please. 💓 I hope this isn't too much ...

Mind & Music

Pairing: Composer Jungkook x Academic Female Reader

Genre: Established relationship, Absolutely Filthy Smut, Fluff, Angsty

Warnings: Unprotected sex (wrap it up babes), mentions impregnation

Word count: 10k+

My first fic in ages! Feels good to be writing again~ This in not proofread because I was to excited to be uploading again hahah.

This request has been in my inbox for ages, thank you for being patient anon. Love ya

Let me know how you guys like it

- Ryeon <3

He isn’t here. You half expected him not to be.

Still, you found yourself gazing into the audience half expecting to see that specific mop of black hair. Again, disappointment pulls at your heart as you still don’t find it.

You hear your name being called and it snapped you out of your disheartening thoughts. You stood up and walked over to the podium and began your speech.

“Thank you all for coming out today. It’s a privilege to be presented with this award. I am honoured to be standing here in front of you as the youngest recipient of the universities achievement of the decade award. Though I would not have been able to do this without the support and guidance of- “

You pause for a moment as you saw familiar smiling faces staring back at you in the crowd. Yoongi and Tae beamed at you from the back of the auditorium. Even from so far away, you could still feel the smiles radiating from their faces. You mirrored their expressions and met their proud grins with one of your own as you continued your speech. Having them here almost made all of your butterflies flutter away. Almost. Cause only the presence of one person could have caused them to disappear completely.

After the ceremony was over, you rushed out to find your friends. You spotted them stood by the food table munching on some snacks. Your eyes locked with Tae’s first as you ran towards both men and rugby tackled them both into a giant bear hug.

“Y/N-ah! Please, be careful! You could have knocked over my cucumber sandwich” You rolled your eyes at Taehyung ‘smocking tone.

“Cucumber? That’s a little bland for you Kim Taehyung”

“First of all, don’t use my government name in public and second of all, it’s the best option this place has to offer. I mean, I get it, it’s Yonsei’s international focused program so it’s going to cater to foreigners but babe, you are in Korea! Where are the spices? Where is the flavour? Where is the taste?” He ranted while wiggling the pale looking sandwich in his hand. You giggled but you couldn’t deny he was wrong.

“Hey! As a foreigner, I do not claim this cuisine” You retorted.

“If you say so” Tae rolled his eyes.

You shook your head at him then turned your attention to the quiet figure next to you.

Yoongi smiled and held his hand towards you.

“The youngest recipient of the achievement of the decade award, huh? Very impressive”

Coming from anyone else, that sentence would have come out as painfully sarcastic but you knew coming from yoongi, it was the highest compliment he could have bestowed on a human being. You completely ignored his attempt at a hand shake and pulled him into a tight hug instead that he gladly accepted.

Yoongi was the first friend you had made in Korea. You had met on a language exchange app. He was the only guy you had spoken to that hadn’t asked to go ‘eat ramen’ with you, go ‘see his cat’ or ask you to join a cult. But still you carried pepper spray in your bag when you agreed to meet him at the coffee shop because stranger danger is still a thing. It turns out you didn’t need it cause Yoongi was the sweetest guy you had ever met. Blunt as hell but lovely still. You recalled fondly that upon your first meeting that he had told you that your Korean pronunciation was like an elementary school kid. Did it sting? Absolutely. Was it the last time he would say something like that? Absolutely not. But he made sure you improved and got better. He decided midway through your friendship that learning English was ‘too troublesome’ for him. He had made up his mind that listening to you speak English occasionally was the best way to learn…Sure yoongs.

It was actually Yoongi that introduced you to your boyfriend. Speaking of

“So where is he?”

Yoongi’s smile dropped slightly as he absorbed your change in mood.

“He’s in the studio with Joon. They’re still working on finalising the soundtrack.”

You forced a smile on your face, sensing the awkwardness in his voice.

“Ah, its okay! He’s working, I’m happy he at least has a good excuse! If he was at home playing overwatch or something, I would have been super mad” you said hoping your joking tone would mask your disappointment.

Taehyung chuckled but you know Yoongi could read you like a book. He knew how you really felt.

“Let’s go! The rest of the guys said they’d be at the bar, right? I want to show them how cute I look in all my graduation gear. Seokjin is going to die of jealousy cause there is no way in hell he looked this good on his graduation”

“He’s gonna murder you for even insinuating that” Tae gasped in feigned shock.

“I’d like to see him try” you sang as you skipped in the middle of the two men. You hooked both of your arms in theirs and pulled them towards the exit.

“There she is!”

This was the first thing you heard before you were met with a flurry of applause and cheers as you stepped into the bar.

You saw the gang sat at your regular booths now decorated with pink and white balloons and confetti. The table adorned with gifts and ‘congratulations banners’. Jimin, Seokjin, Hobi and Jennie stood there holding bottles of champaign. You felt your eyes start to well up, completely touched by the kind gesture.

“Aww you guys” you spoke, voice wavering.

“Ha! Pay up Seokjin, I told you Y/N would start crying before she even sat down! Thanks Y/N, you just won me 50000 won” Jennie exclaimed.

“No! Technically, she hasn’t cried! No tears have fallen from her eyes. C’mon Y/N keep it together” Jin begged.

“Sorry Jin, I gotta get my girl her money” You replied, blinking hard so the tears would run down your cheeks.

The group erupted in laughter as Soekjin took out his wallet.

“That’s enough you two. Tonight, is about Y/N. Congratulations sweetheart.” Jimin said as he pulled you into a hug. You accepted his embrace but you found yourself looking over his shoulder to see if your boyfriend was amongst the crowd. He wasn’t.

“Yeah, it’s about me! And my goal is to be as drunk as possible by the end of the night!” you proclaimed earning you more cheers from the group. Hopefully if you’re drunk, this feeling of disappointment will eventually go away.

And it does. After 4 shots of soju, 2 vodka lemonades and a weird cocktail concoction Jimin force fed you, you were feeling better than ever. You were on the dance floor with Jennie having the time of your life. That was until you felt arms wrap around your waist.

Oh hell no.

You spun yourself around ready to fight whoever in the hell thought they could touch you unprovoked. Before you could administer your first blow, you were met with a pair of beautifully familiar brown eyes.

There he was. Jeon Jungkook.

Your fighting stance shifted as you reached up to wrap your arms around his neck to envelop him in a warm hold. You inhaled his scent as he began to lovingly plant soft kisses in the crook of your neck. You felt a familiar fire start to burn at the pit of your stomach. His innocent gesture in your drunken state was igniting a reaction in you that you were eager to explore.

“I’m sorry baby” he whispered in your ear.

And just like that, the feeling was gone. At those three words your vagina dried up quicker than the Sahara Desert. Cause as quickly as you had forgotten, you were reminded once again that he had let you down again. But could you be mad? He was working. This had been his dream since he was a little kid and they were so close to finalising this project, they just needed to finish to complete some final composition. Could you be mad at him? You decide once again, that you couldn’t. Once again, you put his needs before yours. You pulled away from his shoulder and met his face. You plastered a fake smile on and put on another show.

“Baby, don’t be silly! Don’t worry about it, you’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

“Thank you, baby. I’ll make it up to you”

“I know you will”

And he did.

The next day, Jungkook took you out to a beautiful dinner to celebrate your achievement. You loved him and you appreciated the gesture, you always did. But you couldn’t help still feeling hurt.

You supported Jungkook, you always had and you always would.

It’s funny to think about how devoted you were to him considering how rocky your fist interaction was.

Jungkook was Yoongi’s roommate. You and yoongi had been friends now for about four months before he finally decided to invite you over to his apartment. You had to say, this made you very nervous because Yoongi had always been such a private guy. You knew enough about him to say that you were friends but he always kept himself to himself. This was a part of him that was refreshing to you, really. He was excellent at establishing boundaries. You’ve never had a friend like that before. He was very mature but also very kind and very sweet. So, when he invited you over to game night with his friends you were ecstatic. It’s finally felt like he let you in and that you became real friends.

And as excited as you were, you were equally nervous. Yoongi had told you bits and pieces about his friends but he assured you they were all really nice.

You were still on edge but you assured yourself that you were a pleasant person! You had come out of your shell so much in the last couple of months. Your introverted personality had been spun on its head and you were now someone completely different. The constant support from Yoongi and your advancements in your career had made you feel absolutely unstoppable.

And isn’t it amazing? How months of character development can be wiped away in 2 seconds.

As soon as you walked into Yoongi’s apartment, you wished you could walk right back out because the second your eyes met with Jeon Jungkook it was very apparent, he did not like you. Like, at all.

The boy, who had previously been laughing and talking to his friend, made eye contact with you and completely shut down. The smile fell from his face and his body suddenly became stiff and rigid. He looked at you for a millisecond before tearing away eye contact completely.

You tried to ignore him. You really did because the rest of Yoongi’s friends were so cool. They made you feel welcome and you felt almost at ease. But still, your consciousness couldn’t help but wonder over to the pale, inked up boy stood in the kitchen dressed in an oversized t-shirt and ripped black denim.

As much as you tried to ignore it, his coldness didn’t alleviate through the night as you’d hoped. In fact, not only did it not get better; it got worse as the night went on. As everyone kept drinking more and more you felt yourself become a little bolder. What was this guys problem? You haven’t done anything to him, he had no reason to be this hostile to you.

You raised this with Namjoon, another one of Yoongi’s roommates, who assured you that Jungkook was always a little weary of strangers. He was a shy person that had great difficulty adjusting to new people. His advice was to give him time to warm up to you and when you felt ready, try and start a casual conversation.

But it wasn’t as if you hadn’t tried that. You’d made several attempts through the night to try and speak to him to at least extend the olive branch but each time he refused running away from you as if you had some kind of disease. You were sick of it.

You saw him alone on the balcony a few hours later and realised that this was your chance. You marched up to the doors and slipped out to give this guy a piece of your mind. Hearing the noise behind him Jungkook turned his head to be met with you. Again, panic started to run through his body as he tried to make an escape around you but you would not let him.

“What is your problem?! What did I do to you why are you so weird towards me? I know Yoongi and Namjoon said that you are very selective with your friends and that’s cool but I don’t know what I did to make you dislike me so much. Fucking hell, we just met today! What could I possibly have done that hurt your feelings so much?!” You yelled at him. Your words slightly slurred. Liquid courage was really on your side tonight cause there was no way in hell sober Y/N could yell at him like this. Especially hear on the balcony, his beautiful face illuminated by the moonlight. And the way the evening breeze ruffled through his dark locks made him look like an actual prince.

“Woah, where did you get the impression that I didn’t like you?”

Huh?!

His almost idiotic question quickly snapped you out of your thoughts. Was he being serious right now? Or is he just making fun of you?

“Are you kidding me? You haven’t looked at me the entire night, you haven’t introduced yourself and every time I come over to you to try and get some kind of conversation going you run off. Now tell me why are you doing all of that and not speaking to me like a normal human being !?”

“Because I think you’re pretty! And I’m intimidated by you!”

Eh?

You remained silent for what felt like forever. Did he really just say that or did you just imagine it? No, there is no way he woul-

“Jesus Christ, say something! Anything!” He huffed. Now putting the half empty beer bottle to his lips to stop his mouth from humiliating him even further.

Well, Jungkook thought, if he’s going to humiliate himself may as well fully go for it.

“You think Yoongi hasn’t told us about you? He’s told us how incredible you are. About how you’re a transfer student at the most prestigious college in Korea. About how you’re on track to be the recipient for the ‘biggest brain ever in the whole century award’ or whatever its called. He made you sound so cool; I was banking on you at least being a little bit of an asshole but again, Yoongi’s stories proved us wrong. He told us about how you willing let a random little girl sit next to you for 2 hours at a café because she wanted to practice speaking to you to improve her English. And if im being honest, the more I heard the more I wanted to meet you but when you came in today, looking as fucking beautiful as you do. Which Yoongi coincidentally forgot to mention which is funny cause he mentioned every- fucking -thing else. When you came in…”

He paused and let out a sigh. Breathing for what seemed like the first time since beginning his outburst.

“…When you came in, I realised how far away from me you were. And I dint have any business even speaking to you. We wouldn’t have anything in common and it would make me realise how inadequate I actually am”.

There was a pause again. Slowly, you began to let out a small giggle. Your small giggle quickly erupted into a full-bodied belly laugh. Your stomach began to hurt and your eyes began to water. You had to lean on the balcony door for support as you surely felt you would pass out.

During your breakdown, Jungkook could only stare at you his head tilted to the side like a confused bunny. His eyes fell to the floor as your laughter pierced him like a knife and was the cherry on top of his mortification.

“And you think Yoongi hasn’t told me about you, Jeon Jungkook?” You asked as your laughter subsided.

“Jeon Jungkook, the musical prodigy. The Jeon Jungkook that could play the piano before he could even walk. The Jeon Jungkook that everyone refers to as the Golden Maknae because you’re so good at everything. Your friends are very vocal about not just your talents in your field but also socially. Apparently, you’re the reason you guys even exist as a friend group. You were the one to make friends with each of them and bring them all together. Do you know how impressive that is?! But I’m intimidating cause I’m a little smart and I’m not mean to children? You are something else Jeon Jungkook.”

Jungkook paused again. A chuckle escaped his mouth as his laughter then began to mimic yours. You joined him again as both of you stood on the balcony laughing with or at each other. You must have looked like maniacs but at the time both of you were too buzzed to care.

Either way, this broke the ice between both of you as you were both able to bypass each other’s extensive achievements and finally got to know each other as people.

You’ll never forget that night. You and Jungkook sat on that balcony from 10pm to 7am, long after the others had left or gone to bed. Just talking about anything and everything until you both reached a comfortable silence.

And as the sun was rising, welcoming a brand-new morning you nudged Jungkook’s hand. His head lazily turned towards yours and he met you with a dimpled smile.

“For what it’s worth” You smiled back.

“I think you’re pretty and I’m intimidated by you too”

That was 5 years ago and you and balcony boy have been inseparable ever since. You had now been there for every single important moment in each other’s life. Well…Almost.

3 years ago, Jungkook and Namjoon got the opportunity to produce a music score for a short film. Despite the films small budget, it managed to exceed all expectations and ended up getting nominated for a golden globe! You were ecstatic and so fucking proud of him. You felt like his talents and hard work were finally getting realised.

Little did you know it would be a bittersweet moment for yours and Jungkook’s relationship. Naturally as more eyes were on the film, more ears were listening to the soundtrack. This had your boyfriend pulled off to here there and everywhere in front of directors and movie studios all interested in investing in the musical duo. And finally they had been hired to compose an entire score to a new movie for a huge studio! This movie in particular, Jungkook had begged and pleaded for. He said the scrip and film premise really spoke to him and were perfect and he needed to compose this movie. This was such a huge deal for them and again you were over the moon. But there were downsides. During the first year after their debut you saw Jungkook 10 times that whole year. You spoke almost every day but almost every conversation ended in an argument. It was either and argument about you feeling neglected or him not feeling supported and it sucked. It really took a toll on both of you.

The second year was much better. This time for a bit more of a selfish reason. The film studio had its own recording studio in Seoul only a 20-minute walk from yours and Jungkook’s apartment! He was finally able to be home more and you could actually spend time together. And so you did.

Honestly, the first 6 months Jungkook was back home all you guys did was fuck. It was constant and almost none stop. You fucked in every room of the house at all hours of the day. You couldn’t keep your hands off each other.

There was a day you both decided to take a break from having sex and just play some video games together. It took you both all of 5 minutes before sonic was long forgotten about and you were bent over the sofa.

It was very romantic really. But even that joy was short lived.

Jungkook prioritised his art. That was one thing you’d always respected and admired about him. Even the way he talked about music that wasn’t his, he painted the emotions of the music into words to explain to you the way a piece made him feel. He could describe to you in detail the way the crescendos bend in the moments before it’s about to fall. About how the vibrations of the violins is the most romantic sound ever to grace the human consciousness. He was an artist through and through. His music was him and he was his music. They were one and could not be separated. But that raised a question for you:

Where did you fit in?

This is what made the dinner you were on now very melancholic. It was to make up for him missing your award acceptance.

He was sorry. You knew he was but you couldn’t ignore that this was your forth make up dinner this year: First was your birthday, second was your anniversary, third was dinner with your parents (that they had specifically flown out to Korea for) and the forth was the award. The award he knew you were on track to get before he’d even met you. The award you’d poured your heart into getting and the one you’d sacrificed so much for. But he was sorry, right? Plus, he had promised to make it up to you. Next week your professor had invited you to the university to give a special lecture to other projected recipients of the award you’d just achieved. It was a high honour as these students were the best and the brightest students from countries all over the world and of all the recipients to give the lecture, they had requested you! There have been recipients before you that had gone on to win Nobel Peace Prizes but they had specifically requested you. And Jungkook was so proud of you.

“Are you okay, little mouse? You seem a little quiet tonight”. Jungkook asked, genuine concern apparent on his face.

“I’m just thinking bunny boy.”

“About me?” He winked at you, almost cartoonishly.

“Bunny boy, how can you cross my mind if you never leave it” you winked back at him with the same playfully cartoonish obnoxiousness.

“Ooh that’s going on my list”

For the past 5 years of your relationship Jungkook has been keeping a list of things you say to him that makes him smile. This list has always confused you cause it would always be the silliest stuff. Once, when he was sleeping, you went and snooped through his notes app just to see this list and you couldn’t believe it. You were expecting the most romantic phrases or compliments that fluffed his ego but instead, the top three (out of four thousand!) were:

“I’d fight a microwave for you”

“You smell like home”

“I think you’re pretty and I’m intimidated by you too”

You woke him up immediately to ask about it. But his only defence was they were phrases you said that make him smile. You’re understanding of his list was ‘irrelevant’ to him.

God, you loved him.

“You’re so silly. But seriously Kookie; don’t worry, I’m good. Plus, you’re the one who’s been talking my ear off all night. I’m surprised you’ve even noticed me being quite” You quipped playfully, taking a sip of your wine.

“Ooh, someone’s feisty tonight. I forgot what red wine does to you” He quipped back; eyebrows now raised highlighting the metal bar that accented it.

God, he was cool.

“How could you forget? The first time we met I was wine drunk”

“Ah yes, how could I forget. You get very mouthy off of red wine. Don’t worry, I know how I can put that mouth to good use”

“Jeon Jungkook!” You yelled at him in a whisper. Eyes darting around to see if anyone had heard your boyfriends lewd comment. Luck for you the other couples around you’re were too infatuated with their partners to even notice you guys.

“Well, while were in pubic, put that mouth to better use and tell me about your day” he said, now leaning back in his chair.

“Well, my day was pretty calm actually. It makes a change. I was walking Ban and bumped into Holly and Yoongi. We were talking about next week and he asked if he could bring a plus one. Wink, wink”

“A plus one! Is Yoongi dating?! In the 12 years I’ve known the guy he has never shown romantic interest in anyone. I can’t even imagine his type. Did he give you any information”?!

“Nah, you know how he is. Yoongi will only let you know what he wants you to know”

“True. What’s going on next week?”

You paused for a second and started chuckling. He was kidding. He had to be.

The smile then fell from your face when he didn’t share in your laughter.

“Oh my god you’re serious? You forgot about my lecture”?!

He gasped and began coughing as the bite of steak he had just put into his mouth had just gone down the wrong pipe.

“Of course not baby, how could I forget something so important to you” he continued to splutter.

You stared back at him. The good mood you had felt a moment ago had completely evaporated. You waited for him to gain his composure so he could explain himself cause boy he had some explaining to do.

“Just for giggles and fun and jokes, what date is your lecture again?”

“The fifteenth” you said, shortly.

His face fell and his eyes stayed stuck on his plate.

“Baby…Please don’t hate me. That’s the night we have the final run through of the soundtrack with the director. I can’t miss that…I’m so s- “

“You’re so sorry. Im sure you are.” You stood up.

You grabbed your purse and you stormed out away from him. You could hear him calling your name but the burn of your throat as you fought back the tears overpowered his calls.

How could he? No, how could you? How could you ever expect anything different. You will always be second to his first love and that was a pain you had to learn to live with.

The moment you left the restaurant and the cold air of the night hit your face you decided to just let the tears fall. You sobbed as you walked further and further away from him.

You heard the rhythmic pounding of laced up docks hitting the pavement behind you.

“Y/N please I’m sorry. Just let me explain…”

“No! There is nothing you could say that would fix this! I have always been there for you! I have supported you from the very beginning! Every piece of music you have ever played for me I have cherished as if it were my own and you used to support me too! At my first presentation you were there. Cheering at the top of your lungs in a silent room. You used to be my number one cheerleader but now when all I ask of you, is to just show up? You can’t do it. And every chance I give you to fix it. You let me down. Jungkook, I need some time away from you. I’m going to be staying with Yoongi for a few days”.

You said nothing more. You spun around and walked the 2 minutes to Yoongi’s apartment. And true to your word you stayed with them till the day before your lecture.

Despite being a creative Jungkook worked like clockwork. Every single day at the same 3 times a day Jungkook would try to call you. The call was always followed by an ‘I love you’ text but today was different. After the second call of the day the text that followed said:

“I know this is such a fucking reach and such a huge ask but would you mind swinging around our apartment today at around 3? Director Anderson would like to speak to you. I know you probably still need your space so I’ll be in the apartment but I’ll be in the bedroom. I’ll come out only when you’ve left, I promise. Please come”

He really had some fucking nerve. That ‘please come’ at the end of his text almost sent your blood boiling.

“You should talk to him,” said a familiar voice.

Your turned your whole body around on the sofa so Yoongi could see your eyes roll at his suggestion.

“Yoongs, I feel like it shouldn’t be me your having this conversation with. You should try telling him not to break commitments to people”

“Oh I have! That’s why I’m telling you, you need to speak to him. I know it’s none of my business but I think you guys just need to talk it out. And even if you don’t have anything to say, at least hear the boy out” he finalised before turning on his heels and heading back into his room.

That wasn’t the speech you were expecting but it did calm you down enough to re-read Jungkook’s text. Your boiling rage had now been replaced with intrigue and curiosity. The meeting was requested by the director of the film? This was very unusual. You had heard about the director in passing but you had never spoken directly before. But you had decided that you were going to go. You we determined to look the man who practically stole your boyfriend for years in the face and lecture him about respecting his colleagues work/life balance! Plus it will be good practice for your lecture tomorrow. Two birds, one stone.

It would be an absolute lie to say that you weren’t missing Jungkook. You knew the apartment would smell like him and you hoped you may be able to swipe one of his t-shirts to sleep in before you leave.

You ubered over to your apartment and stood before the oak front door feeling oddly nervous. To took a shaky breath and inserted the passcode: 5318008 (you and Jungkook were children at heart cause you both laughed for hours after agreeing upon the code).

Upon hearing the beeping of the lock to confirm the door was unlocked you pushed it open. You stepped in, removed your shoes and couldn’t help the solemn smile that crept onto your face. Jungkook’s scent hit you as soon as you entered the room.

God, you missed him.

You strode inside and were met with a recognisable figure sitting upright on your sofa. His back stood tall and his hair was a mousy brown colour. It was so bizarre seeing him here. There was an uncanny feeling, seeing this man you knew but had never met sat in your living room.

He must have felt you staring at him because his head soon whipped around.

“Y/N. So nice to finally meet you.” He stood up and walked over to you shoving his hand out towards you. You shook it hesitantly. His hands were cold and clammy but his eyes were warm. He was tall and chubby but he wasn’t foreboding, in fact he seemed rather friendly Damnit. You wanted him to be an asshole, it would have made telling him what was on your mind so much easier.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr Anderson” you said as coldly as you could muster.

“Mr Anderson is so formal, just call me James. Although its strange. We’re meeting for the first time but it feels as if I have already met you” His German accent becoming more apparent as he spoke.

“And why is that?”

“Ah, that is why I asked Jungkook to invite you over. Although it does feel strange extending you an invitation to your home” he chuckled to himself.

He invited you to sit down on the couch, it was only then that you noticed a laptop connected to your TV.

“What’s all this?” you asked. Genuinely curious.

“I have a little something for you to watch. It may make explaining why I asked you hear a little more apparent. Please, have a seat my dear” he guided you to the sofa as you plopped yourself down. Eyes glued to the screen.

You anticipated what would happen next when a familiar tune began to play. You knew it was Jungkook’s composition as soon as you heard it. Suddenly an animated mouse popped up on the screen. She was in the wings of a stage, obviously nervous but she strolled out into the spotlight in front of a stoic audience of other animals. Just as she was about to speak there was suddenly a loud whooping from the crowd that interrupted the slow score. It was a bunny. A bunny with banners and whistles and confetti and he was cheering for her. The others in the audience told him to be quite but he exclaimed ‘That’s my girlfriend’ still as proud as can be.

The trailer played on and you slowly started to get it. It was you. This little mouse was you. Tears welled up in your eyes as yours and Jungkook’s entire relationship began to play in front of you. All your highs and your lows. It was beautiful and the accompaniment of his music made the tears pour from your eyes until it was over.

You turned back to James and attempted to speak but only blubbers could come out.

“Let me explain Y/N. When Jungkook and Namjoon came out to LA to play some stuff for the studio the only thing the boy would speak about, other than music, was you my dear. Jungkook and I sat for hours speaking about you. He told these elaborate stories about how you met, who you are and about the adventures you got into together. It was indeed very fascinating to me, you almost seemed like a heroine in his very own story. He bragged about your achievements almost as if they were his own. According to him, you are the smartest woman on the planet my dear and he would not be told otherwise. Oh, congratulations on the achievement of the decade award! And the youngest recipient at that? Incredible work my dear, just incredible. Jungkook went into great detail about what a huge deal that was. Needless to say the day after the networking event I went home and began writing the script for ‘Mouse & Bunny – Mind & Music’. I had just never seen someone so passionate about another person. His passion for you far outweighs his passion for his craft, that much was apparent, it was awe inspiring and I had to bring It to the screen. I think that is why Jungkook fought so hard to be the lead composer for the soundtrack. He wanted to intertwine the two loves of his life”.

You sat there in complete shock for a moment before jumping into James’s arms and engulfed him into a hug. His moustache tickled your shoulder as he chuckled and said he was happy to have cleared things up. As he packed up his laptop, he was asking you so many questions, probably attempting to confirm the validity of Jungkook’s stories:

“Did you really fight a microwave”

“I most certainly did”

“Did you really use protein powder as flour for a cake?”

“I most certainly did”

“Did you really not know the earth went around the sun?”

“That son of a-… no comment”

He snorted as he packed up the last of his things. You walked him to the door but he turned to you before saying his final goodbyes.

“Y/N, it seems wrong for me to give the final approval for the soundtrack. I’ve heard it and I know it’s the most beautiful accompaniment to the film but it seems only fitting that the muse gets to give the final say so. Take the afternoon to listen to it and pass your notes to Jungkook. If you like it, I’ll approve it. So there should be no need for my originally planned final listen tomorrow. Jungkook seemed like he wanted to attend something much more important tomorrow anyway” He winked at you as he closed your door.

You didn’t even wait for the door to fully shut before you were sprinting to your shared bedroom.

The pitter patter of your bare feet slapping the wood floor could almost not be heard over the beating of your heart. You bust open the door to see the love of your live leaning over his piano.

You must have given him such a fright as his big boba eyes were the first to greet you.

“Y/N I-“

You crashed your lips onto his, completely cutting him off.

“I am the stupidest person in the world.”

Jungkook laughs, standing up beside you.

“No little mouse, why do you say that” he said with a soft smile while he caressed your tear-stained face.

“I don’t know why I didn’t just ask! I’m so- “

“Even if you asked, I probably wouldn’t have told you. I wanted things to be a surprise. But baby, first I needed to apologise, like really apologise”

“You have nothing to be sorry for”

“Yes, I do. Ever since I met you, you brought light into my world. I wanted to express to you my love in the best way I knew how and this project, to me, was the best way for me to put into the world how I felt about you. But I was selfish, I took my expression of love and put it above all the things I knew you had work so hard to achieve. In a way, I put my love above yours and I will forever be sorry and I can assure you, it won’t happen again. I love you Y/N L/N”

You reward his confession with another kiss, pulling him into your arms soon after.

you sighed, almost longingly. “Whatever shall I do with my bunny boy?”

“Whatever shall I do with my little mouse?” Jungkook chuckles, pressing a kiss against the side of your ear, drawing soothing circles on your hip.

He gently placed you down against your mattress. You clung to him and giggled

You stay quiet, appreciating the comfort of Jungkook’s presence.

God, he smelled good.

“Okay,” he purrs, caressing your hip as he repositioned himself more securely. “I get it. My pretty girl must’ve missed me, huh? A week away? It felt more like a lifetime” You nodded in response. Terrified that if you spoke, your voice would fail you.

Jungkook shifted, the hand that was previously on your hip swiftly fell over your thigh instead. “Or should I say my smart girl?” he hums as his hand slipped between your thighs. “My smart, pretty, intimidating girl?”

Your eyes flutter closed and you revel in the feeling of him running his fingers over the front of your panties. Your toes curl at the sudden pressure.

“Ah,” you hissed.

“Hmm?” he says, mouthing against the crook of your neck. His mouth feels so warm, but the trails of saliva he leaves have you shivering. “My smart girl doesn’t have anything smart to say?”

“N-No,” you tried to scoff back, fingernails digging into his skin through his shirt. His hands were getting braver now as he slipped his hand beneath your waistband, and touched your wet heat head on. “Baby.”

Jungkook chuckled at your immediate submission for his touch and took the opportunity to connect his mouth back you yours. You whimpered in surprise, legs trembling as he gets to work circling your hardening bud. Your thighs are squirming, clenching around his hand every few moments.

You bit down a whine. “I was just…” you trailed off as he teased his index and middle fingers against your opening.

“Just what baby? Just thinking?” he said as he finally pushed himself off of you and propped himself up with an elbow beside your head. His gaze became a familiar dark. He moved at a godlike speed as he snatched his hand out from where you had previously trapped him between your legs.

Jungkook pulled away from you and rolled his neck, the joints in his spine cracking as he begins pulling off his shirt. You had to stop yourself from drooling at the sight of him.

He threw his shirt off to the side of the bed, his sleeve of tattoos that wrapped around his bicep and crawled down his chest were wonderfully free now. “My eyes are up here, little mouse” he said and your eyes immediately shot back up to meet his gaze. He leaned towards you, muscled arms coming to cage you in against the headboard.

“No one is looking at your eyes bunny boy” you attempted to quip back. Completely failing to mask the tremor in your voice. Jungkook always had a way of making you feel powerless under his gaze when he was on top of you like this.

His hand grabbed beneath your knee and yanked you unforgivingly until you were slumped down onto your back with a squeak. You settled with his knee pressed directly against your core. Jungkook stayed towering over you.

He placed his hand gently around the base of your neck as he leaned in to properly grind his thigh into you. “Is that right? No one’s looking at my eyes, huh?” he murmured darkly, thumb pressing a little harder into the side of your neck. You sobbed, soaked panties rubbing roughly against his leg.

“Are you gonna touch me?” you interrupted, lower lip trembling at the thought after your desperate rutting. Jungkook pursed his lips together in thought.

“Hmmm,” he hummed. “Not too sure yet.”

You whined. “Jungkook, please,” you whimpered, wrapping your legs around his waist. “I need you.”

Jungkook chuckled, running his hand up your waist and taking your dress with him. He slips his fingers beneath your bra, pushing the wire over your chest as he mouthed at your neck. “Cute,” he cooed. “Can’t do it yourself?”

You trembled, chest heaving into him as he rolled your nipple between his fingers. “I-I can,” you gulped. “You just do it better.” Jungkook followed your admission with a nip against your skin, tongue soothing over it right after. “Why? Because I do everything better than you? Even make you cum better than you?”

You mewled in response, determined not to give him the satisfaction of answering his question. Cause you both new the answer was yes. He made you cum so much better than you could.

“Remove your clothes for me...” he whispered gruffly yet sweet as he pulled himself from you.

You hurriedly removed the rest of your clothes you caught Jungkook’s mouth falling open in awe at the semi-nude sight of you before him. After finally removing your bra and panties, you threw them to the floor with the rest of your clothes, you observed how he licked his lips shamelessly as he took in the view of your beautifully perky nipples that drove him absolutely insane. You looked into his deep eyes, catching your bottom lip in between your teeth and Jungkook couldn’t stop himself from palming his cock over the confinements of his pants – watching you get worked up just for him.

“Are we that type of couple, Jungkook?” you whispered his name sweetly as you slowly climb on top of him. You straddled him, pushing your breasts flush against his chest.

“Which type are you referring to?” he murmured back as his hand moved back to between your thighs – feeling the damp patch of your essence now overflowing. You felt his cock pulsate in anticipation.

“The ones who have an argument, then have angry make up sex?” you giggled as you began pressing soft, delicate kisses along his neck. Jungkook’s eyes shut tightly as he felt your teeth nip at him – causing a breath of air to leave his lungs while you began sucking on his skin – leaving your mark on him. The next thing you knew, Jungkook pulled your mouth away from his neck and flipped you over. He was now hovering over you and began continuing on you what you had started on him

“Jungkook...” you let his name occupy your mouth and your thoughts as he suckled on your skin – alternating between kissing you, biting you and dragging his teeth further south to your boobs.

“Let us see how much of a good girl you can be for me...” you suddenly felt his breath dangerously close to the mound between your legs, before his hands began kneading and gripping at your ass-cheeks. Jungkook moved his face right into you – just shy of his nose touching your folds from behind as he took in your sweet scent. He wanted to devour you whole – but at the same time, he wanted nothing more than to hear you beg and plead for your own pleasure and release. You trembled at the contact of his index finger running along your slippery lips, feeling it hastily stroke your bud before he pulled it back down again – repeating the same action over and over.

Jungkook smirked at the noises coming from you; whimpers of frustration, want and need. He knew you were like putty in his hands with the way your lewd wetness heavily coated his finger; and he would have wanted it no other way.

“Please Jungkook...please stop teasing me – I need you so fucking badly I – “you rolled your head to the opposite side – placing your blazing cheek against the pillow in an attempt to extinguish the apparent fire that was burning your entire face. You knew he was making you wait for it – and you both simultaneously loved and hated it in a hundred different ways.

You breathed a sigh of relief, along with moans of satisfaction as his tongue continued to explore every inch of you. The scandalous sounds from his tongue and his lips filled the room as he continued to consume you.

“I’m so close Jungkook – fuck...” you moaned a string of further curses as he sped up his movements – his finger now wiggling heavily over your clit as his tongue probed you even deeper than before.

“Are you really?” he hummed, slowing his pace as you whined in response. “Hmm...I can’t have you coming undone on me just yet little mouse...where’s the fun in that? Plus, I had to wait a whole week for you to come back. Do you think I would let you cum so quickly?” he grinned coyly as he moved away from you – licking the remainder of you off his lips as you damn near cried out in anger at being denied your orgasm when it was seconds away.

God, he’s such an asshole.

“You can cry and whine all you want...but you’re not getting anything unless I think you deserve it; do you understand me, baby?” he cooed with the heaviest form of sarcasm you had ever heard as he began coating his erection with your wetness – giving himself a few strokes as he smirked and watched you squirm in defeat underneath him. You rolled your eyes to the back of your head, before turning onto your stomach as fast as you could to avoid his arrogant gaze.

As you laid faced away from him, all you could feel was the thick width of his cock resting between your cheeks as Jungkook took it upon himself to slowly grind himself into you – giving him the minimal amount of pleasure and you the maximum amount of excruciating frustration.

“Yes! I understand...please...I’ll do anything, please!” you shamelessly pleaded – hearing the desperation in your own voice as you moved your ass backwards into him. Jungkook chuckled before he began sprinkling light kisses the whole way up your spine – the fleeting feeling of his lips leaving damp patches on your skin being enough to make it feel like he was burning you with desire for more of him.

“Good girl” Jungkook praised you – letting you feel the tip of his cock resting just on top your drenched entrance. And – without warning, he quickly eased himself in as far as he could go; hearing you let out breathy moans and whimpers as he pressed deeper.

“Louder” he commanded as he leaned back – looking down to view his member leave your tight walls – much to both of your displeasures. “I want the entire world to know who’s fucking your pussy like this right now” he slammed back inside you, feeling your slickness engulf him as your screams filled the room.

“That’s it Y/N, that’s my good girl” Jungook growled as he began pounding you into you at an unforgiving pace. You cried and sobbed feeling his cock reach deeper inside you with each time his skin smacked against yours. Jungkook relished in the look of your ass every time it bounced off his lower abdomen as he continued pummelling into you mercilessly – when he saw your hand reach back to try and hold his. Knowing that you needed to feel the security of his grasp, Jungkook leaned over your back and laced his fingers with yours – giving you fast, deep strokes of his cock while you felt it slam against your precious nerves inside you. Jungkook knew you were already on the verge of letting go from the way your voice got louder and higher – along with your walls constricting around his member so tightly that he had to almost hold his breath to not finish before you.

“Cum for me – you earned it sweetheart, let go and let me hear your beautiful voice” he cooed into your ear. And, like his words were the only thing that could set you free, you came hard around him while you closed your eyes tight as you felt your orgasm pour out of you. Jungkook coaxed you through your cries of ecstasy as he slowed his thrusts down – still keeping their depth while his groans harmonised with your own voice in the wake of your pleasure. And, just as quickly as it came, your high left your body – leaving you slumped face down into the pillow with no will to do much else other than breathe. You felt Jungkook slowly slide out of you – feeling the emptiness he left behind while he began pulling you up and back into his chest, his hands then roaming over every inch of your skin he could find.

“Did that feel good, baby?” he purred, nibbling on the bottom of your ear and letting you know that he was still standing to attention with the way his member pressed into your ass. You let out an airy chuckle, still not able to maintain a coherent train of thought.

“Mmhm” you hummed, reaching behind you to let your hand rest on the back of his neck, letting your fingers get lost in his hair as Jungkook dotted your neck with kisses once more.

“I can’t get enough of you – no matter how much you give me, no matter how much I take...” he murmured on top of your skin, making you shiver from head to toe and smile from ear to ear.

“What are you waiting for then, bunny boy?” you replied, turning around to him and coming face to face with his dark hooded eyes. “I want you to take more...take me, Jungkook” you mewled as Jungkook’s hands began caressing all his favourite parts of you – your hips and the tops of your thighs included.

You swapped positions and you positioned yourself on top him. As you did, Jungkook quickly pulled his legs underneath your bottom before crossing them below you, while you instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist so that you were both in a sort of Lotus Flower position. You looked down, seeing his head perfectly level with your tits as he began kissing and nipping at your hardened nipples – making you reel from the sensitive sensation that coursed through you. You observed his hand as it slipped underneath you – grabbing a hold of his pulsating member and angling it right before your welcoming entrance once again.

“Baby...aren’t you forgetting something?” you questioned immediately in reference to the fact that he was about to enter you whilst you both found yourself in the most romantic baby-making position known to man. Jungkook shook his head as he looked up into your eyes, his stare completely melting you from the inside out.

“I want to feel you when I cum inside you...I want to make you mine in every way possible...will you let me?” his husky voice travelled to every single part of your soul as you let your mouth hang agape.

“But – what if...you know?” you replied, wondering how he felt about the most obvious thing that could happen from not using protection.

“You have nothing to worry about, Y/N” he whispered softly, feeling himself press against your small opening as the tip of his cock became engulfed by your slick tightness. “’If it happens, it happens. I would want no other woman to mother my children” you both let out an intense moan in turn as he pushed his way inside you. When Jungkook thought about you carrying his first child and bringing the product of your love into the world; with him becoming a father and you becoming a mother, it filled him with delicate feelings of paternal happiness he knew he could never feel with anyone else but you.

You bit your lip hard as you rolled your hips at a rhythmical pace into his – feeling every inch of him curving inside you. Jungkook placed one hand below your bottom, while cradling your back with his free arm as a means to let you set the pace of your love making, but still letting him have full control over your every movement. You felt wave after wave of pleasure strike you as your clit moved flush against Jungkook’s body that was tight against yours; and your moans continued to spill from your lips as he looked up into your face – his eyes full of life and love as he seemingly peered right into your soul. In contrast to Jungkook’s way of asserting himself over you just moments ago, you could see the vulnerability in his eyes as he let his mouth hang open – panting and groaning at the feeling of pleasure from being inside you and so close to you.

“I love you...so much, Jungkook” you managed to speak – feeling your body almost grow limp from having little to no energy left as you felt your sweat drip down your temples. Sensing your exhaustion, Jungkook helped you lay down on your back to the bed – keeping himself still lodged inside you as he rested himself between your legs. His thrusts were slow, deep and meaningful as he pressed his forehead to yours and took your hands in his – pinning them to the bed while he felt your pulse rocket as he pushed you once again to your second orgasm of the evening. You felt like the entire world was spinning as you attempted to moan and writhe in fulfilment – but unfortunately, no sound left your mouth as you produced a silent cry in the wake of Jungkook’s pleasure-filled stokes that reached deeper and deeper within you.

“And I... I love you Y/N” Jungkook’s lips found yours for the millionth time as he felt himself twitch inside of you – his entire seed mixing with your juices as he came deep within you. He tensed every single one of his muscles, letting you swallow each of his moans as he slowed down gently.

“I’m so happy that you’re mine...” he almost whimpered as his movements ceased – before letting himself collapse on top of you, resting his head in the crook of your neck while you raised your arms up and over his back to hug him even closer to you.

“And I’m so happy that you’re mine, too” you kissed the top of his head – still feeling his cock buried inside of you as you couldn’t help but smile to yourself.

Jungkook raised his head a fraction to look at you – his appearance both thoughtful and endearing as he held on to you. “I really am sorry Y/N. I never want you to feel like your aren’t a priority to me” he blinked gently as you continued to listen to his heartfelt, post love making thoughts.

“I know” you replied quietly, tracing the muscles along his back with your fingers. “And I’m sorry too. I guess we both just need to communicate a little better”.

“My Y/N – You are my world. You – you are my everything. I used to not understand what people meant when they said that to someone they loved, because before you – I thought music was my only love. But every day I spend with you, you give me a hundred more reasons to adore you. I promise I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove that.”

You felt yourself well up at his words of endearment. He really was your world and you now knew for a fact that you were his too.

“Ooh, I forgot to say” you interrupted yours and Jungkook post love making silence.

“James said I could approve the soundtrack for our film”

Jungkook smiled to himself upon hearing you refer to it as your film.

“If that’s what James said, who am I to undermine the director.” He declared.

“The songs are on my phone in the Media Folder but im gonna hop in the shower while you listen. Cause it will break my heart if you don’t like them” he chuckled, half joking half serious.

“I know im going to love them babe. But you go and take your shower, I’ll be right here when you come out”.

He left with a smile.

You scrolled through his phone to find the music files and tears began to fill your eyes once again as you read the tracklist:

“I’d fight a microwave for you”

“You smell like home”

“I think you’re pretty and I’m intimidated by you too”

And the list went on. It was his list. His list of your phrases that made him smile. Before you could even finish reading the tracklist, you ran to the shower you embrace your bunny boy and show him for a second round how much you loved him.

Although, if you had taken just a few moments to read the tracklist, Jungkook is sure you would have loved the last song on the soundtrack. It was the only title that wasn’t you contribution, it was his:

12. “I hope she’ll marry me”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope ya'll enjoyed it! My requests are open, feel free to send em across :)

#jeon jungkook #jeongguk #jungkook #bts fanfic #jeon jungguk #jungkook fic recs #jungkook fic #jeon jeongguk fic #jeongguk x reader #bts jeongkook #jeon jeongguk #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jungkook x y/n #jungkook fanfic #jungkook enemies to lovers au #jungkook established relationship #jungkook smut #jeon jungkook smut

1K notes · View notes

keen-li · 17 days

Text

Imagine being angry with jungkook and ignoring him, for whatever reason.

He knows he's in the wrong so he can't defend himself instead all he can do is beg.

Beg you.

"Are you still mad?" Stupid question to ask when he can see smoke exit through you ears like in the cartoons.

You chop away at the vegetables and if he wasn't careful it would be his finger.

He moves to stand behind you his figure so close to you, you can smell his scent which haunts you and like a drug slightly calms you.

But you're still mad.

"I'm sorry" he says in that low ego less voice. His head lowers to Bury himself in your neck.

He doesn't kiss just rests there.

"I'm really sorry"

"Prove it" that's that's only thing you say. And he can't even tell what your tone is.

"Huh?"

"Prove you're sorry"

Jungkook chuckles knowing the game you're playing. But he's gonna to play if it's the only way you're going to forgive.

Plus he loves the game too.

He turns your body abruptly to face him.

"I'll prove it." He says before your eyes lower to watch him get on his knees.

Fuck you were getting wet just from seeing him on his knees.

And jungkook was getting excited just being eye level with your cunt which was cover by your shorts.

Jungkook wanted to rip them off so bad but he had to wait.

He kisses your naked thighs. Places some kisses all over your thighs and also leaves some hickies on your inner thighs.

"Will you let me eat you out to prove how sorry I am?" His eyes look up to you. "Please..." he whines.

You're quiet still debating if you'll give him the pleasure of your answer.

"As my punishment" his hands continue to caress the skin of your thighs.

"It's not a punishment if you enjoy it." you smirk down at your boyfriend trying to bargain.

He chuckles knowing you're right but he thought he'd get away with.

His eyes roam your thighs and the silence intensifies the sexual tension.

He eyes your cunt through those teasing shorts and he can only imagine how wet it's dripping for him right now.

And you want to play nonchalant.

He's getting impatient.

"So are you gonna let me eat your pretty cunt or not baby?"

🍃

Go on... answer the man 🤭

Wtf would I say. Idk, but It wouldn't be a no😫

450 notes · View notes

junqkook · 3 months

Text

— ROTTENFOLK: AFTERMATH (m.)

PAIRING. jungkook/reader, taehyung/reader GENRE. faerie au, angst, smut WORDS. 10,234 RATING. explicit

SYNOPSIS. six years after escaping from the faerie realm, you’ve done everything to hide yourself and your son from the high king. but you should have known he would never let you go so easily.

CONTENTS. boyfriend taehyung, faerie king jungkook, human reader, mother reader, father jungkook, kidnapping, manipulation, slight dubcon, riding, grinding, creampie, unprotected sex (stay safe!), rough sex, hair pulling, biting/marking, possessiveness, accidental exhibitionism/voyeurism, infidelity, multiple orgasms, hinted f/f, pregnancy, multiple smut scenes (!), overstimulation, fingering, dom jungkook.

NOTES. this is a sequel to rottenfolk. i highly suggest reading rottenfolk before reading this one. Y’ALL GOT ME MISSING THIS WORLD, so i gave in to my own desires and wrote this. i’ll warn you all now: this is not a happy story.

EXTRA NOTES. UNRWA; Care for Gaza; Direct Aid For Gaza. please consider donating to and/or sharing these organizations.

— rottenfolk. rottenfolk: aftermath.

Taehyung’s arms wrapped around you from behind and you giggled, leaning back into his chest. The smell of breakfast filled the kitchen and your boyfriend’s warm lips pressed chaste kisses against your neck.

“Missed you this morning,” he murmured.

You hummed and closed your eyes, losing yourself in the feeling of him. “I woke up early and decided to treat my lovely boys to breakfast today.”

Taehyung chuckled and pulled his mouth away from your neck, resting his cheek against yours instead. “You know what Soobin told me last night?”

“What’d he tell you?”

“He concocted such an imaginative story,” your boyfriend of three years started, a lightness to his voice that comforted you. “Said he saw magical creatures in the forest by the park that knew his name—”

Your eyes shot open and you tensed in Taehyung’s arms. “What?”

He continued without noticing your reaction. “Yeah, he was telling me all about these—actually kind of grotesque now that I think about it—”

You whirled around in his arms and faced him. “When did he tell you this exactly? Where?”

Taehyung cupped your face and smiled at you. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong? Don’t worry, it’s just a story, he was probably watching YouTube or something and got the ideas—”

“Tae,” you pressed. “I’m serious. Please answer me.”

He held up his hands in defense and nodded. “Okay, okay. He told me while we were walking home from the park yesterday. He was really excited about it and said the fairies told him they’d see him again. It’s nothing bad, sweetheart. He’s just a five year old with an active imagination.”

You cursed under your breath. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?”

Taehyung shrugged and crossed his arms. “I don’t know, it didn’t seem like pressing information to share. And you were dead tired when you came home, so it must have slipped my mind.” As he watched you flutter around the kitchen nervously, he continued. “Can you tell me what’s going on with you right now?”

You sighed and faced your boyfriend. “Remember when I told you about Soobin’s father?”

Taehyung pursed his lips. “Yeah. You said he’s dangerous.”

“He is,” you said. “I didn’t think he’d find me, or even be interested in it, but—he doesn’t know about Soobin. And I planned to keep it that way.”

“Okay,” Taehyung replied slowly. “So what’s changed?”

“Everything,” you whimpered. “If Soobin said that to you, it means his father knows about him. It’s… his people,” you said carefully. “They’re the only ones who would tell Soobin that they’re magical creatures and—if they know about my son, it’s only a matter of time before he knows, too.”

Taehyung rubbed his temples, making sure to keep his voice low. “So, what do we do now?”

Before you could answer, the sound of padding footsteps through the house interrupted your conversation. “Mama, good morning!” Soobin’s sleepy voice called out. He appeared from behind Taehyung, rubbing his tired eyes.

Scooping him up into your arms, you pressed kisses to his chubby cheek. He murmured half-heartedly and buried his little face into your neck. The tips of his growing horns pressed into your skin lightly. You smoothed down his dark hair and gave Taehyung a pleading look.

“Morning, little man,” your boyfriend said, patting your son on the back. “You ready for breakfast?”

Soobin sat up in your arms, turning his small body to look at his surrogate father, who had been in majority of his life. “Yes,” he mumbled, squirming until you set him down so he could grasp at Taehyung’s large hand. “Good morning.”

You watched Taehyung lead him over to the table, helping him scoot his chair closer to the table once he was seated. Hurrying, you brought over your boys’ plates and then went back for yours. Soobin and Taehyung waited for you to be seated to start eating.

“S’good, Mama,” Soobin said around his food.

You smiled. “Thank you, Binnie,” you replied. You almost had no appetite, the thoughts of Jungkook swirling in your head. You hated that your chest still ached, even with the years distancing you.

The day passed achingly slowly, every minute and every second feeling like an eternity; every sound and every shadow brought with it a wave of anxiety that you hadn’t felt in a long time. You felt bad for not allowing Soobin to go with Taehyung to the store, ignoring his pouting with a heavy heart.

Finally, when it was time for bed, you tucked Soobin in with a kiss to his forehead. He looked up at you with his eyes that were so like his father’s, pupils slitted like a cat’s, that you couldn’t help the wave of fear that shot through you. But you knew Soobin wasn’t like Jungkook, no matter how much he grew to resemble him in his looks with every day.

“Binnie,” you whispered, sitting at the edge of his bed while your hand stroked the strands of his dark hair. “I love you.”

He gave you a smile that was so soft, you hated yourself for seeing any part of Jungkook in him. “I love you more, Mama.” You chuckled, your worry easing a tiny bit. “I don’t know why you were sad today, but tomorrow will be better!”

You blinked back the tears that you could feel prickling in your eyes. “I know it will be,” you answered him, leaning down to press another kiss to his forehead. “Sweet dreams, baby.”

As you stood, you noticed Taehyung smiling at the scene from the doorway. “Night, little prince,” he said to your son. The word jabbed at your ribs and you felt like you couldn’t breathe for a moment.

“That’s a new nickname,” you managed to get out between your nerves.

Soobin giggled from his bed. “The magical faeries called me that!” he said excitedly. “Wouldn’t it be so cool if I really was a prince, Mama?”

You turned to give him a strained smile. “It would be so cool, Soobin.”

“So cool,” he repeated, his voice trailing off as his eyes shut. “G’night, Tae.”

When you shut the door of his bedroom, you nearly collapsed—if it hadn’t been for Taehyung’s arms wrapping around your waist, you would have dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.

“What’s wrong?” Taehyung whispered in panic as he held you up. You tried not to cry into his chest, finding comfort in his arms for a few agonizing seconds before you stood completely.

“Nothing, just—I’m fine,” you lied. “We should go to bed.” Taehyung’s lips pursed, not believing you for once second. “Please,” you whimpered.

With a sigh, Taehyung nodded. “Okay, okay. Let’s go to bed.”

Once in your own room, Taehyung’s warm body against yours, you rolled over until you were on top of him. He gazed up at you with hooded eyes, his hands finding purchase on your hips.

“I thought you were tired,” he murmured.

“How can I go to sleep when my man is laying there, looking that good?” you teased, wiggling yourself until you were slowly grinding against his clothed cock. He groaned and you could feel him hardening underneath you. With a shudder, you started grinding yourself against him harder, the friction delicious against your clit.

Taehyung’s hands slipped under your shirt and dragged it off your torso, your hips never stopping their movements against him. He sat up in the bed, his hips rocking up, and his mouth started sucking one of your nipples harshly. You pushed yourself off his lap for a few seconds to rapidly tug your pajama pants and underwear off, pulling Taehyung’s sweats and boxers halfway down his thighs as well. His cock was hard and red and you wrapped your hand around the length of it, pumping it quickly.

“You’re so hot, you know that?” he groaned against your breast, flicking and twisting your other nipple with his fingers. You tried to keep your voice down as you mewled, pushing yourself flush against his body and guiding the head of his cock to your slit. You rubbed it against your slit a few times, the head bumping into your clit with every drag, before you started to lower yourself onto it.

“You’re so big,” you panted into his ear, the burn of his cock stretching your walls making you clench tightly.

“No matter how many times I fuck you, this pussy is always so tight for me,” he grunted, grabbing for your hips and removing his mouth from your chest. His fingers dug into your bare skin and you sank down completely, shivering and clenching his cock inside of you.

Taehyung’s fingers found your clit easily after years of learning your body and he started to rub as you ground your hips into his. Soon, he was thrusting up into you roughly, his fingers on your hips helping you move up and down to keep pace with him. You gripped his hair and tugged his mouth to yours, kissing him deeply, the slap of your skin against his filling the room along with your little noises.

You orgasmed quickly, your wound up body giving way to pleasure easily. As your walls spasmed around his snapping hips, Taehyung cursed under his breath and held you down on his cock as it twitched, spurts of hot come filling you up. He didn’t stop grinding you against him while he rode out his own release, his fingers sliding down to play with your clit.

“Taehyung,” you whined, “I can’t—”

“Yes, you can,” he mumbled against your shoulder, his eyes shut while he savored the feeling.

You couldn’t help your bucking hips, chasing the feeling of his fingers pressed against your clit. You blinked your bleary eyes open and glanced toward the window, meeting cat-like eyes that startled you into a second orgasm while the head of Taehyung’s spilling cock continued to rub against your g-spot.

You had to bite down on your bottom lip to stop the shout that tried to tear itself out of your throat—a mix of fear and pleasure.

Rocking your hips against Taehyung’s softening cock inside of you, you wrapped your arms around him and kept his head buried in your chest as he pressed kisses to the tops of your breasts. Your eyes never left the ones staring back at you.

Jungkook watched you with heat in his gaze, even though the rest of his face seemed as through he were bored and uninterested.

The shockwaves ran through your body, igniting every nerve in your limbs while your boyfriend’s cock slipped out of you, his come following. Your breaths started to quicken when Jungkook’s form left your window, and for a second you thought you might have imagined it. For a second, you let yourself breathe.

Then you realized he had moved toward Soobin’s window, on the other side of the hallway.

With a small yelp, your throat closed up and you couldn’t breathe. Taehyung lifted his head, startled at your sudden sound, and you ripped yourself away from him, not even bothering to clean the mess dripping between your thighs as you hurriedly dressed yourself, moving at a speed you had never moved before.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Taehyung asked, tucking himself back into his pajamas and shifting off the bed.

You didn’t have time to answer him, messily dressed now. Rushing to the bedroom door, you yanked it open and sprinted to your son’s bedroom, heart pounding and blood rushing through your ears.

You threw open Soobin’s door and for a second, time seemed to stop.

The window was open and Soobin was in front of it, Jungkook leaning against the windowsill from outside. Your son turned to look at you, surprise etched into his features, and Jungkook’s eyes found yours for a second time that night. Beside each other, the two looked so alike that you wondered how you had deluded yourself into believing they would never know.

“Sweetmeat,” Jungkook’s voice drawled, your body shuddering on instinct alone. You couldn’t stop shaking, rooted to the spot as his hand settled on top of Soobin’s head. “It’s been a while, I see.”

“Mama!” Soobin cried out, a smile pulling his lips up. “You know faeries? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Jungkook,” you choked out, taking a step into the room as Taehyung’s footsteps sounded behind you. You couldn’t hear what he was saying, every atom in your body completely focused on the father of your child. “Get away from him.”

The faerie king hummed and he moved his hand down to Soobin’s shoulder. “I will not.” Those eyes that were the same as Soobin’s darted down to the young boy before darting up to yours again. “All these years, you’ve kept him a secret from me.”

Taehyung was behind you now, his voice shouting something at Jungkook, but all you could hear was the pounding of your heart and the sweet voice that came from the faerie. You were already inside the bedroom, Taehyung right outside the doorway behind you.

“Close the door, ____,” Jungkook said softly.

Your body moved on its own, shutting the door before Taehyung could force his way in.

“Now lock it.”

You locked it.

Taehyung’s panicked voice and slamming hands against the door barely registered in your head as you turned to face Jungkook.

“Jungkook, please,” you whispered, tears pricking at your eyes. You took a few steps forward, stopping only when you saw his fingers tighten around Soobin’s shoulder. “Please. He’s my son—”

“And mine,” he interrupted harshly. Jungkook’s eyes narrowed when your breath hitched, Soobin’s wide and curious eyes turning toward him once again.

“You’re my dad?” he asked quietly.

Jungkook’s eyes seemed to soften for a moment. You thought it must be a trick of the moonlight. “I am,” he told Soobin. “And I’ve come to bring you to your real home, where you belong.”

“Mama can come, too, right?” he asked, glancing at you before looking at his father.

“Of course,” he said easily. “She is mine, after all, until she draws her last breath and an eternity after.”

He tilted his head and then beckoned you over. You dropped to your knees, wrapping your arms around Soobin and yanking him away from the High King.

“Please, Jungkook,” you whimpered. “Please, leave us here. Leave us alone.”

Jungkook’s eyes hardened and his hand shot out like a bolt of lightning, fingers wrapping around the collar of your shirt and dragging you toward the window roughly. Soobin’s small hands dug into your shirt and you heard him make a distressed noise where you had tucked him close.

“Do you forget yourself, human?” he growled, voice dangerously low. You could feel the anger simmering under the surface, unlike anything you had seen from him years ago—he had always been indifferent to you, never angry. You supposed it was only natural after finding out you had kept Soobin a secret, no matter how unnatural Jungkook was. “Answer me.”

“No,” you said shakily. “I am yours.”

“You will be returning with me to the Faerie Realm,” he snarled. “If only because my son has wished for it. You belong to me, sweetmeat. You are mine to do with as I please.”

“Yes,” you replied quietly, never looking away from his slitted eyes. “I am yours to do with as you please, my king.”

“Now get up and come.”

You did as he asked, rising to your feet and releasing Soobin from your grip, though he kept his hold of your shirt as he looked between the two of you. You couldn’t stop your body from removing his hands from you, even as your hands shook and your breath caught when he begged you not to. Your fingers didn’t even twitch when Jungkook lifted him out of the window and kept him on his hip. You followed immediately after, surprised when Jungkook grabbed a hold of your upper arm and maneuvered you on the branches so that you didn’t fall over as the three of you descended to the grass.

Jungkook kept a tight hold on Soobin’s hand as he led you two away from your home. He didn’t need to keep any kind of grip on you—he knew you would follow him, unable to refute his orders, especially not when he was leading your child away with him.

You didn’t look back at the house once.

The sounds and smells of the Faerie realm was something you hadn't realized you had missed so much. Nostalgia for the years you had spent among these fair folk blossomed in your chest, flowering through your skin until you could feel the tingle in your fingertips.

The faeries through the forest watched the three of you with wonderous eyes, all colors and shapes, the whispers like the sound of bees buzzing through the night air. When you looked at your son, his eyes were taking in everything around him with delight and curiosity.

Soon enough, you were walking up toward the palace that you had known so well before, familiarity settling in your bones as you took the trek.

"Soobin," Jungkook said softly—you didn't think that the High King could ever sound so soft while speaking. "Do you want to see your room?"

"Jungkook," you called, taking a few steps toward them so that you were right behind your husband and the faerie king.

His cat-like eyes cut to you, not nearly as soft as they were when looking at your son, and you hesitated to reach out to touch him. Your brain was screaming at you that any move you made would be a terrible idea.

"You'll wait your turn, sweetmeat," he said to you with a smile that could carve through flesh. "Though I thought you would remember where your place is here."

"Of course," you replied quickly, simmering down so as to not scare Soobin with your own fear.

"Mama," your son said excitedly, his small hand still gripping Jungkook's. "This place is so cool! Why didn't you tell me you knew faeries?" he questioned.

Looking at him now, your heart ached for the way you, too, had once looked on in amazement and only excitement in this realm. What would this place, with its cunning smiles and sweet dangers, do to him and his precious, innocent smile?

"I'm sorry, baby," you cooed, dropping to your knees on the ground in front of you and cupping his face in your hands. You brushed his dark hair back, fingers trying not to bump onto his little horns—they had always been sensitive to the touch. "The faeries have just been so busy, I haven't seen them in so long and forgot to tell you about them."

"Can I play with them?" he asked.

"No—"

"Of course—"

You and Jungkook cut yourselves off, meeting eyes as Soobin looked between the two of you. You could almost see the thoughts swimming around in Jungkook's head, as if deciding what to say. You were too afraid to make a sound, furrowing your brows a bit and hoping that he would have some sense to how your child had been raised so far.

"Why don't your mother and I discuss that and let you know tomorrow, okay?" he eventually said, smiling sweetly at your son—his son. Soobin nodded ecstatically, throwing his arms around you for a tight hug. You squeezed him close to you, kissing the top of his head. "Now say goodnight and I'll show you to your room."

"Goodnight, Mama!" Soobin exclaimed, letting go of you quickly and slipping his tiny hand back into his father's. How were you going to explain everything to him?

Jungkook paused to look back at you as you were getting up from your knees. "I trust that you remember where your chambers are?" he inquired, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Your cheeks flushed with heat and you willed them to go back to their normal color, not wanting to look embarrassed in front of your son. "Yes," you eventually choked out, ignoring the quiet chuckle that Jungkook let out, leading your son down the hall and towards whatever room he had assigned for him.

Sighing, you turned to the other side of the hall, ashamed that your feet did remember the way to Jungkook's chambers, where you always slept, ready to embrace him into you night after night. And you hated that your groin tingled at the memories, the release from earlier still sticky against your skin, even as it dried.

"Sweetmeat," Jungkook cooed as he came into his chambers, a devilish smile playing at his lips.

Your cheeks flushed as you sat on the bed, ashamed at your own body for reacting to his voice like this. The memories flooded your brain, every muscle in your body thrumming as you expected his touch.

"Well," he said, now standing in front of you and his hips sliding between your knees. "I see you have become forgetful in your time away," he murmured, his fingertips brushing your cheek and then tucking your hair behind your ear. "Usually you would await me with nothing on that smooth skin of yours."

You cleared your throat awkwardly as you looked up at him, your legs automatically spreading wider to make room for him to stand between them. You bit your bottom lip and couldn't stop yourself from leaning into his palm, his skin warm and so familiar to you.

"I can't," you whispered, shutting your eyes so you wouldn't see the look on his face.

To your surprise, he leaned down so that his nose brushed yours. Against your better judgement, you let your eyes flutter open and you met his slitted eyes, soft as they looked at you. There was no rage or wrath.

"Why can't you, sweetmeat?" he whispered back, every word making his lips brush against yours lightly with how close he was. You took in a shaky breath, leaning back on your hands to try to put distance between the two of you. "Don't you want me to have you?"

"Yes," you replied on instinct, screwing your eyes shut as his body pressed against yours. "But Taehyung—"

Jungkook's thumb pressed against your bottom lip, stopping you. Your eyes opened again, watching how his were trained on your mouth. "No need to worry about that human," he told you. "You were always mine first." Before you could object, he leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to your lips—you never thought you would receive a simple peck from the High King, whose touch had always been so rough and ragged on you.

"I—" You breathed against his mouth, leaning in for more of his kisses. He stayed just out of reach and it felt like a punishment. "I want you," you whimpered, letting one of your hands come up to cup his cheek. You met his eyes shyly, a spark traveling through your abdomen at the dark way he looked at you, like he wished to devour you. "I want you," you repeated.

"You'll never be anyone else's," he said to you as he crawled over your body, gently pushing you back onto the lush mattress. Your heart was pounding in your chest as he tugged your baggy shirt over your torso, revealing your bare breasts to his gaze. "I simply allowed that mortal to loan you," he growled, leaning down to nip at your hard nipple.

"Yes," you sighed, your fingers digging into his dark hair. "I'm only yours." His mouth enveloped the tip of your breast, biting down around the areola and making you hiss from a mix of pain and pleasure. "I belong to you."

Jungkook pulled your sweats down your legs, lifting his head from your chest for only long enough to remove them completely and undress himself as well. Your eyes marveled at his body, not realizing how much you'd missed looking at it. Of course, you couldn't help but let your eyes trail down to his cock, which was already hard and you could feel the tingling between your legs.

His smirk widened as he grabbed your thighs, yanking you towards him until the underside of his cock was pressing against you. A quiet whimper fell from your lips.

"You don't need to be loosened, do you?" he asked sweetly, though you could hear the tinge of mocking in his tone. You'd heard it so often, right here on this very bed, that you could detect anything in Jungkook's voice.

Your cheeks were hot. "No," you whispered, shaking your head. "But I should clean fir—"

"No," he replied, rocking his hips toward you playfully. "I'll fuck you right now."

You wanted to protest, still dripping with Taehyung's cum. A pang of guilt throbbed in your chest, but the ache of desire drowned it out quickly. Your breath caught in your throat as he slowly pushed the length of his cock inside of you, a groan leaving his lips when he bottomed out.

"How are you still this tight?" he asked you, almost incredulous. "Just fucked and still this tight around my cock?"

Clenching around him, your eyes rolled back as he pulled out only a few centimeters before pushing back inside slowly. "I can't help it," you whined, spreading your thighs further apart until your knees were about to touch the silky bedcovers. "You make me this way."

When you met Jungkook's eyes, they were dark and hungry. "You're so wet," he told you, his fingers finding the flesh of your hips and digging into your skin. "I'm going to replace all this cum inside of you with my own."

Before you had a chance to say anything, or even start to feel a shred of shame, he pulled out almost all the way and then shoved himself inside of you, starting a brutal and quick pace. The bed was already shaking with the force of his movements, and your hand darted to your mouth for something to bite down onto.

As he thrusted into you, the lewd sounds echoing in the bedchamber and cum dripping past his cock and down your skin onto the bed, all your thoughts melted away. You had missed him. You'd missed everything about him—your body had missed him. Logically, you knew that this was wrong, that you had finally managed to find peace with the family you had created—but now—

"Jungkook," you moaned, releasing your hand from the bite of your teeth, and slid it onto his shoulder. "I need you—"

"Of course you do, sweetmeat," he cooed, though you could feel the shiver that went through his body. "You belong to me."

You wrapped your legs around his hips, pulling him even closer to your body. One of his hands moved up from your hip, his palm dragging lightly against your bare skin, cupping your breast and squeezing it in his hands. You whimpered and he pinched your nipple between his fingers, almost too painfully, but you liked it—maybe a little too much.

When his hand moved higher up your body to your neck, squeezing it gently while he shoved himself deeper and deeper into you with every thrust of his hips, you couldn't help the wanton moan that ripped its way out of your throat. Your legs tightened around him, trying to hold him inside of you forever while you twitched and squirmed, your orgasm building quickly and intensely.

"That's it, sweet thing," he purred, pushing his cock in as deep as it would go, using his other hand to push your thigh up so he could shove it in further while you came, clenching around him sporadically. "Did your human make you feel this good?"

"No," you croaked, seeing stars. "No one has ever made me feel this good." And you weren't lying, even though the guilt had started to eat its way through the pleasure in your abdomen.

Jungkook hummed and then started up his agonizing pace once more, making your body squirm and your toes curl.

"I can't," you begged, hands lowering to the bedsheets and clawing them in your fingers. "It hurts—"

"You can," he replied smoothly, and the head of his cock brushed the sensitive spot inside of you. You clenched hard, a cry falling from your mouth. "You will, human."

He pulled his cock out of you and when you looked down, it was wet with a mix of your slick and the cum that had still been inside of you. You didn't have the energy to feel embarrassed, though your cheeks did flush a little hotter than before. In one fluid movement, Jungkook turned you onto your stomach, his hands finding purchase on your hips and pulling them up so that your ass was in the air and your face was pressed against the bed.

You felt the slide of his cock back into you, eyes rolling back and fingers gripping the sheets. As it filled you, the squelch of it entering you again filling the room, Jungkook fisted your hair in his hand and pulled your head up.

Your body was still reeling from your orgasm—the second one that night—so you could do nothing but let him hold you in place there, a little moan coming out of your throat with every harsh thrust.

"That's a good girl," he groaned, his cock twitching inside of you while his thrusts started to slow down. "You always did take my cock so well for a human."

"Yes," you whispered, feeling a little bit of your spit on the corner of your lip. "It's all for you."

Jungkook moaned, shoving your head back down onto the bed, fingers still tightly gripping your hair. The slight pain from his hold mixed well with the pleasure of him rubbing against that spot inside of you over and over until you could barely take it.

"It's like you were molded for me," he said roughly, his body towering over yours as he tried to bury himself inside of you as far as he could go.

"I was," you said in a broken whimper, and you felt the twitch of his cock, followed by a spurt of his release, hot inside of you and filling you completely.

He rolled his hips a few times, and while still inside of you, his hand released your hair and curled around your torso, fingers finding your clit immediately. Your eyes widened for a second, the feeling of his fingers moving against your clit mixing between pleasure and pain. While his seed slipped past his cock and down your thighs, the feelings all crashed into you at once—guilt, pleasure, pain, shame, tingling—and you couldn't help but buck your hips against his hand and orgasm a second time.

When you were done, seeing stars behind your eyelids, he finally pulled out of you, letting his seed spill out of you and allowing your body to fall completely against the cool bed.

Turning to face him as he laid next to you, you couldn't even muster up a smile. Even with sweat on his face, his dark hair clinging to his skin, he still looked beautiful and ethereal.

Jungkook's eyes met yours and you couldn't stop your panting, your body completely spent—you couldn't even bring yourself to care about the mix of your slick and his seed still dripping out of you and onto the bed.

"Are you spent, sweetmeat?" he asked, a smirk starting to play at his lips.

You sighed and nodded, eyes still focused on his. "Yes," you replied slowly. "It's been... A long time," you settled on, not sure how to navigate your absence, even if he had originally allowed it.

"Well," he said gleefully. "You will get used to it again, soon."

It was then that you realized you couldn't see his other hand. When you let your eyes follow his arm down to his hand, you realized it was stroking his still hard cock, your slick and his come mixing all over it. Your cheeks flushed and your eyes widened—though, you could already feel the heat of desire in your belly and the tingling between your thighs as you clenched and unclenched around nothing.

"We are going to have so much fun, sweetmeat," Jungkook snickered, rolling over towards you to lick into your mouth.

The music and feasting was something you had missed, watching all the faeries let loose and be themselves, as grotesque as that might look to your human eyes. Jungkook had seated you at the table, taking Soobin away to introduce him to others and show him around a bit.

You were dressed in a gown made of silk, the neckline dipping almost halfway down your chest, but still covering your breasts from view—Jungkook could be possessive when he wished.

The faeries had given you looks, some with curiosity and some with suspicion—others even with pity, if you weren't completely delusional. Your eyes stayed trained on your son, who was learning how to play a game from the other young faeries around him.

"He belongs here," Jungkook whispered in your ear, spooking you for a moment. You looked up at him as he grinned at Soobin, watching him still as he took his seat beside you at the table, his hand patting your thigh before resting on the arm of his chair.

"I didn't think he'd fit in so well," you admitted, unable to stop the smile on your lips and the softness in your voice when Soobin laughed, holding hands with a young faerie who was dripping sap from their limbs.

Jungkook hummed and lightly tapped your chin with his fingers, turning your face to look at him. "Eat," he said flatly. "You belong here, too."

You swallowed nervously. Your eyes darted down to your plate, full of deliciously smelling food, the aroma calling to you. "Jungkook," you whispered, looking back at him.

His fingertips were so soft against your skin that their presence there could've been a hallucination—but you could feel a razor sharp tingle where they touched you, a subtle threat in the gentleness.

"Jungkook, when will we be able to go home?" you asked quietly,

Though his face hadn't changed, you could feel the tension settling in between your bodies. He hummed and let his fingers drag down from your chin to your neck, and then further down to your collarbones. You shivered, letting your eyes flutter shut while they continued their way down between your neckline, every touch of his igniting the nerves in your body.

His hand shot up and gripped your throat, startling your eyes into opening. He didn't tighten his hold, simply keeping a slight pressure on your neck. Jungkook's expression was wicked—and cruel.

"This is your home," he cooed, though nothing about his tone was soft. He leaned in closer, bringing you closer in as well with his hand around your throat. Your breath caught and he brushed his nose against yours lightly, eyes never wavering from yours. "I thought I did well to remind you of that earlier, sweetmeat."

Heat flooded your cheeks, traveling down your chest and between your thighs. You clasped them together instinctively and shuddered when you saw Jungkook's gaze glance down towards your legs.

"Should I remind you here, sweetmeat?" he continued, snickering at the way you were going pliant in his grasp. "Shall I show my court who you belong to?"

You wanted to say yes—everything in your body was craving him already, wanting every bit of him all over you. And to have every faerie in his court watch as he took you—over and over again—you could barely resist the temptation.

But you couldn't give in right now.

"I want you to," you whimpered, shutting your eyes again as he leaned in closer, licking your lips lewdly. He bit your bottom lip and you gasped, allowing him to press closer, kissing you lazily. His hands released your throat and moved back to the nape of your neck, holding you in place while he kissed you.

"Ew!" a voice exclaimed, a voice that was too familiar—and the entire reason you were planning to refuse his tempting offer.

You tore yourself away from Jungkook, who looked puzzled. "Binnie!" you breathed, shifting in your seat. "What's up, honey?"

Jungkook's hand stayed firmly in its place at the back of your neck, hot and heavy.

"Mama, what are you doing?" your son asked, crinkling his nose up in disgust.

"Your dad and I, we just—we just missed each other, that's all," you explained quickly. "Sometimes adults do that when they really love each other!"

Soobin frowned, tilting his head to the side. Before he could ask anymore questions, Jungkook smiled down at him. "Why don't you go to bed, Soobin?" he said, though you could see even your son, at such a young age, instinctively knew to heed his king's command.

An older faerie, one whose hair looked like sea moss trailing all the way down to its feet, arrived quickly and started to pull Soobin and the other young faerie with him away from the table.

"Wait!" he cried out, rushing over to your side.

You quickly enveloped him in your arms, raising him up to your lap. "What's wrong?" you asked, cupping his cheeks in your palms.

"You didn't give me a goodnight kiss," he pouted, wrapping his small arms around you for a hug.

"Aw, my baby Binnie," you cooed, kissing the top of his head. "Mama loves you so much." He looked up at you, his pouting lips still the same, and you kissed his cheek three times.

"I love you, too, Mama," he replied, leaning up to give your cheek a kiss as well. He looked over to Jungkook. "Can I give Dad a kiss, too?"

You hesitated, looking over at the High King, whose face was unreadable. Then, he opened his arms up in a welcoming gesture—Soobin hurriedly climbed down from your lap and rushed to his father, who gave him a peck on the cheek and ruffled his matching dark hair.

Once your son was bounding away, happily chatting with the faeries surrounding him, you sighed and turned to look at the High King, who you found already watching you.

"This is his home," Jungkook repeated harshly. You pursed your lips, hating yourself for the butterflies in your stomach when you knew Taehyung was waiting for you in the human realm. "Soobin belongs here." You didn't want to admit it, though you knew both of you knew perfectly well that he did fit in here—especially once his horns fully grew in atop his head. "Our other children will belong here, too."

Your cheeks flushed and your eyes widened, taken aback at his words. His face was unreadable, even after spending so much of your time with him. "Other children?" you gasped.

"Yes," he said easily, turning away from you and looking over the dancing and partying faeries. "I need many heirs."

A faerie took his attention before you could formulate any words in response to his statement, but you couldn't stop the pounding of your heart in your chest and the quick soar of elation that filled your head with dangerous thoughts—thoughts of the two of you together for the eternity you had promised to him, of you as his bride, of belonging to this world eternally.

You didn't see Jungkook for the rest of the night, but that didn't stop your imagination from running wild with the possibilities of your future together.

The nights passed in a blur of music, little adventures with Soobin, and reliving your memories from years ago. You couldn't help but lose yourself in this world, fully immersed in the customs and life of Faerie—especially now that you were anticipating your new familial life with Jungkook, as he'd implied.

The door shut behind him quickly and you were already slipping the straps of your dress off of your shoulders, the glitter from the fabric sticking to your skin. It fell to the ground softly and Jungkook's hands were already running down your arms, his body right behind yours.

You turned your face sideways to glance back at him, heat already pooling in your lower abdomen at his touch.

"Lie to me, sweetmeat," he whispered, dropping his head to press kisses to your shoulder, nipping at the flesh with his teeth.

You shuddered as his clothed body pressed into your bare one from behind, the tickle of the fabric causing goosebumps to raise on your skin.

"I want to go home," you murmured, your body molding against his as he walked you forward, bending you over onto the mattress. He undid his pants, letting them fall to the ground, and slid his hard cock against your ass.

You whined and pushed back against him, not even embarrassed at how slick you already were. You were already clenching around nothing in anticipation.

"How badly do you want me?" he asked, keeping one palm spread on your back to hold you down. His foot kicked your legs further apart to open you up completely to him. "Do you crave me?"

You moaned as the head of his cock pushed into your folds lightly but pulled away before giving you what you wanted. "Yes," you said. "I've never stopped wanting you."

Jungkook finally—finally—pushed his cock into you, sliding all the way in easily. He said nothing for a while, simply groaning and thrusting in and out of you, filling the room with the lewd sounds of skin against skin. You were gripping fistfuls of the sheets, even biting down on them when his pace became unforgiving.

"How often did you picture me when that human was buried inside of you?" he asked, and you could hear the large grin in his voice. You didn't answer, heat flooding into your cheeks. "Were you hoping it was my cock inside of you, filling you with my seed?" You moaned in response, clenching tight around him as he picked up his pace even faster, almost slamming his cock into you over and over. "Answer me," he growled, his fingers finding your hair and pulling your head up from where it was flush against the bed.

"Yes," you admitted, your voice shaking. "I wanted you to be the one fucking me—"

Jungkook's door opened and you flinched, though his grip on you didn't loosen and his movements only slowed, never stopping.

A woman came into view, though your eyesight was blurred and you had to focus them to see what she looked like.

"Ah, Wife," Jungkook purred, slowly pushing his cock into you so you could feel every centimeter.

"Husband," she replied easily, barely glancing at you.

You clenched around him from your shock, your little breathy sounds fading into the background. You couldn't stop your body from pushing back into him, wanton for him.

"What is it?" he asked, his hips still pounding into you from behind. You were staring at the woman, unable to take your eyes off of her as you took in her beauty. Her hair was a light blue, the very tips turning white and ending near her hips. There was a small golden crown wrapped around head, weaving through her hair like vines. Her ears were long and pointed—longer than Jungkook's ears.

"I see you returned your pet," she said instead, blankly looking over your form. You felt like you were being shown at an auction, but you couldn't muster up any feelings of shame, still used to the way the High King would keep you exposed to anyone who opened his door—even his apparent wife.

"I have," he returned gleefully, snickering. His cock slipped out of you with a lewd sound and his hands gripped your body, forcefully turning you over from your bent position so that you were laying flat on your back on the bed. You let out a small sound at the shift, but his cock was already burying itself inside of you again, brushing against your g-spot and making you moan loudly instead. "Isn't she exquisite?"

"She's very loud," his wife said plainly. "I can see the appeal."

Jungkook rocked his hips into you at a slow pace, one of his hands moving up to your breast and kneading it, pinching your nipple hard as you cried out, clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

"They require you in the meeting hall tomorrow morning," his wife continued. Jungkook merely hummed, his eyes completely focused on his cock disappearing into you over and over slowly. "Do not forget to attend."

"You should really try a human woman," Jungkook redirected, biting his lip and hissing as his bottomed-out cock twitched inside of you. You whimpered, unable to help the flush of arousal at the thought of her joining, memories of the others flooding your head for a few moments. You wrapped your legs around Jungkook's hips, pulling him tighter against you as he chuckled.

"I have humans," she replied, eyes running up and down your sweaty body and stopping for a few seconds too long on your breasts. "I find myself more inclined for the men of the species."

"Your loss," he grunted, grabbing your hips and yanking you harder towards him, picking up his brutal pace again and filling the air with the sounds of your skin slapping together. "Close the door."

You watched her nod her head towards him slightly before she retreated, pulling the door shut behind her. You could feel the orgasm building inside of you as he continued his movements, all your thoughts and words scrambled in your head.

"That's it, sweetmeat," he cooed, hissing as he rushed his pace. "Come all over me."

You moaned loudly at his command and felt complied to respond with your body, the pleasure tightening in your belly first as your orgasm hit you like a wave, shockwaves throbbing through your body as he continued to thrust into you through it.

"Jungkook," you panted, tightening your legs around his hips and fisting the sheets in your fingers as you winced. "It hurts—"

"Take it, human," he said blankly, his eyes focused on yours intently. You bit your bottom lip and shivered, trying to move your hips along to his bruising pace. "You're so good for me," he purred, leaning down as he stilled inside of you so that he could lick into your mouth lewdly. You could feel his cock twitch before he came, spurting his seed deep inside of you.

"Jungkook," you whimpered, arching your back, arousal swirling in your belly at the feeling of him releasing.

He shushed you as he rode out his orgasm, keeping himself flush against you even as he began to soften and his come started to slip out of you and down your thighs to the bed. As you kissed him back, licking back into his mouth and running your fingers through his dark hair and touching his horns lightly, causing him to growl against your lips, you couldn't help but remember the faerie that had stopped by.

"You're married," you whispered against his lips.

He pulled back just enough to look at you and a razor sharp smile was present on his mouth. "Yes," he said. "The High King must be wed for the future of Faerie." When you didn't say anything, pondering his words to you earlier, he continued as his finger began to trace your cheek. "Did you think I would marry you, sweetmeat?"

Your cheeks flushed. "No."

Jungkook laughed loudly and then pressed a harsh kiss to your pouting lips. "Humans are so fascinating when they lie," he finished, and you could feel him getting hard again inside of you. You squirmed underneath him as he kept you pinned down, a gleeful glint in his eyes as he watched you.

"Again, Jungkook?" you whined, though you were already clenching around him and rocking your hips up into him, your body begging him to start moving again.

He hummed and grinded against you slowly, enjoying the sounds your sticky bodies made with every movement. His hand came to grip your face and he held you still, pulling his cock out halfway and then sliding back in slowly. "I will keep you here, bred and ready for me for eternity," he said roughly, the head of his cock brushing against your g-spot again and making you mewl. He took the opportunity to lick into your open mouth.

When he released you, you sighed against his lips and pressed your thighs against the bed to allow him in deeper. "For eternity," you promised.

Jungkook's hips bucked into you and started another brutal pace, filling the room with your moans for the rest of the night.

"Soobin!" you called, running your hand down your belly bump and feeling the fabric of your dress, like silk, cool against your palm. Each of your fingers was adorned in rings, some metal and some vine. "Bring your brother and sister from the trees."

Your oldest son rolled his eyes, his horns curled backwards and ears almost as long as Jungkook's. He was taller than you now, his growth spurt hitting him years prior, and you couldn't help but smile at him sweetly as you made your way to the long table. Jungkook was seated at the head of the table, your family feasting inside the castle on a rare occasion. His wife was seated to his right and you made your way to his left, huffing as you struggled to sit comfortably.

Jungkook's smile to you was as sweet as it could be. "They should be content to play," he started, but you tutted at him and leaned back in the chair.

"I want them to have some connection to human manners," you replied easily, already used to having the same conversation every time you ate inside.

"I think it's good for them," Hana said, interjecting for once into the conversation.

You nodded your head at her, gesturing. "See?"

Jungkook sighed, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms across his chest. "Yes, yes, go ahead and gang up on me."

"Daddy!" your daughter called out loudly, the rushed footsteps of her and her siblings filling the hall as they ran over to the table. Jungkook immediately opened his arms and let her jump into his lap, running his hand down her long dark hair. "Minnie hit me!"

Jungkook hummed, looking over at his two sons as they took their seats beside you, Soobin first. "And what did you do back?"

Ha Yoon smiled wickedly. "I bit him."

Jungkook and Hana laughed. He let her down from his lap, patting the top of her head. She bounced over to you, pulling on the tips of your hair the same way she used to as a baby. You lowered your head as much as you could and then winced when she nipped at your cheek with her sharp teeth. She giggled when you returned it with a kiss to her head and then rushed over to sit beside her brother.

"Soobin," Jungkook started as the servants, a mix of faeries and humans alike, began to place the food on the table and into your plates. "Have you thought about Hana's proposition?"

Soobin perked up, though your body tensed. Jungkook's eyes cut to you for a brief second, noticing your reaction, before he returned his gaze to your son.

"Yes," he replied, his voice much deeper than it had been when you'd returned to Faerie. "I'd like to go."

You bit the inside of your cheek and shoveled a spoonful of food into your mouth, now used to the wonderfully rich tastes this world had to offer you.

"Wonderful!" Jungkook said, smiling widely. "The carriages leave tomorrow for the Court. You'll go with them."

"My brother will teach you well," Hana said, smiling at Soobin sweetly. She had been like a second mother to him all these years, so you understood that your anxiety was rooted in nothing but jealousy and a wish to keep your children near you. "Oh, and Jungkook," she continued, turning her attention to her husband while you fussed over Soobin and Minhyuk.

"Yes, Wife?" he hummed, making a face at his daughter, who looked the most like him out of the three children.

"I'm pregnant," she giggled.

Jungkook's ears twitched and he turned to her quickly, all sounds quieting in the hall. "You are?"

"Yes."

"That's wonderful, Wife," he said smoothly, reaching over and holding her hand in his. You eyed their intertwined fingers and rings with a rush of jealousy, but the anxiety in your chest worsened. "Faerie will be full of my children's laughter."

They looked over at you expectantly. "Congratulations, Hana," you gulped, smiling as wide as you could to mask your fears.

She smiled tightly back at you, her eyes darting down to your own pregnant belly. "Thank you," she said.

Jungkook reached over and took your hand in his so that he was holding both of your hands. "We will celebrate and have a feast tomorrow with the courts," he said. He squeezed your hand and then released Hana's first, using his now free hand to pat your arm before he let go.

"So we're going to have another brother?" Minhyuk asked, speaking for the first time since he sat down. Your middle son was rather quiet and looked more like you than his father, though you didn't think Jungkook minded. He spoiled them all the same.

"Or sister," Hana told him, her face back to the usual stoic expression that everyone was familiar with.

"And it'll be two of them," you told him. Minhyuk tilted his head and then went back to his food, shoveling it in ravenously.

"And there will still be time for more," Jungkook said wickedly. "From both of you." His foot bumped into yours and you looked up at him through your lashes, arousal swirling between your legs when he winked at you and reached over to rest his hand on your thigh. Hana gasped and you looked over to her, watching how her cheeks flushed pink and you could see that Jungkook's other hand was below the table in her direction as well.

He released both of you again and continued his food, the children chatting with each other and him, mostly, excited to have their father's attention since most of his morning and afternoon had been spent in his office and among his advisors.

Once the children were done with their food, they excused themselves from the table and went to go continue playing. Soobin decided to go off on his own from his siblings, but you still had no idea where he went on nights like these; Jungkook always quelled your worries, telling you that he was at that age now where he should be left alone when he needed to be, instead of fretted over.

Jungkook gestured for you with his hands and you rose from your chair, moving over to stand in front of him. He placed his hands on your belly, eyes devouring you in a way that made you want to push your thighs together for relief. He smirked.

"Have they told you what it is yet?" he asked.

"No," you replied quietly, glancing over at Hana. "They say it'll be another boy."

"Faeries and their theories," he sighed, though his tone was fond. "We'll be visiting the Unseelie Court in a few days," he continued.

"Me as well?" you asked, confused. Usually him and his wife went, but you stayed here.

"Yes," he said. "Hana will be going with Soobin. You will come with me."

You bit your lip as his hands started to travel down your dress, using his fingers to pull the fabric up higher and higher, pulling you closer to his lap as he did so. Even after all these years, he was still insatiable.

"I will go prepare and find Soobin," she interrupted, standing up and dragging your attention away from Jungkook.

He stopped her for a brief second, though his hands continued their work until your dress was lifted enough for him to slide his fingers along your unclothed folds, gathering the slick of your arousal on them before he pushed two inside at once, making you whimper as you leaned back on the table.

"Be ready for me tonight, Wife," he told her. She nodded her head.

Then she took a few steps forward, leaning down and pressing her lips to yours. You gasped into her mouth, letting her tongue press against yours as Jungkook snickered from below you, continuing to work his fingers in and out of you. Hana pulled away with an obscene pop of her mouth, biting down on your bottom lip hard enough to draw blood and make you hiss, clenching around Jungkook's fingers.

"I will be," she told him after, leaning down and kissing him harshly. He groaned and rubbed his thumb against your clit with every lick of her tongue against his. Then she pulled away and left the hall, you suspected to her own quarters.

Jungkook pulled his fingers from you and put them in his mouth, licking your slick off while he maintained eye contact with you. He let go of your dress, letting it drop back down to cover your legs, and stood from his chair, walking past the table and looking back at you.

"Come, sweetmeat," he commanded you. Rushing forward as fast as you could in your condition, you slipped your hand into his and allowed him to lead you out into the hall. Jungkook took the opposite turn from the hall leading to his bedroom, instead leading you towards the doors that led into the massive back gardens of the castle, one of your favorite places. You could feel your cheeks flushing with excitement already, knowing he was going to splay you out for anyone wandering the garden to see.

Your packed suitcase was ready beside you, but you ignored it and spent your time fixing Soobin's shirt collar and patting down his hair. He shook his head around, huffing as you fussed over him.

"Mom, I'm not going to be gone so long," he protested, though his voice was soft. You frowned, letting your fingers run through his dark hair one last time before you lowered your hand.

Hana flicked his nose lightly, earning a noise of complaint from the now young adult. "A mother worries, Binnie," she chided him. You smiled lightly when he lowered his head, mumbling an apology to you at her words. He held your hand lightly and pressed a kiss to the back.

"My sweet boy," you said almost tearfully, bringing him in for a hug even though he stood much taller than you. He wiggled uncomfortably, trying not to press too hard against your belly as he returned the hug. "Be safe."

He pulled back with a large smile. "You, as well."

Jungkook arrived, pressing a hand to the small of your back to nudge you forward. "Let us go, sweetmeat," he told you, still using his favorite nickname of yours after so many years. "Yeon will care for the children while we are away."

You looked back, waving to your other two children, who were still so young they couldn't care any less about all of them leaving for about a week's time. "Take care of him, Hana," you said quietly, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze.

She smiled pleasantly. "As I always have," she replied, returning your squeeze.

Jungkook ruffled Soobin's hair. "Do give them some trouble," he said wickedly, sharing a similar smile of mischief with his oldest son. He leaned over and pressed a long kiss to his wife's mouth, sliding his hand to the back of her neck to keep her close while Soobin started to put their bags in their carriage. When he pulled away, her lips were plump and red from his.

You waved to them as they got in and the drivers led them away, your own carriage pulling up to the front and the servants opening the door. Jungkook easily tossed the suitcases in and then helped you up, always more caring and careful when you were carrying his children. He slid into the seat beside you, never preferring to be across from you like in the shows you had always seen, even if sitting beside each other was more cramped.

"Do not worry, human," Jungkook told you blandly, not even looking out of the window as the carriage started to move, taking you away from the place you had become so familiar with. "We will only be visiting a few days and then we will be back with our children."

You couldn't help but take his hand in yours, thankful he simply opened his palm and let you intertwine your fingers together. "I know," you said, leaning over and resting your head on his shoulder.

As the carriage continued on, you dragged your free hand down your belly nervously, hoping that all your fears concerning the courts were unwarranted and simply human anxieties.

541 notes · View notes

taegularities · 1 year

Text

candles & flames | jjk (m)

chapter I: water

Summary: He wasn’t supposed to be yours. His foolery wasn’t supposed to target you. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

➳ pairing: Jungkook x reader ➳ rating: 18+ ➳ genre: enemies to lovers, royal!au; angst, fluff, smut ➳ warnings: so! they’re both royalty/high in society (gd should’ve called this ‘royals’), fuckboy jk, banter, past side character death mentioned, hints of fake dating but not really, angst!, the ending.., douchebag jk at times, crying, guilt, jk is sus too, bits of jealousy, society sucks, explicit sexual content: carriage shenanigans, sexual tension, fingering, oral (m. & f. receiving), mouth fucking, spit stuff?, manhandling, spanking, dry humping, dirty talk, angry foreplay but things get softer, he comes in her mouth <3, they’re hiding during all that <3 ➳ wc: 24.6k 😐 ➳ a/n: sooo. i love e2l and regency aus, but i haven’t written much/any of those, so they’re not my strongest suit. but hopefully y’all will still enjoy reading it, bc i did enjoy writing it. it’s just the beginning hehe <3 this entirely new genre/trope took some brainpower lmao so i’d love if you dropped by and told me what you think !! 🤍

SERIES MASTERPOST | TAGLIST MASTERLIST | WIPs

Jeon Jungkook’s sincerity doesn’t run as deep as his undeniable beauty.

His lopsided, rosy smile certainly has the unyielding power to deceive; but the confident walk and elegant bow are only convincing until he opens his mouth. You thought she knew — thought she’d be wiser than to fall for some deceitful doe eyes.

So your violent disappointment doesn’t come as a surprise when she strolls into your mansion tonight. An arm linked with his; her gentle hand remains on his light blue coat, and he looks as mannered as ever.

If you didn’t know about his nightly activities or what reputation he holds, you’d perhaps fall for the soft, treacly smile.

You stand on the second last step of your stairway, awaiting your sister’s arrival with the same old vexation you’ve felt since you met Jungkook for the first time. Years ago.

When he spots you, he sends a sly wink your way — he knows exactly what you harbour for him.

You respond with an unpleasant grimace, and he rolls his eyes with a scoff, bidding your sister goodbye for the night. She’s well mannered, too, or at least more than you.

Not that you walk the streets with a lifted dress and curses falling off your tongue. But she definitely hides her distaste for people better than you.

What surprises you, though… she’s not hiding anything with Jungkook. She genuinely respects him. Which you, personally, don’t quite understand.

When their farewells are over, she greets you with a nudge of your shoulder, and you follow her to her room with a deep sigh. You plump on her bed with worry carved between your eyebrows, watch her grant her scalp relief from the complicated hairdo.

“Tell me,” you start, meeting her eyes in her vanity mirror, “what do you like about him so much?”

You expect a grand confession of love; musings, poetry, a list of dozens of traits that won’t sound like him at all.

But the actual reaction you get back throws a thousand question marks into your brain.

“Nothing.”

You wait a moment. Perhaps she’ll elaborate, provide an explanation you can get behind.

When she doesn’t, you ask, “...What?”

“I mean. He’s kind, of course. He didn’t insult me or anything. In fact, he’s been nothing but a proper gentleman. But.” She lifts her shoulders in nonchalance and takes a deep breath. “I thought I needed to do this, because I was raised for this very moment all my life.”

You groan.

You’ve heard this speech before — and you still deeply disagree.

“Slowly dissolving in fencing and horse riding classes when I don’t even wish to get married,” she admits, and your eyes widen. “Or at least not to him. Just didn’t realise until now.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means that I’m not suitable for marriage yet. Honestly, you should be the one he courts.”

You let out a slightly shrill laugh, wondering if you misheard. But her insanity never knew any boundaries, so you shouldn’t be surprised that she uttered such a suggestion at all.

“You’re joking.”

“No!” she defends. “He suits you a lot better. Besides, I spoke to mother and father already and asked them to put Jeon’s hand in yours.”

Now that’s a piece of information that makes your heart race.

No way.

Just because one sister rejected, it doesn’t mean it’s the other’s turn. You live in a twisted world.

But you’re not playing her or anyone’s game, not today, not with that… man.

“Excuse me, what the hell did you say?” you snarl, leaving the bed in a hurry.

You step next to her, raging. Your heaving chest is bursting; even more so when she barely even flinches, unbothered and calm.

And then she dares to question, “What’s the problem?”

“The problem?!” you nearly yell back, nails digging into your palm hard enough to leave crescent scars. “I cannot stand this man. I— I heard from Aera just yesterday that she saw him leaving some tailor’s place. Buttons open.”

“What tailor?”

“The one near the theatre. He frequents that place sometimes.” You gesture around wildly, shaking your head like she’s lost her mind. Which you’re certain she has. “And her friends’. And that’s all that Aera sees, so God knows where else he puts his—”

“Does it matter?” Your sister turns in her seat, looking up to you with a sombre expression. “He’s a man, and he’ll get away with it. They do those things all the time. But… He’s still an important suitor and he’s not off the market. Heard he’s in search of someone.”

You fold your arms, tilting your head. “Off the market? Mother always says that about us as well. But we’re not objects to be sold.”

“It’s how the world views marriage, sweetheart. You should be happy our parents allow our suitors to court us.” You turn away, rubbing your eyes. It’s common these days, though. No need to deem yourself lucky just yet. “If we lived a few hundred years earlier or were raised by more authoritative parents, we would’ve been married with kids by the age of eighteen.”

“You’re genuinely insane,” is all you throw back.

But she doesn’t capitulate yet; instead, she clarifies, “You don’t need to meet him. But I just want to state that I won’t anymore, either.”

“And… you said just that to mother?”

“Of course,” she persists, running a fancy comb through her silky hair, “I’m her darling daughter, so she’ll do anything to see me happy.

You squint your eyes. “What did you say?”

“I said… that he and I aren’t compatible. That I do not want to spend my life with a man who doesn’t understand what I desire.”

You look at her in a faint mock, shifting your balance to one leg. A hand planted on your waist, you ask, “And you think I would be a better fit for him?”

“I mean, it’s a Lord, for God’s sake! Such royalty doesn’t approach us every day! And yes, I think you’re very different from me. And a lot like him,” she emphasises, once more.

“Whatever.”

Her eyes flash back to her mirror, cautious hands taking off the precious jewellery. For a moment, you don’t think much of the silence, but when you spare her another glance, she looks distracted.

An empty gaze and a frozen body; something that only ever occurs when she’s lost, deep in thought. Which means — something must be wrong.

You kneel next to her, placing a warm hand on her arm, and ask, “What is going on?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying,” you immediately snap back, “and you were never good at it anyway.”

She clicks her tongue, puffing out a breath. Leans forward and rubs her temples as she whines, “What do you want me to say? That I got to know his cousins while spending time with him? That I might or might not have fallen for one of them?”

You’re speechless. Baffled and unable to make sense of her babbling.

“But that I can’t possibly chase their gazes, because they’ll be gone in a month again?” she adds.

You have a slight hunch about what she might be suggesting. It’s not particularly difficult to figure out — not when you’re aware of Jeon Jungkook’s immediate relatives.

“Are you…” you whisper. “Are you talking about—”

“His name is Kim Seokjin,” she tells you, gulping hard, “and he has me wrapped around that pretty finger of his.”

“Does… does Jungkook know?”

“No, he doesn’t,” she explains; all of a sudden, she sounds exasperated, “but he knows something’s off. That’s why he’s not trying as hard anymore, though he genuinely seemed interested in me. That’s also why I needed you to take my place, because I do not want to hurt him.”

You let out a breathy chuckle, humming for a moment before you tell her, “I doubt you’re hurting him.”

She looks at you carefully; her fingers wander from her temples to her forehead. “Because of the things you’ve heard?”

“It just doesn’t sound like he cares a ton. And he has no manners,” you look away, hiding the transparent disgust in your countenance. “He’s frustrating and unpredictable, and his parents… caretakers had to save him several times.”

In a moment of despair, she grants you the tiniest of smiles; doesn’t notice your hesitation or the flaw in your sentence. Her eyes carry ache and hopelessness; you wish you could change reality in a way that suits her.

Gently, she assures, “Say whatever you will, sister. But upon meeting him… I don’t think you would still hold the same opinion about him.”

“...What?”

“He’s a gentleman when he wants something. And in the end, he won’t remember his weekend flings across town, but… the one he falls for. I’m just not suitable to be that woman.”

She’s lucky neither her nor Jungkook made a great deal out of their brief friendship, or the streets would already be talking about their falling out. As far as you recall, they never attended a ball together, or spent time anywhere but in one of his mansion’s private halls, sipping some beverages.

You knew it sounded boring.

But you didn’t think it’d be over within a week.

And you won’t question again when she, your mother, your father or anyone involved in this wicked case began picturing Jungkook and you as a duo. You’ve never expressed anything but utter disdain for him — so you’re bewildered.

Instead of clutching the indignation raging in your torso, you simply mumble, “Alright…”

She reminds you, “I’m not forcing you.” You grimace, and she responds with a weak smile, “I started this as a joke in fact, but now that I think about it… do consider it.”

And that’s it.

She stands from her chair, mindlessly braiding her hair; not quite ready for bed, but clearly in dire need to be left alone with her thoughts. Which you understand momentarily when she turns to you, softly stating, “I shall rest now.”

“Alright,” you repeat, arguments and confusion ebbing down.

And eventually, you stroll to your room to battle your very own muddled up thoughts.

The night stretches endlessly, and the morning is quiet.

Your father withdrew to his room possibly before your eyes slipped open, and your mother is, if you were to believe your sister, already promenading with some of her friends. Titles are scattered across the peerage, so you guess it’s more of a circle to exchange rumours than anything.

Your morning remains uneventful until noon breaks in; you soon wish you could continue wallowing in boredom when you fly down the stairs, opening the door where the three loud knocks came from.

Half expecting your tailor to bring new gifts for an upcoming ball, your smile soon drops when you see who’s actually ogling at you.

Eyes flit from the ground to yours. He puts on a sweet smile, taking off his gloves. He’s wearing a long dark coat with a red waistcoat underneath, matching the colour of the obligatory hat that you’re sure he didn’t wear.

His hair is too flawless, not a strand out of place, parted on the side.

You might never be able to understand his lifestyle or his will to roam around the town so recklessly, but you’ll never deny how unnaturally handsome Jeon Jungkook is.

Might be the slightly tilted smile, the big, jet black eyes. Or the golden skin, the button nose. Constantly pouty lips, deep dimples that he doesn’t need to smile for.

If he wasn’t as imprudent as his reputation suggests, you’d probably be one of the many women sighing and dreaming in his presence.

But alas.

“Good morning,” he says, his voice as mellow as his simple nod dashing, “is your sister present, perhaps?”

He sounds amiable, attempting his best to not vex you more than he already does. You want to respond in similar kind, but you can’t quite blandish the truth when you tell him, “She doesn’t want to see you anymore.”

His eyes widen, but blink just as fast. The initial shock ebbs down as soon as it came — as though he expected it, but hoped for a different outcome.

Jungkook sighs, quietly complaining, “Figured that… but she could’ve told me.”

“She… she said you knew.”

“I suppose I did,” he says, clicking his tongue. He tilts his head for a moment, his pupils shaking in distress like his soul is falling apart. Then, he averts your gaze to stare at the outer wall of your house. Pausing, uncertain what to say before he finally asks, “Did she tell you why?”

But you won’t break this easily. Not due to the honey sweet tone in his voice. “She’s my sister. I can’t spill secrets to a stranger.”

Jungkook and you neither meet nor speak too often. But whenever he crosses your path, no matter how often you try to dodge his looming presence, there’s familiarity in his words.

Like now.

“Are we really strangers?”

You suppose you’re not.

And the truth is, if Jungkook wasn’t out to clash with you every chance he gets, you might be able to forgive what happened so many years ago.

Perhaps you’ve forgiven already — perhaps there’s even a shred of empathy left in you that feels guilty for disliking him as you do.

If he was nicer to you. If he didn’t mess with your kindness so much.

“I can’t. And I won’t say anything,” you answer eventually, straightening your back.

“Very well. I guess I’ll figure it out myself.”

“I guess you will.”

Annoyed, he half turns around, giving up with a shaking head before he halts. He hesitates, delaying whatever he still needs from you. You await his unspoken question patiently.

And then he finally looks at you, only moving his head, still in flight position, “Is she okay?”

The few times you granted him a look at balls or gatherings, his smirk was mischievous. Passing by you, the gazes he threw were sly and arrogant.

But right now, you see none of it. He looks genuinely worried; somewhat apologetic. So you nod, and tell him, “She is. We’ll be going on a walk today.”

Jungkook has never quite been as kind to you as today. But once you reassure him that the gap between him and your sister won’t linger, he hums. Sighs. The gentle armour falls off his face, and his usual cocky demeanour returns.

But you won’t let him emotionally damage you today. Instead, you ask first, “What about you, prince? Another appointment somewhere?”

You know he’s not quite a prince. He’s the Duke’s son — but maybe you’re purposely trying to be rude.

And it truly is demeaning to switch the title. It’s most likely redundant, too.

But you can’t bear his words anymore. Hurt accompanied his presence one too many times in the past, and you can’t hear any of it anymore.

He looks confused, eyebrows shifting closer, and asks, “Appointment?”

“I just… I figured you have plenty of other rendezvous you can attend. That you’ll get over my sister quickly.”

Jungkook cocks an eyebrow in irritation, fingers fiddling with his gloves, “Hold on. Did I do something to you?”

What?

He must be mocking you.

“You don’t kno––” you begin, only to be cut off.

“I know we snapped at each other at parties, but… you can’t hate me this much.”

Funny. Because you know he hates you just as much.

“Jeon Jungkook,” you emphasise, stepping closer to the threshold, “if you truly don’t remember, then it’s not worth mentioning.”

“Wait, I— I honestly just—”

“Go take a walk. Maybe you will know then.”

You shut the door without granting him a chance to justify himself and press your back against the cold wall. Your chest rises and falls once, heavily and deeply, and you shut your eyes.

You despise confrontation more than him. To him, you might seem like a shameless, wilding brat, but you’ve never been this defensive with anyone before.

Reputable kindness, endless grace, yet a respectable feisty nature let you shine in people’s eyes.

Not in his. And that’s alright.

When your eyes crack open again, your mother’s stepping down to you, a soft smile playing around her lips. You raise your eyebrows, confused as you ask, “I thought you were out with your girlfriends.”

“I was… an hour ago.”

She must have come back when you were scouring the library. You didn’t hear.

“What happened there?” she wonders, pointing a finger to the door.

You push yourself off the wall, flattening your dress. “That was nothing.”

Your mother silences. Looks at you knowingly; then spits the topic you dreaded, “Your sister has broken her affiliation with him.”

“Affiliation? Maybe that’s why.”

“What about you?”

“...What about me?”

She’s careful when it’s about Jungkook. You’ve always reacted to him like this — even when the trio announced him as your sister’s potential future husband for the first time.

So she waits for your expressions to relax, folding her hands, slowly blinking, before she reminds you, “There was a time, long before he courted your sister, when he was almost your suitor.”

No.

You stuffed this very memory in the back of your mind, and you won’t let her tug it to the front. You won’t even tell her what occurred back then; why you wrote him off, all the things he said.

You used to taint him in others’ eyes; but you’re tired now. The negativity may as well stay within you.

“So?” you finally murmur.

“You could meet him. You should.”

“Why? Why does everybody say that? Or… or expect that from me?”

“It’s not about expecting anything from you,” your mother argues, “and in the end, it is up to you what you decide. But your sister has rambled on and on, multiple times, how he reminds her of you, how you’d be perfect if you gave each other a cha—”

“That sounds surreal, mother.”

“If there is any chance for you to be happy, to be something your sister can’t be yet… why not try?” She’s persistent, you must admit. You do wish she put her energy into something else, though. “But. I understand. If he was to ask, you would undoubtedly say no… right?”

“Precisely.”

She smiles at you, briefly closing her eyes. Then, she turns on her heel, lifting her shoulders just a little as if to mock you, and breathes, “Very well.”

In a way, you often wonder whether mothers possess the gift of sight.

One time, she foreshadowed rain on a seething, sunny day, claiming that her headache only occurred when weather conditions changed drastically.

Another day, when you were around twenty years old, she’d warned you to be careful when boating with your friends that day. You remained home, heeding her message, only to find out not long after that there had been a dangerous fight amongst gangsters just where you would’ve rented a boat.

It seems that even today, her mocking sarcasm and cunning smile didn’t disappoint.

Or, perhaps they did.

Because in the best case scenario, she would’ve walked away and finished the topic nonchalantly — that she didn’t, manifested the second knock on your door today, close to your bedtime while everyone else is already asleep.

Not you.

The late night snack happens too often these days, your hidden guilty pleasure. Not rarely does your tailor wonder why your corset needs new stitching each time, but you can’t bother less about this age’s beauty standards and starvation techniques for women.

Dropping the biscuit, you rub your hands clean off the crumbs, rushing to the door without expecting anyone tonight.

The first thought that flashes through your mind is that it might be someone your father awaited. Last week alone, he had two visitors at this time, discussing some more finances, some more business.

But not today.

Instead, the same familiar face greets you that you sent away this noon.

“You’re… here again,” you say, but Jungkook’s expressions don’t budge a bit.

He looks nervous, somewhat lost. As though he spent his hours adrift on lonely streets, unsure what road leads home.

What he says surprises you.

“Could we go on a walk?”

“On a walk?”

“I need to speak to you.”

The atmosphere and mood differ vastly from when he appeared on your doorstep before. He’s looking at you directly this time, not quite averting your gaze as he did last time. At noon, he sought out someone else, finding you.

And now that he’s face to face with the exact person he needs, his eyes are more piercing, more focused.

Rejection lies casually on your tongue. It’s an easy word for you when it comes to him; and you know exactly how effortless it would be if you sent him home now as well.

But then, you remember what your mother said — wonder whether she delivered a secret letter to him, urging him to come back. Or perhaps, she once again foresaw the future and gave you the faintest signal to do the opposite of what you’d usually do.

Maybe.

So you take a deep breath, glancing behind you, hesitating for a moment as you ask, “You shouldn’t be asking a lady to accompany you on a walk, not at this hour.”

“I’m not trying to abduct you. I just need to talk a little, and I will send you back home safely.”

You can’t tell him that your mother would jump at the opportunity to bring you closer to him — perhaps not so late, and perhaps not alone. But she’s not the one whose permission you need.

But your own.

“What if someone sees us?” you try again.

“They won’t. All you have is a garden nearby, and the worst beast we might encounter is the sin… lust.”

You grimace in disgust, ready to step back before he starts chuckling and clarifies, “Not with me. But. I am saying that those who still roam the streets will be more terrified of tainting their own reputation than yours.”

You’re out of options and excuses.

Licking your lip, you spare another glance to the hall behind you. Nothing, no one.

And eventually, you let the shawl you dropped on your shoulders an hour ago fall, wrapping it around your arms and chest as you step out into the night.

The garden, as Jungkook deduced, lies few minutes from your house. It’s a pleasant night to spend time outside, and if you weren’t a homebody during the weekend, you might have taken a stroll tonight anyway.

Your area is safe; your mother still doesn’t enjoy your lone escapades.

Once you’ve reached the garden, you let out a relieved sigh. In truth, you can barely see the colours of the flowers around you, but you do register the fragrance that the summer breeze wafts towards you.

You like the scent; bask in it. It feels as though it’s repairing broken fragments of you that you didn’t know existed in the first place.

As you take a seat on the low, cold stone wall, you break the silence of the last minutes, and ask, “Why did you seek me out anew tonight?”

Jungkook snickers for a bare moment, leaning forwards and spreading his legs, folding his hands between them. He looks up to your puzzled expression, and states, “You don’t need to speak so formally to me. We’re not at the Queen’s castle.”

You exhale, letting your shoulders drop a little, and repeat, “Why are you here, Jungkook?”

His laughter continues faintly before it dies, but in the faint light of the moon, you still see the remnants of his smile. Ingenuine, keeping it to hold onto optimism.

He admits, “I didn’t know what else to do.”

You don’t have the faintest clue what that might mean. But you try, “You didn’t have anywhere else to be?”

“Maybe I did. But it’s gotten boring. Trivial.”

You roll your eyes. If you meant resting in his room, then Jungkook means rolling around on someone’s sheets.

If you’re the calmness of water, then he’s the danger of fire.

You tease, “Poor you. Desired by everyone.”

“Not everyone, right?” You see him winking and shake your head in disbelief. Look away and directly into the direction from where the night wind blows. Shiver. “Are you cold? We can go back—”

Something in your mind finally breaks, and you interject, causing him to shrink, “Let it out. Honestly. Why are you being so nice to me?”

He looks baffled, pouting, eyes wider than usually. He plays the act of the innocent lamb perfectly, but you’re not stupid. Not even when he asks, “Am I not allowed to?”

“Sure,” you shrug your shoulders, rubbing your knees, “but it doesn’t suit you.”

“I’ll have you know,” he begins. He leans closer than you’d like him to. “That I’m constantly very kind to women.”

You huff. “So you don’t usually regard me as a woman.”

“I mean. Now I do.”

God.

Insufferable.

You tongue the inside of your cheek, observing his provoking grin for a moment longer until you spit, “Whatever.”

Wiping the non-existent dust off your gown, you stand, wondering why you agreed in the first place, and mumble, “This is an absolute waste of my time. I could be sleeping.”

Perhaps it’s the intensely piqued glare you throw at him; or perhaps, it’s the fact that he came all the way here, to converse with you and have you walk away.

But Jungkook’s strings break, and he rubs his face violently, grabbing your wrist before you can walk away. He tugs at your arm and pulls your body back, eliciting a gasp out of you as he realises what he did.

“What in the worl—” you exclaim, possibly loud enough for the neighbourhood to hear.

But he lets you go immediately, shushing you with a finger on his plush lips before he whisper-yells, “What the hell is your problem?!”

You fold your arms, furrowing your eyebrows. “Ah, yeah. Here he is, the man I know.”

“No, seriously,” he challenges, taking a stand in front of you. “This condescending attitude is just what made me treat you the way I did.”

You let a breathy laugh fall, mustering all the mockery in your voice as you say, “You can’t excuse anything you’ve ever said with this.”

“Why can I not? Were you not going around town, spreading absolute bull about me?”

You remember. You did. But that’s because Jungkook began; knew how to humiliate you, knew how to nearly destroy your persona to the entire peerage.

Seems that he carried this with him just as much as you did. Only, you never feigned kindness; never forced yourself to amity to the point of implosion.

And Jungkook… Jungkook is imploding.

Annoyed and harsh, you inquire, “Have you ever wondered why?”

“I knew why. But you started the hostility.”

“I did not,” you defend, “You just don’t seem to recall everything.”

Pause.

Unsteady breathing, clenched fists.

His expression is changing, and his body is backtracking. Suddenly, his eyes look crestfallen, not as filled with fury anymore.

And you know why.

“I remember,” he admits, “But I… I’d rather pretend I don’t.”

Again… you know why.

“I understand,” you tell him, just a portion calmer. “It still didn’t feel good.”

You think you see the same fragments of guilt that are cutting your heart. Because when you think back to what he’s pretending to forget, you still can’t hate the boy for what he did.

Only for the things he kept doing.

“I needed to speak to you, but… I never wanted to bring up all the moments I hurt you,” he mutters.

You bite your lower lip, shaking your head. And then, you tell him, “You didn’t just hurt me. You humiliated me.”

“I—”

“You say you remember. But what about all the details, all the tiny moments? The exact things you said.”

He shakes his head, urging you to stop.

Yet, you say, still calmly, “Let me help you remember it all.”

His mouth opens to speak, but you’re already a step ahead.

“Apart from that very first night when we were children, Jungkook,” you begin, closing the distance by a bit, “you would always tell your cousins how stuck up I looked standing aside at any gathering.”

“I—”

“That I was an outcast. You would compare my dresses to fruits, laugh at them, or point out a minor flaw about me, or make fun of how I never smiled because of how tight my corset sat.”

The words spilling out of you were long overdue.

In truth, you’ve never been alone with him. You could never lash out at him at balls without him embarrassing you back a thousandfold.

And right now, your chest is burning, sadness in your eyes as you narrate further, “And I loved those dresses. The young and naive me would… prepare them days before and jump in joy. Just to hide in the back once she saw you.”

Remorse overtakes his features. You’ve never witnessed such a thing before — and despite the gratification coursing through you, you can’t help but feel bad, too.

“I didn’t know,” he murmurs, “I was… reacting. I was furious, because I know what you told people about me. I was never interested in becoming the honourable Lord everyone wants me to be, but I still despised the judgemental side-eyes.”

“I did it, because I remembered how you’ve always treated me. Besides, I never ruined your reputation, because you did it very well for yourself!”

Shit.

You regret it once you’ve said it.

He winces, and you step back again, clearing your throat. You shut your eyes, and open them again, talking on when he doesn’t respond, “And you know what else? Do you know what the worst thing you did and my biggest mistake was?”

He knows. He must.

Because the time you’re referencing, on that very gathering, your eyes met just briefly. And he could see the damp dejection on your waterline.

“Listen…” he tries, but you inhale, loudly and deeply.

“When I was being paraded by boys, I still thought it a good idea to accept you as a suitor, because my mother convinced me to. I thought… Odd! I’m just a Viscount’s daughter. The Duchess’ son might court me? An honour.”

Your voice is trembling; less because of the tears that hold back, but more because of the anxiety that confrontation brings. No matter the damage caused, you feel bad.

But you can’t stop the flood of thoughts.

“We were adults then, and I was ready to forgive you,” you tell him, gulping, “until you told a handful of men who liked me, that I’m the most untrustworthy snake in town. And how my sister,” you laugh; your gaze shifts to the ground, “is much more beautiful and actually worth the trouble.”

The waterfall of your words comes to an end abruptly.

Silence falls between you, and so does Jungkook’s head.

“You never even apologised,” you tell him.

Jungkook’s thoughts whirl around their own axis.

Life threw hurdles at him, and soon made him someone he’d never aspired to be. Half of the things you listed have long escaped his memory — what remains is how empty he felt each night before he fell asleep.

How bitter and cold he’d become after one too many strokes of fate.

Were you the only person he hurt as he did?

Probably not. Though you were possibly his easiest target; good to blow out steam on when you tossed the opportunity to hate you to his feet.

And what’s left to say now?

“I am sorry,” he mumbles.

But you don’t look convinced. Your eyes are misty, your demeanour despondent. You don’t respond.

The reason he knocked on your door tonight emerged due to entirely different reasons. The spat you both just engaged in wasn’t part of the plan.

Yet, somehow, you’ve still arrived at just the right point.

Where Jungkook’s suggestion might make sense to you, only maybe, considering that he has barely grasped his own ideas and thoughts.

Aware how ridiculous it might come out, Jungkook treads carefully, almost back pedalling before he chooses to let out, “Let me court you.”

And the world suddenly stands still.

For him.

For you.

Words echo. Court… you?

You’re confused; your rage is dying. The muscles of your face relax, and you part your lips, probably deeming his proposition a joke before you ask, “What?”

“I know you can’t stand me. And… I think you know you’re not my first choice either, but. My mother wants me to approach you.”

Your eyes widen, as if he’s said something you resonate with. As if you’ve landed in the most absurd coincidence.

“Your… your mother?” you stutter.

Jungkook nods. “She’s acquainted with your sister. And with you as well. She claims that if your sister can’t spend her life with me, I should take a step towards you.”

And when you speak, Jungkook understands your prior expression, because you silently confess to float in the same boat, “Did you talk this out with my mother? Is she involved?”

“No… what?”

“Nothing. What you’re suggesting is insane.”

Jungkook draws a breath; fingers lift to rub his aching eyelids, “I know. As I said… I don’t think we fit together as well as my mother might think, but… you enjoy a great reputation. She thinks I should try it with people like you before throwing my life away.”

By now, you’re finding it ridiculous, because you laugh, discouraging Jungkook further. “Try what? I am not a toy to prepare you for something better. I won’t be your saviour, and I don’t want to be.”

“You wouldn’t be. But, despite the hate we carry for each other, I think that you and I would understand each other.”

“Understand… how?”

You’re not buying it. He can see it.

He knew his idea would land on empty ears — it sounds too stupid, too sudden.

But he still attempts, “Aren’t you and I both… acting like we’re in the middle but never quite there?”

“...How?”

“I walk around town. You have dozens of friends. But when it comes to life or meaningful thinking… how often do you find yourself trusting someone?”

The breeze cools a little more, playing around your locks, dishevelling his hair. For a moment, you look to his feet, and then you whisper through the susurrating wind, “How would you know?”

Easy answer.

“Because I saw you at balls. You would converse and dance with the guests, but once you’d satisfied their needs to gain the attention of the beautiful honourable sisters… you retracted. As though you’d finished a task. They were happy, and you were happy to observe.”

You hesitate.

And then say, “You were, too, weren’t you? If you didn’t observe, you wouldn’t know all that.”

“Maybe. They say keep your friends close, but your enemies…”

“You dislike me, but still want to court me?”

“I… I want to try. I don’t want to regret not trying. And I am sick of sleeping around town,” he confesses. It’s something you didn’t expect, he thinks. Because you tilt your head in question.

He assumes you don’t hear it when he adds in a quiet whisper, “That brute in our mansion is right about one thing… I’m not good for much.”

Jungkook can’t decipher whether you heard it and are ignoring it or whether you didn’t hear and are still ignoring it. Because you state, “I don’t want you to be my friend just to find out who you are.”

And again, he defends, “That’s not what it is. I know who I am. I just need someone to talk about it who will be neutral. If we still hate each other later, I won’t ask anything more of you.”

That’s it. Nothing more… seemingly.

Your thoughts are all over the place.

He says one thing, and then another. You interpret it one way, and then another.

Your head needs rest.

“Do you realise that you barely make any sense?” you shoot, impatient and tired.

“Do you realise that most of our feuds are in the past?” he counters, his voice louder now. “If we hadn’t wounded each other so much at such a young age… I wonder if we could’ve been friends. I just. I don’t wish to foster bitter relationships anymore.”

You remain quiet. So he’s saying… he wants to get closer to you, because he assumes you match his mindset? Similar to your mother, to his mother?

He wants to build a relationship with someone honest, who won’t gloss over the truth.

And.

He wants to eliminate the hatred in his life. Wants to renew his opinion about people. Thinks that with proper peace, you could be friends, if not more.

Is that the summary of his suggestion? Does it make sense? You don’t know.

“I need to redeem myself,” he then tells you, “I know I wasn’t the best person, but I want to be better.”

“All of a sudden?”

“Perhaps. Or maybe not. Maybe your sister brought me closer to a memory with you. And the memory led to what my father wanted. And… that led to me realising… that I’ve become the person he didn’t want me to be.”

Maybe that’s valid reasoning. But you’re sceptical. And if you were to give him a chance, you’d still proceed cautiously.

“Which means…” you start.

“That I shouldn’t have done all that to you that night. I don’t think it’s easy for either of us to find liking each other, because too much happened, but… I want to try.”

Final statement.

He wants to try. Even adds one single, “Please.”

And you’re conflicted. It’s a risk, isn’t it? A risk to get hurt, or to be disappointed, to fall back into old habits without any progress.

But.

Maybe you should try the way he is.

Your, as well as his, mother vowed that you are identical in personality. Your sister did, too.

To you, you’re water, and he’s fire — but perhaps there’s a grey area where you meet. Where you collide and become steam, evaporating, hot yet calm.

So you finally say, “One chance. And that's all you get.”

You remember being eleven at most.

You remember navigating through the darkness, at a time that your parents were long awaiting you at home. You had just stepped out of your friend’s place a few minutes ago; in hindsight, you should’ve never gone to someone whose parents allowed such a thing and never bothered to bring you home.

Even though you didn’t live too far away, the journey home, wading through the rain, felt endless.

Oh, and there’s that, too.

You remember pouring rain.

And spotting the Duke’s son when you least expected it.

Back then, you wouldn’t see him in town too often. In truth, he and his brother spent most of their time studying in a much livelier city, learning manners, acquiring skills.

They’d come home for the weekend, and even then, they wouldn’t leave their mansion and their parents’ side much.

But when the beloved Duke died, leaving your town gasping and in quiet anguish, you saw Jungkook from this close for the very first time.

It was spring, you believe. Warm enough to enjoy lunch near the lake, to exchange conversations and jokes. But the nightly fog and rain were still freezing, yet half as bad with the umbrella over your head.

He was weeping, alone on some run-down bench; legs crossed, barely noticing you when you drew closer.

“Excuse me?” your tiny voice asked; you recall squinting your eyes. “Don’t you need to be home?” He didn’t answer. Didn’t even look at you. “Does someone know where you are?”

Your house was a few streets away, but walking to the mansion took a fair amount of time. You wondered whether he’d run all the way down here; with a childish mind, you also wondered what it felt like running from home.

Arguments are a common human trait, especially as a child grows up. Back then, you didn’t know, and despite your obedience in your house, you wondered if you had the guts to leave, should your parents give you hell today.

Jungkook’s affliction, you understood. You figured why he was here at all, lonesome and lost, unable to take the gut-wrenching cries that probably roamed their castle.

You reached out to touch his shoulder, and leaned in to lift the umbrella over both your heads. It was the first time he met your eyes — the white of them was red, tears on his cheek merging with the rain.

The sheer amount of pain overwhelmed your fragile heart. You were just a child, watching someone shatter and break in front of you. He had big eyes back then, too, the same pouty lips, and his crying fractured something deep inside you.

You’d claim that you’d always been an empathic child — and you’d claim that Jungkook, once upon a time, used to be similar.

But not anymore.

That night changed him. Or at least, you think it was one of the reasons that altered his personality.

Because from afar, he appeared sweet, friendly, and mannered. But you didn’t expect his fiery reaction when you said, “You can come home with me.”

It was a simple suggestion. A sign of a stranger’s sympathy.

But Jungkook either didn’t catch your amenity or didn’t know how to give it back properly.

So he didn’t at all.

When he spoke, he sounded scared. Even in his fear, though, he wasn’t gentle with you.

Today, you can only remember every word when you think about it hard. When you don’t, fragments of sentences flash through your mind, something with home and dead and cosy fantasy world.

You’ve long pushed it out of your head; you wonder how much he remembers.

But you still know that he left you speechless and confused. You were hurt, as much as a child can be hurt from another stranger child; but even then, you knew where his temper was coming from.

You silenced.

You stood in front of him in the cold shower. Water collected in your shoes, goosebumps on your skin, but you weren’t shivering anymore.

His breath fell heavily, and his gaze fixated somewhere near your knees. And despite the things he’d said, you touched his shoulders again, telling him, “Go home.”

To which he replied, “I don’t have to.”

“But you will get sick.”

“Who cares?”

It was tough to come up with something he’d want to hear — and when you lost the courage bit by bit, close to leaving him and walking away, you heard a carriage approach.

The next bits have always been chipped particles of your memory.

How someone stepped out of the carriage, thoroughly irked, calling his name and scolding the life out of him. The man was tall and well-built, handsome to a pleasant degree, but the monstrous anger in his face left an upsetting impression on you.

And Jungkook — he just listened. That is, until he finally conjured up an excuse; you still haven’t figured out what strange reason urged him to come up with, “I apologise. The girl led me to these alleys, and I couldn’t find my way back.”

Of all the things he could’ve said.

You still don’t know.

Lying isn’t the worst sin of them all; but sometimes, it does wound an eleven year old more than it should.

Because he said it quietly and calmly, differently from how he’d spoken to you.

You were too young. You didn’t understand how to effectively defend yourself.

So you panicked when the man you didn’t know — Jungkook’s uncle, his dowager mother’s cousin who later married her and became the Duke himself, as you’d find out — came closer, peppering you with a dozen questions.

He asked what you’d intended to do, or why you’d get in his way on such a day, and did you not know who that boy was? What had happened today? What you were getting yourself into?

That everyone was worried sick and your search for a playmate set the entire mansion ablaze?

You claimed that nothing happened, and that you’d just found him. That you wanted to help, that you would’ve told Jungkook’s family if there was any way to do so.

You were clutching the umbrella tight between your little fingers; and the hold didn’t lose until his eyebrows relaxed. Because in hindsight, you were lucky that he didn’t say anything worse, that he didn��t notify your parents or demanded anything for the damage.

The Jeons were grieving too much; they couldn’t be bothered with some girl.

So they both left.

You snap out of your trance, inches from Jungkook’s shoulder.

It’s bizarre to see him smiling at you now, an utter contrast to your first meeting. In truth, the entire world has changed.

You used to witness it from an innocent point of view; you’d hold onto your mother’s hand, and play with other girls until you started understanding the concept of such balls and soirees.

People are all looking at you, whispering to each other, gathering rumours and information to expand on later. Their eyes are wide when they see the two of you, lips parted.

Not too far from you, your mother and sister are nodding encouragingly, fitting into the atmosphere so much better tonight than you.

Of course they were delighted to hear the news.

Your father escaped to the garden, drinking with people he knows, talking about God knows what.

And here you are, next to the man that voiced the most unbelievable proposition you’ve ever heard.

The truth is.

You think you’ve long forgiven him for that night. The harsh words thrown at you, the lie he crafted, the anger his uncle unleashed on you.

You’ve forgiven him, because you can’t imagine the pain of losing someone so dear. His own father. Reigning during the day, gone that very night.

There’s not much one can hold against a child.

But what you hate is how much that night started. How it rolled out the rivalry without any valid reason.

How you grew to view him from your most bitter side, remembering the fear he put you through despite his own pain. How the gazes you gave him carried a sour taste, and how he consequently turned bitter, too.

He probably wasn’t always like that — but the years that followed made your life hell. The boy you heard of from other people, the reputation he held… gone one day.

As he grew up, he frequented various women’s places, a new one every other month, and they all would never stop swooning over him. He liked that.

Didn’t care about tarnishing his image — perhaps he thought it was his brother who’d reign one day anyway.

And somehow, he respected you the least. All the accusations you threw at him just two days ago, standing in the dark garden, you still take each of them to heart.

At some point you came up with the theory that he connects the memory of that night, his father’s death, too much with you. That this is why he’s always hated you, just because he could.

And you’re sure that this very theory of you is correct, because you don’t know many other of his victims.

But deep-rooted ache of the past or not.

Sometimes, a behaviour can’t be excused.

You look back and forth again.

Up to the chandelier dangling from the ceiling, to the orchestra chiming its music through the hall. Everything is bright and white, giggles drowning in the music, dancing couples ecstatic.

The hall is divided into obvious sections: courting men who impress gorgeous girls. Mothers fanning air into their faces and watching. The host nowhere to be seen and the scent of finger food filling the room.

If it wasn’t for the others’ occasional, judgemental glances, you might even find some liking in the aesthetics.

Jungkook insisted on making this the first opportunity to carry out his plan. Not that you weren’t coming to this fete anyway — you were anticipating this dress for days.

Your apparent suitor kept stopping every now and then throughout the night — or at least since you arrived forty minutes ago. He conversed with whoever approached him, and you realised that he knows far more people than you ever could.

Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering his status.

But it’s funny to you — how they’re smiling at him, speaking to him for their own advantage. Because you know for a fact that those are the same people who’d fire double as many malicious rumours about him back at you when you badmouthed him in the past.

They’re different from the men in Jungkook’s life. Because when his cousins trudge along, greeting him gently, their eyes land on you for just a moment; then back on Jungkook.

Kim Taehyung says, “Now that’s an unusual pairing if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Get used to it,” Jungkook counters.

Your head turns fast, and you regard him with a puzzled look.

What? Is he pretending? Get used to what?

You thought you were just trying this thing out.

“What happened to all those evil adjectives?” Taehyung prods, drawing close; Jungkook pushes him away lightly.

You gather that Kim Seokjin must be the mature one out of those two, because he boxes Taehyung in his sides, eliciting a deep groan. He looks at you so softly that you feel immediate sympathy with him.

Even though he might be one of the people who nodded along when Jungkook insulted you behind your back.

“I mean, we’re trying to get used to each other, too,” Jungkook clarifies.

You exhale in relief. Well, that certainly makes more sense.

“What for?” Taehyung asks.

“You don’t need to know everything. Or anything at all.”

“Alright,” Taehyung whines, full lips sulking as he steps away, “not like you tell me much anyway.”

Seokjin gives you one last, apologetic grin, walking away with his brother as though he’s babysitting him. You follow his movements, only smiling once you realise where he’s come to a stand.

You think he’s spotted your sister. And you keep watching as he moves to her slowly; watch as her gaze falls to the ground, eyelashes shyly brushing her cheeks.

He lifts a hand, and by the looks of it, you guess she has accepted his proposal to dance, too.

For a moment, you feel serene. Blend out the noise and brightness around you.

But as your smile widens and your heart soars, Jungkook calls your name as though it’s a melody.

Your focus breaks when your eyes fall on his, your joy replaced by confusion as he clears his throat and offers you a hand. His spontaneity must be a constant character trait of his, because up until now, you couldn’t predict a single word, a single motion of his.

“Would the lady like to dance?” he asks, an arm behind his back, just as high society’s rules claim.

You roll your eyes — he’s truly putting every bit of effort into this affair, isn’t he?

But you’re a lady indeed, and none to decline a gentleman’s kind offer. Not publicly, at least.

You plant a palm in his, and he leads you among the couples swaying away, lost in each other. Some conversing, some not. You throw your locks out of your face, drawing a long breath when his hand lifts to the small of your back.

It’s a soft touch, yet so unfamiliar. Strange. You’re not certain what to make of it.

You conjure a distraction from the questions in your mind, cocking an eyebrow as you state, “They seem to have quite an opinion about me.”

Jungkook’s pupils briefly move to where you assume his cousins must be standing, though you can see at least one of them dancing not far from you. Basking in more amusement than you ever might with the very man staring at you.

Jungkook kisses his teeth; then sighs for a moment. Eventually, he declares, “It’s not their opinion. They don’t care.”

“So you do?”

“I wish I didn’t.”

You scoff. “And I wish I could take this in a good way.”

Imitating your sneaking irritation, he puffs out a breath, guiding you slowly. His feet lead you in gracious motions; and you must admit that despite the insolence that he never fails to rile you up with… your hand fits into his perfectly.

If it wasn’t for his nearly constantly demeaning expression, you could perhaps forget that he despises you.

And you him.

“You didn’t want to dance with me, did you?” you spit.

His eyebrows relax, his lips parting; his silence grants you utter satisfaction. You wonder which justification has materialised in his mind this time.

He doesn’t bark back anymore, instead claiming, “It’s not that I didn’t want to.”

“But,” you argue, “you’re obviously doing things right now, because you’re forcing yourself to all of it.”

Jungkook remains stubborn, opposing immediately, “No. Not at all. I’m enjoying the night.”

“You’re barely looking at me.”

“I didn’t know you’d want that.”

Fair.

You did conclude right from the beginning that this idea would end in a blind alley. But the thought of wasting your time still feels intolerable to you.

“Perhaps you’re right,” you tell him, “wouldn’t know what to say to you anyway.”

He grimaces, and his mood changes; a one-eighty turn from vexed to teasing like it’s nothing. “That’s not so kind,” he quips, “I honestly thought we were trying something here.”

“You were. Jungkook, you suggested all of this.”

Jaw hard, he looks away for a moment before he admits, “It’s not easy. All of this… the execution might be flawed, but I know no other way to hate you less.”

You don’t take his words to heart this time; in fact, you agree. Whispering, “I know.”

In a room filled with laughter, your bicker feels inappropriate. With the mood down and the atmosphere tense, neither of you will win tonight.

And you understand that he thinks the same, because in the next moment, he inhales and asks, “What did you do today?”

You pause. Blink. Sigh, and then hum.

Tell him, “I woke up. I read some of my book. Then I went for a walk, spontaneously crossed paths with a friend.” You think again, smacking your lips. “Got ready for tonight, and now I am here. Very unexpectedly dancing with Jeon Jungkook.”

Another sneering laugh falls out of him, and he nods, clarifying, “It’s not unexpected, is it? You knew we were coming here.”

You shrug your shoulders, unable to argue, and ask back, “What did you do today?”

“I was… hmm. I needed to attend something important with my brother,” he parts from you, turning you around your axis, “thoughts of what you might be wearing tonight.” His body leaves yours once more before his hands pull you back in. “Tried on some clothes, drank some whiskey to prepare for tonight. And now we’re here.”

Your insides burn.

The fire that spreads is ambiguous — you can’t quite say if you love or hate it.

But there is no time to dwell on it, no chance to ask about it; so you choose to ignore his comment about your dress, not least of all because you can barely imagine he means it in a pleasing way.

You ask, “You attend important businesses, too?”

He chuckles, eyebrows drawing close. “Did you think I merely go around town all day and watch the clouds float by?”

“I thought you’re stuck all the time.”

“Stuck?”

“In… someone.”

Another set of eyes rolling. God, you must be irritating him — almost as though he’s swallowing his own medicine, right?

The music just won’t end. You’ve been turning in circles for ages; your breath is turning stagnant by the minute. And this darn conversation knows no end, either.

“You really think highly of me. Very pleasant to know,” Jungkook says, his expression neutral.

Unresponsive, you only shake your head, looking through the sea of guests.

The rest of the couples surely look happier than the two of you by miles. Their enthusiasm dejects you a little; you wonder how high the chances are that his plan will succeed if you keep looking at each other like that.

But… you guess he keeps trying.

Like, when he says, “I meant to tell you that… you look gorgeous tonight.”

If anything between you came out of the blue, then this must be the most unforeseen surprise.

Your eyebrows shoot up, and you lean back, voicing a single, “Oh?”

You’re not able to add to it when you switch sides, grasping his other hand. And then, your bodies separate, apart from the hand you’re holding, stretching your fingers to the man next to you; adhering to the choreography.

His fingertips touch yours just briefly, and a fleeting moment later, you’re back in Jungkook’s arms. His shoulders feel firm and sturdy when you put your hand back on it.

You question, “Not like a fruit today? Or like I escaped a carnival? Or perhaps as though I broke out o—”

“No. No, you don’t,” he interrupts. “You never did.”

His hand moves further up your back.

Slowly, gently.

You don’t think he should be doing any of it in public, that his expression should shift as it just did. But he’s a mystery, and you still can’t shake the glooming feeling that he’s following a greater agenda.

You wish you could trust him easier.

“Why did you insult me then?” you ask.

“It’s… what my personality was made of.”

“That’s an excuse to you? It hasn’t been too long.”

He turns you in his grip, still stepping to the sound. Keeps executing the dance perfectly; your back nearly presses against his chest. You wonder how fast his heart is beating right now.

His hair tickles your cheek, and the heat of his breath skims your neck, “You meant something way worse to me than an enemy. Sometimes I hated you enough to feel closer to you than to anyone else.”

“I…”

“And I hated it. It didn’t feel good,” he whispers, turning you back to him. The warm hand between your shoulder blades pulls you a little closer; the music is still loud, but his touches are calculated and tender. “You were one of so few who hated me openly.”

He gulps; and then adds, “And the only one who did so without scarring me permanently.”

Wait… what is he talking about? And why is his voice so quiet, carrying this odd trace of ache?

“What does that mean?” you want to know.

He shakes his head so slightly you barely notice. “Abhorring you brought me back to reality sometimes. Because where my mind resides… isn’t quite,” he looks around, up to the ceiling, side to side to every guest, “in this realm.”

You try again, “Why are you talking like that?”

His scent is too intense now. His head is tilted, his eyes drunk, though his lips didn’t touch a single class yet tonight.

“Perhaps I should’ve told you that sooner,” he says.

“Then,” you’re breathing irregularly now. The music is calmer than before, so he has an excuse to nearly press your chest against his. “Why didn’t you? Why did you keep beating me up until I broke?”

And that’s when the peculiar haze in his glance dies again. He doesn’t answer; doesn’t know what to say.

You stare at him until you can barely breathe. Stare at his eyes, his nose, the dropping corners of his blooming lips.

Memories of a laughing crowd return. When they’d mock you until the earth spun too fast. When they’d surround you and nudge your shoulder, repeat the obscenities that he priorly whispered to them.

You wish that was all there is — but the voice in your mind keeps throwing warnings at you. That this is not all he has to offer. That he will hurt you, stomp on you, burn you alive.

And when the music dies, you finally break.

Out of the trance and out of his grip.

Your hand retreats from his immediately, and you pull away from him; as other couples bow just a little and grant each other promising smiles, you turn from him and walk away.

Out of the mansion and onto the porch.

You think you hear him calling your name, repeatedly.

You’re sure he understands that any sort of relationship between you is doomed. Because you might keep looking back to the past, holding onto the sting and the guilt.

But this time, even when his voice draws closer, you choose to look ahead.

Only ever ahead.

“I didn’t want to break you.”

You cross your arms over your chest, rubbing your skin; tonight's chill is more palpable now than when you arrived. Takes you back to the eventful night.

You don’t respond.

His steps and voice inch closer to you carefully. His movements are wary now, as though you could attack any moment. Little does he know that you’re already out of energy.

“I didn’t want to break you,” Jungkook repeats, and you move your head to the side, but don’t quite look at him. “But I justified it all by telling myself that I still had it worse.”

As Jungkook lost his father, you think he lost bits of his humanity, too.

It shows in the lack of empathy he had towards you as you grew up. In the way he’s aware of manners, but chooses not to stick to them. And right now, it shows in the way he absolutely doesn’t understand how emotions work.

You turn around, shaking your head in disbelief, “Pain is not one-sided. You will never be the only one to feel a certain thing. And no matter how bad you have it, no one deserves to be put in the same misery!”

“I know!” he exclaims, his voice echoing through the darkness, and you recoil. “I know that now. It’s part of the reason why I am here with you at all, because it’s the first time in my life that I’m seeing people as… people.”

“And why now? Why not earlier, why not later?”

Your heartbeat hastens when he moves even closer, not enough space between you; his scent returns, though it elicits something different now.

“I could’ve approached you earlier… or later. And you still would’ve asked me the same thing.”

You seal your lips once more.

He looks at you with a gaze so piercing that you feel the needles in your chest. He pokes holes into your lungs, robs your breath; his eyes are too apologetic, too sincere.

You wish you had a stronger armour.

Wish you didn’t give into his excuses so easily.

Because he’s right. Any moment in time is ideal to shatter someone; and just like that, any moment in time serves as an opportunity to turn life around.

He whispers, “I am trying to be better. And I am tired of this meaningless life.”

“But,” you try again, quieter this time, “why do you need me to be better?”

“I don’t need you for that,” he immediately explains, “but you’re the first I need to reconcile with.”

Reconciling is the wrong term. You cannot reconcile with someone who never used to be close to you in the first place.

Sometimes, you wonder whether you’re an item on his list; one that contains numerous tasks that will secure him a place in heaven. But then again…

Doesn’t everyone have one of those? Humility is rare; self-interest isn’t. You can’t even be mad.

“I know,” he mumbles, “that I called this a courtship. But… All I want is sympathy. You’re my biggest fiend for nothing, you shouldn’t be, and I…” His hand reaches out, but he doesn’t touch you yet. You focus on his fingers. “It wasn’t you who killed him, after all. Life did.”

You knew it.

Despite any pain you needed to bear in the past, your humanity never vanished. You can still read people; knew what his reasoning might have been.

You ball a hand to a fist. Blink to the ground, and then let your gaze travel over his body, up to his face. “I didn’t.”

“No… no, you just. You happened to be there that night… and maybe you shouldn’t have been.”

So if someone else had found him…

Maybe he could’ve ignited his hatred towards them. Perhaps you would’ve somehow, someway, learned to appreciate him as a friend; would’ve admired him from afar, as so many women you know do.

Or maybe you never would’ve bothered to be acquainted with him at all.

“You’re not a tool to make my mistakes undone.” His digits wander to yours, fingertips finally brushing your skin like a feather; opening your fist. “But if you could make me feel so much resentment without deserving it… maybe you can awaken some of the good feelings, too. And learn to see me as a friend, too.”

Your chest rises. Then falls. He follows the movement shamelessly, though you’re sure he doesn’t mean anything tasteless by it.

But you still feel the cold shiver snaking down your spine torturously slowly; feel the goosebumps he calls forth when his fingernail traces a line along your bare arm.

You hate that you feel that way. Hate that you can’t deny how tempting a peaceful future with him sounds. As his partner, his friend, his acquaintance — whatever may come out of this.

If he just didn’t look at you like that…

Like you’re actually someone who can affect his life when no one else could ever break his walls before.

“What do you want me to do?” you ask, stretching each word without intending to.

“I just,” he inhales, as though he’s breathing you in, “I need some time. And your patience. And in turn… I will practise restraint, too.”

That��s where his promise ends. He doesn’t elaborate on what he needs to restrain, or how much time he requires.

And you don’t ask; instead, you repeat, “You think I can awaken something good in you?”

His words merge with the whisper of the breeze, accompanied by a gentle nod and a light touch on your elbow, “And you’d deserve that affection, too.”

The room is dark but comforting. Brightens your mood; a stark contrast to the brilliant yet dispiriting hall you last danced with him in.

This afternoon, however, passes vastly differently from when Jungkook and you bickered throughout the dance, bringing up memories neither of you was ready to relive.

No.

There’s something about today that keeps the storm at bay.

Maybe the nature of your last conversation. The touches, the freedom you granted yourself. The fact that you’re hiding your irritation towards him, and letting his humanity seep through.

And it feels good.

“You’re not used to this, right?” you whisper, leaning close to him.

He presses his lips into a line, eyebrows drawing close, and asks just as quietly, “Why would you think so?”

“I thought you spent your time at prettier places. Lush, rich, loud.”

Your eyes move from him back to the kids on the tiny stage.

The girl sitting in the middle of it showcases a confident attitude, paper in a hand that hasn’t trembled a single time. The short story she’s narrating is supposedly a dream; an idea of how she wants her future to play out.

The children around here usually speak about the parents they never knew, or the life they had up until now; topics that are far too advanced, far too mature for kids like them.

But you assume that someone who’s seen hell, has persistently thought about heaven, too.

“No,” Jungkook responds, letting out a gentle laugh. He doesn’t roll his eyes this time, and the missing negative tension pleases you. “I think it’s very nice here. Something about the kids and the happiness that surrounds them…”

“Yes, I agree. The orphanage has an overwhelming number of gifted children. They know how to make the best of their days… even though they don’t have much in life.”

Jungkook nods. Lifts his hands to applaud with the rest of the crowd, flashing a smile at the bowing girl on the stage.

A break of a minute follows; the head of the orphanage appears with a radiant grin, fond of the monthly literature and poetry nights. He announces the next presenter, hands in tight, tiny, enthusiastic fists.

Jungkook asks, “How did you find out about this?”

“My father donates,” you explain, crossing your legs under your seat. “Money, clothes, books. He finds education very important, so he likes to foster literacy around here.”

“I see.”

You hum, smile fixated on the boy now fiddling with his paper. The several times you’ve seen him before were the exact same: he always wears a beret, a white shirt, short, brown pants, suspenders attached to them.

He clears his throat each time; dark, big eyes take in the audience before he flashes a sugary sweet smile.

And then, he begins.

He rattles down the poem in a perfect pace and intonation; maintains just the right amount of eye contact; establishes himself as a future, well-known poet that you envision him as.

Eventually, when he’s nearly done, you register a shifting body, hear a sigh from your side and wait until Jungkook says, “This is… beautiful.”

Your head immediately turns towards him.

Not that you forgot that Jungkook is human, too. But the new sentiment, the glassy eyes, the soft rhythm of his voice — you barely recognise him.

You catch yourself fast, deciding to overthink later, and state, “They’re more talented than you’d know. Look at him,” you nod towards the boy taking one deep breath, preparing for the ending of his piece, “he was seven years old when he wrote his first poems.”

“How old is he now?”

“Just twelve. He’s one of the best among them. Very cherished and admired.”

Perhaps you’re too enthusiastic, maybe a little too loud. Because in the next moment, one of the women in front of you turns her head wordlessly, expression frozen and judging. Your teeth dig lightly into your lower lip, and you apologise, chiming in with Jungkook’s quiet chuckle.

His voice even more hushed than before, he leans in further; his breath is hot against your ear. “Have you ever tried writing?”

You puff out a breath, shaking your head immediately, and answer, “Oh no. I just read. I admire literature, because crafting an entire story must be… difficult.”

“Must be.”

“For now I am satisfied with frequenting this place and listening.”

You’re glowing today. It’s the first thing Jungkook noticed when he saw you approaching outside, side by side with your chaperone who hasn’t acknowledged either of you even once.

Which is why neither of you are particularly fond of bringing an observer with you.

You told him just today how you convinced your parents at a young enough age to let you roam around alone. And Jungkook… no one ever really paid much attention to this detail.

But despite the lurking presence, you’re lost in your own world. A personification of joy and tenderness, calm as a still lake, fully in your element.

So he remarks, “You seem to be fond of them.”

“Hm?” you make, and then nod with twinkles in your irises. “I used to teach some of them once a week. I would come over and read with them.”

“That’s…” Incredibly kind. Admirable. Inspiring. All the good things and more, he thinks. “A good way to spend your time.”

The words fall out casually, another sentence in a harmless conversation.

But somehow, you think he looks sad. You wonder whether he feels like he wasted his time; like he could’ve engaged in bigger, better things. You can’t decipher his thoughts.

For all you know, his expression could mean nothing.

And it changes within a heartbeat again anyway.

“And you want kids someday, too?”

The question surprises you. It really shouldn’t. In an ongoing courtship, conversations about the future usually happen way sooner — they’re not abstract, not an abnormality.

But when they come out of Jeon Jungkook’s mouth, they sound unnatural, nearly surreal.

“Uhm… someday. No rush,” you answer, thumbs circling around each other. “Right now I need to experience a little more in life before I can allow myself to think about that.”

Your response doesn’t surprise him; in fact, he agrees, nodding along — a good sign. Yet, his curiosity shines through, and he asks, “Like what?”

“Like…”

You almost don’t say it. You’re not quite embarrassed — after all, your thoughts aren’t rare, more common than people talk about. But it feels strange. You didn’t think you’d ever utter such words to him.

You surprise each other with each second you spend in the other’s company.

“Like intimacy,” you finally tell him, “love. Heartbreak. Love again, but true, pure and final this time.”

You wonder if anyone is listening in. Then again, some have already left their seat to converse with someone else, or to go home, or to snatch the food on the faraway table.

The event must be over.

Jungkook’s voice is louder now, yet calm. There’s amusement in his eyes, laced with a slice of serious interest. He’s close to you. Both your hands are planted against the bench, forefingers only inches apart from each other.

The closeness is alluring, but not as much as his words, “You’re saying all that as if you’re expecting me to fulfil some of that.”

“I…” you stutter, looking away and to his knee. “You asked. And anyway — why would you think so?”

“I mean. Am I not courting you?”

The sarcasm dripping from his words is contagious, and so is his smile. His humour consists of jokes, you have realised; he’s not trying to be condescending. If you took everything personally with him, you’d have to do the same with everyone else, too.

You might be biased, but you can be fair as well.

“Then,” you join in, teasing with a light bump of your shoulder, “what are you ready to give out of all that? Not love, I presume.”

The famous smirk returns; easy to swoon anyone anywhere else. But the people around you don’t care about royalty, nor the nearly illicit touches between you.

Because when his grin widens, cocky and confident, and his finger reaches out to circle the back of your hand, no one notices but you.

And no one but you hears him say, “Just. If it’s not love, then you might want to use your fantasy. Then you’ll know.”

The single moment of hesitation is enough for him to understand your bewilderment; but then, you deliver yourself a mental punch, tearing your hand away from his touch.

You scrunch your nose, eyebrows rising, and say, “Disgusting.”

“So,” he begins under a laugh, “you haven’t experienced intimacy or love before?”

You’re still rubbing the skin of your hand as if he burned you, vocalising in thought until a distant face flickers in your head. You tell him, “Intimacy? I have.”

You say it quietly; you don’t think he’s the most trustworthy person around, and if he did tell anyone, your reputation as a lady might be doomed. But you don’t deem him as someone who blurts such secrets to the world.

You think, and perhaps even know, that when Jungkook hurts someone, he does it in his own different ways. Looking at him, you doubt his mentality fits the rest of the rumouring, cruel society.

Clearing your throat, you continue, “Love? I thought I did. But… love is harder than that.”

“That it is.”

“What about you?”

He looks at you like a puppy, sad and despondent. “Well…” he laughs breathily, just for a moment, “love is harder.”

And that’s where the conversation ends.

The dozen questions you need to ask don’t make it out, your confusion about his melancholy lingering.

Because suddenly, a handful of children run towards you giggling, speaking over each other, calling your name as a girl orders, “Let us braid your hair!”

You lean back, surprised, touching your locks, and tell her, “But I did my hair at home!”

“Come on, we will be careful and—”

Their words overlap once more, the boys behind them scolding to leave you alone, and others urging to ask you again. Perhaps it’s your pretty dresses that lure them in each time, or the kindness they’ve learned to admire in the past months and years.

But they’ll never fail to approach you at least once every time; a true light in the darkness.

You stop their fervent banter as you get to your feet, talking over them, “Alright! Make it pretty, though. Or I will make sure no one sees me during the ride home.”

You fall back on your seat, your grin bright as you look at Jungkook.

And the next hour, he feels, passes faster than the entire week did.

You’re different like this. Different from when he met you at soirees and gatherings, different from the night that brought you together and split you apart in the first place.

There’s a trace of guilt in his heart, because for all the mean years he spent tormenting you, he missed out on all the kindness your pure heart had to offer.

He sees it now.

In the way you speak to the people around you. The way you compliment and playfully scold the children. Your witty responses, the eagerness to entertain them and be entertained by them.

Refreshing.

And once they’re done and dancing on the stage, he can’t resist but fall back into his teases. Only softer this time.

He says things like, “Some of your hair is sticking out there.” Points to a random spot on your braid and adds, “And what’s that?”

“Don’t say that!” you defend. “They tried their best.”

And each time you ramble all your protective exclaims, he nods and says, “I know. You look really pretty.”

Near the end of the evening, a hand touches your braid. Brushes down to its tail, rubbing the tresses between his fingers.

You stay as still as a sculpture, perplexed by the sudden motion; but then break into a laugh when he brings the tail to your ear, tickling you shamelessly.

When you tickle him back, you don’t succeed, and he lets you know.

“Fine,” you say, “but I can still annoy you.”

He challenges, “Can you really?”

And you try; keep trying until he grabs your wrist, pulls you in. Kills your giggles, his eyes unfathomable, but his body suggesting something quiet to come. Beguilement perhaps.

You realise once again how differently today would’ve played out if you weren’t ready for a change.

It’s baffling how much a certain mindset can change, and how much it can affect every interaction in daily life.

Especially with people like him.

You think he’s losing himself in how you look at him; you’re not sure why. You don’t understand what you did, or where the sudden change in mood came from.

But then again, it vanishes as fast as it appeared.

The same children from before call your name, standing near the snacks and waving at you, and with a sigh of strange relief, you ask, “Food?”

All he does is nod.

“Good idea.”

“Will you let me hold your hand?”

The query comes entirely out of the blue, overshadowing the occasional neighing of the horses and the sounds of the rocky road.

You sway a little where you sit, hands in your lap. The carriage ride must have been going for ages now, and you don’t think either of you has said much in that time.

Except the random little statements about nature around you, vibrant and green, leading you to a soiree in the countryside that he spontaneously invited you to. Without chaperones at that.

You glance at his idle form in front of you, leaned back against the carriage seat. He has his cheek propped on his fist, looks as nonchalant as ever as he vocalises said query.

“Why would you want that?” you ask.

“To… feel a sliver of warmth in my terribly ill-lit life?”

You laugh quietly. Your eyes flicker back to the greenery outside, and you pull your feet back, telling him, “Stop joking.”

“But I—” He thinks for a moment, wondering how to phrase his next attempt. “I do think we’d look good together. Your hand in mine is the first thing royalty loving people might want to see, and… it’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of you, too.”

He’s wrong. In fact, the act might cause a whisper here and there; for a fresh, yet to be established couple, it isn’t common to do such a thing publicly. But you don’t correct him just yet; you play along.

Because your stomach turns.

Jungkook is probably used to such flirtatious, suggestive remarks. He might not think of them too much, might not connect any particular emotion to it.

But to you, it does more than you’d dare yourself to allow.

Because it vexes you to admit that you’re starting to like him. No matter what your past held.

You love and hate that after numerous more promenades and events you attended together, your mind is slowly, surely pushing the pain away and giving way to a new relationship, to sunshine and rainbows.

Arguments are dying, fights almost forgotten.

You zero in on something else, still dodging his question, “First? What else?”

“What?”

“You said it’s the first thing that comes to mind. So if there is a first thing, there’s certainly a second, third, perhaps a last thing, too.”

He laughs, flashing another one of his lopsided grins. You don’t hate it as much anymore. “I’m not one to spill my secrets just like that.”

You hum, sit up, and urge, “Then… why don’t I guess?”

“I was going to suggest the same thing.”

You smile, conjuring up harmless ideas; knowing him, that’s probably not what he needs to hear, though.

“Then. You’d like to dance with me. Again,” you say.

“That is true.”

“We shall, later today then. Hmmm, what else?”

“I thought you were supposed to guess.”

“Right,” you confirm in a gentle giggle; you don’t quite notice when the sound of it makes his lips raise ever-so-slightly. “How about riding? Do you enjoy it?”

“Riding, I do. Does not involve horses, though,” Jungkook admits.

Vexation aside, you can’t suppress the childish titter that his playful words elicit. And when you speak again, it sounds merely half-serious, “You're such a crude.”

“I apologise. Continue.”

You shake your head, and then oblige, “You wish to spend more time with me… in carriages. Talking.”

“In carriages?” he wonders, raising an eyebrow at the detail. “I mean… I do like long distance carriage rides.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Until now… I didn’t either.”

Witty bastard. You’re sure that if he wrote a book on how to court a lady successfully, it’d hit the market with a bang. And get sold just as easily.

Short silence allows the both of you a soft smile. And then you speak again, “Did you mean that? The… riding thing.”

Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to answer, “I’d be a liar if I said no.”

“Mhm…”

“And you’re beautiful. I’d be a fool not to mean it, too.”

You roll your eyes, vehemently averting his menacing eyes. They don’t always resemble a doe, you’ve realised. Sometimes, they’re drooping and dangerous.

But you’re not weak enough to spiral so easily.

You think.

“Do you say that to most women to charm them?” you ask.

“Just the daughters of Viscounts.”

“Right… then, would it be too much to ask…”

You barely know what you’re hinting at, but apparently, he understands. His tongue darts out to the corner of his lips, and he looks back to the horse and its rider. Flattens his waistcoat, clears his throat, glances back once more.

And when he’s eventually made up his mind, he changes his seat swiftly and elegantly, and suddenly, he’s right next to you.

Asking, “Tell me. Would it be? Too much?”

“Would it be? To ask what you imagine,” you finish your sentence.

Jungkook shrugs his shoulders, hissing in thought before he teases, “It’d be too much indeed. It’s… A lot.”

“A lot, yes?”

“Would end up writing a book on it.”

“Then,” you say breathily, hidden in a flustered giggle. “Perhaps,” you dare, veins pumped with courage and adrenaline, “you could show me. Maybe it is easier.”

Brave. Bold. Unexpected.

The tension lingering between you for days was quiet so far — now that you’ve spoken it out, it suddenly feels… different. Hotter. And he, albeit surprised, doesn’t back away.

“Here, huh?” Your brazenness is affecting him. You see it in his eyes. Feel it in the air, know it from the way he moves closer. “You won’t let me hold your hand, but this is alright?”

You laugh, leaning in. Your shoulders touch, sparks crackling between you. Should you reach out to his thigh?

“Perhaps you can hold my hand afterwards. As a way to feign innocence,” you suggest. Your thoughts are blurred; so are your ideas.

“Shut up.”

And you do.

Because he’s the first to reach out to you.

His fingers, slow and careful, sneak to where your entangled digits rest. He grazes your skin, free of annoying gloves, pulls at your thumb just a little.

Movements stop, eyes gauging your reaction; and when you don’t refuse his touch, holding your breath in suspense, he continues.

He leads your hand away from your lap, letting it drop in the petite gap between your bodies. And then, he comes back to where your dress covers your thigh, barely touching the fabric as though to observe your response.

Your eyes dart up to his; his expression is one of a kind. Lips slightly parted, tongue sliding between his teeth, eyes digging into you with a harmless candle flame flickering behind them.

“What’s that?” you whisper.

His focus falls back to your dress, his body moving closer, “What’s what?”

“What… are you doing?”

“What you asked me to do.”

“I…”

“What?” he muses. “Were you joking?”

No. It’s strange to admit, but you weren’t.

Your torso leans into him automatically when his forefinger runs along your leg, up to your pelvis. You press your thighs together tighter, and you guess that’s what snaps something inside him once and for all.

His breathing comes out broken, and he halts for a moment before he orders, “Come closer.”

“What?”

“Closer,” he repeats, basking in your gasp when his grip settles on your thigh, pulling you to him. “We don’t have a lot of time.”

What have you done?

Asking for such a wicked thing; more than your fragile soul can possibly bear. He’s inescapable danger, a path to ruin — what if you lose your entire mind to him before you even arrive at your destination?

“What are you gonna do?” you ask him, though you can’t resist his pull.

Jungkook’s head falls to the side just a little, one eyebrow cocking and teeth worrying his tinted lower lip. He breathes in through his nose, and then warns, “Will you stop asking so many questions?”

And then, without a single warning, his arm priorly skimming your dress wraps around your waist. You let out a tiny yelp, and a moment later, you find yourself half on his lap, swinging dangerously.

But in his hold, you’re sure you’re not going anywhere.

“Closer now,” he repeats once more, and this time, you oblige.

You shift in his lap, making yourself comfortable on your seat; not given a generous amount of time before his fingers return home.

“I’ve been waiting for this, you know?” You have, too. “Just,” he purrs against the shell of your ear, “want to see how much we can get out of you. Just like that.”

Just like that?

A question floats through your mind, soon to be extinguished when a strong hand parts your legs and moves up. He palms your hot, clothed cunt wordlessly, never preparing you for anything; you choke, eyes squinting shut.

And then, said palm begins to move.

Slowly at first, accompanied by sudden burning kisses along your neck.

He’s never kissed you before.

His lips feel inviting. Hot. Too good.

A quiet voice whispers, “How’s that?”

And you, losing yourself gradually, answer, “Here,” you bring two of his fingers to where your nub aches for him, moving it in a miniscule circle, “touch me here.”

“Like th—”

He swallows the last word when your hips move on his lap; what grows underneath you robs your breath, poking between the cheeks of your ass. You tilt your head for him to kiss you deeper.

“Fuck,” he curses. His unoccupied hand immediately shuts your sudden cry as he bites into your shoulder, pressing harder against your clit. “You’re even worse than me.”

Along with the waves of pleasure, pride crashes against the shore, too; you don’t like a one-sided game.

What did he expect from you?

His bulge soon rock hard, you rub your butt against it in a delicious rhythm. Every now and then, your focus falters, wiggling when his fingers move around your pussy particularly well.

You never thought you’d ever let Jeon Jungkook dig his fingers into your entrance over two layers of clothing.

Or that you’d ever voluntarily enter the same carriage as him at all.

This is either a heavenly dream or a neverending nightmare.

He ruts his hips against you, seeking relief; his eyes only flash open when you tease, “You’re pretty desperate… aren’t you?”

And that’s when another nearly silent groan breaks against your skin. Just as quickly as he tugged you onto him, he’s swirling you around, as carefully as the congested space allows.

He pushes your back against the inner wall of the carriage, his body following. Your mouth drops open when his lips attach to your neck again, sucking harder now, the pace and force nearly bruising.

Knee hoisted up on the seat, he pushes it between your parted legs, allowing at least a hint of reprieve as he busies his hands with something else now.

Impatient fingers hold the nape of your neck, lips kissing a trail to the mounds of your breasts. You sigh, wishing he could swallow you whole, a carve between your eyebrows as he says, “So what if I am? I mean, you… You have never been so…” He places a wet kiss near your cleavage. “Breathtaking.”

God, you ache to reach out to the growing bulge.

You ache to kiss his lips; his everything.

But when the wish threatens to burst out, the coachman, hopefully oblivious, yells back, “We’re arriving shortly!”

Arriving.

Right.

You’re going somewhere. You nearly forgot about time and space.

And all this began with a conversation about hand-holding and horses, didn’t it?

Jungkook’s eyes slowly lift to yours. The warmth of his fingers returns to your face. He looks at you deeply, carefully, breathlessly. Mutters a little, “Shit,” persisting on not backing away.

His mouth is close enough for you to stop your heartbeat; your cheeks are heated beneath his touch.

And then, reality dawns on you.

It’s perilous, the proximity when you’ll probably be passing other carriages very soon. Come to a halt among a crowd of guests, in front of whatever house he’s brought you to.

Society is close — so you break the tension, and joke, “Hide whatever grew in your pants.”

His laugh is sudden, sweet. It differs from the desire that previously bloomed in his eyes, now playful and casual as he promises, “Later. We’ll continue later.”

You use the last two minutes to tidy yourself up as much as possible. Fortunately, Jungkook didn’t dishevel your hair, so you should be good to go.

As you arrive, stepping out, the first thing you notice is that this is not a house. This is an unaffordable luxury. Trees and flowers burgeon everywhere, like a big, blossoming garden. A breathtaking scent, lovely and inviting.

The sky is azure blue, brighter here than in the city, and the heat of the sun isn’t as stinging due to the gentle gust.

But the people? Same old news.

The initial process passes fast. Various things that you expected; various things you brush off fast.

Like, the overexaggerated kindness and enthusiasm of the stranger hostess. Or the loud laugh and slightly inappropriate comments of her husband.

The side-eyes some throw at you, as if you’re the only new face around here. Or perhaps, you are, you wouldn’t know.

And the silent judgement of one of Jungkook’s acquaintance’s eyes, one you do not know, verbalising the strange statement, “Every other woman before wasn’t good enough, was she?”

To this day, you don’t understand the malicious nature of some people. Why they hide their insecurities behind a presumptuous mask, throwing insults straight to your face just upon arriving.

You want to snap back, but before you’ve uttered a single word, Jungkook defends, “Well, I for one am glad no one was.”

Suppressing the smile proves harder than you thought; and when you’re looking at him again, you bet you’re radiating brighter than the sun hanging in the sky.

You register only faintly when the woman laughs, as though he’s cracked a joke, wishes you fun at the fete, nods kindly and walks away.

Ambiguous little snakes.

But who could focus on split tongues and slit-formed pupils when a way brighter charm is standing right next to you? Shaking his head in frustration, rolling his eyes at people’s audacity.

Angry for you; defending you.

Funny, because he used to be the same.

Perhaps he really is trying to change.

You move closer, smile, and breathe, “Jungkook?”

“Yes.”

Who cares what society thinks?

“It’d be okay to hold my hand now.”

You hold his gaze carefully, possibly doting; when he smiles, crinkles appear around his eyes. He fits your palm in his, nods just a little, and then says, “Pleasure, princess.”

Walking deeper into the hall feels different this time.

The carriage’s mood and the touch of his hand elevate your senses, your heart a blissful mess despite the stupidity of the guests outside.

You catch your lower lip between your teeth, because this event is a lot more high-spirited than any other you’ve ever attended before.

“Who was the host?” you ask as you come to a stand; your hand moves to his elbow, just for elegance’s sake, and you point across the room to the man who greeted you.

“It’s one of my uncle’s friends. He’s an Earl,” he explains, leaning to your ear, “they have a son with the name Namjoon who married another rich lady from high society, and that’s why they’re able to live in such luxury.”

Makes sense.

The last ball you went to was hosted by an always-invisible Marquess, so the amount of diamonds hanging from the chandelier tonight shouldn’t surprise you after all.

You don’t think you know too many faces around here. Considering that you rode out to the countryside, a fair distance from your home, you don’t expect to recognise anyone, either. Except perhaps two or three souls floating around, nodding towards you as they pass you by.

The slight hint of familiarity relieves you, but even in its absence, you would’ve been immensely grateful that Jungkook brought you here. To introduce you to the relevant fellowship of the family must be the highest honour, right?

As your gaze wanders from a row of candelabras to the dancing crowd, and then back to Jungkook’s smile, he compliments, “I think I prefer this dress to the one last time. Suits you even better.”

“It very much felt like you wanted to rip it off me just minutes ago,” you jest, nudging his sides, “but thank you.”

“Well I can appreciate the dress and want it… not on you. Right?”

The rapture pools in your lower belly and tickles you; you attempt your hardest to not let the treacherous sigh topple out of your mouth.

“I assume that makes sense,” you say.

“I’ll like any dress on you as long as you don’t wear one of those… those with arched bottoms. I don’t even have a name for them.”

You roll your eyes, groaning just a little, “Don’t remind me. They’re like tents for butts.”

Jungkook chuckles, bringing his hands together to slap with his snicker. And when the two of you have calmed down again and wiped the tears of your very personal joy, he asks, “How do you like it?”

Your gleaming grin is contagious, and Jungkook can’t deny his joy when you exclaim under your breath, “It’s beautiful!”

“Right? Each time there’s something new,” he explains, open palm gesturing to an artwork near the snack table. “Like this glass sculpture.”

You nod towards it, though it’s impossible to miss. “That one?”

“Wasn’t there last time.”

“They like to make their nights memorable, it seems.”

A hum vibrates in Jungkook’s chest, unspoken compliments stuck in his throat as he, instead, subtly hints, “I think, for me, tonight will be the most memorable.”

Caterpillars previously crawling through your stomach, filling you with utmost hate and displeasure, flutter as butterflies across your torso now. Whatever confessions would have riled you up not long ago, are now desired. Your heart craves them.

Perhaps you’re weak and naive after all.

“...Really?” you mumble.

Jungkook smiles with his eyes, too, you noticed. The crinkles at the corners of them, the night sky inside them, the joy around them. His nose sometimes scrunches in the most devastating honey-sweet way; his lower lip is tilted.

An everlasting, unique beam.

It was all there before.

Only now, you know to appreciate it.

His body shifts to yours almost unnoticeably, shoulders barely touching. The picture of the two of you standing there is the exact same as last time, but whatever is blooming with you makes the crucial difference.

“Really,” he confirms.

“You’re… quite enticing.”

You’re joking, but then again, you’re not. You’re trying to elicit a reaction out of him, delighted when he obliges just right, “Am I? Can’t we just…” He sighs, looking around. “Go back to the carriage?”

“Oh, I’d be more than ready to, but society i—”

Mid-sentence, a movement catches your attention. A joyful, familiar face rushes to Jungkook, and you immediately recognise him as Jeon Junghyun — future heir, widely admired, brother to the black sheep.

He nods towards you, your eyes twinkling; you’ve heard nothing but delightful stories about him, so it’s a pleasure to see him after such a long time again.

But he doesn’t regard you much longer before he’s rambling about taxes and random names, urging Jungkook to follow him to introduce him to what’s-her-name.

“It can’t wait?” Jungkook asks, regarding you with an apologetic look.

“The quicker, the better.”

You place a hand on his arm, assuring, “Go. I will be here and waiting. Lords can’t escape duty, after all.”

His lips curl to another sorry smile, and a moment later, he gives in, letting his brother tug him to a small circle of top notch people that you can’t assign names to.

For a minute, you watch as he mingles with the crowd, effortlessly fitting in. He doesn’t think too high of royalty or the tasks that surround it, but he still knows how to behave when he’s thrown and forced into such a situation.

You think he admires you, but he’s not that low of a personality eith—

“Oh, it’s you!” someone says to you. You turn to a face you noticed earlier, from the city, someone who frequents parties as much as you. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”

You remember his name to be Byun.

He isn’t anyhow close to you. His mother, a past friend of your own, introduced him to you years ago; as far as you recall, he is easy to converse with, but you don’t think either of you approached the other much after that.

“I did not think I would see you here, either,” you remark.

You sharply hope he doesn’t ask you to dance. You remember your mother telling you that you should never reject a gentleman when he asks for one; or else, you won’t be permitted to do so with anyone that night at all.

And you desperately need a round of harmonious swaying with Jungkook tonight.

But despite the sickeningly sweet smile, Byun doesn’t broach that subject, instead nodding towards Jungkook’s laughing body and remarking, “I didn’t know you two met?”

You know why your mother broke off her friendship with his. You recall her complaints about how that woman had no manners, never asking for anyone’s wellbeing, not interested in small talk as long as it benefitted her.

You reckon her son is similar, because as he skips formalities and jumps straight to your company tonight, you internally cringe.

Smacking your lips, you hope he doesn’t prod, and simply tell him, “We’re becoming… friends.”

“That’s good,” he praises, nodding, “Oh, I… I am not trying to court you, I need you to know that. I just needed to at least ask if he’s treating you right.”

And again, you remember that you do not share a bond with him whatsoever. So you’re suspicious about his sudden curiosity, confused as you question, “Why are you asking that?”

His answer comes immediately; he shrugs with a glass of champagne in his hand. “Because he has… a reputation.”

And you’re quick to say, “He’s not that horrible.”

“I do hope that. I’ve heard he’s not very fond of relationships or affection. My friends call him The Fluke Duke.”

You scoff. Funny, because Jungkook isn’t a Duke at all.

One look at him makes you feel bad immediately. He’s currently staring through the room, drinking nothing much but a glass of water, but for a very brief moment, as though he felt your gaze on him, his eyes meet yours.

You catch a tender smile, but when he spots the stranger conversing with you, his eyes narrow for just a moment. Relaxing when you give him a little wave.

You tell Byun, “That’s incredibly mean. He’s not so bad, I promise… Sometimes you just need to give people a chance.”

He doesn’t seem convinced. Not that you could care — you didn’t come to defend Jungkook all night.

“Sure,” Byun says, “I was solely wondering, because — and don’t take this as an offence — I’m aware that you’re a big man’s daughter. But someone like a Lord usually courts someone of his kind. Or at least announces the courtship in a more respectable way.”

Respectable?

You know he doesn’t mean bad, but the choice of his words doesn’t particularly please you.

You breathe in; patience is a virtue. “Well, Jungkook… he tends to be careful. He won’t court me and have all eyes of society shame us, should it not work out.”

“Not bad. Quite smart.”

The music chiming until now fades, and with it, your chat dies, too. You don’t respond, averting your eyes from him, and when he’s realised that you’re done with him, he raises his glass and says, “To the both of you.”

Slowly, a hand in his pocket, he walks away when Jungkook steps back to you.

A woman in tow, he finishes his dialogue with her; you don’t know whether you’re imagining the glitter in her eyes, but you do know that her hand on his shoulder is happening.

So is the gorgeous smile.

And once she’s bid her goodbyes, you cock an eyebrow, stupidly half jealous, half fooling around, and ask, “A lady winning your heart?”

His eyes raised to yours, his initial smile drops, as though you’ve suggested something profoundly heinous. He blinks, and then responds, “Absolutely not.”

“But why not?” you continue, fallen back into a good mood in Jungkook’s proximity, playful bicker on your mind. “You’re handsome, aren’t you? A catch for sure.”

You think that’s what your relationship has become. That you can banter about such things, even if just for fun; just two days ago he did the same at a picnic.

But you guess he did it in a wittier way; your suggestions, he doesn’t seem to enjoy.

And he hesitates in irritation, overwhelmed by your sudden, odd inquiry. You must say, even for someone as unashamed as you, this came out of nowhere, and you definitely could have cracked a better joke.

Looking closely, you see him clench his jaw, warning through obviously gritted teeth, “Don’t say such things.”

“Oh, I…” you pause, gulping. Was that so bad? “I didn’t mean it. I was just joking that anyone would want you, and—”

Shut up. Shut up. Just…

Your gaze drops to your shoes, and you mumble something under your breath, eyebrows lifted. You fold your fingers, eyes big, intended on asking him what the hell you did before your breath hitches.

He doesn’t give you a single moment to prepare for the sudden pull, fingers wrapped around your wrist and tugging you into an unknown direction.

You wonder whether he’s aware that someone might be watching. But you can’t really see his face, trudging along behind him; not aware of his quiet anger until you’ve climbed the staircase and entered an empty room in a lonely hallway.

The door locks behind you, and he cards his fingers through his hair, sarcastically chuckling before he tells you, “That was humiliating.”

You’re baffled. “W… wait, what?”

“It was humiliating, because we were done discussing business and I was just telling her that we might go further than whatever we’re doing now. That we’re very friendly with each other. So it was embarrassing that you’d say such a thing and bash my loyalty.”

You think he is overreacting. No one even heard what you said.

But something in you tells you that his agitation doesn’t quite derive from whatever you did down there.

“Other than that,” he adds, “she is a childhood friend. Like a sister.”

You watch his finger gesture around, the other hand on his hip, and you say, “I’m sorry, I… didn’t mean to do that. In fact,” your voice grows louder when he laughs, “I was even telling Byun how pleasant of a company you are.”

“Were you now? To Byun, yes?”

“I was. I know him from town, so feel free to ask him anytime, if you’d like. But th—”

“I don’t need to. But my reputation is already dead, and I don’t want it to be tainted in your eyes, too. And…” He pauses, suddenly calm. He licks his lips, his gaze pungent. “Do you know what truly irritated me?”

You don’t answer.

A moment later, he confesses, “I was talking to her… and she was suggesting all those women in the room. To her defence, she didn’t know I’m here with you, but she was pointing to half a dozen girls, listing their traits.”

You don’t know where this is going; not an idea why this irritates him. He just couldn’t care, right?

But you keep listening.

“And then I… I realised that the time for finding comfort in other women is truly over. I just wanted you as a friend, but…” He moves closer slowly. Fingertips on your arm again, lips close to your cheek. “Watching someone stand so close to you… I told myself it doesn’t bother me, but it does.”

“Is that… is that why we’re here now? I haven’t done anything, have I?” you ask carefully, confused when he shakes his head in frustration. “I mean, I— you reacted too much. Jealousy is why we’re he—”

“No. You being you… me wanting, craving you all the damn time. Me finally realising it. That’s why I’m furious… It enrages me.”

Pause.

You fall silent; and so does your heartbeat.

His voice trembles a bit, the gulp audible. “More than anything.”

And... that’s it. The point of no return.

Maybe that’s when all of you breaks.

Or when it was supposed to break.

The tension gathered in the last days, exchanged through distance and every moment without each other, through telling glances and subtle touches… it catches up with you, gathers on your lips and unleashes when you push yourself forwards.

He whispers your name, and you mutter back, “Jungkook…”

And then, your mouth falls on his with vigour.

Hands bury in his hair, back arching; he swallows your gasps, your taste, your sweetness.

The reciprocation happens without a moment of delay; your body beseeches him to come closer.

The kiss never allows a gentle second. Before you know it, you’re drunk on his tongue, stumbling backwards until your bottom hits a wooden table.

You hate the transformation that occurred within those few days. Hate how his hands cup your face; fingers then shifting to hold your chin; then, a palm against your back like he’s treasuring you.

Lips on your neck. Breaths against your veins. Teeth on your shoulders.

God, you despise him now more than ever. Hate that he’s so difficult to truly detest, despite his irksome flaws and incorrigible nature.

Especially when he breathes against your goosebumps like this, mouth ghosting over the mounds of your breasts. Toying with your dress.

He whispers, “My God, you enrage me… yet I need you near me all the time.”

A swift movement, and he’s turned you around. He must be scarring your skin with the way he plants kisses on the juncture connecting your neck and shoulder.

His digits journey down your back, fumbling with the sleeves of your dress. Unabashed, he pushes them your shoulder, all the way down over your breasts, revealing the corset that truly makes it hard to breathe right now.

He fiddles with the strings of it, loosening the knot, and says, “I hate those fucking things.”

You too. Now more than ever.

He allows some space to breathe, but never really opens your corset fully; it dangles half closed around your torso.

Gentle touches skim the skin between your shoulder blades, kisses abundant wherever he’s able to reach. And once he needs more, he brings a seeking hand to the front, engulfing one of your breasts firmly.

You reach back, touching his cheek and his hair, cutting yourself on the jawline before his free hand grasps your wrist and pins it against your back.

“God, your scent is driving me crazy,” he confesses, nose brushing along your cheek.

And all you manage to respond with is a weak, “Touch me.”

“Where?”

”Anywhere.”

His words turn into a salacious whisper, promising you, “I am.”

You shake your head, biting your lip, stifling a moan. And when he lets you go, his touches easing, you claim, “I want more.”

“Figured you did. After what happened earlier—”

“You were cruel to stop there.”

He leans down, chuckling against your back, and you shiver as he asks, “So what? I couldn’t bend you over in the carriage, could I?”

A response sits patiently in the forefront of your mind, temporarily shut down when he lifts the hem of your dress and exposes your legs.

His face keeps shifting downwards; your mind conjures an idea of what he might be doing, but the anticipation is still killing you.

Neverending, not even when he pushes the dress further up, frees you of your undergarment and shoves your torso down onto the table. His hot breath fans your increasing wetness, and you nearly feel shy about your bare lower parts.

But then you remember that you’ve never been timid in his presence; and you won’t start now either.

Though him being in charge isn’t such a bad thing.

He asks, “How does that feel?”

That is nothing more but the still seething breathing against your cunt. So you lift your lips to a smile, your voice mocking as you admit, “It feels like you’re teasing me.”

But his words carry a tinge of confidence, cocky when he deduces, “But I think that’s what you like. Slow and careful… and to prolong the pleasure until you can’t take it anymore. You like that I’m controlling it, right?”

“I… hate you,” is all you can bring up.

“No…” Two fingers suddenly dip between your folds, never inside, “try again.”

The gentle touch nearly makes your body jolt forward. You didn’t expect it so soon, didn’t know it could feel so good without any piece of clothing between him and you.

He rubs slowly, up and down, testing your dampness. Your arms reach forward, clutching the top end of the conveniently empty table; the wood feels cool against your cheek.

Your eyes shut, butt lifting, turning in tight circles as he moves his fingers in geometrical patterns.

And then, his fingers disappear, his panting drawing closer and—

Suddenly, the tip of his tongue plunges in; and you cry out.

A semi-harsh slap lands on your ass, and remains there, squeezing almost painfully. A thousand sensations rush through your veins, and you can’t muster anything more than a stifled, broken moan.

His tongue retreats, and he asks, “Do you still hate me?”

“If hating you… makes you do such things,” you breathe; you’re not sure if he can hear you, “then yes.”

When his lips close in again, only touching your folds, you feel a laugh vibrate against your skin. The feeling of it makes your knees tremble, but his hands push your body up, allowing him to dive deeper.

You realise immediately that he’s experienced, and far more than you at that.

Because he isn’t harsh with your body; or at least not yet. He doesn’t thrust his tongue into you like a maniac, not biting you in his haze.

No.

He moves his wet muscle in figure eights, lapping up your juices with lewd kisses. He moves back once to spit on your cunt, and then comes back to wrap his mouth around your sex, flicking his tongue over your clit occasionally.

God.

Holy fuck; how could you miss out on all that for so long? Just because of some stupid fight?

You can’t move; you can’t form a thought. The ardent sensation kills all of them.

You attempt to reach back to him again, cursing under your breath — but he doesn’t quite want to allow you that touch for now. Snatches your wrist, pins it against the small of your back once again like it’s a habit.

“Hold on a little more,” he whispers when he pulls back for a moment, out of breath. “Just a little more. I need to…”

He pauses, lets the rest of the sentence dangle.

Comes back to your dripping pussy; but this time, it’s not all he delivers. He lets your hand go, fingers suddenly at your entrance; and without a word, he pushes two of them in to his knuckles.

You scream out, but immediately bite your lip, worried someone might hear your forbidden affair.

His digits turn and curl, shoving into you carefully and repeatedly; his tongue never leaves, drinking all of you in. Your sounds make his eyes roll into his head, mingling with his own moans and craze.

He tilts his head, lips buried in and kissing you feverishly; tasting you thoroughly. You’re slowly losing your mind; his hums are too low in your pussy, the smack of his lips too outrageous.

And an embarrassingly short while later, you’re breaking.

Breaking hard and with passion, with shaking legs and unintelligible words.

His touch rotates over your clit, his hands shooting up to hold your ass, so you don’t fall. Your reactions are as seductive as they can get; they make his lower parts ache.

And once he’s parted from you again, he finally concludes, “I needed to finish what we started before. Desperately.”

Sure. He can keep talking if he’d like. You barely register anything.

“Yes,” you only say, catching yourself, stopping the spinning of your head.

Rushing, he gets to his feet, capturing a handful of your butt once more as he angles his body. His clothed member presses against you, rubbing dryly between your ass cheeks, and his lips roam over your head, lowering to your earlobe.

“You sounded so pretty, falling apart like that,” he whispers, kissing your jaw as his hand moves to your chin, “just how I fucking thought you would.”

“Jungkook, I wa—”

Your wish remains unfinished — because the touch around your chin vanishes, instead reappearing around your mouth when he digs a thumb and ring finger into your cheeks.

He parts your lips, forcing them open, and asks, “A taste?”

Despite his beastly nature, he utters his ask for permission tenderly, and your body quivers at the uncommon decency.

You stick out your tongue, registering his fleeting groan, and suck his digits in when he places them inside. Steady movements of your head force an idea into his head, and his breathing falls irregular, his head dizzy.

His grunts are low and inviting; fuck, you want him to split you asunder.

You’ve barely licked all of you off his fingers when he pulls you up, turns you around and faces you with raging flames in his eyes.

Your lips collide again, breaths leaving through your noses. Your body tenses, pliant under his touch; tingling where his fingers land.

He doesn’t know how much you craved his taste. Doesn’t know that you’d lie on your bed staring at the ceiling, hands under your blanket doing what he hadn’t done yet.

Closing your eyes, imagining his mouth on yours. And in reality, the feeling is so much sweeter, lovelier, prettier.

Not what you imagined, but more.

And there’s so much that was missing in your fantasies.

Like, how he wraps a palm around your neck now, pushing in ever-so-slightly. Your head tilts when his does, the kiss deep, his tongue hot and skilled; you taste yourself on it again.

Jungkook holds you in place, ridiculously tight… as if you would ever make the mistake of walking away now.

The unspoken words and the burgeoning insanity have you under a firm grip, and even if he stepped back now, you wouldn’t move by a hair’s breadth.

And yet, you push him from you when his kisses continue on your jaw and your neck. The corset is slipping off, possibly flashing your breasts; and you want him to touch you there, you do.

But the anticipated fondling can wait; you’re salivating too much.

So you gaze into his confused face as you push at his chest; he’s probably wondering if he hurt you anyhow. But you surprise him when you entangle your fingers with his, eyes never leaving his as you slowly, carefully, drop to your knees.

The shock in Jungkook’s face is priceless.

“You… you don’t have to,” he says.

You move your head left and right, “I know.”

“Honestly, just because I—”

“Shut up,” you command, toying with his breeches before you pull them down to his knees. “I’m doing it, because I want to. I’ve been wanting it…”

“Oh… you…”

Undergarments follow; and what awaits you underneath is far more generous than what you expected. And definitely ten times harder than you foresaw.

Pre-cum trickles out of his member’s head, and you wrap a hand around the girth before it can slap back against his stomach, tainting his grey waistcoat.

He winces at the touch, hissing when you move. Fuck, his responses have you reeling; boosting your confidence until you can’t hide your smirk. You continue your ministrations, still high from your own release, but twisting and moving your wrist perfectly.

And when you see his thighs tense, his eyes closing, you lean in and lick his tip for just a moment. A soft swirl of your tongue around his head, collecting the leaking liquid, has him hissing.

The action repeats, over and over again, delicately and diligently, and you revel in his groans. He whispers your name in a manner so filthy that it alone urges you to take him in deeper.

And the way his hips move an inch, longing to thrust into your mouth is both amusing and breathtaking at once.

“Fuck, darling,” he mumbles, and you lift your gaze to his open mouth. If he didn’t control himself, he’d be drooling, you think. “A bit more.”

And you gratify his request.

Breathing through your nose, mustering strength and shoving him in until you gag. His cock is heavy on your tongue. Hot and thick, too much to fit him all in. It twitches in your mouth, releasing pre-cum into your throat repeatedly.

And God, you’re relishing every damn moment.

You nod with his length inside, humming and moaning, and he says, “And I was worried you’d… you’d punch me if I kissed you.”

Goddamn.

You ignore him.

You ignore that he imagined kissing you, that he overthought your reaction, that you were and are one of his daily thoughts at all.

Rather, you focus on not faltering, on keeping your pace, making him break as much as he shattered you. The aftereffect still lingers, your pussy aching and pulsating. Or perhaps, it’s happening again.

Perhaps you’re just yearning for more.

And with the thought pulling at the strings of patience, you swallow around him harder, hollowing your cheeks, fingers wandering to the end of his shaft and then to his balls. They’re firm and full, but you want them empty; released wherever he desires to.

“Didn’t think you’re so good,” Jungkook says, probably more to himself than to you. His speech is blurred. “My God, you’re…”

“Hmmm,” is all you do with your mouth stuffed to the brim; but when you release his cock with a pop, you ask breathlessly, “you sound tormented.”

“Yes, that’s a good alternative to absolutely dying to tear you apart,” he growls through gritted teeth, “more. Keep going.”

“Yes, sir.”

Which only spurs him on further; he fists his cock for a second, pumping, taps it against your tongue when you stick it out, and then pushes in once more.

“Ohhh, you’re the devil,” Jungkook breathes, laughing shakily as he watches his dick disappear in your mouth bit by bit. “I want to do something, but…”

“Mh?” you make again, coating him in more of your saliva.

“Don’t want to hurt you.”

You shake your head, closing your eyes. Pleased when his warm palm comes down to your face, caressing your cheek. He knows he must not mess up your hair tonight, so his digits float back to the nape of your neck again.

And you understand exactly what he desires when he says, “Nod just once if it is alright for me to…”

You do. You do so with utter keenness.

He says, “Pinch my thigh if you need me to stop.”

You nod once more.

And a moment later, his finger wrap around the back of your neck tighter, planting his feet firmly against the ground before—

His body falls a tiny bit forward when he rams his cock inside you; not stopping there, but repeating the action. Over and over again, relentlessly. His hips work with barely any remorse, his hand keeping your head in its spot.

He looks down to you, dark hair strands covering his eyes. The muscles of this face are tense, his jaw clenched, the puffed breaths unsteady and hectic.

“Shit… that mouth does a lot more than talk shit.”

All manners gone, his words become crude, provoking a reaction out of you. But you’re nearly immobile, moving according to the orders of the puppeteer above you; only gaining back control when he finally lets you breathe.

And that’s when you ready yourself for retribution, revenging your sore throat. You shift on your knees, ignoring the pain on them inflicted by the ground, and suck in one heavy breath before you unleash your true beast on him.

Jungkook stumbles again, speechless in surprise; judging the hardness of his balls, you know he won’t last much longer.

And you’re right.

He protests almost immediately, telling you, “Don’t… I want to—”

You don’t know what he wants. You keep going.

And perhaps you’d actually stop if his body didn’t beg otherwise. If he truly snapped at you, told you to back away, you would.

But you know he won’t.

Because his hips still shoot towards you, soon giving up, muttering, “Fuck, you are a brat, aren’t you? Of course you would never listen to me.”

You understand only every other word. He doesn’t allow much peace to your mind, slamming in, loving the saliva dripping from your chin.

And just a minute later, he’s emptied himself inside you, rope by rope, a salty taste and muffled moans.

Surreal. How did you go from absolute hate to… this?

Surreal.

The moment stretches endlessly; his movements are sudden, arhythmic.

It takes him a full minute to recover, though his panting suggested that he would never find his way back to reality again. But once you’ve processed his taste and he’s calmed down, a helping hand falls in front of your face.

As your palm touches his, he lifts you to your feet; an arm wraps around you and he pulls you in, still shaking, his gaze intense. A smile plays around his lips, affectionate and tender, and he says, “That was not what I had planned.”

“I apologise. It was hard to resist.”

“That I saw,” he chuckles, folding his fingers behind your back, “but I am in no position to complain. You looked gorgeous like that.”

“Did I, now?”

“A beautiful view, indeed.” His face nears yours, angling to the side. Lips stop with a tiny gap’s distance from your own mouth, and he promises, “Next time, I want more than that, though. And I won’t give up then.”

“I won’t be in a position to complain either,” you utter, joining his laugh, caressing his hair.

“Well, you’ll be in a vastly different position altoge—”

You flinch when a firm knock sounds against the door. The colourful illusion broken, you land back in the dark room, immediately parting and fumbling with your clothes. Jungkook pulls his pants up, the door catching his attention, and then you.

“Turn around,” he tells you quickly, doing his best at the corset’s knot. He looks to and fro for a little longer, and when the knock chimes once more, Jungkook whispers to you, “More wasn’t supposed to happen tonight anyway, huh?”

You stifle a laugh, backing away. He runs his fingers through his hair, hurrying to the window, checking his reflection until he’s satisfied with himself.

And then, he steps to you and tells you, “Two minutes. Leave a little after me, yes?”

You nod, and he imitates, fixing your hair and grabbing your face in his hands to press one last kiss on your mouth.

Then, he moves away. You scan the room, finding some darkness to hide behind.

When Jungkook clutches the handle of the door, he looks back at you once more; he can’t see you in the shadows, but he still smiles, takes a breath and then steps out.

You don’t catch a glimpse of the person outside, but you hear the man asking what the hell Jungkook was doing in there. He utters a senseless excuse back, and a moment later, the room falls silent.

Everything stops as fast as it began.

Hidden between furniture, your breathing doesn’t steady for the following couple minutes. You hold a still shaky hand to your heart, chuckling, unable to fathom a thought; because never in your wildest dreams did you fantasise about such a deeply personal occurrence.

When enough time has passed, and your attire is decent once more — or at least enough for oblivious guests to not suspect a single thing — you finally leave the room.

The door creaks open, and you grimace, hoping that no one observed the two of you vanishing into and appearing out of the same dark room.

You flatten your dress, head looking from left to right.

Which side did you come from?

You barely remember. It’s lit here, but it’s still somewhat scary. Several portraits decorate the walls; the hallway isn’t infinite, but both ends show a curve — one must lead to the staircase.

You noticed none of this when he dragged you here.

Eventually and instinctively, you choose left, because you’ll definitely come out somewhere, right?

You draw an invisible line along the wall, humming the melody of the music you heard downstairs. The thousand and millions of butterflies still float through your tummy, the heat in your cheek lingering and a glowing smile plastered to your face.

Perhaps he was right indeed.

Perhaps you will be able to forgive each other, feel fondness and replace the gloom, forget the past and your childish feud.

From the way he looked at you, his sentiment seemed and felt real. You won’t necessarily claim he’s in love with you, and you probably aren’t either yet, but you do think that he’s at least reached a stage of affection for you.

One very well reciprocated.

Your steps are light. Your memory filled with the overall gentle mood you just escaped from. Despite the partly feral touches, it felt like he was taking care of you more than anything.

So, maybe… drawing a conclusion from the goddamn grin on your face, you can look past all the misery that you waded through an—

“Why did you drag me here? I have somewhere else to be.”

The familiar dulcet voice stops you in your tracks.

It’s faint, not quite in your proximity, but close enough for you to register immediately; undoubtedly his. You’d recognise the sweet timbre anywhere by now, not least of all because you heard it whisper promises into your ear just minutes ago.

You step into its direction, noticing a door standing ajar. The room is dimly lit, and you can’t see him from where you are. There’s a curious urge to push the door open, see what’s going on.

But then, another voice speaks up, deeper, his absolute contrast, “I won’t keep you here for long.”

“What do you want?”

The other man is upset; if the click of his tongue doesn’t suggest that, the tone of his voice surely does, “Why are you talking to me like that? I thought it was you who wanted to leave the town.”

Hold on.

What?

Jungkook wants to leave the town?

Hmm. Odd.

He didn’t tell you anything about this…

“I know,” he confirms. You try your best to not let it get to you, not questioning what that makes of whatever is transpiring between you — because maybe, he wants to take you with him. “But it doesn’t have to be right away.”

“Why?” The other chuckles, clearly in mock. “What happened?”

Jungkook pauses. Thinks. You almost walk away again, fearing he might flee the room. But then, he simply says, “It can wait.”

“You begged for it for ages. I told you you can walk away, I don’t care. But not alone.”

“I know—”

“I meant it.”

For some reason, the voice sounds familiar to you. You rack your brain, because where have you heard him before…

You listen in as the man adds, his tone sharp, uncivil, “You get married, and you can leave. I’m not betting on you or giving you any money just for you to use it on your usual shenanigans, drinking and whores.”

“Stop. I know. You don’t need to repeat it to me every single day.”

This is…

You have a hunch who that man might be.

You blink. Your heart plummets to your stomach.

What?

Is that why… you’re here? He wants to leave, marry you, take you away just to escape this haunted place?

Are you an option for him to break free? To forget his old life, to start something better, but just for himself?

And if that’s what he wants… why you? Of all people. Because of your status? Your reputation?

“I’ll do anything to get out of here, so do not worry. I have it all planned out,” you hear Jungkook say.

Anything.

Like, make someone marry him for his own benefit.

You feel ill.

Stumbling back, you press your back against the wall. You should leave, run away, stop listening in on their deal and whatever else might’ve been discussed in the shadows.

Your throat dries out. You focus on staying silent, because if you do anything remotely loud now, you’ll be caught spying.

Shit. How could you dive head-first into such a thing?

He wouldn’t change. You knew from the beginning who he was, what made him, him. Why would it differ in a week? In a month? Just because he said it…

The sour taste on your tongue, the self-pity, and the bitter feeling of betrayal irk you.

Your eyes shut close, and only then do you notice that they’ve stopped talking. You move your head to the side just a little, nearly expecting that he’ll rip the door open, see you standing and slowly falling.

He’ll probably feign ignorance. Walk out in all his gorgeous, deceiving glory, and your disgust towards all of this will gnaw away at you until nothing’s left of you.

Jungkook will continue his act, and you’ll smoulder inside, just as you predicted.

But maybe you’re thinking too much. Maybe he’ll say that he was looking for someone, and found that someone ideal in you. Maybe you’re concluding the worst, being dramatic.

But for now, he says none of these things.

In truth, what they talk about next is worse.

“Uncle, is there anything else you need from me?” Jungkook speaks up; sounds tired all of a sudden.

That’s what you thought. The voice haunted the little girl that you used to be for nights, so it’s a given that you’d know it from somewhere, right? A frowning face levitating over a kid’s head.

You suppose you weren’t the only child fearing his presence. There was someone who was surrounded by it all the time, fearful and quiet.

Hesitation. Then, “How are you faring with the girl?”

Another beat passes, and your heartbeat halts, stuck in your throat. Optimistic.

He answers, “She is kind. I like her.”

A sliver of dull hope sparks, though you’re still barely done processing the aforementioned information. But maybe… maybe you can talk things out—

“Enough to swoon her, I assume.”

No… You can’t comprehend what his uncle’s deal is. Perhaps he’s aware of you lingering outside; or maybe he’s truly venomous enough to bring up ideas that shatter you.

But his nephew isn’t better, is he?

No.

“Yes,” Jungkook says, firmly, “I think so.”

“Good. Makes things easier.”

“Yes…”

“I told you it wouldn’t be too difficult,” his uncle says nearly cheerfully, as if he’s celebrating a long-awaited victory, “I know we failed with the older sister, but I do think you have the younger one wrapped around your finger. What was her name again?”

Like you’re a toy to beat up. To control and play with, like you don’t possess a bleeding, beating heart.

Or even a name.

Like you’re one in the faceless crowd.

Jungkook doesn’t respond, and the Duke claims, “It doesn't matter anyway, right? I told you it’s easier to proceed when—”

“—you make a woman fall in love with you. I know,” Jungkook finishes like a mantra, like something that has been preached to him on the daily, “takes no time for—”

“For a man like you.”

You remain without reaction, nearly numb to their words. Your eyes focus on a spot on the floor, unmoving; your body doesn’t want to budge.

“But I’ll take my time,” Jungkook argues, “I won’t propose right away. And I don’t understand why you want me gone so fast.”

“You do know. Jungkook, you’re a menace to our name.”

You take a deep breath. If Jungkook would just defy his uncle’s suggestions… if he didn’t play along…

He’s suffering under his tyranny, right? Perhaps that’s the only excuse you’ll allow; that he’s locked in a steel cage, unable to escape.

But it doesn’t hurt less. Because it means that anything he said, all the touches you shared were meaningless, a product of desire but nothing behind it.

Right?

“Every adult and child knows of your reputation, and I cannot fix it anymore,” the older man scolds, “Keep doing it, and even your brother, my heir, will lose everyone’s respect.”

Perhaps that’s where Jungkook’s patience ends, because he snarls, “Remember that he was already the heir when father died. You were nothing back then.”

“Careful. You were children, and your mother could do nothing for you, so be grateful th—”

That’s it.

You can’t take more than this; can’t freeze yourself against the wall, become one with it, numb all your senses and emotions.

So when you step away, breaking the dam holding back the overwhelming misery that treachery called forth, one single tear rolls down your cheek.

You’re embarrassed; hopelessly drowning in mortification.

You rush through the hallway in a blur, and stop at the railing of the staircase, catching your breath. When was the last time you had a sip of water? You don’t remember.

But the room is spinning.

You were too drunk on him, and he pulled you back into the agonising reality. You inhale the sob, fingers shaking when you lift them from your dress.

You’re so stupid.

Such an idiot to trust him.

That’s what your guts meant. What Byun meant.

And you let doe eyes play with you.

Perhaps it’s not the worst thing that he treated you like a lifeless body. You were used to it; you knew what he thought of you; understood that he didn’t have a shred of respect for you.

What you hate is that he pretended to change that opinion. That he pushed you into this fog of illusion, and double-crossed you as if it meant nothing.

And what if you’d fallen for him deeper? If you’d actually agreed to the betrothal? Would he have told you about his secrets or continued his act until the end of your lives?

It takes time until your chest stops aching; you wonder whether he’s still in that room, saying something worse that you didn’t hear anymore. But if he’s not… you should probably leave, right?

You can’t explain a fallen face just yet.

And you won’t lose yourself because of a man, will you? You shouldn’t dwell in pain, no matter how much it constricts your chest and squeezes your heart.

Your mother always said you’re only true to your feelings when you allow yourself to cry. That hurting is part of life, and that you will one day hurt, too.

But.

She didn’t tell you just how bad it could be.

You give your aching eyelids a rub. Then, you muster strength, once again flattening the fabric of your dress. You wear a neutral expression, tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. Wipe at your cheek, fan air into your face.

You straighten your stance, and finally walk down the main hall and out the mansion.

People don’t regard you as much anymore as they did before — fortunately, though you already had an excuse or two at hand, should they ask for Jungkook.

I just needed a fresh breath of air. He surely must be inside somewhere.

The guests lingering outside seem to be having more fun than the ones inside. The atmosphere and weather are pleasant, ideal to get drunk on alcohol, laughter and joy.

You wonder if you can catch a carriage somewhere. Maybe there’s one to spare; usually, there is, in case of an emergency, right?

Because you won’t ride back home with Jungkook. Can’t think back to his lips on your neck, his fingers on you, eyes drowning in yours.

No…

You walk towards the entrance door, calling for someone, asking whether anyone’s available. You barely hear your own calls, working on reflex, tired out and desperate.

When your search seems fruitless, you walk back to the guests roaming around. You could ask one of the guests whether you could hitchhike. But then again, that would evoke questions, and you don’t think anyone here lives near your place.

And it seems that you took too much time just wandering around.

Because a moment later, Jungkook, wearing his usual smile on his striking face, is walking towards you. He calls your name, and you sigh deeply, hearing him question, “I was looking for you everywhere. Where did you go?”

Where were you supposed to go?

You weren’t leaving. It was him who suddenly disappeared.

“Just… here,” you tell him.”

“People saw you walking towards the carriages.” He nods to the exit, shifting his balance to the other leg. “Are you leaving?”

“No.” You gulp. “I mean. Yes, I was going to, but. I don’t have a carriage to bring me home.”

“...You didn’t tell me you wanted to go home.”

“I couldn’t find you, and didn’t want to burden you,” you lie; you’re not sure why you’re fabricating whatever truth. Maybe because you’re exhausted. “I’m not feeling well… But I can’t leave anyway.”

You look around, goosebumps on your skin. Less because of the breeze, more because it carries his scent to you.

Determined to avert his worried eyes, you watch the leaves of the trees oscillate. The cloudless sky allows a direct view to the crescent moon. Around it, a thousand and millions of stars paint the darkness, some brighter than the others.

There’s calmness in that picture, up above in heaven; but no tranquillity here on the ground.

Hell truly is empty.

“Did I do something wrong?” Jungkook suddenly asks.

You look at him; perhaps you’re easy to read, though you always deemed yourself inscrutable. You furrow your eyebrow innocently, shaking your head slowly to hide the true answer:

Yes. Unfortunately, stupidly, yes.

But you were worse.

Trusted just his words, laid your heart open to him, diving deep without asking for proper redemption of him. Just his damn words… his ask for another chance…

“No,” you speak instead. “No, I think it’s the corset. It’s too tight all of a sudden, and I am also starting to get a headache from the orchestra and the heat and…”

“I can help you with your corset,” he offers, shifting closer. You step back; his movements freeze. And just to pacify him a little, you move back to the prior spot again. He tries, “Should I get you something to dr—”

“No. I’ll try and rest somewhere.”

“I… take my carriage then.”

His suggestion is firm. You think he doesn’t quite believe you yet, but he doesn’t insist on an explanation either.

Of course not.

Because he doesn’t care enough.

His finger points in a general direction, and he adds, “I could pester my cousins until they permit me to ride along. You could have one of their chaperones—”

You shake your head. “It’s not very late. Barely nine, yes? I can take another carriage.”

“Which one?” he asks, gesturing around with an open palm. “There’s none left for you… so it’s alright. Go ahead.”

Guilt burns in your veins when you look into these wide eyes of his. Like a kitten.

He sounds resolute; you don’t think you will win this fight against him.

An inside voice chuckles when your knees threaten to buckle — after everything you’ve heard, you still think that deep down, he cares. That despite his battle plan, you took over at least a tiny spot in his heart; somewhere in the back, hidden but there.

But… you need to keep your armour intact.

“Are you well?” he asks.

Amidst the darkness spreading in your mind, you lift one side of your lips to a gentle smile, folding your hands as you say, “I will be.”

And as though he has read the contents of your heart, he puts a finger on your chin, lifting your face to study your expression. Of course he is — perhaps he remembers the hidden conversation just as well as you.

Maybe, looking into the depths of his cold, pumping organ, he’s good enough to overthink his wrongdoings, too.

Because he leans into you, and mumbles, “I am sorry if I hurt you anyhow.”

A tight knot appears in the pit of your stomach. “What…?”

“In that room,” he answers, and you sigh a breath of relief. No confrontation. No pain. Not yet. “I tried to be gentle.”

But not with your heart.

“You were gentle,” you assure, “I am fine.”

Such a vast number of people are gathered around you, and despite the nature of the moment, you still can’t seem to register anyone but him. You’re stupid. Truly stupid.

Jungkook nods, and brings you to the carriage silently. You climb in with your hand in his, and once you’re settled in your seat, he lets go; instead, immediately stepping up to you. Hiding you from everyone’s sight, here in the shade of the carriage where the moon doesn’t reach.

He doesn’t waste any time: grips your face, his thumb soft on your cheek. It’s a sudden movement, half scaring you, half intriguing you. Your breath hitches once more, your chest heaving.

When he looks at you without a single word, you think you’re panting.

He might be taking your reaction as a sign of affection. As he did on your way to this place, or in the room upstairs.

But in truth, his touch stings, akin to a thousand tiny needles pricking your flesh.

Flushed, lavish lips brush the tip of your nose when he leans in. You don’t hesitate or reject, because your own lips won’t push out and reveal your feelings yet. You have barely understood them yourself.

But what they will do is whisper his name one last time.

“Jungkook…”

“I… I hope to see you again soon.”

You smile.

What your lips will do is let him pull you in and kiss you. Will move against his. Will drown in the deep tenderness of his touch, no matter how much it hurts. Will permit him to slide his tongue through, dancing with yours.

When he’s done playing with you, and you’re done letting him, he pecks the apple of your cheek once more, and then mutters, “Good night, princess.”

He steps out. Waves you goodbye.

When the carriage finally leaves, your lips still stay sealed.

And you think another thing they do is… finally tremble.

thoughts? questions? theories? anger, sadness, love? what do we think, how do we feel?

ahhh seriously, i’ve never written something like this before, so it was a really fun yet scary experience. i’m very sorry if it’s not as good as expected; the next part will be better, i promise, but i worked very hard on this, too !! :D

whether you’re an old or new reader of mine, or leave short or long feedback, i absolutely love talking to you all. since support genuinely goes a super long way, please please like, reblog (!!), and talk to me in any way, like through comments; or better yet, as i always say come yell at/with, spam meeee <33

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btsmosphere · 2 months

Text

Supercharged | JJK - Masterlist

Updates every Sunday!!!

🗲summary:

It starts with a blow to the chest that changes your life. When your city’s most celebrated hero pays a visit, it turns out the noble Bolt has no trouble tossing lives aside. Lives that won't be missed. Lives like yours. Seven mysterious and powerful men give you another chance – one that starts to feel more like a curse the moment you meet golden boy Jungkook. The boy who wants you as far from his brothers as he can get you. Is it you he hates, or the blue lightning that now runs through your veins? And could it be his golden light that illuminates your heart when darkness threatens?

🗲pairing: jungkook x female reader 🗲genre: angst, action, slow burn, enemies to lovers, superheroes/villains au, found family 🗲rating: pg15 🗲warnings: violence with superpowers, weapons, swearing, arguing, injury, past trauma, mentions of death

Teaser

Supercharged Playlist

Chapter 1 - The Light Dies

Chapter 2 - Reign of Mercy

Chapter 3 - Figure it Out

Chapter 4 - We aren't Heroes, Honey

Chapter 5 - Scared of a Little Lightning

Chapter 6 - Burn Out

Chapter 7 - Spark to Life

Chapter 8 - On the Force

Chapter 9 - Thank me Later

Chapter 10 - Is This Not Control?

Chapter 11 - Right Beside You

Chapter 12 - Into the Depths

Chapter 13 - One of Us

Chapter 14 - Cover Me

Chapter 15 - Powerless

Epilogue - Sweet Taste

Updates every Sunday! To be on the taglist, send me a message, ask or comment!💜

#jungkook x reader #jungkook series #jungkook mafia #jungkook enemies to lovers #bts enemies to lovers #jungkook slow burn #jungkook angst #jungkook masterlist #supercharged #jeon jungkook x reader #jeongguk x reader #jungkook fanfic #bts mafia au #superhero bts #bts au #jungkook au #jungkook imagine #jungkook scenarios

375 notes · View notes

angellesword · 6 months

Text

It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) | JJK

At thirty-two, you thought you had your life figured out. That is until you received a call one day:

"You need to go to Gangwon Police Station now. There are two people here: One thirty-something male claiming to be your husband, and the other is a three-year-old girl claiming to be your daughter. They say they won't leave unless you, the mom of the family, pick them up."

Or alternatively,

a series of events where you fall in love with Jungkook, become a mom, solve your dead best friend's case, and wriggle out of old money's grasp, but not necessarily in this order. (Maybe all at once. Who knows?)

Genre and warnings: enemies to lovers, idiots in love, mutual pining, OMG there is only one bed, forced proximity, cohabitating, enemies to friends to lovers, co-parenting, angst, fluff, implied smut, kissing, minor character death, slight getting back together, car accidents, law, this fic is originally written as an AOT au, but i've changed it to a JJK one, so please pardon any Japanese terms mentioned (they're not too relevant anyway) some of the characters are from aot too. i'm too lazy to change them haha

Pairing: Police Lieutenant! Jungkook x Lawyer!!Reader

Word Count: 45.5k

Spotify playlist here

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's Friday.

Unlike others, you considered Friday just like any other day—it is a hectic time where you're deeply engrossed in reading what seemed to be an unending stack of files.

People working under you had already gone home. You allowed them to clock out an hour earlier, not hesitating to hand them your card so they could dine at whatever restaurant they liked.

Your employees deserved it after working 45 hours this week. It's the least thing you could do, though they wished you could extend the same treatment to yourself. Unfortunately, being a lawyer didn't give you the luxury to have a fun Friday night out.

You're stuck in the office, finalizing the cases you'd present before the court next week. Some might think you only needed to endure this day before fully giving yourself a break, but that's not true. Your weekend wasn't any better as you'd be spending it taking pro bono cases to help lower your taxes and prove to others that you did not fully succumb to this cruel, capitalistic world.

Speaking of capitalism, you've heard a quick but shy knock on the door. The person outside knew too well not to disturb you on a Friday night, but some things were inevitable.

"Come in," you ordered casually. Your eyes were still trained on the paper on your desk.

The door flew open as you heard your secretary's pointed heels hitting the cold tiles. Timidly, she said, "Sorry to disturb you, Attorney. We have an urgent case concerning your top client."

You hadn't heard the details of the case, yet you could already feel the veins in your head pulsating. This couldn't be any good. Your top client was the Braun-Grice family. The past months had already been too troublesome. What could those brats have done this time?

"Let me guess," you lazily highlighted the paper with red marks before staring at your secretary. "It's Gabi and Falco again, isn't it? Did they vandalize some rich man's house again?"

Your secretary wished it was that simple. She shook her head, "I'm afraid they've done worse than that." Her voice turned solemn. "The teens are involved in a car accident."

You were startled, immediately letting go of your highlighter. The boredom in your face completely disappeared as you questioned your secretary seriously. "What did they do? Let me see the file."

Mina was an obedient employee. She chose to stay in the office with you but with no intention of beating around the bush. She handed you the file immediately, "Ms. Braun called me earlier and said she and Falco need to see you now. They're in Busan Police Station."

Your hands on the file froze. Busan? What were those brats doing in your hometown? Gabi and Falco were both from Seoul. It's also still a weekday, meaning they had classes. Did they skip school to fuck around?

Mina filled in the blanks for you, "Ms. Braun is remorseful over the other line. She said she and Falco were super stressed in school, so they thought, why not try throttle therapy to ease their minds?"

You laughed derisively upon hearing that. Throttle fucking therapy, my ass. You bet it was Gabi's idea. She had always claimed to be fearless and unstoppable because she knew her family was affluent not just in Seoul but all over Japan.

"So what? Did their car crash into something? How much is the damage?" You finally opened the police report. The incident happened approximately three hours ago. Gabi could only reach your secretary after her medical check-up and giving a statement to the traffic police.

That brat! You had told her countless times to keep her useless mouth shut and wait for you to show up. Why did she never learn!?

"That's the thing. The damage isn't convertible in monetary value. Mr. Grice drove the car because Ms. Braun induced him to do so. Unfortunately, they hit two pedestrians before crashing into a tree."

Numbness crawled from your feet to your face. There was ringing in your ears, and you could've sworn your heart stopped beating when you saw the crime scene pictures.

"The victims are a married couple on their way home. Falco immediately called the police to report the incident. The paramedics came at once, but the victims were proven to be dead on arrival."

It's a miracle you could still hear Mina talk despite the nausea attempting to envelope you whole. Tears began to pool in your eyes, and before you knew it, they were already falling straight to wet the cuff of your long-sleeved shirt.

It's black.

The color of your top was black. Its design was similar to the one the dead victim was wearing. Only the color was different. Hers was white, making the blood staining her shirt so bright that it hurt your already bloodshot eyes.

White and black. She wore white because you claimed it fit her innocent personality more. Black was yours because it was as dark as your soul. The shirt was the perfect Christmas gift. Only two pairs were made by the designer. You paid a huge sum of money for these clothes.

You couldn't be mistaken.

You knew the victim all too well.

"The victims have been identified. The woman is named Sora Kang; the other is her husband, an Italian citizen named Niccolo."

That's all you need to hear before you clamp the folder shut. You stood up, "Cancel all my upcoming cases—Pro bono or not—I don't care. I'm going to Busan tonight."

"Yes, Attorney." Mina handed you two tickets. "I've already contacted someone to buy the bullet train tickets for us. It's the fastest route to Busan."

If this was any other day, you'd probably praise her for being the most reliable secretary, but this wasn't like your typical busy Friday.

You were still as busy as ever, but one thing had changed.

Sora, your childhood best friend, had died.

"I'm going to Busan alone." You tossed the keys to your house in this city to Mina, "I need you to go to my place first. There's a brown box under my bed. Pack it along with my other things—clothes and necessities. You already know that. Send it to Busan. The address is written on the lid of the brown box. I expect you to finish your job in two hours. I'll see you then."

Mina had no objections. She practically ran out of the office after you gave your orders.

Your train would leave in twenty minutes. The short time was not enough, but you forced yourself to gather your wits and temporarily bandage your broken heart.

After that, you went straight to the train station with one thing on your mind:

Clean this mess up.

***

It was quiet at the police station when you arrived. As expected, the Busan Police Division was not idle. Chief Police Kim Namjoon probably stationed his subordinates all over the city. Only Officer Park Jimin was at the front desk.

You wasted no time and showed your license to him; Jimin immediately directed you to the interrogation room where Falco and Gabi were being mentally intimidated.

As a seasoned lawyer, your head was held high as you barged inside the room, ignoring Jimin, who was anxiously coaxing you to calm down.

Of course, he'd tell you to calm down. Jimin was one of your childhood friends who had always been calm and rational. He didn't like solving things with violence, but he was smart enough to know you would not listen to him—not after you saw from the interrogation room window how the interrogator raised his fist to punch Falco. It was the typical intimidation to force a confession out of a suspect. You had encountered this scene many times, so your mind and body seemed to be on autopilot when you faced the interrogator.

You grabbed the devices used to record Gabi and Falco's confession and broke them. At once, all proof gathered in the past hours vanished into thin air.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Gabi, Falco, and the interrogator were dumbfounded by your sudden action.

"You dare!?" The interrogator was the first one to recover from the shock. He quickly turned to you. Intense fury painted his pathetic face as he clenched his hands into tight fists.

His reaction did not faze you one bit. In fact, it only prompted you to say your piece, "Article III, Section 19 of the Constitution states that the employment of physical, psychological, or degrading tactics against a suspect to force out a confession is punishable by the law."

Reciting a provision of the law verbatim was one of your favorite hobbies to defeat opponents. It usually leaves your heart with joy and pride whenever you see their faces morphing into anger and embarrassment. However, none of those exhilarating feelings envelop you.

There was only grief and nostalgia gripping your already broken heart. It was a shame none of these harrowing emotions could be traced in your face—as expected of a ruthless lawyer.

You continued with your attack, "If I remember it right, this is your seven years in public service, so pray tell, Police Lieutenant Jeon Jungkook, how can you not know this basic law even student police knows?"

The mockery in your voice was palpable. Only fools wouldn't realize your intention to humiliate the interrogator. Unfortunately, Jungkook didn't give you the satisfaction of winning this game.

He soon caught up with you, "I didn't realize you keep track of my position and years of service, little miss esquire."

The burning fury was still visible on Jungkook's face, but it was now mixed with disgust. Jungkook was the type of person who'd proudly wear his heart on his sleeve, especially if it meant getting a jab at you.

It worked. A bubble of anger rushed in you when Jungkook refused to say your name and used your title as a lawyer instead. It's a poor attempt to rile you up, really. He acted as if he didn't remember your name—couldn't care less to remember it. It aimed straight at your pride—his subtle mockery crushed you, but he didn't end it with just that.

"Is it part of your schemes? Knowing what your enemies do, I mean. Do you keep track of us so you can use it to fuck us up?"

Jungkook folded his arms across his chest and jutted his chin out. He was already tall, so his current stance only made him look bigger—like he could swallow you in one go.

That's what Jungkook did in the end. He chewed you out, "I wouldn't be surprised. Seeing that your greed won against your dead best friend."

It was a low blow and Jungkook knew it, but you getting hurt never deterred him from hurting you further.

"You know, don't you?"

You could keep your face impassive all day, but you couldn't fool Jungkook. One look at you, and he already knew you had gone from Seoul to Busan in haste. It sparked Jungkook's abhorrence even more.

"You know, and you still went here for them." The sharpness and accusation tinging his tone made you and the two teens flinch. That's when you came back to the realization that you and Jungkook were not alone in this room.

This always happened. You and Jungkook seemed to lose sight of your surroundings whenever you started fighting. Seeing Falco and Gabi's worn-out faces brought you back to the cruel reality.

This wasn't like your usual bickering with Jungkook during your high school days. This time, you two were barring your fangs and claws out, full of displaced hatred and pain because Sora was dead.

It took everything in you not to cry. Your legs were turning soft like you were about to pass out any moment from now. Jungkook's red-rimmed eyes felt like the blood that was sucked out of your heart.

"You disgust me." This was Jungkook's final words before walking away, leaving you with only a loud slam of the door.

"A-Attorney..." Gabi tried calling for you until your attention was focused on them.

You did not respond to her call but stomped in her direction. Every click of your pointed heels shook Falco and Gabi's hearts. Gone was the smug look on Gabi's face that appeared every time you came to bail her out of jail.

This case was different. She couldn't make it all go away with money. Gabi looked helpless. Her lips were quivering when she tried calling out for you again, "A-Attorney, please help us—"

Slap!

Gabi's ear hurt. In her nineteen years of existence, this was the first time someone dared lay a hand on her. Gabi was baffled yet couldn't look you in the eyes. Her head remained tilted to the side, allowing you to see the tears cascading down her left cheek.

It was Falco who tried to stop you. His eyes were full-blown panic as he tried to talk some senses into you, "Attorney, don't. Please calm--"

Slap!

You laid a hand on Falco's cheek, too. Naturally, Gabi tried defending her lover by grabbing your hand. You let her grip your right hand because it wouldn't deter you from using your other hand to slap her again.

The teens were teaming up against you. When you slap Falco, Gabi will rescue him, and vice versa. All they did was grab your hand, though. They didn't dare fight back, making it easy for you to alternately slap them until your hands ached.

In the end, the two resigned to their fate and simply allowed you to numb their cheeks with pain.

But it wasn't enough.

No amount of physical pain could equal the lives they had taken because of recklessness. The same goes for you. No amount of pain would justify dereliction of duty. As of now, you were left with no choice but to continue doing your job as a lawyer. You fished a calling card from your slacks' pocket and threw it across Falco's chest.

The calling card fell on the floor. The teens did not dare pick it up or even look at it. But your following words made their bodies tremble.

"If I were you, I'd pick that up and start calling my new lawyer, as I will no longer be representing you in court."

Gabi was wise enough to bend and reluctantly pick up the card. You wanted to step on her fingers and crush them with your pointed heels. But you did not.

Seeing tears form in Gabi's eyes when she spotted the name of the new lawyer you recommended brought you more joy than stepping on her fingers.

The new lawyer was Reiner Braun. He wasn't supposed to be a lawyer in the first place. Reiner was Gabi's cousin; their family's connection made it easy for Reiner to pass the bar despite his lack of knowledge and power. Frankly speaking, Gabi knew this. She tried to argue with you, but you cut her off with another resounding slap.

"You have the audacity to still ask me?" Unadulterated anger settled at the pit of your stomach. You were so mad you ended up laughing. You balled your hands into fists and hid them behind you. It's for the better; otherwise, you would also end up in prison because of an assault.

"Your idiocy harmed my best friend. She and her husband died while you two fuckers remain in my line of sight—alive." You emphasized the last word with so much hatred, "So don't think even for a second that I will still be representing you in court. Because if I was..." The corner of your mouth turned up as you trailed off.

You looked at Gabi and Falco from head to toe. Only the blind couldn't see the threat dancing in your eyes. "I'll make sure you won't just lose the case. You'll get the maximum penalty, and I'll leave your ten next generations in shambles."

Falco's eyelashes fluttered. Gabi, on the other hand, gripped the card as if her life depended on it. They were resigning to their fate once more.

Good, because you could only take so much in an hour. There were still many things to patch up, and so you turned to leave, following the trail of footsteps Jungkook left.

***

Jungkook thought he was going crazy.

One would think that being in service for seven years would already desensitize his heart from crimes. He supposed that, to some extent, that was true. Unfortunately, no one had prepared Jungkook for all the negative feelings welling up in his chest as he dealt with the suspects involving the death of his loved one.

Sora.

A wave of nausea hit Jungkook as the image of Sora's dead body flashed in his mind. The feeling of helplessness was the worst punch in his gut, leaving his fist aching to beat the two teens in front of him.

Falco and Gabi remained rooted in their spot. Jungkook did not know what to do with them anymore. Whenever Falco confessed his crime, Gabi would refute it by saying it was all her fault. Jungkook couldn't care less about their heroic act; he just wanted someone to pay for Sora's death, but Falco had no plans of condemning Gabi either. He looked at Jungkook with tears, saying that Gabi was innocent.

Fucking brats! Jungkook couldn't take it anymore. He raised his fist to punch Falco; unfortunately, you barged into the room and ruined everything. It's bad enough that Jungkook didn't get to beat up Falco. How dare you destroy his evidence, too!?

"Damn it!" Jungkook kicked the pebbles outside the station. He initially left the interrogation room to cool down a little, but Jimin, his comrade, stopped him from getting back inside. Apparently, you told Jimin about that bullshit called the Bill of Rights.

"I'm sorry, Jungkook. Captain Yoongi called. He told me to get you out of the station as soon as possible. You're barred from participating in this investigation. Captain Yoongi is on his way now. He'll be the one interrogating the suspects."

"You can't do this to me, Jimin." Jungkook shook his head, refusing the Captain's order. "Sora's my best friend. You are her friend too! We need to avenge her!"

Jimin surely loved Sora, too, so he understood Jungkook to some extent. But he knew Captain Yoongi's decision was for the better. Jungkook was currently not in the right state of mind. He was grieving. Bloodlust was apparent in his eyes. If he wasn't careful enough, he might ruin this case.

"Go home, Jungkook." Jimin held Jungkook's shoulder firmly, "Or help Taehyung with the arrangement. He's alone and hurting, too."

Right. Jungkook's heart throbbed painfully in his chest as he thought about Taehyung. If anyone's hurting beyond repair right now, it had to be Taehyung. The latter and Sora were like inseparable twins.

Jungkook wanted to see Taehyung after interrogating Falco and Gabi—a form of consolation, if you might. Regrettably, it wasn't possible now, and it was your fault. Nothing ever went Jungkook's way when you were around.

You and Jungkook have known each other since you were kids. You were from the same street in Busan, so it was almost impossible not to see his face daily. You two were even classmates in your schooling days. In fact, you and Jungkook were pretty popular in school, but not for a good reason.

You two made people want to pull their hair out as you took being rivals too seriously. You argued about the smallest thing, wanting to appear as the stronger one, the smarter one, and the braver one.

But the thing was, your fights with Jungkook were never serious. It was more like teenage bickering. Admittedly, the whole school knew you, Sora, Jungkook, and Taehyung as the Idiot Quartet. Sora and Taehyung played pranks on everyone and did not care much about their academic performance. Meanwhile, you and Jungkook were academic rivals who went out of your way to win against the other. It was so petty that the other students thought you were idiots.

The anger Jungkook felt for you years ago was still apparent today, but he couldn't deny that it changed into something worse.

Hatred.

He'd known you for an ambitious woman who never backed down. You weren't content with your life in Busan and thus moved to Seoul. That part was naturally acceptable. What Jungkook couldn't accept was you casting aside your friendship with Sora for money and power.

You truly exceeded his worst expectations of you. Jungkook clenched his jaw and hands, swearing that you were his enemy from today onwards.

***

Contrary to popular belief, Sora was not an idiot. She had planned not just her life but also her death. This ensured that the living wouldn't be burdened by her passing.

Admittedly, you were involved in the preparations she made. As a lawyer, Sora sought your service to make writing her will easier. It happened three years ago:

Sora recently gave birth to a baby girl named Hanni. The child had blond hair like her father. She was too cute for her own good, so you didn't understand how Sora had the heart to think about death when she had a growing little angel by her side.

It wasn't fair to leave Hanni without a mother in this world.

"This is called safeguarding my baby's future." Sora reasoned out while writing down her 'will.' Her tongue was sticking out, and her brows were pinched together, indicating that she was serious about this ordeal.

It made you sigh.

"Okay! I've finalized the distribution of my...what do you call it again? Estate?"

"Assets." You corrected her firmly. Assets were for the living, and the estate was for the dead. You refused to associate your best friend with anything related to death. It was evident by the way your lips protruded into a sulky pout. You hated having this conversation with her.

"Asset, estate, or whatever you call it. I don't really care as long as it's done. Now, come here and notarize it. I've heard I need a witness when finalizing my will. You are my witness."

"I refuse." You turned away from Sora and busied yourself, caressing Hanni's tiny fist. "Your mum is cruel, isn't she, little one?"

Sora rolled her eyes and huffed, "It's for her sake, you know. Can't you see my situation now? I'm an orphan. My parents died when I could barely say a full sentence."

Sora always felt she inherited the curse of her parents dying young. It was unfair to disregard this thought as she was sure Hanni would be the lonely one carrying the burden once it happened.

"I'm assigning legal guardians for my child. Niccolo is number one, but I can't be too complacent." Sora released a deep breath. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing that her husband was crazy in love with her. It felt like he was willing to follow her even in death.

"Hear that, Hanni? Your mum is giving you away. Say bad, mummy, bad!" You carried Hanni into your arms while glaring at Sora. You couldn't believe your best friend traveled to Seoul with her little child just to say this bullshit.

"Stop being so dramatic," Sora lost count of how many times she had rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm giving her to a stranger."

"Huh." You wiped Hanni's drool before casting a curious look at her mom, "Who are you naming her guardian, then? Jongsuk and Ji-eun?"

"Nope." Sora sounded disappointed. "I wanted to, but you know how busy they are with their two kids."

"Jongsuk is fucking rich. I'm sure they can afford to feed one more kid." You decided to humor Sora after realizing you couldn't change her mind.

Unfortunately, Sora deflated. "You bet. They have three more children coming."

"What the fuck?" You laid Hanni back in her crib, afraid you'd drop her after Sora dropped a bomb on you. "Are you telling me Ji-eun is pregnant again? And triplets?"

Sora's grin was wide. She wiggled her brows in excitement.

You were dumbfounded. "Seriously? What the fuck is wrong with Jongsuk!?"

Didn't Ji-eun just give birth last year!? What did Jongsuk plan on doing?

"Ah, duh? Have you seen Ji-eun? If I were Jongsuk, I'd do the same."

You pondered for a second. It didn't take you long to agree with your best friend. Damn right, Ji-eun was hot. If you didn't have the unfortunate curse of liking straight men, you bet you'd be pursuing Ji-eun relentlessly. She wasn't just a pretty face. Ji-eun was tantamount to what people called 'The Man.' Perhaps even better than the phrase.

Suddenly, you understood why a certain someone was head over heels with her.

"You're thinking about Jungkook, aren't you?"

You whipped your head up and met Sora's teasing eyes. You were about to refute her absurdity, but she beat you to it.

"Don't deny it. I know your 'I'm thinking about Jungkook' face. It's so obvious! Your brows become one, and your frown couldn't be any deeper!"

"That's right," you relaxed a little. "It's cause I hate him. I can't even crack a fake smile whenever I think about his stupid face."

Your disgusted face wasn't fooling anyone, though. But Sora didn't expose you. She just riled you up, "Well, at least his stupid face is popular with girls. Did you know? Niccolo has been setting Jungkook up with his foreign friends. Ah! Right!" The spark in her eyes was blinding.

"Jungkook has a blind date tonight. I've heard he's meeting a supermodel from Italy. She's the same—hey, hey! What are you doing!?"

Sora's eyes dilated upon seeing you gripping her baby's toy tightly. She snatched it from you and gasped, "What's gotten you so worked up? You broke Hanni's toy! This is her favorite!" And Jungkook was the one who gave the baby that toy. Sora didn't dare tell you as you might destroy it further.

You wouldn't do it, though. You actually felt guilty for letting out your inexplicable anger to the toy, "Sorry. I'd buy Hanni a new one, yeah?"

"You better!" Sora let it go and went back to drafting her will. She continued pestering you about some law jargon until your head hurt.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop now." Sora put the documents inside a brown box and handed it to you. "Here it is. My final will. I'm giving it to you for safekeeping."

"Huh," you snorted but still accepted the box. You handed Sora a similar package. "I gave you a Christmas present, and I get your will in return? Unfair."

You couldn't help but toss the brown box under your bed. You hoped there wouldn't be a time when you'd be forced to open that damn box.

Sora's eyes creased, "I'll buy you the prettiest present next time, okay?" Then she kissed your cheek, "Thanks for this lovely shirt! I love it so much."

"White suits you the most." You're like my angel, Sora. "I got mine in black so we could match."

"Cool!" Sora turned to her daughter. "You hear that, Hanni? Your Godmother wants to match with me. You need to find someone like her in the future, okay?"

Hanni giggled as if she understood her mother. It warmed your heart seeing them like this. Unfortunately, this precious moment would soon be taken away from them.

Come to think of it, everything that transpired three years ago was like a sick premonition of what would happen tonight. Wasn't it funny? Sora died wearing the clothes you'd gifted her, and now here you were, forced to open the brown box you hated with passion.

Sora prepared everything. Inside the box were her will and handwritten letters for her daughter and friends. Unsurprisingly, she didn't leave a note for Niccolo.

It's like Sora knew.

"I hate you," you whimpered lowly as you hugged Sora's letter. I hate you for leaving me. I hate you for being right. I hate you. I hate you so much, Kang Sora.

***

Since Sora was an orphan, Taehyung, as her friend, was qualified to make the arrangements for her and her husband's remains. This was also because he was the one who registered their death after Doctor Kim Seokjin announced the time of their passing.

Jungkook wanted to help Taehyung out, but Taehyung said he could handle it himself and that it would be better for Jungkook to care for Hanni instead.

Hanni was at home with her temporary babysitter. Niccolo was a chef at his restaurant, while Sora was the head manager there. They usually didn't have enough time to care for Hanni, so they hired a nighttime caregiver for their kid. Hanni attended daycare in the morning, which was one less worry for her parents.

The babysitter's shift ended a few hours ago, though. Jungkook had no choice but to rush to the Kang' residence.

Jungkook had an apology ready at the tip of his tongue and thousands of won to appease the babysitter for working overtime. He was surprised when he didn't see the cute babysitter and instead saw a temptress wearing a suit.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Jungkook spat as he raised his guard up. Who else could he be talking to besides you? You were the only person who could annoy him until steam came off his ears.

Weren't you just at the police station? Jungkook quickly glanced at his wristwatch. The time was 10:15pm. You arrived to wreak havoc in the interrogation room at around 9:00pm. Were you that good of a lawyer to escape Captain Yoongi's inquest in just an hour?

Looking at you, it seemed you had been here for quite some time now. Hanni happily snuggled in your arms while sucking on her milk bottle. The baby looked sleepy, unaware that her parents had already crossed the afterlife road.

Jungkook felt his heart tighten. Did you go here to use Hanni as leverage to help free those damned murderers? Thinking about your menacing schemes, Jungkook couldn't help but raise his hand to snatch Hanni away from your embrace.

"Let go of Hanni now!" Jungkook gnashed his teeth, deliberating on calling the police on you, but then he remembered he was also a police officer. Right. If he wanted to, he could arrest you for using an innocent kid to your advantage.

"Will you stop being so dramatic?" you recognized Jungkook's intention, so you rolled your eyes at his stupidity. You also laid Hanni back inside her crib but didn't do it to appease Jungkook. It was because your arms were starting to get numb from carrying her—not to mention that your chest was covered in Hanni's spilled milk, too.

Jungkook's line of sight focused on your chest, not knowing what to make out of it as you gently wipe the milk with your bare hand.

You pretended not to see him swallowing thickly and struggling to look away from you. "Relax, will you? Your tiny brain might not comprehend it, but I'm telling you now. I am not here to harm Hanni. I'm her godparent, after all—just like you."

Your busy work schedule did not allow you to see Hanni all the time, but Sora made sure to video call you whenever she had the chance. Frankly speaking, seeing your goddaughter after a tiring day calmed you down. Hanni was your sweet butterfly. You loved her to death.

"And for the record, I am not representing Gabi and Falco in court."

Your sharp tone made Jungkook stop. His intense gaze studied you. This time, your face wasn't devoid of emotions. He could see fire in your eyes—as if you were ready to burn anyone who dared oppose you.

"T-Then," Jungkook's Adam's apple bobbed, "Why'd you destroy my evidence?" It took him hours to force confessions out of those bastards. He doubted that was enough as Falco and Gabi kept protecting each other, but still...

"How are you even a police lieutenant? Did Chief Kim bump his head before promoting you?"

Jungkook was offended and wanted to argue, but you gave him no chance.

"The evidence you've gathered is inadmissible to court. It's fucking illegal, idiot. Those brats could've filed a case against you if I hadn't destroyed the evidence of your idiocy."

Simply put, you had protected Jungkook from incrimination. "What happened to the Jungkook I know? Didn't you always hate Jongsuk Lee for being a suicidal maniac?"

The Idiot Quartet was good friends with Jongsuk and Ji-eun, too. You had known them since childhood. If your group was called the Idiot Quartet, then Ji-eun, Jongsuk, and Jimin were known as the Powerhouse Trio. The three were good in academics and sports, but Jongsuk fell short of a good attitude. Jongsuk was ridiculously impatient that he would not hesitate to charge recklessly, even at the expense of his life. Jongsuk was a police officer like Jungkook. It was just that Chief Namjoon Kim assigned Jongsuk to the special operation squad.

Jongsuk was a sore spot for Jungkook as it seemed like whatever Jungkook wanted, Jongsuk had.

Truth be told, Jungkook scoffed at the mention of Jongsuk's name. He glared at you, "I'm nothing like that suicidal maniac. Don't compare me to him."

You shrugged and did not push it. Fighting Jungkook tonight was not worthy of your time. There was a more pressing issue to discuss.

"Anyway, I'm not involved with Gabi and Falco anymore. You can rest assured."

Jungkook didn't want to fight you either. He was tired. He only wanted to honor his dead best friend. "It's good that you didn't completely stray the wrong path."

Surprisingly, the seed of hatred Jungkook planted in his heart had been dug up at the speed of light. You see, he wasn't muddle-headed like you claimed. Jungkook got irritated by your mere presence and sharp mouth, but hating someone without apparent reason was beyond him.

Maybe he could trust you? Thinking about this, Jungkook tried to push his luck, "So, if you aren't going to be those brats' lawyer, does it mean you came here to represent Sora and Niccolo?"

You just said you did not want to fight him, but on God, was he testing your patience. It took everything in you not to mock him, "I am a defense lawyer, smart-ass. This is a criminal case; it's those brats against the general public. Sora and Niccolo must be represented by a prosecutor. I trust you know the difference between a pro—"

"I know! I get it already. Stop it." Jungkook's cheeks turned crimson when he realized his mistake. His brain must have short-circuited because of the awkwardness and the milk on your chest—damn it, there was still traces of milk in your cleavage.

Jungkook forced himself to look away, making the corner of your lips turn up.

"It's Ji-eun." You said abruptly and without context. Jungkook looked at you, confused.

You sighed, "Ji-eun is a prosecutor, which I'm guessing you're very familiar with."

Of course, Jungkook knew precisely what Ji-eun did for a living. It was the main reason Jungkook fell in love with Ji-eun—he thought she was cool for upholding justice.

Jungkook had this illusion that he and Ji-eun complemented each other, mainly because both their line of work involved helping ordinary people. It was the complete opposite of what you do. In Jungkook's vocabulary, you were a scum—defending criminals who ruined the balance of the world.

"I called Ji-eun earlier. She agreed, but we have yet to discuss the details. The legalities of the case can be postponed for now. There's something urgent we need to address first." Jungkook recognized the seriousness in your tone. He furrowed a brow and listened to you intently.

"Sora named me as the executor of her will." Your face turned solemn, side glancing at Hanni, who was sound asleep. Your heart ached for her. "She has written notes to everyone, including us."

Jungkook watched you pick up a brown box on the floor. That's when he noticed the suitcase next to it.

Wait—Jungkook's eyes shrunk. Is that your suitcase?

His question was soon answered when you handed Sora's letter to him. Jungkook immediately tore it open, skimming through its contents.

His eyes widened comically upon reading the most ridiculous request of all times:

Sora was leaving Hanni in your and Jungkook's care.

What the fuck.

***

Taehyung felt floating as he took the way to Sora's house. It was past ten in the evening, meaning it took him hours to arrange Sora and Niccolo's funeral.

He was physically exhausted from having to go from place to place. Fortunately, he had a bit of time to rest since Sora and Niccolo's bodies were still at the mortuary. Taehyung thought he'd check up on Hanni first, then ask Jungkook to tidy the Kang' residence to make it a decent place to hold the wake. Sadly, Taehyung's plans went haywire as soon as he stepped inside the house.

"Oh, yeah? Why don't you tell that to yourself, you mama's boy!? I'm not the one who has an Oedipus complex!"

Taehyung watched as Jungkook's complexion turned red because of anger. He rolled the sleeves of his police uniform, seemingly ready to fight you.

"Well, fuck you and your mommy issues. Just admit you're jealous I have a kind mom. It's not my fault your mom only loves you whenever you achieve something that will boost her ego!"

Violence was never the answer, but you couldn't help but pick up one of Hanni's toys and throw it at Jungkook's broad chest. You screamed at him, "What the fuck is wrong with you!?" He was hitting you where it hurt.

"No, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Jungkook threw the question back at you. You were the one who pissed him off first.

Sadly, Taehyung did not care whose fault it was. He just wanted this petty fight to end, so he screamed before you or Jungkook started going at each other again.

"What the hell is happening here?" Taehyung was the type of friend who goofed around a lot, though no one could deny he was the most scary when angered. Just the sound of his voice was enough to stain your and Jungkook's back with cold sweat. Almost at once, Jungkook kept his mouth shut.

Conversely, you smiled awkwardly at Taehyung and acted oblivious, "Hi, Taehyung. Didn't see you there."

Jungkook held back a scoff at how fast you changed your annoying tone to a saccharine one. Your eyes even crinkled with fondness. Damn it. You were such a great pretender! Weren't you just acting like a dragon and breathing fire in Jungkook's direction? Taehyung saw it, too, preventing you from escaping this mess.

"How can you see me when you're busy fighting Jungkook again?" Taehyung huffed and shook his head in disappointment, "You two never changed, do you? To think of fighting in the presence of your dead best friend's kid. Have you no shame?"

As said, it was common knowledge not to anger Taehyung, yet no one warned you how scary he was when he couldn't bring himself to be angry anymore. Right now, Taehyung was just tired of your bullshit.

Remorse seeped into your heart. Truth be told, you knew where Taehyung was coming from. You and Jungkook were both adults, yet you failed to act like one. You didn't even know how your fight started. All you remembered was Jungkook vehemently opposing Sora's decision to leave Hanni to you and his care.

He thought you were undeserving of looking after a small child. You got mad, saying he had high expectations for female guardians because of his weird relationship with his mother.

Of course, it wasn't true. But you were so pissed you couldn't stop spouting nonsense. Truthfully, you could have gone forever with your insults had it not been for Taehyung's arrival.

"Don't take it seriously, Taehyung. We're just fooling around to cheer up Hanni. We thought some loud noises would divert her attention to something else." Jungkook added unhelpfully.

Taehyung pressed his lips into a thin line and looked at Hanni, who was sleeping peacefully: "...."

"Haha," You laughed in embarrassment and were forced to playfully smack Jungkook's biceps. "See? Our loudness helped Hanni sleep. Didn't Sora always sing her a goodnight song? We did it too!"

"Yes!" Jungkook gathered some files on the floor. The both of you had thrown them in the midst of fighting. The Kang' residence was a mess because of you two's silliness.

"Anyway, didn't you say the wake will be held here? Why don't you rest first? We'll take it from here. Right, Jungkook?"

Taehyung watched the two of you for a while before resigning to the guest room. He heard your whispered sighs but didn't mind as you quickly resolved it with a temporary truce.

Taehyung sighed and looked at the white ceiling. The tears he had repressed all night finally cascaded down his cheeks.

He sobbed quietly and thought about the dead, "You really have idiots as your best friends, Sora."

***

Sora and Niccolo's wake would be held for one day only. Tomorrow was the scheduled funeral, so all the departed's friends gathered at the Kang' residence for the final goodbye. You and Jungkook behaved this time—your temporary truce helped you welcome the guests without hiccups.

Ji-eun and Jongsuk arrived in the morning with their five children. It was a blessing in disguise, really. Jongsuk took care of the kids, including Hanni, while you and Ji-eun discussed the legalities of the case filed against Gabi and Falco. Captain Yoongi joined the discussion, too.

Yoongi lived in your neighborhood as well. He used to teach kids your age some self-defense tricks. He was specifically fond of Sora as she made unconventional defenses easier to execute. Looking back, you realize Sora was the glue holding the group together. There were moments you couldn't tolerate the extremity of Captain Yoongi's training, but Sora persuaded you and the others to be more patient and courageous.

"Thanks for doing this, Captain." You smiled softly at Yoongi. He merely raised a brow, drank his tea, and said, "Not a problem. This isn't a formal discussion."

The Captain didn't want to disrespect the solemnity of the wake, so he invited you and Ji-eun to talk in his office after the funeral. He only joined today's talk to say some urgent matters.

"I thought you should know beforehand that we have a strong case, mainly because the incident was captured by cameras. However, we have a formidable opponent. Annie Leonhart is defending those brats in court."

Your stomach knotted with bitterness upon hearing that. Annie Leonhart was indeed a formidable lawyer. However, you couldn't deny that your heart felt at ease when you met Ji-eun's unyielding gaze. Yes, you couldn't forget that this prosecutor never lost a case. She would do Sora justice.

It wouldn't be too difficult as long as dumb people didn't interfere.

Jungkook. Your brain immediately thought of Jungkook as he was the only one you could associate with the word dumb.

Just like now, Jungkook was standing in the corner of the room while staring at your group dumbly—scratch that, it was obvious he had his puppy eyes focused on Ji-eun.

You rolled your eyes. Of fucking course. How could you forget that this dumbass was in love with Prosecutor Lee? Did the fact that she was already married ever stop Jungkook from pining after Ji-eun? No.

"Attorney, Captain, will you excuse me for a moment?" You gritted your teeth while your gaze was still trained on Jungkook. The two Mins did not hold you back, making it easier for you to instantly trudge over Jungkook's direction.

"Hey, loser. I wanted to quote Article 333 of the family code for you, but then I remembered Ji-eun will never commit adultery, more so if it's with your sorry ass." You smirked at Jungkook, rage still boiling within you.

You were not the only one annoyed, though. Jungkook looked at you in disbelief; his eyebrows pinched together as he huffed, "What is it this time? I'm not doing anything!"

"You're not fooling anyone here, asshole. Don't think for a moment that I don't see you looking pathetically at Mrs. Lee."

"The heck are you on?"

"That you're in love with Ji-eun? That's the only reason why you're looking in our direction." You rolled your eyes, looking smug. "Unless you had a change of heart and are now pining after Captain Yoongi—which I'm not opposed to, by the way. I'm all for gay rights. You might be too late, though. I think he's a little too in love with your Chief Police Kim."

You shook your head in pity for Jungkook. Ji-eun and Yoongi were cousins. Why did Jungkook seem to only like Mins, who were already in love with someone else?

"Will you shut up?" Jungkook's jaw ticked. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He looked panicked.

You snickered, "Oh, no. Is Jungkook-boy shy—"

"I'm looking at you, damn it!" Jungkook seized your wrist and pulled you closer to him. From the outside's point of view, it looked like Jungkook was some gang leader bullying a helpless girl. But that's the thing. Only his looks were imposing—Jungkook's grey suit perfectly hugged his toned body. His hairstyle drastically changed since your teenage years, too. Per the police officer standard, Jungkook was now sporting an undercut that made his jaw look more chiseled. His aura was intimidating, but only you knew how gently he had pulled you close to his body.

Jungkook whispered into your ears, "I'm worried, alright? I need your help. Can you see those two women sitting by the window? They've been here since morning, and they're watching you and me—us. I don't seem to recall their faces. Sora and Niccolo were not related to them in any way either."

Jungkook had met the people around the married couple. He knew even the customers in Sora and Niccolo's restaurant. This was the first time Jungkook was seeing these women.

You were alerted, too. It was uncommon for strangers to attend the departed's wake, so these two women could either be from Falco and Gabi's side or...

Your eyes widened at the sudden realization. Unfortunately, before you could warn Jungkook, the two ladies had already noticed your gaze and immediately walked in your direction.

"Hi there. My name is Frieda, and this is my coworker, Ms. Kiyomi. We're social workers assigned by the local government to check on orphans."

"It's nice to meet you." Thankfully, you had no problems switching gears. Being a lawyer taught you to fake pleasantries despite shaking on the inside. As expected, these two women were social workers here to see Hanni's condition. Regrettably, you had failed to discuss this earlier with Jungkook.

"I know this is not the best time to visit, but we're just concerned about the little girl. Hanni, that's her name, right?" Kiyomi was an old woman who appeared strict and conservative. Her smile made your eyes twitch. "I take it you're the host of this wake. Do you mind sharing with us if Mr. Niccolo and his wife assigned a legal guardian for Hanni?"

"Legal guardians, actually." You mirrored Kiyomi's smile. "I'm the family's lawyer and Sora's childhood best friend. She has left her notarized will with me. I can send you both the hard and soft copy any time."

"That's good to hear," Frieda answered, "But right now, we want to personally meet the assigned guardians. Where is Hanni, by the way?"

"Hanni is sleeping in her room with SWAT officer Lee's children, right, babe?"

"Huh?" Jungkook asked dumbly when he felt your hand encircling his biceps. To say he was shocked by your term of endearment would be an understatement because what the fuck? Did you just call him babe?

"A little absentminded, are we?" You chuckled awkwardly and pinched Jungkook's biceps 'lovingly' Damn, was he ripped. "Forgive my fiancé, lovely ladies. He's just a bit tired after pulling an all-nighter to arrange our best friends' wake and trying to pacify little Hanni."

"Oh," Kiyomi's eyes lit up. "You're the assigned guardians, I suppose?"

"Yes, we are." You felt Jungkook stiffen when you leaned your head onto his biceps. You originally wanted to lean on his shoulder, but he was too tall. You guessed it didn't matter as long as you had skin contact with Jungkook.

Kiyomi didn't seem to be convinced, though. Her keen eyes wandered over yours and Jungkook's empty ring fingers.

"Ah!" You grabbed Jungkook's left hand and intertwined your fingers with his. "We removed our engagement rings for now. You know, Hanni's at the age where she just likes sucking onto everything. You can't have a kid swallowing a diamond, can you?"

The two women laughed at your lame joke. Meanwhile, Jungkook's face still couldn't be painted. Every part of his being urged him to push you away, but he had a hunch that would be unwise.

Jungkook looked at the two ladies before side-eyeing you. He felt like losing to a sick game, which didn't sit well with him. Jungkook hated it when you were one step ahead, so he played your game despite not knowing the rules.

He grabbed your interlaced fingers and kissed them. "Don't worry, hon. The ring is just for aesthetic purposes. I am still yours without it."

"Oh, my. What a lovely couple!" Kiyomi finally fell into your gimmick. She rubbed her chest as if what she saw warmed her heart, "It's getting late. People are coming, why don't you go and welcome them? Frieda and I are just leaving."

You calmed your beating heart before answering the old lady, "Don't you wanna see Hanni first?"

Frieda and Kiyomi fell silent and seemed to be hesitant. Hearing SWAT officer Lee's name actually scared them. They were afraid of offending Jongsuk. Kids were especially fussy when their nap was disturbed, yes?

"No need. We have already imposed too much. Why don't we schedule a meeting after the funeral?" Frieda raised her brow.

"Sounds lovely. Wait a second. We'll give you our contact information."

The two social workers finally left after exchanging contact details and a few more pleasantries. Your hand was still enveloped by Jungkook's big, warm hand. He took this as an opportunity to lightly drag you into an empty room.

"What the hell just happened there?" For someone who's confused, Jungkook sure enjoyed holding your hand. His grip tightened when you laughed mockingly.

"You called me hon—cringe, by the way—but you can't grasp what happened there? Are you for real?"

"Just answer the damn question!" Jungkook's ears were red. He swore he wasn't stupid. You were just making him appear to be like that. "And as if you're any better. Calling me babe, really? And fiancé? Who the hell wants to marry you!?"

"Let go!" You wriggled out of his grasp, yet Jungkook did not let you go. He pulled you close to him and stared at you intently.

"No." Jungkook jutted his chin. "Not unless you explain what that was all about."

Looking at Jungkook's eyes made you shudder. You knew him. He was stubborn. Seeing the determination in his eyes, you realized it was wise not to tease him any further. Jungkook was many things, but he never joked about romantic feelings. Call it old school, but he already regretted playing your game. How could he forget how much of a menace you were?

"I'm not making fun of you, alright? I had to pretend we're lovers, for Hanni's sake." You explained to Jungkook that most social workers were vicious when doing their jobs. Kiyomi was an old lady. Of course, she'd prefer to see Hanni with a loving and complete family as her guardians. She had the power to manipulate the judge's decision. You were afraid she would suggest assigning Hanni to strangers who could give her an illusion of a 'happy family.'

"So are you saying we have to pretend we're dating in front of those social workers?" Jungkook wasn't unreasonable. He was willing to hear your ridiculous idea if this meant keeping Hanni in a safe space.

"Well," you sighed in lament. "Not just in front of the social workers, unfortunately. Kiyomi and Frieda might interview anyone in our circle. It will be bad if they find out we're lying, worse, that we hate each other."

"I don't hate you, though." Jungkook's response was immediate. He creased his forehead as if not understanding what you said. "But I find you extremely annoying."

"The feeling is mutual." You exerted all your energy to wriggle out of his grasp.

Jungkook smirked and thought of getting back at you for getting him all flustered before those social workers, "Eh? Are you getting sick of my touch already? Careful. We might have to do more than hold hands to convince people we're to be married."

"You are so..." You trailed off because of irritation. "Irrational and a hypocrite! Don't you hate faking romantic things with me?" And aren't you in love with Ji-eun?

Jungkook shrugged nonchalantly; a smirk was still plastered on his lips. "I adapt fast. I can tolerate your annoying face, for Hanni's sake."

He pinched your cheek.

You slapped his hand away and squared your shoulders. Damn you, Jungkook Jeon.

"Bring it on, then."

***

Bullshit.

Your claim against Jungkook to 'bring it on" was complete and utter bullshit. Not only was it difficult, but it was also unrealistic and close to being impossible. Truthfully, you two did not feel it at once, mainly because you were busy with the funeral and had your other friends help you with Hanni.

Now, however...

"Terni, I'm sorry," Hanni's bright eyes glistened with tears as she stared at you. She was only three, but surprisingly, she could already pronounce words clearly—except maybe the word attorney.

Sora told her daughter to call you 'Attorney' so the little one could brag to people about having a cool godmother who was a lawyer. Hanni was an intelligent child. Admittedly, you suspected she could actually pronounce the word attorney correctly. She simply preferred calling you Terni as it was cuter and perhaps because it was easier to escape your wrath.

Hanni accidentally spilled a full glass of her favorite chocolate drink on your work documents. These were all related to the cases you told your secretary to cancel when you found out Sora died. Unfortunately, your words held no weight as you still needed to take on these cases—whether you wanted to or not. Besides, your mourning period was coming to an end. Sora and Niccolo had found their resting place already. Your only worry was Hanni and your pending cases.

"It's okay, darling." The side of your upper lip twitched while you threw the files in the trash bin. You kept reminding yourself that lashing out at a three-year-old kid was unreasonable.

'But it's not unreasonable to displace your anger to a certain police lieutenant.' The voice inside your head supplied. You smirked, feeling enlightened. Obviously, you were going to listen to the voice. Every chance you got to annoy Jungkook was gold.

"Why don't I put you in your crib first? Terni will just talk to Jungkook-boy, okay?"

Because she knew she was at fault here, Hanni nodded and let you carry her back to her room. The Kang' residence was quite big. You, Hanni, and Jungkook each had your own rooms. The master bedroom remained untouched, though. You didn't have the heart to invade the late couple's personal space. Besides, you were only temporarily residing here. This was not your house, and Hanni was not your child—you weren't even fully recognized by the court as Hanni's guardian. This could all be taken away from you sooner or later.

It was better not to get attached and keep things as they were. Taking this into consideration, you went to the kitchen to annoy Jungkook. Unfortunately, you were only able to say a few words before your face and mind blanked out. Clearly, no one prepared you on how to react seeing Jungkook buzzing around the kitchen while washing dishes—the same dishes you and Hanni used for breakfast this morning.

Jungkook wore washing gloves; soap suds painted his left cheek while pots and plates surrounded him.

"What'd you say again?" Jungkook spared you a glance, washing the mug you used for coffee earlier.

You swallowed thickly and forced your eyes away from the dishes. You originally wanted to chastise him for slacking off and not bringing Hanni to the daycare center on time. If Hanni was at the daycare, then your files wouldn't get soaked up in a chocolate drink in the first place. You couldn't blame him now, could you? Not when he was busy cleaning the kitchen after preparing breakfast for you and Hanni.

In your defense, you did not ask him to cook for you, too. You woke up with the smell of pancakes, bacon, and eggs wafting inside your room. Of course, you got up to scold him for not turning on the exhaust hood.

"You're awake?" You remembered Jungkook raising a brow upon seeing you. Hanni was already sitting on her high chair; her mouth was watering because of how good her breakfast smelled. "Come on, join us for breakfast."

You swallowed the insults at the tip of your tongue as Jungkook placed two big plates and a small one on the table.

"I don't eat breakfast," you said indifferently. It was true. When you reach your office, your secretary will have a cup of macadamia-flavored coffee ready. That was the only thing you had for breakfast. It had probably been years since you'd eaten anything solid during the morning.

Jungkook seemed to misunderstand your response, though. He thought you just didn't like to eat what he cooked. He taunted you, "There's no poison here, Empress. Your lowly male concubines have tasted the food for you."

To demonstrate, Jungkook swallowed a spoonful of bacon and pancakes.

"You're mistaken. You are no concubine of mine." You sneered but took a seat to eat. "You're merely my eunuch."

Teenager Jungkook would have turned red-faced and just cussed you out, but he grew up, and those blind dates with countless supermodels had improved his confidence. Jungkook pressed his hand on the table and peered down at you. His broad chest was inches away from your face.

"Now, that would be misleading, Empress. Can a eunuch have this?" He didn't use words, merely gesturing toward himself, particularly on the lower portion of his body.

The teenager you would have turned pissed and just cussed Jungkook out, but despite maturing into an adult woman, you still couldn't handle jokes like this, causing your face to turn scPark.

Jungkook chuckled at your reaction but didn't push you anymore. He liked pressing your buttons, though not to the point of making you uncomfortable. He was not an ass.

"Let's just eat, alright?"

Jungkook happily agreed and put some food on your plate. You merely glanced at it before playing it cool by opening up another topic, "It's your turn to send Hanni to daycare today, right? Her class is at 7am. Her teacher said she could go back to class but is welcome to extend her break."

Hanni's parents just died, after all. Besides, it wasn't a formal school. The daycare was established as a consideration for children who had working parents.

"Yes, I'll bathe her today. too, then we'll go to the center after." Jungkook smeared maple syrup on Hanni's pancakes. He had added finely cut grapes on top of it as he was afraid Hanni would choke on the circled fruit.

"Good. I'll finish some work today," you said as a form of respect.

You and Jungkook decided to co-parent Hanni and see if you could commit to it. Jungkook was assigned to take care of Hanni from Monday to Wednesday. Meanwhile, your schedule was from Thursday to Saturday. This included sending Hanni to school, feeding, bathing, and playing with her. Sunday was your only free day, as Hanni would be in the care of your friends. Captain Yoongi and Chief Namjoon said they'd bring Hanni out to play this Sunday.

It was a relief, really. You need to go back to Seoul this Sunday to finish some work and formally announce to your subordinates and clients that you will be moving to Busan for the time being. Your schedule this week was jampacked. Fortunately, Kiyomi and Frieda postponed the meeting and said they would inform you at their earliest convenience. As it turned out, those social workers weren't utterly heartless as they intended to give you and Jungkook a breather until the settlement of Sora and Niccolo's case.

Right. That was another concern of yours. You turned to Jungkook, "What time is your lunch break? I'm meeting up with Prosecutor Lee and Captain Yoongi this afternoon. Wanna join us?"

You and Jungkook played well when you were teaming up instead of being rivals. He shook his head in lament, "I can't. I have to finish some work at the station too. Just fill me in with the details later."

"Alright." You continued eating after that. Surprisingly, the breakfast with Hanni and Jungkook went well. Your morning would have been perfect hadn't been for Hanni messing up your files—which led you back to staring dumbly at Jungkook, who was still busy cleaning up the kitchen.

It was past seven in the morning. You were busy working and weren't able to track time. "Didn't you say you would send Hanni to daycare today? Why haven't you?"

"Oh." Jungkook scratched the back of his head. "I called the teacher and informed her that Hanni isn't coming today." Jungkook let Hanni walk around the house and find you. He guessed it was his fault for having too much confidence in a three-year-old kid. Of course, giving Hanni a chocolate drink wasn't a guarantee that she would be able to tell you she wasn't going to school today. Jungkook was too much of a pussy to tell you himself. He knew how you were when working. You would breathe fire at him for disturbing you.

"Why, though?" You puffed out air, "We can't keep doing this, you know? Hanni needs to socialize with other people." It wasn't that you wanted Hanni to forget her parents, but lately, Hanni had been asking where her mum and dad went. You and Jungkook hadn't discussed a healthy way to go over such a sensitive topic. Besides, you and Jungkook were working adults who needed time to do their jobs. You couldn't spend all day looking after Hanni.

"I know, but she sneezed twice this morning. It's already so cold outside. What if she catches the flu?"

"Oh, my gosh, you overprotective dumbass." You rolled your eyes at Jungkook, but the latter shrugged it off. You could call him whatever you wanted. However, he couldn't risk his goddaughter getting sick.

"I'll go to work in a while and drop by Hanni's doctor after my shift. I'll inquire about her medical records and see if we can get her a flu vaccine. Don't worry," Jungkook's eyes were thoughtful. "It's Monday, so I'll take care of everything myself. You can go to work today. I'll just text you if something comes up."

The day wasn't even halfway done, but you found yourself agreeing to Jungkook without a need for a fight. This was new, and you found it surprisingly refreshing.

"Fine." You acquiesced as the urge to blame him for your soaked files disappeared. Maybe you were wrong—maybe, just maybe, co-parenting Hanni with Jungkook wasn't as bad as you imagined.

***

Your afternoon turned out to be hectic, so the meeting with the two Mins was pushed to 3pm. Captain Yoongi invited you to a tea shop as it was quieter there.

"I personally think we have no shot in filing a murder case against those brats." Chamomile tea wasn't enough to calm you down as you looked at the crime pictures again.

Sora was sprawled on the cold ground; the pool of blood made you wanna puke. It didn't help that Ji-eun was drinking a strawberry-flavored tea.

"You're right. Given the elements of a murder, two are not present. Mens rea and actus rus," Ji-eun voiced out the legal terms. According to Captain Yoongi, Gabi and Falco gave consistent explanations during the interrogation. It was similar to what they told your secretary.

The teens did not intend to kill Sora and her husband. They were merely trying throttle therapy, which, unfortunately, went wrong.

Falco said he switched lanes to avoid crashing into a car maneuvering into a U-turn. It just happened that Sora and Niccolo were crossing the street before Falco could step on the break.

"I think that's what Jungkook did when he forced confessions from the brats. He wanted them to admit to murdering Sora and Niccolo so they could get the maximum penalty. However, I can tell it was an accident. We can only file for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicides." Captain Yoongi held his cup tightly, an indication that he was angry at what happened but couldn't do anything about it.

"That's my plan, but I think Annie Leonhart will reduce her clients' charges to manslaughter."

Manslaughter? Yoongi's brow creased. He wasn't a lawyer, so naturally, he couldn't immediately follow the logic behind the prosecutor's words.

You explained it to him, "It means Annie is a bitch, Captain. Based on my assumption, I bet she'll fake some medical records and say Falco took some kind of drug to help with his mental health issues." She would make it appear that Falco was unaware the drug given to him could cause hallucinations, confusion, and probably a loss of energy. "Or she'll have the clients' families pay a random person to confess tampering with Falco's car, hence the break not working. Either way, Attorney Leonhart will find a scapegoat and make it appear that what Gabi and Falco did was unintentional."

"You're so familiar with these tactics, aren't you?" Yoongi knitted his brow. In return, you tilted your head to the side as if to show a 'what can I say' attitude. The Captain was not wrong. You were also familiar with the techniques you mentioned because you were a defense lawyer.

Ji-eun wasn't bothered. She figured out the logic behind your tactics. She clasped her hands and said, "Captain Yoongi called me on the day of the incident. I've sent some people to subject Falco and Gabi to medical examinations. No need to fret. The results will show if they've taken any drugs. There were two more independent examiners, so they can't accuse us of faking the results."

Good. Your shoulders relaxed upon hearing that. Ji-eun continued, "We must pay attention to the other excuse Annie might choose." Prosecutor Lee emphasized how affluent the Braun and Grice families were. It would be easy for them to fake 'dispute' with people, forcing them to tamper with the car Falco drove. "Captain, my cousin-in-law is good friends with this case's judge, correct? I need your help with evidence submitted before the trial. I need time to study the witnesses, too."

"Cousin-in-law?" Ji-eun said many things, but this was the only thing Yoongi grasped. The Captain was not married yet. Who could Ji-eun be referring to as her cousin-in-law?

"Chief Police Namjoon Kim." Prosecutor Lee said with a face vacant of any emotions that even the hard-to-faze Yoongi almost spit his tea. You laughed heartily. Oh, men and their poor attempt to conceal their feelings. It was hilarious when boys fell in love. They looked like idiots who seemed to forget how to navigate life.

"Namjoon is not your cousin-in-law...yet," Yoongi cleared his throat. "But yes, he will be...helping you with anything you need with the case. Just send either one of us a text or go to our house. Make sure to bring Rin when you visit."

Rin was Ji-eun and Jongsuk's eldest son and Yoongi's favorite. He spoiled that kid rotten. You adored that kid, too. Admittedly, your topic switched to the Lee kids, and you also took this time to ask Ji-eun for tips on caring for a small child.

The sun had already set by the time your meeting ended. A fond smile was still plastered on your lips long after the Ji-eun and Yoongi left, but it didn't take long for your smile to disappear once you heard your phone buzz.

Someone had sent you a message. The number wasn't saved in your contacts, but the previous messages gave you a clue about who it was.

Unknown number:

Seoul is colder now that you're not here. I miss you.

You stared at the message for some time, then sighed as if accepting defeat. You scrolled through your contacts and called the one named 'Eunuch Jungkook.'

"What can I do for you, Empress?" Jungkook answered after two rings. His tone carried some teasing, which eased your heart a little.

"Something came up. I'm going back to Seoul tonight. My secretary said she needs help—"

"Alright," Jungkook responded softly before you could finish your excuse. You did not need to explain to him. Jungkook understood your line of work. He couldn't hold it against you. Besides, it's Monday. He could care for Hanni himself. "Just text me when you'll be back. And don't you dare forget to bring back some monjayaki for me and Hanni!"

"Fine, fine." You rolled your eyes, feigning irritation. "I'll see you soon."

"Good. Take care." Jungkook had you talk to Hanni for a few minutes before hanging up. After that, you booked a car to drive you back to Seoul. This was better than a subway. After all, you need to conserve energy to talk to that one person.

You sighed. This would definitely be a long night...

***

Mina bombarded you with workloads the second you stepped foot in your office in Seoul.

"I'm sorry, Attorney." Mina was apologetic when she handed you the documents. "You need to attend to one more hearing tomorrow."

"Another business dispute?" You looked at your secretary in disbelief. Seriously? All the cases you have been handling these past couple of days were related to businesses dealing with trademark infringement and violating the labor code. It was a surprise that these business owners still trusted you. Admittedly, you thought most of your clients would withdraw now that you didn't have the support of the Braun and Grice families.

"Yes, your client refused to settle as they did not want to pay the amount demanded by the other party."

You scoffed. Those greedy assholes. They had the nerve to ignore the labor law but couldn't face the consequences of their actions?

"Tell my client I'm meeting them in an hour. Either that or they can go find another lawyer." You would 'persuade' them to settle out of court today as you couldn't attend tomorrow's hearing. You were in a hurry to return to Busan since it was already Sunday. Jungkook had been caring for Hanni the whole week, which made you feel guilty. Jungkook had another role he needed to fulfill aside from being Hanni's guardian. What kind of person were you if you kept on holding him back?

Besides, there was still another person you must meet today. Thankfully, you were able to convince your client to settle, although you were not proud of the method you used to persuade them. Eh. You guessed it didn't matter because you finally told Jungkook you were heading back to Busan tonight.

"Who're you texting?" The last person you met tonight was him—him, as in the one who claimed to 'miss you' but whose number was still unregistered to your phone.

"Work," you replied indifferently before switching off your phone. You will read Jungkook's message later. For now, you had to deal with this annoying bastard.

"You'll go back to Busan tonight?" He sounded unhappy. Rico Braun had always been like this—too clingy—too whiny. You'd think he was obsessed with you if you didn't know any better. But that's the thing. You were aware of what kind of guy he was. He liked having a successful woman by his side, someone he could brag to his family and friends. You fit his criteria well—a beautiful woman who worked hard for a better life. It was a bonus that the Braun family liked you for Rico, too.

"I already told you," you pushed Rico's hand that was about to encircle your waist. "I'll be staying in Busan for a while. I only went back here to finish some work and to say some things to you."

Rico's eyes sparkled in anticipation. He claimed to be wise, but he couldn't even detect the coldness in your tone. You did not want him. "I've said this before, and I'm saying this again: whatever romantic idea you have about the two of us will never manifest. I can't be your girlfriend, okay?"

Rico wanted to argue, but you cut him off.

"It's not an invitation for you to ask me to be your wife. I don't like you anymore, Rico." Sometimes, being honest was the only way to save your future self from more trouble. Rico had been bugging you since your college days. There was one time you considered dating him—thinking it was for the better—that a ruthless lawyer like you was perfect for a narcissistic boy like him.

"This is also the last time I'm meeting with you. From now on, do not bother me. Your family is not connected with me anymore, either. They probably hate me." Rico was Gabi's older brother. How this person still had the audacity to meet you after what his sibling did to your best friend was beyond you. "Are we clear on this matter?"

Rico's face was impassive, acting as if the news you dropped did not concern him. He crinkled his eyes, "Well, then. It's getting late. I can't have you take the train at this hour, right? Come. I'll drive you to Busan."

"No need." You were about to walk away, but Rico seized your wrist.

His lips twitched. "I insist. Please? For old time's sake."

There was no winning when it came to this blockhead. You relented when he promised this would be the last time he'd ask to drive you. He said he was going back to the U.S. next week, anyway.

The drive back to Busan was fortunately short. Rico drove safely and did not insist on talking while on the road. You imagined being friends with him after what happened with Sora, but you just couldn't do it.

You and Rico had a fair share of understanding each other before, though all those memories were now buried deep in your heart. You did not want anything to do with them anymore.

"Thanks for the ride." You hopped off Rico's car the second it stopped in front of the Kang' residence. You felt nauseated and couldn't help but feel guilty that someone related to Sora's murderer was here. You used to think guilt by association was nonsensical, but now you understand it was a way to ease an angry person's pain.

"You're welcome." Rico rolled down the window and smiled at you. "Have a good night."

You immediately went inside the house after that short exchange. You and Jungkook both had duplicates of the key's door, so you got inside without calling Jungkook.

It was already late, so Hanni was most likely asleep. Maybe Jungkook retired for the night, too. Thinking about this, you tiptoed inside and made sure not to make any loud noises.

However, you were shocked when you saw Jungkook standing by the floor-length window and looking outside it like some predatory bird.

"Did you promote yourself from being a lowly eunuch to an empress' royal guard?" It was meant to be a sneer, but your tone made it seem like gentle teasing.

Jungkook whipped his head and met your eyes. He was shocked to see you, too. "I'm not waiting for you." He denied vehemently. He even crossed his arms. "I just thought it was Hanni who arrived."

"Oh?" You checked your wristwatch. "It's past nine. Hanni's still not home?"

Jungkook shook his head, "Not yet. Captain Yoongi called. He said Hanni's enjoying herself too much in their home. Apparently, Chief Namjoon built a playground for her." Ji-eun and Jongsuk's children were there too. "Who drove you here? Your secretary? A friend? Your colleague?"

Jungkook saw the flashy car outside and how fast you hopped out of that vehicle. He wondered why. Was it because the driver did something to get you all flustered?

Jungkook found himself clenching his fist. It did not help that you were avoiding his question. Admittedly, you did not want Jungkook to know that Rico drove you here. Luckily, you found a way to divert the topic when you looked at him directly.

"Huh?" You squinted your eyes. You didn't catch it earlier since you were meters away from him, but now you could clearly see the bruise on his face. "Is that a black eye?"

It was Jungkook's turn to avoid your question. He looked away and kept his mouth sealed. What the hell?

"What? Are you playing deaf now? I'm asking you, asshole. Is that a black eye?" You trudged toward him and grabbed his jaw so you could examine his face. You were right. Jungkook had a black eye and a cut in his lips.

Looking at him made your temple hurt. You gritted your teeth in anger.

"What are you up to these days, huh? Did you go around fighting civilians? Aren't you in public service? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It's not a big deal." Jungkook shook his head to wriggle out of your grasp. "There's a guy at the station who pissed me off."

"That's it?" Wow. He was really an idiot. "Do you go around punching people who pissed you off? What about me, then? Since you piss me off so much, should I just punch you to death?"

You pulled Jungkook to sit on the couch and grabbed the first aid kit to clean his wounds. Jungkook was not even bothered with his cuts. He just displayed them as if they were some kind of Christmas decorations.

Jungkook endured how hard you pressed the cotton swab in his face. He was like a docile kid listening to an adult talk. His posture was relaxed, though. Jungkook had his arms spread on the armrest while his legs were wide apart.

"When did this happen, anyway? Did Hanni see you like this? How did she react?" You couldn't bear seeing Hanni cry and questioning why her precious Jungkook-boy was hurt. Hanni was softhearted. How could anyone talk to her about stinky men fighting? It was disgusting.

Jungkook sighed when he realized you would not let it go. "It happened earlier, alright? Captain Yoongi and I met at the police station to discuss something before he went home with Hanni. It's his and the Chief's day off today. Ji-eun dropped by at the station, too. She came bearing bad news..."

Apparently, the one who impounded Falco's car was negligent. He let some people check the vehicle without proper documents. Now, these people were claiming to be car mechanics and that they found Falco's car to have a faulty break.

Damn it. Your premonition had come true. Jungkook was so mad he punched the negligent asshole until he was crying and shaking on the ground. Captain Yoongi saw what happened, so he stopped Jungkook by punching him in the face. He didn't want to, but he had to act 'fair' in front of other police officers. Besides, if he didn't stop Jungkook, there was a big probability that Jungkook would end up killing that negligent officer.

"Why didn't you call me?" You whispered. You couldn't bear to press the cotton swab harder on Jungkook's face after finding out what happened.

"Why?" Jungkook hmphed. " So you can stop me?"

"No." You met his eyes. "So I can punch that asshole too."

Jungkook clearly did not expect that response from you, yet he couldn't help his lips from curling up. Right. You told him before not to worry—you loved Sora so much that you wouldn't let go of those who hurt her.

"Nah," Jungkook shook his head and grabbed your hand. It was close to his lips. You could feel his hot breath on your hand. "You're just gonna hurt your hands. Empresses shouldn't fight lowly people."

Jungkook managed to make you laugh before dropping the bad news to you, "The guy is sent to the hospital and broke a few bones. Serves him right, although..." He smiled in embarrassment, "Captain Yoongi suspended me. I am jobless for a month."

What?

Before you could react, Jungkook stood up to defend himself in case you punched him, "Isn't it great? Now, you have more time to work! I can take care of Hanni the whole day. Yay?"

"Jungkook, you idiot!" You took off your shoe to throw it at him. Unfortunately, the doorbell rang.

Jungkook rushed to the door, "Hanni's here! Don't hurt me, Terni. You can't teach a three-year-old violence!"

The door opened while your shoe was flying in the air. Captain Yoongi was the first to enter the house, causing the shoe to hit his chest.

"Captain!" You and Jungkook snickered. Namjoon was behind him, carrying a sleeping Hanni in his arms. He saw what had happened to Yoongi. The Chief didn't react, though. In fact, he seemed to be holding back a chuckle.

Yoongi glared at Namjoon before throwing a daggered look at you and Jungkook. He loosened his tie and said, "Come here while I'm still asking nicely."

You seemed to teleport back to when Yoongi was training you and the other kids in martial arts. The traumatic memories prompted you to back away and wave your hand in a hurry, "Well, then. It's getting late. Jungkook, you should put Hanni to bed. Captain, Chief, it's nice to see you. Good night!"

You ran to your bedroom after that, ignoring Jungkook's incessant call to you. Captain Yoongi pulled the collar of Jungkook's shirt. He was about to teach him a lesson but backed off when he saw the bruise on his face.

"You're lucky I don't want to touch your face anymore." Yoongi pushed Jungkook and gestured for Namjoon to hand Hanni back to Jungkook. "Take back your kid. She ate all the candies at home. I'll buy more tomorrow and feed them to her next week. Good night."

Jungkook was dumbfounded as he carried Hanni into his arms. He smiled awkwardly at his bosses. "Good night, Captain. Good night, Chief."

Namjoon patted Jungkook's back before following Yoongi outside. "Good night, Jungkook."

Jungkook stood there for a few minutes before blinking back to reality. His bosses were long gone, but he still felt he was in a fever dream.

"Huh," Jungkook muttered to himself as he made a beeline to Hanni's bedroom. "What a strange night."

Indeed, it was a strange night.

***

The strangeness of that same night didn't end instantly. At 11pm, you and Jungkook jolted awake and rushed to Hanni's room when you heard her loud wail from each of your baby monitors.

"Hey, sweetheart. It's okay." You took Hanni's small frame and rubbed the back of her head. You were panting from being forcefully woken up to attending to Hanni in a matter of seconds.

Jungkook was also worried about Hanni but wasn't as disoriented as you. You guessed it was because his work forced him to deal with much more dangerous things. He assessed the situation by languidly looking at you as you pacified the child.

"Bad dream?" Jungkook caressed Hanni's hot cheek. Tears were still falling down her face. The little kid nodded and nuzzled her cheek to Jungkook's finger as if finding comfort in his soft touch.

"Can you tell us what happened, Hanni?" You continued rubbing her back and called her by her given name. You just needed to make sure she was present and that she knew you would listen to what she had to say.

"Let's sit for a while, yeah?" Sleepiness could still be traced to Jungkook's eyes. He didn't seem to have fully woken up yet, but ironically, he was aware of his surroundings.

One look at you, and Jungkook's hand had already made its way to fix the strap of your lingerie that fell on your shoulder.

Goosebumps pricked at your skin. Jungkook's palm was unbelievably warm—it calmed your shaking body as if telling you Hanni was safe. There was no need to worry if Jungkook's attention could stray to a petty matter like the strap of your dress.

But damn it. Was this really a small matter? Your face was flushed red, and your heart felt like it was about to explode because of embarrassment. You were wearing a sexy nightgown, after all. This was your secretary's fault! Why'd she pack these clothes for you?

'No. This isn't about me.' You scolded yourself as you gently helped Hanni sit on her crib bed. You sat on the floor, and Jungkook, the attentive man he was, retrieved a blanket you could use for cover. He sat on the floor, too, gently coaxing Hanni to talk about her nightmare.

The little girl said she saw her parents in her dream. She kept calling for them, but Sora and Niccolo never looked back. The couple just walked farther away from her.

"I miss mummy and daddy," Hanni said through whiny sobs. Your heart ached for her.

You knew you hadn't given your best for this godchild of yours. Your attention was mainly focused on work and Sora's case. Could you even call yourself a guardian at this point? Hanni was a small child who needed protection without asking. Why did it take you so long to comfort her? Why did you think skipping over an important topic was okay just because you were afraid to see how she would react?

Hanni was nothing like you. She was not an adult who could understand her emotions. She was a child. She needed to feel. She needed to understand what emotions were.

"Do you like rabbits, Hanni?" You spoke with bated breaths, but your smile was wide as ever. You couldn't break down this time. Hanni needed you.

Jungkook didn't steal your spotlight, either. He sat quietly and listened to how you would explain things to Hanni.

The child looked confused and lost, yet she nodded her head at your question, "I like rabbits. Mummy and Daddy brought me to the zoo before. There are so many of them."

A small smile cracked Hanni's lips, but her heart felt heavy as she hugged the rabbit toy in her bed.

Admittedly, you didn't know where this topic would stray at first. The rabbit toy simply caught your attention, and before you knew it, you were already using it as a euphemism for Sora and Niccolo's passing.

"Yes, sweetheart. There are so many rabbits in this world! Your mummy and daddy didn't hear your call because they're busy looking after the rabbits."

"I-I don't understand," Hanni pouted her cherry lips.

You patted her head, "Well, do you remember what it's like to be at your mummy and daddy's restaurant?"

Hanni said yes and briefly described the place and experience to be lively. She really enjoyed watching everyone enjoy eating their food.

"Your mummy and daddy are currently on a mission, Hanni. They are in a faraway place trying to feed rabbits. Your daddy cooks delicious food, right? Mummy is with him to make sure every rabbit has a full belly and a cute smile."

"Really?" Hanni's eyes glistened with astonishment. "Mummy and daddy are making sure all rabbits are happy? They're superheroes!?"

"Yes!" You laughed merrily. "Aren't your mummy and daddy great? They know you love rabbits so much that they want them to live a long and happy life."

"That's good." Hanni seemed happy initially, but she knitted her brow in confusion afterward. "But when are they coming back?"

You looked at Jungkook and signaled him to help you. Regrettably, the dumbass appeared to be deeply engrossed by your story too. He shrugged and mouthed for you to continue.

You rolled your eyes at him before grinning at Hanni, "There are many, many, many, many rabbits in the world, so it's gonna take one hundred years before you can see your mummy and daddy again."

"Hundred years?" Hanni stared at her palm and attempted to count using her fingers. She had only counted one to three before completely giving up.

"I don't know how to count to a hundred, Terni." Hanni was frustrated. Thankfully, Jungkook finally interjected the conversation.

"Don't worry, little one. Terni and I will help you count every day, okay? We'll take care of you for one hundred years until you're reunited with your mummy and daddy."

"Really?" Hanni's fear and sadness were not in sight anymore. She raised her tiny arms enthusiastically, "Hanni's very happy. I love Terni and Jungkook-boy so much!"

You and Jungkook both squeezed to fit Hanni's embrace. The little girl was excited about the possibility of spending time with her new guardians, so you let her talk until she fell asleep.

It didn't take long as Hanni was already exhausted from overplaying at Captain Yoongi's place. You guessed this was also the reason why she had a nightmare. Kids weren't supposed to overexert energy and sleep late, so you thought this was the right time for you and Jungkook to make a new schedule for Hanni's daily activities.

The next morning, you got up early to prepare breakfast. It wasn't only Hanni's schedule that you needed to fix. Her eating habits must be taken into consideration, too. Jungkook brought Hanni to her pediatrician last week and sent you the doctor's findings and suggestions.

Sora and Niccolo used to feed Hanni anything under the sun. It didn't help that your friends, especially Captain Yoongi, were a bunch of softhearted fools who always bought sweets for the little one.

You figured you'd cut Hanni's sugar intake and feed her a full meal twice and a bottle of formulated milk at night.

Today's breakfast was a simple avocado toast and random fruits you'd found in the kitchen and threw into the blender. You were not used to doing this as your secretary took care of all your meals. Fortunately, almost everything was searchable on the internet already.

It didn't take you long to follow the recipe you found online. In fact, you even had time to make Jungkook breakfast, too. It was sort of a 'thank you meal' for handling all matters related to Hanni last week.

You thought Jungkook wasn't so bad. After all, it was hard to hate someone who was soft to kids and respectful to women. Although you knew he was like this from the beginning, the younger version of you would not appreciate it because, hey! You were a regular teenager back then. You had a phase of liking walking red flags and had the "I can fix him" attitude.

You didn't want to indulge in the past anymore, though. You thought one of the few beauties of this world was a person's metamorphosis. You were far from perfect and still had many things to improve, but you were also far from the teenager willing to sacrifice herself for a fraction of someone's affection.

However, you were still a human and craved validation. You waited for Jungkook and Hanni to wake up so they could tell you what they thought about the food you made. Unfortunately, Jungkook seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

You didn't notice it at first as he was still all smiles when he greeted you good morning. He even happily played with Hanni before placing her in her high chair. Now that you thought about it, Jungkook's mood only soured when he was checking the mailbox.

"What's wrong with you?" You couldn't help but ask. You were about to eat breakfast. Hanni's starry eyes were excitedly looking at the food you made. You didn't want to start eating while Jungkook's mood was this sour.

Jungkook was surprised that you noticed his bitter expression. He attempted to smoothen his crumpled face and said casually to you, "Nothing's wrong with me. I just find these flowers ugly."

You were so focused on Jungkook's reaction that you didn't notice the bouquet of baby breath flowers he placed on the kitchen countertop.

You winced, "Where'd you get that?"

"Outside. Someone must have left them for you." There was a small card with your name on it. Seeing the handwriting, you instantly knew who it came from.

That damn Rico sure did not know how to give up.

"Serious question, are you dating somebody?" Jungkook asked out of the blue, watching as you picked up the white flowers.

You were still wincing, "Why are you asking me this question again?"

Jungkook shrugged his shoulders to appear nonchalant. Unfortunately, he looked more like he was sulking than uncaring. "I just think it's fair for me to know. I mean, we are co-parenting Hanni. What if other people misunderstand? What if they think we have a secret baby cause we fucked around years ago? I don't want some random dude or woman punching me in the fa—"

"Okay, first of all, shut up." You cut Jungkook off. "Secondly, what the hell? You're acting weird, asshole. I'm not dating anyone. And if I am, do you really think I'll start my relationship being all dishonest? If Hanni's my child, I'd tell my partner immediately. I can't date someone who can't love me and my child. Hello? Is the world turning backward?"

"So you're single?" Jungkook disregarded your speech and only focused on one aspect. Gosh. He still hadn't changed. Jungkook would always get on your nerves. He was an idiot.

"No. I'll kill my boyfriend if he gives me baby breaths. Seriously?" You looked at the flowers in disgust. "This looks like popcorn."

"Exactly my thoughts! It's like an impostor. Why don't you throw it away?"

You glared at Jungkook and shielded the flowers, "No way. You can't throw away things just cause they're ugly. What are you? Four?"

"I'm three!" Hanni raised her right hand and giggled. She had been watching you and Jungkook converse. She found you two amusing and thought it would be cool to be a part of it.

"Yes, darling. You're three. Still a baby—our baby." You kissed Hanni's cheeks and said to Jungkook, "I'm displaying these flowers until they wither. Now sit your ass here and eat."

"Haha, Terni. Look at Jungkook-boy." Hanni chuckled and pointed at Jungkook, "He's pouting like a silly boy!"

"I'm not pouting!" Jungkook was defensive. He pursed his lips and forced himself to sit down. He harshly took bites of his avocado toast.

"Hey, you greedy fool. Is this Empress not feeding you enough? Slow down. Geez, there's more." You pushed another slice of avocado toast in his direction.

Jungkook drank his smoothie, "This is pretty decent. I didn't know you were good at this."

Well, you didn't know either. "I'll make our breakfast from now on. We can't keep feeding Hanni random foods. We should go grocery shopping, too."

"We should," Jungkook gently wiped Hanni's mouth. The kid was eating so well. "And oh, have I told you already? Kiyomi and Frieda called last night. They said they'd be visiting on Thursday. We need to prepare."

It was good that you brought up the topic of grocery shopping. Jungkook planned to buy some ingredients to cook a hearty meal for the social workers. His mind was simple: he wanted to thank Kiyomi and Frieda for attentively ensuring Hanni was in good hands.

However, you were different from Jungkook. You agreed about the meal preparation for those social workers, but not with the same logic as him. You only agreed because you wanted Kiyomi and Frieda to think you and Jungkook could handle the basic things parents must do: prepare food for their children despite being committed to work. This would allow you to appear as the perfect guardians.

"It's settled, then. I'm taking half a day off work. We can go shopping after breakfast." You worked your ass off last week, barely having the time to sleep. This week would be less hectic. Besides, this was akin to a transition period, as you wouldn't be accepting complex cases in the meantime. You would opt for clients willing to settle their matters out-of-court. As said, your top priority was Hanni and Sora's case. You trusted your team in Seoul, especially Mina. They had minds of their own. You also disliked micro-managing your subordinates.

Everything was falling into its right place. Jungkook thought so, too. A huge grin decorated his lips as he thought of how he'd prepare for tomorrow's visit. The first on Jungkook's list? Make sure the Kang' residence was tidy and homey—and what made a house homey if not flowers?

Jungkook smirked. Yes, he'd buy flowers and get rid of those stupid popcorn pretending to be pretty flowers. Hah!

***

The day of the social workers' visit had finally arrived. You and Jungkook woke up early to prepare. Hanni still needed to go to the daycare, so you dressed her and sent her to school. Fortunately, her class was until 4pm today, giving you and Jungkook ample time without worrying about the little one.

Jungkook stayed behind as he was occupied with cooking and decorating the house. He might have gone overboard with the decorations, but it was worth it once everything fell into place.

You were bitchy about it, though. You teased Jungkook by playfully asking if his motif for today's lunch was a memorial place. The Kang' residence was spotless, though it had flowers almost at every corner of the house.

Jungkook didn't engage with your poor attempt to fight and just stuck his tongue out at you. You could say everything you wanted, but he knew deep down you liked what he had done to the house.

He was wrong, though. You didn't just like it. You loved it. The flowers Jungkook bought were different colors of daisies—which, coincidentally, was your favorite type of flora. But you'd be damned before you admitted it. You knew how smug Jungkook could be when praised—just like now.

"I can't believe you've cooked this, Mr. Jeon. It's very delicious." Kiyomi was enjoying some nikujaga. You were the one who suggested that Jungkook cook this. The soy sauce had a slightly sweet taste, which was good to dip in the vegetables. Kids like Hanni would surely enjoy this meal.

"It's rare to see a man, more so a Police Lieutenant, cook," Kiyomi added. Jungkook blushed, relishing the compliment. Truthfully, he did not cook often since he still lived with his parents. Jungkook never really grew up in his "mama's boy" phase and still enjoyed the meals she cooked for him. In fact, the nikujaga recipe came from his mother. Jungkook informed the social workers about it and said, "Besides, I don't cook often. My fiancée does."

The social workers' attention switched to you upon hearing Jungkook. You cracked a smile and rubbed the back of Jungkook's hand.

Jungkook's fingers were long and bony, making anyone think that Jungkook could break one's neck in just a snap of his finger. It was probably true, especially with how arduous his training was at the police academy. Jungkook had wielded heavy weapons and smashed bottles on criminals' heads more than one could count.

However, looking and feeling were two different things. Surprisingly, Jungkook's hand felt soft under your touch. The protruding veins in the back of his hands pulsated a little, their light green color perfectly contrasting with his silver Versace wristwatch.

"Cooking is the least I can do for this family, really." You spoke, watching as Jungkook's eyes drooped when he felt your fingers languidly drawing circles on the back of his palm.

You had been cooking their meals these past few days, but that was only because Jungkook had a soft spot for Hanni. He'd indulge her sweet tooth, relenting every time Hanni requested overly sweet pancakes and candies. That wouldn't work for you. Your priority was Hanni's health.

"I work a lot, so Jungkook mainly takes care of Hanni. I just support the two of them."

"Oh? Aren't you busy with work, too, Lieutenant?" Frieda enquired. Jungkook's lips quivered, and for a second, he looked as if he wanted to divulge why he wasn't working. You saved him from his idiocy at the last minute:

"He's currently on a one-month leave." You continued tracing circles on Jungkook's hand until your action forced the social workers to look at Jungkook's hand. They spotted a fake engagement ring. You and Jungkook bought it to make your acting more convincing. "Jungkook's initially saving his leave credits for our honeymoon, but Captain Min forced him to get some time off work. This fiancé of mine is so hardworking. Can you believe it? He hasn't filed for a leave in years!"

The key to a good lie was mixing it with the truth. Admittedly, Jungkook hadn't filed for a leave for many years now. His coworkers often teased him, saying he wouldn't find a wife to marry if he focused his time working. However, Jungkook wasn't bothered anymore. He grew tired of spending his weekends going on blind dates. The girls were all pretty and nice, but he didn't feel more for them. He was stuck in the attraction phase. It was as if something was missing. Jungkook wasn't an asshole, so he cut connections with those girls so as to not give them false hope.

There was this one girl who was head over heels for him, though. The woman even brought her parents to the station to cajole Jungkook into marrying their daughter, but the parents gave up halfway because Jungkook seemed oblivious to what they wanted. It was Jimin who told Jungkook about the parents' plan, but Jungkook doubted it. He thought the girl's parents were just being nice.

"Has he not?" Frieda wondered how often you and Jungkook see each other every week if you're both busy with work. She also started asking about your first meeting with Jungkook.

"We've known each other from a very young age. We lived in the same neighborhood and studied in the same school. Though, we only started dating after college." Jungkook lied.

You and Jungkook faked this story together. You two had to make a believable scenario to avoid suspicion. You told more lies, "Yes, as you can see, we started as rivals. Cute, isn't it? Our romantic story is similar to what you see in books."

You brought out your phone and clicked an album in your photo gallery to prove your point. There were a bunch of pictures of you and Jungkook taken in the past. You showed them to the social workers.

"Wow, you've really known each other for so long!" Kiyomi was impressed. There was a photo of a drawing competition during your elementary days. It was captured by your father using an old model camera.

It was one of the worst days of your life. Jungkook was good at drawing, so he was expected to win. He got first place while you were the second placer. Naturally, you could not accept it—especially not after Jungkook mocked you by drawing himself wearing a golden medal. On his feet was a drawing of you kowtowing at him. In a fit of rage, you kicked his shin, causing him to stumble on the ground. Jungkook did not hit you back but told the teachers and your parents about it.

Your mother held a high position in school, so it was embarrassing for her to see her daughter bully kids. She scolded you and forced you to apologize to Jungkook. You did not want to do it, so you cried and kicked your feet.

Jungkook's parents were understanding. They did not get mad at you and instead told Jungkook to apologize first. It was his fault, anyway. You would not kick him if he did not make fun of you.

Since Jungkook feared his parents, especially his mother, he was left with no choice but to mumble a reluctant sorry. His apology only became sincere when he saw your red eyes. For some reason, Jungkook hated seeing you cry, and so he took off his golden medal and let you wear it.

That was the moment your father captured through a photo: Jungkook was giving you his medal while you looked expectantly at him.

Seeing this, Frieda and Kiyomi couldn't help but feel their hearts softening. They scrolled through your phone and found more pictures of you and Jungkook. All of them were taken mainly by Sora since she used to like photography.

"I now understand why you called yourselves rivals," Frieda crinkled her eyes. She found it endearing rather than annoying, "You compete about almost everything, but I gotta say this one's the most interesting."

Frieda showed a picture of you and Jungkook outside your university. You two were wearing formal clothing while protesting. You were holding a "Be fair to all your students" placard written in red bold letters. Meanwhile, Jungkook had a placard that said, "Kim Mingyu is innocent."

"We didn't know you two were activists. I know who Kim Mingyu is. He's classmates with my younger sister Historia before. Mingyu's case was pretty controversial, wasn't it?"

Kim Mingyu was one of Jungkook's best friends, so it was natural for you to be acquainted with him as well. There were many moments when the Idiot Quartet shared meals with Mingyu. In fact, Mingyu once helped you with an academic project during your freshman year.

Everything was going well until your last semester in college. Someone tipped the school officers that a student from Room 509 was possessing illegal drugs. All students present that day were brought in for investigation. Their things were confiscated, and unfortunately, the only student who had unlawful drugs inside his bag was Mingyu.

But that's the thing. Mingyu might have been possessing the drugs, but his medical records showed no signs of being under the influence of any drugs. There was one student who tested positive in the drug test, though.

It was Mingyu's seatmate. Regrettably, this person was from an affluent family in Seoul whose connection extended to Busan. It was obvious that he planted the drugs inside Mingyu's bag so Mingyu could take the fall.

Mingyu initially tried to appeal, asking his friends and classmates for support. However, no one dared help him. The real culprit was powerful, after all. They did not want to get themselves involved in stuff like this.

It was only you and Jungkook who had the courage to protest. Even Sora and the others were hesitant. They told you not to be reckless and to find another way to help Mingyu without revealing your identity.

Looking back, you realized you didn't have any right to mock Jungkook and Jongsuk for being a so-called suicidal maniac because you were just like them. You were very passionate about upholding justice until one day:

A man in a black suit visited you. You just got home after another unfruitful day of protesting in school on behalf of Mingyu. You didn't really feel like talking to anyone that day, but the man made a promising proposal:

He told you he saw your potential and was willing to fund your law school education until you graduate. Everything would be provided by this man. Starting from your tuition fee up to your personal allowance. All he asked was that you move to Seoul as soon as possible, and...

"So that's it?" Jungkook's spiteful face was clear in your head as if the memory had happened recently—except it wasn't. This was after your conversation with that man in a suit. Heck. It didn't even take you an hour to decide.

You have already made a decision.

"I'm going to Seoul next week. I don't have time to protest anymore." You said simply. Your voice carried no hint of regret or sadness.

You were just indifferent.

Jungkook scoffed at your reaction—or the lack thereof. His heart had gone cold, and there was no trace of affection left on his soul after your temporary truce for Mingyu's sake.

"Yeah, as if I'm going to believe that. You're saying it's a coincidence that the Braun clan is sponsoring your studies, right? Hah. Sorry, but I call that bullshit." For a moment, Jungkook looked like he would spit on your face, but he didn't. He just balled his hands into fists and looked at you in contempt.

"You made a deal with that family, didn't you? You'll stop protesting in exchange for a straight path they'd dig up for you and your greediness."

Jungkook usually said the most idiotic things, but you couldn't accuse him now—not when he got everything right.

In exchange for a sure success in life, you betrayed Mingyu and Jungkook.

"I've made up my mind." You said with finality. The situation had already come to this. There was no point in sugarcoating things.

Jungkook didn't say anything, the silence burrowing into your heart and growing into two different emotions:

Yours was grief, and all Jungkook felt was bitterness. That day, you parted ways and never spoke to each other again. Sure, there were times you two were forced to be in the same room—like the day of Sora's wedding and when she gave birth to Hanni.

But even then, you barely looked at each other's directions. Somehow, you always felt like Jungkook was lying when he told you recently that he never hated you—that all there was to feel was annoyance at your devilish face.

It was untrue. After all, not even yourself was on your side. Jungkook might say he didn't hate you, but you sure did.

Wasn't it funny? You had achieved your dreams, but there were still some nights you thought you could go back in time. Maybe then, Mingyu and his family wouldn't have to be sent to the most rural part of Japan.

Mingyu wasn't sent to prison, but his life had been caged while his wings were cut off. Meanwhile, Mingyu's seatmate, who had ruined his life, was free—he went by the name Rico Braun.

***

The lunch with the social workers went well. You didn't want to be complacent, but you saw Frieda encircling 5 on her rating sheet. This number represented the highest point to rate you and Jungkook.

"Shall we open a bottle of wine for this success? It's still early to pick up Hanni. What do you think?" You asked Jungkook as you picked up the dirty plates and brought them to the sink.

Cleaning up after playing host was one of the things you hated doing. It didn't help that Jungkook was giving you the cold shoulder—or at least this was what you thought.

Jungkook hadn't spoken to you since Frieda and Kiyomi left half an hour ago. Jungkook had his lips puckered, and his brows creased together. You were familiar with this reaction well.

Either he was pensive or pissed. Knowing him, it was most likely the latter. After all, you could only take a few days of not fighting. Anything more than a week would be a goddamn miracle.

"Or we can just finish our chores in silence." You raised your shoulders slightly, taking a peek at Jungkook, who was still eerily quiet.

You heaved a sigh. Fine. You wouldn't push it.

'Or maybe you should.' The little voice inside your head made a comeback, so it was only natural to listen to the voice.

You didn't attack Jungkook at once, though. Firstly, you stood beside him and 'helped' him wash the dishes. You were the one lathering soap on the plates while he washed them with clean water.

It started subtly—you whisked soap suds in his direction until they hit his forearms.

Jungkook did not mind it and just continued washing the dishes.

You rolled your eyes before doing it again. This time, you whisked soap suds into his forearm with more force.

Jungkook did not react, prompting you to whisk more until his arm was covered with soap suds.

You were about to do it again, but Jungkook had seized your treacherous wrist.

"What?" You titled your head up and stared at him innocently. Jungkook peered down at you and opened his mouth. For a moment, he seemed like he was going to berate you, but he stopped when he saw your lips curving into a teasing smile.

Jungkook felt like he lost his mind a little whenever he looked at your annoying face. How could this be? How could he be stressing over something related to you while you looked like you had no clue you were fucking him up?

It was not fair.

Jungkook pulled you closer to him, letting you have a whiff of his expensive cologne: sandalwood. Jungkook did not know it, but you were not doing better than him. Your weakness was men who smelled good, alright? You were just a girl, after all. You were attracted to things that screamed masculinity, and sandalwood was one of them. The musky and earthy aroma made you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

As if that wasn't enough, your heart also skipped a beat when he licked his lips and pushed you slightly on the kitchen countertop, effectively caging you in his arms.

Jungkook suddenly leaned closer and whispered to your ears.

"Why'd you keep them?" His voice dropped an octave.

"Keep what?"

It was a miracle that you could still look at him in the eyes and act all oblivious. It made Jungkook want to pull his hair out.

"You know what I'm talking about." He insisted. However, you were more stubborn than he was.

"I don't. Last time I checked, I'm a defense lawyer, not a mind reader."

No one said Jungkook had a good temper. He closed his eyes tightly, seemingly fighting the urge to snap at you—he did not. He just breathed out slowly and asked you the question as patiently as he could.

"Fine. Play dumb, but I won't accept a half-ass answer." He narrowed his eyes at you, "Why did you keep all our photos together?"

The photos were at least twenty years' worth of your life together. You were thirty-two now. Sometimes, it still fascinated you to remember that you had known Jungkook all your life.

"Don't speak nonsense about you being sentimental. We both know that's not the case because you can let go of everyone without thinking too much about it."

You scoffed at that. Hah. You knew it. Jungkook did hate you for leaving—he hated how you could throw away your bond with the people here in Busan just to make a name for yourself. Until now, Jungkook had some reservations about you. He racked his brain of why you would be keeping those photos.

It might mean nothing to you—that this was just one of your schemes to trick those social workers. But could you have found all those pictures in a few days? Not to mention that some were really old.

So why? Why did you keep them—even the ugly and blurred ones.

Jungkook was desperate for an answer, and he didn't know why. Sadly, you did not relent and even went as far as throwing back a question at him.

"What about you? Why did you fill this place with flowers? Daisies, on top of that."

It shouldn't mean anything. Heck. The question you asked was a shot in the dark. The better part of you knew it was simply a coincidence, but sometimes, your self-preservation didn't seem to work. You put meanings to things that didn't hold value for others.

"I asked you a question first." Jungkook dodged the bullet. He could be stubborn, too.

"Well, I'm not answering your question until you answer me."

"Ditto."

You glared at each other. Silence permeated the room. A few seconds later, you and Jungkook both turned away from each other as if accepting defeat without bruising your egos.

'Fine. I won't say anything.' He muttered to himself.

'Over my dead body.' You thought silently.

And with that, no questions were answered, but fear and hope entangled your and Jungkook's hearts.

***

Sora and Niccolo's case finally progressed to the highest court a month later. Justice could be achieved promptly when you know prominent people in the field.

Captain Yoongi and Chief Kim did everything they could to help you and Ji-eun win the case. Thanks to the prosecutor's ability, the jury's hearts were won.

Ji-eun managed to rebuke the faulty break allegations, arguing that even though the break was tampered with, the defendants were still guilty of negligence. Ji-eun's exact words before the judge went like this:

"Defendant Falco Grice, do you know how many seconds there are in a minute?"

"Yes. There are sixty seconds." Falco supplied.

"Then, how many hours do you spend studying every day?"

The question made Falco's eyes light up. Right! He liked answering questions regarding his studies because, according to Attorney Leonhart, his dedication to academic activities would prove how stressed he was in school, which resulted in him and Gabi trying throttle therapy.

The defendants couldn't retract their statements anymore as they had already been recorded by the traffic police and Captain Yoongi. Annie had no choice but to just turn things around.

If she couldn't minimize her clients' charges, she'd just shift the attention to hating the school and making them liable for giving unrealistic workloads to their students. This would surely earn the sympathy of students and parents.

Unfortunately, you and Ji-eun had read through this tactic, so you readied yourselves for a comeback.

"I studied a maximum of 18 hours a day, Mam Prosecutor, including eight schooling hours."

"So that means you spend 10 hours studying alone and taking special classes?"

"Yes, Mam." Falco did not know where Ji-eun was going with her questions, yet he answered them as truthfully as possible. He thought being sincere could help him win the people's hearts in court.

"You know what I find ironic?" Ji-eun quirked her brow. Disbelief was written all over her face as if this ordeal was absurd. "You study 18 hours a day because you are afraid to fail your classes, but are you telling me you can't spend a minute or two checking the condition of your car? If you're so scared of hJiming someone, then why did you use your car without checking it first? You claim to love studying, but how about studying your lessons during your driving schooling days? Did you forget everything just because you have your license now?"

"T-That's not it..." Falco trembled. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes. He looked at Annie, so the lawyer tried to object to Ji-eun's statement.

"Objection, Your Honor! Argumentative." Annie gritted her teeth. "Why are you badgering my client, Prosecutor Lee? Are you telling everyone in this honorable court that studying is not important? Why are you shaming my client for studying hard? Students are the future of our country! If there's something rotten here, isn't it the education system that gives unrealistic syllabus to students?"

"Objection, Your Honor!" Ji-eun fought back. The judge gave her the signal to speak. "Why are you holding other people accountable for your client's negligence? Shouldn't we also blame those driving schools if we follow your logic? The police officers? The honorable court and judges? This is not the first time someone has been charged with negligence. It happened before and is happening now. Are you telling me we should hold the people in public service accountable since the cycle keeps repeating?"

The people inside the court were scandalized by what Ji-eun said. You smirked as you watched things unfold. Things were going according to how you and Ji-eun pictured it.

The judge overruled Annie's objection. Attorney Leonhart couldn't lower the charges to manslaughter either. The court hearing was coming to an end, but before the closing remarks of both lawyers, the judge first allowed some people to take the stand.

You were one of those people with the privilege to say a few things, mainly addressed to the judge and the jury. You and Ji-eun talked about this. At first, it was to gain more sympathy, but as you take the stand, with Hanni sleeping soundly in your arms, you suddenly become vulnerable. You felt like you were back to being your teenage self—no sense of accomplishment and powerless to defend your loved ones.

You could only offer your heart.

"I stand here today not as a lawyer nor someone who will put justice in her own hands. Rather, I stand here as a friend and as a-a..." You trailed off when you heard your voice cracking.

Perhaps Ji-eun was right. You should have prepared a written speech for this moment. However, scheming was already part of your soul. You feared you'd end up writing a speech with malicious intent. You did not want that—not for Sora. Everything you would say today would come from the bottom of your heart.

"A guardian of a three-year-old child." You swallowed the lump in your throat while looking at Hanni with gentle eyes. You focused on the baby and nuzzled her nose with your pointer finger. Hanni cooed and smiled in her sleep. The jury watched silently, feeling their heartstrings being pulled.

"An average person in Japan lives until the ripe age of eighty, but my best friend Sora Kang and her husband were unfortunately robbed forty-eight years of their lives." Your lungs hurt. They felt like they were burning. You hated this. "Defendant Falco Grice and Gabi Braun stole those forty-eight years where Sora and Niccolo could have spent caring for their daughter—the same girl I have in my arms right now."

Hanni looked more obedient when asleep. No one could resist purring seeing her chubby cheeks and pouty lips. What more if they saw her ocean-blue eyes? You told Ji-eun you would not bring Hanni to the stand while awake. You refused to let her hear about the unfortunate things her parents went through.

"Sora and Niccolo won't see their daughter attend her first prom. They won't see her grow into a loving woman who's so innocent that she wants to save all the rabbits in this world." You looked at Gabi and Falco. "And why is that? The answer is in front of you. Falco Grice and Gabi Braun, claiming to be stressed because of school, aimed to relax through that thing they called throttle therapy, but because of that, two lives were lost. Their throttle therapy made them feel the cool air hit their faces, but what about Sora and Niccolo? Air was robbed of their lungs!" Your anger was palpable.

The jury's heart throbbed in pain.

"Falco and Gabi felt their hearts beat fast because of the excitement and adrenaline of overspeeding their car, but what about Sora and Niccolo? Their hearts were not beating fast—it's not beating at all."

Sometimes, you lay in tears in bed at night, wondering if your best friend and her husband died immediately—at least then, they wouldn't feel the agonizing thought of leaving their small child while feeling every bone in their body ache.

Your speech continued for a few more minutes before you ended with, "Attorney Leonhart said it herself: the youth is the hope of this country, so honorable jury, and judge, I implore you to think about your decisions carefully. A three-year-old in my arms could grow up with hope or a bad image of the world where injustice is fostered. In the end, the choice is yours."

Silence enveloped the courtroom. You went back beside Jungkook, who wrapped his arms around your shoulder and pulled you closer to him. Hanni was passed to Taehyung for a while. The poor boy needed someone to hold, too.

A while later, the decision was made. You, Jungkook, and the others listened in anticipation as the jury's foreperson announced the verdict.

Both Falco and Gabbi were found guilty of reckless imprudence, resulting in multiple homicides. As the driver, Falco got seven years in prison and was ordered to pay ten million won. Meanwhile, Gabi needed to serve two years in prison for influencing Falco and was ordered to pay five million won. Both their cases were nonbailable.

"So ordered!" Your squared shoulders slumped when you heard this, followed by the absolute sound of the gavel. Jungkook visibly relaxed beside you, too. He squeezed your shoulder once before rubbing it and kissing your temple.

It was a surreal moment. The warmth of his lips made your body soft. You leaned to him and buried your face to his chest. Jungkook caressed your hair, not minding at all that his suit was stained by your tears.

They were happy tears. Finally, justice was served.

***

The end of the month not only concluded Sora's case but also marked the end of Jungkook's suspension at work.

It was a relief, really. Jungkook staying at home might be helpful since you didn't have to hire a babysitter anymore, but goddamn, did it not make your life easier. In fact, it made you feel like you were living in hell.

Hell was said to be hot, which you felt precisely every morning. One thing you learned about Jungkook was that he couldn't go on his day without working out. Jungkook recently found the convenience of exercising at home, which turned out to be the start of your life in hell.

Every morning, he'd go to the house's garden to do some pull-ups, planks, squats, and other workout moves. There didn't seem to be any problem with this, right?

Wrong.

Jungkook's workout routine distracted you from working. Unfortunately, your temporary office was at the Kang' residence, too. You made the mistake of putting your table near the floor-length window where you'd have a clear view of the garden. Your intention in doing so was to calm your tense mind by looking at the greeneries. But instead, what you saw was Jungkook grunting; his lips puckered as sweat rolled down his body.

You willed yourself to ignore him, but your clients did not make doing so easy. Admittedly, most of your clients would space out during the consultation as they were busy salivating over Jungkook working out. Sometimes, you'd be forced to draw on the curtains, but this was proven inefficient since your office would be so dark that you couldn't read the files on your table.

Thankfully, the worst had come to an end. Jungkook's going back to work. Conversely, you did not open your office today, saving you the mouth-drying experience of seeing Jungkook exercise.

However, fate refused to be on your side while the heavens liked seeing your knees turn into jellies. You didn't see Jungkook during his workout session, but you saw him post-workout.

You had just woken up and were feeling a bit thirsty, so you went to the kitchen without regard to your appearance. Your hair was a mess, and gunk stuck in your eyes, causing you to rub it off.

You yawned while waiting for your water to boil. Unexpectedly, Jungkook emerged in front of you.

"Mornin." He flashed a lazy smile at you. His slightly out-of-breath tone from working out all morning snapped you out of your sleep-like trance.

"Damn it." You were almost burnt by the water. Jungkook's eyes widened, immediately pulling your hand away from the kettle.

"What's up, sleepyhead?" Jungkook teased before blowing hot air on your slightly red hands. "Water's overflowing. Did you forget how to use a kettle, hm?"

You had filled the kettle with water beyond the maximum point. Not to mention that you had also switched on the fire to the highest temperature.

You couldn't argue with Jungkook. This was indeed your fault. You were careless.

"Sorry," you tried to make your voice as flat as possible while subtly wriggling out of his grasp. Jungkook noticed your avoidance, so he let you go at once.

Right. He was all sweaty. Of course, you'd be disgusted by his touch. However, this was far from the truth. You were simply caught off guard by his presence and how he looked.

Jungkook was wearing a black compression shirt and baggy grey training pants. His usual silver wristwatch was replaced by a smartwatch.

He looked...hot. You couldn't deny this, and for some reason, your temples throbbed, giving you an illusion that someone's soft lips were caressing it.

Fuck.

You should definitely check your period tracker. You were probably ovulating a little earlier this month.

You weren't the only one having dilemmas with your body. Jungkook watched as you clumsily poured yourself water and drank it. You looked disoriented, and that shouldn't be a good sign. But oddly enough, Jungkook liked seeing you like this—your guard was not up, and you were uncaring about how you looked.

You're just being you.

Jungkook was unaware that his smartwatch had detected his heartbeat. It flashed red warning lights, indicating that his heartbeat was abnormally fast.

Jungkook cleared his throat. You looked at him.

"I'm going back to work today. Thanks for making breakfast for me these few weeks, but you don't have to anymore. Captain Yoongi always brings us food."

Jungkook was seriously grateful for your efforts. Besides, your food was very savory. Jungkook just didn't want to burden you further. You barely had time for yourself since you were busy attending to Hanni and your work.

Frankly, Jungkook did not expect you to be this caring. He guessed he had this notion of you pouring your efforts just for money and power. He was not proud of this, alright?

"Oh," you blinked, "But I've already prepared your breakfast last night." You made some veggie-packed breakfast sandwiches and overnight oats. Actually, you asked Jungkook's mother for some breakfast recipes. She gladly talked to you over the phone but said she'd love to see you in person, too. The Jeon residence had a huge garden where you could pick up fruits and vegetables. That would be fun.

"I'm not going to cook tonight, though. Taehyung invited us to dinner." Your friend made a reservation in a fancy restaurant to mark the win of Sora and Niccolo's case. Taehyung wanted to thank everyone, especially you and Ji-eun, for pushing through.

"Oh, right. It's tonight." Jungkook asked how the three of you would go to the restaurant. You told him you had business near the police station later, so you could drop by there. Afterward, you and Jungkook could pick up Hanni from the daycare before driving to the restaurant.

Jungkook agreed with your plan. After that, your day had been pretty much the same. Thankfully, your client for today was easy to talk to and just agreed to whatever you suggested. He said you were the expert, not him. As a result, your meeting with the client ended thirty minutes earlier. You thought it was a waste to drive back home, so you just went to the police station to hang out.

Everyone was having a feast. Apparently, a good citizen brought food for the police officers as a 'thank you' for saving her life. It was a woman in her early thirties. You heard people calling her Pieck. She had a soft smile on her lips as she urged the officers to eat.

Jungkook saw you the moment you stepped foot inside the station. Unfortunately, he couldn't attend to you as he was the star of this joyous event. You simply waved at him and mouthed, "I can wait."

Jungkook smiled and nodded before turning his attention to Pieck and his comrades.

You watched them for a while, feeling your chest wJiming at the thought of people praising Jungkook. He deserved it. You hadn't met anyone aside from Jongsuk Lee, who was as passionate about freeing people from the hands of criminals.

Your soft heart even turned softer when an older woman stood beside you and told you to eat some food. She introduced herself as the mother of Pieck Finger.

"Lieutenant Jeon is indeed a hero," You couldn't say no when Mrs. Finger shoved desserts in your hands. You ate them. "You know him, don't you? He saved my Pieck from a group of drunkards trying to assault her."

The incident happened just a few days before Sora's accident. Pieck didn't have the opportunity to express her gratitude to Jungkook because the first time they went to visit the police station, Pieck's parents overwhelmed Jungkook with the intention of marrying off their daughter to him.

Pieck's parents wanted Jungkook to be their son-in-law, someone who wasn't armed but wouldn't hesitate to fight a group of evil men. Mrs. Finger told you that Jungkook was in a bar that night. He was off-duty, so he didn't bother bringing his gun. Jungkook just used beer bottles to smash the heads of the pricks who dared lay a hand on Pieck.

Sadly, Pieck didn't get away unscathed. The men had broken her leg even before Jungkook came to save her. Actually, Pieck was wearing a leg cast until now. She still had a week to go before completely removing it.

Pieck had a hard time standing and walking. Jungkook wasn't heartless to watch her struggle, so he held her shoulders and guided her while handing food to the officers.

You and Mrs. Finger watched them. The latter snuck a glance at you, her lips curving into a smirk.

"Don't you think Lieutenant Jeon and my daughter look good together?"

Oh?

You didn't switch your gaze at the old woman and instead remained watching Jungkook and Pieck. You tried to picture them together, but you just couldn't do so.

"I don't think so," you replied to Mrs. Finger truthfully. She scoffed and furrowed her brows. She looked like she aged 10 more years after hearing your blatant disrespect.

You shrugged off your shoulders and casually showed her your right hand adorned with an engagement ring. "I think Lieutenant Jeon and I look better together."

If you thought Mrs. Finger would backtrack her statement just because you and Jungkook were 'engaged,' then you were wrong.

She eyed you from head to toe before looking at her precious daughter. You were nothingcompared to Pieck.

"My daughter is a teacher." Mrs. Finger crossed her arms, "She knows how to take care of a small child, so it won't be hard for her to be the perfect wife for Lieutenant Jeon. Unlike you..." She looked at the way you dressed. Too classy. You seemed high-maintenance. It would be a waste if Jungkook used his salary coming from the people's taxes to support you.

"You're still a woman, so I think you won't have a hard time looking for a husband, but you and Lieutenant Jeon don't match. Just Look at him..." Mrs. Finger urged you to look at Jungkook and Pieck. "Look at the way he treats my daughter. He thinks she's a delicate flower."

Her description made you cackle. You couldn't help it. This old woman was both funny and pathetic.

"Genuine question: do you think Jungkook 'perfectly' matches your daughter just because he treats her like a human being?"

Your concerned face didn't look fake. But instead of finding it endearing, Mrs. Finger thought you were mocking her.

"And what do you mean by that?" Mrs. Finger got all defensive.

You heaved a sigh, "I just think it's sad that you are forcing an already committed man to your gorgeous daughter." You were telling the truth. Pieck was a catch. "And you're doing all this just because he treats her kindly. It makes me wonder what kind of men you and your daughter surround yourselves with—seeing that you become all desperate for the bare minimum."

"You—!!" Mrs. Finger was speechless. Her face was red because of humiliation.

You were not trying to embarrass her, though. You pitied her. Admittedly, if what you and Jungkook had was real, you didn't think you'd be jealous of how he treated Pieck. You were actually going to question his behavior if he wasn't treating her like this.

You didn't want to date a man who was only good to you.

"You said your daughter is a teacher, right? I hope she doesn't teach kids that something normal must be rewarded with God-like treatment. Because if that's the case, your standards in people, especially men, are on the floor."

Mrs. Finger was about to say something, but she saw Jungkook jogging in your direction.

"Hey," Jungkook greeted you, a sweet smile was plastered on his lips. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you ready to go?"

"Mn. Mrs. Finger and I were just idly chatting,"

Jungkook was so focused on you that he didn't notice the old woman beside you. He bowed at her, thanking her for helping Pieck cook the food for today.

"But you barely ate, Lieutenant." Mrs. Finger subtly complained. Her brows were knitted together. She hadn't calmed down from her rage yet. She wished she could pull your hair for being too arrogant.

"Ah, sorry," Jungkook smiled sheepishly. "I've eaten a lot earlier at lunch. My fiancée packed me a bento box. You've met her, right?"

Jungkook introduced you and Mrs. Finger more formally this time. The old man was forced to shake your hands before bidding you goodbye.

"We have to go. We'll see you later, Mrs. Finger." Jungkook's hand snaked above your waist but below your breast. This hold was way more intimate than handholding or grabbing someone's shoulder to help them walk.

Mrs. Finger gritted her teeth and glared, resenting you for naturally getting this treatment from Jungkook.

You just smirked at her and walked away.

"By the way, shithead," you called Jungkook when you two were out of the station.

"What?" Jungkook was carried away from pretending. He'd been bragging about you to his comrades and Pieck all afternoon.

"I didn't make your bento for lunch. I just bought it." You did not have time to cook it yourself.

Jungkook stopped walking. You thought he'd mock you, but he shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Doesn't matter. You still thought of me when you bought it."

Now, it was your turn to be stunned. You furrowed your brow at Jungkook, wanting to ask what he meant, but were afraid of hearing the answer.

Like usual, you let it go, refusing to hear it from him.

There was another chance for the truth—just not today.

***

Dinner with Taehyung and the others went well. You continued pretending to have a romantic relationship with Jungkook in front of them. Admittedly, telling them and acting weren't that difficult. You still remember how they reacted when you told them about you and Jungkook a month ago.

The conversation with Yoongi and Namjoon went like this:

"Chief, Captain, I am getting married with her." Jungkook intertwined your fingers together. You'd like to think you were a good actress, so you did not understand why the news did not shock the two men.

Namjoon merely raised his brow and said, "Is this your way of asking us to sponsor your wedding?" The chief thought it would be possible. Jungkook was one of his own. He and Yoongi started saving money for their boys when Jongsuk got married.

"No, no. I mean..." Jungkook scratched the back of his head. His plan didn't go as far as asking his bosses to sponsor his fake wedding. "I just wanna tell you that I'm engaged. You know, just in case someone asks you. We've been together for a while now."

"We know." Namjoon was confused. He looked at Yoongi, who was busy drinking tea. The captain didn't look bothered. "Yoongi, didn’t you tell me before that these two are dating?"

"Huh?" You and Jungkook were perplexed. Did Yoongi come from an alternate universe? Or did he hit his head? Because there was no way either you or Jungkook told Yoongi you were dating.

"Aren't you brats dating since you were 10 years old? The other kids complained about you two flirting during missions." Yoongi said in a flat tone.

You and Jungkook looked at each other. With tacit understanding, you decided not to refute the captain's belief. After all, the sole purpose of this conversation was to make them believe you and Jungkook had a thing. Oh well.

The second person you and Jungkook talked to was Ji-eun. Unlike Yoongi and Namjoon, prosecutor Lee was not easy to fool.

"You're pretending to be dating to get Hanni under your custody, right?" Not just that. She even exposed your lies. As expected of a great lawyer.

You looked at Ji-eun proudly, "So...? Can we trust you to keep this to yourself?"

"Of course." Ji-eun did not hesitate. "You have the attorney-client privilege."

With that, your conversation with Ji-eun ended. You also asked her to relay the news to Jongsuk and Jimin to save time. You and Jungkook were conserving your energy because you thought explaining your situation to Taehyung would be difficult.

Taehyung, your dumbass of a friend.

To your surprise, you didn't have to waste your brain cells trying to make sense of the setup you had with Jungkook. All Taehyung needed to hear was the word marry and he was already pulling you and Jungkook to Sora's grave.

You asked Taehyung why.

"Are you kidding? I owe Sora 3,000 won now. We've made a bet before. She told me you and Jungkook would be engaged in your early thirties. I guess it's my fault for thinking you're gonna drag it until you're in your forties. But you can't blame a guy, can you? You're both stubborn."

With the lies perfectly set, pretending came easy. No one batted an eye with how 'lovey-dovey' you and Jungkook were. The dinner was fun, though the children made it a little chaotic. You did not mind since you were learning to live in the presence of screaming children. Honestly, you admired Ji-eun for keeping a straight face while her kids go crazy. She was pretty chill. Jongsuk was the one tasked to calm the kids.

Speaking of kids, you were worried after talking to Hanni's teacher. She said the daycare had arranged a family trip for their students. You and Jungkook had to accompany Hanni to this event. From what you heard, the parents and their kids needed matching costumes. There would be games that would teach the little ones the importance of family values.

Fortunately, the event fell on the weekend, so you and Jungkook did not have to worry about work. These past weeks, you were learning to take things slow and enjoy life's little moments. You had to remind yourself that you were not running out of time. You did not have to constantly take on many cases to prove to everyone that you were a good lawyer.

"Don't stress yourself too much with our costume, okay? I already have it figured out." Jungkook assured you one evening. The trip was tomorrow. How could you not overthink? You still hadn't seen the costume in person.

"Would you just tell me what you bought for us? I don't trust you."

"Why not?" Jungkook was sulking. "I've thought about it carefully."

"You don't know my size, dumbass." You were going to kill him if he bought something inappropriate or too small for you.

Jungkook's lips curved up. He looked at you from head to toe and said, "Nah. I got it right."

Your knee-jerk reaction was to cover your chest. Jungkook scoffed and told you he was not a pervert.

You didn't care about what he said, especially when the day of the trip finally came. Hanni's teacher came bearing bad news. You thought you had lost your mind when she told you that you, Jungkook, and Hanni were staying in the same room and bed.

This setup was supposed to make the children feel closer to their parents. After all, not everyone had the luxury of spending time with their kids—daycare was even established because the parents were too busy to look after their children.

Hanni was delighted to be spending the night with you and Jungkook. Unfortunately, she recognized the deep frown on your face. She knew you were not happy about this.

"Terni, don't you want to sleep with me and Jungkook-boy?" Hanni's mood plummeted, making your heart drop. You didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Of course not, sweetheart. It’s just that..." You tongued the inside of your cheek, not knowing what to say. "Jungkook-boy and I can't sleep in the same bed."

"Why not?" Hanni folded her little arms across her chest. You did not speak, so she turned to Jungkook. Sadly, Jungkook wasn't sure what to say either. He was as surprised as you were. He just scratched the back of his neck—this was one of his bad habits every time he was lost.

You sighed, knowing you had to explain things yourself.

"Because Jungkook-boy and I aren't like your mummy and daddy."

"You're not!?" Hanni was shocked. She wrinkled her forehead. "But you said you'll take care of me for a hundred years! Isn't that the job of a mummy and daddy?"

You were running out of excuses. Besides, you couldn't tell Hanni the whole thing. Frieda and Kiyomi were not yet done with their deliberations. You couldn't expose yourselves early on.

"I'll just sleep on the floor," Jungkook said sheepishly. Frankly speaking, he was embarrassed. He was the one who attended the meeting regarding this trip. Jungkook knew you two would stay in the same room, but in his defense, he thought there were two separate beds. Jungkook would disagree if he had known there was only one bed. He would not take advantage of you like that. He wouldn't do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable, either.

"Or I'll just book another room. Don't worry about it." Jungkook stood up and gathered his things. He was halfway through the door when you stopped him.

"You can stay," you swallowed thickly. Jungkook's eyes lit up, but he still did not know what to say. "No need to book another room. The teacher and the other parents might get the wrong idea. We can't show them we're not happy we're staying together."

"Then I'll just sleep on the floor." Jungkook offered genuinely. He wasn't trying to sound like a sad boy, yet that was the vibe Hanni got from him.

Hanni's little shoulders sagged, "But Jungkook-boy, the floor will hurt your back!" For a three-year-old, Hanni sure knew a lot. You guessed this happened when your mom was Sora Kang—the girl who loved potatoes so much but was willing to break them in half and give them to a random stranger with a growling stomach.

"We can sleep in the same bed, alright?" You rolled your eyes to hide your nervousness, "This sounds awful, but Hanni will 'sort of' be our divider. She sleeps in the middle. I will kick your ass if you snore."

Jungkook nodded his head obediently. He was happy he wouldn't have to deal with a stiff neck and a sore back.

"And shower first! I don't like stinky men in my bed!"

Jungkook and Hanni followed your instructions before getting into bed. Both of them realized how much of a clean freak you were. However, you still find sleeping hard despite adhering to all pre-sleeping routines.

You glanced at the wall clock. It was past one in the morning already. Jungkook and Hanni were sound asleep beside you.

You don't usually find it difficult to sleep in a new place. In fact, you were used to it since your job required you to meet your clients all over Japan. The hotel room the daycare had booked for tonight was pretty decent, too.

The air conditioner worked well, and the duvet was clean and soft.

Damn it. You slightly tossed and turned, desperately looking for the perfect sleeping position. In the end, nothing worked.

It was quarter to three in the morning. You released a defeated sigh, resigning to insomnia, and were just about to play with your phone when Jungkook suddenly spoke.

"Can't sleep?"

Goosebumps pricked at your skin because of how raspy his voice was. You turned to face him, about to apologize because you thought you'd accidentally woken him up by tossing and turning. However, you were shocked when he handed you the only pillow he was using.

"What's this?" You asked dumbly.

Jungkook rolled his eyes lazily. "Oh, come on. You know it's a pillow. Just accept it, alright? We both know you can't fall asleep with just one pillow."

Oh.

He remembered that?

Jungkook seemed to have read your mind. He breathed out and pillowed his arm. His gaze was on the white ceiling as if reminiscing.

"I can't forget even if I want to. All my memories of our camping days with Captain Yoongi are just you complaining that you can't sleep."

So that was it. Captain Yoongi used to arrange many camping trips before. He did not separate the sleeping quarters of girls and boys. He always said, "Accidents and disasters can happen anytime. You can't choose who you're with when that happens, so learn to suck it up and deal with the situation with both your friends and enemies."

What Captain Yoongi said made sense. Jungkook learned how to be more patient as he spent the camping days calming himself despite your whiny ass.

"Hey, he made us sleep with a single pillow, okay? My neck hurts." You accepted Jungkook's pillow and tried to lower your voice so as not to wake Hanni. The kid knew how to throw a fit when disturbed. "Thanks."

Jungkook hummed and closed his eyes. You looked at his sleeping figure, feeling your heart flutter. Jungkook had long lashes. From your angle, you could also see his Adam's apple bobbing and his broad chest heaving. You suddenly wondered what laying your head against his chest would be like. Was it warm? Did his heart beat slowly? Or fast? Would it calm you down? Would its sound finally make you doze off?

There were so many questions swimming in your head. Unfortunately, you still couldn't sleep despite exhausting your mind. You tried clamping your eyes tighter, but it was useless.

You didn't remember drinking coffee earlier. What about milk? Should you try downing a glass of milk to help you sleep? Perhaps counting sheep would help. Or maybe you were just craving physical touch.

Right.

Your eyelashes fluttered when you suddenly felt Jungkook wrapping his hand around your thumb. He started stroking your fingers.

Your breath caught in your throat—

"Sleep." He whispered gently, "You are safe here."

—And then your breathing evened as he continued caressing your finger. His actions and words seemed to be the potion your mind was looking for because you really did fall asleep a few minutes later.

The following day, you were awakened by the alarm and a little monkey climbing your leg.

"Terni, wake up!" The monkey was shaking your leg and hips. "Please! Please wake up! It's family day today!"

"No. I wanna sleep!" You cried begrudgingly. Why must a little monkey and an annoying alarm disturb your sleep?

Have they no conscience? This was your first time sleeping peacefully, so you tried kicking the monkey at your feet and hugged your pillow tighter.

This pillow was pretty good. It was warm and sturdy. It even smelled like fresh air and a bit loamy.

Good. You thought you could stay in this position forever as you rubbed your cheek in the pillow.

"I'm starting to think you're not actually sleeping and are just taking advantage of me." The pillow talked, forcing you to stop pinching the pillow and open your eyes.

The world seemed to stop when you were met with Jungkook's lukewarm gaze.

"Is your pillow soft and warm, Empress?" Jungkook quirked a brow, his lips curving into a teasing smile.

You gasped. All this time, you were pinching and caressing Jungkook's biceps, not a pillow! Your head was comfortably leaning on his chest, too.

Scandalous! This was all too scandalous! How dare you wrap your legs around his hipbone. And Hanni! Hanni was still latching on your leg while playing with the hem of your nightdress.

To make things worse, Jungkook chuckled lowly in your red ear and said, "Who's the pervert now?"

No!!!!!! This was your last straw. You pulled Hanni away from your leg and immediately got up from the bed to sprint and lock yourself in the bathroom.

Damn it. This day was not how your morning should've started!

***

You did not have a crush on Jungkook— this was what you kept telling yourself while stuck in the bathroom.

It did not matter that all you could think about was him as you bathed. Or how you couldn't stop seeing the image of him standing behind you to gather your hair in one place so you could brush your teeth better.

You ignored the fluttering of your heart as you thought about how good he had been to you the past weeks, of how attentive he was to your needs. You thought it wasn't a big deal how he gave you the only pillow he had for the night, or how he held you in the police station, or how he decorated the house with daisies every day—yes. Jungkook's madness with flowers never stopped ever since Kiyomi and Frieda's visit. He also habitually checked the mailbox first thing in the morning. You pretended not to understand why, but you knew he was checking if baby breaths were on the doorstep.

There were also times when you went home late because of work. Jungkook would then stand outside the Kang' residence, pretending to enjoy the night stars, but he was just waiting for you to come home.

You brushed off how much you appreciated his jokes, how he distracted you from the pain of losing your best friend, and how he took care of Hanni when he saw you were overwhelmed with everything. Nothing mattered to you because you were not in love—you didn't have a crush on Jungkook.

'Keep telling yourself that,' The voice inside your head betrayed you, yet you stood your ground and ignored the seed of feelings that had long since bloomed into colorful flora.

You were annoyed during the family trip. Not only were you being pestered by your damn feelings, but you were also tormented by how ridiculous you looked.

"Terni, come on. We're late!" Hanni banged her little fists on the hotel room's door. She and Jungkook had been waiting for you to come out for quite some time now.

"Go on without me! I'm not going out there!" You hissed, itching to remove your pink gloves.

"Oh, come on." You heard Jungkook's voice. He also banged the door. "The ceremony is about to start. Let's just go, please?"

You did not open the door as an acquiesce to Jungkook's soft plea. You only showed yourself to them so you could hit Jungkook in the face.

"This is your fault!"

Jungkook let you hit him. He simply chuckled at how cute you looked.

"What are you sulking for? It's not so bad!" Jungkook playfully pulled at your fake whiskers.

You hit him again. "What do you mean it's not so bad! I look stupid!"

Jungkook really exceeded your worst expectations. Who would have thought he'd buy matching rabbit costumes for the three of you? You swore to kill him if he bought something inappropriate, but honestly, you felt a slutty rabbit costume would be better than the rabbit onesie he chose. To make it worse, Jungkook purchased the pink one for you. He had the blue one, while Hanni wore a pastel purple—it was obviously the result of combining the colors pink and blue.

Now, the three of you looked like a happy family. It would have been fine if Jungkook chose a royal or superhero costume. But a rabbit? Seriously?

“Those are overrated,” Jungkook told you this when you complained about not having a Wonder Woman costume. Truthfully, you had seen two families near your hotel room wearing DC superhero costumes.

“Let’s take a picture together. I’ll send it to Kiyomi and Frieda.” Jungkook carried Hanni into his arms and pulled you closer to him. He brought out a camera and took a photo of the three of you.

You couldn’t complain after that since the two dragged you out to participate in today’s activities. Soon enough, your embarrassment did not matter as your competitive side resurfaced to shit on everyone.

It started off fun. Some parents and kids praised you and Jungkook for taking the games seriously. But things started going downhill during the segment called Family Trivia. Your family was leading by ten points, which didn’t hinder you from scoring more.

Old habits indeed died hard. You felt like you were in school again, feeling the thrill of answering rounds of questions. You lost your mind whenever another team answered the question first.

“The word family is derived from the word famulus!”

Hanni’s teacher was about to give the other family a point for scoring, but you pressed the buzzer to complain. The teacher looked at you in defeat, wanting to ignore you but couldn’t.

“Her answer is incomplete!” You argued. You were quite embarrassing, really. You reviewed the questions and games the teacher gave each family more than thrice. This was where you focused your energy; that was why you couldn’t check the trip itinerary and didn’t see you and Jungkook were sharing one bed.

“The word famulus is Latin. It means servant. Say, teacher, give us the point, not to them!”

The teacher looked apologetically at the family that was robbed of point. She couldn’t argue with you since the rules said the answers must be complete.

The other families stared at you contemptuously, but you didn’t mind since Hanni and Jungkook were cheering you on. Jungkook had also never grown out of his competitive phase. His heart swelled with pride as he raised his hand to give you a high-five.

The participants for the next game were the father and his child. Hanni would help Jungkook build a tent. It took the other families twenty minutes to set up their tents, but Jungkook and Hanni did it in less than 10 minutes—this was kudos to Jungkook’s training at the police academy and years of practice doing it during your camping days with Captain Yoongi.

None of the families wanted to talk to you by the end of the games. They thought you ruined the fun for their children. Some kids even scoffed at Hanni, leaving your poor goddaughter crying.

Your heart ached to see Hanni sad. You couldn’t help but blame yourself for taking things this far. It was your competitiveness that ruined Hanni’s reputation at the daycare. Needless to say, Jungkook rubbed yours and Hanni’s back, telling the two of you that you’d win back their hearts before the night's end.

However, you didn’t seem to have a chance to do that when rain suddenly started pouring. You were currently at the top of the mountain. The hike down wasn’t too far, but the ground would be slippery. It was already getting dark. The plan was to sleep in the tent the fathers and children set up earlier, but that didn’t seem viable now.

“We’d like to apologize for this unforeseen event.” Hanni’s teacher was apologetic. It was their mistake for not checking the weather forecast more clearly. “Let’s just wait for the rain to stop; then, we can all hike and sleep in the hotel instead. Don’t worry. The daycare will shoulder all expenses.”

The teacher’s statement did not pacify the parents, as their children started whining and throwing a fit because of the lightning and thunder. Hanni was the only well-behaved child—kudos to Jungkook for sitting with Hanni back at home and educating her about navigating rainy days.

“It’s okay, Jungkook-boy. I’m not scared.” Hanni assured Jungkook. Your heart recoiled with joy seeing them like this. The feelings you had been hiding since morning threatened to resurface again. This time, you were utterly defenseless and were left with no choice but to step back and let the arrow pierce your delicate heart.

Jungkook was a good guardian—a better father than most men you knew. Any woman would be lucky to have him father her children.

You looked around. Most fathers did not know what to do when faced with their crying child. Some tried to subtly scold the little kids for acting up. The others did not bother to hide that they were pinching the kid’s arms to get them to calm down. The mothers were feeling distressed, too.

You abruptly stood up. Hanni was sitting on Jungkook’s lap. Both of them met your gaze and asked where you were going.

“I’ll talk to the teacher. Just give me a minute.” You did not wait for their response and just headed in front. The teacher was having a hard time calming down the kids. You signaled that you wanted to talk, so she nodded and found a quiet place for you to converse.

Several seconds later, you stood before the parents and the students while holding a guitar. Hanni’s teacher borrowed this instrument from one of the families cosplaying as a family of performers.

“Hello, everyone ~” you greeted them. Only a few spared you a glance as they were still busy pacifying their crying kids. You proceeded with your mini-speech and told them you’d be singing a song.

“Kids, you need to listen to the song, alright? Don’t think about the thunder. Just focus on the melody." Then you strummed the guitar strings. Along with it was the light tugging of your heartstrings. Music, particularly singing, was your passion. It was your escape whenever things started getting overwhelming.

Soon enough, the thunder was overpowered by your singing voice. Call it a miracle or just pure talent, but your melodious voice caused peace to seep through everyone’s heart.

You were singing You’ll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins. You were both excellent singers, but something in your voice made you stand out more. Perhaps it was because of how painfully raw your voice was—when you sang, you didn’t just sing with your mouth. You sang with your heart.

You created your own version of the original song that no one could recreate, not even the most prominent voice impersonator. Your voice was like kisses and candles and warm hugs. You were like the last bit of sunlight before the raging storm. And when the storm was over, you were the rainbow—the colorful hues that told people there was hope.

The children stopped crying. Jungkook was the first to stand up and clap his hands like his life depended on it. The other followed suit; whistles and laughter echoed the place.

A little while later, the rain finally stopped, and Jungkook’s claim turned out to be correct:

You’d won the people’s hearts before the night ended.

***

The path going down the mountain would take ten minutes or so. It was also a straight and smooth trail, so the kids wouldn't find walking difficult. However, the adults didn't have the heart to let these three-year-old children walk. Luckily, there were mountain wagons they could ride.

Hanni was hanging out with her friends again. Your singing voice really warmed them up. They thought Hanni was pretty cool for having a guardian whose voice was as good as Elsa from Frozen and other Disney princesses.

"Does this mean you're demoted to being just a princess, Empress?" Jungkook teased you on the way back to the hotel. You two were walking beside each other.

The teacher, parents, and other officials guided all the kids in the wagon. Jungkook decided to walk at the back of the group, his police lieutenant personality kicking in. He wanted to make sure no one was left behind.

You figured you'd just accompany him as you didn't want to converse with other parents. Besides, they were busy looking after the wagons.

"Shut up, you lowly subject. This empress felt happy, so I thought, why not appease my people?" You shot back at Jungkook. He laughed at your poor attempt to talk like a royalty. It was funny, considering you were still in your rabbit costume.

Jungkook encircled his hands on your waist and pulled you near him, ensuring you didn't hit any trees. He hummed, "I haven't heard you sing in years."

Of course, he had not. Law school and your life in general fucked you up so badly. You had experienced failure after failure to the point that you questioned yourself—starting from the things that defined you to the things you loved and hated.

You wondered if you would ever amount to more. Failures took such a great toll on you that even the thing you loved the most didn't feel fulfilling anymore. There was a point in your life where you thought you didn't have the right to make music—that it should be reserved for people who were good at it and not someone like you who just loved it.

"That's cause I haven't sung in years." You admitted.

Jungkook cast his gaze on the ground. His heart was uneasy, wanting to ask you a question, but he wasn't sure if he had the right to.

"Last time I sang was when I was with you."

Your voice was barely above a whisper, yet Jungkook still heard it. He paused. Then he looked at you intently.

You weren't lying. Years ago, you were passionate about music. You even composed your own songs. Sora and Taehyung used to listen to your work all the time, but those two were easily distracted and would just tell you, "It's good." Of course, you still appreciated it.

However, you seemed to be looking for something more. You thought of Jungkook at that time. He was down and feeling edgy the past weeks. It was because his mother got into an accident and ended up needing leg surgery.

Jungkook barely ate, worrying about his mother to the point of insanity. You couldn't take it anymore, so you once went to him with a guitar.

"I'm not in the mood to fight with you," Jungkook warned. There were no biting remarks in his tone, just pure exhaustion. The fire in his eyes was extinguished, too.

You rolled your eyes and sighed.

"I'm not here to fight. I just need you to listen to me sing."

"Huh?" Jungkook flinched. He was clearly perplexed about what you said. Did you seriously want to sing in front of him? Were you sick? You never liked to sing whenever Jungkook was around. You said he ruined your mood, so what changed now?

"It's just that..." You trailed off and copied his habit of scratching the back of his neck. It was a good thing you could immediately think of an excuse, "You're my rival. Rivals talk shit a lot about each other, right? I'm joining a singing competition soon. I want you to hear it first, and then you can criticize me all you want. I need to hear them."

Jungkook was not convinced, but he let you be. After all, it was easier to listen to your angelic voice rather than fight you.

You sang your own composition. It was not a love or a heartbreak song. Jungkook sat there dazed, wondering why his heart unexpectedly felt light as you sang words of encouragement—it was as if you were telling him that the huge storm would pass, and all that would be left was a mother's loving embrace.

Jungkook felt tears filling his eyes. He blinked and wiped them before you could see.

"How was it?" You put down your guitar. A gracious smile was plastered on your lips.

It's stupid. I hate it. Don't sing again. These were the words Jungkook wanted to say because these were what you were expecting. But Jungkook was not a liar and was always vocal about his feelings. The first time he met Ji-eun, he did not hesitate to tell her she had pretty hair.

"Thank you," Jungkook ended up telling you. His voice was unbelievably soft that your heart couldn't help but melt. "It was beautiful." You were beautiful.

It sure was. Jungkook did not know what else to say, but it was okay. Later that day and the following days, Jungkook was back to his old self.

He could eat and smile again.

He then asked about the singing competition, but you shrugged and said, "Nah. I don't want to join anymore."

Only a few years later did Jungkook realize that there was no singing competition in the first place.

Jungkook's eyes drooped. You were already in Seoul when he found out about it. Sometimes, he entertained the idea of confronting you about it. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it, but Jungkook just caught your wrist instead of asking you about it.

"Hm?" You stared at him innocently. He stopped walking, and so did you.

"Would you..." Jungkook swallowed hard and licked his lower lip. He felt his heart stuttering.

Your eyes were glistening despite the lack of a moon in the sky.

"Would you...sing a song for me again?"

There was a pregnant pause in the air. You blinked at Jungkook, and for a moment, Jungkook thought you would say no. But then you gently cleared your throat and nodded.

"Let's walk." You pulled him and started descending the mountain. You two were keeping a good distance from the group of people. From here, you could see Hanni laughing heartily with her classmates.

The wind blew, hugging you and Jungkook with its coldness.

"All I knew this morning when I woke, is I know something now, know something now I didn't before~"

When Jungkook asked you to sing, your mind instantly went into autopilot and sang whatever your heart told you.

Everything Has Changed—the song title was exactly what you felt for Jungkook. Wasn't it funny? You went to Busan for your dead best friend.

Sometimes, you felt guilty you were not mourning her enough—that Sora was dead, but your treacherous heart was beating like it never did before.

There was death, but there was also rebirth—the blooming of something you thought you buried for good and left with not even a trace of sunlight.

Daylight had come.

It went in the shade of all right and tall guy with gentle eyes.

Jungkook smiled softly at you. He did not react until you finished singing.

You were almost down the mountain. The kids and the others were already at the foot. It was just you and Jungkook here.

"How's my singing, Your Majesty the Emperor?" You intended to go for a light teasing, but something in Jungkook snapped when you called him emperor.

You were the empress, weren't you?

No words were exchanged. Jungkook put his hand on the small of your back, drawing you in.

Jungkook had kissed other people before. Whenever he did, he always held their cheeks before diving in. But with you, it was different.

He first stroked your head before his right hand gently held the back of your head; his other hand was still in the small of your back.

Jungkook stared deep into your eyes. It was as if he wanted to touch your soul with how intense yet languid he looked at you.

He seemed to want to memorize every part of your face—afraid you'd vanish if he so much as blinked.

But looking was not enough. He wanted a taste, too.

Jungkook wetted his lips, leaning in. Then, very slowly, he inched closer to you as if giving you time to push him away.

You did not.

But Jungkook was still so afraid. His eyelashes quivered before he dipped his head and gave you a soft peck on the lips.

There were no fireworks or grand and flowery words people read in novels.

The kiss was just it—a kiss.

There were no intense feelings, but there was Jungkook and his soft eyes and open heart.

There were no fireworks, but there was the sound of inserting the key in the door lock, then came the twisting of the knob before the door opened.

There was no rollercoaster kind of feeling in that one kiss. Because the only thing here was home.

Kissing Jungkook felt like coming home.

PART 2

likes and comments are highly appreciated 🙏 it motivates me to write more 😉💙

Y/N of this fic patterned to my IRL best friend. i love her so much pls listen to her cover of You'll Be in My Heart as this is how I imagined Y/N singing the song.

#jungkook fic #bts jeon jeongguk #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook x reader #jungkook e2l #jungkook enemies to lovers #jungkook bts #jungkook fanfic #boyfriend jungkook #daddy jungkook #jungkook x female reader #jungkook x oc #jungkook x y/n #jungkook x yn #jungkook x original character #jungkook roommate au

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mercurygguk · 1 year

Text

risqué; chapter 4 | jjk (m)

➵ summary; in which Jungkook and you are facing the consequences of sneaking around behind your father’s back. Now Jungkook is left with a decision to make: forget about everything he had with you and move on or let himself be truly happy even though it means risking everything he’s worked so hard for?

➵ series masterlist · playlist · risqué tag · taglist

pairing; jungkook x f. reader

word count; 21.6k

rating; 18+

content; age gap au, angst/fluff/smut, #pain

warnings; swearing, mild vi*lence, mentions of bl*od, making out/grinding, bre*st play, or*l (f. receiving), unprotected s*x, praise/d*rty talk, cr*ampie, absolute heartbreak :( it’s time to #cancelcami y’all

a/n; ITS FINALLY HERE Y’ALL !!!! omg i cant believe this is happening 😭😭 please please PLEASE give it a lot of love and tell me your thoughts on this turn of events! anything from comments to asks to reblogs are greatly appreciated <3 tysm for reading and for being patient with me for a whole ass year :’) enjoy!!!!!

“Dad–”

The word leaves you in a faint voice as if the air was knocked out of you. Jungkook feels himself freeze in his spot, his hand instantly letting go of yours in pure instinct at the sight of his boss – your father.

“Shit.”

The swear escapes Jungkook’s lips before he can prevent it, the thundering beating of his heart pounding in his ears as he closes his eyes for a brief moment – this is it. He should’ve known better than to waltz around the office while holding your hand and kissing you as if the whole world knew about you and him. No one at the company knows about his relationship with you and for good reason – the curious gazes from the few employees who stayed back during lunch are watching as your father grits out a demand before stalking off towards his office, fists clenched by his side.

“My office. Both of you. Now.”

Jungkook glances at you only to receive a wary look from you. He copies your expression, letting out a faint, defeated sigh before following his boss to his office.

Your presence is warm next to him as you walk side by side, your hand brushing his. He feels you grab his hand, causing him to look over at you. You give his hand a squeeze as if to say everything will be fine. There’s a weak tug of the corner of his mouth as he squeezes your hand in return before dropping it again. The nervous breath of air you let out doesn’t go unnoticed by him as he lets you enter your father’s office first.

The sound of the door being closed after him reaches his ears, causing him to turn around to face his boss – ready and willing to take whatever consequence he’ll be met with. Before Jungkook can register what’s about to happen, a closed fist connects with his face, a sharp pain shooting through his jaw as a shocked shriek emits from your lips. He groans in pain as he stumbles back a few feet. He’s too shocked to say anything as he reaches up to wipe his bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. He glances at his thumb, the sight of bright red blood staining the skin.

“Oh my god!”

The words are blurted by you as you rush to Jungkook’s side, hands cupping his face to take a look at his freshly busted lip. Your father looks rather pleased with himself as he steps back, fixing the sleeves and panels of his blazer. He watches with an unsatisfied glare as his daughter tends to Jungkook’s bleeding lip.

Jungkook can’t help but notice the concern in your eyes as you stare at his bruised bottom lip, a rush of an indescribable feeling running through his body at the sight of you worrying about him.

“Are you okay?” You ask him, concern evident in your voice.

Jungkook gently removes your hands from his face, “I’ll be fine.”

He can tell you’re shocked and lost for words as you eye him for a moment before you turn around to face your father again, your hands falling back to your sides, fists clenched in anger.

“What the hell, dad?!”

Your father ignores you, his eyes burning with fury as they focus on Jungkook. His teeth are gritted as he speaks up, “give me one good reason why I shouldn’t break your nose next.”

“Dad, stop!” You snap at your father. “He didn’t do anything wrong!”

Oh, isn’t that a big, fat lie?

Jungkook stays quiet, not sure how to help his own case right now. He knows your father has every reason to be furious at him. He caught you and Jungkook in the act, red-handed. Naturally he’ll blame Jungkook for what he saw. The worst part about it is that Jungkook saw this scenario happening several months ago when he first gave into you, when he first crossed that line with you, fully aware that there was no going back from that moment. He knew your father would find out eventually; it was just a matter of time.

“If I ever see you lay a hand on my daughter again… you’re gonna wish you never did.”

His boss is seething with anger, the fire in his eyes intense enough to burn holes in Jungkook. However, he doesn’t cower. He stands tall, chin up while no protests or attempts of saving himself leave him. He deserves whatever your father wants to say or do to him – he defied his boss, had a relationship with his boss’ daughter without him knowing, and broke his trust.

However, as his boss’ attention is directed at you instead of Jungkook, he can’t help but inhale sharply in some sort of relief. His bottom lip is still slightly throbbing in pain as he watches his boss stare at his daughter, his expression stern and somewhat terrifying. Jungkook hasn’t seen his boss this furious, not even that time when the company lost millions because of the former head of finance’s screw up.

“How long has this been going on?” He asks you, lips pulled into a thin line as he tries to keep his cool.

“It’s none of your business–!” You snap at your father.

“A few months.”

Jungkook ignores the glare you shoot at him as he can’t help but interrupt, a need to be truthful towards his boss as the guilt practically eats him alive at this point. Nothing good has come out of him lying so far – he might as well be honest instead. Besides, it’s the least he can do after their long history together as partners, as employer and employee – as father and son, basically. He understands where your father is coming from, where his anger and frustration is coming from. Had it been Jungkook in his position, he most likely would’ve reacted the exact same way.

“A few months?” Your father’s expression fades into shock before another wave of furious anger covers it. “Are you out of your damn mind, Jungkook? She’s just a kid, for Christ’s sake!”

Jungkook opens his mouth to say something but you beat him to it, your father’s words striking a nerve within you. You groan and throw your hands out in frustration, “why does everyone keep saying that? I’m not a fucking kid!”

“You’re my kid, _____,” your father pointedly tells you. “And I’m not going to let him take advantage of you like this!”

Jungkook’s heart drops as the words leave his boss’ mouth. He would never take advantage of you – that was never his intention when he first allowed himself to get involved with you. In the beginning, it was solemnly sexual attraction and it was supposed to be just one time. However, the trip to Dubai changed everything and his perception of you hasn’t been the same since. Something changed between you during that business trip and Jungkook isn’t sure when it happened – all he knows is that things were different when he woke up next to you that morning on the last day.

“He’s not taking advantage of me, dad! I’m the one who started it!”

How can he think that Jungkook has been taking advantage of you? If anything, you’ve been taking advantage of him. You’re the one who kept coming onto him, you kept pushing him, you kept teasing and flirting like it wouldn’t have any consequences.

Boy, were you wrong.

And Jungkook kept telling you it wouldn’t work out; he kept saying this was not going to end well. Just as late as last month, he was talking about telling your father before he would end up finding out by himself. You just kept pushing it, selfishly wanting to keep it to yourself and look where it got you.

The color drains from your father’s face, “you what?”

You nod, “it was my idea, okay? So don’t take it out on him. It’s not his fault–”

“_____.”

Jungkook calls your name, catching your attention instantly. When you look at him, he shakes his head to silently tell you to stop. This was just as much his decision as it was yours. He’s not going to stay quiet and let you take the blame for him. If anyone should take all the blame, it should be him. Not you.

“Jungkook is thirty years old, _____,” your father reminds you.

Oh, yeah, that’s right. It’s his birthday today. What better way to spend it than being accused of taking advantage of his girlfriend and getting punched in the face? Cue the sarcasm.

“It doesn’t matter who pursued who,” your father then says. “He should know better than to get involved with my daughter.”

The look your father flashes at Jungkook is filled with betrayal. Jungkook is stoic of emotion, unable to determine what he feels as he watches his boss look at him with disappointment and betrayal in his eyes. This man has been his superior, his mentor, his friend for almost a decade – not once has he expressed disappointment towards him. It doesn’t feel good. At all. But Jungkook can’t bring himself to blame his boss for feeling like this.

“I would’ve expected this from anyone else… but not you, Jungkook.”

There’s a sliver of hurt flashing through his boss’ eyes before they harden again.

“I would never do anything to hurt ____-“

Jungkook tries to defend his and your relationship, finding a bit of will in himself to fight for the first thing that actually means more to him than a casual fling. However, your father cuts off Jungkook with a bitter laugh, obviously finding Jungkook’s words funny as if he just told a bad joke.

“You’re kidding me, right? In the past ten years that I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you maintain a stable relationship,” your father grits, “you jump around from woman to woman and I will not have you treat my daughter like another one of your playthings.”

You instantly shake your head in protest, “it’s not like that!”

“Sir-“ Jungkook tries but your father cuts him off.

“Pack your things and get the hell out. You don’t work for me anymore,” he says with a sigh of resignation while pinching the bridge of his nose, causing panic to flicker over Jungkook’s features.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

Despite already knowing it would most likely end up with him getting fired once your father found out about the two of you, Jungkook feels shocked. This job has been the only thing he’s been focusing on for nearly a decade, he’s spent his entire youth here at this company, working his ass off to get to his current – or former – position as the CMO. How could he be so ignorant and stupid? This mess wouldn’t have happened if he had turned you down from the very start, if he hadn’t allowed himself to give into you, to kiss you, to be with you.

God, he was so selfish for doing that – and he still is because even if he’s losing his job right now, he can’t bring himself to regret any of it.

However, before Jungkook can even think about reacting, you’re speaking up: “Dad, don’t–“

“I will not have someone working for me that I can’t trust.”

“This,” you gesture between yourself and Jungkook, “has nothing to do with the company. He’s been your best employee for years, dad! Are you really gonna throw that away, just like that? Like it means nothing?”

“I’m not the one who threw it away,” your father throws a stern glare at Jungkook. “You made that decision the second you started seeing ____. This job obviously means nothing to you–“

Now that’s just bullshit.

“That’s not true and you know it,” Jungkook defends, a sudden annoyance washing over him. He might’ve jeopardized his own role within the company but not because it doesn’t mean anything to him. If this job didn’t mean anything to him, he would’ve just quit. “I’ve dedicated years of my life to this company. I’ve worked alongside you for a decade, building the marketing team into what it is today. I’ve spent days and nights perfecting it and doing everything in my power to make sure we’re the best within the field.”

His boss stares back at him, a stoic expression on his face as Jungkook takes the risk and steps closer, his pride and responsibility for the company and his position adding an inch to his posture as he looks your father in the eye.

“Don’t even, for a second, think this job means ‘nothing’ to me,” he concludes.

His boss doesn’t say anything in return, only giving him a curt nod, not succumbing to Jungkook’s hard stare. Just for a short moment, Jungkook swears he sees a hint of respect in his boss’ eyes but it’s gone as quickly as it appears.

“Don’t go near my daughter again,” he orders, voice low but threatening. “And you can keep your job.”

Jungkook watches as his boss steps away, turning to face his daughter instead. You’re glaring at your father, the hate you feel towards him right now evident in your eyes.

“Let’s go, _____.”

You scoff, crossing your arms over your chest, “you’re insane if you think I want to go anywhere with you.”

“Let’s. Go,” he orders, “I will not tell you again.”

He’s still pissed, you can easily tell. Your father rarely gets angry or pissed at you, so when he finally is, it’s impossible to not notice. In fact, this is one of the few times you’ve actually seen him like this. Never once when you were little did he get mad at you. It was always your mother. It has been a known fact your entire life that you have your mother’s temper. You’ve never been told you are like your father and in this moment, you can tell that his temper is far worse than both you and your mother’s.

Suddenly you feel grateful that he never raised his voice at you throughout your childhood. And something tells you not to defy him right now.

Jungkook looks lost and defeated as you look at him one last time. He shakes his head when you take a step closer to him. You frown, your heart dropping to your stomach as you feel your father’s hand wrapping around your wrist. He drags you out of his office and towards the elevator, not budging as you try to pry his hand off you. Once inside the elevator, he finally lets go and you huff out in frustration.

Just as the elevator doors start closing, you catch a glimpse of Jungkook as he leaves your father’s office, going back to his own office, slamming the door rather harshly after him. You frown deeply as you watch the elevator doors close in front of you. The thought of Jungkook losing his temper and cool once you and your father left the room causes your heart to break in two.

It was never supposed to come to this.

The silence is heavy in the car as you sit in the passenger seat, staring at the buildings passing by as your father drives you back to your dorm. You can tell he wants to say something, it’s obvious in the way he keeps sighing heavily while constantly shifting his gaze between you and the road.

“Listen, you can hate me all you want,” he says after a while. “But you’re not seeing him again. Understood?”

You don’t answer him, you don’t even spare him a glance.

“Pumpkin–“

“What?” You let out an annoyed groan as your usual nickname leaves his mouth. The shock on his face is almost comical and you can’t help but let a dry laugh escape you. “You think calling me pumpkin will make everything okay again?”

“____, you didn’t actually think this ‘relationship’ was real, did you?” Your father asks with slight amusement in his eyes. “He’s too old for you! He was obviously taking advantage of you–“

“He was not!” You snap. “Jungkook would never do that.”

Your father may have lost every bit of trust he had in Jungkook but you know him – he would never take advantage of you. He would never do that to you… or that’s what you tell yourself as you turn back to watching the buildings pass by, the people on the street, living their own personal lives.

“You may not want to accept it, but it’s true,” he says as he glances at you, a heavy sigh leaving him as he notices the way you’re avoiding looking at him. “It’s my job as your father to protect you, to show you the signs you’re missing.”

“I don’t need you to protect me!” You protest. “I’m not a little girl anymore! I’m a grown woman and I can make my own decisions–“

Your father scoffs, “oh, please! You’re only 20, _____! Barely an adult!”

You fall silent, too angry and hurt to say anything as your father continues: “Not only is Jungkook ten years your senior, but he also holds a position of power within my company that you will take part in one day; if you can’t see how he’s manipulating and using you for his own personal gain, then you’re not as grown as you think!”

If only he knew how you feel about your business major. If he thinks this situation is causing problems then maybe you should consider telling him about your plans to change your major – that would certainly take his focus away from you and Jungkook’s relationship.

“I don’t care about your stupid company!” You blow up, too upset to think twice about what you’re confessing. You’ve been keeping it inside for too long. “I’ve never wanted to be in your shoes! If you or mom ever cared enough to ask me what I want to do in life, you’d know that!”

You’re furious, burning with anger, when your father finally pulls into the parking lot by your dorm. An array of emotions flashes across his face before his features harden, voice stern as he speaks up.

“We’ll discuss this later,” your father says. “Regardless, I don’t want you anywhere near him ever again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Screw you, dad.”

The words leave your mouth in a scoff before you can think about the damage they may cause. Your father looks baffled as you quickly unbuckle yourself and leave the car, slamming the door after yourself. You don’t offer him a goodbye, instead rushing inside to get as far away from him as possible. Your head is pounding from all the yelling and arguing back at the office, the stress of being caught red-handed by your father, the thought of Jungkook who’s still at the office, alone on his birthday and most likely shocked by how fast things escalated.

Once inside your dorm, you close and lock the door, leaning against it as you let out a much needed sigh. The build up of emotions in your chest is pressing on your ribcage, making it difficult for you to breathe normally. Now that you’re alone, tears are threatening behind your lids, the pressure too much as the tears start to prickle your eyes. You don’t want to cry, there’s nothing to cry about – you and Jungkook are still together, you’re still his and he’s still yours.

You try your best to fight the tears as you grab your phone out of your purse, dialing Jungkook’s number before bringing the phone to your ear. You let out a shaky breath and sit down on your bed as you listen to it ring, trying to calm your thundering heart while also blinking away your threatening tears. Your breath hitches in your throat as the ringing stops, a moment of silence before a familiar voice reaches your ear.

“Hey, baby,” Jungkook’s gentle voice warms your entire chest, the pet name doing nothing to get rid of your tears. You smile softly and sniffle, looking up at the ceiling in an attempt to stop the wetness in your eyes. “You okay?”

“Are you still at the office?” You ask him instead of answering his question.

“No, I’m at home.”

“Can I come over?” You then ask, slight desperation evident in your voice as you bring your hand up to pick at the delicate skin of your lips. You wait for his response, the sound of him inhaling deeply before letting out a heavy sigh causes your knee to bounce in nervosity. Unable to handle the silence, you call his name, “Kook?”

“I don’t know, ____…” he tells you, voice trailing off as he falls silent again, your stomach drops as he hesitates. Another beat of silence passes by before he speaks up again, “Your dad-“

“I just wanna talk,” you interrupt him when he mentions your father. “… make sure we’re okay.”

Jungkook nods on the other line, unable to say no to you as always, “okay, yeah, um… sure. You know where the extra key is.”

“Yeah… I do,” you smile weakly, bringing your leg up under you to rest your chin on your knee. You both stay quiet for a moment, unsure what to say next. The air between you is tense and weird right now – like getting caught and exposed by your father affected you so heavily that you no longer know how to act towards each other. “I’ll leave in a bit.”

“Okay,” Jungkook softly mutters, “I’ll see you soon, baby.”

You nod, “yeah, see you.”

Neither of you hang up for a short moment until Jungkook lets out another heavy sigh and hangs up. You put your phone down, frowning to yourself as you stare at nothing in particular, wondering why calling him felt so odd and unusual when just a few hours ago, you were in his office, flirting and laughing like a normal couple with no worries in the world except for each other.

It’s truly terrifying how things can do a one-eighty so fast.

You let out a defeated sigh as you get up from your bed to go check yourself in the mirror. You grimace when you finally see yourself and your appearance; slightly red and puffy eyes and messed up mascara from the threatening tears and smudged pink-tinted lip gloss from earlier in Jungkook’s office. You’ve definitely had better looks, that’s for sure.

Five minutes later you’re heading out of your dorm after touching up your makeup to make yourself look more calm and collected despite the fact that you’re on edge on the inside, unsure what you’re going to say or do once you get to Jungkook’s place.

Hopefully you’ll be able to keep your tears back.

There’s a heavy sigh leaving you as you stand in front of Jungkook’s front door, his extra key from under the doormat in your hand. You don’t know why you’re hesitating to unlock the door and go inside but you have a feeling of what it could be; a part of you knows that once you’re face to face with Jungkook you’ll have to deal with the problem at hand and figure out where you’ll go from here. You’re not quite ready to deal with it and something tells you Jungkook isn’t either.

Deciding you can’t drag it out any longer, you unlock his front door and step inside. The moment the familiar scent of his home fills your senses, you feel at ease like there’s no issue at all, like you didn’t just get caught red-handed by your father mere hours ago. You inhale deeply, the scent of his home and him sending a tingling feeling through your whole body as you get rid of your shoes before moving further inside, unsure what to do with yourself once you realize Jungkook is nowhere to be seen.

“Kook?” You call his name, your voice careful and your steps cautious as if you’re in a stranger's home.

You’re usually never like this. The past few months you’ve been coming and going to his apartment as you pleased, practically living here for the majority of the summer since the trip to Dubai. The extra key under the doormat became your ticket inside, free of use after Jungkook had told you where it was.

“There’s an extra key under the doormat,” he had told you on some random night of cuddling on his couch, “you’re welcome any day, any time.”

The memory vanishes from your mind as Jungkook suddenly appears from the hallway that leads to his bedroom and the guest bedroom. The sight of him has you sighing in relief, face softening as you make your way towards him. His expression mirrors yours as you reach him, hugging him tightly.

His body feels heavy with guilt when you wrap yourself around him but he can’t hold himself back from hugging you back. What happened at the office really took a toll on him mentally and emotionally, the fear of losing you suddenly hitting him like a tsunami when he arrived home earlier. Having you in his arms has him feeling relieved, heart thumping vigorously in his chest as he hugs you closer, closing his eyes for a second to revel in the feeling.

“Are you okay?” You ask, voice muffled against his chest.

When he doesn’t reply instantly, you pull away just enough to look up at him, concern painted across your features. He offers you a half-smile, nodding.

“I’m fine,” he tells you, “don’t worry about me.”

You give him a look, silently telling him that you will always worry about him when need be. It's impossible not to when you lo… – when you care about someone as much as you care about Jungkook.

“Are you okay though?” Jungkook asks you for the second time, worry etched onto his face as he scans your face. He can tell you’ve been crying – the way you had sniffled on the phone before getting here, the way your eyes are slightly red in the inner corner – he knows. And it’s confirmed when you nod and flash him a smile – a smile just as forced as his denial when he first started getting involved with you.

Without further thoughts, he leans closer and presses his lips to your forehead in a gentle kiss.

His kiss causes butterflies in your chest as you close your eyes briefly, enjoying the feeling of his gentle actions. When he pulls away again, you let your eyes roam him and his appearance. He’s wearing a dress shirt and black slacks, looking rather dressed up and handsome as ever as if he’s about to go somewhere fancy. You chew your bottom lip, eyes moving up to his face and zooming in on the bruise on his bottom lip.

Jungkook quietly watches your every move with a heavy gaze as you reach up to brush some of his hair out of his face before moving your thumb down to run underneath the bruise forming on his bottom lip.

“How’s your lip?” Your voice is small and soft, a frown on your beautiful face that causes Jungkook to tighten his arms around your waist.

“It’ll heal,” he shrugs.

The frown stays on your face as you fall silent, unsure what to say next. There’s a lot you should talk about but you don’t know where to begin or how to begin. It seems Jungkook feels the same way as he watches you in silence, nippling on his busted bottom lip.

“You look good,” you compliment him, unable to keep it inside as your eyes roam his body once again. He styled his hair too, one single strand falling onto his forehead. Your fingers itch to move it away from his face once again but you’re also quite a big fan of that one loose strand. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, dinner with my family,” he tells you, a sigh leaving him. “I don’t really feel like going out to eat right now after all that happened, but… it’s still my birthday, I guess.”

Realization dawns upon you, a faint memory of Jungkook telling you about how his family are coming to town to celebrate his birthday with him. You remember wondering if he was planning on introducing you to them but when he didn’t mention anything about it, you kept that thought to yourself.

He’ll bring you to meet them when the time is right and tonight might not be the best night.

“Do you want me to cover up that bruise for you?” You ask, offering as you’re not quite ready to leave yet and Jungkook doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to get you out of here either.

“Is it that bad?”

A brief flicker of amusement flashes across Jungkook’s face as he smirks faintly at you. You chuckle softly, grimacing in response as your eyes zoom in on the bruise again.

“Come on,” you slide your hands down his arms to lock them with his, pulling him with you towards the couch. Jungkook lets you tug him along, the guilt faint but still present within his gut as he soaks up as much of your company as he possibly can before you have to go your separate ways again. If your father knew you were here right now, Jungkook would certainly be fired for good.

And possibly murdered too.

Jungkook tries his best not to think about what would happen if your father knew, shaking the thoughts out of his head as you gently push him to sit on the couch. He watches you as you place your purse down on the couch next to him, rummaging through it before finding what you need.

“Okay, hold still,” you tell him as you stand between his legs, eyes focusing on his bruise as you gently tilt his head up by his chin. Jungkook stays still, eyes focused on you as you start working on covering the bruise on his lip and the small red-ish bruise underneath his lip.

Silence engulfs the two of you, tense yet comfortable silence because being in each other’s presence despite everything that happened earlier brings a small amount of relief to the both of you. Your relationship is hanging by a thread right now and neither of you are sure where you will go from here.

The future has never been more unsure.

Jungkook sighs heavily as he closes his eyes, enjoying the gentle touch of your fingers on his face. Before he can stop himself, his hands are sliding up the outer side of your bare legs, pausing on your thighs, his thumbs rubbing circles into your skin. You inhale deeply before letting out a soft and slightly shaky breath, the sound causing a rush to run through Jungkook’s body, heart thumping in his chest.

Self control has never been Jungkook’s strongest quality when it comes to you and today is no different. The need to have you flush against him, to feel all of you after all the shit that happened today overwhelms him as he slides his hands further up your legs, slipping underneath your dress. You inhale sharply, hands grabbing his shoulders as he leans forward, resting his forehead against your stomach. You let him slip his hands around to your ass, warm palms sliding over your flesh and back down the expanse of the back of your thighs. He exhales deeply, feeling relief in his body as his hands roam your body. Self control is definitely not a quality Jungkook claims to have when it comes to you as he impulsively pulls you onto his lap, mouth catching yours in a needy kiss.

A low hiss leaves him because of the faint pain from his fresh bruise. However, he can’t bring himself to care as you let out a soft gasp which he swallows as you melt against him instantly.

His lips move with yours, kissing you selfishly and forgetting every single reason for why he shouldn’t. Jungkook takes the makeup products from your hands and dumps them on the couch next to you before pulling you closer, bringing you chest to chest. His lips part, tongue finding yours, wet and warm against his own.

“Jungkook…” you delicately whimper his name against his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck, hugging him to you as your body automatically reacts to him, his effect on you as strong as ever. Your hips grind down on him naturally, too many moments like this on his couch flashing through your mind as he moans, the sound sending tingles through your body and straight to your core.

“Need you, baby,” he mumbles against your mouth, hands tightly gripping your hips underneath your dress. The thin layer of your underwear turns soaked as he helps you grind down on him continuously, his cock growing harder fast.

Needy and desperate to feel your warmth, Jungkook reaches for his belt, undoing it along with his slacks, pulling his hard length out. He’s breathing heavily against your mouth as you both turn more eager and hungry for each other.

“Fuck–,” he almost whimpers as your hands slide into his perfectly styled hair, messing it up as you grip it and kiss him deeply, moaning and whimpering against his lips.

Jungkook’s fingers find your panties, rubbing over the soaked fabric a few times, earning a moan from you. A low groan leaves him as he feels how wet you are, cock twitching at the thought of your warm walls engulfing him. He hooks a finger inside them, pulling them to the side while his other hand guides you to lift your body. He grabs his cock, guiding the tip to your folds, rubbing it between them to gather some of your arousal on his cock before pressing just the tip into you.

“Oh god,” you whimper, burying your face in the crook of his neck and your hands tightly gripping his shoulders as he grabs you by the hips, guiding you to sit down on his cock. Your walls engulf him, enveloping him entirely as you sink down on him. He moans deeply and slides an arm around your waist, his other hand sliding down and under your dress, gripping the flesh of your thigh. His cock twitches inside of you as you whine his name against the skin of his neck, “Kook–”

“I got you,” he breathlessly tells you, letting out a rather shaky sigh as he pulls you against him, slowly helping you to find a rhythm. Your head falls back in pleasure as you work with him, grinding down on him with the help of his arm around your waist, instant pleasure washing over you as you fall into a delicious pace. “Just like that,” Jungkook nods and bites his lip, reaching up to grab you by the nape of your neck, forcing you to look at him.

“Feels so good,” you moan when your hooded eyes meet his dazed ones, your lips parted in pleasure. The sight has Jungkook growling quietly under his breath as he pulls you in for a kiss, covering your mouth with his own.

“Yeah?” Jungkook moans into your mouth, letting his hand slide down to your chest to grab your breast and give it a squeeze, his thumb brushing over your nipple that’s poking against the fabric of your dress. Of course, you’re not wearing a bra. You almost never do and it’s driving him insane more often than anything else – the access to your tits is too easy.

“Yeah..” You whimper and whine in response to his hand on your breast.

“Fuck… you’re so perfect, baby,” he sighs, both hands falling to your hips to continue helping you ride him, your walls fitting perfectly around him over and over again for every time you sit down on his cock. Your heat makes him shudder, pushing him closer to the edge, his orgasm sneaking up on him faster than ever before. “Gonna cum.. shit-”

“Ah- me too, oh god..”

A few more grinding motions on top of him leave you trembling in his arms and melting against him, body tensing as your orgasm washes over you in waves of pleasure. Jungkook lets out a grunt as your pussy tightens around him when you cum, forcing him to cum too. He spills his load inside of you, hips jerking up and thrusting deeply into you as shots of hot, white strings leaves his cock.

Both of you are breathing heavily from your quick fuck on Jungkook’s couch, your face back to being buried in the crook of his neck as you come down from your high. Jungkook’s head falls back on the backrest of the couch, eyes staring at the ceiling as he lets out a heavy sigh. His hands rub up and down your thighs in caressing motions, giving them a gentle squeeze before he lifts his head to face you again.

Silence fills the room as you lift your own head, your eyes meeting his. Reality comes crashing back as you shift your gaze to the bruise by his lip that you’ve done your best at covering up before his birthday dinner with his family.

“I’m really sorry he hit you,” you quietly say, reaching up to carefully dab it with the tip of your ring finger. Your making out while fucking just moments ago messed it up slightly but not much. You manage to fix it with the pad of your finger.

Jungkook feels his heart sink to his stomach as you frown, your eyes still locked on his lips rather than his eyes.

He shrugs and sighs, “he had every right.”

Your hand pauses as you instantly shake your head, your hands cupping his face instead as your gaze returns to shift between his beautiful dark brown eyes, “he shouldn’t have hit you no matter what. You didn’t do anything wrong…“

Jungkook lets out a low groan of frustration, reaching up to grab your wrists to gently remove your hands from his face, “____, I went behind his back. Not only did I get involved with you but I dated you too and lied about it.”

The guilt is grabbing a hold of him now, forcing him to react upon it after suppressing it for so long. Secrets are meant to be exposed and karma will always get you – reality has caught up with you and Jungkook, and now he needs to figure out what to do, where to go from here.

“What we do and don’t do isn’t any of his business!” You protest, pulling your wrists from his grip before getting off his lap, his now soft dick slipping from your warmth. “I’m my own person, I can do whatever I want without his opinion.”

“Well, I can’t. He’s my boss and I have to work with him every single day,” Jungkook pointedly says.

“Just because he’s your boss doesn’t mean he can dictate what you do with your personal life!”

“It’s not about that, ____,” Jungkook sighs as he pulls his pants back up and buttons them again before running a hand through his hair in frustration. The moment between you certainly came to an end just now. “It’s about trusting people and being loyal to your superiors. I broke both of those and what he did was fully deserved. I can’t blame him for being upset.”

You scoff in disbelief, crossing your arms over your chest, “there are other ways to go about it though.”

“Of course there is but sometimes you react impulsively rather than rationally, “Jungkook states as he gets up from the couch. “I know that more than most people.”

His words sting for some reason you can’t pinpoint while your eyes follow him as he paces the room, looking rather frustrated and torn as he rubs his face and runs his hands into his hair in distress.

You’re frowning still, heart aching as you feel Jungkook slip further away from you. You don’t want him to slip away from you. You want him near you at all times, right next to you with his arm around your waist and his lips against your ear whispering sweet nothings, taking you to a world that’s only yours and his. You want him right next to you at events and parties and family get-togethers, introduce him to every member of your family and all of your friends as your boyfriend. You want sweet and intimate moments with him, kiss him no matter the location, not have a care who sees and who knows.

You want all of that but right now, as Jungkook paces in front of you with an expression you can’t read, it feels too far away and too much like a daydream that will not come true.

“So what?” You ask, shrugging helplessly as you step closer to him. “What do we do now?”

Jungkook stops pacing, his back facing you as he sighs heavily before shrugging weakly.

“I don’t know,” he says, voice low and empty of emotion.

Your frown deepens, heart losing a bit of its exterior for every second that passes by where Jungkook doesn’t talk. The silence is so loud and you can’t take it, it’s horrible to say the least.

This feels like the end.

“Are you…” you begin again, inhaling sharply as you prepare yourself for your next words while panic slowly starts to grow within you. “You’re not breaking up with me, right?”

Jungkook turns to face you as the strained words leave your lips, shaking his head instantly. He closes the distance between you, his eyes shifting between yours as he cups your face, heart aching in his chest as he sees the dampness in your eyes. His face softens at the sight, thumbs brushing over your cheeks, a weak smile on his lips as your own smaller hands cover the back of his.

“I’m not breaking up with you, baby,” he tells you, softly and quietly. The look on his face tells you everything that is happening right now is against his will and not at all something he even considered until the thoughts were forced into his mind. “I just need some time…”

“Time?” You repeat the word in confusion.

He nods gently, “time to figure this out.”

“What is there to figure out, Jungkook?” You ask, slowly losing your patience. “We just had sex! Obviously, both of us want to be together.”

“It’s not that simple, ____,” Jungkook groans quietly, his hands dropping from your face, “I spent over a decade working my ass off. I would be throwing away years of hard work!”

“Oh, so being with me is like throwing your whole life away?” You scoff, offense evident in your voice.

He sighs in frustration, “that’s not what I meant–”

“How else am I supposed to take it, Jungkook? You basically just said being with me isn’t worth fighting for.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Jungkook pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a split second. “Why can’t you just try to see it from my point of view at least once? I’m not not fighting for you. This is a big deal and there's a lot to think about.”

“What is there to think about?”

Your chest feels tight, like pressure just keeps adding to it the more the frustration and tension grow between you and Jungkook. His words don't make any sense to you – what could he possibly need to think about? It’s pretty simple in your head.

“We either stay together or we break up. Do you expect me to sit here and wait until you decide?”

“Just…” Jungkook sighs in defeat, stepping closer. You stay quiet as his eyes meet yours. He reaches up to tug a strand of hair behind your ear, the action so gentle and careful you feel your heart ache. “Just trust me on this one, okay? Let’s keep it on the down low for a few days until your dad has calmed down and we’ll take it from there, alright?”

“But–“ you want to protest but Jungkook leans in and presses a gentle kiss to your forehead, whispering a soft and somewhat desperate ‘please’ against your skin.

Before you can even begin to think about how much this will affect the two of you, Jungkook’s front door opens. You and Jungkook’s faces whips towards the door, your eyes widening in surprise.

Two people you’ve never met before in your life stand by the front door, their eyes shifting between you and Jungkook as silence fills his entire home. Although, these people wouldn’t need an introduction; their features are strong and beautiful – very similar to someone else you know. The older man has a handsome, strong jaw and striking features that look like they’ve been copy pasted onto Jungkook’s face. The woman has the softness of Jungkook’s eyes on her own, looking kind and warm.

It’s his parents – you can tell right away. Even if he tried, Jungkook wouldn’t be able to lie about it.

“Uncle Kookie!”

The excited shriek of a small human reaches your ears, causing you to flinch slightly in surprise, eyes widening as a toddler is running towards you and Jungkook as fast as her small legs will allow her. You glance at Jungkook, noticing the small grin on his face that definitely wasn’t there just a minute ago. He squats down, catching the small toddler in his arms as she flings herself at him, a bright grin on her little face.

“Hey, Poot,” Jungkook greets her, hugging her small frame.

Uncle Kookie? Poot?

You watch as Jungkook rests the toddler on his arm before leaving your side, meeting his family by the door. Two other people have appeared alongside his parents, their eyes shifting between you and him, curious gazes asking silent questions. They must be the parents of the toddler; his brother most likely and sister-in-law if you have to guess.

Your expression softens as he greets his mother with a gentle kiss on the cheek before hugging the rest of them. Seeing him interact with his family is another side of him you haven’t witnessed yet. It’s strange but also heartwarming, the sight sending warm tingles through your whole body. However, the tension is still lingering in the air, wordlessly acknowledged by everyone except for the small toddler on Jungkook’s arm.

“Will we be one more person for dinner?” His mother asks with curious and hopeful eyes as she glances at you over Jungkook’s shoulder, her eyes holding nothing but kindness in them.

That must be where Jungkook got his round eyes from – they are the exact same.

“Um…” Jungkook trails off, turning to look at you with an expression you can’t quite read.

The silence turns awkward as they all look at you expectantly, waiting for you to confirm or deny. You glance from them to Jungkook who’s chewing his bottom lip anxiously. The look he gives you tells you all you need to know – he doesn’t want you there tonight.

“I, um… I was actually just about to head out,” you tell them, flashing an apologetic smile as Jungkook’s mother’s expression falls, her hopeful eyes turning disappointed in an instant. You quickly move to grab your purse off the couch and move towards the front door. You pass by them on your way, hating the way you feel so exposed and small in front of all of their undeniably curious gazes. You offer them the best smile you can muster as you feel Jungkook’s eyes on you, nodding at them in farewell while saying; “It was really nice to meet you though.”

Jungkook watches with a frown as you scurry out of the front door, leaving in a hurry and taking the tension with you, his home suddenly feeling incredibly empty despite the fact that his entire family is standing right next to him. He lets out a gentle sigh, turning to his family who all look like they’re waiting for some sort of explanation.

“Who’s she?” His older brother asks, breaking the silence, curious as ever.

Jungkook shrugs, not sure what to tell them – You’re his girlfriend, have been for a few months and he’s pretty sure he’s losing you more and more for every moment that passes. It surely felt like that when you left just now, taking every inch and corner of his heart with you.

It belongs to you after all… or that’s what he would like to think at least.

“She seemed like a nice girl,” his mother then says, eyeing Jungkook in the way she always does when she wants her sons to provide information and explanations. She did the same thing to his older brother until he and his wife finally came clean and shared the news of pregnancy. “really pretty too.”

However, Jungkook only nods weakly in agreement to his mother’s words, “yeah… she is.”

It’s Monday.

It has been two whole days since Jungkook last saw you or talked to you. He’s had plenty of chances as you’ve been texting him and calling him several times, but so far he has let it ring until his voicemail would take care of it. It’s not that he doesn’t want to talk to you, that’s actually far from being the reason for him neglecting your calls and texts. He’d love to talk to you. He wants to apologize for not defending himself and you, for not putting an end to it before it could come to this, for letting it become so real only for it to be ripped away in the matter of a few seconds.

But he’s not entirely sure what to say to you just yet.

Friday, after you left with your father, Jungkook went back to his office, slammed the door after him in frustration and sat down in his chair, face buried within his palms as he replayed what just happened. It was a mess before but now it’s an even bigger mess. Thankfully he still has his job. Your father didn’t fire him and that alone tells him that this could’ve gone way worse than it did.

What happened between you and your father after you left the office is still a mystery to Jungkook but he also knows better than to get in the middle of that as he’s already the reason for enough drama.

This year his birthday will take the crown as the worst birthday in his entire life. It was supposed to be a great day as he was going to celebrate it with people whom he loved and cared about. He was going to have dinner with his family and then he was going to spend the night, and probably the entire weekend, with you. However, the universe was not having it and Jungkook should’ve known all of it would come crashing down at some point.

He hasn’t even opened the gift you got him yet. It still sits on his desk – untouched.

Dinner with his family on Friday was… painful, to say the least. They had all been so happy to see him; his mom and dad, older brother and his sister in law – his niece too. He had been showered with hugs and kisses from his mother who wouldn’t stop telling him how proud she is and what a wonderful son he is.

If only she knew.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” His mother had asked during the main course, looking at him with that worried expression she always sports whenever one of her sons aren’t acting like their usual self. He should’ve known she’d notice his sour mood and then he realized he should’ve done better at hiding it.

Shrugging and plastering on a fake smile, he told her it was nothing, just a bad day at work. And it was true. It was the worst day he’s ever had at work since he began his internship there and that says a lot given the fact that he’s been there for almost a decade by now. His mother seemed to believe him though as she nodded and gave his arm a squeeze with her hand before returning to the conversation with the rest of his family.

Jungkook’s niece even asked her father what was wrong with uncle Jungkook and that was the moment he felt really bad for being in such a sour mood.

Thankfully none of them asked about you – something tells him that they knew better than to question him about it.

Now, on this Monday morning, he’s driving to work with a thumping heart. He has no idea how his boss will treat him or if he’ll even spare him a glance. It’s truly tragic – what was once the perfect dynamic between him and his boss is now ruined all because of him and the fact that he couldn’t stay away from you.

The elevator ride up is quiet and almost unbearably long, the one employee who’s in there with him not even acknowledging him. He hopes the weekend helped in dissolving the tension that was hanging in the air on Friday when he went home before the dinner with his parents. Before he saw you. But he knows every employee knows.

Gossip travels fast around an office like this one.

The whispering and the curious looks from every single person in the office reach him as he steps out of the elevator and makes his way to his office. The entire office is filled with a thick silence and it doesn’t go unnoticed when someone starts whispering. He doesn’t want to look at anyone and he definitely doesn’t want to talk to anyone, so he keeps his eyes locked on the door to his office, making it his goal to reach it before some of these people start asking questions like ‘what’s it like fucking the boss’ daughter?’ and questions like ‘what does she have that i don’t?’ from the female employees who’ve been trying to get him on a date for months with no luck.

Once he reaches his office, he closes the door shut and leans against it, letting out a sigh of relief. The loud silence filling the whole office is suffocating, the quietness of his own office not so much. Now that that is over with, he only needs to face his boss at some point throughout the day. And it’s not going to be in a friendly manner like it used to be. He knows that much.

The sound of his phone ringing again in the pocket of his blazer causes him to return to the present and make his way to his desk, dumping his bag on top of it before pulling out his phone. Your name and photo flashes across the screen and he feels his heart tighten, hesitating to accept it despite knowing it’s for the best if he doesn’t.

Deciding he doesn’t want to take that risk right now, he presses the red button on the screen and dumps his phone onto the desk along with his other stuff. He has barely sat down and started up his laptop when someone enters his office. He looks up with panicked eyes, fearing for a moment it’s his boss. But it’s just Jaemin, sticking his head inside.

He looks like he doesn’t know what to think of Jungkook as he stares at him.

“Boss wants to see you,” he curtly says.

Jungkook feels his stomach drop as he nods and gets up, “right, thanks.”

Jaemin disappears again, closing the door after him and leaving Jungkook alone to work up some courage. It couldn’t possibly become worse than it was on Friday, right?

His boss should’ve calmed down by now. He’s probably still pissed and definitely hating Jungkook’s guts but hopefully not enough to punch him in the face again. As he makes his way out of his own office and towards his boss’ office, he considers turning on his heel and fleeing the scene like a true coward. However, he knows it won’t make the situation any better.

He fucked up and will deal with the consequences like the responsible man his parents raised him to be.

His boss doesn’t look up when Jungkook enters his office nor does he say anything. Jungkook closes the door behind him and steps further into the room, hands locked behind his back as he waits for whatever his boss wants to say. Silence surrounds both of them as he watches his boss – your father – sign a few papers before punching holes in them rather passive aggressively and then putting them away in a binder. He points to one of the chairs in front of his desk, glancing at Jungkook.

“Sit.”

Jungkook nods curtly and sits down, deciding he should probably obey and not test the waters right now. He’s not sure what to expect but he certainly didn’t get called in here to receive a promotion. If anything, he’s most likely getting fired in a minute or so. His boss probably regrets letting Jungkook keep his job and will tell him he’s fired, that he needs to pack his stuff and leave today. He will probably also be told to never show up here again, not even in ten years time when you’ve moved on and found someone else more fitting for you.

“Help me out here, Jungkook,” his boss sighs after a long minute of no words being exchanged.

“Sorry, sir?”

Jungkook is confused. Very, very confused.

The man he has considered a role model for years chuckles humorlessly and shrugs, clasping his hands together on top of his desk. “You see, the problem is that I want to fire you. I want to ruin your future chances of ever getting a head position like this again. But then I would lose the best CMO I’ve ever had and that would be very foolish of me, don’t you think?”

Jungkook stays quiet, not sure what to say in response to that.

‘Thank you, sir, for not firing me and ruining my career’?

No, if anyone ruined his career, it would be Jungkook himself. He knew, when he started to get involved with you, that he was risking quite literally everything, but he did it anyway and he did it for a long time. It’s not like his boss ever told him you were off limits. He had no reason to because it was never an actual issue.

Besides, everyone knows you’re the most precious thing in your father’s life.

Jungkook has always known that your father would do anything to keep you from any hardships; including heartbreaks. He also knows his boss always wants to approve of the boy his only daughter is dating. And yet, despite all of this, he still allowed himself to feel more than just attraction towards you – he acted upon it and he even allowed himself to fall for you and let you into his life like you were going to stay for a long, long time. He let you completely infiltrate his life and his mind, causing him to forget about the possible consequences.

“I’m very tempted to just let you go and not give a shit about what happens to your career… or you, for that matter,” he grumbles.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say, sir,” Jungkook says in return after a short moment of silence, meeting his boss’ eyes.

He’s not looking at him the same way anymore. His eyes have become colder, less friendly. He used to feel comfortable around his boss, like they were pals and had known each other for a whole lifetime. He was almost like a father to Jungkook, especially when he first began working here after graduating college. He was pretty much on his own as his parents lived in the other end of the country and the job he wanted was here where he barely knew anyone except for the few friends he kept in contact with from college. His boss took him under his wing while at work, seeing potential in him and gave him more responsibility than any new employee had ever been trusted with before.

Jungkook owes his boss a lot – pretty much his entire career at this point.

“You can’t see her, Jungkook – I know you know that and we both know you’re smart enough to not go behind my back again.”

Those words hit hard. He already knew this but hearing it coming from his boss in such a calm, steady voice makes it seem more real, like a threat. And in this moment he knows there isn’t much he can do or say that’ll make his boss change his mind. He’s not even sure what would be a good enough reason for him to say ‘it’s fine, date her all you want’.

“Listen, I’ll make you a deal,” his boss then says, getting up from his seat to walk around his desk. Jungkook watches, his nerves on fire as his boss leans against the desk, arms crossed over his chest. “If you stay away from my daughter, I’ll let you keep your job and we can forget this whole thing.”

Jungkook nods, still not sure what to say or do. Is this deal even worth it? It should be, right?

“But,” his boss continues, “if I ever see you with or near ____ again, I will make your life a living hell. I will make it impossible for you to get a position like this ever again. I will make sure your actions will have consequences. Understood?”

The discreet threat has Jungkook’s nerves going off; reputation and contacts are important within this field and without them you won’t get far. No job would compare to the one he has at your father’s company. This job formed him into who he is today and the people here have been a big part of that – including your father. He likes the idea of having been a part of it for a long time and he likes the stability that comes with it. He likes the freedom he has, or probably more like had. Things won’t be the same for a while, not until his boss has forgotten about this whole thing.

If he ever will, that is.

“Do we have a deal?”

He glances up at his boss, pursing his lips for a moment as he thinks about ‘the deal’ his boss just presented to him.

It’s a real shit deal – it’s a ‘choose one, lose one’ kind of deal and it makes Jungkook feel like the entire universe is against him at this point. Losing his job would be awful and losing you would be awful too, if not worse. During these past few months, Jungkook has been happier than he’s ever been despite the fact that his relationship with you has been kept a secret from almost everyone he knows.

However, this outcome shouldn’t come as a surprise to him. He already knew it would end with this if the two of you didn’t come clean to your father about your relationship. But he found out before you even had the chance to tell him and now it’s all messed up and crumbling within Jungkook’s hands.

He knows what he has to do, so he slowly nods in response to his boss’s question. His boss curtly nods in return as if to approve of Jungkook’s choice, offering a hand for him to shake. Jungkook feels even worse than he did this morning as he shakes his boss's hand, already having a feeling that this deal won’t benefit any of the people involved, but he has to try.

If he agrees to your father’s terms and distances himself from you, then maybe – just maybe – he will try to see it from another perspective one day.

“Come on… pick up, pick up, pick up-“

Hey, you’ve reached Jeon Jungkook. I can’t answer the phone right now. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.

You let out a frustrated groan, dialing his number one more time and pressing the phone to your ear. You’re staring at the ceiling of your dorm, the hand not tightly gripping your phone is picking at your bottom lip as you wait anxiously. The sound of the phone ringing echoes in your head, your heart is beating one hundred miles per minute in your chest. By this point, you’re convinced you can feel your heart slowly crumbling to tiny pieces the more Jungkook ignores your calls.

It’s Wednesday afternoon.

It’s been five days since you last saw him and talked to him. He’s been ignoring every call you’ve made, every text you’ve sent. He hasn’t even read them and you’re not sure if that offends you more than him not replying. Either way you’re offended by the fact that he’s neglecting all of your phone calls and texts, no matter if he replies or not. The fact that the phone rings for a while tells you that it’s not even turned off, he’s just watching it ring and ignoring it anyway.

For the past three days you’ve been to classes, getting started on the new semester. You already knew on Monday that if you didn’t busy yourself, you’d drive yourself crazy and Jungkook too because you’d be calling and texting non-stop.

You gave him the space he asked for over the weekend and once Monday rolled around, you found yourself trying to contact him. This whole ‘keeping it on the down low’ is getting the best of you and you miss him terribly. At this point, you’ve probably called him a few times throughout the day for the past three days but right now, you’ve already called him twice within a few minutes, growing very impatient with him.

You probably look desperate as hell but you don’t really care at this point.

The ringing stops and you hold your breath for a second. Just for a mere moment you get your hopes up only for them to crash down onto the floor again as his voicemail plays for a second time; Hey, you’ve reached Jeon Jungkook. I can’t answer the phone right now. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.

What a fucking liar – you’ve left several messages and he hasn’t gotten back to you at all.

You sigh deeply in defeat and get up from your tiny twin-sized bed, dumping your phone on it before going to the bathroom to take a shower to get your thoughts off it all for a bit. You might as well just get ready and go have dinner at your parents’ house.

Your father had texted you a few days ago, asking if you wanted to stop by for dinner. When his message had ticked in on your phone, you found yourself feeling slightly bad for telling him ‘screw you’ and then leaving his car and slamming the door in his face before storming inside your dorm. You had replied with a simple ‘sure’ to his invitation, hoping that you will be able to talk some common sense into his thick skull over dinner.

However, you’re not sure if it’ll be just him and you or if your mother will make an appearance too. It would be nice to have some good things happening when you’re having the worst time of your life right now. Although, you know it’ll be too good to be true if your mother actually came to dinner as well.

Your parent’s mansion is filled with a delicious aroma when you walk through the front door. It has your stomach grumbling in pure hunger, causing you to realize that you almost haven’t eaten a single thing today. You had a lot of classes today with the first project of the semester being introduced today as well and then you spent a while trying to reach Jungkook. And now you’re here. Hungry and exhausted, upset and hurt.

“Oh, hey, Pumpkin,” your father greets you when you step into the kitchen. He’s cooking today; a kitchen towel thrown over his shoulder as he’s chopping up carrots and onions. No sight of your mother but you weren’t really expecting that. However, you can’t fight the instant frown that takes over your features.

“Hey…” You can’t help but look at him with skepticism, wondering why he’s suddenly cooking when he usually only uses the kitchen to make his coffee in the morning. He has a chef who cooks for him on most nights. It’s not that your father doesn’t know how to cook, in fact, he’s pretty good at it. It’s usually something he doesn’t do himself because he leaves work so late most days and it makes life a little bit easier if dinner is already cooked and ready to be served when he arrives home.

The grin he sports has you even more confused. Why is he trying to be all nice? Why is he acting like nothing happened? Maybe this is his way of apologizing? Maybe he knows you’re pissed at him and that all of this is his fault.

“What’s going on?” You ask, raising an eyebrow in question.

Your father chuckles and shrugs, “can’t a father make his daughter a nice meal without having an agenda these days?”

Oh, okay, so he’s gonna act like nothing happened.

As he shakes his head at you with a small smile on his lips, you feel anger burning in your veins. How can he act like nothing happened? He pretty much ruined that one good thing in your life and acts like it’s no big deal.

“Why are you acting like nothing happened?”

Frustration is laced within your words, confusion written all over your face as you cross your arms over your chest and wait for his answer, his reaction.

He sighs deeply as if you bringing this up is taking a toll on him, as if it’s a waste of time for the two of you, “____, what I did was for your own good. I hope you know that.”

For your own good?

If he wanted to do something for ‘your own good’, he would hear you out and give Jungkook a chance. Ever since you and Jungkook confessed your feelings and came to terms with them, your life has been a fairytale. The time and moments you’ve spent with Jungkook has only brought you happiness and being with him feels right. It feels like you belong there and you’ll be damned if your father will take that away from you.

“What did you think was gonna happen when you invited me here? That we were going to sit down and have dinner together and act all buddy buddy?”

“____…”

“No, dad, you’re not taking my relationship with Jungkook seriously! You’re not taking me seriously. I’m an adult and you need to start treating me like one.”

Pushed to his limit, your father pulls the dish towel from his shoulder and throws it onto the kitchen counter, his eyes turning harder as fury flashes across them, “I will start treating you like one when you stop acting so damn childish.”

“This is not just a childish fling,” you protest immediately just as he turns his back to you to check on the vegetables that’s still frying on the stove behind him. Your throat tightens as words you haven’t said out loud yet sit at the tip of your tongue. However, they spill out of you before you can think twice, “I love him.”

Your father whirls around to face you, his eyes wide in shock. Your own eyes mirror his and you’re not entirely sure what you just said. But there’s no reason to be surprised – you knew falling in love with Jungkook was inevitable. You’ve had a feeling lately that your feelings for him were about to take a much more serious turn. You’re not sure when you reached the stage of love but here you are, finally realizing – or more like admitting – how you feel about Jungkook in front of your father and you can’t even tell the man in question because he’s not answering your damn phone calls or texts.

However, your father scoffs and then laughs. He laughs! “Oh, please! What could you possibly know about love?”

Furious and frustrated, you look him in the eye and snap your next words at him; “a whole lot more than you, that’s for sure!”

He catches on right away, his entire face twisting into something that could be mistaken for pain but you’re not sure. If he’s hurting because of your mother not being around, then maybe he should start focusing on that instead of your relationship with Jungkook. It’s always easier to deal with everyone else’s problems rather than your own despite knowing you should deal with your own shit before meddling with other people’s lives.

Even if it’s your daughter’s life.

“Your mother and I being separated has nothing to do with this,” he sternly says as he looks at you with those furious eyes you haven’t witnessed many times throughout your life; the same eyes you saw on Friday when everything went terribly wrong. “You wouldn’t know what it’s like to love someone because you’ve never experienced it. So don’t use that excuse with me, alright?”

Anger burns in your body, filling your veins and chest and taking control of your whole demeanor. Tears are pressing against your eyelids, building up in your eyes as you look at your father – the man who has been spoiling you your entire life, treating you like a princess and watching out for you every single day in case you’d get hurt.

The man in front of you is not him.

No, the man in front of you is a whole other version of your father; someone who’s insecure, someone who’s losing control, someone who’s trying to force everyone to fit into his perfect frame. At this rate, you’re really not blaming your mother for leaving.

“Maybe I would know if my parents actually cared about each other!”

The words leave you before you can stop them, your voice breaking. The silence filling the kitchen after is unbearable, so loud and so, so heavy – painful. You inhale deeply and hold your head up, fighting back your tears.

“Enjoy your dinner,” you tell him. “I’m not staying.”

You feel your chin quiver as you turn on your heel before you can see how your father reacts, heading for the front door. You slam it after you on your way out, mentally swearing to yourself that you won’t set foot in this house until he’s ready to see it from your perspective, to let you explain the situation so that he’s not only blaming Jungkook but you as well. He still thinks it’s only Jungkook who’s at fault here when he’s far from it. This whole mess is your fault just as much.

“____, get back here right now!”

Your father’s voice is faint and drowned out by the sound of you slamming the front door on your way out, heading back to the car that you, funnily enough, also received from your father as a gift back when you got your driver's license. You haven’t used it for a while as Jungkook has been picking you up and driving you back to your dorm almost every time you’d spend time together.

Now you’re back in your own small car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly your knuckles turn white. Your vision is blurry from the tears you’re trying so hard not to let fall. You haven’t allowed yourself to feel the pain of it all yet, keeping yourself so busy that you haven’t had time to sit down and relax because then you’d end up thinking about it and then you’d probably end up crying too.

Which is happening right now.

God, you hate crying – it’s not like you.

Sniffling and wiping away the dampness underneath your eyes, you dig out your phone only to be disappointed once again, heart sinking to your stomach. There’s still no reply from Jungkook. You sigh heavily, shoulders slumping as your head falls back against the headrest, eyes falling shut as you sit in silence, not sure what to do or where to go.

Going back to your dorm will only make this worse – that will allow you to sit by yourself and wallow in self pity. Going to one of your friends’ houses is the last thing you need right now – they wouldn’t understand anyway.

After a few minutes of staring at nothing in particular, you turn on the ignition and drive in the direction of a place you’ve become very familiar with during the past few months. If he won’t answer your calls, you’ll just go there and force him to talk to you. Yes, there’s a possible chance that you’re slowly losing your common sense but that’s what love does to you. And you can’t think of someone else who can possibly comfort you more right now than him.

Besides, things can’t be worse than they are right now… right?

Jungkook is filling his fridge with beers, preparing for the monthly poker night with a few friends, something he’s most definitely not in the mood for but he needs to get his mind off all the shit that’s happening right now and this seems like the best option to do so.

However, a confused expression takes over his features when someone suddenly knocks on his front door while he’s putting the last beer in the fridge before closing it. Jungkook glances at the clock on the wall, noticing it’s only half past six. His friends aren’t supposed to be here until seven.

Whoever is at the door knocks again as Jungkook makes his way to the front door. Looking through the peephole in the door, he freezes.

It’s you. What are you doing here?

If your father finds out you’re here at Jungkook’s place, the deal he just agreed to the other day will be flushed right down the drain and he’ll no longer have a job. He’s been trying to figure out how to tell you, how to end things with you – how to make you not hate him with your entire being. The guilt has been eating at him for the past few days and while he knows he should’ve called you first thing on Monday after agreeing to the deal with your father, he couldn’t get himself to do it because he knew he’d be breaking your heart.

For a third time because that’s all he knows how to do apparently.

“Jungkook?” You call out his name, your voice small as if you’re afraid he’ll get mad that you’re here.

He’s not mad, he’s not even annoyed with you. He’s torn because he wants to open the door and let you in. He wants to pull you in for a hug, a kiss. It’s been five days since he saw you last and while it’s easy to stay away when you aren’t right next to him, it’s torture knowing you’re on the other side of the door, pleading for him to talk to you.

“Jungkook, please open the door.”

The pleading tone of your voice has him sighing in defeat as he unlocks the door and opens it. The sight he’s met with causes his heart to break in half. Your eyes meet his – they’re red around the edges, wet eyelashes and your beautiful, glossy lips are twisted into a frown that shouldn’t be on your face in the first place.

“What happened?” He immediately asks, sensing something more than this mess with the two of you is taking a toll on you. Otherwise you would probably show up angry and offended, giving him hell for ignoring your calls rather than on the verge of tears.

You try your best to smile at him the moment he opens the door but instead of a smile, your bottom lip trembles and tears begin to fill your eyes again. You didn’t come here to cry but the fight with your father and the sight of Jungkook after five days without so much as a text hits you all at once.

It takes less than a second for Jungkook to step forward and embrace you in his arms, hugging you to his chest and engulfing you in his warmth. A pang of guilt and regret shoots through Jungkook’s entire body when he feels a sob raking through you before it escapes your lips, muffled by Jungkook’s T-shirt. You’re clutching the fabric of his T-shirt in your fist as he carefully brings you inside his apartment, closing the door after him. He holds you close as he quietly waits for you to say something, to tell him what’s going on.

After a few minutes of silence filled by your muffled cries and sniffles and Jungkook’s soft, comforting coos against your hair, you lift your head. However, you don’t look at him. You step away from his embrace, forcing Jungkook to remove his arms from around you. His body feels cold after you’ve created a good amount of distance between the two of you and he feels an urge to pull you back just to feel your warmth against him. But he never does. Instead he watches you as you turn your back to him, hands quickly wiping away your tears as if he’s not allowed to see them.

“____,” he calmly says your name, catching your attention.

You turn back around to face him, finally fully looking at him. You can’t help but scan him from top to toe; he’s wearing a pair of washed black jeans paired with a black t-shirt that isn’t oversized like it usually is. His tattoo covered arm is folded over his chest along with his other completely bare one and if you weren’t such a mess right now, you’d tell him he looks good. He always does.

“What’s going on?” Jungkook asks, looking concerned as your eyes meet his dark, brown ones.

You sniffle and let out a shaky sigh, looking around just to avoid the worried look on his face, “I was just at my parents’ house and um… my dad was cooking dinner and he was in a really good mood but then all of a sudden it just blows up a-and we start yelling at each other–”

Jungkook is at your side within a second as your words become frantic and sporadic. His hand finds yours, fingers intertwining out of habit, and you don't know why but it makes you want to cry again.

Damn him and all these feelings he’s making you feel.

He softly tugs you along, pulling you to the couch. “Take your time,” he tells you, voice comforting and calm as he sits you down before sitting down next to you. His hand doesn't leave yours and you feel relieved that he isn’t creating distance between you again like he did at the office on Friday. His thumb caresses the back of your hand as if to encourage you to tell him why you’re suddenly sitting here on his couch, teared up with a frown on your face.

“I told him that I…”

You begin but stop once you realize what you’re about to tell him. You can’t tell Jungkook that you love him? Not when you have no idea what he’s thinking about this whole thing. What if he doesn’t feel the same way about you at all? You’d rather keep it to yourself and prevent a heartbreak instead of telling him and being rejected. You wipe away the rest of the wetness on your cheeks before looking at him again.

Jungkook gives your hand a squeeze as you sigh in defeat, “there’s something I haven’t told you.”

The soft brushing of Jungkook’s thumb stops its caressing strokes for a moment, but he doesn’t pull his hand away from yours so you continue; “my parents have been separated for a while. My mom lives downtown by herself and I… I haven’t seen her in weeks. My dad’s been trying to keep it together but I don’t think he’s doing that well.”

“What?” Jungkook asks, surprised to hear this about his boss. He always thought his boss was a happily married man with the perfect daughter and the perfect job; having literally everything most people wish for. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I guess I didn’t wanna believe it and I thought that maybe if I didn’t say it out loud, it would be less true,” you shrug and look down at your intertwined hands.

His free hand gently touches your chin, urging you to look him in the eye. His eyes shift between yours for a moment before he says, “baby, I hope you know you can talk to me about these things. I don’t want you to deal with all that by yourself.”

A jab of brief relief shoots through your body as the nickname falls from Jungkook’s mouth. A small smile spreads across your lips as you scoot closer, slowly leaning in and letting your forehead touch his.

Jungkook lets out a deep sigh as his hand slides from your chin and up to the nape of your neck. Before he can stop himself, he’s pressing a kiss to your forehead, causing butterflies to erupt in your stomach and a small sliver of hope to appear; maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem.

You let out a soft sigh, voice careful and barely above a whisper, “I really miss you.”

Jungkook stays quiet. Not sure what to say or do, he pulls away enough to let his eyes meet yours again. You’re smiling at him but it’s not your usual bright smile that makes his heart skip a beat; it’s a sad smile, one that makes him want to scream at the entire universe for being so unfair to him – to you. You shouldn’t be taking the blame for being with Jungkook. You’ve done nothing wrong and you didn’t go behind your father’s back like Jungkook did. And now there’s bad air between you and your father, all because of him.

I miss you too, Jungkook says in his head but another part of him keeps him from saying it out loud.

It’s quiet in Jungkook’s living room, the only sounds being the gentle sighs you both let out once in a while. Even though it has been a mess this past week, it feels like things will be alright. You feel like things will work out for you and Jungkook as you sit quietly, watching him as his eyes scan your face – your eyes, the slope of your nose and down to your lips, soft and kissable lips he so badly wants to devour and touch as if everything is like it used to be. But he knows he shouldn’t and he knows you shouldn’t be here because your father will put two and two together sooner or later.

Where else would you go if not your dorm? Jungkook’s place is the first place your father would look.

“You shouldn’t be here, ____,” Jungkook quietly tells you, his eyes avoiding yours because he knows a wave of confusion and hurt flashes through them as your breath hitches in your throat.

There goes that sliver of hope.

“But-“

He shakes his head, glancing at you with regretful eyes.

You feel an urge to slap the pained expression off his face. How can he do this to you? Right after you’ve bared yourself in front of him and made yourself vulnerable by telling him about your family falling apart and that you miss him despite not knowing if it would make much of a difference or not.

“We can’t keep doing this. There has always been a limit on our time together and we’ve reached it.”

Shaking your head in disbelief, you chuckle dryly, “you can’t be serious right now.”

Jungkook watches as you get up from the couch, running your hands through your hair, frustration and confusion evident on your face. He sits back, hating every second of this. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to break up with you because he knows you and you’re not one to give in or give up without getting your point across first. Except, this time, you’re unusually quiet as you move around his living room, muttering quiet words to yourself while looking at the ceiling.

If Jungkook didn’t know any better, he’d say it sounds like you’re telling yourself not to cry. Repeatedly.

“____,” he tries, causing you to face him again. He mentally winces as he notices the unshed tears in your eyes. He moves to get up but the hand you hold up to stop him has him settling on the edge of the couch. He sighs, shoulders slumping, “you know I’m right…”

“Please shut up,” you whisper, covering your face with your hands.

“I can’t be the reason for you and your dad not talking, ____, I’ll never be able to forgive myself for that.”

You scoff, removing your hands from your face, helplessly dropping them to your sides, “but ending us is fine? Jungkook, my dad will get over it! He’s just in shock because he found out like he did.”

“And if he doesn’t? Then what, ___?”

Sure, he’ll get over it eventually. But Jungkook will lose his job and his reputation within the business will be severely damaged. Your father knows enough people to make it happen and he didn’t seem to be kidding on Monday when he presented the deal to Jungkook. And he certainly wouldn’t have taken no for an answer.

Even if Jungkook decided to be with you despite the deal he made with your father, your relationship to your father would still be hanging by a thread because Jungkook is still in your life. The only way he can be in your life right now is to break up with you and hopefully see you around once in a while. Maybe in the future, you’ll be able to talk again after your father has forgotten all about it.

By that time, you will probably have moved on and found someone else who’s been approved by your father and isn’t one of his employees.

It’ll probably end up being some guy around your own age too.

“Then he will just have to deal with it,” you shrug, seeming convinced that it’ll all work out for the better. “Can’t we just go back to keeping us a secret? We can still be together and be more careful – I won’t come visit you at the office, we’ll just see in each other at home and–”

It’s in times like this that Jungkook is reminded just how much younger you are. You can’t see the bigger picture and you don’t understand what’s at risk here. Or perhaps you’re being the grown up here by not accepting the terms your father has set for the two of you? Jungkook can’t tell anymore – it’s confusing. Maybe if the two of you had been honest from the start, you wouldn’t be in this mess at all.

“No,” Jungkook shakes his head, chest tightening and heart falling to the pit of his stomach because of his next words; “I promised your dad I wouldn’t see you anymore. I’ve already lost his trust, I can’t afford to lose more if I want to keep my job.”

He can’t afford to lose more because he already lost you. A tiny part of him feels like he never really had you at all and it’s almost like he already knew that deep inside. But despite that he allowed himself to take whatever he could get a hold of – allowed himself to fall in love with you.

“You promised my dad not to see me? Did you shake on it too?” You scoff, not believing what he’s saying right now. When he stays quiet, his jaw tightening, you can’t help but cover your mouth, shocked that your sarcastic comment ended up being true. “So that’s it then? You’re breaking up with me because my dad told you to?”

He shrugs helplessly, “he’s my boss, ____ … What do you expect me to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” you scoff, “stand up for yourself, maybe?”

“Don’t do this, please. It’s over, ____,” he sighs, looking lost and defeated, like he doesn’t have any other choice but to break up with you. By his logic, he doesn’t have much of a choice. But then again, is that even valid? His mind hasn’t been functioning properly for months.

A thick and heavy silence rolls over his living room as you both fall quiet. Jungkook’s words are still hanging in the air and they’re so loud. It’s over. That’s what he said just a moment ago and every time you replay it in your head, you feel another tiny piece break off your heart and fall into the very gut of your stomach.

Never in your twenty years of life have you been this hurt and disappointed before. You’re seconds away from swearing at him, shouting at him for being so stupid and ignorant, slapping him across the face for thinking the only solution would be agreeing to the terms your father laid out. You can almost hear your heart falling out of your chest and onto the floor, breaking into a million pieces.

That’s how quiet it is.

You have to get out of here. You can barely even look at Jungkook without wanting to burst into tears; it hurts too much. You want him so bad but he just told you it’s over between you and he doesn’t even seem to be fazed by it. The room is definitely shrinking in on you, turning suffocating as you glance at him once more. A jab of pain shoots through your chest, causing you to get up and grab your things.

“____…” Jungkook says your name with a gentle sigh as he watches you furiously grab your things, the hint of tears in your eyes threatening to spill over once again.

You ignore him though, sniffling and quickly wiping your eyes to get rid of the tears as you head towards the front door. Your heart is clenching in your chest and his apartment – his home – feels ten times smaller than it usually does, the warmth it usually holds gone within a heartbeat.

The second you grab the door and fling it open to storm out of it, you freeze as you’re met by surprised faces. A guy with brown messy hair has his hand held up in a closed fist as if he’s about to knock on the door, his almost black eyes meeting your wet ones.

“Oh– hello!”

A boxy grin spreads across his face as he brings his closed fist down and unfolds it to offer it to you in a handshake. Behind you on the couch Jungkook pinches the bridge of his nose and swears under his breath as he notices the time. It’s almost seven and sure enough, his friends are on time as per usual.

“Nice to meet you – I’m Taehyung, this is Seokjin,” he introduces himself and the guy behind him before glancing over your shoulder at Jungkook. “Hey, Jungkook, why didn’t you tell us you’d have a girl over tonight? We would’ve brought more snacks.”

Your boyfriend, or whatever he is right now, gets up from the couch while running a hand through his hair before shrugging, stumbling over his words. “I- um… well, she-”

“I was just about to leave,” you interrupt, saving Jungkook from explaining once again like you did on Friday. You earn a pained look from him as if he doesn’t want you to leave just yet. But he obviously had plans before you got here so you might as well leave. Besides, it’s over between you and him anyways. “So yeah, I’m gonna go… it was really nice meeting you-“

Before you can move past them, Taehyung stops you; “woah, hold on, why don’t you join our game night?”

Seokjin suddenly speaks up from his spot next to Jungkook, “yeah, you should stay! We’re playing poker tonight and there’s always room for one more, right, Jungkook?”

He looks at Jungkook with an expectant smile, waiting for Jungkook to approve of their spontaneous idea. You wait, not sure if you should insist on leaving or if you should just play along and pretend everything is fine even though it’s far from it. You want to leave, the mere sight of Jungkook right now causing your chest to tighten in the worst way possible. However, another part of you doesn’t want to realize that it’s really over between you, that maybe if you stay things will go back to normal. The beers in Taehyung’s hand do seem really inviting too. Maybe a night of drinking some beers and playing poker will be just what you need – even if it’s with Jungkook and his friends.

“Sure, why not?” Jungkook finally shrugs, shooting a stiff smile at his friends. Taehyung wraps an arm around your shoulders to give you a friendly squeeze, the same bright smile still etched on his face when he lets go of you again and heads towards the kitchen island. You tell yourself this is a bad idea, that this will only drag out the pain you’re feeling, as you put your things down once again, making yourself at home.

One hour and you’ll leave.

You watch as Jungkook’s friends begin unpacking the beers and putting them into the fridge while taking out some cold ones in the process. You slowly make your way to the kitchen island, not sure where to place yourself or what to do. The other friend, who’s name you still don’t know, spots you on the other side of the counter. He offers his hand, a kind smile on his face as he introduces himself, “I’m Jin, by the way.”

Oh, so this is Jin.

A faint memory involving Jungkook and a desk flashes through your mind as you smile kindly and shake his hand. You can tell Jungkook is thinking the same thing as you as he lightly clears his throat when he notices the realization on your face. “Hi, Jin, I’m ____.”

Jin quickly looks at Jungkook while still shaking your hand, “wait, this is the ____?”

Jungkook looks like his biggest secret has been revealed when you glance at him. He slowly nods in response to Jin’s question while crossing his arms over his chest.

Wait, he told his friends about you?

You were under the impression that none of Jungkook’s friends or family knew about you. The only people in your life who know about you and Jungkook are Seunghun and two of your other friends.

… And now your father too.

Taehyung turns to join in on the conversation, giving Jin a suspicious look, “you already know ____?”

Jin and Jungkook exchange looks for a moment before Jin shrugs and vaguely nods. “Kinda,” he says, “Jungkook has mentioned her a few times.”

If you didn’t know any better, you’d say Jungkook’s ears are slowly turning a faint pink color as the words leave Jin’s mouth. He doesn’t look at you as he grabs two bags of snacks, taking them to the other side of the kitchen to grab some bowls for them. A small smile spreads across your face as Jungkook tries to stir the conversation elsewhere. “So, where’s Yoongi?”

“On his way,” Taehyung says as he begins to unpack the poker game onto Jungkook’s dining table.

You seat yourself on one of the bar stools by the kitchen island, watching the boys set up everything for the game night. Jungkook places a few bowls of snacks on the table, Jin follows with the cold beers. Just as everything is all set up, the front door opens. You glance in the direction of it, watching as another man with platinum blonde hair enters. He nods in the direction of the boys, greeting them silently as he kicks off his shoes.

This must be the missing one; Yoongi.

He makes his way to the dining table, passing you on the way. His eyes meet yours shortly, a low ‘hey’ leaving him. You mutter a soft ‘hi’ in return and watch as he almost immediately spots the beer and reaches for one. He uncaps it before turning to hand it to you. He offers you a flat, friendly smile as you accept it with a small ‘thanks’.

“You look like you could use one.”

You can’t help but snort, “it’s that obvious?”

He shrugs, glancing at the other boys before looking back at you. Jungkook carefully listens in on the conversation between you and Yoongi, some sort of unfamiliar feeling growing within him as you let your guard down to someone you just met. “It’s not not obvious. Those two though,” he points at Taehyung and Jin, “are just too dumb to catch onto it.”

You laugh and take a swig of the beer he gave you. He smirks softly, “yeah, you’d think Jin would notice stuff like that since he’s married with kids and everything but…”

Yoongi is a nice guy. Very comfortable and calm to be around, and you find yourself already enjoying his company as he tells you to join him and the others at the table. Something about the way he immediately knew something was going on has you intrigued – he seems like an interesting person; very good at reading the room and knowing what to say without sounding too harsh or intrusive. It’s nice and refreshing, especially after the talk you and Jungkook just had before they arrived.

You sit down next to Yoongi, spotting Jungkook across from you when he clears his throat and grabs the cards. He pops a few peanuts into his mouth before glancing around the table. You watch intently as he starts mixing and dealing the cards, “alright, let’s play-“

“Wait,” Taehyung suddenly says, causing Jungkook to pause in his actions. Taehyung looks at you from his seat next to you. “____, do you know how to play poker?”

“Not really,” you shrug nonchalantly, “but how hard can it be?”

Yoongi lets out a chuckle from next to you as he leans back in his seat, taking another swig of his beer. Jin and Taehyung grins at your obvious confidence that it can’t be that difficult to play poker.

Jungkook watches you, his hooded gaze settled on you as you listen carefully to Taehyung who’s explaining the game of poker to you. He’s not sure what he hates the most; you getting along with his friends or his friends taking a liking to you. Either way, it’s not ideal because he just told you that you shouldn’t be seeing each other and here you are, meeting his friends and even crashing his game night, dumping your lovable personality onto all of them.

Throughout the night, you’re talking to everyone else but Jungkook. He didn’t expect you to talk to him but every time your eyes met across the table he had hoped you’d say something. You never did. But it’s not like Jungkook did much of an effort either.

One hour turns into a few more and it’s almost ten o’clock by now. Jungkook has downed a few beers and so have you which means you’re relatively more talkative than you already are on a daily basis. You’re really hitting it off with Yoongi and Taehyung which doesn’t sit right with Jungkook at all. He knows his friends would never make a move on you and he has no right to be jealous when he’s the one to break up with you. He just can’t help himself – you’re the only one who’s ever made him feel like this and it’s driving him insane because he can’t do shit about it. Not without losing his job, his reputation or you.

The night soon comes to an end when Jin gets up from his seat, “I should get going, can’t have the missus dealing with two small kids by herself for too long.”

Jungkook and the other boys huff out a chuckle each, all of them telling Jin to get home safely and to tell his wife they said hello. He pats Jungkook on the shoulder, leaning down to say something that makes Jungkook’s faint smile disappear.

“She’s a great girl, Jungkook, do yourself a favor and don’t fuck it up,” he quietly tells him before heading towards the door, slipping on his shoes and leaving.

Too late, Jin, too fucking late.

The other two soon follow suit after Jin. Both of them make sure to tell you goodbye and that they’re hoping to see you around soon again. You smile at their words, trying to stay positive despite knowing you probably won’t be here much after tonight if Jungkook really meant what he said earlier. Just the mere thought of not being here in Jungkook’s home makes you feel incredibly empty inside.

After Yoongi leaves as the last one, Jungkook shuts the door. You stay seated at the dining table, watching in silence as he starts cleaning up the bowls that once contained snacks. He also gets rid of the empty beer bottles and packs up the poker game before putting it back in its place on a shelf. The tension doubled in size the moment you and Jungkook were left alone, the absence of his friends being the main reason. It felt like the tension had dissolved throughout the evening but it seems it was simply on hold until they’d leave again.

“I really like your friends,” you suddenly say.

Jungkook doesn’t say much, he stays quiet as he finishes tidying up. You pick at your fingers, hesitating to speak again but decide to do it anyway when Jungkook doesn’t make an effort to engage in the conversation.

“They’re fun to be around.”

Still no words from him and you’ve run out of things to say that’d make sense at this very moment. The silence is so painful. Quietness and silence used to be comfortable around Jungkook but now… it’s unbearable. You feel like everything you do; breathing, sighing, thinking – it’s too loud and it makes the atmosphere within the room seem even quieter.

“Can you please say something?” You plead, giving up on the small-talk because it’s ridiculous and it won’t get you anywhere. You need him to say something – anything – because the last few hours are so confusing. Nothing makes sense anymore.

Jungkook stays in the kitchen, back facing you as his hands tightly grip onto the edge of the countertop. His arms flex, the muscles in them contradicting for every time his hands clench and unclench. His back seems broader than the usual in the fitting t-shirt he’s wearing today; a stark contrast to the oversized ones he usually wears when he’s not wearing button-ups and blazers.

You’re only half aware of your actions as you get up from your seat at the dining table, making your way to the kitchen. Jungkook feels your presence as soon as you reach the kitchen island, your nervous breathing extremely loud in the quietness of his home.

“Jungkook?” You call his name, the sound of it falling from your lips causing goosebumps to rise upon his skin. His entire body stiffens when he feels your palm come in contact with his back. And then he sighs heavily as if he’s been waiting for you to finally touch him again.

This is a fucking mess.

He can’t control what he wants and what he doesn’t want. One second he wants to touch you, hold your hand and kiss every part of you and the next he’s telling you to leave, that you shouldn’t be here. And now… he’s craving you. More than he ever has and it’s tearing him apart on the inside because he knows he shouldn’t even be near you right now. You should’ve left hours ago, you shouldn’t have met his friends because now you’re even more part of his life than before and they liked you.

Fuck, you got along with them so well and Jungkook loved it.

“I should just go… I can’t do this–“ you say and shake your head in disappointment when Jungkook still doesn’t say a single word.

Before you can move too far away, he’s reaching for you causing you to yelp in surprise, his hands pulling you against him. He grabs you by the nape of your neck to pull you in, his lips crashing to yours in a kiss that speaks volumes compared to any words he would ever have the courage to say to your face.

You melt against him, your hands tightly gripping onto the fabric of his t-shirt as his fingers curl within your hair and his other hand slides around your waist to keep you flush against him.

This kiss is unlike any kiss Jungkook has ever shared with anyone, even compared to all the kisses he’s been giving and receiving from you for the past few months. It’s the best kiss he’s ever had but it’s also the worst – it’s raw and it’s hurting him but it’s comforting him at the same time. It burns in his entire body, setting his skin on fire and making his heart run lap after lap after lap.

You feel it too, he can tell.

You’re clinging onto him, hands tightly gripping his t-shirt in hopes of making it last longer. And suddenly it tastes like salt; a bitter salty taste that forces him to pull away to catch his breath, to look at you, to make sure you’re okay. He barely catches a glimpse of the tears that are trickling down your cheeks before you’re pulling him back in for more.

“Don’t stop,” you whisper, connecting your lips with his again.

Jungkook gives in, letting himself do what he’s been trying not to all night. He swiftly picks you up, locking your legs around his waist as he starts making his way to his bedroom. Your arms wrap around his neck, hugging him close as you continue to desperately kiss his lips, tongue meeting his halfway. You deepen the kiss, causing Jungkook to moan against your lips as he welcomes it. He’s been craving your lips ever since you showed up at his front door earlier on in the evening.

He sits down on the edge of his bed, keeping you on his lap as you continue to kiss. His cock is growing hard underneath you, a natural reaction to you and your body, the way you kiss him with so much passion sending his mind spiraling. His cock is straining against his jeans as you begin to slowly grind your hips against him. Jungkook pulls away from the kiss, fingers gripping the hem of your shirt to pull it over your head, leaving you in your pants and bra.

Jungkook’s eyes meet yours.

He feels his chest tighten as he looks at you, takes you in. You’re so beautiful – without a doubt the most gorgeous woman he has ever had the pleasure of being with. He hates it right now though, having you like this while knowing it’ll be the last time.

You offer him a weak smile, one that doesn’t even reach your damp eyes as you lean in again, lips meeting his in a soft, careful kiss.

He sighs deeply against your lips, feeling all of you all at once. His hands roam your body, touching every part he can reach; sliding up the length of your thighs and around to cup your ass before sliding up the expanse of your back, fingertips digging into your skin. Your hands are cupping his face, keeping him close as you move again, grinding down on the hard bulge in his jeans.

Jungkook unclasps your bra, his fingertips delicately pulling the straps down your arms. You let him remove it entirely, only paying attention to the kisses you share as he throws it onto the floor. His own shirt soon follows as you reach for it, pulling it over his head. Your naked chest presses against his as he pulls you in, head tilting to the side to deepen the kiss, tongues meeting again.

The soft moans you let out against his mouth have him weak, his breathing becoming more and more uneven as your clothed core brushes over his growing, hardening bulge over and over.

“Fuck,” he swears under his breath, the word brushing against your lips as his hands tightly grip your hips.

“Jungkook…” You moan his name softly, arms snaking around his shoulders as your head tilts back in pure pleasure. His hips meet yours halfway, thrusting against you as he brushes his lips over the column of your neck. Making out and grinding against each other isn’t enough though, he has to taste you, be inside of you, fuck you until you’re both falling apart, make love to you one last time before you go your separate ways.

He needs this and so do you.

More than ever.

You let him move you onto the bed without questioning his actions, the look in his eyes saying enough as he hovers over you.

A shaky breath of air falls from you as he leaves a gentle kiss on your lips before moving down your body, lips peppering kisses all over your skin; against the top of your breasts, right next to a nipple and then on the underside of your breast. He moves on to your ribcage, kissing the skin repeatedly before he slides further down, leaving a trail of kisses on your stomach and right above the waistband of your pants. He takes his time, caressing your skin with his lips, taking you and your scent in, your warmth and the comfort that comes along with your presence.

You’re arching your back, in need of more of his kisses and touch. He sighs deeply against the skin of your stomach, kissing you over and over and over. Your hands slide into his hair, fingernails scratching his scalp, causing him to let out a soft moan.

He glances up at you, taking notice of the way your eyes are shut closed, lips parted to let out soft and breathy moans, his name falling from your lips in a quiet plea. His fingers hook into the waistband of your pants and panties, slowly pulling them both down to reveal you entirely, the frisky air of his bedroom hitting your damp core.

You shudder above him, goosebumps rising upon your skin as you spread your legs for him, making room for him to place himself there. Jungkook’s lips brush over the skin of your inner thighs, leaving a gentle kiss as he watches you – dark eyes zooming in on the way you bite your bottom lip and knit your eyebrows together in pleasure when he moves in to hover his mouth over your wet and soaking core.

“Please, Kook…” You whisper, the pleading tone of it sending shivers down his spine and going straight to his heart; the nickname causing his chest to clench painfully.

Without other words exchanged, Jungkook gently brings your legs over his shoulders and grips your thighs tightly before digging in, licking a thick stripe from the bottom to the top of your slit where he sucks your clit into his mouth. You let out the softest and prettiest whimper, arching your back once more as pleasure ripples through you from that one action.

“Oh– god..” you moan when he licks between your folds again, the tip of his tongue flicking your clit a few times before he buries his mouth and nose in your heat, inhaling you; the taste and scent of you.

He moans deeply against your core, sending vibrations through your body. Your hand reaches for one of his as your heels dig into his back, your hips bucking against his mouth as he continues to eat you out, lick and suck your clit like a starving man. He’s attentive; watching you the entire time while bringing you closer and closer to the edge, the taste of you spreading on his taste buds and bringing him to a euphoric place where being with you is like paradise for him.

“Kook–” You whimper, tightening your grip on his hand as your orgasm comes closer, soon to wash over you in big waves of immense pleasure.

Jungkook can tell from the way your moans turn higher in pitch, the end of them turning whiny. It’s one of your tells, one of the things that give you away and something you can’t hide even if you tried your best. You’re always so vocal and he loves it – even when he knows it’ll be the last time he hears it.

Your mouth falls agape, one of your hands moving to grip the sheets tightly when he brings his free hand up to rub circles onto your clit while fucking you with his tongue.

“Ah.. fuck–!”

Pleasure washes over you like a gigantic wave, sending you over the edge and into the blissful state of your orgasm. Jungkook laps up your cum, drinking you up while you come down from your high. He makes sure there’s not a single drop of your arousal left before moving up again, hovering above you. Your chest rises and falls heavily in ragged breaths of hot air as you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Your lips ghost over his, causing a chill to run down his spine, the warm air from your still ragged breathing causing goosebumps to rise upon his skin.

“Need you to fuck me, Kook– please…” You plead before gently kissing his lips over and over, your hands reaching down to undo his jeans.

Jungkook lets out a sigh against your mouth, feeling his resistance dissolve entirely. He connects his lips with yours in a deeper kiss, helping you push his jeans down until his hard cock is freed from its confinements. A hiss leaves him as you wrap your delicate hand around his length, pumping him a few times and running the pad of your thumb over the tip to collect the beads of precum, using it as a thin layer of lube.

Desperate to feel your warmth wrapped around him, Jungkook covers your hand with his own and guides his tip to your entrance. You hold your breath when he rubs himself up and down between your folds, collecting your arousal on his tip before sinking into you – torturously slow.

You gasp against his mouth, your hands reaching up to grab him by the nape of his neck, bringing his lips back on yours.

“Shit-” Jungkook breathes, the word fading into thin air between your mouths as he continues to slide into you, sinking deeper and deeper. The stretch feels amazing, so good. Your warmth engulfs his cock, welcoming him as if he’s returning to a place where he belongs.

He wants to belong here – right here, wrapped up in black sheets with your lips on his, hot bodies flush against each other, connected physically and emotionally on a level he has never experienced before – he would belong here if it weren’t for the universe being against him. But the universe works in funny, messed up ways and Jungkook must’ve really pissed off some higher power in his past life to live this life, being in love with someone he can’t have.

So fucking messed up.

“Feels good,” you whimper, bringing him back to his messy reality.

“Yeah?” Jungkook breathes.

You nod, biting your bottom lip as Jungkook bottoms out, pausing his movements. He lets out a heavy sigh, lips gently kissing yours over and over as he slides his hand down the side of your body to hook under the crook of your knee. He brings your leg around his waist before letting his hand slide down to your ass, giving it an affectionate squeeze as he deepens the kiss, distracting you while he pulls out and slides back in, even deeper than before.

“Oh.. my god,” you let out a gasping moan, breaking out of the kiss as he settles in a rhythm, slow and languid thrusts in and out, his length stretching you out again and again, brushing against your walls and your sensitive bundle of nerves. You cling onto him, arms wrapped around his neck to keep him close, lips brushing against each other in breathless moans and feathery kisses that cause goosebumps upon your skin.

“Taking my cock so well, baby…” Jungkook rasps, trailing his lips from yours and down to your neck, pressing kisses onto your scorching skin while slowly and sensually fucking into you, making love to you. “Always so good for me– my perfect girl…”

His possessive words have you whimpering underneath him, your walls clenching around his cock. Jungkook moans and lets himself get lost in you and your presence, slipping under and into that place where nothing is wrong, where everything is still right – back to before when it was just you and him and no one else.

His mouth searches for yours once again, like a magnet pulled towards its source of magnetism. He kisses you deeply as he grinds into you, sliding inside your warm wetness – so deep and tight, a snug yet perfect fit like a glove on a hand.

If you aren’t the perfect match for him then why does it feel so right? Why does everything about and around you feel so right if it’s wrong?

Unanswered questions fill Jungkook’s mind, causing him to fuck into you a little harder, a little rougher in an attempt to distract himself. Soon your moans and whimpers, delicate cries of his name fill his head instead, piercing through the questions and replacing them with you.

Just you… it’s always you.

“Ah- f-fuck, right there…” You cry, back arching into his chest as Jungkook hits even deeper in you, the sound of skin against skin increasing.

“Yeah? Right here?” He breathes as he lifts himself up on his hands, sharply snapping his hips into you, his cock sliding right in and out of your wet pussy, the skin of his shaft glistening from your arousal. Jungkook’s breathing turns more ragged, the sight of you losing yourself underneath him, your thighs tightening around his waist, core clenching around his cock as he hits a spot within you that makes you squirm on top of his black sheets.

“Yes!” You whimper, hands gripping the pillow underneath your head until your knuckles turn white, your face twisted in pure pleasure.

A low growl emits from him as he presses himself against you again, his hands sliding up your arms and into your hands, his fingers slipping between yours and intertwining tightly.

“You gonna cum for me, baby?” He asks, voice low and raspy against your lips, kissing them gently as he watches you nod vigorously, your hands tightening around his. “Gonna cum with me, hm?”

A whiny hum escapes you as your thighs tighten around his waist, your hands gripping onto his for dear life, pleasure raking over you and adding heat to your cheeks. Your eyebrows are knitted together as you get lost in the pleasure, the ecstasy of being with your perfect match.

You look so fucking beautiful under him, skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat, your lips parted as moans and whimpers tumble from them, eyes closed and hair a tousled mess on top of his pillows, spread underneath you like a messy halo.

You’re perfect – in every single way he can think of.

He’s unable to contain how much he hates this, a frown growing on his lips as he looks at you. Before you see the pained expression on his features, Jungkook buries his face in the crook of your neck and squeezes your hands. He’s on the verge of cumming but he won’t allow himself to let go until you get there before him; he can’t wait to feel you cum around him, feel every single wave of pleasure shooting through you.

“So fucking perfect…” He moans against the skin of your neck, kissing it over and over while thrusting into you still, three specific words so close to slipping from his lips. “All mine…”

“Oh my– Jungkook!”

His words bring you over the edge, your orgasm rushing through you. Jungkook can tell as he feels your walls tighten around him, causing your pussy to become even more snug than usual. Jungkook lets out a groaning moan as he snaps his hips into you with sharper thrusts, seeking out his own orgasm, explicit sounds of skin slapping against skin reaching his ears.

“Ah– fuck!”

Jungkook lets out a raspy, strained moan as he cums, stilling deeply inside of you as streaks of white cum fills you, painting your insides like a blank canvas. You whimper as he grinds into you, riding out both of your highs, his hands tightly wrapped with yours still as he peppers against the juncture of your neck and shoulder. His breathing is warm against your skin, heavy and ragged as he tries to catch and calm his breath.

Words can’t describe how you feel right now as silence surrounds the two of you, the only sounds being your breathing and the vague sound of Jungkook caressing your skin with his lips. You close your eyes, trying your very hardest to enjoy his touch, his presence, his skin against yours, his lips on your body, his entire being intertwined with yours on top of his dark sheets.

The air is heavy, more tense than ever before as Jungkook lets out a deep sigh and relaxes against you, face buried in your neck still because he, too, has no idea how to use his words right now. All he knows is that he wants to enjoy every single second he can get with you because after tonight what he had with you will be in the past – the end of an intense, exciting yet painful chapter.

As the silence continues to grow around the two of you, you feel your chest becoming heavier, your entire body becoming numb as realization hits you – this is really over.

A shaky breath leaves you as you blink up at the ceiling, the tears pressing against the back of your eyelids feel like they’re burning. You don’t want this moment to be over, you don’t want to return to reality; a reality where you and Jungkook no longer exist together. You don’t want this to be real – you want him to wake you up and tell you it was a bad dream, a nightmare that will never come true.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook quietly mutters against the skin of your neck before leaving another gentle kiss there, his voice laced with guilt.

You know exactly why he apologizes and it brings you zero comfort as you wrap yourself around him, trying to keep the tears from falling once again. The heavy feeling on your chest grows and grows, every breath you take is more shaky than the one before and the tears keep burning your eyelids, threatening to spill over.

A few hours later you’re slipping out of Jungkook’s bed, stealing one last glance at him as he sleeps on his stomach, naked with just the sheets covering his waist. His hair is an unruly mess and his black tattoos are evident even in the darkness of his bedroom. He’s beautiful and he was yours… Not anymore.

You bite your quivering bottom lip the second you feel the pressure behind your eyelids again, the tears quickly filling up your eyes. You sniffle and wipe the dampness from them, refusing to cry. You’ve cried enough because of him. Before you can crawl back into his bed and wrap yourself in his warmth, you turn and sneak out of his bedroom. You leave the door open, even though you know he always closes it when going to bed. You’re afraid you’ll wake him up if you attempt to close it.

You’re not sure if you can handle being rejected by him a second time and you know he’s headstrong about his decision. Once Jeon Jungkook decides something, you can’t do much to make him wither or change his mind.

Not even you – not this time.

Jungkook’s entire apartment is quiet and empty when he wakes up the next morning. He might even go as far and say it’s cold even though it’s early September and the weather is much like mid-August.

He knows you’re gone when he sits up to look at the spot where he last felt your presence but he can’t fight the frown that grows on his face when he realizes that you’re actually gone. It stings in his chest, aching in a way like never before. A heavy, defeated sigh leaves him as he closes his eyes and falls back down on the bed, a low and barely audible ‘fuck’ escaping from between his lips.

If breaking up with you was the right thing to do, then why does it feel so fucking wrong?

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theblackestswan · 7 months

Text

Silent Desires | #1

Synopsis — There was a time when you pondered how you'd ever let it be known how much you desired Jungkook. But now? He’s back. And he’s not being silent with his desires anymore.

• Jungkook x F!Reader

• Brothers best friend, childhood friends to somewhat strangers to lovers, smut, fluff, and a bit of angst

• explicit language

• word count: 1.5k+

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"God fucking damnit!"

You screamed as you tried to calm yourself down. Was it working? Absolutely not. But it felt good, right?

The phone rang a couple rings before the person you were not looking for, answered. "Hello sister!" Gross. The sound of anyones happiness, pissed you off right now.

"Jimin, is dad home? I really need him." You said exhaustingly. Please let your dad be home. You need him right now.

You sighed, "It's... just my car. It stopped and won't go into gear..."

"Hey, everything's okay. I'll come get you and check it out. I have someone who might know a thing or two about cars... we'll be there soon."

We?

"Jimin who is-?" Before you could ever ask, he hang up. Probably one of his buddies or a coworker. You honestly didn't care. You just needed to get you and your car home.

You just sat in the drivers seat holding back tears. This car is a piece of junk. Honestly. It's old, lots of miles, but you've done your best to take care of it. The thought of being without a car was scary. How are you gonna get to work? You guess you could rent a car. But that's a lot, and who knows how long you'd need one for. You could buy a new one, but that's even more money. Everyone in your family has jobs, and needs their own car. So you couldn't borrow one. Fuck.

Fuckity fuck fuck.

You didn't have much time to overthink more before you could see Jimin's car pulling up behind yours, off the side of the road.

Curse your brother for having tinted windows, and curse the sun for starting to set, because you had no clue who was in the passenger seat.

You hopped out of your car and popped the hood. You could at least do that much.

"Hey sis! You okay?" No. No I'm not.

"Yeah I'm fine, cold and anxious, but I'm fine." Not a total lie.

You walked Jimin to the hood of your car and gave him a play by play of what happened. He checked all your fluids, and looked at the engine as much as he could. He knew a little about cars, but not as much as your dad did.

You totally forgot about the person in the passenger seat. "Chim, who did..."

Oh fuck.

"Hi Y/N. Car troubles I see?"

You knew that voice anywhere. The boy you befriended when you were 9. The boy who eventually became better friends with your brother, than you. The boy who moved away when he was 16, but still kept in touch with Jimin, at least.

The boy who turned into a hot fucking man, who is now standing in front of you.

"Jungkookie?"

You were sure your jaw was on the ground. The last time you seen him, in the flesh, was 5 years ago at Jimin's 21st birthday dinner. Sure, you'd see his pictures on social media, and what not, but not in person. Holy shit, is he even real?

Of course he is. Jimin talks all the time about him. Even though he moved, him and Jimin still hang out all the time. Usually they meet somewhere in the middle. He only moved two hours away.

"Ah, you still remember my nickname?" There was that stupid bunny smile. Stupid. Stupidly cute.

"Of course I do. How could I forget?" You flashed him a smile right back. How could you ever forget Jungkook? You only crushed on him for half your life. He was cute. He had always been cute. But once he became more of Jimin's friend, you knew your chances were out the window.

Jimin had one hard rule for his friends. "Leave my little sister alone." He loved being a big brother. He loved being your big brother, even more. He would do anything for you. And that includes keeping you safe. Especially from his friends.

As you got older, you understood that rule, more. Especially when Taehyung was around. Another cute friend of Jimin's, but an absolute flirt, and dare you say, playboy. All of his friends would flirt with you from time to time. Although, you didn't know if it was them actually flirting, or just trying to rile up your brother.

Before you could daydream even more about he man in front of you, Jimin caught you out of your thoughts.

"So, Y/N. Tell Jungkook what happened. He knows cars more than I do."

Suddenly you forgot your words. Jungkook was intimidating. He wasn't the boy you once knew. "I- uh... it was going down the road just fine, t-then, it started j-jerking and I pulled over and it wouldn't switch gears. And now it won't d-do anything."

That felt like it took you 3 weeks to say. You just explained all of this to Jimin in 15 seconds. Pull yourself together.

He just nodded at you, and then started looking over your car more.

God he was hot. You were kinda glad your dad didn't answer.

"It looks like it's your transmission. I'm guessing it probably went out, and you'll need a new one. I can look at it more tomorrow when I can get it off the ground and have more light." He looked at your softly. Surely that's not news anyone wants.

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you."

Jimin rubbed your back to calm you down, "Let's call a tow truck and get it home. Kook can look at it in the morning. He's staying over this weekend."

You sat inside your car while you called your insurance company to see if they could get a tow truck for you. Thankfully they could, and it was on it's way.

Jimin had walked back to his car to call your parents and let them know what was going on. You were just left with the sexy man in front of you.

Do you speak? What is there to say?

"Thank you again for coming with Chim. I really appreciate it. I was hoping my dad was home but... I guess you're okay too." Now what the fuck do you call that?

He chuckled as he looked at the ground, "I'm glad I could help. I'm sorry about all this. Car problems suck."

"It's all good. Had my fair share with this car..." You really didn't want to embarrass yourself in front of him. Anyone with a brain would have gotten rid of this car a long time ago. "So uh... what are you doing all the way down here?"

He stared at you blankly. God his eyes alone could ruin you. It was like he was in a trance. He didn't even blink. "Jungkook?" He stared a few seconds longer before he snapped out of whatever it was he was in.

"Sorry, uh... why I'm here... oh! I moved down here actually. Closer to work and I miss you guys." If there was any day light right now, you would see his ears are red. Something that happened when he's embarrassed. Kind of his way of blushing.

"Miss you 'guys'? You mean Jimin?" Surely just Jimin. He had long forgotten about you.

"No, you too."

Huh? 'You too'?

You gulped. There was two ways you could go about this. One, you could tell him off about how he obviously didn't miss you when he left and never really spoke to you. Ever. Or you could play into it and see what exactly he means by that. Before you could even tell yourself which one to go with, your mouth already spoke for you.

"Didn't seem like you missed me too much." You couldn't do this. You didn't even want to continue this conversation. You walked over to Jimin in his car and just listened to the phone call he was having with your parents.

Soon enough, the tow truck was there, and before you, yourself could greet the driver, Jungkook already had it handled. He gave the driver the keys and told him your address. He grabbed your stuff out of your passenger seat and waved the driver off.

"Here, thought you might want these." Again with a soft smile that could destroy you, and he handed you your bag, and jacket.

What the fuck was he doing? Trying to make it up to you?

"I could have done all that by myself. I'm not the little girl you once knew." You gave him the tiniest smirk. What the fuck were you doing? Surely he couldn't see that, this late at night. You walked off and left him while you got in the back of your brothers car.

Thank god it was dark, and you were out of distance, otherwise what Jungkook said would end it all.

"Guess I should find out exactly what that means, Miss Y/N."

He had the same smirk you had, only a lot bigger.

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next chapter

A note from our sponsor: OMGGEEEEE you guys it’s finally happening!! I’ve always been a writer and wanted to post my own fic, but there’s just so many incredible ones on here already and I didn’t think I could bring anything good to the table. Buttttt I got in the mood to write, and came across this fic that I started 2 years ago. I got the first 10 chapters wrote out, and so I’ve gone through and edited and will be posting my first fic!! Since I started this on Wattpad, that’s where I’ll be posting chapters first. A few days after I post on there, I’ll post them on here. I just enjoy writing on Wattpad a bit more, but Tumblr is my favorite place to read fics. If you’re interested in my Wattpad, it’s hokookin (also linked). I hope you enjoy reading 🖤

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2hightocare · 5 months

Text

SNOW IMPRINTS ✷

“I’m grown, I’m not dipping my dick in the snow to compare dick sizes.”

Synopsis: What was supposed to be a family reunion, ends in comparing dick sizes.

Genre: established relationship! married au!

Pairings: DILF!Jungkook x fem!reader

Warnings: Jungkook being whipped as fuck, Jungkook being a girl dad! (Cute.) a lot of cussing, mentions of sex, mentions of consumption of alcohol, found family.. Jungkook is just such a cutesy dramatic baby!

a/n: hai… I disappeared for a bit but happy new year!! I read “unravel me” and it inspired me to write this super short blurb so enjoy Jungkook being a golden retriever husband. (Ignore all mistakes, wrote this while high) 🤍 Word count: 1.4k

“I’m literally the biggest DILF,” your husband starts again. Jungkook points to himself while Iseul giggles in his arms.

“If you don’t shut the fuc—“ Yoongi irks.

“No cussing!” You and all the wives jump in. A heavy sigh leaves your mouth because this is like the hundredth time you have told all the boys not to cuss when the kids are around. Not since what happened when you decided to babysit Ye joon.

“Jeon, get your ass in here!” You shout from the kitchen, hoping your husband can hear you from upstairs. You stare at the empty cookie jar you had refilled yesterday, and there was only one reason why they were gone.

“What, baby?! What’s wrong?” Jungkook runs down the stairs with Iseul in one hand and Ye joon in the other. The two babies laugh at the bouncing. “Did you eat all the cookies!?” You glare at Jungkook, your hands on your hips as your husband looks everywhere but your eyes.

“Actually… Taehyung stole some when he left Ye joon.” He explains as if that would change anything. Knowing Jungkook for ten years, you know damn well Taehyung maybe took three cookies and the other fifty Jungkook ate them.

“No more cookies.” You announce with a shrug not wasting any time and move closer to your daughter who’s in your husband's arms, who stands there with mouth agape.

“No mowe cookies dada!” Iseul giggles as she makes grabby hands for you to pick her up, wiggling out of Jungkook's arms as you grab her.

“Now what do you mean no more cookies?” Jungkook switches Ye joon to his other arm, mouth hanging open dramatically. “There were like three packs in there, and you ate them in a few hours, so no more cookies.” You dance around the kitchen with Iseul in your arms, her chubby arms wrap around your neck as she laughs non-stop. Contrast from Jungkook on the other side of the white counter.

“What the fuck, baby?” Jungkook literally whines as Ye joon giggles, his little hands in his mouth, drool dripping down his chubby cheeks. “Come here, baby, come with your aunt.” You make your way to Ye joon only to stop in your tracks.

“Fuck!” Ye joon beams, clapping his hands, smiling up at you with all his baby teeth showing, as you stare at him dumbfounded.

“No, no, no, don’t say that.” You quickly interfere as Jungkook is staring at you with wide eyes. “Fuck! Fuck!” Ye joon laughs as Iseul joins in.

“Fuck!” Another giggle.

“This is so your fault!” You point to your husband who is trying so hard not to laugh. “Don’t laugh!” You put a hand over your mouth, trying to hide your amusement.

“I’m not— fuck!” Jungkook slaps a hand over his mouth.

“How the fuck are we going to explain this to Taehyung and Ari?” you sigh with a slight laughter in your tone.

“Fuck!”

“We couldn’t get Ye joon to stop saying the f word for like two weeks straight; daycare was seriously about to kick him out,” Taehyung sighs dramatically as Yoongi stares at Eunbi, his wife who stares down at her tiny belly. Wondering if that’s going to be his case in the future.

“Let’s pray for the new baby to not come out like this little beast,” Jimin squeezes Ye joon’s cheeks, making him squirm in Taehyung’s arms.

Ye joon, three years old, Taehyung and Ari’s child, the second-born from the group and the most mischievous, he really doesn’t listen to anyone but his parents, besides Jungkook and you. His godparents. Jiho, first-born, Seokjin’s and Lora’s child. He’s about to turn ten in January. Iseul, third-born, Jungkook's and your child, two years old and the only girl at the moment.

Besides Eunbi, who’s three months pregnant, no one else is going to have kids anytime soon, well, that’s what they say.

“It’s cold; let's go inside, girls.” You suggest as you pick up Iseul from her dad's arms, as the girls stand up following your movements inside the house through the glass door.

“Give Ye joon to Ari!” Hoseok hushes as he swats Taehyung on the shoulder. “Babe! Take Ye joon!” Taehyung shouts. Ari laughs at how her husband has Ye joon up in the air like the Lion King waiting to be taken.

“Come with mama.” Ari picks up the boy in a puffer jacket, making him look like a big marshmallow before skipping inside, joining all the girls inside.

“So sad Seokjin and Namjoon couldn’t come... they really decided on that cabin instead of us, crazy.” Jimin whines as he takes a sip of his beer before placing it in the hole he made in the snow before snuggling into his sweater.

“Honestly, I would take being in a cabin with my wife a hundred times more than being here,” Jungkook playfully jokes, “imagine the bomb-ass sex in the woods,” He smirks with the rim of his bottle on his lips, making the rest of the boys roll their eyes.

“Crazy how y/n has you wrapped around her finger,” Yoongi chimes in, blowing into his hands as if it would make them non-cold.

“Not even.” Jungkook playfully rolls his eyes.

“Dude, you’re so whipped, like it’s so fucking crazy,” Taehyung joins in, as he laughs when the boys hum in agreement.

“Dude, you tried to wrap her in bubble wrap when she was pregnant because you swore she would fall and hurt herself,” Hoseok recalls two years ago. “She could’ve fallen down the stairs; I needed to take precautions,” Jungkook tries to defend himself but fails miserably.

“What the fuck is that for?” You question your husband who enters the main door with a giant bubble wrap roll.

“This is for your safety, baby, can’t have you falling and hurting yourself, so I’m wrapping the whole house like it’s a Christmas present.”

You stare at your husband who is speaking literally, “Jeon, you are not wrapping anything,” you warn him.

“It’s either wrapping this house up or I’m wrapping you in bubble wrap for nine months... your choice baby,” Jungkook shrugs, looking down at your laying body on the couch, hands rubbing down your two-month pregnant belly.

“Be extremely for real.” Your mouth drops open dramatically.

“Even Iseul in her two years of life has you pining after her; imagine when she gets a boyfriend.” Jimin brings up, almost sending Jungkook into a cardiac attack right there and there.

“Fuck no! No boys till she’s forty!” Jungkook points his finger to Jimin. “Or girls either!” He finishes with a pout, making the boys howl in laughter.

“Excuse the fuck outta me!” Jungkook shoots up from his chair.

Somehow the conversation steered with a lighthearted joke about who was the biggest, and suddenly everyone ganged up on Jungkook, talking about he had the smallest dick of all of them.

“We all know that Taehyung has the biggest dick here, let's be honest,” Jimin shrugs, which only makes Jungkook's jaw drop lower.

“Say less, only one way to find out.” Jungkook reaches for his zipper.

“Ayo, what the fuck! There are children here,” Hoseok rushes out, “we are not about to whip our dicks out to compare sizes,” he finishes.

“Of course not.” Jungkook makes his way to the snow, his back facing the boys as his zipper gets pulled down, and before everyone knows it, he spreads his arms wide, face planting in the white snow.

“Shit, fuck, cold!” He scrambles to his feet, tucking himself in as he shivers from the cold. Then, he chuckles with a grin plastered on his face as he points to the snow angel on the snow… and a perfectly shaped imprint of his cock.

“So who’s next?” Jungkook asks.

“I’m grown, I’m not dipping my dick in the snow to compare dick sizes.” Yoongi shakes his head, crossing his arms.

They all dipped their dicks in the snow to compare dick sizes.

“What the fuck! I swear it shrunk cause it’s cold, I swear,” Taehyung begs to the boys who stare at all the lined imprints.

“Motherfuckers, I told y'all I was the biggest,” Jungkook smiles proudly as he sees he is the biggest out of all of them.

“I can’t believe this, we just boosted his ego more,” Jimin sighs as he stares at his own imprint and then to Jungkook's.

The glass door slides open, making the five men abruptly turn around. Five women come marching towards them, “what are you guys doing?” Ari asks, with a big smile on her face.

“Nothing,” Taehyung answers a little too fast.

You stare at your husband, raising your eyebrow at him, and that makes him fold like a lawn chair. “We were comparing dick sizes in the snow,” Jungkook blurts out, “I won though!” He cheers, pointing to his snow angel happily.

“Fucking shit, y/n how are you upright?” Eunbi gasps as she stares at Jungkook's imprint. “Now we know why you are always so damn happy,” Yoongi chimes in with a grin.

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aajjks · 1 month

Text

animal (m)

synopsis. His jealousy has you choking on his dick.

warnings. pösèssïve jk, crüdè lângüágè, slüt-shámïng, dègrádátïôn, orál sèx (m!rêcèïvïng), kïssïng, bïtïng, mêntïôns ôf blööd, döm!jk, möánïng, hè’s süch ä dïrty tàlkèr dàmn. mdnï ând dèèpthröátïng, ëxplïcït, yándèrè.

note. send asks? ENJOY, not edited. ❤️❤️ also on my anime, focused blog @ttodorokiii bakugou’s version of this is available because I wrote it back a year ago, so check it out and this is jks version. Let’s welcome new jk and you can send asks for him too xx

Maybe you shouldn’t have pissed him off so much.

Jungkook was a jealous man, he was territorial with you, but you’d never thought that a joke would get him so mad.

“fuck! Your slutty little mouth is a sin of its own,”

He growls, your eyes are filled with hot tears, you can’t see him clearly, your knees hurt but he’s merciless. He is shoving it deeper into your throat and you can’t do anything but to swallow.

The air supply is short, “you only suck MY dick!” He is being so cruel to you right now.

All you did was joke about sucking your friend off, while you now get was inappropriate, especially if you have a boyfriend, a very possessive boyfriend.

Jungkook loves you, very fucking much.

But he doesn’t get jokes, you love him very much too, he’s the only man you’ll ever love. you both have very opposite personalities.

But there is one big similarity between the two of you.

You both don’t watch your mouth.

“Fuck, it feels so fuckin’ good, I-I’m gonna cum..” he moans, you inhale a sharp breath, your jaw hurts, but he feels so good.

You want to make it up to him.

“Fuck fuck fuck… ‘m so close, make me cum yn.” He buries your face deeper into his crotch, by grabbing your hair and forcing it.

“My fuckin whore. Only mine.” He glance up at him, your hair is mess, your mouth is a mess and you can feel him shaking now, he’s turning into a mess too.

And you’re ready to take it.

All of him.

“Your fuckin’ pretty mouth is mine to fuck as I wish! Fuckin’ mine,” you can feel him bucking his hips, he’s close.

You feel close too.

‘M gonna fuck your mouth full, you want it, baby don’t you?” His tone is sickly sweet, “mhmm..” you barely reply.

“My good ba-baby fuck take it all.”

You feel him spilling all over your face, you swallow like a good girl, you want him to forgive you and you’ll do anything.

“Ye-Yeah babe, jus’like that, fuck….” He exhales a loud moan, “you’re gonna be the death of me.”

Jungkook immediately picks your body up, grabbing your face by force and kissing you fiercely, his tongue is exploring every inch of your mouth.

“‘love you so much.” He moans once again into your lips, tasting himself.

“That’s the only taste that should be in your mouth.” He licks your lip and his teeth graze your lips, he bites it hard, you whine as the pain is too strong.

“How fuckin dare you say that to him?” He stops kissing you, you cry out as you watch a string of blood connecting your lips, his hands don’t give you a break though, travelling into your panties as he grabs and cups,

His fingers are cold on your burning core, your breath hitches when you feel him tease you, “he can’t fuck you though right, princess?”

“Y-Yes, koo!” You bite the inside of your cheek, he’s such a tease.

“now ‘m gonna fuck your brains out until the name you remember is mine.”

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orchidyoonkook · 1 month

Text

To What We Were Before, And All The Things After | JJK | Ch. 6 | M

Title: Eastern Arrivals and Unwanted Doubt

Pairing: Prince!College Student!JK x Fine Arts Major!(F)!Reader

Series Rating//Genre: (M) | College AU, Mild Royalty AU, Smut, Angst, Fluff, S2F2L, Indiffernce to lovers, sloooowwww ass burn

Summary: Nel's here for the week and you couldn't be more excited!! Jungkook's another story though...

Warnings: M, fluff, smut, swearing, drinking, pining, angsstt, slight boundary pushing (not sexual), unwanted/ unneeded overprotectiveness, jealousy, lying, [reader eats bacon and eggs but it's not specified what kind or where it's from, just bacon and eggs, so whether that means veggie, vegan or normal is up to you], intentional pissing off of Nel, a little spat between major characters, sex as a plot device.

Mature warnings under the cut.

Word Count: 6,945

Release Date: April 20, 2:00PM

A/N 1: 6 months later and we have chapter 6! slow updates, but they will be written and they will be posted. I have no plans to abandon this, I just, very unfortunately, have a bit of an outernet life now. So not a lot of free time to be creative which I hate. But it's here!!

Series: Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five

Mature Warnings: Consensual sex x 2, both reader with Nel and JK with Ady -> sorry not sorry cuz it's plot sex. We got us some: kissing, protected sex (as we should), missionary, fingering, oral (f. rec), tiny bit of groping (consenual), multiple orgasms, loud sex, like annoyingly, sex as a terrible coping mechanism (imo), fantasizing.

Bouncing lightly from foot to foot, you’re buzzing after finally receiving the text you were waiting on a few minutes ago.

Nelly <3 [10:10pm]: Landed. See you soon 😘

He’s almost here. He’s almost here!

Just a few more seconds until—

The gates slide open. A flood of people in a mixture of sweats and business casual wear with luggage of all sizes and neck pillows walk through. You hold up the sign above your head with both hands, a smile that could outshine the sun plastered on your face, and search.

Where is he? Where is he, where is he, where is he, you think as you scour the bodies filing out of the automatic doors. You can’t see him. He’s none of the nameless faces that pass you by as they find their family, friends or rides.

Is this even the right group of people? What if his luggage got lost and he won’t be out with this group. What if he got taken aside for some reason, and now he’s being held in some dusty room being asked a bunch of stupid questions he doesn’t know how to answer? What if he’s fig—

But then there’s a gap in the crowd, and the boy you’ve spent the last half decade of your life with comes into perfect, crystalline view. His lips pulled taught, teeth beautifully bared as he sets his sights on your sign high in the air, then down to you.

And you're running.

You’re running and dodging and swerving until you’re jumping into Nels arms as he abandons his suitcase in favour of keeping you both up right. He buries his face into your neck, holding you so tightly you think he’ll never let go. And that’s just fine with you as you hold on just as tight, taking in a big breath of him too.

He smells like airplane and coastal breeze and most importantly, home.

Nel smells like home.

A muffled, “Ohhhhhhh, I missed you,” greets your ears, and you melt into him even more if that's even possible.

“I missed you too,” you say, pulling back and kissing him. You don’t really care if there’s an audience or not right now. Not when Nel’s here, and he’s in your arms, and he’s yours for a whole 9 days and life is as it should be once again.

He releases his hold slightly, but your arms don’t leave his shoulders. The sign still clutched, now crushed and crinkled, in one hand.

“Car?” he asks, a kiss to your nose.

“This way,” you lead, releasing your hold.

Luckily, his suitcase is small, so he forgoes rolling it, instead gripping the handle at the top and carrying it in one hand. Your own reaching for his other and not letting go. He’s going to have to peel you off him if he wants space right now.

Nel’s wearing his usual fall attire; a dark green school sweater that has ‘ECAD’ written over the chest in a large, academic looking mustard yellow font, regular old blue jeans, and dark brown lace up boots. His short, dirty blond hair's covered by a hat you’d gotten him as a highschool graduation present, and his ocean blue eyes remain as gorgeous as they were the day you met.

Passing through doors to the outside and back to lot J, you hop in the car as he puts his bag in the trunk.

“How have you been? What’s new? What’s not? Tell me everything,” he asks as he climbs in and sits beside you, hand finding yours again.

Never gone for too long. You relish in the comfort and happiness that alone brings you.

He’s finally here. You finally have him back.

“I’m great. Yuri’s still Yuri, classes are only a little more challenging this year, but I’m still at the top of them,” Nel slips in a ‘not surprised’ and you smile brighter as you continue. “They’re already telling us to start brainstorming ideas for our thesis show next year,” you have no idea what you’re going to do, but you’re working on it. “Campus is the same, dorms are the same, the cafe’s the same. Though, they have the egg tarts I like in more, which is awesome for my taste buds and terrible for my bank account.”

Vivian stayed true to her word, and now they had the tarts in every week.

“I can only imagine,” Nel jokes.

“Uhhmm, what else…” a thought pops up, and you guess you can tell him. It doesn’t reveal anything the whole world doesn’t already know. “The prince is dating Adaline Dupree.”

His eyebrows raise, remembering, “Oh yeah, that’s right, the prince goes to your school now.”

“Yep.”

“Have you met him?”

Is he seriously not completely shocked at the prince dating Adaline? You only bitched about her to him all the time.

“Uhhh… yep, once or twice, I guess.”

You hate it. You hate lying, especially to Nel. You hate it so much, but it’s for the greater good. It’s to keep the peace. But that doesn’t stop the burning feeling in your chest nor the roil in your belly.

“The day he arrived Yuri dragged me down to see him speak. She made us sit front row because Yuri,” Nel nods, knowing exactly what you mean. “He had everyone assemble to hear why he was at school and tell us not to treat him like a prince. He wants to be able to study without his title getting in the way.”

You hit your blinker, making a one handed left turn.

“Makes sense. Is he nice at least?” Nel doesn’t sound at all suspicious, and why should he? You’ve never given him reason to not believe you at your word before. Never lied to him before.

Fuck you hate this so much. It was so much easier when he was 5000 miles away. But now that he's right beside you? This week may end up being more difficult than you thought.

“He was very princely. Tried to kiss my hand like he did like every other girl there, but I made it a handshake instead. Figured if he wants to be treated like everyone else, I would liste—Oh!” you laugh before you can even get the words out.

“What?” he asks, intrigued but confused.

You can barely speak coherently. “You should have seen Yuri’s face when I called him Jungkook and not Prince or Your Highness...her eyes nearly fell out of her head,” tears are starting to form from laughing so hard. “It was great.”

“He didn’t mind?” Nel asks and you shake your head. Yuri’s face that day will forever be seared into your brain for whenever you need a pick-me-up.

“No, he was grateful actually. I was the first person that had addressed him like that, the way he’d asked to be.” Stopping at a red light, you're finally regaining yourself.

“Well,” he squeezes your hand, “you always were good at first impressions,” and looks at you so softly you can’t help but smile into the kiss you give him.

He remembers that school art fair just as fondly as you do.

Nel pulls away first with a thought. “Is Yuri with us this time?”

Yuri hadn’t been able to go home last year, her parents too busy on a work trip, so she stayed back and kicked it with you two, but also gave you your space when needed.

Lots and lots of space.

“Nope! Parents welcomed her with open arms this afternoon, I’m sure. They’re all on some tropical island down south. She’s bringing me an ocean bottle though, so I’m excited for that. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to add a new one.”

Everytime you travelled somewhere with a beach you got a glass bottle and filled it with half sand, half water, added in some shells or rocks and labelled it. Instead of towels, keychains, or magnets, you did ocean bottles. They lined a shelf in your room back home.

You probably have at least fifteen of them by now. Your mum likes to travel and make sure you experience the world around you, not just your little corner of it.

“Oh that’s great babe! I know how much you love those.”

“Yeah, it is.” You lean your head on his shoulder, basking in his presence for as long as the light remains red.

He’s here. He’s yours.

You only have to do this for a couple more years and then you’ll be together all the time. God you can’t wait. But you are nothing if not disciplined.

And it’s going to be so worth it in the end.

The rest of the ride to your dorm goes by quickly.

Some more red lights, some more kisses. You point out the same things you always do on the way back, and Nel acts like it’s the first time he’s seen them, just like he always does.

His hand never leaves yours over the center console.

Soon enough, you find yourselves flopping down on your bed. Bags, jackets and shoes, scattered. Nel pulls you into him, his head on your pillow, yours lying on his chest. True peace settling in for the first time in months.

“I can't wait until we’re done school and I have more than four and a half months with you a year,” he sighs. “It’s not enough. I want more. Need more.”

“Me too. But good things come to those who wait.”

“Yeah…I’m just really sick of waiting.”

“Me too,” you repeat in a yawn.

Nel’s breathing slowly evens out as you lie there, content to be in your arms again. And you look up to see his eyes closed, warm exhales brushing over your face from his nose.

You can’t blame him for being so tired. He’d had an early morning exam before flying out, even brought his suitcase to it so he could leave the second he was done. Then, the flight alone was ten hours, plus travel times to and from the airports was about an hour each way, and the wait time before boarding was another two.

Shit, he’s probably been awake for around eighteen hours straight at this point because he’s also the type that can’t sleep on planes no matter what he tries.

Oh, Nel...Of course he’s exhausted.

Giving him a squeeze before getting up, you take off his socks and jeans carefully, then tuck him into bed as much as you can. You’d try the sweater, but it involved too many working parts and you didn’t want to wake him, so you figure it’s best to have the window open tonight instead.

Grabbing your phone, you tiptoe to the bathroom and do your night time routine. It’s not an overly complicated one, just brushing your teeth, washing your face and a simple 3 step skincare routine of cleanser, toner and moisturizer. Short and sweet, but it does the job.

Halfway through brushing, you do your friend due diligence and send Yuri a ‘back safe’ text, just like she’d sent you her own ‘here safe’ when she’d landed.

You spit and rinse, moving onto washing your face and applying cleanser.

Teeth clean and face moisturized, you sneak into your room again. Nel's still out cold.

You sneak out of habit—your mom wakes at the sound of a pin dropping. But absolutely nothing could wake Nel now outside of his mother’s voice and his morning alarm. It’s a talent of his you’ve always been jealous of.

Removing today's clothes and tossing them in your overflowing hamper—reminder to self: do laundry—you slide on your pjs and climb into bed beside him, plugging in your phone and setting it down.

A thought pops into your head and you pick it back up, shooting a quick text before you can think twice.

You [11:26pm]: home safe

It pings not seconds later.

PJK [11:26pm]: Thanks Picasso PJK [11:27pm]: glad ur home safe

Your heart beats a little louder at the nickname, and you chalk it up to the excitement still in you at having Nel here and being tired.

But you sleep better that night than you have in a long time.

A short, repetitive, rhythmic vibration.

Picasso [11:26pm]: home safe

Jungkook is still standing in the same corner by the wall, Adaline somewhere in the crowd in front of him dancing with her friends. She asked him to join her, but he declined. He doesn’t need to see himself more than half drunk and dancing on the cover of tomorrow’s news cycles. Not to mention his security team would shut the party down the second a camera flashed.

His guards are carefully stationed throughout the house, all dressed down in casual wear, a few with empty cups in their hands. One is watching some sort of beer pong like game in the corner, another is mingling with some guys over in the kitchen. Three he can’t immediately see. And he knows his head guard is outside in a black car ready to get him out at a moment's notice.

Nobody can tell they aren’t here for the party, not unless they’re sober enough to notice watchful eyes continually making their way over the crowd as the night goes on.

Your text woke him from the stillness he’s adapted from standing so long, trying hard not to draw attention to himself.

You were home safe. Home safe from the airport. Home safe from picking up Cornelius.

Your boyfriend.

Cornelius, your boyfriend.

He doesn’t acknowledge his teeth grinding.

You were home from picking up your beau but even then, you’d texted him to let him know you were back on campus safely. To let him know you were okay.

It’s the first thing that makes him smile all night.

So he sends back, a bit to quickly:

Me [11:26pm]: Thanks Picasso Me [11:26pm]: glad ur home safe

Because it means something to him that you deem him close enough to send a ‘home safe’ text too.

That you want him to know you’re back.

Want him to know you’re safe.

Whether you know it or not, your safety means a lot to Jungkook, so that little two word text makes his heart lurch.

He needs to leave.

He needs to get out of this fucking house and back to his dorm. He came, he drank, he observed, he fulfilled his boyfriend duty.

That’s enough for him.

He shoots Adaline a text that says he isn’t feeling well and gets out as fast as he possibly can, dodging bodies left and right and doing his best to hide his face.

Once he’s out, security team in tow, the cooling midnight air does him some good.

“Someone make sure she gets back to her dorm safe,” he says in their general direction, brain too muddled to be polite in this exact moment, but it’s nothing they haven’t seen before.

This is going to be such a long week.

He can’t wait till it’s over. Till he doesn’t have to share anymore.

He was never very good at it anyway.

The smell of bacon wakes you.

And toast, and…

Eggs?

You think, at least. Since when do you have bacon? Or eggs? Toast is a given, it’s part of your life’s blood.

Opening your eyes, you blindly reach for your phone, successfully unplugging it and bringing it to your face.

The screen is too bright but you suffer through it, squinting.

9:27am.

9:27?

You slept for ten hours!?

You can’t remember the last time you slept more than 6 consecutively, aside from recovery nights, and even then it was fitful.

Nel comes in with two plates, his full with a very Eastern breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon. Yours with two pieces of toast, lots of bacon, a bit of eggs and some fruit. Where did he—?

He smiles at your confusion, “You have a cafeteria that sells breakfast food, you know.”

You know that.

“I know that.”

“Do you? Because the look on your face says otherwise.”

You flop back down and pull the pillow over your head, mumbling incoherent nonsense. You rarely used the dorm cafeteria for breakfast. Much preferring the greenhouse cafe or simple toast and juice that you can make in your dorm.

He chuckles. “Two breakfasts for me then, okay, if you insist,” Nel moves to leave but you screech, uncovering your face.

“Noo! I want it. Please, sweet nutrition,” he hands the plate over when you sit up, arms out stretched, and you dig in.

After a piece of bacon, you ask, “How long have you been up?”

Nel’s sitting with his legs crossed at the end of your bed, munching away, “Long enough to get changed, grab my wallet, get food and come back.”

The bacon is really good. You’ve never been so glad he knew you so well as you grab another piece from the dwindling pile.

“You slept well then, too? That’s good, I’m glad. You needed the rest.”

“Having you around always makes it easier to fall asleep,” he nudges your knee with his elbow.

Even after five years he can still make you blush.

“I know the feeling.”

You two fall into step, starting your weeks in advance prepared plans, the rest of your day passing quickly.

Too quickly.

And so does the next day, and the next, and the next.

All of your activities are going great. The zoo, picnics, study dates, restaurant dates, historical, artistic and architectural museum tours. Even a swim at the school’s indoor pool, and there’s plenty more to come.

Things slip back into being easy, just as they always have been with Nel, ever since that first day back in tenth grade.

He knows you like the back of his hand and predicts your moves before you make them, just like you do for him.

You know his favourite foods, and where he prefers to park when driving—always avoiding open curbs—you know his dream travel destinations, and who his favourite musicians are. You know his favourite pencils to design with and his favourite pencils to shade with, that he always put on his right sock first, then right shoe, then left sock and left shoe. You know that his drink order is an iced coffee with two cream and two sugar, that he prefers loose shirts over fitted ones, and that his favourite colour is orange.

It’s a pretty orange too, not just any orange. You wonder if it’s anything like Jungkook's–

Wait.

You search your memory for the information, going through favourite foods, drinks, music—all discussed previously, because you know their answers. But colour?

Nothing.

How have you never asked what Jungkook’s favourite colour is?

Isn’t that usually one of the first things people ask when they’re trying to get to know one another? Funny. Guess you’ll have to inquire the next time you see him.

Anyways, just like you know everything there is to know about Nel, he knows everything about you too, including your routines.

Which is why at twelve noon every day, he starts getting ready to go to the greenhouse for your afternoon study session.

Including today.

Your week’s already half over and you hate it. Time always moves far to fast when all you want it to do is slow the fuck down.

You only have five days left. Five days.

You’re lucky the greenhouse cafe is open during break, some places on campus are required to stay open for the students who can’t make it home, but greenhouse chooses to.

As you and Nel turn the corner you see a familiar figure sitting in his old spot at the back of the patio. The same hat, mask and hoodie, now paired with a leather jacket on top due to the weather starting to cool down.

You can tell Jungkook wasn’t expecting to see you by the way he stiffens before those all too familiar brown eyes of his meet your own. Which is fair, your schedule shifts a bit when you’re on break, he isn’t used to you being here at twelve on Wednesdays.

But as quickly as he sees you, his gaze is back on his laptop, like he never saw you in the first place.

Like you asked him to do.

And a sharp pain stings inside your chest.

When you and Nel get to your table, he sits in the seat opposite to where you always do, leaving where Jungkook usually sits beside you, empty.

A part of you is grateful for that, though you can’t figure out why and table that self discussion for a later date.

Setting down your things, you ask Nel if he wants coffee. He answers yes, like always, and after a quick visit with Viv, you're pulling out your chair and setting down your cups. Your back faces Jungkook. It’s a small mercy you can’t see him. Maybe you can forget he’s here and actually focus on your work.

But it’s also exactly because of your position, that you can’t see as Jungkook subtly watches you over the rim of his laptop while you and Nel talk quietly and study.

Nel can though.

It feels weird to ignore him. To pretend you don’t know one another when for the better part of the last seven weeks all you’ve done is talk, hang out, study or a mixture of the three, every day.

When having him sit behind you and not beside you feels so wrong and so foreign.

But this is your own doing, you caused this. So you need to suck it up and get used to it.

This is exactly what you asked for all those weeks ago. The perfect solution to your problem.

No one can know.

Not Nel.

Not anyone.

But fuck, if it didn’t absolutely suck in practice.

Setting some of your books out around you and on the table Jungkook usually uses, you dig into your business homework. Having a major and a minor are great for job prospects, on paper, and in practice after you’ve completed them.

But getting them? It takes years of hard work and dedication with no distractions.

None.

You spend almost every free moment you have doing homework or practicing, trying to get ahead, trying to stay on top.

…Trying to beat Adaline.

But you just use that as fuel for your drive to be better. To be the best.

Competition is healthy. Especially when you’re winning against the rich brat who’s used to getting what she wants.

Not that you're petty.

Ehh…You are. But only a little bit. At least you can admit it.

Nel gets to work as well, the sunlight from his spot is great for drawing. He’s working on a rough version of his thesis project that’s due at the end of the year. He has to have multiple completed renderings as well as a scale model, and he’s been brainstorming since last year about what he wants to do.

Currently, he’s drawing up an airport, trying to design so that it’s not confusing and complicated for first time users.

However, his occasional swearing and muttering to himself makes you think he’s having a tough time with it.

You try not to laugh, but a small giggle slips out.

“What,” Nel asks, a little distracted.

“Nothing.”

“No really, what’s up? I could use a laugh right now,” he insists, eyes on you at first. But then something behind you steals their attention every few seconds.

Someone.

“You just…you still make funny sounds when you're frustrated with a drawing. It’s endearing.” You reach to place your hand on his knee, trying to gain back his full attention.

Ignore him, Nel. Please ignore him.

“Yeah...” he exhales. “I guess airports are out,” his hand covers yours quickly and you hear a faint chair screech from behind you. Nel doesn’t miss it as he says. “But I do have a much bigger appreciation and understanding for all those who came before me,” pupils now unmoving from their target behind you.

Fine.

You’ll acknowledge it.

“Is everything okay? You keep looking at something? Is there an animal or…” You know what he’s looking at, but go so far as to turn anyway, playing up the ‘confused girlfriend’ role. But Nel squeezes your hand, stopping you.

He leans in, placing a fake mask of serene on and lowers his voice. “That guy keeps looking at us, moreso you. And he looks pissed off.”

Fuck, think of something.

Anything. Anythi—Oh!

You lean in too, so close your noses almost touch. “He’s probably just upset we’re talking. The greenhouse cafe is usually a quiet place to work,” good enough, you think. That’s believable, right?. “It’ll be fine. Let’s just ignore him and get back to work.”

You place a quick kiss on his lips but Nel isn’t letting up on his unnecessary vigilance. But then again, he doesn’t know that Jungkook is the opposite of a threat to you. So you reassure him, in your own way.

“Babe, seriously. If you’re going to be all protective or whatever, don’t. I come here everyday when you're not here and I’m still alive and unharmed. Go get a sandwich or a refill to get your head off of it and say hi to Viv. She’s still here, and I’m betting she remembers you. You’re kinda hard to forget.”

You can tell Nel’s about to reject the idea when you insist. “I’ll be fine, Nel. Promise. Three years and not a scratch on me.”

He sighs through his nose, but relents.

Placing his drawing pad on the table, he gets up, but not before placing another kiss to your forehead and mumbling, “Scream ‘cumquat’ if you’re in danger and I’ll come running, okay?”

You laugh outright at that. “Will do.”

You watch him as he goes, and the second he’s inside, you’re racing for your phone, typing at an astounding speed.

You [1:45pm]: Didn’t your royal upbringing teach you not to stare so blatantly!??? Nel caught you

You hear a quiet ping from behind you followed by a small exhale that sounds more like a disguised chuckle.

PJK [1:45pm]: Yes.

You [1:45pm]: So you intentionally got caught?

PJK [1:45pm]: Maybe

You [1:45pm]: Shithead

PJK [1:46pm]: Rude

You [1:46pm]: You deserve it

PJK [1:46pm]: I know. I’m just making sure he’s treating you right. PJK [1:47pm]: and trying to see if he acts differently when he knows he’s being watched. He’s very protective you know

Jungkook saw the second Nel noticed he was watching you.

His posture changed from easy going to on alert. His hand went so quickly to yours on his knee and his public displays of affection increased significantly.

It was pathetic, really. It went above a normal amount of protection. Nel was claiming his ‘property’, making sure Jungkook knew not to touch.

And the nasty look Nel gave him as he entered the cafe—gratefully still unrecognizable in his disguise—was another silent way to say back off, stay away, and don’t try anything or you’ll regret it.

It was a red flag in Jungkook's mind. A small one, but it’s still there because his efforts are completely unneeded. After five years together, Nel should know that you can handle yourself.

Hell, Jungkook knows that and it’s only been two months.

You [1:47pm]: yes I know he is, and I already told you he treats me well because he always. Does. Not just in public or under watchful eyes You [1:48pm]: and since when does my boyfriend of half a decade need your ~princely~ seal approval?

He ignores the small jab. You only ever brought up his title when you were mocking or upset with him. And he knows that in this case it's the latter.

PJK [1:48pm]: Since now PJK [1:49pm]: And it’s not that I don’t trust you at your word, but I usually like to decide for myself

That has you reeling.

Where does he get the audacity to think he has any say in or about your relationship? Your very solidly built, five years strong, healthy, happy relationship?

Because he’s the Prince? You’re pretty sure you established on day one that you didn’t and still don’t give a fuck about his birthright.

If he thinks he gets an opinion on any of this he’s got another thing coming the second he asks you anything about Adaline again.

You’re in the middle of typing out a paragraph explaining all of this when another text comes in.

PJK [1:49pm]: Because I’ve seen far too many women in love who are blind to certain things PJK [1:50pm]: And far too many hurt in the end because of it.

You pause. Fingers frozen mid swipe.

Blind to what?

How many women did he know that were in love but missing something about their partner? Surely there couldn't be that many. Right?

But this was Jungkook you were talking to, he’s lived numerous lifetimes already. That fancy birthright of his you don’t care about having given him far too many life experiences to have at his age. And they’re only going to increase from here.

So instead of hitting send and cursing him out quite spectacularly, you stop and think for a moment.

What did he see that they didn’t?

That you might… not?

You’re a decent judge of character if your record tracks. And it does.

So your curiosity gets the better of you as you delete your rage paragraph and settle for a simple two word question instead.

You [1:50pm]: Like what?

You can see that he’s typing out a response but the bell on the cafe door rings and you put your phone down. It buzzes with his response a few seconds after.

You’ll check it later.

Nel takes his seat again, and you notice he has his sandwich, but also that he’s moved his chair and starts sketching from the new position giving him a direct eye line with Jungkook.

You internally scoff at that.

Nel has always been protective. But he was raised that way and you don’t mind too much. You don’t expect him to change his core values for you, just like he never expects you to change yours for him, even when a couple of his are just the slightest bit overbearing.

But that’s part of a relationship. Give and take and compromise. No one person is going to be perfect for another. It’s healthy to have differences.

That being said, Nel doesn’t change positions for the rest of the hour. Even as Jungkook packs up and leaves, Nel eyeballs him until he’s out of sight.

That night while Nel is brushing his teeth and you're lying in bed, you check the text from Jungkook.

PJK [1:51pm]: Like if they’re getting treated the way they should be or if they’re settling for the best they think they can get or for the first guy that showed interest. The one who hasn’t grown up even though time has passed. The one who’s holding her back by not setting her free

You stare at your phone. At the text. At his words.

And dismiss it.

You aren’t one of those women.

You know yourself.

You know what you deserve and how you should be treated. You didn’t settle, you just happened to find your love at a young age. That’s something special and rare and should be protected. And Nel has most certainly grown up as time passed.

Jungkook is being ridiculous for absolutely no reason. Surely he’ll have seen that today. Seen how Nel loves you, treats you how you deserve to be treated, holds you up. Supports you.

You’re confident he’ll be eating his words soon enough.

Finished brushing, Nel comes back to the bedroom and snuggles up behind you and you put down your phone.

He cuddles you for a minute before placing a kiss at your neck. Then another. And another before he’s mouthing up your neck, and sliding a hand up your thigh and to your waist. It pauses on your stomach with teasing caresses, before dipping lower and lower, beneath the fabric of your sleep shorts, and under the elastic of your underwear.

A small moan sounds in your throat at the touch. His fingers meeting your folds and the sensitive bundle of nerves at their apex.

You wanted this.

Need it.

He’s grown, you think; as a finger slips in you and you gasp at the stretch, legs opening wider for him. A second finger plunges in and you can feel yourself getting wetter and wetter with every thrust. Just like you can feel a bulge forming behind you.

You know what you deserve; as he uses them to scissor you open, making sure you’re ready. You roll over, now on your back with Nel over you as he pulls your shorts and underwear down to get better access, your own hands removing your shirt.

You’re not settling; as Nel moves down, tongue making a couple swipes at your entrance and you hiss in pleasure before he’s reaching over, grabbing a condom from the nightstand drawer and sliding it on, length hard and dripping at the sight of you bared before him.

Nel wasn’t the first guy who’d shown interest, just the first you’d said yes to; and he slides in. Both of you moaning at the snug fit.

“Fuck...” he says and you nod, agreeing, before pulling him down into a deep kiss.

He eases into a slow, steady rhythm that has you breathy and his abs tensing.

But it’s not enough. You need more. You need to erase these past two months without him, and take enough to last for the next two. It’s never enough, but you try.

“Faster baby,” you beg, “Please…faster.”

Nel isn’t holding you back. Jungkook doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.

Nel picks up the pace and you start moaning, louder like you know he likes. Likes to hear he’s doing a good job. He’s grabbing your breast and sucking in a nipple, tongue swirling and you're bringing your hips to meet his with every thrust.

It feels good. It always feels good with Nel.

He was your first everything. First kiss, first intimate touch, first love.

Only love.

And he makes you feel good with that love. That touch. His kiss.

He makes you feel safe, inside and out.

Jungkook can go eat grass. He doesn’t know your relationship. Doesn’t know the first thing about it.

“There, right there!” you whine as Nel hits your sweet spot once and you arch. He tries again but misses, continuing faster, his peak coming quickly.

Jungkook can never understand what you two have. What you two have built in these five years. The understanding and security that comes with it.

He’s being an unrightfully opinionated ass on something he knows nothing about and—

Fuck! Why are you thinking about Jungkook? You’re having sex with Nel. You shouldn’t be thinking about anything or anyone other than that.

Than him.

So why can’t you get what Jungkook said out of your fucking head?

“Ahhh… oh fuck. I’m cumming.” Nel’s hips stutter, his face contorting in pleasure as he releases, filling the condom.

You kiss him passionately to rid yourself of your princely plagued thoughts, the ones filling you with unwanted and unnecessary doubt. You want them gone, gone, gone. Nothing but Nel in their place.

And you slip an, “I love you,” in between kisses for good measure.

Jungkook could never understand.

Nel kisses you back just as hard, dramatically slowing his thrusts, drawing out his high for as long as possible.

“I love you too.”

Jungkook doesn’t know anything.

Nel groans into your lips when it becomes too much and pulls out.

Removing and tying off the condom, Nel goes to the washroom to throw it out and starts the shower he knows you’ll be joining him for when you're done.

A routine you’re all too familiar with.

One you created.

He knows you need a few minutes to get yourself off.

You’ve never been able to cum from sex with a partner. No matter how hard you tried. No matter what you did.

Most would think Nel wasn’t a good lover or wasn’t trying enough, but it was through years of constantly trying anything and everything that you learned you just…couldn’t.

No amount of fingering or oral or penetration from your partner could make you orgasm.

So Nel knows to wait for you in the shower as you finish yourself off, your own fingers making quick work of it, because you always could for some reason.

It isn’t your ideal situation, and it isn’t anyone’s fault. But it works. You both get the intimacy you crave and you accepted a long time ago that you were just one of the unlucky few.

Screams fill Jungkook’s ears as a hand finds his hair and nails rake against his scalp.

Adaline isn’t a quiet receiver.

“Ohmygod!” She shouts for the twentieth time. “Yes! There…so goo-oohhhh,” the last syllable turning into a loud moan.

He’s holding her downwith a forearm by her pelvis, mouth full as he brings out her third orgasm of the night, juices flooding his tongue.

He’s working out earlier frustrations and proving a point to himself in this fucked up version of self therapy.

He shouldn’t be.

But he does.

Has to.

Seeing you today with Cornelius spurred feelings within him that he didn’t know he had. Sure, there were bits and pieces of something stirring he refused to name, but today?

They were in a whole different ballpark. Different than anything else he’s ever felt before, brewing inside him, bubbling up to the surface even though he’s been trying his best to pop them and shove them down.

Anger?

Feelings he doesn’t want to have.

Jealousy?

Does have.

Wanting you to look at him the way you look at Nel?

Can’t have.

Not for…

He admits he provoked Nel because he could. Dick move, but it was because Jungkook knew just by looking at him that giving you any form of attention would piss him off. He seemed the type.

Overly possessive, overprotective.

Overbearingly so.

Suffocatingly so.

Because Nel knows how lucky he is. That you chose him. That you still choose him.

He knows he has to keep others away.

Knows he isn’t good enough for you, holds you back. But keeps you anyway.

The selfish prick.

So Jungkook eyed you up and down, leisurely, and for as long as he wanted. Purely out of the need to prove to himself he was right about his little assessment of your boyfriend. At least that’s what he told himself.

Was it childish and unnecessary?

Yes.

But he was right. And that felt good.

He could see in your posture and your hushed words you didn’t want Nel’s protection, didn’t need it, and that Nel ignored that wish of yours. Did what he wanted to instead of respecting your ability to make decisions for yourself. Bulldozed your opinions.

It pissed Jungkook off.

He’d left a little while after sending you that text to read, but you never did. At least not since the last time he checked. And so he’d made plans with Adaline the second he was out of your earshot. Calling her up and setting a time for what’s currently taking up his primary focus.

Because even though it was Adaline underneath him, for the very first time, that’s not who he imagined it was.

Not who he just dragged a fourth orgasm out of with his fingers because he could.

Because he would. He would be so much better. Give so much more. If only…

Fuck.

Jungkook stands and drags his cock over Adaline’s entrance, whacking it against her clit a couple times before running the tip through her folds and pushing in. He hisses at the feeling. At who he was sinking into in his head, splayed out in front of him. Skin glistening with sweat mixed with arousal. Mouth open, slack jawed in pleasure.

Adaline moans loudly and it dissolves his visual.

His tattooed hand moves to hold her hands above her head, the other silences her mouth.

“Quiet now,” he whispers, low and deep. A bead of sweat dripping off his brow, hair sticking to his neck and temple.

He intends it to be sexy for her, but in reality, he’s just sick of hearing her. It’s ruining his mental image. Not that she’ll ever know that though.

To Adaline, this session is all about her and making her feel good.

But constant screams and loud, pornographic moans aren’t appealing to him in the slightest. They're taking him out of the mood. Making him soft.

Once or twice when it’s genuine? Sure. But the constant assault she loves to give his eardrums? Not even a little bit.

He sets a fast, rough pace, and Adaline’s eyes roll back in pleasure, screams finally subsiding in white hot bliss, replaced by bitten lips and smothered whimpers.

He is going to prove this point to himself over and over again. All night if he has to.

And he has to.

To get whatever it is he’s feeling for you out of his system.

To keep his sanity.

To forget.

And while it’s Adaline’s name is on his lips when he cums.

It’s not the name he repeats in his head like a prayer.

Chapter Seven: TBA

A/N 2: Thanks for waiting for this chapter. I'll try my best to have 7 out as soon as I can get it. I promise.

A/N 3: As always, Thank you for reading, loves. Xoxo - Yoon <3

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