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holybibly · 5 months

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Object of Desire | OT8 |

Pairing: otx8 x reader

Genre: sugar daddy au, dark romance, smut, vampire au,

Word Count: 9.2 k

Summary: Caught in a web of deceit and forbidden pleasures, Nabi quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly and love can bite.

WARNING: only!18+ Blood drinking, blood kink, obsessive behavior, voice kink, daddy kink, master/pet game, pet names, explicit sexual content, explicit language, emotional manipulation, possessive behavior, seduction, BDSM, polyamory, mirror sex, marking, voyeurism, power play, and more.

Disclaimer: I do not support themes of violence, obsession, possessiveness, or emotional or psychological manipulation. This book is intended for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: I honestly didn't expect so much interest in this story and I'm so happy to see these cute 'hearts' popping up in my notifications all the time. I'm an emotional mess. And so, even though I know I should be concentrating on "The Divine Rosa", there are too many other ideas in my head that I can't (won't) ignore, so here we go. "Object of Desire" will be different in style, so I hope you'll love it as much as my main work "The Divine Rosa". A promised bonus for everyone who voted for Seonghwa in the poll will be released this weekend. I'll try to release Woosan next week, the preview will be out this weekend. Comments are welcome, I really appreciate your reactions. If you'd like to be added to the tag list for this or future updates, let me know in the comments. Divider @saradika

Part 1. Do you want to make a deal with the Devil?

Now going out of town in the middle of the night with Yeonjun seemed like a bad idea.

A very bad one, I thought.

God, what was I thinking when I agreed to do this? Yesterday, this whole venture seemed like a great way to solve my problems, but now the prospect was not so rosy.

Sometimes I feel like a complete idiot, and this is one of those times.

Outside the window the dark landscape was sweeping by at high speed; the bare trees were shrouded in an ominous gloom, and only the dim light of the tall street lamps over the road was the only source of illumination to guide us in the darkness.

It seemed that the darkness around us did not stop Yeonjun from driving. His posture was relaxed and his hand was sure as he turned the wheel in the right direction, the diamond bracelet on his thin wrist sparkling with starlight. One of the many family jewels that Yeonjun treated with special affection.

In contrast to him, I couldn't relax and kept fidgeting on the leather seat made of black Iberian leather, no less.

Every part of my body was begging me to stop and come home before it was too late. Not so, I had imagined that we were going to an elite club. I knew that we would be there late at night, but the fact that the club was way out of town came as an unpleasant surprise.

At the moment it's an hour's drive from Seoul and more than an hour and a half to the destination on the GPS.

The whole thing was strange and made me dizzy, or was it the thick smell of Yeonjun's perfume? It was a dense, smoky scent with a hint of vanilla. Powerful enough to draw the eyes of everyone around to its source, and sexy enough to make you want to kiss the naked skin of the wearer of this tantalising scent.

It would be several days before I was able to wash off the remnants of his perfume after our meeting, so much of it had eaten its way into my skin.

I glanced at Yeonjun; a stray yellowish-white light from the lantern momentarily illuminated his face, and a shadow of long velvet eyelashes fell on his pale cheeks. His black raven hair was streaked with flashes of platinum and gold. He looked otherworldly - I would even say demonic.

I felt a palpable shiver run through my body, as if someone had just dipped my heart into a bucket of icy water.

"Jun." My voice was terribly uncertain. "I don't think I can do this." I said as my fingers pulled down the hem of a short dress. The expensive material looked luxurious in a perfect shade of white and was decorated with a sprinkling of crystals. Yeonjun insisted that I wear it tonight and said that I would be grateful for it as soon as we got to the club. I don't think I'd ever choose something like that for myself, and not just because of its crazy cost; Jun's fashion preferences were so different from mine. He was a fan of overt sexuality and bold lines; I, on the other hand, preferred neutrals and comfort. "I have changed my mind; this proposal does not suit me at all. Maybe we can go back..."

Yeonjun smiled softly as he turned to me, but in the darkness of the drawing room the smile was more ominous than reassuring, his lips the most breathtaking shade of red I had ever seen.

Warning bells began to ring in my head. There are times when you can sense danger even before you are faced with it.

"Nabi, my dear, there is nothing for you to be worried about. We have already discussed this. Remember?" His hand was cold as he laid it on my knee. "I will take care of everything. You're my guest tonight, which means you're under my protection." The long fingers shrank a little, a kind of confirmation of his words. His fingernails were painted glossy black, and his fingers were adorned with several silver rings.

I would like to believe that nothing is going to happen to me, but my insides are tied up in a tight knot of fear.

Miss Kim Seoyun's words echoed in my head like thunder: "Humble yourself and surrender to destiny; you are where you are supposed to be.

When did I start believing all this? This is no time to panic, Nabi.

Everything will be fine.

To be honest, Yeonjun was never my first choice when I needed help, and I always tried to keep a certain distance from him for a number of reasons. There was something so predatory about him, almost animalistic, that lit up the red lights of danger, but I was desperate; student loans, rent, insurance and food were starting to pile up. I was in desperate need of money, and preferably a lot of it, fast.

The threat of being left out on the streets and being thrown out of university has never been as real as it is now.

The only thing that gave me the slightest bit of confidence was Jimin's assurance that I could trust Yeonjun completely and how carefree he was.

Damn, Jun looked like we were going on a spontaneous romantic trip instead of a closed elite club outside the city in the middle of the night.

I asked myself again, "Why did I agree to this?" Oh yes, money. A lot of money.

A few days ago, Yeonjun contacted me and offered to help me with my money problem. Of course, Park Jimin couldn't keep his big mouth shut and told him about my problems. He told me that one of his friends at the private club had a good deal for me. I could make a lot of money out of it.

The income was enough to pay off all my debts and the number of zeros on offer was enough to turn my head.

It was an unequivocal and desperate "YES" and at that moment I did not think at all about the consequences or the characteristics of this proposal.

Jun also promised me a lot of fun but after I signed the NDA and read the multi-page contract with its veiled meaning and rather vague wording of some specific points, doubts blossomed in my chest, and I began to understand what kind of fun was being discussed.

Looks like I made a deal with the Devil.

The dress was delivered on the eve of our trip, a few hours before Yeonjun's chic Ferrari pulled up outside my dorm room. The all-white gown, richly embroidered with blue topaz and opal, was incredible. The plunging neckline of the corsage barely covered the lace bralet of the same colour as the dress.

I have never seen my breasts look so full and so soft. I would even call it seductive. Everything I moved had to be clean and graceful; if I moved too sharply, the soft pink halos of my nipples would start to show. This was beyond the limits of my modesty. At one point, I could even feel Yeonjun's searing gaze resting on my cleavage. It was a carnal look with a shadow of hidden lust in the depths of the dark, shining pupils. It was the first time in the several years of our dubiously friendly communication that he had shown such a desire for me.

The dress and underwear came with four-inch heels. Of course, if my life had been in danger and I had tried to escape, there would have been no chance of success. Incidentally, I'm a terrible runner; I bet I couldn't have run more than ten meters before I collapsed with breathlessness. I should have gone to the gym when Jimin offered it to me.

Oh my God, Nabi, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?

Jun's silky voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"You have such a tense look on your face, my darling." He purred. "We'll be there soon, Nabi. Try to relax; you're going to love "Crescent", I'm sure."

Why did it have such a sinister ring to it? "Crescent" - the name was sweet enough, I would say poetic, but the way Yeonjun rolled the word over his tongue as if he could feel its taste - thick and viscous - made the name something forbidden and sinful. Well, the idea of the cult was not so absurd to me. And that stupid prophecy never left my mind.

"You're where you should be..."

In the reflection of the small mirror in the car, I met my gaze. My pupils were dilated like those of a hunted prey. And though I tried to calm down, I could feel the cold, predatory touch of Yeonjun's hand all too well. Baby, it looks like you're going to get caught.

I ask myself again. Why did I find myself in this situation?

Dressed in the most luxurious designer clothes, like a real doll. Ready to become an exclusive blood donor for a very wealthy private community whose clients needed this kind of service, accompanied by one of Seoul's wealthiest heirs.

Now I can say: "Hey, Nabi, you really screwed up."

❤︎❤︎❤︎

A few days before the visit to "Crescent"

I looked again at the envelope lying on my bed. It had been delivered early in the morning, when the whole city was in a half-awake haze and the streets were not yet filled with coffee and fresh pastries from charming little cafes. The envelope was just left on the door, as if it were something unwanted, without bothering to deliver it to the to the addressee.

Why do we even pay for a delivery service?

He's been there for a couple of hours with the overdue bills and some flyers. I found him on my way to get a life-saving coffee, which had to be postponed due to the unexpected arrival of this mysterious object.

And that didn't make me feel any happier at all.

The thick, dark purple paper looked regal and too expensive to be mediocre; usually such envelopes contained bad news or invitations to a private bohemian reception, but it was too fancy for the former and impossible for the latter. Poor students can't get into high society unless they spread their legs in front of someone's wrinkled dick. And I wasn't inclined to do that.

I took the envelope back to my room and put it on the bed. It looked impossibly ridiculous—I would even say vulgar—surrounded by fluffy pink pillows and a variety of stuffed animals—a small army, as Jimin liked to put it. The envelope was a perfect match for its sender—luxurious, vulgar, and obscenely expensive—the very embodiment of Yeonjun's tastes. Judging by the ten missed phone calls and a whole bunch of messages, Jun wanted to make sure that the envelope had been delivered. He even linked it to Jimin, which almost offended me.

I still remember how, on a stupid whim, I had to dye his hair pink in the middle of the night while his sweet, high-pitched voice babbled something like, "Make me look like the Sugar Plum Fairy." After that, you swore to be absolutely loyal to me, Jimin.

All men do is lie.

I didn't have the strength to play in peepers with purple paper. It was giving me a headache. I also had to give an answer to one of the culprits in this situation; otherwise, the scale of the drama would reach the dimensions of the universe.

Come on, Nabi. It's just an envelope. It won't bite you.

After I had settled down comfortably on the bed, I decided to begin to reply to Yeonjun's message.

"I've received the envelope with the documents you told me about, Jun. I'm so grateful for your help." Okay, that was nice, maybe. Or at least I wanted it to be that way. I'm definitely not going to text him to say that I've been deliberately ignoring his texts and calls. Anyway, we had a pretty interesting relationship with Yeonjun. They were never very sweet. The second one was for Jimin, and as my fingers were hovering over the letters with the first apologies, the phone started to vibrate.

Our photo with Jimin flashed on the screen. We were on a trip to Pusan, his hometown. The golden beach in the purple sunset, smiling Chim and Taehyung—his gorgeous boyfriend-and me with a grimace, burnt shoulders and one shoe in hand, the other lost in an unequal battle with tidal waves. When you look at this photo, you can immediately say that it is summer, my least favourite season. I don't even know why it was necessary for them to drag me along on this trip. Most of the time I was on my own. While Chimin tried to lick Te's tonsils or fought off the frat boys who thought buying a sugary-sweet cocktail would magically open my legs. So that was how two weeks of my "fun" summer holiday went by.

And here we are again, back to the lie. Let's go; it'll be fun, they said.

How this photo ended up on Jimin's contact screen is still a mystery to me. But that's not the point now. I took a deep breath and picked up the phone:

"Hi baby."

"Oh! Did you really answer my call instead of ignoring it as usual? How can you treat me like this? I am your soul mate. The only light in your dark world; you don't love me at all?" There was the sound of a fake sob on the other side of the phone. "I've never been ignoring you, Chim." I didn't get to finish because I was interrupted.

"I've called you a lot—eighteen times to be exact. And you, my dear butterfly, haven't answered a single call. You're making me nervous, Nabi, and that's making Taehyung nervous."

"If you'd let me finish, then you'd know how much I love you and how impossible it is to ignore you." He couldn't see my smile. But I'm sure he could feel it in my words. "You are the only light in my boring life; will you forgive me? And please apologise to Tae. I know my sunlight can be quite unbearable sometimes. So why did you call me?"

"First of all, I wanted to know if you'd received an envelope from Yeonjun; you don't answer when he calls, so he called me. More importantly, have you opened it, Nabi?" He asked, sounding genuinely interested as he spoke.

"Yes, Chim, I got the envelope." I ran my fingers over the dark purple paper in a thoughtful manner. "And no, I didn't open it yet. I'm not sure I even wanna. Is this a good idea, Jimin? All of it?"

"You're being too dramatic, in my opinion. Jun wants to help you. All you have to do, my beautiful butterfly, is relax and accept his help. Sometimes sweet little girls like you just need someone who can solve all of their problems for them." Jimin told me in a patronizing way. In a way, I had to agree with him, but hey! I'm not a damsel in distress or a sugar baby; even though I was in trouble, it wasn't as bad as it looked. Jimin's a bit of an exaggerator. "It's not that hard. You go to the club with Yeonjun, have fun, and in the morning you have a few thousand dollars in your account. How does that sound for you?" Park Jimin had a very annoying way of being right all the time. It really wasn't that hard to accept Yeonjun's offer, earn enough to pay off your debts, and take a little time out of the eternal race for money. In the end, I have to think about myself sometimes.

"Okay, I'll listen to you and try to relax. One last question, though: Are you trusting Yeonjun?" And this question made me feel much more uncomfortable than the secret clubs, the elite society, and the complete financial crisis.

"Absolutely." Now his voice sounded confident and serious. "Nabi, Yeonjun and I have been friends for years. I'm sure you'll be safe around him. Jun wants the best for you, and so do I, and if you'll let us, we'll give it to you. You do know that you can ask me for anything, right?" The warmth and care that I could hear in every single word that he said to me warmed my heart. "I am not going to ask you for money."

"You're a stubborn, willful, and terribly categorical bitch, and now I can understand why you haven't had sex for so long. Can't you just let me and Tae look after you? Say the word, and you'll have the whole world to yourself. Sometimes I honestly don't understand how I can love you with such intensity. Given your utter inability to take advantage of opportunities. We're the best package deal ever. Do you know that? Where else are you going to find such a good dick and a black card as a bonus?" He asked.

"Jesus, Jimin! You can stop this. We're not fucking, is that clear? And I'm not going to take your money, even if you try to put your credit card in my hand every time. I can handle this on my own. "I shouted in a huff.

"OK, don't be uptight." He was such a bitch sometimes. He really enjoyed irritating me. "But I'm right. Aren't I? It's been a long time since you've been scolded. Go on, say I'm right. Come on, Nabi, tell me everything. Are you playing with yourself, dirty girl, or do you need to be taught a lesson? I want details."

There were times when I couldn't understand why God was punishing me in this way, but I guess it was the reckoning for the sins of my ancestors that could come in the form of the pink-headed Park Jimin.

"I hate you. I wasn't serious.

"I know." Chimin said cheekily. "By the way, to calm your nerves a bit, I'll tell you. I personally know some members of the club you and Yeonjun are going to. They are Taehyung's friends, so have no fear. But the best thing about these clubs are the men. Nabi, there are men there who make me believe in the existence of Greek gods and fallen angels." Jimin said it dreamily. "God, I would show them how flexible I can be if I didn't go out with Tae."

"All right, stop with that. I get it." I wasn't in the mood to listen to the dirty fantasies of my best friend right now. Especially when you consider the fact that he was absolutely right about my sexual life. I'd been single for a long time.

"Okay, nun, I won't corrupt you; otherwise, you'll have a desire for sex."

"Park Jimin!" I squealed.

Jimin just laughed out loud on the other side of the phone.

"I won't do it again. I promise." Actually, I didn't call you in the first place because of Yeonjun or your arrangement, but I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go somewhere with me.

"Where exactly do you have it in mind?"

"Do you have any idea about Paradigm?" "That fancy spiritualist boutique on Instagram everyone's talking about? I've had a bit of a hearing about it." Why would Jimin want to go to Paradigm? It was a place that was just as private and secret as the one that I had to go to with Yeonjun. "I have to pick up some packages for Taehyung; you know he's obsessed with all kinds of mystical stuff, and this damn boutique only gives out packages—no deliveries—can you imagine that? It feels like the Holy Grail, not a silly amulet."

"As defined by your style with Tae, it sounds terribly stilted and expensive. Sure, I'll go. Give me an hour or so; I need some time to pack."

"Fine, I'll pick you up. Wait for me, my love."

"Please, just pick something a little more simple than your Porsche.

"I love my Porsche; what's wrong with my car?"

"It's too much attention. Last time, everyone at the university talked about it for a whole week. There were even questions about whether you were my sugar daddy or not.

"I definitely love it. It is the universe's way of telling you that there is no need for resistance. I am going to take care of you, my little butterfly. And I am definitely going to come and pick you up in a Porsche. See you in one hour, baby."

"Jimin, just not in a Porsche!" I shouted, but it was too late; I only heard beeping.

As always, it was Park Jimin who had the last word.

I was happy to be able to postpone opening the purple envelope for a while because of this unexpected trip. Even though an occult boutique or something like that wasn't the best prospect.

Anyway, it's time to pack.

Jimin has a strict rule. He's never late.

Exactly one hour later, Jimin's Porsche picked me up from the dorm, and to all my indignation, the only response he gave was a mocking giggle.

There was good traffic on the roads. After twenty minutes, we stopped at the glass door with the silver star engraving. The exquisite sign above the door read as follows: Paradigm is a boutique of spiritualism." The phases of the moon, from New Moon to Descending Moon, were written on the board below the sign.

"Let's go, Nabi. Pick up the package, and I'll take you home. I know you still need to get Yeonjun registered." Chim wrapped his hands around my forearm and literally dragged me into the boutique as we entered.

As we walked in, the bells above the door began to ring, but the sound was not familiar to me; it looked more like glass than metal. When I looked up, I understood the reason for the sound. There were crystal bells hanging above the door, with long strings of pearls and little silver crescents. It was a very beautiful sight. While I had my eyes on the bells, Jimin was already in conversation with the girl behind the counter. She was tall, with a cascade of long, golden hair. Her features were large and expressive. The girl looked more like a model than a soothsayer or spiritualist, although in the age of Instagram, maybe that's what modern wizards and witches should look like.

I couldn't hear the whole of the conversation, just bits and pieces of it: "It's a parcel for Kim Taehyung. "Yes, it concerns the Kim family." "Please deliver it as soon as possible."

While they were talking, I thought I'd take a look around the shop.

The common room was not large; the shape of the room was round, probably because of some mystical meaning. The walls were covered with velvet curtains, behind which a number of doors were concealed. On metal shelves were various objects: crystal balls, shards of precious stones, heavy tomes on voodoo and fortune-telling, ancient talismans in forged frames, hare legs—a symbol of good luck—and other magical items. There was something macabre about this place—a thick, dense air in which the scent of frankincense and myrtle was vivid—and the heavy, lingering presence of something otherworldly, like a ghostly footprint—a very evil footprint. In all other respects, it was the same luxurious, new-fangled boutique for the chosen rich or the mystical amateur.

My attention was drawn to a crown. It lay on a velvet cushion on one of the many shelves. There were nine black diamonds at the center of the crown. They were surrounded by rubies, so deep in scarlet that they cast a black glow, and pearls to match. The lines of the metal were twisted. They were like snakes wrapped around jewels. The cut of the diamonds was not typical; it was something extremely rare for this kind of gemstone—the Empress.

I was drawn to this crown as if it were a magnet. This feeling of inescapable attraction that you can't resist—I have a feeling like this crown has always belonged to me. Now we are finally reunited. I reached out to touch it, to feel the coolness of the dark, glittering diamonds under my fingers, and I almost did when someone's hand fell on my shoulder.

"You shouldn't touch that, dear."

I gave a frightened jerk, either at the touch of someone else or at the low voice that had come so close to me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just attracted to this crown, and I..." I had no idea how to explain the fact that I'd literally had a call from a piece of metal. Even for a place like this, it might have sounded crazy.

As I turned, I saw a woman in her 40s. Like the girl at the counter, she was more like a modern socialite on Instagram than an occult shop worker.

"All right, darling, the important thing is that you stopped it in time. This thing has a bad reputation; every one of its owners has ended up committing suicide. Anyway, my name is Kim Seoyun, owner of Paradigm. What brings you here today?"

"I'm here with a friend who needs to pick up a package for his boyfriend."

"A young man with pink hair, right? He's in the office with JaYoung; they're in charge of the registration," Seoyun said.

Even the names of the two were breathtakingly beautiful and meaningful. Sometimes the universe invests more in some than others. Seoyun frowned for a moment, as if she had read my thoughts. Then her face cleared, and she smiled softly.

"You're a beautiful girl, Nabi."

"Thank you." I sounded terribly stupid; sometimes I act like a complete fool, but I couldn't think of a more witty response. There was an uncomfortable silence between us. Until it was broken by SeoYun, who asked me a question.

"Do you want me to tell you what your fate is going to be like? My clients are of the opinion that I'm very precise in my predictions."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that." I waved away. "I don't really have a lot of faith in destiny and omens."

"You don't believe in destiny?" She arched her eyebrow in a skeptical manner. "Or don't you want to believe in it?"

"I'm a realist; I can't imagine believing in a destiny and hoping for some mystical higher power to intervene."

"Hmm, this is quite interesting. Come on, let's play," she said, picking up a Taro deck and opening it like a fan. She handed it to me. "You choose five cards; two of them are about love, two of them are about the future, and the last card is about the inevitable destiny, something that's been foretold since your birth."

I won't lie, I was so curious, even though I had no faith in the cards in my hand. My hand reached out for a pack of cards, my fingers hovering over the smooth, flickering surface as if I were trying to feel the ones I needed.

Fatum—the word had a scary ring to it.

AfterI had quickly decided on the four cards, I solemnly drew the last card and handed it over to Miss Kim.

Seoyun took the cards from me with a knowing smile. She began to turn them over one by one and started to explain what each meant.

"You are going to love like it is hard to imagine." She said. Feelings carried threatening limits. Crazy, wild, and burning love—this is a card that comes up very rarely, but it has a very strong meaning. It is the Queen of Cups. For someone who really loves you, you are going to be a true queen, a goddess; everything will be done for you; everything you want will be fulfilled; but if you get too caught up in this feeling, you will be too easily controlled. As strong as this love is, so strong is the destructiveness of it. You should be more careful with it.

The next card was turned over by Seoyun.

"The star is a bright omen for you. You have a choice in front of you that will change everything. Follow the star, and it will show you the path, but remember, no star shines without darkness. This is a map that will lead you to where you need to be. In search of that guiding star, it looks like I'm going to have to look up in the sky some more. Perhaps I should also follow the spiders in order to find the Chamber of Secrets as well.

I treated them with absolute skepticism.

"Death: everything has a cycle, and when death appears, it means you're nearing the end of one. The appearance of death is the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. It may have something to do with the love that awaits you. Your loneliness is about to end."

"The Five Cups is a situation in which you are stuck and can't move forward. This card is about your problems and the need for change in your life. This is the same kind of magical kick that is followed by heavy and dramatic events. The Fives indicate that this is only the second act of the great play; there is still much to come, but the finale promises to be happy if you accept your destiny. Otherwise, it can always end in tragedy. This card tells you: Accept yourself and surrender."

I didn't have a bit of faith in her words. If Jimin or Lia had been in my place, they would have been on a shopping spree for amulets and shamans; their belief in the afterlife was absurdly high.

Before I turned the last card, Seoyun took my hand. She looked me in the eyes seriously and asked:

"Are you sure that you want to know what fate has meant for you, because sometimes it's hard to deal with it?"

"Yes, I do. I'd like to hear it." Isn't that the whole point of a fortune telling?

It's just a deck of cards and some vague words from a pseudo fortune-teller. What could possibly go wrong?

When Miss Kim turned over the last card, her face went pale, and she let the palm of her hand slip out of hers as if it had been burned.

"Go away." sounded like undisguised horror in Seoyun's voice. "Leave immediately. JaYoung, accompany her to the exit, now." She turned away from me, clutching the card in her hand.

I never had a chance to have a look at what was on it.

"What is going on? Why are you kickin' us outta here? What did you see on that card? "In complete disregard for my questions, Miss Kim hurried to the office door, hiding behind the curtains.

Just then, JaYoung and Jimin came out of the other room with a small black box tied with a gold ribbon. It must have been a parcel for Taehyung to take.

"Nabi, are you all right?" Jimin asked me in a worried tone.

No, it wasn't all right; the lady looked at me as if I were one of the bad omens of the biblical coming.

What was it about this card that was able to frighten her to such an extent?

"JaYoung, take her to the exit and close the boutique; we will not be working any more today."

I grabbed the woman's hand before she could turn the doorknob and disappear into the darkness of the room.

"What's the meaning of the last card? Tell me; I'm not going to leave here until you tell me."

"Death is closer to you than you think. It's already on its way to you." Her whole body began to shivered as if it were cold, but the shop was warm. I would say stuffy.

"Who's comin'? What are you talkin' about?" I insisted on it.

Seoyun suddenly turned to me and pushed a crumpled tarot card into my hand. There was There was madness in her dark eyes, and her pupils were so dilated that they were almost the thick green of her iris.

"The Devil."

After that, she practically pushed me to the exit, where I met a worried and confused Jimin. We came out of the boutique, and the door behind us clicked in a characteristic way.

This was not how I had imagined a trip to Paradigm.

"What the hell just happened?"

"You'll believe me when I say I have no idea." Jimin and I looked at each other.

"Next time Taehyung will pick up his stupid packages themselves, I will not go to places like that again. Nabi, I saw someone's canned heart in a jar and bat carcasses. Did you know they have such tiny, sharp teeth? I could swear that I've never seen anything so disgusting in all my life." He said.

"No more occult boutiques, I totally agree with you. Let's go home, I still have to send the paperwork over to Jun."

"I must have something to drink first, and the stronger the better. Let's go to 'Salvatore' and then go home."

I took one last look at the sign, which was now shimmering faintly in the setting sun. I crumpled the card into a small ball and threw it in the rubbish bin next to me.

The Devil, of course. I'm not going to believe the words of this crazy fortune teller. Maybe I should scatter the salt at the entrance, or then he will suddenly knock on my door.

Two hours later, after a big margarita for two and a few glasses of red wine, Jimin took me home, and I was in the same position as before the whole stupid trip to Paradigm.

Sitting on my bed, hypnotised by a dark purple envelope with documents from Yeonjun. There was no point in putting it off any longer.

Instead of pulling a millimeter at a time, I need to learn how to rip off a plaster in one move. Maybe deep down I'm a masochist if I prefer this method, but right now I don't have the time to sort out my hidden sexual desires.

I picked up the envelope; it was surprisingly heavy and pleasantly soft to the touch. The paper had a pleasant odor of powder and velvet, a reminder of the Victorian era in England. Unrequited love letters must have smelled like that.

The envelope was sealed by a wax seal with a monogram cast in an antique shade of gold. When I opened it, the thin wax cracked under my fingers, leaving a glistening particle on them. Inside were a number of documents tied together: a non-disclosure agreement, a handwritten note, and a velour jewellery bag bound with silk ribbons and embroidered with opals and sapphires. I'm sure this little thing was worth twice what I'd been paid in six months, and what lay inside cost much more.

My first choice was a piece of paper. Yeonjun had always written in an incredibly beautiful way - calligraphed, like a fountain pen, with little curls at the end of the letters.

"My lovely Nabi, I look forward to seeing you this Saturday. I am so glad that you have agreed to take me up on my offer. A treasure like you deserves the best in the world, and I'm overjoyed to give it to you. In case you change your mind and decide to back out of your contract with ”Crescent,” I will be the one to pay all of your bills and your tuition fees in the future. We have already discussed this with Jimin. Despite your stubborn refusal to accept any financial help from us, I will do it anyway."

Sometimes I think that all of my friends have a sugar daddy complex; their desperate desire to pay for everything in my life is taken to the extreme. Of course, if you grew up with a "golden spoon" in your mouth, a few thousand dollars, it was absolutely nothing. But for me, it was an exorbitant burden, and yet I wanted to handle it myself.

As dubious as it sounds, I didn't want to say no.

"There's a confidentiality agreement in the envelope, and you need to sign it until tomorrow night. Your session is scheduled for Saturday night. We have to be at ”Crescent” by 23:00, after which Seulgi, the main administrator, will pick up a perfectly compatible client for you to donate blood. Before you meet her, I want to make sure that all the paperwork is in order. There are also two versions of the contract that you should have a look at.”

The ”Crescent” allows donors to choose whether they want to work with them for a year or for one night. Accordingly, there are two types of contracts: annual and one-off.

”I've picked out an outfit for you to wear when we go to ”Crescent”; it'll arrive on Friday with everything you need. You'll look gorgeous, and I'm sure you'll thank me afterwards. Personally, I think you could do with showing a little more of your skin and accentuating the sexy lines of your body. For my taste, you're too modest.”

I squeezed my eyes shut in annoyance. If my buttocks weren't pressed up against the skirt and my breasts weren't protruding, I'd certainly be too modest. The more skin on display, the better. Jun's preference was something I was well aware of. A nice outfit was to be forgotten, and if my underwear was even a little bit covered, I would consider myself lucky. I was sure there would be no thanks on my part.

"The club's owners give all new donors a thank-you gift. It's inside an envelope. Accept it with all sincerity, because you are giving them your life's resources, and this is the least they can do for you. It is also their request that you wear it on your arrival at the “Crescent.”

My dear Nabi, it will be a night you'll never forget. I can assure you of that.

All my love, Yeonjun. "

I was very excited about the prospect of Saturday night. There was a feeling that there was some hidden meaning in the whole situation that I was missing out on. My brain was sending me distress and danger signals, just like Yeonjun. Be careful. The storm is coming.

In any case, sometimes it is better to be at ease and just go with the flow. Like Jimin said, I should be less dramatic.

I signed the NDA contract right away. I'll definitely forget it if I don't do it now. Checking Yeonjun's words against the remaining documents in the envelope, there were two versions of the contract: a one-off and an annual one. I decided to save the gift from the owners of the 'Crescent' for the very end. My first choice was the one-off contract. There were fewer pages, and it was clearer and easier to read.

The first item on the contract was the NDA. There was a long explanation of why it was so important and necessary.

"All "Crescent" clients are people of high social status and position. Their privacy is of the utmost priority to us. Especially with regard to their "special" conditions and specific needs, we want to guarantee our clients complete privacy. Each donor undertakes to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to the first session. Otherwise, the contract between the donor and our client will not be concluded." Guests of the club, hereinafter referred to as "donors," are obliged to keep confidential all the information obtained during personal meetings as well as everything that happens during the blood transfusion, hereinafter referred to as "sessions."

Well, it sounded a bit strange, but I could understand why "Crescent" insisted on signing a contract of this kind. In today's world, it is difficult to keep things secret. And when you are dealing with powerful and wealthy people, it is even more difficult. Paparazzi lurk around every corner, and tabloids are ready to start a scandal with the slightest spark, especially in South Korea.

Who in their right mind would want to survive the criticism, the judgment, and the airing of dirty laundry?

The donor's responsibilities and the client's expectations were the next point in the contract.

In short, you become an exclusive blood donor for one or more clients of the club after signing the contract. This is what Yeonjun told me as well. This form of contract required a single "session."

They didn't give any details, just that the service was linked to a certain type of genetics in their clients and was urgently needed. They did not say how the transfusion process would take place.

"The donor agrees to give their blood and receives financial compensation from the club after a successful procedure. The whole process is strictly controlled by "Crescent" staff. They also act as intermediaries between the donor and the client. Their job is to carry out a compatibility test that will guarantee a better result in the transfusion."

Point three is called "testing for compatibility."

Each donor was tested for compatibility before the "session," and the club administrators—as I learned from Yeonjun's note, my administrator's name is Seulgi—took a blood sample and compared it with the most suitable partner or partners. It was not only the blood that was important, but the members of the club also had a long list of preferences and wishes that the donor had to match. Looks were not the least of these. Height, weight, hair colour, body type, nationality, and age—the list seemed endless. There was even a clause about the type of voice and the food preferences of the donor. Let's just say: "Crescent" customers were very spoiled and had a personal view of the blood donation process. Partner - It sounded a little too intimate to me for this kind of situation, and it clearly had a double meaning.

The most pleasant of all—financial compensation—was point number four.

"For voluntarily donating their life resources, all donors receive financial compensation from "Crescent," ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. The amount paid varies according to the amount of blood donated and the status of the client with whom the donor was matched".

It was a fabulous amount of money. It was a very quick income, but it wasn't that easy. I felt it in my gut. The work was flawless; there was just no such thing.

I've reached the last point in the contract - the completion of the agreement.

Here are the details of the beginning and end of the 'session', how the money was paid, how the donors returned home, and other details. The start of each 'session' was exactly midnight, but the donor had to be at the club two hours before for preparation. The 'session' ended at 8am the next day. In general, the whole process took up to eight hours. The transfusion took place in private rooms, the doors of which were locked from the beginning to the end of the "session." Inside the rooms, there was a "panic button" in case of unforeseen situations.

The transfusion process itself is only revealed on arrival at the "Crescent," as the paragraph indicates: "is not standard." The donors were taken home by the club staff at the end of the "session." If there was a request from the client for the donor to be taken home in person, there was no objection to this.

And that's all. The one-off contract was over. A few thousand dollars have been added to your bank account.

I won't lie, it sounded fabulous. But there was a lot that made me feel confused and want to know.

Some of the clauses in the contract left me scratching my head with their veiled meaning and ambiguous choice of words.

So I moved on to the second version of the contract - the one for the year.With lots of footnotes and sub-paragraphs, it was twice as long.

It had the same beginnings: the NDA agreement, the donation, and the compatibility test, but then everything changed dramatically.

Gone was the faceless "client." In its place came the "patron." Now it sounded as if there was a contract between the patron and the donor. In addition to this new word, there were also new points to be included in the contract.

Medical care, diet, sports with a private trainer, spa treatments, and even specific items such as painting, dancing, and music lessons. From the signing of the annual contract, which included renting accommodation, paying bills and school fees, giving gifts, traveling, and so on, the patrons were fully responsible for the welfare and comfort of their exclusive donor.

They promised to keep the donor happy and satisfied and to see to whatever needed to get done. It was now that the ambiguity of the word 'partner' began to make sense to me. In this contract, it was clearly stated that the business relationship could continue between the sheets.

"The sexual or romantic relationship between the donor and the patron is their personal affair and is welcome if both parties are interested in and attracted to each other. All intimate details, including details of the sexual act, remain strictly confidential between donor and client. A list of the sexual practices as well as the permissible kinks will be discussed in advance. The donor is entitled to determine the acceptable boundaries of sexual contact, its intensity, and the degree of emotional "subspace" involved. A stop word is chosen in advance, or the clients can always use the color system: green - yellow - red.

Donors have the right to appeal to the management of the club if, at any time, their rights have been violated and they have been subjected to emotional, physical, or sexual coercion. The owners of "Crescent" have an obligation to provide the donor with a safe place and appropriate specialists for the assessment of the donor's condition. The contract is suspended. Further details are awaited. The issue can be resolved peacefully. In the worst case, the contract will be terminated immediately, and the donor will be compensated for a period of five years." That was certainly not my expectation. I will have to ask Yeonjun if he has any knowledge of such cases, if they have happened, or if anyone has ever had an early termination of a contract.

In addition, it was stated that such a relationship was not obligatory and that if the donor did not want to have sexual relations with the patron, he could refuse, and the patron would have no insistence.

But I don't think many donors would refuse, considering that even Jimin, who is dating an absolutely perfect and insanely attractive man named Taehyung, talked about the beauty of “Crescent's“ clients. It's a very tempting offer, even though it sounds like a twisted version of sugar daddy with a bloody kink.

There have also been some changes to the point about the financial compensation. It is now a compulsory monthly allowance. Depending on the status of the patron, it could range from $30,000 to $90,000 a year. The more he or she could afford to pay, the higher the amount of the benefit. The money was divided into equal parts. It was paid over the duration of the contract. Always on the first Monday of the month.

I can't imagine that anyone would be willing to pay that kind of money for your blood. Obviously, for the members of the “Crescent“, this was an acute question, as the amount in the contract had several zeros.

One of the most important points in the contract was the exclusivity clause.

This was unacceptable for an annual contract, unlike a one-off contract, which allowed the donor to contract with different clients each time. To put it bluntly: Your blood belonged to the sponsor. In this respect, there were so many requirements and so many details written down that were important to the patron. In addition, the one-year contract was only available to donors who had knowledge of the club's clients or staff. Yeonjun was one of them. So I received two versions of the contract instead of one.

At the end, there was the same information about the terms and conditions of the 'meeting' and a few paragraphs about the expiry of the one-year contract.

Having read the contracts, I felt like we were in a strange combined version of 50 Shades of Gray and True Blood.

With a heavy sigh, I leaned back on the pillows, putting the papers to one side, and pressed my cheek against the fluffy, soft toy. It felt good against my skin, the soft purple velour. It was a weird variation on 'Princess of the Bumpy Space' from 'Adventure Time'. Minho had given it to me after another drunken debacle. How he came into possession of this toy is still a complete mystery to all of us.

I had a couple of thoughts about my options. On the one hand, I could make a one-off deal with them and then forget about what had happened the next morning. The amount they offered to compensate me would have been enough to make me feel good for a while, but certainly not enough to pay off all the debts and put some aside just in case.

On the other hand, there was a contract for one year with regular payments and various bonuses, but this also involved a mysterious and demanding patron. One year, and I can say goodbye to all the debts I owe. There was also the chance, without a boring, monotonous job in a bookshop, a tiny room in a student dormitory, or a permanent pit of debt, to see the world, enjoy art, and simply live and be happy.

All this was offered to me on a silver platter. But somehow I thought it was a deal with the devil rather than a blessing from an angel.

In that tempting sentence, there was too much 'but'.

All my thoughts had me on the verge of tears and screams at the same time.

I looked around my little room: dim, mousy grey painted walls; scattered notes and piles of textbooks on the table; picture frames; toys; piles of crumpled blankets on the floor; and a black Balmain velvet jacket that once belonged to Minho, but which he is absolutely certain makes me look better than him. In addition to my things, there were a few of Lia's dresses and Yeonjun's leather jacket, which he left me after one of our many meetings, in my wardrobe, which was tiny by Jimin and Minho's standards. The contrast between their clothes and mine was unbelievable - brand labels, monograms, and distinctive prints - all screaming about their high cost and inaccessibility. I could never have that kind of money, but I had the desire. I really wanted to have it.

This sense of accessibility was something I was curious about.

There was a thick twilight beyond the window. A scattering of purple light poured into the room, turning the whole room a mystical shade of purple. As it danced along the walls, the colour dripped down to the floor, making it look like dark purple water. You could see the first stars begin to appear in the rapidly darkening sky, their broken light sparking off a sapphire embroidered ribbon on a small jewellery bag. I had completely forgotten all about this so-called gift. The cobalt blue sapphires mirrored each other and looked like the eyes of a big cat. That's how I'd always imagined the eyes of a predator - shining in that mystical blue. I took the pouch in my hand and shook it lightly in an attempt to determine what was inside, but the contents did not make a sound.

The silk ribbon came undone with ease. I stared at the contents of the bag with unblinking eyes. Inside was a delicate ornament made of white gold. Thin lines were woven into a star shape. It was inlaid with sapphires and diamonds. It was mesmerizing to look at. Whoever made this necklace obviously put a great deal of love into it. The shape of the ornament itself was not standard; it was more like a guide star in the center of the compass.

I was reminded of what Miss Kim had said to me today as my fingers gently traced the pattern of the necklace.

"Follow the stars, and they will show you the way. A star is a bright omen."

Could it just be a coincidence that the piece of jewelry I was holding in my hand was nothing less than a guiding star?

Either way, I'll definitely be wearing it Saturday—not just because the owners asked me to, but because it is my wish. Perhaps this star will indeed show me the way, but one thing I was sure of was that it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I'd ever seen.

I thought I'd put the jewelry back in my bag and do some paperwork for Yeonjun. I've had enough mystical prophecies and rich patrons for one day, so I've left the contract selection for Saturday. I'm going to spend the evening resting and relaxing. I'll have a long, hot bath with butter and pink salt, which Jiminy brought me from Paris. I will read a book or listen to a meditation course and call upon my inner "I" to harmonise.

Meditation and soul-searching have become very popular with Lia lately. As a result, I have a whole bookshelf in my room that is dedicated to books of this kind and various CDs with meditation and breathing exercises. Last month, she even gave me a decorative fountain, which was supposed to be calming and relaxing but in fact made me feel more nervous and annoyed than soothed. I looked at the jewelry bag containing the necklace again after gathering all the documents.

"The star will show the way..."

And it's only now that I realise that I've never said my name, Miss Kim, and I don't know how she came to know it.

"You're a beautiful girl, Nabi."

For a moment, I thought that maybe her words weren't made up or lying, but rather a warning, but it was only for a second.

I decided not to give it much thought, shaking my head as if to drive the thought away. If it were a sign of my destiny, it'd be my meeting with her on Saturday. I looked out the window again. As if mocking me, the crescent moon shone brightly through the thick midnight clouds. One thing I was absolutely sure of: a visit to 'Сrescent' would change my life forever.

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crowentity233 · 11 months

Text

Don't Tell Part 1

Mako x Reader (touchstarved and secret relationship)

Part 2 Masterlist

Summary:Mako x Earthbender reader

You being touch starved for years suddenly have an intense crush on mako after he put himself in danger for you and the safety he provides following the attack. You both keep your relationship under wrap from the krew. You both don't want to deal with everything that follows them finding out.

You sat at the table with Opal, Bolin, Korra, Asami, and Mako. You had been friends with the group since the downfall of Kuvira.

You had been an escaped supporter like Bolin. You had escaped shortly after Bolin.

The table was full of chatter from the group and what they had been up to. Korra and asami had been dating for a while. They were perfectly matched. Opal and Bolin were happily dating. You and Mako both just endured the public display of affection from the couples.

"I actually have a date tonight." You spoke happily to the group.

Asami immediately smiled brightly. "Is it the guy from the Pro-Bender tournament?"

You nodded. "It is. His name is Nabi and we are going to the café on airbend Lane. The one with the good pastries."

Bolin gasped excitedly. "We love that café. They have the cutest little paw pastries with a fireferret charm."

Opal pulled out the charm that Bolin had given her. "They do! It's a very nice place for a first date."

You stood leaning against the brick wall. Your nerves were pressing. This date was something you kinda forced yourself into to try. You hadn't been on a date since leaving Kuvira's army. That was well over a year ago.

You stood in your own world, trying to press down the fear. Your heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Nabi again. You lifted your eyes seeing Nabi walking up.

"Hey!" You hugged him casually. You both stood outside the café. "How was the match?" You asked, knowing he had gone to watch the probending match today.

"It was good the team I bet for won." He smirked happily.

You smiled politely when the corner of your eye caught movement. A group of men were lerking closer. "Aww, isn't this sweet. Sorry to break up your date. I'm gonna need your cash."

Nabi immediately started digging through his pockets.

You stomped your foot into the ground, bending the earth as a warning shot. "I suggest you get out of here."

"You and what army?" The gang members chuckled as Nabi was nowhere to be found he had deserted you seeing his chance when you distracted them by bending

You rolled your eyes, taking a fighting stance. "I don't need one." The double meaning in your own mind, boyfriend nor an army. You bended quickly, creating distance between you and the group. You weren't dumb three on one wasn't a risk you wanted to take. You were a great bender, but no toph. You ran off jumping on your motorcycle. You sped off, but the men quickly caught up to you. Sirens blared behind the men as the cops caught up, too. The waterbender shot water your way. You blocked a little late. You got a scratch on your arm. You bended earth trying to get them off your trail. The waterbender then froze over your back tire, causing you to come to a screeching halt. You tried to keep as balanced as you could. The balance finally toppled over, but you were at a safe speed. Your bike turned over, and you hopped onto a rock that you had bending into something to slide into safety with. You watched as a bike caught up to the men. Fire caught on the bike, causing them to all jump off the bike before it exploded in the middle of the bare street. The men were surrounded by the cops and sirens immediately. You leaned against the wall of a closed store. Mako had been the one to apprehend the men and packed them into the cars of his coworkers. Your hand fell to your arm that was sore from the cut.

Mako walked from the car to you. You lifted your eyes to his. He stood much taller tonight. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He lifted your hand from your arm seeing the cut underneath.

"Come on." He placed his arm over your shoulder. You hesitated from walking with him. Your knees were weak from the adrenaline. You took a step with him. Your legs were learning trust in the ground beneath you as you slowly walked with Mako. He held you stable. "Can you ride with me?" He asked as you both approached his motorcycle.

You nodded hesitantly. "Can I ride in the front? I'll feel safer. "

He hopped on the bike and opened his arm for you to get on the front. You sat down in front of him. You placed your hands on the handlebars, and he placed his hands over yours.

"We're going to my apartment." His voice sounded through the helmets.

"You don't have to do that. I'm sure I'll be safe." The bike took off you held onto the bars as mako took control.

"No chance. I know how these guys operate. I'm not risking it. You can stay over. Bolin and Opal will be there in the morning. You can just stay tonight, and we will hang out tomorrow like we planned."

"Okay. Thank you, Mako." Your back relaxed into his chest. He made a few turns and passed some buildings. Each turn calmed you further. Safety was right where you were. The feeling overwhelmed your senses.

The cool air blowing past you. The warmth of makos chest against your back. Your legs pressed against his. The vibrations of the road. You rested in his arms. He parked his bike and, for a moment, time stood still. You remembered this feeling of having a man so close to you was mako. The touch that you had starved for, just the comfort of a man. It was Mako.

The Mako that you know from Bolin. The same Mako that was with you this afternoon. The one that you always sat next to with the group. They had alway sat next to their significant others. you always sat next to mako laughing as you both poked fun at the lovers swooning over each other. This safety was him. It was always there. Tonight was just amplified by the situation.

Mako broke the comfortable silence. "I'm glad you're safe."

His hands fell from yours, and he stood up dismounting the bike. The unwelcome cool air hitting your skin. Even through the layers of clothes, you could feel the cold air of being painfully single and without the warmth of another. "Yeah, I am too." You stood up still a little shook up from the fight, or maybe it was the butterflies. Mako wrapped his arm around you to help stabilize you to the ground.

"Come on. Let's go inside. I'll get a bath for you. You can borrow some of my clothes to sleep in." He helped you step into the building and walked up to his door. He released you again to unlock the door. You could feel the cold again.

You made your way to the couch. As many times as you've been around mako, you've never seen his apartment. He no longer shared a place with Bolin. After Kuvira Bolin followed opal with her airbending, he left mako to figure out his own life path.

Mako was a fish out of water caring for himself, but with you here. He was in his element. Taking care of someone else was comfortable to him. It was second nature.

He walked to the bath and filled it with water, warming it with his bending. He grabbed a towel and picked out clothes for you. Leaving them on the countertop.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?" He called out as he entered the room again.

"No, just sore and a little shaken." You answered.

"The bath will help then. It's ready for you."

"You're the best, mako." You stood up and walked towards the bathroom. You stopped next to him. Your intrusive thoughts win. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a hug. At first, he was taken back, but then he held you, remedying his own touch starvation.

"If you need anything, let me know. I'll be in the living room."

You let go and walked into the room shutting the door. You shed the clothes and a horrible day away. You stepped into the warm water, and it engulfed you in relaxation. Your mind stood still. The warmth of the bath was soothing. His bending was laced with the water it felt as if you were with him. This crush hit you like a ton of bricks.

All at once, the craving sat beside you, taking over every thought. The way his hands held yours on the bike. The way he was so gentle with you. The way he stepped into danger protecting you from the gang. The way he threw the men against the car in an effort for them to feel pain they wanted to cause to you. He was everything you had been wanting. He was right in front of you the entire time. He would fight with you and for you. You had known him for over a year, and every caring thing he did for you that seemed like a kind gesture suddenly made you question if he could feel this shift too. If he maybe felt more for you.

The water was cooling down. You stood up, drying yourself off. You wrapped the towel over your hair. The clothes were baggy but were comfortable. The shirt smelled faintly like spices, cinnamon, and distinct firebender smoke like a relaxing incense. It was both sweet and spicy.

The tub drained, and you walked out. Mako looked up from his book. "Feel better?"

"I do. What are you reading?" You sit on the couch next to him. His arm was thrown over the couch and almost over your shoulder.

"Just some fire nation history." He put down the book on the coffee table.

"I never knew you were a history guy."

"Not normally. I just want to learn more about my culture." He spoke honestly.

"Anything interesting? I don't know much about the firenation." You both sat comfortably on the couch. Your mind wondered back to his touch and how you felt with him. You could feel the electricity in the space between you.

"Just rulers with anger issues and a lot of festivals. There are a few good leaders, though. I just got to where Lord Zuko took leadership. He was so young."

"Maybe he can teach you some about the culture one day. I do know the firelily festival is coming up. You deserve some time off. Chief would probably let you off to go." Your heart was leaping. Your thoughts turned to what it would be like to travel with Mako with this newfound crush. He looked so different in this light. The way his jawline stood out. His bone structure screaming firenation with the hard edges. His slim figure left you wondering what was under the clothes that shielded your view.

"I don't think that's a great idea. I don't think I should go alone to the firenation. I would look the part, but there are so many traditions I would look like a fool for not following them." He was aware of his resemblance to the firenation. Enough to leave you an opening. It was more than enough of an opening for you to take. You battled the thought in your head.

"I could go with you." Your mouth moved too quick for your head to stop it. "I know a little from my parents. They had some friends from the firenation. We celebrated the firelily festival with them a few times."

"If you want to go. I'll ask the chief next time I see her. When is it?" He seemed to want it more for you than himself. Maybe just an excuse to get away with you, just you.

"It's in a few weeks. It will be fun. My parent's friends told us stories about the firelilies and how they were decorated for the festival, and we can try some authentic firenation food." You were excited reading between the lines, hoping you were reading correctly.

"Bolin is going to be jealous." Mako chuckled.

"Let's tell him after we go. This can be a trip for you." You baited.

"For us. You deserve a break, too. Especially after today. What happened? You were supposed to be on that date, right?" He bit down on the hook that you laid out. Us was a simple word, but the heavy meaning was feeding you, leaving you a pure glutton for more.

"Yeah, he had just shown up, and then the gang showed up telling us to give up our money, and he ran."

"He left you alone with them?" He tensed unknowingly, setting it up so perfectly for you.

"I'm not going back out with a man like that. I prefer a man who will fight by my side." You grabbed his hand from behind you and pulled his arm down across your shoulder. You let go of his hand and shifted closer to mako. His fingertips traced your arm where you had just placed his hand. His body released the tension from his anger of you being left in danger. The new sensation of you showing interest was taking over. Your arm tingled from his touch again.

"I wish I would've been there." He spoke softly he sat up from his relaxed position.

"I wish you were there, and the gang didn't show up." You admitted feeling him pull you closer. You wanted desperately to be on a date with him instead of the coward. The way he made you laugh when you were with the krew. The way he was so kind-hearted with that hard external shell. You had cracked his shell before tonight but really tasting his gentle side now. You wanted more. It was intoxicating.

"A trip to the firenation is big first date. Are you sure you want to go with me?" He was leaning in so slowly.

"We have time to plan one before. Then we can take our secret trip together." He smirked, placing a hand on your waist, pulling you all the way into his grasp. Our was another word that wasn't just tossed around. It was something that linked you both as one. His lips met yours. You were free to explore this new beginning alone with him. That's how you wanted to keep it. His soft lips were electric to yours. It was as if lightning was striking the earth. Your lips were tingling with each move. His hand gripped at your waist.

You ran your fingers through his hair. Ethereal feelings rushed around you. Your hands searched for something stable, finding his chest to be suited. Your world was crashing into his. It left you in a daze.

Mako pulled away slowly. His hand released your hip, sliding down your leg comfortably, and his gaze met yours before running down the length of your hair that was unbundled from the towel.

"I don't want to tell the others anything yet. I don't want to deal with the questions and them poking fun at our expense. I want us to figure everything out first." You spoke through the euphoria glazed on your lips.

He nodded in agreement, trailing his fingers on your back. "When they find out we are in for it."

"If they find out..." You trailed leaning back in to kiss him, needing that euphoria back.

#avatar the last airbender #fire nation #mako lok #lok mako #mako legend of korra #mako x reader #mako lok xreader #avatar mako #krew #lok bolin #avatar the legend of korra #legend of korra #mako lok fanfic #mako x korra #anime fanfic #secret relationship #touchstarved oc

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svt-nari · 6 months

Text

the airport incident / part two

warnings: not proofread, mentions of panic attack, stalkers, cliffhanger (will have part three 🤭). a/n: since you guys requested here’s part two!

part one | part two | part three

as everyone piled up to check in, nari’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking, her eyes watery and her gaze a bit lost. she had asked wonwoo for his bucket hat and lowered it onto her head so it would hide more of her face. even though she was a bit shaken up by what had happened, she didn’t want to ruin everyone’s pre-tour mood.

“noona…”, chan nudged her shoulder, coming closer to her side as she was sandwiched between the members now. “are you okay?”

nari lifted the hat a bit to look at him and gave him a nod, sighing right after. she could see the worry in his eyes, even though chan’s a bit shy to openly say it, he showed through his actions by holding his palm towards her to hold her hand. she immediately linked hands with him, pulling him closer to lay her head on his shoulder.

“nabi…”, she could hear joshua’s voice calling for her but she didn’t have the power to actually lift her head and look at him, only nodding her head still laid on chan’s shoulder. “coups’ calling for you, he was talking to our manager…”

the girl could feel her eyes getting even more teary by his words. cheol is always so caring towards her, he showers her in affection and shows how much he cares for her well-being. she couldn’t have asked for someone better than him to spend the rest of her life.

“okay… thanks, shua.” she lifted her head and gave his shoulder a pat, distancing herself from chan to turn around. seungcheol was a few feet away from her, talking to the manager and, as he sensed someone’s eyes on him he turned and maintained eye contact with the girl for a few seconds. then, he motioned with his head for her to come closer - which she quickly did.

“jagi…”, he muttered lowly, only for her to hear through the chaos. “i was talking to manager-nim and we think it’s better if you stay out of the first performance…”, he held her hand carefully, stroking her knuckles with his thumbs. “it’s not good for your mental health to do this, you have to heal first. it was a big scare.”

“no! i want to perform! i can’t let the fans down!”, she hyperventilated, hands gripping his tighter. “i want to do this so bad, please let me perform!”

seeing her this broken made cheol’s heart hurt, he quickly pulled her closer, hugging her tight so she would calm down. he sighed quietly, looking to their manager who shrugged, not too sure himself about what they should do.

“let’s make a deal then…”, he said after they pulled away. “if you don’t feel like you want to perform before the actual performance, you don’t have to do it. but you have to tell me if anything’s wrong, okay?”

she quickly nodded, tangling her pinky with his to make the promise official. she could do that.

“everyone!”, cheol clapped, bringing all the boys’ attention towards him. he had to take advantage of the fact that nari had a hair appointment before the rehearsal to say what he had to. “so, you all saw what happened at the airport, right? i didn’t wanna talk about it near nari, but now that she’s not here i want to make something very clear.”

all the members could feel the tension and the worry in his eyes, everyone was feeling worried for nari’s well-being since she was putting her feelings aside to perform. she didn’t want to relax, even though she had to after what happened. every single one of the boys tried to talk her out of it, but no avail.

“i talked to the company, we had a brief meeting through zoom yesterday…”, he began, messing his hair up. “and they are finally going to take legal actions against the guy that harassed her.”

most of the boys sighed in relief, others thanking god silently. the incident could have been a lot worse had he been able to have more time with her. though, they are sure that she hasn’t told them everything that he said and she saw, due to the closure not even the cameras were able to see the blade in his hand – something she didn’t tell to any of them.

“another important thing,” coups cleared his throat. “if you ever, and i mean ever, see him anywhere…”, he pleaded. “report it. to the manager, to the police, to anyone. even me. i will do anything in my power for it to never happen again. to any of you. he’s dangerous, i don’t really know what he told her because she didn’t wanna talk about it and she also haven’t opened the letter yet and she won’t let anyone do it too. so we are working with what we have until she’s ready to talk. it’s not the first time he’s seen at the same place as her, with or without us. did you all understand that?”

everyone nodded their heads. mingyu’s gaze lowered, suddenly he remembered a very important thing that he saw on the plane. he was just scrolling through twitter before the take off when he saw it. though he passed it as just normal fan behavior because he didn’t pay attention, now it became a big red flag in his mind. i mean people go crazy if their idol is in the same place as them, but it felt too much now that he thought about it. he tried searching it up again but to no avail – the account was deleted.

“hyung…”, he mumbled, getting everyone’s attention. “i saw a post on twitter that i think that probably got deleted because of the content…”

he got chills when he remembered, how could he just scroll through it as if it was nothing? gosh, he felt like a terrible brother.

“this person on twitter posted videos and pictures of a bathroom they were in, the post said something about nari being there, though i don’t remember much so i don’t know if she was there or had already left. but it looked like the bathroom of that restaurant we went to after the first show”, he scratched his head, trying to remember the username. “it was a man, i’m sure of it because of the name on the account. they were posting pictures of used tissues and toilet paper, that nari had just used. he was also saying that he could sell it if someone really wanted it.”

by now everyone had their mouths agape, not sure of what to think at the revelation mingyu just did. how could someone be so dirty and ridiculous? did he think nari would find this lovely or something? what made them even more shocked was how he got into the women’s bathroom, everything was so confusing at this point. it felt like someone was helping him because of how easy he was able to track her down and go after her whenever he felt like doing it.

“wait!”, mingyu gasped. “i remember his name! it was written above the username, i don’t know if it’s real though, these people usually put fake names so they won’t get caugh-!”

“come on, mingyu! what is it?”, seungcheol exasperated, he wanted to have this man on a restraining order and behind bars as soon as possible.

mingyu sighed, saying it loud and clear for everyone to hear, not seeing that nari had just entered the venue. his voice boomed as he said the name, even at the large venue they were in. the girl’s eyes widening at the name mentioned, suddenly having flashbacks as she heard it.

“it’s kim hajun.”

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ksnfangz · 17 days

Text

EPISODE TWO — POLYAMOROUS COUPLE?

karaoke invites, date or no date?, hot basketball players and a jealous, jealous, jealous boysssss

You beam at the boy's note, fully content with the fact that the boy hadn't immediately shut you down. You chose to ignore the slight dig at your studying habits. Sunoo silently judged your giddiness as you smiled down at the crumbled piece of paper as if it were gold. " So I take it he's joining us tonight." Sunoo says currently doodling on his hand with a pen.

" Well not exactly! but he didn't say no." you replied tucking the note into your desk. " So are we supposed to wait all night to see if he shows up." Sunoo scoffs "Why couldn't he just give you a straight answer"

You shrug not at all bothered by Jungwon's indecisiveness you were just happy that he seems to be considering coming. Speaking of coming Sunghoon finally enters the class. "Rigged I tell you!" the boy shouts earning stares from his fellow classmates. " Hiw did Riki already make the basketball team when I've been trying to join since last year?" Sunghoon rants as he plops himself down into his seat. " I mean it isn't fair that he can just come into the school and already be a valued player!"

It was true, Sunghoon had been trying to join pretty much every sports team that the school had to offer, and the only one that gave him a chance was hockey since the boy was a very skilled ice skater, but Hoon complained about how he didn't want to turn a personal hobby into something competitive. Which you understood, but why the hell is he so obsessed with basketball all of a sudden?

" Maybe he's just as good as Heeseung and Jungwon! like Nabi said the other day." You claimed. " 1. Heeseung cannot be topped! I heard he's never missed a shot! 2. Jungwon is a team manager, not a player and Nabi never mentioned him." Sunghoon exclaims.

"There's no way he’s never missed..."

" That's so hot ."

" excuse me." You and sunghoon shout in unison.

"While I agree that Jungwon is hot I prefer to use the terms cute! or Handsome." you explain only to be waved off by Sunoo.

" I think basketball players are hot! especially Lee Heeseung and I wasn't referring to Jungwon he's like my brother." Sunoo says defensively. " I'm gonna go to the bathroom before class starts, be right back."

Sunghoon frowns. His eyes watched as Sunoo exited the classroom he knew the boy hadn’t really been feeling well today. Jealousy builds within the boy's stomach as he recalls sunoo’s earlier words. " You know what, I'm gonna be the best damn player on the team!" he states firmly.

“ dream on hoonie!”

"have either of you seen Ni-ki? he usually joins me for study hall but he wasn't there today." You ask approaching Sunghoon and Jungwon at their lunch table. Throwing your bag down without care not giving the two any time to respond as you rant about Sunoo leaving school early because he was sick. Which ultimately resulted in being alone and bored for most of the day when you weren’t with Sunghoon or Ni-ki.

Speaking of Ni-ki, over the past week, you had grown quite friendly with the Japanese boy. Sometimes help him study his Korean while he teaches you and Sunghoon how to play basketball and some Japanese. Though you’re positive he’s only taught you both curse words so far. Sunghoon recently received a detention after saying hello to his teacher is Japanese.

When the two boys shake their heads in response to your previous question a pout forms on your lips as you finally sit down at the table. “ I even brought him some Bungeoppang he says his mom used to make it all the time.” you say pulling out a small plastic container and grabbing one of the fish-shaped pastries for yourself.

“ you really can’t be away from him for an hour?” Jungwon asks his tone coming off a bit harsher than he expected. You look up at the boy confusedly before a teasing smile creeps onto your face.

“Aww is my jungwonie jealous? Don’t worry I have not given up on you yet! Ni-ki is my friend, I always miss my friends” you shrug ignoring the way Sunghoon rolls his eyes at your persistent flirting.

“ t-that’s not what– I’m not jealous … whatever.” Jungwon mumbled stuffing rice into his mouth hoping that the burning sensation in his cheeks came from the steam.

“ y/n-chan~” said an all too low voice.

“ Ni-ki! where were you? you skipped study hall you know you could get into real trouble for that.” You scold pulling the male to sit next to you. “ For your information, I was with the basketball coach he gave me an official schedule! we have a game coming up soon and I want you guys to be there.” Ni-ki says gesturing to the group. “ oh and Sunoo too, if he’s feeling better by then.”

“ We would love to come cheer on our star player! right hoonie?” You smile hugging Ni-ki's arm, Sunghoon sending you a knowing glare before agreeing to come. “ what about you jungwonie?”

“ I’m team manager I have to be there y/n.” Jungwon states coldly eyes locked into the way your arms are wrapped around the male next to you. “ Oh yeah! I almost forgot. Well, I’ll make sure to text Sunoo and let him know.” you nod mostly to yourself letting go of Ni-ki to offer him the BUNGEOPPANG you’d made for him.

“ Also Ni-ki we’re going to karaoke tonight! you should join us.” You say once again catching Jungwon's attention.

so it isn’t a double date …

“ As much as I would love to I have some studying to catch up on and my dad wants me to practice more.” Ni-ki replies politely declining the invite. You and Sunghoon groan in annoyance. “ come on Ni-ki you’ve practiced enough.” Sunghoon claimed with a mouth full of rice.

“ Exactly ~ all you’ve been doing is practicing and studying ever since you got here let’s have some fun.” You whine dramatically.

You were technically correct. When he wasn’t with you he was usually in the library studying or in the gym with his father. Also, the way you were currently looking at him and holding his hand made him want to immediately accept your offer, so he did. One missed practice couldn’t hurt.

“ Fine it’s a date, but you owe me! I’m gonna get in huge trouble for this.” the boy said taking some of the rice from your untouched plate. “ That’s okay if someone tries to scold you send them my way… I know a guy.” you whisper into the boy's ear causing him to laugh.

“ wait does that make us an official polyamorous couple?” Sunghoon asks earning a stare from the pair across from him. “ What he’s the one who called the group hangout a date yet I’m weird for wanting more reassurance on our relationship status?” Sunghoon exclaims lifting his hands in defense.

“ as if you’d ever let Sunoo near another man.”

“ says the girl who hasn’t let Ni-ki go since he got here.”

The sound of silverware clattering pulls your attention to the male across from you. Said male quickly dismissed himself leaving the table without another word. “ What’s up with him?” Ni-ki questions.

“ That’s just how he is you know. Kinda like an angry cat.” Sunghoon claims. “ A cute angry cat.” you correct.

“ here she goes again.” Sunghoon sighs. “ You know some people say i also look like a cat.” Ni-ki adds before the table falls silent.

prev . masterlist . next

a/n : sorry for slow updates and sorry for this shitty chapter!! school is kicking my ass as usual, it’s end of the year exam/ test season. || sorry for any spelling / grammar errors i’ll edit this later. enjoy!

Tag list : @aloloveswonie @soobs-things @yerisrev @gudkc @wonitten @jwonistic @kangseulgithegreat @icepshrince @hizhu @nyfwyeonjun comment or send ask to be added :) !! if your name is not tagged it means i wasn’t able to tag ur user, please check ur settings!

©KSNFANGZ. please do not plagiarise, repost, copy or translate any of my works without permission!

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sixzeroes · 1 year

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candy! a miniseries featuring nct dream’s ‘00 liners + a collection of short oneshots.

huang renjun, lee jeno, lee donghyuck, and na jaemin are a couple of buds in their senior year of high school. not a single one of them is taken and all of them probably have questionable rizz. but that’s alright, because love is love and having good rizz does not correlate with scoring a romantic relationship. (that’s why all four of them were able to find a girlfriend by the summer after graduating.)

alternatively, just a bunch high school romance aus that i mourn because i wish i was a teenage girl again instead of a tired adult.

inspired by nct dream’s mini album, candy.

EP.01 : ❝ you are my tangerine love. ❞

huang renjun has liked people before. he’s not some special case where his heart is solely reserved for his one true love—no, none of that shoujo manga bullshit. but whenever he sees you, his neighbour of ten years, renjun feels this sweet, tangy taste in his heart.

pairing. huang renjun x reader(f). genres. fluff, romance, slice of life, neighbours-to-lovers, high school au, non-idol au.

status. every time my type!

EP.02 : ❝ the feeling that reminds me of you. ❞

lee jeno has had you as his best friend for as long as he can remember. every step of the way, you were there, stuck to his side like glue. jeno always believed you’d be his best friend forever, so why is he starting to view you in a different, non-platonic light?

pairing. lee jeno x reader(f). genres. fluff, romance, slice of life, (best) friends-to-lovers, high school au, childhood friends au, non-idol au.

status. one step, crunch.

EP.03 : ❝ i walk this cold path with you. ❞

lee donghyuck did not believe in ‘love at first sight.’ key word: did. he does now, but only because you happened to fall into his arms on the icy road in the narrow streets. you’re going to render him breathless from the countless times your smile takes his breath away.

pairing. lee donghyuck x reader(f). genres. fluff, romance, slice of life, strangers-to-lovers, high school au, meet-cute au, non-idol au.

status. breathe in, breathe out.

EP.04 : ❝ can i stay by your side forever? ❞

na jaemin does not like you, not one bit. you’re one brat of a student body president, never failing to show-off to him. but on the day of your high school graduation, you unexpectedly confess to him, and all of a sudden, you’re more important than suneung results.

pairing. na jaemin x reader(f). genres. fluff, romance, slice of life, academic-rivals-to-lovers, high school au, non-idol au.

status. coming soon.

nabi’s note | i need to stop coming up with new ideas when i haven’t even finished my other fics. anyway, this is gonna be my return to writing on tumblr bc i rly rly wanna write smth for dream’s winter special !! all of these are probs gonna be ard 2–5k words, and (hopefully) no more than that lol :”

btw | all of these fics are written from the boys’ povs’! so please don’t be shocked if they’re a little wonky D:

taglist | @matchahyuck @lovehowdream @niinjo @jeonnyread @pckeia @dandelionxgal @huangstape @lemarkjun @mosviqu @neosdaisy @haven-cove @toothfa-1-ry

please send an ask or comment if you’d like to be added to the tag list! <3

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sparklingchim · 1 year

Note

lol can u do a drabble of Nabi or Tae cockblocking, y/n & jungkook in lwh? Felt like it'll be interesting :)

"Lemme put it in," Jungkook mumbles into the crook of your neck.

You giggle at the tingly feeling of his breath brushing over your skin and his needy hands exploring your skimpily clad body underneath the sheets.

"You literally just said that you are so sleepy from work," you point out.

"Not after seeing you in your cute jammies." He presses his body against you from behind, coaxing a surprised gasp from you.

Naturally, you press your ass against him, the bulge in the confines of his briefs very prominent. "You're insatiable." You turn around and throw a leg over his waist.

"Missed you," he whispers, hands finding your tits that are almost spilling out of the small top you choose to wear.

"Missed you too." You let him grind against you and tame the chaos on his head by tucking his hair behind his ear.

You can barely see Jungkook's face, but it's twisted into pleasure, breathy, desperate puffs escaping his mouth.

"Oh," you utter when something comes to your mind. "I forgot to buy condoms today." Your brows draw together and inwardly scold yourself for forgetting. "I knew that I had forgotten something."

"That's fine," Jungkook mutters. "I'll pull out."

"I don't want a mess." Your fingers skim over his toned front. "Cum inside me instead?"

"Want a mess between your legs instead?" he laughs amused.

You reach down and rid yourself of your shorts. "Just cum inside me," you say after hooking your leg around him again. "Fill me with your babies." You giggle, mischievously biting down your lip.

Jungkook groans. "You can't say that." He nestles his head against your chest. "You know how that makes me feel," he mutters between your boobs.

A sudden wail from Nabi reaches the bedroom. Jungkook instantly raises his head.

He heaves a sigh and pushes the duvet from his body. "I'll go."

You watch him through the baby monitor. He picks her up and gently rocks her in his arms, you'd be cooing about it if you weren't sleepy and still a little caught up in the playful feelings of a minute ago.

It doesn't take long until Jungkook enters the room again - with a grumpy Nabi in his hold.

"Say hello to our new roommate for tonight."

You chuckle. "She doesn't seem too happy." When Nabi catches sight of you, her tear-streaked face beams. "Oh, now she does," you smile, grabbing her from Jungkook. "Hi, baby. You wanna sleep here tonight? Hm?"

Nabi babbles as you put her next to you. Jungkook lies down in bed with you.

"You're good?" you ask when he says nothing.

"Yeah," he replies curtly, pulling the duvet over his body.

"Wanna shower together tomorrow morning?"

At that, his face lights up, doe eyes sparkling at the offer. "Sure," he mumbles, a tiny smile pulling at his lips.

"Your dad's so predictable, Nabi," you whisper.

"Shh," he shushes. "It's sleeping time now. I want it to be morning as soon as possible." Jungkook gives Nabi and you a peck on the forehead. "Love you."

You laugh a little. "Love you too."

#darly asks #anon #fic: long way home #jungkook smut #jungkook drabble #jungkook imagine #dilf jungkook #jeon jungkook

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fairyhaos · 9 months

Text

❍ the 2k event: joshua + serendipity

alternative title: you, me, and this vast universe

pairing: joshua x gn!reader

genre: sci-fi au, dystopian au, strangers to lovers

word count: 1400

warnings: smoke inhalation, toxic chemicals mention, loss of oxygen mention

event taglist (send ask to be added): @slytherinshua @rubywonu @pepperonijem @amxlia-stars @weird-bookworm @my-moarmy-heart @hannyoontify @suminsfav @minhui896 @haocovr @lockburn-castle @sweet-like-caramel @horanghae8 @graybaeismytae @karionice

“Warning: engine overheating. Warning: foreign objects detected. Warning: autopilot forcibly disengaged. Warning—”

“Yes, yes, I know, everything’s going wrong!” you huff, wiping your face against your arm. “Come on, darling, just hang in there, will you?”

You’re in the engine room, trying desperately to fix the damage that the latest interaction with the Galactic Officers had caused. You've been on the run for most of your life, and yet the Galactic Officers, morons that they are, never seem to get the message that you refuse to let yourself get arrested. And anyway, what self-respecting law-enforcing group called themselves the ‘Galactic Officers’?

The engine clunks ominously, and your entire spacecraft tilts dangerously to the right. One of the previous warning messages flashes through your mind.

“Ah, stars! The autopilot settings!”

You scramble out of the room and up into the cockpit, wrenching at the handheld control lever, attempting to correct the ship’s course.

“Warning: onboard oxygen failure. Evacuate the spacecraft. Warning: onboard oxygen failure. Evacuate the spacecraft. Warning: onboard oxygen failure. Evacuate the spacecraft."

Gritting your teeth, you steel yourself against the console, both hands still on the lever even as it resists your hold, shaking and shuddering with the rest of your failing ship. There are tears building up in your eyes, and it has nothing to do with the sudden, acrid smell of chemicals permeating the spacecraft.

“Come on, Nabi, do this for me,” you manage to say, even as she burns around you, falling to pieces. But you can’t let her go without at least trying to fight for her. “I—I can’t lose you.”

Somewhere, an oxygen mask falls to the floor, and you bend down to pick it up, holding it over your mouth with one hand and trying to steer your ship with the other. Warning messages echo and bounce off the walls, lights flashing bright red as your ship shudders, creaking and groaning and you want to cry.

But you're not going to let go. If Nabi dies, you're dying with her.

It's not like you have any other family left, anyway.

Suddenly, over the cacophony of warning messages, the cool voice of an information announcement makes you look up.

"Alert: spacecraft requesting port side docking permission. Grant or deny permission?"

You grit your teeth. You hadn't noticed a ship flying any where near you. What sort of idiot decided to dock at a spacecraft that was obviously about to explode any moment?

"Permission granted," you yell, giving a yelp when the ship groans again. "If they want to die with me, then who am I to stop them?"

There's a creaking sound, and Nabi shudders again as the new spacecraft connects with yours. You barely pay them any attention. A thought crosses your mind that it might be the Galactic Officers once again, but you can't bring yourself to care. You're dying anyway. They wouldn't be able to tear you off of Nabi if they tried.

"Oh my god, it's only one person!"

The panicked voice makes you whip around. There, in the port door, is a… boy?

His eyes are wide, and he's all suited up, but you can see his face, the way his hair falls into his eyes as he frantically gestures towards you. He's pretty, you think faintly. Too bad he's a bit of a fool, as well, considering the fact that he was now most likely going to die with you.

You stumble a little, grip loosening on the lever and Nabi lists sideways once more.

"Here! Take my hand!"

Why is the boy still talking to you? His hand is outstretched, the other gripping tight to the door, one foot in your spacecraft and the other in his own. Ah. He must be from the ship that requested docking permission.

Weird.

You chuckle a little. The lack of oxygen is getting to you.

"Please!" The boy's voice is desperate now. "Please, let me save you! You don't have to die!"

Why is he so worried about you?

You shake your head, trying to show that you're going down with Nabi. Or maybe you only think you shake your head.

"Come to me! Please! You're—you're going to die!"

Holy shit, he's right. You're going to die. You're dying. Your eyes widen. Somewhere, one of Nabi's panels crash to the floor, and out of the cockpit window you can see the smoke billowing around you as she burns apart.

The stars are floating in the edges of your vision, and everything has gone all woozy. Definitely lack of oxygen, you think, just barely, before finally you keel over and the world goes black.

———————————— 🛰

You’re blinked out of your reverie by a steady hand resting against your shoulder, and you look up to see Joshua smiling down at you.

“Hey.”

You smile back at him, patting the empty space on the metal floor next to you. “Hey.”

He lowers himself down to the floor, knees up to his chest, back against the wall, tilting his head. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Too many thoughts,” you reply, staring down the hallway of the spacecraft. It’s the middle of the night, and all the lights have been shut off, but the soft glow of the purple emergency lights lining the halls remain.

Joshua nods in acknowledgment. “Jeonghan’s just fallen asleep. Cheol is wandering around somewhere, though,” he says, waving a hand. “He’s not in the cockpit, so he’s probably raiding the pantry, I think.”

The image makes your lips tug up into another smile.

There’s silence, then, the both of you sitting on the floor in one of the spacecraft’s hallways, the quiet hum of machinery surrounding you. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine that you're back on your own ship, Nabi humming with life all around you.

You open your eyes and look over at Joshua, who looks back at you, eyes warm.

It's been twelve months since Nabi passed. Joshua, the boy who saved you, had taken you aboard his own ship, the ship he shared with two others. You’d been horribly injured and horribly disoriented, and it was only through the careful medical care from Jeonghan and the reassured smiles from Seungcheol and the warm, ever-comforting presence of Joshua that you managed to salvage the wreck that had been your emotions and your life.

They've been nothing but accepting of you, and you feel as if you could have a place here. A family, almost. A family after Nabi.

Joshua nudges with you with his shoulder, eyebrows raised. “Penny for your thoughts?”

"It's almost a year since my ship exploded."

Joshua’s eyes widen and soften at the same time. It’s a fascinating ability of his, the way he can look so surprised and gentle all at once.

“Stars, you’re right,” he says, and even his voice is soft. “How… how are you feeling?”

You chuckle softly. "Not good, if I’m being honest. She was… well, she was my everything. I don't think there will be a day where I don't mourn her."

"I'm sorry." Joshua looks sorry, like it was his fault that Nabi no longer exists. The expression of regret on his face makes something tug in your heart, and you shake your head.

"Gosh, there's no need to feel sorry," you say quickly. "It's not your fault. In fact, you're kind of the reason I'm still here, you know?" A smile quirks up the corner of your lips. "You're the one who saved me. My angel, almost."

Joshua smiles, then, and you can't mistake the pink that dusts his cheeks.

"In this vast, endless universe, I managed to find you," he says, and leans forward to pinch your cheek affectionately. "It's almost like the cosmos moved for us to make this impossibility possible."

You smile, leaning into his hand as his palm softens against your skin, cupping your cheek. You're still not sure what he means to you, or what you mean to him, but for now you feel safe. As if…

"You're my serendipity," you say, quietly. "The safe haven I found in the middle of a catastrophe. My serendipity."

Joshua's smile brightens and softens at the same time, and his thumb brushes against your cheekbone.

"Just as you are mine," he says, heart-flutteringly warm. He leans forward, then, pressing a kiss to your nose. "Don't worry, my Y/N," he whispers. "Just let me love you."

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sugaakookiee · 4 months

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All the Time in the World | JJK |

Title: All the Time in the World

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Angst

Word count: 5.5K

Posting day: 122723

Summary: You meet a cute boy at the hospital that was in a wheelchair. He brought you more joy than you’ve ever seen since you got admitted. He makes you wish you had all the time in the world.

Warnings: based on JK’s storyline in HYYH, reader has a terminal illness (not specified), death of reader, JK sings to her the night before she dies (if I’m missing a warning, please let me know)

(AN: This is the first thing that I’ve put out that I’ve written out of my BTS fics, so it might not be so great but I’m getting better every day haha)

Today was just another day of you sitting by the window and looking out of your hospital room. Since you got admitted here a month and a half ago, the days never seem to change. You wake up, maybe throw up for five minutes, stare outside your window until breakfast, eat breakfast, then go back to the window until lunch, eat lunch, then go back to the window until dinner, eat dinner, then go back to the window until Lights Out. You couldn't say that you were eating; it was more like taking in whatever you could stomach every meal.

It wasn't like anybody was keeping you in your room. You could leave anytime. Your nurses and parents sometimes plead with you to go outside, that it's not good to be in your room. You know it's not good to be locked in all day, but what's the point of enjoying life if life doesn't want you to enjoy it? For the millionth time since you've been here, you look down at your hands to see the back of your left hand occupied by a needle held down by white tape. Next, you look up next to you to see your IV drip on the pole.

You were dying, and instead of your parents leaving you at home, they put you here. They said it was to make it clear that being here can make you feel better, but you knew, and they knew there was no way out. Whether it was here or at home, you were going to die. While the doctors say it wouldn't be anytime soon, your negative thoughts are already catching up. The only way you can describe yourself when you look in the mirror is Hell; you had prominent eye bags, your hair was thinning out, and you were losing weight from how little you were eating.

Your session of wallowing in your self-pity is interrupted by knocks on the door. You didn't even look at who it could be because only one person comes to your room during early mornings. It was none other than one of your nurses, Nabi.

"Good morning," She says while opening the door, holding a tray. She places it on a table next to your bed. "How are you feeling? Did you throw up today?" She looks at you to see you shake your head. That's another thing that's changed since you've been here; you haven't said a word to anyone.

"That's a relief to hear. There is your breakfast, and your parents called to let me know they're coming today." You weren't sure why Nurse Nabi had to tell you that your parents were coming to see you. She has done that since you have been here, and you were sure visitors could come without calling in. You figured they called in to make sure you were still alive.

You lazily get off the chair you were sitting in, dragging your IV pole with you, and return to bed to eat breakfast. Unfortunately, because of your illness, you had a weak stomach, so soft foods were your best friends.

You stare blankly at your tray for a few moments: a small bowl of oatmeal, banana slices, plain yogurt, and a glass of water. You felt a hand move your hair out of your face. You look up to see Nabi, who is still in your room.

"You know, your birthday is in about six months, and I think it would be great that you make it to 18." She said. While she never heard you talk, you and Nabi enjoyed each other's company. You remember one time she said that you gave her the least hard time compared to everyone else she has to watch, which is something she is not supposed to say, but you won't tell anyone.

When you finally looked at Nabi, she flashed you a quick grin before speaking again, "Anyway, eat what you can. Your parents will be here in a bit." You nod to confirm that you heard her. You only start to eat after Nabi leaves the room, taking in small spoonfuls each time. When Nabi closes the door, she starts taking deep breaths to control her tears, knowing the chances of living to your birthday are slim.

After a visit from your parents and a check to see how much you have eaten, which, luckily, was half of everything, you go back to your window until lunchtime. As you look outside, you hear your father clear his throat to get your attention.

"Well, we'll see you next time. I'll go talk to Nabi, then we can go." He said, directing to your mother. He leaves the room, leaving you with your mother. You could sense her coming up behind you and putting both hands on your shoulders.

"You wanna go outside before we leave, baby?" She asked softly, only for you to shake your head. She sighs at your response, "You can't be in here all day. It's not good for you." You shrug. At this point, you didn't care.

~~~

"Nabi, come on, you have to give us something." Your father says.

"Mr. YLN, I know you and your wife sent her here so she can get better, but this isn't something we can fix. Maybe it's time we send her home-"

"No!" He interrupts Nabi loudly, making her jump in surprise. "No." He says again quietly. "There has to be something you can do. It's like she's already dead, and I can't stand it. Try getting her spirits up. Make her go outside, do something. I mean, there has to be someone here she can be friends with."

"I'll see what I can do."

When they finish their conversation, your father returns to your room to retrieve your mother so they can leave. Once your parents depart from the hospital, Nabi thinks about the short chat with your father, and she knows what she can do for you.

~~~

With your parents gone, you spent the rest of the time at the window. Things were the same most of the time: it was sunny most days, sometimes cloudy, and at times, you saw other patients walking around in the garden to get fresh air. Sometimes, you don't know how long you've been looking out the window as your mind wanders, wishing you were in places that weren't here.

The sounds of knocks echo through your room again. You look up at the clock, only to realize it's lunchtime.

"YN, It's lunchtime," Nabi says as she opens the door, placing the tray on the table she used before. You look back at her, then return your gaze to the window. She lets out a sigh, "Come on, YN. I have something to talk to you about. I think I'll make you happy."

Once you lay back in your bed, you stare blankly at your tray again: a small bowl of chili, sliced strawberries, cubes of gelatin, and a glass of water. You could only wait for Nabi to say whatever she wanted to say. Before she starts, she opens a drawer next to the bed to get a hairbrush from inside. It was yours, but you stopped using it when your hair started thinning.

"You know..." She starts speaking, brushing my hair, "Upstairs, there's a boy around your age. I think he's a bit older than you, a year maybe." Upstairs? You've been here long enough to know that the floor after this one is where they held the patients who had paralysis. "He's been here for a little over three weeks. He's just starting to use his wheelchair. You could, you know, make a friend. Maybe after lunch, I could take you to the floor."

As she finishes talking, she holds onto all your hair and ties it into a loose, low ponytail, "What do you say, hm?" Nabi tries to prompt an answer from you, but you only shrug, "Well, I'm going to be outside if you wanna go." She takes her leave soon after so you can eat lunch or whatever you can eat.

After about an hour, you're finally out of your room, looking for Nabi. You had to blink a few times to get used to the lights in the hallway. It had been a long time since you stepped out of your room. Once your eyes are focused, you see Nabi, who sees you from the corner of her eye while talking to another nurse.

You see her excuse herself from the discussion with the nurse and walk towards you. "You wanna go?" You nod. "Okay, let me take back your tray, and I can take you there." Before she can move, you shake your head. "What? What's wrong?" Nabi asked, and you only pointed at yourself, "You wanna go alone?" You nod once again. "Okay, just remember, you have to talk."

Once on the upper floor, you started looking for a boy around your age in a wheelchair, pushing your pole along with you. Maybe he was still in his room or the garden outside. Nabi never told you what room he was in, so you wanted to call it quits until tomorrow. Well, almost. Right before you turn the corner to the elevators, you hear the sound of squeaking wheels. You turn towards the direction of the noise to see a boy, the boy Nabi was talking about.

You could tell he was still trying to get used to being in the chair by the strength he was putting into pushing himself. Each push made him look at the floor, allowing you to move to get his attention. As he rolls closer, you hold out your right arm, hoping he will notice you and stop. When he's two feet from hitting you, he stops moving the wheelchair.

He lifts his head to look at you, then tilts it in confusion. You stare at him for a few moments before turning your hand to shake his. Once he figures out what you want, he reaches his hand out to shake yours. You both hold on to each other's hand when they make contact.

~~~

"So..." The boy started. You both were in the sitting area, which was vacant, "Why are you here?" You weren't sure how to answer that. How could you say that you were dying and didn't want to be here? "Not much of a talking, I see. I can go first. Believe it or not, I'm a dancer. I was walking home after practice, and it was dark. I was being an idiot, and I didn't look both ways when I crossed the street, and I got hit by a car. When I woke up, they told me I was lucky that I was paralyzed only from the waist down. I was worried I wouldn't be able to walk again, but they said the chances of me walking again were high. Anyway, it's your turn."

You weren't sure how you would sound after not talking for a month and a half. Do you even remember what you sound like? Your mouth seems to work faster than your brain as you start talking without your control, "I'm sick." Those were the first words you've said since being here. "They said that I'm..." How would he react if you told him you didn't know how much time you had? You couldn't. "They told me that sometimes it will feel like I'm dying, but it would get worse before it gets better. It's scary sometimes, to be honest."

"That's good - not the dying part, I mean. At least you know you'll get out of here eventually." He says. Oh, how much you wanted to tell him you'd leave the building, just not from the front door. "Oh, I just realized we never introduced ourselves to each other. I'm Jungkook." He sticks out his hand, presumably to shake yours. You take a hold of his to shake it, "I'm YN."

You wake up feeling all the contents in your stomach coming up your throat. You throw the covers off yourself and rush into the bathroom, fall onto your knees, and throw up last night’s dinner into the toilet bowl. You should be used to this by now, but it never stops feeling like mental spoons are coming down. As it goes on, your eyes fill with tears, and you feel the bile burning your throat.

When you finish, you grab a few sheets of toilet paper and wipe your mouth. You sigh at the paper, becoming drenched in a dark red substance. It’s not been great seeing blood coming out of your mouth for the past few weeks. You throw away the paper in the trash bin, seeing the pile of bloodied paper coming up the brim.

You don’t know how long you can do this for. If it’s going to keep getting insufferable, you don’t want to be here anymore.

You collapse on the floor of the bathroom, feeling your eyes close. You want to fall asleep on the cold floor, not wanting to deal with the day. You open them up when you hear knocks on the door and the noisy hinges when it opens.

“Good morning, YN,” Nabi’s voice echoes through your room. You hear her sigh as she sees your IV pole in the bathroom, the figure of your body on the floor, placing your breakfast tray down, and the sound of her shoes coming closer to you. She stops at the doorway, seeing you lying on the floor, “You okay? Come on, get up.” She grabs you firmly and pulls you up to your feet, “Let’s lay you down in bed.”

You walk weakly back to your bed, feeling the pain in your throat and stomach still prevalent, “You lay down, and I’ll get you something else to eat, then we gotta change your needle.” Nabi continued. You glance down at your left hand, seeing a large purple bruise from all the needles of your IV. You wince as you climb back to bed and lie down. Nabi gently moves your hair out of the way of your eyes, smiling sadly at the discoloration on your face, “I’ll be back.” She says before taking the tray and leaving the room.

You fall asleep for about 10 minutes before being woken by knocks at your door. Nabi came in again, “I got you soup,” she said, placing the tray in front of you and a new needle to switch out the old one that she placed on the drawer next to your bed, “Also, a special someone told me to give this to you.” She reaches into her pockets and pulls out a Binggrae Strawberry banana milk carton with a sticky note pasted on it.

‘Nabi told me you weren’t feeling so good, so I got you this. I’ll meet you outside in the garden after breakfast :) - JK.’

Although you wanted to sleep for the rest of the day because you feel sick, maybe going outside will do you good. You didn’t know why, but ever since you met Jungkook, you’ve been getting up more and going outside, something your parents tried and failed to get you to do. After you manage to eat about half of your soup, drink almost all the milk, and Nabi changes your IV needle, you get out of bed to make your way to the garden outside.

Before you met Jungkook, when you didn’t go outside, the garden always seemed like a small place. It didn’t look that big from your window, but being there was a different experience. The garden had all kinds of flowers, all thanks to the patients on the downstairs floors, which was the mental hospital section, who used gardening as a sort of therapy. Sometimes, you saw kids running around as patients would have kids visiting.

As you approach the garden closer, you see Jungkook sitting on a bench. You shout to get his attention, but you soon realize he has his earphones in, leaving your shouts unheard. Once you get closer to him, you place a hand on his shoulder and pull off one of his earbuds, slightly making him jump.

“Hey.” You said, your voice slightly shaky from your morning sickness. He has a small notebook and a pencil in his hands.

“Hey.” He said back, “How are you feeling? Nabi said you felt sick.” He continued with concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine, Jungkook, don’t worry.” You sit next to him on the bench, making him move one of his walking sticks to the other side next to him.

“I have to worry, we’re friends.” You roll your eyes at his reply. Although you were the one who approached him, you weren’t very used to having friends, especially being here. Before you signed into the hospital, you had a handful of friends who never came to see you, but your parents would say that they asked for you.

“Did you like your present?” Jungkook asked, referencing the banana milk he bought you with a silly smile on his face.

“Yes, I did, and I thought I told you to stop buying them for me. You only get so much money once a week that your parents give you.” You rue the day you told Jungkook you liked Strawberry milk when he offered to buy you one passing by a vending machine. Now, when he finds out you’re sick or feeling down, he drops off a carton to Nabi so she can bring it to you.

“If it makes you feel better, I bought one for myself too.” You playfully slap him on the shoulder at his reply, then just let the peaceful silence of the outside take over the space. You look over to see Jungkook sketching in his notebook. The more you watch him, the more you can see a butterfly. For some reason, you’ve never seen them fly around here. Maybe they don’t vibe with the sick and injured. Well, you have seen only one, which made your day every day.

The more you sit here next to him, the more you replay this morning’s events, and before you know it, you speak. “Hey, Jungkook.” Your voice breaks the comfortable silence, “How come you decided to be my friend?”

Jungkook halts his sketching, hearing your question, then chuckles, “Need I remind you that you approached me first.” He replies to your question and then returns to his sketch.

“I know I did, but usually, when a person doesn’t want to be friends with someone, they don’t buy them things or talk to them much the next day.”

Jungkook puts down his notebook once again, “YN before I met you, I was in a coma for two weeks, and I didn’t know how I was going push myself to walk again. When I woke up, I thought about how I had to give up dancing, and that’s all I had. Maybe I would’ve eventually, but not as fast as I have. I mean, I’ve been here for three months, and I’m already using crutches.”

“What does that have to do with me?” How can a terminally ill girl like you give someone the will to return to who they were before?

“Maybe I just needed someone who knew what I was going through. Maybe we aren’t in the same boat, but we are in the same ocean.”

Maybe we aren’t in the same boat, but we are in the same ocean.

Yeah, except one day, your life is going to end, and Jungkook’s is going to continue. You two have known each other for three months, and yet, he still doesn’t know. He can’t.

“YN!” They both look behind them to see Nabi. She signals her to come inside, “Your parents are here!”

You can barely breathe now, sensing pending doom travels through your body. That’s one of the disadvantages of dying, your body knows. You don’t hurl out your food anymore, but that’s just because you can’t. Your throat burns all the time, and you can't eat or drink. You couldn’t even drink the Strawberry milk Jungkook would buy you, no matter how Nabi or you told him to stop buying them.

You’ve got boxes of tissues nearby, as you’ve been coughing up blood now, instead of it happening when you empty your stomach. You can’t sleep now, not knowing if you’re going to wake up the next morning or not, having to feel the sense of death every day until your body finally gives up.

You check the clock for the millionth time, seeing it read 11:40. If your body decides to shut down after that clock turns 12, that would surely be the worst time to die. You’d be okay with any other day, but not tomorrow. It can be the next day, just not tomorrow. You freeze when you hear soft knocks on the door. You know it’s not Nurse Yomi doing her night checks, so it can only be one person.

The door opens enough for the boy to let himself in, awkwardly trying to fit along with his crutches in the small gap.

“What are you doing here?” You whisper loud enough for only him to hear.

“I’m worried. I haven’t seen you in a week, and Nabi is vague about what’s happening.”

“Well, if you’ve seen me now, you can go, Jungkook.”

“What is that?” You can see he’s gesturing to a trash bin next to your bed filled with bloodied tissues. He wasn’t supposed to see that.

“It’s…it’s nosebleeds. They have me on this new medication, and it makes me have nosebleeds.” If Jungkook knew how you’ve lied to him about your health, he’d never forgive you.

“Is that why you can’t sleep?” You nod slightly at his question. He looks around the room, sees the chair in your room, and pulls it closer to your bed, trying to create as little noise as possible. He sits in the chair, places his crutches in a stable place, and grabs your right hand, being as gently as he can, “I’ll stay here until you fall asleep then.”

“You’ll get in trouble.” You said, trying to convince him to leave.

“It’s whatever. Besides, I know Nabi will have my back.”

As the time goes on, the sense of doom is getting bigger. You know you might not last the night, but it would be better if it happened during sleep.

“Jungkook?” You whisper, thinking that he might be asleep before you are. He quickly proves you wrong.

“Yeah?” He whispers back.

“Can you sing?” Your voice breaks as you ask.

“Sing? I guess. I only sing for myself, honestly. If you want me to.” You nod. “Okay.” He clears his throat before he starts singing as quietly as he can.

No limit in the sky

That I won't fly for you

No amount of tears in my eyes

That I won't cry for you

With every breath that I take

I want you to share that air with me

There's no promise that I won't keep

I'll climb a mountain there's none too steep

When it comes to you

There's no crime

Let's take both of our souls

And intertwine

When it comes to you

Don't be blind

Watch me speak from my heart

When it comes to you

Comes to you

Want you to share that

Cupid ain't a lie

Arrow got your name on it

Don't miss out on a love

And regret yourself on it

Open up your mind, clear your head

Ain't gotta wake up to an empty bed

Share my life, it's yours to keep

Now that I give to you all of me

When it comes to you

There's no crime

Let's take both of our souls

And intertwine

When it comes to you

As you hear Jungkook’s voice, you feel your eyelids getting heavy. The pad of his thumb gently touches your knuckles to soothe you, making you fall asleep faster. He notices that your breathing slows down as he’s ending his song. Your grip on his hand is lost as you drift off to dreamland. He waits in the room for a few moments to confirm that you are sleeping, then takes it as his cue to leave. He wasn’t sure if he could sleep. He was too excited to show you a surprise in the morning.

All this time of you pleading to end your suffering had paid off cause as the clock turned to 12:01, you took your last breath, and your heart stopped.

~~~

After sleeping for a few hours, Jungkook gets up to see you. Although he had been still using his crutches, he’d been able to walk regularly for the last few days, and he wanted to surprise you for your birthday, walking through the halls with his own two legs.

“You ready to go home, Jungkook?” He hears his mother ask, “You know I can’t let you be here too long after you’ve healed.”

“I know, I know, just one more day, just today, then I’ll go home.” He heard her sigh before continuing to talk, “Oh, you did bring the flowers I asked for, right, Mom?”

“Yeah, although I don’t know you wanted these specifically.” She said, referring to the mini bouquet of Baby’s Breath flowers in her hand.

Jungkook shrugs before responding, “I saw somewhere that they mean new beginnings, and since it’s her birthday, maybe things will start turning around, and she’ll get better.”

“Jungkook, seriously, what do you plan on doing when you’re out of the hospital? YN is still here. I know you meant well when you became friends with her, but what are you doing after today?”

Jungkook can only shrug again, “I’ll visit to hang out with her. It won’t be the same, but I hope she’ll be okay with me not being here sometimes.” He gestured to his mother to hand him the mini bouquet, “Anyway, I’ll be back. She should be awake by now.”

As he walked through the halls, Jungkook could only imagine your reaction, seeing him walk after six months of recovery. He quickly intakes the smell of the mini bouquet, imagining all the possible outcomes.

He opens the door to your room but doesn’t see you. He doesn’t see any of your belongings. It’s like as if you were never here. The more he looks around to see the lack of your presence, Jungkook replays last night and all the other conversations he had with you. All the signs were there. He drops his flowers to his side as realization dawns upon him.

He recounts the time he asked you why you were in the hospital. You hesitated to answer him before giving him a response. You didn’t tell him the whole truth.

"They told me that sometimes it will feel like I’m dying, but it would get worse before it gets better. It's scary sometimes, to be honest."

He recounts the trash bin that was almost filled to the brim with bloodied tissues from last night. You lied about that as well.

“It’s…it’s nosebleeds. They have me on this new medication, and it makes me have nosebleeds.”

He recounts how you asked him to sing because you couldn’t sleep. His voice was the last one you wanted to hear before death decided to take you away.

“Can you sing?” Your voice breaks as you ask.

How could he be so stupid? How could he not realize that the whole time you’ve known each other, you’ve been dying? He practically sang you to your death last night. How could he feel about that?

~~~

While Jungkook was having an epiphany in your empty hospital room, Nabi was sitting on the floor of a janitor's closet. She needed as much privacy as she could get, crying her eyes out for the millionth time she was reading a letter you left her when this would happen.

You knew that they’d clear out everything from your room, and no matter the time it would happen, you had to make sure she received it.

Your night shift nurse, Yomi, had been doing her checks and opened your door around 12:30 and noticed you weren’t breathing. They did whatever they could, but it was clear that you had been dead for some already.

While clearing your room, staff found a letter in your drawer that only said ‘For Nabi.’ She only found out that you passed away when she came in to do her daytime shift. It hurt more today, as she had a cake prepared for you, proud that you made it your 18th birthday.

Nabi scans her eyes over your writing, her vision blurry from her tears.

‘Nabi, if you’re reading this, my time has run out. I’ve planned to write this up for months, and I’ve written now in case I’m too weak to do so later. I hope that it finds you well. All I wish to say is thank you for being there for me. I know that at the start, I was a headache for you, but I opened up eventually. You never gave up on me when I didn’t want to go outside or talked about the fact that I just wanted to die. Thanks to you, I met Jungkook, and it was the both of you who kept me going for a bit longer while I was in the hospital. I’m not sure when I will pass, but whenever that will be, I hope that I did the most with my time left.

From the seven and a half months we’ve known each other, I can tell you that you made my day every day. While in the hospital, I was heartbroken that I couldn’t see any butterflies. I felt like life was dull without them, not seeing them through my window or in the garden. Thank you for helping me see a butterfly. They’re truly as beautiful as your name, Nabi.’

As she finishes reading over the letter again, her tears uncontrollably stream down her face, hugging the paper close to her chest.

~~~

Jungkook returns to his room, feeling a mixture of rage and sadness. The mini boutique of flowers smashed in his hand, now white from the pressure. He was so enraged at himself that he almost forgot his mother was still there.

“So, how did it go?” She asked, assuming it didn’t go well from the expression on his face and the flowers still in his hands.

“Bad, Mom, very bad.” He pauses for a moment, “She’s dead.” Even when he’s said it, it still doesn’t feel real. His mother covers her mouth with her hands, in shock at the news.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry-“ His mother started, getting closer to him for a hug before Jungkook interrupted her, making her jump.

“She lied, Mom! She lied to me about everything, and I should have known!”

“Sweetheart, nobody would have known-“

“You don’t understand! If I just listened more, I would have known that was happening!” Tears appear in his eyes, recalling everything that happened, “The first day I met YN, she told me that she was dying and I wasn’t listening. I believed her when she said she would get better. She was getting sicker every day, and I didn’t see it. I was her friend! I was supposed to know! And last night! I was an idiot to believe she was getting nosebleeds like she said.”

Before Jungkook knew it, he wrapped his arms around his mother, releasing his tears onto her shoulder.

“She asked me to sing to her, Mom.” He whispered against her shoulder, “Last night, she asked me to sing to her. She said she couldn’t sleep, so I did. She was okay when I left the room.”

His mother hushes him and gently caresses the back of his head, comforting him. “I know, sweetheart, it’s okay. She’s going to be okay now.”

After some time, Jungkook stopped crying and started packing his stuff to go home. There was no reason for him to stay anymore, so there was no choice but to leave, and while clearing his drawer from the various sketches and drawings he had done while in the hospital, a page slipped from the pile and fell on the floor. He looks down to see the sketch of the butterfly he did while waiting for you in the garden. His eyes travel to the bottom right corner of the page, which has an excerpt of a poem he wrote sometime before being admitted to the hospital that he had named after the creature.

곁에 머물러줄래

내게 약속해줄래

손 대면 날아갈까 부서질까

겁나 겁나 겁나

시간을 멈출래

이 순간이 지나면

없었던 일이 될까 널 잃을까

겁나 겁나 겁나

The full poem was about wanting your loved ones to not succumb to their mental illness and having the fear of letting them go or else they’ll fly away like a butterfly. It also speaks about wanting to be able to stop time from passing and to hold on to each other forever. After reading the small part that he had written on the page, he can’t help but blame himself, feeling his eyes fill with tears once again. He shouldn’t have let go of your hand last night. If he hadn’t, maybe you’d have all the time in the world.

#bts fanfic #bts fic #bangtan #bts #bts jungkook #jeongguk #jeon jungkook #jungkook angst #jungkook x reader #jungkook #jungkook fic #jeon jeongguk #jeon jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #jungkook imagine #bts au

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midstofroses · 4 months

Text

Love Me Like That

❝𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆— 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.❞

♡

Pairing: Jeong Yuno-Jaehyun (nct) x (fem!oc) Original Character

» Genre: one-shot, soft-angst, underlying suggestive– reader discretion advised ▪︎ ex to lovers » Disclaimer! This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or even other fictional stories is purely coincidental

Sienna stepped into the room, the aroma of pizza lingering in the air. "You're just in time. Did you bring the pizza?" Her friend– Nabi asked, revealing the items she had bought. "Yeah, and got some chicken too," she smiled excitedly.

Their living room was transformed into a haven for a movie marathon, a night to savour their well-deserved chill and create fond memories. Nabi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she accepted the food. "Well, then you should go clean yourself and come back here so we can start our movie night."

"I'll be quick," Sienna chimed.

After a brisk wash, the refreshing feeling enveloped her. A slight relief washed over her, even though her raging hormones from that time of the month still caused her physical discomfort.

While picking up her pyjamas, she noticed a mountain of clean clothes at the edge of her bed. Sighing, she decided to restore order before rejoining her friends. Sienna's frustration grew when the drawer refused to close. It wasn't as if she had bought new clothes for her drawer to betray her.

After several failed attempts, she couldn't contain her anger and punched the drawer in frustration.

"I missed him," she mumbled, catching her breath. The reason for her inconvenience dawned on her – her clothes weren't folded the way they used to be when he was around. How foolish of her.

Leaving her dark room, Sienna went to the kitchen where Kai noticed her friend's slightly bruised hand. "Oh? What happened to your hand?" she asked in confusion.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just need to run water on it," Sienna replied, brushing off the concern.

"Make sure you put ointment and bandage it after cooling it off," Kai advised.

"Yeah, will do," Sienna responded, putting on a brave smile beneath her troubled emotions.

"Oh, by the way, Jaehyun came by this afternoon looking for you," Nabi announced, interrupting the moment. Kai recalled the earlier encounter, suspecting a disagreement.

"Did you guys fight?" Kai asked, and Sienna's expression grew timid. She didn't want to discuss him; it was giving her a headache.

"He brought red velvet cupcakes," Nabi added, trying to lighten the mood. Sienna glanced at the coffee table, spotting the cupcakes – a favourite treat of theirs.

"You mentioned it's your first day of 'red days.' I guess having Jaehyun be part of your monthly flow app is so useful," Nabi giggled, proud of the gesture despite the situation.

"Heh, I guess so," Sienna chirped, trying to keep the conversation light while tending to her hand. "Why does he always have great timing?" she pondered, glancing at her phone with unread messages from Yuno piling up.

As they settled into their movie night, Kai brought up the topic of sharing expenses in a relationship. The conversation flowed, intertwining with the movie's background noise.

"I totally agree with you gals, but if the guy made you feel uncomfortable throughout the date, I'd rather pay my half and be done with it," Sienna commented, sharing her perspective.

Kai expanded on the aftermath, "So he wouldn't have the chance to point stupid things. Such as he paid the whole time, but he would act like a sad boy or an ass since the date didn't end well, right?"

"Exactly! Ugh, that's the feeling I hate," Sienna raged, hugging a pillow. After her emotional outburst, she finally indulged in the red velvet cupcake she had been craving.

As the night deepened, the snow outside intensified, creating a cosy atmosphere in their little bubble of friendship. "But if you think about it like this, he wasted your valuable time." Kai offered a new perspective. “So you at least did not waste your own money”

"But that's not what she came for in the first place," Nabi pointed out, settling the situation. “Besides we all know we can earn more money than to live like that.”

"I'd still rather drown myself than give him the privilege to think he spoiled me with his own money," Sienna expressed her feelings, hormones adding a touch of intensity.

The three friends continued their night, sharing deep conversations and appreciating each other's presence. Unbeknownst to them, Sienna was truly grateful, even amid the challenges she hid behind her facade.

As the last days of spring dwindled, Yuno felt a magnetic pull towards the enchanting nights, eager to grasp the remnants of the season before the relentless heat of summer took over. The crisp wind, a balm for his cluttered mind, whispered promises of clarity.

"This feels nice," he murmured, eyes fixed on the captivating night unfolding in the park by the river. Soft lights adorned the streets, and cherry blossoms, in their final dance, swirled around, accompanied by the gentle melody emanating from his headphones.

On a whim, Yuno invited Johnny for a spontaneous bike ride, half-expecting a decline. Much to his surprise, his best friend agreed, and they found themselves in a nearby park, a place etched with memories of their shared adventures.

Yuno, seeking an escape from the confines of home and work, embraced the freedom of riding through the city. The wind carried untold stories, and the cityscape unfolded its secrets.

"Hey, there's no one in the court," Johnny observed, diverting Jaehyun's attention. "Wanna play?" Jaehyun suggested.

"Yeah, it's been a while. It's going to be fun," Johnny agreed, infusing the atmosphere with infectious enthusiasm. After a few spirited rounds, they decided to take a breather, relishing the camaraderie that defined their friendship.

Perched on a bench around the court, they savoured water and ice cream. Johnny playfully teased, "Jae, not to sound like a jealous second babe, but don't you usually ask Sienna for these?" Laughter bubbled up, but beneath the banter, Jaehyun grappled with emotions threatening to surface.

START OF FLASHBACK.

The dark room lit up with the moonlight and the desk lamp near her, Yuno smiled seeing Sienna was waiting at his place.

He closed their proximity by hugging her. Yuno always takes this kind of opportunity whenever she waits for him to come home after a long day from work. He feels relieved from his stress even with just one hug from his favourite person.

After letting him hug her, Yuno stared at her with curiosity “You’d spend the night here?”

Sienna gulped avoiding his gaze. "You went over my head and paid for my University fees without telling me." Her voice was monotone, standing up from where they were sitting.

"Oh, I guess it's too late for a surprise now." He looks up at her, smiling giddily. But, he recognizes her demeanour changes negatively, making his face drop in worry.

“Let me remind you, I'm not a girl who you could just simply pay for, Yuno.” She scoffs painfully. “If you think your grand gesture was cute, well news flash I’m disappointed.” Sienna attempts to calm her voice down, “You didn’t even bother to have this conversation with me!” But alas her blood boils with her tears slowly falling from her eyesight becoming an ocean of pain.

Yuno stood up straight. “It’s just money, Sienna.” He chortles, brushing his hair out of his face.“I don't want you to be stressed because of money.” Yuno huffs out, confused by her action. “I could always make more money for me– for us.” Yet he strives to get close to her, cupping her face with his hands softly caressing her stained cheeks. “And I can help you with that, can’t you see it? I want to support you so you can reach your goal!” His voice and face emitted torment, he hated how this situation occurred.

Her birthday was coming up, and all he wanted was to do something that alleviated her burden.

She removes his hands from her face aggressively, moving away from him.

“You think my family and I can’t handle our shit?” she sarcastically laughed, trying to stop her sobbing, though it was difficult to execute. Anxiously she bit her bottom lip harder.

He could sense her walls starting to appear once again, his nightmare slowly coming to life.

“Sure I'm struggling, my family is struggling.” The young lady asserts, “But I've experienced far much worse than this bullshit and we’ve survived.'' Sienna picked up a pillow and slammed it on the coach. “Why can’t you believe in me?!” With every word she screams out, the pillow gets slammed on the coach. Relinquishing her anger through the use of this method. She stopped her antics, breathing heavily. Sienna peer dead in the eyes of him. “I just needed more time to accomplish things, not all plans can sail smoothly.” Her voice cracked, eyes were gradually forming to puff.

“Sienna, I know how much you want to study again, despite not having it as your first choice with this course.” His body quivered, tears heavily forming as he scanned her figure.“Whenever I see how you recall your memories with your friends or when you help them study, you always have that spark.” He carries on describing his affection towards Sienna and how he witnessed her in the past years of their relationship. “I just want to bring that spark back.” He’s not the type who would just sit down on purpose. If he indeed has the means to help her out, even just a little he would do it in a heartbeat.

Life is hard and he desires to be a partner where she can lean onto him safely.

Yuno wanted to come closer to her, yet she immediately flinched and it broke his heart into pieces seeing her first instinct was to run away from him.

“Jeong Yuno, You’re not getting the point here.” Sienna sniffles as she shakes her head while gazing down on the floor. “We’re over.” she declares, with his furrowed brows “No.” He sternly demands.

She sneered, “After all of this, I'll do the grand gesture to finally break this relationship off.” With her last remark, her body evacuated from his place.

Yuno followed her out but she was too fast and he was too slow to handle the situation, he got lost finding her.

END OF FLASHBACK.

Jaehyun just bared his soul to Johnny, revealing the painful truth of his recent breakup with Sienna, a wound haunting him for three months. It marked a vulnerable moment for Jaehyun, who, until now, had grappled with the harsh reality and denial.

Unbeknownst to Jaehyun, Johnny already knew the heart-wrenching details. A week earlier, Kai, Johnny's girlfriend, had shared the relationship's demise with him. Though Kai hadn't intended to spill the beans, the weight of the secret pushed Johnny to convince her to share the truth.

The revelation left Johnny stunned. Sienna was dead serious with Kai, She didn’t want to entertain questions about them so only a few people got to know the real state of their relationship. Johnny unwittingly became one of those few.

Now, faced with Jaehyun's raw emotions, Johnny wrestled with the delicate balance between concern for his friend and utmost respect for their privacy. He had upheld his end of the bargain, bearing the weight of their shared secret. As a pillar of support, Johnny stood ready to help Jaehyun navigate the emotional turmoil, recognizing Yuno's need for that gentle push.

"How did you cope up?" Johnny delicately probed, shattering the unspoken barriers.

"After that night, every week I'd visit their house, hoping to find her. Eventually, I had to stop when a big project came my way. But I kept leaving messages, calls, even emails," Jaehyun confessed, his unwavering dedication to Sienna palpable. Two years into working with an architecture company, Sienna had been his anchor.

"Sometimes I'd order stuff to be delivered to their home. But after two months, I received a message from her. One message that I thought was my chance to come back into her life, and then I saw it." Jaehyun sighed deeply, the raw pain reflected in his eyes. "She sent: 'It's about time you stop this, don't tire yourself out."

That broke Yuno once again. It snapped his brain, and I focused on work, endless work, stuck at his place, never having an inch to socialize.

Earlier that morning, Jaehyun had grappled with anxiety before a crucial presentation. He dialled Sienna's number, seeking support, but as he hesitated his thumb hovered, preparing to drop the call. To his surprise, her mom picked up, offering words of encouragement and cheering him on.

"She hasn't told them," Johnny stated bluntly.

"No, and obviously I didn't have the heart to either," Jaehyun admitted, the weight of his emotions palpable. The conversation with Sienna's mom provided a brief respite, helping him get through the day and close a deal with clients.

"You're so down bad for Sienna," Johnny remarked, understanding the depth of his friend's emotions. As Jaehyun struggled to contain his feelings, Johnny encouraged him to let them out.

As if on cue, Jaehyun lets himself slowly reveal the emotions that’s been wanting to gush through his walls.

Well, to be fair, this wasn’t his first time crying. He sure had those little episodes in the craziest random time of the day where Yuno would have a mini breakdown remembering his situation with her.

Believe it or not, there was a particular night when he devestatedly couldn't sleep. He tried everything.

First, Yuno got himself up for a quick jog for him to wear out and took a warm shower, though it only made him feel more alive. So he resumed by drinking some wine as he watched a movie, played soothing music, and even read a book. But, it all went down the drain due to his brain failing to focus.

His last resort was masturbating. With no brainer, of course, he would think of her. Although, the fact that he remembers their moments together, he instead ended up crying that night and which made him fall asleep.

It was not the expected way, but it worked.

"I know I fucked up," Jaehyun confessed, tears flowing freely. "But how exactly? To the point she ended up breaking up with me?" The wounds deepened as he confronted the reality of his mistakes.

Johnny, offering comfort, reassured Jaehyun that Sienna's situation was tough. However, he pointed out that Jaehyun's well-intentioned actions were not executed correctly.

"Always remember this, Yuno. As much as you want to help people, you also have to remember where they're standing from. A good honest deed has a chance to appear as insensitive and patronizing," Johnny advised, hitting the core of the issue.

In the real world, complexities surpassed those of fairy tales and movies. Jaehyun realized he should have communicated with Sienna before assuming he could magically alleviate her problems.

Entering the diner, the music from the speakers greeted her. Setting the vibe already makes her feel at ease with the atmosphere where she’s hanging out tonight. Her gaze stopped wondering as she saw Kyujin and Minghao already sitting. Meanwhile, Seokmin was standing up talking on his phone. He has the right hunch that his friend has work left to discuss.

They greeted her as she put herself comfortably on her seat. She’s with one of her old university buddies. Due to her problem, she couldn’t keep up with her batch graduating on time. Nonetheless, they kept strong connections with each other even if they are now working and she’s back with her University life.

“Seokmin should have left his phone on aeroplane mode,'' Kyujin remarked as she shook her head from side to side. Minghao nodded, however, he pressed the thought “Well to be fair, it might be an emergency with work that he needs to mend.”

“At least he is paid though.” Sienna chimed smiling, Her friends knew for over those two years of her not attending university she was working on her corporate days before and tended to overtime as well. It’s not so different with her university work taking her life after hours, the only thing she was not paid to do overtime may it be her university and unfortunately her corporate days.

“Sorry about that, but no worries it won’t bother our dinner.” he smiled at them, “Give me your phone” Kyujin, as the mom of this group Seokmin simply followed her. “There.” his phone successfully turned out to be in aeroplane mode.

Sienna snorted, Seokmin was astounded by what her friend doing “I said I’m sorry” He pouted “Fine keep it on aeroplane mode. If there’s anything I’ll handle it tomorrow.” he said proudly, “Yeah, handle it on your working hours.'' Minghao, who is also a big advocate of work and life balance, reminded him as he patted his friend's hand.

As the night settles with them, Seokmin opens the topic “Nabi is out right with Jaemin’s family?” On the table while they started to eat their order.

The girl next to her nodded as she ate the cheezy fries ``Yeah and Kai, She has this workshop she needs to attend." She starts to explain her housemate's situation "So basically both of them will not be back until next week.''

With the new information, Kyujin excitedly clapped. “Well then, you have no excuses not to come. It’ll be fun. Besides, Mingyu deserves to have some OG guests.” Kyujin is always amazing at pursuing people and Sienna is always weak for her friend.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to drink this week, take this chance with us. It has free drinks and food anyway.” Comically his brows go up and down. “And you know what free food and drinks taste like.” He ends his last speech of temptation.

“A hit or miss.” She put her tongue out as she deadpans her friend.

Minghao laughed at the banter between Sienna and Seokmin. “We’re aware that you're not reliving the song ‘Stuck with U’ by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber for letting yourself feel stuffed for a whole month in your apartment. ” He finally joined, even has the gut to make a joke out of her situation pulling a quote-unquote with his hand gestures. However, they were right Sienna when given a chance to stay at her comfort home would make the most out of it.

Although now she's on a dinner date with them; After a month of hibernation, she just now greeted the outside world properly. “It's not my fault that my subjects are eating me up. Besides, earlier I had to attend University onsite so plus points to that and now I’m already with you guys, here eating dinner.” Sienna puckered her lips, still up for this debate despite being conquered by those trio.

Seokmin snorted at Sienna’s last comment “Yeah, right!” letting his hand grab her head and squeeze it as if he was a crane and she’s a toy.

“Sizt no!” Kyujin pouted and shook her head daintily. “How about this since you’re already out of your cocoon, just try to spend some of the days this week outside.” she negotiates with the girl who does not care one bit about Seokmin’s antics as she’s busy munching her ice cream.

“Exactly, just end your week with good vibes, you’re no guard dog.” Minghao with his witty brain could not let her go, when those three come together it’s like Sienna is fighting against the world.

She sighs in front of them, letting her head roll over to her left side finally expressing her being defeated.

As if an accomplished couple made their child have nowhere to go but listen to them, Kyujin and Minghao high-fived each other and held their hands shakingly. It’s their mini-victory move. “If you guys keep being cute, I feel like ants would eat us up.” She joked.

Seokmin looked at the girl next to her cheekily “Oh Sienna, Sienna, Sienna” repeating her name in a sing-song tone, whilst shaking his head playfully. “You just miss someone.”

Minghao covered his mouth, acting surprised. “Offt Seokmin dropping the bomb.” Kyujin teased the fire, showing her actions with her hands dropping.

It’s been 8 months since the breakup.

Sienna squinted her eyes as if throwing daggers at him. “Oh, shut up.” She smacked his left shoulder.

Leaving them chuckling at their antics.

Quickly changing the subject, Sienna sits properly. “Fine, this Saturday I’ll attend Mingyu’s place.” Rolling her eyes dramatically “The booze should be great, or I'm out.”

Despite a busy schedule, Yuno got dragged out for a coffee successfully by his work partner Jungkook before they would drive to meet their client onsite.

Yuno’s eyes glanced at the interior of the cafe, and he stopped when he saw a familiar physique after a long time. It was Sienna focused on her laptop, wearing her signature hoodie with her glasses.

He and Jungkook sat near the cafe counter waiting for their order. The guy simply watched her and couldn't help but still have a longing feeling of adoration.

Of course, she’s not alone, she’s with two people that look like her classmates.

He smiled at his thoughts thinking she also might get dragged outside as well, which she truly needs. Sienna always tends to trap herself in her room, especially on a weekend; little sunlight isn’t enough for her.

Sensing that one of her classmates was about to look around, he avoided his stare at her and exactly with that their little buzzer turned on letting them know that their orders were complete to go.

On the other hand Sienna did mini stretches to her arms as Her eyes slowly looked outside the cafe and saw a familiar back, she steadily recognized when the view of the man got a good side view. “Oh it's Yuno...” she whispered, then it truly sank at her making her eyes widen, almost choking herself while she drank her matcha frappe.

“Omygod— Sienna!” Both of her friends reacted frantic, Giving her all the tissues they have to her.

"You good now? What happened?” Jungwoo queried and looked to where she was staring earlier, but failed to recognize what made their friend go nuts.

Sienna shakes her head “Oh no it’s nothing..” she tries to cover her tracks, could not even think of a proper excuse.

Seungkwan oozes suspicion with the younger girl but lets her know that it’s fine to not be forced to tell.

“I have this event I need to attend.” Jungwoo didn't prolong the weird air, taking the chance to express his dread.

Sienna laughed at the poor puppy. “Isn’t your parents' fundraising event?” Seungkwan recalled their conversation back then. “That's tough. Knowing your parents, they would want it to be perfect.” Sienna bluntly says. “Exactly, it’s going to be a pain in the neck.” Jungwoo rolled his eyes with exaggeration.

She isn’t well into those kinds of grand parties either. It only reminds her back then when she felt she was out of the picture whenever with Yuno.

The only thing she cares about is to support Yuno in whatever journey he has to accomplish, that's why she lets him take her in these events.

Nonetheless, some of the invitees couldn't be bothered hiding their expressions.

It continued until she ended up walking on eggshells while attending these events. She's well aware those people were irrelevant, and Sienna needed to be stronger.

However, with the compilation of Backhanded comments she receives:

"Well in your generation, love matters more."

"Oh darling, you'll have your time."

With those gazes, she could just disappear into thin air as if she were prey.

Little by little it consumed her.

Sienna’s train of thought snapped immediately.

"Earth to Sienna."

Seungkwan patted the girl's shoulder, bringing her back to their conversation.

"Sorry, what?"

Jungwoo pouted more than he could do and continued to ask them. "Are you guys free to be my dates this Saturday?" Hoping that they would agree to be together with his misery just to make something out of it and not worry about socializing much in the event.

"Pass." Seungkwan quickly replied while shaking his head left and right to his friend, "I got other things to assemble from our course organization seminar."

Sienna couldn't help but chuckle at Jungwoo's reaction when he started begging with his actions through his hands. "Sorry, but I have a party to attend as well." Pursing her lips tightly.

Seungkwan grabbed Sienna's left arm, wanting her to mimic the way he waved goodbye towards Jungwoo, "Be strong, Soldier." She played along with the guy next to her and both shared the same smiles with their two cents.

Sienna dressed up a bit, well it’s a party, after all. Her cute black mini dress complimented her heel loafers. She’s not going to lie it’s been a while for her to dress up, and it feels good.

As she stepped into the dimly lit venue, bathed in hues of purple and blue lights, a familiar voice cut through the atmosphere. "Sienna!" Kyujin’s excitement radiated as she embraced her. "Are the other two here already?" she inquired after the warm hug.

"Yup, we can huddle over there, it's much more comfortable."

Navigating their way to the living room, Sienna spotted Minghao and Seokmin, who were already in high spirits, sitting side by side with welcoming smiles.

"For a minute I thought you backed out." Minghao teased, earning a giggle from Kyujin.

Minghao's knack for reading people was, as always, on point. Sienna was hesitating for a moment at the entrance, with her heart pounding with uncertainty. The decision to attend this gathering had been a last-minute contemplation. She knew a few faces in the crowd, but it was the ghost of him that lingered in her thoughts. Earlier that day, an unexpected wave of nostalgia engulfed her, triggering what she reluctantly dubbed a "relapse." She found herself tumbling down a rabbit hole of old photos and videos, relics of a time when they were entwined in each other's lives.

As she stood there, the weight of unanswered questions pressed upon her. Were the people around her aware of the demise of their once-shared world? A shiver of anxiety ran down her spine at the mere thought of being questioned about a love that now existed only in fragments of the past.

Eight months had passed, yet the grip he held on her heart remained unyielding. The invisible threads of their history continued to bind her, leaving Sienna entangled in a web of longing and unresolved emotions.

"Aye, don't be like that," she chuckled, waving her hand dismissively. "I even brought snacks." Seokmin, ever observant, noticed the packaging. "Oh! I guess the lady at that sweet shop was your mom then."

Sienna looked curious to him wanting him to continue. "Your mom was carrying a navy blue handbag right?" Sienna vividly remembers making her head nod.

Seokmin already felt proud with his keen eyes, no wonder the lady was familiar to him.

"I was in front of the store parking lot and got a glimpse of your mom Entering the store." He pointed out the sweet shop's name.

Her mom visited her earlier to personally break the news that her mom's land had already been sold with a very great offer. She expressed how she was so thankful that they waited and did not rush the selling of their property which led them to accumulate a huge deal.

In celebration, her mom remembers her daughter tends to like honey biscuits as the reason why she was at a sweet shop. Little did her mom know that the reason why she liked them was because Jaehyun influenced her since it was his childhood favourite sweets.

That was the trigger for her to this party since she had the feeling she would just dwell on her emotions at home alone. Distraction is highly needed.

After a couple of hours, Jaehyun arrived at the scene of the party. Mingyu greeted the guy and pointed to where Sienna was located.

Earlier, Mingyu had noticed Sienna alone in the corner of his sofa, engaging in a conversation with herself. Even to the untrained eye, it was apparent she had indulged a bit too much in the festivities. Her body tends to flop side to side with her head spinning lightly.

The three musketeers that she was with beginning at the party left earlier, and because of still not wanting her to leave early she stayed besides she put an excuse that some of the people she knew here she wanted to catch up.

Out of concern, he immediately contacted Yuno. Mingyu is one of those people who are not updated with the situation of the two people.

Yuno swiftly appeared in front of the lady, whose now trying her best to stay awake by softly slapping her cheeks and opening her eyes wide. In response, Jaehyun sighed and approached her, wrapping his flannel around her—his way of acknowledging how chilly she could get.

“You’re drunk, let’s go home.”

Sienna, with a pout, insisted, "I'm not drunk, just tipsy... I can still take it." She reached for her cup, but Jaehyun lightly caught her hand. "Sienna, please..." he pleaded. Reluctantly, she let go of the cup, covering her face with her hands. "Ugh, you're so boring; I don't want to go home yet." Despite her wobbly stance, a stark contrast to her claim of sobriety, she stood up.

Giggling, she attempted to stare at Jaehyun. Her brain, clouded by sweet toxins, transformed her surroundings into a hazy spectacle. Jaehyun, seizing the opportunity, gently gripped her figure securely and let her follow his body towards the exit. “You can get whiny when you're drunk.”

She bit her bottom lip, staring at him as her eyebrows furrowed. “N-No, I'm not” she chirped yet Jaehyun could still hear her as how close their bodies were now, he was left only to chuckle at her attitude.

Jaehyun was wearing his beanie and glasses, matching them up with the dim party lights, as to why Sienna has slow recognition due to her alcohol influence. However, her sixth sense just lets her guard down due to familiarity.

Pulling up to the car, Sienna settled herself comfortably in the front passenger seat. Jaehyun reached for the blanket tucked at the back and gently draped it over her figure.

“Can we open the window?” Sienna peered outside, where the street lights cast a soft glow. Jaehyun obliged, clicking the switch to let in the cool night air.

“Better?” He questioned, as he eased the car into motion.

She closed her eyes, letting the refreshing breeze envelop her. After stealing a glance at Jaehyun, she responded with a serene, "Yeah."

Fully aware now that she was in the company of Yuno, Sienna marvelled at how her instincts had effortlessly guided her away from the crowd and toward him.

“Is anybody at your home right now?" Hearing him, Sienna shakes her head slowly, her eyes remaining closed to contain the lingering dizziness.

"Both of them are out of town."

Jaehyun hummed in agreement, his thoughtful expression barely visible in the dimly lit car. "I can't leave you alone at your house. You should rest at my place instead, He declared that if there's an argument needed to be brought up it would be useless.

With Sienna's mind in its current state, his decisiveness didn't bother her. It was a welcome assurance amid the swirl of emotions she grappled with.

They both slowly entered Yuno’s place, easily passing by the lounge area to his private room. Letting the lady sit as he turned on the lamp next to his bed.

He took some cotton pads and makeup remover. It's been a while since he opened this particular side of his nightstand, back then it was her side of the bed anyway.

His hands gingerly swipe the damped cotton throughout her face, she looks entrapped by his aura, The way his eyes twitched and and his bottom lip bitting due to his hyperfocus, it might not be obvious but with her hazy view she could see behind his glasses are eyebags that has been a bit more obvious. With this situation, it brings back memories as if it were only yesterday.

"They're all clean." he huffs proudly as he returns the essentials to its container, "Let me get you some water." Before he could even get up, Sienna stole a kiss from him, jaehyun was caught off guard he flinched and stared at her flushed self his eyes roamed from her sombre eyes gradually to her lips, breathing against each other– the air thick with anticipation.

Leisurely discarding his glasses, he leaned toward her. Eventually, his instincts couldn't resist the magnetic pull of the moment, and he found himself reciprocating the kiss. His dominant hand found the nape of her neck, while the left rested on her waist.

Amidst the fog of sweet alcohol lingering from her system invading his space of mind. the kiss deepened, and their bodies drew dangerously closer within seconds.

With that snap of realization, Yuno stopped the act, dazed by her.

He would do anything for her, he constantly yearned for her even after all that happened. Yet, he refused to take advantage of her vulnerability. As he struggled to formulate the words he needed to convey, he grappled with the elusive thoughts.

He wanted to reassure her, to make her understand. But his brain seemed to be on strike, rendering him helpless.

Cold sweats build up over him, He suddenly feels like a teen boy who's in front of his huge crush.

"Sienna, I—" His words were abruptly cut short as she averted her eyes, rising slowly. As she hastened away, he found himself perplexed by the startling shift, his body instinctively following her.

Realizing the toilet room lights were open, he moved fast behind her. Already hiding how flustered he is.

Efficiently gathering her hair into a ponytail as she faced the toilet— letting out the toxins from her system. he offered a comforting rub on her back. His eyes fell on the drawer beneath the counter, remembering the hair ties she had left behind. He snatched one and secured her hair.

Perhaps, it had always been the right choice not to clean out the stuff she kept in his place.

"Take it easy," he hummed, attempting to access a smaller drawer, anticipating a towel within. All the while, he continued to rub her back, providing solace amid the discomfort.

With the final flush from the toilet, she ceased her ordeal. Jaehyun proactively used the towel to dab at her mouth. "Feeling better?" he asked, focused on the task.

She nodded, touching his hands and prompting him to halt. "I'm sorry," she sighed, closing her eyes and braving the persistent dizziness. His gaze softened, taking in her disheveled appearance, the messy ponytail he had made, her droopy eyes, and her flushed figure.

“Let’s go to bed—” he cleared his throat “Let’s take you to bed, you need to rest up hmm?.”

Her body went near him, and put her head on his chest “Don’t leave….” He looked down, already feeling his shirt getting drenched.

She is already crying.

He patted her head. "I won't," he assured, breathing heavily. "I won't leave you alone… so let’s go to bed." With a controlled but strained voice, he subdued the surging emotions.

Carrying her to bed, he tucked her in gently. Although he yearned to lie beside her, this wasn't the opportune moment. He settled beside the bed on his rug, holding her hand, watching over her. As he hummed softly, he moved strands of hair away from her face, his quiet presence coaxing a serene expression onto her face.

Even in mere proximity, he found solace.

The sunlight tiptoed into the room, gently rousing Sienna from her deep slumber. A momentary panic seized her when her eyes landed on a head resting at the edge of the bed. Quickly regaining composure, she realized Yuno was sleeping on the floor beside her. His head lay on the mattress, while his body occupied the floor.

Her heartbeat slowed, confusion swirling in her mind as she tried to make sense of the situation. Battling a hangover headache, she opened her eyes gently, fixating on the man's face. It had been too long since she allowed herself to bask in the sight of him, and the ache of missing him resurfaced.

Almost by instinct, her hand lightly caressed his bangs, now dyed in a darker shade. Moving to his eyebrows and eyes, the familiarity felt both comforting and oddly unfamiliar after all this time.

His eyes twitched slightly, signalling his impending awakening. As her brain flashed fragments of memories from the previous night, embarrassment coursed through her.

Jaehyun's eyes fluttered open, meeting hers. Sensing her staring fixed on his lips, he gently grabbed her hand, preventing her from retracting her actions. "You're awake," she timidly said, attempting to downplay the significance of her actions.

She didn't get an immediate response, but now it was Yuno's turn to observe her. Despite having done the same the night before, this morning ritual fed his yearning for the simple moments they used to share.

"Do-Don't just stare at me like that," she uttered, biting her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. After a comfortable silence, she replied, "Don't bother, it's not like it's a big thing," avoiding his piercing stare, her cheeks flushing with warmth.

He shook his head slowly. "I have a lot to say sorry for."

Puzzled, her mind hinted at their last fight, the night they broke up. "I understand. It's not my decision to make."

"I should have talked with you before acting out my will with this, especially when it’s strongly sensitive for you… “ His voice became small but he needs to take accountability.

“I was selfish. I figured since I have the privilege to save up, all I could think was part of my savings was all about you."

"I should have known better."

Sienna always loved how pure this guy can get. She recognized the sincerity of his intentions. “I was too defensive and insecure to begin with every time I could see how people view us. I love how they take pride in you for what you do, but when I’m in the picture with you I could feel they always have this impression in our relationship that I’m not enough for you."

"I felt embarrassed, my inferiority complex burst." her eyes welled with emotion.

"You know I struggled to ask for help, and I always tried to conquer that, but when our last fight happened, it got me overwhelmed. It was an extreme gesture, and it felt like you were forcing me to be someone I'm not prepared to be." With his sincerity, she felt attacked and unsafe at that time. She was clouded by her negative thoughts and forgot she had him all this time – he was there to pick her up when she was feeling blue.

Yuno softened his gaze at her, “I’m sorry. I was so blinded and didn’t reassure you enough about our relationship, that it got to your thoughts. I don’t care about them, and I know it will be tough for you to immediately not care. So I’ll do my best to be there for you– reminding you to think of me and only me when you doubt, and I will never get tired of making you feel secure.”

She nodded and continued, "I’m fully aware that I have a lot on my plate, especially back then, working to support my family and myself." Her voice cracked as she struggled to compose herself. "And it's just so embarrassing how I know you so well. You’ve always wanted to help me— you’ve always been there, whether I’m struggling financially or whatever situation I'm facing. I just couldn’t take the bullet of reality that I needed to accept. “

Her eyes continued to sting. With every word she spilt, tears flowed down her cheeks.

He was the sunshine she couldn't handle.

"But I broke it. I promised you a slow and steady relationship."

Sienna looked at him stunned, he remembers.

“See you’re a guy who has a light that shouldn't be tainted.” she blurted out, sniffing.

Jaehyun shook his head slowly. Vividly his dimples, and a reassured smile carved his lips. “Sienna when I’m with you. I’m only a normal guy, a guy who loves you deeply, who wants to be with you.” He caressed her cheeks, gingerly wiping away the tears that streamed from her eyes.

Heart fluttering, realising once again that's she is truly in love with this person.

"I'll do better to make myself be deserving of you; I'll work hard.” She firmly stated, Her innocent orbs now filled with passion. “You did receive the money earlier, right?” After meeting her mom, Sienna transferred the money he paid for her university fees.

"You're more than enough, and I will always support you." Jaehyun held her hand tightly, bringing it close to his mouth. “And then, for the meantime, I’ll keep the money in my savings. That will be for us in the future.” He planted a soft kiss on her hand as if sealing a promise of his commitment.

“Besides, all I ever want is for you to spend your time with me – grow old together.” He whispered, his eyes reflecting a future filled with shared unwavering love. With those words, he painted a canvas of a lifetime. Sienna's heart swelled with a mix of emotions, and as they embraced, they both knew that their love story was not just a chapter but a timeless journey of growing old together.

I hope you guys enjoyed it!꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

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