devilfoodcafe

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ THE WILLOW AND THE SNAKE❞ | TY.L

PAIRINGS — bandit!taeyong x preachersdaughter!reader

GENRE — fluff, angst

WARNINGS — vulgar language

WC — 8.1k

masterlist. 

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

______________________________________________________________

“Can trot any slower?” You asked the ranger on his horse. “Hello?” 

The horse stopped in its tracks. The ranger hopped off his horse. He took off his bandanna.  

“You’re Taeyong Lee. The bandit.” You stated.  

“Yes.” He folded up the bandana and tied it around your face. “And you are ___ ____, Daughter of the Preacher. Now keep quiet, we have a long way to go.” Taeyong said, clearly annoyed.  

He jumped back on the horse, trotting his way on. 

“We could go faster if you had me on the horse.” You murmured into the cloth.  

Taeyong decided to ignore you for the rest of the night's journey. 

The pair was able to trek at least another 100 miles. The sun was setting it was going to get cold.  

“Listen you, you have to be quiet. I’m not the only bandit out here. And there are a lot worse things in the desert at night.” He told you tugging the rope.  

“I’m going to take off this bandana. But only taking it off because you have to eat.” 

He lowered the bandana.  

“What are we going to…” He shot off his gun shooting behind you. You fell over, shot defending your ears.  

“Probably should have warned you.” He walked behind you, picking up the dead hare. “Do you have a problem with me skinning this in front of you?” 

You shook your head no. It was food for them who is she to disagree?

“I can make a fire while you skin the hare if you want.” You tried to get up, to look for twigs. He yanked the rope causing you to fall.  

“You could have just said no, Taeyong.”  

He rolled his eyes pulling out a knife.  

You thought for a minute that he would let you go. Instead, Taeyong stabbed it into the ground. He ended up tying the rope to the log he was sitting on. 

“I let you go find twigs you would start running away. I’m too tired to run after you in the dark.”   

“I wouldn’t have run.” You said softly. 

“Hell, you wouldn’t!” He shouted. “Miss southern belle, marrying the state ranger in a few months. Preacher's daughter that never does anything wrong listens to god.” He said taunting you, getting into a prayer position towards the sky.   

You groaned, thinking about State Ranger Sicheng. “I never said I wanted to marry him. It was just happening.”  

“Still little innocent preacher daughter southern belle.” 

“I am, you are right.” You agreed smirking to yourself. “Do you ever ask yourself who you are hunting? Why this bounty?” 

“Never. It’s my living. Somehow I was getting really good at it and I was at the top of everyone’s hit list. They either want me dead sweetheart or they need me.” Taeyong said with a sly smirk. He liked that about himself. Feared, hated, and wanted, needed by many. 

With a little silence between you and him. He got up and went looking for twigs and whatever plants to pull up from the ground. Taeyong came back from only walking 10 paces from his horse, to see a circle of rocks set up.  

Taeyong looked at you, at the rope, and the small pile of rocks. He dropped the kindling in the circle. He walked over to you tightening the rope around your wrist and the log. 

“You do that again rope burn will be the least of your worries.” He warned. 

You sat on the sand in layers of your dress, which right now you were thankful for as the night began to get cold. 

Taeyong was holding the meat on a sick over the flame. You watched as he turned the meat constantly. 

“You are cooking it all wrong.” 

“No, I’m not, you are supposed to turn the meat constantly.”

You shook your head. “How many times have you gotten sick after cooking the food this way?” Taeyong was silent. “Fine. But you won’t get me to eat that.” 

“You will eat.” 

“No, I won’t.” You turned around facing the darkness of the desert. 

“For someone that’s being held captive, you are being very combative. One would think you would want to stay alive.” 

You refused to speak to him. 

“Oh, now you shut up? Thank god.” It was silent. Taeyong stared at the meat seeing that it was cooking unevenly again. If she doesn’t eat she’ll starve. And if I feed her this she’ll be sick. Can’t bring her to port sick. He thought inwardly.  

“Out of curiosity how would you cook this over a fire?” He asked. 

You being stubborn turned further away. 

“Hey, I asked you a question!” He shouted. 

You curled your head into your knees. You were not giving in to his threatening. He needed you alive. He threw sand in your direction to get your attention. 

“Hey! If I have to ask again-”

“You’ll what? You can’t kill me or hurt me. Because if you could I would be dead already. If you want my help you are going to have to be a little bit kinder.” You raised your voice back at him. 

Taeyong didn’t like your attitude. You have been driving him crazy ever since he kidnapped you. Whoever wanted you was going to have their hands full. 

“Fine. Turn around, I’ll loosen the ropes.” 

“What aren’t you afraid I’ll run?” You questioned. 

“Which way is South?” 

“Um…” You turned around the desert look around. You pointed one way, “That is south.”

“Yeah, I have no worry about you running away. You’ll die on your own and I will be out of money.” Taeyong loosened the rope holding on to the end. 

“You have to cook it one side at a time, three minutes on each side. Cooking it while constantly turning it will lead to uneven cooking and raw bits. Which leads to giving yourself food poisoning.” You explained.

Taeyong hovered over you. “Thanks.” He muttered. 

Soon enough the meat was fully cooked. Once taeyong realized that it was cooked he took the stick from your hands stabbing the end into the ground for it to stand up. He tied you back to the trunk closer to the fire this time. 

“How am I supposed to eat?” You asked. 

“Don’t worry about it.” He said. 

Taeyong started eating his portion of the hare. By the time he was done, there were just scraps left. He loosened the rope again for you to eat. 

You devoured the meat so fast. Taeyong didn’t think you were the preacher’s daughter for a minute. He pulled a canteen from his saddle handing it to you. 

“Slow down, you are going to hurt yourself. Drink that.” 

You took a sip from the canteen, hoping for water. It was in fact not water he was giving you he gave you alcohol. You spray the drink everywhere.

“What Doll, haven’t had a drink before?” He laughed. 

You shook your head embarrassed, cheeks heating up. You went to eat what was left not looking at Taeyong. 

Taeyong saw that your feelings were hurt. “It’s nothing to be upset about. You are a preacher's daughter.” 

“Can you stop saying that? I know I’m the preacher's daughter. A good girl goes to mass every day, cooks dinners for her family, gets married to Sicheng the great State Ranger and has kids so soon with him because kids love her. I hope wherever you are taking me is far away from there. I never want to go back.” 

“Wow. Was not expecting that? You don’t like Sicheng?” 

You scoffed, “He can be rude and arrogant. When we were alone.” 

“Daddy left you alone with a man that wasn’t in your family?”

“Oh come on. Why not trust him? He is a State Ranger. I was polite and nice and he didn’t care. He told me he was marrying me for his image, nothing is better than a preacher’s pure daughter and we will have kids right away. No honeymoon phase he said. Sicheng then said I will do great as a mother right out of the gate because he saw me take care of my younger siblings.” You shook your head. “I don’t want to marry him. I know I have it good but…there had to be more to life than that.” 

Taeyong didn’t have anything to offer you. He couldn’t give you words of encouragement or comfort. He cleared his throat. “We should rest for the night, we have a train to catch tomorrow.”  

“A train?” 

“I have a friend. That will get us to port faster.” He said sitting next to you on the log pulling his hat down to cover his face. He clicked his tongue having the horse come over between you and him. “Rest your head on Bo, he likes it. He’ll keep you warm throughout the night.” 

You scooted close to the horse sleeping on him. 

______________________________________________________________

Taeyong woke you just before sunrise. It was still dark and cold outside. He tied you again to the saddle so you would have to walk behind him. 

When the sun began to rise you suddenly felt hot and realized you hadn’t had anything to drink since yesterday morning. Walking in the desert, dehydrated, and in a long-sleeved layered dress was no picnic. 

“Taeyong?” You called for him. He didn’t respond. “Taeyong! Please stop. I can’t keep walking. Please let me ride with you on the saddle you can keep me tied up.” 

Taeyong stopped the horse from getting down. “This is the last time we are stopping until we get to the train station.” 

You nodded but you could barely keep your footing while standing. Taeyong untied the ropes you felt a little faint. You fell slightly back, and Taeyong put his hand on your lower back to support you. 

“We’re almost there. We can stop for a drink and food.” 

“Can you spare some money for clothes for me? I can’t keep going on in this dress. Too many layers and the cinching is too tight. I feel like I can’t breathe.”

Taeyong nodded his head yes, “It would be best less conspicuous if you were dressed differently with me.” 

Taeyong helped you onto the horse. You held out your wrist to him. He shook his head. 

“Just hold onto the horn while riding. You are not the type to get off while riding.” 

Sure. Of course, you think that. Everyone thinks that of me, not taking risks. 

______________________________________________________________

Reaching the train depot town was a relief. There was a small marketplace before the ticketing entrance. 

“I have a few friends that live here. So we’ll get things on the cheap.” 

“Great. Water now please.” Taeyong helped you dismount the horse tying him to the trough. He grabbed hold of your wrist dragging you through the merchant stands. 

You have never seen so many people in one place. Coming from a small town if anyone was coming in there were whispers and gossip. 

“You have to pay attention and stay close. There will be pickpockets around.” Taeyong whispered into your ear. 

“Tae!” Was called across the crowd. Taeyong smirked look at another guy standing by a stand. 

He dragged you over to him, he dropped your wrist hugging the male. “Ten.” He patted his back. “How have you been?” 

“Not as good as you it seems.” Ten chuckled. 

Taeyong hit his shoulder, “She is bounty.” He leaned in whispering something to him. Ten smiled. “Bounty in need of clothes.” Taeyong gestured to her dress which had gotten dirty and tattered. 

Ten walked over to you sizing you up. “I can find her something. You won’t mind not having a dress?” 

“She’ll wear what you give her.”

“What I’m giving her is Yangyang’s clothes.” Ten said. “Follow me.” 

“Where is Johnny?” Taeyong asked. 

“At the saloon with Yangyang.” Ten told him as he dragged you through the crowd to a small building at the end of the street. 

Ten pulled keys out of his pocket unlocking the door. “You are about the same size as Yangyang. His clothes might be a little loose on you.” 

Ten sat you down on a bed going through a closet of clothes. “I don’t think he wears these anymore.” He gave you trousers, a button-down, and a tan vest. “I’ll leave you.” 

You quickly changed. You took your hair out of that stuffy bun your mother always made you wear. “Ten do you have a belt?” You asked. 

“Coming.” 

Ten came in with a belt in hand smiling. “You are going to need a hat.” 

You took the belt slipping through the pants and pulling them up to fit you properly. 

“So who would want a preachers daughter?” 

“I don’t know.”

“Your parents are rich?” 

“No. Whatever extra money we have goes into the church.” 

“Are you sure about that? Daddy doesn’t dip into the church fund?” He laughed. 

Play innocent. “How dare you? My father is a respected man of the church everything he does is for his community. He loves his commune.”

Ten smiled, “Ok then. We have to be going. I’m sure Taeyong is ripping his hair out over how long this is taking.” Ten dropped a hat on your head going to leave his house.

______________________________________________________________

Taeyong walked into the small saloon looking for Johnny. Luckily enough he was easy to spot being the largest person and he sat in the corner to watch the door. 

Taeyong slipped into the booth staring down Johnny. 

Johnny challenged him back. 

Taeyong broke it off giving him his hand to shake, “It’s good to see you, man. I didn’t think we would be in town at the same time but I saw your horse and just my luck.” 

Johnny returned the favor grabbing his hand, “Yong what have you been up to? I’ve heard rumblings that you are causing trouble everywhere you go. Killing people and taking extra bounty jobs. I’m shocked to see you here in the daylight. I thought you would be afraid to show up with dead bodies on the back of Bo.” Johnny laughed taking a shot that Yangyang had brought over to them.” 

“Just doing a job Johnny. Speaking of which train ride to Port? When is the next one heading out?” 

“In a few mornings. I can get you and Bo on the traveling car very early in the morning before dawn. The train comes in two nights.” 

The saloon doors swung open again with Ten behind you. Everyone was staring at you. “Why are they staring?” You whispered. 

“Take a look around ___ you are the only woman here.” 

“Doll, come here,” Taeyong called after you. 

You didn’t question him and quickly came to his side in the hardwood booth. Taeyong smirked, he put his arm over your shoulders just in case you made a run for it.

“And who is this little lady?” Johnny asked you. 

“This is my little southern belle, ___.” 

Johnny paused his actions of drinking, “You’re the preacher's daughter?” He whispered. 

You looked at Taeyong for approval, he gave you a nod. “yes.” You whispered back.  

“Well, I’ll be dammed. The bounty no one wants to take. Risky move Taeyong.” 

“Worth every little penny.” Taeyong sipped his drink. He raised his arm to call over the bartender. 

“What would you like Taeyong.”

“Sweetheart would like a pitcher of water and can you have the kitchen bring out some turkey.” 

“That is going to cost a lot.” 

Taeyong nodded, “She’s hungry. It’s worth it.” 

Yangyang nodded about to walk towards the kitchen, “are those my clothes?”

“Don’t complain. You haven’t worn them in ages.” Ten told him. “Hurry along now you have a job to do.” 

Yangyang rolled his eyes. 

“Is he mad at me?” 

“Let the little kitten pout. He’ll get over it.” Ten told you reassuringly.

You tugged on Taeyong’s shirt, he looked over to you, “What is it Doll?” He asked in a sweet tone. 

Johnny kicked Ten in the shin, and mouthed, “Are you seeing this shit?” 

Ten nodded and gestured to him to cool down. He just wanted to watch this interaction. How did the preacher’s daughter get the Taeyong to dote on her? 

“Can I sit on the inside of the booth? Everyone keeps staring at me and I’m uncomfortable.” 

Taeyong looked outside the table everyone’s heads went down or turned away. “Sure Darling. Johnny be nice to her and don’t do anything to make her uncomfortable. If you do I will shoot off your pecker fast then you can do a shot.” 

“What’s a pecker?” 

Johnny stifled a laugh, Ten kicked him in the shin hater this time. Taeyong rubbed the small of your back, “Don’t worry about it.” 

“I am really thirsty.” You whispered into Taeyong’s ear. 

He smiled whispering, “Do you want to sip my drink?” You nodded. He slid his glass over to you, “It is liquor so just sip.”  

You sipped the hard liquor, your parents never let you drink even under their supervision or the communion wine. So just like last night, it made you want to spit it up but Taeyong was nice enough to give you his drink. You swallowed it and made a sour face. 

“Did it sting?” He smirked at you. 

“A little sour and it kind of burns.” 

Taeyong rubbed your shoulders, “It feels like that the first couple of times. But the more you drink it gets better and soon it just tastes like soda pop.” You nodded and took the glass taking another swig of the liquor. “Wow slow down. You have to pace yourself. I’ll order you one with your food. But you have to drink slowly.” He told you pointing at you.  

Johnny and Ten were shocked that a little girl could shove a turkey leg into her mouth and eat like a man. You were getting turkey juice all over your face. You were lightly sipping the brown liquor Taeyong got for you but you were down the water. 

“Careful Sweetheart you’ll choke. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Taeyong said picking up some of the meat and taking a few bites. 

It was getting darker outside and soon it was getting crowded in the bar. Someone was playing music on the piano and others were singing and some were dancing. 

While eating you had to try and watch them dancing. As night was brought on the women of the house were also making their way down to the floor. 

You weren’t stupid. You knew of their profession as other women and girls would usually call them dirty and whores. You thought to each their own. Everyone has to earn a living not every woman or girl can be should off like prized livestock. But Taeyong liked the ditziness about you.

“What’cha staring at Honey?” He asked. 

The pet names. Why does he always call you pet names? 

“Are you staring at the girls?”

“No.” You said with your mouth full. 

Taeyong thought you looked sweet sitting there in clothes a little bit too big for you and covered in sticky sauce. Your hair coming down from the stupid high and tightly braided mess of hair-do your mother put in your hair. 

Taeyong slipped his hand off your shoulder went underneath the table grazed your thigh taking the dingy white cloth that was starting to pebble dipping it in the pitcher of water. “Put the meat down for a second.” 

You placed the leg down licking your fingers one by one. 

He wiped your face taking the sauce off and then handed you the napkin. “Wipe your hands.” 

“You are worst than my mother.” You mumbled. 

“Ah-ah-ah no talking like that or I won’t dance with you.” You looked at him a little shocked. “That is what you wanted right? To dance?” He questioned. 

“Yes.” 

“Finish your food and I promise we can dance. But you have to eat slowly.”

“Is that so you won’t have to dance after I eat slowly.”

“Attitude will not get me on the dance floor Doll.” 

You ignored all his pestering eating how you liked. 

Of course, Taeyong still watched you eating. Brushing some of the hair out of your face so it won’t get dirty and you wouldn’t eat it. 

Johnny and Ten were perched up at the bar watching.

“He’s gone mental.” Ten said. 

“Or they y’know.” Johnny whistled. 

Yangyang sighed, “You guys are gross there is a simple way to settle this. You just have to ask what type of girl he likes. A soft sweet girl or a rough and tough type of girl.” 

“Tae we need over here to settle something.” Ten called him over.

“What do they want now?” You just shrugged continuing to eat “I’m going over there when I’m done with the bozo we can dance.” 

You nodded your mouth still full of food. 

He left the booth going over to his friends, “What do you guys want?” 

“We just want you to settle something for us.” Ten said. 

“Which type of girl is better? Sweet, innocent, kind of girl or rough, traveler, adventurous kind of girl?” Johnny asked smirking. 

They thought they were being so subtle. He smirked to himself, “I like a little of both. Now excuse me I have someone to dance with.” 

Taeyong waltz over to you, “Come on Darling I like this song.” 

You quickly wiped your hands and mouth again, jumping up to take Taeyong’s hand. 

The piano player was playing something that was fast-paced. 

“Just follow my lead, Doll,” Taeyong whispered. 

The fast pace wasn’t your forte. You accidentally kept stepping on Taeyong’s feet. 

“Sorry, Taeyong.”

“It’s ok Pretty.” Taeyong hand on the small of your back leading you toward the piano. “Jaemin I know you like fast-paced songs but can we do some slow songs, for my girl.” Taeyong winked at you smiling at Jaemin. 

“You got Chief.” He said with a smile switching gracefully to a slow song. 

“There you go Doll.” 

“You seem to know everyone here. You are Mr. Popular.” 

“Not like you Sweetheart. Everyone always loves a preacher's daughter.” 

“Don’t remind me.” You said breathily. 

Taeyong spun you out and back into him rather quickly your lips just missing each other. “Little Preacher’s Princess, what would he say if he saw you right now?” He whispered again. 

“Mortified.” You smirked back.

“My Princess now.” 

“Why the nicknames? You know my name.” 

“So does everyone else, Darling. Protecting my investment can’t let anyone steal you away from me.”  

You hummed. ‘Investment. Right.’

After a couple more dances your feet and you began to get tired. Yawning a couple of times while resting your head on Taeyong’s shoulder. 

“I guess it’s true what they say about turkey making you tired.” He joked. “Let’s go back to the house.” 

You nodded against him holding his hand as went over to his friends. 

“We are going back home. See you lads in the morning.” He told him. He held onto you on your way out not letting you out of his grasp with drunks roaming the streets.

“The train will be here in 2 days. Tomorrow we can walk the market.” 

“Can I buy something?” You asked looking up at him and rubbing your eyes as they began to get watery. 

“One small thing.” He told you holding up one finger. 

He opened the door to the home. “Take the extra bed I’m fine with the floor downstairs. Don’t feel bad.” 

‘I don’t feel bad.’

You went upstairs to the bed going into the closet where you stored your dress. Counting the money you had saved over the years and the letters you and Kun had shared. 

“Few more days.” 

______________________________________________________________

The first stalls that were open in the morning were mainly food, fruits, and vegetables. 

“If I get an apple does it count as my one thing?” 

“No. 3 apples please.” 

“Taeyong? Didn’t think I would see you back here. After what happened last time.” The vendor smiled at him. 

“We don’t speak of that Sungchan. You like having two hands right?”

The boy went silent “$3.” 

Taeyong rolled his eyes handing him over the cash. Taeyong handed an apple over to you 

“What happened last time?” You asked taking a bite of the apple. 

Taeyong looked down at you and moved away from the stand again having a tight grip on your hand. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go visit Bo and give him his apple.”

A few more hours at the market and you hadn’t found a small gift or pried what happened the last time Taeyong was here. You needed to hear what happened. 

“Taeyong comes on I shared with you. Who am I going to tell?”

“How about the people that are paying me for you?”

You pouted, “I promise I won’t. I just want us to be friends until we depart.” You pulled on his arm. 

“Ok, I’ll tell you…over lunch.” He told you. “Come on pick something out to buy. So we can get lunch.” 

You scanned the trinket table finding an iron bracelet. “This. I like this.” You said holding it up in Taeyong’s face. 

“How much for the bracelet?”

“For you and your lovely wife only $10.” 

“Oh she isn’t—” you stepped on Taeyong’s foot. 

“Thank you, Ma’am. Darling come on we are going to be late for lunch.” You leaned up and peck Taeyong’s cheek. 

His ears turned a little red nodding along taking out his money and giving her what the lady wanted for the bracelet. 

You smiled putting it on as you walked away. 

Taeyong grabbed your wrist twirling you around. 

“What was that about?” 

You hummed, “Taeyong she was giving you a deal for this. All because she thought I was your wife.” 

“I have a reputation to uphold.” 

“Right, right the big scary bandit Taeyong who has killed every bounty that had given him trouble. I’m so scared. All I did was peck your cheek, you prude.” 

“I’m not a prude. What you just did was a sin underneath gods eyes.” 

“Jesus did die for humanity to sin.” You smirked walking away. “Come on Taeyong lunch and you promised me a story.” 

“Not until you tell me where this bad girl streak of yours is coming from.” He gripped your forearm tightly. 

“I learned from the best.” You spat back. 

Taeyong didn’t want to argue anymore but he couldn’t wait to tie you back up tomorrow. 

“I’m going to chalk this up to you being hungry. Stop with the temper tantrum or no story.” 

“Did I really sin by kissing you on the cheek?” You asked looking up at him and giving him puppy dog eyes. 

He rubbed your cheek with his pointer finger, “No Darling I was just saying that to upset you.” His other hand moved from your forearm back to your hand holding it. 

“I’m sure Ten has food at the house and we’ll go to the clearing.” 

______________________________________________________________

Taeyong had lunch set for them sitting up on a dry grassy hill looking down at the market. The sun was high in the sky beating down on your back you felt beads of sweat form on your neck and forehead. 

“Drink so much water you don’t get sick.” Taeyong gave you a canteen. 

Sipping it as you took a bite of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, muffled saying, “What happened the last time you were here?”

Taeyong chuckled lowly, “The last time I stop here during the daytime I was in the market with Bo walking back to the house and my parents were here. I ran away from home as a teen.” 

“Did they know it was you?”

“Yeah, they knew. My father walked away but my mother, oh she looked heartbroken. She followed me and she begged me to come home. I couldn’t go back to them.” 

You felt a slight tinge but that quickly faded, you needed to focus on yourself. You have spent too many years worrying about everyone else and not yourself. You have been selfless you have earned the right to be selfish. 

“Do you think your father misses you?” 

“I don’t know. I think he is just disappointed.” 

You huffed laying down in the grass. 

“Do you think your parents will miss you?” He asked laying down next to you. 

“I think they will miss having an extra hand around the house. I’m one of 6 children. I’m the oldest. It was like they were prepping me for being a wife. Me marrying a state ranger was perfect for them I would be taken care of and promised lots of grandchildren and more help for the church. Whatever happens, happens now. It was a nightmare living in that house.” 

Taeyong turned to face you, “Couldn’t have been that bad?” 

“Have you ever had to do bath time with three toddlers and your other siblings are putting dinner together because your parents are at a congregation meeting?” 

“Fair enough. I’m sure your siblings appreciated you.” 

“No, they didn’t. They got mad when I couldn’t be with them all the time. Like I was their mother. When Sicheng came around they were happy he was there and they wanted me gone. I wasn’t enough for anybody.” 

Taeyong sat up leaning over you giving just enough shade, “Their children they don’t know any better. They think if attention isn’t on them 100% of the time they aren’t loved. But you loved them all right?” 

“Yes.” 

Taeyong smiled, “That’s what’s important. One day you’ll find your way back to them and they’ll understand then. Think about it this way, the second oldest will now take on your responsibility.” 

“That’s my brother. He is already taking on responsibilities at the church my sister Chaeyoung will be in charge. I will be shocked if the house isn’t on fire.” 

Taeyong fell back over on the grass laughing, “have confidence in your baby sister.” 

You just rolled your eyes. Deep inside you wanted them to suffer without you. Realized what they all drove away. 

Taeyong started to clean up the lunch stuff which wasn’t much being napkins and the canteen inside a basket falling apart. 

“Can’t we just stay here a while? The sun feels so nice on my skin.” You asked with a yawn in your voice. 

The sun can tire you out easily but it made for a beautiful day and beautiful colors in the sky. 

“Only for a while longer.” 

“I wanted to watch the sunset before we leave tomorrow morning.” 

Taeyong sighed. “Can’t we watch it from the town?” 

“But it won’t be as pretty from sitting up here. Please Taeyong.”

“Fine. But only because you asked nicely. Don’t tell anyone that I’ve gone soft.” 

______________________________________________________________

Waking up early the next morning was hard. You had fallen asleep on the hill and Taeyong had to carry you back to the house. 

“Taeyong…the sun hasn’t even risen yet.” You yawned. 

“This is how we get on the train. Early.” He told you firmly.“Johnny is going to sneak us on the harvest car. Bo will be with the animals. Our friend Jungwoo will come by and check in on us and give us food every now and then.” 

You yawned again in response. 

“As soon as we sit down you can rest. I promise.” Taeyong kissed the top of your head. An intimate act. 

Johnny walked over with their friend Jungwoo you presumed. 

They didn’t see Taeyong’s affection towards you his back facing them when he heard the scuffing of their boots he went to your side hand sitting on his revolver. 

“Alright, you two are going to help load the food upon the train cart. I will be overseeing it once it’s complete I will assign you as watchers of the cart. It has pay. Bo is going in as unregistered. When the train does make the final stop at port. You will unload the food and I will unload the animals. I’ll hold Bo for you.” Jungwoo explained. “Let’s get a move on.” 

You could feel the blisters that your mother had tried months of getting rid of were starting to form back. 

Taeyong had you only move the small creates of food. He even had your hair tucked into your hat so no one would know you were a girl. 

“Yong give me the potatoes I can move them into the back of the cart.” You told him standing in the train cart. 

“You’ll hurt yourself if it's too heavy.” He put his hand out. “Come down from there and get the grapes.” 

You made a face but took his arm coming down from the cart. You walked over to the bins looking for the grapes. 

“___?”

You halted your actions slowly pulling your head up to see who had called your name. Hoping it was just one of Taeyong’s friends.

“___? Is that you?” You were greeted by one of Sicheng’s friends. Shit. Jaehyun. 

“Jaehyun what are you doing on this side of the state?” 

  He chuckled loudly, “Just doing a little work for my father. He is getting a little sick just doing my job as the firstborn. What are you doing?” 

Shit. “I’m doing some community work helping out others in need. The trains have been unstaffed for some time. I came to an agreement with my parents that before I get married I could help more people. Before settling down.” 

“Really? I’m surprised they let you go for this long.” 

“It’s also to prepare Chaeyoung’s new duties around the house.” 

He hummed. “I assume you are going to have to sit in the back of the train—”

“Darling, we don’t have all day.” Taeyong came up from behind putting his hand on your shoulder. You brushed him off as Jaehyun was watching his every move. Taeyong looked at the man putting his hand on his hip. “Who’s this?” 

“Taeyong this is a friend-of-friend, Jaehyun his father runs some of the mining towns. He is helping his father out.” 

“___ I’m more than a friend, she is going to be marrying my best friend in a couple of months.” He laughs pulling her side into him for a hug. “Mind I ask who you are?”

“Jaehyun this is Taeyong he is running the service, his father is a rancher.” You explained. 

Taeyong panicked a little, his father was a rancher a famous one too. They had a large vineyard that supplied all the wine depots. 

“Rancher? Taeyong Lee? I remember hearing a story about Taeyong the son of Rancher whose son turned bounty hunter. Now he kills his bounties with a 1908 Smith and Wesson revolver. With his initials carved in the right side of the base.” Jaehyun eyed his revolver. 

“Taeyong is a common name Jaehyun. Same as Lee. And 1908s are a pretty popular choice of gun.”

“Let’s see the revolver.” 

“Why? I’m here doing service work for my father and the church. ___ here…” Taeyong put his hand on your shoulder…“is a fine assistant to have through this journey.”

“Just looking out for my friend here.” Jaehyun tried to smile with friendliness but he had other intentions. 

“Jaehyun stop.” 

“___ I know who he is. You aren’t fooling anybody here. Sicheng heard about the bounty he told me to keep an eye out for you.” He gripped your arm trying to pull you away. 

Taeyong had drawn his revolver pressing it to Jaehyun’s chest, “You step away and your daddy will still have a successor to his mining company and your momma will still have a healthy boy.”

“Jaehyun walk away.” 

“I will spread the news to Sicheng.” He warned Taeyong. 

Walking away you tugged his sleeve, “Wait!” 

“What?” 

“Jaehyun you mustn’t tell him.” 

“Why shouldn’t I?” 

“I-I…”

“Spit it out!” 

“I’m pregnant with Taeyong’s baby. Father and Mother wanted me to get rid of it before Sicheng and I were to be married. I tried to convince Sicheng to help me raise the baby so my parents wouldn’t go against their beliefs but he was disgusted by me. I wrote to Taeyong and we ran off together. I don’t know of any bounty on my head we just want to move to the countryside and raise our family. Taeyong is even considering making up with his family. Please I beg of you.” 

“Pregnant? With an outlaw?” He whispered. 

You nodded your head in return dress filling your face so that he wouldn’t believe her lie. 

“How did you two meet?” He asked. 

“The trail I take to get around goes right through her home town and I still go to church. She was usually there going as well. I fell in love with her.” 

“Sicheng wouldn’t lie to me.” 

“He would if my father paid him. I love Taeyong and I want to keep our baby.” 

Jaehyun sighed. There was one thing you knew about Jaehyun he was a sucker for romance. Forbidden romance. “I’ll keep your secret. But if Sicheng asks I will not lie to him.” 

“Thank you Jaehyun.” You hugged him goodbye. He walked towards the ticketing booth. 

You turned around to Taeyong. 

“Brilliant lie. But you nearly got us caught.” 

“How was I supposed to know your father was that Lee Ranch owner? I think we use your family's wine for the Blood of Christ.” 

Taeyong rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to hear another word out of you for the rest of the trip. Or I’ll tie you up again.”

You motioned to zip your mouth. “Maybe I would like that.” You whispered to yourself. 

Taeyong heard you though grabbing your forearm, his mouth quirked into a smirk leaning down to whisper in your ear, “Darling I would never treat the mother of my children and wife like that. Unless she asks for it. But I know my angelic investment wouldn’t ask for that.” He kissed your cheek this time. “Jaehyun is watching us. Go in the cart. I’ll hand you the boxes and barrels.”

You inhaled quickly turning away almost ashamed. You heard Taeyong chuckle to himself. Your little act was working wonders. 

By this time tomorrow, you’ll be safe and sound with Kun. 

______________________________________________________________

Taeyong had laid his jacket down for you to sit on. He sat next to you so you could lay next to him comfortably. 

Taeyong wiped the hair out of your face as you were resting. He liked you, you had spunk and you were sweet and kind. A little naive but he enjoyed that about you. 

He wished deep down he didn’t have to let you go. But the pay was that good. You were worth a lot to whoever was buying you. You meant a lot to him too.

You stirred in your sleep waking up to Taeyong by your side. You wiped the side of your mouth a little bit getting on Taeyong’s vest. 

“Sorry, Taeyong.” 

“It’s ok. How did you sleep?” He asked stroking your hair. 

“Ok, I guess for a train ride. I always thought my first train ride would be in an official cart.” 

Taeyong felt bad he couldn’t provide you with some comfort. “Odd though this is probably more relaxing than the front cars. Stuffy, cramped and the food isn’t as delicious.”

You reached over taking a small handful of grapes. 

“You can’t do that. They’ll know you took them. Whoever bought them asked for a certain amount.” Taeyong scolded you. 

“For a bandit, you are a stickler for rules about food.” 

“I’m the son of a rancher.” 

“If you take only a few off they won’t know. They pay for a bushel not by the amount of grapes. You should know that. Maybe the stick that is up your ass is messing with your critical thinking.” You sassed back. 

Taeyong scoffed reaching over grabbing you by the waist and pulling you over into his lap he began to tickle your sides. 

“Say you’re sorry!” 

“No Tae!” You giggled. 

“Come on Darling! You have to apologize or God will punish you greatly!” 

He is really laying it on thick with the God jargon. However, innocence is his favorite. 

“I yield. I’m sorry Taeyong. Will you forgive me?” You offered a grape to his mouth. 

His mouth closed over your pointer and thumb taking your offering. “That’s my good girl.” 

Now that did make you blush and feel a little hot around the neck. He smirked again. His smirk was pretty and it was hard not to fall for those boba eyes and siren eyes when he was threatening. 

Taeyong noticed your glaring, leaning down and stealing a kiss from you. He pulled away looking at you to see if you were alright, he just took your first kiss. You looked at him and then down to his lips smothering yourself back onto his lips. You dropped the grapes your hand reaching up behind his head bringing him into the kiss a little more. 

Taeyong was trying to be gentle with you because he thought it was your first kiss. This wasn’t true when Qian’s used to live close by you and Kun spent all your time together even into your early teen years. Sneaking off into the stables late at night kissing each other in the hay before looking at the night sky. Sometimes when the stables were locked early you would meet in the confessionals. 

Taeyong stopped kissing you, he needed to breathe. He needed to get his head on straight he shouldn’t be kissing his charge. He shouldn’t have sullied you this is what the client was probably paying for a virgin.

You thought the same thing. You can’t be kissing him. He had a job to do and you were going to pay him sure but pissing him off would only get you killed. Even if he was a good, great kisser compared to Kun. It wasn’t like Kun was the love of your life but he couldn’t see you in pain. 

Seeing you marry a horrible man like Sicheng that didn’t sit well with him. He saw how unhappy you were with Sicheng at the engagement announcement. He proposed an idea. 

A secret marriage and running away from your family. Harder for you to run away. So a bounty on your head with money you’ve saved and money Kun had earned. Kun was a friend offering a safe haven. 

The look of worry crossing your face broke Taeyong’s heart for you. He hurt you. He ran his thumb over your bottom lip. “___ I— we can’t do this. I can’t provide for you. I can barely provide for Bo.” 

“I know.” You whispered back lips still grazing each other. You cradled his chin you had so he would look at you. “I care for you Taeyong.” 

Taeyong pulled away from you, putting you back on his jacket he got up from next to you. 

“I’m going to get us some actual food from Jungwoo. You should just rest.” He mumbled as he exited through the door. 

This is how it was between you two. He left things unsaid. He can’t give you comforting words because he never received that himself. 

He was expected of certain things as the son. What he wanted wasn’t acknowledged or appreciated by his parents. He cut his hand on a sheer, wrap it up, and don’t cry. They loved him. He often felt lonely. He took that loneliest path of all lone bandits. Stupid to think he wanted to be a State Ranger himself. 

To think if he took that route instead of the path he was on, he would be engaged to you. Or challenged Sicheng enough. He would win too. He came from a richer and better family than him. 

He can’t have you. He’ll never be able to have you. 

______________________________________________________________

The rest of the train ride to Port was quiet between you two. He sat across from you to bring food when he went to meet Jungwoo. You took turns sleeping. 

Taeyong was purposely distancing himself from you. 

Your heart twinged. You wanted to talk to him, fix what had happened. It was obvious that he didn’t he had a job to do and you had to respect that. 

The silence continued while unloading the cart. Taeyong had you handing him the boxes and barrels. 

As soon as it was done Taeyong grabbed your forearm. He kept you close to him walking towards Jungwoo. 

Jungwoo held Bo’s reins handing him off to Taeyong and handing him a small satchel. Payment for his work on the train. 

He nodded to him thanking Jungwoo. He reached into his saddle dropping the money and taking out the rope. 

“Taeyong really?” 

“This time you will be on Bo. I have the location where I need to take you.” 

Taeyong tightens the rope around your wrists. He helped you onto the horse. Trotting through port. 

Kun’s family farm was just outside the town the plan was to have the first half of the money in the mailbox. It would be an easy walk. 

The main gate was closed and locked. Kun must have locked it and put the key in the mailbox. 

Taeyong looked around, unsure. It felt unsafe. 

“Mailbox. Taeyong, there is something in there.” You instructed him pointing your arms at it.

Taeyong looked at you and at the box. He opened the flap. He saw the bundle of money with a note and the key tied to it. 

“Half of the payment. Take the path to the main house.” He looked around the area again. “I don’t like this.” He opened the gate, pulled his gun, and held Bo close to him. 

Kun was sitting on the porch swing. His father put it up when his mother was pregnant with him. He was holding a shotgun. 

He looked up seeing the horse. “___!” He called. He put the shotgun down running off the porch. 

You smiled. You quickly undid the ropes and jumped off Bo. 

“Darling!” Taeyong called after you. 

“He didn’t hurt you did he?” Kun asked holding you. 

“No. Of course not. I told you I could handle him.” You rubbed the side of his arms to reassure him. Kun kissed your forehead.

Taeyong looked at the two of you. He was confused. Who was this man? Why did you know him? And why were you so close to him?

“What is going on here?” He asked. 

You turned your head to him. You felt guilty, a feeling that would soon pass. You were finally free.

“How did you get out of the ropes?” 

“I undid them. It wasn’t hard.” You told him. “Taeyong this is Kun. We grew up together.”

“This was…all a setup.” 

“Yes. Kun’s idea. I had half of the money he had the other half.” 

“So everything was a lie?” 

You sighed, “Yes. I made the poster. I heard around town where you frequented and posted a price you would do the job for. I knew if anyone and I mean anyone including my father and Sicheg you would kill them. Money means more to you anyways.” 

He stepped forward the barrel of the gun against your cheek. “Not always Darling.” 

Kun tried to pull you away you stopped him. “He won’t kill me.”

“You said you cared. You kissed me. All a lie?” 

“I might have put on the innocent act so you would be kinder towards me. I do care though Taeyong.” 

“You know God won’t forgive you for this.” He hissed. 

“I wanted to be free more than tell the truth.” You told him. “In a few days, Kun and I will be married. If they find us they can’t be mad I will be married to a respectful man.” 

“You are worse than me.” 

“Maybe. But I can live with that. The rest of the money is in your satchel with the rest of my belongings. You can burn them if you want.” 

Taeyong grabbed your arm one more time, kissing one last time. You returned the kiss. “Nothing? Really?” 

You just nodded. Because it was a lie you did feel something but you mattered more for the first time you put yourself first. 

He chuckled leaning in, “You’re a shit liar. I’ll come back for you one day. I can change. Don’t have kids with him.” Taeyong walked back to his horse getting on and trotting off into the horizon.

“What did he say to you?” Kun asked. 

“He said he would be back.” 

“Should we be worried?” 

You laughed turning around and leaning into him. “No. Everything is going to be ok.” 

______________________________________________________________

taglist;

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✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ BRAIN OVER HEART❞ | X.DJ

PAIRINGS — ravenclaw!xiaojun x hufflepuff!reader

GENRE — small amount of fluff, angst

WARNINGS — toxic relationship at times, foul language

WC — 6k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

______________________________________________________________

Xiaojun didn’t know where he went wrong. He thought he had been so logical about everything. 

"When did you stop loving me?" He asked you. 

You looked at him in disbelief and scoffed under your breath. “This is stupid. Let us out you guys.” You banged on the door in the kitchen door. 

“They aren’t going to let us out ___. There is a reason they took our wands too. They want us to work this out. So I ask again, when did you stop loving me?” 

“Unbelievable. I didn’t stop loving you first. You started the demise of our relationship.” 

“I didn’t do anything!” 

“Really? ‘Hendery she has been clingy. She can’t ever leave me the fuck alone. She makes it easy to hate her.’ You said those things about me someone you claim to still love.” 

“I was just frustrated. I had been stressed with exams and studying.” 

“It started long before that. Think about it.” You turned your back to him walking away. Leaving him alone with his thoughts. All he could think about was where everything started. 

The potions class this year was specializing in medicinal cures. 

You felt a little nervous. This is what you wanted to specialize in. You still felt bubbles in your stomach. 

“Stop jittering around ___ everything will be fine. This is like your playground. You know the ins and outs here.” Hendery clapped your shoulder. “You are guaranteed an A.” 

“It’s not about the A Hendery.” You grumbled looking down at your stupid dress shoes. God, you could feel the sore growing on your heel. How were you about to stand for these lab periods in these? “Why are you even taking this course? It’s not a part of your curriculum.”

“Professor is giving extra credit to be the test dummy for whatever concoctions the class comes up with. If I die keep my stuff out of Jungwoo’s hands. Jaehyun can have whatever he wants.” 

“I doubt Professor would let you die.” He gave you a look. “He wouldn’t let you die on the spot he would try and revive you. Besides you’re great in herbology.” 

“Of course, he is good at herbology it’s his specialty.” Yangyang slung his arms around Hendery and your shoulders mocking a blunt motion to his lips. 

You shook off his hand laughing it off. 

“You know what I don’t get Yang, why he and ___ wouldn’t join forces. Her baked goods and his love for medicinal cures.” Haechan came to Yangyang’s side. 

“What Professor fucked up and put the two Slytherin Devils in the same class?” Hendery asked. 

“Mr. Wong that is the first and last time I want to hear that language in my class.” Mr. Lee scolded Hendery. 

He had a small satchel in his hands. “One person pulls out a piece of paper it will contain a potion on it it will match with someone else in the class you will then proceed to make that potion with your partner.” 

The bag went around the group, you lean over to whisper into Hendery’s ear. “What did you get?” 

“Cure for boils.” He smirked at his easy assignment, “You?” 

“Pepperup potion. I think the bag was spelled you got an easy potion.”

“You’re just jealous because I’m going to get an A for the day.” 

“Now that everyone has their paper. Read your partner's name on the back of it.” 

You flipped yours over. Xiaojun. You knew of him he was friendly with Hendery. They both played quidditch and Hendery was half of the school's weed dealer. 

You walked over to him sitting at the front of the classroom, to fully introduce yourself. 

“Hi, Xiaojun. I don’t know if you remember me but I’m friends with Hendery.” 

He didn’t look up from his notebook only saying a quick mmm. “Do you mind getting the ingredients for the pepperup potion? Bacon, mandrake root-” 

“Don’t worry Xiaojun I know what we need.” You gave him a thumbs up. You went to the cupboard pulling what you needed. 

“___ how much do we need for the potion?” Hendery asked tapping your shoulder at the desk behind you. 

“Hendery she isn’t your partner.” 

“Yeah, but she has done this a 1,000 times. Have you seen my partner?” He questioned Xiaojun as he pointed to Yangyang.

“Screw you Hendery. I’m a pure genius.” 

“Yangyang, you are an evil genius. You are going to be the reason the school will go up in flames, again.” Hendery explained. 

“When you guys get boils, we are not helping you,” Xiaojun explained pulling your robes to face your desk. 

It took a lot of energy in you not to laugh at his actions. 

______________________________________________________________

Things with Xiaojun never progressed passed as much as desk mates. That was until he came in a little frazzled. 

“Xiaojun are you ok?” 

“Uh yeah. Well, no. I stayed up all night reading this book about dragons because they are really cool. I didn’t realize that I blew off my charms essay that is due tomorrow morning. So when I get back to my room I have to only work on that in order to get it done. I don’t even have an outline.” He explained. 

“If you want I can be the boss today and you can be my little assistant. All you have to do is get me the things I need and you can focus on an outline for your essay.” 

“Really? Thanks.” He smiled at you getting up from his desk and getting the ingredients for the potion. 

You did your job making the potion. You left your bag next to Xiaojun. Xiaojun focused on the other work he reached into what he thought was his bag, he pulled out your snack for later. 

“Xiaojun I can’t tell if is this 16ml, the meniscus doesn’t look right. Did you eat those?” 

“Yeah. They’re my snack, just some cinnamon pretzels. I got them from the dining hall.” He said not looking up from his notebook. 

You had made cookies that would increase your focusing skill for your test this afternoon. They were cinnamon flavored you could see how he could maybe get them confused. 

“How many have you eaten?”

He looked at the cylinder not looking at you, “Looks like 16 ml to me. I had about 4.” He smiled at you. 

It was like he was giving you puppy dog eyes, you felt bad for telling him. “Xiaojun, you ate my cookies.”

“Oh shit. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine. But I think it’s only fair I have some of your pretzels.” 

Xiaojun pulled a small satchel of his snack opening it for you. 

“Thanks.” 

______________________________________________________________

It was lunch and all you had left of the cinnamon cookies were enough for you. Jaemin was not going to like that. You took your portion for your transfiguration test. 

Jaemin slid next to you going into your cloth bag. 

“Hey, where are my damn focus cookies? We have a transfiguration test. I suck at multiple choice.” 

“Xiaojun accidentally ate some during class. He didn’t mean to. And they are called cinnamon delights. I got in trouble last year because you wouldn’t shut up about my baked goods.” 

“____ I can’t fail this test. If I do I’m screwed.” Jaemin whined. 

“Maybe if you actually studied you wouldn’t have to hit up ___ for her little helpers,” Jisung told him. 

Jaemin threw his hands up in the air, “I didn’t show you the ropes around here just for you to be rude.” Jaemin slapped the back of his head.

“Instead of ragging on ____ and moping maybe go ask Taeyong to give you a tutoring session. His specialty is transfiguration.” Shotaro told him. 

“The sass everyone is giving me.” Jaemin pushed his stew around. 

___ leaned over grabbing a piece of bread to dip in her food she dropped it when Renjun came over, shouting her name. “___! ____!” 

“What is with him?” Hendery asked. 

You shrugged in return picking the bread piece back up and dipping it in the lamb stew. 

Renjun came over in a huff to the table, Jaemin held his arm up to stop him. 

“State your purpose smarty-pants.” 

“What have you done to Xiaojun? He just wrote an entire essay in an hour and a half.” He told the table checking his watch. 

You dropped your bread in the stew looking down at it. 

“Not that I’m not happy about it, he has a hard time not procrastinating all his homework when we reach the middle of the year. Right now he has a thing for dragons.” 

“He accidentally ate my cookies. Which were meant for Jaemin and me for transfiguration test.” 

“Now I don’t have any cookies and I’m going to fail my test.” 

Shotaro and Jisung sighed. 

Jisung pointed down the table, “Taeyong is at the end of the table. Just show him the material you were going to read after having the cookies he will simplify it for you. You will do well enough on the test so you won’t be benched for the next quidditch game. He’s the captain he wouldn’t want you benched.” 

“Fine.” Jaemin went to the end of the table to the captain of his quidditch team. 

“He ate one of your baked goods and made him write an essay just like that?” Renjun snapped his fingers. 

“You have never heard of ___ magic baked goods?” Hendery asked. “Self-esteem snickerdoodle cookies. Cinnamon cookies like Adderall. Brownies with family memories baked into them.” Hendery explained. 

“How do you make Adderall cookies?” 

“I stumbled upon a recipe. I tested it on myself first and it worked. I only make them when I have a big test. Jaemin begs me to make them for him. I only do it because we are having a winning season for quidditch.”

“Wait does the Hufflepuff quidditch team cheat?” 

“No! Never. It's for his stupid tests. It onlt helps him focus while studying. My pastries and more are used simply for healing the body and helping in school. I hardly ever make these cinnamon cookies. I just make them the same flavor as the snickerdoodle's because it levels out of the bitterness of…” You looked around the table and Hendery was laughing at you. “You guys don’t care about that, do you? It was a mistake on his part just don’t tell him that he drugged himself.” 

“It was purely an accident, Renjun,” Hendery told him. “Plus Xiaojun can be a bit paranoid when he is a little, y’know.” He whistled and pointed up to the ceiling. Renjun wasn’t fully understanding it, “When he’s high, Jesus Christ you Ravenclaws have to be told everything it can never be any innuendos. Also, ___ over here has a hard time making friends as it is.” Hendery loudly whispered behind his hand. 

You kicked his leg. “People love me.” 

“Before you insert yourself in their lives.” 

“And people only like you for your green thumb.” You argued back. 

“Ok Bobbsey Twins, I won’t tell him. If he starts to wonder how he was able to do it I will direct him to you ___.” Renjun told you.

_____________________________________________________________ 

This is when you started making snacks for Xiaojun. After helping out on that one day he became more open with you. 

He had told you that he hadn’t been able to sleep since Doyoung started doing late-night quidditch drills. Bam! You found yourself in the kitchen making your insomnia walnut cookies that make you pass out immediately. He told you he had a speech coming up in his advanced history of magic classes that had his stomach in knots. You had a satchel of courage blueberry muffins waiting for him. 

It went on for months. You never thought you would never work so much in a kitchen, especially for some guy. It wasn’t like he knew. You didn’t exactly give them to him in person. You often made your baked goods for him wrapped them in a cloth bag and left them for him in his dormitories. 

It was Christmas in the Hogwarts school however your parents suggested you stay at the school this holiday season. It was cheaper for them, they sent packages of some of your gifts with little notes they were waiting under the tree in the common room of the Hufflepuff dorms. 

You were sitting in the dining hall with a plate of your fresh baked brownies. You couldn’t see your parents, so having brownies with your family memories baked right into them. Hendery also left you his favorite brownies. You had also made your mother’s Christmas cookies.

There are very few people staying this Christmas at Hogwarts. Most were people studying for their OWLs. You were reading a book and eating when someone slid into the bench across from you. 

“What are you reading?” 

You looked up to see Xiaojun smiling reaching over to the plate of treats. You smacked his hand he made a face. You answered him. “It is a muggle book, it is about predatory birds.” 

“Why?” He asked offended. 

“The bird diagrams are fun to look at when I’m high. It is an easy read too.” 

He shook his head, “No why did you smack my hand? You always share your snacks with me.” 

“These are special to me. Hendery made me brownies with his special blend. Then you have my mom's Christmas cookies.”

“What about these brownies with the marshmallows in them? That is not Hendery.”

“They are my special brownies.”

To this Xiaojun was interested he grabbed one quickly eating it. 

“Xiaojun why did you do that?” 

Xiaojun felt his chest feel a little bit warm like he did when he was a child waking up on Christmas morning and running downstairs to rip open his presents. He could smell hot chocolate and the same Christmas cookies sitting on the platter. Which was impossible he never had the cookies and his mother never let him have hot chocolate. 

“I feel a little funky.” 

“I told you not to touch them. Here take one of Hendery’s brownies it will even you out because they aren’t your memories.” 

“What did you put in those?” He asked. 

You sighed, “I couldn’t go home for Christmas this year, I baked my Christmas memories into them.” 

“Like a pensieve?” You looked at him confused. “The memory pool that is in the headmaster’s office.” 

“No. You write a memory on a piece of parchment burn it under the flame of a memory stealing potion and pour it into the brownie batter. Taste like home then.” 

“That is pretty inventive. How did you come up with that?” 

“This isn’t the first Christmas I spent alone.”

He smiled a little with a curious look in his eyes, “Can you teach me how to make it?” 

This was the first time someone was genuinely interested in how you made your baked goods. 

“Sure. How do you feel about breaking and entering?” 

You were waiting in the Hogwarts kitchen for Xiaojun to come back from Professor Lee’s classroom closet where he kept ingredients for potions class. 

He came inside using his sweater as a little basket of the ingredients that were needed. 

You gave him clear instructions on how to make the memory-stealing potion. It was an advanced potion and wasn’t in the Hogwarts curriculum. 

“Why are you here this Christmas?” You asked. 

“My parents went on a trip for just them. They said they would come to visit after the holidays. It was a way to punish me because of what I want to do with my life.” 

“Which is?” You asked cracking eggs into the batter. 

“Dragonologist. Always have found them interesting since I was a child they prefer for me to work in the Ministry of Magic.” 

“Don’t listen to them. Parents can be difficult especially when comes to our life choices. My parents aren’t thrilled when I told them I wanted to be a healer.”

“Why do you know how to make this potion? If you are planning to into the medical route you wouldn’t need to know this. It is hardly used for medical purposes.” He asked. 

You were stirring the brownie batter homemade recipe, you weren’t sharing that with Xiaojun. You stopped turning towards him. “Technically it is a memory stealing potion, but given what it actually does when I make it replicates the memory. Gives someone a chance to relive it. So if someone was a witness or a victim of something it gives a chance for the proper authorities to find the perpetrator. At the same time sometimes people don’t want to remember so giving them an option to forget I would give it to them. Poof memory is gone.” You told to him. 

He didn’t have an answer for you just simply nodded his head. 

“The potion is done you should write the memory down and burn it under the flame.” 

He already had the parchment written out burning it under the flame. “So you aren’t going to tell me why you keep leaving pastries and such in my dormitories.” 

Your eyes went wide and your ears started to get warm along with your neck. 

“___ your perfume is all over the satchels and they just have a special taste to them. I ate them. The muffins were really good, they helped when I needed to make that speech. Also, Hendery told me.” 

“Hendery! God damn it.” You whined. You were never telling him anything again. “Are you mad at me?”

“No. You were just trying to help. I can’t be mad at you not when you were doing it from a good place. Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Most people are put off by this.” You gesture to the potion-making setup. “When I offer the help they more than often stop talking to me altogether. I really like you and I didn’t want to stop being friends on a slight chance you wouldn’t like me budding in on business I’m not supposed to be involved in.” 

Xiaojun moved behind you, almost hovering over you wrapping his arms around your waist. “Thank you for involving yourself, I would be so fucked if it weren’t for you. My parents would absolutely kill me.” 

You turned your head towards him smiling a little. 

He whispered into your ear, “You want to know what memory I wrote on the paper?”

“Sure.” 

“I put the day I kissed you.” 

“But we haven’t-” Xiaojun cut you off kissing you. 

When the kiss broke you held your breath a little nervous, unsure of what to say. 

Xiaojun took notice of your body language freaking out on the inside. “Sorry, I thought that you know that you liked me.”

“I do Xiaojun! I do! It’s just…you make me nervous like all the time but like a good kind. It’s not butterflies flying around, it’s just it can be overwhelming.” 

Xiaojun was silent, he was processing your assessment on the shared interest between you two. “Overwhelming? That is a strange way to put it.” 

“You made me feel nervous in a good way Xiaojun. I find it hard not to show how I feel when I’m near you. Like I have to recite the seven main supplies in potion making so I don’t break out in hives and my ears don’t get red. I grind my teeth so I don’t smile so much. It was so bad to the point Jaemin made me wear this stupid bracelet that was cursed that every time I thought about you it gets tighter on my wrist. See look right now I think it's cutting off my circulation.” You showed him your wrist.

His eyes started to bulge out of his head he grabbed your wrist and opened a drawer in the kitchen looking for a knife to cut off this stupid bracelet. He slipped the small bread knife cutting the twisted rope off of you.

“Don’t wear something like that again. That is very dangerous. Jaemin is a good friend but only a truly dark and twisted mind could come up with this.” He examined the remains of a friendship bracelet. 

“It seemed like the only way for me to get you out of my head.” 

“That’s another thing, you don’t need to do that anymore. Tomorrow afternoon I’m taking you to Hogsmead and we are going to spend the day together.”

“Tomorrow is Christmas Day, nothing will be open.”

“We can pack a lunch and we can spend the day in the snow,” Xioajun said his arms coming around your waist he said looking down at you, eyes flicking from your eye line and lips. 

“Xiaojun if you want to kiss me again all you have to do is ask.” 

“___ ____ can I kiss you again?” 

“Hmm.” You pretended to think. Xiaojun began to tickle your sides causing you to laugh. “Yes! I yield you can kiss me again.” 

This time the kiss wasn’t rushed he took his time with the kiss trying to taste your chapstick. Trying to hold you a little bit tighter. When he pulled away he licked his lips smirking down at you. 

“So you have been eating the brownie batter and you are using holiday chapstick.” 

“Yes. But which flavor is it?” You challenged. 

“Peppermint. Definitely.” He said vehemently. 

______________________________________________________________

Xiaojun hissed in pain inside sitting on the floor of the kitchen. He began scratching at his wrist. 

“Are you wearing one of those stupid bracelets?” You asked looking down at him. 

Xiaojun sighed, “Do you know how often I think about you?”

“No. And I don’t care to know Jun.” 

“Every day. Do you how hard it is not getting to be with you every day?”

You slammed your hand on the wall again. “Yeah, Xiaojun I do! You don’t have to be the victim all the time.” You yelled at him. 

“___ I wasn’t trying to be the victim.” 

“You refuse to acknowledge your part in our breakup.” 

“Because I don’t know what I did!” 

You opened the fridge in the kitchen and picked up brownies in the back. You were able to keep them there over the years by developing a relationship with the women that cooked food for the school here. 

You had made memory brownies with the memory of the day Xiaojun stopped trying and was clearly blowing you off.

“Eat it. Remember.” You told him coldly. 

Xiaojun took a bite of the brownie. 

______________________________________________________________

It started out like any other day at the beginning of the semester for you. You had your final classes that would lead to your job in the wizarding world. 

Xiaojun had gone away for the weekend, his parents requested to see him. You hadn’t seen it since Friday afternoon. 

You had made him some blueberry muffins. Nothing magical about them but he really liked them. 

When you walked into the great hall you saw him sitting at the table writing in his notebooks. 

You had noticed that his parents made him get a haircut and change his hair color back to his natural black look even forgiving him to wear his glasses. 

You sat across from him, he hadn’t noticed your presence. You lightly tapped his open notebook. He looked up at you you noticed he had strong bags under his eyes. 

“Sweetheart, what’s going on? It looks like you haven’t been sleeping and you are writing so hard into the book you are tearing through the pages.” 

“It was a long weekend ___. You know my parents.” 

You nodded. You had to meet Xiaojun’s parents on many occasions and it was clear as the day they were not fond of you. You could get over it though as long as Xiaojun cared for you that’s what mattered. 

“Well, I brought you your favorite muffins to take your mind off that.” You put the satchel in front of him. 

He didn’t crack a smile like he normally did. 

You felt a little uncomfortable but you decided to ignore it. “So what are you working on?” 

“Account information for my father’s business.” 

“I thought you had no interest in bookkeeping for the ministry.” 

“Yeah, sometimes my interest don’t aline with my parents.” He looked up from his book looking directly at you. Maybe that should have been your first clue. 

“___ you should probably go to class. Go.” 

“Ok. See you tonight?” 

“Yeah…maybe.” It was like your date wasn’t even on his mind.

It had been a week since that. Xiaojun had barely talked to you all week and when you came up to him he didn’t even look at you. 

You brushed this off, maybe this time seeing his parents in his final year they had been more brutal than they were in the past. 

______________________________________________________________

Now it was two months, every time you were near him he was cold. Every time you talked to him he gave short, one-word responses. He stopped coming to you with anything he was having trouble with. When you asked him about his interest he said he didn’t have time for that. He stopped saying I love you. 

It was like you weren’t even a couple anymore. You now spent your weekends finishing your homework given on Fridays. Then spend your time reading by the fire. You didn’t want to risk making Xiaojun mad. 

You were sitting in the common room flipping through a book not even reading the words on the pages.

Hendery sat down next to you pulling the book out of your hand. 

“You ok?” He asked. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why are you asking?” You asked. 

“This is like the 15th weekend in a row I have seen you either sitting on this couch reading or doing homework or in the kitchen baking. You haven’t been with Xiaojun recently even during the week, he never sits with us nor do you sneak off with him. Have you guys broken up?” 

“No!” You yelled. Hendery rubbed your arm to calm you down as people started to look at you. “I-I don’t know.” You felt your eyes start to fill with tears. 

“Ok. Let’s go in the kitchen I have something to tell you.”

You looked at him confused but at the same time, your stomach twisted. 

You followed after him, he locked the door. “Listen I had been worried about you and Xiaojun. He has been rather cold to everyone and towards you especially. I knew it would take weeks of poking and pissing him off to get the truth out of him.”

“Because you can’t keep your nose out of other people's business.”

“Pot calling the kettle black.” He retorted. “So I might have stolen your truth sprinkles and added them to this cake recipe. I put it on his plate and he ate it at dinner. And I asked and he said…”

“Hendery what did he say?” You asked chewing off your cuticles.  

“Xiaojun told me you are being clingy. That you are sophisticating him, that if he breathes you are right there. His changing makes you cling to him more. That you never leave him the fuck alone and you make it so easy to hate you.” Hendery couldn’t even look at you. It broke his heart that Xiaojun could say those things about you. 

You couldn’t breathe, you could now only hear a high-pitched ringing in your ears. Your entire life was falling apart. All the plans you Xiaojun made after graduation was nothing. A small place to live together going back and forth to work. Getting married later in life. Having future wizards and witches. 

“___ are you okay?” Hendery asked stupidly holding your arms. You collapsed into his chest crying. “Ok. Let’s go upstairs. We can talk in the morning.” 

Hendery walked you to your dorm placing you on the bed. “If you need anything just come and get me.” He told you. “If not see you in the morning.” 

______________________________________________________________

Except when Hendery went to go see you in the morning you had already left to go to the library. That is where Xiaojun went on Sunday mornings. 

He was in the back of the library where it was always quiet and you didn’t want to start a fight.

You sat across from him placing the necklace he got you for your birthday in front of him. 

He hadn’t looked from his books. Again not knowing you were there. 

“Xiaojun.” 

“___ how long have you been here?” He asked looking a little shocked. He pushed his glasses up his face. 

“Don’t worry I won’t be here long. I just wanted to give this back.” You pointed to the necklace. 

He picked it up knowing exactly what it was and he was confused. “I don’t understand.” 

“Xiaojun I don’t think we should be together anymore. It hasn’t been working for some time. We go our separate ways. We are graduating soon our adult lives are going to be starting. You are obviously going to work with your dad at the ministry and I have a job lined up as a healer not far from here.” You got up from the table walking away. 

“___ wait-”

“Xiaojun I don’t want to be a burden to you. If you want to continue our relationship I have one question if you answer it correctly then we can work it out. When was the last time you said you loved me and meant it?” You asked. 

He began to think and exhaled loudly because he couldn’t even remember the last time he said I love you to you. 

“That is what I thought. See you around.” 

______________________________________________________________

“I didn’t want to give up on us.” He told you. 

“Please. You stopped trying that is the definition of giving up. You didn’t just give up on us you gave up on yourself. You fell under your parent's pressure, you stopped pursuing your dreams. What happened to being a Dragonologist?” 

“Ok, so they gave me a reality check. The life we had discussed wasn’t ever going to work. We were living in a fantasy world.” 

“You being constantly cold and unloving was you giving me a reality check? News flash Xiaojun I have my life figured out with and without you in it. And if you came to me I could have helped you. But instead of talking to me or having the balls to just break it off with me you strung me along and hurt me over and over again. I saved myself from more pain.” You told him. 

“Because Hendery poisoned me with those damn truth sprinkles and told you what I said. I was stressed and being over dramatic.” 

“You still said it though. Apart of you believed it enough to say it.” 

“Fine, I meant it. Is that what you want to hear? I meant it. You can be clingy and there was never a day we weren’t together. And my parents pointed out we couldn’t keep going on like that.” 

You scoffed smirking, “Your parents? You let them get in your head about our relationship too?”

“They aren’t in my head.”

“They have always been in your head Xiaojun. And I tried. I really tried to help you, you don’t always need to follow and listen to every little word they tell you. You can’t be an independent person if you have someone telling you over and over what to do and not to do with your life.” 

“Not everyone's parents support every decision they make ___!” It was silent for a second after he said that. “Sorry.” 

“No, you are right about that.” It was quiet again. “You used to like us being together all the time. We would just sit together and read and hold hands.” 

“I changed. Clearly, you’ve changed too.”

“What does that mean?” 

“I know Hendery has been taking you to all his quidditch things and you are hanging out with Mark.”

“Hendery didn’t like that I was spending all my time outside of classes in the dormitories. He said it was depressing. He thought taking me in a happy atmosphere would be better. He was right.” 

“And Mark? You guys dating?” 

“What? No. That is none of your business. And if I was dating him you think our friends would have us locked up right now trying to get us back together.” 

Xiaojun sighed. “Fair point. So what they aren’t going to let us out unless we agree to date again?!” He yelled throughout the kitchen in hopes they would hear. 

“I don’t want to get back together with you. We can’t go back to what we were. You let this ‘reality check’ change the way you were thinking about your life and our relationship. I don’t want to be all in love one minute and you resent me the next for the rest of my life.” 

“I can’t let you go ___. I still love you.” 

“You are in love with the idea of me. What we were we can’t ever go back to that. You ruined that.” 

“I know.” 

You were both standing next to each other by the door hoping they were just on the outside just to let you out. 

“How much do you want to bet that Renjun spelled the door shut until we kissed or something?” Xiaojun laughed. 

“He would do that.” 

“I do want to kiss you one last time. I haven’t kissed you since New Year and I…I didn’t want to kiss you then but I knew I had to.” 

“Great.” You turned your head to the door. “Hendery I know you’re out there I can smell your brownies. How do we get out?” As if on cue a piece of parchment appears in front of you. “Kiss. Unbelievable. Can’t say you aren’t a genius. One kiss and we are out of here.” 

Xiaojun stepped a little closer to you, you had your eyes shut you didn’t even want to look at him. Xiaojun brushed your hair away from your face caressing it one last time with his thumb. 

“Kiss me already Jun I want out of here.” 

He kissed your lips gracefully, for the last time you were his but he wasn’t yours anymore. You didn’t touch him and didn’t put any effort into the kiss. 

The door mechanism unlocking sound made you step away from Xiaojun. You reached for the door. Xiaojun stopped you grabbing your hand gently. 

“I never wanted to hurt you. That’s what I was afraid of.” 

“I know Xiaojun. But you did, you aren’t blameless and neither am I.” You pulled away walking out of the kitchen you brushed passed your friends refusing to look at them. 

“So that didn’t work,” Renjun said. 

“Give me my damn wand back. You are all in trouble and getting high when you locked us in there.” 

Jaemin held his hands up in defense, “Hendery was the only one getting high. He does it when he is uncomfortable or anxious, or when he is bored. When aren’t you high?” 

“I felt guilty. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have done any of this.” Hendery whined. 

“Hendery what you did was inevitable. I lost her a long time ago. No, I don’t blame you. What you guys did come from a good place but we’ll never be the same. It is time we both move on.” Xiaojun left the kitchen outside of the Hufflepuff dormitories bumping into Mark. 

“Hey, Xiaojun!” He said excitedly. 

“Mark? You know this isn’t the Gryffindor dorms.

“Yeah, I do. ____ said she would help me with some of our lab homework and I made these lemon bars. I wanted to get her opinion on them.” Mark laughed a little nervous. 

“Cool. Just Mark…take care of her. Even if you are just friends.” He patted Marks's shoulder walking to his dorms again smiling to himself content with himself and his relationship with you.

____________________________________________________________________________

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✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ BLEEDING HEART❞ | Y.NK

PAIRINGS — demon!yuta x florist!reader

GENRE — enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love

WARNINGS — strong language

WC — 6.3k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

______________________________________________________________

“Have a wonderful day.” You cheered as the customer was leaving your family's flower shop. 

“Don’t you have class today?” Seulgi asked you. 

It was true you did have a class to teach at a small community center. A flower arrangement class, mainly younger girls and grandmas takes it. It was a little side business you did to help your family. 

You checked your watch. “Yeah I have to be there in an hour, I have to stop by the house to pick something up.” 

She sighed with a little smirk playing on her lips, “Give me the apron. Don’t worry I won’t tell dad about your scatterbrain. I’ll call Irene to help me.” 

You took off your apron grabbing your bag underneath the counter. 

The bus came around the corner stopping at your house. 

You just had to grab extra wax paper and a small book. You kept them on the counter of the kitchen facing towards the backyard in your mother's old garden, which you kept healthy and growing. 

You walked into the house noticing the door wasn’t locked. You turned the bottom lock when you came in, your father was sitting in his club chair watching his afternoon game show. 

“Dad, Seulgi, and I told you to keep the door locked when we are at the shop.” 

“If you were at the shop you wouldn’t know.” He scolded you. 

“I have a class I’m teaching with all the grandmas. You are more than welcome to join.” You poked him.  

“I much rather spend my afternoons glued to this chair.” He grumbled. 

You sighed. 

“Maybe if I had some grandchildren I wouldn’t be so miserable.” 

“Dad!” You shouted as your ears started to get hot from embarrassment. 

“You and your sister spend too much time in the shop and working. You never take time for yourself and make friends. Not one boy has taken my daughters on a date.” He complained 

You huffed and turned on your heels going to the kitchen picking up the items you needed. 

“Dad you made a rule we weren’t allowed to date while we were in school. You told us to focus on our studies.”

“And now the both of you are chained to the store.” He made a fuss. 

“Dad we aren’t chained to the store. We have plenty of customers. I went to school for this Dad..” You looked up from the counter and saw a man standing in the middle of the garden picking peonies. Your mom's plant. “You do not need to worry Dad I love my job. I have to go I’m taking the car to the class. I’ll be home soon.”

You told him to hold your things, grab the keys, and walk out the back door. 

You treaded your way to a stranger. “Hey what are you doing?!” You shouted. 

“Oh, you must be ___.” 

“You know me?” 

“Yes. Your mother loves these flowers. She used to sit out here while she was pregnant with you.” 

“Who are you? Huh? What’s your name?” You chided. 

“Yuta. I’m just taking a couple of flowers to your mother's grave. Our deal is set to expire soon anyway…it’s been a year right? Since she died.” 

“How do you know…that?” You asked choking up a little. 

“Why do you think your parent's florist shop does so well?” He walked over to you leaning into your ear, whispering. “Your mother made a deal with a demon so your family could live happily and comfortably. Until her death. I’m happy to make the deal again.” He smirked at you handing you a peony. 

“I would do no such thing. No one in my family.” You argued. Your wrist buzzed as an alarm went off signaling you that your class was starting soon. “I have to go. Don’t come here again.” You warned. 

______________________________________________________________

“Sorry, I’m late for class.” You smiled at the older ladies. “My father was holding me up.” 

“Why does your father pester you so much?” They giggled hoping you would gossip with them as you teach them how to rap a bouquet.

“He wants grandchildren desperately.” You entertained them. 

“You would want your father to make it to see his grandchildren right?” Someone said from the back of the classroom. 

You stood on your toes looking behind the ladies to see Yuta smirking with a white apron on. 

You decided not to entertain him, he wanted to get a rise out of you. 

“Ok, ladies we are going to be wrapping bouquets. We are wrapping in my favorite paper. Wax paper and baby pink Kraft paper with my mother’s favorite flowers. White Peonies and indigo foxglove.” You smiled. “Do you ladies remember how to tie the flowers together?” 

“Of course Dear. Do you think we just come here to gossip?” One of them asked. 

You chuckled in response giving the ladies the wax and craft paper and moving towards the back of the class. 

“Are you here to taunt me like a lovesick boy or are you going to take the class?” 

Yuta smiled at you grabbing the flowers and tying the stems together at the bottom. He held them up as they fell apart. 

“You have to tie them in the middle of the bouquet for wrapping in paper. Or if you are interested tight and close to the flowers when in a vase.” You told him. 

“Do you not understand? If you don’t renew this deal your family's shop will lose business and you won’t be able to support yourselves.” 

“What do you get out of this deal?”

“Your soul.” He said so nonchalantly. 

“Oh, so nothing big. You took my mother's soul?” 

“Yes. And if you are wondering it is a painless process you don’t even feel it happening in fact you stop feeling altogether.” 

“What?” 

“Oh, I know what your thinking? All those times you said I love you mom and she said me too or I love you if she meant it? She could have but in my experience, she probably didn’t.” 

“So my whole life she never felt love for me?” 

“I don’t know. She took that to her grave.” 

He wrapped the papers around the flowers. 

“I’m not making that deal.” You told him firmly. “Get out of my class.” 

“You’ll come around you’ll see.” 

______________________________________________________________

It was getting close to white day and no orders have come in. 

Was he right? You felt this pit in your stomach. 

“Hey ___?” Johnny said coming into the shop. 

“Johnny I don’t think I had an order of flowers. Did I?” You asked. 

“Yeah, I have 400 roses and 400 carnations in the truck.”

You looked at your paperwork. You could’ve sworn he was here on Friday with the delivery. “We got that shipment on Friday. You brought me coffee remember?” 

“Your sister was here yesterday and all the flowers were dead when she came in on Saturday morning. I thought she would have told you something.” 

“Maybe she did. I’ve just been frazzled.”

“What a lot of orders for white day?” He asked. 

You shook your head. “We have no orders. No one has called, emailed, or walked in. I don’t know what to do. Well, I know what I should do…but it just isn’t right.”

Johnny leaned on the counter looking at his friend. “Come on talk to me, what is swimming inside that head of yours?” 

“This is a hypothetical.” 

“Okay.” 

“Would you give up your soul for your loved ones? There’s a catch though you lose all your love, emotion, anything you felt for them gone.” 

“I don’t know. If there was no other option if my family or friends were in trouble then yes. I’m sure it would hurt losing all of that. But knowing they are happy, healthy, and safe would make me happy at that moment. It’s a risk but I think I would do it for them.” 

“I was afraid you would say that.” You felt your heart sink looking at the floor. 

The bell of the shop clinked and opened, “Thinking of me Darling?” 

Johnny leaned over the counter whispering horribly, “Who is this charmer?” 

“I’m a friend.” He smiled darkly at Johnny. 

“John, we can talk later your father wouldn’t like you dilly-dallying on the deliveries. Especially close to white day.” 

He looked between you and Yuta, “Ok see you around ___ if you need anything. You know who to call, and not ghostbusters.” He laughed walking out of the door.

“He is a strange fellow. With those good looks, he could sell his family's products with the snap of his fingers.” 

“Yuta I didn’t say I wanted to make that deal. I would give up my love for my family. Can’t you-”

He put his hand in your face cutting you off. “Wouldn’t know. Never had a family. I can’t sympathize with you.” 

“And that is a problem. You don’t know what I’m giving up.” 

He sighed annoyed, “Y’know most people just jump at the opportunity to just give away their soul for their loved ones. Why are you holding back? Even your mother knew the right thing to do.” 

“Because I don’t want to lose everything!” You shouted at him for his cold callus words.

“I purpose a pre-contract deal. Do you want me to feel like I’m losing something? You make me fall in love with you and you forget me.”

You huffed, “That is the plot of every day-time drama.” 

“I get bored and the cafe I go to plays all day.” 

“So you want me to date you, have you fall in love with me and have me forget you exist. Do you want me to break your heart? If your heart is broken you will leave my family alone and stop inflicting problems on my family.”

He nodded.

“Where do I sign?” 

“It isn’t something you sign.” He pulled out the paper from his jacket pocket. “We seal it with a kiss.” 

You didn’t shy away you pulled his collar kissing his lips wanting this to be over with. 

“You can pick me up tonight for a date. You already know where I live.”

______________________________________________________________

You were staring at your closet. You didn’t have a lot of nice clothes. Well, you dressed casual-nice. You didn’t keep a lot of date clothes, not many guys asked you out. 

Why are you even trying? You know why you are doing it but he made your blood boil. 

“Do you have a date?” Seulgi asked staring at you. 

“No! Why do you ask that?!” 

“Because you are staring at your clothes. Also, there is a guy downstairs sitting with dad laughing.” 

“He’s here already!” You grumbled.  

Seulgi pulled a dress from the closet. A white and purple floral puffed sleeved dress. “Mom said you always look good in white.” 

You listened to her going into your bathroom slipping the dress over your body. She left her white heels outside of the bathroom door. 

You descend the stairs of your house to see Yuta sitting in the den with your father. Somehow he had your father laughing. 

You came into the room behind your father's chair. You leaned down and kissed your father’s cheek. “Hi, dad. I see you met Yuta.” 

“___ where have you been hiding this nice young man?” He chuckled at you. 

You smirked at Yuta, wanting him to spontaneously combust. 

“Mr. ____ we do have to be going, I have a reservation at a friend's restaurant.” 

“Wait before you go how did you meet my daughter she never leaves her job.” Your father smirked. 

“I took her florist class. I was making gifts for my mother before she passed last fall.” He told him. 

“Dad we do have to be going. I’ll be home later. Be nice to Seulgi and don’t pick on her.”  You kissed the top of his head again. 

You waked towards the front door with Yuta already at the door opening it for you, closing it as well. 

“If you expect me to fall in love with you, I would drop the murderous look in your eyes.” 

“Kind of hard when you are a fake person.” 

He scoffed opening the passenger side door for you. “What about being nice to your father? How do you know I wasn’t being genuine?” 

“I can tell by the look in your eyes. So lifeless.” You gestured to his eyes. “Where are we going exactly?” 

“My friend Taeyong owns a gomtang place. Right on han river. You can see the Seoul skyline from there. Very beautiful at night.”

“Isn’t that the date Jungwon took Siwoo on that cheesy daytime soap opera, what is it called? Sunflowers under the moonlight?” 

“Its Marigolds Under the Stars.” He said through his teeth. “Don’t act like you don’t know what you are talking about. You know the main couple's name.” He continued to yammer on while driving to your next location. 

You giggled in response. True you knew the couple's name but that was only because of two reasons. The tv in the flower shop only got one channel. The other was your father had now grown accustomed to watching daytime dramas now in retirement. 

“Am I to expect that all the dates you take me on to be inspired after soap operas.” 

“What do you expect me to do?” He asked rhetorically.

You on the other hand were going to give him an answer. “Think of things that would actually let me get to know you. Things that you enjoy doing show me a part of you.”

“And what about you? Am I the one to plan all of our dates?”

“I can always plan them. Because so far you suck at them.” 

“This one means something to me. We are going to my friend's restaurant.”

“Yeah, friend more like a soulless victim of you.” You commented with a roll of your eyes. 

______________________________________________________________

You and Yuta walked into a candle-lit empty restaurant. At the bar, a handsome man was wiping down the counter. 

“Took you long enough to get here.” He said to Yuta. “Do you know how tiresome it is to direct Jisung and Jaemin to help me with this?” He waved the rag around the restaurant. 

“Relax Taeyong. I was making a good first impression.” Yuta pulled a chair out for you at the table closest to the window. 

“I’m Taeyong. I’m hoping he has told you about me.”

“That you are one of his soulless victims? Then yes.” 

He snickered, “No no. I’m not. Yuta and I are in the same line of business.”

“You?” 

“Shocking right? But owning a business is very helpful. Everyone falls for my trusting face.” He smiled. “What are you doing on a date with the bastard?” 

“Taeyong watches your mouth,” Yuta growled at him. 

“Just trying to break Yuta’s heart. The faster I do that he drops this whole stealing my soul thing.” You told Taeyong. 

“Hell of a way to end your career, Yuta.” He said. “Two bowls of gomtang coming up.” Taeyong walked into the back of the restaurant to the kitchen.

“End your career?” 

“Yeah. I’m retiring.”

“You look really young though?” You questioned. 

Yuta laughed a little. “I am young in demon years, yes. I’ve made myself happy for many years doing the whole…” Yuta stopped his train of thought looking at you as you sat across from him, elbows on the table your chin resting on your intertwined fingers. “Are you actually interested in what I’m saying?” 

“Of course I am. It's about you. I should get to know you.” You told him to reassure him. 

“Ok. As I was saying I spent a long time as a crossroad demon and I was happy. Now I’m looking for just a simple life. Right now I own a couple of buildings I have tenants.” He explained. 

“Excuse me Yuta?” A tall skinny boy was standing by the table with a pitcher of water. 

“Jisung, This is ___. ___ this is Jisung one of Taeyong’s apprentices.”

“It is very nice to meet you.” He bowed his head as his hands were full. “Would either of you like water?” 

“Yes please.” You smiled sweetly at the boy. He blushed in return as he poured the drinks for the table. 

“So he is Taeyong apprentice.”

“Yes. He has a few of them. He has a way with everyone.” He sipped his water. 

“Do you have apprentices?”

“Just one. Shotaro is very nice but he can be devilish sometimes. I’ll introduce you guys at some point he works at a building I currently own. No demonic implications at all. What about you why the love for flowers?” 

You smiled down at the floor thinking fondly of the memory of you and your mother. “My mother. She is the reason why I pursued becoming a florist. The shop was handed down to her by her parents. She said I was the greatest gift to the shop. That I helped the flowers blossom. As a little girl, I thought was true as I got older I thought it was to make me feel better. I guess she wasn’t lying.” 

Yuta felt a tinge in his chest. It made him uncomfortable hearing that story. He pulled on his collar to cool himself off.

“___ normally when souls are taken. It leaves the person feeling nothing to the point, that they become depressed. They more than often kill themselves leaving the demon to start a new contract. It’s a never-ending cycle. But your mother stayed alive she cared for you, your sister, and your father until her health prevented her.” 

“Yuta what are you trying to make me feel better?” You asked him. 

He cleared his throat, “Yeah I guess I am. Not everything in this line of business is black and white.”

“Of course, it’s not. Not everyone is the same. As a demon is it easier to see humans as numbers, statistics making it all black and white?” 

“Yes. I’m assuming that you involve yourself in your customers' lives?” 

You giggled in return, “I kind of have to. I have to know. If I don’t know what the flowers are for I can’t put together extravagant pieces.” 

“You are speaking like you are an artist?” 

“Yuta I am an artist. I make beautiful pieces of art for people and their loved ones.” You chuckled as Yuta smiled in return leaving you in a little bit of silence. 

“Your gomtang, madam, and misuse. Please enjoy.” Taeyong said leaving you two with your meals and a bottle of white wine.

______________________________________________________________

It had been a week since the date with Yuta. You hated to admit it but it was rather enjoyable. The gomtang was delicious and the wine paired well with it. Yuta was good company for good conversation. 

You were working by yourself today in the shop. Luckily some orders came in for White Day. You were working around the clock putting together bouquets for every order that came in. You heard the bell of the shop ring. Which was odd because you put up the lunch sign. You came from the back of the shop you pin your hair back to greet the walk-in customer. 

“Hello welcome to ___ Gardens” 

“___ it is Yuta.” 

“Hi, Yuta. What brings you here today?” 

“Well, you said you made masterpieces I was hoping I could watch for a little bit.” 

“Ok, I’m working in the back for the most part.” You told him to walk back to the shop where the flowers were kept in storage before being displayed. “I can’t work on the carnation orders though. For some reason Seulgi had Johnny put it up here. Probably to watch him do it.” You mumbled under your breath. 

“You cut your hair.” He stated not even paying attention to what you said. 

“Oh. Yeah, I did it a few days ago. I thought I would change it up for Spring. What do you not like about girls with short hair?” 

“On the contrary. A woman can choose however she styles for her hair, how many piercings she wants if she wants tattoos, and how she dresses.” 

“So if I wanted a face tattoo?” 

He opened the fridge to bring down the carnations for you, He was leaning over you. “Doesn’t bother me. As long as you are happy and I’m happy.” 

“Piercings everywhere?”

“Doesn’t bother me. Your body is your choice. Your soul your choice.” 

You hummed.

“There you go your carnations. Make your creations.” 

“Thank you. I have 30 orders for basic bouquets. Can you do me a favor? There is a created by the register of small glass vases, just grab it.” 

Yuta went to the front of the store, pulling a create of small cylindrical glass vases. He heard the front of the door opening with a chime.  

He looked up from the counter to see a group of high school girls staring at him. “Hi, how can I help you?” 

They looked him up and whispered to each other. 

“I’ll be right with you.” He told them to go to the back. 

“Hey what took you so long?” 

“Girls. They are in the store and they think I’m attractive.” 

“Ok. Did you ask what they wanted?”  

“Yes, and they just giggled. Why aren’t you jealous?” 

“Yuta you are an attractive man. You know it I know it. Of course, school girls would blush over that. Put this apron on and help them please.”

“What do I get out of it? I just wanted to watch you put bouquets together.” 

“I’ll cook you dinner tonight.” 

“Done.” He grabbed an apron by the swinging door going out the front of a shop. 

“So girls what would like today?” He said working his charm. 

“Our teacher just got engaged and we wanted to give her a hydrangea and rose arrangement.” One said. 

“In a square vase. So it can fit on her desk.”

“And wrapped in twine. With poms and belles of Ireland.”

“Hydrangeas and roses? Poms and belles of Ireland?” He scratched his head. He wrote down what the girls wanted and went to the back of the store. 

He peaked his head through the door. He saw you back as you were humming a song playing on the store's radio system. You were putting together the vases for white day. White carnations and red snapdragons. Wrapping a soft ivory ribbon on each vase. 

“___ what are poms, hydrangeas, and the belles of Irelands? Where are the roses? Where do you keep the square vases and twine?” 

“A lot of questions. Let me come out there and sort it all out.” You smirked brushing past him. “Hi, girls how may I help you today?” You said with a pleasant smile. 

“The guy was actually helping us.” One said softly hoping you would scoot away. 

“Yuta is just helping me out today. He is normally working on managing his buildings. He was just trying to be a nice boyfriend. I have been swamped with White Day orders. So you want a square vase with roses and hydrangeas? Surrounded by belles of Ireland and poms wrapped in twine?” You asked the girls. 

They nodded and smiled jealousy. You pulled up a square vase and got all the flowers and greens wrapping them in twine. You changed the way the flowers sat in the vase until they looked pretty enough for you. 

Yuta was staring at your hands as they were trying to find the perfect position of the flowers. He felt his body get a little warm as his eyes were boring into you. 

“Do you deliver?” One asked looking over your shoulder to look at Yuta. 

“Yes. I could deliver tomorrow morning. I assume you want them on her desk before class starts?” 

“Yes.” 

“That would mean you would have to get up at 5:00 and take your car here in morning traffic, open up, and drive all the way to their school,” Yuta explained. 

“Yuta I did the math in my head. I understand it. I’ve done morning deliveries before.” 

“Why don’t you hire a delivery boy?” 

“I would if we could afford it. We make enough to live comfortably.” 

“I know a guy.” He said getting on his phone and calling someone. “Hey, Mark! You still working at that…” he looked around the shop and turned his back and whispered into the phone, “cat cafe?” 

“Yeah bro, I work the evening and late night shifts. Why are you looking for me?” He laughed over the phone. 

“No. Looking to make extra cash?” 

“Always. What is the gig?” 

“Flower deliveries.” 

“Oh is this for the girl you like? Not that it matters I’ll do it.” Mark smiled. “Send me the address I want to meet her.” 

“Ok bud see you soon.” Yuta hung up the phone looking at you with your arms crossed. “What?” 

“Who is Mark?” You ask suspiciously. 

He raised his arms in defense, “He doesn’t work for my company I swear. He is just my best friend. A completely normal guy not like Taeyong. He coming here and just tell him what he needs to do.” 

“How I will pay him?’ 

“Don’t worry about it. I have it handled.”  

“What does-” He walked over to you and put his finger to your lips. 

“I have it handled. Mark owes me. I saved his life once.” 

You smacked his hand out of your face. “I’m suspicious. I don’t think he is all that innocent as you describe him.” You turned away from him to the high school girls. “I will have the flowers delivered by tomorrow morning at your school. Can you just fill out this delivery form and you girls can be on your way?” 

They smiled and filled out the form and left. 

______________________________________________________________

Pleasantly Mark surprised you. He was the opposite of Yuta. He is a cute happy college kid. He was saving up money for a music studio for himself.

“I called my friend Johnny he said he will be here at 6 in the morning. He has a key to the shop and he has a truck to deliver it. I’m leaving the arrangement in the dresses with the order slip. With the address and all the information you will need.” 

“___ he is a college student, not a baby. He can handle it.” 

“Yuta it’s her business she is just being cautious. I understand ___, I don’t live recklessly as Yuta does.” 

“I’m standing right here Mark. It seems that you have forgotten my job.” Yuta gave Mark a death glare. 

“Haven’t forgotten. I promise ___ you are leaving this job in good hands.” 

“Great are we all settled here? Come on ___ I have something for us to do today. See you around Mark.” Yuta was rushing you out of the shop. 

“Yuta I still have to work today.” 

“No, you don’t. Here Mark takes this apron and just sit here and look pretty.” 

“Yuta I don’t-” Mark started to explain. Yuta snapped his fingers. “How? Why do I know that white flowers are the best flowers to send to a funeral?”

“Because white flowers represent sympathy among other things.” You explained. “But Yuta why does he know that?” 

“Just a little demon magic. Don’t worry it will only last until tomorrow night. No worries for the afternoon or tomorrow morning. He also knows your store's routine.” Yuta again pushed you lightly out of the store. “Mark if you need something don’t call her to call me.” 

“Where are we going?” You asked him as he was pulling into a parking lot. 

“It's almost time Marigolds Under the Stars.” He said pointing to his watch. “I thought I would take you to my favorite place to watch it.” 

“What is your favorite place around here. There are a bunch of residential buildings and a couple of corner stores.  Is there a restaurant around here?” You asked. 

He got out of the car not saying a word. You got out of the car following him. 

He walked into a cafe. Not just any cafe, a cat cafe. 

“Hi Yuta, welcome back. I have the back room set up for you.” 

“Thanks, Chenle.” He said. Yuta guided you to the back room where a bunch of cats and their jungle gyms. You stood in the doorway as Yuta sat down at the table looking at the menu and turning on the tv. He put on the stupid the soap opera. 

He leaned back into the chair as an orange tabby came and sat on his lap purring into him. “Tigger you look like you put on some weight. I’m so happy to see that.” He cooed petting the cat's head. 

You sat there silently waiting for Yuta’s next move. 

Another fluffy grey cat sat down at the table, staring longingly at the tv.  

“Bunny can you believe Mrs. Seo doesn’t like Siwoo. Siwoo saved her from complete embarrassment when she was meeting all the other ladies from her book club.” 

You rolled your eyes. You knew that was going to happen. A little calico kitten sat on your lap purring loudly against your stomach. 

“That’s Munch.” 

“How do you know all the names of the cats in this room?” 

“It’s my business. Plus these are all the cats I’ve rescued from the streets. They needed a home.” 

“You rescue cats and give them a place to live now.” 

“Hey I might be a demon but I love animals.” 

“Hmm. So this a whole facade of not caring about anything?” 

“I never said I didn’t care about anything. I just don’t know what it is like to give that up. I don’t have a family.” 

“Is that why you watch cheesy daytime dramas to see what families are like?” You joked. 

“Haha. I can see my snarky-ness is rubbing off on you. I watch it because it is cheesy and fun. It is a guilty pleasure.” 

“A guilty pleasure that is predictable. I guarantee you that in the coming weeks, after meeting in secret behind his mother's back one of them will get in an accident. That will lead that person to have amnesia.” 

Yuta stared at you with a blank expression, “If any of that happens I’m going to be so mad and impressed you knew that.” 

“I’m going to have a Meow-cha latte and a cinnamon bun.” You told him. “Thank you, Yuta for making this date more personal. The next one I will plan for us.” 

“Yeah, I would like that. We could plan two dates every week one I do and another your plan.” He said holding your hand as he looked over the menu as if he didn’t know what he wanted.

______________________________________________________________

For the next two months, you and Yuta planned dates for each other. Bringing each other to places meant a lot to both of you, introducing each other to important people in your lives. 

How resistant you were to the idea of loving Yuta he was certainly a charmer. You spent any of your free time with him. He even took your class at the community center just to see you in the afternoons. 

You knew that your heart pounded extra hard when he was around. And that scared you. You might love him didn’t mean Yuta loved you. What if you failed? On the other hand, if you didn’t fail and he did love you, you would forget him. This is all that you could think about in your alone time away from Yuta. 

You had been cleaning up the shop just about to close up for the day. 

Yuta came in to come and take you for a small dinner. “Honey?” He called. 

“Hi, Yuta.” You smiled. You put the broom in the corner behind you walking over to him. “You are here a little earlier than expected.” 

“I wanted to give you a little gift.” He said smirking. You looked at his arms behind his back. You went to go for his arms and he backed away laughing.“You have to be patient ___. Close your eyes.” 

You put your hands out closing your eyes. Yuta placed a small box and a bouquet in your hands. He leaned into your ear whispering, “Open.” 

You felt your body shiver when he said that. Opening your eyes your saw the bouquet of your favorite flowers. Fuschia stargazes lilies mixed with white lily of the valley and with baby pink roses. 

“When did you put this together?” 

“Your sister helped me. Open the box now.” He said excitedly. 

You opened the box and saw a gold locket with a peony etched into it. When you opened the locket it was empty. 

“I thought we could put a picture of us when we go to the carnival this weekend.” 

“Yeah, that will look nice in here.” You smiled back. 

______________________________________________________________

You and Yuta were running around the carnival doing every ride you possible. He did all the games losing half of his money in the hopes of winning you a prize.

He ended up winning you a cheap bear wearing a t-shirt with a rainbow smiley face on it. He didn’t care that it was a small bear but he wanted it to be a little more memorable. Because he was going to tell you he loves you. Yuta was going to lose you after that but it will be worth it to fall in love. 

“I’m going to get us food you go sit down. I’ll be right there.” He told you as he went to get horrible unhealthy carnival food. 

Yuta was standing in line waiting for his turn when his little buddy appeared next to him. 

“Hey, Yuta how are you doing?” 

“I’m good.”

“Are you still working on the flower shop deal? Because that would be my first contract. She is pretty making my first kiss for a deal super cool.” 

“Sorry, Shotaro. That deal is going to fall through. She won. I love her. I’m telling her tonight. Can’t believe I’m retiring without her.” 

Shotaro felt bad and sad for his older counterpart. “Could we make a deal?” 

“Huh?” 

“If you were to hand over the mantle to me now, I could nullify your agreement with her.”

“I would become human now and nullify the agreement?” 

“Yeah, boss!” Shotaro cheered. 

“She..might not love me as I love her.”

“Go ask her and when she tells you the answer you can make your decision.” 

“Ok. Hold my place in line.” Yuta walked over to the tables and sat down across from you. 

“Hey, that was quick. Where’s the food?” 

“___ do you love me?” 

That question was out of the blue and shocked you. Was it not obvious, you thought you made it pretty obvious. “Come on Yuta do you not know?” You laughed, nervously. 

“I need to know. Do you love me or not.” He glared at you. It reminded you of when you first met him. 

“Yuta…yes I fell in love with you. And I know that wasn’t supposed to happen on my end it was just supposed to be you. What about you?” 

“I think I can love you.” He said. 

That broke your heart. He thinks he could love you, what has all of this been for then? Was he just playing with you like the soulless demon he was? 

Sitting there in disbelief when you felt another presence hovering over you “Great, now let's do these contracts. I have been holding onto this one since you told me you were retiring.” Shotaro said putting down two cups of spicy tteokbokki. 

“What is he doing here?” You said with a bit of bite in your voice. 

“I’m here to finally become a full demon of deals.” He did his puppy dog smile. 

“You are becoming human before our contract is up? What are you going to tell him to date me now too?” 

“What did you say to her?” Shotaro excused Yuta turning to him. 

“He said he thinks he could love me? What the fuck does that mean?” 

“Oh well, he can’t tell you without you forgetting. That is the thing about our contracts they are quite literal.”  

“So you love me too?”

“Yes, he does. Yuta signs the contract now.” 

Yuta pried his eyes away from you. He took the paper that was in Shotaro’s hands signing away his job. 

“Now for the next contract to nullify the contract with _____ Gardens. No soul extraction to keep the business going instead a demon’s power.”

“You are giving up your demon side for me?” 

“If you have to ask you don’t know how I really feel about you.” 

“Come on Yuta just a quick kiss and you can forget this demon nonsense.” Shotaro teased. 

“You guys have to kiss? All contracts are sealed with a kiss? Yuta did you kiss my mother when you made that deal?” 

“Yes. Yes, I did.” He said firmly. “It was quick and meant nothing to me. Can you turn around I don’t want you to see this?”

You nodded to him and turned around looking at the Ferris wheel. 

Shotaro tapped your shoulder to turn around. “Take care of him.” 

“I do love you ___. I’ve been wanting to tell you that since we went to the botanical gardens.” He held your hand across the table. 

“I love you too Yuta. Even if you have a crap taste in tv.” 

He dropped your hand, “That’s it end of the relationship. You know they both got into a car crash and Jungwon got amnesia.” 

“I told you predictable. But you don’t listen.” The two of you laughed as you stuffed your face with food.

____________________________________________________________________________

taglist;

@soobin-chois

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devilfoodcafe™

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#nct imagines #nct fluff #nct x reader #nct u x reader #nct u masterlist #nct u angst #nct u yuta #nct 127 x reader #nct 127 masterlist #nct 127 yuta #yuta nakamoto #yuta nct #yuta nakamoto x reader #yuta x reader #devilfoodcafelist

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ THEY CALL IT KITTEN LOVE❞ | K.JW

PAIRINGS — neighbor!Jungwoo x neighbor!reader

GENRE — fluff, strangers-to-lovers

WARNINGS — n/a

WC — 6.6k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

____________________________________________________________________________

“Ten I swear she is acting weird. This isn’t like all the other times.” You told your veterinarian friend. 

“You mean you being overdramatic.” 

“Ten something is wrong with Kale.” 

“Come here in a half an hour, it's my lunch break. I won’t charge you in case you are being overdramatic again.” 

You hummed in content hanging up on the phone. You were lucky it was a Saturday. You had to set a small trap for your feline friend. 

“Come on Kale we are going to see Uncle Ten.” You set up her carrier with little treats. Her being so hungry lately she quickly ran eating them up not even bothering to realize she was going into the carrier. 

“You got here quick. I always expect you here like 40 minutes late.” 

“She got right into the carrier. That right there should be a sign.” 

Ten rolled his eyes. He opened the door to her little carrier, “Come here, Kale.” Instead of running out to Ten’s voice, she curled up further into the carrier. “She has never done that before.” 

“I was afraid this would happen.” You pulled her treats out of your purse shaking the bag. She scampered out waiting to be fed. 

“What’s going on Kale?” Ten patted her head, in response, she hissed at him. Another thing she never did to him. 

“She has been acting bitchy for the past two weeks. And look at her, she gained weight. She is hungry every hour, she goes up to her food bowl and flips it until I feed her. She doesn’t even want to cuddle at night she goes in her cat hut and stays there all night and day.”

While saying all this Ten was holding a treat in his hand looking at Kale. “___ did you ever get Kale spayed?”

“..No. I know that makes me a bad cat owner. No vets were open when we were on lockdown. Then when things reopened work became super busy.” 

“It’s ok.” He laughed. “Her nipples are a little swollen. How long has she been having these symptoms?” 

“Past two weeks a little more.”  

“I’m going to draw blood. You can sit down and relax while waiting for the results.” 

You nodded your head nervously. You knew Ten always packed at least 2 desserts in his lunch bag. You saw it sitting on the counter and unzipped the bag. Sitting in a little Ziploc bag were two croissants. Filled with nervous energy you started eating it. 

“I rushed the test. We can do a sonogram to make sure…What the hell! That is my croissant.” 

“I’m nervous. I’m a nervous eater.” You told him. 

“You owe me a cafe lunch.” He scolded you pointing at you. “Can you hold her while I rub the stick over her belly?” He asked. 

“Don’t you have a nurse for this?”

“She is on her lunch break. She goes out for lunch I don’t know how she affords it is think she has a sugar daddy.” 

“Ten are you judging her lifestyle?”

He scoffed. “Me judge? Never. In fact, I’m a little jealous. She doesn’t have to room with Yangyang he can be an annoying little shit.” 

“Can we just stop gossiping and figure out what is wrong with my cat. Do you really think she is pregnant?”

“There is a possibility. I have Johnny’s nurse running the blood work, with the ultrasound I might be able to see something but the blood work is the most definitive answer.” He said while running the stick over her tummy. “Well, it looks like there is something there.” Ten said. 

“This can’t be possible.” You said. 

“Are you sure she hasn’t been around any male cats?” Ten asked. 

“No, she…SON OF A BITCH! That damn cat from next door. That new guy and his damn cat! He got my baby pregnant!” You shouted. 

Mark walked in with some paperwork as you started shouting. “I’ll come back.” 

“That is my paperwork on Kale.” Ten said before Mark could escape the room. Mark put the papers in Ten’s hand as he flipped through the results. “We are having babies.” He said in a cheery tone. 

“Can I sue someone for not neutering their cat?” 

“No. They can just sue you back for not spaying Kale.” Mark said going to pet her head and she clawed his hand. “Not nice when pregnant got it.” 

“Fine. Doesn’t stop me from yelling at them does it?’ 

“No, you have every right to do that. Wait until Johnny and I come over though.” Ten told you. “Because it is a guy.”

 “You only want to go over there because you want to see the drama,” Mark commented leaving.

“Maybe I do want to see the drama.” Ten said turning towards you. “But I still think you should wait, I hate to have to bail you out of jail.”

“I will be calm and rational.” You told him to get Kale back in her carrier, taking your paperwork for her, and leaving the clinic.

Just as everything was shutting down around you a new neighbor moved in. You said hello to him in the hall once and all he did was wave before retreating into his home. You didn’t even know he had a cat until a few months ago when you saw the cat sitting on the joining balcony. 

Your office hasn’t fully committed to going back full time so on the days you are home Kale likes to sunbathe on your balcony and every so often that cat came over to join her. You never had a problem with it, he was a polite cat and let you pet him and didn’t hurt Kale until now.

You let Kale back into the apartment she waddles towards her cat hut curling into it. You walked towards the apartment door of your neighbor knocking. 

You heard someone walking towards the door opening it. “Uh hi, you live next door?” 

“Yeah, I do. I’m ___. Do you have a cat?” You asked. 

“Hi, I’m Jungwoo nice to meet you too.” He said with a little sass. “I don’t exactly have a cat. It’s just Potato he is more of a stray, my friend doesn’t want me to keep him as a cat he said “you won’t get laid if you have a cat living with you”. But when it gets cold I let him stay here and I feed him.”

“So you don’t know if he is neutered?”

“No. But my guess is no because he is stray.”

“Well, I have on good authority that Potato impregnated my cat.” You told him handing him the paperwork. 

“Are you sure your cat isn’t a tramp?” 

“Excuse me?” 

“If she is pregnant- I’m going to stop because you look like you are going to slap me across the face. Can I ask why she isn’t spayed?” 

“I adopted her before quarantine and then everything shut down. Once things opened up again my company got a lot more accounts and I took on 1/3 of them.” 

“What do you do for a living?” 

“Advertising.”

“Are you looking for financial kitten support?” 

“What?” 

“It’s a question why are you telling me that my sort of cat got your cat pregnant.” 

You groaned and slammed your hand on the doorway frame. “I actually came here to yell at you because you can’t seem to keep an eye on your cat!” You shouted. 

“He isn’t my cat though. He is a stray I feed him sometimes and when it’s cold I let him in. So you can’t exactly be mad at me be mad at his previous owners if he had any or his own mother.” He corrected you. 

“You are infuriating. You are lucky I basically promised I wouldn’t make my friend post bail. And trust me the cat isn’t the repellent.” You said walking back into your apartment. 

“You have a nice day,” Jungwoo said waving goodbye to you. He was still holding the paperwork for your cat. “Kale? That is the worst side dish to name your cat after.” He said aloud before closing his door. 

____________________________________________________________________________

“You guys didn’t have to bring me dinner.” You told your friends. 

“I thought we were definitely going to have to bail you out of jail.” Ten said honestly.

“Where are Yangyang and Mark?” You asked. 

“They went out drinking.” Ten said. 

“I remember when we used to be young and carefree,” Johnny said. “Now look at us sitting inside on a Saturday night eating takeout and watching tv.” 

“Johnny we aren’t young anymore. We can’t just party whenever we want. We have to be functioning members of society who can wake up on a Monday morning without a hangover.” You explained to him. 

“He did try to party with them. He called in sick the next day. He begged me to bring him my hangover soup and he was whining like a baby.” Ten laughed.

Johnny slapped his arm and Ten winced. “Knock it off. Eat your food.” They took their plates to the coffee table sitting in front of the tv. 

“So what happens with the guy and his cat?” Ten asked. 

You huffed. 

“Something bad.” 

“The cat is a stray he feeds and only let sleeps him sleep during the winter. He claims he isn’t responsible for the cat's action. He can name it though after the lamest vegetable.” 

“What did he name the cat?” Johnny asked. 

“Potato. He called Kale a tramp if she is pregnant. And asked if I wanted financial support. I just wanted to yell at him for not to be lectured or be corrected.” 

“You said he lives next door?” Johnny asked. 

You nodded. He got up from the couch going for the door. 

“Not a chance in hell!” You got up from your seat blocking the door. 

“The balcony they are connected.” Ten told his friend.

Johnny made his way towards the balcony and began shouting. 

You went to rush others but Ten was on the defense. 

“Hey, you! Next door! Apartment 422!” He continuously shouted. 

“Johnny leave Jungwoo alone.” 

Johnny smiled at your slight slip up. 

“Ah yes! Jungwoo! Jungwoo of Apartment 422!” 

“Ten if you don’t move right now I swear to god I will break your nose. You’ve seen me do it and I can, will do it again.” 

Ten moved away holding his hands up as you stomped over to Johnny. 

“Your threats mean nothing to me. You couldn’t break my nose even if you tried. JUNGWOO!” this time he held his hands to his mouth. 

You have had enough and climbed onto your outdoor furniture getting onto his back, planning to choke him out. 

“JUNGWOO! Ten she is going to choke me, get her off me.”

“I’m no longer getting involved. I’m an innocent bystander.” 

“Jesus Christ my best friend is going to let me die.” He straggled out. “JUNGWOO!” 

“The fuck do you want man!” Someone said coming out onto the balcony. 

You loosened your grip on Johnny’s neck. 

Johnny rubbed his throat asking, “Are you Jungwoo?” 

“No, I’m Jaehyun. His friend. Why are you calling his name?” 

“He was kind of an ass to my friend. She just wanted to yell at someone. Now she is going to have a litter of kittens in mere months.” Johnny explained. 

“Jungwoo get your ass out here!” The man yelled. 

“So he must be the friend that hates cats.” You whispered. 

“He does come off as a dog guy and not in a good way,” Johnny muttered back. 

“What are you two muttering about?” Ten asked. 

“Forever the gossip sticking his unwanted nose in business that doesn’t concern you,” Johnny said not even looking in Ten’s direction. 

“Johnny she could’ve killed me. Forgive me.”

 “You guys are weird,” Jaehyun said. 

“You haven’t even met our younger friends,” Johnny said laughing. “What do you do for a living?” Johnny asked. 

“I’m a banker. You?” 

“Veterinarian. Same with Ten over there. My former best friend.” 

“Johnny I said I was sorry. We both knew her in college. Remember when that guy said something to me I can’t even remember. But she tripped him right in the library and dropped our zoology textbooks on his stomach. Both of them. 25,638 pages of pain.” 

“Or that time ___ punched and slammed this guy's head into a bar. How are you not in jail right now because of that.” 

“He sexually harassed me. I was defending myself.” 

“Jungwoo moved faster with getting dressed it is getting weird out here. And now that stray has arrived.” Jaehyun curled away from the cat on the balcony. 

You picked up the stray. “Don’t be mean to the father of my grand-babies.” You cooed at the cat. “Are you hungry kitty? Go inside and visit Kale.” 

“What are you doing with my cat?” 

“I thought he wasn’t your cat.” 

Jaehyun sighed. “I thought I told you cats are a no-go.” 

“You weren’t here. He was at the sliding doors just staring at me.”

“There is a simple solution closing your curtains.” 

“You actually listen to this guy? It’s ok Potato you are staying in a safe home now.” 

“He is still my cat.” 

“Show me the adoption papers.” 

“You don’t have any either.”

“But she can get them in a pinch by Monday, our clinic works for the humane society.” Ten pointed out. 

“Fine keep Potato have a happy little cat family.”

“Fine.” You argued back going back inside your apartment. 

“This has been fun and all but my steamed dumplings are losing that heat.” Ten said slipping back into the apartment. 

“And you? What do you want?” Jungwoo asked Johnny. 

“I got what I want. Nice to meet you both.” Johnny came back inside closing and locking the sliding doors. “So Potato here to stay?” 

“If he really doesn’t want him, then yes. Jungwoo wants the cat. I’m just antagonizing him. He will be at my door soon enough asking for the cat back.” 

“How do you know that?” 

“The way he holds himself. He’ll crack under the pressure of living alone. Can you guys just get me the adoption papers for him to fill out when he does crack? Who wants to take him on as a client?” You asked them. 

Potato had already taken a liking to Johnny sitting on his lap. “This little guy likes me the most.” Johnny started kissing the cat's head. “Don’t worry just come in Monday afternoon with this little guy we’ll do a full check-up.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Jaemin you have to slow down on the coffees. How are you not dead?” You asked your assistant. 

“This is the only way I can function and get all this paperwork done. How do you do this stuff with just water?” He said picking up your travel bottle. 

“I live a well-balanced life, I sleep 8 hours, eat 2-3 meals a day, and I don’t party on the weekends no stop with my friends.” 

“How do know about that?” He asked. 

“Ten sent a picture of Mark and Yangyang passed out on his kitchen floor Sunday morning. Hate to see how you got home.”

He laughed. “I’m fine it's Jeno you should be concerned about. I hate to be Doyoung right now I assure you he is fumbling through his product presentation.” 

“We’re having lunch with them today so we will find out.” You told him. “Which now reminds me can I see your presentation for the new packaging for the instant tteokbokki?” 

Jaemin opened his file drawer pulling his folder on the account. You read through his presentation and his storyboard for the commercial. 

“Aw, I really like this with the little child making it for themselves and then they grow up to make it for their kids. I like this I’ll talk to Taeyong about this tomorrow, I think he is in meetings all day today.”

Your phone started to ring on your desk. “Lee Advertising firm ___ ____ of account management, how may I help you?”

“I want my cat back.” 

“Oh, Jungwoo how pleasant of you to call. Do you want your cat back? Say are you busy after work today?” 

“Excuse me are you asking me out right now when I’m fuming.” 

“No. You can meet me at 4:30 at Johnny and Ten’s clinic we can have this whole matter resolved. Just give me your phone number I’ll send you the address.”

“May I ask how we will resolve this issue?”

“Jungwoo you will just have to wait and see.” You told him a smirking adorning your lips. He gave you his number writing it down you texted him the address to your friend's clinic.

“Who is Jungwoo? I know almost everyone in your life I have a list of contacts at the beginning of your date planner no Jungwoo is listed.” Jaemin asked. 

“He is my neighbor. His cat got Kale pregnant. So you are trying to settle the dispute between us.”

“Don’t tell Jeno you are having kittens.” 

“What? Why? If I remember correctly he is quite fond of cats. Doesn’t he have three at his parent's house?” 

“Yes. But he is allergic if he finds out you are having kittens he will most certainly want 2 of them.” 

“You don’t think they’ll make good companions for you guys?” You asked. 

“I’ve known him since we were in high school I’m his best companion in our shared home. If he misses his cats he can take a train ride to visit them.” 

“You can be so cruel.” You stated. 

____________________________________________________________________________

It proved to be a more difficult task to get Potato not only into the carrier but away from Kale. He must’ve sensed she was having kittens, not wanting to leave her side or let anyone near her. 

You always had two carriers on hand so once you tricked Kale into one shutting it before Potato could sneak his way in there with her. You scooped him up into the other, letting Kale go free for the afternoon as you were meeting Jungwoo. 

“What took you so long?” Jungwoo asked angrily. 

“I’m sorry I'm late. Tatter here was having a hard time leaving his wife’s side.” 

Jungwoo wanted nothing more than to just take the carrier and pull Potato out just to cuddle him. 

Johnny walked in with a smile on his face with some papers and a thin folder. 

“Hi, guys! Ok ___ did you tell him?” 

“Tell me what? What did you do to my cat?!”

“Nothing dude.” 

“Jungwoo, I was never going to adopt Potato. I said that to get under your skin. Johnny here will take Potato I’m assuming run a blood test to see what is going on with the little guy. Making sure he isn’t chipped in case he belongs to someone else. Setup vaccines for him and after the kittens are born neutering appointment. While he is doing all that you can fill out this paperwork so you can own him.” 

Jungwoo looked perplexed. 

“___ I think you broke him.” 

“Not broken. Just surprised that an advertising agent bested me.” 

“My goal was never to best you. It was to piss you off because you pissed me. And I’m not an advertising agent. Johnny, I think it's time you do your job.”  

Johnny nodded his head taking the carrier with him as you and Jungwoo sat in the waiting room. 

“What exactly do you do at the advertising firm?” 

“I manage accounts and set up their branding for their products and business. Right now I’m managing about 18 new accounts and 15 old ones with new branding coming out. It can be quite stressful but I also have an assistant. Also, my office hasn’t fully gone back we were about half the week at home and the other half in the office.” You explained. 

“Is that what prompted you to get a cat?” He asked. 

You chuckled a little bit responding, “I adopted her before the pandemic. I already got all her vaccines and I was going to set up her spaying appointment but we were locked down. Once things started to open up again I was getting all these new accounts and I was stressed out. It was before they hired new personnel and gave our assistants. And then she was pregnant.” 

“Jeez. Sorry that I added to your stress.” 

You inhaled sharply. “It wasn’t really your fault I kind of felt bad when I came over a little fumed. It would be different if you did own Potato. I was an irresponsible pet owner and I should have known he was a stray and asked if you were the owner when he first came over.” 

“Don’t beat yourself up. We can sell the kittens to make a couple hundred.”

“You are smart. What do you for a living?” You asked. 

“I’m a Mechanical Engineer.” He said. 

Your jaw dropped. 

“Does that shock you?” 

“A little would have never guessed that coming from someone like you.” 

“What does that mean?”

“Not saying that you aren’t smart.. it's just mechanical engineers don’t usually look like that.” You gestured to him. 

“I still don’t understand.” 

Mark peaked his head into the waiting room. “Johnny said he wants to speak to Jungwoo.” 

“I want to know what you meant by that when I get back.” He said getting up and going into Johnny’s office. 

“And how was your weekend Mark?” You asked. 

“I’m never going to recover. Haechan and Yangyang are going to be the reason why I’m going to need a liver transplant.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Johnny, Ten, Doyoung, and I partied pretty hard in our hay day. You just need to learn to pace yourself and don’t let Haechan and Yangyang trick you. Ten and Johnny used to do that Doyoung all the time.” 

“I just feel like I have to keep up with them.” 

“Don’t it’s stupid to be just as drunk as your friends. Especially you Mark you are the most responsible you need to keep your head on swivel.”

Mark sighed. “You're right. Listen I told Jeno about the kittens, you can’t tell Jaemin I was the one who told him.” 

“Mark!” 

Mark covered his ears, “Can you go down a pitch? Still hungover.” 

“What is going on in here? Why did she yell at you?” Johnny asked. 

“He told Jeno about the kittens.” You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Jaemin is going to give me evil eyes at the office and going to be moppy.” 

“I was drunk I should get a pass. We were gossiping. Your life right now is a lot more interesting than Johnny’s revolving door.” 

Johnny's mouth fell open. “You guys have nothing going on in your own life that you taught about ours? And I’ll have you know that my door hasn’t been revolving for awhile.” 

“That is why it is boring. If we don’t talk Johnny we talk about how Yangyang purées fruits into different sauces and pours them on Ten’s food.” 

“He does what to my food!?” Ten yelled from the doorway. 

“Please don’t say anything to them I will be punished,” Mark said in a panic taping his head with his clipboard. 

“You guys have problems with your dongsaengs.” Jungwoo laughed. He looked at his watch. “Listen I have to be going it’s late I was going to go to a pet store but I can do that this weekend. ___ you want to come with me?” 

“Yeah sure. Let’s go. Mark your days are numbered. Remember who you live with.” You said pointing between Johnny and him.

____________________________________________________________________________

“You need things for Potato? I have some stuff at my apartment.” You asked before entering your apartment. 

“Like?” Jungwoo asked still out in the hallway. 

“I have food. I had given it to him before he liked it. I have a few scratching posts that haven’t been used. Have extra cat bowls. You can come in I’ll get them for you.” 

“Do you always let men in your apartment late at night? Might want to be careful the grandmas might start gossiping about you too.”

You scoffed, “I don’t care what those grandmas think. Do you want to have ramyeon?” 

“You are funny. But what do you have in your fridge I haven’t been to the grocery store in ages.” 

“I’m making grilled mackerel for dinner. You are more than welcome to join.” You suggested. 

Jungwoo followed behind you closing the door. He rested the carrier on the ground letting Potato out. Potato scurried over to Kale’s little hut laying by her. 

“They are cute together,” Jungwoo said sitting on your couch. 

“You want something to drink?” You asked opening the fridge and taking out the ingredients for dinner. 

“What do you have?”

“I have soda and lemonade.” 

“Soda is fine then.” 

You pulled a fan out of the fridge pouring it over a glass of ice. You gave him his drink going back into the kitchen to make the marinade for the fish. You had already brought the fish butterfly style. You set up your grilled spraying it down. You drenched the mackerel in the marinade.

The fish was easy enough to grill in under 30 minutes. You set up the plates putting the sides in their own bowls. 

Jungwoo came over and picked them up bringing them to the table as you put the two fish on the main plates. 

“Thanks for the free meal.” He chuckled. 

“It was nothing. I like cooking.”

“Yeah, I could tell you were very immersed in the kitchen.” 

You smiled. “I wanted to be a chef but I went for a safe choice instead. Rather be financially secure than living on the rocks.” You explained. 

“I get that. What did you mean earlier? That comment about me being a mechanical engineer.” 

“Oh that. What I meant was that you are good-looking. When you think of a mechanical engineer you don’t think of a handsome guy. They should use you on their brochures.” 

“Then there would be a large problem, a lot of attractive mechanical engineers instead of just me.” He joked he said picking up a green pea pod. “I specialize in biotechnology. Using basic biology to solve and make useful products.” 

“Wow. I could never do that!” You exclaimed. You sipped your lemonade remembering facts Ten listed off about first-time kitten owners. “On average a first litter has 4-6 kittens. I have a feeling Jeno will be hanging around so he can scoop at least one up. We have to wait 16 weeks before we can adopt them out.”

 “Who is Jeno?” 

“Jeno, he is Doyoung’s assistant. Doyoung works with me in advertising. We went to college together. He lives with Johnny and Mark. Jeno lives with my assistant Jaemin and he is allergic to cats.” 

“He is allergic to cats? And he wants cats?” 

“I can’t explain it either, but he has a kind soul.” You laughed and double over falling onto the carpet.

It was late at night, you had made a bag of things for Potato. 

“We should be going. Come here Potato.” Jungwoo patted his knees for the cat to come. 

Potato refused to move from his spot. When Jungwoo went over to pick him up Potato hissed at him. He jumped away frightened. 

“I guess Potato is staying the night.” He muttered. 

“Jungwoo as long as Kale is pregnant I doubt he will leave her side until the kittens are born. Just text me when you get off work and you can visit him.”

“Well, I’ve been working nights at the lab. So the time I’m getting off you will just be waking up or going to work.” 

“Huh, your life keeps getting more and more interesting. You know I can talk to the landlord and you can have a key you can come over when I’m at work to visit if you want. Plus when Kale gets close to giving birth I’m not going to be able to be here all the time.”

“Really? Giving a guy you barely know a key to your apartment?” 

“You’re a mechanical engineer, I’ve gotten to know you, and you are also having the kittens. You aren’t a bad guy you can be an ass.” 

“Deal. Just when you are out during the day I will be sleeping in your bed.” He said on his way out of the door. 

“No way!” You got out, he ignored you chuckling as the door shut behind him. 

____________________________________________________________________________

“So you just come here and watch them?” Jaehyun asked Jungwoo. 

“No, I come here to nap lightly and listen for any noise that might come from Kale,” Jungwoo explained rolling over on the couch away from Jaehyun.

“It’s a Saturday where is ___?” Jaehyun asked opening up your fridge and looking for beer. “She doesn’t have a beer? What am I supposed to drink?”

Jungwoo mumbled, “She has lemonade and soda, and she has wine in the cupboard above the microwave. Wouldn’t drink it though because she drinks it when she is mad or when just Ten comes over.” 

 “Sungchan is coming over, I’ll text him to pick up so cans of beer. You want a soda?” 

“Can you get me the energy drink in the pull-out drawer?” 

Jaehyun came over with an energy drink and soda in another hand. He put the cans on the table he swatted Jungwoo’s legs for him to sit up. 

Jungwoo sat up got coasters from the corner of the table and put them underneath the cans. 

“Dude you are whipped.” Jaehyun laughed taking a sip from his can. 

Jungwoo took a swig of his energy drink. “What? I’m just being courteous. It’s not my house.”

“You are here so often might as well be,” Jaehyun commented. Jaehyun flipped the tv onto the basketball game. 

“I come here to visit my cat. And to watch Kale just in case she gives birth. She is getting close to having the kittens.” 

Jaehyun rolled his eyes scrolling threw his phone during the pre-game. Unbeknownst to Jaehyun Potato and Kale were coming out of the cat hut. Potato came up on Jungwoo’s lap. Kale decided to sit right on Jaehyun’s chest. She kneaded his chest before finally curling up next to him. 

“Jungwoo what is she doing?” 

“She is relaxing. Don’t move her, she could pop at any moment.” 

“Don’t let her give birth on me.” 

Jungwoo smirked. “She is sleeping. She just needed to sit in her spot on the couch. She likes to cuddle, don’t let ___ see it. Kale hasn’t cuddled next to her in months and she got so sad when she laid on my chest.” 

“Do you like ___-” Jaehyun questioned Jungwoo before the door opened.

“I don’t know Jeno, Ten said he would order me ribeye at this restaurant. Text Jaemin to get you food. Doyoung why didn’t you tell me Jeno was coming here too?” Johnny said putting food out on the counter. “Woah what are you doing here Jungwoo and Jaehyun right?” 

“I was coming to see Tatter. I forgot I was having Jaehyun and Sungchan over to watch the game and he just followed me into here.” 

“Cool. That is why we are here. Who wants a beer?” 

“I do.” Jaehyun raised his hand, Johnny tossed him the can. 

“Why are you watching the game here?” Jungwoo asked. 

“___ has the best tv out of all of us,” Mark said taking food out of the bag.

“Not true. Yuta and Shotaro have a better tv.” Jeno said. 

“That is only because they have better jobs than us. Yuta and Taro are both lawyers.”

“Don’t you and ___ have the same job, Doyoung? Why don’t you have a tv that is just as good as hers?” Jungwoo asked. 

“___ isn’t attached to roommates. We are responsible for all appliances. We split everything three ways.” Doyoung said pointing to Mark and Johnny. 

“Yuta and Sho are on their way up with the wine,” Johnny said sitting on the floor. 

“Yeah so is Sungchan.” Jaehyun said. 

“Jungwoo can you please scoot over?” Jeno asked. 

Jungwoo laughed and nodded his head letting him sit between him and Jaehyun. 

“Jeno did you take your allergy pill?” Doyoung asked. 

“I never come over here without taking it. Even if Jaemin tries to hide it.” He grumbled. Potato got off of Jungwoo and sat on Jeno. 

“Jungwoo how many kittens is Kale having?” Jeno asked. 

He thought for a minute about her last appointment he went to with you (afterward you guys went to a cat-friendly cafe and got a private room for Kale and Potato to play in.) He smiled fondly at the memory. “She is having 5 kittens.” 

“___ is keeping one, I’m having one. Yangyang said he wanted one. You want one too?” 

“Definitely. Can I come here after they are born?” 

“You have to ask ___.” 

“I want one,” Jaehyun said petting the top of Kale’s head. 

“You want a cat now?” Jungwoo asked. 

“Yeah, why not? They are soft, sweet, and what she did earlier with her paws. I want one. I promise to take good care of it.” He whined. 

“I’ll talk to ___ about it.” Jungwoo laughed. 

The door to your apartment, Yuta and Shotaro walked in. Sungchan followed behind them. 

“Jungwoo why is there an old couple living in your apartment?” He asked entering the apartment. 

Everyone in the room looked at Jungwoo in shock. “I guess the cat is out of the bag.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Yang why did you want to come out with us? I owe Jaemin and Ten.” You asked. 

“I wanted to go shopping. I saved enough for some stuff I want.” 

“I guess we can go shopping. There is a cute pet store I wanted to get potato and the kittens some things.” 

“It feels like he is honing in on our free day so we don’t pay for anything.” Ten said. 

“I don’t mind, now I’m not the youngest anymore. ___ won’t fond over me anymore.” Jaemin smiled. “___ can you buy us a coffee?” He whined. 

“Of course Minnie.” You said pinching his cheek.  

After a few hours of shopping, you went to the restaurant. 

“So how is your relationship with Jungwoo going?” Ten asked. 

Yangyang started to choke on his bread. “You and Jungwoo are dating?” 

“Yang you can be so dense, we were at her house when he was moving boxes in.” Ten said. 

“I thought that was stuff for the cats. I watched him set up a new scratching and sunbathing post for them.” 

“I guess that can be confusing.” You said. 

“Did you know?” Yangyang asked Jaemin asked across the table. 

“I’m ___’s assistant. I plan her work and personal life. I set up a date in this restaurant. By the way, how did the tiramisu taste?” 

“It was really good. Jungwoo ate most of it. I’m ordering one tonight for him. He really liked it.” 

“I just got to get the ribeye for Johnny. He has been wanting to come here for months.” Ten said. 

“I bought Jeno new running shoes so I don’t have to worry about getting him food,” Jaemin said looking at his menu. “I’m getting a T-Bone. What are you guys getting?” 

“I’m getting the surf and turf,” Yangyang said. 

“Filet.” You and Ten said at the same time. You giggled with him. 

Your group was enjoying your meal when Ten and Jaemin’s phones went off. 

They both checked their phones. “Oh, crap we have to go home,” Jaemin said. 

“What why?” You asked. 

“Because everyone there knows you and Jungwoo are dating.” Ten said. 

“Everyone? I thought Johnny, Mark, Jeno, and Doyoung were coming over. I told Jungwoo to go out tonight with Jaehyun.” 

“No all of our friends and Jungwoo’s friends are there and Johnny is yelling at me with audio voice messages.” 

“Good thing I have Jungwoo’s tiramisu. You will have to be yelled at again because you didn’t put your order in when our waiter came over.” 

He sighed and rolled his eyes, “Come on let's go.” Ten said. “I’ll get the car, ___ you pay.”  

____________________________________________________________________________

“What is going on?” You asked opening the door of your apartment. “Jaehyun why are you holding Kale?” 

“They were all rushing over to the couch asking him questions. She is a mother to be ___ I was just protecting her.” 

“Don’t worry I have Potato,” Jeno said holding Potato towards Jaemin. 

“You aren’t bringing a kitten into our apartment.” Jaemin huffed.

“___, It happened by accident. I knocked on his old door and an old couple answered. I made the mistake of asking him in front of them.” Sungchan pleaded. 

“It's ok Sungchan.” 

“___ why didn’t you tell us?” Mark asked. 

“Because you gossip about everything. Everyone here has big mouths.” 

“Just your dongsaengs” Jungwoo murmured. 

“How did this even happen?” Doyoung questioned. 

“Well, I was always coming over in the morning after working at night. ___ would always be up cooking, what she does best. It got to the point I didn’t even bother to go home first because I had a crush on her.” 

“Jungwoo is a sweetheart underneath all the smart-ass remarks and sarcasm. And when he came on days when I worked from home we just clicked we moved in sync when he was awake. After one of Kale’s doctors appointments we just decided that we work well together.”

“We decided to move in together for the cats.” 

“So you guys have been together since?” 

“We have been dating since the second month of Kale’s pregnancy.” Jungwoo stated. 

“I got you guys together,” Johnny smirked. “I did this.” He put his fist in front of Jungwoo. 

“Should I?” He asked you. 

“Give him the fist bump. If it wasn’t for him shouting I don’t think I would speak to you again. Honestly, I could have made your life miserable.” You told him. 

He returned the fist bump. “And if you did that I could have become an evil scientist.” He got up and walked over to you and kissed your cheek. “How was dinner before it was rudely interrupted?” 

“It was good I had the filet this time. I got you tiramisu.” 

“Oh yay.” He took the bag over to the counter opening it. 

“Did you get me the ribeye?” Johnny asked. 

“You interrupted dinner with your voice messages. You made it sound urgent and that you needed us here.” 

“We aren’t best friends anymore.” 

“I got us a reservation for next Saturday.” Ten said told him. Johnny came over and hugged him.  

“What about me?” 

“I got you new running shoes,” Jaemin said holding up a box. Jeno opened them and smiled. 

“Guys! The Cat is having the kittens.” Jaehyun said. 

“What?!” 

____________________________________________________________________________

After a few hours of Johnny and Ten delivering the kittens. They let you and Jungwoo come in and see the little kittens. You guys began naming them. 

You both came out of the bathroom inviting your friends in to meet them. “This one is Kimchi.” You said referring to the one on the left side of the box. 

“The fully orange one is named noodle. And the one with the spots on its eyes is Radish because he is rad.” 

“These two are Tofu and Tuna.” You went on. 

“So you guys stuck with the side dish names.” Yangyang mocked. 

“Keeping joking and you won’t be able to adopt them.” You chided. 

“So cute.” He changed his attitude. “You guys and the kittens.” 

Jungwoo leaned down and kissed your cheek. “I think we should pack it in for the night. If we need anything we call.” Jungwoo said as he rushed your friends out of the bathroom. 

As soon as they were out of your home. As soon as the door shut Jungwoo came back into the bathroom as you watched the cats together. 

He wrapped his arms around your waist. “Sorry everyone found out this way.” 

“I mean I knew they were going to react like crazy people regardless. I think Doyoung still hasn’t digested it.” 

“You want to watch the Aristocats?” He asked. 

You nodded against his back. He picked you up and brought you into the den as you cuddle with each other. 

“Jaehyun wants to adopt one of the kittens and Kale cuddled with him. She did the kneading thing too.” He told you offhandedly. 

“Maybe Kale is a tramp.” 

“___,” Jungwoo warned. 

“If Jaehyun proves that he can handle a kitten and a cat. He can adopt one of them.”  

“And you say you are heartless.” He teased as he started kissing your face all over. It was a quiet peaceful night for your happy little weird

____________________________________________________________________________

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#nct fluff #nct imagines #nct u #nct 127 #nct masterlist #nct u masterlist #nct 127 masterlist #nct 127 x reader #nct u x reader #nct 127 jungwoo #nct 127 jungwoo Kim #jungwoo kim #Kim jungwoo #nct jungwoo #nct u jungwoo #nct x reader #devilfoodcafelist

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✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ POMEGRANATE AND KISSES❞ | J.PK

PAIRINGS — hades!jisung x persephone!reader

GENRE — fluff, strangers-to-lovers, forbidden love

WARNINGS — vulgar language

WC — 4.1k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

______________________________________________________________

Jisung found himself bored. All the death around him. He played with a small blue flame. There was barking next to him.

“What is now Cerberus?”

The three-headed dog came over whimpering placing his heads on his master's lap.

“You’re lonely too? You have me.” He smiled down at his pet rubbing their heads.

Jisung slumped down on his throne. It was so quiet in the underworld so bleak. He got up from his throne looking out the window where the river of souls were crying and moaning. Sometimes he just wanted them to shut up. Jisung bit his lip and turned his head to his pet.

He slipped on his rings that made him invisible to mortals. He was doing something he was never supposed to do. Visit the mortal world.

He mainly went to one village walking around the trade market. Jisung wasn’t proud of this but he listen to all the gossip the women and men were saying. It was like a little play for him.

“Is ___ not here today?” Sungchan asked a woman at a stand.

She chuckled a little bit, “Ha, no she is out in the field today. She loves harvesting vegetables but does not like selling them. I’ll make sure she is here tomorrow son.”

Sungchan nodded and left with his mother. His mother grabbed his shirt yanking him down to her ear. Jisung followed behind them.

“Sungchan I don’t want you hanging around her. She is not the woman for you. She is too ditzy for my son.” His mother pinched his cheeks as they walked towards other merchants.

Jisung huffed and rolled his eyes. He had seen you a few times here at the market with your mother. You were sweetie to the grandparents and the children. But you particularly got bored sitting in the sun all day. He never really left the market but he was curious about you. He thought you were pretty and kind.

Jisung found himself sitting on one of the pomegranate trees at the edge of your family's farm. You were in the meadow making a flower crown out of wildflowers. You had a bunny on your lap feeding it one of the vegetables from the garden.

“Mother is definitely going to notice this. But don’t worry I’ll get rid of the traps.” You kissed the bunny’s head.

Jisung thought you look angelic right now. How dare that women say she didn’t want you to marry her son. He could stay in this tree for hours watching you. He didn’t know he did in fact do that, not until he heard your mother call you in for dinner. Jisung turned his head towards your house and the sun was setting.

“Coming Mother!” You placed the bunny back on the ground, you pushed its little behind. “Go home. I’ll leave you more vegetables out here tomorrow.” You winked at the little animal.

You rushed back to your house, running throw the fruit trees and vegetables garden.

“___ what did I tell you about feeding the rabbits?”

You pouted and looked down, saying lowly “Not to.”

“Yes. That only lets them think they can come here and have their way with our produce.”

“I know Mother. But they are still innocent animals I just want to take care of them.”

She rubbed your head and sighed. “I know dear. Maybe if you came down to the market you could find yourself a husband and you can have children soon. Sungchan was looking for you at the stand.”

Your cheeks turned pink at the mention of having a family with Sungchan. Your Mother started to laugh, “God's mother never in a million years. I’m going inside.” You stomped away.

Jisung chuckled from his perch in the tree. You turned back towards the trees. Jisung made eye contact with you but he was sure you couldn’t see him. You could never see him.

With you stopped just outside your house your mother asked, “Is there something wrong? Did you see something out there ___?”

You shook your head. “I thought I heard someone laughing but I think it was in my head. Let’s go inside. What is for dinner?”

“Lamb skewers.” She told you.

Jisung watched as the two of you went into your home shaking his head. He ripped a pomegranate off the tree biting it a few times before dropping it down. “She can never see me.”

“Mother please don’t make me go to the market today.” You begged.

“___ Sungchan has been looking for you. This is your chance to get married. He is going to inherit trading imports.”

“Mother your obsession with power and money is very concerning. I will get married when I want to. To who I want to. As long as I love him that's all that matters to me. If Sungchan truly wants to see me tell him where I am and he should make an effort to see me.”

______________________________________________________________

“At least come to the market after picking what is ripe today. No feeding the vermin. If you are the bad vegetables and fruits. Your mother walked away from your home.

You went outside with a basket going through the garden picking the good items. You went as slow as you could so you wouldn’t be forced to spend time with all of the people of your town.

It was only early morning when you reached the trees. You picked some peaches, apples, and pomegranates. You were climbing one of the pomegranate trees.

Jisung rolled on his side after hearing rustling near his ears. When he opened his eyes he saw you reaching for a pomegranate above his head. He was closed enough to make out the small freckles under your eyes. They look like constellations. He felt your breath against his face. Jisung kept inching away until he fell off the tree.

You looked down into Jisung’s eyes while he sat against the fence.

“Bunny?” You asked.

Jisung heard little chortles coming from the bunny you were feeding the other day. He smiled in relief and he stopped holding his breath.

He had already spent too much time in the mortal realm. He needed to get home to the underworld, Cerberus was probably missing him and ripping things apart. He walked past you ready to go back home.

“I guess I can take a break and spend time with you.” You smiled at her putting the basket down. You found a pomegranate with a few bites taken out of it and rotting a little bit. “I guess I can give you this.” You went to reach for it.

Jisung seeing you reach for the fruit made him anxious. If you were to feed the bunny a piece of the fruit it would kill it instantly. It would break your heart in front of his eyes.

He ripped his ring off grabbing your wrist. You gasped dropping the pomegranate.

“You don’t want to eat that.” Jisung picked up the pomegranate making it disappear in his hands.

“Who are you? How did you do that?” You questioned.

He waved his hand in front of your face causing you to fall right into his arms like you were asleep.

Jisung propped you under the shade of the tree. You would awake in an hour having no memory of what happened here.

______________________________________________________________

“___! ___!” Your eyes fluttered open to hear your name being chanted. “Are you alright?” Sungchan asked coming up to you feeling your head.

“What happened?” You asked.

“You must have stayed out in the sun for too long.” Sungchan picked you up and brought you inside the house.

“Did you not see the boy that was-”

“What boy? There was no one out there with you.” He told you. “You must have hallucinated. You should limit your time out there.” He scolded you putting a wet cloth on your head to bring down your temperature.

“I could’ve sworn I saw this boy he told me not to give the bunny a rotting pomegranate.”

Sungchan shook his head. “___ you need to rest. I’ll tell your mother what happened and for her not to worry. I’ll tell her that I made sure you ate and your temperate was brought down. Here have some of the vegetables.”

He handed you the basket of vegetables for you to eat from.

“My mother and I will come over tonight with dinner.”

“Sungchan that isn’t necessary. It’s no secret your mother doesn’t really like me and this seems like another thing for her to comment about my head being in the clouds.”

He sighed feeling bad about how his mother’s comments and gossip had gotten their way back to you. He lightly touched your face, “I’ll check on you tomorrow then to make sure you are ok.” Sungchan then proceeds to tell you to take it easy the rest of the day.

You decided to listen going to your room laying down. You took out paper and charcoal trying to remember the boy's face that you saw in the garden.

______________________________________________________________

“Jisung you know better than to go to the mortal realm. It’s forbidden for you to go.” Johnny scolded his younger brother.

“Johnny if you were in my position you would do the same thing. You would do it 1000 times over. Maybe I should call your wonderful wife and tell her about your many affairs.”

“Hey leave my wife out of this.” Johnny pointed at him. “We made a deal, I watch over the heavens, Hendery the sea, and you the underworld.”

“Yeah except with you and Hendery you guys can be outside, you interact with the mortals. You aren’t surrounded by the sounds from the dearly departed.” Jisung said gesturing to the place he calls home. “All I’m asking is a little leeway. I just want to visit the mortal word twice a month.”

Johnny sighed. “Fine twice. That is it. If I find out you have been there more than that you will face my wrath.”

“I wouldn’t ignore my duties as a god of the underworld. I’m not you Johnny.” Jisung laughed.

Johnny smacked the back of his brother's head before leaving.

______________________________________________________________

“Minjeong you don’t understand. Look at him.” You shoved the paintings and drawings.

“He is quite beautiful. He also looks very god-like. Where have you seen him?”

“Minjeong I told you he was here in the garden.” You told her picking up a vegetable from your stand. “I was going to give the bunny a piece of pomegranate, he grabbed me, and told me not to eat it.”

“Have you seen him around since then?” She asked.

“No…it makes me feel like I’m crazy. Sungchan thinks I’ve gone crazy.”

“What? He doesn’t want to marry you anymore?” Minjeong laughed as a joke.

“I don’t think I ever was going to marry him. His mother doesn’t like me much and he is a little too persistent.”

“Excuse me Miss are you selling you these paintings?” Someone asked holding one of the portraits that were resting on the table.

You snatched it out of his hand. He looked a little flabbergasted that you did that.

“Uh..sorry I’m not selling them just a hobby of mine.” You told him.

“I just want one. I’ll buy it with this entire barrel of grapes.” He told you.

“Deal!” Minjeong shouted shaking his hand. He dropped a satchel on the table, taking the paper and wheeling the grapes along with him.

“Minjeong that was my best rendition of that mysterious boy's face.”

She was going through the bag. “No way you were giving up gold for a drawing you can do again.” She showed you the inside the bag.

“How did you know it was gold?”

“One by the weight of the bag that was hanging off his side. Two by the way he was dressed. Guys like that only ever carry gold.”

“You are truly amazing.” You smiled at her giggling.

As soon as Haechan saw the drawing on the table he just had to show Chenle. It was the spinning image of Jisung.

“The hell? Why did you buy a barrel of grapes?” Chenle asked drinking starring at the boats.

“You are going to laugh,” Haechan said.

“You want me to make us wine with it? Yeah real fucking hilarious. I’m going to buy a grape plant and ask you to grow it.”

“The sun isn’t the only thing that makes plants grow. We would need Hendery to help too. If you are going to be a smart mouth do it properly. Look at this drawing doesn’t it look exactly like Jisung.”

Chenle glanced at the paper spitting out his wine almost all over the paper.

“Told you to look at it not spray it with your grape juice.”

Chenle grabbed the drawing laughing a little.

“What is funny?” Haechan said.

“Johnny was telling me about how a certain king of his domain was becoming lonely and wanting to come here every month. Johnny made the deal with Jisung. What if Jisung has a little girlfriend?”

“Jisung would never risk interacting with a mortal. He was rewarded with coming here, risking it he could lose it all.”

“Looks like we are taking a trip to the underworld,” Chenle said grabbing Haechan making their way to the land of the dead.

______________________________________________________________

“Wow, you guys this is impressive. Who has been teaching you guys how to draw?” Jisung asked not caring.

“We didn’t do this,” Chenle said.

“A girl in a small village, who harvest fruits and vegetables.”

“___?” Jisung asked out loud.

“Is she your little girlfriend?” Chenle joked.

Jisung sighed. “No. She is just one of the people I watch when I visit. I was hungry and went to her farm. She was going to feed a bunny a fruit I touched the bunny would have died. I stopped her and made her forget she saw me.”

“Well, clearly she didn’t forget you,” Haechan said. “This was one of many paintings and drawings she had.”

“Jisung did you want her to forget you? You can’t get someone to forget unless you have full intention of doing so.” Chenle pointed out.

Jisung decided to ignore him looking over the books of new souls that were joining the ranks soon.

“Johnny did say you were getting lonely. If you like her maybe make an effort to get to know her. I think she will be open to talking to you, considering you are driving mad.”

“Enough of this I wish not to speak about this anymore!” Jisung yelled. “Leave, unless you guys want Johnny to find out what you are doing?”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Haechan said evaporating into the air.

“Just think about Jisung,” Chenle said leaving.

______________________________________________________________

You were out late in the garden getting lost in another drawing. The wind was blowing the edges of the paper making it harder for you to get the exact details. Even the bunny next to you was rubbing up against you.

“I know it is cold Bunny, but this is the best place to draw his face. I can just see it.” You tell the bunny petting its little head.

“It’s getting dark you shouldn’t be out here. It’s getting cold.” Someone said from one of the trees.

You looked up to see the mysterious boy from all those weeks ago. “You! Who are you?” You asked.

He chuckled coming down from the tree. “I’m Jisung, God of the Underworld. I heard you were looking for me.” He leaned down to your draw taking it from under the rocks. “The likeness is there. You are good at this. Too bad I have to make you forget, this time I mean it.”

“Please don’t make me forget. I want to remember.” You got up and touched his face. “You have a beautiful face.”

He looked at her fingers gracing their presence on his cheekbones.

“Oh, I’m sorry I should have asked permission to touch you.” You retracted your hand.

He grabbed your hand. “I never said I didn’t like it.”

You held your breath. “You are god?” You asked him.

“Yes. I oversee the underworld. I can control all who are there and the keeper of souls.”

“Sounds like a full-time job. Why come the world of the living?”

“Why don’t you want to forget?”

“You piqued my interest. You add color to my bland world.”

A gust of wind came sending shivers up your arms. You grabbed your own arms rubbing them up and down.

“It’s getting colder out these days, it means winter is coming. You shouldn’t spend your afternoons outside anymore. And the bunny has to go into hibernation soon, you should stop feeding her because she won’t be able to provide for herself.” He told you petting them on top of the bunny’s head.

“How did you know that?”

“Sometimes I watch you. You are the few of interesting people here. Go inside I have to be going home.”

“Will you be back?”

“Soon. By ___.” He said disappearing into the air.

______________________________________________________________

The colder weather was starting to settle in some of the later vegetables and fruits were harder to harvest. It took days or weeks for multiple of them to come in bundles.

Your mother preferred you to stay home on these days. Her visits to the markets were short.

You were going to spend the afternoon making bread and meat for the night.

It has been weeks since the mysterious boy Jisung. Well, you guessed he wasn’t a boy, he was a god he could be thousands of years older than her.

“Smells good. Your bread looks like cute little bunnies.” You were hunched over the tray forming the dough when you heard a familiar voice.

“Jisung!” You turned around and he was sitting at the table.

“You sound excited. Did you miss me?”

You tucked your lips in to stop yourself from smiling. “H..How long are you staying?”

“I’m only allowed one day. Two days a month, don’t want to waste my days.”

“Waste of your time?”

“Not you. I want to see you more.”

“I’m sorry there isn’t anything to do anymore around here. It is too cold to stay outside. I’m making dinner for the next few nights for my mother and me. Vegetable stew and bread. I have to stay and watch the bread.”

Jisung smirked and snapped his fingers baking the bread in full. “What do you want to do now?”

You smiled. “As I said there is nothing to do around here.”

He clicked his tongue, “I know a place. Just hold my hand.” He held a hand towards you.

You held his hand lightly and with a snap of his fingers again you were in the middle of a garden. There was a small blanket and fruit.

“Wow. It is so pretty here.” You said.

“It is a secret place I go to sometimes. No one can find us here. God or mortal. Eat some of the food.”

It felt like hours you spent in this private garden with Jisung eating and talking.

“You said you were lonely, why is that? Don’t all gods and goddesses have a significant other?”

He scoffed. “Yes for the most part. We have at least someone. If you ask my brother Johnny he can never have a enough. But no goddess or demigoddess has ever found me..charming. They also don’t like where I live.”

“The underworld?’ He simply nodded. “I’m sure it isn’t as bad as they say. I’m sure that it is scary for mortals and their souls. If you are from there it can’t be that bad.”

“Cerberus would like you.” He said offhandedly.

“Who is Cerberus?”

“He is my dog. He has three heads.”

You dropped the apple you were eating. “A three-headed dog?! That is so cool. Does he kiss you one head at a time or all at once?”

“He tries all at once.” Jisung laughed.

“Can I meet him?” You asked.

Jisung's expression changed entirely, “No mortals are allowed to the underworld alive.”

“I see.”

“Do not try and kill yourself either because if I wanted to I can send you back to humanity.”

“I promise I won’t. I’ll just have to be patient and wait.”

“I hope I never have to see you there,” Jisung said coldly.

______________________________________________________________

“You are sneaking off a lot. Are you and Sungchan meeting up?” Your mother questioned.

“No Mother. It’s not like that. I just..I’m feeding the bunnies I go to where they hibernate for the winter I give them grain.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are a horrible liar just like your father. If you are meeting that boy all I ask is get married before anything…”

“Mother! Don’t say those things.” You yelled.

“I’m just trying to protect my daughter from men.”

“You make no sense! You have gone insane!” You shouted leaving your home.

______________________________________________________________

Johnny rubbed his temples listening to what his brother was asking. “You want four days now! It hasn’t even been 3 months. I knew once you got a taste of freedom-”

“I’m in love.”

“That was unexpected. With who? With a nymph? A Demi-god?”

“A mortal, brother.”

“You know you can’t marry her just because it is impossible. You get to live forever and she- Wait I have an idea. She will live forever.”

Jisung perked up at his idea.

“The next time you go there present her with a pomegranate, have eaten the 12 seeds she will live with you forever. It would give her the ability to be immortal.” Johnny gifted him the pomegranate making it appear in his hand.

“You are doing this with no strings attached?” Jisung asked.

“Just want to see my brother happy. I promise nothing bad will happen.”

______________________________________________________________

Jisung brought you to the garden once again. This time he only had one fruit for you.

“___, I brought you here for a reason this time besides spending time with you.”

“What is it Jisung?” You asked looking up at him.

He took a deep breath before he proposed to you. “___ I want to be with you. Forever. You can be immortal eating 12 of the pomegranate seeds you can stay with me.”

“What would this mean? Who would I be?” You asked.

“You would be my queen. Queen of the underworld. Everything that is mine is yours.” He told you. “I love you. I want you to have everything in the world and underworld.”

“I can’t. Not because I don’t love you. My mother still needs me. My father left us and she needs my help. I have duties here in the mortal world.”

“Eat 6 of them.”

“6?”

“6 you spend half of the year the summer and the spring with her take care of her. In the autumn and winter, you live with me. I can’t imagine living without you.”

“It is your will? Everything that is yours is truly mine.”

“Promise with all my heart.” He said grabbing your hands.

You cracked the pomegranate open taking 6 of the seeds swallowing them whole.

“I have to say goodbye to my mother and I’m all yours.” You told him.

______________________________________________________________

It had been 6 months, it felt very short. You were sad you were leaving the underworld for such a long time. You were leaving your family all over again.

“I know you’ll miss me Cerbbie. But I’m sure Jisungie won’t neglect you.” You talked to Cerberus.

“I never neglect him. It’s me you should be worried about. You balance me out, what will I do without you.” He pouted wrapping his arms around you.

“You can still come and visit. Don’t be too cruel to everyone here and the lost souls.” You punched his cheeks in response.

“My heart is aching. I wish you didn’t have to go.” He rested his head on yours.

You brought his face to your lips giving him a longing kiss. “I will be home soon. I love you.” You went to leave but Jisung was still holding onto you.

“Jisung you have to let go. Unless you want to spend your days working for mortals neglecting your duties as king of the underworld, and hiding from Johnny. And be at risk of Jaemin and Haechan finding you and taunting you.”

He retreated away from you next to Cerberus. “I think I’m needed here more. But I’m still going to come to see you. And if that Sungchan even gets near you I will rip his soul from him.”

“No, you won’t. You do that I will be angry with you.” You scolded him.

“Anything for my precious flower.” He kissed your cheek. “Go before I change my mind.” He rushed you off.

You couldn’t wait to come back to him again because he was your everything.

______________________________________________________________

taglist;

@soobin-chois

______________________________________________________________

devilfoodcafe™

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#nct fluff #nct imagines #nct dream #jisung x reader #nct x reader #nct dream x reader #nct u #nct u x reader #park jisung #park jisung x reader #nct dream jisung #nct u jisung #devilfoodcafelist #nct dream jisung x reader

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ RED + BLUE = YOU❞ | H.RJ

PAIRINGS — renjun x reader

GENRE — college au, fluff

WARNINGS — n/a

WC — 4.8k

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

______________________________________________________________

“No matter how cheap rent was I should have known rooming with Jaemin and Shotaro wasn’t worth it.” You grumbled to yourself as you were on the floor looking under the couch for your book. “Where the fuck is my fucking book?!” You said flipping the couch cushions up.

You heard the door squeak open to meet the eyes of Huang Renjun.

“Jesus it looks like a bomb went off in here. What are you doing?” He asked.

“Since when did you get a key?” You asked.

“Jaemin gave it to me when you guys went to that Shakespeare play 3 hours away. He told me to feed the fish and take care of the plants.”

“I thought he told Jeno to do that. Because that is who I agreed to.”

He scoffed, “Jeno is afraid of fish.”

You opened your mouth making a questioning noise.

He put his hands up in defense, “Trust me I don’t understand it either. He says their eyes follow him around the room. So what is going on here?”

“1) None of your business. 2) Renjun give me the key. 3) Jaemin isn’t here.”

“Where is he? I thought we could play video games tonight.”

“He and Shotaro out to a gaming cafe. Don’t you usually hang out with Jeno and Mark?”

“Jeno is training and Mark is studying for a major physics test. Didn’t think Jaemin was busy tonight. What are you doing home?”

You sighed relenting to his questioning. “I had a stressful week I had three group projects that we were presenting this week. 2/3 of them I was the one in charge and did a majority of the work. I was hoping to have a relaxing night with a bubble bath and my new book. I left it in here the living room a few nights ago.” You said standing up biting the inside of your cheek.

Renjun pushed the book on the counter by the door towards you.

You hopped over the couch running jogging to the door. “God I must have looked crazy tearing apart the apartment when it was right here.” You smiled flipping through the book.

“Anyways if Jaemin isn’t here and you have personal plans I should get going.”

“Hey wait a minute you! This is your handwriting on these sticky notes. You took my book?”

He scratched the back of his head. “Look I came here after class with Jaemin yesterday to study because Jeno likes to study physics with white noise. And I haven’t read anything new and it was right there.”

“Are you trying to tell me you didn’t know this book was mine? It’s stamped on the inside, it says property of ___,___ news flash Renjun that is me.”

“Jaemin said I could take it. He said it was an accent piece. Once I realized it was yours I wanted to finish the book and give it back.”

Your face was confused. “When did it occur to you before or after you started annotating?”

“Before. That I did for fun I gave my opinions on this budding romance book.”

You hit him with the book. “You are an ass Huang Renjun!”

“I’m taking this as my cue to leave. If you need anything I’ll be at the library.” He said leaving the apartment and slamming the door.

“I hate that boy. I want to wring his neck.” You fisted the sky. You grabbed the book and went to the bathtub.

You were trying to read your book but a certain male’s point of view sticky notes were ruining it.

You threw the book across the bathroom. Getting out of the tub throwing on a sweatsuit. You marched yourself to the library.

You found Renjun sitting at a table reading stumped over to him. You ripped the book out from his hands and smacking his head.

“You ruined my book.”

“He was low-key stalking her a little bit it isn’t romance it is Stockholm syndrome.”

You pulled the chair from across his chair. “It isn’t Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome is when Person A holds Person B captive and Person B develops feelings for Person A when they treat them horribly. You know that we are in psych together.”

“Yeah, I do. I said it so you would lecture me.” You hit him with the book again. He rubbed his head and commented, “I’m sorry. Listen I did it to mess with you.”

“Obviously.”

“Since I ruined your night let me help you find a new book to recover most of it.”

You huffed. “You do have impeccable taste in books. What are you reading?” You asked flipping to the front cover of the book. “You are reading Anne of Green Gables?”

“Yes.” He snatched it back. I’m taking Canadian Lit and I happen to read them when I was younger. What have you never read Anne of Green Gables?”

“No.”

“What did you read when you were younger?”

“Carrie.” You said nonchalantly

“Your parents let you read Carrie as a child?”

“They encouraged it.”

“That stuff gives me the chills.” He shivered a little mimicking the chills that the feeling gave him.

You rolled your eyes at his over dramatics. You flipped to the beginning of the book and say Renjun’s put his initials on the title page. You chuckled his handwriting is better than yours that is why Shotaro got you a stamp to stamp your books with.

You flipped to the first page, sat across from him, and put your feet on the chair next to him

“What are you doing?”

“I’m reading.”

“But that is my book-”

“Why don’t you go to the Stephen King section and get Carrie. Rip your horror book band-aid off.”

“But I was reading…” You stared him down. “Ok ok, I will start reading.” He got up and went to look for Carrie.

He came back sitting across from you again putting his legs up on your lap and before you could say something, he grabbed your ankles and moved them onto his lap.

______________________________________________________________

You put the book down. “She gave up her dreams so she could be a good daughter.” You wiped your eyes. “A little mad that she and Gilbert never got together though.”

“There are like seven more books.”

“Do they get together?” He opened his mouth but you interrupted him before he could get a syllable out. “Wait don’t tell me. Gilbert is kind of the perfect gentleman for the 1900s.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Of course, you would think that.”

“What is that supposed to mean Renjun? Come on fictional men written by women are better than all real guys.”

“Present company excluded right?” He smirked at you.

“No.” You deadpanned at him.

“I’m not that bad, I’m like your only friend in our major.”

“Not true I’m friends with Jisung.”

“His notes aren’t as excellent as mine and you still come to me and ask me for help.”

“He doesn’t constantly tease me.”

He smirked to himself looking down at his phone. “You want to go get food. I’ll pay.” He asked.

You smirked, you moved quickly out of the chair. “Can I pick where we eat?”

“Last time I paid and you picked, it cost me my monthly allowance.”

“Well, you shouldn’t offer to a whole study group that you are running.”

“You promise to pick somewhere that isn’t expensive.”

“I’m not dressed for an expensive meal. I was thinking just to go down the street to the connivance store and buy some food there.”

“I’m ok with that.”

You grabbed a basket and started picking out little snacks. Renjun was originally following you right next to you but he thought the view would be better if he was 4 feet behind you at the end of the aisles. He felt that you were moving in slow motion as he sipped from his blueberry blast icee.

You were a kid in a candy store but instead, you were picking snacks that could last you a month that Renjun was paying for.

“Ok, I’m all done with picking stuff out.”

“Hmm. Not expensive my ass.” He grumbled. “I got you a cherry bomb blast icee and tteokbokki.” He took the basket and paid for the items.

The old woman smiled at the two of you as you were checking out. He grabbed the bag and walked outside to a small table.

You both started eating the cheap meal. You sucked on the red icee too hard. “Brain freeze,” you whined.

He laughed at your reaction.

You let it pass and you reached into the plastic bag pulling out a small wafer strawberry dessert. You handed him one of the two in the wrapper.

“Thanks.” He smirked. “Are girls really that mean about that stuff?” He asked.

“About what stuff? What are you talking about?” You asked crunching down on the wafer cookie.

“Carrie. Are girls mean about feminine stuff?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Not in my experience. In my experience all girls go through puberty at different rates, parents are different about teaching about it, so I’ve only met nice people about it. But the book takes place in the 70s and learning about your body was still taboo. Her mom was also religiously abusive, because in the olden times when you had your period it meant that you were becoming a woman and ready to have children which she thought her daughter would be a whore. With abuse at home and bullying at school, it was only a matter of time until she..” You snapped another wafer for dramatic effect.

“It wasn’t even that scary now that I think about it. It was psychological trauma.”

You chuckled. “See Renjun I told you. It is what I like about those books.”

He stopped drinking his drink his cheeks filled with the blue raspberry iced drink. He swallowed hard and got a brain freeze himself. His eyes wincing in return.

“Ha! Doesn’t feel so good does it!” You laughed back at him. “Your lips are blue.” You touched your lip to let him know and slid a napkin across the table.

“Huh?” He asked.

You tapped the napkin for him to use it. He picked it up and wiped along his mouth getting a blue stain on the cheap napkin material.

Silence fell over the two of you. It was definitely awkward. You slowly drank from your slushie.

Thank god for your phone ringing on the table. You quickly grabbed and answered the call.

“Hey, Jaemin. Everything alright?”

“I should be asking you that?! You have Shotaro running around the apartment and scared out of his mind!” Jaemin yelled into the phone. You pulled your ear away from the screen for your ear's safety.

“What did I do to garner that reaction?” You laughed a little.

“Are you seriously laughing? The apartment is in disarray, couch cushions are flipped up, books are off the shelves, the bathtub is still full and the book you were reading across the room. Also the new candle you bought barely burned. Shotaro thought you were kidnapped.”

“That’s a bit dramatic.”

“If it was him you would have the same reaction. Where are you?”

“I’m at the convenience store eating.”

“This kid leaves a mess and goes for a snack.”

“I was at the library first. I had to get a new book because someone just gave away my book to Renjun.”

“Oh, that was yours.”

“You knew it was mine. I’ll be soon Renjun and I are just finishing up our food.”

“You are out with Renjun?” Jaemin asked in a teasing tone.

“Shut up. I’m sorry about the apartment I’ll pay for dinner next time. I’m going.” You hung up the phone.

“What was Jaemin saying?”

You just rolled your eyes, “You know him. He is overly teasing about everything. We should get going soon it’s late.” You told him.

Renjun checked his watch seeing it was almost close to 10:30.

“Didn’t realize it was so late. I’ll walk you home.”

______________________________________________________________

Ever true to his word Renjun took the campus bus and walked you from your stop up to your apartment.

“Do you want to come up?”

“It’s a little late I should be getting home.”

“Are you sure? I feel bad that you have to walk home by yourself.”

He pursed his lips.

“It’s the weekend. We don’t have classes tomorrow. Just take the couch and borrow Jaemin or Shotaro’s clothes.”

“It won’t be a problem. I thought you didn’t like me.”

“I have disdain for you. We share friends. Why create drama where there isn’t any.”

You opened the door to the building and jogged your way up the stairs to your apartment. Renjun was behind you holding the little grocery bag from the convenience store.

When you unlocked the door you were met with arms around your neck.

“Shotaro I’m fine.”

“Listen little lady from this point on you are to text us all your locations and not make it look like a struggle ensued in the home.” Jaemin scolded you.

Shotaro was still hugging you, you reached for Jaemin wanting to hurt him.

“___ knock it off.” Jaemin whiners swatting your hands.

“I can’t believe you let him talk to you like that.” Renjun laughed from the doorway putting the bag down on the small side table.

“Renjun you brought ___ home?” Shotaro smirked.

“God you two are the worst.” You jumped up and down going into the kitchenette with the bag.

“That is gross. That is not the nature of our relationship.” Renjun agreed.

“So there is a relationship?” Jaemin asked.

You squinted your eyes and kicked him from behind.

“It was a rarity but Renjun was being kind to me walking me home. It’s late I don’t like the idea of him walking home alone so I offered him the couch.”

“You bought her food, didn’t you? She hasn’t been this happy since that meal you bought the study group.” Shotaro asked.

“We read together too. She has surprisingly has good taste after that abominable book she had yesterday.”

“Renjun this is why I strongly dislike you.”

“Aww and I thought I was growing on you.” He clutched his heart.

“You are getting on my nerves Renjun.” You went to your room.

“Too bad because I was going to give you all the needed notes you would need for Professor Lee’s pop quiz on Monday morning.” Renjun taunted.

“That is not fair!” You whined from the doorway of your room.

“You should have been kinder.” Renjun held his hands in defense.

“Please Renjun, Professor Lee’s class is hard and half of the time he is droning on and reading notes I can’t pay attention to that I’m a visual learner. Your notes and slide shows are perfect. Every time there is a scheduled quiz your notes help me pass.” You begged.

“I’m not going to hand over the notes just because you begged. I think you should be punished. Sunday I’m going to re-teach you the lesson with my notes and you have to take your notes.”

“Fine. It is so unfair that you are friends with Kun. He tells you about every quiz, every test, every essay homework assignment. It is so unfair.”

“You could be Kun’s friend too. I can’t help that he was RA freshmen year. He sees me as his little brother.”

“She is right. Doyoung is the same with this one.” Shotaro said pointing at Jaemin. “That being said he gives me the details too. But I think it is because I’m just sitting right there or always with Jaemin.”

You nodded. “It just seems like an unfair advantage.”

“Hey, Kun tells me I tell my friends in the course. I think Kun tells me because he knows I will tell people and the class will all find out. Everyone in our course tells everyone everything.”

“Mr. Lee’s class is difficult. He hasn’t updated the course since he has been here.” You whined.

“Trust me I know. It takes me forever to organize my notes for his class.”

“Are you going to be mean on Sunday?”

He sighed looking at you. He raised his right hand holding it like a boy scout. “I solemnly swear to actually teach you the material and help you. I won’t make any sarcastic comments or be rude.”

“If that is all. I’m going to bed.”

______________________________________________________________

Saturday flew by. You spent the day with Shotaro shopping for the apartment.

“Renjun is nice you know.”

“I know he is nice. But sometimes he just purposefully picks on me and it drives me insane. He might think it is funny but it gets me so fuming.”

Shotaro chuckled at your little reaction in the middle of the produce section of the grocery store. “Did you ever think that he may be teasing you to get that reaction from you?”

You stopped to think for a moment. “No. That never really crossed my mind. I thought he just did it to make himself laugh. I bet that jerk laughs more just because of my reaction.” You grumbled picking out vegetables.

Shotaro rolled his head mumbling to himself. “that is not why he does it.”

______________________________________________________________

You decided to get all your major homework done on Saturday night so you could mainly focus on studying with Renjun tomorrow.

Shotaro and Jaemin came out of their rooms all dressed up to go out for dinner.

“You said you pay for dinner the next time we go out. Why are you in your PJs?”

“I’m doing my homework. You guys go out and I’ll pay for it.” You told them.

“You are such a party pooper.” Jaemin pouted walking out.

“You want us to bring you anything back?”

“Spicy chicken please.” You smiled. Shotaro walked out behind Jaemin.

“Dude the constant teasing was cute at first. But drawing it out, just confess already!” Jaemin shouted taking a big swig of his drink.

“She thinks you tease her because you like seeing her upset.”

Renjun sighed.

“Don’t make that exasperated sigh noise. You have to make a move she is going to leave you behind.” Shotaro told him.

“Go take her on a date. She likes hot pot. Do that with her tomorrow. Because I speak for all of our friends we are getting tired of the puppy dog eyes you give her.”

“She loathes me.”

“She doesn’t. She thinks you are fun to hang around with. She prefers if you didn’t tease her so often.” Shotaro said grabbing a chicken leg.

“She said she likes your artwork,” Jaemin told him.

“I don’t where I went wrong in my life to be taking dating advice from Na Jamin.”

“Hey! I go on plenty of dates and I’m damn good at it!” Jaemin shouted again.

“You need to really shut up,” Renjun said kicking him.

______________________________________________________________

It was Sunday afternoon, once again your roommates were gaming in the den. Yelling into their headsets, at their friends.

There was a knock at the front door, you were in the kitchen making little snacks for you and Renjun. For this little study session, you made ants on a log.

“___! Renjunnie is at the door for you!” Jaemin yelled making kissing noises.

“Jaemin I’m in the kitchen there is no need to yell.” You said from 10 paces from his seat.

“Jesus! I thought you were in your room.” Jaemin said looking at you.

You huffed going to open the door to your apartment.

“Renjun welcome back to our humble and very noisy abode.”

“Son of A BITCH! Haechan you said you had my back, don’t say you have my back when you are already good as dead!” Shotaro yelled into his microphone.

“Where are we going to study?” He asked with a slightly nervous chuckle.

“We should just go to my room. It is the furthest room from this war zone.”

Renjun nodded following behind you. You picked up the plate of snacks. Some leftover snacks from the convenience store.

You sat on your bed as Renjun set up across from you at your desk. He opened his laptop and his little remote in hand. You opened your notebook with blue pens.

You looked towards the laptop for the lesson to begin. “Are those slushies?” You asked pointing at cupholders with two tall drinks.

“Yes. They are for after the session. A little reward for you. I have a feeling I might accidentally go back on my promise without meaning too.”

“It is ok Renjun I won’t let it get to me.”

______________________________________________________________

Boy did you bite your words. You let a few things get to you. Comments about your shitty handwriting are what lead to you throwing a fit.

“Jesus now I get why you wanted me to just hand over my notes. You have the messiest handwriting. Worst than some of the professors. You should take a penmanship course over the summer.”

“Not everyone can be as perfect as you Renjun!” You yelled.

He leaned in close to your face, “Aw you think I'm perfect.”

You threw your notebook in his face, “No way!”

He laughed again at you, but he saw you pouting over your messy handwriting.

“I think the messy handwriting is cute. Messy handwriting means sometimes that the person has high intelligence.” He told you reassuring you.

“Why do I think you are trying to say I don’t fall into that category?”

“___ you are smart. You are in the top ten spots of your classes. You do a lot of work to have good grades. There is nothing to worry about. You will do well on the pop quiz tomorrow.” He told you while shaking your shoulders as to shake a realization into you. “Do you want your cherry bomb blast?”

“Yes.” He grabbed it from its travel cupboard giving it to you. You gladly took a long sip.

“Don’t take a big sip you’ll get-” “Brain freeze.” You both said at the same time.

You rubbed your head hoping to warm it up from the outside in.

“What are you doing for the rest of the day?” Renjun asked staring at you as he took small sips from blue raspberry slushie.

“I don’t know. Probably do a few quizlets on this material so I’m extra-extra prepared.”

“That sounds boring and unnecessary. Something you could do at night.”

“Why do I feel like you are planning something for us to do so I’m not in the house all day?”

“Ya’ caught me. I was going down to the beach to paint for a while you want to join me. I already have supplies in my bag.” He said patting his backpack.

“Do you continue to keep your promise to not make fun of me?” You asked.

“Sure. Here is your jacket.” Renjun said grabbing your tan long coat and throwing it at your face.

The both of you walked out of your room smiling. You were going to tell your friends you will be back home soon.

“Motherfucker Jeno! Shotaro is on my ass. Shoot him! Shoot! Shoot!” Jaemin yelled into his mic.

“Jaemin, Taro I’m going out with Renjun. We are just going to the beach, we’ll be back soon.”

“Alright bye. Renjun treat ___ well and have her home by nightfall.” Jaemin told him.

“Buy her dinner,” Shotaro said. “Real dinner not that fast food crap.”

“Leave him alone.” You said. “Let’s go Renjun.” You pushed him out of the apartment.

______________________________________________________________

A quick 15-minute ride on the school bus you and Renjun got off the bus. He lead you to an overlook, which looked over a small cliff where you could hear the waves crashing against it.

“This place is pretty. I have never been here before.”

“I come here pretty often. Just to decompress. If you ever have a bad week like you did this week and your book is shit…you can join me.” He said.

He sat down at the table there taking out his traveling art supplies. He tore a piece of paper out of his notebook and had pencils and pens for you.

You started drawing a small beach scene with seagulls flying above. The sun was starting to set.

“I didn’t know it was late when we left,” Renjun said looking at the sun.

“Did you know sunsets become more vivid because of low humidity and cleaner air, especially after it rains?” You told him.

“Sure is pretty,” Renjun said. “What are you drawing?”

“Just the sea and some seagulls.” You turned the paper around to show him. “What about you?”

He brought his paper closer to him. “Nothing.”

“It’s not "nothing." I saw some scribbling.” You grabbed his arm to move it.

“I don’t want you to see.”

“Then why did you ask what I was drawing if you weren’t going to do the same.”

He sighed, lifting his arm and giving you the piece of paper.

“You drew me?”

“Yeah.”

“I like it. Can I have it?” You asked again.

“What? You want a drawing of yourself? That seems a little narcissistic.”

You rolled your eyes and kicked him in his shin. “I don’t want it because it is me I want it because you drew it. I always like your drawings. I like how you capture my smile does my dimple look like that?”

“Yeah, you have a very pretty smile.” He smirked. “What do you want to eat? Do you want to go to that hot pot place? The one just off-campus. If we go now we can take the 8:25 bus back to campus.”

“You know they were joking about dinner. You don’t have to take me anywhere. I have fresh stuff at home we can cook something there.”

“Eating with Jaemin and Shotaro?”

“Yeah. Do you not want to eat with them?”

“I guess it isn’t that bad. Are they going to be screaming and teasing us?”

“Yes. But that’s them.”

You went to walk towards the bus stop to look at the schedule for the next bus. Renjun pulled your coat sleeve.

“What is something wrong?”

“___ I need to tell you something.”

“Shoot Renjun.”

“I’m sorry. For the teasing, it can be a bit much.”

It was out of the blue his apology. It wasn’t needed. You knew he wasn’t doing it to be mean he just needed a little laugh.

“It’s ok Renjun, you don’t need to apologize.”

“You aren’t mad?”

“I’m mad at the moment. But I still care for you like 20% of the time. 80% of the time it can go either way. We are still friends.”

“I don’t want to be just friends anymore.” He mumbled.

“I’m sorry what was that?”

“___ I don’t want us to be just friends. I want us to be more. I do the teasing because I love the way you react. I love your reactions in general. I like hanging around you. You are smart, pretty, and talented in everything you do.”

“Renjun are you serious?”

“Yes.” He said dragging you a little closer to him. He brushed your hair out of your face. “I like you.”

You looked at him and he had stars in his eyes. You pecked the corner of his mouth.

“You are cute when you make that face. If I were to go out with you, I would still want you to tease me but in a loving way. You write annotations in my books, we study together, and we go out to dinner once a month.”

“You want to go out with me?”

“Isn’t that like the whole point of confessing? Geez for a smart guy you aren’t using your brain right now.”

“I thought you didn’t like me.”

“Renjun of course I like you. You just get on my nerves but I still like being around you and listening to you talk. And look at this drawing you are so talented yourself.”

Renjun gripped your face and kissed you on your lips. When he pulled away you were a little shocked that he would have the confidence to do that.

“We have to catch the next bus.” He pulled you along to the bus stop.

______________________________________________________________

“Hey, guys welcome home,” Shotaro said from the couch.

“___, what is for dinner?” Jaemin asked sitting next to him.

“I was going to make mackerel with a seaweed salad.”

Jaemin smiled at the idea of your cooking. “Wait a minute why are both of your lips purple? There isn’t a grape-flavored icee. Did they make a grape slushie?” He asked rubbing his chin, thinking.

“You idiot.” Shotaro hit the back of his head. “They made out obviously, she likes cherry and he likes blue raspberry.”

Renjun covers his face in his hands.

“Dude congratulations.” Jaemin walked over Shotaro's body shaking Renjun’s hand. “See what did I tell you.”

“You are embarrassing him Jaemin. If you want dinner you leave him alone.”

“Promise ___.” Jaemin smiled.

“Renjunie are you going to help me with dinner.”

“Yes ___.”

______________________________________________________________

devilfoodcafe™

______________________________________________________________

#nct fluff #nct u #nct u fluff #nct u renjun #nct x reader #nct imagines #nct renjun #nct dream x reader #nct dream renjun #renjun #renjun huang #renjun x reader #nct dream masterlist #huang renjun #devilfoodcafelist

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ FAST CARS, FAST LOVE❞ | YY.L

PAIRINGS — drag racer!yangyang x socialite!reader

GENRE — angst, humor

WARNINGS — vulgar language, mature themes

WC — 6.8k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

____________________________________________________________________________

“Jaehyun your car is here.” You told your fiancé. 

“Just get in. I’ll be in it in a minute.” He told you, lighting his cigarette with his work friends. 

You rolled your eyes unsnapping your clutch slipping the valet $5 in exchange for the keys. You opened the passenger side door, slid in, and called your best friend. 

“Yuqi he told me we were going to dinner together. He walks me into the restaurant and he has clients at the table. It wasn’t even a couple. That I could let go…it was basically locker room talk at the table. With his wife to be at the table.”

“That sounds gross.” She scoffed and you heard her flip a page of a magazine. “And all the work you put in today for yourself for this dinner. Your hair was on point today. The new nails. Even the outfit.” 

“I looked nice for nothing. I could have shown up in my pajamas and no one would have noticed. Until I order my dinner then they fucking notice me.”

“Why when you ordered dinner?” 

“We were at a steakhouse, now if it was just us I would have ordered a petite cut of steak with only greens as a side cheating on my wedding diet. But I figured since this dinner was going to shit I would just stick with a salad instead of being yelled at by my mother about me gaining weight before trying on dresses.” 

“So were you just sitting there silently?”

"No. When the salad came one of the brutes said," 'A salad? Darling this is steakhouse you don't order salad. Jaehyun why did you let your girl order salad?'

"And he just let them talk to you like that?"

As soon as she asked that question the driver's side door slammed it shut and slammed his foot on the gas pedal. 

“Gotta call you back.” You told her as you looked at the strange guy stealing Jaehyun’s car. He swerved the car in a U-turn-like motion with a squeak of the wheel out of the parking lot. 

“Might want to buckle up, Babe.”

You didn’t need to be told twice you grabbed the belt and strapped yourself in. He stepped on the gas, revving the engine. No matter how loud the car was you could still hear the cop cars behind you. 

“Eyes on the road.” He used his hand to turn your head towards the front of the car. 

The car was coming up to an intersection but he wasn’t stopping, there was a red light. “Hey! Hey! There is a red light.” You screamed. 

“You have to calm down. Your freaking out does not help, in fact, it distracts me I could crash the car. Just put your head in between your legs.” 

You swallowed the lump in your throat and decided to look out the window, squeezing your clutch. 

With your eyes closed, few squeezes, rolling down your window, and small breathes you were able to calm down. 

With a few quick turns and quick maneuvers, this man was determined to lose those sirens. He rammed up his speed once again and slowed down going into a hiding spot as the sirens passed. 

You calmed down quickly and found yourself laughing at the fast movements of this guy. 

He turned his head towards you afraid you were still freaked out by him stealing the car. He was shocked that the prim, prissy, proper girl was laughing and her legs were bouncing up and down. 

“Are you ok? I didn’t scare you did I?” He asked a little worried about your reaction. 

“Yeah. That was exhilarating. A little nerve-racking at first but after I rolled down the window and calmed down. That was the most fun I have ever had.” You smiled. 

He snickered turning his head towards his open window. “This is the most fun you have ever had? Doing something illegal?” 

“Yes.” You nodded your head firmly. 

“You are a little bit crazy aren’t you?” He asked.

You wavered your hand a little bit. 

“Sorry, I’m stealing your car. It has parts I need this engine is the perfect match for my car. Now I have to drive to my garage.”

“Can we go fast again?” You asked. 

“No, it’s not that far from here. And I thought you were going to exit the car and leave you with the plates. Also hoping my charm would make you forget my face.” 

“Why would you do that?”

“Because this is your car? And this isn’t the only stolen car there.”

“This isn’t my car. Technically yet.” 

“Who’s car is this?” He asked. 

“It's my fiancés.” You sighed. “Actually, he has called 25 times. The most he has ever tried to call me. Can’t I go with you?” 

The man bit his tongue. “Do you really like going fast?”

You quickly nodded your head. 

“I guess you can come. But you can’t tell anyone who you see or what you see.” 

“I promise.” 

“Then you can come. Yangyang. I’m Yangyang.” 

“___.” You told him. 

______________________________________________________________

Yangyang softly rolled into a dark garage, with blacked-out windows. 

“Yangyang why the hell did I see you on the tv with police chasing after you?” A male yelled at him through the window. “And who is this I might add?!” 

“Ten before you get upset and tell Kun-” 

“Liu Yangyang!”

“Too late.” 

“We have rules. Dress like the valet at these fine dining restaurants and steal the car when they are parked.” Someone said running up to your side of the car. “Oh sorry. Thought he was alone. Who are you?”

“I’m ___.” You gave him your hand. 

“Kun.” He awkwardly back “She is polite. Dressed nice. Did you pick her up at the restaurant?” He asked. 

“I did not pick her up from the restaurant.” You shot him a look. “Well technically I-I did. But she was already in the car when I took it.” 

“You kidnapped her from the restaurant?!” Ten yelled. 

“I did at first. But she asked if she could come here.” 

“I like that the car went fast. If my fiancé did that I would probably like him more.” 

“She promised she wouldn’t tell.”

“Yeah, and it is like sticking it to Jaehyun without getting in trouble with my mother.”

“Jaehyun?” Ten asked. 

“He is my fiancé and owner of the car.” 

“You don’t like him?” Kun asked. 

“My parents didn’t want me attending uni. Well, that isn’t true they had me taking a cooking and baking class at a night University. And they paid the cleaning lady extra to show me how to run a household. Then my father set me up with his top salesman to marry and who he wants to hand the company over to.”

“That is sad. That does seem unfulfilling.” Ten commented. 

“Ten not the time to be commenting on someone life. You can do it when they are on a tv not in front of you.” 

“It's ok. No, I’m not happy. But my parents set up a perfect life for me I shouldn’t complain. But Yangyang is the fun driver which has given me a ray of sunshine in my colorless life.”

“I kind of gave her a taste of some adrenaline.” He laughed. “Is Hendery still here? I need help removing the engine. I also promised he could get the tires to the car.” 

“He is sleeping in the office. Let me get him.” Kun said. 

You went to open the car door. “Hold on I’ll get the door for you.” 

“Yangyang you don’t have to do that.” You told him. 

“No, he should. Xiaojun knocked over oil and you are wearing Manolo Blahnik’s. They cost more than his life is worth. He can’t afford to replace them.” 

“I’m not going to let her sit in the car.” 

“Just pick her up and put her on the office chair. But the chair is probably not good enough. Because that outfit…seems like a lot of work to dress for someone that you don’t like.” Ten commented. “Really Yangyang the leather seats are the only thing good enough for her.” 

“Please Ten, I can sit in an office chair. I want to see Yangyang work on the car. If it makes you feel more comfortable Ten, Yangyang can carry me to the seat.”

“I can agree to that.” 

“Fine, I concede that will be good enough for me.” 

Yangyang came around to the passenger side of the car and picked you up on placed you on the spinning chair. 

“Ten I have to say you know your fashion pretty well.” You told him slipping off your shoes. 

“My sister works in fashion and keeps a lot of magazines at our place.” 

You nodded your head. “If she ever needs a job I can always find her one.”

“Just might take you up on that, maybe she’ll get out of my hair.” 

Yangyang laughed. “Oh come on she is fun at the races.”

“For you. You don’t have to give half of your money to her to keep her mouth shut.”

“She wouldn’t turn you in. She loves you too much.” 

“Yang! I was sleeping, you couldn’t have gotten here an hour earlier! Oh hello, I’m Hendery and you are?” 

“None of your business. The engine now.” Yangyang scowled. 

“Angry kitten indeed,” Hendery said under his breath. He popped the hood of the car and inspected the inside of car. He wheeled a cart next to him. 

“This is the right engine?” 

“Yeah. The tires are fairly new. You when were the tires bought?”

“A week ago. My friend Jaemin’s company imports car parts and is a high price dealership he lost a bet to my fiancé so now he owes him free tires for a year.”

After you said that they dropped their tools and stared at you. 

“What? Did I say something?” 

“Car parts?” Kun asked. 

“High-price dealership?” Hendery said. 

“Yeah, Jaemin is the head of sales and finance at his dad's car import company. His dad is retiring soon so he will be the president.” You explained. 

“Guys no. It is expensive to outright buy the parts and we are not stealing from them. The cops were on my tail tonight we should cool down for a while. Use the cars we already have and only Hendery and I will race.”  

“I mean Jaemin does like betting and sponsoring things. I’m sure if I talked to him he would sponsor some of your cars. But I’m sure he would have to see you race first.” 

Yangyang turned around to you on the chair and put his hands on your upper arms. “___ you don’t have to help us.” The boys were all looking at you hopefully. “Don’t look at them. Look at me.” 

“But I want to..” You tried explaining. 

“We will talk in the car when I’m driving you home.” He told you. “Hendery let's move the engine and set it into my car.” 

______________________________________________________________

Within a half, an hour Yangyang put the engine in his car and did a few laps around the block.

“Sounds good Yang. Let’s go home everyone and sleep. Yangyang gets ___ home.” 

“I think it would be better if you left me on the side of the road on the other side of town and I call my fiancé crying.” 

“You can cry on command?” 

“There isn’t a girl alive that doesn’t know how to fake cry. Just let me think of dogs and cats dying.” 

“Across town is a little far. I’ll drop you off at the mall ten minutes away.” Yangyang said. “It is so late anyways. ____ if you don’t mind can you remove the licenses plates from your fiancé’s car? And re-screw it on this rental car. Can’t risk the cameras.” He explained handing you a screwdriver. 

You nodded your head and took the tool. “Um, Yangyang can you stand in front of me. I’m wearing a skirt.”

“Yeah of course.” He turned his back and stood in front of you. He gave a hand gesture for the other guys to look away.

You replaced the rental car plate with Jaehyun’s and got in the passenger side of the car. 

When Yangyang shut the door he gave you a look. 

“What?” 

“I know I gave you a taste of illegal activity but it seems like a lot of effort to put into for drag racing.” 

“Yangyang it is not a lot of trouble. Jaemin owes more than enough favors. This is my last chance I get to live. Within a matter of a few months, I’m going to be someone’s wife. I’m going to be cooking at least 6 nights a week. Please Yang let me live on the wild side.” 

“You want to live on the wild side? The next race you can sit with me in the car.”

“Really? Thank you! I can set up a meeting with Jaemin. Do you have a suit?”

“These are my best clothes.” 

“You can come over to my parent's place we can find you something there. My mom is out all day and my dad only stops in when he knows our housemaid is coming she makes lunch for me. I’ll text you all the info. Just tell me your phone number.” 

“It seems like a lot of trouble.”

“Yangyang let me handle this. I’m a master of negotiations unless it’s with my mother.” 

He gave his info to you. “You should start crying and call him.” 

You thought about your childhood dog passing away. Tears started to pour out of your eyes. 

“Wow, you are really good at that.” 

“Shh.” You dialed Jaehyun’s number. 

“___ I’ve been calling you all night where are you?” 

“J-Jaehyun t-t-they took m-my found. B-blindfolded me. They l-left me at the small shopping mall off the highway. P-please com-me and get me. I’m so scared.”

“I’m coming don’t worry.” He hung up on the phone. 

“Bravo. You had me believing you. Do you an Emmy?” 

“Don’t tell ten what I’m about to do.” You whispered to him and ripped the end of your skirt. 

He sucked air quickly in through his teeth. 

You smudged your lipstick and ruined your hair. You held your shoes. “I’ll be in touch Yangyang.”  

______________________________________________________________

“Dear I’m going to my gardening club.” Your mother said slipping her long coat and her small plum leather handbag. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”

“Yes, mother I’m fine. I’m flipping through wedding magazines all day flagging the things I like.” 

“Good to see that you are taking your wedding seriously.” She said slipping her way out of the front door. 

You waited for the engine of her small car to fade away down the street. You picked up your phone and called Yangyang. 

“You can come up the street now.”

“You could have texted me.” 

“It was easier to call you. My hands are busy doing something else.”

“Oh really doing what Sweetheart?” 

“Don’t be so crass Yangyang. I’m flipping through a magazine.” You sat up from the couch looking towards the big window seeing Yangyang’s car pull into the driveway. “The door is open. Come to the kitchen when you come in.” You ended the call. 

You sauntered into the kitchen pulling out a platter of vegetables and dip. Something your mother always had on hand, she always said best prepare for guest. 

You heard the front door open and shut. Yangyang walked it and saw you pour a glass of sparkling water. 

“Lemon wedge?” You asked. 

“Sure. Nice spread.” 

“You are a guest. Have some.” You pushed the dish towards him. He grabbed a piece of broccoli dipping it in the vignette and washed it down with his drink. 

“What time is our little meeting?” 

You looked at the oven clock. “It’s best to talk to Jaemin during lunch. We just need to get you in a button-up and dress pants. Maybe a vest.” You said looking him up and down. 

“You have something to fit me?” 

“You are roughly the same height as my father and he goes through weight fluctuation. My mom keeps them in one of our guest room closets. Now I already know what I’m wearing. I should really start on the look-over all and make the call for food from his favorite restaurant. With enough effort and my charm Jaemin will sponsor a car.” 

“You make it sounds so easy. Why am I going then?” 

“Jaemin likes to meet his investments or at least see them up and close.” 

“That is why you had me drive my car here?”

You nodded your head. “I’m going to get ready. Your welcome to sit in my room.” 

Yangyang followed you upstairs to your room. He sat down on your bed turning on your tv resuming what you were watching the night prior. 

You went into your bathroom doing light makeup on your face. Then move to your closet pulling the dress you wanted to wear with a pair of white strap heels. You were wearing a soft pale yellow sleeved sundress with buttons coming down to your waist as it was decorated with flowers. You did small side braids clipping them back with flower clips. You put in pearl teardrop earrings. You picked a pair of sunglasses for yourself. Then another for Yangyang. 

“Follow me Yangyang.” You said emerging from the closest shutting off the tv. You left the room and you felt Yangyang on your trail. 

You opened the guest room door going to the small side closet the room had with your father’s smaller suits. You picked charcoal grey pants and a vest. You pulled a white button-down from the other side of the closet. 

“Shoot I forgot. I don’t have shoes for you.” 

“I brought my dress shoes. They are in the car it’s easier to drive in sneakers than the dress shoes. To be honest I think my sneakers cost more than the dress shoes.”

“They probably are. Jaemin would recognize that, even if they are last season. Which he would also notice and he is the type to point that out to dwindle you down to nothing. Nevertheless, it’s a business meeting best to dress that way.”

“To think your parents want to waste that all on being a housewife.”

“Listen my mother is a housewife it’s hard. I don’t want to shame anyone who wants to have that life. But it is not the same when she was my age there weren’t a lot of opportunities for her. Her mother introduced her to my father. She wanted a comfortable lifestyle, stability, and my father was able to provide that for her.” You sat down next to Yangyang on the guest bed folding the clothes you picked out for him 

“You want something more?” He asked. 

“Well, I do. But I’m passive and my mother would shame me for speaking up for myself. I’m sure Jaehyun will get better.” 

Yangyang crossed his legs leaning in, “What exactly don’t you like about him?” 

You grinned, tucking your bottom lip under your upper lip humming. “He is a little bit older than me, I think he expected to be at his salesmen position a little longer and slowly move up the chain of command. So he can enjoy his twenties more. I don’t think he expected to be groomed in three years by his CEO to take over his company. Then by next June marrying said CEO’s daughter.” 

“June?” 

“It’s the one thing my mother and I can agree on is a June wedding. It is always beautiful during that month. I have no right to complain, I have a happy life, comfortable, I want anything my parents give it to me, Jaehyun is a gentleman and very handsome but I feel so unfulfilled.” You thought aloud not really looking for an answer staring off at the door of the room. “Go into the bathroom to change. We have a place to be I have a call to make.”  

______________________________________________________________

“Well, well if it isn’t the beauty ___ ____.” Jaemin greeted turning around in his spacious office. “Who’s this Darling?” 

“Jaemin, this is my friend Yangyang. Yangyang this Jaemin.” 

“I know all your friends. Your friends are my friends. I don’t know him who is he?” 

“Jaemin may I ask for discretion?”

“Do you even have to ask?” He nodded his head. 

As you were about to speak someone opened the door with a knock only hitting it as it opened. It was Jeno. “I heard you got food from a steak house?” 

“Jeno where did you hear that from?” You asked turning around. 

“Well heard is a stretch. I saw and smelled the steak coming in and I followed. Hi ___.” He smirked at you. 

“I have an extra plate for you. It is being sent to your office. You think I would forget about you, Jen?” 

“You are the best ___!” He closed the door and you watched through the window as he skipped towards his office. 

“Jaemin I think it would be best if you drew the blinds. After the food is delivered. Which should be in 3, 2, 1..” You pointed to the door as someone was knocking announcing who was there. 

“Come on in.” He rolled his eyes inviting them in. He bent down to his front desk drawer pulling out a remote for his blinds and lights. “It is annoying when she can plan everything down to the second.” He slapped Yangyang's shoulder as sat he down back at the chair in front of his table set. 

You and Yangyang were across him sitting on the couch. The dishes were placed in front of all of you. After thanking the man who brought them in and he shut the door. 

“Now who is he?” 

“Yangyang over here is the person who kidnapped me from my dinner with Jaehyun the other night. He stole the car because he is a drag racer. The engine of Jaehyun’s car would be a perfect match for his.” 

“Are you telling me this as your close friend or as a car parts specialist?” 

“Well if you saw him race would you sponsor him?” 

“Sponsor him for what parts for illegal racing?” 

“Oh come on Jaemin. You love gambling you could make back what you sell to me.” 

“You?”

“___ I don’t want you buying parts for me.” 

“Yang don’t worry about it. Jaemin you live for the thrill. You love gambling. All you have to do is watch one race and make a judgment.” 

“Fine.”  

“I still don’t like you buying me parts.”

“Don’t let it bother you. She has to donate money anyways.” 

“Has too?”

“I lost a bet to him in our Senior year. I really thought he wouldn’t do it. But he did.”

“What did you do?” Yangyang asked. 

“I pants our headmaster during an important assembly when the board was there. Actually, I still have the framed contract in my draw over there. Let me go get it.” Jaemin excited got up and opened his desk drawer. He pulled the poorly framed contract written up by Renjun. 

“If President Na Jaemin pulls down Headmaster Jung’s pants during the awards ceremony, ___ ____ will buy from his company for life and will have to fill a yearly quota that will increase by 3,000 each year. If he fails Jaemin will have to buy ___ shoes for the rest of her life at any given moment.” Yangyang read allowed. 

“I really liked shoes then. Now I’m all about handbags. But luckily my spending hasn’t gone to waste I still fit in my shoes from high school.” 

“What happened after you pants the guy?”

“Oh, I almost got expelled. However, my parents being my parents gifted him a car. I would have taken the expulsion.” 

“Why exactly was this contract even made up?”

“He was abusing his power as class President. And during that ceremony, all of the senior class presidents were giving out the awards so as the headmaster was handing him one he pulled his pants.” 

“I was not abusing my power!”

“You had us doing the sales paperwork for this company. He handed them out and labor us out with zero pay.”

“I was only using the best of our class. And whatever lumps in Jeno’s class. Not my fault that you were an overachiever. She unionized my workers then we settled. She has to meet her quota.”

“So your parents know about this?”

“Yeah, I’ll just tell them I’m buying parts for Jaemin’s car. Don’t worry once his kids overthrow him in his business I’ll never have to buy them again.” 

“How do you know they won’t keep the deal?”

“Because I’m going to be the best Aunt ever they’ll like me too much. But they will probably just be little versions of you. And you can’t say no to me.” 

He stuffed his face with his steak as not to answer which meant you won this exchange. 

______________________________________________________________

Yangyang was cleaning up the garage after his afternoon meeting. 

“We were thinking of ordering in tonight. Do you want some?”

“Nah I’m good. I had a big lunch.” 

“Your girlfriend bought you lunch.” Ten laughed. 

“She isn’t my girlfriend. Jaemin is coming to the race over the weekend. She can negotiate so well if her parents were dead set on this life for her she could definitely be a lawyer.” Yangyang smiled. 

“Oh, you really like her!” 

“What?! No. Well, she’s nice. She even let me keep her father’s old suit and a pair of her sunglasses she said I looked handsome.” 

Ten bent over laughing. “Damn. Did you ask her to drive with you on Saturday?” 

“Yeah, I did. She is.” He said under his breath.

“You do have it bad.” 

He huffed. “..Yeah I do like her. Which means jackshit she is engaged she will marry him.” 

“Doesn’t she hate him?” 

“She does. Won’t stop her from marrying him she wouldn’t upset her parents. Let me do the finishing touches on the car and I’ll do a detailed job on your car.” 

“Do you ever go home?” Ten asked. 

“Once the work is done.” 

“You’re still a baby. You should be sleeping more.” Ten patted his head. 

Yangyang pushed his hand away. “Leave me alone.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

You were in Yuqi’s condo trying on outfits to wear for the race tonight. 

“You are putting a lot of effort into this. More than with Jaehyun.”

You rolled your eyes opening another bag slipping out a purple slip dress that stopped above the knee. You looked at her reflection telling your opinion on the matter. “I’ve learned in the past few months no matter how hard I try with Jaehyun it’s not enough. He never notices it. I don’t expect him to notice the clothes but I put effort every time I see him. He never talks to me. He finds an excuse to have his parents at dinner or my parents even his friends.”

“Maybe you make him nervous?” She asked. 

“Why would I make him nervous? I have no power in this relationship.” 

Yuqi got up from her bed and she turned you around from the mirror. She shook your shoulders. 

“You have all the power ___! Your father wants to hand the company to your husband. Whoever that is! You get him to respect you. Text him ask him what you should wear?”

“But we are going to the race he is going to ask why I’m so dressed up when I said I was coming here tonight.” You told her. 

“It’s ok to say a white lie. Say I’m taking you to dinner.” She moved out of the frame of the mirror. “Put your leg out a little and have the phone just at your lips and look at the camera, not the mirror.” She directed you. 

Like the sheep you were you listened to her. You asked if you should wear the dress that you picked out for another man. But you didn’t phrase it like that. You asked if you should wear it to dinner with Yuqi.

‘what restaurant are you two going to???’

‘I don’t know. She said she was taking for a girl's night she wanted it to be a surprise.’

‘don’t wear that then. Wear something less scandalous. You can wear that when we go to dinner tomorrow night at the BBQ place you like.’ 

‘Really? Thanks, Jaehyun♥’

“See I told you. You have the power.”

“I still feel bad. I’m dressing for Yangyang.”

She smirked and giggled. “So this Yangyang what is he like?” 

You blushed a little and rubbed your arms. “He is smart…not like our kind of smart street smart. And when he talks he gets so excited he kind of reminds me of those wild cheetah cubs when they are playing. He drives so fast it's so much fun! He looks so…good when he is working on the car.” 

“You were going to say hot.” 

“I was not!” 

“Yeah, you were! ___ sweetie, I just want you to know that you know he can’t be the man you marry.” 

“I never..thought of him like that. I just like being around him. He is so easy to talk to.” You said falling on the bed. “He thinks the world of me…” 

“He said that?” 

“He said if my parents weren’t dead set on my future I could do more.” 

“He sounds sweet. I can’t wait to meet him tonight. Jaemin better looks nice tonight. Not in those ridiculous velvet suits.” You snickered 

______________________________________________________________

You ended up wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. You figured it would be better to wear something to fit in with Yangyang and his friends.

You jumped out of the car and Hendery came over to the window. “Hi, Hendery.” You beamed. 

“Hey ___. You want me to get Yangyang?” 

“Sure.” You smiled at him 

“Geez can she be any more obvious?” Haechan asked in the front seat. 

“I don’t like that you brought him,” Yuqi grumbled. 

“I’m his finance guy Kitten.” 

“Call me Kitten and my size 6 stilettos will be up your ass.” 

“Dude those might be stilettos but they aren’t a size 6.” 

“Oh, you son of a bitch-”

“Yuqi.” You said through gritted teeth. She stopped her actions of wrapping her hand around Haechan’s throat. “Yangyang these are friends Haecahan, Yuqi, and you have Jaemin.” 

“Very nice to meet all of you. Would you like to see the car?” 

“Yes,” Haechan said leaning over Jaemin. 

“Ok see those cars over there park there and meet me by the red car. ___, Yuqi if you want Ten was kind of excited to see what you were wearing. He dressed me up to impress you.” 

Yangyang was wearing a black blazer over a black t-shirt with layered chains. 

“You look handsome as always Yangyang. Jaemin, Yuqi and I are going to talk to Ten.” 

You grabbed Yuqi’s arm going over to Ten. “You were right he is hot.” Yuqi snickered. 

______________________________________________________________

Yangyang was showing off his car to his possible investor. 

“Jaemin I know I’m your financial advisor but I’m willing to gamble right here right now just by looking at the car.” 

“I should have brought Renjun to real you in a little.” Jaemin rubbed his head. He looked at Yangyang who was chuckling at Haechan’s little comment before turning to look at you chatting with his own friends. 

“You know she is engaged.” 

“Yeah, I do,” Yangyang said disappointedly. “What do you think of him? The guy.” 

“I don’t think much of him. He’s not much I’m guessing Mr.____ thinks he is like a younger version of himself. He just isn’t a chatty guy.” 

“I think he is cool. He likes playing video games.” Haechan said. 

“Of course, you like him you got him too stupidly to sign up for a special advisory package. He pays a building's rent just for a phone call like once a year.” 

“I also get invited to all the cool parties.” 

Jaemin huffed at Haechan’s comment turning attention back to Yangyang. “I like the car. You do good work with the parts.” 

“Thanks, man. There are refreshments over here.” He pointed towards the group surrounded by a folded-out table. 

“Yo Yangyang come here!” Winwin called from the starting line to discuss the race. 

______________________________________________________________

“The race is going to start soon so we have to go soon,” Yangyang said to you. 

You took a sip of the soda and nodded to him. “Let’s go then. Did you eat anything?” 

“I can’t eat before a race.” He patted his stomach. “We should go now.” He grabbed your hand and brought you over to the car. 

“Wow, it looks better with all the parts put together.”

“Put on your seatbelt when we are in the car. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He opened the passenger side door. 

Before he could get in the driver's side Winwin stopped him. “You have never had a girl in your car before.” 

“She’s a friend. She wanted to drive with me again.” 

“She looks familiar…Oh my god, Yang, that was you!” He whispered yelled at the boy. 

“No clue what you are talking about. Don’t you have a race to hold and start?” Yangyang said nonchalantly. 

Winwin held his microphone and did the alarm sound to get the attention of the crowd. With everyone looking at him, “Welcome everyone, tonight we got a handful of races. Starting with Yangyang from the Vision garage.” 

Yangyang revved his engine and there were a couple of whistles, screaming, and clapping. 

“From garage 127 Jungwoo.” The same reaction came from the announcement from the other side of the alley.

Jungwoo looked at Yangyang giving him a wink. 

“Do you know him personally?” 

“We all know each other. It’s not a big deal on who wins or who has a better car. Which I do in this case. Hold on to that.” He pointed to the handle above the door. 

You gladly took his advice quickly gripping it and centering yourself.  

“All bets are final. Let's start the races. On your mark Boys?” Winwin asked looking at both cars. Yangyang wasn’t even looking at the other racer or Winwin he was looking straight ahead. “Ready? GO!” 

Yangyang took off at the speed of light. Your eyes closed for a second and by the time Yangyang was in his groove you opened them. 

“Are you scared again?” 

“No! Just started out a little rough. You are going surprisingly slow for this situation.” 

“Jungwoo always does this he goes fast way too early around the 1/4 of the way mark there is a turn where he will slow down and we can get ahead of him.” 

Yangyang was right. There was a turn and Jungwoo started to slow down to take on such a turn. All he had to was accelerate to past him. Once Yangyang reached the required speed the lights in his car turned on. He watches your face light up with the lights amazed by the mechanics of his car. 

He didn’t break his speed he wasn’t going to lose to Jungwoo right in front of you. Not with you in the car. 

Yangyang went faster focusing on the track ahead of him. He only noticed you again when you gripped his thigh 

“You sure you aren’t scared?” He asked out of concern. 

“No! I really like how fast you are going it feels so good.” 

Yangyang felt his face get a hot and mumbled underneath his breath “fuck.” He turned away from you and hit his head on his chair. “We are almost there.” 

He slammed hard on the gas and he was skillful in his turns. Coming full circle passing the finish line with everyone from their party cheering him on. 

Jungwoo was only a few miles behind him. Once the car stopped the two of them got out and shook hands. 

You got out and went over to your friends. “So what did you think Jaemin?” 

“I’ll sponsor him.” 

“Yes! You are the best.” You hugged him. “Can I tell him?”  

Jaemin nodded his head. 

Yangyang was by the food table eating he was stuffing his face with noodles and chicken. “Hey what’s up?” He said forcing himself to swallow his food. 

“Jaemin said he would sponsor you. He likes the way you drive. Are you only doing one race tonight?” 

“Yeah. These are just the preliminaries. It is a few months until we even reach the finals. But it's going to be a long night like 4 more hours of racing with different shops.” 

“It’s pretty late maybe my friends and I..” You turned around pointing to your group. You saw Yuqi flirting with a guy from the shop you haven’t met and Haechan and Jaemin were talking with Kun they looked like they were having fun. 

“I was thinking about leaving early because I was working overtime at the shop. If you want I could drive you home.” Yangyang said over your shoulder whispering into your ear. 

“..yeah let's go.” 

“Just so you know I can’t go as fast as you like.” He grinned slyly. 

______________________________________________________________

The car was gracefully going on the highway. 

“I’m not staying at my house. I’m doing a girl's night with Yuqi whenever she gets home.” 

“Cool. Just give me the address and we will get there in no time. Unless you want to go to this spot not far from here and look at the city and eat some more.” 

“mmm. Yeah, sure I have nowhere else I have to be.” 

Yangyang pulled his car off the exit and went to this hillside that looked at the city. It was so pretty from afar the building's lights looked like floating stars. 

When he stopped you got out and sat on the bench there. He came over and sat next to you. 

You were sitting in comfortable silences. Not a fortunate thing you can have with just anyone. 

He stuck the container of food towards you. But you shook your head no. You weren’t hungry. You felt butterflies in your stomach. 

He took one last bite and put it down on the other side. He placed his arm on the back of the bench and turned his attention to you. 

“You had fun right?” 

“Yeah. I love being in the car with you. You are so good at driving.” 

Yangyang laughed and his head fell. “Yeah, I noticed how much you like my driving.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“You gripped my leg when I went faster and you did it again when we were on the highway.” 

“Oh, I didn’t even realize I did that. Sorry I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” 

He shook his head smirking. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable.” He pushed the hair out of your face. 

You stared at him for a long minute. Yangyang leaned in kissing you lightly. 

You stuttered with a gasp. There was a slight gap between the two of you. 

“I wanted to do that since I first noticed you.”

You nodded in agreement not even really sure what he was saying being caught up in the moment. You found yourself on his lap kissing him again. The kissing became sloppy you couldn’t stop yourself even for air. Your hands were rooted in his hair yanking on it. Yangyang’s hands were on your waist he started to drag you across his jeans. It created perfect friction keeping up with this overly passionate moment. 

You were so caught up in the moment when your phone started buzzing and yelped. 

“Huh? Someone is excited.” Yangyang laughed as you two pulled apart. 

You chuckled along with him you pulled your phone out of your pocket wiping your lips for a minute. Looking at the texts. 

“Who is it? Your friends?” 

“It's no one.”

“It’s Jaehyun isn’t it?” He asked. 

“..Yeah..that kind of ruins the mood doesn’t it.” 

“Yeah, it does. We shouldn’t be doing this.” He rubbed your face. “It’s wrong.” 

“I know.” You pursed your lips. 

“Jesus. It’s so hard to say no to you. So fucking difficult. But this isn’t going to work. We can’t keep sneaking around. It is not you. If we were to get caught..nothing would happen to me, maybe jail time if they found out about that thing. But you would be ruined. You should marry Jaehyun. Live your socialite lifestyle have kids and make your parents happy. Maybe one day we can find each other again.” 

“Are you sure? I could leave…”

“No. We won’t work. I can’t make happy the way Jaehyun can. We won’t work out now if we were together. We need to wait.” He pushed your hair out of your face again lifting your chin to look at him. “Don’t pout. I’ll drive you over to Yuqi’s home.” 

And just like that, your fling with the dark side was over. You would have to wait for your taste of Yangyang again. 

______________________________________________________________

devilfoodcafe™

______________________________________________________________

#nct x reader #nct u x reader #nct fluff #nct imagines #nct yangyang #nct yangyang x reader #wayv x reader #wayv yangyang #wayv yangyang x reader #yangyang #yangyang x reader #liu yangyang #liu yangyang x reader #yangyang liu #devilfoodcafelist #nct masterlist #wayv masterlist #nct u masterlist

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ THE HATE YOU GIVE❞ | l.hc

PAIRINGS — f!soulmate x soulmate!haechan

GENRE — enemies to lovers, angst

WARNINGS — a little bit of toxic relationship

WC — 5.2k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

——————————————————————————————————

“You have to eat you know?” Jisung said poking at your shoulder.

“What?” You asked turning your head to him he pointed his utensils at your tray of food. “Oh yeah. Sticky sesame chicken legs my favorite.”

“Are you alright ___? Looks like you have seen a ghost.” Chenle asked.

“It’s really noting just. Haechan is getting food with Karina.”

“I thought you would be ok with that. More than ok.” Chenle commented.

“I am. It what is going to come after that upsets me.” You told the pair as you snacked on the chicken legs.

“Hush hush here comes Sungchan and Shotaro,” Jisung said.

With a little slam of his tray across from you, you looked at Shotaro.”

“H-Hi Shota.”

“Can’t you control your man? He is always hanging off of Karina.”

“I’m sure they are just walking together from class.”

“Haechan isn’t in her class.” Sungchan pointed out sliding next to Chenle. Which lead to Chenle to step on his foot.

“They could have seen each other in the hallway. It doesn’t matter Shota, we are all going to be sitting together.”

“She is still my soulmate,” Shotaro complained stabbing his utensil into his side dishes.

“___!” Ryujin said coming in sliding into the seat right next to you.

“Ryujin we just saw each other this morning.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t miss you. Especially with Jaemin hanging off me.”

“Ryujinie you ran ahead of me.” He pouted poking her shoulder.

“Here comes Jeno, Jaemin bother him. Better yet bother Renjun too.” Ryujin pushed her hand towards her boyfriend.

“Now I’m a bother.” He whined.

“You are when you keep poking me during class. Ryujin look at this drawing, Ryujin what was the answer for number 5, Ryujinie look at the birds in their love nest.”

“Hey! I thought you would enjoy seeing love in nature. Actual love. Maybe you could take a lesson from the animals.”

“Excuse me! Who pays for all your gaming habits because your mother stopped your monthly allowance?”

“Well yeah but what about our 100 day anniversary? I did a dance in front of the whole class and each desk had a bouquet of flowers for you which all added up to a hundred.” Jaemin argued back.

“What is going on here?” Jeno asked coming up behind you.

“Lovers quarrel. Someone is clingy and wants attention and someone is not in the mood for it. Just sit on the other side of Jaemin it will be done in about 25 seconds.” You hummed.

“How do you-”

As if on cue Ryujin wrapped her pinkie around Jaemin’s finger. “I’m sorry that I was neglecting you today.”

“I’m sorry for being annoying today.”

You rolled your eyes. “Can you guys stop being so lovey-dovey? Eat your food.”

“Taro where’s Karina?” Jaemin asked.

You started to choke on your drink.

“She is with Haechan.” He growled.

Ryujin started parting your back and told them, “Actually here they come.”

“Hey, Shota,” Karina said coming down kissing her boyfriend on the cheek.

“Hey.”

“Shotaro can you move down a seat.” Haechan tapped his shoulder.

Shotaro rolled his eyes instead of picking a fight with Haechan.

Haechan was sitting across from you, putting his hand out. You begrudgingly rest your hand in his.

“Now who is acting coupley?” Jaemin taunted. Haechan lift his other hand and swatted his hand in the air.

“Jaemin shut up.”

“___ you want my chicken? It’s too sweet.” Shotaro asked already putting them on your plate.

“Thanks, Shota.” You smiled at him.

Haechan squeezed your hand breaking your eye contact from Shotaro.

“What’s mom making tonight?”

“Huh?”

“What is your mom making tonight for family dinner?”

“Well, you are coming over so kimchi stew.”

“Great.” He smirked. “Mark asked for us really anyone here to sign up for that trip in the woods. He feels more comfortable around friends.”

“How many are allowed in the group?” Jeno asked.

“10-15.”

“Isn’t it like a soulmate trip what are the people who don’t know their soulmates supposed to do Haechan?” Chenle asked.

“Make s’mores and not kill each other with the sticks.”

“So I and Ningning can go?” Jisung asked.

“Sometimes I forget you found your soulmate before me.” Chenle rolled his eyes.

“Can’t you just ask your parents to pay to know?” Jisung asked.

“Believe it or not I’m a romantic. I’ll find them at some point. I guess Sungchan and I will just torture Renjun.”

Renjun slammed his head on the table.

“He’s joking don’t be dramatic. We will use the opportunity to be one with nature.” Sungchan reassured Renjun.

“I’ll text Lia,” Jeno said from down the table.

“Great it’s settled than we are all going? Gotta tell Mark.” Haechan looked to you for approval.

You simply nodded your head.

——————————————————————————————————

“You can let go of my hand. We are at my classroom.” You dropped your grip on Haechan’s hand.

“You don’t have to be a angry about it.”

“Why does it matter do you see our parents?” You mocked putting your hand over your eyes looking around the hallway of the classroom.

“Our friends don’t know.”

“That is bullshit. Mark knows.”

Haechan sighed. “Do we have to argue about this?”

“You’re the one that started this today. Holding hands, call my mom, “mom” in general, suggesting the soulmate trip. And you do all this as if you weren’t flirting with Karina before sitting down.”

“Why does it make you jealous?”

You scoffed, “Jealous? I feel sorry for her. More importantly, you are doing it in front of her soulmate. Then I hear about it.”

“You rather Shotaro not talk about her in front of you and give you food.”

“Now who sounds jealous.”

“I feel bad for him too, you are pathetic.” He commented before hitting you in the shoulder.

——————————————————————————————————

“Daughter you look so pretty tonight. Did you help your mother cook?” Haechan’s mother asked.

“Mrs. Lee I’m not that great a cook. I think I would burn the house down.” You laughed as you took a bite of your food.

“Oh, dear don’t call me Mrs. Lee you can call me a mother.” She smiled across the table. “Hyuck you haven’t complimented ___.”

“___ you look beautiful.” They were sweet words but you could feel they were dripping with venom. “I have a gift for you.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wrapped gift box.

You smiled and undid the bow. Sitting on a white silk pillow was a pendent, with your and his initials engraved in it on one side and the other was your shared tattoo. A simple outline of a puzzle piece.

“I love it Hyuck.” You smiled slipping the chain around your neck. Turning your head to show your mother the necklace Haechan bought for you.

The parents smiled happily, thinking their children were in love with each other. A ridiculous thought. Haechan and your parents have been friends ever since your mothers were pregnant. When they found out that their unborn babies were soulmates. They both paid to know in advance to know.

They went to the same doctors, lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, and did everything together.

You hated that you had a fate already picked out. More importantly, you hated that your future was Lee Dong Hyuck.

“___ did Hyuck tell you about the trip that Mark is supervising, the soulmate trip?” His father asked.

“Actually dad, Mark asked me to get a few couples. We are planning on going with Jaemin, Jeno, Karina, and Jisung.” He told them.

“What soulmate trip?” Your father asked.

“It is a camping trip. They have two cabins, it is meant to bring soulmates closer together. There is a hiking, canoeing, build a fire together, build a tent together, and we watch movies.” Haechan explained.

“It’s a weekend trip. They will be safe ____. The cabins are separated by gender. They only have to stay together one night in a tent.” Haechan’s mother reasoned with him.

“It will build their relationship Honey. Don’t worry about them.”

“Alright.”

——————————————————————————————————

“I’m sitting next to Mark on the bus.” You told Haechan.

“Like hell you are. He is my best friend.”

“Then who am I supposed to sit next to?”

“Renjun, you two are similar.”

“Fine.” You agreed angrily. You put your bag in the undercarriage. You saw Renjun sitting on a bench outside the bus.

“Why aren’t you on the bus yet?” You asked.

“It’s hot in there. Mark isn’t here yet so there isn’t a point to go in there.”

“Can I sit with you on the bus?”

“You don’t want to sit with Haechan?”

You laughed. “He wants to sit with Mark. And you know? Haechan can be a little much.”

Renjun looked surprised. “Never heard a soulmate speak about their soulmate like that.”

You looked around and you were the only people outside of your friend group. “If I told you a secret, would you keep it?”

“I see no point in gossiping. Unless Chenle begs me, but he won’t know you told me a secret.”

You sat down on the bench looking at Renjun directly in his eyes. “I don’t like Haechan. At all.”

“Today? Is he like getting your nerves?”

“No Renjun. I hate him. I hate him with every ounce of my being. I haven’t liked him since maybe I was 5 years old. I hate everything about him.”

“You hate your soulmate.”

“Yep. Wow, it feels refreshing to actually tell someone. I’ve been holding onto that.”

“Does Haechan know this?” He asked.

“You know I only make sarcastic comments towards him. He belittles me when we are alone. I think the feeling mutual.”

“Belittles you? What does he say to you? I’m shocked because he is my friend.”

“I mean after lunch the other day he called me pathetic. I think he was just saying that because I’m not outward about my crush on Shotaro.”

He gasped. “Shotaro?!”

“It’s a little crush. It will go away.”

“Shotaro always says Haechan flirts with Karina is that true?”

You nodded. “You don’t have to worry about Chenle he already knows. He read my diary like a few years ago, with Jisung in the room. I stopped journaling after that.”

“That you like Shotaro? Or the Haechan thing.”

“Haechan thing. They promised not to tell anyone.” You started to pick at your shoes. “It’s hard to tell your friends, especially when they are all with their soulmates and in love. Chenle found out he felt bad. Jisung felt bad too but it was different he found his soulmate and couldn’t live a day without her.”

“___ you need time to maybe get to know Haechan.”

“Know him? Renjun I’ve known him since I was born.”

He saw how sad you looked. “___ I’m sorry. I don’t know what you are going through. But I guess I’ve seen signs. Haechan doesn’t text you when we are out like the others. He doesn’t act like a typical boyfriend. I thought he was doing that out of respect of you because you guys don’t do PDA.”

“Is it…obvious?”

“No. It’s strange but not obvious. Things could change ___. He could change it could take years. We are going to university soon, you two need time apart.” You nodded agreeing with the statement.

“In retrospect a weekend in the woods together doesn’t seem like a good place for you guys.”

You rolled your eyes. “Mark is here.” You pointed to his car. “Let’s get on the bus and get the back seats before Sungchan and Chenle get here.”

“Why?”

“Oh, Renjun you never had to be on a bus with them. They take up the back seats. Wouldn’t you like to sleep all the way to God knows where with your legs reclined on the neighboring seat?”

He nodded in agreement. “Let’s go.”

——————————————————————————————————

3 hours on a bus. Mark only brought Pixar movies and other Disney movies. At some point, Frozen came on and Jisung was singing every song.

It was in the late afternoon. You got off the bus and stretched. Mark blew a whistle.

“Dude we are a small group. Some of us were sleeping. All you need to do is clap.” Jeno complained.

“Listen up, we have a schedule to keep to. This is a requirement for my human relations class. I have to document how soulmates do in a new environment and given tasks. Like building a tent together, canoeing, and answering these 36 questions. Hiking together being clippers together.” Mark explained.

“So you are seeing how long it would take to piss each other off,” Lia asked.

“Yes but to see how quickly you recover and who apologizes first,” Mark commented.

“$150 on Jaemin and Ryujin fighting first,” Haechan called out.

“Yeah, I match that too.” Chenle laughed.

“Excuse me!” “Uncalled for!” They both yelled.

The group turned to them.

“Jaemin and Ryujin to be fair you are always picking fights with each other,” Jisung told them.

“Jisung they are petty fights. We apologize to each other in under 5 minutes.” Jaemin told him.

“No betting on who will fight first. It is all ok. Fighting is normal in a relationship. In fact, having fights like that are healthy for couples.” Mark stated. “Let’s get settled in our rooms in the cabin. On the left the girls and right the boys.”

As everyone was bringing their bags in you grabbed Haechan’s arm. “Did you know that we would be all this stuff together?”

“If I say yes you are going to rip my head off. If I say no my limbs are going ripped off day by day.”

“This isn’t the time to be sarcastic. Did you know or didn’t you?”

“Mark warned me. But I didn’t think it would be a big deal. We can fake it until we make it. Give me your bags I’ll bring them to your room.”

“I can bring them myself.”

“Not the time to act like that. I’ll bring it to your room.” Haechan took your suitcase and went ahead of you to the house.

——————————————————————————————————

“This feels like Mark is handcuffing us,” Sungchan said holding up his locked carabiner to Chenle’s carabiner.

“Kinky,” Haechan said allowed. You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help but laugh when you saw Mark’s face turn a little pink.

Mark cleared his throat getting the attention of the group. “There are 3 trails to hike around here that lead back to this point. You will complete this by doing a scavenger hunt on how to come back here they are marled by color, red, blue, and yellow. There is one extra red one. Renjun and I will take that one. On the directions, there are miss-marked ways to go and phrased in different ways so you might get lost. The goal here is to see if you will listen to your partner and listen to their input.”

Mark grabbed random directions and handed each pair a colored paper. You and Haechan got the blue paper. The same as Shotaro and Karina.

“Shoot.”

“What?” Haechan asked.

“We have the same as Karina and Shotaro.”

Haechan chuckled and rolled his tongue in his cheek. He leaned down and whispered “So what? Despite our differences, I think we can communicate better than them. Plus who knows Mark better than us.”

You laughed. “You are right, he is usually obvious in what he says.”

“Each pair go to your trails. And open your papers.”

You opened the paper and read the first bullet point. It was a math problem.

“Are you kidding me? I suck at math.” Haechan stated.

You reviewed the problem. “I think I know where to go.”

“How do you know?”

“I used to like them, I did them a lot when we were younger. They are pretty easy you just have to put them in the right formula.”

“So where do we have to go?”

“Come here.” Telling him to lean down so Shotaro and Karina wouldn’t hear. “We have to walk 20 feet and turn right on a small path and there will be a little box with the next clue.”

“Let's go then,” Haechan said walking a step in front of you.

——————————————————————————————————

“Coming in at second place ___ and Haehcan.” Jeno and Lia shouted as you and Haechan emerged from the woods.

“How is Mark not here yet?” You said.

“I would have thought he cheated.” Haechan agreed.

“You two are positively giddy,” Lia commented.

“We had fun. Especially the clues were easy when it comes to knowing Marks's brain.” You told her.

“Or you have the answers on your phone because Mark had to use your phone for homework. He saved his password.” Haechan said waving it in the air.

“So you cheated?” Jeno laughed.

“For the last ten.” You told them.

“How did you get wifi out here?”

“His phone always has wifi. It is something strangely he is lucky in.”

“He got lucky with you,” Lia said aloud.

You went silent for a minute and so did Haechan. He started laughing and hugged you to his side.

“I sure did. My little puzzle piece. Why don’t we go inside the cabin and start barbecuing some meat?”

“Yeah, I’m starving let’s go.” You agreed.

“Wait you two have to write a paragraph on the experience rate of what happened,” Lia told you. “We will go inside and start cooking.” They walked back to the house.

“What are you writing?” You asked him.

“Whatever you are writing. So what are you writing?”

“I’m going to write that the trail brought us close together and the clues were fairly easy. That we took turns with each clue giving one's opinion and if we needed help we would ask. That when we were frustrated that we said sarcastic comments.”

“You don’t have to dull it down and make it sound so clinical.”

You turned your head to Haechan. “It is going to go in his report. Sure we won’t be named but do you really want to be known as the couple that hates each other. I’m being honest, Haechan this like the only time we have gotten along in 13 years.”

“I’m only nice when competing for something. But I don’t do the work, so sign my name to yours as well. I’m going to have lunch.”

“Fine Hyuck.”

He turned around and came up to your face. “You don’t get to call me that. Only people I love call me that. Don’t talk to me for the rest of the day.” He walked off again.

“___? Are you ok?” Renjun asked from the path with Mark next to him.

“Yep. I’m Fine.” You told him. “It’s just Haechan.”

“I can go talk to him.”

“Mark don't go after him. Let him just be angry. My fault I shouldn’t call him that we aren’t in front of our parents.” You signed your names to the paper and slipped it into the box.

“___ you are crying.”

“Huh?” You swiped the back of your hand across your cheek and felt tears on your cheek. “Didn’t realize that happened.”

Mark and Renjun sat down on the log by the fire pit still attached to each other.

“Why are you crying?” Renjun asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe because the first time in years we were getting along. I was stupid to think maybe we could make it work. Sometimes I wish we didn’t know each other, that I wasn’t told he was my soulmate. We should have met each other later in life. Maybe then I would have been lovable.” You told them. “Listen I’m going to go lay down in my room.”

——————————————————————————————————

There was a knock on your door as you were laying down with a facemask.

“Who is it?”

“Renjun. I have dinner for you no soy sauce.”

“You can come in.”

Renjun came in with a bedroom tray of sushi and a drink for you. “Shotaro made dinner. I know you didn’t get to have the barbecue lunch. There was a little bit of a fight downstairs between Shotaro and Haechan.”

“What were they arguing about?”

“If you are allergic to soy or not. Shotaro kept saying don’t put soy in or near this tray. And Haechan said you liked soy and there was no problem with a cup of dipping soy sauce. And then Shotaro accused him of trying to murder you as a joke. But I think after what I saw he might.”

“Come sit down.” You patted the bed. “You want to do a facemask?”

“Sure.”

“They are in the mini-fridge. Here is an extra headband.” You pushed the headband on his head and got the hair out of his face. He went to the fridge and picked out a facemask. He laid down on the pillow as you laid it down on his face for him.

“So what did you mean by ‘lovable’?” He asked with air quotes.

“It happened when we were kids before we met you guys. I overheard him say to someone that why would he love me, just because we were born for each other doesn’t mean he had to love me. I think the older kids at our elementary school were teasing him about having his soulmate with him. We were the only kids there with a soulmate. After I heard him say that, I knew he didn’t need me. I punched him in the face at home.”

“How old were you?”

“We were 5. I know deep down it’s stupid to hate him for that. But he was just so cold after that.”

“Maybe because you punched him in the face.”

“I was 5. I just heard the person I was told cared and loved me just say I was unlovable.”

“Are you sure he meant it?”

“If he didn’t mean it he wouldn’t be so inherently cold and say awful things to me.”

Renjun shrugged. “Things could change. He was nice to you today.”

“He is nice but then he acts like an ass it says something. I don’t know what I do that makes him so angry.”

“You want me to stay the night?”

“Nah I think I’ll be good. Go and have fun. I’m just tired it was a long day. Plus the canoeing tomorrow.”

“Yeah ok I’ll go to my room. If there is anything you need just let me know.”

You hug him. “Thank you. Just keep the mask on for 30 more minutes. And you can give that back to me in the morning. Can you give this to Haechan?” You handed Renjun the necklace Haechan has given you a few weeks prior.

“Are you sure?”

“Definitely.”

“Ok. Sleep well.”

——————————————————————————————————

“Here are everyone’s cue cards with 36 questions of leading to love they are inside the basket with your lunch. This activity is meant for you and your soulmate to grow closer together. Things you may not know about each other may come out.” Mark said. “Just have fun out on the lake. But life jackets are required.”

“We can take turns rowing.” You told Haechan as you guys were rowing off the shore.

He nodded as he was rowing. He still seemed pissed off.

As you were in the middle of the lake. He stopped rowing. He pulled something out of his pocket, the headband and the necklace.

“Put it on.”

“Haechan why would I put it on? You don’t love me.”

“By the end of this maybe I will.” He pulled out the flashcards. “First question, Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?”

“I think my grandparents. We never see them. We only see them at Christmas. They are always traveling now that they are retired.”

“They are really nice. Your grandpa always gives the best gifts.”

“What about you? Who would you invite to dinner?”

He thought for a minute. “Justin Bieber. So I could tell Mark I had dinner with Justin Bieber before him.”

You laughed. “These might be fun.”

As the afternoon went on you kept answering those questions.

You asked the next one, “Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met.”

There was silence for a minute.

“Haechan you don’t have to answer this one.”

“I like your heart. You care about everyone’s feelings before your own. You don’t put yourself last before the people you love. Something I’m jealous of. You?”

“I like that you are a little selfish. I wish I could do that sometimes. I wish I could be that way with my parents I can never say no to something no matter how uncomfortable it makes me. I have a question for you that isn’t a part of the cards.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you think Karina is pretty?”

"Um... I don't know, I guess."

"It's not a difficult question, do you think she's pretty?"

"I don't know, why does it matter?"

"It just matters.”

“___, Karina is pretty. Yes, I flirt with her but I don’t mean anything by it. You are pretty too.”

You turned your head and rubbed your hands on your jeans.“Ok, next card.”

“What is your most terrible memory?” He said aloud.

“I don’t know if I can tell you.”

“___ it is the whole point of this exercise. Listen I’ll say mine even though I don’t want you to hear. The day you punched me in the face. I didn’t know what I did, earlier that day you gave me a friendship bracelet the next minute I have a double nose bleed and you ripped the bracelet off my wrist.”

“You said I was unlovable. An older kid, I think it was Johnny I can’t remember I only heard your voice he was teasing you saying it was stupid to have your soulmate hang off of you. And you said why would you love me, just because we were born for each other doesn’t mean you had to love me. That is my terrible memory, that was the day I punched you.”

“I remember saying that. I felt horrible because I was lucky. Some people go their whole lives without meeting their soulmates. Heard you crying in the next room telling your mother that you hated me you practically were screaming it. I really thought you hated me so I hated you back.”

“Do you really hate me?” You asked.

“God you are such an idiot.” He grabbed your face and kissed you. “No, I don’t hate you. Every hurtful word I said to you I regret. Do you hate me?”

“I hate the things you say to me.”

“If I never say them again and care for you?”

“Are you joking?” You asked seriously.

“Not when it comes to you.”

“I could grow to love you.” You grabbed him and yanked him forward and kissed him again passionately.

With that, you both fell in the lake with a big splash.

“Haechan! ___! Are you alright?!” Mark yelled.

“Yeah, we are great!” Haechan yelled back. “We are going back to shore!”

Haechan and you flipped the boat over together and got back in the boat.

“Are you ok?” You asked him.

“Just cold now. We should shower when we go back to shore and I’ll get a fire ready for us. Can we still take turns rowing?” He was shivering.

“Yes, Haechan.”

“Hyuck. You can call me Hyuck. I love you. If you don’t want to wear this necklace, I can get you something else.”

“Hold on to it. Wait until we are actually ready.”

“All I ask is that you distance yourself from Shotaro for a while. I’ll do the same for Karina.”

“I can do that for you Hyuck.”

——————————————————————————————————

“Haechan you packed a whole home for one night of camping out,” Jaemin commented at the ginormous tent he brought.

“Yes, I know. Just help me with setting the tent.”

“Are you going to help with mine?”

Haechan rolled his eyes.

“Hyuck play nice. Jaemin I’ll help you with your tent.” You told him.

It took the boys 25 minutes to set up the tent.

“I can do the air mattress by myself. ___ where is your sleeping bag?”

You pointed to your feet to the rolled sack. “I’ll get us extra blankets and pillows from inside once I’m done with Jaemin.”

“Sounds good.” He grabbed the sleeping bag at his feet when he came up and pecked your nose.

“What is with you two today? Making out on the lake, holding each on the couch, and kissing each other.” Jaemin faked gagging.

“The questions brought us closer together.”

“Ryujin and I are closer too but not that close.”

“Don’t complain about our PDA!” Hyuck yelled from inside the tent.

“You really shouldn’t be talking I’ve watched you shove your tongue down Ryujin’s throat after the basketball game.”

“I scored 4 baskets that game. I earned that french kiss. It is just odd to see you guys being so affectionate in front of us. Most of the time it is hand-holding and it is usually a limp handhold. And now you are calling him Hyuck.”

“Jae stop!” Ryujin said from her spot on the long. “Ever think they aired out what they wanted. Maybe ___ wants to have more PDA, maybe Haechan wants ___ to call him by his birth name instead of his nickname.” She pointed out giving him a side-eye.

“I apologize for me being grossed out by my friends being intimate in front of me.”

Hyuck came out of the tent. “I’ve seen you grope Jeno. I can kiss my girlfriend and cuddle her whenever I want.” Hyuck picked you up brought you inside the tent and dropped you down on the air mattress.

“What about the blankets and pillows?”

“I’ll get them. You stay here and enjoy the ambiance.” He gestured to the room. He hung up fairy lights and had a little snack table set up.

You laid down and stared at the lights for a few minutes before he came back with pillows and blankets in hand.

“For someone who was acting as he hated me a day ago why did you buy this tent, fairy lights, and air mattress?”

“I’m going, to be honest, I did know what this trip entailed, so much so I was helping Mark in the planning process giving intimate challenges because I went to confess to you and I thought it would go over easier if I buttered you up.”

“You are so dead.” You picked up a pillow and slapped him in the back.

He picked up the other and hit you in the face lightly. “Even if you are mad at me I’m happy at the outcome. All this miscommunication could have destroyed us.”

You held out your pinky, “Let's promise to communicate in the future and not to hold anything in. And if we are so mad at each other we rope Mark in to help us.”

“I agree to that.” He gripped your pinky. “I love you ___.”

“I love you too Hyuck.”

He pulled you in by your pinky and held you close to his chest. For the first time, you felt his genuine heart.

——————————————————————————————————

devilfoodcafe™

——————————————————————————————————

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[devilfoodcafe]

NCT Masterlist. 

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lee taeyong

the willow and the snake

moon taeil

suh johnny

nakamoto yuta

bleeding heart

qian kun

kim doyoung

lee ten

jung jaehyun

dong sicheng

kim jungwoo

they call it kitten love

lee mark

caught in the spidersweb

xiaojun

brain over heart

hendery

huang renjun

red + blue = you

lee jeno

unconditional love

lee haechan

the hate you give

na jaemin

liu yangyang

fast cars, fast love

osaki shotaro

jung sungchan

love on the ice

zhong chenle

park jisung

pomegranate and kisses

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･☆｡･:*:★,｡ ･:*:☆

devilfoodcafe™

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#masterlist #nct masterlist #devilfoodcafelist #nct 127 masterlist #nct u masterlist #nct dream masterlist #wayv masterlist #nct x reader

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝UNCONDITIONAL LOVE❞ | l.jn

PAIRINGS — f!princess x knight!jeno

GENRE — fluff, angst

WARNINGS — a violence

WC — 7.2k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

——————————————————————————————————

Being the crowned Princess was rather difficult. The responsibilities could drive you a little crazy, which drove you to where you were hiding right now. Your personal library. Sitting atop the balcony railing flipping through a book, sipping on water, and eating finger sandwiches your childhood nanny made for you.

This action was causing Jeno stress walking around the castle looking for you. He was your personal bodyguard. He was new and he lost you. How could he lose the future Queen?! He thought.

“What do you mean you lost her?” Renjun asked rushing alongside his counterpart.

“I mean I can’t find her. She gave me the slip again. I wish someone would just tell me where her hiding places are. Why would she want to hide?”

“You could ask Doyoung?”

“And get my head chopped off for losing the future queen? He just became the head of war board control. I rather run all over the castle like a chicken with its head cut off.”

As they were having their conversation, they were interrupted by the ever so sly, handsome, a little cocky Prince Chenle. “If you are looking for my sister you should try looking in the library.”

“Looked there. She isn’t there.”

“Not the castle library, her personal library. Father had it built for her. Behind the deer tapestry, there is a false wall. Put light pressure on it and it opens. There is a staircase that leads upstairs to a small room with books and a terrace.” Chenle explained.

“Be more lady-like? What does she mean by that? I’m kind, I eat with my mouth closed, I smile.” You grunted stacking books in one hand as you balanced on the ladder.

You were tired. Your father's lessons, your mother's lessons, sitting in and listening to your subject's complaints. It was killing you. When you were this frustrated and consumed with worry you read

“Princess ___?”

You were shaken out of your thoughts causing you to slip off the ladder, luck falling into chainmail arms.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you, Princess,” Jeno said smiling at you.

“How did you find me?” You said in a monotone voice getting yourself out of his arms. Bending over picking up the books that clattered to the floor.

“Prince Chenle told me. And he told Renjun too. Not exactly important. Why did you disappear again? You know it is my responsibility to watch you.”

“I needed to be alone.” You said grabbing an apple from the table, cracking open the first on the pile sitting on the balcony leg swinging back and forth. “Doyoung usually took a break around this time and had lunch or something.” You said nodding your head over towards the table and chairs.

“I rather just do my job. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

You rolled your eyes at the comment, “Fine then, just sit down you freaking me outstanding around like that.” You pointed at the table. “Have some pastries and some tea.”

Jeno was watching you, as per the job description. Watching your leg swing as you took a large bite out of the green apple hearing the crunch of the apple.

“You shouldn’t be sitting like that Princess.”

You sighed snapping the book closed looking at the young man starring him down. “Jeno you open your mouth again and I take a swan dive off of the balcony.”

His eyes popped open quickly putting a puffed pastry in his mouth. Again he was starring at your leg swinging. He noticed that you were wearing riding boots instead of the normal slip-on shoes. He looked at your face now, “I have a few questions?”

“Jeno…” He had a soft look in his eyes, cream in the corners of his mouth. He didn’t know you the way Doyoung did. “Fine then. What would you like to know?”

“Why are you wearing riding boots?”

“I was riding earlier. They are a lot more comfortable to wear compared to others. Next question please?” You decided to get off the side of the balcony sitting the opposite of the knight.

“What do you do?”

“It is hard to explain. I do lessons with my mother which includes listening to people and other lady-like things. With my Father, I have to know our lands, our allies, and our enemies. Then there are coronation lessons, dress fittings, and crown fittings. It gets tiring sometimes.”

“You’re smart.”

"I like to think so. It is important to know your kingdom and yourself. But it is only time until I have to marry and all I have learned will be passed on to my husband. But as my mother says the queen is the gather of the information for their kings.”

Jeno took in this information, for all your parents are doing for you to make sure you are a great leader of their fine nation, you will have to share that power with some man. “I’m sure that you will marry someone that will respect you and our kingdom.”

You chuckled and looked away in amusement. “That was a diplomatic answer. Tell me what you really think.” You said turning back to the young knight. “Trust me I’ve probably heard worse, after all, I’m a spoiled princess.”

“Who said that?”

“Some of my ladies when I’m not around, people not inside the castle, people that aren’t close to me.”

“One wouldn’t be Lady Yeeun would it?” It was known to those close to him that he had a small crush on your lady.

You were surprised, “Do you like her?”

He looked away in shame, “I think she is fair.”

“Hmm. You still didn’t answer my first request.”

“I think that you will be a strong queen and if your parents truly do care about you they will choose a husband that will respect and honor you.”

You smiled again. “They care about me. But our nation means more. They will marry me to someone who is good for our Nation. I would rather be an old maid, but I need heirs. Love doesn’t exist for me.”

——————————————————————————————————

Watching you read was no longer a chore for Jeno, he rather enjoyed it. You even choose a few books for him to read while. Plus he got excited about what your nanny made for lunch or for tea time.

This time in particular Jeno was running a little late. You were getting bored waiting for your new friend. You decided to balance on the balcony walking back and forth.

“Hey! You get down from there this instance!” Jeno shouted from the inside of the library.

You hopped off the the balcony rolling your eyes. “You should be more careful, you could have killed your future queen with that shouting.” You pulled out the chairs to the small table with a full sandwich platter and tea prepared.

“No books?” He asked sipping the tea you poured for him.

“Do really think Lady Yeeun is pretty?”

Jeno choked on the tea. Clearing his throat and swallowing some air he replied, “What prompted that question?”

“The birds around here squawk a lot.”

Jeno was confused and made a noise. You chuckled.

You needed something from Jeno. And your father’s lessons had paid off. “I have a proposition for you? See I have information that you need and desire to hear. I need something from you in return.”

“Is this a command or a request your highness?”

“It’s a request I’m not some spoiled brat.”

“Well then, what is your request?”

You dusted your hands off from the sandwiches. “I want to learn how to fight and use a sword. My father refuses me to learn.”

Jeno's eyes popped open in surprise, “that isn’t very lady-like. And I can’t-”

“It’s not that you can’t. No way someone told you to not let me learn, even if they did the only people that outrank me are my parents. You see me as the fragile princess crown to be queen. But if you don’t want to do this it is your choice. I can always find someone else. And you’ll never know what Lady Yeeun told me.”

Could Jeno bear to live without this information? You could be fibbing just to get him to agree.

You could see him thinking. “I’m not lying. Lying will get me nowhere with you. I just want to know how to defend myself.”

“Fine. But you have to listen to me when I’m teaching you I’m in charge.”

You curtsied “of course your majesty.” You said in a joking manner. “Yeeun said you are very cute. And from what I heard from my maids her parents are putting pressure on her to find a husband of high ranking. Whether it be a lord or a knight.”

“So you think I could marry her?”

“You are of high ranking. And she seems to like you. Now every afternoon at high noon meet in the fields we are going to train.”

——————————————————————————————————

You were rushing down the fields to get to Jeno and your training with him. It was hard to run in the stupid dress your mother wanted to wear today. You were trying to get the corset off by yourself without anyone of your staff knowing what you are up to.

Jeno was waiting he looked up and back down to you, “you are late Princess.”

“Sorry my Mother’s lessons were running over today and she made me wear this tight corset.”

Jeno tossed you a stick. You caught it with ease. “Good reflexes you are going to need them. Now we are going to rally to see if you can win.”

“Win?” Before you could finish you thought Jeno threw the first jab with this wooden make-shift sword.

Jabs were exchanged on each other’s end but ultimately the experienced knight got the better of you.

“You are a quick learner. I will teach you moves in our following lessons.”

“Why thank you, master.” You curtsied once again.

“Stop doing that.”

“Sorry, Jeno. But you are my Master in swordsmanship and I must curtsy at the start and the end of the lesson.”

“Why?” He was genuinely confused.

“It is what ladies do. I was taught that at a young age.” You curtsied again.

Jeno lifted your chin up to look at him, “How about we settle each lesson with a handshake?”

“I could live with that.”

You stood up and held your hand out, Jeno took your hand gently and shook it.

“Now that is concluded, why don’t we go and read.” He said with that signature eye smile

——————————————————————————————————

It had been months with Jeno as your knight and your swordsman teacher.

“She said that?” You asked hitting Jeno in the shin with your stick.

“Yeah. It was disappointing. I thought there was more to her, more than the surface stuff.”

“Run through the conversation again for me.”

“I asked is beauty all that matters and she replied what else is there?” Jeno said taking the hits you were giving him.

“____, I don’t know if I like her anymore. No offense to your lady but she is…boring she just doesn’t excite me.”

Truth be told Jeno was getting to know Yeeun and found her vain. She was nothing like you, maybe his crush on Yeeun was fading and his time with you lead him to liking you. But you were the future Queen the chances of you having a choice to marry who you wanted or for him to even court you were slim.

“You don’t have time to choose your wife. You should settle down with someone who has good assets so your child can be well off. You can settle down comfortably.”

“That is kind of you.” He stated.

There was a knock at your bedroom door. You hid the staff under your bed. Quickly brush the corseted dress off, giving Jeno a nod to open the door for you.

“Your majesty you are needed in the throne room.” A page said bowing to you

“Will Jeno escort me?”

“The King and Queen requested your presents alone.”

“Honey, you must be married off soon. But we have a few options and we think we have an idea.” Your mother said to you.

“We are going to have them compete for your hand in marriage and you will pick the tasks for them.”

You nodded to them. “What a brilliant idea. Mother, Father. I will pick them and I will give you my options when I can.”

——————————————————————————————————

You excused yourself to the safety of your room, closed the door behind you pressed yourself against the door, and let out a deep breath.

Your door opened fast for you to fall into Jeno’s chest. You looked up at him as he dumbly smiled at you and you shook your head. He hoisted you back to your feet.

“How did it go?” He asked.

“I have to get married soon. There will be a competition for my hand in marriage.”

Jeno knew this day would come, he would lose you. “Oh. Are you ok?”

“I guess. But I don’t know if I want to marry this early or if these men are the right choice for me.”

“Too bad there is not a way for you to compete for your own hand,” Jeno said with a chuckle.

That is when it dawned on you, you could choose a competitor for your own hand and tip the scales in your favor. “That is it Jeno! You are brilliant.” You jumped up and gave him a kiss on his cheek, he blushed a little.

“What is it?”

“I can choose a competitor for myself, for my hand. I would have to choose someone that would be right for the task. Like sword fighting and hand to hand combat.” You said with a smirk.

“Oh no. Not me. I couldn’t.”

“Jeno I can’t think of any other man that would be. I only trust you.” You said holding his hands. He nodded his head flustered. “Great. I have to draft a letter and competitors. Let’s see there is Prince Jaemin from the East. Prince Hendery from the Coast. Xiaojun from the north.”

“Eh?! Hold the writing you are inviting them? Prince Hendery is skilled at archery I can’t beat that. Xiaojun is going to kill me. And I mean kill me. He is older and I have seen him kill people before to impress…” Jeno gestured to you.

“If he knew me he would know violence isn’t attractive. I told him that.”

“Oh right like that brute understands speech.”

“You are worried about them. But not Jaemin?”

“Jaemin doesn’t have a specialty besides looking handsome and pretty.” He said.

“You think Prince Jaemin is pretty?”

Jeno stuttered and began to blush. “Everyone knows he is pretty. I’ve seen his portrait.”

“Jaemin has a specialty. It is ax throwing and he writes poetry.”

“Poetry?”

“Yes, it’s quite beautiful. I think it’s…” You opened the hope chest at the end of your bed and pull some papers that Prince Jaemin had written for you in your youth.

How can Jeno compete with that? Jaemin had written poetry for you. He looked at the papers, “sitting next to you is like taking a sip of eternity, the sun, the stars, the sky never tasted so good.” He read aloud.

“Don’t laugh about it. He wants to marry me. But he isn’t the only one.”

“You seem to like him why not marry him?”

“I like him as a person, but I don’t like him like that. He would get bored of me.”

“You told me that there is love in your place, wouldn’t you want to marry someone you like as a person?”

“And be the laughing stock of my court because my husband can’t keep his interest with one lady.”

“Is that a fancy way of saying he can’t keep it in his pants?” Jeno laughed.

You slapped his chest. “What are you skilled in? I would give you the advantage.”

“Swordsmanship.”

“Of course. The only problem you will have is Xiaojun because he is also very talented with a sword.”

Jeno hummed rubbing his face.

“This seems like a lot of trouble not to marry.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t marry someone one day. It just seems ridiculous to get married right now at such a young age. Not to mention my parents aren’t ill. They are rushing the inevitable they are afraid that I will get too old and I will lose my value to men.”You told him only just looking up at his sad-looking face was peering down at you.

You stood up from your desk and turned him towards the doorway of your room “You just need to practice your archery and everything will be fine. Renjun is a skilled archer right? Maybe go practice with him.” You pushed Jeno out of your room.

——————————————————————————————————

“I have to say your aim has been improving over the course of only a few weeks of training. Which is odd because I remember you saying archery is ancient and the future is swords.”

“I can always refine my skills.”

“Right you could. However, it’s rumored that Princess ___ is going to have tasks for her male suitors. And you give her the biggest puppy dog eyes.”

Jeno was setting up for his next shot on the target. “I do not give her puppy dog eyes. My job is to-”

“Look after her.” Renjun taunted.

“Sure you could phrase it that way.”

“Good thing. Because I heard that Prince Jaemin will be here in a few days with a big proposal to cause the competition to come to a halt.

Jeno whipped around with the arrow resting and then he suddenly let go. “What?!”

“Jesus Christ! The target is behind you not behind me. You could have killed me.”

“Is it true about the whole Jaemin thing?”

“No. I just wanted to see your reaction. A lie I regret. I’m content with the response because it gave me the answer.”

Jeno threw the bow and quiver on the ground. “Do I like the future queen of our nation? Of course, I do. Do I think the suitors the current King and Queen have picked out for her are right for her? Gods no. One, can’t keep it in his pants. Two is a brute and whenever he sees her he destroys everything in sight to impress her. Three…”

“Hendery spends months away on sea charters.”

“Thank you. And she agrees with me. She wants to marry later in life so I came up with a stupid idea which she thought was brilliant.”

Renjun rubbed his temples. “What stupid idea?”

“That I compete for her hand in marriage for her. In turn, she will not have to marry any of them if I win all the torments at hand.”

“Ax throwing, archery, and swordsmanship. It is divided into two days. Then there is the whole presentation thing the night before.” Renjun explained.

“What presentation thing?”

“Each suitor must present a gift for the Princess. Then she chooses who she dances with that night. But based on what you told me no matter what you present she will pick you.”

“Yeah, sure I guess.” Jeno shook his head. He was in way over his head. He would do anything for you. “What do I even gift for her?”

“Why don’t you ask Prince Chenle what to get for her?” Renjun asked.

“I cannot do that. No one else can know of her plan.”

“Fine. You have gotten to know her over the past 10 months, you can find something for her. I have to go Jisung is coming off his rounds with Chenle.”

Jeno was left standing there bow in hand trying to figure out what to bring to the ceremony which was only a few nights away.

——————————————————————————————————

“From the Kingdom from the Coast, Prince Hendery!” The court marshal announced as Hendery entered the ballroom.

“He isn’t even dressed up. He is just wearing a button-up. How is that supposed to impress you.” Your brother whispered to you.

You covered your mouth and snickered. “Chenle that isn’t very kind. He obviously just got off the boat.”

“Children hush. ___ pay attention to your guest.” Your mother scolded you.

“From the Kingdom of the East Prince Jaemin!”

Jaemin came in and came right to the table and bowed towards your parents, Chenle, and then you. He gave you a wink as well.

Jeno scoffed behind you.

Jaemin followed his travel companions to their table to start their feast.

“Jeno you should go prepare yourself.”

“No, I’m waiting for that brute first. Then I will go before the gift are given.”

“From the Kingdom of the North Prince Xiaojun!”

The doors burst open with Xiaojun coming straight towards you.

“Princess it has been a long time.” He bowed.

“I guess your lack of manners is supposed to impress me Jun.”

“I believe it did when we were kids.” He smirked leaning over the table.

“Believe me it didn’t. Why don’t you sit down for dinner? It will be served soon.”

Xiaojun nodded to the rest of your family and went to his table.

“Mother I don’t care how close his family is to ours and if he wins I’ll kill myself before I marry him.”

“Hush now. We are going to eat.”

The plates were placed in front of you and the other guests. Your father clinked his fork against is goblet ready to make a toast. However, the trumpets by the court marshal sounded off, as he made an announcement.

“Presenting Knight Jeno Lee from the Southern Nation.”

The entire room went silent and some even gasped.

Chenle was sipping on his wine but when he heard Jeno’s name he started choking. Jisung came up behind him and slapped his black. “Just breathe Prince.”

While rasping and turning to his personal guard. “Did you know about this?”

“No, I’m shocked as you, my prince.”

“Not as shocked as my parents though.” Chenle turned towards his parents. He slapped his sister’s arm, “Look Father dropped his wine. Mother is going to be furious if it stains his robes.”

Your mother cleared her throat to get the attention off of Jeno. “What is your purpose here Lee Jeno?”

“I’ve come to compete for the Princess's hand in marriage on behalf of the Princess.”

Your mother dropped her spoon into her bowl of soup and turned to scowl at you. You turned your head away only looking at Jeno and gave him a thumbs up.

“I see the Princess doesn’t want to get married. A very wild queen to be.” Your mother said through gritted still staring at you.

“As much as I admire her brilliant brain for coming up with the idea to get out of getting married I can’t accept this affirmation.”

You felt your heart sink. You did not want to marry any of these men if you wanted to call them that.

Jeno saw your shocked face and upset face. He felt his heart cave and once again he said something stupid. “If I wanted to compete for her hand in marriage?”

The King looked at his wife. The Queen nodded her head.

“That is acceptable. Now everyone please eat, we soon continue the ceremony.”

“For the Princess a shark from the Coast.” Hendery gifted a dead shark on ice wheeled into the hall.

Your mouth dropped at the poor dead animal starring you in the eye.

“For your father the spears, it was killed with.”

“Thank you Hendery I will hang these. And we will feast on the shark with your victory in the future.” Your father thanked him.

You bowed your head at him as a thank you.

Jaemin came up to the table and opened his box for you. It was a large diamond necklace and matching earrings. “May I put them on my Princess.”

You inhaled sharply and complied. Jaemin wrapped the heavy diamonds around your neck.

“Jaemin I can do the earrings.” You gracefully took the earrings and placed them in your ears.

“Of course my bride-to-be.”

“A little cocky aren’t we Jaemin.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I have everything to be cocky about.”

You rolled your eyes at his playfulness.

“You do like me the most? But maybe not after your knight and shining armor. If I were to lose to him I could bear that for my love.” He smiled at you.

He turned his attention to your parents. “King and Queen I brought Princess ___ diamonds. The beauty of the East to the complaint the beauty of the Princess.”

Chenle scoffed and then laughed. You kicked his shin under the table.

“You are lucky I can’t run a sword through you.” Chenle scolded you.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t stick this fork in your hand.”

“Children.” Your mother bit the air. “Jaemin is making is a declaration for ___.”

“It’s alight my Queen. I’m used to their banter.” Jaemin held your hand and placed a gentle kiss. “I hope to see you on the dance floor my petal.”

He gracefully walked backward smirking at you.

“Princess ___. Mother. Father.” Xiaojun greeted the table. Chenle coughed wanted some acknowledgment. “Young Prince Chenle.”

Chenle smiled and rested his hands on the back of his head.

“I gift my soon-to-be parents stuffed bears. And for my wife a bear fur for our bed.” Xiaojun declared.

“Thank you, son.” Your father patted his shoulder excitedly.

Xiaojun was looking for some affection from you. You were not going to give in. “Thank you for the bearskin. I will use it as a rug.”

Xiaojun scowled. “Princess…?”

“Prince Xiaojun please move on. I believe it is Jeno’s turn.” You told him coldly.

“Daughter!” Your father scolded you.

“Please go back into line. While I’m asking nicely.”

“Xiaojun she a had a little too much drink tonight. Ignore what she was saying.” Your father laughed nervously.

“I’ll see you on the dance floor.” He stomped away towards the line.

Jeno was called up to the table with a signal of your father’s fingers. It was a lack of respect. Your father favored Xiaojun because he was best friends with his father. Your Mother favored Jaemin for his beauty and how beautiful her grandchildren would be.

“King and Queen. Prince. Princess.” He said nervously. “I gift to the King a handcrafted sword made with the finest material. And for the Princess books.”

“These are my favorite, the ones I gave you.”

Your mother watched you get excited about pulling the ribbon off the stack of books. To say it warmed her heart watching her daughter smile would be an understatement.

“Honey this sword is the finest craftsmanship.” Her husband whispered to her.

“Hush. Look at her she looks happy.”

“You don’t suppose she likes the boy?”

“If she does that poses a danger. All our allies, they would be furious if she weren’t to marry one of them.”

“I made a choice of who I am going to dance with!” You announce to the room. “Jeno.”

Jeno took your hand and lead you to the floor.

“I don’t know how to dance.” He whispered to you.

“That is fine I can lead.” You took his waist and lead him while the music was playing.

“I’m sorry the plan didn’t work out.”

“It is ok. I wasn’t expecting you to also enter the competition for my hand in marriage.”

“To be honest I blacked out a little bit there. But it wouldn’t be all that bad if…we got married.” He cleared his throat not fully looking at you.

“I do enjoy your company.”

“And I promise to keep it in my pants.”

You chuckled a little. “You still have to win.”

“I’ll win. I want to marry you.”

“Huh?”

“I have liked you for a while. I thought I could bear losing you. Never thought I would get a chance to be with you. I don’t want to pressure you. I think we should stop dancing. I’m going to go to bed and prepare for tomorrow.”

“Wait..”

“Goodnight Princess.”

——————————————————————————————————

“The First Event Ax Throwing!” The court marshal announced across the arena.

“How does this work?” Chenle asked Jisung.

“The first round is ax throwing, second is archery. These rounds eliminate 2 of 4 contenders. Tomorrow they battle it out with a sword fight.”

“To the death?”

“Not to the death you idiot. That is how a war starts.” Renjun told him, slapping Jisung’s head.

“Hey! I didn’t ask that.” Jisung rubbed his head.

“I can’t hit him. He always threatens me with beheading. I’m convinced he will do it one day.”

“For the sake of your friend you should hope Xiaojun doesn’t advance. He will kill Jeno. Xiaojun kingdom has the closest relationship with ours. If he and my sister were to have children our nation would be the strongest. However he has no manners, is a brute, doesn’t respect my sister.”

“So the ever so silent Prince listens to everything.”

“I’m the court gossip.” He said matter of factly.

“Who would think Jaemin was good at ax throwing.”

“The East is covered in trees. There is practically nothing around there. All there is to do is throw axes at the trees.” Renjun told the younger boys.

“Then he should be good at archery.”

“Not exactly aim yes. But there is a lot more work to go into it.”

“Shouldn’t you be with my sister instead of walking around with us?”

“Doyoung is with her. And I was sent here to fetch you to get you to your seat. It is about to start soon.”

Chenle rolled his eyes and trudged his feet towards the stands where his family was set up.

Four targets were set up in the mud pen with a fence around it.

“So it begins the first day of your horrible life.” Chenle joked looking at you chuckling. He saw how white your face had gotten like someone had poisoned your morning tea. “You alright sister? Have you been poisoned?”

“Why is that always your first guess? I have not been poisoned. Jeno proposed.”

“Yes I know I was there.”

“No, he told me he liked me. If he was to win he would marry me with no complaints.”

“I would have a complaint.” He commented. You glared at him. “Not about you. He hasn’t been trained to be a leader of the land. Even I got training if I marry a first-born daughter. I understand your concern but I would be concerned about Xiaojun.”

“Why?”

“Jaemin and Hendery are not going to advanced. Xiaojun will be with Jeno. Possibly kill him tomorrow.”

“I’m going to be sick.”

“Hold it in.”

As the Axe portion of the competition started. Hendery went first, his was not surprisingly good. One hit the center and others were not far off. Jaemin was able to hit all in the target, he turned around and winked at you. Xiaojun was clearly training and also got all in the target.

Jeno's turn was last he didn’t even look at you. He was able to hit the target every single time. With the crowd clapping you stood up and clapped with them.

Hendery hit the red bullseyes, even splitting one of his arrows.

Jaemin hit the target but on the outermost red ring. Xiaojun was able to hit the bullseye.

Jeno was able to too. You stood up and cheered again.

By the time the tournament was finished the sun was setting.

“Jesus sitting for eight hours on this wooden seat. You are still so pale are you sure you weren’t poisoned.”

“Doyoung was I poisoned?” You asked your trusted knight.

“No. She did not eat nor drink this morning.”

“Are you going to be attending the feast tonight?”

“Mother will probably make me.”

“Mother?” Chenle asked the queen.

“Yes, son.”

“___ is feeling ill. I don’t think she should attend the feast tonight, look at her. If she gets sick at the dinner think of how it will turn off the Princes.”

“Our darling Prince has a point. Doyoung escort the Princess to her chambers. The maids will be there to undress you sweetheart and soup will be made.”

——————————————————————————————————

It was well into the night you were in your nightgown with a full of soup starring you down.

“Doyoung..you trained Jeno right?”

“Yes.”

“He wouldn’t betray our nation? Or trying to kill me?”

“Certainly not. His heart bleeds for our nation. At this moment in time, his heart bleeds for you.”

“Doyoung don’t say that.”

“Princess, might I give you some input?” You simply nodded. “You have made a point to say because you are the firstborn your heart has no place for love. Why are you so worried now?”

“Because it’s real now. I always knew I would marry one of them. But I never thought I had an option for someone who truly knows me, wants the best for my nation, someone who I does love.”

“You love Jeno?!” Doyoung exclaimed.

“Well of course I love him. I love you Doyoung I’ve known you for years.”

“___ that is different. The love you have for me is because we are friends and we were both kids when I was assigned to be your knight. What do you feel when you are with him? Does your heartbeat a little faster? Do you think about him when he is not near you? Does your heartache when you think of the possibility of not being able to be with him?”

You nodded, “I’m not sick for no reason. If I lost him I think I would shatter. I like who I am when I’m around him. I feel normal. I feel like I’m just ___. Not Princess ____ soon to be Queen.”

“That is love,” Doyoung confirmed.

“Doyoung send for Jeno. Have him meet in my library. Make it seem you want to have a drink and tell him in private to come here.”

Doyoung nodded his head leaving your quarters.

——————————————————————————————————

Jeno nervously walked up the stairs to your personal library. He moved the tapestry to the opening, he saw you sitting in the chair surrounded by candlelight.

“Princess I have to advise you it is not smart for us to meet.”

“It is a good thing you aren’t my advisors. Jeno I love you.”

“What?” He asked flabbergasted.

“I know you didn’t say it, I’m ok you that you don’t love me back. I like who I am when I’m with you. I feel we are equals if I could give it all up I would. I would give it to Chenle with a snap of my fingers. In fact, if I have to marry any of them, I would do anything to be with you even cheat on them.”

“___! You can’t say that out loud. If someone hears you, they will think you are plotting. They’ll kill you do you know what that will do to me.” He shook you.

Tears started to fill your eyes. “Jeno I can’t live without you. I don’t want to.” You hugged him.

“I never said I would leave you.” He whispered.

“Are you fighting Xiaojun tomorrow?” You whimpered.

“…yes.”

You whined, “He will kill you.”

“Then I guess I should kiss you before I die.” He pulled you away from his chest he gently pecked your lips. “I have to go I shouldn’t be here any longer. Please eat tomorrow, Chenle told Jisung who told me you didn’t eat today.”

——————————————————————————————————

It was a blood bath. You can barely remember what happened. All you can remember is screaming for them to stop.

You were now covered in Jeno’s blood pacing back and forth outside the infirmary as doctors tried to fix him.

“Princess ___ you should prepare yourself for the worst. And congratulate Xiaojun for his win.” An advisor told you.

“If that man comes within an inch of me I will have him killed. He tried to kill his competitor. That was not supposed to happen.”

“Jeno might die Princess.”

You kept a knife on you at all times ever since Jeno started teaching you how to use a sword. You whipped it out and held it to their neck.

“You say that again you will also die.”

“___! Drop the knife.” Your mother warned. “You are covered in blood we should get you washed. Let go to your quarters.”

“I’m not leaving Jeno. I would rather die than leave his side. I will not marry that brute. He went straight to murder as a way to handle anyone else competing for me. If it was Jaemin and Hendery he would do it again. He made it obvious that Jeno doesn’t have a royal army to support him. Little does he know he does I want him out of the castle now, Mother!” You shouted.

Your Mother's lip quivered at your anger.

“Princess?” A doctor came out of the infirmary looking scared to interrupt.

“Yes, is he going to be alright?”

“It is touch and go. As far as we can tell the sword missed his major organs. It will take a few weeks for him to be fully healed. Maybe a few days for him to wake up.” He told you.

“Can I go in and stay with him?”

“I would let the maids clean in there first Princess. There is still a lot of blood on the floor.”

You nodded. “Mother, I will talk to Xiaojun. Send him here.”

“Daughter this can cause an all-out war.”

“I will handle this Mother.”

You walked into the infirmary as the maids were wiping blood off the ground and cleaning every surface. Jeno’s clothes were taken off of him and he was all bandaged up but he was still covered in his own blood.

The maid started to clean it off of him.

“..Wait…Can I do that?”

The maids turned towards you not realizing you were in the room. “Yes of course. Just please clean your hands. Carefully dip the towel in the water and wipe him clean.”

“Thank you. Please leave us I will call if you are needed.”

They bowed and left the room.

You started to clean off the blood both dried and still fresh blood. One hand held onto his limp hand.

“Jeno if you can hear me, please pull through. I need you, I can’t live without you. You won in my eyes your practically my husband.”

There was a squeeze back. “I lost.” He coughed.

“Not to me.”

“___ I could die. You should marry Xiaojun.” He stuttered out closing his eyes again.

“Jeno I need you. If I can’t have you in my life, then…”

“___..you are..going to be…Queen think…of our nation..I love you…I love your safety more…I’ll always be here.” His finger pointed to your heart.

Your tears started to fall onto the sheets. “Just rest Jeno. I’ll handle everything.”

“Princess ___, Prince Xiaojun is here to see you.”

“..go…”

“I’ll be out in a minute.” You got up and brushed off your dress. You softly exited the infirmary closing the door behind you.

“___ you are covered in blood.”

“His blood. You did this.” You pushed him. “Why?! Why would you do this?!”

“I had no choice. Don’t you know?”

“That you are obsessed with our territories becoming the largest kingdom?”

“Princess ___ my father is putting our kingdom in debut. I did what I was told to do. I had to win to save my people.”

“Even killing the one person I love.” You fought back.

“That isn’t true. You love your family and your people.”

“I love him unconditionally. Everything and everyone else is conditional. All you had to do was ask for help! You think we wouldn’t help! Our fathers have been friends for decades!”

“Father said I couldn’t do that. Future kings don’t ask for handouts.”

“So you listen to your father for everything. You have advisors for that. Xiaojun you and your father better pray that Jeno lives or else you will suffer.”

“You want to marry him? I can make that happen.”

“How?”

“Our doctor has healed all of my wounds. I was stabbed and his poultice healed me in a few days.”

“Who stabbed you?”

“My father.”

“Xiaojun how do I know you won’t poison him?”

“I will call him away now. Without my father’s knowledge. I help save my future king, buy our territory. Absorb my nation save my people. I don’t deserve to be king.”

“You aren’t acting like yourself. Where is the cocky prince who is always so self-absorb?”

“I acted that way because that is how a strong man acts or at least my father does. I’m sorry that I’ve acted that way I’m asking for my people not for my family or me. Please?”

“Bring the doctor. Jeno lives and survives I’ll consider it.”

Xiaojun turned around and ran away towards his guest quarters.

——————————————————————————————————

It was before the sunrise, it was still dark outside. Jeno had woken up he wasn’t sure how long it had been since the games but he knew if it was long enough if you weren’t in the room.

He got out of bed and walked towards the window excepting to see knew knights, Xiaojun’s men moving into the castle.

“Jeno what are you doing up? You should be still laying down.” You told him rubbing your eyes waking up from your bed on the floor.

“What are you doing here? ___ you should be with your husband. You can’t be here.”

“Jeno relax you will hurt yourself.” You rubbed his arm going behind him and sitting him down to change his bandage.

“I bought the Northern Territory from Xiaojun. Their nation was going into a debut. We absorbed their territory they will live out their days as lords of the land.”

You washed your hands and grabbed the poultice and more bandages. As you applied the poultice he winced.

“How long has it been?”

“It's been two weeks.”

“I don’t remember seeing you in here when I was in and out of it.”

“I changed into the maid's clothes. It was easier to take care of you that way.”

“What does this mean for us?” He asked.

“This means we can marry.”

“Me, King? Never thought about that.” He laughed then grabbed his shoulder in pain.

“Jeno if you don’t want to be King I have a backup arrangement in place.”

“What does that mean?”

“I would sign my title over to Chenle. He would be next in line to be King. And as discussed since Prince Hendery has sisters he will marry one of them. We can live a peaceful life outside of here and live comfortably.”

“You would be giving up your dream.”

“Anywhere with you is my dream. I can’t make this decision on my own.”

“I want to help you run the nation, our nation. My Leo for you bloomed here I want it to grow here still. I will learn how to be King after all I have a guide to teach me.”

You smiled behind him, he gripped your hand turned around, and gently kissed you. “I love you unconditionally Lee Jeno.”

“I’ll love you forever Princess.”

——————————————————————————————————devilfoodcafe™ ——————————————————————————————————

#nct x reader #nct imagines #nct fluff #nct u #nct u x reader #nct dream #nct dream x reader #jeno #jeno fluff #jeno x reader #jeno lee #lee jeno #jeno lee x reader #lee jeno x reader #nct u jeno #nct dream jeno #devilfoodcafelist

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝CAUGHT IN THE SPIDERWEB❞ | MK.L

PAIRINGS — f! reader x spiderman!mark lee

GENRE — fluff, humor

WARNINGS —

WC — 4.4k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

——————————————————————————————————

It was a stupid thought. You have no clue why you would even think it. You were grinding you teeth while chewing on the some baby carrots.

You heard a clicking of a camera. You blinked a couple of times.

“You should stop with that face or it will freeze like that.” Mark said.

“Pot calling the kettle black don’t you think?” You put your hand on the side of his face. “The fuck happened? You should be careful when you are skating.” You smack his face with a snap of the wrist pulling it way to continue eating your soup.

“Ouch. It wasn’t from skating. I’ve just been busy doing things.” He said rubbing his face pulling out a PB&J sandwich.

“Can you delete that picture of me?”

“It’s not a digital camera. I use film.”

“Fine when you develop your film can you destroy the picture.”

“Nope I’m adding to my collection of ___ ____ in her natural habitat.”

You grumbled pushing Mark’s head down. “Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

The both of you laughed continuously eating. “What are you doing for winter break?”

“Probably just hanging around. You?”

“Probably going out to the Island to my grandmothers for Christmas. But— what do you think of Liz?”

“Your best friend?”

“Woah. You are my best friend.”

He sighed. “Fine your female friend. She is alright I guess. There is one thing she copy’s things that you do.”

“So you see it too.”

“Of course I see it. Her first day here she looked like a Barbie doll and now she looks like a blonde version of you.”

“See that’s the thing. I really like Jeno. And I told her because she is my female friend, and all she keeps doing is hanging around him and always touching him.”

“Hey why didn’t I know you liked Jeno?”

“Because the last time I told you who I liked you told him. Mark Lee you suck a keeping secrets.”

He laughed. “Yeah I suck don’t I.”

“So at the end of winter break for New Year’s she invited me and Jeno with her to her parents house in Windham. They will end up making out on New Year’s Eve and I will be just third wheeling.”

“I can go.”

“What? You ‘Mr. Mark Busy-man Lee’?”

“Yeah I can go. Think about it I must be good at snowboarding. And we always have fun together. And we can make fun of them. Come on let’s start now get a nice head start, hey what do you call a husky that is afraid of heights?”

“I don’t know Mark what?”

“A Jeno.” He laughed stealing a carrot from your lunch.

You shouldn’t have giggle especially that ugly snort that only Mark can do.

Jeno was a nice guy, cool, he liked the same things as you. When Mark was busy it was easy to keep a conversation with him, he even taught you how to ride a skateboard after Mark refused because the first time he tried to you broke your wrist. You were 9 and had horrible balance. He said he ever do it again because he felt bad for hurting you.

“I’ll tell her you are coming.”

He smiled with carrot in his mouth. He looked down at his phone and looked up. “Aunt May texted me. I’m going to go call her.”

You nodded your head watching Mark jog out of the cafeteria.

You walked into bio lab seeing the tables set up for another dissection of a tulip. Learning about the plant anatomy all so fascinating.

You went over to you lab table slapping on the googles left out for the table and slipping on gloves.

Your tablemates (Jeno, Liz, and Mark) have yet to arrive.

Jeno and Liz came inside laughing together. “Hey __.” Jeno said excitingly.

“What are we doing today?” Liz asked.

“Only what we have been doing for the past 2 weeks. Learning about plants. Now we are doing the dissection we have been prepping for the past two classes.” You pointed out.

“You know the diagram that I want to hang myself with.” Jeno said making a choking noise.

“Oh yeah that.”

“Hey where’s Markie?” Jeno asked.

“That’s a good question. I was just having lunch with him. But he rushed off somewhere. You know him he is a busy guy. Speaking of I told him about going to your parents house for New Years and he said he wants to come.”

“He wants to come?” Liz asked

“I know he can be a little flighty. But he said he wants to come. He thinks he will be good at snowboarding. I can’t wait for him to face plant in the snow.” You laughed to yourself.

You were half way through the lab listening to the teachers instructions. Mark came in a rush sliding in next to you.

You looked at him confused whispering, “Mark where have you been? Your hair is all messed up and your glasses…where are your glasses?”

“Oh um just something came up and I broke them. Don’t worry Aunt May said she was getting me another pair.”

“Mark that was like the fourth pair in two weeks.” You bent down to your backpack. “You are lucky I keep your prescription handy.” You went to give him the glasses he pushed them down.

“I’m wearing my contacts.”

He was wearing his contacts? Mark was freaked out when he first got them and Aunt May begged him to wear them for his picture day. You decided to ignore it and move on, “I started your work for the lab for you on the computer.”

“She will know it wasn’t me—”

You stopped him mid sentence. “Yeah you think I don’t know your school ID and password. Opened on a separate browser just type my notes and put the pictures of the parts in your document. She’ll never know. Now put your googles on. Your hair is really a mess.” You went to try and fix it but he grabbed your wrist.

“You are making me feel like a baby.”

“Sorry Mark.” You said quickly.

——————————————————————————————————

“I thought you liked Jeno?” Liz asked walking to the subway station.

“I do.”

“You were pretty handsy with Mark today?”

“What?! Ew that is so gross! He is like a brother to me. He is just a scatter brain he needs help sometimes. Aunt May put me in charge of him while he is at school.”

“Oh? Why is he coming with us then?”

“I mentioned it to him and he and Aunt May don’t really do anything after Christmas. He likes the winter season and snow. Even if he face plants he’ll love it. This is my train I gotta go.”

You waltzed onto the subway plugging in your headphones listening to a podcast.

‘This Spider-Man character the papers are saying he is a menace to our modern day society. Here is a quote from the Daily Bugle, “having a freak dressed up swinging around stopping crime it brings more unsavory people causing more crime.” Now what do you think of Spider-Man?’

‘Maybe he does bring crazy over the top bad guys that also dress up like him. However he does other things, crime rate in general is down in Queens. The youth of New York are responded to him positively. We even did a poll and 80% of them say they feel safer walking around at night with Spider-Man on the job.’

‘Here is the issue with that they don’t have a problem when their life is not in immediate danger. If they were in the center of Manhattan one month ago when Doc Ock was robbing banks and throwing people around to get money. Another reason young people connect with him is probably because he is a kid himself.’

‘Do you think it’s a problem for youth to relate to someone that is doing good for the community. They already don’t trust the Police force with good reason. If the Spider makes them feel safer and someone standing up for their beliefs.’

‘The good he does for the community only stacks—’

You couldn’t listen to this jackasses point of view anymore. Spider-Man was a superhero he was doing good from small crime to major. And criminals like Doc Ock were around before he even showed up and what did the police do? They were out powered by supervillains Spider-Man was going good.

——————————————————————————————————

“Are you all packed?” Your mom asked.

“Yeah Mom. Mark should be here any minute…” With saying that Mark rolled over on his skate board with his bag in hand and his backpack.

“Hey Mrs.___, how are you?”

“Doing good Mark. You know my line of work isn’t very lively.”

“Mom stop those jokes aren’t funny. Especially since your clients are murder victims.”

“What? It’s funny when your father does it but when Mom says—”

“It is not funny when he does it either.” You said sternly.

“Mark is laughing look.”

“He isn’t laughing he is just smirking because he thinks it’s funny to see me frustrated.” You said rubbing your temples.

“Come on let us just put our bags in the car. Keys?”

“Here.” You said throwing them at him half thinking he would drop them because it is Mark.

“Here you go sweetie gingerbread cookies for the road and for your friends.” Your mom said handing you a tin. You opened to smell the fresh cookies to see x’s for eyes and the tongue sticking out. “Before you say anything your baby brother decorated them.”

“This is tasteful comedy. This I can live with.” You said getting into the passenger seat. “Let’s go. Maps says we should be there in 2 and half hours.”

“What about Liz and Jeno?”

“Liz was there all week. Her parents left last night and Jeno is taking the train. Sucker.”

“I thought you liked him.” Mark said making kissing noises.

“I do. But that’s because I paint him in a romantic light when I think about him or talk to him or in his presence. Maybe if I start talking that he isn’t all that I won’t like him as much.”

“If you think that will work then fine do it. But he is still a nice guy, I like him. He fun to skate with.”

“Yeah I know.”

“But he isn’t your Prince Charming.”

“Oh and how do you know?”

“I just do. He would get bored of you. Not that you are boring it’s just him he has this personality, a tourist personality. He vacations in peoples’ lives, takes pictures, puts them in a photo album and moves on. All he is interested is the stories. Last year he was friends with the artsy kids, the year before that the gamers, now us. With any luck he will move on to the jocks next year.”

You laughed. You missed Mark. He has been busy lately, busy doing what you have no clue, any time you asked he would change the subject. You missed the way his brain thought, his input on things. You even thought he was getting bored of your friendship and was slowly leaving you. Because of his absence you had made friends with the new girl, Liz. Now you were second guessing that decision.

“Hey you alright? You are staring a whole in my head?”

“You are different. It’s like you are like bizarro Mark. Haechan even told me you can climb the high rope barely breaking a sweat. You are driving without your glasses on.”

“I told you I’m wearing contacts. You and I both know Haechan is over dramatic.”

“Sure you are. Just tell me if you got lasik. I wouldn’t judge.”

“Alright you caught me I got lasik.” He said sarcastically.

“And you are always busy…you have me worried Mark. You come to school with scraps and bruises all over you. You are starting to make me think that you are Spider-Man or a henchman to his arch-nemeses.”

“What? Me? Mark Lee? Clumsy, scarred of the rats and bugs Mark Lee? Are you sick?” He defend quickly to your question.

“It was a joke Mark. I’m still worried.” You put your hand on top of his. “Mark I’m your best friend just tell me what is going on with you?”

“Ok ok it is meant to be a secret. I’m doing a little bit of work with Oscorp.”

Now you were confused and questioning how that was even possible.

“Remember we went to that school trip last spring. Renjun works there and we were talking about the advancements they have made, he works as an intern there too and he was able to get me a job. We test projects there. Don’t worry not too dangerous, nothing medical just like machinery. I fall every now and then. I swear it probably sounds worse in your head.”

“You promise me?”

“Promise.”

——————————————————————————————————

“How did you get here before us? You took a four hour train ride to here.” Mark asked Jeno.

“I came here yesterday. Liz’s idea she wanted me to meet her parents. Are you going to make __ carry in the luggage?” Jeno ran out to your car helping you with the luggage. “Hey you.” He smiled at you.

“I can carry these on my own.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes Jeno I can. Can you just get Mark down here?”

Jeno waved his hand at the top of the stairs towards Mark. He pranced down to the car passing Jeno as he made his way back to the warmth of the house.

“You needed me?”

“Can you carry your own bags? They are heavier than mine.”

“Didn’t he?”

“Take the goddamn bags of you ever want to eat my moms gingerbread or any of her food again.”

Mark moved really quickly taking his bags. “Ok ok I’m sorry.”

“Mark, ___ welcome to my family’s winter home. I have your room set up down the hall. I was planning on ordering in tonight so we can eat in the dining room. That should be here in 30 minutes. Also we are going to the winterplex tomorrow. They have skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, tubbing.”

“Nice.” Mark said looking around.

“No kidding.” You agreed.

“We are going take the bags to our room and get settled in. We will be out when the food gets here.” Mark said picking up the bags shuffling down the hall.

Your shared bedroom was a one bed, with ceiling to floor windows, one being a sliding door leading out a balcony with furniture that is buried in snow.

There was enough room on each side for each of your bags.

“Why does such a small family need a big house?” Mark asked.

“Why does a family that lives in the New York City, have a winter home?”

Mark nodded his head. “New York is beautiful during the holidays.” Mark replied looking at you as you pressed your face against the windows.

——————————————————————————————————

Mark had went to change for the winterplex. He opened his bag to see his suit starting at him, he nearly slammed his bag shut. “Goddamn it Renjun. That idiot packed this.” He picked up his phone to call his partner.

“Renjun why the fuck did you put this is my bag?”

“You are Spider-Man. You need to carry the suit around.”

“What about me having a normal weekend, me being a teenager, spending time with my best friend?”

“Mark you are Spider-Man. There is no Mark Lee everyday teenager, and Spider-Man the masked hero. Yeah, sure spending time with your best friend you are so in love with her.”

“I’m not in love with her.”

“You follow her home when she goes to the skate park late or when she is at the library late.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Fine.” Rejun sighed. “You can still wear the suit under your clothes, it is the winter suits keeps you warm.”

“Alright Alright.” Mark said hanging up the phone.

Mark began getting ready for the day at the winterplex when there was a knock on the door with a turn of the doorknob. He webbed the door handle shut. He was standing in his suit.”

“Mark are you almost ready? We are about to leave without you.” You asked.

“Yeah five more minutes.” He said quickly while fumbling putting other clothes on over his suit.

You heard something fall inside the room. “…Ok?” You looked down at the door handle it wasn’t a locking door, maybe the door was jammed.

——————————————————————————————————

“There is skiing and snowboarding in the North end of the complex. East and West there are two different tubing trails. And South there is ice skating.”

“What should we do first?” Jeno asked the group. “___ you like ice skating, right?”

“Yeah but we can end the day with that. Ice skating in the evening is a lot prettier. Mark said he wanted to try snowboarding. Mark?”

Mark was looking down at his phone not paying attention to what was going on. “Uh yeah sure skating.”

“Mark snowboarding and skiing.” You corrected him.

“Yep that.”

The group of you took the gondola lift towards the top of the mountain. Picking out the boards for the group.

“Alright you two on this lift coming and you two on the next one. Jump before the lift comes back.” The monotone voice of lift runner went on. Pushing you and Jeno towards the lift coming.

You looked back at Mark for help but he shrugged his arms shaking his head.

“Hey are you alright?” Jeno asked.

“Yeah. Just is it just me or is Mark acting weird this morning?”

“Define weird?” He laughed, you returned a serious look at him. “I don’t know. He is always weird but that isn’t a bad thing. I only met him during summer vacation and he was weird then. I met him through Renjun.”

“Met him through Renjun? Do you work for Oscorp?”

“Renjun used to work for Oscorp until last October. He left he didn’t like their policies. During the summer I would go over to Renjun’s to hang out play video games and stuff. Mark was sometimes there. One time I came there earlier than I had planned and they were huddle around a computer in briefcase and slammed it shut when I walked into Rejun’s room. They told me it was a blue light drone tracking some bees. It was science shit I wasn’t interested.” Jeno explained.

You looked back at Mark. He lied. Mark had lied.

——————————————————————————————————

“You want tomato soup and grilled cheese?” Jeno asked you.

You shook your head yes. “…How did you know?”

“I told him to get you that. While I got everyone hot chocolate.” Mark said sitting down with a cup holder of 4 hot chocolates.

“I don’t like hot chocolate.” Liz said.

“Then more for me.” Mark said. “Do you mind going with Jeno to get the food? If you are not having the hot coco.”

“Yeah of course.” She pipped walking off with Jeno turning on her heels.

As they left Mark turned to you. “Are you mad at me?”

“What?!” You choke on the hot liquid. “No Mark. I have to talk you but we can do it in the new year. What makes you think that I was mad?”

“I have a sense about these things ___.” He giggled.

As you were laughing the lights inside the building shut off blacking out the entire complex. You gripped Mark’s hand.

“It’s ok the generator will turn on in a few minutes.” He gripped back.

Light only entered the large building when the door opened and the person that walked into the complex was glowing.

“Is that Electro?” You asked looking towards Mark but he wasn’t there. Where did he go?

You looked around he left his jacket.

“Spider-Man.” You heard a kid whisper. Your head whipped around to see the web slinger tapping people’s shoulders telling them to just and how silently in different directions. When he got to you.

“Hi there pretty lady. Now I need you to go towards the bathroom there is an emergency exit.”

“I can’t. My friend. My best friend, he was just here now he is gone. I’m not leaving without him or any of my other friends.”

“Tell me where they are and I will make sure they will get out. I promise. I don’t think. Your friends, and your best friend would want you to stay behind and risk getting hurt. Especially by Pikachu over there. Do you want that on your grave Pikachu killed me.”

You laughed. “No I guess not. But you promise me you will make sure a Mark is ok. He is 5’9 sandy brown hair, and he has a mole on his left side of his face between his nose and the corner of his mouth, he has brown eyes. He looks like a lion sometimes when he scrunches his face. He usually wears glasses but he switched over to contacts so his eyes might be glassy. He should be wearing green snow pants that match this jacket.”

“And your other friends what do they look like?”

“Jeno looks like a samoyed dog. And just imagine for Liz a blonde version of me but as Mark would say stale version.”

The Spider laughed. “Seems like you really care about your friend Mark more than the others.”

“I do. He is all I have sometimes. He is my best friend. Couldn’t imagine a life without him. You promise to bring him back?” You held out your pinky it was childish but Mark always made you do it when you were kids even still to this day. You always followed through so did he.

“I promise.” He gripped back.

It was only 30 minutes later before Jeno and Liz were at the car.

“Where’s Mark?”

“Spider-Man said he would find him for you. But he told us to go home as soon as we can he will send Mark our way.” Jeno said.

Liz alrighty at the door of her car opening it turning it on to go home.

“What are you doing?”

“We are going home. Spider-Man said he would bring him back ___.”

“He did say he promised.” Jeno said.

You looked at the building gripping Mark’s jacket. Tears filling your eyes. “Come on ___ he will be back.” Jeno said ushering into the car.

——————————————————————————————————

They just sat down at the dinner table eating whatever was in the fridge. You on the other hand had went straight to your room. Going into the bed picking up Mark’s sweatshirt from the other day. Crying into it smelling them. What if he was gone? Gone forever.

It was nearly 12 o’clock you were going to ring in the new year without Mark for the first time in 9 years.

There was knocking on the sliding window. You looked up from the bed and saw Spider-Man sitting in the snow pressed up against the window.

You jumped out of bed and opened the sliding door.

“Holy shit what happened?” You asked seeing burns on him, that seared through his suit.

“Electric burns.” He groaned. The suit was sticking to his skin.

“Shit. Can you get up? Lay on the bed.”

The red and blue hero dragged himself on the bed as you went to the bathroom to grab the towel and got some warm water on it.

You sat down on the bed lifting what you could of the suit off the skin. You put pressure on the burn with the warm towel.

“You’ve been crying. Is it about your friend Mark?”

“…yes…I love him so much. Maybe more than I should. I’ve always liked him like that but he was- is my best friend I didn’t want to ruin it. I couldn’t live my life without him. So I settle with fleeting crushes on guys that were pretty or hot but they never compared to Mark.” He was starring at you. “Sorry I was rambling on about some stupid High School crush. When you obviously have more pressing matters on your mind. Did Electro get arrested or did he get away?”

“Like I would let him get away. I apprehended him after all I am Spider-Man.”

“I thought you were a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?”

“I am to those who deserve it.” He said letting his head fall down.

To you it looked like he was trying to wiggle his eyebrows. You giggled for a second before there was more awkward silence.

Then it was interrupted by a beeping of your watch. 12:00 a.m. happy new year. Yeah right. Then a thought dawned on you.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I uhh…I- Jeno the one that uh looks like uh happy dog- no. You know what no more lies.”

“Lies. What lies?” You asked leaning back as he sat up on the bed. He began taking off his mask you quickly covered your eyes. “You can’t do that. A superhero should always keep their identities secret. If they don’t then all the people they love are in danger.”

You felt a hand touch your hands bring them down. You still scrunch your eyes close.

“___, I couldn’t lie to you any longer. You deserve a better friend. I should have told you from the start but Renjun said you would get hurt if you were involved and I couldn’t live with myself if you did. And today with that goddamn Electro my worst came true. My first instinct was never about anyone else but you getting out of there, I know that was selfish but I would have let them all die if you were out of there with out a mark-”

You stopped him from rambling on like that, usually when he did that it lead to a panic attack. You planted a firm kiss on his lips, he pulled you into his lap gripping your sides.

He pulled away. “You aren’t mad?”

“I’m mad but I can get over it. Knowing that you are safe and that your weird behavior makes all the sense in the world.”

He held the side of your face asking, “Can I kiss you again?” You nodded.

He leaned up again kissing him it was getting heated and he kept biting your lips. You pulled away from the kiss again. Sliding your hand over his face, “Happy New Year’s Spider- Man.”

“Happy New Year’s ___.” He smiled against your palm.

——————————————————————————————————devilfoodcafe™ ——————————————————————————————————

#nct u x reader #nct x reader #nct 127 x reader #nct dream x reader #nct u mark lee #nct 127 mark lee #nct dream mark lee #nct fluff #mark lee x reader #mark lee fluff #nct mark #mark x reader #devilfoodcafelist

[devilfoodcafe]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

— # ❝ LOVE ON THE ICE❞ | J.SC

PAIRINGS — f! iceskater x hockeyplayler!sungchan

GENRE — fluff, humor

WARNINGS — vulgar language

WC — 5.2k

masterlist.

authors note- this is purely fiction is not to be taken seriously

——————————————————————————————————————————

Your Father trained both you and your brother, Yangyang on ice since you could remember. You lived in an ice town. Once winter hit your home everything was basically ice, snow, cold. But when the two of you started growing out of peewee skating, he put you both in respective clubs. Yangyang the hockey league and you competitive figure skating.

Your Father was both of your coaches for a while. Finding time for both of you but as each of you got older he became a full-time coach to Yangyang.

It didn't really bother you at first. You had your skating to yourself and it was way more beautiful than what they were doing. But then you realized no one was there to watch, support, and cheer for you as all the other girls did.

There was nothing pushing you anymore. You were left unchallenged as well. You felt bored with the sport. There was nothing to gain out of it anymore.

When you quit it was a sore subject at dinner. Your Father didn't want to hear it. He raised skater kids who were going to get a scholarship that way through sports. But you countered that argument quickly. You kept your grades up and made sure you were the smartest in your class you got in on scholarship on just your grades. You didn't need skating for that.

Your Father said you and him would discuss it when he came back from work.

He was a trucker on the weeknights and every so often the weekends. He had gotten a call from your coach saying that you were unmotivated in your practice. And that if you were uninterested in the sport any more than to drop it as a competitor and keep it as a hobby. Your coach even said that she would hire you at the rink as coach to the peewee girls.

When he came back he begrudgingly told you, you can drop the sport but will help your coach run the peewee classes. But you had to keep your grades up and if anything slipped he would make sure that you get back on a regiment.

Another one of your dad's silly rules that applied to both you and your brother. No girls and definitely no boys. Especially hockey players from his team. He made sure you had no contact with them. Every time Yangyang was having them over you had to be out of the house and you couldn't socialize with them at school.

He seemed way more strict with you when it came to them than he was with Yang because he had been hanging out with one of your skater friends.

But now you were definitely going to see them more often. The hockey team's rink is right next to the peewee learning rink and they meet at the same time. Well, the hockey players met earlier. You drove with your dad and brother to the rink and you set up for your class while they ran their drills.

"Hey, Mark who's the new peewee instructor?" Ten asked him.

He smirked. No matter your Father's rule no one can stay away from Mark. Not like your Father could hate the boy, smart, good grades, church boy who was also Yangyang's tutor. You and Mark were in a lot of classes together.

"Ask Yangyang."

"Yang!" Ten shouted.

The young boy pulled himself away from Sungchan and Haechan and made his way over to his older friend.

"What?"

"Who's the peewee coach?"

Yangyang made a "'really bitch' face at him and then looked over to Mark who was laughing. "This is why you called me over here? You couldn't just tell him?"

"What is going on over here?" Winwin the captain of the team came up to them.

"Just asking about the hot new ass of the peewee coaches." Ten said with a smirk.

Hoping to get a rise out of Yangyang thinking you were his new girlfriend. This caused Winwin to stare at you.

"God, you are all disgusting." He said with a roll in his eyes and anger in his voice. "That is my sister so would you all please stop staring at her."

Mark started laughing and falling to the ground of the dugout.

"Since when do you have a sister?" Winwin asked.

"Since we are twins when we were born." He said frustrated.

"Nah you have to be lying. That is just the new ass you are tapping." Jeno said who was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"You never bring her up. And we never see any pictures of her around the house." Ten said.

The other 2 males, Sungchan and Haechan skated up to them to see what they were talking about not wanting to miss any talk of hockey strategies.

"You are all disgusting. 1) because we are always in my room or in my dad's man cave. 2) my dad, your coach doesn't want you no good scoundrel hockey players sniffing around my sister."

"How come Mark knows of her existence?"

"Because they are both overachieving students and are in the same classes. He is my tutor. And well he isn't a scoundrel."

"I take offense to that I'm not a scoundrel," Haechan said in his defense.

"Tell that to her Father who hears all your locker room talk."

This caused Haechan to shut up.

"1) what are you guys talking about? 2) How did the topic of Yangyang having a sister come up? 3) Since when does he have a sister?" Sungchan asked all very confused about what was going on.

Winwin took charge and filled him in. "Apparently they are twins since birth I'm guessing she is the angel because he is certainly the devil. And she is the new peewee coach over there and Ten was staring at her ass."

"Don't throw me under the bus like you weren't leering either." Ten said poking his Captain in the chest with his stick.

Sungchan turned around and saw a young girl around his age helping a little girl with her balance on skates. He looked a little longer than he should have because he made direct eye contact with you. You passed the little girl off to another teacher there and skated towards their rink. There was a door connecting the two rinks which you gladly skated through like you owned the place up to the players.

"If you are going to be talking about me might want to do it with a lower register. And please I have a name it's ___ and it isn't a hot piece of ass or new ass. Also, there are children present. Please have some dignity. And good for you Yang I didn't know you knew the word scoundrel. Nice to see tutoring is paying off." He groaned at that comment.

"After hearing what you all and seen the way you guys are leering at me." You said looking at the 3 boys you caught looking at you. "I do know for a fact you are all knaves."

"Well, I know for sure now that she is in fact his sister." Ten said staring at you a little scared.

"What the fuck is a knave?" Haechan asked out loud.

"A knave is another word for a scoundrel or a dishonest person. In the case of not wanting to sound redundant of using her father's description of us and what Yang was repeating ___ used another word." Mark pointed out.

"That is correct Mark." You hummed.

"See she is my sister. Now before we all get in trouble and we have to do laps. You go back to your job." Yangyang said lightly pushing you towards the door. "And all of you stop eye-fucking her across the rink before my dad guts you like a fish. And I have seen him do that it is messy."

You of course skated off not wanting to face your Fathers rage.

Haechan waited till you were out the rink. "I'm not a dishonest person."

"The direct definition of a scoundrel is a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue." Ten said to his younger friend.

"Well, what is the definition of an unscrupulous person?" Jeno asked.

"Unscrupulous means, having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair," Mark stated. "And before you asked rogue means a dishonest and unprincipled person."

"What are the principles of being moral?" Sungchan asked entertaining their silly questions which would soon piss off Ten and Yangyang.

"Can't tell you. I don't do anthropology questions." Mark said.

"Yeah, you would have to ask Kun. He is better at that stuff." Winwin said.

"Can you all shut up?! We aren't in a classroom." Yangyang huffed.

"Boys circle up." The coach yelled as they began their practice.

——————————————————————————————————

"Yangyang you nearly killed the entire team today when running plays. You knocked Haechan to the ground and knocked the wind right out him." Your Father said to your brother while eating dinner.

"Sorry, Dad he-they were pissing me off today. Discussing principles of morals and what makes a person dishonest."

"Why were they discussing that Yang?" You asked egging him on.

"We were discussing what makes someone a rouge."

"A rouge, Son?" Your Father asked.

"I think he means Dad knave."

"Oh, you mean a scoundrel." He stated. Yangyang and you nodded. "Why were you talking about that?"

"Because Haechan was acting like a scoundrel."

"See ___ Yang knows that they are scoundrels." Your Father pointed at you.

Now you didn't think they were scoundrels. They were probably were you horny teen boys who say a few too many dirty jokes. They are boys what can actually do to you.Your Father taught you how to hunt and defend yourself.

"Yes, Father I know."

"So Yang I won't be at the game next weekend. Johnny said he would manage you guys. We plan to make plays for you guys against the Apes."

"Where are you going, Dad?"

"I have a long trucking delivery. I leave Friday night and at the latest, I will be back Sunday night. That means the boys can't come over while I'm gone Yangyang." Your Father said sternly. "Mrs. Lee said she would check in on you and make some food for the both of you."

"Ok, Dad." "Yes, Father." The both of you said at the same time.

————————————————————————————————

"You are staring at his sister. I would move your eyes to your food if you don't want to be blind." Ten said to Sungchan while in the cafe.

"What do you mean?"

"What does he mean?" Haechan asked flabbergasted. "He knocked me on the ice for all the banter."

"Tripped me. For staring at her ass. Which is a double standard why didn't Winwin get tripped." Ten said, scooping his rice into his mouth.

"He nearly ripped Jeno's throat out. I mean I've seen him throw hands at games but never with us." Mark agreed.

"I just—She is really pretty and Yang is Yang. Didn't think he had pretty genes in his family. We have all seen coach." Sungchan said.

"Does our little deer boy have a crush on Yangyang's sister?" Haechan asked teasing.

"You still call me that?"

"It's the face you make. You look like a deer caught in the headlights." Ten said excitedly. "Now that I think about it you had that look a moment ago looking in that direction." Ten said pointing his utensil in your direction.

"Shh. Everyone shut up. He's coming." Mark said.

Yangyang was walking over with Winwin. "So guys my dad is going away this weekend, Johnny is coaching us."

"Is your sister coming to the game?" Haechan asked chuckling under his breath.

Yangyang got this feral look in his eyes.

"I would ignore that comment and maybe direct you "'I'm going to rip your throat out with my teeth' look at Jeno who is literally talking to her right now."

You were laughing at a joke Jeno was telling you about a teacher you guys had. But what Yangyang saw was Jeno vailed attempt to get into your pants. He got up from the table and marched his way over.

"God I'm sorry for what is about to happen."

Jeno looked over to an angry Yangyang stomping his way over.

"What is going on here?"

"Jeno and I were talking about history."

"I didn't know history was funny?" Yangyang said crossing her arms.

"I was doing impression of our teacher during his lecture. I almost fell asleep but ___ here kept me awake."

"It was pretty easy because when we were working he was asking me so many questions."

"What? You can't ask her questions. You shouldn't even be talking to each other."

"Yangyang, please we are at school. Dad isn't even here. Jeno and I have been in class together for half the year."

"Yeah, and she is way funnier than you Yang. You should bring her around more."

"No!"

"Yang no offense but you are making a scene in the cafe. Jeno can you give us a moment." Jeno nodded and left the two of you alone. "Why do you care?"

"They are-"

"Your friends. You think they are really bad people?"

"No. But Dad...He doesn't want you around them." He said lowly.

"Because what they are teenage boys. I can take teenage boys and I would never do anything that makes you uncomfortable or dad. I wouldn't date one of your friends. That isn't even on my mind. It wouldn't hurt to have a few more friends that know how to skate."

"What about your figure skating friends?"

"We haven't talked since I quit the team. They don't really like me anymore. They think that I thought I was too good for skating and I was so stuck up."

"So that is why Shuhua isn't really talking to me anymore." There was a moment of silence between the two of you. "Do you want to sit with us?"

"If it isn't a problem."

He wrapped his arm around you bring you over to the table. All the boys looked up and looked at you.

"As you know this is my sister. She will be sitting with us this week. And forever how long she wants. Rules will be put into place. 1) don't hit on her or make sexual comments about her. 2) None of you and I mean none of you will ever date her."

You sighed letting your head fall into your hand. However, Haechan who seemed more like Yangyang's twin more than you started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Yangyang said with his hands on his hips.

"Y-y...." he laughed harder. "T-T-Trying...."

"Haechan spit it out!" Yangyang yelled.

Mark then tired of Haechan's cackling like a witch pulled his notebook, pen, and slammed it in front of him. "Write."

Haechan scribbled almost ineligible handwriting.

"He says you are the least threatening person. And when you stand there like that you look like an angry kitten."

Yangyang went to lunge at him. Winwin was ready to get in between him. Instead, you put your hand on his chest.

"He might be the one making the threat Haechan...but he really isn't the one you should be afraid of. My dad takes me hunting. Yangyang only gets to shoot the crossbow. In fact, that is a message for everyone here." You said

There was silence at the table. Yangyang pulled a chair out for you and sitting next down on the other side of you.

"Have you ever killed a deer?" Ten asked.

Sungchan choked on his rice.

"No only rabbits. I could never hurt a deer they have cute faces."

"Then you must think our little deer boy is cute, right?" Ten said pinching his cheek.

Sungchan looked up from his plate and being forced to look directly at you. He felt his cheeks turn red of embarrassment.

"Oh look he is doing the deer in the headlights look," Winwin said pinching his other side.

"God, you guys are the worst." The embarrassed boy said shaking them off and planting his head in his hands.

"You need to stop acting like annoying parents when we are in public," Jeno commented stuffing carrots into his mouth.

"And you need to stop eating like an animal, you can choke on them," Winwin said pulling the carrots closer to him.

"So ___ you didn't answer my question don't you think Sungchan is cute?"

"For being similar to a deer? Yeah, he is cute." You said eating the side of veggies looking at the boy.

You watched as the known deer boy's eyes light up and then quickly turning red in the face looking away.

This interaction was met with a loud groan and stabbing his plate.

"Yangyang cool down." You said.

"Yeah maybe go skate on the ice." Haechan teased.

You were conveniently sitting next to him. You grabbed his ear.

"Sorry, Yang." He whimpered back to his best friend.

"I'm starting to think the coach was protecting us from her," Jeno whispered to Mark.

Mark chuckled, "You have no idea."

——————————————————————————————————

"Listen I have to tell Father something, Yang. It was asked of me while in class, I didn't want to tell you earlier because you would freak out."

"Fine what is it?"

"My history teacher asked me to tutor Jeno because he is failing and he needs to play on the team. And hockey is the only good team at our school."

Yangyang looked like he was going to freak out. But he looked at your face, you looked scared enough already about telling your dad.

"It's ok. It's a curse being the smart sibling." He laughed. "I'll be standing next to you when you tell him."

You both walked into your house. You saw your Father unpacking the groceries, he looked up at his two children. He greeted them, "Hi guys. How was school today?"

"It was fine. __ does have something to tell you?"

"I agreed to help Jeno with studying for History."

"Yeah, I know. I noticed you were in his class and I told your teacher to have you tutor him." He said.

"You suggested that she spend time with Jeno? A scoundrel?" Yangyang asked in disbelief.

"He is your friend Yangyang."

Your father turns towards you with his hand on his hip. "I saw your sister talking to the guys yesterday before practiced. She handled herself pretty well and you stood up for her as well." Your father said with a chuckle. "I've also noticed how your sister has had her nose in the book so much. Spending her weekends at home, never going out."

You looked down embarrassed by the truth.

"So what you are telling me I was mean to my friends for no reason?"

"Defending my honor is not a reason to be rude to your friends? Especially when they talked about ‘my ass'?" You asked a little annoyed at your brother.

Your father hit the back of his head. "She is your sister! Don't let them talk about her that way!"

"Yes, Dad."

"Jeno said he was coming home with you after practice. So if you'll excuse me I'm going to start my homework and prepare my notes for Jeno."

Your father hummed as you started going upstairs towards your room.

"Sungchan is also coming home with me so we can get started on a biology project," Yangyang said smirking at you. You in return only rolled your eyes.

——————————————————————————————————

"Dad went out, took Johnny to dinner to run over the plays." Yangyang came in with his friends.

They came in just in time for dinner to be put in the oven. "I'm assuming you guys are staying for dinner? I made enough for everyone."

"You are my favorite Liu now," Jeno said taking a big sniff of the air. Yangyang laughed and pushed his shoulder. "She should be your favorite because she is going to improve your grade." He commented.

"Yeah, that too. Sungchan what do you think of ___?" He asked teasingly.

Sungchan looked embarrassed before he could answer you replied instead, "Jeno do you think teasing your friends is going to help improve your grade?"

"No." He hanged his head in shame.

"Notes for this unit are organized in a notebook they should help you with tonight's homework, I'm assuming that the textbook was rather daunting with long chapters. I have nothing against spark notes or Quizlet for summaries of chapters and definitions on certain words/events."

Jeno went over to his spot at the kitchen table looking at the notebook you had set up for him.

"So well organized."

"Yes. I figured we could meet weekly and I can help you set up notes. Then over a course of time, we can exchange our notes. These should help you for the test at the end of the week."

"We have a quiz at the end of the week?!"

"He is not going to pass." Yangyang sighed.

"Benched for the weekend." Sungchan laughed getting water from the fridge.

"Words of encouragement to prove you wrong," Jeno said sticking his tongue out.

You exhaled with a slight chuckle, "Alright boys let's get to work." You said. They turned their heads in unison at you and nodded and sat down at the table.

——————————————————————————————————

It had been a long week of helping Jeno study and review the material. You have to admit he was rather determined to get at least a B on his quiz because that would bring him up a whole letter grade. He really wanted to play this weekend against the Apes.

Jeno came running into the cafeteria with the quiz in hand to show the table how well he did on the quiz.

"___! Guys! ____! Look!" He shoved the quiz in your face. "92%! That is better than I hoped for. I get to play tomorrow."

"That's good Jeno." You smiled.

Yangyang came over to the table setting his lunch down announcing, "Sleepover at our house tonight. Dad left. Have a little fun before the big game tomorrow."

The boys whoop at the idea of a sleepover before the important game tomorrow. "Couldn't tell me about this?"

"Just thought of it now?" He told you.

"Are you telling me or asking me?"

"Telling you? Doesn't matter. They are coming over."

The boys were watching the sibling banter go back and forth like a tennis match.

"Who's sleeping where? You can fit three in your room and two on the air mattress. That leaves two on their own?" You asked.

"We have the couch downstairs, that can fit someone. You can fit one in your room."

"My room?" The table turned towards you.

"You can obviously choose who."

Haechan latched his arms around you. "__ is my real sister. We are the real twins she'll obviously pick me."

"Haechan I rather share a room with Yangyang. And I did that for the first 10 years of my life. We nearly killed each other."

The sunshine boy pouted.

"I'm fine with the couch if that narrows done the decision," Winwin said. "An I already know how the rest of the bunking is going to go down."

"Oh really now?" Ten asked annoyed.

He cleared his throat and got a pen from his backpack and grabbed a napkin, he began to explain how it was going to happen, "In the living room it will be me on the couch the air mattress will be where the table is, that will have Jeno and Mark. Then we have Yangyang in his room and on the pullout from his bed, there will be Ten and Haechan. And that leaves Sungchan all by his lonesome." He smirked.

"I was going to have Haechan and Ten in my room."

"I never sleep with Mark at a sleepover," Jeno said.

"There is a reason why I am the team captain." He said with a small bow.

"I'm ok with sharing my bedroom with Sungchan. Since I know besides Winwin and Mark that wouldn't mess up my room and actually rummage through my things."

"I wouldn't," Yangyang said way too confidently.

"You went through my drawers looking for my diary two days ago." You were only met with that statement with a tongue in your face.

Ten, Winwin, and Haechan turned to each other snickering at playing matchmaker. After the devious Haechan put the sleepover idea into Yangyang's head.

——————————————————————————————————

It was late into the night 4 pizza's devoured, 3 liters of different sodas finished, and empty bags of chips. Haechan's head was asleep on Mark's shoulder as he was playing against Yangyang who was half asleep himself. The time read 12:30.

You had started cleaning up after the boys, you pulled out the air mattress and the extra sheets.

"Bedtime boys. We have to get up 5:45 and eat before the game." You said to the sleepy boys.

They all hummed. Winwin rolled over on the couch stuffing his face into a couch pillow. Jeno and Mark fell on the air mattress, Jeno squeezing mark from behind. Haechan squeezed Ten as they followed Yangyang to his room.

"Wow, they must be really tired." You said.

With a small yawn, Sungchan replied, "You would be too if you got up at 5 before school 3-4 times a week to practice. Then after school practice. Then all the homework. It's amazing that half of the team has amazing grades while the half does ok because they are tutored by other teammates."

"Yeah, I understand I've been there. But I would be studying while waiting for my turn to go on the rink."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you used to skate."

"I still skate but now for fun. There is a lake of thick ice behind the house." You said pointing out the back window. Sungchan looked out the window.

He had an idea. "Do you wanna go for a late-night skate?" He smirked.

You liked that idea. "Sure."

"You think you can show me some moves, figure skater?" He teased laughing.

"With your stature? No problem."

"I'm yours to control, M'lady."

"So this move is called the backward crossover. Here is what you do move both of your legs apart at the same time to a width greater than that of your shoulders." You say showing him yourself, then move other to him. " Bring your legs back together and repeat. It takes effort and a little bit of muscle. And as you know the more push and pull you give-"

"The faster I go. I know I know. I'll go slow."

He went slowly to try and get the hang of the maneuver. It was a little more difficult because this was an open pond of ice and not a rink. You watched with giddy in your eyes as he did the move beautifully.

You cheered as he stopped and looked at you. He skated back over to you as you gave him a high five. "You did so well!"

"Jeno was right you are an excellent teacher."

"Can you teach me a hockey move?"

"Well, it's a little difficult to teach you a move or a play because your dad uses a secret code so no one understands it but the team. But I can teach you how to score with a puck."

He skated over to the edge of the pond bench where his bag was located. He gave you his extra stick and his practice puck.

"Ok, so the score between the tree and that boulder." He placed the puck in front of you. "I'm going to show you a form of shooting a puck. It's called a wrist shot." He skated behind you and set up your body to do the shot.

"Start with the puck on your stick behind your body. Pull the puck all the way until it comes off your blade." felt his hand wrap around yours which was around the hockey stick. "Shoot the puck when it is positioned in front of the blade of the stick, like this. Flick your wrists forward and point the toe of the stick where you want the puck to go."

With the flick of the wrist, you watched as the puck slide a little over the place and just missed the place of missing the makeshift goal.

You pouted. Sungchan laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not that great of a teacher."

"No, Sungchan. I think I didn't put enough effort into the push." You said swinging the stick around.

He chuckled even more. "Careful you might hurt yourself." He grabbed the stick and pulled you closer.

You saw that his face was red. It must have been really cold out, you were wearing a jacket but he wasn't.

You started talking while skating back towards your house, "We should go back inside. You still have to get up-"

He pulled you back, a little too fast. You slipped into his arms. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask you something."

“Uh…yeah?” You asked nervously.

"I wanted you to wear my pendant." He helped you stand normally and slipped the pendant over your head. "It's my number for the team, my mom got it for me."

"You could have given this to me inside."

"I just had a feeling it would be appropriate to give it to you here."

You smirked at the comment. "Come on lover boy, we really have to go to bed now. Don't judge my room when you go in there. And sorry for the girly sheets."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He chuckled happily following you.

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"Hehehe...my plan is working," Haechan said rubbing his hands together watching you two from the window.

"Your plan? If anything it's my baby. Winwin and I's plan, look at our precious deer boys' faces." Ten said gushing about how dopey his friend looked following after you.

"I don't like that you are playing matchmaker with my sister," Yangyang said, hugging his pillow.

"But she looks really happy, look she is blushing." Ten said yanking your twin towards his window holding his head watching the two of you.

"She does look happy. If they kiss in front of me, I'll kill him. If he breaks her heart I'll kill him." Yangyang growled with his eyes leveled with the window pane.

Haechan started holding in his laughter, with tears being held back. "You are so cute when you are threatening."

"You look like Louis and Leon trying to catch a bird."

Yangyang turned around to his friends. "Shut up. I will have the deer's head in my hands and mount it to our mantle if ever see her frown." He declared.

"You look so tiny." You laughed peering through the door. He growled more and picked up his pillow and chucked it at you.

You have ever were saved by a large arm in your face. You looked up at Sungchan as he smiled brightly down at you, then gave a death glare to the room.

"Mess with __, you might end up with a puck in your mouth." He said with a smile.

"I just got chills," Haechan said.

"There was no soul there." Ten said.

"Oh come on he is not that scary! You are just saying that because he is tall!" Yangyang shouted.

"Liu Yangyang shut the hell up! We all have to sleep! Everybody to bed now!" Winwin screamed from downstairs.

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