Tear You Apart | GOT7xOC
Pairing: GOT7 x OC
Genre: Demon/Mafia AU, Romance, Smut
Rating: M
Summary: Jaebeom and Yugyeom are "running an errand" when the most delectable scent that he ever smelled hit Yugyeom like a ton of bricks. Yugyeom stops JayB and soon he smells it. They look across the street and see the her. They stalk her for awhile and finally get the chance to manufacture a meet with her.
Wattpad | AO3 (will likely always update these 2 places first)
Navigation: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
"It's just up the block here." Jaebeom said walking with Yugyeom trailing just behind.
On this particular morning, the leader and the youngest were on their way to confront a member of the organization about stealing. They'd probably leave with a finger or two. Make sure he got the message.
A slight breeze blows and Yugyeom stops. Jaebeom turns and looks at him, "what's wrong?"
"Don't you smell that." He sniffs the air. "Fuuck. It smells so good."
Jaebeom raises a brow wondering what the hell YG was talking about but then he smells it too. Jesus. He thought. Funny coming from him but that's how good it smelled. "Yeah I do. Who is that?"
The other mission abandoned, they scan the street for the source. As they look across the way, they spot you walking. It had to be her. They speed to the other side of the road and stalk behind her.
The good thing about being a hybrid is how well you can blend in. Not only were they human in many aspects but they were predators as well. Able to conceal their true selves and built to hunt. She never even noticed them.
They follow her the rest of the afternoon and finally call it a day but not before they get one of their guys to continue following her and report back.
"We've got to try to do this differently. If she gets scared, she'll run." Jaebeom explains to Yugyeom in the car on the way home. "It'll be so much better if she's willing. No compulsion. No holding her captive. None of that."
"Just a little light stalking." Yugyeom quibs with a small laugh but ultimately agrees, "you're right hyung but I want her so bad. What if she says no?" His eyes go dark.
Jaebeom sighs, "then we let her go." His hands tighten on the wheel, knuckles white. Can we do that, Can I do that? He knew that they needed to be better.
Every potential new mate for them ended up broken because it was all just too much. The manipulations, the compulsions, the constant attention. In the end, it broke them all, whether mentally or physically. And they were lonely. Fooling around with someone to satisfy their needs was nothing. Yes, it satiated the hunger, the thirst but only temporarily. They knew they needed to find the one.
As if reading his mind Yugyeom comforts Jaebeom, "but I think this is it. She's just too perfect not to be."
Once home with their brothers, they explain to them what they smelled. What they saw.
"When can we meet her?" Jackson asks excitedly.
"We don't even know her name yet." Jaebeom rolls his eyes. "Think we need to get the basics first."
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Pairing: Jaebeom x gn!Reader (platonic ??)
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 561
Warnings: cursing and thats it
Summary: For his birthday surprise, you take Jaebeom somewhere special and miss an opportunity to tell him something important
this was supposed to be for jaebeom’s birthday but i got daestracted with other deadlines and a hongjoong fic lol
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“Hello…” Jaebeom mumbles incoherently, voice rough from answering your call two seconds after you dialled his number. “This is Lim Jaebeom.”
“Beom, I need you to come outside,” you say into the phone, voice shaking as you try to hide your excitement.
“Why?” His voice is still slurred, and you find it cute just like any other day.
You sigh through your nose. Jaebeom is not as bad as your mutual friend Youngjae when it comes to being woken up, but he’s bad enough and it being three in the morning does not help matters at all. “Pleaaase? It’s so cold outside.”
You can hear the pout in your voice and you know he can too because he groans and you can hear his bedsheets being kicked off his body. “You’re fucking insane. I’ll be out in a moment.” He hangs up in the middle of your victory cheer and you smile to no one in particular. It’s his birthday and you planned a surprise for him that you hope he would like.
“This better be good,” Jaebeom grumbles as he steps outside his apartment complex, pulling a jacket around his shoulders. “It’s cold and I wanna go back to bed.”
You laugh. “Okay, big baby. Get in the car, it’s warm. I need to show you something.”
“Can I sleep in the car?” You slap his arm but there’s a hint of a smile on both of your faces.
He does indeed sleep in the car, which is very expected behaviour of him. When you finally reach your destination you poke him awake and he seems just as disoriented as usual. “You took me to a cliff? You woke me up for this? Oh my God, I’m going to get murdered by my best friend, I hope this makes headlines.”
You laugh, shoving at him. “Dude, you’re so whiny. Get outside and look up.”
Jaebeom does a spectacular eye roll before opening the car door. “Oh, my God,” he breathes and you grin triumphantly.
“I told you so, dude! You’ve never seen stars this bright before, right? Seoul sucks for this kinda thing so I looked up where to best see the stars.”
“This is amazing,” Jaebeom says excitedly, shaking his head in disbelief. “I never thought it would be this beautiful in person. Thank you.”
You look away bashfully. “It’s not a problem, dude. Happy birthday, Beom.”
Jaebeom looks back at you with a shine in his eyes. It’s an image you want to keep in your mind forever. “You’re amazing.”
There are only so many compliments you can handle from Jaebeom before letting your crush overwhelm you so you just laugh it off with a joke. God knows how long you’ve liked him but you’d rather ignore your own feelings in case it all goes horribly wrong.
“Now you just have to do something just as nice for my birthday then,” you tease, elbowing him. “I expect fireworks.”
Jaebeom smiles and elbows you back but something has changed in the air and you don’t know what it is. And instead of confronting it head-on like you probably should, you just turn away and continue having a fun night with your very best friend and nothing more.
Maybe one day you will work up the courage to ask him out, but you’re content with being there for him now.
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Worst Date Scenario
Jay Park x OC
Fluff
WC: .7k
Worst date scenario.
Jay Park
Bee was excited, Jay finally reached out to her today.
Realizing he's busy, with the new label, Won Soju, festivals appearances, music, working on the new music.
Still, it's been a minute since she last heard from him, even a text would have been nice, she sighs.
Tomorrow, what did he say?
"A date you won't forget!"
What romantic adventures has he got planned ?
"I have nothing to wear!"
Shopping expedition is needed,
Bee thinks to herself.
Bee hits the mall, clothing stores,
browsing for hours till she finds what is the perfect outfit.
"Shoes! I need new shoes!" She mutters.
Zeroing in on the shoe stores she finds the perfect shoes to match her newly acquired outfit.
"Handbag, I don't have one that is coloured coordinates with the outfit and shoes"
Next stop, looking for a bag to match, her determination pays off and she finds exactly what she wants.
Accessories, 'can't ever go wrong with new bling'
Last stop, the hairdresser, trim and colour and eyebrow wax.
After eating her take out, she grabbed at the mall, she pondered her purchases and was very pleased, telling herself, she did great and she will look 'hot'.
From experience Bee has discovered when Jay states a time to be ready fifteen minutes early.
He is not one to sit idly, movement is the name of the game. Not lacking in conversation skills, he can keep the chat alive, animated hand gestures come part and parcel with his dialogue.
Knowing this Bee keeps herself abreast with the news and other happenings, one never knows what topics may arise.
A vehicle pulls up, just as she suspected fourteen minutes early, one last glance in the mirror, happy with her reflected image, she leaves her cozy flat, locking the door behind her and heads toward the car.
The man holding the door open for her, Kwon as she simply refers to him, closes the door as she seats herself in the car.
Jay greets her with a smile, and immediately starts chattering.
Cursory questions "how are you? What have you been up to?"
Followed by lengthy discussions about his happenings.
Suddenly he changes the subject
"I have a present for you"
"Wow thank you" she replies with a warm smile.
Jay passes her a gift bag, intrigued as to what he may have got her, she looks into the bag.
The first thing she notices is the pattern on the material.
It's exactly the same as the pants he is wearing.
"How sweet" she tells herself
With exuberant delight she yanks the item out of the bag.
It's a pair of pants.
The pants are a twin set to those he is wearing. 'So romantic, matching outfits'
Dizzy with happiness, she reaches over, arms wrapping around him, "I love them thank you".
She is rewarded with a grin.
Bee's mind is running around in circles, they have been driving for a while now, where are they going?
Jay is excited, hyper even, but when is not!
"Your gonna fucking love the surprise, you will not fucking forget it, I promise!" He states with certainty.
Music fills the vehicle, Bee is as happy as a bird with a worm.
Anticipation slowly mounting, what else does he have in store? Romantic picnic? A hike while they walk hand in hand?
She has no clue, but she is eager for the answer.
As if fate had heard , the vehicle stopped.
Kwon opens the door and Jay leaps out of the vehicle.
"Come on," Jay tells her impatiently.
Bee exits the vehicle, only to notice people surrounding Jay with greetings, she notices they are wearing the same pants as Jay and the ones he gifted her.
Confused she looks around,
'Where the hell are we?' she ponders.
'It looks like a farm'
Jay is busily chatting away, then he looks at Bee.
"Welcome to Won Soju Farm"
"Grab your pants!"
"Let's get to work!"
"Work?" She utters.
Smiling from ear to ear, Jay saunters off with the crowd that greeted his arrival.
Looking around she realizes he is not joking, this is indeed a farm.
He wants or expects me to work on his farm!
Dejectedly, she grabs the pants and follows Jay.
He is right; she muses this is one date she will never forget.
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Comeback maybe? #sike
Hey y'all wassup? It's almost been a year since I last wrote a fanfiction but I see your likes and reblogs almost every day! I can't thank you enough for all these notes, I can never believe that my fics are worth such attention but I'm glad you seem to enjoy them.
Recently I had the urge, I thought I'd never have again, to write. I still lack motivation but if yall wanna leave some asks to start some chit chat (about Got7's comeback even) you're more than welcome ^^
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Winterfall
Synopsis: When you thought of your life, Glenview Psychiatric Hospital was the last place you thought you’d end up. What could be weirder than calling a place like this home? Finding people who remind you that, sometimes, the messiest parts of who we are can be the best parts of us too.
Pairings: Christian Yu x Reader x Jay B x Reader (It’s a love triangle, y’all)
Series: ongoing
Word Count: 5186
Warnings: mentions of self-harm, mental health issues, mental disorders, slight violence, sexual themes
A/N: This is a hard one to post. I’ve had this in my WIPs for over seven years. I’ve rewritten it multiple times. Consider if this was a series, I was willing to share. As someone who suffers from BPD II and PTSD, it felt strange to dive into mental health. In a way, I felt like I needed a safe place to get it out. To share. This fic isn’t meant to be sad. It’s meant to be about growth. The journey of mental health can be a messy one, but it doesn’t have to hinder our own growth. Our sadness does not define us. If I ever miss anything in the warnings for chapters, please let me know and I’ll fix it ASAP! This fic is loosely based off of one of my favorite films, Girl, Interrupted. And remember, if you you ever need to talk: Im here.
Shout out to my bestie @deadneverlander for always being the better half in our clownery. I wouldn't be able to do half of this without you.
There was something about the bleakness of winter that seemed to make countless people’s bones ache for the warmth of summer. Their loneliness is somehow made more apparent by rain clouds and negative degrees, turning thoughts into reminiscent scenes of a doomsday film.
You’d always claimed that fall was your favorite season because the vast spectrum of your sadness didn't match the heat of summer. Sure, you loved the possibilities of hot cocoa, warm fires, ridiculous horror, Christmas films, and the first sight of snow. Somewhere along the way, however, came the anxiety of holiday dinners. Where the comfort you’d found in overcast skies turned sinister with repeated looks that reminded you that you were the black sheep; the odd man out with another year of nothing to show.
Fall no longer meant binges on shows and breaks from the endless routine that was work and school. It meant laying in the snow until your body heat forced it to melt underneath you, seeping into the fabric of your clothes to leave your nerves numb and transparent like ice. Your mind silently hoped it would be enough to extinguish the agony that blossomed in your chest.
Jackets were no longer marked for warmth, but strictly to hide your struggle to feel anything past the chasm that’d grown in the past couple of months: to bleed out the parts of you that didn't belong. It wasn't a surprise it's what landed you a one-way ticket to the cozy room inside a psychiatric hospital. Maybe that's just what happens when you're found unresponsive with a belly housing a fifth of rum. The marks on your skin lay like a map to follow on how you got there; only being found like a frantic afterthought.
Glenview Psychiatric Hospital, or GSH that was strategically labeled in bright crimson above the pocket of your prison-inspired sweatshirt, had been home for three months now. It was meant to be a place of healing, among the basic mood stabilizing and therapy sessions everyone held in a day. You felt further away from that concept with every group activity the doctors forced you to take part in. Your social anxiety becoming apparent each time it lands on you to speak, either to close the circle, or to be a part of the ridiculous game activities. The last time you played volleyball your face saw more action with the pleather ball than your arms ever did.
It was currently 12:47 p.m. The clock giving you a false sense of hope that the time wouldn’t just creep by to leave you stranded the last thirteen minutes until you’d earned your freedom. There was, however, the off chance if Dr. Thompson wasn't hearing what he wanted; the hour-long group activity would be extended.
You scanned the other six faces that made up your group: the huddled mess of piled sweaters and huddled blanket of Soomi a fleeting moment of comfort. It only took your eyes adjusting on her figure to know she didn’t have one. Her tiny body composed of thick layers of clothes to portray a false sense of shape. Her anorexia becoming so severe her family had no other option but to put her here, or watch her die. Jason’s endless finger taps on every surface he could touch the only giveaway to his OCD until he removed himself from his chair. Sejun with his alcoholism and Yuna with her acidic imagination that the wind whispered her deepest secrets out into the world.
All this ending with your gaze narrowed on the statuesque figure of Jaebum who comically sat opposite of your current position. The two suicidal inmates that shared in the anxiousness of sadness but little else, and the usual reason why your group never seemed to end on time.
You couldn't say it was a shame to be stuck sitting dead center of someone so attractive; as shallow of an observation as it was there was no denying how ungodly true that statement was. He held a silent attractiveness that resonated in the solitude he kept around himself, and Jaebum was indeed a solitary creature.
He preferred books over people. Usually moving away from anyone who got close to his latest reading perch without ever glancing up from his current book. Jaebum’s favorite place he’d reserved to get lost inside his fiction the seal of the window that looked out the expanse of the institute’s backyard. The entire estate currently covered in the dead burgundy and gold of a forest of oak tree leaves.
It wasn't like you were laying avid amounts of your attention on him or anything. You didn't pay attention to how broad his shoulders looked in his old man sweaters that you could've bet money smells like mothballs. How his features seemed sharpened to match the fierceness that lived inside his eyes. The only thing that exposed his softness was the speck of a mole that dusted itself on his left eyelid.
Jaebum just held a presence that demanded to be noticed. Whether he himself liked it or not.
“Jaebum: do you have anything you’d like to add to the session?”
Dr. Thompson’s question made the both of you jolt in your seats. Youwere too busy staring down at your nails while you plucked away at the cuticles. Jaebum's head turned, unbeknownst to you, from looking at you to the good doctor. It was enough to make your cheeks flush hot.
His crossed arms gave a soft shrug, and you hated how your eyes stayed captivated by the movement. You were willing to blame it on the charcoal-worn cable knit sweater he favored. It really did smell like moth balls and age making you willing to bet it wasn't his to begin with.
“We talked about this guys. Shrugging is not an adequate substitute for an answer.”
His tone showing his frustration more than anger at his need to repeatedly inform the group. Dr. Thompson looked at each of you individually until he stopped on Jaebum, who didn’t seem the least bit moved.
“I have nothing to say.”
A sigh escaped from Dr. Thompson’s lips as his head shook softly. His eyes averted down to the tin clipboard momentarily before they resumed their previous position.
“And what is it exactly you would like me to add, huh?” You felt your body tense against the chair. Your hands grasping at its edges like it would be the only thing to keep you stable against the oncoming rage that was Jaebum’s agitation. “We do these pointless sessions over and over: again and again. For what? Do you think it “saves” anyone?”
Your eyes diverted from the safety of your knees; counting every frayed piece of cloth on your jeans that hung loose from torn holes. No part of you needed to acknowledge that he was standing. The room did that well enough with the tension his power caused. The room itself swelling with anxiety that made fidgety Sera begin to rock violently against the back of her chair. Her head shaking hair into her face, like a curtain to hide what she feared was coming her way like the abusive hands of her father.
The orderlies were already beginning to circle his chair, but Dr. Thompson held up a hand of warding. He reminded you too much of an irresponsible ring handler at a circus. Unwilling to recognize his own tiger was about to maim him.
“No, no that’s fair enough. I see you have an issue with the way we try and help our patients.”
“Help?!” Jaebum snarled. “Is that what you call it? Like you helped Simon remember all the things he wanted to forget! Is that what you call endless therapies until he killed himself! You consider being helpful with the way you handled Ian?”
Dr. Thompson regarded Jaebum quietly, but his eyes were focused and searching the young man’s face. You watched in helpless awe as one stood like a calm in a blazing storm, while the other raged so furiously you thought the walls would come down. No longer was his voice a strong current, but now thunderous words that hurled like lightning bolts were being directed at the man before him.
Jaebum was right. Sometimes, the doctors picked and picked a part at you until you were left bare and raw. And if their words didn’t do it their physical methods picked up where they lacked. His anger was justified, because deep down so were you. But you didn’t have the towering strength like he did to stand up to anyone. Your fear of the seclusion rooms kept you prisoner: locked in your chair as a simple flick of Dr. Thompson’s hand sent the orderlies rushing to Jaebum’s side.
“I think that’s enough for today’s session.”
In the back of your mind you knew that Jaebum was right. In part. Who were counselors and psychologists to tell the broken mirrors of people how to put their pieces back together? Only to end up with more blood on their hands from struggling to put sharp pieces in place. They studied people like you, Jaebum...people like Ian who were features in their college books. They themselves barely ever one to experience it themselves.
Healing, even if unconventional, was still healing in the end. There was no right or wrong way to get there, but here, with people like Dr. Thompson, their textbook solutions were the only solutions. Maybe that’s why it backfired so terribly with Ian.
So for once, you wanted to stand up with Jaebum. To call out the injustices of treatments forced on patients, like Ian. Treatments they’d placed on patients that only wanted to forget, because no one wants to remember traumas and everything that makes them feel like failures.
You knew, however, if you took that chance to be brave for once you would end up like Jaebum. Uselessly struggling against orderlies who came prepared with syringes to make you complacent and an endless day being locked for god knew how long inside seclusion.
It was cowardice that kept your mouth shut. All of you stayed quiet as an orderly you aptly nicknamed, “The Bull,” grabbed at the neck of Jaebum’s sweater. That was all it took for him to react violently. Jaebum’s elbow flew back with such force it dislodged The Bull’s grip, which only seemed to make it worse.
“Jaebum, please do not struggle.” Dr. Thompson’s voice didn’t sound as soothing as he probably imagined. Obvious agitation outlined every word; the struggle forcing all of you up from your chairs and away from the fighting. “Everyone out. Now.”
A part of you hated listening. For not firmly digging your feet in to stand for something you agreed wasn’t right. It was an odd thought. Since Ian was the usual instigator of the chaos of how these ended. Never Jaebum. Maybe he just felt like in Ian’s absence he needed to take over for him.
“You play god with everyone’s emotions and leave them to drown alone in the aftermath. You are the reason Christian keeps escaping and Hyujin is gone! It’s you! It’s all of you!”
Jaebum’s rage became more apparent with each sentence and broke as his throat formed the words of his former friend. Former because he’d found himself as one of Dr. Thompson’s experimental new treatments. A treatment that brought back too much Hyujin couldn’t cope with - was forced to confront - before he was ready.
The ward still felt hollow - missing in the sound of Hyujin’s laugh.
You would’ve been impressed with the way Jaebum was laying into the doctor. He was holding his own against the orderly at his arms until the Bull snuck behind him and brought him falling down to the cold concrete floor.
That was the last you saw of Jaebum as you were ushered outside the doors. You faced them for a long time. No one questioned why you stood at the entrance as Jaebum’s yelling dulled to nothing. It was too late for you to run back and play the role of knight in shining armor and standing in front of the door would only make the staff assume you were waiting to cause a scene.
Turning on your heel you headed towards the living area. Your mind racing heavily with indecision and not paying attention to the overcrowded chairs and couches. You bypassed them all to head to your favorite window seat. It was opposite to the one everyone knew as Jaebum’s; reading a new book every week during free time. It was so engrained to the fabric of the facility that no one tried to take it from him. Not even Ian.
You folded into yourself as soon as you sat down on the window seat. Your chin pressed into your shoulder so you could get a better look outside. The vibrant colors of changing leaves reminding you that fall was coming. Maybe they would let you work outside if you were good? You were tired of doing bathroom and kitchen duties, but because of Ian’s latest stunt no one was allowed outside. Not until the fences were made higher with wire curled along the top.
If thoughts could be breathed into existence, you were positive you alone would be deemed responsible for Ian walking, right then and there, through the facility's double doors. Of course, Ian could never simply enter a room quietly.
Christian entered every room like a force. Wild and unpredictable. Mother Nature couldn’t compete with his massive hurricane personality. No one could come close, because underneath all that unhinged nature was a magmatism that far outreached just good looks.
Was Christian good looking? Devilishly so. It was his way with words, however, that left many people reeling. Not just fellow patients, but staff as well. He was painfully charming and, if you weren’t prepared for his wide-set smile directed in your direction, you were going to find yourself in trouble. Deep, deep Christian-flavored trouble. The staff had even labeled him with a warning of “verbal jujitsu” - you had to stay miles ahead of the conversation or you’d find yourself like the recently fired psych tech who’d handed over the ward keys without a second thought.
Seriously. That’s how Christian escaped this time. All the other times, well, the man could be considered the second coming of Houdini.
“How have you been, Bob? Are your feet still giving you grief, Margo?”
It was impressive how he acted like it wasn’t a big deal he’d magically reappeared. The guard and orderlies awkwardly keep watch over the double doors he’d come through like he’d disappear back into thin air.
You hated how happy you became hearing the richness of his voice. The way his accent reminded you of the battle of wills on what was the proper way to say, “water,” and the teasing you gave him about constantly saying, “Naurr”.
“It’s Margaret, jackass,” the older psych tech mumbled in reply. She didn’t even bother to look up from putting a new bandage on Bob’s hands.
“Missed you too, babe.”
You watched his reflection in the safety of the glass of the window. You didn’t want to show how eager you were to see him - or to find out that every time he left the ward became almost too much to bear alone.
In the safety of the window, you could pretend the call to freedom was what kept your eyes hypnotized. Not the sleeveless tee he’d tucked inside the waist of skinny jeans that hugged to the muscles like paint or the layers of tattoos that covered honey skin. He wasn’t tan when he’d left. Where had Ian’s adventures taken him this time?
You would get the chance to ask him yourself.
When his eyes caught sight of your huddled frame curled in the window seat his trajectory changed completely. He didn’t think you’d noticed him yet, but it didn’t stop his infamous megawatt smile from brightening up his features and the butterflies he’d left trapped in your gut instantly springing back to life.
The only downside? You were more than positive Ian saw you only as a sister. If he’d thought of you in the past as anything else you would’ve definitely known by now. As much as Ian was known for his charisma and whirlwind energy, he was also known for slipping into the janitor’s closet with more than a few now-fired staff members.
In a matter of seconds, he left the mirage of the window to become real beside you. The smell of cigarettes and his preferred cologne enveloped you, instantly turning the space intimate. You tried your best to ignore him. Ian would receive nothing but the side eye from you after the latest shit he’d pulled.
He let out a heavy sigh as a finger playfully poked into your side. He wiggled the digit in a weak attempt to tickle you thinking it would be enough for you to finally look at him. Fat chance. Using your elbow, you pushed down with just enough force to dislodge him from your side. The act forced a heavy sigh to flare his nostrils as he leaned back against the window.
“Come on, ‘Roo. You can’t be that mad at me?”
Of course, he would use your nickname. The nickname you earned one night when he’d tried to tickle you until you couldn’t breathe. To be honest, he thinks you’d kicked him accidentally in the chest because you might wet yourself. The truth? Ian had gotten dangerously close. A few times it felt like his lips were just a few sharp breaths away from landing on yours, and that night you’d felt hollow. So hollow. All you wanted was to burn and Ian…he was so full of fire and life and for once you wanted to know what it felt like to be filled with something other than emptiness.
You wanted to catch fire too.
So you’d kicked out at him in panic. Hence how you became his Kangaroo. His ‘Roo.
“Actually,” you began, biting out the world with each syllable. “I can be upset with you and I most definitely am.”
“Don’t be like that, ‘Roo. I know you missed me.”
“No, I didn’t. It was rather peaceful while you were off on whatever antics you decided to get into.”
A tsk sent his bottom lip into a pout as he crossed his arms. His shoulders lean further down the window and slightly into your view.
God, why did he have to be so heartbreakingly handsome?
You refused to make eye contact with him. Don’t do it. It’s a trick. You knew it was a trick. A sneaky ploy and yet…you looked. One look was all it took and Ian knew he had you.
“I missed you.” His voice caressed your skin like velvet causing it to erupt in goosebumps. “So, I know if I missed you that can only mean that you missed me.”
A snort of disbelief left you as you finally gave him what he’d been asking: your full and undivided attention.
“Is that how it works, Ian?”
“Ah!” He beamed. “She finally looks at me.”
You couldn’t keep your eyes from rolling as you tried to face away from him, but Ian wasn’t having it.
“I shouldn’t even do that.”
“Where is all this hostility coming from?” He pouted. “Did you experience another one of Dr. Thompson’s riveting group circles?”
“It’s not funny, Ian. You always leave.” You hated how your voice betrayed you. The way it cracked before you could glue it back together. “You go and leave me here, without you, all the time. One of these days you may not come back.”
All the playfulness slowly drained from his features. The sly smile wilted to a grimace as deep brown eyes scanned over your face. Calculating your words with the body language of guarded arms and saddened eyes. His hands gently grabbed at your elbows to loosen your arms before turning you to him. His head dipped down just a bit to make sure he had you at eye level.
“Hey, ‘Roo. I’m sorry. I come back for you, you know that right?” You knew he was lying, but try telling that to the butterflies fluttering around like crazy in your gut. “These assholes could never catch me if I didn’t turn myself in, and I only turned myself in to get back to you.”
You didn’t know what you would’ve said at that moment. Maybe something he wanted to hear or maybe - finally - you’d have the guts to call him out on his bullshit. Luckily for you, the muffled sound of Jaebum’s screaming slowly grew louder until his struggling body was brought through the double doors from therapy.
“Let me go, you assholes!”
You’d never seen Jaebum fight so fiercely before. The way he flailed his arms to find a way to get them released along with his legs kicking out like a madman. They practically dragged him down the hall towards seclusion. For a split second, in his struggle, his eyes landed on you. His gaze held yours for what felt like a lifetime until the spell was broken. It felt like slow motion as his face turned to see Ian on your right and all the fight drained from his body.
Did he think he was fighting for Ian? Himself? Jaebum was never much for acting out. That was usually Ian who created trouble. Maybe that was why he looked so shocked seeing Jaebum being dragged down to seclusion.
“Oi! What the fuck is this?”
Ian was up off the window seat in seconds. A couple of orderlies were already coming out from behind the nursing station to meet him halfway. Whatever they were saying, you weren’t all too sure. Ian was doing his usual of screaming and shoving causing the orderlies to prepare for a fight. The patients closest to all the commotion desperately trying to get out of the way.
It was all chaos. All classic Ian. The only non-classic thing was Jaebum looking at you in a way you’d never noticed before. It created a row of questions that sat heavily on your tongue and ones you weren’t sure he would ever be willing to answer.
It wasn’t until everything had settled down again that you snuck inside the room that held group therapy. Your eyes instantly homing in on Jaebum’s chair and underneath it one of his grandfather’s books.
Before you dared to push all the way through into the room you gave one last cautious glance to the recreation room and slipped inside. You made sure to hold the door so it didn’t click into place. There was no denying if you were caught sneaking in somewhere you weren’t meant to be you’d be joining Jaebum in your own seclusion room.
The sterile room with its egg-white walls was most definitely not your favorite. The only way to add your own source of color to its walls was to display your thoughts - projecting them out like a fucked up home movie that you’d rather forget.
You made sure to cut across the room silently. Your legs bending at the knee to swoop down to grab the worn-down cover and secure it to your chest.
You couldn’t explain why as you made your way out of the room towards the upper floor that held the seclusion rooms what made you want to do this for him. It’s not like he would thank you, but you weren’t looking for that.
It wasn’t hard to notice the way Jaebum cared for his late grandfather's things. From the sweater he wore daily that was meticulously cleaned and laundered to the few books Jaebum was able to keep from his collection. He coveted them the way others valued trophies but it wasn’t praise that Jaebum found secluded inside their pages: it was peace.
You didn’t know much about him. Jaebum wasn’t much of a sharer. He was reserved. The only way to know him was by the pages you held close to your chest. So, you weren’t terribly sure why you were doing this for him except for the fact you believed no one should go without something that they loved.
Just as you were about to round the last corner to the hallway that held seclusion rooms 1 through 3, you caught a flash of an orderly speaking to a nurse. From the brief moment you’d caught before you found the safety of the opposite wall, they were more than likely flirting.
Ted. That was the name written on his uniform. He’d called Ian a “Psycho,” a handful of times. You wondered if Ted knew the nurse he worshiped spent the same handful of nights sneaking inside Ian’s dorm.
“Do you maybe want to go get breakfast in the morning?”
Breakfast?! You mouthed to yourself before you snuck another peek around the corner.
“Oh, I don’t know, Ted. I might have plans later.”
If your eyes could roll back any harder you would’ve seen brain cells. You knew exactly what her supposed plans were. You could already hear the moans that echoed down the halls like a haunting. The only thing haunted here would be you.
You didn’t have to see Ted’s expression to know he was defeated. He was probably wondering how someone could refuse breakfast or maybe he was finally growing tired of being told no. The mystery of the unknown in this love triangle would sadly (not really) remain a mystery. You didn’t really care if they had breakfast together or hunted Easter eggs. You just wanted them to finish their awkward conversation and leave the damn hallway.
A few more strangled pieces of conversation later and you could hear the shuffling of feet. Quickly, you moved inside a linen closet and quietly shut the door. Your ears straining - waiting - to hear a pair of feet move past your location so you could finish what you came to do.
Every second you were out here and not inside your own dorm waiting for the nurses to come in and check you were there was one second too many in a chance at punishment. After a few more minutes went by and the coast sounded relatively clear, you creeped out from the linen closet and dashed towards the seclusion rooms.
“Jaebum!?” You half whispered half yelled. “Jay!”
“What the hell are you doing over here?”
Ah, there was that condescending voice you’d grown accustomed to. Following the sound of his voice, and with the help of his fingers hanging out of the small seclusion window, you darted towards the back of the hall. Your arms still securely held onto his grandfather’s book and only began to loosen as you got closer to the door.
“I wanted to bring you something before they placed it in lost and found.”
With another cautious glance down the hall, your fingers wrapped around the edges of the book's spine. You offered it up to him and gently started to push it through the small window. Jaebum hadn’t spoken since he noticed what you held in your hands. His fingers overlapped yours as he took it from you. His arms immediately brought it inside with him with the sound of pages flipping while he made sure each page was still accounted for.
“How did you-“ he began, but his words quickly died out.
“Can you believe it ladies and gentlemen? For once, he was too stunned to speak,” you teased.
Jaebum’s eyes narrowed in on your face. His hands wagged the book as if he was going to hit you over the head with it. Who knows, he might have if there wasn’t a 30-pound door stationed between you.
“I’m serious. You came all this way to give me this?”
You shrugged his words off like what you’d done wasn’t a big deal. Both of you knew it was. So many factors that could lead you to where he was, or worse, if they believed you were trying to steal someone else’s property. Which, they one hundred percent would even though kleptomania wasn’t part of your conga line list of disorders.
“I remember how much his things matter to you. I didn’t want Bull or Kojak The Great Dick to get a hold of it. I know they wouldn’t have respected it after today.”
You’d expected a lot of things to come out of this exchange. The main one? At least a thank you. All you were getting now felt like the cold shoulder that featured a very unnerving stare. With every second you were feeling more self-conscious and it took everything in you not to shout, “Boo!” in an attempt to get him to blink.
You couldn’t take the awkwardness of the exchange any longer. Your feet were already backpedaling as your arms swung, thumb extended out, to indicate your exit before you spoke.
“Great well, this was a fun chat-“
“He lies to you, you know.”
Jaebum’s words took you by surprise. You were sure that was the point. His face was set in deep lines of determination as if what he needed to say was something you needed to adhere to like the gospel from the Bible.
“Okay, Jay I’ll bite: who is he?”
“You know who I’m talking about. Ian. It’s who he is. He doesn’t know how to tell the truth, and you always set yourself up for failure with him.”
Maybe Jaebum thought he was being helpful - calling to light all things you were aware of but couldn’t bring yourself to say out loud. You must have seemed too weak - gullible - in his eyes for him to believe he needed to say these things.
You eyed him coolly through the window. Your tongue rolled around inside your cheek trying to decide what exactly you should say at this moment. Did he want recognition that you knew you were an idiot? What did it matter to him if you knew Ian didn’t give two fucks about you.
So, the only thing you could settle on was the beginning of a long sigh before you spoke: “I know I might look like a love-sick puppy to you, Jay, but I know my place.”
He tried saying your name to stop you. You just ignored him as you shook your head and allowed yourself to begin to move back down the hall towards the safety of your own dorm.
“It’s alright, Jay I get it. Take care of your grandfather’s things better, okay?”
You didn’t wait to finish your sentence before you were already turning to head down the hallway. The bottom of your feet itching for you to sprint in the opposite direction. Your mind raced over Jaebum’s words and matched them with the growing chasm in your chest.
So lost in your head, you barely caught the sound of his parting, “Thank you,” as you bolted around the corner.
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00 | the other side - mark tuan
pairing: mark tuan x reader
genre: angst, smut, idol! got7, idol! reader
warnings: cursing, explicit sex, takes place in present time with minor flashbacks
summary: mark knew it was game over the minute he saw you. despite being apart from each other for so long, no amount of practice in front of the mirror would've prepared him for the way his heart dropped the moment he saw you walk in. he'd forgotten about the hold you had on him, you; the love of his life, the one that got away.
character preface
mark tuan :
male
age: 29
birthday: september 4, 1993
currently living in arcadia, la county, california, u.s.a
y/n:
female
age: 25
birthday: september 15, 1997
currently living in seoul, south korea
originally from new york city; part time in los angeles
all got7 member info is in present time.
let me know if i should post ch. 01 :)
______________________________________________________________
disclaimer:
slight or recurring mentions of other idols, groups, familiar names.
despite it taking place in present time, with real time events, this story the plot and scenarios are 100% made up
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⠀❋ para qualquer inverno
・・jaebeom (got7) + nayeon (twice)
🌷 — psd nature flavor by oprum
o restante dos materiais você encontrará possivelmente aqui ♡
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GOT7
NO NAME
pairing: idol!Jaebeom x reader
others: idol!Youngjae
genre: one-shot, smut, fluff, established relationships, domestic
warnings: dom!Jaebeom sub!reader switched positions, teasing, orgasm denial, unprotected sex
READ HERE
JAEBEOM, THE GUY FROM THE BAR
pairing: Jaebeom x reader
others: Jeno
genre: series, fluff, angst, strangers to lovers
warnings: break up (with Jeno), drinking, slowburn
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8
NO NAME
pairing: Jinyoung x reader
others: NCT Johnny
genre: series, smut, fluff, angst
warnings: abuse, depression, toxic friendship, established relationships, lovers to strangers, mentions of self harm, messed up everything (you'll get it as you read it)
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7
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The Back-Up
You’ve worked your entire life to become the captain of the most elite starship in the space force. When your crew makes a monumental discovery and Captain Lim Jaebeom is sent to provide back-up, you refuse to let this wonderful man steal your thunder yet again.
Word Count: 12k+
Genre: Space Exploration!AU, JaebeomxFemale!Reader. I won’t pretend this isn’t heavily Star Trek inspired but you definitely don’t need to know anything about Star Trek to understand it.
Warnings: Language, and some mentions of drugging someone without consent.
USS Premier.
Captain's Log, Stardate 56698.4.
Our efforts to make peace with the primitive alien species inhabiting Iota Five are progressing slowly but steadily. This species, referring to themselves as the 'Magrakhar', do not appear to be hostile but I sense some reluctance on their part to fully commit to a peaceful alliance with us. Perhaps further research into their customs is warranted.
Admiral Nguyen has arranged for us to receive back-up. I have conveyed to him that all is under control, but he insists on sending us the USS Miracle for support. The Miracle is due to land on Iota Five in less than an hour and they shall rendezvous with us immediately.
The captain of the USS Miracle, Captain Lim Jaebeom, is a fellow classmate of mine from the Academy. I have not seen him in many years. This reunion promises to be interesting, though I continue to believe that the USS Miracle's deputation to Iota Five is wholly unnecessary.
You stopped recording and relaxed in your leather-backed chair. Your Captain's quarters were large and beautifully furnished- or at least, as large as they could be given that you were on a starship where, ironically, space was a luxury.
There was plenty more that you wanted to say about Captain Lim Jaebeom, but most of it would not have been appropriate for an official log.
To put it plainly, you were not terribly excited about the USS Miracle arriving. Iota Five was your discovery and you were the one who had initiated first contact with this previously undiscovered alien species. It felt a little unfair that the USS Miracle would come now, after the difficult part was all done, and steal your thunder.
This would not be the first time that Lim Jaebeom had stolen your thunder. Considering how much thunder he went about stealing from everyone since his Academy years, it was a wonder there was any thunder left in the galaxy.
Still. There was one thing he couldn't steal.
The USS Premier.
Your starship. One of the best starships in the fleet, the absolute pride of the Federation and an engineering marvel. Sure, Jaebeom's USS Miracle was nothing to laugh at, but there was no denying that the USS Premier was simply better in almost every way that mattered.
You smiled to yourself.
You did so enjoy these rare opportunities to flaunt your success.
There was a small beep and an androgynous robotic voice spoke aloud in the room.
"First Officer Smith requests entry."
"Granted," you replied, moments before your First Officer entered your quarters and nodded at you respectfully.
"The USS Miracle just landed on Iota Five. Captain Lim and First Officer Park are preparing to transport on board with some of their other commanding officers. We should be ready to greet them," she explained.
You stood.
"Of course. Have Conference Room One prepared. Knowing Jaebeom, he'll want to skip the pleasantries and get straight to business," you replied. "Do we have a brief about everything we have discovered so far about the Magrakhar and Iota Five ready?"
Your First Officer nodded.
"Yes, Captain. Arrangements are already made."
"Excellent." You straightened your uniform and smiled as you followed her out of the room. "Let's go and welcome our back-up."
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It was easy to forget just how attractive Captain Lim Jaebeom was until you were standing right in front of him. His sharp eyes and thin lips were not traditionally handsome, but Jaebeom carried an aura of confidence and self-assuredness that made him the object of much curiosity and sexual desire.
So what if he was more attractive and seemed to have aged splendidly since the last time you saw him at some event three years ago?
Now you had the better ship.
You had the Premier.
"Captain Lim Jaebeom," you greeted with a broad smile and all the humility you could muster. "Welcome to Iota Five. And, more importantly, welcome on board the USS Premier."
Jaebeom gave you a reserved and polite smile as he shook your hand. His grip was gentle, but yours was firm. Perhaps a little firmer than it needed to be.
Jaebeom withdrew his hand quickly.
"Thank you, Captain. It's a pleasure to be here. May I introduce my officers? This is my First Officer Park Jinyoung, my Chief Tactical Officer Jackson Wang and my Communications Chief, Mark Tuan," he introduced the three men standing close behind him.
You resisted the urge to roll your eyes at the sight of Jaebeom's handsome, yet evidently male senior officers. A quick glance at First Officer Smith revealed that you were both thinking along similar lines.
What a sausage fest.
Didn't the USS Miracle have any commanding officers that weren't so stereotypically male?
"It's a pleasure," you lied. "Allow me to introduce First Officer Smith. I'm afraid most of my senior officers have taken up temporary residence on Iota Five, and are preparing reports on various aspects of the planet and our new friends, the Magrakhars."
"Not our friends yet, I take it?" First Officer Park asked with a smirk.
You gave him a sharp look.
"Only a matter of time, Commander Park," you replied tightly. "We have made tremendous progress. I shall be delighted to bring you all up to speed in the conference room… unless you would like a tour first?"
Jaebeom blinked. "I think we would prefer to be briefed before we tour Iota Five."
"I meant a tour of the USS Premier."
"Ah. My apologies. I would be delighted to have a tour of the ship. Perhaps after the briefing?"
You tried not to let your disappointment show.
"Of course. Conference Room One is this way. Please, follow me."
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The conference room was a large, windowless room with a sleek rectangular table along the middle and comfortable leather-backed chairs. You stood in front of the enormous holographic display that showed a 3-D visual depiction of Iota Five- or at least, whatever your crew had managed to map of the planet so far.
You were almost giddy with excitement.
"As you know, making first contact with a previously unknown alien species is an extremely delicate matter, particularly when the species is as primitive as the Magrakhars," you boasted.
Jaebeom watched calmly from his chair. His dark eyes were fully focused on you.
"The Magrakhars are an extremely religious group. They have a fairly moderate understanding of science, astronomy and engineering, but they continue to worship a god they refer to as Grahvak. We've learned that word translates to 'water'. It's a dry planet and the only abundant source of water is a single river that flows from the mountainous region down through the plains. The river is also called Grahvak- we're not entirely sure which is named after the other."
"Not the most creative bunch, I see," First Officer Park muttered.
You ignored him.
"Their settlements are largely around the plains and close to the river. Most of this part-" you gestured to the part of the planet which was far from the river, "is uninhabited and barren."
Jaebeom rose from his chair and stepped closer to you and the 3-D hologram of Iota Five. His eyes narrowed as he inspected the geographical landscape.
"What about this part?" Jaebeom gestured to the mountainous region from which the river appeared to originate.
You frowned.
"We havent explored the mountains fully. The origin of the river means that area is sacred ground for the Magrakhars, and they are reluctant to permit us to see the upper parts. There are no settlements on the mountain- only a monastery where Magrakhars who choose to dedicate their lives to the service of Grahvak reside after leaving their families behind."
"Sounds like an important place to begin."
"We are working on gaining entry," you reassured him. "We don't want to trod on any toes too soon, especially when it comes to what they hold sacred."
Jaebeom nodded and stepped back. "Understandable. So- what can we do to help, Captain? My crew is at your disposal."
You smiled.
----------------------------------------------------------
It took a few hours to discuss personnel assignments and plans for the next few weeks. Jaebeom agreed to dispatch his communications team to help yours generate a dictionary of the Magrakhar language, and his science officers to help yours collect samples of flora and fauna from Iota Five.
"We should call it a night," Captain Jaebeom said finally, as the discussions ended. "We'll need to be up bright and early tomorrow. Commander Park, make sure our crew assignments are sent out before the start of the next shift."
First Officer Park nodded.
"Of course, Captain. We'll see you back on board the Miracle."
You continued to frown at the 3-D hologram as the others began to leave. As always, Jaebeom had managed to strike right at the heart of the issue- the Magrakhars still wouldn't allow you or your crew onto the mountain and perhaps the key to this alliance lay not in what the aliens shared freely, but what they hid from you.
"Hoping to discover something new by staring at the hologram?"
You looked up and realised that Jaebeom was still at his seat. The rest of his officers had left but he remained there, dark eyes watching you. You blinked at him.
"No. Just thinking about something," you replied casually. "Need help finding the transporter room to head back to your ship?"
Jaebeom stood up and stretched his arms out in front of him lazily. You could see him flexing his broad shoulders.
"I know where the transporter is," he replied with a playful smile. "But if I recall, you offered me a tour of the USS Premier and I was rather looking forward to that."
You grinned. "Of course. My mistake. Ready for your tour?"
"Lead the way."
It was a strange but exciting sensation to be walking along the halls of your starship with Captain Lim Jaebeom. You had spent most of your 15-year long acquaintance with the man feeling inferior to him, always being one step behind. It was exhilarating to finally be the one with something to flaunt.
"When was the last time we saw each other?" Jaebeom asked conversationally as you walked down the halls to the observation decks. "It's been two, maybe three years, hasn't it?"
You nodded. "We met at the Memorial Event on Earth three years ago. You were still First Officer on board the USS Fantasy then. It was before I was offered a captaincy as well. I think this is the first time we've met in person since we both became captains."
Jaebeom smiled.
"Well. I suppose congratulations are in order, then."
"A bit late for congratulations, isn't it? It's been a year since I was offered captaincy of the Premier, and half as long since you took charge of the Miracle."
Jaebeom nodded. "I suppose. How has captaincy been treating you?"
"Marvellously. I don't think I've ever been happier."
"I'm not surprised to hear that. Captaincy has always been your natural calling," Jaebeom replied graciously. While his expression was neutral, his eyes were smiling.
You blinked.
Why did he have to be so humble? It made maintaining your imagined rivalry with him so much more difficult.
"Thank you," you mumbled.
"Aren't the observation decks this way?"
"Uh-yes. This way."
You tried not to be too flustered as you led the way to the enormous observation deck aboard the USS Miracle. It was a broad oval-shaped hall with pure glass walls and ceiling that revealed the vast expanse of the night sky on Iota Five.
There were hardly any clouds and the stars twinkled brightly in the distance. The deck was furnished with comfortable lounge chairs, couches, and a well-stocked bar that ran along the entirety of one wall.
"Beautiful," Jaebeom mumbled. "I see why the USS Premier is chosen for most diplomatic missions. This observation deck is enough to make anyone fall in love."
You smiled.
"Well. Yes, it is a nice view. Not that I have much time to come up here normally."
Jaebeom chuckled as he looked around. There was nobody here except the two of you and an android bartender. "I don't imagine anybody on board the Premier has much time for stargazing. You've always run a tight ship."
"I'll have you know that I am very liberal about sanctioning shore leave. Can I offer you a drink? Unless, of course, you don't imbibe while on duty…"
Jaebeom surprised you when he coolly removed his captain's badge from the lapel of his uniform and tucked it neatly into his pocket.
"Let's say I'm off duty. I'll have a whisky."
"Ice?"
"Of course."
You glanced at the android bartender that was standing eerily still behind the bar. "You heard the man. I'll have a glass of wine. Red."
"Yes, Captain," the android replied before moving to make your drink orders. You grabbed your wine and handed Jaebeom his whisky before settling down next to him on a couch. Jaebeom took a sip and leaned back to stare at the stars twinkling through the glass ceiling.
"It's ironic," he said quietly. "That we've dedicated to spending our lives exploring space and yet we hardly ever get the opportunity to just… look at it."
You rolled your eyes. "There's not much to see in empty space."
"I think there's plenty to see."
"Well, suit yourself, but don't get too comfortable up here. I haven't even shown you the engine core or the tactical department and that's where I go to really dazzle my ship's visitors," you joked.
Jaebeom tilted his head slightly towards you.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hmm?"
"I think I've missed you."
You were caught off guard. It would be a lie to say that your relationship with Jaebeom was entirely formal or official- there had been far too many parties and late-night study sessions back during your days at the Academy for that. But it had been years since then, and you certainly weren't close enough to Lim Jaebeom to casually exchange phrases like 'I missed you'', or things that were only said between close friends or family or… lovers.
You swallowed. "Uh…"
Jaebeom looked abashed and turned his face back to the glass ceiling. "Never mind. Forget I said that. I must be more lonely than I thought."
You raised an eyebrow.
"Lonely? Aboard a starship where you can't take two steps without bumping into someone else?"
"It's not about physical proximity. I guess it's just strange to have to maintain certain formalities with my crew. Being Captain means that you're at the top of the chain of command and you can't afford to be… you know."
You tossed back your wine and then nodded. "You can't afford to be too friendly with people who report to you. I understand."
"Well, yeah. You're the first person I've seen in a while that doesn't report to me. I guess I miss having someone around that I can speak to as a friend, as an equal-"
You interrupted him. "Stop right there. Equal? That's a bit of a stretch. Yes, we're both Captains, but I think you're forgetting that I have the superior ship," you replied smugly.
Jaebeom laughed.
"I won't lie, your ship is great."
"Thank you for noticing."
"Is this why you invited me to have a tour? So that you could show off the USS Premier?" Jaebeom chuckled. "You haven't changed. You're as competitive as ever. You must hate the fact that Admiral Nguyen sent the Miracle as back-up."
You pouted.
"Well, I wasn't particularly delighted."
Jaebeom smiled and shook his head. "You don't need to worry. I'm not trying to steal your spotlight. In fact, I'm looking forward to finishing this assignment as soon as possible. Once the Miracle is done on Iota Five, I plan on going back to Earth for a long overdue vacation."
You blinked.
"You want to go back to Earth, of all places, for your vacation?"
Jaebeom nodded. "Yeah. I guess I miss it."
"You seem to be missing a lot of things. Is old age turning you sentimental? What happened to the stone-faced Lim Jaebeom from the Academy, the one that waltzed into a battle simulation exam 3 minutes late and began barking orders at all the androids?"
"I don't remember what exam that was."
"You aced it," you muttered.
"Well. Those simulations only teach you how to deal with the action-packed ethical conundrums, they don't teach you how to deal with what happens after all the action is over. After you go back to your Captain's quarters alone for the night and maybe regret the fact that you chose such a lonely career path."
You sighed and shook your head. "I can't believe you're moping. Aboard the USS Premier, no less. Come on. Let's go to the tactical department. Maybe the sight of our new photon torpedos will cheer you up."
Jaebeom sighed and stretched a little as he stood up.
"All right. I won't pretend I'm not curious. Let's go look at your weapons."
"That's more like it!"
--------------------------------------------------------------
Jaebeom could not deny that he was disappointed.
Part of him had been hoping that you carried the same emptiness he did, the same longing for companionship that he had been feeling more strongly of late. He hoped that maybe this time, at last, you would notice his attempts to get closer to you.
He had been hoping you missed him too. But as always he was left unsure about your response.
You seemed genuinely happy, and Jaebeom supposed that you had every right to be. You were living your dream as captain of one of the best starships in the fleet. You were at the pinnacle of your career so it was not surprising that you had no interest in, dare he say it, romance.
Perhaps Jaebeom was the strange one.
He really shouldn't have had that whisky.
He followed you around the USS Premier, nodding and lavishly praising everything you showed him. The engine core, the tactical defence equipment, even the exobiology labs and digital libraries onboard the Premier were a sight to behold.
It was extremely late by the time Jaebeom was transported back to the Miracle alone. He had hoped to quietly return to his quarters without any fuss, but he ran into First Officer Park in the hallway.
Jinyoung looked surprised.
"Captain. Are you just returning from the Premier?"
Jaebeom cleared his throat. "Uh, yes. I had some things to discuss with the Premier's captain and she was kind enough to show me around the ship."
"Oh. I'd forgotten that she offered to give us a tour of the ship after the briefing," Jinyoung replied, looking mildly disappointed that he had missed it. "What do you think of her? The Premier's captain, that is."
Jaebeom felt like a deer caught in the headlights.
"What?"
"I mean…" Jinyoung lowered his voice although they were standing in the hallway of the senior officers' sleeping quarters and there were unlikely to be any eavesdroppers. "She seems rather proud of discovering Iota Five and the Magrakhars and I noticed that she hasn't allowed any of our officers to take on any real responsibility. She just has us translating and collecting samples."
Jaebeom relaxed a little. "Oh. Yes, I noticed that too."
"It seems like she doesn't want us here."
"Discovering a new species is a once-in-a-lifetime event for most starship captains. Many never manage it before they retire. I think it's understandable that she doesn't want to share the spotlight."
Jinyoung pursed his lips. "I suppose… but shouldn't we at least be allowed to make contact with the Magrakhars? Perhaps find out what's going on in that mountainous area?"
Jaebeom sighed. "We'll talk to her about it tomorrow."
"Er… Permission to speak freely, Captain?"
"Of course."
"Is it true that they offered the captaincy of the USS Premier to you first and you rejected it?"
Jaebeom blinked. "Where did you hear that?"
"There's a rumour going around on the Miracle."
"I think it would be in everyone's best interest if that rumour stopped going around before it reaches anyone on the Premier."
"Understood. Good night, Captain."
------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a bright and sunny afternoon on Iota Five as you entered the cool, brick house of the Magrakhar's Chieftain. The aliens did not have any formal system of government, but this Chieftain seemed to be a de facto leader, and the rest of the aliens respected him.
You had intended to go alone but you were unable to shake off Captain Lim Jaebeom and his posse. They invited themselves along when they discovered you were meeting with the Chieftain, and you couldn't think of a solid reason to refuse.
You glanced distastefully at Park, Wang and Tuan. These men looked more like they belonged in a 21st century boy band than commanding an elite starship.
"Cap-tain!" The Chieftain welcomed you into his home enthusiastically. Like all Magrakhars, he was a small and rotund figure with no hair and rubbery, light blue skin. He had been making an effort to learn your language.
"It's a pleasure to see you too, Chieftain," you greeted the man. Your communications officer, Nelly, quickly translated your words for the alien in a series of grunting noises made in the Magrakhars' native tongue.
The Chieftain grinned. "Come!" and then he made more grunting noises. You glanced at Nelly hopefully.
"I think he's inviting us to have a meal with him, Or it could be a drink. I'm not entirely sure," Nelly admitted sheepishly. "We're still learning about their customs and some words don't have direct equivalents…"
"Either way, please tell him we accept."
Nelly translated and the Chieftain ushered you further into his home. The central area was a large, open-roofed atrium and the Chieftain's wife was preparing drinks in small clay cups. She handed them to you and your fellow officers with a bright smile.
You peered into the cup.
"What do you think that is?" Jaebeom mumbled as he accepted his own cup from the female Magrakhar.
"It can't be alcoholic, can it?" you asked, taking a tentative sniff of the drink. "Uff. Yeah, that's definitely alcohol. In the middle of the day, too. I'm not sure I should be drinking this. We came here to ask him about the peace treaty negotiations. I'd rather not be drunk for this conversation."
Jaebeom shrugged. "What's worse- being drunk or disrespecting their customs?"
As usual, Jaebeom made an excellent point.
You forced a polite smile at the Chieftain who was watching you eagerly and swallowed half of the contents of the cup. It tasted bittersweet and burned your throat as it went down. But your body instantly felt a few degrees warmer.
Fascinating.
"Chieftain," you greeted him as you set down your cup. "Have you given more thought to our proposal from our last meeting? We are very eager to cement the terms of our peace treaty and add Iota Five to our list of allies."
Nelly translated your words to the best of her ability.
The Chieftain smiled but his expression was less cheerful than before. He made a series of grunting noises that Nelly listened to intently. She took a moment to reference her digital dictionary and you noticed that Mark Tuan, Jaebeom's communications officer, was also looking up something on his handheld computer.
"What?" you demanded impatiently.
Nelly looked up. "He is saying that while he enjoys our company and believes that we have come in peace, he is not entitled to make such decisions. He says he cannot be sure whether or not Grahvak would approve of mingling with non-believers."
You looked at the Chieftain.
"But you are the Chieftain. Everyone here respects you, from what I can tell. Surely they would respect your opinions of us?"
The Chieftain made some sad grunting noises.
"He says he is not the mouthpiece of Grahvak. He says Grahvak speaks from… from the water? I don't know, it's very confusing since he calls a lot of things Grahvak- the god, the river, even normal water."
"I think," Lieutenant Commander Tuan spoke up quietly. He was consulting his own handheld device. "He is saying that Grahvak speaks from the origin of the water. The source of the river is the mountains. Grahvak speaks from the mountains."
You weren't happy with Tuan for interrupting, but it was clear that you needed all the help you could get. You thanked him and turned to Nelly.
"Ask him if he is saying Grahvak speaks from the mountains."
Nelly made the requisite grunting noises and then listened to his response.
"Yes I think he's saying that the mouthpiece of Grahvak is in the mountains."
"Ask him if I can speak to Grahvak."
Nelly communicated the response.
"You cannot speak to Grahvak," she explained. "Grahvak speaks from the mountain. You are not allowed to go on the mountain."
You were beginning to grow frustrated with the Magrakhar's infuriating answers. Not to mention, the alcohol was beginning to make you feel a bit fuzzy.
"Ask him what he wants me to do then. He cannot accept the peace treaty unless Grahvak approves. But he will not allow me to speak to Grahvak. Tell him I need his help to find a solution. I wish to make a binding alliance with his people for mutual benefit."
Nelly communicated your response. The Chieftain looked agonised for a moment before he finally made some reluctant grunting noises.
"He says we should return tomorrow morning and meet him at the foot of the mountain," Nelly explained. "He will try to obtain permission for us to go on the mountain. But he says… I think he's trying to say that only some of us may be allowed to go?"
You nodded. You had no qualms leaving the crew of the USS Miracle behind for this excursion.
"Excellent. Thank him for me."
Nelly communicated your gratitude. You made to leave but the Chieftain's wife hurriedly brought around another set of clay cups with the same liquid as before. You were reluctant to have more. The first had already left you rather light-headed.
But the Chieftain smiled and grunted at you eagerly.
"Apparently it's custom to have one more drink before you leave," Nelly muttered.
You forced a smile and accepted the drink.
"So be it."
You tried to stay sober but you found yourself stumbling a little as you got to your feet. Jaebeom quickly held your arm to prevent you from falling over and you shot him a grateful smile.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
You mumbled your goodbyes to the Chieftain (luckily Nelly had been able to dispose of her second drink into a nearby succulent plant since the Chieftain had his eyes only on you) and Nelly translated your goodbyes as you left his house and began to head back to your ships.
"You shouldn't have had that second drink," Jaebeom admonished with a chuckle as you found yourself leaning on him for support. Your legs felt like jelly.
You frowned. "He was looking right at me. I had to drink it. How come none of you are struggling?"
Jaebeom and his officers appeared completely unaffected by the drink. Nelly was a little pink but not nearly as drunk as you. She hiccuped lightly.
Jaebeom glanced at his officers, who shrugged.
"I don't know. It didn't have much of an effect on us, really," he replied honestly. The drink had tasted bitter to them but had not had any intoxicating effect. "Do you need help getting back to your ship?"
"No," you insisted, but the moment Jaebeom released your arm you stumbled sideways a little. Jaebeom chuckled.
"I'll escort the Captain and Lieutenant Nelly back to the Premier. Go back without me," he told his officers before pressing his badge and instructing your transporter to beam you up to the Premier. Your mind felt numb and your thoughts muddled as Jaebeom escorted Nelly first to her quarters, and then brought you to yours.
"Never thought I'd get to see your quarters," he admitted lightly. Your personal quarters aboard the Premier were as well-furnished as his own, but slightly larger.
You grinned. "Impressed?"
"They're quite lovely."
"I decorated them myself. My quarters were the only part of the ship that I was allowed to design, so I'm rather proud of them," you admitted with a grin as you sat down at the edge of your bed. A wave of nausea swept over you. "Fuck, I feel dizzy."
Jaebeom folded his arms over his chest.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. He went to your small private kitchenette and tapped the food generating device. "Computer, glass of water please. Cold."
A glass of water materialised before Jaebeom and he brought it over to you. You drank it gratefully.
"Thanks. I wonder what the hell that drink was… none of the Magrakhars offered it to me the last few times I was on the planet," you mumbled. Your mind still felt cloudy and you looked up at Jaebeom. He was standing with his arms folded and looking concerned.
"I think you should get some sleep."
"I'm fine- it's the middle of the day, I'm not tired."
"It's not about being tired. You're clearly too intoxicated to continue your duties, and the only solution I can think of is for you to try and sleep it off," Jaebeom insisted as he gently placed a hand on your shoulder. His dark eyes looked down at you with a certain softness.
Something suddenly stirred in your chest.
Your entire body felt incredibly aware of Jaebeom's hand on your shoulder. He wasn't even touching your bare skin but the contact still felt warm and tingly. Something inside of you burned red-hot.
You wanted more.
You abruptly stood up and found yourself inches away from him. Jaebeom's eyes widened but he said nothing as you slowly leaned closer.
Your lips dropped close to his neck, your breath tickling his skin.
"You smell really nice," you whispered.
Jaebeom stiffened.
"Uh- thank you. Although I don't think the sonic showers are supposed to leave any fragrances behind-"
Your eyes rose to meet his. Jaebeom's expression was hesitant and confused as you leaned closer. His soft musky scent was intoxicating and you couldn't think of anything other than what it would feel like to kiss his lips and run your fingers through his hair.
Rank, propriety, rivalry… all these things disappeared from your mind in an instant.
You kissed him.
It started off as a soft peck but when Jaebeom did not react, you felt the heat going lower from your stomach. You wrapped your arms around his neck and gripped his broad shoulders and slanted your mouth over his eagerly. There was a fraction of a moment when Jaebeom moved his mouth against yours in response-
But he suddenly and abruptly pushed you away. You fell back against the bed and a chill came over your body.
"Stop," he muttered.
Your body reached out for him automatically. It was like reaching out for a cold glass of water when you were parched- you needed Jaebeom and nothing else would do to satisfy that need. There was a hollow ache inside of you.
"Please," you whispered as you moved towards him again. The ache intensified. "Please, I need this-"
"No," Jaebeom said more firmly. "This isn't like you. Clearly there was something in that drink."
"It doesn't matter-"
"It matters a lot," he replied as he hurriedly extricated himself from your arms and stumbled back to the door. He took a deep breath and glanced back at you with a pained expression. "I'm sorry. But I think you'll regret this tomorrow and I don't want to be the cause of your regret."
And he left.
You wanted to chase after him, to grab him and inhale his intoxicating scent again. Your hands began to tremble. You needed Jaebeom badly, or you felt that your entire body would explode. Before you could even stop to think, you had run out of your quarters after him.
You glanced up and down the corridor but it was empty. He must have already transported back to his ship. You ran, barefoot, down to the transporter room and startled the half-asleep Ensign on duty as you stepped on top of the transporter pad.
"Beam me over to the Miracle," you ordered. "Now,"
"Y-yes, Captain."
The transporter's light flashed and you rematerialised aboard the Miracle, in their transporter room. The officer on duty on the Miracle reached for his weapon instinctively, but lowered his hand as he recognised you.
"Captain," he said hesitantly. "I wasn't informed of your arrival aboard our ship…"
"I need to see Captain Jaebeom immediately," you choked out. "Tell me where his quarters are- no need to follow me, I'll find them myself."
"But I wasn't informed-"
"Code Priority Beta, this is an emergency."
"O-oh. His quarters are on Deck 8, section B, the turbolift over there can take you to them-"
You were gone before the officer could finish his sentence. At this point it felt like your logical mind had shut down completely- there was nothing left inside of you beside raw determination and desire. The thought of Jaebeom and his scent flooded your senses as the turbolift brought you to his quarters.
You pressed the little entry button on the panel next to the door.
"Computer, request access."
There was a brief pause.
"Access denied," the androgynous robotic voice replied to you. For the first time in your life you almost wanted to break the computer apart. You clenched your fists and tried to calm down.
"Computer, open a channel of communication to Captain Lim Jaebeom," you ordered.
The computer buzzed and then you heard Jaebeom's voice coming from the small panel sounding bewildered.
"What are you doing here? Did you just transport aboard my ship without my authorization-" Jaebeom began to demand but you were in no condition to listen to his admonishes. You leaned against the door.
"Let me in," you begged. "Please. It hurts."
Jaebeom's voice was silent for a moment.
"You're not okay."
"I'd be okay if you would just let me inside, please, don't shut me out like this," you pleaded. "I need you, Jaebeom. I need you right now or I'm going to go insane, I swear to god-"
"Fuck, this is more serious than I thought."
Your mind was growing more and more fuzzy by the moment. Your thoughts were filled with Jaebeom's intoxicating scent. "Jaebeom, please…"
There was a brief pause. Your heart leapt as you waited for the door to open but instead you heard Jaebeom's voice once more.
"Captain to Lieutenant Commander Wang. I need your help to restrain an intruder aboard the ship. Report to my quarters immediately... and bring Doctor Choi."
---------------------------------------------
You awoke to a blinding white light in your face.
You blinked and the light moved away. It was replaced by the face of a handsome bespectacled man with a pleasing and wide smile.
"I see you're awake. No need to panic- I'm Doctor Choi Youngjae, Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Miracle," he replied soothingly. "You're in the medical wing of our ship. I've already sent for Captain Lim to come see you-"
You felt nauseous.
Captain Lim.
Jaebeom.
The same Jaebeom you had thrown yourself at shamelessly while he was in your quarters and broken perhaps a hundred Federation rules to follow back to his ship without authorisation and beg him to fuck you.
Oh god.
You leaned over the side of the bed and threw up.
Doctor Choi expertly stepped back to avoid your vomit coating his shoes. "Nurse, can you help clear this up, please? Captain Lim will be here momentarily."
You blinked apologetically at the nurse who handed you a glass of water and then turned back to Doctor Choi.
"Did I pass out?" you demanded.
"Uhh… in a manner of speaking. It was deemed prudent to sedate you until the effects of the Magrakhar's drink faded off. It wasn't very clear to us whether you posed a threat to Captain Lim, and you seemed to be in… some form of agony anyway."
The mechanical doors to the medical wing opened and Jaebeom stepped through briskly. He was as handsome and confident as always but to your utter relief you were not hit with a sudden urge to leap at him and rip his clothes off.
"Doctor Choi," Jaebum greeted. "Were you able to determine anything?"
"Her hormone levels are back to normal," Doctor Choi explained calmly. "The effects have worn off fully, but she may be a little weak from the forceful sedation we did."
You still couldn't believe what you were hearing.
"I had to be knocked out?" you demanded, horrified.
Jaebeom glanced at you warily. "Doctor Choi, if we could have a minute, please."
"Of course."
You found yourself losing your will to live as Doctor Choi walked away and left you alone with nobody but Lim Jaebeom and some beeping medical equipment.
The memories of your behaviour were coming back to you rapidly, and each memory was worse than the last.
"Fuck," you whispered. "Fuck, I want to die."
Jaebeom placed a hand on your shoulder comfortingly.
"Hey. Relax. I'm glad you're all right now. I sent my officers down to Iota Five to investigate and the Chieftain was pretty quick to admit that the drink he gave us was an incredibly strong aphrodisiac. You were drugged."
You felt violated.
"The bastard. We went there in peace and he had the gall to drug me? How come nobody else was affected?" you demanded.
Jaebeom sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Preliminary reports from my officers suggest that the drug only affects biological women. It's well-intentioned, I suppose. Apparently the act of sex is very painful for Magrakhar females and this drink helps them enjoy it more. It also increases fertility… not that you would have noticed that last part."
You were appalled.
"I don't… I don't even know how to…"
Jaebeom sighed. "I'm sorry this happened to you."
You felt small and ashamed. You wanted to drown in your humiliation. If you never saw Lim Jaebeom and his crew again then it would be far too soon. But you knew what you had to do next. Your pride had to take a step back in these circumstances. You cleared your throat.
"I-I'm sorry-" you began to apologise.
"You weren't in your senses. Nobody blames you."
"I followed you to your quarters," you whispered, mortified. "I threw myself at you, it was completely unwarranted and I don't even know how to begin to apologise for my behaviour."
"I had my officers sedate you. I think we're even."
"We're not even! Of course you had me sedated, if a man had come banging on my door out of his mind and begging me to fuck him, I'd have done a lot worse than sedate him!" you cried, your voice rising hysterically. One of the medical machines you were hooked up to began to beep rapidly.
"Shh, calm down," Jaebeom soothed you.
"I-I can't. Oh god, I pretended it was an emergency in front of that poor officer in the transporter room, I cited emergency protocols at him-"
Jaebeom grasped your shoulders firmly.
"Relax," he insisted. "I've spoken to the officer and he's been… persuaded not to write any reports. So have my senior officers. This is over. Do you understand? Nobody blames you. We're not even making any official reports on the incident. You need to stop worrying and just process this and move on."
"I can't," you whispered. "I've never felt more humiliated."
"You're a starship captain. You command one of the Federation's flagships and you're one of the most level-headed, competent people I know. You've handled life and death situations before. Don't tell me a little embarrassment is enough to bring you down."
You frowned.
"Well, when you put it like that…"
Jaebeom smiled reassuringly. "You'll be fine. You have bigger things to worry about. The Chieftain said he would allow us up onto the mountain tomorrow, remember? You should rest up and prepare."
You slid off the bed and unplugged yourself from the medical devices before dusting your uniform off. Other than a little weakness, you felt perfectly fine.
"Yes," you mumbled. "Yes, I should prepare."
"Exactly."
"Well, if you won't let me apologise, at least… at least let me say thank you," you replied abashedly.
You hated having to say it. Lim Jaebeom had always been your rival. He had always been one step ahead of you, had snatched opportunities out from right under your nose for years and you had resented him for it.
But you couldn't deny that he was a gentleman.
It almost made you hate him more.
The androgynous robotic voice suddenly spoke aloud in the room.
"Captain, First Officer Park and Chief Tactical Officer Wang request entry."
Jaebeom nodded. "Granted."
You tried to compose yourself as two of Jaebeom's officers entered the medical wing. The Chief Tactical Officer had a hand hovering over his weapon but he lowered it when he realised that you were no longer throwing yourself at Jaebeom.
You tried not to drown in the embarrassment once more.
"Good to see that you're recovered, Captain," Wang greeted you brightly. First Officer Park nodded at you respectfully.
You tried to maintain some composure.
"Yes, I am fully recovered, thank you," you said stiffly before glancing at Jaebeom. "Captain Lim, I'd like to take your leave to return to my ship. I am sure my crew are awaiting my return."
Jaebeom nodded. "Of course. Lieutenant Commander Wang, would you mind escorting the Captain back to the Premier?"
Wang held an arm out to you gallantly.
"It would be my pleasure."
You ignored his arm and headed for the door, leaving Lieutenant Commander Wang to drop his arm and scurry after you.
Jaebeom watched you leave with a sigh of relief, unaware that he was being eyed curiously by his First Officer. It was a few moments before Jaebeom remembered that Jinyoung was still standing in the room.
"Oh-First Officer Park. Anything to report?" he asked awkwardly.
Jinyoung nodded.
"Some of the crew went down to Iota Five to find out more about the drink. We took samples and conducted some tests. It's really a remarkable mix of chemicals, considering how selectively it acts based on the person ingesting it."
Jaebeom raised an eyebrow. "You mean how it only affects biological females?"
"It's more than that. Lieutenant Nelly is a woman too, but she just went back to her quarters and took a nap, if you remember. The aphrodisiac didn't kick in for her."
"You've discovered why?"
"The Magrakhars didn't want their women going mad and throwing themselves at any unsuspecting passersby. Apparently the drink is completely harmless- unless ingested mutually by couples that already share a sexual attraction. The drink causes men to release pheromones towards women they are attracted to, and simultaneously causes an amplified chemical reaction in any woman who shares that attraction."
Jaebeom stared at Jinyoung in disbelief. "So it did have an effect on the men, just not one we noticed?"
Jinyoung nodded.
"The effect only materialises when both persons ingesting the drink are already attracted to each other. The Magrakhars didn't want to encourage rape or chaos. They just wanted married couples to have more fun in bed- if you'll pardon my callousness. They certainly didn't intend to drug anybody."
"Are you sure about this analysis?"
"Our science team is preparing a report on it now."
"So it wouldn't have affected her at all, if I hadn't already been…" attracted to her. Jaebeom finished the sentence in his head and felt a rush of embarrassment as he noticed that Jinyoung was trying to hold back a smile.
Well, fuck. This was going to be a tough one to explain.
"That's right, Captain."
Jaebeom cleared his throat. He suddenly felt warm and uncomfortable. "I see. Perhaps we can… hold off on sharing this particular report with the Premier for the time being?"
Jinyoung nodded. "Understood, sir. But we'll have to share it eventually. Iota Five is the Premier's mission. We have to hand over all our files to them before we depart."
"I know. Just wait for my go-ahead. I'll, uh, I'll be returning to the bridge. Good work, Commander."
"Thank you, sir."
------------------------------------------
Captain Lim Jaebeom clearly remembered the last time he had attempted to confess his… feelings for you.
It had been about 15 years ago, the day your class had been due to graduate from the Space Academy. It was also the day the final academic ranks would be announced. Everyone expected you to graduate first in your class. You were renowned for being one of the most hardworking and dedicated students the Academy had seen in years.
All in all, everyone was in high spirits and Jaebeom figured it would be a good time to make his move.
He had sidled up to you and your friends as you stood chatting near the entrance to the auditorium and casually asked you to meet him for a drink after the ceremony. Some of your friends had winked, suspecting exactly what Jaebeom planned but you had merely shrugged and agreed to meet him.
He should have known then that you were far more interested in the graduation ceremony than anything he would have to say. But still, he was optimistic.
Until the academic ranks were announced.
Until the Chancellor got up on stage and announced that it was Jaebeom who had ranked first in class, not you. When Jaebeom went up on stage to collect his award and saw you surrounded by a group of friends attempting to console you as you tried not to burst into tears, he realised with a sinking feeling that you had rejected him long before he could make his confession.
You never turned up to grab a drink with him after the graduation ceremony. Jaebeom was not surprised.
Life had simply gotten in the way.
Well.
Perhaps life was seeking to give him a second chance. Jaebeom took a deep breath as he looked down at the report that his crew had prepared on the Magrakhar's drink. There was no doubt it would be handed over to your crew and you would eventually read it.
And, considering your above-average intelligence, there was certainly no doubt that you would come to the same logical conclusion that everyone else had.
That the drink had affected you because Jaebeom was attracted to you.
And on some level, you were attracted to him too.
Jaebeom decided that the decent thing to do would be to tell you this himself rather than let you figure it out through some report.
And let the cards fall where they may.
-----------------------------------------------
You slept fitfully.
It didn't help that every time you closed your eyes you could feel the ghost of Jaebeom's lips on your own. His scent (while no longer strong enough to drive you to violate regulations or social norms) still lingered in your mind and occupied your thoughts.
Clearly the effects of the drug had not completely worn off. You woke up tired and irritable as you made your way down to the transporter room to meet Lieutenant Nelly and head down to Iota Five.
"Captain, are you all right?" Nelly asked. She was surprised to see you looking tired and irritable. You ideally should have been in bright spirits- you were finally close to sealing the deal on the peace treaty with Iota Five!
"Fine," you muttered. But you didn't feel fine. "Computer, make an appointment for me in the medical bay when I return."
You glanced at Lieutenant Nelly- she looked as chipper as ever and you were tempted to ask whether she had thrown herself unceremoniously at anyone under the influence of the Magrakhar drink, but decided against it.
Perhaps it was a conversation better suited for after the peace treaty had been signed.
"Captain, the senior officers of the Miracle are waiting for you down on Iota Five," one of your officers reported.
You sighed. "Yes. Take us down."
The bright light of the transporter flashed in your eyes. When you reopened them, you were standing on the surface of Iota Five, just a few hundred metres away from the foot of the mountains. The Chieftain was waiting for you, as were Captain Lim Jaebeom and his senior officers.
"Cap-tain!"
The Chieftain greeted you eagerly. You forced a smile back at the man and tried to suppress the reminder that he had been responsible for what was possibly the most humiliating and mortifying incident in your life so far.
It wouldn't do to commit murder on a planet you'd come to make peace with.
You grunted out the standard greetings in the alien's native tongue and then continued speaking. "Chieftain, I hope you have some good news for me. I am looking forward to climbing the mountain and speaking to Grahvak."
The Chieftain grinned and nodded. He let out a long series of grunts that Nelly struged to translate.
"He says that atop the mountain is the monastery where the monks are able to communicate directly with Grahvak. He will take us there and they will ask Grahvak for permission to enter into an alliance with us."
You nodded. "Excellent. Let us begin."
You stepped forward onto the mountain but the Chieftain yelled and grabbed and pulled you back. He made a series of panicked grunting noises and pointed at Jaebeom. Jaebeom looked startled.
You wrenched your arm away from the Chieftain.
"What is he saying?" you asked Nelly, but she looked confused.
"He-he says you can't come onto the mountain. He says only Captain Lim can come up with him," Nelly replied, confused.
You tried to retain your patience.
"Tell him that I am in charge of relations with Iota Five. I represent the Federation here, and if only one person can go up the mountain then it will be me and not Captain Lim," you ordered sharply.
Nelly hurried to reply. The Chieftain shook his head and continued to grunt rapidly.
"He says you are not allowed on the mountain. The monks will not see you. They will only see Captain Lim."
"Why?"
You could hear First Officer Park and Lieutenant Commander Tuan whispering to each other a few steps behind you. You whirled around to face them, frustrated and on the verge of losing your temper.
*Do you two have something to add?" you demanded.
They had the courtesy to look ashamed. First Officer Park stepped forward and looked at Jaebeom.
"Captain, may I speak to you in private?"
"No," you said sharply before Jaebeom could respond. You were done with this nonsense. "Say whatever it is you want to say here. In front of me."
First Officer Park bristled.
"With all due respect Captain, I don't report to you. I report to Captain Lim," he said stiffly.
You clenched your fists. "You report to Captain Lim aboard the USS Miracle. Right now, you are on Iota Five and I am in charge of the mission on Iota Five. If what you have to say has anything to do with the Magrakhars, Iota Five, or what is going on here then you will say what you have to say in front of all of us."
Jinyoung glanced at Jaebeom for confirmation and then sighed.
"All right. The problem is that the monks are celibate. They go up there to dedicate themselves to Grahvak and all sexual activity is forbidden. To help them enforce this and shield them from temptation, women are not allowed anywhere on the mountain."
You felt sick.
"What?"
Lieutenant Nelly hurried to repeat what Jinyoung had just said to the Chieftain. He nodded and made an agreeable series of grunting noises.
"I think what First Officer Park is suggesting is right," Nelly admitted reluctantly. "The Chieftain is saying women are not allowed up. He can only take the men."
"They can't make an exception for us? We're not of the same species as the Magrakhar, surely we shouldn't count for the purpose of temptation or whatever?" you demanded.
Nelly posed the question and then sighed.
"He says even female animals that make their way onto the mountain are sacrificed to Grahvak. He says the monks may do the same to us if we go onto the mountain. He says it's for our own protection."
"That's repulsive."
First Officer Park gave you a sympathetic look. "You can't expect alien societies to abide by human morals, Captain."
You were in no mood to be lectured by First Officer Park. Your entire mission, your purpose and your achievements on Iota Five were crumbling before your eyes. You had come this far and worked so hard yet it would once again be Lim Jaebeom, man of the moment, who stole your thunder, took credit for forging an alliance with the Magrakhars and went down in history.
Fuck.
"I need a minute," you muttered as you walked away.
You were aware of the others watching you intently, Jaebeom in particular, but you paid no mind to them. You were no longer a young and inexperienced student who had had her academic rank snatched out from underneath her. You were a Captain, a woman grown who had been chosen to lead the Federation's premier starship into its exploration of space.
You had saved and lost lives. You had been through encounters beyond what most people could imagine. You could not and would not allow a small setback to affect you emotionally. You could not show vulnerability.
You couldn't.
You took a deep breath and returned to the group.
"Well," you said more calmly as you looked around at the group of officers. "I believe the way forward is clear. We can't risk offending the Magrakhars and we certainly can't risk any female officers being murdered by celibate monks. "
Jaebeom spoke quickly. "We should postpone the meeting. I agree that you and Lieutenant Nelly should not be the ones to go up but there's no reason why we can't wait until an appropriately senior male officer from the Premier is available to conduct the discussion-"
You saw pity in Jaebeom's soft eyes. You would have none of it.
"That is not practical. The senior officers of the Premier are all engaged in equally important tasks, and I'm not about to entrust a meeting of such diplomatic importance to a junior officer. The monks are waiting for us and it would not be prudent to delay any longer. I authorise you to negotiate with the monks on behalf of the Federation, Captain Lim."
Jaebeom looked torn.
"Captain, I appreciate your trust but this is not our mission, it's yours," he replied hesitantly.
You sighed. Fuck. Why did he have to be such a gentleman? Why couldn't he have leapt at the opportunity for glory so that you could resent him?
"That's correct, Captain Lim. I am in charge of this mission. You and your officers will go speak to the monks on our behalf. That is an order," you added firmly.
Jaebeom straightened up.
"Understood, Captain."
"Meet me on the observation deck aboard the USS Premier once you return, I would like a full report," you replied. You knew Jaebeom would give you a full report anyway- but at least ordering him to do so allowed you to maintain some semblance of control over the situation.
"Yes, Captain."
"That's settled then." You reached forward and gave Jaebeom a brisk, formal handshake. "Good luck, Captain. Seal the deal for us."
--------------------------------------
"I'm sorry to hear that, Captain. It is unfortunate that many alien societies continue to have patriarchal and sexist notions forming the basis of their culture. I hope that they can transcend then as we have. But in the interim, I believe you have made the right decision."
Admir's Nguyen's face was large on your screen and you could see that his sympathy was genuine.
"Thank you, Admiral," you replied. "I only hope that Captain Lim is successful."
"I am sure he will be. As you are aware, he is a highly competent captain and has multiple commendations to his credit."
You nodded. "I know-"
"In fact, captainship of the USS Premier was offered to him shortly before it was offered to you. He turned it down because he was not given the freedom to appoint his own officers."
You froze.
"I'm sorry, did you say the Premier was offered to him?"
Admiral Ngyuen appeared a little abashed as he realised his faux pas. "Of course, I am confident now that nobody could be a better captain for the USS Premier than you. You have performed outstandingly in the past year and the discovery of Iota Five and your work with the Magrakhar's has impressed most of the high command-"
"But he was their first choice," you replied, feeling dazed.
Admiral Nguyen sighed. "Indeed he was."
"So," you replied softly. "There is no use in my feeling resentful about not being able to negotiate the peace treaty with Iota Five- it was originally destined to be Jaebeom's anyway."
Admiral Nguyen frowned.
"I did not realise you believed in destiny, Captain."
You shook yourself to your senses. "I apologise, Admiral. I don't mean to take up too much of your time. I will submit a report as soon as I learn of how Captain Lim's negotiations have gone."
The Admiral nodded.
"Very good. Thank you, Captain."
His face disappeared and the screen turned black. You took a deep breath and leaned back in your chair as you willed yourself not to cry.
Iota Five was but one mission in a lifetime and you had decided to put it behind you. But the one thing you valued most, the most glorious achievement in your professional career so far…
Even that had been Lim Jaebeom's.
And you, like a fool, had shown off your ship and all its wondrous features to Jaebeom, unaware that he was merely looking at something he had already rejected for himself.
My god, you must have seemed so pathetic.
"Captain," the androgynous voice of the computer spoke. "Please report to the medical bay for your scheduled health check up."
You closed your eyes and sighed.
-------------------------------------------------------
Doctor Min had just completed your routine health check-up and was complaining to you about how the USS Miracle kept forgetting to send across the report they had prepared on the chemical properties of the Magrakhar's mysterious drink, when the computer'd androgynous voice interrupted.
"Captain, please report to the observation lounge. Captain Lim has returned from Iota Five and awaits your presence."
"Acknowledged," you mumbled before quickly hopping off the bed. "Thank you, Doctor Min. I'll have to leave now. I'll ask Captain Lim to make sure they send us that report."
"Of course, Captain. Thank you."
You hurried to the observation lounge with your heartbeat thudding. Was it too much to hope that Jaebeom had failed the negotiations? But no… that wasn't what you wanted, not really. It wouldn't make you feel much better even if Jaebeom failed, you realised miserably.
The problem wasn't that you hated him. No, there was nothing to hate about Jaebeom.
It was that he made you hate yourself.
The observation lounge was deserted. It was late at night and most of the crew were asleep other than a skeletal crew for the night shift. Once again you found yourself alone with Jaebeom, the stars, and the bartender robot.
"Captain Lim," you greeted awkwardly.
Jaebeom stood and gave you a soft smile. He appeared tired- his eyes were red but his expression was gentle and hesitant.
"We did it," Jaebeom told you. "It took a lot of weird chanting and strange rituals to contact Grahvak- but that deity gave his word. The Magrakhar's have signed the peace treaty."
You sighed in relief. "That's excellent news."
Jaebeom stepped closer to you.
"I'm sorry that things turned out this way. This wasn't what I wanted at all, I hope you know that," he began to say nervously.
"Then you're an idiot. Most people would kill to be the one to forge a peace treaty with a previously undiscovered species."
He sighed. "I know, but-"
"It's fine, Jaebeom. You're not the sexist one. And if the Magrakhar monks are so determined never to lay eyes on a woman, then so be it. They don't know what they're missing out on. Frankly I'm starting to suspect they're all just closet homosexuals."
Jaebeom chuckled. "Having met them, I can neither confirm nor deny that hypothesis."
"Drink?" you offered.
"No. And I'd prefer it if you didn't have one either. I have some things to talk to you about and I'd feel a lot better about the conversation if we were both sober," Jaebeom admitted.
The determination in his eyes surprised you.
You swallowed and nodded.
"Uh, all right. We'll have soda, then," you told the bartender android who instantly handed you two glasses of soda. You passed one to Jaebeom. "What's on your mind, Captain Lim?"
"I need to talk to you about the aphrodisiac."
"Oh," you muttered. "Honestly, we don't need to talk about that."
"No, I need you to hear it from me. My crew members did some research on the aphrodisiac. You're about to receive a report on it, but in short, the drug only affects people who are already mutually attracted to each other. That's why nobody else was affected. And it wouldn't have affected you either if I hadn't been attracted to you in return."
Your heart skipped a beat.
"Did you just say you were attracted to me?" you repeated in disbelief.
"Yes."
"You didn't act like a man that was attracted to me last night," you muttered.
"Well, I am. It took a lot of self-control to push you away when you… when you kissed me. God, I don't know why I feel like such a teenager saying this. But you probably have me figured out by now and there's only so much time we have left in this world. I care about you deeply, and I have for a long time. I know your feelings were amplified by the aphrodisiac but mine weren't. They didn't need to be. They were already strong to begin with."
Your knees felt weak.
"I, uh, I need to sit down," you mumbled.
Jaebeom quickly pulled out a bar stool for you. You sat on it shakily and took a deep breath. Your brain felt like mush.
"Bartender, give me a whisky," you ordered.
The android instantly prepared a glass of whisky and you drank the entire thing in one shot. You looked up at Jaebeom. His dark eyes were staring at you nervously and you wondered how you had missed it.
Jaebeom had always looked at you with such affection. You'd just never paid attention to it before. You had been too obsessed with trying to outdo him.
But you still couldn't shake it off. That thought. That horrible, disgusting thought that was creeping around on the edges of your mind.
"Is it true that they offered you the USS Premier first?" you blurted out.
Jaebeom looked like you had slapped him.
"Wha-who told you-?"
"Admiral Nguyen."
"Fuck," Jaebeom cursed. He stepped away from you and placed his arms on the bar, leaning against them as he hung his head down in frustration. You could hear the anger in his voice. "Fuck this. I'm so tired of this fucking shit."
"What are you tired of?" you asked weakly.
"This. You. Me. This whole situation that keeps happening where our careers and circumstances keep pitting us against each other as rivals. I feel like there's some force out there in the universe that is determined to make you hate me because no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to catch a break."
You closed your eyes and sighed. "I don't hate you."
"Your first response to me telling you that I have feelings for you was to ask if I was offered your ship," Jaebeom replied incredulously.
You bristled. "This ship is important to me!" you defended yourself.
"Well, it's not important to me. You are. And I've spent many years wondering if things could have been different if I had told you about this sooner, but I think it's pretty clear to me now that nothing would have changed."
"Jaebeom-"
"No," he said softly. He looked defeated. "Never mind. I'm sorry I brought it up. I see that you do resent me for everything. I'll leave you alone-"
You felt like you wanted to cry.
"No-no, look, don't leave. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. It was completely inappropriate of me to ask about the Premier," you apologised. You took a deep breath and tried to gather your thoughts. "I just… I've been hit with a lot of stuff today and I don't know how to react to it all."
Jaebeom nodded. "I understand. I'll leave you to think-"
"No, wait."
"Okay. I'm waiting."
You took a deep breath as you gathered your thoughts.
"I need you to know that I don't hate you. I don't even resent you. You're an amazing person, Jaebeom. You're intelligent and kind and you're a gentleman and any woman would be lucky to have you," you admitted softly. "And yes, clearly the aphrodisiac figured me out because I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to you."
Jaebeom ran his fingers through his hair. "I hear a but coming."
"It's my fault. I've always been too competitive, I've always let my career determine my self-worth. I know there's more to me than being captain of the Premier, but to be honest that's the only part of me I'm truly proud of. And it hurts to think that I only got this opportunity because someone else turned it down. It makes me lose confidence in myself."
Jaebeom sighed. "And I hate being the cause of that."
"I know."
"I wish we'd met under different circumstances," he admitted quietly.
"Me too."
"Is it too late to change that? Is it too late for us to start seeing each other as something other than professional rivals? I still think that if we just spent some time together without our careers getting in the way, then there could really be something between us."
You reached out and took Jaebeom's hand in yours. His grip was warm and comforting.
"How?" you asked.
Jaebeom lifted his hand to cup your cheek softly. His passionate gaze sent a shiver down your spine as he leaned closer to you and pressed his forehead to yours. His familiar intoxicating scent flooded your senses.
"I told you I'm going back to Earth to take some shore leave once we're done here," he whispered. "Come with me."
"To Earth?"
"To Earth. Just you and me. No starships, no ranks, no new planets and patriarchal aliens. Not another soul. Give me a chance. I want to show you that we can do this- maybe the circumstances aren't perfect, maybe we aren't perfect but I want to give this a try."
You hesitated. "I…"
"Please."
"Okay," you gave in with a soft smile. You couldn't resist any longer. "Okay, fine. Let's leave this all behind for a while. Let's go to Earth and see if there's really something here between us."
Jaebeom grinned.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"Don't thank me for something like that, it feels weird-"
"Can I kiss you instead?"
"You could do that."
Jaebeom leaned forward and captured your lips with his. Your heart leapt when he wrapped his arms around you and drew you closer. The observation deck was quiet and for a moment all you could hear was Jaebeom's soft breathing as he poured his feelings into the kiss.
You pulled back from him, flustered.
"Uh, we should… I know us doing this isn't really against regulations but it would be really bad if someone found us here…" you stammered out.
Jaebeom grinned.
"Still worried about your career?" he teased.
"Worried about losing the respect of my crew, honestly. I've already humiliated myself in front of your senior officers-" you began to explain.
"Your quarters or mine?" Jaebeom asked quickly.
You stared at him and laughed.
"Unbelievable. You were such a gentleman while I was literally throwing myself at you and begging you to fuck me but now that I'm sober you reveal your nefarious ways? I am disappointed in you, Captain Lim."
Jaebeom interrupted you with a quick kiss.
"Yours or mine? Answer the question."
"Mine."
"Lead the way."
As you took Jaebeom's hand and snuck down the corridors of your elite starship like a pair of teenagers looking for a janitor's closet, it struck you that perhaps it wasn't happiness that you should be looking for in life. Happiness is only for an instant- it comes and goes and nobody really knows what triggers it.
So while true happiness is still light years away, you realised that Jaebeom had brought something new and unexpected into your life.
He had brought hope.
-----------------------------------------------------
Epilogue
A few weeks later
"Your efforts on Iota Five have been more than commendable, Captain. We are truly privileged to have added a new species to those we call our friends in the galaxy."
You nodded and bowed. "Thank you, Admiral. Your praise means a lot to me and my crew."
"Is today your last day on Iota Five?"
"Indeed, Admiral. The Miracle left yesterday and we are scheduled to depart ourselves at 1900 hours. Hopefully the science teams should have wrapped up by then. We've learned a great deal from the Magrakhars and I am sure Iota Five has years worth of culture and science for us to research."
Admiral Nguyen nodded.
"I'll make sure you receive a medal for this, Captain."
You laughed. "Thank you, Admiral. But spending time on Iota Five has been rewarding enough. I really learned a lot during this mission."
"Good to hear. Where are you heading next?"
"Well, the Premier is heading on to the Adonis sector for some repairs but they'll be dropping me off at Earth. I'm planning to take a few weeks of leave before I rejoin them."
Admiral Nguyen chuckled. "Leave? On Earth? I think Captain Lim mentioned something like that recently. Since when has it been the new fad to waste your precious time off going to Earth?"
You smiled. "Someone dear to me convinced me it would be a good idea."
"Well, enjoy your leave, Captain. You deserve it."
"Thank you, Admiral. Over and out."
The screen went black and you sighed as you leaned back in your chair. It was nearing time to depart. You checked the time just as the computer buzzed overhead.
"Lieutenant Nelly requests entry," the androgynous robotic voice declared.
"Granted."
Lieutenant Nelly sidled into your office with a smile.
"The science teams are all back aboard, Captain. First Officer Smith asked me to tell you that we should be ready to depart on schedule."
"Excellent news. And?"
Lieutenant Nelly blinked. "And…?"
"Did you manage to get what I asked for?"
"Oh!" Her eyes brightened as she reached into her bag and extracted a large bottle. She smiled at you mischievously. "The Chieftain was only too happy to hand some over. He asked me to wish you a good journey and to say that he thinks you and Captain Lim would make a good couple. I wonder where he got that idea?"
You smiled innocently. "I wonder."
"Anyway, I'd be careful with that stuff if I were you, Captain. You're going to Earth and it might be considered contraband there. You don't want it confiscated from you."
"They can't confiscate it unless they know what it is," you said smugly. "I'm not exactly going to log it into invrntory, but it'll be fine. I'll see you on the bridge in time for our scheduled departure."
"Yes, ma'am."
You smiled and waited until she was gone before you turned back to your screen.
"Computer, locate Captain Lim Jaebeom of the starship USS Miracle," you ordered.
"Captain Lim Jaebeom is on Earth," the robotic voice replied.
"Elaborate."
"Captain Lim Jaebeom is in Paris, France on Earth."
"Can you establish visual communication with Captain Lim Jaebeom?"
"Establishing visual communication."
It was a few moments before Jaebeom's face appeared on screen. He was lying lazily on a large bed in what appeared to be a very luxurious hotel room and he grinned at you.
"Well, hello there."
"You're in Paris?" you demanded with a laugh.
Jaebeom nodded and lazily placed his arms behind his head. "That's right. I thought we could start our tour of Earth somewhere romantic. I know Paris is logically more of a final destination but hey, screw that sort of thing, I'm on leave and I'm going to do what I want to do.*
You smiled. "That's the spirit."
"How much longer will you take?"
"We're departing in a few minutes. We should reach Earth in 24 hours."
"Make it sooner."
"Yes, Captain," you joked. You picked up the bottle Nelly had brought you and waved it in front of the screen to show him. "Look what I found."
Jaebeom raised an eyebrow. "No."
"Yes. I thought we could finally use it as intended, you know? Now that we know exactly what it does and we're not going to be caught off guard," you giggled.
"You're insane. Hurry up and get here."
You looked at Jaebeom and smiled. You hadn't felt this content in a long time and you knew that he was the reason that you felt so amazing and optimistic about the world lately.
"Jaebeom?*
"Yeah."
"I can't wait to see you," you told him softly and honestly.
Jaebeom smiled. "Then stop yapping and go start your ship. Jaebeom out."
-----------------------------------------------------------
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Tear You Apart | Ch.3
Pairing: GOT7 x OC
Genre: Demon/Mafia AU, Romance, Smut
Rating: M
Summary: Jaebeom and Yugyeom are "running an errand" when the most delectable scent that he ever smelled hit Yugyeom like a ton of bricks. Yugyeom stops JayB and soon he smells it. They look across the street and see the her. They stalk her for awhile and finally get the chance to manufacture a meet with her.
Wattpad | AO3 (will likely always update these 2 places first)
Navigation: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
Despite their busy and immortal lives, the boys try to have dinner together as often as possible. Gathering around the large oak table in their dining room, they share laughs and stories of the day. Relaxing and unwinding as a family.
"So, maknaes," Jaebeom starts. "I hear you had to provide some backup on Canal. How did that go?"
"We went to see Selah. I'm so sorry," Youngjae immediately folds and bows his head, hoping to be spared.
Bam sucks his teeth. "Youngjae, what the fuck man?"
"You did what?" Jaebeom asks calmly. Too calm.
The sound of silverware hitting plates echoed in the now quiet room.
"Aw shit, boys, why did you do that?" Mark asks.
"We only wanted to see her." Yugyeom adds with a pout. "We didn't even talk to her." He says leaning towards Youngjae.
Jinyoung must've caught that because he immediately followed up. "Bam. What about you?"
"Whatever. I talked to her. And I got her number."
All the older brothers sigh. Jaebeom continues to look. His chin starts to protrude.
"Son, why did you do that when we have her number?" Mark asked.
"I'm sorry, were we going to start texting her and tell her we looked up everything about her beforehand?" He laid it out. "I'm playing the boyfriend game." He leans back, looking proud of himself.
Jaebeom was pissed, but he was trying not to show it. He had a plan, and this... He stands, pushing his chair back to leave. "I'm going out."
"Either you've messed up so badly that he needs to go prepare to send you back or..." Jackson pauses. "Actually, I don't know what else he could be doing. Nice knowing you, Bam. I'll see you in 50 years."
Jinyoung chimes in with a disapproving tone, "You do know Jackson went to meet her as well? What will she think? We're meant to be playing this smart, and you've gone and added another complication to the situation. Yeah, Jaebeom should send you back."
"I fucked up, huh?" Bam says, hanging his head.
Mark, though known for his temper, is actually quite gentle with his brothers. Particularly the younger ones, and tries to comfort them. "Did you fuck up? Yes. But it will be okay. JB won't send you back."
"He might strangle you, though." Jackson says he is taking a bite of his food.
Mark gives him a 'stop that' look.
"What? Bammie, I invited Selah to the club. How do we explain to her that out of pure coincidence, she met both of us on the same day and that we know each other? You might have to miss the opening."
Bam lets out a puff of air ready to protest.
"That's actually not a bad idea." Jinyoung says. "You three will not be at the opening."
The younger ones begin to protest. Jinyoung holds his hand up and says, "Save it. This is perfect. Perhaps Jaebeom won't murder you if we can salvage this."
_____________________________________________________________
The weekend arrives, and everybody is a bundle of nerves. After adjusting plans, the boys feel like they're actually in a better place. Feeling that perhaps it would be easier to introduce her to four of them versus all seven.
The maknaes are on warehouse duty for the night, and they couldn't have been more sour about it.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into going with you. Now look at me." Youngjae pouts, looking into the distance.
Bam rolls his eyes and says, "Well, you hardly put up a fight at a gentle suggestion."
Yugyeom chuckles a bit. "You did come along pretty easily. We should just be happy we didn't get banished."
"Valid point. But I want to meet her now." Youngjae says.
Yugy juts his lip out, "Me too."
"Yeah she's great. Glad I talked to her when I did." Bam says proudly.
The other two side eye him.
_____________________________________________________________
Selah arrives at the club accompanied by her friend Brianca. She's feeling good about how she looks. The little black dress she has on is her favorite among the many in her closet. The tiny straps sit upon her glittering shoulders. The bodice fits tight on her chest with a side split that causes the material to lay nicely over her ass. Matched with a flattering pair of heels that elongate her legs and strap around her ankles is giving her a confidence boost. Not to mention, she smelled amazing.
She's hoping to see Jackson. Bam hasn't texted her. Which made her a bit sad, as she was hoping he would. But she figured she would at least have a good time, get her mind off the week, and look good if for nobody but herself
"Girl, this club is nice!" Brianca says to Selah. "And you said he's the owner?"
"That's what he said. So I'm not sure I'll easily bump into him." Selah responds by surveying the area.
"Let's get a drink!" Brianca suggests.
At the bar, Brianca has already been approached by a couple of guys and is chatting one up. She has a very inviting aura, so it's no surprise she's already deep in conversations.
At one point she leans over to Selah, "omg girl. This is that guy I told you about. That I went out with a couple of weeks ago."
"The one with the.." Selah wiggles her brows.
"Yes him." Brianca exclaims trying not to let him hear.
Selah chuckles, "well it looks like you're in for a wild night."
"Here's hoping." Brianca cheers with her friend and turns back to her presumed date for the evening.
As Selah is enjoying her cocktail, she feels a gentle touch on her shoulder that sends shivers throughout her body. Looking to her left, she sees Jackson. Managing her reaction, she doesn't smile too hard. "Jackson, hi."
"Selah, you made it." He's grinning from ear to ear. He takes a second to look her up and down. Without realizing it, he's licking his lips. "You look amazing."
This causes her to blush hard and look away briefly. "Thank you. You look great yourself, and your club is amazing."
"Thank you. I spotted you and wanted to be sure I had a chance to speak while things were going smoothly."
He needed to get her away from her friend and up to the private room. He can tell she cares about her and won't want to leave her alone or unsafe. But it appears luck was on his side.
"Brianca." Selah is turning to get her friend's attention to introduce her to Jackson. "This is Ja-."
But she's being lead to the dance floor by the guy she was chatting with. She looks back and smiles big at her friend. Quickly surveying the guy next to Selah she gives her a 'go get em' look.
"Well I was going to introduce you but nevermind I guess." She laughs.
Jackson sighs internally with relief, "No worries, we can meet later. She looks like a good time."
"Oh she's a blast in a glass. She'll be entertained for hours."
"In that case, would you like me to show you around?" Jackson asks as he holds his hand out for her.
"Sure. I'd like that, we sort of b-lined to the music, so I haven't seen the rest."
He leads her through the crowd and back toward the foyer. The place is actually quite large with a few different areas. One being the bigger bar and dance floor area they just left. Jackson shows her around the bottom floor. Even showing her a few behind the scene places before leading her into a lounge area. It's decorated in gold, with soft lighting and slow music, this makes for a nice area to chat.
"One of my brothers designed this room. He thought it would be a good idea to add an area that was much less chaotic than the traditional club atmosphere." Jackson explained.
"Oh you have a brother?" Selah asks.
"Yes, six actually." He leads her to the bar to order himself a drink. "Would you like anything?"
"Whatever you're having. Unless it's vodka." She makes a disgusting face.
Jackson chuckles and signals to the bartender, "please send over two glasses of Hennessy and ice. Thanks T."
"You got it boss." The bartender responds.
Jackson turns his attention to Selah, "Come, let's have a seat."
Settling in, Jackson takes this time to get a really good look at her. She's perfect. They begin a back and forth conversation that flows with ease. He asks her questions about herself that he already knows the answers to, but he loves hearing her talk, so this isn't a problem.
She asks about his business endeavors and he explains to her how he owns this a few other nightclubs. He mentions the corporation that his family runs, not the illegal things, obviously.
"So you have 6 brothers. That had to be hectic growing up." Selah comments.
"You could say that again. We're not exactly blood brothers, more very close friends, but we're brothers in just about every other way. We sort of came together at different times but we've been together ever since." She's listening intently. Jackson hasn't even used his gifts to any degree and she's already hooked on his every word. "Three of them are here now. I was hoping to introduce you actually. They've been dying to meet you."
"Oh, you've told them about me?" She's shocked, they only met briefly. "And you want me to meet them?"
He smiles and grabs her hand, gently caressing it. "Of course, we tell each other everything. So when I met a gorgeous woman, I told them immediately."
She was a bit hesitant but the moment Jackson touches her, she gets those same shivers. Being near Jackson, she finds herself alot more willing to go along with just about anything he says. Especially when he touches her.
She blushes, "Okay, sure."
He beams at her, "You're going to love them."
"I should text my friend and let her know."
This irritates Jackson. But he hides his displeasure. "Sure, no problem. "
He needs her alone and he didn't want to manipulate her to do it but this is becoming tedious. How do normal people live like this.
"Oh, she actually messaged to say she left with that guy. I must've missed it. I guess i'm all yours." Selah explains.
"Perfect." Jackson stands and extends his hand to help her up.
_____________________________________________________________
Leading her out of the lounge and through the club to the stairs, Selah feels lightheaded. She feels as if she's walking to another world. The decor is also darker upstairs. The walls are a blood red velvet with black damask patterning. The lighting is low and the music from downstairs is faded and becomes more faint the deeper they walk.
"Continuing the tour," Jackson starts. "This top floor has a few private rooms that special guests can use, as well as the offices."
He stops at a door at the end of the hall and on the other side, Selah knows deep down, everything will change once she steps in. Jackson opens the door and gestures for her to enter.
The room is spacious, continuing the same dark motif, but the colors are a darker green and black with gold accents. There's a full-sized bar and and lounge area with a large window across the way for a view of the entire dance floor from above.
And scattered about the room are three of the finest men Selah has ever seen, apart from Jackson. It nearly takes her breath away. They are dressed in finely tailored suits, like Jackson, and they have this something about them she can't quite put her finger on. Maybe this was a mistake. She thinks.
Jackson places his hand on the small of her back and moves her further into the room, "Selah, these are three of my brothers." He points to one at the bar with a short haircut and a dazzling smile that warms her heart. "This is Mark, the oldest."
"Hello gorgeous, lovely to meet you." He finishes making his drink and comes to settle in a chair next to the couch.
"And this absolute cutie..." pointing to other one with a short haircut. His lips grab her attention and she can't help but stare at them. He chuckles slightly and bites his bottom lip. She had to stop her knees from giving out. Did he do that on purpose. "...is Jinyoung."
He rolls his eyes, "Could you not introduce me that way." He gives her a smile staring directly in her eyes making her melt.
"Why? Is he not adorable Selah?" Jackson turns to ask her. She blushes from being put on the spot. Jackson laughs. "And lastly but certainly not least, this is Jaebeom. He is our leader."
Calling this man gorgeous would be an understatement. With longer hair styled perfectly sitting across his neck. Selah couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to run her fingers through it. She's cursing herself for how hard she is crushing on her crush's brothers.
He nods her direction. "Nice to meet you Selah, you can call me Jay B."
Her head swims. "Nice to meet you all"
"Come let's sit." Jackson moves them to a loveseat next to Jaebeom and across from Mark. Jinyoung has his eyes trained on her.
All four of them are drawing her in, with their confidence and captivating aura. But just beyond that is something tugging at her, whispering danger. She's watching herself wade further into the waters. What is happening...
Tags: @openup-yourmind
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The Sky Prince (1/3)
Pairing: Duffi!Jaebeom x f!reader (future chapters), slight Muska!Jinyoung x f!reader
Genre: Angst, some fluff
Warnings: Mentions of bullying, death, violence, mentions of murder, injuries, toxic relationships (chapter specific)
Word count: 3684 (chapter specific)
Summary: Maybe Jinyoung was a little mean to you, but you think it gives him personality. You kind of like it. But he leaves you all alone. Until one fateful day, where your whole life turns upside down.
Movie: Castle in the Sky
Fandom: GOT7
This was written for the 2021 Ghibli Collab by @toikiii. It’s a long time overdue, so I’m sorry about that. But this will be finished by October, in a three-parter. I hope you enjoy the first part. :)
-
Jinyoung insisted he’s some sort of prince. You would’ve found it annoying if it was any other kid in the village, but you didn’t mind it from him. He had dreams and aspirations, and who were you to judge him? You would sit with him under the big oak tree in the orphanage’s yard and listen to his stories and tales. The other kids would call you both weird, but you didn’t mind. It wasn’t like they were any more mature.
As the oldest two of the orphans, Jinyoung being only a few months older than you, you and he often had a lot more free time. Honestly, you didn’t know why you both had to stay. Well, kind of. You weren’t able to leave until someone offered to marry you, as you were a young woman with no family. Such was how the village worked. But Jinyoung, you didn’t know what was stopping him.
Deep inside you wished he was waiting until he was old enough to marry at twenty and then he would engage you, but you know it wasn’t that. He didn’t really like you. He only put up with you because you believed his tall tales. You could see it in his eyes. When you two were stuck doing chores any other day, he would look at you with such animosity. But when you sat at the tree, he smiled at you.
That was why you would listen. Any sort of appreciation he looked at you with, you relished. Even if it was only thankfulness at your willingness to hear his stories.
But one day, when you were waiting at the tree, Jinyoung was slow. A lot slower than usual. Usually, he was right behind you, eager to tell tales.
“Jinyoungie,” you called out, watching his head lift, “why so slow today?” You ran back down the hill to meet him halfway.
Jinyoung looked at you, eyes dead, and your brows furrowed. “(Y/N).”
“Jinyoungie? What’s wrong?” You reached out, hands fisting in his cotton shirt sleeve. “Why do you look so mad?”
“I have a family.” What? “I have family,” Jinyoung repeated as if he read the look on your face.
Your lips pulled down into a frown, feeling a burn behind your eyeballs. You don’t want to cry, but you might. Having family means he would leave, and you’d be stuck here by yourself. “But I don’t want you to go,” you whined, the words coming out more choked than you’d like.
Jinyoung rolled his eyes. “Well, I have a family. I want to find them. They’re the key to reclaiming my position as prince. You remember, you have to. All those things I told you. And the gift, remember it?”
You nodded, letting go of him and shoving your hand in your pocket and bringing out the book he gave you. It was an odd show of affection, but it had been your fourteenth birthday and Jinyoung had found you crying in the closet because the other kids had pulled your hair and called you names. It was filled with drawings and notes upon drawings and notes of these bodies Jinyoung called robots. It was a little weird but you still loved it.
“Well, it’s important. And you gotta keep it safe.” Jinyoung assured you, and you nodded again. “Look, I’m being serious.” He had such a look of determination on his face for an eighteen-year-old, you suddenly felt small in comparison.
You sighed heavily. There would be no stopping him. Jinyoung took your silence as assent and he turned around to leave. “Wait, Jinyoung,” you said again, and Jinyoung turned back. “You know, I like you a lot.”
Jinyoung smiled slightly, a rare occurrence. “I know.” His hand lifted and planted itself on the top of your hair. “Thanks for listening to me.” He leaned in and your breath hitched as his full lips planted itself on your cheek.
You couldn’t move, not even when Jinyoung pulled back and offered you a wide grin before heading back down the hill. You stayed up on the hill ‘til evening when the mistress of the orphanage called for you, and when you headed to bed without even having dinner, the other kids laughed at you. But you didn’t care.
He kissed you. Even if it was just on the cheek, and you’re probably never going to see him again, he kissed you. He likes you back. Maybe he’ll come back and marry you when the time comes. You clutched the little book close as you fell asleep. Jinyoung will return, you could feel it. You knew it.
And he did return, just not in the way you expected.
You had just turned twenty-one and from in the closet of where you hid, you could hear shouts and cries. This was not how you had wanted your birthday to go. When the morning of had come you were waiting anxiously in the early morning at the gates of the orphanage as you had done for the past two years on your birthday, hoping Jinyoung would come.
But strange men in suits had come instead, telling you to go fetch the mistress, and you had gone to her. You had thought maybe they had come to get one of the boys, so you waited inside for them to leave so that you could come to the gates again. They talked with the mistress and it seemed they had reached a conclusion, so you thought they might leave. But they didn’t leave.
They pulled out a gun and shot the mistress right in the face.
The kids watching at the door and outside screamed, but you couldn’t go out and save them. You didn’t have time before more men swarmed the courtyard, grabbing the kids and shoving them down before pulling out their guns. You couldn’t look.
The kids inside were still here and you needed to help them. The mistress would be angry if you didn’t.
You shoved the children inside closets, under cupboards, in wardrobes, anywhere they would fit. Only then when they were all hidden and you could see the big oak door entrance start to shake violently did you run.
You found yourself in the boy’s side of the orphanage, in Jinyoung’s old room. What a sick irony. But you had no time to wait, the clamor was getting closer. You shoved your way inside his wardrobe, thick shirts from the kids who replaced him over and over getting in your way. But it was dark and it felt safer than under the bed.
It wasn’t safe enough, though. The closet door opened and you were yanked out so hard you thought your bone might pop out of your shoulder. The men had found you.
“We found another one!” One of the three men in the room poked his head out the door and called to someone. “It might be the one you’re looking for, sir! She looks like it!”
You struggled, but it’s no use. The men are too strong and one of them backhanded you, the gun he held slamming into your jaw. You cried out from the sharp pain, but they just hit you again. “Shut up,” the man gripping you hissed, “you’re only making this harder on yourself, little girl.”
You clenched your eyes shut, waiting, waiting for pain or death, when footsteps entered the room and a familiar voice was heard. “(Y/N).”
Your eyes flitted open. “Jinyoung?” you ask in a hoarse, broken voice. “What– what are you doing here?”
Jinyoung, now twenty-one, smiles at you but there is nothing positive in his eyes. Just cold, hard, greed. “(Y/N),” he repeats, “you’ve grown up well. Happy birthday.”
Your eyes welled up, unsure whether to be happy he remembered or disgusted he did this. This was not the determined eighteen-year-old boy you knew all those years ago. “Jinyoung?” you repeated again, voice cracking. Jinyoung smiled a little wider, taking a step closer. “Why are you here?”
“(Y/N),” he tsked, “don’t be so sad. This orphanage never did anyone any good. They keep you here to be married off, and when they don’t get you married off, they keep you for free labor. Tell me, how long have you been here? Six years? More? So why haven’t you left? You had all the chances you could.”
You didn’t even know how to respond, only weakly saying his name once more. Jinyoung rolled his eyes and sneered. “Stop calling me like a child who just learnt their parents’ names. Look, I’ll just cut to the chase. Give me the notebook.”
You blinked up at him. “Notebook?” Jinyoung hissed through his teeth, stepping closer and grabbing your jaw with his hand. He wrenches your chin up and you can feel your neck strain as you’re forced to meet his eyes.
“The damn notebook, (Y/N). God, you’re so fucking stupid. The notebook. I entrusted. To you.” Your eyes shook looking up at Jinyoung. He was unhinged, so, so angry, and you hated him.
“It’s in my room,” you croaked out, and Jinyoung slipped into an easygoing smile with a bat of an eye.
“Good girl,” he crooned, and you felt sick. “Now, take us to it and I’ll let you go.”
You stood shakily, legs weak. How did this happen? You wanted to cry but you were so damn scared. When you stepped out in the hallway, you almost collapsed again. Bodies of the employees and the children here littered the hallway and it was only the grip of one of the men that kept you upright.
Jinyoung tsked again, hand moving to your shoulder where he dug his fingers in uncomfortably. “Stand up straight, (Y/N). Hasn’t the orphanage taught you anything? I could just kill you right now and find the notebook myself.”
You couldn’t respond, eyes trained on the wall in front of you. You could not look down. You must not. If you looked, you fear you would kill yourself. You lead them silently through the hallways until you stop at your room next to the headmistress’s. You unlocked the door with shaking hands, and you could feel your heart cry at the sight before you.
The children who were hiding under your bed were strewn across the floor, blank, dead eyes looking up at the ceiling. You could barely move, and Jinyoung sighed at your almost-catatonic state. “Go on, (Y/N),” he said with barely concealed impatience. “Go get me the notebook.”
It’s only when the other man shoved you did you stumble toward your pillow, feet heavy and tripping over the bodies strewn across the floor. The notebook– it was inside your pillowcase and you drew it out quietly.
When you turned around with the small, worn notebook in your hands, Jinyoung’s eyes lit up. He leaned forward and basically grabbed it, flipping through it fervently with a sick, twisted smile on his face. “Finally,” he breathed, “finally.”
He stood there for an almost uncomfortably long amount of time, flipping through before landing and staring at a page. With a sinking feeling in your gut, you knew which part it was. After a few minutes, Jinyoung finally turned to the men standing right at the door. ��Leave us,” he commanded, and despite their obvious uncomfortableness with the command, they left you two in the room alone.
Jinyoung stared at you for a moment before thrusting the notebook at you, opening to the page you had dreaded. “Read,” he commanded again.
“Why?” you asked, but Jinyoung shook his head and you cleared your throat slightly before reading aloud what you had written. The journal entries you added once a year on your birthday until today. “Entry one. Jinyoung is gone, am I happy about it? No, but maybe he’ll come back.” The words were choked, and Jinyoung tsked again.
“Clearer.” You coughed lightly, eyes quavering with unshed tears.
“I want him to return and marry me. I want to smile at his side. I miss Jinyoung. It’s only been a few hours but I want to hear his stories again. He’s a sky prince. Will he return? I must believe he shall, for if he won’t I know that butcher from the village will ask me to be his. I don’t like him that much, he gets mad when I’m dreaming about things that are out of my reach”—the first tear slipped down your face and you quickly scrubbed it away with your palm—“but I’m sure Jinyoung will return.
“He has to,” you continued with your resolve weakening and more tears falling down your face, “because I love him. In all those children’s books, they say love trumps all. I want Jinyoung to come and yell at the kids teasing me like he used to. I just want him back.”
Jinyoung sighed, hands coming out and cupping your face in his big hands. You flinched but Jinyoung paid no mind, thumbs gently brushing the tears away. How could he? How could he come here and kill all the people you cared for and then just treat you so softly? “Continue,” he ordered once more, but his voice was a lot quieter.
“Entry two. Jinyoung isn’t back, but I’ll wait until next year. I’ll be old enough to marry then, and he’ll come and take me away. The butcher is getting impatient. He keeps coming to talk to the headmistress about me, and I’m never allowed to listen in. Where is Jinyoung? Even though he was a little mean to me, he still made sure I was all right. After all, I was the only one who listened to him. Why can’t he come to visit?
“Entry three.” Jinyoung’s hands were still on your face and you refused to lift your eyes from the book. You don’t think you could look at him after what he had done. “The butcher asked me to marry him. I said no and he hit me.” You could feel Jinyoung tense, fingers pressing into the hollows of your cheeks slightly. “The headmistress was angry with him, but he still waits at the gates sometimes to look for me. I try not to go out anymore. Where’s Jiny-”
“Stop,” Jinyoung hissed, hands dropping from your face and grabbing the book back. “Don’t read it anymore. Instead, tell me.” His voice shakes almost imperceptibly as if he’s trying not to become the eighteen-year-old he once was. “Why did you write in it?”
Your lips tightened, you still refused to lift your head to look at Jinyoung. “I missed you. I was young, lonely, and I loved you.” Jinyoung’s hand grabbed your jaw again, forcing you to meet his eyes. They still didn’t show any affection for you, but you’re rather glad about that. If he looked at you with love you might have forgiven him.
“Do you still?” The question made your lips quirk up. How could he ask you this now? Your eyes shifted to the side; you could hardly stand to look at his cold eyes.
“Maybe under different circumstances, I would.” The answer was enough for Jinyoung and he dropped his hand once more. He turns away, but you can’t help but ask him one more question. “Why didn’t you kill me?”
Jinyoung looked back at you, something akin to pity flashing across his stony face, and he stepped closer again, leaning closer. You flinch back but his hands dart out again, holding you still as he presses his lips to yours. Unlike the first kiss you had received from him, your heart didn’t beat in excitement, only in fear and disgust. There was no feeling as if Jinyoung was only trying to see if he would feel any different.
He lets you go after a moment, pulling back with an unreadable expression on his face. “Maybe if I stayed here, I would’ve married you. But I had left and I only knew you as the girl for whom I owed a favor. I suppose it was some sort of wishful thinking. Never will happen again, probably.” Your heart dropped.
If he stayed, this never would’ve happened. He would have been yours. But he’s unrecognizable now. Greedy, evil, you hate him. Jinyoung laughed at the expression on your face. “Don’t look like that, (Y/N). Be glad I kept you alive. And don’t worry about the butcher anymore.”
You didn’t move, almost in a sort of parody from when he first told you he was leaving. You didn’t move until long after he left the room and the sun was rising to its position in the middle of the sky. Only then did you have the courage to move. The bodies were still strewn across the grounds and you couldn’t help but cry for each and every one of them.
Fifteen kids, you remembered the count. Fifteen kids and all of them dead. Fifteen children and their mistress, the workers, all dead. Only you were alive and you didn’t want it. The village was just as quiet, when you had left the gates of the orphanage no one came out.
But when you approached the center, one lone woman came out, eyes burning with hatred and tears. It was the butcher’s sister. “You killed him,” she cried shakily, a finger pointing at you accusingly. “You sent that man to kill him.”
You can barely hear her, your own heartbeat thrumming in your ears. But the words struck you. “He– Jinyoung? He killed–” She nodded angrily once more.
“He came, saying he was doing a favor for you, and shot him point blank. You told him to,” she screeched, and you flinched. She took an angry step towards you, and you took one back.
“I didn’t– No, of course I–” you pleaded, “I didn’t know– He didn’t tell me, I told him nothing.” The sister shrieks, in fury or anguish, you don’t know, and lunges at you. She doesn’t get far when someone else runs out and holds her back. You recognize him too, the son of the village elder. His name escaped you at the moment, and it would only be years later, when you tell the story to your grandchildren, that his name was Jackson.
He sighed, shaking his head at you. “I don’t think you caused this,” he started to say slowly, “but I don’t think the village will believe you. I cannot save you from their wrath. You need to leave now. I can give you time until sundown, but leave.” His face tightened at your expression; you didn’t know what face you’re making.
You didn’t even have time to register when he pulled the sister back inside and left you standing out there in the open. Only then did you realize that while the town yard was empty, eyes were staring at you through the windows and the doors. He was right, they blamed you. Who else, when all the others in the orphanage were dead? Maybe Jinyoung thought he was doing you a favor in some twisted way, but his life wasn’t the one upended, it was yours.
You ran all the way back home in a fit of panic, pulling out the lone suitcase you had and shoving everything you can into it. Maybe if you had paused for a moment, you would have changed your mind because you certainly wanted to die after seeing what you saw. But this wasn’t the way you wanted to go. Maybe you didn’t deserve it, but you wanted to live.
Walking out of the town after spending almost all of your life in it was strange. You didn’t know how to feel about it. On one hand, you were happy you were gone from this hellhole, but on the other, you hated yourself for causing the death of someone. Why would Jinyoung do this? That was the lone question on your mind. Did he cause all this just for the damn notebook?
Your heart ran cold thinking about Jinyoung. What happened to him? Sure, when he still lived at the orphanage was cold-hearted and often just flat-out mean, but he still had some sense of morality. But not he just went on a rampage, killing every child in the orphanage because of what reason? It couldn’t have been spite.
What changed him? You shivered, remembering his cold eyes as they looked at you like you were just another person in his way. And maybe you were. But then, why would he kill the butcher? A favor? In return for keeping care of his notebook?
You shivered again, not up and down your spine, but from the cold. It was November, not quite winter yet but it certainly felt like it. The orphanage was always warm in the winter so you hadn’t the need for coats, but now you regretted it. With only a worn shawl around your shoulders, you were uncomfortable in the bitter wind.
If you died from the cold now, you wouldn’t be opposed. You had been walking for hours; night had settled over the trees and the temperature dropped by the minute. Death seemed like a good option, and maybe it would give you peace of mind about Jinyoung.
You may not be given peace of mind, but your brain did stop thinking about Jinyoung when your ankle rolled and you started falling down the steep hill you had been so carefully walking along the edge of. Sharp rocks bruised and scraped your body as you tumbled down what seems to be everlasting.
Only when you slammed into the side of what seems to be a stone wall did you come to a halt. You could hardly move, aching all over and your eyes fluttered shut. Everything hurt and you just wanted to die. You could hear a lantern jangle but you didn’t even have the energy to call out for who it was. You only feebly curled into yourself and let the pain overcome you and turn everything muddy, and then to black.
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The Collector
(Just for fun 😀 Word count 161)
Jay Park
Management and staff groan inwardly, he posted what?
'Officially collecting bras all over the world, Jay Park aka Mr Won Soju aka The Bra collector.
#newsuperheroname.'
Repercussions! Time to get out the battle gear!
Fuck!
■
Word spread like wildfire, the fans squealed and giggled, the haters and trolls began their March.
Environmental groups demanded, "Do you donate these bras? Or do you throw them in the trash?!".
Women's rights groups are up in arms, "sexist" "chauvinist".
Other Women's groups support the bra throwing craze sweeping the globe.
"He has sexualized himself therefore women are in their rights to throw their lingerie if they so wish!".
Groups of Mothers were not impressed with their daughters wasting their money in such a way.
"Perv" "creep" these words were tossed around like yesterday's salad.
Protesters swarm AOMG, marching and chanting.
Total chaos ensues.
Jay Park monitors the mayhem.
"What the fuck! Why are they on my case? I'm just the collector".
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The Bad Boy: Im Jaebeom
It was the senior prank day and that usually meant chaos! Last year some students toilet papered the school oak tree! God knows what was gonna happen this year! The pranks got more extravagant as the years passed! You walked into school a little weary of what you’d find! You held your binder close to you ready to bat away anything that might be about to splatter, explode or spray in your direction. You didn’t wanna take any chances and stayed away from the most crowded places in the school. To your confusion, the day passed pretty normally although every time you turned a corner you thought a bucket would land on your head. You checked your phone to make sure that the date was right. It was. So where were the pranks? Where was the screaming, running and laughing? You were slightly disappointed at this year’s turnout. You didn’t have to be for long. You were walking down the corridor of the beauty studies block, when someone grabbed you by the hand and pulled you into the nearest empty classroom! You closed your eyes in terrified anticipation!
“Why are you closing your eyes?” Asked a voice laced with laughter. You peeked through your eyelashes and saw… oh nooo. Jaebeom, panting in front of you. His three piercings sparkling as they dangled from his ears. Get a run in with him and you were either in trouble with him or because of him and he didn’t care about either. You definitely didn’t want to get in trouble because of him and you didn’t much like the idea of being stuck in summer detention WITH him either. “I thought…you would throw something at me…cos, you know, Prank day.” You said meekly still flinching against the wall.
He bent down so you were at eye level. “Really now,” he said coyly “And what did you think I would throw?”
“I don’t know,” You said shakily “Eggs?”
“Did you really think I would be that sloppy?” He asked you through breathless chuckles, “Eggs? Really?! This isn’t 1985.” You felt a little stung.
“Well, you didn’t. That’s the main thing.” You said as you straightened up. You eyed the door, thinking of any excuse to put 1000 kilometres between you two. It wasn’t worth your college application to stay near him. “Listen,” you said quickly.
“This has been great and all but- “
“Today’s your lucky day Y/N! You’re gonna be my accomplice!” said Jaebeom smirking.
“I have managed to get through today without getting pelted, attacked drenched or jumpscared. I’m not gonna stop that streak.” You said backing away.
“And I’m not getting caught and put in detention on Senior Prank Day either, at least, not alone,” said Jaebeom. “So, either you help me keep my streak or lose your squeaky clean rep. Your choice.” He folded his arms his arms, smirking, and waited for your response. You hung your head.
He chuckled and then, and then turning around in front of you said, “How do I look?”
You glanced at him quickly, “That’s a dumb question, you know you always look…” then you actually took a good look at him and was surprised to see that he was…well…scruffy! It was like he had been rolling around in a barn; feathers and bits of straw were hanging from his hair and clothes.
“Well, I have to say you don’t look as good as you usually do.”
“You think I look good?” said Jaebeom smirking triumphantly at the annoyance on your face.
“You know that’s not what I me- “
“I ran into a little chicken trouble.” He said cutting you off your excuse.
“Chicken trouble?” You began to ask curiously, then shaking your head said quickly “Actually don’t tell me. The less I know the better.”
“So, are you gonna help me or not?”
“I haven’t got a choice, have I?” You sighed defeated, “What do you want me to do?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Help clean me up?”
“I don’t carry that sort of stuff with me.” You said holding out your hands to indicate they were empty.
“Look around you” he said “We’re in the beauty block.”
“Yeah, but all the beauty supplies are locked up af-“ you never got to finish your sentence. Jaebeom had found a hair pin picked the lock of the supply closet and was taking out spray, a hair dryer, some product and a comb.
“Now can you clean me up?”
Sighing, you began to brush his head roughly with your hand; trying to finish your task as soon as possible.
“Jeez! Why are you being so heavy handed?” winced Jaebeom, shielding his head from any more of your swipes.
“Cry-baby.” You muttered under your breath, but you took the straw and feathers out of his hair gentler, making sure not to miss a single strand. When it was all out of his hair, you took the comb, slicked his hair back and sprayed it so it would stay in place. “All done! Now can I leave?!” you said impatiently. Without saying a word to you he stuck his head around the door.
“Not just yet” he said, looking over your shoulder. “Miss F is walking down the hall.”
“That’s not my problem!” you said defiantly You turned to leave but he suddenly spun you around and held you close, his hands on your hips and your noses almost touching. You went to push him away, but he held firm staring in your eyes with an intensity you had never seen before, he said slowly and quietly “Just look this way.” You heard the door open.
“Honestly, Jaebeom? Here?” Said the teacher. She gestured towards where you both stood.
“Well, what can I do Miss?” Said Jaebeom with a smirk “We needed somewhere more…private for our date! People were running around everywhere!” You turned red and resisted the urge to gag. If you got in trouble because of him…
“I really didn’t need to know” Said Miss F, “You wouldn’t have anything to do with 12 chickens would you?” You choked! So THAT explains the chicken trouble.
“Nothing Miss.” Said Jaebeom innocently. She eyed him suspiciously, of course she wouldn’t believe a word he said, he was IM JAEBEOM!
“So, what’s all THAT on the floor?” she asked looking at the mess of straw and feathers from Jaebeom’s hair. He opened his mouth to speak but you jumped in quickly,
“That was me, Miss!! You told me to work on my texturing in art class so I decided to use feathers, sorry for the confusion.” and you hastily bent to pick them up. It didn’t sound believable to you at all but you hoped and prayed to all the gods that she would fall for it; and anyway, you weren’t lying, she HAD asked you to work on your texturing in art class.
“I see…” the teacher said quietly. It seemed to you that she was deciding whether to believe this lie, “Well, whatever the case get out of the classroom you know they’re out of bounds at lunchtime.” And with that she left the room.
“Happy chicken hunting Miss!” called Jaebeom after her. When you were sure she had gone you stood up and stared incredulously at him,
“I swear to God Jaebeom! You let loose twelve chickens in the school?!”
Jaebeom chuckled “Nope, I let loose 11.”
“So why- “
“We tagged them, but we purposely missed out number eleven and wrote twelve instead! They’ll be looking for that twelfth chicken for hours!” Then he considered you “You’re a good sport you know.” He said, looking over you. “I like your quick thinking!”
“I didn’t have a choice!” you said exasperated.
“Be honest with yourself. You like the thrill.”
“Not a bit.” You replied adamantly.
“We’ll see…” he said tentatively. He winked and left the room. UGH! Jaebeom! At least you didn’t get caught.
“Chickens, that really did top last year’s oak tree situation…” You muttered to yourself, “Clever of them to mis-tag the chickens!” You laughed quietly at how Senior Prank day had gone. Definitely not how you had expected. At that moment your phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number
“Told you 😉-JB.”
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My JJP fics;
The Fantastic Sexventures of; series
A collection of JJP stories with rated NC-17 content. ⚠️ Make sure to carefully check the tags before proceeding to read.
JJP drabbles; series
A collection of drabbles/snippets. ⚠️ Rating my vary.
Tales of JJP; series
A collection of non-explicit stories under the 4k word count. Most of them are and will be for the general public, but it doesn't hurt to check the tagging ;)
if you stay, i will even wait all night; completed
Jaebeom was in love with the idea of Park Jinyoung. Nothing more.
Untitled III; completed
• Photographer Jaebeom; Model Jinyoung; Pining; Jaebeom-centric; Light angst •
You see my heart (I wear it on my sleeve); chaptered - ongoing
• ⚠️ Carefully read the tags first ⚠️ •
What Jaebeom didn't know and no one prepared him for, was for a pregnant Park Jinyoung.
• Established relationship; Drama; Mpreg; Domestic •
underneath the stars; completed
Jinyoung can't say he's too fond of nature. So when Jaebeom suggests camping for the weekened, Jinyoung sort of panics.
• Established relationship; Non-explicit sexual content; Proposals •
On the list of things; series
• Content, warnings and tags vary. Check on each post •
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⠀❋ doente de saudade, por ZB1
・・jaebeom (got7) + nayeon (twice)
🌷 — você encontrará possivelmente os materiais aqui ♡
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Tell me what is love (Ch 17)
Chapter 17
What would have been a delightful morning for Hye hee, only brought anxiety as the rays of the sun warmed her skin. Her droopy lids struggled to open, and her head drowned her in flashbacks of last night.
Hye hee sighed in embarrassment. Why would she behave so recklessly in front of him? She shook her head in disappointment.
The house was quiet, and all she could hear was the sound of birds frequently visiting the balcony that held food and water for them. Baekhyun had helped Sarang build birdhouses to help the birdies during the summer heat. Recalling the time he visited her in her little dingy apartment, she had served him poorly whipped salad and pesto.
“I was up all night googling how to build that thing. She wouldn't have it any other way. Her daycare teacher told her that we need to make things ‘earth-friendly’ for animals.”, he explained with gusto.
“Whoa. she’s a bright kid..”
“So, I was collecting twigs, clay, and other things to build a house for them….”
“You do know you can buy them, right?”, hye hee asked, pausing for him to respond mid bites.
“Yes.”, he smiled sadly. A smile that didn't reach his eyes.
“What is it?” hye hee so well knew his look that it didn't take her a second to recognise that look of misery.
“Sarang…. She’s always at home, you know. While her parents rush out at odd hours every day. We both hate her garnering interest from the media, so we take her out to places where she will not be swarmed by the paparazzi. She’s still too young for that. Regardless, she is still a child left home alone most of the time. It hurt me the day she told me about her bird friends who visit her every day because no one ever does.” his voice dropped as he choked on his tears.
Hye hee handed him tissues. Wiping away those tears of helplessness, he continued,” Tae’s family lives far away, and my mum isn't very fond of Tae, though she does try to meet Sarang once a while.” trying to hold his composure, he sighed.
“You do realise you’re doing well, right? It is also your first time being a parent. Cut yourself some slack.”, she tried to console.
A tiny smile flashed on his face, again, not reaching his eyes.
Byun Baekhyun.
The class clown.
Her Baekhyun, who could always make everyone laugh regardless of how their day was going.
Her Baekhyun, who would always hold Hye hee’s hand every time she went up on stage in school.
It hurt to watch him crumble like that. Even though she hated him for destroying them like that. He was still that young boy, and he was breaking. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Hye hee held his hand as he sat coping with grief.
“Sometimes, I feel bad for having done this at all. But, on the other hand, I love my little girl. I never knew I would feel this for a child until she came along….”
“Stop it. Sarang would hate it if she ever knew that her father was so broken all the while. She is the light you were so desperately looking for, baekhyun. Embrace it.”
He looked up at her as she walked toward him, hugging him to let him know he was alright.
Embrace it, she said.
And he did.
Baekhyun felt like his old self again. The young boy who would return to his girl every night, beaten from auditions, later beaten from training. He would spend days thinking about her and when he would be allowed to step out so that he could hold her hand again.
Kiss her again.
“Kiss her…” chanted his brain.
And he felt himself reaching out for her again. His lighthouse.
“It's late.” Hye hee said, unravelling herself from his hold. “Your daughter and wife…. Would be waiting.”
Baekhyun left ashamed. He left without another word and didn't contact her for a long time.
So much time had passed since then. The birds only reminded her of every tiny detail between them all these years.
She woke up and showered before walking downstairs to grab an apple. She wasn't starving, so she decided to work a little in the room.
A few hours later, she heard a chuckle in the quiet house. It seemed like they were back.
Hyehee closed her laptop and got under the covers, hoping he would think she was still asleep and leave.
Soon, she heard a knock on her door.
“hyehee?” he knocked. “You up?”
When she didn't answer, he opened the door slightly to peep, she felt a draft of cool air touch her feet as he walked in.
“Are you still asleep? It’s 10 in the morning, though, unlike you to sleep in.”
He sat by her, fingers stroking her head, “hye hee?”
Squirming, she woke, pretending to have just woken up.
“Hey. you alright? You look like you didn't sleep at all. Were you up all night.”, he said, brushing her hair from her face.
Please, Baekhyun. Don't make me hopeful for us.
“Hmm? Is something wrong?” he asked worriedly.
“No. I’m just tired. You guys should go ahead and have breakfast. I don't think I can make it.”
“Let me cook you something, then. How about some porridge if you feel weak….”
“It is alright! I’ll just have some fruit.”
“You already had fruit, though.”
“Huh?”
He pointed at the apple core leftovers on her nightstand.
Fuck. Evidence.
“Why did you go back to sleep? Are you feeling sick?” he moved closer to check her forehead.
She could get used to this. Baekhyun being by her every day, so close.
“That's it. Congee for you today. Not surprising, you always had a weak stomach. And you went through quite some storm yesterday.”
“Thank you.”
He smiled. His palm on her cheek, thumb stroking her face.
“Wake up slowly; I’ll cook.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Why? Daddy! No. I want to go to auntie Sohee’s place for her stew.”
“Sarang. Hye hee’s unwell. We can't just leave her now, can we?”, Baekhyun tried to soothe his pouty daughter in the kitchen as he looked for congee ingredients.
“Let's go. I can have porridge out too.”, Hye hee suddenly chimed behind them.
“But, hye hee, you were weak this morning.”
“It's alright. You're with me. I’ll be okay.”
Sarang didn't like that one bit. Her face grew graver by the minute. Her father was hers. Who was this woman trying to butt in? It was supposed to be a play day with her father, and now, a woman would be tagging along.
“Umm. okay. Yeah, I will.” he awkwardly smiled, glancing at Sarang.
The drive was quiet. hye hee felt very out of place, especially now with Sarang, who clearly did not seem to enjoy her company at all.
Just breakfast. Eat, leave, tell them you’ve got to work. Excuse yourself and leave. Look for an apartment and move.
It did not last very long. Baekhyun knew the way to his daughter’s heart well, and he had her giggling in no time.
It warmed her heart to see him with her. He was indeed a great father.
By the time they finished, Sarang was in Baekhyun’s arms, fast asleep.
“I can drive if you want.”, Hye hee offered.
“Would you? Thanks.” he carefully handed over the keys to her.
Reaching home, he quickly put her to sleep in his room. Looking around for her, he realised she was in the shower. He was just about to leave when the constant pings on her phone attracted his attention.
Stop. Baekhyun. He told himself. ‘This is not right.’
He peeped in.
Jaebeom ❤️: Hey…
Jaebeom ❤️: I cannot apologize for yesterday enough.
Jaebeom ❤️: If possible, I would like to see you once more. Jane will be…
Jaebeom ❤️: Hye hee. Please talk to me. I’m sorry.
Jaebeom ❤️: forgive me, please.
He couldn't believe his eyes. The audacity to text her again after hurting her like that.
The phone rang as he reread the texts.
The phone flashed Jaebeom ❤️ on the screen. Baekhyun felt rage build inside him.
“Hye hee. Thank you for answering. I am sorry about my behaviour yesterday. I’m mad at myself too. I know these excuses mean nothing.”
“How dare you call her?” Baekhyun growled into the phone.
“Baekhyun? Look, man, I have no reason to speak to you….”
“Well, you have to. Because what concerns Hye hee concerns me right now….”
The phone was snatched from him at this moment. Hye hee, wrapped in her bathing robe, was shocked to find baekhyun snarling into the receiver. She hung up and turned to him.
“What do you think you're doing?” she sighed, annoyed.
“He called you.”
“That does not allow you to answer my calls.”
“Sorry if I am protective of you.”
“Why? What am I in your life?”
“You are not asking me that question….”
“Everyone in your life hates me, baekhyun. Despite trying to avoid that thought, I cannot ignore that everyone we meet is just going to villainise me from now on.”
“Who? I don't care about anyone. I know the truth, and that is what is important.” he raged as he said, “If I start being affected by all the hatred and noise outside, I can never live, Hyehee. Now you have to make your decision here. This noise and despise will be a part of my baggage. I cannot get rid of it. If you think you can love me enough to stay, I will never ever leave your side. This, I promise you.”
She looked at him with disbelief. Wanting to trust him with every cell in her body, she still couldn't. It happened once. What if she is left stranded again?
“.... and about that jerk. Whether you decide to stay or leave, I will not allow anyone to hurt you like that. You are my friend first and always will remain to be.”
He slammed the door again.
The house was quiet. For the most part, she only heard noises from his bedroom, which seemed to be of Sarang playing. He had knocked once in the afternoon, which Hyehee did not answer, only to discover later he had left kimbap in front of her door. She had been starving, and they were delectable.
Sarang left with Taeyeon later that evening. She heard Baekhyun walk past her door and into his bedroom without a pause.
Ugh. What a sulky kid, she thought to herself.
Baekhyun was annoyed.
This is why they said that two headstrong people shouldn't date each other.
None of them would back down easy. Both of them would usually drop hints to resolve any arguments before the smiles seeped through their tough demeanour again.
He was blankly watching tv in his room when he heard someone shuffling outside. Opening the door, he met Hyehee’s startled face.
“What do you want now?” he blankly asked.
Hyehee stood awkwardly as she tried to conjure the answer that did not exist in her brain, “um. Nothing. Just. I…”
“Can you talk in full sentences?”
“Aish. Are you going to be like this all the while? I didn't know what was happening in your life. I get it now, okay? I will keep it in mind.”
“Thanks, pal.”, he uttered sarcastically, walking past her downstairs into the kitchen.
“Yah! I apologized, right! Also, I have another thing to say.” her voice became smaller in the end.
He looked at her suspiciously, “what again? What is it?”
“Jaebeom and Jane want to meet me. So…. so, I told them I’ll come if you come along, and I’d tell them later.”
“Why? Why would I? Wait, weren't you the one you just asked me what significance you had in my life? Um, yes, you were.” he strutted around, making food for the both of them again.
“Don't be mad, Baekhyun. I’ll make you dinner! They’ll meet us in Minseok’s cafe if you like that.”
When he didn't answer, she finally opened up, “Jane and I have been friends for the longest time, Hyun. I’m sure this is very stressful for her too. And I miss my best friend…. If this Jaebeom thing doesn't solve, She and I will have a deranged friendship forever…. Please, Hyun?”
Hyun. She had stopped calling him that. It made his heart beat crazy hearing her say it so casually again.
“Alright.” he sighed.
“Really? Yay!” she yelled and jumped in joy, flashing the biggest smile at him. She was dialling Jane’s number when Baekhyun stopped her.
“Oi. Where do you think you're going? Make dinner. It eas part of the deal.” he grinned, sticking out his tongue at her, taking off his apron and putting it around her neck.
“Get to work, Madame!” he whistled, settling in front of the TV.
She settled on Kimchi stew and quickly made it from scratch. Baekhyun cooked rice, and the two finished the dishes together pretty quickly.
“Why did you feel unimportant? I thought I made it pretty clear from last night that my intentions weren't exactly platonic,” he asked her, sipping his chilled beer up on the rooftop.
“Sarang….”
“Is a child. She is coloured by her parents actions right now. This will not matter in a few more years, Hyehee.”
“But she is important to you. And I don't want to upset a child over my feelings.”
“She is not upset, Hyehee. She just hates the attention you get from me. A young child who craves her father is what she is. Nothing else matters to her. As long as I’m next to her, she would not bother thinking about you or anyone else. She has always been like that. A clingy little one I’ve got.” he chuckled.
“Really?” she wondered.
He nodded in assurance. “Trust me. She has my traits when it comes to jealousy.”
“But you were never the jealous type….”
“Or, I hid that type from you well.”, he cockily added.
The night deepened with the two charted numerous times Baekhyun would magically appear if plans with other boys from the class were involved. They laughed, thinking about their innocent childhood spent with each other.
“I feel him still.” he looked into her eyes, “that young boy madly in love with this fantastic girl. Whom he always thought to be a nerd. The girl who beat him in his video games. The girl who would argue till the end of the night without breaking a sweat…. He exists still. Caged. But, present.”
“Then set him free.”, she whispered, her eyes glistening with longing.
Their lips met under the starry night, a gentle breeze cooling their skin. All the feelings unpacking itself that beautiful night. Nothing else mattered then.
He deepened the kiss, his lips tracing her face, taking in her scent.
How it ignited him. Like old doors reopen to cherish. He picked her up once again. This time, with finesse. Their lips never leave as he walks downstairs with her in his arms.
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