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live-the-fangirl-life · 2 years

Text

New York City, United States

A World Away Part 7

Aelin Galathynius x Rowan Whitethorn - World Travelers AU

Travel Tip #79: For the best experience in any city, try to pair the excitement of a tourist with the know-how of a local. Both perspectives will enlighten the other.

Part 6 | Fic Masterlist | MoodBoard | Read on Ao3

Warnings: Language

12,010 words

*******

“I’m so excited,” Lysandra beamed giddily to Elide who rolled her eyes but smirked in agreement. “We finally get to meet your mysterious, worldly man.”

The bustling sounds of Third Avenue were quieted by the terrace of flowers separating the outdoor tables from the rest of Manhattan. Aelin looked through the small spaces between half-open petals and watched as dark cars flew by, accented by the tell-tale bright yellow of a taxicab.

She snorted, going back to perusing the brunch menu. “He isn’t my anything. He’s just Rowan.” Aelin didn’t miss the sidelong glance her friends exchanged.

“I didn’t exactly mean it like that, but since you brought it up,” Lysandra drawled, sipping from her mimosa as a sly grin stretched across her face, widening at Aelin’s sigh. “This is Rowan we’re talking about. The same Rowan who met you halfway across the world for a four-day trek through the jungle.”

“It was not—” Aelin shook her head and put her menu down, but Elide cut in.

“The same Rowan with whom you spent an entire day in Marrakesh talking to,” The brunette raised a brow as Lysandra nodded fervently. “Completely blowing off your scheduled bazaar tour.”

“Okay,” the blonde tried to wave them off. “That wasn’t a big deal because I’d already been wandering around the bazaar—”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you spent hours catching up with a veritable stranger,” Lysandra retorted.

“He wasn’t a stranger. And it had been, like, seven months since we’d seen each other at that point.” Aelin argued, picking up her own glass of citrusy prosecco.

“Right,” Elide grinned. “Seven months since the two of you miraculously met in Santorini—”

“Technically we met on the boat to Santorini—”

“Where he was so enthralled by you,” Elide talked over her, trying to prove her point, “that he took your picture and used it as,” she turned towards Lysandra, feigning forgetfulness, and ignored the way Aelin sat back with her arms crossed, staring indignantly at them.

“His Enchanting Moment.” Lysandra finished helpfully.

Right. That had been a surprise. After Rowan had shown her the photo and brief magazine spread, Aelin went searching for the full edition. It wasn’t until a few weeks later while strolling through the streets of Barcelona that she found the magazine at a small roadside stand. She’d made friends with her hostel manager and got her to translate the multi-page article that held her image. Later, Aelin had found an English version which she bought as a keepsake along with a subscription to the magazine.

Aelin was saved from her friend’s prying by the waiter who came to take their orders. Once he’d walked away, she said, “Look, think whatever you want, just please don’t be weird when he’s here.”

Lysandra batted her eyelashes. “Why? Afraid we’ll embarrass you in front of your secret, jet-setting lover?”

Her friend laughed as Aelin threw a grape at her face. “I’m serious, Lys,” Aelin rolled her eyes, huffing a laugh as two of her closest friends teased her. “You too, Lochan. Rowan is my friend. Gods know it took us long enough to even get to that point. I don’t need you two meddling. And I really don’t want to lose my travel partner because you’ve somehow got it into your heads that there’s something between us.”

Her friends’ smirks softened, and they shared another look before Elide asked, “Is there something between you?”

That was complicated. So very complicated.

Aelin scoffed again but this time it felt a little hollow. “I’ve seen him a total of six times—”

“Tomorrow will make seven—”

“—in two years, El. And half of those were just us yelling and arguing with each other.”

Their food came, interrupting the conversation, but Lysandra leaned over and whispered, “Don’t think I missed how you didn’t actually answer El’s question.”

She didn’t respond as Lysandra sent her one last knowing look before thankfully steering the conversation elsewhere.

Two years. It had been two years since Rowan literally ran into her in Florence.

Sometimes, Aelin wondered how that irritable man had become such a central point in her life.

They talked all the time. Sharing stories of their adventures and the exciting things in their lives. It almost felt routine now to video call him after a busy explorative weekend to catch up. But it wasn’t just the big things, it was also the everyday mundane things like accidentally missing a train or ordering the wrong thing at a restaurant.

They had both tried to coordinate their schedules a dozen times in the last six and a half months, but it never seemed to work out. Which led them to the constant messaging and calls.

So, when she told Rowan about this celebration fundraiser that her parents—technically, the partnered companies of Galathynius Incorporated and Ashryver Assets—were throwing, and offered him an invitation sweetened with a bribe of seeing her, she’d been excitedly surprised at his immediate acceptance.

After Rowan had left Peru, Aelin stayed there for six more days. Then she’d spent three weeks doing just as she told him she would—she traveled through Bolivia to the Salar de Uyuni and walked across the mirror-like salt flats.

But then she had flown home to New York. And hadn’t left since.

Her parents were finally retiring from their roles as heads of the joint companies, and Aedion had spent the last six months under her parents’ wings, becoming more hands-on and in a place to easily transition towards leadership once her parents stepped down.

And Aelin, despite having no interest in working a corporate role, had grown up in the heart of the merged companies and knew the ins and outs of how to charm her way with the other Manhattan socialites. She had helped her cousin finalize contracts and secure donations, with this fundraiser being one of the last events to cement new partnerships before Aedion officially took over.

As much as she loved seeing her family, Aelin was getting antsy staying in one place for so long. She hoped having Rowan in the city would make her feel better. He always seemed to these days.

***

The flight wasn’t bad.

Rowan had learned in his years of traveling to always book the window seat so he wouldn’t have to constantly get up every time someone beside him needed to use the toilet. That, and the frequency of his flying had programmed him to be able to fall asleep as soon as he settled in. He’d felt the smooth take-off from Dublin and then they were touching down at JFK.

For once, he hadn’t brought his camera bag. It was odd, walking off the plane without the ever-present weight over his shoulder, but Rowan knew he didn’t want to spend the next few days with a lens in front of his face. Not when he hadn’t seen Aelin for half a year.

The thought of finally getting to see her in person again quickened his steps as he navigated towards baggage claim.

Rowan should’ve been expecting it. Especially given how much Aelin enjoyed teasing him.

He shouldn’t have been surprised to see her standing near baggage claim holding a large, brightly colored sign bedecked in glitter that read BUZZARD.

Rowan also shouldn’t have been surprised at how instantly his mood lifted to see her there, or the feeling he got when her own grin widened when she noticed him.

The closer he got, the more aggressively she gestured with the sign as if it was her personal mission to make as many people as possible aware that he was who she’d nicknamed after a bird.

Then he was standing in front of her. And then Aelin had her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a hug that he returned without hesitation. They were jostled as people moved around them and Aelin reluctantly stepped back.

“Hello Buzzard,” she grinned, her face shining with amusement and something else he couldn’t name.

He rolled his eyes but huffed a laugh, unable to stop the same grin from spreading across his face. “Aelin.”

She nudged his arm and said, “I’m so glad you were able to be here.” Her voice held a hint of a Manhattan accent that he hadn’t noticed before, her time back home must’ve brought out what she’d lost abroad.

“I had a good reason to come all this way.” He told her.

Aelin nodded, still smiling. “The party is going to be spectacular—you’ll love it.”

Rowan took a step forward, using the crowds of people as an excuse to be closer to her. “I wasn’t talking about the party.” He corrected, letting her hear what he wasn’t saying.

His words hung in the air as Aelin’s eyes widened a fraction. Something in her demeanor changed and Rowan swore her smile tugged upwards.

But the moment was interrupted by a muffled announcement about some flight arriving, and Aelin cleared her throat, blinking and dragging her eyes away from his. “Ready?”

“Yeah, let me just grab my bag,” he jerked his head towards the rotating conveyor belt slowly taking on more luggage as bags continued to get loaded off the plane.

Before he knew it, Rowan was sitting in the passenger seat of Aelin’s car, and they were driving towards the city.

“So,” Aelin reached over and turned down the music, keeping an eye on the traffic. “I know you’ve been to New York before, but I had a few ideas…”

They fell into an easy rhythm and soon Aelin was pulling the car into a garage just off Park Avenue. She got out, handing the keys to a nearby attendant.

Rowan walked around the car to get his bags from the trunk and shot her a questioning look. Aelin shrugged, “We have a few spots in here we pay for monthly. It’s nice to have the car nearby when you wanna get out of the city.” She waved goodbye to the attendant in thanks and Rowan followed as she walked out of the garage. “Aedion’s building is just around the block.”

“How’s it been living with him all these months?” Rowan asked, falling into step with her.

Aelin rolled her eyes and snorted. “Better than living with my parents. Aedion’s gone half the time at his girlfriend, Lysandra’s, place, and I get to pretend I have the apartment all to myself.”

He nodded, as much as he loved his parents, he wasn’t sure he could live with them for so long, having been on his own since university. “Lysandra—your arch-nemesis turned best friend turned cousin’s girlfriend,” Rowan recalled the details of Aelin’s friends from the countless conversations they’d had.

She laughed and pulled open the lobby door once they got to the building. “Gods, arch-nemesis, that sounds so dramatic.”

“Exactly why I wasn’t surprised you called her that.”

Aelin whirled and shot him a glare that was negated by the twitching of her lips.

“Ass.”

Rowan smirked, following Aelin into the elevator. “But not wrong.”

“Whatever. And for the record, she is my best friend first, Aedion’s girlfriend second.” she rolled her eyes but went on, “You’ll get to meet them and Elide tonight, we’re going for drinks in the West Village.” Aelin paused. “If you’re up for that, I mean. I didn't think about jetlag, fuck, it’s been so long since I’ve thought about jetlag.” She said the last bit more to herself and it came out laced with a longing he hadn’t expected.

“I slept on the plane,” he assured her. “No jetlag to worry about.”

She brightened at that. “Great.”

The elevator opened and Aelin strode out, leading him towards the only door on this side of the hall.

The apartment was spacious and bright in a way he hadn’t expected but realized probably made sense given who Aelin’s family was. The far wall was almost entirely made of windows, providing an unobstructed view over Central Park and the city beyond.

Hallways stretched both ways off the living room, one leading to a master bedroom (Aedion’s, and Lysandra’s whenever she stayed over) and a den (the current storage space for Aelin’s international book collection), while the other hall shot off from the kitchen and led to two bedrooms (Aelin’s and a guest room).

The kitchen flowed into the dining space and living room, all eccentrically decorated like it couldn’t settle on one particular style.

Aelin caught him checking out some of the pieces and pointed out, “That lamp over there, the mosaiced one, I got that on a day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I had to find a way to ship it here right after because I only had my backpack on me.” She laughed, remembering.

Rowan snorted, setting his bag on the floor and nodding towards a wall of brightly colored, elaborate masks. “What about those?”

She ticked each one off, “First time to New Orleans, Venice during Carnival, New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and a Masquerade party in Berlin.”

He spotted all sorts of souvenirs and proof of her adventures, knowing without a doubt she had far more than what he could see. It was like being in a miniature museum of Aelin.

Aelin let him unpack before grabbing some snacks and spending the afternoon catching up on their time apart.

Rowan loved their messaging and video calls, but nothing could compare to the real thing.

***

They took the subway downtown and got to the bar shortly after she’d gotten a text from Elide confirming her and Rowan’s drink order.

She wove through the crowds, all too aware of how close Rowan walked behind her.

Aelin made a note to be careful of how much she drank tonight, she already felt intoxicated by Rowan’s presence. She didn’t need extra alcohol lowering her dwindling restraint. When he brushed against her back, pushed forward by someone hurrying past, he murmured an apology and she had to repress a shiver despite the warm atmosphere.

Thankfully, she spotted her friends in the back corner and headed towards them.

Elide noticed them first, her eyes widening as a sly smirk appeared. She arched a brow subtly enough that Aelin knew the look was just for her. Lysandra saw them next and set her cocktail down with a wide grin, dragging Aedion’s attention from her and to Aelin and Rowan at the end of the table.

“Hey, we made it!” Aelin grinned, raising her voice above the music. “Guys, this is Rowan.” She jerked her head unnecessarily at the unusually fidgety man beside her and then gestured to each of her friends. “Rowan, this is Elide, Lysandra, and my cousin Aedion.”

The ladies scooted further down the table as her cousin got up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before holding a hand out to Rowan.

“Good to meet you, man,” Aedion said, grinning, as Rowan clasped his hand in a strong handshake. “We’ve all heard a lot about you.”

Rowan smirked and raised a brow at Aelin who glared at her cousin and shooed Rowan into the booth before sitting down at the end.

“Yeah,” Elide chimed in from Rowan’s other side, grinning her greeting as he and Aelin grabbed the two remaining drinks her friends had ordered for them. “It’s so nice to finally meet Mr. International Ignoramus.”

Rowan choked on his gin and tonic. “Excuse me?”

Aelin closed her eyes and muttered something about getting new friends.

She rolled her eyes at Elide and ignored the other’s laughter as she nudged Rowan and explained. “Do you remember on that ferry ride how when I asked you your name, I said you should tell me because you probably wouldn’t like the names I’d made up for you?” She shrugged, letting him fill in the blanks.

“International Ignoramus?” he asked incredulously. “Really?”

This time Aelin laughed, amused by the faint humor in his eyes as he questioned her.

“Mhm,” she grinned and leaned into him again. “That’s not even the worst one.”

Rowan loosed a sigh and shot her a long-suffering look that only made her laugh harder. “I don’t want to know.”

Lysandra snorted, ignoring his request. “You were also Dumbass Douchebag.”

“Worldly Wanker had a nice ring to it,” Aedion added, laughing.

Elide shook her head with a smirk, “I always liked Bitch-ass Birdbrain.”

Both Rowan and Aelin gaped at her friends. She, at least, was wondering if the floor beneath her could open up and swallow her whole.

Rowan sputtered a few times before whirling on her and demanding, “What is with you and calling me a bird?”

She grinned sheepishly. “You can’t really blame me…we didn’t get off to the best start.”

Rowan shook his head, choking out a laugh. “Buzzard wasn’t even something you thought up in the moment, was it? You’d had that one ready for a while,” he accused.

Aelin grinned wider, not denying it, and they all laughed at her and Rowan’s rocky beginnings.

An hour, and many more laughs later, Aelin was thrilled at how well Rowan fit with her friends. They were having a great time, and once they’d gotten past the nickname fiasco, she had more fun than she’d had in a while.

It made her happy to have all her favorite people together.

“I’ll get the next round, Aelin could you help me carry them over?” Lysandra asked, already hooking her arm through Aelin’s and pulling her from the table. Once they got to the bar and ordered their drinks, she swatted Aelin’s shoulder and hissed, “Aelin, why the hell are you two not together?”

Aelin’s brows flew up. “What?”

Her friend sighed but adamantly explained, “Oh, don’t give me that I have no idea what you’re talking about shit.” She waggled a finger in Aelin’s face, “You know exactly what I’m talking about. The chemistry? The sexual tension? I was sitting there just waiting for you both to say: ‘Surprise! We’ve been fucking this whole time.’”

Aelin huffed and grabbed two of the drinks the bartender passed them. “It’s not like that, Lys. Drop it. And I told you not to be weird, I don’t need you meddling.”

“That’s why I’m talking to you now.” Lysandra countered, looking pointedly at the bar and away from the table they’d just left. Her expression softened. “Babe, I felt like I was intruding on some private moment back there when all you two were doing was talking. All those inside jokes, the little glances when you think the other isn’t looking—not at all subtle, by the way. I haven’t seen you this…” she trailed off trying to find the right word. “Vibrant, since you came back to the city. Which is a little insulting,” she added, laughing.

Aelin snorted but couldn’t suppress the smile she felt growing, or the flutter in her chest as her friend so obviously liked the idea of her and Rowan together.

Lysandra grabbed the rest of the drinks, and they made their way back towards the table. Before they were within earshot, she finished, “I know it. El knows it. Even Aedion asked me if there was something between you two, and I love that man, but he never picks up on that kind of thing. All I’m saying is…don’t not go for it just because you’re scared of what might change.”

They got back to their group before Aelin could respond. A thousand thoughts flew through her mind at Lysandra’s words, and it must have shown on her face because Rowan shot her a concerned look as she reclaimed her seat next to him. Aelin waved him off and put a smile on.

She could overthink it later.

They went two more rounds before deciding to call it a night. Elide caught a taxi, waving goodbye and saying she’d see them at the fundraiser. Aelin, Rowan, Lysandra, and Aedion took an Uber back to the apartment; she and Rowan shared a wince as the couple disappeared down the opposite hall, their bodies already too intertwined for Aelin’s sanity.

Lysandra’s advice had, unfortunately, played on a constant loop. Like an annoyingly catchy song she couldn’t get out of her head. So, she mumbled goodnight to Rowan and quickly sequestered herself in her room, hoping a good night’s sleep would clear her mind…or offer some clarity.

***

Aelin barged into Rowan’s room the next morning, shocking him awake and getting a very distracting view of his bare chest as he flew up in alarm.

That didn’t help her when it came to considering Lysandra’s advice. Or maybe it did.

She blinked, hoping he didn’t notice her momentary pause, and announced that she had a full list of things she wanted to do and to be ready to go in a few minutes.

“The sun’s a-shining and time’s a-wasting,” she rambled, having no idea what she was saying. “I can promise you coffee and food.” She grinned overenthusiastically. “Let’s go!”

Then she rushed out to the living room and waited for Rowan to get ready as she willed her pulse to stop racing.

***

“I swear to gods,” Rowan lifted a hand as if to prove his point. “The little gremlin bit me. That’s the last time I work with a traveling zoo.”

Aelin laughed, tossing her head back, and felt the wind catch her hair. “Why were you photographing them at all?” She choked out between giggles, picturing Rowan’s ass getting bitten by a baby monkey. And then just Rowan’s ass.

He shrugged, lips twitching as he tried not to smirk, “They were touring around the British Isles and we did a small write-up about the company, normally those assignments don’t end with bite marks on my ass.”

Rowan winced and Aelin snorted at the disturbed look they garnered from the young mother passing them on the other side of the trail.

“Do you get a say in which assignments you take?” She asked through the last of her amusement.

Rowan shrugged and kept his eyes on the trail ahead of them.

After her promise of food and coffee, Aelin took Rowan to her bagel shop a few blocks away. When he dubiously eyed the line stretching almost outside the shop, she insisted the wait would be worth it.

They’d walked leisurely towards Central Park, staying mindful of the other pedestrians hurrying by. The morning was nice if a little breezy, and Aelin was glad she’d brought a light jacket as they each carried a large coffee and a fresh, loaded bagel, following the meandering trails of the park.

At her question, the laughter seemed to leave his face.

“No, not really.” He shrugged. “I mean, I have enough seniority to pick and choose to an extent, but only from the contracts already signed with the magazine.”

Aelin glanced sidelong at Rowan who was staring down the walkway in front of them, contemplative. She caught his quick look at her and raised a brow, waiting for him to go on.

“Actually, I’ve got some things in the works I haven’t told you about,” he hedged, and his voice held a thread of contained excitement.

“I’m listening,” she drawled, finishing her bagel and tossing the wrapper in the trash.

Rowan fixed her with a stern expression. “You can’t go around talking about yet.”

“My lips are sealed,” She smirked and mimed zipping her mouth shut only to immediately talk again. “Now I’m even more intrigued, what’s so secretive? Are you starting your own rival magazine?” she goaded with a grin.

Rowan huffed and rolled his eyes. “Actually, yes.”

Aelin stopped walking and Rowan turned back, a pace ahead, with a raised brow and a smirk at her shock.

“Wait, really?” her eyes were wide as she caught back up to him.

Rowan nodded. “I’ve been working with a few colleagues—friends—to create the plan for it.”

“Wow,” She grinned, pleased to see his face losing some of its guardedness at her support. “That’s amazing, Rowan.”

They sat down on a bench off to the side of the trail, right at the bend so they could still see the nearby pond.

“How’s that all gonna work?” Aelin asked, bending one leg on the bench and leaning against the armrest to face Rowan who stretched his arm across the back. “Do you all work together now? Are you just going to go in and quit one day, taking a chunk of the staff with you?”

“Kind of,” Rowan winced as he explained. “Only three of us work together right now. Lorcan, my own supervisor, is coming on as Editor. He’s used to making final calls and doesn’t mind the more logistically restrictive part of it. And Fenrys, who’ll head up the Public Relations and outreach—using his annoyingly effective charm to secure our contracts. I would, of course, direct Photography and work with the writers.”

Aelin liked the way Rowan talked. The more he told her about the project, the more animated he became. Aelin knew that despite how much he enjoyed the job he had now, he’d never been this inspired.

“My cousin, Enda, is a columnist for a small newspaper in Edinburgh, but he’ll be joining us as a chief writer. We’ve got a few other writers tentatively with us, but we won’t know for sure until we get this off the ground. Between us, we have the connections to get projects and stories right off the bat.”

Aelin propped her head on her hand, leaning against the back of the bench. “You’ve put a lot of work into this. How long have you been planning?”

Rowan finished his coffee and thought about it. “A couple of months?” he chuckled. “It started as a joke after our Editor-in-Chief made another ridiculous unilateral decision that ended with everyone having to essentially recreate their week’s work. But then it wasn’t a joke. And now we’re here.”

“Wait,” she cut in, her brain snagging on something he said. “You said your new editor was restricted. Isn’t that the most influential position?”

Rowan grinned, his face lighting up as if he’d been waiting for her to ask. “Technically, yes. I meant it's more physically restricting. See, we want to launch this as an online publication to start. Hopefully— eventually—we’ll transition into print too, but first and foremost, it’ll be digital.”

“That’ll definitely make it more accessible,” she commended, already thinking what else that could mean.

He nodded again. “Exactly. It would reach more people, it gives us more opportunities to grow, and we could work on projects that extend beyond Europe.”

Aelin’s heart was pounding in her chest as she added, almost tentatively, “You could work from anywhere you want.”

Rowan caught and held her gaze, his eyes full of intent. Dipping his chin, Rowan gave the barest of nods and confirmed, “I could work from anywhere I want.”

Something passed between them that Aelin couldn’t name, a mutual acknowledgment that neither dared to voice.

“How long—” her voice sounded strained so Aelin cleared her throat and asked again, “How long will it take before you can get it up and running?”

How long before we’re both untethered?

The way Rowan was looking at her made Aelin believe he knew exactly what she was thinking. Knew exactly what it implied.

He carded a hand through his hair and loosed a breath, and she felt like she needed to do the same. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of corporate bullshit we have to wade through and we’re still looking for a designer—”

“A digital designer?” she chimed in, sitting up straighter.

“Pretty much. It’s the Digital Editor and Designer.” Rowan rolled his eyes and hung his head back in frustration. “They’d be primarily working with Lorcan, and half the trouble is finding someone who can put up with him without wanting to run away or punch him.”

Aelin snorted at his disgruntled face and watched as a biker rode by with a dog running at his side.

“I’m not trying to insert myself in this,” she prefaced, and Rowan raised a brow. “But I know an amazing graphic designer who could probably knock your friend down a peg or two.” Aelin grinned as his brow rose further in skepticism

“Are you serious?” he sat up straighter. “Lorcan is a dick on a good day.”

“Oh, I’ve seen her tear down even the most dick-ish of men,” She laughed.

He arched a brow but leaned in, very interested in who she was talking about.

“Elide.” Aelin divulged, and his brows flew to his hairline. “She’s worked with GIAA—Galathynius Incorporated & Ashryver Assets—as a graphic designer in the marketing department for both divisions. Right now, she’s working more with Aedion as they transition him to Head Office. But that’s basically finalized, and I know for a fact she’s been looking for other projects. That’s not to say she’ll leave GIAA, but you could talk to her about this.”

Rowan listened and when she finished explaining his brows furrowed as if thinking how that could work.

“Now I’m just picturing Elide and Lorcan going toe to toe.” He choked on a laugh. “Yeah, she could definitely handle him. I’ll keep that in mind.”

***

They left the park shortly after, and Rowan marveled at how the massive, sprawling park fit so perfectly within the skyscrapers.

He felt lighter than he’d had in a while. It wasn’t like he’d been trying to hide his work plans from Aelin, but when he first started planning it seemed so intangible that why should he tell her when it most likely wouldn’t amount to anything. But it had. And the longer he put off talking about it, the weirder it felt to bring it up.

He was excited. For so many reasons he was itching to launch Coast to Cadre, but he wouldn’t lie and say he hadn’t thought about what it could mean to not have to be bound to Dublin.

And by the way she’d looked at him, Rowan swore Aelin was thinking the same thing.

Because that was one of the biggest obstacles, wasn’t it? Besides everything else that added pressure to his and Aelin’s relationship—friendship or otherwise—was the fact that she was always on the move. With the last six months being an exception, Aelin traveled wherever her feet took her. He loved that.

Despite the relative freedom afforded to him by his job, he was still forced to return to one place. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t go with her wherever she went. And he wouldn’t be that guy to ask her to stop traveling the way she does, for him.

All of that had been an unerring, colossal complication, and he��d resigned himself to make do with the fleeting time they had.

And now, for the first time, that had the potential to change.

They spent the rest of the afternoon hopping from attraction to attraction. Aelin brought him to the Museum of Modern Art, pulling him through the lines and up to the fifth floor to see Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s Agapanthus and Water Lilies in all their vivid, beautiful glory.

Afterward, they bought a hot dog and a gyro off a couple of street vendors, sharing their food on the steps of the New York Public Library.

“I’ve done Time Square,” Rowan assured her, and to his great amusement, she sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank gods, I don’t think I have the energy to brave Time Square this week,” Aelin admitted. “What about the Statue of Liberty?”

Snatching a falling piece of chicken from the gyro she held, Rowan nodded. “Yup, covered that.”

“Good. Empire State Building?”

“Most of the super touristy stuff I’ve done.” He guaranteed.

She arched a brow and reclined on the step behind her. “And you had the audacity to mock me when I say I do touristy things?”

Rowan rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’ve also,” he ticked off on his fingers, recalling his last trip to New York, “walked across the Brooklyn bridge, been to Grand Central Station, and saw a Broadway show.”

“Which one?”

“The Lion King.”

“Nice.” She crumpled up her empty wrapper. “In that case, we have a bit more wiggle room in this week’s plans.”

Choosing to walk rather than use the subway or get a car, he and Aelin strolled the thirty-plus blocks back to Aedion’s apartment, making sure to stop for a dollar slice pizza on the way.

***

Rowan woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

Throwing on a shirt and a pair of joggers, he checked his phone before walking out of the guestroom and towards the kitchen.

Aelin faced the coffee pot, impatiently waiting by the way she was fidgeting with the mug in her hands for the pot to fill. Grumbling a few choice words at the thing, she turned her head and tiredly nodded to him as he opened the cabinet she’d pointed out to him when he’d first arrived, and pulled out a mug of his own.

No sooner had the machine finished pouring than Aelin snatched the pot and poured a cup of the steaming liquid.

“G’Morning,” she yawned, carefully handing him the pot.

“Morning.” Rowan grabbed it and hid his chuckle at her drowsy state. “Not making enough for your cousin?” he joked, putting the empty pot back on and making sure the machine was off.

She fell into a chair at the circular dining table and shook her head which sent her messily tied bun flopping side-to-side. “He was gone when I woke up. If he wants coffee, he can make another pot.” She yawned again and Rowan didn’t bother hiding his grin this time.

Rowan watched Aelin yawn again and drown her coffee in sweetened creamer. “What, you still need all that sugar after trying the authentic stuff in the Andes?” he teased, his smirk growing when she glared at him and held eye contact as she poured more into her mug.

“Buzzard.” She grumbled the nickname like it was a curse which only made him laugh and she rolled her eyes while failing to hold back a smirk.

Resituating herself in the chair, she closed her eyes and happily sipped at her coffee, breathing in the caramel aromas.

It presented Rowan the opportunity to really look at her. Aelin leaned back in the chair with one leg bent underneath her and the other propped on the corner of the seat, allowing her to rest her cheek against her knee. Her golden hair was messily thrown in a bun atop her head with straggling locks falling out around her face. She was wearing leggings and an old, oversized band tee that he thought she’d gotten at some concert.

With the warm morning light filtering through the large windows, she looked like the picture of contentment.

She seemed so at ease, so calm and peaceful.

He wanted to see her like this more often.

All the time.

A key jingled in the lock and Aedion pushed open the door for Lysandra who held two dress bags, and closed it after him while carrying a large supply of fresh bagels and what looked like more of Lysandra’s bags.

Aelin’s head popped up and her gaze followed Aedion as he strode to the kitchen. “Bagels?” she asked hopefully, not really needing an answer.

“Good morning to you too, Cous.” He snarked back, rolling his eyes but moving the food to the table where Rowan and Aelin sat.

She affectionately nudged Aedion’s shoulder as she uncurled from her chair and picked out her breakfast.

Lysandra came back in, having deposited the dresses in Aelin’s room along with her other supplies. The four of them settled at the table, fixing their own bagels with a variety of cream cheeses, lox, and butters.

“When you’re done—no rush, babe, but it’s almost noon—you should shower,” Lysandra instructed Aelin who merely arched a brow and took a bite of her everything bagel. “The hairstylist will be here in an hour and a half, and the makeup artist an hour after that.” She explained.

Aelin snorted but nodded, muttering something about her mother and every godsdamned time.

“So you ladies get to be pampered but Rowan and I have to do our own makeup?” Aedion mockingly scoffed. “Not fair.”

Lysandra rolled her eyes and Aelin snorted again.

“Don’t worry,” Rowan chimed in dryly, “I’ll make sure your eyeliner is even.”

Aedion threw an arm around the back of his girlfriend’s chair and leaned over saying something about only having one friend at this table. Rowan would have focused on how pleased he felt to hear Aedion call him a friend, regardless of whether or not he was teasing, but instead he focused on Aelin who’d laughed into her coffee and was wiping droplets off her nose as she looked at him in amusement.

He grinned at her, and in that moment, he suddenly wished he could casually drape his arm around her like the couple sitting next to them, without second-guessing himself.

They spent another thirty minutes eating and talking before Aelin excused herself to start getting ready. Not long after, Lysandra followed her, and then all they could hear from Aelin’s bedroom was loud, upbeat pop music that ended up playing for the next several hours.

After breakfast—or lunch, he supposed—Rowan sat in the living room, trying to catch up on emails. He wasn’t sure how Aedion spent the time besides twice letting in the stylists, just as Lysandra warned they’d come.

Rowan had just finished skimming another assignment request when Aedion sunk into the sofa cushion beside him, setting two beers down on the coffee table.

Grunting a thanks, Rowan shut his laptop and grabbed one of the beers, finding the cold drink blessedly refreshing. Aedion did the same and looked like he was trying to say something but kept choosing not to, opening and closing his mouth over and over.

“Something up?” Rowan asked, confused, shifting to face Aelin’s cousin more directly.

Aedion took another sip and clasped Rowan on the shoulder, leveling him with a serious expression.

“Look,” he started in a way that for some reason made Rowan’s gut sink. “I’m not gonna go all big brother on you.” He assured, which somehow didn’t make Rowan feel any more relaxed.

“Aedion,” Rowan tried to interject, but the man went on.

“For one, I don’t want to assume about anything between the two of you and make whatever it is awkward. And, frankly, because Aelin would kick my ass if she thought I was trying to have any say in who she does or doesn’t…whatever with.”

Nodding, Rowan kept his mouth shut and waited as the blond got his thoughts together and took a swig of his beer.

“I just want to tell you,” he paused again, and Rowan wished Aedion would just spit it out already.

Did he think Aelin shouldn’t see him anymore? Rowan doubted Aelin would listen, but he certainly didn’t want to be on her family’s bad side if somehow, someday, they became more than what they were.

Or maybe Aelin would listen, and this would be the last time she sought him out. No more adventures, no more daily messaging, no more—

“I want you to know that you make her happy.”

Rowan froze, his bottle halfway to his lips. He wasn’t expecting Aedion to say that. Lowering his beer, he cleared his head and met Aedion’s stare.

It took him a second to respond, “Good. I’m glad,” he replied steadily, trying to ignore what those words did to him. “She deserves to be happy.” And then he added, unable to help himself, “She makes me happy.”

Aedion watched him a moment longer then nodded, “Good. Right. Okay.” He jerked his head toward the tv, “You wanna play Mario Cart?”

The next forty minutes passed like that until they both decided it was finally time to get ready.

Music still poured from Aelin’s room as he walked by it, recognizing one of the songs he’d recommended to her a month or so ago.

Rowan quickly showered, shaved, and brushed his hair back. The silvery strands were long enough to annoy him when they fell into his eyes, but not long enough to do much else with them. He used a small bit of gel, hating the way it usually felt and looked, but just enough to keep the pieces in place.

Donning his trousers and dress shirt, Rowan deftly knotted his dark green tie, knowing how good it looked with his eyes. He thought he heard voices convene in the living room, so he quickly grabbed his phone, wallet, and passport—he’d taken enough trips with Fenrys to learn to always keep the document on hand—and walked out.

As he walked into the living room, Lysandra and Aedion were there checking the status of their car. The latter gave him a nod while the former looked him over with an approving smirk. Based on how made-up she was in her gown and styling, Rowan took the compliment.

“There’s a car coming for you and Aelin,” Aedion told him.

Lysandra nodded, “She has it on her phone, it’ll be here soon.” The brunette looked at her own phone as it chimed and Aedion grabbed his jacket. “Ours is here. We’ll see you soon.”

The couple was halfway out the door when Lysandra turned back towards Rowan, Aedion waiting for her in the hall. The brunette glanced over his shoulder then met his eyes and winked. Closing the door behind her, Rowan was left to question the feline smirk she wore.

He heard the click of heels on the hardwood floor behind him a moment later.

When Aelin walked in, Rowan forgot how to breathe.

He’d never seen anyone so beautiful.

She looked like the sun personified. The cowl-necked bodice was a pure, liquid satin melting into golden sequins that lined the hem and inched up her body, shining in the light like living flames. Her hair cascaded down one side in waves and showed off the thin, shimmery straps holding the dress up. Aelin’s bright red lips curved into a smile and then a smirk as he continued to stare dumbfounded at her.

“You…look…” he finally managed in a strangled voice, “Amazing.” Stupefying. Dazzling. Exquisite. Breathtaking. Mind-numbingly distracting.

Her smirk softened as her eyes trailed over him. “Thank you,” she crooned. “You clean up rather dashingly yourself.”

He may have preened a little at that.

Aelin walked towards the table to set her bag down and Rowan choked.

The dress was backless. It curved barely an inch above the swell of her ass, connected at a singular point to the thin straps he’d seen a moment before. That’s when he noticed the large slit up the leg of the gown, showing off her golden heels and miles of smooth, tanned leg.

She was actively trying to kill him.

“The car just arrived, are you ready?” She asked, a mischievous spark in her eye as she looked over her exposed shoulder at him.

All Rowan could do was grunt in confirmation.

Aelin flounced out of the apartment and Rowan used all his concentration and willpower to keep his pounding blood northward.

The drive was a blur. Rowan tried to pay attention as Aelin occasionally pointed out landmarks or special places, but he couldn’t stop the spiral his mind had tumbled down.

When they arrived at the venue, all Aelin had to do was wave at the doorman and security guards before she led Rowan across the lobby and towards the waiting elevator. If she noticed the way nearly everyone’s eyes tracked her as she went, she didn’t show it, just held her head high as her heels clicked against the marbled floor. Not a small part of Rowan was smug about being the one to walk in at her side.

Aelin stepped in first and Rowan followed, both turning to face the silver, polished doors that blocked out the ambient noise of the lobby, reflecting their own blurred selves back at them. The tension was palpable, and Rowan couldn’t stop from shooting glances at Aelin’s reflection, only to avert his eyes when she tried looking at him.

Rowan couldn’t figure out what to say so he kept his mouth shut. Aelin didn’t offer him any hints to what she was thinking, and the charged silence was only cut by a faint melody coming through the speaker. Instead, he focused on the floor number rising. How long was this godsdamned ride?

Aelin loosed a long breath and seemed to ready herself for whatever they were walking into.

He chanced another look at her reflection. He hadn’t exaggerated when he’d told her she looked amazing. If anything, that was an understatement. An unacceptably inferior understatement. Rowan could barely take his eyes off of her. Every shift she made, every step she took, caused the golden fabric to ripple and shine a myriad of glowing shades. It was mesmerizing. She was mesmerizing.

The elevator dinged and Rowan shook himself, having to use far too much effort. This wasn’t the time or place…to do any of the things Rowan wanted. Not when they were about to be surrounded by people Aelin was helping to impress. Not when he wasn’t unquestionably certain that she saw him as anything more than a friend.

It was like night and day stepping into the sparkling party. If the ride up had been stiflingly quiet, this was wholly the opposite.

Tasteful, lively music flowed from beyond the polished dancefloor—small enough to merely be a courtesy and not an invitation to spin one’s partner—that took up the center of the room. Tall, round tables covered in crisp off-white cloth surrounded it, each reflecting the warm glow of the lights and artful chandeliers. On one side there was a long table housing various plates of foods and desserts, capped on one end by an elaborate chocolate fountain that Rowan was sure had Aelin’s name written all over it.

Aelin walked in front of him, and Rowan cursed himself as his gaze drifted down her exposed back straight to her round ass perfectly encased in shimmery gold.

Fuck.

He forced his eyes back to the party and spotted a large champagne tower in one corner, the round long-stemmed glasses reminding him of something out of a nineteen-twenties speakeasy. A server approached them with a tray of those same crystal glasses, and both Rowan and Aelin took one before the server drifted away.

Rowan wouldn’t be convinced that anyone at this party looked as spectacular as the woman beside him, but he couldn’t lie and say it wasn’t close. As Rowan’s eyes darted around the room he was once again relieved that he’d brought his best suit—not that he would’ve worn something shabby, but each guest was dressed to the nines; impeccable tailoring, perfectly styled hair, what he was sure had to be designer everything.

“Fireheart, there you are!”

He and Aelin turned to see a middle-aged woman with Aelin’s eyes and the same, if not a little more silvery, golden hair, gracefully hurry towards them.

Rowan waited, feeling a bit out of place as Aelin hugged her mother in a warm, but quick, embrace.

“Everything looks great, you even managed to have someone change all the lightbulbs to a warmer tone in time,” Aelin told her with a soft smirk, nodding around, before angling herself to see both her mother and Rowan. “Mom, this is Rowan–”

“Oh, yes, the photographer,” her mother smiled at him, and Rowan took her outstretched hand.

“It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Galathynius,” he told her and caught Aelin raising a brow at his formalities. “Thank you for having me tonight.”

“Evalin.” she insisted not unkindly. “And it’s no trouble; a friend of Aelin’s is always welcome.”

Her attention refocused on her daughter and sighed. “Your father should be around here somewhere. I lost him some point between greeting the Courtland’s and Ytger’s.”

Aelin snorted softly and sipped from her champagne glass. “He’s probably hiding in some unused office returning phone calls and doing his best to avoid all this.”

Evalin rolled her eyes with that same exasperated fondness he sometimes caught on Aelin’s face. “That man,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Well, I’ll find him soon, he knows he has to make a speech later.”

Rowan watched Aelin take a breath and close her eyes a second too long as her mother implored, “Are you sure I can’t convince you to come up and say a little something? You know how charismatic you can be, and it would make your father and me so happy to have you stand up there with us and your cousin.”

Aelin tipped her head back, finishing her champagne with a flourish, and flashed her mother a strained smile. “I am here to schmooze.” she drawled and Evalin rolled her eyes at her daughter’s response. “That’s what I said I would do, and that’s what I am happy to do. I can stand up there with you and dad in impassioned solidarity as we celebrate Aedion and the company, but I’m not going to make some speech. Aedion should be the one in the spotlight tonight.”

Rowan downed the rest of his champagne. As if anyone else could command the attention when you’re here, doing so effortlessly.

“And Lys and I already helped tweak what he’d planned to say. It’ll be fine.” Aelin finished.

A server walked by and both he and Aelin reached for fresh glasses, Evalin still nursing the one she’d carried over. “Fine,” her mother sighed in resignation. “Oh, look, there are the Havilliard’s. Come.” She looped her arm through Aelin’s and began to whisk her away.

Aelin looked back over her shoulder with an apologetic wince. Rowan waved her off with a lifted glass, he’d expected that she would be busy schmoozing most of the night and went to find something to eat.

Rowan soon found himself at one of the tables with an empty hors d'oeuvres plate, watching the guests float around the fundraiser.

He spotted one man walk in wearing a floral embroidered suit, one he thought Fenrys would probably be able to pull off, that Rowan knew had to be designer—and far above his paygrade. A couple arrived, dressed in the style all elderly, affluent people seemed to adopt; he thought he’d spotted the same pearl necklace on half a dozen of the older women.

A woman strode in shortly after wearing a fitted dark blue suit that seemed to shimmer in the light, ignoring everyone else and putting most other suits to shame.

Rowan leaned against the table, one eye on Aelin who was smiling brightly and nodding at something one of her parents’ friends was saying, and one eye on the elevator doors, interested to see who exactly came to a party like this.

The woman in blue surveyed the room and when her eyes landed on him, they lit in recognition before she strolled towards him, a small grin playing on her features.

“Rowan,” Elide greeted him with a nod as she came to lean on the other side of his table. “What do you think?” The brunette asked, lifting her glass to the bustling party.

He flagged over a server and grabbed two new glasses of champagne, handing Elide one and putting their finished ones on the now-empty tray. Briefly, Rowan wondered if this was the perfect opportunity to talk to her about his potential business proposal, but opted to wait until he’d run the idea by his other partners.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he admitted, and by her snort, he hadn’t done a great job of hiding his disdain. It wasn’t that he hated things like this, no, that was a lie, he detested events like this. All the people, the unnecessary prepping and primping, the awful small talk—it wasn’t his idea of a good time.

Rowan’s eyes drifted back to Aelin, not having trouble finding her in the crowd despite her constant shuffling between conversations. She was why he was putting up with this party. And, fuck, she knocked the air from his lungs every time he laid eyes on her in that dress.

He took a long sip of champagne.

“Mmm,” Elide hummed knowingly, not missing a second of his internal struggle. “She’s good at this.”

They both watched Aelin continue to flatter and laugh with the wealthy men and women her family was hoping to coax into donating. She moved from person to person, radiating cool confidence and charm, and not once letting show how tiring it must be.

He had to keep reminding himself that it was a façade; all those too-wide grins and the way she would lean in and touch someone on the arm all the while encouraging them to open their hearts and investments. He knew it was a role she was playing.

But she played it exceedingly well.

***

She was exhausted.

Aelin was afraid her face would be forever distorted from the way she was near-constantly smiling.

Most of the people she’d been talking to were nice, some irreverent, and a lot just plain boring. She knew most of them, her family’s acquaintances. She’d been at some function or party not unlike this one, met someone’s uncle who worked with so-and-so’s sister who went to school with some person’s cousin—all the faces blurring together.

Right now, she was tuning out whatever this guy was saying. He seemed nice enough, but she was nodding along and trying to figure out when she could slip away for a plate of those chocolate-covered strawberries when her attention was snagged by movement in her periphery.

Aelin turned, her smile faltering as she watched the back of Rowan’s silver head disappear out onto one of the balconies. She caught Elide’s eye who stood at the same table she’d tracked Rowan leaving from, and furrowed her brows, silently asking her friend what happened, but Elide just gave her a pointed look and tried not to smile when Aelin whirled back to her conversation.

“Uh, excuse me,” she interrupted, only a little sorry as his brows raised and he stopped mid-sentence. She thanked the man, Sam, for his donation again and turned on her heel, grabbing a glass of champagne off a tray as she aimed for the balcony.

Aelin welcomed the warm breeze as she stepped into the night air. She could hear the cars zipping by below and the sounds of the city as the party faded with each step.

Rowan was leaning against the railing, resting his forearms on it, and holding a champagne glass in one hand. He seemed lost in thought, so she slowed her pace so she wouldn’t startle him. How bad would it be if a crystal glass was dropped from sixty stories up?

“Needed a breather?” She asked, coming to mirror his position next to him with her arms on the cool metal railing, raising a brow when he jerked at her voice.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and sipped his drink. “Yeah, just for a minute.”

“It’s a lot, I know.” Aelin closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her. “One of the many reasons why I can’t do this full-time.”

“You seemed awfully comfortable from where I was standing.” The words were bitter as they left his mouth.

Aelin’s head snapped around as her brows flew up only to see Rowan close his eyes and wince as if he hadn’t meant to say that. She blinked. If she had to guess, he sounded…jealous? The tips of his ears were turning red as he opened and closed his mouth, and Aelin figured he truly hadn’t meant to sound so possessive.

Maybe it was the champagne, but she decided she didn’t mind it.

Aelin tipped her head back and laughed.

“Believe me,” she told him, turning to face him as he cautiously waited for her response. “I’m much more comfortable right now.”

Aelin held his gaze, hoping he understood what she was trying to say.

Rowan exhaled slowly, the tension leaving his shoulders, and Aelin pursed her lips in amusement as she looked back over the city.

They stood in comfortable silence, both relieved to have a moment away from the party inside.

“So,” he mused.

She arched a brow but kept her eyes on the city. “So.”

“Fireheart?” he asked, and she felt him shift to look at her better which only served to lessen the distance between them.

“I was wondering if you caught that.” Huffing a laugh, Aelin nodded wryly. “She’s called me that since I was a kid. Her little fireheart.”

He chuckled and Aelin glanced sidelong at him, trying her best not to get distracted by the loose strands of hair blowing in the wind.

“It fits.” He murmured with a definitiveness that surprised her. The irrevocability of someone who sought a word that was at their fingertips yet unable to grasp it, finally gaining the clarity to do so.

When Aelin lifted her glass to finish her champagne, her shoulder brushed his and she realized how close they were to one another.

She glanced over again as a lock of her hair fluttered in the breeze, only to find Rowan already staring at her. Aelin couldn’t name exactly what she saw in his face but the intensity of it caused her breath to hitch.

The sounds of traffic and people and music faded away until all she could hear was her rapidly beating heart and the sharp breaths they both took in the minuscule space between them.

At that moment all she could focus on was the man next to her. Rowan. Her friend, her companion, her one-in-a-million chance encounter. She looked into his pine-green eyes and remembered all the times she’d wished she was in a moment like this one.

Time seemed to slow as she unconsciously leaned closer. Rowan’s eyes darted down to her parted lips as her tongue swiped across her lower one. Lifting his gaze, he caught hers in a magnetic grip. She didn’t dare say anything, afraid to break the fragile moment that was unfolding. She felt his short intake of breath, close enough to tickle her skin, and then she was closing her eyes.

“Has anyone seen my scarf?”

Aelin and Rowan sprang apart, startlingly jarred by the unexpected voice.

“Evangeline!” Aelin realized, recovering first, and furrowing her brows at the young girl’s obvious intoxication. She avoided Rowan’s stare burrowing into the side of her head and ignored the way her cheeks were heating up. She cleared her throat. “Scarf. Your scarf is around your shoulders. You’re enjoying the party, I see.”

“Oh,” The girl giggled and touched the light green pashmina she wore. “Found it.”

Despite Aelin’s embarrassment, she chuckled at the grinning college freshman. “First time having this much complimentary champagne?”

Evangeline seemed to think about it before nodding. “Yeah. Most of the parties I go to just have cheap beer.” She leaned against the stone wall and almost slipped when her shoulder missed the edge.

Aelin wrapped an arm around her waist. “Okay, let’s go find Lysandra.” When she knew her friend’s adopted sister wouldn’t fall on her face, Aelin half-turned to Rowan and, without meeting his eyes, stammered, “I’ve, uh, gotta help with this, her.”

Then she hurried back into the party.

***

Fuck.

What the hell just happened?

Rowan's head was spinning.

He almost kissed Aelin. He and Aelin almost kissed. Better yet, Aelin almost kissed him.

The grin he hadn’t realized he wore dropped when the moment caught up to him and he watched Aelin stumble over an excuse and flea before they could finish what they’d started.

Did she regret it? Was she only caught up in the moment and now they’ll have to live with that awkwardness?

Fuck.

No. Rowan wasn’t going to let this go—let her go.

He downed the rest of his champagne and turned on his heel to head back into the party and find Aelin.

The ringing of his phone jerked him to a stop, momentarily confusing him. He glanced back into the brightly lit room and groaned before pulling out his cellphone and frowning when Lorcan’s name flashed across the screen.

The crease between his brows deepened when he realized it had to be passed three in the morning in Dublin.

“What?” he wanted to cut straight to the point so he could hang up and talk to Aelin.

Lorcan’s grunt greeted him. “Whitethorn. We’ve got a situation and don’t get fucking pissed at me, this is coming from higher up.”

Agitation immediately filled him at the tone of his friend’s voice. The only person outranking Lorcan in their division was the Editor-in-Chief, Maeve herself. “What, Lorcan? I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

“Yeah? So was I. My sleep's fucked. I got a call an hour ago that one of the asshole editors quit, no warning, and in a dick move deleted half of the spreads we need for next week’s publication.” He sighed over the speaker and Rowan closed his eyes, dreading the overtime he knew he’d have to put in when he got back.

Lorcan went on, “Maeve wants everyone working to fix it so we aren’t delayed. You’re on a flight back to Dublin asap.”

“I took a week off, she can’t go without my help for three more days? I don’t even write the articles.” Rowan let out a harsh laugh and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck, fine, I’ll find a flight tomorrow.”

“No. I mean, you’re booked on a flight that’s leaving at one-thirty, your time, from JFK. There’s a car on its way to pick you up.”

Rowan said nothing as a ringing filled his ears.

“What? That’s ridiculous. She can’t do that” He seethed. “And how the fuck do you know where I am?”

“If you want to keep your godsdamned job, you’ll be on that flight. And your phone’s location is on, dumbass.” Lorcan cursed and yelled at someone on his end of the line. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do, but it’s out of my hands.”

Rowan hung up.

“Fuck!” he hissed and carded a furious hand through his hair.

That was it. He couldn’t do this anymore. He couldn’t stay under Maeve’s thumb; she used every bit of power she held over her employees and exploited their need to keep their job.

His shoulders slumped in resignation. Because it was true for him. He couldn’t just quit. Not now. Coast to Cadre was nowhere near ready to support him enough for him to lose his job.

He would quit. Rowan had never been more sure of that, this godsdamned summoning being the final nail in the coffin.

But right now, he had to leave.

“Fuck,” he breathed, drawing out the expletive again as he squeezed his eyes shut and dragged a hand down his face, pocketing his phone.

Rowan took one more breath and willed his temper to abate as he walked back into the party. The hum of chatter and music immediately drowned out the sound of the city below them.

His eyes scanned the room and zeroed in on Aelin. Instead of finding her with Lysandra like he thought he would, she was standing next to a man with coiffed black hair, smiling widely and leaning into his arm and they talked.

Was that it? Was she so unsettled by what happened between them that she immediately latched onto someone else? Somewhere, deep in his brain, he knew logically that wasn’t true—that wasn’t Aelin.

But he wasn’t thinking logically right now.

Rowan caught her eyes and clenched his jaw hard as her smile faltered. He made a beeline for the elevators, ignoring the scathing looks as he pushed through the crowd, and took one down to the lobby before Aelin could follow.

Unfortunately, he got caught in the people trying to go up and past the security guards, that another elevator dinged behind him and a voice he would always know, called out.

“Would you slow down for one second?” She huffed, near-jogging in her heels as she sped to keep up with him.

Rowan didn’t stop until he’d swung through the revolving door of the front lobby. He didn’t have to hear the click of her shoes on the pavement to know she hadn’t let him walk away without an explanation. “I have to go,” he gritted out.

She gripped his arm, forcing him to look at her. Strands of Aelin’s blonde hair blew around her face in the breeze. She waited until he gave her his full attention. “I see that.” She hissed, exasperated. “Why? And were you seriously going to walk out without saying goodbye? Without a word after what just happened up there?”

He jerked his arm out from beneath her hand. He missed the warmth of her touch almost immediately, but unfortunately, all his frustration and jealousy that had been simmering won out. “You don’t have to play pretend with me. My car will be here any minute and you can go back upstairs and finish your schmoozing.”

Aelin crossed her arms as her brows shot up and looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “Pretend?” she scoffed. “Seriously, what the fuck is your problem. And, you still haven’t told me why you’re practically sprinting out of here.”

Rowan took a deep breath, trying to settle his temper before he said something he would regret. In a calmer voice, he explained, “I just got a call from my boss. One of our head editors went and quit without explanation, and the next issue of the magazine is set to go to publication this week. She needs all hands on deck, so I now have a ticket on the next flight to Dublin, which leaves in,” he twisted his wrist to look at his watch, ignoring the way Aelin’s expression grew dubious. “Two and half hours. There’s a car on its way to bring me to the airport. I don’t have time to backtrack through the city, I need to get through security and passport control, so if you could ship my things, I can pay you back however much it costs—”

Not for the first time, he was grateful he’d chosen to bring his passport.

“Let me get this straight,” she cut him off hotly and paced a few steps, unable to stay still. “Your boss calls you and demands you go back to work at nearly midnight on a Saturday, fly across the Atlantic on a flight leaving so soon that you don’t even have time to collect your things, and you agree to that at the drop of a hat?” her voice rose with every word before finally stepping closer to him and hissing, “And without so much as a goodbye?”

He couldn’t take it. Her frustration, her anger, her disappointment. He was upset, and her concerns were too much. Rowan snapped, his emotions fueling his words before he could stop himself. “I don’t have a choice—it’s my job, Aelin. You know, the thing that most people have so they can afford to live and eat and pay their bills.”

She scoffed loudly and narrowed her eyes at him, looking like she wanted to bite back at him. “Rowan, you know—"

But all the fight left him as soon as the words came out, and he loosed a long, heavy sigh. He felt tired—defeated. When he caught her stare again, she faltered, some of her anger dissipating as she took in his slumped shoulders and crestfallen face.

“I’m sorry,” he told her, trying to convey his regret and apology, encouraged by the fact that she didn’t pull her hand away when he gently took it in his. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you; you don’t deserve that. I’m not angry with you, it’s my boss, it’s this job, it’s this fucking situation—”

He stopped himself before he got too far off track and started again. He still couldn’t figure out what she was thinking but at least now she didn’t look like she wanted to kick him in the balls. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to leave, but I have to. And I’m sorry for trying to leave without saying goodbye. That wasn’t cool.”

“That was a dick move.” She corrected, a perfectly sculpted brow arched, and Rowan felt his lips twitch up. Both at his overwhelming relief that she was still listening to him, and at her using the same phrase Lorcan used earlier. He doubted either of them would like to know that.

Rowan nodded, interlacing their fingers and stepping closer. “A dick move, you’re right.”

Aelin stared at him for a long moment, trying to garner his level of sincerity. He squeezed her fingers in another silent apology and she looked down at their hands, rubbing her thumb over the back of his knuckle. He held back a shiver.

“Okay,” she said finally, looking back up at him. “When is the car supposed to get here?”

Rowan felt a weight lift off his shoulders, he hadn’t realized just how much he needed her to understand. “Any minute.”

The breeze picked up and Aelin crossed her arms to brace against the dip in temperature. As if on cue, a pair of headlights turned the corner, spotlighting them as the car pulled to a stop. Rowan wanted to say something else, tell her that he wanted nothing more than to say no, I won’t be flying overseas tonight. But he couldn’t.

There, engulfed in the bright light that blocked out the rest of the city, Aelin held his gaze and stepped towards him, searching his face until she found what she was looking for. Rowan held his breath as she rested her hands on his biceps and leaned forward to press her lips to his.

He was frozen for a split second, stunned by the feeling of her body pressed against his own. But then he rested his hands on her hips and pulled her closer, kissing her fiercely and trying to convey the feelings that had been mounting for two years. He was consumed by the feel of her, by the smell of her perfume, by her.

She slowly pulled away.

Rowan blinked. He was afraid the last few seconds were a figment of his imagination until he heard Aelin’s ragged breathing. Her eyes darted over his face and a small smile appeared as she took in his dazed expression.

“Have a nice flight, Rowan.” She whispered above the wind. Then she turned on her heel and walked back inside.

His brain finally caught up, and for the second time that night when all he wanted to do was chase after Aelin, he was interrupted. This time, by the loud blaring of a car horn that tore his attention from the retreating blonde and towards the car waiting to take him to the airport.

He opened the door but swung around and called back, just before she walked back into the building, “I’ll call you when I land!”

She paused and Rowan felt like his heart was beating out of his chest. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu as he waited to get into a car driving him to the airport, waiting on what she would say next.

Aelin turned, her eyes connecting with his as a smile blossomed on her face. Rowan felt his mouth curving up in time with hers.

“You better.” She called back in challenge.

His grin grew impossibly wider as he got into the car. Despite the mess he was walking into back home, Rowan felt like he could take on the world.

***

Part 8

*****

Taglist:

@acourtofsnakes @allthebooksunderthemoon @astra-ad-mare @becarefuloflove @booklover41802 @charlizeed @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @danibutterr @doubt-less @emily-gsh @enormousbooklover @foughtconquered @fromthelibraryofemilyj @hakunamatatazz @i-have-but-one-brain-cell @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato @jorjy-jo @lemonade-coolattas @mariamuses @mayhemories @midsizewitch @rowaelinrambling @morganofthewildfire @nerdperson524 @rowaelinismyotp @rowansfirebringer @sayosdreams @sheharahu @sleeping-and-books @stardelia @story-scribbler @superspiritfestival @themoonthestarsthesuriel @swankii-art-teacher @tomtenadia @westofmoon @whimsicallyreading @moodymelanist @realbookloverproblems @gracie-rosee @julemmaes @yesdreamblog @the-regal-warrior @rowanaelinn @thestoriesyoutell @autumnbabylon @sunflowermoonshinewrites @maastrash @annejulianneh111 @the-lonelybarricade

#rowaelin #aelin x rowan #rowan x aelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #aelin and rowan #rowan and aelin #rowaelin fic #rowaelin fluff #rowaelin fanfiction #throne of glass #tog #awa #a world away #world travelers #new your city #lysandra ennar #aedion ashryver #elide lochan

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fighterkimburgess · 2 years

Text

Unintentional Chapter 29 - Epilogue

Summary: It's Nadia's first day of first grade, and her parents celebrate before revealing some news. Series masterlist here

AN: I cannot believe Unintentional is done. This fic has been such a ride, and the fact that you've all given it so much love has meant the absolute world to me, thank you so, so much. So much thanks to, as always, @kim-ruzek for helping me work this out, giving me advice, and telling me it was worth writing. Also @crockettmarcel, @felicitysmoaksx, and @resanoona thank you for letting me blurt it out and talk through writing. You are amazing.

My next multichapter fic is one I’ve been teasing a little for Sylveride, and it's called This Wasn’t Supposed To Happen. I'm planning on publishing chapter one on Monday, December 27th. The moodboard and summary will be published on Thursday so you can have a little tease, and I can't wait to share!

Warnings: mentions of miscarriage

Words: 1.6k

Wanna join my taglist?

“Mommy? Daddy? Do I have to go to big school?” Nadia Halstead was pouting with big eyes, standing in front of her parents in her brand new school uniform. Beside her was a large pink backpack that was nearly half as tall as her.

“You do, Baby. What’s wrong? Do you not want to go?” Kim asked, squatting down to look at her daughter at eye level.

“What if it’s scary? Uncle Will said when he went to school there it was mean and scary!”

“Your Uncle Will is a liar.”

“No he’s not! He never lies to me!” Jay wanted to roll his eyes but just shook his head.

“He’s lying about this, Pudding.” He bent down to pick her up, Nadia wrapping her arms around him as he did. “Some of the best times I ever had were there. Your Mommy and I love you, right?”

“Yes.” Her six year old pout was out in full force as she spoke, Jay’s stomach twisting at wanting to give in to her.

“And your Mommy and I, and Uncle Adam and Uncle Kev and Auntie Hailey and Uncle Will and Auntie Nina, we’d never let anything bad happen, would we?”

“No…”

“Exactly. So we wouldn’t let you go in there unless we were completely sure that you’re going to have fun and make lots of friends. I promise. C’mon and we’ll go so we can watch you walk in. Ready for your first day photo?” Jay put her down and pulled out his phone, taking a photo of a beaming Nadia with an already missing tooth at the front of her mouth. Kim grinned, blinking back the tears at their daughter looking so grown up already.

The three got into the truck, Nadia showing off her skills at buckling into her car seat herself. Jay managed to get parking just down the street, her parents turning to look at her.

“Who’re you?” Jay asked, smiling at her red curls already starting to frizz in the August heat.

“I’m Nadia Halstead, and I can do anything cause my mommy and daddy said so.” She grinned at them widely, matching smiles on her parents faces. The three got out, Nadia swinging from both their arms until they were nearly at the front gate and she spotted her aunt and uncle, immediately running for a hug.

“Uncle Will! Auntie Nina! You came?”

“Of course we did, Bug. Why wouldn’t we come for such a big day?” The four walked in behind her, watching Nadia as she found her class. They waved goodbye as she walked inside with the other kids in her class. She was easily spotted in the teeming mass of children, her hair clearly setting her apart. But soon all of the children were inside, and Kim leaned against Jay.

“Yeah, that was harder than I thought it would be.” Nina and Will laughed at them, watching the two carefully.

“I can see that. When Pat starts Kindergarten I’m not sure how we’ll cope. We’re not in work till nine, want to get breakfast?” Nina asked, an immediate agreement from everyone around her.

“I’m not sure, I might need to check with my Sergeant or something,” Kim teased Jay, laughing at his smile. His promotion the year before had been the one good thing after a tough year for them, but they’d made it through. Thanks to Nadia starting school properly he’d told everyone they should come in for ten unless they picked up a case. But his radio was off, and he was relaxing with his wife and family to celebrate.

The diner in Canaryville wasn’t busy, nods and waves to the two couples from everyone around as they sat down in a booth. When Nina came back to Chicago and she and Will began dating again it had been strange, but the four made it a habit to come to their husbands old haunts, letting them have some good memories from places they hadn’t been in years. They were sitting across from each other in the booth when Kim squeezed Jay’s hand, a silent conversation going between the two. He nodded, and Kim took a deep breath before speaking.

“We wanted to let you know that you’re going to be an aunt and uncle again in March.” Kim let the words out quickly, delight spreading on everyone’s faces as it sunk in. “We found out last month, but after last year we wanted to be sure.”

“Of course, congratulations, both of you. I’m assuming you’re back to desk work?” Will asked, Kim nodding in response.

They ate, coffee mugs raised to the newest member of their family before Kim and Jay had to leave for work. CPD weren’t exactly thrilled that she was married to her sergeant, and there’d been some pointed comments made after Voight had retired. But they’d worked together for so long and had a six year old, so nothing could be said about their relationship as long as Jay didn’t give her preferential treatment. And he didn’t, Hailey reminding him to lighten up on Kim in work.

They hadn’t told the unit about the pregnancy yet, still scared to after the miscarriage they’d suffered the year before. They’d been so excited about a second child and announced at six weeks so Kim could move to the desk, but at their eight week scan there was no heartbeat. They’d been devastated, the awful memories of being alone for her first pregnancy pushed to the forefront of Kim’s mind until they forced themselves to talk about it and work through it. But this time they could announce and tell everyone.

“Halsteads! Tell me you’ve got photos of that little girl going to school?” Trudy asked as soon as they arrived in the front door of the district. Jay knew when he was beaten, immediately pulling out his phone to show her the pictures.

“She’s adorable. Tell her we’ll take her out at the weekend. 51 is doing a family day and Randall wants to bring her with him, even though he’s retired you can’t keep him away from there. Something to do with wanting to show off that she calls him gramps.”

“Sounds good, just let us know the details. But Sarge, there’s one thing we think you should know.” Trudy’s eyebrow raised at Kim’s words. “From March there’s going to be someone else who’ll want to call him gramps.”

There was a squeeze of Kim’s hand and a nod as the words sunk in, shooing them up to the bullpen before she found something for them to do - “and don’t think I won’t get you doing busy work, even if you’re a Sergeant now, Chuckles,” ringing in their ears as they went up.

When Adam came up he looked like the cat who’d caught the canary, a wide grin on his face as he immediately went straight into Jay’s office. A few moments later he came out, his grin even wider.

“I wanted to let you all know Gemma’s pregnant. We’re having a baby.”

“I didn’t think it’d be a puppy,” Kev quipped, but they all stood to hug and congratulate Adam. They’d all been at he and Gemma’s wedding, Kim feeling slightly awkward sitting in a pew watching her ex fiancé get married as her husband was a groomsman and her daughter was the flower girl. But Gemma had quickly become a part of her and Hailey’s girls nights, being a close friend to them both despite the awkward romantic history between Adam and all three women.

“Well I guess there’ll be cousins born close together then. I’m pregnant again too.” It was more shocked faces at Kim’s announcement before there were more hugs. Kevin was the first to wrap her in one.

“You’re an amazing mom, Burgess.” He was the only one who still called her by her maiden name, and she grinned as they separated.

“Couldn’t have done any of it without all of you,” she whispered back, squeezing her oldest friend’s hand.

If you’d told the Kim of a decade ago, the one who’d just been pulled up to Intelligence and was so unsure of herself, who thought that the choices she’d made had damned her to a life of unhappiness, that she’d be so happy in the future she’d have called you a liar. But she was sitting there with her third pregnancy, with the unit that had become her family around her grinning and celebrating the news and she couldn’t be happier. She still had mental and physical scars from what she’d been through. She still woke up every few months trying not to scream in Jay’s arms after cases involving young women, the same way he did when he’d worked a case involving families.

But she loved her husband and daughter with everything that was in her, and her heart had doubled in size to love this new baby the exact same way. She waved them off to a scene while she got reacquainted with desk duty, smiling and running up leads. That evening, when they left the district hand in hand to go home and see their six year old, Kim couldn’t stop grinning.

“What could have you in such a good mood, Mrs Halstead?” Jay asked, pulling her into a hug beside the truck.

“Well, Mr Halstead, I think everything has hit me. I have everything I ever wanted. The marriage, the children, the parents who love each other and their kids with everything they have. And I’d never want it any other way. I love you.”

She smiled into the kiss he gave, her hands around his neck as Jay’s hands on her hips pulled her close to him.

“I love you too.”

Taglist: @kellykidd @pinkwhitebrown @dedlund82 @resanoona @harleyquinnpuddin @brookerz122493 @stephanie708 @mmacke3613 @sylvieshay @sophiatellerrhodes @ossypooh @eviehalstead21 @upsteadlovingheart @loki-halstead @thewannabewriter @andycasey06 @brockreynolds @cynthia1guardia @milfdeacon @keenmarvellover

#cíara writes #burgstead #jay halstead x kim burgess #kim burgess x jay halstead #jay x kim #kim x jay #jay halstead #kim burgess

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houseforarmys · 4 years

Note

hi! i'm not that great with fics and au ideas but the moodboard makes me think of florist taehyung that works at a flower store and jungkook being a nature photographer and maybe someday he walks past by tae's flowershop and he gets inspired by his flowers for new photos and the moment he sees tae he gets lost, possibly finding nature in tae's eyes itself! i apologize in advance if this is weirdly worded or it makes no sense :(( i really love your fics!

what do you mean not good!! that was super cute and the way you worded it was gorgeous! thank you sooo much for your idea, i hope i do it justice!🥺 and thank you so much for supporting my fics too!💜

-pairing: taekook

-genre: fluff

jeongguk was far from home. just with his car and a few bags of clothes he left busan, the ocean view and the mountains behind his house. daegu wasn't ugly at all, just unknown beauty and so, his pictures didn't do justice to the things he saw yet. the softer view of the pictures he took of busan always reminded him or home, comfort. and that was why daegu's nature was new. because he didn't know what it made him feel and just because of that, the pictures didn't do justice to what it'll cause eventually.

however, that one day of october, walking down the street, the smell of fresh flowers, with one or two butterflies, perhaps what could be a humming bird or a bee in a blue flower, caught his attention. maybe it was the smell, or it could have been the life around it from the stray cat lying on the sun in front of the sunflowers, or the mentioned butterflies. whatever it was, jeongguk found it important in his daegu album.

he kneeled down rather far from the flowers and zooming, he found the perfect picture of the butterfly, landing on the flower and drinking from it. while it still needed some editing, jeongguk already found himself smiling to it. nonetheless, there was an emptiness in the picture. it missed what the busan album didn't, the feeling it gave him.

"morning," a sweet voice said. jeongguk looked up to see a man with an apron and a beret. "like them?"

"yeah, they are really pretty," he said. "sorry, i just... i'm a photographer. i wanted to capture that,"

"oh no, please. it's fine by me. i'm glad the butterflies inspired you, or my flowers," the man said and jeongguk lift himself from his pose before bowing.

"i think it may not be the last time i come around here. i'm jeongguk,"

"hey. taehyung," the man, taehyung, bowed back with a careful smile. "i should go back to work, but you're welcomed here at any time,"

jeongguk smiled to himself, waving his hand goodbye as the florist stepped inside the shop again. he thought of the flowers, and mostly, of how the guy's eyes sparkled the same way waterfalls did. he started walking his way back to his hotel room while thinking how warm taehyung's stare was, maybe even able to make plants grow if it were for him.

just like promised, jeongguk was back at thr flower shop the day after, early in the morning.

taehyung arrived in a small sized van, one that fit the colors of the flower shop. the florist smiled as he came out of the vehicle, welcoming him as he opened the trunk with new flower cargo.

jeongguk was quick to lower his camera gear and to help him pick up the heavy wooden pallets. taehyung only thanked him with a smile and a whisper and jeongguk felt more than thanked.

"you open so late?" jeongguk said, lowering the roses on the floor.

"i usually finish deliveries during mornings. had to go to the cementery and a residence too just to deliver some flowers voluntarily," taehyung said and it drew a smile on jeongguk's lips.

"i'm glad there's still people like you alive,"

taehyung smiled at the words and just shrugged them off, as if doing that was nothing but common sense. jeongguk then insisted on going to pick the last pallets of flowers frlm the trunk and let him rest for few minutes.

"well, those are all, need help with anything else?" jeongguk asked, taehyung shook his head.

"no, thank you," they smiled.

jeongguk stayed in the store anyways, seeing how gently taehyung treated the flowers and every customer, even gifting one or two flowers just for making someone's day happier.

the photographer managed to take a picture of the flowers, one of the stray cat that kept napping under the sun. however, the picture he liked most was one he caught by mistake of taehyung picking up a lilac flower. it was just his fingers wrapping softly around the petals but it said more than he had known from him already.

he was expecting the flower to go to a customer, but taehyung just smiled and put it behind the photographer's ear. jeongguk smiled.

(later, months later when jeongguk got the courage to ask taehyung out and to finally kiss him, taehyung found it the albums that jeongguk had been talking for weeks about.

busan's was full of water, mostly blue and yet always finding it comforting. jeongguk described it as home, as safety and trust.

daegu's, however, was different. pictures that made jeongguk think of fear, insecurities and also magic filled the pages. and lastly, taehyung blushed as he laughed when the last picture was just one cropped of his eyes under the name of love)

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youreyesonlarry · 3 years

Text

So @mugglemirror tagged me in this and im in the mood to avoid responsabilities so lets goo!!! thanks for tagging me cutie!

—four catch-up questions

Last song: Always Forever - Cults

Last movie: mamma mia 2,,,,,,,,,,,which btw is not a flex whatsoever

Currently watching: orange is the new black! im in season 5!

Currently reading: im gonna start reading “no good unless it’s real” from the blff 2020!

—writing snippet

((very unedited fdksjdkjss))

“Oh god!... oh man! This is a nightmare! Is this a nightmare? Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up...!

He’s warm now, soft and cozy where he drifts in and out of sleep. There’s voices behind him, he can tell. He can’t quite make out what they say, though, but he doesn’t really have the energy to care. Not when he’s comfortable, nice and snug as he drifts back into his slumber.

Scottie. You can cheat on these ladies all you want, but you can't... cheat... death.

A frown turns on his face.

—favourite fic line (s)

Harry slides the next photo and Louis has his hand ready and waiting, snatching it off the floor before it even slides to a stop. Louis almost gasps out loud at this photo and he instinctively clutches it to his chest, hiding it from the non-existent prying eyes in his flat. This photo is one of the nude photos of Louis that Harry had taken the morning after Louis quit his job. He’s lying on his stomach in the bed, still asleep. His mouth is open slightly, his hair is rumpled, and the sheets are tangled around his ankles.

It’s an objectively gorgeous photo, but Louis still feels his face heat up. He knew Harry took these photos, of course, but he somehow hadn’t really thought about the fact that they existed, that Harry had developed them, that Harry had kept them, that Harry had been able to look at them whenever he wanted. He knows this one isn’t even one of the most explicit.

He turns the photo over.

This is the day I realized I was in love with you

(from @alltheselights ‘s iconic Pinkies Never Lie! I’m crying just reading this bit””

—this or that

sage green or baby blue || moon or stars || paperback or hardback || piercings or tattoos || drawing or writing || saturn or jupiter || line without a hook or mr. loverman || ancient greece or ancient egypt || prague or amsterdam || dark academia or light academia || indie aesthetic or cottagecore || stargazing or late night drives || strawberries or watermelons || rings or necklaces || extrovert or introvert || dragons or griffins || ocean or mountain || silver or gold || dawn or dusk || creative or free spirit || early bird or night owl || cook or bake || dagger or sword

—twenty questions

1. Name: Bene

2. Nickname: Bene

3. Zodiac sign: taurus

4. Height: 5"1/2

5. Languages: English, portuguese, love ;)

6. Nationality: baddie

7. Favourite season: spring and fall

8. Favourite flower: sunflowers but tbh i dont think i have a favorite

9. Favourite scent: vanilla, balls, baked goods

10. Favourite colour: red!

11. Favourite animal: kitty kats

12. Favourite fictional character(s):

13. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: tea!

14. Average hours of sleep: 6-7

15. Dog or cat person: caaats

16. Number of blankets you sleep with: one or five

17. Dream trip: i’d love to go to amsterdam!

18. Blog established: 2019 i think

19. Number of followers: 1,161

20. Random fact: my ass is fat and louis birthed me!

—my aesthetic

Rules: google/search your name + your favourite colour + the word ‘aesthetic’. take the first four (non collage) photos and voila you have your aesthetic moodboard!

lmao this is hilarious

I’m tagging @flamboyantprinces @wallstermelon @raspberryoatss @thepolourryexpress @outropeace @femlouis @princessloubaby

and whoever else sees this! :)

#tagged post

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eyesfixedonthesun22 · 4 years

Text

Swallowed Pride

Summary: You and Natasha Romanoff go way back. Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader Warning(s): Smut 18+, Cheating, Lying, Secret relationship, Bisexual reader Word Count: 1,577 Notes: This is my first fic with all female smut. Definitely a work in progress. Cheating is bad, I don’t condone it. This song just always had that sort of tone and mood for me when I listened to it. Sorry Laur (@fvckingavengers) for this being like uber uber late. Your challenge said no deadlines and I legit just didn’t even put a note on my document of when I started this. It got lost in the shuffle. Please ignore the poorly translated Russian. Любимая моя= my love, не останавливайся = don’t stop Prompt: “The lies that tied your tongue in knots – Are the words that grew to hit my spots – So filthy, dialed desire – Swallowed pride but spit out fire – Liars turn me on” (Bounce - The Cab) Moodboard Image Credit: Photo credit for the moodboard goes in the following order left to right. All photos acquired from Unsplash. Maëliss Demaison, Aleksander Borzenets, Nihal Demirci , Leonardo Sanches, Richard Brutyo

St. Petersburg:

The first time it happens is in a shitty flat on the south bank of the Moyka River. The two of you had run there; stilettos clicking on the night washed cobblestones. You smirk remembering the chorus of screams and sirens behind the redhead and her accomplice. The next morning the papers would describe a silent assassination at the St. Petersburg's Mariinsky ballet; so perfectly coordinated it shocked the world. The two of you would have already left the country before ink hits paper.

In the dingy flat, she hushed your brazen giggles. Back then you always got drunk off a job well done, before honest work had slapped some humbleness and morals into you. You’d always gotten drunk as well. She preferred vodka while you guzzled bourbon. The honey sweet burn of the alcohol and then high of bloodshed fueling you.

The safehouse apartment had a crap bed and worse heat. That’s what you tell yourself now. More catalysts pushing you to an inevitable conclusion; out of your hands.

The two of you slipped off jewels, emeralds for you and rubies for her. The fine silk dresses now thrown unceremoniously across a chair in the corner; only panties and brassieres left separating skin. Such delicate little things. Watching Natasha disrobe set you aflame. Each click of her gun’s safeties seemed to ramp you closer to danger. You loved watching the dangerous woman disarming herself. A one woman militia. She did it with meticulous precision, the blood red nail polish clicking on cold metal weapons.

“Come to bed, Любимая моя. We have an early morning.”

You never went to sleep that night. Years later it was easier to blame the drinking or the cold, but it was a lie. It was more accurate to blame on the milky curve of her collar bone or the way she wears a knife strapped to her ankle… even to bed.

You remember the cold steel pressing into your vulnerable skin as you came; rutting against her ginger curls, cursing some Russian she taught you with your shoulder length opera gloves still on.

Berlin:

Over the course of the next few years the two of you fucking became part of the friendship. Some missions finished in girl talk; drinking wine and painting your nails a similar shade as the vintage. Others finished with you acting as wingwomen for each other in some crowded nightclub in whatever seedy corner of the world your work had taken you to. She’d smirk at you knowingly while you took a cab one direction and she did the same in another. But always, you’d bounce back to one another.

You loved her.

You remember Berlin, after nearly a year apart, the longest spanse of time between seeing her. She’d been different. Marked. Mentally and physically. You press your fingers deeper into flesh, tracing long memorized but deeply missed softness and feel the raised skin over her left hip bone. You knew how she got it. It was one of so many scars she’d acquired without you there to watch her back.

“Not soft all over anymore.” Her vulnerable eyes found yours in the dark before you thumb gentle circles on her clit. She sets her jaw; ever so stubborn and refuses to close her eyes.

“Still feels soft to me.”

Instead of words she responds by slipping two deadly fingers into your wet heat, pushing and pressing at the spots that make you keen.

That night you’d fallen asleep to her tracing all yours scars, gentle opera played in the background.

You loved her.

New York:

You loved your boyfriend (in a way).

Nearly a decade later the two of you had gone straight, joining up with the Avengers. It took her months to convince you to leave your old life behind. You wouldn’t have done it for anyone but her.

You remember telling her, “Honest work doesn’t suit me.”

The boyfriend knew about your line of work… vaguely. He knew you traveled a lot (for business). He knew if he asked you questions about your work besides what you’d already labeled as “safe” it’d start a fight. He thought you lived together. After dating a year, he’d presented you with a shiny freshly cut silver key. What he didn’t know was you’d kept your loft across town; the one two blocks down the street from Nat’s.

You can't bring yourself to feel horrible. A life of deceit and mistrust had warped you like a book left in the rain; only the most trained of eyes capable of deciphering it.

“Honesty doesn’t suit me,” you mutter to yourself.

The relationship wasn’t worthless. With him, for the first time in a long time, you had a place to come home to that didn’t feel like a glorified suitcase. He helped you learn to survive on more than takeout and boxed mac n’ cheese. You actually enjoyed cooking when your hips pressed against his at the cutting board. You felt like honest work felt a little less like work when you were trying to go on the straight and narrow for him.

You saw Natasha less since he’d come into your life. She was an anchor back into that old life even if she’d been the one to pull you into the present. You wondered if she had any new scars. You wondered if she still kept her favorite knife on her ankle as she undressed for bed. You wonder what your boyfriend would say if he knew you kept your favorite pistol under the mattress and at least one perfectly sharp blade in the bedside table.

Old habits die hard.

**************************************************************************************************

The warm glow of candlelight makes his eyes sparkle. It’s your anniversary and he’s twitching and flushed. You’re focusing on taking the next bite of your steak wellington; ignoring it’s turned to sawdust in your mouth and no amount of unseemly gulps of wine can push it past the welling lump in your throat.

“Darling! Любимая моя!” a familiar voice calls across the restaurant.

There she is; all silk and black leather accented with a flash of her flame red hair. She exchanges pleasantries with him.

You stand awkwardly only able to mutter a pathetic, “Bathroom.”

You brace your hands on the cool tile of the sink. Your two worlds were never supposed to collide. The room is twirling, and you can’t catch your breath. You search for an exit; perhaps some window when the door opens.

“There’s no exit.” She stares at you like a cat who’s caught a mouse. “Closest exit is out the kitchen to the alley. You should know that, Любимая моя.”

“Why are you here, Nat?”

“A better question could be why is he about to propose to someone with the last name Miller.”

“Fuck.” The curse is almost silent, muttered into the back of your hand your rage swirls fast and burning below the surface.

“He doesn’t know your last name! He doesn’t know what you do! What we do!” The double meaning doesn’t fail to hit home. “Were you ever going to tell him, or just let to poor bastard propose to a stranger?”

“Why are you here!?” you challenge her again.

“The lies that tied your tongue in knots – Are the words that grew to hit my spot. It burned away at me. I can’t let you live this secret fucked up lie. We gave that up when we joined the Avengers.”

“No. You did.”

You click the lock closed before pouncing on her. It’s so filthy; dialed desire pent up after how long of trying to fake a normal life.

“Let me taste you, Natalia. I’ve missed you.”

She sinks her teeth into your neck; already devouring your feeble attempt at domination. The black widow was in charge. She pushes you back onto the sink, yanking your dress up around your middle. Her manicured nails don’t bother to take your panties off, opting to rip them to the side before her soft mouth is on your core.

“не останавливайся! You pant and writhe as she forces your legs further apart. She drinks you down like vodka.

With your release sparkling on her lips and chin, the two of you run through the kitchen and out the backdoor.

**************************************************************************************************

“You don’t need him,” she says cool and calm between drags off her cigarette.

You’ve spent the past ten minutes toying with the cardboard box containing the rest of them. It’s some Russian brand with red and yellow packaging. The heady tobacco smoke mixes with telltale musk soaked into the black cotton sheets in Natasha’s bedroom.

“Why are we here, Nat?”

“Liars turn me on.”

She still manages to hold the smoldering stick while you chase her across the bed and dive once more into her fiery curls; soaked and creamy from her last release.

That’s how the night continues.

She doesn’t dress. Neither do you. The two of you keep your skin out in the open, on show for one another. It’s a constantly tussle of bodies in motion fighting to give pleasure because otherwise you have to stop and fight to deliver pain onto one another. Swallowed pride only to spit out fire. It’s as if each lie the two of you have told over the years for one another fuels you both; turns you on.

After her last shuddering release, muscles stretching like a tawny cat, she asks you, “Let’s go to the opera tomorrow?”

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #Natasha x reader #Natasha x female reader #Natasha x you #my writing #my fics

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readyplayerhobi · 6 years

Text

Apricate

; Hoseok x Reader

; Genre: Fluff, smut

; Word Count: 13.2k

; Warnings: Oral sex (receiving), penetrative sex, dubious use of a champagne bottle

; Synopsis: A summer vacation in the Mediterranean is the idea of heaven for many people. Sun, sand and azure sea as far as the eye can see. But what happens when a chance encounter results in you basking in a very different kind of sun?

; A/N: Major thanks to @yminie for the beautiful moodboard ;-; but seriously...how could I NOT write a summer vacation fic for Hoseok with that pic??

For hundreds upon hundreds of years, the Mediterranean has been at the centre of trade and life for those living around its warm, azure waters. From the Egyptians who had worshipped their gods of the deserts to the Greeks who had prayed for their sea god to give them calm seas for travel.

Underneath the cerulean waves lay the remnants of cultures that had risen and died, from the Romans to the Phoenicians and more. The rise of empires, the fall of civilisations, the wars that humanity had wreaked upon itself over millennia; the Mediterranean had borne witness to many things.

And now, it was bearing witness to your excited ramblings to your best friend through a smartphone. The tiny device was pointed at your face, giving you a perfect view of her exasperated expression while you happily spun around, giving her a front seat view of the spectacular and awe-inspiring sight of the Greek island of Santorini.

You’d spent the past hour slowly climbing the, frankly ridiculous, number of stairs that had been carved into the island a long time ago. There had been the option to take a donkey, but you’d felt that you couldn’t possibly use a donkey without feeling guilty.

It was 34 degrees right now and looking at the poor things made you want to wrap your arms around them and lead them into some shade. So instead, you’d clambered up the steps by yourself and had spent five minutes practically lying on the floor while feeling like you were dying.

You were in shape, but there’s being in shape and then there’s climbing that amount of tall stairs in shape. Why were they so big?! Wasn’t it bad enough that most of the tiny streets were so high given the rugged landscape that had been caused by a volcanic eruption millennia ago?

Any other complaints you’d thought about having though, had vanished completely when you’d finally stood up and walked along the top for a little. The view was truly stunning, and took your breath away. How did people live in places like this?!

White-washed buildings gleamed along the side of the island where they clung onto the land like stone spiders, desperately defying gravity while the occasional blue dome topped a building here and there. Jagged rocks led down to the ocean, which was gently lapping along the edge to produce white froth that topped the crystal clear waters, leading out to a deep blue that sparkled in the sunlight.

For a moment, you’d simply rested your elbows against the white wall that protected people from falling down the edge and watched the world drift by. It was almost easy to imagine yourself thousands of years ago, to try and imagine how the Greeks had lived during the time of influential people such as Socrates, Aristotle and more.

Five minutes of admiring the scenery had left you wanting to share what you were seeing, and so you had produced your phone from the small bag that was looped over your shoulder. A few Instagram photos later, because you might be fantasising about ancient cultures but you did live in the 21st century, and you had been calling your best friend, mindful of the fact you were probably going to be hit with a huge phone bill later.

But she had to experience this!

Lisa had answered your call grumpily, informing you that it was too early in the morning to be on the phone to you. Despite the fact that you were showing her one of the most beautiful sights you had ever been witness to.

If anything, she should be used to it by now. You’d saved up all your vacation leave and had taken it all at once, blowing through your meagre savings to take you on a trip through the countries that surrounded the Mediterranean.

A degree that had majored in Ancient History and minored in the Classical Studies meant that you had a vested interest in the ancient cultures that had proliferated along these venerable shores. It was just good fortune that the museum you worked in had been enthusiastic about you taking a whole month off to explore the very countries where their most popular artifacts came from.

In fact, your manager had made you promise to make note of any interesting facts that you may learn from the native tour guides. An interactive exhibition was being planned for children, with your photographs being used alongside 3D images of the artifacts. Honestly, they should be paying you for this.

Your month long trip had taken you from the awe-inspiring pyramids of Egypt, to the shores of splendid Turkey, to the island of Malta, to the historied cities of Italy before finally landing upon Greece. A few days had been spent in Athens before you decided to head out to Crete, the largest island in Greece and discover the Minoan palace and other treasures there.

A day trip to Santorini is how you’d found yourself currently gushing about the wonderful landscape around you, though you were glad that you had chosen Crete as your base for the final part of the trip. You weren’t sure you could handle all the hills all the time!

“You’re coming home in a few days right?” Lisa queried once you finally brought the screen back to your face. Resting against the wall once more, you held the phone out in front of your face and nodded, letting your head tip back to take in the blinding sun.

“Yep, four more days and then it’s back home. I am going to have the worst case of holiday blues, I swear.” You groan deeply, though Lisa laughs through the tinny speaker at your misery. Her eyes are puffy from sleep and you smile in fondness, noting how young she looks when she’s just woken up.

“Oh, my heart bleeds for you as you stand there in Greece. Make sure to bring back some good stuff from there okay?” She says and you laugh, spinning around so that you face the stairs once more and sigh deeply.

Heading over, your sandals slapping against the worn stones in the quietness of the day, you acknowledge her request with a salute. Figuring that you may as well get some use out of the ridiculously expensive video call you’re making, you go to ask her how life is with Taehyung now that they’ve moved together.

Only she makes an intrigued gasp and you watch as suddenly your screen is filled with her nose and upper lip. “What are you doing you freak? I don’t want to see your nose hairs!” You squeal, moving the phone even further away while looking in disgust.

“Who...is that hottie behind you? In the yellow shirt?” She asks, completely disregarding your comments. You pause and slowly turn around, eyes scanning over the small group of tourists who had boarded the boat with you in Crete. Most of them were from the same tour group as you, all being picked up at the same point in the town you were staying in.

Subtly looking over everyone, you note that the majority of yellow wearers are women and frown, wondering if perhaps she didn’t see it properly. Only then suddenly, a pale yellow the colour of a spring chick comes into your vision and your own brows raise.

The shirt is a button up, looking light and comfortable with the top few buttons undone to reveal an expanse of smooth, golden skin. His sleeves have been rolled up and reveal equally toned arms that practically glow in the sunlight, while the sun makes his black hair shine beautifully.

Comfortable, white trousers adorn his lower half and you wonder half heartedly if they’re linen - truly the perfect fabric for heat like this. He looks bright and colourful, every inch the tourist yet with a sense of exquisiteness that marks him as different from your regular tourists.

He turns slightly to look out at the sea and you swallow. High cheekbones sit beneath softly rounded cheeks, while his jawline is as sharp as the rocks that meet the sea down below. An aquiline nose slopes down before turning up ever so slightly at the end, making the perfect resting place for the Chanel sunglasses that cover his eyes.

For a moment, he looks utterly unattainable until a young girl says something in front of him to cause him to smile. And that is when you truly lose your breath, for it’s like the sun itself has come to life in front of you.

It’s the only explanation for the way his face practically lights up from within as he smiles, the movement taking up his face and revealing perfectly straight teeth while his lips become an endearing heart.

How have you missed this man on your walks?

He looks utterly at ease with himself, his hands pushed into his pockets and an expensive looking watch resting on his left wrist lazily. Not a damp spot can be seen on his summer-island clothing, and it makes you flush with embarrassment as you realise that your pink vest top is currently red in certain areas from the sweat of the walk up.

And that’s to not even mention the amount of boob sweat you have going on, or thigh sweat. Or, perhaps even more humiliatingly, butt sweat. In fact, you’re glad that you’re wearing pale denim shorts today, otherwise you’d have a rather lovely sweat patch along your ass crack if you had chosen linen like him.

“I don’t know...I think he’s part of my tour group.” You murmur, vaguely aware that Lisa is still on the line with you. It’s only when she lets out a laugh of amusement that you refocus back on her, blinking a few times to regain focus until she finally comes back into your vision.

“Wow. You look taken by him. He looks pretty hot. Maybe you should see about a holiday fling?” She says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively until your cheeks flush with blood once more. Spinning around, you turn away from him and begin to make your way back down the stairs.

“Don’t be stupid! Did you not see him? He looks way out of my league! I mean, the man isn’t even sweating. He’s wearing Chanel sunglasses so god knows how much the rest of his outfit costs. That is a man, out of my league.” You hiss at her, wobbling slightly as you take a wrong step and almost go falling down the whole lot of stairs.

That would be painful. And humiliating.

She simply huffs and watches you with a smile, one brow quirked while her chin rests in her hand. You know that look. You’ve spent years watching that look as she ropes you into some dumb thing. It’s the look she wore before she got Taehyung, and he can be a grade A idiot sometimes.

Okay, so he’s sweet. But still!

“You could at least try! I mean...if he’s in your group then you’ve got the boat ride back...and then the coach ride back. You could try. You don’t need to be in his income bracket to enjoy good dick.” Lisa says crudely and you groan loudly, rolling your eyes as you wave your phone around and hope she gets motion sickness or something.

“Shut up.” You hiss at her, glancing around paranoid and relieved that there’s no other tourists around. Greece’s islands were full of British and German tourists you’d noted, and the German’s appeared to have exceptional English skills. It really wasn’t in your daily itinerary to accidentally become someone’s holiday story as ‘that thirsty American girl who was talking about holiday dick on the phone’.

The heat was excruciating with the minimal wind that was coming off the sea, and even though you were going down the stairs and not up, you could still feel the sweat slowly dripping down your back and between your breasts. Did guys get this issue?

“I am not going to ask the outrageously handsome man if he wants to sleep with me tonight. He could have anything! He might not even speak English! Have you even thought of that?” At the other end of the phone, all the way back in New York, you watch as Lisa rolls her eyes and fakes a yawn, tapping her hand over her mouth.

“You don’t need to speak English to get dick. I’m pretty sure he’ll know the word for sex. If not, you could always try…” She trails off before resting the phone on something and simulating sex, pushing a finger through another circled finger. Practically screaming, you have a small tantrum on the steps before pointing at her.

“You’re terrible, you know that? Why am I friends with you? You’re like...half a world away and you’re still pressuring me into sex!” You groan, rubbing the back of your hand over your forehead to get rid of the perspiration there. She laughs loudly, the sound tinkling through the tiny speakers and you can’t help but smile at the sound. Okay, so she’s an ass but you still love her.

“I’m trying to get you laid. You like sex. You like hot men. You’re loving Greece. Why not have sex with a hot man in Greece? A three-in-one!” Hissing through clenched teeth, you stop and take a deep breath, closing your eyes while you take in the hot air. Honestly, it’s not so fortifying when the air feels hotter than your lungs.

“Goodbye Lisa. I will text you later, send you pics. I’ll make sure to buy you some yummy Greek treats and you’re also getting one of those wooden dick keyrings they sell all over the place.” You give her a saccharine smile, waving fingers as she sputters about wooden dicks.

Ending the call, you let out the breath slowly and feel your shoulders practically fall to the floor. She’s right. You do like sex, and you haven’t had any for what? Six months now? Any longer and your damn hymen would grow back and you’d gain second virginity.

But a holiday romance was too...cliché. Imagine going home with that story! And what if you got pregnant?! It’s a Mills and Boon story come to life. Shaking your head, you continue on down the stairs and resolve to take in the view once more to centre yourself.

He was hot, sure. But you’re probably never going to see him again once you both get off the tour bus. And that’s more than enough reason to keep any sexual thoughts to yourself.

Yes, you won’t be getting his dick tonight. But there’s nothing against imagining his dick when you’re in the quiet, darkness of your room later.

The trip back to your hotel had been awkward for you, given that you were now almost supernaturally aware of Hot Man’s presence. In fact, it was almost to the point that you wondered how the hell you’d never noticed him before.

An extra wary eye had allowed you to spot his pastel yellow shirt situated towards the back of the boat, stood watching the wake that the vessel created as it cut through the deep blue waters. Immediately, you’d taken a seat towards the bow of the boat instead.

You know, just in case he suddenly developed telepathy and caught wind of the inappropriate thoughts that were running through your mind. Like whether it was possible to have sex on a boat this crowded in the middle of the Aegean Sea.

Instead, you’d rested an arm against the side and watched quietly as the great expanse of ocean passed by under your watchful gaze. It still blew your mind to imagine that people millennia ago would undertake the same journey as you, only their ships were made of wood and relied on the wind or pure manpower.

As you’d inhaled deeply and took in the pleasing scent of salt soaked ocean, you hadn’t been able to help but smile slightly at the cooling wind that had whipped through your clothes as the ferry sped back towards Crete. How wonderful it would be, to simply live on the ocean like this. Not a care in the world.

Implausible obviously, but still. Your meandering thoughts could have perhaps be blamed on the ever beating sun that shone mercilessly in the sky. There was no wonder that the Greek islands often looked almost barren of green plant life, and yet you knew there to be many forms of life that had not only endured but evolved.

You’d spent the rest of the trip back having silly thoughts like that, letting yourself fancifully imagine what it would have been like to live during the age of Greek gods and so forth. Honestly, it’s a wonder you’d managed to make it through your holiday without getting stuck somewhere because of your flyaway thoughts.

The ride back to your town had left you with your heart in your throat as Hot Man had casually gotten onto the coach as well. You’d chosen a seat close to the front, but the seat next to you was free and you’d barely even taken a breath until he’d walked past, heading further to the back.

You’d gotten off the coach before him however, so you weren’t entirely sure where he was staying in the small Cretan town you’d pick as your final destination. The sigh you’d let out was ambiguous, and you were not entirely sure if it’s because of relief or sadness.

The next three days were spent exploring the town you were staying in, along with a few of the nearby towns and enjoying the delicious food and warm friendliness of the Greeks who inhabited this small piece of heaven.

There had been more than a few hours spent lazing on the beaches that dotted the mountainous island, admiring the sapphire waves as they hugged the shore lovingly. Numerous souvenirs had been bought for friends and family, from cute pewter keyrings with tiny blue glass beads featuring the painted eye that was so common to boxes of loukoumi for those who have a sweet tooth.

You’d spent plenty of time in the various cafes and bars dotted along the seafront and watched with a mixed sense of awe and discomfort as coach drivers swung their huge beasts of burden down tiny streets that had been designed for carts, not buses. The inches that separated a wall from the coach often left you cringing, and yet they didn’t seem to care at all.

Greeks carried on with their lives as you watched, going to work or eating out at a few of the restaurants because while you were enjoying the island as a holiday, for them it was simply their home. Lyrical words were spoken at a fast pace between friends and family, almost musical when they really got going, and yet always filled with a passion that seemed to show on their faces as well.

Your own Greek was not very good, not nearly as good as your Italian, with just a handful of important words mastered such as please and thank you. Your knowledge of the Greek alphabet was almost redundant as well, with signs often being bilingual in English, and many time multilingual with German and Russian too.

Yet you still enjoyed the pleased smiles you got when you stuttered out a ‘kalispera’ in the evening or ‘kalimera’ in the morning. The words always felt so pretty to say though, and even if you got it wrong they still gave encouraging smiles that meant you felt okay trying again later.

Something that you had most definitely noticed, with a growing sense of awareness that left you feeling you’d gained some bizarre sixth sense, was Hot Man venturing along the same streets that you did. You never actively noticed him - it was more like you’d catch a glimpse of a smartly dressed man out of the corner of your eye and quickly glance over.

He seemed to have a penchant for light coloured clothing that looked comfortable and not too hot. Two days ago, you’d seen him wearing tan coloured linen shorts that came to his knees and a pale green t-shirt, whereas yesterday he’d been wearing a tan and baby pink version of his Santorini outfit.

Not that you’d been overly paying attention to his wardrobe or anything.

It had become very obvious that he was in fact, an expensive man as his clothing was subtle yet practically reeked of money. Not to mention his every changing roster of designer sunglasses that sat primly on the bridge of his nose.

Despite this, he was beyond friendly and seemed to get on with whoever he was talking to, despite any language barriers. His deep voice, so pleasing to listen to, had travelled to you a few times along the gentle sea breeze and you’d been satisfied to discover that he spoke English too.

Not that you’d been hoping he did or anything.

Still, you’d enjoyed subtly watching him as he walked along the old, charming streets of the Cretan town. It was nice to see someone enjoying the atmosphere of the place as much as you were, and not simply looking for the next alcoholic drink.

Unfortunately however, tomorrow was your last day and you’d no longer get to sip fresh apple juice while gazing out over the oil smooth sea, or wake up on fresh sheets to blissfully warm sun peeking its way through the glass door. Nor would you get to peek upon your Hot Man and fantasise.

Each country you’d visited had seen you carefully counting your money, only splurging on the last day at a fancy restaurant in each location. Today was finally the turn of Greece, and you’d decided on a small place that overlooked the ocean, figuring that you’d enjoy the delicious food while observing the awe inspiring sight of the sun slowly dipping below the waves.

Which is where you found yourself now, sat on a wicker chair with a basket of small, delicious rolls of bread in front of you and a bowl of salty olives to snack on. You’d decided to finish your trip with a meal consisting of your favourite food that you’d discovered in Crete.

A plate of dakos was sat on the table. The crispbread, olive oil, creamy cheese and ripe tomatoes was an explosion of taste in your mouth and the perfect starter to put you on until your lamb souvlaki arrived later.

You were preoccupied with daydreaming as you slowly ate, watching the beautiful scenery in front of you, the sky slowly painting itself vivid yellows, soft pinks and warm oranges as the sun slowly began to make its way down to the sea.

As such, you didn’t notice the presence that appeared at your side, nor the way he watched for a few moments, amused. A low cough, clearing his throat quietly enough to not be obnoxious to other diners but enough to catch your attention, caused you to look away from the sea. Eyes widening at the sight in front of you, you sat up straighter and wiped at your mouth, hoping there was no embarrassing food on your mouth.

Or down the white sundress you’d opted to wear for your final night. He let out a soft laugh, the sound causing that heart stopping smile to break across his face and make tiny butterflies flutter in your stomach.

“Hi, sorry to interrupt. Erm...I was just wondering if...maybe you’d be okay if I ate with you? I was over there but...the view’s better here.” White teeth flash at you, his strange mix of hesitation and confidence causing you to frown slightly. “I mean, if you don’t want to then it’s fine. It’s just...it’s my last night here and...well I wouldn’t mind being in the company of a pretty woman and a beautiful sunset.”

His words almost cause you to choke and you splutter, one hand covering your mouth while your other gestures towards the chair opposite you. He sits down slowly, looking like a dream come to life. Today, he’s gone for all white. A white button up, with the buttons just low enough to give an alluring tease of defined collarbones beneath golden skin and white trousers.

Black hair moves across his forehead gently in the subtle breeze and you can’t help but take a deep, fortifying breath when he finally removes those sunglasses that have remained attached to his head. Beneath them, are crescent shaped brown eyes, warm and filled with kindness and amusement.

Dear god, he was stunning. Staring at him in the restaurant, his profile standing out from the outstanding picture of natural beauty surrounding him, you realise how the people of this country thousands of years ago had believed in a god who brought the sun to life every day.

Because you could quite easily believe that Apollo himself had taken human flesh and sat opposite you.

“Thanks. I was worried I might seem a little weird. I’m Hoseok.” He holds out an elegant, long fingered hand to you. “Jung Hoseok.”

Stuttering, you shake his hand shyly and let him know your name, eyes falling to the table as you take a bite of your food to occupy your mouth. Lisa had been joking when she’d suggested a holiday fling with him, and you’d been serious when you thought that nothing would ever happen.

Yet here he was, sat opposite you and looked more delicious than the food you were eating currently. Hoseok calls for the waiter and asks for a bottle of white wine to be delivered to the table, smiling pleasantly and thanking him once the expensive bottle arrives.

He pours himself a glass and looks at you, brow raised while he shakes the bottle slightly. You nod slowly, watching as the clear liquid fizzes inside the glass and reach out, taking a long gulp of the crisp, dry drink.

“How long are you in Crete for?” He asks idly, giving another smile to the young girl who delivers his starter and diving into it. Dragging your fork through the food on your plate, you feel your cheeks heat with awkwardness.

“Just tonight. I leave tomorrow to go home, like you.” At that, the delicate smile that has so thoroughly charmed you makes another reappearance. In fact, if you were reading his face right, he looked positively delighted at this news.

“Oh really? What a weird coincidence. Let’s consider this a fruitful night hmm?” He says, raising his glass to you in a toast that has you letting a tiny smile over your lips. “I’m pretty sure I’ve kept seeing you around this place by the way. Which is weird, because it’s a small town but it’s not that small.” He chuckles, shaking his head as he takes another bite of food.

You wish you were strong enough to lie, but instead it comes blurting out. “You have. I mean...I’ve seen you around too. And...we went on that trip to Santorini together. Kind of. I mean, not actually together. But...you know what I mean.”

Hoseok watches with a single brow raised, amusement rippling over his face as he chews slowly. He swallows as he nods. “Yeah, I thought so. Honestly, that’s why I came over. I was pretty sure I recognised you and...well you’re pretty and you look interesting.”

Well, now your body is definitely heating up and it’s not because of the sun.

“I’m not that interesting. Really. Unless you find museum curator’s interesting.” You blurt out, running a hand down your dress to smooth out any wrinkles. At that, his face opens up in interest and he sits forward, placing the knife and fork onto his now empty plate and looks at you with enthusiasm.

“A museum curator? Oh wow, I wasn’t even sure if you’d finished college.” He stops suddenly, face blanking before cringing. “Oh god, I’m sorry. That sounded weird. Oh no it was weird. I’m sorry.” He repeats, hands coming out to try and placate you, despite you not being bothered.

“Why is that weird?” You ask and he flushes, tanned cheeks dusting with rosy pink.

“Well...I’m 33 and as soon as I said it, I realised how weird it would sound if I thought you were like 21 or something. Oh god, I wish I’d never said anything.” He grimaces, running a hand over his face exasperatedly and you laugh.

“No, no. That is very much a compliment Mr Jung. I’m 29, I’ve been doing my job now for four years. In fact, that’s kind of why I’m in Greece. I’ve spent the last month in Turkey, Egypt, Malta, Italy and Greece as my specialty is ancient Mediterranean cultures.” Why you’re suddenly babbling about your job, you have no idea.

But he looks completely fascinated and begins to question you about it; the exact cities you’d visited, the food you’d eaten, the sights you’d seen and even what kind of work you did in the museum. It had been a long time since a man had been genuinely interested in your job.

You seemed to unfortunately attract men whose eyes literally glazed over when they heard the word museum usually.

Hoseok however, is completely intrigued and asks plenty of intelligent questions. Not only that, but he’s knowledgeable about museums too. An in depth conversation between the two of you last over the main meal, you with souvlaki and him with a Cretan speciality of smoked pork.

It’s halfway through his conversation about the German Historical Museum in Berlin that he suddenly stops, blushing even harder as he scrapes his fork over his empty plate. “Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve been babbling about myself and not even telling you anything interesting.” His lips turn in a wry smile and you reach forward without thinking, fingers resting on the smooth skin of his warm hand to stop his fretful movements.

“It’s fine, honestly. It’s lovely to meet someone who enjoys museums as much as I do. But I am kind of curious about you in turn.” He snorts and wipes his mouth with a napkin, leaving the white fabric slightly red.

“Erm, well. I’m a director for a PR company in New York City.” He says, the words almost mumbled, as if he didn’t want you to hear. Which isn’t surprising, as your own brows raise. You’d already informed him that you lived on the outskirts of NYC, your museum small and humble compared to the giants in the city.

As such though, you were well aware that for to be someone so high up in a PR company in one of the most expensive cities of the world, he was probably earning some serious bank. Though, you could guess that from his clothing. It had been a slightly heart stopping moment to realise that he was wearing over $30,000 on his wrist, the watch only familiar to you because Taehyung was some weird watch aficionado.

“Do you have any fancy clients then? I bet it must be a nightmare when something goes wrong.” You ask lightly, running your finger along the rim of your wineglass and completely missing the way his eyes focus on the slow movement.

“Yeah, we’ve got some big clients. And yeah, they’re an equally big pain when something goes bad. But when you pull it off, that’s a good feeling.” He smirks, eyes flicking up to meet yours and you can’t help but bite your lip to try and stop the weird feeling in your chest. Hoseok is truly gorgeous, but did he have to be so damn nice too?

“I’d say I’m glad I work in a museum, but what’s the more nerve wracking job? Failing to do damage control well for a multi billion dollar company...or accidentally breaking a one-of-a-kind, millennia old antique?” The words are teasing and his hissing grimace is equally as playful.

“That’s a tough one. Probably yours if I’m being honest. Is anyone really gonna give a shit about one company making a boo-boo when they do that every other year? On the other hand...breaking a priceless ancient Greek vase...yeah history isn’t gonna look kindly on that.” He taps his fingers against his sharp jaw and you laugh lightly, happy that he played along with you.

Your conversation continues on for a while, allowing you both to have little glimpses into each others lives. Wild tales of friends soon come from you both, trying to one up each other while tender moments are revealed about your families. It’s strange, how you’ve barely known him for an hour, yet feel more comfortable with him than people you’ve known for years.

“How come you’re travelling alone then? You’re obviously a sociable guy, so I don’t know why you don’t have a partner or friends with you?” You query quietly, thanking the waiter as he brings a plate of baklava to your table for the both of you, along with some freshly cut fruit. The shot of ouzo that always seems to accompany meals being consumed with grimaces from you both.

He coughs as the liquid burns down his throat before sucking on a piece of melon, apparently oblivious to how utterly seductive that move is. Humming to himself, he swallows the fruit before continuing on. “I always travel alone. I do have friends, but they’re always busy with either jobs, or families now. So...I figure why not? I want to go abroad, what’s to stop me? What about you? You’re on your own, and have been for a month.”

Smiling, you nod your head as you acknowledge that he’s got you there. Biting down on the baklava, you enjoy the sweet flavours before responding to him. “Same really, my best friend was busy and my other friends are busy being moms and wives right now. This has been a dream trip for me for years and when the museum gave me the option to do some work for it too, I thought it was too good to not do. Gotta be bold sometimes right?”

Your bright smile has him responding in kind, teeth gripping down on a grape before his tongue slowly pulls it into his mouth. Licking your lips in response, you find it almost bizarre how your body seems to think everything needs to be done a little more alluringly, licking your fingers slower than you normally would.

It’s a slow game that you’d only realised the two of you had been playing since he’d sat at the table, and apparently one he’d been aware of longer than you. But you were pretty sure he’d caught on by now, and his tan skin, practically glowing in the light of the setting sun, was just crying out for you to touch it.

“Yeah, sometimes you gotta be bold.” He repeats, tone even deeper than before and you clench your thighs together at the rasping syllables. The plate between you is empty now, and you both sit there for a moment, simply staring at each other with expressions that said you were still hungry for something.

Lisa’s words float through your head slowly and you watch Hoseok quietly for a few seconds more, your easy conversation slowly dying as the growing sense of awareness between the two of you takes over. Chewing on your lip nervously, you grip your white sundress with slightly trembling hands before taking a deep breath.

Sometimes, you have to be bold.

“Are you free tonight?” You ask bluntly, causing his brows to rise in surprise before the corners of his mouth tips upwards in a pleased smile. He looks happy at your question, and you wonder if he always gets girls asking him for sex or if he’s usually the one to chase. Whatever his normal options, he seems to be reciprocative to your obvious suggestion.

“Why yes I am. Would you like to join me? I’m staying at a villa and it has the most beautiful view of the sea.” He states flirtatiously, eyes lighting up with anticipation while he bites at his lip slowly, teeth pulling the luscious pink skin before letting it drag back out. Watching the movement, you suppress a groan as his tongue slides across his lips, leaving behind a soft sheen of wetness.

“Crete does have very beautiful sea views.” You practically whisper, internally embarrassed at how desperate you’re beginning to sound for him. But he seems to be reciprocative, almost enthusiastic to your blatant display of desire.

“And I have some delicious champagne if that’s interesting to you. I’d love to hear you tell me more about Ancient Greek history, you must make a very good teacher when you lead tours occasionally. I’ve never been so interested in history.” He gestures over to the waiter for the bill and you can’t help but smile at the praise, idly wondering if he’s being genuine or just trying to butter you up to get in your pants.

Though you reason to yourself that you’ve made it pretty obvious that you’re reciprocative to him, and so presume he was being genuine. He did seem to be very interested in the random history information you’d bombarded him with earlier.

“I could, if you really want that. But I’m sure we can both think of something more interesting to do.” Placing down a bunch of Euros to pay for your half, making sure to leave plenty to tip the wait staff on your last night, you watch as he lets out a laugh, hands clapping together in delight.

He adds his own money to yours, the amount surely eye watering to the staff, but doesn’t blink an eye at it as you both make your way out of the restaurant. A quick ‘yassas’ to the waiter on the door and you’re standing in the street, Greek music filtering through the air as a nearby venue’s traditional Greek night gets underway. Hoseok stands next to you for a moment, breathing in deep and taking in the warm, island air.

Without a word, he reaches out and grasps your hand firmly, long fingers intertwining with your own before he’s squeezing gently. His hand is large and warm, the skin smooth and comforting as he begins to walk down the street. You follow him leisurely, appreciating that he’s not practically yanking your arm off for sex and take a moment to drink in the sight of his tall, lean frame.

Your perusal doesn’t go unnoticed as he catches your eye, lips breaking into that familiar, heart shaped grin once more before he tugs you closer and takes a moment to press his nose into your hair. “Do you like what you see?” He asks quietly, hot breath fanning a few strands of breakaway hair and you heat up at the high school-esque question.

Looking up at him demurely, you let your own tongue wet your lips and watch with satisfaction as his eyes track the moment heatedly, irises blowing out slightly as his nostrils flare. “Very much. But I think I’d like it better in your villa.” Where this minx came from, you have no idea.

He chuckles and turns back, pulling on your arm slightly as his long legs eat up the distance. “Well then, I think we better hurry up hmm?”

When Hoseok had told you that he was staying in a villa, you could honestly say that you weren’t sure what you were imagining. You weren’t too up on what villa’s looked like. What you saw however, was jaw dropping and made your brows raise in surprise.

White washed walls alternate with pale stone and everywhere you look there are glass doors that lead out to a serene pool, outlined in white tile. It was surrounded by high walls on three sides, providing utter privacy while the back was open to the beauty of the ocean. There was no beach, the craggy seafront didn’t allow for that, but it was still a truly stunning view.

He hadn’t been lying.

Unusually, there was no key for the front door and you watched as he simply input a code into an electronic keypad, a beep sounding as the door unlocked itself. Inside, a security system was turned off quickly and you were left to marvel at the interior.

It was a study in modernity meeting tradition, with dark wood furniture dotted around the open plan rooms while sleek, black metal takes up where wood can’t. A ridiculously large television sits proudly against the wall of the living room, facing two black sofas that are covered in subtly patterned blankets.

Greek style art and vases dot the area, bringing bright splashes of colour to the sparse room and you can’t help but admire the decorating skills of whoever owns this place. When you query this, he lets out a hiccuping laugh as he bends down in the kitchen, disappearing behind a luxurious island in the centre.

“My friend, Jimin. If you want to see rich, then you should see him. Guy’s an investment banker on Wall Street, he makes the kind of money that makes you sick.” You stare at his watch as he says that, brow raised as he sucks his lower lip in amusement. “Hey, if I’m saying that…” He shrugs, lean shoulders lifting underneath his shirt.

Sitting on one of the backless stools that frame the counter, you rest your chin on your hands as you watch him pull a champagne bucket - a champagne bucket! - out from one of the cupboards and fill it with ice from the freezer before adding in around a third of cold water. He then places a bottle of expensive looking champagne in it before heading over to the fridge.

There doesn’t look to be a lot inside, but you do note with interest the bowl of strawberries he pulls out and sits inbetween you both as he heads over. Another bowl is produced and he breaks some Belgian chocolate into it, putting it into the microwave to melt before strolling over and holding a final piece between two fingers.

Brows raised, you watch as he gestures towards your mouth his hand, jaw tilting up to signal his want. Keeping eye contact with those luscious, dark eyes, you let your lips fall open slowly and allow him to place the piece firmly on your tongue, the softest moan leaving you as the decadent chocolate begins to melt in a burst of flavour.

His fingers remain for a moment, and you can’t help but take the opportunity to wrap your lips around them, sucking ever so softly before using the tip of your tongue to wipe away the chocolate residue that had melted. Hoseok isn’t as quiet as you with his groan, but a hundred emotions seem to flutter across his face, and every one of them is firmly in the desire range.

The ding from the microwave distracts him, causing him to have to pull his gaze away from your mouth and you watch him shake his head in amusement as he brings the bowl back over. “I don’t know why that surprised me, but I appreciated it. A lot.” He whispers, coming around the counter to sit next to you.

Placing the bowl down, he takes a seat on the stool next to you and maneuvers his legs so that they’re surrounding your knees. Leaning forwards, you inhale sharply as his face is only inches from yours and your eyes flutter slightly at the expensive cologne that emanates from him. Is there anything better than a man who smells good?

The answer is yes, A man who smells good, feeding you chocolate dipped strawberries.

Which is exactly what Hoseok does, fingers trailing over the juicy, red fruits until he finds one he likes and picks it up. Glancing to you, he makes sure you’re watching as he dips the pointed end into the melted chocolate, twisting it slowly to make sure it has an even coating before lifting it back it up, waiting until it stops dripping.

You’re not sure why it’s so sensual, but just watching him has you clenching your thighs and letting out a stuttering breath. He’s close enough that he can hear it though, and see your reaction to him, and you watch a tiny smirk kick up one corner of his mouth.

“Open wide.” He murmurs, bringing the strawberry to your lips and giving a pleased smile when you do so immediately. “You’re very obedient, I can’t even begin to describe how much of a turn on that is.” His laugh is breathy and you can feel it over your skin, goosebumps forming on your arms.

Instead of letting your respond however, he places the strawberry into your mouth and watches as you bite down on it, careful not to bite his fingers. The bitterness of the dark chocolate soothes the sweetness of the fruit and a tiny whimper leaves you as you stare directly into his dark eyes.

“Good?” He asks, placing the remains on the counter while preparing a second and taking a bite himself. You chew and swallow carefully, licking your lips once finished and watch as he takes his time to eat his own.

Slowly, the strawberries disappear on the plate and despite the fact it’s evening and the temperature is lowering outside, it only seems to be getting warmer inside until you get the urge to tug off your sundress. But not yet, you sense it’s too soon for that still.

When the final strawberry is left and the chocolate has begun to harden again, Hoseok takes a glance at it before focusing back on your lips and grinning. Scooping up the final bits of chocolate, he goes to feed it to you and you open your mouth as expected.

Instead, he slowly drags the strawberry over your lower lip, smearing it in rich, dark chocolate before sliding it into your mouth sensually and letting you bite down. Before you can even attempt to start chewing it properly, he’s closed the gap between your faces and a shudder wracks your body at the feel of his wet tongue as it slowly trails over the sweet layer, lapping it up before licking into your mouth.

Moaning out, your arms automatically wrap around his neck as he kisses you slowly, mindful of the strawberry that you’d still to swallow. By the time he pulls away from you, the kiss only seconds long yet feeling like he’d been kissing you for minutes, he simply grins and opens his mouth, tongue flat to reveal the strawberry you’d bitten.

Chuckling at the look on your face, he chews it and swallows before grabbing the bucket and standing up, reaching for your hand and tugging you towards the railing-less stairs. The upstairs is much like the downstairs, and you spy two closed doors before he’s leading through the only open door.

The bedroom is everything you expect from a high class villa like this, with a queen sized bed currently covered in plain white sheets and pale blue silk throw pillows artfully placed at the head. But that’s not the jaw dropping bit. No, it’s the fact that two of the four walls are simply glass doors, and you watch as he opens them up until half of the room is open to the elements.

It’s bathed in an orange glow as the sun is still setting far out to sea, the slick waves reflecting a distorted mirror image of the visual beauty happening overhead. You could spend an entire holiday out here on the balcony, gasping in wonder as your hands grasp the glass balcony wall.

Hoseok places the bucket on a wooden table before heading over to you, arms coming around your sides before they rest next to yours on the glass. The evening is still warm, though the breeze brings the cooling fingers of night. Your hardening nipples have nothing to do with that though, and everything to do with the hot body pressing itself gently behind you.

He feels solid and oddly reassuring, the width of his chest resting against your shoulders while you feel the shadow of a solid erection brush past the apex of your ass. Hoseok is evidently a master of seduction however, as he doesn’t push too hard on that front, instead resting his head on your shoulder as the two of you look out at the sea.

“Tell me an interesting fact about Greece.” The words whisper from his mouth, low and guttural so as not to interrupt the mood. Humming to yourself, you bring one finger to tap against your chin and enjoy the way he laughs, breath dancing past your cheek as he looks at you slightly.

“The Greek alphabet was the first to have vowels written down.” You respond, voice breathy from his proximity. He’s quiet for a moment before he lets out a bark of laughter, arms moving to wrap around your waist for a moment as he rocks you from side to side before letting go and sitting at the chair on the table.

A finger runs along the rim of one of the champagne glasses he seems to have produced from nowhere and you watch as his tongue runs along his teeth slowly. “I love it when you talk history to me.”

Sniggering, you sit in the chair opposite him and cross a leg over the other, resting your hands in your lap to keep them from quivering. He may have joked about his age earlier, but the control that came with that age was really showing through now as he pours a third of a glass full of champagne.

Honestly, you want to jump on him right now and see if his skin is that stunning all over.

Taking the glass from his offered hand, you swirl it for a moment before taking a sip of the cold liquid. You’re really not sure what the etiquette for drinking champagne is, but he doesn’t seem to care as he swallows it down almost greedily.

It’s overwhelmingly bubbly at first, almost getting up your nose and you make the most attractive sneeze as it does so, nose wrinkling as your head shakes. He chuckles at that, an amused smile prominent as he watches you get used to the texture and flavour.

“What do you think?” He asks, lifting up his own glass to gesture to you almost lazily.

Almost instantly, you’re grasping for words as you have no idea how to describe it. Taking another drink, you let it rest on your tongue before swallowing slowly. Humming as if you know what you’re talking about, you nod sagely. “It’s...crisp...and...champagney.” Immediately you’re cringing while he starts guffawing.

“Oh god, I’m sure Dom Perignon would be ecstatic to hear that.” He snorts, head tilting as he swallows the final bit in his cup. Your eyes widen in response though and you reach out slowly, turning the bottle until the label comes into view and you choke loudly.

Holy shit! He was feeding you Dom Perignon. A woman he’d barely known for three hours and here he was, letting you drink champagne that probably cost...well you didn’t even want to think about it. And you’d just described it as ‘champagney’!

Hoseok watches you suffer for a minute before smiling, leaning over and taking the glass from you before setting it on the table. “It’s fine, not everyone likes it. And I’m not expecting you to suddenly fall in love with it. It’s not to everyone’s taste..”

You groan quietly, pushing a hand into your face as embarrassment takes over. This man, this beautiful man, was so out of your league it’s not even funny. And yet, with the way he’s looking at you right now, he makes you feel as though you’re right at home next to him.

“I do think I know something that will be to my taste though.” He whispers, the words light and yet swarming with desire and dripping with lust. You watch him for a few seconds in admiration, eyes tracing over his face and the way the setting sun sets his skin ablaze.

“Wha-” Anything you’re about to say is cut off though when he suddenly grabs your hand and tugs you out of your chair, practically falling into his lap and gasping as your hands press against his firm chest to stop yourself from hurting him. From your elevated view, you get to take in the stunning sight of his statuesque face as he gazes up at you, want painted over every inch.

“You’re so beautiful, you know that?” He whispers before a hand is wrapping around your neck, pressing gently until your lips meet once more. It’s chaste at first, lips pressing against soft lips until his tongue slowly trails along the seam in an unspoken request for more.

Granting it, you let them fall open enough for him to gain entrance and a quiet moan leaves you as he runs his tongue along the roof of your mouth before tangling it with your own. He tastes sweet from the strawberries, dark from the chocolate and expensive from the champagne. Truly, Apollo turned to flesh to burn you up from the inside.

While his mouth takes yours on a slow dance of seduction, his fingers are moving in their own dance of persuasion as they skip and play along the straps of your dress before reaching your waist. Each touch sends tiny shivers of pleasure and he plays your body like marionette doll, a press here and a stroke there until your front is plastered against his own.

Breaking away from you for a moment, he looks down to where your breasts are pressed to his chest with a pleased smirk, enjoying the way they look along with how they feel. Rubbing his hands along your waist a few times, he watches you closely as they move down to your ass, gripping tightly and encouraging your hips to grind against his erection slowly.

A low groan leaves your throat as your head falls back, exposing the expanse of skin to his eager mouth while he hisses in response to the friction. Each slow grind of your hips corresponds to a harsh suck of his mouth on your throat, colourful bruises blooming to life at his rough treatment.

And yet your own hands grip his hair firmly, tugging in response to each pull of his mouth until he’s ripping himself away. Looking up at you with hooded eyes, almost black in the dimming light, he gasps before licking his lips.

“Oh yeah, you taste better than that. But I bet you taste even better somewhere else.” He states boldly, huffing a quiet laugh as your thighs go to clench closed at his words, only to squeeze his hips instead.

You expect him to let you stand up and move the activities into the bedroom, only he surprises you in a display of strength that has the centre of your thighs releasing even more slick to ruin your panties. Gripping the underside of your thighs, he grunts as he lifts and stands at the same time, planes of muscle under his shirt shifting while his biceps have their own moment of glory and stretch out his sleeves.

An unbidden whimper leaves your mouth at the sight as he deposits you onto the table, pushing the ice cold bucket away from you and leaving your legs draped over the edge. Lifting your head to look at him, you’re about to speak when he suddenly begins to slide his fingers up your calves.

Connecting your eyes with his, you watch with widening eyes as he begins to push the hem of your sundress over your thighs, the material tickling your hypersensitive skin until finally he can’t move it anymore because of your ass. Raising a brow at you, he gives a pleased smile when your hips lift up, allowing him to push the fabric further up to reveal the flat expanse of your stomach.

He doesn’t stop though, and keeps going till he’s tugging the dress over your shoulders before throwing it into the bedroom somewhere. It’s at this point that he takes a moment to simply admire you, eyes taking in the sight of your exposed skin under the dying sunlight and he lets out a sigh of pleasure, content with what he’s seeing.

“Christ, how can anyone look at the scenery when there’s you to enjoy?” He whispers, leaning forward and pressing a hot, open mouthed kiss to the centre of your stomach. Gasping at the wet feeling, your hands twine through his hair as he begins to leisurely kiss and lick his way upwards until he’s sucking on the soft, vulnerable skin of your breast.

“How can anyone look at the items in your museum when you’re there?” He presses a kiss gently before letting his tongue play over the hardened nub of your nipple, grinning at the wanton moan that escapes you as he does so. “I bet there’s not a thing in that museum more awe inspiring than the sight in front of me right now.” He murmurs before his mouth is sucking on your nipple, the pressure immense and almost painful before he’s letting go and admiring the way it puckers for him so prettily.

My god, who was this guy?!

Hoseok lets his tongue play along your breasts, swirling around the tip of your nipple before lovingly sucking it into his mouth. He stops suddenly though, pulling back before his eyes glance to the bucket next to your head, the metal sweating in the evening warmth. Giving the sensitive bud a light grazing with his teeth, he pulls away before tugging the bottle out of the ice.

“What are yo-Hoseok!” You cry out, giving a slight shriek as he pours the cold champagne onto your peaked breast, a husky laugh leaving him as his head dips down immediately to catch the fizzing liquid as it trickles down your chest. Gasping out at the sensation of his scorching tongue heating up your cooled flesh, your fingers slip into his soft hair and grip firmly.

“Hoseok! What are you doing? This is way too expensive to be...licking it off me.” You pant out, hands pushing his talented mouth even closer despite the words you’re telling him. He laughs gruffly, letting his nose brush against your skin as he follows an errant trickle before staying in place, sucking a bruise into the delicate skin over your ribcage.

“You’re wrong,” He says, voice slightly muffled as he tips a small amount over your nipple and immediately goes chasing. “This is exactly the right way to drink champagne. Why spend $300 on a bottle if you’re not going to lick it off the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen?”

It takes a moment for his words to penetrate your lust filled mind, but when it does you look down at him with wide eyes to see a toothy grin before those teeth bite down on the tender flesh. The price makes you eye the bottle warily until his compliment filters through and your stomach twists on itself, your legs clenching around his hips.

You don’t need to respond to him as he seems to understand what your body tells him silently, and he smiles sweetly, pressing a warm hand down on your trembling stomach muscles. He moves it slowly up to your neck, pulling you forwards slightly before he tips the bottle to your lips, letting you swallow a small amount before he’s placing the bottle to the side and swooping down to attach his lips to yours.

The taste of the champagne swirls around both of your mouths as he leisurely strokes your tongue with his, his cooled hand now grazing your side in slow movements until he pulls away and shifts backwards.

Eyes flicking to yours, his lips kick upwards before he’s sitting back down and spreading your legs for him, eyeing the sight of your slick dampened panties like a feast that’s been laid out just for him. Slowly, and making sure that you maintain eye contact with him the entire time, he shifts closer in the chair until you can feel the burning heat of his breath on your pussy.

“Do you want me to touch you here?” He asks and you want to cry from the need to have his tongue, his fingers, anything, touch you and relieve some of the ache. Nodding, you slur out some response to him and reach down, grasping for his head only to watch him jerk out of the way with a happy smile.

“Okay.” Is all he responds with, and you expect him to play some more games with you. Only he doesn’t.

Instead, he leans forward and places his mouth over the damp fabric of your panties, tongue pressing firmly to wet them even more. You can’t feel his tongue properly, can’t feel the slick wetness of the firm muscle and it drives you mad as he uses the fabric to lazily dull some of the pleasure. Whining at him, you grasp for his hair again and listen to his amused chuckle as he once more ducks out of the way.

A finger dances and skips it way along your inner thigh before it’s accompanied by his others, his nails lightly scraping along the sensitive flesh there until you’re shuddering with need. Humming in delight at your reactions to him, it’s with those deft fingers that he suddenly grabs the panties and tugs at them forcefully, the fabric almost burning in the speed that he pulls them off.

Gasping out an ‘oh’, you’re about to say something until suddenly those luscious pink lips wrap themselves around your clit and suck deeply. Crying out, your head hits the table with a thud as your hips undulate towards his mouth, body clenching on itself at the pleasure.

As he sucks, you feel the tip of his tongue playing with the tiny bud and immediately you’re writhing, uncaring of the rapidly cooling breeze that has the hair on you standing on end. How could you care, when this unbelievable man is between your legs and is worshipping you like a Greek goddess?

Hoseok hums to himself, a song you don’t recognise, but the effect is instantaneous as the vibrations cause tiny quakes of pleasure that have your legs tightening around his head. His elegant nose is pressed to your mound and you heat up as you hear him inhale unabashadley, taking in the scent of your arousal as he drags his tongue down to your weeping entrance.

Extending out that wonderful, talented tongue, he dips it into your pussy as far as he can before he curls it upwards, ever so slowly pulling it out to drag along your walls. An animalistic cry is pulled from your lungs as he does so, the sheer heat of the muscle combined with the slickness making you extra sensitive.

“Hoseok, chri-Hoseok please.” What you’re begging him for, you don’t know, but he seems to be pleased at what he’s hearing anyway. A loud clanking noise makes you jerk in surprise as you shift, watching him grasp the cold champagne bottle and bring it between your legs.

You go to stop him, afraid that he thinks pouring champagne down there is a good idea, only to let out a garbled noise as he presses the freezing glass to your clit. The temperature of it has your body shuddering in an excruciating combination of ecstasy and pain as he presses it firmly against you, circling it in slow motions that has shocks of pleasure fizzing in your veins.

“Jesus fucking-Hoseok!” You cry out, part of your mind aware that he’s using a bottle of fucking Dom Perignon as a sex toy. Hands grasping for him, you grip his wrist firmly yet don’t pull it away. No, if anything, you actually want him to go harder.

But he takes the choice away from you, pulling the bottle away before enveloping the cold little bud into his mouth. A mouth that now feels as hot as the centre of the sun and the temperature difference has you shrieking out, hand letting go of his wrist to pull at his dark hair.

He carries on for another few minutes or so, happily lapping at your clit in tiny kitten licks before sucking on it long and deep before he evidently decides he’s had enough foreplay. Standing, he grips under you and tugs you to him before lifting you up in one swift movement, your legs wrapping around his waist quickly while your arms lay around his neck in a languid movement.

“No orgasm?” You murmur to him, disappointed. A low laugh leaves him as he leans forward slightly, pressing soft yet damp kisses to your collarbones with a pleased noise.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get everything you’re hoping for.” He whispers, moving his head so close to your own that your noses are almost brushing against each other. The sun has slipped beneath the horizon and already darkness is chasing, the moon beginning to become brighter as it takes its rightful place.

Hoseok strides into the bedroom, pushing past the gauzy curtains before carefully laying you on the bed, a knee pressed to the mattress. Observing you for a moment, he lets out almost a sigh of utter desire and contentment, running both hands along your waist almost reverently before he’s leaning down, catching your lips in a quick yet deep kiss.

Standing back up, you push up onto your elbows and watch with greedy eyes as he begins to unbutton his shirt, going even slower once he catches your eyes with an amused grin. Each button gives way with ease, slowly revealing an expanse of tanned skin that under the sun, you’re sure would be golden, but in the slowly strengthening moonlight begins to pale slightly.

You swallow slowly, worried that you’re drooling at the sight of his torso as it’s exposed. Hoseok is lean yet incredibly toned, the muscles of his abdomen clearly defined yet not obscene and it makes you pant slightly, even more wetness coating the insides of your thighs.

He doesn’t take the shirt off though, nor does he take off the obscenely expensive watch adorning his wrist. Instead, he keeps his eyes firmly on you while unbuttoning his pants, the movement slow and seductive before he drags them, along with his underwear, down his muscled thighs.

Almost immediately, his thick cock bursts free and bounces in the air, a drop of clear liquid beading at the tip in his excitement. You don’t even realise the low noise of sheer, desperate need that you let out until Hoseok himself lets out a snort, shaking his head while a hand runs through his hair slowly.

“You look like you’ve seen something you want.” He rasps out, climbing onto the bed in slow and measured movements until he’s hovering over you. A slow roll of his hips has his cock grinding against your pubic bone, the hot shaft twitching at the movement as he lets out a deep groan of satisfaction.

“Fuck,” Hoseok whispers, almost inaudible as he dips his forehead to lean in the crook of your neck. “Every part of you is amazing, you know that?” You can’t help but laugh at his words, spurred from the pleasure his dick is sending into his body but you still take the opportunity to let your hands drag along his slim back, feeling the indent of each muscle and biting your lip at him.

“I want you.” He states bluntly, lifting his head to let you see the sheer dark want in his eyes and you keen out softly, lifting your head up to chase his lips in a wanton kiss of need. It’s lazy and unhurried, despite the constant grind of his hips against yours and the pool of liquid excitement between your legs.

Pushing at his shoulders, you separate and he lets you roll him over until his back is resting against the soft mattress of his bed, an impish smile taking over that makes him look very young. Straddling his thighs, you smirk down at him as you grasp his cock firmly in one hand, enjoying the way he lets out a quiet whimper before his eyes close as you stroke him.

“I want you too. Condom?” You ask quietly and he pauses for a moment, a look of panic washing over his face before relief filters through quickly soon afterwards. He nods towards his pants and gasps out something about a wallet, eyes rolling back as you give him a particularly tight squeeze.

It takes mere seconds to root his wallet out of his pocket before you tug out the single foil wrapped condom, brow raising at him. “Didn’t think you were going to get lucky huh?” You ask cheekily, bouncing back onto the bed and enjoying the way he laughs for a moment before his hands grab for your hips.

“No, but then again I wasn’t expecting to meet a goddess either.” Hoseok states, lip quirking up with amusement. You let out an ‘ooh’ noise as you roll the condom down him slowly, enjoying the sight of him.

He has a pleasing penis, you decide wryly. Not long, but girthy enough to know he’ll feel good and with the slightest curve that has your inner muscles clenching around air. A few more strokes has him especially solid in your hands and you straddle his hips, running the tip of him along your pussy in eased movements.

Moaning quietly, you enjoy the tiny sparks of gratification that pop in your veins as you coat his stiff shaft, your wetness lubing him while each press stimulates your aching clit. For a good 30 seconds, you simply enjoy using him to get yourself off before your eyes open and you catch the sight of his pained expression.

“Ready?” You whisper, shifting up slightly while you align yourself with him. His eyes are firmly focused on the where the tip of him is slowly edging its way into you, a gasping groan leaving his throat easily. Despite this, he somehow remembers your question and nods his head, hands resting firmly on your hips as he waits for your move.

You don’t respond to him, but instead sink down and let out a breathy moan as he stretches you deliciously. It doesn’t take long before you’re resting on his hips, his cock as deep in you as he can get and you sigh out, rocking your hips in a slow circle while you squeeze him internally.

He pants out a pained gasp, hands gripping tightly and you feel his hips reflexively jerk up into you, the movement pushing him further inside. Grinning slightly, you begin to rock with more intent, each slow roll of your stomach causing your hips to undulate on top of him and slide him in and out of you in slow, lazy drags.

“Fucking hell, you feel so fucking good.” He grunts and you can feel the strain in his hands, desperately wanting you to go faster on him but unwilling to push you yet. Reaching down, you take one hand of his and press it firmly to your breast, squeezing his fingers around you and getting a jolt of satisfaction when he shifts to pinch your nipple playfully.

You let him use his other hand to direct your hips further, the speed of your rocks increasing until all that can be heard are the slaps of flesh against flesh, the slick wetness of his cock inside you and the pleasured pants and moans from the both of you.

Leaning forward slightly, you let the angle shift and enjoy the way he soon picks up the slack, his hips jerking up into you in solid thrusts. Each movement has his cock dragging against your g-spot, with tiny, gasping whimpers leaving your mouth until you’re whining quietly, head dropping even further down.

“Touch yourself princess.” Hoseok says, his voice so deep and guttural that it sounds as it he’s speaking from his chest. He removes his hand from your chest and instead grips your ass firmly, the muscles in his biceps becoming noticeable as he moves you in time to his thrusts.

The noise you let out isn’t intelligible, but it’s a confirmation of his request and you bring a hand to press at your clit slowly. Experienced fingers push the hood of the pebbled bud away before you begin to circle, and almost immediately a rasping cry leaves your throat from the pleasure.

“Good girl, keep doing that.” He whispers, shifting slightly as he braces himself better before he begins to pound into you. It sends ricochets of satisfaction through you as your body jerks forward with each slap of his thighs against your buttocks, each drag of his cock pressing against all the sweetest spots inside you.

“Oh god Hoseok, oh god,” You moan out, eyes closing and denying you the beautiful vision of Hoseok looking fucked out with need and desire. He mutters encouragements to you, his voice low enough to send your inner muscles quivering around him and you slow in your movements between your thighs.

How are you possibly supposed to orgasm with this much pleasure happening?

But he senses your thoughts and brings a hand to press against yours, encouraging you to keep pleasuring yourself while he takes care of the rest of you. “Cum for me princess, come on. You can do it.” He pants out, his abdomen flexing underneath you and the white of his shirt almost glowing in the moonlight.

A pinch of your nipple combines perfectly with a swirl of your fingers and a thrust of his cock, the three events combining together to push you over the edge and you find yourself falling into the fizzing pit of overwhelming pleasure. Garbled noises of gratification escape you as you cum, eyes clenched shut as your inner muscles convulse repeatedly around his thick shaft.

Hoseok is moaning out in response, hips working even faster until he suddenly presses firmly into you once and a guttural groan rips from him. Even through your orgasm, you can feel the rhythmic twitching of his cock as he empties into the condom and by the time he’s finished, his hips are making tiny movements to let him ride out the final sparks of pleasure from his orgasm.

Slumping forward onto his chest, you both simply lay there for a minute in a silence that is only broken by the ragged pants from the two of you. Underneath your head, his chest is heaving for breaths and you feel the sticky sheen of sweat on both of you, cooling rapidly in the night breeze that rolls through the open windows.

“That...was every bit as good as I thought it would be.” Hoseok laughs raspily, running a tired hand along your back slowly before shifting you to the side. He sits up tiredly and tugs off the condom, disposing of it before standing on shaking legs and disappearing.

The tiredness of your day exploring, combined with the relentless sun and Hoseok’s ministrations has you dozing off before he even comes back from the bathroom, a towel in hand and a fond smile as he takes in your sleeping figure.

You wake the next morning slowly, eyes blinking blearily at the sun brightened room and it takes a moment for your memory to come back to you. A muffled moan leaves you as you curl into the soft, white pillow and inhale deeply, taking in the scent of sex and the undeniably expensive scent of Hoseok.

It’s only after a few more minutes of blissful quiet, the only sounds the distant crashing of the waves on the shore, that you realise it’s actually eerily quiet. Shifting in bed, the sheets wrapping around your body tightly as you do so, you spy an empty bed next to you.

The pillow isn’t even dented anymore, telling you that Hoseok has been gone for a while. Tugging the sheet against your chest, you sit up and look around in confusion. There’s no champagne outside, and the room seems oddly clean.

Swinging your legs over the edge, you’re about to stand until you note the white sheet of paper that flutters slightly in the gentle wind underneath a seashell. It’s then that you note your bag is next to the bed as well, instead of on the couch downstairs where you’d left it last night.

Reaching out, you take the note and read it quietly.

Princess,

Sorry if this all sounds awkward, I’ve never had to write a post-sex apology note. I should be better at this as a PR expert.

I’m sorry to leave you like this. When I said it was my last night, I meant literally. My flight is in the early morning and I had to leave to make it. I meant to walk you to your hotel but fell asleep too.

I’ve cleaned the villa, don’t worry. All you have to do is make sure everything locks behind you. Feel free to take the last of the champagne with you to make your last day even better. I really want to thank you for last night, I enjoyed both it and you.

I hope it’s not too presumptuous of me but I’ve left my number for you. When you’re back in New York, I’d love to visit your museum if you’d be okay with that. Maybe you can even give me a tour? Or even if you just want to talk, I’d like that too.

Yours,

Hoseok

Smiling down at the note, you reach into your bag and pull out your phone, glad it still has some battery left. It takes only seconds to enter his number into your contacts list and you sit there and admire it for a moment, your empty stomach bubbling over with a multitude of emotions.

Placing both down on the nightstand, you head out to the balcony and rest your arms on the glass edge, careful to make sure you remain covered even though there’s no one there to appreciate. Watching the slow but steady movement of the cerulean ocean that stretches as far as the eye can see, you can’t stop the smile that creeps over your face at everything that happened.

Any trepidation you had about going home is gone now, and instead there’s just a tremor of excitement that is ready to burst inside you. Yes, you think that you’re ready to go home now, especially given you have something so wonderful to look forward to.

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dreamingofjoon · 6 years

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Savage Y/N meets Mingyu

So this is my first time making head cannons but I really wanted this idea off my chest so bear with me if it’s a little long. Tell me if anyone wants me to write this as a fic because YES.

This moodboard was made by me. If you wish to use, please credit me. The photos do not belong to me. Credit to the respectable owners:)

Okay so

Mingyu is the typical I can get any girl kinda dude

Which he usually can cuz girls be throwing themselves at the man

Y’all are sophomores in college

And you’ve had a bunch of classes together over the years but barely talked other than polite greetings

So one day when a lecture’s over

the dude comes up to you and says

“Hey, I’m Mingyu”

and you’re like

“Yeah, I know”

and he goes

“There’s been some rumours about you and I just wanted to know if they’re true???”

and you’re like

“Shoot”

AND HE STRAIGHT UP ASKS, No shAME

“Are yOu A vIrGIn?”

And you don’t play that shit so you say

“None of your business”

But he grabs you by the shoulder (Not cool dude. Not a korean drama)

So you just let out a big sigh and turn around

“And what if I am? Mr.I-can-fuck-anyone”

And you slap his big ass hand off and walk out

So two weeks later

My dude calls you and says he got your number from your friend

Which is pretty creepy

But he’s like begging you to help on an assignment cuz he knows you’ve gotten good work on that subject before

So of course, you say no but then the begging gets real desperate so you ask what’s in it for you

Free food? Leggo.

Y’all plan to meet at the library by campus

You get there

You don’t see him so you text him asking where he at

He didn’t respond so you wait out front for him for almost an hour

Then you just went, “Fuck this”

You walk down to a lil cafe that’s like 2 blocks away

And GUESS WHO'S WALKING IN WITH A LIL LADY ON HIS ARM

But you still want your coffee and food so you go in anyway and order your stuff

Mingyu’s about to leave with his date and y’all caught each others eye

So you just send a lil wave then flip it to your middle finger

and he’s just taken aback by the savagery as he’s leaving with his date

like 10pm he calls you to apologize ad tries to explain himself

and he’s actually convincing and offers to pay you actual money this time

and your broke ass is like “okay!”

the next day, you walk to his apartment

the dude is living lavishly

he’s waiting for you in the lobby then y’all head up

you’re actually getting things done and he’s paying attention

then you decide to take a break

so he tries to be slick and starts rubbing up on your leg

and once again, you don’t play that shit so you slap his hand off our thigh and set your boundaries because other guys have approached you for the same reason

and he respects that

After about three more days, you guys are done

so you thought he wouldn’t contact you anymore so you delete his number

but you get a text soon enough

“What are you doing this friday?”

“Excuse me? Who’s this?”

“WOW you already deleted my number?”

So you guys establish an actual friendship all the way up to earlier in senior year

Mingyu doesn’t let up the fuckboy act but he doesn’t do it to you because he still respects the boundaries you set

Then one day, you guys are chilling in his apartment

And you’re just fed up

You take his phone out of his hand and set it down somewhere

“I’m tired of being a virgin. You wanna have sex?”

Something hella blunt basically

But you weren’t a fan of the whole friends with benefits thing

it was a one time thing

You’re blunt af and it catches him so off guard

But he still says he’s down because he’d be lying if he wasn’t

So he directs you through everything

And it’s actually better than you thought it’d be because he’s hella experienced

After that, you guys were kinda distant (mostly him)

But you were less awkward when it came to guys

And went out to like parties some more because you were feeling so good about yourself

You were glowing, no joke

And others were starting to notice

You met some dude and you guys got close and he asked you out soon enough

You guys start dating

Then Mingyu comes out of literally no where and calls to ask one night

“Y/N. Would you be my girlfriend?

And you’re confused like ?????

Where’d this come from?

“You started avoiding me dickwad”

And he’s apologizing because for once, he’s kinda under a girl’s spell

And he felt like honored when you asked him to have sex with you because that meant you trusted him

and you weren’t a fan of his sleeping around so you told him to come talk to you again when he hadn’t stuck his dick in some girl for at least two weeks

But he tells you that he hasn’t done anything for a month

(You guys did the do about three months prior)

But the other thing is that you’re dating someone and have feelings for them

You tell Mingyu how it is and although he’s mad at himself, he respects your relationship

You date the guy for another three months before he breaks up with you

mainly because you guys hadn’t had sex the entire time you were together (what a dick)

But you weren’t even that hurt because you were suspecting so and were planning to break up with him soon

Mingyu calls you again soon

“Heard you broke up with him?”

“Yup.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, actually.”

“Why are you so chill about getting broken up with?”

“Because he was suspect. I knew what he wanted so I was about to break up him anyway.”

“Woah. Does that mean I have chance at you now?”

“Sure.”

So the next day, he comes over and you guys chat and make food to eat

He explained why he was so distant

Eventually, one thing led to another and you guys are making out

You somehow reach your bed

;0 ;)

He’s such a big, cute puppy when he’s not a cocky shit

“Will you be my girlfriend now?”

You roll your eyes but answer yes as you try to get up from the bed

But the big lug pulls you back down and keeps you close to him in a hug

And you guys don’t have anywhere to be so you just kinda lie there being weirdos for the rest of the afternoon

Until your roommate comes home and walks in on you guys

“Y/N?? YOU’RE NOT PURE ANYMORE???”

#i gotta wake up at 6 #boy group writers net #kim mingyu #svt kim mingyu #svt mingyu #mingyu #svt scenarios #svt imagines #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #seventeen mingyu #seventeen kim mingyu #kpop headcanons #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios

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beautiful-liu · 7 years

Text

Chapter 18 - Remember me - Kryber

Title: Remember me

Pairing: Kryber [Amber Liu x Krystal Jung] Fandom: f(x) Genre: Drama, romance

Summary: The bad ass androgynous girl Amber Josephine Liu with a sex, drugs and rock-‘n-roll attitude whom everybody seemed to fear and admire at the same time, with the flash of a smug smile on her handsome face, and a sigaret or lolly pop in her mouth, depending on her mood. A leather jacket always hugging her shoulders, ripped jeans and a loose tank top that displayed just a tiny bit of her sports bra when she lifted her tattoo-filled arms. Everyone was weak for Amber Liu. Krystal simply didn’t see it. Until that one night she accidentally met her, and met a whole other person than the stories she had been made to believe. Word count: 5300 Rating: T A/N: Excuse the grammar mistakes. This is my first time writing a multi chaptered fic. Hope y'all enjoy the progress!

Read it on: AO3 & asianfanfics

Moodboard: x

Six days. It would take six days before the dinner would occur. That'd mean she'd have enough days to prepare herself for the awkward situation that was going to happen. The next day Krystal had gotten a message from Amber that said:

Couldn't wait to see me again? ;)

Krystal had growned at the message and had only been able to reply to her a few hours later to explain that it hadn't been her idea. Amber had immediately turned on her phone and replied that she already guessed so, since Krystal wasn't the person to dig her own grave. But she also reassured her that it was going to be fine. Luna had already been informed, so she wouldn't ask any diffecult questions about the party at Jung Internationals. The only obstacle they had to deal with was Kai, and he surely was going to ask some questions. They had made a deal that Krystal would make up the lies and that Amber would roll with it. Krystal used to think that she was quite a disciplined woman. Whenever she wanted to put herself to work, how dreadful it might be, she was always able to get into her concentration-mode. Often she was so concentrated on her work that it often took her hours to snap out of it. Often forgetting to eat or to drink, her assistant had to bring her food and water to make sure her boss stayed healthy during long office days. But work never seemed so boring with a horrible dinner to come. And not just that, Amber Liu has never left her mind the moment she had gotten back home. Krystal didn't like social media much. Too often people found her, sending her annoying friend requests or wanted to chat over Facebook. That's why she at first hadn't made an instagram account. But at a certain moment her mind had wandered, wondering if Amber had an instagram. The next moment she had taken her phone out of her pocket and had already dowloaded the app. Two hours later, her assistant, Eloisa, found her lying on her leather couch, with her knees pulled up to her chest and her phone in her hand, marvelling about how cute and dorky Amber's instagram was. She was suprised how many friends she actually had, let not alone the pictures with her dog Jack Jack — the little bastard clearly was really old now, since his snout had started to become gray — and a new asset, a kitten called Tuna. There were tons and tons of pictures of her on her skateboard, her doing charity work, crazy food pictures, pokémon sweaters, cute little edited videos and an surprising big ammount of pictures that were actually kind of sexy, even though they were defenitely not meant to be. The pictures with Luna — which tended to be around more often the more she scrolled up — gave her a weird feeling in her belly. Even though Amber had assured her that they were just friends with benefits, she couldn't help to wonder if Luna felt so too. The sweet, romantic looks she gave Amber on the pictures just looked too real, and Krystal's heart ached at the looks Amber gave her back. But then another jumping picture came along and she couldn't help to chuckle about how dorky they looked. Eloisa had to call her a couple of times before she snapped out of her daze. "Miss, you have a meeting.. right now." Krystal had immediately closed the app, feeling incredibly ashamed of herself. Quickly she had gotten up and walked with Eloisa towards the meeting room. She had been 10 minutes late. Luckily she was allowed to get late, but she noticed the annoyance on the faces of her employees, even though they tried to hide it. As soon as she got back from the meeting, she had caught herself trying to go back to the app and scroll through the few pictures she hadn't yet looked at. With great diffeculty, she had been able to keep herself from that and get to work. The next few days were perhaps even worse. She found herself staying in the office long past hours, trying to find any excuse that she wouldn't have to go home. More often than not she asked Eloisa to dine with her, but after three times in a row, her assistant declinded kindly, telling her that she didn't have so much money to spend and she didn't want Krystal to pay for her. Since she didn't eat any fast food nor liked to dine alone, she was obliged to go home. Kai waited for her with a delicious self made dinner and it simply was delicious but after their fight last Sunday she was not able to look at him normally. His comments about Amber's sexuality had made her very aware of her own. Even though he had tried to hid the fact that he was a little bit wary and disgusted by Amber's life style, Krystal knew there was a part of him who didn't like it at all that she had been with her all night. She had always known that Kai was rather simple minded when it came to these things but she had always been able to ignore it because it never came up in a conversation. Now that it had, she was scared of how he would think of her if she told him she was bisexual. Bisexuality was a part of her that she couldn't and didn't want to erease, not even for her fiancé. Would it be good to tell him before the wedding happened? Or would it be another secret that settled between them? If she never saw Amber again after the dinner, would it even matter? She didn't needlessly want to cause havoc when nothing was going to happen. A strange feeling settled in her belly when she thought of that.. She caught herself hoping that something would happen, just so she could break off her boring relationship with Kai and head off with Amber. But that was something that could never happen, she told herself. She hadn't worked so hard all her life just to throw all of it away. She was almost there — the wedding was only a few months away — if she turned her back towards all of that now, she would be back to square one. Krystal hadn't wasted 26 years of her life for that. Nevertheless, Amber never left her mind. She thought of her when she was working, she thought of her when she was going to sleep. She thought of her during the kisses she shared with Kai and she thought of her under the shower. She thought of her when she shouldn't, when there was not even an indicator that reminded her of her. And eventually Saturday came closer and closer. For the whole week, Krystal had not been able to prepare herself. Find the right dress and the right hair style was as easy as picking the right products in the supermarket, but she had no idea how to behave. Would she have to act distant, like she and Amber weren't all that close and pay attention to Kai mostly? Did she need to ignore her completely, or just laugh at her jokes? And what about Luna, would she be able to even have a normal conversation with the dazzling upcoming super star? Especially now that she had spent the whole week looking at photos of her and Amber on Amber's instragram, whilst gritting her teeth together to surpress her jealous emotions. As the clock ticked by, they started to prepare. Kai wore his white blouse, although he kept the first two buttons open to keep it casual, and dark blue jeans. His hair was up instead of down. Krystal had sought out a short black dress with long sleeves that hugged her figure perfectly. She took out her best pair of heels, because she would be damned to look small next to Kai. She decided to let her hair loose, since the dinner still was supposed be sort of casual. And with a light apply of make up, she was all set for the night. "Damn, Krys. We aren't going to a fashion show, you know," Kai said, as soon as Krystal stepped out of the bathroom. She couldn't help to roll her eyes. "Well, this outfit is only more beneficial for you later tonight, isn't it? I don't know why you're complaining," she replied. Kai was a bit taken back by the answer, but chuckled nevertheless. "I wasn't complaining, I was merely admiring," he said. His words made her cringe and dear god she really hoped that tonight wouldn't lead to sex. Krystal had already been able to push it to the weekend but he hadn't gotten any for two weeks right now and she knew he'd get impatient. The thought of sexual intercourse right after the dinner made her bite down hard on her lip. "Let's go..." she simply muttered. Kai nodded and grabbed her hand. Krystal wanted to take it back, but felt back, and against her will in intertwined her fingers with his. The address Luna had texted them was of Amber's apartment. Krystal had recognized it immediately. Even though she knew the road to Amber's apartment by heart, she let Kai install the navigator, since she didn't want to bring down the mood any more. Kai had already noticed that she was more silent than usual and therefor he had gotten a bit agitated too. It took them twenty minutes to get there. Luckily the radio was on, otherwise there would've been a painful silence between them. Or maybe only Krystal experienced it as a painful silence. When they rung the bell to Amber's penthouse, Luna opened with a big smile on her face. "Come in!" she chirped friendly, whilst taking their coats. Kai greeted her friendly and Krystal nodded to her as she took off her coat. Luna went off to hang up their coats. Krystal awkwardly folded her hands in front of her body, taking a look at the apartment as she bit down on her lip. Kai stayed by her side, but that made it even more uncomfertable. At the moment Luna returned, she heard a high pitched bark coming from behind of her. A small, dark-haired dog ran through Luna's legs, yapping loudly. He ran as fast as he could towards Krystal and started to jump up on her legs. The snout of the animal had turned grey from the last she had seen him. A smile grew on her face as sat down on her knees to pet the chihuahua. "Oh Jack Jack," she muttered. The dog turned a circle for a couple of times, barked, then jumped up against her body again to lick her face and her hands. Krystal started to giggle whilst she petted the tiny animal everywhere she could. Jack Jack barked happily. "Seems like he still knows you." Krystal jerked her head up, only to look into the deep eyes of Amber. She casually leaned against the wall, right after Luna, her eyes soft at the sight of Krystal petting Jack Jack. For a moment, she lost her concentration and all she could do was stare. Amber had let her hair down, causing the sleek strands to fall beautifully across her forehead. She wore a blue sweater with a white blouse underneath, together with a black pair of skinny jeans. She was bare footed. Luckily Jack Jack started to lick her hand and whine to sign her that she should keep on patting. Krystal blinked a couple of times, as if she just woke up from a deep slumber and smiled weakly to Amber. She started to pet Jack Jack again. "I guess so. I missed you, buddy." Jack Jack barked in response, causing her to laugh softly. She petted the dog another time, before getting up. Amber's gaze shifted, because she hadn't been looking at Jack Jack at all. Only at Krystal. She looked down, hoping that Kai wouldn't see the blushes on her face. "Well, what are we waiting here for? I cooked a delicious meal, you're gonna love it!" Luna broke the silence. Kai smiled and grabbed Krystal's hand. She bit down on her lip again, wishing he'd let go. They all walked towards the dining table, which was in an extension of the living room. Luna immediately hopped towards the kitchen to get the food. Amber directed them to their places. Kai immediately sat down next to Krystal. And even though it wasn't more than logical that the couples would sit next to each other, it still made her incredibly uneasy. "Wait a moment, I got the perfect drink to start this dinner," Amber said, before she walked of. That left Kai and Krystal together at the already covered table. Krystal couldn't get herself to say anything. Luckily Amber was back rather quickly, with a bottle of champage in her hands. She grinned widely to them, but Krystal was able to hit her. Champagne? What was there to celebrate? That this evening was going to be crappy as hell? But she let the woman pour her a glass. Krystal immediately took a big sip, hoping that if she'd just drink enough alcohol tonight that perhaps the dinner wouldn't be so bad. Amber sat in front of her, waiting for Luna to arrive with the first course. In the mean while a silence settled between them, which especially made Kai turn awkwardly in his chair. "So.." he said, as he cleared his throat. "Krystal told me you two had some fun after I left at the party, huh?" Amber's eyes shot from Kai to Krystal and she snickered. "Oh, did she?" she laughed. Krystal shot her an angry look and Amber winked. Kai frowned his eyebrows at the wink. "Yeah we drank some more. Too much. Sorry for not bringing her home directly, bro, you don't mind, do you? I took good care of her." Kai had to clear his throat again. "Hmm, well, yeah. I didn't really mind that much," he said softly. Krystal shot him a look. Liar. Amber chuckled softly. Right at the moment Kai wanted to open his mouth again to ask something, Luna came into the living room with a steaming bowl of soup in her hands. "Hot, hot, hot hot..!" she kept on muttering, until she put it safely down on the table. Luna took off her oven mitts and placed one of them neatly on the table. The other one she used to keep her fingers free from burns when she lifted the lid. Damp arose from the pan that brought a delicious smell. “That smells amazing,” Amber commented. Luna flashed her a smile and winked. “Of course, because I made it! Unlike you, I can cook pretty well,” Luna laughed. “Well, she can cook pretty well, can’t she?” Krystal mumbled. Luna and Amber both looked at her in confusion. Kai narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why would you know?” he asked her. Krystal realized her mistake. She laughed nervously. “We are childhood friends, remember? Of course we have cooked one time together,” she quickly said. Luna and Amber exchanged a glance, then started to smile too. “Yeah, of course,” Amber added. Krystal quickly turned her gaze away and pressed her lips stiffly upon each other, so that she wouldn’t blurt out anything that might give her away. “Well, let’s say Amber isn’t such a great cook as I am,” Luna laughed. “Hmm, what is it? It smells amazing!” Kai said, as he bowed a little closer to the pan and took a sniff. “It’s seaweed soup, a special recipe from my dearest mother,” Luna said. Kai handed her his bowl and she filled it with the delicious smelling appetizer. Luna filled all of the bowls, then sat down next to Amber. She took her glass and lifted it in the air, the others followed. “To a great friendship, I’d love to see you two more,” Luna smiled. Kai grinned and nodded in agreement. “Likewise!” The group of four started at their appetizer. Krystal hoped that it would be over soon. The longer she stayed here, the more the tension in her lower belly started to build up. After the seaweed soup, Luna served them a main course that existed of steak with a terrific gravy, mushed potatoes and a mix of several vegetables. They had a salad as a side dish. Krystal mainly focused on the dinner. She already was a slow eater, let alone if she really participated in the conversation Luna and Kai were having. And even if she did, she’d probably give herself away again. Amber was also remarkably silent. Perhaps they had the same thoughts. After the main course, Luna would serve them home-made crème brûlée. When she was off to the kitchen to caramelize the upper layer of the custard, an awkward silence settled between the three of them. Krystal could feel that Kai wasn’t comfortable around Amber, and Amber simply didn’t care about him enough to start a conversation or ask about his life. “Why aren’t you two talking to each other? You’re friends right..” he eventually commented. Amber and Krystal exchanged a glance. Amber coughed to clear her throat. “What’s there to talk about? Luna’s the one with the crazy stories,” she replied, with a half of a smile on her face. Her eyes didn’t twinkle along. “So? That doesn’t mean you’re not interesting. I’ve never seen two friends who’re so silent,” Kai went on. Krystal noticed the already weak smile fade off Amber’s face. Oh, how she hoped Luna would be back soon. She would’ve never predicted that she’d think that. “Maybe there’s simply nothing to discuss when you’re around.” “What’s that supposed to-“ “Behold! My crème brûlée!” Luna came back into the room with four small cups of their dessert on a small silver plate, raised above her head, right at the moment Kai was about to get up. Amber didn’t take her eyes off him. She had her teeth clenched so much that her jawline became even sharper. Kai looked like he was about to punch her in the face. Luna immediately noticed the grim mood at the table. She lowered the plate. Her eyes went from Amber to Kai and eventually to Krystal. “What’s up, guys?” she asked softly. Kai cleared her throat and stood up. “Nothing, I just have to go to the bathroom for a bit,” he said stiffly. Kai showed a weak smile to Luna, trying to save the situation. No one was fooled. “Oh, of course sweetie, it’s at the end of the hall, right door,” Luna directed him. Kai immediately walked off. Luna placed the plate on the table and put her hands in her side. She let her gaze go from Amber to Krystal and back before she sighed. “Really, what’s up with you two? This was supposed to be a nice dinner.” “It was never going to be fun for us either way.” Amber dropped her napkin on her plate a bit too aggressively and stood up to walk back towards the kitchen. With a shock, Krystal realized that with ‘us’ she meant Krystal and her. Luna looked baffled and watched Amber walk away. The other woman sighed again and let herself fall back down on her chair. After a few moments she looked up to Krystal. “Aren’t you going after her?” she asked. Krystal blinked a couple of times, then bit her lip. “I’m not supposed to.” “Yeah you were also not supposed to sleep with her but you did anyway. Just follow your heart for once, that monkey is having a hard time right now.” That sentence felt like a hit in the face. Krystal stared at Luna with wide eyes. “You’re her-“ “-Friend, nothing more. I’m her friend, but you’re the person she likes,” Luna interrupted her. Krystal chuckled softly and looked down. “You can’t be in love after meeting once,” she said, even though she damn well knew that her own feelings were the proof of the contrary. Luna sighed and shook her head. “Maybe she has never fallen out of love, did you ever think about that? Otherwise we would’ve been more than friends with benefits, you know, I have my charms. But we are not. Because did you know what she told me when I asked her on a date? She said she couldn’t, because there was still a part of her attached to somebody else. And I have a very strong feeling that that person is you, Krystal. So now, god damn it, go after her and get her back at this table. I will not have my dinner ruined by you two love birds.” Krystal opened her mouth to object, but there was nothing to say. She closed it again, then as quietly as possible stood up from the table and walked over to the kitchen. Amber stood with her back to the kitchen dresser, her arms folded in front of her chest and her eyes closed. When Krystal came in, she didn’t look up, nor showed any sign to show that she had heard her heals click on the stone floor. Only when Krystal placed her hands on the dresser on each sides of Amber and came closer, the other woman opened her eyes. There still was a sense of hardness in them. Krystal saw so much of that old rebel in her. “Your fiancé is a prick, did you know that?” Amber said. Krystal laughed softly and nodded. “Yeah I know. But I think he’s especially being a prick towards you,” she said. Amber lifted one of her eyebrows. “You know, he’s kind of.. intimidated,” she said, whispering the last word. This made Amber chuckle softly. “Of course, have you seen my biceps? I’d be intimidated by me too,” she replied. Krystal laughed. Her laugh slowly faded and she looked back up to Amber again. Amber smiled back to her. Slowly, she moved her arms. Krystal laid them across Amber’s hips, curling them softly around her waist. Amber looked a bit surprised, but she wasn’t the kind of woman who was taken by surprise quickly or let it control her. She also wrapped her arms around Krystal’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug. With a sigh, she nuzzled her face in the crook of Amber’s neck. “I want to go…” she muttered sadly. Amber’s hand moved and she now stroke Krystal’s hair softly. “I know.. I know.. Half an hour, tops. I’ll make an excuse that I have to go after that, so you can go home.” “But I don’t want to go home…” Amber stayed silent. Softly she let out a sigh. They stayed like that for a couple of moments, with Krystal’s arms around Amber’s waist and Amber softly stroking her hair to reassure her. Amber’s smell hadn’t changed at all these past few years, Krystal noticed, she still smelled like summer was just around the corner. Minutes passed and Krystal eventually looked up to her. Amber looked back. She could feel herself drown in those deep dark brown orbs. And without thinking, she brought her face closer to Amber’s. The other woman bowed down to meet her. Their lips were just about to touch when they heard Luna’s voice coming from the living room: “AMBER! KRYSTAL! Kai is back!” They jumped apart, as if Kai was about to walk in on them. A bit startled, they exchanged a glance. Then, Krystal started to chuckle. ”Oh, she has such a loud voice..” she giggled. Amber laughed too. ”Tell me something. You gotta see how she records her songs, we have to tone her down every time.” Krystal snickered. Amber took her hand in hers and pinched it for a moment. Krystal pinched back. After that, they left for the living room. ”Had a nice pis?” Amber asked, as soon as she sat down. Kai stared at her in disbelief. ”Well, you said that we’re rather quiet, didn’t you? So, I decided to be a good host and ask you about your life. Pee or poop?” Luna slapped Amber hard across the shoulder. The other woman didn’t even whine. “Stop it! That’s gross. I don’t wanna know. I don’t think anyone here at this table wants to know,” she snapped. Amber just laughed. Krystal had to place her hand in front of her mouth to not burst out in giggles too. Kai shot her a foul look. “Anyway-“ Luna started again,”-let’s end this dinner with my amazing dessert. I’m sure you’ll love it!” Luna started to hand out the small cups with custard. The upper layer was perfectly caramelized. It sure looked like Luna had a lot of experience. They all digged into the crème brûlée and it was honestly delicious. Even Krystal couldn’t help to make a few sounds of pleasure. She had to admit that this dessert was definitely worthy 5 stars at least. Luna looked with a big grin at the other three people at the table, who were literally devouring the dessert as soon as they could. After everyone was done, Krystal and Kai helped to clear the table. They all sat down again around the coffee table this time. The brunette couldn’t help to let her eyes dart to the place of the couch she had given Amber her first orgasm, that night. They had not been able to make it to the bedroom before Krystal’s desire took over and she had promptly pulled the other woman to the couch. Her cheeks reddened at the memory. “Shall I bring you some coffee? A cappuccino, espresso? Or some tea-“ Luna started, but she was rudely interrupted by Amber’s obvious coughing. “Luna, I think you forgot I still have to go somewhere. I have an appointment tonight,” she said. Krystal shot her a thankful look, but Luna tilted her head in confusion. “Oh, I didn’t know. Well, you can just go and I can take care of Krystal and Kai, can’t I?” “Eh, isn’t it kind of weird if you three stay in my apartment without me?” Amber laughed. “I have a key and I can take Jack Jack out before I go so-“ Amber shot her a look and Luna’s eyes suddenly grew big. “Hmm, now that you say so, it indeed is a bit weird,” she laughed awkwardly. With an apologetic look, she turned her gaze to Krystal and Kai. “That doesn’t matter, we were just about to go,” Kai said. Thank god, thought Krystal. “I’m sorry it couldn’t last longer. But we just have to make another date soon!” Luna chirped. Kai nodded in agreement. Krystal looked to the ground.“I’ll just get your coats, wait for a moment.” Luna darted off, which left them alone with Amber. “Thank you for your hospitality,” Kai said, in an attempt to break the silence. Amber showed a weak smile. She’s not very good in pretending to be nice, Krystal thought amusedly. Of course, when she was young she never had to be nice when she didn’t want to. But nowadays, that came with her job and responsibility. It doesn’t suit her much. ”No problem.” Luna came back with their coats and handed them to them. They said their goodbyes, hugged everyone and Krystal and Kai left the apartment. As soon as they sat in the car again, Kai let all of his frustrations go. “What an incredible, rude, scruffy-looking asshole is that friend of yours,” he hissed. Krystal decided not to look at him and keep her eyes on the road, even though it wasn’t she who was driving. “She’s nice to me…” she said softly. Kai huffed. “Of course she is nice to you, she’s your friends. But really, Krys, I don’t know what you see in her but she’s terrible. Stubborn and impolite and insulting and she has no respect for anyone else! I don’t know how a woman like Luna can end up with her.” Krystal bit down on her lip. “Don’t you think you might be the problem? If everyone at that table likes her instead of you, perhaps it’s not her fault.” Krystal barely didn’t dare to say it. Kai stayed silent for a moment. “No. Defenitely not,” he eventually grumbled. “I know refinement when I see it and believe me, Krystal, she is not it. You might do better to stay away from her.” She sighed and let her head rest against the car window. “Yeah, I might.” The rest of the car ride they stayed silent. As soon as they got home, Kai opened the last few buttons of his blouse, exposing his toned belly muscles. Krystal couldn’t help to take a look at them, but she found herself not as much attracted to them anymore as she once had been. Amber’s abs looked better… She kicked off her shoes as was about to walk to the bathroom when she suddenly felt two strong arms curl around her waist. Her breathing stopped for a moment. She immediately placed her hands upon Kai’s hoping to wriggle out of this position, but he kept her firmly locked in his arms. “Didn’t you say that dress would be beneficial for me tonight?” he whispered in her ear. The colour drained from Krystal’s face and her mouth grew dry. A feeling of panic rushed through her body. “I-I, ye-yes I might have said that,” she stuttered. Kai chuckled lowly and spun her around. Within a second her back was pressed against the wall. Kai’s lips were immediately in her neck. Krystal placed her hands flat on his chest to push him away, but he was so much stronger than she was. “Kai, st-stop!” she eventually managed to get out in a broken voice. Kai looked up in confusion, both of his eyebrows pulled up. Then he started to smile. “Come on, Krystal, just for once.” She stared at him with wide eyes. “No,” she said firmly. Kai’s smile faded off his lips immediately. “You do know that it has been more than two weeks since we’ve been intimate?” he sissed. Krystal swallowed audibly. "I-I can't... Not today," she said quickly, before ducking under his arms and distancing herself from him. She immediately wrapped her arms around her body. She was shaking a little bit. Kai folded his arms in front of his chest, he looked livid. "If you're trying to make me more attracted with you by turning me down then-" "I'm not. I just.. can't." Kai opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. They stared at each other for a few moments. "You know, Krystal, there's always an excuse. 'You're too tired'. 'You just showered'. 'You are not in the mood'. 'You're on your period'. 'You didn't take your birth control pill'. I'm starting to get the feeling that you just don't want to be intimate with me," he said slowly. "No, no, it's not that-" Krytal immediately started, but her voice got caught in her throat as soon as she wanted to give an explanation. Because Kai was right. She didn't want to. "Then come on."And Krystal could see the fury in his eyes, the passion, the desire, the hurt of not feeling wanted. And she couldn't get herself to say no.Later that night she sat in the bathroom, long after Kai had fallen asleep. With her knees pulled up, a sharp aching between her thighs and tears running down over her face, she couldn't help but to wish that she was with Amber right now. She would've never made her feel this way.

#remember me #kryber #krystal #krystal jung #jung soojung #amber #amber liu #amber josephine liu #f(x)#fx #f(x) fanfiction #fanfictin #f(amber)#f(x) amber #f(krystal)#f(x) krystal

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