#anyways so i just sat down today and drew some simple shapes to relax and like. Breathe

[onwardintolight]

Han x Leia, ESB, Trip to Bespin, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

Summary: ESB from Leia's POV. A journey from despair to hope, a blossoming, an opening to vulnerability and love.

Warnings: Deals with some heavy themes, incl. working through trauma, depression, self-harm, attempted sexual assault. Each chapter will be individually warned.

Note: I’m currently in the process of reposting the first nine chapters here in full, since when I first wrote this fic, I only shared links to the chapters on AO3 and FFN. I will try to post at least weekly. In the meantime, if you’d prefer to binge-read it, the entire fic is posted in full on AO3 and FFN.

Part: Masterlist | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Epilogue

~~~

No one had seen Threepio since they left the platform. Leia’s dread was back with a vengeance and steadily rising.

“I’m sure he’ll turn up soon,” Han reassured her. “Probably went to check out that droid spa Lando mentioned on the way here.”


«Perhaps he has gotten lost,» Chewie suggested. «Lando told us our room location. If he can’t find his way here, he will comm soon.»

“It’s just not like him—” she stopped abruptly, giving that a second thought. On the contrary, See-Threepio seemed to run off quite a bit. “—to not comm,” she finished. That was slightly more true. She sighed, defeated. “Okay, we’ll wait. And Han? Chewie?” She caught them before they headed out the door. “Not a word to Lando—or anyone.” Better to avoid drawing more attention to ourselves, she thought darkly.

“Not a word,” Han repeated.

Soon, the pair returned from the ship with their travel bags, and Leia retreated to the bedroom to freshen up. Before she began, however, she quickly scoured the room for recording devices. There were three. She grimaced. Disgusting as it was, she hoped it was the work of some lecherous janitor—that would be better than a few of the more nefarious possibilities looming in her mind. Carefully, she removed the bugs and dismantled them. Grabbing one, she opened the door to the main lounge and tossed it across the room to Han. He caught it, frowning. “Two in the bedroom, one in the ‘fresher,” she said. “Check the rest of the suite.”

“We’re on it,” he said.

Shutting the door again, she banished for a moment all thoughts of the bugs—they’re not exactly rare; it’s nothing, she told herself—and turned her attention to the closet. Her eyes were drawn to an elegant, flowing tunic and pants in warm, rusty burgundy. A cream-colored cape lay over the top, embellished with delicate embroidery. She usually tried not to think about it while caught up in Alliance affairs, but she missed wearing outfits like these, with such rich colors and flattering shapes. Feeling pretty was a luxury she rarely had time for anymore, and she was almost ashamed that she wanted it at all.

Well, she supposed, there was no need to be ashamed today.

Quickly, she removed her jumpsuit and boots and slipped on the new outfit instead, fastening a matching belt around her waist and sliding into the delicate but comfortable slippers. Then, grabbing the travel bag with her hairbrush and makeup, she set herself up in front of the ‘fresher mirror. After reviving her face and tinting her lips with a stain that complimented her outfit, she twisted her hair into a bun and two looped braids. It was a simple style—she didn’t want to advertise her status—but she thought it rather chic and lovely.

There was a thump from the other side of the wall. She jumped, but it was followed by a roar, and she relaxed again, annoyed with herself. It was only Chewie, searching the second lounge like she had asked. She was letting herself get way too worked up. If she couldn’t figure out a way to loosen up, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy her time here with Han. And that was something she wanted terribly much.

After the last pin was in place, she headed back out to the lounge. Her eyes slid over to the bed again as she went.

I’m in over my head anyway, she thought. Would one night really make that much of a difference?

She tried to silence those thoughts; at the moment they were only serving to make her more agitated. But contemplating the mystery of Threepio’s disappearance wasn’t any better. It had been, what, an hour? She frowned. Too long.

She emerged from the bedroom, ready to argue her case, but the look on Han’s face when he saw her stole all her words away. Speechless, he rose from where he was sitting and walked towards her, stopping far enough away to take her in.

“Leia,” he murmured, her name like honey on his lips. “You look…” She raised an eyebrow, and he shook his head, apparently unable to find the right word. She closed the rest of the gap between them. “…Gorgeous,” he whispered, taking her in his arms. “I mean, not that you don’t normally; you always look gorgeous—” Leia laughed and kissed him, cutting off any further remarks.

Chewie groaned. «I’m right here,» he announced. «Don’t forget.»

They broke off quickly. Leia frowned, abruptly remembering what she had been about to say. “Still no word from Threepio?” she asked.

Han and Chewie glanced at each other, and Han shook his head.

«I think it is time to look for him,» said Chewie.

“Dumb droid,” Han muttered under his breath. “Chewie’s right.”

“I was worried about telling the authorities,” said Leia, “but I’m beginning to think letting him wander is riskier.”

“I know what you mean. Yeah, he’s got good intentions, but it’s just a matter of time ’til he blows our cover.”

Quickly, they came up with a plan of attack. Chewie headed out to examine the area surrounding their path from the Falcon, while Han volunteered to stop by the droid spa to see if Threepio had detoured for an oil bath. Meanwhile, Leia commed the concierge, Cloud City Security, and Lando to advise them on the missing droid. 

No one she talked to had seen him. “We will certainly keep our eyes peeled,” Lando told her when she finally got him on the comm. His voice still oozed charm; she stifled a gag. He didn’t offer any more help.

“Thank you,” she said shortly, cutting off the communication.

Han commed her a second later, informing her that Threepio had not been seen at the spa. “No one’s giving us much useful information, and I don’t like it,” she said, telling him about her brief conversations with Lando and the others.

“I’m sure they’re doing what they can. I think I’m gonna go down to the platform and see if I can get an update on repairs.”

“All right. Don’t be gone too long,” she entreated him, trying not to sound too desperate.

She stood still for a moment after flipping off the comm, considering whether there was anything else she could do. Her mind drew a blank. Sighing, she sat down to wait for Han and Chewie’s return. A minute later she got up again, restless. Walking over to the window, she looked out over the city. The pleasant blue of morning lit up the sky, and all the towers sparkled in the sun. Traffic was light, and everything seemed so pretty and peaceful, at odds with the unsettled heaviness she felt. Was she making too much of a big deal out of nothing?

She began to pace, trying to work out the puzzle. Why would Threepio just disappear without a word? If he was lost, he would have certainly found a way to contact them by now. Could he have been kidnapped? The thought seemed absurd, especially in such a seemingly genteel place. On the other hand, there weren’t many other explanations that made sense.

Her apprehension grew. The more she thought about it, the more vaguely nightmarish it all felt. Even the pleasant light outside seemed off in some way she couldn’t put her finger on. Was the city’s beauty just a veneer, hiding something much darker underneath?

Suddenly, she wanted very much to leave.

The door slid open, and Han walked in. “The ship’s almost finished,” he announced. “Two or three more things and we’re in great shape.”

“The sooner the better,” she said, walking towards him. “Something’s wrong here. No one has seen or knows anything about Threepio, and he’s been gone too long to have gotten lost.”

At the sound of the tension in her voice, Han reached out to her, gently kissing her forehead.

“Relax,” he said. “I’ll talk to Lando and see what I can find out.”

“I don’t trust Lando,” she replied, sitting down on one of the cushioned benches.

Han sat down on the other side of the bench, angling his body so that he faced her. “Well, I don’t trust him, either. But he is my friend.” He leaned in close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath, and she fought off the urge to get rid of the space between them entirely. “Besides,” he continued, “we’ll soon be gone.”

And there it was, the other fear.

“And then you’re as good as gone, aren’t you?” she said quietly.

Han looked down for a moment, taking her hands in his, before turning his gaze back up to her face. His eyes were soft and pained, tinted golden brown in the room’s natural light. Leia had rarely ever seen him look so unguarded, and she saw in him a desperation that mirrored her own. “Leia,” he murmured, his voice torn.

“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head and looking away. “I shouldn’t have said that. I know you have to go.”

Han reached out and cradled her face, turned it back to face him. “This isn’t the end,” he promised. “I swear it. I’ll come back.”

She blinked away tears. “I know you’ll try,” she said simply.

Sometimes, though, trying wasn’t enough. Sometimes you lost people no matter what.

Han gently brushed away the wetness under her eyes with his thumbs. Then all at once, as if in mutual agreement, the distance between them finally collapsed and he was kissing her, savoring her as if he might never have the chance again. She responded in kind, letting herself melt into the sensation of his lips on hers, her tongue on his, her arms reaching out to pull him even closer. For a moment they parted, though they stayed only millimeters away. There was mist in Han’s eyes, too.

Maybe some regrets are worth it, she thought.

“Han, I…” she began, unsure.

The door slid open abruptly, and they both straightened up as if nothing had happened.

«Found him,» Chewie announced grimly as he walked into the room, a box in his hands.

A box full of Threepio’s parts.

“What happened?” Leia rose in alarm, walking over to take a closer look as Chewie set the box on the floor.

«Found him in a ghhrraarkhr. Ugghhhnaur-men were going to throw him in the fire.»

“Where? Found him in a junk pile?” Han repeated incredulously.

“Oh, what a mess,” Leia said. How in the universe had Threepio ended up there? Thank the stars Chewie had discovered him in time; they might never have seen him again. “Chewie, do you think you can repair him?”

The Wookiee shrugged, letting out a noncommital roar.

“Lando’s got people who can fix him,” Han offered.

“No thanks,” said Leia tautly.

A chime sounded, and she turned towards the open door to find the subject of their disagreement walking in. She stiffened.

“Sorry, am I interrupting anything?” Lando asked.

“Not really,” she replied.

Lando grinned at her, shaking his head. “You look absolutely beautiful,” he said, looking her up and down. “You truly belong here with us among the clouds.”

“Thank you,” she replied, gritting her teeth. She would have much preferred to discourage him from ever ogling her again, but losing his goodwill could be hazardous, she considered, especially in light of their situation at the moment.

He held out his hand to her. “Would you join me for a little refreshment?”

«Food?» Chewie rumbled eagerly, looking up from where he was fiddling with Threepio’s sole silver leg.  Leia glanced back at Han, unsure.

“Everyone’s invited, of course,” Lando continued.

Han nodded, getting to his feet. It had been awhile since their last meal, after all, and she suspected they were all hungry. Chewie, especially, was eager to go. She politely took Lando’s hand for a moment, then switched to Han’s arm as he came to stand beside her.

Lando frowned, looking down at the box of droid parts. “Having trouble with your droid?”

Han’s face was a mask. “No,” he replied, his eyes shifting briefly to Leia. “No problem. Why?” With that, he walked her to the door. She bit her lip to keep from laughing—the deflection was obvious, ridiculous, and so classically Han. I guess that’s one way to deal with it, she thought.

The mood seemed a little less heavy as they walked along Cloud City’s corridors, light streaming in from innumerable windows. Lando was explaining how the mining colony had managed to thrive under his leadership. “So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the… uh… jurisdiction of the Empire.”



“So you’re part of the mining guild, then?” she asked, curious.

“No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed—which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves.”

They turned a corner into another wide, pleasant hallway with colored panels filtering light through the windows.  Out of nowhere, Leia felt a wave of near-panic. It enveloped her for a moment like a storm before she managed to calm herself down again. I must really be going crazy, she thought. Maybe it was all the city’s echoes of Alderaan.

“Aren’t you afraid the Empire’s going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?” Han asked. They turned and walked down a short side hallway towards a set of grand double doors.

“It’s always been a danger, and it looms like a shadow over everything we’ve built here,” Lando replied. “But things have developed that will ensure security. I’ve just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever.”

A deal? Leia felt another surge of alarm. Lando pressed the button to open the doors, and they swept open, revealing an elegant dining room. At the far end of the table sat a tall, masked figure in black.

Leia froze.

No.  

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She watched as if in a dream as Darth Vader rose to his feet and lifted his palm, deflecting the blaster bolts Han was shooting towards him. Han had caught her hand in his free one, she noticed, and she gripped it as if it were her only hope, her only defense against the nightmare.

No.

Not again.

Han’s blaster sailed through the air to land in Vader’s outstretched hand. “We would be honored if you would join us,” the monster said, its deep voice reaching into her memories, the echoes of her own once-screams and desperate pleas joining with it in chorus.

Behind him, another figure stepped out of a side door. She recognized him from the holos; a bounty hunter, Boba Fett. More footsteps sounded from behind them, and they turned to find a squad of stormtroopers blocking their way out.

“I had no choice; they arrived right before you did,” Lando said, his voice flat. “I’m sorry.”

Leia didn’t even have the capacity to be angry. She gazed up at Han, and he looked back at her for a moment, devastation in his eyes. He seemed to sense her paralysis and grabbed her hand again, squeezing it supportively as he turned back to Lando. “I’m sorry, too,” he said coolly. From beside them, Chewie let out a mournful howl about friendship and betrayal.

Han turned back to Leia, his shoulders squared and his eyes steely. In that moment, Leia knew: he would do everything he could for her, to keep her safe—everything except betray what she stood for. If she could feel much beyond fear, she might have cried. As it was, a tiny flame of courage flickered to life inside her; unsteady, but enough. Squeezing her hand once more, Han led her into the room, Chewie and Lando following behind. The doors shut firmly behind them.

#Han x Leia #HanLeia #Han x Leia fic #HanLeia fic #Trip to Bespin #ESB #Bespin #Cloud City #Chewbacca #Threepio #The Opening #SW fanfic #SW fic #ESB fic #Star Wars fic #Star Wars #my writing #my fic #thoughts

[hot-tae-with-suga]

This Looks Bad || 2

Summary:  Taehyung and I were just horsing around, but someone took a picture, and now everyone thinks I’m cheating on my boyfriend Namjoon with one of his best friends. Which I’m not, because I don’t (let myself) think of Tae that way. And neither does Namjoon. Right?

Reader (1st person unnamed femme OC)/Namjoon/Taehyung

Idol AU

36.2K total || Rated M || Part 1 | Part 3 (final) | AO3 || Masterlist

Genre: fluff / smut / angst with happy ending || Warnings: Misunderstandings, Failure to Communicate, Bisexual characters, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Threesome, Smut

Originally Posted 2019-03-27 

Thank you so so so much to my editor S, and my wonderful betas from the JAG discord (L, V, and D)

27 Days P.I. (2 days post sleepover)

The morning after the impromptu sleepover had been rushed, both boys needing to get back to the dorms before taking off for their scheduled events that day, so I’d stayed quiet about what I’d heard them talking about. I’d given Namjoon a kiss goodbye, and waved to Tae who was hesitant to give me a hug even after having spent the night cuddled up with me like a koala.

I’d wondered if it was the last time I’d see them.

I waited all day for a text or a call from Namjoon telling me that we were over, wondering the whole time where we had gone wrong. I’d thought we were back to a good place, but he really seemed to think there was something between Tae and I, or at least the potential for something between us, and he was talking about me not being his girl anymore.

Every time I took a break from my work, which was more often that I really should have, I read back over our conversations from the last few weeks, trying to pinpoint when he’d lost interest in me. The earlier conversations were more painful, remembering how distant we’d been. The simple exchanges of “hey, you busy?” followed by “yeah, let me call you later” when I knew that no call had come made me wonder if I’d pinpointed the start of our prolonged break up. But things had become better in more recent exchanges, we were both obviously more engaged and actually talking about our days in multiple word sentences. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out where we were going wrong, unless Namjoon had been making one last ditch effort to save the relationship, but had ultimately decided it wasn’t worth saving.

I was more than a little surprised when Namjoon called me the next morning, saying that since my visit the week before had gone unnoticed, management was cool with my coming over again. This time instead of stopping at the dorm, I went straight to his studio, where he told me he’d been working until mid-afternoon. I wore my hat, mask, and dark glasses, but I didn’t bother with any evasive maneuvers on my trip this time. I told myself it was because I was confident I wouldn’t be noticed going into the large office building, but deep down I thought it would be the last time, so it wouldn’t really matter if I got spotted. The whole world already seemed to think that Namjoon had dumped me, I was just waiting for him to actually do it.

I knocked on the door to the studio, but punched in the code and walked in a moment later, assuming Namjoon would have his headphones on and wouldn’t hear me. Instead I was surprised to find Hoseok and Taehyung on the beige couch, Namjoon sitting in his chair to talk with them. Sweatpants and oversized t shirts were the uniform of the day, and both Hobi and Tae had headbands on; all of them looked a bit tired so I assumed they’d just finished up with dance practice.

The door had been an effective sound barrier, the music they were listening to suddenly washed over me. I recognized the beat as one Namjoon had played for us the week previous, but now there was a melody soaring over it, making it sound more complete.

All three guys looked up as I walked in, and Hoseok jumped up to give me a quick hug. “Hey, Hobi,” I greeted him with as much cheerfulness as I could manage. “Sorry if I’m interrupting, I thought Namjoon would be on his own.” Obviously Hobi didn’t know what was about to happen, he’d always been a terrible liar and I’d have seen it on his face.

“No no, we’ve been expecting you,” Hoseok brushed off my apology. He stepped back to let Joon give me a hug as well.

“Hey, babe,” he murmured. He sat in Hobi’s now-empty spot on the couch and pulled me down to sit in his lap. Hoseok shrugged and dropped into Namjoon’s chair, spinning slowly as he relaxed.

The song playing came to an end and looped back to the beginning again, but Hobi reached around and hit the keyboard, pausing it. “It sounds good,” I commented. I got a nod of thanks, but their discussion picked back up, talking about the theme of the comeback and how all the new songs were shaping up. I tried to relax in Namjoon’s hold, but I was still on edge, knowing that as soon as they were done talking and we were alone, I’d become a single woman. Maybe. I was pretty sure, anyway.

Taehyung seemed to notice how I was pulling at the sleeves of my shirt, the hems nearly destroyed by my fidgeting. He reached over and grabbed my hand, stilling it. I looked up and met his eyes, his expressive eyebrows pulled together in a silent question, asking if I was okay. I drew my lips tight, a sad approximation of a smile, and his frown deepened.

“Anyway, I’m meeting Jin-hyung to practice some more,” Hoseok wa saying, standing up. “I’ll see you guys later.” With that, he was gone. I stared at the closed door, not yet wanting to be alone with these two men in particular.

None of us moved, and I stared off into space until Tae squeezed the hand he still held. “Noona, are you okay?” he asked sweetly, and I felt my chest contract.

“Babe?” Namjoon asked when I didn’t answer Taehyung right away, twisting us both so that he could see my face. Tears welled up, but I sniffled and managed to blink them away before they fell.

“I-” I started, choking on the words. “I just- My anxiety is really bad today.” Not a lie, then, but not the whole truth.

“Has the date been set for your defense?” Joon questioned. “When is it, I can see if my schedule is free. I’d like to be there for you.”

Hearing the empty promise of a future event he had no actual plans to attend pulled a sob from me, shaking my whole body enough that Namjoon could feel it, holding me as close as he was.

“Oh babe, don’t cry! It’ll be okay, you’ll do great. You’re the smartest person I know, you know that? And you know your shit backwards and forwards,” he tried to comfort me, but I just shook my head at his words.

Taehyung, who was still holding my hand, reached to grab the other as well. “I am sure you will blow them away,” he said earnestly. I pulled my hands from his, wiping the backs of them across my cheeks where I felt a couple of tears falling.

“I think we need to get her mind off of it,” Namjoon suggested to Taehyung. “You up for, uh, helping out?” I watched Tae nod, an odd flush creeping over his soft cheeks.

I sniffled again, shaking my head. “No, I’ll be okay,” I lied. Neither of them seemed to heed me, both standing up and gathering their coats before pulling me with them. We took a car back to the dorm, finding the place empty of other members.

“Come on, lets just go watch something in our room,” Namjoon suggested, pulling me and Tae along with him. I’d resigned myself to this fate, of drifting along after him until he finally cut me loose.

They turned on a variety show on one of their laptops, setting it at the foot of Namjoon’s bed while the three of us settled near the head. I looked at the screen but wasn’t paying much attention, and Namjoon kept sending me glances when I didn’t laugh at the big jokes. At the second break for commercials, he crawled over and shut the computer, moving it to his bedside table.

He sat back down facing me, and asked Taehyung, “You up for plan B? This obviously isn’t cheering her up enough.”

Tae nodded, and before I could ask what ‘Plan B’ was, Joon was leaning into me, his mouth hot on mine and his body pressing me backwards. I was too shocked to do anything, even when my back hit Taehyung. I reached one arm behind me to brace myself, not wanting to fall into the other man.

I wasn’t even kissing Namjoon back yet when he pulled his mouth away, but stayed close, smiling at me fondly, and I felt my heart swell. Then he leaned over me awkwardly, over my shoulder, and kissed Taehyung.

I tried not to stare, but they were literally kissing right in front of my face. It was odd, seeing the mouth I was so accustomed to kissing, that tongue that appeared in my dreams, pressed against someone else. Someone with a sharp jawline, with a larger nose, with faint stubble above his lip, with lips that parted easily and quickly as I watched. The two mens’ mouths slid over each other fluidly, so much smoother and less awkward than the kiss Namjoon and I had just shared.

My heart sank again, my chest tightening. As hot as it was, as beautiful as they may have been together, I was so confused and still feeling heartbroken.

“So, what…?” I asked, almost sorry to see them break apart as soon as they heard me. “You guys were going to, what, let me watch you make out to distract me?” I was pulling at straws, but I couldn’t think of one logical reason they’d be doing this.

Namjoon smiled at me again. “Not exactly what we had planned, but if that’s what will get your mind off of things, we can do that for you,” he offered. “However, I had been thinking that it’s your turn to kiss our Taehyungie.”

I started to wonder if I was suffering from some kind of brain damage, considering how often my brain ceased to function when my boyfriend spoke in the last month or so. I looked back over my shoulder, trying to see if Taehyung was hearing this insanity as well, but he was smiling at me, that boxy grin splitting his face. He somehow looked excited.

“You want me? To kiss Taehyung?” I repeated, both asking for clarification and explanation. My head felt like it was on a swivel, looking from one face to the other and back again.

Namjoon nodded. “I mean, what’s hotter than two hot people kissing, right?” he argued. “And I think that between the two of us, we can keep your mind off of whatever is making you anxious.”

I was still in shock, still processing and trying to figure out what was going on when Namjoon leaned toward me again, cupping my cheek in one large hand, and kissed me again. His lips were soft this time, no tongue seeking entry into my mouth, just a simple press of his lips against mine. As he pulled away, the hand on my cheek turned my face, and when I opened my eyes again, Taehyung was there.

“You want this, Tae-ah?” I asked quietly, never breaking our gaze. He nodded slowly, licking his lips.

Neither of us breathed for a moment, our eyes locked on each other, until from my peripheral I saw hands reach out and suddenly our faces were being pushed closer together.

Our initial clash was painful due to outside forces, lips getting caught between two sets of teeth and noses smooshing into each other. I pulled back on instinct, fighting against Namjoon’s hand on the back of my head. Turning, I glared at him. “This isn’t some punishment on a variety show, Joon,” I scolded. I turned back to Taehyung and saw his face fall, as though he thought I didn’t want to me kissing him. I could admit to myself that I did want to, since Namjoon had requested it, after all.

Rather than chew Namjoon out for his clumsy and heavy handed attempts at moving us along, I raised my hand to the back of Tae’s neck and pulled him toward me again, this time much more gently. I could feel him pause for a moment, in shock, maybe, before he opened his mouth to mine.

At first Taehyung was hesitant, only daring to slide his tongue into my mouth once I had swept mine through his. As the kiss continued, and it did continue for what felt like ages, he grew bolder, shifting us so that he was above me and pressed me down and back against Namjoon in a echo of what Joon had done earlier. I let myself get lost in the sensations, it had been a long time since I’d kissed anyone other than Namjoon, and it was one hell of a first kiss. His lips were thinner than Joon’s, tongue less dexterous perhaps, but he liked to bite and nibble at my lips, which sent shivers of arousal down to my core.

I felt Namjoon behind me, sliding his arms around my waist and resting his hands there while he kissed the back of my neck, then he began to slide his hands lower to fumble with the buttons at the fly of my jeans. I reached down to still his hand, trying to tell him without words that he was moving too fast. He stopped fiddling with the buttons, instead gathering the hem of my shirt and guiding it up my torso. Not quite as slow as I had been aiming for, but it was better than my pants coming off.

After he pulled my shirt off my arms, Namjoon backed away, and Taehyung slipped his arms around my now bare waist, twisting us both until I was lying beneath him on the bed. He laid hot kisses all over, from my mouth, to my collarbones, to that sensitive spot behind my ear. The whole time he couldn’t stop talking between kisses, telling me how beautiful I was and how long he had wanted to touch and kiss me.

I let myself start to enjoy the feelings he was eliciting in me, kissing him back and running my hands into his hair. My mouth left a darkening bruise against the honey coloured skin of his neck, and he moaned, his voice low, and I practically felt the vibrations in my chest. He pulled away from me only long enough to tear his own shirt over his head before returning his mouth to my body. I looked for Namjoon, finding him sitting not far from us, palming his cock through his pants and smiling fondly.

Seeing Namjoon’s hardness made me curious, so I rolled my body against Taehyung’s, and sure enough he was also sporting an impressive erection. He moaned when my hip rubbed against it, and let himself relax a bit and press me more firmly in to the mattress. His hand slid up to cup my breast, thumb flicking across the nipple that was already stiffened under the lace of my bra. I arched against him again to urge him to continue, my breath coming hard, and my hand was drawn toward the waist of his pants. I was pulling open the fly of his trousers and swallowing a groan when my thoughts caught up with me.

Suddenly, my throat constricted and my stomach rolled, the panic of the situation finally breaking through the haze of lust. I wasn’t really going to have sex with my boyfriend’s roommate/close friend/former lover while said boyfriend watched, was I? My mind was racing, and obviously Tae could feel how I stiffened up because he pulled back and looked at my face.

“Noona?” he asked softly, his voice full of concern, and it almost broke me.

“I-” My voice broke, unable to find the words I needed to reassure him, my breath coming too fast. Taehyung lifted himself off of me, freeing me of his weight pinning me to the bed. I ran my hands through my hair, anxiously pushing it out of my face before covering my burning face with my palms.

“Are you okay, babe?” Namjoon asked softly from beside us. He leaned over so I could see his eyes, actually looking like he was concerned for me, as he brushed a rogue strand of hair from my face. “We can slow down, or even stop, if this is too much for you.”

“What-” I started to ask, then sat up and tried again, still feeling breathless. “What exactly are we stopping, Joon? What is going on?”

Namjoon sighed, tilting his head to look at both Taehyung and I, both of us shirtless, flushed, and still breathing harder than normal, though not for the same reason. “I just- I know you two like each other, and I wanted, I still want, for you to be happy, to be happy together, like you want.” He leaned forward and kissed me softly, and the tear welled up in my eyes again.

He wanted me to be happy, maybe, but happy with Taehyung instead of with him. His words from the other night as well as some things he’d said a week previously suddenly made sense in my mind.

Namjoon was done with me, that much was clear. Like he said, I was his girl for now, but it didn’t have to stay that way, and for some reason he thought the best way to get rid of me was to...was to pass me on to his friend? Like I was some kind of toy that he was done playing with, so now I was hand-me-downs to his little brother?

I pushed Taehyung back, getting him out of my way as I scrambled off the bed, my face burning with shame. I spotted the bright fabric of my shirt near the end of the bed and grabbed it before I ran out of the room.

Rushing down the hall, I fumbled with the thin piece of clothing, trying to turn it right side out. I heard footsteps behind me, but I wasn’t sure who was chasing after me and didn’t really care at the moment, not wanting to face either of them.

The tears still filling my eyes, plus the temporary blindness of pulling my shirt over my head as I stepped into the living room area, meant I missed the fact that there were now other people in the dorm. A couple of the guys, I didn’t really look to see which ones, stood in the kitchen and another was on the couch, watching me storm past them and kick off my slippers, searching for where I’d put my shoes when we’d arrived.

“Babe,” Namjoon spoke just before I felt his hand grab my arm. “Babe, come on, talk to me. Tell me what’s really wrong, please?” I ignored him, still searching for my things in the disorder of the entryway. “Look, it was too fast, I’m sorry, I get it, please just talk to me.”

I twisted, pulling my arm out of his grasp. Trying to keep my voice down, to keep our conversation from reaching the others, I hissed, “Fuck you, Kim Namjoon. You don’t get to do that to me and then pretend not to know what’s wrong.”

He shook his head, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “I don’t- Babe, I honestly don’t know what’s wrong, unless you tell me. I know things got really intense in there, it could be any of a million things.”

I finally looked up at him, noting the honest confusion on his face. He didn’t realize I’d figured out what he was doing, what he had planned for me. “You need to grow some fucking balls. For someone who is supposed to be so good with words, you should be able to tell me that you’re tired of me, and be honest with me, instead of trying to hand me down to one of your members like I am some kind of toy you don’t want to play with anymore.” He had the audacity to look shocked, and it only fueled me. “You think you’re being kind, or something, but getting Tae to fuck me because you don’t want to anymore is just...ugh.”

My hands were balled into fists at my sides and it took everything in me not to start wailing and beating his chest. He made me so mad, and I felt so betrayed, I couldn’t look at him anymore. I turned around again, finally spotting my shoes sticking out from under the small shelf that held everyone’s slippers. Shoving my feet into them, I felt the angry tears finally start to fall down my face. I hated crying, hated that any strong emotion could bring me to the point of tears, and I was overwhelmed by a mixture of strong emotions as I looked back toward Namjoon, still standing between me and the rest of the dorm.

Taehyung stood behind him now, still shirtless, pants still undone, but holding my purse and phone in his hands. I must have brought them into their room but obviously forgot to grab them when I stormed out.

I stepped closer, reaching past Namjoon for Tae to hand me my things. “Babe, you’ve got it all wrong,” Namjoon was trying to convince me, but I shut him out. Taehyung passed me my purse and phone, and I slipped the latter into my pocket. “Baby, please, don’t go,” Tae gave me that look, where he pressed his lips together and the corners of his mouth turned up but it wasn’t a smile. That look the meant ‘I get it, I wish there was something I could do, I’m sorry’ all at once. His sad eyes met mine briefly before I spun back around and walked out the door.

30 Days P.I. (3 days after aborted threesome)

I felt my phone buzz somewhere under me, but couldn’t be bothered to find it in the mess of blankets I was cocooned in. I’d spent the 60 or so hours previous wallowing, going over everything that had happened, and feeling sorry for myself.

My best friend in the city (who wasn’t an idol), Lee Ji Soo, had come by to bring me ice cream and hold my hand for a while, but she has other things to do, and it’s not like I could be completely honest about what had happened. She’d politely respected my privacy after the whole scandal had broken, knowing that even though I was publically dating a member of Bangtan, I still couldn’t talk about details. Ji Soo’s keen mind and sharp intuition had put two and two together when I called her up, sobbing into the phone and asking why he didn’t want me anymore, though, so she’d rushed to be by my side. The text was probably from her, checking to make sure I hadn’t literally drowned in my own tears.

The buzzing came again, not the short one to remind me that I had a new message, but the longer one, accompanied by the annoying chirp of my messaging app that meant I had another new text. I’d muted both Namjoon and Tae, not even opening their chats, I just wasn’t ready to deal with them yet.

Grumbling to myself, I levered my top half off the bed and pawed through the folds of the fuzziest blanket I owned until I spotted the offending piece of technology. Collapsing back into my nest, I checked the screen to see who was impatient enough to message me twice in the span of two minutes.

To my surprise, Jung Hoseok’s name topped the first alert. If it had been one of the other members, Jimin or Jungkook, I might have ignored them, assuming they would either be curious as to what happened or acting as an agent of the offending parties. Hoseok rarely texted me though, so I unlocked the phone and opened the app. Before today, our entire message history consisted of “Hey, we’re gonna be late and Namjoon forgot to charge his phone” and “I’ve asked everyone else, do you have any idea what Joonie wants for his birthday?”

Now, though, the two most recent messages on the screen said:

Hoseok: Monie is an idiot, but not the kind of idiot you think

Hoseok: Please talk to him, I swear that he can explain if you just talk to him

Hoseok and I might not be super close, but he’d always looked out for me, and I couldn’t imagine he’d be initiating this conversation unless it was genuine. I sighed and dropped my phone back onto my pillow.

I’d pretty much cried myself out by that point, but I will still so...tired. I was physically exhausted from all the wailing and sobbing, and mentally exhausted from, well, everything else. It had been a very very long month, and what Namjoon had done had been the cherry on top.

I wasn’t ready to talk to him today, not quite yet. But I picked the phone back up and texted Hobi that I’d talk to Joon in a few days.

32 Days P.I. (5 days after aborted threesome)

True to my word, two days later I opened my my messaging app and clicked on Namjoon’s name. The little bubble told me there were more than fifty unread messages, but I didn’t bother scrolling up to read them.

If you want to call, I’ll answer

I thought I’d have to wait a while, maybe I assumed he’d be busy with something, but less than two minutes later my phone was vibrating. I’d silenced the special ringtone I’d set for him when he was calling incessantly, and all I had wanted to do was throw the phone against the wall every time I heard it.

I swiped across the screen to answer the call, and hit the speaker button, but suddenly I couldn’t think of what to say.

“Babe?” Namjoon asked softly after a couple moments of silence. “You there?”

“Ye-” I started, but choked on the words, my throat constricting painfully upon hearing his voice again. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Yeah, I’m here.”

I appreciated the speaker function making me able to move the phone away from my ear at the sudden rush of noise when Namjoon sighed directly into his phone’s mic. “Oh god, babe, it’s so good to hear your voice.” His words tumbled out of his mouth as if they’d been caged and only just set free.

I was struck dumb once again, unable to think of what to say. Could I admit that as angry and sad as I was, I had missed his voice as well?

When I didn’t say anything, he continued, “I’ve been on edge ever since Hoseok told me you’d replied to him. I’m so sorry, I fucked up so bad, I know that. Will you let me explain?”

I sighed. “Sure, Joon-ah. You want to talk now or is there a better-?”

“In person, please,” he begged, cutting me off. “I need to see you, please, this will be easier face-to-face.”

I thought I was showing a lot of maturity by not immediately scoffing at him. “Okay. Not at the dorm, though,” I requested. “I can meet you at your studio I guess-” Then I remembered cuddling between him and Tae on that couch just before the whole thing started. “You know what, maybe you could come here instead? It’s a bit of a mess, but…”

“Let me take you out,” Namjoon cut in. “My treat. We can go out to lunch, or grab dinner later if you’re too busy right now.”

My brain froze. “You want to go out? Like, in public?” Did he assume that if we were in public, I wouldn’t make a scene?

I couldn’t see him, of course, but I was pretty sure Namjoon was nodding from the rustling noises I heard. “Yeah, it’s been too long since we went out.”

I hesitated, unsure if he was really thinking things through or just saying what he thought I wanted to hear. “Yeah, for a good reason, Namjoon. Maybe we should just do this on the phone after all.”

“No, come on, babe,” he whined. “We can go to that Japanese place you like, with the great teriyaki.”

“Namjoon, people will see us if we’re out together. Reporters will see us,” I reminded him. “Your managers aren’t going to give you permission to be seen in public with me, not at this point. Keeping me on lock down seems to have been working,” I tried to appeal, hoping he would remember his loyalty to the group and their image. “Are you really going to spoil all that for a girl you’re trying to break up with?”

“No!” Namjoon said sharply. “I’m not breaking up with you! I don’t want to break up, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. You’ll have to dump me if this is over, because I never want to leave you.” His voice softened, adding, “I want you to see that you are more important to me than anything, even a scandal or getting in trouble with management.”

“How-” I choked again, finding I still had tears left in me to cry. “I don’t get it.” How could he say these things, I was so confused. Had I really gotten it all wrong?

“Babe, I was never trying to pass you off, or whatever it was that you thought,” he tried to explain. “You’re too important to me, too precious. I never want to let you go. When I said I wanted to be with you forever, I meant it.”

Gathering my courage, I finally asked about the words that had convinced me that he was tired of me. “Then why tell Taehyung I was your girl for now, but it wouldn’t always be that way?”

“I never-” he started, letting out a huge sigh. “I really am the biggest idiot in the world, aren’t I?” he asked rhetorically. Another deep breath which was then blown straight into the mic, making me move the phone away again from the sudden rush of noise. I set the phone down so I would stop fiddling with it. “I wasn’t trying to say that you wouldn’t always be my girl. I was trying to imply that maybe you wouldn’t be only my girl.”

My mind, my breathing, both ground to a halt, trying to figure out what he was saying. “What?”

“I don’t want to end our relationship, I was just trying to...adjust it,” he said cautiously. When I was unable to answer, he continued, “Can we just talk about this at lunch? It’s the kind of thing that’s better to talk about in person.”

“Uh-” I hesitated, still unsure. “Yeah, sure, I guess.”

“Great, I’ll call ahead and get us a private room,” he said. “Meet you there in twenty minutes?”

***

“Why was I even worried about meeting in public if we’re arriving separately and getting a private room?” I grumbled to myself. “We could have tried to do this weeks ago.” I ignored the looks I earned from the other pedestrians waiting at the crosswalk, who must have wondered what was wrong with me. The restaurant Namjoon had named was on the next block, a family run place I’d wandered into years ago and discovered had the best teriyaki. Stepping through the door, I realized the hostess was new and therefore wouldn’t recognize me as Namjoon’s regular eating companion.

“Yeah, hi, I’m meeting someone,” I replied after she had greeted me.

She nodded and looked at the screen next to her. “Name?” she asked politely.

“Umm…” I didn’t know what name Namjoon would have given for the reservation. “He probably called like, half an hour ago? He booked a private room,” I tried.

The hostess gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me. “I’m sorry, miss, if you don’t know who you’re meeting, I can’t show you to a table. We are fully booked. I can put you on the list, but it will be about 20 minutes.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes in my head at Namjoon for forgetting to tell me this small detail. “I dunno, maybe Koya? Ryan?” I listed a couple of names he’d used before, but saw no recognition in her eyes. “He wouldn’t have used it, but his name is Kim Namjoon.”

One of the servers I recognized, the chef/owner’s daughter, stepped up just as the hostess’s eyes widened. “Right this way, miss,” the server said with a gesture for me to follow, leaving the hostess looking a bit shocked and looking me up and down. I felt my face flush at the blatant appraisal as I followed the server to a staircase leading to the lower level of the restaurant, a hallway lined with sliding rice paper partitions, and through one she opened for me.

Namjoon sat at the table, his long legs crossed on the thin cushion, his all black attire striking against the pale soft colours of the decor. A small pot of tea and two ceramic cups already graced the table. He stood up when I entered, stepping forward as if to hug me but hesitating and dropping them back to his sides.

“Hey,” I greeted, setting my purse down and sitting on a cushion on the other side of the table from him. “Sorry, I’m a bit late.”

“No no, you’re fine,” Namjoon assured me. “It was kind of last minute, anyway.” He sat back down and poured a measure of tea into the empty cup, sliding it over to me. We sat in awkward silence for a few moments, neither of us ready to talk about what needed to be said, before he asked, “So, how is the thesis defense going?”

I huffed into my cup as I took a sip of the slightly bitter tea. “Haven’t really been working on it for the last few days,” I admitted. I looked around for a menu, but saw none. “Have you already ordered?” Yes, it was a weak and blatant attempt to change the subject. No, I wasn’t proud.

Namjoon nodded in answer to my question. “I ordered your usual for you, I hope you don’t mind,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically timid.

“Yeah, thanks,” I tried to assure him, but it came out sounding more sarcastic than I had meant. “So, yeah, you wanted to talk?” I volleyed, trying to start the conversation I’d come all this way to have.

Namjoon nodded. “Yeah, but maybe let’s wait until after the food gets here? I don’t want to be interrupted.”

I nodded. The silence hung heavy between us.

“So, uh, how are the members?” I asked lamely.

“Good, they’re good,” he told me. “A little concerned after what happened, but once I kind of explained what happened, they were the ones who made me see what a fool I’ve been.”

“I didn’t mean-” I started. “I meant like, how was the album and rehearsals. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was asking about how they reacted.”

Namjoon chucked ruefully. “Yeah, but figuring stuff out has kind of been a big part of the last few days. They saw my girlfriend, who they all love, running out of my room half dressed and almost crying, being chased by me and my - also half-naked - roommate. And then she starts saying stuff about me trying to give her to him, so it’s understandable that they’d be concerned. Mostly about your safety.”

I flushed at the memory, knowing now what the real situation had been. “I still don’t know what’s going on,” I muttered.

Namjoon sighed. “I know, babe, I’m trying to figure out the best way to tell you-” He cut off as the partition slid open and two servers entered, carrying a collection of small plates and dishes. By unspoken agreement we waited until all of the items had been deposited and we were alone to begin eating.

Conversation was slow to resume, though, due to our enjoyment of the food in front of us. We moved in concert, arranging dishes closer to the person who enjoyed it more, carefully dividing the mutual favourites evenly between our plates, and depositing disliked ingredients on the other’s. Habits born of long practice in the years we’d been eating together were hard to break even with the tension hanging between us.

Once our initial hunger had been sated in silence, I looked at Namjoon pointedly, waiting for him to begin once again with his explanation of exactly what had been miscommunicated to leave our relationship in such a precarious situation.

“Look, how about you tell me why you thought I was trying to give you to Taehyung, and I’ll fill in what you don’t know,” he suggested, obviously unsure of where to start. I took a deep breath and began speaking.

I explained about how I’d been so happy after we’d made up, that I hadn’t even really considered why he’d teased Tae so much, and then brought him along to my place, and invited him into our bed even after the scandal that had plagued our lives. About how I’d overheard him talking to Tae that night, telling the younger man his suspicions about romantic feelings between him and I, and about how my heart broke when he said that I was his girl, but it “didn’t have to be that way”.

Namjoon interrupted me there. “Aw, babe, that’s not what I meant at all!”

“Do you want me to tell you what I was thinking, or not?”

“Sorry, you’re right. Go ahead.”

I told him of the pit of despair I’d wallowed in, about how I’d tried over and over again to figure out what went wrong and why he’d leave me after all we’d been through. I explained why I’d been so despondent when I’d arrived at the studio to visit him, thinking I was about to get dumped. When I got to the part about my confusion when he was encouraging me to be physical with Taehyung, he interrupted again.

“So you thought I was trying to set you up with your next boyfriend, before we were even over?”

“Well, Namjoon, you’d asked more than once if I was going to hook up with him after we broke up, it wasn’t that much of a stretch.”

He grabbed by hand across the table, squeezing it and pulling it closer. “I’m sorry, babe. I really, really shouldn’t have tried to spring a surprise threesome on you.”

“A surprise threesome? That was the goal?” I was incredulous.

Namjoon shrugged. “I’ve been thinking...I was trying to set it up for, uh...” he mumbled something that I couldn’t hear.

“You were trying to set up…” I prompted.

“I was playing with the idea of inviting Taehyung into our relationship,” he finally said in a rush. I froze, the chopsticks I’d been holding dropping out of my grip and clattering to the table. When I said nothing, he asked, “So, that probably wasn’t the best way to go about things.”

“Ya think?!” I said quickly. I watched his face fall and immediately regretted my hasty words; he was obviously trying really hard to explain, and was well aware of how he’d messed up. “Sorry, that was harsher than I meant. I just mean, why didn’t you come to me? I knew you had a past with Taehyung, it wouldn’t have been a shock if you told me there were lingering feelings there. Hell, you literally invited him to at least watch us hook up more than once.”

Namjoon sighed. “Yeah, but you and he always brushed it off as me being a generalized perv, not an intentional move on him. I figured if I actually encouraged the two of you directly, things might finally go somewhere.”

It was my turn to sigh. I could see how it all made some sort of sense in his head, but he still never thought to actually discuss his plans with either of us-

“Did you talk about this with Taehyung?” I asked, pulling my hand from his as the thought occurred to me. “Like, before it happened?”

“Um-” Namjoon flushed. “I mean, we had already talked about how he liked you, and I might have floated the idea of a threesome at some point…”

“That’s how he knew what was coming, when you kissed him,” I realized. My food was forgotten, I just sat with my hands folded in my lap as I contemplated the situation. “So you talked to him about whatever your plan was, about bringing him into our relationship, before you talked to me? The other person actually in said relationship?”

“No!” Namjoon answered quickly. “Not the part about being with us, like, long term. Just...just the idea of joining us in bed.”

“At least you talked to someone,” I muttered.

He frowned at that. “Hey, I am not the only one who didn’t talk,” he pointed out. “You were making a lot of assumptions without talking to me at all, too.”

“And what would have happened, if I was right, Joon-ah?” I asked. “It was my worst nightmare come true!” I looked down to my hands, twisted together just below the table. “At least if I didn’t say anything, I could hope you’d change your mind.”

I didn’t notice he had moved until he knelt next to me, and his arm slid around my shoulder. “For two people who are supposed to be pretty smart, we kind of missed the mark.” He spoke into my hair, his lips pressed against my head. “Please, just tell me I haven’t fucked this up beyond repair?”

Twisting into him, I slid my arms around his waist. “I was planning on staying with you until the moment you left me, even when I thought you were going to dump me,” I pointed out. “Now that we both understand better, I think we might be able to get through this.”

“Thank god,” he breathed, then cupped my chin to turn me to face him, and kissed me gently. I returned his kiss, keeping it light and sweet, a relieved kiss more than anything. He pulled back, kissing me again on the forehead. “I swear, I’ll talk to you about any crazy relationship ideas from now on.”

I giggled, almost giddy. “I appreciate it,” I admitted. He pulled me closer, awkwardly dragging me into his lap.

“I just can’t get the image of you out of my head, right before you ran out of the room. You looked so betrayed, so heartbroken.” Namjoon just held me tight in his arms, as if he was afraid to let me go. “Which makes sense, I guess. You were. And I hate that I made you feel that way.”

“I never want to hurt you like that, ever again,” he continued. “I’ll talk to Taehyungie, I mean I’m sure he’s not expecting us to approach him again after what happened, but I’ll try to explain what happened. Getting better at communicating has to start somewhere, right?” The way he said it, with this sense of finality, made me stop and think.

“Joonie?” I asked softly. “Is it- Was it cause I’m not enough? Is there just something you’ll always be missing that will hang over us forever?”

“Oh babe, no, never,” Namjoon was quick to reassure me, somehow squeezing me even tighter. “You are always enough, more than enough for me, I swear.” I smiled weakly, trying to believe him. He continued, “This was just my incredibly selfish reaction to a very specific situation I built up in my head. Now that I realize how off-base I was, the temptation is gone.”

I wasn’t sure I could believe that entirely. It’s not like Taehyung was going anywhere, for either of us, because I realized that he was going to be a temptation for us both. He was going to be Namjoon’s fellow group member, his dongsaeng, for the foreseeable future at least, and as long as I was with Joon, he’d be there too.

As much as I had recoiled at the idea of Namjoon foisting me off on Taehyung, those feelings the situation had made me face remained. Was is really so out of the question that Namjoon and I be involved with him?

I wasn’t sure, couldn’t make any guarantees, but I knew I couldn’t write off the idea entirely.

“I’m not saying that I’m for sure in…” I said after a few moments. “But...let’s not rule it out quite yet, either?”

“Rule what out?” Namjoon asked, clearly confused. Then his eyes widened, his whole body tensing around me. “You mean, lets not rule Taehyung out?”

I nodded. “I’m still not sure, but I just think its something I need to consider. And I’d need to talk to Tae, have a serious discussion with him.”

“Yeah, sure, let me know and we can come over-”

“Alone, Namjoon,” I interrupted him. “Tae and I need to discuss things without you over our shoulders, with those excited hopeful puppy-dog eyes of yours. We need to decide if this is what we want, and that we wouldn’t just be doing it to make you happy because we love you.”

He relaxed again, but kept me close. “Okay, okay, that makes sense,” he admitted. “Just, I want you to know that I love you either way. And I am going to be with you, no matter if its with Tae or the two of us.”

I hummed in agreement and turned to kiss him again. Just then, our server slid the partition open and peeked inside, clearing her throat. “All finished?” she asked politely.

I slipped out of Namjoon’s lap and back onto my own cushion. Namjoon helped hand the empty plates to the server and quietly asked for the bill. Once that was paid, by him despite my objections, he pulled out his phone and started typing a message.

“Calling for a car?” I asked.

Namjoon shook his head. “No, just apologizing to Sejin-ssi,” he answered.

“What did you do to Sejin?” I couldn’t imagine what he’d managed to do to his manager in the time we’d been eating lunch.

“Nothing yet,” he said cryptically. “Are you headed back home or to school? Can I walk you? We can stop for boba on the way.”

I hesitated. “Is that a good idea?” I gathered my purse and straightened my clothes. “Photographers have stopped following me everywhere, but you never know…”

Namjoon slid both his large hands around my waist and looked down at me with a fond smile. “You’re worth the risk.”

33 Days P.I. (1 day after second make up)

My phone was buzzing, and once again I was surprised by the name on the screen when I picked it up. Thankfully I was alone in the office at school, so I could answer the FaceTime call from Jin, assuming it must be an accident or an emergency since we didn't usually call each other, let alone use video calling.

Jin's face appeared briefly on screen, only long enough for me to see the smirk on his face and a couple of other familiar faces behind him before the camera switched to show me what he was seeing.

I recognized one of the numerous conference rooms at the Big Hit offices, where a trio of management types sat at one end of the room with Namjoon facing them, in heated conversation. I knew from the view of Jin that at least some of the other members were in the room as well, watching the fireworks.

"How did they find you, Namjoon?" one of the managers asked, annoyance and anger battling for dominance in his tone.

"I don't know," my boyfriend replied, obviously not for the first time. Even through the small screen I could sense his apathy, his complete disregard for their concerns. "It's a free city, someone must have spotted me when I had my mask down."

"You're lucky my contact at Dispatch gave me a heads up," said another manager, obviously from the PR team. "Otherwise those pictures would be everywhere by now."

"So let them be everywhere!" Namjoon shot back. "I wasn't doing anything wrong, I was walking my girlfriend back to her apartment after we had lunch together. Our relationship is public! What's the big deal?"

"Don't play with us, young man," the third man chimed in. I didn't recognize him, so he was probably higher up on the corporate ladder than I usually associated with. "We have a strategy in place to deal with the scandal with your little girlfriend, remember?"

"Yeah, well, your strategy almost cost me the woman I love," Namjoon retorted. "So I say we try a new strategy, where we get to live our fucking lives and don't kowtow to what other people think."

I nearly dropped the phone, fumbling it a bit and missing the response to Namjoon's uncharacteristic outburst. His words must have shocked the older men as much as it did me, to see my normally respectful boyfriend snap at them like that.

"They only assumed we'd broken up because we were never allowed to say any different," Namjoon was arguing again. "Not our fault that they all drew the wrong conclusion."

"Yes," PR manager said. "But we can't just ignore the original scandal."

The first manager had been quiet so far, but he finally spoke up again. "So, instead of hiding like something is wrong, put them on centre stage." When the other managers looked confused, he continued, "Like how we had Namjoon and Taehyung spending lots of time together in front of cameras, to show there were no issues between them. Just add the girl into the picture, let the story be about how they are all still friends."

"That works for me," Namjoon agreed. "Suits me perfectly, in fact."

Jin flipped the camera to I could see his handsome face again, his eyebrows raised so high they disappeared into his fringe and his mouth formed a little 'o'. I laughed at his expression, as quietly as I could to avoid letting anybody else know I was on the phone.

"Seokjin?" someone called from the other side of the room, and suddenly our call cut off as Jin hung up in a panic.

A couple minutes later I got a text from him.

Jin: I'm just so proud, I've raised our leader so well.

35 Days P.I. (3 Days Post Makeup)

I re-read the email on my screen three times before I texted Namjoon.

Me: Defense date is set for next Wednesday, 2:30 pm

His response was quick, like they had been all week, as though he kept his phone in his hand and un-silenced at all times.

Joonie <3: That soon??? They don't give you a lot of notice, do they?

I smiled at my phone, shaking my head at his concern

Me: We've known it would be next week for a while, just not the day and time

I realized he might be upset over the late notice for another reason.

Me: You don't have to come, you know, if you have something scheduled

Me: Audiences aren't very common at these things, unless they're in the same field

I saw the three little dots that indicated he was typing something.

Joonie <3 : I'll figure it out. Wanna be there for you

Joonie <3 : Do you think Tae could come along as well? He was talking about wanting to go to support you...

I'd spent the majority of the three days previous worrying over the decision looming over me. The question of whether to give adding Taehyung to our relationship a try was not something I took lightly.

I couldn't deny that there was something more between us than friendship, at least on my part. I'd always ignored the attraction, the little crush, in favour of our amazing friendship and in deference to the relationship I was trying to make work with one of the nation's biggest idols. I'd attributed the fact that Tae and I were closer and more cuddly than I was with the others to his personality meshing with mine so well, on a platonic level.

I'd challenged myself to be honest, and having had days to think it over, I was ready to admit that I could see myself forming a relationship with Taehyung. What still remained to be seen was a) if he felt the same way and b) how the resulting relationship between us would fit in with the relationships we each had with Namjoon.

Me: I think he and I need to have a talk first

Me: Any gaps in your schedule in the next couple days?

Joonie <3 : We've got a photoshoot this afternoon

Joonie <3 : I can arrange for Tae to be done first, he can come meet you after that?

Me: Great

Me: How late will he be, do you think?

Me: Will I need to feed him?

Me: Oh god, what do I wear???

Me: I don't want to look like I asked him over to bang

Me: But I don't want to look like a nun either, if we're discussing a potential relationship

Me: Namjoon, help me!

The three little dots had been hanging at the bottom of the screen for the entirety of my rant, but he failed to send me any messages until I became desperate.

Joonie <3 : Babe. just wear whatever, he won't care

Joonie <3 : Pls don't bang him, tho

Joonie <3 : Not yet

Joonie <3 : I wanna be there for that

***

Somehow, after my initial freak out, I was feeling calm by the time Namjoon texted to let me know Taehyung was finished at the shoot and was on his way to me. I wasn't sure if my nerves were actually settling down or if I'd just fried them to the point of numbness, but I was thankful for the sense of calm I felt when Tae buzzed to be let in. He looked devastatingly handsome, his hair and makeup still styled from the photos he'd been taking, even in his own linen pants and loose maroon shirt. I felt out of place in my own home, in my jeans and one of Namjoon's giant shirts.

"Hey," I greeted him when he made his way to my door. I was still feeling shy, even if I was more calm, as I stepped aside and gestured for him to come in.

He smiled his adorable square smile at me and I melted a little. "Hey, noona. It's, uh- It's good to see you."

"Likewise, Taehyung-ah," I returned, but found myself at a loss for what to say next. "I wasn't sure if you'd gotten a chance to eat, but I have some ramyun or something if you want? Shit, you're in the middle of photo shoots, you probably don't want the extra salt to make you puffy. Ummm...I could always order something in?" The nerves I thought had settled were racing again, making me ramble as I paced around the small living room, looking for something to do with my hands.

Taehyung reached out and wrapped his long fingers around my wrist as I moved past him for the second time. "I'm fine, noona. I promise I had something to eat. They do feed us on shoots, you know."

"Right," I sighed. "Can I get you something to drink, at least? Water, tea...?" He just nodded, so I filled a couple of water glasses and brought them back to the living room, where he'd made himself comfortable on my couch.

"So..." I started, taking a sip of my water to wet my suddenly dry mouth. "this is weird, right? This feels weird. Maybe we should have had Namjoon here, he would know what to say."

Taehyung nodded. "I've never had to, like, formally interview for a relationship before," he joked. "First dates aren't quite so straightforward. And after that, things just always fell into place, or worked their way out organically." My lips tightened into a line, which must have concerned him because he reached over and took both my hands in his. "But it's worth it! I think so, anyway, right? I mean, a poly triad relationship is going to go a little different than what we're used to, by definition."

It was my turn to nod. "Okay then." I took another deep breath. "I guess we have some things to discuss. Can I- I mean, is it okay if I ask you some questions first?" He nodded, and let go of my hands to lean back into the corner of my couch, spreading his arms wide as if to show what an open book he was trying to be. It was an unconscious move, but it showed how incredibly confident he was, which was distressingly attractive when I was trying to be more logical about things. The move also served to remind me that while he could look small at times, Taehyung was quite simply larger than me, and I blushed hard.

"I guess the most important question is, do you want this? Do you want to, like become a triad, or whatever, with Namjoon and me?" I looked him in the eyes as I asked, needing to see his response as much as hear it.

"Yes." Tae held my gaze, as though he knew how much I needed it.

"And do you want me?" I hated how softly the question came out, as though I had lost the confidence and bravado I'd been feeling. Which wasn't inaccurate, but I didn't like showing my vulnerability.

Again, a firm: "Yes."

"As more than an obligation you have to put up with in order to be with the person you really want?"

Taehyung looked confused, taking a few extra seconds to process what I'd said. Once he had, he shook his head vigorously. "You think I'm just putting up with, like, a bonus partner cause I want to be with Namjoon-hyung? No, if anything, he's the bonus partner, not you." He slapped his hand over his mouth, looking as shocked at his own words as I felt. "I don't mean it like that! I just mean, if hyung hadn't made it clear from the moment he introduced you that he as interested in you, I'd have asked you out in a second. You can ask Jimin, I whined at him the whole time hyung was doubting himself before making a move. Heck, I even asked him to give you my number if he couldn't grow some balls. Then you guys were dating, and we became friends, and I had to keep my feelings platonic because you were my hyung's girlfriend."

He paused again before continuing. "Don't think I don't want to be with hyung, though. The relationship between us has been like this for years, like friends with benefits who know they couldn't be anything more than that. At the time, anyway. Earlier in our career we couldn't risk being together together for real, because we were too busy and too vulnerable to a scandal ruining us entirely. At least, that's what we told ourselves." Tae reached out and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, like some cheesy lead in a drama. "Now I think maybe we were just waiting for you. You make the two of us...make sense. Like you were our missing piece."

I was too stunned to speak for a moment. Namjoon and I hadn't discussed how deep his relationship with Taehyung had been, what he wanted it to become, but Tae had just laid it all out there on the table. It made a kid of sense, really, that rather than a purely sex-based hook-up, their relationship has been more like taking what they could get because of outside circumstances. Joon was a sexual creature, I knew that very well, but I'd never suspected that he'd have been the type to have a fuck buddy. Hook-ups, one night stands, sure; living the idol life didn't make it easy to sustain a relationship, especially when it had to remain a secret. But in addition to being a horny bastard, Namjoon was also one of the most romantic people I knew: an ongoing relationship based purely on sex just wasn't his style.

"I...wow," was all I could come up with. I hadn't even processed the fact that Taehyung had maintained some kind of crush on me over the last couple years. "That's a lot to consider."

"What about you?" Taehyung turned the questions on me, before I was really ready. "Do you want this?" I nodded, but he didn't move on, so I gave him the verbal response he needed. "And do you want me?" he continued, echoing my own questions. Again, I nodded and have my ascent. "As more than a means to keep your boyfriend happy?" I noticed how his mouth tightened around the question, though he was able to keep his voice level. This was the question he was really worried about.

"Yes, Taehyung," I assured him. "The other night, I freaked out on you, I know. But it was for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with you or what we were doing, directly. It was a case of miscommunication and my overactive brain."

"Yeah, Joon-hyung explained what you'd thought was going on," he told me. "I swear, I thought the two of you had discussed things, I thought it was something you'd agreed on already. If I'd known-"

"You did nothing wrong, Tae-ah," I said, scooting closer and putting my hand on his knee. "Believe me, I wanted to be there, wanted to be with you like that, it was just that I started to think it meant something else and I freaked out. I mean, Joon and I had talked about it, in a kind of abstract way, but that was before I thought he was planning on breaking up with me and fixing me up with you at the same time." I massaged his leg just above his knee, feeling the strong muscle of his thigh twitch under my hand. "If I just wanted to keep Namjoon happy but didn't want you myself, I'd have suggested opening our relationship, not inviting you into it. Believe me, I really really like the idea of the three of us together."

Tae reached for the hand on his leg and picked it up, interlacing our fingers and bringing it up to his mouth to kiss softly. "I really really like the idea of the three of us together, too," he confessed.

"So, does this mean..." Even knowing where we stood, it still took me a bit to find the words. "Are we doing this? The three of us are dating each other?" Taehyung nodded. "Should we call Namjoon and tell him, then?"

Tae looked like he needed to consider it for a minute. "Normally I'd say yes, but he's practically been turning my ass numb with the constant texts, probably asking for updates." He fished his phone out of his back pocket, the lock screen filled with alerts of new messages from 'Leader-hyung', the phone buzzing twice more even as he placed it on the table.

I laughed. "I put him on silent when I buzzed you up," I admitted, pointing to where my phone sat on the kitchen counter. "I think we can let him stew for a little while longer, though."

"Good, then we can gossip about him," Tae said with that boxy grin of his. He hadn't let go of my hand, and reached out for the other, turning me and pulling me across his lap. It was a position we'd shared many times before, with my thighs across his and one of his arms around my back and the other over my knees. Somehow it felt more intimate now, I was more aware of the heat of his body where it pressed against mine, the way his fingers gripped the softness of my waist and the other drew patterns on my knee.

How had I not realized how many non-platonic feelings for Taehyung I'd been ignoring? I'd been avoiding my body's response to him for so long that now that I allowed myself to feel, it was overwhelming.

I laughed. "Um, I don't know, what do you want to know about him?"

"What's he like as a boyfriend?" Tae prompted.

I thought for a moment. "He's sweet, but you probably could have guessed that. He makes a bigger deal over hundred days and anniversaries than I do. He gets my opinion on what photos to include in his Kim Daily updates, if I wasn't the one to take them in the first place. He goes to sleep cuddling, but then by morning he's sprawled over as much of the bed as he can. Some days when he's feeling needy he will literally kiss me every 2 minutes. If he says he's coming over after he's done for the day, he means it, even if its only for like 2 hours because practice runs late." Taehyung smiled at my words, seeming to recognize some of the habits I named. "He can't cook, but he knows my favourite orders at every place we've eaten at more than twice. He cancels plans a lot for work stuff, but insists on making them up to me."

"That probably won't really get better when there's two of us," Tae admitted softly.

"I know," I said wryly. "I knew what I was getting into when I started dating an idol. It's rough but I'm used to it. Umm, lets see. Oh! He writes me letters when you're on tour. Sometimes he mails them, but more often he takes pictures of them and sends those because he can't get to a post box or figures he'll beat it home. He’ll talk my ear off about any new book he find interesting. And he actually listens when I rant about statistics and claims he finds it interesting."

"I hope I'll be a good enough boyfriend for you to compete with all of that," Taehyung admitted, his eyes trained on the far end of the couch.

I reached up and cupped his cheek, turning his face back toward me. "First, its not a competition. Second, friend-Tae has so many amazing qualities, I am sure boyfriend-Tae will be equally as amazing," I said softly. "I wasn't trying to tell you what a great boyfriend Namjoon is for me, I'm letting you know what a great boyfriend he'll be for you, too."

"I guess you don't really need me to fill you in on what he's like as a fuck buddy, do you?" Taehyung joked, trying to lighten the suddenly somber mood.

I flushed. "I mean, I know what he's like in bed with me, but I don't know what he's like with you." Tae watched the way my eyes looked everywhere but at his face, and I saw him grin out of the corner of my eye.

He laughed. "Joonie wasn't kidding when he said you liked thinking about the two of us together, was he?" Taehyung asked, teasing me unfairly. "What do you want to know, noona?"

I blushed further at the way he said the honorific. Stammering, I got out, "Well, I mean, I don't want to pry or be a creep, but, uh, I had kind of wondered who, uh..."

"You want to know who topped?" he guessed with a raised eyebrow. When I nodded guiltily, he smiled. "While I feel like I should be giving you a lecture about fetishizing same sex relationships, I'll admit you have a valid reason for wanting to know."

I watched him as he leaned forward to grab his glass and have a sip of water, waiting ever so patiently for him to spill the tea on a situation I'd been actively wondering about for weeks now. Apparently I didn't look as patient as I had hoped, because he nearly spit out his water and laughed when he looked back at my face. "Would you like some water, too, honey? You're looking a little thirsty."

Not finding his teasing amusing in the least, I smacked his arm lightly. "Aish, you're so rough, noona!" he complained. "To answer your question, most of our...encounters were of the manual and oral variety. Kind of hard to find the time and privacy for anal with our schedules."

"Uh huh, you said most..." I prompted, no longer feeling shame at my interest after his teasing.

"We've each done both," Taehyung confessed. "He's a little more, uh...suited for the role of top, personality wise. But he, uh...he told me my dick was too good to waste the opportunity?" It was Tae's turn to blush now, and I giggled at his embarrassment.

I clapped with delight. "Well, I suppose that answers some questions about what I have to expect in bed with you!" I joked. Tae leaned to hide his face in my neck, but I could see the smile on his face before he hid it. He might be embarrassed, but he was a little proud, too.

Previous (Part 1) || Next (Part 3)

#bts fic #ipurpleunet #namjoon x reader #taehyung x reader #namjoon x reader x taehyung #my fic #bts smut #namjoon scenario #taehyung scenario #idol au #bangtan smut #namjoon au #taehyung au #bangtan x reader #first person #unnamed oc #namjoon fic #taehyung fic #bts au fanfic #bts au #fic: this looks bad

[jay-cult]

A Golden Promise

Hey guys :D I wrote a little one shot for Rhon during my free time in school. After this I can start working on chapter fics and stuff during class. For now have this lovely fic.

*Features Rhon and Scree, told from Rhon’s perspective primarily *Hints of Jaya, maybe more than hints *Also has lots and lots of Jay. Lots *Mild swearing because Rhon is a hecker *I actually have no idea how making jewelry works, I literally made this up I’m admitting this now, but I’ll fill in that hole with “it’s Rhon’s way”

While “lounging” around in her freetime, Rhon puts on a new task when her nephew brings her news and asks for help with a creation, and perhaps with more.

A Golden Promise

Rhon was having a sort of usual day.

“So, what are you thinking for this one, eh? How much are you gonna rip me off this time?” Her client asked, half joking.

She leaned in. “I told you the price,” she said flatly, but still repeated the obviously fair payment that he was to give her. In return for his vehicle being fixed, he would give her money. That’s how life worked, weirdo.

Scree was perched casually on her shoulder, and he leaned toward the client like her, trying his best to appear intimidating. The eagle fixed him with a piercing stare.

“Alright, alright, I’m jokin’, calm down,” he smiled and waved his hand in a sweeping motion as if to say, “Forget about it.” He readied a bag full of gold coins and tossed it at her.

Scree hopped off from her shoulder and quickly grabbed the bag before it hit her, but the weight of it immediately made him drop to the ground before he could spread his wings enough. He let out a screech.

Rhon looked menacingly toward where her client had just stood, but he was already climbing into his newly fixed vehicle.

“Ninjago should really establish some form of paper money,” she muttered to Scree while picking the bag of gold up from the ground.

To keep property private and all that, Rhon wouldn’t usually do her business while her airship was docked where the ninja’s place of residence was, which at this time was the newly built Monastery. She wasn’t there often. The lack of business, the noise of her companions, and the distance from fresh resources also made for a not-so-beneficial time. But today, she was staying with said companions for the simple reason of wanting to spend time with them. She did care about them, after all.

She and Scree made their way inside her airship, the Grayscale. It was big enough to hold a workshop where she could work on a couple of business and creative projects, a bedroom, a large guestroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a general piloting area atop the deck that contained many control panels filled with levers, buttons, and monitors, and of course the cockpit with a steering wheel. The deck itself was plain, with a few masts with sails enabling its flight. It was maybe two thirds of the size of the ninjas’ many previous models of the Destiny’s Bounty.

She built it herself, with some help from a friend, a long time ago.

Rhon set the bag down on a table in her workshop. She sat down and sorted through the coins, counting up the value. Scree disappeared while she was counting and returned with a couple of lizards in his mouth, settling down on a perch by the table to consume them. Rhon looked down at her calculations. One gold coin short. Figures.

“RhooOOOOON! AUNT RHON! Hi-”

Rhon jumped in her seat, scattering coins all over the table. Scree lifted into the air and let out a surprised shriek. Rhon exhaled and relaxed, but Scree continued to flap in midair, clearly choking on something.

“Scree? Fuck-” Rhon stood out of her seat again, jumping up to grab her bird.

“Aa! Oh no! I’m sorry, ooohhhh no.” It was Jay. He ran over quickly, clearly not really knowing what to do and looking on concerned.

Finally, after a few retches and hits on the back, Scree coughed and a lizard came flying out of his throat. It splatted on a wall.

“That... literally could not have gone worse,” Rhon sighed.

Jay scratched his neck, embarrassed. “I am SO sorry, shoot, I didn’t mean to-”

“Of course you didn’t, don’t get all twisted up,” she interrupted, though frowning. If it was any normal person they would be up to their ears in Rhon’s insults and accusations, but this was Jay. “Just… shake it off.”

Her nephew suddenly brightened up. Scree flapped over and landed on his shoulder, signifying forgiveness. “Okay, okay. I came here to tell yoouuu something great, oh man.”

Rhon crossed her arms and narrowed on of her eyebrows, looking at him curiously. Sure, Jay was enthusiastic and, well, emotional, but him being THIS excited-looking was a rare case. “Alright, what?”

“So, uh, like, you know, Nya.”

“Yes, yes, I know Nya, she’s kind of a close ally of mine,” Rhon said slightly sarcastically. She couldn’t really help it.

“Yeah, yeah, Nya, well. Going to….. I’m going to….. ask her to be my Yang!” Jay revealed enthusiastically.

“Oh wow, really?” Rhon asked, actually surprised. “Wow, uh, congrats!” She awkwardly smiled.

She noticed that her nephew was about ready to jump out of his pants.

“Damn Jay, calm down,” she said a bit forcefully, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Rhon knew that her Jay was an expressive person, so something this huge might just have made him explode. “I can barely understand you.”

“Sorry, sorry, just.” He forced himself to stop being so jittery. “I’m…. really excited, and nervous especially.”

No kidding. She stood there looking at him with Scree on his shoulder and thinking it over. Jay and Nya were, at the least, different. That’s what made them special, she thought. The two were quite obviously mad for each other. The reason was, quite simply put, that they had just been through so much. Through suffering and even through death… real death. Young love, am I right? She thought sarcastically. To herself.

“Anyway, um.” Jay chilled down a little bit, becoming much more like himself. “I’m not just telling you the news.”

Rhon raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I really need your help.”

She thought he must have been joking for a second, and was about to say that he got her. But for once he had a serious look on his face. “Wait,” she said after a few moments of silence. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah, of course, I need a charm.”

Rhon let out a huge sigh of relief. “Oh, thank FSM. I thought you meant- oh, nevermind.”

Her nephew stood confused for a while before he burst out laughing. “WHAT? You thought I wanted to ask you to help with the general thing? Like th-the asking and the romance and like, the wooing-”

Rhon wasn’t really used to being made fun of, so she just stood there frowning and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, hell no am I a romantic. Great Garm does that generate a weird image.”

Jay laughed more at her statement. “Oh man I’m just imagining this like, you, but Scree’s kind of flying around in majestic circles,” Scree let out a little noise at the mention of his name, “and your cape is flowing in the wind and you’re going, uh, ‘hey there, sweetheart,’ with a twinkle in your eye or something.”

She started to laugh a little. “Imagine I’m making some sort of a heart made of lightning.”

“Ah, Garm,” he let out his breath, “that’s funny. Wait wait wait, look, you mean like this?”

Jay brought his hands up to his chest and jerked them a little. Lightning flew out of them and formed a fantastic heart shape. His face was twisted in extreme focus.

“Hey, that’s actually really good,” Rhon complimented. She followed, bringing her hands up to her chest, and trying the best in her mind to flex out the bolts. Same jolted off to the side, while others flew up too far.

“Try bending your hands back a bit more,” the blue ninja instructed. “And you gotta focus, which yeah, is really hard, but you can- yeah, there you go!”

Rhon smiled upon seeing herself be able to do the fun trick. She was extremely tempted to bust out a “Hey there, sweetheart,” but as much as she loved her nephew, she retained her dignity.

“You could try this thing out on your girl,” Rhon suggested.

“Ooh, yeah you’re right, that’s a great idea!” He said, accepting her suggestion. “I sure will sometime.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Okay, fun’s over. You wanted the charm, right?”

“Yeah, you know how to make stuff, right?”

“Well, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but I’m not exactly the craft-tsy type. Draw-tsy, sure, but…”

“Bold of you to assume I’m not the same.”

He chuckled a bit.

“Ah, I’m just kiddin’. I’ve made odes of gold from my last fix. I may not be ‘crafty’ but I’ve got an idea. We can try it out.” She ruffled the short boy’s hair and walked off to retrieve a stool from her workshop’s auto-fixing… area… thing. The place where vehicles would go when she worked on them.

She returned to her desk and set the stool beside her chair, making an area of two seats. Rhon looked at the still-scattered coins on the desk. With the help of Scree (Jay was off poking around in her workshop. She let only him and sometimes Nya if they were together do so with the whole ship) she gathered the coins up into a bag.

Rhon readied her smelter and placed a large amount of coins- there not being enough later would be a problem- in it. Finally, some hard clay and carving tools in her hands, she made her way back to her desk.

Jay returned there at the same time and Scree made a perching area out of his head. She placed the glob of clay in front of him, leaving a little for herself. In front of him she also placed a piece of paper and a pen.

She sat down, ready to give him a few hours of her time. “What are your ideas?”

“Well it’s a Yin and Yang charm, obviously,” he replied. “We’ll be making that symbol with the charm. Each part goes to its respective party.” Jay reached for his head and scratched Scree on his neck. The eagle let out a soft churr. “So then maybe we could the elemental signs on each respective part.”

He carefully sketched out the symbol. He drew another circle around it, putting his two lines on one side and Nya’s curvy splash on the other. He labelled his with Yin and hers with Yang.

“Well it’s really nice but also too bland,” he sighed.

“Creativity’s your thing,” Rhon pushed. “Do something with it.”

“Well I can’t just… force myself to do it,” he argued. “Ideas aren’t made, they pop out of thin air, during the wrongest times, like in the shower, or in the middle of making-”

“OKAY, alright, yeah, sorry,” she interrupted, “I just hoped you’d at least have gotten an idea already. How long ago did you start thinking about doing this again?”

“Like a week ago, but in all honesty, there’s so much else to distract me about it, I can hardly think about something as detailed to the situation as charm designs. Like what about the clothes I’ll wear or the way I’ll have to have my hair look on the day I ask.”

As Jay spoke he looked down at his gi, emphasizing his point. His eyes trailed the intricate gold designs of the beautiful dragon that stretched across him. “Oh, wait! Dragons… dragons are really cool.”

Rhon nodded as he sketched down the design onto the paper. “You know, I hate being prodded, but I’m still gonna prod you. You seem a little nervous to do this. ‘Little’ is, ah, relative.”

“YEAH YOU THINK?!” Jay yelled. He seemed to know what to do, as he took the clay and some tools and began carving the shape of a half of the charm, frustratingly digging out the curves and lines. “I mean, what if I’m not really the best. Actually, yeah, I’m not the best, it’s a fact. What am I even doing, I’m not even as strong as Cole, I’m not as smart as Zane. I don’t have near Kai’s looks… those do run in the family… and Lloyd’s leadership abilities and social skills are beyond my ability. And Nya, well she has like, so much of all of those skills. I’m just a rip-off compilation of everyone. And I mean, I have freckles. What cute person has freckles?”

Rhon was taken slightly aback. Very aback, actually. It had been ages since someone had ever expressed such deep negative feelings to her before, since she wasn’t exactly the best giver of advice. When her sister had yelled in distress, she had listened.

When it came to family, she’d still listen.

She made sure her nephew was done and looked at him. “What cute person has freckles?” she mumbled. “I’ll show you what cute person has freckles.”

“Huh?” Jay said. “Nevermind. Stop staring at me like that, you make eye contact as often as I enter a fight without fear.”

“Jesus,” she said, tilting her head and frowning. “You sure know how to put yourself down.”

He suddenly looked as if he regretted everything. His eyes widened in realization, he scrunched back guiltily, and he purposefully looked away, focusing back on his project and saying not another word.

“You know,” Rhon piped up quietly, “I may not be the prettiest woman alive… I mean I’m getting so OLD. And my eyes definitely show how tired I am, and I’m rarely seen smiling. And have you seen this slouch?”

He continued to pick delicate strokes into his clay. “Old, huh? Thirty is old…”

“But when I was a kid, and I grew up with your mother, I thought she was the prettiest person alive. Us Staticholders valued beauty and wealth, so the way I was raised should really show how right I was. And you’ve seen your father, yeah? Up on the big screen, bein’ that cool, hot mess, famous n’ all. And though not nice-looking myself, I have a say in the matter for sure. And what I will say is that you’re a perfect mix of the two. You are the hottest kid on this side of Ninjago.”

He smiled a little bit. “Yeah, yeah, I guess that makes me feel a little better.” Scree flew off his head and landed behind his carved cast, cooing at him.

“And even if you had the grossest, most repulsive face in the history of every creature alive, your heart of gold wins above everything. You care so much about all your friends, and definitely about your girlfriend, and that’s all that matters.”

“And don’t forget you, you crazy old geezer,” he snickered.

“Oh yeah? Call me a geezer one more time and I’ll kick your ass,” she laughed, standing up off her chair and plunging her hands into his hair, messing it up in the everlasting aunt move of rufflement.

“Geezer, geezer, geezer,” he prodded.

“Oh you’re just asking for it!” she yelled, messing it up even more.

They settled down and she patted his head in a finishing touch.

“Okay,” Rhon said, “One more thing. What the hell is up with the freckle thing?”

Her nephew chuckled and shyly answered, “Ah, yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to offend you or anything..”

“Freckles, dear Jay, are like the beauty spots of the waking world. Nobody hates freckles. They are a damn blessing.” She tugged on the wraps on one of her arms and wrapped it off quickly.

“Holy shit,” he marveled, seeing her freckle-invaded arm.

Rhon gasped and smacked him upside the head.

“What was that for-?”

“You don’t just say shit like that!”

“But you do- you JUST-”

“Just because it’s me, doesn’t mean it should be you,” Rhon growled.

“Aw, come on,” Jay was smiling, an eyebrow narrowed. “I’m VERY grown-up.”

“The minute you say grown-up you lose the ability to BE grown up,” she commented back. “But anyway. How is your charm coming along?”

He picked it up and placed it in front of her. It was very intricately carved, a dragon with the dot in its jaw in line with the flow of the shape.

“Okay, good,” she said. “Now we have to put this in the oven so it hardens.”

~

Scree A. Buckbeak III soared above the monastery on his midday hunt. His independence from Rhon was only certain times, usually in the relaxation periods of the day. Relaxation for her, that is. He flapped down to perch on the roof. His claws scraped the fresh brick, still so smooth and perfect because of how recent the monastery had been rebuilt. He twitched his head sideways so that his eye faced the commotion of the humans below.

A newly-old-bodied Sensei Wu sipped some tea under the shade below. In the shade beside him, Rhon leaned against an outer wall. Wu put the teacup down and closed his eyes in a focused thought.

In the blazing sun, six brightly-dressed ninja were already standing aside, weary. They had already grown tired of their previous excitement for the brand new training equipment, and as it moved and mechanized in the searing heat, they whined.

“But Sensei,” Jay, Scree’s favorite, argued. “We’re already so… trained up and old and learned. Do we have to still..?”

“Yeah,” the red one agreed. “Isn’t there better things to fight around the island somewhere?”

The green one stepped forward, looking a little reluctant. “I’m afraid I have to agree with them, Sensei. Why train on useless things when we could be saving people and fighting crime out there?”

Wu opened one eye, gazing at the ninja. “I am quite aware that you wish to be the heroes of every crime in Ninjago,” he replied, “however not every nuisance needs a ninja.”

Scree turned his head and scratched the back of his neck with his claw. As the ninja began to train like police dogs the sun sunk lower into the afternoon, lengthening their shadows across the course.

He watched as Jay stumbled over to the girl, exhaustion evident in every one of his limbs. “The FSM is merciless,” he groaned.

She giggled and patted his back. “What happened to all that spunk you always had after hours of working?”

“It’s just not the same anymore,” he replied, smiling. “I don’t feel like a student anymore. This is basically a profession. We’re on the end of eighteen.”

“Come on,” she said, but her hopes looked like they fell a little. If Jay was the most positive ninja, him being negative usually meant a real emergency. “Just because we’re a lot older doesn’t mean we have to be so serious all the time. We can work without the weight of people’s lives or possessions in our hands, and just have fun like we used to.”

“That’s much deeper advice than I signed up for, Nya,” he joked. “I’m just… tired.”

“We always are, but we gotta keep pushing,” she responded. She lowered her voice. “Especially because of old guy and old guy junior over there.”

They both laughed, glancing over to where Wu and Lloyd were working on moves.

“Think they’ll care if we just run and ditch the rest of the day?” She asked.

“Oh, yeah. We’ll be in trouble, big time,” Jay answered.

“What’s life without a little risk?”

“No, seriously. Let’s not.”

“Okay. Well in that case, let’s do what we have to!” she quickly kissed him on the cheek before jumping up and getting in a position with her weapon.

With renewed strength, Jay too jumped into action, facing her, ready.

The two worked like magic, in and out, back and forth. Fighting against each other was a rare thing for them now, that was sure. It was different from fighting alongside each other. They knew each other’s moves to well and rarely struck.

Scree hopped off the roof and flew away to hunt again.

    ~

After the clay had been heated, hardened, cooled, carved, and all the works, the gold had been poured and set out to cool the same, twice. Rhon slid the second golden half from the cast, handing it to Jay for him to ink in some black designs.

“Can’t believe you’re really growing up, buddy,” she commented as he focused on the intricate patterns.

“Don’t be nice, it’s creepy,” Jay said, but smiled. He put the inking instrument down and smiled as he looked at the two halves. He picked them both up in his hands, studying them as if he were an archaeologist studying an artifact. They were precious to him.

He looked up. “Thanks to the ends of Ninjago, aunt Rhon,” he said slightly nervously. “I’m actually really glad I was able to think of things and you know. Make it myself.”

“It’s all gotta be from the heart,” she pointed to her chest.

Scree soared in through a window and greeted Rhon with a nuzzle after landing on her shoulder. She patted his head.

“Now get outta here, kid. Show her how much she means to ya.”

#ninjago #fanfic #fanfiction #jay #nya #rhon #scree #ocs #oc

[jj-ktae]

Romanticised

Title : Romanticised

Author : Myself 

Pairing : Im Jaebum x You (reader)

Summary : He had planned everything for both of them, including a newly born romantic side.

“All set?”

“Yeah, I have the wine bottle.”

It was hard to see where you were both going, but the firm grip on your hand was like a guide in a secret forest, full of fantasy.

The summer had granted both of you a cool evening, with a soft breeze and no sweat. You were grateful to be able to go out without melting like snow and your boyfriend was slowly walking toward the secret place he had told you about. This date was a total surprise and you could almost see the happiness paint itself on your significant other’s face, signalling he was enjoying your little adventure.

“Are you sure we’re not going to get lost?” You inquired, glancing awkwardly at the tall palm trees and flowers blocking the view.

“Of course not, I’ve been there already.” Your boyfriend walked faster and jumped a tall step, turning around to reach out to you.

“Come on, I’ll catch you babe.” He said and you kneeled down, ready to fly in his arm like a small sparrow reaching for its mum. You landed safely in the comfort of his chest and he took the opportunity to brush his nose against yours, smirking.

“Are you happy?” the question felt surreal, coming from him.

“Of course, Jaebum. Why are you asking?” You questioned, not getting the sudden need for sappiness.

Jaebum wasn’t the kind of guy who could pull of such romantic skills, let alone mushy phrases under the moonlight. He was more of a smooth operator, juggling with sensual and serious, then mixed with desire. In short, Jaebum was a typical jazz song, not pressing and dictating, but guiding and suggestive. His deep velvety voice could whisper the sweetest things, but also the dirtiest words with the same tone, unwavering.

You often found yourself evaporating under his hungry eyes and plump lips every time he’d whisper the things he’d do to you. He wasn’t usually doing this to make sure you were okay with it, but for you to know how deep his envy was. You had no words to say in how your flesh was belonging to this person who was suddenly smiling at you like a schoolboy.

“I’m happy. I feel like I’m not saying it enough. You know it, right?” You parted from him and met an insecure face you knew too little.

“Well, I am happy.” You concluded and he acquiesced, knowing you were just like him when it came to sappy and sugary moments. “Hurry up.” He said and readjusted the backpack containing all the things you needed to spend a quiet moment together.

When he had asked you if you were free for the week-end, you were surprised, because Im Jaebum was never free during the week-ends. He’d always have some errands to do. Write a song, compose, rehearse, sleep, eat, anything that would only leave a couple of hours for you two. You were not complaining though, because he had made sure that you were aware of what cruise you were boarding on when you agreed on dating him.

It wasn’t as close as to be called a cruise anyway, but more of a solitary journey, but the short moments spent together were enough to offset whatever lonely feeling you once had.

Jaebum was delicate enough to read you without asking too many questions anyway. He was the quiet type, and while you were more of a communicative human being, he was into searching answers with his eyes and body, not leaving room for yelling.

He could yell too, though, and it was rare but electric, like a slap in the face without a warning.

To sum up, your boyfriend was the definition of simple, with a hint of impulsivity and no time for frivolity.

Living the moment was his motto, a saying you heard so many times you could see it painted all over his delicate features.

He stopped you in your thoughts by letting go of your hand, showing the place surrounding you.

It was a small cove, with a wooden shed. The color had faded with time and an abandoned surfboard was lying next to it, damaged by erosion and sea wind. The place looked raw and small bushes were peeking around patches of sand, reminding of its initial owner.

“Do you like it?” he asked, putting the backpack between you too and opening it.

“It’s...so pretty...” It was truly wonderful. Soft waves were lulling the place, surrounding them in a thin layer of peace and serenity.

Jaebum was busy with the huge beach towel, and he placed it neatly in front of the sea, seating. He looked up to you, patting the spot next to him.

“I only came once here, with the boys. I thought it could be good to show you. It’s heaven.” He said, taking out the bottle of wine and two boxes full of snacks.

You took this moment to lay down, the fluffy material of the towel soft like feathers around your heated body.

“Shall we swim first or...?” Your boyfriend’s voice made you jump out of your reverie and you sat up straight, eyes panicked.

“I didn’t bring my swimsuit, Jaebum.” The boy had kept the place secret, not giving any hints.

“...and?” he asked as if he had never heard such a stupid question. Your mouth took the shape of a small coin and you saw his very one turning into a huge smile.

“I didn’t bring one either anyways.” He stated, already taking off his large tee-shirt.

So this is where he was going. You were not that surprised anyway, because coming from Jaebum, it was like a simple cuddle on a Sunday morning.

Except it involved two naked body in a public place, no matter how deserted.

“I don’t think we should...I could keep my...” You tried, because who knew, who knew what could happen? If another person was to pass by you’d die of embarrassment.

“Your clothes are gonna take forever to dry, babe.” He answered and finished opening the wine bottle, handing it for you to taste.

You took a sip; aware it wasn’t the best way to appreciate wine and continued “But we can’t go naked!”

Jaebum’s deep laugh made you roll your eyes “Why not? The place’s empty. Get up!” he took the bottle and drank rapidly before settling it against a small rock behind you two.

A second later, his short and boxer were on the floor, and his body was greeted by the wind and exposed for all to see, included your stunned eyes.

“You’re crazy.” You breathed and saw him walk toward the shore, his toned butt dancing with every step and increasing an unintentional blush across your cheeks.

“Come on! The water’s great!” His feet kicked the small waves, splashing water and he continued walking in, his body slowly disappearing into the dark depths of the sea.

You looked around once more and slowly took off your tank top, while Jaebum started swimming, his hair slicked back by water. You made a face and quickly took off your short and underwear, almost running to the water and toward a laughing Jaebum.

“You’re going to fall, babe.” He stated when he heard you swear, your body disappearing in your turn and leaving only your head out of the black swaying water.

“I can’t believe I’m naked in the middle of night. What if somebody steal our stuff?” Panicking was your style, and Jaebum knew it way too much to let himself fall into your mother-like frenzy behavior. You threw a glance to the abandoned squat and sighed, hoping that Jaebum wasn’t going nuts for good.

“Relax, nobody’s going to come...” You felt a body behind you, and soon enough, you were seated in the water, your feet into the sludge while Jaebum was hugging you from behind.

It felt soft under your toes, and his lap welcomed your bottom, making you sit on him like a child. The tip of his hair drew incoherent pattern on your skin when he started kissing your nape, arms locked around you like a rubber ring you didn’t need.

The calmness of the water was helping you both keeping some stance, and the soft waves were revealing your breast, hit by the wind and free of movement.

Jaebum looked like he noticed, because he started swimming deeper into the sea, your body upon his while his arms were guiding both of you to a way darker place. Your wet hair was cupping your face, strands wild and disheveled.

His mouth was close to your ear when the arms made you turn around to face him. Your feet weren’t touching the bottom but he was standing in front of you. He lifted both of your legs to make them circle around you and you felt all his hard glory brush against your most private parts, making you hiss and pulling a smile off his not so peaceful face.

You took it as a sign to cling on to him, keeping your body at the surface and he started rocking back and forth, your face nuzzled deep into his neck.

“How do you like it?” He asked and it made you wonder why on earth was he so keen on asking if you felt okay today. Not that he wasn’t that considerate usually, he was just less...blunt about it.

“I love it. You’re acting different, today.” You asked, aware that he wouldn’t be able to deny it.

“Yeah?” He asked, falsely surprised. His hands caressing your back started cupping your face and his eyes entered you like a laser into a dark room, shiny and sharp.

“Yeah. Don’t act surprised.” You mocked and he laughed, acquiescing.

“I thought about doing something different, that’s it.”

“And why is that?” You continued your teasing, because Jaebum was way too honest to hide anything anyways.

“I want to unveil all the sides of me.” He stated and your head tilted, puzzled. He took it as a sign to explain more.

“I want you to know every single thing about me. Until now, I had barely showed anything romantic. I want to give you everything, this included. This way you won’t get tired of me and my nasty personality.” He said and you we sure you saw a spark of insecurity in his eyes.

“There’s no way I’d get tired of such a great person.” He scoffed and walked toward the shore, supporting your body light like a ball of cotton in his large arms.

“There no such thing as forever if we don’t put in some individual efforts.” He added and you found yourself completely naked in his arms, like a toddler, in the middle of a deserted cove.

“Keeping the passion up tension?” He slowly crouched on the sand and laid down, your body over him like a soft silky sheet and he hummed.

“It’s not about passion. It’s about me being worthy of your love.” He said, pulling on your head to kiss your face.

“You’re being incredibly mushy, Im Jaebum.” His body was wet and slippery under yours and you planted your feet into the sand, creating contact with his body.

“Want me to stop then?” he asked and his lips met yours in a short kiss. Hands were cupping everywhere they could, kneading the cool flesh.

“I want you to do whatever you’re comfortable with.” You concluded and he smiled against you, tongue licking your mouth completely and taking you off guard.

“Then there’s something I’d be comfortable with, right now.” He said and you finally noticed how hard his body was.

“Here is the Jaebum I know.”

“Shut up and kiss me.” Came the whispered complaint.

The bottle of wine was long forgotten, just like the clothes around it when two bodies met, adding to the radiant heat overwhelming the already saturated air around them.

“I love you, babe.” Echoed in a long breath, short and halting against wet skin.

“Me too, Jae.”

#im jaebum #jaebum #got7 jaebum #g7network #got7 im jaebum #hot jaebum #got7 #jaebum imagines #im jaebum got7 #jaebum scenarios #jaebum smut #got7 scenarios #kpop scenarios #mark scenarios #got7 imagines #kpop imagines #kpop got7 #jinyoung scenarios #jackson scenarios #bambam scenarios