#i have just given up completely on getting his hair crown thing right so i just make shit up

[baekhvuns]

bodyguard.

synopsis : in which his task is to be your bodyguard, his mob-boss’s daughter. where he not only guards you but also guards your body.

pairing : seonghwa x reader

themes : romcom, angst & smut.

word count : 37.8K.

to say that your father trusted you was a correct statement to some extent, but what he didn’t trust was the environment you were brought up in.

raising two kids despite being a mafia syndicate and hiding his very mafia-like tendencies wasn’t always easy, considering that both his kids would run around during meetings that not a single soul was to hear.

being raised in a secluded home- mansion per-say that was directly out of a architectural digest magazine, the one your father built from his own hands. residing in it with a happy family with his lovely wife, you, and your younger brother.

he had given you and your brother the bestest facilities growing up, from sending you two to prestigious schools despite having no idea what they actually were to giving you two toys that were only ever made twice in the world.  

but now that you, his eldest has grown up. he can’t help but be vary of the environment you were in, it’s not that he didn’t trust you. he didn’t trust a single soul outside his house.

he broke his pact and told you what he did for living the day you turned eighteen, he expected a completely different reaction to the one you gave him. which went along the lines of, “oh, okay.”

so now that you were of age and so were the heirs to other’s mafia groups, he was hesitant to send you anywhere without proper security. seeing how excessively violent his field of work can get, having tiny, minuscule disagreements that could have the worst possible results.

and how you were to take over your father’s position one day, he couldn’t ever risk you or his family getting hurt. it’ll be the one thing that’ll kill him if one day someone gets their hands on his much-protected family.  

So, when he makes a decision, looking at the fine, young, tall man dressed in the finest of suits payed by your father. black hair slicked back, a tie with a pin of your dad’s group the crown.

a smile on his wrinkly face he lifts his forefinger up and motions for the man to come closer, who bows his head and then walks stiffly towards you father who sat on his office chair.

“i hope you’ll be the perfect man for this job,” his raspy voice says, eyes falling over the man, who he thinks is quite handsome, and will cause him some trouble in the future.

“yes, sir.” he hears and smiles, “i will not give you a moment of disgrace, if i do, please fire me.”

a laugh bubbles out your dad’s mouth as he shakes his head, leaning forward on the table with a stance that terrified the man standing in front with his arms crossed behind his back.

“and if you do mr park.” your father enunciates, “i won’t. spare you.”

with a quick swallow the younger man nods and your father leans back with a smile, hands resting on each armrest he lifts a hand to tell him that.

“my daughter will be off soon, she’ll come here straight.” he mumbles and the man nods, “i will give you some rules to follow but i believe this is basic knowledge since you have been my guard, am i right park?”

“yes, sir.”

you father reaches for his glasses, placing them over his nose bridge yet still squinting his eyes as he reads the printed sheet of paper. written on it were rules he and his wife made just last night, sitting on their bed conspiring safety measurements.

“number one,” he starts, “you are to never leave my daughter alone, be it in public settings or more closed off settings.”

“yes, sir.”

you father ticks an eyebrow up and continues with a nod and a quick scan of the man, “two. you are to accompany my only daughter and ensure her utmost safety. her life comes first, understood park?”

“yes, sir.”

your father raises his eyes to meet the boy’s, “i assume you have more than just ‘yes, sir’s’ in your vocabulary?”

“i do, sir.”

he smirks, likes how the man keeps it short and simple. “moving on,” he exhales, “as she will be taking over my position in the coming future, you shall always be her right-hand man in any case scenario.”

“four,” he sits up straight, “do not leave my daughter alone in case of emergencies, she is your responsibility at all times.”

“i won’t disappoint you, sir.”

with a nod he continues, clearing his throat as he reads the next one. “fifth, you are to not make any relation with my daughter.”

your father looks ahead, eyes forming into slits. “do not touch my daughter or hurt her, if i get a hunch, i’ll cut your hands off.”

a shaky nod leaves the man. “do not make any sorts of relationship with her, be it courtship or any sort of sexual relationship.”

“am i making myself clear?”

“y-yes, sir.” he responds, “i’m not to make any mistakes that can sadden you, i will pay good attention on that.”

“good,” he smiles, “you can however be friends…to a limit.”

“do n-“

“dad!”

your father’s grim turns into a big smile, face brightening when he hears your call for him. bursting through his office doors with arms wide open and running to him, “oh sweetheart! how was school?”

he asks as you roll your eyes and hug him, “dad you keep forgetting it’s not school anymore, it’s a university!”

when he pulls back, he pats your forearm, “forgive this old man, i’m a little forgetful at times.”

you raise an eyebrow, “forgetful? not when you remember to take a daily shot of whi-“

“okay, okay!” you smile, your dad huffing before he looks ahead and you follow his line of vision.

there stood a man who suddenly stood straighter when your eyes landed on him, you don’t realize your father holding your hand because you’re so busy staring at the man in front of you.

clad in those black tuxes, a gun holster you know is attached to his broader chest. you can’t help but look at the way the tux cinches his waist, your tongue runs across your right cheek as you take the man’s appearance in.

“y/n,”

“yes, dad.” you reply, eyes on the man who never spared you a glance.

“meet your new bodyguard,” you raise an eyebrow. “park seonghwa.”

“i’m park seonghwa, your new bodyguard from now on.” you watch the man bow, “i’m to be by your side whenever you go out at all times, it’s nice to meet you ma’am.”

you bite back a smile at the use of ma’am that’s never been used to address you, and instead you lean back on your bed a little. watching the man’s his upper body for a few seconds and which then stood straight, feet apart and hands crossed behind his back.

“hi, seonghwa.” you say, and he nods, “you have to be with me everywhere?”

“yes, ma’am.”

“call me y/n.”

“yes ma’am.”

with a shake of your head you continue, “do you have to be there at my university?”

“yes, ma’am.”

“when i go to malls, clubs or those events?”

“yes, yes and yes.”

you smile at his response and then cross your legs over the other, being amused at the way he stares at your face and not look down when you crossed your legs. gentleman you thought.

“even…” you lean forward a little, “to the bathroom?”

he pauses for a little and then clears his throat, “public places, ma’am.”

“what about public bathrooms?” you blink twice and his lips form into a line.

“i’m afraid that’s a place i’m not allowed in,” he mumbles, so formal that it hurt you to admit you liked it. “to satisfy your privacy that is.”

with a smile you reach out to grab the thin file your father had given to you, “i assume this is your file, right?”

“yes, ma’am.”

you flip through the papers to see a passport size photo of seonghwa, staring at it a tad bit longer because you finally get to see his eyes that aren’t hidden by the dark sunglasses he wore. they’re sharp, feline-like, scary but so warm that it tingled your fancy.

“you’re a really high-profile man seonghwa, what are you going to do trailing behind me?” you ask as your eyes graze the achievements of the man and no wonder, he’s in your dad’s personal security squad, his credentials are simply spectacular.

from the way he can use almost any artillery given, dismantle and rearrange them to being an assassin for a long running italian mafia before, that one definitely piqued your interest.

“i serve your family ma’am, your father specifically.” he says, looking at you going through his profile. “whatever he says are my orders, ma’am.”

“stop calling me that,”

“yes, ma’am.”

you sigh and then look at him, then pat the spot on the bed you sat on. “if you’re going to be my bodyguard, we should get to know each other!”

“i’m sorry ma’am, i’m not here to make any sort of relationship with you.” he says, sternly. “i’m prohibited to do so.”

“do you always use those fancy, formal words?”

“yes, ma’am.”

“how would you like for me to address you?” you ask, tilting your head to the side a little. “i can’t call you bodyguard everywhere, people can get suspicious.”

“park seonghwa.” he nods after saying that.

you lean an elbow on your leg, tapping your chin as if thinking what to call him when you already know. “what about hwa?”

“seonghwa.”

“what about seong?”

“park seonghwa, ma’am.” he emphasizes, and you grin, your eye smile on display.

“okay, hwa!”

you know he inhales at his defeat, but it only makes you smile more, “so since i know a bit about you, you should know something about me! go on, ask me questions.”

“i have no questions ma’am,” he responds, and you frown.

“not even one?”

he shakes his head, “i already know the most i’ve to know about you, your allergies for emergencies and your daily schedule.”

you nod, “you know about my family?”

he smiles just a bit, “i work for them, of course i do.” he says, briefly glancing at his watch. “i believe your younger brother will be off school now, would you like to go pick him up?”

“ew no,” you scrunch your nose, “why would i go pick up that idiot.”

“as you wish,” he nods and then takes a step back, “if you need anything, please call for me. i’ll be down the hallwa-“

“i don’t have your number,” you grin, reaching for your phone and handing it out to him. “go on, don’t be shy now.”

“i’m not allowed to use your phone ma’am,” you throw your head back and groan, standing on your feet and then walking towards him, just enough till you’re standing right in front.

your finger lifts up to poke his hard chest that you know he works out for, “stop calling me ma’am, we are almost the same age.” you see the slight shift in his posture, “i have a name and its y/n. second, you are my bodyguard. you can use my phone, third you’re about to step on my cat’s tail.”

the third one catches him so off-guard that he takes a quick jump to the side, both your eyes falling to the floor where a cute siamese floofball sat, adorably innocent wide eyes and head tilted with its tail curled in a coil.

“you said you know everyone in my family,” you kneel down, reaching your hand out for your cat who complies and places it’s face on the palm of your hand. “but you forgot my cat, meet dumbles.”

you see the way seonghwa’s head does a quick snap tilt, “…dumbles?” he asks, momentarily leaving the sternness out of him and kneeling down beside you to stare at your round cat.

“you haven’t watched harry potter?” you ask, petting your cat’s head as he purrs and closes his eyes.

“i-i have ma’am,” he quickly adds, his nerd self-having a field day in his mind. “i just don’t know how that relates?”

“dumbles, short for dumbledore.” you hear him sigh at the name and it makes you snort, reaching to hold your cat like a baby you nudge him to seonghwa. “he’s more like my bodyguard really.”

and it’s the first time you’ve seen a full smile grace his plump lips when he reaches to pet dumbles, “i think i’m going to have to compete for this job?”

with a purr of your cat and a laugh that bubbles out of you, it’s then when you suddenly lean closer to his face. eyes squinty and he looks up, despite his glasses covering his eyes you can clearly make out that he’s blinking repeatedly.

“you’re cute.”

“ma’am, we’ll be late for your first class.”

you bring the blanket to your face, “ma’am, it’s already 11:30, your class starts in an hour.”

“seonghwa, are you my mother or my bodyguard?” you groan, peeking a little from your blanket with droopy and squinty eyes.

“your bodyguard ma’am,” you hear him say, then hearing his footsteps go the side of your room and push the curtains away to reveal the sun. “my duty is for you to be at your university right now.”

he hears a whine come from behind him and he looks over his shoulder to see you twisted in some random position as you stretched, taking the entire blanket with you. he hears you yawn his name in a singing voice and all he does is stand at the foot of your bed; hands folded behind him.

you lift your head up on your elbow, eyeing seonghwa’s ever so classic and sophisticated tux with a smile. “gooood morning, seong!”

“good morning, ma’am, please get ready.” he taps his wristwatch, “breakfast is ready downstairs.”

“how are you doing seong?” you ask, completely avoiding whatever he said with a smile.

“very well ma’am,” he says, tapping his watch once again. “it’s time for you to be downstairs ma’am.”

your lips form into a small pout and you shift on the bed, until you’re sitting crisscross in front of him. “you know my mom would love you,” he says nothing, “you’d be someone who’d make me go everywhere on time.”

“that is my job ma’am.”

“good,” you nod, then extending your hand out to him. “could you please help me get out of bed?”

he says nothing but reaches his larger hand to grab yours, his slightly calloused hands holding your softer ones before he juts you up with one hand. so quick and strong that you almost land on seonghwa instead, “thank you, hwa.”

“no worries, ma’am.” he straightens himself up, taking a few steps back and not looking anywhere but your face. “i’ll be downstairs by the bentley.”

you would’ve never thought that you would ever find a man so classy, so hot and yet so infuriating at times. specifically, when he calls you ma’am or quietly slides you a sheet of your schedule of your classes to remind you of the time again at the breakfast table, making your sibling laugh.

so, when you walked out decked in your branded clothes, that one, you barely wore. two, chanel’s tweed jacket keeps poking you in your side and three to match you little- tall bodyguard.

it’s the way you look like his counterpart if not for the gold chanel pin you have on top of your chest, a wide smile on your face that can only be described as sheepish and a jump to your steps.

the drive to your uni is filled with nothing but silence, despite the looks you throw at him from the rear that you know he manages to see once in a while. or the way he shakes his head when he sees you poke your tongue out at him the middle of a red light.

“are you going inside too?” you ask once you get out of the car, flattening your skirt and then clutching your bag tighter.

“yes ma’am.” he merely nods after instead motioning for you to walk first so he walks behind.

and you do as told, walking in front full well knowing a tall, intimidatingly attractive man is walking behind you. seeing the stares, you’re getting it’s only making you prove a point that he is in fact, the finest man you’ve laid your eyes on.

your heels and his shoes match in pace, click clacking against the university marble floor. he walks in silence, occasionally using an arm to swat anyone in your way which makes him brush your arm quite often and leads him to apologize.

when you’re about to enter the classroom, he abruptly comes to a stop in front of you.

“what’s going on, seong?”

“i’ve to check the class for your safety, ma’am.” he says, and your laugh gets drowned by the chatter of students when he opens the door to peek inside. he then steps aside, opening the door for you fully and gesturing for you to walk in. “after you.”

“thank you,” you quickly mumble, suddenly being aware of the stares you’re getting as you hurry to walk to your seat.

once you’re settled down, the lingering figure of seonghwa stood by you. you glance at him and then the class who obviously looked at him, some in awe, some in confusion and the rest with their jaws dropped.

“you don’t have to come in my class,” you whisper, “there’s nothing to worry here.”

he bends at his waist, “i can’t do that ma’am, there’s quite a lot of threat in this class.” he says, eyeing the room. “your dad’s seventh enemy’s nephew sits thirteen seats behind you, anything could happen.”

with a discreet glance over your shoulder and the obvious sign of danger that emitted 13 seats away from you. eyebrow slit and eyes ready to throw daggers you slowly turn to seonghwa, “okay…” you shift to the right, “sit by me then.”

“i can’t do that ma’am.”

you raise an eyebrow, ears twitching at the door to the classroom opening and knowing your teacher walked in. and if he saw a man dressed in a black suit, an earpiece, tall standing by you. you’d surely get in trouble.

you grab onto his sleeve, “shut up, and sit down.”

“m-“

“it’s an order, mr park.”

you knew that hit the mark when you visibly see him stiffen. nodding his head and then unbuttoning his tux to have a seat beside you, your eyes on the teacher and him leaning back to take a seat.

it’s only then when one of your seatmates, kyle decides to open his mouth and ask you a question that has seonghwa raising his eyebrows in disappointment.

“yo, y/n,” you look to your right, “can i borrow a pen?”

“oh!” you mumble, “ye-“

“keep your hands to yourself mister,” you hear seonghwa’s voice come from behind you sternly say, the sudden warmth radiating from him lingering on your back. you can’t see him, but you know the voice has kyle’s eyes widening. “bring your own pen kid, this is university not elementary.”

“s-sorry sir,” you hear his stutter, and it makes you look at seonghwa with a frown, who in return sighs and takes a pen out of his tux pocket.

“bring your own next time,” you hear him mumble before he sits back on the chair, back leaned and legs crossed neatly.

“would you like to get something to eat?” you hear him ask from the driver’s seat, eyes meeting yours through the rear mirror.

“did you really have to give him your pen?” you ask instead, leaning closer to place your chin on the driver’s seat.

“i can’t let anyone else have you-“ you raise an eyebrow when he stops the car at the right moment. “-r property.”

“so, you’d just give anyone your pen?” you say, hearing him tap his fingers along the steering wheel.

he nods curtly. “i believe your class tomorrow is at eight in the morning-“

you groan, “why do you always talk about school?” sporting a pout you look in the rear view, knowing that under his dark sunglasses he is staring at you.

“i’ll set the alarm,“ he replies and your shoulders slump lower. “ma’am.”

with a sigh, you lean back on the seat. pouting in frustration as the sound of your phone momentarily distracts you, you flip it to face you and scroll through the messages.

kai, 4:56pm

y/n

party tonight?

ryan’s place

y/n, 4:57pm

????

why his place

ew

what time

kai, 4:59pm

uhhh

starts at 11

pick you up @ 12?

you snap your head up, “hey hwa, what time was my class tomorrow?”

“eight in the morning, ma’am.”

you curse under your breath, “shit, my hangover would kill me..” you bite down on your lip. looking at seonghwa through your lashes before looking down at the screen.

y/n, 5:01pm

ill drivo there

*drive

i’ll just meet u there

kai, 5:03pm

don’t be late dummy

you chuck your phone to the side when seonghwa calls for you, “y-yeah?”

“i won’t give my pens,” he pulls into your estate. “if that’s not what you’re comfortable with ma’am.”

“no, no,” you look out, mind completely not thinking about the party you’ve got to go too. plus, how will you go? with the tight security your dad has up on each and every wall of this house, you’re done for good. “you do, what you want! yeah!”

because if seonghwa’s supposed to be with you the entire day, how will you secretly- grab your stuff and get ready? how will you even make it past the entrance? surely you can’t use the front doors? gosh.

“ma’am, we are here.”

with that you grab your stuff in a hurry, opening the door you look at him one last time. “thanks for today seonghwa, but i have a really big exam tomorrow-“ you nod repeatedly. “and, uh, i won’t be out of my room till late! y-you can get an early lay off today! bye!”

“yes ma’am..”

you can’t do this.

you can’t go to the party with a hundred guards and doberman’s surrounding your place.

and you absolutely cannot go with seonghwa being just outside your door, “ma’am, shall i ask for your dinner to be prepared?”

you sit down on your bed, looking at the floor length mirror in front. there’s no way, absolutely no way you can escape this house in a dress that reaches till your thighs and in heels longer than your fingers.

before you can grab your phone, you hear another knock at your door. “ma’am?”

y/n, 11:47pm

kai

im not coming

kai, 11:49pm

why y/n

pls

you can’t leave me alone

with their shitshow

idk anyone

“give me a second seonghwa!”

y/n, 11:55pm

you know the entire school

doofus

kai, 11:55pm

so

pls

u can’t see me

but im on my knees

y/n, 12:00pm

fine

u owe me

kai, 12:01pm

2$

take it or leave it

“ma’am?”

you snap your head up to look at the door, closing your eyes and then opening them with a shake of your head. “i’m, i’ll just be going straight to sleep seonghwa!” you yell, wanting him to leave so you can plan your own. “thank you for today!”

“have a goodnight, ma’am.”

oh, you’re about too, you grin. hearing the clacks of seonghwa’s shoes fade with each step, you rise slowly. grabbing your leather jacket, heels in hand because ain’t no way you’re jumping out your window in them.

you slowly go and turn off your lights, a perfect way to tell that you’re asleep. with a small smile, you push open the window that leads outside just by the garages. as you do so, you see the front gates open. presumably seonghwa leaving the premises, it makes you smile knowing no one will catch you.

with an inhale, cold air flushes inside making you shiver with excitement and the eagerness to get a drink.

you first, look around, knowing the lights at this time are dimmed for privacy sakes. you’ll find it easier to escape, so you carefully extend your hand out—  (after sneaking a peek at your sleeping cat) the one that held your heels and slowly, one by one, throw them to the ground.

the soft sound of your heels hitting the grass is quiet, but you know it can pick the ears of the doberman’s your father loves, with a whine you throw your leg over the ledge. and then do the same with the other, sitting on the ledge fully with your balance perfect.

you look in the room once, knowing you’ve got a fake you covered in a blanket there, knowing your doors locked and knowing seonghwa’s gone home.

with that you jump.

your first mistake was to land on your shoes, making you twist your ankle, and a shriek leaves you but that’s quickly suppressed with the hand you put on your mouth.  

biting back the pain as your face scrunches up for a scream that your hand hides, you slowly bend down to grab your heels. slowly placing pressure on your feet turn by turn despite a cry you’re desperately wanting to let out.

your eyes switch into night mode, as if they were cameras and begun to step outside the grassy area under your balcony towards the long trees aligning the main road you father had gotten built that connects to the long entrance gates to the french door entrance to your house’s lobby.

your one hand holds your heels, the same hand holding your jacket and the other clothing onto your phone that keeps ringing and you know it’s gonna wake the dogs up and you will start crying. so, the only option was to cut it or pick up.

you picked up.

“y/n? bro where you at?” you roll your eyes at kai’s shaky voice. “i’m alone, this is not fun.”

“stop being like this,” you grit, clutching your phone while tip toeing across the road while hiding behind the long trees. “you’re already dancing i know!” you whisper-yell and hear his snort.

“hurry up you weenie!” he yells, and you whisper a few curse words. “or your new bodyguard might come and get you.”

that makes you stand straight, eyes narrowing as if you’re staring kai down.

“how do you know that?” you ask, voice lowered.

“everyone at our uni knows it,” he laughs, “the tall guy who walked in fully dressed in a tux? can’t be the business majors, can it?”

“oh, shut it,” you whisper, growing closer to the gates while looking back and forth for anyone. “good thing my guards gone home, nothings stopping me from that drink tonight!”

“unless your dogs-“

“i will see you there!” you cut him off, leaning against the tree, hiding as if you were in an action movie you turn your head to the right.

you’re ten steps away from the iron gates, one step to your victory but that one step is cut in half when you see the gatekeeper sitting with eyes wide open. and you know, you know it’s the first time he does so anyways because every other time he’s dozing off.

with a pained smile you slide closer to the tree, successfully in a second having your back against the high cement walls with no suspicion.

your eyes land on the gate in a gate (a small one that mimics a prison, ironic) that’s latched open, you grin. eyes flickering between the gatekeeper and the gate, and just as the man snaps his head down. you’re suddenly shapeshifting into a snake and running out the door with no noise.

once you run out, you run  as if your life depended on it. which it did, if your father found out about your early morning endeavors, you’re grounded for good.

and you can’t believe how he still can ground you in your mid-twenties, with a shake of your head you keep running and looking back from time to time before you find yourself in an alley.

your back leaned against the brick as you breathed heavily, chest going up and down as you swallowed the dryness. running a hand through your hair and wiping anything excess on your face before you lean down, throwing your heels before you slip your feet in them.

holding your phone out and texting kai that you’d be there in a few, without your car as you clasped on the ankle strap of your jimmy choo’s you hear a groan coming from your right.

you freeze midway of clasping the strap together, swallowing before comically looking to your right where the dark alley had begun to look even darker. you inhale a nervous breath before quickly slipping on your other heel, not wanting to spend a second here any longer as the groans become louder, and your eyes become wider.

and then you hear a full sentence, you know you’re in trouble. but that doesn’t scare you, what scares you is your father finding about this trouble.

“raise a hand and you won’t see the day of tomorrow.”

“…and it’s my time to leave,” you whisper, holding your phone tighter as you stood up. eyes sneakily looking at the alley as you slowly move towards the road with the aching ankle of yours.

but as you take another step, you hear the loud cry of someone that makes you freeze. but what solidified your death was when your phone rang in the midst of the after silence of the cry.

“who’s there?”

you freeze for what feels like hours and then snap to reality, hurriedly shutting your phone off and cursing kai’s name. you look back at the alley, swallowing with a pained expression before slowly beginning to creep away.

but it’s then when you hear a surge of footsteps filling your ears, your eyes widening, and you grip onto your dress before making a run.

“hey! get back here!”

“catch her!”

so, you run, you run as if your dogs are chasing you, as if your mother has found out what you’re doing late out at night dressed to get sick. or how your father would immediately blow up on you and the thought of getting into trouble, but that was on the last of your mind.

you’re running down the street, injured at the ankle, in your jimmy choo’s while a group of men run after you. you know they are holding weapons because you looked over your shoulder and it made you run even faster.

the cold wind slaps your face, makes your eyes watery and pushes your hair back as the road becomes downhill, your mouth begins to spew out curse words and screams that you hope make the men run away because you know only a god can save you from this.

“h-hey!” you scream, thinking you’d have a wise conversation with the group of guys who only seem to roar even louder and it’s at this point that your ankle begins to burn, and your eyes begin to tear up from the cold wind. “you don’t know who i am!”

“we don’t care!”

you cry out, “my father runs the mafia!”

“if your dad runs the mafia, my dad is tom cruise!” you hear one of them yell and you quicken your speed.

you frown as you run, “what the fuck!?”

“get her!”

the street gets darker and darker but with the semi-working streetlights, you’re able to make out stores and houses around you. neon signs of sketchy restaurants where they sell alcohol for a dollar (you obviously knew, because you tried), or small departmental stores lining the streets.

you’re running so fast, that a crowd of people don’t stop you. you push past them in an attempt to lose the men, but they seem to have found you no matter what, it’s then when you see a man walk out a local 7/11.

your first instinct is to wave, but when the man turns around. eyes on the ground, hand holding a white bag and not a care in the world.

you think you’re about to lose him, until it takes everything in you to scream. “hey!” loud enough for the man to turn around and when he does. you wish you never screamed; you wish you never sneaked out of your room.

because the last thing you expect on a friday night is to be caught by your bodyguard.

“i’m, i’ll just be going straight to sleep seonghwa!”

“have a goodnight, ma’am.”

“god no,” you whisper, half happy that you found him, and half scared shitless. “shit.”

as you’re nearing him, your body automatically begins to slow down. and once you do, you’re standing right in front of him. breathing heavily and swallowing as your throat dried.

“t-this is not how it looks like-“ you look back, seeing the men beginning to slow down as they approach you and him. “-i promise!”

“what’s going on?” he speaks and for the first time you hear him without his uptight vocabulary that doesn’t consist of ma’am’s or sir’s.

“i thought you were asleep?” he raises an eyebrow, and you look at him up and down, clad in a black hoodie with matching sweats. you think you like him better this way.

“i…i thought i was too,” you chuckle, humourlessly and awkwardly.

“hey!”

you two turn around at the loud yell and you take a step back, “i-it’s a long story-“ you swallow, coming to stand closer to him as seonghwa take a step forward. “-i’ll explain the rest later!”

seonghwa gives you a blank stare, raising an eyebrow and you just know he’s shooting you in his mind. “are you hurt?”

you blink, “huh?”

he looks back at the men, “are you hurt, ma’am?” and then looks at your blinking eyes.

you shake your head slowly, “no,” he then hands you the white bag he held prior, and you look at him with a frown. “…..are you doing what i’m thinking you’re about to do?”

you take the bag from, and he nods. “i’m doing exactly what you’re thinking.”

you grip the bag tighter, pulling your lips into a determined grin and raising your hands into fists to urge him on. “….we’re running right?”

he looks over his shoulder before snorting, “i’m going to go do my job.” he then points at you. “stay here.”

“you’re not on-“

“oi you two!” you snap your eyes at the men in front, hand on their waists and bored expressions on their faces. “if you’re done talking, get her here, we’ve got some business to finish!”

you blink, feeling your heartbeat take a sudden increase as you hold the bag tighter. “don’t worry about it ma’am, i can handle this.” with that he begins to walk towards them, and you panic when your eyes flash at the guns and knives they held.

as quick as your mouth opened to yell, it zipped even quicker when seonghwa’s back comes to blind you from those in front. you hear groans and curses being thrown at seonghwa who stares at them blankly, inhaling before lifting his hand up. motioning them to come forward with two of his fingers.

and then it felt like a blur when seonghwa raised his fist and smashed it in the man’s jaw, your mouth drops at the sight. instinctively holding your own jaw as if you felt the pain, eyes widening as you stare at the scene in front of you.

one vs at-least seven.

with the way seonghwa’s elbow jabs in their ribs, strong punches to their jaws and kicks to their stomach your mouth is left hung open. it felt as if you were watching a live action movie, maybe even a boxing match.

your eyes follow seonghwa’s every move, the way his eyes turn into slits. hair moving with every punch he makes, the groans from his mouth and the movement of his muscle. you can’t help but gawk at him.

from the way he rolled his hoodie up to his elbow, showcasing the ink he’s got that stops just before it goes above his elbow. swirls of art that you’re so entranced by that you totally blind side the fact that seonghwa’s yelling for you.

“ma’am!”

you quickly snap out of your thoughts and look for where you’re hearing his voice, once you do your eyes widen. “hey!” you yell, seeing seonghwa in a rear chokehold. two of the men holding him down while one of them begins to walk towards you.

you take a step back, gripping the bag to your chest with wide eyes while seonghwa yells at you from the back. “y-your shoes!”

you frown, holding the bag tighter as you yell back. “what shoes?! where!”

“your shoes! use them!”

“to hit him?!”

“yes!”

you give him a look, “my jimmy choo’s!?”

he nods and you stare at him with an unreadable face before he yells for you again, “you can buy more!”

you swallow, looking down at your shoes that you know you can’t buy more. but even so, you put the bag away, take your shoes off. hold the heel side up, raising both your hands up before yelling and running towards the herd.

barefoot, in a leather jacket and fighting some goons with heels was something straight out of a romcom. on a friday night, you expect yourself to be with your friends and not smacking heels into people’s chests.

“i’m so sorry, this is gonna hurt-“ you yank the heel down and hear a loud groan and it has you shivering. “i told you this will hurt!”

for a few minutes you keep doing what seonghwa has told you, heel after heel you’ve left them with wounds that ooze fresh blood and just the sight of it makes you grim.

you think you two are set to go but then the men begin to gather around you two in a circle, your back finds itself attached to seonghwa’s.

broken heels in hands, the ribbon design on them falling somewhere along with way whole the structure is completely damaged.

“now…” you inhale, swallowing as you stare at their angry faces. “what do we do now?”

“do you know how to fight?”

you pause, biting your lower lip in frustration.  “no, i..never learned.”

he says nothing but stands straighter, “i’m going to pick you up,” your head snaps to him.

“what?” you whisper, eyeing the man standing in front of you. who, with his injuries still manages to stand.

“by the waist,” he continues, eyeing the others on his side. “use your feet to kick them while i spin you.”

“this is insane,” he hears you say and smiles a bit before replying, “this is what we do for living.”

“can’t we just run?” you ask, looking around the road to see ample amount of space to run.

“it’s not easy,” he replies, “if this gets to your father..that is.”

you turn around on instinct, “right.” and then glare at the men. “do it then, i’m sure we’ve both got places to be.”

he spares no second and turns you around, hooking his arms under your armpits before hoisting you up. “kick!” he yells, and you do as he says, eyes shut tight and legs kicking while he spins you around.

you’re so sure you hear a faded snort coming from seonghwa while you’re hitting arms and chests and faces that when he puts you down, he makes sure your jacket is still on and that your balance remains as you collapse in his arms.

when your eyes land on the ground, a sigh leaves your lips at the sight. hearing groans and curses being spewed while a few of them tried to drag themselves away, your eyes then snap to your shoes only to see them ruined.

your jaw drops and your first instinct is to go and grab them, but instead seonghwa snakes his arm around your waist and swoops you to his towering front. your hands fall flat against his chest, eyes widening at what he was doing that is until you realize he had his foot on a man’s hand.

the hand that was reaching for your ankle, you swallow and look up at seonghwa. “..we’re good, right?”

he looks down and your eyes immediately lock, staring into them directly for the first time and not only did it bring a sudden burst of butterflies in your stomach but made your heart stop for a quick second.

but that only lasts for a moment before he pulls away abruptly, “yes ma’am.” you nod slowly, eyes finding the ground.

you tip toe your way across the groaning bodies to grab into the broken pieces of your heels, and then turning around to see seonghwa waiting for you by the side.

you take a quick look at your surroundings before walking towards him, the cold cement road under your bare feet making you shiver. once you’re in front of him, he nods and quietly gestures you to follow him.

and you do, hugging your jacket around you tighter. you walk behind him, eyes on his taller and built frame. one hand holding the white bag, where you could spot redness on his knuckles while the other was tucked in his pocket.

“..i’m so sorry i got you involved into this,” you begin as your eyes catch a glimpse of the bruises on his knuckles.

“i thought you were asleep, ma’am.”

you sigh, closing your eyes before nodding. “i-i had to go to this party..” you mumble, “so i snuck out.”

“from the front gates?” he asks, tone normal and not accusatory of any sorts. “and past the dogs?”

you shake your head, “from the window actually…and past the dogs.”

he nods, impressed before his eyes find themselves staring at the ground. instinctively glancing at your feet and then it occurs to him, “you’re hurt, ma’am.” he whispers, eyeing the slight redness at your ankle and the cuts and dirt you’ve got wrapped around them.

you stare at your feet as you keep walking, “they don’t hurt actually,” you smile. “feels nice to walk bare feet on the cold ground.”

“we should sit down,” he urges, a slight panic in his tone. “you’re limping ma’am.”

you turn to look at him, eyes falling over the hair that hovers over his forehead. “stop calling me that.” you say, lowly as you keep your eyes fixated on him. “y/n, call me that at least when we’re alone.”

he says nothing but presses his lips in a line before looking ahead and pointing straight, “there’s a bench right there, we should at least get you seated.”

you sigh before nodding, quickly checking your phone for time and the messages from kai before putting it back into your pocket and following him.

you sit at a normal distance away from him, or more like he did. once you’re sat, your surroundings are a quiet bliss, the cold night wind and the makeshift roof of leaves above your head, it felt calming.

the night was one full of stars, you look down at your feet. watching the shadows being created by the streetlight that shines on you but especially on seonghwa. when you turn your face to look at him, half of his face is illuminated by the light while the other casts a darker shadow.

as the silence begins to heavy in, you decide to break it with a request you hope he agrees too. “please don’t tell my dad about this seonghwa,” your bite down on your lower lip. “he won’t let me out again.”

“why would he do that ma’am?” he responds, and you swallow. “i believe he should know, and it is my duty to document everything to him so-“

“can you stop with the unnecessary fancy words!” you cry out and turn to him. “you are not going to tell my father about any of this.”

“but m-“

you raise an eyebrow, “you’re not.”

“but why not?” he frowns, fiddling with the bag in his hand.

“because…” you start, eyes looking left and right. “because…you’re my friend, yeah!”

he gives you a quick stare, “but, ma’am i’m not all-“

you cut him off by scooting closer and placing an arm on his shoulder, with a eyebrow raise. “you are now my best friend.” you nod, “and as childish as this sounds, best friends don’t tell each other’s secrets to anyone right?”

he pauses to blink twice before nodding slowly and you smile, “good!” you pat his shoulder.

“so, we should consider this a deal-“ you bring your hand out for him to shake and he looks at you then at your hand accessorized in rings. “-right?”

he sighs audibly and you grin, knowing he’s given up. “thank you so much seonghwa!” with a quick assuring pat and a smile you pull back into silence that is until he speaks.

“y..you don’t have that party to go to?” he mumbles, eyes on the bag he held between his legs. you, pull your legs up to your chest, wrapping your arms around them.

“it’s a little too late now,” you know your phone’s being ambushed by messages form kai mainly him begging, but you rather— can’t help but like this a little more.

he says nothing again and instead fiddles through his bag; your eyes follow his movements until they pause on what you think is ice cream.

he looks over at you and you lock eyes, “you must be hungry,” you tilt your head just a little for your hair to move with it. “..ice cream?”

he holds out a squished pack of ice cream which makes you raise an eyebrow, “it’s a little…deformed?” he squeaks, and you hide a smile before reaching out to take it from his hands.

“thank you seonghwa.” you mumble, and he smiles a little, then gives a small nod and it’s when you notice his hair falling over his eyes.

“your welcome, ma-“

“y/n.”

he looks at you and you mirror him, in fact, you change your position to face him. legs in a criss cross with your jacket being a makeshift blanket on them so that you don’t flash anything, anytime soon.

“my names y/n,” you repeat, taking the wrapper off the ice cream. “i’ve told this multiple times, and i’ll say it again. call me y/n when we’re both alone.”

he nods, “okay…” he hesitates, staring at you as if you were going to speak. but when you don’t, he finally says it even if it feels as if he’s struggling and you don’t know why. “y/n.”

you break out into a smile, “now that we are on first name basis,” you extend your hand out, as if pointing between him and you. “we should get to know each other better, right? for better…uhh-“

“relationship?”

you snap your fingers, “yes that! i’ll go first,”

he smiles, “of course.”

“hi, i’m y/n.” you begin, voice a tone lower to match the quietness. “and i’m currently in a uni? i go out at night because my father doesn’t let me in the day,” he snorts, and you smile. “i’m also! not as snobby as you think.”

“i’ve never thought of you as snobby ma’am,” he says, licking at the ice cream before continuing. “just…picky?”

you grin, “that i am or maybe i just have fine taste?” a round of chuckle leaves you two. “what about you, tell me about you seonghwa.”

“what do you want to know?”

“well, i just know the professional you-“ you pause to lick the ice cream, “the macho, mr smith style assassin! but what’s under all of that?” you wiggle your eyebrows. “a different story?”

he looks down with a smile as you watch him with a curious gaze, “i’m just a simple man doing a simple job.”

you raise an eyebrow, “simple job?” he nods, and you narrow your eyes. “i’ve never heard a simple man having a job at a mafia house?”

he bites down on his lower lip before shaking his head, “how’d you end up working for my father?” you ask, and he looks at the ice cream.

“your father actually met me when i was at my worst,” he begins, and you tilt your head.

“what?”

he lifts his head up to look right at you, “i escaped italy once…illegally, your father helped me out with it entirely.” you notice the way he smiles at that. “he became someone who gave me a shelter and in return i worked for him.”

“sounds heroic.” you whisper, an impressed smile on your face that it makes him laugh a little. “you escaped, why?”

you hear him inhale audibly and it makes you swallow before looking up at the sky, “you don’t have to tell me, that’s fine, somethings should be ke-“

“someone was out to kill me.”

your eyes widen, “what?!” your jaw hangs, processing everything that he’s saying. “h-how did you get away? i’ve heard once italian’s mark something to kill, they will.”

you scoot closer, “..how did you escape them?”

he looks at your wide curious eyes and before even thinking it through, he says it all. “i killed him.”

he watches your jaw drop at that and for a moment he thinks he’s fucked up, which rightfully so, but when you say something, it makes his eyes widen in surprise. “you killed,” you lean closer to whisper, “an italian mafia guy?”

you then bring your hands up to clap slowly with an impressed face, “how haven’t you gotten a movie made on you? that’s crazy, they should title it ‘mission impossible: italy chronicles!’ you’d give tom cruise a run for his money!”

“are you not surprised?” he asks, slightly confused at your enthusiasm over starring him in a movie and not the fact that he killed someone.

“hm?” you pause and then smile a little.

“are you not surprised or scared that i told you i just killed someone?” he repeats, eyeing your rather calm expression.

“seonghwa,” you inhale, shuffling with the jacket before looking at him. “i’ve grown up in this environment involuntarily…i’m used to the killing’s and everything that happens in a group because i have to be, i-i someday have to run this yeah? even if i don’t want to, i have to get used to it.”

“you don’t seem like you want to do anything with your dad’s job,” he murmurs, and you nod, looking down at the jacket as your hand comes to play with the sleeve. “not interested?”

“nope,” you sigh, “i’ve never associated myself with the type of work my dad does, never learnt how to fight or do anything that ties me to that world.”

you then glance at him, “and i don’t plan to anytime soon, but i know i have to one day whether i like it or not-“ you stand up abruptly and he watches you for a quick second. “maybe one day i’ll stop this mafia, who knows?”

he says nothing but nods, knowing the situation won’t change if he says anything. “thanks for the ice cream though,” you change the topic, holding the ice cream cone as if it were a wine glass.

imitating the great gatsby scene where leonardo holds the glass up with a smirk, “and i hope you keep the promise, best friend.” with a small smile, you gather your belongings before waving him a small bye.

but it’s not even a second later that he stops you, “y/n,” you look back, eyebrow raised slightly. “where are you going at this hour?”

“home.”

“you’re walking?” you nod, “but you’re hurt, i’ll get a tax- shit, taxis don’t work at this hour.” he stands up and you blink.

“i’ll walk you home,”

your hands immediately fly up in the air, “no! no! that’s fine, i can walk, it’s just a small walk back home and you’re probably really tired and hurt so i don-“

“-do you always talk this much?” he cuts you off and you smile sheepishly.

“yes,” you immediately respond, holding your jacket close to your chest. “you don’t?”

“they should keep you in a museum, you know?”

you grin, “they should, people will pay to see me, sounds fun.”

he looks down and lets out a breathy chuckle, “i’ll walk you home, it’s dark o-“

“you’re off job s-“

“ma’am.” you raise your eyebrow slightly, “a bodyguard is never off duty, so please, let me walk you home.”

you glance at him with a small smile, eyes searching his face as if he’d say something else but when he doesn’t, you nod. “okay then mr bodyguard, walk me home safely.”

when he stands up, the two of you begin walking back to your place. you barefoot, his knuckles bleeding, chasing, and fighting down goons all on a friday night. you turn to look at his side profile and feel warmth fill your gut before you look ahead.

your eyes then go to your bare feet before your eyes widen. “what about my jimmy choo’s?” you ask in the quiet street, a chill in the air as streetlights far away shine bright.

“i’m sure you can buy new ones, isn’t that right ma’am?”

“those were vintage..”

“they always have better ones!” he mumbles, giving you a quick glance.

“..they were my mom’s.”

“they what.”

“so,” you begin, eyeing your dark and scary mansions that had a red-light beam at the very top, on a dome-like roof.  “how do we get back inside?”

you hear seonghwa inhale from beside you and you look at him with a raised eyebrow and hunched shoulders, his jacket wrapped around them tightly as you tried to keep yourself warm.

“do you know the safety system in your house?” he asks, eyes raking the mansion before he steps closer to quietly open the iron gates.

your eyes follow him, “…i think so?” you respond in a mumble. “dads never mentioned it to me explicitly but like i know what he’s up to like, half the time.”

“great,” he turns around, leaning on the gates. “you’re going to help us get in.” he nods, like the ones guys at parties do when they see someone from their element.

you raise an eyebrow, shifting your weight on one foot before speaking. “aren’t you supposed to my bodyguard?”

“and aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” he retorts and watches you pause.

you blink, then nod. “point.” and walk closer to him, squinting at your own house as if it were a mission to cross. eyes narrowing over the trimmed shrubbery with bright flowers that seemed to have blended with the night, adding onto the chilling appearance of your home.

“so according to my dad,” you put your face up against the iron gates, squishing your cheeks on the rails. “there’s a laser security system when you first enter the house- wait but how do you not know this!”

he shakes his head while still looking ahead, “that’s because i don’t stay here, i know the blueprints but i stay there-“ he points at the right of the mansion, and your eyes follow his finger. “at the guard quarters, the security system there is mild.”

“why?"

“because we are the security there.”

you nod with an impressed pout, “huh, no wonder i had never seen you around.”

“i’m your dad’s personal security, i’m usually in his office.” he whispers, leaning a little closer to you. “not around a lot.”

your eyes then land on the area you’ve never stepped a foot in. “is the bodyguard quarters cool?” it’s like a smaller version of your place, yet you spot more class in it with way its architecture looks despite it being rarely visible.

he tilts his head and chuckles a little, “cool? yes, it is.”

you then look at him with a frown, “why do you talk like this?” he pauses. “you sound like a professor more than a bodyguard, are you in cahoots’ with my prof?”

“no,” he answers quickly and hesitantly raises his hand to poke your forehead, your eyes widen, and you look at him who avoids your eyes immediately. “t-the security system, we need to get in before it’s too late.”

you hide a smile and nod before beginning to explain, “when we first enter, there’s a red laser security. once we pass that and go up the stairs, the hallways have small traps all around that can identify the smallest of sounds-“

“-and intruders.” he mumbles before tapping the front gates, “and have you been trained for this?”

“me?” you point at yourself, “absolutely not.”

you hear him sigh audibly, “what will you do when you have to learn all of this? to fight to plan and to be competent enough to take your father’s place?”

“i’ve got you here, so that should be fine.” you hum, and he blinks twice. “right? now let’s go in!”

you open the gates first, cautiously while he follows suit. it’s quiet, eerily quiet. you think everyone’s fallen asleep, so you turn to ask seonghwa what time it was, “it’s two.”

you nod and walk towards the front entrance; body bent a little to keep out of anyone’s hide and to hide in the shadows. while seonghwa follows without doing the unnecessary things you’re doing.

once you’re in front of the gates, you stop and fish into your jacket pocket in an attempt to find your spare keys. “we could just climb your window..”

“there’s no ladder there!” you whisper loudly, immediately clamping a hand on your mouth before quietly inserting the key in the lock and testing it slowly. “also, it’s more fun this way.”

once you hear the quiet and short and satisfying noise of the tall door unlocking, you look over your shoulder and gesture for seonghwa to follow you inside.

“my job was to walk you home ma’am,” he whispers, “i don’t think i should go in-“

but before he even finishes the sentence, you take a hole of his wrists and pull him in locking the door behind you immediately.

“i don’t think this is a good idea ma’am…” you hear him whisper and you look over your shoulder, scanning the foyer.

“why are you so scared? it’s not like my dad will kill you, geez,” you sigh, looking around the big plants that scare you because they look eerily similar to people in your house.

“if he recognizes m-“

your tongue hits the roof of your mouth at that, “he can’t even differentiate between me and my brother in the mornings, so don’t worry-“

before you even get the chance to finish your phrase, there’s a loud knock coming from the stairs right above the chandelier. the sound alone makes you and seonghwa panic and run to hide behind the large plant your mom begged to have.

“you know,” seonghwa inhales, swallowing as he looks around. “your dad can actually kill me.”

you click your tongue, again. “you’re scared for nothing.” and walk ahead but he stays, shaking his head because he knows what the circumstances can be.

when you look back to see him standing there looking at the ground, you sigh and walk back towards him. holding your hand out to him which makes him look at you, you nod towards your hand. “hold it.”

“w-why?” he asks, throat drying as he looks around the place.

you frown, “do you want my dad to find out?” he shakes his head. “so then, hold my hand and i’ll make sure no one finds out.”

you shake your hand at him with a grin that has him narrowing his eyes, but he knows he’s got no other option. because the only person who can save him from your father is you, and if that means you’ll take him under the wing for one day. he doesn’t mind.

so, with that, he hesitantly holds your hand, swallowing as you grip on it tightly before yanking him away.

he follows you down the hallway, holding your hand tighter with every step as his heartbeat begins to skip beats. eyes wandering the quiet rooms that otherwise are bright and loud, now terrify him with each step.  

“ma’am, where’s the laser security?” he asks, and you pause right after, swallowing and pointing ahead.

“there,” you mumble, biting your lower lip as you take in the bright red lasers, bright neon red lines parallel to each other. “if we pass this, we’re good to go.”

he nods and then looks at you, “do you know how to do this?”

you grin, “of course,” as fast as you left his hand, he holds onto it faster. stopping you from going forward immediately.

“what’re you doing?!” he whispers, and you point at the lasers.

“passing the lasers? like how they do in the movies?” you say, tone matter-of-factly and he raises his eyebrow.

he pulls you back to him, your side hitting his towering front by surprise. “this isn’t the movies y/n.” you straighten up at the use of your name. “we can get killed, maybe not you, but i can.”

you look at him, “i don’t pay you enough to get killed.”

he smirks, “your father does.” before you retaliate, he puts a finger up to his lips, shushing you before holding your hand and walking on the other side. “follow me.”

he walks you around the stairs, completely away from the lasers— okay maybe not completely because you two did have to duck down quite a few times. but once that was left behind, you were surprised at his tactics.

impressed at his calm demeanor you follow right behind him, mouth shut and eyes on his back. your eyes then land on the hand he’s holding and smile.

“hey seo-“

in a matter of seconds, you’re pushed to the cold wall behind, you know it’s the wall with the way you hear frames rattle a bit. seonghwa’s larger hand covering your mouth as he leaned in, covering you fully and engulfing you in his warm scent while staring into your wide eyes with his sharper ones.

“don’t talk.” he says lowly, noticing the way your eyes blink. “got it?”

you nod repeatedly, eyes searching his face up close. from the bridge of his nose to his fuller lips and then back to his sharp eyes that look to your right. studying the shape of his eye and the long lashes that touch the area of cheek right under his eye, it makes you swallow just at the sight of him.

you don’t make a noise when he makes you move without ever physically holding you, though it’s difficult and makes you confused you follow him either way. the small tapping of your feet and his shoes make the faintest noise, which makes him afraid that you’ll get caught.

“can you walk a little less loudly?” he whispers in your ear and you, first, take one second to feel the shiver run down your spine and two, feel your heart skip a beat.

you then frown, bringing his hand down from your mouth and wrapping it around your waist. he immediately pulls back with wide eyes, “what’re you doing?” he whispers, and you take his other hand and put it around your waist.

“you want me to walk quietly, the only way i can do that if i walk on my tippy toes-“

“what does that gotta do with holding you!-“

“sssh!” you whisper and look everywhere before continuing, “if we match our rhythm, less sound and we won’t get caught.”

“that’s…”

you grin, “genius, i know-“

“-so stupid.”

you face drops, “eyy, come on, you spoilsport!” you whisper. “you just have to hold me, it’s not like that’s a crime!”

he leans in to be face-to-face with you, “in this house, it is.” and raises his eyebrow as you stare him down, long enough for him to sigh and you smile.

“come on, mr park!” you mumble and lean forward. “i’m not even that bad.”

you say before extending both your hands out to him, he pauses and sighs. thinking about all the shit he can get for doing this before throwing his head back, defeatedly placing his hand on yours which you quickly move to your waist.

“hold on tight,” you whisper before looking towards the hallway, “make a noise and we’re done for the night.”

“we’re gonna get caught,” he whispers halfway through, hands neatly wrapped around your waist as you two matched steps as if doing a partner dance at your father’s extravagant gala’s he likes to hold.

“you’re just scared.”

“no,” he immediately refutes, looking you into the eye. “i’m scared i’ll be fired or even worse, killed.”

or even worser, disappoint your father.

you shake your head, then raise your hand to his chest and pat it twice. “then i’ll save you.” as if that’ll make a difference he thinks.

he shakes his head, knowing exactly who will save who and who will get who in trouble. it’s not that he’s scared of dying, he’s scared of disappointing your father’s faith in him. the man who gave him everything he couldn’t ever get; he can’t jeopardize his trust.

but when he looks down at you, your eyebrows scrunched up as your eyes narrow and look ahead. he can’t help but think that if he protects you, he won’t disappoint your father. if he fulfils your every demand, he won’t be jeopardizing anything.

it’s what he hopes in the end.  

he walks with you in silence, ears perking up at the slightest of a crack or squeak that makes him grip your dress tighter as if ready to push you behind him to take cover. but instead, none of that happens, the two of your make your way towards your room in peace.

the silence over you two was deafening and you did nothing to break it, that is until you’re in your room. back to your door and eyes on seonghwa, “so.” you whisper, watching his hesitation.

he nods slowly, “so..” he pauses. “i think i should go-“

“-at this time?” you cut him off, locking the door behind before walking to him and he instinctively backs up. “isn’t this more fun? just you and me alone in the room?”

you watch the way his eyes widen, and you bite back a smile, “m-ma’-“

“god, i was just joking.” you laughed, eyeing his surprised face and eyes that blinked repeatedly. “sit down,” you point at the couch behind him. “i’ll go get the first aid box.”

“that’s-“ he says out loud but immediately stops himself, “..that’s not necessary, ma’am.”

you ignore him and walk away towards your bathroom, leaving him standing alone in the middle of your room. he hesitates to move but does it anyway, eyes looking around the room and he realizes it’s the first time he’s stepped in the room of anyone he works for. 

he didn’t expect it to be so soon or even at all, but he smiles a little and shakes his head. eyes searching the room and he notices the amount of colour patterned clothes you have hanging around; he expected your room to be big and uninviting but it’s the exact opposite. 

warm, a little big and cozy. he smiles to himself as he begins to walk to the bookshelf just behind him, looking at the photo frames where you and your family were present. he lifts a hand to run his fingers on the shelf gently while looking at your childhood photos.

from where he sees his boss, your dad in one of the frames. holding a younger you, who was dressed in a pink tutu. he smiles again, only ever seeing his boss with a stoic face that rarely cracks a grin legitimately smile. he then looks at you, eyes shut as you grinned from ear to ear holding a little trophy.

he then looks at the frame behind it, where you stood alone. older now, maybe in your teens. he remembers this one, the dress specifically.

it was when he had joined newly, he was told you were his only daughter, and he couldn’t help but peek outside to see you— not like a creep but because everyone was looking their boss getting scolded by you.

it was a rare sight to see, but it’s one he remembers the most.

just when he’s about to look ahead, you come walking in. startling him in the way, he scrambles to his feet and looks at you as if he got caught stealing something.

you blink, “you can sit down!” you usher him over to the couch. eyes following him hurrying to take a seat before you join and sit in front of him on the table.

once he’s sat, you raise your eyebrows and extend both your hands. “hands.” you mumble in the emptiness of your room where only a lamp was lit in the far corner.

he looks at you and blinks twice, “ma’-“

“-y/n.”

“y-y/n,” he begins and you’re already reaching for his hands. “it’s fine you don’t have to do this-“

“-and why not?” you cut him off, scowling and he hesitantly pulls his hand back. but before that even happens, you pull his hands back into your lap. “you’re bleeding at your knuckles!”

he looks down at his hands, eyeing the dried blood on his hand and the way your hold on him is so gentle. the first he’s ever experience.

“i’m used to it.”

“well not on my watch,” and you begin to nurse his wound, whispering to yourself about how much blood’s been dripping and how he’s not worried about his wound. “as long as you’re my bodyguard, i don’t give you the permission to get hurt.”

he says nothing and you continue to nurse him until you realize the man doesn’t even make a noise, a squeak, or a hiss in pain. you look up with wide eyes, “is your hand numb?!”

“no?” he answers, looking at his hand and then at you.

“then why..” you scoot closer, “how are you not making a noise in pain?”

“i told you, i’m used to it.” he replies, and you narrow your eyes. he then leans forward to match your stance, narrowing his eyes he continues. “i’ve gotten worse injuries, this is nothing.”

“yeah? enlighten me.”

his features change with the way he smirks, “broke my ribs, both arms, one leg.” he pauses to recall, catching your expression while doing so. “number of concussions and bull-“

“okay okay!” you give up and he smiles a little. “i don’t care how bad you were injured,” you poke his hand, “an injury is an injury. and you’re hurting i just know-“

“-no i’m not.” he says, eyes still on you.

you smile, a little strained. “yeah?” you begin to wrap the bandage around his hand. “yes, you are.”

“no, i’m not.”

you wrap it tighter, “yes.”

“no.” he stares right back.

“yes.” you wrap it again, watching his lip twitch.

but he acts as if nothing hurts, “i’m still good,” he then points at his hand. “you can wrap it tighter.”

“gosh,” you whisper, knotting the bandage before giving him his hand back and falls back  on the couch with a smirk.

but he’s quick to regain his posture, hands going down to grab your ankle and place it on his knee. “h-hey!” you yell but he immediately puts a hand to your mouth.

“you’re going to wake them up,” he whispers, and you nod slowly, then look at him holding your ankle. “guess who’s also injured.”

“unlike me,” he brings his hand down and hooks his finger on the box before dragging it closer to him. “you’re not used to this.”

he hums, “correct?” and looks at you as he separates the cotton.

“correct.”

he nods, “which also means you’ll be in pain, correct?”

“a lot.”

he raises an eyebrow, “yeah?”

“hm, i have low pain tolerance.” you mumble as he begins to nurse around your ankle, wincing whenever he dabs the cotton too harshly.

“how will you run your dad’s business if your tolerance is low?” he asks, gently brushing his fingers over your ankle.

you smile, “see…that’s not my plan,” and then hiss. “and if i were to one day…you’ll be there, right?”

he smiles stiffly, “of course, it’s my job to be your right-hand man after all.” he then places your leg down gently before holding the other one up.

“then you better be there for everything,” you say, “don’t miss anything, don’t die and absolutely do not get injured.”

“yes ma’am.”

silence then falls over you two, just him carefully holding your ankle while you watch his hands skillfully wrap the bandage, it makes you wonder just how many times he’s done this. occasionally finding yourself staring at his face when he asked a question rather than responding.

it makes you snort internally at how at first you thought seonghwa was never going to talk to you, be civil and extremely formal to now where he’s more comfortable and warming up.

“thank you.”

he lifts his head up slowly, “…for what?”

you point your finger at your feet, “for that and for beating the guys up and uh, sorry for eating your ice cream and! for dragging you in here!”

he smiles a little and you’ve come to like it when he smiles, even if that’s the only thing he’ll do. “your welcome, ma’am.”

“i had a question,” he suddenly asks, and you beam at his request. “go on!”

he then places your leg down gently before pointing behind you, towards the bookshelf. “that photo there,” you turn around to follow his finger. “with your father.”

“ah,” you hum, glancing at the photo and remembering the moment it was taken. “it was my first ballet recital,” your eyes fall on the pink tutu your dad gifted you. “way before this whole mafia thing started, my dad was a small lawyer.”

you turn to him, “you must know.” and he nods. “business was never good where he worked and we could at times, barely afford a dinner. sometimes i think this mafia thing started because he wanted to gift me a pink tutu.”

he snorts, looking at you with a fond stare. “how come?” he asks, “i heard he took a loan and then was fraudulently framed and jailed.”

you nod, “that’s right, he has a grudge against the insiders of the justice system. so, the only better thing he could think of was,” you smile, “to rule it.”

“and now he controls the insiders the way he wants,” seonghwa adds and you nod. “so, it really started because of your tutu?”

“a man can do anything,” you lean forward till your facing him. “to make his daughter happy.”

he tilts his head and raises his eyebrow, “then that same man can kill me, for his daughter.”

you mirror his expression impressively, “and that daughter can stop him.” you bite down on your lip, “hm?”

he smiles, the one where his teeth show and looks down to laugh a little. his hair falling over his eyes and it makes your heart skip a beat, “thank you.”

you turn your head to the side, “for?” you mumble. “putting you in danger?”

“for fixing my wounds and saving me from your dad, but.”

“but?” you raise your eyebrow and then to glance at him softly.

“but next time there’s a party,” he fiddles with the bandage before looking up. “ask me to join so this won’t happen again.”

“you got it.”

“do you like those seonghwa?”  

you ask, pointing your finger at a wallet he’s been eyeing ever since he stepped into the store with you.

ever since the night he walked you home, the two of you have been looking eerily suspicious according to your father who narrowed his eyes the second you two walk in any room.

the eyes of your parents would watch your every move whenever seonghwa was in the room, and you let them. casually chatting with seonghwa in front of them even if he doesn’t respond, though you know he answers through his eyes.

or the fact that he follows you to your uni every day, waits outside or sits by you (always offers to keep his jacket on your seat so you don’t have to sit on anything dirty), opens the car doors for you, offers you his arm for walking purposes, stands with his back to you when you’re getting out of the car and even shares a word with kyle over pens. 

which you know kyle likes involuntarily. sometimes he excuses himself and walks out halfway in class, which turns out he does to get the best table at the cafeteria.

where you two sit down and talk, well mostly just you. he listens to you blabber without interfering or objecting, pushing sandwiches your way whenever he thinks you need one more.

to when you were struggling to catch up to your teacher’s pace, hands focusing on notes while your eyes settled on the screen. but it felt as if you couldn’t understand anything and when panic arose in you, you hesitantly looked around for someone to give you notes.

raising your hand anxious but when no avail, you looked at seonghwa who already seemed to have raised his hand.

“seo-“

“professor,” his deep voice rang the classroom of four hundred people. “could you please repeat the section you just went over?”

your wide eyes staring at him as your heartbeat began to speed up, he who didn’t even spare you glance but instead looked down at his lap as if listening to the lecture. “oh, sure!”

or when he almost slapped a classmate of yours for taunting you and you had it physically pull seonghwa away from him.

or when you were getting ready for an event your father had forced you to where seonghwa would not look at you in the eye no matter what, except stand right beside you whenever you talked to anyone.

even if it meant staying through the boring small talks or forced arrange marriage offers thrown your way which, then, seonghwa would interfere in by standing in-front of you.

“unfortunately, we won’t accept any offers of arrange marriages for miss y/n.”  

and if they were to put a hand on you, or even do the mere action of reaching it seonghwa would already tower over them and firmly tell them to back off.

“put your hands on her even once, we’ll have consequences to face.” and tap the others cheek, a little harshly.

all while you watched from behind his shoulder, making remarks to fire seonghwa up whenever he’d reject any offers (that your father told him to), “yeah! what he said!”  

so now when you two sneakily snuck out right after your class to a mall, he’s been nothing but extremely protective of you. always walking behind you, hands coming to shield you if anyone’s about to remotely bump into you or have his hand on his holster at any given moment.

he turns around, “no ma’am, we’re here for you.” and you look around, eyeing the signature hermès pattern everywhere in the store.

colorful clothes adorning opposite walls and a large glass table with a display of wallets and watches and bracelets. salespeople standing with their hands in front of them with pleasant smiles on their faces, though you know most are directed towards seonghwa which makes you snort.

“you can buy anything you want seonghwa,” and before he opens his mouth, you raise your hand. “i’m paying.”

he shakes his head immediately and frantically, looking around the expensive store before inhaling. “that’s alright ma’am,” he taps his watch, “we should get going before it’s too late.”  

with that he walks away, leaving you standing with a grin. you look around the chic store, making eye contact with a salesperson before tapping on the wallet and nodding. you repeat the action every time you spot him staring at an item for too long.

once you’re done, he carries your bags in both his hands. sunglasses on and walking back to your car while you stare at his back with a smirk before walking towards him.

he opens the car door for you, you walk closer until you’re right in front of him. “thank you seonghwa.” he smiles before slowly getting back in the car and driving off.

“y/n,”

the blanket of silence that falls over the entire living room at the sound of your father’s voice sends a chill down your spine, making you shift in your seat entirely.

“yes, dad.”

you look up, eyes falling on the addressed man raising his eyebrow as his one leg is on top of the other. dressed in the finest of expensive fabrics, a well-trimmed beard and two stripes of grey in his hair that he calls a ‘fashion statement’ after watching the housewives of beverly hills.

you’ve come to take him as a joke, but when he uses that tone, you know it’s not your father speaking but in fact the man who runs a whole intel of rings.

“where were you last week, friday,” you chew on your inner lip, eyes on your lap eyeing the neat manicure before answering. “at night specifically.”

“i-in my room dad,” there’s a tremble in your voice that he catches on quickly, he looks up and turns his head to the side. staring at seonghwa who looked straight, never making eye contact with anyone.

“seonghwa,”

the man stiffens upon his name, standing tall before bending at his waist. “yes, sir.”

“where was y/n?” he asks the same question and you turn to look at seonghwa, praying internally that he doesn’t spill the beans because you’d be in a lot of trouble.

“i’-“

“dad!” you quickly cut seonghwa off, “how would seonghwa know, he wasn’t even here on that day! i gave him an earl-“

the hand your father lifts is enough to tell you that he isn’t buying your bullshit, he’s never, even if you’ve tried to make him. he then points at your feet, and you can’t help the way your eyes widen, “why are there cuts on your feet?”

you quickly scramble to give a response, “i was with kai at the sch-“

“y/n.”

you sigh, defeated and lazily staring at your father. “seonghwa, narrate what happened during that day.”

you don’t give seonghwa a look or stare but know that he’ll tell the truth, under the eyes of your father the truth will always come out. it felt as if it were court, and everyone was giving testimonies to send you to jail.

“ma’am was getting late night snacks down the street,” you freeze at his answer, the slight wavering of his tone that you know your dad didn’t catch, but you did. “when a group of wannabes chased her until she ran into me, i quickly fought them away with the help of ma’am and we made it out safely.”

“safely?” you father repeats, eyeing the faint marks around your feet and looks at seonghwa with a glare that’s only ever terrified you. especially on report card days. “i told you, y/n shouldn’t be hur-“

“but he hurt himself too!” you butt in, eyes wide and hands in the air. “he was just trying to protect me, we— he came up with a plan on spot and if it weren’t for him, dad i’d be more injured!”

“this is about you y/n!” you dad yells, eyebrows pulled together in a scowl. “you are my heir not seonghwa, you are supposed to be protected twenty-four seven!”

“there’s already conflicts building in neighboring groups, and i don’t want you to get hurt.”

he then stands up and you follow, immediately getting on your feet and staring in the eyes of your father while also sharing glances with seonghwa who stood with an emotionless face.

“if this happens again,” he takes a step forward and you swallow. “i won’t be as nice as i am.”

you nod shakily, “i-it won’t happen again!”

“seonghwa.”

“yes, sir.”

“find out who those wannabes were,” he nods, “and prepare a lesson of defense for y/n, use the back grounds.”

seonghwa immediately bows, “i’ll prepare one right away.”

“and you,” you straighten up, eyes blinking repeatedly at your dad who shakes his head. “i don’t want a single scar on you, we’ll host a gala soon. do not cause trouble, understood?”

you look down and nod, “yes, dad.”

hearing the footsteps fade away, you finally lift your head to look towards seonghwa. who stood with his hands behind his back, eyes straight and in a well fitted tux.

“ma’am.”

“why’d you lie?” you ask, hearing your voice echo the four walls. taking small steps on the carpet you walk closer to him, stopping as the only thing dividing you from him was the couch.

he stays still as if he heard nothing, so you ask him again. “why did you lie, seonghwa?”

he fidgets slightly before looking over his shoulder and then back at you, “i’m your best friend, isn’t that, right?” hesitance in his stance and tone.

you pause to take in what he said then bream out into a grin that makes your eyes curl into crescents. “i knew!” you gasp, “i could trust you!” you yell but he’s quick to put a finger on his lips to shush you.

jumping in your spot you swiftly lift your leg on the couch, lifting yourself up to wrap your arms around seonghwa’s shoulder and pulling him into an embrace. “you’re the bestest friend seonghwa!”

he stiffens up at the touch, eyes widened slightly and chest pounding.

“if i was your boss,” you pull back, not looking at his expression before announcing loudly while snapping your fingers. “immediate pay raise!”

“you are my boss.”

your hands then land on his shoulder, patting them as you held an expression of dramatic admiration. “i knew i could trust you,” you pat his shoulders before standing straight.

“now…i will be busy for the next two hours and you can-“ you swiftly glance at the clock before looking back at him. “-have a break!”

but before you can move, fidget or maybe even breathe properly seonghwa’s hand comes to grab your wrist, gently but firmly.

“where do you think you’re going?” you stop, looking around the room before staring at your wrist before looking at his unmoving figure.

“me and kai,” you begin, “project.”

he leans his free hand on the couch, leaning in until his face is right in-front of yours. “your project can wait; your father gave you something else to do.”

you squint your eyes, lifting your other hand up to his face. where you extend your forefinger out and poke it in the middle of his black glasses, pulling them down just a little to reveal his eyes.

“no.”

he smiles, not the nice kind. “or do you want me to call your father?”

you shake your head, narrowing your eyes even more as you suck in a breath. “you wouldn’t.”

he smirks, “oh i would, and i don’t think he’d like that very much, would he?” his smirk expands more, knowing he hit a mark he pushes his glasses back on before leaning back to his straighter stance.

letting go of your hand, he uses the same hand he held you by to point towards your right. “now,” he says, a muse to his tone. “off we go to your first lesson.”

“seonghwa,” you sing.

“seong! hwa!”

“hwa!”

“seong-seo-“

“if you think this will distract me from letting you go,” seonghwa turns around, eyeing your frowning face. “then you’re absolutely wrong.”

“we’re going to the quarters and you’re doing the training,” he bends at his waist and tilts his head, eyeing you as if expecting a yes.

“fine.” you grumble out, making a distasteful expression before following him inside the bodyguard quarters he mentioned the other day. stomping behind him purposely so he’d hear but he turns a blind eye to it.

in fact, he pays no attention to your whining about not wanting to train while putting out some bogus explanations which he does not buy one bit until you’re both inside the quarters.

which to your surprise look nothing like what you had imagined, you thought it’d perhaps be dark and cold and dull but it’s quite…the same as your place. straight out of a magazine quite literally, your eyes fall over the lobby where couches were planted as if they were delivered just yesterday.

“do you guys even use the couches?” you ask, seeing how there’s not a bump or a trace of a body sitting on the couch. “or..anything here at all?”

he looks over his shoulder before shrugging, “we only use it if the police ever come,“ you hum. “otherwise, this is just a set. wait till you see the backside, that’s the one we really use.”

you nod, mindlessly following behind him while your eyes wander over each corner. as you walk in further with him, the hallway gets darker and darker. from the bourgeoise 90’s lobby to an almost underground ring type area.

you would’ve mistaken it as a professional underground ring, with the boxing rings to your left and equipment with a suspicious number of doors to your right it feels like a movie set.

you had never been exposed to this side of your dad’s business though you knew everything about it, seeing it in person makes a chill run down your body. feeling unsettled at hearing live echoes and yells coming from the boxing rings.

which is why you stick close to seonghwa, looking over his shoulder as you walked. “is this place, okay?”

he nods without looking at you and you glance over at other guards bowing at you, you smiled awkwardly and waved your hands asking them to stop non-verbally.

“you can’t tell them they don’t have to bow,” you whisper to seonghwa, and he chuckles quietly.

“you’re the boss daughter, our heir.” he suddenly stops to look back and you stare right back at him. “we bow to you because we respect you.”

“but like,” you look around and huddle closer. “what if i don’t want it?”

he raises his eyebrows at that, staring at you with narrowed eyes. “respect? you don’t want the respect?”

you click your tongue, “no!” and then point at everyone who still are bowing. “like bowing, makes me feel older heh,” you grin, and he scoffs.

without saying anything further, he steps to the right before opening a door. standing back before asking you to go in but you stop. “aren’t you the bodyguard? you go firs-“

he cuts you off by walking in and you follow right behind and closing the door, “don’t look at anyone, don’t talk to anyone. keep following me.”

“why not?” you question, a sheepish smile on your face because you know it annoyed him.

“because you’ll get distracted.” he turns around and you’re already a few steps behind him, eyeing the poster pinned to the wall with your hands behind your back and bending at your waist.

“ma’am.” he calls out with a sigh, and you turn your head to him, “ma’am, we’l-“

“ma’am who?!”

“fuck,” seonghwa whispers at the way your eyes widen at the new voice that yelled.

“who was that?”

“no one, let’s get into the room qui-“

“not so fast!” seonghwa sees your eyes move from him to behind him and he instantly regrets it. cursing under his breath he turns around to see a group he specifically wanted you to ignore.

“oh. my. god, seonghwa!” you walk closer towards him but it’s almost like he knew you were, he held his hand up behind him to stop you.

“why are you at work this early?” you frown, taking small steps towards him.

“boss called me in,” you hear him say, “now leave the room, i’ve got some work to-“

but before he can finish his sentence, he’s shoved off to the side revealing three men standing with their eyes widened.

“oh.”

you blink and they blink, on sync.

you take a step forward; they take one back.

“hi,” your voice dropping to a whisper, raising your hand, and doing a little wave while seonghwa gets his balance back only to be shoved back.

“you’re the boss’s daughter!?”

you nod, shakily and in a split second the three men are bowing at you. you chuckle awkwardly before looking at seonghwa who rubs his forehead and sighs.

“oh my god,” the light-purple haired man begins to walk to you but not before seonghwa holds him back by the collars. “h-hey!”

“i told you wooyoung, don’t.”

“why not!” you beamed, “hi wooyoung, i’m y/n its very nice to meet yo-“

“she said my name,” and wooyoung collapses onto the rest two.

“h-hi, i’m yeosang,” the blond man pointed at himself, and you smiled, and then he points at the one with cerulean haired man. “and he’s hongjoong.”

hongjoong who’s eyes widen at the introduction immediately holds wooyoung up, “we are very grateful to serve you.” and bow in a sync, at the perfect height.

you look at seonghwa who raises his eyebrow at you and then at the trio, “it’s nice to meet you too and please-“

“she said please,”

“wooyoung.” seonghwa hissed, voice low and demanding and it made you swallow.

“sorry, sorry!”

“hi y/n?” wooyoung steps forward extending his hand out for you to take. “can we call you that?”

you take his hand and shake it, “of course you can!”

“she shook my hand, oh my gosh.”

“that’s it.” seonghwa swoops in to pull wooyoung back and motioning for you to join him inside, never putting a hand on you.  

the trio stood in a line as you walked past them with a grin, they all returned, especially wooyoung who you seem to fancy.

once the door’s closed behind you, you’re welcomed to a semi-broken-down core of a practice area. boxing equipment laying around with faded colours of red and blue gloves as well as dumbbells that were a funky neon green.

“your friends are nice.”

“don’t like them too much.” he mutters, and you look back at the door, “don’t befriend them either.”

“why-“

he looks back and you stop midway, “training?”

you blink and nod, not pressing anything further seeing his expression. “yeah.”

“hit once on the side.”

“like that?”

“no.”

you sigh, letting your shoulders slump and you turn to look at him. you’ve been doing this for an hour and a half straight, you’re sure its lunch time but you don’t dare remind him. especially when he’s got that frown stuck on his face since the very beginning.

tux off and only in a white shirt whose sleeves are rolled to his elbows, he’s been constantly demanding you to punch or kick a certain way. even if it’s correct, he asks you to do it his way because-

“it’s my way or the highway here.”

and you’d use the dad card on him.

“wait till dad finds out about this.”

to which he smugly replies to, “hm, he won’t come to save you.”

which true, and you hated how aggravating it was.

you had to do this class repeatedly as your dad warned you off the dangers, that were currently ongoing the world you lived in, where you were an easy target.

“do five more sets and we’ll call it a break.” your eyes must be glimmering for seonghwa to take note off and shake his head, coming to walk behind the long red coloured punching bag.

gripping his slim fingers around it he looks at you and then nods, “five more.” and if it weren’t for your brain to be completely blinded by the idea of not doing this anymore, you would’ve noticed the way seonghwa looked at you.

or more how you looked at seonghwa, with that white shirt rolled to his elbows, how could you not ogle him up and down? not only does it make you smirk in between the lessons but also makes you want to slow time down even more than it already was.  

when he taps the bag, you snap back to reality and nod, bringing your gloved clad hands up to your chest. standing in the way he’s taught you (for ten minutes) before throwing a punch at the bag, which makes it jiggle back.

“again,” seonghwa sighs, the disappointed look on his face making you clench your fists tighter. “hit it right where my hand is.”

and you do, hit it where he told you but he’s just not happy. with the way his face remains the same, where his eyebrows are scrunched together with a tick in his jaw.

even if you wanted to say something, you stopped yourself before throwing a punch again. but this time his lips leave a small ‘tch’ sound that makes you grow irritated.

“what is it?” you finally ask, hands on your waist and weight on your one foot. “is it the way i’m not hitting to your satisfaction?”

“exactly that.” he responds, walking around the bag before coming to stand in front of you. hands crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face, “i want you to copy what i’m asking you to.”

“but i am doing what you asked me to!”

he sighs, running a hand through his black hair while you stood with an eyebrow raised. he glanced at you and then shakes his head slightly, “watch how i do it and then repeat, okay?”

before he turns around, looking at you to make sure you’re watching before standing in his position. fists to his chest, eyes narrowed and be throws a punch that’s so loud that the hit echoes the entire room twice.

you stare at him blankly, hands by your aide and eyes blinking repeatedly as he hits the bag one more time and your jaw drops. a slow motion of him punching the bag replays in front of your eyes repeatedly until he snaps his finger at you and asks you to stand properly.

but again, you don’t even stand properly to his level that he comes to stand behind you. you feel his towering front to your back, with the warmth and the slight smell of perfume and the mix of sweat.  

his breath now fanning down your neck and you swallow, “now what?” you say, voice turning into a whisper automatically as your heartbeat begins to ring in your ear.

he raises his hands to your waist, hovering his hands beside it and never not touching it. that’s before he inhales sharply and quietly asks, “can i hold onto you?” his low tone making you shiver.

you swallow before nodding and then you feel his larger hands come to settle on the either side of you. you inhale sharply as he holds your hips gently and moves you into the correct position then when you thought it was over, his hands lift to hold into your forearms.

“i’ll guide you,” he mumbles before clearing his throat and you nod. “watch and learn.”

he then moves his hand the way he would punch, with every action his chest hits your back and your heartbeat skips beats. he does the same in silence a few more times before stepping back, “try it yourself.”

and you do, swallowing first and then hitting the punching bag with the exact amount of force seonghwa wants. and if it were not for him to stand behind you, you would’ve definitely seen the corner of his lip perking up into a smirk before he finally dismisses you.

with a loud exhale you plop onto the ground with a noise that he smiles at, staring you down while he stands beside you. “i think i liked the heels better for defense, don’t you think?”

he snorts, placing his hands in his pocket before bending at his waist. “if you’re okay with destroying your jimmy cho-“

“never mind.” you glare, a small pout forming on your lips, and you look the other way. body laying like a starfish that he can’t help but find endearing but before he thinks into it more, he excuses himself to walk out.

you lift your head up on your elbow and watch him leave, one eyebrow raised and lips forming into an ‘o’ as if you’d whistle while staring at his brooding back and broad shoulders.

once the door’s closed you find yourself looking at the lord and new posters stuck on each other on the walls, some ripped while others faded with years.

you let out a sigh of relief for the first time since you walked in here, with the tension between you and seonghwa, the lingering hot stares, the subtly touches over the span of months you’ve been with him has you waking up at nights.

at first maybe you thought it was some weird crush you had on him, which got brutally debunked by your friend kai. who you texted and called during the nights, where he’d yell at you for waking him up and then give you the sweetest advice the other second.

“kai, what if he doesn’t like me back?”

“you gotta ask him that yourself,” you’d hear him yawn, “there’s a lot of reasons for him to say no even if he likes you, y’know?”

“like what?”

“your godamn father.”

right.

because you can’t do anything in this house if you don’t have his permission. that’s how it has been growing up, aside from the luxurious provided to you (which you were grateful for), you were never allowed to hang out with anyone at your school or outside.

the only person your dad trusted (borderline not) was kai, other than that, you were sheltered and deprived of the interaction you wanted. to date, to smoke perhaps or do things your once teenager heart wanted.

which now meant, feeling your heartbeat skip or beat way too much when you’re around seonghwa or have butterflies in your stomach when he’d do the slightest of actions to make sure you’re safe.

whether it be him giving you his number so that he’d be able to join you in your next sneak out where he breaks his forefront with you. chugging down soda drinks or heavily spiced noodles to eating flavored ice cones where your tongues would get colored.

so that ‘crush’ isn’t exactly a crush anymore, as much as you hoped it didn’t progress mu-

“y/n?”

you snap out into reality when you hear your name but want to fall back into it when you realize his face is right in front of yours.

“hi,” you whisper and watch his lips twist into a smile.

“hi y/n,” his voice suddenly falls deaf on your ears, “let’s practice again, okay?”

you’re blinking again and again, and he watches with a smile before snapping his fingers in front of your face, “y-yeah, practice, let’s do that.”

“are you okay?” he asks, eyeing your widened eyes with soft eyes. he leans in closer, close enough for his nose to be just, just touch yours. “you’re breathing quite heavily.”

“i’m good!” you stand up suddenly, looking everywhere but him. “we, uh, we should get back to practice!”

which went awfully if it meant you staring at seonghwa half the time and blanking out. every minute you spend with him just confirms kai’s accusations at you about how you liked seonghwa.

and if it weren’t for him to be so damn close to you all the time, maybe you wouldn’t have felt this way. but now, you aren’t even paying attention to what he’s saying. just being aware of him beside you, his hands lifting to point and suddenly your attention goes to that.

the more you followed his hands, the sooner you realize there’s something burning at your elbow. which takes you a second to realize and when you do, you’re hissing in pain loudly.

loud enough for him to immediately hold the punching bag straight, hurriedly reach for your arm gently and asking, “are you alright?” he soft checks your arm as you twist your face into one of intense pain.

“i…can’t move my arm.”

“i told you to pay attention! look at you now, you’re all hurt!”

you don’t register the next few moments, because one second, he's yelling at you about how you’re hurt and not paying attention. the other he’s sat you down, kneeling in front of you while wrapping a bandage around your elbow.

“you have to start being careful y/n.”

you hum, staring at his face that’s full of worry and it makes your insides do summersaults.

“but then who’d do this for me?”

he can’t help but breathe through his nose at that, biting back a smile before he swaps it back to his frowning face. “ow!”

he sighs audibly, staring at your elbow that’s wrapped in white before looking at you in the eye.

“let’s call it a day then hm?” he mumbles, and you nod slowly, he then reaches beside him to pull out a towel that he lifts up to your face and wipes the sweat off.

“hey seonghwa,” you whisper, loud enough for him to hear and hum an answer. “…you need to stop doing this,”

his eyes flicker to you as he continues to pat away at your face, “stop doing what?”

“playing with my heart like that.”

“y/n, no.”

“hwa, yes.”

“no!”

you look at him with a deadpan, raising an eyebrow and folding your arms over your chest.

you, seonghwa and the trio who’s currently yelling really loudly behind you two came to the store, right before the gala. more like you forcing them all to get out and look good for the gala even if they all said no, you knew they wanted to go.

and curse that stupid rule of bodyguards not being family, you were inviting them, nonetheless. a little scolding from your dad wasn’t something you minded, so even after their ‘attempts’ to stop you, you were successful in getting them all out to the store.

and currently, unsuccessful in getting seonghwa to try an outfit.

“yes!” you whisper loudly, shoving a blazer towards seonghwa and pushing him in the changing rooms.

“y/n, i can’t be wearing this!” he argues back, looking left and right in the rather empty changing room hallways. “..and we can’t be seen like this!”

“like what?” you ask with a playful smile before taking a step closer to him, in the slim hallways. “like this?” you raise your hand and place it on his forearm. “or like this?”

he swallows before looking away towards the end, “your dad’s men are here, if they see us like this we’d be in big trouble.”

you look to where he’s looking, narrowing your eyes to look for anyone but there’s not a soul standing there. with a roll of your eyes, “i’m not kidding,” he lowers his voice to a whisper, “y/n!”

“fine then, my dad’s men are here, right?” you move to the side and open the changing room doors, “then let’s give them a show.”

panic immediately rushes to his face as you push him inside the changing rooms, to the point his back is up against the mirror. “m-ma’am we can be fo-“

“-you talk so much, don’t you?” you say, eyebrows knitting together. “now wear this and come out,” before he opens his mouth you continue again. “this is an order.”

you lean your face closer to his, close enough that you can smell his perfume and it makes your stomach churn. his eyes now wide and staring at you, blinking repeatedly while you search his face.

taking your time to marvel at his face, a small smirk appears on your lips that he finds himself looking at. your glittered lips, courtesy to that lip-gloss he asked to carry in his pocket looking at him with a pout.

“y-y/n.”

your eyes flicker to his, a hint of tease in your eyes you raise your brow slightly. and without a single thought behind your eyes or your mind, you end up blurting something that shows instant regret on your face.

“are you married?”

“what?” his face drops and you curse under your breath.

“no like,” you bite down on your lips, “i just…can’t be seen romancing a taken man, you know, my reputation and all?” you blink.

he laughs, a loud laugh that has you stopping in your tracks to look at him. his head falls on you, forehead leaning on your shoulder as his shoulders shake while laughing and you stay still.

with blood shooting up to your cheeks, a shy smile on your face he looks up. “no,”

“no what?” you ask, paying no attention to the way he looks at you because you’re so lost in the way your heartbeat rings in your ear.

“i’m not married.” he mumbles, taking a step forward and you take one back until you’re standing outside the changing rooms.

“single.” he clicks his tongue and with a wink closes the curtains on you.

you stay still for a few seconds, just staring at the curtain until your lips twist into a smile, the one where you bite down on your lower lip.

you then turn around, the smile still on your face and stomach fluttering with butterflies before your eyes set on where seonghwa was pointing at.

“your dad’s men are here!”

the smile you had is quickly replaced by a small frown, fishing your phone out you text you dad wondering just what the fuck is he doing sending his private men when you have your bodyguards with you.

y/n, 2:35pm

dad did you send

someone to keep an

eye on me?

y/n, 2:37pm

i see the seen receipts

u can respond

dad, 2:40pm

come home and we will talk.

with an annoyed sigh you put your phone back in your pocket and then turn around just in time for seonghwa to pull open the curtains.

“oh,” you whisper, standing frozen with your hand still at your back pocket and eyes widening as you look at him up and down.

“how is it?” he asks, fiddling with the cuffs as he straightens the fabric down.

“good…” you mumble, your eyes doing that thing where you look at him up and down slowly as if to save the image in your mind. “great actually…y-yeah,” you nod repeatedly before looking away to whisper an “oh my gosh.”

“is the colour good?“ he asks, completely and utterly oblivious to the way you’re staring at him and if he were to notice he didn’t mention anything. “don’t you think you’re spending too much?”

and how can you not look at him, men in tuxedo’s were always your weakness but what was even worse was when they looked so good in it. “gosh,” you whisper to yourself as you look away and internally yell at yourself to get it together.

“we’ll get this one!” you nod repeatedly, eyes away from him and turning around to walk to the cashier

“y/n, in no way you’re paying.” you grin hearing the four repeat the same thing to you repeatedly.

seonghwa then comes to stand right behind you causing you to look up at him, “yes?”

“y/n, this all is really expensive-“ he looks at the faces of the rest, “we could’ve just gotten the suits from the nearby shop.”

“but i don’t like the fabric they have there.” you retort back with a growing smile; you then  raise your hand to pat his shoulder. “so don’t worry.”

when you turn around to tap your card, you don’t look at the total cost that is until seonghwa decides to angrily whisper in your ear.

“four full suits,” he grits as he looks at the price. “that’s almost 30k!”

“really?” you gasp as you look at the design on your card, void of any surprise.

he nods, “i told you we shouldn’t-“

“-i thought it was expensive.”

you look over your shoulder to watch his face drop with a soft smile before tapping the card, hearing the beep and picking your bags up.

“where to next?” you turn to look at them, blinking twice. “food?”

“n-no!”

“this is where you’re meeting your friend?” seonghwa asks from beside you and you turn to him with a grin that he squints his eyes at.

“what friend?”

he looks in front of him when you nod, a strange looking diner with broken neon lights and a welcome sign full of rust.

“it’s a sweet little diner!”

he thinks it’s anything but sweet, in fact, it looks terrifying and in an extremely sketchy area where the only people visible are older ladies that resemble babushkas.

he’s glad he has his gun right up in inner his chest pocket, ready to pull it out whenever he sees anyone except you glare at him to put it back.

“table for three please!” he hears you ask the lady inside, who gives him a good look before looking back at you.

his eyes look all around at the wallpaper that he’s sure he can find at his grandma’s place.

“there’s only table for two left,” the raspy, deep, and scratchy voice of hers tickles your ears.

it’s then when seonghwa leans near your ear, “ma’am, this place seems way too sketchy-“ he glances at the lady glaring at him. “i-i don’t think we should stay he-“

“we’ll take that one then!”

the lady in front hums with disdain, “married?” she asks, writing something up in her old rust colored diary.

both of you stop blink and exhale on sync.

"no.” he answers.

“yes.” you answer, giving him a look and a tight-lipped smile. “only recently actually! right honey?” you exclaim, holding his forearm and leaning on him that makes him stop in his tracks.

seonghwa stares at you with wide eyes, ready to explain to you how this is not right but your glare has him nodding.

“that’s right!” you kick his shin, “b-baby!”

you smile, eyes curling into upwards crescents as the lady nods. “okay, you can go in.”

once you’re sat, you wiggle your eyebrows at an emotionless seonghwa. leaning forward to pat his shoulder, “how are you honey?” you tease, “do you need water?”

“y/n.”

“what?” you ask, hiding back a smile when the waitress (aka the lady in the front) walks by you two with menus. “loosen up hwa!”

“this is a really stupid idea.”

you shake your head and click your tongue, “not an idea,” you correct him. “but a date.”  

that seems to set him off, “y/n if anyone sees us here, we-“

“i bet you can’t even order.” you interrupt him.

he frowns, “yes i can.”

you lift an eyebrow up, “yeah?” he nods, and you raise your hand to call over the waitress. “do it then.”

he gives you a look when he realizes what you’re doing and shakes his head, sighing as the waitress comes over, chewing her gum obnoxiously. “can we have two plates of pasta?”

“there’s like thirteen choices of pasta in our menu,” the waitress retorts back and you bite back a laugh. “chose one mister, make our lives easier.”

his gaze flickers to yours for a brief moment to see you cupping your mouth, “okay..” he sighs, “two plates of carbonara-“

“that’s not on the menu.”

you choke on the water you had been drinking and heat him sigh out loudly, “just…just give us your best dish.”

“you want it as a pasta?”

“yes!” you answer instead of him, “just please bring us anything, we’re really hungry!”

“you guys are weird.” she says, and you nod.

“look who’s talking,“ seonghwa mumbles, a bit too loudly, wanting a glare from the waitress and a snort from you.

“where have you dragged me y/n.”

“to fun.” you answer, leaning back while shooting him a finger gun.

fun was surely delivered, especially when the waitress accidentally dropped the sauce on seonghwa’s sleeves and mumbled a “deserved it.”

or maybe how you two were left utterly surprised at how good the dish was, both your eyes widening dramatically. mumbling how good it was and how he underestimated and judged it before he had anything from here.

and the fun only exceeding when in the middle of your dinner date, the restaurant seemed to play some music that worked like crack on you two. you standing up mid-way of drinking a cola and joining the five others dancing in the middle.

the five others being, two staff members, one chef and another customer.

while seonghwa sat and ate his pasta, watching you from his seat with a smirk. eyes on your every move and it felt like the time had slowed down for him, the restaurants dark nature and red and yellow lights framed you perfectly in his eyes.

he couldn’t take his eyes off of you, seeing how you’d bite your lips and how your hands were in the air while you tried to mumble along the song.

he didn’t realize how long he had been looking at you that he didn’t notice you calling out for him, which he did shook his head at first but joined, nevertheless.

surpassing you by shaking his hips and leaving the others wide mouthed, all while his hands were on your waist, as if reminding everyone to not mess with you while you moved along the beat. he looked like the terrifyingly handsome man who was possessive over you, you liked that agenda.

before you two left, the waitress brought over a box of rings which made you squeal. “choose one for yourselves!” and then she explained how it was a side business and you immediately chose two.

One black and the other purple, simply because the two had the same design just different colors. One for seonghwa and the other for you.

“you two should put it on here!” the waitress said, ushering the two of you to exchange rings in the middle of the restaurants

which seonghwa surprised you with, gently holding your hand and slipping the ring on your forefinger while you smiled teasingly before doing the same.

When two of you left, it rained heavily. With no sign of a store nearby to grab an umbrella, you decided why not walk under the rain.

“y/n, you’re gonna get sick!”

“it’s worth it!” you yell back, twirling in the rain while he watched you from afar. though following you anyway, with a permanent smile on his face.

he thinks it’s the most he’s ever smiled, and it happened to be when he’s with you.

and then hears you sniffle, drenched from top to bottom yet a smile never left your lips. “cold?” he asked, and you nod, and then he removed his long warm coat to drape around your shoulders. “good?”

“great.” you answered, heart skipping a beat.

and if he thought you two would call it a day there, he was wrong. because you dragged him into a photo booth to take pictures, one where he stands stuff as a guard and their others where you forced him to make at least one face.

“put up a peace sign at least!” you whined your which he smiled at and did as you told, copying you and taking the pictures you wanted.

where in one you had your hands on his shoulder in the cramped booth, the two of you pushed up against one other. eyes staring into each other’s eyes while your breaths mingled, and if one move, he’d end up kissing you. and it’s not like you minded, noticing his blushing face whenever you were remotely two inches away from his face, you found it endearing.

and then you took him to a playground, thankfully which was near his place. challenging him for a round of basketball to which he shook his head at, “we should go back home now, y/n, it’s almost ten-“

“just one round.” you asked, holding up one finger with shiny eyes and he couldn’t help but nod.

though he beat you in every single round that was definitely more than one, you yelled at him to either “stop cheating!” followed by a gasp or a “i was too easy on you!” or “i let you win!” to which he’d teasingly nod his head at.

and now you two stood in front of his apartment door, “i asked boss if you could stay the night, he said only if you’re back early morning.”

you turn to him, “i don’t wake up before ten by the way!” and push open the door while he stands with his shoulders slumped before joining you inside and keeping a distance.

“sorry, my house isn’t as big as yours.” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.

“i kind of don’t care?” you say, looking around his small living room with a smile. “now where’s the bathroom?"

he points to the right and you say a thank you before scurrying towards it, leaving him standing alone by the door with his hands in his pocket.

a sigh leaves his lips as he begins to take his coat off, the one that now smelled like you. but before he has the chance to hang it up, his hand rummages through the pocket to find a strip of photos you two took.

a smile forms one his lips unknowingly, staring at the strip where your lips made a pout and he tried to copy it or where you held up a peace sign and his eyes were on you.

he couldn’t recognize the stare he was giving you, but he knows it’s something he shouldn’t dwell on further, knowing it’s against the rules given to him.

“you think he’d like this?” you ask, tapping your feet on the gravel repeatedly while looking at kai through the car window.

“you bought him the entire store,” he snaps his hand, “what makes you think he wouldn’t?”

you sigh and nod, leaning over the window and tapping the dashboard. “can you bring what i asked you in a while? i’ll text you okay?”

“got it,” he nods, pushing his glasses down, winking and raising his fist in the air.

with a smile, you grab the bags (in the hand that doesn’t hurt) from the backseat and take a quick look at the dark, cloudy sky and you know it’s about to rain.

“if i don’t text you,” you say, fishing your phone out to see the messages being sent in by hongjoong. “that means he said no.”

he nods and you turn around, holding the big bag in your right hand as kai drives his car out the driveway before you make your way inside the bodyguard quarters. hiding from the cameras you know your dad would be able to watch and you’d be done for.

the second you’re inside, a whole line of bodyguards stand at the lobby waiting for you with a grin. they bow in sync, and you stop them mid-way, “y-you don’t need to bow please!”

they all smile, and you return it awkwardly before asking where seonghwa was, and at the mention of him they all stand up straight. gulp and then point towards the left in unison.

you hold back a snort before nodding and running down the hallway, a soft smile on your face and a bag hidden behind your back. you walk, jog, run whatever down the hall until you’re standing in front of the room where hongjoong said seonghwa would be at.

with a long and shaky inhale, you lift your hand to wrap around the doorknob. but before that you press your ear up against the door, feeling your heartbeat increase with each punch you hear from the inside.

swallowing the lump down your throat, you twist the door open and step inside quietly. closing the door behind you, you’re welcomed to a dark room.

where in the middle shone a bright light, where you hear loud punches being thrown at a punching bag and you immediately know it’s seonghwa.

from the rough breathing and the groans, your insides coil up as you slowly step towards the light. and when you do, you’re able to see the back of seonghwa though the netted wall. he wears a black tank top, and your eyes can’t help but rake at his broad back muscles flexing with every movement he does.

with a small smile you begin to walk towards him, hoping he won’t notice you right away. you watch the way his hands move skillfully, how he stands in one place het completely demolishes the bag with a single punch.

his hair over his eyes, arms shining with sweat and jaw clenched you couldn’t help but feel your knees grow weak.  

his hand threw a loud punch at the bag, sweating and grunting with each movement before he finally stops. letting out a loud sigh and unwraps the white bandages around his fists, stretching his shoulders while he’s at it.

then he throws the bandages on the floor and turns around only to stop, “y/n?” he squeaks, eyes looking at you up and down as you walk in holding cake with a candle lit up in the middle.

“w-what are you doing he-“

“happy birthday mr bodyguard!” he hears you squeal as you walk closer to him holding the cake that he finally gets a full view of you as you come under the light singing the birthday song.

“happy birthday hwa.” you whisper, and his eyes grow wide and shiny and glassy. you walk closer with a growing soft smile, carefully reaching out to grab his wrist. “come sit first.”

“y/n..” he mumbles, and you smile, placing the cake box on the floor as you take a seat on the ground. “who…who told you?”

“hongjoong,” you respond, pushing the cake his way with a smile that he can’t help but want to see every day. “now, blow the candles!”

“you didn’t have to do this y/n,”

“who was going to then?” you raise an eyebrow, “they all told me you never celebrate your birthday, because you’re so stubborn and bossy and angry-“

he cuts you off with a deep laugh that makes butterflies gather in your stomach, “did they really tell you that?”

you shake your head, “no, just my observations.” he smirks, “i got a keen eye you know?”

“hm?” he teases before you push the cake his way, he grabs the plastic knife from your hand and leans forward.

“i haven’t formally celebrated my birthday in years.” he whispers, and you smile a little, “thank you."

hovering his face over the cake, he looks at you with a soft look and reaches for your hand gently. “do it with me.”

you frown, “no, it’s your birthday silly!”

he hears nothing but motions for you to come closer and you do, on a count of three the two of you blow the candle at the same time while he still holds your hand, occasionally rubbing his thumb over the top of your hand.

“happy birthday seonghwa!” you say once again, sheepishly bringing a small confetti popper out and popping it.

you expect it to rain confetti with a pop all over but all you get is seonghwa throwing his head back laughing, while all the confetti’s laying in your lap. you popped it the wrong way.

you bite your lower lip before gathering them in your hand and throwing the confetti in the air, it’s right then when time falls slow for him.

he watches the way colorful confetti fills the air and how your eyes glow at the sight of it, a smile one your face and it feels like you were the epitome of light for him.

a pot of honey, or an orb of light or what he hears people in movies call a euphoric feeling.

“thank you,”

it’s all he’s able to say because he’s so fixated on your tinted lips curling into never ending smile that makes his heartbeat ring in his ear.  

the more he looks at you, he feels like he’s in some cliché hallmark movie that wooyoung forces him to watch to experience affection.

he thinks he’s experiencing affection right now and he wishes wooyoung was with him but the other part of him wished he didn’t have him there, not because of his teasing but because he wanted this moment to himself.

where you feed him a piece of cake with a cherry on top, accidentally brushing your fingertips to his lips for a quick second to you sitting by him with a polaroid camera in front of him.  

the camera you’re barely able to hold properly because of your elbow, which he supports by holding the other side of the camera.

“say cheese!”

he doesn’t, but smiles either way which makes you snort and take the picture anyway. one where he holds the cake and the other where he’s midway of eating it, where his cheeks are full, and eyes are wide and shiny.

and as you’re about to move away, he grabs you by the wrist and pulls you close. close enough for you to be right in front of his face, tips of your noses touch. “where do you think you’re going?”

“nowhere.” you whisper, shakily. eyes on him but they keep flickering down to his lips.

“take a picture with me then,” he asks, searching your face as the light highlights it. the dark room where only you two are in, it feels as if you’re in the sets of the greatest showman. “…because i want to have a memory of you.“

“well, it’s not like i’m going anywhere,” you say cheekily and his smile falters for a second, but before you notice he shakes his head. “i’m still here, but! since i’m really nice we’ll take one.”

with that you sit by him, a little distance between you two that he notices and snakes his arm around your waist to pull you in closer.

“good?” he whispers down your neck, low and raspy that it sends a shiver down your body.

“good.” you whisper back, looking at the camera before lifting it up, barely, with your arm that is until he takes it from your hands and holds it in his.

he moves closer till your shoulder hit’s his chest and his chin is rests on top of your head, the action alone makes you want to curl in closer but it’s the thoughts in your head that stop you.

which to be fair, your thoughts are never ones that won’t end up on your tongue. which is exactly what happening in the next few moments that seem like the most aggravatingly slow moments.

“i like you.”

he snaps the picture.

you feel him stiffen up beside you and you closer your eyes, biting your lips and repeating you’re done for, you’re done for, you’re done for.

“i like you seonghwa.” you repeat and keep going until you know you’ll be regretting it. “i have for a while now….a-and i,” you clear your throat, “i couldn’t hold it anymore.”

“y/n..”

“i know! i know!” you quickly interrupt him, “you just think of me as your boss and all, which yes, go you! but…i know this sounds selfish but..”

“but?” he whispers, feeling his breath fan down your neck and it only makes you bite your lips more.

“i kind of, not kind of! but i did fall for you…it may sound selfish because you were just doing your job and…” you swallow, feeling tears prickle at your eyes at this confession even if it sounds so stupid. “…and i’m sorry for that but i really wanted you to be more than just my bodyguard.”

“i also know you won’t agree to it!” you explain, and he listens to it while staring down at you. “which is your decision and i respect that…but i really wanted to tell you this before..before it became worse.”

“why?”

your heart thumps against your chest at the silence, heart dropping to your stomach and palms growing sweaty.

“you’re comforting to be around,” you answer, looking down at your lap. “you do the smallest things, and it drives me crazy, i thought i was crazy at first…but the more i spend my time with you.”

“i was convinced i started to like you more than i had previously,” a sigh leaves your lips, as you mind plays flashbacks. “every time you’d walk by in that suit of yours,” you smack your forehead lightly at that. “god, i didn’t know someone could be that attractive, with that angry face all the time.”

“so yes…” you inhale sharply and make the mistake of looking at him, “i really do like you, not as a bodyguard…but more than that, gosh this feels so stupid to say..”

before he gets to answer, you’re already up on your feet. looking anywhere but him, “i..you can take your time to think,” he watches you step back, “i’ll be outside!” before you scurried away.

leaving a dumbfounded seonghwa with a small box in hand, a cake on the floor and a polaroid beside him.

“i like you.”

“shit.” he whispers to himself in the silence, fingers opening the box in his hands which reveals a wallet. his eyebrow furrow at that, “wallet?”

but then he remembers it’s the same one he was looking at the other day, where you two went out after your class and how you were asking him if he liked a certain item.

“shit, shit, shit.”

“i like you, more than just my bodyguard.”

he then runs a hand down his face, biting his lips as he pushes his hair back and looks down at the polaroid of you and him. he lifts his it up in his hands and stares at it.

a photo of you and him together, unlike all the photos he’s been in where you’re in the front beside your father and he’s in the far back.

your smile makes his lips curl into one, your cheek squished against his chest and his chin on your head, he sighs as he stares at it more.

“i did fall for you.”

he wished he felt surprised at what you had hold him, but on the inside he wasn’t. he felt like he knew it all along, how you felt and as the days went by and…he couldn’t help but be attracted to you too.

from your bright, cheery, and teasing personality that, at first, got on his nerves but now he can’t get it out of his nerves because he’s grown to be very fond if you as well.

and he knows he’s fond of you especially if he gets called out by wooyoung and hongjoong in the hallways, whenever you’d walk last him and wink at him it’s like they knew and teased him about it.

so, he then finds himself looking at the door, biting the insides of his lower lip he stands up and as he’s about to walk out the door with a smirk on his face, he remembers your father.

and all the blood from his face drains.

how can he betray your father like that? his hands fall down the doorknob as his heartbeat thumps against his chest. how can he go against your fathers’ rules? and fall for you?

“i like you seonghwa.”

“do not touch my daughter.”

“i like you seonghwa…more than just my bodyguard.”

how can he betray the hand that feeds him?

but can he betray his own heart like that?

as seonghwa steps outside the back doors after getting looks of tease from the other guards, which he responds with a grim and stands by the front doors.

watching the rain fall and create mists all over, so much so that he’s barely able to see the back yard. he inhales before grabbing an umbrella, opening it with one hand while the other stays in his pocket where he had the picture of you two.

with only one thing in his mind, you.

at how he’s going to answer you, your dad and himself.

speaking of you, he sees you running towards him from the white mists in the dark night. at first, he squints his eyes to make sure it is you and not some newbie doing rounds around the place.

once you’re more visible to him, his heartbeat takes a sudden stride in speed as you run towards him, holding a bouquet of red flowers.

smiling brightly while you’re getting drenched in the rain, holding the bouquet to your chest as you step into puddles avoiding the rain.

and before he thinks ahead, he walks down the stairs. walking to you with an umbrella over his head, eyes stuck on you and hand holding the picture tightly.

you notice and run faster, breathing heavily. waving at him to which he just stares at you, and your smile falters.

a sinking feeling in your stomach grows as you come closer him, until finally you’re under the same umbrella as him.

“hi,” you breathe out, panting and clutching the bouquet in your wet hands.

he smiles a little, eyes flickering from your eyes to your hair that’s all wet to your lips that make him clutch the umbrella tighter. “hi.”

“i brought this for you too,” you point at the flowers and look up, holding them out towards you.

he says nothing but watches the way the light from behind him shines on your face. a singular ray of light perfectly halving your face, leaving one side bright and the other darker.

“….and i assume your answer is a, no?” he hears you ask, tilting your head just a little.

“i like you.”

“i like you seonghwa.”

“more than just a bodyguard.”

you smile a little, exhaling before nodding. “that’s alright,” you squeak out despite the heavy feeling in your heart.

“i hope you’ll be the perfect man for this job,”

“don’t disappoint me park.”

“i like you seonghwa.”

“…you can..just forget this ever h-“

but before you’re able to finish your sentence and say your prepared pre-break-up speech and him being able to articulate his thoughts. you’re cut off by seonghwa throwing the umbrella to the side and locking his lips with yours at a surprising pace.

you let out a squeal at the suddenness, but cave right in at his soft, plumpy and pillowy lips. your eyes fall shut slowly as a gasp of yours gets hushed by his lips that stay over yours for a second longer and then slowly start to move.

his arms sneak around your torso, pulling you in and the action alone makes your heart pound faster. he holds you impossibly closer, your hands falling flat against his chest as he balances you to him.

he pulls back shortly, resting his forehead on yours while his eyes are shut but his lips break out into a smile. the rain falls down on you two hard, but that’s the least of your worries, neither that or the possible stares you two are getting from the windows or the cctv camera’s.

“are you…”

“yes.” he whispers, opening his eyes to look at yours. “i like you too.”

you chuckle, “i was going to ask if you were dating anyone.”

he snorts, nuzzling his forehead against yours. “why?” pecking at the skin under your eye.

“i don’t like to share.”

he breaks out into a toothy smile, and it tugs at your chest, blinking away the rain on your eyelashes. “fortunately, the perks of working under your dad is that i never dated.”

you nod with a raised eyebrow, “guess that’ll change now, huh?”

he smiles, “i guess so.” and does that thing with his eyebrows, in that teasing singing tone that makes you look away.

when you look up, your eyes stop at his lips and just the sight of them makes you throw your head back and laugh. “what is it?” he asks, lifting his hand from your waist to your upper back.

you then lift your hand to wipe your face with your sleeve before looking at him, and then hook your sleeve to your thumb and point at his lips. “my lipsticks all on you silly.”

and as you’re about to swipe it off, he cuts you off in leaning in closer to kiss you all over again. but this time by deepening the kiss, a ray of butterflies fill your gut, and you wrap your arms around his neck.

the flowers long gone and now you two standing alone in the rain, umbrella on the ground beside seonghwa, flowers beside you and just the night falling on you two.

you feel him smile against your lips when you try to make a point about the flowers, “hey!” but he pays no attention and instead licks at lower lip, and you grant access by opening your mouth while smiling which he gladly takes and slips his tongue in.

your hands that rested on his neck now find playing with his hair, kissing him as passionately and intensely as he does. his hand travel down to behind your thighs, before he slightly lifts you off the ground, the sound of lips smacking against one another echoed slightly, but the rain overpowered it all.

the kiss is rhythmic, slow and stable at the same time. the one that makes your knees wobble and if it weren’t for him holding your waist, you probably- absolutely, would’ve slid down.

when he pulls back, both of you are breathless. panting as a string of spit connects you two, he leans in again and kisses you the same way he did before.

lifting his hand cupping your cheeks and kissing your gently until you whisper his name, and he slowly pulls back, his hair covering his eyes while his swollen lips match yours.

“we can’t let anyone find out about us.” you nod with a determined look. 

“especially my dad.”

“especially your dad.”

you chuckle, nodding before your eyes travel behind him and you laugh once again.

“wooyoung’s-“

“watching through the window, isn’t he?” he asks, wrapping his arms around you to pull you in his embrace.

you chuckle, looking behind him to see all of them pressed up against the window, cheeks and bodies all squished to get a look.

“mhm,” you smile, catching wooyoung’s wave with an overly impressed face. “he’s actually waving at you right now.”

“tell him he better run.”

with the way your gala was being prepared, you would’ve thought it was some oscars. from dress’s to suits to decorations to gifts and to invites, it was all a mess.

and so were you and seonghwa.

a mess, trying to hide it all in front and behind your fathers’ sharp eyes.

you were sure you two would get caught in a matter of a few minutes, even seconds but were left utterly surprised when you realized it had been a little over a month since you two began your secret venture.

with holding hands under the tables and behind your backs, to sneakily escaping out at night to get your fair share of dates which one, were short but were worth it. any date or time you spent together only made you get to know him even better than before, which means you were in too deep for him.

it was evident on your face that you were so entranced by seonghwa, from having your elbow on the table and cupping your cheek while watching seonghwa explain something to your dad.

or watch him train the newbies, flipping them over in combat while wooyoung teased about seonghwa getting softer.

seonghwa’s usual ‘angry-young-man’ face was now switched to someone who couldn’t keep a smile off his face when you were in the room, which at times did get him in trouble.

“what’re you smiling at park?”

“n-nothing sir, just remembered a joke.”

which made you look away to hide a laugh, “oh? share it with us too.”

“dad!”

as for seonghwa, the teasing’s he gets every second were more than enough to get his feelings across. from getting shy to hiding his face in your shoulder whenever you tease him about it to doing an absolute 360 when the doors are closed.

so, you don’t know how a game of monopoly could lead into seonghwa hovering on top of you, thankfully, this time at his place.

“you’re in a hurry,” you whisper, raising an eyebrow teasingly to which he smirks at. “can’t guard me from you?”

“very much so,” he whispers, closing the space between his lips and yours and pressing them together gently. “you know sometimes…you talk too much.”

“yeah?” you say against his lips, “then…make me go quiet.”

you feel him smile softly in between the kiss that’s gone from sweet, slow, to faster but sensual. his hands slowly travel to yours, interlocking his fingers with yours he brings your hand above your head.

“i think,” he pulls back, forehead resting on yours and staring directly at you with a fond look. “i like you talking, especially right now.”

you hum playfully and he moves to place his lips on yours, lifting his other hand up to cup your cheek to deepen it. his warm lips melt over yours in an instant and it shoots butterflies in your stomach, squirming under him when he hums against your lips.

he pushes himself on you and your let out a muffled whimper, his tongue licks at your lips and his grasp on your wrist tightens. the sound of kissing echoes the room, and you grow impatient, lifting your head up to his to kiss back quicker, and more intenser.

he catches into that quick and whispers a “easy.” in between the kisses and it makes you fall back, he finds purchase in sucking on your lower lip in particular, that’s so soft that he lightly nibbles on it.

with a slight gasp that leaves you, he takes the chance to slip his tongue in. quickly exploring your mouth and you moan when he uses his teeth to nibble on your lower lip and it has you moaning and lifting your hips against him.

he nibbles and sucks and swirls his tongue over your lips, hands roaming everywhere and swollen, hot, swollen lips pecking every part of your face, neck and shoulders that makes you giggle as he does it repeatedly with a smile.

he sucks and bites and circles his tongue down your neck, sucking at a spot that has you hissing in pleasure. your hand still in his hold above your head while the other wraps around his shoulders.

when you two pull back, both of you are breathing heavily. panting his eyes looks at yours, and then down to your swollen lips. smirking he lays his lips over yours again, softly and it only lasts for a second before he pulls back.

“you think we’ll make it back to your place,” he mumbles lowly, caressing your cheek. “in a few?” his low tone sends a shiver down your spine, and you shudder.

“my plan was to stay in actually.” you whisper back, your fingers pushing his hair back.

his hand that held your hand up, trails down to  your waist, his fingertips dance over your clothed skin. you could feel the thudding of your loud heartbeat fastening, driving your knees weak when he looks at you with those sharp, and eyes that grew darker in a split second.

“…as much as i want to,” he whispers, leaning down to peck your cheeks. “we can’t.”

he hears you whine and leans down by your ear, “if we have time later on, and you’re not drunk-“

but you’re quick to shut up him by locking your lips with his, catching him off-guard. lifting yourself up and pushing him up by the shoulders, in a matter of seconds switching positions to seating as his back hits bedframe and you come to straddle his legs.

“in a hurry?” he whispers, a little out of breath and wide eyed, hands itching to hold onto the ends of your dress, it makes you rub your thighs together.

you smirk, “very.” and take his hands to your hips, “didn’t take you for someone who’d be slow.”

“oh yeah?” he asks, bunching your dress up to your waist before he leans down, pressing himself over you and earning a low mewl from you.  

“mhm,” you nod, hands lifting unbutton his shirt. “into vanilla?”

he smirks, “i’m into many things,” he lifts you up and you take the chance to wrap your arms around his shoulders, closing in on the distance between you two.

“at once or alone?” you tease.

his fingers fiddle with the strap as of your dress and you unbutton his shirt, and he chucks it away somewhere on the floor. “wait and see.”

with a smile, you run your forefinger down his chest until it reaches the very end, you lean forward peck his lips and then slowly start to grind on him. his hands immediately fly to your hips as he keeps them in one place and gives you a stare, and then returns the kiss.

the glint of darkness in his eyes makes your insides curl as he pushes your dress strap down, hands on your waist and eyes on you he can’t help but throw his head back and groan.

and you can’t help but find it attractive, you’ve been with people before who’d rather suppress their voices than to let them out fully. so, seeing him do so turns you on even more, enough for you to take the initiative and strip yourself off the dress, tossing it somewhere in the room.

his eyes land on your chest before looking at you, his grip on your waist tightening as you smile and push your hair to the side. “fuck,” he swears under his breath, and you hide back a smile and begin to grind against him.

he leans in to kiss you once again and it’s as if he can’t seem to get enough of you, his hands go from your waist to your breast, and he squeeze at them lightly. earning bite on his lips from you, “god damnit y/n,” he mumbles.

stopping everything to just look at you, from the way the little number of light shades over your face. how prettily your hair sits on your shoulders, how smooth your skin look and how beautiful it all feels to him. the stare in your eyes, playfully yet trusting and the bite you do to your lips that drives him crazy.

crazy enough that he pushes you back on the bed, earning a gasp from you when his lips  attach to your neck and fingers go straight to your clit.  

he smirks at the way you twitch, quickly capturing your lips again. not so sweetly this time as it gets messier, and faster as if he’s hungry along with his hard dick pressing in you, your hips arching to him as you begin to grind. lips never leaving the others, you two kept on going.

smiling and moaning in between the kisses, you pushing his hair back which makes him smile and squeeze your hips.

“seonghwa, p-please.” you say, his mouth moving down to your jaw to your neck and to your shoulders. knowing he’s leaving his mark on your skin and you couldn’t care less if anyone even found out.

you wanted him to mark you, and you made sure you told him that by responding to every single one of his touches. “you’re so pretty…i can’t believe you’re mine.” he whispers, nuzzling into you while whispering sweet nothings and cooing.

the sudden action making you bite your lips and throw your head back, feeling his hands come up to cup your breasts as he squeezes at them.

his lips curl up in a smirk, “you’ve been waiting, haven’t you?” he pauses to take in your face, the way your eyebrows touch and your mouth that parts a little. “to do this.”

“mhm,” you nod as he slowly brings his hand to your center, you back immediately arches to his hand, and he chuckles.

“how long?”

“since the day you became my guard.”

and with that he wastes no time to pull your panties to the side, finally pressing his slim and long fingers to your already wet self. the moment his fingers touch your clit, you shudder, and he gasps breathily.

he uses his middle finger to run a lap up your folds and you breathe in heavily, your hands now flat against his chest as he flattens his palm against your now needy clit.

his tongue pokes out his mouth, eyeing the way your lips let out sighs and how you close your eyes at the way he begins to move his finger in and out of you.

he slowly starts to insert his fingers inside you and your mouth hangs open, he sees your reaction and inserts another finger in. your body jumping in pleasure, and he quickly pecks your lips, “it’s okay.”

he hums when he runs the tip of his index finger over your already wet pussy before plunging it into your heat and you gaped at the intensity, buying your head seonghwa’s chest.

he slowly starts to move as you throw your part your legs open, he pumps in and out of you at a slow speed, then fastens it. breathy moans flee your pretty lips and it has him fastening his pace even faster, his lips remain attached to your neck while his slim and long fingers move at a fast pace.

you arch your back and move your hips along to his rhythm, “like it?” he mumbles, before delivering on an angle that as your entire body arching up.

“y-yes,” you breathe out, eyes shut.

your hand reaches for seonghwa’s free hand and guide him to your breast “y/n-“ his left hand rid to your left breast, kneading it softly while fingering your clit at different speeds and fumbling with that specific bundle of nerves harshly leaving you whimpering his name out loud.

“hm?” he hums, teeth grazing your skin.

“i’m close!” your eyes are shut tight and the heat coiling in your stomach becoming too much for you.

just as you say that he stops. you let out a cry in frustration and he smirks, “easy there ma’am,” you smile at the ‘ma’am’ “we’ve got a few minutes.”

you open your eyes gently to see him staring down at you, admiring you in a way no one has ever. his stare alone makes you look away and he chuckled lowly at that.

he then hovers over you, his chain hitting your face in the way, and he plants fleeing kisses all over your face, neck, and shoulders, you squirm and chuckle until he cups your cheek. “y/n,” he whispers, eyes looking at you longingly as tears pricks at your eyes. “i’m gonna go in, is that okay?”

you smile and pull him closer by the chain he has on, “i’ve been waiting hwa,” you whisper against his lips.

and then he does it again, inhaling sharply as he admires you. fighting the urge to let out a whimper and begins by pecking every part of you, humming with a smile whenever you run your fingers through his hair.

you hear him unbuckle his pants and it has you biting your lips, thought his eyes never leave yours when doing so. choosing to watch the way your face changes expressions, as if remembering it all as if you’d vanish, he slips his briefs off and his cock slaps his stomach.

his fingers hover over your clit before he slowly pushes them in, your head thrown back and your mouth letting out breathy and airy moans of his names that you’re sure his neighbors can probably loud and clear.

“y/n, please be quiet for me.” he warns but with no ill intent, instead it comes off as a whine in your ear as you bite your lips, arching your back to his fingers.

“no,” your whines don’t stop him from using his slim and long fingers to curl up inside you, his face hidden in your neck while he fingered your already sensitive clit from moments prior.

it’s then when he whispers that he’s about to go in and you cry his name out, the one that had his cock hardening.

“fuck, baby.” he lets out a whine when he eyes your state, “you’ve been a brat but i love it all.”

he then lines his tip, that’s already been coated in pearls of precum to your entrance. holding your hand in his while the other stays on your waist, he enters you, both your lips letting out gasps when you feel one another.

he buries his face in your neck as he starts to move, hearing your moans in his ear as you feel yourself stretch out at his length. he starts slow, as if testing the waters and then picks his speed up.

you let out high pitched yet breathy cries for pleasure and hold onto his shoulders, nails digging in his shoulders, body moving against the bed as he grunts and groans and grinds himself into you.

your head falls back, mouth hangs open as he starts to roll his hips into yours and you let out a cry that echoed the room.

“you feel so- god, so good.” you cry out as he continues to go at different speeds, the room filling with his own loud moans, groans, and growls.

“be quiet for me y/n,” he does a particular thrust that has you biting your lips. “can’t have the nei-“

“fuck your neighbors,” you manage to let out in the state you were in, “f-fuck me.”

he whines, the one that his eyebrows touching. “bossy much?” and chuckles cockily.

“f-fuck yes hwa,” your eyes roll back when he hits that certain spot in you, again and again, you let out a cry, throwing your head back on the pillow while releasing moans and whimpers of his name in pleasure.

he whines and groans into you when he feels you clench around him and he pounds into you again, fast, and hard and deep and you let a loud, pleasurable moan as the heat in you becomes unbearable until you both find yourselves coming down from your highs.

he carefully takes himself out of you and you wince at the sensitivity. sweat lines both your bodies, sex filling air and he slumps down on you, wrapping his arms around you with a peck to your forehead, nose and then he’s about to place on your lips that you pull him to you. burying your face in his chest, he chuckles.

“are you okay?” he asks, gently caressing your hair, he pecks your temple. feeling you hold him tighter, you two stay like this for a while, catching your breaths.

when you lift your head to look at him, “i’m impressed.” he looks at you with half lidded eyes and a boyish grin that makes your heart swell.

“already?” he mocks playfully with a scoff. “wait til-“

“-gosh, keep things a surprise, will you?” you groan, and he nods cutely while poking his tongue out.

it goes quiet for a while, just you to now lying beside one another. chests heaving up and down at a slow pace and your face now turning to his, “hey seonghwa.”

you hear him hum in response, “would you..actually never mind.”

“what is it?” he asks, turning his body towards you.

you shake your head, “c’mon, you’ve got me hooked now.”

“no, it’s just…i don’t think you answer it.” you mumble, sighing after that.

“i probably can’t unless you don’t tell me y/n,” he whispers, nudging your cheek with his nose. “what’s got your pretty little head thinking?”

you swallow, close your eyes, and blurt. “would you….go against my father for me?”

the silence that follows makes you smile a little, knowing the question you asked would be met with nothing but disappointment. “i told you, you wouldn’t be able to answer it.”

when you open your eyes, you find him staring at you with a look you can’t quite decipher, “i’m…”

“that’s fine.” you reassure, patting his chest a stiff grin. “you don’t have to say anything.”

“i don’t have an answer…” he inhales sharply, “just yet.”

you smile, nodding before laying down on your back. falling into yet another round of silence until he speaks.

“thoughts on a hot shower?” he offers, caressing your arms.

“yes, please!”

he lifts himself up on his elbows and holds you by your back, “come on lazy,”

you give him a soft grin, eyes threatening to fall into slumber that he shakes you gently. “don’t sleep on me sweetheart, we’ve got places to be.”

when you don’t respond or move, he stands up, hissing at the cold floor under his feet before lifting you off the bed. your eyes fly open, and a gasp leaves your lips, arms immediately wrapping around his shoulders.

with a laugh he walks to his bathroom, pushing the door open with his feet he turns the light on while you watch him with a grin. he then places you on the counter carefully, pecking your nose before stepping aside to grab a few towels.

just as he’s about to though, the bell to his front door rings. your eyes meet at that, almost as if asking each other who it was.

“oh! must be your neighbors.” you tease, and he chucks a towel at your face. “noise complaint perhaps?”

he shakes his head and looks out the bathroom doorframe with a small frown and then looks at you, “go in first, i’ll go see who it is.”

with that he shuts the bathroom door, grabs his pants and shirt, and hurriedly puts them on as the bell rings again. not once, or twice but thrice.

he doesn’t know why he his stomach drops as he walks closer to open the door, thinking it may just be one of the guys coming to get ready at his place.

with his hand on the doorknob, he hears you call out for him, and he twists open the door after unlocking it, expecting wooyoung or hongjoong at his door.

but what he didn’t expect was your dad standing at his door.

“join me for a walk, seonghwa.”

everywhere you look it feels suffocating, the obnoxious colors of gold and silver blinding your vision along with the ample amount of people in this grand hall of yours. everything was overly luxurious to the point it might start to look tacky.

“you seem awfully distracted at your own celebration,” you roll your eyes at the obnoxious voice of kai. “where’s your guard?”

right, seonghwa.

you can’t find him anywhere, in fact this whole week he’s been absent or rushing somewhere.

“that’s who i’m looking for,” you respond, holding your wine red dress up as you walk past crowds giving you smiles with motives behind them.

you’ve been at this gala ever since it started, meeting people you’ve never seen before who offer or beg you to accept their son as your husband in exchange of power and protection.

you’ve successfully dodged every single one of their attempts, looking for seonghwa instead but you can’t find him anywhere. not even outside, not with hongjoong or wooyoung or even beside your dad.

you’ve sent him countless messages that are either not sent or turned green.

there’s an uneasiness beginning to settle in your gut, a worry of sort that you haven’t seen or heard from him ever since this gala started and it’s almost about to end.

you’ve barely touched the champagne in your hand, eyes roaming around countlessly trying to see just where seonghwa was. you walk past the lavish decorations, ranging from holds and silvers and flowers of all sorts to where you saw wooyoung lined up.

you see the way his eyes lighten up when you walk closer to him, his stiff posture faltering. “wooyoung.”

“hi y/- ma’am!” he quickly corrects himself quickly in a panic. “you look lovely.” he points, and you wave him off with a chuckle.

“have you seen seonghwa?”

“i was actually going to ask you the same,” he says, expression changing when he sees the restlessness on your face. “i haven’t seen him since morning, i figured he was with y-“

“-he isn’t,” you interrupt, fingers gripping the glass tighter as you look over your shoulder. your gaze falls straight on your father who’s busy talking to a number of investors with a laugh. “i’ll, i’ll go look don’t worry!”

with that you begin to walk towards your dad, eyes narrowing and forming into glares because you know your dad’s got something to do with this.

your glass finds itself placed on a waiter’s tray as he walks by as you make your way closer to your dad. your heels click against the marble and as you’re stepping closer, the crowd steps back until you’re finally standing in front of him with a smile.

“hi dad,” you sigh, looking beside him to see an elder man giving you a polite smile. “can we talk?”

“of course,” your dad gives the man beside him and a few others a look before turning to you, “excuse me gentleman.”

you father extends his arm to you, and you give him a stare before smiling stiffly, linking your arm with his before walking to a private space just near the end of the hall.

as you’re walking with your dad through the crowd, many give you two smiles and bows of respect. the action alone makes you cringe, and you look away, jaw clenching and unclenching until you two are finally out of everyone’s hair.

“dad,” you close the door behind you, arms crossing over your chest. “where’s hwa?

your father ticks an eyebrow at your mistake, “who’s that?”

you grit your teeth, “you know exactly who, don’t joke around like this.”

if anyone were to walk in right now, they’d be witnessing a stare down between the father-daughter. your eyes imitated his perfectly, the emotionless glare he sends your way with maybe, a little bit of warmth behind it.

“he’s seonghwa for you.”

“you don’t get to decide that dad.” you enunciate, standing tall now. “where is he.”

the man in front of you shrugs, “he’s at the countryside, doing a job for me.”

“oh?” you raise an eyebrow, “but don’t you usually send your bodyguards there?”

“what do you mean?” he narrows his eyes at you, a frown decorating his face now. “he is one of mine-“

“nuh uh,” you stop him, “seonghwa’s my bodyguard now, i get to decide where he goes and doesn’t.”

“in fact, you’d never send anyone of your men away when you know there’s an event!” you take a step forward, “you want the most protection at these things and sending seonghwa? the one with the most experience here away? just like that?”

“there’s certain things he needs to finish.”

“i don’t trust you,” you blurted, making him snap his eyes at you. “you’ve been having way too many emergency meetings with seonghwa…so much so that he’s barely around.”

“and why are you so worried y/n?” he questions, tone as if jabbing at you. “he’s just your bodyguard, am i right?”

you grow quiet at that, “he’s..”

“we have to keep this a secret.”

“he’s…my friend.” you respond, staring at your dad with a frown. “he’s someone i’ve begun to trust more than anyone in this house.”

“you can’t be friends with guards, they’re not on our level.”

you scoff, “have you gone crazy?” you ask, staring at him in disbelief. “what does that even mean!”

“it means you cannot have any relationships with guards,” he announces, staring into your eyes directly before looking away. “bodyguards are neither friends nor families…they’re just low lives.”

“don’t forget you started from there too dad,” you bite back, eyes now forming into an icy glare. “those low lives of yours put their lives on line for you, they get injured and worse, even killed because of you!”

“that is their job.”

“and yours is to respect them!” you yell back, appalled by this sudden change in your dad’s demeanor that you had never seen before.

“you like seonghwa.”

fuck the secret seonghwa, you think.

“i do.” you admit, voice shaky and you take a step closer. “i like one of your low lives, guess that makes me one too, am i right?”

you father says nothing, and you scoff, running a hand down your face frustratedly. “i like seonghwa- in fact…i’m in love with him.”

you see the way that makes him turn his head towards you, jaw clenching and you inhale sharply. “so, it’s either you watch your mouth da-“

“y/n!” his yell echoes the room, and it makes you wince, “i don’t care if you’re in love with him, break it off.”

“you’re my heir, you can’t be around anyone like him.” he retorts, crossing his hands behind his back. “you inherit this mafia whether you like it or not y/n.”

“i-i don’t want to dad.”

“your brother can’t,” he mumbles, and you realize that now, “you don’t have a choice in this, the day i die…everyone will come to kill you.”

you scoff, hands now behind your back. “break everything off with him, it’s what he’d want as well.”

“you don’t know what he wants!” you grit out, your breathing picking its pace up.  “you don’t know what anyone wants! you just know what you want and what you want others to do for you.”

“seonghwa does not want anything to do with you,” he says, eyes flickering from yours to the window just to the left of the room. “not anymore.”

“i don’t believe it.” your voice drops to a whisper, “not until i hear it from him.”

with that you turn around, hand hovering over the doorknob as your hand begins to shake a little. you then look over your shoulder, seeing how your father doesn’t even spare you a glance but instead looks out the window with a grim.

with a slight shake of your head, your fingers grasp with the doorknob. twisting the door open, just enough for light to hit your face that you father speaks again, and you wish he hadn’t.

“either break up with seonghwa or get on the flight tomorrow morning.”

your heart sinks to your stomach, a shiver running down your body. a spite of sorts forming in you against your father, who once was all your world, someone you believed every word off.  

your ears hear the party outside and at the same time hear the pin drop silence in the room behind you, your eyes fall over the happy faces of the guests, and you look back.

hoping your father would laugh and call it all a joke but all you get is nothing, that alone makes tears form in your eyes and before you let it escalate further, you walk out.

the second you walk out of your house, you burst out into tears. finding a bench just to the far right of your place, you take a seat in the cold alone.

your eyes wander off into the sky, hands wiping the tears streaming down your face uncontrollably. your body then hunches forward, hands holding your head as you shut your eyes.

“break it off with seonghwa.”

“it’s what he’d want.”

“they’re just low lives.”

as sad as it all was, it couldn’t get more beautiful than it already was. with the way the bench was positioned almost directly in front of the big window that shone and showed the bustling party inside.

the pity party your father hosted yearly, this time for you.

“would you go against my father?”

it almost makes you want to laugh, a privileged story of yours where you fall for the forbidden.

it felt like seonghwa was the forbidden fruit you were never allowed near, yet you chose to be nearby. in some sick twisty way, if felt like a way to get back at your father.

you knew if anyone else had found out about this, they’d laugh and call it a ‘sad story’ and then continue on with their lives. seonghwa was the only one who affected you this much, in a way it opened your eyes.

but even on the inside, you knew no one would accept this. this taboo thing they’d call it, having a relationship between the boss and the worker. and as much as everyone else would hate it, you wouldn’t.

you shake your head, pushing your hair back and leaning back on the bench. leaning your face upwards you find yourself staring at the sky, breeze hitting your face and it makes you smile a little.

you stay still for a while and your mind automatically goes through a reel of memories.

“aren’t you supposed to my bodyguard?”

“and aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”

“call me y/n.”

“yes, ma’am.”

“you’re my bestest friend, you know?”

a sigh leaves your lips, and you reach out for your phone, unlocking it and only to be welcomed with a zoomed in photo of seonghwa standing in his bodyguard outfit.

the image alone makes you laugh through your tears, and you dial seonghwa’s number, biting down on your lip you lean back. lifting the phone to your ear, you close your eyes as the ringing echoes in the silence.

your heart rate picks up as the anticipation of hearing seonghwa’s voice increases and it’s as if right on that moment, your body jolts up when you hear his monotone voice.

“hi! this is seonghwa..” and it goes straight to voicemail.

you bite the inside of your lower lip, bringing the phone down slowly and pressing the red button before placing the phone beside you upside down.

“y/n.”

all you can do is hum, gaze looking ahead into nothing with a blank stare. that is until, footsteps walking through the grass make your ears perk up.

if this was an assassination attempt, it would’ve been successful because you did not move from your spot.

“it’s me, your fav- actually second! favorite person.”

“go away kai.”

he smiles, looking around before taking a seat beside you loudly. arm over your shoulders and a reassuring grin on his face, “what’s up!” he beams, looking all over your face.

“you didn’t like the food inside?” he asks, “they had caviar-“

“kai,” you begin, turning your head towards him and he catches the tiredness on your face. “what would you do…”

“i’d go eat fir- ow!” he whines at the slap you gave his arm, “fine, fine, shoot away.”

“what would you do if…if you were given the option to either break up or leave.”

kai smiles, the one with his cheeky dimples and he leans his head back. “i’d fight.” eyes on the sky.

“kai.”

“i mean i would!” he argues, “if that was my last resort, i’d fight for the one i love, you know?”

“as cliche as it sounds, loving someone isn’t a crime. if you love someone, why are you afraid, haven’t you heard?”

“what?”

“people can fight wars just for love,” he looks down at you, lifting his hand to pat your head twice. “look if love was a driving force, i’d have no license.”

he then turns his body towards you, “you want seonghwa more than you thought you did, so what if he’s not your dad’s ideal choice- he’s your choice isn’t he?”

but what if you’re not seonghwa’s choice?

you nod, “…but dad.”

“you know,” he shuffles on his seat, “for a moment, your dad doesn’t exist. what will stop you from him?”

you share a look with kai, swallowing before looking down. “see? no one, kill your da-“ you smack his arm again with a glare and he pokes his tongue out at you.

“seonghwa does not want anything to do with you…not anymore.”

with a sigh you pat his hand, “thanks kai,” standing up and holding your dress up. “if my dad suddenly dies, i know who did it.”

he says nothing but shoots a finger gun at you with a grin, “i’m,” you point at your house. “gonna go inside.”

“already?” he asks, looking behind you. “you don’t wanna say hi to seonghwa?”

“he’s at the countryside.” you mumble, shoulders slumping and eyes squinting at the window behind.

kai stands up, placing his on your shoulders before turning you around. leaning down and then pointing at the front door, “your boyfriends waiting outside silly.”

your eyes grow wide, heartbeat picking up as you look through the iron rods of the gate to make out a silhouette kicking rocks.

and before you know it, you’re running down the path to him. a smile on your lips growing with every step you take towards him, and when you’re finally nearing the gates, you can make his outline out much better.

he’s dressed in a regular suit, but he looks better than anyone at this party. hair slightly disheveled, tie a little loose and hands holding something.

“hwa!” you yell, catching his attention with your voice and the wave of your hand.

once his eyes fall on you running towards him, his lips crack into a smile. hand lifting automatically to wave back, “y/n!”

“hi,” you pant, stopping just before the gates that you now know is locked. “sorry..the door is locked for some reason.” you say in between catching breaths.

“hi y/n,” his voice alone makes you melt, your eyes look at him and they almost tear up. “you look stunning.” he manages to let out, looking at you up and down he wished the door wasn’t dividing you two, so that he could at least hold you.

“why aren’t you inside?”

you smile, “because…i saw you here.”

he returns a soft smile before shoving something in his pocket and walking closer, but since the gates were closed, he could only walk until his chest hit the gates. instead, he extends his hand out for you to take.

which you do, with an excitement because after the talk with your dad and not seeing seonghwa, something in you wanted his reassurance.

“can we talk?”

your smile falters a little, holding his hand. “o-of course.”

“actually, u-uh, at first.” he fishes through his pocket and pulls a small rectangular box out. you’re unable to see it properly due to the streetlight being away from where you stood and the front gates light that kept flickering. “i got this for you.”

he extends the box towards you from the slim space between the iron rods, you reach out for it with a smile and opening it gently. your mouth parts in a gasp, “oh my god, seonghwa…”

he smiles under the light, “do you like it?”

you nod, looking down at the box you held that had a small silver chain in it. a small ruby red bead as it’s pendant, “i love it! are you kidding?!”

“where…how did you get it?”

he rubs the back of his neck, eyes not meeting yours in what you can only is assume is his shyness. “i saw it on my way back here…i was a little late wasn’t i? you’ve bought me plenty of stuff..so it was only right for me to get you something.”

“you didn’t have to,” you mumble, fingers caressing the chain. and then you look up, “what did you want to talk about?”

“ah,” his face drops, eyes meeting the ground.

“i want to talk about us.”

you smile a little, closing the box before giving him your attention. “of course, w…what did you want to talk about?”

“y/n, don’t you think,” he swallows. “we…we should just remain as friends?”

“w-what?” your voice cracks.

his eyes remain glued to the ground, “we shouldn’t be together.”

“it’s dangerous for us to be together.” he mumbles, fingers now wrapping around the rods tighter at the silence. “if anyone found out about us, you could be in danger.”

“did my dad tell you to say all of this?” you ask, feeling your stomach churn. “you don’t have to listen to him seonghwa-“

“no.” he answers, “this is what i think...what we have should’ve never happened in the first place.”

“we are two different people, classes, professions, personalities…everything!”

“why does that matter...” you whisper, “why does it all matter when i don’t care for it, w-why?”

“i’m sorry but,” he looks up, eyes meeting your teary ones and he hears a crack in his voice. “it does matter, when i’m someone you shouldn’t even be friends with, you’re meant for the riches..we aren’t meant to be.”

you feel as if the world has slipped from under your, trying to understand what’s happening around you or what he’s saying because it all sounds unreal.

“i thought that maybe this would last a month,” he whispers, his knuckles growing whiter at the grip he has on. “but it’s only grown ever since.”

“i-i never expected us to go this far, with each day that does by...i can’t help but think we’re not meant to be.” he mumbles, and you feel your heart drop to your stomach, “you’re my boss’s daughter and i’m just worker.”

“seo-“

“i can’t live up to your standards y/n,” your tears that welled up in your eyes are now rolling down your cheeks. “i don’t have a proper house, i don’t even have enough money to keep you happy…”

he looks at you, his own eyes glassy. “i have nothing y/n, i’m nothing.”

“are you done?” you ask, voice just above a whisper and his heart sinks at how frail you sound.

“y/-“

“you’re everything to me.” you whisper, your hand reaching out to hold his, tears streaming down your face. “you’ve been more than anything to me, i don’t care for what you do for living or if you have the money or not, i love you god damnit!”

he clenches his jaw, eyes wide at your words. “you’ve been there for all the times i needed you, you know me more than i know myself! how can you say that..seonghwa please, please don’t listen to my dad.”

he hears you sniffle and looks away, “y/n, please.”

“no seonghwa,” you say, voice shaky and low. “i..i thought you liked me for me.”

“you out of everyone knows how much i hate when my dad controls everything about me,” you inch closer, eyes on him. “so..why? is it because he did everything for you?”

“n-“

“is it because you can’t go against him?”

“i..i,”

“i, what!” you raise your voice, “i don’t believe anything you’re saying!”

“…i like someone else.” he says, voice nothing but a whisper.

“w-what?”

he nods, eyes on the ground. “i like someone else y/n.."

what he says is something you wished he never said, maybe even kept it as a secret. “i don’t trust you.” you bite back, and you wish he’d look you in the eye, just once to say he’s lying. “you’re lying and you know it.”

but instead, he shakes his head, “i’m not lying y/n.” and it makes you swallow the warm, painful lump in your throat.

“you’re not even looking me in the eye,” you whisper, “please don’t do this seonghwa…we’re so good together, you know that too.”

“we were never good together,” he replies, running a hand down his face and you know he’s biting back tears with the way he bites his lips. “i found someone who matches me.”

“someone who isn’t like you.”

you shut your eyes, jaw clenching and unclenching as a pounding headache begins to from in your head with all the tears framing your face.

the wind now feels more colder, it feels as if it’s slapping you in your face. your hair stands moving along it as you listen to his calming voice tell you stuff you’ve never wanted to hear.

“call me y/n.”

“yes ma’am.”

“s-someone who matches me well.”

“i was going to ask if you were dating anyone.”

“why?”

“i don’t like to share.”

“someone quieter, not loud or annoying-“

“…you found me annoying?” you ask, and he inhales sharply at that. “and loud?”

“go on,” you urge, a small smile on your face despite the obvious. “what else did you find me?”

“i-i didn’t mean it like that-“

“what else is she like?” you swallow, “quieter? has more manners? isn’t childish? hates the riches? hates flowers? is the better version of me?”  

“she’s everything i’m not, am i right?” you ask, hand falling to your sides. when he doesn’t respond, a bitter smile makes its way in your lips. “…hm, then she must be great.”

“y/n,” he whispers, and you take a step back, the action makes his heartbeat ring in his ears. “i didn-“

“didn’t what?” you ask, face holding no expression. “didn’t want to hurt me?”

when he nods you breathe loudly through your nose, a hand running through your hair frustratedly. “you know dad didn’t want me to be with you…” you begin, “i told him otherwise, he said you never wanted anything to do with me..i said i wanted to hear that from yo-“

“i don’t want anything to do with you.” he whispers, and you hear the way he says that. full of nothing, no emotion or anything.

you smile despite the tears blurring your vision, “right.”

it goes quiet for a while, just the two of you standing in silence. him on the other side of your house while you stand behind the gates, it described you two perfectly.

seonghwa and you were two different people who never stood on the same level, everything your dad said echoed in your mind.

“that’s their job.”

“they’re not on our level.”

you want to yell and scream and cry at him, tell him that’s not the case. to beg him that, that’s not the case.

“d-did you mean everything you said?” you ask, in some way hopefully that he’s lying to you, that he’d tell you the truth.

“everything.” he says.

you nod shakily, exhaling before looking over your shoulder. “every…every date meant nothing?”

“n-nothing.”

“every gift?”

he nods.

“and that red pendant?”

he nods again, though, slower.

“okay,” you say, nodding before turning around. back facing him and it’s one thing you thought you’d never do or be driven to a point where you had to.

you begin to walk away from, leaving him standing behind the gates. eyes on the ground and never lifting up, even if he wanted to. hiding his own emotions he turned around, back pressed against the iron gates.

“take a picture with me then…because i want to have a memory of you.“

“well, it’s not like i’m going anywhere, i’m still here, but! since i’m really nice we’ll take one.”

“a memory,” he scoffs to himself, head leaning back on the gates as he closes his eyes. “a stupid memory.”

five years later.

the day you’d come back was one your father truly looked forward too, with the tearful sending that was laced with hatred and anger. he wished for your safety above all, and on top of the above all, he wished for the safety of everyone inside this house.

those who now scurry around cleaning the house meticulously, mumbling to each other in panic, hurry and almost a fearful turn.

it’s like everyone knew when the announcement of you would echo across this building, a wave of silence would follow.

a silence full of fear.

with the way everything happened years ago, they knew you wouldn’t return the same.

maybe that’s what their fear was.

“i told you to not go in her room!” your father yells, a cough following suit.

“y-yes, sir!”

with a temporary grim on his face, he walks around, hands behind his back as he watches the cleaning, redecorating, rebuilding of his house. in his heart, preparing for you to grace his eyes.

“yunho, mingi,” he turns around to face the new set of guards that were recently employed. “have everyone line up by the entrance tomorrow, put on your best suits as well.”

“we will sir,” they both say in sync, bowing to their boss that is until, mingi, the dark blue haired one pops a question. “but why the suits, sir?”

“my daughter is picky.” your father answers, swallowing a little.

they both bow once again, “we’ll keep that in mind, enjoy your time with miss tonight.”

“oh and,” he stops them, “send seonghwa to my office.”

“we’re very excited to have you back, boss is putting on his best for you!” the driver says, looking in the rear mirror to see you staring out the window. “w-“

“put the partition up.”

he stiffens, swallowing before complying and putting the divider up. isolating you to the backseat and him to the driver side, your eyes meet his as the wall levels up before they move out the window.

coincidentally at the moment where your house was in view, your eyes land on the ever so prestige estate that you left years back. before you used to have a love-hate relationship with this place, where you were sheltered and hidden away from everything.

where you experienced your first and last of everything.

now coming back to it felt, empty but comforting. comforting that you were finally home after years of being lost and thrown into the world you never wanted.

when you left, you were devastated because of everything. you never wanted to come back, never wanted face anyone. but you knew you had to come back, so you became the person you never wanted to become in the first place.

opening the door to your maybach, you step out. your heel clacking against the pavement as you do so, grabbing your bag you shut the door behind to look at your house.

a scoff leaves your lips as you look over it, eyes wandering to every corner until they stop at your balcony. and you remember how you used to sneak out nights through there, falling and hurting yourself one second and the other being bombarded with the dogs.

you then turn around to look at the iron gates and your smile drops.

“d-did you mean everything you said?”

“everything.”

“ma’am, your father’s waiting inside.” you snap back to reality and inhale, “this way.”

with every step you take towards the entrance, your heartbeat increases. mentally preparing yourself to see everything and everyone after years.

but when your eyes land at your living room, they widen in disgust as you step inside your place, seeing the outrageous decorations hanging around at your arrival. “w-what’s going on?” you ask the driver who looked at it all with the same look as you.

“i…i don’t know ma’am,” he stutters, and you shake your head, “but your father,” he points to your right. “this way.”

you nod, following behind him while your eyes look all over. as if they’re trying to find someone while you heart wants you to look away in case you do see that someone, but you’re glad you only see a handful of maids working around.

who, at your appearance gasp and bow. “welcome back ma’am!”

to which you’d respond with a small smile, ducking your head down and following the driver who walked you through your own home. what a day it has come you think.

“he’s sitting here for the day,” you smile and bow at the man who now leaves you alone, standing inside your dad’s outdoor study.

“y/n, my dear, you’re back.”

you hear his raspy voice tickle your ear and it’s been years since you’ve heard him, sure the occasional phone calls were present, but you’d hang up whenever you’d hear anyone else in the background.

“father.” you say, hands in front of you. watching him spin on his swivel chair, dressed in hoodie that says something about your brother’s university. you find your cat nestled just beside him on the cat bed and it makes you smile a little.

“y/n,” he lifts his arms in the air, getting up from his beloved chair and walking towards you with a smile.

you manage to smile a little, retuning his hug half-heartedly before he offers you to take a seat, which you do as if you haven’t been on a flight where you sat for hours straight.

“how have you been?” he asks, pouring you tea from the fine china set you know your mom bought at an auction.

“good.” you keep it short, eyes wandering the sunroom study of his. “did you renovate it?”

“you know your mom and her tendencies,” he replies, sliding you the cup which you quietly take.

“where is she?”

“yearly trip to the maldives with her friends,” you nod, impressed by it slightly, maybe even jealous that she gets vacations while you stay here and deal with your dad.

“how have you been y/n,” he asks again, getting comfortable in his chair as you cross your legs, stirring the tea slightly.

“i already answered that, father.”

he nods, “are you still upset?”

“over what?” you sip, eyes falling over him.

“five y-“

“yes,” you respond quickly, “very, actually.”

you hear him sigh as you sip on the tea more, raising your pinky. “right, well, your rooms the same as before.”

you nod, placing the cup down and facing him. “you’ll be looking over the guards tomorrow.”

“for?”

“to have your own private ones,” he says, coughing a little. “like i did. you’re now what i used to be so it only makes sense for you to have everything now.”

“everything?” you tick an eyebrow, “i have a request father.”

“go on.”

“please stop controlling me from now on,” you mumble, “i am capable enough to make my decisions, in fact, i was since the beginning.”

“as you wish.”

“don’t question my decisions,” you stand up, bowing your head. “and for the guards, i don’t need them.”

“y/n.” ah, there it was, that tone he uses on you when he’s about to scold you. “my last decision in your life is for you to have private guards.”

“the last decision of yours ruined me father,” you say, voice monotone. “and i don’t wish for it to happen again.”

“this decision won’t y/n,” he argues, thought his voice doesn’t raise. “you’re going to have new guards, and that is done. tomorrow meet me at the foyer, everyone will be there.”

everyone.

you scoff, “quit it dad.”

your dad didn’t quit, in fact he pestered you into following him out to the foyer. after him basically dragging you out of your room, which one, you barely got to step a foot in and two, barely got you enough sleep.

“can we hurry this up?” you ask, irritated already with waking up early since your jet lag is still so strong. “i need a few hours to myself.”

“hm,” he says, walking a few steps ahead before pausing and you feel your heartbeat begin to accelerate. “everyone, meet my daughter y/n.”

“it’s lovely meeting you ma’am.”

“i’m to be by your side whenever you go out at all times, it’s nice to meet you ma’am.”

you watch them all bow in unison, and you give a small, awkward smile. ignoring the obvious faces from the past who look at you with shiny eyes, which almost make you crack.

“as you all know," your father announces and you stand behind him, feeling stares burn through you. “my daughter here requires a private unit to be by her at all times, i have seen your progresses over the month and selected a few of you alr-“

“i’ll decide my own guard’s father,” you interrupt him, making the hall get quiet. “at least, let me do that.”

he gives you a quick look before nodding, and you come to stand in front of the two rows of guards. “being my guard isn’t easy.” you mumble, “and if you’re not up for it, you can leave to your daily routines.”

you look around and when no one moves, you smirk. “alright,” you look to your left, extending your hand out to your dad. “their files.”

“here,” he grins, pointing behind him and you see a mountain of them being held by a worker.

just the sight of it gives you a headache, “forget it.” and you walk down the line.

eyes squinty as everyone straightens up, standing tall and feet apart, hands neatly folded behind their back. your heels click against the marble flooring as you walk down the first line, eyeing every single one of them who either display no expression or get taken aback.

“you,” you say out loud, pointing your hand at the guy with blond hair standing at the very end. “come here.”

“sweetheart, he’s a newbie.” your father whispers to you and your eyes keep looking at the blondie walking to you with a shy smile.

“that’s alright dad,” you reply, eyeing the man up and down. “people can learn along the way.”

but there’s a man standing at the far end of the second line, gritting his teeth and clenching his jaw. that’s all too familiar to you, from the black outfit, the sharp undercut and the annoyingly stunning side profile that makes you want to yell.

though he grits his jaw, he catches onto the new you. how you’ve changed, no longer the bright and cheery y/n but a colder, monotone-voiced y/n. and he can’t help but blame himself for it. 

“it’s like you’d be protecting him more than he’d be protecting you.” he whispers, eyes forming into glares as he watches the newbie walk towards you, knowing he isn’t half as qualified to be your guard and knowing you’re outright ignoring him.

“name?”

“choi san.”

you nod, “good, you’re hired.” and you turn around, “any objections, father?”

“y/n-“

“i object.”

your eyes immediately find your dads when you hear the new yet familiar voice, “i do too-“

“my decision is made, choi san-“ you look over your shoulder and you make an eye contact with two tall guys at the end. “and you two twin towers at the end, you’re hired.”

“sir, if i m-“

you lift a hand, “ah, my decision is mine.” and you look back at the front. “anything else?”

“i’d like to object.” this time you hear footsteps coming closer and it makes your heart drop to your stomach.

you feel a presence behind you before you hear that increasingly familiar deep voice.

“the three you have chosen, ma’am.” you shut your eyes at the familiar voice filling in your ears. his presence behind you, with that deep, soothing, and calm voice that now sounds rigid and demanding. “won’t be able to guard you, it’s like you’d be protecting the guard more than they would.”

“the new recruit line is barely halfway through basic training ma’am,” god, that ma’am. “i strongly advise picking someone else as their skill sets are nowhere near qualified to be guards right now.”

you raise an eyebrow and slowly open your eyes, seeing everyone in the lines stiffen up. and for the first time, you turn around to look that voice in the eye and dare question. “and you are?”

jaw locked, hair brushed back with one strand falling over his forehead, eye that darkened ever so slightly, hands neatly behind his back. just being in his presence makes your breathing waver but looking directly in his eyes makes you want to cry.

“park seonghwa.”

“seonghwa,”

“seong! hwa!”

“hwa!”

“seong-seong!”

“and who do you advise i pick?” you ask, voice shaky.

“i have almost a decade of experience working under your father and being a protector of your family...” he inhales, patting his chest and you catch the sight of a black band on his ring finger, and it makes you look away. “and a few of those years were as your own bodyguard, ma’am.”

“and?”

“i believe my skills are far better than anyone here, it’ll only be more advantageous to have me as your bodyguard...” he pauses, looking over your face for a second longer. “again.”

“my bodyguard?” you ask, eyebrows shooting to your forehead. “and yet i was still in life threatening positions with you, wasn’t i?”

“i-“

“zip it.” you look behind him, eyes forming into slits. “you three, office now.”

“yes ma’am.”

“y/n, seonghwa was right!” you hum mindlessly, playing with the food on your plate.

“i agree.” you roll your eyes at kai’s appearance, sitting on the big dining table with you and your dad and two cooks at the far end.

you then turn to your left, “you’re suddenly praising him?” you pique, looking down at your dad with a suspicious look. “wasn’t he your low life?”

“you called him a low life!?” kai yells, his plate clacking as he stood up and you wave him off.

your dad grows quiet at that, “…i didn’t mean to say that y/n.”

you stop midway, “really?” you ask, “i don’t trust you.”

“there’s a lot of things i regret doing y/n,” he says, placing his fork and knife down. “but i had reasons for it.”

“and what were they?”

you dad looks at kai and he takes the memo to leave, although, a little late, but he does. leaving you and him alone in the room, him at to your left. just the talk with him has a sinking feeling growing in your stomach, jaw clenching and unclenching before exhaling.  

“for you to take over his family, you needed no distractions.” he begins, hands folding in front of him. “and if you kept them, my family would’ve been gone.”

“distractions?” you mock. "sending me to your fucking training academies where they beat the shit out of you? that? that’ll help me take care of this family?”

“as bad as it sounds, it works y/n.” he explains, looking over your face for a few moments and seeing a small scar under your eye and dread washes over him. “i was sent there, it worked for me- i had to send you there.”

“or you’d send your youngest,” you bite back, a slight tick in your jaw. “but i wouldn’t have let that happen. even if i have stated how rotten your business is and how much i hate it, i couldn’t escape it.”

no matter how much you’d want to blame your father for everything, you knew he did it for you. but you still have bitter feelings about the way he did it all, yet you’re unable to tell him. being rasied in this environment, you were bound to do this. 

“i still can’t and will not drag him in it,” you refer to your sibling, because he gets scared shitless from the sight of ladybugs. you couldn’t possibly see him fighting for his life. “he’ll never be involved in this business, no one after me will take this place.”

“i will not operate this mafia like you did,” he nods, “if i have the chance to end this, i will and you will not stop me.”

“i won’t.”

“i want to end this.” you mumble, jaw relaxing and eyes falling over your father who looks at you with regret, maybe even shame if you look in too deeply. “i will end this mafia, i want a normal life.”

“you wouldn’t have gone if i never did that y/n..” you scoff. 

“i’m sorry for all that y/n,” he mumbles, placing his hand on top of yours. “there is nothing i can say but sorry, if i hadn’t done this, i would’ve lost you all.”

“and to keep you, my family alive.” he taps your hand twice, "i can do anything.”

“ev-“

“even send you there, yes.”

a scoff leaves your lips, “that’s a really shitty excuse, dad.”

he smiles and for the first time since you’ve arrived it feels genuine, “well now you can beat me up for it, pow pow!”

“stop, ew.” you cringe, and he chuckles, drowning down water as you shake your head.

“and what about seonghwa,” he asks the second his glass touches the table.

“nothing about him.” your tone is dismissive, and he picks up on it, growing a little because seeing this side of you, he can’t help but blame himself for that.

but he knows if anyone was to bring your old side back, it’ll only be in the hands of seonghwa. who, he knew, would give him trouble one day.

“you’re not going to meet him or talk to him?” the elder presses further, mind spewing up some way to get you two to talk or exchange a hi’s or hello’s or how was your days.

“no.” you respond, placing the cutlery down and promptly being reminded of that ring on his finger.

“i like someone else.”

“he offered to be your guard again,” you hum, eyes on the plate with an empty expression. “i agree with him, he is qualified and has been  your bodyguard before too-“

“dad,” you interrupt, pushing your chair back and tapping your feet on the ground. “you know exactly what happened, what you did and how it went down.”

“but you should talk to him,” he says, eyes following you. “he’s…he’s got a lot to say-“

“i’m not interested in talking to him or having him as my bodyguard again.”

and with that you take your leave, walking out the door with shaky hands and when you begin to walk down the hallway. you abruptly stop at the scene of seonghwa and kai standing in front of you, their heads turning to you in sync.

“y/n.”

“ma’am.”

“i told you my name’s y/n.”

“goodnight.” you mumble, eyes looking everywhere else but the larger man in a suit.

“y/n!” kai calls out, a small smile on his face as he watches you try and escape this situation knowing full well that’s the last thing you’d want.

“how about,” he looks at seonghwa, who’s eyes never leave you even if you don’t look at him. “you two old friends catch up?”

“uh, kai i-i have to leave,” you stated, giving kai a nasty glare. “i’m tired and i need sleep.”

“just ten minutes.”

you freeze at his voice, calm yet eager. “can we talk just for ten minutes?”

kai gives you an encouraging smile and you turn to him, stopping when your gazes meet.

his eyes still looked the same, wide, shiny, and endearing. the ones that still made you want to run in his arms, stare into for hours while he holds you to his chest and nuzzles into you.

“i..i don’t have time right now,” you answer, looking at kai tight smile. “tomorrow, let’s do that tomorrow.

you knew you shouldn’t have come back because all you see is seonghwa everywhere, you had hoped he quit his job, so you didn’t have to face him, and he didn’t have to work under your dad.  

every time you walk down a hallway, you’re always greeted with him walking past you. and it reminds you of all the times you had been with him, whether it be chasing him down hallways or to walk behind him whining something about the defense lesson.

at that time, you would’ve never thought any of this could be possible, he didn’t think it would be either.

he didn’t think not seeing you every day for the past five years would hurt him as much as it did, or how not seeing or hearing you would become a routine he’d have to force himself to fit in.

so, when he was called in by your father in his office, the first thing he remembers hearing is. “you better up your trainings seonghwa.”

and he knew you were returning.

as happy and overjoyed he was to see you, he was equally desperate to tell you the truth. but he knew you’d never want to see him, that’s what terrified him. to become nothing but a memory to you, a memory who never got to explain itself.

So, he interrupted your hiring procedure or whatever that was, outing himself as the right person to guard you for as long as he can. after all, he was meant to be your right-hand man at all times.

not only did he do that so that you’d look at him in the eye or speak to him or reject his duties, but he did it because he couldn’t imagine anyone else besides him to stand by you.

and maybe get a chance to explain himself, but all he’s got his avoided stares, small talks, dismissing him and pretending he doesn’t exist.

as much as it breaks him, he knows he deserves it. all the times you’ve ignored him, he can’t be upset because at least, you’re there, at least, you’re in front of his eyes.

but maybe his hopes of reconciling with you won’t come true since you’ve dismissed any of his advances of him doing his duty or having a civil conversation with him.

“yunho, where’s the car?” you ask with a raised eyebrow, tapping your feet on the pavement outside your house.

“i-i, it should be here ma’am!”

“we’ve been waiting for half an hour, jeong yunho.” you grit, “i have places to be and you had one job to do, right?”

yunho bows down quickly, “i’m so sorry, this all is new to me so i got the wrong car-“

but he’s interrupted by the loud honking of a black range rover pulling into the roundabout before he can explain himself, catching you off-guard. “is that the one you got?” you ask, eyes on the car that comes to stop in front of you.

“n-no, ma’am.”

and before you’re about to respond, the front door to the car opens and out comes seonghwa with his dark sunglasses, prim and proper outfit, and a smile you’ve missed.

“the car, ma’am.” he says with a bow of his head, and you swallow, giving yunho a look who only returns a small smile.

“i’ll take the other one,” you say, taking a few steps away from the two but only to be stopped by seonghwa’s loud voice.

“ma’am, please.” your grip your bag tighter at that. “you’ll be late for your meeting, please take the car.”

he watched your back turn to him and swallowed, head down and hands behind his back. “i’ll let yunho driv-“

“i hope you know the address.” he hears you say, walking past him and he pauses for a second. eyes blinking repeatedly at what he heard that is until yunho pats his chest with a cheeky smile and a wink.

“i-i do!”

when you told seonghwa you’d sit down and have a talk with him, you didn’t expect yourself to be this nervous to be in his presence. it felt as if every emotion you had felt in the past five years hit you like a truck.

with the constant messages from kai encouraging you by sending emojis and memes and gifs that only made you want to hide from seonghwa.  

So, standing outside the door to where he stood made butterflies sprout in your stomach, it felt as if you were seeing him again for the first time.

your hand on the doorknob stays still for a while before you inhale and twist it, opening the door and immediately you’re faced with seonghwa standing at the far side of the room, back facing the door while he looks out the balcony.

you swallow before entering, closing the door behind before making your way towards him. and it’s as if your memory became a film, it played out the moments you had with him.

“i’m park seonghwa, your new bodyguard from now on. i’m to be by your side whenever you go out at all times, it’s nice to meet you ma’am.”

“my names y/n not ma’am!”

“you know they should keep you in museums.”

“you’re cute.”

“you’re so pretty…i can’t believe you’re mine.”

“i like someone els-“

“y/n.”

you snap out of your thoughts, gaze falling on him with a soft smile. “seonghwa.”

his lips pull into a smile, and he gestures for you to take a seat at the couch set in front of him, you nod and take a seat. he follows suit and sits opposite you.

for the first few minutes, none of you know what to say. you’re looking everywhere but him but he’s looking at you as if you’re the only person to ever walk this earth.

he looks at you with fond stare, one that studies you with a soft look. he fiddles with his fingers and inhales before finally speaking. “h-how are you?”

your heart skips a beat, “good.”

“it’s raining,” he points, and you nod. “your favoutite.”

“i hate the rain.” you respond, and he stops.

“b-but you loved rain?”

you grit your jaw, “i loved a lot of things.” you answer, alluding to the past.

“i’m sorry.” he says right after, head down and eyes shut. “i’ve been wanting to apologize for everything that happened.”

“for what?” you ask, obviously knowing exactly what happened but you want him to say it to you.

he lifts his head up a little and you spot the way the glint in his eyes change for a split second, embarrassment or even maybe even shame but definitely remorse.

“i found someone who matches me.”

“someone who isn’t like you.”

“for dumping me?” you ask, voice shaky and eyes slightly teary. “or saying all of that with no thought of how it’ll affect me?”

“someone quieter, not loud or annoying-“

“…you found me annoying? and loud?”

“i..” he begins, hands curling into fists as he inhales and exhales. “i want to apologize for pushing you away the way i did, i..i didn’t mean anything i said that day y/n please trust me-“

“you weren’t held on gunpoint seonghwa,” you whisper, “you could’ve not said anything.”

“i was told to break it off with you.” he swallows, and you look down. “so that you’d leave.”

he continues, “when…when you were at my place, your dad had come to meet me and i never told you about it.”

“join me for a walk, seonghwa.”

“y-yes sir.” he says, looking over his shoulder and then on the ground before his eyes widen at the sight of your shoes beside his.

nevertheless, he follows your father outside his complex. following the shorter man who’s stride rivaled power, someone who he always respected above anyone else.

“do you like my daughter, seonghwa?”

his head snaps up, “what?”

“you heard me,” his boss says, “are you dating her?“

when he gave no response, your father already knew. with the way his men are everywhere, this would’ve never slipped past him. how could it? you two went out to places every week with each other, in areas where only sketchy people would be found. it’s no wonder he knows.

“i’m extremely sorry sir,” he says, “y-you can fire me or cut my hands like you said..but i do like your daughter, quite a lot sir.”

“how much should i pay you to break it off then?”

his lips part in surprise, “s-sir?”

“a million or a two? or a blank check?”

“i..i’m sorry but i can’t accept any of that sir.” he replies, a frown on his face that he can’t hide. “you’ve known me since i was a child, i’m not attached to money like that— i have never been.”

“i have always trusted and respected your decisions but…as much as i hate to disrespect you..” he says, “i will not break the relationship i have with your daughter, sir.”

“i will fire you.”

he then stands tall, “then please do so.”

“yet you still did it.” he hears you whisper, and he swears he heard a crack of his heart. "you still followed him; you couldn’t go against him no matter seonghwa!“

“tell her you want nothing to do with her, seonghwa.” he says. “that’s the only way she’d leave.”

“sir, that’s-“

“i know, but i have no option.” He looks down, “i can’t let her fall behind because of you.”

“i wanted you to!” you burst out, catching him by surprise. “i thought at least you’d be on my side! we could’ve done it together; we could’ve gone against him together!”

you then stand up, running a hand down your face irritatedly. “gosh this is so stupid, it wasn’t even real right?” you ask, glancing at his hunched figure and your eyes go straight to his hands and spit that ring. “i wanted it to be so real, because i loved you seonghwa.”

“it was a silly little fling,” you whisper, “right? where we just hide behind the doors and do our thing and then break it off because you found someone else!”

you nod, “right, that’s what it was…but i loved you..and you didn’t, and that’s what hurt me the most.”

“y/n…”

“call me ma’am.” you whisper, nodding to yourself and taking a few steps back.

“i didn’t care that you called me loud or annoying.. or the class difference between us.” he lifts his head up, seeing you take slow steps back away from him and for a second it hits him. “i wanted you to be with me..despite what my father had told you.”

“i knew he’d come to ask you all of this,” he hears you say, “which is why i kept telling you to not listen to him, to maybe..just maybe go against him for once and break your good boy image.”

“i just wanted to have you.”

it hits him that he’s about to lose you again, for the second time.

and it feels so real that his heart drops when you turn your back to him.

“i quit.”

you stop, your sniffles ringing the room as you use the back of your hand to wipe your tears away.

“the next day after we split,” you shut your eyes, “i quit working under your dad, in fact, me, hongjoong, yeosang and wooyoung all did.”

“what is this seonghwa?”

“my resignation, sir.” he announced, bowing at his waist. “it’s been a pleasure working for you but it’s time i quit.“

“i couldn’t live like that,” he mumbles, rising to his feet and taking a few steps closer to you. Eyes softening and heart sinking. “so right after i quit, i went to look for you.”

“but i left that same night.”

“but you left.”

“i didn’t know until your dad told me, how you were sent away for god knows how long.” he whispers, voice cracking and you hear him sniffle. “and i didn’t know when you’d come back…how you’d be like or if you’d even want to look at me.”

“if you quit working, why are you still here?” you ask, heart beating fast and brain spiralling.

“..because i was told you’ll be coming back.” his whispers tug at your heart, “and i couldn’t afford to miss it. i couldn’t let someone else take my spot.”

“i spent the last five years, trying to reach out to you through mails but i didn’t know your address.” he explains, “i looked for your number but you changed it, i kept looking and looking but then i realized wherever you were, you’d be safer there than here.”

“i wanted you to be safe at the end of the day,” he takes a few steps closer until his front hits your back. “even if it meant breaking up with you.”

“because i loved you,” he says, voice a whisper but a gentle one. his hand slowly reaches for yours from the back, “..and have for the past five years and still counting.”

“you may have said it first,” he holds your hand gently, his larger palm fitting with yours perfectly. “but i wish i did, so at least you wouldn’t hate me.”

“i don’t hate you,” you sigh.

“but what’s the point of it all now?” you ask, turning around to look at his tear-stained face. you reach out for his hand and lift it up beside your face, pointing at his finger. “you’re already married.”

“all of this..” you shake his hand all while he stares at you with wide eyes, “it doesn’t matter anymore.”

he shakes his head, “it does y/n, you’re m-“

“are you going to cheat on your wife now?” you ask, eyes blown wide despite the tears welling up in them. “you’re married and yet you’re here professing your love for me while she wai-“

“-y/n.”

“no!” you stop him, letting go of his hand to take a step back. “are you really go-“

“y/n,” he stammers, trying to hold onto your escaping hand. “y/n, y/n, listen to me-“

“i’m not going to do this seonghwa,” you stumble back, hands in the air and eyes on the ground.

but before you have the chance to take another step back or say anything else. his hand reaches out to grab you by the wrist, abruptly pulling you to him.

a squeak leaves your lips when you’re jerked forward, your face meeting his chest and his hands wrapping around your waist, face buried in your neck.

“i’m not married,” he whispers, and your hands fall to your sides, a tired sigh leaves you, closing your eyes and burying yourself in his chest.

“what about that ring then?” you ask, voice dropping to lower octave.

he smiles and you can hear it, “you don’t remember when we bought matching rings at that diner?”

your face drops at that memory, “you still- that’s that?!” he nods and holds you closer.

“i had it on the past five years,” he mumbles, tapping your back twice with a smile that almost heals you.

“you’re crazy.”

he hums, and it’s one of those low and deep ones. “says you.”

his perfume wafts in your nose and for a second you find yourself losing in him. having have finally held him after years and feeling the comfort you missed, your hands lift to wrap them around his waist.

“you once asked me if i would go against your father,” he mumbles, “it took me a while to answer you but, yes, I can.”

“i never was, no one existed that i could match with better than you.” his deep low voice that causes your stomach to swoop.

“what about the one you told me about years back?” you mumble, pulling back to hold his stare.

“he shakes his head, and you slap his chest with a frown, “you lied over that too?!”

“i’m sorry!” he’s quick to say, worry written all over his face.

but before he continues the door the room bursts open, making the two of you jump and snap your heads back with wide eyes.

“t-that was us! all of it!” wooyoung yells, hands in the air while yeosang holds him back.

“he’s right!” hongjoong screams from the back, hands curled into fists as if ready to fight someone. “we did it for him! don’t blame him!”

“sorry i was watching a show and the inspo hit!”

“y-you guys are here too?!” you say out loud, turning around fully to spot them properly.

it feels like a deja vu, from the very first time you met them to now.

how all of them are still the same, though a little older and definitely not working under your father. more free and smiley and loud and chaotic than before.

seonghwa’s hands leave your waist and he comes to stand by you, one hand sticking in his pocket while his gaze flickers between you and the three standing up front.

a soft smile on his lips before he looks at the trio in front of him, shaking his head and sheepishly coming to hold your hand in his. caressing the top of it with his thumb gently, the action making you look at him.

“i hate you,” you whisper but the smile on your face says the opposite.

“hey, you all.” seonghwa yells from beside you, head noticing them to turn around and look away. it’s not an action they get at first, but when they do their eyes widen and lift up their thumbs.

“what wh-“

“wooyoung.”

and when they do, seonghwa spins you to him and locks his lips with yours immediately. surprising you and muffling your gasp with his lips, arms snaking around you, and he holds you impossibly close to him. as if you’d vanish in thin air.

your hands fly from your sides to his face, cupping his softer cheeks and smiling against the kiss all while your eyes drop fat tears, he can’t help but chuckle at in between the kiss. whispering ‘i’m sorry’s’ between the kiss while you nodded. 

he pulls back to leans his forehead on yours, staring at you with a look that made you look away. “do you still hate me?”

you nod as he wipes the water around your eyes. “maybe a little less than two minutes ago.”

he ticks an eyebrow up, “oh?”

“mhm,” you smile.

he leans closer so that the tips of your noses touch. "how about now?”

“a point five difference maybe?” he smirks.

“can we look now?”

“look where?”

you and seonghwa never pushed each other so fast at that new voice joining all of you, you recognize it as your fathers, and he recognizes it as terror.

“s-sir!”

“dad!”

“good? morning?” he says, face twisted in confusion as every single one of you try to find the words to speak.

"it’s actually nighttime sir,” wooyoung informs, “so, you should say good night.”

you bite a laugh back at the way your dad frowns and how wooyoung immediately gets on his knees to apologize.

and you find yourself leaning on seonghwa, linking your arm with his and he can’t help but break out into a wide smile. his heart fluttering at the sight of it all, you beside him and wooyoung getting disciplined.

and then your dad turns to you two, before you’d move away from seonghwa but now you stay. keeping the stare with your dad who looks at the way you two stood with a small smile, “y/n, hasn’t seonghwa told you yet?”

your eyebrows pull together at that, “tell me what?” looking at seonghwa. 

“ah, right.”

at that, seonghwa let’s go of your hand. stepping back and standing tall, a small smirk on his face before he bends at his waist to bow at you.

“i’m park seonghwa, your new bodyguard,” he looks up and winks, “it’s nice to be back.”

taglist : @hybed​ ;;  @idiomaticpunk ;; @marsophilia ;;@seonghwanotes​ ;;  @hwazoned ;; @xirenex​ ;; @bestboiericsohn ;; @yunhosleftpinky​ ;;  @pshwaa​ ;;  @diorwoo ;; @in-san-ity ;; @lurniere  ;; @cupcakes-n-coffee ;; @tohokuu ;; @cityhrj​ ;;  @serialee ;; @hhj-00 ;; @rielleluvs​ ;;  @todorokiskitten ;; @talkbykhalid ;; @treasure-hwa ;; @atinyteez ;; @luvhaos ;;  @thiccseokmin​ ;; @dreamycomets ;; @vitaminkel-c ;; @rdiamond2727​ ;;  @ot7girl18 ;; @sanshineeeeee ;; @enivivs ;; @littleninja97 ;; @takoyakibinnie​ ;;  @hwaist ;; @sweetteez ;; @rainteez02 ;; @jeongwangjessmina​ ;; @hongism​ ;;  @atozfic​ ;;  @astrojoong ;; @woahhwa

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[differenteagletragedy]

I need to know how Cove would react to his baby coming out looking exactly like him - green hair and all 👀

"Ok. Ok. I got this," Cove said resolutely, quickly centering himself the way he did when he was trying desperately to be calm enough to handle something.

You always thought it was cute, how hard he still had to try sometimes to settle his nerves. You would have commented on it, but another contraction ripped through you then, leaving you doubled over in the living room the apartment you shared with Cove.

You were having a baby. Soon. And seeing you in so much pain was all Cove needed to move into action.

He was by your side in a second, gripping your arms and supporting you through the pain. He kept an eye on his watch while he did it, and when it was over, he said, "Time to go."

Slinging the bag you'd packed and left by the door over his shoulder, he put his arm around you and led you down to his car. He carefully helped you into the front seat, slung the bag in the back without a care, and hopped in the driver's side and started towards the hospital.

It was a short drive, but you had another contraction on the way over. Cove held your hand through it, and if you'd hurt his hand by bearing down with all your strength, he didn't react to it.

When you arrived, he all but carried you inside. You were quickly checked in and moved to a room. Cove gave them the information about your contractions, and it looked like it wouldn't be too long until it was time to push.

After calling your moms to let them know that it was time, he never left your side. He held your hand, endured your screaming, and encouraged you as best he could until finally your doctor announced that the baby's head was crowning.

Cove kept a firm grip on your hand -- not that he really had much of a choice with how tightly you were holding his -- but moved to take a peek at your child being born. You weren't paying too much attention to his expression, being otherwise occupied, but you did see that he was starting to get extra emotional.

When you'd finished your job of delivering the baby and he -- it was a boy, the doctor had cheerfully announced -- was placed on your chest, you were exhausted but so completely in love with your son. Cove moved back by you, leaning down plant several kisses along the side of your face as you looked at the baby.

"He's perfect," he whispered. "You did such a good job."

"He is," you agreed, "but I can't believe I spent nine months growing him for him to come out looking like your clone."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later, after you and the baby had gotten checked out and given a clean bill of health, the three of you were tucked away in your hospital room. Cove was perched on the edge of your bed, holding the little boy while you rested. He had him cradled close in his arms, looking down on him in awe like he had for the past several hours.

"He looks just like me," he said, glancing over at you. "But he's so cute."

"That's because you're so cute, Cove," you explained for probably the tenth time.

"But he's ... he's probably the most beautiful baby ever."

"And you're the most beautiful dad ever. I took biology with you in high school, I know you understand the basics of genetics."

Cove, with the lightest touch possible, moved a strand of the baby's seafoam green hair off to the side and a laid a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"It's crazy though," he went on. "It's not just the hair. That's my nose and my chin and everything."

"I know."

"The only thing that's different is his eyes, they're dark blue."

"They change, remember?" you told him. "When he gets older they'll probably change to his real color."

"Really?" he asked excitedly, the nodded. "That's right, I forgot. Maybe they'll be like yours though."

"Doubt it," you said with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

About six months later, you were lying in bed, trying to get some much-needed rest. Cove was taking care of the baby while you took a nap, but as you started waking up, he burst in the bedroom, obviously excited but trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Are you awake?" he asked in a loud whisper.

"Yeah, is everything ok?" you answered.

He threw himself down on the bed, landing next to you on his stomach. He sported a triumphant smirk, looking as smug as you'd ever seen him.

"What is it?"

"His eyes," he said, wiggling his body and bumping it into yours. "They're getting lighter. Like mine."'

You groaned and put your pillow over your face. Cove had gotten cocky in the cutest way about how adorable your son was, and how much everyone said he looked like him. Now it was only going to get worse.

"We could always try for another baby," he offered, bumping into you again. "This one could end up looking like you. Probably not, since I obviously have the superior genetics, but there's a chance."

Without answering, you pressed the pillow down, pretending to smother yourself.

"Come on," he giggled, moving the pillow. "Would it really so bad to have another baby that looked like me?"

You looked over at him, so handsome and happy. Your lifelong best friend, your husband, and the devoted father of your child.

"No, I guess not," you smiled.

#our life beginnings and always #our life #olba #cove holden #cove x you #cove x reader #cove x mc #cove holden x reader #cove holden x mc #cove holden x you

[nxuvillette]

LOVER OF MINE — WAKASA IMAUSHI

synopsis: you and wakasa have been together for almost six months. he decides one day to reminisce on where it all began.

❥- pairings : wakasa imaushi x fem!reader

❥- note : came up with this randomly, LMAO. it was also inspired by lover of mine by 5sos <3 i hope you all enjoy and reblogs are appreciated !!!

content warnings : sfw, fem!reader, ageless + blank blogs dni, established relationship, fluff, use of pet names (princess), some suggestive content, mentions of alcohol, wakasa is so in love with you.

wakasa imaushi never thought he was capable of falling in love. 

he remembered when he saw you for the first time. he was out for a drive to clear his head and he ended up stopping at a local convenience store he had been to many times. you were standing out front, seemingly waiting for someone or possibly a ride. at first, he didn’t bat an eye at you, but that all changed when you spoke to him for the first time.

“um, excuse me, do you know how to get back to aspen street..? i kind of lost my way.”

your voice was like honey. it was smooth and sweet and rolled off your tongue nicely. if it was anybody else, he would have just ignored the question and went inside to get his beer, but something about you was pulling him in. it was like there was some kind of string pulling you both towards one another. 

“let me take you there. it’s late and you shouldn’t be walking by yourself.”

wakasa never thought those simple words would be the reason why you were now lying beside him in the sheets of his bed. he found it hard to believe that six months ago he saw you as a stranger. someone who was simply looking for directions and now you were his girlfriend. your relationship was one of the reasons he had given up bad habits. you taught him to be gentle, caring. all of the things he wasn’t before he met you. he adored your little mind games. 

the sun’s golden rays peeked into your shared bedroom. usually, wakasa would be fast asleep with you in his arms, but instead, he was awake and staring at your beautiful face. he could never get enough of you. 

your eyes twitched for a brief moment before you peeled them open, revealing your sleepy hues that were sensitive to the bright light that filled the room. he couldn’t help but smile when you lifted your eyes to look at him. his hair was sprawled all over his pillow and he still seemed a little hazy from sleep. “mornin’ princess..” his voice was hoarse from sleep, but nonetheless it sounded sexy.

you lifted yourself just enough to lie your head against his chest. a smile spread across your cheeks when you heard the soft beat of his heart in your ear. “morning.. did you sleep well?” you twirled a piece of his dual colored hair between your fingertips. 

wakasa pressed a kiss atop the crown of your head, trailing his fingers down your backside. he loved mornings like this when it was just the two of you bathing in each other’s embrace. your skin was so soft and your natural scent was enough to calm him down. it made him never want to leave your side. “of course.. especially with you here.” he squeezed your body lightly, making you snuggle into him.

you tilted your face upwards to press a small kiss on his jaw. wakasa couldn’t help but chuckle at the sensation of your lips against him. it also made him quite excited. 

a yelp escaped your lips when wakasa pushed you on top of him, so you were now straddling his waist. despite your hair being somewhat messy from sleep, you still looked like a queen in front of him. “have i ever told you how fuckin’ sexy you are?” he questioned, raising his eyebrow at you.

you giggled at his tone. “yes.. always.” you smiled, feeling bashful.

wakasa brought you in for a kiss, grabbing your ass in the process. you were completely taken back by his sudden action, but nonetheless did you enjoy it. it was so great. there was nowhere else you’d rather be than with him right beside you. “i love you..” he whispered against your lips.

you grinned, pressing your forehead against his. “i love you more.” you replied.

© NXUVILLETTE ┆ all rights reserved, do not repost, translate, or claim as your own.

#·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ official work ! #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers x you #tokyo revengers fluff #wakasa imaushi x reader #wakasa x reader #wakasa fluff #wakasa x you #wakasa x y/n

[seineko]

it's fluff and angst but, minors still do not interact!

i still can't get over that official genshin art i posted a few hours ago so here's my brain rot lmao. it isn't really anything particular or meaningful, i guess, but i wanted to write something for the art. my brain was practically itching so i'm probably going to make it up as i go :) also my writing style is probably going to be weird in this.

warning(s): character death mentioned briefly, very light angst.

it's not that diluc likes to make you worried. but he had his reasons as to why his heart fluttered when you dashed towards his cupboard to bring out the first aid kit after manhandling him into sitting down on his bed, scolding him a bit as you pulled out the antiseptic and cotton.

he doesn't remember his mother well. actually, he doesn't remember his mother at all. the closest person to a mother for him was adelinde.

who also happens to be the first person he remembers being worried for him. he was chasing after a few crystalflies in the winery yard and, just when he was about to catch one, he tripped over his own feet and fell into the ground.

adelinde rushed to him mere seconds after that, worry written in the most clear handwriting across her face as she picked him up and rushed inside the winery to treat the scrape across his knee and a few smaller wounds on his hands.

he doesn't remember much after that other than being bribed by a glass of grape juice to stop crying and waiting for his father to finish his work to get back home.

his father and kaeya were the other two who he remembered being worried for him. at least when they were kids for the latter.

one instance that stood out particularly for him was when kaeya had lost the coin crepus had given to him. their father told kaeya to keep it safe and that it was a gift from someone special. diluc does not know to what extent it was true but thinking about it as an adult made him realize that crepus was probably trying to ease kaeya's insecurities and fear.

they visited jean that day and kaeya refused to play anything with them and did not part with the coin even for a second until they finally lured him in to collecting flowers to make flower crowns for adelinde.

kaeya had only realized that he lost the coin after they reached home. diluc saw his little brother visually become smaller and more frigid the moment he realized that. he left dinner midway and dragged himself to their room pulling up the curtains around his bed.

diluc remembered trying all the tricks he knew to get him out but none of them worked. he even offered to let kaeya braid his hair! the only thing remaining was going and finding the coin.

so he sneaked out after making sure that adelinde had slept and did exactly that.

their father had never looked older than at the moment when he returned home with kaeya's coin in his right pocket. his brother's face was completely swollen and blotched, tears still leaking out of his eyes.

he practically felt the worry radiating off of his father's body as soon as he was pulled into a bone crushing hug. kaeya sneaked his hand into one of his own sometime during it and did not leave it until the next morning.

adelinde had banned him from leaving his room days after that. his adopted brother stayed with him the entire time. (well, at least kaeya still seems to have that coin, it wasn't all for naught).

after the death of his father, it felt as though there was no one really left to worry about him anymore. adelinde was still there for him, he knew that, but that still didn't help dissipate the feeling.

it was especially rough during his visit - for the lack of a better term - to snezhnaya. the fresh grief made everything feel more painful than it actually was. an amalgamation of varying emotions; everything from anger, frustration, sadness, emptiness, guilt, the need for revenge, a sense of loss and many more that he couldn't even name muddled his head and stuck with him until years to come.

so yes. diluc doesn't really like making you worry, but he also can't help falling in love just a bit more everytime you treat his would with such worry and pain reflecting in your eyes as though it was you that had gotten hurt. it almost numbs his own pain and all he can thinking about is caging you in his arms and never letting you go.

the tenderness with which you kiss all his scars everytime he gets a new one has his heart pounding into his chest with such speed that he was sure it wasn't actually good for his health, especially when you put extra time and care into caressing that big gash across his back.

he can't help melting into spot when you cuddle his head into your neck and caress his scalp with your fingers, after taking care of all of his wounds, old and new.

he can't be more grateful than at the moment when you hum a soft tune into his ear to help him sleep better, hand still entangled with his hair and body wrapped around him, hiding him away from the entire world.

you are his home.

©2023 by seineko @ tumblr

#diluc #diluc ragnvindr #genshin impact #genshin impact diluc #not really something i usually tend to write but there's a first time for everything right? #genshin diluc #diluc genshin #diluc x reader #diluc x you #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin x reader #genshin x you #diluc ragnvindr x reader #diluc ragnvindr x you #diluc genshin impact #diluc fluff #diluc ragnvindr fluff #ragbros #diluc and kaeya #genshin impact fluff #genshin fluff #genshin #🐈‍⬛boba.drabbles

[emotionsandphenomena]

okay I have finally cracked my thoughts on Paul fully I think. on the one hand, (nec)romantically, I think it is a really beautiful moment for cam and pal because pal is able to reverse the dynamic they've had for the past six months -- instead of sapping her life force by existing, he has an opportunity to support and help her physically in a way he hasn't been able to in so long (and he is PSYCHED about this!!). and for camilla I do think that despite pals assertions they would never undertake lyctorhood in gtn, she is always another of devotions casualties. given the choice, she would rather die with him than live without (I've always believed this is part of why he ties his soul to his bones -- to force her to live for him). and in their final moments, in their vows, they get a chance to express what for them is usually unsaid or subtextual, that they did it "right," that cam can finally let go and call him Palamedes, that she can be openly honest about her devotion to him, and say it to him, without judgement from anyone else. bc Conrad is right! unlike the "traditional" lyctor process we've seen, they want to eat each other, rather than just one being eaten by the other. they are both equally obsessed with each other, they are on even footing in that they are each subjugated to the other.

but then from a gender perspective, I actually find paul kind of horrifying. contrasted with the delicious gender messiness of Pyrrha, of the tower princes, of the kids in the gang and the angel and crown him with many crowns, Paul is such a clean and simple solution. die, and wake up in a perfect androgynous body with shorn hair and no history. it's what I wanted when I first came out, that clean slate, but now I feel like there IS no gender without history, without playing in the mud pit of presentation and body alteration and emotion. Nona is upset by Paul precisely because she does not recognize cam OR pal in them, because they feel to her like a stranger. and I find that really sad! to transition and be a stranger to your loved ones -- as much as we might claim we want a fresh start, it is actually really isolating. there is something interesting going on wrt how much Paul remembers of Cam and Pal, the memories are melded (when they ask Gid about where they've seen the devils before, because Cam saw Colum die but Pal did not) and they use a mix of "we" and "I"; so I don't think they are actually a complete blank slate. but still, what I want for this character in atn is to reckon with their body as their own, not as Cam's or Pal's, and to find ways to express themself and know themself in a way unique to them. I do think it'd be really fun if they start doing things Cam or Pal would never do, if they become truly more than the sum of their parts.

#okay that took me three whole days of sitting on it to tease out. lol #tlt #ntn spoilers #paul! #u lap ! aulp !

[moremaybank]

hi can you do the alphabet fluff for klaus mikaelson and his girlfriend

fluff alphabet with klaus mikaelson...

klaus masterlist

(a)ffection - how affectionate are they? how do they show affection?

when the two of you are alone or around the family, he's all over you, and shamefully so. he's pressing tender kisses to your cheek, forehead, and knuckles. if the two of you are sitting on the couch, he'll prop your feet on his lap and maybe massage them if he's in a really good mood. he'll run his fingers through your hair while you're conversing. hold you tightly in bed, as if you'll disappear into thin air if he doesn't. he just loves touching you because it's a silent reminder that you're right there with him.

(b)est friend - what would they be like as a best friend? where does the friendship start?

i'd say the majority of klaus's friendships all began with klaus hating the person, or vice versa, and this holds true for you too. you wanted nothing to do with him. you knew his type very well; smug smiles, roguish charm, bad-boy vibes, complete with the leather jacket for good measure. you wanted to run like hell.

but the more he pestered you, the more you got to see the man behind the monster, and once you knew he had light in him, you couldn't let him go. you opened up to him, and he listened. he was patient, kind, always there as a shoulder to cry on, and always celebrated the good moments with you.

you quickly realized that the friendship he'd given you was the best thing you'd ever received.

(c)uddles - do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?

klaus adores holding you. he'd never felt so calm and at peace with anyone until he met you, and the best part of his night is getting to hold you and be held by you. it's like a reward for all the hardships he's ever had to face.

if you're spooning, he's the big spoon. it's never up for debate, either. with a strong arm wrapped around your waist, he'll tug you right up against him with your back to his front, and he'll nuzzle his nose at the back of your neck so your comforting scent surrounds him.

if you aren't spooning, you'll have your head resting on his chest, tucked under his chin. an arm thrown lazily across his torso and your leg hooked over his hips. his hand will rest on your shoulder, stroking your arm up and down with the other on your thigh. every now and then, he'll press a kiss to the crown of your head, a silent and sleepy 'i love you.'

(d)omestic - do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking, cleaning, etc.?

klaus wanted to slap a diamond ring on your finger the moment he met you. in his mind, you were married and had two children, your third one on the way. a guy can dream, right?

klaus is generally a tidy person (in my professional opinion), but he does hire someone to clean and cook for him. why do the work when others can do it for you?

however, when you moved in with him, even before you moved in with him, he would scold you any time you tidied things up around the compound. you'd even help out the cleaning crew he hired, which drove him insane. he loved your kind nature, but he didn't want you to have to lift a single finger. he just wanted you to relax and spend time with him.

on the other hand, whenever you offered to cook for him, he couldn't deny you. he adored making you smile and would happily be your guinea pig when you tried out new recipes. he also knew that you excelled in everything you did, so he was bound to stomach some delicious meals made by his love.

(e)nding - if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it? ("No matter what lengths I go to, I cannot protect you. This has to end.")

while klaus believes that he is the only one capable of protecting you, if he feels that he is constantly putting you in harm's way, he'll break things off with you. he'll have your best interest at heart, always, even if that means that he has to let you go to keep you safe. he'd be able to live with sacrificing your relationship to protect you, but he'd never be able to live with you dying at the hands of his enemies when he'd had the power to stop it.

(f)iancé - how do they feel about commitment? do they want to get married?

let's be real; klaus is a sucker for a grand, black-tie event. so when he has the opportunity to give you a wedding bigger than you'd ever dreamed of, how could he resist? the world's finest chefs and bakers, a five-star venue, and a high-end dress. anything you wish for, he grants. no ifs, ands, or buts. god bless his soul, i love him so much.

in general, though, klaus is thrilled to marry you. he wants rings and lifetime commitments. he wants the promise of a future with you and your hypothetical children. he wants to spend his entire life making you happy and loving you more than he ever thought was possible.

(g)entle - how gentle are they both physically and emotionally?

i think it's pretty safe to say that klaus is only gentle around the people he loves and is comfortable with. with hope, with his siblings, and with you.

as i previously stated, he's so tender with you — especially with his touch. a gentle stroke of the cheek, a loving kiss on the forehead to let you know you're safe with him. soft hands on your shoulders as he reassures you when you're worried or stressed.

klaus likes to show off that tough, original hybrid persona when he's around people he doesn't particularly like or trust. but with you, he feels secure enough to communicate exactly how he feels to you, and he never worries that you'll judge him. of course, in moments of anger, his paranoia can get the best of him, and his insecurities can rise to the surface. he might make angry remarks or say things he doesn't mean. however, after he cools off, he's quick to apologize and remind you that he loves you and appreciates you braving the storm by his side.

(h)ugs - do they like hugs? how often do they do it? what are they like?

klaus feels the most content in your embrace. you're truly his safe haven and vice versa. at the end of a long day, in times of sadness or frustration, and in times of happiness and celebration. there's no other way he wants to spend those moments. all he wants is to be wrapped in your arms so tightly that it's hard to escape.

with one of his hands on the small of your back and the other cradling your head, he holds you so close that he can feel your heartbeat against his own. your arms are wrapped around the back of his neck, your cheek resting against his shoulder as your face nuzzles his neck. the two of you stand there, entirely apart from the rest of the world at that moment, basking in each other's presence.

(i) love you - how fast do they say the 'love' word?

it's hard for klaus to say "i love you" for the first time. that doesn't mean that those strong feelings of complete adoration aren't there, but the fear of rejection definitely is. he doesn't want to say it too soon or scare you away by moving too quickly. he wants you to be comfortable with him, free from any pressure. but when he finally says it, he somehow chooses the perfect moment and is over the moon when you tell him the same.

(j)ealousy - how jealous do they get? what are they like when jealous?

when klaus is jealous, he's about as subtle as a house fire. if someone tries to hit on you, he scares them away before they can even get a word out. they're lucky if they leave the building with all their limbs intact.

look, klaus knows he's the luckiest man alive for being able to call you his, and there's no way in hell he's letting anyone take you away from him. he'll do what he has to do. even if that means his murderous tendencies have to come out to play.

(k)isses - what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss you? where do they like to be kissed?

it depends on the setting. in moments of passion, his kisses are deep and filled with his soul. you can feel how much he loves you and how highly he regards you in the fiery, fervent love letters he writes to you with his lips. and in times of jubilation, a firm press of his lips to yours filled with a surging warmth.

his favourite place to kiss you (other than your lips) is your forehead. he knows how safe and protected it makes you feel, and he wants you to feel as relaxed and peaceful as you make him feel.

your favourite place to kiss him is on the cheek. you love peppering countless soft kisses on his cheeks when you’re trying to make him crack a smile or make him laugh. and every time, without a doubt, a blush rises to his cheeks. he tries to deny it, but you remind him that he’s adorable, and he just blushes even more.

(l)ittle ones - how are they around kids?

the first time you saw him with hope, you fell even more in love with him. you watched as he doted on her, doing anything to make her smile. the time he spent reading with her, talking to her about the many centuries he’s been alive. carrying her on his broad shoulders and absolutely spoiling her beyond belief. it excited you when you thought about your future together, hopefully involving filling your house with more children.

(m)orning - what are mornings like with them?

mornings with klaus are tranquil and so, so happy. you both lay in bed, gazing at each other with all the love you have in your eyes. soft touches like fingers in each other’s hair, tracing up and down each other’s spine. it’s just a quiet moment for the both of you to enjoy each other’s presence, and it’s a time to remind you how lucky you are to be in bed with the person you adore more than words could ever express.

(n)ights - how are nights spent with them?

you both talk about your days, what you did and how much you missed each other. sometimes you discuss your plans for the future, like how many kids you’ll have, the family vacations you’ll take together. or you’ll lie in absolute silence, holding each other and just feeling close to each other. your favourite nights are the ones you spend in his embrace, and the same goes for him.

(o)pen - when do they open up about themselves?

bringing up his past isn’t easy for klaus, even if he trusts you. having to recollect every moment of violence, pain and abuse brought onto him by mikael is extremely difficult for him. but when he’s ready, you make sure that he knows that you’ll always be there to listen to him and support him, that you’ll always be there to hold him up. he appreciates this and you so much; he’ll never forget how good you are with him.

(p)atience - how easily angered are they?

when it comes to you, there’s very little you can do to make him upset or angry. the only times you two argue is when he gets overprotective, and you feel like you can’t be independent. but most of the time, he’s very patient and calm with you.

(q)uizzes - how much do they remember about you?

he remembers everything about you. and when i say everything, i mean everything. most times, you swear he knows you better than you know yourself. he knows what step you’ll take before you take it. he remembers that you broke your arm in the second grade, he remembers the time you helped raise money for the local children’s hospital, he remembers the way you looked at him the first time you told him you loved him. there isn’t a single thing he could ever forget when it comes to you because every single moment with you is precious and deserves to be committed to memory.

(r)emember - favourite memory with you?

klaus’s favourite memory with you is when you two got into a food fight when you promised to make beignets for him. he threw a bit of flour at you playfully. you gasped, whipping a handful of it back at him. by the end of the day, eggs were thrown, you were both covered in dough, and your laughs could be heard from outer space. klaus typically wasn’t goofy and playful like that, but that was the day he realized how much he could let go with you and just enjoy himself.

(s)ecurity - how protective are they?

klaus is very protective of you. you’re precious to him, and his love for you is almost consuming. the thought of anything ever happening to you, of the possibility of having to live without you, was too much to bear. so he vowed to do whatever it took to keep you safe and out of harm’s way.

(t)ry - how much effort do they put in?

klaus isn’t just a romantic. he’s the romantic. not just in the relationship but in general. he always makes time for the two of you, takes you out on elaborate date nights to remind you how much he appreciates you, he’s always buying you flowers, showering you with his love, and overall just ensuring you know how crucial you are in his life you feel like the luckiest girl in the world because of him, and you adore him for always showing how much he cares.

(u)gly - what are their bad habits?

he has a habit of letting his anger get the best of him when it comes to his siblings, and you disagree with how he treats them. it’s pretty safe to say you don’t support the whole ‘daggering your siblings’ thing, and you know the way he acts is because he’s afraid of losing his family. however, you tell him that they’ll always love him; they just need to be free enough to live their own lives and chase their own happiness.

(v)anity - how concerned are they with their looks?

klaus is very hygienic and does everything possible to take care of himself. however, he knows he’s gorgeous, so he doesn’t dwell on it too much. he knows his devilishly handsome looks and charm are enough to get him by.

(w)hole - would they feel incomplete without you?

klaus can’t even begin to imagine what a life without you would look like, and quite frankly, he doesn’t want to. if he lost you, he’s not sure how he’d go on. you’re such a bright light in his life; if he lost that light, he feared he’d live in the darkness forever.

(x)tra - random headcanon

whenever you fall asleep on him, he stares at you for as long as he can. he spends this time drinking in your beauty, fingers grazing over your soft skin while you rest peacefully in his arms. sometimes your existence is so astonishing he has to take the time to remind himself that you’re real and not just a figure of his imagination.

(y)uck - things they don't like in general or in a partner?

he doesn’t like when people try to control him, especially people closest to him, because to him, it feels like no one can love him for exactly who he is. he fears that he’s not enough. still, he doesn’t want to show it, so he lets his anger and impulsiveness guide his decisions and actions.

(z)zz - sleep habits

even if he’s asleep, he still finds a way to press loving kisses anywhere he can. if you shift slightly and cuddle into him more, he’ll kiss the crown of your head or shoulder. whatever’s in reach.

~

tag list: @princess-charming-01 @maybankslover @kittyqrt

#klaus mikaelson #klaus mikaelson headcanon #klaus mikaelson x reader #klaus mikaelson one shot #the originals #the originals x reader #the originals headcanons #the originals imagine #tvdu x reader #tvd x reader #the vampire diaries x reader

[itsphoenix0724]

Through the Pass (Cassian x Reader)

Summary: On a quiet night in with his mate Cassian recounts his past lover. A fierce, bold-hearted Valkyrie who perished during the war.

Warning: angst, does not have a happy ending, death

Word Count: 2.1k

A/N: Hello all! I'm sorry I haven't put out anything in a while. Work has been kicking my ass. This is unedited, but I wanted to put something out to get back in the groove of writing. I wrote this based on chapter 44 in acosf when Cassian talks about Tanwyn. I tried to make this as canon accurate as possible, but we weren't given many details on the young bat boys, so it was a tad challenging. It's my first time writing for Cas so I hope you enjoy! As always constructive criticism is welcome!

“Tell me about her,” it’s a quiet whisper against the shell of his ear. Cassian senses no jealousy in his mate’s tone-just a simple curiosity. He doesn’t like to go back there and doesn’t like to relive what he views as one of his most significant failures. “Please,” Nesta urges. His eyes are drawn to the fire and he thinks of that war camp. He knocks back the finger of whiskey he poured for himself, but concedes, he knows your story deserves to be told. The rush of emotions makes him drag Nesta just a little closer.

“It was a long time ago,” Cassian rumbled, “I was young. Just a lackey the camp leader liked to drag around.”

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

War was always an ugly thing, but it was a thing Cassian happened to be very good at.

Not that the camp leaders gave him enough respect to join the war meetings anyway. He found himself missing his brothers, and missing the warm home the Lady of the court provided for them. He wasn’t a child anymore though, he was now at the generals' mercy.

The rough summer heat beat down on his back, and he could feel his sweat soaking through his leathers. He knew something was happening today, all of the males in the camp were on edge.  

He quickly realized why when the battalion of females appeared in the camp. 

They radiated power.

They all wore leathers similar to his own, but they also wore silver gleaming chest plates engraved with two wings surrounding an eight-pointed star. Cassian’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. If the Valkyries were here then something important is happening. He felt his stomach twist in disgust when he saw the way the other Illyrian males were sneering at the women. However, the females did not falter, most sneering right back at the brutes or not giving them the time of day. 

That was when he saw their general. 

She was jaw-dropping, hair braided into a crown with a piece of white ribbon, and a strong silver sword strapped along the length of her back. She nodded at him in greeting before disappearing into his camp leader's tent. 

He felt the tips of his cheeks twinge red before his supervisor snapped at him to get back to work. 

Cassian didn’t interact with the Valkyries much after that. They had set up a camp about a mile from the Illyrians. The only glimpses of the women he got were during his daily run around the border. They rose with the sun and did stretches that he had never seen before. While the Illyrians focused more on strength training, doing the bare minimum stretches to keep muscles from tearing, the Valkyries focused more on flexibility and grounding techniques. He was even more surprised when he saw their general doing the morning warm-ups with the rest of the battalion. You were completing the warm-ups along with taking a break to mildly correct some of the others in their form. He had never seen such a thing, he barely saw his camp leader step out of the tent, let alone help newer soldiers with their form. He tried to watch and copy the movements, but he quickly realized his balance could use some work. After struggling for a while he made his way back to the camp. 

Cassian fell into a rhythm. He woke early and did his normal run until he reached the Valkyrie campsite where he would attempt to replicate the stretches and workouts from a distance. 

It wasn’t until later when he was practicing the stretches alone on the bank of a lake that he met you for the first time. The moon was high and the sky was covered in a blanket of stars that allowed him enough light to see clearly. 

“What are you doing?” the sound of your voice snapped him out of the trance he had been in, poorly imitating the Valkyrie warm-up routine. You had seen him watching you in the mornings a few times and assumed he was just like all the other Illyrian males at the camp. 

They didn’t respect you but they sure liked to stare. 

If you had realized he was trying to learn you probably would’ve helped. You decide you’d help him out anyway-by the looks of his form during a sun salutation he’d need all the help he can get. The male stared at you, mouth opening and closing trying to find some words, a pink flush dusting his cheeks. 

“I was just trying to stretch.” Cassian averted his eyes from your form leaning against the boulder, casually observing his piss-poor attempt to replicate what he’s sure must come easy to you by now. 

“I can help you if you’d like.” It’s a small offer, but this seems like a generally nice male. You’ve been tracking his eyes and they haven’t strayed from your face once. Plus it helped that you thought he was kind of cute. Clearly, he was powerful, the seven red stones decorating him were clue enough for that. However, for some reason, he hasn’t risen in rank. Probably some dumb Illyrian jealousy. If he’s stronger than the camp leader the old asshole would never let him surpass the rank of foot soldier. 

He considered your offer for a moment before nodding, and you motioned for him to get back into the form he had previously been in. 

“You Illyrians are always so focused on being as big and bulky as possible you neglect fundamentals of strength.” You’re circling him like a predator would its prey before you knock all 6 feet of him over with a small push to the stomach. His cheeks flush as he looks up at you. You’re smiling at him as you offer him a hand and he accepts it rising to his full height above you. “The first thing you need to start with is up here,” you tap a finger against Cassian’s skull and he sends you a winning smile. 

“Teach me then general. Please.” He thinks that you look beautiful, the white ribbon winding in your hair like a stolen beam of moonlight. The shadows accentuate the strong cords of hard-earned muscle. You stick your hand out again and introduce yourself. He smiles at you again in turn and tells you his name as well. 

“Okay, Cassian. I’ll teach you.” 

That was how Cassian found himself on the shore of that lake every day after sunset. The two of you trained and laughed. His favorite times were when the two of you sparred. All snarls and bared teeth. Rolling in the mud fighting to put someone on their back. It was during one of these sparring sessions that you and Cas shared your first kiss. It was one of the rare instances he had won, your form successfully pinned below him and covered in lakeside mud. Your lips had been his reward. 

You had tasted like a summer rainstorm. So much strength, but your body was still soft under his calloused hands. You were so patient with him and your soldiers, but he had seen you ruthlessly knock down other Illyrians for insulting your status as a Valkyrie. Like the sun shining while it was raining, you were his perfect paradox. 

That was how he spent the rest of the sweltering heat of the summer in Illyria. Training, swimming, and losing yourselves in each other. Cassian had greatly improved in training. He had mastered the Valkyrie sun salutation and had moved on to some more complicated balancing and stretching exercises. It was almost an even match whenever the two of you sparred. Cassian had been getting his ass handed to him less and less these days. 

As fall started rolling in, the perfect bubble you two had built started crumbling. He knew something was wrong when he found you staring at the last summer sunset with a numb look in your eye. He had sat down with you, hand encasing yours, and waited for you to be ready to speak. Your voice was broken as you finally uttered five words into the setting sun. 

“He’s sending us to die.” Cassian’s heart sank to his knees as he watched the silver line your eyes. 

“What are you talking about?” His voice was calm, but he was praying to the Mother that he had heard you wrong. He knew deep down he hadn’t because he had never seen you falter. You always seemed to be unbreakable, and yet there you were crumbling before his eyes. Cassian had to fight to beat down the urge to tear the camp to shreds, but he wrapped you up in his arms. Your shaking form further solidified the nasty fear curdling in his stomach.

“The king has ordered the entire force of the Valkyrie to march the pass in the Gollian Mountains. It’s a suicide mission. I’m going to die Cas, I have to lead my girls to die,” The cracks in your voice mirror the cracks in his heart at your words. The hopelessness as you stared numbly at the water rocked Cassian to his core. 

“There has to be some way we can stop this. Would your king really sacrifice the entire force of the Valkyries in one battle?” The logic didn’t make any sense. The Valkyries had been such a valuable asset in the war efforts. He would talk to the camp leaders tomorrow. He would fly all the way to your king's castle and demand to know what the hell he was thinking. 

“We swore an oath,” you pulled up your sleeve to show the mark of an eight-pointed star and two wings. The same symbol branded into your army’s chest plates. “When the king gives an order we must obey. I already told my battalion we probably won’t be coming back. I refuse to let them go into this blind. We’ll go down with honor at least.” The resignation in your voice delivered the final blow to his already aching heart.

He spent the rest of the night holding you, reassuring you that you didn’t fail your soldiers, that this happening wasn’t your fault, and then he made love to you under the stars for the first and last time. 

When Cassian returned to the Illyrian camp he stormed straight into his war leader's tent and demanded to know what the hell he was thinking. He demanded that the Illyrains fly with the Valkyrie, with their combined forces the scales of the battle would easily tip in their favor. The warlord had done nothing but sneer and turn Cassian away, and when he had flipped his desk over he had been punched in the mouth so hard he cracked a tooth. Still, Cassian had insisted that he was going with the Valkyrie. The camp leader had wanted to let him die but apparently, the High Lord had given a specific order to keep him alive. Instead, he was beaten and chained to a wagon at the border of the camp. 

He fought, screamed, and wailed until the morning. His wrists and ankles were bloody and one leg of the wagon had broken under the weight of his struggle. As he stared into the rising sun he knew that you were gone. No birds sang or creatures moved about the woods in the morning. 

He could feel the loss in the deafening silence of dawn. 

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“When they finally unchained me it took the healer two full weeks to heal my vocal cords. I had torn them to shreds.”

Cassian was finally back in his body, at the House with his mate, and not back in the woods. He never returned to that lake or the pass where he knew you died. The land between the mountains had remained barren ever since. 

“I’m happy that we get to honor her now.” The quiet rage in Nesta’s voice at the injustice makes him thank the cauldron for giving him her, even if they had a rocky start. She drags a hand over her swelling stomach. The babe is almost here and he couldn’t be more thrilled to become a father. “If it’s a girl I think we should name her after her. For one of the strongest women in our history.” 

The suggestion makes tears well up in Cassian's eyes, and he almost feels like the clap of thunder he hears outside is you expressing your approval of the idea. He laughs a wet laugh into the crown of his mate’s head, pressing a kiss into her hair. 

“I think that’s a great idea Nes.”

#acotar #acomaf #acowar #acosf fanfiction #cassian acotar #cassian x reader #acotar imagine #mild angst

[lingeringmirth]

spring cleaning

Written for day 3. spring cleaning of @flufftober's fluffspring 2024| wordcount: 656 | fandom: stranger things | pairing: steddie | cw: past child neglect/abuse and resulting trauma | tags: steve harrington, eddie munson, transfeminine steve harrington, domestic, cleaning, mentions of fostering/adoption, steve having had bad parents.

Also here at AO3.

-

Eddie maybe should have expected for it to happen, especially in their current circumstances and all that hung in the balance. Steve had always been a clean-freak, but this was a bit much, even for him.

‘It’s called spring cleaning,’ Steve informed him once he’d asked, tentatively, if it was really necessary to clean the grout between the bathroom wall tiles with a toothbrush.

‘I know that, honey,’ Eddie said from the doorway where he was lounging, having completed the latest task Steve had given him, because it was a group-effort, after all. 

He’d have been lying if he’d claimed the view wasn’t very pleasing with Steve kneeling on the floor wearing his ratty cleaning shorts that clung almost obscenely in all the right places and bent down, scrubbing furiously at the grout nearest to the floor like it had personally offended him. 

‘Isn’t this going a bit overboard, though?’ He tried to keep his voice free of judgment.

Regardless, Steve turned to him wearing his bitchy-face, but it was there to mask his anxiety and they both knew it, Eddie's known him long enough to see past it.

He had to wonder why this still clung to him, how cleanliness and tidiness and order were still so ingrained in Steve after all the years he’d been away from under the influence of the couple who dared call themselves his parents… even after they’d been leaving him to care for himself for long periods of time since Steve had been twelve or so.

Steve looked away from him and fiddled with the toothbrush, running the pad of his pointer fingers over the bristles as he sat down on his haunches. 

‘I just want to show that we are good enough. I want them to approve us.’

There was no other option, Eddie had to go to him. He went and dropped right down onto Steve’s lap and wrapped himself around him, pressed a kiss to the crown of his head.

‘They won’t care about the grout, sweetheart.’

‘You can’t know that.’

 ‘They’ll see that you’re good, kind and caring, which matters more than a spotless house. Did a ---’ He swallowed the next words, not wanting to upset Steve when he already knew he wasn’t in the best of places mentally.

‘Did what?’

‘Nevermind.’ Another kiss and a squeeze. ‘Don’t worry your pretty head about it.’

‘Eddie.’

‘Fuck.’ He swore under his breath, held Steve tight for a moment more, smiled at how right his big hands settled on his hips to keep him steady felt.

‘I just… did a spotless house make you happy? It wasn’t a sign of a happy caring home for you, was it?’

Steve made a wounded, unhappy noise, his past still a sore spot, one they were continually working on.

‘...no.’

‘No. Any kid we might be lucky enough to get will be happy here not because of the place being spotless, but because we care.’

‘Why do you have to be so sensible?’

‘Because my hair hides many secrets.’

‘Eddie…’

But he’d managed to lift Steve’s spirits and that was more than enough, a victory, even while he might have to let him finish his cleaning to not stress him more. It couldn’t hurt, in any case.

‘What’s my next task, then?’

Steve kissed him until neither could hardly breathe and then held him until he was pushing him away, but with a smile on his handsome face that made him look breathtaking even in his ratty cleaning clothes.

‘I love you. Can you clean the gutters next?’

Eddie got up, hiding his distaste at his least favorite task and plastered a smile on his face that he knew wouldn’t fool Steve, but that he’d pretend it did, anyway.

‘Of course. See you later.’

*

They passed the house inspection with flying colors and Steve thanked Eddie at length for his help in their freshly made bed over crisp linen sheets.

#fluffspring2024 #day 3 #stranger things fic #steddie fic #angst

[dozing-marshmallow]

Hey pooks, how was your day? Hope it was good!! I was wanting to ask if you can do an Ezekiel x jealous Yandere gf? Like she has the personality of Alice Liddel (from Alice Madness returns) please and thank you!!

Drink lots and eat healthy

-Yandere Anon

Hello! <3 my day has been great, thank you so much for asking and for your generous reminder to stay well! I hope you‘re having a marvellous day yourself and you too are taking care of yourself. 

Thank you for the request!💜

EZEKIEL X JEALOUS! YANDERE! GIRLFRIEND! READER HEADCANONS

You had grown up with Ezekiel and done all things you could imagine living in the country with him- rolly polly down the hill, tie a worn out tire to a tree, play hide and seek, raise bunnies together!

With no existing blood ties of your own, it was a delight to be welcomed by the Miller family and share the goods you grew.

Example, Ezekiel’s family was responsible for the eggs, milk and wool, you were responsible for reaping vegetables and fruits.

Such as now, where you had circled around your field margins, with fragile hands clasping onto every matured berry, every ripened crop, every fallen apple, into your weaved basket.

“Yooo (Y/N)!”

It was meant to be midday, yet here Ezekiel was, out of his homeschooling lessons to be out on your field.

Could it have been bunking or a mini holiday? Either way, you don’t complain; a smile instantaneously capers on your lips as you rush out from your hedgerows to greet him,“Ezekiel, hello! Hello hello, my love!” you see he is just as happy as you, which is quite rare!,“Say, what’s gotten you so happy today? Is it because of me? You’re happy because of me, aren’t you? Aren’t you? Aren’t you?”

“That’s a given yo.” your heart flies like a feather,“Guess this! Zeeke’s got it in the gaaame! I’m gonna be on tv and rock itt!”

Your eyes widened. Ezekiel? On TV?! He’s gonna be famous!?

“Yep!” he nods, picking up one of the apples from your basket,“That new reality show Total Drama something is gonna be my starting point in the world of awesomeness!”

“...A reality show? Total Drama?” your enthusiasm sucked away, killed like the flowers you plucked from the bush.

Ezekiel was planning on going on a reality show for some time and he didn’t tell you? Why didn’t he tell you? Is there something he’s hiding from you? Is there someone he doesn’t want you to know?,“Who else is gonna be there?”

“Dunno.” he shrugs, taking a clean bite of the apple that wore a crown of water droplets,“Twenty one other dudes that’ll I only know when I get there.”

“...Can I come with you?” it was a risky question, but who said the chances were completely zero?

He spits out a seed to the side,“Sorry holmes,” your heart stung,“I don’t think it’s possible. Unless you sent something in, they won’t let you on, know what I’m saying?”

“...Okay.” That’s fine, right? I mean, it is just for a show, right? A show without you. Where he’d be surrounded by different people every single day. Different girls, different guys... Could it be possible for any of them to overthrow your placement in his life in that time? No... Ezekiel wouldn’t get over you that quickly. It’s not possible for him to find someone else he likes he does you, right? So soon? It’ll be fine, won’t it?,“Um... How long will you be gone for?”

“Eh, probably the whole summer.” he said like it was no big deal.

W-Whole summer?!

“You can’t! Not for the whole summer!” Dropping your basket to cage his being in your suffocation, you screech,“You'd no sooner tell me you want to break up! Break me up...  Do you not know how much I need you...? Without you, I have nothing holding me back from ripping my hair out of my scalp to bear the loneliness... Don't go... Don't go..."

Ezekiel was used to these outbursts, so he let you replace your scent with his for a little longer in the windy silence before he assures,"Chiiiiill bird, you know I’m not gonna break up with you. It’s just one summer eh? It’s not forever.” after you let him stand on his own, he begins to bend down by your feet to restore the fruits that had bounced out of the basket back in,“Besides, if we’re gonna move to a better place, I’m gonna need to win the money for you and me. I finally get to be a man providing for the missus!”

“That’s true...” you knew Ezekiel’s parents had tried their best to give him the best traditional homeschool a kid could know, so one day, he could go to the city- The possibilities of work were very scanty here and the transport system wasn’t the best... It takes hours just to get to the nearest supermarket. All the more work on you to grow your own food... Not to mention, everyday with him was already like a summer day,“I don’t care where we live. We could live up on a tree or under a bridge. As long as you’re with me, I’m happy. I’m complete. Who knew every word that comes out of your mouth could be as nourishing as food?”

“You know no other gal could be as cool as you are.” he stands up again,”I’m always gonna have space for ya riiight here.” there he lays his hands on his chest.

His comment had tranced you into giggles, and fingers into fiddling with your apron. An urgent need to get that old junk of channels and screen working again smothers your thoughts,“...Tell me more about this show.” you have to make aware of your rivals.

It’s been a whole year and Ezekiel’s teacup was still full.

In spite of that, you had kept pouring his portion of tea. Your tablecloth was wet, dripping to the floor with the substance that was once so warm.

Don’t panic (Y/N). There’s no way Ezekiel would run away from you. That’s not Ezekiel. You know Ezekiel, you love Ezekiel!

So...why isn’t he here-

You had thought if you kept doing the things you did, he would come back.

Who stole you away from me?

You stand up from your chair. The grandfather’s clock chimed its ancient cry.

Were you at home this entire time? If so, why wouldn’t you tell me? Who has been keeping you busy?

Nobody, it would seem.

His parents were just as troubled as you were.

“You mean... He hasn’t come back at all?” While you didn’t go inside, from the corner of your eye, you had caught something damning on their dinner table.

Are those...missing posters?

They’re missing posters... 

Ezekiel’s face is all over them.

You walk back to your cottage with a heavier mind.

...

Ezekiel didn’t elope.

Something had happened.

Something savage.

Something irreversible.

You clash the walls of your teeth against each other and your neck went dry.

What did you do to my baby?

He had taken away the one thing that made getting out of bed worth it everyday.

The thing that composed a smooth life.

The thing that made blood have a sweeter colour.

Stepping out of the dinghy, you scrape your shovel across the collapsing floorboards of the dock.

I’m here, you smiling bastard. Ready or not, here I come.

#tdi #tdi x reader #total drama #request #td ezekiel #total drama ezekiel x reader #total drama ezekiel #yandere reader

[wanderingaldecaldo]

💕 Self-love time! Talk about which ones of YOUR creations (edits, artworks, fanfics) you like the most, then send to other creators to do the same 💕

Thank you so much @rosapexa! 🥰❤️ I'm super proud of this photoset I did for Halloween last year, Poison Ivy and The Penguin! It's the biggest non-work, non-writing project I've completed. It required a lot of work modding-wise, and I picked up some new skills along the way, and in the end it was worth all the effort!

Mitch 🤝 me, unable to keep our eyes off of Valerie

Early on in Corpo Val's life, someone commented that she looked like Poison Ivy, and I couldn't stop thinking about that. I'd wanted to do a couple's theme the previous Halloween but didn't have the time, so I started working on this in late summer to get it done. I started by looking at Poison Ivy's costumes, both from movies and comics, and matching things in-game that could serve my purpose. I ended up with this: Mel's (Panam's) bodysuit, arm-length gloves, and Evelyn's boots.

Val's first appearance as Poison Ivy

I wanted to add some texture to the bodysuit, and nothing in game matched what I imagined, so the first thing I learned was adding a new texture to use as a pattern. It turned out better than I hoped! Next were the boots which required a refit since Evelyn has skinny legs compared to vanilla fem. I knew that ArchiveXL allowed the hiding of different parts of the body mesh, so between extensive refitting and learning something new, I chose ArchiveXL. (And I'm so glad I did!) Then it was a matter of recoloring them and the sleeves to coordinate with the bodysuit.

For Mitch, I wasn't entirely sure what to do since I'm not as familiar with DC. I thought The Penguin could be a good match given his hair and nose, but it wasn't until I found this art from a comic cover that I knew I made the right decision. I already had a suit I'd been working on for the Corpo AU, so it was just a matter of swapping out the shirt for the three piece suit and recoloring it.

The Penguin from Wikipedia; Mitch in a suit 🥵 by me

His accessories were the third (and fourth) things I learned in the process. I replaced the cowboy hat with a free 3D mesh top hat; created the normal map and the mlmask for the textures from scratch (just don't ask me how to do the normal map again); and colored it match the suit and pocket square. The umbrella was a half-successful experiment in which I added a new prop to the game. I struggled with the textures, and eventually called it "good enough", which is why you don't see it too much. 😅

And the final product! I have never used so many props in my life, and it gave me a greater appreciation for everyone who does have that patience. I used Wingdeer's roses to make a crown for her to wear, then went ham decorating, and decorated some more.

I still can't believe I did all this! I'm so happy with how everything turned out. 🥰

Want more? #poison ivy and the penguin

#cyberpunk 2077 #valerie vermilion #cyberpunk mitch #mitch anderson #fem v #female v #poison ivy #poison ivy and the penguin #my screens #mail time! #rosapexa #thank you for the ask! 🥰 #it was fun revisiting this!! #long post #mitch x val

[escherstrange-ffxiv]

#24: Freetalk [Nonfiction]

I'm always fascinated by how others perceive Isillud and how he's developed.

(Proto-Izzy trawling Gaia DC photo studios, circa 2020. Notice the different face structure.)

Izzy was first conceived as a way to practice ERP AND poke into nightclubs (remember that Escher can't take alcohol and so has no reason to be in one), which shaped his personality. He needed to be someone who approached others. Flirty, forward, sexual. Knows exactly what he wants.

In other words, the complete opposite of me.

Making him on EU also meant I wasn't awake often enough to join nightclubs FOR the ERP. I'm a genius, yes. These combined factors just meant 95% that made Isillud *Izzy* happened in writing or off-screen, which just was the idea of him sleeping with lots and lots and lots of men.

It's okay to say it: He's a slut.

What happens after is the interesting part.

The description turned people off from his character. Ew, slut. Ew, he's only about the sex. No substance. When I finally brought him out for RP, other characters pegged him as a prostitute/someone with STDs just because he was looking for hookups.

I'm sure that comes from our personal biases: That someone sex-positive is a slut who doesn't care about protection, or that they must be doing it for the money. They're unclean from sleeping around, catching STDs left and right. It's an occasional IC joke to those who have interacted with Izzy, though limited to those who, again, knew him as a slut first.

(Proto-Izzy with new hair and specs, the main reason I didn't put glasses on him for the longest time)

Izzy wasn't a major RP chara until he met Seloix & Etienne and had an actual character arc DUMPED onto him. Suddenly I had to think of things I hadn't considered: Was Izzy using sex as a coping mechanism? (Partly) Can his arbitrary powers I pulled from my obsession with Vagrant Story be a bigger part of his character? (Very yes) Is he commitment-phobic?? (Yes LOL)

From there it snowballed into him getting blackmailed by a Garlean and to the crowning achievement of my RP career: Using sex to counter-blackmail a fae prince working for said Garlean into revealing his name, binding him to Izzy's command forever.

I did it, I finally used Izzy's defining trait to get the upper hand in a situation and it felt good. Suddenly Izzy wasn't just a slut, he was smart and resourceful under that horny twink veneer. He can fight, but he's more than an archer who sits in trees for days. He negotiates and talks his way out of things. He doesn't lie but withholds. His mouth is his strongest weapon (hurhur) yet the power of his words accidentally got a man pecked to death by crows and blew up a house (ask for details).

One day I bumped into the people who knew his initial character and they just made the same old jokes about his promiscuity. Slut. Diseased. They didn't bother asking what he'd been up to nor want to know. Disappointed, but I'd given up at that point. I knew Isillud was more than that; their loss.

That's on us as people: We fall back on stereotypes without bothering to learn about someone the minute sex is mentioned. A few RPers were genuinely surprised that I used ERP as a honey-trap plot device (really? Y'all that boring?). The people who interact with him enjoy him as a character even when he's trying to come on to them. I acknowledge it takes a lot for some to get past the "I'm interacting with an ERP puppet" because when *I* talk about him his sexual appetite is what comes out first, but seeing others willing to look past the term and liking him is...nice. Heartwarming, even.

I hope cross-region travel comes true because there are places on NA I want to take Izzy to, like a ✨Regency-era Ishgardian gay men's club✨. A Bee Club. A Brume dive bar. Just...everywhere. The potential for Izzy's interaction is wide, and I'm excited where he'll end up.

Keep shining brightly my beautiful slut; the world will be your oyster yet.

#ffxivwrite #ffxivwrite2023 #isillud losstarot #nonfiction #ffxiv rp

[annab-nana]

could i get feeling their forehead for temperature and pressing a kiss to the crown of their head with arvin russell please thank you

omg yeah here you go babe <3

warnings: not proofread, mentions of lenora's ending, pregnancy talk

❀ masterlist ❀

arvin knew something was wrong when you didn't go to church that morning. you, much like his sister lenora, never ever missed church. you didn't want arvin to miss out on hearing the lord's word either, but given the events that happened with his sister when she was in this same situation, arvin was not about to leave you alone. he knew you would never do what she did, but he thought the same thing about her at one time. he couldn't have been more wrong.

"you feelin' any better?" arvin asked from where he leaned against the door frame, hair slicked back and a pinch between his brows from constant internal anger and worry. you helped him with that in his day-to-day life, but now that you'd been sick for nearly a week, he couldn't stop worrying. you were always so strong and nothing ever bothered you. when you normally had a cold, it maybe had you in its hold for a day or two max, but this was something different. something worse.

you rolled over to face him, a weary smile on your lips when you saw him. "still throwin' up and i feel like i've been hit by a train, but i don't think it's contagious considering you're as fit as a fiddle so that's good."

his heart warmed at the thought that even in your state, you were still worrying over and looking out for him. he didn't know why god gave you to him, but he thanked the big man every day for it.

arvin walked over to the side of the bed and sat right next to you. he lifted his hand to your face, pressing the back of it to your cheeks and then your forehead. you didn't feel warm at all which was really throwing the boy for a loop.

"no fever still," he commented before taking his bottom lip between his teeth.

you moved your head a little to get a better look at him. "do you want me to have a fever?" you teased him, watching as he let go of his lip and smiled ever so slightly.

"no, darlin'. i don't want you sick at all. it just don't make a lick of sense," arvin explained earnestly. you could tell this was really bothering him, so you tried to get him to talk it out with you.

you reached for his hand to hold in your own and asked, "what do you mean?"

"shouldn't you have a fever if you've got a virus or somethin'?" arvin inquired while you paused to think about it.

"well, maybe, but i don't kn-" you stopped yourself when you saw arvin's face morph from hard mentation to clear realization. it almost scared you a little at how he wasn't immediately telling you what he was thinking. "arv, everything alright?"

he was trying so hard to block out the stuff that happened with lenora that he forgot one key detail, the reason why lenora was sick in the first place.

arvin's wide and worried eyes looked down at you and he can't believe he hadn't thought of it sooner. it would make complete sense. "do you think that you could be pregnant?"

it was your turn to take a moment to answer while you thought back on the past several weeks. it didn't hit you until now that you were late by at least a month and all your current symptoms lined up with arvin's suggestion.

you moved to sit up in your bed, arvin ready to aid you if you needed it, and as you rose in your spot, the emotions inside you followed suit. "would it be okay if i am? would you be okay with that?" you asked with watery eyes.

arvin was scared as hell to be a father, but with you, he felt like he could do it. once again, that fear that you would follow lenora's footsteps if he wasn't there for you shot through him and that in combination with his love and need to protect you showed when he reached forward to hold you to his chest.

"if it's okay with you, then it's okay with me," arvin muttered into your hair before he pressed his lips to the crown of your head, "i'm glad it's a baby and that you're not dying on me. i don't know what i'd do with myself if i didn't have you."

you chuckled into his blue shirt and looked up at the man you loved. "i'm not going away that easily."

he smiled down at you and wiped away the tears on your cheeks, before he responded with a simple and short, "good."

remember to support writers & reblog :)

turn on notifications for @annab-library to be notified when i post something new!

#arvin russell x reader #the devil all the time #arvin russell #blurbs #arvin russell blurbs #anon #❀ nonnie ❀ #winter wonderland sleepover ✧*:･ﾟ

[st4vk1nmybra1n]

Sweet¡

pairing: gojo x reader

established relationship, gn!reader.

tooth rotting fluff, lots of kissing!! light angst in between, and crack near the end!

wc: 1k

tw: strong language

waking up to the sight of a very pretty gojo was something that wasn't easy to get used to. you'd had a tough mission yesterday, so you were eager to settle into gojo's embrace until you both fell asleep peacefully. cuddling with him was heavenly, given his height and tall stature. he was almost always spooning you, occasionally moving to lay his head on your chest, sometimes pulling you over his own chest, sometimes throwing a leg over your figure. y'know, the romantic stuff. he was easily able to encase you within his long, yet firm arms everytime you both slept. you were never opposed to it. after all, who were you to complain?

right now, you were staring dreamily at gojo and his sleeping figure. something about his face as he slept was angelic. perhaps his white hair and lashes added to the look, too. his face was devoid of any expression, yet he looked so peaceful. his usual smug grin vanished, replaced with eased brows and lips closed in a gentle yet vague smile. oh but the longer you stared, the bigger it became. was that your imagination? perhaps he could sense it?--

"of course i catch you staring at me first thing in the morning", you hear gojo's gruff, deep voice mutter out as you flinch in surprise. no surprise, he was smug as ever, despite having just woken up. or had he been awake for a while now? who knows, you didn't really care.

"what can i say? you're pretty", you shrug.

he peels one eye open, grinning even brighter. "i know i am"

rolling your eyes, you lean into his body, laying your head on his shoulder. he pulls you closer, pressing a soft kiss at the crown of your head.

you both lay there in serene silence, enjoying each other's presence. the only times where you both were able to bask in each other's presence was during the night, and the early hours of the morning. being the strongest had it's cons, you supposed.

shaking out of your thoughts, you sit up, throwing your leg over gojo's body as you move to straddle him. he joins you in sitting up, easily pushing himself against the headboard.

"how much time do we have left?", gojo suddenly asks.

"only an hour", you sigh, suddenly crestfallen.

"an hour is more than enough for me to f--", you slam your hand over his mouth, effectively shutting him up (yes, he keeps his infinity off around you).

"no horny thoughts right now, goddamn it", you angrily grit out, head against gojo's forehead.

gojo laughs loudly at your words, placing a kiss against your forehead before placing his forehead against yours again.

"no promises", he mumbles, grinning gently.

"expected", you sigh in faux disappointment, placing your hands against his cheeks.

he sighs in bliss, leaning into your hands. he slightly turns his head, placing a kiss right into your palm, making you smile.

you place a quick kiss against his nose, and he giggles girlishly before reciprocating. sure, you both barely got time together, but you made sure to cherish every moment you had together. after all, who's to say if you'd get to see each other by the end of the day. he was the strongest, and everyone hated it. there was no telling what lengths they'd take just to see him waver, to see him tremble with despair. to see the strongest jujutsu sorcerer's resolve to crumble, once and for all.

snapping out of your sudden intrusive thoughts, you lean closer to place a kiss on gojo's lips. immediately, he kisses back. you move your hands into his soft hair, running your hands through his silky tufts of hair. his hands move to your cheeks instinctively, gently rubbing under your eyes. you both lean into each other, practically melting together.

after a few more seconds, you pull away, completely breathless. kisses with gojo satoru were never taken for granted, almost always holding immense passion, love, and care. exchanging a few smaller kisses here and there, you both hold each other even tighter.

contrary to popular belief, gojo only had eyes for you. during your first ever encounters while he was still a first year, he could feel his six eyes sensing something from you, and he felt deep attraction to you. for the next few months, he never acted on this attraction seriously, almost always flirting with zero intentions of ever commiting. overtime, he grew fonder and fonder, only realizing his feelings after almost losing you. something in him had clicked, and he knew he loved you within those moments. he confessed his feelings right as he had realized, holding onto you with a tight hold, praying for ieri to show up quicker.

after a few months of recovery, you had ran to him as soon as you could, pulling him into a hug and finally kissing him. after that moment, gojo had only ever dedicated everything he did to you. finding solace within your being.

"i love you", gojo suddenly mumbles out, eyes closed as he sighed gently. you smile at his words, not hesitating to tell him you loved him even more.

you both sat there, holding each other with gentle care, sitting in complete silence. it was sweet. so, so, sweet. sweeter than anything gojo had ever tasted.

"ACHOO--", gojo abruptly decided to sneeze.

shrieking loudly, you flinch instantaneously, and hard. falling right off the bed as soon as it happens.

"OW WHAT THE FUCK GOJO?", you shout in disbelief, as gojo loses his absolute shit over your priceless reaction.

"I'm sorry, i couldn't help it", he cackles, leaning forward with the force of his laughter, eventually falling over you.

"shit--"

"fuck, gojo!"

you had yet to calm down from your freight, and gojo seemed to be having the time of his life, simply laying his head on your chest.

you both laid there on the floor, still recovering from your sweet, romantic, gentle moment being ruined by none other than gojo satoru himself. you weren't surprised, now were you?

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru #gojo satoru x reader #jjk x reader #gojo fluff #jjk fluff #jjk imagines #jujutsu kaisen fluff

[fortheloveofdeaddove]

MORE THINGS FOR THE PILE OF THINGS - TMC EDITION

Experiencing a low dip today. Had therapy so that was good. I just feel like utter feces. Exhausted, so so exhausted. Is this detox still on day 18? Withdrawal? Poverty and single motherhood? I don't know. It might also be caused by a major drop in calories due to the Ozempic treatment I started last week. Probably some combo of all that lol.

POTENTIAL MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRETY OF ORI'S PLOT LINE. This is all subject to change, and I'm giving away some major plot points here because that's the kind of creep I am lololol.

My brain has been cheering me up thinking of TMC plot lines. Thorin/Ori has got to be my favorite rare pair and I'm looking forward to milking that for all its worth. A cheerful smutty thought to sustain me until I'm no longer out of sorts.

I like the headcanons about the Ri family being the most attractive dwarves because they reflect dwarrow beauty standards. Ori is on the diminutive side, which is why Dori is considered the true beauty of the Blue Mountains with his ample build. Still, Ori's red hair, freckles, and (as I headcanon it) pale complexion make him a highly desired partner in his own right.

They're known for their fashionable dress and intricate braids, except Nori. Nori is so beautiful that he has to dress plainly and have few braids or he would never get any work as Thorin's spymaster done. Dori took up poison-craft in order to discourage too many overly-enthusiastic suitors. Ori avoids this attention by aligning himself with powerful people, such as Balin, Thorin, and Thror (whilst acting as a double agent). His status as an illustrious scribe helps sometimes, too, and he's not above using his sordid family history to remind potential suitors of the risk of associating themselves with him and his family.

Balin and Dori kept close tabs on Ori while he was in Erebor, as best they could, but they were always concerned that someone with more power than him would force him into a courtship or arrangement he couldn't get out of.

Ori had given plenty of thought to encouraging a romance between himself and Fili, especially once he presented omega. They are compatible for a lot of reasons. The crown prince would secure an omega (even if he wasn't a Longbeard), and that would help Fili avoid a future council telling him to practice salarimaralâlthuhr. It would further consolidate and simplify the line of succession, and Ori would someday hold the second highest position in the kingdom as Yasthun.

If only Fili wasn't completely in love with his little brother.

There is a lot more to Ori than meets the eye. One thing people did not easily pick up on about the youngest Ri brother was his jealousy, his possessiveness. (He didn't understand why - it was written all over him in his protectiveness of his family and his loyalty to his lord.) If Ori didn't already know better, he would have been sure Fili and Kili were each other's Ones. Instead it was worse than that - Fili was in love with his brother in a way his brother would never be in love with him. Fili would always be pining, and he would spend the rest of his life comparing his bedmate(s) to what he could never have.

Ori could put up with a lot, but he could not put up with being second fiddle to anyone. Not even Kili.

Even though he knew that something could grow between them, Ori made a different choice. A choice that was just as attractive, for it leaned into all his rebellious tendencies that his elder brother pretended not to know about.

He'd had his eye on Dwalin from a very young age. Back then it was just hero worship. It drove Dori batty how much Ori talked about "Mr. Dwalin" and his amazing axes, and his stylish mohawk, and that he was best friends with the prince. The younger brother of his mentor. Technically Dori's half brother by blood, though it was never spoken of aloud. For so many years, Ori was certain he would never catch Dwalin's eye, but since moving to Erebor, he rather desperately had begun to hope he would. He didn't favor his chances with any of the gentry of Erebor. Regardless of his skills and accomplishments, he would be bonded to an alpha and bred as soon as possible if he didn't make a choice from more progressive minded candidates.

Growing up the way Ori did in Ered Luin (because this would not have been the case anywhere else), he became accustomed to the notoriety of his family's reputation, but also the respect they had fought long and hard to earn. Their beauty elevated them even further. To put it one way, Ori is a bit of a Kardashian. But not Kim or Khloe or Kyle, more like Kendall lol. He has no interest in sacrificing anything, and constantly calculates toward gains. For himself first, his family second, the dynasty third, and all else came after.

So here's Ori's villain streak: he believes the prophecy, therefore he knows Thorin is Durin's next sire. Thror might have even been encouraging Ori to not only be a member of the Order of Durin, but whispering tempting promises of what he could gain by becoming an umrul for Thorin himself.

The only thing that could elevate him more than being Fili's future Yasthun would be to Durin's bearer.

If he could not secure Dwalin's affections (which he viewed as safer than becoming the king's favorite, therefore the more desirable path between the two), he would attempt to seduce Thorin and become an umrul. With his disposition and involvement in state affairs, it would be a sure path to maharmabûn (the favorite), if not inherently more dangerous. The higher the risk, the greater the reward.

If all went according to Ori's plans, which some do, and some do not.

He manages to gain Dwalin's attention, but not before a strong attachment forms between Ori and Thorin because of hormones and cycles and proximity and Thorin being a horny, horny slut thanks to magic and the prophecy. They BOTH try to fight this, because by this time, Ori realizes the danger of pitting Dwalin against Thorin, and Thorin is still struggling in the land of denial and trying to maintain his sense of decency for Dwalin's sake, if no one else's (he didn't manage to do this for Kili, obviously. Alas.).

After they're in Erebor for a couple of years (time jumps will be happening, folks, this takes place over decades and centuries, hence the name), after Thorin is officially fully ON HIS SHIT and has devastated Kili with the reality of the prophecy and no marriage or bonding ceremony has taken place, after Bilbo has arrived and achieved favor, Ori and Dwalin are due to be bonded.

The yearning between Thorin and Ori is strangling them both by now, but this is the last shred of decency Thorin is trying to hold on to. Normally, a marriage/bonding of this magnitude would take place publicly. *eyebrow waggle* Yeah, like that. Hall full of guests and the royal family, watching Ori and Dwalin Get. It. On in tribute to Mahal. Thorin has magnanimously waved his right of first bedding. (That's a thing, primae noctae for the WIN and it's not just in Erebor, lolol.)

Dwalin is no dummy, though. He appreciates Thorin's restraint and Ori's fidelity, but he's never not shared with his king, and he's not so blind that he can't see what is right in front of him. So, the day before the ceremony, he asks for a private audience and begs Thorin to honor him by performing the right of first bedding. (In front of Ori, with no prior discussion about it with his spouse-to-be. Shocking.)

Surprise, surprise, DIS had a big hand in this. She knows Dwalin better than anyone. She also is fully invested in keeping Bilbo out of favor to protect Kili. She's willing to do anything, including putting another omega dwarrow in her brother's bed to keep him distracted even if it means competition for her son.

This is a a few story lines from Magnificent Century. Folks, I give you Firuze-hatun/Hatice-sultan arc. Dis' idea is to basically sneak Ori into the harem. Bilbo isn't helpless and he has his own methods and ways of landing his rivals in hot water for his benefit. If Dis can distract Bilbo with a secret concubine that threatens his stability while manipulating Thorin via Dwalin via Ori, all the better. (Her influence has waned dramatically as Thorin's attention has turned fully to omega partners.) Dwalin gets his rocks off to the idea of Thorin helping himself to his spouse because he's just a giant cuck at heart who lives to serve the dynasty. Ori loves being the center of attention between Thorin and Dwalin, and even enjoys somewhat sitting on high, watching all the chess pieces try to strategize to get ahead while he's secretly rigging the game.

He's not all evil. Not even mostly. He befriends Bilbo earnestly, and cares about Kili. So when the day comes that his position on the harem is revealed, he has a lot to answer for emotionally speaking. Part of him truly believed that as favorite, he could bring peace and balance to the harem by ending conflict between Bilbo and Kili, and help Thorin better with matters of state than anyone else.

Dwalin's rank is considered even higher than a bridge groom of the dynasty (Vili), because he is close genealogically to the ruling line of Durin. He and Balin are referred to as princes in some circles. While he has no authority over Thorin's harem, he is of an eligible rank to marry an umrul, or be bestowed the services of an umrul as a gift/reward from Thorin. Therefore if Thorin wants him to marry Ori, but still wants to fuck Ori, that's all great and good. They're both technically his slaves, so why not. Dark Fuck King indeed.

This leads to all sorts of turmoil with Kili and Thorin, though, because Ori isn't even the only umrul Thorin would consider this privilege with. (See Legolas, who gets lent out for favors because Thorin likes to humiliate Thranduil, but Kili doesn't see it that way.) Kili, remember, assumed that reaching sexual maturity and bonding with Thorin would give him freedom to share ifsal with whomever he desired. The bonding doesn't happen and the exact opposite takes place. Thorin won't let anyone but Dis touch him. No Fili, no Dwalin, no one but mum.

Oh, final thought. There is a paternity stone, because of course their is. Given the poly amorous culture but the importance of genealogy, Mahal would obviously provide a way for paternity to be easily established. The stone glows when baby daddy and offspring (or pregnant bearer) touch the stone. :D

I think that's enough behind-the-scenes for now. I'm just thinking about Thorin and Ori having nasty sex while Dwalin is "forced" to stand watch at the foot of the bed. 😈😈😈😈😈

#tmc thoughts #the magnificent centuries #the hobbit fanfic #dead dove do not eat #ori #the ri family #dori #nori #dwalin #dwalin/ori #dwalin/thorin #cuckolding mentions #thorin/ori #dddne #dead dove #smutty thoughts #no write just fanfiction #someone make this happen #oh shit i have to do it? #aw jeez

[divinedeathbed]

I'm gay as hell boy look at my writing that I'm deciding I'm confident enough to post

Old writing I did of the knight and me bye

"I don't deserve someone like you," Frank murmurs under his breath when Mys turns away and he knows it can't hear. It's just audible enough, spoken with the half-hope that one of these days, it might really hear him.

He wishes he wasn't such a coward.

The fingers of his left hand grip the frame of the window, other hand outstretched to rest against the cool glass, looking out into the garden.

The universe doesn't make bargains. Frank knows this, but, perhaps, it's made an exception for the man who has suffered so much. Perhaps, after all this time, it's given him Mys.

He almost says it, right there. Mys's eyes shimmer in the light of the mid day. It's look of excitement melting into utter adoration caused him to temporarily forget his surroundings. He saw Mys's love of being with him and its complete trust.

Oh. My Mys. You are just... good.

Frank feels his feet carrying him deep into the corridors of his home, trying to get away, trying to erase that beautiful image of Mys from his mind, as quickly as possible. This can never work, will never work. He is not worthy of... this. Of Mys.

Coward.

-

Sometimes Frank would join Mys and sit with it anywhere it wanted to be. It was a perfect day for a date.

Mys sat, stirring its drink it had with a straw and talked, while Frank absently admired the blue of its irises. It has such beautiful warm eyes, he thinks. They're windows to its soul of good.

His own eyes soften, feeling a warmth inside of him twist and grow into something he hasn't felt in a long time.

_

I would do anything for you, he suddenly thinks, watching the breeze ruffle Mys's hair and frame its face. A few dyed black-fading to blond strands here and there have come loose from its flower crown, woven from pink blooms dotting the meadow they were reclining in.

Mys turns its head and catches Frank staring. It smiles, and it warms every part of him.

"What?" Mys laughs absently, the corners of its eyes crinkling distractingly.

"Er... those flowers are very lovely."

"Are they?"

"They are."

Mys's eyes gleamed with mischief. Fingers shuffling through the pile of stems and petals on the blanket beneath them, taking a handful of flora and reached toward the top of his head. Frank grumbles loudly when it began weaving the flowers into a crown, tucking a few into his hair, but quiets when he sees that smile again. Eventually, gradually, he lies back, his head on Mys's thigh, uneasily letting himself relax against the sensation of its hands on his scalp, working with the flowers. He didn't think he'd ever feel something like its fingers on him.

Yes, absolutely anything for you, he reflects.

-

I appreciate you more than you can know, he wishes he could tell it.

He's alone, as usual, when he feels a presence. Mys's presence. It's hard to miss.

His blue eyes drag up to his surroundings. He reflects. How many times, over how many years did he use to stand in this exact spot, in silence, never being able to connect emotionally with someone. Something he had never thought or cared about.

And now he has Mys?

Mys's fingers glide over the skin of Frank's arm, hooking its arm in his. The weight of its head finds his shoulder and Mys pulls him close to itself.

The arm is nice, Frank thinks. Not quite a hug, but Mys still got to touch him in a vague sort of way. Lately that's made him feel quite nice. A lot of things about Mys made him feel nice. Most physical touch used to be a sensation distasteful to his body. Until Mys.

It pulled away after only a few fleeting seconds. No... a sound of protest is ready to slip off his tongue, but he bites it back. His eyes followed its retreating figure, pleading, stay. And that shocks him.

What is this? Furrowing eyebrows, he's angry. With himself. With the emotions he struggles with more and more every time Mys put its hands on him. With its touch he now quietly craves. He shuts his eyes, letting any more selfish thoughts dissipate.

Well, turns out the D-Day Knight likes being selfish.

_

When he takes the time to sleep, he dreamt Mys kissed him. Or he kissed Mys. His head's a bit too muddled when he woke up to tell for sure, recollecting scraps of images of Mys's hands clutching his clothing and Frank's breathy name on its lips.

It's only when he finds himself staring into a mirror does he let those images fade. He meets the weary eyes in the mirror, pointing a shaking, accusatory finger at the haggard reflection.

"You are not in love with Mys."

Any more sleep would be impossible, so he makes his way from the mirror and into the depths of his home. The more time he spends looking around at the lonesome emptiness, filled with music biz paraphenalia and things he had taken from the shores of Normandy as keepsakes, once thought would make him feel whole, the more he finds himself thinking of someone he loves.

Mys doesn't deserve this selfishness. I can't be selfish, he decides with one last glance around the room before exiting.

-

Mys's phone rings. Something stirs to life inside of him, something he doesn't want to admit he's succumbed to.

Jealousy.

Being with Mys a lot results in Mys from time to time meeting with old friends, spending time with them while leaving Frank to his own devices.

He ponders for a moment the idea of throwing his fist against the jaw of the foolish person who had garnered so much of its attention, before dismissing the toxic thought. They are friends, he knows this, and he is definitely. not. selfish. Not one bit.

He flicks his eyes down and away from it, stepping some distance away to let Mys take its call in semi-privacy.

It answered the phone. Hearing the chipper drawl of hiiiii to a male friend makes his throat tighten, an oozing feeling of hatred and dread spreading through his chest.

There's some silence.

"Yep. Mission accomplished."

Another pause.

"Listen, I can't talk now but I'll see you soon."

He's good at tuning out conversation, but Mys's melodic voice makes its way through the barrier. God, he loves it so much.

"...I love you."

Silence.

He waits for the final goodbye, so he knows it safe to come out from his temporary hiding place. It never comes, so he looks up at Mys anyway.

Frank sees it afraid but determined, as if it knew what it just said is the ultimate truth.

"I love you," Mys repeated. It was looking right at him.

No. This is cruel. This is not happening. Every muscle in his arms tense and his knuckles are white, clenched tightly. He's angry.

"You don't mean that," he says quietly, but it's a dangerous calm.

"Frank-" it started.

"No!" He cut it off and held out one finger, suddenly infuriated. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to play this game with me. Don't you play games with me."

Mys's heart sank, seeing the geyser of self-loathing and hatred beginning to erupt from the man who, after all he had done, still truly believed he was undeserving of it.

Mys laughed lightly, amid tears. "I'm not going to deny it. It's true. Whether you choose to believe it or not, I do love-"

"No. You don't." His voice is wavering now, holding back rage. "You know what this is?" He gestured to his body up and down. "This is not love. This is, that, that... vague need for companionship you crave above all else."

When he met Mys's eyes, they're pleading. Containing immeasurable sorrow. And loneliness. That cuts him right to his core.

He tried to justify himself.

"I am horrid, I am a monster. You cannot love me."

"No. I love you." Mys put its foot down. "And do you know why, Frank? You are just so... Wonderful, and I know you're going to tell me to... stay away, run, there are too many indescribable, horrible things that I've done and that are inside me that have tainted me forever, poisoned my soul, and I need you to know that, yes, I understand you did them but it doesn't matter to me one bit because I forgive you. And I love you... so much because I just do. You are a hero so I really don't see how that matters at all."

Mys stepped closer, standing on its toes to put its arms up around Frank, hugging him, and is wonderfully surprised to feel Frank press and lean against it.

"You are the most... wonderful hero I've ever met. And you will always have me." Mys was not sure, but it thought Frank might have been trembling.

A surge of affection washes over Mys and it pulled its arms around Frank tighter. It turned its head to kiss his cheek, keeping its lips pressed there a moment. "My knight... What can I do to convince you I love you as you?"

Frank closed his eyes against the sensation, wondering how it would feel to be selfish. Just this once. Indulge. "You deserve better than me," he chokes out, his last inkling of restraint dissolving, hands carefully moving to hold its waist.

"You, you wonderful knight, are exactly who I deserve." Mys whispered, before kissing Frank's lips.

#shut the fuck up mysterious #my writing

[countrymusiclover]

41 - You're the Dark One

Part 42

His Golden Princess

@fanficismydrug @misskitty1912-blog @dragonixfrye @lover-of-books-and-tea

“Rumple, you don’t have to give me anymore gifts. I may be a princess but not here.” I explained back while he was leading me through the large house we had rented.

He had one hand on my back making me keep my eyes closed. I heard him open a set of doors before he squeezed my shoulder telling me to look. “You’ll like it, have I ever steered you wrong before?”

Slowly opening my eyes I sucked in a breath seeing a tiny crib in front of us. The side of it had some blue colors on it with dragons on it. Lifting my head up I sniffled some happy tears seeing that the glass unicorn chandelier hanging above it. It used to be hanging in his shop the last time I saw it when we were both dying from the poison Hook had given us. “You brought the unicorns here. But we don’t know the gender yet. Uh never mind I can’t believe you did this.” Flinging my arms around his neck I hugged him gently.

“Ah darling. Whether it is a boy or girl we can fix that little detail later. All that concerns me at this moment is your happiness about the little surprise.” He responded by moving one hand through my loose hair.

Breaking the hug I left my arms draped over his shoulders looking up into the deep brown eyes. “Well I am very thankful for what you did. It’s sweet. Now what are we going to name the little one that is pushing on my bladder hmm?”

“It’s your decision, love. My first wife got to name my first born. So the same will happen for you. All I care about is seeing you happy. Because as I have said you are the light of my life." Rumple declared moving a hand to cradle my cheek.

Leaning forward I kissed him slowly where he tugged me closer to his chest as much as my stomach would allow. "No such thing as darkness shall tear us apart."

Standing over my husband's sleeping body I had finally found the way to wake him from his coma. My hair was in a braid falling down my back that I had done in a French braid. I was wearing a gray pointy crown on top of my head. Shrugging on a black leather jacket over a red long sleeved shirt. Wearing some ripped blue jeans and some ankle black boots. “He will be relieved to see what you have become, dark princess. That you have embraced the darkness.”

“I only embraced it to protect the people I love. Now be quiet.” Lifting my gaze up I noticed that an enchanted mind Rumple was standing beside my husband’s head while he slept on the bed that I had created in a cave in the house that we had bought. Holding the sword that he had before he became the Dark One I crushed it in my hands where it fell down onto his body.

My soulmate blinked his eyes a few times looking around slowly, completely confused. He slowly sat up on the bed seeing that I was standing over him wearing an outfit for a Dark One. “"What do you want from me? You are the Dark One now, not me."

"That's right. You are not dark. You are also not light. You are nothing. Your heart is a blank slate. And that, little man, makes you useful. Because now I can make you into the last thing you ever thought you would be. A hero. And not just any hero. The purest who's ever lived. and then…and then I have a job for you." Bending down on my knees I moved to sit down at his bedside needing to explain.

He scanned over my facial expression and he reached up pointing up at me with his index finger. “Astrid, tell me what on Earth has happened to you. I don’t understand I was dying…when did you get a hold of the darkness?”

“I did it to save my sister. The darkness was pulled from you and it was going to take over Regina so before my sister could step up and become the Dark One, I did. Observe, my love.” Opening my right hand a puff of red smoke appears and disappears revealing the dagger in my fingers.

Rumple shook his head reading my name across the blade. His gaze fell down to my growing stomach, noticing that it was much bigger than he had previously realized. "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry….wait I don't understand then what do you need me to do. I don't have magic anymore."

“Like I said, I need a hero to pull out the sword. Here, let me.” I waved my hand creating his cane and offering him my freehand to help him stand.

He grunted leaning on the cane, eyeing the large rock that had the sword from the story of King Arthur and the knights of the round table that was in the middle of the room. “Astrid, I can’t be a hero. And this town is full of other heroes. Why don’t you just use one of them. I am also concerned with the baby. When I was in the coma you weren’t as far along as you are now.”

“I suppose the dark magic speeds it up a little bit. Now the reason I don’t use my sister or somebody else is because every single one of them has a hint of darkness inside them. But you don’t have either light or dark inside you since the hat striped your heart.” Walking up to I grasped my freehand in his meeting the brown orbs of his.

He removed his hand from mine, resting it against my cheek where I leaned into his touch. Placing my hand over his on my cheek I smiled. “I never wanted this to happen to you. I…I thought the Snow Queen’s mirror was a lie. I am truly sorry about this, lass.”

“It’s not your fault. I know you had intentions to protect me and this baby. So that is why I am trusting you with this..” Holding up the dagger I dropped his freehand pushing the dagger into his palm.

He closed his fingers around the handle of the blade re-reading my name engraved there. “Why me, love. I mean surely you trust you’re sister Emma or somebody else more me?”

“I did once. But when you were the Dark One I never controlled you with it. Now I am asking you to give me the same courtesy.” Brushing the hair from his eyes he sniffed some tears until I called, never breaking my gaze away from him. “Merida!”

Rumple saw a girl with curly red hair wearing a bow over her shoulder come inside the cave room. “Yes, Dark One?”

“Get him out of my sight. Take him to the woods and begin.” I instructed her watching my husband’s gaze shutter out some tears.

Merida asked me with a scoff. “How long do you think you can hold my heart and threaten me?”

“As long as it takes me to get what I want.” I mutter back watching Rumple move towards the wall with his cane.

Merida attempts to move forwards but I spin around revealing her heart in my hand. “Maybe. But I'm thinking I can break your spell!”

“Now take him to the woods... and make me a hero.” I bared my teeth clutching it in between my fingers hearing the heart beating. Glancing over my shoulder back to my husband he had a look of horror plastered on his face before I waved my hand transposing the, to the middle of the woods.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

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