#kcollegenet

[lebrookestore]

kiss me more | l.ty

Pairing: Lee Taeyong x reader

Themes: fluff, angst, comedy, lots of sexual tension, fuckboy! au, college! au, strangers to lovers, slight one sided enemies to lovers, dirty jokes, kissing, imagery, taeyong starts out as a bit of an asshole but we love to see character development, PG 15

Warnings: profanity, food, alcohol consumption, making out, sexual tension, reader has a fear of heights, sexual innuendos and allusions/talk of sex but no sexual content whatsoever, suggestive, usage of pet names, angst

Wc: 28.9k

Summary: Lee Donghyuck was the definition of a cockblocker, but you almost wished he could drag you away now as the infamous Lee Taeyong set his eyes on you, his new target. This shouldn’t have been a problem except for the fact that- oh! Didn’t you make out with him at that party last week?

Playlist: here

Notes from brooke: I bring to you another self indulgent fic!! I had a lot of fun writing this and have been planning this fic for almost three months before I actually got to starting it, and I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out! Feedback would be much appreciated, and as always, happy reading<3

You were not a fan of Lee Donghyuck at the moment.

It was the weekend before your classes started for the new semester, your sophomore year of college. Now, what else was a twenty-something supposed to do on a lonesome Friday night other than celebrating what was possibly going to be her last day of complete freedom?

The Nu Chi Theta frat was infamous for the parties they threw, because of the intensity of these said parties and the fact that there was no real planning involved for any of them. Sometimes they took place on reasonable days, as a Friday for example, but sometimes they were held in the middle of the week and went on till three in the morning.

You had to make several good decisions when Monday came around, so for the time being you wanted to kick back a little bit. The alcoholic drink that Yuta had mixed for you kissed your throat soothingly and went right to your head.

It was about time you had learned to loosen up a little, considering the fact you hardly knew anyone from your year. You had spent your entire first year studying and making sure you were on top of your grades and classes and didn’t socialize much. It was a wonder you ever made friends with people like Yeji and Donghyuck, who were both very much the opposite. They were the ones who helped you settle into your new life and kept you on top of all the gossip and drama taking place so that you could live your life comfortably as a hermit (their words, not yours) and still stay entertained.

You promised yourself that you wouldn’t be such a shut-in this year and would make an effort to be more outgoing, which was another reason you found yourself at the party. You hadn’t known Yuta existed till five minutes ago, and that was a regret you were going to have to carry to your grave.

Your glass was empty, you realized, and you were still very sober. Sobriety never led to any bad decisions, and in the words of Yeji herself, ‘bad decisions make the best stories.’ You had no stories. Zilch, zero, nada.

Whether that made you responsible or boring, you weren’t so sure. You had to do something, the urge for it pulsed through your veins as you pushed yourself off the table you had been leaning against and sauntered to the bar for another drink. You caught sight of Yeji talking to a boy from the corner of your eyes, with her laughing and touching his shoulder.

Good for her, you thought, She’ll be having fun tonight.

You swept your eyes over the room before they latched onto a guy who was leaning on a wall as he spoke with someone, who couldn’t make out who. His blond hair fell over his forehead in a parted manner, and he licked his lips before taking a sip of his drink, glancing in your direction

Shit. 

You realized you had been staring at him for a good two minutes and the weight of your gaze must have caught on. With heat rushing to your cheeks, you quickly turned around and placed your glass onto the counter of the bar, and looked around for Yuta. Out of nowhere, Yeji materialized beside you, presumably also for a refill. 

“Enjoying yourself?” She asked in a yell over the music, shuffling towards you. You hummed, playing with the rim of the glass, before glancing to your back and tilting your head. 

“Who’s that?” 

“Who’s who- oh the guy looking at you?” Your eyes grew wide at that observation and hers lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. Leaning over, she whispered as loudly as she could in your ear for your benefit. 

“Oh he’s coming here, good luck babe,” she winked, and you spluttered in indignation when she left without answering your question. Then what she said registered, and you realized that you didn’t have nearly enough alcohol in your system to deal with it. You had never been in such a situation before, and the person who had just abandoned you. 

You now suffered from abandonment issues.

“Hey.”

Now that the stranger was standing right in front of you, you could make out his features a little better. He had a sharp jawline and pretty crimson lips that curled up to the sides in a small smirk at what you assumed was your surprised expression. He wore a white button-up with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black ripped jeans, and was drop-dead gorgeous - like he was straight out of a movie.

His voice was smooth and low in a way that had goosebumps rising on your skin, but you were sure you could credit your heightened senses to the one drink you had consumed that night. His eyes were dark and intense and it made you a little dizzy at the sudden attention.

“Hi,” you managed to get out, looking back up at him. He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and cocked his head to the side, holding his arm out. You didn’t quite know what to make of this, because he was a complete stranger and you didn’t even know his name (again, because Yeji didn’t tell you and because of your not-so-social lifestyle until this moment).

“Dance with me?”

And how could you say no to that request? You had come to the party to make bad decisions and this was the start of many. 

You weren’t quite sure how you ended up in this position, but dancing had led to you being pressed against the wall with your fingers entangled in the hot stranger’s hair and those pretty lips of his pressed insistently against yours. Not that you were complaining by any means, he was an extremely skilled kisser. This fact was made known to you the moment his tongue pressed down onto your bottom lip.

This entire thing was extremely out of character on your part but there was something about it that had made it exciting. Maybe the liquid courage you had consumed played a part in it all, but you couldn’t care less.

“Y/n! Oh fuck-” Someone slurred from the side and he pulled away- much to your disappointment. Glancing to your right, you found Donghyuck standing there with a bright, if not intoxicated smile on his face. Then, he waved at you excitedly and giggled, confirming your suspicions of him being drunk.

To make matters worse, the stranger, pressed a kiss to your jaw as a silent goodbye and his hands loosened from around your waist until they weren’t on you at all. He walked away in the other direction and disappeared from your line of sight almost as quickly as he had appeared. You threw a withering glare in your best friend's direction.

“You better have a good explanation for interrupting me.” You warned, and Donghyuck’s eyes were alight with mischief.

“Interrupting you doing what? I see why Yeji sent me looking for you. Also, something about driving me home-”  You were this close to unfriending Yeji, because not only had she abandoned you in your time of need but had also decided to send a cockblocker your way. “- but! What if we go play a round of beer pong instead?” 

Right, you were the only person sober enough to drive. You had a strange feeling that this would be the start of you being the sober buddy to every party you were dragged along to and sighed, stuffing your hand into the pockets of your pants and pulling out the keys to your car.

“I hate you, I hope you know that.”

“Love you too,” Hyuck cooed, wrapping his arms around your waist snugly. You managed to drag the boy out of the frat house and to where you had parked, tuning out all his whining and grumbling (and sudden urge to sing ‘careless whisper) as you helped him into the passenger's seat. 

It seemed like your life of responsibility would always chase behind you whether you liked it or not.

Monday’s were and forever would be your mortal enemies.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. You had struck up a truce with Mondays during the summer break since you didn’t have to wake up at the ass crack of dawn, but now the animosity was back and in full force. You found yourself sipping on coffee as you brought out your books for your 8 am class, silently crossing your fingers behind your back at your promise to take it easier on yourself this year. You knew that promise was beyond stupid because you could practically see the all-nighters you were in for in your future. Maybe you could drop out and become a professional psychic instead.

Your first class of the day was English; your major subject. Students trickled into the classroom, but you barely knew any of them. God, you really had to start networking a little more, because the only class you shared with your friends was Psych and it was twice a week.

Drumming your fingers on the side of your desk, you wondered how you were going to go about making friends. In high school, you were pretty social, but it was easier there since you had grown up with those people. Here, it was all new and different, which made it about ten times harder.

Sighing, you rested your chin on the palm of your hand and waited until your professor showed up to begin the lecture. Someone said that the coursework was going to be pretty heavy this year and you had to mentally prepare yourself for that. You would start the year strong and find a way to balance having fun.

The pep talk you were giving yourself was cut short when someone walked through your door and grabbed your attention almost immediately. Your mouth fell open in shock and you nearly knocked over your coffee cup (which would have definitely put a dampen on your whole ‘starting the year right’ agenda), wondering if you were seeing things.

Oh god, it was the guy from the party- the very same you had swapped spit with for a good five minutes until someone had decided to show up and cut that short. That had to be the most embarrassing moment of your life and you had managed to forget about it up until this very moment by pushing the memory somewhere to the back of your mind. It even beat the time you danced a routine with your friends in the ninth grade and tripped over air in front of the entire grade which left you so scarred you refused to dance with them ever again and used the excuse of you having two left feet.

You slumped on your seat and raised your coffee to your mouth in the hopes of it managing to cover your face. You crossed your fingers for real this time, hoping that he had been drunk enough to not recognize you. If he did, you would actually consider dropping out, but the psychic job didn’t seem to be in the cards anymore since you hadn’t seen this coming.

Had he always been in your class? Or had he joined this year itself? Now even with your terrible social skills, you were sure you would have noticed someone like him within a five-mile radius, which was odd, because never in your life had anyone pulled you in so easily. Then, you chastised yourself for getting so carried away. The only reason you even acknowledged his presence was because of your unfortunate attempt to take your head out of your books.

You almost thought that the world was going to work in your favour for once, until of course, he looked right at you. His lips twitched ever so slightly and he began walking in your direction, much to your horror, before settling down in the seat next to you which happened to be free. Since the professor hadn’t arrived yet, he turned to his side and looked you up and down for a moment.

“Hey, aren’t you the girl from the party?”

Lovely, so he did remember you. Instead of being flattered, all you could think about was how it had ended, and you made a mental note to slap Donghyuck silly for tainting your only raunchy experience- and it wasn’t even that raunchy. You didn’t recall the specifics of the kiss that well but you did remember it being very good.

“No actually, I don’t go to parties,” the words spilled out of you before you could think them over and you decided then and there, and hook up culture definitely wasn’t and never would be for you, especially not if you had to deal with this. The lie was so blatantly false that you earned a chuckle from his side, and he shot you a dazzling smile.

“So, what's your name?” He asked you this with ease, glossing over your previous words and you were somewhat thankful for that. However, that didn’t mean you were prepared for small talk.

“Uh.” A most intelligent response.

“Sounds exotic, I’m Taeyong.” 

Taeyong gave you another pretty smile, before turning to the front since the teacher walked in and began speaking. You wanted to kick yourself for being so all over the place over something so minute, trying to keep up with whatever Mrs. Kim was going on about. This was ridiculous, he was just a stranger to you, granted he now had a name to go with his face. So what if he was attractive? You had better things to do.

Taeyong knew from the moment he had stepped into the classroom and you had stared at him in disbelief he had to figure you out. You were cute, how you fumbled slightly over your words because of what had taken place a few days ago and the way you looked intently at your textbook but never actually turned the page, which gave away the fact that you weren’t actually studying. 

Your focus had been completely shattered when you realized he would probably be sitting next to you for the next twelve months. This was going to become a problem.

When the class ended, you packed your things up as quickly as you could. You heard his chair scrape against the floor and stole a look at him. To your surprise, his eyes were already trained on you, entertained. You weren’t usually like this, you had a good grasp on yourself but the suddenness of the entire thing had flustered you immensely. You wished you had answered without letting your embarrassment get to you and you were sure this was going to end up being one of those moments that would haunt you at the most random of times. For instance, five years into the future at three am in the morning.

Bad decisions led to nothing good. You would have to rectify Yeji’s theory because it had just led to you making a terrible first- or technically third- impression. Taeyong got to his feet and grinned, speaking one last time before leaving the classroom.

“You’re a great kisser, by the way.”

So much for starting the year well.

“Bad idea.”

You looked at Yeji in alarm, raising your shoulders high in a shrug and holding it there. Her tone was accusatory and you didn’t understand why.

“What?”

“Don’t even think about it,” she shook her head and dropped her phone to the side to give you all her attention. The device fell into the cracks between the cushions and lay there sadly. 

“I just asked you who he was,” you said a little defensively now, alarmed at how she had reacted to your simple question. She hit the side of the couch, only succeeding in burying her phone even further between its pillows.

“And I answered. He’s a bad idea, that’s all there is to it.”  “You didn’t think he was a bad idea when you wished me luck at the party,” you muttered and her eyes widened. Getting up from where she sat, she walked over to you and placed her hands firmly on your shoulders, making you look at her.

“That was him?” You nodded and she groaned, rubbing her temples in what seemed to be exasperation. “I was drunk, if I wasn’t I would have told you straight away that Lee Taeyong is not the type of guy you want to associate yourself with.”

You shrunk a little under her gaze, and asked in a funny little voice, “So uh…are you going to tell me why because he sits next to me in class, and we kind of sort of made out at the party.” Each word of yours got softer and softer, especially when Yeji’s expression turned so outraged. You wondered if you should have just kept your mouth shut.

“You what?” She hissed and you used your hands to pry yourself out of her grasp to take a step away from her. Shutting her eyes, she pulled herself together for a moment and invaded your personal space once again, cupping your face between her hands and pulling you to her eye level. “Sweetie, I love you so much and I support your endeavour of putting yourself out there with all my heart, believe me, there is no one who is rooting more for you, but this is not the way. Starting with Taeyong of all people is like jumping into a pool filled with sharks.”

“It wasn't like I intended to,” you mumbled, breaking your eye contact. “It would be very helpful if you told me why.”

She sighed, finally letting go of your face just as Donghyuck walked into the room with a bag of Cheetos, which he was quickly making his way through. Come to think of it, it looked suspiciously like the bag you had been saving for later.

“What are we talking about?” He asked, pulling a chair up and placing it before you and Yeji, sitting down backward and popping a Cheeto in his mouth like it was popcorn and you were the movie.

“He is….very popular with the girls on campus,” Yeji said slowly as if she was trying to find a way to word it nicely. Donghyuck whined at being ignored and poked your other friend in the side with his clean hand. She swatted at him and glared. 

“The adults are speaking, Hyuck.” 

“Fuck you.” 

She flicked his forehead, earning an offended scoff from his end. Usually, you would have smiled at your best friend's antics, but were currently much more interested in what she had to say about Taeyong. “He doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to staying in a relationship- or having one at all- but has a high body count.” 

“Oh, so we’ve gone into the topic of murder! I knew watching all those Buzzfeed Unsolved episodes would come to fruition one day,” Hyuck said solemnly, scrunching up the now empty pack of Cheetos. You would mourn the loss at a later date. 

“We’re talking about Taeyong,” Yeji finally gave into his pestering, giving him a sideways glance. He frowned, before looking at you and gaping. 

“Oh, fuck- wasn’t he the guy-” 

“Yep!” You chimed quickly before he could finish, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. 

“Didn’t think you would be into guys like that, but hey, you do you! Yeji is right though, he isn’t the most considerate when it comes to the feelings of the opposite sex,” and then he gestured to himself, “Unlike me of course, I’m fantastic.” 

Yeji only pat his shoulder in consolation. “Whatever helps you sleep at night buddy.”

At that very moment, you wrote Taeyong off. You trusted your friend’s words and decided that you didn’t want the hassle that came with dealing with such a guy. Leaning against the counter you were standing by, you shook your head.

“He’s like, a magnet for half of campus, the only reason that radio thing he has with Johnny is doing well is because he’s one of the jockeys. Okay they’re funny too but still,” Yeji continued giving you information, and that was a surprise since you didn’t know he was one of the hosts of the college radio station, but then again you didn’t know much about him in the first place.

“I’m not into him, it was a one-time thing that happened at a party. Besides, I have no time for shit like that, I have to keep my grades up.”

“If you do want a guy, I can give Jaehyun your number!” Hyuck offered helpfully, “He’s from Taeyong’s frat so at least there is an appeal by association?” Yeji hit the back of his head so you didn’t have to and he glared, rubbing the area. “Jesus Christ, what on earth did I ever do to deserve this much abuse?” Oh, so he was a frat boy too? He was basically a walking red flag at this point, and you shook your head. 

“Thanks, but no thanks”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself. And for once, I agree with her,” he pointed at Yeji with a look of mock distaste. “I would stay away from getting involved with Taeyong. Get involved with me instead.” 

You scoffed at his bluntness, reaching over and pinching his soft cheeks, which turned red under the pressure. “I would rather eat rocks.” He pouted, pulling your hands away, and sulked.

“I’ll be single forever Y/n, you can’t do that to me!”

You only laughed and walked away without answering. You heard him blubbering in indignation in the back while Yeji snickered and smiled. If there was one thing you could count on, it was that your friends would always have your back.

The coffee cart on campus was your saving grace on most days when you had classes in the morning, providing your much-needed shot of caffeine that revitalized and prepared you for the hour or two that would be spent in a stuffy classroom. Truth be told, it was one of your favorite places on campus.

“An americano please, with two shots of espresso.”

“And a caramel frappe, on me.” You whipped your head around to see Taeyong standing there, already handing the barista money for both drinks. He gave you a cute little boyish grin, tilting his head to the side and shaking some of his hair out of his eyes. “Hey.”

“What are you doing here?” You asked, narrowing your eyes at him as you shifted your weight from one foot to the other. 

“Oh sorry, am I in your spot?”, he asked sarcastically as he took both drinks and handed you yours. The equivalent of alarm bells began going off in your head as your friend’s warnings echoed in your mind. Shifting your weight from one foot to the other, you raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him in response. 

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Can’t a guy just buy a girl a drink nowadays?”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. This guy was really trying to sweet talk you. Sure, you had been caught off guard the day before, but now you were well versed with who he was. 

“Not guys like you.”

“Fine then. Consider it payment for telling me why you decided to stick your tongue down my throat and then proceed to ignore me the next day. I’m usually the one who does things like that ” He raised his eyebrows as he took a sip from his cup without breaking eye contact. Every word that came out of his unfairly beautiful mouth had you clenching your jaw and tightening your grip around your coffee cup.

“We all make mistakes,” you said smoothly, but your actions did not reflect it. You were gripping your cup so tight that a little coffee leaked out from the top and dribbled down the side, something he took note of.

“A mistake was I? I think you need more caffeine, because you’re definitely still drunk. Do I finally get your name that you didn’t give me when I asked for it the first time, or at least some sort of nickname?” He asked hopefully, giving you a moment to think it over.

You could almost picture Yeji slapping her forehead in exasperation as you made what would most probably be an extremely bad decision.

“Y/n,” you muttered under your breath. “I’m Y/n.”

“Y/n,” he repeated, “Pretty.”

“Me or my name?” You asked, deciding to humour him just a little and immediately regretting doing so. A smirk spread on his striking face.

“Whatever gets me closer to round two.”

“Charming,” You deadpanned as you took a step away from him and checked the time on your phone’s lock screen. “I have class so I’ll be going now.” And with that, you turned on your heel and walked to the entrance of the building and found yourself in the hallways, but it wasn’t long before your peace was interrupted again.

“We can walk there together!” Taeyong said brightly, falling into step with you easily. It seemed as if he was adamant about conversing with you, which was something you were trying to avoid and all costs. 

“Why?”

“We’re in the same class,” he pointed out bluntly, “And we’re classmates, so it makes sense.” He wasn’t so sure why you were so unwelcoming. It was a complete one-eighty flip from your previous shy demeanor, and he didn’t understand what had made that change.

“And I’m perfectly capable of walking there myself.” You snipped, giving him a look that told him all he needed to know. It was cold and normally that would have deterred him, but there was something about you that intrigued him.

“You don’t like me,” he observed but didn’t seem all that sad about it, an amused smile playing on his lips. “You don’t know me, but you don’t like me.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“You seemed fine with me at the party.” This came out in a mixture of bluntness and a taunt and you flushed, glaring at him.

“Do you have to bring that up every five minutes?” You would prefer to not think about it at all since you had to actively start disliking him, but trying to dislike the guy who you had kissed (very enthusiastically too) was pretty complicated. Especially when he looked like that, but that was not the point.

“Your reactions make it worth it, and it’s true isn’t it?” He said this as you walked into the classroom and you realized you had, in fact, walked all the way with him. He was simply so distracting that you had completely forgotten about it just by arguing and mentally chastised yourself for getting carried away so easily. You should have kept your guard up and refused once again.

You made your way to your seat, and to your dismay he followed you and sat beside you, reminding you once again that you were stuck with him. You fully intended on staying away and keeping your distance, but it wasn’t going to be as easy as you hoped.

“Can’t you go bother someone else?” You asked in annoyance, hoping he would take the hint. Alas, it seemed Taeyong was as thick-skinned as he was a good kisser, leaning back in his seat and twirling a pencil between his fingers light-heartedly.

“But I’m perfectly fine over here, with you,” he flirted and you groaned, sitting down begrudgingly and taking your things out. This was fine, all you had to do was ignore him and he would get bored sooner or later.

Your ignoring began right then as you decided to read your textbook, but you didn’t get very far. You heard him snicker a little, and looked to your side at him with a deadpan expression.

“Yes?”

“We didn’t have any homework sweetheart, you can calm down.”

You bristled, “I just want to get ahead of my work.”

“It’s the second week of the semester, I think you can lay off a little, or would you like me to teach you how to lighten up?”  He teased and you considered getting up and choosing a different seat entirely, but that was too petty even for you. Plus, you didn’t really want the attention that came with changing your seat.

“And what would that entail?” You asked dryly, and he plucked your book out from under you and shut it, eyes alight with mischief.

“Talking to me, of course,” he said, “I even got you your coffee, you can handle talking to me.” It seemed as if you were completely unaffected by all his charms, which wasn’t used to in the slightest. It was usually easy to get people wrapped around his little finger, and for some reason, you were hard.

“I didn’t ask you to buy me coffee, did I?”

“And? I can’t do something nice? What an ungrateful brat,” Taeyong enjoyed the way your eyes widened at that and the death glare you threw in his direction.

“Excuse me? I am not a brat-”

“Sounds like something a brat would say.”

“I swear to god-” But your word would remain between you and god forever, since the professor walked into the class and started speaking immediately. From your interaction with him, you deduced that Taeyong was an infuriating little shit and you couldn’t understand what had had all the other girls he had supposed wooed so starry-eyed for him. 

Though you had to admit, there was something rather alluring about him. Maybe it was that million-dollar smile or the way he keeps you on your toes, or admittedly his looks (not that you would ever say that out loud now), but you would have to block all of that out. 

He bit the inside of his cheek as he could how irked you were over that, and you looked rather adorable with your lips set into an indignant pout and eyebrows furrowed. He placed his arm on the back of your chair and leaned over until you could feel his breath on your neck. 

“Now tell me that wasn’t fun.”

[4:32 pm] unknown: hi, this is jaehyun from the Nu Chi Theta frat [4:32 pm] unknown: Donghyuck actually gave me ur number after I noticed you at a party [4:33 pm] unknown: i would love to get to know u better, so would you maybe like to hang out sometime?

You found yourself standing in front of the Nu Chi Theta frat in broad daylight, which was an unexpected turn of events. 

Turns out, your best friend (who was really walking a fine line of being disowned) had given Jaehyun your number anyways even though it was specifically what you had asked him not to do. Now, you weren’t going to accept his invitation to hang out at first, but then you decided to agree in order to spite Hyuck, and also because Jaehyun genuinely seemed like a nice guy.

He opened the door and greeted you with a smile that had his dimples on display. Cute guys were going to be the death of you, and you weren’t sure how you had managed to avoid them at all costs during your first year, but you desperately wanted that talent of yours back.

“Y/n! I’m so glad you could make it!” He said jovially as he stepped aside and let you into the frat house. You were astutely aware that this was the same rickety place that all the parties took place in but it was like a completely different world during the day. It was well maintained and pretty nice looking without the dim lighting and drunk people.

“I’m glad I could as well.” You said this sincerely, returning his smile with one of your own. He led you into the house and introduced you to his fellow frat brothers that were sitting in the living room, muttering something about one of his hyungs being upstairs, and ushered to sit on the couch next to him.

You were glad it wasn’t just the two of you, it wasn’t as nerve-racking with four other people in the room with you. You recognized a few as some of Hyuck’s friends, and they introduced themselves as such as well, cracking a few light-hearted jokes and easing you into the group. 

Apparently, they had invited you over for their movie night and this time they chose to watch ‘Bambi’. Never in your life had you expected to watch a Disney animated movie about deer with frat boys, but life had a way of surprising you. The introduction played, and although you had watched it before, you found yourself intently watching the screen of their television, occasionally stealing some of the popcorn Jaehyun had made. He didn’t seem to mind sharing, even going as far as putting it in the middle of both of you.

When about ten minutes of the movie was over, you heard someone making their way down the stairs, and then a very offended sounding noise. Looking to your right, you almost couldn’t believe your eyes.

“You started without me?” Taeyong asked accusingly, looking like a kicked puppy as he scanned the room. He wore a t-shirt and shorts, with his hair messy as if he had just rolled out of bed but still managed to look like he belonged on the front page of a Vogue issue.

Doyoung rolled his eyes and took a handful of skittles from the bowl on the table in the center of the room, which he had easy access to since he was sitting on the floor.

“It’s not our fault you’re late.”

“You’re supposed to wait for me regardless,” he said in mock sadness, before he spotted you, looking just as surprised as you were for a moment before his expression melted into one of pure mirth. “Party girl!”

All eyes were on you and you wanted to sink into the couch, but instead, you grumbled. “I have a name, one you begged me for, remember?”

He only smirked, as if your annoyance was somehow funny to him. “Of course, I remember, I wouldn’t forget you,” he cooed. 

Jaehyun frowned, looking from Taeyong to you. “You two know each other?”

“Same class,” you chimed in quickly before the boy could divulge any more information about your initial meetup, throwing him a warning glance. Amused, he shrugged and walked over, plopping down onto the rug and leaning against the couch right beside you.

“So, what are we watching and why is she here? Not that I’m complaining, of course,” he said smoothly, raising an eyebrow. You felt heat rise to your cheeks at the offhand compliment, and another guy- Yuta you thought- spoke up.

“Jaehyun invited her over,” he said, gesturing towards the boy beside you, who had very discreetly managed to put his arm around your shoulder without you noticing. However, Taeyong definitely had, quirking his eyebrow in question. For some reason, you were embarrassed and averted your eyes to escape his intense gaze. 

You had forgotten that Taeyong was apparently in the same frat as Jaehyun, and you wish you hadn’t let that fact slip your mind. All of a sudden, you weren’t sure of how to act around the group anymore, and you didn’t understand what had prompted the shift in your demeanor. You weren’t uncomfortable by any means, it just felt like you had to put your guard up since he was here.

Good lord, what on earth had you become?

You couldn’t concentrate fully on the movie anymore, instead occasionally letting your eyes stray and quickly stealing a glance at Taeyong every now and then. He didn’t seem to notice this, invested in the animated happenings and gasping with everyone else when Bambi’s mother was killed. On a usual day, you would have gasped along with everyone else, but instead, you had realized something.

Taeyong was magnetic.

It was almost as if he demanded your attention, and no matter how much you wanted to look away, you kept looking back. It felt a little wrong to be so captivated by someone when you technically weren’t there for them. 

Frustrating was one way to put your current state. You found out through the course of the evening that you weren’t romantically interested in Jaehyun at all, yeah he was sweet and perfectly lovely, but there was absolutely nothing there. You wished you had felt something, but every interaction fell flat on you, leaving you feeling as if you were wasting not only your time but his as well.

When the movie ended you had to resist the urge to sigh in relief because now you had an excuse to leave. It wasn’t that you were put off, but you didn’t want to give Jaehyun the insinuation that you liked him.

“I should go,” you said, “It’s getting pretty late and I have an early class tomorrow, but it was great meeting you all!”

“I’ll walk you out, would you like me to walk you home as well?” Jaehyun asked politely, and you shook your head, getting to your feet.

“My dorm isn’t too far so I should be fine,” you assured him, making sure you had all your things. Curiously enough, Taeyong got to his feet as well, but disappeared upstairs, allowing you to relax a little bit. You let Jaehyun drop you at their door, exchanging pleasantries and such.

‘I’d like to do this again sometime,” he said a little sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. You really didn’t want to lead him on and were about to set things straight. Fortunately, he did it for you. “As friends.”

“I’d love that,” you said sincerely, and you must have looked a little relieved because he chuckled.

“I don’t think you felt much either, but it was fun hanging out with you.” As cute as his smile was, you still didn’t feel a damn thing when he used it on you, and nodded in agreement. Bidding him goodbye, you began to walk down the street, grateful that you weren’t the only one who experienced no ‘butterflies’ as it was so often put.

The night air was calm with a light breeze combing gently through your hair, and you welcomed the solitude. It had barely been a month since classes had started again and you had already experienced much more than you had last year. The silence of the evening gave you time to be alone with your thoughts and think them through.

“Slow down turbo, you’re not in a race.” You hadn’t realized how quickly you had been walking and turned around to see Taeyong jogging over, now also wearing a jacket. Frowning, you stopped in place and waited for him to catch up with you. Why you did this? You didn’t quite know.

“You again?” “So cold,” he shuddered, “Or that could just be the night- hey aren’t you feeling cold?”  He inspected your figure, and now that you thought about it there was a slight chill in the air, but you were much too proud to admit that to him. Quirking an eyebrow, you prompted him to answer your question and he sighed, raising his hands to his sides in defeat.

“Geez Elsa, I’m walking you home,” he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants.  He gave you a crooked smile that triggered a funny feeling in the pit of your stomach that you couldn’t quite decipher, one you didn’t particularly want to think about.

“You did not just call me a snail and a cursed ice queen in the span of two minutes,” you deadpanned and he shrugged complacently.

“I like to keep you on your toes.”

Unbelievable. You really didn’t know what to expect about Taeyong, but maybe that was a part of it. The feeling you got around him was nothing like what you felt around Jaehyun.

“I don’t do ballet, find someone else to pester,” you rolled your eyes, folding your arms over each other defensively, displaying that you were completely unwelcoming to him. “And I said I would be fine, I’m sure you heard me telling that to Jaehyun.”

“See, I’m not Jaehyun-”

“You don’t listen? I knew that.”

“- I actually care about people’s well beings and do the right thing,” he paused to glare at you, and you felt the corners of your mouth twitch slightly. “And because it’s not safe to walk along at eleven at night. I’m just looking out for you.”

As much as you didn’t want to agree with him, he was undoubtedly right. It really wasn’t safe to walk alone so late and it was nice of him to think of that and run after you, you couldn’t deny that either, as much as you were trying to dislike him.

“Is that why you left the room? To grab your jacket and run after me?” You asked, a little curious. 

“You noticed? Adorable,” he quipped, and you scoffed, turning on your heel and continuing to walk down the footpath, leaving him to scramble to catch up once again. 

“I changed my mind, I’ll be fine,” you stated and he whined, quickly falling into step with you. You didn’t object, pressing your lips together to stop yourself from smiling, refusing to give him the victory of earning a laugh from you. 

To your surprise, he stayed quiet for a bit, and to your further surprise, you felt his jacket being draped around your shoulders a minute later. He didn’t say much about this, muttering something about how you could refuse all you wanted but it was obvious that you were at least a little cold. His fingers brushed against the bare skin of your arms for a minute, before he wasn’t touching you at all.

You had a hunch that he hadn’t brought the jacket for himself at all, and there was that feeling again, fluttering around in your stomach like an annoying insect. Forget butterflies, you had moths in there. You had to call pest control ASAP.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, and his eyes lit up a little bit. 

“There we go, was it so hard to be nice to me?” And just as quickly, your tone changed from grateful to snarky.

“Very, I feel like I’ve lost a limb here.”

He laughed and the sound was so very pretty, you were a little proud for being the cause of it. You weren’t someone to engage in petty arguing like this, but he had been right the other day. The way he responded so quickly to your words made it fun, almost like something you could look forward to.

Oh hell no. You couldn’t afford to think that way, and like clockwork Yeji’s warnings blared through your head. Taeyong was bad news, the epitome of a bad idea. In fact, if you looked it up, you were sure that google would give you his picture as the definition for a ‘bad idea’.

A cute bad idea, but a bad idea nonetheless. 

“We’re here,” you breathed out where you reached your dormitory building. He nodded, rocking on the heels of his feet, and saluted you comically.

“See you around ace,” with one last glance to make sure you would be fine, he turned around and walked down the street back to the frat house, leaving you to watch him go until he had disappeared from your line of sight. It seemed as if he liked giving people nicknames, but this one was different. 

Then, you snapped out of it and shook your head, skipping up the stairs and fishing your keys out of your pockets to enter your dorm.

That night, you curled into your sheets and knocked out the moment your head hit the pillow, with his jacket draped over the chair beside your desk, where it would inevitably stay.

It seemed as if Taeyong had decided to make you his new target.

You were sitting in the library at one of the tables in the back, hoping to be able to work in some peace and quiet on a project you had been assigned for class. You preferred to work in silence rather than with friends or a group because it was less distracting, but your ‘zen’ (as your friend Jiwoo put it) was broken when the devil himself showed up out of nowhere.

“Whatcha’ up to ace?” 

You nearly jumped out of your seat at the sudden interruption, his voice cutting through the soothing lofi music you had playing through your earphones. Yanking them out of your ears, you shot him a scathing look as you put your pen down.

“What do you think people come to the campus library for?”

He grimaced and had the audacity to pull out a chair beside you and seat himself in it, leaning back casually. He acted as if he owned the place and while confidence was attractive, it was a given that trying to accomplish anything with him around would be fruitless.

“Point taken, but it’s a Saturday morning and you’re spending it in the library? You could be doing something fun,” he pointed out. You would never understand how guys could do the bare minimum and still look good, but Taeyong had mastered that ability and must have been blessed with it from birth.

“Why are you here, Taeyong?” You sighed in exasperation. 

“Got lost, don’t tell anyone or it’ll ruin my rep.” he winked and looked at you expectantly, “Why are you here at ten in the morning on a weekend?” He repeated his question. In reality, he had to return a book he had borrowed the week before, but had spotted you after he had finished that task and couldn’t resist.

“Doing the responsible thing,” you thrust your index finger at your laptop, “And finishing this assignment.”

He clicked his tongue, “Boring.”

“I’m not boring,” You protested, tearing your eyes away from him and picking your pen back up. “I just like to finish things early so I’m not pulling an all-nighter the day before the deadline.” You had seen Hyuck and Yeji fall victim to that far too often and was determined to claim all your precious hours of beauty sleep out of pure spite, and the fact that your bed was rather comfortable.

“That’s the most important college experience!” He argued, biting the inside of your cheek at how you pursed your lips in vexation. “Come on ace, live a little.”

So that nickname was definitely sticking, and you couldn’t bring yourself to hate it. You snorted.

“No thanks, you can pull the all-nighters for both of us.”

Amused, he gripped the table and pulled himself closer to you. Never in his life had he met with someone so set on rebuffing his every suggestion, but it only made him more interested. You froze for a moment at the closer proximity but didn’t say anything, pretending to read the notes you had just taken.

“You’re telling me you haven’t had to burn the midnight oil even once?” He raised an eyebrow, breaking the silence once again. You shook your hair, some of your hair falling into your face. You didn’t bother to tuck it behind your ear again, and Taeyong was tempted but he didn’t want to push it. Not yet at least.

“I like sleep.”

“You’re weird,” he said, glossing over your declaration for love for sleep and scrunching his nose like a little kid, which was adorable and you had to mentally chide yourself for thinking that. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who hadn’t pulled an all nigher at least once.”

“Would you like a medal?” 

“Only if you’re the one putting it around my neck,” he said sweetly and you fake gagged. Peering over, he skimmed your work and asked, “So what’s the assignment about.”

“Analyzing readings,” you finally remembered what you were here for in the first place, “Now if you’d excuse me…” You trailed off, giving him the hint that he could leave. He had no intention of doing so, much to your dismay, and propped his chin on the palm of his hand instead.

“Can I be of help?”

“Are you here to just make my life difficult?”

“The definition of ‘help’ is to make it easier, so let me.” He gave you a bright look, and you bit back the urge to groan. 

“Fine, whatever, if it gets you to shut up.”

“You’re always so mean to me, and I haven’t done a damn thing,” he grumbled under his breath, but just loud enough for you to hear and you bit your lip, feeling a little guilty even though you knew he was partly joking. He really hadn’t done anything to you, but word of mouth was all it took to warn you about Taeyong. You couldn’t let your guard down around him, for the sake of your own heart.

He would get bored soon enough and find another girl to try and entice, and then you would be standing on the sidelines. You couldn’t risk that, you had so much to worry about without that possibility looming over your head. 

There was plenty of fish in the sea, but you just had to go catch the wrong one, didn’t you?

“So how exactly do you plan on helping me?” You asked, cutting some of your curtness out of your tone to make up for it. 

“Well, you should look up some notes on the internet instead of painstakingly reading what? Thirty pages of something that isn’t even in our final syllabus for the exams? Summaries will do the trick since they cover most of the topic and all the important points. It also saves time.”

You looked at him in surprise, a little impressed because it was good advice. “Where did you learn that?”

He looked at you mischievously, a look that had your heart stuttering slightly in your chest. 

“All those all-nighters are serving me well.”

You liked this. You liked it too damn much and you hated that fact, but it felt so natural with Taeyong. The back and forth was entertaining, the way he so quickly picked up on things, you wished you just turn back time and pretend you didn’t know him at all.

“I’m not doing it, doesn’t matter what you say,” you said, and a mischievous look fell upon his face as he leaned closer, leaving you to widen your eyes in shock. He was so close now that you were glad you were sitting towards the back of the library because you definitely didn’t want anyone seeing this.

“Then I’ll just have to stick around and keep you updated, hmm?” He crooned and blood rushed to your face so quickly it made you dizzy. Satisfied with your reaction, he pushed his chair away, having it make an unpleasant screech against the wooden tiling of the floor as he got to his feet to leave.

He had done what he had wanted to and had hit the jackpot. Your cheeks were buzzing with warmth even when you left the library about two hours later, and the memory of being so close was burned into your mind.

Lee Taeyong was going to be the death of you.

“Yes mom, I’m eating well,” You held your phone to your ear with one hand, rummaging through a cupboard with the other. She called sometimes to check up on you, knowing how you could get yourself into studying ruts and forget about your own well-being. She had been beyond surprised when she met Yeji since the two of you were complete opposites in many ways. 

You heard her yell something at your father, probably relaying your message. Finally finding the mug you wanted, you triumphantly rinsed it and poured in the hot chocolate powder you had brought from the store.

“That’s good to hear sweetheart, your father asked if you’ve burned your kitchen down yet.”

You huffed in offense, “Remind him of the time he burnt his eggs so bad Mark’s cooking looked like Michelin level food.” You spoke about your hometown friend, earning a laugh from your mother. Mark was in your college as well, Donghyucks roommate, which was actually how you met the later.

“Are you still coming to the fair? Kiera has missed you and refuses to go with anyone but you.”

You smiled briefly at the thought of your seven-year-old sister. You had been thirteen when she was born, and while the age gap was pretty large, you settled into the big sister role easily and loved her to death.

“Yeah I’m still coming, I cleared my schedule for it,” You assured her, and with that, your mother gave the phone to your sibling, who confidently began telling you about how she had finally mastered addition in her first grade math class. 

The college you attended was a town away from your home so it wasn’t too hard to go back for holidays and such. The drive was about three hours and while you didn’t mind it too much, living at home with such a commute would have been insanity, so you opted for campus housing to make your life easier.

Saying your goodbyes, you ended the call and placed your phone to the side, adding a few marshmallows on the top of your drink to complete it. You had opted to take a break from studying and treat yourself for an hour, taking your hot chocolate and carefully placing it down onto the table in front of the couch in the common room of your dormitory. 

You shared the place with Yeji, who was also your roommate. Currently, she was out on a date with the same guy she had been talking to at the party and had apparently been texting him ever since. You were happy for her, but part of you couldn’t help but what to experience the giddiness of getting ready for a date and falling for someone.

Too bad you had forced yourself to focus so much on studies that you had completely evaded that part of your life.

Scrolling through your phone as you tentatively took a sip of the hot beverage, you noticed someone had followed you on Instagram. Your surprise was only heightened when you saw that it was Taeyong.

Curiosity kills the cat, but you were a cat person, so it all worked out. Clicking on it, you admired his profile picture for a second, immediately recognizing that easygoing smile of his. The pictures he had up were of him and his friends or with animals. On the surface, he looked like a regular guy, with absolutely no evidence of being the campus heartthrob in the slightest.

Pressing his profile picture, his story popped up, which was a picture of him and Johnny Suh- who had his tongue sticking out- and a link to a radio show. You had almost forgotten that he was a part of that as well, and made a mental note to look into being a dog person soon because your interest had been piqued so much you even clicked on the link.

It had started only a few minutes ago but appeared to be in full swing with Johnny saying something about how he failed maths in high school for three semesters in a row and Taeyong teasing him for it. 

You let a smile grace your lips as you listened to them chatter on about the most irrelevant topics, occasionally dipping into stuff about school and the various events and competitions going on. You had to admit, they were extremely entertaining hosts, managing to keep you interested in even the most mundane topics.

It was clear Taeyong was good at what he did, a natural even. You wondered how you had never heard or met him before the party because now that you had you couldn’t imagine your life without him coming over to pester you for at least a few minutes. 

God, this was so bad. You found yourself thinking about Taeyong more often now and couldn’t figure out why. At one point you didn’t even know he existed, so why and how had he made such an impact in such a short period of time?

It wasn’t good for you in the slightest, because little by little Taeyong had started to grow on you, and all the warnings grew as well. As far as you knew, he had almost every girl hook line and sinker after him, and had slept with a good amount of them as well. 

They played a requested song and you shook off those thoughts, munching on a marshmallow. You had an English paper to get back to.

When you heard Kim Taeyeon was giving a talk at your university, you knew you had to attend.

She was a famous author, one you had admired since you were fifteen, and was one of your inspirations to one day, hopefully, write your own book. It was the entire reason you were an English major, you loved the subject and wanted to make it in the industry.

Walking into the auditorium, you quickly made your way up the stairs to somewhere in the middle where it was a good distance from the stage. It was also one of the only places that were still empty in terms of seating, so you really didn’t have much of a choice.

Settling into the plush seats, you closed your eyes in anticipation, excited. You couldn’t believe your luck and had already ranted about the event to your friends, who weren’t nearly as elated as you were, but made sure to keep up with whatever you were saying with interest.

“Ace?”

Freezing, you opened your eyes and looked up to your side to see Taeyong standing there with his bag slung over one shoulder. You weren’t sure when you had accepted that nickname to the point that you responded to it, but there wasn’t any going back now.

“...Yes?”

He beamed, taking the seat right beside you. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“The feeling is mutual,” you muttered dryly, getting up and moving one seat away. To this, he gave you a comical look of confusion and quirked an eyebrow.

“You can sit closer, you know? You afraid the teachers going to see or something?”

“I’m good,” you cleared your throat softly, “Besides, that seat is taken.”

“By who?”

“Jesus.”

After staring at you like you had grown another head for a solid minute, he let out a sound of pure disbelief and moved one seat over until you were side by side again. Part of you couldn’t believe the gal he had to do so, but you couldn’t even move again or you’d look like a first class idiot.

“Relax, would you?” He said, “I just wanted to sit with someone I knew since none of my friends have read Taeyeon's books.”

You let your shoulders fall slightly, realizing you had tensed up a little. You couldn’t help it, being around Taeyong had you watching your words and thinking things over way too much to be considered healthy. 

“Yeah, none of mine have either, which is surprising since she’s so famous.” At your words he nodded enthusiastically, getting comfortable.

“I love her work, what's your favorite book?” He cocked his head to the side as you mulled over your options, thinking of how pretty you looked all pensive, even in the bad lighting of the auditorium. It seemed as if you had warmed up to him a little with that question.

“It’s a tie between Fine and Weekend,” you said finally, not being able to choose between those two. He hummed.

“Good taste, but I like Can’t control myself best.” He confessed, stretching his hands out in front of him and cracking his knuckles.

“You like dramatic push and pull romance?”

He tilted his chin up in the air dramatically, putting on a posh, high society voice. “What can I say? It’s entertaining.”

And then the lights dimmed even further and there was a spattering of polite applause as Taeyeon herself took the floor. Pulling your attention away from Taeyong, you watched in awe as she smiled and thanked everyone before she began speaking.

She started by reading a line from one of her books, a very profound one at that, and then talked about how she started out in the very university you were attending right now, writing her silly little stories’ as she put them in her free time- just a starry-eyed nineteen-year-old with big dreams, hoping to be able to publish someday. 

It was honestly very inspiring to hear that even without much backing she had managed to make it. You silently wondered if you would ever be able to achieve that.

Glancing at Taeyong, it seemed as if he was just as enraptured with her speech, eyes focused onto the stage where she was. Suddenly, you could see yourself being his friend and talking to him about the books you liked and such, sitting next to each other in classes and tagging along.

But part of you repulsed the idea of simply being a friend and that part of you confused you to no end. You had always pictured the guys you should avoid as stoic with leather jackets and motorcycles that contributed to noise pollution (which was enough to put you off), but Taeyong wasn’t like that at all.

Maybe thats what made him so dangerous. He was unpredictable and all too tempting.

“I could see myself saying Weekend too,” he said suddenly, breaking you out of your self-induced trance, which led to you quickly looking away when you realized you had been staring. Tickled, he continued speaking.

“Forbidden romance with elopement is pretty fun and fast-paced.” You didn’t dare look back at him, wordlessly nodding as you pretended to pay attention to what the writer was saying. 

“Mhm,” you tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but you had been caught. To soothe your nerves, you told yourself you had simply zoned out and there wasn’t any other reason. You just happened to latch onto him, nothing more and nothing less.

You were a terrible liar, but that wasn’t the point. 

“I guess we all want a little drama in our lives,” you mumbled instead in reference to his favorite book of Taeyeon's. “Even if you think you only want a peaceful ride.”

“You definitely seem like the type who needs more drama,” he teased as Taeyeon finished up her speech and the audience gave her a standing ovation. The two of you joined the rest of them, watching as she left the stage and the dean announced that the live book signing would be held in the quad.

“Ups and downs are a hell of a lot of fun.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” you said, following the crowd as it started dispersing with him hot on your heels. As soon as you had warmed up, you had closed off once again, putting a wall between the two of you. In a way, you reminded him a lot of himself.

Taeyong promised himself he’d spice up your life a little.

Donghyuck almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

There you were with his friends- the frat he wasn’t even apart of but religiously crashed with- laughing and talking with them. He was just about to go over and join them, but this was a little too much. A medleying of both his worlds, if you will, though he supposed he was the one who initiated it.

Strangely enough, you weren’t standing next to Jaehyun or even close to him, which was the person he had set you up with. Instead, an all too familiar figure took his place by your side and muttered something under his friend. You turned and gave him a deadpan expression, clearly trying not to smile.

Was that fondness he detected in your eyes? Directed at Lee Taeyong of all people?

Impossible.

What he found even more outrageous was how Taeyongs gaze lingered on you even after you looked away, eyes softening a little and a small smile playing on his lips. Goodness gracious, sleeping in even morning was definitely a terrible idea, especially seeing how much he had missed.

You, on the other hand, were completely oblivious to your friends perplexities, trying your hardest to not think about how Taeyong greeted you first when he arrived. You weren’t too sure how you got roped into talking with the group. One moment you had been walking down campus and the next five guys appeared in your line of sight and began speaking about hanging out again.

If anyone told you from a year ago that you would be friends with the most popular frat boys in your university, you would have told them to take their meds. From barely socializing to finding yourself standing with a group, you had come a long way.

You….liked it. You liked belonging even though it wasn’t like you were lonely or anything before this. This was different, but a good different.

“Will you be coming to the party we’re hosting this weekend?” Johnny inquired, and you shook your head, holding your books tighter to your chest to prevent them from crashing to the ground.

“Sorry, I’m going home for a town thing on Friday,” you explained a little apologetically. It wasn’t often that you were invited to parties, and it was almost laughable that you had to shut down your very first invitation. Then you remembered how your first party went and decided that it was fine.

He nodded, “We’ll just drag you by the collar to the next one.” And with that they shuffled away- all of them except Taeyong of course, who was stuck my your side, watching his friends leave.

You raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going with them?”

“I like it better here with you, stop trying to get rid of me all the time,” but his voice lacked the mean streak. Instead, he still had that starstruck, amused look in his eyes that he reserved for you alone it seemed, and for a moment you didn’t know what to do with yourself.

“I-I have class,” you weren’t sure why you stumbled over your words, but his gaze was intense, so intense that it had you short-circuiting a little bit. Taeyong flustered you to no end, and it was a little ridiculous if you were being honest. 

“I’ll walk you.”

“You don’t have to,” you tried to put him off, but he was just as stubborn as you were, which was why you got along to an extent, you thought. 

“I want to,” he insisted, gesturing to the building. “Lead the way ace.”

“You asked me for my name only to call me ‘ace’ all the time,” you whined, picking up your pace and walking down the pathway. He clicked his tongue in mock disapproval and your sulking,

“You like it.”

You whipped your head around to look at him in surprise at just how confident he sounded of this fact. He was already looking at you, and his attention was getting pretty overwhelming at this point. He was so close, but so far and you didn’t know what to do with it.

“How would you know?” You challenged and he stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes at you.

“Because you’re smiling.”

You didn’t realize it until he pointed it out, but it was true. Your lips were tugged up at the sides, entertained, and your eyes were smiling too- he could see it. When you did figure this out, you tried your best to look neutral, but it was obvious you were fighting a smile as you looked away and walked ahead of him.

Lying to yourself was getting very tiring pretty quickly but you refused to face reality. It was safer this way, easier even. You never thought of yourself as the type to take the easy way out, but here you were, doing just that.

“You’re insufferable, I hope you know that.” You grumbled, turning a corner. Taeyong simpered and batted his eyelashes exaggeratedly.

“I’ve been told it brings out my eyes.”

Stopping by the entrance of your classroom, you turned around and faced him. He too was a consequence of your first ever party, and that seemed so long ago. It felt as if you had known Taeyong for longer than you actually did and part of you didn’t mind that. Part of you wished you had known him sooner.

Scratch that. It was simply a lapse in your already clouded judgement. 

“Bye Taeyong,” you said firmly. You had to stop getting attached, you had to stop yourself from continually letting your guard down around him. People hardly ever changed, and from what you had heart about him, you didn’t think he was capable of that either. You promised yourself that you wouldn’t be another toy for him to play with.

It was getting awfully hard to stick to that with the way he was looking at you.

“Bye Y/n,” he said, emphasizing your name with a shit-eating grin on his face. 

Was it so bad you liked the way it sounded when he said it?

You wondered if you were the only one who thought about him a little too much- if you occupied a space in his mind as well. He had managed to pick a spot in yours, that was for sure, and it scared you a little bit because you hadn’t thought about someone this way ever in all your twenty years of living.

With the way things were looking, Donghyuck concluded that he had been living under a rock and had a lot of catching up to do.

As a result of a class heavy day, you were particularly tired this afternoon. You managed to drag yourself to the library and bag a seat, taking your books and such out of your bag to begin working on that god forsaken assignment you still hadn’t finished. It was fine though, you had a month or so left before the deadline.

However, your weariness did not contribute to you being productive, which was how you ended up with your cheek resting on your palm and your eyes closed, dozing off. You had told yourself that all you needed was a few minutes to recuperate, but you already had one leg in the realm of sleep and the other dangling off the ledge that was the awakened world.

However, when someone clapped in front of your face loudly, you nearly fell out of the rickety wooden chair, heart jumping to your throat in fright. Then, your eyes focused on the culprit, who was smirking at your alarmed expression, and you scowled.

“Fuck you.”

Taeyong tutted, “You were going to fall over and hit your chin onto the table if I hadn’t alerted you, and that would have been painful.” You were tempted to ask if he knew this from personal experience, but settled for driving a death glare into his head.

“I get that I’m hot, princess, but maybe taking a picture would benefit you more,” he quipped smoothly. The library wasn’t a place he frequented very much, but he knew that there was always a high chance of finding you there, and he was right.

“Evaporate will you?” You sighed tiredly, pushing your index finger onto the scroll pad of your laptop to light the screen up once again. He had successfully scared the sleep and shit out of you, so you would be going back to working on your assignment.

..…That was until you saw the time.

You gasped, getting to your feet so quickly you almost gave Taeyong whiplash.  “No, no, no,” you muttered almost desperately, “You have got to be kidding me.”

“You okay ace?” He asked, a little concerned now. Groaning, you collapsed back into your seat and shook your head.

“I’m late,” you said finally, “I was supposed to leave thirty minutes ago to catch the bus back home for this stupid fair thing I promised my sister I’d attend but I dozed off.” You wondered how you had managed to let it slip your mind considering you had made sure to mark out several reminders for yourself.

Burying your head in your hands, you sighed. The next bus wouldn’t come around for another hour and it would be far too late to even think about attending the fair at that point. You were ready to pick up the white flag and wave it and were about to call your parents to inform them that someone had come up when Taeyong spoke.

“I can drive you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, it's a three hour drive,” you said quickly with a dejected sigh, and he decided that he didn’t like it when you looked so disappointed. Plucking your phone out of your hand to stop you from calling your family, he spoke again.

“So? I have a car you know.” He looked at you earnestly with those pretty eyes of his, confirming the fact that he was being serious. You didn’t understand why he was offering this so easily and frowned.

“Don’t you have a party to attend?”

He pressed his lips together. “I’ve been to enough of them, I think I can miss one. Besides, it looks like this ‘stupid fair thing’ is important to you.” He shrugged, taking a step back. “Come on, get your ass out of that chair so we can leave, you don’t want to be even later than you are now, do you?”

“You don’t have to do this,” you said softly, remembering you were in a library and he scoffed, grabbing your hand and yanking you up. 

“I know.”

“What about my things?” You asked, trying to factor everything in before you agreed. You couldn’t believe he was offering to do something so out of his way, and it ignited that warm, fluttery feeling in the pits of your stomach once again.

“You can keep them in my car, now let's go!” A ghost of a smile danced across his lips as he impatiently let you gather your stuff, and with his arm hooked into yours, the two of you made your way out of the library and down to where he had parked his car. You input the exact location of your town into his phone's Google Maps and he began driving.

It was spontaneous and so kind of him to save your ass like this. He hadn’t even thought twice before offering- or rather, forcing you to come along. You hadn’t wanted to trouble him, but if anyone had seen the scene, it would have seemed like he was more excited than you were.

Taeyong was a lovely person. Possibly the loveliest you had met in a long time.

The drive itself was covered in a comfortable silence until he switched the radio on. You learned that he was a good singer as well, humming along to the tune and occasionally singing the lyrics. Sometimes, he would purposely sing out of pitch just to elicit a giggle from you.

When the streets turned familiar, you sat straighter in the cushioned seats of his car, smiling a little. Coming home always made you happy, even though you weren’t that far from it. This was the place you grew up in, the place you had taken your first steps in and scraped your knees at. 

“Left,” you instructed, “My place isn’t that far off.”

He followed through, turning the corner and you saw your house in the distance. He parked his car right outside, and you practically leaped out with him following suit in a calmer manner, jogging to the front door, and then you knocked.

You heard quick, light footsteps and suppressed a smile, hearing the door click open as a small figure pulled it inwards. 

“Y/n!”

Kiera squealed in delight on seeing you, running straight for your legs and wrapping her arms around your waist. She was on the shorter side for a seven year old, the top of her head just about reaching your hips. Laughing, you pat her head in affection.

“Hey there big girl, ready to go to the fair?”

She nodded enthusiastically, tugging on the ends of your shirt. “Mom is waiting too.”

As if on cue, your mother walked up to the door and smiled at you, before she saw Taeyong standing there, who was watching the scene. She looked from him to you and asked. 

“Who’s your friend?”

You glanced over at him and wondered for a second if he was a friend. It certainly seemed like it, and you couldn’t bring yourself to make a sarcastic comment at his expense. Instead, you smiled lightly.

“That’s Taeyong, he drove me here.”

“How nice! You should come along with us to the fair darling,” She offered, and he shook his head politely, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“No thats okay, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

You were a little alarmed at the prospect of him being there but pushed it down quickly. “Don’t be idiotic,” you hissed so Kiera wouldn’t hear, “You came all the way here, you should experience the fair too. Asking as a friend.”

He tongued his cheeks skeptically. “Are you sure?”

“Please come with us!” Your sister piped up shyly, hiding behind your legs. You gave him an expectant look and smirked.

“Are you going to say no to a kid?” You asked slyly and he licked his lips in amusement, liking this side of you. Crouching down, he smiled at your little sister.

“Alright, if you insist.”

She clapped her hands happily and with that, your entire family piled out of your home. They seemed to have accepted Taeyong rather quickly, asking him about his major and what not. He answered all their questions politely, and he wasn’t even trying to be charming. He was just that amazing, even Kiera was charmed, refusing to move from her position between the two of you.

Whoever said that a guy who was good with kids was hot was not lying. Never had you liked Taeyong more than right then. He was gentle and so sweet with your sister than you couldn’t help but make a mental note of it.

Wait, what?

You didn’t like this, that was yet another lapse in your judgement. You couldn’t like Lee Taeyong, and so you wouldn’t. It was just that simple.

(It really wasn’t.)

The fair itself was just as fun as you remembered, with rides and stalls scattered about. You ended up sharing a stick of cotton candy with him while Kiera munched on her very own. 

Your mother eyed the two of you, putting the pieces together. Giving a knowing look to your father, she suggested that you take a ride on the Ferris wheel with him, a suggestion you immediately shut down.

“God no,” you said quickly, “That’s a death trap.”

“It’s your telltale amusement park ride,” Taeyong corrected you, “We should go.”

You glared, “I’d rather sit through Professor Gwan’s three hour lectures.” Okay, that was a lie, everyone absolutely despised Professor Gwan and his obscenely long class hours, which was why you had dropped his class in the first place. He wiggled his eyebrows at you.

“What- are you scared of a kid’s ride?” He was testing you now, “Didn’t take you for a wuss, ace.”

You glared, walking over to the ticket booth for the Ferris wheel and purchasing two, handing one to him. “I’m not a wuss.”

Ah yes, spite: your motivation for many things. Snickering, he handed the ticket to the person overlooking the rides, who let both of you into a cart. After securing it shut, they went to start the ride, and almost immediately you regretted having so much pride.

So here was the problem: you maybe were sort of absolutely shit scared of heights. 

The fear stemmed from the time your parents convinced you to climb over the monkey bars in the park and sit there. Many other children had done it and so you agreed, but had miscalculated a stretch and ended up falling through the rungs instead, resulting in breaking your right wrist. You had it in a cast for a while, and since then you refused to take part in anything that involved heights.

When the Ferris wheel jerked to life, you yelped and instinctively grabbed onto Taeyong, who let out a surprised sound when you clambered into the same side as he was sitting. 

“Oh fucking hell, why did I agree to this?” you questioned, voice going a little breathless. The carriage you were sitting in rocked a little bit as it ascended and you screwed your eyes shut, clinging onto the boy for dear life.

Taeyong was a suave guy, he wasn’t awkward and was barely ever caught off guard, and yet when you practically threw your arms around him, he froze, not quite knowing what to do with his arms. Hesitantly, he let them fall to your waist, holding you carefully as if you were made of porcelain.

“Ace?” He asked quietly and you buried your face in the crook of his neck, not really caring about how intimate the gesture really was. “Are you okay?”

You inhaled sharply. “Heights,” you managed to breathe out, “I’m not fond of them.”

His eyes widened slightly in realization and he pulled you a little closer, hoping to provide some sort of comfort. “You idiot, you shouldn’t have gotten the tickets then!?”

“You called me a wuss!”

“I didn’t know you were afraid of heights!” He argued, and at this point, you were practically in his lap, which wasn’t ideal but you didn’t complain. Your fear of heights ran thick and deep, even a glance at how high off from the ground you were would have you panicking.

“I’ll be fine, it’ll get over soon,” you said, biting down hard on your lower lip. Taeyong nearly choked when you shifted in his lap.

“Oh yeah, just jerk your knee into my crotch. This is fine.”

“Sorry!” You squeaked out, cheeks burning in embarrassment as you shifted again. Even with all his complaining, he never once let go of you, holding you close and acting like your anchor. He was the one thing you were holding onto to remain sane.

You stayed silent for a minute, willing the damn ride to get over, but you had forgotten that the Ferris wheel was one of the slower rides. If you had looked up, you would have seen a pink-cheeked Taeyong, who was doing his best to not be affected by you. This was very new for him, he was always in the position of affecting people but this time it was you and you weren’t even doing it intentionally.

“You’re not even going to open your eyes at the top?” He asked and you shook your head stubbornly. 

“I’m good.”

“But the view? It’s the whole point of getting to the top,” he nudged you slightly and you huffed, trying to ignore the soothing circles he had been rubbing into the exposed skin of your waist now that your shirt had ridden up a little.

“I don’t give a damn about the view Taeyong,” you whined and he sighed, repositioning himself and you.

“At least look at me,” he bargained, reaching down and intertwining your fingers with his. “Hey, I’m here for you.” And indeed he was, with his soft voice and comforting presence. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you slowly opened your eyes.

You were met with Taeyong looking straight at you intently. The setting sun framed his features, shining through the strands of his blond hair and giving him a halo of sorts. Your breath caught in your throat because you were sure that you had never seen someone so absolutely gorgeous. 

Your eyes flickered to his lips for a few seconds, something that didn’t go unnoticed by him. It was obvious he liked you, and so was the fact that you definitely felt something towards him. He didn’t understand why you refused to acknowledge it.

“Is it okay if I move a little?” He murmured and you nodded hesitantly. Slowly, he shifted to your side, leaving you with the full view of your town below.

It was fucking stunning.

Your lips parted in awe as you inspected the scene, wondering why you had never had an overview look of the place. You could see the rest of the fair and the houses in the distance- even your old high school and it all came together in a picture that you were proud to be a part of.

“Wow,” you said, hushed, as you gripped into his hand, not believing your eyes. “Its…” You trailed off, not being able to finish your thought as the Ferris wheel stopped right on the top, giving you the birds-eye view.

“You were so scared you almost didn’t open your eyes,” he whispered, hand still snug around your waist. “And you would have missed the view if you hadn’t.”

His words were layered and you had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about the view anymore. Your throat went dry as you mindlessly nodded, not knowing how else to respond to that, because he was right in more ways than one.

“Yeah,” you whispered back, leaning into his touch ever so slightly, and the evening sun faded into the night sky.

“Bruh.”

People had to stop springing up on you out of nowhere because it was getting very tiring. At this point, you didn’t even get startled, simply looking up at Donghyuck, who was standing behind you with a deadpan expression on his face.

“Yes?”

“Is your lockscreen you and Taeyong?” He asked incredulously, and grabbed it from your hands, leaving you to try and get it back from.

“And my sister! It’s not a big deal its just a cute pic,” you tried justifying the fact the best you could. It wasn’t a lie, it really was a cute picture, with Kiera sitting on Taeyong’s shoulders and him holding her in place, an amused smile on his face and one of his eyes closed in a wink for the picture. You were in it as well since your mother had taken it, looking at the both of them affectionately, though it could have easily been misinterpreted.

“Oh my,” your best friend muttered, staring at it in bewilderment while simultaneously managing to keep it out of your grasp. “You got something to tell me?”

“We’re….friends,” you settled on this, but it felt weird to say out loud. Donghyuck looked unconvinced, handing your phone back to you but not letting you take it, resulting in the both of you yanking it back and forth.

You warned, “Donghyuck.”

“You’re into him, aren’t you?”

You rolled your eyes, “Not this conversation again, I friend-zoned him like five seconds ago.”

Donghyuck thought you were the most dense person in the entire world and he was a hundred percent correct. “You can friendzone someone and still like them. I’ve done it.”

“Hyuck, thats called being a douche bag.”

“Isn’t it?” 

This caused you to think over your words. Were you being a douche bag for constantly pulling Taeyong closer and then pushing him away? It wasn’t your fault that he was completely off limits, or the fact that you remembered that at the worst times. It wouldn’t do you any good to get carried away because you were sure he was like this with every girl.

You genuinely didn’t know how to respond and Donghyuck sighed, finally letting go of your phone.

“You’re allowed to like him, you know,” he said gently and you shook your head adamantly.

“You heard what Yeji said about him,” you muttered bitterly, “You agreed with it yourself.”

“So you’re stopping yourself from being happy because of what Yeji said? Come on Y/n, I thought I taught you better than this,” he joked, seating you down on the couch opposite him. He wasn’t really supposed to be in your dorm at this time, but you didn’t have the chance to bring this up when he started speaking again, “I know what we said but if you really do like him- and I’m pretty sure that you do- don’t let someone else’s words stop you from having what you want. 

His words were surprisingly wise considering his usual lighthearted demeanor and state of mind. Staring and your hand which he was now holding, you deflated a little.

“Thanks Hyuck.”

“Anytime, I specialize in helping my friends when they’re being dumbasses- ow! What was that for?” You hit his arm and flipped him off, the moment broken. Ignoring his sulking, you picked your phone back up and looked at the picture, lips twitching when you scanned the picture. 

Yeah, it definitely looked like you were looking at Taeyong, and suddenly that didn’t sound so bad.

You found yourself back at the frat house, this time infinitely more jittery than the last time, which you didn’t think was possible but here you were.

And once again, the cause of your nervous state was the same person, who sat right beside you this time. He had smirked with you when you walked in, knowing exactly what he had done to you. Mentally cursing at him, you tried your hardest to keep up with the movie, but it was getting harder and harder.

The truth of the matter was that Lee Taeyong had you wrapped around his little finger, and even though all you had had was the smallest taste, you wanted more- all of it in fact. You were greedy like that, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

You were comfortable too, and maybe it was all of the factors, but you ended up dozing off midway through the movie. Your head rested on Taeyongs shoulder, basically curled into his side and undisturbed by the sounds and noise coming from the movie that was playing in the background.

He hadn’t noticed at first, not until he tried to move to grab someone of the popcorn and found you fast asleep. Your eyelashes cast shadows over your face in the dim lighting and some of your hair fell over your face but you were unbothered by it due to your unconcious state.

He took a second to just look at you, the sleepy pout of your lips, the curve of your lips- he thought you were so beautiful and although it sounded cheesy to think about it was a hundred percent true.

Scooping you up in his arms, he leaned over to whisper to Yuta that he was taking you to his room and letting you sleep in his bed instead of here. Jaehyun caught wind of this and gave his friend a knowing look. It was obvious that his friend was captivated with you, and who was he to say anything about that?

Carefully carrying you upstairs, he pushed open the door to his room and placed you down on his bed. Making sure you were in a comfortable enough position, he tucked you under his blanket.

Standing up, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Never in his life had he done so much for one girl, in fact, he was sure he had never liked someone as much as he liked you. No one had ever taken up so much space in his mind.

When you woke up, it was morning, and you found yourself in an unfamiliar room and bed. After panicking for a solid minute, you sat up and looked around to try and gain your bearings. It was a well-kept room, clean and neat with some books on a desk and a half-open laptop. On the other end was a closet and then a chest of drawers with frames on top. To your left was a wall that had pictures stuck to it, and in each of them was Taeyong.

Oh.

“Good morning sunshine, sleep well?” 

Taeyong walked into the room and you immediately looked away from the pictures and nodded slowly. His lips upturned into a small grin, leaning against the door frame.

“You have an adorable bed head, by the way.”

Immediately your hands flew to your hair, which you smoothed out as you looked away. One would think you’d be used to all the offhand compliments he threw your way but they never failed to catch you off guard.

“Um- thanks? I think?” You peeled the blanket off your legs and swung them over the side off his bed. “How did I end up here?”

“Fell asleep during the movie so I got you upstairs instead because I know from experience that my bed is infinitely more comfortable than the sofa,” he cocked his head to the side, “Breakfast? I made waffles.”

You bit your lower lip, “I don’t want to intrude..”

He cut you off immediately. “You won’t be, the guys all have classes today except me, so you have me all to yourself,” he teased, already walking away and downstairs, leaving you to follow him. 

He handed you a plate of his waffles, which had had a little whipped cream on the top with chocolate chips sprinkled over it. So he could cook, and the moment you took a bite of it you found out that he was an excellent cook. This truly wasn’t fair, God had played favorites and it was Lee Taeyong.

“Thanks,” you took another bite quickly, “Holy shit this is so good.”

“I know,” he said smugly, sitting across from you and watching you devour his creations. You licked your lips to get rid of some of the whipped cream that had caught there and he couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad you like them.”

“You have to teach me how to make these,” you dedicated, looking at him with big eyes that he couldn’t possibly say no to. 

“It’s a secret recipe! What would be in it for me?”

You mulled over this for a minute. “Is spending a day with a terrible cook not good enough for you?”

“Wow, no wonder you’re not going to pursue advertising,” he remarked dryly and you smiled innocently, offering some to him, which he declined. This felt normal, like it was supposed to be like this all along. 

After finishing up the borderline heavenly waffles he had whipped up for you and making a mental note to ask him to teach you how to make them later on once again, you were all set to leave. You knew when you got back you would be greeted with a Yeji who would be ready to grill you about your absence last night.

“I should go,” you said, getting up from your seat and making sure you had all your stuff (which was just your phone). Taeyong nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets and standing to his feet.

“I’ll walk you.”

You hummed in agreement but then found that for some reason, you didn’t really want to leave. It was just what you had to do, but your feet were rooted to the ground and something was nagging at you.

You realized Taeyong probably took the couch last night while you slept soundly in his bed, a decision he had willingly made. You had lost count of the number of things he had done for you at this point, but that pile had become something akin to a small hill.

You had feelings for Taeyong.

Well fuck.

This was the worst time you could have chosen to finally accept your feelings because you were supposed to leave but the words sat on the tip of your tongue. You were a little frantic because you quite frankly didn’t know what to do with yourself now. He furrowed his eyebrows in question.

“You good, ace?”

No, you were not, in fact, ‘good’ as he put it. You were so far from good that you would have to use a GPS to find your way back to it and then make a beacon that reached all the way into the sky so that you didn’t get lost again. It didn’t help that you were terrible with directions as it was.

When you finally managed to meet his eyes, you found him already looking at you in concern with what had to be the softest look anyone had ever given you. With your heart hammering in your chest, you found your voice and forced yourself to speak.

“I think I like you,” you blurted out rather gracelessly, and you wanted to hit yourself for it but there was no going back now. “I really, really like you.”

Honesty is the best policy was something your mother repeated when you were younger, but now that you had been honest, you wanted to dig a ditch and bury yourself alive. The confession came out much more earnestly than you had intended it to and it had heat rising to your face.

Taeyong on the other hand was staring at you with wide eyes because he never expected you to actually say it. Forget butterflies, an entire zoo had moved into his stomach and he wasn’t totally opposed to it at all. Taking a step closer, he spoke.

“Say it again.”

What the fuck. “No.”

“Atta girl,” he grinned, pulling you closer and pressing his lips to yours without another word. You gasped softly against his mouth, but your hands quickly found their place around his neck, fingers entangled in his hair as they had once been so long ago.

You didn’t even remember your first kiss with him that well, but that was because both of you were drunk and it was under the circumstance that you would never see each other again. It was imperfect- exhilarating, yes- but it had nothing on this one.

This time you remembered every detail, from the way his hands fell to your hips and pulled them to his, the way his lips moved against yours so delicately and precisely. It was a perfect first kiss and a perfect moment. Your eyes fluttered shut as you let yourself go, tilting your head to kiss him better.

You rediscovered that Taeyong was an excellent kisser,  gentle and loving with how he kissed you. Like he actually cared for you and you let yourself believe that for the first time, tugging slightly on the ends of his hair. He was like a drug that you couldn’t break away from, wanting more and more. 

Breathlessly and amidst kisses, he asked, “Are you sure you need to go?” 

Lee Taeyong was a walking red flag, and fortunately (or unfortunately) for you, your favorite colour just happened to be red.

“Do I have a reason to stay?” And his eyes sparkled, tugging you further into the house and pecking your lips once again.

“I could give you a few.”

Taking your coffee from the barista, you took a sip of it and moved to the side, wanting to enjoy your caffeine fix of the day before your class, which was in approximately fifteen minutes. You liked being early, it gave you a good rep with the professors and made you feel better about yourself.

“Come with me, and be careful not to drop your precious coffee.”

You yelped as someone grabbed your arm, practically dragging you away from the spot you were previously standing it. Managing to fix the cover of the disposable cup, you quickly recognized the culprit to be Taeyong.

“Where the fuck are you taking me- oh my god slow down, would you?”

He didn’t answer, merely pulling you to a corner and quickly stealing a kiss. Your frown melted away the moment he did, almost forgetting about the coffee in your hands.

“You taste like coffee.”

“Was that all you wanted?” You raised an eyebrow, refusing to smile even though you wanted to. 

“You’re a tough woman to please,” he grumbled, but there was a hint of a smile in his voice. “And no, I’m stealing you away for the day.”

“I have class- and so do you,” you narrowed your eyes at him in disapproval and he rolled his eyes.

“Loosen up a little ace, have you never skipped class before?”

“And ruin my perfect attendance? Never,” you shook your head, trying to pry yourself out of his arms. “I’m serious! I like seeing my report with it. So do my parents.”

“And I like seeing you, so I think I win here,” You scrunched up your nose and while the prospect of skipping class might have once horrified you, you decided it wasn’t the end of the world just this time around. One time couldn’t hurt, right?

“You better make it worth it.”

Who were you kidding, you were so smitten by Taeyong that you even rebelled against yourself. You had never been like this before, but there was just something about him that made you want to jump right out of your comfort zone.

In truth, you hadn’t seen him since Saturday when you first confessed, but that meant it had only been around a full day. When you had gone home that evening, you were met with a fuming Yeji, angry that you hadn’t even messaged her to confirm you were safe. You were touched by her concern and were also glad that she hadn’t asked where you were off to because you knew that there was no way in hell that she would approve.

“When do I not?” He challenged and you rolled your eyes, letting him lead you out of campus. You learned that you liked how his hand felt intertwined with yours and you silently wondered if this was how your friends felt when they were falling for someone.

In short, you were like a lovesick teenager, giddiness and all. You wouldn’t be surprised if you found hearts drawn in the back of your textbooks at this point. 

You liked it. You liked it a lot because it was something you had been missing out on for so long. You couldn’t even recognize your freshman self because she was so different from the current you. Case in point was that she wouldn’t have been caught dead making out with Taeyong in the back of his car.

“Is this what you stole me away from my classes for?” You whispered against his lips, straddling his waist. He chuckled, fingers running through your hair as he angled your face to kiss you more optimally. Your legs were on either side of him, hooked around his hips, and your hands on his shoulders to support your figure.

“Maybe,” he mumbled, more focused on kissing you than responding to your question. You could smell his cologne with how close you were, body pressed flush against his. “I’d say it’s worth it.”

He swiped his tongue over your bottom lip dangerously and you whined at his teasing, pulling away and pouting.

���I could be getting educated, you know.”

“Yeah but now you’re educated and getting laid,” he teased, causing you to playfully slap his arm. Flustering you was his new favorite pastime because now he could do it without holding back and it was clear that you enjoyed every minute of it. Not that you would ever admit that to his face though, not when it took you this long to finally face the fact that you liked him.

“If I don’t do well on my midterm, I’m holding you accountable,” you warned as he pulled you back in. You didn’t object and wrapped your arms around his neck. He kissed you till your lungs were begging you for oxygen and your lips were swollen.

You were walking a dangerous tightrope but you hadn’t looked down yet. You were skipping across to the other side, just happening to always step in the right places and not fall.

Though you supposed you had fallen, just in a different way.

“How does Friday sound?” Taeyong asked when the two of you finally broke away and you hummed.

“An excellent alternative to Thursday.”

“I meant for a date, ace,” He pushed some of your hair behind your ear and your eyes widened in surprise. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t been on a date before, it was just that you hadn’t thought that far which was probably stupid. Trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, you nodded.

“Taeyong, are you asking me out right now?” 

“Excellent observational skills,” he deadpanned, but there was a twinkle in is eyes. “Yes or no question.”

“And if I say no?”

“You don’t want to,” he smirked, “You like me too much.”

“You like me too,” you pointed out and he hummed in affirmation, enjoying how you were trying to rebuff him a little too much. You groaned, getting off of him and sitting on the side, “Disgusting. Friday sounds perfect.”

He laughed and you thought that you could get used to this. You liked just existing with Taeyong, sitting around and hearing him speak or with his arms around you. It made you embarrassingly happy and you wanted to kick your feet like a little kid in excitement.

So this was what it felt like.

“Just let me look- Jesus Christ Taeyong I’m going to walk into a wall at this rate.”

Now, when you agreed to go on a date with Taeyong, you had imagined going for a movie and stealing his nachos in the darkness of the theater, or going to a restaurant. Both scenarios were valid and possible, but when he requested you to wear a blindfold, you started to question his sanity.

After seeing the dubious look you shot him, he was quick to assure you it wasn’t anything too extreme that could possible involve blindfolds (and given his- ahem- history, it wasn’t too far fetched to jump to conclusions, but you supposed you were guilty of being involved in it as well). All he would tell you was that you should dress comfortably and maybe bring along a sweater or something of the sort. 

You wore a cute skirt paired with a pretty top you had borrowed from Yeji, paired with his very own jacket that you hadn’t returned from all those weeks ago. It had been a hot minute since you had gone on a date, so you had been a little scatter-brained while getting ready, but ended up being satisfied with the minimal make up you had done. Your hair had decided to cooperate for once, and you took it as a good sign.

What you didn’t expect was him refusing to let you take the blindfold off as he guided you through what you assumed was still campus, or at least somewhere close by. You were a hundred percent sure that you looked like a complete idiot, aimlessly trying to gain your bearings as he attempted to make up for your lack of sight.

“Quit whining ace, we’re almost there.” He said, and you could practically hear the annoying grin that he was probably wearing, no doubt entertained by your current state. His hand rested on the small of your back, making sure to tell you when to turn and stop so you didn’t run into something and make even more of a fool of yourself.

You hoped that your eye makeup wasn’t going to get messed up with the stupid blindfold on because you had spent a solid thirty minutes making sure your eye liners turned out nicely. It was almost embarrassing, just how much you wanted to impress him.

“For all I know you could be kidnapping me,” you stated bluntly as your hand fell to his that rested around your waist. He clicked his tongue and pondered aloud.

“Maybe I should just take you back to your dorm instead.”

“No!” You blurted out immediately, “Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll shut up now.”

He snickered and you felt him softly undo the knot you had made of the blindfold at the back of your head, letting the fabric fall from your eyes and catch around your neck like a necklace. Blinking rapidly to get used to daylight once again, your lips parted in surprise when you saw what lay in front of you. You realized you were in the nearby park and right before your eyes was a checkered blanket, one right out of a movie with a basket and everything. To the side sat Doyoung, who was scrolling through his phone.

The motherfucker had planned out a picnic for you.

It was extremely romantic and super sweet and your heart practically melted at the sight. You couldn’t believe he had taken the effort to plan and execute something so extremely adorable and perfect.

Er- apart from Doyoung sitting there in the corner, of course.

“Oh good, you’re finally here,” The aforementioned boy said, looking extremely relieved. “I don’t have to sit here all alone looking like an idiot anymore! You owe me,” he threw Taeyong a pointed look, to which the later grinned sheepishly and shooed Doyoung away.

“I made him sit here and guard it while I got you here,” he explained, still sporting the slightly embarrassed look. “What do you think?”

You were ready to wear the blindfold for several other purposes if this was the kind of things he liked to do because it was just so endearing. Taeyong had the persona of a huge dog that was secretly a softie, you discovered, mostly perceived at this stoic guy. In reality, he had a heart of gold and excellent culinary abilities.

“I love it,” you said truthfully, practically bouncing on your heels at this point. The affection you felt for him at that moment was immeasurable and it only grew tenfold when he ushered you to sit down on the picnic blanket and explained all of the snacks he had prepared.

You learned that Taeyong loved the colour pink and had once dyed his hair that colour in freshman year before reverting back to the blond he had now. You made him promise to show you pictures, which he proudly did and you had to admit, he looked pretty cute with it. He loved dancing and was a sucker for romcoms no matter how cheesy they were.

Taeyong was truly a lovable person, down to every mannerism of his. You could understand why so many had fallen for him because he was just so easy to fall for.

The thought startled you in the midst of a conversation, throwing you for a loop and effectively distracting you from whatever he was animatedly telling you about (a prank him and Yuta played on Jaehyun in their first year- something involving a class confrontation and a faked argument that had every student clutching their sides in laughter). Now that you had finally let yourself believe you liked him and had stopped repressing those feelings, they only seemed to grow.

Did you love Taeyong?

You blinked, forcing yourself out of it and back to listening to him, smiling and nodding where you thought was appropriate. That type of thinking was laughable, because you had no time for it. This was fun but you couldn’t let yourself get too carried away but you knew you were already too far gone.

You had royally failed in the ‘holding yourself back’ category, because you found yourself ditching your study time more and more to hang out with him, consoling and reasoning with yourself with the fact that you could just study later. Just the other day when you went through with this promise you found yourself up past midnight, and realized you had almost gone through with an all nighter- something you had told yourself you wouldn’t ever do.

How could one person change you so much? It was like you were willingly going to the top of a mountain, sitting on the edge of a cliff and swinging your legs back and forth without another care in the world.

You took one of the orange slices, biting into it and responding to something he had asked you. There was never a dull moment when you were around Taeyong, that was for sure.

And if you secretly liked it well, whose business with that?

“You’ve been staring at your phone the entire lunch. Who murdered who?”

You switched your phone of and placed it to the side, playing with the food on your plate with your fork as you bit back a smile.

“No murder.”

Yeji sighed in exasperation and stuffed a mouthful of the dining hall lunch into her mouth. “What is up with you then? You’re acting off.”

“How so?” You still hadn’t told her about your….relations with Taeyong, to put it lightly. You quickly found out that sneaking around was a hell of a lot of fun as well, it was your little secret and one you liked guarding.

“Just weird. I’ve never seen you like this.” She studied your face intently as if all the answers would be presented to her if she focused hard enough. You were tempted to tell her than telepathy wasn’t a thing. “Like you’re overly happy.”

You snorted, “Am I not supposed to be happy?”

Right then your screen lit up, signalling a message from Taeyong. You glanced at it and simpered slightly, picking the device up once again to respond. It was a picture he had taken of the waffles he had made, this time with chocolate chips inside them. He was taunting you, you knew, since he refused to teach you how to make them.

“You can be happy but this is like, a very extreme level of happy. Something’s up and you’re not telling me.”

“Nothing is up, as you’re putting it,” you insisted, finishing up your lunch. “I’m just having a good day.”

“You’ve been like this for a month.”

“So I’m having a good month, big deal, you should be happy for me,” you said, turning away so she wouldn’t catch the giddy smile that was gracing your lips.  

[1:52 pm] you: i hate u

His reply came like clockwork, as if he had been waiting for your reaction. The thought made you want to yell because it really was absolutely absurd just how much you liked him

[1:52 pm] taeyong: lying is bad, we’ve been over this several times ace

“Just tell me already,” Yeji pried and you shook your head, hoping she would stop trying to get an answer out of you. She momentarily dropped it, going back to eating and muttering someone about you having your rebellious teenager phase a little too late.

She was not wrong. It was only later than day when you opened your dorm door to Taeyong and dragged him inside, heading straight for your room and locking the door. She had been taking a  shower during those few moments, so you didn’t have to be super careful until she was out.

“I feel like you’re smuggling drugs here,” he joked, taking a seat on your bed and gently hugging your waist when you walked over to him.

“No, just you,” you retorted, grinning when he pecked your lips. “Next time, I’ll come through the window,” he offered, sporting a dead serious expression. You snorted at the thought of him trying to climb through your first floor dorm window and stumbling into your room, shaking your head.

“But the smuggling is easier.”

He blinked. “Gotta admit, I never expected to ever hear those words, least of all from you.”

Rolling your eyes, you pushed your fingers through his hair and kissed him, which you quickly learned was the most effective method of shutting him up. You also learned that you really liked kissing Taeyong.

And then someone knocked on the door of your room.

Breaking away, you panicked when you heard Yeji’s voice calling out and quickly pried his hands off of you, pointing to your closet.

“Get in.”

“Excuse me?” He shot you a quizzical look and you walked over to your closet, yanking it open and gesturing. 

“I said, get in!” You hissed, “Please?”

He licked his lips. “Listen, I don’t mind being trapped in a closet with you but this is not what I had in mind at all so-” He stopped mid-sentence when he caught wind of the borderline murderous look you were sending him and zipped his mouth, making a show of throwing the keys away, “Yes ma’am.”

After making sure everything was order with one hurried look, you unlocked your door and opened it halfway, standing there to obscure your best frends view.

“What happened?” You asked, feigning innocence and she set her lips in a disgruntled look, eyeing you up and down. You did your best to make it look like there had been nothing going on, but Yeji was smarter than that, taking one look at your slightly frazzled state and getting straight to the point.

“You never lock your door,” She noted skeptically, giving you the same wary look she had given you in the afternoon. “Why did you lock your door?”

“I just wanted some privacy,” you reasoned. Suddenly, her eyes lit up in a way that you were all too familiar with because it signified her having a less than great idea. With a teasing smile gracing her face, she asked.

“Y/n, is this about a boy?”

You were a little alarmed at how she had caught on. Your surprise must have been very obvious because she laughed in disbelief, patting your shoulder and teasing. “Oh? Our angel has a boyfriend? Have you been running around with a boy?”

Her words caused you to flush, shaking your head a little too quickly. “I don’t- I don’t have a boyfriend.”

It wasn’t a lie by any means, considering that you and Taeyong hadn’t really spoke about the status of your relationship. It was more of a blank slate at this point, one that was carefully being naviated by two people who were very new to it.

You were not the only one who shocked by this claim, because Taeyong could hear the entire conversation taking place from where he was, stuck in your closet. His eyes widened when he heard that because he hadn’t thought about you and him like that- in a proper relationship as a boyfriend and a girlfriend to each other. It was just fun. 

You were protecting whatever you had with him for a reason, it seemed, because you really did care for it. And he cared too, but this complicated things and he hadn’t even thought that far yet. He liked living in the moment and enjoying what he had, worrying about the future later.

Had you been thinking about the future?

“But all the signs are there! Checking your phone, smiling at it, being so….weirdly happy,” With every reason she added you wanted to slam the door in her face for this entire situation was beyond embarrassing. You shook your head, trying to cut her off.

“I was studying,” you said, “I missed out of a few of my study sessions this week so I was trying to make up for it.” 

Another mistake on your part. Yeji knew you too damn well and only smirked.

“That is also very out of character for you honey, you wouldn’t miss out on your precious study sessions if hell was freezing over.” She leaned against the doorframe and raised an eyebrow. “Gonna tell me the truth now?”

“I’m telling you the truth,” you lied smoothly, “Can I go back to studying?”

She sighed, “If it is a guy, I am happy for you, you know.”

“It’s not-”

“Yeah yeah,” she waved you off, totally unconvinced, “I’ll leave you to your ‘studying.” She put air quotes up when she said that, walking away and back to her room, leaving you standing there, struggling to come to terms with her words.

Wordlessly, you shut your door and leaned against it, sighing and taking a moment to yourself. You didn’t like the taste lying left on your tongue, but it had to be done. Pulling yourself together again, you walked to the closet and opened it, letting Taeyong out.

“Will you explain why you’re hiding me?” He asked as he stumbled out, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. A few minutes ago it wasn’t like this, but now he felt as if he was walking on nails- one wrong move and he would get hurt.

You realized how horrible it sounded and you blinked. “I’m not ashamed of you I promise,” you started carefully, “It’s complicated.”

There wasn’t a single reason for Taeyong to be angry, so he wasn’t. Instead he took his former seat on your bed and pat the side beside him, signalling for you to join him. You did, settling into his side as you played with your fingers and sighed.

“According to Yeji, you’re bad news.”

He quirked an eyebrow in amusement, leaning back on the palms of his hands, “Oh?”

You pulled your knees to your chest, puffing out your cheeks as warmth rushed to them. Now that you actually had to explain it, it was all of a sudden awkward, because you had to bring up the party and how everything started. 

“I uh- asked her about you after we met in class for the first time and she flat out told me that you’re not the type of guy I should get involved with,” you confessed, rubbing your arms in embarrassment. “So I tried my hardest to dislike you but clearly I failed.” 

You ended it light-heartedly, trying to get yourself out of it. Taeyong chuckled, tucking some of your hair behind your ear. 

“I’m glad you failed, if that helps.”

However, on the inside he was all over the place, because your friend was a hundred percent correct. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what he was and he knew how he was. He got bored very easily, which hadn’t happened yet with you but that was the thing, wasn’t it? He was afraid that one day he would see you and his heart wouldn’t skip a beat anymore, or he wouldn’t get that warm feeling spreading in his guts.

“I just,” you hesitated, playing with your fingers, “I like how things are right now, you know?” 

He met your eyes and understood what you meant by that perfectly. The corners of his lips upturned slightly and he nodded slowly, assuring you that he didn’t mind. He was okay with keeping things like this.

“I know.”

Ever since he was little, Taeyong thrived on attention.

He had always been the center of it, the type of person to instantly pique others interests and catch eyes. He didn’t ever mind it, but it was rather ironic considering how he could keep peoples interest on him for long times when his own attention span was so short.

To put it plainly, he wasn’t the type to dwell on things for too long. This characteristic of his stayed with him all throughout his life up until university as well, where he could easily turn heads.

He wasn’t inherently proud of the fact that he moved on so quickly because it made him look like an asshole most of the time. It wasn’t like he was trying to be one, but he preferred having fun and living in the moment over everything else and was sure he put that across. 

But that was the problem because for some reason it wasn’t like that with you. He genuinely wanted you to stick around with him and that thought scared him a little bit. He had never thought about someone like that because you were the first person to refuse to give him that attention he so loved.

Was it simply intrigue that brought you two together? 

Some would say he liked the chase and it had definitely been a hell of a chase with you but this time he wanted to stick around. It wasn’t enough to finally have your attention- oh no- he wanted it all and maybe that was selfish, but he didn’t really care.

He was not used to this. This wasn’t a position he found himself in very often and he didn’t know how to make his way through it at all. This wasn’t who he was, it was like someone else had taken his place instead.

Your friend had hit the nail right on the head and that was what terrified him the most. It terrified him that you had been warned and still failed, simply because he wasn’t worth that type of risk. Not in the slightest.

He wasn’t the type of guy who you would find planning a stupid picnic for someone else for. He was charming, yes, and managed to get everyone to like him, but the bottom line was that he got bored far too easily.

Or maybe. Maybe that was the nicer way of wording things. Maybe when you put it that way, he didn’t have to face the truth. Sugar coating and sweet talking had always been one of his strong points, so why not do it for himself? It hurt nobody to do so and it didn’t hurt himself.

Taeyong was afraid of falling out of love. He was afraid of giving his heart so wholly and completely to someone that he forgot himself in the process and then had to pick up the pieces when they were inevitably taken apart.

Most of all, he was afraid that he had already given it away to you, that he would just drag you down with him.

You prided yourself on making good decisions most of the time. You were the responsible kid, the good girl who followed the rules and always did what was right and proper. Having been labelled that mature kid, you also had to settle into being the responsible older sister for Kiera.

Which was why you wondered where that good decision making skill of yours disappeared.

You groaned, getting up from where you were sitting, which was between his legs, and took your books with you. Taeyong whined at the loss of you, looking so betrayed that you had to make an effort to bite back your smile and glare instead.

“You’re too distracting.”

You said this accusingly, grabbing the pen you had brought along with you as well, “I don’t know why I thought studying with you would be a good idea.”

So maybe it was your fault your being so naive, but you had truly believed he was up for a study session when you suggested it. Turns out, he was far more concerned with interfering with your studies and talking with you instead.

“I’m just tempting like that.”

“I’m going to Jaehyun’s room,” you declared, “I’ll actually get some work done there.”

You ignored his protests as you left, making your way to your other friends room. You weren’t too sure how his entire friend group had virtually accepted you as a friend, but you didn’t mind. Pushing open the door, you grinned at the boy who returned the gesture.

Out of everyone, Jaehyun had to be the person you ended up talking to the most excluding Taeyong. It should have been awkward considering how the two of you started out but it really wasn’t and you appreciated his friendship. You didn’t have to hide Taeyong from him and he was probably the second biggest supporter when it came to your little trysts with his fellow frat brother (the first was Donghyuck, who had made you promise that it would always be him that was first).

“Hey, what’s up?” He placed his book to the side, watching as you stormed inside and settled on the other end of his bed, opening your books. 

“I’m studying here instead since Taeyong wants me to fail,” you informed him dryly, causing him to snicker. Jaehyun smiled, and he could understand why his best friend was so smitten with you. You were pretty and sweet in a way that would have had anyone wanting to be with you.

Maybe if it wasn’t Taeyong you had fallen for, he would have had a chance. If things were just a little different.

“I can imagine,” he said offhandedly, “From what I accidentally almost walked into last week, at least. I started knocking on his door before entering now because whatever happened on that table of his should stay between the two of you.”

You gasped, hands flying to your cheeks to cover them in an attempt to push down the tell tale hotness that painted them. You knew exactly what he was talking about and it was, to put it as mildly as possible, less than innocent.

“We don’t talk about that!”

Your voice was higher than usual and it broke, causing him to burst into laughter. Huffing, you put more space between him and you and went back to studying since it was a way of getting yourself out of the conversation.

He was perceptive, maybe a little too much if he was going to be honest. He could tell that there was something between you and Taeyong from the first day, the weight that your glances at each other held. 

“He really likes you,” Jaehyun piped up softly, catching you off guard. You looked up from your work, a shy expression taking over your features at his words. Your eyes softened and there wasn’t a doubt in Jaehyun’s mind that you felt the exact same way.

“Me too,” you hummed, before blinking and quickly following up, “Like him, I mean. Not like me.” 

A different, more meaningful version of those words sat on the tip of your tongue. You were surprised when you realized you had to stop yourself from saying it because of what it meant. You weren’t ready for that.

“Ace– Oh you really did come here,” Taeyong stood at the door, looking from Jaehyun to you. “Okay I promise I’ll let you study, come back,” He batted his eye lashes in an attempt to convince you and dramatically flailing his arms, eliciting a giggle frm your end. Jaehyun rolled his eyes.

“Relax, I’m not stealing your girlfriend from you or anything,” He teased Taeyong, who tensed up for a split second. This time you didn’t even refuse the claim, only rolling your eyes and getting to your feet to go back to his room.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he pressed his lips together to stop himself from saying anything he would regret. Forcing a small smile, he nodded when you looked at him expectantly and moved to the side so you could walk out of the room.

Maybe it was time to wake up.

Taeyong had made a lot of promises to himself about you. Some where about getting you to warm up to him and others were about breaking down all the pretense you had put around yourself. The seriousness had solitude that you possessed was something he, yes- respected, but it also made it very hard to see you for who you were.

It was bitterly ironic that he had the very same problem.

He wasn’t built for this, the whole falling in love thing. He was the type of guy who came into your life and stirred the pot before leaving like he hadn’t ever existed in the first place and he was perfectly alright with that role. It had always served him well before and he stuck to the simple rules that it had.

He wasn’t made for wanting more and yet he did. For the first time in his life he wanted to stay instead of run like he always did. He had always walked a tightrope and this time it felt as if that very rope would snap at any minute.

What worried him the most was that this could just be a phase. He was afraid that he would one day wake up and realize that he truly was just meant to be one way and not change for new. Then how would he tell you? How could he just drag you right into him and then let you go as if nothing had happened, as he was so used to doing?

It filled him with nothing but dread and disdain for himself. He hadn’t meant to let it go so far, and he would be the first to admit that at the start he really didn’t care much for you. You were just another amusing thing to pass his time with, but now everything had changed. You were someone he wanted to keep and he knew he was a selfish person.

You weren’t just another pretty girl anymore, you were almost his. Almost, not yet and maybe it was better this way, because he couldn’t let his own mistakes hurt you.

Which was why he stood outside your dorm door at that very moment. It had taken a lot out of him to just get here, and now he had to knock and ruin it all. That was what he was good at, wasn’t he? He hurt people and then they got over it quickly, only leaving them with a bad taste in their mouth at the sound of his name and a reputation that was less than sightly. 

He knocked.

He heard someone stumble about, and to his relief you opened the door, looking confused for a moment when you spotted him, before your eyes lit up. The irony of it all was that he would be the person to snap that light right out of your eyes.

“Hey.”

“This is a surprise,” you mused, eyeing him up to down before smiling and opening the door a little more. “Wanna come in?”

It was surprising, just how much he wanted to say yes. He wanted to forget about his stupid plan and just let things happen without worrying so much about the ‘what-ifs’, but they haunted his every move. Pressing his lips together, he looked at his feet and shook his head.

Immediately, you picked up on the fact that something was inherently off about him that day. He wouldn’t look at you properly and didn’t give you that brilliant smile of his that you were so used to. Knitting your eyebrows in concern, you tilted your head to the side and reached out to touch his hand.

“Hey, whats wrong?”

He hated how perceptive you were, how you had so easily figured out that something was up. Instinctively, he pulled his hand away and out of your touch, trying his best to ignore the flash of hurt on your face. 

This was all his fault, he knew, for letting it get this far. Biting the inside of his cheek, he averted his eyes from you so he didn’t have to gauge your reaction.

“I think…we should stop.”

You blinked, not really understanding what he meant by that in its entirety. “What do you mean?”

He sighed, shutting his eyes in what seemed to be annoyance to you. His entire demeanor had shifted to one you were very unfamiliar with and it all of a sudden felt as if you were walking on a bed of nails.

“This-” He gestuered between the two of you, “Whatever this is. We can’t do it anymore. I can’t do it anymore.”

You stood there, rooted to the spot as the reality of the situation sunk in. You stared at him like you had seen a ghost, his words flowing over you and completely slipping past your attention as if they hadn’t been uttered in the first place. 

“What-” You swallowed, not being able to figure out why your throat felt like it was closing up on itself. “I don’t- I don’t understand.”

He looked at you and you didn’t recognise the person staring back because he was cold. Taeyong had forced himself to be as apathetic as possible because he couldn’t afford to let him or you think otherwise. It was easier this way, it was always easier to be the asshole to others and save himself the burden of being hurt.

“Whats there not to understand? I’m walking away Y/n,” Each word was a slap to your face, but out of them all it was your name that hurt the most. He hadn’t called you that stupid nickname of his that you had come to adore so much, instead it was just your name, plain and foreign sounding.

You let go of the door, hands falling limply to your sides as your fingers curled into a fist, nails digging into your skin as he spoke. 

“I’m done with you.”

It came out harsher than he intended it to and tears sprung to your eyes out of nowhere. You were furious as yourself for being so affected, furious at yourself for breaking so easily with just a few letters strung together in a sentence. Language was funny that way, wasn’t it? Those words and alphabets meant nothing separately, but it meant too much when placed next to eachother.

But you were smart and you knew there was something that wasn’t right about this entire spectacle. He wouldn’t look at you, his jaw was clenched and it dawned on you.

“You’re lying,” you muttered, but it was hopeful more than certain. “Tell me you’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You’re lying!” You said louder, but your voice broke in the middle out of the emotion that surged through you at that moment. Desperation, you thought, was such an ugly feeling at it had ripped through your veins before you even comprehended it. “You’re not walking away, you don’t want to.”

He scoffed, “And how would you know?”

Taeyong wanted to hit himself for the betrayed look on your face, the way your eyebrows raised ever so slightly as you got defensive, the way you clenched your fists in an attempt to now say something you would regret. He was doing the exact opposite, running his mouth like the idiot he was.

He wanted to stop but he couldn’t, it was like he was made for destroying what was good, running his mouth until there was nothing left to say. He had lost control of his reigns that held him back and was frantically searching for them in the dark.

Your lower lip quivered as you sucked in a shaky breath, trying to compose yourself. You absolutely despised the internal emotional backlash that you experienced, the way you gave into it so easily had you recoiling. 

“I know you,” you muttered, earning a mirthless laugh from his end. 

“You don’t know anything sweetheart,” He said snipped and it stung so bad, because you really thought you did. “I’m not and never will be what you want me to be, I’m not boyfriend material, I don’t do that.”

Your throat constricted upon itself and for a moment it felt as if you couldn’t breathe. 

“I never asked that of you,” you reminded him, voice low and cautious, a silent request for him to stop speaking. What was the point? He had already began destroying what he so loved, so there wasn’t any reason to stop now. It was too late.

“You wanted it.”

“I never wanted anything from you,” you scowled, hating how much this affected you. It was like you could feel your heart break right as you were building up your walls again to stop any more damage from occurring.

Oh, but now it was you who was lying, taking a cautionary step away from him as if the space would protect you. You folded your arms over yourself defensively because it felt like you had finally opened up to him and he decided you weren’t worth it anymore. Now, you had to close yourself back off and walk away.

“I never-” you cut yourself off from repeating the same thing because it was broken and fragile. He blinked, looking away because he couldn’t bear to see you like this and know that it was all his fault. 

You had been so foolish to fall for Taeyong, you should have just listened to the warnings and kept your distance. You should have known that this was how you would end up because you weren’t the first person to go through it. He had a history and you had idiotically looked past that despite knowing better.

“You- I can’t believe you just-” You were trying so hard to keep yourself together but it was just so hard. It hurt like a bitch, much more than you ever thought it would because you had been blissfully happy with how things were. You were so stagnant in that temporary happiness that now that it had disappeared it was all too jarring for you. You couldn’t adjust as quickly as you wished and it was slowly killing you.

“You’ll be fine,” he said softly, but it was different this time. It didn’t hold that same level of icy disdain that his other words possessed and you looked at him, realizing you had well and truly teared up.

He was lying and that was what was tearing your heart to shreds.

“Stop,” you whimpered out, “Stop lying to me- I know you’re lying, just stop-” You wrapped your arms around yourself, feeling extremely vulnerable. This was too sudden, to abrupt, and too intense for you to deal with right then.

He didn’t stop, instead, he continued to speak. “You’ll go back to ignoring me and I’ll do the same. This wasn’t going to go anywhere anyway.”

You couldn’t believe that you were pleading with him to stop speaking because of how fucking bad it cut into your skin, digging deep until you couldn’t handle it anymore. How had it ever come to this point?

“Besides,” He shut his eyes and steeled himself. “I’m not the type of guy-”

“Don’t,” you warned, not wanting to hear it. You didn’t think you would be able to handle it, not at this point at least, because you had a sinking feeling about what he was going to say. 

“-You fall in love with.”

You let out a broken sob at that, tears spilling out of your eyes as you tried to blink them away. He set his jaw and let out a sigh, looking up to avoid crying himself. You hated that he was right and that you has fallen anyways, you hated yourself for loving Lee Taeyong.

“Get away from me,” you croacked out as you shut your eyes, trying to drown it all out. You couldn’t understand why he was doing this to you because you hadn’t seen it coming at all. 

He obliged, turning on his heel and walking down the hallway and you watched as he left. He hadn’t even tried to save it or fight for it, it was almost as if he enjoyed watching the destruction he had caused. Everything had shattered in front of your very eyes and you were the one who had to carefully pick out the pieces of your heart from the glass and debris.

You gripped onto the side of the door as you shut it, knees buckling as you slid to the ground. The impact of it all felt as if you had been repeatedly punched in the gut, like someone was slowly but insistently prodding at the remains of your love and heart mockingly. 

You were crying, the salty tears painting your cheeks with tracks that acted as evidence of your broken heart. You deserved this, you realized, because you had been stupid enough to think he could change. Or maybe you had simply forgotten he was was.

Turns out that your fears weren’t too far-fetched or dissimilar after all. At age seven you discovered that you were terrified of heights and at twenty you learned that you had been scared of being in love with Taeyong. 

When in reality, you were just afraid of the fall.

When Yeji found you later that day curled up into the sheets of your bed, she didn’t ask any questions about the tear tracks on your face or the hoarseness of your voice. Not a word left her mouth as she walked over and sat with in silence, letting you cry.

It was like she understood and somehow knew what had happened. She wrapped her arms around your figure and let you let it all out, mumbling something about how it would be okay.

You hated the fact that you had given so much of yourself to Taeyong, only for him to discard it the moment he decided you weren’t worth it.

Was love always supposed to be this cruel?

It wasn’t always, but now that it had been stripped away the coldness that lay in its wake was icy to the touch. 

You forced yourself back to what you knew best, the routines and plans you had made at the start of the year. Nineteen year old you would have been ashamed at how distracted you had gotten and how much you had overlooked. You dragged yourself to class early the next day and switched your seat.

When Taeyong walked in and saw you sitting by the window instead of your usual seat and looking out of the window, he wanted to walk right back to you and undo what he had made a mess of. You happened to glance over and it was like time stopped for a few seconds when your eyes met.

It killed him to see you look at him like you didn’t know him at all, all the shine gone from your eyes. Your grip on your book tightened and you looked away again, blinking rapidly.

He wasn’t worth it and he hadn’t ever been. You had let yourself get distracted, but damnit if you didn’t wish for it back. You wanted to run right back into his arms and pretend like nothing had ever happened, but you couldn’t. You had to walk away and it was one of the hardest things you ever had to do.

Taeyong was in love with you and you were in love with him, but maybe this was how things were supposed to be. Loving each other through pretenses and screams, yelling and running away because he was a coward and you were much too proud to try.

From everything to nothing at all, suddenly it was like someone had plucked the rose coloured glasses off from the bridge of your nose as you stumbled into real life.

So then why did you still want him then? 

You had always thought that when you fell out of love it would be easy, and maybe that was true. Maybe the problem was that you were still painfully in love with him and you didn’t know how to stop. The tightrope you had been skipping along had snapped the moment you finally looked down at the jagged rocks that lay below, and you hadn’t been quick enough to grab onto a ledge.

The fall had been delicate, you almost hadn’t noticed. It cradled you within its arms until you forgot about the danger that lay at the bottom until you crashed and woke up.

It looked so easy in the movies, a cautionary glance before you moved on. Really it was you forcing yourself to look away and come to terms with what had happened, you forcing yourself to not think about how empty your day was without him dropping in to cause some chaos. 

Gone was the impromptu midnight trips or finding yourself in his room instead of yours. The movie nights that the two of you inevitably sneaked away from to be with each other instead- it had slipped right out of your fingers before you could have even caught it.

Heartbreak wasn’t fleeting or tragically beautiful at all. It was gut wrenching and ugly, cutting through the happiness you possessed and weighing you down like stones in your pockets dragging you deeper into an ocean. You drowned in it, just about putting yourself together to make it through your day before crumbling to pieces again.

Yeji was right after all, Taeyong had been a bad idea,- your worst idea in fact. You joined the list of other girls that he trampled over and walked away from and your name was scrawled right on the top and cancelled out in bright red.

When Hyuck found out what had happened, he showed up to your dorm with a bag of Cheetos (the very same flamin hot flavour he had taken from you), ice cream and a hopeful look in his eyes, combined with sympathy. 

You despised the sympathy because you were supposed to be the person who had successfully stayed away. You felt like a useless object, thrown to the side once you had fulfilled your purpose.

And as much as you hated to admit it, maybe that was all you had ever been to Taeyong.

Whoever said time healed all wounds fucking lied.

It had been approximately three weeks since he showed up to your door and ended things with you without any reason and you didn’t feel any better. That was almost an entire month, and maybe it was presumptuous of you to think you’d be fine so quickly, but all time did was cement the fact that you didn’t have him anymore.

You managed to get back on track, retreating back into your former freshman habits and shadow. Your assignments were submitted two days before the due date, and everything fell into place perfectly as you were used to and as it had supposed to be.

But then there were fleeting moments when your eyes would linger on the screen of your phone as if you were waiting for it to light up with a message from someone. Sometimes, you would stop by the coffee cart and remembered how many times he had caught you over here. Then you would walk away to the little cafe just a few minutes away from campus.

You had gravely underestimated just how much he had been involved in your life because now it felt like someone was missing. It had been like this before you met him, so it should have been easy to go back to what you once knew.

It wasn’t. You didn’t understand why.

You were standing on the porch of some frat house you hadn’t caught the name of- another party that your best friends dragged you to. You leaned against the railing, sipping on whatever alcoholic drink that had been pushed into your hands by Yeji and sighed, looking up at the sky.

There was a reason you agreed to come that night, and it was because the party wasn’t hosted by Nu Chi Theta. You didn’t have to walk around while watching your back, looking for a certain someone while actively trying to avoid him.

It wasn’t just him anymore, but it was everyone you had met in the process. All his friends had become yours in the process and now your life was missing them too. Again, people you didn’t know much about at all before that first party so you should have been able to walk away without a second thought.

You had been fine with who you used to be. It had gotten you through your first year of college breezily with flying colours and you appreciated the methods and other habits you had cultivated throughout that time.

And then it hit you; you didn’t like that person anymore.

She wasn’t you anymore because she hadn’t really been happy in the first place. She stuck to what she had always known and built her life upon a fragile foundation and a pretense of perfection. She was boring and just too fucking perfect.

You hated that word with every fibre of your being because imperfection was what had gotten a smile on your face and a skip in your step. It was when the blocks didn’t quite stack properly in the tower you were building that you appreciated it more. Those flaws had given you character and your life some meaning.

A big part of that was Taeyong. With his dumb grins and bad jokes that made you laugh anyways, he was the one thing that completely shattered your perception of flawlessness, because he was magnificently flawed while being the most beautiful person you had ever seen.

Sometimes, you wished you had just left it at hello.

The sky was pretty that night, dotted with stars in patterns you didn’t know how to recognise. You felt seen and maybe a little less lonely. Maybe if you pretended that each one was a friend you would forget about the actual friends you had seemingly lost.

“Y/n!”

You loosened your grip around your glass, straightening up and loosing to your side where Yeji walked up, a frantic look in her eyes. You raised an eyebrow in question and she looked at you, a thoughtful expression taking over her face as if she was debating if she should divulge the information to you.

“Yej?” You asked softly and she bit her tongue. To hell with it, half of of the student body was aware at this point and you still seemed oblivious, so you were either really good at this ignoring thing or she was the first person who would be telling you about it. 

You were staring at her expectantly, waiting for whatever information she had arrived to tell you. She looked over your face as if she was trying to read you, before she spoke.

“It’s Saturday.”

Now that wasn’t exactly what you had expected at you raised your eyebrow even higher. Taking another sip of your drink, you licked your lips. “I know that.”

“You really don’t know?” She squinted and you shrugged defensively, keeping your shoulders held up. You were a little intoxicated now, the alcohol kissing your throat soothingly and letting you relax for the first time in what seemed like forever. You crossed your right leg over your left as you leaned your weight against the railing once again, remembering that your feet hurt from the heels you had decided to wear.

“Saturday,” She continued slowly, trying to gauge your reaction as she spoke, handing the phone over. You reached out and took it from her, a flash of recognition sparking through your eyes as you saw what was open on it. “Johnny and…Taeyong’s radio show aired a few hours ago.”

You were annoyed now, because everyone had been treating you as if you were like untempered glass. You weren’t a fragile little flower, you weren’t completely hopeless. You were still you whether you liked the person you had retreated into being or not.

Unbeknownst to you, her caution was for another reason. You held the phone back out to her, a stubborn look on your face.

“I don’t listen to it, so I don’t care.”

Lies. Anyone could see that you were lying from a mile away, anyone but you. Perhaps you enjoyed lying to yourself a little too much. She met your indignant look with one of determination as she pushed it back towards you.

“Oh, I think you will.”

Johnny narrowed his eyes at Taeyong, who seemed significantly more distracted. In fact, he had been like this for a while now and none of his fellow frat brothers could pin point the reason. His knee bounced impatiently and he was barely speaking, which was the most surprising part of it all since Taeyong never shut up.

Now, Johnny prided himself on his good stage presence and showmanship, but there was a reason why this radio show was a joint effort. He couldn’t carry the entire show alone and needed someone- aka his friend who currently had his head in the clouds- to help move it along. After doing it for a while Taeyong settled into the role expertly and now was an indispensable part of the team.

He was looking real dispensable right now, though.

“Whats up with you, man?” Johnny asked, nudging Taeyong slightly, who startled out of his reverie and looked around in slight surprise. This was a live show, yes, but there was something very clearly wrong with Taeyong and who knows- maybe it would make good content.

Taeyong blinked, opening his mouth for a moment before closing it again. The words aren’t coming out right and he had learnt his lesson loud and clear. It was better to not say anything at all.

But Johnny was a persistent friend. He placed his hand on his friends shoulder, steadying him and shooting him a frown of confusion. He was by no means stupid, and there was clearly something on his co-host’s mind. Taeyong sat up properly and dug his fingers into the cushioned arm rests of his seat before groaning.

“I fucked up.”

It was the first time he admitted it aloud and somehow, that made it real. He tapped his foot against the carpeting of the recording booth, momentarily forgetting where he was as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back and out of his face as he sighed. 

“I hurt her,” he mumbled under his breath, but Johnny picked up on it. “I miss her.”

Johnny frowned, adjusting the mic in front of him to point a little away from the conversation even though it wouldn’t really help. He wasn’t used to seeing this side of Taeyong, one who seemed remorseful and almost scared. His words and history were coming back to haunt his misfortune and he couldn’t bear to keep lying- to himself and everyone else.

Love was funny that way, wasn’t it? To be heartbroken was to know that you loved and to regret was to know that you did love and you lost it because of something you did. Sorrow and love came from a very similar place No love was completely devoid of pain and no pain was completely separate from love.

“I was scared,” he admitted, burying his face in his hands. “I was so fucking scared that I would lose her that I did it myself and- god, I’m so stupid.”

Johnny stayed silent for a minute. “Y/n?”

He hadn’t seen you around for a while but had assumed that what had always happened took place. Taeyong would run around with a girl for a little bit before she was never seen by the rest of the frat ever again, so he didn’t think much of it at the start, but there had been something different about you. 

You stuck around for longer, you knew all their friends and hung out with them often. You weren’t just anybody any more, you were someone who was a part of the circle now and when you were nowhere to be seen all of a sudden, it was odd.

Taeyong nodded. “I thought that walking away first would make it okay, I thought that it would be easier but-” His voice broke just a little, and usually, Johnny would tease his friend for going through puberty for the second time. This time, however, he couldn’t bring himself to do so, especially with what was happening right now.

“It wasn’t. I made things worse and they were- they were good and I went and fucked it all up.” He looked up to the ceiling and screwed his eyes shut. “I didn’t want to.” 

He wanted you with his entire body and soul. So what if he was selfish? He wanted it anyways, the late-night drives and waking up with you entangled in his arms and sleepy morning kisses. For the first time, he wanted a future with someone, he wanted to stay and he had run instead like the coward he was. 

But when you run, there are two pathways. The one you run down and then the journey back to the starting point. You just had to be brave enough to turn around and run once again.

“I love her.”

And he loved you indeed, every part of you. From your glares to the soft smiles, every little thing about you made you, you, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He let you go and realized that he loved you just a little too late, but it didn’t make his feelings any less true.

“I love her,” he repeated a little loudly now as he looked at Johnny in a mixture of panic and fear as he got to his feet hurriedly. “Johnny I love her and I fucking hurt her I-”

Ever since he was little, he was used to being the object of everyone’s affection. He was the one people looked at and fell in love with, the guy everyone had a crush on in middle school, the kid that every parent admired and wished for their own. He had always loved the attention.

But now, he loved you and no one else mattered. The only person he wanted the affection of was the one who he pushed away.

“I’m in love with her,” He said the third time, collapsing back in his chair. There was a certain sense of resignation in his tone along with a sense of warmth. He finally understood what it was to love because it didn’t disappear easily as he thought it would. It clung on and stayed because it wasn’t fickle. It was permanent when it was real and it was bittersweet.

Johnny looked at his friend with newfound respect, but also with a dubious look plastered on his face. Reaching out once again, he pat his back.

“That’s great man, but uh, I feel like you forgot something here.”

Taeyong looked at him and Johnny cleared his throat, gesturing towards the recording equipment and the red light on the top corner of the room that signified that their listeners were definitely listening in on the conversation. He paled slightly when he realized what had just happened.

“We’re live.”

“You’re fucking with me.”

Sunday. 

A day after Taeyongs broadcasted confession and you were standing outside the Nu Chi Theta frat once again, hesitating. Swallowing your pride and nerves, you knocked and waited.

When Yeji forced you to listen to what had taken place on the radio show, you didn’t know what to think. 

Jaehyun opened the door, eyes widening in surprise when he saw you there. You gave him a small, polite smile, those same nerves jumping right back up your throat and suddenly you felt rather tongue-tied. He returned the smile, opening the door a little wider for you.

“For Taeyong, I presume?”

“Would it be okay if I left instead?” You quipped, only half-joking. You really didn’t know what you were doing there because you had no plan or anything in mind. All you knew was that you needed to speak with the boy who had broken your heart. 

“Honestly?” Jaehyun asked, thinking over it for a moment. “Yeah, it would be fine, but I won’t let you.”

You were grateful for that. “Thanks Jae.”

“He’s in his room.” 

Nodding, you walked into the house and took in a deep breath. You made your way up the stairs slowly to the upper level of the house and one of the rooms there was Taeyong’s. You knew the way like the back of your hand, even after not having been there for a while. You walked past the doors, only to find one open and inside was Taeyong.

He was sitting on his bed, looking more subdued than usual as he read a book. As if sensing someone standing at his doorway, he looked up only to see you there. His eyes widened and one would have thought he had just seen a ghost. Placing his book down, he blinked and got to his feet in slight disbelief.

“Ace?”

Your mind went blank the moment he uttered that word, looking down to your feet. In most situations you made sure you were prepared, but not this time. This time the words wouldn’t come to you when you needed them to.

“You’re an idiot.” The declaration rolls of your tongue and he winced slightly, but didn’t refute it. 

“I know. I’m sorry.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat, looking at him properly. You wanted to resent him, you wanted to feel nothing towards him but you had already fallen in too deep. He bit his lower lip. 

“I assume you heard?”

“Yeah,” you breathed out. “Kind of hard not to.”

He took a step towards you, watching to gauge your reaction. When you didn’t recoil away, he took one more, and another, until he was directly in front of you. You averted your eyes and suddenly the room is cold.

“I meant it,” he said, “Y/n I…I’ve been an idiot-”

“Dimwit? Imbecile? Moron?” You cut in, offering more adjectives to describe what he was. His lips twitched slightly because this was what he was used to from your end. 

“All of that too, yeah,” he muttered, “At first I just wanted to know who you were because I’m a dick like that. I don’t really care about people and all I want is fun but you….you kept me around. I don’t know what it is about you, and honestly maybe its everything that you are, but I quickly realized that I wanted you.”

You let out the breath you were holding in this entire time, watching as he spoke. “And that’s never happened before. I’ve never fallen in love I don’t do the whole commitment thing and I’m not exactly known for it either.”

He had been lying after all and now he was finally being truthful. There wasn’t a need for you to speak because he wasn’t done, in fact, he had been holding it in for so long that he didn’t even have to think about what he was going to say before he said it.

“I liked the feeling you gave me and I was terrified that one day it would leave and I- I fucked up. I decided to kill it from the root and it was the worst thing I could have ever done because, fuck, ace I’m-” 

He looked straight at you, eyes meeting yours and he held your gaze. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that he meant what he said because his eyes were steady and he was saying it right to you.

“I’m in love with you, completely, madly in love with you.”

You just might be smiling. “And I hate you.”

He loves you and the thought is enough to have you spiralling. You hadn’t fallen alone but just at slightly different times. He frowned in offense, lower lip jutting out in an overexaggerated pout.

“I just suffered peak humiliation by almost crying like a little bitch over how much I loved you on live radio so this really isn’t helping.

Tears sprung to your eyes, but they weren’t tears of sadness or heartbreak. They were tears of laughter and relief as your moved closer and wrapped your arms around him in a hug, resting your head on his chest, letting out a chuckle of disbelief. Surprised, he carefully wrapped his arms around you, holding you close.

“I hate that love you.”

“I’m sorry I fucked up and did that to you, baby,” he said softly, “I will forever regret that, but if you’ll have me…” He trailed off, gently cradling your face between his palms so you could look at him. A fluttery feeling erupted in the pits of your stomach as your heart tried to escape the confines of your chest, threatening to leave you completely because it belonged to someone else now.

“I’d like to be all yours.” 

He finally stopped running after running straight into your arms. Propelling yourself forward, you pressed your lips to his as a silent agreement to his proposition, because how could you say no to that? From the moment you first danced with him all those months ago to this very moment, it was how it was supposed to be and how things were supposed to end up.

You laughed breathlessly against his lips, squeezing your eyes shut and wiping the stray tears away from your face before they cascaded down your face. You were overwhelmed, but in the best way possible, resting your forehead against his as you said nothing, but just breathed. 

Calm. The storm had passed. You fell from the tightrope and forgot to grab onto the ledge, but he had caught you.

“I love you too,” you whispered, but he heard it loud and clear. He squeezed your hand and you knew that the both of you were going to be just fine. You met him in this very house and now he was yours starting from right then and right there.

He was yours to keep now, the boy you loved the most in the world. The one you would wake up to and laugh with, try and study with but get distracted and end up ignoring the work. He would be the one you’d right the ferris wheels and roller coasters with, going to the top of the world and staying there upon the clouds.

So it turned out that telling him your name all those months ago wasn’t a mistake after all.

“Bro, you could like, start a romance podcast.”

Taeyong shot Yuta a confused look and you stifled your laughter, leaning into his side. Your finals for the year had finally concluded and everyone was so tired that there wasn’t a party that day, so the entire group opted to just hang out with each other. Of course, you had been invited, along with Yeji and Donghyuck. The later shrugged complacently, taking a sip from his can of beer.

“You’re the only one with a girlfriend- and no one expected it, so I think you qualify.”

Your boyfriend let out an offended sound at the subtle dig directed at him. You saw Yeji get very comfortable with Johnny, and when she caught your eyes for a split second, she only grinned, leaving you with a good idea on what was happening there.

“We should host it together,” you piped up in a suggestion, getting a good reaction to this from Yuta. Taeyong looked at you like you had grown another head.

“A romance podcast?” He asked incredulously, looking extremely unconvinced. You stole his glass from him, pressing  your lips to where his was previously while holding eye contact, taking a sip mischieviously.

“You know what? Maybe not,” you mused, “I’d have to start pulling all-nighters if we did considering the amount of course work I have.”

He gasped dramatically, “An all-nighter from you? That’s unheard of!”

Then he broke out into a smile, and you’re certain he had the most beautiful smile in the entire world. When he smiled at you, his eyes lit up and he smiled with them too, but it was a smile only reserved for the likes of you.

“Exactly, I have to sleep in order to stay pretty,” you said solemnly and he rolled his eyes, dipping his head down a little until his ears brushed against the shell of your ear.

“You’re always pretty.”

“Disgusting,” Donghyuck gagged at the public display of affection, one Taeyong had cemented with a kiss on your cheek that elicited a giggle from your end. He scooted away from the two of you, opting to sit with Doyoung instead.

You liked to think that you accomplished what you had set out for that year. Your grades were still great and you had successfully broken out of your shell. Glancing over at your boyfriend, you found him already looking at you with an expression full of nothing but love. Taking your hand in his, he raised it to his lips and pressed kisses to your knuckles.

“Something on your mind, ace?”

You shook your head, snuggling in closer to him. “I’m just happy. Really, really happy.”

And it was true. He understood exactly what you meant because he too was happy with you by his side. Romance podcast or not, he was proud to call you his, to hold and kiss.

Yeji was right, bad decisions did make the best stories and perhaps they also led to better decisions on a whole. You had definitely made several terrible decisions this year, but when you looked over at Taeyong, you wondered.

That maybe you had made the best one of them all.

fin.

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[kay-rot]

Are you made of uranium and iodine? Because all I can see is U and I together

pairing: vernon(svt) x reader

word count: 2.5k

genre: fluff, comedy, college au, soulmate au

warnings: some language, poor poor vernon, seungkwan being swungkwan

summary: when you accidentally listen to a song too many times and it ends up on your spotify wrapped

a/n: this is my self-indulged fic for the year leave me alone (yes i listened to the periodic table song on repeat what about it)

There's Hydrogen and Helium

Then Lithium, Beryllium

Boron, Carbon everywhere

Nitrogen all through the air

By now, Vernon has all 118 elements on the periodic table memorized.

With Oxygen so you can breathe

And Fluorine for your pretty teeth

Neon to light up the signs

Sodium for salty times

He’s a music major, a goddamn music major.

Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon

Phosphorus, then Sulfur, Chlorine and Argon

Potassium, and Calcium so you'll grow strong

Scandium, Titanium, Vanadium and Chromium and Manganese

The furthest thing you can get from STEM- from science. The most proper way to disappoint your parents.

This is the Periodic Table

Noble gas is stable

Halogens and Alkali react aggressively

Each period will see new outer shells

While electrons are added moving to the right

So why does he know all of the elements of the fucking periodic table.

“Are you sure you have them all memorized,” was the wrong thing to say. Vernon lifts his head from his hands, the glare sent to Seungkwan was enough to make the boy go wide-eyed and sip his drink (an ice-americano because what else) a little harder.

The café, run by an elderly couple, is graced by the sounds of soft instrumentals, with the thought of not further disturbing the customers. Not many students visit the café, a horrible rumor spread throughout the campus of the quality of the food- which was later proven to be false, but the café never recovered. However, it could not keep the group of four boys away.

“Give him some pity,” Mingyu says, taking a bite out of the cream-filled pastry, “I would have gone crazy if someone kept the same song on repeat for hours.”

“But it’s been days,” Chan whispers, leaning in, hands grasping his drink, “maybe they died with their headphones in.”

They all look at him, faces filled with disbelief. While it was common that some people kept certain songs on repeat, it's unheard of that anyone has died with their headphones still on.

Vernon, playing off Chan’s comment, turns to Mingyu, “Listen, when you found your soulmate, what changed?” Mingyu softens, slumping down into his chair, practically letting gravity weigh him down. “It was like, like the world stopped,” he says dreamily, “I remember, I was listening to the Over the Garden Wall soundtrack-” Seungkwan rolls his eyes, “Typical.”

Mingyu stops, eyeing the younger boy, “I was listening to the Over the Garden Wall soundtrack,” he says slower, enunciating every word, eyes glued onto the younger boy. “Is there a problem with that, Seungkwan?”

“No no, continue your story,” he waves Mingyu off. Annoyed, Mingyu slouches back down, “Yeah well, I was listening in math class then, out of the corner of my eye, I see this girl make a cone out of red paper and put it on her head. And when I stopped playing it, she took it off. Then I started it again, and she put it back on.” He lets a light sigh at the memory, a soft smile taking over his features, “I went up to her with my own red cone and the rest is history,” he finishes, popping a macaron in his mouth.

Chan snorts, “You say it so casually, I remember Wonwoo telling me how you were ‘freaking out’ and ‘weren’t ready yet’.” Mingyu slaps him on his shoulder as the rest of the table erupts into laughter.

“Now now, boys,” the elderly woman comes out of the kitchen and next to their table, “we’ll be closing up shop now, don’t want you walking in the dark.” The boys nod their heads, and place their dirty plates and cups on the tray, Chan walking it to the kitchen before she gets the chance to stop him. Ever since the rumor, the café has only been run by Mr. and Mrs. Han. They built the café after they found each other in one in their hometown. Mr. Han had been serving Mrs. Han her coffee, when Princes of The Universe started blasting in his head. He stumbled, dropping the coffee onto the young girl’s books. Apologizing profusely, he noticed a Walkman with A Kind of Magic sitting on the table. Who would’ve thought that the girl doused in light pink, sweetheart clothing, loved 80’s rock.

As of recently, the shop had been only run by Mrs. Han- Mr. Han had come down with a cold that was spreading around. (Chan had once been a victim- the other boys had barricaded him in his room to stop him from going out). The shop’s hours were cut-short. The Han’s refusing to hire any underclassmen who are just starting their college careers, and upperclassmen who wanted nothing to do with the shop.

They also refuse to hire any of the boys.

“You all are going to graduate soon,” Mr. Han said when Mingyu offered to help on his off time, “What’s the point if you all are going to leave in a year.” Yes, it did sound harsh, but the bitter sweet smile on his face said otherwise.

After helping Mrs. Han close all the shades, (they stopped putting up the chairs when they noticed that she couldn’t get them back down without dropping them), they began their trek back to their apartment.

Seungkwan taps Dino, “Look, he’s doing it again.” They turn to Vernon, who slowed down significantly behind them. He doesn’t look angry, but his face is scrunched, and he’s rubbing at his temples through his beanie. He pulls his airpods out of his pocket and places them in, playing a soft instrumental to drown out his headache.

He adores his soulmate, he really does- but there is only so much of this stupid song he can take. If Vernon has the elements memorized, then why shouldn’t his soulmate, who is most likely a STEM major, have it memorized as well? He hates to take it away from them, but the soft piano sounds submerge him in a sea of calm, and he can’t help but feel like he deserves some peace. And if he’s forcing his soulmate to take a break for their current studies, then where is the harm in that.

Vernon is never mean to his soulmate. If he wanted to, he could blast his scrapped instrumentals, or his phase of, what Mingyu likes to call, “transformer sex music” (which was met with Vernon throwing a water bottle at him and dragging the file to the recycle bin). But when the song becomes too much, he’ll play something classical. He wouldn’t consider himself an expert on classical music, he only knows the basics from his music history class, but its the only way he can communicate to his soulmate that enough is enough and to turn that stupid song off.

That night, Vernon sleeps peacefully. His second pair of airpods in (so his daytime ones can charge) bringing not only himself, but his soulmate into a deep slumber.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Your poor soulmate must fucking hate you,” Jun whispers, “I would’ve ripped my ears off if I heard that stupid song for hours on end.”

You roll your eyes, “Shut up and pay attention, the professor said this was gonna be on the test.”

The lecture hall is filled with students and with sounds of rushed typing and lead on paper. The professor is droning on about atomic orbitals and quantum numbers. The chalkboard is covered in numbers, and charts, and The List.

The List is a list of students who have attempted to name every element on the periodic table, all within under a minute. There are two sides to this list, one with people who have passed this trial, and one with those who have failed.

You are on the side of those who failed.

You’ll admit, you were a bit cocky going into it. Confidently raising your hand and putting yourself front and center when naming them. And you didn’t mess up. No, you did not stutter nor did you skip any of these precious elements, but time ran up by the time you got to the Actinides, and your professor, who had a gleam in her eyes from your almost perfect run, sadly put your name under the FAILED label.

Your pride never recovered, and you were too afraid to attempt it again the next class, or the class after that, or the class after that. The next time you were to stand from your desk, you will proudly get your name removed to the proper side (you will also get 5 extra credit points for it, not that you need it, you just wanted to redeem yourself).

But it wasn’t all bad, your friendship with Jun did spark because of your failure. Him having come up to you, giving a comforting pat on the back. “Yeah, I did the same thing last semester. Oh, why am I taking the class again? No, yeah I slept through my final.”

Jun took you to get tea, and then proceeded to recite the entire periodic table in less then a minute right in front of you, smirk on his face the entire time. When you asked how he managed to do that, he gave you the link to a periodic table song. How you’ve never heard of it before still boggles your mind, but now, it’s at the top of your spotify most listened, and it will continue to be until the end of this god forsaken class.

You’re brought back to attention when the teacher shuts off their laptop and announces that the homework will be posted after class. When greeted with the sounds of groans from her students, she gives a heartfelt laugh and promises that it should only take about two hours (which really means it should take about five).

“I just need to be able to get my name moved, then my soulmate can never hear that song again,” you shrug you bag onto your shoulders, “and I do feel a little bad, but when they play those stupid random instrumentals for hours on end, then maybe I don’t feel as bad.” He follows you out of the classroom, joining the sea of kids who all just ended their lectures.

Jun rolls his eyes, “Yeah, well, if I had to unwillingly listen to the same song about the elements I would try to get a little revenge too.”

The two of you walk to your next class together, all that having the same major entails, you won’t be getting rid of Jun for a while and vice versa.

However, and you are walking out of the hall, you fail to notice the student who just transferred into the class. A boy who had finally decided to go into a graduate program where he, unfortunately, had to take chemistry. And while the world only has a rough estimate of the actual speed of dinosaurs, this little dino managed to race back to his friend in record time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

No matter how many elements Vernon knew (which was all of them), nothing prepared him enough to sit through a two hour lecture on the complexities of chemistry. He found himself sitting, dumbfounded, about everything that was going on. The lively classroom was silenced immediately as soon as the professor walked it. Small in structure, she placed her briefcase down, connected her laptop, and began the lesson.

Ten minutes in, Vernon couldn’t help but turn to Chan, “dude, what am I doing here? Actually, what are you doing here?” Chan turns to him confused, “I need this class for my major?”

“You’re majoring in STEM?”

“Bro, I’ve been in bio-engineering for three years, I just need this class for a good graduate program.”

Vernon turns back to the front board, a little shocked “Oh.”

“Yea oh,” Chan scoffs, “now pay attention the class is almost over.” Chan grabs Vernon’s shoulder and points him in your direction, “now you see them, they're gonna stand and start doing something that’s gonna change your life.”

Vernon looks even more confused, what does he mean they’re gonna ‘change his life?’ How would a random person in a chemistry class change his life? But then Vernon realizes, and sits a little straighter in his seat, trying to get a better look.

Chan gets out an excited laugh, unable to contain his anticipation. Vernon begins to stand, but Chan drags him back down, “dude what are you doing?” Vernon struggles in his grip, “Class is about to let up, I need to see them before it’s over.”

The professor shuts her laptop, and begins to clear her desk. She clears her trait before making an announcement, “so, is anyone up for the table-challenge?”

And low and behold, the person Vernon is staring at, raises their hand, “I’ll give it another go.” The boy beside them claps and cheers loudly, causing the rest of the class to celebrate as well. With a shy smile on their face, they face the professor and take a deep breath. The professor counts down, and starts her stopwatch.

“There’s Hydrogen and Helium, then Lithium Beryllium.”

Vernon is in shock, this is the stupidest reason to have a song on repeat. His soulmate, the person whom he’s supposed to spend the rest of his life with, tortured him with a song for a stupid challenge. The surprise must be evident on his face, because Chan starts to shake him in the middle of thoughts, “dude, I don’t think they're gonna do it.” Vernon tunes back in, and sees how you're struggling to remember some elements, falling behind in the song.

But like hell would Vernon let you replay that song another thousand times after this.

So what else does he do, he plugs in his headphones, and plays the one song that has tormented him for months. He has the song memorized, and easily finds where you are. He plays it, and watches as your face lights up. Without missing a beat you continue, and a determined gaze washing over your eyes. Vernon looks over at the professor, and sees as a smile glosses over her as well. In order to save time, Vernon skips over the parts of the chorus, and plays the song a little faster, knowing that you’ll be able to keep up.

The moment the timer stops is the exact moment you let out your final breath, and the class erupts in cheers and applause. The boy next to you jumps up and grabs you, hugging you tight into his arms. Chan jumps up as well, practically shaking Vernon out of his seat. The professor, with a smile on her face, gladly erases your name from the failed side of the board, to your belonged spot.

The smile on your face is so bright, Vernon knows that you two have never met prior to this- there is no universe where he would forget a face like yours. And when your eyes connect, there was no fireworks. There was no stoppage of time, but it was like discovering a new favorite song. It was a surge of music- instrumentals, lyrics, strings, winds, and percussion. You, conducting the beat of Vernon’s heart, the composer of it all.

Vernon wasn’t a STEM major, far from it actually.

But he would gladly recite all 118 elements for you.

#kcollegenet #vernon chwe #vernon #vernon x reader #vernon chwe x reader #vernon fluff #vernon fanfic #vernon imagines #seventeen x reader #seventeen imagines #seventeen college au #seventeen soulmate au #seventeen oneshot

[hcuyk]

꒰ synopsis ꒱ from a dance to acting major, college student juyeon is taking a massive risk by making this huge leap of change—especially when he's casted as prince charming in the university's upcoming children's play 'cinderella'

꒰ pairing ꒱ collegestudent!juyeon x fem!reader

꒰ genre ꒱ college au, strangers (with a mix of enemies and childhood friends) to lovers, fluff, angst, huge dosage of crack. sf9, the rest of the boyz, and bvndit all make an appearance

꒰ warnings ꒱ profanities, bits of a toxic relationship. if you find any more, please inform me

꒰ word count ꒱ 12.5k+

꒰ perspective ꒱ second person omniscient

‘ author's note!! 🍃 — this fic is for @ateez-elena and @nayuyeons exchange fic event. the due date is arriving soon, and this fic is nowhere near done. i feel absolutely terrible for procrastinating, and i decided that it's better to post something rather than nothing. hi dear @jeongjaebae, i was your 🐳. what a surprise 😭 /s. can't believe you found out who i was after like, the first ask i sent you LMAO. i really, really hate how i have to separate this oneshot into two parts (maybe even more...unintentional series? 😅), but i really do hope you enjoy this :( it's all crack in all honesty, so i hope this fic makes you laugh. i'm so incredibly sorry for being disappointing, but i'm so glad we became closer through this event! i hope this fic makes a wonderful end to your 2021 :] a huge thanks to @stealanity, @yangkiwi, @fullsunfluff, @tinisprout, @bbanghoonie, and @decembermoonskz for all beta reading this fic. in fact, all of this part has been beta read EXCEPT for the last scene, so that's my surprise to you six <3

‘ taglist ›› @yourjaylaks @wooyoung-a @kimaya2209 @armysantiny @changminurheart @moonieric @sunfics @lcvekdy @deputyjuyeon @simpforsunwoo @nyujjan @jaekiths @i6swoo @fairycob @karsohn @nilesig @twentysixofmays @changmin-wrlds @mavericsohn @lilyujin

NAVIGATION | TBZ MASTERLIST | PART TWO

It’s every rising celebrity’s dream to walk the red carpet in Hollywood. To take a step out of a luxurious limousine whilst dressed in the finest clothes your stylist has to offer is a dream come true—especially when accompanying the flashing lights from paparazzi and calls of your name would be a bright red carpet waiting for you to walk all over it.

Juyeon knows that day hasn’t arrived for him yet; why would it? He’s still a broke college student attending an elite performing arts university, and the only reason he’s surviving is because of the constant dependency he has on his three not-so-academically-smart roommates.

This point is proven when Juyeon opens the door to his dorm with groceries lining his arms. Immediately, Juyeon’s roommates greet him with a loud pop of confetti and the unraveling of toilet paper on the ground, providing him a pathway. He flinches when his roommates start screaming—and for all the wrong reasons.

For one, the screams aren’t even directed at Juyeon. Instead, Changmin’s scoldings are towards Jacob for popping the confetti unexpectedly. His booming voice fills the dorm when he rushes to his fish tank by the front door, and slowly—but surely enough—his temper morphs into despair as he begins to sob over how some of the confetti managed to make its way into his precious fishies’ home.

Jacob is continuously pouring out apologies although his attention is fully focused on the toilet paper roll he kicked from the entrance. The roll had traveled a tad bit further than expected considering it’s now rolling around the dorm like it was nobody’s business, forcing Jacob into a game of chase.

Juyeon is left appalled by the chaotic scene, and all he could focus on was the red scribbles on the wasted toilet paper that swept the ground as if it were to mimic a red carpet. He assumes they all tried coloring it with red Crayola markers since he can see a pile of the stationary item by the dining table, but then he realizes there is one more roommate he hasn’t spotted.

His groceries drop to the ground when his gaze finally lands on the youngest out of the four in the corner of the dorm, holding a piece of printer paper with ‘WELLCuM HoME, CHEE-TAR’ written with the same red marker. Haknyeon’s bright demeanor doesn’t falter when he approaches Juyeon with it, shoving the message in front of his face.

“Wrong sign, Haknyeon!” Jacob informs from across the room, tripping over his feet in the midst of his chase for the runaway toilet paper.

A ‘huh?’ leaves the shorter male when he turns to face the paper, and his face becomes pale at the sight of what’s written.

“Shit, my bad.”

He crumbles it up instantly and drops it to the ground before shoving his hand into the pockets of his jeans in search of the correct sign Jacob was referring to.

Meanwhile, Juyeon’s jaw falls slack when he sees Changmin cupping his hands in order to collect the gold pieces of confetti from his fish tank, dumping it all on the ground shortly after. His mumbled profanities are loud enough for all of them to hear, but it really only reaches Juyeon’s ears considering the other two were occupied.

“Found it!” Haknyeon announces, fumbling to unfold it. He then shoves it back into Juyeon’s face, making him stumble backwards.

‘WELCOME HOME, CHEATER’ is what the new sign said.

Haknyeon’s shit-eating grin is smacked right back onto his lips, and he has no shame when he waves it in front of his face.

“Welcome home!!”

“I thought we agreed to not use either of those signs,” Changmin mutters, closing the fish tank shut after shaking his hands free from the water.

Haknyeon’s smile falls along with his arms, dropping them to his sides as he turns his body to fully face Changmin.

“Mind you, Mister Fish-Man, you were the one who suggested this idea.” Haknyeon points the paper at Changmin, shaking it aggressively.

“I got it!” Jacob exclaims, victoriously raising the toilet paper roll in the air from behind the couch for the other three to see.

Changmin provides no change in temper by grabbing Haknyeon’s hoodie, eyes burning into the smaller figure before using the material to wipe his drenched hands.

The younger male gasps, and before he could retaliate by grabbing and yanking Changmin’s hair out of his scalp, Jacob pulls Haknyeon back from his opponent. He pushes the smaller male aside and drapes an arm around Juyeon’s shoulders, distracting him from what the male had just witnessed. He places the roll of toilet paper onto the ground while also leaving Juyeon’s groceries by the door and drags him over to the dining table.

“How was the audition?” he asks, nonchalantly taking a step over the manmade puddle of fish tank water Changmin created with bits of confetti floating amidst it. He has a bright smile on his face like everything that had just happened was a daily occurrence which Juyeon eventually comes to accept because again, he has been living with these losers for the past three years.

“Cheater!!” Haknyeon yells when the two sit down by the table. The boy is then tackled onto the cushions of the couch by Changmin, a hand clamped tightly over his mouth.

Jacob rolls his eyes, dismissing Haknyeon’s name-calling with the wave of his hand.

“Ignore him. You know he’s just sad about losing the second greatest dancer at this school.”

Juyeon’s eyebrows shoot up, straightening his back.

“Second?” he questions. He then scoffs, shaking his head as he crosses his arms over his chest. “I mean, I still go here. I’m just no longer a dance major.”

“Duh, but Haknyeon doesn’t care about that.” Jacob pauses. “Also, the greatest dancer is me, obviously. No one can beat me. I’m superior.” He taps his fingers against the surface of the table, a look of contentment dancing on his face.

Changmin’s head shoots up from his temporary brawl with Haknyeon to glare at Jacob.

“Say that again?!” he growls from across the room. He has Haknyeon pinned beneath him, and the younger boy takes his chance to knee Changmin in the abdomen while he wasn’t looking.

Changmin yelps in pain and attempts to reciprocate the action, elbow pressing down onto Haknyeon’s rib cage.

Jacob has his head turned 180 degrees, watching the two resume their physical fight. He shakes his head before turning back to Juyeon, calling back out to Changmin.

“Just be grateful Juyeon changed majors and stepped down from his position for you.”

“Whatever,” Changmin carelessly yells, trying to restrain Haknyeon’s feet with his own.

Juyeon snickers as he watches, truly wondering how he became friends with his roommates.

“Anyway, back to the audition talk.” Jacob snaps his fingers in front of Juyeon’s face, receiving his attention once again. His hands clasp together and provide a stand for his chin, looking at Juyeon with a tilted head. “How was it?”

Juyeon stays silent for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders, choosing to give Jacob a lackluster response.

“It was...okay.”

The creases on Jacob’s forehead bunches up.

“Just okay?”

“CHEA-...close my mouth one more time and I won’t hesitate to bite your fingernails off,” Haknyeon threatens, eyes piercing straight into Changmin’s.

“Cut it out, you two,” Jacob groans, unconsciously slamming his fist onto the table. Not only does the noise stop the fight from continuing, but it also scares the shit out of the other three in the room.

Changmin hesitantly removes himself from Haknyeon before sluggishly walking over to the table. The younger does the same, no longer caring about the wet fingerprints soaked into his hoodie.

Jacob’s lips curl up in satisfaction when the two sit down, bringing his attention right back to the male in question.

“Seriously, Juyeon,” Jacob tries again, “how did it go?”

The three roommates are bent over the table, pupils bursting with curiosity as they all lock their invested gazes on Juyeon’s figure.

Oddly enough, the undivided attention doesn’t faze Juyeon in the slightest. He rests his chin on top of his crossed arms, looking up at all of them with an impending smile lingering on his lips.

“Actually? I think it went pretty well.”

//

The casting director for the children’s play is Sangyeon, an upperclassman that you’ve known since freshman year. He’s only two years older, but he’s always proved way more mature—whether it be through his actions or his looks—so to you, he has always been someone you looked up to.

But the one thing you despised about him was how unpredictable he could be.

Usually, callbacks would be announced a day after auditions had finished. Emphasis on usually.

What you didn’t expect was for him to text group chat about the cast list being posted an hour shortly after auditions had ended, being the reason why you and your boyfriend are currently racing past the dorms, pushing past students in your way.

Heavy steps down the stairways echo off the narrow walls, and you’re holding Hwiyoung’s hand throughout all of it.

You wouldn’t be this desperate if it was regarding callbacks, but since the official cast list is out, your mind is spiraling with your heart praying that you got in.

Although you and Hwiyoung manage to land every main lead role, the rush of adrenaline remains inside the both of you. Nothing could replace the victorious wash of relief when you see your names on the cast list.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t help how the auditorium is across campus, but this doesn’t stop either of you from pushing forward. You two are adamant on beating the crowd, but as time passes, that little hope has faded.

Hwiyoung’s hand falls out of yours when his steps slow to a stop on the sidewalk, checking his phone for the notification he just received.

You whip your head around as you still your tracks, brows furrowed as you urge him to follow.

“Hurry up, Hwi. By the time we get there, we probably won’t even get a good look at the roster,” you say with a huff, keeping your hands on your hips.

He snorts at your remark, eyes unwavering from his screen.

So you approach him due to sparked curiosity, looking over his arm. His screen shows a text message from Kang Chanhee, or more better known as Chani, that says ‘sorry, man’ with a photo attached right below it. Taking a closer look, you realize the photo was the cast list you two were racing for.

As expected, your name sits right next to the role for Cinderella, but that isn’t what has your eyes bulging out of their sockets.

Lee Juyeon is the name that replaces your boyfriend on the cast list. You and your boyfriend are fully convinced that he got the role for Prince Charming due to the high praise he received during the audition, but that only lands him as the understudy.

“Un-fucking-believable,” he mutters, shutting off his phone.

While Hwiyoung is processing the fate he’s led to, you’re busy trying to pinpoint the familiarity of the name Lee Juyeon.

“Lee Juyeon,” you whisper, trying to rack up your brain in order to recall the face the name belonged to. It’s a name that easily rolls off your tongue, giving you a sense of butterflies in the process, yet you couldn’t remember where you’ve heard it.

Hwiyoung watches you with a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. Irritation becomes etched onto his features when he notices that you aren’t just as outraged as he was, making a show out of angrily running a hand through his hair with a sigh of frustration slipping past his lips.

“Forget it.”

His suddenty disrupts you from your thoughts, snapping your head up to look at him.

“What?”

“Forget it,” he repeats, tucking his phone into his back pocket. He then gestures to the two of you, circling his index finger in the air. “Whatever this is? Forget it.”

It takes you a moment to comprehend what he’s referring to, and the pause only makes him even more bothered.

“Are-...are you being serious right now?” you stutter, unsure if you were understanding his point.

Eyes begin to shoot your way with whispers surrounding you as a pair. While attending one of the elite schools for performing arts, you and Hwiyoung are known to get the main lead in every single play the university has to offer. It became no secret when you two got together after the well-known play Romeo & Juliet, being the campus sweethearts everyone has come to know and love.

To see a mix of distress and confusion washed over both of your faces is certainly groundbreaking in the drama department, and Hwiyoung couldn’t bear the humiliation.

So he snickers.

“There’s no use in us when you’re going to be up on stage sharing the main lead with another man,” he hisses, avoiding the glances from others.

“What the hell is your problem?” your voice raises, growing defensive at the sudden change in attitude.

“My problem is that some dick we don’t even know took my role in the play.” He turns around and starts to walk, avoiding the gazes of others. “Understudy my ass. I’m done. We’re done.”

Your jaw locks in place as you pull him back by the arm, making him face you. “Hwi, don’t play around right now. You don’t get one fucking role and you want to break up with me?”

His eyes meet yours, and it’s a look you’re more than familiar with.

“I’m sick and tired of always being seen as one step behind you. I get the role as the main lead just as much as you do, yet it’s always ‘Y/N this, Y/N that’. No need to shove it in my face that you’re able to land every single role you audition for,” he spits. This has been a conversation you two have shared more often than not, but you would’ve never thought he’d break up with you because of it.

“Are you even listening to yourself?” your voice lightens, reaching out for his arm in order to comfort him, but to Hwiyoung, your words come off as condescending, so he shoves your hand away.

“Again, forget it,” he grumbles, tongue poking his cheek. His eyes are downturned, and he gives you one last look before taking a few steps back.

“We’re done.”

//

“It feels weird to not have you and Hwiyoung making out every second in front of us.”

“It feels weird to not even have Hwiyoung here for the casting celebration,” Songhee corrects, elbowing the male beside her.

Your eyes instinctively roll at your two friends’ unnecessary comments, fingers tapping against the surface of the table while Jungwoo keeps replaying the video of you and Hwiyoung that has been going around campus.

Casting celebrations have always been more lively from what you remember. Hwiyoung would have his arm around your shoulder while everyone laughs about the roles they’ll be playing. This time, the diner feels lifeless and empty with just the four of you sitting at a booth in the corner.

Younghoon shoots her a stern look before his eyes magically shift to having sparkles within them at the sight of the waitress approaching your booth. He thanks her with a courteous bow of his head when she hands him his milkshake, eyes curving into crescents when he takes his first sip.

You thank her through a whisper when she hands you the slice of cake you ordered, cheek propped up on your fist as you use your free hand to poke your dessert with a fork.

“You’re still watching that?” Songhee questions, diving straight into the burger she just ordered.

“More like analyzing it.” Your friend sighs, slouching back into her seat. When you lean over to see, Jungwoo doesn’t hesitate to show you her screen, having you experience the scene once again. You could barely hear what the argument was about, but that didn’t even matter with how Hwiyoung had treated you in public.

“I still can’t believe someone filmed us from their window,” you mutter, shaking your head in disappointment after seeing how Hwiyoung pushed your hand away.

“He really lost his temper, huh?” Jungwoo turns off her phone and sets it aside to focus on the fries in front of her.

“People don’t get roles they audition for. Big deal. I don’t know why he made such a fuss about it.” You shove a forkful of cake in your mouth in an attempt to cheer yourself up, but it comes as no use.

“I wouldn’t be here either if I was casted as an understudy.” Younghoon stirs his straw around, eyes focused on you. “None of the understudies are even here.”

You scoff. “Half of the cast isn’t here.”

“I agree with Younghoon,” a new voice inputs, completely disregarding your previous statement.

The door falls shut after the three males enter, bundled up in coats as they greet you guys with the wave of their hands.

Kevin continues what he was saying as he chooses to sit in the booth behind you.

“I mean, imagine getting the main male lead for every play and then become an understudy out of nowhere. Like, this is Hwiyoung we’re talking about. He didn’t even get a role.”

“Well you got the role of the evil stepmother’s cat,” Jungwoo retorts, turning her head around to look at the boy with glasses. “I’m sure Hwiyoung would’ve reacted the same way if he had gotten your role.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to expand my horizons?” Kevin cocks a brow as if he was testing your friend. “Not to mention it’s a children’s play. We’re performing for children. You don’t see the mice complaining about their roles, do you?”

Kevin juts his chin towards the pair that chose to sit at the bar, lips pressed into a line. You and Jungwoo go to look at the two, watching how easily Sunwoo and Eric got into a quarrel after deciding what to get.

“You pay, I’m broke!” Eric exclaims, showing Sunwoo his empty wallet.

“I don’t think Hwiyoung would’ve wanted to be chosen as a mouse either,” Jungwoo later adds, going back to facing Kevin.

The boy shrugs, adjusting the beanie on the top of his head. “Hey, I’m just saying it’s better than being a second choice.”

“Well you didn’t have to go that far,” Songhee chuckles, patting her lips clean with a napkin.

“Where’s everyone else?” you ask in an attempt to shift the topic.

Kevin darts his gaze towards the clock at your question before providing you a useless answer.

“I have no clue. I only know Yiyeon won’t be coming because she’s with Sangyeon right now.”

The door to the diner is pushed open, introducing another group of the casted members.

“We’re here!” Seungeun sing-songs, announcing her presence with a worn-out Choi Chanhee tailing after her steps.

Seungeun, the youngest out of the entire cast, is a freshman that proved to be one of the more talented actors on her first day here, so it came as no surprise how she got casted as the queen.

Chanhee, on the other hand, usually gets the second male lead, so it was a shock to everyone when he received the narrator role. Then again, there is no second male lead in Cinderella, so the decision makes sense on Sangyeon’s part.

Hyunjae walks in and keeps the door open for Simyeong before revealing the brown bags in their hands by raising them in the air for you all to see.

“We made cupcakes!” Simyeong grins, jumping her way over to your booth.

Sunwoo and Eric leave the bar to join Hyunjae and Chanhee at Kevin’s table, starvation causing their eyes to peek into the bags.

“We made enough so everyone could get two,” Simyeong explains while Seungeun urges Songhee and Younghoon to scoot over. Seungeun sits down while Simyeong remains standing, taking the boxes out of the bag as Jungwoo helps.

“We may have more than intended though,” Seungeun huffs, taking the bag from the two after it's emptied.

“Are the understudies not arriving?” Younghoon asks, looking up at Simyeong after taking an obnoxiously loud sip out of his milkshake.

“How would I know?” She shrugs, opening the box in order to distribute the cupcakes to everyone.

While your table is invested in sweets, your eyes couldn’t help but wander out the window, watching the stars overtake the sky as the sun sets.

“Why would they be?” Hyunjae interjects from the other table, already taking a bite out of the cupcake he made himself. “We all already saw how Hwiyoung reacted. I’m sure the other people that didn’t get in are just as disappointed.”

You sigh at the reference Hyunjae made towards the video everyone on campus has seen by now, but you continue to keep silent. You truly didn’t want to think about how you got publicly dumped for the stupidest reason on earth. It wasn’t like you had chosen the roles. If anything, Hwiyoung should’ve been throwing a fit at Sangyeon.

Considering you’re sitting right across from him, Younghoon easily spots all the signs your figure is radiating. He looks at Hyunjae and motions him to not continue any further and purses his lips. Hyunjae receives the hint and decides to exit the conversation, joining Kevin’s one instead.

Jungwoo taps your arm and slides over a cupcake, a warm smile wavering on her face.

“It’ll be okay. Just know Hwiyoung was a dick for acting like that.”

You thank her through a whisper and scoop the frosting onto a nearby napkin, earning a look of disgust from Jungwoo.

“I just don’t get it,” you mutter, keeping your voice low. “How could Hwiyoung not have gotten that role?”

You look up from your cupcake and see Younghoon eyeing your frosting.

“Do you want it?” you warily ask, hesitantly sliding it over to him.

He nods and collects it from you before dumping it into his milkshake

“I don’t even get why we’re friends with you,” Songhee grumbles, discreetly moving away from Younghoon.

“It’s better than plainly wasting it. Besides, frosting on its own is disgusting.” He mixes his milkshake with his straw once again, leisurely stirring the beverage.

“Who’s this Juyeon kid anyway?” Simyeong suddenly asks while pulling over a chair, sitting down before directing her gaze straight at you for an answer. “He’s not even in our group chat dedicated to the drama department.”

“There’s no Juyeon in our department?” The slight shock in your tone has everyone at your table looking at you puzzled. You could only shrug your shoulders in response and pop the rest of the cupcake into your mouth, speaking through muffles. “The name Juyeon is oddly familiar to me.”

“Well he certainly isn’t in our department if he isn’t in our group chat.”

Younghoon nods his head, agreeing with Songhee.

“If you think about it, you’ve been stuck with us since your very first day here. If you knew a Juyeon, we would at least know of him.”

“He has a point,” Kevin quips, joining in on your conversation once more from behind.

Jungwoo heaves a sigh and turns to look at him, flicking his forehead. “Go focus on your table’s conversation, kitty.”

Kevin frowns, and before he could face his group, Jungwoo uses her thumb to remove some of the frosting from his cheek.

“Maybe he was somebody you knew from high school,” Simyeong suggests, “or possibly someone you knew from your childhood?”

“What are the chances of that happening?” Songhee licks her lips clean and sets the cupcake wrapper down on the table. “IST is a pretty big school. It could just be somebody with the same name.”

“But his surname is also vaguely familiar,” you murmur. You curse at your brain for forgetting such a name, but you shrug it off, realizing that it probably isn’t as important as you’re making it out to be.

“Eh, forget it.” You try to move on from the subject, but that attempt fails when Jungwoo chooses to pick it right back up.

“But don’t you find it weird how some random kid that—mind you—isn’t even part of the department just auditioned and somehow got the main role? Prince Charming is literally every guy’s dream to play.”

“You know Sangyeon is picky with who he chooses for plays,” Younghoon reasons. “Besides, he attends our school, right? He’s probably just really talented and managed to somehow get the role.”

“But to beat Hwiyoung? That’s-...that’s different.”

“It doesn’t make sense, right?” Jungwoo looks at you for confirmation before turning to look at everyone else. “Sure, I’m a talented actor, but I won’t suddenly win a dancing competition one day, you get me? We may all be part of a performing arts university, but it really doesn’t mean shit when our departments are completely different.”

“I wouldn’t really say they’re completely different, but I see your point,” Younghoon replies. “It’s not impossible though.”

“Sangyeon really must’ve been out of his mind for choosing some nobody over Hwiyoung,” you mutter, finally finishing the cake on your plate.

“Are you guys talking about Juyeon?” Chanhee asks. He gestures for Jungwoo to slide over so he could join your booth.

You perk up at the mention. “Yeah, we are. Why? Do you know him?”

“We’re talking about Lee Juyeon, right? The guy that got casted as Prince Charming?”

Everyone at the table nods, eager for Chanhee to continue.

“Oh, then yeah. I’m friends with his roommates.”

//

Noises like speeding footsteps clashing against the surface of the ground and chairs falling provide a regular day at Juyeon’s dorm. Jacob locking Changmin out of their shared room is also deemed rather normal, and it’s the reason Haknyeon becomes his source of entertainment.

But it really all backfires.

“Get back here, Ji Changmin,” Haknyeon demands, dodging the obstacles in his way as he chases Changmin around the dorm.

Juyeon sits on the couch unbothered with the volume turned up unnecessarily high to overpower the screams from the two children he considered his friends. His hand is buried in a bowl of popcorn, enjoying movie night by himself while Haknyeon snatches his underwear back from Changmin.

“The next time you steal my underwear, I’m shoving your toes down your fishes’ throats.”

Changmin returns Haknyeon’s scowl with a gasp that fills his lungs to the brim and quickly tosses his arms around his fishes’ tank. A pout is smeared across his face as he presses his cheek into the glass.

“Don’t you dare bring my fishies into this!”

“Okay guys, shut it,” Jacob says after exiting his room. The light from his phone screen illuminates the relaxed features on his face as he walks into the living room, choosing to join Juyeon by the couch. “Hey Juyeon, remember the audition you had this morning?”

He taps his shoulder, looking up from his phone to see how his roommate reacts.

“Uh...yeah. What about it?” Juyeon remains clueless as he picks up the television remote from the coffee table, lowering the volume.

With underwear bunched up in his hand, Haknyeon’s footsteps lead him over to the couch and joins the two by sitting next to Juyeon.

Both Jacob and Juyeon look at him weirdly with expressions that question what he was doing, but they gradually move on with their conversation as they realize he probably just came for the popcorn.

“You know Chanhee, right?” Jacob questions.

“Chanhee? As in Choi Chanhee?” Changmin’s voice squeaks and immediately detaches himself from the fish tank in order to join his friends, choosing to sit on the ground considering the lack of space left on the couch. He crosses his legs, only having eyes for Jacob due to his piqued interest. “Like, my bestie since third grade?”

“The one you introduced me and Haknyeon to?” When Changmin nods his head, Jacob continues. “Then yeah, that’s him. I have his number.”

He obnoxiously shows off his phone to Changmin and bobs his head.

“What does this have to do with me?” Juyeon interjects, gaze shifting between his three roommates. Juyeon would say he’s equally close with all of them, but sometimes he does feel a bit left out. Then again, he couldn’t really put them at fault since he was the one who switched majors.

He’s only ever heard of Chanhee through Jacob and Changmin, but he knows Haknyeon is fairly close with him as well.

“He ghosted me last night,” Haknyeon murmurs, grabbing a throw pillow to hug while shoving handfuls of popcorn into his mouth.

“Deserved.”

The next thing Changmin knows is that a pillow is tossed at his head in an attempt to knock him out.

“Anyway,” Jacob states rather loudly in order to cover up his roommate’s wrongdoing, “he got casted as the narrator for that Cinderella play you auditioned for. He also said you got Prince Charming.”

Juyeon’s eyes bulge out of bewilderment, unsure if he has heard his friend correctly.

“What?? Aren’t callbacks being announced tomorrow? Is he saying I got called back?”

Jacob shrugs, giving his phone over to Juyeon so he could check for himself. “He specifically said cast list, so I’m assuming there’s no callbacks for this play.”

“No way, man! You got in?” Changmin slaps his friend’s feet playfully, a grin graciously placed on his lips for once.

“You’re growing up way too fast,” Haknyeon sighs, exaggerating the frown on his face.

“Did you think you wouldn’t get in?” Jacob asks, giving Juyeon’s shoulder a light shove.

“I would’ve thought I’d get in as an extra mouse or something,” Juyeon murmurs, staring at the text messages in front of him.

“It’s not a middle school play,” Changmin retorts, earning himself another pillow being thrown at his head.

“Well apparently the cast list is official. They’re celebrating right now.” Suddenly, Jacob locks his arm around Juyeon’s neck, pulling his head to his chest before messing up his hair. “I’m so proud of you!!”

“That’s our boy,” Changmin coos, grabbing his ankles and aggressively shaking them.

“Just because you miss your own dog doesn’t mean you should treat Juyeon like one,” Haknyeon blandly states through a mouthful of popcorn, poking Changmin’s side with his feet.

Juyeon falls oblivious to everything happening around him when he sees Chanhee send a photo of the cast list as evidence. He shoves Jacob away so he could look at it, eliciting a laugh out of the elder. His eyes scan through the photo eagerly, and he could’ve sworn his heart stopped at the sight of your name next to Cinderella.

“Y/N...?”

The laughter and upcoming quarrel fades into the distance when Juyeon looks up from the phone.

“Do you know her?” Jacob asks, arm propped up against the backrest of the couch.

“Isn’t she the one that always gets the main roles in plays? There’s this girl in literature that always complains about it.”

Jacob snorts at Haknyeon’s response, and Changmin decides to pitch in what he’s also heard.

“I heard it’s deserved though! Everyone is always talking about how talented she is on stage, and Chanhee is always praising her after every show they’re in together.” Changmin adjusts his posture, straightening his back.

“It really isn’t surprising since the drama department is the most well known department at IST,” Jacob comments, nodding his head along with what everyone else has been saying. “She’s really bound to become a celebrity once she graduates.”

“Not before me, though!”

Changmin dodges the next pillow that was aimed at him.

“Y/N as in L/N Y/N, right?”

The three heads turn to look at Juyeon.

“Duh.” Haknyeon deadpans. “Who else? You know who she is, right?”

“I didn’t know she goes to this school,” he mumbles, fiddling with the phone in his head.

“Am I missing something here? Are we missing something?” Changmin asks whilst also speaking for both Haknyeon and Jacob. “Have you known her in the past?”

“I guess you could say that.” Juyeon gives Jacob back his phone, but your name continues to float around in his mind.

“Come on, Juyeon.” Changmin whines, tugging on his pants. “We need more information.”

All the boy could do is shrug his shoulders, not willing to explain everything, so he opts to say something rather vague with his head facing his lap.

“It’s just a name I’d never forget.”

//

After informing your group of friends about his connections with Juyeon, Chanhee wasn’t given another chance to say another word when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He excused himself from your table and isolated himself in the opposite side of the diner, fingers constantly occupied with typing into his phone.

You kept an eye on him for the rest of the night, detailing every bit about his expressions while the conversation shifted to how costumes would turn out for the play. Simyeong even brought up how you’ll be able to pull off a dress transformation, but you didn’t hear a word she said until Jungwoo nudged your arm to drag you back into reality.

Until the very end, your mind felt occupied with the amount of questions you had for Chanhee. He never returned to your table and instead left in a blink of an eye.

Once everyone departed from the diner, you dedicated all your time to spamming him through text. Chanhee would often ignore your messages or leave them on read, and for good reason too, but this matter was urgent.

Sure, you and Chanhee both share the same first class in the morning—and you’ll definitely get to see who this Juyeon person is the day after—but the sense of familiarity from his name wouldn’t allow you to sleep into the next day. You stayed up for hours, expecting a response, but you eventually allowed your eyes to gradually fall shut. You figured he was just exhausted after dealing with Seungeun, Hyunjae, and Simyeong all in the same kitchen as they struggled to bake cupcakes.

Having English Literature first thing on a Monday morning was never to your liking, but this time it came in your favor.

“Chanhee!” you scream out, waving your hands in the air when you see him leaving his dormitory.

He looks at you for a mere second before purposely turning his back, walking in the opposite direction. You run to catch up to him, hands grabbing at the hook of his backpack to slow his steps. He scowls at his failed attempt to make an escape, but you know it’s all jokes considering you always pick him up from the front of his building.

“Why didn’t you respond to any of my texts last night?” you interrogate, skipping down the sidewalk with him by your side.

“I was asleep, duh.”

“Woah, no need for you to be a weisenheimer.”

“...A what now?”

“We’re getting off topic, Chanhee,” you deadpan, slowing your steps as he begins to slow his.

“Why are you so interested anyway?” he snorts. “I already responded to your question.”

“Oh come on, Chanhee.” you whine, grabbing one of his arms to shake. “Put yourself in my shoes, yeah? I basically got utterly humiliated by the love of my life publicly because of him.”

“Okay one, don’t call Hwiyoung the love of your life. That’s just weird. Two, you really can’t blame Juyeon for your breakup, you know that right?.” He eyes you from his peripheral vision and releases a sigh at the sight of your desperate state. Your hair isn’t properly styled like usual and your face is bare of makeup.

“Please, Chanhee?”

“It’s not like I know much about Juyeon to begin with.” Upon reaching the building where your class is located, Chanhee provides you entrance when he pulls the door open.

“Just give me whatever info you got.” You watch as he tails after you before sticking by his side.

“They’re all dance majors,” he reveals, finally giving into your antics. He lists their names from the top of his head without hesitation. “Changmin, Jacob, and Haknyeon. Juyeon was one too, but from what I recall, he switched.”

“I guess that explains the sudden appearance of his name on the cast list,” you murmur, connecting the dots. “Why’d he switch?”

“How would I know?”

You return Chanhee’s previous favor by pulling the door open to the lecture hall, giving him the privilege of sliding inside first as he continues talking.

“I’m only close to his roommates because we all share social sciences. Well, that and I’ve known Changmin since I was eight, but that’s besides the point.” He leads you up the steps and into your usual seats in the back. “I went to one of Changmin’s performances in the past, and Juyeon was the opening act there. Honestly? He’s extremely talented. His stage presence is flawless, and Changmin always praised him too.”

Your friend’s words have your brows furrowed.

“Why would someone that talented switch majors? I’m sure he’d want to be a professional dancer, right? Or a choreographer? So why Prince Charming?”

All Chanhee does is shrug when he sits down, giving you a lack of response.

“Ask him when you see him at the script read through tomorrow.”

//

Improvisation as your last class of the day has always been your favorite.

Your professor, Kim Inseong, is only five years older than you, but he’s one of your better professors for the semester. Granted, it’s only improvisation, but he teaches it better than all of your previous high school drama teachers.

You love every second of his teachings. The way he engages each and every student is something you look up to, and his feedback has always been very genuine and helpful.

You would’ve been excited to see him—especially since he’s the director of the play—if you didn’t share the exact same class as your ex-boyfriend.

At first it was a blessing, but now it seems like it was a plan just to bite you in the back, cursing you for the rest of your college life.

Two days without your boyfriend has felt like hell.

When you enter the lecture hall, your two close friends remain in the center of the room whilst Hwiyoung is nowhere to be found. It takes you a few seconds to realize that he’s settled for a spot in the back with his feet kicked up onto the seat in front of him. He’s surrounded by his personal group of friends, and they are people you were never really fond of.

“You were almost late,” Younghoon hums when you choose to sit next to him, picking at his fingernails.

“Let her be, Hoon.” Songhee sighs from behind the two of you, leaning forward to flick the back of his head.

“Happy Monday, everyone,” your professor sing-songs. His booming voice startles the entire class due to its suddenness, and he enjoys the faces you all make because of it. His six-foot-tall composition moves to sit on the only stool in the room, hands resting in his lap as he eyes all his students.

“I heard auditions went well,” he, unnecessarily, comments. “And I believe Sangyeon did a wonderful job with choosing the cast.”

A scoff can be heard from the back of the room, and you could only assume it was from the one and only ex-boyfriend of yours, yet your professor doesn’t seem to bat an eye in his direction.

“Round of applause to everyone that made it in!”

Everyone claps, and you could just feel Hwiyoung’s eyes burning into the back of your head.

“Ignore him,” Younghoon whispers amidst the applause. “He’s just being a spoiled brat.”

“Don’t call him that,” you whisper quietly because deep down, you feel like you would’ve acted the same way if you got casted as an understudy.

“Now, before we continue with where we left off last class, let’s do a quick warm-up, shall we?” Your professor scans the room with his chin between his thumb and index finger.

As much as you enjoy the improv games he makes you all play, you’re praying that you don’t get chosen to come up.

Unfortunately, he’s an unpredictable man that enjoys playing with students’ anxiety.

“Younghoon, Vivi, Jaeyoon, Yves, Hwiyoung, and…” Professor Kim takes a pause to look around the room once more, a mischievous smile making its way up his lips when his eyes land on his final target, “Y/N.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” you say louder than intended.

“I know right? Why does he always call on me first?”

Songhee snorts and pushes Younghoon out of his seat, but she stops you from leaving the row by grabbing your wrist.

“Hey, you know you could always tell him you’re not feeling well,” she whispers, but all you could think about is how pathetic you’d look in front of Hwiyoung if you used that lame excuse.

“It’s only a warm-up,” you reassure. “I’ll get over it.”

Songhee pouts when you leave her alone, and you’re joined by Vivi when she approaches you.

“Congrats on getting Cinderella,” she whispers, accompanying you to the front of the room.

You thank her with the slight bow of your head, and soon enough you’re both joining your peers on the platform.

Professor Kim has his hands clasped together after moving the stool to the side, making sure he was out of the way.

“Now, you all might be asking ‘what improv game will we have for our warm-up today?’.” He stands up. “Perhaps it’s Bus Stop? Late For Work? Questions Only?”

“If it’s Late For Work, I’m actually going to stop, drop, and roll out of this course,” Younghoon mutters, bringing his arms over his chest.

“Younghoon!” Professor Kim calls out, and your friend nearly jumps in his spot. He points at him, then you, and then Yves. “You three, go stage right. The rest of you? Stage left,” he directs.

You do as you’re told, and deep inside you’re grateful that he didn’t place you and Hwiyoung together.

Well, that is until you realize what game he has up his sleeve.

“Yes, no, and I are the forbidden words for today’s game.” He leaves the platform and settles down in one of the seats in the front row, kicking his foot over his other leg. “The person in front of each line will step forward and begin the scene with a prompt I give you. Say yes, no, or I and you’ll be eliminated from the platform. You can’t take too long either.”

You’ve played this game multiple times in the past, but this is the first time you’ve ever felt jittery during an improv game. The last thing you need for the day is to share the same stage with Hwiyoung.

Jaeyoon raises his hand. “Can we say yeah?”

“No,” your professor replies immediately. “No saying yeah, nah, uh-huh, mhm, I’m, or any of that sort.”

“He’s cruel,” Younghoon mutters, pushing you in front of him. You glare at him, but you’re also not complaining since Hwiyoung is at the end of his line.

The game starts off with the only other two girls on the platform, and with loud cackles from the other students, Vivi is shortly removed from the game after instinctively responding with ‘yes’ after panicking for ten seconds.

Yves also manages to eliminate Jaeyoon after four minutes of acting out a plumbing scene, leaving her alone with Hwiyoung.

Well fuck.

All you could do is hope that she manages to eliminate him too.

“And your prompt will be...interesting. Friends in the same shopping aisle. Hwiyoung, start it off.”

Unfortunately for you, Hwiyoung has always been good at these games, and you don’t know how he does it.

“Oh, My. God.” He slaps a hand over his mouth as he eyes the imaginary shelves, head snapping over to Yves. “Can you believe we could’ve gotten our matching walrus tattoos for fifty percent off if we bought a bottle of tylenol at Walmart?”

The randomness from his act stuns Yves for seconds beyond end, and just like Vivi, she panics and responds with ‘how the hell do I respond to that?’ whilst looking at Professor Kim. This causes her to get booted off the platform, and your eyes widen when you realize you’re up next.

You turn around instantaneously and try forcing Younghoon in front of you, but he refuses to budge an inch.

“Ah, our infamous onstage couple.” Your professor sighs lovingly, and neither of you attempt to tell him otherwise. You hated how your heart rate picked up at being labeled as a ‘couple’ with Hwiyoung.

You discreetly stomp on Younghoon’s toes when you hear him snicker at your fidgeting, evoking a muffled scream from him.

“Well, let’s see what prompt I have for the two of you.” He looks down at his phone. “Oh! I like this one. You two are trapped in an elevator. Y/N, start it off, and...scene!” he announces.

You push your finger forward repeatedly into the air as if you were poking at a singular button, masking your worried state with a frustrated face.

“The button to open the doors won’t work,” you mumble loud enough for everyone to hear. Giving up, you retract your hand and look heavenwards. “We’re at my floor, but the stupid doors won’t even budge.”

“Here, let me see.”

Hwiyoung leans over your shoulder and squints his eyes. His lips are close enough to your ear, and you could feel his breath on your skin. You’re begging that he doesn’t see the effect he unfortunately remains to have on you, wishing for this scene to end quicker than usual.

“Have you tried pressing the button?”

You being tossed off guard makes everyone in the room laugh, and he shoots you the infamous smile that has your heart running for miles.

“Wow, didn’t really think of that. Thanks, Sherlock,” you say sarcastically with your hands on your hips. “Maybe you should try pressing it.”

You look straight up at him, but he isn’t looking back at you.

Although you two have broken up, the scene somehow manages to last for another minute without either of you failing. The anxiety of standing next to someone you felt butterflies for overtakes your nerves, yet the sight of Hwiyoung acting like everything between you is completely normal makes you ease a bit.

But you have to remind yourself it’s just all an act.

He runs a hand through his hair while his tongue creates an indent in his cheek, foot impatiently tapping against the ground.

“Looks like we’re stuck here then, aren’t we?”

He finally connects his eyes with yours, and you couldn’t help but get lost in them.

“I guess we are,” you whisper.

“And Y/N is out!”

You dart a glare at your professor, but his eyes are trained on Younghoon, waiting for the not-very-composed boy to step forward.

“You really couldn’t have stayed up there longer?” your friend scowls through a hushed tone, huffing as he waves you off. “Can’t believe you’re having me deal with your ex-boyfie.”

You roll your eyes at his words and return to Jungwoo. By the time you sit down, the next scene has already begun.

“Oh no! I said no!” Younghoon exclaims in the driest matter you’ve ever seen. “Looks like I’m out. Gosh darn it!”

The class slowly, but surely, begins to clap for Hwiyoung when Younghoon exits the platform, and only then could you get a better look at your ex. Behind his disingenuous smile lies the expression you recall from two days prior: the eyes that looked at you ever so fiercely and the heart that fell out of love. The slight twitch from his lip proves the urge to frown and curse everyone out, and his hands have probably formed into fists in the pockets of his jeans.

You could tell because you know Hwiyoung well enough. You know he sees behind all the fake praise when he landed the pathetic role of being an understudy for a children’s play.

Still, he takes a bow and accepts Professor Kim’s compliments despite everything the teacher had said earlier, and he’s about to head back to his seat before the door cracks open, freezing all movements.

It makes the entire class go silent, the noise sparking everyone’s presence.

From where you are sitting, you can barely see who was at the door, but you manage to catch a glimpse of the intruder’s raven hair.

“Well you’re certainly a new face,” your professor comments. “And you must be...? Ah wait, don’t tell me. Allow me to guess.”

Although you can’t see who was being covered by the door, you could see Hwiyoung’s expression fall blank on stage after the professor’s exact words.

“You’re our Prince Charming, correct?”

//

The read through for the script of the play takes place in the drama department’s auditorium with the cast sitting in a circle of chairs on stage. It’s the reason why Juyeon is sitting directly across from you, causing you to do all you can to ignore how he keeps taking glances at you.

Chanhee says the final lines from the script as the narrator, and claps erupt from the cast members. Soon enough, chairs are being shifted around as people go into their respective groups of friends, hence why Chanhee is now sitting right beside you.

“You spent an entire night asking me about Juyeon only to not even look at him throughout the entire read through?” Chanhee questions, cocking a brow.

Younghoon joins you two shortly after, dragging his chair over.

“I feel bad for him,” your friend interjects. When he sits down, he jabs his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing towards the said cast member.

Juyeon remains in his own seat with his nose buried in the script, unconsciously tapping the stage with the light movement of his foot. His motions are what make his anxiety evident, and little does your friends know that you have actually been analyzing him the entire time through the corner of your eye. While the script read through was going on, you noticed him fidgeting while going through his lines with stutters and constant clearing of his throat.

You’re certain he got the main male lead because of his looks. How could someone who’s completely new to the drama department manage to snatch Hwiyoung’s role away like it was nothing?

“He sat alone in improv too,” Younghoon adds, snapping you out of your daze.

“Improv? Juyeon is in your improv?” Chanhee’s voice raises as he looks at Younghoon. “Since when did that happen?”

“I’m wondering the exact same thing,” you mumble through gritted teeth. Your fingers flip through the script in an attempt to keep yourself occupied while also quoting your ex-boyfriend. “Un-fucking-believable.”

“She wouldn’t stop staring at him in class,” Younghoon exposes with a snicker hiding behind his tone.

“I don’t blame her,” Chanhee dreamily sighs. “I wouldn’t either.”

Then he stands up.

“Where are you going?” Younghoon asks.

“I’m going to go talk to him,” he nonchalantly answers. His friend slaps his arm, and Chanhee shoots him a look.

“What? Do you want to come?”

Younghoon motions over to you looking at Hwiyoung from afar.

The understudies are all huddled together in the audience area of the auditorium, and Hwiyoung is sitting on top of one of the armrests with everyone’s attention on him. He’s cracking jokes that have everyone clutching onto their stomach, and his bright smile proves contagious when everyone wears the exact same one on their faces.

You miss it.

You miss when he was like that with the cast—with you.

Younghoon gives you a gentle smack of his hand to your head, scowling.

“Snap out of it, Princess. You can’t focus on him when Chanhee is literally approaching your Prince Charming right now.”

“Don’t call him that,” you murmur, soothing the area your friend had hit by rubbing it. “He’s just some stranger.”

“Oh really?” Younghoon tests, making a show out of crossing his arms. “So he’s just some stranger when you keep bringing up how familiar he is? He’s just some stranger that you keep blaming for your breakup? Honestly, Y/N, I’m starting to become inclined to believe that it’s about time you and Hwiyoung have parted. I don’t think you two were that healthy together anyway with how much he complained about you in front of you.”

You raise your hand up to your friend’s face, preventing him from saying anything else.

“Don’t meddle into my business, okay? Just join Chanhee or whatever. Seems like he’s having a great time with Juyeon.”

He stares at you in disbelief before slowly shaking his head. He stands up with his script in hand. “You’re unbelievable.”

You don’t look at him when he walks away, and you hate how Chanhee begins to scream at everyone shortly after.

“Everyone!” Chanhee grabs Juyeon’s hand and makes him stand up, making sure everyone sees the smile that reaches his feline-like eyes. “We’re getting coffee! Anyone want to come?”

An endearing shade of pink falls on Juyeon’s cheeks at the received attention, and the pair falls unprepared at the amount of people rushing towards them as they claimed that they were also thinking of getting coffee. A lot of your close friends, Younghoon included, even mention that they wanted to know Juyeon more, and all you could do is scoff as you remain in your seat. You turn to look away, hating how you aren’t the center of attention anymore, and it causes you to miss the hopeful glance Juyeon sends your way.

“You coming?” Sangyeon asks after approaching you. You already hate him for choosing Juyeon over Hwiyoung, and now finding out that he’ll also be your stage manager makes you want to regurgitate your breakfast all over him. You love him, as a friend, but you can’t forgive him for also making Hwiyoung an understudy.

He visibly eyes your entire figure, and his tone is rid of all malice.

“I think you could use some coffee with how tired you look right now.”

“Haha, very funny Mr. Stage Manager,” you say sarcastically. You stand up from your seat with your script gripped tightly in your hand.

He shrugs. “Your loss then, Ms. Cindy.”

As everyone leaves the auditorium, you’re left with one other person in the room.

“Hwiyoung!” you call out, shoving your script into your miniature backpack. You slip your arms through the straps as you run over to him.

He’s completely thrown off by the call of his name, and when he turns around, he has his drawstring bag slung over his shoulder. He eyes you skeptically, and you try your best to contain yourself.

You hate how you feel like one of those schoolgirls in movies approaching the popular male lead.

“What’s...up?”

“Do you not plan on getting coffee with everyone else?” you ask, sparking a conversation.

He purses his lips. “Not a coffee guy, remember?”

“Right.” You pause as you mentally scold yourself for not knowing simple details about Hwiyoung.

He then raises a brow. “Are you not going?”

“Uhm...no? No, no I’m not, uhm...homework. I have homework.”

He slowly nods in response to your oddly phrased reply.

“I actually have a question!” you insincerely rejoice as you try to get rid of the tense atmosphere. “So, you know, how...uhm, you know-...” You laugh awkwardly, unsure how to approach the situation. “We always, uhm, kind of practiced our lines together, and I mean...well, you’re still technically Prince Charming...right?”

“...Right.”

“So I was just, uhm...kinda wonde-”

“You want to practice lines together?” he interrupts.

“Yes! Yes, exactly that.” You eagerly nod your head.

He chews on the inside of his cheek as he stares into the distance, and you can tell he’s thinking with how his eyebrows bunch up.

“Sure,” he finally answers, causing your face to brighten up. “Meet up at the diner later? 5pm?”

You beam, unable to remove the happiest smile on your face.

“That’d be perfect.”

//

You didn’t know what you were expecting, but you know it wasn’t this.

Two hours have never felt longer, and all you’ve done throughout the time period was watch your milkshake melt between the palms of your clammy hands. Your gaze no longer falls out the display window and instead has dropped to your lap in humiliation while tears brim your eyes.

You should’ve known. All the signs were right in front of you, but you had blatantly ignored it for your own bliss.

Being stood up has to be the worst feeling you’ve ever experienced.

Defeated, you grab your bag and push past the glass door, leaving your milkshake behind. You aren’t adamant on breaking out into tears until you catch sight of Hwiyoung and his group of friends lounging by an adjacent building. They’re laughing when they see you leave, and one of them even announces the time on their stopwatch, indicating that they were waiting for you. A smirk settles on the lips you once kissed, and his eyes don’t leave you until you’re out of his sight.

Your attempt to mask how you’re feeling shatters instantaneously when you collapse into the first lecture hall you reach once entering the nearest building, and the pain of utter humiliation and realization strangles your heart. The lecture hall you’re in happens to be the one dedicated to your improvisation class, yet you couldn’t even be bothered to turn on the lights as you clung onto the platform to stabilize yourself.

The bag you’ve been clutching on for dear life has fallen out of your grasp, and all you could think about is how embarrassing you are for falling for his enticing aura.

You still love him, you truly do, but you’re now beginning to understand that Hwiyoung never did; not one of his smiles held an ounce of love for you. It was all just an act since the very beginning, and you didn’t realize it until now.

He was playing the main character and used you as practice considering you always happened to be his love interest in plays. He made you fall in love with him, a facade, and you failed to see past it. So now, when he has nothing to practice for, he drops you like you were nothing and never cared to acknowledge you as someone he’s ‘loved’.

The creak of the door silences your strained cries, and you’re convinced that the intruder would be able to hear your nearly working heartbeat. The lights flicker on, and you shield the brightness with your hand. The action leaves you unable to see who interrupted you mid-cry, but it doesn’t matter because all you could think about was getting out of there. You grab your bag and decide to make a run for it, but you don’t make it far when you finally see the figure looking at you.

“I-, uhm...” he stutters.

“You,” you mutter, glaring into his appalled eyes.

“I’m- I’m so sorry. I didn’t, uh, think anyone would actually be in here. Then again, I kinda thought- uhm, sorry.” His hand reaches to rub his nape as if to release the tension in his neck while clearing his throat to get rid of the unsteadiness in his voice.

“You,” you repeat, yet this time it’s through a scowl and is much more projected.

“Uhm...are-, uh, is everything alright?” he hesitantly asks.

“Is there something you want?” Your head quirks to the side as you interrogate him, leaving him intimidated with how condescending your words come across.

“Uh, actually, yeah. Do you, perhaps- know where the auditorium is? I-I kinda left my script there, and I can’t really remember which door it is…” His voice trails off into the distance as he weakly pushes out a chuckle.

Your laughter blares throughout the entire lecture hall, and it alarms a very puzzled Juyeon.

“You’re an acting major, and you don’t even know where the auditorium for the drama department is?” The laughs that proceed to escape your lips add more evidence to your malicious intent, and you rest your hands on the dips of your waist with the click of your tongue. “And to even think you got casted into the play.”

Juyeon pushes the door even wider with his forearm, and it gives you a better look at the disbelief worn on his facial features. Though, he continues to try a gentle approach with you considering he understands what you’re currently going through.

“Chanhee told me everything earlier. I-I know about you and Hwiyoung, and I can understand why you’re mad,” he explains. It’s amusing how he’s trying to make ends meet, and you make it known by refusing to comply with a snicker following immediately after.

“Awe. That’s so cute. Do you want me to congratulate you for finally finding out?”

He breaks.

“I auditioned for this play just like...you,” he counters, keeping his arm firmly pressed against the surface of the door. “You shouldn’t belittle me just because that little ex-boyfriend of yours didn’t get a goddamn role.”

“You don’t get to compare yourself to me,” you hiss, purposely lacing your voice with venom as you approach him. Tears from earlier begin to resurface and prick at your eyes, but it all goes unnoticed when your glare burns into his oh-so familiar pupils. “The difference between you and me is that I actually have the talent and experience for a ‘goddamn role’. You? Oh, don’t even get me started.”

Juyeon’s jaw clenches with every passing second, and his knuckles begin to redden with how tight he’s gripping the edge of the door.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Your scoff comes out more viciously than expected.

“It means your pretty face is the only reason why you got casted.”

You don’t regret a single word that’s left your mouth, but your head hangs along the sag of your shoulders when you’re recklessly tossed back into despair.

“Go back to your little dance crew, Juyeon,” you whisper with a crack piercing your vocal cords, unable to face him anymore. “You don’t belong here.”

You somehow manage to catch one last glimpse of the pain smeared on Juyeon’s facial expression before he shuts the door on you, leaving you alone with your faded vision and choked sobs.

//

From previous experiences, first rehearsals alway seem to last for hours on end. Regardless, you do your best to keep an open mindset as you go through each and every one of your classes.

You didn’t tell your friends about what happened with Hwiyoung; it isn’t like they need to know anyway. You’re already more than well aware that they’ll reprimand every reasoning you’ll put out, so the entire idea of informing them feels pointless. Not to mention Chanhee will scold you with the same three sentences repeatedly for months straight, and you’re way more than unwilling to listen to him.

This is why you don’t arrive at the auditorium with anyone by your side. You even decide to get there later than usual because you didn’t want to risk bumping into anyone—especially Hwiyoung after what you’ve just dealt with. You hate what he did to you that day, but your heart can’t help but continue to race at the thought of him.

You’re truly head over heels for not him, but his act.

You stand in front of the doors that lead into the room, and you’re scared. You’re scared you’ll be out of place because for one, you’re not in Hwiyoung’s arms.

A sigh exits your mouth as you steady yourself before pushing the doors open. You do it slowly, and it works because you fall unnoticed by everyone around you. You peek inside and hear all the bursts of chatter coming from every nook and cranny of the room. Though, despite this, you only manage to catch two fully audible conversations.

One on stage:

“I can’t believe you chose me for the king. Do I look short and old to you?!” Younghoon whines, script balled up in his fist. He stomps his feet angrily, startling the couple in front of him. “I’m not withering!”

“Should’ve casted you as an extra,” Sangyeon grumbles, rubbing the back of his neck before yelping when his girlfriend, Yiyeon, slaps his shoulder.

And another a few feet away from you:

“It’s unlike Lee Sangyeon to cast someone because of how they look,” an unfamiliar voice mumbles.

“Hey, but can you blame him? Anyone could be swayed by that face,” a second voice says.

“It’s just such a shame, you know? To see how talent can be overlooked by beauty. Poor Hwi.”

Their conversation shifts, and you find your jaw clenched. Although you wholeheartedly agree with what the pair was saying, you can’t help but feel a bit defensive for your co-actor.

But you fight against the small tug at your heart and bite your tongue, pushing the doors even wider and finally entering. All heads turn toward you when they hear the doors shut behind you, and you plaster on a fake smile as you greet those.

But your act gets cut short when Sangyeon exclaims ‘finally!’, rushing down the steps of the stage to reach you. His girlfriend and Younghoon follow, standing behind him as Sangyeon plants himself in front of you.

He grabs your shoulders, and looks at you with a stare that bore into your eyes.

“Have you seen Juyeon?”

You hesitate then shift your gaze to look at Younghoon. His face looks just as curious, and desperate, as Sangyeon’s, and it makes you raise a brow.

Has he not been here?

The entire room is quiet, and Sangyeon snaps you out of your daze by repeating the question. A sense of panic is washed over all of his features while his eyes beg for an answer.

“Please tell me you know where he is,” he cries, shaking you repeatedly. “He was supposed to pick up his script from me a week ago, but he hasn’t contacted me since!” His lip is jutted out, pouting, and you do your best to prevent the dizziness from affecting your response.

Man, you understand that everyone in the auditorium is a drama student, but you’re starting to believe that perhaps Sangyeon takes it a tad bit too seriously.

You open your mouth to speak and Sangyeon stops shaking you instantly, eyes widening to the size of a disney character’s. Yiyeon mirrors his same gaze, and Younghoon looks at you with anticipation, just like everyone else in the room. The attention makes you struggle to find the right words, so you opt for a ‘...I’m sorry, what?’.

“Juyeon, have you seen Juyeon at all this week?”

Your eyes immediately scan the room, in denial that this man isn’t here. You spot everyone, Hwiyoung included, but the figure of the one man you dreaded to see after the ‘incident’.

Well, it’s not like you’re going to complain.

“No, no I haven’t.”

A scoff breaks through the silence, and you fully expect it to be from your ex-boyfriend, but when you trace the sound, it matches the face of your best friend.

Choi Chanhee.

Sangyeon’s loud groan has you turning back to face him, and he drops his hands from your shoulders to bury his face within them. “No one, not one single person in this room, has heard or gotten sight of him. We need to block the entire show today, and we can’t continue on if the main lead doesn’t even have his script. What will I do?!”

As he visibly, and mentally, crumbles in front of everyone, his girlfriend reaches to comfort him before Sangyeon is swooped into another person’s arms.

Hwiyoung.

“Hey, Sang, it’s alright! Don’t worry about Juyeon. You got me, yeah?” He slings an arm over Sangyeon’s shoulder, leading him out of the auditorium. He pulls a door open for the sulking male. “As understudy, I can replace him for the time being.”

You catch his fake yet dazzling smile before the door closes, and you find yourself biting back a scowl.

“I’m, uh, just going to keep everyone sane,” Yiyeon mumbles, leaving you and Younghoon alone.

Then, you and Younghoon lock eyes. You both instantly share the same thought, causing you guys to get into action right after.

As you two run up onto stage, Younghoon grabs a chair while you grab Chanhee’s wrist, pulling him away from a conversation with Kevin.

He protests, but it’s ignored when you go behind the curtains, Younghoon trailing right after. He tosses the chair into the open area, waiting until it skids to a stop before you yank Chanhee onto it. You lean against a wall with crossed arms, watching as Younghoon approaches the suspicious friend of yours.

“You know something, don’t you?” Younghoon asks, standing in front of him.

“What is this? An interrogation?” Chanhee snorts.

“Yes, in fact it is, so I recommend you answer his question,” you bite back. Chanhee rolls his eyes, no longer looking at you.

Your words make you come off as curious when in reality, you couldn’t really care much about Juyeon and his whereabouts.

Yet somehow, someway—something seems to irk you. Seeing how Hwiyoung took advantage of a vulnerable stage manager earlier doesn’t sit right inside you, and Juyeon not even showing up and disassociating with everyone in the cast is out of character. You just know something is off, and you have a feeling it was because of you.

But you refused to believe so.

“Look, I haven’t been able to contact Juyeon either.” His tone is softer, and his voice could easily be overpowered by all the other incessant chatter coming from the other side of the curtain if it wasn’t for the secluded space you three are in. Your friend has his gaze darted elsewhere, clearly avoiding eye contact with either of you.

“You have been his closest buddy ever since he’s joined the cast,” Younghoon reasons.

Chanhee laughs, then turns to look at Younghoon.

“What? Jealous?” He smirks, almost winking, but Younghoon startles him by slamming his hands onto the head of the chair, gripping the ledge whilst trapping Chanhee between his arms.

“Y/N and I have known you long enough,” Younghoon says, sucking in his cheeks. “You don’t act like this unless you’re keeping something from us.”

“And your breath stinks,” Chanhee retorts.

“Okay that’s enough, this clearly isn’t working.” You pick yourself off the wall and approach the two.

“I could get physical if you’d like me to,” Younghoon says, tilting Chanhee’s chin upward with his script.

“Yeah, no,” you mutter, pushing him aside. He frowns but watches you in amusement, interested to see how you’d handle the stubborn boy. You then face Chanhee, craning your head to the side as you analyze how his features become stiff. “Since you won’t tell Younghoon what you know, why don’t you tell me? What the hell are you hiding from Sangyeon?”

Chanhee purses his lips, licks them, then stands. He looks at you with barely any expression on his face.

“...No.”

“No?” Perplexed, you stop him from leaving, keeping him in front of you. “What do you mean by no?”

He laughs. Then, he shakes his head.

“You don’t get to know shit after what you said to Juyeon on the day of rehearsal,” he spills, refusing to look you in the eye. Your eyes grow into the size of bowling balls, freezing as your friend continues to tower over your figure with crossed arms.

“So you know…”

“I was there,” he seethes, snapping his head back your way. “I saw him, chased after him, and caught him talking to you.”

“So you both are hiding shit from me,” Younghoon mumbles, clearly appalled and annoyed with how his best friends chose to handle things.

Chanhee ignores him and steps forward, making you stumble backwards after losing your balance.

“I tried to get to him, Y/N. I called him, I texted him, I even reached out to his roommates. But guess what? Not a single one of them responded to me.”

You part your lips to retaliate, but he cuts you off.

“No, not a single word from you. As much as I love you as my best friend, all you do is spill excuse after excuse,” Chanhee snaps. Every word he spurs has an arrow aimed at your heart, leaving you stunned after each one. “You’re always spewing shit about an innocent person, blaming him for your breakup when he had no control over who got what role. Now, Y/N, it’s my turn to blame you for not only making me lose a friend I recently made, but the three other people that have always stood by my side.”

He stops, looks towards the ground, and snickers.

“So, Princess, instead of interrogating me, why don’t you tell me where he is?”

“Alright that’s enough,” Younghoon states, stepping into the conversation. He pulls Chanhee away from you, allowing you to release the breath you’ve been holding in the entire time.

Chanhee’s chest heaves as he settles his breathing, eyes burning into your skull as you avoid his glare. You feel like the smallest person on earth, especially since you’ve never had your best friend turn his back on you. Younghoon shows no empathy when he sees the fear in your eyes, only shaking his head in disappointment as he holds his other friend close.

They trusted you to play smart, but all you did was hit rock bottom.

You leave from behind the curtain, revealing yourself to the people inside the auditorium. They look at you with worry, and some of them have actually even overheard the conversation you had with your friends, but you push them all away, running to the doors. You don’t want to deal with anyone, and although your mind is spiraling, you could only decipher one of many thoughts.

“Where are you going?”

A voice pulls you back into reality when you’re met face to face with your ex-boyfriend, Sangyeon standing right behind him. He’s smirking, even compressing a snicker, when he sees the look of desperation and urgency in your face. He holds the door open, blocking you from leaving by standing in the middle of the doorway.

You look him up and down, breathing heavily, before snorting. You shove him to the side as if he was nothing, giving him silence as a temporary answer. The corners of his lips drop, and he watches you leave in bewilderment. You only make it a few feet away before turning around, looking at him with the same smile he wore earlier as you slowly walk backwards.

“I’m on a search for a prince.”

NAVIGATION | THE BOYZ MASTERLIST

#stereotype `` oneshot #kcollegenet #hivegetit #deobiwritersnet #ficscafe #kdiarynet #houseofincantations #the boyz lee juyeon #juyeon scenarios #juyeon x reader #juyeon fluff #juyeon timestamps #juyeon oneshots #juyeon angst #juyeon imagines #tbz au #eric sohn #kim sunwoo #ju haknyeon #ji changmin #choi chanhee #kevin moon #lee hyunjae #kim younghoon #jacob bae #lee sangyeon

[ressjeon]

boo..yah! | pjm (m.)

pairing : fratboy!jimin x fem!reader

summary : you’ve been hoping that Taehyung will get the message when you keep on ignoring him for months now but what if his very inviting best friend offers something that will for sure relay your answer?

rating : 18+

genre : college!au, friends to lovers? (not really), pwp-ish?, smut, halloween party!au

word count : 7.2k

warnings : crude language, explicit sexual content, alcohol consumption, voyeurism, exhibitionism (on the balcony yolo), fingering, spanking, hair pulling, pussy and breasts fondling, protected sex (cuz it’s a must), edging, consensual drunk sex (they’re only buzzed), Jimin is a demon so don’t be fooled, also some It spoilers ig 🤷🏻‍♀️

a/n: we’re finally back after 3 months so pls excuse my writing lmao 😭. it’s very late but this is for the Jimin's Sunset Spooktober event hosted by my lovelies @opaljm​, @chateautae​ & @jamaisjoons​. thank you @knjsnoona​ & @balenciaguks​ for this sexy banner 🤤 and to @taegularities​​ for letting me write this ilysm <3

― prequel to “Hot Boy Summer” by riddie 🫶🏼

You roll your eyes as you enter the frat house after hearing that participating in the frat's Halloween games is a requirement for free booze. If you didn't want to be pissed drunk tonight you would've left this party at once.

But one of the frat's higher-ups, Kim Seokjin insisted on it since he organized the events for the night. Each person who enters the house must pick an activity to do, whether it's playing with ouija boards, actually going to a haunted house near the cemetery for hide and seek, watching a scary movie, etc.

And since you're a fucking pussy you pick the movie marathon since it’s the safest one. It's cold outside and you don't wanna trudge with your white pumps in the woods even if you’re wearing black thigh socks, plus you’ll get the first choice on which booze you wanna start drinking while watching.

Sitting down on one of the side couches in front of the flat screen tv, you wonder how much money this frat has to have expensive belongings. Well, they do a lot of charity events but you know it's because its members are mostly rich boys so you're not surprised at all.

A newly initiated frat boy who's in charge of this activity started the movie for the night, It. Though you usually don't like horror movies, you've been hearing great things about this one from everyone around you that’s why you actually want to give it a try. You’re not going to be alone while watching it anyways so why not. 

There's only a few of you who stayed inside the frat house to watch so you don’t expect to see who situated himself on the opposite couch in front of you,

Kim Taehyung.

The frat's resident fuckboy that you've been avoiding for months. You look away when your eyes meet, turning to the TV to focus on the movie instead. You can feel him staring at you from your peripheral view but you get distracted after getting a whiff of someone with a faint floral scent, the look of surprise etches on your face to see the person who plops beside you,

Park Jimin, the fuckboy's best friend or soulmate as Taehyung calls him affectionately.

He looks damn good with his white shirt and oversized dark blue mohair cardigan, paired with tight black jeans that accentuate his thick thighs. Jimin runs his hand through his ash blonde hair as he smiles at you while one of your brows raises at his attire.

"why aren't you dressed?"

"i am?"

"i mean a costume"

"i don't need one angel"

Angel

He looks like one tonight in comparison to his demonic best friend but you've heard the rumours, of course, he's a fuckboy too like the rest of his friends so you ignore the effect of his pet name on you. 

Some girl in a sexy nurse costume catches your eye when she sits beside Taehyung, breaking his focus on you to talk to her. This shouldn't bother you at all but it somehow did cause he could've sat beside you earlier but he didn't. You have no idea why he's even here since exploring the haunted house is more of his go-to activity.

"why with a skirt y/n? you could've been like those bunny girls"

Jimin teases while gesturing at a group of girls with bunny suits posing for pictures at the corner and you snicker, dismissing his attempt to divert your attention. You ignore him so he wordlessly reclines on the side behind you after, gradually laying his whole body on the couch, a silent message to everyone else that the couch is now fully occupied by the both of you.

The movie's almost halfway done and you're perplexed at not noticing that you are genuinely interested in watching it. Maybe because you can't focus because Taehyung is being touchy in front of you with a girl and his gorgeous best friend is behind you, so maybe.

“your hair’s tickling my nose”

You scoff at Jimin's whining though it's quite cute for him to complain about your hair. Every time Pennywise comes out, your body moves back in instinct so you bring the rest of your hair in front of you, realizing only then that you just gave Jimin the chance to seduce you now that you can feel his breath against your skin.

He blows a breath and chuckles when he sees your back squirming as you try to straighten your back, moving your body forward until you lean back again when another jump scare scene comes on. You can feel the pendant of his necklace grazing the exposed skin of your upper back when he sits up, his left hand holds your waist to stop your whole body from hitting his face.

An embarrassed giggle comes out from you as you try to sit back forwards but Jimin’s hold on you just tightens, your attention now fully on him than the movie. He’s closer with how you can feel more of his breath, and something inside you wants to lean back further to test it out.

He doesn’t do anything after you lean back a bit and you can sense that he is about to remove his hand from your waist so you spread your legs a little, your right thigh now touching Jimin’s right hand. If that isn’t your signal for him to do something then―

Your eyes widen when his hand that’s holding your waist drops down to grip your exposed thigh just above your thigh socks, shuddering a bit when he starts running his knuckles against your skin, letting you feel the three rings that are adorning his fingers.

Jimin chuckles again behind you after noticing you taking deep breaths as he continues in his ministrations, your eyes closing while your legs are unconsciously spreading wider. Then his hand moves closer and closer to your inner thighs only to retract it and shift his body to grab a bottle of Green Apple Smirnoff from the table.

You snap your eyes open, directly meeting Taehyung’s eyes in front of you before his eyes look down on your legs while running his tongue on his bottom lip. He’s always been an observant one so this made you grab the large cushion and place it between your legs, obscuring his view. He immediately looks up to meet your eyes, no shame in them as you expected.

“that scared of the movie y/n?”

Taehyung teases you with a cocky smile after he recovers, making you scoff and look away when his lips quirk even more before turning his attention to the girl beside him although you can clearly tell that he's not paying attention to her. 

Jimin returns to his position behind you but he doesn't lie back down and instead he puts his now cold hand back on your thigh, thanks to the iced cup of vodka that he was just holding. You squirm immediately at the cold touch, trying to close your legs but his grip tightens instead, the cold metal of his rings digging into your skin.

You don’t want to be obvious to everyone else how Jimin’s affecting you so you sit up and grab a cup of booze, hoping to calm down. But Jimin suddenly blows out a breath on your nape before leaving a peck on it, wrapping his other arm on your waist to pull you closer to him, his arms under your breasts pushing them up.

“Jimin! i almost spilled my drink, stop distracting me” you hiss to cover your embarrassment and pinches his arm that’s holding your waist in retaliation but the motherfucker just chuckles and places his chin on your right shoulder.

"am i angel? sorry" he coyly responds before nuzzling the side of your neck below your bow tie collar, his left hand finally creeping into your inner thighs, cold tips of his fingers nudging the lining of the crotch area of your bunny suit but not pushing it aside.

You wait for a bit to see if he will eventually but he still doesn’t. Your body jerks when two of his digits start tracing along your slit through the thin fabric of your costume. Jimin continues stroking your folds, starting from the base until he goes up to press the pads of his fingers on your clit. He starts rubbing on it in circles, while his right hand caresses your arms.

“fuck you Jimin” you curse at him quietly, though your voice came out shaky as you try to calm your breathing.

“that’s what you want right?” he whispers beside your ear, his breath fanning on your skin and you can't help but tilt your head sideways at the sensation, your eyes glancing on the TV, bringing back your senses a bit that you’re currently on a frat’s Halloween movie marathon.

Jimin presses his digits more and you only hum as an answer, doing your best to not moan out loud when he dips one digit through the fabric slightly, causing you to jerk and almost drop the cushion that you're holding.

“want my fingers?” he continues and starts kissing your shoulder, emphasizing his question now by flicking your swollen bud.

You don't wanna beg but you also know he won't do anything unless you do. He's the biggest tease you've ever met just like his best friend. fuck this.

“fine, please” you plead breathlessly, your eyes refusing the pull to look back at someone's stare in front of you. You feel Jimin's smile against your skin at your begging and for a second you forget that there are people around you because of his non-stop ministrations.

You know Taehyung’s been observing you and Jimin this whole time so you’ve been trying to maintain a neutral face as much as you can. Though it’s becoming very hard when Jimin finally pushes the lining of your bunny suit to the side, your embarrassingly wet folds welcoming the cold touch of his fingers.

“so..wet..damn you’re not even wearing anything under”

He comments in surprise and goes back to tracing your bare pussy lips, his touches even more intense now that you can feel his fingers directly. You wonder if he wants you to beg again for him to do what you want. Then your eyes turn to Taehyung just as Jimin plunges two of his digits inside your pussy, earning a gasp from you, your mouth opening slightly at the intrusion. 

You can’t help but shut your eyes, dropping your head on top of the cushion when Jimin starts moving his fingers slowly, the edge of the thick ring on his index finger stopping the other from going deeper. He chuckles a little after sensing your frustration, not surprised when you grip his wrist to urge him to go faster.

But the demon just removes his digits totally, making you whimper in annoyance and you slap his arm before letting out an exasperated sigh.

“it’s definitely Bill’s fault that Georgie died” you lift your head instantly to turn at another frat member who’s sitting on the back couch facing the tv, scoffing at his ridiculous comment about the character that you like.

“no, it’s the fucking clown’s fault” you hiss, still annoyed at Jimin who’s been caressing your thigh even though you keep shrugging his hand off of your leg. If he doesn’t wanna fuck you he never should’ve started touching you in the first place.

“yeah, it’s not Bill’s fault that the clown was hungry” Jimin responds in a woozy way and nuzzles you while trying to nudge him off. 

Others would think that both of you are just bantering each other with no malice. Him being this close to you looks normal since he’s known to be very affectionate and you both are not exactly strangers so this is basically Jimin being Jimin with his so-called other friends.

“still is, cuz he didn’t follow his little brother to make sure he’s safe” the deep voice who added a reply surprises you, not expecting Taehyung to join the argument. But then he could just be teasing you just like his fucking best friend who still tries to pacify your irritation.

“he didn’t know that there would be a clown in the sewers so NO” you fire back, glaring at Taehyung while he just smirks at you with those knowing eyes as he leans back on the couch, putting his arm on that pretty girl beside him. You resist the urge to roll your eyes at the scene in front of you because no, you’re not jealous.

Jimin tries to get your attention back by tugging the edge of your thigh socks but you elbow him so his hand goes straight into your bare pussy, not touching you directly but pressing the square gem of his ring on your clit and rubbing it in circles immediately. He doesn't give you a chance to process what just happened before he pushes one finger in, followed by the second one though he's focusing more on pressing the gem ring harder on your clit.

You bit your lip to stop a squeal coming out of your mouth from the sudden pleasure, the cold feeling of his ring against your swollen bud making your legs tremble, his digits stroking your insides shallowly. He’s back to puffing breaths on your nape, his other hand occasionally coming up to tug your bow tie collar before playing with your hair that adds to the forming knot on your lower abdomen.

“..fuck..”

He just laughs a little hearing you curse, enjoying how his touches are affecting you. You're damn struggling to keep quiet, clutching the cushion closer to your chest to cover both your flustered face and Jimin’s hands under your skirt but he’s barely doing anything not to be obvious on what the both of you have been doing.

Thank goodness that the lights are off so the only light on the entire living room is from the TV...

You’re so so close and you don’t even realize that you’ve been moving your hips to meet his fingers until Jimin holds your waist to stop you right when you’re about to cum. 

A surprised gasp comes out from you when he’s pulling them out, your approaching climax receding at what he just did. You dig your nails unto Jimin’s forearm as a plea to put his fingers back in your pussy, a whine almost leaving your mouth but you pause when you feel his breath beside your ear.

"balcony" he whispers teasingly, biting your earlobe before he gets up from behind you, saying an excuse to get some air and everyone just nods except for Taehyung, who has been looking at you more intently than before. You know that he’s aware of what just happened, it’s his best friend of course and they both have the same hobbies.

Jimin brings his fingers to lick your arousal off in his mouth and you swear that it’s one of the hottest things that you’ve ever seen, add the way he’s looking at you while he’s at it before finishing his cup, his wink and teasing smile making it harder for you to concentrate on regulating your breathing. 

He leaves after and you follow his figure as he leaves the living room until he disappears from your sight when he turns a corner, probably towards the balcony. This is it you should leave now and forget this ever happened even if Taehyung knows. You can just lie and leave Jimin hanging in there. Is he really gonna wait for you though? Won’t he just fuck some random girl instead if you don't show up? 

Hurriedly finishing your own cup to fix yourself, your eyes go back to Taehyung who’s getting up with that girl who latches onto his arm. The movie just ended so everyone is now getting up to go do other activities but you didn’t even care about it because you’re torn with Jimin’s proposition and with what you’re seeing right now.

Taehyung’s lips quirk at your eyes on them but you scoff at his attempt to make you jealous.

You truly wanna know if the rumours are true. If Jimin’s really more of a fuckboy than Taehyung so that's why you find your legs walking towards the direction of the balcony, sliding the door open to see Jimin already leaning on the railing, a smug smile on his angelic face.

It must be the alcohol that you just consumed because he’s looking extra hot tonight, even with the dim light from the outdoor balcony lamp, the lack of full light doesn’t change his whole inviting look and you really want to kiss him until you remember how he delayed your orgasm earlier.

"bold of you to assume i'll let you fuck me after what you just pulled"

"you won't be here if you really don't want to, would you?" 

He's got a point but the frown on your face is still apparent.

"i don't even know why i came here"

While waiting earlier, Jimin contemplates if you’re going to follow him with what he did but he knows that you’ve been dying for a release, this made his smile widen after seeing your silhouette approaching the balcony door. There’s an urge in him that suddenly wants to tease you even more but he stops himself as soon as he sees a frown on your pretty face, replacing the hungry look that you had just seconds ago as you come closer.

"’m sorry~" 

He teases with a whine while standing up unsteady from the railings and for a second you thought that he’s drunker than you.

And then you see the stupid smirk on his face as he takes off his cardigan while approaching you, tossing it on one of the outdoor chairs, followed by his white shirt that reveals his defined abs and the NEVERMIND tattoo on his rib.

You lick your lower lip, suddenly having the urge to touch his tattoo which didn’t go unnoticed by Jimin. He chuckles a little and that snaps your eyes back to his cocky face.

"shut up, you annoyed me" you glare at him but he knows that you don't really mean it like his apology.

"how do you want me to say sorry?" he whispers when he comes near, eyes fixed  on your lips down to your chest where your breasts are very prominent with how tight the costume is, shameless as always like his best friend.

"by letting me ride you" 

"demanding much" 

He playfully pouts with that fake hurt in his voice that you almost tell him off until he suddenly cages you in his arms, his beautiful lips now grinning at you with intent.

"why are you–"

"have fun sometimes y/n"

Your eyes widen when you figure out what he's trying to do and even though you're hoping to ride him since you're annoyed at what he did, he already denied your orgasm already so you don’t protest when he drags you towards the railings.

"you're crazy"

"it's more fun to fuck you this way"

If you were totally sober, you would never agree to something as scandalous as this but the alcohol in your veins is making you feel adventurous for once. A hot guy offering to fuck you in public? Especially the Park Jimin so why not?

And so you start pushing down your creamy white skirt, revealing the rest of your one-piece tube bunny suit to Jimin's hungry eyes.

He drops his head to your collarbones and starts kissing every inch of your skin that he can reach, feeling him smirk through your skin when you let out a small whimper after he finds that sensitive spot just below your neck.

Jimin's hands go busy while he continues to suck on that spot, roaming around your body until he reaches the top of your tube and pulls it down. You whine at the sudden sensation on your nipples due to the cold breeze but his eager hands are immediately on them, kneading them roughly.

"Jimin..wait.." you breathlessly call his name before you get more distracted with his hurried touches.

"hmm? fuck you have amazing tits" he groans, too distracted from gawking at your breasts and nipping your shoulder to hear you. He tweaks a nipple, earning another whine from you that you actually push his chest a bit to focus on what you were going to say.

"condoms.." 

"back pocket.." he moans against your skin and you continue whining when he doesn't stop fondling your breasts while he slowly grinds himself against your still-clothed body, pinning you against the balcony railings.

You quickly reach into the back pocket of his black jeans to fish out the foiled package, about to bring it to your mouth to rip it but Jimin grabs your neck as he kisses the side of your jaw, his mouth moving closer to your lips.

He releases you after you push his shoulder lightly, the questioning looks apparent in his blown out pupils staring at you.

"do you want this?" you ask and you don’t miss the surprised expression on his handsome face. You both may have a high tolerance when it comes to alcohol but you’re still buzzed and you want to make sure that you both want this to happen.

He nods eagerly before kissing you softly on your lips for the first time, his pillow-like lips making you dizzy with want and you kiss him back with more hunger. Your hands came up to grab a handful of his hair, a moan coming out from his mouth through your kisses that made you smile.

So he likes that.

You release his lips before he can deepen the kiss more, grabbing the hem of his black pants and Jimin gets the signal instantly. He starts fumbling his belt, pulling down his tight black jeans along with his boxers off his legs while you step out from your white pumps and lift one of your legs to start pulling down your thigh socks.

"don't"

"you pervert" you glare and he just winks in return.

Your eyes roam his fully naked body in front of your eyes, his lean and muscular body heightening your arousal. You bite your lip when you see how hard his cock is already, beads of precum coating on its swollen tip as he starts stroking his dick while slowly approaching you.

Jimin watches you rip the edge of the foil packet and he thinks how fucking hot you look while doing it, he always loves it when his partner does this, it’s like a treat to him since it feels way better than putting it himself. 

"may I?"

"please"

Your lips quirk at his plea as you put on the condom on his hard dick, running your hand down to give it a full squeeze while your other hand pinches the top to secure it in place.

"fuck..i can't wait anymore" he groans and suddenly turns you around, bending you against the railing immediately.

He didn’t wait for you to undress fully, pinning you on the railings with his body this close to you and you don’t think that you can wear a bunny costume again anytime soon or even look at one without remembering him or this night.

You gasp when the tips of your perked nipples brush the cold edge of the railing, sending shivers down your spine. You can feel Jimin's hands roaming around your body, kneading up both of your ass cheeks, the familiar cold feeling from the rings of his fingers makes you clench unconsciously.

He moves the part of the bunny suit that's covering your pussy to the side and you whine once again at the cold feeling of the air hitting your wet core. His hands leave yours so you turn around, ready to chastise him but you see him removing his thick rings so you turn back in front, only realizing the number of people that can see the both of you at this angle from the balcony.

"shit.." you moan needily when you finally feel his full digits pushing in your pussy, the cold feeling making your walls squeeze around them, even more so after he adds a third finger, sighing in relief when they reach deeper now because he's prepping you.

It's not long before the tip of his dick replaces his fingers on your core as he lines up, wetting it along your folds before his hands slide back to your hips and you needily push back which makes him chuckle a little at your desperation.

"ready to show Taehyung how you say no?" he asks with that playful tone again and you grit your teeth, almost not hearing the rest of what he just said because your only focus is the feeling of his cock slowly entering you.

Though Jimin hasn’t seen his best friend yet, he knows that Taehyung will be lingering around based on the way he was looking at you and him inside the living room earlier. He grins in frenzy after hearing you moan loudly when he fully rams in, not letting you adjust to his size as he starts pounding into you harshly.

You've been sensitive already because of his teasing earlier and the way he's roughly fucking you right now makes you forget that you’re at the balcony of his frat house and that makes you squeeze his cock more than usual, eliciting louder moans from him each time you do it.

"fuck you're tight.." he whines and grips your hips more, his fingers digging into your skin when he grasps you and you're loving the feeling of it, especially from his hand where his rings are still on.

Even with the alcohol that he just drank, Jimin's pace hasn't wavered to the point that your bunny ear headband falls from your head to the ground below the frat house. You don't really bother anyway since you're focusing on tightly holding the railings for dear life, your mind only thinking of how good Jimin is fucking your right now and you’re more than impressed.

You open your eyes when he finds that spot but the moan that was going to come out of your mouth falters when you meet Taehyung’s eyes looking at you from below. He’s holding your bunny ear headband in his hand, his mouth going agape while watching you getting railed by his best friend when he’s about to go back to the frat house. You clench hard while looking at his surprised eyes though you can’t quite tell if there’s also something else swimming in them.

And Jimin noticed of course.

"you love to be fucked like a bunny right?" he chuckles and you just squeeze him harder without answering.

A surprised squeal comes out from you when you feel the palm of his ring-clad hand on your ass, moaning at the sting of it and you want more.

"right?" he swats his other hand to your other cheek, earning a louder moan from you which makes him laugh like a maniac, enjoying how your reddening ass jiggles against his hands.

"that's why you dressed as one, taunting me and to make him jealous" 

"n-no, i didn't―fuckkk" 

You try to deny his assumptions but you just can’t help moaning even loudly when he angles himself to keep hitting that spot inside you, prompting you to place your mouth on your forearm to muffle your moans.

“liar, you saw Taehyung didn’t you?” Jimin teases you again and slower’s his pace, preventing you from reaching your high and you’re very tempted now to just fuck back against his cock.

A frustrated whine comes out from you when he further slows his pace, almost close to stopping and Jimin loves hearing it. He initially wants you to cum after teasing you earlier but after seeing Taehyung emerge and walk back towards the front of the house, he quickly changed his initial plan.

There are many reasons why he and Taehyung are best friends, and that includes how freaky they are when it comes to this.

“Jimin..” you moan needily against your forearm, your voice shaky and that gets his attention back to you.

He can’t believe he’s fucking you now, you have a special disdain for fratboys like him mainly because of his best friend who always finds ways to get you to notice him. Speaking of, he sees Taehyung sitting by the log with that sexy nurse girl beside him from earlier but he notices his eyes are solely only on you and him, a smirk appears on his face.

“Jimin..please..i can’t―” you try again and you sound like you’re on the verge of crying.

Your mouth leaves your forearm to part the hair that’s covering your face, one of your hands leaving from gripping the railing to reach for your clit but Jimin quickly swifts your hand away and stops his hips, making you stomp on your feet in annoyance at another denial.

“people are watching~”

He coos and you're so close to begging him again, why is he stopping now when you’re both this close already? You know that people will eventually notice the two of you but you don't find it in you to mind. So what if he teases you after this, you just want your release.

“i don’t care, make me cum please”

You relent with a whine and reach back to grab the side of his hips, your shaky hands slipping down to pull on one of his juicy ass cheeks to continue fucking you. Jimin chuckles at your desperate move before letting out a groan at the touch of your cuffs on his delicate skin, its sensation urging him to move so he starts again, fast like before, gripping your hips tightly as he speeds up his thrusts.

Jimin spanks you again and you toss your head back, seeing the girl beside Taehyung trying to bring back his attention to her and you grin when you watch as he struggles to be discreet on watching you and Jimin, his eyes alternating in looking down at anything and looking up at you so the girl won’t notice.

"show him y/n, come on. this is your answer to him right?"

Your heart stops at what Jimin just said, your mind goes hazy with his question and like you’re hypnotized with his voice, you start rolling your hips back on his dick while staring at Taehyung who’s so handsome even from afar. 

“it’s not..fuck!” you shriek when you feel the pads of his fingers on your clit, rubbing the swollen bud rapidly.

Jimin sees Taehyung walk closer to watch both of you and he’s been wanting to test a theory. He’s been bugging Taehyung for months now if he really likes you but he won’t give him an answer and then you gave in to his charms, what a perfect way to find out. 

“no point in lying y/n, you keep gripping my cock hard when you do”

“i-i’m not..ahh shit”

“look into his eyes while i fuck you, if you close your eyes i’ll stop hmm?”

You’re not even sure how he’ll find out if you close your eyes but something inside you wants to obey, too afraid that he’s going to deny your orgasm again. Your eyes pierce through Taehyung’s while Jimin continues to fuck you but the pleasure is becoming too good when your high's nearing so you shut them, your mouth hanging open as you try to gulp for cool air with your body heating up more. 

Jimin notices this and pulls your hair up to make sure you're looking at Taehyung. When he knows that you’re back on following what he said, he releases your hair so you can bend your head a little to hide your face, eyes still on Taehyung of course. He sees the girl beside his best friend noticing what he's been looking at and she makes a commotion of seeing people fucking at the balcony and when their eyes meet, he just winks at her which made her even more shocked. 

You start hearing some whistles and cheers from people below and for a second you're worried about the current situation until you notice that no one can tell that it's you because of your dishevelled hair and because you've been trying to cover your face with your arms this entire time.

"don't worry, no one has their phone out though i don't mind if they do"

You're not surprised by what Jimin just said, you feel him twitch inside you when the whistles keep on increasing. He clearly loves the attention he's getting from being this wild to fuck someone in front of other people's eyes.

The balcony has no proper lighting as well, just dim lighting from the street lights and the moon so people won't realize which bunny girl Jimin is currently fucking, some of them gradually giving up on watching you both. Not that it's any of their business but the way none of them are even shocked that he would do something like this makes you somehow giddy. You may be buzzed but this is certainly better than the many sober fucks that you had in a while.

“i’m close..fuck..Jimin―” you cry when one of his hands leaves your hips to grab your hair, pulling your head back up to see Taehyung watching you both, his hands clutching the bunny ears of your headband tightly around it. This added to the pressure on your lower stomach, your breathing getting more laboured because the bow-tie collar seems to tighten around your neck even though it’s not really choking you.

“fuckfuckfuck..” you sob as you reach your high, whining when Jimin keeps thrusting so hard because of the oversensitivity you’re starting to feel. He releases your hair and returns them on your hips, one of his hands reaching higher to squeeze your left tit, making you gasp loudly when his rings brush your perked nipples.

"warm and tight., holyshit" he moans loudly when he reaches his, spilling his cum into the condom while he continues to thrust his dick sloppily against your swollen walls as he rides his high. Jimin bends his body to leave wet kisses along your shoulders and upper back, his right hand grasping the railings beside yours while his other hand continues to fondle your breasts.

It's only when you whimper again and slightly push his lower abdomen off of you that he releases you, pulling his softening cock out from your soaked pussy. He hisses at that and you smile with content, turning around to hit him for making you do that in front of Taehyung.

“what the fuck Jimin”

“what? you like it anyways”

He winks and runs one hand through his sweaty hair, a habit of his that you find really hot when he does it. He’s not wrong though because you did like it a lot so you give one last punch to his chest playfully before you take a glance in front, certainly not looking for someone.

“still looking for him?”

“no, he probably left to fuck someone”

He laughs as he shakes his head while discarding the condom to the nearby trash bin, grabbing his discarded boxers and black jeans from the ground and you can’t help but admire the view of his plump ass and toned thighs, biting your lip when he crouches down, his muscles flexing.

Now that your highs are wearing off, the cold from the Fall breeze is creeping up your almost naked figure, your skimpy suit not helping. You’re shivering as you pick up your crumpled skirt from the ground to clasp it back on your waist before kneeling on one knee, struggling to clasp back the strap of your ankle pump heels.

And then you see Jimin’s hand with his dark blue cardigan in front of you.

"but you're gonna be cold!"

"someone warmed me up already" he shoots you a wink before walking to open the balcony door, waiting for you to follow him inside.

You put on his fluffy cardigan, thankful for the temporary warmth it gives as you walk back into the frat house. He redirects you to another bathroom that’s exclusive to the fratboys living at the house so you can clean up in peace without people disturbing you, you’re sure the others are occupied already.

Not wasting more time, you immediately clean yourself, taking off your entire bunny suit to rinse its crotch area since it soaked from your arousal. You hear some people arguing and only when you lean against the door to listen closely do you recognize that it’s Taehyung and Jimin.

"you looked annoyed Tae"

Jimin grins with mischief when he sees his loving best friend fuming while walking up closer to him.

"shut the fuck up Jimin, where is she?" Taehyung demands, eyebrows furrowing while staring down at him and Jimin is very sure now of his theory about what his best friend feels for you. Taehyung didn’t use his nickname on him so Jimin knows that he’s being serious, his smile widens.

"admit you like her first before i tell you, you've been antsy"

"i just didn't have any pussy yet that's why”

"or because i fucked y/n in front of you"

Jimin teases again and walks closer to the door where you’re currently in, intentionally staying outside the bathroom door so you can hear their conversation. He sees the conflict crossing Taehyung’s face, mixed with annoyance that he can confirm as jealousy.

"oh fuck off, fine i like her!" 

The confession causes a flutter in your heart and more confusion in your mind because there’s no way a fuckboy like Taehyung would have a genuine interest in you. He must be bluffing with some petty jealousy that you slept with Jimin and not with him tonight that’s why he’s being like this.

"shit, sorry Tae"

As much as Jimin’s a little shit for messing around, he actually feels bad for doing so now that Taehyung admitted his true feelings towards you even if he’s nothing at fault. But he sighs in relief after a mischievous smile cracks on his best friend’s face, looking at him with satisfaction.

"nah man it's fine, it was so fucking hot"

“i knew it”

You clench unconsciously at the thought of Taehyung finding the view of you getting fucked so hot. You’re not gonna deny that your heart actually stopped a little earlier at the thought of possibly causing a rift between him and Jimin but then you backtracked since it couldn’t be that serious with how they are, surely those two have fucked the same people before.

"she's in there btw"

You immediately scramble towards the sink to turn on the faucet after Jimin reveals where you are, conscious that they’re waiting for you outside the door now. You did some final retouch before opening the door, Jimin still has that smirk on his face while Taehyung looks at you with want.

"here, thank you Jimin" you hand him his fluffy cardigan and you eye him slyly with a knowing smile, obvious on the intention of the gratitude more than just the warmth from the cardigan,

For the good fucking, and of course, he gets it.

"no, thank you angel" he bites his lower lip, winking at you and you hear Taehyung scoff beside him, crossing his arms over his chest, his scowl still apparent on his handsome face.

"i'll leave you two to talk, see you around y/n"

Jimin struts away from you and Taehyung after, probably looking for another fuck or drink because he certainly doesn’t look like he’s drunk anymore. Your eyes follow his figure until he’s out of sight to further delay your attention to the person who you didn’t think would stay with you.

Fuck Jimin for planning this sneakily, you should’ve known better.

"thanks for the show"

You turn to the owner of that fucking husky voice who’s also been looking at you with unclear eyes since the beginning of the night and you’re still not sure if it's because he’s masking his jealousy with cockiness or what.

"and you enjoyed it, didn't you?" you challenge, raising your chin to level your eye against his.

"i did" he whispers as he comes closer, not straying his eyes from yours as he hands you the bunny ear headband. You grab it from him but he clasps it tighter, refusing to let go and you almost miss that he’s trying to cage you against the door so you put your other hand on his broad chest to stop him from doing so.

"not so fast, Kim Taehyung" his jaw tenses as he breaks his stare from you, his eyes going down to your lips before stepping back further so you can make your exit but his words make you stop in your tracks and turn to him.

"one day y/n," he says with full determination, his eyes looking back at you this time like they want to say something more but Taehyung opens his bedroom door before you can reply to him.

You want nothing else but to kiss him earlier but you know you can't until you'll know for sure if he truly likes you. Taehyung never left your mind that whole night when you’re trying to sleep, even the next day when you’re a bit drowsy still from drinking the night before.

What happened that Halloween becomes the talk of the campus for the whole week and while you’re still occupied whether to believe Taehyung’s confession or not, he confuses you even more now when you see a new girl in his arms while walking across the same path as you are, so much for liking you.

He doesn’t notice you even though you’re almost crossing paths but you’re looking at him the entire time, watching his face frowning while listening to the girl who’s been explaining something animatedly under his shoulders. 

A small giggle leaves your lips after finding out why, hearing their conversation lifts up your mood at least since she’s talking about how Park Jimin fucked one of those bunny girls like a madman on the balcony with everyone around on Halloween Night.

And it amuses you, even more, to hear how everyone's so curious about who is it, smirking to yourself because no one knows that it's you except Taehyung.

a/n: well Rid said “crazy and scandalous” so here you go ;)

#jimin #jimin x reader #jimin smut #jimin imagine #park jimin #bts jimin #clubjimin #kcollegenet #bts #bts scenarios #bts smut #bts imagines #bts x reader #bts fluff #bts fanfic #bts au #ficscafe #bts halloween au #bangtan #btshoneyhive #bangtaninn #bangtansorciere #thebtswritersclub #clubzerooclock #btsgoldnetwork #btscreatorscorner #ksmutclub

[neoaevis]

J.JH | Just A Best Friend (Teaser)

☞ Pairings : girl bestfriend reader x best friend jaehyun

☞ Genre: smut, fluff, angst, college!au, best friends to lovers!au

✩ Word Count: 220

✩ Warnings: none for the teaser

✩ dm me, comment here or send me an ask to be tagged💕

✿ A/N: For my collab with @neowritingsnet​ ‘s loveshot

✿ gfx by: @awrkive​

Some people say it’s stupid to fall in-love with your bestfriend, because you will risk a lot and lose a lot if you don’t succeed in making them fall in-love with you, some people say it’s wrong to fall in-love with your bestfriend since it’s wrong to think of them in a way more than what they think of you but some still beg to differ.

Love is never wrong , we can never tell the heart who to love and when to stop loving someone, Love would just knock you down when you least expect, that’s why even if loving your best friend is a huge gamble you should know that Love is the most beautiful feeling in the world, you can Love someone even when they can’t Love you back and that’s the beauty of it.

Jung Jaehyun is your best friend who is hopelessly in-love with you and has kept that secret for thirteen years now. He has always been determined to keep it like that because he is a coward who is afraid to ruin the relationship you both have, but it’s now your final year in college, the final days where he gets to confess his true feelings, that’s why will Jaehyun let his coward trait prevail or will he finally man up to tell you?

#neowritingsnet #nct-writers #kcollegenet #nctcreations18 #ksmutclub #neohub #jaehyun imagines #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun smut #jung jaehyun #jaehyun angst #jaehyun fluff #nct smut #jung jaehyun smut #jung jaehyun fluff #nct fluff #nct fanfic #nct x reader #nct jaehyun smut #nct jaehyun #college au

[halaboyz]

PAIRING: bestfriend! yeosang x fem! reader x blockmate! san | ot6 ateez is also here ! GENRE: smau ; fluff, angst (college setting) WARNINGS: a lot of swearing, sexual innuendos(?), legal drinking, … SCHEDULE: i'd try twice every week, but i'm not too sure >&lt; STATUS: on-going

SUMMARY: typical cliche best friends story– you like him, he’s oblivious to your feelings. but digging a little deeper, a little more hurting here and there because let’s be honest, yeosang wouldn’t know sooner because he’s such an ignorant being. you still continued to like him though. yeosang finally only realizes something when someone is starting to take his place– or is it just because he was the one walking away in the first place?

profiles: one, two

one, two, three, four, five, …

taglist: (send ask!) @woobly @sunwoahkim @talkbykhalid @naiify @kawennote09 @jackinmyarea @layzfeelit @wonwowzers @flybirdiefly

permanent (send ask!): @sunlightwoo @babygay-stay @90s-belladonna @grassbutneo @cosmiclele @moonieric @shingisimp @changmin-wrlds @kurosism @choielyssa @hwarora @miriamxsworld @mavericsohn @yunkiwii @enivivs @mingi-banana @woahhwa @allorysayshi @joshuaseyes @defjcm @nycol-ie @sanshineeeeee @fluffyju @squiishymeow @icedcoffeesunwoo @sunwoahkim @son4taa

#ficscafe #destinyversenet #koffeenet #8makes1teamnet #kflixnet #kcollegenet #ateez #kang yeosang #ateez smau #kang yeosang smau #yeosang smau #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez x reader #ateez fanfic #ateez fluff #ateez angst #ateez masterlist #yeosang drabbles #yeosang scenario #kang yeosang x reader #yeosang #kang yeosang scenarios #kang yeosang fic #yeosang x reader #yeosang scenarios #ateez sns au #yeosang sns au #kang yeosang sns au #ateez au

[hyunnows]

COFFEE | JJK

CONTENT/WARNINGS: fluff, high-school/university!AU, Nerd!Jungkook, loner!Reader

RATING: pg

WORDS: 6.2k+

SUMMARY: “Baby tonight, have a good night. Our first text and phone call. Was filled with awkward moments. Our highly anticipated first date. Why did I bite my nails? Why was I so nervous? As time went by, we naturally developed into lovers.”

A/N: A rewrite of something i made wayyyy back. there's probably a few mistakes and it needs more editing but ;-; i think its alright overall iufshufshuvdh any way i hope you all enjoy and have a great day/night <3

Drooling onto your palm, you continuously fail to stay awake, your morning drowsiness and lack of sleep the night before getting the better of you. Rubbing your lids harshly, you did your best not to succumb to the slumber you so desperately needed, and unfortunately, wanted so badly. It was already a struggle enough not to yawn in this classroom, trying not to pass out from a sheer lack of energy was just too much, and you were beginning to think preventing yourself from getting detention wasn't worth the trouble.

“Hey, uh… D'you want some coffee? I-I haven't drunk any yet,” a boy, one you'd seen many times before as he sat just behind you in class, offered you. You'd been startled at first when you felt a tap and heard the unfamiliar smooth voice, but we're glad you had decided to react.

Knowing you wouldn't get past today without a cup, you hesitantly ask. "What kind?”

“I think it's a—um, a caramel macchiato …”

With a sheepish look, you accept the hot drink, testing it to see if fate has truly brought you your favorite beverage. Then, upon realizing his words, you cock your head to the side. "You think? How could you not know what you got…?”

He chuckles, seeing your confused face. "I-I mean, it is a caramel macchiato, I-I'm just nervous I guess…”

Swallowing a bit of the coffee, you send the doe eyed boy a grateful smile, turning back to the teacher before she had noticed your attention—or rather, lack thereof. Barely making it through the class, you sigh. The coffee was great, but you felt guilty knowing you'd taken someone else's drink.

Searching for the Jeon, you finally find him. "Hey, Jungkook, right? Thanks for the coffee… Just uh—here,” You stammered, pushing four dollars into hands, awkwardly shifting in front of him. "I'm gonna get going—but thank you, again.”

“...N-no problem…” He dragged out. He was already surprised at himself for talking to a girl in class—even more so that he'd managed to speak to a pretty girl, but he was shocked that you'd actually chased him down the hall to repay him. Usually, nobody would pay any mind to his kind actions, and it flabbergasted him that you'd put effort into trying to make it even.

——

It's a breezy morning, and nothing is better on a cold Tuesday morning than hot coffee, right? Handing the cashier ten bucks, he glances around, eyes stopping on your hunched figure that's panting at the entrance, and he swiftly spins back to the barista. "How much coffee is left in the machine?”

“For macchiatos, maybe, I'm not sure… Five?” She calculated lazily, counting the bills he'd given her and splitting it to change. "Here, six dollars and twenty-five cents. Anything else while I grab your drink?”

“Make it two, please,” Jungkook decides, handing the woman four dollars, muttering a low “Keep the change.” Nodding, she gets to work, pulling out two paper cups and cardboard cozies. Thanking the woman—Lia—shyly, he makes his way to class, not wanting to seem suspicious.

Sipping his hot beverage, he watches the door subtly, waiting for you to walk in. There were only a handful of macchiatos left and based on the line behind him, you definitely weren't getting one. Spotting your mess of [H/C] hair, he smiles to himself a bit.

“Gosh darn it [Y/N]! You're going to fall asleep again…” You groan, taking your seat besides Jungkook and aggressively pulling out your supplies. There was no way another kind, selfless and undeniably handsome classmate of yours would offer you their coffee again—much less that it would be your favorite kind. You frowned, accepting that you probably wouldn't make it to the end of this class without earning detention for at least an hour after school.

Slumping, you try and find the best way to seem as though you were studying as you took a nap, pulling out a post-it to jot down possible excuses if you got caught. Murmuring, you failed to notice the nervous Jungkook beside you, contemplating how to offer you the coffee he'd bought for you without coming off as creepy. Finally calming down, he tapped your shoulder. "Hey, I-I’ve got an extra coffee if you want it…”

Lighting up, you quietly thank him, brushing your fingers on his briefly, causing him to blush and smile shyly. Doing your best to stay concentrated, your mind can't help but wander back to him, your eyes straying from the board to look at Jungkook. It was captivating, the way he seemed more reserved, yet still outgoing kind, barely hesitating to help anyone he could. You'd never noticed before, how often he offered people his assistance in class, considering he had one of the highest grades out of all the eleventh-years. Each time, he was struck down, some apologizing politely as they rejected his help, while others blatantly embarrassed him in front of their friends.

The sad thought that maybe he didn't want to be the shy, smart boy at the back of the class but was forced to be instead, plagued your mind. You couldn't understand why everyone in the class seemed to avoid him—he was smart, handsome, charming and thoughtful—certainly at least friend material.

Pushing the thought away, you realize that you'd managed to zone out throughout the entire class. You may not have had Jungkook's grades, but you figured it wouldn't affect them much that you missed one class—the homework Ms Kim assigned was at least enough to have you caught up with the rest of the class.

“Hey, Jungkook…” You tug at his shirt quietly, trying not to draw attention to yourself—you happened to have very judgmental classmates—keeping him behind to speak with him. “Thanks for the coffee… Again. I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime."

Frozen, he stares at you blankly, mouth parted slightly in surprise. He hadn't had anyone ask to hang out with him since fourth grade, when he met Taehyung—his best friend. He’s even more shocked that it’s the [Y/N]—his classmate who is, in a way, known for being a loner—is asking him. Snapping out of his shock, he blinks dramatically, holding his eyes closed a second longer than he normally would. "Y-you want to hang out with me…?”

“Yeah, you seem really cool and nice! Unless you don't want to, ‘cus that's fine too!”

“N-no, that's not it—I'm just surprised! Yeah, I'd love to hang out with you! Here, I'll give you my number… It's uh…” He stuttered, frantically patting his pockets for his phone. Curse his memory, not being able to remember ten digits! “Here…”

“Okay! I'll text you in a bit!” You smile, creating a new contact.

Waving as he left, he grinned, his pearly white bunny smile flashing. "See you later [Y/N]! Can't wait!”

——

“-and then Yoongi started cussing out my physics teacher!” Taehyung cackles, barely breathing as he recalls the memory with the rest of the boys. “I still can't believe he did that-”

Turning his attention from his friends, he looked at his vibrating phone, quirking a brow. One new message. From who? He wonders silently for a bit, his face lighting up in excitement as he realized who he'd given his number to. Unlocking his screen, he sees Hi Jungkook, it's [Y/N] from class! Sitting straight, he quickly typed back.

Noticing how the youngest boy had gone quiet, Jin stealthily pads his way behind him, peering over his shoulder to read the messages. So our little Jungkook has a girlfriend? Smirking, he continues reading, watching as Jungkook repeatedly typed something out—only to erase it and rewrite it.

“Who’re you texting, hm?”

Startled, Jungkook dropped his phone, flushing in embarrassment. The other five boys stare at the oldest and youngest two quizzically, only Taehyung reacting. “Hey, why did you drop your phone like that? It's an expensive device!”

Giving Jungkook a mischievous look, Seokjin whips his head back to the five, grinning. "Our little Kookie has a girlfriend~!”

“Yah! A girlfriend?” Hoseok exclaims,his eyes widening at the statement. Jungkook, their shy little Jungkook, a girlfriend? No way, he'd practically never been able to speak to a girl without freezing up—to call it a stretch was an understatement. “And you didn't tell us?”

“Obviously we raised him wrong,” Yoongi jokes, sinking into his jacket. “He's always keeping secrets.”

Giggling softly as his friends continue to joke about his so-called girlfriend and behavior, he typed out another message, So when are you planning to meet up?

I think next Tuesday after school is a good time, Jungkook grins at the thought of making a new friend. It had been so long since the last time someone other than his six friends had offered to hang out with him… And, truth be told, he also might have had a small crush on you.

“Good morning class, please welcome [L/N] [Y/N],” Mr Lee introduced, waving at the door. Slowly, a short girl with [H/C] hair entered, shyly clutching her school bag. Ushering her to the front of the class, he grinned. "Introduce yourself [Y/N].”

“Hi, I'm [L/N] [Y/N], 15 years old and I really like reading, music and I uh… I hope we have a good year.” You stuttered out, glancing from your shoes up to meet the many eyes of your new classmates. It wasn't ever ideal to transfer in the middle of the year, especially in high school, but you didn't have a choice. Your father had been moved here by his job and you couldn't live so far from him that you'd only see each other a couple holidays a year.

Peeking up from his “doodle pad”—as he often called it—Jungkook met your beautiful [E/C] optics. Jungkook was always happy to meet someone new, someone who could become a friend. But, as soon as your eyes met for the first time—even if it was only for a couple of seconds—Jungkook was captivated.

Since freshman year, he'd been in all your classes, and was always keeping an eye on you. He wasn't a stalker—thank goodness—but he'd watch you in class. During those first couple of months, he watched as you tried to make friends, tried to fit in with your new school, and watched you get ignored.

He noticed later that over time you'd gradually given up on making new friends, and decided to just be a loner. You'd of course participate on group projects and do your part, but you didn't make an effort to get to know your teammates; you clearly had no interest in getting to know you. It was painful for that year, watching everyone group together and have fun, but you eventually got over it. School was for education, not friends, thy was how you reasoned it in your mind.

He hadn't been in love with you or even had a crush. He just wondered why you were alone. You had decent grades, a nice figure—a bit on the chubby side but nobody was complaining, especially not the guys—and a laid back, fun personality. Perfect friend, or even girlfriend material at that. It just baffled Jungkook why you were so lonely, such an outcast at his school.

Then, one day, he saw you in the library, head stuffed into a book and face shielded by your hoodie. He hadn't been able to tell at first, but as he searched for a book in the aisles near you, he heard them. Your small, almost inaudible sniffles. And as he stated at your softly shaking figure, he noticed the paper crumbled in your hands.

As you left, you dropped the note in the trash, and Jungkook wasted no time to go read it—despite the odd looks he got. He knew his classmates gave them to him anyway.

To: Jung Wonwoo

From: [L/N] [Y/N]

You probably don't remember me, I'm not even in your class. Since I started attending school here, I always found you fascinating and wanted to know more about you. For a while, you helped me study in the library, and made me feel much less lonely. I grew to like you a lot and I hope you can accept my feelings, even if you don't reciprocate them.

It was crumbled and hard to read due to tear stains and pencil smudges, but Jungkook managed to read most of it. Flipping the small paper around, he quickly began to read the reply.

I'm very sorry [Y/N], I don't like you that way. I do remember you a bit, and you're a very nice girl who's very attractive, but you're not the girl for me. Your confession was flattering and sweet, but I'm going to have to reject you. Please forgive me.

Although the confession was not for him or meant to be read by him at any point, Jungkook found it to be so sincere and heart-wrenching. Most people tried to flood their confessions with details, tried to make themselves seem like the only person who could love the recipient, but you were just honest. He could tell that, although you most definitely liked this boy, and confessed, that you weren't in love with him nor did you expect anything in return.

Honest, genuine and true. Three qualities that went hand in hand, that you managed to have all three of, and Jungkook just adored it. He noticed how you never tried to hide your feelings or mask your personality to make more people like you. You accepted that you weren't everyone's ideal friend, but you stayed true and genuine to yourself and never wavered. Even as a loner, you managed to crack a couple jokes in class, help out a fellow struggling student and do your best to succeed.

It was so admirable, something Jungkook strove to be. All he wanted was for someone to like him, and to accept him, it was all he ever wanted to do. And, although he continued to try and please his peers, he didn't try to change himself to do so anymore, and he was grateful to you for that. Somehow, throughout your years in the same classes, he'd grown to have a certain fondness for you—a crush, and he was so glad that it was you his heart had picked.

“Hey Jungkook, I got you something,” You grinned, watching as he continuously tried to pry his eyes open, only for them to flutter shut once more in sleepiness.

Blinking at you, he mumbled. "Really..? What is it..?”

Pulling out a second coffee from behind your back, you quickly shoved it into his hands. "For the past two times you've saved me from falling asleep during class, I wanted to repay you.”

Taking a sip of the caffeinated drink, he sighed happily, grateful that you'd managed to be early today. Propping himself up on his fist, he took another long sip, before flashing you a grateful—and very tired—smile. “Thank you, you have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

Shrugging, you stirred your own drink, which was half empty by now. "Of course, you've already done the same for me.”

“So, are we going somewhere later or are you planning on hanging out by the library or something?” He questions, curious to what you had planned for today, considering you had a bit more than a week since you'd made plans with him to come up with an activity or destination.

Pulling out your textbook, you think for a second. "I was planning on something like a park or a Plaza but-”

“[Y/N], Jungkook, quiet!” Ms Kim growled, sending the both of you death glares from across the room. “As I was saying, we will be splitting up into groups for this project. You're allowed to pick your partners, as I'm curious to see how well you work with peers of your own choice. The project is about social relationships. I want you to document personal experiences of friendship, crushes or whatever social relationships you want and come to a conclusion of why they are important.”

As the class began pairing up, you and Jungkook remained seated, knowing there wasn't anyone in the class who wanted to pair up with you for a project that you'd be practically no help with. Focusing your attention back to your drink, which you'd beautifully decorated with scribbled swirls and circles—never mind a couple lopsided hearts—you sighed as you realized you'd probably have to ask for extra credit work to fill in for this assignment.

Clearing her throat in front of your desk, Ms Kim easily drew your attention from your creative cup to herself, gesturing to both you and the black haired boy you'd recently started to acquaint yourself with. "[Y/N], Jungkook, you two will be pairing up for this. Instead of documenting pre-existing relationships, I want you two to document your own friendship or possible romance as you two get to know each other. If you manage to pass this assignment, I will exempt you from the next assignment.”

Glancing at Jungkook and vice versa, you both tried to ignore the bright blushes on your cheeks, nodding to your teacher.

Scratching his neck, Jungkook gives you a reserved smile. “So I guess we'll be chillin’ in the library then…”

Chuckling softly at his subtle joke, you nod. “Yeah, I guess so. Can't wait to hit the books with you, Jungkook.”

“So, since neither of us is really… Experienced on the social aspect, how should we do this?”

Thinking for a bit, Jungkook pulls out his phone, quickly typing out something you couldn't see. Biting his lip, he scrolled through the websites, finally settling on one. "200 questions to get to know someone.”

“Alright, shoot.”

“What shows are you into?” He reads aloud, glancing up to look at you after he's finished.

Without the slightest hesitation, you quickly reply. "I'm really into things like THE FLASH and anime, but there are some dramas I'm into too!”

“THE FLASH? Isn't that a western show?” Jungkook inquires, pleased with his own knowledge when you nod. "That's cool. I like dramas, as ridiculous as it it… I also really like anime too, Attack on Titan is one of my favorites.”

“No way! I love AOT! Levi is the best character hands down,” You grin, eyes shining at the shared interest.

Pursing his lips, he shrugs. "Eh, I like Eren better but whatever… anyway, next question,” he smirked, knowing that you wanted to debate about the characters. "W-what would you rate 10/10?”

“Shrek.”

“FRIENDS,” at his answer, you can't help but let your grin falter into a tight-lipped half-hearted smile. But you quickly recollect yourself as he reads the next question. "What kind of art do you enjoy?”

Tapping your chin, you scrunch your face briefly. "Probably books, if you count literature. If not, then probably drawing and painting. You?”

Practically sparkling with happiness, he beams. "Photography! My friend is really good at it and sometimes… He lets me borrow his camera!”

“That's nice of him.”

“Yep!”

“Here, I'll read the next few,” You offer, reaching for his phone, which he gives you without reluctance. “What do you wish you knew more about?”

“You,” he answered sincerely, staring right into your [E/C] eyes with his own brown ones. "I'd like to know more about you.”

“I was going to say crabs but I think it'd be awesome to get to know you too,” You giggle sheepishly, scrolling doesn't to the next question. "What trend do you hope comes back?”

“ASMR,” laughing at himself, he clutches his stomach at your shocked face. "What? I'm serious, ASMR was so helpful and relaxing!”

“Sure… For me, probably something like baseball tees.”

“That wasn't a trend thou-”

“What fictional place would you like to go to? I pick Asgard.”

“Interesting, but I think I'm more suited to… Hogwarts..?”

Nodding approvingly, you imagine Jungkook in a Gryfindor uniform, stifling snickers.

Your game continues for about an hour, both of you staying from the list to ask questions of your own. Stretching your arms, you yawn. "I'm gonna start writing stuff based on your answers, and do some research on compatibility for friends.”

“Sounds good, I'll do the same.”

Sorting your answers between a diagram showing similarities and differences, he fails to notice that you've begun to sway a bit. Reaching for his phone, he freezes as you slump against him, soft snores and breaths flowing from your lips. Slowly turning back to you, he realizes how tired he'd become as well, the coffee from this morning wearing off after a hard day of keeping him awake, and he drifts off to sleep with his head above yours, holding you gently at his side.

“Jungkook, d’you think we should make it a scrapbook? I mean, that still counts as documenting, right?” You wonder aloud, tapping your chin with your pen. "Then we could add pictures for proof, we’d probably have less to write too.”

Nodding, the brunette agrees. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, I’ll ask my friend for his camera,” Jungkook mutters, jotting down some notes about the project. This will be an easy A… He thinks to himself, smiling at you as you search for a scrapbook. “This store is empty, maybe we should try a different one.”

Sighing, you purse your lips. "Yeah, I think you’re right,” taking his wrist and walking out of the store. You’d driven to a small town, one that was often called a tourist attraction due to how little people were there and how old it was—neither of you was looking for much socializing with strangers and you figured that you’d be able to have some fun experiences for your project. And true, there weren’t many people, but there wasn’t much in the stores either.

Standing close to you, Jungkook observes the empty block, realizing the entire area was empty. He'd practically driven you to a ghost town. Feeling anxious for your safety, he quickly took your waist, holding you close to him. "[Y/N], I think you should stick close, this place is empty.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing…” You sigh, leaning into Jungkook's protective embrace. By now, you'd been hanging out for almost two months and were considerably close friends—inseparable, as his friends called it.

Hopping into the car—Jungkook running around the side to help you in first—he slams a fist against the dashboard. You jump at the sound, surprised and startled, before realizing why he was upset. “You’re not serious.”

Grunting, he shakes his head. "We’re out of gas,” There it was. You let out a strangled groan, drawing Jungkook’s attention. "I’m going to see if there are any stores around here with some gas, you can stay in here with the door locked.”

“I can go too, so we can cover more ground—” you start.

Interrupting you without hesitance, Jungkook gives you a stern look. "No, we’re practically stranded in a ghost town without anything for a couple of miles—I’m not letting you walk out there without me.”

Scoffing, you mock offense, placing a hand on your chest. "You don’t think I can take care of myself?”

Shaking his head, he exits the car, locking the door immediately. "I-I just—I don’t trust anyone who might be here, especially not with you,” he mutters shyly, shutting the door as he leaves. You hear your phone ding, realizing Jungkook had already begun to check on you.

Coffee Boy: Make sure you don’t unlock the door to anyone. Call your family or someone just in case I can’t find gas.

Dialing up your mother, you listen carefully to the ringing. "Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice-mail messaging system—” you cut the call, dialing your father’s phone. "Sorry for missing your call. Unfortunately, I’m busy right now. Please leave—” Why did they have phones if they weren’t going to answer them? You give up, sending a quick text back.

You: They’re not answering :(.

After about 15 minutes, Jungkook returns, knocking gently on the window. "I couldn’t find any gas, are you sure nobody can pick us up?”

“I kept trying, nobody’s answering. Have you called your friends?” You inquire hopefully, frowning when he replies.

“They didn’t answer…” Pinching his nose bridge, it’s almost as if a light bulb went off in his head, he grins. "I did see a BnB though. We could just use it for the project.”

You snap, pointing at him in astonishment. "Right! This will just make less work! Jeon Jungkook you're a genius!”

“Can you say that to my parents?”

——

“Wow, this place is pretty cozy,” you mumble, petting the latte colored comforter. You drop your bag to the floor, sliding off your shoes as you launch yourself onto the queen-sized bed.

Jungkook slowly enters the room, stealthily dropping his bag next to yours, collapsing on your back, squishing you. "Is it? This bed seems pretty uncomfortable for me,” beaming as you wiggled and gasped under him.

Trying to crawl out from under him, you reach out dramatically. "I can’t breathe—get off me, Jeon!” You wheeze in laughter, inhaling comically when he rolls off you. Sitting up on the bouncy bed, you gaze at him quizzically upon realizing that this was meant to be your room. “Hey, I thought we got separate rooms.”

Scratching his nape sheepishly, his voice rises two an awkward octave. "About that… They didn’t have any rooms left…”

“That’s fine, just stay on your side, okay?”

Smiling, he nods. "Sure thing, let’s get working!”

The two of you are practically dead by the time you’d finished labeling the polaroids you’d taken each time you hung out, and you weren’t sure if you had enough in you to glue them all down. Still, you reached for a glue stick, flushing when you realize you and Jungkook had accidentally grabbed each other’s hands. "Sorry, you take it.”

He shakes his head, cheeks dusted pink as he hands you back the glue. You accept quietly, trying to focus on gluing when you realize your eyes have already drifted back to Jungkook. You figure it wouldn't hurt to check him out…

Oh, how wrong you were.

From his broad shoulders, toned arms, and snatched waist—you were in danger.

You were practically drooling by the time Jungkook decided he was ready to hit the hay, waving a hand in front of your face to catch your attention. You blink quickly to snap out of your trance, ignoring the flushed grin on Jungkook's face when you turn away in embarrassment. He was attractive. “I'm going to change, you should too—in the b-bathroom, of course.”

Still dazed, you nod, stumbling to the drawers filled with cheap sleepwear and into the small restroom. Pulling the pajama pants up your waist, you forget to check if he was done, opening the door before he'd put his shirt on. "I-I… S-sorry!”

“It's fine…” He mumbles, nervous. He may not have been too open about his insecurities or sense of self, but he hoped you'd at least liked what you'd seen—as odd as it had sounded. You were the girl he liked, and he wanted you to find him attractive. “Sh-shall we?”

You nod, sliding under the covers as Jungkook quickly shuts off the light, hopping on top of the sheets next to you, face to the door with your backs facing each other.

Warm arms slide under your back, pulling you into a strong chest. You inhale deeply. Something about the mysterious person's scent is familiar. Turning your head up, you meet the sleeping expression on your partner, the quiet boy who had become your only friend.

Brushing a couple of strands away from his face, you're startled as his eyes snap open, a confused yet fond look in his eyes. “[Y/N]?”

“Yeah?”

“I like you.”

And then you start waking up.

You yawn tired, tiredly when you're awoken by the smell of hot breakfast, your mouth watering before you've even opened your eyes. “Mm, what's that smell...?”

“I got breakfast!” The brunette coos, his teeth peeking through his bunny grin, "and coffee, of course!”

Sitting up, you beam at him. "Thanks Kook, this is probably the best I've ever woken up,” You admit, an appreciative look on your face as you grab the plate he'd been offering. Sipping the coffee, you groan happily. "What is this? It's amazing!”

“They only had a cappuccino machine so…” He smiles, glad you were enjoying the food.

Scrunching your face in delight, you stuff your face with the English muffin in the corner of your plate. "Well, if you ever get me coffee again, I want it to taste like this,” suddenly, you're reminded of your dream. What was that? You wonder, hoping that you hadn't just grown a huge crush on the class nerd. You sigh, thinking of all the details that had engraved themselves into your brain yesterday during your staring session. It wouldn't be bad to like him… “Damn,” I have a crush on Jeon Jungkook.

Dropping his fork, Jungkook stares at you wide-eyed, before returning to his meal. You're confused about the short action, but shake it off, he was an odd one. Jungkook, on the other hand, was ecstatic, evident by the massive grin on his face because you had just confessed to him out loud. He quickly realized you must've thought you said it in your head, but his heart was fluttering nonetheless.

“Hmm, what do you say we hang out later before my friend comes for us?” He inquires, a plan fabricating in his head. You nod, making his grin impossibly wider. "Great, I saw a cute mini-theater, which I'm pretty sure is doing dollar movies.”

“Sounds great, just… Can we go to a store first? I don't want to wear the same outfit two days in a row…”

Nodding, he doesn't hesitate to start writing down his plan.

——

“So, Mr. Jeon, what's this great big plan of yours?” you tease, punching his shoulder gently.

Smiling softly, he drags you behind him, hand in hand, towards the movie theater. “Plan? What plan?”

You scoff. "I saw you writing stuff down! Now tell me about this grand scheme of yours!”

“There’s no scheme, we’re just going to watch a movie [Y/N],” he shrugs, approaching the ticket salesman. "T-two for Time p-please…”

You fawn at his shyness. How adorable! Before collecting the tickets for him—he was too shy to take them from the salesman. You hand the man ten dollars and an extra two as a tip, considering he probably didn't make much in this town and looked like a good person.

The two of you make your way to the snacks. You order a large popcorn with extra butter as Jungkook pays—you were high school students, not billionaires.

The theater was small and empty—much like the town—and you were able to pick any seats due to the lack of an audience, only two other people in the mini-cinema. It was nice spending time with Jungkook. You'd thank your teacher for pairing you up later, but as you watched his eyes brighten at the screen, you wanted something more. You wanted this to be a date, where you could freely hold his perfect hands, tell him how much you liked him, and kiss him as you pleased, but alas, at the moment, you were just friends. You sigh, turning in your seat. "I need to use the restroom, I’ll be back in a bit.” Jungkook nods, and you laugh to yourself at how interested he seems in the previews and ads.

You wash your hands, splashing a bit of water on your face, whilst feeling grateful you hadn’t worn any makeup that could have been ruined by your sweat and nerves. Walking back to your seat, you’re taken aback by the girl who’s made herself quite comfortable in your seat, chatting Jungkook up. Pushing away your thought of how on earth she managed to pull his eyes away from the screen and make your way to the other side of him.

“Who are you?” The girl quirks her eyebrows, and you’re relieved that she at least doesn’t sound like a cliché mean girl, but a sweetheart who probably thought another stranger had just sat beside Jungkook.

Before you could answer, Jungkook quickly puts his hand in yours, leaning towards you. "M-my girl—my g-girlfriend…”

You quickly pick up that he was probably trying to shake her off—you weren’t dense—and play along. “Yep, I’m his girlfriend.”

The girl immediately releases Jungkook’s arm, apologizing profusely. "I-I’m so sorry, I had no idea…” Smiling politely as she gathered her belongings, ready to give you and your boyfriend so space. "I’m so embarrassed, I promise I didn’t know—”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” you assure her, giving a polite wave as she scurried off. Once she was out of ear-shot, you shoot the brunette a quizzical look. "Why did you do that? She seemed so sweet…”

Scratching his neck with his free hand, he chuckles, flustered. "I’ve kinda got my eyes set on someone.”

You deflate a bit, knowing you couldn’t get in the way of whatever he possibly had going for him, but forcing a smile regardless. Nudging him playfully, you poke some fun at him. "So… Who is she?”

“I’ll tell you later,” he whispers, his face flushed as the lights dim. "The movie’s starting!” he slaps your hand excitedly. "Stop talking, we’ll miss the whole thing,” pouting when you continue to mumble aloud, distracting him. You stick your tongue at him, pulling your hand out of his to eat your popcorn.

Focusing on the screen, you’re surprised when you realize he’d taken you to a romance movie. He waves his hand at you, dismissing you when you make a face at his choice. You were always down for a romance flick, but you figured Jungkook would pick something more along the lines of action or horror—most likely the latter if it was completely up to him.

However, the plot had been pretty good, enough to get you emotionally attached and crying when the male lead got rejected by the female and squealing when she later returned his feelings. Then crying again once you realized the story was being told by the lead as an elderly man who’d recently lost his wife, who happened to be the girl you’d wanted to punch for the first half of the screening.

“I’m so emotionally exhausted,” you groan, wiping your eyes with Jungkook’s shirt, earning a slightly disgusted yet mostly amused expression from the tall male. ”Are your bros here yet?”

Sighing, Jungkook pretends to check his phone, knowing full well he arranged for them to be there a bit later than they'd said so he'd have a bit more time alone with you, ”No, they're running late.”

”Let’s head back to the hotel then, I'm so tired…” you whine, dragging your feet in the general direction of the hotel.

Pulling your wrist gently, the doe-eyed boy wiggles his finger at you, ”I think I've got a better idea to pass the time.”

With a doubtful tone, you grimace, ”I doubt there's a better pass time than sleeping in a huge bed… But fine, ” you ultimately agree, allowing him to pull you along with him.

Your face brightens at the sight of the tiny cafe, you pick up your pace a bit, which he notices, a small smile on his lips. Sliding straight for the only booth in the entire installment, you breathe in the delicious aroma of coffee beans, chocolate, and various types of sweets.

Smiling at your reaction, Jungkook decides to make his move. "[Y/N], I-I…” he trails off, a lump forming in his throat, his nerves getting the better of him. Feeling you run your hand over his own, he relaxes a bit, inhaling deeply, ”I really like you… Would you g-go out with me..?”

You're blank, unable to speak even when the barista asks for your order multiple times, leaving poor Jungkook to order himself. It's only when you catch sight of his concerned and distraught expression you realize what impression you must have given.

Shakily, you open your mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by the ringing of Jungkook's phone. ”I-I have to take this… Be back in a sec.”

You nod stiffly, still processing the confession. He was joking, right? You quickly reject the idea, Jungkook wasn't that type of person. You flush when you fully come to terms with his words, creating a resolve that completely disappears once he walks back into the shop, sitting in front of you again, ”I…”

Frowning, he realized that you must have either gotten over your feelings quickly or had consciously said them earlier. ”Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything…” he mutters, heartbroken as he is his coffee, leaving you flabbergasted.

”Actually… I like you too…” you say breathlessly, trying to hide the smile that threatened to appear when you see the look of hope in his eyes. His face screams really!? You blush slightly, avoiding eye contact, ”I-I’d also like to go out with you…”

He grins, pulling out his phone to type something quickly before a lack of six other males come toppling over each other through the doors. They're cheering, slapping Jungkook on the back, and praising him for being so brave. “Our little Kookie has a girlfriend!”

#btscreatorscorner #klibrary #bangtaninn #purplearmynet #ficscafe #the sunshine shop #kcollegenet #jungkook fanfic #kwritersworldnet #jeon jungkook #kpc.creators #jungkook #BTS jungkook #jeon jungguk #bts jeon jungkook #bts #bts one shot #bts fic #bangtan #bangtan sonyeondan #bangtan x reader #BANGTAN SEONYANDAN #bts x you #bts x reader #bts x y/n #bts x female reader #jungkook x you #jungkook x reader #jungkook x y/n #bts jjk

[kjmsupremacist]

sweet boy (i’ll eat you whole!) (jenoxfem!reader)

Jeno could be classified as having “golden retriever energy” or whatever the kids on TikTok are calling it. His heart is pure and open, and his favorite activities are eating and laughing.

Well—eating, laughing, and loving you.

Characters: Jeno, Reader

Genre: one-shot, romance, fluff, smut, established relationship, college au (though its not very important)

Pairing: Jeno/fem!reader

Warnings: d/s themes (dom!reader, sub!jeno), humiliation, praise kink, some rough treatment but not a lot; mostly it’s just jeno being pliant and a little dumb

Rating: Explicit

Length: 3.2k

Jeno could be classified as having “golden retriever energy” or whatever the kids on TikTok are calling it. His heart is pure and open, and his favorite activities are eating and laughing. He’s bright-eyed and optimistic, and he loves people, all people, all the time. He’s friendly and kind. 

You’ve been dating for a couple of years now. You met in the first semester of college, and at first you thought he was a fucking idiot, but you realized that it was only because he was trusting and excitable. And that made you fall in love, quickly and with no detours; just a straight plummet to overwhelming endearment. And somehow, he loved you back.

It was easy with him. Your exes had tended to be closed off—they seemed to think it made them less of a man to show that they cared about their girlfriend. Jeno was different from the start. He loves you out loud. He loves to love you. 

So, you suppose, his favorite activities are eating, laughing, and loving you. 

You share an apartment now; your parents thought it was ill-advised, but it’s only for the school year, so it’s not like you have to worry about being stuck in a lease forever if things go south. You don’t think they will, though. It’s midwinter, and you haven’t had problems cohabitating. You share your chores evenly, and you’re both messy, but not dirty, so it works out. 

Jeno’s classes run later than yours (partially due to the fact that you got stuck with the early morning classes, much to your chagrin) so you’re alone in the apartment for the moment, bumbling your way through cooking dinner. You’re going out with your friends tomorrow, but tonight is for you and Jeno, and you’re excited. It’s been a long week.

The door opens as you slide the casserole into the oven, and you hear his voice, bright and cheerful. “I’m home!” he calls.

“In the kitchen!” you reply, tugging the fridge open to get yourself a Mike’s Lemonade. You pop the cap off and take a quick swig before your boyfriend comes barreling around the corner and wraps you in a tight hug. “Hi, sweet boy,” you giggle. “Careful, or I’ll spill.”

“Ooh.” He has only just noticed the drink in your hand. He releases you and swipes it before you can react.

“You can get your own!” you complain, but you’re laughing. He takes a swig and hands it back. “How was class?”

“Boring,” he replies with a shrug, “but fine. What are you cooking?”

“Mac ’n’ cheese,” you reply. “It’s gonna take a little. I made salad, though, if you’re hungry now.”

“Always,” he says, already reaching for plates. “Thank you.” You laugh fondly. 

You talk about your days over the salad, and by the time you’re done, the mac ’n’ cheese is ready. You each have a helping of that, and then Jeno washes the dishes when you’re done. You’re warm and happy as you cover the rest and slide it into the fridge. You turn to see Jeno grinning at you, his eyes familiar crescents. “Come cuddle with me,” he demands.

And who are you to say no?

The bed is huge and comfortable, but the two of you barely take up half of it, curled up together. Jeno snuggles close to your chest, and you press your lips to his temple, smiling. 

He pokes you, and you poke him back. “What,” you mutter, giggling when he does it again. “Jeno, ‘m gonna fuckin’ kill you.” 

“Uh-huh,” he says, and disentangles himself from you so that he can tickle you with both hands. You scream, flailing, but he’s pinned your legs with his and all you can do is twist side to side, trying to bat him away.

So you do the only thing you can think of to stop him. You kiss him.

It works; his hands fall away from your ribs; he leans over you and he has to use them to hold himself up. His eyes are sparkling when you break apart.

“Very clever,” he says. There’s a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks; he’s blushing, and staring at your lips.

You pretend not to notice. “So, what’s our plan for tonight?” you ask lightly. “Other than trying to tickle me to death.”

“Um,” Jeno says, distracted.

“If you want something, just say it,” you say quietly, raising an eyebrow.

He blinks; even after a couple of years together, he still seems surprised when you catch on to the inner workings of his mind. He blushes harder. “I don’t,” he says.

“Do I like liars?” you prompt, letting a slight edge enter your tone, smiling to yourself when he squirms.

“No,” he answers. “I, um, I wanna fuck you. If that’s okay.”

You suppress laughter. Looking at him, you’d think Jeno would be a smooth talker, always charming and charismatic. Handsome boys tend to be like that; it’s what you thought when you first met him. He made quick work of proving you wrong. “That’s not how you ask me for things,” you say, blinking at him serenely. You take his pinky finger between your thumb and index and squeeze.

This is where he can let a shift happen, if he wants. If he doesn’t, he’ll say he doesn’t want to scene tonight, and you’ll move on. He rarely makes that choice, though.

He puffs out an exhale, and then nods, ducking his head. “Will you let me fuck you, miss?”

You smile. “Of course, baby.”

His gaze flickers to yours and he gives you a shy smile, then pushes off the bed, stumbling in his haste. He tugs for the hem of his shirt.

“Slow down,” you say, tilting your head. “Let me look at you.”

He obeys, though you can tell it takes a great deal of effort. “Yes, miss,” he mumbles as he pulls his t-shirt off. 

He really does have a fantastic body. You know everyone who sees him thinks so; you know everyone who sees you together is jealous. His chest is broad and muscular, and his waist is delicate despite his perfect abs. You trace the attractive line of his neck down to where it meets his shoulder appreciatively as he fumbles with the button of his jeans. 

A hot thrill races through you when he finally pulls his pants down and you catch sight of his cock. He’s already half-hard; he always gets off on you telling him what to do. You have to tamp down your anticipation, instead gesturing him closer when he looks at you for instruction.

“Now me,” you say, opening your arms to him. His hands are on your body the instant the words leave your lips. He’s eager, always eager; what he lacks in finesse, he certainly makes up for tenfold in enthusiasm. You don’t mind. Lack of finesse can always be worked around. What matters to you is knowing that you’re wanted, and he shows you, loud and clear, every time. 

He unbuttons your shirt, helping you peel the sleeves off your arms, and then tugs firmly on the waistband of your pants. You lift your hips, happy to let him do the hard part, which is coaxing the hem of each leg around your ankles. 

In all his clumsiness, Jeno knows how to get your clothes off efficiently, so it goes quickly. He tosses your pants aside—you’ll probably have to pick them up later, but it’s not a big deal—and crawls back up the bed to you. Wrapping an arm around your waist, he pulls you forward so you can rest against his shoulder while he works to unclasp your bra. One deft movement and the fabric falls away. He does it faster than usual, and you wonder if he’s been practicing. Maybe that’s where your old blue bra went; you’ve been looking for it for a week. At least he had the courtesy to steal one he knows you don’t like to wear. Regardless, the thought of it amuses you, and you have to force down a smile. 

He presses a kiss to your left nipple, and you gasp. 

“Sorry,” he whispers before you can even admonish him. “Can’t help myself.”

“I’ll let it go,” you mutter good-naturedly, “since you’re being sweet.”

He flashes you a grin, so blinding, so handsome, and moves down to hook his fingers on the delicate lace of your underwear. He wiggles them down your body; you bend your knees so he doesn’t have so far to go.

With your panties finally out of the way, you tug him back up to the head of the bed again to give him a kiss as a reward. He moans softly into your mouth. He’s using one hand to hold himself up. The other wrist is trapped in your grasp. That hand twitches; you can tell he wants to wiggle free so he can touch you, but he’s good and doesn’t move.

When you break away, his eyes are glassy. He blinks a couple of times before focusing back in on you. “Miss?” he asks softly.

“Yes, baby?”

“Can I please eat you out?” He asks like he thinks you’re gonna say no. You only say no to requests like that if he’s been particularly bad, which is honestly quite rare. Still, you pretend to think about it for a minute before acquiescing. 

“Yes,” you say after a moment, watching his eyes light up as he hurries to situate himself between your legs.

Jeno’s a little messy, but there isn’t really a non-messy way to eat pussy, you suppose. You guide his head with one hand in his hair, and stutter through an inhale when you feel the warm heat of his tongue on your clit. He traces circles with the tip, then presses his tongue flat against you and toggles it back and forth. It’s a rare talent of his; up-and-down and around are easy motions, but side-to-side, especially that fast and with that much force, is a feat. You certainly can’t do it; neither could anybody else you’ve ever slept with. You sigh, letting your head fall back.

Without your scrutiny, though, he gets lazy. His movements slow, and you can hardly feel the pressure of his tongue as the minutes tick by. You raise your head, tightening your grip on his hair. “Hey,” you say sharply. “You asked to eat me out. Do it right.” You hear him inhale, and a spike of arousal runs through you when he redoubles his efforts. “That’s better.” You loosen your grip a little, but not completely; a reminder for him to behave. “If you don’t show me that you know how to use your tongue, maybe I shouldn’t let you speak.” No speaking means he can’t ask for permission to come—at least, not in a way that you can’t pretend not to understand—and he knows you can get cruel when you set your heart to it.

He makes a muffled sort of whimper against you; you think it’s supposed to be an apology, but all you can feel are the vibrations from his voice. If it was an apology, it’s a good one, you think, closing your eyes.

He slips a finger into the wet heat of your pussy without asking, but it feels good, so you let him. He has such pretty hands, such long and nimble fingers. He adds a second after a bit, and then a third after a while longer. The drag of it feels good; desire scatters with the goosebumps across your skin, dancing in senseless patterns around and around and gathering back in the hollow of your throat, where a low moan is building.

You release it, and Jeno hums against your clit, head still buried dutifully between your thighs. He crooks his fingers every other thrust, and it makes you dizzy sometimes, how well he knows your body without trying, even though he’s so distractible. A few more thrusts have you coming, shuddering and clenching around the swell of his knuckles as his tongue slows to a stop. 

He raises his head, and you smile at the sight. His chin is slick with spit and with you, and you lean forward to kiss him. It catches him by surprise and the rest of his body freezes, even his hand—like he forgot he still has his fingers inside you. It’s cute, and you giggle against his lips.

He’s trembling when you release him, and your eyes find his cock, hard and red against his stomach. He sees you looking, and blushes. You look back up at him and give him an indulgent smile. “Gonna fuck me, or what?”

“Yes,” he answers after a moment’s hesitation, surprised by your blunt eagerness. He stretches a long arm out to root around in the drawer of your bedside table, coming up victorious a few seconds later, condom pinched between his thumb and index finger. 

You watch him prep himself through half-lidded eyes, petting his thigh lazily to let him know you’re looking. A minute later, the condom wrapper is lost somewhere on the floor, and he’s bending over you, one hand on his cock, ready to guide it in.

“Okay?” he asks, pausing just inches away.

“Go ahead, baby,” you say, and he pushes into you.

Jeno has a damn nice cock. It stretches you and fills you but it doesn’t hurt, and you afford him an appreciative moan when he bottoms out. 

“Ohfuck,” he whispers in your ear, the two words strung together like one. “Feels good, you always feel so good.”

“I know,” you say primly. “What do you say?”

“Thank you, miss,” he rushes out before he begins to thrust. 

The time when the combination of an abundance of eagerness and a deficit of finesse becomes a problem is now—he goes too fast too quickly; he wants, and he lets the want control him. Some days, he’s better, but today, like most days, he lets it run away with him before you can even gather the breath to warn him not to.

“Slow down,” you say, squeezing his hip. He falters, brow furrowed. “Slower.” You watch him struggle into a slower, more comfortable pace. “You have such a nice pretty cock, you know, but you don’t even know how to use it properly. Isn’t that right?” He shivers. “You still need me to tell you what to do, even after all this time?” He doesn’t answer you, just kind of whines and moans in the back of his throat. You raise your hand in front of his face and snap your fingers. “Hey! Are you listening to me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jeno gasps. He only says ma’am when he’s sorry; it makes the corners of your lips twitch in satisfaction. “I’m sorry.”

You sigh, feigning disappointment, letting it roll off of you so Jeno feels it. “You can’t even answer me when I’m being nice and letting you fuck me,” you continue.“What terrible manners!”

When he looks up at you, his eyes are bright with unshed tears. “I know, I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “It just feels so good, I can’t think—”

You coo. It’s hard to stay mad when he’s so obviously trying. “I know, baby.” You cup his cheek. “It’s okay. That’s why I’m here, to help you out even when you’re feeling dumb, right?”

He nods, closing his eyes. “Thank you.”

“Good boy,” you murmur, and he whines. “My good boy.”

He bends to press kisses to your neck, your collarbone, your tits; he ends up with his mouth closed around one of your nipples, tongue flickering across it. It’s electrifying, even if there’s little grace, and you let out soft gasps at each movement, running a hand down his back.

He’s panting now, breath hot against your skin. It’s sweet; he gets overwhelmed so easily. You can feel him inside of you, the pulse of his need; can see it in the way his hips stutter; can hear it in his voice when he swears.

“I’m close, I’m close, please,” he huffs. He tilts his face up and you see a single tear-track running down his cheek. “Fuck, please, need to come.”

You reach up to run a hand through his hair. “You do, do you?” you ask. He nods quickly; his thrusts have slowed, you notice. He’s trying to make sure he doesn’t come before you say he can. “Why’re you slowing down, baby?”

“Because I—I can’t—if I don’t—” Frustration brings a fresh wave of tears to his waterline. “You know why!” he accuses.

“Never said you could go that slow,” you say, tsking at him when he cries out and forces himself to pick the pace back up. You hold the back of his neck, pulling him closer. “Oh, look at you. You’re so cute when you get desperate.”

He whines in protest, which only proves your point. “Please.” His voice is faint, strained.

“So sweet, baby.” You lean in, scrape at his pulse point with your front teeth. “I could eat you whole.”

Jeno coughs out a sob. He’s shaking head-to-toe, like a leaf in the autumn wind, skin shining with sweat. “Please please please,” he chants quietly. “Please, it hurts so bad.”

“You beg so nice,” you say, and he gives a little cry. It sounds so defeated. Maybe you’re terrible for enjoying this, but he’s so precious. “Okay, baby. You can come.”

“Oh god, thank you, thankyouthankyoutha—” He cuts himself off to moan as he stills inside of you, letting his orgasm take hold of his body. You can feel the heat of it like this, without the movement to distract you. He thrusts shallowly to work the rest of it out, sweaty forehead resting heavy on your shoulder.

“Look so good,” you say, offhand.

He sighs happily. “Felt good,” he says. He pulls out gingerly, flipping over to do away with the condom. Then he turns back to you. “Now let me make you feel good.”

You smile. “So sweet to me,” you reply, watching him push three fingers into your pussy. He twists and curls them, smiling in a sort of self-satisfactory way when you moan. 

He fucks you with three fingers until you’re dripping and writhing, and then has the audacity to squeeze his pinky in beside the others. Like this, it’s easy for him to press in deep and rub his thumb against your clit. You come within seconds, curving forward, spine ripped from the mattress as pleasure wracks your body for a second time. You sink back down against the bed as it subsides, trying to catch your breath. 

You both get cleaned up, throwing your laundry into the hamper and stealing kisses as you go. You find clean underwear and an old t-shirt, and get cuddled up again on the bed, this time much more docile.

You find the remote, and together you scroll through Netflix, trying to decide what to watch.

“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?” Jeno says, eyes never leaving the screen as he skims title after title. “Like, Netflix-and-chill, as in Netflix and then fuck, not chill-and-Netflix?”

You laugh. “Well, first of all, we’re not Netflix-and-chilling, we’re dating, so we can do whatever we want,” you point out. “But we can go again after the movie if it’s bothering you so much.”

Jeno blushes, from the tips of his ears down to the enticing peek of his stomach showing where his tank top has ridden up. You grin. You have him wrapped around your pinky finger, but it’s only fair. He has you wrapped around his just as tight. 

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[starlitmark]

𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔?

Pairing: Wooyoung x gn!reader

Genre: fluff, university au

Rating: PG

Warnings: language, kissing

Word Count: 455

Requested by; anon

Consider supporting me :)

★ ✶ ✹ 𖥔 ⋆ ☆﹢˖ 𖤐 ⊹ ⁕⭒𖥔

Avoiding Wooyoung is both the hardest thing and best thing you could do right now. You’ve had a small crush on him for a few months now. No matter how much you avoid him though you always end up right next to him. Now was no different, you were currently trying to put books back in the library, you did as much research for this paper as you could. Of course the books you needed to put away were on the highest shelf and you had to use a stool to reach it. You don’t know who thought it would be a good idea to build the shelves so high but here you are on your tiptoes trying to get them away in the proper places. The stool of course isn’t exactly stable but why would it be? You lose your footing and start falling backwards.

“Shit,” someone catches you before you could hit the ground, “you okay, y/n?”

“Woo?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Why didn’t you just give the book to the librarian?”

You don’t move from his hold. You just turn around and even though your faces are so close you don’t want to move. You feel comfortable in his hold and you wanted to savor the moment even though you were supposed to be avoiding him.

“I wanted to be independent,” you tease, “can’t I do that?”

He leans in slightly closer, his eyes fixed on your lips, “I guess,” he breathes, “you’ve always liked to be independent. You’ve been my friend for years, I know you better than anyone else. And I know what you do when you have a crush.”

His fingertips dig into your waist slightly, his dark hair slightly falling in his face as he holds you close to him. Slowly his face comes even closer to yours.

“And what do I do?” you ask slightly shakier than you intended.

“You avoid them, is that why you’re avoiding me, y/n?” he breathes out.

He doesn’t let you answer though, he lets his lips barely brush against yours. He wants you to come the rest of the way to him, the last thing he wants is to make you uncomfortable. You have no difficulty making your choice, you lean the rest of the way in and your lips finally meet. It’s far from a passionate kiss, you panicked, it was all of a peck but when you make eye contact with him you see a small smirk on his face.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” he teases, “You just kissed me, that could’ve meant as much as that kiss we had in high school after the semi-formal.”

“Jung Wooyoung, I like you.”

“Good cause I like you too.”

★ ✶ ✹ 𖥔 ⋆ ☆﹢˖ 𖤐 ⊹ ⁕⭒𖥔

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[jeoniius]

Teasing your enemy | jjk (m.)

☆pairings: enemy!jungkook x reader

☆genre: smut

☆au: college, enemies to (lovers?) 

☆word count: 853

☆rating: 18+

☆warnings: grinding (that is literally all but I feel it should still be a warning)

☆summary: just you doing everything you can to make your mortal enemy loose (along with pleasuring yourself cause why not?)

☆a/n: I’ve been kinda busy so here’s a drabble from my old stash. p.s. not exactly proud of this. something is coming up though, real soon, so stay tuned! THIS IS UNEDITED.

*✧×✧*

"You think you can win against us, Jeon?" Mark asked him with a cocky smirk. "Why don't we see?" Jungkook said with a small smirk of his own. 

Jeon Jungkook. Seoul University's epitome of bad boy. The most popular guy as well. Your mortal enemy. Maybe it was because he was always one step ahead of you and maybe it was because you knew it but couldn't do anything. 

Jungkook walked towards the car and sat on the driver's seat. Before he could turn the key he saw a girl walk towards him.

few mins earlier**

"Why would you do this, Lee?" Mark asked with a suspicion in his tone. "I just don't like him. So I'd do anything to make him loose" You said with a blunt tone.

"Why do I feel otherwise?" Mark said, squinting his eyes and eyeing you up suspiciously. "I don't know. Feel what you want to feel. I told you the reason." You said, tired of his questions. "Alright princess, go ahead." You rolled my eyes at him and gave him a side glare already walking towards the car. 

present**

You could feel Jungkook's strong gaze as you walked towards the car. "What's wrong Jeon," You asked him with a smile but you both knew it was just going to be followed by some sassy comment. 

"Shouldn't you be with your girlfriends in your princess land? What are you doing here" He said, clenching his jaw at the last sentence. 

You heard Mark announcing before you could reply back "Hello everyone. Today's street race is going to be a little different. We have Jeon Jungkook, competing against some of our best street racers. And to add a little more complication to our game, Jeon will be having a girl on his lap while driving." Mark said and looked over to Jungkook who's face looked unbothered. Giving a small chuckle he continued. "Today's winner will have a thousand dollars worth of money. Let the games begin" 

You opened the driver’s seat and soon were straddling Jungkook. "So that's why you're here" Jungkook scoffed

"Will do anything to make you lose, Jeon."

And with that, you wrapped your arms around him, shifting your head to the side. Well, you didn't wanna block his vision and die. 

One of the girls came in between the cars and shot the gun above her head. Jungkook started the engine and the car accelerated at full speed. Your arms flexed as you held onto him, not trying to lean on the steering wheels.

You knew that he was not really bothered by the fact that he had a girl on his lap while driving, so you slowly started moving your hips against his crotch. He sucked in a breath making you smirk. You moved your hips in slow motion. Jungkook gripped your hips with one hand while the other hand was on the steering wheel. "Stop," he said in a low voice. 

You decided to do the exact opposite and pressed more as you moved with the pressure. Harshly squeezing the side of your hips he warned, voice dropping an octave "Y/N stop this or you are gonna regret it later.” 

You could feel him hardening, the thin jeans material did not help. You started to move, picking the speed up, too busy to even hear him. Suddenly you felt him bucking his hips up, his bulge pressed right against your core.

He gripped the waistband of your panties and pulled it down while controlling the wheel with the other hand, you wondered how the car didn’t crash. You lifted yourself to help him take off your panties. You sat on his now hard dick, the only barrier being his jeans. 

Picking up your speed, you moved in a fast motion, moans escaping your mouth as you felt Jungkook bucking his hips, slowly grinding back, his hips moving rhythmically along with yours. 

You could feel a knot forming in your stomach. You gripped his biceps, hips moving fast as you chased your high. Hiding your face in the crook of his neck, you bit his shoulder as you finally came, the engine noise drowning against your moans.

You looked up to see the finish line approaching with him being in the lead. As he crossed the finish line, he picked up the speed, jaws clenched. “Wait, aren't you gonna stop?” you asked, eyes at him but he ignored you.

Soon you found yourself on top of a hill as he stopped the car by the end. You looked at him,  eyebrows knitting in confusion. "Why am I here, Jungkook?" You said looking around.

He picked you up by your thighs, your legs unconsciously wrapping around his torso as he got out of the car. Opening the back door he pushed you in. "Hey!" you said trying to get up to defend herself. 

Jungkook pushed you back, making you lay down. He slapped your bare core causing you to whimper. “Now,” he said, positioning his face in front of your now dripping core, licking a long strip, “it’s my turn.” 

-

tags: @mwitsmejk​

#drabbles #bts drabble #jjk drabbles #jjk x reader #jjk smut #btshoneyhive #kcollegenet #bangtanbathhouse #bts smut #jeon jungkook #jeoniius #smut drabble

[writtenwhalien]

patient love | pt. 1 (kth)

banner by the talented val @eerieedits​ ❣️

pairing ↠ taehyung x reader

genre ↠ roommate au | college au | holiday au | best friends idiots to lovers au | fluff, (eventual) smut, angst.

summary ↠ Taehyung considers himself to be many things, and stupid isn’t one of them. However, all it takes is one special person in his life to realise that he is, in fact, quite stupid, especially when it comes to his feelings. And you (said special person), are stupid squared.

word count ↠ 14.4k

18+ | warnings ↠ lots of confused feelings, jealousy, a few mentions and implications of boners, mentions of sex, talk of past relationships + cheating, talk of a bad past sex life, x2 make out sessions with two different people 😮‍💨👀, dirty talk (kind of??), grinding, and lots of snogging.

note ↠ sorry it’s a bit late! i really hope you like this first part (i think there’ll be three parts to this story in total), please tell me how you find it if you do read it <3 btw, the thanksgiving theme bday party is so dumb but i really just wanted to write that turkey scene with taehyung and hoseok so i had to go with it LOL.

taglist is open!

This is weird. 

Surely this is weird…?  

There’s 101 other places Taehyung could be right now but he’s choosing to be here, and what’s more is that he’s being super careful to be discreet and stay hidden because although nothing bad will happen if he does get noticed, it just means you’ll probably end up leaving so he won’t be able to satisfy his curiosity — apparently that’s what this is. 

Taehyung doesn’t want that to happen, so he’s very carefully chosen a table far enough from you so that you won’t notice or hear his friends, but not far enough that he can’t see you.

His friends are none the wiser, Jimin, Hoseok and Namjoon both happily eating the meat that’s sizzling away in front of them while occasionally mumbling through mouthfuls of rice about how good it is. He hopes they stay occupied with the food without noticing the direction that he keeps looking in — towards you and the tall, handsome guy sitting across from you. 

Said guy has become a hot topic of conversation in your little household with Taehyung and Seokjin, as well as among your friends. Taehyung doesn’t see what’s so special about him — dude just kept ordering the same drink at the cafe you work at and somehow you’re here now, on another date. It doesn’t make sense to Taehyung, and it even crossed his mind that he’s known you longer, and from what he’s observed thus far, he makes you laugh better than this dude, so why did you never think to start dating him? 

Of course, it’s not that Taehyung cares, you can date who you like. 

(Again, Taehyung acts like he doesn’t care but him sitting here observing you from his hidden spot says otherwise, nevertheless…)

 He considers himself a no strings kinda guy with absolutely zero romantic attachments to anyone, so he’s certain that this position he’s taken up in the back of the restaurant is just one of a caring friend, someone who wants to make sure that their roommate and best friend is behaving completely comfortably on her date and shows no signs of distress. 

See, Taehyung would be able to recognise any sign of discomfort from you. He’s saved you more than a few times from uncomfortable encounters, whether it’s you receiving some unwanted attention somewhere on campus, or from lingering hands in the club while you’re just trying to have fun. 

However, from what he’s seeing right now, you’re completely comfortable and happy, your face morphing into a bright smile often. 

Taehyung has to force his gaze away from that beautiful visual, not wanting his friends to notice he keeps looking your way. He takes a bite of some of the meat while his ears strain to hear your conversation but it’s useless from this distance. 

Shoulders slouching subconsciously, he decides to stop being such a weird friend and to focus on his meal with the boys instead. 

“The beef is good,” he says casually, taking a bowl of rice from in front of Hoseok. 

Three hums of approval come through stuffed mouths.

“The chicken too,” Namjoon adds. “It’s been ages since I’ve had good food like this, I feel like I’m back home.”

Jimin swallows his large bite of food, humming. “Mm, me too. Good suggestion, Tae.”

Lips pursed into a smile, Taehyung nods. “Thanks.” He wonders what his friends would think if they knew he only came in here because he saw you through the window as they were passing by.

“Really good,” Hoseok garbles as he remains mostly focused on his food. “I think we should get more beef, hm?”

More hums of approval come and ten minutes later, the boys are grilling their third round of meat. It’s another twenty minutes later that they’re finally sitting back with their bellies stuffed, and all the while Taehyung has been mindlessly stealing glances at you. He’s grateful that you’re getting up to leave just before the boys are, which means they won’t see you and say hi, so Taehyung won’t have to be introduced to the dude who keeps reaching over to hold your hand. 

The boys get up to pay, expressing a grateful thank you to the kitchen staff before they head out. The main street is especially lively this Saturday night, with many shops and stalls decorated for Christmas, a sight that makes Taehyung feel warm inside, even with the evening wind that blows cold air into his face.

“Right, dessert time,” Namjoon grins, slinging his arm over Jimin’s shoulder. “Hobi, where’s that place you saw on Instagram?”

“Oh, the churro place!” Hobi exclaims excitedly. “I think they have a stall somewhere near here, some guys from my dorm went just a few days ago.”

“Perfect, let’s go,” Jimin says, marching ahead with Namjoon as Hobi rushes to lead the way.

Taehyung walks along behind them to take in the beautiful evening, but as soon as he sees a couple walking past him hand in hand, he thinks of you. You’re probably walking home with your date right now, just like that, hand in hand with that dreamy look in your eye. 

God knows Taehyung has seen that look plenty of times before. While he loves any expression of yours, he can never help but feel some sort of resentment towards you and the name that frequently falls from your lips as you gush away to him and Seokjin when you’re back in the comfort of your own home. You’re always too swept up by your own excitement to even notice the way Taehyung doesn’t smile the same way he does when he’s genuinely happy, and Seokjin asks most of the questions anyway, leaving Taehyung to listen and ignore the way something burns in his chest every time. 

(This time it’s Taehyung who’s too swept up in his own thoughts so he doesn’t see the busy churro stall the boys are headed to, so he doesn’t see you, and the awkward situation he’s about to walk right into.)

Namjoon slows down, turning to pull on Taehyung’s arm. “You’ve been quiet this evening,” he muses after Jimin and Hobi break off into a separate conversation about the best dip for churros.

“Just don’t have much to say today,” Taehyung answers, smiling at his friend. 

Namjoon hums noncommittally. “As long as you’re okay, yeah?”

Taehyung smiles again, this time placing his arm around his friend's shoulders and squeezing gently, hoping the action is enough to convince Namjoon he’s fine. See, Namjoon has always been the friend that’s emotionally in tune with everyone, and even a small change in mood, like now, has some kind of alarm going off in his head to make sure he can be of any help to his friends. Taehyung loves him for it, but right now, he doesn’t quite get what he’s feeling and he sure as hell doesn’t wanna talk about it. 

So, he answers as casually as he can. “I’ve got nothing to complain about.”

Namjoon’s features still show signs of concern, but he drops it. “Alright, good—“

“Y/N!” Jimin’s excited voice rings through the air, causing Taehyung’s head to turn immediately towards him as his mind races. What? Y/N? She’s here? Please don’t be here. 

He follows Jimin’s line of sight, and sure enough, you’re standing there under the warm glow of the stall’s fairy lights looking like an angel, while Taehyung stands there frozen. 

Your face breaks out into a big smile when you see Jimin and then the rest of the boys, excitement showing in the soft crinkles of your eyes as Jimin skips over to you and immediately hugs you.

“I thought you guys were staying in tonight?” you ask, letting go of Jimin as you bring Taehyung into a side hug. 

“Tae suggested we go out to eat instead,” Hobi answers, smiling at your friend next to you which catches your attention. 

“Oh, guys!” You reach for his hand, pulling him forward before introducing everyone. “This is Ivan. Ivan, this is Jimin, Hobi, Joon and Tae.” 

“Nice to meet you guys,” Ivan smiles politely at them all but Taehyung is watching the way you look at him, a fond smile on your lips. He loves your smile, but he doesn’t like seeing you smile right now.

As you watch the boys exchanging greetings, you see Taehyung watching you with a sort of constipated smile on his face which disappears as soon as you look, morphing into his boxy grin.

“You okay?” you ask quietly, slipping your arm through his.

“I’m great.” The words feel a bit stilted on his tongue but he has no reason to feel anything other than ‘great’ — sure he’s got some kind of weird predisposition to this guy, but he can’t think of any exact reason for it… maybe he’s just going crazy. 

“Hm, good.” You squeeze his arm that you’re still holding onto affectionately. “Ivan, Tae is my roommate I was telling you about.” You beam at Taehyung before looking back at Ivan.

Ivan’s attention falls to your linked arms first, but he shows no reaction at all except for a bright smile. “Ah, Taehyung, Y/N talks a lot about you and, uh, Jin, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Taehyung nods, feeling awkward which is uncharacteristically like him but much to his relief, you’re already carrying the conversation forward, 

“Ooh, that reminds me, Jin asked me to ask if you’d like to come to his birthday dinner next week Saturday?”

Taehyung’s relief quickly turns into something else as he registers what you’ve just said… Ivan… at your home… the one you share with Taehyung too…

 It's enough that he has to hear about Ivan, but now he’s going to have to see you fawning over your crush. Great.

Ivan hesitates, glancing at Taehyung first before looking at the other guys. All three of them are wearing warm smiles, except Taehyung. His face is as straight as ever. 

“Um, I wouldn’t wanna impose, you guys are all friends so it might be weird.”

Hmph, good.

But then his friends open their mouths: 

“It won’t be weird at all, mate.” 

“Yeah, we’re totally down to have you join us.” 

“Any friend of Y/N’s is cool with us.”

Stupid friends and their stupid kindness, Taehyung thinks, internally scowling. 

Ivan looks across at Taehyung before he glances at you.

“It’ll be fun. Right, Tae?” You look at him with your big beautiful eyes, so unaware that Taehyung absolutely does not want this guy to come, but when he sees the look on your face, he can see how happy you are and he’d be an idiot best friend to say otherwise. 

So he agrees. “Yeah, come, we’d love to have you.” And he even plasters one of his best smiles on his face. 

Ivan nods. “Sure, I’ll be there then.”

“Yay,” you squeal, letting go of Taehyung as you stand next to Ivan again, linking arms with him just as you had with Taehyung. 

“So, what are you two doing anyway?” Hoseok asks, wriggling his brows. “This a date or what?”

Jimin smiles knowingly, having already heard about Ivan from you since you work at a local cafe together which is how you met Ivan. Namjoon has a similar expression to Hoseok while Taehyung has the same constipated smile on his face. 

Ivan looks at you with a smile as you nod. “Yeah, it is,” you answer, somewhat shyly. 

“Our third date to be exact,” Ivan adds, his eyes gleaming as you look towards him. “She always has me running back to her.” 

To anyone else the sight of you two smiling into each other’s eyes would be adorable, but Taehyung simply doesn’t think so. He wonders if perhaps this unexplained feeling that’s been plaguing him is his wariness over any guy who enters your life for romantic reasons — Taehyung witnessed just how heartbroken you were after the only relationship you’ve ever been in — one that lasted five years — was ended by a stupid text message and a box left outside your loft with some of your belongings because the idiot had found “something special” with someone else. 

Ivan doesn’t seem anything like your idiot ex though, that much is clear so far. He seems to like you as much as you like him. 

“I suppose we should leave you to it then,” Namjoon says, winking at you. 

About time. 

“Oh.” Ivan looks at the guys before looking at you. “Why don’t you join us?” he asks, somewhat unsurely. “It would be nice to get to know you guys if you’re all cool with it?”

Your face breaks out into a smile and you nod encouragingly at him and the rest of the guys. “We were just about to get some churros, you guys love churros.”

“So were we!” Jimin says excitedly.

“Perfect!”

As all of his friends, plus Ivan, move into the queue for the churro stand, Taehyung reluctantly moves to stand behind them. This is going to be fun… *sigh*. Happy face, Tae, keep a happy face.

It doesn’t take Taehyung long to see why you like Ivan. It’s not even been twenty minutes yet already he seamlessly fits into the conversations, bantering on the same wavelength as Taehyung and the guys. By the time the first forty-five minutes pass and somehow you all end up on a bench with boozy hot chocolates in hand, Taehyung might even daresay that he’s enjoying the conversations and taking somewhat of a liking to Ivan. 

As the evening goes on, Taehyung decides not to fight the feeling; since you’re dating Ivan, this is probably the first of many meetings they’ll have, and it would be much easier if Taehyung likes the guy. 

“Ah, we should probably get going now,” Namjoon says, getting up from the bench to stretch his legs. “I have work tomorrow too. Stupid weekend shifts are always so long.”

“So do we, Y/N,” Jimin sighs. “We’ve got a full shift.”

“Don’t remind me,” you groan, looking down at your phone and see it’s already past nine. 

Ivan slips his fingers between yours. “I’ll walk you home,” he says quietly. 

“It’s okay,” you answer with a smile. “I’ll go with the boys.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm,” you hum. “You live on the other side of town, it’s so long for you.”

Ivan idly tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “You know I don’t mind.”

“I know, but I can go home with Tae, don’t worry.” 

“Okay, text me when you’re home though,” he says, pulling you in for a hug.

You sigh softly, arms wrapping around his frame. “I will.” 

Taehyung and the others step to the side to give you two some privacy as you say goodbye. He doesn’t see the brief kiss you share with Ivan; this is probably for the best otherwise Taehyung would spend the whole night unable to sleep without knowing why. 

“Ready?” you say, slipping your arm into his. 

Taehyung turns around to see Ivan walking away in the opposite direction. He looks back at you and his stomach flips. “Yep,” he purses his lips into a small smile. “Let’s go home.”

The other guys fall into stride with you both as you walk, immediately conversing excitedly with you over your new exciting dating life. 

“He’s so handsome.”

“You guys look cute together.”

“Are things serious between you?”

These are just some of the things his friends say, and Taehyung has to hum along in agreement so he doesn’t give away the fact that all of this makes him uncomfortable, while he also mentally scolds himself to actually be happy for you. 

However, he doesn’t miss the fact that you glossed over that last question with a careless answer before changing the subject to Namjoon’s girlfriend, asking how she is. 

Taehyung chooses not to dwell on it. Surely, it doesn’t mean anything.

Cold air nips at your face as soon as you walk out of the cafe, prompting you to pull your scarf up closer to protect your face. Despite it being late November, you’re still not used to the cold and miss the warmer summer days. 

“C’mon, hurry up,” you grumble to your co-worker, Jimin, stomping your feet in an attempt to warm yourself up.

“I am! My fingers are bloody frozen already,” he mutters, still fumbling with the keys as he locks the door. 

“Oh, move over,” you say with a noticeable amount of sass that makes Jimin chuckle as you push him out of the way gently.

“No need to be such a Hermione,” he says, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.

“Hermione is efficient, like me,” you answer, flashing him a plastic smile as you quickly lock the door and hold the keys out for him. 

He takes them from you, returning your plastic smile with one of his own. “I’d rather be Harry.”

You snort, putting your hands in your own pockets as you both walk together towards the bus stop. “Yeah right, you like Hermione more and we both know it.”

“Harry is just as good, he’s the main character.”

“Well he doesn’t give off main character energy, but Hermione does.”

“You’re just harsh,” Jimin sighs before glancing at you with a sly smile. “Speaking of main character energy, how is your special friend doing?”

Naturally, a small smile appears on your lips too. 

That ‘special friend’ is the bright-eyed, 6ft hunk who repeatedly came into the cafe where you work and ordered the same iced coffee frappe with whipped cream, even in this cold weather. 

He seemed to take a liking to you after the first time you noted his order without him even having to say anything, and shortly after that (and after all the back and forth shy smiles and cheeky glances at one another), he left a napkin with his number on it for you.

It’s been a little over a month since then and you’re surprised by how much you’re enjoying getting to know tall handsome hunk— oops, it’s probably rude to keep calling him a hunk instead of his name, although gosh is he hot. You learnt after a few days of texting that it’s partly because he’s a football player at the sports university he attends. 

But to be polite, his name is Ivan and he’s like Chris Hemsworth but just without the blue eyes.

“He’s very good,” you answer lightly. 

“Very good, huh?” Jimin asks, a teasing lilt to his voice as he nudges you playfully.

You don’t bother hiding your smile now. “Yep, I’m seeing him tomorrow too, he’s invited me to his friend’s party.”

Jimin raises a brow. “Look at you, meeting his friends and all. I think he must really like you.”

“You think so?” you ask. Although you know things have been going well between you, you can’t deny the fact that you still doubt yourself when it comes to relationships. Your last one ended, well, not so well. 

“Hey,” Jimin says, voice a little softer. When you look at him, he’s smiling at you reassuringly — he’s well aware of the reasons you would doubt yourself; as your roommate’s best friend and now your close friend, he witnessed a lot of what you went through. “I saw how he was looking at you yesterday, he definitely likes you. Don’t doubt yourself because of one idiot, okay?”

Pursing your lips, you nod. “I won’t.”

“Good, now tell me more, how are things with him?”

“They’re… good,” you answer, slowly enough to raise suspicion.

Jimin looks at you accordingly. “You don’t sound so sure.”

That’s because you aren’t sure. Okay, so when you said that there were a lot of cheeky glances and you're enjoying getting to know him, you missed out some key information, and that is that you’re not sure if you actually like him, or the idea of him. Also, you can’t forget that you were in the funky part of your girl cycle when he approached you and damn those pesky hormones of yours just blow up every single emotion of yours and there’s a (BIG) chance that your emotions have nothing to do with real feelings, but are actually just lust.

“See, I sometimes think I’m not really looking for a relationship, but just, y��know, the benefits…” you shrink into your coat as you mutter that last part, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Much to your relief, Jimin just laughs. “Really? Even now after getting to know him? You looked smitten yesterday.”

“Mhm, I know,” you hum, “I mean, he’s super hot and he is cool, but it’s been a while and I still don’t feel anything.”

Jimin’s expression softens. “I see. I mean, is it like that all the time?”

“Well, yeah, even when I’m having fun, I don’t feel anything special towards him.”

“Even when you guys are, uh, being intimate?”

“Oh…” you pause, “well, we haven’t actually gotten there yet. It just hasn’t happened.”

Jimin hums in thought. “Maybe that’s what you need?”

“To sleep with him?”

He shrugs. “I didn’t realise how much I liked my ex until we slept together. Of course that doesn’t mean it actually means anything, but it might help.”

“Maybe…” That’s not something you would have thought of yourself, but you’re not entirely opposed to the idea.

“What about when you kiss?”

“Nothing,” you answer with a heavy sigh. “The first kiss felt a bit special but it was only then.”

“Well there’s nothing wrong with that,” Jimin says quickly. “I mean, just because you start dating someone doesn’t mean you’re going to like them. Maybe just give it a bit more time and see how you feel.”

He’s right, and while you’re not particularly fussed that things don't feel very romantic with Ivan, you sometimes just wish that you could find something real — to love someone and to have them love you. And sure, you know you’re still young and all that stuff, but recently too many of your friends have been getting into relationships and while you’re super happy for them, it sometimes makes you feel a little lonely.  

“Yeah, I’ll see how I feel after this weekend, maybe then I’ll talk to him honestly to let him know.”

“Good idea,” Jimin nods as you both come to a slow stop at the bus stop now. “Very mature, something Hermione would do.” He grins, looking your way.

“Because Hermione is efficient like I said,” you chuckle. “Harry probably would have done something stupid like wait until someone says ‘I love you’.”

“Oh, c’mon, he’s not that bad,” Jimin says in a weak attempt to stick up for Potter. “He would probably just wait for the other person to realise it’s not going anywhere.”

“That’s stupid, just like when he broke up with Cho after Umbridge clearly forced her to do what she did.”

“What? No, it was her friend!”

“Okay now this is getting serious,” you say, raising a hand. “Book Potter and movie Potter are two separate debates which unfortunately we don’t have time for.” You point out towards the road. “My bus is here.”

“Ah, just when I was getting into it,” Jimin sighs.

“Well, why don’t you come have dinner at ours tonight?” you offer. “Tae is home too.”

At the mention of Taehyung’s name, Jimin’s face lights up. “You sure?”

“Of course, plus, Jin is cooking tonight.”

At that, Jimin agrees right away. “I’m in.”

“I said salt you idiot!” Jin’s voice is the first thing you’re met with as you and Jimin enter your apartment. 

“I thought it was salt!” Taehyung’s voice comes in return, defensively.

“Taste it and tell me if that’s salt!”

“Maybe add sugar, it'll balance out!”

Jin’s disappointed groan is what you hear next as Jimin and you hold back your giggles while taking your shoes off.  

“You know absolutely nothing about cooking,” Jin groans. 

“Well I did say not to ask me,” Taehyung responds and you can imagine him shrugging. 

Just in time, you walk around the corner to see Taehyung turning away with a shrug. 

His face lights up when he sees you, and even more so when Jimin appears behind you too. “Y/N, Jimin! Perfect timing, now I don’t have to put up with crazy cook by myself.” He nods in Jin’s direction. 

“Hey, call me crazy and you’re not getting any dinner,” Jin responds nonchalantly. 

“It’s alright,” you chuckle, squeezing Taehyung’s cheeks as they form a pout. “I’m sure he doesn’t mean it, but if he does, you’re not getting any of mine either,” you grin with a pat of his cheek before moving rover towards Jin. 

“Hey Y/N,” he smiles warmly as you come, eyes just looking up for a second as he slices some onions finely. “How was your day?”

“Long,” you sigh, peering over at the food cooking in the pot. “So many customers came in just before closing time and I still have classes to catch up on.”

“Ah, don’t worry, just two more weeks and then we’re on break,” Jin says encouragingly. 

“I’m counting down the days,” you sigh. “Anyway, I'm gonna go get changed and stuff, I’ll be back in a bit. Oh, and Jimin’s staying for dinner, I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” Jin smiles. “Jimin,” he calls out, “you've come on a good day, I’m making your favourite.”

Jimin looks up from where he’s tangled in Taehyung’s arms, the duo somehow having turned a warm greeting hug into a bear fight. “Fried rice and meat?”

“Yep, now come over here and help me.”

Jimin easily slips out of Taehyung’s grip to rush to Seokjin’s side, the sight making you laugh as Taehyung remains sprawled on the couch, sulking. 

You ruffle his hair as you walk past towards your room. He lets out a whine of disapproval before putting on Netflix and getting easily distracted. 

Meanwhile, you get out of the clothes you’ve been wearing all day, take a quick shower and get into some more comfy clothes. Just as you’re pulling some fluffy socks on, Taehyung appears at your door. 

“I'm bored,” he huffs, slumping onto your bed. 

“Well, come right on in then,” you say sarcastically.

Taehyung looks up and rolls his eyes at you. “Your door was open, besides, I came to ask you about your day.”

“I thought you came because you’re bored.”

“Okay yeah, well that too, but I mainly wanted to ask about you.”

Pausing, you narrow your eyes at him. “Why the sudden concern?”

He sits up on his elbows to look at you. “I just wanna make sure you’re doing good,” he says, his expression showing no sign of it possibly being anything more.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, you’ve got a lot going on…” he seems to hesitate. “Exams are coming up, you’re still working, and you’re, uh, dating now.” He looks at you as though he’s wary of how you might react. The expression tells you the real reason he’s checking in. 

You soften at his concern. “Tae, I’m okay. You don’t need to worry, Ivan isn’t like Sam.”

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure.” 

You nod. He has good reason to want to make sure especially after what you went through last time. 

Sam was your highschool sweetheart, a boy grown into a man who could never do no wrong in your eyes, so every time he did do wrong, you would continue to brush past it, ignore it, forgive him, that is until one day there was physically no way for you to brush past it anymore. After six years of being together, he introduced you to another girl he’d supposedly been in love with for the last two years. To say you were heartbroken doesn’t even cut it. 

Taehyung and Jin went through the whole break up with you, and their concern for you always reminds you of how lucky you are to have them. 

“Thanks though, really.” 

The concern in his features dissipates into one of his warm smiles. “You’re welcome. I’ll always be here anytime you need me, with anything.”

Leaning into his side, you plant a quick kiss on his cheek. “I know, you’re the best.”

He seems to appreciate that, his smile widening into his boxy grin. “Better than Jin, right?”

“Just don’t tell him,” you wink, laughing when he pretends to zip his mouth and throw the key. “But speaking of Jin, have you invited the boys for his birthday?”

“Ah, yeah, I did.” He sits up, pulling one of your cushions to his chest. “Everyone can come except maybe Stu. He said he’ll let me know.”

Pausing, you narrow your eyes. “Which friend is that again?”

“Psych class.”

“Right,” you nod, proceeding to cross off invites from the checklist in your Notes app. “Did you ask Hoseok if he could bring the turkey?”

“Yes, but–”

“Perfect.” You cross that off your checklist too.

Taehyung huffs. “I still don’t get why we’re having a turkey dinner. Thanksgiving has gone.”

Now it’s your turn to huff. “Okay, first of all,” you say, facing him. “Thanksgiving was only a few days ago, and secondly, I already told you, Jin missed it this year so we’re making it up to him, you know how much he loves a turkey dinner.”

“Yeah, I know that, but it just feels weird to have a whole turkey,” Taehyung says simply. 

You shoot him a look. “Got any better ideas?”

He shrugs. “Strippers?”

Breaking into a smile, you throw a cushion at him and he chuckles. “I’ll do that for your birthday, sparing no expense.”

“Sounds good,” he grins. 

“I’m coming!” you call out, hurriedly turning the heat down on the stove and cursing when you see some of the water spilled over. You didn’t think cooking for a dozen people would be this hard, especially not when most of the food is frozen and ready-made. 

Feeling annoyed at yourself, you rush over to the door and pull it open. 

“Hey.” Namjoon’s bright smile greets you as he walks into the apartment.

“Hey, Joon,” you answer wearily.

He pulls you into a side hug, one arm carrying a large platter of something with a gift bag dangling from his hand. “How are you doing? You sound tired, love.”

“That’s because I am tired,” you groan, returning his hug before trudging back into the kitchen as Namjoon follows. “I can’t even boil pasta without overdoing it.”

Namjoon peers over at the stove. “Ah.�� He nods in silent understanding – he’s quite possibly the clumsiest person you know.

“Anyway, what’ve you got there?” you ask, nodding at the platter.

He smiles. “It’s your lucky day, I brought some sushi.”

Your eyes go wide. “From your dad’s place?”

Namjoon looks pleased. “Yep.”

Squealing in excitement, you rush around the island and take the platter off of him. Namjoon’s dad owns one of the best sushi places in all of town. 

“Mmm,” you hum, “I can’t wait to eat it.” You pull him into another hug. “Doesn’t really go with the turkey dinner but you’ve saved me, Joon, thank you!”

“Any time. I just hope it’s enough.”

“Well, I have a few other dishes that haven’t been ruined so we should be good.” You put the sushi away before returning to the other dishes. 

“I can help,” Namjoon offers. “I mean, I’m shit at most cooking related things but I lived off frozen food in first year. I’ll take those dishes, you can finish the turkey.”

Agreeing, you show Namjoon a few things around the kitchen before you both settle into your own jobs. You’re still working on the turkey stuffing when Taehyung finally appears. 

“Something smells good already.” His eyes are wide as he scans the kitchen so he doesn’t see the way your eyes linger at his bulging biceps on show against his black tee as he dries his hair with his towel… 

Sometimes, just sometimes, having male roommates is bloody hard for you as a young woman with a healthy libido. Taehyung especially makes it very hard for you, with his perfect features, unusually attractive neck, soft brown hair, and that body… you’ve caught yourself staring far too many times to count. Admittedly, you’ve never questioned why you’ve never done the same with Seokjin, always assuming it’s because he’s in a committed relationship, making him totally off limits for you. You fail to realise that the same logic never stopped you from checking out Taehyung when he previously had a girlfriend. 

Pursing your lips, you look down and return your focus to the butter melting in the pan. 

“It’s probably Y/N’s stuffing,” Namjoon says, arranging some halloumi fries on a tray. 

“Burnt stuffing,” you correct, nodding in the direction of the pan left by the sink. “I can barely do anything right today.”

Hearing the dejection in your tone, Namjoon is about to say something to comfort you but Taehyung is already on it, walking up to your side. 

“What d’you mean barely anything?” He puts his arms around you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder. “You’re literally carrying this whole day!”

Taehyung’s hugs always help you feel better, but something in you tells you to keep feeling sorry for yourself so he won’t let go just yet. 

“No,” you mumble, “that wasn’t just me. You guys all helped too.”

Namjoon snorts. “I don’t even live in this loft and I know Tae did nothing.”

“You’re right,” Taehyung smiles, before squeezing you gently. “He’s right,” he repeats. “You know that. Just wait until Seokjin comes and he’ll be so happy with everything you’ve done and then you’ll see.”

“Hmm,” you sigh, “I hope he does like it.”

“He will,” Tae hums, resting his cheek behind your shoulder. “And then I’ll take the credit for everything and be his favourite—ow!” 

He yelps, jumping back as you elbow him. “I’ll always be Jin’s favourite,” you say, a sure expression on your face. 

Taehyung chuckles, leaning back against the counter. “If that’s what you wanna believe.” 

Just as you’re about to answer, the doorbell rings and Taehyung skips over to answer it. It’s Hoseok, and as promised, he’s brought the turkey with him, and all that’s left to do is for you to finish the stuffing, stuff it, and cook it. 

Half an hour later, you’re making decent progress.

“How long until the guests come?” Hoseok asks, scattering glitter in a tray to finish decorating the Christmas bauble he’s gifting Seokjin, alongside a limited edition Louis V bag that costs more than the rent for the loft – the bauble adds a “personal touch” according to Hobi. 

“Probably an hour or so,” Taehyung answers. “Why?”

Hobi blows at some of the stray glitter on the table. “I’m bored.” 

“Hey, you’re cleaning all of that up,” you tell him sternly, elbow deep in the turkey. 

Rolling his eyes, he finishes decorating his bauble. “So remind me why we’re doing turkey dinner again? It’s December now.”

You’re starting to regret the turkey dinner – “Because it’s Jin’s favourite.” 

“Weird choice if you ask me, I would’ve gone for his second favourite instead…” 

As Hoseok carries on talking, you sigh heavily, shoulders dropping as you stare at the turkey in front of you in defeat. Maybe everyone was right, the turkey dinner is a flop.

“Hey,” Taehyung’s voice interrupts Hobi. You look up to see him frowning at Hobi. “Jin loves turkey dinner, and it’s sweet of Y/N to make it for him. Eat the pizza if you don’t want it.” he casually resumes wrapping his gift, while Hoseok looks confused. 

He glances across at you but you just shrug and smile, feeling content with Taehyung’s reassurance, before working on your turkey again. As Hoseok looks back at Taehyung, he sees him look over at you, an unusual expression on his face. 

“Ah,” Hoseok says, prompting both you and Taehyung to look at him.

“What?” you question.

“Nothing.” He smiles as he returns his attention to his bauble. 

Brushing it off, you take some more stuffing into your gloved hand to push into the far corners of the turkey, except when you try to pull your hand out, you can’t. You try again… and again…

“Uh, guys…?”

Both the boys look up at your concerned tone. Taehyung makes his way over to you as you tug on your hand again. 

“My hand is stuck.”

“Huh?” Hoseok looks very confused, while Taehyung is already investigating the turkey. “How does that happen?” 

Taehyung tries twisting your wrist gently but it doesn’t budge.

“How do I know?” you whine, feeling panicky. 

“It’s okay,” Taehyung says, placing a gentle hand on your back as he stands close by your side. “We’ll get it out, okay?” 

Looking up at him, you can see he’s trying to hide an amused smile. Seeing this, you break out into a giggle. “My hand is stuck in a turkey.”

“I’m sure there’s worse things to be stuck in,” Hoseok says, watching from the table. “Ever heard of penis captivus?”

“Oh, gosh,” you laugh, suddenly feeling a lot lighter. You don’t know if it’s because of the absurdity in this situation, or the fact that Taehyung has casually wrapped his arm around your waist as he listens in to the conversation. “It’s happened to you?”

He peers at you from over the lens of his glasses. “One time. But that’s a story for another time, maybe tonight if I’m drunk enough.”

Just as you’re about to insist on knowing more, Taehyung starts to move away before sharply pulling back into you, crying out quietly. 

“What’s wrong?” you ask, trying to turn around but he stops you.

“No, wait, don’t move.” His hands tighten on your waist. “My earring is stuck in your hair.”

“Oh…” Taehyung is pressed up right against your back. “Can you get it out?” you ask.

“Well, I can’t see.”

Both of you look up at Hoseok for help, only to see… he’s smirking? “Ah,” he sighs. “My hands are all glittery,” he shrugs.

Taehyung shifts behind you, leaning his hands onto the counter, essentially pressing into you further — the brief surprise in your expression is not missed by Hoseok, and now you realise why he’s smirking.

“Hobi, get over here, please?” Taehyung says, his tone laced with the same worry you’re feeling, although you’re sure it’s worse for him – he’s the one with your ass pressing into his dick. Not to forget, you’re wearing short shorts – cute ones at that.

“Honestly, I think you two are fine over there, might even be enjoying it…” His smirk grows wicked.

“Hobi, please.” You pout, batting your eyelids a couple of times, hoping to take advantage of his sweet spot for you. 

He glances between you and Taehyung, his gaze lingering on Tae before he gets up, walking around the island and leaning his hips against it. “Say, Y/N, has anyone told you how good you look in those shorts?’

“Huh?” Your head snaps towards him as you realise what he’s doing, forgetting about Taehyung’s ear. 

He groans deeply, head moving with you as one of his hands instinctively settles on your waist again. 

“Oh, sorry,” you mutter, shooting eyes at Hoseok who simply smiles. 

“You’ve been working out, haven’t you?” he questions innocently. “Your ass looks great from here… how’s it for you, Tae?”

As your cheeks go warm, you feel Taehyung shift his hips to be as far away from you as possible. “Hobi, I’m gonna kill you, just get over here–”

“Ah.” Hoseok raises his finger, “I forgot, I told my mom I'd call her, gotta rush!” He winks at you both one more time, holding back a laugh as he rushes out of the loft. 

An awkward silence follows as soon as the door is shut. 

You wriggle your wrist around in the turkey, desperately trying to get it loose, but it doesn’t budge. “Crap,” you sigh. “Sorry.”

You can’t see him, but you can tell he’s frowning. “For what?” Taehyung asks. His body somehow seems to have moved closer to yours again.

“This is my fault, you helped me because my hand was stuck.”

He chuckles, giving in and leaning into the counter again. “It’s not your fault, don’t worry.” He pauses briefly, and you see his knuckles tighten on the edge. “I’m sorry, in advance…”

“For what?”

He lets out a small breath. “Uh, well, your um, my thingy… uh, I can feel you, you know?”

Suddenly, your cheeks are warm, and now you realise just what he means. You let out a small “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung mumbles. “It’s really rude, I’m so sorry, I‘m not some perv, I swear, like it’s only ‘cos Hobi was pointing it out which made it worse, and you’re attractive, you know, so it’s just hard when I can feel it–”

“Tae?” you interrupt softly, a smile dancing on your lips. 

“Yeah?”

“It’s okay.”

Taehyung lets out a longer exhale now, and you chuckle quietly. 

“You think I’m attractive?” you tease.

“Oh, well, yeah,” Taehyung says it as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I’ve always thought that.” 

Something about it makes your heart feel warm, as well as your legs going weak with the addition of something near your backside. “That’s nice…” you awkwardly fiddle with some stuffing inside the turkey. “Uh, I think you’re attractive too, by the way.” 

Without even seeing his face, you know he’s smiling. “Oh yeah?” His voice comes out silken and deep, the dulcet tone familiar to you from all the times he’s playfully flirted with you in the past – you’ve never been one to not entertain it. 

Except, this time, you also find your thighs clenching when you feel that something close to your ass. Now, let’s take a second – your brain is still fully functioning, you know that because your response rolls right off your tongue:

“Does that surprise you?” – And let’s not forget about your sweet tone to match his energy… but, it seems your brain isn’t functioning well enough to remember that this is one of your best friends, and the fact that you’re currently seeing someone…

“Not at all,” Taehyung murmurs, shifting his head as much as he can to try and see your face, and his hips move with him – you swear he’s doing it on purpose. “I’ve caught you checking me out plenty of times.” There’s a soft chuckle at the end of his words which has your cheeks growing warm again.

“You have?” 

He hums lightly. “You’re really bad at being discreet.”

You scoff amusedly. “And you’re so good, hm?”

“Well, have you ever caught me checking you out?”

Your brow lifts. “Does that mean you have?” 

Taehyung is quiet for a moment, then you feel him shrug lightly. “I said you’re attractive, and I mean it.” His voice becomes soft, almost thoughtful. “It’s hard not to watch you sometimes, even if there’s a hundred other people in the room.”

Hearing this has warmth spreading through you, for reasons unrelated to his body close to yours. Not to sound self-absorbed, but you’re not all that surprised that he thinks you’re attractive. Instead, you’re warmed by the thought of him only having eyes for you, even if there’s other people around. 

Before you can respond, a very confused looking Namjoon walks through the door. “Um…” He tilts his lead. “Why do you guys look like a married couple making Christmas dinner together?” 

Taehyung clears his throat, removing his hands from your waist. “We’re taking a family Christmas card photo for Seokjin,” he answers with a tone of sarcasm only you can detect. 

Namjoon frowns. “Really?”

“No,” Taehyung tuts. “Just come over and help us please.” 

“Could’ve fooled me,” Namjoon mumbles as he walks over. As he gets closer to untangle Taehyung’s earring from your hair, his confusion returns. “How the hell does this happen?”

“I got my hand stuck in the turkey,” you answer plainly.

“And I tried to help but as you can see, my earring is stuck in Y/N’s hair,” Taehyung finishes. 

“Hm,” Namjoon focuses on pulling the earring free. “See, I get how the earring got stuck,” he says, removing the last few strands of your hair as Taehyung begins to move away, “but this,” he looks towards you and frowns at your hand, “I don’t get.”

Impatiently placing your free hand on your hip, you try to wiggle your hand free again. “You gonna help me or what?”

After a few moments of trying, Namjoon and Taehyung manage to help you pull your wrist free, and Hoseok returns just in time. 

“Ah,” he smiles as though he didn’t just leave Taehyung and you in an awkward position. “Managed to get free did we?”

Taehyung glares at him in response. “No thanks to you.”

“I think you do mean to thank me, actually.” Hoseok gives a small raise of his brow. 

“Why would I…” Taehyung trails off as he catches the expression, and momentarily pauses before quickly looking away. “Whatever, we don’t have time for this, everyone’s coming in a bit and Seokjin will be home soon, you can help by getting the tables out of the way.” 

Hoseok does as he’s told, albeit with a smile on his face, and though you witnessed the confusing exchange between the two just now, you’re more focused on the missed feeling of warmth around you — along with a specific scent of oud and bergamot.

“I have the best best friends in the world, fuck, I love you guys so much!” 

Three hours into his birthday party, and the birthday boy has already downed a good few drinks after dinner. Yoongi is currently the one on the receiving end of Seokjin’s great mood, being smothered with a big hug as Seokjin holds him captive on the couch. 

He returns the hug like he means it, only pulling a face when Seokjin swings a leg over him. Hoseok appears out of nowhere and starts recording the moment, also encouraging Seokjin to hug him tighter.  “It’s been almost eight years now, he’s one of your oldest friends, think of all the good times!” 

Yoongi sighs but doesn’t reject the sweet pouring of love Seokjin professes for his friend. Over the two years you’ve known him, you’ve learnt that Yoongi is secretly fond of moments like these, and while he never usually instigates it himself (unless in a playful mood), he’s never one to shy away from it. 

“Come on, Hobi, get in here.” Seokjin pulls on his arm and holds him in a headlock. “Y/N, you wanna join too?”

“I’m good, thanks,” you smile, patting Yoongi’s thigh. 

Hoseok huffs impatiently. “I didn’t sign up for this, Seokjin release me right now.”

“Shut up and let me,” Seokjin holds him tighter, “I can’t even remember the last time you gave me a hug.”

“It was like one week ago– oh, Imani, you’re here, please help me, get your big boyfriend off of me!”

Appearing beside you, Imani laughs, shaking her head, “I don’t know, you look pretty comfortable to me, Hobi.”

“Seriously?” he groans, giving in and letting Seokjin hold him to his chest with Yoongi. 

Imani snaps a picture of it before you both walk over to the kitchen to get some more drinks. She pours it for you, handing you the cup with a big sigh. “To my lifesaver,” she holds it up. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome,” you smile, taking a sip. “I’m just glad he’s enjoying himself.”

“He probably would have enjoyed himself even if it was just us, but I wanted it to be special this year.”

“And it is.” Looking at Imani, you see her smile fading. “I haven’t seen him laugh this much in a while.”

She takes another long sip before responding. “Sometimes I just think I'm a bad girlfriend, you know?”

Hearing this, your mom mode turns on and you frown. You know where Imani’s concern is coming from, and you don’t think she deserves to feel this way at all – she’s the oldest out of all your friends, having graduated two years ago.  She met Seokjin when she was in her final year and he fell for her almost instantly although was too shy to ask out an older girl; things didn’t fall into place for them until halfway through the academic year when he plucked up the courage to kiss her on New Year’s. Much to his surprise, she kissed him back, and they’ve been inseparable since then. 

However, being two years older than him, she graduated and started working for a law firm right away, and is currently studying for her LSAT – she’s the most hardworking person you know, and also the most loving. 

“No, I don't,” you answer truthfully. “I think you’re the best girlfriend and I know Seokjin thinks so too. He talks about you all the time, and he’s most proud of how hard you’re working.”

Imani looks at you, brows furrowed. “Really?”

“Yes. Trust me, it’s hard not to notice a person in love. He never stops smiling even at the mention of your name.”

Laughing, Imani puts her arm around you. ‘Thanks, Y/N, and sorry. Must be annoying to put up with sometimes.”

“Not at all, I actually like it.” You take another sip. “It makes me look forward to having what you guys have. It’s nice.” Smiling to yourself, you look around the room.

Yoongi seems to have escaped from Seokjin but Hoseok is still tangled up on the couch with him and somehow Jimin is involved too, holding Hoseok down from the other side. 

“Such dorks,” you chuckle, watching them fondly. Your eyes fall on Taehyung who’s playing intensely on the playstation with Jungkook. His face is frowning in concentration, soft dark curls falling over his forehead. It’s a visual you could appreciate for hours on end.

“What about you?” Imani asks.

“Huh?” Looking at her, she’s watching you with her brows raised. 

“Seokjin’s told me you’re seeing someone, Ivan, right?”

“Oh.” You shake the image of Taehyung from your head. “Yeah.”

Imani gives a small smile, glancing at Taehyung before she looks back at you. “How are things with Ivan?”

“They’re good.”

“Good?”

“Mhm.” You lower your cup. “I’m still getting to know him, you know? I’m definitely nowhere near where you and Seokjin are, but I like him.”

Imani hums understandingly. “I suppose that’s how it is at the start of a relationship.”

“That’s how it was for you?”

She hesitates. “Kind of, but everyone’s different. Although, I have to be honest, I was surprised when I heard you were dating someone.”

At this, you frown. “Why?”

Pursing her lips, she shrugs. “I thought there might be someone else, but I guess I was wrong.”

Before you can ask her anything else, Namjoon’s voice comes from behind you. “Hey, Y/N, look who’s here.”

Turning around, you see Ivan walking into the loft beside him. Seeing him standing there, smiling awkwardly with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a gift bag in the other, you can’t help but soften.

“Hey,” you smile, walking over to him. 

“Hey.” He smiles more surely now, opening his arms for a hug. As he pulls back he leans in for a kiss but you turn your head so he only catches your cheek. 

Although he frowns briefly, Ivan says nothing, instead holding out the bouquet. “These are for you, uh,” he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know if it’s rude to give you flowers on Seokjin’s birthday, so maybe they can be for both of you, whatever you think is right.”

Smiling, you take them off of him. “Jin, won’t mind.” Looking up at him, you get lost in his bright eyes, the same ones you fall for every time you see him. Tiptoeing, you press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he hums, his hand casually travelling to your lower back as you turn around and walk with him to the kitchen where Imani is.

She gives him a good look up and down as you both approach, a smile forming on her lips. “Hi, you must be Ivan,” she says politely, putting her hand out. “I’m Imani, friend of Y/N’s.”

He greets her with a smile and shakes her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, you’re Seokjin’s girlfriend, right?”

“Yep,” Imani beams.

“And I’m his best friend.” Jungkook appears out of nowhere, stretching out his hand. “Jungkook, we haven’t met yet.”

“Ah, nice to meet you, Jungkook.”

“Likewise.” He smiles, and just then, you feel someone step up beside you. 

It’s Taehyung. “Ivan, it’s good to see you again.”

Ivan nods in acknowledgement, smiling as he greets him. You don’t realise you’re holding your breath until Imani nudges you, excusing herself to go find Seokjin. You expect Taehyung and Jungkook to do the same, but they don’t. Instead, Jungkook is already asking Ivan if he wants to play a game of FIFA with him.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Ivan says. “I should probably just give this to Seokjin first–”

“Yeah, cool,” Jungkook starts dragging him away. “He’s just over there, come on.”

Ivan glances at you before he leaves, chuckling at Jungkook’s friendliness and you smile reassuringly – you’re certain Jungkook is just looking for a chance to show off his superior skills and competitive side. 

“So,” Taehyung says, leaving against the counter with you. “He actually came.”

For some reason, you start to feel warm again. “Mhm, he did.”

It goes quiet for a moment, and you feel like he wants to say something so you wait comfortably in silence, enjoying your drink as you watch Ivan from across the room. After a moment, he does.

“You haven’t mentioned him much recently.” He casually takes a sip of his drink. “You normally talk about him a lot.”

You don’t question why he’s noticed this change, but instead find yourself wondering if what he’s saying is true. “I didn’t really realise I spoke about him all that much anyway.”

Taehyung smiles, although it’s not as pronounced as it could be. “You spoke about him a lot. I guess it just means you really like him.” 

“Hm, I do.” You look back at where Ivan is and as you watch him, you remember how Taehyung looked sitting there – your stomach lurches at the realisation that you’re comparing them. There’s not really much of a comparison though – you look back at Taehyung to see he’s already looking at you. A wordless moment passes between you, and now, his smile changes, softens to one you love – see, there’s no comparison because you don’t think any other smile can make your heart flutter like his does.

“What are you thinking?”

Shaking your head, you force your gaze away from him. “Nothing.” Ivan laughs from across the room with Jungkook and you find yourself chewing on your bottom lip. “Well,” you hesitate, glancing down at your cup. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m just not into him as much as I could be.”

You expect Taehyung to exercise his usual caution, to tell you to be easy on yourself and take things one step at a time. What he says instead, surprises you.

“I think you are.”

“Huh?” You look up at him and he’s no longer looking at you, but is watching Ivan. 

“I think you are into him,” he repeats. “I’ve seen how you are around him, he makes you laugh a lot.”

“So? You’re saying I should date him because he makes me laugh?”

“No, I just think he seems like a good guy, and when he makes you laugh a lot, well, it’s nice, you look happy.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” you frown, puzzled.

“Of course it does.”

“Well then in that case, you make me laugh a lot too,” you answer snappily.

Taehyung’s jaw ticks and he looks down at his cup, swirling briefly before he turns to you. “But you didn’t date me, you’re dating him.”

“Well I could’ve,” you say defensively.

Taehyung doesn’t falter. “But you didn’t.”

“But I could’ve... if you’re saying I should date him because he makes me happy then I should just date you!”

Taehyung pauses, looking down at you, and only now do you realise you’ve somehow ended up facing him with minimal room left between you. The space between you feels heated and somehow tense – like you want to say more but can’t find the words, or rather, you can’t say them. 

Finally, Taehyung steps back, though he still holds your gaze steadily. “Why are you fighting me on this, Y/N?”

“I’m not,” you mumble, suddenly turning away to lean back against the counter and take a long sip of your drink. “Your reasoning is just stupid.”

Taehyung lets out a soft sigh. “You like him, right?” he asks more gently. 

Something inside of you drops. “Well, yeah, but–”

“Then try,” he interrupts with a brief smile, barely looking at your face before he turns and walks away.

For the second time today, you’re left feeling colder without his close presence. 

There’s a part of you that wants to acknowledge what it means, to turn it into something else, but the logical part of you, the part that’s in the now, tells you that this is normal, nothing to think about. Taehyung has been a comfort to you since you first met him, and now, you have a chance to try something new with Ivan, and Taehyung is encouraging it – it’s just unfamiliar, that’s all.

Shoulders dropping, you watch as Taehyung takes a seat on the couch beside Jimin. They exchange a few words before Jimin frowns at what must be Taehyung’s nonchalant replies, and then as though he just knows, he looks around the room and only pauses when he sees you. Lips pursing into a small smile, he looks away and carries on talking casually with Taehyung.

“You look like you could do with another drink.” Turning around, you see Hoseok pouring himself a cup.

“That would be nice,” you mumble, pushing yourself up to sit on the counter. 

Hoseok hands you his cup before pouring another for himself, and coming to sit up beside you. You both drink together wordlessly; you’re having an endless conversation with yourself, realising maybe Taehyung is right – you should keep things up with Ivan, after all, he does make you happy and you obviously chose to date him for a reason.

After a moment, Hoseok clears his throat for beside you. “So, your boyfriend has looked over here three times in the last two minutes.”

Looking up, you see Ivan is now being held in conversation with Stu and a very confused looking Yoongi. 

“I’ll go to him in a bit, just wanna finish my drink first.”

Hoseok hums.

“And he’s not my boyfriend,” you add.

He glances sideways at you. “He’s not?”

“No. We’re not there yet.”

“Cool.” 

“What do you think of him? Ivan, I mean.”

Hoseok arches a brow. “Well that’s random.”

“I just wanna know,” you shrug. “I’m dating him and you guys are my friends, I value your opinions. Most of the time.”

“Hm, well, honestly, I think he’s a decent guy. Although we’ve yet to see if he deserves our precious Y/N, but right now, he seems to treat you well.” Hoseok narrows his eyes. “He does treat you well, right?”

You smile and nod. “Very well.”

“There you go then,” Hoseok smiles. 

“Just like that?”

He shrugs. “I don’t think it needs to be more complicated than that.” He’s quiet for a few seconds before he asks, “What did Tae say?”

You glance at him and see a knowing expression on his face, but he doesn’t press you.

“Same as you, I suppose.” You swirl your drink around in your cup before continuing. “He thinks Ivan makes me happy.”

“And does he?”

“Yes.”

Hoseok softens, nudging you. “So why do you say it like you’re not happy?”

“I am,” you answer, smiling to reassure him. “I know relationships aren’t sweet all the time, even when things are good, but it’s just… I don’t think I’m the happiest I could be, if that makes sense?”

“It does,” Hoseok smiles. “But you won’t know for sure until you try.”

“Ugh,” you groan, “you sound just like Tae.”

Pushing off the counter, Hoseok takes your hand and shrugs. “Well, we’re best friends for a reason. Anyway, you should listen to Tae, he knows you better.”

“Yeah, whatever,” you mumble, jumping off too. You’re just about to pull him with you to go sit with Ivan, but he stops you shortly.

“But also listen to yourself,” he adds. “Only you know what you want, Y/N.”

Nodding, you smile at him once more before you both join the rest of the guys. Stu gives up his seat so you can sit beside Ivan, and Hoseok sits on the other side of Yoongi. They both start up their own conversation which gives Ivan and you some privacy. 

“You alright?” you murmur to him as he puts his arm around you. 

“Mhm.” He smiles at you. “Your friends are a lot of fun.”

“They are,” you grin, looking around the room. You pause on Taehyung who’s laughing about something with Imani and Seokjin. You know he’s right about needing to give Ivan a chance, even if it seems harder to accept than it should. “I’m glad you’re here,” you say, shifting closer to him. 

Ivan squeezes you gently. “I’m glad to be here,” he says softly. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Mm, you’re welcome. Have you had anything to eat?”

“Nah, I’m not really hungry anyway.”

“You sure?” You look at him in concern. “At least have a drink.”

Ivan nods, smiling as he gets up and pulls you with him. “Sure. I guess this way I can see more of your apartment too.”

“Oh, this is your first time here,” you suddenly remember. “I can show you around if you like?” You glance at him and he shrugs. 

“Only if you want. Whatever you’re comfortable with.” 

“I want to,” you smile reassuringly. “Let’s just get those drinks first.”

It’s inevitable that you end up in your bedroom after showing Ivan briefly around the loft. The place isn’t huge and the bathroom isn’t all that interesting, but he definitely finds the photographs on your dresser amusing – namely one of you dressed up with a few of your high school best friend’s for a school production of Wicked. 

“You look like Shrek,” he chuckles, picking it up to get a better look.

“Hey!” 

“Oh, sorry, I meant Fiona.”

You elbow him lightly in the ribs. 

Grinning, he places the frame back down before looking at the next one. “That’s the guys, right?”

“Yep. A few of them.”

Ivan leans in to have a closer look. It’s one of you and some of the guys last summer at Hoseok’s pool party – you were drunk and sad because Sam hadn’t turned up when he said he would, so Taehyung successfully  tried cheering you up which involved jumping in the pool with you; the rest of the guys joined and they all hoisted you up in the air for a photo. Even the memory brings a smile to your face.

“You look happy,” Ivan says.

“I was.”

Ivan turns to see you smiling. “So they’re like your best friends right?”

“Yep.”

“More than the Shrek buddies?”

“Hey,” you laugh. “They have names, but yes. More than them.”

Ivan nods, putting the frame back in its place. “Have you ever dated any of them?”

Your brows raise. “Huh?”

“Well, just as in, you’re all close and you all like each other, so naturally, it could’ve happened…” 

“Oh…” you pause. “That could be said for any friend group.”

“True,” he agrees, “but some of you guys seem closer than others.” He glances at you before shaking his head. “Whatever, stupid question. Anyway,” he moves onto the last frame. “Your family?”

“Mhm,” you hum, still slightly confused by his last statement but you don’t bother asking. Picking up the photo, you point at everyone. “That’s mom, dad, my older brother, my younger sister, and me.”

Ivan glances at you, holding back a smirk. “Hm, your brother is hotter than you.”

You elbow him again, this time harder. 

“Just kidding,” he laughs, grabbing a hold of your arm and pulling you closer into his chest. “You know I think you’re hot.” He takes the frame from your hand and places it back on the dresser.

Leaning into his chest, you hum lightly as you feel your stomach swirl – gosh it’s been too long since you last got laid. “How hot?”

Ivan chuckles, lowering his head. “Hm, have I not told you before?”

“Nope,” you shake your head. “You’ve called me pretty before, you haven’t called me hot.”

Ivan’s warm breath ghosts your ear. “I haven’t?”

“Nu-uh,” you hum, dropping your head back against his chest. 

“My bad,” he murmurs, brushing his lips against your cheek, slowly moving back to whisper in your ear. “You’re hot, Y/N.”

“I know that,” you mumble, eyes closing. 

Ivan laughs again, this time dipping his head to your neck. “I think about you all the time.”

“All the time?”

“Mhm.” He presses a hot kiss to your skin. “I can’t help it… even when I’m all alone, I think about you, and wish you were there with me.”

“Oh…” Your thighs clench together as you realise what he’s saying. “And what do you do about it?” you ask breathlessly.

Ivan smiles against your skin, raising his lips to your ear again as he whispers, “Maybe I can show you?”

Slowly, you nod.

Ivan turns you around to cup your cheek in his hand. He’s smiling as he looks down at you, leaning in and pressing his lips to yours. You feel a flush of arousal shoot straight through your core and eagerly kiss him back. Ivan tries to keep it slow at first but you don’t – with your fingers curling in his hair, you push your tongue against his lips.

He parts and lets out a small groan when you start using your tongue. With both hands firm around your waist, Ivan pushes you towards the bed and you only briefly break apart to settle comfortably on the sheets. 

Hovering over you, Ivan meets your lips again and this time slows the pace. This only makes you impatient and your hips raise in search of some friction for your core.

“I got you, baby,” he chuckles, dropping his lips to your neck. As he presses a few kisses to your skin, you feel yourself growing impatient, letting out a small moan. 

“Ivan,” you mumble, tugging on his hair. 

He moves his hand up and tugs the neckline of your top down, kissing slowly over the flesh of your breasts. “What d’you want, hm?” he murmurs.

“I…” you trail off, hesitating. I don’t know.

You’ve only ever been with one guy your whole life, Sam was your first and your last and you’re not exactly sure what to ask for – Sam was a pretty simple guy, and sex definitely wasn’t the reason you stayed with him all those years. He never once went down on you despite you shyly asking a few times, and his fingers weren’t exactly skilled; as you were still learning about sex yourself, you figured you were just a giver and ended up getting off on seeing him get off. 

Of course, at the time you didn’t realise how messed up that was, but after breaking up, you always wondered what it would be like to be with someone who would put your needs first. Ivan seems to be doing just that so far, but the only thing is, you don’t know what to ask for, or how to ask for it.

Ivan hums again, awaiting an answer, hands trailing down your chest to squeeze your boobs. You’re still hesitating, suddenly feeling unsure what to say or do. 

“Tell me, then I’ll show you what you wanted.” He tugs your top down further–

“Knock, knock!” Namjoon’s voice comes from behind the door.

Immediately, you’re pushing Ivan off of you and sitting up straight just as the door knob starts turning. Ivan looks flustered, as do you, but you’re also somewhat relieved. 

“Come in,” you call out.

Namjoon appears at the door. “Imani told me to look for you, I think…” he trails off, frowning as he looks between you both and then his eyes widen. “Oh, sorry, I think we’re cutting the cake now, so uh, yeah.” He nods awkwardly, stepping out of the room again. 

The door closes and you slowly turn to look at Ivan who’s already glancing at you with a small smile. 

“You good?” he asks gently. 

Lips pursing to hide your smile. “Mhm,” you nod. 

“Uh, so we should probably go, but um,” he tentatively takes your hand. “That was…”

“Good,” you finish, nodding. 

“Great, even.”

“Mhm,” you giggle, closing your hand around his. 

As you get up, he stands close to you and slips his arm around your waist. “Maybe we can try again, some other time?”

“Yep,” you nod shyly.

Smiling, Ivan takes your hand and walks out of the room with you. He excuses himself to the bathroom while you walk towards the kitchen. 

Somehow, you end up looking in Taehyung’s direction, and your stomach drops when you see he’s already looking your way. His expression is stiff and something about his eyes suddenly makes you feel guilty. 

Swallowing hard, you force yourself to give a smile before promptly looking away.

“I am so tired,” Taehyung mumbles, slumping down into the cushions beside Imani. You’ve just finished cleaning up, and although you insisted Seokjin and Imani didn’t need to help, Imani wasn’t having it. You’re grateful though because you’re done sooner than you would’ve been if it was just Taehyung and you. 

“Me too,” Jin says, nuzzling his head further into Imani.

“You didn’t even do anything,” she says, though she still squeezes his arm.

He looks up at her with a pout. “Birthday boy responsibilities are exhausting.”

Imani chuckles, pressing a kiss to his lips as he hums contentedly, returning his head to her shoulder. 

“I think we’ll probably leave now though.” She checks the time on her phone. 

Seokjin perks up. “Good idea, I’ll go get my bag.” He rushes into his bedroom to grab his things and appears not even a minute later, ushering Imani off the couch. 

“Thanks for everything guys,” he says as they step out into the hall. 

You smile tiredly, waving goodbye. “You’re welcome.” 

“Enjoy your night,” Taehyung says. 

“Will do!” 

The door closes and it’s just Taehyung and you left.

For a little while, it’s quiet. Neither of you say anything as you stay seated on the couch next to each other; you haven’t really spoken to him since the conversation in the kitchen, and although it’s not like you two had an actual arguement (there have been far worse disagreements between you, even over the most stupid things like who’s turn it is to do the dishes, to more serious things like how much you couldn’t stand his ex-girlfriend), you can’t help but feel a little bit awkward sitting next to him. 

Partly because, (for whatever reason you can’t seem to figure out,) you’re feeling guilty that he saw you leaving your room with Ivan, and also because, although what he said in the kitchen was right, you still can’t help but feel like it’s wrong.

Then, as though he can sense the endless train of thoughts running through your mind, he looks at you. “Did you have a good time?”

You nod. “Mhm. Did you?”

He nods. “Yeah.”  He presses his palm against his thigh, pushing back and forth slowly – a habit of his you’ve learnt to recognise as him having a lot on his mind. You watch as his fingers move against the fabric of the shorts, the repetitive movement slowly drawing up the hem to reveal more of his thigh. 

Swallowing, you look away. 

“It seems like you were having a good time with Ivan too, hm?”

There’s only care and concern in his tone which has that mild feeling of guilt returning. “I did, it was his first time here so I was just showing him around.”

“Ah,” Taehyung chuckles. “Nice excuse to get him into your bedroom.”

Your head snaps towards him. “I wasn’t, we didn’t do anything,” you explain defensively, but Taehyung just looks amused. 

“I’m not your dad, don’t worry. Besides, your lipstick was kinda smudged after.”

Your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“To be honest, I don’t think anyone noticed except me.” He pauses, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth as his smile softens. “I’m just happy you’re happy.”

“I am…I…” You are happy, and you have absolutely no reason to complain, but you still stand by what you said to both Taehyung and Hoseok – you know what it feels like to be head over heels in love with someone, and although your ending with Sam was a shit one, you were happy with him for a long while before, so you know you’re not wrong in thinking that there’s something missing with Ivan. You just don’t know what. 

However, after that little moment in your bedroom with him, you’ve been thinking back to what Jimin said a few nights ago – maybe you just need to experience something more with Ivan to know what you’re feeling. 

Taehyung interrupts your thoughts by calling your name. His brows are lightly creased in concern. “Did something happen?”

“Huh? No.” You quickly shake your head, relieving him of his concern. “It’s just when I was with him, I felt kind of, well, I don’t know, nervous, I guess.”

It’s quiet for a few seconds and you glance up to see multiple emotions flashing across his face, but then they’re gone. He meets your gaze. “Nervous?”

“Mhm.”

“Why?” he presses gently.

“Um…” You tug on your sleeves, fingers pulling pointlessly at the ends. Gosh this is so embarrassing. How do you tell someone that you’re feeling inexperienced because your one real relationship was one-sided and the sex sucked? 

Taehyung says your name again, this time reaching for your hand. He threads his fingers between yours to get you to stop fiddling with your sleeves. “Why are you being shy with me?” he murmurs.

Glancing up, you see the smallest smile on his lips disguising his concern. 

“It’s embarrassing,” you mumble.

“It’s me, Y/N.” He squeezes your hand gently. “I’ve helped you on your worst days.” 

“I know…” You pause, releasing a small breath. “I just don’t think it’s anything you can help me with this this time.”

With your hand still entwined in his, Taehyung moves closer to you. “Try me.”

You don’t say anything else, and instead find yourself just staring at his face.

He’s talking too quietly, too gently with you, and the lights are still dimmed down low from the evening that’s passed. It feels intimate – the kind you’ve not experienced with Taehyung before, but as you feel the sudden fluttering in your chest, you realise you like it.

So you tell him, briefly, what you’re feeling. 

“I don’t think I know how to be, or what to do, when I’m…” you don’t finish the sentence, and you don’t need to. The way Taehyung’s eyes widen slightly tells you he knows what you were going to say.

“Okay… um,” he hesitates confusedly. “Is it just with Ivan, or?”

“No, not just him. From when I was with Sam. He wasn’t exactly down to trying a lot of things, and if he was, it was mostly, well, for him.”

At this, Taehyung’s jaw shifts. He quickly tries to brush this off but you can tell from his furrowed brows that it’s annoyed him. “So you feel like you don’t know what to do with Ivan now because things with Sam were… not the best?”

“Well, that’s a bit of an understatement,” you chuckle nervously. “But yeah.”

He hums quietly. “Have you told Ivan?”

“No. I don’t really want to either.”

“So…” Taehyung lowers his head, somehow coming closer to you. “What, then?”

Embarrassment flares in you and you look down, chewing hard on your bottom lip. You’re not sure what you want, only that whatever it is, you want it from him. Taehyung seems to know that and his next words surprise you. 

“I can help you, if you like?”

Eyes rounding, you look up at him. “You can?”

His gaze momentarily drops to your lips before he nods. “If you want. I can tell you what you can try.”

The space between you feels just how it did in the kitchen earlier – hot and tense – except this time, it’s amplified. Maybe because you know full well that Taehyung was just looking at your lips, but maybe also because you can’t stop staring at his. 

“Yes,” you nod. “Please.”

“Okay,” he nods too, releasing your hand so his fingers inch towards your thigh. As he does so, you see his throat bob up and down as he swallows, and heat suddenly curls in your stomach.

Laying his palm flat against your jeans, he exhales slowly. “I don’t know about Ivan…” he applies gentle pressure, the pads of his fingers curling into your inner thigh and you find yourself tensing in response. “But personally, I would want the focus to be only on you.” 

As he says that last word, he looks up to meet your gaze again. His eyes are concentrated and gleaming with anticipation.

“Me?” you breathe out slowly.

“Mhm.” His thumb starts stroking your thigh in reassurance. “Use him to get yourself off. Guys like that most of the time.”

Turning your head, you feel yourself keening towards him and don’t fight it. “You like that?” Your brows crease as you ask the question, and from the corner of your eye, you see his fingers curl into his fist. 

“I do,” he says, voice low. The way he’s looking at you has your hairs standing on end, but you still ask the next question, knowing exactly what it might lead to. “How?”

Lowering his head, Taehyung looks down at your lap where his hand is still firmly gripping your thigh. “You could sit on his lap… grind on him when he’s hard.”

“Oh…” You feel your thighs tighten again, and Taehyung feels it too.

“Have you done that before?”

Your skin is tingling with a sensation you haven’t felt in a long time. Surprisingly, not even when you were making out with Ivan just a few hours ago. 

“Yes,” you admit. Taehyung’s warm breath heats your skin, and you whisper, “I can show you.”

Slowly, he nods. “Sure… this is supposed to teach you, right?”

Suddenly feeling bolder, you sit up and push his shoulders back. “Mhm,” you hum, straddling his legs as your hands stay resting on his shoulders. Kneeling on the couch over his legs, you look down at him. “And you can tell me what you like.” You lower yourself down, carefully positioning yourself over his crotch. “Or don’t like.”

Taehyung nods, hands hesitating at his sides. “Yeah, okay,” he answers tightly.

You don’t take a second to acknowledge the fact that you’re sitting on your best friend’s lap. Not when you so desperately want to feel more of him. So instead, you push your hips forward ever so slightly, watching as Taehyung’s jaw tenses.

“Tae?”

“Yeah?”

“You can touch me if you like.”

“You sure?” He looks up at you.

“Positive.” You shift on him again.

In response, Taehyung’s hands move to your waist, palms pressing into your sides as he looks up at you with a heady gaze. “Is this what you do?”

“Not exactly,” you murmur, hand sliding down his shoulder to rest on his firm chest. Lowering your head, you set up a steady pace of rolling your hips over his crotch, the arousal burning in you when Taehyung’s brows crease, holding back his moans. “This is what I do.”

Nodding, Taehyung’s hands inch slowly down your back. “It’s good.” He pauses just above your ass. “You can go harder though.” He pushes your hips down firmly before coaxing you on to grind again.

It’s hard not to feel the bulge that’s growing between his legs and pleasure ripples through your body in exhilarating waves. Unable to help it, you let out a small moan, feeling yourself grow weaker as he pushes you on. 

“Is it good?” he asks, breathlessly.

“Very.” 

The word comes out of your throat as a moan, and you feel Taehyung’s fingers gently tilting your chin so you lock eyes with him – as soon as you do,  the breath seems to leave your lungs in an instant. 

You don’t often take time to sit and marvel over how handsome Taehyung is, but he really is the most beautiful man you have ever come across. One thing that strikes you now though, is the way he’s looking at you – like you are the most beautiful person he’s ever seen. 

It’s just today that he told you he finds it hard not to watch you sometimes, even when there’s other people around, and like this, it’s easy to believe it’s true.

Without realising, your gaze lowers to his lips, and he does the same. 

“Y/N?” he murmurs, breathing slow and steady as he awaits your consent.

Your hand somehow moves to his jaw, fingers tracing over his skin. Meeting his gaze again, you nod once. “Do it.”

His lips press persistently against your own, soft in touch and meaning. Your body reacts to him without thought, moving in tandem to his rhythm as he gives you exactly what you asked for. Slender fingers card through your hair, tugging lightly at the roots. Dazed, you moan, giving him the permission he needs to slide his hand down your back.

The drag of his palm feels so good, so attentive to your needs as they settle on the curve of your ass, pads of his fingers digging lightly to coax another moan from your lips. The sound comes, hot and hoarse into his mouth before he kisses you harshly again. 

The familiar scent of his cologne dulls your senses to everything around you, including the sound of your phone vibrating with someone else’s name lighting up the screen. Hands dragging up his back, you pull him closer to you and something warm stirs deep inside of your chest.

Taehyung is relentless, keen on pleasing you and that’s exactly what he does. Pleasure spreads through your limbs, rendering your logic and reason useless, as you give in to the comforting weight of his tongue on your own. 

“It doesn’t seem like you need any help,” he mutters breathlessly between hot kisses, his fingers sliding down your neck. 

“Maybe you’re just a good teacher.” 

He hums into your mouth, placing a firm hand on the back of your neck. “We’re not done yet.” 

Moaning, you roll your hips harder onto his erection. You wish you weren’t wearing jeans right now, but something flimsier like the material of his shorts.

“If I were him,” Taehyung continues, “now would be a good time to take over.” In one strong movement, he pushes up and lowers you gently onto the couch, adjusting himself to hover over you, one arm beside your head and the other gripping your thigh. 

You go still beneath him, watching as his eyes roam your figure laid out beneath him. Slowly, he leans in closer, and when he’s barely inches away, you find him staring into your eyes for a brief second. Bodies and breath hot and heavy, you unintentionally raise your hips in search of some friction. 

Taehyung lets out a low chuckle, fingers skimming further down your thigh as you let out a shuddering breath. “Now, like this, I can make you feel good.”

Leaning in for another kiss, Taehyung slowly grinds against your core as his hips are nestled perfectly between your legs. Your hands wind around his back, pulling him in closer, and when you feel his chest hot against yours.

Whining softly into his mouth, you tug lightly on his hair, tongue pushing further into his mouth. Taehyung keeps up a slow pace, controlled and almost tormenting as he smiles against your lips when you whine again, hips pushing against his. He moves his hand up your side, fingers dancing close to your breasts–

“I forgot my wallet.”

Seokjin’s voice startles you both and you sit up suddenly, legs tangled with Taehyung’s. 

Standing across the coffee table is Seokjin, staring wide eyed and definitely confused. 

“I forgot my wallet,” he repeats. “And you guys didn’t even hear me come in.”

Suddenly your cheeks feel hot and you find yourself fumbling for your phone without looking at either of them. 

Seokjin picks up his wallet, and also hands you your phone from the coffee table. “Here.” He pauses, looking between Taehyung and you, who you can’t bring yourself to look at. “Um, I’m gonna go now, I don’t know what was going on, but you guys must’ve been enjoying it, so, uh, carry on.”

With one final, awkward nod, he turns and leaves the loft, leaving Taehyung and you alone again.

Now sitting on opposite ends of the couch, you find the air cold and stiff around you. Glancing down at your phone, your stomach drops.

Missed call (2) Ivan 

“Uh, Y/N?”

Looking up, you wish you could just sink into the couch when you meet his gaze. 

“I’m gonna go to bed,” you say abruptly. “Thanks for, uh, for the lesson.”

“I, you’re welcome,” he says hesitatingly. 

But you don’t hang about. Without another word, you get up and walk away. Once inside your bedroom, you collapse onto your bed, heart hammering and mind racing – not only have you just made out with your best friend, you did it whilst you’re seeing someone else. Guilt floods your mind and you close your eyes tightly.

Yet still, you can’t forget the feeling of Taehyung’s hands and lips all over you.

A/N: thank you for reading! if you enjoyed, please reblog / leave a comment / send an ask! it means a lot <3

taglist is open.

#btswritingcafe #thebtswritersclub #kcollegenet #bangtanbathhouse #ficscafe #btscreatorscorner #kim taehyung fanfiction #kim taehyung x reader #kim taehyung oneshot #kim taehyung series #kim taehyung x fluff #kim taehyung x angst #bts fanfiction #taehyung x reader #taehyung x you

[kay-rot]

baby, it's cold outside

pairing: joshua(svt) x reader

word count: 2.1k

genre: angst, college au

warnings: some language, nothing drastic

summary: joshua vs. reader vs. snow

a/n: this is part of the Kcollegenet event Blue Christmas! I had a really fun time writing this, and I got some help from other members too! Also, shoutout to @emdrabbles for creating this amazing fucking banner and for being my beta reader <3

Joshua loved the snow.

Growing up in L.A, Joshua never got the chance to experience the snow. He remembers nights secretly staying up late, watching videos of other kids playing in the snow during his ‘winter break.’ Oh, how he longed for the chance to feel the soft flakes fall onto his skin, the white flecks to decorate his hair, and his mother’s voice calling him inside when she could see him begin to shiver from the cold.

But now Joshua is older, with adult money and adult responsibilities; a student in a university he worked his ass off to get into, studying what he loves to do best. In highschool, when he was told the papers he writes were so descriptive and in depth from his literature teacher, it was then when he decided that writing professionally was his calling.

Most of his friends decided to stay in California, having a hard time leaving their families behind. But that wasn’t him. Yes, Joshua loves his family dearly; he wouldn’t be the person he is today without them. However, this didn’t stop him from wanting to fulfill his dream of living in the cold.

So here he is now, a junior in college, inside his shared apartment, finishing up his last paper before another, true winter break. The weather forecast on his T.V, broadcasting the harshest of snowstorms coming in from the north. Even though he’s already experienced two other winter breaks, Joshua couldn’t stop the giddiness in his body from spreading, excited to share his love with the person he holds dearest to his heart.

“Ah, I didn’t know you cared for me that much.”

Joshua rolls his eyes, “Jonghan could you please not,” he says, fingers rushing to finish his concluding statement, “I want to finish this before y/n gets here. I don’t want to make them wait any longer to spend time together, and plus, I want to go out in the snow before it gets too cold.”

Jonghan laughs, “God you really are whipped, for y/n or for the snow, I’ll never know.” He begins to pull his coat on, “Well, you don't have to worry about me, I have to drop these cookies off to Seungcheol before he goes through withdrawal,” he shakes his head sadly, “He still doesn’t know that they’re store bought, and I don’t have the heart to tell him.” As he’s putting his shoes on he calls out, “I don’t think I’ll be back before the storm picks up, so don’t wait up, okay!”

With a hum of acknowledgement, Joshua waves as Jonghan exits their apartment. Typing out the last of his paper and copying his sources on a separate page, Joshua closes his laptop, telling himself he’ll edit it later. (He won’t)

Standing up, he stretches and begins to clean up the living room. It’s been a while since you and Joshua spent a night alone with each other, or even spent a night together in the first place. When finals were first announced, you barely had time for each other. Each with demanding majors that require the utmost attention, there was no time to fit each other into your schedules. Other than quick waves when leaving studying rooms, or walking each other to different lecture halls, there was never a time to spend quality time together.

But Joshua swears this changes tonight. This would be your third winter break spent together, under the soft glow of the LED lights strung around the living room and holiday films on the screen. Scent candles and snowman cookies are on the coffee table, and Joshua begins to heat up the hot chocolate in the special kettle you got him a previous Christmas ago.

Taking a look out the window, Joshua hopes you get here soon. The thought of the storm growing harsher is directly proportional to Joshua’s growing anxiety of your trip here. It’s times like this, and every other time really, where Joshua really hates living apart.

This is also something Joshua hopes to change tonight.

He’s stripped from his thoughts when he hears three rapid knocks on the door. Skidding to the front door, he pulls it open only to pull you in as well. Slamming the door closed, he begins to help you shed your coat off, grabbing your hands he says, “Oh my god baby your hands are like ice! Why didn’t you wear the gloves I bought you?”

You bend down to take off your shoes. “Guess I just forgot.”

Caught off guard by the short response, Joshua hangs your coat up, “Ah well, just try to remember for next time okay, I don’t need you getting frostbite.”

With a small hum, you walk into the living room and sit on the armchair adjacent to the couch. Joshua pauses at the entrance of the apartment, confused. Now you two were not the most affectionate couple by any means, but this was completely new. No frosty kiss on the cheek or even a warm hug. At the very least a hug would have sufficed--you two haven’t seen each other in weeks, it seemed like. Shrugging it off as you being too cold and wanting to welcome the warmth faster, Joshua makes his way to the living room as well.

“Hey, um, why did you knock on the door? You have a key to the place. You know, the one you stole from Vernon?” he asks, muting the forecast of the ever growing storm.

“Oh, uh,” you fiddle with your hands, “I gave it back to him, thought he needed it more than I did,” you finish softly.

The silence between you two was loud, but the storm outside was louder. The wind crashing to the windows makes the air swirl through the gaps on the edges. No matter how secure the windows were, the cold still manages to find its way in.

But Joshua can’t tell whether the chill he feels is from outside, or if it originated inside this very apartment.

“Oh yeah, just make sure you grab it before you leave,” he turns to head into the kitchen to grab some wine. Maybe a drink is what you need to take the edge of the school off your shoulders, he thinks, they don’t even like hot chocolate all that much. “Hey, put a movie on,” he calls out, “We might be able to get through a few before we both pass out.”

Coming back into the living room, bottle and glasses in hand, he stops when he sees that you haven’t moved, or even attempted to grab the remote off of the table in front of you.

“Hey,” he says softly, “Are you okay? Do you want to talk-”

“Actually, yeah Joshua, we need to talk.”

Joshua.

Never, in the three years of knowing you have you ever called him Joshua. He remembers when you first met, you refused to call him Joshua, “You introduced yourself to me as Josh, so I’ll keep calling you Josh…and sweetheart, and baby, and love, and darling and…” the list would have continued, but he remembers cutting you off by shoving snow in your hair, your laughter intertwining with the falling snowflakes.

“Oh, yeah we can do that,” he tentatively sits the wine and glass on the table and takes a seat on the couch facing you, “What do you want to talk about?”

Joshua can see that you’re stressed, your bouncing leg and tense shoulders are something that, while he’s never seen directed to him, Joshua has seen too many times before to not notice.

After some time and deep breaths, (the last thing Joshua wants is to rush you), you start, “Josh, what are we doing?”

The silence that follows makes way for the harsh wind against the window to grow louder. The snow is picking up and the trees lining the street are swaying more than usual.

“What- what do you mean,” he says confused, he sits up straighter on the couch, “I mean we’re… we’re okay right?”

“Honestly, I don’t think so,” you let out a laugh in disbelief, “and I don’t think we have been for a while.”

“Okay, well uh,” Joshua stammers, “when do you think it started?”

Clearly, he finds out this was the wrong thing to say.

Shocked, you look at him, “What the fuck do you mean ‘when do you think it started,’ Joshua, have you not been apart of this fucking relationship?”

Taken aback, Joshua mirrors the disbelief on your face, “Woah, hey I didn't mean it like that, I just wanted to know when you started feeling like this,” he says, trying to calm the situation down before it has the chance to escalate further.

“I don’t fucking know Josh, long enough for it to be a problem apparently,” you shrug, “do I need to show you a timeline of my emotions or something?”

“No, of course not, I just-” he’s cut off by the wind blowing against the window, the sound practically drowning the entire apartment in its ambiance. Startled by the sound, both you and Joshua turn towards the window, watching as the snow violently gathers on the glass.

With a sigh, Joshua turns back towards you, “Look y/n, I’m sorry if it seems like we’ve been distant, but I’m sure we can change it-”

“But what if I don’t want to change it, Joshua,” you cut him off, voice raising with every word, “What if I’m tired of trying to fix things?”

Joshua flinches back as if he’s been burned, “Why wouldn’t you want to fix things? What, you want things to stay this way? With us barely being together,” his voice raises, if he’s trying to voice out his frustrations and match you or speaking over the storm he couldn’t decide, “if that’s the case, then what's the point of staying together?”

“Maybe I don’t want us to stay together!” You finally shout, a heavy sigh immediately following, “Josh I am so, so tired, I can’t do,” you wave your hands between each other, “this any longer.”

The confusion on Joshua’s face has yet to dissipate, “Oh, I uh, yeah I can, um,” he wrings his hands together, trying to create some type of friction from the cold that settled in his body, “I’m not sure what to do, I don’t know what you want to do,” he whispers. The winds of the storm have faded now, the blanket of silence overtakes the room.

“I should go, my sister just flew in so I have to,” you trail off, beginning to stand from the armchair.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for a bit, it’s cold and we should finish talking about this,” Joshua pleads. If he were to think about it, the last thing on his mind is continuing the argument, what he really cares about is you walking in that storm.

“Joshua, there’s nothing else to talk about,” you huff out, starting your trek to the door, “I really can’t stay here.”

Joshua stands to stop you, “Wait, but baby it’s-” he tries to catch himself, but he’s too late.

Joshua freezes, and suddenly he hates the cold. He hates the stupid snowflakes, and he hates the ice, and he hates how pure and innocent it all is. Because no matter how cold he feels right now, he yearns to have you next him, keeping him warm. But Joshua has a feeling this is a type of cold that won’t fade with a shared blanket and warm smiles. No, this is the weather he has to face bare, stripped of his coat and gloves.

“Josh,” you say softly, so different from minutes ago, “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,” he responds, “me too.”

He watches as you put on your coat and shoes, and watches how you refuse to turn and look at him, knowing that if you did all you resolve would fade.

And he watches as you shut the door behind you.

Joshua makes his way to the window, waiting to see you cross the street and begin your walk back to your apartment. The storm has calmed down significantly, but its aftermath still lingers. He watches as you exit the building, and stays at the window long after your figure is out of view.

The snowflakes that are still falling bring him some peace, but he can’t help but shiver at the thought of the small blue box under the small tree. The small key, decorated in tiny snowflakes sitting untouched inside. He thinks of Jeonghan, and how willing he was to help you move in.

He moves back to the couch, and sits, curled up under his favorite blanket, hoping for the text that you normally send when you get home that he knows will never come.

Yes, Joshua loved the snow.

But not enough to battle the chill left in his heart.

#kcollegenet #joshua hong #joshua hong x reader #joshua hong oneshot #joshua hong angst #joshua hong fanfic #joshua hong imagines #joshua x reader #seventeen x reader #seventeen imagines #seventeen college au #seventeen angst #seventeen oneshot

[hcuyk]

K.SW | SIXTEEN

SYNOPSIS ⋆* soccer player rivals sunwoo and y/n both play for their university's soccer team. competing for the star player position, sunwoo and y/n are constantly at each other's throats, trying to outdo one another to get onto the front page of the school's newspaper

PAIRING ⋆* soccerplayer!sunwoo x gn!reader

GENRE ⋆* crack, angst, mutual pining

WARNINGS ⋆* profanities, verbal fight, mentions of verbal assault

WORD COUNT ⋆* 3k

⋮≡ [ HEADLINE EXCLUSIVE ] @flwrtbz @rindomo @minsikluv @bberryblossom @juhakfeedzz @markistheloveofmylife @illiterateliz @cvlliesstuff @17scheol @yeostars @marsophilia @iovnyu @sofie296 @morauvmi @swooxygen @winterbeartaehyungbestboy @jichanqz @love-svt

≈ HEADLINE M.LIST ˊ˗ ; previous

⋮≡ [ PERMANENT TAGLIST ] @stealanity @yourjaylaks @wooyoung-a @kimaya2209 @armysantiny @changminurheart @moonieric @sunfics @fullsunfluff @lcvekdy @deputyjuyeon @simpforsunwoo @nyujjan @jaekiths @i6swoo @fairycob @karsohn @nilesig @twentysixofmays @changmin-wrlds @mavericsohn @lisori @nanamioo @enhacolor @kyswoo @sunwoahkim @jaerisdiction @yunkiwii @ja4hyvn @choielyssa

Chanhee constantly shuffles in his position on the bleachers, but he finds it difficult to reach a sense of comfort when his partner in crime hasn’t even arrived yet.

He’s impatiently tapping his feet against the grass whilst chewing on the tip of his pen, anxiously searching the surrounding areas for any newcomers. His eyes can’t help but check his phone every second in case Changmin has returned any of his texts, but the only notifications he’s received are from his mom.

With Hyunjae leading, the entire team is on their seventh lap around the soccer field, leaving Chanhee very exhausted at the sheer amount of running within the first five minutes of practice despite only watching the group. His limbs have barely moved an inch, and yet he can already feel himself sweat bullets.

Eventually the pack of soccer players disperse throughout the field to do their individual stretches, and that’s when Chanhee catches you heading for one of the benches. He stands up with pride and tucks his pen behind his ear, believing that now is the perfect time to approach you.

“Y/N!” he calls, grabbing your attention with the wave of his clipboard as he makes his way over to where you’re standing.

“Woah there, Chanhee. You’re not supposed to be on the field,” you playfully scold. You look over both of your shoulders to make sure neither Sangyeon nor Hyunjae caught a glance of your illegal conversation with Chanhee. You put one of your feet up onto the bench and grab at the loose laces, tying them. “What do you want?”

“Where’s your brother?” Chanhee pants after stopping in front of you, aggressively sucking air into his lungs after the short exercise he’s received from jogging a few meters over to you. “It’s the first and only open soccer practice for the next few weeks.”

“Yeah, I know,” you scoff, pulling your laces tight. “He knows.”

“I really need him here, Y/N. How does he expect me to write this article on my own when I don’t know anything about sports, much less soccer? Please tell me he’s coming soon.” Chanhee sticks out his lower lip into a pout, standing jittery in his spot with every passing second.

You can only sigh in response, unprepared to tell Chanhee the unwanted news.

“I talked with him earlier,” you begin, “I tried getting him here I swear, but he really isn’t feeling like it today.”

“But he’s been looking forward to this specific day ever since you were born. I’ve been looking forward to this specific day since you were born!” he exclaims, tossing his hands up in the air. He flails them so hard that his clipboard nearly falls out of his hands, and this action grabs the attention from those around you.

You snort. “Okay, now that’s a stretch.”

“I’m not kidding, Y/N! We both talked about this day for the past two years, and all of a sudden Changmin isn’t feeling it? You’ve got to be kidding me, ri-”

“Choi Chanhee!” a voice interjects.

Both you and Chanhee turn to look at the voice, and the reporter audibly gulps at the sight. He begins to sputter as his clammy hands scrummage into a more professional position, keeping his clipboard over his chest in order to keep his blank sheets of paper away from eyeshot.

“Hello, sir, coach, err-”

“I thought we agreed that interviews would take place after practice,” Sangyeon huffs, pressing his lips into a firm line as he sets his hands on his hips.

“He’s assaulting me, coach,” you nonchalantly blurt, grabbing an unopened water bottle for yourself after popping open the cooler.

“Assaulting?!” Chanhee screams, grabbing plenty of prying eyes as he darts his gaze at you.

“Verbally, I hope,” Sangyeon jests with a raised eyebrow, looking at you for confirmation.

You blankly look at the two of them, shifting your gaze between their two figures before shrugging your shoulders.

“Sure, let’s say that.”

“Y/N!” Chanhee yells, watching you down your water with raised brows. He takes a step back, disgusted from your false implied claims. “I treated you with nothing but respect ever since I’ve known you, and this is how you treat me?”

Sangyeon only laughs and rolls his eyes, subtly shaking his head before turning to look at Chanhee. “What do you want, Choi?”

“Changmin isn’t here,” he whines, bouncing in his spot. “He should be here!”

“I already explained to you why he isn’t here,” you mutter, twisting the cap back onto the bottle before repeating what you said earlier. “He really doesn’t feel like it.”

“I don’t care about how he feels. I wake up every single day asking myself ‘Gosh Chanhee, why, just why, are you still alive?’ but you still see me dragging my ass out of bed and over to interviews with people that spit gum onto my shoes.” Chanhee humphs.

“Okay that’s enough,” Sangyeon says, cutting the conversation short. “Y/N, you need to be stretching right now. You shouldn’t even be here. Water breaks aren’t allowed till after the second round of laps.”

You gape at his words, looking at him with utter shock.

“I’m sorry, a second round? We just ran seven laps around the field!”

“Yeah, I was pretty generous today. I usually have Hyunjae stop around ten before stretches. You have ten more to go in a few minutes, so I recommend you take this time to save your breath for your lungs.” Sangyeon pats your back before giving you a gentle shove, urging you to leave.

“But wait! Y/N!” Chanhee yells as you begin to jog backwards. “Don’t go!”

“I can’t do anything, Chanhee, I’m sorry.” You frown and then turn around, running back to your spot on the field which results in leaving Chanhee alone with your coach.

“I’m sure the article will turn out alright,” Sangyeon says, trying to comfort him.

“By myself? I doubt it,” Chanhee grumbles under his breath, turning on his heels. He’s frustrated, unable to believe that Changmin, his best friend since basically forever, has ditched him on your most important day.

He’s about to sit back down on his spot to start on his notes when his eyes unintentionally roam the bleachers, and through the crowd, he catches the eye of someone who would make a great messenger.

Haknyeon regrets everything that was handed to him in life. He regrets having eyes, and he blames his mother for birthing him with a pair because if it wasn’t for them, he wouldn’t be walking down the hallway to Changmin’s apartment.

If he hadn’t looked at Chanhee, he wouldn’t be here. He wishes he pried his eyes away from him when he went to talk to you, but of course he just had to have watched the entire scene unfold and then have eye contact with him immediately after.

Of course, Haknyeon didn’t go down without a fight, but with Chanhee’s consistent begging, Haknyeon officially became his messenger.

Curse him and his stupid curiosity.

Haknyeon’s feet instinctively lead him to Changmin’s apartment despite not wanting to be there at all, and eventually he works up the courage to knock on the door.

Seconds pass without an ounce of noise from the inside, leaving Haknyeon irritated. His impatience forces him to press in the passcode, giving himself entry to the apartment.

He trails in, and the silence and lack of presence overwhelms him. It’s weird seeing it empty, especially considering how crowded it has been the past few days.

Usually you’d be by his side or Changmin would have company over, like Juyeon or Hyunjae, but there’s not one other person within his range.

It makes him question whether Changmin is truly in the apartment to begin with, but unfortunately the worn out pair of sneakers by the front says otherwise. Not to mention that the door to Changmin’s room is closed, hinting that Changmin remains inside.

Haknyeon quietly drags his feet over to the door, hesitant to knock with the amount of thoughts spiraling in his head. He isn’t sure how to approach this since he didn’t think he’d be facing Changmin this early on after leaving him alone in the rain yesterday. With a sigh, he fights against his fears and taps his knuckles against the door.

To his surprise, the door immediately swings open with a hoarse voice that greets him.

“I told you I’m not-...oh.”

Changmin’s heart falls to his feet and it causes him to immediately look away, not daring to face Haknyeon. His hair is messy and he’s dressed in pajamas from head to toe, leaving Haknyeon to believe that he hasn’t left his bed once.

Haknyeon barely has his eyes focused on Changmin, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans out of discomfort.

“You should be at practice,” he mumbles.

Changmin purses his lips before leaning against the doorframe, sighing.

“I know.”

“Chanhee sent me here,” Haknyeon explains, “and forcibly, may I add, so you should get dressed unless you want to go out like—that.” Haknyeon eyes his outfit pointedly before darting his gaze away once again.

“I’m not going,” Changmin deadpans.

“I know.”

“Great. Tell Chanhee to record it for me,” he mumbles. He’s about to close the door but then Haknyeon chooses to stick out his hand, preventing him from doing so. His hand firmly presses up against the door, and his eyes meet Changmin’s.

“You’re going.”

Changmin stares at him, silent, before letting go of the door. He drops his hand to his side and walks over to sit in his chair.

Haknyeon doesn’t dare to move an inch, watching his every movement as Changmin taps his fingers against his desk. After minutes of not doing anything, Changmin is fed up with the uncomfortableness brought to him, forcing him to speak up about what’s been bothering him.

“Look, Haknyeon,” he starts. “About what happened yesterday-”

“Oh, so now you want to talk,” Haknyeon scoffs, appalled. He enters Changmin’s room and rests his back against one of his walls, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he continues to stare at him.

“Haknyeon,” Changmin tries again, standing up from his spot as he attempts to speak up. “I really, really-”

“No. Whatever you’re going to say? Forget it,” Haknyeon cuts. “I’m just here to bring you to practice, yeah? Nothing else. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why can’t we talk about it?” Changmin asks, raising his voice as he takes a step forward.

“Because there’s nothing to talk about!” Haknyeon yells, pushing himself away from the wall to stand merely a foot away from Changmin. “Tell me, Changmin, what is there to talk about because from what I remember, I gave you a chance to talk yesterday, now didn’t I?”

His voice remains stern as he burns his eyes into Changmin. He doesn’t dare to move any close because he knows he’ll break, so he remains in his spot, staring him down as he continues.

“I left a bus and walked through a storm to give you a chance, and you blew it. You blew it, Changmin, so it’s over. Whatever happened, happened, and it’s best that we forget it because oddly enough, I don’t care. I never cared, and yesterday wasn’t any different.”

Haknyeon goes back to leaning against the wall, and his head falls back against it. He closes his eyes as his head tilts heavenward, calming his nerves as the returning silence swallows them both.

Changmin moves to sit on the edge of his bed with his head dropped to his feet, staring at the ground as he remains quiet due to the inability to speak.

After minutes of no words being spoken, Haknyeon decides to speak up once again, his voice coming out softer compared to earlier.

“Your apartment is small, you know,” he murmurs, opening his eyes so he can stare at the ceiling above him. “It’s hard to miss conversations that happen in the next room over. I heard everything…yesterday. I know you didn’t want me to tag along to begin with. I shouldn’t have, and I know that now.” He sucks in a sharp breath. “I regret it.”

Changmin grits his teeth, finding himself emotional at the remembrance of what happened the previous day.

“...Hak-”

“It was stupid of me, wasn’t it? To believe that I could redeem myself in the slightest if I made an extra sandwich for you.” Haknyeon laughs bitterly. “To hold this bit of hope that maybe, just maybe you don’t hate me entirely. I regret it all. These thoughts, my actions, maybe even me choosing this college to begin with. I regret thinking that maybe after two years, everything between us would be okay. We both would have matured, and we would set this childish past behind us. The bickering, the stares, the looking down on each other-”

“Haknyeon,” Changmin utters more firmly, cutting him off. He doesn’t want to hear any more of what he has to say, already emotional with the topic given. Here Changmin is, right in front of the man he’s supposedly hated for years, torn into pieces because of the reality he’s been tossed into. The facade he put up. The realization of why he hated Haknyeon in the first place.

“I regret it because none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t have had to walk all the way back to campus through the rain, and you wouldn’t have locked yourself up in your room all day. It’s not like you to shut yourself off like this. You would’ve been at Y/N’s practice right now if it wasn’t for me.” Haknyeon smiles solemnly as he speaks.

I’ve always been a burden to you, haven’t I?

“It’s not your fault,” Changmin tries to argue, but a crack appears in his voice.

It’s never been your fault.

“Whatever,” Haknyeon mumbles, pushing himself away from the wall. “Just- get dressed. I’ll be in the hallway.”

Changmin watches in defeat as Haknyeon doesn’t dare to spare him another glance as he exits.

He wants to break, he wants to scream for not understanding things earlier. For not understanding his feelings from the very start, the ones that have just unveiled themselves to him at this very moment.

And I’m sorry.

“Your passes are shit,” Hyunjae mutters, running a bit to the side as he struggles to stop the ball.

“Give me a break,” Juyeon groans. “I haven’t played all summer, remember?”

“What happened last year doesn’t excuse how the ball isn’t even going in a straight line, mister,” Hyunjae tuts. He kicks the ball back towards Juyeon. “Even Y/N’s doing better than you.”

“Comparing me to a freshman. Great.” Juyeon huffs and kicks the ball up into his hands. He wraps his arms around it and holds it against his abdomen. “Where is Y/N anyway?”

His eyes follow where Hyunjae’s finger is pointed to, and he catches sight of the big smile on your face. You're sharing a ball with two other teammates, continuously passing it around as you all converse.

“I mean it, really,” Yoohyeon says, kicking the ball your way. “I strongly believe that we’ll make it to finals this year! Especially with you on our team.”

“You really believe that?”

“Definitely! Back me up here, Jangjun.”

You almost trip over your feet as you run to stop the ball, Yoohyeon apologizing once again for how poorly she passed it. You kick it back her way, forgiving her with a smile.

“She’s not wrong,” Jangjun shrugs, resting his elbow on her shoulder. He ignores her complaints and continues pressing down onto her shoulder playfully. “We were close to making it last year, but we got cut due to Juyeon’s injury. He and Hyunjae are basically the team’s backbone. The legs, if you will. It’s impossible to run without having one supporting the other.”

“Juyeon got injured?” you ask, surprised at the newfound information. “How?”

“Beats me,” Jangjun shrugs. “But it happened near the end of our game with SNU during the quarterfinals.”

“I just know Kim Younghoon has something to do with it.” Yoohyeon kicks the ball angrily due to the topic before realizing that her kick wasn’t going straight towards you at all.

“Who’s Kim Younghoon?” you ask, jogging over to the direction where the ball was kicked in order to receive it.

“Someone you’d never want to encounter in your life,” a new voice enters, distracting you from trapping the ball under your foot.

You watch as it rolls past you at an incredible speed, and it makes you groan because you hate chasing after soccer balls. Runaway soccer balls truly don’t have a mind of their own, and you hate how you blatantly allowed it to pass you.

Juyeon’s smile drops when he sees how he distracted you, apologizing profusely as you rush after it.

“It’s okay, I got it!” you exclaim, reassuring your teammates.

Your eyes train on the ball as it skips away, but your footsteps come to an immediate halt when the fugitive is stopped by someone’s foot, and it certainly isn’t yours.

You’re about to thank the person for sparing you a jog across the entire soccer field, but you find your words caught up in your throat when you catch a glimpse of who’s standing in front of you.

His thick crimson lips quirk up into a smirk when your eyes land on them. A smug look dances on his face when he kicks your ball up and into his arms.

“Long time no see, don’t you think?”

He takes a few steps forward and then gently shoves the ball into your chest, fingers still latched onto it. The sinister smile that creeps up onto his face disorientates your thoughts, and your attentiveness causes you to catch onto the way he ever so slightly tilts his head to the side and into the crook of your neck.

His breath hits your ear, and he’s so close that you’re afraid he’ll be able to hear the effect he has on you.

His lips part to whisper something ever so delicately in your ear, something so seemingly sweet if it isn’t for the venom that drips casually from his tone.

“It’s about time you have some real competition.”

HEADLINE [ M.LIST | SEVENTEEN ]

NAVIGATION ─ THE BOYZ

© https://hvae.tumblr.com/

#headline `` series #ficscafe #hivegetit #kdiarynet #kcollegenet #deobiwritersnet #kim sunwoo #the boyz #tbz fluff #sunwoo angst #sunwoo imagines #sunwoo oneshots #sunwoo series #sunwoo scenarios #sunwoo drabbles #sunwoo timestamps #sunwoo fanfiction #the boyz reactions #sunwoo x reader #eric sohn #ju haknyeon #sunwoo #choi chanhee #kevin moon #lee juyeon #lee hyunjae #kim younghoon #jacob bae #lee sangyeon

[aestheticfangirl]

HONEY BOY ✨

Part 1

Pairing :Yoon Jeonghan × female reader

Genre : fluff , college au , brother's best friend

Word count : 796

Warnings: nothing it's just a soft au :)

I came back finally. I never thought that mom and dad would send me here. But thanks to my annoying brother they did. He isn’t that bad he is just a basic annoying big brother who didn’t even come to receive me rather sent me the address and said to come by taxi. I need to teach him some manners.

I thankfully got a taxi immediately and then rushed to the address. He got me a studio apartment because I can’t stay with him. He said he lives with two other guys and I would definitely be uncomfortable.

It took me a good 45 minutes to reach my new house. When I entered to my surprise it was cleaned and well maintained. I never thought my brother would do that. I took a shower immediately and without unpacking I flopped in the soft bed. I was just about to get a good nap when my phone started ringing. And I am this close to killing the person who stopped me from my heavenly nap.

When I looked at the phone I saw my brother’s name flashing. What timing!

“ You know I am very close to killing you”, I threatened.

He laughed and said , “ Ahhh hello baby sister , you came finally”.

“Stop babying me Jisoo”,  I replied clearly being annoyed. The one thing I hate the most is someone babying me.

“But you are a baby y/n why shouldn’t I baby you”, he teased.

“I swear to god I am gonna kill you when I will meet you”, I replied with utmost anger. He was teasing me continuously.

“ Stop messing with her shua”, someone said in the background. Whoever he was I fell for his voice. You know the type they said from which honey dripped. It was that.

“See even your friend is supporting me, be nice like him”, I said.

“ Huh, this friend is just saying nice things but you won’t believe how evil he is”, jisoo replied sarcastically.

“Whatever, but I know no one can be as evil as you”, I said and I was dying of curiosity about that person. I couldn’t resist so I asked, “Btw what’s your angel friend’s name”.

“ What angel friend? And him?”, he started laughing like a manica and then replied, “His name is Yoon Jeonghan and he is not an angel trust me y/n you will regret saying that”.

“ See his name is also so sweet not like you and I won't regret anything”, I said confidently.

And then suddenly no one spokeand I was idiotically saying hello hello. Then he picked up, his voice as sweet as honey. I might call him my honey angel, oh my god ! I am creepy and pathetic. I cringed at my own thoughts. What's wrong with me? It's just a voice.

“Hey y/n , I am Jeonghan , Shua’s friend”, he said.

I couldn’t speak for a moment I was too mesmerized by his voice. I broke away from my thoughts when he repeatedly called my name.

“ Ughh sorry my network was bad”, I blamed my network and then continued, “ Hie Jeonghan, I am y/n and nice to meet you”, I said and blushed. And thank God he couldn't see that.

He laughed and replied, “ We haven’t met yet”.

“Ahh true”, I answered being embarassed a bit.

“It’s okay though , btw what are you doing in the evening?”, he asked.

“ umm nothing”, I confusedly replied.

“Great then, come and have dinner with us, we would love to have you here,” he said cheerfully.

Wait what? I got invited to meet him already. This is a huge deal. I took a brief pause to get my breath back and replied, “ Okay text me the address jeonghan and I will be there by 8”. I tried being cool. I can't show him how my stomach suddenly is filled with tons to butterflies.

“ Yayyyyyyy okay I will be waiting”, he said and hung up.

I can’t sleep anymore. I need to get ready and be there. I was never this excited to meet my brother like I am right now. I started jumping and throwing away outfits. I need the perfect outfit now. As I searched I found a pretty floral dress although it wasn’t my style but I guess it will do the work. 

#svt jeonghan #svt fics #college #kpop moodboard #kcollegenet #kpop fic #college au #brother's best friend #svt #seventeen ff #seventeen #yoon jeonghan #fanfictions #kpopidol #kpop fanfic #fanfiction #kpop #Spotify

[hyunnows]

SOME PEOPLE | KTH

PAIRING(s): Taehyung x reader, Dowoon of day6 x reader

RATING: pg13

WORD COUNT: 6.5k+

CONTENT/WARNINGS: unrequited love, friends to strangers, angst, unhealthy friendship, lowkey toxic Taehyung, swearing, pretty minor fluff and happy memories mentioned, university!au

SUMMARY: You’ve been Taehyung’s best friend for a while, in love with him from the sidelines as he chases after others. You’ve always given him a hundred percent, while he’s struggled to give you more than twenty-five. After all this time, you finally realize that while you were once “best friends”, he’s never been your “best” friend.

A/N: my submission to the anti-romance collab hosted by @rockwithwoo and @astramoonchild <3 I put so much effort and p a i n into this fic so i really hope you all enjoy! please make sure to go check out the other fics that are a part of this collab!!! there are so many amazing, talented that took part! i hope you enjoy, possibly find both pain and comfort in this fic and have a great day/night! Back to the fic, thank you to my lovely betas who I couldn't have written this so well without 🥺💜 @starry-paris, @nightshadevinter, @mochajoon, @sunshinejunghoseokie, you were all so encouraging and helpful throughout this process and I'm incredibly grateful for your help <3 Thank you all and I hope you enjoy this!

Teaser

YOU COULDN’T REACH THE TOP SHELF, struggling on your toes to grab at the air around the book you needed to complete your research. Groaning, you lowered yourself back onto the flat floor, about to turn away and give up when a warmth engulfed your back, one long, toned arm reaching from behind you to pull down the book you’d been reaching at for the past five minutes.

You turned to face the stranger, holding in a gasp when you met his piercing gaze. He was devastatingly handsome—gorgeous, even.

The tall stranger loomed over you, a friendly yet flirty grin on his lips as he handed you the book. “Hi, I’m Taehyung. You needed this?”

Calming your restless heart, you reached for the leather cover, his rough but still gentle hands gracing your own briefly during the interaction. “Nice to meet you, Taehyung. Thanks for helping me out, can I repay you?”

“No problem! As for payment… I could use a study buddy,” he offered, a bright and hopeful gleam in his dark mahogany eyes. You nodded, holding back your own beam as the two of you began your trek to find a table. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“[Y/N].”

“Well, [Y/N],” he started, his voice luscious and deep. “I hope I can get to know you.”

That’s how it all started, your beloved friendship with Kim Taehyung.

The two of you became inseparable over the months, swapping secrets and trading tragedies in the depths of night. Now you’ve known each other for a solid seven months, comfortable enough to call yourselves best friends.

Friends.

Another crucial development throughout the time you’ve been friends is that you’ve grown feelings that are a bit more than friendly.

Taehyung, as you’ve learned, is naturally bright and affectionate. He always manages to make you laugh, simultaneously making your heart jump every time he opens that dumb, perfect mouth. His warmhearted, firm hugs did you no favors in stopping you from falling further for his charms either.

Not to mention his innate flirtatious behavior. Taehyung has a charisma to himself, one that draws people to him, whether they like it or not. You have the pleasure of being one of his more willing victims, always playing along with his teasing until one of you gave out from embarrassment, which is usually you.

But you never mind his ways of affection, always ready to accept whatever he’s willing to give.

Taehyung groans, slinging his arm around your shoulder and pulling you to him. “I don’t want to study, can’t we just cuddle and watch a movie? Maybe do something else…?” His brows bounce as he trails off, implying something a bit more than friendly, a light smirk playing at his lips. Rolling your eyes, you shove him off, making him pout in defeat. “C’mon [Y/N], I don’t even need this class, why do I have to study for it?”

You hand him the aged, dusty book that was previously tucked under your arm. “Because there’s no point in failing. Plus, you need to get into a better study habit.”

Taehyung’s dedicated to his work, he really is, but he just doesn’t have the right policy when it comes to academic work. Usually, you just give him the answers he needs when he needs them, sometimes the full assignments if you can, but you’re beginning to tire of constantly having to do all your work on your own just for Taehyung to slack off. Besides, it’s better if he learns to do the work for himself. He’s not too happy about it though, trudging to the creaky old desk in the corner of the library—where you’d studied when you first met.

The library has a lingering smell of cinnamon and tea tree oil, one you find most comforting. On late nights you find yourself wandering to the back for a good book, earbuds plugged in to drown out your personal sorrows. It’s old, worn carpet always crinkles quietly beneath your weight, and the chairs have a certain texture from years of use that grazes your soft fingers in just the right way whenever you hold their wooden frames.

The seat cushion wheezes quietly under you whilst you sit yourself down, shaking your head at him. “I’m not always going to be there to help you cheat, Taehyung.” His deep voice mimics yours childishly under his breath. “And I’m not going to do all the work for you this time.”

“I know, I know.” He mutters, frowning and flipping the old publication open, coughing dramatically at the bits of dust that fall off the leather covers. “Y’know, when I said I liked smart girls, I didn’t mean this.”

“Gee, thanks bestie,” tossing him a glare, his implication of you being boring and not his hot fantasy type chipping at your self esteem. Unfortunately, you can’t say that you didn’t mean him whenever you’ve said you liked dorks.

He lets out a quiet laughter, ruffling your hair until it’s too messy for anyone to develop a secret crush on you during this library visit. “I’m kidding. You know you’re exactly my type. So smart and beautiful.” His words make your cheek burn, so you hide them in your hands, only eliciting a wide grin from him at your flustered state. “You’re so cute.”

“Stop flirting with me and read.”

“It’s so hard to focus on the book when you’re right next to me,” he witness pathetically, “We could totally be making out—”

You scowl at him playfully, cheeks aflame. “You’re gross.” Your feigned joyful tone masking the pain he brings you with every tease. But, that’s just how Taehyung is. Blunt, occasionally obnoxious, and unapologetically coquettish. It’s what made you fall for him in the first place.

“What? It’s not my fault my best friend is literally a perfect human. Not to mention, my favorite one.” He says halfheartedly, part of him meaning it and the other part just being a sweet best friend. “On the topic of how amazing you are, what are you studying? Didn’t you switch electives?”

“Oh, yeah. I switched to photography, but I might take up art next semester…” You trail off the moment you notice you don’t have his attention, the new library assistant now the center of his undivided attention. Chest burning, you sigh, lowering your focus back to the article you’d been reading before his affectionate behavior started. “You should go talk to her.”

He doesn’t even seem to hear you, already scooting out of his chair to approach the slim figure leaning against the shelves elegantly.

“You should really start getting over him.” Jimin advises, flipping onto your bed theatrically, phone in hand as he scrutinizes your taste in men. “He doesn’t see you as anything more than a friend.”

You jump on top of him, your back pressed against his and arms spread to your side like a starfish, making him gasp for air under you. “I know, but I can’t. He just makes me feel special. You know?”

Rolling you off him, Jimin gives you a look of disbelief. “[Y/N], he makes everyone feel like that. Especially the girls he ditches you for.”

“It’s not like that…”

Oh, but it is exactly like that. Taehyung has a talent for making people love him, getting them to absolutely crave for his attention because it just feels so good when they have it. And, like everyone else, you’ve fallen victim to his endearing ways. Honestly, with all the time you spend with him, you’d be more surprised if you weren’t in love with him.

Tonight you’re definitely one of his moths, him the light you’re all drawn to, begging to touch even at the risk of being burned. Unfortunately, you’ve already been burned, even this early into the night.

You two had been dancing, laughing the night away when Taehyung was stolen by a foxy physics major, leaving you to your one woman wiggle of loneliness.

He’s like a raccoon, you think, distracted by beautiful, shiny objects far too easily—and oh so lucky for you, you’re rusty and dim. Jimin’s right with how he makes everyone feel special. You're becoming aware of this more and more. The girl looks at him as if he’s hung the stars in the sky, just for her—a feeling you’re too familiar with. His gaze is solely trained on her, and at the moment, she’s his world.

But later that same night, he’s leaning on your shoulder as you help him waddle to your car, drunkenly muttering how beautiful you are and how great you smell. His eyes are mostly closed, but he still manages to peek through his tired lids, pupils trained on you.

You’ve always known Taehyung wasn’t the most reliable friend in your life. He’s always running late, rarely has his priorities straight, and never remembers to show up when he’s supposed to. All qualities you once found eccentric and cute, now are inconveniences for you.

Foot tapping against the ground, you try to ignore the echoing steps that grow increasingly louder the closer his frame gets to you. You try not to shiver at the breeze that his abrupt stop blows against you, your soaked clothes clinging impossibly tighter around your icy figure.

He huffs in front of you, his hair lightly damp from the now light sprinkle outside. “[Y/N] I’m sor—”

“You’re late.”

He licks his lips, eyes big and guilty, like they always are when he forgets about his responsibilities and promises. Opening his mouth several times, he finally manages to force something out, in a gentle, pathetic whisper. “I’m sorry, I know I really messed up, but I’ll make it up to you—”

You ignore him, walking past him towards the parking lot doors, clutching your arms around yourself silently. Your teeth chatter, only stopping momentarily because you grit them at the sensation of his jacket draping over your shoulders.

You stop in front of his car, pulling at the handle wordlessly, one hand weekly pulling his jacket tighter around you. As much as you don’t want to accept it, especially because it absolutely reeks of his date cologne and his date’s cologne, you can’t keep shivering from the chilliness of wet clothes.

He hastily unlocks the vehicle, reaching to open your door for you, but to no avail as you swing it open and climb inside, secretly thankful he’d been running the heater and simultaneously ticked that he had been enjoying warmth while you were suffering in the cold rain.

Taehyung climbs into the driver’s side, hands nervously gripping the wheel as he glances from you to your clothes to the long forgotten lipgloss of his date. With a deep inhale, he fails to hide his frown. “I’m so sorry. [Y/N], you know I didn’t mean to forget, I just got caught up—”

“On your date, right? Because some random girl is more important than your best friend. Don’t worry, I get it.” You hiss out, crossing your arms and leaning against the water-stained window. Disappointedly, you sigh. “It’s not fair. I always make sure you have what you need when you need it, regardless of whether it's money, cheat sheets, clothes, whatever! But, the one time I need your help, you forget about me because of a date.”

“I said I was sorry…”

Lip trembling, you furrow your brows. “Sorry doesn’t cut it this time, Taehyung. Sorry won’t make my clothes dry. Sorry isn’t gonna stop me from being sick tomorrow. Sorry doesn’t do anything.” Your voice breaks in the middle, but you can’t seem to let everything out. You don’t feel the comfort or safety that would normally let you open up to Jimin or any of your other friends. “Just take me home.” He complies, shutting up and turning the heat higher in hopes that you’ll stop shivering.

Sorry doesn’t cut it… but maybe the homemade soup, medicine, and brand new weighted blanket do.

Jimin’s eyes roll back, displeased to see Taehyung at your door, get well soon package in hand and a shameful expression painted on his face. “She said I could come over to pick up some notes…” The taller boy mumbles, abashed that even with all the trouble he caused you, you still prepared what he needed, just as you said. “I’ll leave after I make it right.”

“You hurt her, I’ll hurt you.” Is all your roommate grumbles out before stepping aside and letting the slightly unwelcome guest into your humble abode. “You know where her room is.”

A gentle knock sounds at your door, but your head feels too tight for you to do anything about it besides blow into another tissue. “Jimin I don’t want to talk about it—”

“I’m not Jimin…” He murmurs, eyes failing to meet yours from the guilt pitted in his stomach. “Before you kick me out, I just wanted to give you these. This is soup, your mom’s recipe, some cough and flu medicine my grandma used to use when I got sick, and a weighted blanket because I know how much you’ve been wanting one.”

He flinches as you hack loudly, eyes red and puffy, struggling to focus on his face. “How did you get in here? We changed,” you choke out another cough, “we changed the locks last week and I haven’t given you a key yet.”

Trying not to smile, he mumbles. “I might’ve told Jimin you knew I was coming. In my defense, I just wanted to give these to you in person and apologize again, although I know that apologies don’t do much…”

His head hangs low as his voice fades away, and you can’t help but shake your head at him. “I’m not mad anymore Taehyung. I’m sorry for overreacting yesterday, I was just upset.”

“I get why. I’m not reliable or a good friend, really. I don’t know why you keep me around.” He chuckles a bit, setting the things he brought for you on your bed gently before straightening back up. “You deserve a better best friend than me, huh?”

You shake your head. “No, you’re amazing, honestly I don’t think I deserve someone as sweet and thoughtful as you half the time.”

“You’re just saying that.” He laughs, the two of you falling into your usual banter. After a bit, he winds up beside you, the two of you watching an old comedy flick when he leans closer to you, closing his eyes as he leaves a kiss on your head, his lips lingering as he maffles against your skin quietly. “No date is worth more to me than you are, I promise. You’re the most important person to me.” His body gradually begins to shudder against you as a quiet sob leaves his lips. “I’m so sorry…”

Somehow, even when he messes up so grandly, you always end up letting him off the hook, even comforting him when it truly should be the other way around. Your hand rubbing his back to soothe his sadness while nobody’s there to wipe your own silent tears.

“I’m sorry Tae,” you tell him, frowning as he cries into his pillow over his last girlfriend. “Some people, they just aren’t meant to stay.” The words sour on your lips as you recall how head over heels for her he’d been.

Now, early into your fifth year of university, your best friend had been in a serious relationship for about four months, only for it to end with the girl cheating on him. You can’t comprehend why—she had all his time, attention, love, everything. What more could she want?

“I gave her everything…” Oh, I know you did, your heart ripping slowly at his next sentence. “I’ve never loved someone like her. She… she was special.”

Your hands freeze their actions, no longer threading through his thick, wavy hair. Aren’t… aren’t you special? Because that’s how he always made you feel in those fleeting moments where it was just the two of you in the world. That’s what you believed in each of those memories where he was the only one you could see, when you thought you were the sole center of his world.

You thought you understood the pain before, but you were oh so wrong. You should have known better than to think you were exceptional in Taehyung’s eyes. How foolish of you to think that you were any different to him than anyone else.

Pathetic.

Yet you’d fall under his spell again, thinking you were someone more to him than everyone else. Like you always do.

One glance, and you’d be right back where you started.

You know it’s ridiculous to be so malleable by the simplest of actions, but you could never stop yourself from hoping and falling over and over. Especially as he gives you his puppy-like eyes with an irresistible pout. “Please [Y/N], I need this grade.”

“I know you do but i can’t let you wait until the last day and ask for my help anymore. Besides, I have stuff to do.” You pry your eyes off him reluctantly, heart heavy because you know this will bring him down quite a bit, but he’s got to learn to do things on time on his own somehow.

Slender arms wind around your waist, his nose nuzzling your cheek affectionately, his lips still pushed up. “[Y/N], you love me, right? I promise I won’t put my projects off this long again if you help me with this one.”

You know he’s tricking you, lying, using your heart against you. He’s a player—he knows how to bend someone’s will to his bidding. And while you’re fully aware of what's happening to you—you give in like you have so many times before, and like you will many times after this one.

“Fine.”

He pecks your cheek, holding you in a tight embrace with a grin on his face, mumbling and muttering praises against your cheek. “I love you so much, thank you. Really, you’re the best. You’re my favorite person on this Earth, I don't know what I’d do without you.”

And its nice, appreciated even, at the moment. Hearing Taehyung sing your praises and tell you how much you mean to him is all you crave for—but it’s not real, and it won’t last. So you bask in his words and warmth as long as you can.

You’d seen Taehyung leave people behind after he got his fill of them, be it friends or more, he didn’t keep most people around for long. You’ve been one of the lucky few, you suppose, to stay around longer than a month or so. After all these hours, days, months, you thought that he’d never leave you behind. That maybe he wouldn’t get tired of you like everyone else.

But as he avoids your gaze across the university’s literature hall, you realize that was an unrealistic notion your feelings had concocted. He’s got someone new on his mind, staring at her with those adoring eyes you once believed were reserved for you. He’s not concerned with how you feel or what you’ve been up to—he hasn’t been for weeks now, the small talk and short conversations between the two of you practically courtesy now.

“What did I do wrong?” You mumble to yourself, staring at him longingly whilst rewriting some of your notes.

Jimin pats your back, shaking his head. “Girl, I told you, he ain’t shit.” His tone almost makes you crack a smile, the comical edge bringing a bit of joy into your constantly dulling life. “You need to move on, get out more. Taehyung doesn’t have the capacity to give you what you need as a friend or partner.’

“He’s not that bad… I must’ve done something.” You frown, rubbing your left temple stressfully. But maybe Jimin is right. Maybe it’s time for you to get over your former best friend, and fall for someone else. “Just out of curiosity, what’re you thinking of?”

Jimin gives you a gentle yet mischievous smile, pulling out his phone and pulling up a profile on social media. Flipping the mini screen for you to view, you blush as you realize what he’s doing. “This is a friend of mine—well actually he’s a friend of a friend, but I think he’s perfect for you. He’s a complete dork, loves music, animals, and he has a beautiful, deep ass voice. Oh, and get this, he’s a drummer.”

You raise your brow at the rapid-fire profile he gave you, but can’t deny that the guy he’s describing not only sounds perfect, he looks fantastic as well. Cute, soft, and uncharacteristically muscular for someone who looks like he’d never hurt a fly. Damn Jimin and always being right. “What’s his name?”

He tells you everything about this man, well, everything to convince you to go out with him. That he’s sweet, a good listener, adorable, and so on. You think it’s too good to be true, but promise Jimin that you’ll give him a real chance before rejecting him. Which is how you find yourself approaching the same man from the photos in a coffee shop a few days later, tapping his shoulder lightly.

“Yoon Dowoon?” He turns around, eyebrows raised slightly from the startle you gave him moments ago. He puts a hand on his chest, and lets out a light laugh. He nods. “I’m [Y/N]. The person Jimin set you up with.”

He greets you with a polite and gentle hug, one that’s neither formal nor too personal. Just, comfortable and welcoming. “Hi… Wow, you’re even more beautiful in real life.”

You flush, and for the first time in months, you feel like the attention, the focus and car, all of it, is on you. And it feels wonderful.

Your meeting isn’t at all like yours with Taehyung, where you’d learned his entire life story by the end of the day. No, instead, he’s intent on learning about you and your interest, the two of you finding a perfect balance of learning about each other and staying enigmas at the same time. He’s sweet and kind, and he’s passionate about everything he does. He’s already at the door for you before you can attempt to open it, taking your bag and coat and making sure that you know that he wants to do these things for you, that he’s willing to put in as much effort as you, if not more, into having a good relationship with you, no matter what kind.

As cliché as it sounds, Dowoon makes you feel like you’re the only girl in the world, despite the many trying to get at him on social media. He doesn’t hesitate to turn them down or reassure you that he’s only interested in you.

And though it may seem petty for you to inwardly focus on, you love his reliability. He’s always got himself together, and he’s always ready to help you in any way you may need. He’s on time, prepared, dependable. Something Taehyung never was.

And speaking of Taehyung, you two haven’t spoken in a while. While you know now that your conversations with him were never too deep—well, not when they were about you—you miss talking about the small, insignificant things you two could once go on for hours about. You miss Taehyung.

So you decide to meet up with him, except it’s unannounced. He doesn’t know you’re meeting up—you’re too afraid of him rejecting to hang out with you, like he rejects your attempts to talk in messages sometimes.

Luckily, being friends with Taehyung meant that you quickly became acquainted with his friends—aka, the people who throw some of the best parties on campus. You usually skip out, only going to a few when you and Taehyung were still thick as thieves to make sure he didn’t drive home drunk, but now you’re going on your own.

Well, on your own with Dowoon.

You’re sure it won’t be much of a problem, considering they never get upset because of unexpected guests or surprise plus ones. All he has to do is show up with her and there shouldn’t be any trouble.

So you dress up, wanting to look nice for your first party with your new boyfriend. You wear a black dress Jimin bought you that you once swore you’d never touch, along with some heels you saved for special occasions.

You’ve got your makeup done, for once not just some foundation and blush, but a nice, full face without being caked up. You even put some effort into your hair, although you know by the end of the night your work would probably be destroyed. All this and your delightful perfume, and you’re stunning.

Dowoon looks incredible too, his outfit not only flattering as heck but not clashing with yours. A faded green button with the top few buttons undone on top of a black t-shirt. He’s sporting some darker khaki chinos, paired with a black belt that matched his black converse. The whole outfit makes him look even taller than he is—not to mention how the shirt makes his build stand out, the material hugging his muscles when he moves.

When you arrive at the dorm, you don’t make a move to look for Taehyung. You’re sure he’s here, so there’s a good chance that you two will bump into each other at some point. Instead, you take your time, enjoying yourself with your boyfriend and dancing until you can’t anymore and you’re ready to have your first drink.

That’s where you find him, leaning against the counter, almost as if he’s guarding the drinks. In reality, he’s probably hoping to run into someone that catches his fancy, but the idea that he would gatekeeper the alcohol makes you giggle a bit.

His back is facing you, so you don’t bother to tap him or anything, opting to just grab a cab from the fridge and hang around. He hears you behind him, and whips around with a slight smirk on his face when he sees you… only it doesn’t seem as if he recognizes you. He’s giving you those same sparkling eyes he gives his weekly dates, not the warm—sometimes, dull—ones you’re used to.

“You look familiar, have we met?” He takes a step closer to you, and you can just barely smell alcohol in his breath. In other words, he’s not drunk yet.

You raise a brow at him, stepping back a bit with a hand on his chest. “Woah there, bud.” A slight chuckle in your voice that becomes a stifled laugh at his shocked expression.

“…[Y/N]? Wow, you look… wow,” he gapes, jaw almost on the ground as he struggles to recover. He’s seen you like this maybe once or twice, but never did you have this affect on him. Licking his lips, he gives a lopsided grin with a glint of mischief in his eye. “Is all this for me?”

You chortle, shaking your head and waving your hands frantically, your cheeks flushed. “No, it’s for my boyfriend. Can I introduce you two?” Face bright with excitement, you fail to notice the way his face falls before he masks it.

Coughing lightly, he musters a fake smile, and nods. “Yeah sure,” he mutters, following behind you, back straightened and shoulders pushed back to seem larger than he is—which you of course don’t see, too busy searching for Dowoon.

Once you find him, Taehyung immediately introduces himself, shaking his hand firmly with his lips in a fine line, the corners barely upturned. Dowoon, sweet and polite as ever, returns the gesture, only he’s more genuine and gentle about it.

When their introductions are finished, you find yourself alone with Taehyung getting another drink, trying to make conversation with him. He’s not interested, not really, only giving small hums and nods here and there so you can’t tell how little attention he’s paying.

You’re not all dolled up beautifully for him. You’re not waiting around for him to give you something to grip onto. Taehyung’s only interested in people interested in him.

If only you knew that when you met, you’d never be stuck in this pool of turmoil.

Taehyung has never been one to ignore you. Sure, he’d avoided you a bit before the party, but he didn’t blatantly ignore you or brush you off, not the way he does now.

After the party, you tried to reach out to him through texting, only to find your number blocked. Then, on social media where he’d also blocked every account of yours, as well as a few others who were close friends of yours he was never too interested in.

Taehyung had cut you off.

Every class he had with you, he sat on the far end, making sure not to meet your eyes not even once. You know he can feel your gaze on the side of his head, burning a hole with curiosity and betrayal.

He said you were best friends. That you were his favorite person.

Then why has he removed you from his life?

You try not to make a deal of things, keeping your questions to yourself, hiding your sadness under a mask. You don’t want your friends to worry, and you don’t want Dowoon to think you’re still into Taehyung. But damn, it hurts and it eats you up inside with the constant wondering of ”what did I do wrong?”

It keeps up this way, until Jimin can’t stand to see you beating yourself up silently anymore. “What’s wrong?”

And you can’t hold it together anymore, shoving your face into your friend’s chest and squeezing him tightly, your lip trembling. “I don’t know what I did, but he blocked me on everything, and ignores me everywhere. I tried to talk to him about it, and he just pretended as if I wasn’t there. What did I do wrong Jimin?”

The dance major strokes your back, hushing your growing sobs while holding in his own anger at the boy you put so much effort in, despite his warnings. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just how he is. Taehyung gets attached to people, makes them think they’re his world, and then throws them aside when he’s tired of them. It’s not your fault, it’s just how he is.”

His words don’t do much to comfort you though, and you find yourself trying to talk to him in person, trying to rekindle any tiny spark between the two of you as friends.

And it’s only after a week or so of trying that you realize how truly right Jimin had been when he warned you about Taehyung. Because while you’re worked up, broken down and beat from this new dynamic—he’s perfectly fine. It’s as if you never existed to him.

He’s got one of his other friends, one prettier than you and more energetic, hanging off his arm. She’s someone you remember feeling jealous of when they first started hanging out, but now you pity her too, because one day she’ll be in your shoes, watching from the sidelines as he moves on without her.

He doesn’t even spare you a glance as his group of friends pushes past you in the halls, like you’re a ghost and nobody can see you.

You always wanted to deny that your friendship was one sided, always arguing to Jimin that Taehyung cared for you just as much as you did him…

But as you watch his figure get smaller and smaller, you know that was never true.

“If he cared, he’d make an effort, [Y/N].”

“I know… it’s just, what if he’s going through a rough time too? I know it’s silly of me to try and justify his behavior, I just…” You trail off, leaning against Dowoon’s shoulder and frowning. “I don’t want to believe that I meant nothing to him. I don’t want to think we were never friends. I just want this to be a phase he’s going through, you know?”

The drummer nods, pulling you close with his large, warm arms that remind you of Taehyung’s when he used to cuddle you on movie nights. “I know what you mean. It’s just, if a rough time was all this was, why would he cut off his best friend? He still talks to all his other friends, you’re the only one he’s truly blocked off.”

You nod, sighing. “Yeah, I know. I just really miss him.” And it’s true. Taehyung may never have been your “best” friend in the sense he was never a truly good friend, but he was who you turned to with your worries and who made you feel valuable for a long time.

You know you shouldn’t have ever relied on being praised and validated by him to feel sufficient, but it was so hard not to when he was the one you wanted to look at you. Now, it’s in your nature to crave that same feeling whenever you see him pass you in the halls or on the courtyard. To crave that feeling when you do something that would’ve made him smirk and wink at you jokingly.

And you crave it so much, along with the need to know why he’s left you in the dust, that you confront him.

It’s in the school’s parking lot that you corner him. You wait by his car, not leaning on it, but hovering very closely as he enters the lot alone, his face pulled in a tight frown when he looks up at you. “What’re you doing here?”

You don’t like how he seems so upset, but you ignore that. “I just want to talk, Tae.”

“Well, we’re talking,” he says with an attitude, piercing your heart with each word.

Looking at his shoes, you don’t dare to meet his eyes, you begin. “Why are you ignoring me?”

“I’m going through a tough time right now. I told Jungkook, hasn’t he told you? Or are you too busy hanging out with Dowon or whatever that you haven’t spoken to him yet?”

As he’s hastily getting into the car, you scoff. He’s trying to blame you now? That’s not going to fly with you. “What the hell Taehyung? I haven’t cut anyone off. That’s what you’ve done to me, remember?”

“My mental health isn’t its best right now, so I’m taking some time alone to fix it.” He mutters, face void of any guilt or sadness. “You’re just too depressing to hang out with.”

That hurts. Lip trembling, you fight the ache in your heart. “Did you never think about me? What it would do to me to lose the person I trusted most? Or are you so sick of me that you just didn’t care?”

He shuts his car door, and rolls down the window in front of you, glaring hard. Deadpanning, he growls. “I didn’t care. I still don't.”

“You know, you’re the reason I’m so damn depressing. You’re the one always breaking my heart, and I keep letting you.” You sniffle, crossing your arms and wiping your eyes. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d be so much happier. I wouldn’t have longed for someone I couldn’t have for so damn long. I wouldn’t be so choked up over someone who’s never given back half of what I gave them.”

“That’s not my fault, you decided to stay by my side.”

“I know.”

“So leave me alone.”

You have more to say. More that you feel. You want to ask him if he knows how it sucks to not be able to talk about your crush with your best friend. How it hurts to not be able to ask them for advice or turn to them for comfort when things get hard. But you don’t get the chance.

His words ring in your ears like bullets, leaving you shocked, mouth pressing into a thin, trembling line as you step back from his car, eyes watering. Now you know for sure.

Taehyung doesn’t give a shit about you anymore.

“Goodbye Taehyung.” You mutter, mostly to yourself, turning away from his car and shuffling toward the front gates as you dial up someone who actually cares about you.

You barely hear him call a quiet, “Goodbye [Y/N].”

You move on, slowly but surely forgetting the details about Taehyung’s face. You forget each and every wrinkle you knew by heart once. You forget about how he used to talk a little differently than everyone else because of his dialect. How he’d have such creative and unique thoughts in the depths of night. The way he’d flirt whenever he got the chance. You forget him and the impact he once had on you.

Sometimes, when you’re alone in your bed watching reruns of shows you two watched together once—you watched them out of pure enjoyment of the characters now—you have glimpses of memories of your once treasured friendship. You think about them semi-fondly, until you push them out of your mind and try not to wonder if he does the same.

You don’t ask if he’s doing well, and you don’t actively avoid him either. At times, you two even give each other a nod of acknowledgment when you pass by. Maybe even a wave some days. But you don’t care to do any more than that.

Now, you don’t give a shit about him either. You can finally heal.

Jimin, ever so curious in your life, hesitates to ask you whilst you braid his hair. He doesn’t want to hurt you, but you’ve reassured him countless times that you’re okay, that Taehyung has no importance to you and therefore cannot hurt you. “Would you do it again? Would you still be his friend and go through it all over if you could?”

You tilt your head to the side before realizing what he meant. Releasing his strands of hair, you let out a breath and smile a bit. “We had some really good memories together. Lots of smiles and laughs but, not enough for me to put myself through that again.”

He nods, and pats your shoulder. “I’m sorry things didn’t turn out better for you two.” His eyes are remorseful as if he thinks he’s got something to do with it. After all, he always pushed Taehyung away from you, and pulled you away from him. It’s hard to think he didn’t play some role in this.

“Don’t. It’s nobody’s fault. Just…” You fade into a sigh, and give him a tight lipped smile. “Some people, they just aren’t meant to stay.”

Words you’ve uttered before but never realized how true they were. You always thought it a phrase for people you’d never known well or someone who would leave quickly—not someone whose deepest secrets were shared with you, someone you loved and trusted. Passerbys.

You never knew they’d one day describe the person you used to care for most.

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[kjmsupremacist]

baby, you’re my angel (chan/felix)

Mildly popular TikTok songwriter Felix meets Chan, famous on TikTok for his music and music reviews. They bond over their common ground, friendship blossoming easy and sweet. There’s two problems. One: Felix thinks he likes Chan more than just as friends. Two: Chan is almost fifteen years his senior.

Chapter 5   |   prev   next   mlist

Characters: Felix, Chan, the rest of skz

Genre: college au, romance, fluff, smut, angst

Pairing: Chan/Felix

Warnings: swearing, age gap, smut, daddy kink, cockwarming, semi-public sex, anal plugs, deepthroating/throat-fucking

Rating: Explicit

Length: 6.5k

just a friendly reminder that i dont condone age gap in real life, this is just fiction, im just having fun, etc :)

The week passes slowly. Felix gets his essay done, turns it in, gets an A-minus. For the most part, things are the same. He does his work, he spends too much time procrastinating, he stays up too late fucking around with his friends. But in small, crucial ways, things are completely different. Felix mutes Chan’s texts, just in case. He rarely replies if he’s around people. He guards his words, fearful that he’ll let something slip if he doesn’t pay close enough attention. 

They can’t all fit in Chan’s car, so they take a bus across the city on Friday afternoon. Felix has his bag packed, since he and Chan are (truthfully, this time) planning to go to the studio tomorrow morning to work on new music. His friends accepted this explanation easily; it’s more convenient to go straight there instead of making Chan take a twenty-minute detour to campus, when his studio is only a five minute drive from his apartment. 

The good news is they both found time during the week to get tested, and both came back clean, so Felix is looking forward to this weekend a little extra. He packs one outfit only—he can’t afford to stay an extra night, especially not two weeks in a row—but he does pack a little silver plug. The flat end is shaped like a heart, which Felix hopes Chan finds cute.

“7pm release, right?” Seungmin asks, checking the time. 

“We’ll get there with plenty of time to spare,” Felix says, glancing at his phone, too. It’s only 5:30, and Chan said he already started cooking. They should be done with eating before they need to do a quick countdown live.

It is a Friday afternoon, so traffic isn’t great, but soon they’re standing in the lobby of Chan’s building, and Chan is walking out of the elevator with a smile.

“Hi everybody,” he says. “You’re right on time. I just finished cooking.”

Felix wondered if it might be odd to see him again after what happened last weekend. Chatting via text is one thing; being close enough to touch is quite another. But when Chan’s eyes land on him, Felix doesn’t feel strange or awkward. It’s close to relief, he thinks, to be near to him. He ends up on the opposite side of the elevator when they all pile in, and he tries his best not to stare the whole ride up.

Like Felix, Chan had a little bit of makeup on. It’s for the camera, strictly speaking, but Felix has a feeling it’s a little bit for him, too. At least, he chose his own makeup by thinking about what Chan might like. In any case, he looks beautiful as ever, in a crisp white button down tucked into royal blue dress pants, with his hair straightened and styled. They’d agreed on semi-formal attire, so Felix is in a similar shirt with grey pants. He even wore his black ankle boots that have a little heel—which probably won’t be seen by the camera, but will definitely be seen—and appreciated—by Chan. 

Chan’s apartment smells like food. He’s made fried chicken and japchae (“You made this yourself?” Jeongin gasps. “Like, all of it from scratch?”), and he also had a collection of banchan laid out on the table. 

“I always liked banchan,” he says quietly to Felix as he reaches past him to get the bowls. “Because it sounds like my name!”

“You’re a dork,” Felix says drily, but he knows Chan sees his smile. 

There’s something disorienting, yet nonetheless sweet, about seeing his friends in Chan’s kitchen. Though he flushes at the memory of what they did the last time he was here, Felix can’t help but fall into the fantasy just a little—him and Chan, hosting a dinner together. Chan pulls alcohol out of the fridge for them after double-checking that Jeongin is, in fact, an adult. Felix grabs utensils, Jisung gets napkins, Seungmin helps Chan carry bottles to the table, and Hyunjin uses his spectacular height to reach the nice water glasses with ease. 

Dinner is warm and easy. Chan sets Jisung up with their music accounts so he can drop the track while Chan and Felix are saying bye to the fans on live. Hyunjin offers to help with the livestream. 

“I’m a media arts major, after all,” he says, almost loftily. Jeongin snickers.

They leave the dishes for later—there’s no time now, and their fans are waiting. Felix positions himself just out of frame as Chan sets up his cameras and lights in his room. 

“Hey guys!” Chan waves, laughing softly at what Felix assumes must be a flood of comments. “I’ll wait for more people to join, but as I’m sure you all know, my first song with a very special someone is about to be released in, uh, sixteen minutes by my clock!” A pause. “Stop spamming him, guys, he’s not gonna join the live. At least… not like that.” He looks up and grins at Felix, jerking his head at him to come over. “Cuz he’s right here.”

Felix slides into frame on the other office chair, bumping into Chan as he slows to a stop. “Hey!” The chat is moving at the speed of light, and every single comment is in all caps. Felix grins to himself. “What, you thought we wouldn’t celebrate the release of our first song together? He lives like twenty minutes from me, that would be stupid.” 

“Okay, for those of you asking about the rice cake song, which seems to be all of you,” Chan says, squinting at the chat, “yes, we will release it; no, we’re not sure when yet; yes, it’s a full length track. We’ll probably announce something next week. Don’t worry!”

“Sticky, soft, ‘n’ spicy, p—“ Chan’s hand is over Felix’s mouth before he can even finish rapping the line. “HEY,” he adds as best he can from behind Chan’s palm. 

“No,” Chan says firmly. He tries to sound serious, but he’s fighting back laughter. “They’ll hear it soon enough. Don’t ruin the surprise.”

Felix does the only other logical thing. He licks Chan’s palm.

Surprisingly, though, Chan just turns and gives him a look. “He just licked me, in case anybody was wondering,” he adds offhand to the viewers. “I have two younger siblings, you know.”

Somehow, the image of a young Chan, wrestling with brothers and sisters, pierces Felix’s heart with a keen sort of longing, so sharp and so sudden that he stops struggling entirely. He often forgets that Chan is a big brother, that he has a family, that he was young once. Sometimes Felix can’t imagine it; in his mind Chan sprang into the world fully-formed, as he is now—a body like a god’s paired with fun, young dad energy, somehow complementary. But now, in this moment, Felix can see it as clear as his own memories: one frame, frozen, surrounded by a void of mystery. Chan has a whole history that Felix knows nothing about. The tug in his gut that wants to know more is almost like hunger. 

Chan releases him when he realizes he’s not fighting back and moves on. Felix shakes himself mentally, trying to look more mollified than—he isn’t even sure what it is he’s actually feeling. But whatever it is, its place is not here, on camera, in front of tens of thousands of viewers.

“Anyway, as for this song, I think you’re going to hear a new side of Felix for sure,” Chan says, raising an eyebrow at Felix. “Be sure to let us know what you think, yeah? Anything to add, Lix?”

“I think you’ll be really surprised,” Felix says, grinning slyly. “But if you like it, we’ll make more. I’m excited to share it.”

“I’d also just like to shoutout Felix’s friends,” Chan adds. “They’re here helping behind the scenes.” He smiles at the group of them clustered out of frame by the door. “Definitely making this run a lot smoother, and also making it feel a little more festive.”

“They’re asking about your friends, Chan,” Felix says, nodding at the comments. 

“My friends? Most of them are busy.” Chan gives an embarrassed laugh. “Or they just have normal Friday night plans. Or they’re back in Korea, so…” He shrugs, gesturing towards Felix’s friends. “They’re filling in for that, too, I guess.”

Jisung clutches his heart and collapses back on Seungmin, who shoves him aside onto the floor. Felix giggles. “They’re honored, I think,” he says. 

“Drop in two!” Jisung whisper-shouts from the floor, holding up a hand.

“That’s our cue to wrap up and release you guys so you can go listen to it. It’ll be on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube; we’re working on other apps, but I think that should cover almost everybody,” Chan says. “Thank you for all your anticipation, and we hope you enjoy it.”

“Thank you!” Felix echoes, waving. Chan wraps an arm around his shoulders, scooting as close as he can, and Felix finds himself laughing as Hyunjin cuts the live. 

Jisung is poised over three different devices, checking the phone Jeongin is holding up in front of his face. He bursts into action as Felix rolls away from the desk and retrieves his own phone from Seungmin. 

“Any trouble?” Chan asks him after a moment of silence. 

“I don’t think so.” Jisung sits back. “Will you check?”

Felix goes to his Spotify and refreshes the page. “It’s up on Spotify,” he says cheerily. 

“I see it on Apple Music,” Chan says. 

“It’s on YouTube as well,” Hyunjin confirms.

“Good job, team,” Chan says, standing. “Do we want champagne?”

“Yes, please!”

☼ ☼ ☼

Chan puts some music on and they drink and dance and laugh. Felix doesn’t really get all that drunk; he doesn’t want to get too sleepy too early.

He ends up getting a little too slutty with the dancing anyway. At one point, he’s nose to nose with Jisung, and though he’s not facing him, he can feel Chan’s gaze from across the room. It burns in him, stokes a fire that’s been building in his gut all day. 

Around eleven, his friends decide they should probably head back—likely worried about keeping Chan up too late, though they say it’s because they don’t want to take a later bus, despite the fact that they’ll be perfectly safe either way. 

“Text me when you get back,” Felix says anyway, watching them put their shoes on. 

“Thank you for your help tonight,” Chan says. “You’re welcome back anytime.”

“Thank you!” Felix’s friends chorus as they file out into the hall. Felix watches until they round the corner, then gently pushes the door shut, turning to find Chan’s eyes on him. 

The apartment feels incredibly quiet all of a sudden. A mixture of emotions surges in Felix’s chest: longing and affection and most of all, desire, turning his skin hot. There’s a sort of stillness between him and Chan, like the world right before a thunderstorm.

Felix’s fingers twitch at his side, and the stillness is broken. Chan steps into his space, crowding him against the door, reaching behind him to lock the door as his lips meet Felix’s. 

Felix moans into his mouth, his hands finding Chan’s jaw, his hair, the sturdiness of his arms. Something close to a growl rumbles up out of Chan’s chest; he presses impossibly closer, skimming his fingers across the length of Felix’s torso. “Missed you, baby,” he murmurs when he draws away for a breath. Felix’s knees tremble. 

“Daddy,” he whispers back, slack-jawed. Chan nips at his lips, pushing his tongue past Felix’s teeth. Felix lets him, too weak to try and maintain some semblance of control—not that he wants to. He gives himself over to Chan with ease; his mind, his body, all of it. Maybe even his heart.

“I like your friends,” Chan says, “but I’m glad they’re gone. Wanted to do so many things to you.”

Felix doesn’t know how to respond without sounding stupid. Wanted to let you, he thinks.

Chan pulls him away from the door, stepping back clumsily to make room. “You looked so hot when you were dancing,” he continues. He starts down the hall, walking backwards, guiding Felix with his hands and his lips. “I can’t deny that it made me a little jealous. But it was just because I could barely stand to keep my hands off you. Didn’t help that we had to spend a week apart.”

“You’re all I thought about,” Felix confesses in a rush of breath. They’re in the living room now; the shades are already drawn, so Chan doesn’t pause, not even to turn out the lights. He manhandles Felix to the couch, pushing him down into one of the plush seats and hovering over him.

“Yeah?” he says. “Good. You’re all I thought about, too.”

“Too far away,” Felix mutters, fingers trying to grab on to the slippery fabric of Chan’s shirt. Chan plants a knee between Felix’s thighs to help himself balance, batting Felix’s useless hands away.

He unbuttons his shirt quickly and with ease, leaning in once the last button is free. “There,” he says. “Is this close enough?” He presses his lips to Felix’s neck; Felix tips his head to the side, whimpering softly when Chan’s knee brushes up against his cock.

He presses his hand flat to Chan’s stomach, reveling at the feeling of his skin under his palm, the slight movement of the muscle underneath. He brings his other hand around to Chan’s back, hooking his fingers in the divot of his spine. Chan is so hot, and he’s all Felix’s. The thought is a nice one, but it does nothing to temper his consuming impatience. 

A week is not a long time to be apart. Actually, it’s been less than a week; it’s been five days since Felix has last seen Chan, six since he’s fucked him. But still, he wants it like nothing else. His body responds to Chan’s naturally, skin breaking out in goosebumps wherever he’s touched, crawling with his anticipation, his lust. The unfairness of it all makes him want to scream. He shouldn’t have to feel this way. He should be able to have Chan all the time. 

He’s distracted by Chan’s hands on his waist. He scoots Felix down a little, so that he has no choice but to spread his legs wider, so that he’s open and vulnerable beneath him. Some of Chan’s hair has escaped his careful styling; it’s shrinking back to its natural curl at the tips. Somehow, this makes it better—Felix gets all of Chan, not just the bits and pieces he polishes up for the camera. Chan’s eyeshadow seems to make his eyes gleam as he looks down at Felix, holding him there against the couch with his gaze.

“Gonna fuck me here?” he asks him softly. “Like this?”

“We’re gross, and I don’t want to change my sheets,” Chan replies. “I don’t want to wait, either. Why, is here not okay?”

Felix sucks in a breath. “No,” he says quickly. “Here is good.” Anywhere, anywhere you want; anything, you can do anything. 

“Good,” Chan says. He reaches down to undo the buttons of Felix’s shirt, gaze hot as he tugs the fabric out of the way. “You hide such a nice body behind that cute face,” he murmurs, running a hand over Felix’s stomach before moving on to the clasp of his pants.

“What about lube?” Felix asks suddenly, only just realizing.

Chan grins, almost conspiratorially. “I hid some in the coffee table,” he says, tapping one of the drawers. “Just in case.”

Felix goes wide-eyed at him. “You planned this,” he accuses, trying and failing to come off as scandalized. 

“Maybe,” Chan says lightly, tapping Felix’s hip to get him to lift up so he can pull his pants down for him. “Maybe I just knew I would be impatient, knew this would happen the instant your friends were gone.”

Felix lets himself relax into the plush comfort of the couch, smiling. “Good job proving yourself right, then,” he giggles.

Chan’s grin grows; he stands so he can retrieve the hidden lube, handing it to Felix so he can undress quickly. “Don’t want to do it later when my hands are covered in lube,” he explains, even though Felix didn’t ask.

“I could always do it for you,” Felix points out, and Chan laughs. 

“I suppose that’s true,” he says, stepping out of his pants. “Nothing for it now.” He takes one of Felix’s calves in a big hand, moving it to the side as he sinks his knee back into the couch cushion so he can fit a hand between his thighs as well. He plucks the lube bottle out of Felix’s hands, opening it and squeezing a little dollop out onto his fingertip without looking. He sets the bottle to the side and leans in close, feeling around for Felix’s entrance as he captures his lips in another kiss. Felix gasps into his mouth when he pushes his finger in.

Chan’s hands, his fingers, are so huge compared to his own. Felix had forgotten—or maybe everything feels like more now, with the anticipation. He kisses Chan back, clings to him when he starts to move, unable to suppress a smile. It feels so good, and he’s so lucky to have this. 

“Fuck,” he mumbles against Chan’s lips when he adds a second finger. “Chan, Chan, I missed you.”

Chan’s laughter is low and satisfied. “Don’t have to miss me anymore,” he says. “I’m right here.”

For all his talk of impatience, Chan does take his time opening him up. He keeps Felix distracted with kisses, and Felix breathes in Chan’s cologne, earthy and sweet, hoping it might ground him a little before he lets his mind slip away from him completely. It’s hard, especially when Chan starts to stroke over his prostate, especially when he adds a third finger.

Soon, though perhaps not soon enough, Chan is withdrawing his fingers from Felix’s body, giving him one final peck on the lips. Felix is weak and boneless from this treatment, and can barely find a complaint. Besides, he’s not so far gone that he can’t remember what comes next. Chan slicks up his cock, spreads Felix’s ass with one hand, and catches Felix’s eye. “Relax for me, okay?” he says softly.

Felix nods, blinking up at him. Chan leans forward, supporting himself by taking a fistful of the back cushion of the couch, right by Felix’s head, and pushes into him. Felix’s jaw locks open in a silent moan, eyes wide as Chan keeps going until he bottoms out. Felix wonders faintly if he’ll ever get over it, the feeling of Chan inside of him, the weight of his cock, the way it stretches him open. He kind of doubts it.

He hooks his ankles around the back of Chan’s waist, trapping him in the circle of his legs, holding him close. Chan rolls his hips with ease, bending down so he can mouth at Felix’s neck, his chest. He brings his hand up to Felix’s cheek, cupping his jaw.

The reality of it sort of hits Felix suddenly—it’s almost ridiculous. His friends probably aren’t even home yet, and here he is getting fucked stupid into Chan’s couch. And they have no idea. Their fans, too—they’ve been leaving them comments and messages all night, and they have no idea. It’s definitely because he knows he shouldn’t, but that makes it better. There’s a distinct pleasure that comes from thinking about how scandalized everyone would be if they found out the truth. The fear that accompanies it is far from his mind in this moment. He can worry about that part later. 

“God, you feel so good, baby,” Chan says. “Good thing I didn’t know what I was missing this whole time, or I’d just never get anything done. I was so distracted all this week, thinking of you.”

“Chan,” Felix whimpers, breath hiccuping out of his lungs as Chan speeds up. He thinks about Chan shifting around in his desk chair, desperately trying to finish his work, but struggling to keep his mind off of him. He feels the warmth of the flush that covers his body, embarrassed and pleased at the same time.

Chan raises his head, brings his lips close to Felix’s ear. “No matter what I did, it wasn’t enough. I needed you.” He runs his thumb over Felix’s open lips, pressing his nose into his neck, licking over his pulse point. Felix’s flicks his tongue out, swiping it over the tip of Chan’s thumb. Chan groans against his skin, pushing his thumb into Felix’s mouth. Felix closes his lips around it, hollowing his cheeks instinctually, letting out a pleased little hum.

“Jesus, baby,” Chan murmurs. “Bet you’re good at sucking cock.” Felix preens, nodding gently so he doesn’t hurt Chan. “Yeah? How about sometime tomorrow?” Felix nods again, whining a little to let Chan know how much he wants it. He’s been wanting to get his mouth on Chan’s cock, it’s just that so far he’s been more interested in getting fucked. Sometime tomorrow sounds good to him. “Tomorrow, then,” Chan continues, kissing his jaw. “I’ll fuck your throat, angel, if you want.”

“Want it,” Felix demands, muffled and garbled by Chan’s thumb. 

Chan presses the pad of his finger against Felix’s tongue. “Okay,” he soothes. “Don’t want to do it before we record, though. Can’t go messing up your instrument.”

That’s fine with Felix, too. He sucks on Chan’s thumb insistently, letting soft little moans out through his nose with every one of his thrusts. Chan’s grip on his jaw tightens; he rocks in, out, in, out, rough and dizzying and deep. Felix unhooks his ankles so he can let his legs drop open wider. He feels so dirty, letting Chan fuck him open like this, lying limp beneath him and letting him take and take. His thoughts run slow and lethargic through his mind, dulled by a haze of pleasure.

He’s surprised to hear Chan laughing. “I feel like a fuckin’ teenager,” he says. “I’m already close, baby. Hope you don’t hold it against me. It’s your fault, anyway, it’s what you do to me.”

Felix moans shakily, enthralled and enticed by the idea that he affects Chan just as bad as Chan affects him. Chan slips his thumb out of Felix’s mouth, giving Felix the space to reply. “It’s okay,” Felix says breathlessly. “I’m close, too.”

And he is, closer now when Chan wraps his hand around Felix’s cock and starts stroking him in time with his thrusts. He hadn’t realized how much precome had been dribbling out of his cock until Chan’s fist is instantly slick with it. Wet sounds fill the air, loud and obscene and hot. Felix feels sweat forming on his forehead as he pants, bucking his hips up into Chan’s hand, chasing the friction, whining for more. 

He can feel it when Chan’s about to come, can feel the way he twitches inside him, the way his hips falter and lose their rhythm, and then all he feels is heat, filling him up like he’s been wanting all week. 

“Oh, fuck, daddy,” he whimpers, and Chan groans, speeding up his hand. 

Felix comes with a cry, Chan buried deep inside him, shooting come up his stomach as he falls apart in Chan’s hands. He finds himself waiting as overwhelming pleasure washes over him, so powerful it’s nearly suffocating. Chan strokes him, slowing when Felix settles back into the couch, still shaking. His skin feels like it’s on fire, he’s pretty sure his toes are numb, and he can’t stop letting out pathetic little moans, even after he stops coming, even after his release begins to cool on his skin. 

“You okay, baby?” Chan whispers after a moment.

Felix nods unsteadily, desperately trying to focus on Chan’s face. “Yeah,” he whispers, “yeah, I’m good. Really good. Fuck, Chan.”

Chan laughs weakly, pulling out clumsily and reaching down to stop Felix from dripping on the couch or the rug. Too late, Felix remembers the plug he brought, but, he supposes, it would be uncomfortable to wear to bed. That, too, can wait until tomorrow.

Chan kisses him gently, using his other hand to scoop him up off the couch, standing both of them up and cradling a still-trembling Felix into his chest. “Shower, then bed,” he says softly, kissing Felix’s cheek, his forehead, his temple. “We’ll deal with all the other cleanup in the morning. Sound good?”

Felix gives a sleepy hum, mouthing at Chan’s neck. “Sounds good to me,” he replies, not even bothering to open his eyes as Chan guides them out of the room and down the hall.

☼ ☼ ☼

Felix blinks awake to a dark room. He can just barely see a sliver of light, sneaking in through a crack in the curtains, but it’s not enough to illuminate much other than the floor upon which it falls. He feels fingers moving against his back, and realizes Chan is already awake. He shifts his head up, trying to peer at him through the darkness.

“Good morning,” Chan whispers, kissing his forehead.

“Morning,” Felix hums back. It’s hot under the blankets, pressed this close to Chan, but he doesn’t want to pull away. He stretches up so he can kiss Chan’s jaw. The movement makes him shift his hips, and that’s when he realizes why he feels so warm. He’s hard against Chan’s thigh; he whines softly without meaning to.

“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Chan says softly, his tone just barely touched by amusement. “We take care of that, get some breakfast, and then head into the studio. As long as we don’t drag our feet, we should be able to get in around eleven, which will give us plenty of time to get some work done. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good,” Felix murmurs.

“Roll over on your other side for me, then,” Chan says, stretching his arm back behind him to get the lube. 

“Wait, I packed a surprise.” Felix has to hand it to his half-awake, lust-clouded mind. Somehow, he remembers the little butt plug stashed away at the bottom of his bag. He drags himself from the bed, stumbling across the room in the dark to find it, returning triumphant with the metal warming in his palm. He presents it to Chan, who groans softly. 

“You want to wear it today when we’re recording?” he asks, taking it and opening his arms so Felix can get settled on the bed. “That’s so naughty, angel.”

“Want your come, daddy,” Felix says simply.

“You’re a menace, you know that?” Chan replies, reaching between their bodies to prep him. 

Chan fucks him slow and deep and dirty, murmuring praise into his ear, one strong arm wrapped tight around his body to keep him close.  Felix arches back against him, resting his head on Chan’s shoulders while Chan grinds into him. He comes in his own hand, moaning weakly when Chan fills him up only moments later. 

Chan pulls out and slips the plug in swiftly and cleanly, smoothing his palm over Felix’s ass when he’s done. “Alright,” he says, kissing Felix’s shoulder. “Will you take care of the sheets while I start breakfast?”

“Sure,” Felix mumbles, rolling onto his back so he can kiss Chan properly before relinquishing his grip on his wrists so they can both get up. 

Breakfast is quick and simple, just eggs and toast, and then they clean up the remnants of last night and change into outside clothes. Felix leaves his things—they’ll come home before Chan drives him back to his dorm—and follows Chan down the hall towards the elevators.

The plug was easier to ignore when he was just standing around, but in the car, every bump, every turn, has him squirming in his seat. Chan casts a knowing look at him at a red light. “What is it, baby?” he asks, faux sweetness and ignorance.

Felix pouts. “You know what,” he manages, focusing very hard on keeping his voice steady. 

Somehow, Felix survives the car ride, and by the time they reach Chan’s studio, his pants don’t even feel as tight. He shakes himself, and they set to work on creating a few new songs. Luckily, they already had some half-baked tracks and random pieces of lyrics from their previous sessions, so it isn’t too hard to pull something together. They spend a few hours writing and rewriting, and then after a break for lunch, they spend the next few recording. By the time Chan settles back to edit, and Felix settles back to watch, they’re well into the afternoon.

With little to distract him now that his work is done, Felix can’t ignore the plug as easily, or the gathering of heat in his stomach. He tries lounging on the couch, on the floor; he tries sitting next to Chan to watch him work, but nothing can pull his attention or ease the warm pleasure that spreads across his skin and makes his brain feel slow and gooey.

“I can hear you fidgeting,” Chan says softly. Felix looks up from where he’s lying on the couch and realizes, yes, he’s been shifting around every few seconds without even really noticing it himself. “This was your idea.”

“I know,” Felix says, somewhat hoarsely. For the sake of his own pride, he would like to believe that it’s because he just spent the last few hours singing his heart out. “It just feels so good, and I want—” But he doesn’t even really know what he wants. It’s not like he wants Chan to fuck him, and it’s not like he necessarily needs to get off right now. He just knows he’s restless, and that he wants to be touching Chan. 

“Come here,” Chan says. Felix pulls himself up from the couch, curious, and walks over to stand beside Chan’s chair. “If we take the plug out, it’ll be messy. Are you still interested in letting me fuck your throat?”

He says it so nonchalantly that Felix doesn’t process it at first. “Here?” he asks, dropping his voice to just above a whisper, even though the studios are pretty much completely soundproof.

“If that’s okay with you.” Chan looks up at him. “Go close the blinds and lock the door. If anyone comes by, we’ll just say we were in the middle of recording.”

It’s not like Felix is going to refuse. And Chan’s right—if they’re going to fuck somewhere that isn’t his apartment, this is the next-safest place. If they lock the door, no one’s going to be able to barge in, and if they take a second to answer, no one is going to think twice about that, either. “Yeah, okay,” he says breathlessly, hurrying to lock the door and draw the shades. 

Chan pushes away from the desk to give Felix some room. Felix gets on his knees eagerly, tucking his feet underneath his ass and tilting his chin back. There’s just enough space for him to sit up without hitting his head. 

“You still have a bit to get done, right?” he asks as Chan reaches for the button of his jeans. 

“Yeah,” Chan says, blinking. “At least another hour or so.”

“Okay,” Felix says. “Then I won’t move too much. I’ll just—keep it warm for you so you don’t get too distracted.”

“So dirty, baby.” But the look Chan is giving him is fond. He reaches down and touches his cheek. “Sounds good,” he says softly. 

Felix waits patiently for Chan to undo his jeans. He’s surprised to see that Chan is already half-hard. He must have been noisier earlier than he thought. 

Chan scoots to the edge of his seat so that Felix doesn’t have to put his neck at an awkward angle. Felix opens his mouth, letting his tongue cover his bottom teeth, using the top of it to push his lower lip out. Chan runs one hand through Felix’s hair, making a loose fist to help hold him steady, and uses the other hand to guide his cock into Felix’s mouth. Felix closes his lips around the tip, giving a satisfied little hum. 

“So good for me,” Chan says softly, petting through Felix’s hair a few more times before returning his attention to the music. 

Felix takes more and more of him into his mouth until his gag reflex threatens to ruin everything. It’s one thing to fight it for a few minutes of getting throat-fucked; it’s quite another to try to stay relaxed for the better part of an hour. He can prove himself to Chan later; right now his job is just to sit still and be quiet. He palms himself through his jeans almost absently, just to keep the edge off, and contents himself in swallowing weakly around Chan’s cock and clenching down around the plug. 

He gets messy quickly; it’s hard not to. Drool slips out from between his lips and drips down his chin. He wipes it away, but it hardly helps. It doesn’t deter him, though; he’ll happily drool all over Chan’s cock so long as Chan lets him. There’s something about all of this that makes Felix’s skin turn so hot he worries he might burst into flame. He feels little and slutty, on his knees between Chan’s thighs, plugged up with Chan’s come, pathetically humping his own palm while Chan uses his mouth as a sleeve for his cock. He feels thoroughly used, and he loves it. 

Long minutes pass. Chan is mostly silent, save for a few quiet moans here and there whenever he accidentally shifts in his seat or when Felix hollows his cheeks as he swallows. One of Chan’s hands sneaks back down to Felix’s hair; Felix tilts his head to the side so he can rest his cheek on Chan’s thigh.

It must be a half an hour before Chan starts really reacting. The hand in Felix’s hair tightens until his scalp burns, and all Felix can do is focus on his breath so that he doesn’t choke. 

And then there’s a sharp rapping on the studio door, and he nearly does choke. 

“Oh, shit,” Chan says, releasing Felix and tucking himself back into his pants. Felix scrambles to his feet, smacking the top of his head on the bottom of the desk while he tries to wipe drool off of his chin. He and Chan check each other over, smoothing down their clothes, wide-eyed and silent, and then Chan points Felix towards the door of the actual booth while he goes to the studio door. 

Felix grabs the headset and stands in the threshold, making it look like they got interrupted mid-take as Chan pulls the door open. 

“Minho!” he says, his voice betraying nothing. “Why’re you here today?”

“Finishing some projects. Heard you were in with your new friend, thought I’d drop by and say hi.” Chan steps to the side to reveal a slightly taller man. He seems to be around Chan’s age, though he looks it a little more than Chan does. His features are clean and sharp, almost catlike; there’s a sort of elegance that pairs nicely with his air of cutting intelligence.

“Ah, yes,” Chan says brightly. “Felix, this is Minho, a friend from my college days. He’s the head of the board of directors of a record label, but his background is in producing, so he rents a studio here, too. Minho, Felix. I was wondering when we might run into each other, but Felix is only free on the weekends, and you’re usually not around then, so…” He shrugs. “But I guess today’s the day.”

Felix bows quickly. “It’s nice to meet you,” he says.

“Sorry for interrupting,” Minho adds somewhat belatedly. “It’s good to interrupt this one sometimes, though. He forgets to stop for rest.”

“Well, having Felix around helps,” Chan says with a grin. “I’m always worried about overworking him, so I end up taking better care of myself in the process.”

“I see. I like your work, by the way. You have a very unique voice,” Minho says with a smile, nodding at Felix.. “Anyway, I won’t keep you. I’m sure we’ll see each other around again.”

“Thank you,” Felix stammers.

“You still owe me dinner,” Minho adds, pointing an accusing finger at Chan. “See you two around!”

And with a wave, he’s gone. 

Chan shuts the door firmly, locking it again and turns to look at Felix. They stare at each other for a couple of seconds, and then they both burst out laughing. 

“Oh my god,” Chan says. “The one day we decide to—the one time we misbehave—it’s not funny, it could’ve been so bad—”

“It so is funny,” Felix chokes out through his laughter. “It’s fine. He didn’t suspect a thing.” He sets the headphones down and skips over to Chan, kissing him on the cheek. “But maybe we should pack up and head back to yours before we try anything else.”

Chan laughs weakly. “Yeah, that would probably be for the best. Let me just get to a good stopping place, okay?”

It only takes another half an hour before Chan calls it quits and Felix finds himself back in the car. He doesn’t try to stifle his noises this time around—they’re going home to fuck, after all—and by the time they get back, he’s leaking precome in his underwear.

They waste no time once they’re inside; Chan pulls Felix to his room so they both have a soft place to sit. Felix settles onto his knees, though he doesn’t sit back this time. Chan grabs his hair with both hands this time, leading him down onto his cock, waiting for him to take him as deep as he can (which, Felix notes proudly, is nearly all the way down) before rocking his hips forward experimentally.

When it’s clear Felix can take it, Chan gets bolder, rougher. Felix drools spit, and eventually the treatment brings tears to his eyes, but he doesn’t gag, doesn’t complain, just keeps his wide eyes on Chan’s, blinking prettily, even when the tip of Chan’s cock hits the back of his throat, even when he gets dizzy. 

“Close,” Chan hisses out. “You okay to swallow?”

Felix nods as vigorously as he can, trembling. He’s long forgotten his own pleasure, too focused on Chan; he can take it if it’s what Chan wants. Chan comes with a sweet, low moan, and Felix doesn’t even cough, pulling off slowly as Chan’s breathing slows.

Chan blinks his eyes open, giving Felix a lazy grin. He holds out a hand to help Felix to his feet, then immediately pulls him into his lap. “Now you, angel,” he murmurs into Felix’s skin. “A reward for being perfect.”

Pure joy sings through Felix’s whole body, electrifying and sugary sweet. 

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