#modern royalty

[tapperhet-em]

13

Tensions spill over in an most unexpected way....

When the guys were carrying things in, Meeri couldn’t miss that there was tension that had not been there earlier.  She was worried.  Things seemed to have been fine before, till they’d gone out to the SUV.  What could have happened out there to cause all four of them to now seem tense and on edge?  She doubted it was a threat from outside since none of them were keeping their sidearms in their hands, so that meant there had been a confrontation between two or more of them.  But over what?  

While they waited for Lorcan to get back from stowing the SUV and covering both vehicles, Meeri and Elio busied themselves putting away all of the groceries that had been bought.  Thankfully the cabin did have some electricity, so they had a fridge and freezer at the ready.  The stove was wood burning like all the fireplaces, though.  At least keeping things cold, and leftovers preserved, was one worry that they didn’t have.  While they were working together to get the food organized, Tieran and Einar were sorting through all the bags to see what belonged to who, and looking at the bedrooms to try and determine who was going to sleep where.  

There were three bedrooms in the cabin. One was more of just an open loft that looked out of the living room of the cabin.  It was the largest room with a king size bed and its own bathroom.  The other two rooms both had bunk beds that had full sized beds on the bottom and twin sized beds on the top.  There was additionally a sectional in the living room that pulled out to a queen sized bed.  While someone would have to share the closet space in their room this at least meant that they’d all have their own space when sleeping.  

“I think Meeri and I will take the loft.  Lo on the couch bed, and then you and Elio each get one of the rooms?” Einar suggested.  It seemed logical to him.  He and Lorcan were the two tallest, so having Lorcan on the larger bed made sense.  

“You seem sure that she’s going to want to share a bed and room with you.” Tieran realized how it sounded and the tone it came out in after it was too late. He held up a hand.  “I just mean, maybe we should ask her instead of assuming.  If I have to bunk with E, it’s not the end of the world.”  He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched it to one side.  “Listen, I’m trying, so just know I’m not trying to pick a fight.”  A heavy sigh followed his words.

“I got it bro, and you’re right.  Let’s go ask her.  You’re thinking clearer than I am.”  Einar clapped him on the shoulder before turning to head into the kitchen.  He may have hated it being said, but Tieran was right that it was wrong to just assume Meeri would want to sleep with him.  It wasn’t like they had a long standing relationship, even if there had been unspoken feelings for a while.  

"Uh, Meeri, can you pause a sec.  We need to ask you something?" Einar hated this.  Now Elio and Tieran would both be watching. It wasn't like he felt entitled to her in his bed, even if all they were going to do was sleep, but getting shot down in front of the others would be a major ego blow.  He hoped he knew her answer.

"Sure." She turned from the cabinet she'd been filling with cans and boxes, after she’d put the one that had been in her hand away. Taking a few steps, she closed the distance between them, then tilted her head up to look at him. "What's up?"  He seemed nervous, which made her nervous.  She still didn’t know what had been wrong when the men all came in earlier, and now this.  Why was everyone acting strange?

Einar rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  "We were..uh..trying to figure out sleeping arrangements.   You know..who goes where?  And," he cleared his throat, "we just need to know where you want to sleep and if it's alone?"  Fuck! Why was he so nervous all of a sudden?  And why was the room so damn warm?  He could almost feel the weight of both Elio’s and Tieran’s eyes on him.  He hoped Meeri wouldn’t torture him too much by teasing him for this.

Meeri curled her lips in between her teeth, as she tried not to laugh.  As sexy as Einar could be, at the moment he looked more like a nervous kid asking mom for permission.  "Oh, weeellll…I hadn't really thought about it." Her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she stepped closer to him, her own nerves causing a whole flock of butterflies to swarm in her stomach.  A mischievous grin formed on her lips as she went to her toes to whisper so just he could hear. "I'm kind of liking the thought of falling asleep in the arms of a very handsome soldier if you know one who would be willing. Waking up that way too.  But if you're not up for that…." She drug out the last word as a tease as her lips caressed the curve of his ear with each word and her warm breath fanned across his neck.

By all the gods in the heavens, she was going to be the death of him one way or another.  His head dropped to answer her back in just the same way she had him.  "I think I'm more than up for that, love." He pulled her tight against him, where there was no way she could miss his reaction to her reply and especially the way she had delivered it. Even if nothing physical could happen because of the circumstances, the thought of her in bed with him was enough to make his jeans definitely uncomfortable. 

"I'd tell you two to get a room, but we kinda still need to get stuff done.   You done seducing my help now, Einar?" Elio teased, pretty sure that they both had forgotten he and Tieran were there.  Not that he could blame either of them too much, after the day they'd all had he wouldn't hold it against them for holding a little tighter to each other and grabbing a hold of any distraction.

"For now." Einar chuckled and gave her a quick kiss.  "I'll probably steal her for the night in about an hour El. We've got a lot to do tomorrow, and not sleeping will just dull the senses."  He winked at Meeri as he backed up and turned to leave.  He didn't miss Tieran trying to hide his irritation.  They'd talked.  They were brothers and they'd make it through the uncomfortable time.  Knowing it didn’t mean that there wasn’t a part that still didn’t want a physical confrontation.  There was no point in it, and it would only cause pain to more people.  Tieran had his own demons to battle.

"Sounds good.  We should be done by then.  Lo can help you two as soon as he gets back." Elio turned back to what he was doing.  Partly because he didn't really need to stare, partly to keep from saying something to Tieran again.  He knew the man was trying so he wasn't going to be an ass.

“Come on T, we have bags to disperse.” Einar clapped Tieran on the shoulder as he passed.  The saying ‘fake it till you make it’ was taking on a new meaning.  Ignore things until they stopped, because Einar had faith in Tieran.

“El?” Meeri asked when the other men had left the room and they were once more alone.  She slowed putting the boxes in the cabinet she was working on.  “What's going on? What happened while you were all outside?”  She saw him freeze, and her heart sank.  There had been a sliver of that it was just her imagination.   Obviously, that was not the case.

“Meer, I have my own question.” Elio turned around, leaning back against the counter, and placing his hands on either side of him with the heels of them on the edge of the counter, fingers curled. “You love Einar? Really love him?”

She looked back at Elio confused.  “El?” He raised his brows and tipped his head as an only reply. “Yes.” She let out a shaky sigh. “It's not like I could say or do anything before. Do you know what my father would have done to him?”  Suddenly her voice got choked as she remembered her father ranting at a Commander about Einar paying her too much attention.  “Why do you think I never courted any Prince? I mean I thought he…and I knew I…” Meeri gesticulated as she tried to come up with the right words, then gave up and let out another stuttering breath.

“What if he's not the only one who loves you?” He wasn't sure she was still breathing after he dropped that bomb.  So she had no clue, lovely.  “First, Lo and I love you, in that you're our little sister that we have adopted.   Tieran is not so platonic.  He got called on some of his behavior, and he spilled everything to Einar.  So, it's been a really heavy day, Meer.  But we're a team.  We're a family.  No one's loyalty is in question.   There is just a little tension.” Elio watched her carefully.   

“Oh.” Her eyes fell.  She was causing problems between them. The four had been tight friends since they could barely walk, all their families were aristocrats in the kingdom.  They could all die because of her, and now she was also coming between them. They had all been brothers before she had joined them years ago and their friendships were battle tested. It was her.  She was the problem, the division, the one that needed to go so they could get along.  Just like her father had said, the cause of all problems was her...it was all her.

“Meer?” Elio pushed off of the counter.  Something was very wrong.  He’d thought being honest with her would be the best, but maybe he had been wrong.   She wouldn't look at him, she wasn't talking, hell, he wasn't even sure she was breathing. “Meer, talk to me, sweetheart.” He stepped closer, not having expected whatever reaction THIS was.

Suddenly her head shook and she looked at him with tears streaming down her cheeks.  “I can't El.  I can't be the reason you all could get killed, and be the reason for all the problems.  I…I can't.”  He reached for her but Meeri stepped back too quickly, yanking her arms out of reach and behind her.  Her eyes were wild, unfocused, and her breaths were almost hyperventilating.  Elio was becoming scared.  “It's all my fault…everything….” was the last thing she said before she turned and ran, her heart breaking that she'd have to leave them.   She couldn't stay and hurt them.

Fuck him sideways. He had no clue how she'd gotten THAT from what he'd said, but she had to be stopped before she got out of the cabin. “Guys!  Incoming!!”  That would at least get Einar and Tieran’s attention.

As it turned out, it was too late.  Neither of them was in a position to intercept, and the slamming open of the door made all three men's hearts stop.  Elio went to a full run when he heard her jump off of the porch.  One of the others was going to kill him for not stopping her sooner. As soon as he stepped out of the cabin,  he was confronted with the next problem: the moon was gone and he could see almost nothing. Now they'd have to search by flashlight.   The day kept getting better.

#writeblrcafe #writeblr cafe #writeblr #authorblr #my writing #my ocs #tapperhet #fiction #fantasy #modern fiction #modern fantasy #modern royalty #modern royal romance #friends to lovers #romance #fantasy romance #paranormal #supernatural #cryptids #mythology #mythological beasts #adventure #action #thriller #mystery #drama #original story #original character #original fantasy #original fiction

[peachysooxo]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 7

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, smut (we’ve finally gotten to that point lol), fluff word count: 5,555 description: as the royal wedding approaches, Alina questions her feelings for Kyungsoo. Alina’s crown selection ceremony goes wrong, Kyungsoo starts training Alina in swordsmanship and they cross a line they never thought they would warnings: mentions of death, mentions of miscarriage, infidelity, oral sex (f. receiving)

author’s note: hello dear reader (: We’re 7 chapters in! Wow! Thank you so much for reading. Kyungsoo and Alina’s romance is rapidly developing, it’s been interesting writing such a fast pace love. I hope you enjoy this one… It’s a little bit spicy! Photos are not mine. Dividers by @saradika-graphics . Enjoy!

ALINA

“Someone is all smiles today.” Lisette smirks at me through the mirror. Today we had to do the final fitting of my wedding dress, and last-minute details had to be finished before the end of the day. The wedding was coming faster than I’d anticipated, but I’m ready for it. My cheeks warm at the thought of the events that occurred last night. My lips tingle at the thought of Kyungsoo’s kisses. His words danced across my mind as I relived each moment. 

Your existence consumes me, darling. I need you. I crave you. 

“It was a lovely night.” I sheepishly smile.

“Did something happen last night with you and the Crown Prince?”

“Lisette! No! We just… He just… He… He confessed his feelings to me, and we kissed. We kissed before that but this was different.” My blush deepens as I remember every second of last night.

“Different? How so?” Lisette pins the dress at the waist, muttering adjustments under her breath. 

“He kissed me like he meant it. Our first kiss was curious, this was different. He was being… Romantic. He was whispering sweet things to me between each kiss. Lisette, it made me feel so… I can’t even put it into words.” Kyungsoo has changed. He’s been showing more affection lately, and I don’t mind it. Being woken up to kisses and gentle touches is a dream come true. I found myself getting more curious of what it would be like to fully give myself to him. I tried not to think about it too long, because if I do, I’ll get lost in a cluster of what ifs and anxiety. It doesn’t stop me from thinking these things, but I stop myself wondering if it’s too soon in our betrothal (soon to be marriage). I’m afraid that I’ll ruin the moment by having a breakdown right in the middle of Kyungsoo and I… I can’t even bring myself to acknowledge that I want to get physical with him. It feels wrong, like I shouldn’t want these kinds of things considering what happened to me.

“Amiga, you look like you’re so in love!” Lisette looks up with pins in her mouth. I look at her through the reflection in the mirror, shrugging my shoulders. “Ya, no te muevas!”

“Sorry, I won’t move. It’s only been a month. Is it love or just infatuation?” I ponder aloud. 

“Well, these are my thoughts on all of that. Betrothals take out the weird, awkward parts of dating. Trust me, Amiga, you’re not missing out. It’s arranged, sure, but if it’s done right you can have a marriage that feels like a love match. Time isn’t necessarily on your side. Since you’re marrying a Crown Prince and you’re becoming the Crown Princess, you’ll be spending a lot of time together. You have no choice but to learn things about each other as you go. From what I saw at the Ball, the Crown Prince adores you. I don’t think I’ve seen your parents look at each other the way you two look at each other. In your world, alliances are first, love is last. But… I do believe that what you’re feeling for Crown Prince Kyungsoo is normal. Seems like he’s falling in love with you, too.” Lisette explains as she finishes up the pinning of my dress. 

“You really think so?” I reach for any confirmation, because I’m never sure of myself. Lisette rolls her eyes and stands behind me with her hands gripping my shoulders. 

“For once, stop questioning yourself and this love that’s blossoming. It’s far from traditional and believe me, I think arranged marriages are very outdated but the two of you seem happy. Nothing like Maria and Daniel.” The sound of his name makes me sick, but I shake it off and laugh. 

“Maria is definitely the one who loves more in that marriage.” I laugh. “Thanks, Lisette. I needed the boost. Wow, the dress looks spectacular! You’re going to add lace sleeves?” 

“I sure am, the finished product will be gorgeous. Now, get out of this dress. I have work to do and a deadline to make!” Lisette pushes me toward my closet. 

“Hey! Wait! Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Duke Chanyeol? I saw the two of you talking in the garden!” I push myself to a halt. Lisette giggles and unzips the back of my dress for me. 

“I will, just not right now. Go! You’re going to be late for your Crown Selection Ceremony!” 

“It’s a pleasure to have you here for the Crown Selection ceremony, Princess.” Queen Hyunae says through gritted teeth. She said that I was forced? I sigh and bow my head. The Crown Selection Ceremony is one of the more exciting parts of getting married as a royal. The excitement and wonder of seeing the beautiful crowns from the queens of the empires we’re marrying into. The women of the family sit on the floor as I kneel in front of the Queen and the Seoul crowns that are being offered to me for my coronation. My eyes dart back and forth at the rows of crowns in front of me, some more eccentric than others. I make eye contact with Queen Hyunae and force myself to accept that this is going to be anything but exciting and wonderful.

“It is an honor, Your Highness.” I reply softly. Boram giggles in the corner and Hyunae holds her hand out toward her.

“Enough, Duchess.” Hyunae warns. Her attention turns to me. “Princess, you are marrying my son quite fast. Are you hiding something? Did you manipulate him?”

“No, Your Highness. I have no reason to manipulate him and I have absolutely nothing to hide.” I eye the crowns again, unfazed by the pressure radiating from the woman in front of me. 

“Then why the rush?” She sneers. I smile, not missing a beat.

“The Crown Prince and I have fallen in love and do not wish to wait another moment to be husband and wife, Your Highness.” The women around us swoon, whispering about the dance at the Ball, and rumors of us sneaking away and kissing in the hallways of the palace. Part of those rumors are true, we may have been caught by a few maids once or twice. Boram rolls her eyes and the Queen huffs. Lady Daeun rests her hand on Hyunae’s lap, patting her knee but the gesture is waved off. 

“You expect me to believe the words that come out of your mouth, Princess? I have been made aware of the truth, and you’re nothing but a fraud.” Hyunae smiles as if she’s won the battle, but it’s just begun. Micha whispers to one of the Doh Viscountess’s I don’t move a muscle. I won’t let her push me around, or see me stumble. I refuse to break eye contact with my future mother in law, a soft smile turning up my lips.

“With all due respect your Highness, I am uncertain of how I can be a fraud when I am a member of one of the most noble families in the world. When it was you who chose me to marry your son. Anyone can tell a lie and assure you it’s the truth, which I am confident is the case with your source.”

“Are you challenging me, Princess?”

“I would never dream of it, Your Highness.” I reply coolly. I spot a silver crown with cherry blossoms dusted on top in rose gold, it’s covered with beautiful rubies and gold etchings. Everyone in this room wants this to be over just as much as I do, so to add insult to injury, I chose my Kingdom gifted Seoul so I can keep part of my people with me. I look up at the Royal Guard waiting for me to make my decision. I motion for the Crown and he nods.

“A lovely choice, Your Highness.” Lady Daeun says from the side of the Queen. She gives me a small smile and I lower my head as the crown is placed on my head.

“Thank you, Lady Daeun.” I smile back at her. Queen Hyunae scoffs and I bow to her. When I come back up, the crown is removed from my head. Queen Hyunae rises and pulls me to stand.

“We have things to discuss.” We go to an adjacent room and the Queen shuts the door. “I would like to make something very clear, Princess. I’m onto you. I know all of your secrets. Your sister didn’t leave out any details of how you tried to take her husband away from her. If I would’ve known, I would have called off this entire betrothal years ago.”

“Queen Maria is vastly mistaken. I never tried to take her husband away from her nor did I want him. I was a child, Your Highness. Those are all lies. I would never betray your son or this dynasty. Never. Is it not treason for you to maintain a relationship with your enemy?” I insist. Kyungsoo said she owed me an apology, and I want what I’m owed. “In fact, The Crown Prince informed me that you had an apology for leaving me vulnerable in my chambers without any guards.”

Queen Hyunae laughs. “I have no recollection of ever promising to apologize to you. I owe nothing to you. The thing is, Princess, you are nothing but a pedigree for my son. You will obey him and give this Kingdom an heir. That is your only job, if my son chooses to be faithful to you then let it be so. It’s not a requirement of an arranged marriage to foster any type of love. I know that the things you say about my son loving you are untrue, my son is not the kind of man who loves someone like you. He knows that a King in love is a foolish one. Understand your place, Princess. I’m watching you very carefully, if you as much as speak out of turn, I will have you removed from this palace and charged for your crime of breaking the betrothal and lying about it. The only reason I haven’t already is a kindness toward you, and I refuse to let this dynasty have an abomination such as a temptress ruin its reputation. Understand?”

“Queen Hyunae, I am very much aware of my place. I will be the best compliment for the Crown Prince, just as he desires me to be. I refuse to be treated the way I have been by you since I arrived here. I have done nothing but love your son and have been completely faithful to this betrothal. It’s funny how so many people who know not one thing about me have written my story for me. And it’s a pity a woman as great and intelligent as you falls for such stupidity. I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing for you to be concerned about. I know I am being honest, so there’s nothing to worry about. I am looking forward to being part of such a strong dynasty. Thank you for your kindness.” I smile and walk away from the Queen, there was nothing left to discuss. As much as I feel proud of myself, the thoughts enter my mind of how I just messed everything up by going against Kyungsoo’s mother. 

Will I be deemed not worthy?  Will she make my life a living hell? I’m an idiot.

KYUNGSOO

The sun is setting on a stressful day. I have been hearing the whispers of how the Crown Selection Ceremony went and disappointed doesn’t even cover what I feel. The last thing I wanted was for Alina to feel like she was just a pawn in this game of dynasty and legacy. If she was, I wouldn’t be willingly training her like this. I saw Alina nervously pacing across the Training Grounds, her hair tied back with a pair of black leggings and a sweatshirt I knew I left in her room a few nights ago. Watching her pace is amusing, but also very distracting due to her figure catching my attention. Hell, Alina could be wearing a potato sack and I’d still find her attractive. I have to focus on the task at hand: teaching Alina the basics of swordsmanship. 

Training Alina how to defend herself is more vital than ever. Alina turns and spots me removing my suit jacket. I offer a smile as I roll my button up shirt sleeves to my elbows, my dress shoes picking up dust as I make my way to my princess. 

“Princess.” I lower my head and meet her gaze. She’s so cute when she’s casually dressed, it’s almost cruel to make her fight and train with me when she’s bubbly like this.

“Crown Prince.” Alina bows to me with a cheeky grin. I take off my tie and unbutton the first couple of buttons on my shirt, throwing my tie atop of my suit jacket. “Your Highness, you’re going to train me while dressed in a suit?” 

“Do you think you’ll be always wearing a cute pair of leggings and a sweatshirt when the enemy attacks? Likely, you won’t be, Princess.” I wave over the Royal guard to hand Alina and I swords. I can see Alina struggle with the weight of pure steel and iron in her hands. 

“Don’t you think this is a bit… Heavy?” Alina asks innocently. She watches me grip the sword and settle it in my hand. I ignore her question and take a breath. 

“Alright, come here.” I beckon to Alina, her sneakers shuffling in the dirt. She adjusts to the weight of the sword and grips it with both hands. “Follow me. I’ll go slow. If I swing toward you, block me. You want to study your opponent. Where are their weak spots? Where is their guard down? They may catch you off guard…”

I swing my sword and Alina’s clashes with mine. She pushes forward with both arms, eyes focused on me. She pivots and shoves the blade away from her and shuffles backward. For a moment she stops, scans me with her eyes and takes a low blow toward my leg. We exchange blows and I watch in amazement at her graceful movements. Sure, she may not be an expert but she can hold her own. 

“Princess, why didn’t you tell me you’re well versed in swordsmanship?” I laugh nervously.

“I told you. My brothers trained me, didn’t mean I was horrible at it, Your Grace. I don’t like fighting.” Alina huffs. She takes her stance and drops her shoulders.

“You have some talent, Princess. Show me what else you got.” I shake my head and swing my sword at Alina’s side, she turns and pushes me back. With war slowly becoming a reality, it was highly possible that I would have to go straight to the battlefield on a moment’s notice. She only trusts the guards so much and I didn’t want her to rely on other people to keep her safe. With a loud cry, Alina kept pushing until my sword flew out of my hand. Heaving for breath, she rubs her arm with her hand with a slow nod. I reach out for Alina and rub her muscles gently. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, thanks.” Alina mumbles, “I just have to get stronger. I’m not a fan of weapons. I have no idea how you do this all of the time.”

I kiss her head and continue to rub her arms in small circles. “I do it out of necessity. Let’s hope you never have to, but to be safe darling, we’ll practice three times a week. It will take time to build your strength. We’ll get there, Princess. How do you feel?”

“Brave,” Alina laughs. “I… I like feeling brave. Like I could be strong.”

“My darling, you are strong. More than you realize that you are.” I nod, putting the sword back into Alina’s hand. “Now, let’s get back to training.”

“Why? I’ve done enough!” Alina whines through a pout. 

“Five minutes of training isn’t going to make you a good swordswoman. I’m sorry, but we have to continue.” I take a step back. I notice Alina is still pouting and I walk back to her, shaking my head. “Come on, don’t be like that. This is for the best, darling. Here, let me give you motivation.”

I move and clash our swords together, our eyes glaring at one another through the blades. I lean in and steal a kiss, my hand holding Alina steady. I pull away and turn, wielding my sword back around. Alina blocks every single attack that I launch, and every time she blocks me, she’s rewarded with a kiss. 

“This is nice motivation,” Alina says while mimicking my movements. I watch in awe of her skills as I direct her and motivate her to keep going. “I’m starting to like this.”

I swat the sword out of her hand and throw it to the ground. Alina looks up wide eyed and my glare intensifies. “What do you do now? Think. Where am I open?” 

Alina studies me carefully. She puckers her lips and grabs my wrist. I drop the sword and she loses her balance. I grab her waist and let her fall on top of me with her hands on my chest. Her lips are parted as we heave for breath, strands of Alina’s hair fall out of her ponytail and around my face. My hand slides up her back and I kiss my fiancée, holding her close. “You did good today.”

“Thank you…” Alina’s cheeks are on fire, she shifts and slides off of me, standing on her feet. I get up and dust myself off. Alina’s face erupts into a shy smile, she tries to lift her arm but winces at the soreness. I massage her arms and smile back. 

“Let’s go, darling.” I manage to say. I take our things and Royal guards hand me a bag full of towels and water. I keep Alina at my side and guide her across the Training Grounds and onto the path toward the palace. She’s quiet as we walk together, her arms hugging her chest. I can tell she’s losing herself in her own head. We reach the library and I shut the door behind us, locking it for privacy. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Alina replies as she sits on the leather sofa in the back of the room. She’s a terrible liar. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Scratch that, she’s a horrible liar. I saunter over and kneel in front of her.  

“Tell me the truth, Princess.” I encourage her. She blushes and looks away, the words falling out of her mouth softly but I hear her loud and clear. 

“Would it… Be wrong if I wanted to take this relationship a step further?” 

“In what way, Alina?” I’m careful with my words. I know this conversation is a delicate one, considering her past. This conversation was bound to happen at some point, so I decided to do some reading on trauma survivors and intimacy. The last thing I wanted to do was make Alina uncomfortable or reactivate her trauma. It was disgusting how much shame comes to a survivor and their needs. Alina’s comfort is my number one priority. Anything I want will always be second. 

“I want to know what real love feels like. What physical affection feels like when it’s my choice. I want to know if it’s way too soon or if it doesn’t matter.” 

“What made you think about this?”

“It’s been on my mind for awhile, and that fall we took. Also, everything you told me the night of the Ball… It made me want… More. I liked how close we were. I don’t know if that’s okay because it felt wrong to want you like that. I’m conflicted because at the same time, I’m so scared to act on it. I have these feelings for you but I’m scared I’ll panic.” Alina laments. 

“It’s not wrong. You want to experience something on your terms. It’s not wrong for you to want me, Alina. Don’t let someone else’s ideas make you believe that. I want you to feel comfortable and in control. Whenever you feel like you’re ready, I can show you there’s more than one way to receive pleasure. Call me selfish, Princess, but I want your first experience to be all about you and what you want.” I rest my hands on Alina’s thighs, waiting for her answer. Her hands meet mine and she chews at her bottom lip with flushed cheeks. 

“Why does it have to be about me? What about you?” Alina asks, sliding her hands back and forth. My confidence boosts to new highs as I slide my hands to Alina’s face. 

“Intimacy is supposed to be pleasurable for both people. Not just one. And this isn’t just sex. It’s us coming together. It’s the moment that counts. And if you’re not ready for traditional sex… I could bring you to a climax with just my mouth if I wanted to.” I say lowly, the warmth of her cheeks settles into my palms.

“Oh…” Alina stutters.

“Tell me what you want, princess.” 

“I… I want… You said you could satisfy to perfection. Show me what that means." Alina shyly requests. 

“Your wish is my command, darling.” I give Alina a knowing smirk while busying one hand with the drawstring of her pants. I bring her lips to mine, kissing her while whimpers filter out of her mouth. I squeeze her thigh and slide my tongue across her lip, giving her a preview of what’s going to happen next. I break from her and stop before I can push her pants down. “Is it okay if I take these off of you?”

“Yes, take them off.” Alina nods quickly. I slide her pants off and groan at the sight of her in my sweatshirt and panties that hug her hips perfectly. I push her legs onto the sofa and leave a kiss on her stomach, keeping eye contact. Alina’s eyes widen and she presses her hand on my shoulder to stop my next move. “K-Kyungsoo… We’re doing it here?”  

“No better place to learn things than a library, Princess.” I mutter lowly. I nestle myself between her legs on the sofa, kissing her knee as I hook my fingers in her panties. I pull them down and she tries to hide herself from me. Lazily, I drag my lips up her thigh and stopping at her hip to plant a kiss on her flesh. It’s then I’m reminded she doesn’t know what to do, I look up at her and am taken by the sight of her drenched in the moonlight. She takes her hair down and her beautiful dark curls fall around her, shining in the light filtering through the window. I rest my palms on her knees, slowly working her legs apart. “I want to see all of you, darling. Open up to me…” 

 Alina’s body is hypnotizing, she’s so gorgeous. I groan at the strain in my boxers, to say I’m attracted to Alina is an understatement… I’m fully enamored with her. I have to take this one thing at a time. I quickly take my shirt off and gaze up at the beautiful sight before me. I inch closer to her entrance as she intoxicates me more and more. I barely touch her and Alina jumps back, her eyes squeeze shut. 

“Kyungsoo, stop.” 

“It’s okay, darling. We can stop.” I push myself up and rest my forehead against hers. I need to keep her focused on what’s happening in front of her, I can’t let her mind wander for a second. Alina’s eyes open and she grips onto my forearms tightly and desperately kisses my lips. 

“Kyungsoo… I want you to keep going… I just don’t know how to relax.” Alina whispers nervously.

"Darling, I want you to look at me. Don't stop looking at me. I’ll do whatever you tell me to, just don’t close your eyes." I softly instruct, resting her head back on the arm of the sofa.

"Okay… Okay." She stutters. 

“May I touch you, Princess?” I softly ask, the lull of a beg in my voice. 

“Yes.” Alina breathes. She supports herself on her elbows and watches me settle in between her legs. Our eyes lock as I press my fingers on her soaked clit. Her body jolts at my touch, then her head rolls to the side with small groans escaping her. 

“Don’t be quiet. I want to hear your beautiful voice. Tell me what feels good, if you don’t want to keep going, tell me to stop.”

“Okay… I can do that.” Alina says with a rapid nod. I go back to kissing her thighs and rubbing her clit in slow circles. I press my mouth along her soaking core, licking a stripe in her folds and stop to press my lips to her clit.

Fuck, she’s delicious. 

Alina’s melodic moans fill my ears and my God is it heavenly. 

I helplessly groan into her, drawing languid circles with my tongue around the most sensitive part of her body. I spread her open with my fingers and close my lips around her clit and alternate between quick licks and slow suckles, playing with pressure until I get it just right. 

Anything and anyone I ever knew before her disappears. Nothing can ever compare to her. I’m drunk off of her, my only purpose is to satisfy my princess and stay in this high that she brings me to. I slide a finger inside of her and pump gently, Alina wriggles and I lift her hips to keep her closer, allowing her perfect legs to fall over my shoulders. 

“Kyungsoo! There! Right there!” She screams as she grabs my hair. Her moans entice me to quickly lower my pants with my hand that’s soaked with her slick to wrap around my length and pump to the rhythm of her moans. It doesn’t take long to find myself at the edge, thrusting into my hand at each and every sound that comes out of her mouth. 

Alina clenches around my fingers and my release builds to a fever pitch. She’s going to drive me absolutely mad.

My body jolts to a stop as I release into my hand, her orgasm coats my lips and tongue seconds later. I heave and catch my breath and fall into the sofa. I take in a deep breath and tuck my bottom lip in my mouth. I fumble with the bag next to me, grab towels and a bottle of water to clean us up. I quickly wash my hands and return back to my beautifully dazed princess, gently cleaning her up. “That was…”

“Perfection?” I smile, leaving a kiss on her forehead. “How do you feel?”

Alina exhales and groans, searching for her clothes. I reach down and grab them from the floor, handing them to her. “I feel… Like I never had before.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“More than good.” She quickly replies as she dresses herself. I hold my princess in my arms and find myself in a place I’ve never been before with a woman: vulnerable and open. Within such a short period of time we went from being enemies to post-sex cuddles in my library. My hand slides under her sweatshirt and rests on the warmth of her skin. Feeling her is all I want right now. “You’re… Amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so.” I chuckle. "I have to know, darling. Do you... Really feel safe with me?" 

"I do. I suffered from nightmares for so long and you brought me solace. It felt like no one could get to me. You opened me up and made me see that I have more control than I thought."

I sigh and kiss her knuckles, resting them on my chest. "You'll always be safe with me, Alina. I will protect you from every single thing that has harmed you or threatens to. I must be honest, it’s terrifying to feel this for you."

"All of this scares me too, but let's find comfort in each other. We'll take it day by day." 

"I can do that, but please give me time." I whisper in her hair. Alina moves to get up but before she can get away, I sit up and pull her back, she gently land in my arms. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Of course, what is it?” 

“No matter what happens, we’re in this together. No secrets, no lies. Promise me you’ll be at my side and won’t betray me.” I wearily ask. 

“I promise you, Kyungsoo. Are you alright? What’s going on?” 

“I… There’s a reason why I never let you in before. Now that we’ve crossed a line, you have to know why I was so afraid of this and didn’t want it.” I start. 

“What happened?” 

“Have you ever wondered why Daeun is always with my mother?” As soon as I say this, Alina sits up and scoots closer to me. Her attention is laser focused onto me. I take a deep breath and continue. “First, I want to apologize for how my mother has been toward you. I heard about the Crown Selection Ceremony and it embarrasses me that she is treating you so poorly. She’s projecting onto you because of her mistakes.”

“Mistakes?” Alina tilts her head. I nod and take a deep breath. 

“My mother… Is a dishonest woman. Like us, my parents were betrothed. However, my father was a tyrant in his younger years. He wasn’t a good husband. My mother broke off a secret relationship with a Royal Guard, and a year later I was born. 

Things got worse because my mother started the relationship again and she got pregnant by the guard. 

I was a kid. I didn’t know what was going on when she came into my room and told me she was leaving. She told me I had to understand that there were more important things in life than our circumstances. Then she was gone. She didn’t get too far because my father found out what happened and brought them back to the palace. My father had every right to execute the both of them, but he decided that death was too easy for my mother. So, he made her watch her lover get executed. The stress was so intense that she lost the baby. 

Ever since my father has had my mother under lock and key. She isn’t allowed anywhere without Daeun. She’s not allowed to be alone with any guards. Then 2 years later, the betrothal happened. So, I was scared of ending up like that… Like my parents.” I hold my breath in wait and Alina tilts her head and cradles my face in her hands. Her eyes are watery. She plants herself in my lap and wraps her legs around my waist. 

“I am so sorry that happened, Kyungsoo. That must have been terrible to go through. I understand your fears, but I want to make it clear that you have nothing to worry about with me. I’m committed to you, betrothal or not. I won’t hurt you the way others have hurt you before. I promise you.” Alina wipes the tears that I wasn’t even aware were falling down my face. I lean and kiss her, holding the side of her neck. She slowly parts from me and I bring her right back to me. I don’t know how to say I love you, but this will be the closest I can get to that. I push her back on the sofa leave soft kisses on her cheeks and face, expressing silently how much I need her. Part of me warns not to let her in, because she can ruin me faster than anyone else. 

“Alina,” I mutter into her neck, leaving kisses while whispering in her hair. “Please, don’t hurt me.”

“I won’t hurt you, Kyungsoo.” She whispers gently. “And I ask you to do the same. We will be married by this time tomorrow, and my vow to you is to never betray you. The world can have their kingdoms, but all I want is you.”

“All that matters, darling, is the kingdom of us.” I kiss Alina’s face and rest my lips on her. “No matter what happens in this next chapter. No matter what this war brings us… I promise I’ll find my way back to you.”

“And I promise I’ll be waiting.” Alina’s smile is brighter than the moonlight spilling into the windows. I silently pray that she doesn’t break me, that she will be the one to hold me together. Alina keeps kissing me with her perfect lips and wander onto my jawline, something she’s never done before. 

“Mmm,” I groan, smiling. I gently brush her cheek with my fingertips. The moment felt right, I could trust her.

I can’t wait for her to be my wife. Only 12 more hours to go. 

#kyungsoo fanfic #Kyungsoo smut #exo smut #exo fanfic #exo fanfiction #doh kyungsoo #kyungsoo x reader #exo #kyungsoo #exo do kyungsoo #exo k #d.o. kyungsoo #modern au #exo royalty #do kyungsoo #kyungsoo exo #kyungsoo as a prince #crown prince kyungsoo #prince kyungsoo #the kingdom of us fanfic #k pop fanfic #enemies to lovers #modern royalty #modern royalty au #kyungsoo fluff #dividers by saradika graphics

[minim236]

Vienna waits for you

gift for @margaritanightly

T, 5.9k, one shot, modern royalty au

Because she could not live a simple life, the one time she tries to do something easy and fun, she ends up shagging a prince.

#bridgerton #bridgerton fic #modern bridgerton au #modern royalty #Edwina Sharma #Prince Friedrich #Simon Basset #Kate Sharma #fluff #love at first glance #edwina x friedrich #friedrich x edwina #modern au #edwina sharma #kate sharma

[chapitre7]

Chapters: 1/1 Words: 2748 Fandom: Thai Actor RPF Rating: M Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul/Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak Characters: Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul, Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Modern Prince!Fourth, Bodyguard!Gemini, Romance, poetic prose, Hurt/Comfort, Aged-Up Character(s), Implied Sexual Content, Implied Infidelity (between other characters)

He’s moving the moment he sees the knife. He’s had training for this. For years. His body has been made a weapon, a shield. Whenever his trainers noticed his stamina, his dedication, they worked him until he ached to the bone. The body remembered, his hands — maybe too well. Sometimes, he was afraid of not being able to hold anything gently anymore. Not an animal. Not a child. Not himself, whenever he got hurt. Instinct.

Bodyguard Gemini protects Prince Fourth from an attack. All the days of recovery allow his mind to rest. They allow him to reach the love that had always been there, but filed away.

#geminifourth #fourth nattawat #gemini norawit #thai actor rpf #alternate universe: royalty #modern royalty

[vernon-s-whore]

 *✧･ﾟ:*Snippet from my fic on AO3

pairing: Choi Yeonjun x OC

warnings: graphic smut

The snippet you are about to read hasn't been published yet, it's part of next to next week's update but i just feel like giving a snippet so here we are

If you like the snippet and wanna read the full fic you can do that here. Please read the tags for any triggering content.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“It’s nothing, Sooha, we’re just friends,” he clambers onto the bed, body looming over Sooha’s smaller one. She really was small, so tiny so perfect against him.

“We’re also friends,” Sooha raises an eyebrow.

“We aren’t your average friends, Sooha,” Yeonjun leans down, kissing her neck. She makes the prettiest little sound at the back of her throat. The sound which excites him. “You know our relationship.”

“Mmmh, yeah, we’re friends, we fuck, and we will get-“ She chokes on a gasp when he licks her ear. “We’ll get married some-someday.” His hand slip under her dress, hitching it up over her thighs till it bunches at her belly.

“Yeah,” he breathes into her skin. “Just friends who will get married someday.” His lips are soft on her skin, open mouthed kisses covering her neck, cooling in the cold air of Yeonjun’s room. He squeezes her thigh before letting his hand wander into her underwear, stroking her cunt with long, deft fingers.

“J-jun,” she gasps, sinking her pointy little teeth into his neck, making his blood rush tenfold.

“Easy there baby, I got you,” he croons, opening her up slowly, with just one finger first. Her legs spread wider, an open invitation.

She cups his cheeks and pulls him down, kissing him hungrily, like she has been holding back for all these hours, just as Yeonjun slips another finger inside her, earning a low moan swapping between their lips. He knows he’s pretty much leaking at this point and all he wants is to bury himself inside her. Somewhere in between she removed her underwear, and without the fabric restricting them, she ruts against his palm, whining everytime her clit rubs against the calloused skin. Yeonjun undoes her bra with one hand, still fucking her with the other, changing position so he was kneeling between her legs now, instead of laying at her side.

She tosses the bra away, painfully aware of her body, of Yeonjun’s body, of Yeonjun’s eyes on her body. They have done this so many times already, but she can still never get used to this. To him. Even now, when he bends forward to take her nipple into his hot mouth, she whimpers the same way she had done two years ago when she was eighteen, Yeonjun was twenty and she had fallen in love with him simply on account of how careful he was, muttering apologies, all soft edges and squishy cheeks.

Sometimes she feels like she doesn’t know Yeonjun anymore.

He trails his mouth down her torso, lips sinfully wet and plump, feather-soft on her skin, which only serves to rile her up. His tongue darts out, licking a spiral around her navel and down, nosing the fuzzy hair slightly, straight to her clit. Her fingers instinctively twist into his long hair when he begins eating her out, tongue and lips and teeth creating a sweet, sweet agony.

“Oppa, I’m g-gonna-”

“Shh it’s okay baby,” he cooes, squeezing her breast in one large hand. “I’m gonna enter you now, yeah? Together, okay? We’ll come together.”

His pupils are blown wide with lust as he shimmies out of his boxers, cock painfully hard. He won’t be lasting minutes in this state. He gives her cunt one last long lick, sucking at her clit till she is gasping and trembling but not enough for a climax, not yet at least.

“Oppa-” tone pleading, almost on the edge of begging Yeonjun to fuck her, she cries out in relief when he finally does, thrusting almost savagely into her pliant body, caging her with his body. Too deep, she can feel him too deep inside and it brings tears to her eyes, each hard thrust punctuated with both of their moans, Yeonjun’s so much lower in tone, almost growls.

He swivels his hips just the right amount, all his dancer flexibility and advantage showing in those few second that makes her see white; climaxing so unexpectedly it leaves her body shaking.

“Yeon-jun-,” she gasps, cunt practically convulsing around Yeonjun’s cock, and he’s showing no signs of stopping even as sweat beads at his temples, forearms braced around her head. She raises her legs, wrapping them around his waist, just like he likes it.

His pace becomes almost animalistic, brutal but just shy of painful. Heavy breaths make the room muggy, despite the heater being on a low setting. Yeonjun buries his face in her neck, “You’re on the pill, right?”

She nods quickly.

“I’m gonna c-come inside, okay?” His hips falter the slightest bit just as his words do.

“Yes please,” she whispers, kissing his temple.

Seconds later, she can feel him twitch inside her; his hips slowing down, each push deeper than before. He moans, soft and breathy into her neck, panting.

He pulls out, collapsing beside her, smelling of sweat and expensive as fuck cologne.

#txt ff #kpop smut #txt imagines #txt yeonjun smut #choi yeonjun smut #txt smut #txt fanfic #txt fic rec #modern royalty #arranged marriage au #there is a whole lot of plot and smut #txt fanfic snippet #fanfic snippet

[merthurficsfix]

Merlin continued to stare, possibly open-mouthed, at the King Arthur hallucination, which he was beginning to suspect might not be a hallucination at all.

Not in This Land Alone by torakowalski 

When Merlin Emrys gets a summer job at Buckingham Palace, he doesn't expect to even meet King Arthur, let alone become involved in protecting him from a plot to overthrow the monarchy.

`

Modern magical AU. Cuter than it sounds (in spite of the terrorist plot to be uncovered) with lots of cute banter.  A “Modern Royalty AU” classic. 

If you like this one, you’ll also like:

The Prince’s Diaries by dearmydreamer

The Lonely King by Corilannam

#Merlin #Merthur #Modern era #T #30k50k #Modern Royalty #hurt/comfort #King Arthur #Gwence #Not in this land alone #torakowalski #fic rec #fanfiction #AO3

[fluffyprettykitty]

Chaos Edition: Can I get a modern Prince Bucky moodboard please, Selene 🥺 (yes I am shamelessly asking for a moodboard for my own fic 🥲💙🙈)

Congratulations on your milestone! You’re amazing! 💙💙💙💙

Sweet and talented Suz thank you so much for your kind words! ❤️

I made this for you which is very light in contrast with your fic ;)

You can read Suz's series "Heaven Won't Help You" right here ❤️

#selenes moodboards #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes moodboard #james buchanan barnes #marvel moodboard #selenes moodboards sleepover #prince!bucky #modern royalty

[teenys-word-vomit]

Jean Pierre— The Artist

No one knows how Jean Pierre got into academy given that he's not a noble. However, one would assume it was naturally abilities as a photographer that cultivated him good graces with the nobility of Europe. Mysterious and handsome, Jean uses this to his advantage, womanizing any noblewoman he encounters.

#original fiction #dark academia #modern royalty #romance #character: jean pierre

[seriousbusinessforhumans]

#British monarchy #Windsor #queen elizabeth #John Oliver #video #royalty #royals of fucked up #modern royalty #history #colonialism #slavery #Kenya #UK #UK history #British Empire #modern uk

[tapperhet-em]

"You stay right here and if Melba barks, shoot whoever is coming through the door. You've used my rifle before, so you know how. Don't hesitate." Lorcan didn't like leaving her alone in the cabin, but he wanted to go hide the Jeep in a turnout he knew was hidden back down the drive. The guys in Elio’s SUV already knew they were there, and this would keep anyone else from stumbling on them if they started checking out other properties since they never showed up at Einar’s family’s estate. It made no sense for both of them to go just to park the Jeep, so he was going to trust that the less than fifteen minutes he’d be gone would be safe for her.

"I remember." Meeri nodded in the almost pitch black of the living room, not sure if he could see her. Melba was laying at her feet as she stood and talked to Lorcan. They had completely unloaded the Jeep, the contents were just to the side of the door, waiting for the others to get there so they could decide where everything would go.

"Good. The guys should be here in a couple hours, they thought, but they could be closer than that, so if they pass me I'll let you know so that you don't shoot Einar. Kinda get the feeling you'd both hate me if that happened." He was trying to lighten the mood just a touch by teasing her. He took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. The four men had been soldiers since they’d gotten out of school, Knights to the Royal Family almost as long, but Lorcan still couldn’t quash the nerves he felt. They were without backup, Meeri was being hunted and someone else’s life was on the line if there were mistakes.

The guys had all known that Einar had been in love with Meeri for years, just no one was going to come out and say it. It was an unspoken thing, all of them respected and even kept teasing off limits. The seeming reciprocated feelings they had glimpsed earlier at Einar’s apartment meant she had probably been hiding her feelings for as long, most likely to protect him from her family. Lorcan considered her a little sister, and he was pretty sure Elio did as well. Tieran was the one no one knew quite what his feelings were. One day he’d be hot and the next day frigid. Lorcan just hoped including him in all of this wasn’t a mistake they’d regret later on.

"I wouldn’t hate you,” Meeri fought a laugh, “but I have a feeling it would make things extremely complicated. As if things aren't complicated enough suddenly, putting a bullet in him would definitely not help." There was a slightly nervous quality to her laugh that followed and Lorcan didn't miss it.

"Only complicated if you want them to be, sis. His feelings are pretty damn simple. You know I'm in your corner, whatever happens." Lorcan pulled her forward by her upper arms and kissed the middle of her forehead. "Now, I'm going to go hide the Jeep. I'll be right back." He lightly ruffled the side of her hair then headed out the front door. Time for getting all fucking sentimental later.

As Meeri heard the Jeep fire up, she went over and sat on the couch. Melba went with her and put her head in Meeri’s lap. As she waited for Lorcan to return or the others to show up, her fingers gently ran over the top of the dog's head. It was a gentle and repetitive motion that seemed to soothe both of them. The doberman might scare a lot of people, but having her sitting there on the couch with her actually made Meeri feel a lot safer and calmer.

The more she mulled over their conversation, the more Meeri knew Lorcan was right. Einar’s feelings towards her were straightforward. She'd known it for a long time but had feared acknowledging them or acting on her own. Her father was capricious on a good day and she couldn't risk losing the man she loved to him because he wasn't royalty, even if he was high born. Status only mattered to a point when it came to him. To her, it didn’t matter at all, but as in many things, what she wanted or thought didn’t matter at all to her father. In the end, her father had abandoned her where Einar hadn’t. That spoke loud and clear about who cared for and loved her more.

As Lorcan drove the Jeep back down the trail towards the turnout, he kept his eyes peeled for oncoming headlights. It was a full moon, so he’d killed the Jeep’s lights since he could see well enough to drive. Whether it was their three friends or soldiers hunting for Meeri, he wanted to give them as best a chance as he could of remaining hidden. He was well aware of the stakes at play. He and the other three men could bluff their way out of anyone who came along, but if Meeri was found she might not even survive to make it back to the city gates. There could be no mistakes.

#my ocs #my writing #writeblr #writblr #writerblr #authorblr #fiction #modern fantasy #modern fiction #action #adventure #friends to more #friends to lovers #friendship #complicated feelings #complicated relationships #modern royalty #romance #fantasy romance #modern royal romance #new writing #tapperhet #mystery #military #found family #teamwork #modern romance

[crazyunsexycool]

You should see me in a crown

Coming soon… series taglist is open just comment. must be 18+ minors DNI

Prince!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Modern royalty AU

You were a princess.

At least that’s what your father had been telling you since the day you were born. In reality you lived in a two story house with your parents in a random neighborhood. It didn’t stop them from giving you everything you could ever want or need. From piano to dance classes, tea parties and dresses. When you grew up you were determined to go to law school and you did with their support. The one thing they never talked about was their homeland or your father’s family. They taught you all about traditions but whenever the subject was brought up they would quickly shut it down. So it wasn’t a surprise when you planned a vacation with your best friend that would take you to a few countries in Europe, including their homeland. You only wanted to have a life changing experience.

And you would.

James Buchanan Barnes was the crowned prince of his home country. He was next in line to become king. Every day that passed was a reminder of it. His parents’ words echoed in his head constantly. He needed to settle down and get married, start a family. All in the name of the crown. Bucky was more than ok doing that, he just wanted to do it with someone he loved. Yet love was the one thing royalty rarely found. His reputation of being a playboy didn’t help when it came time to settle down either. It came as no surprise that his parents became matchmakers.

Two worlds are turned completely upside down. Bucky wants a chance to find love. You desperately seek to connect to your roots. Hearts are broken and truths are revealed.

#you should see me in a crown series #prince!bucky barnes #prince!bucky #modern royalty au #Prince!bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes fic #Bucky Barnes series #Bucky Barnes au #Bucky Barnes fluff #Bucky Barnes angst #Bucky Barnes smut #Bucky Barnes x reader #bucky barnes x yn #bucky barnes x female!reader

[holylulusworld]

Windfall

Summary: You are the last unmarried lady. A spinster.

Pairing: Royal!Stucky x Royal!Reader

Warnings: 30+ reader, modern royal au, old fashioned society when it comes to the age of unmarried women (kinda), polyamorous, throuple marriages are allowed in this world, mentions of rejection, the reader is a loner, bitchy ladies, established mlm relationship,

Square filled for @allcapsbingo: B5: Loneliness

Words: 940+

The ladies sneer when you pass them by. You don’t spare them a glance, aware that they do not like you.

People always fear what they do not understand. Like a woman who wants more in life than being her husband's arm candy.

“I don’t know why she holds her head high like that. She’s the last unmarried daughter. Even her younger sibling and almost every cousin are engaged to a gentleman. The last one will be married soon and the poor soul not getting the chance to marry one of the younger ones will settle for the windfall.”

The other women giggle at Lady Dorothy’s words. “You’re right. No one wants the old spinster. A man wants a young woman, a beautiful innocent blossom. Not a withering rose.”

You don’t take their words to heart. They are not wrong. All the gentlemen roaming your parents' house only came for your sister or the cousins your father took in after their parents passed away.

“Lady Y/N,” you sigh when Lady Sharon makes her way toward you. At least she’s kind enough to talk to you in public. “There you are!”

“My dear,” Lord Loki, Sharon’s husband greets you. He bows and presses a chaste kiss to your hand. He’s one of the few men seeing you as more than an old spinster. Loki appreciates your wit. “How have you been?”

“Fine, Lord Loki,” you reply. Unlike the other ladies in the room, you look him straight in the eyes. You’re not the kind of woman cowering in front of a man only because he has a cock between his legs. “I hope you are well too.”

“Very well,” he smiles at his wife. “My brother finally got engaged.”

“Again,” Sharon adds. “He’s a little fickle when it comes to courting for a woman. He should grow up and settle for one lady.”

“I understand him well,” you nod thoughtfully. “It isn’t easy to find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. You should choose with your heart and mind.”

You barely escaped the nagging ladies and their gossip. Now you are hiding at the library to read another book. Loki and Sharon wouldn’t mind. They invited you to use their library when you are around and read as many books as you want to.

Nose burying in another book you don’t recognize someone sneaking inside the library.

“Stevie, you look so good today.” Your eyes flit up when you hear voices behind one of the shelves. “I can’t wait to put my hands on you.”

“Buck, we can’t. Not here.”

Frowning you listen closely. There is commotion behind the shelf, and you are sure, the men are up to no good.

You close the book and get up to find out what’s going on. If someone tries to steal Loki’s books, you will stop them at all costs.

Silently sneaking toward the shelf, you practice your speech in your mind. You’re not shy, but two men can be intimidating. Especially when they try to commit a crime.

You round the shelf, stopping in your tracks as you face the men. Your breath hitches in your throat because the men do not try to steal Loki’s books. No. They are kissing each other passionately.

You recognize the men. James Buchanan Barnes and Steven Grant Rogers. You heard rumors about them being in a relationship but never talked to them before.

You swallow thickly. What can you do? Say something? Tell them to not do such a thing at Loki’s library.

The only thing you can do is turn back around and walk toward the armchair to read your book. If you leave the library now, they will know you saw them. If you say something, they will get mad.

So, you sit back down, open your book, and start reading. You can still hear them kiss and moan but try to blend the noises they make out. It’s inappropriate to listen to their lovemaking. Not to mention sinful and forbidden.

You close your eyes and bite your lower lip. Their moans go straight to your lower half, the sacred garden you only touch at night, hidden in your bedroom.

“Aw, Bucky. Look at that pretty angel touching herself for us. Do you think we should help her out?”

Your eyes snap open as you feel eyes on you. You didn’t realize that the book slipped from your fingers and that you bunched up your skirt to slip your hand into your panties.

“I-no. I didn’t,” you lick your dry lips. “I wouldn’t… no. This is a misunderstanding.” You furiously shake your head.

The men watch your move your fingers, smirking as you cannot stop yourself from touching your clit.

“Doll, you are rubbing your sweet pearl for us, huh?” Bucky’s eyes are glued to your spread legs. “Tell me, did you like watching Stevie and me?”

You nod.

“Did it make your petals all wet?” Steve husks. “Did you touch yourself because you wanted us to touch you?”

You nod again.

“Stevie,” Bucky whispers lowly. “Do you know who she is? The angel no one dared to marry. It’s said that she’s a fiery little thing. Untamable and mouthy.”

“I’m not!” You grunt. “How dare you say such a thing!”

“Fiery and naughty, my beloved,” Steve cups his lover’s face to kiss him deeply. He moans into Bucky’s mouth, making you gasp loudly. “I guess she needs two strong pairs of hands to tame her.”

“Indeed,” Bucky smirks. “I bet her father will be so happy when she gets married to not one but two Lords making her an honest woman…”

Tags in reblog.

#stucky x reader #stucky x y/n #stucky x you #allcapsbingo #allcapsbingo2023 #bucky barnes #steve rogers #modern royalty au

[canisalbus]

you say machete has to be closeted then why's he always wearing them little heels

Maybe he thinks he's a tiny bit nicer looking in them.

#no in fact he's just a little ahead of the curve let me try to explain #again I'm not a historian I'm just sharing what I've read I might be misremembering stuff so don't quote me on this #high heels became extremely fashionable in the early 1600's probably just a few decades after Machete's time #and they were originally worn by men #because they were inspired by Persian riding boots #if your shoes had heels you'd have easier time keeping your feet in the stirrups (think of cowboy boots) #Europeans saw them thought they looked snazzy and they became wildly popular in noble circles fairly quickly #for some hundred years or so high heels were the epitome of class wealth power and status and they were essentially genderless #remember that concepts of masculinity and femininity are fluid and change over time #things that were seen as manly a few centuries ago may seem downright effeminate to a modern viewer #it's all matter of perspective neither is objectively more correct than the other #they started to separate into men's heels and women's heels around mid 1700's iirc but the changes weren't massive even then #and only truly went out of vogue when the French Revolution hit in 1789 #and people all across the continent were suddenly put off by everything that reminded them #of the frivolousness and extravagance of royalty and aristicracy #so in his canon timeline I don't think people are looking at him and going “hmmm that's pretty gay” #because heels hadn't become gendered yet #maybe he likes how they accentuate his already tiny paws and make his legs look even longer than they are #he's interested in fashion or at least likes to dress nicely in high quality garments #he tries very hard to look his best despite never really feeling comfortable in his skin #he was a real shrimp as a kid and even though he eventually grew up to be a beanpole he might still find the extra height appealing #no one's going to look down on him ever again #I admit the way I draw them is a lot more modern than the true historical style at the time but not outrageously so #artistic freedom and all that in the end I'm not aiming for 100% accuracy #modern au Machete has no excuses though he's just a little bit fruity #if the guy feels empowered by wearing little clip cloppers let him #answered #anonymous #Machete

[vernon-s-whore]

New fic alert!( •̀ ω •́ )✧

started a new fic, tentatively this is gonna have about 20 chapters (maybe more)

Summary:

Modern Royalty/High Society AU| OT5 storyline

Choi Yeonjun has plenty of power and money to call his own. But when someone with more power than anyone in the country enters his life, power second only to the King, is the meticulously planned life of profits and losses worth it anymore? To fuck a Queen or marry money? And does love even have a place in this equation?

High society is not a place for outliers, Taehyun has always known this. All acts of rebellion must be done in private, under covers with a lock on the door and blinds over the windows but the truth is, Taehyun is tired. He just wants to conform.

Is money the only measure of success with which he can show up at his childhood home and expect to not be beaten senseless? Beomgyu isn't so sure anymore. Is doing what you love enough even if it means you have no family?

Identity crises are nothing new for Choi Soobin. First the son of a politician, then the son of the woman who left his father. When will his name ever truly belong to him and him alone?

What if drugs weren't his only way out of his personal hell of privilege? Kai would love to know an alternate answer. For now, though, drugs will suffice.

____________ OT5 storyline. All the members will have their own storylines that play into the larger picture. (probably, lol) Tags will be updated as the story progresses

Please be sure to read the tags for any potential triggering content and stuff

#yeonjun x reader #kpop imagines #kpop smut #yeonjun x soobin #txt smut #txt ff #modern royalty #alternate universe #soobin x taehyun #friends to strangers #strangers to friends #friends to lovers #exes to lovers #nobody is straight #sorry not sorry #yeonjun smut #soobin smut #beomgyu smut #hueningkai smut #plot heavy #lots of plot because yes #bisexual character #gay character #princess x commoner #txt angst #txt fluff

[merthurficsfix]

The Prince of Wales begins work Monday at Taliesen Architectural Partnership, a Cardiff-based firm where Prince Arthur has signed on for two years to finish his professional qualifications in architecture.

The Lonely King by Cori Lannam

The Prince of Wales at his school. Merlin was sure it was all just a very bad joke.

This is my favorite Modern Royalty AU I’ve read so far. I love the subplots of Arthur trying to hold down a regular job as prince and trying to figure out dating. The pacing is great especially with Merlin and Arthur’s relationship. A great slow burn, mutual pining situation. I laughed, I cried, I wished it could’ve been longer. 

If you liked this one, you might also like,

Not In This Land Alone by torkowalski

#Modern Era #Modern Royalty #E #50k+ #Coming out #Prince Arthur #King Arthur #Merthur #Merlin #The Lonely King #Cori Lannam

[lily-blue]

Prince in disguise

☆ characters: crown prince!san & florist!you ☆ genre: modern royalty au, fluff ☆ warnings: mention of a break-in ☆ summary: you like to joke about how San carries himself like a prince; one day it turns out, it’s because he’s indeed royalty ☆ words: 7,9k ☆ a/n: this story was inspired by this video of San ☆ also: merry Christmas to the lovely @restlessmaknae 💕 i wish you a peaceful holiday, so that you could regain your energy and start the new year stronger than ever ☆ massive thanks to: @dat-town for proofreading the story 💕

You often teased San about how he was the embodiment of your childhood crush, Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. There was just something in the way he held himself, with so much effortless elegance and pride, that screamed royalty. However, up until the very moment three grown ass men in suits and sunglasses stormed into your flower shop, undoubtedly looking for him, you had never been able to decipher how he really felt about your lighthearted jokes. He definitely didn’t hate them, that much you could tell. He knew you would have stopped as soon as he showed any signs of frustration or discomfort, yet his most common reaction was a small smile and kiss on your forehead. 

It had never, not even in your wildest dreams, when you let yourself dream about your future, occurred to you that he was an actual prince. Like a real prince with a queen as a mother and a kingdom to rule.

‘Miss, I would like to kindly advise you to refrain from any form of dishonesty,’ one of the men said, his voice calm and collected despite the photo in his hands and the urgency of the issue they were dealing with. You had never given any thought to the qualities a bodyguard (a royal bodyguard!) should have possessed, but you had to admit that he must have ticked off all the boxes on that imaginary list. ‘We have been informed that the Crown Prince, in fact, entered this flower shop and he could not have possibly had enough time to leave before we came in.’

You could feel your heart picking up its rate and your palms getting clammy, but you refused to show how nervous his way of speaking made you. You also refused to think about all the negative consequences your inner need to protect San could bring you. You knew that as soon as you let your brain come up with those worst case scenarios you would fold like a folding chair. And you simply couldn’t afford to be weak.

‘Thank you for your advice, sir. However, I also need to kindly remind you that you need a warrant in case you wish to enter the staff only area,’ you stood your ground, grateful that the owner of the shop wasn’t present, so she couldn’t grant them access to the storage room. That might have put both San and you into an uncomfortable situation. ‘I have already told you that your Crown Prince is not here. You are wasting your time,’ you claimed, impressed by how calm your words came out despite the hurricane of emotions inside of you.

What would you tell your parents if you got arrested for lying to these men? It wasn’t like you were hiding a criminal, right?

‘Disobeying the Queen is considered high treason,’ the royal bodyguard stated firmly and you gulped down the knot in your throat when you realised he wasn’t talking to you. The warning was dedicated to the guy who was currently hiding behind dozens of bouquets of lilies and sunflowers for a summer themed banquet tomorrow.

‘Sir.’ You cleared your throat to gain his attention or more like, to divert his attention from the storage room’s door that he was eyeing with intent. You didn’t know what you could have done if he decided to push you aside and enter the staff only area anyway. He clearly had the muscles for that and he also had backup even if the other two men were lingering by the front door. ‘I am a South Korean citizen and we are in South Korea. With all due respect, your Queen has no power here,’ you reminded him, mustering up all the confidence that was left in your body, which wasn’t too much to be honest. You were a mere commoner standing in front of a royal bodyguard, after all. Hell, you were a petite woman in her twenties against a man who had biceps the size of a smaller melon.

In the back of your head, you wondered how long your protective instincts would take you. For the sake of San and yourself, you hoped you could hold on long enough for these men to give up and leave. If things had gone there, you didn’t know how you would have explained to your boss why you had stayed overtime on a Wednesday night.

It took time, and a horrendous amount of awkward and pressuring silence, but eventually a new customer came in and your afternoon regained some of its normality. You helped the girl choose the most suitable flowers for her confession and gave her a gift card for free partly because she was adorable and partly because you were so genuinely grateful for her presence. Her ramble about her childhood best friend slash crush had successfully taken your mind off the predicament you were in with a prince in your storage room.

Unfortunately, after that, the rest of the afternoon kept you on your tiptoes. Two of the men in black suits left, but the third bodyguard refused to leave the shop and made sure you didn’t have a moment of peace with his countless questions and polite warnings of which quite a few were meant for San. At least, you honestly doubted his intention was to appeal to your emotions when he brought up the people of their nation, their well-being and the well-being of the royal couple. As much as you could tell from the morsels you actually understood - at one point the guard started to speak the same language San spoke when he was frustrated -, San’s parents were healthy, but his father was too drained to keep ruling the country for much longer. They wanted him to go back and be the king he had always been meant to be. They wanted him to settle down and have his own heirs.

The latter felt like a fist in the gut, like a knife in the stomach even though your translation’s accuracy was heavily dependent on context clues, so you might have been wrong.

You hoped you were wrong.

‘Sir, we are closing. I have to ask you to leave,’ you spoke up ten minutes before eight and let out a relieved sigh when he didn’t argue. You could handle his ice cold stares, but you were doubtful whether you would have had the energy to get into a fight after hours of cold war. His presence alone had drained you dry and honestly, the only things that kept you going were the knowledge that you were doing this for San and the cinnamon rolls from the vintage coffee shop across the street. They closed at ten, so they usually weren’t out of sweets when you visited them at the end of your most tiresome days.

A little paranoid that the bodyguard might have been still lingering out there, waiting for the moment when you foolishly let your guard down, you busied yourself with the online orders that came in in the last hour and stock checked the customer area. It took almost one and a half hours before you informed San that the coast was clear.

The boy walked out from the storage room with his lower lip between his teeth and a rather embarrassed smile on his face that - based on the months you had spent getting to know each other more - was meant to be reassuring.

‘Are you okay?’ San asked, warmth swelling in your chest due to his first words. Of course, your well-being was his top priority. His apologies and weak attempts at making excuses, so you wouldn’t have been mad at him always came second. ‘I’m so sorry.’

You clenched and unclenched your fists as you looked at him. Did he seriously believe that you could be angry with him for longer than a couple of minutes? You had gotten to know the truth hours ago. You were over the initial shock and done being sulky.

At that point, you just wanted him to be safe.

Therefore, you destroyed the distance between the two of you and not giving a damn about his title, you wrapped your arms around his torso, pulling him impossibly close to your body. You could feel your cheek being squeezed as you rested your head on his chest.

‘Are you okay?’ You threw the question right back at him, feeling your heart picking up its rate with each second that passed you by in silence.

San’s lips were soft against your scalp when he kissed the top of your head and wrapped his own arms around your petite frame.

‘Thank you,’ he mumbled against your hair, his tone urging you to pull away and look him in the eyes, hence that was what you did. You pulled away with your hands still around his body and rested your chin on his chest, picking apart his facial expression as you tried to decipher what he was thinking.

Your breath hitched when he pressed his lips against yours briefly.

‘I promise I will explain everything,’ he said, his forehead fitting close to yours before he lifted his right hand and brushed a stubborn lock behind your ear. ‘But first, I need to take care of a few things. Important things,’ he claimed and with that - and another tender kiss pressed against your parted lips - he was gone.

You looked after him in trance for minutes before you shook your head and willed yourself to walk in the storage room to finish the stock checking. There was a cinnamon roll waiting for you at the coffee shop across the street.

You hadn’t heard from San that night, which was a tad bit alarming considering that he was living in your apartment unofficially for over a month. He had his own clothes at yours, his own towel, shower gel, shampoo and toothbrush. You had his favourite plant-based milk in your fridge along with his favourite instant coffee. His mug that matched yours was in your cabinet, waiting for him to come home. So why hadn’t he? The number of possibilities made you anxious.

What if those men had found him and he was already out of the country?

By the time the second night of radio silence rolled by, you were checking your phone abnormally frequently and couldn’t stay focused for longer than five or six minutes. It came to a point where even the Thai series you were currently obsessed with couldn’t keep you on the couch. You had to move around, clean up something, do something, anything that might have been able to take your mind off San’s absence. 

You almost knocked off the half-empty mug of hot chocolate from the kitchen counter, the marshmallows still in your hands, when your front door opened out of the blue. You threw the sweets into your drink with a yelp and grabbed the first potential weapon that you came across: the cutting board you kept behind the knife organiser.

‘I have 112 on speed dial,’ you threatened, lowkey wondering whether you should have been more daring and grabbed one of the knives as you walked towards your bedroom, not turning your back to the front door. There should have been a key in the lock from the inside. You should have been safe once you reached the bedroom.

‘Well, that’s good to know, but why are we calling the police?’ A very tired, very amused San asked from the threshold, walking into the open space of your living room slash dining room with a bag of takeout in his hand.

You could feel the rocks being lifted off your chest.

‘Are you crazy? San! You scared the shit out of me,’ you accused, more relieved than angry. Seeing his tired eyes, you were reminded of the bodyguards and wanted to run up to him and inspect his body for injuries. You wanted to make sure he was okay; however, your limbs were frozen, hence you just stood there like a way too realistic statue from Ancient Rome.

Then, your gaze fell on the plastic bags in his hands again and your brain supplied you with all the worst case scenarios it could come up with: San coming over for a last minute farewell dinner before he moved countries; San asking you to change your relationship status to long-distance relationship; San breaking up with you with your favourite black bean noodles. You weren’t ready to let him go after putting so much effort into winning him over.

‘I’m sorry, petal. I thought you would know it’s me. After all, there aren’t many people who know your passcode and your parents are out of town,’ he said. There was something in the way he broke the situation down to you that made you feel a little dramatic. Of course, you should have known it was him. Other than your mom and your best friend, he was the only one who had access to your apartment.

You pressed your lips together and pouted. He had no right to make you feel silly when your survival instincts were the ones to blame.

‘What are the noodles for?’ You asked as soon as you put yourself together, finally finding the power to move your legs and walk up to him. The furrow between San’s eyebrows and the confusion in his eyes shouldn’t have been so adorable.

‘It’s Thursday. You never have energy to cook on Thursdays and Fridays,’ he explained, like you were some kind of alien who wasn’t accustomed to the local habits yet or a person who had just woken up from years of coma. He must have thought that your question was so damn ridiculous, but it wasn’t what you had meant.

‘You didn’t come home yesterday,’ you said, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the whiny edge of your statement and the fact that San had his own place to sleep at. His lease wouldn’t expire for at least three more months, so you hadn’t moved in together yet. You had no right to call him to account regarding his whereabouts and still, after what had happened the day before, you kind of felt like you had.

You took the bags out of his hands and helped him unpack the still pleasantly lukewarm food. You also started to prepare a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows for him, too, without asking whether he wanted some. He never said no for hot chocolate.

‘I was with Wooyoung,’ he said, filling a tray with numerous tiny bowls containing various side dishes such as kimchi and yellow radish. ‘I needed his help to contact my oldest cousin, Seonghwa.’

You nodded along with every new revelation, paying close attention to every detail while you slid San’s drink towards him on the dining table. It was your first time hearing about any of his family members, at least from him, so you were admittedly curious.

Even though the trays on the table made it obvious that San’s initial intention was to have this conversation on the couch, you didn’t move an inch from your poor excuse for a dining room. You just stood there, with your elbows on the marble, one of your soles resting on the inner side of your other leg and dove into your food with a pair of wooden chopsticks. You didn’t take your eyes off San while he told you everything about his situation.

‘I left the country with Woonyoung’s family when I was fourteen,’ he started, assuring you that he wasn’t a runaway prince per se, and that he had never hid from his parents. Both the queen and the king of their country knew how to reach him in case of emergency, teenager San had just convinced himself that that day would never come as his parents had never bothered to contact him after he had moved out of the palace. With years of neglect behind his back, his adult-self never thought about the possibility that things might have changed.

You placed your hand on top of his and squeezed it as a sign of your support. You were afraid that he would interpret your sympathy as pity, therefore you tried your best to keep your emotions in check. Instead, you gave San all of your attention, hot chocolate momentarily forgotten.

‘Would you like to go back? Now that it’s an option?’ You mustered up the courage to tear off one of the band-aids; the unsaid inquiry whether he wanted to become a king in the first place hiding between the lines. Somehow, it sounded such an insensitive question, you didn’t have the heart to phrase yours like that despite your curiosity. Therefore, you decided to focus on the fact that the royal couple was his parents. ‘To see your mom and dad?’

After a few seconds of contemplation, San shrugged.

‘I guess so,’ he said and you hated yourself for feeling disappointed. They were his parents. Of course, he wanted to see them again. Who were you in comparison to his family? Without much thought, you took your hand off his; however, San didn’t hesitate to reach after it and intertwined your fingers with a soft smile. ‘But that can wait until Seonghwa’s coronation. It’s been over a decade since we’ve last seen each other. A few more months is no big deal if it means they will let me come back to you.’

As touching as it was that he was willing to delay their reunion to be able to stay with you, your first instinct was to remind him that he was his own person and no one had more power over his life than him. But then you swallowed down the words as your brain caught up with the situation. You might have been absolutely right about this matter in general, but San was a prince. Clearly, general rules didn’t apply to him.

‘What do you mean Seonghwa’s coronation?’ You tried to fill in the holes that made it hard for you to fully comprehend the situation. You thought he was the next in line to rule. You definitely remembered the bodyguard referring to him as the Crown Prince.

‘Well, that’s the most important part of our plan,’ he started, pushing the food closer to you, encouraging you to start eating before it got cold. Albeit reluctantly, you eventually gave in, allowing him to steal himself a couple of seconds as well as he dove into the perfect mixture of noodles and red bean sauce.

Then, he proceeded to tell you about the plan they had made with Woonyoung and six of their mutual friends including his cousin and Seonghwa’s personal bodyguard, Jongho. Since San didn’t wish to become the new ruler of their country, but knew that his parents wouldn’t back off without a fight, they intended to prove to them that Seonghwa was the better choice in every aspect: maturity, dedication towards his people and the country, connections, political and economical knowledge. The way he presented their idea and backed up each one of his reasons made even you think that Seonghwa was more fitting for the role. It made you feel hopeful.

‘Do you think your parents will let you give up the crown?’ You couldn’t help but ask when it became obvious that he didn’t have anything more to say.

The silence that followed was palpable. Still, you let him drag it out and pull you into his lap, so he could wrap his arms around you instead of giving you a definite answer. Now you knew that he wasn’t close to his parents - that their relationship could only have been described as distant. Making guesses based on childhood memories would have just given you false hope. You much preferred his soothing touches and the desperation in the way he held you close.

‘I love you,’ he murmured into the juncture between your neck and shoulder, hinting the soft and sensitive area with feather-like kisses.

You sucked in your lower lip, holding your breath. Even though his actions had shown you, even before you two had gotten together, that you were an important person in San’s life, the two of you had never exchanged I love yous before. As much as you hated to acknowledge, it had a bittersweet undertone to it. You wished you could have told him how precious he was to you under different circumstances.

Nevertheless, you said it back.

‘I love you, too. So much.’

That night you eventually relocated to the living room and got comfortable under your fluffy blankets on the couch. You had two mugs of freshly made hot chocolate with you - this time, without marshmallows to lower your already high sugar intake - and some salty snacks you could munch on while you talked. And you talked a lot. You talked about the day before, how the bodyguards had found him and how serious their threats had been. San was almost sure that his parents would have never imprisoned him for high treason if he had refused to go home willingly. By the way his lips curled upwards and his eyes gouged your reaction, you knew he was only trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but it was too early, hence it wasn’t funny. Life imprisonment with a cheap excuse was exactly how they could have kept him in the country! How could San not see it?

‘Don’t even think about joking about this again, you hear me? It’s not funny,’ you scoffed when he tried to ease you with lingering kisses atop of your head, temple and on your blade bone. Him disappearing on you just wasn’t it.

‘I promise.’ He nosed your temple, holding you in his arms a big tighter to make up for the anxiety he had unintentionally caused. ‘I’m sorry,’ he added, repeating it like a mantra until he successfully coaxed a chuckle out of you.

With the show you had been watching before his arrival as your background noise and his warmth surrounding your body, you fell asleep on San’s shoulder while he was talking about Seonghwa’s bodyguard, karaoke, imported beer and apples. If anyone had asked you, you were sure you would have failed to draw the connection between all four, but you knew your boyfriend would have never used your tiredness against you. On the contrary, he would have been grateful that you still felt safe in his arms.

And you did. You did feel safe. Because for you, he was your home.

In the back of your mind, you were aware that your story wouldn’t end up being a fairy-tale, and that even those had some dark twists to them here and there when they were told by the original authors. Still, coming home for a messed up apartment and no San in sight knocked the air out of your lungs. No matter how much you tried to rationalise the happenings or keep your cool, panic overcame you in a matter of seconds. You didn’t know what to do. Would calling the police have made things worse? What if it had been those bodyguards? You didn’t intend to put San into a tight position in case the pitiful state of your home was a consequence of their family quarrel.

On the other hand, what if he had been kidnapped? You had left work pretty late that night, so there was a possibility that San had been home when things had escalated.

Hands shaking and mind pushed into an overdrive, you fished your phone out of the bag you had previously dropped on the floor and dialled San’s number. He didn’t pick up, so you did the next best thing you could think about without losing it: you called him again. Again. And again.

You called him as many times as it was necessary for him to answer your call, his calm voice breaking something in you as your knees gave out as soon as his greeting reached you and you fell on the floor, crying.

‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ When you sniffed into the phone instead of answering, his voice lost its calmness. ‘Petal, what’s happening? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?’

You weren’t hurt, not physically at least. But the chaotic mess your mental state was in was secondary to the fact that San sounded to be oblivious of the intrusion into your home.

‘Please, petal, talk to me,’ he tried to coax you and while it didn’t work immediately, when he started to do a breathing exercise, you automatically mimicked the way he sucked the air into his lungs. In through your nose, out through your mouth. In through your nose, out through your mouth.

‘Where are you?’ The words felt like sand on the tip of your tongue, your urge to know for sure that he was in public or at least among people who could help him in case of emergency pushing all your other worries aside.

‘I’m with the guys at Wooyoung’s place. Do you need me to pick you up? Where are you? I will pick you up,’ San said, the distant sound of keys chiming and wood cracking assuring you that he was ready to leave as soon as you gave him the sign. Hell, he might have left the boys without you explicitly asking for it considering the worry in his voice.

But as comforting as the thought was, you didn’t want him anywhere near your apartment.

‘No!’ You objected, maybe a tad bit too vehemently for which you might have felt awkward under different circumstances. Now, emotions like shame and embarrassment were at the end of your priority list. ‘Can I visit you instead? I promise I’ll tell you everything in person,’ you negotiated. Not realising that you were holding your breath, a relieved sigh escaped through your pressed lips when San chose to withhold his questions for the time being.

Some matters were wiser to discuss in person. Matters that could put you in a tight position if anyone found evidence about your scheming. Especially when you were up against an opponent so powerful, they had the resources of actual royalty.

Looking around in your fucked up apartment, without your heart threatening to explode in your ribcage, you knew you didn’t want to take unnecessary risks. You had to be smart about your next move.

You showed up at Wooyoung’s place an hour later with one sports bag packed with your most necessary belongings and was greeted with a worried San who didn’t understand why you would have brought your entire bathroom cabinet to his best friend’s apartment when you loved your home. You definitely had a lot to unpack, both literally and figuratively.

‘I can’t believe they’re willing to go this far,’ a guy with sharp eyes and nose said, the same guy who had taken it upon himself to bring you a mug of herbal tea when you made yourself comfortable on Wooyoung’s couch. His name was Hongjoong or something similar if you remembered correctly. ‘I start to think that we might have underestimated them a little.’

‘A little?’ Two or three of San’s friends asked in chorus at the same time San lifted his head up from your shoulder and said:

‘I doesn’t matter. Our plan is good, they’ll have no other choice but to go along with it.’

Just by looking at his friends, you couldn’t tell whether they actually believed what San had said, but it was clear as day that they believed in your boyfriend, hence you leaned against his broad chest and let yourself relax. Neither San nor you were alone in this. You had allies and strategies. You had a good plan, and even if that failed, you had options. San’s parents might have been powerful, they could clearly break into your home to scare you, but they had no real authority in Korea.

A voice in the back of your head also reminded you that you lived in the era of social media. You doubted they would have risked bad publicity by pushing their son too much and causing irreversible damage to those he cherished. Or so you hoped.

‘Our plan is good, but will princess Yuna actually agree to go along with it?’ Another guy, whose name you hadn’t memorised yet, asked, his question piquing your interest. It was the first time you heard about this princess and with your obsession with Asian dramas, you did not like the first scenarios your brain threw at you as it tried to fill in the gaps. Who was she? Why was she an important part of the plan? Was she interested in San?

‘Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about before petal came. She said yes,’ San said, the hollering and overflowing happiness in the room making you feel weird, like something wasn’t quite right with the situation: like you were missing something crucial that would have given you a perfect explanation for the odd reaction the news received.

With naturally pouty lips and furrowed eyebrows, you placed your hands on your lap along with the pleasantly warm mug and turned towards San. His smile was so beautiful. He was genuinely happy about the progress they had made now that this princess was on board.

‘Who is she?’ You asked, mentally reminding yourself that you were San’s girlfriend. You had every right to ask him about this girl until you remained clear-headed and didn’t throw a temper tantrum for no reason.

‘She is the most sought out unmarried royalty in Asia. Her family’s country is very small, but their economic power is remarkable.’ Hongjoong said.

‘She is two years older than San, but they’ve known each other since they were babies, so he’s allowed to talk to her informally. Her kindness isn’t just for show, she really is the most warm-hearted royalty I’ve ever met,’ Wooyoung added before his wide grin turned into a frown. ‘She never lets me talk to her informally, though. Like I haven’t known her for just as long.’

‘Yeah, she’s so unfair.’ Yeosang’s voice was teasing as he altered it to sound more mocking: like Wooyoung’s but a pitch higher. ‘It’s not because you called her Yuna in front of a bunch of politicians when she explicitly told you to use her birth name when people other than your family were present.’ The bombastic side eye the blond boy gave to Wooyoung almost made you laugh. Almost.

You had to admit, this princess Yuna sounded pretty amazing. Gosh. You were such a horrible person.

San must have sensed your inner turmoil, because the next thing you noticed was the light touch of the tip of his nose against your cheek and his pillowy lips against your jawline.

‘She’s also Seonghwa’s fiancée,’ he murmured, placing one of his warm palms on the other side of your face, so that he could turn your head a bit more and make you look at him. You gulped, more shy than nervous. ‘That’s what she said yes to. Seonghwa proposed to her a few hours ago.’

You sucked in your lower lip, but before you could have done any damage, San pulled it out from between your teeth with his thumb; the fondness in his eyes simultaneously took your breath away and made you feel unworthy of his love. How could you have seriously thought that he would have included someone in their plan - felt so happy about her joining their team - if she had any interest in him romantically?

‘So it’s not a fake marriage?’ You inquired, coaxing a small laugh out of your boyfriend. His eyes almost disappeared because of the pure amusement on his face. It didn’t take long before you gave into the urge to hide your own in the crook of his neck.

Going easy on you, San semi-successfully bit back a chuckle and put his chin atop of your head, stroking your hair.

‘No, it’s not a fake marriage. They’ve also known each other since childhood, obviously. And they’re pretty much in love,’ he reassured you, letting you have all the time in the world if that was what you needed to be able to look him in the eyes again.

Fortunately, you didn’t need that much to get over the fact that you were only human; a girl with fears and insecurities. The herbal tea in your mug was still pleasantly lukewarm when you pulled away and straightened your back.

‘So cute,’ San whispered, pressing a soft peck against your lips before he helped you readjust your position on his lap, so you wouldn’t hurt your neck too much with the way your body was twisted and turned to be able to be chest to chest to him.

‘Oh, stop that!’ Wooyoung’s frustrated voice came from somewhere beside you, your brain not registering that he was teasing, or that he was talking to you until he said: ‘One royal wedding will be shocking enough for your parents. I don’t think they will be able to handle two.’

Failing to disregard the sudden attention on you, your cheeks became warmer and more pink with each second; however, you refused to seek comfort in the crook of San’s neck because you just knew that would have made things worse. You concentrated on your tea instead, on the feel of the porcelain against your clammy palms, on the fluffy blanket on your thighs. On everything and anything that wasn’t your boyfriend or his friends.

‘You’re making her shy,’ one of the boys cooed and some other joined, pushing your heart to the verge of an explosion. You didn’t realise that your hands were trembling until San slid his fingers between yours around your mug and leaned close to your ear.

‘Let’s kick Wooyoung out of his bedroom. I know where the clean sheets are, and it can be locked from the inside,’ he whispered, his lips curling upwards, therefore grazing along your earlobe. You hesitated only for a split second before you nodded.

You got up from the couch and let your boyfriend lead you towards his friend’s bedroom. As the key turned in the lock the thought crossed your mind that you had never done anything so scandalising before, but somehow the immense amount of guilt never came. Instead, you felt excited.

Excited, hopeful and safe in San’s arms.

You were arranging a bouquet of light pink carnations and peach-coloured buttercups for an anniversary when San walked out of the storage room at your workplace with a new roll of lace wrapping and his phone in his hands. With the way he dragged his feet, walking impossibly slowly, you just knew that his eyes were glued to the small screen; you didn’t need to tear your gaze away from the flowers that had your attention to be a hundred percent sure.

‘Have they started it already?’ You inquired between two twists and turns, holding the whole bouquet together with practised ease even when you had to take the wrapping from San with one of your hands. You still remembered how many you had dropped on the floor during your first few months at the flower shop. The number of flowers that had gotten destroyed in your care haunted you up to this day.

‘No, they’ve been focusing on mother and father so far. Mostly on father, but that’s kind of understandable,’ he said, your lips twitching at the mention of the royal couple.

Prince Seonghwa and Princess Yuna’s wedding had been a week ago and while you hadn’t attended the event, nor had done San, your boyfriend’s parents had made it to their mission to put you through anxiety when they had demanded to talk to you as soon as San had picked up the phone for them the day his cousin had announced the big news. They hadn’t gone as far as to threaten you or bribe you with more money than your type could comprehend, but you were well aware they didn’t think you were worthy of their son. God, they had quite literally told you he could have done much better.

‘Last minutes being a king. I wonder how he feels about that,’ you commented, putting in a bit of extra effort to not sound rude. You didn’t want San to think you hated his father even if, rightfully so, he hadn’t been your favourite person in the world.

‘I don’t think he minds it that much. He was only twenty-two when he took the throne. Three decades is a long time,’ he explained while he leaned the phone against a vase on the counter and put a part of his weight on his palms that laid flat against the marble. ‘The only thing he might be upset about is Seonghwa taking my place.’

You regretted the snort the moment you did it. Your hands froze around the perfectly wrapped bouquet and so did the air, which made it hard to look your boyfriend in the eye.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,’ you apologised, putting the flowers in water before you took San’s hand in yours. ‘They are your parents and I’ll be forever grateful to them for your existence. For sending you to this country out of all the countries they could choose from.’ You shot a small albeit genuine smile in his direction. It might have sounded a little cheesy, but you meant every word. Without them you would have never had him.

‘I’m not mad at you,’ he reassured you, squeezing your hand and pressing a soft kiss atop of your shoulder blade before he turned back to his phone and you reached for the next pieces of flowers. You had five more bouquets to finish before your lunch break.

Seonghwa’s coronation officially started when your bibimbap was still in need of some more mixing, but that didn’t keep you from leaning closer to San’s phone and watching the live stream with more excitement than you had had for his father. You might have never spoken to your boyfriend’s cousin before, but you had heard enough stories about him from the boys to know he would be an amazing king. Mostly, because he cared for his people and because he genuinely wanted the responsibility that came with the title.

‘He looks like a leader. So serious-looking,’ you commented, shoving a huge spoonful of food in your mouth and humming in appreciation because goodness, it tasted just like your mom’s homemade bibimbap.

You lifted a bite in front of San’s mouth, so he could try it, too.

You watched the ceremony in complete silence; sometimes you fed him, sometimes you put your head on his shoulder while munching. It was nice. You hadn’t been so content in weeks if not in months.

‘Aren’t you disappointed?’ San asked you after the crown was put on Seonghwa’s head and the sovereign’s sceptre and the sovereign’s orb were placed in his hands.

You furrowed your brows in confusion.

‘About what? The ceremony?’ You asked, completely oblivious of what was going on in his head. You jutted out your lower lip; you didn’t like feeling as though you were kept in the dark. It made you feel stupid.

San shook his head, failing to hide the fond smile that was in the corner of his mouth.

‘Yuna is officially a queen now,’ he mumbled and despite how embarrassing it was to admit, it took you a couple of seconds to decipher what he was hinting at: you could have become a queen, too, if only he had gone along with a different plan, with a different goal in mind. You were pretty sure, based on your impactful experience with his parents, that they would have let him keep you if the other option was their nephew on the throne.

‘And you’re officially free. I think it’s an amazing day for everyone,’ you teased, gifting your boyfriend one of your happiest smiles, so that he wouldn’t have doubted that you loved him for who he was instead of what he could have become. You didn’t care about the title or the fortune that golden crown came with. Honestly, all you focused on was how heavy it must have been to carry it, especially when one wasn’t keen on looking after an entire nation.

One careful glance at San was enough for you to know that a well-thought-out retort was already on the tip of his tongue - maybe something along the line that his salary was barely enough to save up a decent amount in each month -, but he never got the opportunity to actually put his concerns into words. The bells above the front door cut him off and naturally, your conversation came to a momentary end.

The new customer was a middle-aged man with a little girl on his right, her tiny hand getting lost in her father’s much bigger one before she pointed at one of the peonies and the man let her explore the flower shop on her own.

‘Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?’ You greeted the man with a smile as soon as his steps came to a halt in front of the counter.

Like most people who visited your workplace, the man had only vague ideas of what he was looking for, but you were fluent in the language of flowers, hence it caused you no headache to help him find the most suitable bouquet for his wife’s birthday. He wanted something that expressed his dedication to make the woman smile, therefore, you gave him options like pink tulips and yellow flowers in general.

Meanwhile, the little girl pulled on the hem of San’s tee and didn’t let go of the fabric until he stood up and followed her towards the customer area that you liked to refer to as the jungle. The corner with the spiller plants for example were like a sight from a botanical book or the children’s book with the gorillas and the little boy taken in and raised by said wild animals.

You bit back a giggle when you saw San lifting the little girl up, so that she could see the red roses from up close; however, your subtle smile froze on your face anyway when the little one asked San:

‘Are you a prince?’ In the most innocent voice you had ever heard in your life. She was so pure. She clearly had no idea what she was talking about and yet, both of you needed a few seconds to realise she wasn’t onto something bigger than her - something that could have put her in harm’s way. ‘Can I be your princess?’

The mortification on her father’s face almost cracked you up, and you did chuckle discretely when looking up, you took a better look at the girl. What looked like a summer dress at first glance turned out to be a princess costume. She even had a tiny, plastic tiara on her head.

San put her on the ground and crouched down to be at eye level with her.

‘I’m sorry, princess, I would be honoured to become your prince, but you see, I already have my own princess and I need to treat her right,’ he explained with utmost patience, then took the little girl’s hand in his (with her permission and her father’s approving nod, of course) and pressed a feather-like kiss on the back of it. ‘Will you forgive me and keep my secret?’

You couldn’t see the little girl’s face, but she was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, so your best guess would have been that she wasn’t entirely placated. Still, eventually she nodded and made grabby hands at your boyfriend, insisting that she wanted to see more of the flowers. That, you did not mind at all. In fact, you found it rather adorable.

(San with a tiny human being in his arms was adorable. They turned your legs jelly and your knees uncharacteristically weak.)

‘I’m sorry about Minah. They had Occupation day in school today and she insisted that being a princess is a full-time job, so her mother and I let her dress as one,’ the man explained and you shook your head with an endeared smile. You weren’t mad at his daughter nor were you jealous of the attention she got from your boyfriend. If anything, his willingness to humour her made you fall for San harder.

‘Minah is right. Being a princess is a full-time job,’ you said without contemplating whether your words sounded ridiculous, although before the whole royal guard incident, you would have thought she was childish, rightfully so. She couldn’t have been older than seven.

You didn’t talk much with the customer after that, but you didn’t mind the silence. It gave you the perfect opportunity to listen to San’s conversation with the little girl, which was just as hilarious as cheesy, especially when you caught him declaring his love for you with such vehemency as if real-life princes also needed to defeat magical creatures to protect their loved ones. Where was their debate about good dragons and bad dragons coming from?

A light shade of pink crept up your cheeks when the little girl asked San straightforwardly whether he was talking about you, but you tried to remain composed.

‘It’ll be 30,000₩, sir,’ you informed the customer with a customer-service smile and gave him the bouquet before you took his money; the exchange smooth and fast. The prices were written on the board above your head, right behind the counter; however, some people liked to criticise your craft in hope of a discount. Those customers never failed to make you feel anxious.

‘Thank you. It’s beautiful,’ the man complimented the arrangement before he bid his goodbye and turned towards his daughter. ‘Minah-yah! It’s time to go. Say goodbye.’

Albeit reluctantly, the little girl wrapped her arms around San’s right leg and hugged him. Then, like a real princess, she walked up to you and did a curtsy, which you returned with a few-second-long delay. You were too taken aback to react immediately.

You were still a little shocked when the door closed shut behind the two, but then San hugged you from behind and reality caught up with you. You melted against his broad chest.

‘She was cute,’ he commented, coaxing a hum out of you.

Closing your eyes and letting out a content sigh, in the back of your mind you knew that you still had a very serious conversation on hold. A conversation in which your boyfriend would tell you over and over again why he wasn’t enough: how he had barely enough savings, hence how you couldn’t possibly depend on him in financial emergencies. Like money was the most important thing in a relationship! Like you didn’t have your own savings.

Turning around in his arms, you linked your arms behind his neck and pressed your soft lips against his. You wished these gestures were proof that his heart of gold had won you over years ago; that you didn’t wish to become a queen and even if you did, you didn’t need the title because he already treated you like royalty. He was everything - kind-hearted, attentive, loyal and so much more - and you wouldn’t have changed a thing in your lives. 

Crown Prince or not, San made you happy and excited about the future. About your future. Even if you had a long way to go and might have had numerous battles to march into to earn his parents’ approval.

the end.

#san x reader #san x you #choi san x reader #choi san x you #ateez scenarios #modern royalty au #ateez fluff #ssbyme