#seventeenweeklynet

[idyllic-ghost]

title: Pomegranates pairing: prince!Wonwoo x princess!reader genre: angst, star-crossed lovers au, royal au, suggestive warnings: nudity, implied smut, cheating, puking, eating, mentions of not eating, slut shaming (if you find any more, please let me know!!) synopsis: You, a princess from a doomed kingdom, have been arranged to be married to an heir of a much more prosperous kingdom. However, when you first visit them, you realize that you would much rather be with the heir's younger brother. wordcount: 13.8k taglist: @enhacolor, @shuabby1994, @junhui-recs, @dkakapizzaboy, @just-here-to-read-01, @loviehan, @userjunhuii, @novalpha, @bubblymoon, @aaniag, @d0nghyuck, @fantasy2wonderland, @seunghancore, @woozixo, @niktwazny303, @lllucere, @uniq-tastic, @wonwoospartyhat, @stariightjoyy, @hyneyedfiz, @cali-snow, @pearlygraysky, @crazywittysassy, @yeosayang rating: 18+

request: Really craving to read angsty. No ideas in mind but I want to see betrayal and kill my insides (and cry inside) Can you surprise me? My favorite member is Wonwoo :)

a/n: the ending was @strawberryya's idea, so you have to blame her for that pain... the rest is my fault

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The castle halls were empty, and the furniture that was left were covered with white sheets. Your heeled shoes echoed through the tall corridors as you walked across the marble floors. A kingdom once beautiful, once prosperous, now turned into dust in front of your very eyes. While growing up, your father always spoke of how his kingdom will one time be yours. But you no longer wanted this.

"Your Majesty, your carriage is here." Your chambermaid came up beside you.

"Do I have to go?" you said, only half sarcastically.

"I'm afraid so, my Lady." She nodded. "But I will be with you every step of the way."

Most of the servants in the castle had left because you simply did not have the means to keep them around. Nevertheless, you had insisted on keeping Eunji around. She was the closest thing you had to a best friend, after all.

"I wish my father could be here..." You sighed as you followed after Eunji.

"We all wish he could be here." She nodded solemnly. "I think he would be very proud of your decision."

The Prince of the neighboring kingdom had offered his hand in marriage, despite your empire being in ruins after your father's sudden death. Everyone was joyous over the occasion, except you. There had never been enough time for you to think of marriage or love in any capacity, but you knew that you didn't just want to do it for an advantage. However, Eunji was right - your father would have been proud. He had repeatedly told you that he trusted you to be a good ruler and to do what is right for the people. This was right for the people, so at least you had one reason you could justify the situation with.

The ride there was long and treacherous, nothing like you had ever experienced before. You frequently used to ride horseback with your father, much to your mother's dismay. To see you sitting pretty in one of your finest gowns in a carriage brought her the utmost delight. It wasn't like you hadn't ever dreamed of doing these things, but you never found yourself doing so.

"You really do look lovely, darling," she said.

She was a kind soul, your mother, but she never understood you much. It wasn't her fault, of course, and after your father's passing, she had tried to accommodate more to your needs, as had you to her.

"You've said that already, mother," you said whilst giving her a small smile.

"Oh, I know..." She sighed. "I'm just restless..."

Of course, she was restless. If she weren't restless it would provoke you even further. However, you knew she wasn't solely restless. She was excited. She was excited because you had picked your clothes yourself without her having to ask you to wear something nice. That only happened on extraordinarily special occasions, although you must admit it felt nice to look pretty.

"... thank you.", you looked out the window to avoid her sympathetic smile.

The moment you told her of your plans to marry, she cried tears of joy. Partly because she was so happy for you. Furthermore, because she knew the kingdom would be saved. Outside the window, autumn had begun to take its toll on the poor trees. No longer green, they had taken on an orange color. Although it was beautiful, you knew that in a few weeks the orange would turn brown and that the trees' destinies were to turn into lifeless husks of the beautiful bloom that spring had brought them. Nobody questions the cruel cycle of the seasons because we have grown attached to them, it is the natural way of things.

However, the seasons are purely a transaction. If it is true, as the ancients say, that every spring Persephone leaves Hades' side in the Underworld, then it is a trade between the King of the Underworld and the human race. We get to live with Persephone's beauty for half a year, and then we experience the same cold that Hades feels once his Queen leaves his side. The tale is tragic and has been adapted into many forms of storytelling. But, nobody ever asks how Persephone feels. Her body is used by both the people and the man she loves as pristine goods. She is torn: should she stay with the man she loves or should she help her people? This compromise between Hades and the people may seem like an acceptable prospect, however, every winter people are still hurting, and every spring Hades cries tears of sorrow and loneliness. The agreement brings equal pleasure for both parties, but it also brings equal pain. And let's not forget the Queen, who hurts no matter what she does.

"We're almost here, darling," your mother interrupts your thoughts, and you are forced to drag your attention away from the trees.

"Indeed we are," you hummed as you saw the castle, your new home, in the distance.

The castle had a homely look with many rounded corners. It gave you the impression that it wanted to look less intimidating than it was. Yet the towers still stood tall, and the large windows seemed to glare back at you - like the soul speaks through the eyes of a person. Your new family was inside, waiting for you in the King's throne room.

"Are you ready, my darling?" Your mother came up beside you.

"Certainly." You nodded, keeping your gaze fixated on the mesmerizing marble structure.

The large wooden doors opened for you as you walked up the steps, and, even inside, it seemed lovely. If you could, you would've taken a moment to appreciate the amount of art on the walls, not to mention the mural on the roof. There was no time. You could only walk past it. You came to a second large wooden door. You heard your name being presented on the other side. When the doors opened, you were almost blinded. Not only did the room have big ceiling windows decorated with golden arches, but the room was also almost entirely filled with mirrors on the walls. Instinctively, you straightened your back as soon as you saw your reflection. In front of you sat King Jeon, lonely on his golden throne. You thought of Hades again and that maybe this is just what he looked like. The man was huge, much bigger than you had ever imagined, and had a large grey beard. His crown sat perfectly on his head. From it, his grey hair was cascading down his shoulders. Once you were just a few feet away from him, you courtesied and bowed in respect. The King stood up from his throne and walked toward you. Never had you imagined that he would reach his hand out for you to try to shake it. Yet, he did, and you took his hand in yours. His hand was calloused and felt as if it was as large as your entire forearm.

"My condolences for your father´s passing, Princess," he said with a sincerity and kindness that you would never have expected from his appearance.

His voice was deep and burly, and it reminded you of thunder. As you peered up at him, you couldn't believe his size. You had never seen a person this tall before.

"Thank you, your Majesty," you said, trying to keep your voice strong.

"I am glad that such a strong woman such as yourself could take over his place," he said. "Your father spoke very highly of you whenever we met."

"He spoke highly of you as well, your Majesty." You smiled at him, politely yet genuinely.

"That's very kind of you to say." His smile was also surprisingly kind. "Now, I'm sure that you're hungry, I'll show you to the dining hall and then I'll have the servants show you to your rooms. We can talk of business tomorrow."

The King gave you another warm smile and nodded to your mother as a greeting. You had never gotten to experience what it was like to live as a ruler. Instead, you had always found yourself in the position your mother was in now - ignored until the last seconds of the meeting. Still, your mother's smile shined brightly at you when you turned to follow the King out of his throne room. As you left you caught a glimpse of yourself in one of the mirrors that surrounded you. Deep dark circles framed your eyes, you could hardly recognize yourself. Now you understood why the King wanted to take the business part of your first meeting in the morning.

You and your mother ate by yourselves. The rest of the Jeon family was already fast asleep, the King told you. As soon as you finished eating you were led to your room. When you tried asking for Eunji, they told you that she had taken her place in the servants' quarters already. They asked if they should wake her for you, but you declined and let another servant undress you for the night.

Your room was round, much like the architecture outside. It must be in one of the many towers, you took a mental note to ask for a guide of the castle's many rooms as soon as possible. The bed was in the middle of the room, and there was a small vanity table prepared for you, as well as a wardrobe and a partition wall for you to get dressed behind. The room's wallpaper gave the illusion of looking like velvet, and the dark red color accommodates nicely with the golden details. Most importantly, at one end of the room, there was a door leading to a balcony that overlooked the garden. Outside the glass doors, you saw the most peculiar thing: flowers in bloom during autumn. The servant took off your outer layers for you and was about to leave you to take care of the rest yourself, leaving your nightgown on the bed.

"Excuse me..." you said before they could leave. "How can there be flowers in bloom in the garden? It's late autumn already."

"These flowers last until the frost starts to come in. The Queen likes to keep as much color in her garden for as long as she can," one of the servant explained.

"Oh... thank you," you said. "You may leave now."

The servant bowed and left you alone. You approached the glass doors, more of the flowers appearing in front of you. They had a vibrant purple and magenta color. It was late, but you just had to take a closer look. You opened the doors to the balcony and stepped out. It was cold, and the wind flew right through the thin material of your dress. Without the extra layers, the cold was much more prominent. But you didn't mind, instead, you leaned a bit further over the edge of the balcony to look closer at the flowers.

"Maybe Persephone left a piece of herself in this garden..." You sighed.

"You should go back inside," you heard a voice say from below you.

You quickly backed away from the balcony with a small shriek. It had merely surprised you to hear a voice in the dark, you weren't necessarily scared. In fact, you were intrigued - so you approached the edge again. In the garden stood a tall man with dark black hair. He was wearing all black: black pants, a black nightshirt, and black shoes. Of course you hadn't seen him.

"Who are you?" you asked, "Why are you outside my window?"

"I didn't mean to be outside your window," he said, ignoring your first question. "I like to visit the garden when the moon is out."

You looked up, seeing a slither of a moon there. A new moon. It didn't bring much light, but it was enough to look over the garden - especially combined with the light coming from the candles in your room. Looking back at the man, you smiled.

"So you visit the garden every night?" you asked.

"Only when there is a moon," he answered.

"Then I will see you again soon," you said.

"You might." He spoke wearily. "Is that something you would like?"

"I would. You seem mysterious. I like mysteries."

He let out a laugh, and you thought that you could hear the bells ringing. Like a silver spoon softly striking a crystal glass, that's what his laugh made you feel. Elegant and light. You wanted oh so desperately to hear it again.

"I heard you speak of Persephone before. Are you interested in Greek mythology?" he asked.

"Only a little," you said truthfully. "I had a few books about it as a child. The story of Persephone stuck out to me."

"It's a bit romantic, I suppose."

"It's tragic," you corrected him.

"How is it tragic?" he asked with an amused smile. "Because of the kidnapping?"

"Well, even if we look past the kidnapping it is still tragic," you said. "She doesn't get to choose. Ever. The most she got to choose was when she ate the pomegranate. Other than that, it is decided for her that she has to travel between worlds. It is tragic because every autumn and spring she has to leave something important to her."

"Isn't it the best option? For both Hades and the people?"

"No." You shake your head. "I would've wanted to choose one of the two. Either having to give up my dearest, or to give up my people. Otherwise, I would have to go through the same pain every time I have to leave. While also, may I add, knowing that they are in pain as well."

"You would damn the world to an eternal winter to be with someone you love? Or break someone's heart to give the people eternal spring?" His eyebrows furrowed. "Isn't it selfish?"

"What isn't selfish?" You laughed, not because it was particularly funny but because it felt like such an obvious answer. "Every action we take is selfish, whether we realize it or not."

"How depressing of a thought," he said. "You don't think people can do selfless good?"

"I think people can try," you said. "Trying is wonderful, in fact, but I don't think anyone can ever succeed."

"You have a peculiar mind," the man muttered with a small smile playing on his lips.

"So I have been told," you said. "... do you know the name of these flowers?"

"It's Phlox." He leaned down and picked a flower from the bushes, "It's a Greek word, actually. It means flame."

You watched as he looked around, and then took a sprung up your balcony. It wasn't high up from the ground, so he easily climbed up just enough to hand you the flower he had picked. You leaned over the edge of the marble railing, looking down at him. Now that you could see him better, you took time to appreciate his sculpted features and piercing eyes.

"Thank you," you mumbled and accepted the flower.

"My Lady." He bowed his head slightly before jumping down. "I wish you a good night's sleep."

"Goodnight," you said and watched as the stranger walked away, back into the castle.

When you woke up the morning after it was because someone was pulling your blinds aside, allowing the sun to rudely startle you awake.

"Good morning, Princess," Eunji greeted as cheerily as ever.

"Good morning..." You sighed. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept very well, my Lady." She smiled brightly at you. "They are all so nice here. We had a wonderful time at breakfast. Oh, and speaking of breakfast. The King has called you to come eat breakfast with them. The entire family will be there this time."

"Right..." You groaned and sat up. "Did I bring any good gowns for this occasion?"

"You certainly did, my Lady." Eunji happily walked over to your dresser and pulled out a light blue dress with poofy sleeves. "This is quite romantic, is it not? Perfect for your first time meeting the Prince."

The Prince. Prince Jeon Sungho. Your future husband. A sigh escaped your lips at the thought... and your mind couldn't help but drift to the man from the other night. What if it was Sungho? He never said his name, and with his beauty, he could definitely be a prince. You straightened your back and turned to Eunji with a polite expression on your face.

"I'll use that one then," you said and got out of bed.

Seeing the castle in the daylight further gave you the impression that it was built to look welcoming. The windows were big, now with the daylight they no longer looked hollow, and the walls were light in color. It was such a drastic difference from the man you had seen last night. If it truly was the Prince, then he was a walking contradiction.

Eunji only left your side once you made it to the door of the dining room. When the doors open your nose was flooded with an amazing smell. Fresh bread, vanilla, and all kinds of fruity smells - anything that would make your mouth water. You were starving.

"Ah, Princess Y/N, you made it," the King said from his place at the end of the table.

"I'm sorry for my late arrival," you said and made your way to an empty seat.

Before you could sit down, a man in front of you stood up. For a moment you thought it was the man from last night, but his eyes were different - they weren't as piercing - and he had a wider jaw. And unlike the man from last night, his hair was perfectly slicked back.

"I am Prince Sungho, my Princess," he said softly. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"It is very good to meet you, Prince Sungho," you said and tried your best not to seem disappointed.

The two of you bowed your heads as you sat down. His eyes were constantly on you, you could feel them practically burning into your skin. You didn't return his gaze. It wasn't because he wasn't handsome enough, he was very handsome, but he wasn't the man from last night. It made you question who the stranger truly was.

"Sungho has suggested that we go out for a ride after breakfast," the Queen piped up. "Hopefully, my other son will be able to join us then."

"You have another son?" your mother, who was seated next to you, asked.

"Oh yes, we do," the King said with a proud smile. "He's a bit more bashful than his brother, so he didn't join us for breakfast. Although, if you ask him - he will say that he was feeling sick."

"Do you think that a ride would be agreeable, Lady Y/N?" Sungho asked you.

His eyes were still burning into you, and it was almost difficult to return his gaze. Yet you forced yourself to do so with a pleasant smile. Now wasn't the time to make enemies with sly remarks.

"Oh, yes. I think that sounds lovely." You nodded.

The second son of the Jeon family was nowhere to be seen when you got to the stables. You had changed into more appropriate clothing for riding, which Sungho took note of.

"So it's not just the clothes that make my Lady so beautiful," he said with a charming smile.

"I guess not." You looked down at your clothes and then back up at him. "Thank you, Prince Sungho."

The Prince was handsome, kind, and loved to hear your opinion on many different topics. You found yourself drawn to him because of this. During the ride he showed great gentlemanship, helping you on and off your horse, and he matched his riding pace to fit yours. He was all a woman could ever dream of... yet you found yourself thinking of the mystery man from last night. The way his piercing gaze seemed to look into your soul, or the way his fingertips touched your hand when he gave you that flower that was still on your bedside table. You had thoroughly enjoyed the banter the two of you made, and not in the same way you could appreciate the way the Prince spoke.

Once the evening came you were excited to see him again. However, during the day dark clouds had started coming in over the horizon. It was raining heavily and the moon was nowhere in sight. You remembered his words: "I like to visit the garden when the moon is out". A sigh escaped your lips as you sat down on your bed.

"Is everything alright, my Lady?" Eunji asked.

"Oh, I'm just fine..." You turned to her with a sudden need to tell someone about the handsome stranger. "Could you... perhaps keep a secret for me, Eunji?"

"Of course, my Lady."

She sat down on the bed beside you, as she had many nights before this. Eunji was as close as you had to a friend, and you always told her everything. You trusted her, and you had to tell someone of the man.

"Yesterday evening I was out on the balcony...", you paused and looked at her, "I saw this man there... dark hair, tall... handsome."

The rain started pouring outside as you told Eunji of the man. A constant smile was on Eunji's lips, clearly happy about you speaking of a potential love interest. It wasn't something you had done in the past, as you never bothered with it before. You thought you had your whole life ahead of you to deal with romance.

"I thought it might be the Prince," you said which only made Eunji's smile grow wider. "... but it wasn't. While they were similar, he just... it wasn't the same."

"Oh..." Her smile quickly faded. "I shouldn't advise you to have affections toward anyone but the Prince... but you seem very intrigued by this mysterious gentleman."

"I am, but it won't get in the way of my marriage. I promise." You let out a breath that you hadn't realized you had been holding in, "I have gone too far to screw this up for a man I met once."

Your eyes wandered to the window, where the rain was still falling heavily. Eunji put her hand on top of yours, showing her support silently.

"I just needed to tell someone of what had happened." You look back at her with a warm smile. "I cannot tell you how happy I am that you would listen."

"Of course, my Lady," she said.

"I probably just got excited to talk to someone," you reassured yourself. "There's not much else to it."

Eunji left your side to blow out all the candles in your room. You thanked her and bid her goodnight before she left. Laying in your bed, listening to the rainfall, and praying that you would never see the man again.

The doors to the dining room opened and you stepped inside. Unlike the day before, you were fairly early. Only the King, the Queen, and your mother were in the room.

"Good morning," you said as you walked insid. "If I may, I would like to start presenting ideas of what we could do for the kingdom's-"

The door opened yet again. You turned around expecting your arranged fiancé but were met with another familiar face. The stranger from the garden. He looked at you, and you could tell he recognized you, but he kept quiet.

"Ah, finally!" the Queen stood up and motioned for the man in front of you. "This is my second son, Prince Wonwoo. Wonwoo, darling, this is Princess Y/N - your brother's fiancé."

Your mouth fell into a small "o" shape as you looked between the two. Without hesitation, Wonwoo's face fell into a polite smile as he reached to shake your hand. Unlike just a second ago, there was no recognition for you in his eyes.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, my Lady," he said and kissed the back of your hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you before, I wasn't feeling well. Although, I am in much better condition now."

You could hear the King chuckle behind you, supposedly at the fact that Wonwoo claimed that he was ill. His hand was warm in yours, and you wish he hadn't let go just yet.

"The pleasure's all mine, your Majesty," you said and hoped that you didn't look all too flustered, "You missed a very nice ride yesterday."

"So I have heard," he said. "My brother told me all about it."

As if on cue, the door opened again and Prince Sungho stepped in. Everyone greeted him a good morning, and you sadly had to watch Wonwoo walk away. He sat on the other side of the table, diagonally from you.

"So you wanted to speak of plans, Y/N," the King said suddenly. "Please, do enlighten me."

During breakfast you told the King of the plans you had to make your kingdom blossom once again, which would in turn help their kingdom after your marriage was set in stone. Wonwoo's eyes were on you at all times, and whenever you would glance over at him you would stumble over your words. You didn't mean to, there was just something about him that made your heart race.

As soon as breakfast ended, Wonwoo was out the door. You didn't even have time to say goodbye. Sungho was quick to step in front of you, hindering you from following the younger prince.

"I heard nobody's given you a tour of the castle yet." He held out his arm to you. "May I have the honor of doing so myself?"

You looked back at your mother, who was giving you a supportive smile, then back at Sungho. His eyes were much warmer than his brother's. At the thought of Wonwoo, you glanced over to the door he left through. Maybe you would see him again if you took this tour.

"You may." You nodded and met his eyes once again.

"You've seen the throne room," he said as you walked through the mirror-filled room.

"Why the mirrors, if I may ask?" you said.

"It makes the room look bigger." He looked around. "I suppose one could also always know who's behind one's back with these mirrors."

A hum echoed from your mouth as you looked around. Sungho had been showing you around the castle. A quick visit to the servant's quarters, a look into the kitchen, the garden, the King's study, the drawing room, and many many staircases. Now you were back where you had started your story in this castle.

"Would you like to see the ballroom?" he asked and placed his hand over yours, which was still hanging on his arm.

"I would love to." You gave him a polite smile.

The two of you walked across the King's throne room and through a grand door. In there was a big round room, the biggest room in the castle you were sure. The roof was tall and painted with beautiful images of angels and knights and other such things that one would paint on a ceiling. Surrounding the area were big pillars, on which leaned a smaller balcony of sorts. There was a small staircase to go up there.

"It's gorgeous," you said. "I can only imagine the festivities you could hold in here."

"Does my Lady like dancing?" Sungho asked.

"I do." You nodded. "Although I won't say I'm very good at it."

"Nonsense." Sungho chuckled. "I'm sure you're as good as you are beautiful."

You only smiled at him, for you had nothing to say back.

"This is the room furthest from the garden and your room in the West wing," he commented. "So if there is a ball you can be sure that you will get the least amount of disturbance."

"What else is in the West wing?" you asked.

"Well, there's the library." He pondered for a bit. "There's not much else in the West wing. We call it the quiet wing for a reason. That's why it's the best bedroom in the castle."

"You have a library in the West wing?" You almost gaped at him.

"Yes of course." He nodded. "Would you like me to show you?"

"I would like that very much, your Majesty."

As you walked through the corridors together you tried mapping all the rooms out in your head. On one end there was your room, and this supposed library you had only just heard about, and on the other end was the ballroom. Outside the ballroom seemed to be another garden, or a labyrinth of sorts, which you were told could lead you to the West wing's garden. How, you couldn't understand quite yet. The servants' hall was under the dining room area, which was accessed through a well-hidden door. The King's throne room was quite central to the castle, and in the North wing were most of the bedrooms.

When you reached the library, Sungho opened the door for you. You basically flew into the room. Books were filling all of the bookshelves, which were as tall as the entire walls.

"I take it that you like this room," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, more than any other room," you said silently and walked up to one of the bookshelves to look at the books.

Rustling was heard from beside you, and you snapped your head in the direction of the noise. Wonwoo walked out from behind one of the bookshelves. He bowed his head at you.

"It's my favorite room too," he said quietly with a peculiar smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I was just looking for a book."

He held up a purple book. The young prince looked as handsome as ever. His hair was messy, but pushed away from his eyes, and his clothes weren't exactly smooth down either. Nevertheless, Prince Wonwoo looked like a dream - like a man from one of the fairytales you used to read as a child, or at least he looked like you had always imagined them to look. You could only stare at him with wide eyes, at a loss for all words. Surely he must find you absolutely idiotic.

"It's alright, brother," Sungho answered for you. "We are just looking around the castle."

"Ah... then you've been in the ballroom, I suppose." He looked back at you. "It's really beautiful."

"It certainly is," you managed to get out.

Wonwoo was smiling at you, but his eyes were still so piercing. You couldn't read him whatsoever. He excused himself and left the room. You had to force yourself to not look after him as he stepped away. Once you heard the door close, you turned to Sungho with a bright, plastered on smile and asked him to keep showing you around.

Later that evening, you got ready for bed. When Eunji had left, you practically leaped out on the balcony in nothing but your silky, pale pink nightgown. The moon was out, and you could hear someone whistling. You opened the glass doors, hearing it much clearer now. Your heart started racing as you stepped out onto the cold stone.

"The Lady returns," he said as you walked out. "I thought I had frightened you the other night."

"The moon wasn't out yesterday," you replied. "I thought you wouldn't be here."

"I left once the rain started pouring down," he said casually. "So you're the Princess, huh?"

"I would have told you, but you wouldn't tell me who you were," you said as you leaned against the marble. "Prince Wonwoo."

He finally looked at you, only to quickly look away again. There was a small smile playing on his lips, and his ears had turned an adorable shade of pink.

"You should put something else on." He took a deep breath. "It's not proper... and you're going to catch a cold."

"I'm not staying out here for long." You shrugged with a teasing smile.

"You're not?" He glanced at you, a slightly worried tone in his voice.

Oh. This isn't good. Your heart was pounding in your chest now. The little power of the conversation you felt like you had was now completely gone.

"I mean..." You sighed, "I shouldn't be out here so late at night. You should go inside too."

He looked at you and everything around you just seemed to disappear. Only he was still there, and as he started approaching the balcony, much like the other night, you didn't utter a word to stop him. As he neared you hoped that he could finally close the gap filled with meaningless air between you. His hands gripped the edge of the balcony, right in between where your hands were resting. When he pulled himself up you stood face to face. You had never been this close to him before. He smelled of lavender and something dark and woody. His eyes were still strictly looking into yours, piercing through your soul. He opened his mouth to speak, and you looked down at his lips.

"I do not wish to cause you mental turmoil, but I must tell you that the moment I laid eyes on you that night I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen." He spoke quietly and sincerely, as if he was afraid to say it any louder. "And if the situation had been different I wouldn't hesitate to try to win your affection. I waited for you in the rain last night, wishing that I could get another glimpse of you, to hear your voice again."

You sucked in a sharp breath and looked back into his eyes. His beautiful brown eyes. There was something so thrilling about having him so near, about him confessing his undying attraction to you. Your head was completely fogged up, you didn't know what you were doing, but your hands cupped his face and kissed him. He tasted sweet and reinvigorated, it reminded you of a lemon pie - the tart energizing flavor that never seemed to leave your mouth. His lips were soft and moved against yours with a slow, burning passion. Your hands traveled down to his collar, just to try to bring him a bit closer. But Wonwoo pulled away, his face one of horror as if he had just found something so very wrong.

"We shouldn't be doing this..." he murmured. "I am so terribly sorry."

You tried to stop him, to grab him, and tell him that no one had to know; anything to get him close to you again. He didn't listen. With fleeting footsteps, he left the garden. You looked over at the flowers. The weather had started growing colder, and with it came the frost. Much like you, the purple flowers in the garden had started withering away.

The next morning you asked Eunji to get you breakfast in bed and to tell the household that you weren't feeling well. You couldn't bare to come across Wonwoo again. Even if you looked past your embarrassment, you didn't want to see him again knowing that you could never hold him as you had last night.

After breakfast, you put on a robe over your nightgown and made your way to the library. The weather was beautiful today, and you heard from Eunji that the family was going out for a walk in the nearby forest. That meant the castle was yours to wander in theory, but you only wanted to visit the library. As you walked in there, your eyes immediately landed on a singular book laying on a table. There was a couch near the table, and you took a seat and started reading. It wasn't anything interesting, only a book about some old war, but it was enough to distract you.

The door to the library opened and you locked eyes with Wonwoo. Your eyes widened as you quickly pulled your robe tighter around your chest. One of his hands was still on the door handle, the other one hanging by his side. You watched his hand grip around nothing before letting his fingers fall. Neither of you spoke, you only watched each other. Footsteps echoed outside the door, and you heard your name being called by someone. Wonwoo ran to you, pulling you aside and in between two bookshelves. You were shielded from the view from the door. Wonwoo's arms were tightly wrapped around your waist, your chest pressed against his. Still, neither of you spoke. You looked up at him with big, worried eyes. He swallowed and looked away from you. The library door opened.

"My Lady? Are you in there?" It was Sungho. "... strange. Brother? Are you in here?"

Wonwoo shut his eyes tightly in annoyance. Of course, his brother had seen him walk in here. He motioned for you to stay quiet, and left you alone to greet his brother.

"I'm right here." He cleared his throat. "But I haven't seen the Princess."

"Her chambermaid said she would be here..." Sungho trailed off. "Maybe she was mistaken. If you see her, please tell her that I'm looking for her."

"Of course."

The library door shut. You were left feeling breathless. For a moment, you didn't dare move - the thought of meeting Sungho's eyes after his brother had just lied for you was enough to make you shiver. After a deep breath, you stepped out from in between the bookcases. When you turned around Wonwoo was right in front of you again.

"Do you always parade yourself around in such indecent clothing?" he hissed at you.

"Excuse me? You forget yourself," you answered quickly.

"What? Did you think I would walk in here and take you on the couch? Is that what you wanted?" Wonwoo's eyes were fiery, but you couldn't tell if it was out of anger or lust. "Is that why you're in nothing but your nightgown yet again?"

"I was informed that everyone had left the castle," you said sternly. "I wouldn't go out of my room otherwise, especially not like this."

Wonwoo quieted down, clearly flustered by his earlier assumption. You were left feeling like your heart would beat out of your chest. Truly, you didn't know what had happened to you. Any logic left in you had flown out the window, now replaced with attraction for the man in front of you.

"... about last night-" you started but you were quickly cut off by Wonwoo.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." He grabbed your hand, and his touch sent magic running through your veins. "As I said if the situation was different..."

His eyes trailed down your face to your lips, then down your neck, to your collar bones, until they ended at your exposed chest when he reminded himself to look you back in the eye.

"My Lord-"

"I am not a Lord," he murmured and cradled your cheek in his palm.

"My Prince..." You leaned into his touch.

"Just call me Wonwoo," he said. "Let's stop with the formalities. I don't want to be a prince with you."

His hand was so warm and soft. You pressed your hand to the back of his, just to bring it even closer to your cheek. As you peered up at him through your lashes you saw how his breathing hitched. Sadly, you had to let go of him. Your hands removed the one that he held to your cheek, and you dropped your arms back to your sides.

"Prince Wonwoo..." you said despite his request. "I think you're right. This can't be. Besides, isn't it foolish to act on feelings toward a person you've only just met?"

"I suppose..." Wonwoo looked away from you to hide his disappointment. "But I do not feel like I have only just met you, Princess."

"It does not make it any less wrong," you murmured.

His gaze returned to meet yours. Fireworks set off in your stomach, and you wanted to touch him again. You wished you had never made him let go. This couldn't possibly be wrong if it felt so good.

"Let's be good friends," you managed to say.

"I think I can manage." He smiled.

Oh, his smile was so wonderful. It made you feel like you were taking in a fresh breath of air during a chilly summer morning. You wanted to reach up and touch his face, cup his cheek, and gently swipe your thumb over his cheekbone. Every fiber of your being told you to lean in and kiss him, everything except your principles.

"To good friends." You held out your hand for him to shake.

"Good friends." He took it.

Autumn passed, and in came winter. Most nights you would sit by a big fireplace in the drawing room. The only big problem with the Quiet wing was its lack of places to put fires. Whenever you would go to sleep, you would put on at least two layers of clothing and have extra blankets. The balcony was always closed now, though you had many times thought of visiting Wonwoo out there. He was acting normally around you, although you could feel him watching you when he thought you couldn't notice. Your method was working out just fine.

Snowy days pass and you grow closer to Prince Sungho. One evening you're sitting in the drawing room, in front of the fireplace, when he walks in. You watch as he approaches you. It's only the two of you in the room. He seems nervous.

"I really am embarrassed that your room doesn't have proper heating," he said for what must have been the hundredth time. "The offer of changing rooms still stands, whenever you want to."

"You're too kind, Prince Sungho." You smile at him before turning back to the fire. "But I quite like my room, and it's not all that horrible... I also have a reason to come in here every evening, where I may see you."

The Prince was surprised by your flirtatious advances, as he always was. You patted on the couch right next to you, asking him to sit down. At this point, you know just what to say and do to make him weak in the knees. Which you had been using to your advantage. With the attention of a man such as Prince Sungho, you cannot possibly begin to think about Wonwoo. Even if it didn't feel real, even if it all felt like you were playing pretend with your fiancé.

"I have loved to have you here," the Prince said as he sat down. "Truly, it has been a gift."

"I have loved to be here," you responded.

"... but I have yet to do the thing that I promised." He pulled out a small box from his pocket. "I know that I've offered my hand in marriage to you already, but I want it to be official. I want everyone to know."

He opens the box and reveals a diamond ring. With his slim fingers, he picks it up. You smile widely and put your hand in his. His eyes ask you for your permission, and you nod. Slowly, he pushes the ring onto your left ring finger.

"It's beautiful," you hum and watch the diamond sparkle in the light of the fire.

"It's one of a kind," he muses. "Just like you."

You can't help but think of Wonwoo. How his eyes sparkled just like this diamond the night he had kissed you. But when you look up at the man in front of you, it's not Wonwoo, and you have to face reality.

"We should start planning for the wedding," you muttered.

"Soon, my love." He holds your face in his hands. "I want to celebrate you first. We shall throw a ball in your honor."

"My honor?"

"In honor of our official engagement, then." He gave you a toothy smile, the kind of boyish smile that would make any girl swoon. "After that, I will give you all the resources to plan a wedding... I'll find the best people in the land."

You wondered what Sungho truly knew about you. How could he be so infatuated with a person whom he's only spoken to in person for a few months? How can he promise you everything when you still see a stranger when you look at him? You thanked him and stood up from your place by the fireplace. He looked up at you with admiration, something that you cannot give back to him.

"I think I will go to my chambers, it's late," you said.

"Sleep well, my Lady." Sungho watched you as you left the room.

After a few weeks, an entire ball had been planned and executed. It was the day of the big night. The evening would start with the King announcing your official engagement, and let the guests celebrate with a night full of wine and dancing. A group of maids had brought you a dress, a present from the Queen. The corset top sat tightly on your torso. The sweetheart neckline accentuated your collarbone area and the puffy, short sleeves gave it a romantic look. Flower prints in lace covered the top elegantly and subtly, which contrasted the many chiffon layers of the skirt. At first glance, the dress looked white, but it was in fact a light lilac color. As the maids helped you put it on, one of them gave you a note from the Queen herself.

I heard you liked the purple flowers in my garden, so this will suit you well.

Your body froze. Only two people knew of your fondness of the garden: Eunji and Wonwoo. If Eunji had told her, she would've asked you first. Maybe the Queen had asked her not to tell, to make it a surprise... but if Wonwoo had said something it would be suspicious. Either way, you couldn't be worrying about this now.

"Everything is done, Princess," one of the maids said in a soft-spoken tone.

"Thank you." You did your best to smile at her.

When you looked at yourself in the mirror, you felt like crying. You should be jumping with glee at this moment in your life, but you couldn't bring yourself to do it. A night which was supposed to be about your engagement to the Prince, and so far you had spent most of it worrying about another man. You knew he would be there, and your mind had immediately wandered to what he would think of you - if he would find you beautiful. This was all so wrong.

They announced your name before you entered the ballroom. Whispers and gasps echoed through the large room as you walked towards the King and his oldest son. The King offered you his hand, which you took, and let him guide you to hold Sungho's hand. You looked out over the crowd, meeting star-struck and emotional faces. More importantly, you met Wonwoo's piercing gaze. As the King held a short speech in the engagement's honor, you never looked away from Wonwoo. Unlike his brother, he was wearing all black. His suit was lined with golden details, and a few golden rings adorned his fingers. He had a cape hanging over one shoulder, and he wore a pair of well-polished boots. In a crowd full of white-clad people, he stood out like a sore thumb. You wanted to tease him about dressing wrong for the occasion, but that would be too close to flirting.

"That is why I am happy to announce the engagement of my oldest son, Prince Sungho, and the lovely Princess Y/N. You have my blessing, and I know that this union will be a wonderful one." The King brought you back to your senses as he mentioned your name. "To the happy couple! Let's celebrate!"

"Would you like to dance, my Lady?" Sungho whispered in your ear as the two of you walked out on the dancefloor.

You're already leading me there, it would just be awkward to say no now...

"I would love to." You put on your best smile and got into position.

The crowd watched as you danced. After a minute, others joined in but you saw Wonwoo still leaning against one of the pillars. You locked eyes, and you couldn't look away.

"You seem distracted, my Lady," Sungho said.

"Oh, I'm just... as I've told you, I'm not very good at dancing. I guess I'm just nervous." You looked back at him.

"Don't worry, when you're in my hands you're safe."

"I'm sure." You nodded and looked past him again, but now Wonwoo was gone.

The song ended, and Sungho eventually left your side to talk to some of his friends. You were left standing alone in a corner. Now that the announcement had been made and people had paraded you around, nobody seemed to care where you went. A sigh escaped your lips as you relaxed against the cold wall.

"Tired already?" Someone appeared beside you.

When you saw him your eyes widened, and you felt your cheeks grow warm. Wonwoo had looked good from afar, but this close he was truly a sight to behold.

"It's alright, I also usually keep to myself at these kinds of things," he added.

"My fiancé just left me to talk to other people, and there's no one for me to speak with," you explained.

"You can talk to me." He gave you a delicate smile.

"... it's not weird for you?" you murmured.

"Of course it is. But not a day goes by where my life is normal or goes my way. You get used to it." He held out his hand to you. "Am I worthy enough to dance with you, Princess?"

"People will see." you looked out over the ballroom, nobody had seen you just yet.

"Then they will see two people dancing, two friends, nothing more." He took your hand and put it on his shoulder. "You just think they will talk because you want there to be more to it."

Wonwoo's put his hand on your waist, and with his other hand, he grabbed yours. The two of you swayed in the shadows, out of view from anyone else. Being in his arms made you feel safe, like you could truly rest. When the song ended he let go of you but kept holding your hand. He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the back of your hand.

"Thank you, Princess," he said and took a step away from you.

"You're a wonderful dancer." You let out a giggle, a genuine laugh bubbling up from your stomach for the first time in a while. "You must be a favorite amongst the ladies."

"Oh, definitely..." he said sarcastically. "Especially the married ones."

If it weren't for the fact that your fiancé was approaching, you would've landed a soft smack on his arm. Wonwoo took another step back and greeted his brother.

"I'm glad you two get along so well." Sungho placed an arm around your waist.

"Oh, he's a swell conversationalist," you said and internally cringed at your words of choice.

"Really?" Sungho's eyebrows shot up. "I've never thought of you as the chatty type, brother."

"I have my moments," Wonwoo replied, keeping his eyes on you. "But I should go. I hope you have a good rest of your night."

The rest of the night went rather smoothly. You were introduced to many people and danced with even more. From time to time you would catch a glimpse of Wonwoo, but not nearly enough for your liking. When the clock struck midnight, you realized that people weren't leaving yet. You asked Sungho when it was time to end, and he responded that it usually goes on until dawn. When you heard that you excused yourself and said that you would be leaving for your chambers early. Sungho bid you goodnight, and reassured you that leaving early was no issue at all. If it weren't for the many distractions you faced, you might have actually been able to fall in love with him.

You took the shortcut through the King's throne room, knowing that everyone else would be trying to leave through the ballroom's main entrance. In the mirror-filled room, you caught your reflection. Your hair was in complete disarray, and your face had taken on a flustered color. Slowly, you approached one of the many mirrors. The dress was still beautiful, and you reminded yourself to thank the Queen for the gift as soon as you could. The door behind you opened, startling you, and when you looked through the mirror's reflection you saw Wonwoo.

"It's only me," he said, as if that made it any better, and closed the door.

His footsteps were slow, almost cautious. It was as if he was giving you time to tell him to stop. You didn't say a word, you couldn't as your throat had dried up within a matter of seconds as you laid eyes on him. Wonwoo approached you. He had the same flustered look on his face as you did. It must have been the wine. It must have also been the wine that made you want him so. And, yes, it must have been the wine that made Wonwoo wrap his arms around your waist from behind. His large figure easily engulfed you, and you leaned into his embrace. Wonwoo put his head on your shoulder and looked into your eyes through the mirror.

"I have been watching you all night, my love," he whispered, his speech slightly slurred.

One of his hands pushed away the hair from the shoulder his chin was leaning on. His fingertips grazed your neck, making you shudder. It was difficult to keep your eyes open when everything Wonwoo did felt so wonderful.

"I have seen you watching," you mumbled. "I was looking for you as well."

In a moment of pure bliss, his lips met your neck. A peck, that turned into two and then three. They were leading up from the crook of your neck to your jaw.

"You must be the most intoxicating goddess I have ever had the honor of being in the presence of," he mumbled against your skin, "Have you seduced me, my Princess?"

His Princess.

"What if I have?" You smile at him through the mirror.

He looked back at you with a smile, and a gaze that you couldn't read. Wonwoo's words lingered in the air as he pressed a final kiss right behind your ear.

"I would have to tell your husband." He took his lips away from your skin, much to your dismay.

"He's not my husband yet." You sighed. "Let me take part in my freedom for a while longer."

He guided your face, with his pointer finger and thumb on your chin, to look at him. Wonwoo held the galaxy in his eyes, and the only reason you could ever look away was to glance at his lips - and it was only for a short moment, as seeing his eyes on you, and only you, was the most euphoric feeling you had ever felt.

"I wish to have a taste of you, my love," he murmured, his eyes filled with lust. "Will you allow me the delight of feeling your lips against mine again?"

You didn't respond, instead, you pressed your lips to his greedily. Your body turned around to fully face him, and you pressed your chest against his. He pulled away to look around the room, and a paranoid feeling entered your chest.

"Someone could see us," he said.

"My chambers are far away from the ballroom." You took his face in your hands and place another kiss on his lips.

"I have heard that your chambers are freezing during this time of year," he muttered against your lips.

"Don't worry, I will warm you up." You smiled and grabbed his hand.

The two of you ran as fast as you could through the castle halls. His hand never left yours. You were lucky that nobody seemed to be around because you had a hard time keeping quiet. Laughs spilled out of your lips every other second. From time to time, you would stop and slip into a dark corner to embrace him and feel his lips on yours again.

When you reached your chambers, you locked the door behind you. Wonwoo's hands stayed on you every second and you adored the attention. With every step toward your bed, he placed another kiss on your skin. You were utterly drunk off of his contact with your body. Which is why a whine escaped your lips when he let you go. You sat down on the bed, both sleeves of your dress having had slipped down.

"Tell me to leave now if you truly do not want me, my love." He was panting, his hands trembling ever so slightly. "I will not hold myself back if we go any further."

"Please..." You grabbed his hand. "Have your way with me."

The very next morning you woke up to a sharp knock on your door. You stirred in your sleep, your hand touching a naked body beside you. Wonwoo was fast asleep beside you. A gasp escaped your lips as you pulled the covers up to cover your bare chest.

"Your Majesty!" Another sharp knock echoed through the wooden door as Eunji's shrill voice shocked you awake. "I have to get you ready for breakfast!"

"Just give me a second, Eunji!" you shouted back.

Your voice woke up Wonwoo, who grabbed your waist to hold you closer. He was completely unaware of the situation you were in. If it hadn't been for the situation you found yourself in, you would've loved to stay tangled in Wonwoo's web for the entire morning. However, now was sadly not the time. In a hushed voice, you whispered to him that he had to get out of bed. With a grumpy look, he got up and gathered his clothes off the floor. Another knock scared you, and you ended up pushing him behind the partition wall. You put on your nightgown and walked over to the door, hoping that you didn't look like a flustered mess.

"My apologies, Eunji." You smiled at her when you opened the door. "I was very tired from the ball last night..."

"I understand that my Lady, but you shouldn't lock your door when you know I don't have a key," she explained with a worried look.

"I know, I know... I just wanted to be safe, you know with so many people around," you lied right through your teeth.

"Well, we don't have time to chat. Let's get you ready!" Eunji pushed inside your room and walked over to the wardrobe.

You could see Wonwoo's feet under the small gap in the partition wall. Panic set in as you realized what a catastrophe this could end in. Eunji handed you your slip dress and told you to put it on. In a state of panic, you went behind the partition wall and stood in front of Wonwoo so that his feet wouldn't be visible anymore. A sleepy smile was painted on his lips, and it was hard to surpress your own smile at the sight. He had only managed to put on his pants, his shirt still hanging from his hands. With an annoyed sigh, you took it from him and started pushing it over his head.

"Are you okay back there, my Lady?" Eunji asked as Wonwoo put his arms through the sleeves.

"Oh, I'm just... feeling a bit sick from the wine," you stammered out.

Wonwoo's arms wrapped around you as soon as he had put on his shirt, and your heart almost leapt out of your throat as you heard him lovingly sigh in your ear.

"Well, if you need help I can-"

"No!" you yelled. "No, thank you. I don't need help."

The young Prince let out a soft chuckle, only loud enough for you to hear. You only grew more flustered at his teasing.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just feeling... self-conscious." You shut your eyes tight. "Could you please put the dress on the bed for me? I'll do the rest by myself."

"Oh, my Lady, you have nothing to be embarrassed about," Eunji assured you. "But if you wish for me to leave, then I shall. I'll be outside the door in case you do end up needing my services."

"Thank you, Eunji." Your breath hitched as you felt Wonwoo's hands grab at your hips.

The door opened and closed, and as soon as it was shut Wonwoo pressed his lips to yours. You put your hands on his chest and smiled against the kiss, pulling away slightly to look at him.

"You're impossible," you murmured softly.

He leaned his forehead against yours and looked deep into your eyes. A chill sent down your spine as Wonwoo started caressing your back. The warm glow of the morning sun filled the room and you found yourself feeling so unbelievably lucky.

"Last night..." he whispered, "Do you regret it?"

"I wish I would have done it sooner," you admitted. "But now I must force you to leave, I'm sure people are looking for you."

"They can keep searching forever..." he muttered and kissed you again.

"People will grow suspicious." You pulled away with a chuckle. "And as much as I'd love to keep kissing you forever, I have enough common sense to know it won't last."

"Let me at least help you get dressed." His hands went to the hem of your short nightgown. "We don't want to keep your maid waiting."

"I'll let you help with the dress she picked out for me," you said and pushed him out of the partition wall.

Your hands worked quickly to take off the nightgown and put on the slip dress. When you walked out you caught Wonwoo feeling the blue velvet material of your dress between his fingers, as if he was studying it carefully. When he noticed you, he handed you the dress. The buttons in the back had already been undone, so all you had to do was step into it and pull the long sleeves over your arms. He motioned for you to turn around. Once your back faced him, Wonwoo slowly worked on buttoning the back of your dress. His lips pressed to the still bare skin where your neck met your back. The dress' collar was high, hiding whatever blemishes that were left from last night's activities.

"Leave the last few unbuttoned..." you whispered, "It'll be more believable that I couldn't reach."

Wonwoo hummed and took his hands away from you. Turning around, you stood face to face with the most lovestruck man you have ever seen. His smile was warm and inviting, creating small lines by his nose, and despite how wonderful this smile was you wanted to kiss it off his lips so badly. And in the beautiful morning glow, his eyes resembled portals of light that you would gladly dive into without questioning what could be on the other side.

"I'll miss you every second you aren't by my side," he said.

"Can we see each other tonight again?" you asked.

"Of course."

Another harsh knock on the door, followed by a kind yet alarming voice that told you to please hurry up.

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts," you responded to Eunji, but didn't look away from Wonwoo.

He walked over to the balcony door and opened it. You followed closer, leaning over the railing of the balcony as he climbed down. Before he could leave, he pulled himself up just enough to kiss you again.

"Goodbye, my love," he whispered.

"I'll see you soon," you said and watched him disappear behind the castle walls.

Yet another knock on your door. It made you laugh this time. You hurried inside and closed the door to the balcony. As you straightened out your dress, the door was impatiently pushed open.

"I'm terribly sorry, Eunji," you said. "I couldn't get the last few buttons done."

"You should've called for my help." She sighed. "The Queen has asked for your presence at breakfast to discuss wedding plans."

The wedding. You felt your heart sink. How could you have forgotten about the wedding? One of your hands steadied you against your bed frame, while you held the other one to your stomach.

"Are you alright, my Lady?" Eunji asked as she finished buttoning you up.

"Just nervous..." You took a deep breath.

The wedding had a date. A month after the first day of spring, just to give enough time for preparations. You wished for winter to never end. Persephone could gladly stay by Hades' side, you didn't care. Even though the wedding was all anyone talked about, you hadn't accepted fate just yet. That's why, every night, you would drown your sorrows with the kisses of your lover. Every morning you woke up at dawn to spend more time with him before he had to leave. And when he eventually did have to leave, you could feel your heart getting ripped apart inside your chest.

The constant ache only worsened when you were around Prince Sungho, as guilt had started plaguing you whenever you saw him. The Prince would take you out on rides in the forest, on promenades in the gardens, and he even took you on a boat ride once or twice. All of these exceptional experiences, and yet your favorite moments in the castle were those in your bed laying next to Wonwoo.

As spring approached, you grew more reckless. The constant need of being near Wonwoo only grew stronger, and you did everything you could to keep him by your side.

One evening, when you knew that Wonwoo would be going out for a ride, you walked all alone to the stables to meet him. The snow had started melting away, but you tried not to think about it. Nevertheless, it was still very cold outside and not warm enough for anything to have grown. The warmth of the stables welcomed you quickly, as you walked across the floors to where Wonwoo's favorite horse stood. Just as you were about to turn the corner, Wonwoo peeked out from the small room. A smile spread across his lips as soon as he laid his eyes on you.

"Is anyone else here?" you whispered and looked around.

"Only me," he said and put his arms around your waist. "You must be freezing. Why would you walk outside without a coat?"

"I didn't think to get it." Your arms wrapped around his neck. "And I was in a hurry to see you before you left."

"I was going to go see you tonight, after my ride," he explained with a grin.

"It would be too long of a wait."

"You're so impatient."

One of his hands cupped your cheek and brought you in for a loving kiss. He was so warm, it spread through you as if you were drinking a hot cup of tea. You wanted to melt into him and nest in his chest, to always keep his warmth around you.

"We could run away, you know," he murmured against your lips. "Spring is approaching, there's not much time left..."

"I don't want to think about it..." You put your hands on his chest to create some distance between him and you.

"Y/N, this is the first time we've ever been alone outside of your chambers." He sighed. "When you share your chambers with... someone else, we won't be able to see each other like that."

"We can find a way," you argued.

"We could run away, my love," he said. "We would only bring what was necessary, and we could take two horses. Then we wouldn't have to worry about hiding anymore."

You took a deep breath, leaning your forehead against Wonwoo's chest. While part of you wanted to run away, there was still a big part of you that knew that you had a duty to your people. And that part needed to stay.

"No." You shook your head. "I can't just abandon my kingdom."

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes. You grabbed at his shirt, partly because you were trying to make him stay close to you, but you also didn't want him to see you cry. As your first sob rocked through your body he didn't try to pull you away, he only held you closer. One of his hands soothingly caressed your back, while the other held onto the back of your head.

"I hate it," you sobbed. "I hate it so much."

Wonwoo kept quiet but held you even closer. The stables were so unbelievably quiet, that you had forgotten you were even there. But the door opened, making the two of you quickly separate. Tears were still streaming down your face, and there was nothing Wonwoo could do to comfort you. You whispered goodbye and quickly made your way out of the stables.

After that encounter, you didn't stop meeting in public. Whenever no one else was around, you would take the chance to embrace each other. On this particular day, it was the library. This wretched, cursed day.

"Your chambers are just around the corner," Wonwoo mumbled against your lips. "We could go there."

The two of you were laying on the couch, you on top of him. Your heart felt so full, that you didn't want to move. So, you shook your head at his suggestion and kissed him again. His strong arms held you tightly against his body. Your hands were in his hair, trying to pull him closer to you. It was dark outside, so a few candles were lit around you.

"I love you," you murmured. "I truly do."

"I love you too." He smiled at your confession.

"I wish spring never comes..." You sighed and put your head on his chest.

Wonwoo put his hand along your jawline and brought you back up to face him. His eyes were serious, almost stern - instead of intimidating you, it only made you melt further into him.

"Don't mention spring," he said. "Just forget about it for a moment. For me, my love."

"For you? I'll do anything." You grinned and pressed your lips to his again.

The door swung open and your heart sank to the floor at the sound. When you looked up, you met the eyes of your fiancé. His first worried look turned into sadness, which transformed into anger. Eunji came up behind him with a horrified look on her face, somehow it was both disappointed and apologetic. You got off Wonwoo and fell off the couch in the process, Wonwoo sat up and helped you to your feet.

"What is this?" Sungho asked angrily. "Your chambermaid was worried sick about you, and here you are whoring yourself out for my brother!"

"It's not what it looks like, please-" you tried to plea but he interrupted you.

"I invite you into my home, I promise you all the riches in the land, and this is what you do to me?" He gasped.

"Brother, it's not her fault-"

"Oh, so this is your doing?" Sungho scoffed. "You can't have the throne so you decide to steal my future wife?"

"Please, forgive me, my Prince." You got down on your knees in front of him, "I promise you, this will never happen again. I will marry you when spring comes, we can just forget about all of this."

Sungho only looked down at you, with so much hatred in his eyes. He looked between you and Wonwoo, studying the situation. Suddenly, you felt him grab your hair and pull you up to your feet. You could hear Wonwoo's protests behind you, but you tried not to think of it.

"Don't beg for me," he hissed. "I want you to beg him to never come near you again. Show me that you're only loyal to me."

He turned you around to face Wonwoo. His eyes were full of tears and he seemed to be completely speechless. Your bottom lip quivered. What if you had just run away with him? Everything would've been okay now. You could've lived your life out with him in a small cottage in the middle of nowhere, where no one knew who you were.

"Please, never come near me again," you sobbed out, "I don't ever want to see you again."

"Do you hear that brother?" Sungho taunted. "She doesn't want to see you again. So I suggest you pack up and go on a little trip. If you don't want this... mistake to go public, you will leave the castle until the wedding. You will not see her again until we are wed."

Wonwoo didn't break eye contact with you. It felt like his eyes were telling you that it was all okay. That, despite having said a most horrible thing to him, he still loved you and that he understood your situation. He stood up and walked out of the room, bumping into his older brother's shoulder as he did so. Sungho let go of the grip on your hair and you fell to your knees once again.

"Get her to her chambers, maid," he said to Eunji. "I have other business to attend to."

Eunji rushed to your side and held your trembling body in your arms the best she could. She kept on whispering apologies between her cursing about how you could have been so reckless.

"Princess Y/N," Sungho said from the doorway. "I am doing you a favor. Do not forget this, as I will not forget what you have done."

He walked out of the library and slammed the door behind him. As his footsteps faded, you felt your body lose its strength. You could no longer sit, let alone stand. Eunji had to bring in more maids to help carry you to your bed.

Heartbreak comes in many forms, sometimes physical. You were sick in bed for days, not daring to eating a thing. People grew worried, asking how the wedding would take place if the Princess wasn't well. They only thought you had an illness, not that your heart had been broken into a million pieces. So they treated it like any other illness. Only Eunji was allowed to visit you, that is what you had requested. Although you heard voices outside of your room many times. Most of the time it was your mother, and she was usually crying. Eunji tried to reassure everyone that you just needed to rest and that the sickness would leave your body eventually. One night, she was sitting by your bedside and washing your body with a cloth. You hadn't been able to move, which meant you couldn't bathe.

"I'm hungry," you breathed out between chapped lips.

Eunji went into a frenzy as soon as she heard the words. You had pushed away any food that she had brought you, so your hunger was very welcomed. She put you back down against the pillows and put away her rag and bucket.

"What would you like to eat, my Lady?" she asked with happy tears prickling in her eyes.

"Pomegranates," you whispered and looked over to the balcony. "I want pomegranates."

"Oh... then I shall get you pomegranates, my Lady." She hurried out the room and shouted down the corridor about the news.

The people were static, and people from all over brought you pomegranates. It was hard to get ahold of at this time of year, but people managed. If anyone knew what you had done, you wondered if they would be so keen on trying to please you. It didn't matter now. Soon enough, Eunji brought you a platter of pomegranates. They were displayed nicely, why you didn't know. There were a few sliced pomegranates, as well as a few whole ones, but most importantly there was a bowl of only pomegranate seeds.

"Here you go, my Lady." Eunji sat the platter down in front of you.

"Leave," you whispered.

Eunji nodded and quickly gathered herself and left. You stared at the red fruit in front of you. Persephone ate six of the twelve pomegranate seeds she was given and it gave her six months in the Underworld. With a trembling hand, you took the wooden spoon in the bowl and pushed many pomegranate seeds past your lips. It wasn't enough. You put the spoon away and grabbed a handful of pomegranate seeds from the bowl and shoved them into your mouth. The fruit's juices poured down from the corners of your lips, but you did nothing to stop it. You took more of the seeds and kept shoving them down your throat. The noises that came out of you were disgusting. Gasps and gulps and gargles, but it was drowned out by your thoughts. If you ate enough it would give you an eternity with Wonwoo.

The bowl was empty and, with desperate hands, you clawed at the sliced pomegranates. You ate the white meat around it if you couldn't get the seeds out, and when you finished those you tried to open the whole fruits. You were too weak to even try. He had to be by the balcony now, he had to. You pushed the platter away from you and ripped off the bed sheets. Delirious and quivering, you walked over to the balcony and pulled aside the blinds that were covering the glass door. It was day, but he had to be there already. You opened the door and felt the cold wind against your sweaty body. After finally getting out, you leaned over the railing. He was nowhere to be seen. You desperately looked around, feeling warm tears stream down your face. Eventually, your eyes fell on the tree beside the balcony. Small little green buds had started growing on the otherwise brows twigs. Spring is here.

"No..." Your voice was hoarse "No, no, no..."

You walked over to the tree, it's branches hanging over the balcony, and tried to pull all of the buds off, getting your hand cut open on the sharp branches in the process. A sob came out of your throat as you kept repeating that one word. No. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be spring already. You stumbled back and looked down at your scathing hand. Blood poured out of all the cuts and you felt sick. You hurled forward, blood-red vomit spewing out of you. All of the pomegranates escaped your stomach. They were rejecting you. There was no savior who could help you now. Everything around you went dark as you fell to the stone floors.

When you woke up you were in bed again, and your body felt much lighter. A man you had never seen before was sitting beside you. Eunji, who was sitting on your other side, explained that he was a physician and was treating you for your illness. He had been feeding you liquids to get your strength back, which was why you felt so much better.

"You are allergic to pomegranates," he explained in an emotionless tone. "I'm guessing you've had one before, but because of the large intake you had a much bigger reaction. If you eat just a little it wouldn't be very noticeable, maybe a slight itch."

"How..." You cleared your throat. "How long was I out?"

"A few days." Eunji said. "Since you've been rapidly getting better, preparations for the wedding have started. They want your opinion on a lot of things... but if you would rather not see anyone, you can tell me and I'll deliver the message."

All hope was out. You had given up.

"No... I'll meet them..."

In a matter of weeks, the wedding was upon you. It was the night before, and you were in your bed. Preparing for your wedding had kept you so preoccupied that you hadn't thought of anything else. Therefore, the knock on your balcony door surprised you. When you looked over you met the eyes of Wonwoo, and your heart broke all over again. You pushed aside your blanket and walked over to the door. Wonwoo embraced you as soon as he could, but you didn't reciprocate.

"I've missed you," he whispered.

"When did you get back?" you asked.

"About an hour ago," he replied. "Listen, I know that last time I asked this of you, you declined... but this time I have a plan."

"Are you asking me to run away with you?" you murmured as he pulled away from you.

"Tomorrow night," he said. "There's a boat by the docks, I'm supposed to go alone. We'll be on a different continent."

"You're leaving? Why now?" you cupped his face in his hands.

"My brother convinced my father that I should try being on my own for a while." He sighed. "He gave me a chance to visit another kingdom we have a treaty with. Once we're there, we can go wherever we want - and nobody will know until it's too late."

"... I don't know if I can choose," you admit softly.

You blamed everyone in the story of Persephone and Hades for giving her such a horrible fate, but maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Oh, how you wished for a compromise now.

"The boat leaves tomorrow night." Wonwoo cupped your cheek in his palm. "I won't force you to do anything, and I'm not trying to convince you to go with me... I'm just giving you another chance."

With that, he leaned down and kissed you. It was soft and sweet. You had longed to kiss him again, but still you felt so heartbroken. He whispered goodbye before disappearing into the night, you knew you wouldn't get another chance to see him before the ceremony.

On the day of the wedding, you could help but cry. Out of anger, sadness, and out of uncertainty. Anger because your father left you to take care of his mess all by yourself. Sadness because you didn't love the man you were about to marry. And uncertainty because you had no idea what choices you would make tonight.

People around you comforted you by saying that it was normal to feel nervous on the big day. You asked to be left alone with Eunji, and for her to do the rest of the preparations for you. She was silent as she was dressing you, and she only spoke up when she had started taking care of your hair.

"I feel guilty, my Lady," she said.

"About what?" you said between sniffles.

"About that day in the library." She frowned at you in the mirror. "I truly just thought you had gone missing."

"It's my fault as well," you assured her. "I guess I should have told you."

She laughed and put a comforting hand on your shoulder, you put your hand on top of hers. The two of you looked at each other with warm smiles, like old friends do.

"I would have liked to know," she eventually said.

"And I was dying to tell someone," you admitted. "I'm sorry for not telling you."

"No, no... you did what you thought was best," she argued and after some time added, "... was he good to you, my Lady?"

You turned around in your chair and gave her a mischievous smile. Eunji raised her eyebrows and you nodded. Without speaking a single word, the two of you had told so much. Both of you busted out laughing. Despite the sorrow you felt over everything you had done, there was something so delightful in telling Eunji of your escapades.

"How did you do it?" she asked between giggles.

"He snuck in through the balcony most nights," you admitted. "Oh, and he was so nice... I've never met anyone like him. He's quiet and reserved, but when he does speak he always knows what to say."

"Not to mention, he's very handsome," Eunji added, and the two of you broke out into fits of giggles again.

This is what you wanted your wedding to be. You wanted to be able to giggle about what a handsome and charming man your future husband was. In the midst of your laughter, you broke out crying again.

"Oh, my Lady-" Eunji quickly grabbed tissues from the table. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken about it."

"He asked me to run away with him," you whispered. "Tonight. By boat. We'd go to another country, he said."

"But the wedding-"

"I know, I know!" you whaled. "I don't know what to do!"

"My Lady, I don't know much about love." Eunji crouched down in front of you. "But I can see it on your face, you truly love that man. That is something that no one can take away from you. If you decide to go or not... I won't judge you for it. I just hope you follow your heart. Do what you think is right."

You nodded and took the tissue she offered to wipe away your tears.

The ceremony went fairly quickly. You were lucky you had a veil because you couldn't help but cry once again, even if Eunji had given you a good speech beforehand. Wonwoo was in the crowd, you knew that, but you had no idea where since you didn't dare look. You had made up your mind, or so you thought.

You weren't going to leave with him, not at first at least. During the festivities held afterward, you watched as your now husband held speeches and talked to his peers. He wasn't your person. You knew that, and you were sure that the entire world could see that as well. So, when no one was looking you snuck out into the night. It was already late, and Wonwoo had left an hour earlier. But you just had to take this chance. You couldn't stay with Sungho for the rest of your life.

The white dress turned green and brown from you running through the mud. You had fallen down many times, and you were sure your legs were entirely scratched up. It didn't matter now, you would be with your love forever.

When you reached the docks there was no boat. If you squinted enough, you could see a ship in the distance - it was sailing away from you. You screamed, shouted, yelled, and ran as far as the coast would let you. But to no avail. The boat was gone. Wonwoo was gone. For how long, you didn't know. It was time to accept fate. Betrayed and tired, you made your way back to the castle. You had to ask Eunji for another dress.

Years flew by, and you got along rather well with your husband. You didn't love him, and you never learned to, but you did love the children he gave you. Three children: two boys and the youngest was a girl. They lived in ignorance, along with everyone else in the castle. Only you, Eunji, and Sungho knew of what happened in the past. You tried to forget. But when the King died one night while in his bed, you knew that you had to face your history.

He came by boat, just like he had left. The years had taken a toll on him, but he wasn't any less beautiful. You wanted to embrace him but held yourself back by holding your arms so hard that your nails dug into your flesh. Wonwoo was only there for the funeral, then he would leave again. You tried not to think about it, or to see him as a stranger, but it was much too difficult.

The children loved him. Wonwoo was great with kids, reminding you that there was so much that you hadn't had the chance to find out about him.

After dinner, you excused yourself to go to the garden. The Queen had let you have it, knowing how much you loved to spend your free time there. Even if you hadn't expected it, you were very pleased when Wonwoo had come after you. Without a word, the two of you embraced, hidden by a large tree and the many purple Phlox. It was the middle of summer, so the green leaves obscured you well.

"I've missed you, so much," he breathed out.

"Wonwoo..." You pulled away from him. "I want you to know that I tried to go with you that night. The... the boat had left before I got to it. I was prepared to leave my life here for you... but I can't do that anymore."

"I know... I know, my love." He cupped your cheek in his palm. "It's okay. I'm happy for you. You've done so well."

You put your hand on top of his and leaned into his touch. In the distance, you heard a child shouting for you. Another sigh escaped your lips, and you did your best to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out of the corner of your eye.

"I have to go," you whispered out with a sob stuck in your throat. "But you should know that a day never passes where I don't think of you."

You walked away from him, stopping mid-step when he called your name. You shut your eyes tight, as if it would help you shield yourself from him, and you didn't dare turn around.

"I never married," he admitted. "I haven't been able to move on from you."

His words broke you, and a cry escaped your lips. You didn't turn around, you couldn't turn around now. Instead, you wiped away your tears and followed the voice of your child calling your name.

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[bluehoodiewoozi]

The Beach House

Boo Seungkwan x fem!Reader

Genre: E2L!au + one bed trope // some comedy, some angsty, some romance-y, very slow burn-ish

Words: 9,8k

Warnings: some curse words, mentions of injuries, a concussion, food mentions, uuuh heartbreak…

[Enemies to Lovers AU] Maybe Vernon made a mistake by inviting both you and Seungkwan to the beach house, or maybe he was smarter than the two of you combined.

Note: posted for SeventeenWeeklyNet’s weekly prompt (“beach”); dedicated to my bestie @luvlino <3

“What are you doing here?”

You scoffed at your own question: he was Vernon’s best friend, his platonic half, his partner-in-crime – of course he’d be invited along. 

As if reading your mind, Seungkwan dropped his suitcase to the ground and raised an accusing eyebrow. “I’m good company. What is your excuse?”

Vernon, the start of it all, stood clueless between the two of you. His doe-eyes soon narrowed as his brows fell into a frown. “I keep forgetting you two don’t get along.”

“Then your brain must be just as empty as hers somehow,” Seungkwan shot back and crossed his arms over his chest, still glaring at you. But at this point, you were finding it hard to feel insulted by his increasingly unoriginal ways of offending you. 

“He’s my enemy number 1. I don’t believe you forgot it, Vernon.”

A low sigh sounded from behind you. Seungcheol – the self-appointed dad of the group – rubbed his forehead before deciding, “Let’s just keep them as far from each other as possible.”

“Oh, right,” Vernon agreed after a moment of pause. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Yeah, it’s not like I want to be in the same room as this thing anyway,” you pointed out as Seungkwan stuck his tongue out at you. You did not hold back from doing the same. 

“Behave, kids.”

You winced as Seungcheol flicked the side of his head as punishment. If you acted like a child, he’d treat you like one, you realised and straightened up again as if nothing had happened. Still, it brought you immense joy to see Seungcheol repeat the punishment on your one enemy.

Seungkwan rubbed his head, a pout on his lips. “You didn’t have to flick that hard… What if it bruises?!”

“Then it’ll be an improvement to your visuals,” you declared and stepped into the beach house. You fought a smile as Seungkwan’s curses and Vernon’s attempts to calm him echoed to your ears. 

You barely made it to the staircase in the living room when you heard Jihoon’s laughter from the couch. He seemed almost in disbelief as he looked at you. “You’ve been here for three minutes and you’re already fighting?”

“Must be a new record,” Jeonghan mused from his side and offered you a welcoming wave.

“Had to out-do myself somehow.” You glanced upstairs with uncertainty. “Have the rooms been decided yet?”

Jeonghan hummed in thought. “Oh, yeah, we left the left-most room on the 2nd floor to you.” 

You must have looked as confused as you felt because Jihoon soon hopped in to clarify, “The one with the obnoxiously pink door – you can’t miss it.”

“Good, thank you,” you called out while scaling the staircase, your suitcase in tow. 

The room left for you was nicer than you had expected. True, the door was the most obnoxious shade of pink you had ever encountered, but the rest of the room was perfectly perfect. There was a giant window facing the beach and there was a vase of dried flowers, some posters of local events long past. But the highlight of the room was beyond your wildest dreams: a king-sized bed.

Without a single second of hesitation, you threw yourself into the bed and relaxed into its mattress. A happy sigh. You’d be a fool to leave the comfort of this dreamland for a beach day with your friends. 

“This is exactly what I needed.”

The shouts and conversation and humming of your friends faded into the background as you rested for what felt like the first time in a decade. You could hear the soft bells of dreamland calling to you already and it was barely noon.

Your blissful nap was interrupted by a soft, almost hesitant knock on the door. You were half-tempted to ignore it. And yet, you sighed and crawled out of the inviting warmth of the bed to answer your friend’s call. 

It was quite dark already; you must have slept for a while. A glance at the clock revealed you had, really, napped away half the day already. Maybe you had been more tired than you thought you were. 

You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. 

The door opened and behind it stood Vernon. His face betrayed he would have gladly been anywhere but in that moment. A jolt of worry coursed through you and you were more awake than before.

“Did something happen?” You hoped he could make out the words of your still-sleepy drawl. Your throat felt a bit scratchy – must have been a good nap. 

After a pause that felt like eternity in silence, you realised he was hesitating to answer or even look you in the eyes. You also now found that it was raining outside – raining hard, in fact. The sound of the raindrops falling was louder than anything else in the house, as if the building itself was waiting for a storm of emotions to hit.

You took a deep breath. “Vernon, whatever it is, I won’t get mad.”

Oh, how wrong you would soon be proven.

He breathed out deeply, took an even deeper breath, and only then did he meet your eyes and blurt out: “I need you and Seungkwan to share this room.”

Your jaw dropped. 

Taking your moment of shock as a chance to explain himself, he began rambling, “It’s raining and Seungkwan’s ceiling is leaking, like, very hard and his room is practically flooded, and you are the only one that has a two-person bed so I need you to share your room with him until we fix his ceiling or something.” He paused. “Is that okay?”

You assessed the situation, on the verge of screaming. 

“Can’t– Can’t one of you just switch rooms or something?” you wondered softly as the reality sank in. “I can give up my room and someone else can share with him?”

Vernon breathed in through his teeth. “Uuh… Kind of no…”

It was then that you realised that you were on the verge of smacking a guy and this time it wouldn’t be Seungkwan. Your hand twitched with need to grab him by the collar of his shirt. 

Your voice dropped into a threatening growl, one that you had only ever had to use on Seungkwan before. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Well…” He hesitated once again, chewing the inside of his cheek as he tried to form sentences. “The rest of us all already unpacked and Jihoon kind of threatened us with murder if we tried to move him or put Soonyoung and Seungkwan in his vicinity together.”

“Can I threaten you with murder too?”

“... You’re not as scary as Jihoon.”

There went that attempt. 

“So,” he let out a weak laugh, “Seungkwan is going to move into this room with you until we fix his ceiling.”

You bit back a curse word. “And how long will that take?”

Vernon’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. Great.

“I swear to god, I will–” The threats you uttered through your clenched teeth were cut short as he dropped to his knees. 

“I’ll buy you milk tea for every day you have to share a room with him, I promise, I swear, I vow, please do not murder me!”

You almost felt bad for him. But then you thought about it and felt bad for yourself for having to share a room with Boo Seungkwan. 

Your glare hardened. “Milk tea and lunch for every single day you make us stay in the same room.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Deal.”

“Deal?”

“Absolutely,” he gasped out. “I didn’t think you’d agree at all. I was half-ready to buy you a Porsche.”

You almost growled at the lost chance. You should’ve asked for something more expensive.

Legs crossed under you and your arms crossed over your chest, you glared at him and he glared right back at you from the other side of the bed. This was not ideal.

“This room already stinks of you,” he grumbled, scrunching up his nose. “This is going to be pure torture.”

You scoffed and muttered under your breath, “Should’ve asked for a Porsche.”

“It’s rude to mumble.”

“It’s rude to be this nosy.”

Seungkwan opened his mouth but promptly shut it again. He rolled his eyes and began inspecting the room.

He offered a sickeningly sweet smile after a minute. “I assume you’ll sleep on the floor then?”

You were never going to forgive Vernon for putting you in this situation. 

“I assumed you would, like all dogs do,” you countered and fluffed up a pillow to hug to your chest. “But whatever, I guess I’ll just go sleep on the living room couch.”

Or maybe you’d wait until he fell asleep and then roll him out of the door into the pouring rain. 

He blinked. “Didn’t think you were the charitable type.”

“I’m not. I’m the ‘I’d rather sleep on the couch than put up with your stupid ass’ type.” You grabbed a second pillow and the blanket and stumbled out of the room with all the grace of a sleepy bumblebee.

Your escape was witnessed by none other than Vernon Chwe. He frowned at you as you threw the blanket and the pillows down onto the couch beside him. 

“There are clean sheets in the laundry room in the basement,” he softly offered as he watched you make your bed for the night. 

You hummed in acknowledgement but made no attempt to go there yet, instead opting to plop down into your soft pillows. Maybe you should’ve borrowed one or two more.

Vernon sighed. “Look, I’m sorry to put you in this position but I kind of have no choice here.”

“It’s fine,” you grumbled and burrowed further into the pile. “Just fix that damned ceiling as fast as you can and I won’t murder anyone.”

“Seungcheol already inspected the ceiling. We’ll get working on it the day after tomorrow.”

You raised an eyebrow, opening one eye to stare at him. “Why not tomorrow?”

“One, perfect surf weather, and two, Soonyoung already made a reservation for surfboards for tomorrow.”

“... I’m not going surfing with you idiots. Sounds like a safety hazard.”

“You’re a safety hazard!” Seungkwan’s melodious voice carried through the house as he walked past the couch to get to the kitchen. “We wouldn’t want you on a surf board anyway – it would break under the unprecedented weight of your ego.”

You groaned. “Can’t you give me even a single moment of peace? You think I moved to the couch to hear more of you?”

“The living room is a public space. I am free to walk in here whenever I wish, buttercup.” He threw an apple at your head before merrily climbing up the stairs to his – no, your – room. 

Vernon watched as you rubbed the spot the apple had hit. You hissed at the pain, deciding you’d kill him for this. 

“At least you got an apple,” Vernon offered with a lopsided smile and you threw said apple right at his stomach. He folded over in just like that and you revelled in your power. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Soonyoung’s voice seemed to echo along the quiet beach as you made your way to the boys. You groaned a little and sat down next to him on his comically giant tiger-striped beach towel. 

Jihoon, sitting on the other side of Soonyoung, offered you a small smile. “Did you get any sleep at all? The couch sucks.”

You almost wanted to cry at the reminder, but instead opted to deeply sigh and fall back against the towel, spreading out in the sunlight. “My back feels like someone laid bricks on it and then breakdanced on them.”

Soonyoung offered a sympathetic smile and softly patted your head. “It’ll be okay. You just need to stretch a little. I’m sure the water will help with the pain too.”

Before you could answer, the worst voice in the existence of the Earth bellowed, growing nearer and nearer, “I slept great! That mattress must have been made from angel wings and happiness because this is the best I’ve slept in ages. I feel free and refreshed and ready to surf!”

“Was it really that good?” Soonyoung wondered, chuckling at the happy smile on Seungwan’s face. He then turned to you, looking curious. “Then why would you rather sleep on the couch? You could’ve slept well too.”

“Because I would rather lean into this physical torture of the Vernon’s grandmother’s couch than endure the psychological torture of sharing a bed with Boo Seungkwan,” you answered plain and clear while attempting to stretch a kink out of your neck.

Jihoon sighed. “You guys need to grow up. Seriously.”

“Why do you even hate each other so much?” Soonyoung wondered, sitting down next to you. “You two look like you’d have a lot in common. Can’t you guys be friends?”

In front of you, Seungkwan’s smile dropped into a scowl. “I’d rather swallow a colony of fire ants than be friends with this thing.” He then sighed happily. “But I’m ready to be the bigger person and forget our feud for a few moments to have fun at the beach.”

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. “Nothing is fun when you’re within a hundred metres of me.”

“I wouldn’t want to be within two hundred,” he countered with a glare before practically throwing his bag down next to you and stalking over to where Jeonghan and Seungcheol were attempting to sweet-talk and threaten Vernon into playing volleyball with them. 

“You wanna go join?” Jihoon offered to both you and Soonyoung. 

Soonyoung was more than happy to jump up and chase the ball, already dragging Jihoon with him. This left you alone on Soonyoung’s tiger-striped towel. At least now you had room to stretch.

The sound of the boys yelling and cheering and laughing soon faded into the background alongside the ocean waves. You could finally properly relax again. 

A soft thump to the left of you forced you to open your eyes. Vernon offered an apologetic smile as he chased after the ball he’d accidentally spiked backwards. Seungcheol’s laughter was louder than anything else you could hear.

“You’re kind of bad at this, huh?” you joked and he laughed in agreement before running back to the court. 

With a shake of your head, you rested back down and breathed in the smell of freedom and vacation. You could get used to this. 

The fact that you’d been forced to share a room with your worst enemy became nothing but an afterthought as you enjoyed the warm breeze and the even warmer sun rays. 

Just as you finally felt like no earthly problems could touch you, you felt the ball hit your thigh. Pain soon followed. You cried out, ready to scold the boys, when Seungkwan ran up to catch the ball and offered you a rather sarcastic, “Sorry, princess. Didn’t see you there.”

“Jerk.”

“Sorry, can’t hear you over the size of your ego.”

“My ego?” You laughed. “What about your own ego? All the men on this planet could not carry it around if you asked them to.”

Seungkwan was about to fight back when Seungcheol called, “Are you flirting or fighting? Get the ball back here, Seungkwan, or I’ll use you as the ball next.”

“Gosh, that guy is competitive,” Seungkwan mumbled under his breath and rushed back to the court where Jeonghan received the ball with a cheer. 

You glared after him before turning to look at your thigh. You cursed under your breath. This would leave a mark for sure; you would have Seungkwan’s head for this.

After five nights of sleeping on the couch, your back was already begging for mercy. Every morning it felt like more needles had been pricked into your back, neck and shoulders. 

Chances of getting your room back were getting lower as Vernon and Seungcheol struggled to figure out how to fix the ceiling of your beloved roommate’s room. At this point, you were close to giving up and so was your body. 

After an hour of struggling to find a position that would offer any little bit of mercy on your back, you were close to tears and giving up. 

This was without a doubt the worst couch among couches. Vernon’s grandmother’s couch. The queen of discomfort and back pains.

You forced your eyes closed and imagined the soft mattress of the room. Heck, even your mattress back home would’ve been a dream compared to this couch. You tried to imagine you were home and safe and comfortable: the sheets smelled like your laundry soap and your pillows were soft and gentle against your head, you were comfortable.

Another cramp hit your shoulder and you gave up officially. Your eyes snapped open and you stared at the ceiling for a moment. Was it worth it?

You could’ve sworn a spring reach up through the cloth of the couch to poke you in the thigh. That was the last straw.

Without another thought, you stood up and gathered your blanket and pillows and sheets. You didn’t waste another moment and climbed right up the stairs, heading right for that dumb pink door. 

The moment you slammed it open, Seungkwan’s head rose from the pile of blankets in the bed. He raised an eyebrow at the way you threw your sheets on the floor and began setting the pillows on the bed.

“What are you–Hey!”

You didn’t give him time to finish his question and rolled him over to make room for yourself. The couch had won. You finally had an enemy worse than Boo Seungkwan. 

Instead of saying another word, you continued making your bed, making sure to place a few pillows in the middle of the bed. In a record time, you were in bed and ready to succumb to sleep.

It was quiet for a while. Perhaps you had shocked Seungkwan to an eternal vow of silence – a girl could dream. 

But then he had to go ruin it. “You’re in my bed.”

You didn’t even have the energy to scoff, so you just breathed sharply out through your nose. “It’s my bed and you’re the one in it.”

Seungkwan was ready to argue, but even he knew he held no bargaining chips here. He remained silent for a while, resting his head back against the pillows. 

You felt his eyes on you. They stayed there for a while. Eventually, you grew sick of it.

“What?” you sighed.

“It’s just… was the couch really worse than this?” he wondered.

“You, Boo Seungkwan, are now my enemy number 2 in this world.”

He scoffed. “Must have been one hell of a couch.”

“You have no idea. My back feels broken. Now let me sleep.”

To your surprise, he stayed silent this time. A soft sigh from his direction would be the last thing you remembered before sleep took you. 

You remembered nothing else and soon the morning came – too soon for your liking.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” a soft, nearly angelic voice sang as you felt your eyes fluttering open. The sun peeked into your eyes and you sighed. 

Finally, you had gotten some proper sleep. You could breathe easy for a while now. Except…

Your eyes shot open to document your worst nightmare: the soft voice belonged to none other than Boo Seungkwan. You couldn’t believe your own brain had described anything relating to Seungkwan as angelic.

“What are you doing here?” you grumbled.

He snorted. “I slept here too, remember? Then again you always did have a short attention span.”

“Oh, screw off.” You were still too relaxed to showcase any real malice.

It seemed your still-tired and friendly state had him in a slightly milder mood as well. He offered a chuckle rather than a retort to your curses. 

“By the way, Jihoon made breakfast. Apparently he got salmon from somewhere. He made some and even made a sauce.”

“Sounds delicious.”

“Come on, we both know Jihoon knows how to cook.”

“I am almost tempted to leave this bed.”

Seungkwan raised an eyebrow. “What? I’m not so repulsive anymore?”

“You’re no more repulsive than this bed is inviting. It’s a draw.”

“But I’m better than the couch?”

“Sure.”

“... Better than Vernon?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

Seungkwan agreed with a hum. “Very well. Don’t expect me to be so kind anymore.”

“I don’t like you being kind. It feels weird.”

“Right back at you, buttercup. I’m gonna go get breakfast.”

He left the bed right then, pulling a cardigan over his shoulders to shield him from the chilly morning breeze. As he left the room, he offered one last glance backwards to you. 

“I’ll save you some food. Rest up.”

In all honesty, you expected to find nothing but fish bones when you finally found the energy to stumble to the kitchen an hour later. To your utter surprise, a plate of the dish remained on the counter, covered with a transparent lid with an obnoxious pink sticky note on it. 

Feeling curious, you reached for the note.

‘I promised, didn’t I? ;)’ 

You could recognise the handwriting anywhere. Seungkwan hadn’t forgotten or betrayed you this time. 

As you heated up the breakfast and got ready for the day, you almost forgot why you hated Seungkwan so much in the first place. Almost.

But there was no way in hell you would stay indebted to Boo Seungkwan. No way. 

And so, you put on your shoes and grabbed your phone and keys and went out to the town. A quick glance towards the beach confirmed your suspicion that the guys had made their way to the beach for another game of volleyball; Seungkwan’s voice sounded well above the others.

You soon found it was barely a ten-minute walk. All the better, you concluded, and continued your way until you reached a cafe.

Eyeing the cakes on display, you let out a sigh: the things you do to avoid being indebted to your enemy. Before long your bank account was a little emptier but at least you now had some pastries in hand.

When you got back, the boys had finished their game. They lounged on the couch and on the floor – wherever they could fit, really. 

“Where did you go?” Jihoon wondered upon seeing the paper bag in your hand. 

Seungkwan blinked. “I didn’t even realise she was gone.”

You heard Seungcheol mutter something about ‘thank god, they’re using human pronouns now’, but paid it no mind. Instead, you held out the bag for them to see. “I bought some pastries.” 

As the boys got more excited at the prospect of sweets, you dug into the bag and pulled out a small case of two cupcakes before handing it to Seungkwan. “Consider it a debt paid.”

“Debt?” Vernon blinked at you and his best friend in turns but Seungkwan looked just as puzzled, barely able to blink at all as he stared at you in pure wonder. 

You shrugged and trudged up the stairs. The bed seemed to be calling to you again. You’d have time to think of a reasonable explanation for your actions later.

“I don’t understand how I keep losing in UNO,” Jihoon grumbled from your side while stuffing the cards back into their container with a bit more aggression than necessary.

Soonyoung shrugged. “Probably because Jeonghan keeps cheating.”

The man in question began laughing at the comment, looking more guilty than he ever had. You could only hope Jihoon would have mercy.

As the game night rolled to a close, you stretched your arms up high. “Well, time for bed.”

“I swear if you keep hogging both of the blankets, I will roll you back to the couch myself,” Seungkwan declared just then, pointing an accusatory finger at you from his spot on the other side of the porch table. “I swear!”

“Then get another blanket, dimwit.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t get in a fist-fight this time,” Jihoon half-joked under his breath. Half because they all remembered the shameful night of September 17, 2019 even as much as you wanted to erase it from their minds. 

You decided to bite your tongue this time and just shrugged. “You win some, you lose some. I’m off to bed.”

“I’m going too,” Seungkwan decided with a sigh, already pushing himself upright. “She might hog the entire bed this time if I don’t supervise.”

Seungcheol couldn’t help but pout. “But I wanted to go to that restaurant on the coast. Guys…”

“Too tired, sorry.”

“Too afraid she won’t leave me any space in the bed, sorry.”

Seungcheol scoffed. “You guys are the worst.”

“I’ll go!” Jeonghan decided then and there, throwing his hand up.

You didn’t bother to stick around much longer. Not when the bed was calling for you, like a siren in the distance, inviting you to rest and relax. Seungkwan’s footsteps following right after yours was the last thing on your mind.

When you reached the room, he closed the door with a soft click and began searching for his clothes. 

“You want to go change in the bathroom?” he offered, “Or shall I?”

There was a temptation to tease him for his word choice, but you decided not to. You had bickered enough that night already.

You picked out your pyjamas and sighed before heading towards the door, “I’ll go.”

But the door wouldn’t open. Indeed, you pushed down the knob, wiggled it, pushed against the door… Nothing. The door did not budge. 

“What are you doing?” Seungkwan asked through his chuckles, eyeing you curiously. “Did you forget how doors work, dum-dum?”

You scowled. “It doesn’t open.”

“What do you mean?” There was still an oblivious smile on your face. 

“The door is not opening, Kwan,” you stated once more and fell back into the bed in defeat. You did not have the patience or energy for this.

Upon seeing your lack of success, Seungkwan warily stood up and tried opening the door himself. And even so it refused to budge.

“Are you kidding?” he grumbled, glaring at the doorknob.

Trying a more forceful tactic, he slammed his hand against the door a few times and called out, “Hey! Somebody help us please! Soonyoung, I know you’re out there!”

Silence. He repeated this a few times, testing out different names as if calling out the right one was the solution. No success. 

You felt yourself melting further into the mattress. Perhaps you hoped it would help you escape this situation. Maybe you wished to become one with the mattress and leave this mortal plain.

Seungkwan turned around to grab his phone, searched the bedside table and the bookshelves. He patted down his pockets, even checked his shoes, but found not the thing he was looking for. 

“Did I forget my phone on the porch?” he wondered, rubbing the back of his head before slapping his own cheek. “Dumb.”

You were about to parrot the word, already wearing a victorious smile on your face, when you remembered you had given your phone to Vernon to guard while you chased Seungkwan around over his failed attempts to cheat at Monopoly. He was still carrying your phone around, safe and deep in the pocket of his cargo shorts. Your smile dropped.

You were no wiser than Seungkwan and this knowledge hurt you deeply. 

“Don’t you have your phone?” he asked you still and the truth was about to come out. “I forgot mine on the porch, I think.”

“...Vernon has mine,” you mumbled begrudgingly after a pause, hoping it was somehow small enough that he didn’t hear it but loud enough so you wouldn’t have to repeat yourself again.

Unfortunately it was the latter. 

He took a deep breath and you fully expected him to yell at you. Instead he turned on his heel and placed his forehead against the door in defeat. “We are both so dumb.”

The opportunity was right there. You couldn’t resist the urge. “You’re dumber.”

If looks could kill, you would have been 6 feet under and halfway to hell. 

“Whatever, let’s just go to sleep,” he decided. He, too, was too defeated to say another word. He dragged feet all the way back to the bed and threw himself on it before stretching out.

You scowled as his hand came too close to your arm. “Stay on your side.”

“I am on my side,” he replied with a scoff before wriggling his arm as if to spite you. 

You smacked his hand away. “No, you are in my personal space. Your side is over there.”

“Whatever,” he sighed loudly, dramatically even, before rolling over so he didn’t have to look at you anymore. You were glad.

As you sat there, you found yourself growing annoyed, and this time your roommate was not the entire cause of your dismay. “Hey, Seungkwan…”

“Hm?”

“Do you mind if I change here?” you blurted out. “This shirt is very sweaty.”

You could practically imagine Seungkwan rolling his eyes as he buried his face further into the pillow. “You’re stinky either way. What’s the point? Change if you want.” He grumbled something under his pillow before speaking louder again, “It’s not like I’d want to look at you anyway. Just be quick.”

“You’re not going to change?” You grimaced. “That’s gross.”

“Oh, boo hoo,” he matched the pitch of your voice just before glaring. “Just be happy you don’t have to share a bed with Soonyoung. I guarantee he’s worse.”

After a moment of contemplation, you realised that he was right. You should have considered yourself lucky.

“Whatever. Just don’t look.”

“Once again: I have no desire to do so.”

As you pulled your damp shirt over your head (not before triple-checking that Seungkwan was indeed keeping his promise), you heard him mumble something. 

You paused. “What?”

“I just…” He sighed deeply and hugged his pillow closer. “Thank you for the cupcakes yesterday. I didn’t thank you yesterday.”

Puzzled was not a strong enough word to convey your confusion. “Thank me? I just paid you back for saving me breakfast.”

“Still,” he argued back, “it’s rude not to thank people when they get you a gift, even if it’s a debt paid back.”

“Since when do you care about manners?” You continued getting ready to sleep, busying your hands and the one brain cell that wanted to turn this into something more than it was. “You’ve never thanked me before.”

He snorted. “To be fair, neither have you.”

Silence filled the room. Somehow it felt far more hostile than before. You soon fell into bed beside him, careful to not reach too far to his side. Instead you scrunched the sheet underneath you. 

“Sleep well,” you then heard him whisper, and you wondered why you hated each other in the first place. 

Your breath got caught in your throat for a moment. Then, as he shifted a little, you whispered back, “Good night.”

He chuckled softly. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

And just like that your little fantasy of being friends without hostile feelings was finished. 

You shielded your eyes from the bright sun. 

“The weather is so beautiful!” Soonyoung shouted as the group of you walked to the beach for another soothing beach day. “The sun is shining, the wind is gentle and warm, the birds are singing–”

“Those are seagulls,” Jihoon scoffed. “Singing is a strong word.”

Soonyoung did not seem bothered in the least. There was a dopey smile on his face as he continued, “– the waves are perfect for a swim, the children are laughing, I am ready to just relax and–”

“I bet I can beat you in volleyball one-on-one,” Seungkwan interrupted and threw the ball right at Soonyoung’s chest. 

Immediately, Soonyoung was filled with energy and practically bouncing towards the ball court. You made a mental note to cheer for him as you too stumbled over there to witness the historic match.

“You’re not going for a swim?” Jihoon wondered, already setting up the net as Seungkwan and Soonyoung bickered on either side of it. “I think the water’s okay today.”

“I gotta make sure Seungkwan loses,” was your response as you laid out your towel a few metres from the court and laid down on it. You lifted your head to keep an eye on the guys. “Soonyoung, please kick his ass!”

Seungkwan rolled his eyes and, as per usual, stuck his tongue out at you. “Clearly you have no taste or knowledge about volleyball.”

“I’m also on Soonyoung’s side,” Seungcheol laughed. “What does that make me?”

“A traitor.”

Jihoon snorted. “I just don’t think you’re very good at any sports, Kwan. Give it up.”

“I’ll show you!” Seungkwan didn’t hesitate to shout back, threatening to throw the ball right at him.

Though you stayed silent, you found immense joy in the way your friends teased your one enemy. He had it coming, after all. 

“Alright, alright, less bickering, more volleyball,” Vernon announced, clapping his hands before all but falling into a suspiciously Vernon-shaped sand pit right next to your towel. 

You blinked. “Did you dig this?”

“Yes.”

“... Why?”

He shrugged. “Just felt like it.” He turned back to the guys. “Alright, players ready?”

“I’ll obliterate him!” Seungkwan shouted, pointing at Soonyoung, his eyes seemingly on fire. Soonyoung’s only response was an almost maniacal laugh.

“I don’t think I can watch this,” Jeonghan mumbled before shrugging off his shirt and marching off into the waves. Briefly you wondered if he was the most sane friend in your group.

“Did you even get any sleep last night?” Vernon wondered, eyeing the bags under your eyes.

You wanted to glare at him. “I can’t believe you took my phone with you to the city.”

“You could’ve asked for it back,” he argued. “Come on, it was night-time anyway. It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“You try being locked in a room with him for a night.”

“I got the spare key eventually, did I not?”

Instead of answering, you chose to ignore him. You relaxed back into your towel, basking in the sun, you found yourself at peace. All the sound you made was an occasional soft cheer for Soonyoung – almost always earning a playful growl as a response – and a rare hum in response to Vernon’s rambling. You were far too gone to sunny paradise to really care.

And just as you felt yourself about to slip out of consciousness – ready to take the most dangerous nap of your life –, it all fell into pieces. 

With a loud smack, you felt something hit your head. Hard. You cursed and sat up, holding your head in your hands. 

Immediately your peace was interrupted with piercing pain and panicked shouts.

“Oh my god, I am so so so sorry,” you heard Seungkwan’s voice rambling on and on and on, the same words spilling from his lips. You could only assume it was he who had taken it upon himself to inspect your head. You didn’t dare open your eyes, half sure you were hallucinating his endless apologies and the soft caresses to your head.

A sense of relief filled you when Seungcheol’s voice sounded next. “Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

“Just a bit,” you complained and sat up straighter, finally opening your eyes. The blurriness was mildly off-putting. 

“How many fingers am I holding up?” Vernon held up his hand for you to see. In normal circumstances, you would’ve laughed loudly and told him he’s dumb, but this time you weren’t entirely sure.

Seeing your confused blinking, Seungkwan whined loudly. “I did this. I’m so sorry. Here, let’s get you back inside. I’ll get you some water and–”

You drowned out his words as he helped you to your feet. Carefully, as if you were as fragile as the relationship you shared, he lifted and held you up straight. If you hadn’t been so sure you were imagining things, you would’ve thought the way he looked at you was almost kind and concerned. Maybe a little too loving to be that of a friend. 

You forced yourself to not fully listen even as he held you and swatted away Vernon’s helpful arm from your waist. 

When your brain finally decided to properly co-operate again, you found yourself on the awful couch in the house. It was just as hard as you remembered it. 

“You couldn’t have taken me to the bed?” you wondered out loud and looked around. Your vision was clear now, at the very least, even if your head still hurt.

You then found Seungkwan sitting on the floor, right there in front of the couch, watching you worriedly. He held up a bottle of water. 

“Do you feel better?” you were asked so softly you barely heard it. “Here, drink a little.”

Eyeing him suspiciously, you grabbed the bottle and drank a sip. Your throat would have sung in happiness and relief. 

Seungkwan offered a small smile. “The colour’s coming back to you. That’s a relief.”

“What the hell happened?”

Immediately his ears turned a bright red, his eyes darting elsewhere as if the curtains were more interesting than you could ever be. After a pause, he finally spoke, “I kind of… hit you with a ball.”

“Kind of?”

“I was trying to serve and Soonyoung pissed me off, so I guess I hit the ball too hard,” he justified himself in the form of rambling, “and you got hit with it and I feel so so so bad about it and you might have a concussion now.” He took a deep breath and then finally turned back to you. “I’m so sorry I hit you with the ball.”

Puzzled is what you were. “You’re.. apologising?”

He nodded. “Of course I’m apologising!”

“But… you never apologise.” You shook your head. “We never apologise.”

“Some things change, you know,” he whispered and lifted his hand to gently pat your head. “Do you want to eat? Jihoon made some chicken nuggets and salad.”

You must have been hallucinating. Must have been. 

Boo Seungkwan would not take care of you like this. He wouldn’t volunteer to get you food. He wouldn’t apologise to you just for hitting you with a volleyball. 

“What did you do with Seungkwan?” you mumbled in your awe and he only laughed while grimacing.

“I guess you hit your head worse than I thought,” he concluded and pushed himself to his feet. “Stay here. Don’t you dare move. You need some rest.”

You whined. “If you wanted me to rest, you should’ve taken me to bed. The couch is so–” you grunted and adjusted yourself but found no relief, “– hard.”

He rolled his eyes but there was no real malice behind his action, not like there usually was. This time, the action seemed almost fond. It sent a shiver up your spine and you weren’t sure if you liked or hated it. Without another word, he went to the kitchen. 

“You were the one that complained that the stairs were too steep and you didn’t want to go upstairs,” Vernon’s voice interrupted. Only now did you see him seated on the rocking chair on the other side of the couch. Had he been there the whole time? “Seungkwan wanted to take you to your room but you kept complaining and he’s too soft for you.”

“Seungkwan isn’t soft for me,” you hissed back. “He hates me. And I hate him.”

Vernon raised an eyebrow. “... Yeah, sure.”

“Do you think four chicken nuggets would be enough?” Seungkwan’s voice echoed from the kitchen, clear as day, followed by soft mumbling of “No, I should put at least five. She must be hungry.”

At that, Vernon caught your confused eyes again and smirked. “I don’t think Seungkwan hates you even half as much as he pretends to.”

“I told you to be careful!”

You once again struggled to identify the undertone of Seungkwan’s voice. Was he worried? Or was he annoyed? At this point, you had no idea what was real any more; not when he watched you so fondly.

Still, you grumbled and adjusted your steps, flinching away from the warmth of Seungkwan’s hand reaching for your waist. “I’m fine. I’m just clumsy.”

“I know you’re clumsy,” he whined again, “but you could at least watch where you’re going. What if you fall or step on a sea urchin?”

A week ago he would’ve told you to step on a sea urchin for fun. 

“I’ll be fine,” you tried again. “It was just a mild concussion. You can stop being so guilty about it.”

“You keep saying that but five minutes ago I watched you almost fall down the stairs.” He had a point, but you were nothing if not equally stubborn.

“You’ve watched me fall down the stairs plenty of times before. Don’t be so dramatic.”

He sighed deeply. “Yeah, whatever. Let’s just find a good spot: I want to beat Jeonghan this year.”

The annual sand castle contest was the highlight of the summer. Every summer your friends would gather their shovels, buckets and miscellaneous objects in order to beat each other in building things out of sand. You too enjoyed this tradition. 

However, this year, it seemed you couldn’t compete against Seungkwan like you usually did.

“You’re on my team,” he told you just as you were about to sit down near Vernon. You didn’t have time to protest before Seungkwan was dragging you over to his own spot. “This year we are putting aside our differences and building this castle to beat Jeonghan.”

You wanted to argue – at least a part of you did – but he was insistent and clearly not listening to your complaints. Neither were any of your other friends, choosing to instead snicker at your whines and curses as you helped Seungkwan build towers out of sand and rocks.

After half an hour, you found your complaints silencing. Your mind was so occupied with making this castle perfect that you had no time to worry about the fact that Seungkwan was sitting barely a metre from you, little less about the fact that his hand kept brushing against yours. 

“You know, this is coming out quite pretty,” you mused after a while, taking a momentary pause to admire your craftsmanship. 

Indeed, the towers were straight and the castle walls weren’t as lopsided as those of Seungcheol and Jeonghan’s palace. Seungkwan had even placed little seashells as decorative windows on the walls.

“We make a good team, I guess.” He chuckled as if not believing his own words. His eyes caught your own, shining bright. “Who would’ve thought?”

Just as you became aware of his fingers brushing against yours under a thin layer of sand, your heart got caught in your throat. He reached out his free hand and brushed his thumb across your cheek, eyeing it attentively.

“You had a little sand there, silly.” His words were hushed and yet they sounded too loudly for your ears. “There you go.”

His smile appeared only briefly as he checked your face over, looking for another trace of sand, and then he turned back to the castle. “Okay, let’s keep going. We need to beat Jeonghan.”

You would remain in a daze for hours to come.

The rocking chair swung back and forth under you. Its creaking was the only noise left in the beach house at 3 am. The boys had long gone to sleep, already deep in dreamland. 

But you? You rubbed your cheeks, your forehead, your temple, and hugged your knees to your chest. 

“I don’t like Seungkwan,” you mumbled to yourself, eyes wide with horror at the implications. “I do not like him even a little bit. He is annoying, loud and stubborn. I don’t like him.”

Your mind seemed to be split in two: one part rationalising that you must have been going insane, the other part felt like a villain keen on reminding you of his fond eyes and bright smile. How could you make any decisions in this state of mind?

You cleared your throat and tilted your head back. “I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. And he hates me.”

And yet the relief that came with the words was quickly followed by a painful tug at your heart. Your lips falling into a pout, you whispered, “And he hates me…”

There had been a time when you did like him. It had been a while back, when you were silly and dumb and did not know the dangers that men bring along. You had liked him, been stupidly fond of his warm smile and loud jokes. You had loved hearing his singing at the back of the classroom.

“No,” you sighed and hid your face in your hands, “I hate him and always hated him. I don’t like him.”

“Don’t like whom?” 

His voice seemed to haunt your very being. For a moment you were sure you were just hallucinating – something you suspected yourself to be doing more and more often because there was no way you were feeling any kind of fondness for Boo Seungkwan. 

And yet when you opened your eyes, he stood there, at the bottom of the staircase. His hair was a mess, sticking up left and right. His eyes were drooping and yet they seemed to look right into your soul.

When you gave him no answer, he chuckled. “Aren’t you coming to bed? The couch would break your back.”

Had he always been so thoughtful?

“I’m good,” you whispered, closing your eyes and willing him to go away. You cursed the little joyful singing in your heart at the idea of him coming to check on you – you weren’t supposed to like him even a little bit. 

You felt a warm hand on your wrist and opened your eyes again. He was there, closer than before now, and wearing a warm smile. 

“Come on,” he mumbled, tugging at your hand gently, “you should get some sleep. Else you’ll be all grumpy again tomorrow.”

“I’m always grumpy.”

“Maybe you wouldn’t be if you slept properly. Come on.”

He tugged you up and you found yourself not resisting. You just let him lead you, as if you were a fool. 

The horrendous pink door of the bedroom soon came into view. He pushed it open and pulled you inside, already ushering you towards the covers. 

“Sleep,” he sighed deeply and closed the door before stumbling over to his side of the bed. 

You couldn’t find it in yourself to move as he tucked you in. His fingers worked fast to wrap the blanket around you as tightly as possible, brushing against your skin every few seconds. 

Soon, his head fell against his pillow, face a bit too close too for your comfort, and he fell asleep, a content smile on his face.

As soft snores filled the room, you whispered one last time, “I do not like him.”

His eyes seemed to follow you around as you walked around the festival grounds, arm linked with Seungcheol’s. You tried your best to avoid his lingering glances.

“Are you okay?” Seungcheol eventually wondered as your mind fogged over with thoughts of your feelings for the umpth time of the night.

You straightened your back and shook your head. “Yeah, why?”

“You seem a little off.” Though he looked at you with concern, the look in his eyes did not make your heart skip a beat or angels sing in your head. His gaze was friendly and fond, and yet Seungkwan’s had been even more so.

Receiving no answer, Seungcheol sighed softly before declaring, “I’m going to go get something to drink. Do you want anything?”

You shook your head. And off he went, leaving you to your selfish thoughts.

As you stumbled over to a nearby bench, your mind returned to the morning: to when Seungkwan had stood in front of you, a small smile on his face.

((He shrugged and looked at his feet in a manner that one could almost describe as sheepish. Almost because this was Seungkwan – he was never sheepish. 

“There’s a film festival down at the edge of the town tonight. If you’d like to go…” He offered another small smile, one that looked almost hopeful in a way.))

In your sleepy state, you hadn’t had the heart to say no to him. And so, you had tagged along with him, Seungcheol and Vernon to this festival where you knew nobody but them.

Vernon was long lost in the crowd. He had found some old friends living in the area, but he probably also made some new friends. That was easy for him no matter how much he tried to convince you it was not.

Seungcheol was now gone as well, searching for drinks to survive that one action film headlining at the festival.

This left you alone with the one person you both longed for and wanted nothing to do with. Though he was a few paces behind, Seungkwan soon found his place next to you on the bench.

He made a show of waving his hand in front of his face for fresh air and stretching his legs out. “It’s so hot today!”

It was not. You had borrowed Vernon’s jacket because of the chilly wind. 

Then, without another word, he stretched his other hand in front of you, holding out a stick of pale blue cotton candy. 

“Do you want a piece?” he offered sweetly, smiling once again. He was smiling a lot these days. 

But you were hungry and in dire need of something sweet to hold you over, so you grabbed a piece anyway. What was supposed to be a small piece ended up being well over the size of your palm. Seungkwan laughed at the sight.

“A bit greedy, huh?” He inspected the stick. “I should’ve gotten two then.”

“That was your first mistake,” you agreed while eating the sugary good. 

He chuckled. “What was my second mistake then?”

“Sharing with me,” you deadpanned and ate some more. You avoided his eyes. “But thanks.”

He hummed and ate some candy as well.

The atmosphere was serene considering the masses of people passing by. You could hear the soft jingling of wind chimes from the food tents and the laughter of kids running by. It wasn’t even that cold with Seungkwan sitting beside you, as close as he could be. 

You shoved the thought away and the piece of candy into your mouth. 

Seungkwan laughed. “You got some here.” You watched as he pointed at the corner of his lips and tried to mimic him. You failed to get the piece of candy.

He laughed some more at you before deciding, “Let me, let me.”

And then he was impossibly close to you, his thumb brushing away the stray string of cotton candy. His hand lingered on your chin and his nose was barely an inch from touching yours. You felt your breath hitch in your throat. 

A part of you must have been expecting this: how else could you have stayed still as he leaned closer? All this time you spent hating him and here you were, unable to look away from his eyes.

And then it happened – the thing you both dreaded and wished for, both hated and loved. His lips brushed against yours in a sweet kiss.

As your eyes fell closed, you wondered if you could ever close your eyes again without remembering this and swooning. Though you wanted to run, to escape your feelings and Seungkwan, you found yourself pressing closer to him.

Your hands rested in his hair, his arm wrapped around your waist. 

You were kissing Seungkwan and you didn’t hate it one bit. 

That thought scared you more than anything had before. You didn’t hate his lips against yours, or his hand on your waist. You didn’t even dislike it. 

Gathering the last bit of your hate for him, you shoved him away and stood up. Your lungs screamed for air so loudly that you didn’t even hear him call your name as you rushed out of the festival grounds.

Before long, you were breaking into a run. You briefly remember meeting Vernon’s eyes as you passed him by, his voice calling after you in chorus with Seungkwan’s.

Without even realising it, you ran back to the beach house and locked yourself in the bedroom. The annoyingly pink door slammed shut behind you as you rested against it, letting your body slide to the floor. You tried to catch your breath and will your tears to disappear.

You were in love with Boo Seungkwan. Fuck.

“I can’t do this,” you whispered to yourself, sliding a hand across your face. “I don’t even like him.”

But he seemed to like you. Why else would he run after you this whole way? Why else would he brush past Jeonghan and Jihoon’s curious glances and questions, especially with the latter on the verge of yelling upon seeing you in distress? Why else would he knock on the obnoxiously pink door, begging you to open it?

“Please let me explain,” he begged you. You could hear his voice getting more hoarse and trembling: he was crying too. 

You were a pair of fools, and that’s why you did not deserve any of this.

He sniffled. “Aren’t you going to talk to me? Am I that bad of a person? Do you hate me that much?”

As words threatened to spill from your lips, you held your breath. No, you both deserved better than this. You couldn’t be in love with someone you hated so much.

Now he began sobbing. “Do you hate me so much when I love you so? … I guess I’ve been the fool all along. I’m sorry.”

Nor could you hate someone you loved so dearly.

You couldn’t sleep. Not after that evening.

The bed that usually felt too full felt too empty to be comfortable. He should’ve been there beside you. You squeezed your eyes shut.

But every time you closed them, his smile, his eyes, the feeling of his lips against yours appeared in your mind. You opened your eyes again and glared at the morning sun. It had been an entire night already.

Wordlessly, you unlocked the door and walked out of the room. You made an effort to go down the stairs as silently as the pads of your feet would allow, only to freeze when you looked towards the couch.

Seungkwan sat there, facing away from you. Blankets bunched up around his waist, he ran his hand through his hair for what appeared to be the 200th time that night. You had never seen him this distraught.

You longed to reach out and comfort him. You wished he’d come to you and comfort you. And yet you did nothing.

“Are you still upset with me?” he whispered into the cold house, not even turning to face you. He didn’t give you a chance to answer and immediately buried his head further into his hands. “God, I’m such a fool.”

You swallowed down the clump in your throat. “Do you want to go for a walk?” You breathed in deeply before adding, “With me?”

He visibly perked up at the sound of your voice, finally turning to you. He gaped at you. “You– You want to…”

You didn’t say anything else, opting to just walk out of the beach house. You left the front door open behind you – a silent invitation.

As you walked towards the beach, you wondered if he could hear your call. 

Your doubts were washed away with the sound of steps on the sand. He had heard your invitation and soon stood beside you on the beach. Your hand brushed against his ever so lightly, a sense of electricity pulling them together.

There were a million words you longed to tell him. Tell, because you no longer had any wish to yell at him. You couldn’t find the spark inside you that hated him so much just a few days ago. Maybe you had imagined it the whole time. 

Words were slow to form in your head, their lack of speed only trumped by that of sentences. It was frustrating.

“I don’t hate you,” you whispered to him once you found the words and courage. You took a deep breath but breathing felt a little easier now. “I thought I did, but I don’t know if I ever really hated you at all.”

You felt his eyes on you even when you didn’t look his way. 

“I never hated you to begin with,” he told you in a hushed whisper. The tips of his fingers brushed against yours with intent. “I was annoyed by you, sure. But I never actually hated you. I thought you were stubborn and annoying and too stuck in your little fantasies to see what was right in front of you, but I never could find the means to hate you.”

You sighed. “You loved me this entire time, didn’t you?”

He chuckled without any humour. “Did Vernon tell you that? I knew I couldn’t trust him with my secrets.”

“No.” You finally looked him in the eyes. They were the same warm brown shade as before, full of life and fondness that you never recognised before. “You were the one that told me. Last night.”

He gasped. “You heard me?”

You nodded and held his cheek in your hand. Your thumb reached out to wipe a stray tear off his face. 

“And you don’t hate me either.” He leaned into your hand, his eyes closing as he relaxed and felt the burdens of the world melt away. 

You didn’t feel the need to push him away this time. Instead your heart screamed to hold him closer. Your free hand wrapped around his fingers, locking them together. 

“Then,” he whispered, eyes opening again to look at you, “won’t you give me a chance?”

There didn’t seem to be enough words to answer him. You squeezed his hand a little tighter and tugged him back towards the beach house. 

He didn’t hesitate to follow you back to the house, up the stairs, through the pink door. He didn’t ask any questions as you pulled him to lie down next to you on the bed, hands still intertwined. 

You rested your forehead against his chest and let your eyes close. His lips brushed against your forehead ever-so-gently. This time you leaned into it and stayed there. 

You hoped it was an answer enough until you’d find the words to say. 

[The End]

note: I considered writing a cheeky little epilogue where the ceiling of his room finally gets fixed and everyone realises they’re dating, but I kind of like this ending more so :) 

#seventeenweeklyarticle #seungkwan x reader #seungkwan scenarios #seventeen fic #seventeen x reader #seventeen scenarios #Avy writes

[junkissed]

hii do you know other tumblr accounts that write fluff svt fics?

hi! i'm sorry, most of the writers i know are smut writers so i don't have many blog recs that are sfw :(

@dkakapizzaboy | @dokyeomblr | @wondernus | @vernblr | @twogyuu | @pepperonidk | @leejungchans | @seokmingiggles (on hiatus) | @ravixen | @wooahaes | @etherealyoungk | @rasparagus

that's all i can think of for now, but you can always check out svt networks such as @caratwritersclub and @seventeenweeklynet, they have lists of all their members most of which are sfw blogs :)

you can also check out my blog @junhui-recs, although i reblog a lot of nsfw there you can block certain tags so you only see sfw recs!

#hope this helps! #🌇 : june.recs #🌠 : asks #🌠 : anon

[btsweeklynet]

Welcome to BTSWeeklyNet!

At BTSWeeklyNet we produce quality, engaging content in our paper consistently for ARMYs worldwide, and we are excited to share our wonderful authors’ stories and photographers’ media with you! Please feel free to enjoy our newest editions of this paper by taking a scroll down this blog at any time, we’re so thankful for your support!

Want to meet the editor-in-chief of our newspaper? Check out her blog here! -> @bangchan-fairy

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We hope you enjoy our current editions, and be sure to check back soon for more! :)

#newspaper layout #bts #bangtan sonyeondan #bts gifs #bts gfx #bts x reader #bts x you #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts series #bts headcanons #bts reactions #bts fic #bts au #bts fake texts #bts social media au #bts smau #bts fluff #bts angst #bts fanfic

[woozi]

the gif resource post is amazing, ty for the resource!! i know you’re not a fic writer so this is a long shot, but do you have a similar post for fics? or do you know of a post like that with a collection of networks and tags to use? i’m new to both gif creating and writing so i’m just trying to find resources

so i did a bit of crowdsourcing & digging around but i couldn't find much </3 the only svt-centric ones i've seen so far are @theseventeentown, @caratwritersclub, and @seventeenweeklynet. @svteditors also rbs fics but they have to be nsfw :)

#sorry this isnt very helpful but i also suggest looking at other writers' tags when they post!! #if anyone also knows more tags please feel free to chime in!! #anon #y.ask

[pepperonidk]

hey howdy hey! welcome to my blog!

i’m jem and i write for svt ♡ always down to talk about anything!!↳ icebreaker question: which member would u treat to mcdonald’s and which member would you fight behind the mcdonald’s?

25 || she/her || intj meet the author || send in your requests! (see rules first) member of @caratwritersclub & @seventeenweeklynet

main blog: @pepperonijem || studyblr: @spideynotes

minors DNI thank u !

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✿ all members ✿ ✿ hyung line ('95-'96) ✿ ✿ maknae line ('97-'99) ✿ ✿ recommendations ✿

✿ most recent ✿

All My Love — He's cool, smart, attractive... and completely out of your league. But that won't stop you from falling head over heels for him. (Wonwoo, series) in this life and the next — dragons, deities, dreams (oh my!), aren't enough to keep you from your lover. (Wonwoo, fluff, drabble) let it snow — what does it feel like to be loved by Joshua Hong? It feels like coming home. (Joshua, fluff) roads diverged — life is full of diverging roads, but it's okay as long as Joshua's walking beside you. (Joshua, comfort, drabble)

(updated 04.20.2024)

#svt masterlist

[idyllic-ghost]

title: The Most Precious Thing pairing: nurse!jeonghan x surgeon!reader genre: hospital au, fluff, secret relationship warnings: medical talk (tumors, brain biopsy, potential cancer), mentions of food/not having time to eat, stress synopsis: you and jeondhan had been dating for a few months. since you worked at the same hospital, you decided to keep it a secret so as to not complicate things with your colleagues. however, during a moment of weakness, one of them figures you out. wordcount: 3.6k taglist: @enhacolor, @shuabby1994, @junhui-recs, @dkakapizzaboy, @just-here-to-read-01, @loviehan, @userjunhuii, @novalpha, @bubblymoon, @aaniag, @d0nghyuck, @fantasy2wonderland, @seunghancore, @woozixo, @niktwazny303, @lllucere, @uniq-tastic, @wonwoospartyhat, @stariightjoyy, @hyneyedfiz, @cali-snow, @pearlygraysky, @crazywittysassy, @yeosayang rating: PG 13

request: nurse!jeonghan x surgeon!reader with prompt 2 and 53 (requested by @tfmingyu) prompts: 2. "i like the way your hand fits in mine" 53. "do you believe in soulmates?"

a/n: after a very long time of keeping this request in my drafts, and after many major changes to the story - it's finally here! i'm sorry for taking so long!!

join my taglist

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"You have another appointment you need to look at, Doctor Y/L/N," Jeonghan said as you walked past, enunciating your title in a slightly mocking manner.

"Remind me of that later, nurse Yoon," you answered and doing the same to him. "I have a patient waiting for examination results."

Jeonghan took the file from your hands and looked at it while walking beside you. He let out a few hums and eventually gave it back to you. You looked at him with an arched brow, questioning if he really understood what it said.

"I understood about half of it." He nodded. "Checks out."

"The patient has a brain tumor." You sighed. "We need to do a brain biopsy... and I have to tell them, which is stressing me out."

The two of you walked into the elevator and you pressed the button for the third floor. Jeonghan wasn't sure why he had followed you, he technically had to be on the first floor at this moment. Today was luckily a slow day, a near impossible occurrence - but he was lucky. The doors closed, and the elevator quickly moved up.

"You're stressed about telling them and not doing the surgery?" He scoffed. "Every day you surprise me more."

The elevator dinged, signaling that you had arrived on the third floor. Before the doors could open, Jeonghan leaned down and placed a quick kiss on your cheek. You looked over at him with wide eyes, but you had no time to scold him for kissing you at work - the doors were already open.

"Good luck with that patient!" he said in a sing-song voice.

"You're not coming with me?" you asked as you walked outside the elevator, trying to act normal.

"Oh no, I have to be at reception." He gave you a Cheshire-cat grin as the doors closed.

Another sigh escaped your lips, but you couldn't help but smile. He was always risky, even if you tried to convince him to not be suspicious while at work. The two of you had started dating a few months ago. Meeting at a hospital doesn't seem very romantic, but Jeonghan was surprisingly good at making any situation into a sweet one. You had told him to keep things secret, while he didn't care either way. His carefree look on life did get on your nerves at times, but you looked past it for how good he was to you otherwise. Like now. He could see your stress from a mile away and went with you as far as he could go to try to cheer you up. It was cute. He was cute.

After telling your patient the news and explaining what you would need to do, they obviously freaked out a bit. They hadn't come in expecting a brain tumor, and now you were telling them that you had to make a small insition in their skull and take a sample of the said tumor to see if it was cancerous. Like any surgery, it didn't come without any risks, and you of course had to tell them that. After being a bit sympathetic you left, a tension headache already starting to affect you. As you walked through the corridor you started feeling a bit dizzy and stumbled to the wall to hold yourself up.

"Y/L/N?" a familiar voice said.

A pair of strong hands held you up. When you looked beside you a colleague of yours stood beside you. Choi Seungcheol, you were in the same undergrad class but ended up specializing in different areas. You in general surgery, and him in oncology. It was mere chance that you had ended up working at the same hospital. When you told your friends, they dreamily answered that it must be fate - to which you responded with that the cute doctor was involved with someone else, much to their dismay.

"Oh, Choi I actually need to speak with you..." You breathed out. "I just need to sit down for a bit..."

"Let's focus on you first. Have you had time to eat anything today?" he asked as he led you to the elevator.

"I'm fine... listen, I'm about to do a brain biopsy," you explained weakly as you watched him push the button for the first floor, "I'm pretty sure it's a cancerous tumor, it makes sense with the patient's other symptoms. I just want your opinion on something-"

"Y/L/N, did you eat today?" he asked again, ignoring what you were saying.

He was still holding you up, which you were incredibly thankful for because your legs felt like they were about to give out. With your right hand, you steadied yourself against the railing in the elevator which let him loosen his grip on you.

"I ate around ten AM.", you said, "I've been working since, I didn't have time to get lunch."

It was only a little bit of a lie since you wouldn't qualify the thing you ate as your meal. It wasn't enough to keep you satisfied for the rest of the day, and therefore, not sufficient. What dr. Choi didn't know, he couldn't criticize you for.

"Then we'll get you something to eat," Choi put simply, "After that, I'll give you my opinion on your case."

The elevator doors opened, and the two of you walked out. Dr. Choi sat you down on one of the waiting chairs and went over to the vending machine. You watched as he fed the machine some cash and pushed on some buttons, bending down to pick up the item as it fell down the machine. Soon enough, the doctor came back to you with a energy bar.

"Just to get your blood sugar up," he said and handed it to you.

"Y/N?" From a distance, you could see that Jeonghan was running up to you.

You cringed at his usage of your first name. It wasn't professional, which is why you wanted to avoid it. The man beside you raised his brows at the use of your first name. Clearly it surprised Doctor Choi a bit which only made you feel worse. Jeonghan finally arrived at your side, his eyes full of worry at the sight of your slumped form.

"Are you alright? You look sick," he crouched down in front of you.

"They just need to eat a bit," Choi chimed in. "Then they'll be just fine."

"You haven't been eating?" Jeonghan ignored the fact that your colleague just said you'll be fine.

"I didn't have the time, nurse Yoon," you said sternly. "I'll be fine, it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? You should give yourself time to eat." He sighed.

"Well, thank you for your medical advice," you said sarcastically. "But as I said, I didn't have the time. I have patients that need my help."

"I'm going to give you two some space..." Seungcheol interrupted. "Come over to my office when you can Y/N, I'll look over the case."

You were about to stop him from leaving, but Jeonghan grabbing your hands distracted you. You looked over at him, forgetting that you still had to consult dr. Choi on a myriad of things. Jeonghan had a serious look on his face as he sat down beside you.

"Why don't you have time to eat?" he asked. "You should at least be able to eat some sort of energy bar while in between places."

"I didn't have anything on me." You sighed and rested your head against your palm. "I'm sorry for being angry... you didn't do anything wrong."

"I know that, sweetheart." He chuckled and threw an arm around your shoulders. "When does your shift end? Do you think you can get off early if it's for health reasons?"

"I just need to eat a bit, Jeonghan, I'm not sick." You looked up at him with a thankful gaze.

"Oh, I know..." He smiled. "But nobody else does."

"I'm not going to lie to anyone!" You laughed, a sense of relief flooding your systems at how carefree you could be around him.

Usually, you would've told him to keep his hands to himself, but it felt so nice to have him take care of you. So damn it all, you thought as you leaned your head on his shoulder. For once you let your walls down at work, and you just hoped nobody would see.

"Come to me when you're done for the day," he said. "We can go get take out and I can stay the night at your place to make sure that you'll actually get to sleep."

"That sounds nice." You nodded and sat up. "Now I need to talk to Dr. Choi about my patient, though."

"Go get some better food at the cafeteria first." Jeonghan grabbed your hand before you could walk away. "Just a sandwich and some water, it doesn't have to be anything big."

You nodded and stayed there in front of him. He was smiling brightly up at you, and you just couldn't walk away - mostly because he was still holding your hand. You tried to discreetly signal for him to let go of your hand, but he didn't get it. He didn't get it, or he was pretending to be oblivious. As much as you loved him, he could be infuriating at times.

"Jeonghan," you whispered. "Why are you still holding my hand?"

"Because I like the way your hand fits in mine," he teased. "What? You want me to let go?"

All you did was let out yet another sigh, but Jeonghan gave in and let go of your hand anyway. He liked to tease you, but he wasn't about to start driving you insane when you're this stressed out. No, that would be saved for occasions where he would actually enjoy watching you get flustered. You said goodbye and were on your merry way to the cafeteria, unaware of how your boyfriend's gaze lingered on you until you were out of sight.

By the time your shift ended you felt like your legs were about to give out from under you. However, when you made your way to the reception all of the stress washed off your body, like taking a cold shower after a hot workout, as soon as you saw Jeonghan. He smiled at you, and you nodded to him.

You walked out alone and sat down in the passenger seat of Jeonghan's car. Luckily, you had taken the bus today, which meant that Jeonghan could drive you home. A few minutes passed, and he joined you in the driver's seat.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked as he put on his seat belt and started the car.

"I'll go for anything right now, just let me put some greasy food in my mouth." You groaned dramatically.

"Coming right up," Jeonghan chuckled.

The couch felt so unbelievably soft. Never had you considered your very own couch to be this great of a buy, but considering how comfortable you were right now it might be the best thing you had ever bought in your entire life. All of the credit couldn't go to the couch, of course, because some of it also had to go to Jeonghan. You were snuggled up on his chest, your legs laying in between his, and his arms wrapped around you. A warm blanket was laying over the two of you. On the coffee table stood two boxes of empty Chinese take-out, the closest thing you could find to the hospital.

"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" Jeonghan muttered, despite him also being half asleep.

"I think I might be." You shifted so that you could meet his gaze. "Weren't you going to make sure I got a good night's sleep?"

"I don't think this is the optimal place for sleeping," he retorted with a smile.

"Well, I think it is." You put your forehead against his chest. "You're such a good pillow, baby, don't worry."

"Come on, angel, let's get you to bed." Jeonghan chuckled and helped you sit up.

He walked with you to the bathroom, where you brushed your teeth together. There were two toothbrushes in your restroom: one was yours, and the spare one was for Jeonghan whenever he would come over. It was always a nice reminder for you when he wasn't there because it was the story behind the toothbrush that made it so special.

It was about the fifth time that Jeonghan had stayed over, and he had forgotten his toothbrush, which was an honest mistake but still very annoying. You didn't have any extra toothbrushes at home, so the two of you had to go to the nearest store and buy some. Earlier that week, your car had broken down and it was raining heavily outside without any sign of stopping. Both of you were determined to get that toothbrush so, while holding the hoods of your jackets over your head, you ran through the rain all the way to the store. When you got home, with a toothbrush and some extra toothpaste in a plastic bag, you couldn't help but burst out laughing. With anyone else, this occurrence would infuriate you because how can someone forget a toothbrush? However, it wasn't just some person, it was Jeonghan, and it made you realize that you'd do anything with him.

"What are you looking at?", Jeonghan managed to get out, despite the toothpaste in his mouth.

You hadn't realized that you had been staring at him through the mirror. He wore a sly grin on his lips, as he always did when he caught you doing something that he could use to potentially fluster you. You just shook your head with a small smile and kept on brushing your teeth. When you turned your attention to your reflection in the mirror, Jeonghan spat out the toothpaste he had in the sink and washed his toothbrush. His arms snuck around your waist and he peppered a bunch of kisses on your cheek.

"You have toothpaste on your mouth! Stop!" you shrieked, followed by a laugh.

"Tell me why you were staring at me!" He grinned.

"It was nothing!" you whined, but he only started attacking your neck instead. "Stop it! You're getting toothpaste all over me..."

He stopped, leaning his temple against yours as he met your eyes through the mirror. You washed your toothbrush and wiped off the toothpaste he had gotten all over you, then wiped off the toothpaste from the corners of Jeonghan's mouth.

"I hate you," you grumbled.

"I love you too." He grinned.

The two of you waddled out of the bathroom, turning off the lights as you left, Jeonghan still holding onto you. It had started raining outside, like the day you had gotten drenched in search of a toothbrush. As you got into bed, Jeonghan crawling in beside you, you kept thinking about that day. It all crashed down upon you, a sort of enlightenment, as he looked lovingly at you.

"Do you believe in soulmates?" you asked softly.

"I don't know." He said as he brought you closer into his arms. "I guess I've never thought about it."

The rain kept on falling outside, creating a melodic sound against the rooftop and your windows. You put your head on his chest to avoid eye contact. It was all too embarrassing to act like this. Not that Jeonghan made you feel like you couldn't, he was an affectionate guy, but you just weren't the type to act like that. Never had you been the type to say it first, but there had to be a first time for everything.

"Because I kind of think..." you muttered, "I kind of think I might've found one."

"A soulmate?"

"Mhm..."

"Who?"

You went quiet. It was a hard thing to say. Now you wished you hadn't said anything, to begin with. If you hadn't, you would've been asleep by now.

"You," you finally whispered out, barely audible.

Now it was Jeonghan's turn to be quiet. Your entire body ached with anticipation, and you wish he would just say something to break the tension already. He didn't. He pulled you even closer to him, so impossibly close.

"A nurse and a surgeon being soulmates..." he muttered. "It definitely sounds like a cliché... I'm down for it."

It wasn't quite what you had meant, but Jeonghan knew that. He knew you wouldn't be able to say what you actually wanted to, that you would try to say it metaphorically just in case he didn't feel the same, and that you wanted him to play along. Of course, he wouldn't do that. He wanted to hear it from your lips, if you were comfortable enough around him you would.

"That's not...", you sighed because you knew that he knew, "I love you, Jeonghan."

His hands went to the back of your head, gently patting it. His lips met your forehead to place a kiss there, and you felt him smiling.

"I love you too, Y/N.", he said.

The next morning you woke up with no one beside you. Your alarm clock had woken you up, but the sunrise shining through the windows did the trick too. You were in a complete daze as you walked out to your kitchen to make your breakfast before you had to storm off to work.

"Good morning, pretty," a smooth voice echoed through your head, and you almost thought that you were still dreaming.

"You got out of bed before me?" you said as you rubbed your eyes.

"Yeah." He brought you a sandwich and forced it into your hands. "I made you breakfast, and I prepared you a lunch."

There was a box laying on the counter and a water bottle standing beside it. You looked between the lunchbox and your boyfriend, and you felt yourself start to tear up. Maybe it was because you were still tired, or maybe it was just because you didn't expect the sweet action. You wrapped your arms around Jeonghans middle and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," you said.

"You can thank me by eating it later today. When is the biopsy scheduled for?" he asked.

"It's right before lunch." You pulled away from him and pretended to rub your eyes again to dry away any tears that might be there.

"Eat it right after the biopsy then," he said. "Now, let's hurry up. We have to go get ready."

Quick footsteps made their way through the corridor. You were in a hurry to see Doctor Choi. He had looked over your notes last week, but now you actually had results he could look over. You didn't want to screw this up, this month had already been hell and if you could just get one thing perfectly done you'd feel satisfied.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," you said as you walked into his office and put your papers on his desk. "Could you take a look at these for me?"

Seungcheol picked up the papers and looked through them, reading them thoroughly. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, but his expression made you nervous. You had a bad habit of always biting your nails when you got nervous.

"It looks good, I think it's like you said before." He nodded and looked up to you with a comforting smile. "Biopsy went well?"

"It was just fine..." You sighed.

"Do you want to have a seat?" he asked and motioned for the chair in front of his desk.

"Actually, yeah I would love that." You sat down and immediately slumped over ever so slightly. "I've been running around all over the place, my legs are tired."

Dr. Choi nodded as he looked through a few papers. He was very clearly just trying to find something to keep himself busy with, to stall something he actually wanted to bring up.

"So..." He suddenly had a curious smile on his lips. "You're dating a nurse?"

"What?" You almost jumped out of your seat.

"Yoon Jeonghan, no?" He grinned.

"Did he tell you? I swear to god, I will-"

"He didn't," Choi interrupted. "I just guessed. Thanks for confirming it."

Your eyes shut tight as you leaned your head back and groaned. The secret was bound to be revealed at some point, but you didn't want it to happen just yet. Being surrounded by a bunch of smart doctors wasn't optimal for keeping things hidden.

"You're cute together," he commented. "He clearly cares a lot for you... although you should definitely tell him to lay off while at work if you're trying to be inconspicuous."

"I've tried." A laugh escaped your lips.

There was a pause, a moment of complete silence between you. Seungcheol seemed to be inspecting you in some way, at least it seemed like it when it felt like his eyes were staring into your soul.

"Take care of him well, Dr. Y/L/N," he said and stood up. "I wouldn't be able to see him go through another heartbreak."

"You're friends?" Your eyebrows shot up. "And neither of you told me?"

"It wasn't neccessary, but now that I finally know you're together I think you should know," he said with a still friendly smile. "As I said, he clearly cares about you if he was willing to keep this from me. So please... don't hurt him."

There was something in his eyes that made you curious. He knew something about Jeonghan's past that you didn't. You weren't exactly planning on breaking Jeonghan's heart, so it didn't really matter - but seeing how deeply Seungcheol cared really made you want to know.

"I won't." You nodded.

"Thank you, I'm sure you won't... I just like to be safe, I guess." He motioned for the door to his office. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to do some work."

"Oh, of course." You got up and walked over to the door. "You won't... tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not, Y/N." He gave you one last smile before you closed the door behind you.

Your brain raked with many ideas of what could have happened in the past. Clearly, it was a bad relationship but you were curious as to what exactly happened. As if on cue, Jeonghan walked around the corner.

"Doctor Y/N!" He smiled brightly before looking around himself.

"Nurse Yoon," you greeted with a small giggle as you watched him try to see if the coast was clear.

"I made you a lunch this morning." He handed you a brown paper bag. "You haven't already eaten, have you?"

"I haven't." You grinned and accepted his bag, "Thank you."

It had become a normal thing for him to make you lunches, and you weren't complaining. They were just simple sandwiches for the most part, but it was still special to you.

"Could I... get a kiss as a payment for being such a good boyfriend?" he asked with a sly smile.

"And here I was, thinking you were making me food out of the kindness in your heart." You jokingly put a hand over your chest to fake being offended.

He didn't have much time to respond, since you pressed a quick kiss to his lips. His eyes looked love-drunk when you pulled away. You were starting to understand why Doctor Choi was being careful. Jeonghan was probably the most precious person you had ever met. He may be a trickster, a mischievous little devil, but once you peeled away that layer there was nothing but tenderness in his actions. Everything he did, he did delicately and with a warm heart. Perhaps that's why he made such a good nurse. You smiled at the thought, and Jeonghan's eyebrows knitted together.

"You're staring at me like that again," he muttered. "I wish I could look inside your brain."

"Oh trust me, that's my job - you don't want to do that," you joked, successfully making Jeonghan chuckle.

"I'll see you tonight?" He smiled as he slowly started walking away, his back turned against the way he was walking.

"Of course," you said. "I wouldn't dream of missing it."

His smile widened, finally turning away and walking to wherever he needed to be. You watched him leave, not having the strength to look away.

#jeonghan #yoon jeonghan #seventeenweeklyarticle #seventeenweeklynet #seventeen #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction #kpop #fanfic #kpop writer #svt #seventeen fluff #svt fluff #jeonghan x y/n #jeonghan x you #jeonghan drabbles #jeonghan x reader

[idyllic-ghost]

make it better; dino x reader

request: Hey bestie I loved your Dino “vacation” story so so so much! Hoping for a part 2 or just another Lee Chan fluffy angst? Thank you ☺️

synopsis: after forgetting to pick you up, chan does his best to make it up to you

a/n: short and sweet! i really didn't have any other ideas atm...

cw: being forgotten, swearing, slight angst

genre: fluff, comfort, established relationship

word count: 1.5k

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"Shit, shit, shit...", he muttered as he ran down the stairs of the apartment complex.

The rain was pouring outside, by now you had probably caught a cold, and he wasn't there to pick you up in time. This is his fault, and only thinking about your lonely figure on the side of the street makes him want to cry. You had asked him this morning, in the middle of his dazed mood, if he could pick you up after a job interview. Of course, Chan had agreed and said that it would be no problem. By the end of his day, which wasn't busier than any other day, he had forgotten about you and gone home. Your text reading "where are you?" had gotten him out of his seat on the couch and sprinting down the stairs. Guilt spread through his entire body and leaked into his bones as he got into his car. He could not believe himself.

When he saw you standing alone in the downpour his heart broke even further. There was a sad and disappointed look on your face that Chan was sure he would never be able to erase from his mind. You open the car door and he immediately pulled off his jacket to give it to you. With trembling hands, you take his jacket and put it over your chest.

"I'm so sorry, baby... I didn't mean to, I just-"

"Can you just drive?", you sniffled and turned away from him.

Chan and his friends had joked about how if their partner ever turned their legs toward the door instead of them it meant trouble. But now, when it was real, the action was much more hurtful than he could expect. Your entire body was turned toward the window instead of him, and he felt even lonelier than when he was the only one in the car. But he still couldn't find it in him to feel bad for himself. He had fucked up, and he wasn't about to deny that.

As soon as he had parked in your apartment complex's parking lot, you opened up the door and briskly walked inside. You didn't wait for him inside either, instead letting the elevator doors close right in front of his eyes. Chan pressed the button before it could start moving, and the doors opened again. When he got inside, you didn't look at him. In the mirror, he could see your puffy red eyes. You had been crying. Chan was ready to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness for making you cry, but the elevator doors opened and you stepped outside.

"I'm going to take a shower.", you muttered as you kicked off your shoes and made your way to the bathroom.

Chan carefully put his and your shoes away in the right place before walking over to the bedroom. He pulled out the clothes you usually always stole from him from his closet. It was his comfiest hoody and an old pair of sweatpants. Most of the time he would jokingly complain whenever you stole them, so giving them to you willingly felt strange. You had left the door to the bathroom unlocked. A part of him hoped it wasn't just because you had forgotten, and that you actually wanted him to walk in and pamper you.

"I have some clothes for you, sweetheart.", he said to the closed shower curtain.

You hummed over the sound of the water hitting the floor. Chan put the clothes on a small stool next to the sink and stepped out again, giving you your space. He wracked his brain for something else to do to make up for his behavior. So, he started making you tea and preparing a few blankets for you on the couch. And despite hating the film himself, he put on your favorite movie - ready for the two of you to watch when you got out of your shower.

The door to the bathroom opened and you stepped out in your towel with his clothes in your arms. Chan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but you looked over at him with a small smile.

"You forgot to get me underwear.", you whispered out with the hint of a giggle.

"Oh... well, I made you tea... and I was thinking we could watch your favorite movie.", he said shyly, "Only if you want to, of course."

"It sounds nice.", you nodded.

When you got back from the bedroom, now dressed in his clothes, you immediately went to the couch and grabbed the fluffiest blanket to wrap around you. Chan sat on the opposite end of the couch, watching you carefully as you sipped your tea.

"This won't change the fact that you forgot, you know.", you put down your teacup.

"I know...", he nodded, "And I really am sorry. I completely forgot, like an idiot- and it's not because I would ever forget you, I just... I don't have an excuse. I don't know what happened, really."

A silence fell over the two of you. Neither of you looked away from the other. You didn't want to be mad at him, it didn't feel right, but you still felt hurt.

"Can you promise me to not do it again?", you asked.

"I promise.", he held out his pinky finger.

Giggling, you leaned over and connected your pinky finger with his. Chan put his other hand on your wrist and pulled you toward him, laying you on his chest.

"Did the interview at least go well?", he asked.

"I don't think so...", you sighed and shuffled around to get under his blanket so that you could be closer to him, "It was super awkward... I felt too embarrassed to go inside to wait for you."

"You'll do better next time, baby.", he soothed, "And I won't forget you next time either."

"You better not.", you leaned your hands on his chest to get a better look at his face, "Or I'll get really mad."

"If I ever forget you again, you should just break up with me.", he said, completely serious, "You deserve better than that."

"No, I don't want to do that.", you frowned but then jokingly added, "Who's clothes would I steal then?"

Chan broke out into a big grin and put his arms around you. You pressed a quick kiss on his lips before putting your head on his chest. His hand went to the back of your head after turning on the movie with the remote laying beside him. For you, he'd watch any horrible film thousand times over. However, when you eventually fell asleep halfway through the movie, he turned it off to let you keep resting. Without waking you, he tucked you in a bit better and got comfy - he would lay there for as long as you needed him to.

When you finally woke up, Chan had also fallen asleep. His head had lulled to the side and his mouth was slightly open. He looked so peaceful... so of course, you had to get payback.

"Chan wake up!", you exclaimed and shook his body awake.

Laughter filled the air as Chan startled awake and let out a yelp. He glared at you with tired eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but you started patting his cheeks with your hands - repeating "wake up" with each delicate slap. Eventually, Chan grabbed both your wrists and held them away from his face.

"Stop it...", he groaned, "I was having such a nice dream."

"It's payback.", you said.

"That's fair...", he sighed and opened his eyes, "Did you sleep okay? What time is it?"

Chan started rubbing his face to wake up. It reminded you of when an otter washes their face, and you made sure to remember it to bring it up at a later date.

"It's pretty late.", you hummed and looked at your phone, "Nine PM."

"Do you want to order some food?", he asked, "You can choose whatever you want."

"Yeah?", you grinned

"Whatever you want, sweetheart.", he reassured you and closed his eyes again.

"Thank you.", you pressed another kiss on his lips and started getting up from the couch.

"No, no, no... you don't have to leave.", he whined and clasped your hand before you could go, "You can order right here."

He kept pulling on your hand, making you lay back down on top of him. You chuckled as he let out a content sigh. The two of you stayed there as you placed an order, right until the order came to the door. Chan urged you to stay as he went to get it, and you couldn't argue with that.

The rain kept pouring for the rest of the night, but neither of you cared anymore. While eating, you watched the rest of the movie together and stayed on the couch until it was time to go to bed. Everything was back to normal, and you felt lucky to have a boyfriend who always knew the right words to say and the right things to do to make you feel better.

#dino #seventeen #svt #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction #svt fluff #seventeen fluff #seventeenweeklyarticle #seventeenweeklynet #kpop writer #fanfic #dino seventeen #dino svt #dino fluff #seventeen dino #svt dino #lee chan fanfic #lee chan imagines #lee chan x reader #lee chan

[idyllic-ghost]

glasses; seungkwan x reader

request: i saw this was an option for requesting so i wanted to try (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) is there anything you really want to write about? or if you can't think of something at the moment, may i request seungkwan fluff with prompt 49?

synopsis: your best friend shows up in new glasses, and you just can't stop staring.

prompt 49: "this isn't a date"

a/n: totebag seungkwan au...

cw: mentions of food (cake and coffee)

genre: fluff, friends to lovers

word count: 1.6k

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You had been staring at your best friend for almost ten minutes now. He hadn't noticed yet, and what he didn't know couldn't hurt him... still, you felt bad about looking at him in this way.

The university library was nearly empty, and you were sitting in a small nook where you could be shielded from the few people there. You were supposed to be working on an essay while Seungkwan was studying for one of his finals. The essay you were supposed to be working on needed to be turned in at the end of the week, and you only needed to make some final touches to it. So far, you had done nothing. If Seungkwan knew of this, he would've scolded you for not working - but he was way too engrossed in the book he was reading to even look up.

Seungkwan was your best friend and had been since middle school. The two of you went in separate directions for university, but you still went to the same school. You couldn't help each other with homework anymore, but it was always nice to have some company while working... until today when Seungkwan walked up to the table, happy that you had managed to snag the best table in the library, wearing glasses. Round glasses with a silver frame, perched onto the bridge of his nose. You immediately teased him for needing glasses, your way of hiding how much you liked them on him.

Ever since your senior year of high school, you had been crushing on your best friend. He had always been cute, but something changed during the summer before your last year of high school - he was different from the boy you used to know. Good different. Very good. The glasses only added to his charm.

Your staring had started out as glances from time to time while reading through what you had already written. It only took one extra long stare until you were physically unable of looking away. Now you had fallen off the deep end, and you couldn't get back. If it wasn't for the fact that those glasses made him look so smart, and his focused pout and furrowed eyebrows. Seungkwan looked like a study-date dream come true, in his cute button-up and classy jeans. Compared to your half-shabby self, he looked absolutely stunning. It almost made you start wondering if he was going somewhere after this, or if the library for some reason suddenly had a dress code.

"Are you doing okay?" Seungkwan interrupted your thoughts, bringing you back from staring off into space.

"Oh? Yeah... just tired," you murmured. "You know what? Why don't we uh... we should grab some coffee."

"I'm down for that." He giggled and closed his book. "You look like you need it."

You can't respond. You only laugh quietly and pack up your things. It doesn't take long, you didn't really take anything out of your bag. Seungkwan had swung his tote bag over his shoulder and was now offering a hand to you. You looked between his hand and his face, wondering what he could possibly want from you now. Your brain truly was fried at this moment. To not make him wait any longer, you did the first thing that came to you. With a quick swing of your wrist, you put the strap of your backpack in his hand. A slightly flustered and annoyed smile reached his lips. He huffed and pouted but still put your backpack on his back, leaving you wondering what you did wrong.

There were a lot of cafés around campus, trying to profit off of the poor and tired students and the overworked professors who just needed their daily dose of caffein. However, you knew where to find the best café. Better than any other café on campus. Seungkwan had found it within the first week of going to the university. Neither of you had tried any place after that, it was just that good. Of course, you didn't actually know if there was a better place, but neither of you had the time nor money to try to find it out.

As soon as you walked through the door of the Corner Café, a pleasant ding sound greeted you, followed by the old man who owned the café welcoming you as well.

"Two iced americanos?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Yeah... do you want anything else?" Seungkwan asked you.

You looked through the many assortments of pastries, cakes, and bread. Cupcakes, brownies, gourmet sandwiches, and their specialty chocolate cake. They all looked amazing, especially the chocolate cake, but they were too expensive. You shook your head disappointedly.

"My wallet would start crying," you admitted shyly.

"Don't worry I got it." Seungkwan shrugged. "What do you want?"

"Oh... um..." You looked between him and the display of desserts, you knew better than to argue with Seungkwan over this. "Just a brownie then."

"Hey, come on... get something nicer," he complained and jokingly pushed your shoulder.

"What? Brownies are nice," you argued.

"But they're not fancy," Seungkwan countered.

"It doesn't need to be fancy." You looked over at him with pleading eyes, despite knowing that it never worked on him.

"How about the chocolate cake?" the old man interrupted your bickering.

Seungkwan looked at the chocolate cakes and pulled out his wallet, satisfied with the choice of pastry. The old man smiled and opened the sliding doors to the pastries. You tried to stop your friend, assuring him that brownies were fine, but he didn't let you convince him. This was as close to a compromise as you could get.

"My new server will bring it out for you," the man said as he was ringing you up. "You two can have a seat."

Seungkwan picked the seat you always picked, right in the corner as far in as you could get. There was only a couch seat with a table in front of it. You didn't mind. Sitting so close to your crush may be nerve-wracking, but it didn't make it any less wanted.

"You really didn't have to pay." You sighed as you sat down next to him.

"Of course I did," he said as he put your bags under the table. "I said I would."

His words surprised you, as you didn't remember having a conversation about buying you cake. But you didn't have time to question it, as the new server walked over with your orders.

"Thank you," you said in unison.

"Can I just say you guys are too cute?" the woman said. "Is this your first date?"

"This isn't a date," you said with wide eyes.

"It's not?" Seungkwan turned to you with knitted brows.

The server gave you an apologetic and awkward smile before scurrying away, leaving your americanos and the chocolate cake on the table. When you looked over at Seungkwan you felt a stab in your heart at his sad expression. Worry struck you like an ocean wave. Had he thought this was a date? When had you asked him out on a date? Had he asked you out on a date when you weren't listening?

"Not to my knowledge." You took the iced americano in your hands, the cold glass helping to chill your sweaty palms.

"You asked me out," he accused.

"What? When?" You panicked and put your drink down on the table again, afraid that your shaky hands would drop it. "Are you sure it was me?"

"Yes, it was you!" Seungkwan exclaimed. "We were at that house party a few days ago. You asked me out when we were sitting on the balcony."

You thought back to a few days ago. You remember the house - a big white house, with several floors - and the music, that had been so loud that you couldn't stand it. That's why you had gone out to the balcony with Seungkwan. Memories came flooding back and a groan escaped your lips. Your friends had been trying to get you to confess for ages, and with alcohol in your veins you had stupidly blurted it out while the two of you were alone.

"I'm sorry... I forgot," you mumbled and put your face in your hands. "Oh my god, this is so embarrassing..."

"No, it's not." Seungkwan rubbed your back. "I mean, it's a little bit embarrassing... but you're fine."

A laugh rumbled up from your stomach, and soon Seungkwan joined in too. The two of you let go of all the tension with laughter, and when it was finally gone you looked at each other. He was still smiling, and so were you. It was hard not to when all of the weight on your chest had finally lifted. So many years of pining, only to accidentally go on your first date together today of all days.

"I dressed up for you," he admitted.

"Good to know." You held back another fit of giggles. "I thought the library had gotten a dress code."

"Seriously?" He scoffed. "You're so oblivious."

"I'm oblivious? I was staring at you for like ten minutes and you never even said anything!"

"I noticed that, though." He grinned and started drinking his coffee.

Your face grew warm. He had seen you staring. For ten minutes. You cringed at the fact that you thought you were getting away with it. As Seungkwan laughed, you leaned your head on his shoulder to avoid his gaze.

"It was the glasses," you mumbled out your confession. "I was staring at you because of your glasses."

"You like them?" he asked with a grin.

With a soft smile, you lifted your head from his shoulder again. You studied his features and watched as he grew flustered from your staring.

"They make you look even prettier," you said.

"Oh, stop it!" He couldn't handle the pressure, and gently pushed you away.

"I'm being serious! They suit you!"

The two of you looked at each other, him glaring at you while you grinned proudly. You always enjoyed making him blush. A new feeling was in the air, along with a new tension in your chest. A giddy feeling, instead of a lovesick one. All you wanted to do was squish his cheeks together and dote on him.

"Is this our first date?" he asked suddenly.

"If you want it to be." You nodded and looked back at the cake. "Otherwise I'll pay you back."

"No way."

"Then I'll get the bill on our next date." You were nervous, but you thought it was better to just get it out. "Because I like you, a lot... and I'd like to go out on another date with you."

"I'd like that too... and I like you too." Seungkwan nodded. "Can I hold your hand now? Or are you going to make me carry your bag again?"

"You were trying to grab my hand before?" You chortled.

"It's not funny! I felt so rejected!" he clamored.

To shut him up, you grabbed his hand. When your fingers intertwined it felt like they were made for each other. All this time, and you never knew that his hand was so perfectly structured to fit in yours. You're glad he bought you that cake, and that someone else finally pointed out the obvious mutual feelings - you should really thank that new server. More importantly, you were glad to be holding his hand and you made sure to savor every moment.

#seventeen weekly net #seventeen weekly article #seventeen #svt #kpop #seventeenweeklyarticle #seventeenweeklynet #kpop fanfic #fanfic #svt fluff #seventeen fluff #kpop writer #kpop fanfiction #seungkwan #seungkwan x you #boo seungkwan #boo seungkwan x reader #seungkwan fluff

[idyllic-ghost]

waiting it out; dk x reader

request: hi~~ can you write about reader struggling with mental health and dokyeom finding reader in the midst of a breakdown? with promt #6 from dokyeom but in a i-dont-want-to-freak-you-out way, prompt #44 and #26!! i've been struggling myself lately and watching dokyeom in their videos have really made me feel safe and at home somehow, i feel like he'd be the perfect person to be with at a time like that

prompts: 6. "can i hold your hand?" 26. "if you cry, i'll cry... and that's just going to make it worse" 44. "you need someone. let me be that person. let me be what you need."

a/n: it's not the longest, but i think it might be one of the favorite drabbles i've made so far. it's just a lot of softness...

cw: mentions of stress and anxiety, crying

genre: hurt/comfort, mutual crush

word count: 1.1k

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The moment Seokmin first saw you, he started falling for you. He had met you because you were a new staff member at HYBE. You were always happy and kind and always seemed to see the best in people. He adored your smile, the way you spoke, and how you would close your eyes when you were trying to focus on what someone was saying. He loved everything about you, which was why he had such a massive crush on you. It was something he wasn't planning on acting on since he hadn't a clue if you felt the same way about him. Even if he wasn't going to tell you his feelings, it wasn't wrong of him to try to get to know you. At this point, after hanging out so many times - in groups and one-on-one - he felt like he really knew you. However, his entire perspective on you changed after walking around the corner of the company building and seeing you crouched on the floor.

Seokmin wasn't about to leave you alone when you seemed so devastated, so of course, he approached you. His footsteps made you look up, you looked like a deer caught in headlights. You weren't crying, yet, but your eyes were filled with tears that were threatening to spill out.

"Hey, what's going on? Did something happen?", Seokmin asked as he crouched down next to you.

Those tears that were threatening to spill out came flying out like waterfalls as soon as he spoke. Seokmin panicked, trying to look around for someplace with napkins but of course, there wasn't one.

"Hey, don't cry... if you cry, I'll cry... and that's just going to make it worse.", he let out a panicked and short laugh.

"I'm sorry, it's just-", you mumbled between sobs.

"No, no, no- don't apologize.", he was exasperated, "You didn't do anything wrong, I'm sorry for saying that."

Your sobbing didn't stop. You didn't know what was wrong with you. Usually, you were pretty good at keeping your emotions at bay, but now, with Seokmin in front of you, they came pouring out. The reason you were crouched down in a corner was to avoid people in the first place. However, you didn't mind that he was with you right now. Of course, it was embarrassing to cry hysterically in front of your crush, but he made you feel safe.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?", he asked carefully, and you shook your head in response.

So, he sat down. No words were spoken, he only gently rubbed your back while your sobs slowly turned into whimpers. It felt nice to have him there, like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket after walking around in the snow.

"I'm sorry, you're probably busy...", you mumbled after a while.

"I'm not, I swear.", Seokmin spoke quietly, fearing that if he spoke any louder you might just break, "I'm here for you and I'm not leaving unless you want me to."

His words reassured you that things would be okay, that your feet were still on the ground, and that the world wasn't ending any time soon. He didn't belittle your emotions, you still felt like you were allowed to be upset, he simply showed you that you were safe.

"Do you want a hug? Or... maybe not... can I do something for you? Uh... can I hold your hand?", he stumbled out.

A laugh escaped your lips between all the sniffling, his clumsiness was adorably hilarious to you. You looked up at him, and Seokmin didn't know if it was very appropriate to still find you pretty like this, all teary-eyed with blotchy redness over your face. A sudden movement took hold of his attention, you were reaching out your hand for his. Quickly, he grabbed it and let your intertwined hands rest in his lap.

"Do you want to talk about what's made you upset?", he asked softly, almost inaudible.

"I'm just going through a rough patch... stress, pressure, anxiety... just the usual, you don't want to hear about it.", you brushed him off.

"I do.", he spoke stronger this time, "I can tell that you need someone. Let me be that person. Let me be what you need. Just vent all of your emotions to me, I don't mind."

And vent you did. The two of you sat there for about twenty minutes, you talking about things that had been bothering you, and him just listening to you. Of course, had it been any other person Seokmin knew, he would've done the same, and you knew that. However, him listening to you made you feel special, and it was nice to have someone who cared. Seokmin didn't let go of your hand either. He was rhythmically rubbing his thumb over the back of your palm while he nodded to whatever you were saying... until you had nothing left to say.

"... you know, I can't promise that everything will just magically get better.", he muttered, "We can't solve all of our problems, and that's fine. Life goes up and down, like some sort of sick and twisted roller coaster..."

"That's not what I would expect to hear from you.", you admitted.

"Well, it's the truth, isn't it?", he gave you a small smile, "Moments of happiness or sadness, they come and go as they please. They come fast, and they come slow. They're completely unpredictable, but that's just what life is."

"I guess so.", you nodded, "So then I just fight through it? Is that what you're saying?"

"Not necessarily.", he pondered for a bit, "... sometimes it's nice to lean on someone while waiting for a moment to pass. Wait it out, in the company of someone you like."

The words just came pouring out of him, and he didn't give it much thought. But when he looked at you and saw your big, bright, eyes, he realized that it might've just been what you needed to hear.

"Can I wait with you then?", you asked.

"Lean on me for as long as you want to." he nodded and shuffled a bit closer to you.

Your head fell to his shoulder. It felt so natural to let it stay there, so you did. Seokmin didn't say much after that, from time to time he would make small talk. You would hum, or make a small comment, but not much more. The two of you were left in comfortable silence there in the corner of the company corridor. You were definitely lucky that no one walked past because you really didn't want to move. Of course, the thought of confessing your feelings to him came up, but you decided not to. As did Seokmin. You bottled the feelings you had for each other and put them on the shelf for another time. To be in each other's presence right now was all that mattered.

#dk #seventeen #kpop fanfiction #kpop fanfic #seventeenweeklynet #seventeenweeklyarticle #kpop #svt #seventeen fluff #fanfic #svt fluff #dk x reader #svt dk #dokyeom #kpop writer #seokmin drabble #seokmin imagines #seokmin fluff #seokmin x reader #seokmin

[idyllic-ghost]

the right moment; jun x reader

request: This came out of nowhere but it popped in my head so i needed to send it. Basically i was thinking of a medium?? (honestly do whatever size you feel comfortable with but please don’t have it be super short) sized fic request with 5, 15, and 18 from your promptlist with only fluff and do it for Jun from Seventeen (not a shock since it's from me) but i was thinking it could be about Junhui and his partner (writing them as gender neutral or she/her works fine!!) and how junhui has been trying to get himself to propose for a few days yet he is nervous and also he isn't being low-key about it AT ALL (keeps rubbing his fingers over their ring finger and is happy yet nervous yet loving yet stressed which his partner notices because they know each other like the back of their hands) so basically by his third try/day his partner kinda expects it but isn't sure if they are 100% right about it plus he doesn’t even realize so once he makes this plan for a amazing date to happen the next day and he is finally ready... his partner is just slightly waiting for the proposal as they enjoy their date but at the same time isn't fully focused on it even if they know about it because they are truly so so fond of him and find him truly so lovable even without the proposal thoughts that they basically forget yet because of that they almost reveal they might know the plan and almost ruin the wedding proposal (by saying something random that reveals they know) without thinking but then before they actually accidentally could, they get shocked by junhui (in some way?? Idk how but he does something shockingly romantic and/or something big happens that he planned) so they don’t ruin anything and they can't help but be 1000% genuinely shocked and more in love with jun then they already were and of course in the end they say yes to junhui’s wedding proposal and it’s a happy ever after for the both of them!! - from 🐼 anon

prompts: 5. "what are you smiling about?" 15. "it's always been you" 18. "kiss me"

synopsis: jun has been meaning to propose to you, but he just can't seem to do it... he needs some help.

a/n: ig i'm obsessed with writing jun and sunsets now idk. also, i'm not very good at writing about marriage or engagements, so pls deal with this half-assed storyline

cw: none

genre: fluff, established relationship-

word count: 1.8k

.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆.

It had been a week since his last attempt, and Junhui was more than ready to try again. At least he thought so. But when you're standing in front of him, prettier than ever, and looking at him expectantly, Jun stumbles.

"What did you want to tell me?", you ask softly.

He's holding your hands in his, gently rubbing them with his thumb. It's a nervous habit, constantly needing to move around somehow. The sun is going down in the background, and you're sitting in the kitchen. A quiet and homely proposal was perfect... cozy... safe. But Junhui didn't feel safe. He felt like he was walking on a thin line, strung over a giant pool filled with hungry killer whales.

"It's just...", he's already off to a bad start when those are the first two words that come tumbling out of his mouth after such a long pause.

Subconsciously, his fingertips graze over your left ring finger. The ring was in his pocket. He just had to pull the box out and as you to marry him. It seemed easy enough, but Junhui was incredibly stressed out.

"I love you...", he said meekly and paused again.

"I love you too, Jun.", you smiled at him, "You know I do."

"Yeah... I just...", he took a deep breath, "I wanted to tell you. Just in case you didn't know that I love you..."

He caved. And you let out a small laugh at his aloofness. At the sight of your bright smile, Junhui couldn't feel sad that he had failed for a second time. He was only happy that you were with him, and as they say: the third time's a charm.

You figured out that Jun wanted to propose during his fourth attempt. At the most random times, he would start getting emotional, taking your hands into his and anxiously rubbing your ring finger while he stuttered out some form of declaration of love. Every time you answered with reassuring words about the fact that you loved him too and that he could tell you anything. You couldn't understand why it was so hard for him to say. Then again, you only saw it from your point of view, and you were confident that you loved him and that he loved you. You had considered proposing yourself, but seeing him try so hard made you think it would be rude to not let him do it.

Maybe it wasn't very nice, but you had started teasing him about it. Sometimes you mentioned his mom as your mother-in-law, or you started showing him wedding videos you found while scrolling on TikTok. You liked to think of it as urging him to pop the question instead of just teasing. Of course, Jun didn't see it that way - he was only terrified that you had started catching on.

After his fourth attempt, Junhui went to his friends to get help. He wanted to have planned it all by himself, but now he realized he might just need some help.

"Why would you do it at home?", Soonyoung questioned, "Make a BIG gesture. They'll love that!"

"No, they won't...", Jihoon sighed.

"Why not?"

"Let's keep it low-key, Soonyoung.", Seungcheol agreed, "Cleary, Jun knows Y/N the best, so I think he would try to do something big if they'd like that."

They were sitting in a group in Jun's apartment that he had gotten with you. He had explained to his members that he was planning on proposing but that the moment had never felt right. Obviously, they were furious that he hadn't told them yet, but they were way more excited that they would get to help plan it all.

"Go to the first place you met.", Joshua suggested, "Get nostalgic, you know."

"I don't want to propose to them in a café.", Junhui sighed and leaned back into the couch, "It has to be private."

"What about a garden?", Jeonghan said out of the blue after having been quiet for a while, "Like a botanical garden or someplace with a nice lake."

"I know a place with a gazebo.", Soonyoung added.

"Why do you know that?", some of the members questioned.

"It's nice. I like nice things.", was his only excuse, "Anyway, it's a park, it's near a lake, it has a nice sunset view. If you want something low-key, I think it could be perfect."

Plans were made, and only a week thereafter it was time. Junhui asked you if you wanted to go out for date night. Date night strictly happened at home - it was a time for relaxation that only happened once a week. To spoil it by going out could be a big mistake, but because Junhui had been trying so hard to propose to you lately, you said yes.

It was a nice park, and there weren't many people around. It was the perfect place for a cute proposal. You thought nothing else of it. You were only happy that Junhui seemed much more confident. The two of you walked by a small stream, that was leading you to a much bigger pond.

"Jun, where are we going?", you said as you looked around.

The ground was covered in rocks and beautifully green moss, and everywhere around were trees. You couldn't see much ahead, you were only following Junhui.

"I swear, you'll love it.", he said with a cat-like smile.

"That doesn't answer my question, love.", you said with a giggle.

Jun only kept on smiling, you hadn't seen him this happy in a while. You stopped walking, making him stop as well since you were holding his hand.

"What are you smiling about? Are you leading me to a trap or something?", you asked.

Obviously, you knew he was going to try to propose to you - but you would really like to know where you were going. Sometimes Junhui got strange ideas, and you weren't about to go swimming in a lake even if it meant that he would finally propose to you.

"There's a nice view of the sunset just past these trees.", he explained and looked over to the west, "And if we hurry, we can still make it there in time."

"Fine...", you nodded, "But next date night I get to choose what we're doing."

Junhui only laughed because you knew so little. While the two of you were walking, his friends were placing out roses and candles around the area where he would propose. They should be done by now and far gone from the place. Even if they had argued that they should've stayed for the moment and taken pictures, Junhui specifically asked them not to. This would be a private thing between him and you, no one else should be there.

As you got out of the woods you saw the big pond. There were still some trees around, and the color green completely surrounded the area. Junhui squeezed your hand and led you to a small wooden bridge, with candles lining the railings and flower petals laying on the wood planks underneath your feet.

"Jun, why are there candles here?", you murmured.

Junhui didn't answer. He only kept leading you forward to a gazebo made in marble. Six marble pillars, beautifully carved, held up an iron dome which was sculpted into looking like vines. Music was playing from a speaker, something romantic that you couldn't quite place.

"Jun...", you said as you looked around the place.

He let go of your hand as you walked up to the structure. You rested your hand against one of the pillars before stepping inside. Why you hadn't seen this place before was beyond you, but the lack of other people around made you assume it was because it was well hidden. Jun's arms wrapped around your waist from behind as the two of you watched the sun settle into the horizon.

"Y/N...", he said as you turned around to face him, "I've been trying to ask you something for a while."

He grabbed your hands, his anxious fingertips grazing your ring finger as usual. You couldn't help but smile at the action, as it had become a very endearing trait to you.

"I haven't been able to do it because it never felt right... and I got incredibly nervous.", he chuckled, "But I wanted you to know... it's always been you."

Jun got down on one knee, still holding your hands. Tears started prickling in your eyes as you let out a soft gasp.

"Ever since I met you, something in my heart just... I knew it had to be you.", he stammered, "And I had a speech planned, but I can't remember it anymore..."

The two of you laughed nervously. Your cheeks were hurting from the utmost happiness. Jun pulled out the small black box from his pocket and opened it. A silver ring with a small diamond, something that fit just for you.

"Will you marry me, Y/N?", he said.

"Of course! Yes!", you let out another bubbly laugh.

Jun bit his lower lip in an attempt to hide his big smile. He took the ring out of the box and placed it on your finger... then he waited there.

"... I never planned this far...", he mumbled, "What do I do now?"

"Just kiss me!", you giggled.

He stood back up, his lips meeting yours quickly. Your arms wrapped around his neck and Jun put his arms around your waist. Teeth were clashing against each other when you couldn't contain your smiles. It didn't matter, nothing really mattered except for the person in front of you at this moment. As he suddenly lifted you up you let out a squeal and broke the kiss. Junhui put you back down on your feet and leaned his forehead against yours.

"You finally did it.", you let out a breathy laugh.

"Finally?", he furrowed his brows.

"Yeah, I started catching on that you were trying to propose after some time.", you giggled.

"Are you serious?", Jun sighed and shut his eyes.

"It's okay! I thought it was cute!", you assured him, "I was thinking of just doing it myself for a while, but I didn't want to steal your thunder."

Jun looked at you again. Butterflies, similar to the ones you felt during your first date, flew around in your stomach. Your hand cupped his cheek, and you pressed another kiss on his lips. Just a short one because you didn't want to look away for too long. The burning sensation of his eyes on you made you look away eventually. You took the opportunity to look at the ring placed perfectly on your finger.

"It's really pretty.", you said, "Thank you."

"Pretty people deserve pretty things.", he kissed your temple and you turned back to him to go back into his embrace.

#junhui x reader #kpop #svt #seventeen jun #kpop fanfic #seventeenweeklynet #seventeenweeklyarticle #fanfic #kpop writer #kpop fanfiction #seventeen #seventeen fluff #svt fluff #wen junhui #svt jun #jun #junhui #junhui fluff #svt junhui #junhui scenarios #junhui seventeen #jun x reader #jun seventeen #jun fluff

[idyllic-ghost]

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✿about the writer✿

bee ! 03 they/them libra sun, leo moon, libra rising infj-t

i've been writing on tumblr for a long time, in a lot of different fandoms. outside of tumblr i'm a student, which is why it might take some time between posts. my favorite genre to write for is fantasy and romance, but i'll write any genre !

don't forget to read through the guidelines if you're going to make a request!

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my blog is associated with:

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[junkissed]

about me & faq!

[ carrd • my biases • list of mutuals ]

hi, i'm june!

i'm a full-time student majoring in linguistics! my goal is to be a literary agent and work in the publishing field, and writing here on tumblr is a fun way for me to fill my time and be involved in the writing community :)

i've been a k-pop fan since covid in 2020, and svt has always been my ult group! i'm mostly a boy group fan but i do listen to a lot of gg music and i'm trying to get more into girl groups! feel free to come in my inbox and talk to me about any of your faves!

faq...

why are your blogs separate? i really love organization so i like keeping different types of content separate :) for example i will only reblog gifs on my main blog, i will only post sfw on this blog, i will only post nsfw on onlyhuis, etc. each different type of content has its own place. i know this is a lot of blogs to follow but i promise i won't spam your timeline so feel free to follow whichever of my blogs are interesting to you! you have so many blogs!! which one do i tag? depends on what type of post it is! here's a quick explanation: - for anything nsfw: tag onlyhuis - for fics you want me to read: tag junhui-recs - for gifs, visual creations, random things: tag wenjunehui - for reblog games & chain things: tag junkissed when in doubt, tag junkissed! i will see your post no matter what and reblog to whichever one of my blogs it fits :) so don't stress too much about tagging the right blog!

other places to find me...

my writing blogs: • sfw writing: @junkissed • nsfw writing: @onlyhuis • fic recs: @junhui-recs my misc blogs: • kpop gifs & more: @wenjunehui • jun content: @himbohui • bts content: @lattetata • my silly drawings: @junstagram networks! • admin of: @svthub • member of: @k-labels, @kflixnet, @seventeenweeklynet

© junkissed. last updated 12 july 2023.

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