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kimvvantae · 3 years

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saudade; 2 (m)

➜ no one is born to be alone and no one can be complete in oneself - that’s why, in this world, every person has a pair, someone that complements their soul in every aspect. taehyung, however, is an exception to the rule, for the absence of a mark on his wrist indicates that he, indeed, was born to be alone.

pairing: taehyung x (f) reader

genre: angst, smut • soulmate au, supernatural au

warnings: death and mourning. mental health issues. blood. violence. swearing. explicit sex in future parts. non-explicit sexual content in this chapter. people are mean to taehyung all the time. sexist men from the xix century. NO historical accuracy at all. when i say angst i MEAN IT. when i say this is slow burn i MEAN IT.

rating: 18+

word count: 25k oof

A/N: IT'S HERE!!! i really hope you guys enjoy reading this because i REALLY enjoyed writing it!! please PLEASE don't forget to leave some feedback, your comments are literally what feed my poor soul :)

➜ Chapters: check out masterlist in bio!

“Saudade is a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present.” – Aubrey Bell

➳10

“I can’t believe it.” The man sounds completely enraged. "How dare you come to my property?! What if someone sees you?!"

He looks worriedly from side to side, yet there's no one to be seen; the huge property is quite distant from the rest of the village. The night is cold. A soft drizzle falls over their heads. Thunders can be heard from far and the clouds lighten up from time to time. The air here is fresher, it seems.

The brothel owner smiles, but Taehyung notices that he's actually quite scared. Surprising. Taehyung used to think that the brothel owner would never be scared of anyone. He was the one who scared others.

"I apologize, Mr. Hwang," he says. "I made sure to come at night when no one would be around. But you have to understand that I didn't know what else to do-"

"That's none of my business!" Mr. Hwang storms. "I thought you were a serious man. You swore discretion to me."

"Of course, Mr. Hwang. You are a respectable client of mine, I would never want to embarrass you." The brothel owner is quick to reassure. "That's also why I came here. I know how fair and honest you are, so I thought you would want to help."

Mr. Hwang snorts, crossing his arms.

"And why would I want to help? I already have my children to care for. Why do you think I'd take the son of a whore?"

Taehyung shrinks when he feels Mr. Hwang looking down at him. He recognizes this type of look - disdain, disgust. Taehyung didn't understand why people looked at him like this when he was younger. Now, he does.

The look on the brothel owner's eyes change. Taehyung notices that underlying malice.

"Forgive my words, Mr. Hwang, but I think you're aware that the boy is in fact your-"

"The child of a whore is no one's son." Mr. Hwang interrupts drily. "You can't be sure, can you?"

The malice on his eyes grows. "Well… I am a respectable brothel owner." The man says. Taehyung always thought he somehow sounded like a snake. "I don't usually like it when one of my girls gets pregnant, but when the pregnancy is too advanced… I at least have the decency to not make the girls work until they give birth. And I have a good memory. I remember very well how in love you were with her just a little bit before she got pregnant… how she didn't lay with no other man…"

"I don't care." Mr. Hwang growls. "I have a reputation, do you understand? I have a wife which I respect very much. Respect, do you know what that means?"

"It's because of your strong sense of respect that I came, Mr. Hwang." The brothel owner proceeds to speak. "You see, the poor boy just lost his mother. I can't keep him in the brothel anymore."

"You could give him a job." Mr. Hwang suggests drily. "He can do chores."

"Yes, of course I could do something like that- but you see, the girls don't want to be around him anymore. His presence bothers them."

Mr. Hwang frowns.

"Why is that?"

The brothel owner taps the back of Taehyung's head roughly. "Come on, boy. Show him."

Taehyung doesn't want to.

Yet, hesitantly, he pulls the sleeve of his shirt and shows Mr. Hwang his wrist.

The taller man analyzes the boy's exposed and thin wrist, frowning. "So what?"

The brothel owner inhales.

"The boy turned ten years old three days ago."

Mr. Hwang's eyes widen and he steps back.

"What? Are you sure?" He gasps. "You must be mistaken. He doesn't even look ten years old anyway."

"Of course I'm sure. As I said, I have a good memory."

Mr. Hwang doesn't look at Taehyung with disdain anymore. No; now, his face distorts in something deeper than disgust.

Fear.

"He is cursed. You brought a cursed child to my property! And you expected me to take him?!" Taehyung shrinks even more at every word. "Leave immediately! I don't want to see your faces ever again! Leave before I unleash the dogs!"

The brothel owner still tries, but Mr. Hwang is absolutely livid. He takes Taehyung by the wrist and drags him away as thicker raindrops fall over their heads.

"You see what you did?! See the type of trouble you brought me?!" The brothel owner hisses, Taehyung barely being able to follow his pace. "God. Now I can't even get rid of you. This is what I get from being so tolerant with those girls. Should've just given her the tea when she was pregnant."

Taehyung doesn't understand what "given her the tea" means. He also doesn't understand why the brothel owner is so angry at him - as if he asked for any of this.

He didn't ask for his mother's death. He didn't ask to be born.

He didn't ask to not have a birthdate on his wrist - even though he just turned ten years old.

➳10

Taehyung truly believes that he is cursed.

He doesn't understand why. Perhaps he did something in his past life to deserve this. Ever since the morning of his tenth birthday in which he looked at his wrist and saw no mark inked on his skin, he simply accepted it. Got a little surprised, of course, but he didn't shed a tear. Taehyung was never one to cry anyway. His mother taught him to be quiet; if he's quiet, the brothel owner won't scream at him. If he's quiet, the men that he sees in the brothel won't notice him. So Taehyung learned not to cry, even when he really wanted to.

Taehyung didn't cry when, one morning, he tried to wake his mother up and she didn't. It was odd - even scary - how a kid so young already realized that there was no life inside that body anymore, how he simply connected the dots. Mom had been very sick lately. She said she'd recover - he believed she would - but in the end, she didn't.

The other women cried. He didn't.

“Poor boy!” They said in the midst of tears. “He is shocked. That’s why he can’t cry.”

No. He wasn’t shocked.

Death is part of life. The only certainty we have since we are born is that, one day, we’ll die. Taehyung understood that at a young age. Now, mom is gone and he’ll miss her a lot - but there is no reason to be shocked. Perhaps now she’s in a better place. Mom believed in things beyond what can be seen, places beyond death and life. He can just hope she’s right, because right now, he’s in a bad situation - probably much worse than her, wherever she is.

Taehyung has always been a smart kid, the type of intelligence that can’t be learned with tutors. No; Taehyung can’t even write his own name, but he can feel the stench of a thief from kilometers, can pin-point every man whose eyes are gleaming with pure violence before they even move, can recognize who’s the dominant force in a room - if he should avoid them or befriend them -, and he knows when he should keep his mouth shut and when he should act.

It’s his intelligence that made Taehyung keep very, very quiet ever since his tenth birthday. The women that cried for his mother and cried for him now are avoiding him like he just bathed in a sewer. Taehyung understands very well that all the sympathy they once had for him is gone. All that’s left is disgust and fear.

It seems that his mother always knew that she wouldn’t be with him for too long. As expected, the life of a prostitute is usually short. That’s why she prepared him for her absence. She taught him not to be naive, to take care of himself. “Always be the smartest person in the room,” his mother used to say. “The most powerful person isn’t the one with the biggest muscles, it’s the one that thinks the quickest.” Taehyung knows how right she was. The brothel owner is the biggest example. He’s a thin, short man, but still manages to control all the women working under his roof.

Taehyung is also aware that he has nowhere else to go. Of course, life in the brothel has been anything but good; he barely has any space, sometimes he’d have what to eat and sometimes he wouldn’t, it is overwhelming to live in fear of the brothel owner and the other “customers”. The place always smells bad and Taehyung hates the noises at night coming from downstairs. Yet, Taehyung doesn’t really know what life outside of the brothel is. He knows that he’s a small kid with minimal chances of survival by himself. But if the brothel owner decides to kick him out, he’ll have to figure a way to live. That’s all he’s been doing all this time - his mind is furiously working, trying to figure out a way to survive.

It’s his intelligence that makes him keep quiet, very quiet, when he sees Mr. Hwang approaching where he sits in the corner of the room.

The women stand out of the “dorm” (a simple room with no mattresses, only dirty carpets, ragged blankets and some clothes), peeking curiously. The brothel owner walks behind Mr. Hwang; his eyes are almost shining with excitement.

The tall man, on the other hand, looks absolutely disgusted. Not only by his filthy surroundings. Taehyung knows that he’s Mr. Hwang’s main source of disgust.

The man stops a few steps away from the small boy and watches him with a scowl.

“There he is,” the brothel owner says as if the man hadn’t seen Taehyung already. “But I am rather curious, Mr. Hwang… you seemed so adamant last night. What made you change your mind-?”

“If you ask more questions I might as well give up.” Mr. Hwang says dryly.

Taehyung quickly analyzes the man in front of him.

His clothes are made of delicate fabric. Not the most expensive fabric he has ever seen, but this itself indicates that he’s richer than the average customer. The way Mr. Hwang stands, his posture, his high chin, even his scowl - everything indicates that he’s a man used to being in a commanding position. He’s used to being heard and obeyed.

It’s obvious that he hates this situation. He hates Taehyung.

Yet, Taehyung once again remembers that he’s just a small boy in a cruel world. He doesn’t have the loving, fragile hands of his mother to take care of him anymore. This man's hands are surely far from being loving - but they’re also far from being fragile.

Taehyung suspects that this man might be even worse than the brothel owner.

But his mother taught him to be the smartest person in the room. To think the quickest. Taehyung knows he doesn’t have many options.

So, when Mr. Hwang growls a “Get up, boy,” as if it pains him to say this, Taehyung indeed gets up in a jump, even though the brusque movement makes his hip hurt excruciatingly.

He quietly follows Mr. Hwang out of the dorm. The man does not look back. Those women that saw him grow up don't say goodbye. The brothel owner looks relieved - one less problem to deal with.

Taehyung is leaving all the memories he had of his mother behind, even though the brothel is a place to make one have nightmares.

But it’s alright.

His mother taught him how to survive.

And survive he would.

Taehyung can't help but widen his eyes as they finally arrive at Mr. Hwang's property. It's a completely different sight under the daylight; the field goes as far as the eye can see. There’s some houses peeking here and there, yet the village was left behind minutes ago. Taehyung can see the ocean down the hill - the shore, then the endless body of water that delimits the horizon. His lungs are immediately filled with fresh, salty air; the cold wind plays with his hair, the sound of waves crashing gently against the shore and the cries of seagulls from far is everything he can hear. The grey scenery, although beautiful, makes Taehyung feel even smaller.

“Come on, boy.” Mr. Hwang growls harshly, walking down the hill towards his big house. “This is not a trip.”

Taehyung quickly comes back to his senses and starts to walk after him, albeit slower. Hills are never easy. His hip and left leg hurts at each step, but Taehyung resigns himself to try to hide his painful scowl. He’s used to it at this point. The pain on his hip is a long time annoying friend.

Mr. Hwang finally realizes that Taehyung isn’t by his side when he reaches the bottom of the hill. He looks back, ready to probably scold him (it looks like Mr. Hwang is doing his best to not have to look at the boy at all), but when he sees Taehyung’s slow, ungainly walk, he stops. He just watches in a strange silence as the boy approaches him.

When Taehyung finally stands a few steps away from him, Mr. Hwang says:

“You are lame.”

He just noticed it, even though the travel from the previous village was quite long. Taehyung gulps and looks down, feeling slightly embarrassed. He is quite used to this type of look - the way people would notice the way he walks and suddenly they won’t see him as a normal human being anymore - but somehow, Mr. Hwang’s eyes filled with contempt overwhelms him.

The tall man swears under his breath.

“Oh, heavens! This couldn’t get any worse, could it?!”

Just like the brothel owner, Mr. Hwang is angry at Taehyung as if he became lame on purpose. Taehyung didn’t ask to be born, didn’t ask for his mother’s death and he certainly didn’t ask to be lame. He doesn’t even remember when or why he became like this. The memories from just a few years ago are blurred and vague in his mind. He remembers that there was indeed a time in which he didn’t struggle to walk. Then, he remembers an excruciating pain on his left hip and he remembers his mother crying over him, trying to take care of him, trying to calm him down. He has the faint impression that his mother cried for days and days. At some point, the pain became less sharp and he slowly gained consciousness again. The pain never went away, though. It runs through his bones and muscles at every step he takes.

Of course - deep down, in a far and dark corner of his mind, Taehyung still remembers what happened to him. The memory haunts him at night as he sleeps. His mind just decided to make him forget about it when he’s awake.

It’s better this way.

“This is not a problem, sir,” Taehyung is quick to say, his head respectfully lowered. It is the first time he speaks; his throat feels a little bit hoarse. “I can do any task despite my weak leg.”

Mr. Hwang snorts. “This we’ll see soon.”

He starts walking again. Taehyung follows him quietly.

The house looks a little bit frightening as they approach. It’s big and made of good wood, twice bigger than the brothel he grew up in. It’s impossibly clean - so clean that Taehyung gets surprised. He’s not used to places that don’t smell like body fluids and mold. It makes his dirty and simple clothes stand out even more.

As soon as they walk in, a boy shows up.

A little bit taller than Taehyung - probably older. His clothes are way better than Taehyung’s, his cheeks are chubbier, his hair is shinier and his eyes gleam with curiosity.

“Minhyun, go and call your brothers,” Mr. Hwang orders in a dry tone. The boy looks from his father to Taehyung and, instead of saying anything, does as he was told.

Nervousness creeps over Taehyung’s skin.

Without a word, Mr. Hwang guides Taehyung through the house until they reach the dining room. Soon, four boys enter the room as well - Minhyun being the tallest; one of the boys looks like he’s Taehyung’s age, while the other two are definitely younger.

Not too long after that, a woman walks in.

She’s tall. Her clothes are made of better fabric than he has ever seen any girl from the brothel wear, her hair is a slick pitch black. Her features weight with severity. She looks at least twenty years older than Taehyung’s mother when she passed.

She lays her eyes on Taehyung briefly; they pierce through him.

Then, she looks at her husband.

She knows.

"What is happening?"

Her voice isn't loud; it's far from screaming. But right now, Taehyung thinks it'd be better if she was screaming. That low and controlled tone makes Taehyung think of a snake right before it strikes - it had crawled so quietly that its poor prey hadn't noticed, so calm and controlled that the moment its prey realizes what's happening, it's already too late.

Taehyung hears the underlying rage in her voice. He sees her eyes gleaming with a strong fire. And everyone else in the room feels it, too.

It's Taehyung's intelligence that tells him that, maybe, this woman might be worse than Mr. Hwang.

"Darling, boys," Mr. Hwang starts in a theatrical manner. It surprises Taehyung. The man gesticulates as if he's talking to a big crowd. "Tonight, I had a dream. A woman came to me. She begged me to take care of her son who she had left behind. She begged… begged me! For she knew, no one would want to take him in… not with his curse."

Mr. Hwang takes Taehyung's thin wrist rather roughly and exposes it.

The boys gasp. Mrs. Hwang's eyes narrow.

"He was cursed due to his doings in his past life." The man continues. Taehyung makes sure to keep looking down. If he was a little bit naive, he would have believed what Mr. Hwang was saying, but how could he know anything about Taehyung's past life? "She begged me to take care of this boy, and in return, she'd bless our family and our land."

Mr. Hwang looks emotional. Taehyung thinks he's a great actor.

"So, from now on, the boy - Taehyung - will be living with us."

His sons look surprised. Mrs. Hwang doesn't.

“I don’t want this cursed boy anywhere near my children.” it’s all Mrs. Hwang says dryly and walks away without saying anything else - she didn’t even look at Taehyung again.

The room feels frozen.

Mr. Hwang gulps and stands there for a few moments. He looks down at Taehyung with rage in his eyes as if it was Taehyung’s fault, rapidly going after his wife.

Now, Taehyung’s alone with the other four boys.

They stare at him in silence.

Taehyung isn’t really used to being around other kids his age - he was the only kid in the brothel and he rarely ever left the place. Taehyung is still ten years old after all, and to see other kids makes him feel a little bit excited. He never had anyone to play with him. Maybe this won’t be as bad as he thought after all…?

But once again - Taehyung’s intelligence doesn’t let him fool himself.

The aggressiveness in their eyes. The way they analyze his ragged clothes. The awkwardness, the superiority, the disgust.

The oldest boy, Minhyun, quirks one eyebrow. “Why were you cursed?”

Taehyung blinks and shifts uncomfortably in place. “I… I’m not cursed.” Yet, he doesn’t sound convincing. Not at all.

The other boy standing by Minhyun’s right scorns. It looks like he’s Taehyung’s age. “Of course you are. Why don’t you have a birthdate?”

He gulps, feeling his shoulders shrinking. “I don’t know.” His voice is quiet.

The four boys chuckle. “The gods want you to be alone. Let’s not disobey them.” Minhyun says as he walks away from the dining room. The look they give Taehyung makes him shrink even more.

The boy stands there quietly.

Maybe living on the streets would be better than this, he thinks.

No! Another voice in his head debates. You’d be dead in a week on the streets. That’s not what mom would have wanted.

He gulps, not sure where to go. It’d be smart to just stay there until Mr. Hwang returns.

But as he starts to hear voices arguing, curiosity takes the best of him. It’s coming from somewhere down the corridor.

He walks slowly and stands by the door, peeking his head cautiously.

“You’re useless.” Mrs. Hwang’s ferocious voice echoes through the house. “I never bothered with your little escapades. I never said a word about them. But this? You dare to bring that kid to live with me, with my children? As if it wasn’t enough- he’s cursed!”

“Can you please be quiet and let me speak?!” Mr. Hwang tries exasperatedly. “In my dream-”

“You can try to fool anyone with your made up stories, not me.” She growls.

“I actually had a dream.” He says firmly, and by the way his voice sounds, Taehyung thinks he’s telling the truth… and Mr. Hwang doesn’t seem to like this truth. “And the woman put a curse over us.”

“Obviously. The boy is the curse.”

“No. She said that, if I didn’t take the boy with me, she would curse my bloodline forever and I would lose this land.” Taehyung freezes in place. When Mr. Hwang speaks again, his voice is lower. “This land has been under my family’s name for three generations. You know how much it means to me. Besides, it’s because of this land that you can have a comfortable life. I can’t let this happen.”

Mrs. Hwang goes silent.

When they speak again, it’s too low for Taehyung to comprehend. When he hears footsteps approaching again, he runs to the place where he was standing before and lowers his head.

It’s Mr. Hwang again. He gazes at the boy up and down with judgemental eyes, then points to the corridor with his head. “Follow me.”

With his heart beating rapidly, Taehyung does as he was told.

The man leads him outside the house and cold wind immediately hits Taehyung, making him tighten his clothes around his body - as if it’d be of any help. There are a few other buildings near the main house. Some are smaller houses. However, Mr. Hwang leads Taehyung to a tiny building close to the main house; it’s not an old building but it looks cheap and dirty compared to the main house.

Mr. Hwang opens the door and steps aside so Taehyung can walk in.

There’s two rooms filled with fishnets, wood, some fishing tools, bowls and dirty rags. It smells like mold (this is familiar), salt air and fish. There are huge spider webs on the ceiling and down the walls. No windows.

A storage room.

“This is where you’ll sleep.” Mr. Hwang says dryly as Taehyung analyzes his surroundings. “You said that your leg won’t be a problem, right? We’ll see if that’s true. You’ll start working tomorrow morning. My fishermen always need more help anyway.” The boy turns around and faces Mr. Hwang once again. He hates the way this man looks at him. “I’ll give you a piece of advice: do not bother my wife or my children. Do not come into the house if you’re not called. Do not speak more than necessary. Be well behaved and we’ll coexist in peace. Understood?”

Taehyung nods.

“Good. You better be up before dawn. Fishermen won’t wait for you.”

Mr. Hwang closes the door and leaves.

The boy stands there, in silence, for many minutes.

Since the sun is setting, it’s getting darker by the minute. He barely has any space to move around because the place is too packed. He’s also scared because if the amount of webs mean anything, there must be plenty of spiders hiding in the dark.

He wants to cry.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, Taehyung sighs heavily and looks around, opening the door again so he can have the last of the sunlight. He finds an old broom in the corner and starts to sweep the floor, the ceiling, the walls - and yes, spiders do show up, but his mother taught him to be brave so he kills as many as he can with the broom. He starts to organize things inside wooden crates; he folds fishnets carefully, puts hammers and small shovels and pickaxes in another crate, cleans a couple of smelly knives - they probably use them to clean fish, if the bad smell indicates anything. He has much more space now that everything is organized instead of simply thrown around.

When it’s too dark for him to see anything, Taehyung takes an old rug and covers the floor. He’s used to sleeping on old, thin rugs anyway. Since the night is cold, he covers himself with some dirty rags.

Everything Taehyung hears is the sound of his heartbeat and the waves crashing on the seashore.

It’s still better than the type of noise he used to hear every night in the brothel.

He closes his eyes.

She said that, if I didn’t take the boy with me, she would curse my bloodline.

Taehyung chuckles.

“Thank you, mom.” He whispers. He still feels an intense urge to cry, but once again, he doesn’t.

His mother is still somewhere taking care of him.

Maybe he’s not as alone as he thought, after all.

He's at the pier before the fishermen arrive. It's still dark. Taehyung didn't sleep.

As the men approach, confused, Taehyung bows respectfully.

"Good morning. My name is Taehyung. Mr. Hwang told me to help you with anything you need."

They side-eyed each other awkwardly, but ended up greeting him as well. Since Mr. Hwang sent him, there was nothing they could complain about - even though this boy looked too young and too thin to help with such heavy work. Of course, fishermen start learning at a very young age, but they usually start doing easier tasks when they're young.

Yet, again - Mr. Hwang sent him, there was nothing they could do about it.

Slowly, they start doing the work; taking fishing nets, preparing the boats. Taehyung watches them closely and waits for instructions, but the men seem particularly uncomfortable as they notice the way Taehyung limps.

"Boy." One of the fishermen calls. It looks like he's one of the oldest in the group. His name is Seojoon. "Help me take those fishing nets over here, will you?"

Taehyung promptly walks over to him and sits by his side, taking meters and meters of fishing nets off a wooden box. He soon finds out that untangling fishnets is not easy and that fishing lines are rough; if he's not careful, he'll likely get his palms cut.

"This fishing net is damaged, see?" Seojoon says. Taehyung nods. "We can still use it if we patch it up." The boy watches carefully as Seojoon works his fingers around the fishing lines with ease, quickly fixing the hole on the net. "Try it out."

Taehyung takes the fishing net on his fingers and tries to do the same, albeit slowly. The man shakes his head in approval.

Seojoon watches the boy in silence as he works.

"Is your leg hurt?" He asks.

Taehyung hesitates. "It was a long time ago." He says quietly. "But I'm fine. It won't be a problem." Taehyung notices that the man analyzes everything he does and his dirty clothes - yet, he doesn't make any more comments.

When they start pushing the boats into the sea, though, and Seojoon sees Taehyung walking over to them, he stops the boy.

"You're not going with us today, kid." Seojoon says, placing a hand over his shoulder. "Stay at the pier and fix more fishing nets for us, okay?"

Taehyung doesn't quite understand why Seojoon said that. Although Taehyung is intelligent, no one taught him about compassion and care. Taehyung doesn't know that Seojoon has five kids himself and, as he watched Taehyung - small and skinny and quiet -, it made him think of his children in this situation and it hurt him.

The other fishermen seem to think alike. Instead of arguing, Taehyung walks back to the pier as they put the boats on the sea and sail away, yet not too far from the coast; Taehyung can still see them.

It's cold. His clothes are too thin. To distract himself from the bad weather, Taehyung focuses his fingers on fixing the fishing nets; at first he takes a long time to patch up a single hole, but as minutes go by, he gets better and better at it, even though the skin of his hand starts to ache at some point. It's entertaining. Taehyung used to work in the brothel as well doing chores, but somehow, this is relaxing - probably because there isn't any brothel owner watching his every move like a hawk.

Taehyung doesn't even realize that hours have passed and the boats came back for lunchtime. They didn't take as many fishes as they'd like, but it's enough.

Seojoon stands in front of Taehyung and crosses his arms, looking surprised. "You fixed them all?"

Taehyung nods. He feels a spark of happiness inside of his chest at Seojoon's approval.

"Well, it seems that the kid will be helpful after all." Another fisherman says, patting Taehyung on the shoulder; his name is Wooshik. "He's fast."

The boy feels his cheeks get red with the attention and compliments. The Hwang family might be awful, but these people are friendly, at least…

"I'll teach you how to actually make fishing nets, alright?" Seojoon says as Taehyung puts the nets back into the crates. "But we'll take a break now after we take those fishes up the hill."

The men start to walk up the hill towards their houses holding heavy boxes full of fish; they'll either eat them or sell them at the villages nearby, that's why everything must be done very quickly. They take the boxes easily despite how heavy they are.

As Taehyung gets ready to take one of the boxes, his stomach makes a loud noise.

Seojoon and another fisherman - his name is Wooshik - stop as they hear this. Taehyung feels his cheeks get red.

The two adults side-eye each other.

"You didn't eat anything the whole day, kid?" Wooshik asks quietly.

Taehyung gulps. "I-I'm alright."

Seojoon and Wooshik side-eye each other again.

They know Mr. Hwang can be cruel sometimes, but what did that boy do to deserve this?

Seojoon puts his hands over the box Taehyung is holding. "Don't bother. We can take those up the-"

"Let him do it."

Everyone stops - even the other fishermen - as they hear the harsh female voice say.

A shiver colder than the ocean's water hits Taehyung.

"Mrs. Hwang." Seojoon cumpriments, bowing politely. Everyone else does the same.

The woman doesn't take her eyes off the young boy, though. Taehyung gulps. The way she looks at him makes him feel smaller, dirtier, insignificant.

"He has to prove himself as useful." Mrs. Hwang says. "Let him bring the box alone."

"But, Mrs. Hwang… his leg-" Seojoon tries.

"He said that it wouldn't be a problem." She cuts him off. "Let him prove it."

"It's okay." Taehyung says quietly. "She is right. I'll do it."

Seojoon looks down at him with worry. Yet, he doesn't intervene anymore.

They watch as Taehyung takes the box once again into his arms.

It's heavier than he expected.

A wave of pain immediately spreads through his left leg and hip. He scowls. Tears of pain water his eyes.

He blinks rapidly.

They watch as Taehyung starts walking up the hill with the heavy box.

They watch, even though it's difficult to just watch that little kid's ungainly walk, even though it's obvious that he's in pain at every step he takes.

But they can't do anything to help him because Mrs. Hwang is also watching quietly. She is the law.

Not only fish weigh on Taehyung; shame, pain, hunger, anger and sadness seem to weigh heavier. The tears in his eyes weigh heavier.

He wants to cry so bad.

But he doesn't.

He swallows it.

He walks up the hill even though it hurts.

And, when he puts the box where it should be, he inhales heavily and walks down the hill again to take another box.

Mrs. Hwang watches him. No approval on her gaze. Doesn't seem surprised.

But, from now on, Taehyung knows that she definitely is worse than her husband - and she'll make his days as bad as she can.

➳11

Taehyung dreams of his mother sometimes.

It’s usually the same dream. She’s too far from him; he stands at the top of the hill and she stands down there at the beach, shin-deep into the water. She’s healthy; her cheeks are way chubbier and her skin isn’t a sickening blue, just like she was the days before her death. Her long hair waves behind her and frames her beautiful face. She wears the yellow dress Taehyung knew she loved. She’s the only colorful thing on the grey scenery behind her.

She stands there and looks at him. Taehyung sees her mouthing some words, but he can’t listen; her voice dies in the midst of the ocean waves. Taehyung always shouts, desperate. Don’t leave me alone!

She smiles sadly.

Then, he wakes up to the same old ceiling, the same dull floor, the same thin sheet covering his body.

It’s a new day.

Everyday, he wakes up before the Hwang family and the fishermen, and walks to the village nearby to buy a few ingredients. He comes back and prepares breakfast for the family - and he has to do it before they wake up, for Mrs. Hwang loses appetite if she sees him first thing in the morning. He takes a little bit of the leftovers, has his own breakfast (back in the storage room, of course), then when the sun is finally peeking in the horizon, he walks down to the pier to start the working day. At this point, his hands became calloused and rough from pushing and pulling fishing lines; his skin is constantly tanned from the sun and salt - a stark contrast from the Hwang boys whose skins are as fair as their mother’s, for they barely leave the main house at all.

Taehyung likes to work. When his mind is busy pushing heavy nets full of fish from the sea or gutting fish carefully or putting them into bowls full of salt to keep them conserved for a few days (usually for the Hwang family; most people in the area aren’t rich enough to afford salt), he feels useful.

The fishermen aren’t bad company either. They’ve grown sympathy for the boy that’s always there to help, who’s never late and never complains about anything. Sometimes, when none of the Hwang family members are around, Seojoon even gives Taehyung the clothes that don’t fit his older son anymore. Although Mrs. Hwang insists that Taehyung should do heavy work, the fishermen usually let him do the easier tasks, such as weaving nets, cleaning fish or fixing boats.

Taehyung doesn’t exactly hate this life. It’s harsh and most times lonely, but he hasn’t learned what a good life means either. He doesn’t have friends his age; the Hwang brothers are constantly trying to make his days difficult - from unleashing their dogs on him to putting dirt on his food or hiding scorpions under his improvised pillow - but at least the fishermen treat him well. The food he eats isn’t nearly as good as what he actually cooks for the Hwang family, but he’s chubbier and healthier now than he has ever been. His hip and leg still hurt, of course, and people still look at him awkwardly when they see him constantly limp, but he doesn’t care anymore.

Yet, Taehyung always knew that things could get worse.

And they do.

He realizes that when, one morning, he goes to the village as usual and the elder woman he usually buys some grains from contorts her face in panic as she sees him.

“Do not come closer!” She yells. Some passersby stop as they hear this. “Go away! Freak!”

Taehyung freezes.

...freak?

He notices the way the passersby look at him.

It’s a different look from what he’s used to. They look at him as if he’s the most disgusting thing they have ever seen, as if he’s contagious.

He walks back home, confused.

The fishermen are also looking at him differently. They’re not smiling anymore as he comes closer, their eyes aren’t as warm as they used to.

Taehyung doesn’t understand. Did he do something wrong? Did he arrive late today? Is it because he’s taking too long to weave a new net? Did they finally become tired of the way he’s always slower than them because of his leg? It was never a problem before.

Yet, once again, it’s his intelligence that tells him what actually happened. He realizes it the moment he sees Minhyun standing in front of the storage room as he walks back after the working day ends.

He has a satisfied, mischievous smirk on his lips.

“You thought you could fool people longer, didn’t you?” Minhyun scorns. “Pretending that you’re a normal person… well, now everyone knows you’re not.”

Taehyung’s eyes widen. Unconsciously, he grabs his own right wrist. He always keeps it hidden with bandages - no one ever questioned why. It’ll be useless from now on, though…

Now, everyone knows that there’s no birthdate inked on his skin.

Everyone knows that he was born to be alone.

“Why did you do it?” Taehyung asks in a quiet voice. He usually doesn’t talk to the Hwang brothers - especially Minhyun -; most times, their interactions are resumed in the brothers humiliating him in some way and Taehyung trying his best to ignore them, for he knows that it’ll take him nowhere, it’d only be worse if he fought back.

He can’t do it today.

He hates the way he can’t hide his hurt this time - not because he’s ashamed of being hurt, but because he knows Minhyun enjoys it. Every time Minhyun is especially rude or violent with Taehyung, every time Taehyung can’t hide his emotions, Minhyun only feels more satisfied.

Minhyun’s smirk widens.

“I already told you… the gods want you to be alone. I’m doing as they want.”

Minhyun expects Taehyung to say something or to start a fight; anyone with some sense of pride would get angry, right?

But Taehyung doesn’t do that.

He’s smart.

Punching Minhyun’s nose would be satisfying, but the consequences would be worse than any broken nose. It’s not worth it.

Breaking Minhyun’s nose wouldn’t hurt as much as Taehyung is hurting right now anyway.

So, instead, Taehyung walks past the older boy.

Tonight, though, he can’t help it. He cries in front of his mother tonight, feeling the usual hollowness in his chest widen, feeling loneliness just as deep as the ocean behind her.

In his dream, his mother cries, too.

➳14

Mr. Hwang barely recognizes Taehyung’s existence.

He calls him sometimes when he needs something. Other than that, it seems that Mr. Hwang avoids even looking at Taehyung. Not that the boy wants any type of recognition coming from that man, of course.

It’s not the same for everyone else; people at villages nearby always want to be recognized by Mr. Hwang. He’s the richest person in the region because his land occupies most of the seashore - and this particular beach is excellent for fishing. So, in exchange for letting some families go fishing, they have to give Mr. Hwang a percentage of all of their income, be it in money or actual fish.

He's treated like royalty. Taehyung suspects he really thinks he's some type of king - and he expects his children to act like royalty as well.

They don't always meet his high expectations, however. Obviously, the one whose expectations are higher is his first born, Minhyun.

Every time Taehyung witnesses Minhyun falling from his high expectations, he thanks the heavens for being so unnoticed by Mr. Hwang.

Everyone can hear the beating sounds. It seems to be even louder in the quiet night. Mr. Hwang's angry yells. His words of disapproval. Minhyun never mutters a word.

One morning, Mr. Hwang seemed to be angrier than usual. Taehyung could barely sleep at night. It's been some hours since he quieted down, though, and it's time to get up for his daily routine.

As Taehyung walks quietly to the well to wash himself, still half asleep, he freezes when he notices a figure already standing there.

It's Minhyun.

He's trying to clean the blood off his clothes, hands shaking slightly. His back faces Taehyung. The younger boy's stomach twirls at the sight.

Minhyun sobs quietly.

Taehyung stands there in silence for a few moments.

Something tells him that he should be enjoying this. Minhyun is the one who takes all his efforts to make Taehyung's life feel like pure hell. How many times has he humiliated him, made him feel insignificant and small?

This should be rewarding to watch, right? Taehyung can't avenge himself, but at least Minhyun can taste a little bit of his own poison.

However, Taehyung doesn't feel this way.

His chest tightens.

So, quietly, he takes some nearby leaves from the floor. Although it's still very dark, Taehyung knows all the types of plants in the area so well that he doesn't even need to see it properly.

He walks over to Minhyun. The older boy turns around in a jump, startled, as he finally realizes that he's not alone.

Minhyun is quick to wipe the tears away from his face. He assumes a defensive posture, eyes already gleaming with anger.

"Are you happy now?!" He says aggressively. Taehyung just watches him in silence. It seems to further increase his anger. "So what? This means nothing. You're still a nobody and I'm still a Hwang! I own everything here by right, even the clothes you wear! I could just take them if I wanted. You're still a cursed nobody!"

Taehyung doesn't say anything.

This explains so much about Minhyun.

Under all the red anger, Taehyung sees sadness and shame in his eyes. Minhyun's true self is small and scared, as much as he tries to deny it with aggressive and superior behaviours.

He learned from his father after all.

It makes Taehyung wonder for a brief moment… if he wasn't Mr. Hwang's first born, if Mrs. Hwang didn't teach him to hate Taehyung… maybe their relationship would be way different. Maybe Minhyun is different under all of that.

Taehyung lifts his hand and shows the couple of leaves he has on his palm. Minhyun widens his eyes, surprised and confused.

"What is this?!"

"Herbs." Taehyung explains quietly. "They help the skin heal and cicatrize faster. You should apply them twice a day after you clean your wounds."

After years of having his palms cut by fishing lines, Taehyung sure knows what he's talking about.

Minhyun eyes the herbs, then Taehyung again, then the herbs.

It's the first time Taehyung sees Minhyun look actually embarrassed.

Yet, instead of taking them, Minhyun tightens his fists and walks past Taehyung at heavy steps, bumping his shoulder against Taehyung's. The herbs end falling on the floor.

Taehyung sighs.

Pride is a high wall to escalate, after all.

➳16

Taehyung is well known in the region. Everywhere he goes, he notices people realizing who he is and whispering among themselves. The cursed boy, they say. I heard his mother was a prostitute, that's why he was cursed. He must've been a terrible person in his past life, they say.

Taehyung is used to it.

They avoid him vehemently. If he goes to the marketplace, he has to stand out of stores because the merchants don't want him to bring bad luck into their business. The harvest was bad this year because he lives here, they say. He should leave! The gods will punish everyone that helps him!

It doesn't make any sense, of course - Taehyung has been working as a fisherman for years and fish never disappeared from the seashore because of him; Mr. Hwang is certainly doing very well in his business, even though he lets Taehyung live on his property. But Taehyung is tired of trying to prove them wrong. He knows that things will most likely be like this forever and he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life trying to prove himself.

Maybe his silence is what spreads rumors even further, beyond what he could have ever imagined.

One day, Taehyung is walking back to Mr. Hwang's property from a village nearby. There are closer places to buy salt - maybe at the village right by the Hwang property, but for some reason Mrs. Hwang insists that Taehyung should take a two hour walk just to buy from that specific man.

She said that it's because his salt is "better", but Taehyung doubts that.

He has a ceramic pot full of salt attached to his back by ropes. Taehyung walks slowly, respecting his own limits. He's used to carrying weight now, though, so his hip and leg don't hurt as much as it used to… or maybe he just got used to it. The road is empty on both sides, not even a single house peeking anywhere. Because of that, this road that connects both villages became quite dangerous. Many thieves hide behind trees or rocks, waiting for their next victim. Aware of this danger, Taehyung never walks in the middle of the road; he always chooses a longer path, where he can have a good view of everything from both sides - and where he can run if he sees something suspicious.

And for the first time, he sees something suspicious.

A carriage is going down the hill. Directly in the opposite direction, Taehyung notices three men hiding behind a tree, waiting for it to come.

Taehyung stops.

They hold knives.

His heartbeat increases. Adrenaline fills his bloodstream.

It's none of my business, he thinks. I should just go home. If I walk past them fast enough and keep my distance, they won't notice me.

His feet are rooted on the floor.

The carriage comes closer and closer. He gulps.

The three men jump out of their hideout, approaching the carriage, knives in hand. They open the door forcefully, yelling.

It's none of my business, he thinks again.

But before he can control himself, he's running towards them.

And before they notice Taehyung, he takes the heavy ceramic pot from his back and slams it against their heads.

One of them immediately falls unconscious. The other looks at Taehyung, surprised. He's ready to lift his knife again-

But he falls, too.

Taehyung breathes heavily, his heart thumping inside his ribcage. His hands are trembling. He can't believe he did it. The pot- the salt- it's broken on the floor, painting the dirt road white.

His brain starts to function again slowly.

Why-

Why did the other man pass out? Taehyung didn't even touch him, he's sure-

"Oh well, you're a crazy one."

Taehyung stops as he hears the sudden male voice.

For some unknown reason, a shiver crawls underneath his skin.

He turns around slowly.

The owner of the carriage has just gotten out of it. Awkwardly, Taehyung notices that the third thief is also laying on the floor behind him, unconscious.

The man analyzes Taehyung up and down with his eyes.

He's tall, has pitch black hair, fair skin, and features so beautiful that it seems he was sculpted by an artist. His clothes are made of delicate, expensive fabric - much more expensive than anything he's seen Mrs. Hwang wear. He's not from here. Not from any village nearby. His clothes are something Taehyung would expect a royal to wear.

This alone should indicate that this man is used to being in a commanding position. He’s used to being obeyed - perhaps even more than Mr. Hwang. He just stands there, confident and carefree, a lazy smirk of curiosity on his lips.

He sure looks like a normal man. Incredibly beautiful, yes. Apparently very rich, yes. But at the end of the day, rich men are just men - that’s why Taehyung was never really scared of Mr. Hwang; he knew when to be quiet and when to lower his head because it was the smart thing to do, not because he was scared or because he respected him.

But Taehyung’s blood almost feels frozen as this man lays his eyes on him.

His legs feel wobbly, his breathing becomes difficult, adrenaline flows even harder through him.

He looks like a normal man.

But something very deep within him - may it be his natural instincts or his pure intelligence - knows that he isn’t a normal man. His simple presence seems to be crushing Taehyung’s body in a way no normal man would do. He feels that he can’t move or breathe or speak, although all of his senses are begging him to run away. And the man doesn’t even look aggressive. Taehyung knows when someone is seeking violence; he can’t feel any of that exhaling from the stranger.

What exhales from him is worse.

It’s ancient and ominous and unnatural and inhuman.

The man quirks his eyebrow and tilts his head slightly. Taehyung’s heart beats even faster. The stranger’s every move sends shivers through his body.

“You could’ve died, kid. I don’t know if you’re really brave or just stupid.” The stranger crosses his arms. It seems that the whole situation is entertaining for him. “Why did you do this?”

Taehyung tries to speak. He can’t.

The man rolls his eyes as if he noticed something very annoying and makes a quick gesture with his hand, as if dismissing something.

Suddenly Taehyung feels that he can breathe again.

“I-I… I don’t know.” He stutters in a quiet, strangled voice. “My b-body moved on its own.”

The stranger chuckles. “You’re brave and stupid.”

The way the stranger looks at him makes him feel exposed. It’s as if he’s seeing through Taehyung’s body. He analyzes everything - the cheap dirty clothes, the broken ceramic pot, his worn out sandals-

His eyes stop at Taehyung’s right wrist.

Today’s especially hot, so the boy decided to take the usual bandage off.

Something new gleams in the stranger’s eyes - something that makes Taehyung’s stomach twirl.

“It’s you.” The man says in a voice that seems to creep into Taehyung’s bones. He approaches fast - unnervingly fast - and grabs Taehyung’s wrist, exposing it to his sight. Taehyung still feels that he can’t move. The stranger’s presence overwhelms him.

He stares at Taehyung’s empty wrist.

And smiles.

“It’s incredible how coincidences work. I didn’t think I’d find you so easily.” He finally looks up at Taehyung’s face and the boy immediately avoids his gaze. He doesn’t understand why, but he can’t look this man in the eye. He simply can’t.

“So the rumors are real. You’re free from the string.” String? What does this mean?! “How interesting. See, Yoongi?”

For the first time, Taehyung notices the coachman. The stranger’s presence is so overwhelming that it seems that he couldn’t focus on anything else. The coachman doesn’t look as interested as the other; he looks quite bored, even. His hair is as black as his boss’, his skin just as fair. He has feline and astute eyes that quickly analyze Taehyung.

There’s also something very disturbing about the coachman. Taehyung feels as if he’s surrounded by wolves.

“You shouldn’t say my name easily like that.” The coachman says in a quiet, husky voice. He sounds annoyed.

“He’s just a pure human. There’s nothing he could do with your name.” The stranger says dismissively.

“So, what are you going to do? Are you taking him?” The coachman - Yoongi - asks, just as disinterested as before.

Take me? What?!

The stranger gazes at Taehyung in silence, a mysterious smile never leaving his lips.

“No,” he finally says. “Not yet. He’s not ready.”

The stranger pats Taehyung’s hand gently. His eyes are dark and deep. No sign of happiness at all - just some type of evil mischief, worse than Mrs. Hwang’s or Minhyun’s or anyone he has ever met.

“You’ll be useful someday. But now, you should go home, kid. I guess your bosses won’t accept you getting late, right?” He widens his eyes slightly as if he just remembered something in a sarcastic way. “Oh! How rude of me. I didn’t tell you my name, did I?”

Then, he hears it.

A voice inside of his head. Literally inside of his head - even though the man did not open his mouth.

Seokjin.

The stranger lets go of his hands and steps back.

“You’re getting late,” he says.

Taehyung gulps. He feels like running away, but he-

He-

He sees something right behind the man.

It’s- It’s the ceramic pot.

Intact.

No salt can be seen on the floor.

I’m sure it crashed-

But Taehyung notices that he can move his body again, so he ignores his astonishment - how unreal this situation is - and takes the pot in his arms as quickly as his shaking hands let him.

“Don’t look back, boy.” The coachman says dryly.

Taehyung doesn’t argue.

He walks down the road holding the pot like his life depends on it. He doesn’t stop, doesn’t look back, doesn’t rest until he’s finally home and his legs hurt and his arms hurt and his throat is so dry it hurts and he’s sweating.

Only then his heart calms down.

Taehyung has been in dangerous situations before. He almost drowned in the sea once. A poisonous snake once hid under his sheet. He caught a fever so strong that he thought he was going to die.

Yet, deep down - even though he can’t explain it with words - Taehyung knows that, as he faced that man, he never stood so close to death.

➳16

Less than a week later, Seojoon calls Taehyung as he’s walking back from work.

“You shouldn’t go to the village at night anymore. At least not by yourself.” The older man says seriously. Taehyung frowns, confused.

“Why?”

“Didn’t you hear it? Three men were found dead two days ago on the road.” Seojoon says somberly. “I didn’t see it myself, but my cousin saw it… he said they were dry like raisins.” Seojoon shakes his head in disgust. “I’m not one to believe in many things, kid, but whatever did that to them isn’t human. You shouldn’t walk around without an amulet, at least.”

Seojoon pats Taehyung’s shoulder and keeps walking.

Taehyung’s feet, though, are rooted on the floor.

Three men were found dead on the road.

He gulps. It’s difficult, for his throat feels tightened.

Whatever did that to them isn’t human.

➳20

The Hwang family sits elegantly in the dining room. They wear their best clothes, styled their hair to perfection, even trained how to behave. The perfect family. The closest thing to royalty in the region.

They've never met such a famous person, after all, so they have to leave a good impression.

Kim Hajoon is a well-known man. Not only the owner of a great fortune, he’s a famous doctor, known for treating many royals. Kim Hajoon went as far as travelling overseas - such a rare opportunity, only granted for truly fortunate and important people. He’s a true high class, the most famous person Mr. Hwang has ever met.

He had no idea why Doctor Hajoon personally contacted him and came to his property, but Mr. Hwang is exultant. And his hopes are only getting higher… other than two assistants, Doctor Hajoon also brought his own daughter - a gorgeous young woman called Kim Jisoo. Her beauty is so distracting that all of his four sons hadn’t really paid attention to anything but the polite and elegant woman.

Perhaps she could take a liking to one of his sons. Gods… if Mr. Hwang could arrange a marriage between one of his sons and her (preferably Minhyun), this would be his great chance of becoming a real member of high society. Especially now that Minhyun met his pair; a girl, just a poor villager, her family didn’t own anything. Mr. Hwang would never let any of his children marry a lower class like that, it didn’t matter how much Minhyun stupidly cried. Marriages are supposed to mean income. If they don’t mean income, they won’t happen.

Of course, Lady Kim Jisoo isn’t his pair, but she’s gorgeous. A man doesn’t need more than that. After Minhyun became worthy of being the family’s head, he’d be free to go after the peasant and have his fun with her.

“Thank you so much for the meal. It was delicious,” Doctor Hajoon says politely. Mr. Hwang made sure to spend money to prepare this banquet; the table is filled with various foods they barely ever eat in their daily life.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. The fish in this area are said to be the best of all,” Mr. Hwang brags. Doctor Hajoon nods, still smiling politely.

“I’m sure it is,” he says, but Mr. Hwang notices that the doctor looks quite impatient. “Well, now that we’re all well fed, it’s time to show my true intentions in contacting you.”

Mr. Hwang and his wife feel excitement building up in them.

“I’ve heard a lot of rumors for the past few months,” Doctor Hajoon starts. Although his voice is soft, he can’t hide the excitement in his eyes. “Rumors about a man who was born without a birthdate on his wrist. I didn’t believe it at first, of course. However, a friend of mine travelled to the region and met some people that confirmed that this man in fact exists… and I got information that the man actually works for you, Mr. Hwang, right here at your property.” The doctor smiles. “As you must know, I am a doctor and scientist… and after hearing such a thing, I couldn’t not investigate. So I ask you, Mr. Hwang, to let me meet this man.”

The dining room falls silent.

Mr. Hwang’s eye twitches.

The four sons side eye him, waiting for the explosion-

“Minhyun,” Mr. Hwang asks in the softest, calmest voice they’ve ever heard. “Where is Taehyung?”

Minhyun gulps. “Probably at the pier, fater.”

“Bring him here. Now.”

Doctor Hajoon is not aware of how Minhyun shivered at hearing his father’s voice, even though he sounds completely content.

Taehyung is cleaning fish when he sees Minhyun on the beach, almost running towards him.

He and the few other fishermen look at Minhyun awkwardly. His fancy clothes do not match the scenery. Minhyun rarely comes down to the beach, especially when they’re working.

Mr. Hwang’s oldest son stands in front of Taehyung, panting. He looks annoyed and scared, all at once, and it makes Taehyung even more confused.

“Follow me to the main house. Now.”

He doesn’t explain further and doesn’t wait for Taehyung. Nevertheless, Taehyung gets up, cleaning his hands with an old cloth resting over his shoulder.

“What happened?” He asks, following Minhyun shortly. His heart is already racing. Did he do something wrong? Is Mrs. Hwang requesting his presence to ask him something impossible at the last minute? Did he put too much seasoning on the food? The banquet he prepared seemed quite important. She wouldn’t be happy if he messed it up.

Minhyun doesn’t answer his question. Instead, he looks at Taehyung, frowning and impatient. “You don’t have anything better to wear, do you?” He asks harshly.

Taehyung looks down at his own dirty clothes. Of course he has nothing “better” to wear. As if Minhyun himself didn’t know it.

The oldest rolls his eyes. “Whatever. At least wash your hands in the well before entering the house. You smell awful.”

Taehyung still doesn’t understand what’s happening, but he washes his hands anyway. It feels strange to walk into the main house in broad daylight when everyone is awake. Taehyung always felt that he doesn’t belong here - and he doesn’t want to belong.

As he enters the dining room, all eyes focus on him.

He sees four unknown faces. Three men and a young woman.

Mrs. Hwang is probably the only one that notices how Kim Jisoo widens her eyes slightly when she sees Taehyung, how her breath shakes a little bit - and it makes the woman's blood boil in anger. Jisoo seemed disinterested the whole time up until now. She didn't pay much attention to any of the Hwang brothers.

Because yes, Taehyung might be a cursed nobody that smells like fish and wears ragged clothes, but he's grown to become a handsome man.

He inherited all of his mother's beauty; Taehyung has refined, yet strong and masculine features. His voice is deep and smooth like silk. Working as a fisherman brought him a muscular physique. He became a tall man - taller than any of the Hwang brothers, taller even than Mr. Hwang himself.

Mrs. Hwang hates him for it.

Yes, Taehyung is just an illiterate fisherman. Yes, people still do not let him enter their establishments because he apparently brings “bad luck”. However, he’s able to make people blush with a single look; he’s a quiet man, but when he does speak, he can make goosebumps run through women’s spines and make men sheepish when they see his rare smiles. Now, instead of the disgusting cursed boy, they whisper among themselves, poor man! He’s cursed. They put a little bit more rice in the pot than he asked for without extra charge. They ask if he’s thirsty and offer a cup of water. They giggle and avoid his gaze.

And Taehyung doesn’t need fancy clothes or a heavy surname to help him cause this reaction.

The oldest man quickly gets up from the table and bows politely. His eyes are full of curiosity and excitement.

“You must be Taehyung. My name is Kim Hajoon. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Taehyung gulps and bows back, albeit awkwardly. He has a little bit of a trauma regarding rich outsiders that want to meet him (he tries hard not to remember that day, pretending it simply didn’t happen. It’s easier this way). This man, however, looks and feels like a normal man. He looks very welcoming and sympathetic, even.

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Kim.” Taehyung says. Jisoo indeed feels a goosebump crawl her skin as his deep, quiet voice reaches her ears. Her cheeks blush slightly. Mrs. Hwang is furious.

Mr. Hwang quickly gets up from the table; his family promptly following him. The man approaches Taehyung and puts his hand over Taehyung's shoulder.

"I brought him in when he was just a boy," Mr. Hwang starts dramatically. Taehyung hates when he talks like that and hates that he's touching him. "He had just turned ten years old and his condition became well-known… no one would accept a kid with such a curse. But I, knowing that he had just lost his mother, couldn't let him live alone on the streets." Mrs. Hwang approaches as well and puts her hand gently over Taehyung's other shoulder. He becomes more and more uncomfortable. "You see, Doctor Hajoon, I am a father myself… I immediately thought of my own children living in this situation. If me or my wife passed away, I'd like someone to be kind and take my children in… so I did the same with Taehyung."

"He's family to us." Mrs. Hwang says, smiling sweetly. "He works as a fisherman because he wants to build a life for himself, even though I was always against it…"

Taehyung wants to vomit.

He has to hide his shaking fingers behind his back. He's so, so angry. His breathing becomes difficult, he gulps. Right now, Taehyung is in the verge of doing what he always wanted to do - which is land a well deserved punch on Mr. Hwang's nose.

Doctor Hajoon watches the whole theatrical act in silence.

He quickly passes his eyes from Mr. Hwang to Taehyung, notices the quiet fury on the younger's eyes - and he quite understands everything.

“If you excuse me, Mr. Hwang, I’d like to take a walk by myself with Taehyung.” Hajoon asks politely.

Mr. Hwang smiles. He is so angry. Taehyung can feel the anger exhaling from him. Doctor Hajoon wouldn’t notice, though; Mr. Hwang is a great actor, only the ones that have lived around him for long enough can see under his mask.

"Of course."

Mr. Hwang steps aside and looks at Taehyung. He's still smiling, but he sees in his eyes a clear message: be careful with what you say.

Side by side, Doctor Hajoon and Taehyung leave the main house.

Taehyung finally feels that he can breathe again.

He gulps, sheepishly wiping his hands over his pants as they distance themselves from the house. "I apologize, Mr. Hajoon. I know I smell bad right now…"

The doctor chuckles. "It's okay, son. I deal with things that smell much worse." He eyes Taehyung. The younger man keeps his eyes on the floor. "Harsh situation back there, isn't it?"

Taehyung gulps and nods. The doctor surely is an observant man. He was quick to notice how Taehyung limps the moment he laid his eyes on the younger one.

"And your leg?" the doctor asks softly. "Were you born like this?"

Taehyung shakes his head. "It was an accident."

"Oh." The doctor pauses. "Does it still hurt?"

Taehyung nods again, starting to feel uncomfortable. "Mr. Hajoon, why exactly did you want to meet me?"

They stop walking.

Hajoon sighs.

"I am a doctor and scientist." He starts. "I became aware of your condition and I'd like to run some experiments on you."

"Experiments?" Taehyung frowns. "Why is that, exactly?"

"So that we can understand what and why it happened."

The younger man shakes his head slightly and looks down. "I don't think there's anything to understand, doctor."

Hajoon's eyes soften. He came so excited to finally meet the famous source of the rumors that he didn't stop to think how painful this situation is.

To know that you had no pair, that you're doomed to live alone until your last days…

"I apologize, Taehyung." Doctor Hajoon says softly. "That was inconsiderate of me. Of course, the final decision is fully yours, regardless of what Mr. Hwang might say. I'm sure he'd like you to agree with the investigation… but if you feel uncomfortable, I will leave right now."

Taehyung looks at the older man.

People usually are not so polite to him. The fact that Dr. Hajoon even agrees to stand so close to him says a lot. The only people that don't seem to bother Taehyung so much are the fishermen (mainly Seojoon), but most of them just don't have an option.

This man is kind.

Taehyung looks down again.

"People say I'm cursed." He starts quietly. Sheepishly. "But I've always known that you must have done something bad to be cursed. I… I don't remember doing anything wrong in my life to deserve this." Taehyung gulps and looks at the doctor again. "So, doctor… do you think that your… medicine… can find out why I'm like this?"

Taehyung has been hearing his whole life that he is cursed. He believes it himself. After all, only a cursed person would go through so much bad in life, right? That's partially why he never really complained about anything - even now that he's not a defenseless child anymore; Taehyung is so well-known in the region that no one would accept him anywhere. As bad as it is, the Hwang family are the only ones that let him live in their land after all.

However…

What if this man can prove that he's not cursed? Maybe then, people won't treat him badly anymore.

And as Dr. Hajoon watches this young man, he feels his heart tighten even more.

"I can't promise you anything, son…" he smiles softly, putting his hand over Taehyung's shoulder in a reassuring way. "But I will do my best."

Taehyung ends up opening a small smile as well.

"Then I agree, doctor."

➳20

Taehyung didn’t exactly know what to expect when Dr. Hajoon said he’d do experiments. He didn’t have much knowledge in “medicine” or “science”; mainly because, whenever he fell sick, he had to take care of himself, taking advantage of the herbs in the area. Sure - this is pretty much medicine, but common people didn’t name things.

So, when Dr. Hajoon starts doing his interviews, Taehyung feels quite… uncomfortable.

He didn’t expect there would be this much talking.

Dr. Hajoon asks many things about Taehyung’s early childhood. Taehyung rarely talks about his younger days because it’s difficult to revive everything (not that his life got better after that). The doctor said that he wanted to know if Taehyung had a possible disease that could have changed something in his body or… whatever scientific nomenclatures. The thing is, Taehyung doesn’t remember many things, and what he does remember is so painful and personal that he preferred to fall silent instead of answering.

Dr. Hajoon had the decency to not pressure him on this matter.

Later, he wanted to know about Taehyung’s mother. Maybe whatever caused his condition was hereditary. However, Taehyung remembers very well that his mother had a birthdate on her wrist. She didn’t live enough to find this person, but she had one. There wasn’t much more research to be done about her - just like Taehyung, she didn’t have a surname. No family, no clan, no history.

The doctor very cautiously asked if Taehyung had any information about his biological father. Dr. Hajoon wasn’t really, really sure yet… but when Taehyung fell utterly silent, Dr. Hajoon decided to change topics.

After the interview session, Dr. Hajoon proceeded to examine him… which also wasn’t very pleasant. Of course, Taehyung knew he and his assistants were all doctors, but showing even a little bit of skin to anyone made him very uncomfortable. Except for his left leg and hip bone, Taehyung was healthy. The examination did not find anything that might help them understand what happened.

"I will not give up," Dr. Hajoon said. "Maybe if we go to the place you were born…"

Taehyung started to think this was all pointless.

In the week that the doctor has been studying him, the Hwang family did all of their best efforts to pretend Taehyung is really part of the family. They went as far as giving Taehyung a room in the main house (Taehyung really, really hated it; he'd rather sleep in the storage room than ever be forced inside that house), buy him better clothes (they had to actually buy clothes, because Taehyung was taller and more muscular than any of the Hwang brothers, none of their clothes fit him). They even registered Taehyung, because Dr. Hajoon said he needed to have a register in order to be formally catalogued.

Their theatrical act was insanely convincing. The oh-so-good Hwang family that accepted this poor cursed boy into their house and that have been taking care of him for all those years. The only one that fails to play the act is Taehyung himself, of course. He chooses to stay silent the entire time he’s forced to sit at the table with them. Not even the glimpse of a smile in his expression.

Despite all of this - and the fact that the doctor’s research seems to be getting nowhere -, Taehyung is quite enjoying his time. Not because he’s being treated like a human being for the first time by the family, but because Dr. Hajoon is a good man. He never treated him differently even though he always knew Taehyung was cursed (the doctor never once referred to it as a curse). His daughter, Jisoo, also seems like a good person. She always stood far from him and they never had conversations up until now; Jisoo was always walking around with a sketchbook. Taehyung saw her drawing constantly. Needless to say, Taehyung found himself looking at her quite a lot. Kim Jisoo has a type of beauty that's rare to find.

Taehyung just doesn’t understand why she avoids his gaze all the time. Maybe she’s different from her father and feels uncomfortable to be around him.

Today, though, they’ll be forced to be close.

“My daughter is a great painter,” Dr. Hajoon explained. “We need some visual reference to complete the report. I’d like her to make a drawing of you… if you allow it, of course.”

Taehyung agreed. He’d like to see himself in a drawing portrait. Usually, only rich people can afford a professional painter to make a portrait of them.

Unexpectedly, when Mrs. Hwang hears this, she personally makes sure to order more clothes for Taehyung - and those clothes are even better than the ones they bought previously. Taehyung knows she didn’t do it with good intentions, though; like everything else, she wants people to see her family with good eyes. She’s terrified of letting people think her perfect family mistreated him for all these years.

So, on the day they agreed, Taehyung washes himself and puts on his new clothes; he had never worn something so refined. He washes and brushes his hair carefully.

When he comes to the living room - where everyone waits for him - the place falls silent.

Kim Jisoo, once again, feels that she lost her breath.

Taehyung is already a remarkable person due to his appearance, even in his everyday simple clothes. Now that he’s tidy and wears elegant clothes…

His tanned skin makes a beautiful contrast with the green attire he wears; the outfit seems to highlight his tall physique and broad shoulders even more. With his hair pushed back, his elegant and strong features are even more apparent.

He looks like a prince.

Jisoo has to gulp.

Mrs. Hwang has to swallow all of her anger. This man looks like royalty much more than any of her sons. He’s a damned fisherman, but he still fits those clothes, he fits the elegance; she can almost picture him in a palace, for his looks simply belong to the concept.

The Hwang brothers quietly hide their jealousy.

Mr. Hwang thinks that he, indeed, looks a lot like his mother.

“We should let the artist do her job, shouldn’t we?” Dr. Hajoon says in a lighthearted tone. “I bet she won’t concentrate if we all stay here.”

They leave. Now, there’s only Jisoo and Taehyung.

The young man looks around sheepishly and awkwardly. “Hm… what exactly do I do…?”

“You can sit on the chair,” Jisoo instructs politely. He does as told. “Please, straighten your posture. You can lift your chin a little bit… Yes, that’s perfect.”

“And now?”

“Just stay like that.”

Taehyung gulps.

With ease, Jisoo runs the piece of charcoal over the frame, sketching his face. She has to stare at him a lot, which is a difficult task, for every time she caughts him looking back, she feels her cheeks burn. Jisoo has met other handsome men in her life, but Taehyung… he’s something different. Not arrogant like many wealthy men that asked her hand in marriage. Taehyung is… quiet. Many times awkward… and this makes him look mysterious in a way that had her insides twirling.

Jisoo hasn’t met her pair yet, but she quietly wished that whoever it is, she’d like him to look like Taehyung.

But Jisoo also noticed something more. Up until now, she hasn’t seen Taehyung smile once (and she’s been observing him a lot). There’s a constant shadow of sadness and resignation in his eyes that she hasn’t seen in anyone else.

This makes her heart tighten.

It takes so long that Taehyung starts to feel his body itching.

“You can move now.” She finally says after almost thirty minutes. Taehyung sighs in relief, stretching his back.

“Is it done?” He asks hesitantly, curious.

“No, but I can finish the details without looking at you.” She notices his quiet eagerness. The way he tightens his fingers on his knees.

It’s cute.

“Do you… want to see it?”

Of course he does. Taehyung gets up and stands by her side, keeping a very conscious distance from her, and looks at the frame.

His eyes widen.

“Wow. Is it really me?” He asks himself. Jisoo has to chuckle. “You’re very skilled.”

Once again, Jisoo feels warmth on her cheeks. “Thank you. Do you want to sign it?”

Taehyung freezes.

“Sign it?”

“Yes. Usually, when I paint a portrait of someone, I let them sign it.”

He gulps and looks down, avoiding her gaze. For the first time, Jisoo sees a hint of blush on his cheeks and ears.

“I… I don’t know how.” He confesses quietly.

Jisoo herself feels ashamed.

She comes from a wealthy family. Considering society's standards, she was raised in a forward-thinking way. Because she's so used to being around intellectual minds, she sometimes forgets that the reality for most people is very different; they don't have the opportunity to learn reading, literature and culture.

Jisoo blinks.

Instead of saying something that would just further embarrass Taehyung - or herself -, she takes the charcoal again and writes something at the corner of the frame.

"This is how to write your name." She points carefully.

Taehyung looks at it.

For the first time, she sees a sparkle in his eyes.

It makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"I could teach you." Jisoo says out of nowhere, causing Taehyung to knit his eyebrows in confusion. "The alphabet. In your spare time. I-I mean, if you want to-"

"I do." Taehyung says quickly.

He opens a lip-tightened little smile and looks at her.

It's the first time Jisoo sees his smile.

"It's very kind of you. Thank you so much." he says.

Once again this day - Jisoo wishes her pair would be someone like him.

➳20

It's been over a month since Dr. Hajoon started his research - and, as Taehyung already expected, it led to nothing. His science and medicine couldn't find out why Taehyung's different. He doesn't feel disappointed or sad, though. Deep down, Taehyung knew this would end like this.

He's content.

Now, at least, Taehyung knows how to read.

Very slowly and he still struggles a lot, of course. His calligraphy is barely readable yet. Sometimes he forgets how to write some letters. There's many complicated words he has to learn. However, he's more than happy that now, when he sees a text, he understands it; it's not just a bunch of symbols anymore.

Kim Jisoo is a great teacher. She was patient all along and more than eager to teach him. Every time she saw his face lit up when he managed to understand a new word, it made her feel like sparkles were building up within her chest. Every time he'd open that small smile - it made her melt.

Taehyung isn't her pair.

However, the more time she spent with him, the more she started thinking that she didn't want her pair to be like Taehyung - she wanted Taehyung to be her pair.

She fell in love.

Jisoo didn't know it was possible - to have feelings for someone that isn't your destined one. Somehow she feels like she's cheating on this person. But she can't help it.

That's why today is a painful day.

Dr. Hajoon decided to finally leave.

He has already said his goodbyes to the Hwang family. He apologized to Taehyung for not giving him the answer he was hoping for. All of their belongings were already inside the carriage.

Jisoo knew it was inappropriate for a single woman to be alone with a man - most of their "classes" were held inside the main house where anyone could walk in anytime (and their proximity made Mrs. Hwang fume with rage). But she needed to talk to him truly alone.

It is very early in the morning when they meet at the top of the hill. The cold wind hit their hairs and the song of waves fills their ears. Taehyung stands in front of her, confused at her sudden request to be alone with him. It made him scared that anyone would get the wrong idea.

"We will be leaving shortly," Jisoo says quietly. Taehyung nods.

"I know." he clears his throat. "I'd like to thank you once again, Lady Jisoo, for everything you've done for me. It truly means so much." That small smile again. Nervousness creeps on her skin. "I think I'll never be able to repay you."

"It's not necessary." She waves her hands. Adrenaline bumps into her system; her heartbeat increases. "B-But there's something you can do to repay me."

Taehyung looks surprised. "Really? Then please tell me, I'do anyt-"

He's silenced.

Jisoo's lips crash against his.

Taehyung stands there, completely shocked.

She quickly withdrawals, her entire face red.

"Marry me."

Taehyung stares down at her, frozen.

He blinks once.

Twice.

"W-What?!" he stutters.

"Marry me." she repeats with conviction. "I-If you marry me, Taehyung, you'll be able to leave this place. You'll have a better life."

Things slowly start to make sense in his mind.

"Your father would never let you marry a lower class like me." he says quietly.

"My father likes you. I don't think it'd take a lot to convince him…"

"I am a nobody, Jisoo." his voice has hardened, but not in anger…in sadness and resignation.

"You're not a nobody! You're the most genuine person I've ever known!" her eyes slowly fill with tears. "Life is much more than this beach, Taehyung. If you marry me, you'll have a surname and a comfortable life-"

"Jisoo."

She quiets down when Taehyung holds her shoulders softly. The way he says her name makes her shiver.

He has a gentle smile on his lips - but the sadness in his eyes is overwhelming.

"Don't do this to yourself." He says, so quiet that the sound of the waves almost swallows her voice.

Don't do this to me, he thinks. Because he knows that whatever feelings Jisoo has for him will disappear as soon as she meets her pair. He knows that what she feels for him is not love and will never be. It's compassion, pity…

And she does not deserve to be tied to a person like that.

"One day, you will meet your person." Taehyung's voice is full of gentleness and raw hurt. The tears in Jisoo's eyes finally fall. "The person that will love you unconditionally, and you will love this person, too. Then, you'll marry this person. Not out of business or just to help me. It'll be because of love. This is what you deserve, Jisoo, and this is what you'll have."

He drops her shoulders and steps back, the smile never leaving his lips.

"Thank you so much, Jisoo. You're the kindest person I've ever known. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I'll never forget you."

Jisoo covers her mouth with her hand, sniffling.

She gulps, nods and bows politely.

When she turns around and walks down the hill, Taehyung knows that he's never meeting her again. It makes his heart ache a little.

The little ache stays within his chest for the rest of the day. Dr. Hajoon finally leaves. Taehyung is back to sleeping inside the tiny storage room (as strange as it is, he's relieved to be out of the main house once again). His life of heavy work and no recognition is back. Wake up, work, sleep, wake up, work, sleep. Being looked down by the villagers, by the Hwang family, having a little bit of sympathy coming from the fishermen he works with - but not enough for them to be close friends.

Just the way it always was and will be for the rest of his life.

As he lays down on the floor to sleep, it starts aching harder.

Jisoo will meet her pair someday.

They're terrible people, but Mr. and Mrs. Hwang are each other's pairs. Destiny made sure to tie two of the worst people together.

Even the awful Minhyun found his pair. Taehyung noticed that, ever since he met the villager, he's been bothering Taehyung less and less. Taehyung knows that he escapes in the middle of the night to meet her. It seems that finding true love made him become more human.

The fishermen have lives just as harsh as Taehyung's, but at the end of the day, they have their person to come home to. To comfort them.

The floor seems colder today.

Taehyung will never have anyone to comfort him.

No one to truly understand him, to hold him when he feels weak, to share life experiences, to laugh with him, to not make him feel that he's useless and that his life is pointless.

And things will be like this for the rest of his days.

Once again, Taehyung wants to cry.

He doesn't.

His mother taught him not to cry. Taught him to be tough. Right now, he's tired of being strong and tough. He's tired of relying on himself only.

He's tired of being utterly, deeply alone.

Yet, he also knows that it's pointless to cry for something that can't be changed.

So he sleeps.

Sees his mother in his dream, as usual.

They just stare at each other in the distance tonight in quiet solace.

➳24

"Taehyung." Seojoon calls right after they hop off the boat. "You've been coughing too much."

Taehyung instantly gulps, feeling his throat drier than usual. He noticed that as well for quite a few weeks.

"It's because of the winter." Taehyung says. "I always get like this when it's cold."

Seojoon still stares at him with worry. "You should wipe yourself properly when you get home and wear warm clothes."

Taehyung nods, not really paying attention. Seojoon is just worried. He felt like that plenty of times in the past. His chest hurts a little bit when he coughs, but it must not be serious.

"Yes, I know."

➳24

Taehyung wakes up in the middle of the night and sits up.

He massages his chest, a scowl on his face. The coughing is getting unbearable at this point. It doesn't matter how much water he drinks, his throat still feels hoarse and his chest still hurts every time he coughs. It seems that the pain spread to his back as well.

He takes one more blanket and lays down again, carefully tugging himself under them. This winter is rough. Tonight must be the coldest night he's ever seen.

He tries to choke down his own coughs, unsuccessfully. Taehyung has to work tomorrow. He can't let this silly coughing bring him down.

➳24

He wakes up next morning with someone banging on the door.

Taehyung notices, shocked, that the sun has already made its way up in the sky. How long did he sleep? It's the first time he ever wakes up so late…

He tries to get up, scolding himself for being so imprudent.

Then, he notices he can't get up.

His body is too weak.

He coughs again.

"Taehyung?" Seojoon's worried voice reaches his ears. "Are you okay?"

Taehyung tries to speak but ends up coughing more. His chest hurts so much that he feels he can't breathe; it's as if his lungs simply can't keep the air inside of them anymore.

Taehyung doesn't know how, but Seojon manages to open the door forcefully. He crouches down by his side as Taehyung coughs uncontrollably.

"Oh, Gods. Sit up, Taehyung." he says, putting his hands on Taehyung's shoulders to help him. When he finally sits up, Seojoon taps his back gently a few times. "Take these blankets off, you got a fever. Look at how you're sweating!"

Indeed, Taehyung feels that his clothes are glued to his body, wet with his own sweat. His breathing comes out short and painful.

"W-What time is it-?" he tries to ask, but his voice once more dies in a streak of coughs. He puts his hand over his mouth, feeling his whole body tremble.

"It doesn't matter, Taehyung. You need a proper doctor. This isn't normal." Seojoon says worriedly. "I will talk to Mr. Hwang…"

Taehyung feels a terrible taste on his tongue.

When he looks at his hand again, he - and Seojoon - freezes.

It's blood.

➳24

Taehyung doesn’t know how long he’s been like this.

Days have been going through in the blink of an eye. Taehyung doesn’t feel strong enough to get up or to move at all; all he does is sleep, feeling his entire body in sheer pain. He hasn’t been eating properly. Seojoon and his wife have been bringing him food at his door, but most times he doesn’t have enough strength to actually move.

Mr. Hwang didn’t come to see him even once.

Not that Taehyung was expecting a visit anyway… but he thought that, at least now, he’d have a little bit of consideration.

Taehyung has been sick many times. It’s not the first time he has high fever, not the first time he coughs so much that he feels his throat burn, not the first time he actually struggles to breathe. This time, though, he feels that this isn’t as simple as before. The blood coming out of his mouth must not be normal. The way he can’t even move is not normal.

Seojoon also knows it, and his worry only grows day by day. Taehyung is not recovering. He noticed how the young man was getting skinnier and skinnier those last few months, how his coughing just wouldn’t go away. Even though he still checks Taehyung everyday, bringing the meals his wife prepares, there’s nothing else he can do; everyone knows that they must stay away from someone that bleeds as they cough. Seojoon is already risking himself a lot. He can’t put his family in danger.

But he can’t let Taehyung die like that, either.

So, finally, he, Wooshik and a few other fishermen go to the main house to confront Mr. Hwang. Although most of them always kept their distance from Taehyung, they’ve seen him grow up and know him for years. They can’t stand this situation, either.

When the older man walks outside and sees them, he frowns and crosses his arms. They usually never talk to him so directly. “What brings your presence here?”

Seojoon steps closer, leading the group. “Sir, Taehyung is very sick. It’s been two weeks already and he shows no sign of recovery.”

The empty expression in Mr. Hwang’s face doesn’t change. “Taehyung is as healthy as a bull. I’m sure he’ll get better soon.”

“I don’t think that’s the case, sir.” Wooshik says. “He is very, very sick. We’ve never seen him like this before.”

Mr. Hwang stares at them in silence for a few moments.

“And what do you want me to do about it?”

Seojoon gasps.

Is this man serious?

“He needs a doctor.” He says sharply. It’s difficult to hide his incredulity right now. “As soon as possible.”

The older man rolls his eyes in annoyance. “Taehyung is an adult man. I’m sure he can take care of himself now. He was under my responsibility as a kid, but that is over.”

The men go silent in utter shock.

They always knew Mr. Hwang wasn’t a selfless or kind person, as much as he pretended to be. But this?

Seojoon knows Taehyung since he was ten years old. He’s not blind or stupid. As Taehyung grew up in front of his eyes, as he lost his child-like features to look more mature, Seojoon’s suspicions just got more and more confirmed. It would certainly go unnoticed by people that didn’t spend time with him long enough, but sometimes, when Seojoon looked at Taehyung at certain angles, when he did certain expressions… he could see the similarities as clear as the blue sky.

Yet, this man is refusing to aid him.

“He is going to die.” Seojoon says, unable to hide his outrage anymore. How disheartened can this man actually be?! “He needs a doctor right now! Will you just let him die like that?!”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“Dramatic? Did you even see how he is right now? Of course not, you never cared about him!” Seojoon explodes.

Mr. Hwang steps closer, his face getting painted with anger. “Mind your next words very well, Seojoon. Did you forget who owns this place?”

Seojoon gulps.

For some moments, he indeed forgot. But he quickly remembers that he has a family to take care of and that if he angers Mr. Hwang a bit more, he might kick his family out of the property.

So Seojoon stops and sighs.

“Mr. Hwang.” He starts again, trying to control his voice. “Please. Taehyung won’t recover this time if he doesn’t get any help. What if people find out that he died under your roof? I might not be a cultured man, but I know that Taehyung became quite famous because of the research team from the capital…”

This finally makes Mr. Hwang stop and think.

Not out of sympathy or compassion. No; Seojoon had a point. The research about Taehyung became well-known in high society. It was the reason for many discussions and theories. Obviously, Mr. Hwang also became well-known; not in the way he really wished, but his status increased nevertheless.

It would actually be bad if Taehyung died.

“Fine.” He says after long moments of silence. Seojoon sighs in relief. “But, as you can see, a storm is coming and it’s already too late. I’ll have to contact the doctor tomorrow.”

Mr. Hwang still doesn’t seem to understand how urgent the situation is, but this is better than nothing.

Taehyung just has to wait one more night.

Just one more night.

The storm violently hits the ceiling and walls of the storage room.

Taehyung tightens the blanket around him, shaking. He remembers fixing the holes on the ceiling a few months ago, but it seems that it was useless, for droplets of water are hitting his body everywhere.

In the back of his mind, he knows that the fever is back. He’s shaking and feels way too cold everywhere. The blankets are damp with his own sweat. He should leave the blankets to lower his temperature… but, right now, he can’t.

Another streak of coughs. His chest hurts.

From over the unstoppable storm, he hears someone banging on his door.

“Taehyung!” Seojoon’s voice screams from outside. “Are you awake?”

Taehyung struggles to gulp. “Y-Yes,” he manages to say somehow, voice hoarse and throat aching. Surprisingly, Seojoon hears it.

“A doctor will come to see you tomorrow!” Seojoon says. “He’ll come in the morning, so just hang in there a little bit more, alright?!”

All Taehyung can say is a hmmm this time.

If he wasn’t in such pain and weakness, he would have thanked Seojoon for his concern. Throughout his life, Seojoon was probably the person that was always there for him; albeit quietly, keeping some emotional distance, Seojoon cared for him and Taehyung knew it.

Taehyung is grateful.

He is also grateful for meeting Jisoo, the sweet young woman that went as far as developing affection for him. Did she meet her pair?, he wonders. Is this person treating her well?

He is grateful for his mother. Her gentle, caring hands that always took care of him the best way she could.

He is grateful for every beautiful sunrise he witnessed, how he saw the sun emerging from the horizon and painted the ocean gold more times than he can count. He’s grateful for all the rainbows he witnessed, all the good food he once ate, every time he woke up healthy.

He’s grateful.

But he’s also tired.

Tired of being looked down on by others. Tired of feeling that his life is empty and pointless. Tired of knowing that he is different. Why is he doomed to live a life of loneliness? Why did he have to be the only person born without a pair? What wrong did he do to deserve this?

Taehyung doesn’t know.

He’s just… tired. His body and soul are tired.

For now, he wants to sleep.

He… he wants to sleep.

He feels deep darkness cloister his thoughts. There’s no more storm outside anymore; no more pain in his body. No more anything.

For the first time, Taehyung walks down the hill to the seashore.

His mother is waiting for him down there as usual. This time, though, she has a smile that’s a mix of sadness and happiness.

Taehyung feels the sand on his bare feet, the cold breeze touching his skin. He feels… peace.

His mother stretches her arm; a quiet invitation.

He, too, smiles and lifts his arm to take her hand-

“You look miserable.”

Reality hits him all over again.

The storm. The dull floor. His aching body, the cold, the fever.

He’s confused.

Who- who said that? Is he finally hallucinating-

Then, it hits him.

The shiver running down his spine has nothing to do with the fever. The adrenaline, his instincts begging him to get up and run away as fast as he can, even though his weak body would never let him do it.

The absolute fear he was never able to forget even after eight years.

There’s a man standing in front of him.

When a lightning strikes, making the tiny room glow for a brief second, Taehyung sees it - and he feels that his guts became pure ice.

It’s him.

“I’m glad I came soon enough. You’re virtually dead, kid.” He says in that same tone - as if he’s slightly interested in the situation, slightly entertained by it. Taehyung also notices that it’s been eight years and the man looks exactly the same as that day; he notices how the man called him kid even though, now, he doesn’t look that much older than Taehyung.

Whatever did that to them wasn’t human.

Taehyung shakes. It has nothing to do with his disease. It’s pure fear. He feels the ominous aura exhaling from this man; he feels like he’s being observed by a hungry tiger, ready to attack its prey. Taehyung is the prey.

The man crouches down right in front of him.

“You remember me, don’t you?” He asks in a quiet voice.

Taehyung, once again, feels that he can’t speak or move. However, a name flashes in his mind, just like that day.

Seokjin.

The man smiles.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you ever since that day, Taehyung.” It feels that frost filled his veins as he hears his name fall from the man’s mouth. “It took you a long time to mature, but finally, I feel that you're ready.”

The man narrows his eyes.

“I could save you from this situation.”

For a brief moment, the fear quiets down inside of Taehyung.

What… what does he mean?

The man - Seokjin; for some reason, it’s hard to even think of his name - gets his sudden interest. He intertwines his own fingers, resting his arms over his legs. “See, Taehyung, you have a lot of potential. What you consider a curse might actually be your greatest virtue. Your simplistic human mind surely doesn’t understand it now, but wow… I feel raw power in you. Something I haven’t felt in centuries. If I simply let you die, it would be such a waste of potential.”

Taehyung doesn’t understand anything this man says. Raw power? Potential?

“I can make you become something like me.” Seokjin says. Taehyung shivers at how he said something, not someone. “Eternal youth. Abilities beyond your human imagination. Not to mention my own very fortune… of course, everything comes with a price, so you’ll have to pledge loyalty to me. And I know you might be thinking, hell, I’ll have to work for someone again? But let me be honest, all things considered…” Seokjin looks around and tilts his head in a sarcastic way, “you’ll be way better off with me.”

Taehyung’s heartbeat increases as he stares at the man in silence.

This can’t be real. He must be hallucinating. But… Seokjin’s presence feels very real and looks very real.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that you will stop having feelings at some point,” Seokjin says nonchalantly. “Emotions are something purely human, did you know that? You’ll be freed from all this… suffering.” He smirks once again. “I guess this interests you.”

It does.

Indeed.

Taehyung is tired.

It’s painful to wake up every day knowing that he’s the loneliest person in the world and that this will never change. He knows there’s nothing he can do to change this fact - science or faith never helped him.

So, what if he simply stopped feeling?

What if he simply didn’t care that he had no mark on his wrist anymore? A life without worries, without pain?

He just wants all of this to stop.

He is tired.

Taehyung ignores his intelligence yelling that this man is evil, worse than Mr. Hwang, worse than anyone he’s ever met, that maybe working for him might be pure hell. He ignores his instincts that send alarms all throughout his body, making him feel just how dangerous he truly is.

He ignores all of that because he’s tired of being intelligent and he’s tired of being tired.

Taehyung weakly nods in agreement.

Seokjin smiles.

“I knew you were a smart kid.”

Then, he sees something that truly scares him.

Seokjin opens his mouth widely and his canine teeth grow out to look like fangs. He proceeds to bite his own wrist - Taehyung’s stomach twirls as he hears the disgusting sound of flesh being ripped out; blood immediately drips down Seokjin’s forearm.

He takes Taehyung’s head with one hand, supporting it. He approaches his other arm from Taehyung’s face - the wrist which was brutally bitten creating a wide wound.

Taehyung doesn’t understand what’s happening, he suddenly wants to give up-

Seokjin forces his wound against Taehyung’s half opened mouth.

“Drink it.” he orders.

Taehyung feels the repulsive taste of warm metallic blood filling his taste buds.

He scowls and whimpers, feeling the immediate need to vomit. Seokjin, however, holds his head too firmly for him to move; he forces Taehyung to swallow it in big, painful gulps.

Nothing changes at first-

Heat.

It burns his body from his toes to his scalp.

He can’t see or hear or feel anything but the heat.

Darkness.

He's back at the top of the hill.

His mother looks at him from down there at the seashore, as she always is.

Today, though, she's different.

Her expression is shadowed by worry and fear.

Today, she's the one to shout things at Taehyung. But he can't hear her; the sound of the waves is way too loud. Her voice is drowned by them.

She desperately stretches her arms towards him. As if scared for him. As if begging him to stop.

But it's already too late.

➳24

Seojoon's wife taps his back softly.

"He didn't even have a proper funeral," he says quietly. "That man didn't even care about paying him his last honors."

She caresses Seojoon's hair. His sadness is so deep that it resonates within her. She herself was never close to the boy, but just like her husband, she saw him growing up. It's painful to see someone so young pass away like this - without having a companion, kids, not even a surname.

"You did everything you could." She says reassuringly.

Seojoon nods… but he could've done more.

Sighing, he gets up. Unfortunately, he has no time to mourn; there's work to be done. He hates the fact that he still has to work for that heartless man after everything, but poor people don't have the right to choose.

As usual, he kisses his wife on the lips before opening the door to leave.

But he stops.

"Darling," he calls, frowning. "Did you leave a vase outside last night?"

"No," she says. "Why would I do such a thing?"

Seojoon looks from side to side.

Stares down at the tall ceramic vase resting just in front of the door. Its interior is hidden by a wooden lid.

Is this a prank?, he asks himself.

Hesitantly, he crouches down in front of the vase and lifts the lid.

Seojoon gasps loudly.

"What is it, darling?" his wife asks from inside the house.

He can't believe his eyes.

It's… it's money.

More money than he's ever seen in his life. The ceramic vase is full of money.

"This must be a prank," Seojoon tells himself, feeling his heartbeat increase. "This must be wrong…"

Then, he notices that atop of all the money, there's a little folded note.

Hesitant - scared - he stretches out his hand and unfolds it.

Seojoon's eyes widen even more. He falls utterly silent.

There's only one sentence written in messy handwriting.

Thank you for everything.

➳24

Taehyung doesn't limp anymore.

➳24

Master Dyo - Yoongi; that's his real name, but Taehyung was taught to never say any of the Sentinels' names out loud - stands outside of the abandoned church nonchalantly. He crosses his arms and leans on a tree nearby.

"Go ahead," he says, motioning with his head.

Taehyung looks between him and the awkward faceless wooden doll Master Dyo gave him. It's quite a big doll, the size of a toddler perhaps. It was supposed to be a marionette, apparently, judging by its articulated limbs, but there's no strings attached to it.

"What am I supposed to do exactly?" He asks once again.

"You just have to give it an order," Master Dyo says again, starting to get annoyed. Taehyung already noticed that he's short in patience. "Come on, it shouldn't be that hard. Just do it right. Because if you don't succeed at your first task… well, I don't know what the Winter Lord will do to you."

Taehyung feels a shiver.

Winter Lord. That's how they call Seokjin. Just like the Sentinels, he's not allowed to say Seokjin's real name out loud; to know someone's name is to have some sort of control over them. Except that with Seokjin, it's quite the opposite; if he lets you know his name, it means he has control over you. It makes a lot of sense, considering how the Winter Lord craved his own name inside of Taehyung's mind.

As he's beginning to understand, the Winter Lord is one of the commanding forces of the underworld - a hidden society of beings that shouldn't exist in the natural world. Beings like what Taehyung has become.

He stares at the old rotting church once more.

It's dark inside of the abandoned building; he can barely see anything. This makes shivers run up the back of his neck. With Taehyung's new sight, he learned that he's more than capable of seeing things in the dark very well - too much light bothers him, actually.

Which means that whatever's inside that church doesn't like to be seen.

Taehyung exhales and enters.

His each step echoes as he walks slowly, looking around. He sees that the walls are painted black, indicating that once, this place has burned in flames. It's strangely cold. Strangely empty.

Taehyung senses it.

A gigantic force, right behind him.

He turns around in time to protect himself.

At first, he doesn't really understand what he's seeing. It looks like a very thick and dark smoke. Yet, slowly, the shadow takes form… a form that is probably ten meters tall, long and fast like a snake. Four red eyes stare down at him with aggressiveness and bloodthirst that resonates in his bones.

The thing attacks again.

Taehyung jumps to the side out of instinct. It screeches like a hurt animal - a sound so horrible that he feels his guts twirl. His human instincts still echo inside of him, saying that he should escape at the first opportunity.

But he's not a human anymore.

You just have to give it an order, Master Dyo said.

To know someone's name is to have control over them.

Taehyung stands up.

"Tell me your name." He pronounces.

The thing screeches in a challenging way. It's ready to attack again.

No, there's something lacking… not enough confidence. Not enough dominance.

As it launches itself forward one more time, Taehyung says with a quiet - however demanding, bone chilling voice:

"Tell me your name."

The thing stops.

It shakes and contorts itself as if in pain.

Uzros, Taehyung hears a deep, distorted voice inside of his head.

"Uzros." Taehyung repeats out loud. It contorts itself once again at the sound of its name. "You are sealed."

It screeches painfully one last time. Losing its form, Taehyung watches as the dark smoke gets thinner and thinner, cloistering around the wooden marionette.

Taehyung drops it to the floor.

Silence.

Nothing changes at first.

Then, slowly, the marionette starts moving, producing a constant noise of wood hitting wood - its articulations. It gets up with restrained movements and looks at Taehyung.

Now, its face has an unnerving smile painted in red.

Uzros bows.

"My m-master," it says with a much calmer, much smaller voice.

Taehyung hears a whistle.

"That was impressive." Master Dyo says, standing at the church's entrance. "I thought you would struggle more. Now I understand why the Lord chose you."

Taehyung looks at him and frowns. "Can you explain what is this?" he points at the marionette. Master Dyo chuckles.

"A demon, of course." He says as if it's not a big deal. "Not just any lower demon, actually. This one has been killing people for some decades. Started to cause too much trouble. It was about time to seal it." He points at it with his chin. "Now, it's completely under your control."

Taehyung looks down at the marionette once again. "And what do I do with it?"

Master Dyo shrugs. "Many possibilities. It's sealed, so it won't reach its peak power anymore, but it's still quite a powerful demon." He opens smirk that looks very sarcastic. "Congratulations. You have conquered your first servant. You're officially a Sentinel now."

Regardless of his words, Master Dyo still looks very disinterested as he turns around and leaves the building. Taehyung follows him shortly; he can hear Uzros moving its tiny legs right behind him.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Be careful not to say your true name around any servant. This will break the seal and they'll most definitely try to kill you." Because yes, as Taehyung learned, he can die.

"What should I call myself, then?" Taehyung asks himself quietly. Master Dyo keeps silent for some moments.

"Master V."

Taehyung frowns. "Master V? Why V?"

"V is five in roman numbers. You're the fifth of us to join." He shrugs. "Or whatever. I'm shit at names anyway."

It's strange to be called Master when Taehyung has been looked down on his whole life, but he doesn't hate Master Dyo's idea.

"Where are we going now?" He asks.

"The Lord said that if you succeeded, I should take you to meet the other three Sentinels. Stupid little reunion." Master Dyo side-eyes Taehyung. "You don't have to like us, but just so you know: from now on, we're probably the only ones in this world that won't absolutely hate you. Or try to kill you. Unless you meet Master Quattor in a bad mood. Then he'll probably do both."

Taehyung nods.

He's already used to being hated anyway.

➳26

It doesn’t take long until everyone knows his name.

The Winter Lord’s fifth Sentinel. Mysterious, no one knows where he came from - but whispers about him flow throughout all of the underworld, a newly transformed vampire so powerful that can bend demons previously judged untamed to his will.

The Lord is never wrong. The power he sensed inside of Taehyung was finally unlocked as he gave up on his humanity - and that potential only increases as Taehyung deepens his knowledge in the dark arts.

Knowing of his raw power, the Winter Lord quickly puts him in a different position; unlike the other Sentinels that usually have a designated area to look out for - to make sure that the Winter Lord’s laws are obeyed with iron fists, to make sure that any of the other Primaries do not dare to take the control out of him, and to guarantee that the Pact is being strictly fulfilled -, Taehyung is sent around the world in search of problematic vampires who break the Pact. He hunts unhinged ones mercilessly. His ruthlessness becomes well-known all throughout the underworld.

Lower demons and chimeras tremble at the sound of his name. Witches observe him from far, afraid that he’ll offer any danger to mankind. He, however, always follows the Winter Lord’s rules; his bloodthirst carefully controlled, Taehyung never feels eager to kill any human unreasonably - being under a Primary’s control keeps him sane.

He becomes a punisher - and his targets can only beg for mercy in the afterlife, for when they realize they’re being hunted by Master V, they know their days are counted.

➳39

Taehyung doesn’t need to sleep. His body is never physically tired. However, sometimes, when he tames a particularly powerful demon, his energy is drained and he has to recover. It’s different from sleeping for a human; his brain is fully conscious, he can still hear and feel everything around him and can pull out from his “sleeping” state anytime. He never completely shuts down.

However - and Taehyung truly doesn’t understand how or why -, he still dreams.

Most times he sees his mother, as usual - the only difference is that, now, this dream in particular is much blurrier and confusing than it always was as a human. It’s as if there’s something blocking him, not letting him be there fully.

Other times, though, he travels. Watches people he’s never seen in his life in places he’s never been.

Taehyung realized that those are not simply dreams when, once, he found a target he was hunting as he “slept”. That vampire was particularly skilled at hiding and running away. As soon as he woke up and went to the exact place he dreamed of, he found his target there.

This confused him. He kept it to himself, though. It was better to hide some things from the Lord or the other Sentinels; they weren’t completely trustworthy people.

Tonight, his sleep once again leads him to something unexpected - someone he hasn’t thought of for years, a person that resembles a now distant past. As he sees this situation, he can’t help but get up immediately to take action.

He’ll be forced to, once again, be Taehyung - not Master V.

➳39

The scenery hasn’t changed in fifteen years.

The hill, the seashore, the seagulls floating in the air, the fresh and salty air, everything in seemingly tones of grey. Taehyung doesn’t think too much about his past life (even though the memories are very clear in his mind; he never forgot a single day), but being here after so long seems to hit him all at once. The frustration. The powerlessness. The pain, the hunger, the anger…

The loneliness.

It makes Taehyung remember once again about the Lord’s words - how he said Taehyung would stop feeling at some point. Indeed, Taehyung feels much more numb than he has ever been as a human; things barely shock or disgust him anymore, not after facing hundreds of demons and witnessing sickening murders by vampires that broke the Pact. He can’t bring himself to feel sympathy for everyone either. However, he can’t deny that the loneliness he carried throughout his life still bothers him.

Master Dyo said it’s because he’s too young. As years go by, he’ll become more and more indifferent.

He really hopes so.

Taehyung didn’t expect this turmoil of emotions to hit him like that as he looks down the hill.

He hears the seller approaching from far. The short man smiles and bows at Taehyung.

“Good morning, Mr. Chanwoo!” He says excitedly. Taehyung forgets for a moment that he goes by Chanwoo now when he interacts with humans. He’s still used to Hyukjae, the name he went by last year. Taehyung bows politely. “I didn’t expect that you’d come so early!”

“I didn’t want to take you off guard. I apologize.” He says in his quiet, soothing voice.

“Oh no, I don’t bother. I must admit… I am more than happy to know that someone finally decided to buy the property. As you see, this land is one of the best in the region! But unfortunately, superstition destroyed its good reputation… no one wanted to buy it after so many rumors spread.”

Taehyung feels a bad taste in his tongue. “Fortunately, I am not superstitious.” The seller chuckles. “Is everyone out of the property already?”

“Well… there’s not many people to leave, actually.” The seller explains, putting his hands on his waist and looking down the hill. “I guess that you’re not from here… the owner of this property used to be a very rich man. But, for unknown reasons, all the people that used to work for him left and he slowly lost his money. That’s why people say the land is cursed.” The short man sighs. “A really unfortunate story. But I’m sure it’s in good hands once again!” He smiles and approaches one step. “If you don’t mind me asking, Mr. Chanwoo, what are your plans with-”

“Uzros, make him leave.”

“Yes, M-Master V.”

The marionette which was standing at Taehyung’s feet all the time - invisible to the seller’s eyes - makes a quick movement with its head.

The seller seems to choke on his own words.

He frowns and tilts his head, confused.

With rigid movements, the man turns around and enters his carriage again - not before leaving the scripture of the property in Taehyung’s hands.

Taehyung sighs, relieved that he doesn’t have to hear the man’s voice anymore.

Stares at the main house down there.

He’s here.

“Don’t let anyone approach the house,” he orders quietly. “Don’t follow me.”

“Yes, Master.”

Taehyung starts walking down the hill.

He remembers how his hip used to hurt whenever he had to walk up and down this hill many times a day. He recalls that, during one of the examinations, Dr. Hajoon said his hip wound could be taken care of; that he’d limp forever, but at least with the proper treatment, his pains might lessen. He remembers every time he had to walk from village to village under the scorching sun out of pure pettiness just to bring things they didn’t need. Remembers dull floors and humiliation.

The bitter taste in his tongue gets worse.

The houses where fishermen used to live are all abandoned. As he approaches the main house, he notices how it looks old and rotten compared to its glory days; the painting is slowly peeling out, giving it a lifeless look.

Taehyung enters the house.

A woman - a caregiver, apparently - widens her eyes as she sees him, but with a quick hand movement of his, the woman immediately chokes her own scream and falls to the floor in deep, instant sleep.

He can’t sense anyone else but him.

His steps are slow. The house, indeed, looks even worse on the inside. Most of its expensive decorations are nowhere to be seen. It smells of mold now. His every step makes the wood under his feet creak.

He stops in front of the main room’s door - the room he was never allowed to enter.

Taehyung opens the door and just… watches.

Mr. Hwang lays on the bed with his eyes closed. Just like in Taehyung’s dream, he looks old and decrepit. It’s hard to believe this is the same man that used to rule this region. The man that judged himself as royalty.

His life force is weak and thin.

Taehyung stays there for a long time, his presence barely noticeable. He stands and watches.

Finally, Mr. Hwang opens his eyes. Blinks. Looks around.

Spots Taehyung. The man that supposedly died fifteen years ago - but didn’t age a single day ever since.

Terror and confusion distort the old man’s features. His breathing becomes difficult, his heartbeat increases. He tries to get up, unsuccessfully.

Taehyung just watches him as the man drowns in panic.

And… smirks.

“Hello.” He says in his usual quiet, deep voice. It makes Mr. Hwang feel shivers run all throughout his body. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Mr. Hwang’s breathing shakes. “H-H-How?” Is the only thing he can say.

Taehyung approaches slowly. It seems that the man desperately wants to get up, but Taehyung’s overwhelming aura forces him to stay in place.

“Calm down or you’ll have a heart attack.” Taehyung says in a demanding voice that Mr. Hwang never heard coming from him.. “I won’t hurt you.”

Mr. Hwang gulps and keeps very, very quiet, his eyes widened in panic.

Taehyung still watches him in silence for a few moments.

“You must think this is my mother’s curse.” Taehyung continues. Every word seems to make the bitter taste in his tongue get stronger. “Things are doing bad ever since I left, isn’t it? Your sons abandoned you… the fishermen left… your wife died… you lost your money and reputation. It must’ve been hell for you, isn’t it?”

Taehyung can hear Mr. Hwang’s heartbeat increasing.

He opens a small smile once again.

“But don’t worry, Mr. Hwang. My mother surely didn’t curse you. You did your part, isn’t it? You took care of me for all those years. That’s why this property that has been in the family for three generations will still be in the family’s name.”

Taehyung shows him the scripture.

Mr. Hwang’s eyes widen even more as realization hits him.

“Don’t worry, father. I bought it. Isn’t it great?” The old man starts shaking. “Just as you wished… the fourth generation now owns it.”

Taehyung approaches even more - causing joints of pure fear in Mr. Hwang. His instincts not only sense how he’s face-to-face with one of the deadliest creatures in the world; he feels all the bitterness and hurt and anger and sadness directed to him, sees it in Taehyung’s eyes, sees his angry smile.

“I’ll make sure that this place rots, father. I sure hope to make you proud.”

Mr. Hwang’s eyes fill with tears.

Taehyung can’t bring himself to feel compassion. He feels Mr. Hwang. He knows the old man feels nothing but anger and resignation. Not even a sign of regret or guilt.

That’s why Taehyung gets up and leaves without looking back.

He should feel some sense of triumph or victory. Yet… something like a heavy cloud cloister around his heart, weighing heavily on him.

Something like him shouldn’t feel anything like this anymore.

However, Taehyung can’t help but feel that he, indeed, was never loved - and it hurts him now just as bad as it did when he was a child.

➳81

The sun is setting as Taehyung walks slowly towards the cemetery, a bouquet of white lilies in hands.

He barely visits cemeteries. It reminds him of the humanity he left behind. He can’t allow himself to feel any bit of regret for the path he chose - even though, now, Taehyung is nothing like the man he used to be.

And one of the last people in the world that got to know who Taehyung really was just completed her time on Earth.

Taehyung stands in front of Jisoo’s grave.

She lived a long life. Jisoo, indeed, found her pair and had three children with him. Didn’t get married out of business or out of compassion; it was out of love, just like Taehyung expected.

Human’s first reaction is to get sad when someone dear passes away. Taehyung, however, can’t feel anything but gratefulness and immense peace. Jisoo had a happy life. As Taehyung gets older, he understands that humans’ short existence isn’t anything to get saddened for - it’s something to be cherished. It’s such a fleeting and beautiful experience, everyday lived in a type of intensity that Taehyung’s numb heart can’t feel anymore.

If he was still human, he’s sure he wouldn’t have lived as much as her. His life would have been painful since its last day when Taehyung would be finally able to rest. Yet, as Taehyung thinks about it, even the worst emotions have some beauty in them.

He puts the bouquet over her grave and opens a small smile - such a rare sight.

Taehyung can just wish that, wherever Jisoo is, she’s still as happy and beautiful as she was in life.

➳103

A vampire doesn’t have physical needs.

They don’t need to eat or drink. With just a little bit of a Primary’s blood, a transformed can have its thirst satisfied for years. Taehyung himself hasn’t tasted a human’s blood in his entire existence as an immortal. Their brains and bodies don’t get tired, so they don’t need to sleep for those reasons.

They can have physical desires, though.

Desires such as lust.

Throughout Taehyung’s life, he never really thought too much about it. He remembers having wishes as a human boy, yet he always ignored them. After all, Taehyung was doomed to be alone; he would never have a partner to fulfill his wishes. Taehyung remembers how people like his own mother were treated for having sex with someone that wasn’t their pair; they were judged as impure, even though his mother - and virtually every other woman in his situation - never really had another choice (prostitutes’ clients, however, never faced such harsh treatment). Because of that, having sex with anyone was out of question. The thought didn’t even cross his mind as years went by and he became more and more numb. He didn’t need it.

It changes one night.

Society all over the world is slowly but surely changing. Of course, most people still tend to judge the ones who don’t wait until they find their pairs - but nowadays, there are some that do not care about waiting anymore and are not ashamed of it.

Taehyung meets someone like that in a bar.

He has a lot of spare time. The Winter Lord does not bother his Sentinels when they’re not doing his deeds, so all of them are free to do whatever they want (sometimes the Lord disappears for months). Taehyung has quite a few hobbies. Most of the time, he reads books and studies new languages - he has mastered ten languages at this point - and has also dedicated himself to better his calligraphy. Taehyung also likes buying houses and properties, sometimes just to reform or rebuild them; he took a liking for architecture. Sometimes he buys a house, reforms it and sells it again. This hobby ended up going too far. Now, Taehyung has some estate agencies around the world (they all have different names under different pseudonyms, so sometimes he gets confused). Taehyung is fairly good at business. He likes to spend his time destroying and building and negotiating things.

Yet, his favorite activity is simply watching people.

He goes to busy streets or squares, sits down and simply watches as people go on about their lives. It’s entertaining to see their expressions and wonder what sorts of hardships they’re going through, how their relationships must be, the emotions they must be feeling. He can spend hours doing it. Vampires can be frighteningly discreet when they want; because of that, Taehyung goes unbothered by others.

Sometimes, he finds people that are more observant, though. They see and sense things other humans wouldn’t.

Like that woman sitting across the bar.

Taehyung has been quietly sitting by the counter observing everyone for around forty minutes, the glass of whiskey on his hands barely a tool to make him less suspicious. The bar is crowded with people; a band plays a cheerful song as a couple of very drunk men lead the singing (they’re yelling more than singing, actually). Most of the people around him sing as well, drinking until their brains malfunction, crying tears of happiness; the war is finally over, after all. The world can once again sigh in relief.

The only person that seemed to really notice Taehyung is that young woman.

She has peeked at him many times already, quickly avoiding his gaze. Taehyung noticed that she has a couple of friends with her, yet she’s the only one that isn’t absurdly drunk. Taehyung noticed the amount of times she passed her hand on her hair and adjusted her clothes.

She’s beautiful.

Not the only beautiful woman in the bar, but the only one that noticed him.

Taehyung decides to finally look back.

The moment their eyes meet, Taehyung hears her heartbeat increasing.

The moment he smirks at her, he thinks that her heart will actually explode.

Taehyung knows the power he has over people - not the ominous aura natural to any vampire that elicits humans’ sense of danger. No; it is Taehyung’s ability to make everyone look at him as he walks by when he wants to, his ability to make people stutter and blush under his gaze. The intimidation. He most times uses his overwhelming presence to terrify and dominate, but sometimes he uses it when he wants something from a human.

It’s sudden, but Taehyung feels that he wants to know how it feels to be physically intimate with someone.

With her.

The other Sentinels do it all the time. Perhaps because it’s worth doing.

So, when Taehyung actually gets up from the stool and walks towards her, he knows that he’s going to get what he wants.

It doesn’t take much talking to have her lips against his.

It also doesn’t take much convincing to have her alone with him, locked in the back room.

Taehyung has never felt so much heat spread through his body - he didn’t even know it was possible for an immortal to feel this way. Waves of pleasure hit him as he runs his hands over the woman’s body; so soft, so alluring. He knows that he could break her in the middle if he wanted. He has to be gentle, has to be slow - and this, somehow, only builds more and more anticipation inside of him.

The woman is too eager and wants things quickly. Taehyung has to hold her, making sure that things will go at his pace. She’s not displeased by that. Neither is he.

Taehyung likes control.

Although he has never actually done this, he can control his own body in ways no human man could do; he is patient, takes his time because he wants to do things right. He watches the woman’s reactions every time he touches her or kisses her, impressed at how easy it is to spread fire through her body - fascinated at how humans display their pleasure. He touches her slowly and carefully until she has tears in her eyes and begs for more.

And when he’s finally inside of her, Taehyung quite understands how she feels.

The tightness. The warmth and the wetness. It’s hard to control himself. Yet, again, he moves slowly, careful to not harm her. The sounds of pleasure she makes intoxicates him, motivates him to push further, to go faster. She grabs him as if her life depends on it; she sweats, her skin becomes slippery, he feels her juices around him. It’s fascinating to watch.

Taehyung goes, restless and ruthless, until her moans are higher and she melts in a puddle under him, until he feels that pure lava has filled his veins in an explosion of bliss.

He keeps in place as he watches her recover from her high.

Taehyung notices he doesn’t even know her name.

Well.

He has a new favorite hobby now.

➳146

Taehyung and the Lord watch as the explosion happens.

They’re around twenty kilometers away from its ground zero, yet they can see the blinding light that seems to create a second sun on the Earth’s surface; seconds later, the sound that would’ve erupted human’s ears; then, the shockwave and the heat that would have melted any living being at that distance.

They stand there and watch in silence.

Taehyung rarely ever feels shocked at anything. This is one of those rare things.

The Lord crosses his arms as they watch the gigantic mushroom cloud rise to the sky, towering over them, making the day become night.

“You see, Taehyung,” he says quietly. The Lord is probably the only person that calls him by his real name. “The things I do are not completely selfish. People think I’m just a soulless megalomaniac, but if I don’t do what I do, if I don’t push and pull the strings from behind… this is what humans do.” He points the explosion with his own chin. “They destroy each other. Mankind is stupid. I hate stupidity.”

“Will you intervene?” Taehyung asks. The Lord said he wouldn’t get involved in any wars anymore. If any of the Primaries decide to start another war, I’ll just let them kill themselves, he said barely sixteen years ago.

The Lord shrugs. “If they ever throw that thing over a real city, there’ll be counter attacks and the whole world will be over. I can’t be at the top of everything if there’s just a bunch of radioactive dust under my feet. So… yes. Unfortunately. I have to put those humans back into their own places.” Everything sounds so easy for him. He looks up at the sky in silence once again. “But… I can’t deny that it’s a beautiful horror show.”

Taehyung doesn’t agree. There’s nothing beautiful about that and what it represents.

He keeps quiet for long, long moments.

“You lied to me.”

The Lord turns his head to look at him slowly.

“What?”

Taehyung keeps staring ahead.

“When I agreed to be transformed. You said that I’d be devoid of emotions. But it didn’t happen.”

It’s the Lord’s time to go silent.

Taehyung has been keeping it to himself for decades.

He’s been waiting for the moment when his chest won’t hurt anymore. Yes, he became more and more numb as years went by - but that is due to his overextended life, he’s seen so much that there’s nothing he hasn’t experienced yet. He became a cold and collected person. Doesn’t even remember how he used to be before all this.

But the hollow in his chest is still there.

Always has been.

And it bothers him. It bothers him more and more. Bothers him every time he is alone in any of his houses, his company being his servants - tamed demons that hate him with everything they got, but are obligated to obey him. It bothers him every time he’s inside of some stranger, feeling overwhelming pleasure that somehow never truly satisfies him.

It bothers him every time that he looks at his empty wrist and is reminded that he was born to be alone.

The other Sentinels don’t have pairs anymore, either. Quattor himself accepted to be transformed because his pair had just died and he couldn’t bear the pain. Now, he can keep living because he doesn’t feel anything anymore - just like all the others.

Why aren’t things changing for Taehyung after all those years?

“You still dream. Don’t you?” The Lord asks, staring ahead. Taehyung is not caught by surprise. He knows it’s almost impossible to hide anything from the Lord. “Do you know what most dreams are? Basically… it’s the soul leaving the body to travel around.” The Lord smirks sarcastically. “I never had a soul, so I don’t know what a dream is. And the thing is… when someone agrees to be transformed, to give up their humanity… they’re also giving up on their soul. A transformed immortal is a body inhabited by only a spirit, the living force, the fuel… but not a soul, the core itself, what carries feelings and has destiny written on it.”

The Lord finally looks at Taehyung.

“But turns out that you’re special, Taehyung, for your soul never left.”

Taehyung stares back at him - the second time he feels shock fill him, this time more strongly than any hydrogen bomb.

“What?” He finally exclaims. “Why?!”

“I don’t know!” The Lord chuckles and shrugs. Nothing bothers him. Once again, he looks entertained by Taehyung’s astonishment. “But when I heard that there was a person not attached to a string, I was sure that they’d be the most powerful immortal ever created, almost as powerful as a Primary. Don’t you know why you’re so powerful, Taehyung? It’s because of your pain. We are unholy and unnatural beings, fueled by negative emotions. You’re the loneliest soul to ever exist.” The Lord smiles. It makes Taehyung feel a terrible taste in his tongue. “As I said… what you considered a curse was actually your greatest virtue. Indeed, you’ve become the most powerful Sentinel.”

It’s hard and rare to take Taehyung off guard.

Right now, he feels that he can’t react at all. He just stares at the Lord in silence.

“But I have to be honest. I didn’t know your soul would stay.” he says as if defending himself. “This was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Maybe you wouldn’t be as powerful as you are if it didn’t.”

Taehyung gulps.

“And why is it?” he asks quietly.

The Lord gazes ahead once again.

“I have a theory.” The mushroom cloud slowly spreads over their heads. Thunders can be heard from far away. “Souls come to Earth in pairs.” The Lord says. “You, however, do not have a pair. So, since your other half hasn’t left - because it doesn’t exist… you’re not allowed to leave, either.”

Taehyung is silent. He feels like he’s out of air - and not because the air isn’t breathable anymore; Taehyung doesn’t need to breathe - but because he realizes that he was fooled all along, that the escape for all of the suffering never existed.

Taehyung is doomed to be alone and suffer alone.

There was never a way out.

➳161

Taehyung wishes he could talk to his mother in his dreams.

He wishes she would finally leave the beach, stop looking at him with tears on her face.

He wishes he would have accepted his lonely fate years and years ago. Maybe then, he could have left with her to whatever waits for them on the other side.

But his mother taught him to survive. To bear. Taehyung never forgot that.

So he survives.

He bears.

There is no point in looking back - not even if he has to bear the unbearable every day.

➳184

It happens at night.

Taehyung is in one of his many houses throughout the world - a penthouse at the very top of the city. The metropolis spreads under him as a map of lights and noises. The honks of cars, police sirens, uncountable voices, helicopters… it’s a cacophony of pure life.

“Uzros?” Taehyung calls, sitting on the armchair by the glass wall. He loosens the tie around his neck and unbuttons the shirt. After months of negotiations and preparation, it’s finally ready: the SJK Construction & Engineering Company has announced that it’ll be responsible for building one of the most ambitious and luxurious chain of hotels in the world. Taehyung was able to lead a negotiation worth billions. To say he’s proud of himself is an understatement.

Yes, Taehyung takes his hobbies very seriously. Normal people do things like physical exercises or watch movies as hobbies. An immortal with too much free time and a fortune in his pocket builds one of the biggest construction companies in the world just to keep himself busy.

The marionette walks towards Taehyung, the usual clank clank of its wooden articulations echoing in the empty penthouse. “Y-Yes, Master?”

“I felt two lower demons down there on the ground floor.” He says nonchalantly.

“They’re s-s-so weak t-that they haven’t f-felt your presenc-c-c-ce,” Uzros remarks.

“Yes. But they can cause trouble nevertheless. Take care of them for me.”

“Y-Y-Yes, Master V.”

Uzros disappears.

Taehyung keeps unbuttoning his shirt. It’s quite funny how the closest thing he has as a friend is a tamed demon. He can’t help but feel some affection for the figure of the ugly marionette. Sometimes, it’s the only thing he interacts with for days on end. Uzros isn’t even the most powerful demon under his control, but Taehyung usually brings him around the world.

He stares at the window. Maybe going out tonight is a good idea.

The phone on the center table rings. Taehyung sighs and gets up.

He takes it with his right hand.

And freezes.

If his heart still pumped inside of his chest, it would be beating as fast as it never had before.

If the blood in his veins still rushed, it’d be carrying tons of adrenaline throughout his system.

He feels a shiver. He feels his jaw falling. He feels the phone slipping from his fingers, producing a cracking noise as it hits the cool floor. He feels his vision blur everything except for one thing:

His right wrist.

This can’t be real.

It must be some witch putting a charm on him. No… Uzros lifted a protective spell as soon as he arrived. He must be hallucinating. This must be some sick joke one of the Sentinels put on him.

There’s no way this is real.

No way.

His right wrist isn’t empty anymore.

There’s a date inked on his skin. It appeared suddenly. He didn’t feel anything. It just appeared.

It marks today. This exact day.

“M-M-Master V?” he vaguely hears Uzros uneasy voice ask. “Is-s-s a-anything wrong?”

Taehyung doesn't answer. Doesn’t move.

He just stares at his wrist.

The mark.

It’s… it’s a date.

A birthdate.

Sunlight clears the penthouse.

Uzros stares at Taehyung, frightened. Its master hasn’t moved an inch for hours. He hadn’t blinked or even breathed. Did someone put a paralyzing spell on him? No, Uzros would have sensed it-

They hear the door unlock.

Finally, Taehyung looks up.

It’s the Lord.

He frowns and walks towards Taehyung slowly. “I felt that there was something wrong with you. Very wrong. You haven't felt something so strong ever since you fought that upper demon years ago.” The Lord tilts his head. “What happened? Were you attacked?”

For the first time in decades, Taehyung is unable to form a sentence. He just stares at the Lord, eyes widened.

The Lord’s frown deepens. He steps even closer and looks at Taehyung’s right wrist.

He, too, freezes.

Uzros watches as the two immortals stand in the middle of the room.

Finally, the Lord’s usual smirk grows on his lips.

“You’re definitely the most interesting thing I’ve ever met in my entire existence.” The Lord says. Sarcastically, he pats Taehyung on the shoulder.

“Congratulations. You’re tied to a newborn baby.”

➳184

Taehyung isolates himself.

He doesn’t bring any servants with him. Lets all of the business in the CEO’s hands. Doesn’t bring any money, any phones, nothing. He’s been locked inside this cabin in the woods for two weeks.

He wasn’t able to shut his mind for a second.

All he can do is stare at the mark on his wrist.

You’re tied to a newborn baby.

This feels like the definitive prank the Universe decided to put him in. Let him believe he was a lonely soul for all of his existence, force him into becoming an unholy being, making him live decades of a numb, painful and empty life-

Just to reveal that he was never a lonely soul at all.

Taehyung was never cursed.

This is so ridiculously absurd.

He wants to laugh. He wants to punch someone in the face. He wants to throw himself under a truck. He wouldn’t die or feel any pain anyway, but that sounds like something appropriate to do at the moment.

Taehyung doesn’t even know what to feel.

Yet… he can’t suppress the absolute, utter and stupid happinness inside of him.

He was never cursed.

He was never meant to be alone.

The other half of his soul exists.

His thoughts are fast and unstoppable. For a moment, he considered ordering a list of every baby born on the date on his wrist - it’s not hard to get information like that when you’re incredibly rich -, but he was quick to shut this idea down when he realized how creepy it sounded. He immediately wondered what type of person his pair would become. A woman or a man? Where is this person from? How’s their appearance? Would they have something in common? Would they ever accept him?

This last thought makes the harsh and dull truth hit him.

They would never accept him.

Taehyung isn’t a human anymore. The man he once was, that person in desperate need of affection - a kind-hearted man that helped even who didn’t deserve help - doesn’t exist anymore. Although Taehyung’s soul never left, there’s just a shadow of that man inside of him; Taehyung became well-known for being a merciless punisher. He’s a murderer. He’s drowned in dark arts, servant of a soulless being; he exchanged his holy life for power, a subversion of nature.

How could something like him ever be with a human?

No human even deserved to be corrupted by his presence.

In this moment, Taehyung decides that the trick Destiny put on him doesn’t matter. He’s done way too much bad to deserve anything good - and neither his pair, whoever it is, deserves to be put into so much disgrace.

Taehyung decides that he’ll never search for his pair.

It might be painful. It might hurt. But this is what something like him deserves.

Pain has always been a long time annoying friend.

➳194

His hobby is not a hobby anymore.

When he decided to make this company around thirty years ago, he was just exercising his likeness for building things. It was also a good distraction from the pain of loneliness.

Now, it distracts him from the pain of keeping away from his pair.

It hurts him more now than it ever did in the past. It doesn’t make sense how he misses someone he has never met so badly.

Working distracts him from that. He’s so serious that SJK Construction & Engineering ranked fourth on the Forbes list of biggest construction companies in the world - three spots up from what it was seven years ago.

Yet, Taehyung can’t feel happy at the news, for today is his pair’s tenth birthday.

He wonders what will show up on their wrist.

Quietly, he wishes that if some sort of higher being exists - the Universe, maybe even God -, it’ll bring his pair some comfort.

Only he knows how much it hurts.

➳204

“I don’t like him.” Taehyung complains. “He’s not trustworthy.”

The Lord crosses his arms. “I know. That’s why I’m putting him under your command.”

Once again, Taehyung looks at Ceres from up the hill. The transformed vampire is powerful, sure - but he has broken the Pact more than once in the past. Although he pledged loyalty to the Winter Lord, Taehyung is almost sure he only made it to keep alive for a little bit longer. That man will break the rules as soon as he gets a chance.

“You understand why I’m doing this, right? I need eyes and ears here more than ever. That stupid coven is plotting against me.” As usual, he doesn’t sound all that worried. He never does. “I know their leader is around.”

Taehyung nods. “I know.”

The Lord clasps his hands together lightheartedly. “Anyway. You’re free to kill him if he steps out of line. I need to go now.” He taps Taehyung’s shoulder lightly before entering his car and driving away.

Taehyung sighs.

The cold ocean breeze touches his hair softly. A thin drizzle falls over his head. The grass is so tall it reaches his knees.

He hates this place. Taehyung avoids coming here at any given opportunity. He doesn’t have a choice today, though.

As he approaches Ceres, he sees the man immediately straightening his back.

“Master V,” he acknowledges.

“You’re staying here for the time being.” Taehyung says, quick and harsh. “You have to check if the coven does anything suspicious. That’s your only task. Do not interact with humans. Do not go downtown unless I tell you to. Understood?”

“Yes, Master V.” Ceres nods.

“Uzros will watch over you.” As Taehyung says its name, Uzros is quickly conjured, appearing at his feet. “He’ll tell me if you misbehave. And if you do, Ceres, I’ll kill you without second thought. Am I clear?”

Ceres gulps.

“Yes, Master V.”

Taehyung gives him one last menacing look before turning around and heading to his own car.

When Destiny wants something to happen, it will happen. No matter how hard you try to run away from it.

He steps on the brake so suddenly that the car skids on the street, the tires producing an awful noise as they scrape against the asphalt.

He holds the steering wheel so tightly that his fingers are marked.

Taehyung.

He heard a whisper in his head.

A soft cry. A painful whimper.

Someone called his name.

Taehyung has never heard this voice before. He has no idea of how he heard it or who said it. Yet, he feels all of his senses alert. His eyes widened. It’s… it’s almost like…

An urge.

He has to go back. He doesn’t understand why, he just knows that he has to.

Ignoring the other drivers yelling at him, Taehyung maneuvers the car in the opposite direction, certainly disrespecting some traffic rules to do so. Cars honk at him as he drives way above the speed limit. It doesn’t make any sense, he just feels that he has to go back, he has to go back, he has to-

It’s too late.

A strange pain slashes through him.

The car crashes violently against a light pole.

When people on the street run to help the driver-

There’s no one inside of the car anymore.

Taehyung materializes in front of the place he used to live almost two hundred years ago, the tiny storage room.

What he sees paints his vision red.

Ceres is crouched down on the floor, his teeth sinked into a young woman’s neck. Uzros stands by his side powerless; Taehyung didn’t give it permission to restrain Ceres.

And for the briefest moment, Taehyung sees the face of Ceres’ victim.

Fury.

“CERES!”

The vampire drops the young woman’s body to the floor and immediately gets up, his eyes impossibly widened.

“What are you doing?!” Intense fury. It has taken control of Taehyung’s body. It’s so intense that the small wooden structure trembles. Uzros whimpers in the corner.

“Master V, I was getting rid of this human-” Ceres says in a weak attempt to keep himself alive, but there’s no going back. Ceres sentenced himself to death.

“You were getting rid?!”

“Master V, please-”

It’s his last words.

With a single blow, Ceres is slashed in the middle. His body falls to the floor and paints it red.

“Uzros! Conjure a witch! Now!”

“Y-Y-Yes, M-Master V!” the marionette stutters.

Taehyung runs to the young woman’s body lying on the floor, hovering over her.

Her eyes are barely opened. She doesn’t move. Blood spills from her neck nonstop.

It’s- it’s you.

It’s his pair.

It’s the person he has been waiting for his entire life-

And you’re dying.

Taehyung takes you in his arms and materializes in the mansion with a gust of wind. He runs to the bedroom; servants look at him as he runs by, confused. Taehyung lays you on the bed, takes his coat off and immediately presses it against the wounds on your neck, trying to stanch the blood.

Your eyes turn violently; blood spills from your mouth. You’re struggling to breathe. Panic takes control of Taehyung in a way it never had before - not even when he met the Winter Lord for the first time, not even when he faced death himself, not even when he was a kid and realized that his mother was dead and that he had to carry on by himself from now on.

He never felt so much despair.

“UZROS!” Taehyung yells. Even if he materialized inside of a hospital, they wouldn’t be able to take care of the situation in time. Taehyung feels your life force getting weaker and weaker by the second. You need a type of healing that doesn’t exist in hospitals.

“T-The witch is here, M-Master V!”

A woman materializes in the bedroom. She looks confused, then outraged.

“Who dares to conjure me like this?!” The scene in front of her finally sinks in - a human bleeding out, a vampire with a bloody hand over her wound. Her face contorts in anger. “Get away from-”

“Heal her!”

The witch stops.

Taehyung’s hand is shaking. His voice is so filled with raw fear and despair that she feels it in her guts; it makes goosebumps crawl over her skin.

But that’s not what shocks her.

Tears stream down Taehyung’s face.

“She’s dying! Please, do something! I beg you! Don’t let her die!”

Taehyung sobs.

Master V. The fifth Sentinel, the feared punisher. A vampire deemed ruthless and soulless.

This vampire is crying.

He remembers; his mother taught him not to cry. If he’s silent, people won’t notice him, won’t bother him. If he pretends he’s not feeling something, it won’t hurt.

Yet, right now, as his other half is on the verge of death, as he finally met the person meant for him, the person he missed his entire life, the person he waited for... for the first time, he forgets what his mother taught him.

For the first time in two hundred years, Taehyung cries.

taglist! it's the first time i acc add a taglist omg

@getmemyfries @strawverryxmilktae @needingyou2

@ibsenova-nora @goldenkookietae @010op10 @taffyteffy

#bangtanarmynet #btswriterscollective #ksmutclub #taehyung fanfiction #taehyung x reader #taehyung imagine #taehyung scenario #bts taehyung #bts x reader #taehyung angst #taehyung smut #bts supernatural au #bts vampire au #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts scenarios #bts imagines

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taestefully-in-luv · 3 years

Text

Always You | JJK (Six)

Summary: you and Jungkook have been best friends since freshmen year of college, there’s a lot of unsaid feelings and tension but neither make a move. what happens when his friend Taehyung (also your crush) needs a fake girlfriend?

Pairing: Jungkook x Female reader, slight Taehyung x Reader

Genre: friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, slight slow burn, roommate au, college au, SMUT (starting ch2), fluff, angst (in later chapters) slight crack, lots of drama

Word Count: 18.3k

Warnings: Swearing, alcohol consumption, sexual tension (!!!), mention of drugs, mention of threesomes, mention of erection, grinding in sleep, car sex, riding, heated make out, hickeys, light hair pulling, light spanking

Notes: Not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter to be honest but here it is regardless! I hope you guys enjoy it:) ALSO those teaser pics from today!!! Anyway feel free to send an ask if you want to be added to the taglist or just want to chat about the story:)

Taglist: @mooniyooni @thisartemisnevermisses @giadalin @kookiebunny097 @cosmosjk @moonchild1 @just-jeon @anpanman-sonyeondan @starlight-night0 @yessii-i @apollukee @mikasaredscarf1 @kaye-rosales @bunnyjeonjk @dyriddle @seagulljk @hass-mich-los @peachy-skz0325 @wonusbitch @not-your-lion @flowersgirl02 @justinetingball @fiantomartell

Previous---Next

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The week drags on slowly and horribly, Monday you had a raging migraine that just wouldn’t go away. Tuesday you were late for your job and were scolded for it. Wednesday you spilled your black coffee all over your white blouse. And today, Thursday, you started your period. This week could not get any worse. Oh wait, yes it can—you just remembered you promised Jungkook you would attend his get together.

You hope things won’t be awkward with Nick…Jungkook has assured you that things are cool and Nick isn’t mad about what happened.

Jungkook 5:15pm

Hey :) so, I was thinking you could bring that 16% wine we always drink?

Jungkook 5:50pm

It starts at 7 but you can come earlier if you want

Jungkook 6:00pm

Or you don’t have to,..it was just a suggestion.

Y/N 6:02pm

I’ll be there at 7.

Jungkook 6:02pm

Ok cool :) I can’t wait to hang out.

You click your phone off, groaning into your pillow. Your cramps are fucking killer and you want to die. You look to your nightstand to see your water and pain killers, you reach for them and swallow them down. Hopefully this helps.

You decide to start getting ready, you settle on some jeans and your favorite striped sweater. Like, who are you trying to impress?

You hear your phone buzzing from your bed and you hurry to answer it.

“Hello?”

“I’m outside whore.”

“Kay be out in a sec.”

You hang up your phone, stuffing it in your back pocket. You gather your things and do one last look in the mirror—casual but cute.

“Holly! They’re here!”

You two rush down to the parking lot where Jimin is parked, Trina and Holly sit in the backseat while you occupy the passenger seat.

“You ready?” Jimin smirks.

~~~~~~

Before you know it, Jimin is knocking on Jungkook and Nick’s front door.

“By the way, I still can’t believe you didn’t who nick was…”

“I never come over here! Jungkook usually comes to mine…” Jimin answers in pout.

The door swings open and there stands Nick, in all his hot glory.

“Hey Nick…” you say, avoiding eye contact but Nick is chipper as can be as he nods at you and everyone else.

“Hey Jungkook! y/n is here!” he calls behind him.

“I mean, we’re here too but go off I guess.” Jimin’s mutters from beside you.

The four of you walk into the apartment, Jungkook still nowhere to be seen.

The small place is filled with maybe 5 other people, you are quick to nod at everyone in greeting. You catch Jungkook leaving his bedroom with Vanessa following closely behind him, you can’t help but roll your eyes. Jungkook finds you staring at him and he grins, walking closer to you and your friends.

“y/n!” he goes in for a quick, unexpected hug.

“Hi.”

“Jimin!” he hugs Jimin too, “and Hey Tr—”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“Yup, nice to see you too Trina.” Jungkook smiles anyway, “And you must be Holly?” he extends his hand out for her to shake. She takes it while smiling awkwardly.

“I’m glad you guys came!” Jungkook scratches the back of his head, “This is uh, this is Vanessa.” He introduces the girl standing beside him.

Vanessa is pretty…really pretty actually. She has short black hair, it looks soft and sleek. She is taller than you, her height almost rivaling Jungkook’s. But she is still smaller than him.

“Hi everyone.” She says flatly.

She doesn’t look interested in meeting any of you, or interested in any of the people here. She grabs her phone from her bag and starts scrolling through it as Jimin introduces everyone.

“And this is y/n.” he finally finishes, gesturing towards you.

At this, Vanessa looks up from her phone to eye you up and down, “Right.” Is all she says, then her eyes are back on her screen.

Wow, quite the charmer. You look at Jungkook whose eyes are already on you, and he chuckles nervously.

“Well, did you bring that wine?” he asks you.

You pull it from the bag you are holding and hand it to him, “Here…” his hand goes to reach it and his fingers brush against yours and you shudder.

“Umm, I’ll pour us all a glass.” He takes the bottle, faces Vanessa and heads toward the kitchen while Vanessa follows him. You watch as they disappear into the other room and you release a breath.

“That’s the bitch he’s fucking?” Trina asks bluntly, one eyebrow raised in question. “She didn’t even look at us!”

“Let’s be nice,” Holly says.

“Fucking fine.” Trina rolls her eyes. Hard.

You can’t help but agree though, Vanessa seems…you don’t know, but why would Jungkook like her? She seems rude, and uninterested in literally everything.

“You’re never going to get over her like this, you know?” Vanessa continues to look at her screen as she speaks to Jungkook. “You’re just hurting yourself.” Her eyes dart towards her glass being poured, “I don’t even like this wine, I told you I wanted the other one.”

“It’s y/n’s favorite.” He exhales deeply as he pours more glasses.

“Oh right, so is this how it’s going to be?” Vanessa clicks her phone off and slides it in her purse, “Now that she’s back in your life everything is going to be about her?”

“No, Vanessa…” he looks up from the bottle, “We’re still…” he gestures between their bodies.

“Right.” She says, tapping her fingers against the counter, “Totally.”

“So what game shall we play?” Jungkook sits down between you and Vanessa, his body vibrating in excitement. (How you and Vanessa ended up sitting next to each other in the first place? You don’t know. But thankfully Jungkook saves the day.)

“How bout never have I ever!” Jimin winks at everyone, “It’s always a good way to get to know new people.”

“Fine.” Trina says with a smirk

“Yeah, I’m down!” Nick says, high fiving his same bro who believes in aliens.

Various ‘yes’s are heard around the room and you nod your head too.

“If you’ve done it, you drink, that’s the rule.” Jimin states “I’ll go first. Never have I ever done coke.”

A few people you aren’t well acquainted with groan and take a sip of their drinks, Jimin looks at you as he passes his turn.

“Uh,” you look up at the ceiling, “Never have I ever had a threesome.”

You notice every single one of your friends taking a drink, Jungkook included. Well, you shouldn’t be surprised. Damn, even Holly? Are you just lame?

Jungkook goes next, “Never have I ever ate ass!” Jimin raises his glass and he take a gulp.

Everyone’s laughing and having a good time, the game continues on for several rounds, everyone drinking at different times but everyone collectively getting drunker.

The turn is back on you…”Never have I ever cheated on a college exam.”

“Fucking liar!” Jungkook snickers beside you, “You copied like half my answers in bio!”

“Oh true.” You say nonchalantly, “Never mind. Jungkook your turn.”

Jungkook thinks for a few moments, “Never have I ever not made a girl come.” He smirks.

“Okay ladies man, we get it, fucking whore.” Jimin sticks his tongue out.

Next is Vanessa’s turn, she tilts her head side to side thinking on what she wants to say.

“Never have I ever had sex with my best friend.” She says, her voice smooth and silky.

You choke on your spit when you process her words, your head snaps to Jungkook’s. He’s already looking at you, debating if he should drink—especially in front of all your friends.

He watches in horror as you begin to raise the glass to your lips, your eyes never leaving his. He raises his own glass to his mouth and takes a sip as you do the same and the room goes quiet.

Jimin watches the two of you, his eyes widening in shock as he puts two and two together.

“Wait wait wait.” Trina speaks up, “Did you two…?” she looks between you two before her eyes settle on you, “When?”

“Yeah, when?” Jimin asks quietly, sounding betrayed.

“Can we not do this right now?” you plead.

Jungkook is nodding his head in agreeance, “Yeah guys….this is a bit…” he glances over at Vanessa who is quietly sipping her wine, she blinks at Jungkook a few times before taking another sip.

“So you two have fucked!” Nick says, totally oblivious. Fucking Nick.

“It was a really long time ago, it meant nothing…” you save while striking a chord in Jungkook, he clenches his jaw. “Well, it meant nothing for only some of us,” he grits out. You feel a pang in your chest. What does he mean by that?

“Okay, would if we all take a moment to relax…” Holly intervenes. She stands up, taking her glass and Trina’s glass to the kitchen.

“It’s getting late anyway.” You stand too, you look at Trina and Jimin with apologetic eyes and nod towards the door, “Let’s get going.”

“Wait y/n,” Jungkook stands up as well, grabbing on to your arm. “Can we talk for a moment?” he motions towards the balcony. “Please.”

You roll your eyes but go along with it, you follow him out the back on to the balcony. It’s a small space, forcing you to stand somewhat close to Jungkook.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that last thing…” he begins, “You were just trying to save the conversation….right?”

“Right.” You agree. You fold your arms over your chest, you want this day to be over with.

“Other than this last bit…I had a lot of fun…you know…everyone hanging out. It was nice,” Jungkook shakes his head a bit, his hair falling all over his face, covering his big doe eyes. You can’t help but reach up and tuck some wild strands away so you could see him properly.

He freezes when you do that.

“Oh sorry…habit.”

“No no its okay, I was just surprised is all.” He smiles, and you feel your heart glow.

“Vanessa seems…” you don’t know why you bring her up right now but you do.

“Nice.”

Jungkook bites down on his bottom lip, looking at you with serious eyes,

“You don’t like her.”

He chuckles lightly, “I still know when you’re lying.”

“Sorry,” you laugh into your palm, “She just doesn’t seem all that interested in anyone.”

“Including me?”

“Kind of…sorry.” You look up at him, “It’s none of my business.”

“Well, you’re my friend so I value your opinion.”

“Okay then…I just can’t seem to find what you might like about her…” Your honest nature isn’t something Jungkook isn’t use to, but he still feels defensive.

“Well, you don’t know her.”

“Do you?”

He opens his mouth to answer but falls short of a response. He stuffs his hands into his front pockets of his jeans and lets out a small groan.

“Can we go one day without fighting?” he whispers.

“Sorry.” You offer a half ass apology. “Jimin and the rest are probably waiting for me so—”

“Wait…” he grabs your wrist and pulls you closer to him, “Can I hug you? Since I have to ask now.”

“If I say no?”

“Then I will probably cry myself to sleep.”

“Well, we can’t have that can we?”

“So that’s a yes?”

You look up into Jungkook’s endearing eyes and nod your head yes, he doesn’t waste another second before he’s wrapping his arms around you and engulfing you in a sweet embrace. He smells like his laundry detergent and his natural scent, the combo making you dizzy—as usual. You finally return the hug, your own arms circling around his waist. You feel him inhale you and you can’t help but do the same…you missed this. You missed his touch—his warmth. You missed him.

“I missed you too.”

Oh, did you say that out loud?

“Yes you did.” He chuckles into your neck. his hot breath hitting your skin making you shudder.

“I missed you so much.” He whispers into your hair, his words almost getting lost in your locks.

“Then why did you replace me so quickly?” you whisper into his chest, you feel his heart beat faster than before.

“I don’t like her, Jungkook.” You admit.

“Please just give her a chance…for me, please.” He exhales into your neck before nuzzling further.

“Do you like her?” you brace yourself for the answer, you grip on to his shirt, bunching up the material in your hands.

“Yes.” He tightens his hold on you, “but, it’s complicated.”

You pull back from him, “Wait…you really do like her? Oh…” you drop your arms from his body.

“y/n…This is hard for me. She’s the only thing distracting me from…” he gulps, “Things.”

You take a step back, confused.

“Things?” you scoff, “What aren’t you telling me Jungkook?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He whispers, his hands still rest on your waist. He pulls you closer again, “I’m working on it.” He looks into your eyes and you can’t help but stare at his lips as he licks them.

“How hard are you working on it?” you wrap your hands around his middle again, stepping closer to him.

“I don’t…know…” he breathes out erratically. His eye becoming half lidded as he stares down at you, “I….dont …know….” He repeats in a daze.

Your hands travel up his back until your grabbing on to his hair, using this to tilt his head down gently.

“You’ll tell me eventually, won’t you?” you angle your head upwards, he slowly begins to lean down, his eyes shutting as he leans in closer and closer. You part your lips slightly waiting in anticipation for his lips to find yours.

“You’re so fucking unfair…” You feel Jungkook’s whisper hit your lips as he begins closing the distance.

Then the door fucking opens, you and Jungkook jumping apart at the sudden intrusion.

“y/n are you ready?” Jimin looks between you two, he eyes you suspiciously before looking at you expectantly.

“Right, yeah.” You look at Jungkook who is as red as a fucking cherry. He scratches his head with one hand and uses to the other to usher you inside. Were you and Jungkook about to…? Holy shit. What has gotten into you?

Before you go inside you turn around to face him, “Maybe we can talk about this later?”

“Uh, maybe.” Jungkook looks at the floor as you speak to him, he sways from one foot to another. “See you later y/n.”

~~~~

“Fucking spill it.” Trina spits out once you four are in the car. She aggressively puts on her seatbelt as Jimin turns on the car but refuses to drive anywhere until you talk.

“Can this wait til we’re home?” you whine, putting on your own seatbelt.

“I agree with y/n, Trina. Let’s wait…” Holly’s troubled smile begs Jimin to drive you all home back to your place.

Jimin is silent as he puts the car in reverse and begins driving. Just complete silence coming from him, which is more worrisome than him yelling at you.

The drive is mostly quiet, you can tell Trina is really forcing herself to keep it down while Holly has a death grip on her thigh. You want to laugh at their dynamic but you don’t think anyone is in the mood to laugh right now.

Once home, you drag out one of the chairs at the breakfast table and plop down, taking a seat. Your three friends follow your lead, each taking a seat at the table.

“Guys…do we really have to do this…?” you fold your hands out in front of you on top of the table.

“If it’s really that hard to talk about, no. But I would like it if we did…” Trina tries to say calmly.

You chew on your lips—your usual bad habit as you think. Do you tell them everything? About that night? Your true intentions? It’s silent for a while until Jimin quietly clears his throat.

“Neither of you told me…my best friends…” he stares down at the table top.

“When?” he whispers.

You stare at Jimin, who sits across from you and you feel your heart break just a bit. He looks and sounds so betrayed.

“Freshmen year. New Year’s Eve party.” You finally say.

Trina’s eyes expand, realization hitting her.

“Wait wait wait.” She throws her hands up, “New Year’s Eve party? The night you were going to….?”

You only nod your head yes, feeling fucking embarrassed.

“Going to what?” Jimin asks.

“Nothing!” You and Trina say at the same time.

“Really guys?” Jimin looks down at his hands, a frown taking over his face. “Is that how we’re going to be?”

You do feel bad but are you ready for Jimin to know? One look at his sad face and you guess the answer is yes.

“That night I was going to…” you begin, the memory of that night coming back to you.

Tonight is the night. It’s New Year’s Eve and you’re going to do it. Maybe it’s this glass of wine that’s giving you courage—liquid courage—but you feel like tonight is a good as any.

Jungkook promised you no girls tonight…that tonight is between two best friends with no interruptions. And you believe him, of course. In the months you have known Jungkook he has always kept his word to you.

You lean back in your rolling chair, bringing the glass of wine to your lips and you take a generous sip…yes, tonight you are going to do it. You are going to confess to Jungkook.

“What’s got you so nervous tonight?” Trina asks as she applies her dark lipstick to her thick lips. Trina and you are getting ready in your dorm for the long awaited New Year’s Eve party and she can tell something is weird about you. You keep rubbing your sweaty hands down your black skirt, you keep patting your sweaty forehead dry with one of your t shirts, you keep looking in the mirror and taking much needed deep breaths. You are obvious. So fucking obvious.

“I could be wrong but it looks like you’re worried about a dead body you’re trying to hide…” Trina’s hand stops mid lipstick application as she glances at you, “bitch, you know I will help you.”

You can’t help but laugh, easing some of the nerves.

“No, nothing like that…” you know Trina knows. She’s had her assumptions but she never lets the subject linger…she basically is a bad bitch who minds her business…unlike someone you know—Jimin. Who ALWAYS has some shit to say about you and Jungkook, he on the other hand is a messy bitch who does NOT mind his business.

“It’s about…” you struggle to complete your sentence as you gulp down more wine.

“You don’t have to say…I know. Just know that no matter what, I am on your side.” Trina goes back to applying another layer of lipstick, “Especially if you have to hide a body.”

“Sometimes I wonder about you.” You say flatly.

Trina only laughs that loud ass laugh you love so much. “You wonder about me?” she winks.

It’s your turn to apply your own lipstick to your lips, a nice soothing red when you receive a text from Jimin that he and Jungkook are on their way to the party.

“I hope Stephanie is going to be there tonight…” Trina mumbles underneath her breath, “if not, this outfit is a complete waste” You giggle as you continue to apply your lipstick. You check your phone again to see another text that they’re there,

“Shit, we gotta get going!” You drop your lipstick in your bag and a few other essentials.

Trina raises a brow at you, “Are you trying to rush me?” she looks amused. “You can’t rush perfection.” she threads her fingers through her bouncy hair, “Lucky for you, I am done! And also, always perfect.”

“Yes yes miss perfect, we get it. Let’s go!”

The party is without a doubt: booming. The amount of decorations and alcohol and people is impressive. This is surely about to be a party worth remembering—and you hope you do. You decide to only sip a few beers—wanting to stay at least a little bit sober when you confess and you hope Jungkook isn’t completely shit faced either. Speaking of, where is he? Your eyes scan the crowd, you see Jimin surrounded by a group of people, laughing his head off. You see Trina grinding on some girl…maybe Stephanie? And you see Jungkook on the other side of the living room, sipping on his drink while some girl talks to him. But his eyes are on you. You crack an awkward smile and he turns to face the girl that is trying so hard to talk to him. He says a few words to her and is quickly leaving her side, he is now walking towards you. You can’t help but feel nervous as he approaches you…tonight’s the night, you keep reminding yourself.

You never not liked Jungkook…If you weren’t so shy maybe you would have slept with him the first night you met him… but instead you became friends and that was without a doubt the best thing that could of happened for you two. But in the back of your mind you always wanted more. Something always tugged at your hands, begging you and pulling you in the direction of more with Jungkook. But he seems fine with the friendship…so much so that you thought that maybe pursuing him would be best if you pushed it to the side.

Unfortunately for you, you just couldn’t take it anymore. Your feelings so overwhelming that you got pushed the edge. You’re about to fall off the Jungkook cliff so you decide instead of falling against your will, you will control the situation—parachute and all, you are ready the fall. You’re going to confess.

“What’s with your face?” Jungkook finally stands in front of you, his hands pushed into the front pocket of his jeans.

You take a moment to take in Jungkook’s appearance…his tight jeans, his black combat boots and a white t shirt, with his coat draped over his left arm. He looks good. Really good. You crumble at the sight.

“Who’s the girl?” you catch yourself asking. It isn’t odd for you to pry into his life like this so the words don’t taste weird leaving your mouth…but, only you know you’re only asking because the tinge of jealousy you feel.

“Dunno.” He shrugs his shoulders, “I think I have a class with her.”

“Oh nice.” You also shrug, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “Shall we dance?” you nod your head towards the center of the living room where bodies shamelessly dry hump other bodies. You think you’ve seen Jimin grind on at least 10 different people tonight.

“Sure.” He smiles, his arm extends out for you to lead the way.

Somehow you went from sipping on a couple beers to taking shots with none other than your best friend. The two of you go from the living rooms dance floor to the kitchen for hours. The world becomes friendlier and a little blurrier but it’s nothing you can’t handle. You remind yourself to slow down, because you want to at least remember telling Jungkook your feelings for him and you want to remember his response. But wait—would if he rejects you? The thought lingers in your mind, so what do you do? You take another shot.

The air that surrounds the dance floor is different than the rest of the house…its hot, sweaty and downright dangerous. You and Jungkook find yourself dancing along with Trina and Jimin at some point, the 4 of you spinning around, jumping and hugging one another. Laughter filling the air, everything is perfect.

You feel Jungkook’s tatted fingers grip your waist as you dance on him, his fingers never find themselves going lower. And you wish they did.

“Guys! Guys!” You hear Jimin’s voice from a distance, but quickly growing closer.

Jimin stands next to the two of you as you guys are in your own world, the alcohol running through your veins, the music thumping loudly in your ears, Jungkook’s hands holding on to you tightly. Your bodies move together to the beat of the music, Jungkook’s head innocently falling into the crook of your neck. You innocently grinding your ass into his crotch.

All very innocent.

“Wow, just fuck already.” Jimin rolls his eyes playfully, “GUYS!”

“What?!” you and Jungkook yell back in unison, not having liked being interrupted.

An evil smirk makes its way on Jimin’s face, “Upstairs. Let’s go! Truth or dare, come on!”

Truth or dare? What are you guys, 12? You giggle into your hand, nodding your head approvingly. It should be fun. You follow Jimin’s lead up the stairs, you turn around to see Jungkook right after you. You reach for his hand, you two interlocking fingers as you stumble up the stairs trying to keep each other stable. The two of you giggle for no apparent reason as you make your way up, making Jimin roll his eyes again.

You’re about to enter the room when Jungkook stops just outside the door.

“Wait…Jimin?” Jungkook nibbles on his lips, “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

You and Jimin share a concerned look before you announce your departure.

“I’ll see you guys inside.” You smile, letting go of Jungkook’s hand.

“What’s up man?”

“Dare me to kiss y/n.” Jungkook states confidently. Jimin tilts his head in confusion then amusement.

“Why don’t you just kiss her without my help, hm?” Jimin teases, ruffling the younger ones hair. “But sure, why not?”

“Thanks, I owe you.”

“Oh you sure do.” Jimin winks, “Now come on.”

You’re sitting in a circle in the room with about 8 other people, some you’ve barely talked to, others you would consider friends. Jungkook and Jimin walk into the room and you notice Jungkook’s face is a soft pink…probably from the alcohol. Jungkook finds a spot on the floor next to you and he smiles gently in your direction, giving you the heads up that everything is okay. You just nod your head and smile back. The room is loud with chatter and laughter until Jimin stands up and clanks a wine glass with a spoon—ever the dramatic.

“Okay guys, we all know why we are here—truth or dare time!” He sits down in his spot, crossing his legs in front of him, “First, let’s start with Trina.”

“Of course.” Trina says flatly.

“Truth or dare?” Jimin smirks.

“Dare, obviously” she looks around the room, winking at several people.

“Okay,” Jimin pretends to think for a few moments, like he doesn’t already know what he’s going to say. “Dare you to flash your tits to everyone.”

“Oh? Is that all?” Trina quickly lifts her shirt up, revealing her bare breasts to the room. You and Jungkook cackle as you watch the scene unfold.

“Okay Hobi…” Trina nods towards to the bright smiling boy, “Truth or dare?”

“Dare!” he grins with all his teeth, no doubt excited “Okay, I dare you to take 3 shots in a row.”

The truths and dares continue on like this for quite a while. You being lame chose truth at first and had to admit when the last time you masturbated—which was 10 minutes before Trina arrived to your dorm. Jungkook had to spank some guys ass and Jimin had to make out with like, 3 different people. Which he wasn’t complaining. All was well…until it was Jimin’s turn again.

“Okay, Jungkook. Truth or dare?” Jimin smiles knowingly with an evil glint in his eye.

“Dare.” Jungkook says with a cocky smile.

“I dare you to kiss y/n.”

You immediately choke on your drink as you process his words. Jungkook? Kiss YOU? In front of everyone?

Everyone in the room starts whooping and hollering at the idea, but you shake your hands in front of you in denial.

“No, no. We can’t do that!” you slur, your eyes squeezing shut. This isn’t how things are supposed to happen! You need to confess first!

You miss the way Jungkook’s face falls as he looks between you and Jimin. Jimin looks at Jungkook with pity and mouths a ‘sorry’.

“Yeah, no way in hell am I kissing her.” Okay, maybe he didn’t have to sound so harsh. But he feels a bit rejected at the moment and needs to be on your same page.

“Uh, yeah.” You feel a pang in your chest. Oh. Jungkook doesn’t want to kiss you, not even as a dare.

“That’s literally the last thing I want to do!” You hear him cackle from beside you, “Someone else can do the honors!” he continues to bark loudly, laughter filling the room.

Jimin frowns, looking at Jungkook with knowing eyes as he clasps his hands together. “Fine. Kiss Amber instead.”

“That I can do.” Jungkook smirks, looking across the room to a blushing Amber.

Things are starting to feel like they are crumbling…you shouldn’t even confess anymore, right? Jungkook will clearly reject you. The thought makes you want to cry like a stupid ass baby.

“I’m gonna get something more to drink.” You say to no one in particular as you stand to your feet. Jimin watches you leave the room with sad eyes, then his eyes go to Jungkook who looks panicked.

You open the door and go to close it behind you when you feel it being pushed open again. Jungkook.

You ignore him the whole way down the stairs but he continues to silently follow you.

The party is still going hard when you make your way downstairs again, you weave through the crowd to get to the kitchen to fetch yourself another beer.

“y/n! Wait up!” you hear Jungkook call from behind you but you decide to ignore him.

You find the cooler of beers and grab yourself one, the chilling beer freezing against your fingertips. You crack it open and begin chugging it back, enjoying the carbonation that sizzled down your throat.

“Slow down Lightning McQueen.” Jungkook chuckles next to you.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” you don’t mean to snap, but you do. You feel tired, just tired.

“What’s with you?” he quirks a brow, looking adorable while doing so.

“What are you doing here?” you snap again, “Shouldn’t you be like, making out with Selena or whatever her name is.”

Jungkook tilts his head to the side, his doe eyes big and bright, “Selena? Oh! You mean Amber? Nah, I saw you leaving so I came with you.” He smiles, “I told you no girls tonight. I am spending new year with you.”

You blink at him in surprise, but you shouldn’t be surprised. Jungkook always keeps his word to you.

It makes the world crumble a little more, he said no girls. And you guess that includes you. Tonight was supposed to be the night, but you got your answers. Jungkook doesn’t feel the same.

“Want to go outside?�� he asks, head nodding towards the back door.

“It’s cold, Jungkook!”

“I’ll keep you warm.” He winks then transitions into a soft smile, “Promise.”

You feel your heart begin to race but you order yourself to calm down…you aren’t confessing tonight, and that’s final.

The two of you walk outside, it was pretty damn cold, your skirt and crop top barely doing enough to keep you warm.

“Here.” Jungkook is shrugging off his jacket and handing it you.

“Thanks” you shiver, slipping on the warm, fuzzy coat. “Will you be fine?” you question.

“Only if you come snuggle with me.”

“Do these lines work on most girls?”

“Usually all of them.” He smirks, rubbing his hands together for warmth.

You giggle and move closer to him, wrapping your arms around his middle. Even though it’s like 20 degrees outside, Jungkook is unbelievably warm. You have to remain normal, like your heart isn’t breaking with every word or soft touch he offers you.

Jungkook pulls his phone out to check the time, huffing when he sees there’s still a few more minutes until midnight

“So how many girls did you have to reject tonight?” You ask with a snicker. Jungkook raises a brow in question, “Like, ‘oohh Jungkook please be my new year’s kiss??’ ya know, shit like that.” You mock. It’s not like you actually want to know the answer but you can’t help but be curious.

“Oh that? No girls lining up tonight.”

“Why’s that? You shut em all down early?”

Jungkook sways back and forth, your body clinging on to his, “I think they all see me with you tonight and are laying off.”

You scoff at his words, “Right, because I have stopped them before.” You roll your eyes.

“Ha, you never know.” Jungkook takes another look at his phone, “Oh less than a minute.” He says with the shrug of his broad shoulders.

“Wanna be my kiss Jeon?” the words slip out of your mouth almost killing you in the process. You can’t believe you just asked that! You literally just decided you’re giving up so why the hell would you offer him your lips

“Just kidding, you would rather have someone else kiss me, right?” you huff, saving yourself but god, what you wouldn’t give to feel his lips on yours just one time. For him to be yours…just one time.

Jungkook chokes on his spit as he tries to swallow down your words, “W-What?”

“Nothing.”

Jungkook obviously heard you loud and clear. Did you actually want to be kissed by him, he thinks.

Cheers of your classmates erupt besides you and you cannot help but smile at everyone’s happiness. You see many of them sharing hugs and kisses and you feel a pang of jealousy but you are mostly feeling joy.

“It’s nice right? Every—”

You didn’t get to finish what you were saying before Jungkook’s chapped lips are on yours. His mouth is warm and inviting but you don’t make yourself at home. Instead, you stand absolutely still as Jungkook innocently moves his lips over yours. Before you can really react, Jungkook is pulling away: absolutely horrified.

“y/n…I shouldn’t have done that…I’m sorry,” Jungkook is quick to stutter out.

You are frozen. You wish you could blame something…anything, wish you could blame the flurries that floated down to the earths ground, wish you could blame the below freezing weather and your short mini skirt, wish you could blame anything for why you are standing absolutely frozen.

You wish you could move, but the universe just won’t allow it.

“Oh my god, y/n…I really am sorry…fuck…” Jungkook’s wide eyes are focused on his feet as he threads his fingers through his thick, black hair. “Fuck, I’m sorry. Please forget about th—”

And your lips are back on his again. Jungkook’s lips may be a bit chapped but they are as soft and fluffy as you have once imagined. With your lips back on his, you take charge. You quickly move them over his, he hums in satisfaction. Your fingers find themselves in his dark locks, pushing up into his soft hair as his hand moves to cup your jaw.

You gasp when you feel his teeth nibble at your bottom lip, and moan into his mouth when you feel him jerk his hips into yours.

“Let’s go to your place.” You heavily breathe out, your fingers dragging down the side of his face.

Jungkook disconnects himself from you, stepping back a good foot, inspecting your face,

“You sure?” he asks.

“I’m sure.”

Because he may not feel the same, and he may not be yours but maybe just for one night he can be.

“Wait, you were…” Jimin’s eyebrows rise to the top of his forehead, “you were going to confess to Jungkook…?”

“Yeah…I know this might be shocking to hear—”

Jimin bursts out into laughter, his hand goes over to cover his mouth as he mutters out apologies.

“Shocking?! You think this is shocking to hear?!” he continues to chuckle, “But wow…on New Year’s eve…oh my god…” Realization hits Jimin. “Oh my god…you both are so unbelievably stupid. Oh my god.”

You share a look of confusion with Trina and Holly as Jimin continues to connects dots in his head.

“Please promise me one of these days you will actually sit down with Jungkook and have an honest conversation with him…because this is just cruel and hilarious to listen to. Your timing…wow. So fucking stupid, you idiots.”

“Okay, you don’t have to be so harsh Jimin.” Holly says sweetly, her awkward smile easing everyone.

“What do you mean?” you finally ask.

“Do you still like him…even now? I mean, I know the answer honestly but go ahead.” Jimin gestures his hand for you to answer him.

“I…”

“She doesn’t need to answer that.” Trina cuts in, “No matter what, we’re on her side. Right?”

“Oh honey,” Jimin tilts his head towards Trina, “There are no sides for me. They’re both my friends and they’re both idiots.”

You can’t help but laugh at Jimin’s words. Because he knows better than anyone how true that is, so you’ll believe him.

“But really y/n…if you didn’t tell me or Trina…did you tell anyone?”

You begin chewing on your lips again,

“I don’t even talk about it with Jungkook.”

“Why?” Holly decides to pry.

“We…after we slept together…I could tell Jungkook was freaking out. He kind of tried brushing off the whole situation and I…I just had sex with the guy I had feelings for. So I put a little bit of space between us—”

“Wait, this is when you guys weren’t really hanging out for a couple months?!”

“It was only a month.” You deadpan. “But yeah…”

“I was wondering what the fuck was going on…Jungkook wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Guilt begins making a new home with you as you sit here. You wonder if you made a poor choice back then.

“Then we agreed to never talk about it to save our friendship.” You finish.

Jimin gives you a blank stare, his eyes probably going dry from lack of blinking.

“To…save your…y/n please, I am literally begging you. Talk to him. Fucking tell him the truth…” Jimin begs, he finally screws his eyes shut and shakes his head, “I can’t help you any more than that.”

~~~~~~

It’s Monday morning and you woke up with a raging headache and a snotty nose. You better not be getting sick, you think to yourself. You have a full shift ahead of you!

You slowly put on your work uniform and apply some light makeup for the day. Did you always lack color in your face or are you actually getting sick? Fuckity fuck, you think.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Jade asks from beside you, you notice she dyed her hair black instead of the light brown she was previously sporting.

“Nice hair.” You go to compliment.

“Nice try but don’t change the subject.” She pats you on the back, “Me and the guys can take care of customers, you just bake, okay?”

“Kay.”

“You know who is so beautiful even when she’s sick?” Adam butts in, “Hazel.” He answers for you both with a dopey smile.

“Now’s not the time, loser.” Jade bobs her head around, “Where’s Lenny?”

“Probably eating fucking cookies.” You say with a grin.

“Wow, guys. I’ve been here the whole time and I am not eating cookies.” Lenny says from behind Jade. “But speaking of, don’t throw away the rejects I am taking them home.”

“Quick everyone,” Jade says flatly, “act surprised.”

The sound of the bell going off catches your attention, you notice a head full of sandy hair and you groan. It’s him. You feel like all the energy is being drained from your body, now is not the time for Mister Oatmeal Raisin.

“I’ll take care of him, don’t worry!” Lenny gives you a wide smile but you raise your hand up to stop him.

“It’s okay, he’s my usual. He’s going to ask for me anyway.”

You make it the front of the store to the register and give Mister Oatmeal Raisin a weak smile.

“Are we going to be a brat today?” he greets you warmly. You scoff and try smiling again but fall a bit short.

“Hey everything okay, y/n?”

“I’m fine Mister Oatmeal Raisin.”

“You don’t look…” he lets the words die on his tongue, not wanting to actually offend you.

“The usual?” you ask, already pushing the buttons on the screen for his order.

“Yeah.” He gives you a small smile and you smile back. You aren’t use to being so nice with him, usually you two have a lot more fun, shit, you really must not be feeling well.

You must turn around too quickly because you become very dizzy, your body wobbling and shaking from the sudden chill you feel. You hurry to lean against the counter, your hand going up to feel your throbbing forehead.

“Hey you good?” Mister Oatmeal Raisin peeks over.

“Fine, I—” you try to take a few steps but wobble too much that you almost fall. The world turning dark as your vision goes blurry but before you can hit the ground you feel yourself fall into two arms.

“Woah woah, y/n? y/n?” you hear your name from a distance, but the world is so dark and so cold that you can hardly focus on it.

“I got you.” You hear the same voice again.

You slowly open your eyes to see your most faithful customers face mere inches from your own as he holds your body up.

“You okay?”

You steady yourself and slowly get out of his hold and nod your head.

“Yeah, thanks Mister Oatmeal Raisin.” You weakly smile, saluting towards him.

“Min Yoongi.”

You can’t help but blush at your situation,

“Yoo…Yoongi.” You repeat back, your face returning some of its color. Mostly just shades of red.

“Yeah.” He smiles a real smile, you notice how cute and gummy it is and it makes you feel nice. Min Yoongi, huh?

~~~~~

It’s a lazy Tuesday afternoon, the sun creating a blanket of warmth outside while being accompanied by a fresh breeze. You want to enjoy the day…you really do but…

“Just let me die a miserable death.” You sniffle into your sleeve. It’s the 2nd day of the flu and you are well, like you said, miserable.

“You need to take the rest of your meds babe,” Jimin’s hand is full of various pills, he tries handing them to you but you deny him.

“No, I’m gonna overdose.”

“You’re not gonna fucking overdose you dramatic ass bitch.” Jimin rolls his eyes, setting the medicine down on your nightstand next to a full glass of water.

“Listen, I have to go to work but maybe call Trina to come take care of you? I know Holly is at school for the day—”

“Trina is home visiting her parents…” you sound disgusting as you speak, your voice all gross and nasaly.

“Oh. Maybe you could call—”

“No. Anyone but him,” you cut in, waving your hands in front of your face.

Anyone but Jungkook, you don’t need him to take care of you…you guys are hardly starting to become friends again and its only in group settings. So him taking care of you one on one sounds…intimate.

“No offense babe, but you literally don’t have any other friends.”

“I can take care of my—” you’re cut off by a string of sneezes, one after the fucking other. “Fuck, I am dying.” You shiver.

Jimin places his hand over your forehead, getting a feel for your temperature.

“Shit…I’m going to call him.”

“Noooo Jimin….” You lay back on your bed, your head beginning it’s pounding again. “Don’t need him…” you lazily grab the NyQuil bottle from your nightstand, “Only need this.” You smile while taking a few gulps.

“Jesus, what is wrong with you?”

Jimin takes out his phone and taps away on his screen, you assume he is sending a million texts to Jungkook begging him to come babysit you, that or he is texting Trina what a stubborn, whiny bitch you are to which she probably just replies with “True.”

“Wanna watch Howl’s Moving Castle.” You slur in your drowsy state, all the meds and NyQuil kicking in.

“Jungkook will be here in 30. Have him put it on for you when he gets here…I really gotta go…”

“Jungkook?” you try to open your eyes as you speak but they threaten to close every few seconds.

“Yeah. He will take care of you y/n.”

You wrap yourself further into your duvet, but the shivers don’t let up. You’re shaking from how freaking cold you are. Yet you are sweating like the disgusting human being you are.

Jimin eyes you over once more, his eyes full of pity as he closes your bedroom door and whispers a ‘see you later’ under his breath.

“y/n?” You hear his voice in the distance, like he’s a mile from you at least. His voice is fuzzy and far away. And you want it closer.

“y/n???” your body is being shaken awake, gently though. Like, he doesn’t want to hurt you.

“Hey…you need to take your medicine…” you begin to slowly open your eyes, the world is blurry and the sound of his angelic voice echoes. Jungkook.

“No…” you manage to breathe out.

“y/n you know I will force these pills down your throat.”

“mmmmm, leave me alone.” You lazily turn your body over to face the window. Your body shivering as you nuzzle further into the duvet.

“Not happening,” He walks to the other side of the bed and sits on the edge, just staring down at you. “Please take your meds, for me?”

“Mm mm”” you shake your head, your hair sticking to your forehead as more sweat builds up.

Jungkook looks at you with a soft smile, his hand reaching out to feel your forehead. His eyes widen as he feels how much you are burning up.

“Fuck…you’re hot.”

You crack open your eyes to look at Jungkook, “Thanks, you’re hot too.” You wink. Like a fucking sleaze. Your drowsy state feeling intoxicating as you lay here in your bed.

Jungkook chuckles to himself before turning serious again, “If you take some fever reducer I will do whatever you want today.”

You let his words marinate as you lay here, lifeless. “Anything?” you say, peering up at him.

His soft smile grows as his fingers find their way in your messy, sweaty hair.

“Anything.”

“Go buy me chicken noodle soup.” You whisper. “The kind you use to always buy me.”

Jungkook’s brows climb up his forehead as he looks at you amused.

“You think I came empty handed? Like, I didn’t already bring it?” he smirks, standing to his feet. “I’ll go warm it up, and you promise you will take your meds?”

“Pinky promise.” You weakly lift up your hand to bring your pinky to his and he gladly accepts it.

Of course Jungkook brought the soup. He’s Jungkook and you’re y/n. He is always taking care of you and you want to melt. Well, with how high this fever is you actually might.

“Hey Jungkook?” you struggle to turn over to face the bedroom door, “Thanks for coming.” Your dopey smile doing things to his heart. He looks at you with a soft, almost sad smile before he’s making his way to the kitchen.

Jungkook doesn’t want to admit how fast he rushed here to your place, but it was fucking fast. All Jimin sent was a simple “y/n’s sick.” text and he was already calling the deli where he got the soup from, placing a quick order for 2 and gathering his stuff to make his way over.

He is used to being in charge of you when you’re sick because you are stubborn as hell and he actually has the patience. But he has barely talked to you since the night of the get together, aka the night he became weak and almost kissed you—and if it weren’t for Jimin, he is sure he would have.

Jungkook stands at the stove as he heats up a portion of the chicken soup, he stares off into space as the surface begins to bubble. He exhales deeply, taking the pot off the stove and pouring the contents into a bowl for you. The soup is hot, but you probably need the heat to help ease the congestion.

Jungkook walks back into your room, the bowl in his hands with a towel wrapped around it. You wish you could smell the soup but you’re so blocked up that you don’t even notice it.

“Here, try to sit up.” He sets the bowl down on your nightstand. He goes to help you sit up from your spot in bed, his strong arms pulling you up and you gasp when you’re finally upright. Fuck. You become so lightheaded and dizzy that you hold on to his forearm for support and he lets you. He gives you a moment to adjust to your new position before he’s reaching for the soup.

“It’s hot, so be careful.” He warns softly.

He waits for you to grab the bowl but you just continue to stare at him with tired eyes.

“Wow, do I have to do everything?” he jokes, “Even feed you?”

You nod your head slowly in approval, “Yes, feed me.”

“Such a brat. You’re definitely taking all your meds after this, okay?”

“Sure.”

Jungkook sets the bowl on the edge of the bed, holding it with one hand carefully and his other hand scoops up the broth with a spoon. He brings the spoon to your mouth and nudges it between your lips.

“Open.” He demands.

Your half lidded eyes stare up at his large ones, your chest slightly heaving from trying to breathe. You never break contact as you part your lips for him, letting him pour the spoons contents down your throat.

“Good girl.” He whispers, setting the spoon back down in the bowl. “Taste good?”

You swallow the liquid and open your mouth to speak ,”Can’t taste anything…” you murmur.

Jungkook smiles down at you, “That’s a shame because,” he takes a mouthful of soup in his mouth, “It’s fucking delicious.”

“Hey! You’ll get sick!”

“I never get sick from you, remember?”

You lay your head back on your headboard, closing your eyes as the NyQuil begins to make its second attempt with you.

“So sleepy but so cold.”

“You need to eat more baby.” Jungkook gathers vegetables and a piece of chicken this time in the spoon, he brings the spoon to your lips and you open wide for him, eating what he feeds you gratefully.

This goes on for several minutes until you can’t stomach anymore food, you slide back down into your sheets, feeling miserable all over again.

“Hey, time for yours meds.” Jungkook says sternly, he shakes the pill bottle to remind you of your deal.

“Fine,” you reply weakly, you try to sit back up enough to swallow down some pills and water.

Once you gulp it down, Jungkook stares at you with a satisfied smile.

“Cold?” he asks.

“Freezing.”

You feel the bed dip beside you and before you can react you feel two strong, warm arms engulf you in a hug.

“Jungkook, what are you doing?” you slur into his chest, sleep trying its hardest to take you away.

“Just rest, y/n.” he hugs you tighter. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Jungkook feels his heart crack when you doubt his promises now, he feels himself sink into depression as he recalls what he did to you.

The past 3 months have been crazy and weird without you. He’s missed you every day. The first few weeks he spent it in isolation. He felt like he was lost and lonely and like he didn’t deserve anyone’s love or affection. Then he decided in order for him to move on he needs to put some serious distance between the two of you…hence, why he moved out.

He knows it was sudden and fucked up but he had to…Or else he would be stuck in his lonely unrequited love forever.

Your last night with him before he disappeared he even got his hopes up…that maybe you could feel the same, but he had to be realistic. You were in such a weird state, you just needed comfort. And he hates that he was second choice.

He thought on this for a couple months, his mind overflowing with thoughts and cruel ideas. He was beginning to spiral until he met…Vanessa.

Vanessa was just looking to get laid, just like him. They met through tinder, hooking up after matching the first night. But the sex was so good they both agreed to do it again.

One night, they got so shit faced they both ended up venting about the one who makes life better yet harder. For her, it was her ex of 4 years and for him, it was you.

They confided in one another, feeling free telling someone their deepest romantic desires and they just clicked. Forming a solid friendship while also fucking.

Jungkook is grateful for Vanessa because for the first time in 3 years he connected with someone who isn’t you. Vanessa is a smart, sexy girl. And Jungkook isn’t blind to see that, so they made a deal. They would use each other to get over the ones they really love. And he thinks it could of almost worked until he saw you at that party. You were wearing the same black mini skirt that he fucked you in for the first (and only) time. You looked better than he’s ever seen you.

Somehow this made Jungkook feel even more depressed. So you are better off without him, he thinks.

Jungkook is lost in his thoughts when he feels you stir…you briefly open your eyes and tilt your head to look up at him, you blink lazily with a dopey smile.

“love you.” You yawn out, closing your eyes once again, drifting back off into dream world.

Jungkook’s heart stops. Your words ringing in his ears as he tries to stay calm.

He knows you mean it platonically but he still can’t help what it does to his weak heart. He is crazy for you, even with everything that’s happened he still loves you. You and you only. It’s always you.

Jungkook plays with your hair and chuckles lightly as he hears you struggling to breathe properly due to your nose being plugged up. How can he continue to see Vanessa when he has you? Jungkook’s smile drops all together when he realizes that would put him back at square 1.

It’s almost midnight when you wake, your body feels stiff from how much shivering you endured. You try to get up when you realize Jungkook’s body is wrapped strongly around your own, his light snores filling up the room.

You look at him carefully, his hair falling into his eyes as he moans lightly every time he moves around slightly. He’s so cute, you think. You’ve always thought Jungkook was cute but right now there’s something so endearing about him it makes you want to peck his lips softly.

Wait, what? You want to what? That’s not allowed!

The next morning comes quickly, you lay awake in Jungkook’s arms wondering if it’s okay to stay like this all day. You admittingly feel much better compared to yesterday, breathing is much easier and your head isn’t throbbing. You feel a fondness swell in your chest as you stare at Jungkook’s soft, sleeping face and it makes you feel weird all of the sudden.

You’ve always felt this way about Jungkook, right? Wait, what way? What are you saying? Or at least, trying to say? You know though, you know what you are trying to say…it’s the same thing you’ve been trying to say since freshmen year. But saying it out loud is just different.

Confusion on how to feel clouds your mind as you stare at him, his breaths are light and airy and you feel so warm and safe in his embrace. He slightly shifts, his hips bumping into yours, lightly grinding into you. Your eyes widen as you feel his hard member bumping into your thigh and it’s not like you haven’t felt it before while the two of you slept but still, it surprises you each time.

Feeling his length twitching on your thigh is creating trouble for you, you hate that such a small act is getting you all hot. You try to scoot away but he only pulls you closer on instinct. He brings you so close that his warm breath fans over your right cheek and you want to force yourself to sleep more so you aren’t hyper aware of his dick.

“Jungkook…” you mumble, trying to free yourself from his grasp but you fail miserably.

His arms are circled around your hips and he digs his fingers into your exposed flesh from how your shirt is riding up.

“Baby…” he groans out, his hips grinding into your thigh again. His eyes are screwed shut, like he is still stuck in his dreams.

You lay here frozen, he’s called you baby a million times but this is different. He’s only ever called you baby in that tone when you two…you slam your eyes shut, trying to rid yourself of the memories.

“Jungkook, time to wake up.” You wiggle in his arms but your thigh only rubs on his dick more. He releases quiet whimpers against your ear, his lips parting in pleasure.

“Mmm…” he pants out, his hips thrusts against your thigh again.

Jungkook…dreaming?

Was it bad luck to interrupt someone’s dream? Or is this just an excuse to have him rutting against you?

“Jungkook…” your voice comes out shaky as you turn your body to face him, he groans in his sleep once more.

You’re afraid he’s going to say it. Her name. Vanessa. That’s the last thing you would want to hear…it would probably ruin your whole day so you need to wake him up.

“Jungkook….” You sound more breathy than intended. You need him to wake up so you can stop thinking about his length rubbing up on you. You flush as you feel your panties start to dampen, this cannot be happening. Why did Jungkook have to have this sort of reaction out of you?

“Mmm…” Jungkook whines quietly as he ruts himself harder onto you. His cock up against your lower belly, you start to imagine him without his black sweats on, you start to imagine him without his shirt. You hesitate to reach your hand against his hard chest, you breathe out heavily as you begin to drag your fingers down until you reach just the top of his waistband. Your eyes follow your fingers until you spot his hard erection through his sweats and you breathe erratically.

“What are you doing?” Jungkook’s husky voice interrupts your horny daze. Your eyes expand in size as you realize your position. Your eyes trail up his chest until you meet his gaze, his pupils blown out.

“Where do your hands think they’re going?”

“No—nowhere.” You stare up at him, gulping. You can’t do this with him, you are finally getting your friendship back but what is with all this tension?

Jungkook releases his hold on you, moving to his back. His arms fold underneath his head as he stares up at the ceiling.

“What were you—were you dreaming about?” your hand innocently finds its way back on his chest, resting over his beating heart.

“Uh…” Jungkook turns 3 shades of red, “I don’t remember.” His blush deepens.

“I feel like you’re lying.”

“Why would I ever lie to you?” Jungkook chuckles.

Your eyes trail down his body and you see his length still struggling with a probably painful erection.

“You have a problem?” you gesture towards his crotch.

Jungkook exhales a heavy breath, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. “Jesus Christ, y/n.”

“what?” you feign innocence.

“Do you really have to point out everything?”

“Only things that are super obvious.”

“Fuck.”

“You can go take care of it in the bathroom?” you kindly offer, causing him to scoff.

“I’m good.”

“I guess Vanessa usually takes care of these things, huh?”

“Seriously?”

Jungkook groans out, frustration written all over his face. He hates the mention of Vanessa especially when he was just dreaming about you. He feels wrong. They aren’t officially in a relationship but somehow it feels like cheating.

“Can we not talk about her?” Jungkook doesn’t want to be reminded of the shitty situations he’s in.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Are you feeling better?” he asks softly, he moves his body to lay on his side to face you.

“Much.” You smile, “Thanks again.”

“Ready for some more chicken soup?”

A few hours pass, you figured Jungkook would have left by now but he sits on your couch next to you while the two of you watch some new anime. He laughs every now and then at the ridiculous characters and you feel warm inside. It almost feels like how things were before, when he still lived with you.

“Yeah, it does.” He says, still facing the screen.

“Huh?”

“You said it feels like we still live together.” He points out.

Shit, you said that out loud.

Jungkook bows his head, “I am…sorry that I moved out.”

“Move back in.”

“You know I can’t do that…plus, you have Holly now.” Jungkook sits back against the sofa, “Can’t just kick her out.” He snickers.

“Just move in my room with me.” You say half joking. But also, you know, half serious.

“Ha ha y/n.”

“What? You don’t like sleeping with me?” you tease. “Speaking of…you can stay as long as you want…”

“I…I have plans tonight, actually.” Jungkook stiffens in his spot. He pulls his phone out from his pocket, “actually, I should get going soon.” He regrets saying.

“Oh, okay.”

~~~~~

It’s almost 7pm and Jungkook looks himself over in the mirror. He’s got tight, ripped jeans and a dark blue shirt tucked in, his hair is wavy against his forehead. He knows he looks good but he can’t find himself to be happy about it.

He has a date with Vanessa tonight…

Vanessa 7:04pm

Hey babe, I’m ready when you are<3

Jungkook 7:05pm

Okay, I am on my way :)

The ride over to Vanessa’s place takes about 20 minutes, he uses this time to listen to the radio and think. He asked Vanessa earlier this week on a date for both of their days off.

When he arrives to her apartment, he sends her a text that he’s here.

Vanessa walks out wearing a cute, yellow sundress. Her hair freshly trimmed and sporting bangs.

“Hi handsome.” She says as she steps inside Jungkook’s car. She leans over to place a kiss on Jungkook’s lips and as she begins to pull away he pulls her back in, his lips chasing hers for a more heated kiss.

“Hi.” He finally says, out of breath.

“What was that for?” she smirks, her skinny fingers digging into her purse to pull out her phone.

“Let me guess,” she begins scrolling through it mindlessly, “You’re desperate to get y/n out of your head?” She stops scrolling to glance his way, “Need me?”

“It’s not like that…” Jungkook groans.

“Oh? Isn’t it though?” her coy smile spreads across her face. “But you need me to forget, right?” she tilts her head to the side, “That’s what we’re here for, Jungkook. We use each other.”

Jungkook drags a hand down his face, “But we are trying aren’t we? To make this work?” he sounds and looks tired, that Vanessa almost feels bad.

“We can make it work later, right now you need me.” She crawls on to Jungkook’s lap, she hikes up her dress around her waist and swivels her hips over his crotch, “Don’t you?”

“Vanessa…” he chokes out. Men are so weak, she thinks.

Her hands go to unbutton his jeans and pull out his half hard cock, she gently strokes it over and over until he is fully hard in her hand.

“Fuck,” he exhales deeply, the feeling of her tiny cold hand doing incredible things to his dick.

Vanessa slides her panties to the side and rubs his dick against her wet folds, covering his dick with her juices until she lines it up with her entrance. She releases a smooth breath as she begins to sink down on his hard cock, Jungkook gasps out of the warm feeling her tight cunt provides.

“You need me, don’t you?” her voice is smooth as silk. “But you won’t ever love me.” Vanessa rises from his cock and slams back down, repeating the motion over and over until Jungkook is panting out sweet words that mean nothing.

“You wish it was her, don’t you?” her sinister smile growing on her face, “Wish this perfect pussy was y/n’s.”

At the mention of you, Jungkook loses all composure while his dick throbs, begging for release.

“Fuck...” he whines out, his eyes screwing shut in pleasure, “y/n.”

“That’s right….” Vanessa’s wicked grin takes up her whole face now, “Fuck me like I am her.”

Jungkook shamelessly moans out your name over and over, his hips meeting hers in desperate thrusts. His eyes remain closed as he fucks into Vanessa’s cunt, only wishing and imagining it was you.

“Fuuuuck” he groans out, his fingers finding Vanessa’s clit and he rubs tight, focused circles.

Vanessa whines out, loving the feeling of his cock, his fingers and the mention of your name. it was all fucked up and nothing turned her on more.

She quickly comes undone as Jungkook continues to thrust from below, his precision becoming sloppy.

“y/n…” he grunts out with one final thrust as he comes inside Vanessa.

He keeps his eyes shut as he comes down from his high, the feeling insane.

Vanessa smirks down at him, slipping his softening cock out of her. She crawls back over to the passenger side of the car and buckles her seatbelt.

“Ready for our date.” She smiles, she digs through her purse to fetch her phone and it tapping away on it.

“Fuck…” Jungkook finally opens his eyes, realizing what the fuck he’s just done. “Vanessa…”

“It’s okay.” She says nonchalantly. “I was into it.”

“How?”

“Because I think of him every time you’ve made me come.” She peeks over her phone, her eyes shining. “So we’re even.”

~~~~~

“She lives!” You hear Adam sing as you walk into the bakery.

You look and feel much better! Totally revived from the fucking dead. You smile at your coworker and do a twirl and a curtsey just for show.

“I live!” you copy while smiling as you continue to do a few more curtseys.

Jade and Lenny walk out from the back and applaud you, you laugh at their action.

“Your oatmeal raisin guy has been in every day since you’ve been out to see if you’re okay.” Lenny brings up with a knowing smile, “Or should I call him your hero? Your savior?” he grins, stuffing his face with a sugar cookie.

“Oh shush, let’s just call him…” you begin to blush, “Yoongi.”

“Yoongi, huh?” Jade playfully elbows Adam’s side, “We’re calling him ‘Yoongi’ now!” she and Adam laugh, their teasing going straight to your head.

Yoongi is your usual customer—yes. But he’s also your…what did Lenny say? Your hero? Your savior? You cringe just thinking about it! But you cannot help but grin.

The work day goes on, you have your usual easy customers, your usual stubborn customers but no sign of Yoongi yet. He usually comes on what you are assuming is his lunch break, he must work nearby but it’s already almost closing time and he hasn’t made an appearance…not that you were looking forward to it or anything…it’s just you want to say thank you, you know, for catching you when you almost fucking fainted. A simple thank you!

You’re chillin in the back, swiping through your phone when the bell goes off at the front. Jade is the first to head towards the counter when after a moment or two she’s calling out your name. He must be here, you think. You smooth out your apron and look at your reflection from your phone screen—wait, why does it even matter? You begin walking towards the front to see Yoongi standing there with a worried expression on his face but once he sees you he smiles softly.

“You’re here.” He says.

You raise a hand, “Yup, I’m here.” You laugh, “Listen, I wanted to—”

“Are you feeling better?” he looks between you and Jade and she nods her head and walks back to the back.

“Much.”

Yoongi sighs in relief, then smirks at you.

“Then I’ll have my usual.”

You stare at him before your smile is growing on your face, you can’t believe the nerve of this guy. You like it though, you have to admit.

“Sure…Yoongi.”

Yoongi looks pleasantly surprised as he nods his head in satisfaction. You walk to the back and get him his two cookies, you bring them to him as he takes the bag from you, you put it in his order on the screen.

“Also…” you say, looking up from the screen “I really want to say thanks.”

“For?” Yoongi stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“For helping me that day…I wanted to like, uh…”

“Wanted to like, uh…what?”

“I was wondering if I could treat you to like an ice cream or something…” you sway side to side, feeling a bit awkward.

“Are you asking me out?” Yoongi blurts out and you feel flustered as fuck, all the heat rushing to your cheeks.

“W-What? N-No—”

“Because if you are,” Yoongi takes one hand out of his pocket with his phone in his grasp, “Then I would say yes.” He slides his phone over the counter. “Number.”

You must be red as a cherry, or a tomato, or like a fire truck or whatever the fuck else is super red. You look at him and gasp, your hand coming to your mouth and you can’t help but lightly chuckle.

“Fine, I’ll give you my number…but this is just a thank you outing.” You wink, taking the phone and putting your number in.

“Sure, whatever you want to tell yourself darling.” Yoongi takes his phone from you and puts it back into his jacket pocket.

“I’m free this weekend.” He sways back and forth on his heels and he laughs a bit before saying ‘Ah’ and taking out $4 and hands it to you.

“For the cookies.”

“You’re not going to inspect them?” you put the money in the register.

“I’m deciding to trust you today.”

You smile again, a real smile. Yoongi smiles back and he’s about to say something when the chime of the bell goes off and a woman and her kids make their way inside the store.

“I’ll text you.” He says before he’s turning around and heading out the door.

~~~~~

“A DATE?!” Trina and Holly yell in unison. You just told them about ice cream with Yoongi and their excitement is very evident.

“It’s not a date guys. God, how many times do I have to tell you?” you whine into the cookie you’re eating.

“It’s a thank you outing!”

“Thank you outing my ass.” Jimin frowns, “Why are you going on a date? What about Jungkook?”

You scoff, “What about him? We’re just friends, Jimin.” You defend.

“If you just come clean about every—”

“No. What good would that do?” you bite on your bottom lip, “So I can feel the lovely pain of getting rejected? He literally has a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, don’t even get me started on that shit.” Jimin complains, he takes one of the cookies from the box on the middle of the table and starts nibbling on the treat.

“But who even is this Min Yoongi guy? Is he cute?”

“Super…” you admit through a soft breath.

What? He is. He may have started out as your annoying customer but you kind of always thought he was cute.

“It’s just ice cream, you know?”

“Is it just ice cream though?” Holly intervenes, stuffing her own face with a cookie, totally ignoring the new fad diet she’s on.

“Yeah, this sounds like a good opportunity y/n.” Trina grins.

“A good opportunity?”

Jimin looks at Trina incredulously, “A good opportunity? Really Trina? Just say you hate Jungkook and move on.”

“Okay, I hate Jungkook.” She states without a problem and you frown…you don’t want her to hate him. Yeah, he hurt you but he’s…he’s not a bad guy.

“Stop guys…” you finally say, putting your half eaten cookie down. You…this isn’t a date! This isn’t a date! This isn’t a date! But…would if it is?

“Aren’t you ready to move on y/n?” Trina looks at you seriously, her hard expression almost scaring you.

“I—”

“She doesn’t have to answer that,” Jimin cuts in, “Because whatever she decides we’re on her side…right, Trina?” Jimin gives Trina a cold stare, a bite in his voice.

“Okay guys, yes let’s all just support y/n…” Holly tries saving the tension in the room.

You…tried this before already. You tried using someone to distract yourself from Jungkook, you don’t plan on using innocent Yoongi to do that again.

“It’s just a thank you outing…” you mumble, the words hard to understand by your friends. “Just saying thank you…” you bow your head, feeling sad all of the sudden.

This won’t be a repeat, will it? Taehyung number 2? You don’t think Yoongi has any ulterior motives, no not that. But do you?

“Yeah. It’s not a date.”

Jimin clasps his hands together, “Then it’s settled! Let’s change the subject.” He looks between you and Trina and Holly.

“Agreed.” Trina and Holly say at the same time, you only nod your head.

~~~~

It’s a nice Saturday evening, the breeze blows through you just right making you feel so alive. The sun is setting, giving the sky a gorgeous orange glow and you fall in love with the sight.

“How many more pictures are you going to take of the sky?” Yoongi chuckles, he walks close beside you making sure you don’t run into to like, any poles as you distractedly take photos of the beautiful sky.

“One more, one more!” you snap one last photo on your phone and slide it in your back pocket, “I have a collection of sky pictures!” you say with pride.

“I believe you.” He takes out his own phone and captures a picture of the sky too. “So we can look at the same sky.” He mumbles somewhat timidly.

You tilt your head and smile at him. You two met outside the bakery this evening so you could walk to the ice cream shop just a block away, he walks on the side next to the street while you occupy the spot walking next to all the shops.

“You know I work right around here but never been to this ice cream place you mention before.”

“Really? Where do you work?”

“The record store.”

“Ah, really? I’ve never been in.” you slow down to admire the plants outside the floral shop.

“You should come by, I think the owner would be cool with it.” He smirks.

You observe his sly smile and you wonder…

“If you say some shit like ‘It’s because I’m the owner’….” You begin, you see his sly smile grow even wider. “Oh my god, you are!”

Yoongi laughs out loud, nodding his head.

“It’s a pretty small store, but all mine.” He smiles fondly thinking over his store. “I’m serious, come check it out sometime. I mean, you like music right?”

“Am I a human being? Of course I like music!”

You both laugh while approaching the shop. Once inside, you notice how busy it is and you become afraid you two won’t find a spot to sit.

“Here, tell me what you want and I’ll go order while you find us a spot to sit, hm?” Yoongi offers, as if reading your mind.

“Oh. Okay, yeah. Sounds good.”

After circling the place for several minutes you notice a couple that was sitting at a table by the window leave so you rush to occupy the spot. You grab a napkin and wipe down the table before sitting down, you pull out your phone and scroll through social media while waiting for Yoongi to come with your ice creams.

After waiting for quite some time, Yoongi finally shows up with two ice cream cones of different flavors.

“Here.” He gives you a small smile while handing you your cone as he takes a seat across from you.

“Long line.” He gestures towards the line and smiles again.

You really like his smile, he looks genuinely happy when he does.

“You know, you kind of intimidated me at first…” you admit softly, your own smiling joining the club.

“But you seem quite soft.” You laugh, licking your ice cream.

“I get that a lot…” Yoongi groans, he looks down at the table before looking back up at you,

“I’m just kind of shy at first.”

“Shy my ass!” you lick more of your treat, “You weren’t shy complaining about the cookies I choose for you!”

Yoongi blushes at this, his laughter timid.

“The cookies you choose are fine.” He finally says, “Just had a lot of fun messing with you.” He looks up and smirks. “So,” Yoongi begins licking his ice cream again, “What do you do? Or is the bakery it?”

You internally groan. You hate this question. You have a marketing degree yet you work selling cookies.

“Uh, for now, yeah.”

“Why just for now?”

“I have a degree in marketing but…”

“Oh? Your passion lies in marketing then?” he continues to kitten lick his ice cream.

You don’t mean to scoff, but you do. You fucking do.

“Ha, passion.” You chuckle bitterly, “I hate that word.”

Yoongi raises his brows in curiosity, “Why’s that?”

“I don’t think I…” you struggle to find your words, the topic making you antsy.

“You don’t think you have a passion? Is that it?” Yoongi hits bulls fucking eye. You sigh out, finishing up your ice cream and take a bite of your cone.

“I know, that seems impossible right? Everyone has—”

“It’s okay.” He states plainly, finishing up his own ice cream. “Having a passion…a dream…you don’t have to have something like that to live a good life. Even just surviving the day is the dream.” He looks into your eyes and he shows that gummy smile you are learning to enjoy so much.

His words…you don’t really realize the impact they are leaving on you, his beautiful and wise words are exactly what you need to hear.

Yoongi continues,

“I thought I had big dreams but in the end my dream was small, it was simple. I just want to live happily. Maybe it’s the same for you, I don’t know though. I’m only now getting to know you.” His shy tone makes you feel weak.

“No, no. I think you’re right.” You admit between soft breaths. “I only pursued marketing because I knew I could find a job in the field not because I like it…I am failing miserably in interviews. All my friends are going on doing what they love and I’m just…here.”

Yoongi looks amused for a second before his soft smile returns,

“Isn’t being here enough?” he asks.

Is it? You think to yourself, is it really?

“Are you happy y/n?”

Woah, that’s a loaded question. You chew on your lips instinctively, deciding how you should answer this—if you should answer this.

“Life is a bit complicated right now.” You laugh awkwardly.

Yoongi laughs too, he nods his head in understanding.

“Even with complications, you can still find moments where you’re happy, right?”

You feel yourself becoming drawn to Yoongi’s wise and understanding nature, his words creating a warmth in you. You feel like you’re actually making a friend.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“You just gotta find the small things in life to be grateful for and eventually each small moment will add up and create big moments of happiness for you.” Yoongi smiles then stands to his feet and heads towards the trashcan to throw your trash away. While he’s gone for the few seconds he’s away, you sit back in your chair and think.

What’s complicated in your life right now? Well, you can’t find a fucking job to save your life, you’re afraid you wasted four years of college on the wrong degree—but what’s the right degree? You and Jungkook are the definition of the word ‘complicated’ and you’re afraid you’ll be stuck in unrequited love forever. But you have good friends, you like your coworkers and your job for the most part, you live in a good apartment, your parents call you regularly, you found a lady bug on a flower this morning, the list goes on!

Yoongi sits back down and folds his hands in front of him, he looks up at you with expectant eyes.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Tell me more about you.”

You’re about to say something when realization hits you,

“How much were the ice creams?! They’re my treat, remember?” you quickly unzip your purse and pull out your wallet, fully ready to hand him some cash when he’s shaking his hands in front of him, denying you.

“No no, it’s okay, really.” Yoongi ushers you to put your wallet away, his smile brightens and you find yourself slumping in your chair in defeat.

“Fine.” You huff out dramatically.

“You can pay next time.” He looks down at his hands as he smiles to himself.

“Oh? There’s a next time?”

“Yeah, hanging out with you is fun y/n. I don’t want to just see you when I buy cookies...coming to see you is getting expensive.” He laughs into his shoulder.

“I just think you really have a cookie addiction.”

“Something like that.” He looks into your eyes for a moment before tearing them away to look back down at his hands. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Nope. But I have a lot of cousins, so it almost feels like I didn’t grow up lonely.”

“Your parents didn’t want to have any more kids?” Yoongi pries further.

“Actually, they weren’t supposed to have kids at all. I was there miracle baby, as they call it.” You laugh into your hands, “It feels ridiculous saying that out loud myself.” You laugh some more.

“Miracle baby, huh?” Yoongi teases. “Are your parents still together?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, they are.”

You parents are in a great, functioning relationship so why is it so hard for you to get into one?! “Are yours?”

“Nah, divorced.” Yoongi says with no bitter tone in his voice.

“Oh. I’m so—”

“Nah, it was for the best. Nothing dramatic happened they just weren’t meant to be.” He smiles at you and you nod your head.

You’re about to speak up again when you feel someone’s hand grip your shoulder and your name being called out. You know this voice. No, it can’t be. Jungkook.

“y/n?” He looks at you with confused eyes as he looks between you and Yoongi.

Jungkook is standing here next to your fucking table with his fucking girlfriend who is not his girlfriend, fucking Vanessa. She looks at you with a bored expression and tilts her head to the side.

“Hey.” He smiles at you but then looks at Yoongi again, “Uh, hey man. I’m Jungkook.”

Yoongi watches as you sit here with your mouth wide open, but he’s quick to shake his head and look up at Jungkook and introduce himself.

“Yoongi.”

Vanessa doesn’t waste her time in greeting anyone, she just taps her skinny little fingers on the table and whines into Jungkook’s ear about hurrying up.

“You guys wanna sit with us? There’s like no other tables.” You cannot believe your own ears as you offer that to them. Vanessa visibly frowns and rolls her to the side as Jungkook reacts just the opposite.

“Really?” his bunny grin taking over his whole face. You nod your head and gesture for him to go order his ice cream. He takes Vanessa’s hand and they head towards the line.

“Sorry for inviting them…I didn’t think.” You admit softly to Yoongi but he doesn’t seem mad. Not at all.

“A close friend of yours, I’m assuming?”

“Very.” You place some loose strands of hair behind your ear, you awkwardly laugh and begin pulling at the ends of your hairs. A nervous tick of yours, for sure.

“I see.” Yoongi smiles that fucking smile, like everything is okay. But is it? You don’t want to be in the same fucking room as Vanessa. But you’re giving her a chance for Jungkook’s sake.

“We aren’t really going to sit with them are we?” Vanessa’s smooth voice fills Jungkook’s ears as they wait in line.

“Why not? Plus she’s right, there’s like, no other tables.” Jungkook tries to reason.

“Why not? You cannot be ser—” she tilts her head, blinking at him, “Oh? You are? Also, you’re not worried about who this guy is? My Jungkookie isn’t feeling jealous is he?”

“Vanessa stop. It’s probably a friend from work or something.” He says nonchalantly.

“Maybe it’s a date.” Her silky voice annoying him.

“If it was a date why would she invite us?” he tries to reason again.

Vanessa tilts her head again and puts a finger to her lip, “Maybe she wants a foursome?”

“Stop.” Jungkook warns.

“I’m just trying to help you.”

You move to the other side of the table and sit next to Yoongi, you two bumping shoulders and you feel like a third grader with how giddy the action is making you.

“We’re here!” Jungkook announces excitedly. He lets Vanessa sit first and then he’s pulling out his own chair to sit in, right across from you.

“So Yoongi, how do you know our y/n?” Jungkook grins with all his teeth.

“I—”

“He’s a customer at work—”

“Yeah, I like to go to her bakery.”

Jungkook raises a brow, “Yeah the treats are good I guess.”

“Well, I don’t just go for the cookies.” Yoongi says, looking in your direction.

“Oh?” Jungkook sets his cup of ice cream down, “Oh.” He says again once realization hits him.

Vanessa glances up from her phone and smiles a smile that is void of all emotion at you and Yoongi, she sets the phone down and claps her hands softly a few times.

“So this is a date.”

“No—”

“Yes.”

You snap your head towards Yoongi with a shocked eyes. Did he just say this is a date? Then he’s smiling at you with apologetic eyes.

“I mean, I would like it to be.”

Your head immediately faces forward to see Jungkook’s reaction. He looks as shocked and confused as you, you begin shaking your head.

“Uh…um…” you say, your eyes still on Jungkook. He looks between you and Yoongi then he frowns. Fucking frowns!

“We can discuss that later.” You finally say, laughing awkwardly. Jungkook turns towards Vanessa and glares at her, fucking glares.

“What?” She mouths innocently, going back to her phone.

“Anyway,” you try to break the awkward tension, “I think me and Yoongi are going to head out actually.”

“We just sat down?” Jungkook looks at you with his big, stupid doe eyes and you almost want to stay but you know what’s for the best.

“I’ll walk you back to the store?” Yoongi asks from beside you.

You nod your head in agreeance, standing to your feet while Yoongi follows. Jungkook stands up too, not ready for you to leave.

“I’ll see you later?” Jungkook asks with pleading eyes.

You hesitate for a moment but end up nodding your head in approval.

“Uh, bye Vanessa.” You force out, your voice a little loud as you bid your farewells to her.

Vanessa continues tapping on her phone but uses one hand to wave you off.

This fucking bitch. What does Jungkook see in her? You just don’t see the appeal? Yeah, she’s gorgeous. But is that all I takes for Jungkook?

“Yeah, okay.” You roll your eyes and Jungkook looks at you sympathetically. He will scold Vanessa later.

You and Yoongi take it slow walking back to the bakery. You two walking idly, and stopping by other shops just for the fun of it.

“About what I said earlier…I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Yoongi is messing with a scarf on the mannequin inside this little boutique.

“You didn’t. I was just…surprised is all.”

“Is Jungkook like, your ex-boyfriend or something?” Yoongi doesn’t waste any time apparently. “Because you guys seem to have some history.” How can he tell you have history?!

“Sorry, I’m just a really observant person.” He chuckles.

“Um, no but we were best friends but some things happened and…” you hesitate to continue, “And…”

“It’s okay. Life has complications remember? But there’s still happy moments. So, tell me what’s not complicated about you two?”

“I love him.” you blurt out. “Wait, wait. I mean. Fuck. I mean—”

“That’s normal. He was your best friend, right?”

You sigh out in relief, your deep exhale heard throughout the whole shop.

“Exactly.”

“Are you still best friends?”

“That’s the complicated part.” You breathe out, “But does he still mean the most to me? Yeah.”

“I see.” Yoongi takes the scarf and wraps it around your neck, “I had someone like that too.” He smiles. “But I was in love with them.”

You choke on your spit, what is Yoongi…is he…does he know?

“Oh.” You decide to laugh, “But that’s not the case with me and Jungkook.”

“Never said it was.” He inspects the scarf around your neck, “You should get this,” he motions towards the scarf, “It looks good on you.”

“It’s summer time!” you laugh, “But thanks.” Your phone starts buzzing, you pull it from your back pocket to get a look at it.

Jungkook 7:42pm

Hey

Jungkook 7:42pm

Wanna come over later? Nick isn’t home

Jungkook 7:42pm

I know you said no solo hang outs but I thought I would give it a shot

Does this mean he’s ending his night early with Vanessa? If so, you may throw the whole rule away about no solo hang outs. You just cannot stand her. You don’t want to say you hate her but you do hate her attitude and honestly, overall personality.

You look over to Yoongi who is messing with the material of some cardigan, and you almost feel bad if you decide to ditch him. But your night was ending anyway, right?

y/n 7:45pm

hmm, sure. I’ll be over at 9, does that work?

Jungkook 7:45pm

Yes.

You slide your phone back into your pocket and head towards Yoongi and his new cardigan that you are assuming he is buying consider how smitten he looks with it.

“It’s nice, right?” he says holding up the piece of clothing.

“Try it on!”

“Don’t forget to come by the record store sometime y/n, since you’re a human being who loves music.” Yoongi chuckles, he leans forward and you share a cute yet awkward hug.

“Bye Yoongi. I’ll def be by.”

You unlock your car and step inside, sitting down. Yoongi shuts the car door for you and smiles and waves you goodbye as he starts heading towards his own car.

Tonight was nice, weird, then nice again. You definitely won’t use Yoongi to distract yourself from Jungkook but you definitely feel like you made a friend. He gave you some words of wisdom and comfort, that you really needed to hear. You feel like Yoongi could become someone important in your life.

~~~~~

Jungkook 9:14pm

When will you be here?

y/n 9:15pm

be there in 15.

Jungkook steps out of the shower, his towel hanging dangerously low around his hips as he takes a look in his fogged up mirror.

“You can do this.” He tells himself, his teeth catching his bottom lip.

He can hang out with you like things are back to normal. He can hang out with you like you guys are still just best fucking friends. But he hasn’t seen you since you were sick, since you had your hand in a dangerous place. Since he dreamed of you while in bed with you.

He can be normal. Like he didn’t fuck Vanessa and moan out your name the entire time. He groans and cringes just remembering that. Vanessa assured him it was fine but that just makes him feel worse. He feels guilt ridden while she remains coy and sickingly sweet.

Apparently, Jungkook got lucky. But will it be this way with every girl he’s with from now on? That’s unacceptable.

Soft knocking can be heard from the front door and a chime from his phone goes off. You must be here, he thinks.

He doesn’t have time to dress so he decided to say fuck it and open the door this way, it’s not like you haven’t seen this view before…you lived together.

He approaches the door, taking a long, deep breath before he’s swinging it open and letting you in.

You’re wearing leggings and one of his t shirts, his chest tightens at the sight. Jungkook quickly apologizes for not being dressed and you nod your head slowly, taking in his more than half naked appearance.

You flush at the sight, his towel doing barely anything to cover the outline of his length, and shit, the towel is short on him…his monstrous thighs flexing underneath. Your mouth waters as you shamelessly eye him up and down.

“Yeah…” you choke out, “Probably should get dressed…”

You make yourself comfortable on the sofa in the living room, some random movie is on TV and you mindlessly watch.

“Sorry about that” Jungkook laughs. He walks to the sofa, sitting beside you but with enough space. “You got here sooner than I thought.”

“Well, I live pretty close.” You point out, your face angled towards him. “So what’s up?” “Nothing, I just wanted to see you.” Jungkook eyes light up, “Oh! I have wine!”

You nod approvingly, “Now we’re talkin’ baby.”

Jungkook rushes to the kitchen to find two wine glasses and fills them to the brim, he walks back to the sofa and hands you a glass.

“I know you said no one on one hang outs but thanks for coming.”

“I’ll make an exception this time” you wink, bringing the glass to your lips. You nod at one another as each of you take a generous gulp.

“Aaahhh, alcohol.” You say in unison. Then you look at one another and burst into a giggle.

“How were your plans?” you pry. You set the glass down between your thighs as you move your body to face him, giving him your full attention.

“Uh…” Jungkook doesn’t know what to say.

“It’s just…” the words die on his tongue. He sends them to the graveyard as he sits back on the sofa and shuts his pretty mouth.

“You guys didn’t have fun?” you pry further. You want to know, for some reason you want to know what him and Vanessa were up to.

“Did you guys like, hang out after the ice cream place?”

“Not really…we…kind of hung out but it was quick.” He says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“A quickie, huh?” you joke, but you wonder if that’s what it really was.

“y/n.” he warns, his hands go to massage his exposed thighs, his shorts doing little to cover all his muscles.

“I’d kill myself for a quickie, it’s been so long.” You decide to be honest, you’re trying to be like normal friends again.

Jungkook’s brows crease as he looks at you, “Don’t say stuff like that.”

“Right, sorry.” You pat his shoulder, “But really, it’s been forever.” You say again.

“Um, when was the last—”

“Taehyung.”

Jungkook’s frown deepens, “When’s the last time you spoke to him?”

“Maybe a week ago? He sends me texts occasionally.”

“You talk to him?!” Jungkook howls out, his hands gripping his shorts.

“It’s more like he talks to me.” You chuckle. “What about you? When is the last time you talked to him?”

“Umm…”

“What?”

“About a day after you told me everything.” Jungkook’s eyes slide to the side, a look of guilt plastered on his face.

“You went and talked to him after?” the shock is evident in your voice.

“Something like that…” Jungkook scratches the top of his head, deciding if he should tell you the truth. He decides to be honest.

“I went over there to kick his ass.”

“Jungkook!” you blink at him repeatedly, until you’re snorting. “And how did that go?”

“Gave him a black eye.”

“And you?”

“Got a busted lip from it.” He admits, even though you can tell he didn’t want to say that last part.

“Fighting is never the answer.”

“He deserved it, y/n.”

“And did you deserve the busted lip?”

“Yeah.”

You weren’t expecting him to agree with that so quickly, you were just joking around. You realize Jungkook is probably still trying to forgive himself, like he once told you.

“Well, everything’s okay now right?”

“Is it y/n?” he doesn’t look at you. He only stares straight ahead.

“Jung—”

“I am still so sorry…” Jungkook exhales deeply, his hand finds its way to yours.

You tangle your fingers through his, until they’re interlocked.

“I know, Jungkook.”

“I’m trying so hard to…” Jungkook faces you, his frown making you wince. “…make this right.”

“I know, Jungkook.”

“I’m trying to…” he chokes on his words, his breathing becoming slightly unsteady, “…work this out.”

“Jungkook—”

“I’m trying.”

His palm in your hand becomes so sweaty and you almost want to detangle so you can wipe your hand on your yoga pants. But you keep holding on to his hand, his guilt very apparent to you right now.

You scoot closer to him until your knees are touching, you place yours and Jungkook’s hands in your lap.

“And we’re making it work, we’re taking it slow.”

“It almost feels like our friendship has started over y/n.” Jungkook’s voice cracks, “Like, I don’t remember how to be like we use to be…”

“I told you Jungkook, things probably wouldn’t be the same.” You squeeze his hand in yours, “But that’s okay. We…”

Jungkook looks at you with his doe eyes and you want to melt. You want to melt into a puddle on the floor.

“It may not be the same but could it be better this time around?” Jungkook asks with pleading eyes.

“I hope so baby.” Your other hand reaches forward and caresses Jungkook’s cheek and he leans into your touch, he breathes out, his breaths hitting your palm and you feel yourself getting hotter.

“You rarely call me baby.” Jungkook whispers. “Only time you really did is when we—”

“When we what, Jungkook?” you challenge, your hard stare making him shiver.

“I don’t have to say it.” He says. “Look, wanna get fucking wasted?”

You look at him for a few moments, just staring into his eyes before you crack a smile.

“I dare you to chug your entire glass of wine.” You point at the wine glass with your chin.

“Only if you chug yours.” Jungkook winks.

“Wow, aren’t we some classy bitches?” you joke.

You both clink your glasses together and begin chugging the wine back, the bitter flavor making you wanna puke but you handle it just fine.

“Phew, that was something” you say, trying not to throw up. “wow I am not young anymore, or what?”

“Yup, you’re an old lady. I chugged it like a champ.” Jungkook grins, setting his glass on the table in front of the couch.

“If we aren’t tipsy within the next 5 minutes I am punching someone.”

“I’m starting to wish Nick was home now, I don’t want to fall victim to your fists of fury.”

After several more glasses of wine has been drank, you find yourself snuggling close to Jungkook on the sofa.

“I thought you said no affection.” Jungkook slurs out, teasing you.

“Oh? Should I move away?”

Jungkook pulls you by the arm, making your body fall forward into his side. Closer and closer.

“Never.” Jungkook lays his head on top of yours. “Wanna go lay in bed? More comfortable.”

“Yes yes, sleep over.” You cheer drunkenly. Jungkook stands up and helps you to your feet as well. You fall forward into his arms and he has to half carry you to his room.

Jungkook has the same blue comforter on his bed and it brings you back to a million memories. You wonder how many times Vanessa has been tangled up in this blanket? You don’t even want to ask Jungkook if the sheets are clean…you don’t want to think about him with her.

“Come lay with me.” You slur out as you slip between the sheets. “I want to cuddle.”

“Coming, just gonna grab some water for us.”

“Kay” you respond lazily.

You look around Jungkook’s room, it looks exactly as his last room in the apartment you two shared. Somehow that makes you happy, like not much has changed.

“Okay, drink this.” Jungkook is nudging a glass of water between your lips but you refuse.

“Mm mm.” you shake your head.

“Be a good girl for me.” Jungkook says in a low voice, you blink up at him, opening your mouth to drink the water.

“Good.”

He sets the water down on the nightstand and sinks into bed with you, leaving the lamp on so there’s a nice, warm glow lighting up the room. You immediately snuggle close, your head nuzzling his chest.

“So…was that a date tonight?” Jungkook finds the drunken balls to ask you, finally.

“No.” you answer honestly. “But it could turn out that way.”

You don’t know why you say that. Maybe in hopes to make Jungkook jealous? But why would he be jealous?

“How so?”

“He’s a nice guy.”

“Pshh, I’ll be the judge of that.”

“He is, Jungkook.”

“So you give any nice guy a chance?” Jungkook slurs out. “I can be nice…” he says, barely above a whisper.

“Tell me 3 nice things then.” Your hand lays rest over his stomach, you rub circles on it and he sighs out.

“You’re…” Jungkook bites down on his bottom lip as he thinks, “Really beautiful.” He turns to lay on his side to face you. “Really smart.” His breaths are mingling with your own. “And really funny.”

“What generic answers.” You laugh. “But I’ll take them” you look up into his eyes, they’re dark and beautiful. “Should I compliment you too?” you ask, your drunk mind giving you confidence.

“Yes please.”

“You’re really, like really fun to be with.” Your fingers brush some of his hair out of his eyes, “You make me laugh a lot. And I think you’re really sexy.” You chuckle.

“Sexy?” he slurs out, licking his lips over and over as he watches you nod your head.

“Yeah.” Your hand goes back to his stomach, your fingers go under his shirt, brushing your fingers over his sensitive skin and he releases a long breath as he slowly closes his eyes.

“y/n…” Jungkook whines out quietly, his erratic breaths not going unnoticed by you.

“You like being touched by me?” you whisper.

“Yes.”

You know you are both too drunk right now but you cannot help but continue.

Your fingers dip lower, caressing his lower belly, your touch so light he almost doesn’t feel it. But he does feel it. He feels it.

That same hand crawls up his chest and goes behind his head, gripping a handful of hair and slightly tugging his locks, Jungkook whimpers at the feeling.

Jungkook’s hips rut forward and you feel yourself getting hotter. Jungkook has his eyes screwed shut when you tug his hair again, this time pulling his head back to expose his throat.

Your other hand reaches up and with your pointer finger you drag it from his lips down his throat until you reach his collar bones then you slowly, very slowy drag that same finger down his chest and his toned stomach.

Jungkook tries to steady his breathing but he can’t. Your own breathing not much better. You decide to retreat both hands back to your sides when Jungkook’s eyes shoot open.

He looks down at you, his eyes dark and dreamy.

“You think you can just tease me like that?” Jungkook’s voice is the lowest you’ve heard it. “Huh, y/n?”

Your name slips past his lips in a low, seductive tone and you can’t help but squeeze your thighs together. You’re drunk, you keep reminding yourself. You should stop this. But—

“What are you going to do about it Jeon?”

Jungkook glares at you before he’s smirking, his hands circle around your waist and he pulls you into his body, your chest flush against his. You feel his hard length against your stomach and you swear right then and there you become undeniably wet.

Jungkook just stares at you, stares into your eyes, stares at your lips until he’s breathing so erratically. Your harsh breaths hit his skin and he leans forward until his forehead is touching yours. Your lips so close yet so far.

“We’re drunk.” He slurs out, but there is amusement in his voice.

“Drunk people do things they’re not supposed to all the time.” You tease.

Jungkook’s go from your waist to your hips real quick, he pulls them closer to his crotch. You feel how hard he is at your center and you want to moan out right then and there. The clothed contact feels so fucking good.

“Jung—”

Jungkook desperately brings you in close, his lips connecting with yours. His mouth is warm and moving against yours messily and aggressively. You pause the kiss to moan but then dive right back in. He ruts his hips forward, you feel how desperate he is and you find yourself grinding your hips into his. The pleasure on a whole other level, his clothed cock rubbing against you so deliciously.

His tongue finds its way into your mouth, he plays with your tongue, tangling them together. You continue to moan out, your hands exploring the front of his body until you hand finds its way back into his hair. You know he loves to have his hair pulled, you do. You tug it gently at first, he disconnects his mouth from yours to groan out. Then you’re pulling it a little harder and he’s rutting against you faster. He guides your head to expose your neck to him and he begins sucking bruises, leaving his pretty art work behind.

“y/n.” your name gets dragged out between his teeth and you swear you become even wetter. You yank his head forward until his lips are on yours again, you kiss him over and over until he’s begging to be touched.

But you don’t touch him, no. You just continue to kiss him, like your life depends on it. Your lips move from his mouth to his neck, you suck on his skin as he whimpers out.

Jungkook’s hands grab a hold of your ass, grinding you closer into his crotch and you moan at the feeling. You never knew this much action with clothes on could feel so fucking good.

“Love this ass.” He massages your cheeks and gives them a light spank. You whisper his name over and over, your lips attacking his neck again. You two move desperately against one another, he finds your lips again and kisses you wet and sloppy and you couldn’t be more turned on.

And next thing you know the sun is making its way through his blinds and it’s morning. You’re dead asleep in Jungkook’s arms. The boy snoozing away as well. You two completely oblivious to last night’s adventures.

You begin to open your eyes, taking in your surroundings. That’s right, you’re in Jungkook’s room. You look all around the room until your eyes land on him. You smile softly until you see it. A purple bruise blooming on his neck…several in fact. And last night’s events hit you like a fucking train.

You quickly sit up in bed, panic filling your body when Jungkook begins to stir in his sleep, your action waking him up. He opens his own eyes and sees you staring down at him.

He notices his own evidence of his attack on your neck and goes pale. Then he says the words you’ve been thinking.

“Oh fuck.”

#bts #bts smut #bts angst #bts fluff #jeon jungkook #jungkook x reader #jungkook smut #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff

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i92zfiles · 3 years

Text

BTS memes bios !! 🌟

- eu i seokjin jogando fortnite !

- eu i namjoon cuidando di cactos !<33

- eu i jimin fofocando !

- eu i taehyung comprando na gucci !

- eu i hobi fazendo pulseiras !

- eu i jungkook jogando mine !

- eu i yoongi tirando um cochilo da tarde !

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aajjks · 3 years

Text

Mine;

— you were only his. Only his.

Pairing: boyfriend!yoongi x Reader.

Genre: angst, yandere, possessiveness, blood. Yoongi being protectivE, GORE, P S Y C H O YOONGI. This is pretty triggering.. viewer discretion is adviced.

Based on this request: Well it's like a scenario , like what would any of the members you're choice would do if someone of their badboy friends try to hit on OC Ik it's a little complicated and stuff but it's okay if you aren't able to write anyways I love you're writings👀♥️ I hope you stay well and keep writing

*not edited* also thank you bby I tried and ily. I hope you like it. R E Q U E S T S CLOSED.

“You’re so hot.” You rolled your eyes at your boyfriends friend. Laughing awkwardly you stood up from the cafeteria’s table. “Hahaha thanks.. davis but I have to go now..” you gave him an awkward smile.

As you turned around to walk a hand grabbed your wrist, “where are you going, pretty baby? Yoongi is gone to practice.” You took a deep breath..trying to contain your anger. “So? Let me go. I have class.” You politely spoke once again. “How about we tear out a little bio theory...that my father taught me?” He smirked..his teeth annoying the hell out of you.

You wanted to punch his face and break his teeth. “Fuck off davis. Let. me. go.” Anger. He ignored and leaned in closer to kiss you. “You can’t do anything about it, slut.” He laughed.. his nasty breath hitting your face as your nose scrunched up in disgust. You tried to push him away when someone dragged him away from you.

Throwing a strong punch on his nose. “How fucking dare you asshole!!” It was him.

It was your boyfriend. Min Yoongi.

Punch.

Another punch.

Another one.

After one another...

Another one.

And one more.

“YOONGI STOP!” But no use. He pushed him to the ground and kicked him in the guts this time. “You fucking creep so that’s what you fantasise about? Jerking off to the thought of my girl?” Yoongi growled as he kicked the guy hard. Hard enough to make him moan in pure agony.

“Yes! Scream like that, fucker this is what you deserve.” You couldn’t stand this anymore. You had to stop him.

Before he got out of control.

And min Yoongi was dangerous when out of control. You knew that very well.

“I’ll fucking murder you and cut your dick off” Yoongi laughed as he repeatedly punched him. “YOONGI STOP IT!” You tried to stop when Taehyung gently grabbed your shoulders. “Y/N don’t. Trust me.”

His tone was wavering. This was dangerous. “W-What?” You tried to argue when the sound of a bone breaking echoed through the empty cafeteria. “A-Ah holy mother—” Davis groaned in pain. “You cunt. You really thought I wouldn’t know about your little plan?!” Yoongi groaned as he punched once again.

“Of getting into my Y/N’s pants.” *hit*

He punched, kicked repeatedly. You covered your ears as Taehyung beside you stood calmly.

This was habitual.

Yoongi was protective. Very protective— no over protective. And even worse? Posessive.

And he worshiped you.

“HOW FUCKING DARE YOU CALL MY GODESS A SLUT?! FUCKING *punch* ANSWER!”

This was getting out of control.

Min Yoongi was getting out of control.

And that meant...

Destruction. Absolute destruction.

“SHE IS MINE. MINE TO TOUCH, KISS, FUCK AND LOVE?! SHE IS MINE! FUCKIN HEAR ME!? MINE!” His tone was darker, deeper.

“Taehyung do something!?” You exclaimed... your stomach was churning. You took a deep breath. Frustrated at Taehyung for literally ignoring you when a sick metallic smell hit your nostrils.

Blood.

“T-Taehyung.” You stuttered as your frantic gaze fell on the red floor.

Smeared with blood. His friends blood. “Yoongi that’s enough now.” Taehyung finally spoke.

Yoongi just laughed as he kicked the limp body of his friend.

“Y/N baby come here.” Yoongi walked to you, stumbling on his steps. Blood falling from his nose... his hands stained with fresh blood. His white shirt smeared with it. “This is your fault.” He continued speaking.

“If you weren’t so fucking beautiful and sexy he wouldn’t even look at your direction...”

He grabbed your hand and pulled you closer to him.. you too shocked to comprehend everything.

“My baby.. my prettty baby..” he whispered. Leaning closer to you. Closer to your face.

His minty breath falling on your lips as he grabbed your face tightly and crashed his lips to your in a hungry, passionate, deep kiss.

“Whenever I see someone even breathing in your direction I want to hit them alive. Gauche their eyes out.”

“You are mine to look at.” He finally broke the kiss. You panting, listening to him carefully, still shook.

“You are mine. Just mine.” He breathed. Looking at you intensely. “Only mine.”

“I’ll kill everyone who even dreams of you.”

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max1mus · 2 years

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🥢 - cold like winter or hot like summer, baby.. hot boy!!

★⃯ ⠀🍽️⠀𝒩᥆꯭᥆꯭dl꯭𝕖꯭᥉⠀◌͜.༉ ੈ 𝟤𝘖’𝗌 !?⠀䰑꯭♡⠀⊹ 。🧾⠀䰒 ᷧ ᷧ ¨ [ ꯭ 超꯭级꯭ ] ࡙ ๋ ›

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jimintopia · 3 years

Text

prettiest of them all (1)

genre: college!au, s2l!au, fluff, angst?

pairing: jimin x reader

summary: you're nothing special, just an ordinary girl who's just trying to get through college... but an angelic boy with honey colored eyes thinks you're the most beautiful flower he's ever laid his eyes on.

word count: 1.5k

chapter warnings: swearing (mostly jungkook lmao)

a/n: oh gosh i'm so nervous,, this started out as a tiny drabble i wrote out on the back of my bio notebook in january and two weeks ago i sorta revived the idea lmao. i hope you enjoy this little series of mine!

this fic was made possible by @latetaektalk (thank you so much for those helpful tips! i spent a lot of time formatting and reformatting this post and editing the fic, and your advice helped a lot with that!) and @chimchiekookie (thank you for your encouragement and kind words! you gave me the courage to post, tysm kira). also, to @yuvi-with-luv and @meiadore for just being! i love u crackheads; oKAY that was really long so i'll let you get to the fic oops haha

[series masterlist - main masterlist - next]

(1) only time will tell.

College is not easy. But sharing an apartment with Jeon Jungkook is an entirely new level of difficulty.

“Goodness,” you mutter, stepping around the books and pens scattered on the floor of the living room, your roommate’s half-asleep body slumped across the couch. You can’t even get to the kitchen without tripping over something of his. “Couldn’t you have cleaned up before dozing off? What an idiot.”

“I heard that,” he mumbles drowsily, yawning. “The idiot is clearly you, Y/N. Who the fuck signs up for an eight A.M. lecture on Mondays? Something’s obviously wrong with you.”

That earns him an apple to the head, before you remember it’s supposed to be your to-go breakfast and quickly scramble to retrieve it.

“It’s mandatory,” you tell him. “Can’t graduate without taking it, so I might as well suffer. Psychology majors go to hell anyway, so I signed up knowing what I was getting myself into.” You give your best friend a once-over as he stretches, still on the couch. “You have fun sleeping in, Jeon, but by the time I get back I want you showered and ready for a proper brunch. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he rolls his eyes, but you know he enjoys your routine outings as much as you do. Ever since you met in your second year of high school, it became a little tradition of yours to regularly meet up for lunch on the weekends — and that turned into basically each mealtime once you got to college. “Just go, you’re going to be late. Those tiny legs of yours are gonna have a hard time running all the way to 808. We’re not even on campus.”

“Excuse you?! I’m 5’6”!”

“Y/N,” he sighs, shaking his head pitifully. “That’s like, four inches shorter than me. But nice try.”

Both of you exchange an annoyed glare, but deep down, you’re having your fun bantering with him. It’s a trademark of your relationship, one of the many things you appreciate him for. No one you have met so far could match your sharp tongue as well as Jungkook.

“I do not have time to argue with you right now, Kook.” You glance at the clock, quickly slipping your feet into battered sneakers. “There are leftovers in the fridge — by the way, remember to lock the door if you don’t want Taehyung to visit unannounced again — and I left a carton of banana milk on the bottom shelf, right next to the ketchup. Oh! I did your laundry last night; there’s a pile in your room that you just need to fold and put away. Anything else I’m forgetting?”

“You just dumped my clothes in my room? On the floor?”

You narrow your eyes at him playfully. “Wrong answer, Jeon.”

“Oh, fine.” Jungkook rolls his eyes, ruffling your hair affectionately. “Thank you, Y/N. Now please just go already.”

“Dumbass,” you return, grinning. “I’ll be back soon. I'll bring Taehyung over if I run into him!”

He’s already closed your front door, but you can still hear his shout of protest from the other side, causing you to burst into incessant giggles: “Don’t you fucking dare!”

By some kind of miracle, you actually get to the lecture hall approximately a minute early. You and Jungkook don’t live on campus, but your apartment is pretty close — walking gets you to class in ten minutes, and if you run, you’ll arrive much quicker.

“Yeoreum!” you greet your friend with a whisper as you walk in, tossing your apple core into the small trash can. “You’re actually early for once!”

“Blame Hoseok,” she grumbles as you sit down next to her. “Dumbass woke me up at five in the morning to go run with him, Y/N. Five o’clock. The asshole’s dead to me from now on.”

“That sucks,” you sympathize, but you know she’ll always give in to her twin brother — the two of them are inseparable, as much as she likes to complain about him. “But hey, at least you got your coffee fix!”

Yeoreum lifts the half-empty cup before taking a long sip, a small smile adorning her features. “Also courtesy of Hoseok,” she admits. “He causes a lot of arguments, but at least he knows how to solve them. I like to think I’ve trained him well.”

“I wish I had a sibling,” you sigh wistfully. “A brother, maybe. Or a sister, I wouldn’t really mind. It must be nice always having someone else who understands you.”

“Y/N, you live with Jungkook,” she points out. “He’s basically the brother you’ve wanted your entire life. He has been since we were fifteen.”

“I know, but it’s different. I didn’t grow up with him. Plus, he’s more annoying than a sibling could ever be.”

“And he’s hot as hell.”

“Yeoreum,” you scold quietly, bringing out your laptop for the start of the lecture. “You think everyone you meet is hot. Regardless of whether they’re actually a decent human being or not. That’s probably why you always end up dating assholes who don’t deserve you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she waves you off, not quite meeting your eyes. “Chill, Y/N, I’m not interested. The boy’s just insanely attractive. Can’t I call someone attractive without wanting to get with them?”

You lean over to say something to her, but the entire class quiets down suddenly, so silent that you could hear even the softest whisper.

Professor Ahn strides in with an authoritative air, several books in her arms, followed by a boy whom you’ve never seen in this class before. A new student, perhaps? Or maybe he just transferred departments. You never know — it’s certainly not too late to switch out.

The professor tells him something quickly and he nods, before jogging up the stairs and hastily sliding into the seat right next to you. In fact, it all happens so quickly that you’re still buffering, trying to process what just happened. Instinctively, you move a little closer to Yeoreum.

“Goddamn,” she breathes, eyes wide in surprise. “Y/N, he’s so fine.”

Okay, so that was a bad choice. But the thing is, she’s not wrong.

The guy doesn’t speak to or look at you once during the entire lecture, totally dedicated to typing up everything Professor Ahn is saying — but you can’t help but check him out from the corner of your eye every few minutes. The blond hair is, surprisingly, a very good look on him, and the way the corner of his mouth is always turned upward makes you incredibly curious. What the hell is there to be happy about such an early class?

Ten minutes before you can finally get out of that stuffy hall, there’s a light tap on your right shoulder, startling you. You turn your head around so fast your vision nearly blurs, taking a second to steady again. “Huh?”

The new guy is tentatively smiling at you, like he’s gauging your response. “Hi,” he says, a little hesitant. “Um — do you have a black pen I can borrow? Mine just gave up on me mid-word and I didn’t bring any extra.” You glance over to his side of the bench: sure enough, the last few letters of the word ‘extension’ are so faded out, you can barely see them.

All of your pens are either blue or red, but Yeoreum quickly passes you one of her black-ink fountain pens under the bench, nodding at you in silent understanding. “Here,” you offer it to him, watching the adorable way his face lights up when you hand it to him.

“Thank you! You’re a lifesaver,” he says, quickly scribbling something down. “I can’t fathom using any ink color other than black, it just… doesn’t make sense to me.”

Well, you could type up a whole argument against that, but you hold your tongue for the time being. Instead, you peek over at his notebook curiously, trying to see what he’s so engrossed in writing down. You catch sight of a name printed neatly on the top left corner of the page, and you squint so you can see it better.

Park Jimin. You let it rest in your mind for a moment. It’s a beautiful name, and though you don’t know exactly what it means, you’re sure it would roll right off your tongue if you were to say it aloud.

“I’m Jimin,” he says, right on cue as he returns the pen and you not-so-discreetly pass it to Yeoreum again. “What about you?”

“Y/N.” For some reason, you’re struggling both to find something to say and maintain some kind of calm. You don’t know why he’s making your heart beat faster, only that he is.

“That’s a nice name.” Jimin smiles, and it’s breathtaking. His eyes form little crescents as he beams at you — you! — and for just one second, you can’t think of anything else. A silly crush, you chide yourself, averting your gaze from his face. A few days and it’ll leave on its own.

You want to be right, and you might be wrong, but you have no idea, no way of knowing what the future holds. It’s like they always say — only time will tell.

taglist [please send an ask if you would like to be added!] : @meiadore @chimchiekookie @eyecandy5644 @chubsjmin

[series masterlist - main masterlist - next]

#jimin x reader #jimin college au #jimin strangers to lovers #jimin fluff #bts fanfic #kpop fanfic #angst?#park jimin #bts s2l au #jimintopia

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negrowhat · 2 years

Note

I’m so glad you liked it too!!! I feel like Hwang Da Seul always has a specific aura to her projects where it’s quite calm and serene but you still really feel the emotion as well and I love it. Weirdly it kind of reminds me of Taehyung from BTS’s solo music. Like it’s not necessarily bright and flashy but it’s deep and serene, it uses up every second very well, and it’s impactful. I thought the whole thing was shot so beautifully.

My heart also broke for Da Un (or Da Woon? I’m not sure how to romanize his name imdb says Da Un but my captions said Da Woon lol) when I realized the part with his parents and that beautiful kiss/Si Won saying he liked him back was a dream. I kind of suspected it from the moment I saw his parents bc it was a big tone shift but oh I just wanted to give him a hug. His biggest dream was just to have a nice dinner with his parents at home and have his crush like him too. I’m glad everything worked out in the end but that was SO SAD.

The actors’ chemistry was incredible too and so believable. So many lovely intimate moments that really made me believe them as a couple. I feel like sometimes BLs can fail to implement the other parts of intimacy that makes a couple feel real other than just kisses but Blueming was so sweet with the hand holding and smiles and sitting close together and hugs and everything. I saw people on twitter say Hwang Da Seul’s directing of kisses has gotten better but I wonder if she was ever actually not good at it bc TMS had a great kiss too. Makes me wonder if the actors in WYEL just didn’t want to do it or if she was worried the industry wasn’t ready for a real kiss when filming that one lol but the chemistry of that couple was still on point other than the kiss!

I also saw people hating on Da Un for what he did in trying to get Si Won to win bc of his connections but I don’t get it. These characters are what like 18-20? That’s exactly how I’d expect a young person with a huge crush to act lol. I saw people calling him gross and manipulative but like to me he just seemed like a guy in love who genuinely thought he was helping! I think at heart he’s a sweet guy and I think the show showed that. Anyway I can already tell this is gonna be another comfort show of mine just like TMS lol, I hope it gets compiled into a movie too bc I love watching the movie version of TMS

Hmmm interesting that you compared the series to V's music. I never thought about that but I like the idea.

The actors' chemistry was superb and you're right it's the little things that made their relationship feel more fluid and true. Like I noticed that Da Un had a habit of gently grabbing Si Won to get his attention, also him constantly making sure that Si Won wasn't cold or uncomfortable. Si Won wanting continuous head pats from Da Un and also going on his little rants and then apologizing for being insensitive afterwards. The whole coupon gesture for Da Un's birthday because couples really do corny stuff like that. They just had lots of good moments between them that showed what type of people they are. Da Un seems to be more protective of Si Won and Si Won gives Da Un the attention he needs.

The dream sequence just broke my lil heart. I had a feeling it was dream because of the smokiness of his house when he came into the living room but also I would've been super disappointed if Si Won forgave Da Un without any sort of apology. The kiss in the dream was also pretty heart wrenching, as amazing as it was, but it just showed that all Da Un wants is for the people he loves and who say they love him to be around.

Also Idk about the actual spelling, I'm seeing people type it out both ways. The subs said 'Da Woon' but the bio on iQIYI, Google, and MDL all say 'Da Un'.

I'm gonna address the discourse about Da Un's deception. It was pretty manipulative I will say, just because Da Un knew what he was doing and didn't say anything and even tried to lie and then justify his wrongdoings after he was found out.

I know he was coming from a place of love and wanted to do something sweet for Si Won, but it was not the right thing to do regardless of the reason. He basically cheated to get Si Won to win and kind of stole that prize from another student and hurt Si Won's pride and trust in the process.

Not to mention Si Won didn't even want to do the project to begin with, but his sister submitted his work without permission and then Da Un used his connections to get him to win. Nothing about that benefits Si Won, though I am glad that he got to see his work come to life and for that I'm thankful to Da Un but only that.

I don't think Da Un should be demonized or called gross for it though, he wasn't trying to hurt Si Won and he did apologize.

I appreciate Da Un's apology, it was much needed. It was a great and honest apology. He thought about the hurt and pain and disappointment he caused Si Won and he owned up to it and promised to never do something like that again. I'm sure that's all Si Won wanted from Da Un, a genuine apology with promises to do better in the future.

I really, really enjoyed the series and I think it's going to be a fave!!!!!!! It was truly amazing.

#blueming #blueming spoilers

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imagine-a-life-like-this · 3 years

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Dream Come True (K.TH)

Warnings : swearing, mentions of sex, escort service

Synopsis : dream come true is an escort service that can make all your fantasies come to life. all he needs is a date to his cousins wedding and she looks like the perfect choice. she agrees almost immediately, excited to crash her exes wedding on the arm of his cousin. neither one of them expected anything more than a little revenge, but a destination wedding is the perfect place to fall in love.

Word Count : 6372

Dream Come True : All Your Fantasies Brought To Life. It intrigued a broke college student like me. I was recently single and could use the extra cash, so I didn’t even think twice before signing up, filling out all my information, uploading a few pictures, and reading through the terms. The clients would read the bios of each girl and decide which one would best suit their needs and bring their fantasy to life.

As a worker, I could decide which clients I would take on, and made my own rules. It was hard at first, but as the years went on, it became easier to become the perfect girlfriend for my clients for one night. It was rare I was needed for more than one night, even more rare that I was needed for more than a couple days. So when I saw a request for a destination wedding for two weeks, I was intrigued.

I sat at the café in the Dream Come True headquarters, scrolling through my phone as I waited for my new potential client to arrive. “Y/N?” He asked, causing me to look up as I locked my phone and put it down. I gestured for him to take a seat. I was taken aback by the handsome man who sat down across from me. Usually my clients were older gentlemen with money to spend, but this guy looked my age and definitely wouldn’t have trouble finding a date. “I know this seems like an odd request.” I shook my head.

“A bit different, but not odd. You’d be surprised how many weddings I’ve been to.” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. I could tell he was nervous.

“How long have you been doing this?” He questioned. I reached out and grabbed my drink before taking a small sip and setting it back on the table.

“Probably almost 3 years now.” His eyes widened at the answer, but I didn’t let it bother me. “It’s easy money that’s paying my way through university, so I’m not complaining. Now, tell me more about this destination wedding.” He nodded, clearing his throat.

“It’s my cousin’s wedding and it’s kind of a big deal. I had RSVP’d a couple months ago with a plus one, intending to introduce my family to my girlfriend.” I nodded, crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward in my chair. “She actually broke up with me last week and I don’t want to go to this wedding I already said I’d bring a plus one to alone.”

“That would be pretty embarrassing.” He agreed.

“Yeah, especially since the whole thing will be covered in the media.” My eyes widened, even more intrigued than I was before. “Like I said, this wedding is a big deal. My cousin getting married is Kim Seokjin.” I almost choked on my drink at that piece of information.

“THE Kim Seokjin?” I asked to clarify, my heart starting to beat faster. He nodded and I sat back in my chair, weighing my options. The money I could make from this job would definitely pay off the rest of my tuition and then some and seeing my exes face while I showed up to his wedding on his cousin’s arm would be priceless. But was I really ready to face him again? It’s been 3 years, but the love we shared doesn’t just disappear, at least not for me.

“I understand this is going to be pricey, but I’m willing to pay anything.” I met his eyes and could see this desperation behind them. “The trip is completely paid for, and we’ll really only need to be a couple for a few days, the others you can go off and sightsee as much as you like.” I thought of the heartbreak Kim Seokjin put me through just because I wasn’t some heiress, and in that moment I’d honestly do it for free if I didn’t absolutely need the money.

“I’ll give you a discount if you’re willing to pay for the trip itself.” I told him and opened the notebook I brought with me to talk price. We then went over terms and boundaries. By the end, I pulled a contract out of my folder and explained the major points of it and slid it over for him to sign. “It’ll be a pleasure working with you.” I smiled, holding out my hand for him to shake.

“I can’t believe you’re going to your exes wedding as his cousin’s fake girlfriend.” My best friend, Namjoon shook his head. He had come over the minute I told him I’d be leaving on a two-week work trip. Telling him my job when I first started it was nerve-wracking as I didn’t know if he’d view me differently. Instead of judging me, he’s been calling me his sugar mommy for these past 3 years.

“I can’t wait to see his face.” I laughed as I zipped up my second bag and placing it by the door. Taehyung told me since I was going as his girlfriend, he would have a driver pick me up and he’d meet me at the airport so we could arrive together.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Namjoon was the one who held me as I cried over the breakup. He was the one who bought me ice-cream and watched dumb rom coms with me. He’s the reason my heart healed in the first place.

“It’s been 3 years. He’s obviously moved on. It’s my turn to get back at him for all the heartache I’ve dealt with. Besides, how could I turn down a free vacation before my final year?” Namjoon laughed as he shook his head. “I’ll bring you back lots of gifts.” He wrapped his arms around me, telling me to call him if I needed anything. “I should go. Taehyung says the driver should be outside.” Namjoon grabbed my bags without me even asking and brought them down to the car, me following closely behind.

“I’ll see you when you come back. I want all the details.” I leaned up to kiss his cheek and told him I’ll give him all the tea as soon as I return.

Taehyung kept his promise and was waiting for me at the airport. The driver he hired to pick me up walking behind me, carrying my bags against my will. Taehyung smiled when he saw me and reached to take the bags from the driver. “Thank you for taking care of my girlfriend, Jun Ho. Are you ready to go?” I nodded as Taehyung handed my bags off to someone else who put them on a bag cart that held his bags. “Then off we go.” I linked my arm with his as we headed to board the plane.

The entire plane ride, Taehyung went over more things I’d need to know, and let me know he had my outfits picked out for the major events we’d be attending. It was eating me up inside not telling him about the history I had with his cousin, but I couldn’t risk him changing his mind and me not getting the revenge I deeply wanted.

A car picked us up from the airport and drove us to the hotel we’d be staying at, and I got to know more about Taehyung. I knew by the time the wedding came; our relationship would look very real.

“Should we go explore?” I asked when we got to our hotel room and unpacked a bit. “I figure we should get to know each other before the wedding.” Taehyung quickly agreed, and the two of us headed out. “Oh no, we’re doing this my way.” I wrapped my hands around his forearm, pulling him away from the car he was heading towards.

“What if we get lost?” I shrugged as we began walking away from the hotel and into the city. “You are a strange one.” Taehyung laughed. He slid his hand into mine as we walked.

“It’ll be fun. If we get lost, I’ll let you call your driver to pick us up and take us back.” I said nonchalantly and swung our arms back and forth as we walked. The two of us talked as we walked, and I found myself really enjoying his company as I shopped around for gifts for Namjoon. As we entered yet another store, a shirt immediately caught my eye. It was one I know Namjoon would absolutely love, so I beckoned Taehyung over. Though not quite as tall as my best friend, I could still make an assessment by using him.

“What are you doing?” Taehyung laughed as I held the shirt up to his body and tried to envision it on Namjoon.

“I promised my best friend I’d bring him back some gifts and I know this is something he’d love!” I exclaimed with a wide smile on his face.

“So why that hard of a thinking face?” He teased.

“He’s a bit taller than you. So I’m just trying to picture him in it.” Taehyung smiled while shaking his head. It was in this moment that I realized just how similar he was to Kim Seokjin. I tried to hide the hurt I was suddenly feeling and continued to smile while taking the shirt up to the till.

“Let me pay.” Taehyung smiled, pulling out his wallet. I put my hand over his and told him I couldn’t let him, as it was a gift for my friend. “Consider this a thank you for all you’re doing for me.”

“You’re not going to let me pay, are you?” He shook his head.

“Get used to it, princess.” My heart sank at the all too familiar nickname. Seokjin would always call me his princess, promising me a life of riches that I told him over and over again I didn’t need. Get used to it, princess. He would tell me again and again. I was really prepared to spend the rest of my life with him. I was ready to throw away my dreams and focus on being his wife and stand by his side as he took over the family business.

Taehyung and I headed back to the hotel as the sun began to set. I had my arm linked with his as he carried the couple bags of things we bought, and I laughed at some story he told me. As we entered the lobby, my laugh caught the attention of a familiar face who was heading towards the elevator with his wife-to-be. My heart stopped beating when I met his eyes, and his smile fell when he met mine.

“Jin-hyung!” Taehyung exclaimed, not sensing the obvious tension in the air. “Y/N, this is my cousin who’s getting married.” I smiled up at him and held out my hand as Taehyung introduced us seemingly for the first time. “This is my girlfriend.”

“Lovely to meet you. This is my future wife, Chae-Eun.” I shook both of their hands, telling them I was excited for the wedding.

“Why don’t the 4 us grab breakfast in the morning? I’d love to get to know you.” Chae-Eun smiled. Before Seokjin or I could disagree, Taehyung was agreeing, saying we’d meet them in the lobby at 10. We all then gathered in the elevator and silently made our way to our rooms.

“I hope I didn’t overstep by agreeing to breakfast.” Taehyung said as we entered our room. He placed the bags on the ground and gave me an apologetic smile. I shook my head.

“The deal was I’m your girlfriend for 2 weeks.” I reminded him. “Besides, I think it’d be nice to meet the bride and groom before the wedding.” He agreed. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to shower and get ready for bed.” He nodded and told me to go right ahead. I grabbed some pajamas and my phone before locking myself in the bathroom and panic texting Namjoon.

Hold up! So now not only do you have to watch your first love get married, but you also have to go to breakfast with him and his fiancée? He replied back almost instantly.

Yes! And damn does he ever look handsome! I thought back to seeing him as he turned to face me, obviously recognizing my laugh. It’s been 3 years, but he barely aged and looked as good as ever in his obviously tailored suit. Chae-Eun looked perfect next to him in her gorgeous yet simple sundress and heels. She looked better next to him than I ever could. And she’s absolutely perfect. I added before he could reply. I thought I could handle seeing him again, but I didn’t expect to be thrown back 3 years to the person I was, falling in love with him all over again.

No one beats you. He told me, causing a small smile to break out on my face before I started the shower.

When I was finished, I crawled into one of the two beds and Taehyung said he was going to shower. I nodded and unlocked my phone to see a text from a number I thought I deleted. What are you doing here? I debated not saying anything, but I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever. I was here to see him get married.

Taehyung is my boyfriend. Sorry if that bothers you. I responded after carefully wording and then rereading the text.

Are you using him like you did me? I scoffed at his reply, thinking back to our breakup, my heart breaking all over again. Sorry princess, but I could never marry a gold digger. The same nickname he would call me lovingly was suddenly filled with venom as I cried for him to stay. I tried telling him I loved him not for his money.

I never used you. And I’m not using Taehyung, I’m in love with him.

Funny, that’s what you used to say to me. Don’t think for a second that you being here will change my mind about Chae-Eun. I’d never marry a gold digger.

You two look good together. And I’m happier with Taehyung than I ever was with you. My heart broke more and more the longer we texted, but I couldn’t stop myself from responding. At least I was getting a reply now, unlike 3 years ago when I asked for him to just hear me out.

The next morning, I woke up before Taehyung and quietly got ready for breakfast with my ex and his fiancée. Taehyung was awake and sitting in bed when I exited the bathroom, ready to take on the day. “Good morning.” He smiled.

“Good morning.” I smiled back. “You should get ready. We have to meet your cousin and his fiancée in 30 minutes.” He nodded and grabbed some clothes before heading into the bathroom. I took this time to reread my conversation with Seokjin last night and hope I could continue the completely in love girlfriend in front of him.

“Shall we go?” Taehyung asked, stepping out of the bathroom dressed in jeans and a white button up shirt. A different look than I was used to seeing him in, but he certainly did know how to work any outfit. I stood from the bed and smoothed out my dress as I slid on my heels.

“Do I look okay?” I asked, doing a little twirl with a nervous smile on my face. Taehyung smiled wide and took a few steps closer to me, taking my hand in his.

“You look stunning.” He told me softly as he laced our fingers and brought my hand up to his lips to give a soft kiss. The butterflies took flight in my stomach at the simple gesture, and if I’m honest, I didn’t want to stop them. I smiled up at him as the two of us headed down to the lobby, exchanging small talk on the way down. Seokjin and Chae-Eun were already in the lobby waiting for us.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.” I bowed and the 4 of us piled into the two cars waiting for us out front. Taehyung told me more stories of his childhood and I couldn’t help but giggle at some of the antics he used to get up to as a child. I shared a few of mine, laughing at his reactions to the stories I told him. It felt like I’d known him for years instead of days. And for the first time since I started my job at Dream Come True, I found myself wanting this contract to never end.

Seokjin and Chae-Eun arrived at the restaurant before us and were waiting outside when we pulled up. Taehyung and I were laughing at a story I told him before we got out. I could feel Seokjin’s judgemental eyes on me the second I got out of the car, but I tried not to let it bother me.

“How did you two meet?” Chae-Eun asked, excited to hear everything about mine and Taehyung’s love story.

“Oh my god, it’s so embarrassing!” I exclaimed, covering my face in fake embarrassment. Taehyung wrapped his arm around me, chuckling as he said he found it super cute. “I work part time at a library just off my campus.” I began, diving into the story we made up. About him coming in looking for a specific book, but when he came to ask me a question, I thought he was my co-worker and began talking about the attractive guy I watched walk in before turning around and seeing it was him.

“Her face went completely red, and I couldn’t help but smile. She was really cute.” I felt the heat rise to my cheeks when he said that, and I playfully smacked his arm.

“It was so embarrassing. My co-worker still won’t let me live it down.” I laughed.

“Hey, not only did you help me find the book I needed, but I got a really pretty girlfriend.” He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek just as our waiter came back with our food.

“It seems like you two were made for each other.” Chae-Eun gushed, a wide smile on her face. “I’m so happy Taehyung was able to find someone perfectly matched for him.” Seokjin scoffed as he dug into his food, earning a confused stare from both Chae-Eun and Taehyung.

“Thank you, noona. Y/N gets me better than anyone else I’ve met.” I smiled at him before digging into my own meal, trying to supress my shock at how delicious it was. I can already feel myself getting used to the expensive food all over again.

“You thinking of marrying her?” Seokjin asked casually in between bites of his own breakfast, causing me to almost choke on my food.

“Of course.” Taehyung said casually before taking another bite. “She’s the love of my life.” My heart sunk into my stomach, but I tried to continue to smile.

“I can’t picture anyone else at the end of aisle.” I added, smiling over to Taehyung, who was already looking at me. “But if you’ll excuse me, I have to use the restroom.” I pushed my chair out and headed towards the bathrooms to try and calm my heart. As soon as the door closed behind me, I pulled my phone out and called Namjoon. “This breakfast is a train wreck!” I whisper-yelled into the phone.

“That bad?” He asked.

“Well, Taehyung and I just agreed that we see ourselves getting married.”

“Oof.” I laughed at his response as I tried to hold back the tears.

“Why did I think this was a good idea?” I asked myself more so than Namjoon.

“Money.” I laughed again. “Listen, just fake a stomach-ache and go back to the hotel. Don’t spend anymore time with Seokjin than you have to.” I took a deep breath.

“That’s a good idea. I can’t keep falling in love with him.” We said our goodbyes and I quickly fixed up my makeup, trying to make it look like I didn’t cry. When I exited the bathroom, Seokjin grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the side.

“Why did it have to be my cousin?” He whispered.

“Listen, I didn’t know he was your cousin when we met. By the time I found out, I was already in love with him.” I lied, trying to seem as apologetic and nonchalant as I could.

“I could pretend to love Chae-Eun when you weren’t around, but with you here, it’s so hard.” I ripped my wrist from his grasp.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you’re the one that broke up with me. I have every right to move on with someone who truly loves me and doesn’t see me as just a gold digger.” I tried to walk away and rejoin the table, but he grabbed my arm again and pushed me against the wall, trapping me between his arms.

“Does he really make you happier than I did?” He practically growled into my ear. “Does he love you more than me?” He pulled his face away from my ear and looked into my eyes, bringing one hand from the wall and traced my jaw with his pointer finger as he tipped my head up to better meet his eyes. “Does he make you feel good like I did?” He finished with a smirk. I took a deep breath and pushed him away from me.

“He’s a better boyfriend than you ever were.” I whispered to him as I stormed off towards our table, trying to pretend my heart wasn’t racing, as if I wasn’t completely in love with him. “Sorry, I just suddenly don’t feel well.” I apologized to Chae-Eun and Taehyung when I returned.

“Is everything okay?” Taehyung jumped at the chance to be the protective boyfriend. I told them I just had a stomach-ache and that I’d be fine. “I think we’re going to head out first.” He announced as Seokjin returned to the table. “Can’t have my girlfriend feeling sick.” We stood from the table and made our way out to the car that was waiting for us. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just not used to traveling.” I lied and gave him a small smile. Taehyung nodded and asked the driver to take us back to the hotel.

The two of us spent the rest of the day inside the hotel room, even though I told him he could leave if he wanted to. He refused to leave me, adamant on nursing me back to health. It was then that I wished I met Taehyung before I met Seokjin.

The days leading up to the rehearsal dinner, Taehyung and I explored the city and went to all the tourist places. The more time I spent with him, the more I enjoyed having him by my side. He took amazing photos of me across the city, and I tried my best to take just as good pictures of him, but they never turned out. “How are you so handsome even when I catch you off-guard!” I exclaimed a few times during our time.

“I could ask you how you’re so gorgeous in every picture!” He exclaimed back. I scrolled through the pictures we’ve taken, wishing I could post the ones of the both of us, but I knew I’d just have to delete them when this was all over. So, I just posted the ones he took of me as a memory of time spent with him.

We basically spent all of our time away from the hotel, enjoying the sights and getting to know each other on a level I wasn’t used to with my clients. The guilt ate at me more and more the closer I got to Taehyung. The night before the rehearsal dinner, I broke. “I have something to confess.” I told him as he walked out of the bathroom as we got ready for bed. He sat on his bed, facing me as I tried to figure out exactly what to say. “I dated Kim Seokjin.” I finally spit out, deciding it was best not to beat around the bush. Instead of getting angry and yelling at me, Kim Taehyung just laughed.

“I already know that, princess.” My mouth dropped open. “He always showed you off, posted pictures of you constantly.”

“Why didn’t you say anything!?” I exclaimed, a smile taking over my previous shock. “The guilt about keeping this secret has been eating me alive!” He laughed again.

“Princess, do you really think I just needed you as my plus one because it would be embarrassing to show up alone?” I nodded.

“I don’t make it a habit to question my clients.” He shook his head.

“I chose you knowing you were his ex. I don’t really have anything against my cousin, he’s a good guy, but these trips are so damn boring. I thought I’d add some spice.” I laughed and shook my head.

“I think I’m in love with you, Kim Taehyung.” I chuckled, the smile never leaving my face. “So this whole thing is just entertainment for you.”

“And revenge for you. It’s a win-win. Honestly, seeing his face when he saw you was absolutely priceless.” I playfully smacked his leg after he said that. “Come on! You can’t tell me you’re not having fun.”

“Honestly, this is the most fun I’ve had in years.” He looked at me with a triumphant look on his face and I just shook my head at him.

“Now, let’s get some sleep. We have some drama to stir up.” I crawled into bed as he got up to turn the lights off. This trip just got a whole lot more exciting.

Unfortunately for Taehyung and I, the rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch, and he was right, these events are so boring. So as everyone began to mingle, the two of us snuck out to go elsewhere. “Oh my god, I think we need to breakup dude. I’d fall asleep at my own damn wedding if I had to go through all of that.” I joked as the two of us walked around, enjoying the fresh air.

“Oh, we’re getting married now, are we?”

“Of course. I couldn’t picture anyone else at the end of the aisle.” I repeated my words from the breakfast we had almost a week ago as a joke. “But we’re going to have a fun wedding or I’m divorcing you.” He laughed and I just stopped in my tracks as I looked at him. In that moment as he stopped laughing and walking to turn and ask if I was alright, I realized I was truly falling for him.

“You okay?” He asked, placing his hands on my shoulders, giving me a quick once over, looking for any sign of discomfort or injury. I just stared at his face, his eyes full of concern for my wellbeing, and allowed myself to take in his handsome face. I counted to 3 before allowing myself to break the one rule I made when I started my job and pressed my lips to his in a soft kiss. My arms wrapped around his neck as I pulled him closer, the butterflies in my stomach exploding the second he kissed me back, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me closer.

“I’d say I was sorry, but I’m really not.” I smiled when we pulled away, our foreheads pressed together, both of us catching our breath from the kiss. “I’d also say it would never happen again, but I really want to kiss you again.”

“I’m not stopping you, princess.” He whispered and I wasted no time in pressing my lips to his again. “Does this mean we have to breakup before we can have a boring wedding?” He joked as we walked hand-in-hand back to the hotel as the sun set.

“I already said, our wedding it going to be fun or we’re getting a divorce.” I joked back and my heart swelled at the sound of his laughter. “What a first date we’re about to have tomorrow.” I joked. “Quite a story to tell our friends, that our first date was my exes wedding who also happens to be your cousin.”

“Oof, that is quite a first date.” We laughed.

“Wait! Now I can post all those cute pictures of us!” I exclaimed as we walked into the lobby. “I didn’t want to because I didn’t want to have to delete them later.”

“How the hell could you not tell I started to like you for real days ago when we took those pictures?” He shook his head at me as he handed me his phone, his Instagram open for me to see, his most recent 3 pictures being of us. “You obviously don’t follow me, and now I’m offended, and I think we should break up.”

“Too late.” I told him as I handed him my phone, my most recent post open for him to see. It was a picture of the two of us that he took. He stood behind me with one of his arms wrapped around my waist and his chin resting on my head and his other arm extended to take the photo. We both wore wide smiles. It was my favourite picture the two of us took, and I captioned it Mine with a heart.

“I guess I’ll stick around a while longer then.” He handed my phone back and quickly kissed my cheek. As we got into the elevator, Namjoon was calling me, and I burst out laughing. “I’m guessing that’s the best friend and he’s got some questions.”

“You would be correct.” I replied as I answered the phone.

“You bitch!” He exclaimed on the other line. Taehyung burst out laughing, obviously hearing what Namjoon had said. “You go out there as a fake girlfriend to your exes wedding and now you’re posting cute pictures saying mine and shit.” I followed Taehyung out of the elevator when the doors opened and couldn’t help but laugh at my best friend.

“Well, I guess you could say I’m no longer here as a fake girlfriend.” I laughed as Namjoon screamed. Taehyung looked over at me with wide eyes, wondering what the fuck was happening.

“You are NOT actually dating your exes cousin.” Taehyung swiped the phone from my hand and quickly responded to my best friend.

“She absolutely is actually dating her exes cousin.” Before he could hand it back, Namjoon was screaming out his name, causing Taehyung and I both to burst into laughter.

“Namjoon, you need calm down. The neighbours are going to think you’re being murdered.” I told him through my giggles.

“Full story the second you’re back, you sly bitch.” I rolled my eyes and told him I already promised to give him all the details of my trip when I returned.

“I guess this is the part where I tell you he’s also my roommate, so you’ll be seeing a lot of him when we get back.” Taehyung wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him.

“If it means being with you, I think I can deal with your very loud best friend.” He whispered before pulling me into another kiss.

The next morning, I woke up to Taehyung peppering my face in kisses, causing me to giggle and grab his face in my hands. “You keep missing.” I pouted and he wasted no time in kissing the pout right off my face.

“You ready to stir up some shit?” He asked as he stared into my eyes. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as I nodded.

“With you, I’m ready for anything.” The two of us got up and started to get ready. He placed the gown he bought for me on the bed, and I let out an audible gasp. It was a gorgeous baby pink, floor length gown that hugged all the right curves. It was off the shoulders with lace detailing on the top and I truly felt like a million dollars as soon as I put it on. Taehyung helped zip me into it and I turned to get his reaction, my freshly curled hair flowing down my back.

“Wow.” He breathed out, placing his hands on my hips and bringing his face closer to mine. “If I didn’t make you mine yesterday, I definitely would have today.” He smiled before capturing my lips with his in a passionate kiss.

The two of us headed out to the venue. Despite the rehearsal dinner going perfectly, I couldn’t help but feel like something was going to go wrong. Taehyung ran his thumb over my knuckles as we sat in the first row, waiting for Chae-Eun to walk down the aisle. I could see Seokjin’s mom give me the stink eye from my peripherals, but I didn’t let it bother me. I wasn’t dating her son anymore, and Taehyung’s mom adored me when she met me the day before. Soon, the wedding march began, and we all stood to watch Chae-Eun walk down the aisle.

Taehyung subtly played with my fingers as the boring stuff began and I just quietly giggled to myself and tried to pay attention. Seeing Jin standing up there, dressed in his tux, holding hands with a girl in a wedding dress that wasn’t me, didn’t hurt me as much as I expected it to. Taehyung and I weren’t paying that much attention until I heard my name. My head whipped up towards the soon-to-be wed couple with wide eyes, and Jin stared right back at me, his eyes just as wide. Chae-Eun stood there, unsure of what to do and obviously trying to hold her tears back.

“Now this is excitement.” Taehyung whispered. I playfully slapped him, but he was right. This is exactly what we wanted, well not exactly this. I felt bad for Chae-Eun who seemed to truly love Kim Seokjin with her whole heart, and he just said someone else’s name right before they were to say I Do.

Hushed whispered erupted from the crowd the longer the couple just stood there in silence. “My sincerest apologies to everyone, and especially to Chae-Eun, my beautiful bride.” Jin finally spoke after minutes of silence. “I made a mistake 3 years ago, letting an amazing woman go due to social status. I haven’t seen her since that day, and she’s sitting in the crowd today and it caused a slip up. If it weren’t for her, Chae-Eun and I wouldn’t have met, and I wouldn’t have met the one I’m meant to be with. So, Chae-Eun, if you’ll still have me, I promise I’ll never make another mistake when it comes to loving you.” She looked to me and Taehyung before looking back to Jin. The venue was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“I can forgive you this time because I love you.” She finally answered with a small smile. The rest of the ceremony went off without hitch and it was time to head to the reception.

“I can’t believe that happened.” I said when we got into our car.

“I can. Have you seen you, Y/N? He definitely fucked up letting you go, but if he didn’t, we wouldn’t be here today.” I smiled at Taehyung, my heart swelling in contentment. “Do you think that’s hot enough tea for you friend?” He chuckled.

“Not hotter than our relationship.” I leaned in for a quick kiss before the two of us got out of the car and headed into the reception. The bride and groom were making their rounds, thanking everyone for coming. I had hoped they just wouldn’t approach us so we wouldn’t have to talk about Jin’s slip up.

“Y/N, Taehyung, thank you for coming.” Chae-Eun smiled and brought the two of us in for small hugs.

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, Y/N.” Jin said, and I just shook my head.

“I’m just glad it worked out in the end. I’d feel terrible if that slip up ended your relationship. She’s really a keeper, Jin.” He smiled over to Chae-Eun and agreed with me.

“How come you two didn’t say anything about your previous relationship?” Chae-Eun asked, looking between the two of us.

“Well, I don’t know about Jin, but it’s kind of a sore spot for me. It’s not something I really talk about.” Jin scratched the back of his neck, something I learned over the years of loving him, he did when he was nervous.

“I said a lot of hurtful things. I really wasn’t myself back then, and I’m sorry.”

“No more apologies, Jin. You’re happy, and I am too. I’ve moved on and it may be weird that it’s your cousin, but he really does make me happy.” Taehyung wrapped his arm around my waist, bringing me closer to him and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Chae-Eun, I really hope there’s no hard feelings. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other in the future, and I hope we can be friendly.” She smiled at me and nodded.

“We’ll exchange numbers later; we have more people to see. But I hope we can hang out.” I agreed, and the happy couple left to continue making their rounds.

“Did you ever think you’d become friends with your exes wife?” Taehyung chuckled in my ear before placing another kiss on my cheek.

“Almost as unbelievable as dating my exes cousin.”

“Just so you know, I’m not leaving you even if you ended up homeless.” I turned to face him completely and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Please know I’m not a gold digger.” I whispered, barely able to meet his eyes. He took his thumb and pointer finger and grabbed my chin to make my eyes meet his.

“I’d never think such a thing.” He whispered to me before closing the space between us in a passionate kiss that took my breath away.

#dream come true #bts #bts imagine #kim taehyung #kim taehyung imagine #jeon jungkook #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #park jimin

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dimpled-gukkie · 4 years

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Call Me A Thief

a/n: Happy birthday Shay @today-we-will-survive !!!!! I can’t believe we’ve only celebrated two birthdays of yours thus far. It feels like we’ve been friends forever. Once again I’m going to say that I’m so thankful you’re my friend and thank you for being my rock and sometimes the only person I can talk to. I hope we can celebrate many more years together and that this is your best year yet! Love you - your ghost bestie/ whatever that really long one I never remember is

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader / Kim Taehyung x Reader (brief mentions of Jung Hoseok x Reader as a past relationship)

Genre: College AU, e2l, idiots to lovers, angst, fluff

Word Count: 31.3k

Warnings: mild language, minor self-hatred (more so in the form of self doubt), mentions of drinking but not descriptions, Jimin shows up tipsy, I guess name calling but it’s not that serious, a sick pet for a short minute, oc gets somewhat depressed towards the end but it’s resolved

Summary: In a series of truly misfortunate events, a thief, a plantnapper and a muse-seeking photographer somehow cross paths on their admittedly huge (40,000 students huge) college campus. At first glance they’re just strangers but the more they get to know each other the more they realize their roots intertwine. If the universe had kept them apart for this long, surely it wouldn’t bring them together for a disaster. Right?

You’re an idiot. Perhaps that stupidest person you know. I mean how can you steal someone’s bag thinking it’s yours? Especially when your backpack isn’t even black and yet here you are staring blankly at the black backpack that lies limply on the table in front of you. Staring at the bag you blink listlessly at it like maybe if you blink enough times the mirage will fade and your own backpack will be in front of you. And yet several silent moments later the black backpack still sits in front of you. You don’t even know who it could belong to. Your lecture consists of 400 students, the owner of the bag could be any of them. Even worse if you email your professor about it to return the stolen item you’ll be known as the girl who stole it. You’ll be a thief. Exhaling a large sigh you slump down onto the desk in front of you, a large thumping sound ringing through the otherwise silent top floor of the library, those around you unaware of the self-damning thoughts running through your mind.

“Wake up nerd.” Jimin’s voice says and you don’t even have to look up to know he’s looming above you, enjoying the fact that he’s towering over you for once. Oh the woes of the tiny man with the tiny hands. He pushes your shoulder with said tiny hands and you’re half considering becoming weightless and letting him shove your limp body out of the chair just so the feeling of your ass hitting the hard ground will keep you from thinking about your mistake. You can’t even make fun of Jimin for being a dumb blonde now. Well, you could say he’s killing your brain cells. Your lips quirk up at the thought, placated by the idea of pinning your mistake on your innocent best friend. After all, teasing Jimin is your favorite part of the day.

“Are you dead!” Jimin whispers and you shoot your head up just to glare at him.

“Don’t act so excited. Plus if I were to die I would not want to go out in a library. How unglamorous.”

“It would be rather tasteless wouldn’t it?” He pauses for a minute before his eyes widen. “Not that anything is wrong with dying in a library. I’m sure it’s cool.” He laughs awkwardly and you can’t help but chuckle. Ever since he watched that paranormal activity movie with Yoongi, Jimin is convinced that ghosts are real and that they’re listening to every word he says. Like they’d want to follow around a guy who spends his days trying to find the most incognito insoles and browsing the hair dye section at Walgreens. But alas Jimin has always been a victim of the spotlight effect and if you had to guess would view his life as some sort of reality tv show.

“Hey whose backpack is that? Are you meeting someone?” Jimin asks, nodding to the incriminating black bag still on the table. You groan and are in the midst of throwing your head back onto the table when Jimin forcefully stops you by wrapping his hands around your face. Unfortunately, he miscalculates which results in his palms slapping your cheeks while his fingers dig into your mouth that they’d mistakenly pried open. You sputter and scrunch your face in distaste, making a similar expression to that of a baby that has just tried a lemon.

“When was the last time you washed your hands?” You screech, unaware of the eyes on you. “I can taste the day old cheeto dust. You’ve infected me!” You whine, taking a swig of your water to gurgle like it’s mouthwash. “I need to eat soap or something.”

“I’m the victim here! Who knows where your mouth has been. Tell me, when was the last time you saw Jung Hoseok?” Jimin also screeches then proceeds to wince when you smack his arm.

“You ass! I haven’t seen him since we broke up a year ago, you know that.” Jimin nods while pouting, rubbing the spot on his arm like your slap stung. When he sees you looking at the movement his mouth pulls into a smirk as he rolls up his sleeve to reveal his bicep.

“Kiss it better?” He teases, yelping and jumping backwards before you can smack him again.

“You’re insufferable.”

“Ditto.”

“No one even says ditto anymore.” You scoff and he just shrugs.

“I’ll bring it back, after all I’m famous you know?”

“Just because you got ten likes on your tweet about your ex doesn’t mean you’re famous.”

“Say that to my 200 followers.” He runs his fingers through his hair, his own version of a hair flip, before returning his attention back to the incriminating item on the table. “So is someone here with you or…”

“I may have accidentally stolen someone’s backpack thinking it was mine…” You mumble, hoping that Jimin might not hear you. For a moment you think he might not have until you hear wheezing coming from beside you, Jimin practically sprawled across the floor as his laughter comes out in tiny squeaks. “It’s not funny! This is the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done! All the bleach fumes from dying your hair has rotted my brain. This is all your fault Jimin.” You whine, bottom lip jutted and brows furrowed as you take on the expression of a kicked puppy. Jimin pauses for a moment in his laughter to observe your behavior before letting out two more huffs.

“Aww don’t pout kitkat.” Jimin coos, pinching your cheeks between his chubby fingers as he pulls them back and forth until you crack a smile. His plush lips draw into a smile of their own, his eyes creasing as he gently taps your nose. “See kitkat it’s not that big of a deal. Do you know who it belongs to?” When you shake your head ‘no’ he frowns a little before a mischievous smile pulls at his lips.

“Well we could always look through it? To find the name of the owner of course.” Of course. Not because you’re nosey bitches or anything.

“If I see one more skull I’m going to scream.” Jimin groans, throwing his head back against your pillows as a textbook you pulled from the backpack lays in front of him.

“To be fair it is an anatomy textbook and a skull is part of the human body. They’re at least doodling things related to the subject.”

“But the angst kitkat! I feel like this person only listens to MCR or something.” He whines, displeased with the artist’s choice of subject.

“I think they’re kinda cool though. The shading’s really good and look! This one is a skull made out of butterflies.” Your fingers run along the drawing lightly, careful not to smudge the artist’s hard work but enjoying following the intricate line work.

“Besides in this notebook there’s all types of different drawings. Some marvel stuff, some succulents. I even found a cute little dog drawing!” You say, turning the notebook around to show him the little dog scrawled in the margins, its small fluffy face smiling.

“You mean I’ve been looking at skulls for nothing?”

“I mean I don’t know why you thought you’d find their name in a textbook but I thought maybe you were interested in the subject or something.” You shrug, ignoring the glare Jimin sends your way.

“You suck.” He declares, sticking his tongue out at you when you look at him. You stick yours at him in response.

“Bite me.”

“Oh I see someone’s been watching 90’s movies lately. Tell me, do you imagine finding your own heath ledger like Kat? Or perhaps you’re more of the creepy ‘I’m gonna fall for my step-brother’ type like Cher. Though personally, I got to say I’m a big fan of the ‘childhood best friends to lovers’ trope but I digress. Hey have you found any clues yet?”

“Well we know they’re an anatomy student and like art. I also found ‘JJK’ scribbled next to a drawing on a scrap of paper that fell out of one of the notebooks so I’m hoping that’s their initials. So we can go through the class roster and hopefully there’s an angsty bio/medical student with those initials.” Pulling out your laptop you migrate from the floor to the bed, pulling out the roster for your english class. Ever so slowly you scroll through the roster, thankful to find only two names with the initials JJK.: Jeon Jungkook and Jung Jaekwan.

“I think we have an easy solution here. I stalk one and you stalk the other and we see which one was more likely to be in a punk band of some sort when they were in high school.” Jimin suggests, already heading towards your closet to find the best stalker outfit.

“Or we could just find their instagrams?” You say and Jimin flicks his hand like he’s physically brushing off your suggestion.

“Already tried, both private. That means they’re probably ugly.”

“Hey my accounts are private!” You exclaim and you can tell by the way Jimin’s shoulders slightly scrunch inwards that he’s stifling a laugh.

“Case in point. Anyways, what screams sexy Joe Goldberg? Like we’re definitely going full-stalker mode but like not ‘I’m going to kill you’ yandere vibes.” Jimin ignores the pillow you throw at him, continuing to babble about the perfect outfit like he didn’t just offend you.

“This is stupid.” You grumble into the miniature walkie-talkie Jimin bought from Walmart, dressed in large sunglasses, black tights and dress, adorned with your black docs. Ever the self-proclaimed fashion icon, Jimin dressed you in every black article of clothing you owned. The sun beat down on you from above, it was rather warm for a late spring day, and you tried to ignore the way sweat began to accumulate under the black ball cap (“It’s the Joe trade mark!”Jimin exclaimed when you protested him adding that to the already questionable outfit seeing as it is almost summer).

“And stealing someone’s backpack that’s not even the same color as your own is stupid but you don’t hear me criticizing your ideas.” He snarks back at you through the small device.

“It wasn’t like I planned on it! I told you it was an accident!” You screech at him, only to scream as another voice sounds out from behind you.

“What are you doing?” You turn around to face a guy with blonde hair, an old camera clutched between his large hands as he crouches down beside you.

“What are you doing?” You parrot, mind unable to conjure up a reasonable and not weird reason for why you’re here. Here being ducked behind an overgrown bush off to the side of the life science building in hopes you’ll see Jeon Jungkook emerge from the now-finishing Anatomy 101 lecture. It’s one of four and you’re hoping that your mystery man that you’ve loosely memorized from his profile picture- although half his face is obscured by large wire framed glasses that you can’t figure out if are real or for fashion- hears your beckoning call and comes out of those double doors.

“Photography assignment.” The guy holds up the camera to justify his statement. “Are you looking for something?” He glances at the surrounding area before noticing the walkie-talkie in your hand.

“Oh I used to love those as a kid!” Snatching it from your fingers he immediately talks into it and you face palm as you imagine Jimin’s face on the receiving end. “Houston this is starship one. We are prepared to land. Houston do you hear me?” The stranger giggles, lips forming into a peculiar grin before his eyes widen when Jimin’s voice crackles through the cheap speaker.

“Listen dumbass, I’m out here before 2:00 pm trying to resurrect your mistake and you’re playing games with a stranger?! Do you not understand that I sacrificed my beauty sleep for this? I’m seeing Soyeon during lecture today and you know I like to look good for her.”

Snatching the device from the stranger you hurry to appease your best friend. “I’m sorry Jiminie! But you don’t need beauty sleep, you’re already the most handsome guy I know.”

“I’m listening.” Jimin says after your pause.

“You could rival Aphrodite herself! In fact I’m sure that’s why she led me to steal someone’s backpack so you’d lose said beauty sleep so she could have a chance at being prettier than you!” You cringe at your own words, you don’t think you’ve ever laid it on this thick, but you need Jimin. He’s the only one you know shameless enough to help you in such an endeavor, I mean you’re literally stalking someone just to find out if you have their backpack. Plus you really didn’t mean to hurt Jimin’s feelings.

“That was a bit too much for my taste but I appreciate your sentiment. You’ve been redeemed. Now tell your friend he either needs to go or help us.” When you turn to said “friend” he’s staring at you with pink lips parted, strong eye brows pulled together in confusion as you watch him try to process what just happened. You can’t believe someone’s witnessed the monstrosity of this whole situation, much less someone so handsome. It really would be your luck. You must be cursed or something.

“You stole someone’s backpack?” Ahh it seems that tiny detail is what his mind has fixated on the most.

“No not stole, accidentally took. Why would you steal someone’s bag?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” He shrugs, moving to stand up and you immediately scramble up after him, thoughts of finding whoever Jeon Jungkook is long forgotten.

“You don’t understand, it was an accident! I was tired and grabbed the one nearest me before walking out. And I’m trying to return it I just don’t know who it is so I was trying to see if this guy is missing a backpack.” You ramble, too lost in your narrative to notice the way he smiles almost fondly down at you.

“And the walkie talkie?”

“Oh you see we have two suspects-“ You start only to be interrupted.

“Suspects?”

“Yes suspects, I don’t have a better word. But I’m supposed to watch for one guy and Jimin watch for another- that’s the guy who cussed me out earlier- but I got distracted and now I just missed him which means I have to sit outside this stupid hall for the rest of the day to make sure he’s not in any of the other lectures to see if he was in this one and I just realized that he could’ve missed today which means I might have to wear this stupid outfit again-“

The handsome stranger raises his hand to stop your word vomit and you give him a sheepish smile when your words finally stop pouring out. “While I would like to stick around and hear more about your detective work, I have class in approximately ten minutes so I need to get going.” He says and you try to hide the way you deflate a little.

“Oh okay.” He smiles at you one final time before jogging in the opposite direction while you watch after him. Jeon Jungkook be damned, just who was that?

After your failed attempt at locating the aloof Jeon Jungkook- not that you were really looking because your mind was clogged with thoughts of your mystery man with the pretty smile- you trudge back to your tiny apartment in hopes to get some peace and quiet. The dream is destroyed, however, when you can hear the music from your neighbor all the way down the hall by the elevators. Agitated and sweaty, you march towards their door, more than willing to be an annoying neighbor if it means you can nap.

The cheap door rattles lightly under your heavy fists and you can’t help the satisfaction it brings you. Banging on a door is truly a great way to release tension it seems. A muffled “Turn it down so I can think!” sounds through the thin wood and the music lowers just barely. They might as well have not even bothered to fiddle with the volume at all. The door swings open and a guy with shoulders almost as wide as the doorway- you don’t know whether his shoulders are just that huge or if the door is that small, maybe both- leans against it lazily as his gaze flickers down your form.

“You’re not Namjoon.” Is the thought that makes its way out of your brain and into the atmosphere, the four word sentence stilling the air between you two.

“Well you’re right there sweetheart. I’m his much more handsome older brother. And you are?” He asks and you’re rather thankful that he decided to go with it rather than think about what type of idiot states who someone clearly is not. Maybe you really are getting dumber.

“Y/n, the lovely neighbor who just wants to take a nap. Which I can’t do if your music is so loud that I can hear it all the way down the hall.” He pauses for a moment to take in what you’ve said before pressing off the door to stand straight in front of you. He towers over you and you can’t help but shrink back a little.

“Namjoon did tell me about a nice neighbor but he never gave me a name. Though since you’re complaining about my music I wouldn’t go so far as to say you’re lovely.”

“Hey I had a long day!” You exclaim, raising back to your full height like that will somehow get him to take you more seriously. Though with the lazy smirk he gives you, your need to prove yourself only provides him entertainment.

“Well I’ve had a rather long day too, I’ve been babysitting all day.” A scoff of protest sounds from behind him and you try and inconspicuously look around the wide-shouldered man to see who else is inside Namjoon’s apartment. All you can see though is a random figure drowning in an oversized hoodie on the couch before the man at the door requests your attention again. Perhaps if you had looked a little harder you would’ve noticed the wire frame glasses sitting neatly on the glass end table. “Which is why I’m playing my music to relax. And drown out the incessant whining. ‘Seokjin get me water. Seokjin make me food. Seokjin do my math homework’, like I’m even good at such thing. I’m a liberal arts student.” You can’t help but laugh at the way he whines out the demands of presumably the other stranger in the apartment, his voice pitched higher than normal like he’s trying to imitate a child.

“Well Seokjin, I have just one request. Can you please turn the music down by like a third so I won’t hear it through the wall?” You bring your hands to clasp together in front of you, cocking your head to the side while batting your eyelashes up at him. He seems like the type to like aegyo. Evidently your assumption is very much wrong as he scrunches his nose in distaste.

“Please never make that face again. But I guess I can turn it down since you asked so nicely. Though next time you have a request for me at least buy me dinner first?” He says before waving at you goodbye through a laugh and shutting the door. The music now a quiet murmur in the hallway as you open your own apartment door. Odd, Namjoon never mentioned having roommates.

Apparently you too have surprise roommates as a tipsy Jimin appears at your door with a suitcase behind him as he stumbles into your apartment along with his small calico cat named Kimchi who immediately jumps out of his arms when she recognizes your apartment. “Jimin?” You say tentatively, almost like if you say his name too loud he’ll snap. “What’re you doing here at 2 a.m?”

“Mad at Yoongi. Living here now.” Is the only explanation he gives you before trudging into your bedroom, the bed creaking as he flops down on it meanwhile his suitcase still stands next to you in the living room. Kimchi pays no mind to her owner’s sad drunken form, kneading at your old couch until she finds a soft spot to curl up on.

“Jiminie, what did Yoongi do?”

“Told me he saw Soyeon making out with some guy in a bar yesterday.” Jimin sniffles, crawling over to lay his head in your lap when you sit down on the other side of your bed. Your fingers immediately weave through the soft strands gently similar to the way a mother would soothe her child.

“You’re mad because he told you?” You ask.

“Mad because he lied. Soyeon told me she couldn’t go to the movies yesterday because she had to study for an exam today. She even told me it went really well when I saw her in our com lecture. Why would Yoongi lie to me about that when he knows how I feel about her?” You can’t help the way you look down at Jimin pitifully, glad that he’s turned away from you so he can’t see the sadness in your eyes. Min Yoongi is nothing if not painfully blunt but he’s always been honest. So you know that he’s telling Jimin the truth, a truth that Jimin- blinded by his love for Soyeon that’s been growing since freshman year of college when they shared english 101- doesn’t want to hear nor accept. It’s a truth you’ve been trying to ease him into for months now, the fact that despite Soyeon knowing Jimin’s feelings she’s never made an effort to actually put effort into a relationship with him. She only drags him back in with faux affection when she can feel her hold on him begin to slip between her fingers. Jimin’s body begins to shake again as his mind drifts off to what Yoongi said again, your legs becoming slightly wet as his tears trickle onto them.

‘Aww Jiminie,” You sigh, moving a hand to wipe at his tears on the cheek available to you. “It’s gonna be okay, you and Yoongi will still be friends after this.”

“I just don’t know why he’d tell me that. Just thinking about her with someone else makes it feel like someone is stabbing me and cutting my heart out piece by piece. Make the pain go away kitkat. Please.” He whimpers and your heart breaks alongside him as tears fall down your own cheeks. You wish you could take the heartache away, you wish he’d never met Soyeon, that he found someone who loved him as much as he deserves. You wish that there was something you could do but sadly Jimin will have to get over his feelings on his own. There’s not much you can do besides wipe away his tears.

“I’m so sorry Jiminie, but it’ll get better. You’ll find someone who’ll love you more than she ever could.” it’s the only solace you can offer him at the moment and while now it does nothing you hope it plants a little seed in his mind to later sprout into hope for the future.

“Yoongi wasn’t lying was he?” Jimin says after a few minutes, voice so soft you almost miss it entirely.

“I don’t think so bub.” You whisper, brushing his hair back from his face softly.

“Can I still stay here? I just need some time away to think and figure out how to apologize.”

“Stay for as long as you need.” You tell him, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the side of his head. “What’re best friends for?”

You wake up early the next morning to Kimchi sitting on your chest, patting your face gently with her paw. “Hi sweetheart.” You say softly and she responds by rubbing her face against yours. “You hungry?” You ask her to which she meows in response. Sitting up slowly she jumps off of you and waits impatiently for you by the door, yelling at you to hurry up. Rubbing your eyes you slip on your slippers before following her to the kitchen to make sure she doesn’t wake Jimin up. Thankfully you had babysat Kimchi earlier this year and have leftover food for her which you pour into a little bowl before moving onto making breakfast for you and Jimin. Settling on pancakes, because really who doesn’t like waking up to pancakes, you head downstairs to the nearby market to buy the necessary ingredients as well as a litter box for Kimchi. You’re not really sure how long Jimin will be staying with you but judging by the fact Jimin needs time to think about just how to apologize you can only guess the blowout between him and Yoongi was pretty bad. He’ll probably be staying for at least a week to build up the courage to even face your eldest friend.

Pushing the shopping cart through the empty isles of the shop- honestly you should come here only in the early mornings because there’s no one to get in your way when you glide across the isles on the back of the cart- you pause in front of the small plant section in the corner of the store. They’re mostly succulents and little flowers for people who’ve forgotten anniversaries and need to pick up one last minute but you contemplate bringing home a little aloe vera plant. Jimin has always talked about wanting to start becoming a plant dad and maybe this will cheer him up a little. Just before you can grab it because yes you do need that little plant to add to the forest that is your apartment, it’s snatched up by someone’s grubby hands. You squawk in disbelief- yes sadly squawk but it’s also 8 in the morning so do you really care- blinking at the plantnapper in shock. “That’s my plant.” Similar to the not-Namjoon Seokjin incident your mouth moves before your mind has time to process what you’re going to say.

“Is your name on it?” The thief says and you internally gag. Ugh he’s one of those guys.

“Yes actually it’s written as ‘fuck you’ in the soil.” You grumble, crossing your arms over your chest as you stare at your plant clutched between his fingers forlornly. You don’t even bother to look up at his face, his identity shall be nothing but a plantnapper to you.

“Are you always this pleasant?” He says airily and you almost look up at him just from hearing the smirk in his voice but refrain. He doesn’t deserve the satisfaction.

“Are you always such an ass?” You quip and to your anger he laughs. He giggles like you just told him the funniest joke of the century and you can feel your insides heat up as you struggle not to throttle him.

“If I recall correctly all I did was take this plant. You’re the one who started calling me names and cussing me out.” You hate that he’s right but you’ve always been known for your stubbornness.

“I wouldn’t have said anything if you weren’t a thief.” You tell him, reaching out to grab the plant from his hands when you notice his grip slacken slightly in confusion. If only he didn’t have good reflexes as he holds the little succulent high above his head.

“Ah ah ah,” He tuts and you finally look up at him, coming face to face with large round eyes glinting with happiness. You scowl further as you realize he won and got you to look at him. “Such a shame a pretty face is wasted.” He says, you can just imagine the ear-splitting grin hidden behind his large black face mask.

“Give me my plant.” You deadpan, wanting to end the altercation all together. You’d lost the will to want it so badly as soon as he pointed out that he was in fact right and you had been the one to start this petty argument, but now your desire to not lose has won over and you’re adamant on leaving with the plant still trapped in his hands.

“Say please and I’ll consider it.” He counters, unaffected by the sharp glare you send his way.

“I saw it first!” You whine and again he giggles.

“What is this, elementary school? Well in that case, you snooze you loose!” If it weren’t for the face mask obscuring his mouth you just know he would be sticking his tongue out at you. Just the thought irks you enough to submit to his will.

“Fine, can I please have the plant?” You sigh hating the way his eyes twinkle.

“Sure thing.” He says before setting it down on the highest shelf available, one you’ll have to scale the shelf case just to grab. When he notices your expression of both defeat and annoyance his eyes crinkle once more into a large grin as he pats the top of your head lightly. “Have a nice day!” He sings before walking off in the opposite direction. You flip off his parting figure before sighing and staring at the aloe vera plant helplessly. You can’t just leave it there in case he comes back to see if you’ve managed to snag the plant. If it’s still there that means he’ll have bested you three times and you can’t have that even if he is a total stranger.

Your feet are perched on the bottom rung of the shelving as you reach up aimlessly with one hand, your mind so busy cursing out the stranger that you don’t hear the approaching footsteps of another person until a hand comes over your outstretched one and grabs the plant. Not again, you groan internally.

“Listen-“ You begin, turning around fully ready to be faced with a smirking crinkly eyed boy only to sputter when you realize it’s the guy with the camera you couldn’t get out of your head yesterday. He has a little apron on, one that all the employees wear, and a large silver name tag that displays his name so prettily.

“Were you trying to get this little guy?” He asks, voice warm and smooth like honey as he gently strokes his finger along one of the leaves of the small plant. His brown hair is like the color of milk chocolate, softened by the early morning sun and he’s so beautiful and warm you fully forget how to function. Like your brain short circuits and for a moment you forget where you are and what you were saying.

“Uhh yeah.” You manage to spit out after awkwardly gaping at him for who knows how long. “Thanks…Taehyung.” His name sounds so natural coming out of your mouth- but that’s probably just because you’re secretly a hopeless romantic who gets caught up in pretty boys much too easily- and you can’t help but wish that you’ll get to say it many more times. He gingerly hands the plant over to you and you can feel your cheeks getting hot when his fingers brush your own.

“Anytime stalker girl.” He giggles. It’s such an endearing sound.

“Y/n, my name is y/n.” You tell him, nervously fiddling with the leaves of your little plant.

“Need any help finding anything else?” He asks you and maybe- just maybe- you ask him to show you where the cat stuff is. But only because you don’t know- you do- where the cat stuff is and not because you want to spend more time with him- like how you ask his opinion on what food flavors Kimchi would like when she’s not even your cat and you have food at home.

Thankfully Jimin is still asleep when you arrive home which means you can still surprise him. You were a little stressed when you realized just how much time you had spent talking to Taehyung- just the thought of him makes you smile like a lovesick fool, grinning to yourself in your empty kitchen as you unload the groceries- but it turns out the emotional turmoil Jimin’s going through is enough to make him exhausted. Kimchi watches you mix the batter curiously from the top of the refrigerator, her tail flicking gently almost like it’s swaying to the music playing softly from your phone. “Should I make bacon?” You ask her, nodding affirmatively when she meows back at you that yes, you should.

The bacon sizzles as it hits the hot pan while you stand as far away as possible, carefully placing each strip with salad tongs. You jump when the grease pops, mind flashing back to the time Jimin almost set the dorm kitchen on fire. For someone who had worked in a restaurant during high school you would think he’d know not to put water in a hot pan of oil. Kimchi also hates the sound, her tail whacking you in the face as it flicks agitatedly. You wipe at your tongue furiously after feeling what can only be cat hair in your mouth- possibly the worst texture of all time- before making eye contact with a sleepy Jimin leaning against the hallway wall. “You’re cooking?” He asks, no stranger to finding cat hair in uncomfortable places.

“Thought I’d surprise you.” You smile awkwardly, gesturing to the pan before flinching when the oil pops.

“Breakfast in bed? Your future boyfriend will be the luckiest guy out there. I didn’t even have to put out.” Jimin laughs, disregarding the way you internally gag at the thought of being intimate with Jimin. It’s not that you don’t think he’s attractive because lets’s be honest, with his plush lips that could rival any bratz doll, thick head of black hair and amazing physique from dancing- you really should’ve took him up on taking classes with him- he’s a straight stunner. His sweet and charming albeit snarky personality only makes him even more alluring. If only you hadn’t known him for so long- more like took baths with him as babies- you’d probably see him as something more than just an annoying, lovable little brother. You say little despite him being older because this man really does act like a five year old sometimes.

“Please never put that image into my head again.” You say, ignoring the way he rolls his eyes.

“It’s your fault for imagining it. Ugh now you’re making me think about it; when will the torture end?” He whines only pausing his dramatics when you put a stack of bacon and pancakes in front of him. Immediately he slathers them in butter and syrup, completely silent as he digs in.

“Wow thank you, Y/n you’re the best! I couldn’t ask for a better best friend.” You say sarcastically, patting yourself on the back before turning to flip your own pancakes.

“Thanks you.” Jimin sings through a mouthful of food, standing up to give you a sticky kiss on the cheek in appreciation.

“Gross!” You yell, wiping your cheek on a nearby dish towel before twisting it to snap it at Jimin. He shrieks in terror and you laugh manically, plating your own breakfast before sitting besides him at the counter top. The barstools creak under your weight- although what did you expect when you bought the cheapest ones available at Ikea- and you half worry it’s going to break but thankfully you don’t end up bruising your ass today. “I did such a good job. These are delicious, wow.” This time you really do give yourself on the back, proud to say that you’ve still got it. They’re fluffy, not burned, and edible. Someone needs to cast you for top chef.

Jimin chuckles from beside you, the two of you eating in silence until Jimin notices the small aloe vera plant next to the fridge. “You bought another plant?” He says exasperated, almost like your slight plant addiction has offended him.

“Firstly I told you the more plants the better the air quality. Plus more free oxygen.”

“All oxygen is free stupid.”

“Anyways, since you wanted to be a plant dad I thought you could start out with this little guy. It should be relatively easy but I can help you if you have any questions.”

“Oh, thanks. I guess I’m a proud father of two now.” Standing up Jimin grabs the little plot, cradling it between his fingers. “It needs a name.”

“Cherry.”

“I hate cherries.” Jimin says going so far as to pucker his lips and scrunch his nose to show his distaste.

“Not cherry cherries, Cherry.” You say, sighing and rolling your eyes when Jimin doesn’t understand the clear difference. “Only the best character in animal crossing, duh.”

“She doesn’t even wear Gucci.” Jimin scoffs and you place a hand over your heart, wholly offended by the slander taking place in front of you.

“Just because she’s not a hypebeast does not make her inferior. Besides aren’t you more of a YSL guy? Gucci is their direct competition.”

“I just- Cherry and Kimchi sounds horrible.” Jimin sighs.

“Please.” You plead, pulling your best puppy dog eyes. “I went through so much just to get it.”

“Did you embarrass yourself again?” Jimin’s voice is something along the lines of a disappointed mom- the one where they just kinda sigh it out because they shouldn’t have expected you to change- and you just flash him a smile.

“If you’re asking if I was mid-scaling a case of shelves to try and get Cherry from the very top and the hottest guy I’ve ever seen caught me in the act then yes. But I only had to scale it because this jerk wanted to flex his height and put it up there so I had to climb to get it. I mean he’s not even like super tall he’s just normal tall so maybe it’s an inferiority complex. Can tall guys have those?” You ramble, mid-tangent when Jimin raises a hand to stop you.

“Fine we can name it Cherry. But just know when people ask me why that’s the name I’m blaming you.”

“You act like Kimchi is not just as weird. She’s not even mainly orange.” Feeling a pair of eyes on you you turn and come face to face with Kimchi who had left her post on the fridge to make her presence known. If she had eye brows you swear she’d be glaring since her eyes have lost their typical round shape and are more angular. “Sorry baby you know I still love you.” You tell her, rubbing the top of her head until she purrs.

“Don’t listen to her Kim, she’s lying.” Jimin whispers conspiratorially to which you gasp. Pulling her into your chest you cover her ears as you cradle her.

“Don’t put such words in her head. I even bought new food for her!”

“Are you stalking me?” A voice you’d recognize anywhere, Taehyung’s, says to your left and you swear you’ve never turned faster in your life.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” You tease, chuckling to hide the way your heart races at the sight of him. HIs hair is a wavy mess today, toeing the line between bedhead and purposely but ever so sexy all the same. He’s wearing a thin, black sweater today tucked into some loose brown plaid plants and looks effortlessly good. It’s truly unfair for him to be this attractive, you’re not sure your heart- nor your stomach with the way butterflies are fluttering rampantly in your ribcage- can take it. “Besides aren’t you the one doing the stalking? After all I was here first.”

“Very true but I also caught you in the act the other day, so I can’t be too sure.” He teases, nudging your arm with his own. “So have you found the guy you’re looking for yet?” He asks, moving to sit next to a bench a few feet away and patting the spot next to him.

“Not yet, he’s more aloof than I thought.”

“A buddy of mine had his bag stolen recently too. Apparently you’re not the only kleptomaniac on campus.”

“I’m not a thief!” You exclaim, playfully slapping his shoulder as he giggles at you.

“Alright, alright.” He says throwing his hands up in mock surrender.

“Oh hey how’d your photography assignment go?” You ask, half curious and half itching to fill the silence between the two of you.

“Nothing really struck my interest.” He shrugs. “You’re actually the only thing I could think of the rest of the day.” He says it so casually like he’s talking about what he ate that day, completely unaware of the way you clam up beside him. How do you even respond to that?

Laughing awkwardly because your mind has shut down and you’ve been left to follow your useless instincts, you fiddle with the rings on your fingers. “Yeah you’re pretty interesting yourself.” You want to bash your head into the sidewalk. That’s the best you could come up with?

“Want to be my muse?” He turns to you then, looking at you like you’re the most interesting thing to him. It makes you nervous, what will he do when he finds out that you’re just average?

“If you want me to be.” You say softly, avoiding meeting his eyes. You’re mad at yourself for how shy you’ve become but you’ve never been in a situation like this before. Taehyung is just so blunt and sweet, but you’re so accustomed to loving insults that you don’t know how to respond in something that’s not sarcastic.

“I want to catch you in your element.” He says, reaching over to take your hand in his own. Your cheeks heat up instinctively and you turn away to hide it, turning back around when you hear the familiar shutter of a camera. You didn’t even realize he had it.

“I’m afraid I’m not that interesting.” You tell him earnestly, unable to hide your crestfallen expression.

“I beg to differ. I mean how many girls do you find that hide in bushes outside science lectures and use mini walkie-talkies?” You can’t help but crack a smile, imagining yourself from his point of view. That must’ve been quite the sight.

“That was a one time event. Well hopefully. I’m just kinda wishing the owner of the bag will just appear in front of me.” You sigh, looking forlornly at the life science building. You just knew the owner had to be in there somewhere.

“That’d be easy.” Taehyung laughs, his smile falling when his phone buzzes. “I have to go to class but I’ll see you again okay?”

“Oh okay. Should I give you my number then?” You ask, fumbling with your phone to bring up the contacts page.

“Sure, though I think through fate we’d meet again anyways. Don’t you think it means something that out of the 40,000 students on campus we found each other?” His eyes twinkle with mirth and you smile back at him, hoping that this is some kind of act of fate. Maybe you’ve even found your soulmate.

“I hope so.” You tell him, smile growing as a boxy grin takes over his face. You’ve never met someone so adorable. He waves at you goodbye, throwing you a cheesy kiss as he walks in the other direction, leaving you to squeal by yourself in peace.

After spending the entirety of your free time spent sitting outside the life science building looking for a face you barely remember at this point you give up. You’ll just have to bring the backpack to the lost and found and notify your professor that you found a back from your past lecture and brought it there so he could tell the class. You’d also have to look for your own backpack, your mind so focused on the fact that you had someone’s bag that it completely disregarded the fact that you didn’t even have your own. Thankfully you still have your laptop so you’ve been able to complete your home work but all your notes were in that bag. Trudging through the hallway you ignore the noise coming from next-door, praying that by the time you return from this adventure they’ll be quiet, you quickly grab the bag and head out. You’re surprised to see a frustratingly familiar face however and you make eye contact with the guy standing outside of Namjoon’s door. You’d recognize those stupid big eyes and black mask anywhere. It’s the plantnapper.

“You’re the thief?” He yells in disbelief, pointing to the backpack as if it’s incriminating. Well it is but it shouldn’t be to him. You only blink at him in surprise, still stood in the doorway to your apartment as your brain tries to process what this means. “I should figure as much after the plant incident.” He scoffs, eyes sharpening as he glares at your unresponsive form. He must know the person who owns this bag that has to be it. Or, oh no, what if he’s the guy who owns it.

Taking a moment to observe your self-declared nemesis, you take in the tattoos that poke out from his oversized black t-shirt, the man piercings in his ear, the all black (tattoos included) aesthetic. The only thing that doesn’t scream that he could like drawing skulls in his free time is the dorky bucket hat on his head. Stepping closer, you look in his eyes once again trying to imagine the ones from Jeon Jungkook’s instagram profile picture to them. It’s only when he crosses his arms at your scrutinizing gaze do you notice the wire frame glasses hanging from the collar of his shirt. Oh no, please not him. Anybody but him.

“You’re Jeon Jungkook?” You ask incredulously not believing that he’s right here in front of you. You thought the guy who drew the skulls and small plants would be a shy emo nerd not an arrogant asshole.

“So she speaks.” He says, reaching forward to wrench the backpack out of your hands. “Why’d you steal my bag anyways, thief?” He spits the word out and you glare at him, fists clenching at your side.

“I’m not a thief. I accidentally took it thinking it was mine!” You say indignantly, tired of having to retell this story so many times. You wish you would’ve just thrown it away. You would’ve if you had figured out the plantnapper’s identity sooner.

“You thought it was yours for two days? Are you stupid?” He asks and you suck on your inner cheek in irritation.

“No I was just trying to find you to return it personally, but now I wish I’d have just thrown it away or burned it.”

“Wait a minute…does that mean you’re missing your bag?” His eyes twinkle in amusement and he looks much too pleased with the situation for your liking. You liked it better when he looked angry because at least you knew what was coming.

“No.” You say, though you can hear the hesitance in your own voice at your blatant lie.

“So you’re telling me that you don’t have a blue bag covered in pins and a bunch of pink bunny notebooks?” When he notices your eyes widen because you realize he took your bag as well, a smirk takes over his already obnoxious features. “You wanna lie to me again?” He teases, grinning as he once again watches you sigh in defeat.

“Fine yes it’s mine okay? Can I have it back since you have yours?”

“Hmm I don’t know, I quite like some of the things you’ve written in the margins of your notebooks. Can you explain to me more about the sock puppet show?”

“That wasn’t me it was Jimin!” Another lie, you thought your little nephew might like it for when you babysit him, but he doesn’t need to know that. You refuse to give him any more blackmail material.

“I’m sure.” He says sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?” He asks and this time it’s your turn to grin.

“Do you want an honest answer?”

“What do you know, thief.” He scoffs and you scoff in return. Who knew someone could be so irritating?

“You’re the one who stole- and still has- my backpack!” You yell at him, enjoying in the way he pokes his tongue into his cheek in irritation.

“Because you stole mine first!” He whines, petulantly stomping his foot. You don’t suppress the urge to laugh to which he frowns. “Fine you want the bag? Then go get it.” Angrily he reaches into his pocket only to come up empty before banging his head on the front door rather harshly. The thud carries down the hall.

“That was pretty loud. Is it really that empty up there?” You reach up to knock your fist against his skull just to be annoying but he swats your hand away.

“I don’t have a key.” He sighs, before beating on the door so hard that it rattles yours as well. “Seokjin!” He yells and you take a step back from him just in case any of your neighbors poke their head out to see what the commotion is about. You don’t want to be associated with him. “Jin open the fucking door!” He yells again, his voice wavering as embarrassment takes hold. His neck and ears begin to turn red, the blush spreading to his cheeks as he pounds against the door almost desperately. If he wasn’t such a nuisance and your sworn enemy you’d probably find it endearing.

“You don’t have a key to your own apartment?” You tease, leaning against your own front door as you soak in his misery. It’s about time he do something stupid in front of you. Victory tastes so sweet.

“Shut up.” He snaps, jiggling the door handle like it’ll magically unlock itself. You’re actually starting to feel bad as you watch him wither inside, fully succumbing to the embarrassment of it all.

“Hey it’s okay, maybe he’s not home.” You say softly, placing a hand on his arm to stop him from knocking again. His knuckles are red from the harsh pounding and when he turns to you with eyes somewhat watery and a giant pout on his lips your heart cracks a little. You begin to even regret being so mean to him until the door opens and he returns back to normal.

“Finally!” He yells ignoring Seokjin’s annoyed face as he scurries towards the back of his apartment where you assume his room is.

“This kid, moving in here without notice and then rudely waking me up from a nap.” Seokjin rolls his eyes, moving to stand aside as Jungkook’s footsteps get louder as he trudges back towards you.

“Here’s your bag thief. Hope I never see you again!” Throwing your backpack at you he slams the door in your face leaving you to stare at it blankly. Just when you think someone isn’t half bad they have to prove you wrong. Scoffing you turn around and head back into your own apartment, blissfully unaware of the pair of eyes on you watching through the peephole.

When Jimin arrives home you’re still brewing in agitation from your encounter with your ever so pleasant neighbor- note the sarcasm. “So I’m guessing giving the backpack back didn’t go well?” Jimin asks, flopping beside you on the couch. Kimchi immediately jumps up after him, content to lay on his lap while purring loudly. You’re a little envious that he comes back home to something happy to see him, a loneliness you didn’t know you felt creeping up on you as you now know what it’s like to come home to something. There’s only so much comfort your plants can provide. Maybe you should get a boyfriend- Taehyung pops in your mind and you instantly smile, only to scowl when the buck-toothed loser takes his place- perhaps you should just get a pet instead.

“Let’s just say I never want to see Jeon Jungkook again.” You huff, crossing your arms as his stupid smirk appears in your head. You should’ve slapped it off him. He’s lucky you’re not a violent person otherwise you would’ve.

“Would food cheer you up?” Jimin asks, eyeing you with a smile because he already knows the answer.

“Is it free?”

“Always.” Jimin laughs, taking his phone out of his pocket- careful not to disturb Kimchi too much- before dialing a number you know too well. Your local pizza restaurant is famous on campus, fancy enough that people don’t feel like they’re just eating grease like dominoes but also cheap enough that it doesn’t feel like they’re breaking the bank on literal pizza. It’s college, if people are gonna waste their money it’s for sure going to be on alcohol.

“Hi I’d like to place an order.” Jimin says, giggling when he recognizes the voice of whoever is on the receiving end. “I’m glad you answered, I missed your voice. Maybe you could deliver the pizza too so we can spend a little time together. You haven’t taken your break yet have you?” You stare at him quizzically until you realize just what the little snake is doing. You hope to never be on the receiving end of Jimin’s flirtatious advances, especially knowing that he flirts with anybody to get what he wants. “Oh how disappointing I wanted to see you.” He sighs, going so far as to pout even though they can’t see him. “Maybe you can make it up to me somehow?” He asks sickly sweet and you only stare in awe as he flashes you a brilliant smile. The rat just got a free pizza, you know it. Hanging up the phone Jimin waggles his eyebrows at you, cackling evilly like he’s some kind of witch or something.

“You didn’t think I’d pay for you did you? I don’t even pay for myself.” He snorts- yes snorts- entirely too pleased with himself for your liking.

“I can’t wait till this catches up to you.”

“Then stop benefitting from it.” Jimin shrugs and you whine at him in response.

“But the perks are so nice. Ahh I feel like a bad person but at the same time I’m not the scammer.”

“I am not a scammer. I’m just taking advantage of my pretty privilege.” Jimin says and you only further your pout.

“Why don’t I get pretty privilege?”

“You just don’t have the face for it.” He says bluntly, screeching when you smack his chest.

“Park Jimin take it back!” You continue your assault on his chest until he grabs your hands in his own, using his strength to hold them away from his body.

“I just mean you’re not good at flirting! You’re just mean and shit.” He huffs, watching your reaction skeptically to see if you’ll try and lunge for him again.

“I can flirt. And besides I’m not mean, I’m an angel.” You say, taking your hands away to place them in your lap. You focus instead on Kimchi who is so unbothered by this whole ordeal that she’s fallen asleep.

“Yeah okay.” Jimin laughs, the kinda half snort-half huff type. “And if you’re not mean why did Seokjin text me about you yelling at someone in the hallway.”

“It’s not just someone, it was Jeon Jungkook. My rival, my arch-nemesis, my most hated person. He deserved it anyways, he called me a thief! Can you believe it?” You exclaim, irked by just the thought of your previous argument. It’s been so long since someone has surpassed your indifference and gotten so under your skin that just the thought of them makes you want to punch something. You think the last time you felt like this was in eighth grade and it’s as infuriating as you remember. You hate him.

“I mean you did steal his bag.” Jimin says and you turn so fast he actually jumps.

“Why does everyone keep saying that? It was an accident!” Jimin falls silent after that, finally realizing that he’s treading on thin ice. He didn’t realize that this Jeon Jungkook was such a sore spot for you, all he wanted was to tease you a little. The two of you continue to sit in silence, the only sound being Kimchi’s soft purrs and the occasional rumble from the old air conditioning system.

You want to say something, you know Jimin didn’t mean to make you so upset but you’re not goof at explaining your feelings. Or expressing emotions. You should probably try a little harder because glancing at Jimin through the corner of your eye you can see how glossy his eyes have become. “Jiminie I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” You murmur, half ashamed and half uncomfortable with being vulnerable. It’s stupid, he’s your best friend and he’s seen you cry before but it never gets any easier. “Please don’t cry because of me. It-it hurts to see you cry.”

Jimin sniffles and you almost start crying on your own, distraught at the fact you made him cry. Despite his snarky remarks you know Jimin is quite sensitive and you’re so stupid for forgetting about that. “That was the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“That makes me sound like a bad person. You know I love you, I just don’t say it a lot.” You chuckle, somewhat in an attempt to lighten the mood. It’s gotten much too depressing for your liking. Hastily wiping his cheeks he smiles brightly at you and your chest doesn’t hurt as much when you realize that he’s okay.

“I love you too kitkat.” He says, opening his mouth to say something else before the doorbell cuts him off.

“Pizza!” You cheer, jumping up and heading to the door quickly. The tension in your shoulders dissipating as you distract yourself. They rise up again when you realize just who is on the other side. “No.” You say, frowning as you’re reacquainted with his face.

“Yes.” He grins, the type that could give the cheshire cat a run for his money. “Now that’s $19.50.”

“The pizza was free.”

“I saw that but since it’s you…$19.50” He says and you scowl.

“I’m not paying for a free pizza. Besides you’re overcharging, can you even do math?”

“I’m charging for every second I have to speak to you.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one getting paid then since I didn’t chose to come to you, you came to me?”

“That makes no sense, my job is literally to deliver pizzas.” He says, shaking the box with your pizza like his red vest and the grease smeared across his cheek is not indicative of his job.

“Yeah and you’re doing a really bad job at it. So if you don’t mind,” Swiping the box out of his hand you hold it close to you before giving him a parting smile. “Goodbye.” Slamming the door in his face as he had done to you earlier, you lock it just before he can grab your handle.

“What about my tip?” He yells, banging his fist against the door. You only grin, fully indulging in the anger that seeps through his tone. Something about pissing him off gives you so much joy. Does that make you a sadist or something?

“Here’s a tip, stop bothering me!”

“That’s not even a tip, that’s a statement idiot!”

“Whatever you Bambi-looking headass!” You yell back, moving away from the door and presenting the pizza to Jimin like it’s a glorious prize. Jungkook is still banging on the door and do spite him further you have alexa play a song on full blast. It’s painful for your own ears but after letting it play for a minute, you turn it off completely only to rejoice in the fact that you can’t hear your nemesis outside the door anymore.

“I have so much I want to say but I’ll refrain for now.” Jimin says and you don’t like the way he’s looking at you. It’s almost like he knows something.

“Good idea. Now let’s eat, I’m starving.”

Two days later and you’re once again in your nearby market because Kimchi has now decided that her food is no longer good enough to eat. So to avoid your niece starving- as much as you love Jimin you refuse to co-pet-parent with him- you have to return to the store to buy her more food. You make a mental note to get a dog instead of a cat if you do decide to get a pet solely because they’re not picky about what they eat. Plus they’re rather loud with their affection which you appreciate. You can’t say you’re too mad about having to return to this store so soon though because you might get the chance to see Taehyung again. You’ve been hoping that he’d reach out to you at some point but you’re beginning to think he was serious about letting fate have you cross paths again. What if fate screws you over and you never see him again?

You almost jump in joy when you spot the back of his head- should you be concerned that you already know what the back of it looks like- unable to suppress the small squeak sound that leaves you. Why are you so embarrassing? You give him an awkward smile when he turns around, nerves calmed by the fact that he grins brightly back at you. “So we meet again.” He says and you’re pretty sure your pupils have taken the shape of hearts from how you look at him.

“Yeah.” You breathe out like you’re in a lovesick trance- yikes your hopeless romanticism is showing.

“Did you come just to see me?” He teases and you actually choke on your spit because embarrassingly yes, you partially came for him. He only chuckles at your reaction, placing a large palm between your shoulder blades to rub soothing circles while you cough your lung out. You understand now why you don’t experience pretty privilege; how can anyone find such a mess attractive?

“I came to get more cat food.” You croak out, throat sore and scratchy.

“Didn’t you just buy some a few days ago?” He asks, head cocked to the side entirely too cutely as his brows draw together in confusion. You’re pretty sure you’re swooning and you look away before he can catch you.

“Yeah but she decided it wasn’t good enough so here I am.” You laugh awkwardly. You wish the conversation flowed easier and you weren’t stuck only talking to him about either you stalking people or cat food.

The air around you turns stale as silence settles between you and you twitch nervously. The silence is unbearable and you wish to fill it. “Will you help me?” You ask, once again falling into the trap of cat food as a topic.

“Sure.” He gives you an easy smile, motioning for you to follow him to the specific aisle. Maybe you should just break out of this cycle by asking him out. Surely you’ll think of something to talk about besides cat food or stalking if you’re away from the places you associate them with.

“Do you want to get coffee or something sometime?” You ask him, your words blurring together into a messy sentence as the words tumble too quickly out of your mouth. It takes him a minute to piece together what you asked and in that minute you regret your decision even more. Surely he’ll say no.

“I’d love to.” He giggles, his boxy smile so wide his eyes scrunch a little as his cheeks push against them. Your eyes widen in surprise as you’d been preparing yourself for what you thought to be an inevitable ‘no’ and that only makes Taehyung smile wider-if possible. “You’re so cute.” He coos, tapping a finger against the tip of your nose as you continue to stare at him dumbfounded. Maybe you should have a little more faith in yourself if someone like Taehyung said yes to you.

“Thanks.” You murmur, cursing yourself internally for being so shy. How has this man reduced you to a bashful mess with a single compliment? You’re sure if you looked in the mirror you probably wouldn’t even recognize yourself. Y/n without a witty remark? Unheard of. Maybe this is the change you need though, maybe this you is better?

“if you want to wait around for five minutes my shift ends and then we can go?” Taehung asks and you just nod, your brain trying to process the fact that you’ll be going on a date in five minutes with the hottest guy you’ve ever seen. Looking down at yourself you freeze realizing you’re about to go on a date in sweatpants and one of Jimin’s old hoodies from high school. You look like you just rolled out of bed.

Five minutes isn’t even enough time to get to your apartment though and you sigh, resigning yourself to looking frumpy. Grabbing whatever cat food is nearest- what kind of food Kimchi would like is the last thing on your mind- you busy yourself at the register, chatting with a guy named Soobin. He winks at you when Taehyung rounds the corner to get you, his apron gone and revealing his Celine t-shirt. “You ready to go?” He asks, coming up beside you. Nodding in response, he places a hand on the small of your back before gently pushing you forward and you fiddle with the rings on your fingers to distract yourself from the heat crawling up the back of your neck and across your cheeks.

You instantly recognize the cafe he takes you to and smile to yourself, already anticipating seeing a familiar tuft of icy blonde hair- another one of your hair dye experiences. Taehyung- ever the gentleman- opens the door for you and you give him a soft smile in thanks. When you look back to the counter Yoongi is giving you a quizzical look and you shake your head slightly as a signal not to ask. That doesn’t deter him from scanning you and Taehyung, his eyes lingering on the way Taehyung’s arm wraps around your waist. You don’t remember him doing that. “Yoongi!” Taehyung yells and you turn to him in surprise. He knows Yoongi? Yoongi has always kept a pretty tight circle so you can’t help but be baffled by this newly discovered friendship. You’ve never heard him mention someone named Taehyung before.

“Ahh hi Taehyung.” Yoongi smiles, this time shaking his head at you slightly. You guess it’s only fair since you told him not to ask as well no matter how much you itch to question him. You’ve always been nosey, it’s something you and Jimin bonded over. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” Yoongi continues, looking to you briefly to see if you register the bone he threw you. Ahh they must be old friends that lost touch.

“Yeah I haven’t seen you since winter break in Daegu. You always ghosted me when I asked to hang out.” Taehyung pouts.

“I told you I’ve been busy. I’ve had a lot going on, my roommate is always getting into trouble. Speaking of which, how is he?” Yoongi turns his full attention to you and you give him a pitiful smile as you can see the hurt in his eyes. It’s no secret Yoongi has always had a soft spot for Jimin and their fight must’ve been really hard on him too. You hope he had someone to lean on the way Jimin did you.

“He’s reached acceptance. I think he’s finally trying to actually get over her. He’s been staying with me this whole time. You can stop by later if you want?” You offer, completely unaware of the way Taehyung’s eyes flicker between you and Yoongi to try and discern your relationship. He’s never heard about you either. Min Yoongi sure has a lot of secrets.

“I’ll let him come to me. He might think I’m ambushing him or something if I come over.” Yoongi shrugs albeit sadly. Your heart aches at seeing him so dejected and you place your hand over his own.

“He wants to apologize, he did the first night. He’s just working up the courage.” It’s the only solace you can offer him at the moment but you hope it’s enough to make him feel even a little better. “I don’t think he’ll take much longer, he’s probably getting sick of me.” You laugh, grinning when you see Yoongi crack a tiny smile.

“Sounds good. Now head to the pick up counter, I punched in your drinks a while ago. It’s not like either of you get anything different anyways.”

“Thanks Yoon! I’ll buy you lamb skewers next time we hang out.” You tell him, leaving the register with Taehyung trailing you.

“So how do you two know each other?” Taehyung asks, sipping on his strawberry smoothie.

“We met when I made the mistake of taking philosophy at nine a.m. a couple semesters ago. We really bonded while suffering together and then he became roommates with my best friend and we formed an unbreakable trio.” You take a rather large sip of your caramel macchiato, needing a drink after speaking probably the longest sentence you ever have to Taehyung. Progress- sad progress because you’ve never had this problem before but progress nonetheless. “How do you know Yoongi?”

“We grew up together in Daegu. Next door neighbors and everything.” Taehyung smiles like he’s reminiscing in things you don’t know about but one day you hope to hear more if for nothing but to hear his voice- although some embarrassing childhood memories to blackmail Yoongi with would be nice.

“Yoongi’s emo phase must’ve been an experience.” You snort only to freeze when you realize you just made probably the most unattractive noise in existence. You’re pretty sure you hear Yoongi cackle at your embarrassment.

“He actually didn’t have one.” Taehyung whispers almost like it’s a secret and you can’t help the gasp that leads your lips.

“What?” You exclaim, placing a hand over your mouth. Your whole friendship has been a lie! “But he’s so angsty!”

“That’s because he bottles up his feelings.” Taehyung says and you remember another reason you and Yoongi got so close. You’re practically the same person when it comes to feelings and expressing them- in fact it’s one of the reasons you can read each other so well. “I just wish he’d reveal his soft side more often.”

“That’s why he’s my favorite tsundere.” You giggle, winking at Yoongi when you catch him glaring at you from behind the counter. You could tell he was listening in on you and Taehyung’s conversation- he was wiping the same spot on the pickup counter for two minutes- and you know he hates nothing more than being compared to a tsundere. Though you theorize it’s only because it’ll out him as a weeb. Not that his one piece set displayed in the living room of the apartment gives it away or anything. ‘I hate you’ he mouths when you look in his direction again and you only laugh, giving him a finger heart to placate him before turning back to your date.

Taehyung is just smiling at you, his gaze flicking to the window to try and hide the fact he was admiring you. It was nice to see that he was the one getting bashful for once as you watch roses cluster along his cheeks. He really is so cute. “You’re cute.” You tell him, happy at the way his eyes widen at your sudden boldness. It’s only brief however as he gives you a flirty smirk in return.

“Just cute?” He asks, leaning forward to look you dead in the eyes, enjoying the way you struggle to maintain eye contact.

“Yes.” You whisper with a final flicker of confidence, immediately regretting your poor attempt to tease him as he leans in further, his face a few inches from your own.

“Let’s change that, yeah?” Your breath hitches at him being so close, close enough that you find yourself looking at the small mole under his eye and following it down to the mole on his nose before finally landing on the one on his lower lip. Your eyes linger on his lips, which look much to kissable for you to turn your attention away from. They’re soft and pink, moistened by his tongue that slips out to brush across his bottom lip, dragging your attention back up to his eyes that flicker from your gaze to your own lips. You pinch your bottom one between your teeth as the tension brews between you two. Taehyung reaches a hand out to fall gently on your cheek, releasing your bottom lip from its hold with his thumb. Once it’s free he wastes no time to press his lips to your own and you sigh into him. You could get used to this.

Nothing can ruin your mood, not even a certain bambi, as you skip up the two flights of stairs to your apartment building. With slightly mussed hair and kiss swollen lips, you’re entirely too giddy for your own good. You’re in the midst of digging around in your bag for your keys when you feel something wet against your leg. Instantly you scream, jumping away from whatever just touched you and relaxing only when you notice it’s a little black Puggle. “Oh hello.” You giggle, bending down to pet the puppy. It wriggles in excitement, jumping out of your outstretched arms almost like a fish out of water. Finally managing to wrangle it into your lap you check for a collar only to find none. Shrugging, you take the puppy into your apartment, resolving to notify the office about the lost dog so they can alert the other residents and hopefully its owner. In the meanwhile though, you have a puppy to play with! An annoyed meow sounds from the couch and you cringe when Kimchi glares at you.

“Sorry Kim, this is only temporary.” You try and console her, attention diverted when the puppy barks at you. “Hi sweetheart.” You coo, rubbing her belly as she happily melts into you. “Your owner should really invest in a collar.” You sigh, hoping that whoever they are will realize they’re missing a pet soon. As cute as you think this little puppy is you’re not equipped to care for it.

You must play with the dog for twenty minutes before it knocks out, snoring lightly on your furry rug. Kimchi watches curiously from the couch and you can’t tell whether she wants to befriend or attack it. Your door frame rattles and you sigh, leaning your head against the couch cushion as your neighbor wakes up the sleeping puppy, “Lucy!” You hear someone yell, a slew of curses following as they run around the hall. Their footsteps are heavy enough that it startles the puppy, causing it to run to the door and bark incessantly.

“It’s okay sweetheart.” You try and soothe, pausing as the footsteps halt suddenly followed by a frantic pounding on your door. Kimchi- fully alarmed- runs into your bedroom for cover as you stare at your shaking front door, the puppy in your arms. After taking a deep breath you calm your nerves, pulling the door open only to get punched in the face. “What the hell?” You yell, almost dropping the dog as you raise a hand to your now bruised nose.

“I’m so sorry!” A voice, you now realize is Namjoon’s, says frantically. “I was just about to knock on the door again and I was already in motion. I wasn’t aiming for your face I swear!”

You close your eyes and inhale- for both a piece of sanity because this is the most Namjoon thing you’ve ever witnessed and also because your nose hurts so bad you could cry- and slowly open your eyes to look at the assailer. “Hi Joonie.” Is the only thing you can say. Your day only gets worse as an annoyingly familiar figure rounds the corner. How can such a beautiful day turn into a nightmare? If you didn’t know any better you’d think you were the oc for someone’s story.

“Why do you have my dog?” He yells in an odd mixture of confusion and irritation.

“This is your dog?” You ask, ignoring the way your nose is throbbing.

“If it wasn’t, would I refer to it as my dog?” Jungkook asks, his tone nothing short of condescending as he knocks against your forehead, knuckles barely brushing against the bridge of your nose but causing you to wince all the same. Jungkook pauses for a second, his hand hovering above your face as an expression you could almost discern as concern crosses his features. It’s gone in a moment, almost like a blip, before being replaced with smugness. “Did you run into a door or something? This is what you get for being a thief.” He snickers, moving to take the puppy out of your hand before you shield it away from him with your body.

“Namjoon punched me in the face. Also your dog ran away and came to me, I didn’t steal it. And I’m not a thief, I’ve told you a thousand times it was an accident!”

“He what?” Jungkook yells, spinning on his heels to face Namjoon in anger. His hands clench at his sides causing the veins running down his forearms to pop, his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek. He’s glaring at the taller boy, his body almost teeming with rage. Such a shame someone so pretty has such an awful personality.

“He ran away. You should try being a better owner so he doesn’t flee at first chance. Also have you ever heard of a collar? It’s a great way to let other people identify your dog.” You scold, scratching the dog’s head as you do so.

“That’s not-whatever. Besides she’s a girl; her name is Lucy. And I did get her a collar it’s just a little too big right now but she’s not even supposed to really go outside before she gets all her shots.” Jungkook says, this time reaching forward too quick for you to avoid, snatching Lucy out of your hands before you can even think to counter his attack.

“My baby!” You cry, strangely attached to the little creature even though you’ve barely spent half an hour with her.

“I’m right here.” Jungkook winks, cackling as you proceed to gag.

“Tell me, does your neck ever hurt from your head being shoved so far up your own ass?” He cackles again and you’re sure if you were a cartoon you’d have smoke coming out of your ears. You’ll probably have to go to the doctor after this with the way he’s raising your blood pressure. You’ve never met someone so infuriating.

“Does your ass ever hurt from the stick that’s up it?” Jungkook retorts and you scowl.

“At least my pet didn’t run away from me.”

“She didn’t! I wasn’t even home when Namjoon lost her.”

“You’re saying you lost her but all I’m hearing is she ran away.”

“Whatever thief. What do you know?” He scoffs and you scoff in return.

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night, Bambi.”

“I’m just gonna go.” Namjoon says clearly uncomfortable with the tension surrounding you and Jungkook. You almost feel a little bad before you remember he literally punched you in the face. “I can’t believe you made Namjoon so uncomfortable he had to leave.”

“Me? You’re the one who started it.” Jungkook scoffs.

“I did not! You accused me of stealing your dog!”

“Because you’re a thief! How many times do I have to tell you!”

“Whatever Bambi, what do you know?” You huff, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Call me bambi one more time.” He growls and you smirk.

“But I think bambi really suits you. You have bambi eyes and everything.” You grin at the way he grits his teeth, taking a step forward to lessen the gap that stands between the two of you. He’s probably less than a foot away at this point and you notice he has a mole below his bottom lip.

“Shut up.” He says, his usually light voice taking on a deep and gravelly tone. Your mind buffers for a moment at the sound and you momentarily forget where you are. It’s like he hypnotized your or something.

“Make me.” You press, your breath hitching as you watch something flicker in his eyes too fast for you to catch. Lucy barking breaks the two of you out of your standoff and you both turn to watch as she proceeds to pee all over Jungkook’s arm. You can’t help but giggle as he grimaces in disgust. “Serves you right.” You sing, reaching over to give Lucy a scratch on the head.

“Whatever. At least I don’t do an ugly middle part every day.” He scoffs and you shrug.

“At least I don’t smell like dog piss.” With the final word secured you close the door, only to reopen it for a second. “Don’t forget to clean the carpet!”

When Jimin returns with a guilty smile and a box of taco bell you immediately grow suspicious, though you can already guess what he’s about to say. Jimin doesn’t have any hookups at taco bell so he even paid for once which means he must be moving out but doesn’t want to you to be sad. It’s a little too late for that as you immediately deflate, the loneliness you didn’t know you felt before Jimin moved in returning. “You and Yoongi made up?” You ask though it’s really just confirmation.

“Yeah we did. I told him I’d come back later today.” Jimin’s voice drips in misplaced guilt, for he really has no reason to feel bad for moving back home. You knew this would only be temporary.

“I’m so happy for you!” You say, making sure to raise your voice to convey a happier tone. You really are glad they worked it out but you’ll miss him. Looking around your apartment the plants seem a little less homey than normal. Maybe you should invest in a pet for real. Lucy from next door pops into your head and you smile. “I made a new friend next door so I won’t be lonely without you.”

Jimin gasps over-dramatically, placing a hand over his heart like you just stabbed him. “You’ve replaced me with Jeon Jungkook??” He asks and your eyes widen at the insinuation. Like you’d replace Jimin with anyone, especially Jeon Jungkook.

“Eww gross, like I’d even think of befriending him.’ You scoff.

“You’re like a little kid thinking their crush has cooties.” Jimin snickers and you glare at him.

“He’ll infect me with his stupidity! He’s a clown Jimin, he literally got peed on by his own dog earlier!” You exclaim and Jimin only laughs.

He hums for a minute before turning to you with a sly smirk. “You talk about him a lot you know? Got love on the brain?” Jimin teases, cackling at his own joke only to choke when you angrily shove a soft taco into his mouth. You grin at him wickedly when he turns to you, ignoring the way he returns his own glare.

“More like hate on the brain.” You say, taking a bite of your own taco before turning on the tv.

“There’s a fine line between love and hate you know? Also if I go into the bathroom and find a grease stain on my shirt I’m going to kill you.” Jimin goes so far as to flick your head with his warning, probably a small punishment for stuffing his face. In your defense it was the only way to get him to stop talking nonsense.

“You can’t even strangle me with those baby hands.” You quip, giggling when Jimin flips you off.

“I can’t believe I’ve lived with you for this long without going insane.” He huffs, feeding Kimchi-who has been beckoned by the smell of food- a piece of cheese. She grinds her teeth happily after swallowing it whole, sticking her head into the wrapper to try and find more morsels.

“That’s because you loveee me.” You sing, sending Jimin a heart and a flying kiss. As much as he detests it, he’s a sucker for large displays of affection. His cheeks turn a soft cherry pink as he shoves your shoulder a little too hard, making you topple over from your spot on the floor. The taco comes flying out of your hand, the remnants scattering as Jimin struggles to capture Kimchi before she can feast on the fallen taco. You sigh at the inevitable stain you’ll have to clean from all the grease but turning to the chaos that’s behind you- Kimchi is half wrapped around Jimin’s neck like a boa constrictor as he holds her to him to prevent her escape- you can’t help but miss it already.

Returning from your trip to Jimin and Yoongi’s apartment-somehow he collected more stuff than he brought with him in his short stay at your apartment and needed help carrying everything back- you run into Taehyung. “Tae?” You ask and he gives you the same expression.

“Y/n? You live here?” He asks equally as surprised and confused to see you. It’s a similar feeling to when you see a teacher out in public.

“Yeah. Do you?”

“No I was just visiting some friends of mine.” He says, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking on his heels as the two of you stare at each other. “Hey did you know your nose is turning purple?”

“Huh?” You ask until you piece together that you must be beginning to bruise. Thank you Kim Namjoon. “Oh yeah I just got hit in the face.” You laugh, consciously covering your nose with your hand.

“You should ice it. Have you done that already?” Taehyung steps forward, placing a hand on your wrist to gently pry your hand away from the offending object (ie. your nose).

“No.” You sigh because really that should’ve been the first thing you did but instead you wasted time arguing with Jeon Jungkook. Your nose is probably going to be super swollen and purple by tomorrow.

“Let’s get some ice for it, yeah? You should really take better care of yourself.” He laughs, taking your hand and leading you towards the elevators. You don’t know if a bruised nose needs two people’s attention but it’ll be nice to come home to something other than silence. “What floor?”

“Two, but we can just take the stairs.” You tell him, changing his direction to the stairwell on the opposite side of the building. He follows you quietly to your apartment, looking around the walls like he’s trying to find something specific.

“I’ve never come this way before. My friends always take the elevator.” He says, pausing beside you when you reach your door.

“Two flights of stairs isn’t too bad for me. Plus elevators make me nervous, there’s something about plummeting to your death in a tiny box that freaks me out.” You shrug, letting him inside before closing the door behind you.

“It’s like a whole garden in here!” Taehyung exclaims, spinning in a circle to take in the various potted and hanging plants that lie around your living room. You twist your rings as you watch him take it all in, worried he might find your plant obsession excessive or weird. You just really like the look of it and it’s nice to take care of something.

“Yeah, I might’ve got a little too carried away at the plant nursery.” You laugh, watching as Taehyung brushes his fingers along random leaves.

“I tried to take care of a plant once and I couldn’t even get it to sprout.” When he turns to you his eyes are filled with awe and you ease up a little bit.

“It takes a lot of work but it’s pretty calming for me. It’s nice to have something that relies on you to take care of it.”

“I get the feeling. That’s why I have Tannie. You wanna see him?” Taehyung asks excitedly, already fishing his phone out of his pocket. Nodding, you take the phone from him and observe the tiny dog practicing tricks in the video. It’s a mainly black Pomeranian, brown tufts of fur on its belly and legs with two angry brown eye brows that make you laugh.

“He takes after you with the strong brows.” You say making Taehyung laugh.

“You know what they say, dogs always look like their owners.” Your mind drifts to the black Puggle next door and it’s fake wire-framed glasses wearing owner. You guess they both have a rather cute boopable nose. “Now about your nose…” Taehyung says, drawing you out of your thoughts.

“Right!” Taking ice out of the freezer you place it into a tiny ziplock while Taehyung grabs the kitchen towel hanging off the oven handle to wrap it with.

“So you need to do twenty minutes on and twenty off. I could keep you company if you want?” You nod your head quickly at his offer, gesturing for him to make himself comfortable.

“Do you want anything to drink or eat? I have popcorn and other snacks.”

“How about we eat popcorn and watch a movie?” He suggests.

“Great idea.” You’re about to grab the box of popcorn from one of the top shelves of the pantry when Taehyung’s hand on your shoulder stops you.

“Let me do it. Don’t want you to hurt yourself any further.” He teases, ushering you out of your own kitchen. Walking back to the couch you watch him as he fumbles around your kitchen to find the bowls, giggling as he opens the same cupboard three times. You’re about to tell him its location when he finally finds it, cheering as if he’s won some kind of prize. With the popcorn made and your fridge raided for drinks he rejoins you at the couch while you pull up netflix.

“What do you want to watch?”

“How about a nature documentary?” He suggests and you just smile and nod despite the fact that you’re going to be fighting the urge to fall asleep for the next two hours. Oh what you’ll do for a pretty boy.

After spending one day alone in your apartment after classes you decide you no longer enjoy having nothing to come home to. You’re not quite sure how you used to do this just fine because now the silence is almost unbearable. You could go over to Jimin and Yoongi’s apartment but all your stuff is here and you can’t exactly just invite yourself over. Well judging by how many times Jimin has done that to you you probably could but it just feels weird. You also don’t think you can sit through another nature documentary with Taehyung despite how much you like him. You could barely stay awake last time, the twenty minute alarms the only thing keeping you from drifting off. Plus you had to watch not only animals kill and eat each other- while a necessary part of the circle of life, you don’t particularly enjoy watching life leave something. And most disturbingly, there was a whole segment on spiders and you hate spiders. Which leaves you with only one option: Lucy.

On your way home from your last lecture you go to the nearest pet store, picking out a little pink collar with cherries decorating it and a pink leash. Maybe you’ve gone a little overboard with the pink aesthetic- you may have been eyeing a pink onesie because you’ve always wanted an animal that lets you dress it- but the idea of e-boy Jungkook walking around his pink accessorized puppy makes you laugh. You bet the collar he bought her has spikes or skulls. With the presents in hand, you stop at Jungkook’s door knocking in a small tune.

The door opens and instead of Jungkook you’re met with Seokjin. “Oh hi, is Jungkook home?” You ask hesitantly. “I uhh brought stuff for Lucy.” You bring the bag in front of you to show him like it’ll validate why you’re here. You can’t have people thinking you came just for him.

“He just went out to meet the postmate guy but he’ll be back in a few minutes if you want to wait for him inside?” Seokjin steps aside to let you enter, ushering you onto the couch before getting you water.

“I heard Jimin and Yoongi finally made up.” Seokjin comments and you nod somewhat sadly.

“Yeah he moved out yesterday.”

“Being alone again must be a little lonely huh? Is that why you’re here? Not that I don’t mind you stopping by but it’s not like we’re very close or anything.”

“I missed Lucy.” You tell him. “But yeah it has been a little lonely. If you don’t mind me asking how do you know Yoongi?”

“We used to TA a biology class together. And I met Jimin when I was helping them move in but I don’t see him very often. He really only asks me to bring him food when he’s too lazy to cook.” Seokjin says.

“Yeah he’ll do about anything for free food.” You laugh and Seokjin smiles.

“It’s nice to know that you’re actually pretty sweet. I was worried you were just a hothead after listening to Jungkook whine about you incessantly.” Seokjin laughs and you look at him curiously.

“Jungkook talks about me?”

“All the time. Anyways, I’m always looking for new friends so I can learn more secrets so feel free to stop by whenever. I’m sure Kookie wouldn’t mind seeing you around more often.” He winks and you’re entirely too confused to fake a gag.

“But he hates me?”

“That’s his charm. He has that whole ‘I want to fight you but also kiss you’ vibe. Or so I’ve heard anyways. I just get embarrassing child vibes from him personally but I’ve also seen him in a Pikachu onesie singing the pokemon theme song too many times at 2 a.m. to see him as any less.” Before you have time to even process what Seokjin has just told you the door opens and you immediately stand up startled, the bag of goodies for Lucy falling off your lap and spilling onto the floor.

Jungkook pauses in the door way, his eyes the widest you’ve seen so far. The Wendy’s bag crunches as he clutches it tighter and the two of you stare at each other like you’re waiting for the other to make the first move. “I brought stuff for Lucy. To make sure she’s getting properly cared for.” You hurry feeling like you need an excuse to come over. Seokjin laughs under his breath from beside you.

“First a thief then a trespasser. Am I going to have to report you?” Jungkook asks and you scowl, crossing your arms across your chest. Just who does he think he is?

“Seokjin let me in.” You say stepping aside to reveal Jin who was watching the whole encounter unfold with a grin. His eyes glint with mischief when you turn to him and suddenly you’re afraid of his power. How many secrets does he know? Will he figure out yours?

“I thought we agreed not to invite random people in?” Jungkook sighs, almost like he’s scolding Seokjin. You frown. You’re supposed to be enemies, does that not mean anything to him?

“She’s not random. She’s my new best friend!” Seokjin yells directly into your ear making you wince before throwing an arm around your shoulder. You’re too busy looking at Seokjin confusedly to notice the way someone else’s eyes linger a little too long on the arm wrapped around you.

“Whatever. Just don’t talk to me.” Jungkook grumbles stalking towards his room when you speak up.

“But you’re the one talking to me?” You ask making him stop in his tracks and turn around to face you again. That’s when you notice the frosty in his hand that’s half melted and now running down the side of the cup and down his hand. “Did you postmate a frosty?” You ask, genuinely concerned with why he chose that when it’d be undoubtably half melted in the forty minutes it takes delivery.

“Maybe.” He says skeptically and you give him your best ‘are you stupid?’ expression because you have eyes and it’s literally in his hand.

“Did you not realize it would be melted by the time you got it?” You tease, a smirk pulling at your lips when he falters in coming up with a witty remark.

“Shut up.” He groans, turning back around and opening his bedroom door. A flash of black rushes past him and straight towards you and you can only cheer in glee when Jungkook sighs in exasperation. “Betrayed by my own dog.” He whines to himself as he leans against the door frame to watch you play with Lucy.

“Hi baby!” You coo, sitting down on the floor to hold her as she gives you as many kisses as possible. Giggling you fall back so you’re lying down, holding her up above you so it looks like she’s flying. Her little paws move rapidly as she attempts to get back to you, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she whines. “Sorry, sorry.” You chuckle, placing her back down on your stomach. Jumping off you, the bag catches her attention and she busy’s herself by climbing inside of it. Her head pops up with the bag still attached and you can’t help but laugh as she raises up on her hind legs and uses her paws to try and take it off herself. Snapping a quick picture, your airdrop it to Jungkook and Seokjin before taking it off her head.

“You wanna see the stuff I got you?” You ask, not sure what type of answer you were anticipating in response. You take her snort as a yes and show her the collar first. “You’re gonna look so cute in this. Plus I made sure it’s the right size.” You look pointedly at Jungkook who has moved from his position by the door to the kitchen counter where he snacks on his fries and commits the crime that is dipping them in his frosty. He looks away when he catches your gaze, face flushed a soft pink as he returns his attention to his phone. Bummed by his lack of response you focus on putting the tiny collar around her neck. The little cherry charm jingles as she shakes her head for a moment to adjust before she licks your hand in what you assume to be thanks.

“Jin look! Isn’t she so cute?” You hold her up to your face while showing off the new collar to Jin who claps in delight.

“I live for the pink aesthetic. She’s gonna be a doggy icon.” He cheers making you laugh.

“Only the best for my little Lucy. What do you think bambi?” You ask, turning to Jungkook who makes an OJO face, his phone pointed in your direction. You wonder what he was doing but brush it off to just him being weird. He’s probably looking for more pokemon onesies or something.

“Not too bad thief, not bad at all.”

When you return home to your apartment after visiting your neighbors turned new friends- excluding Jungkook who is teetering on the upgrade to frenemy because he actually wasn’t entirely awful- you feel light and airy. You’re almost as giddy as you were the day you came back from your date with Taehyung. Speaking of Taehyung you should probably text him or something, you haven’t really texted today. Though you’re feeling too lazy to text out an entirely conversations worth of words so you settle for calling him instead.

“Hey Y/n.” He says, surprising you for picking up on the first ring.

“Hey Tae. How was your day?”

“It was really good! I spent the whole day taking pictures of plants and stuff for my assignment. Your apartment really inspired me to capture the less sentient lives that intersect our own.” He says, voice so cheery you can practically see the smile you know he dawns.

“That’s really cool, you’ll have to send them my way after you’re done with them.” You say, glad that you could be of some help. He did ask you to be his muse after all.

“How’s your nose?” He asks and you pause when you realize you completely forgot about the bruise on your nose. In fact when you got ready this morning you didn’t even notice. Standing up from the couch you look at your reflection in the bathroom mirror surprised to see it’s only a small purple mark.

“There’s only a small bruise. I actually forgot I had it so I guess it’’s pretty good.” You laugh, opting to sit on the bathroom counter instead.

“That’s good, I was worried about it. Hey I was going to visit my friend’s dance recital tomorrow if you want to come? He’s been telling me it’s really good.”

“Sure thing. What time should I be ready by?” You ask mind already alternating between different possible outfits. You’ll need to look extra good while standing next to Taehyung while also looking casual enough that it’s not too much for a campus recital. You haven’t been to one since your ex’s last showcase a year ago.

“How about seven? You can help me look for a nice bouquet to give him afterwards. Since you’re a plant expert and everything.”

“I don’t know if I’d call myself an expert but sure. I’ll meet you outside my apartment?” You start to grow nervous as you realize you’ll need to come up with conversation starters so the conversation doesn’t lull. You wish you were better at talking to him.

“See you then. Goodnight Y/n.”

“Goodnight Tae.” Hanging up, you lean your head against the mirror and close your eyes, focusing on trying to lower your heart rate. You hope the more you spend time with Taehyung the easier it gets.

You’re panicking. Mostly because it’s 6:30 pm and you’re still not dressed. You hate your entire closet, nothing is good enough to wear. Your clothes are strewn across your bedroom and you’re pretty sure you could cry. You’ve at least done your hair and makeup when you were still happy with your previous outfit but after looking at it one too many times you picked it apart. A knock on your door startles you and you pray to God that it’s not Taehyung who’s arrived early. You sigh in relief at the sight of Jungkook, your nerves easing as you focus on the bright pink leash he’s holding and the squirming puppy at your feet.

“Hey thief we’re going to get something to eat on a walk and after you nearly burned down the kitchen this morning I thought I’d invite you. I don’t feel like smelling burnt eggs through the vent for the rest of the day.” He says nonchalantly like he can’t see your frazzled state.

“Sorry bambi but I can’t. I have a date to get ready for and I can’t figure out what to wear.” You sigh, leaning down to give Lucy a few scratches after she barks at you for attention.

“A date?” Jungkook asks, his voice cracking a little in surprise. He clears his throat as you snicker.

“Yeah. Hey do you think he’d hate me if I just showed up in this oversized tee like a VSCO girl because I think If I look at my closet one more time I’ll actually cry.” You half joke half genuinely ask because you’re so frustrated.

“I mean nothing you wear can make you less ugly.” He offers and you glare at him.

“Thanks. That’s really just what I needed. I don’t know why I even bothered to ask.” You deadpan, moving to close the door on him when he shoves his foot between it and the frame to stop it.

“I mean- you know that mini skirt you have? Tuck your shirt into that and wear some docs or something and you’ll look uhh reasonable. I uhh saw a girl wearing something similar earlier and it was cute.” He says, his words slurring a little in his panic to redeem himself and you crack the door open a little to look at him.

“Thanks bambi, I’ll try it. I dig the pink leash by the way, really makes you look badass.” You giggle, closing the door to drown out his shout of protest.

Turns out bambi does have somewhat of a fashion sense because after trying on his suggested outfit you don’t hate it which is enough for you at this point. Checking the time you realize you only have a few minutes left to make any finishing touches before you need to meet Taehyung downstairs. Checking your eyeliner wings one last time and spraying on perfume you hurry down the stairs and outside, tapping your foot anxiously as you wait for Taehyung. You hope you look okay.

“You look great.” Taehyung’s deep voice says from behind you, his arms encircling your waist as you turn around to face him. You look away bashfully once again reminded what a shy, nervous mess he turns you into.

“You do too.” You’re not just saying that to be polite, Taehyung truly does look good. Though when does he not? There’s something so effortlessly beautiful about him that you’re envious of. You wish someone would see you like that.

“All set to go?” Taehyung asks before linking your arms when you say yes. You wind up back at the familiar market where you and Jungkook first met. You laugh a little to yourself when you notice the row of aloe vera plants lined up on the top shelf. To your right is the flower section for those last minute bouquets and you turn your focus to them and Taehyung instead.

“I like this one.” You pick up a bouquet of sunflowers and show them to him. The flowers are a little on the smaller side since it’s just the beginning of their season but they’re still happy and bright. “I think it just looks really joyful. Plus everyone buys roses.”

Taehyung laughs at that, putting down the bouquet of roses he had in his hand. You squeeze your eyes closed when you realize you’ve accidentally made fun of his flower choice.

“He’ll like it. He’s always calling himself the sun anyways.” Taehyung shrugs, heading to the register with you tailing behind. You’ve only known one person who called themselves the sun but surely it’s not him. There’s seven billion people in the world, surely it can’t be that small.

Disregarding the hunch of who the flowers you picked out are for, you trot behind Taehyung and lace your hand with his own. He gives you a bright smile in return and a little squeeze, probably excited that he’s not the one initiating PDA for once.

After paying he leads the way towards the campus event center which isn’t much farther of a walk. The closer you get the more you remember and it’s not that you and your ex didn’t end on a good note it’s more so just that you didn’t anticipate seeing him, much less going to his recital and picking out flowers for him. But you’re probably just jumping to conclusions.

Getting settled into your seats, front and center, you relax a little. Taehyung’s hand is still in your own and to try and settle your nerves you focus on him- which you probably should be doing anyways since this is a date but your mind has never been good at sticking to one topic. “So how’d you get such great seats?” You ask before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thanks for bringing me by the way.”

“Of course. Oh, my friend is captain of the dance team and is a senior so he gets the best spots in the house. I only have to buy him food for the rest of the week as payment. I didn’t feel like waiting in line and getting a crappy spot.”

“Understandable. But if you’re buying food anyways feel free to send some my way.” You wink and Taehyung sighs.

“Once again I’m getting used for free stuff.” He cries dramatically and you giggle. “But since you’re my muse I guess it’s okay.” He says suddenly serious, taking your surprise to press a kiss to your lips.

“Taehyung!” You scold, lightly slapping his chest. "You can’t just catch me off guard like that.”

“Sure I can. You’re cute when you get embarrassed.” That only causes your embarrassment to heighten and he grins, placing another kiss against your lips.

“You suck.” You pout despite not really meaning it.

The lights dim and you both quiet down, turning away from each other to look up at the stage. It’s a lyrical piece first to a song you’ve never heard before but it’s pretty. As the lone harp melody plays a figure emerges from the darkness into the center spotlight only to be joined by several other people as the beat hits. Their movements are fluid like water, their shadows casted elegantly against the back wall of the stage. When the performance ends you can’t help but applaud- though you really are supposed to wait until the end to avoid disrupting performances. “That was so cool!” You whisper to Taehyung who smiles brightly at you.

“My friend choreographed it!” He whispers back, pride for his friend’s achievement seeping in his words. It’s cute. You both fall silent again as the other pieces are performed only resuming conversation once the show is in intermission.

“Your friend is really talented.” You tell Taehyung, unable to get the performance out of your head. It’s a shame it was the very first one as it’s outshined the rest for you.

“You’ll have to tell him when we see him later. I heard they’re selling snacks out front, do you want any?” He asks.

“I can get them if you want? Since you got the tickets and everything.”

“Sure, I’l just wait for you here. If they have any sweets can you get me some?” He asks.

“Sure thing. Be right back.” You smile, about to get up when he presses a chaste kiss to your cheek.

“Hurry back.” He winks and if it were anyone else you’d roll your eyes.

You huff in annoyance at the rather long line, texting Taehyung that it might be awhile before opening up a piano game on your phone. “I didn’t know you were coming.” Yoongi’s voice startles you and you jump back.

“Why do you not make noise when you move!” You ask. “This really supports the theory that you’re a vampire.”

“If you compare me to Edward Cullen one more time I will kill you.” You quiet down at that, the image of Yoongi’s Katana hanging above his bed- another symbol of his weebiness- surfaces in your mind. You’d rather not get close and personal with it.

“Noted. Anyways what’re you doing here?”

“I get extra credit on one of my music assignments if I come. I don’t really see the point but hey that just means I can put in less effort later since I have a safeguard for my grade.”

“It’s extra credit Yoongi not a free pass.” You snort, sighing when the line still hasn’t moved.

“Why’re you here?”

“I’m on a date.” You tell him before realizing your mistake. “Don’t tell Jimin, it’s not that serious yet and I-“

“Too late.” Yoongi says, pointing to Jimin coming your way. “Though Taehyung is not who I expected it to be with.”

“How did you know it’s Taehyung?” You ask.

“Know what’s Taehyung?” Jimin asks and you give Yoongi a pleading look.

“Her date.” Yoongi says and you flip him off.

“You’re on a date and you didn’t tell me?” Jimin asks and when you turn to look at him you can’t tell whether he’s more annoyed or hurt. Either way you feel awful but Jimin has a tendency to get too attached to your boyfriends and when you and Hoseok broke up he was crushed.

“We’ve only hung out a couple of times, it’s not that serious.” You try and console him but that only makes him even more upset. His nostrils flare and everything!

“A couple times! What happened to no secrets?” Jimin scolds and you feel even worse.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to get too attached if it doesn’t work out.” Like last time doesn’t need to be said for him to understand where you’re coming from and he sighs before running his hand through his hair.

“Last time was on me but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know every aspect of your life.”

“You know I can see why you and Jin get along so well. Do you share secrets?” You ask Jimin and when he falls silent Yoongi decides to re-enter the conversation.

“Wait do you?” Yoongi asks. “If you told anyone about my One Piece set I’m going to kill you.”

“Jimin I’d be careful, he threatened me with the Katana five minutes ago.” You warn and Jimin visibly pales.

“I’ve only been talking to him about our ship. We just want our favorite emotionally stunted tsunderes to get together.” Jimin says causing you and Yoongi to turn to each other.

“It’s about you.” You both say at the same time only to look offended at each other’s assumption. You’re both so offended that you don’t even realize you’ve made it to the front of the line until the volunteer interrupts your bickering.

“What can I get you?” Scanning the table you see peanut butter m&m’s- only the best kind.

“Uhh one bag of regular m&m’s and one peanut butter please.” You say because you’ve never asked if Taehyung has a peanut allergy. That’s probably an important thing to know.

“One pack of oreos.” Yoongi says behind you followed by Jimin yelling for sour patch kids.

“That’ll be $10.50” She tells you and sighing- seeing as you’ve been roped into paying for those leaches you call best friends- you hand over the cash.

“You’re welcome.” You sneer while they smile sweetly at you.

“You’re the best Y/n! Oh and don’t think you’ve gotten out of me meeting Taehyung. Bring him to the apartment Friday night for game night!”

“Do I have to?”

“You bring him to us or we come to you, your choice.” Jimin shrugs.

“Fine.” You sigh once again bested by the tiny man with the tiny hands.

When you get back to Taehyung intermission is practically over meaning you only have enough time to get settled in and give him his snack before the lights once again dim and the show starts. You almost forget about the fact that your ex is probably who you got flowers for until he appears in the final set as the lead of a hip hop dance. His eyes widen for a split second when he sees you in his search for Taehyung but he hides it like the professional he is and carries on with his best performance yet. Hoseok is just one of those people meant to dance. You loved his passion while you were dating and admire it still even after not really talking to him for a year.

Taehyung didn’t notice the surprise on Hoseok’s face- probably because he wasn’t looking for it- and happily drags you backstage to find him. You’re a little surprised you can just walk back here with no one to stop you but you guess they’re all working on things to fix for tomorrow’s show and are too busy to worry about the two of you.

You find Hoseok in the middle of his dance team crowded around him, his face all smiles as he redoes his favorite move for them. You can’t help but smile fondly at the scene, it reminds you so much of when you and Hoseok first met. It was your first and only hip hop class and he was the instructor. You thought he took extra interest in helping you because you were so terrible and he wanted you to exceed which was true but he also thought you were the cutest mess he’d ever seen. “Hobi!” Taehyung yells, gathering his older friend’s attention as Hoseok leaves the group of dancers to greet you.

“Hey Tae.” He smiles, giving him that half-hug half-slap on the back that guys do.

“We got you flowers! Y/n picked them out.” Taehyung smiles, placing his hand on the small of your back to push you more into the conversation. You’d been standing slightly behind Taehyung not sure what to say to Hoseok, that is if he even wanted to talk to you.

“Ahh hey Y/n. You still know me so well huh?” He laughs, bringing the bouquet to his head. “Be honest, do I still look like them?” He asks and you roll your eyes with a smile.

“Nah you look more like the one on the bottom that’s wilted and dying. I can’t believe you’re so old now.” You tease easily falling into your old rhythm. Hoseok was always bubbly and playful, an easiness surrounded him that always made you comfortable, even now it seems.

“Hey it’s only been a year since we last saw each other, I’m only a year older!” He whines.

“You guys knew each other?” Taehyung asks and you pause. How do you explain to your date that his friend is your ex without it being awkward?

“Yeah we’re old friends.” Hoseok says, seeming to read your uneasiness and giving you an easy out. You give him a grateful smile.

“Yeah we just lost touch, though it’s good to see you again. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.” You mean it. Hoseok was your first love, he was everything you could’ve asked for but eventually you two fell out of love and ended it mutually before you began to hate each other. You’ll always have a soft spot for him and it makes you happy to see he’s doing so well.

“Yeah me too. I should’ve reached out sooner.” Hoseok tells you and you just shrug.

“Maybe it was best we found each other again now. Though I wouldn’t mind being friends again.”

“I’d like that. I missed my favorite tsundere.” Hoseok giggles and you groan.

“Everyone keeps calling me that today.” You whine.

“Tsundere? She’s much too shy and sweet for that don’t you think?” Taehyung asks completely confused about this whole interaction. You guess it makes sense because with Hoseok you were kinda like how you are with Jungkook. You’ve never been the bashful type until now.

“Shy?” Hoseok asks and Taehyung nods. You nod in agreement and Hoseok hums looking between you both for a few moments. “What’d you think of the performance?”

“The first one was great. I didn’t know you choreographed anything besides hip hop.” You tell him, grateful for the switch of topics. Hoseok is really saving you tonight.

“Yeah I thought I’d try new genres and become a more well-rounded dancer.”Someone yells Hoseok’s name from across the room and you all turn to see a short girl wave brightly at him, a bouquet nearly as big as her in her arms. “I uhh gotta go but thanks for coming by.” Hoseok says with a slight blush on his cheeks before scurrying over to her. You can’t help but smile after him. You hope this one works out for him.

“You ready to go?” Taehyung asks lacing his fingers in your own.

“Yeah, I’m starving. Want to pick up something on the way back?”

Taco bell in hand and a kiss goodbye you make your way back up to your apartment with a smile on your face. Today went much better than expected. Opening the door connected to your hallway you’re surprised to come face to face with Jungkook. So surprised that you take a step back and trip, beginning to fall backwards down the stairwell before strong arms wrap around your middle and bring you upright. His arm moves so one hand cradles your head and you both just stand there in shock as you process what just happened. You almost fell down the stairs and Jungkook caught you. You almost fell down the stairs!

“Don’t scare me like that!” You yell, pulling away to slap his rather firm chest.

“How was I supposed to know you were on the other side!” He exclaims,

“I almost died!”

“You probably just would’ve gotten concussed but…hey I caught you! Where’s my thank you?”

“You want me to thank you when you almost killed me??” You ask and Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“You’re so dramatic. Also you uhh threw your taco bell and I’m pretty sure that’s a rat eating it.”

“What?” You scream, jumping into his arms-not like you needed to though since they’re still wrapped tightly around you- hiding your face in his neck and trying not to picture that rat. You’re a bit of a hypochondriac so just the idea of what diseases the rat could be carrying is freaking you out. Jungkook only chuckles at you before reopening the door leading towards the hallway and carrying you towards your front door where you effectively release him. “You owe me dinner.”

“Do I?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at you.

“You made me drop my taco bell and I haven’t had dinner yet.” You pout.

“Do I always have to take care of you?” Jungkook sighs before unlocking his own front door and pulling you inside.

“What do you mean take care of me? I’m just a random person remember?” You quip but Jungkook ignores you as he scours throw his fridge. “Bambi stop ignoring me.” You whine which finally gets his attention.

“Sit thief.”

“If thief is your attempt at an affectionate pet name I hope you know I hate it.” You tell him, moving to sit at the barstool anyways.

“All the more reason to use it. Now thief, welcome to Jungkook’s ramen shop where we only serve the finest cup ramen. What flavor do you want?”

“If this is a restaurant shouldn’t you be wearing one of those big white hats or something? Also chicken please.”

“Boring choice but okay. Also I’m not wearing one of Jin’s stupid hats.” Jungkook says, turning on the kettle before moving to face you.

“So you’re telling me he has one? Here… In this apartment?” You ask, eyes glinting with mischief. Jeon Jungkook will be wearing one of those stupid hats even if it’s the last thing you do.

“I feel like if I say yes I’m going to regret it.” He tells you earnestly but you pay him no mind as you scour the kitchen looking for said hat. It’s not in the cupboards or pantry and you’re beginning to lose interest in finding it until you come across the linen closet in the hallway. You wouldn’t think it’s in there but the way Jungkook stiffens has your spidey senses tingling. With a flourish you open in the door exclaiming ‘aha!’ as you retrieve the item of your dreams along with an apron that says ‘kiss the cook’.

“Since you’re preparing my food I need you to wear a hat. I don’t want to find a hair that’s not mine in my ramen.”

“I’m not wearing that.”

“Fine.” You say with a huff, placing the hat on the counter in front of you. “At least wear the apron?” You bat your lashes at him and he concedes, putting on the stupid thing with the frilly edges. Step one: complete.

When Jungkook is busy pouring the boiling water in the cups and trying not to burn himself you sneak up behind him, the hat clutched between your fingers as your knees bend in preparation to jump on his back. While not the most conventional method he’s annoyingly kinda tall and if you can get above him you have a better chance of securing the hat onto his head and getting him to keep it there. As soon as the kettle is placed down onto the counter you attack, yelling out a war cry as you launch yourself onto him and almost falling off in laughter at the girlish scream that makes it past his throat. Lucy is barking from what you assume to be his room and the apartment is a madhouse as Jungkook teeters side to side with your legs wrapped around your face and your fingers trying to center the hat on his squirming head.

“Stop moving!” You yell, accidentally bonking him square on the head with your fist.

“Ow! Stop fucking hitting me!” He yells back, once again squirming beneath you.

“I wouldn’t have to if you just stayed still! We could’ve avoided this if you had worn it in the first place.” You’re both too busy arguing to hear the footsteps of one of the other inhabitants of the apartment emerge from their bedroom but when you both spin around you’re surprised by Seokjin causally leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face.

“Say cheese.” He smiles, blinding you with the flash before you can hide behind Jungkook’s head. “Jimin will love this.” He snickers and like Jungkook’s hair is a joystick for him to move you pull it forward to urge him to walk towards Seokjin.

“Don’t you dare send that! He has enough blackmail material on me already!” You yell, your grip on Jungkook slipping as you attempt to stomp the ground only to realize mid-movement that you’re not actually on the ground. Thankfully Jungkook has faster reflexes then you and catches you before you can fully fly off his body, slamming your upper half into his back while his other hand slides higher up your thigh to secure you now around his hips. It takes you a moment to register that your leg is so warm where his hand is because there’s no fabric barrier and it takes another moment to realize your skirt has probably slid up an embarrassing amount. “Okay put me down, put me down.” You say, slapping Jungkook’s arm to force him into urgency.

“Alright, alright.” He says before ungracefully dropping you onto your ass.

“I hate you.” You tell him before straightening out your skirt.

“What were you two even doing?” Seokjin asks and you sigh.

“He won’t wear the stupid hat.” You grumble and Seokjin sighs.

“Kookie wear the hat.”

“Yeah bambi wear the hat.” When Jungkook is still adamant he won’t be wearing the hat you look up into their ceiling light dramatically before pouting.

“Look Kook you made her sad.” Jin says, gesturing to you still staring into the light.

“What’re you doing? You’re gonna make yourself go blind, stop.” Jungkook says but you hold up a hand to silence him.

“Hang on I’m trying to make myself cry.” You tell him and Jungkook only chuckles.

“You’re ridiculous. If I wear the hat will you stop?” Immediately you look over to him with watery eyes, blinking rapidly to try and get the annoying circles out of your vision.

“Yes.” You grin, clapping as he adjusts it to sit lopsided on his head. That’s good enough for you as you jump up in glee. You’re too blind- really those spots just won’t fade away- to notice the almost fond smile Jungkook sends you.

“You might as well take a picture. This is the only time you’re gonna see me like this.” Jungkook tells you and you grab your phone off the counter and point the camera at you.

“Say I love you” You tease.

“I hate you” Jungkook says and you giggle. All is right once again in the universe.

Friday finally comes along and you have a slight problem. You’ve been so busy with Jungkook and Lucy- you have to make sure she’s getting proper care and long walks- that you forgot you were supposed to invite Taehyung over to Jimin and Yoongi’s for game night. And now you��re frantically blowing his phone up at four p.m. hoping that he didn’t make plans already. Stupid Jungkook. Like the angels above have taken pity on you, Taehyung is thankfully free and fully okay with you dragging him to Jimin and Yoongi’s place. Per tradition, they provide the place and the drinks and you provide the snacks. Though you’ve been craving fried chicken lately so you’re someone tempted to bring over a whole meal instead. You’re still deep in contemplation when Taehyung arrives at your door, a bag of chips in his hand because he didn’t want to arrive empty handed. How thoughtful.

“Do you think I should bring fried chicken?” You ask Taehyung, grabbing a few things before you leave for Jimin’s.

“If you want to, I certainly wouldn’t mind.”

“Friend chicken it is. Bambi was telling me about this place yesterday and apparently it’s really good.” You ramble, slipping on your shoes by the door.

“Bambi?” Taehyung asks, following you once you’ve locked up.

“Yeah, a friend of mine.” You tell him, eyeing the old taco bell stain in the stairwell. You hope the rats enjoyed your five dollars worth of tacos.

“Is that their favorite movie?” Taehyung asks and you wonder why he’s so curious. Though you guess that’s not the most common nickname and maybe he’s just trying to get to know the people you hang out with.

“No, they just have big doe eyes. They’re kinda pretty sometimes.” You shrug, not thinking too much about what you’re saying.

“Hey my friend has eyes like that too! Though that’s a pretty common eye shape.”

“Yeah but I’d be able to recognize this pair anywhere. They’re quite distinctive.” Taehyung just nods, probably getting bored talking about a pair of eyes he’s never seen on a person he doesn’t know.

“Hey how come I’ve never really met any of your friends besides Hoseok? Are you hiding them from me?” You tease though you are a little curious. Sure he’s only meeting Jimin because Jimin basically forced you to do so but you’ve never even really heard him talk about his own friends.

“More like I’m hiding you from them. You’re just too cute; they might slip up and fall in love with you or something.” You laugh and roll your eyes, shoving his arm lightly.

“Yeah right.” You scoff, yelping when Taehyung nudges you to the side with his whole body in retaliation to your push. “You want to fight Taehyung?” You ask him, brow raised in challenge.

“Bring it cutie.” He laughs running down the sidewalk a bit as you attempt to check him. “No fair! You can’t just run away.” You pout, placated by the soft kiss he presses to your forehead. You take the moment of weakness to push him, giggling as you run away in the direction of Jimin’s apartment building with Taehyung hot on your heels.

There’s something unnerving about the way Jimin is observing you and Taehyung, a critical eye he’s never had before when you’ve introduced other guys. Normally he’s bubbly and warm, already giving them a hug like they’re his long lost friend but today he’s rather distant. It’s extra odd since he suggested you meeting but maybe Jimin is just feeling like playing the bad cop today. The doorbell rings and distracts you from observing Jimin who’s observing Taehyung as the boys watch you with anticipation. You’re pretty sure you can hear Yoongi’s stomach rumble as you answer the door while Taehyung heads to the bathroom.

“Oh hey Namjoon.” You say, not quite expecting to see his face. You haven’t really seen him since he accidentally punched you- you almost get the feeling he’s been avoiding you since.

“Oh hey Y/n.” He says sheepishly and you just give him an easy smile.

“You haven’t been avoiding me have you? Joonie I’m not mad at you.”

“You’re not?” He asks incredulously.

“No. The bruise healed already by the way, it was pretty small.”

“I’m so glad to hear it.” He breathes out, sounding pretty relieved.

“Just for future reference, if it’s an accident I won’t get mad at you for it.” You tell him.

“Good to know. Oh it’ll be $12.74. Half off for friends and family.” Namjoon smiles, a big one that makes his dimples pop out.

“You’re too kind to me Joonie.” You say, making sure to tip him 50% just because.

“You’re too kind to me.” He parrots but happily accepts, waving you goodbye before disappearing back into the hallway. Closing the door Taehyung reemerges from the back hallway and hurries over to give you a hand.

Setting the food down on the coffee table the boys immediately dig in, not even giving you time to grab plates. Sitting between Taehyung and Jimin, you happily munch away and the four of you eat in silence as My First First Love plays on the tv. Despite Yoongi’s claims that it’s cliche, you’ve caught him watching it every time you come over. He even teared up a little at the bridge scene.

When the wings are picked clean you ask Jimin to help you clean up solely to interrogate him from the safety of the kitchen. “Stop looking at Tae like that.” You whisper yell and doesn’t even look at you as he’s throwing the bones in the trash.

“I’m just trying to see if he’s the right choice.” Jimin whispers back.

“Right choice? You say that like there’s another option.” You say only to scoff. “Besides it’s my decision anyways.”

“But my ship.” He whines and you sigh.

“Just give him a chance okay? He’s really sweet and I want him to actually like you if this turns into something. Plus you’re the one who asked to meet him.”

“You’re right.” Jimin sighs. “He did think to bring chips after all. Jungkook would never.”

“Jungkook?”

“Who’s ready to get whooped in Mario Kart?” Jimin yells leaving you to stand alone in the kitchen, utterly confused. What does Taehyung have to do with Jungkook? Shrugging it off you head back into the living room, your seat next to Taehyung now occupied by Jimin who has decided Taehyung is his new best friend. He even gave him the matching controller, something you and Yoongi had to earn. Sitting next to Yoongi, you lean your head on his shoulder as Jimin teaches Taehyung the rules of Mario Kart.

“You good?” Yoongi murmurs as to not attract attention from the others,

“Yeah Jimin just confused me is all. You like Taehyung right?” You ask.

“Of course, he’s my friend. What’d Jimin say?”

“Something about making sure Taehyung is the right choice. Whatever that means. And he mentioned Jungkook which just confused me.”

“I think he meant that you just act very different around the two. From what I’ve seen you’re pretty meek around Tae and while it’s cute it’s a little out of nature for you. We’re just used to you being a spitfire is all.” Your mind drifts back to Hoseok’s shocked expression when Taehyung referred to you as shy. Was the you around Taehyung really so different? Sure you were more nervous and struggled to think of what to say and were half as snarky as usual but that’s not a bad thing right? You’re just evolving. Besides Taehyung likes this version of you. But everyone’s doubts has you wondering if it’s really you at all. You’d never change yourself for someone else, right?

You can’t get the thought that maybe you’re holding yourself back around Taehyung out of your head all night, leaving you to not enjoy game night. Every time you interact with him you can’t help but wonder if you’re being yourself or if you’re portraying an image you’re not. Because while Taehyung does make you nervous and sometimes does make you stumble on your words, the more you’re aware of how you might be changing your behavior the more you’re aware that you’re suppressing your harsher burns or remarks that you’d have no problem saying to anyone else. You wonder if Taehyung realizes how different you act with Yoongi and Jimin compared to him or just amounts it to the fact that they’ve been your long-term friends. You don’t know, you’re not sure of anything at this point regarding you and Taehyung. You wish Jimin never said anything because now you’re left second guessing.

The thought follows you into the week and even leads you into ignoring Taehyung’s texts if for nothing but to not accidentally lie to him. You don’t want him thinking you’re a fake person and at this point you’re so turned around that you’re not even sure how you could make sense of what’s going on in your head. The more you think about it the more you’re convinced that you’re not yourself around him but the more you convince yourself the louder your doubts get because what if you’re only convinced because you think you should be. The only time you get any solace is with Jungkook and Lucy so naturally you’ve been spending time with them. Though it’s only to see her of course, never Jungkook. Which is why every day you make sure to bring her something new. Whether it’s a costume- yes you went back and bought her the pink onesie, she hated it but you got a cute picture- some new treats, toys, or even little bows you never came empty handed because that would mean you also partly came to spend time with Jungkook. And wanting to spend time with Jungkook would mean that your annoying e-boy neighbor finally broke down your walls and created a little home in your heart. It would mean that he’s finally become your friend and that’s information that can’t get out. Besides if he finds out you think of him as a friend would that change the way he interacts with you? Would you no longer be able to make fun of him and call him names like bambi just to piss him off?

You think about this as you’re stood outside his door, a hand raised to knock on it and two coffees in hand- Jungkook had promised you to teach you all the tricks in Smash Bros so you could finally beat Jin tonight and it’d probably take a while so you needed to stay awake- paired with a pup cup from Starbucks for Lucy when the door swings open and Jungkook’s doe eyes are frantic. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Is all he says before pulling you into a hug, the pup cup falling to your feet as you struggle to hold onto the two larger drinks. He grips you like a child holding a teddy bear for comfort, his breath ragged against your neck as he hides his face in the crook there. You instantly panic because something has him obviously scared but try your best to remain calm to comfort him. As best as you can you wrap your arms around his back, careful to hold the two cold drinks away from him.

“You okay?” You ask softly although very aware the answer is no. You and Jungkook have never gone down this road before- one of soft words and touches- so you try and navigate it as best as possible even if that means asking redundant questions.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with Lucy, she just keeps coughing and she’s spitting out this white foamy stuff and I don’t know what to do because she’s so hot that I’m scared to carry her in case she overheats and I-“ He sobs out, pushing into you harder as he tries and hides the tears. It’s a little futile however as you can feel him shaking around you but let him collect himself before gently pulling away to set the drinks down. Gingerly you wipe his tears as he hangs his head down in shame- probably from breaking down in front of you (his frenemy)- and you gaze up at him softly.

“It’s gonna be okay, I’ll go with you to the vet and we’ll deal with it from there. You can even hold my hand if you need to.” You joke trying to crack a smile to get him to cheer up a little but it doesn’t do anything for him. “Do you have a kennel for her or anything?” You ask and he shakes his head no, his bottom lip trembling.

“I’m such a bad dog dad.” He sobs and you’re so frantic to calm him down you place little kisses along his face to try and stop the tears. He tenses immediately when he pulls himself out of his thoughts long enough to realize what you’re doing and you pull away embarrassed.

“We can use a box with some thin blankets it’s fine.” You say, refusing to acknowledge what you just did. It’s something that’s better to just sweep under the rug and forget it happened. Grabbing a smaller box from recycling- you’ve never been so thankful for Costco than in this moment- you hurry to Jungkook’s bedroom where you can hear a little honks from Lucy. Gently opening the door you find her nestled in a bunch of blankets on Jungkook’s bed, the fan blowing directly on her while her head nuzzles his pillows. The footsteps behind you alert you of Jungkook’s presence and you nod to Lucy lying on the bed.

“See you’re not a bad dog dad at all, she loves you. She’s finding comfort in your scent right now.” Stepping into the room you gingerly walk towards her as to not startle to poor puppy, setting the box down beside you on the bed.

“Hi baby, we’re gonna go to the doctor okay?” You tell her, gently moving her out of the nest and onto the comforter as you hurry to stuff the little nest into the box. “Bambi do you have a hoodie or something that you’ve worn recently?” You ask and immediately he begins fishing for one in his laundry basket. The hoodie is just a plain grey and you feel a little bad at the inevitable stains but place it into the box anyways before turning back to Lucy. Carefully you slide one hand under her shoulder and head while the other slides under her bottom half before you carry her almost like a newborn baby into the box. It’s not the best crate but it’s the best you can do at a moments notice. Jungkook immediately takes the box from you, careful to hold it from the bottom as you hurry back into the living room and grab his keys from the rack and the two coffees- you’ll probably need them for the long night ahead of you.

Googling the nearest 24 hour vet clinic seeing as it’s around 9 p.m you hurry into your car and head off. You attempt to play music to calm everyone’s nerves but Jungkook turns it off and instead you sit in silence as your navigation occasionally calls out directions.

A ten minute ride later you’re once again hurrying, Jungkook sprinting through the doors when Lucy starts to gag. You follow after him, coming in just in time to see one of the Vet Tech’s take Lucy to the back. Jungkook slumps against the counter as the receptionist readies some files for him to complete and you take the clipboard from her after urging Jungkook to sit down. Quietly you fill out the information sheet for him, only occasionally asking him questions for things you don’t know the answer to. You’ve just sat down when they call for Jungkook, his hand finding your own and you squeeze it thinking he just needs a moment of comfort when he tugs on it, refusing to let go. “Come with me?” He whispers and you nod, immediately standing up to follow him with his hand still sat comfortably in your own.

“So we’ve took her temperature and she’s running a high fever and obviously she’s coughing but can you describe her other symptoms if she had any?” The Vet Tech asks and Jungkook nods.

“She uhh coughed up this white foamy stuff that kinda had the consistency of snot and she was gagging before we came here. She’s probably been coughing for the last couple of hours.”

“Did she do or eat anything out of the ordinary today?”

“She met my friend’s dog. I know she doesn’t have all her shots but I thought it’d be okay since he has all his.” Jungkook mumbles and the guy nods along while making notes.

“We’re just going to take a few tests to make sure we have the right diagnosis and then we’ll get back to you. We’re not that busy so it should only take an hour or two at most. If you’d like to go back in the waiting room we’ll call you back when we’re ready or you can wait here if you’d like.” He says before exiting the small room and disappearing.

“What do you want to do?” You ask Jungkook and he just sighs.

“I don’t know. Do you think this is my fault?” He asks, his normally sparkly eyes are dull as devastation and heartbreak take full form in them. It hurts you to watch and you almost feel your own heart break at his evident pain. As much as you love Lucy you only spend a few hours a day with her so your pain can amount nowhere close to Jungkook’s.

“I don’t think we should go there, especially when we don’t have a diagnosis. Let’s just stay here so you can nap. You look exhausted.” You tell him and he sneers.

“You want me to sleep when my dog could be dying?” He yells and you flinch away.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. And she was puking up snot Kook it’s not like she was coughing blood. It’ll be okay.” You tell him, trying to be understanding and not take his yelling personal. “You don’t have to sleep alright?”

“Alright.” He sighs, sitting back down again before laying his head in your lap. “I’m sorry for yelling.” He mumbles, turning his head to bury it into your thigh to hide his embarrassment.

“I know, it’s okay.” You say softly, brushing your fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and eventually his body relaxes enough that you realize despite his previous words he has in fact fallen asleep. You continue stroking his hair as he snores lightly against you, praying that for his sake Lucy is okay.

“Sorry that took so long, we had an emergency surgery and Lucy got put on hold for a little.” The Vet says as she barges in, your head banging against the wall as you startle awake. Jungkook groans from your lap, rubbing his eyes as he pouts at being abruptly awoken.

“It’s okay.” You croak out, voice hoarse from sleep. You stretch all your limbs, your back cracking wonderfully as the Vet waits for both of you to wake up, somewhat amused.

“We looked through the test results and it turns out she has Kennel Cough. It’s nothing too serious, it typically clears up on it’s own but since she’s not fully vaccinated we’re going to give her medicine to help clear it up faster and make sure it’s fully gone. By the time the medication is finished be sure to bring her back for her final vaccination and just don’t let her around other dogs until then okay?” You both nod and she gives you the prescription, before informing you that’d she’ll be right back with Lucy.

Checking your phone you realize that it’s currently 2 a.m. and you wonder just how long the two of you have been sleeping on these hard chairs. The vet appears shortly later with a sleepy Lucy- apparently they gave her some medicine to make her sleep through the night- along with a crate. “Figured you’d need a real one of these instead of a cardboard box. I already put her blankets and the jacket inside so she’s all good to go. Just make sure to stop by the front desk and sign out.” With a wave goodbye and a get well to Lucy she leaves the two of you alone again.

“Do you think the crate is free?” Is the first thing Jungkook says to you and you laugh, ruffling his hair.

“I don’t know Bambi. If not let’s just make a run for it.”

“Just what I want to be arrested for: stealing a dog crate.” He laughs, rolling his eyes as he presses a gentle kiss to Lucy’s forehead. “Let’s go home baby.” He says and for a moment your tired mind thinks he’s talking to you. Shaking your head of useless thoughts you lead him back to the reception desk where he pays for her care- the crate surprisingly was free- before you lead him back to your car where this time he lets you play music on the drive home.

Pulling up to your apartment complex, you park before taking the elevator this time to the second floor, too tired to walk up a measly two flights of stairs. You’re just about to fish your key out of your bag when Jungkook’s hand on your wrist stops you. “Will you come in and help me make sure she’s settled?” He asks and he looks so nervous while asking you that you can’t say no- not that you were planning to. Nodding you follow him inside after taking your shoes off, tucking her into her bed that’s in the corner of his room.

“Do you think I should let her up here?”

“Your body heat might make her fever worse.” You tell him and he visibly deflates. “It’s okay you can wake up bright and early if you want to sit by her side all day tomorrow. But she’s so knocked out she probably won’t even realize you’re not next to her right now.” It’s the most you can offer him as your own drowsiness sets in and every time you blink your eyelids stick together for a little longer.

“Do you just want to stay here?” Jungkook asks and for a split second you’re wide awake. “You just look so tired I don’t think you could make it the ten feet next door.” He chuckles and you roll your eyes.

“I could.” You huff and Jungkook doesn’t say anything as he observes you.

“You don’t have to though.” He says softly, moving to lay flat on his back.

“Touch me and you’re dead.” You tell him, the bed creaking as you settle down beside him. He hums in response and you roll onto your side, letting sleep take over.

Surprise, Surprise-when you wake up Jungkook has broken your rule. In fact his whole body is wrapped around you as his leg is nestled between your own while one arm wraps around your waist and the other has somehow slid under your neck. It’s entirely too domestic of a scene with a once sworn enemy and you scramble to get out of this position before Jungkook wakes up. Except he was either already awake or your squirming awoke him as he mumbles at you to stop moving before encasing his arms around you and rolling so you’re effectively trapped under him. It does render you motionless but it also renders you breathless since he’s so heavy. I mean really what is this kid eating?

“I can’t breathe.” You say into a mouthful of pillow only further suffocating himself. Jungkook only hums in response, snuggling into you further like this is the most natural thing for you two to do. You manage to turn your head enough to not be face deep in a pillow and choke out, “You’re too heavy. Get off.” as he finally gets the hint that he’s been killing you softly and rolls to the other side of the bed.

“Sorry.” He says at least having the decency to look remorseful and embarrassed by the fact that he almost murdered you.

“You broke my rule, I said don’t touch me.” You scold him, already reaching to the side to grab the pillow.

“But you cuddled me first!”

“Don’t care, I have to kill you now.” You shrug before whacking him in the face a little bit harder than you meant to. “Boom, headshot. You’re dead.” You giggle, probably way to nonchalant about the fact you woke up entangled in the arms of your nemesis but if you don’t think about it, it can’t hurt you.

“You really think a headshot could kill me, the indestructible Jeon Jungkook? Never!” Jungkook says, reaching around to grab a pillow to hit you with before Seokjin’s voice sounds through the other side of the door.

“Jungkook are you playing with your action figures again? I told you that’s weird.” You stifle the laugh fighting to break out with your hand, taking much to pleasure in the fact that Jungkook’s face is bright red and he can no longer look you in the eye.

“No Jin! I’m talking with Y/n.” He yells before his eyes widen at his mistake. He just outed you both as…cuddle buddies. The door bursts open at that, Seokjin being much to awake for whatever time it is in the morning with his phone pointed directly at you for incriminating evidence.

“It’s happening!” He screams, waking up Lucy who manages something that somewhat resembles her normal bark.

“Lucy!” You and Jungkook both scream, scrambling off the bed to check on her. Seokjin keeps his camera on you both as you and Jungkook fuss over Jungkook’s tiny puppy completely forgetting that he’s in the room.

“Everything is falling together so beautifully don’t you think Jimin?’ He whispers and you look up for a moment in confusion having heard him but he only winks at you in response. Seokjin sure has a lot of secrets.

You finally reach out to Taehyung feeling bad for ignoring him for a week but also needing closure. You need to see once and for all if you really are a different person around Taehyung. It’ll only have to be after the class that started it all, your 400 person lecture that is the whole reason you and Jungkook even became aware of each other’s existence despite being neighbors. You’ve asked him to meet you after class seeing that it’s the last class of the day for you and you didn’t think it was fair to keep Taehyung waiting any longer. He was a good person and he deserved to know where your head is at. You almost hope that if this doesn’t end up working that you can genuinely still be friends.

Jungkook has apparently decided to save you a seat- which is a little odd since you’ve never made an effort to sit next to each other before- if him flagging you down is anything to go by. He did make a good choice in seats though- choosing to be in the back and near the edge of the long rows- as it means you don’t have to climb over a bunch of people just to get to him. “Hi.” He breathes like he’s relieved to have you sit beside him. You wonder if he thought you’d just turn and walk in the other direction.

“Hi bambi.” You smile, pulling your laptop out of your bag and sticking it on the little tray connected to your chair. “Thanks for saving me a seat.”

“Anytime thief.” He actually snorts when he watches your face drop, apparently still getting satisfaction from the old nickname.

“Are you never going to let that go?” You sigh, slumping back into the chair and placing your head in your palm.

“First you took my backpack, then my plant, then my dog. Is there anything you haven’t taken from me?” He teases and you huff.

“I give you a cute nickname like Bambi and you decide to stick me with thief. Why do I even try to be nice to you?”

“Because I’m adorable and it’s impossible not to be nice to me. But if you’re really so hard done by it I guess I can call you Thumper.” He shrugs, cackling at the disgust that takes shape on your face.

“Gross. Matching pet names is what you came up with?”

“It’s thief or thumper, your pick.” He has an evil glint in his eyes as he smiles so wide at you that his whole face crinkles, his shoulders rising up to shake in laughter. It might be the happiest you’ve ever seen him and you suppose if thumper makes him so happy it’s not so bad.

“Fine thumper will do.” You murmur, chucking when he high fives himself like a total loser. The professor then comes in and the class falls silent- which is a little odd since normally this class is never quiet- as he turns to face you all.

“It’s come to my attention there is a thief among us. Last week a student reported their laptop missing from this class that has yet to be returned. If you know anything about this and have substantial proof as to where it is, you’ll receive extra credit on your next paper.”

“Any chance it was you, my favorite little thief?” Jungkook whispers, groaning in pain when you elbow him.

“No and like I’d share it with you. You don’t deserve the extra credit.” You whisper back.

For the rest of the class Jungkook is surprisingly quiet, so much so that you even forget he’s beside you. When you do remember he is though you get oddly creeped out because in the time you’ve known him he’s rarely ever quiet. Even if he’s not making noise with his mouth he’s tapping his foot or fingers along to an unknown beat and yet he’s eerily silent. Turning to him in concern you watch as he analyzes the back of everyone’s head in great concentration, moving along the row in front of you slowly as to gain every detail. “What’re you doing?” You ask, ignoring the professor as he wraps up the lecture. Looking at Jungkook’s screen you notice that he hasn’t even written down a single thing from today.

“I’m looking for the laptop thief.” He says nonchalantly like it isn’t weird to stare at the back of stranger’s heads for the past hour.

“And you’re finding that out from looking at the back of their heads?”

“Yes, I’m seeing who looks most like one.” He tells you and you turn to him fully to get his attention.

“Do I look like a thief?” You ask, unmoving as the people around you quickly gather their stuff and head out of the lecture hall.

“Yes.” He says matter-of-factly. A smile making its way onto his face as he can read the clear irritation on yours.

“How so?”

“It’s just something about you. One look at you and I knew you were it.”

“That’s because you saw me with your backpack in my hand dumbass. You’re not batman with your ‘here comes trouble’ detector.” You scoff, finally moving to put your laptop in your bag. You’ve only just realized you two are about the last ones in the lecture hall and the remaining few can probably hear your conversation. You don’t need more people thinking you’re a criminal.

“That’s- that’s not even a thing? Have you ever watched a superhero movie in your life?” Jungkook asks, like he can’t fathom the fact that you were just spitting nonsense. Honestly you had seen some superhero movies but you didn’t care much for them.

“In my defense, spidey senses are a thing as well as a guy who literally shoots webs from his hands? How does that make sense?” You can’t help the smile that takes over your face when he groans in agitation, turning around to catch him running a hand through his hair and fixing his glasses- you were right, he only wears them for the aesthetic which is why he never has them on at home.

“He was bit by a radioactive spider!”

“How did it not die when being around the radiation? It’s literally a tiny spider.” You ask and Jungkook just looks at you exasperatedly.

“People don’t die from radiation.” He deadpans, flicking your forehead for being stupid.

“But it’s a spider. Also how did he not die from being exposed to the radiation? Wasn’t he like a scrawny guy?”

“That was Captain America you idiot.” He scoffs, rolling his eyes as well. You knew that but Jungkook is too fun to piss off. Besides it’s only fair since you know he gets the same satisfaction from you.

“I know idiot.” You grin, flicking his forehead as you skip away from him and towards the doors.

He chases after you a matching grin on his face as he grabs onto your hand to slow you down. “So you’re purposely being irritating?”

“Don’t act like you don’t do the same.” You giggle, completely unaware of the third set of eyes in the room.

“Uhh am I interrupting something?” Taehyung asks and you suddenly remember you were supposed to meet him after class.

“Taehyung hi.” You smile at him awkwardly, taking a step away from Jungkook who drops your hand.

“You know Taehyung?” Jungkook asks you and you nod.

“Yeah I forgot I was supposed to meet him outside of class today.” You tell him before turning back to Taehyung. “Sorry about that by the way.”

“So Jungkook’s bambi?” Taehyung asks though it’s more like he’s talking it through himself. “And you’re the backpack thief.”

“That sounds like a bad rip off of Percy Jackson.” You joke, trying to displace some of the awkward tension in the air. No one laughs.

“Taehyung how do you know thumper?” Jungkook asks, his voice teetering on actually angry. It’s not the type you’re used to hearing for the one he directs at you is normally more light-hearted and teasing. This type is deep and gravely like he has hot coals burning in his windpipe.

“We went out a few times.” Taehyung says and you find yourself backtracking when you watch Jungkook’s face drop a little. You’re not sure why it drops but his downcast expression worries you all the same.

“It wasn’t anything serious though. It’s not like we’re officially together.” You don’t know why you rush to reassure him, especially since Taehyung is in the room and you’re talking about him, but you can’t help but feel guilty for his sadness. You feel a little bit like Jimin did when he moved out.

“So that’s it?” Jungkook finally speaks though his voice is noticeably weaker.

“Yeah.” You say, hoping that’ll solve whatever problem is happening between you right now. That seems like it’s the wrong answer though as he turns around and exists the doors on the other side of the classroom. You wish you could chase after him and find out what’s wrong but you don’t know what to say.

“Taehyung I’m sorry.” You start, after following him out to a secluded bench near the building you were just in. “I didn’t mean to say that I wasn’t serious about you. I do like you and our dates did mean something to me. I just- he looked so sad and I panicked.”

He’s silent for a long moment and you grow antsy beside him before he decides to speak. “Do I make you feel confident?” He asks, turning to you head on so he can read your body language as you try and process his question.

“What?”

“I was confused by why Hoseok seemed so shocked when I described you as shy and then I saw how you reacted with Jimin and Yoongi but I amounted to it being because you’re old friends. But seeing you with Kook who I know you only met a few days before me, I can’t help but notice you’re almost a different person. So, do I make you feel confident?”

“You…you make me feel nervous but that’s only because you’re so handsome.” You start only for him to cut you off.

“But you should be used to my face by now. Do you think Jungkook is handsome?”

“Of course but I don’t really see the relevance. Sorry let me rephrase, I’m not very good at expressing myself.” You ramble, mind sent into overdrive as you scramble to think of words.

“Sweetheart,” Taehyung says softly, placing a hand on your cheek to soothingly stroke his thumb along your cheekbone. “you deserve someone who you can easily express yourself to. You shouldn’t have to struggle to find the words.”

“But I’m like that with everyone, it’s just who I am.” You shrug but Taehyung stops you again.

“You’re not that way with Jungkook. I’ve heard you tell him off just fine in plenty of his stories about you. You never seem to find the wrong words around him. Even when you were stressed about his feelings being hurt just now you could find something to say. Besides, I don’t think we have half as much chemistry as you and Jungkook do. He almost kissed you that day Lucy peed on him.”

“He what?” You exclaim, pulling away from Taehyung in shock.

“I mean this in the nicest way possible but don’t you think it’s time you wake up and realize what’s right in front of you? Jungkook hasn’t been exactly subtle about his feelings for you and I think in your own way you weren’t exactly subtle about yours for him either.”

“So you’re telling me I like Jungkook?” You say, the words coming out slowly as you process the sentence. As odd as it sounds on your tongue you feel a small weight lifted off your shoulders.

“I’m saying that you should re-evaluate your relationship with him. I think you both mean a lot more to each other than the other thinks and it’s pretty easy to see on the outside. I just wish I would’ve figured out who you were sooner so I could avoid hurting my best friend.” Taehyung sighs, turning away from you to watch the people around you blissfully unaware of the mess that is your life.

“Best friends?” You exclaim. “But I never heard much about you, no offense.”

“We lost touch a little this semester when I became engrossed in my classes. If your portfolio is good enough they’ll show it to nearby galleries to display so I’ve been quite busy. The only bit of free time I’ve spent with you.”

“But we went to Hoseok’s show?” You say, still trying to piece it together.

“Again, time spent with you but since he’s my roommate I can’t exactly not show up to his recital. Also you and Hoseok are terrible actors, I could tell you were exes the moment you stood awkwardly behind me.” Taehyung chuckles and you slap his arm in response.

“Hey I could’ve been shy!”

“We both know that’s not true.”

“Is that why you never talked about your friends much? Because I’d probably know them through Hoseok and that’d be awkward.”

“Yeah. I didn’t exactly know you were his ex at the time you asked me out. We’d only been living together for a couple months at that point.” Taehyung shrugs and you sigh. A lot could’ve been avoided if you and Taehyung had actually talked. Though you’re starting to realize that this is the easiest it’s ever been to talk to him now that the pressure of a relationship is off.

“Hey Tae, do you think we can try being just friends? I really do enjoy your company.” You ask, a little too nervous to look at him for his reaction. Facing rejection is never easy.

“I think we could work something out. Besides I don’t know if you noticed but this is probably the best conversation we’ve ever had. Ironically it’s about us breaking up, if you can even call this that.” Taehyung laughs and you laugh along beside him. Funny how some things work out.

The next task on your list is finding Jungkook. You look at the dining halls first- Jungkook’s favorite place despite the fact that everything is either soggy or undercooked- but he’s nowhere to be seen. Then you head to the library thinking he’ll go to the last place you’d think to look for him- which of course makes it your second- but he’s not there either. Your last resort is to head home and see if maybe you can find him there. Jin answers the door this time, jerking his head back towards the hallway where Jungkook’s room is.

“He’s back there sulking.” Jin whispers, handing you a tub of ice cream and a spoon. “He won’t let anyone in but I’m sure you’ll get special treatment.”

“Jin, am I in your OTP?” You ask. His eyes widen comically as he shakes his head side to side.

“No, of course not. What even is that? Sorry I don’t understand you and Kook’s nerd lingo.” He rambles and your mind- ever the hyperfixator- focuses on one word. In all the time that you’ve known your neighbors, you’ve never heard Jin use the word nerd. And you’ve been here countless hours every day. But one person you know that has an infinity for the word nerd is Park Jimin who you already know shares secrets with Jin.

“Hmm okay. Though you might want to tell Jimin your ship could be sailing fairly soon.” You wink, enjoying the fact that this time you’re the one leaving with a smirk and he’s left confused.

Knocking softly on his door, you ignore the way he groans “go away” at you and open it, ducking just barely in time for the pillow to graze the top of your head. “Thumper?”

“Hey bambi. I brought you ice cream.” Slowly standing up, you take in the way Lucy is wrapped up in his arms like a little plushie, a thick blanket wrapped around him as he burrows into the pillows the longer you observe him. Handing it to him along with the spoon you sit on the edge of the bed, picking at the loose threads as you try and find the courage to confront what just happened.

“Taehyung and I broke up, if you can even call it that.” You say suddenly, the spoon in Jungkook’s mouth falling against the mattress with a soft thud. You grimace at the hard stain that’s going to form but Lucy is delighted at the sticky residue left on the spoon. Lucky for her Jungkook is boring and likes vanilla ice cream.

“You what?” He asks, mouth hanging open until you push it closed.

“Don’t leave your mouth open, you’ll catch flies.” You giggle. “But yeah we decided we’re better off as friends.” You leave out the part that you decided you also might have feelings for Jungkook because today has already been an emotional day for you.

“Is-is there a specific reason why?” Jungkook asks almost pleadingly and as much as you want to give him the answer you hope he’s looking for you can’t. Not until you’ve slept on it, not until you’re sure that this is what you want. He deserves that at least.

“We just didn’t click the same. I was pretty shy around him actually. Can you believe that?” You laugh and Jungkook sighs.

“Why were you never shy with me?”

“You’re kind of infuriating. Besides Taehyung never pushed my buttons like you do. There was nothing to be snarky to him about.” You shrug, your mind momentarily thinking back to what Jimin said what seems like such a long time ago: you’re not good at flirting! You’re just mean and shit. While a little ineloquent for your taste it sadly does some you up. You guess you were forever destined to end up in an enemies to lovers.

It only takes two days for you to realize you’re an idiot. It only takes two days for you to realize that you may have accidentally been falling in love with your nemesis turned frenemy this whole time while not knowing it. You’ve always been bad with feeling but surely no one is that inept: well expect you of course. You should’ve seen it coming with the way he was constantly on your mind and began inviting yourself over to his place- something you don’t even do to your childhood best friend Jimin. Or that fact that you climbed in his bed, tired but competent to know that you’d probably wake up with his arms around you. And yet you continuously pushed these thoughts away under the pretense that he thought of you as nothing more than a frenemy at best- it was probably painfully obvious like when he put on the stupid chef hat to make you happy or when thief lost its negative connotation and became a sweet nickname for you. Perhaps the most glaring reason is the fact that he gave you matching pet names but in conclusion: you’re an idiot.

“How could I not notice?” You whine to Jimin as you walk through campus. You’re on a rather old path- one that’s less of a straight shot to the student union- enjoying the shade that the buildings provide from the sun. Summer is beginning to settle in making walking around campus your least favorite activity.

“They do say love is blind. Did you see that whole show they created? Yoongi and I made a shot game so whenever Jessica talked about her and Mark’s age gap we had to drink and I’ve never got wasted to fast in my life.” He snorts at the memory and you almost wish you had been there but drunk Jimin was undoubtably the clingiest Jimin. He was the epitome of the “I love you” drunk and as much as you did love him sometimes it was a bit too much for you to handle. Yoongi, however, loved drunk Jimin because Jimin gave him all the attention he was unwilling to express desire for. “I can imagine.” You laugh. “But I guess I don’t really know what to say. We’re rarely not arguing.”

“Yeah but isn’t it that ‘I want to kiss you but also punch you’ type?”

“Just how much do you and Jin talk about us? You’re starting to pick up on each other’s diction.”

“You should just give the people what they want and messily confess to him. It really sets the tone for your ‘i love you, I love you not’ relationship.” Jimin laughs.

“What should I say? Should I do it 10 things I hate about you style?” You ask, unaware that you’re passing the life science building,

“Yes! Give me an idea of the performance.”

“It’s not a performance, it’s a confession but nonetheless,” You pause and take a deep breath to gather your thoughts. “I hate the way you piss me off like the day we first met. I hate that I can hear your infuriating voice in my head all the time. I hate the way you talk to me like a friend. I hate the way I can’t stand to simply just be around you anymore. I hate the way you call me thief or thumper.” You’re too deep in your monologue to notice the way Jimin visibly panics in front of you, shaking his head rapidly from side to side to try and warn you silently to stop talking. Yet like any shakespearean play you run too long, too deep in your own feelings to notice the dagger you aim at your own heart.

It hits home when a shoulder checks into your own, a hurt, “If you hate me so much you could’ve just said so” coming from your favorite voice and you crumble. Because just like Romeo and Juliet you killed your love before it could have the chance to truly blossom. You think for once you might actually hate yourself as you watch his figure disappear as he breaks into a jog. Your heart cracks even further when you realize it’s probably because he’s crying- the imagine of him shoving his face into your neck to hide them from you resurfacing. And then you’re crying because you just ruined what could be the best thing you didn’t know you had. You wish you would’ve just said something two days ago because you don’t think you’ll get the chance to even speak to him again even if it’s just to apologize.

Silent tears streak down your cheeks- you thought it’d be a cool thing to learn how to do when you were younger (cry silently that is)- as Jimin leads you away from the curious eyes of the other students as they no doubtably wonder what has you crying at a little past noon on a weekday. You wonder what they’d think if they knew you accidentally broke the heart of the boy you’re in love with while planning a confession. It was a simple case of wrong place, wrong time and yet just like that he’s gone. You laugh at the irony of it all- you lost him before you even had him- and Jimin just stares at you with pity. You hate it and so despite knowing he’s just trying to help and that you’re being irrational you shrug him off you and sprint to your own apartment, hoping for solace in the silence. For once it’s nice to come home to nothing.

You can’t sleep. It’s been approximately twelve hours since you crushed Jungkook and you can’t sleep not knowing if he’s okay. He probably won’t answer when he sees it’s you- he won’t answer your texts or calls- and yet you can’t stop yourself from getting out of bed and knocking on his door. It’s asking for your own heartbreak but you figure you deserve it at this point. No one comes after five minutes so you knock again and wait another five. Not wanting to look like an idiot for standing in the hallway when no one is home- or at least willing to answer- you head back to your own apartment.

The next morning you wake up early in hopes to catch a glimpse of him going on his morning run- he always goes just before 8 a.m. so he can come back, shower, and then fall back asleep before he needs to leave for class- and yet his figure never emerges. Concerned you knock on his door and to your surprise Namjoon answers. Unsurprisingly he’s not happy to see you. “Go home Y/n.” He sighs. When he sees your dejected expression he pauses in closing the door on you. “Did you mean it?”

“No, he wasn’t supposed to hear that. I was um practicing confessing.” You murmur, looking down at your hands awkwardly as you reveal your true intentions to Namjoon. You feel much too vulnerable. “Have you ever seen the movie 10 things I hate about you? She confesses in a similar monologue to what I was attempting but I didn’t make it to the end when he heard.”

Namjoon hums for a moment before nodding like he’s come to a resolution. You wish he’d tell you what it was. “Give him time okay?” You nod solemnly before ducking back into your own apartment.

The next day you resolve to buy him a succulent plant, a little aloe vera one from the market Taehyung works at. The plant is what started this whole hatred turned friendship turned…whatever this is. If you hadn’t argued over one stupid little plant you’d probably have never spoken after you awkwardly returned his bag. You’d have no reason to. So you hope that while it’s not a big gesture, it’d at least be a small place to start. Quietly you sneak to his front door and place it on the welcome mat, knocking quickly before ducking inside your peephole. You watch in anticipation as the door cracks open before closing again, the little succulent still on the mat. You heave a sigh, wondering what else you could do.

The next month passes by slowly and every day you stop by the store to buy another succulent. You’ve started to associate them with Jungkook, picking one up for every day you think of him. Each one is named something different, tied with a different memory you have of him. Lucy: for obvious reasons. Frosty: for the first time you started to see him as something other than a frenemy. Bambi: for the man of the hour himself. And your personal favorite, thumper: a fuzzy little cactus that resembles a rabbit’s tail. Thumper also marks the day that started it all, the chain reaction that led to you discovering just how much your e-boy neighbor meant to you.

“Holy shit.” Jimin says, stepping into your apartment for the first time in a month. You’ve become a bit of a recluse, though you did apologize to him for shrugging him off when he was just trying to help you that day. The only time you do interact with people is when you go to class, the market or Jimin and Yoongi’s for game night. Other than that you just stay here alone, brewing in your self-made despair. “It’s like planet of the plants in here or something. Do I need to worry about you being a hoarder?” Jimin asks and you shrug.

“My mind kinda hyperfixated on succulents and the succulents remind me of him so I’ve been collecting them.”

“Have you tried talking to him?” Jimin asks.

“He wouldn’t pick up my calls and Namjoon said he needed time so I stopped trying. I tried giving him an aloe plant like Cherry but he didn’t accept it.” You sigh, picking up the plant he discarded and brushing along its leaves. Bonjour-dubbed the word sprawled across the welcome mat- wilts a little when you touch it and you wonder if your sadness is infecting it.

“This blows. Especially since it’s all over a misunderstanding.”

“Has Jin mentioned anything about how he’s doing?”

“I don’t think he’s faring much better. Jin has to take Lucy on her morning walks now because he barely wakes up in time for class. Apparently he’s taken up an interest in herbology though and is growing spices, wonder who he’s trying to remember.” Jimin nudges your shoulder and you roll your eyes.

“He’s probably doing it for Jin as a birthday present or something.” You’d rather not get your hopes up. He’d have talked to you by now if he missed you right?

You evidently get your answer as a harsh pounding on your front door wakes you up and half-asleep and a little uncaring about who’s on the other side you throw it open. Sleepily you rub your eyes while wondering why whoever was so desperate to talk to you is suddenly silent when the haze in your mind clears enough to register Jungkook stands before you with a 10 things I hate about you dvd case clutched in his hand. His eyes are red-rimmed and his cheeks are tear stained making you instantly reach up to wipe them away before you retract. He probably doesn’t want you to touch him. “Did you mean it?” He croaks out and you stare at him confused.

“Mean what?”

“When you said what you hate about me did you mean it?” Your eyes flicker to the dvd in his hand and it clicks.

“I love you.” 10 things I hate about you be damned. You’re done with dancing around your feelings and painting them in fancy words. Sometimes as you’ve learned from Taehyung it’s better to just be blunt.

“You- what?”

“I love your smile and the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh. I love the little things about you like the mole on the bottom of your lip or the way you’re always humming a random tune. You tease me and piss me off but I’ve never wanted to kiss someone in my life more than you. This past month has been awful without you and I don’t think I can stand another minute without you. So call me a thief, call me thumper. Call me whatever you want as long as I’m yours.” He’s silent for a minute before the dvd case falls to the ground, his hands instead reaching up to cup both of your cheeks as he brings his mouth down onto your own. His lips are softer than you expected, fitting easily against your own as he presses them to yours tenderly despite the urgency behind his actions. Gently he parts your lips open to deepen the kiss and you sigh into him, pressing your body into his own wanting to feel his warmth. He only parts when you both need air, the two of you panting as you still stay close together.

His breath fans your face as he places three gentle pecks to your lips, his head resting against your own. “I love you too thumper. I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone half as much as I love you.”

“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. I wish I would’ve spoken to you sooner. And you know, for stealing your backpack.”

“Aha! So you do admit you stole it!” He laughs, grinning as you attempt to shove him away only to pull you closer. “But I’m sorry too, I should’ve heard you out sooner. And I’m sorry for always calling you a thief.”

“I already told you that was fine.” You laugh, leaning back to kiss the tip of his nose.

“Yeah but I know you hated it. I only kept calling you it though because you stole my heart.”

“Gross.” You fake gag, bending over to pretend to vomit. He giggles at your behavior, wrestling you closer to him as you try and turn around to walk away. “Who knew my boyfriend was so cheesy?”

“Stop pretending you don’t love it.” He says, finally looking up and noticing the terrarium that is your apartment. “Why do you suddenly have so many plants?”

“I got a succulent for every day I think of you.” You say, squealing when Jungkook attacks your sides.

“And you said I was the cheesy one!” He screams, chasing after you to tickle you further when you finally break free.

“Jimin our ship has finally sailed!” Seokjin whispers into the phone from next door. You and Jungkook had left your front door wide open, giving him a prime view as the two of you chased each other around, very much stupidly in love.

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