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raplinesmoon · 2 years

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So The Drama (KSJ x F!Reader)

❃ Festivaled Away: Hope Fest hosted by @bangtanbathhouse

⤞ Ticket: Elegant Summer Gala

⤞Main Event: Bulletproof Vests & Holsters ( bad boys, cops/detectives)

⤞ Games: edging

pairing: Seokjin x reader genres/au/rating: fluff, angst, action, humor, smut, friends to lovers, Kim Possible!AU, 18+ summary: By day, you look like any other overworked 20-something. By night, you’re an amazing superhero who fights to save the world with your best friend. Caught between the pressures of having a love life and a plot to take over the world, will this summer be a one to remember? warnings: slow burn, PINING, pov switch, physical fights, crime fighting, alcohol, tension!!!, bi!Seokjin (implied), SHEGO, supervillain plots, Seokjin is a damsel in distress, sm*t warnings: dry humping, deep-throating, degradation, n*pple play, fingering, panty ripping, edging, cmnf, protected s*x

word count: 18.3k a/n: LOL I got impatient so please enjoy this cheese fest inspired by everyone’s favorite childhood crime fighting girlboss. This is based mostly on the second KP movie. thank you to Mars @joheunsaram for suggesting the idea of Jin Stoppable in the first place, and another thank you to Kiri @rkivian for beta’ing the first part of this. I hope you all enjoy! <3

Prologue:

The piercing screams resound in your ears, the crowd going wild, bathed in a sea of orange as the legions of devoted fans chant passionately, waiting for their favorite group to come on stage. Lightsticks flash everywhere, casting the arena in a dim but stunning glow. The enchantment of the scene transports you back to being a teenager again.

Seokjin rocks back and forth on his heels, bubbling with anticipation. “C’mon ____. Let's find our seats quickly so that the show can begin! Odeng is getting restless!"

At the sound of his name, Seokjin's sugar glider pops up from underneath his flannel, surveying the scene. While Seokjin's bright eyes twinkle with adoration, you furrow your brows in concern, staring up at him.

"You just had to bring him? What if we get caught?" The crowd's noise level only worsens, voice hoarsening whenever you try to have a normal conversation.

"Odengie would never cause trouble on purpose," Seokjin coos, stroking Odeng's head. "He's a good boy!"

You beam at his loving tone. Yup, your best friend was a total marshmallow, nothing but gooey softness packed into his tall, lean frame. He was definitely on the odd side, with his wire-rimmed glasses and penchant for dad jokes. Who would have thought that the strange kid you cornered in the sandbox in pre-K would be one of the closest people in your life? At this point, he was like family to you. And you wouldn't have it any other way.

The two of you take your seats, watching the lights dim. You hear a psst! and pivot to find Seokjin elbowing your shoulder. You look up at him quizzically, investigating the source of the interruption.

"___," he asks, genuine inquisitiveness in his voice. "This is kind of a cool dat–, I mean, outing. You used to be obsessed with DTS back in high school, remember? It was like, a dream of yours to go to a concert one day."

His face is so earnest, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's, and you almost forget you're two 27-year-old dorks at a boyband concert. But you were, in fact, two 27-year-old dorks at a boyband concert.

"Jinnie," you begin, squeezing his arm gently. He lowers his head to listen, gazing down straight into your eyes.

"If we're being honest, I got over DTS years ago. Like freshman year of college. But you bought the tickets and looked so excited, and I couldn't say no, now could I? I'll have fun if you're having fun."

A strange expression crosses his face briefly like he's distressed. But it's gone in a flash, replaced with the beaming smile you've come to know.

"Oh, well, it's okay!" he reassures you. "We'll have fun, no matter what. I, uh-, I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Okay. I'll watch Odengie while you're gone."

"Thanks, ____, I can always count on you."

He walks away with a wave, and you can't help but remark that his shoulders have slumped slightly, the formerly bright light in his eyes turning hollow.

A heavy sigh escapes Jin as he makes his way down to the restrooms from the arena. Another day, another failed attempt to confess his feelings for you. He'd been at it for years. There's no one else he'd make a fresh pot of jjampong for, no one else he'd use his employee discount on to stuff your face with nachos, no one else he'd torture with his dad jokes (some of them were pretty terrible, he'd admit).

The scary thing was that he couldn't pinpoint when his feelings changed from being your best friend to falling for everything about you. The two of you had grown up together but were polar opposites. You were the hard-working, smart, semi-popular one who moonlighted as an ass-kicking crime fighter, and he was your lame sidekick that wore glasses.

He paces down the hallway, lost deep in his thoughts. It didn't happen on a specific day, or during a particular moment, but over time, your smile began to seem brighter; he noticed the way your hair shimmered in the sun. He felt warm at how you threw 100% of yourself into everything, whether saving the world or taking on a case as a corporate paralegal. Girls like you didn't fall for guys like him, who worked weekends at a shitty, inauthentic Mexican restaurant because their 9-5 didn't pay the bills. Not without a miracle.

He hoped coming here tonight could have been that miracle. The two of you spent hours as teenagers jamming to DTS' songs in your room and learning every dance. Seokjin would even embarrass himself in the school hallway as he walked up to you, belting their newest single at the top of his lungs. But now it seemed like you had moved on, and he scrunches his eyes together, recalling your soft, placating smile underneath his lids.

The setting around him grows unfamiliar, and Seokjin realizes he'd gotten lost in his daze, venturing far away from the bathrooms. Maybe there was one close by. He walks over to the first industrial-looking door he sees, peeking into the room to check. A loud gasp escapes his throat, his palms become sweaty, and Seokjin thinks he might faint.

Somehow, he'd stumbled into DTS' practice room, graced with the stars' presence. He stares into the eyes of the six heartthrobs: AM, Salt, J-Nope, Chimin, W and Jaegguk. But why were they here and not on stage?

Seokjin's eyes widen when he sees the group bound with rope, constricting their arms and legs.

"Uh, dude?" AM says, his left dimple making an appearance when he frowns. "No offense, but a little help here?!"

Seokjin freezes. His favorite idols were speaking to him? He was gonna save their lives? ____ would freak out when she heard this. He'd finally be the hero she deserved.

"이 사람은 쓸모가 없습니다. 그는 여전히 그의 신발에 꼬리표를 달고 있다 (this guy is useless, he still has the tag on his shoes)", Salt quips, face scrunching in displeasure.

"I can understand Korean, you know," Seokjin retorts. "And you guys don't know about the tag?! It's hip-hop culture!"

"Aish, alright, stop being a weird trend follower and help us out," Jaegguk groans.

"I'll have you know that Kim Seokjin is a trendsetter, not a trend follower," Seokjin mumbles, searching the room for something sharp to cut their bonds.

With his back turned to the wall, he misses the shadowy visitor at the entrance. Chimin's warning cry is too late, the blindfold already over Seokjin's eyes as he flails uselessly. Well fuck, he was in a bind now.

The crowd was growing restless. The concert was supposed to start half an hour ago. Where was Seokjin? He hadn't returned from the bathroom yet.

A loud groan erupts when representatives from their record company show up on the stage, claiming unforeseen technical issues. Bullshit. They probably wanted to keep you all here so they could take your money. You hoped Seokjin hadn't blown too much of his salary on these tickets.

Your impatient sighs are interrupted by a series of short beeps coming from your purse, and you freeze. This can't be good. You slip out of the arena towards the concession stands, reaching into your bag to pull out the pager.

"Hey Won-sik, what's the sitch?" you ask, taking in his grim face. The 18-year-old super genius you'd befriended was an expert when it came to computers and gadgets. He and Seokjin loved to crack dorky jokes together, many of which flew over your head.

"It's not looking good," his voice breaks among the static. "We've got word of a new crook on the block. Deez Coups. Apparently, he's a disgruntled former k-pop trainee who didn't get into the band of his dreams, so now he's out for revenge?"

"What kind of revenge?" you scoff. You'd handled more than your fair share of butthurt boys growing up, particularly when they chose to take their negative feelings out on others.

"He's kidnapped DTS and is holding them hostage in an obscure location in the area! My sources are tracing them to a tiny room on the rafters."

"I'm on it," you declare, slipping off your oversized concert clothes to reveal your spy suit of choice - cargo pants and a black turtleneck.

"___?" Won-Sik's voice trembles, almost like he's been keeping a secret.

"What's wrong?"

“H-he took Seokjin too. He was trying to rescue them."

Your heart sinks, remembering how Seokjin had excused himself. And now he'd stumbled into trouble. Disgruntled or not, this loser would never lay a hand on your best friend. You tuck Odeng into your pocket and reach back into the purse.

Pulling out your hairbrush, you press the hidden button on the bump, recoiling as it activates, transforming into a grappling hook. You make your way back inside, keeping yourself confined to the shadows on the outskirts, before finding a good fulcrum and launching yourself up to the rafters.

"C'mon, Odengie. Time to make a scene."

"FOMO FOMO FOMO YO, FOMO FOMO YO, 탕진잼 탕진잼 탕진잼," Coups screeches at the top of his lungs, ignoring the befuddled looks from the members in front of him. The key to their cage dangles from the garishly neon-colored chain on his pants.

"Even I'm a better singer than this guy," Seokjin groans, slapping his palm onto his forehead. "I had all your singles memorized back in high school."

"Really?" J-Nope asks. "Which one was your favorite?"

"Person with Like, of course! The chartreuse concept was everything."

"Nobi!" W hisses. "Can you and this clown who joined us be serious for once? How the fuck are we gonna get out of here?"

"Oh, don't worry," Seokjin stares at his nails. "I know a girl. Hopefully, she's coming to bust us out."

"설마? 실제로 그녀가 올지 모르니? (hopefully? you don't actually know if she's coming?" Salt seethes, his skepticism evident in his tone.

"걱정하지 마십시오 (don't worry), Salt-ssi. She's my best friend; I know I can rely on her."

"You better be right," Jaegguk sighs. "And to think, all I was looking forward to today was hitting the gym after the concert."

Nearly ten more torturous minutes pass, full of Deez Coups' terrible singing, before any sign of hope. The men's eyes light up when you lower yourself into the room with your grappling hook, approaching Coups from behind.

"Now, Odeng!" you scream, jumping on his back as the two of you hurtle to the ground. Struggling to pin him under you, you exert every bit of force and determination you can muster, buying enough time for Odeng to run past you and grab the keys from the chain.

"Boo-yah!" Seokjin howls in delight. "That's my ___ and my Odengie!"

The sugar glider slips through the bars easily, jumping into Seokjin's palm, allowing him to unlock the cage from the inside.

"You actually did it!" Chimin screams with joy. "That was amazing!!"

"Law enforcement and the label executives should be on their way any second," you inform Seokjin and the band, still pinning Coups' struggling figure to the ground.

AM approaches you, looking down at his captor.

"Listen," he says to Coups. "I don't know what you were trying to prove by kidnapping us, but you'll never get the results you want this way. All of us got to where we are through hard work and determination, and I suggest you do the same instead of being a petty crook if you want to live out your dreams."

At the end of his speech, the door is blown wide open, police and the label employees flooding the room. Once they determine that no actual harm had been done to the boys, they inform them that the concert has been canceled.

The whirring of a helicopter creates a strong gale, whipping your hair around. The boys bid you their goodbyes, thanking you and Seokjin for your heroic endeavors.

"Please reach out to us anytime," AM beams. "We are indebted to you both."

"Wait!" Seokjin interrupts them as they turn. "Can I call in my favor now?"

His plain t-shirt now decorated with the ostentatious signatures of the band members, the two of you watch the helicopter fly away until it's nothing more than a speck in the distance. After the whirring dies down, Seokjin runs up to you, nearly toppling you over in a big hug.

"Thanks for coming, ___."

"You think I'd actually leave you behind, Kim? You're worth too much to me to even think about that."

A glimmer of hope settles in his chest. Maybe tonight hadn't been so bad after all.

"One flat white and an iced cappuccino, please," you tell the barista. From behind you, you hear a giggle erupt. And then another. Ugh. This was so not the drama.

Rolling your eyes, you turn, mouth gaping, when you see a gaggle of girls surrounding Seokjin, their hands all over his arms, legs, and shoulders. The tips of his ears are a distinctive red that tells you he's embarrassed but also milking the attention.

"You were so brave!" one of them giggles, her laugh sounding less bubbly and more nasally.

"Does this mean you have free DTS tickets for life? I've never been to a concert," another sighs.

"I can't believe Jaegguk called you a trendsetter! He's so hot!"

"Calm down, ladies," Seokjin says coolly, pushing his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "We have all the time in the world."

Your shoulders tense suddenly, and you feel yourself grow flushed. Would any of them have bothered to pay attention if he hadn't rescued DTS? Probably not.

You don't even notice that you've stalked your way up to Seokjin, standing next to him. He glances up at you, eyes full of questions.

"Hey, uh, there's an urgent message from Won-sik! We've gotta run home and look at it!"

"Do we have to do it right now?" Seokjin replies through clenched teeth. "Kinda in the middle of something."

"Yup!" you grab his arm, pulling him towards you. "It can't wait. Sorry girls, maybe next time."

Waving a hasty goodbye, you drag Seokjin out with you. Your strange behavior remains an enigma to you both long after you run out of the coffee shop, hand in hand. What had that been all about?

A few weeks later….

The smell of processed cheese and refried beans hits your nostrils, making your mouth water. As much as you (and your stomach) detested Seokjin's other workplace, Nacho Loco, you couldn't deny that you were hungry. The idea of chowing down on some greasy food seemed perfect to you right now.

"Hey, let me just go take this off real quick. I already put in a ticket for us," Seokjin smiles from the counter.

He turns to his manager, asking if he could take a break now. The man looks incredibly sullen today, given the lack of rush in the restaurant, but nods yes.

"Ugh, this week has been shit," you groan as he sits to join you. "So much fucking work. It's like they have me on overtime without actually paying me overtime. I respect the hustling lifestyle, but it's just not for me."

Seokjin guffaws at your statements, sipping loudly on his Diet Coke.

"Pretty sure that's illegal," he grins. "And you're one to comment on hustle culture. I mean, it's not like you have a second job kicking crime's butt, do you?"

"Shhhh," you press a finger to his lips, giggling. "My boss doesn't need to know about that. Pretty sure he'll see that I can handle being sleep deprived and have me look at more documents."

In your time spent complaining, your order has made its way over to you. You're used to the restaurant food not looking super appetizing, but whatever monstrosity is on Seokjin's plate has you reeling.

"Kim Seokjin. What in the name of all that is good and holy is that?"

Seokjin scarfs down a bite of the concoction, beans, and cheese oozing out the sides.

"This, dear ___, is a Naco. My special creation and contribution to the menu. I'm trying to keep it a secret until I can take it mainstream, though."

"I'm sure it'll be a smash hit," you say sarcastically, stomach churning at the bag-like item. "You could use all the extra money from patenting it. As long as you let me co-sign."

"No way! You have your own hustle. By the way, I keep telling you this, but you should start accepting money for everything you do, ___. You work hard, and I never see you enjoy yourself."

There's a wistful look in his eyes, and the conversation goes silent. The fact of the matter was that it was already hard being two young, working professionals in a big city, living on your own. Constantly worrying about expenses and what the next paycheck would cover, but also trying to remain human and not become a machine.

"Yeah, I know," your voice cracks. "Part of me wants to make money. It'd sure make paying my rent easier. But the other part of me is worried."

Seokjin stills, looking up at you. It was rare for you to be so vulnerable in public places. He'd always been the one to take up that mantle: crying at movies, crying at weddings, crying during his mid-day breakdown. Seeing your eyes fill with tears, he wants to pull you into his arms and soothe all your worries, to tell you that it's all going to be okay. But he can't promise that.

"I've spent so much of my life undercover," you continue. "It makes me wonder if doing all this means that I've been missing out on other experiences. I mean, when's the last time I went out? My work even has this stupid gala thing at the end of the summer, and I don't have a dress or a date!"

Seokjin frowns, his lip trembling. He knew the burden you carried on your shoulders was enormous at times, which is why he worked hard to make you laugh, to make the lines on your forehead disappear. As trivial as it was, it was his stupid way of showing the love he had for you.

"Damn, you reserved me a ticket, right? You know I can't resist all that free wine and cheese."

You perk up, flashing the tiniest of smiles, before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"No, duh! You can even bring a guest if you want!"

"Aw shoot, and here I thought we were gonna go together like we did to the 5th-grade dance, Jackson Wang's middle school rager, or prom…"

You're grinning now, eyes crinkling, and Seokjin thinks he's never seen anyone prettier.

"Hey, Jin? You're a great friend, you know that, right?"

And despite his desire to become more, he's happy for now. Because you've got each other's backs.

"I know."

Monday rolls around, and Seokjin finds himself back in the office, his pressed white shirt becoming consistently itchier and suffocating with every day of the summer heat. At least it was almost time for lunch. You had an extended break today, so the two of you would be able to go to town on one of the halal carts by his building.

"Excuse me? Are you Seokjin?" A voice calls from behind him.

Turning around, Seokjin takes in the sight of the interrupter. A guy, around his age or a bit younger, looking painfully awkward. His bright eyes took in the office, taking everything in. A newbie.

"Hey, welcome to the club, dude. You're right; I am Seokjin. Seokjin is me."

The newcomer smiles at him, reaching out for a handshake.

"So nice to meet you! I'm Han, your new desk neighbor!"

He likes this kid already. It was rare for Seokjin to make new friends easily. When he wasn't with you, he’d spent time testing out new recipes, playing Maple Story, or cuddling with Odeng.

"Hey Han, nice to meet you too. Wanna join me for lunch?"

…

You approach the benches outside Seokjin's work, carrying his gyro over rice like its precious cargo. He's waiting for you like he always is. But he's not wiping sweat off his brow and scowling from the summer heat like normal. Instead, he's talking to someone you don't recognize.

"___! There you are," he exclaims. "I have someone I want you to meet."

He moves to the side, revealing his companion, and you feel your heart do a backflip. You haven't felt like this since your tenth-grade crush on Park Jinyoung, the football quarterback. He's cute. Really cute.

"Hi, I'm Han," he reaches his hand out for you to shake.

"I'm ___," you say with a blush, accepting his hands. Seokjin's eyes narrow when he watches you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. That was your patented crush move. No way, you were crushing on his new co-worker!

"Tell me more about yourself, ____," Han says. And from there, you spend the whole lunch break talking and sharing details about your lives, utterly oblivious to the world around you, failing to notice when Seokjin gets up and dumps his styrofoam box in the trash, leaving without a goodbye.

"Mom? Dad? I'm hooomeeee," your voice echoes through the house. Strange. Usually, someone was home. Today was pizza night too.

"They're in their office, dweeb," your younger brother appears from the shadows, and you detect a faint glow from the living room. He was on one of his gaming sprees again, and you're glad Seokjin was busy tonight; otherwise, you'd be roped into another Mario Kart tournament where they left you in the dust.

"Look who's calling who a dweeb. Don't you have that robotics competition to worry about?"

His face pales.

"Fuck. Why didn't you bring Seokjin with you?! Or hit up Won-sik?"

Your mom appears at the top of the staircase, shushing him with a stern finger.

"Anwar, mind your language, or you won't get any pizza."

"___, my dear, how are you?" Your dad greets you with a bone-crushing hug. "We haven't seen you in so long!"

"I know, dad," you sigh. "Work's just been kicking my butt."

Dinner is silent for a while, the four of you munching on your pizza.

Your mother bites her lip, eyes full of concern. While both your parents were aware of your alternate career, they often fussed over the toll it took on your mental health.

"No, not that work! I meant the company! And now we have this silly end-of-summer gala I have to worry about."

"Oh, a gala!" your mother claps her hands in delight. "How exciting? I can't wait to see my baby all dressed up and beautiful."

"I have to find a date first, mom," you groan as your dad ruffles your hair. "Plus-ones are encouraged."

"Why don't you just take Seokjin? "she suggests earnestly. "You guys always go together."

Your heart drops. True, you and Seokjin had always gone to every special event as each other's dates; but things felt different now. You wanted to be able to slow dance with someone you liked, to hold them close and maybe share a kiss at the end of the night. You were in dire need of some romance in your life.

"I don't know, mom," you sigh. “Seokjin is just… well he’s Seokjin. He's just my best friend. I kind of hoped I could bring someone more special."

"Nonsense," your father shuts you down. "Seokjin's been a wonderful date every time you have gone somewhere. And he's grown into a handsome young man."

He finishes with a wink, and you shift uncomfortably. To you, Seokjin had always been the same, geeky guy with glasses. Maybe he'd grown into his features as he aged, but he was still a friend and nothing more. If it was supposed to happen between you two, it already would have.

Excusing yourself to your room, you flip onto your bed, staring at the canopy littered with stars that remind you of the night sky. The gala was supposed to be an all-out celebration, with music, dancing, swanky outfits, and champagne. For once, it'd be nice to have an actual date.

You unlock your phone, dialing the number of the one person that you know would understand where you were coming from.

"What's up, dawg?" Seokjin snickers over the line, pausing when he hears your heavy sigh. "Hey, you alright?"

"I don't know, Seokjin!" you scream into the line. "I don't know why I'm so stressed about this stupid gala, what I'm gonna wear, and who I'm gonna take. It's so childish, ugh! I feel like I'm back in high school when no one gave me a prom-posal."

Seokjin's heart lurches in his chest. You'd expected Jinyoung to ask you, but he'd gone for Aerin, your rival on the cheerleading squad. Seokjin had abandoned his elaborate scheme of showing up with a boombox outside your window, and instead became your shoulder to cry on. After drying your tears, the two of you still had a night to remember.

"Don't stress, ___! It's not even that big of a deal anyway, just an excuse for us to get drunk and twerk in front of the board of directors!"

"I knowww," you whine. "But lately, it doesn't feel like that anymore. I know we're still young, but everyone around us is getting married. Don't you ever feel like settling down, finding the one?"

"I, uh, I can't honestly say I've thought about that," Seokjin sputters.

"But I do, Seokjin. I want to finally be with someone, go out on cute dates, buy gifts for each other, and cuddle."

"We already do that, though!"

"It's not the same, and you know it. Let's make a pact, here and now, that we, Kim Seokjin and ___ ___, will take the dating world by storm and show up to the gala with our future spouses in our arms! Are you with me?"

On the other end of the phone line, Seokjin chokes, his lungs burning with all the unspoken confessions of his past. The receiver was silent for a few breaths, and he almost contemplated hanging up.

"Seokjin? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he says shakily, trying to accept your plan for the summer when in his heart, he wished that he could be that person for you. "I hope this is the summer you find everything you've ever wanted."

He can sense you beaming at him through the phone.

"You too, Jin. You too. Okay, bye, gonna sleep before work tomorrow. Anwar, mom, and dad, say hi!"

The line cuts dead, and Seokjin is left sitting in the oppressive loneliness of his apartment once more, the salt of his tears clogging his throat.

Nearly a third of the way into the summer, and safe to say, your epic plans had not worked out. Instead of scoping out potential dates at the park or gym, you and Seokjin had been overloaded with work. You desperately needed a change of scenery.

Luckily, Won-Sik's call came at the perfect time.

"Earth to ___. It's been forever! Just letting you know that I detected some suspicious activity around the Bermuda Triangle. It sounds like Darken is up to something."

"Ugh, not him again."

Dr. Darken was, by far, your most annoying and persistent arch-nemesis. No matter how often you defeated him and his villainess sidekick She-Babe, they always kept coming back for more.

"Can I trust you and Seokjin to be on it?"

"Yup, we've got you, Won-sik."

Hanging up, you dial Seokjin's number, ready to share the good news. He'd seemed a little down lately, so maybe this would cheer him up.

"Hello?"

"I need you to call in sick for the next two days. We're going on a little trip."

…

Miami was booming this time of year, the warm summer sun drawing in hordes of tourists. The perfect place to go undercover, whether you were a hero or a villain.

A loud slurp interrupts your train of thought, Seokjin chugging the last bits of his margarita.

"Ahhh, I needed this. This summer has been meh so far."

"We're looking for Darken, remember? This isn't a vacation."

"Doesn't mean we can't get ice cream," he laughs, pointing to a colorful shop on the pier.

You look at him, brows furrowed, hands on your hips.

"Seokjin…"

"Please ___?"

"Okay fine."

He runs over excitedly, asking for two soft serve twists with rainbow sprinkles for you both. When he makes his way back to you, he proudly presents the cone with a smile.

"A gift."

"Just shut up and eat the ice cream."

The cold treat tastes sweet on your tongue, and you must admit Seokjin was right. Even though this wasn't an official trip, summer was finally starting to feel like summer again.

You don't know how long you've been there, but judging by the imminent sunset, it must have been a while.

"We should keep looking around," you say reluctantly, lifting yourself up. Seokjin's arm shoots out, pulling you back into his embrace.

"Let's stay for a little while," he says softly, and you nod okay.

Leaning your head on his shoulder, you're surprised when you feel hard muscle underneath you. You'd never noticed he was so built. You sneak a sly glance up at him, marveling at the angles of his face. The wind sweeps through his hair, and suddenly he doesn't look like your dorky best friend who wears glasses anymore.

At the same time, Seokjin notices you looking at him, his soft gaze lingering on the tiny little details about you: the fluttering of your eyelashes, the curve of your neck, the glistening of your lips. He needs to stop before he does something that he’ll regret later .

“___? You, uh, you have some ice cream on your face."

"Where?" you ask, frantically reaching to rub it off, but you don't feel anything.

"Here," Seokjin leans over, his thumb brushing against the corner of your lips. It lingers there for too long after he's rubbed the splotch off, and he feels you inhale sharply.

beeep-beeep!

The tune of your pager goes off and the two of you separate, the intimate moment being interrupted.

"Hey Won-sik, what's the sitch?"

"You might want to look behind you."

Suddenly, there's a loud bang, and the crowd erupts into a panic, screams coming from all around you. You and Seokjin jump up, ready for action.

The malevolent eyes of She-Babe meet yours, green flames glowing from her arms.

"Looking for me, ___?" she drawls. "Why don't you come and play?"

You spring towards her, launching into a flying kick. She dodges you effortlessly, sending back a bolt that nearly misses you but completely decimates a seller's stand.

"Seokjin, I need backup," you scream to him before landing a blow to her right side. She grunts, pushing you off.

"I'm on it," he notifies you, and you watch him run off into the distance.

You and She-Babe circle around each other, her flames singing a couple of your hairs, while your hook and laser lipstick tear through her clothes, leaving a mark on her arms.

She growls, lunging for your neck, her arms wrapped around your throat. You sputter, flailing aimlessly, making every attempt to kick and punch, but she overpowers you.

Suddenly, her grip loosens, and you hear her yelp. Odeng looks on proudly, baring his teeth. In the brief moment of distraction, you land a kick to her stomach, knocking her down.

As you attempt to pin her down, you hear another loud bang, smoke filling the pier, and you erroneously turn your back, looking to see the source of the distraction. Lungs burning, you tearfully look to see She-Babe has escaped. You search through the crowd aimlessly when you spot her on the roof of one of the shops, a helicopter waiting for her.

"Buckle up, babe," she smirks from above. "You have no idea what's coming."

And then she's gone. Your shoulders slump. The mission was a failure. Now Darken would have even more time to perfect his evil plans.

You hear footsteps come up behind you, Seokjin running your side, panting heavily.

"Did the smoke machine work? Did you get her?"

The defeated slump of your shoulders tells him everything he needs to know, but it doesn't beat the disappointed look in your eyes. He'd fucked up. Big time.

"Let's just go home."

“A flat white for you,” Seokjin slides into the seat across you. You both had a little bit before you had to head into work, and he knew he couldn’t leave his mistake hanging over your head.

You look at him but don’t say anything; he knows you’re still upset with him.

Rubbing at your temples anxiously, you finally decide to speak.

“I’m not mad at you.I’m just upset.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. I feel like I always ruin things for you.”

His voice breaks a little bit, and you know he’s genuinely sorry, making your heart sink. Seokjin always made things harder on himself, believing he was never worthy enough. The last thing you wanted was your frustration to make him feel worse

“Please don’t take this out on yourself, Seokjin. It was a mistake. It happens.”

Reaching for his hand, you give it a gentle squeeze.

“We’ll move on.”

His glassy eyes meet yours, and a crushing realization hits you. You and Seokjin had spent so much of your lives together, becoming close the way most regular friends would, but also through your missions. You’d seen the best and worst parts of each other, but you’d never really been on your own. Maybe to find what you both needed, it was time to leave the safety and comfort of each other’s nest and do things on your own.

You could find the love you’d been looking for, and maybe Seokjin could learn to love himself.

This summer was the perfect chance for you to spread your wings.

“I gotta go,” you say gently, letting his hand go. “I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

Seokjin pulls into work on his scooter, still reeling from your encounter this morning. You two had your share of petty fights growing up, but he’d never felt so much disappointment from you. It made his heart ache, and he never wanted to see you like that again. Now, if only he could figure out what to do to fix it.

As he approaches his spot, he notices another person locking up their scooter, and his eyes widen when he realizes it’s the newbie, Han.

“Hey uh, great spot you have there,” Seokjin cracks a joke, hoping it’ll appease him.

“Oh, thanks! It’s under a tree too, so it has lots of shade; I hate when I come out of work and—“

“You get second-degree burns from your scooter handles?” Seokjin finishes his sentence for him.

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

Because it’s my favourite spot, too, he grumbles in his head.

“Hey Seokjin, I actually had a question for you. It’s about your friend, ___. Is she single by any chance?”

Seokjin feels like the breath has been stolen from his lungs. You’d brought up Han’s name as a potential date before you’d gone on the mission, and it was clear he reciprocated your interest. Where did that leave Seokjin in the equation between you two?

He decides to be honest, not wanting to mess up your chance at getting a date for the gala.

“She is, but she’s a tough cookie. It takes a lot to impress ___. Most guys can’t even get her attention.”

“Well, good thing I’m not most guys. Maybe we can all hang out sometime soon? I heard the new club downtown is pretty fire.”

“Uhm, yeah, sure,” Seokjin says hastily, not wanting to listen to Han talk about you a second longer. He waved a tepid goodbye, disappearing into the building. He doesn’t speak to him for the rest of the day.

“Are you sure I look fine?” you ask, tapping your foot anxiously.

Seokjin gulps, not knowing how to answer your query. Should he go with the friend version, telling you Han won’t know what hit him? Or should he go with his version, where he risks sporting an accidental boner like he did when you were in middle school, and your boobs appeared out of nowhere? If Seokjin had any pull game at all, you’d never make it to the club tonight, Han a distant memory.

All he does is instead is awkwardly give you a thumbs up, adjusting his glasses on his face.

“Wait a second,” you approach his sitting figure on the bed, leaning in so close he can smell the honeysuckle perfume you use. You’re so close, he gets a front-row seat to how good your tits look in the tiny black dress you’ve chosen to wear tonight. He’ll probably have to cover himself with his jacket in the Uber.

Your fingers sweep through his hair, brushing his bangs off his face and to the side, showing off his forehead.

“There.” Your warm breath fans onto his face. “Now you look hot too. There’ll be a lot of hot people out tonight! Aren’t you excited?”

Seokjin feels his face flush, your nonchalant compliment flustering him, and hopes you can’t see his ears turn red. He sucks his breath, afraid to talk, fearing what might come out. Luckily, your phone buzzes, saving him just in the nick of time.

“Oh! The Uber’s here. Let’s go!”

. . .

Seokjin follows behind you, the dense crowd making it hard to keep up while you seek out Han. He’s not drunk yet, but his head is already pounding. It was a stupid idea to agree to this. He was basically a discount third wheel.

“You guys made it!” Han shouts, welcoming you into his arms with a hug.

“Thanks for inviting us,” you say shyly.

“Can I get you guys anything to drink?” Han asks. You enthusiastically nod your head yes, while Seokjin sullenly nods no.

“Be nice,” you give him a warning, accepting Han’s hand as he leads you to the bar.

“I am nice,” he mumbles under his breath, shoulders slumping when he sees you walk away.

The next hour that passes is among the most torturous in Seokjin’s life. For most of the years you’d been friends, he’d never really had to see you date someone. All the people you’d crushed on never lasted past a couple of dates. You’d always sigh and say they were missing something, and Seokjin wondered if Han would finally be the one to possess the something you’d always been looking for.

It seemed that way, the two of you wrapped around each other on the dance floor, bodies moving in sync. Seokjin had done enough goofy dancing with you to know that the way your hips swayed right now was anything but goofy, and clearly, Han seemed to be enjoying it too. Your faces were so close, and Seokjin felt a pang of jealousy strike in his chest, calling the bartender over for another drink.

When he returns to reality, slightly less sober, you and Han are making out, his tongue pushing into your mouth as you lazily grind against him. Seokjin closes his eyes to protect himself from the garish sight. He wasn’t sure whether his dick could deal with another boner or whether his heart could mend the cracks that had begun to form within his chest.

A drunken haze sets over him, and he resists the urge to go outside and puke.

“Hey,” a raspy voice drawls. “Are you here with someone?”

Seokjin turns to see who’s joined him at the bar. It’s a guy, one that he’d probably consider hot if his heart wasn’t set on you. He glides through the conversation while dazed, focusing only on the sound of his voice and the flirty touches on his arm. If you moved on, maybe he could too.

That’s how he finds himself in the bathroom ten minutes later, shirt halfway undone and cock grinding furiously against the other man’s body. His moans echo in Seokjin’s ears, the low hum of pleasure doing just enough to soothe his frantic thoughts. His lips roam all over, touching, feeling, savoring the distraction they provide. Until the spells is broken.

“Kiss me,” his partner begs.

That’s when he realizes his mistake.

He steps back, staggering as his chest heaves, crushed under the weight of what he’d done. Underneath the fluorescent lights of the bathroom, Seokjin realizes two crucial things:

He was far beyond the stages of a silly, trivial crush. No, he, Kim Seokjin, was head over heels in love with you, ____ ____. The kind of all-consuming, soul-stirring love that would stay with a person for the rest of their life.

The two of you never kept secrets from one another, but this was a burden he’d have to shoulder alone. You were interested in Han, and just like every other boy before him, that meant that you’d never even consider giving Seokjin the time of day.

Seokjin was utterly and thoroughly fucked.

“Hey,” his hook-up says. “Why’d you stop?”

“This was a mistake,” is all he states before turning on his heels and running out of the bathroom, ignoring his cries of concern. He doesn’t look back.

…

Even as Han kissed and danced with you, there was a nagging feeling in the back of your mind, reminding you to check on Seokjin. He hadn’t seemed like himself tonight, and you panicked when you realized he’d gone AWOL.

“Hey,” you squeeze Han’s hand. “I think I’m gonna head out. Jin doesn’t look too good. I want to get him home.”

“Wow,” he smiles. “So on top of being incredibly smart and gorgeous, you’re also caring as heck? I really lucked out.”

Your cheeks heat and hit with a sudden boost of confidence. You turn to press a kiss on his cheek.

“I had fun tonight,” you whisper. “Maybe we can do this some other time. Just the two of us.”

You can feel him grinning behind you, and you float through the crowd effortlessly on cloud nine. The dream is shattered, however, when you take in Seokjin’s slumped-over figure, looking worse for wear. You’d never seen him this drunk, head lolled to the side. He hears your soft footsteps approach, opening his eyes, red-rimmed like he’s been crying.

“Hey you,” you bend down, stroking his hair. “You look like you’ve had a rough night.”

“S’okay,” he slurs. “Wh-why didn’t ya gooo home with Hal, no Hen, ughhhh, Han? You should go, keep having fun. I, I’ll be fine.”

He stumbles clumsily to his feet, and you blanch at how much alcohol you can smell on his breath.

“It’s okay, Seokjin,” you tell him, throwing his arm around your shoulder. “I can always see him another time. Right now, I wanna go home with you.”

You escort him out, letting him breathe in the fresh air at the entrance to the club while swiftly calling an Uber with two stops: one for your place and one for his. In the background, you can hear him heave and gag as he throws up, and your heart aches for being so oblivious while your best friend suffered.

The Uber ride back is silent, Seokjin resting his head on your shoulder. He doesn’t strike up a conversation and doesn’t make any jokes. Instead, he looks right past you, gazing out the window, the city lights gleaming on his face. The abyss between you is almost painful, running out of words to say now when you’d never struggled with that before. Your arms itch to wrap Seokjin into a tight hug, to let him know he’ll be fine, no matter what he’s struggling with, but you feel stagnant, as though you’ve been weighed down with lead.

The feeling follows you to his front door, where the two of you stand awkwardly, waiting for the other to say something.

It’s Seokjin that caves first.

“Hey ___,” he blurts out, his voice hoarse from disuse. “I have something I want to ask you.”

You’re about to breathe a massive sigh of relief but pause when you see his glassy eyes.

“Of course, Jinnie,” you throw your arms around him, burying yourself into his neck. “You can ask me anything.”

“I wanted to know if,” he manages to choke out, and you feel his pulse quicken under your palm, rising before it slows down again.

“I wanted to know if we’ll always be friends, even thirty years from now when we’re middle-aged with back pain and meddling kids. Or 50 years from now when we both have cane fights with each other. I hope we are.”

He sighs the last part, and you feel wetness on the side of his jaw. Heart breaking at his confession, you pull him in closer.

“Of course, we will. You’re not just a friend or a sidekick to me, Jinnie. You’re my partner in crime, or should I say crime-fighting? I need you like Batman needs Robin, or like Tony needs Pepper. As long as this is my life, you’ll always have a place in it.”

The tension in his shoulders melts away, and you hear him choke back a sob.

“Thank you.”

With the memories of that night at the club behind you, you launch yourself into a multitude of things: preparing for the gala, reading files at work, spending time with Han, and even managing to text and keep up with Seokjin. Life, as you know it, has always been busy and hectic, which is why it’s such a relief when Won-sik pages you.

“Another mission? I’m down.”

Things with Seokjin had been weird lately, and the last thing you wanted to do was add to his stress by recruiting him for another mission. He deserved the rest, but the crime-fighting never stopped for you.

Luckily, he’d agreed to accompany you, acting like everything was fine after his drunken meltdown, and you felt yourself sleep a little easier that night knowing he didn’t hate you.

Turning on the morning news, the headlines immediately allude to what Won-sik had told you. World-famous scientist Shin Ryujin has been captured by an unknown assailant, who claimed they wanted to hold her hostage and use her knowledge for their own evil plans.

While the rest of the world remained oblivious to the identity of her captor, you knew these antics could only be the mark of one man: Darken. It had him and She-Babe written all over. You could only hope they hadn’t put Ryujin into too much trouble before you found her.

Despite being a supervillain, Darken was also, quite frankly, an idiot. While most people who did terrible things tried to conceal their acts, Darken left huge clues. Very incriminating clues.

Although tucked away in a snowy and barren forest, his lair stuck out like a sore thumb. Who else would be stupid enough to build a multilevel, industrial-style building with a “Secret Lair” sign in the middle of nowhere? Lucky for you, that made it easy to break-in.

“God, it’s freezing out here,” Seokjin chatters through his teeth. “We should have worn coats.”

“Concentrate!” you hush him with a finger to his lips.

The saw watch does its work, cutting quickly through the layers of wood and metal that make up the facade. Bless Won-sik and his super wrinkly brain. His gadgets never failed you.

Tip-toeing down the halls, your suspicion is aroused. Everything in here looks… normal. Typically Darken was fond of the most outrageous, impractical booby traps. A chill runs down your spine. Whatever he had planned this time couldn’t have been good.

You and Seokjin move silently through the shadows until you reach the end of the long corridor. Huh. There were no doors in sight. Maybe you missed somethi–

The floor caves in around you, a black hole opening up underneath your feet, and you’ve hurtled down a chute, slipping and sliding until you land with a thud onto the ground below. That fucker had a trap door now!

“___ ___.” A sinister voice drawls. “We meet again.”

His eyebrows narrow with malevolent glee, clapping his hands together. Darken has you now.

“And you brought along that friend of yours, huh? What was his name again uhhhh… Seokmin? Minseok?”

“SEOKJIN!!” your best friend screams, face turning red. “My name is Kim fucking Seokjin! It’s honestly not that hard!!”

“Sorry,” you threaten him. “I don’t have time to play games because I’m gonna be too busy kicking your ass!”

“Uh uh uh,” Darken waggles a finger in your face. “One wrong move and our little scientist here goes for a nice swim.

You track his finger to the other side of the room, where a woman in a lab coat hangs over a pool, a gag over her mouth. Tension seizes your body when you see a bunch of grey-coloured fins swimming underneath. Sharks.

Darken presses a button, and a series of platforms come up through the floor, housing various robots. Synth drones, all targeted for your destruction. Now things were getting good.

“Seokjin! You go and free Ryujin; I’ll handle these hunks of metal.”

You dodge their laser blasts one by one, moving from side to side with all the agility you’d learned from your martial arts classes. Combine the dodging with a series of sneak attacks, and the drones would never know what hit him.

You finish off the last one, watching as it disintegrates into a pile of goo.

“Ew….”

“___!” Seokjin calls out to you. “A little help.”

He’s dangling from the same rope as Ryujin, sharks nipping at his heels. Eyes closed, his screams echo through the lair.

“I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die!”

“Hold on,” you say. “I’ve got you!”

“Odengie, chewwww!” Seokjin yells, and you smile, knowing he understood your command.

Odeng gnaws through the rope, and they all free-fall, down straight towards the treacherous pool. Moments before they make contact, you release your grappling hook, grabbing them out of harm’s way.

“NOOOOO!” Darken screams. “You may have foiled my plan, but I have another one brewing in my secret lair on the other side of the forest. This won’t be the last you hear of me!”

He presses a button, releasing another trap door to his escape.

“Whew,” Seokjin pants.”That was close. For a moment there, I thought we were canned tuna.”

“Shin Ryujin? I’m ___, and this is Seokjin. We just have a couple of questions for you.”

While Ryujin is thankful to you both for rescuing her, kneeling on the ground in a full bow, she sighs heavily, explaining that she can’t remember anything.

“Her memory’s wiped,” Seokjin concludes. “You know what that means.”

“Whatever Darken’s planning, it’s big,” your voice wavers. “So big that he must not want anyone finding out about it. We have to be prepared.

The mall was always your favorite place in the world. It was the epicenter of your hangouts with Seokjin growing up, intimate enough that you could talk about all your worries but discreet enough to hide any conversation about your… other pursuits.

You take a step back from the mirror, taking in the green satin dress you picked for the gala. It was daring, a large thigh-high slit creeping up the front and very different from anything else you’d ever worn. Maybe you couldn’t pull it off.

“I don’t know!” you scream out in frustration. “I think it looks good, but what if I just look like a loser playing dress-up.”

“None of that!” Seokjin shuts you down. “I’m the loser playing dress-up, but I’m also the loser who wants to see it!”

The lock to the changing room clicks open, and you step out, suddenly feeling shy in Seokjin’s presence.

His face has gone entirely slack, mouth hanging open at the sight of you in the dress.

“It’s horrible, isn’t it?”

It’s far from it. There are a million things he wants to say, but none of them come out except:

“Holy shit. You’re beautiful ___.”

Freezing, you feel your heart thump loudly in your rib cage. Seokjin always reminded you that you were cute in high school, but he’d never actually called you beautiful before. And never in such a profound way. Butterflies dance in your stomach, and you close your eyes briefly, wishing the gala would be as magical as this moment.

A look of horror crosses your face when you realize you’d completely forgotten to look at Seokjin’s tux. Peering at him through the mirror next to you, you’re rendered speechless.

His glasses are off, and you finally notice how perfect his face is. All sharp angles, framed by a mop of soft honey-coloured hair and the most perfect plush lips. He doesn’t just look good. He looks handsome beyond description, like a modern-day Adonis.

“Is there a fly in your mouth?” Seokjin chuckles at your blank expression.

“Jin, you look hot. Like really hot.”

Seokjin freezes, shoulders tensing at your compliment, almost like he can’t believe you mean it. But you did mean it. Whoever he brought to the gala would be so lucky, and a small part of your heart aches at the fact that it wouldn’t be you that he’d be twirling around the dance floor, a Prince Charming to your Cinderella.

“Sure you don’t want to reconsider your options?” he whispers in your ear, fingers settling into the curve of your back. His low voice sends a delicious chill up your spine.

Before you can answer, you’re interrupted, the two of you breaking apart guiltily.

“___! Seokjin-hyung! Funny running into you here,”

Han’s smiley face comes into view, and you stumble off the podium, putting some distance between you and Seokjin.

“Hey babe,” Han greets you with a peck. “Wow, you look good.”

Good. Not beautiful.

“Babe?” Seokjin grunts through his teeth, trying to come off light-hearted. “Is there something I’m missing here?”

You don’t know why you can’t find the words to tell Seokjin the truth. Maybe it’s because of the way you can’t stop staring at him, even in Han’s presence. Perhaps it’s because this date pact you were so sure about before doesn’t seem so sure anymore.

“We’re dating hyung! Thanks for setting us up!” Han spills the hard truth out before you can, and you watch Seokjin’s face pale, the rosy color from his cheeks bleeding out to the hue of parchment.

“Oh wow,” Seokjin exclaims. “Oh wow! That’s great news. I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Awww, thank you,” Han beams, taking your hand in his. “You don’t mind if I steal her after this?”

“No,” Seokjin’s words are full of steel. “I have an errand to run for my eomma anyway.”

You remain frozen as Han chatters away, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to stop Seokjin from rushing out of the store with his new suit in tow. This was supposed to be the best summer of your life, so why did you feel so empty?

The city’s skyscrapers look over Seokjin, casting a grim shadow over the walk he decided to take to clear his head. Limbs heavy, he still reels from the conversation with you and Han. The betrayal sinks in. Why hadn’t you told him yourself? You guys always told each other everything.

Instead, it felt like a knife to his gut hearing it from Han’s mouth and to watch you stand there and say nothing. The least he deserved was an explanation before you’d run off together. But it seemed like you didn’t care enough to tell him what was happening with you anymore. Ever since the summer had started, he felt you pulling away from him more and more, the bridge that had once connected you two growing into a vast chasm, where he fell through the cracks.

Walking through his rage, he finds himself on an unfamiliar street, but a glimmer of recognition appears when he sees the street sign. That scientist girl, Ryujin, lived here. She was too shaken up to answer your questions during the rescue, but maybe she was feeling better now. After everything had been settled, she gave both of them her address, telling them they could come and talk to her whenever.

An eternity seems to pass as Seokjin contemplates whether he should reach out before finally deciding to shoot Ryujin a text. Maybe it was time to take matters into his own hands. A team consisted of multiple people, after all. His shoulders slump, an ache beginning to build in his temple, traveling up to his head. He was tired of always being in the shadows, being the sidekick that never got the credit and never got the girl. If he could get something helpful out of Ryujin, maybe all that would change.

A ping from his phone confirms that Ryujin accepted his proposition, inviting him upstairs to her apartment. The posh building isn’t hard to find, the doorman greeting him on his way in as he buzzes Ryujin.

“Send him up, Alfred,” her voice blares through the intercom.

Fifteen or so floors later, he’s in front of her door. Making a fist to knock, Seokjin jumps slightly when the door opens before he can do so, Ryujin’s smiling face on the other side.

“Kim Seokjin, right? Nice to see you again.”

Walking into the space, he’s surprised by how well-put-together everything is. Every piece is impeccable, from the raw leather sofa to the fluffy white rug to the dining table made of unfinished wood. If Ryujin ever wanted to quit the science industry, she’d have a budding career as an interior designer.

“Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Tea? I have a bottle of Chardonnay I haven’t opened yet.”

Seokjin’s throat feels dry, but not because he’s dehydrated. He can’t remember the last time he’s been alone with a woman that wasn’t you. He plops onto the couch, looking around awkwardly at anything he can find – the rug, the trinkets that decorate her side tables, the view of the building across the street.

“Just water is fine.”

Nodding, she walks over to her kitchen, filling up a glass and handing it to him. He’s thankful for the drink; all the questions he had for her still stuck in the back of his throat.

Ryujin breaks the silence, sitting on the couch next to him. “I know you’re here to ask me what I know. Even though I’m better, the memories haven’t fully returned to me. I’m so sorry to disappoint you.”

“You’re not disappointing me,” Seokjin dispels her worry. “Anything you have to say would be valuable information, so we can lock Darken up for good.”

Ryujin hesitates, fidgeting with her fingers. It’s like she wants to say something but can’t. Seokjin places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and the tension seeps out of her pores.

“I’d been working on this new tech device, I-, I can’t remember what it was, but I was gonna contract it out to a lot of companies across the city. Most of their names are coming up blank, but the one I do remember is Lockhart and Lee.”

Seokjin’s blood turns to ice. That was your firm. Was Darken specifically putting a target on your back? What else could he want to do with your workplace?

Ryujin’s body is shaking, tears filling up her eyes. She rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet, looking like a lost child.

“I-, I’m so sorry! I made a stupid mistake and let him access my mind, and now I can’t even help you defeat him! I should have been stronger.”

If there’s one thing Seokjin can’t stand, it’s people being hard on themselves. He knows the pitfalls of constantly putting yourself down too well. His hand closes over Ryujin’s, gently rubbing his thumb against her knuckles.

“Hey, no big deal. Thanks for telling me; it was still valuable information. You’re doing just fine.”

“R-really?” she blurts out.

“Really.”

“Seokjin,” she breathes, and he notices her expression has changed. The panic and anxiety have melted, making way for an emotion he was familiar with - longing. “I still have that bottle of Chardonnay.”

Seokjin’s head spins. So much had happened today, from shopping with you to finding out you were dating Han. He just wanted to forget the mess he found himself in, let loose, and have fun.

“I guess one drink wouldn’t hurt.”

One drink turns into many, and before Seokjin knows it, Ryujin is straddling his lap, grinding her core into his hips. The difference now is that Seokjin reciprocates, nipping at her collarbone, where the strap of her tank top slides off her shoulder. The rest of his evening passes in a blur, the alcohol sinking into his veins, rendering him weightless. In no time at all, he’s lulled into a deep sleep.

The following morning, the light filters into the apartment, and Seokjin awakes in a cold sweat. What happened? All he remembered was getting plastered and making out with Ryujin, and his heart sinks with guilt. Using her as a rebound wasn’t fair.

A soft ahem interrupts him, and Seokjin rubs at his eyes, vision finally clearing to see Ryujin sitting on the chair across from the couch, sipping a cup of coffee. An identical steaming mug is placed on the table, and she gestures toward it.

His hesitation in reaching for the cup prompts her to speak up.

“We didn’t sleep together if that’s what you’re thinking.” And Seokjin lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. She looks… upset.

“It almost got there, but you were drunk, I think. Kept moaning out weird things. Like ‘___, ____’. I figured a handsome guy like you would already have someone.”

Her confession leaves Seokjin reeling like he’s been kicked in the gut one too many times. Had he really moaned out your name in the middle of hooking up with her? Ryujin looks at him curiously, waiting for his explanation or any type of response.

But Seokjin has no explanation. His only answer is that he’s a heartbroken fool, hung up on his best friend, who’ll never want him the same way he wants her. At that moment, all of it feels stupid. The tiny crush that he’d blown out of proportion. The desire to hold you in his arms, feel your lips on his, and your body underneath his. The dates he’d imagined in his head, the future wedding, the kids. What hurts him most is that he even dared to believe it in the first place. The bright glimmer of hope had carried him through so many years with you, but now the flame was flickering. So Seokjin stamps it out. He needed to get over you.

He rises, with a start, frantically reaching for his wallet and his jacket. He knows he should stay and offer more of an explanation, but he couldn’t right now. Not without bursting into tears.

“I’m sorry.”

. . .

Ryujin watches Seokjin hurry out of the building from her window, his tiny figure rushing through the crowd on the street, bumping into the strangers on their daily commute.

Something is itching on her back. Groaning, she scratches furiously, pulling down the zipper and slipping out of the suit. Goddamn. Did it have to be this scratchy?

Looking into the mirror, she combs through her hair, pursing her lips and checking her face for any blemishes.

The phone rings.

“Hey, boss. It’s me. I lured Kim into the apartment. I didn’t manage to get much out of him, but it seems that something’s going on with him and ___. I believe there’s a tiny rift there we can exploit.”

On the other end, Darken listens in, cackling maniacally. She-Babe smiles. Things were going just as planned.

The static makes your ears ring, your client yelling at you over the phone. Rubbing the skin in between your eyes, you resist the urge not to fall asleep. Work had become even more overbearing lately. Suddenly, your company wanted to try out these new headsets, claiming that they wanted the office to become more “technology-integrated.” You thought it was weird for the admins and staff to be walking around like they were at a silent disco but kept your mouth shut.

Getting off work today was your most exciting prospect. Between dates with Han and the mountain-load of cases you had to review, you were glad things have been relatively quiet on the supervillain front. Unfortunately, that also meant you hadn’t seen Seokjin for a while since that day at the mall. Every time you asked him to hang out, he always made some sort of excuse, telling you he was busy or tired. He still responded to your messages, but his answers were brief and curt. You wondered if something was going on.

Which is why your grand plan was to show up at his apartment today, surprising him after work. You make all the necessary stops to prepare, picking up groceries and a bouquet of flowers for the vase he kept on his counter. Things were never weird between you two, but you had made it weird by not telling him about Han. All you wanted was to let Seokjin know his presence was still valued. You needed your best friend.

Seokjin’s face pales when he sees you standing outside his door that evening, groaning from carrying all the heavy shopping bags up the stairs.

You invite yourself in, setting the groceries down on his counter.

“Is this a bad time?” you ask. “I wanted to make jjajangmyeon together; we haven’t done that in a while.”

His stiff face immediately softens, and you feel the warmth settle back in between the two of you. The way to Seokjin’s heart was always through his stomach.

He taps his chin playfully, pretending to contemplate your proposal. “Hmm, I could be convinced.”

“Great.”

. . .

The normalcy returns in mere moments, you and Seokjin working side by side comfortably in the kitchen. While he was more of the chef between you two, you worked seamlessly as a team. He prepared the sauce and noodles while you chopped the meat and vegetables.

Seokjin turns on Spotify while you cook, bopping around to a random playlist of pop, hip-hop, and RnB. His crystal clear voice carries through the apartment, singing along enthusiastically. A huge grin lights up your face at seeing him so in his element, and you can’t help but sing and clap along. Soon, he offers you a hand, and you accept it without hesitation, the two of you stumbling throughout the kitchen, limbs tangling in an awkward dance. Your shared laughter punctuates the different beats and rhythms in his apartment, working together with your simple steps to create an unconventional symphony of joy.

The dance finishes with a flourish, Seokjin letting you go in a spin, and you end up right on the couch, two steaming bowls of jjajangmyeon waiting for you.

You take the first bite, the savory sauce hitting your tastebuds. “Mmmh, this tastes better than sex.”

“Don’t let Han hear you say that,” Seokjin snickers, and immediately the awkwardness settles back in.

“Thanks for hanging out with me, Seokjin. I’m sorry things have been so weird lately. I miss you a lot.”

“I’m right here, ___. Life is busy, but if you ever need me, you know where to look.”

Staring up at him, you take him in - his hair is ruffled and slightly fluffy. He must have washed it right before you arrived. His broad shoulders are enormous in the black hoodie he wears, and he looks like a giant teddy bear, just waiting for you to hug.

And that’s what you do. Fork clattering against the plate, you set it to the side, arms wrapping awkwardly around Seokjin’s frame from the side. You rest your head on his shoulder, and he stills, his unfinished plate of noodles long forgotten.

“Do you remember that summer I went away to camp?” His voice wobbles, head still turned to the side. “It was the worst summer of my life.”

You chuckle softly, hands running up and down his back. “We all know why -- no cell service, lots of bugs, you got chased by that bear.”

“That’s not why,” he breathes, and you sit up straight, tilting his head to meet yours.

“It was the worst summer ever,” he continues. “Because I had to spend it being away from you.”

The pained look in his eyes makes your heart drop with guilt – you never wanted to see anything like it on his face again.

“Is everything okay, Jinnie? Tell me what’s wrong.”

His entire demeanor changed in a split second, moving away to put distance in between you on the couch, refusing to look at you again.

The gesture fills you with anger – you were doing your best to hear him out, to be there for him as a friend, and this was how he acted?

“Okay, literally, what the fuck is up with you. You’ve been acting weird all summer. Whenever I try to talk to you, you refuse to let me in! I don’t even recognize you anymore.”

He flushes, face reddening.

“I’m being fucking weird, huh? That’s me, Kim Seokjin, the weirdo!”

“You’re being childish! Stop it!”

“If you don’t want someone full of weird shit, why don’t you go hang out with your boyfriend?”

The statement feels like a slap to your face. You taste the tang of salt, not realizing tears had begun to stream down your face. Heaving, you wrack your mind for something, anything you could say to remedy the situation. Everything had crashed and burned in a matter of moments, just when you thought it would be alright. But you say something you never meant to, born from the inferno of your anger.

“Grow the fuck up, Seokjin! I’m not your mom – if you can’t handle things changing, then maybe you should do some thinking. I’m done.”

“Leave then.” And it feels like he threw a bucket of cold ice over your head.

His command for you to go isn’t what hurts the most. No, what hurts the most is when you stalk towards his door, rubbing your smudged mascara, and he doesn’t even look at you.

“Earth to ___? You’re zoning out again,” Han smiles at you behind the 4 tier slice of cake you’d decided to share.

You muster a weak smile back, not wanting him to worry. He’d been so sweet to you over the past few weeks, spending lots of time with you. Even though your boyfriend’s kind gestures helped give you a slight semblance of some peace of mind, you’re still left reeling and picking up the pieces from your fight with Seokjin.

Han was wonderful. He was everything you thought you’d ever wanted in someone - cute, kind, considerate. He held open the door for you all the time, and always made sure to compliment you constantly. But he didn’t crack dad jokes, or plan goofy pranks, or have a sugar glider that he was more enamored with than any person he’d dated before.

You realized he wasn’t Seokjin, nor could he completely fill the void that Seokjin had left in your life. The bond between the two of you had been forged over so many years, but severed in a matter of moments.

Maybe that’s just how life went. You spent so much of your time with someone, and then something happens one day that ends it. The nasty words you’d exchanged in the fight come back to haunt, and you wish you could take them back. But you were afraid. Afraid that he hated you. Maybe this was the sign you needed that things were changing, and that you needed time apart from each other.

In the back of your head, you hear Han’s voice, calling out to you. Blinking, you tune back into the present moment, Han repeating your name with concern.

“Sorry,” you collect yourself, banishing all thoughts of Seokjin from your head. “What did you say again?”

“Do you want to go to the gala? I mean, you have to go, sorry. I meant - do you want to go with me?”

His eyes are bright, shining with hope, and perhaps that’s what you need during this dark summer. A little bit of hope.

“I’d love that.”

“Calling up an 18 year old nerd for girl advice? That’s a new low, even for a dork like you, Seokjin.”

“Shut up Won-sik, or you can kiss our next Mario Kart tournament goodbye,” Seokjin scowls.

Everything had seemed so clear in the moment: Seokjin wanted you to go, so you left. But the gaping hole your departure had left couldn’t be fixed, taking the sun with you. Storm clouds lingered in his mind, and Seokjin could no longer put a Band-aid on his feelings. So he asked for help from the only person he knew would be able to think rationally and logically.

Or so he thought.

“What do you mean just tell her about my feelings?”

Seokjin’s heart is thumping, his hand shaking as he moves to put the receiver down.

“It’s really not that hard man. Just be honest, and whatever happens happens. At least you can put it all out on the line.”

This was not what he wanted to hear. Before he can stop himself, Seokjin blurts out something that was another mistake in the list of growing fuck-ups he’d had recently.

“You don’t know anything Won-sik, you’re just a kid.”

Won-sik’s cry of protest is cut off, the line going dead when Seokjin hangs up. His heavy breathing echoes throughout his room. Then, he calls the only other person he could talk to right now.

“Seokjin!” Ryujin exclaims gleefully. “So nice to hear from you.”

“Listen, are you free the night of the 29th?”

“Depends,” Ryujin giggles. “What is it for?”

“I want to date–, I mean, I want you to be my date, for a gala,” Seokjin sputters. He knows the invitation is uncouth, and not romantic at all, but he can’t bring himself to care anymore. He didn’t want romance. He just wanted this feeling to leave.

“Oooh sounds fun. I’ll be there.”

. . .

“Did you hear that boss? It’s happening on the 29th,” She-Babe smiles through the receiver.

“Perfect,’ Darken rubs his palms together. “I’ve nearly extracted the information I need.”

Looking behind him, the limp figure of the real Shin Ryujin sits, hooked up to his elaborate brain-tap machine.

“Prepare everything, She-Babe. We’ll be ready to strike soon.”

The day you’d finally been waiting for was here. After waiting for the gala all summer, you were all finally gathered at the fancy venue, decked out in your finest. You had to commend the planning committee - they’d gone all out. Fairy lights decorated the entire ballroom, bringing the outdoors inside with twisting vines and fresh flowers as decorations. It felt like summer had brought its ight inside with it, and it was invigorating. Or maybe that was all the free champagne.

You purse your lips, smiling at your own little contribution to the night’s festivities. Behind all the tables, an extravagant stage was the focal point of the room, and on top of it – the world’s hottest boyband. DTS. AM had been more than eager to help out with the entertainment after you’d called in your favor.

“Call me Namjoon,” he’d grinned over the phone.

The boys crooned a slow, but sultry tone, and you felt yourself heat. A hand wraps around your waist, and you smile up at Han. He’d been ever the gentleman, picking you up and helping you out of the car. The two of you floated around the gala, talking up random coworkers and their guests. He charmed eveyone he’d met, and you were thankful for his bubbly presence for quelling the anxiety you’d had.

Seokjin wasn’t here yet. Maybe he’d decided not to come at all. And despite the night benign everything you’d ever hoped for - the fairytale date of your dreams, it all felt hollow without him here to celebrate with you. You’d been hoping to catch him in a dance, and apologize for your behaviour. You wanted to make things right between you again. You needed to.

But he was nowhere to be found, and you resigned yourself to the emptiness that lingered in your heart. You’d driven him away.

The doors open all of a sudden, welcoming another set of guests into the gala, and you gasp, excusing yourself when you see Seokjin among them. He looks just as handsome as that day in the mall, if not more, the tuxedo highlighting his broad shoulders. But he’s not alone. Your heart drops to your stomach when you realize he’d invited Ryujin as his guest, in an ethereal, floating dress of her own. They look like a celebrity couple.

You can’t stop staring at them, even minutes later, despite Han’s offer to get more drinks for you. Finally giving in, you request a glass of champagne, hoping the fizzy bubbles would soothe the bitter acid that had begun to rise up in your throat. You needed something to take the edge off.

But the pain doesn’t go away, not even when you see Seokjin approach, Ryujin hanging off his arm.

“Hey,” he says, slightly out of breath when he sees you’d worn the same green dress he’d complimented.

“Hi,” you say meekly, unable to muster the strength to look in his eyes. Instead, you stare absently at his bowtie. “Are you having a good time?”

Ryujin answers for him, clapping a well-manicured hand on his shoulder. “Yes! Everything is stunning. Your firm did the most wonderful job.”

“That’s great,” you stutter, backing away. “You guys have fun, okay? I have to go, Han is waiting for me.”

You accept Han’s hand, letting him lead you into a dance out onto the floor. You’re grateful for the upbeat song, J-Nope’s melodious voice in the background. Then you can shift your focus away from Seokjin, losing yourself in the dance. But you’re as stiff as a board, moving robotically, and you catch a glimpse of Seokjin dancing with Ryujin across the room from you. He pulls her in close, arms wrapping around her waist, and their foreheads touch.

You trip over Han’s toes when Seokjin presses his lips to Ryujin’s. Suddenly the room feels too hot, like there’s not enough air circulating in your lungs. You’re bent over, heaving, determinedly willing yourself to catch your breath, and stop the fresh tears in your eyes from coming forward.

“You okay?” Han asks, bending over to check on you.

You manage a shaky breath. “Fine. I just need to go to the bathroom.”

Gratefully, he doesn’t question you, instead choosing to let you go. Your feet move on their own, running out of the ballroom, until you’re in the corridor next to the bathrooms, finally able to breathe again. With the breath though, comes the stark reminder of what you’d just seen, and you feel like you’re going to be sick. The bathroom door is flung wide open, your heels clacking on the tile as you run into an empty stall.

Securing the lock, you slump onto the ground, finally giving into the sobs that now wrack your body. Why did it bother you so much? Seeing him with her, dancing and laughing. Seokjin was your best friend, and you wanted that for him, right? Just like you’d wanted a perfect date to the gala in Han.

Except the more and more you thought about it, you realized you didn’t want that for him. No, you were selfish. You wanted your best friend back. You wanted to be the one he smiled at, the one he joked with, the one he danced with. The one he kissed. Lashes fluttering, you close your eyes, lamenting at how you’d never have those things. Han could never make you feel a fraction of the way that Seokjin, and a harsh realization strikes you, one that brings more tears to your eyes.

You were in love with your best friend. You’d probably been in love with him for a long time, and were too stupid to realize it. And now everything was ruined, and he’d found someone else, someone who’d reciprocated his kindness. The ache in your chest grows deeper, and you realize you’d broken your own heart, by missing what had been in front of you this entire time.

…

Ryujin leads Seokjin out into the hallway, their faces flushed from the alcohol and dancing. Seokjin looks around, hoping to catch you out here, but you’d mysteriously disappeared during the dance, leaving Han stranded.

“Sorry, I was getting so warm,” Ryujin giggles, pinning him against the wall. Her lips press against the corner of his mouth. While he was grateful she’d agreed to be his date, he wasn’t sure about the depth of his feelings for her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Seokjin grunts. “Can we hold on a second?”

“Too late,” she says, reaching behind her back. In seconds, a dagger is at his throat.

“What the fuck?”

“Oh I really had you fooled, didn’t I baby?” She coos menacingly, poking his cheek. “Poor little Seokjinnie, all heartbroken and feeling sorry for himself. Good thing I’m here to take care of you. For good.”

Ryujin reaches behind her dress, and he hears the zzzt of a zipper being undone. Suddenly, Ryujin is gone. And standing in her place is someone far worse.

“Miss me, love?” She-Babe drawls.

. . .

One moment, the party was swinging, the band dancing on stage and everyone chattering. The next, a high pitched sound pierces the ears of the attendees. A sound wave, powerful enough to knock anyone out. Soon, only one person is left standing.

Dr. Darken looks over the incapacitated crowd. The plan was in motion. For months, he’d been using Ryujin’s computer technology to infiltrate your office with headsets, collecting data on the ins and outs of the office. And now, with the entire staff incapacitated from the soundwave, he would finally have access to all the files at Lockhart and Lee, gaining information on your corporate clients. Incriminating information that would make him a millionaire.

Dagger to his throat and staring down a supervillainess, Seokjin does the only logical thing he can do. But not before sending a silent apology to his mother. His knee darts up, slamming in between She-Babe’s legs, and she howls, loosening her grip enough for him to escape her clutches. And then he runs.

A sequence of apologies would be in order, it seemed. Seokjin picks up the expensive vases on the tables lining the hallway, hurtling them behind him. He hoped the crashing of the splintering glass would create enough of a diversion for She-Babe, putting her out of commission once her feet began to swell. He runs with only one thing in mind: finding you. You’d know what to do.

Until he reaches the exit. A growl sounds around the corner, and he knows She-Babe is approaching. But he also knows what he has to do.

Fortunately, the gala was being held on the same street as your office, Seokjin spotting the building quickly. The event had led to a momentary lapse in security in the building itself, and Seokjin was quickly able to sneak past the singular night guard, who’d fallen asleep. He makes it to the elevators just in time to see a bolt of green fire blast through the revolving doors in the lobby.

Sifting through his brain, Seokjin remembers a conversation with you on your very first day of work, the two of you sitting outside as you’d pointed out the floor your boss’ office was on. Pulling out his pager, he dials for help.

“Won-sik? I need you to tell me how to prevent someone from accessing a server. Oh, and also maybe how to disable an ultrasonic sound wave?”

Won-sik’s calm voice serves as his guiding presence, and Seokjin’s fingers tap across the keys. The dim computer is the only light source in the room, and he hopes She-Babe tears the whole office apart before she comes looking for him.

“Almost there,” he taps his foot, watching the bar move, little by little. He smells the smoke before seeing it, green flames exploding through the door. The force of it knocks him back, She-Babe’s face the last thing he sees before everything fades to black.

. . .

Stumbling out of the bathroom, you frown. There’s no one out in the hallway. Weird. Usually, the older crowd would be getting ready to turn in for the night.

The tune from your pager rings in your ears, and you realize that in the bathroom, you’d missed ten calls from Won-sik.

“What’s the sitc–” you begin, but his frantic voice cuts you off.

“They took him, ___. They took Jin.”

“Who took him?” The call cuts off before you get an answer, and you scream in frustration. This had to be the work of Drakken.

Your ears prick up, hearing someone in the hallway approach you.

“Well, well, we meet again, dear,” She-Babe drawls, a gruesome smirk on her face. “I don’t see your little boy toy here, though. Oh yeah, maybe that’s because he’s out cold on your boss’ floor!”

She cackles, throwing her head back. Her joy is interrupted when you run to her, swinging your leg out to kick her in the stomach.

“Don’t. Hurt. Him.”

Your teeth are clenched, and you land a punch to her face.

“Oh, you’re gonna regret that,” she seethes, a bolt of fire knocking you down.

“Fight me, ____. You’ll never win this time.”

And fight her, you do. The two of you go at it for what seems like forever until you’re broken and bruised and panting with sweat. This was a colossal waste of time. Somewhere out there, Seokjin was hurt. And you needed to get to him, by any means possible.

“Alright, you win.” Slumping to your knees, you kneel in front of her, and her brows raise in surprise.

Pleading, you press your palms together. “You can have whatever you want; just take me to him, please.”

Pressing your cheeks against the cold bars of the cell, you wonder how you’d ever be able to get out. Darken and She-Babe were long gone. She’d taken all your gadgets and locked you up before rushing back to the office building to complete the cyber-attack.

Seokjin sleeps across from you, cuts and bruises littering his handsome face. He looks worse for wear, blood oozing from his split lip. Pushing closer to him, your hands come up, cupping his face, and you gently run your fingers up and down, hoping it’ll soothe him while he sleeps. It was your fault he was in this condition in the first place. You’d dragged him into crime-fighting back in high school. Now the regret of your choice hangs above your head like a weight, waiting to drop. Why couldn’t you just have been his normal best friend? One who didn’t get mixed up into trouble at every trouble.

Maybe then you could’ve been normal teenagers that grew up doing normal things. Maybe then you could’ve had a chance together.

Sadness seeps into your veins, and you hang your head in shame.

“Maybe I’m not so extraordinary after all,” you confess softly, holding his hand in yours. “I couldn’t save the day this time.”

Seokjin’s eyes flutter as you speak, his breathing returning to normal.

“Not true,” he rasps, pulling you to him. Your foreheads touch, and you suck in a breath. “You’re ___ ___. You are my hero, and you’re far from ordinary.”

Eyes misting, you clutch his hand tightly to your chest. “Seokji–.”

“Shh, let me finish,” he whispers. “A lot of people call me a dork or a dweeb. But they don’t know that I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I’m lucky to have fallen in love with the most extraordinary girl and that I get to see her do all these amazing kickass things. That I get to be by her side.”

He chokes on the last words, and you sob harder. He’d been in love with you this whole time? God, you were a pair of fools, tearfully holding each other in a cell.

“It’s you, Seokjin,” your eyes glimmer with realization, melting into his soft touch. “I love you too. I’ve always loved you.”

His lips surge towards yours, and you meet him halfway. There are no shy brushes, no chaste pecks. You’re kissing your best friend. Like really kissing him, and sparks erupt underneath your skin. The air around you crackles with electricity, but there’s a warmth in your chest. One that feels like you’ve finally come home.

Seokjin’s fingers dig into your waist, pulling you closer to him. Your airy sigh is the cue he needs to deepen the kiss, tilting his head and slipping his tongue inside, and you let out a small whimper, digging your fingers into the hair at the back of his neck.

A loud clatter breaks you apart with a jolt, and you look to see something has fallen out of Seokjin’s pocket.

“Where did you get this?”

Seokjin pulls away with a huge grin, his lips red from kissing for so long. “You love me.”

“I do,” you giggle, smoothing his ruffled hair.

“I’ve had that sitting in my pocket since I got the suit. I went to see Ryujin that day. Turns out it wasn’t Ryujin, but She-Babe in disguise.”

You gape at him. “Are you for real?”

Diving back in, you press a series of tiny pecks to his face, watching the tips of his ears turn red.

“You. Are. A. Genius.”

The cell bars are no match for the lipstick laser, the metal melting away. You and Seokjin step out of the holding, and he looks at you quizzically, silently asking what’s next.

Taking your hand in his, you explain: “We have a gala to save.”

Darken swings around in the office chair, staring gleefully at your boss’ computer. The download was nearly complete, and soon he’d be among the wealthiest men in the world.

“I winnnn,” he says in a sing-song voice. “I win!!!!”

In the corner, She-Babe rolls her eyes. She’d done over half the work.

The door opens with a loud bang, and Darken turns around, looking for the intruder. His face pales in shock when he sees you, Seokjin, and Odeng waiting for him, stern looks on your face,

“Not so fast, Darken.”

“She-Babe, attack!” Darken screams. She sighs heavily before jumping into action.

“You two can’t get enough of me, can you? Say, maybe we should set this all aside, spend time together in some other way….”

“Over my dead body,” you punch her square in the face.

“Have it your way,” she growls.

The office lights up with green flames and bolts from the lipstick laser, the weapons creating a terrifying backdrop to the macabre dance that ensues between you and She-Babe. You wrestle on the ground, taking turns pinning each other down and Darken watches with glee.

Seokjin, on the other hand, is confident he doesn’t have anything to worry about.

“Boo-yah! That’s my girlfriend,” he cheers you on, jumping up and down. You pause the fight momentarily, looking up at him, your eyes widening in disbelief. He smiles shyly, giving you a thumbs up, but the moment is interrupted by She-Babe clipping the side of your head.

“Love makes me sick,” she groans.

“Funny, you make me sicker.” And with that final declaration, you knock her out, a sucker punch to the throat. But it’s too late. The download is nearly complete, with only fifteen seconds remaining. Not nearly enough time to crack the code.

“Nice try,” Darken taunts, eyes gleaming when he watches the countdown go down.

All of a sudden, the computer screen shuts off, turning black.

“NOOOOOOOO,” Darken yells, falling to his knees. “What happened?”

“You forgot the third member of our team.” Seokjin gives Darken a smug smile, pointing underneath the table. Odeng stands there next to a chewed-up wire.

“You’re finished, Darken.”

“I’ll be back,” he screams, wagging a finger at you. From behind, a helicopter approaches. He drags She-Babe on board.

“This isn’t the last you’ve heard of meeee!”

Eventually, the helicopter disappears, becoming nothing more than a speck in the distance. Seokjin chuckles at the mess surrounding you.

“I sure hope your boss has good insurance ___.”

You beam at him, the giddiness you’d felt earlier during the kiss returning tenfold. He loved you. And you loved him. The hazy air blows around you, the city lights twinkling out the window. The moment is magical, the perfect end to your summer. Until you hear a squeak from behind you.

“Odengie!” You coo. “Good job, baby! You did so well.”

“He’s honestly saved our asses more than I can count,” Seokjin grins.

Odeng continues to squeak, backing away until he runs out the door.

“ODENG!” Seokjin yells, running to catch him.

“Wait for me!” You rush after the two of them, your laughter echoing into the night air.

After chasing Odeng, the two of you find yourself back at the gala building, breathless and slightly exhausted from tonight’s events.

Your pager goes off, and you look down to see a thumbs-up message from Won-sik. The faint strings of a guitar can be heard, and you smile. The music’s back on, which means that Won-sik succeeded in undoing Darken’s sound waves. Everyone would be alright.

Stepping towards the threshold, you pause. In the midst of everything that had happened, you’d forgotten about one thing. Han. He’d been so kind to you tonight, offering to be your company. You didn’t want to lead him on any longer now that you and Seokjin stood on the same page.

Something interrupts your field of vision, and you turn to see Seokjin offering you his arm. Despite his rough appearance, he looks like a complete gentleman, and you curse yourself for taking so long to realize that he was the one for you, and he’d been right by your side the entire time.

“Won-sik said no one remembers being knocked out,” he whispers. “Which means that if you want, we can restart the night over. The way it should have been in the first place.”

Linking your arm through his, you press a kiss to his cheek. “I’d love that.”

The two of you make your way back into the ballroom, the guests continuing to chatter away and drink their champagne. DTS is still up on the stage, with W taking the mic. He hums the first few notes before launching a slower, more romantic song.

Seokjin gives you a look of anticipation, silently asking if you want to dance, but there’s something else you have to do first. You give him a wave, telling him you’ll be back, and approach the one person you need to talk to, standing alone by the bar.

“Hey,” you say, and Han turns towards you. “How are you?”

“Doing fine,” Han smiles, and it doesn’t reach all the way up to his eyes. That’s when you remember he probably watched you walk in, arm in arm with Seokjin.

“Han, you’ve been wonderful. Amazing really. I couldn’t have asked for a better date to come to the gala. And I’m saying this because I don’t want to lead you on and because you deserve someone who’ll love you back as much as you love them.”

“Someone like Seokjin-hyung?” he asks, and your face pales. He places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I kind of always knew there was something in between you two… I guess I thought I could just change your mind. But I can’t, can I?

Your eyes become cloudy, and you hate yourself for breaking his heart. “I’m so sorry, Han.”

“It’s alright, ___.” Han’s smile is full of nothing but warmth and acceptance. “You should go. He’s waiting for you.”

You follow his finger behind you, a few feet away, where Seokjin stands against a pillar, a worried look on his face.

Wiping your tears, you wish him well and watch as he approaches another girl by the bar, striking up a conversation with her.

Seokjin doesn’t even wait a second before rushing to your side, wrapping his arms around your waist, asking if you’re okay.

“I’ll be fine,” you sigh, nuzzling into the space between his neck and shoulder. “We’ll all be fine.”

Behind you, W slows down, finishing and launching into another slow song, carried by the live band’s instrumentals.

Seokjin knows he doesn’t even have to ask, but he’s been waiting for this moment all summer. “Dance with me?”

Your face lights up again, and he swears he wants to see you smile at him like that for the rest of his life. But right here, and right now, this was enough.

The two of you sway with each other for a while, eyes closed and enjoying the music. You relish the feel of Seokjin’s strong body against yours, holding you tightly. He’d always been a safe place for you. First as your best friend, then as your partner, and now as your boyfriend. The future no longer seemed like it would be full of unfulfilled dreams and regrets but happy memories and smiles, all born from the love between you two.

W croons the last note, bowing and thanking everyone for their time, and your eyes finally open. Seokjin looks down at you fondly, and you realize you weren’t dreaming. This was real, and he was finally yours.

“Let’s get out of here,” he grins.

The Uber ride back to his apartment is full of anticipation, the two of you holding your breath as you watch the lights pass you. The driver says nothing about the way you lean your head against his shoulder or how Seokjin’s arm curves around your waist possessively, instead bidding you good night with a mischievous smile.

“What was that all about?” you mumble against him in the elevator.

“___.” Your name sounds different coming from Seokjin’s lips. His voice is lower, a rasp present, and you shiver, even though it’s warm outside. “You didn’t think the night would be over so soon, did you? I have more planned.”

“Oh yeah,” you challenge him, now wide awake. “Tell me about it.”

“I’d rather show you,” he smirks.

Ignoring your squeak of protest, Seokjin leans in, smashing his lips against yours. The kiss is frenzied, picking back up right where you left off last time, except there’ll be no interruptions this time. The floors go up, up, up, but you fail to notice, focused only on how his tongue slips into your mouth.

Groaning, Seokjin feels for the slit in your dress, pushing your thigh around his waist. The change in position means you feel every solid muscle of his against your body, and your hips move of their own accord, grinding down wherever you can.

“Fuck,” he groans. “You look so hot in this dress. I could have come in my pants the first time I saw you in it.”

His filthy words tease a whine from your throat, pulling him back towards you. The two of you make out for what seems like hours, even though the elevator up to his floor is only a few short minutes. You separate, and Seokjin looks sin incarnate: hair tousled, flushed skin, and swollen lips. You’re unable to take your eyes off him as he leads you down the hallway, fumbling with the code on his door.

His flustered antics make you smile but also cause a strange heat to unfurl in your belly; you had some idea of what would happen tonight, but you hadn’t really thought before about what Seokjin was like in bed. The lock finally opens, and Seokjin stumbles in, dragging you behind him.

He reaches into his pocket, and your face pales. “Shit. We forgot about Odengie.”

The two of you burst into quiet laughter, careful not to wake the sleeping sugar glider as Seokjin puts him to bed. He’s so gentle and cautious with Odeng, and you feel love bloom in your chest just looking at the two of them, wondering how you’d gotten so lucky.

“Okay, where were we?”

. . .

Seokjin thinks he must be dreaming. No, he’s pretty sure tonight is all just one perfect dream that’ll be gone as soon as he wakes up in the morning. Because the Seokjin at the beginning of the summer could never have imagined a situation like this.

Sinking to your knees, you look up at him through heavy-lidded lashes, reaching out to fish out his cock from his briefs. Your eyes widen when it springs forward.

“How the fuck,” you breathe heavily. “Is that supposed to fit inside me?”

You think he’s going to crack another dad joke, expecting to hear his windshield wiper laugh any moment now. But Seokjin’s eyes are dark, dilated with lust. The way he towers over you makes you shrink under his intense gaze, and you feel your core throb with need.

He bends down slightly, roughly turning your face up towards him. His thumb rubs against your swollen lips, smearing your dark lipstick all over your face.

“You’ll take what I give you, baby.” He says stormily. “Every inch of it. Now suck.”

The dominance in his tone has you clenching around nothing, clit pulsing with desire at this newfound side of him. Your lips wrap tentatively around his head, giving small kitten licks as you make your way upwards.

“Ughhh, that’s it, keep going, baby.” His groans spur you to become bolder, opening to engulf his entire girth in your mouth. You can feel wetness soak your panties underneath your dress, running messily down your thighs. You decide to continue like this for a while, taking more and more of his length each time, until your nose presses against the fine hairs of his happy trail. You moan around his cock, and the vibrations make him curse.

“Holy fuck, ___, you take me so well, babe. If your mouth feels this good, I can’t wait to know what your pussy feels like.”

You pull off his cock with a pop!, wide eyes looking up at him. The desire within you could no longer be contained, and you finally decide to give in, letting go of all your inhibitions.

“Fuck me, please, Seokjin, want to choke on your cock so bad.”

No sooner than the plea comes out of your mouth, Seokjin shoves his cock back inside, pushing until he feels the muscles of your throat contract around him.

“Fuuuck, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this.” His hand comes down to pull at your hair, leaving you limp and at his mercy completely. His hips piston, pushing his cock in and out of your mouth, going deeper every single time until you feel tears prick at the corner of your lids.

“Look at you, my pretty little cockslut. If I had known you loved sucking dick this much, I would have made sure your mouth was full of it every day.”

His taunts make you quiver, your wanton moans edging him to keep going. The need in your core has become overwhelming, and you slip your fingers under your dress, pushing your panties to the side.

Seokjin notices you falter on his cock, looking down to see you rubbing at your swollen bud, grinding back and forth against your fingers. Cute, he thinks. But it wasn’t gonna fly. The only way he wanted you coming was around his cock.

You can feel yourself coming close, close, close, until Seokjin’s arms wrap around you, pulling you off his cock sharply.

“Noooo,” you beg. “Please, I was so close.”

“Tough luck, babe. Now let me see what’s under that dress.”

The green satin cascades to the floor, revealing you clad in only a pair of black lace panties.

“On the bed,’ Seokjin commands, hovering over your prone figure.

Leaning back, you melt into his soft pillows, your entire body relaxed and on display for him. His lips ghost over your own, teasing you, before moving to press hungry kisses down your neck and the tops of your breasts. Your nipples ache, begging for his touch, and he reads you immediately, swirling his fingers over the buds before giving the left one a sharp tug. A broken moan leaves your lips.

“More, please. I need more.”

He wastes no time; one hand pulls at your nipple while the other ghosts between your legs, pulling at your panties until you hear a rip!

“Hey!” you protest but are promptly silenced by one of his fingers on your lips and two others shoved into your wet cunt.

“Mmph!” you whine, arousal gushing from you as he thrusts his fingers in and out, curling them inside you to hook against your walls. “I’m gonna come!”

Your back arches when he presses against a specific spot, rubbing circles against your clit at the same time and the familiar burn of your orgasm begins to rise, building in your stomach.

Only to be violently ripped away again. Your eyes are wet, tears streaming down your face from the ruined orgasms, and Seokjin pushes the sweaty strands of hair from your face.

“I’m gonna fuck you now,” he says, and his tone is no longer the same menacing dominant one. It’s petered out to a more gentle one, one that signifies that he’ll take care of you.

You can hear your heart racing, watching him slip away to roll on a condom. When he returns, he pauses, eyes boring into yours, asking for permission to keep going.

You stroke his cheeks, nodding your consent. “I love you.”

“I love you too ___. Always have and always will.”

He pushes into you slowly, groaning when he feels your walls widening to accommodate him. The two of you stay there for a few moments, catching your breath before you tell him it’s okay to move. His hips snap lazily against yours, fucking you slowly and deeply, the wet sounds of your arousal the only thing you can hear.

This time, you don’t feel the same burning need you had the two times before. Instead, your orgasm washes over you gently, like a wave lapping at the shore. You float breathlessly on a high, Seokjin following you not long after.

You remain entangled together, Seokjin’s shallow breaths fanning against your neck until you decide to break the silence.

“Where did that come from? I never knew you were so hot.”

“___, you’re kidding, right? You’re the hottest girl I’ve ever seen.”

“Shut up, Kim.”

“Make me.”

. . .

You wake to cold sheets, Seokjin’s warm presence no longer next to you. Rubbing your eyes, you call out for him but hear nothing.

Making your way out of bed, you stretch your sore muscles, flushing as you remember last night with Seokjin. When you walk into the living room, he’s nowhere to be found, the TV blaring. Frantic, you look all over for your phone, sighing in relief when you see a text from him.

“Went out to go get breakfast.”

Relieved that he hasn’t abandoned you, you take a seat on his couch, turning on the TV. A news Channel immediately pops up, and much to your surprise, they’re reporting on the events of last night. Nothing is mentioned of Darken or you and Seokjin; instead, it focuses mainly on the break-in and cyber-attack at the office. What does relieve you is the mention of the real Ryujin, who was rescued and returned safe and sound.

The door clicks faintly, Seokjin walking in to see you focused on the screen.

“You know,” he drawls out. “Maybe it was a relief She-Babe tricked me in the first place, or else Ryujin would be sitting here right now.”

You smirk to yourself, the food’s scent permeating your nostrils and making you hungry.

“Please, there’s no one else who’d spend the weekend with you eating Nacho Loco. Let’s be real.”

Seokjin walks up to you, pressing a kiss into your messy hair.

“Maybe you’re right. So, what else are we going to do on this fine weekend morning besides inhaling greasy breakfast burritos?”

Rolling your eyes, you slap his arm.

“I’m still sore from last night, don’t get any ideas.”

The look on his face is smug, but he pulls you into a hug.

“We can do anything now; we have all the time in the world.”

His declaration is immediately followed by the tune of your pager beeping. The two of you look at each other in mock horror before you open up the pager.

“Hey Won-sik, what’s the sitch?” Seokjin is the one to answer with your signature line.

“Seokjin??? But this is ___’s pager; what’s going on? Ohhhhhh…. Oh! Holy shit! You guys did it; you actually got together!”

His excited screams echo through the receiver, the two of you listening on, knowing another mission awaits.

“There go our plans,” you sigh.

“Wrong! There’s no one else I’d rather save the world with. You ready, ___?”

“Let the first joint team Kim-___ mission begin.”

A/N pt 2: As always, any feedback or comments are much appreciated, but I appreciate you all anyway. Lots of love, Isi 💜

taglist: @yoontaethings

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