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dovechim · 4 years

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the happiest place on earth (m)

➾ 24k

➾ summary: in this life, you have two goals. 1. get park jimin to notice you. 2. get into Broadway. (not necessarily in that order). you and jimin have been crew members at Disneyland for over a year, but he’s no closer to being your boyfriend than you are to getting into Broadway. when you get promoted from a fur character to a face character, your hopes and dreams of playing Princess Ariel opposite his Prince Eric are this close to coming true. But what happens when you’re tasked to play the Evil Queen instead?

slice of life au, incredibly cheesy towards the end. basically a lot of fluff with some smut :)

➾ warnings: protected sex, oral (f receiving) this one is pretty mild tbh

➾ a/n: for the purpose of this fic, let’s ignore that Sesame Street and Disney are own by two different companies 🙃 happy 25/26th birthday to one mr park jimin, the only Prince Charming I'll ever fall for 💓 this is just a warning of the cheesiness to come 🧀

The sounds of joyful music are slightly muffled, not just by the constant excited chatter around you, but also by the heavy costume that drags your entire body down. The incredible buildup of body heat is seemingly exacerbated by the sheer amount of bodies around you, little kids who are scampering to get a hold of your soft yellow fur.

“Mommy! I want a picture with Big Bird too!” A toddler’s voice wails from a distance, and you struggle to see out of the tiny little eye holes in the yellow neck of the costume.

Well, the good thing about having to wear this is that you don’t have to fake a smile for the cameras. The permanent grin on Big Bird’s face- er, beak, convinces everyone around you that you fit right in at this place.

The kids are all in giggles as they take turns hugging you with joyful screams and giggles, being towed away by their parents once they’ve got their shot. You can see your handler, Joy, keeping a watchful eye from a distance away to make sure things don’t get too out of hand. Your movements are heavy and cumbersome, but luckily you don’t have to move much because all the kids just crowd around you anyway.

Your time is nearly up. For the safety and well-being of all cast members who are required to wear full costumes, often referred to as fur characters, shifts are restricted to 15 minutes at a time, with a 45 minutes rest time before you go again. And with this weather, you feel as if the 15 minutes can’t go by fast enough.

You glance over enviously at Oscar the Grouch, your usual character, having a much calmer time with the noticeably thinner crowd around him. He’s never been a very popular character, especially not with the kids, since they tend to prefer the bright and cheerful personalities of Big Bird, Elmo and of course Cookie Monster. The blue furry character is dancing energetically on the street, rousing delighted cheers and screams from the kids as he pretends to queue at prop truck selling cookies.

You curse at the management’s decision to have you take over Big Bird’s character today. Better yet, you curse the guy who originally plays Big Bird. Why’d Kim Namjoon have to call in sick today of all days? And why, for heaven’s sake, did middle management think it’d be a good idea to get someone your size, to take his place?

Miserable and sweating bullets, you try your best to wave and move your arms around in some semblance of a dance to entertain the kids.

“Last photo, folks,” Joy waves her hands to get the crowd’s attention with a grin on her face. “Be sure to give Big Bird a big hug, alright?”

Your head jerks sharply in her direction with a steely glare, but it loses all effect because of the stupid goofy Big Bird head. As if the grubby kids around you needed any encouragement to squeeze and grope you in this costume. You swear, one more little kid mashing his face into you, stepping on your feet in the huge orange shoes, and you’ll just scream-

“Alright alright, Big Bird’s gotta go help Cookie Monster bake some cookies now,” Joy gently pries a little boy wearing glasses off you. She loops her arm around your fluffy wing to give you some support as the two of you start shuffling away slowly. “We’ll be back at 3pm! See you all then!”

Even if you hate every second being in this sweat soaked costume, you can’t deny that you’ve definitely noticed a change playing a slightly more popular character. Kids don’t pull faces at you the way they did when you were playing Oscar the Grouch, instead they tell you they love you, their faces light up when they see you, and they fight to be the first in line at for a photo opportunity with you.

There is a small warmth in your chest as you walk painfully slowly and turn down a discreet corner into the staff rest area. Once out of sight from the public, you strip off the bright yellow head as Joy opens the doors of the air-conditioned break room for you.

“Oh my god. That was the longest 15 minutes of my life,” you groan, collapsing down onto the floor dramatically. Joy winces in sympathy as she quickly gets a bottle of water for you, rummaging in the pantry for the good snacks.

“It was extra hot today, wasn’t it? Ugh, I’m dreading my shift next,” Joy tosses you a packet of biscuits.

The door bursts open, and Cookie Monster comes in singing and dancing, his energy seemingly limitless. When he strips off the character’s head, Jeon Jeongguk’s voice comes out even more clearly, the grin on his face still at full power as when he started his shift.

His hair is messy as he runs a hand through it, casting a puzzled glance at you laying down on the floor.

“Wasn’t that a great shift?” Jeongguk enthuses, a happy puppy grin on his face as his handler Kim Taehyung unzips the back of his costume. “The kids were all so cute. This really is the happiest place on earth!”

As if on comedic timing, Oscar the Grouch bursts into the room, and you can hear Min Yoongi cursing and swearing as he can’t get the character’s head off fast enough. From your position on the floor, sipping your water and nibbling at your crackers, you cast a jealous, spiteful glance at him.

What does he have to complain about? Oscar is practically the easiest character to play on Sesame Street!!

The buddy system consists of one character and one handler, and they switch shifts throughout the day. Kim Namjoon calling in sick means that the buddy system is one short today, and Yoongi doesn’t have anyone to switch shifts with. Which means he’s due to go again in less than thirty minutes.

Feeling your strength returning, you sit up again and start to unzip your costume so that Joy can start getting ready. There isn’t any changing room here, but all of you aren’t exactly naked under the costume, so no one has any objections changing in each other’s presence. Your light workout shorts and tanktop are soaked with sweat and sticking to your skin when you climb out of the yellow costume, kicking off the orange shoes before you turn to help Joy into it.

“Goooood afternoon!” A cheerful, happy voice sings out as the door opens, and your entire being perks up in recognition.

His presence brightens the room immediately- even Yoongi looks relieved to see him.

“Jimin? What are you doing here? It’s your day off,” Taehyung is half-way into his transformation into Cookie Monster.

“Heard Namjoon was sick today, so I volunteered to come in to cover,” he says with a happy grin, his eyes creased into a smile. His fluffy dark blue hair looks so soft, and he casts a brief glance across the room, eyes landing on you and Joy, Jeongguk and Taehyung, and then Yoongi, obviously doing the math. “I guess I’m up next in Oscar the Grouch?”

Dammit. One more reason why you’re cursing Min Yoongi, or more accurately, your rotten luck. You could have had a chance to partner with Park Jimin today if you’d stayed as Oscar the Grouch, something you’d been waiting for ever since you joined the park as a character actor.

Unfortunately, your schedule never seems to coincide with his, until today.

“Oh thank fucking God,” Yoongi mutters as he strips himself out of the costume in a hurry. “I’m so happy I could kiss you.”

Park Jimin giggles, a sound that sets off butterflies in your stomach. But nothing prepares you for the way he casually strips off his grey sweatpants to reveal the tight booty shorts underneath, preparing to step into the costume.

You belatedly realise that you are staring at Park Jimin’s very supple ass, and Joy is left to struggle into the Big Bird costume all by herself, with time running out. Turning away with a reddened blush on your cheeks that you hope the others attribute to the heat, you zip her up and hand her Big Bird’s head, leaving her to finish dressing herself as you quickly slip on some jeans and the standard issue polo shirt that handlers wear.

Your throat is dry as you glance at him shyly, wishing more than ever that you could be the one helping him into his costume. Min Yoongi catches the longing glance that you give him, but he can’t be arsed enough to tease you about it.

“C’mon guys, time to go!” Jimin’s smile is blinding as he gets ready to put on Oscar’s head, shuffling towards the door with the garbage bin around his waist. He makes eye contact with you, and your heart skips a beat. “Let’s make this a great shift!”

You’ve never been one for optimism. But somehow, it’s almost bearable when its coming from Jimin.

As you hold Joy’s hand and walk her slowly out to the main street, your attention remains on Jimin in the Oscar costume. Somehow, even in his grimy garbage can, nothing seems to dim his bright personality. He is like the sun as he dances on the street, crouches down in his garbage can, teases the kids and makes them scream with laughter. His movements are large and exaggerated, the way you were all trained to do, and you can’t help but admire his natural talent that can’t be hidden by a costume.

He is an incredible hit with the kids, an unusual occurrence. Someone like Park Jimin really does fit in here. Every bit of his personality suits the happiest place on earth.

Unlike yours.

It’s been almost a year since you joined as a character actor, and by now, practically the whole crew knows about your crush on Park Jimin. Everyone but the man himself, unfortunately. Luck just hasn’t been on your side so far, and most of the time you’re left admiring him from afar.

“So… that was an unexpected surprise,” Joy says as she wipes her face with a tissue, glancing at you in the mirror.

You pretend not to know what she’s talking about as you tie your sweaty hair up into a bun, getting ready to clock out. You and Joy are familiar with this routine, sharing the same schedule ever since the both of you decided that working as an amusement park character would be the best way to boost your resumes and eventually earn you the chance to audition for Broadway someday.

They were big and lofty dreams alright, but as long as you take a tiny step every day, you know you’ll make it eventually.

“You won’t get anything done hoeing around like that you know,” Joy giggles as she spies the nonchalant look on your face. “You need to go out there and get your man. Honestly. Or someone else will.”

You whip your head around to stare at her in panic. “Someone else has their eye on him? Who?”

Joy shrugs carelessly, but you can see the caution on her face as her movements slow. “Well… there are some rumours going around about him and Dahyun…”

“Dahyun? The girl who plays Ariel?” You frown, picturing them together in your mind. “I didn’t know they knew each other.”

“_______... they’re in the same rotation schedule,” Joy says with a hint of pity in her voice. Being the more outgoing of the two of you, she seems to be in on the latest news and gossip.

Or maybe that’s because you always leave the crew group chat on mute.

Sighing in frustration, you toss a used baby wipe into the trash. “How am I supposed to make a move if I can’t even talk to him? We barely even know each other, we’re just co-workers!”

“You and Jeongguk are co-workers, that doesn’t stop him from stealing your Pringles every time you leave them in the pantry, or you from play fighting with him when he does,” Joy points out.

“That’s different!” Your brows furrow in consternation, but you leave it at that. “Anyway, we don’t even have the same shift lined up.”

“Girl, you’re working in the happiest place on earth, where magic and fairytales and your Prince Charming is infinitely possible,” Joy sighs dreamily, waving the wand of her lip gloss around as if it were a real magic wand. “Make it happen.”

It seems like the whole wow factor of working at Disney hasn’t worn off on your best friend. As for your naturally cynical self, you can’t exactly say that you’ve never been amazed by the fact that you work at such a magical place, but it’s not really like you to get sucked in by all the illusion that this place offers.

“Ooh!! Can you imagine if he played Prince Charming, and you played Sleeping Beauty?” Joy almost falls over in her excitement as she grips your arm. “That’s like a magical love story waiting to happen!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” you grumble at her, but even you can’t help but let a small smile tug at the corners of your mouth. “It’s only been a year since we started, and all new joiners have to start at the bottom for god knows how long. Promotion is practically unheard of. Maybe we’ll be stuck playing Sesame Street characters still we’re old ladies.”

“Don’t say that!” Joy swipes your arm with a pout. “It’s got to do with vacancies as well. As soon as they need someone playing a face character, they’ll bump one of us up. That’s how Dahyun got Ariel within 6 months of joining.”

“Well, let’s hope one of them gets chickenpox or something, that’s the only way I’ll get a lucky break,” you say with a deadpan voice as Joy bursts into giggles, chiding you as you turn to exit the bathroom.

“What’s a princess character like her even want with Park Jimin anyway? Shouldn’t she be romancing, I don’t know, one of the Princes instead?” You can’t get your mind off that rumour of the both of them together.

You find it hard to believe, seeing as there is a very obvious social hierarchy amongst all the crew. The Disney princesses are the queen bees, the very top of the pyramid, along with the Princes. Somewhere around second tier are the less popular princesses such as Mulan, Pochahontas, or Tinkerbell, still very well sought after by guests, but a lot less well known as compared to, say Ariel or Sleeping Beauty. All the furry characters rank at the very bottom, with the only exception perhaps being the classic Mickey Mouse himself.

The hierarchy is so ingrained into the system that you don’t even talk to or hang out with anyone outside of your level. Even in the staff cafeteria, buried in the underbelly of Disney World itself, seating is segregated according to which character you play. It’s like high school all over again.

That’s exactly why Joy’s dream of playing a Disney princess is far-fetched, to say the least. It would be like jumping straight to the top of the hierarchy in the blink of an eye. The best you can hope for is a promotion to a face character. Any face character. Just so you don’t have to wear the unbearably stuffy, disgusting costume anymore.

“What should we eat? I’m in the mood for pizza- oh!” Joy stops in her tracks, and you smack into her back.

“Give me a heads up, would you,” you groan, massaging your forehead, moving to walk around her as you scan your card at the train gantry.

“Oh my god. It’s Park Jimin.” She sounds breathless, and you look up at the mention of his name.

And there he is, seated on one of the benches with his thighs spread in his grey sweatpants, white shirt almost hanging off his shoulder sinfully, and blue backpack slung casually over the other shoulder. He is scrolling through something on his phone, completely absorbed in what he sees on his screen.

“Here’s your chance!” You hear Joy hiss at you, shoving you forward. “Talk to him!”

You are reduced to a blubbering mess, somehow losing control over your limbs as Joy continues to push you forward until you are in his line of sight.

“-don’t want to- agh!”

Jimin glances up at the sound of your voice, a smile of recognition immediately lighting up his face as he puts his phone away.

“Hey! ______, right?”

Even the way he says your name reduces you to a pathetic pile of goo. The mere fact that he knows who you are…!

“U-uh, hi, yeah!” You smile awkwardly at him.

Jimin scoots over and pats the seat beside him invitingly, looking over your shoulder. “And Joy, right?”

“Mhmm, going home?” Joy responds so naturally; you wish you had her ease when it comes to talking to guys. Or anyone, in general.

“Yeah,” Jimin grins his heart melting smile again, this time directing it at you. “Hey, you did great with Big Bird today. It’s tough playing such a tall character- his head is the heaviest, I swear.”

“It-it is,” you stumble a reply back to him. “I don’t usually play Big Bird…”

“I know, your usual is Oscar right?” Jimin beams back. “I don’t know how you do it; it’s so hard to get his character just right! Especially wearing that costume- I feel like I’m behind a mask.”

Now you know he’s also painfully kind on top of everything else; complimenting you even though he easily plays Oscar better than you on your good days. Even the way he takes notice of your usual character makes you feel… dare you say… special.

“Hey, I forgot something back at the park, I’m gonna go back,” Joy says with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she bids the both of you goodbye. “You two go ahead! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

That sly little minx! You stand up involuntarily, panicking over being left alone with Jimin. At the same time, he grabs your arm to get your attention.

“Hey! The train’s here,” Jimin seems unperturbed by Joy’s sudden departure, getting up and starts walking towards the doors.

You hastily follow him into an empty cabin, struggling to keep your composure and cool your heated cheeks. There aren’t many people going in the opposite direction at this time of the evening, and the both of you find a seat easily.

“Which stop are you getting off at?” You ask, glancing at the map above the train doors.

“The second to last,” he grins with a slight wince. It’s absolutely adorable, the way he scrunches his nose. “I know, long ride right?”

“That’s my stop too!” Your eyes widen as you realise that you’ll be sharing the entire ride with him.

“Guess it’s my lucky day to have company then,” Jimin grins. “I think we joined at around the same time, but we haven’t really talked much.”

“Yeah, about a year ago, I think our schedules just haven’t really matched up,” you smile at him, having to avert your eyes as he ruffles his dark blue hair casually.

He flirts so effortlessly; his smiles are charming, and he draws you in with every word of his. It’s more than you could ever hope for, sharing a nearly empty train ride back with Park Jimin.

“So, is working at Disney everything you ever dreamt of and more?” Jimin asks, his eyes shining bright.

“You mean, did I dream of being stuck in a stuffy, sweaty and smelly costume for four hours a day? Totally,” you say unironically, but it makes Jimin giggle.

“Yeah, that part isn’t the best,” Jimin admits with a hand covering his mouth, still giggling. “I always make sure to air our whatever costume I’m wearing, so that the next person doesn’t have such a bad time.”

And he has a heart of gold too.

“It’ll get better once we get to play the face characters,” Jimin reassures with a few pats on your hand. The physical contact makes your heart skip a beat. “I think it’ll be soon, if we keep doing a good job!”

“Who are you hoping to get?” You desperately hope that he doesn’t see the blush on your cheeks.

“Hmmm, I don’t know. I guess I’ve always been a fan of Aladdin. You know, how cheeky he is and everything. Of course, I don’t think I’ll get a monkey as my sidekick, but still…”

“You’d make a perfect Aladdin,” you can already picture him charming all the little girls, sweeping them off their feet even without a magic carpet.

“What about you?” Jimin asks, a curious gleam in his eyes.

“Uhm… well…” you almost say Jasmine out of pure instinct, but you stop yourself just in time. To be honest, you never really thought about which face character you wanted to play. Getting a foot in the door to work at a Disney Park alone was a dream come true, and you’ve been so absorbed with the toiling labour of playing a fur character that you simply didn’t have the time to dream of something better.

But Jimin’s words have set you thinking. Of course, anyone’s answer might be to play a Disney Princess. It would be an incredible add to your resume. But could you really muster up enough of your acting skills to be in character around people all day? Not only would it be physically tiring like it is now, but it would also be mentally exhausting.

Unless you can find a character that suits you to a T, the way Aladdin suits Jimin. Or rather, the way Jimin can mold himself to suit any character he’s playing. It’s a talent you know you don’t have, and you know it’s an area of improvement for you as an aspiring actress. But somehow, you still can’t bring yourself to give up on your dream of standing upon the Broadway stage one day.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” you admit finally. “I guess… anyone would be fine. As long as it’s not Pluto,” you add in as an afterthought, and Jimin bursts into his musical laughter that travels throughout his entire body.

“You could be Elsa,” he says after a moment, after he’s calmed down. “Cold, a little aloof, but beautiful. I think you’d suit her well.”

The sincerity with which he says this makes your heart flutter. Moments ago, the thought of playing the ice princess and having to sing ‘Let It Go’ to dozens of grubby children would have put you off. You’d never liked that movie, but with Jimin’s suggestion, you ironically find yourself warming up to the idea.

Life has a way of smiling down at certain people. Park Jimin is one of them. And with just one encounter with him, you can feel his good luck rubbing off on you already.

When you check your schedule for the next quarter, your eyes catch on his name along with yours, side by side as handler and character. This time, as your usual: Oscar the Grouch.

You are in a good mood that morning as you clock into the park, heading to the utilities room to retrieve your costume and sign for it. When you reach the desk, you realise that Jimin somehow got here earlier than you did, and already signed out on your behalf.

He’s waiting in the common dressing room, drinking a protein shake and dressed in a muscle tee that shows off a dangerous amount of skin. You catch a glimpse of nipple as he raises his shake to his lips, and your throat goes dry. No one ever comes in for the morning shift this early, so the two of you are alone.

“H-hey, you’re early,” you clear your throat as you slide your backpack off your shoulder.

Jimin turns to face you, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Hey! Yeah, thought I’d get in a workout and start my shift little earlier today. Did you eat yet? I got you a bagel!”

He tosses a warm, buttery package across at you, and you just barely catch it. It’s only when you bite into it and a moan escapes your lips that you realise how essential breakfast is.

“Do you want to go first? Or me?” Jimin abandons his chair to come sit next to you on the couch. “I’m fine with whatever, but I’m a little sweaty right now, so…”

He grins bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck as he does so. It’s incredibly cute, and you have to distract yourself, tearing your eyes away from his almost transparent muscle tee.

“Sure, I’ll take first shift,” you push yourself up from your seat, feeling an intense need to put some distance between you and the dangerously charming man.

You usually dress the same way for work every time- jeans and the standard polo tee, with exercise shorts and a thin tank top underneath. It makes things easier when you have to rotate between being character and handler. With Park Jimin in the same room, you feel a little self-conscious at stripping down in front of him, so you attempt to hide behind the locker as you quickly get rid of your jeans and shirt.

You feel painfully naked as you start to wrangle yourself into the Oscar costume. Jimin sets aside his drink and helps you by holding the bottom half of the costume open for you to step into, his face dangerously close to the apex of your thighs. You can feel his hot breath on your flesh as you gingerly step into Oscar’s trashcan.

Putting on a costume has never felt this intimate before.

“It’s like you were made to play him, you fit perfectly!” Jimin giggles, patting the top of your head. “How cute!”

“You’re one to talk,” you grumble back at him, if only to hide the growing smile on your own face. “You fit into it pretty well last time too.”

The moment is shattered as the door flings open, and Jeongguk and Taehyung come chattering in. They give Jimin a fist bump each, in the natural camaraderie that boys have with each other.

“See ya at break, ______!” Jeongguk calls out playfully, waving a tube full of your Pringles with one hand just to taunt you. Even though you can’t see him with Oscar’s head on, you hear the telltale sound of the chips rattling inside the tube, and you actually growl in annoyance.

“Jeon Jeongguk! I swear if you eat even a single one-“

“I’ll save you the empty can! Hey, does Oscar do recycling or is he just in a normal trash can?”

The difference between your Oscar and Jimin’s Oscar is painfully stark. When it’s his turn, he gets no less than 20 children crowding him at one time. His natural charisma just oozes through the suit.

But rather than discourage you, it actually makes you work even harder. You actually learn a couple of things from observing how he plays Oscar, and by the end of the day, you’re proud to say that you’re on par to compete with even Cookie Monster sometimes.

“Good one today, ______!” Jimin grins as he strips off the green, furry head, pushing his sweaty hair off his forehead.

“You weren’t too bad yourself,” you say with a tiny smile, offering him a pack of wet wipes.

“Hey, I was thinking we should grab a bite to eat,” Jimin turns to look at himself in the mirror, styling his dark blue hair as he rakes through it carelessly with his fingers. “You down?”

You have to stop yourself from grinning from ear to ear, instead answering coolly. “Sure. Where did you have in mind?”

“Cafeteria? I’m craving a Dole Whip myself,” he’s back in his muscle tee again, pulling on a pair of his favourite grey sweatpants.

You’ve never actually eaten anywhere other than the staff cafeteria, and even then, you avoid doing so after shifts because you don’t want to deal with seeing the rest of the crew. But Jimin has such a sweet smile that you don’t have it in you to refuse.

The two of you exit the dressing room, making your way down to the staff cafeteria, buried out of sight from the guests. To be honest, park food isn’t that bad, and the cafeteria serves a selection of it weekly, at a heavily discounted rate for staff.

Jimin’s just pondering over what he should have before Dole Whip, when a small tap on his shoulder makes him turn around.

“Oh- Dahyun! Hey, I didn’t know you’d be here,” Jimin greets her with a grin, and you can’t help but peer around him to get a glimpse of her as well.

She is exquisitely beautiful in a way you know you could never be, her features are dainty and delicate, and you can see why she’s such a good fit for Ariel. She moves with a grace and elegance that comes only with years of dance and stage training, and even in her loose-fitting pants, you can see that she has a figure to die for.

It’s people like her who make it to Broadway.

“It’s my shift starting soon,” she says in a soft, tinkling voice, casting a curious glance at you. “Anyway, I was just coming from the manager’s office. They want to see you.”

“Oh really?” Jimin frowns as he checks his phone. “I haven’t checked my email yet-“

“Yeah, something about a character change,” she smiles in excitement. “Seo Joon’s quitting, so they asked me if I had anyone to recommend to take his place, and I said you! Isn’t that great?”

Jimin seems genuinely enthused as he widens his eyes in realization. “Oh… oh wow! Prince Eric! I… I didn’t think it’d be this soon!”

“You should hurry down so they can give you the official new schedule,” Dahyun claps her hands as she giggles. “There’ll be character training sessions, outfit fittings, oh, and we also have to train together for a bit!”

The two of them almost forget that you are there, and you awkwardly take a step back, which makes Jimin look at you. His elation disappears a little.

“Hey, I’m sorry, I’ll just go attend the meeting real quick. I’m sorry about lunch, we should reschedule and it’ll be my treat!”

“No,” you shake your head and swallow hard, struggling to express that you are really happy for him amidst the all the envy and jealousy swirling in your chest. Because you truly are, he deserves this and so much more. “Go for your meeting. Don’t worry. I’ll just… I’ll uh… just head home.”

“You should get a Dole Whip! It’s the perfect treat after a shift,” he calls over his shoulder as Dahyun shoots you an awkward little smile, turning to follow him.

You watch as the two of them exit the staff cafeteria, already excitedly chattering to each other about god knows what. Yeah, somehow, you don’t think a Dole Whip is about to make things better.

“Prince Eric?” Joy frowns. “Well, I can’t say he doesn’t suit that character, because he would suit any prince, but…”

Now that Jimin had to be swapped out, the only good thing about it is that Joy is back on the same rotation as you again. So it means you can whine to your best friend about how unfair all of this is, how you wish Dahyun would actually get her voice sucked out of her by Ursula.

“They’re gonna look perfect together,” you say glumly. “This is why I don’t hope for anything. The moment I do, it just gets taken away.”

Joy winces as she watches you avert your gaze, untying and tying your shoelace. Your sandwich remains untouched as the two of you hide away in the dressing room during lunch break.

“Sweetie… I’m sorry,” she sighs as she pulls you in so that you can rest your head on her chest. “I’m sure our big break is coming soon. It’s all about that stroke of luck, you know?”

“Only if that lucky break comes in the form of Dahyun’s broken leg,” you grumble. Honestly, you should have seen this coming. Someone as bright and talented and golden as Park Jimin deserves to be with someone who can match him. Someone who can look as good beside him.

In other words, definitely not you. Children run away from you when they see you. They cry when they see your face. Even when you’re hidden and concealed behind a costume, they still can’t bring themselves to come any closer to you.

Your thoughts are interrupted by Jeongguk throwing open the door, still stuffing his face with a Mickey ice cream sandwich. His eyes land on the both of you, take in your disgruntled expression, then he continues to scarf down the rest of his sweet treat. Taehyung follows close behind, holding a bunch of snacks in his arms and dumping them all on the table.

“Whats wrong with her?” Jeongguk gestures with his sticky hands, stomping around in his heavy Timberland boots.

This dressing room is somewhat of a cosy reprieve, not only from the sweltering heat out there, but also away from all the other crew members. It’s long been established that it belongs to the select few of you who have the misfortune to be playing the fur characters, while the face characters are assigned the bigger, more luxurious dressing rooms for them to do their makeup and hair in. However, since the fur characters don’t need much prep other than climbing into a large furry suit, this dressing room only has the bare minimum.

You don’t mind though, because over the past year, it has come to feel like home. Ending a shift and collapsing on the couch, bickering with Jeongguk about the snack stash, coming in early to find Yoongi pulling an all nighter on the couch from the day before, getting annoyed with all of Taehyung’s junk everywhere. Getting secretly drunk after park hours with Joy and sneaking out to avoid getting into trouble.

As much as you hate to admit it, the few of you have become family.

“Not in the mood, Jeon, run along,” you shoot him a warning glare, but he is all too used to your caustic words, and sometimes you think he even enjoys riling you up.

“Might this have something to do with a certain Park Jimin getting to play Prince Eric?” Jeongguk is more astute than he lets on, but then again, it could be just because he actually bothered to read the crew schedule today.

“Who’s playing who?” Yoongi enters with a cup of cold brew in hand, sucking it down like it’s his lifeblood. All this while, you’ve never actually seen him eat something solid.

“Jimin is Prince Eric, opposite Dahyun’s Ariel,” Jeongguk repeats in delight, all too happy to take part in your misery.

Joy shoots him a glare and moves to cover your ears. “Gee, I don’t think you could rub that in any harder, Jeon.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” he snickers, moving toward the lockers in the corner for his bag to start getting ready for the afternoon’s shift. At the last minute, however, he turns back to glance at you, still lying motionless on the couch, with a look of mild concern on his face. He looks like he’s about to say something, but lets it go at the last minute.

“I hope when we get promoted, we all get it at the same time,” Taehyung says earnestly, looking around at the rest of your faces. “I just wanna stay with you guys forever. Park can go play Prince Eric for all I care, honestly.”

Yoongi finishes his coffee, discarding the cup into one of the trash bins. “Can’t say he doesn’t deserve it though.”

With a resigned sigh, because the older man is right, you go about getting ready for your shift. Something tells you that today is going to be harder than it usually is.

You go through the motions of your job like you do every single day, stooping inside your little garbage can, twirling little children around, taking pictures and trying your best to be in character. It’s just the start of your third shift for the day, when something out of the ordinary happens.

You first catch wind of it through the children’s excited chatters.

“Pwincess Ariel is coming!” A little girl with a lisp says, pulling at the arm of her sister next you. “Huwwy up, we gotta go see her! Leave Mister Oscar alone!’

Her sister all but shoves you away in her excitement, causing you to nearly topple over in the heavy character suit, but luckily Joy is there to support you. All the children around you suddenly scatter, screaming and crying as they tumble toward the other end of the street.

“It’s Ariel! And Pwince Eric!” The same girl yells, and your breathing slows to a stop.

What? Why would they come down to the Main Street? Princesses and Princes usually stay in their own zone, in their castles if they have one, unless it’s parade time, which it most definitely isn’t. In a matter of minutes, your side of Main Street is left deserted, you and Joy standing pathetically alone in the middle of the road as you watch all the kids surround the perfect royal couple.

Jimin is absolutely radiant in his white blazer and dark blue pants that fit him perfectly. He looks every bit like royalty with gold embellishments on his shoulders, gold buttons down the front, and a sash to accompany his top half, while his long legs are accentuated by his boots. His newly dyed black hair is parted down the middle, swept back off his forehead to expose his sweetly smiling eyes as he greets everyone around him.

He walks as if he is on a runway. The audience is captivated by him; he steals the show even from the beautiful Ariel herself. Girls are falling at his feet to take pictures with him, children are asking if he has a white horse with him, and parents are sighing with adoration over how perfect he and Ariel look as a couple. It’s like a Disney movie come to life.

Everyone coos in admiration as the handsome Prince Eric gets down on one knee to a tiny girl dressed in an Ariel costume, takes her hand and kisses the back of it. Then the real Princess Ariel sweeps in with her green dress and flowing, shiny red hair, on the other side of the little girl, and the three of them pose for a picture together.

You are awestruck at how realistic they look together. They look as if they’ve just stepped out of a live action Disney movie.

“God damn,” Joy says under her breath as Jimin offers his hand to Dahyun, and the two of them continue their mini parade down the street. “He really does look perfect.”

It’s as if Jimin was born to play Prince Eric.

The two of them are fast approaching you and the other Sesame Street characters. Cookie Monster spreads his arms wide in welcome, doing a little jig that has the children screaming with laughter. He pretends to ask Prince Eric if he has any cookies, and their mini impromptu skit delights the audience. Worse still, Jeongguk in the Cookie Monster costume fawns over Princess Ariel too, gesturing for them to hold hands as he pretends to act as their royal butler, doing a deep bow that nearly has him toppling over.

Your legs feel weak and you opt to crouch down in your trashcan, making Oscar the Grouch look even smaller and more pathetic, all alone on the Street.

“Hey, are you okay? Do you need to have a rest?” Joy crouches down beside you in concern.

“…fine…” you mumble, but you can’t really be heard inside Oscar’s head. But then, it actually might be a good idea to escape back to the dressing room before Jimin and Dahyun make it down here. You turn to tell Joy that you want to go back, but then a little child approaches you out of nowhere.

“Mister Oscar?” A tiny, petulant voice calls, and you turn around to face it.

It’s a little boy with glasses, dressed in an Oscar T-shirt and with an Oscar headband. He looks shyly up at you, but even from inside Oscar’s head, you can see his eyes are filled with wonder and amazement.

“Can I have a picture please?” He asks politely, and Joy jumps to her feet.

“Of course! And would you like an autograph too? Where’s your book?” She helps the little boy with his book and pen, and glad for something else to focus on, you take the pen and open the book to the right page.

“Whats your name?” Joy asks, so that you can write it along with your autograph.

“Seokjin,” he pronounces clearly. “You’re my favourite Sesame Street character,” the boy says with a proud smile, pointing to his Oscar T-shirt. No matter how foul your mood is, that’s bound to melt your heart a little, and you express it through your actions, holding your hands to your heart for a second before spreading your arms for a giant hug.

As you feel the squirmy little body in your arms, you hear a familiar voice behind you.

“Ah, how sweet!” It’s Prince Eric, and he looks on at the scene with his sweet smile. “Mister Oscar, thank you for keeping our streets so clean always!”

You release the child from your hug and look up at Jimin. His smile seems a little bigger than it was just now, and his eyes are trained on the exact spot where yours would be if you weren’t wearing the suit. For a moment, you wonder if he knows that it’s you inside the suit.

“Mister Oscar is smelly!” A child yells out from somewhere, and a dozen giggles follow. “He loves trash!”

Ouch. As much as it’s true, children can be rather thoughtless with their comments sometimes. You struggle to stay in character even as your character head droops a little, retreating into your trash can.

There is an awkward silence from the crowd, and even Dayhun’s smile is frozen, at a loss for words, and there’s even a look of pity in her eyes. You can feel Seokjin beside you grasp your hand a little tighter in defensiveness as he puffs his chest out.

But before he can say anything, Prince Eric frowns, turning to face the general direction of the child who had insulted you. “That isn’t very nice, is it?” He reprimands the child gently, and the crowd quiets down. “Mister Oscar has feelings too, and how do you think he might feel if you say that?”

The girl who had called you smelly looks guilty as Jimin admonishes her. “Sowwy, Prince Eric and sowwy, Mister Oscar.”

Prince Eric’s radiant smile is back on his face as he pets her head once. “That’s better. Now, you have a great day and enjoy yourselves in the Magical Kingdom. Have a great day, Mister Oscar!”

You pretend to bow as the royal couple take their leave.

“I don’t get it,” you say in a fit of anger as you sponge the sweat off your neck. “Why would he- they- come all the way down to Main Street?”

“Forget about it,” Joy soothes as she digs out a tube of original flavoured Pringles from her bag and offers it to you. “Shall we have soju or beer today? And chicken? It’s my treat.”

You take the tube from her and open it, shoving a stack of chips into your mouth, feeling better once you taste the salt. You’re no stranger to getting insulted by children, but somehow today stings more than usual. “I bet Ariel doesn’t get any children telling her she’s trash.”

Joy sighs, but doesn’t say anything.

You gather up your things to leave, pulling your hair back in a drooping ponytail. “Rain check? I’m not really feeling it today.”

“Sure,” Joy agrees, watching you pack your things, not even bothering to hide the tube of Pringles somewhere Jeongguk can’t find it. “Call me when you get back!”

The trek to the train station is longer than usual, lonelier without Joy to accompany you, but it’s better for you to be alone with your thoughts anyway.

You’re no stranger to fielding slightly abusive and insulting comments from children. Usually, you’re able to just brush it off because you tell yourself that children don’t really mean what they say. But the past incident has taken a toll on your psyche, and you can feel yourself dragging your feet to work.

On top of the next month’s schedule, you get another email from management asking you to drop by their office before your next shift.

Jeongguk catches you on the way to the management’s office, in the midst of finishing a Dole Whip from the cafeteria. The sight of it reminds you of Jimin and his promise to make up that missed lunch date.

“Here to see management?” Jeongguk asks, following you inside and offering you a spoon of the sweet yellow dessert. You open your mouth grudgingly, and the taste is not bad as it melts on your tongue. It does calm your nerves a little, though.

“Let’s hope it’s nothing bad,” you mumble under your breath.

Knocking on the door, you enter the corporate office, which looks very ordinary. No such trace of the Disney magic here. The receptionist directs you to the head of Character Management.

The head of Character Management is a stern looking lady with her hair pulled back into a bun. Kim Sejeong bids you and Jeongguk to sit down, lacing her fingers together.

“I’ve called the both of you in for some very good news today,” she begins, a hint of a smile on her otherwise serious face. “A career advancement. The two of you are being promoted to face characters.”

Your heart leaps in your chest, and Jeongguk can’t help but grin.

A lucky break. This is what you’ve been waiting for all this time. You can barely contain your excitement as your mind starts to race. Who could it be? Dare you even hope that you might be playing a Disney Princess? You’d be thankful even if it was one of the lesser known princesses. Mulan? Alice in Wonderland?

“First of all, Jeongguk.” She turns her gaze towards the boy with the bunny grin beside you. “You’ll be playing Gaston from now onwards.”

You nearly snort in laughter. Vain, idiotic, attention seeking Gaston who can’t read nor spell his name? It’s a perfect fit for Jeongguk. You can already see him in your mind’s eye, flaunting his muscles and bickering non-stop with the Beast.

Just as long as you don’t have to play Belle.

“And you, Ms _______,” she turns her gaze to you next. Your heart completely stops in your chest, trying to anticipate what’s coming next.

Maybe you’ll finally get a likeable character. Someone like Cinderella, and then kids won’t say mean things to you anymore.

“You’re going to play The Evil Queen, Snow White’s stepmother.”

“Oh my god!” Joy can barely contain herself when she hears the news. “I’m so happy for you! Finally, you got a face character!!”

Somehow, you don’t really share her excitement. It’s one of your last few times playing a fur character, and you can’t say you’ll miss it. Jeongguk was the first to break the news to everyone the moment he got back to the dressing room. As one of the first few to be promoted to a face character, it is definitely liberating, but a part of you is unsure of the uncertainty that lies ahead.

“At least you can attend the character crash course together,” Taehyung says gloomily at the prospect of losing his best friend.

“She’s lucky to be accompanied by my dashingly handsome self,” Jeongguk pretends to flex a bicep, already getting into the role of Gaston. It doesn’t seem like he’ll need much training to assimilate.

“It’s the Evil Queen,” you say quietly to Joy. “Who likes her? It’s even worse than Oscar the Grouch.”

Everyone knows that the fur characters occupy the bottom of the hierarchy. But what they don’t acknowledge is that the villains are barely a rung higher than them. It’s even worse now that you won’t have the character costume to hide behind. You’re going to have to step up your acting skills, and actually talk to and interact with guests who might be snarky and even meaner to you now.

“C’mon, it’ll be great for your resume. I can already see it. You’re gonna ace it, then you’ll snag the audition for Maleficient,” Joy is already thinking ahead. “And the role is practically perfect for you! Honestly, I was a little worried because I didn’t see you as the type to go around cooing at little children and hugging them and everything. This suits you way better.”

“Wow, thanks for the compliment,” you shoot back at her.

Joy only sighs. “You know what I mean.”

“We have a bigger problem,” Taehyung interrupts as Jeongguk continues to flex at himself in the mirror. “Who’s gonna take your places? It’ll be like breaking up the Fabulous Five. We won’t even see each other anymore. You’ll be using the huuuge dressing rooms. We’ll become like strangers!”

You sigh at Taehyung’s overreaction. “That won’t happen, Tae. Even if Jeongguk and I graduate from fur characters, it doesn’t mean we won’t hang out anymore. We’ll still come back here after shifts and all. I mean, this is the only dressing room that has a TV!”

“I guess…” Taehyung doesn’t seem convinced. “You’ll still come and visit though right?” He pokes Jeongguk in the ribs, causing the younger boy to flinch in the midst of practicing one of his Gaston poses.

“Of course he will, the bigger dressing rooms don’t have nearly as good a snack selection as we do,” Yoongi says off-handedly from his position stretched out across the couch. “And Jeongguk’s got all his weights stacked in the corner there. It’ll take him ages to move it over.”

As much as Yoongi seems to be aloof most of the time, the eldest crew member actually does seem to have a heart at times. His words do the job of reassuring Taehyung well enough, and the subject is left alone as everyone starts to get ready for their shifts.

“Hey, you on for the all-nighter today?” Jeongguk nudges you with his arm as you slip past him to put away your bag. “We gotta watch Beauty and the Beast and Snow White at least three times each before we start character training.”

“Who said I wanted to watch it with you?” You turn your nose up at him.

“Together? Ew,” Jeongguk expresses his dissatisfaction in a similar manner, scrunching up his nose. “I didn’t mean it like that, you idiot! It’s just, I know for a fact you’re too poor to afford a TV at home, and we happen to have both films on hand here…”

Jeongguk pauses for a moment as he looks at Taehyung, Yoongi and Joy, all of whom are currently absorbed in a discussion of whether the turkey leg tastes better with or without mustard.

“… unless you guys wanted to watch it too?” He has to raise his voice to be heard over Taehyung’s valiant defense of ketchup.

“No thanks, I hate fairytales,” Yoongi grumbles, waving the offer away. You all know Yoongi only came on board because he’d been offered the chance to play Darth Vader, but at the last minute got scammed into Sesame Street.

“Why would we wanna be holed up in here watching the same movie over and over when we could be getting fried chicken?” Joy grins unapologetically, and Taehyung chimes in.

“With extra ketchup!”

“Alright, fine!” You toss one of Jeongguk’s white shirts at him. “I guess it’s just us.”

“… I brought snacks,” he holds up a bag of Pringles with a mischievous smile.

And you’re sold.

“Did you actually shower?” Your eyes widen in disbelief as Jeongguk returns to the dressing room after both your shifts have ended, hair wet and dressed in fresh clothes.

“I’m not a slob, you know,” he grumbles as he makes a futile attempt to dry his hair one last time. “I got us some food from the cafeteria on the way back. They had orange chicken from Nine Dragons.”

“Really? That’s different,” you sit up in interest. “Oh my god. Are those pork belly buns too?”

“How’d you know? You never go down to the cafeteria anyway,” Jeongguk opens up another box containing shrimp fried rice, and the whole room smells so good.

“I don’t like navigating that political jungle,” you say with a mouth full of delicious, savoury pork. “You ready? I’m gonna start Snow White first.”

Jeongguk begins to devour the food as the two of you settle in to watch the movie. You have a pen and pad by your side to take down some notes on the Evil Queen’s character, how she interacts with the other characters, and some of her more iconic lines.

She’s overall a very snarky and witty character, and the more you watch, the more you think you might enjoy playing her after all. Her personality is not unlike your own, and some of the things she says are straight up savage.

“Oh! You should definitely call people peasants,” Jeongguk chimes in, a fistful of chips in the air.

“You think? Wouldn’t that be too much?” You are doubtful, but you write it down anyway, figuring you could always run it past the trainer during the sessions.

“Please. You’re a Queen. Everyone else simply must bow,” Jeongguk does a horrible impression of a British accent, which sends you giggling so hard that you nearly drop your plate.

“Maybe I’ll even come by as Gaston and steal all the attention from you. How’s that?” Jeongguk grins cheekily, and you roll your eyes.

“Oh please, as if your ugly face could ever.”

The two of you are laughing so hard that you don’t hear the knock at the door until it creaks open.

“Um… hi?” A familiar, honeyed voice makes you turn around.

It’s Park Jimin, the last person you expected to see. You’re suddenly aware of how this must look, of how you must look, dressed down in your sweats and junk food all over the place.

“Jimin! What are you doing here?” You attempt to straighten your shirt and sit up straight, pausing the movie.

“I know it’s late, but I hoped you’d still be here, so I decided to come and check,” he says shyly, averting his gaze to the floor. “I thought you’d be leaving soon… and maybe we could leave together.”

“We’re in the middle of a movie,” Jeongguk states the obvious, and you slap his wrist to get him to shut up, but he ignores you. “It’s for our character training.”

Realisation dawns across Jimin’s face. “Oh- oh! That’s right! I heard the good news. You’re being promoted to a face character! Congrats, that’s so great. I know you’ll do so well.”

Is he saying that to compliment your acting skills, or is he maybe insinuating that someone like you has the personality akin to an Evil Queen? Knowing pure, sweet Jimin, it’s probably the former, but your traitorous mind can’t help but doubt it.

“Um… thanks,” you smile hesitantly back at him. “I… I saw you as Prince Eric. You were… you were great.”

He blushes cutely, and you can feel Jeongguk rolling his eyes beside you.

“Well, um… glad to have you as a face character too. Maybe we’ll see each other more often. I think our zones are pretty close to each other,” Jimin ruffles his jet-black hair once, bringing your attention to the metal rings on his fingers. “So… see you around!”

“Wait!” You spring up from the couch, making it to the door before he can disappear fully. “I’ll um… I’ll walk you out.”

After not seeing him for more than a month, you can’t let him slip away that easily. Especially not when he looks this good, dressed down in a black shirt and black ripped jeans.

“If you need help with getting used to face characters, I could give you some pointers,” Jimin grins as you start to walk alongside him. “Or if you need help coming up with ‘outs’.”

“’Outs’? What are those?” You’re unfamiliar with the term.

“It’s when someone asks you to do something you’re not allowed to, like accepting food, or even hugs, if you don’t want to,” Jimin explains. “Or if they ask weird questions you don’t know how to answer. Usually it involves weaving in your character’s backstory to make it more believable.”

“Oh wow. I had no idea being a face character would be so difficult,” you can’t help but start to worry about how different it is from what you’re used to.

“It’s not that hard. This girl asked if she could marry me, right in front of Princess Ariel!” Jimin giggles. “Dahyun wasn’t very pleased.”

You go quiet at the mention of her, and the easy, joking atmosphere between the both of you fades. The park is dark and quiet, all the shops are shuttered, and in general, it is a much gloomier and more eerie place than you’re used to.

“Anyway, I think you’ll do a good job.” Jimin has a way with words that always seems to reassure you.

You come to the entrance of the train station, and you stand awkwardly as Jimin looks for his train pass.

“I’ll see you around?” You offer hopefully.

“Of course!” Jimin grins, turning to tap his pass. But then he hesitates. “Hey, um… maybe we should exchange numbers. In case… in case you need help with the training or something.”

“Y-yeah, that’s a great idea,” you fumble for your phone and present it to him, noting how cute his fingers look as he types in his number, giving himself a missed call so he’ll have your number too before he gives it back to you. You notice that he’s named himself in your contacts with a cute little chick emoji.

“I should be getting back now,” you have to stop yourself from fawning over how cute he is.

“Oh yeah! Shouldn’t keep… uh… Jeongguk from waiting too long,” Jimin scratches the back of his neck. “It’s kinda dark, will you be okay walking back alone?”

“I’ll be fine, I do it all the time,” you wave his concern away.

“You should text me when you get back,” Jimin says over his shoulder as he taps his train pass, then crosses the gantry. It’s only then that you realise that he might think you and Jeongguk are something more than friends, judging from the way he said his name.

“Jeongguk! He’s just…” You blurt out, causing Jimin to turn around, a few steps into the train station with a slightly confused look on his face.

Your cheeks are burning as your voice trails off. “He’s um… just a friend.” You finish lamely.

“Oh.”

Maybe it’s a little hard to tell in the dark, but you could have sworn you saw the smile on his face get a little brighter.

You can do this. This is only a tiny step of a multitude of challenges to come.

Knocking timidly on the door, you let yourself into the unfamiliar dressing room, Jeongguk close behind you.

“What if they eat us alive?” Jeongguk stage whispers into your ear.

“Don’t be an idiot,” you elbow him in the ribs in irritation as you attempt to swallow back your intimidation, walking to the dressing room with what you hope is a confident stride. “The worst they can do is stare us down.”

It must be at least three times the size of your old dressing room. There are two rows of dressing tables and chairs on their side, with brightly lit mirrors and bottles of makeup gathered neatly on the tables. At the back are two private changing rooms, one male and one female.

A few of the dressing tables are already occupied, and you don’t recognize most of the crew members currently here. But by the looks of their costumes, you gather that they play Princess Jasmine, Cinderella, and Aladdin respectively.

Walking cautiously to one of the dressing tables in the back, you set your bag down, realizing that there are private lockers stowed beneath the dressing tables themselves. You’ve never had this much space for your stuff before, even a dedicated hanger beside the mirror for you to hang your costume.

Jeongguk sets up shop beside you. “This is weird. It’s like there’s too much space.”

“Where’s Taehyung’s junk when you need it?” You attempt to make a joke to ease your own nervousness, even as you pull up a picture of the Evil Queen herself and start working on your makeup the way the character trainers had taught you to.

Being your first time playing her, you want to get everything right, so you make sure to come more than an hour before your shift is due to start. As the next half an hour passes, more and more crew members start to fill up the dressing room, but they keep mostly to themselves, and leave you and Jeongguk alone at the back.

Dark purple eyeshadow, dramatic brows, and red lipstick. You had been practicing this by yourself at home all weekend, so it goes pretty smoothly. To finish, you layer on the blush to complete the look. Now all you have to do is get into your costume in the private changing room.

A purple ankle length dress with sleeves, and a dramatic black cape with a high white collar to match. You have to tie back your hair so that you can secure the headpiece of the costume and affix the golden crown on the top of your head. When you look in the mirror, you don’t even recognize yourself.

You look tall. Intimidating. The thick layer of makeup has completely transformed all your features. You look like the witch from the nightmares you had as a five-year old. You try an experimental swish of your cape, and the resulting action makes you feel powerful.

There is a knock on the changing room door.

“Hello? Are you done in there? We still have to get changed.”

You open the door to see Dahyun’s slightly annoyed face morph into a semblance of a smile as she takes in your appearance. “Wow… um, ________. You look… um… great.”

The girls behind her giggle, and you know it is far from a compliment she’s paying you.

And maybe it’s because going through the ritual of transformation into someone else has truly changed you, because you can almost feel the Evil Queen’s aura that prevents you from doing something you usually would, like lowering your head or scurrying away in shame.

“I know,” you say, and you walk away in a swish of velvet fabric and shocked stares trailing after you.

It’s a hot afternoon as usual, but nothing you can’t handle. After being stuck in a stuffy little costume, getting to feel the slight breeze on your cheeks as a face character feels like heaven.

You hang out by the Wishing Well, practicing your cape swirls and finding that you enjoy it a lot more than you’d thought. It’s a quiet start to your first time playing the Evil Queen, and you try not to let the nerves get to you. Most of the visitors just walk by you and smile awkwardly without doing anything.

Your first customer is a child wearing the trademark Mickey Mouse ears. She approaches you timidly, holding out a red apple to you. The Evil Queen never smiles, so you glance down at the child, clasping a hand to your chest as your eyes widen in approval.

“Why hello there child, is that apple for me?”

The child nods so hard that their Mickey Ears nearly fall off, and you have to admit, they are kind of cute.

“Are you absolutely sure? Well then, thank you very much, I must say you have great taste. Even if you do like to wear rat ears on your head…” You take the apple gently from the child and raise it high in the air. “Behold! The most gorgeous apple in the kingdom, only suitable for the fairest queen in the land of course!”

You glance down at the child again, who seems to be more than excited that you accepted their gift. “Would you like a picture child? Alright then, where is your caretaker?”

The child grasps a fistful of your cloak in their hands as she points to her parents, waving a camera, and you pose for the picture, arms folded regally and eyebrows raised. When you see that the child kind of just freezes up for the camera, you take it upon yourself to bend down so that you are eye level with her, gently helping her to fold her arms and copy your facial expression.

You can feel her parent’s laughs of delight when they finally take your picture again, the child a carbon copy of your regal and intimidating self. When they come to collect their child, they flash you a grateful smile, and that tiny bit of affirmation is all you need.

After the ice has been broken, you feel much more at ease with the crowd. A few more people approach you for pictures, and you manage to maintain a friendly bicker with them while still staying in character. You ask for compliments, admiring yourself in their front view cameras, dissing Snow White when they bring her up, and when they leave, they bring a new crowd in along with them, all of whom are entertained by how self-absorbed and vain you are.

“Queen, queen! Oh, my queen,” a teenage girl raises her hand. “Who do you think is better looking, you or Gaston?”

“Gaston!?” You gasp in horror dramatically. “That terrible excuse for a man? You must be joking.”

“But I asked him, and he said he thinks he’s the most handsome!”

You wave them away with a roll of your eyes. “Oh please. Have you seen that pathetic little stallion tail he has for hair?”

“I heard someone was talking about me?” A loud, blasting voice sounds from behind you, and you turn to see Jeon Jeongguk dressed up as Gaston approaching, hands on his hips.

His costume consists of a large amount of shoulder and chest padding, and his red tunic is stretched tight across his naturally huge thighs. You have to say, he does have the body to play Gaston, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t look ridiculous. You almost want to burst out in laughter, but somehow you manage to keep it in.

“Only about how ugly you are,” you say with a wave of your cape.

“Ugly?” Jeongguk is affronted. “That is a word I’ve never heard in my life.”

“With how small your vocabulary is, I’m not surprised,” you examine your flawless nails, and smirk in satisfaction when a few people around you clap in delight at your comeback.

“Look at all these people here to see me!” Jeongguk goes on as if he never heard you, spreading his arms to flex his biceps to welcome the cheers of the crowd. More and more people are now gathering around the two of you. “They must be amazed by how handsome I am.”

“They are here to see me,” you clarify. “That is, before you barged in so uncouthly. Don’t you have better things to do? Like groom that monstrosity of a dog in your backyard?”

“Did she just refer to the Beast as a dog?” Hushed whispers and giggles come from around you, and you don’t have to do much to hide your smirk.

“They’re admiring the size of my muscles, of course!” He strikes a pose down on one knee, flexing one bicep, and some of the girls actually swoon at his good looks. A part of you secretly thinks that he ignored the second part of your insult because he doesn’t know how to respond to it in an appropriate PG manner. Instead, he focuses on making sure everyone around him can see him flexing his biceps.

You can tell that he is enjoying every bit of the attention he gets, as some of the crowd ‘ooh’s and ‘aah’s at his show, and the competitive spirit inside you gets ignited.

“A true Queen does not need to compliment herself, for she has her servants to do it for her,” you gesture at the crowd impatiently. “Well? Compliment me!”

“The fairest in all the land!”

“Snow White is ugly!”

“My Queen, you are so beautiful!”

With every compliment, you nod in approval, and it’s clear the crowd is having a great time. Some of them are even recording your impromptu little skit with Gaston.

It’s the most fun you’ve had playing a character since you started working here. For once, you can kind of let go and be yourself without worrying if you’ll be good enough.

Jeongguk gathers his little fanclub that has formed around him. “Come on, let’s go tell Belle how handsome I am.” He struts off, one arm around a girl each as they follow him back to his zone giddily.

“Ugh, good riddance,” you sigh and continue to admire yourself in a mirror someone gives you. “I dislike him almost as much as Snow White.”

Some of the crowd actually looks a bit upset when Gaston leaves, and you observe with slight surprise that they really enjoyed this impromptu skit between you. You make a mental note to yourself to talk about this with Jeongguk after your shift, to see how the both of you can arrange more regular visits for him in the future. The fact that both of your characters aren’t even in the same story means you have even more freedom to come up with their interactions.

The afternoon passes quickly, and you feel more settled into your role, even starting to have fun once you realise that you can pretty much just make up your lines on the spot. It’s even more enjoyable once you realise that playing a villain is essentially getting paid to insult visitors.

You’re just about to get ready to end your shift when you spot a large crowd approaching your area. At the very front, you spot Dahyun as Ariel, striking with her red wig and flowing green dress, and slightly behind her is-

Your throat closes up as you see Jimin in his prince costume again, the navy blue of his blazer making his white ruffled dress shirt stand out even more. His black hair is side parted, his eyes are smiling as he trails after his partner. It’s been a while since you last saw him in character, but he never fails to take your breath away.

When Dahyun spots you at the Wishing Well, you can almost swear that she slows down, turning behind her to reach out a hand to Jimin. At first the prince doesn’t notice her outstretched hand, as he leans to take a selfie with a visitor, but once he catches sight of it, he takes her hand without a second thought, tucking it into the crook of his arm in one smooth, natural motion.

You school your features into a look of disdain, but you don’t even have to pretend to begin with.

Making sure that they are within ear shot, you swish your cape in disinterest. “Does anyone smell anything fishy? Oh. It’s that fish-girl.”

You swear you can actually see the look of shock cross her pretty features, and she opens her mouth, but no words come out.

“Gaping like a fish too,” you say with a wave of your hand, and the visitors around you gasp at your savage comment. “Begone, trespasser, shouldn’t you be in an aquarium somewhere?”

Some of the visitors near you are laughing and even taking videos of you, and they are just loving the savagery that you dish out. Their impressed murmurs only serve to boost your confidence, especially when you see Dahyun’s reaction.

She only attempts to smile prettily at the crowd, unable to come up with a witty comeback, but you can see her grin is forced and doesn’t reach her eyes.

You haven’t dared to look straight at Jimin yet, but your eyes land on their joined hands instead. Clasping a hand to your chest in disgust, you roll your eyes. “Ugh, they’re holding hands. Someone please remove them from my presence.”

And then, even as you’re trying your very best not to look at the one person who has undoubtedly captured all your attention, your eyes can’t help but be drawn to the way his eyes widen when he sees you.

Suddenly a bead of insecurity creeps up in your chest. Surely he must think you look revolting like this. That’s what everyone thinks when they see a Disney villain. You are, quite literally, playing the villain in the love story between him and Dahyun. You might not be from the same fairytale, but the idea is there.

She’s the princess, he’s the prince.

And you’re the villain.

The two of them approach your Wishing Well at a steady pace, Jimin’s pretty eyes have now thankfully returned to their normal size as he runs his hand through his silky black hair, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. He doesn’t even spare you a single glance, and it stings.

You can imagine your face is a really bright shade of purple, if your emotions are anything to judge by.

“Ma-madam,” a whimpering child approaches hesitantly at your feet, and you nearly startle. You didn’t see them approach, all your attention being focused on the prince and his princess.

“Yes, child, what is it,” your voice coming out a little more huffy than you wanted it to. But still, no one around you sees this as out of character, and you suddenly remember who you’re supposed to be playing.

You’re allowed to be a little mean.

“Are you… are you a witch?” The child’s large, inquisitive eyes gaze up at you, and you stare back at her with your chin lifted high.

Jimin and Dahyun are within earshot now. You can feel as if the crowd is holding its breath expectantly, waiting for your answer.

“A witch?” Your voice rises, scandalized. You do a graceful swish of your cape as you spin around, arms spread dramatically. “How can a witch be this beautiful, child?”

It’s a lie. All of it is a lie, because you don’t feel the least bit beautiful. Especially not in this getup, especially not in front of Dahyun with her porcelain skin and fiery red hair that compliments it so well.

But the crowd eats it up with cheers and laughter, clapping and chanting your character’s name. All the attention is now on you, and the prince and his princess are left to pass by quietly.

Maybe your acting skills have improved, but you’re pretty sure that you’re the only one in the whole crowd who didn’t buy that act one bit.

“You’re viral!!! Oh my god. Have you SEEN this?” You’re attacked by some kind of rabid animal the moment you step into the fur character’s changing room.

It turns out to be only Joy, who seems beside herself with excitement. She’s currently still in her Oscar costume with the head off, that’s why you mistook her for a rabid animal in the first place. The fur of her costume nearly suffocates you as she’s all up in your face.

It’s late, you’ve just finished your last shift and all you want to do is collapse on the couch for a few minutes before you have to muster up the energy for the train ride home. Today took more out of you than you realized.

“You’re viral,” Taehyung grunts from a corner, attempting a few sets with Jeongguk’s weights that are clearly too heavy for him. “She’s been saying that over and over for the past few hours.”

“What are you talking about?” You say wearily, trying to focus on the phone that Joy is waving around in your face before you just grab it from her in your impatience.

It’s a Youtube video titled “EVIL QUEEN PUTS GASTON IN HIS PLACE” and it was just uploaded only a few hours ago. But it already has a million views and counting.

Slightly more awake now, you start to focus on the short three-minute video. It was just taken today, and you hear yourself insulting Gaston for a bit, before actually bickering with him when he shows up. The camera work is shaky, clearly taken by someone in the audience.

“Did you read the comments yet?” Joy says breathlessly as she peeks over your shoulder. “Read them. They’re gold.”

You start to scroll down to the comment section, your heart racing as you read them.

disneylover012: Oh my god. The Evil Queen is the best. She’s so savage!!

walkingonsunshine: Imagine getting paid to be mean to visitors. I LOVE HER

starwarsfan48: We need more of this. MORE

chipndale29: I’m gonna go to Disney tomorrow just to see her!!!!

sunnyreds: she and Gaston are actually kinda cute together… arguing like a married couple. They should totally date!! (4 replies)

potatocakes: imagine if they ACTUALLY WERE DATING IRL

luckycat7: THAT’S SOOOO CUTE OMG I TOTALLY SHIP THEM

chimchim013: why’s everyone saying they should date??? They’re probably just friends in real life…

nochu019: @chimchim013 lol don’t hate him just cuz u ain’t him… I ship them too

“Oh my God, they ship you and Gaston,” Joy is falling over herself with laughter, and you put aside the phone for a moment to help her get out of her costume, seeing the threat that she poses to anyone in her near vicinity.

“Who ships us?” Jeongguk arrives with his hair wet and shirt clinging to his body. He dumps his bag at the door and plops himself onto the couch.

You feel a little weird after reading that comment. Joy is safely out of her costume by now, and you hand her back the phone. “Nothing. Just some random people on Youtube.”

“They aren’t just some random people,” Joy admonishes. That’s the top liked comment, and that video has a million views now. And counting. _______, you’re famous!!!!!! The star of our little park!!!!!”

“Not forgetting who else starred in that video, are we,” Jeongguk raises an eyebrow, popping open the lid of a Pringles can. “I was, after all, your co-star.”

“Oh shut up, you were totally getting owned- hey wait. We didn’t even show you the video yet. Why do you seem like you already know which video that is?” You narrow your eyes in suspicion, turning to look at Jeongguk.

Jeongguk turns red immediately, stuffing his face with more of your chips. “Mmf- happened to see it…”

There’s a loud clank in the corner as Taehyung gives up on working out. He massages his biceps as he paces around the room, eyes bright with excitement. “This is huge. Bigger than we could have ever imagined!!!” He grabs you by the shoulders. “________, you might even win Employee of the Month if you keep this up! The crowd loves you!”

“Oh please,” you wave away their optimism with a hand. “It was only one video.”

“It’s not just one video,” Joy corrects you as she scrolls furiously on her phone. “This account also uploaded another one. This time it’s called…”

Joy gets cut off with a snort of laughter. “Oh my god, you bad bitch.”

The door opens, and Yoongi walks in, hair in a mess and eyes half-open. “Who’s a bad bitch?”

“_________!” Joy squeals. “You fucking called Ariel a fish.”

“No way,” Taehyung grabs the phone to see for himself.

EVIL QUEEN DISSES PRINCESS ARIEL, CALLS HER A FISH

“…Oh. It’s that fish girl.” You hear your voice blasted loudly, and then the rest of the video is drowned out by boisterous laughter, cheers and screaming.

It’s chaos. Taehyung is running around the room. Joy is jumping up and down, replaying the video over and over. Jeongguk is rolling with laughter on the couch and falls off, knocking his knee on the table. Yoongi, true to his quiet self, only smirks at you with a look that resembles admiration, a tall order for the man of few words.

“Not bad. Guess you are serious about getting your man.”

“Wh-what?” Oh my god, guys shut up for a fucking second,” you say to your friends, but they aren’t having it. They are completely beside themselves with mirth, and a part of you can’t help but smile either. The animosity between fur and face characters has been an ongoing war ever since you joined. A video like this going viral just feels like a score for you and zilch for them.

“I thought we’d lost you and Jeongguk over to the Dark Side when you got promoted to face characters,” Taehyung says, still half doubled over from the exertion, face red. “But now it’s totally us against them. You’re a double agent!”

“She’s a fucking champ is what she is,” Jeongguk says with a look of pride on his face. “Insulting them while keeping character. I don’t know how she does that.”

You don’t really have much to say as you watch your friends replay the video over and over, but there is a warmth in your chest as they celebrate and dance. A warmth that completely erases the feelings of insecurity still lingering after seeing how beautiful Dahyun was today. The validation from your friends is just what you needed to chase those doubts away, and you plop yourself down on the couch, snuggling closer to Jeongguk as you settle in to watch the rest of the videos uploaded by that account.

Yoongi only partially grumbles about all of you squeezing onto one couch, but even you can see the tiny, proud gummy smile on his face as he watches from his standing position behind you all.

There may be shitty moments in this job. But moments like this make it all worth it, and you tell yourself to hold on to it no matter what.

Jimin collapses into a chair in the dressing room. To be honest, he prefers the fur character’s dressing room to this one. Always cosy, with that soft couch perfect for taking a nap in between shifts. And the main plus point: the people. Ever since he got promoted to a face character he felt weird going back there, but it seems like you and Jeongguk still treat it as your dressing room. He hardly ever sees you in here, even when your shifts match.

A bigger dressing room also means more people, and more strangers. It’s noisy, impossible to relax for a moment in between shifts. So he pulls out his earphones and plugs it into his phone, opening Youtube and idly browsing his homefeed.

He comes across an interesting video that catches his eye immediately.

EVIL QUEEN PUTS GASTON IN HIS PLACE

That’s you in the thumbnail. He’d know your face anywhere. Jimin clicks on it, and the video begins to play. You and Gaston are bickering away, back and forth with an undeniable chemistry, and Jimin feels a lump growing in his throat.

It’s partially overshadowed by the pride when he notices that it’s gone viral, over two million views now, and he grins happily. Watches the way you throw yourself into your acting, how confident you look making up your lines impromptu.

His mistake is when he decided to scroll through the comments.

sunnyreds: she and Gaston are actually kinda cute together… arguing like a married couple. They should totally date!! (2 replies)

potatocakes: imagine if they ACTUALLY WERE DATING IRL

luckycat7: THAT’S SOOOO CUTE OMG I TOTALLY SHIP THEM

He frowns. You and Jeongguk? Hm. Not if he has anything to say about it.

He types furiously on his phone and presses submit before he has a chance to think twice about it. Satisfied with his reply, he continues watching to the end of the video, but not before another ping interrupts him.

It’s a notification that someone has replied to his comment. He opens it and scrunches his brow in disapproval.

sunnyreds: she and Gaston are actually kinda cute together… arguing like a married couple. They should totally date!! (4 replies)

potatocakes: imagine if they ACTUALLY WERE DATING IRL

luckycat7: THAT’S SOOOO CUTE OMG I TOTALLY SHIP THEM

chimchim013: why’s everyone saying they should date??? They’re probably just friends in real life…

nochu019: @chimchim013 lol don’t hate him just cuz u ain’t him… I ship them too

He starts typing furiously again but can’t come up with anything intelligent to say. Finally, he deletes everything and clicks on the offending user’s screenname to check out his channel.

It’s primarily focused on gaming and streaming, although their latest video does look like it was taken in Disneyland itself. Jimin sees a familiar silhouette in the corner of the video’s thumbnail and clicks on the video to get a better view, though the figure is never clearly outlined.

Frustrated he scrolls through the rest of the channel’s videos, but it’s all lame gaming streams.

It’s probably just a loser gaming nerd, Jimin tells himself as he returns to the viral video of the Evil Queen. Nothing to get worked up over.

He’s interrupted by the timer on his phone signalling his next shift, and he sighs, tossing it away and starting to get ready.

The view count only goes up and up. Throughout the weeks that follow, more of your fan accounts pop up, uploading numerous videos of you sparring with Gaston, entertaining the crowd solo, insulting and bickering with guests. The list goes on, and your fanbase grows bigger.

Now you have a sizeable crowd at the Wishing Well every time your shift comes on. It energizes you, gives you the motivation to act better, think of wittier lines. The recognition that you’re getting every day makes you shine even brighter, giving you the hope to aspire towards your eventual big-picture dream of Broadway.

“It’s totally possible,” Joy gushes as she takes off her makeup at the end of the day.

You’re sitting on the couch in the small living area, face already scrubbed clean of all your makeup. You tear into a face mask and carefully align it on your face. With the extra makeup that comes with playing a face character, you also run the risk of breaking out more, and blemishes are even harder to cover. So you put more effort into your skincare routine to make sure that your skin is as flawless as can be.

“With all this fame you have, you could totally have an edge at auditioning for Broadway,” Joy continues on.

“Maybe…” you say, closing your eyes and tipping your head back for a moment of relaxation. “No one knows it’s me playing the Evil Queen. They can’t find out my name, or Disney will fire me. You know the rules.”

“Yeah, you could send it in as a highlight reel or an audition tape,” Joy answers. “Those are kept private anyway, so the public won’t find out. Win-win.”

You roll over to face her. “You think that’ll work?”

Her response is interrupted by a polite knock at the door of the small dressing room. You both know that none of you ever knock before entering, so whoever is outside must be a visitor.

“I’ll get it,” you say, walking toward the door and opening it.

“Um, hi.” It’s Park Jimin again, hands awkwardly in his pockets and looking freshly showered in a black shirt and ripped jeans. His favourite combo. “I thought I might find you here.”

You hastily rip off your face mask, cheeks turning red at your disheveled appearance compare to his flawless one. “Hey! Um, yeah haha guess I’m pretty predictable!”

You almost cringe at your awkwardness. Jimin only smiles gently, eyes looking past you into the room.

“Are you busy?”

“Um… no! Not really. Just relaxing after my shift, Joy’s here too, you know her, right?”

Jimin acknowledges her with a nod. “Actually, I kind of ran into senior management just now, and they asked me if you were still in the park. I think they want to see you and it seemed kind of urgent, so I came over to see if you were here.”

A slight tinge of disappointment makes itself known in your chest. So Jimin didn’t come here to look for you, he only came because senior management asked him to.

“They- they want to see me? I didn’t get any email from them though…” you pull out your phone and check it, only to realise it’s out of battery. “Oh. No wonder. Um… sure. I’ll go see them right now. Thanks for letting me know.”

You start to slip past him, but he catches your arm halfway.

“I’ll walk with you, if you don’t mind,” he says with a shy little smile, flipping his hair off his forehead with one hand.

“You sure? I don’t want to hold you up… you must be tired.” Both of you start to stroll toward the head offices.

Jimin smiles companionably, taking a deep breath of the crisp, cold air. “I’m okay. Not that tired. It’s a really fun job, and seeing the crowd gives me energy. So I always end the day with more energy than I started it with.”

You can kind of relate to what he’s referring to, and for the first time you realise how important it is to receive so much love and attention from your audience. “Yeah, totally. It’s like a two-way dialogue. You give the audience your all, and they give it back to you tenfold.”

“Exactly!” He grins at you with a little skip in his step. “You’ve been killing it lately. I heard you’re going super viral on Youtube. The first video of you and Gaston has, what- five million views?”

“Oh, yeah… it’s crazy. I have no idea how that happened,” you blush a little under his intense gaze, focusing on the path in front of you instead.

“I know how it happened, your acting skills are amazing,” Jimin says with a shrug, saying it as if it’s obvious. “Watching you makes me feel like you were born to act. When you’re acting, you just steal the spotlight even if there isn’t a stage. I think you should give yourself more credit.”

He turns to you with a sweet smile, eyes warm. It almost makes you stumble over a non-existent rock.

“Thankfully neither you nor the crowd are mind readers, because I was doubting myself like crazy that day,” you attempt to laugh it off, but your confession only makes Jimin even more curious, his hand brushing against yours. You ignore the hitch in your voice. “It was more like tiny little questions. ‘Like is this okay? Am I doing a good job? Was that too mean? Do they hate me?’ ”

“Wow- that’s… I couldn’t tell at all,” Jimin admits. “From the outside you just looked like you were born to be there. You looked so confident and comfortable in your own skin, and… it was attractive.”

Your heart skips multiple beats as you shakily bring yourself to make eye contact with him. Jimin is still looking at you, and the words are left unsaid between the two of you, but his gaze makes it loud and clear.

I was attracted to you.

You’re saved from a response as you approach the head office. Thinking he’d probably do the normal thing and leave now, you turn to say goodbye to him, but Jimin follows you into the office.

“I can stay a little. Don’t have anything after this anyway,” he says with an easy smile, and part of you is glad, because you’re nervous at the thought of meeting with senior management.

Though you’ll have to go in alone, the thought of Jimin waiting outside for you makes you a little less anxious.

“Good evening, _________,” the head of Character Management, Kim Sejeong greets you.

It’s strange to be meeting with management so often, the last time being when you got promoted. But this time, the rest of the management is also in the room, sitting on either side of a long table, looking important and intimidating.

“Hi- Good evening, I believe you wanted to see me?” Your voice comes out small, and you hate it.

“Yes, we have some very great news for you,” Kim Sejeong smiles tightly as she ushers you to a seat at the end of the table. “I’ll let our director of HR deliver it himself.”

His nameplate reads Jung Hoseok. He clears his throat, adjusting his tie as he smiles at you. “Congratulations, ________. You’ve been made employee of the month.”

There’s a stunned silence for a moment as you digest the news. Finally, you bring yourself to utter a response. “Um… I… wow, this is amazing, I had no idea… Thank you so much, Mr Jung.”

Jung Hoseok laces his fingers together, smiling again as he looks at the other members of the senior management. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’ve definitely noticed how you are shining in your new assignment. We’ve taken note that you’ve gone viral, and we estimate that park visitation numbers have gone up by 5% ever since you were promoted. You’ve brought very good publicity for our park, and we think you deserve this title.”

“In fact, we decided to modify the title slightly, you’re now employee of the month for the next three months. Of course, we’ll be announcing your title in the official staff newsletter later this month, but we just thought you’d like to know in advance,” Sejeong interjects smoothly.

This has to be a dream. Some cruel nightmare where everything is ripped away from you at the very last second. There’s no way something this good can happen to you… is there?

“It’s not just a title,” Jung Hoseok corrects himself. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the Employee of the Month is also rewarded with a small voucher. But since this is Employee of the Month for the next three months, we thought the prize should be similarly inflated.”

You glance at Sejeong expectantly, not daring to get your hopes up. What could it be? Cash? A month off work? A bonus?

“Two pairs of VIP tickets to Disneyland, redeemable at any time with no expiry,” Jung Hoseok grins as if he thinks he’s awarding you the Nobel Peace Prize. “And, a free night’s stay at the Disneyland hotel, two rooms inclusive.”

You’ve never really been a fan of Disneyland and its hotels, but this is slightly ridiculous. The reward for doing well at work is… getting to spend more time at work? You supposed you can always sell the tickets or something… you just have to find a way to be discreet about it.

You realise that a longer than socially acceptable amount of time has passed in which you’ve just been staring at senior management, and you clear your throat, mentally slapping yourself out of your stupor.

“Thank you, Mr Jung. I truly… truly appreciate this, it’s such an honour,” you force the words out alone with a stiff smile on your face.

Jung Hoseok seems satisfied with your gratitude. “Thank you, Ms______. Please keep up the good work. Well, that’s all we have for you today, unless there’s anything on your side, Sejeong?”

“Nope, nothing from me,” Sejeong shakes her head. “You may go now.”

You thank them one more time before letting yourself out of the room, still trying to process everything. Jimin sees the slightly overwhelmed look on your face, and he immediately meets you at your side, arm around your shoulder to guide you to the door.

“You okay? It wasn’t bad news, right?” He asks, worried.

“No… no it wasn’t. Quite the opposite, actually,” you say still in a daze. “I was awarded Employee of the Month. For the next three months.”

“Oh my god. That’s amazing! You totally deserve it!” Jimin expresses his joy with his entire body, skipping ahead of you a few paces and even doing a spin, giggling in that cute way of his.

“It is,” you smile, genuinely happy now. “But get this, guess what was the reward.”

“A 13th month bonus?” Jimin guesses excitedly, his eyes bright.

“Two pairs of VIP tickets to Disneyland. And two hotel rooms, one night stay,” you say in a deadpan manner. “I know, right? How stingy. Employees already get a 20% discounted rate off everything, and yet…”

“You could always sell them. Or, I mean… take the chance to just be a normal person at Disney. I guess that’s easier said than done, with all the things that we’ve seen as cast members…” Jimin bites his lip in a way that highlights how plush they are.

“A normal person at Disney?” You’re intrigued by the idea as the two of you start to walk back towards the cast member’s dressing rooms. “I’ve never really thought of that before. I mean, this is our workplace, so I don’t think I could ever think of it as a place to have fun.”

“I could show you, i-if you wanted,” Jimin stumbles over his words, and you can see a slight blush on his cheeks as his smile rounds them out gently. “I think it’d be fun. To just forget what we’re really here for and enjoy the park as Walt Disney himself intended it.”

From anyone else, those words would have rubbed you the wrong way. But coming from Park Jimin, it’s genuine because you can tell he really believes that this park was meant to bring joy to people.

And after all, spending a day with Park Jimin in Disney doesn’t sound all that bad. Especially when you think of the hotel room waiting for you after.

“I think it’s a deal,” you grin at him, a fluttering in your stomach when you see his face light up.

“Oh my god. Please,” Jeongguk begs, practically on his knees in front of you. “I’d kill to stay in a Disney hotel just once. And besides, this would be great for my channel!”

“You have a channel?” You frown at him. This is news.

“I recently just started one! It’s mainly gaming for now, but I thought of branching out into vlogging too! And what better place to vlog than Disney itself?” Jeongguk grins and stretches his arms, spinning in the small dressing room and nearly knocking Yoongi off his feet.

The older man glares as he shields his Americano with his body. “Count me out. Spending more time in this place is the last thing I want.”

You sigh under your breath. “Me too, bud.”

“C’mon, you have three tickets! Just give one to me, and Tae and Joy can take the other two! It’s perfect!” Jeongguk folds his arms petulantly, as if he can’t believe you haven’t done the math. “We can do the ‘Eat Everything at Disney Challenge’ and then crash in the hotel room at night. It’ll be like old times again, just way fancier!”

“We can just sneak Yoongi hyung in for the ‘crash at hotel’ part,” Taehyung chimes in. “We’ll get snacks and alcohol and shit. It’ll be great!”

“Um… well, about that…” you shift your weight from foot to foot. “I… kind of only have two tickets left.”

“What? Where’d the last one go?” Jeongguk immediately questions this unexpected wrench in his well laid plans.

This catches Yoongi’s attention too, and he stops scrolling on his phone to fix his eyes on you. Eyebrow raised, as if he can tell what you’re going to say next.

“I don’t think you have any other friends than us,” Jeongguk is thinking hard, and you punch him in the shoulder just for that comment.

“It’s Park Jimin, that’s who,” Joy pipes up from the corner as she’s examining her skin for any breakouts.

Jeongguk frowns. “Wait. Prince Eric? He’s your friend? You guys are close?”

Yoongi snorts at that naïve response. “Dude, she has the biggest boner for him. Everyone in the crew knows that. Well, except for you and him, I guess.”

“Shut up, everyone does not know that!” You throw a cushion at Yoongi, but he raises an arm to deflect it, unbothered as always. “I’m gonna put salt in your Americano tomorrow.”

“Two slots and three people, that’s gonna be interesting,” Yoongi says, going back to his phone.

“Well, I volunteer Tae as tribute. He’s the only one whose shift doesn’t match ours for the next month,” Joy shoots you a quick glance as she says this, and you understand what she’s getting at immediately.

If it’s just you, Jimin and the two brats, you’ll be spending the whole day taking care of them like they’re your overgrown children. But with Joy along, hopefully she can distract Jeongguk long enough for you and Jimin to have some time together, and hopefully even hit the end goal of-

“Oh, right…” Taehyung says with slumped shoulders. “Who plans the shifts anyway? Why’d I have to be left out this time?”

Feeling a little guilty for all the unspoken planning going on between you and Joy, you ruffle Taehyung’s hair fondly. “Hey. You can still join us at night. We’ll just sneak you guys all in.”

You almost regret the words coming out of your mouth the moment you say it, because Joy shoots you an ‘are you sure about this’ look. You return her look with a shrug. As much as you want Jimin, it doesn’t feel right to exclude your friends like this, friends who have been like a family to you.

You’ll just have to find a way to get Jimin alone, because this is your best chance.

“Hey everyone! What’s up guys, today we’re doing a ‘Eat Everything at Disney Challenge’!! Woohoo!” Jeongguk’s boisterous voice attracts the attention of a few other people around him.

He holds out his vlogging camera further to capture the rest of the party. Joy is walking beside him, doing a great job of being the physical buffer between Jeongguk, you and Jimin. She waves half-heartedly, more concerned with shielding herself from the merciless sun with her sunhat and making sure Jeongguk doesn’t crash into anything while mindlessly vlogging.

You’re a few paces away with Jimin, matching your pace to his and already feeling the exhilaration of the day ahead. Even just walking beside him is enough to get your heart racing. Today he’s dressed up slightly more, in a white button-down shirt with cut-off khaki shorts that show off his muscled thighs. To complete the look, his black hair is parted in the middle, showing off his forehead, black sunglasses hung on the vee of his white button down shirt.

“Did I miss the memo or something?” Jimin turns to you with an amused smile on his lips. They look soft, pink and even a little glossy, as if he’d taken the time to apply some tinted lip balm. “Eat everything at Disney Challenge?”

“Don’t worry, I missed it too. If I’d known, I would have worn something a lot looser than this,” you gesture down at yourself. If only Jimin knew that you had spent hours agonizing over your outfit last night, panic calling Joy for help and realizing that you have absolutely zero date worthy clothes in your closet.

It figures because the last time you went out for something other than work and auditions and grocery shopping was never.

Finally, you’d settled on a yellow plaid dress with thin straps to fight off the summer heat, and sneakers to make walking a little easier.

“You look great though,” Jimin says boldly, biting his lower lip. “How about this: he’s here for the all you can eat challenge. We’re here on a date.”

The words make your stomach flutter dangerously, as if you’re on Space Mountain just before the big drop. There’s something slightly different about Jimin today, he’s a sassier, more flirty version of himself, and it only makes you wish you could have come alone with him even more.

No more shy smiles or cute grins today, Park Jimin is going all out in his flirting. He’s going to get the girl today, Jeon Jeongguk be damned.

The four of you stop at a churro stand, and Jeongguk announces to the camera that it’s the first stop of the day.

Jimin’s never been one for the sugary treat, but he spies an opportunity as Jeongguk begins to scarf down his churro on camera, getting sugar all over his shirt.

“Hi, can I have one pineapple churro please?” He asks before turning to you. “Share one with me?”

“Sure,” you shrug as Jeongguk approaches the two of you, his original flavour churro already gone.

“What’d you guys get?” Jeongguk squeezes himself in between you and Jimin. “Oh. Pineapple? I didn’t know they had that flavour.”

Jimin hands over some cash to the vendor and takes the still warm, yellow churro dusted in bright yellow sugar. “They have all different kinds of flavours, look.” He points to the menu board on top of the booth. “Hey, you know what’d be cool Jeongguk?”

“Hmm?” Jeongguk turns to him with a questioning look in his eyes.

“You should try all the different flavoured churros, it’d be a really cool addition to the vlog!”

Jeongguk lights up at the suggestion. “Why didn’t I think of that?” He turns to the vendor and points at the menu. “Can I have one in every flavour? Oh, and employee discount please.”

“Sure, but we’re fresh out of churros and it’ll take about fifteen minutes to make the next batch, would you be okay with waiting, sir?”

Jimin discreetly tugs at your hand and pulls you away with him while Jeongguk haggles with the vendor about the waiting time, too preoccupied to even notice the two of you.

A safe distance away, Jimin grins as he glances you up and down as if he suddenly realized something. “Here. Take this.”

He shoves the churro at you, and you take it from him, brows knitted in confusion.

“It matches your outfit, and you look really cute. I wanna take a picture of you,” Jimin explains with a giggle as he takes his phone out of his pocket, positioning you so that the Magic Castle is directly behind you. “One, two three…”

You make him laugh in his signature way, with his entire body, when you pretend to play the churro like a flute. He snaps a few more pictures with a satisfied smile on his face, and you drop the pose, walking over to him to check the picture and half hoping you don’t look horrible.

“So pretty, see,” Jimin shows you a candid of you laughing at him laughing, and you realise it’s the happiest you’ve seen yourself lately. His proximity as he shows you the other pictures makes your heart race, and you almost don’t want to move away.

To cover up your fluttering nerves, you take a bite of the churro, feeling the sugar melt on your tongue, and the tangy taste of pineapple spread across your tastebuds.

“Good?” Jimin asks, putting his phone away, casually letting his arm skim past your waist as he tucks it into his pocket. “Lemme try?”

Before you can offer your end of the churro to him, he closes one hand around your wrist and lifts the other end of the churro to his lips, taking a bite of it. The sugar dusts his plush lips, and he maintains direct eye contact with you as he chews, his smoldering eyes such a contrast with the cute bulge of his cheek full of churro.

The slight height difference means the churro is tilted in between the two of you, and your end of the churro remains slightly out of your reach. Feeling as if his eyes are daring you to, you lean forward slightly and take a bite from your side while he takes another bite from his end.

God damn if this isn’t the most romantic thing you’ve ever done. You’d thought these things only happen in movies. Feeling your cheeks heat up from his stare, you break away first and brush some sugar off your chin.

“It’s really good,” Jimin comments, licking his lips to get every bit of sugar. “Tastes just like the Dole Whip. Pineapple’s really good for you too.”

“It is?” You ask before you can fully comprehend what he’s said, mind already addled by his close proximity and how outrageously cheesy he’s being. You see a stray granule of sugar on his bottom lip, and without thinking, brush it away with your thumb.

Jimin pairs his answer with another bite of the pineapple churro, a slight smirk on his lips as he chews. “Yeah, it tastes good, and it makes you taste good too.”

You understand his double entendre immediately and wonder where the hell this side of Park Jimin was all along. A moment ago, everything was straight out of a rom-com movie, and a second later he’s looking at you like you’re the lead actors of Fifty Shades.

“Hey guys, I got it!” Jeongguk bounds over with his two fists full of churros, his camera balanced dangerously in the crook of his elbow. Joy trails behind with a slightly apologetic look on her face at not being able to successfully keep him busy. “Guys, can you film me? I’m gonna try to break the world record for eating churros the fastest.”

You oblige, stepping away from Jimin to rescue the camera from Jeongguk. “There’s such a record? What’s the time to beat?”

“Dunno,” Jeongguk shrugs, his eyes already focused on the multi-coloured churros in his hands. There’s pineapple, plum, green apple, strawberry and blue raspberry. “I’ll make one if there isn’t.”

“Don’t choke, Kook,” you caution him, taking out a bottle of water from your bag just in case, and position him in the camera frame. “Three… two… one… action!”

Jimin looks over your shoulder at the camera’s viewfinder as Jeongguk begins to scoff down the churros at record speed. In the blink of an eye, he’s already downed three, and he shoves the last two in his mouth at the same time, chewing furiously as if he’s eating two Pocky sticks at the same time.

“And… time!” You call out, figuring he can just add in the timer below later in post editing. You keep recording though, and hand him the bottle of water with your free hand.

Jeongguk looks satisfied with himself, though his eyes land on how close Jimin is standing behind you as he chugs the water. With a petulant pout, he lowers the bottle from his lips.

“Do I have sugar on my mouth?” He asks you, looking at your face rather than at the camera.

“Yes, yes you do,” you say with a laugh. “It’s all over your face and chin.”

“Wipe it for me?” Jeongguk asks with a shameless grin, glancing at the way Jimin’s expression tightens. “I can’t see where it is.”

There’s a brief pause as you hesitate, and then you pull a pack of tissues out of your pocket, tossing them at him. “Here. Use these.”

Jimin’s laughter sounds angelic to you, but it grates on Jeongguk’s ears.

“Hey, can you walk ahead of me?” Jeongguk turns to you with his camera still focused in front of him. “I wanna do a ‘follow me’ shot. And I need a model.”

“I’ll do it!” Joy chimes in enthusiastically, although you can obviously tell how forced it is judging from the smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. The heat is definitely taking a toll on her. You owe her a huge debt after this.

But Jeongguk frowns a little. “Hmmm, can ______ do it instead?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Joy crosses her arms defensively.

“Have you seen the way you walk?” Jeongguk rolls his eyes. “You’re like a drunk elephant.”

Joy’s eyes widen in outrage and you can tell this is about to turn into an argument between your two best friends. Before she can say anything, however, Jimin cuts in.

“I’ll do it,” he says, pushing back his black hair from his forehead.

Relieved, you chime in. “Y-yes! Jimin walks really well. You should see the way he walks down Main Street when he’s Prince Eric. He turns the whole place into his private runway!”

Jimin shoots you a fond little smile, glowing from your compliment and you feel Jeongguk’s eyes tracking this tiny moment between you.

“What do I have to do?” Jimin asks, already walking in front of Jeongguk.

“But… ‘follow me’ shots are usually done by a girl because they get more viewers,” Jeongguk protests weakly, especially when Jimin appears in the viewfinder of his camera. “And… and we have to hold hands.”

“You have no idea how handsome I am from the back,” Jimin smirks, running a hand through his hair again. “I’ll get you way more views than Joy and ______ ever could.”

“God damn. That confidence is so hot,” Joy whispers beside you, watching the two men squabble over having to hold hands, and then finally settle for no hand holding.

You don’t doubt he could get way more views than you or Joy, especially with the little smirk he shoots the camera over his shoulder as he starts to walk toward the Magic Castle. Jeongguk follows while filming, leaving the two of you behind for a moment.

“You know what’s hotter?” Your eyes don’t leave him for a second. “That ass.”

Joy giggles in tandem with you for a second before she stops with sudden realization. “Oh my god. I just realised something. I hope the walls between the hotel rooms are soundproof.”

“And… here’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen today…” Jeongguk suddenly turns the camera on you as you pick at your candy floss. “We’re waiting to go on the carousel!”

Suddenly camera shy, you hide behind the giant pink cloud. “What’s with you? Why are you complimenting me?”

“Because it’s true,” Jeongguk shrugs, one hand reaching out to move your cotton candy away from your face so that he can see you.

But his view is suddenly rudely interrupted by Jimin who sticks his face right in front of the camera. Jeongguk jumps back in slightly shock, a scowl etched across his features as Jimin blocks you entirely.

“How about me? Aren’t I the cutest guy you’ve ever seen?” Jimin checks himself out in the camera lens, and you have to stop yourself from agreeing. He fluffs up his silky black hair, taking the sunglasses that hang in the vee of his shirt and putting them on.

Jimin continues to check himself out in the camera’s viewfinder, and you laugh at him, watching him smooth his hair and lick his lips, and suddenly you find yourself envying the viewers of Jeongguk’s channel. That is, if Jeongguk decides to even let this make it into the vlog in the first place.

Jeongguk is making noises of disgust, trying to get Jimin out of frame, and the two of them are squabbling like little kids.

Jeongguk passes the camera to you. “Hey, film me.”

He grabs a piece of popcorn and tosses it into the air, trying to catch it with his mouth. Joy giggles when he fails, and Jimin snorts with laughter at his reattempts.

“C’mon, that’s easy,” Jimin says as he grabs popcorn from Jeongguk, and you turn to focus the camera on him instead. Jimin tosses it into the air and catches it easily, shooting the camera a little smirk.

“I’ll do it again,” Jimin says, grabbing another piece of popcorn and tossing it in the air. It lands in his mouth effortlessly, and the way he looks at you while chewing makes your mouth go dry.

“One more, and if I succeed…” his voice trails off so that you have to strain to hear him over all the background noise of the park. “You have to ride me tonight.”

Then he throws it into the air and catches it with his mouth, and your heart skips a beat when he catches your eye after.

“Um, what?? I’ll have to ride… what?” You feel like that piece of popcorn has gone down your throat instead, from the way you’re stuttering.

“You’ll have to ride with me,” Jimin says with a wink, nodding at the carousel. “What did you think I said?”

You’re saved from replying when the gates in front of you open, signalling the next batch of carousel riders.

Joy tugs you along, unaffected by what just went down whatsoever. Her only aim is to choose the prettiest unicorn so she can take millions of selfies, and you follow her, not realizing that Jeongguk isn’t behind you. By the time you do realise, you’re already standing beside a white pony with a pink mane and tail just behind Joy.

“You go ahead, I wanna film the carousel from here,” Jeongguk focuses on getting the perfect frame on his camera. Jimin glances over his shoulder and realizes that it’s focused on you, following you as you go from pony to pony, laughing and giggling with your cotton candy still in hand.

He narrows his eyes in suspicion. “Hey, I thought this was supposed to be a ‘Eat Everything at Disney Challenge’? Why are you filming ______ like, exclusively?”

“Because I wanna eat her, that’s why,” Jeongguk mumbles under his breath, and Jimin nearly explodes.

“What did you just say man?” He’s ready to grab Jeongguk by the collar for referring to you in such a crude manner.

“Calm down dude, it was just a joke,” Jeongguk’s eyes widen in fear. “I say stupid things sometimes without thinking! You know I’d never treat _____ like that. She’s like one of my best friends! I can’t help if I’m attracted to her like that!”

“Kook? What are you doing? Get over here!” You gesture at him and Jimin, who are still in the queue even though there are more than enough spaces on the carousel.

You notice the two of them having a seemingly intense conversation, at the end of which Jimin backs down and shoves his way through the gate, with a hard set to his jaw as he approaches the horse you’re about to ride. But by the time he’s on the carousel itself, the annoyance has vanished off his face.

“You should ride on this one instead,” Jimin gestures to a horse on the inside of the carousel. “Switch with me.”

You were just about to get on the horse, but at his insistence, switch to riding the one on the inside instead. Jimin stands just behind you, making sure you’re securely on the horse before he climbs up on the one next to you.

He glances at Jeongguk still in the queue trying to get a shot of you on the carousel, but he purposely angles his body so that he’s blocking you entirely. Especially when he sees your exposed thigh when your dress rides up from your position on the horse. Jimin doesn’t want anyone but him to be privy to this view, that’s for sure.

The ride slowly creaks to a start, and the whimsical music starts up. Now that the sun has gone down, the glow of the carousel lights casts a magical tinge over everything, and when Jimin looks over at you, he isn’t ready for the surge of butterflies.

The four of you make it to the hotel to check-in, half exhausted and just wanting to collapse onto cool sheets for a while before coming up with a plan to sneak in Yoongi and Tae, who insisted on bringing the snacks and alcohol so that they wouldn’t be left out.

“Here you go, two rooms, across the hallway from each other. 503 and 504,” the hotel clerk smiles at you, and you thank her, grabbing the keys and joining the other three in front of the elevators.

“Fifth floor,” you mumble to no one in particular as the four of you enter the lift. Joy reaches out to punch in the correct number, while Jimin boldly wraps an arm around your waist and you press your cheek into his chest.

“Why’s Kook sulking?” You refer to Jeongguk who’s been silent ever since you got off the carousel ride, looking through shots on his camera with a sullen look on his face.

“His blood sugar is low, he needs some snacks probably,” Joy says, stifling a yawn herself. “God, I can’t believe it’s only 9pm and we’re dying to go to bed. When did we become boring ass adults?”

“Ever since we got jobs and started paying bills,” your voice is muffled by Jimin’s shirt.

The elevator dings and you stumble out, navigating the lush hallways lined with red carpeting to find the correct unit number. You stop in front of 503 and tap the key card to the sensor, tossing the other one to Joy who opens the opposite room.

The sight of the neat, luxurious hotel rooms perks even Jeongguk up, as you dump your stuff and throw yourselves onto the soft beds.

“Oh god. Who was the one who suggested The Spinning Teacups? I hate you so much right now,” you mumble into a pillow, all your energy sapped up.

“Jeongguk did,” Jimin helpfully supplements your memory even as you feel the bed dip slightly beside you.

All of a sudden, you are painfully aware that the two of you are alone in the room together… the door is locked securely and there’s no one, not even Mr Walt Disney himself, who could interrupt your moment now. You turn to see Jimin flat on his back beside you, eyes closed and hair brushed away from his face. The outline of his sharp jawline leads you down to his Adam’s apple, then further down into the v of his shirt that exposes his chest…

He catches you looking with a playful smirk on his plush lips, turning onto his side so that he can regard you better.

“I waited all day for this…” Jimin whispers in a low sultry tone as his eyes undress you, and he sits up, running his fingers through his hair. “Remember what I said about riding me?”

You can only gape at him for a moment, before you reach out to smack his chest. “Oh my god, I knew I heard that! You made me feel like such a pervert!”

Jimin laughs, reaching across the bed to pull you into his lap so that you are indeed straddling him. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

You forget about how sweaty you feel when Jimin pulls you down for a kiss, and you finally taste those plush lips of his that you’d been dreaming of forever. You feel as if all of this is a dream, only it can’t be because the sensation of his warm body beneath yours is all too real, his tongue begging for entrance is making all of your fantasies come true and-

Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong!!!

The doorbell rings persistently and doesn’t stop. Such an obnoxious act can only be the work of one person. Sighing, you extricate yourself from Jimin’s grasp with one last kiss to his bottom lip and go to check who’s outside in the doorhole.

But all you see is darkness.

“What are you guys doing in there! Come out! Yoongi and Tae are here!” Jeongguk’s voice sounds from outside, and you can only surmise that he’s covered the door hole with his hand. Real mature.

Sighing, you turn back to Jimin still on the bed. Inside here is Jimin with his cute smile and sinful promises of the night to come, and out there is… Jeon Jeongguk with a penchant of cock blocking you at every turn he gets.

“We should join them for a bit. Then sneak away if we can.” Jimin sighs when the doorbell continues ringing, twitching an eyebrow in annoyance. “Or else he’ll never leave us alone. We need a game plan.”

Jimin turns to rummage through his bag for some comfy clothes to change into, and you do the same, only retreating into the bathroom to try and freshen up a little first. Five minutes later you emerge, dressed in comfy sweats as you open the door, only to stop the incessant ringing of the doorbell.

“Kook, you’re disturbing the neighbours,” you chide him gently, pushing him towards the other hotel room as Jimin emerges behind you in an oversized black hoodie and shorts.

It seems like the party already started without you, chip bags open and strewn everywhere, beer cans crushed and strewn around. You plop yourself down on a pillow and reach for some Doritos, moaning as the salty, cheesy goodness hits your tongue and you feel renergised.

Yoongi comes in bearing pizza, and for a moment no one speaks as you all hungrily devour the food.

“So Kook, did you manage to finish your ‘Eat Everything at Disney Challenge’?” Taehyung asks with a hopeful grin, for he’d contributed to the idea himself.

“Obviously not, or else he wouldn’t be stuffing himself right now,” Joy says through a mouthful of pizza, chasing it down with a gulp of soda. “He started off strong with the churros, but I think he kinda got sidetracked along the way…”

“Oh,” Taehyung says, not really looking all that disappointed. “Bro, there’s always next time! I told you, you need me!”

Yoongi settles back with a can of beer, looking as though the day has thoroughly worn him out. “So, how’d you losers like Disney? As visitors, not as cast members.”

“Eh, was okay I guess,” Jeongguk picks at a piece of pineapple on his slice. “Vlog turned out slightly different than I wanted it to.”

“Too hot,” Joy complains, before realizing her mistake. Her eyes widen as Taehyung tosses an empty crushed beer can at her.

“Try an entire afternoon in costume!” Taehyung says indignantly, before bursting into laughter.

While they bicker back and forth, Jimin nudges your knee with his, and mouths the words ‘game plan’. Your eyes dart around the mess in front of you, then at each of your friends.

Jeongguk is stuffing himself with the rest of the pizza, and if you know anything about him is that he goes out like a light after meals. Yoongi is already more than half asleep, Tae and Joy are distracting each other. Now’s the perfect time.

You start to stand up slowly, making your way to the door to let yourself out quietly. You don’t dare to turn and see if Jimin is following behind you, all you can do is keep going straight without making any more noise…

“_______? Where are you going?”

Shit.

Jeongguk’s sleepy voice interrupts you, and you turn around, a hesitant smile on your face. You see that Jimin is still seated in the circle, and you root around in your head for an excuse.

“Just- just gonna get more beer, we’re already out!” You say, and Jeongguk seems to accept this as he shifts his position to lie his head on Jimin’s lap instead. “Hyung- can I call you that? Hyung, lend me your lap for a while. You’re comfy.”

Ignoring Jimin’s silent protests for help, you let yourself out of the room, breathing a sigh of relief once the door closes behind you. You let yourself into the other room with the spare keycard in your pocket, thanking the heavens that you decided to ask for an extra card at reception just now. The original one is with Jimin, if and when he manages to extricate himself from Jeongguk’s grasp…

You sigh and slide under the soft, warm sheets, deciding that you might as well take a nap while waiting for Jimin.

Beep-beep….

The sound of a key-card being scanned stirs you from sleep, and you crack open an eye, but all you’re met with is the darkness of your hotel room. Then there’s a weight on the bed beside you, and Jimin’s soft voice.

“Did you fall asleep?”

“No, no I-“ the sleep in your voice betrays you, though, and you sit up hastily, taking in Jimin’s ruffled appearance; hair messy and cheeks slightly red. “What time is it?”

“Just past 2am,” Jimin rubs a hand down his face, reaching for a bottle of water on the bedside. “We were deep into some drinking game before I managed to escape. They’re all passed out in the other room.”

Jimin tilts the bottle and drinks deeply as if to chase away the sleepiness. He replaces the bottle on the bedside and moves to take off his hoodie, revealing the thin black shirt underneath. Unable to stop yourself, you push yourself into a sitting position, grabbing his shirt and pulling him in for a kiss, continuing from where you left off earlier.

You can taste the remnants of beer on his tongue, his hands slide around your waist to feel your soft curves, pull you closer to him so that you feel the hardness of his abs and the heat of his body.

“Finally,” he groans, trailing his kisses down your neck. “Fucking finally. This was all I could think about when we were playing 7 Up.”

His hands slide down to lift your shirt over your head, his lips marking the top of one breast as he works at the clasp of your bra. Jimin’s roughness is welcome as he sucks purple and blue into your skin, tossing away your bra like it’s nothing.

“You had the nerve to fall asleep while I was stuck entertaining your friends?” Jimin emphasizes this with a particularly harsh suck on your nipple, his fingers twisting the other one and your thighs clench together, trying to seek some sort of friction. His palm gropes your breasts, squeezing it roughly as he marks the other with his teeth and tongue.

“Shi-t I’m sorry!” You squeak out, but this side of Jimin you’ve never seen before is so fucking hot, and you can feel yourself already craving his touch on your body, inside you, and just everywhere.

His anger translates itself into his actions as he pulls down your sweatpants with a yank, but his fingers are always gentle on your skin as he travels up your inner thighs, traces across your sensitive lower lips. He witnesses how soaked your underwear is, pulling it away from you as he settles himself in between your thighs.

One flick of his tongue sends your thighs trembling, and he concentrates all his efforts on your clit, his fingers digging into your soft flesh in an attempt to keep your legs spread for him. Two fingers spread you for his viewing pleasure, he eats you like a man starved, not caring if your juice smear on his chin or cheeks.

When his fingers start to tease at your entrance, you buck your hips in a silent plea for more, and Jimin obliges you by sliding in one finger. Even though you’ve pleasured yourself in the past, it doesn’t compare to the feeling of him filling you up with his fingers, stretching you out and watching how well you take him.

One thumb is still rubbing circles around your clit, fingers stroking that special spot inside you as he coaxes you to cum all over him. Finally, Jimin goes in for the kill, replacing his thumb with his lips wrapped around your clit, and sucking until you see stars and your thighs are wrapped tight around his head.

You are panting and out of breath when your muscles loosen up, and Jimin is licking his lips, staring at your cunt. Without giving yourself time to get shy, you move to straddle him, ripping his shirt off in a hunger to feel his chest and abs, grinding against him.

“Fuck, are you really going to ride me like this?” Jimin has his hands around your waist as your tongue swirls in the shell of his ear, feeling your wet cunt grind against his abs. He lets you get a fill of his rock hard muscles for a few more seconds before aligning you where he really wants it, just over the bulge in his sweatpants.

“A bet’s a bet, right?” You reach down to pull the waistband of his sweatpants lower, bringing his underwear with it. You can already see the red tip of his cock, hard and angry and weeping with precum.

You grasp him with your mouth watering at the thought of swallowing his thick cock down your throat, but that will have to wait because you think you might die if you don’t feel him inside you this very instant.

“You know, I always look at your ass in your Prince Eric costume when you walk past the Wishing Well,” you admit to him, stroking his cock a few times and relishing the deep groans from Jimin.

“Sounds like you have a kink for Princes. Maybe I should fuck you while wearing my Prince outfit?”

“Bonus points if we can roleplay. You can save me from this big, towering castle, and when you climb all the way up I’ll thank you by sucking your huge-“ You’re unable to finish the sentence, bursting out into giggles only to be met with a puzzled look from Jimin.

“Wait, you weren’t being serious? I was getting into that!”

“Only if you call me Queen. And I get to call you a peasant.”

Jimin mock pouts, but then when his cock brushes against your clit, he suddenly remembers that he’s supposed to be punishing you for falling asleep while waiting for him.

He delivers one spank to your ass, causing you to moan as he reaches for the condoms thoughtfully provided by the hotel.

“Ugh, they’re Disney themed,” Jimin groans in distaste as he tosses aside the Mickey Mouse wrapper, unrolling the red and white polka dot condom over himself and swearing even more. “Who the hell would be turned on by this!”

You giggle at his obvious distress over how the condom makes his cock look.

“You’re laughing?” Jimin frowns in disapproval. “I’m here in danger of going soft before I can even fuck you and you’re-“

“Then I’d better help out,” you stifle your laughter as you grip him by the base and sink down onto him, and immediately all thoughts of Mickey Mouse, Disneyland and his cock going soft flee from Jimin’s mind.

All he can think of is the feeling of your warm cunt surrounding him, how tight you are as you take him all the way. You alternate between bouncing on top of him and grinding your hips in circles when you want more depth. Your thighs are burning, but you promised you’d ride Jimin till he cums.

When your pace slows down just a smidge, Jimin bends his thighs under you and meets you halfway for a while, before finally wrapping his arms around your waist so that your upper body is pressed tightly to his. Then you feel him pound into you, using his lower body strength to keep up the pace.

Although you’re on top, he seems to be doing most of the work, and the most you can do is to tighten around him. You can feel his grasp tight around your waist as his breaths quicken against your skin.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” Jimin is clearly trying to hold himself back, but you gather the last of your strength and start bouncing on him, trying to push him over the edge. A few more squeezes of your core around him and Jimin is groaning, gripping your waist as he thrusts up into you and spills into the condom.

A few brushes of his thumb around your clit is all it takes for you to follow him over the edge, collapsing against his chest in exhaustion as you both come down from your high.

Jimin goes soft and slips out of you, and he rolls you to the side so that he can take off the used condom. He grimaces as he ties the end and tosses it into the trash. “Never a-fucking-gain.”

“Does that mean we aren’t having round two here?” You tease him as he comes back to bed, snuggling deep into the covers with his cold feet pressed against your thigh.

“I think I could maybe deal with that… are there any Donald Duck ones?”

“My queen! I brought you a new servant!” A teenage girl excitedly drags her friends towards you, holding a camera up to film your reaction.

More and more of your visitors have been filming you, but you take it all in stride rather than feel pressurized by the thought that this will end up on Youtube. You pretend to check yourself out in the camera’s front view for a moment before noticing her and her friends.

“My new servant? Well everyone’s a servant, what are you talking about?” You glance dismissively at the crowd around you, holding up your mirror to catch the sun’s rays. “Well, if you’re my servant, you may bow.”

The girls giggle as they attempt to curtsy.

“That was terrible,” you swirl your cape in response. “It needs work. Now off with you!”

You turn and begin to stroll in the direction of the Magic Castle, aware that your little entourage is following you. Children are running after you and a few of them ask to hold your hand, which you allow graciously.

“Come, come, walk with me. The Wishing Well is filthy, Snow White hasn’t been doing her job lately. Out of my way! Out of our way, peasants!” You proclaim loudly, making everyone aware that you’re currently conducting your own parade.

Your shift is due to end soon, but you can’t resist passing by the Magic Castle just once. If you get the timing right, Jimin should be doing his rounds there while Ariel is stuck inside at in a photo session…

From far away you spot the bright blue jacket of his blazer, his dark black hair glowing in the sun and his pretty smiles as he twirls a child around in his arms. The sight of Park Jimin as Prince Eric nearly makes you want to smile, and you barely manage to keep your smirk of disdain on.

“My Queen, what do you think of Prince Eric? Isn’t he just the dreamiest?” One of your followers sighs from behind you as they catch a glimpse of the Prince. “He would make a great servant!”

“That’s precisely the reason why I came here, to recruit a new servant,” you concede, waving your mirror in the air as you approach Jimin. “I think a poison apple or two should be enough to take care of Princess Ariel, and then he’ll be all mine!”

Your laughter makes Jimin glance up at your approaching entourage, and well-mannered as his character is, he gives you a slight bow.

“Well, to what pleasure do we owe your presence to? Not here to give out any poisoned apples, are we?” Jimin holds a child’s hand as they attempt to hide behind him.

“Not at all… not yet at least,” you smile deviously, gesturing to all the people following you. “Someone here suggested you’d make a good servant… and I came here to see for myself.”

“Ah, I’m afraid I have to politely decline,” Jimin says with a small bow, but you can see the slight smile on his face. “As much as it would be an honour to serve you, my Queen, I’m afraid my allegiance lies elsewhere.”

“Hmmm,” you consider his rejection with a finger on your chin, checking your reflection in your mirror before you answer. “Well, at least he has manners. Which is more than I can say for his other half, that fish girl. I guess he needs to make up for the both of them.”

You can see it takes everything Jimin has not to giggle with his entire body like he usually does. Swirling your cape, you turn around and stride to the nearest exit, waving goodbye to your followers.

A few minutes later, Jimin follows you into one of the dressing rooms already laughing.

“You did it on purpose! I nearly broke character because of you,” Jimin points an accusing finger at you, but his giggles take all the sting out of it. He takes your hand and the two of you start to walk back to your fur character’s dressing room, taking the shortcut through the tunnels so that god forbid, no one in the park sees Prince Eric and The Evil Queen holding hands and giggling together.

In all the fairytales you read as a child, it’s always the Princess who gets her Prince and her happy ending. Never in your wildest dreams would you imagine that something like this would be possible, and yet here you are, walking hand in hand with the Prince of your dreams.

Maybe you don’t have to be a princess to get a happy ending after all.

“I should come by more often, you’re cute when flustered,” you tease him as he opens the door to the dressing room, and you’re thankful that no one can see the silly smile on your face that definitely doesn’t fit the Evil Queen.

“Ugh, get a room,” Yoongi peeks an eye open and closes it immediately at the sight of the two of you.

“This is a room,” you say, and Jimin only reluctantly lets go of your hand to let you take off your makeup.

Yoongi only grumbles and goes back to napping, and the two of you quieten down in the unspoken agreement that a sleepy Yoongi is like a bear that should best be left in hibernation.

You retrieve your phone to check your messages that you missed while being away for the past few hours, only to see that you have five missed calls and three messages all from the same number.

Opening the latest message, your heart skips a few excited beats.

Dear ______,

This is Mr Kim, Casting Manager for Broadway’s Maleficient. I refer to your audition tape sent in a few weeks back, apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I’d like to formally invite you down for an audition at your earliest possible convenience. The directors are all very excited to meet you, especially after watching your audition tape of your current role as The Evil Queen at Disneyland. You’ve become somewhat of an internet sensation, and we would love to have a chance to meet you in person. Please let me know what date works for you, or give me a call any time.

Your hands are shaking. It feels like all the air has been sucked out of the room.

“What? What is it?” Jimin asks in concern, peeking over your shoulder to read the text.

Then he lets out a loud whoop that makes Yoongi grunt in annoyance.

“You better not be giving him blowjob right in front of my salad or I’m kicking the two of you out on your naked asses…”

“______ got a fucking Broadway audition! She’s going to BROADWAY!!!!”

Jimin is beside himself with excitement, and you turn to kiss him, not because you want to shut him up (though it does accomplish that too).

You kiss him because you feel like every happy ending deserves to end with a kiss like this, only then does it count as a happily ever after.

#bts #bts smut #btssmutclub #bts jimin #bts park jimin #ksmutclub #bts jimin smut #happy birthday jimin #jimin's bday fic is here!!!!!!!#a whole day early for all you PST folks #ps excuse the low quality header #it was the only thing keeping me going throughout this monster length of a fic

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zanessaconfessions · 3 years

Note

headcanons about zv's wedding?? or troyella sharing a dorm in the middle of berkeley and stanford???

oh my god. im not gonna go for ZV’s wedding for now. ask me that in a week cause i need to like research some stuff rip. but i think troy and gabi would share an apartment than a dorm together.

Troyella apartment headcanons:

Troy and Gabi decided to move in together a year after starting college. they had planned for it in december of 1st year but fully agreed on it on New Years.

They ended up getting a studio apartment. mainly because they don’t really need lots of rooms and the rent fits their budget.

they found a perfect apartment in San Francisco. it’s 19 mins away from Berkeley and 36 mins away from Stanford.

their studio apartment happens to be twice the size of Troy’s basketball court in his backyard. the price was surprisingly okay. mainly because the interior wasn’t fancy or luxurious.

Gabriella immediately fell in love with it. Troy managed to picture her reaction and saved it as his homescreen on his phone.

the interior design looks like the apartment belongs in New York city. with big tall windows. brick walls that Gabriella would later paint it over with white or beige paint.

their double bed is placed on the left corner, right against the brick wall and a nightstand placed on the other side. then in front of their bed are their coffee table and a couch where they’d usually cuddle whenever they can.

the kitchen happens to be on the right side when they’d enter the apartment. it’s a small kitchen but they go by. then across the kitchen is their wooden dining table. which is also their study table. big enough to fit their books and reviewers if they plan an all nighter.

on the other side of the kitchen is their bathroom and closet. it wasn’t big but they really didn’t care.

they don’t have a tv tho. they’re pretty much contented with their laptop. plus it might be a lil pricey for them.

at first it was a hassle. Troy being messy and would leave his clothes lying around. Gabi had to tell him they’re on their own now and no one is gonna clean their stuff up for them.

Troy would usually end up fetching Gabi up from Stanford and drive back to their apartment because he doesn’t want Gabi to use public transport.

Gabi having her friends over for group studies. it would be the middle of the day and Troy would walk in from practice to see Gabi and her friends sprawled up around their dining table. he notice Gabi looking stress than the rest and decided to do something about it later when they’re alone.

Troy and Gabi would have their friends over for some food or beer. they sometimes end up playing a shots game.

Troy’s first birthday in their apartment was only the two of them. Gabi woke him up with his birthday cake and the entire place all decorated in red and white streamers because “Go Wildcats”. They share a few kisses before Troy blew his candles out. Gabi asked him what his wish was. he replied, “that i would wake up to this view for the rest of my life.” bitch scored brownie points after that.

Whenever Gabi would have a stressful day in Stanford, she’d immediately text Troy about it. later on, she came home to see the apartment lit up with candles, a box of margarita pizza, and a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries on the coffee table. Troy standing besides the coffee table waiting for her to arrive. she runs up to him to jump on him and kiss him passionately.

let me know if you want part 2.

#answered #troyella #troy bolton #gabriella montez #headcanons #apartment #high school musical #im lowkey crying over 😭✋🏽

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untitlednottitled · 3 years

Text

number10

Pre-Event plannings

I had a grand plan, to be lawfully wedded to my bby on our 10th anniversary, 1 year after proposing to her on our 9th, in Jeju, in front of a field of flowers with a fantastical view of the sparkling sea. I even rushed and got the engagement ring ready before our planned trip to Korea in April! But alas, covid-19 had to happen and all was foiled. After the initial plan was foiled in Apr’20, we held out hope that we would still be able to travel by the year end.. but yeah covid gave us a great big middle finger, as yet again, cases skyrocketed and we were all but grounded in sunny Singapore.

Finally, in Dec’20, I decided to propose before July’21! Since the ring and the JannPaul box has been hiding at the back of the closet for the past year, and i didnt want to put it off any longer.

i began to scout for and collate decor items bit by bit on carousell, shopee and other shopping sites. It was a painful process because my initial plan was to recreate “Venezia”, which was an ice cream cafe we went to at Sixth Avenue, back in our JC days before it bowed out of Singapore a few years ago. There was next to no mention of Venezia on google and I was also unable to find any useful logos of the establishment either! So that idea was scrapped. Next, there was the plan to create big cut-outs of either Monsta X or VIXX members who would seem ‘genuinely happy for the proposal’.. but once again, let down by google, as the images I managed to find were either too pixelated or not relevant enough. Sadly, that idea flopped too. In the end, I decided to go for a more normal but personal decor to surprise bby :)

Truthfully, there were many chances to surprise-propose bby, especially our most recent staycation at Park Royal Marina Bay, but I didn’t feel that I was ready to do it.. so I delayed it till our big dinner on July 10th. Why July 10th? SAF had the brilliant idea to schedule my ICT during our actual 10th anniversary date, so we decided that we would have our anniversary dinner earlier. Furthermore, after Gyu Bar, we decided that we could and wanted to try more fine dining. After much research and deliberation (between Whitegrass and Buona Terra), we finally went for Whitegrass, which had decidedly nicer deco and ambiance.

The weekend before the 10th, bby suddenly suggested that after our big dinner, maybe we should go for a drive. This gave me a great idea - if i drove, this meant that she would have to come stay over, and then I would definitely be able to surprise-propose to her! I very easily agreed with her suggestion and went for a slightly higher-end car, an Audi. Thankfully, this rental was not far from my place and the rental wasn’t that much higher than the Honda Fit before. So far, all was going to plan. Then, we also decided that since we would be getting a car, we could travel slightly further out, eg. the East. We decided to go to Playground Ragdolls, which would be our first interactions with our dream pet for our new house!

I ordered a huge preserved flower bouquet beforehand as well as a tiny flower-box, to be delivered on the July 9th, which was also my mum’s birthday. She requested to have chilli crabs for dinner, which my bro bought from Jumbo seafood. We had a scrumptious dinner that night, but extremely regrefully, I couldn’t invite bby to come over, because it would mean that she would see all the flowers and thus ruin the entire event.

On the day itself

On the 10th, coincidentally, I had to take up a mover role, to help my bro move some of his guo-da-li stuff to his fiancee’s place in Pasir Ris in the morning. It was a very simple job that took up the bulk of my Saturday morning. After lunch, he sent me back and I quickly completed the deco and freshened up before leaving at 4pm to collect the car.

Leaving at 4pm was an overestimation of the travelling time, but also to prevent any lateness. I reached the rental car location at about 445pm but could not find the car at all. Confused, i called the host and she was quite pekcek to inform me that I was 15 mins early.. i went ‘oops’ and apologised for my kiasu-ness. At least she wasn’t overly judgey about it. I took over the car and quickly got on my way to Lakeside. Along the way, the aircon vent handphone holder kept dropping everytime I made my way over a particularly high bump as the Audi aircon vent was different from the normal aircon vents i was used to, with horizontal panes. Other than the handphone holder dropping from time to time, the drive to Jurong was pretty smooth.

I picked bby up at about 5pm and she surprised me with another street branded shirt, endorsed by Hyungwon of Monsta X. She even gifted me with a picture of him wearing the exact same shirt! I gifted her with the small flower-box and inwardly laughed as she whined about receiving another flower.. inside i was like ‘lol, wait till you get the one at night’. We drove off from Jurong to City Hall, which was supposed to get us to Chijmes in 25 mins?

Oops, we will be so early! But in the end we spent more than 35 mins on the road, because google maps was being a bitch and not giving the correct directions and we had to circle round Chijmes twice because we couldn’t enter the place! Finally, we decided to follow the signs strictly and we managed to enter the Chijmes carpark at last. We wandered around Chijmes for awhile and took some pictures. I helped her take some pictures that she was actually satisfied with!!!! SDNJIADBNAIKFAUFAKLFDNA!!!

After inwardly celebrating alone, we entered Whitegrass. Overall, the food was nothing to brag about, though the service was very good. Like what bby has said, the best things about the meal were the breads and the specially made financier by the Japanese Chef. The Chef came out to greet us and even wished us a happy anniversary followed by a picture of us hehe.

Full af, we decided to drive to Sentosa cove to sneak a peek at the rich people but nope, not allowed to ba long long go in, so we rerouted to Palawan beach instead. well well well, no entry into the beach. hur. oh well, time to head home. Inside my mind was running in all directions, almost 1.5y in the making, it’s finally gona be time!!

We reached and parked in less than 30 mins and quickly made our way back home.. only upon reaching my doorstep that i realised i left my keys in the flower-box inside the car.. luckily my dad was still awake to open the door for us.

Once in, we discovered my room door was closed and i let her enter first. Once she sweeped her eyes around the room, i panicked a little and just grabbed the ring and knelt down. I was entirely FLUSTERED and my mind was blanked out. haha, i lost all sequence of events. i knelt at an awkward angle and i wanted to switch knees, at which point, bby looked down and saw me kneeling on both knees (facepalm ttm). but okay, eventually it got sorted out and we took some pictures, with creative advice from my fiancee (^^). i also told her the entire journey from the ring all the way to present time, honestly, without hiding anything. Tbh, i wanted to make it hella grand but I missed out on some deco and by the time i discovered, it was too late to order again. UGHHH. When we went off to bathe, it was already about 1am and we had an early morning ahead. We both went to sleep happy hehe. (i got myself a ring catto)

Ragdolls all day, err’ day

I woke up next to bby catto who suddenly wrapped me up in the blankets and took a picture of me -.-

anyways, after a quick breakfast, i wore bby’s present and went out. We went some place first, before heading to La Fez in the East. It was a Morrocan restaurant which had a very pink and cutesy exterior. The food was not bad as well, the bby ordered Shakshuka while I ordered the Lamb Shwarma. Not entirely filling but good enough for me!

Next we set off for Playground Ragdolls.. but i think i missed a turn somewhere so we just parked at a nearby carpark instead. We wanted to walk to Tigerlily Pattiserie but changed our minds to head to Birds of Paradise nearby instead, since bby has been wanting to eat it. and hohoho, dark skies ahead started to thunder and shortly after rain poured down. We didn’t bring umbrella and neither were there any umbrella in the rental car.. so we decided to brave the rain. The initial rain was pretty manageable, a slightly heavy drizzle but manageable. The moment we were halfway to the next shelter however, it poured. and poured. and poured. Needless to say, we were both drenched.. and bby was wearing her Tory Burch too... nevertheless, we persevered and reached Birds of Paradise and got our ice cream too! (along the way we passed a mama shop and bought a $6 umbrella) We got roasted sesame and sea salt hojicha. Tbh, both were good but as we were practically wolfing the ice cream down and the quantity was really alot, the ice cream became pretty jelat after awhile. For the first time in a long long while, we threw away ice cream. Yes, bby was pretty horrible for throwing away ice cream, especially when she was the one who proclaimed she loved it.

With our new umbrella, we eventually made our way back the way we came, dry this time, towards Playground Ragdolls! Since we were pretty early, we waited outside for a short while, before the host let us in. and wow, once in, we were greeted by 2 curious little Singapuras. At first glance, they looked like regular strays but on a closer look, they had a kind of refined quality that really separated them from typical strays. And then as the host continued her briefing, our eyes strayed to the ragdolls. OMGGGG all so floof and cute!! Bby and I settled down near the couch and started playing with an 8 month old female kitto. and omg she was so playful!! Immediate want! While playing, we didn’t forget to enquire more about the purchase process and also listened in on the other customers’ queries as well. 1 hour passed all too quickly, and it came time to bid farewell to the cattoes.

On the way back to the car, bby remarked that she was a little peckish, so we decided to head to a drive-thru at marine parade.. but once there, no drive-thru to be seen!!! We stopped at the passenger waiting area for awhile to research but to no avail. Eventually we gave up and I drove her back to her house.

At her block, I helped to carry all the barang barang back up and I remarked to her that I was going to call her parents ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ to hint them that I proposed. And I did, but apparently, only her mum caught it. Her dad didn’t, sadly. Unfortunately, I needed to rush back to return the car, so i couldn’t stay to explain further (Sorry Father, i will explain the next time i’m there!)

Anyways, I drove back to return the car and swiftly parked. The owner ‘received’ back the car without much incident also. Aaaaand that concludes mine and bby’s eventful weekend, in which we both had our relationship statuses changed from boyfriend-girlfriend to fiance-fiancee ^^.

Honestly, I do regret not getting actual flowers for you back in 2011.. but lol, the virtual flowers confession did make our relationship more interesting though haha. Yet another interesting tale that we can tell our kids next time also. I feel so happy as I recount the entire experience and am so glad that it succeeded. This sat, we will be going to re-size the engagement ring so that bby will wear the ring for events soon!! can’t wait!!

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wingsofkpop · 5 years

Text

Finding SKZ - 11: YNXX 2/2

pairing(s): Hybrid!Bang Chan x Reader, Hybrid!SKZ x Reader

genre: Hybrid!AU, Dystopian!AU, there’s actually Fluff, but Angst too, Smut finally!!!

warning(s): Mature language, violence, blood and gore, flashbacks and hallucinations, mentions of drug use, mentions of suicide, mentions of abuse, explicit smut including but not limited to unprotected sex, oral (female receiving), fingering, etc.

Trigger/Smut Warning - This chapter does contain explicit scenes of suicide, violence and sex. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable/will be harmed with/by any of these topics

word count: 10,6k

chapter directory

The scarlet and orange flames dance in front of your eyes, almost as if beckoning you to throw yet another piece of firewood into its hungering grasp. You turn away from the fire, instead watching how it blazes within each surrounding set of hooded irises. A smile upturns your lips at the realization that Felix’s eyes sparkle while Jeongin’s shimmer. And Minho’s glow while Jisung’s glimmer. You wondered if your own eyes were as bright. Or if they were dim from the haunting ghosts of grief and betrayal.

Woojin had managed to drive far enough into the forest to evade whatever security the scientists sent after all of you. You drove for hours and hours, discovering the border to be a lot farther away than you originally thought. So far, your main plan was to pass the border, find some hidden door and escape to Yellow Wood using Chan’s key. Although, even if Changbin knew the general location, none of you knew what to expect.

What if there turned out to be no door at all?

Footsteps submerge your consciousness from your thoughts and you turn to see Chan and Changbin returning from the jeep with a couple of bags. He wasn’t lying when he told you the scientists allowed him and the boys to leave. They even provided them with a fully stocked car with food, clothing and any supplies nine boys could need. The thought made you nauseous. Your mind flashes back to the image of Chan standing behind the glass of your cage.

You shake it away. He came back for you. They all did.

You have to remember that.

“Who’s hungry?” Chan chuckles, plopping down on the makeshift log seat in between Hyunjin and Felix. Changbin lowers beside you, sandwiching your form in between him and Jeongin. You and the youngest spoke a little on the ride before Woojin called for a rest stop. He was probably one of the cutest boys you’ve ever met. And he was more than willing to cheer you up from your depressive thoughts with a special performance of his: Trot.

“Starving!” Jisung heaves. The leader chuckles again, unzips one of the backpacks and pulls out numerous packages of already prepared fried chicken. Changbin offers you a bottle of Coke, Sprite or water, and you graciously accept your favorite choice. He sends you a soft smile, which you return with one of your own.

“Channie-hyung, are there any ramen cups?”

“Let me check, I think there were a couple here somewhere-” Chan digs through the same backpack before tossing it away and searching through another. Neither of the two provide him any victory, so he turns to peer into the one behind him. His body visibly tenses as he unzips it, which he quickly zips up. He move back around, “(Y/N), I think this is yours.”

“What?” With furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips, you reach forward to collect the backpack in your arms. It was oddly heavy against your limbs and connected to the ground with a loud thud when you set it down between your legs. Like Chan, you unzip it and part the flaps. Your confusion dissipates to sorrow.

A single note card was laid a top whatever was packed inside the bag. You recognize the penmanship immediately and the realization wells tears in the corners of your eyes. You take the paper between quivering fingers and lift it toward the fire light for a better view. With a deep, calming breath, you read the words scrawled across the page:

(Y/N),

I want you to stay with those hybrid boys. They’ll take care of you better than your mother and I ever could. I hope you’ll find somewhere where you’ll be safe and happy. You deserve that more than anyone. I’m sorry for everything I never told you.

I’ll be with you always.

“I ran into your aunt when I was trying to convince Dr. Bang to let me see you,” Minho says from across the fire, his eyes twinkling underneath the wrath of the flames. “She told me to give that to you. Said it would help you think of home.”

You smile just as a single tear pushes itself from your eye, but you wipe it away before it can fall. With a heavy, aching, yet oddly calm heart, you retract the items from the bag. Each elicit a pleasant memory from the deepest depths of those you forgot. The camera your mother bought for your twelfth birthday. The stuffed animal you’ve had since you were a baby. The journal you’ve barely filled with your deepest, darkest secrets.

Surprisingly though, you felt numb. Whether it be from the bitterness of this life you once knew and lived having always been one big lie, or the suffocating idea that both your mother and your aunt were now gone, you couldn’t tell. That is two deaths on your conscious now.

You felt even sicker.

“Thank you, Minho… but I can’t keep these things.”

“What do you mean?”

You shrug, “It’s kind of hard to describe, but I just… It doesn’t feel like these things are really mine anymore…

“Here, I think I have something for each one of you.”

Eighteen pairs of eyes widen at your words. You shush Chan and Woojin when they attempt to usher the idea of you giving away your precious items. The other boys remain alert, ears twitching in excitement and figures fidgeting in impatience at the possibility of receiving gifts. You turn to Jeongin first and tug your favorite furry earmuffs from your middle school winters over his fox ears. You sigh, “I know it’s not very exciting, but these will keep you warm no matter how cold it is. They match your fur too.”

Jeongin giggles while thumbing at his new gift, “Thank you, (Y/N)-noona.”

“You’re welcome, Jeongin.” You pull out more items from your childhood. “Woojin, this jacket should fit you perfectly. And Felix, I remember you saying you always wanted an old gameboy.”

“Way cool! Thank you so much!” Felix all but snatches the device from your fingertips, squealing in delight when the screen lights up in response. On the other hand, you have to convince Woojin to try the jacket on. After testing the fit, he reluctantly accepts. You can’t help but smile while watching him cuddle into its warmth.

One by one, you bestow a present from your past onto the people of your future. Hyunjin, a pair of oversized dancing shoes your father bought in an attempt to rekindle your already lost relationship. Jisung, the stuffed animal that protected you during your childhood fears of the dark and thunderstorms. Changbin, the journal with blank pages ready to be filled with song lyrics. All that was left, Minho, Seungmin and Chan.

“Forget about me?” Minho chuckles. Playfully, he waggles a charred poker makeshifted from a long stick.

You return with a snicker of your own and shake your head, “How could I ever? Think fast.”

You toss the item high, safe enough to fly and land far away from the flames. With cupped hands, Minho manages to catch his gift midair. His expression starts as confusion before gradually shifting to remorse once he realizes what it was.

“I was going to wish for my mom to get better… but I never got to the bridge in time...” You chuckle, thumbing at a loose thread hung from your badly torn jeans. “Wherever we end up, and when you think the time is right, I want you to make your own wish.”

Minho smiles and clutches the unused lock between both palms. Beneath the glow of the fire and the sliver of moonlight, you could see the start of tears glistening in his deep brown eyes. He sighs, “...Thank you, (Y/N)-ah.”

You nod. Not knowing what else to say.

“Here, Seungmin.” You offer the beagle the precious polaroid camera you practically begged for how many years ago. With trembling, eager hands, the youngster takes the device from you, cradling it within his palms. His eyebrows furrow as he fusses with different mechanics. Then, raises the camera and aims it straight at you. You barely get the chance to blink before the familiar click enters your ears and the device whirs out a laminated sheet.

Seungmin shakes the photograph, gazes at it with such admiration and turns back to you with tears in his eyes, “Thank you so much, (Y/N)-noona. I really don’t deserve this-”

“-Of course you do.” You argue, waving your hand to dismiss his insecurity away. “Min, I don’t care about whatever happened back at the lab. You guys came back for me-”

“-You don’t understand.” Seungmin shakes his head, “Noona, I wasn’t talking about you.”

Your chest tightens, “What do you mean?”

“Yeah, Seungminie? What do you mean?” At Changbin’s voice, you realize the other members are all now listening to your conversation with the hybrid. An obvious tension carried between the lot of you.

Seungmin glances warily at Chan, who nods his head in response. The beagle refuses to meet anyone’s gaze, continues to fiddle with his new camera and guiltily murmurs, “I... I was the reason that… none of us were really… put where we were supposed to be...”

“Seungmin-ah? What are you saying?”

He shakes his head, “The MCHPF had me… change the location of where to send everyone…

“I’m the reason Woojin-hyung ended up in the circus, and Jisung at the club… It’s how I knew where everyone was….” Seungmin finishes with a heavy exhale, as if releasing the weight he had been burdened with for god knows how long.

“Hang on a second,” Your head snaps to see Hyunjin rising out of his seat with a shocked and angered expression across his features. “You were the reason I was in that damn ring?”

“Hyunjin, please. Seungmin had reason to.” Chan attempts to calm the furious dalmation, but only works to tense Hyunjin’s cropped ears even further. “Don’t be upset with-”

Hyunjin gasps, “-Don’t be upset!? How the hell am I supposed to not be upset!? You have no idea how much shit I went through in that ring!... How many fights I almost fucking died to!

“And what about Jisung!? How many times was he raped in that club!?” You wince at Hyunjin’s observation, catching how Jisung’s cat ears fall flat against his head. “Or both Felix and Woojin being abused both physically and verbally!? What about-!?”

“-They were gonna kill Jeongin if I didn’t do it!” Seungmin sobs, effectively cutting off his brother’s frantic voice. His body begins to rock back and forth while his fingers dig into the flesh of his knees, “They needed you in certain places so we could-”

“-You were in on this, weren’t you?” Woojin interrupts this time. His question was aimed toward the oddly silent wolf. Chan’s shoulders fall, similar to the way his neck arches toward the ground. Like Seungmin, he doesn’t make eye contact with anyone. He only nods.

“So not only were you willing to give (Y/N)-ah up, but you let us be pawns in their game.” Woojin mutters sadly.

Chan shakes his head, “It wasn’t like that. I did it so we could-”

“-Be free.” Hyunjin growls, sending both his guilty brothers a sneer. “There’s always a price to pay for freedom. Who knew it’d be your own family.”

The dalmatian storms from the circle and back in the direction of the jeep. A breath you hadn’t realized you had been holding releases from your parted lips, staining the silent atmosphere with even more tension. You debated on soothing the crying beagle beside you, but Woojin beats you to it, “Seungmin-ssi, come on. Let’s go calm you down.”

Chan rises with the two, as if to run after Hyunjin, but the bear shakes his head, “Don’t. I think you’ve done enough.”

“We’ll go calm Jinnie down.” Jeongin, Felix and Jisung all break from the circle and scurry after their brother. You watch their silhouettes bleed into the pitch black of night. A strange feeling arising in your stomach as they go.

“Well, awkward.” Minho hums, drumming his fingers against the empty seats beside him. He hesitates for a minute, just staring into the low flames of the fire, before continuing, “Changbinnie and I will go help Woojin-hyung and Seungminnie. I’m sure you two need some time to talk anyway.”

You curse the coyote for ducking out of the situation that easily, and you’re almost tempted to give him the finger as he and Changbin disappear deeper into the forest. A huff brushes past your lips. With nothing to lose, you turn to peer at the only remaining hybrid’s face.

In this lighting, he looked ethereal. Almost too perfect to be real. His dark roots were beginning to show along the line of his scalp and thus, emphasized the bleached color of his blonde locks and the silver of his hybrid ears. His hair was also in its naturally curled form which you so rarely saw back at your apartment. You loved Chan’s curls. Then again, you loved everything about Chan.

At least, you thought you did.

With a deep sigh, you climb to your feet and make your way to where the wolf is sat. You don’t bother asking, take the seat beside him and stare straight into the fire. The silence you expected to remain breaks at his soft whisper:

“I’m a monster.”

You sigh, “No, you’re not. You’re just… trying to protect your family.”

“By hurting and lying to them?” Chan’s hands fly to his hair, fingers tugging harshly at his roots. Your heart cracks at his frantic stature, having never before seen him look so insecure and distressed. “Woojin’s right… All of this was just one big game that I played… and dragged the people I love into…”

“It wasn’t your fault. You did what you thought was the best thing for your brothers.” Gently, you place a hand on the hybrid’s shoulder. His figure tightens beneath your touch and it sends an ache into your gut. “Don’t do this to yourself, Chan.”

“Don’t act like you don’t hate me for what I did.” The wolf’s sudden growl has you flinching backward. The eyes which connect with yours are ones you’ve seen, but only in times where fear and Chan existed in the same place. Even so, you didn’t find yourself intimidated. Beneath the aggression, you could see a boy locked in a cage. One filled with despair and terror.

You inhale an unsteady gust of air, barely holding back a cough as the zest of smoke tickles at your throat. Another hand is lifted toward the wolf. This time, splaying across the surface of his pale cheek. Your lips barely upturn, but it’s enough for the ferocity to disperse from his irises.

“I could never hate you.” You whisper truthfully with a sad smile, “What you did… hurt me… It hurt me a lot…

“But I could never hate you for it.”

Just as a droplet cascades from his eye, you wipe it away. Chan shakes his head, “I never wanted to hurt you…”

“Chan-”

“-Really, I didn’t.” He says more firmly. Your hand on his cheek is pulled away and instead cradled between his larger palm. With it occupied, you couldn’t wipe the other tears blemishing the wolf’s face. “Do you think you could ever forgive me?”

Those words fracture whatever pieces are left of your heart.

Once again, no matter how much it hurt, you answer truthfully, “I don’t know…”

“That’s fair…”

“Yeah…” When your hands slip from his, you immediately miss his warmth. You will the feelings away, ignoring the temptation to throw your arms around Chan and hold him until the sun comes up. As much as you wanted to forgive and forget, you couldn’t. The damage that was done was just that:

Unforgettable.

“Hyung, noona, we’re gonna head out soon.” Jisung’s voice drowns out your overbearing thoughts. Without one last glance at the wolf, you rise to your feet and follow the cat hybrid back toward the jeep. Minho was in the driver’s seat this time with Felix in the passenger. Woojin and Changbin were in the process of reloading bags in whatever space was available. You were surprised to see Hyunjin and Seungmin sitting beside each other. Although neither were really speaking to one another.

“It’ll be about another day until we reach the border,” Changbin hums while taking a seat beside Woojin. Chan climbs over him to take the bear’s other side. You follow Jisung and position yourself between him and Jeongin. It was a little cramped, but it could be worse. “We should have enough gasoline to get us there.”

“Gre-” You go to reply, but a sudden pang in the back of your brain has a surprised groan spilling from your lips. The sickness from before turns into a full blown nausea, and for a second you thought you were going to puke. Luckily, as fast as it came, the pain lessens into a faint ache. You could still feel it pulsing in your head. The thought brings worry into your gut.

“(Y/N)-noona, are you okay?”

You angle your head to peer at a concerned Jeongin and shake your head, “My head hurts…but I’m sure it’s just from lack of sleep”

You could only hope.

***

“Rock! Paper! Scissors!” At the queue, you manipulate your hand into what looks like a pair of scissors. A smile of victory invades your face when you see your opponent fashioning a paper.

“What the heck!? How are you so good at this, noona!?” Jeongin laughs at Jisung’s whine. The bengal sends the fox a dark glare, leaning forward to butt his head into his chest. Jeongin’s laughter only increases and thus, brings a sharp pout to Jisung’s face. “It’s not funny! She even beat Felix!”

“It’s just luck, Sung,” You chuckle, fixing his leftmost pointed ear when it folded inwards. “There’s no real skill to it.”

Jisung whines again, “But you’ve won every time! You have to have some strategy!”

You laugh, “I really don’t! Like I said, it’s luck!”

Frustrated by your lack of explanation, Jisung completely gives up playing with you and proceeds to play with the youngest member, who he equally loses as much to. Left by your lonesome, you take the chance to peer out the side of the jeep.

Since the sun came up a couple hours ago, you were finally able to see a lot farther than a few inches in front of your face. Minho had driven into this plains sort of area. It was still completely surrounded by forest, but it was a lot easier to navigate through. Although you couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy since you were completely out in the open as well.

Anyone could be watching.

A chill slithers down your spine like snake.

What if someone was watching you?

Out of instinct, you peer along the moving treeline, hoping to catch sight of whatever was making your skin crawl. There was no possible way the lab security could have caught up to you guys this fast. Or maybe they were there amongst the trees, waiting to strike at the right moment…

“Woah! What is that!?” Felix, having switched seats with Changbin somewhere along the ride, grabs the headbar above his head and pulls himself to his feet. It’s the little unsteady due to the rocking of the jeep, but his hold on the bar stabilizes him enough. Hyunjin lifts an arm to warn the cat, but is quickly shoved away.

Chan does the same as his younger brother, but on the opposite side, “Check that out!”

You turn to look where the wolf is pointing, discovering something red approaching in the distance. If you had to guess, it was a patch of bright, pretty wildflowers. It reminded you of the garden your aunt so desperately kept up with. She always loved to garden.

Your eyes widen when you catch sight of a figure nestled amongst the flowers. You climb to your feet to get a better view, practically bending halfway out of the jeep. It could have been an animal, but you swear it had the shape of a person. Someone familiar.

“(Y/N)-noona, be careful. You’r-”

“-I’m fine, Hyunjin.” You reply rather sharply, annoyed at not being able to find out what that thing in the wildflowers was. With a huff, you lower back down onto your seat and cross your arms. You should have asked Minho to slow down.

“(Y/N), are you sure you’re okay?” Felix asks. When you look up, you discover concern etched across the features of his face. “You’ve been acting strange ever since we left.”

You shrug, “I’m just tired… It’s probably just-”

“-Holy shit! Hang on to something!” The brakes release a painful screech as the vehicle hurls to a rocky stop, the inertia throwing everyone forward. You barely have the chance to reach up and grab the edge of the jeep to stop yourself from launching out of the car. Even so, your lower body wrenches out of your seat. Chan lurches forward to catch your legs and steady you while Minho brings the jeep to a complete stop.

“What the hell was that!?” Woojin rasps while helping Felix and Hyunjin to their feet. “Minho-?!”

“-There’s something blocking the path!” The coyote hops out of the driver’s seat. The younger hybrids follow him out of the vehicle, gathering around some sort of metal fence. With Chan’s assistance, you’re able to do so as well.

The fence was at least ten feet high, maybe more with how much it was towering over everyone’s heads. It was obviously old and abandoned, decorated by harsh years of copper rust. There was also torn black and yellow caution tape and stained ‘road closed’ signs along its exterior as well. It stretched on for as long as you could see to both the left and the right. Almost like a long silver ribbon fluttering into the forest.

“Well, there’s good news and bad news.” Minho turns to face the group with a sheepish grin stretched along his lips. “We’re close to the border, maybe another twelve hours. But we can’t continue unless we get around this fence.”

“Can’t we break it down?” Jeongin offers, his fox ears twitching at the appearance of a harsh breeze.

Woojin nods, “Good idea, Innie. With how old it is, Chan, Changbin and I can do it with our bare hands.”

“Just be careful not to cut yourselves.”

Your warning takes the bear by surprise, but he recovers quickly and nods, “Good thinking, (Y/N)-ah. We need to find a place where the fence has loosened from the dirt. Jisung, over by you-”

“-What the fuck, Seungmin-ah!?” The sudden yell takes you so much by surprise, you physically flinch at the curse. You turn to see Hyunjin stomping toward Seungmin, who was lowering his camera. The dalmatian snatches the polaroid from the beagle’s fingers and flings it toward the ground. Your anxiety increases tenfold when Seungmin lifts his own arms to shove Hyunjin. The latter doing the same.

“Hyunjin! Seungmin!” Chan and the others dash toward their quarreling brothers, immediately separating the two before any real damage could be done. You move to follow the group, but a similar ache from before enters your head. This time, its ten times worse.

The pain travels from your head to the rest of your body, almost as if your flesh was being poked with needles. Dizziness and blurriness overtake your eyes, and you’re barely able to witness Changbin step in between the two separated hybrids. You open your mouth to call out, but are hit with yet another pang that brings you to your knees. You squeeze your eyes shut, willing the pain to cease.

Eventually, your prayers are answered and the level of hurt diminishes. You find the strength to test your luck and open your eyes. When you do, your panic embiggens before shifting to full terror.

The boys and the jeep were gone, along with the fence and even the surrounding trees. You were knelt on a tiled floor, hands bound behind your back and a gag inside your mouth. There were no walls, only pitch black void surroundings. When you scream, the sound echoes in your ears like a broken record. You were alone.

A movement out of the corner of your eye has your neck snapping to the right, only to find nothing but even more blackness. You scream again, biting at the cloth between your teeth. Another movement comes from the left, but when you turn, there’s still nothing there.

Something drops right in front of you, stealing a high-pitched wail from your lips. Your volume strengthens when you recognize the body of your own mother hung from the nonexistent ceiling by a pretty, pink scarf. Her lifeless, paled irises stare into your own. So pale, you could see your own terrified reflection.

Another inhumane yell sounds, but this time, it doesn’t come from you. You duck forward, dodging another corpse as it cascades from above. A head lands perfectly within your lap, body splayed out in front of you. You whimper at your aunt’s blank and cold expression, the bullet hole inside her brain almost acting as a third eye. Struggling against your restraints, you scoot away from two bodies as far as you can before your back knocks against something else.

A sudden hand emerges from the darkness and pins you to the ground. No matter how much you squirm, their strength outmatches yours. In their other hand, you watch breathlessly as they lead a small knife to your neck. The blade caressing the skin of your jugular.

“Please, no!” You gasp over your gag, shaking your head feverishly. “Don’t kill me!”

“Why not?” To your horror, the face that materializes from the void is one that mirrors your own. Except her eyes were full of malevolence. The giggle that stems from her -- your lips, erupts goosebumps across your skin. She moves forward to press the blade even firmer against your throat with an evil smirk:

“You’re as good as dead, anyway.”

“No!” With a final bout of strength, you tear through your restraints and claw at her face. A groan pulls past her lips as your fingernails slice across her cheek, blood splattering against the floor. Taking advantage of the moment of weakness, you thrust your feet into her stomach and knock her body off of yours. She hits the ground with a sharp cry, the knife flying past her fingertips.

You scramble for the weapon, ensnaring it between your own fingers. The doppelganger giggles again as you replace the blade across her own throat. She batters her eyelashes and nods, “That’s fucking right… Kill me…”

You gulp, your hand shaking against her skin. The temptation to slit her throat was so overpowering, but something inside you made you hold back.

Something wasn’t right.

“Show them who you are, killer!…” She screeches, her icy grip appearing around your wrist. She pulls the knife further against her neck, droplets of blood already welling beneath the metal. “C’mon, what are you fucking afraid of!?”

“This isn’t right…” You murmur to yourself, “You’re not real…”

“Do it!” Her scream pierces straight through your eardrums and echoes violently inside your mind. “Kill me! Slit my throat!”

“No!” You wrench away from the figmentation, allowing the knife to slip from your grasp. “You’re not real! None of this is real!”

“Coward!” She spits, crimson liquid spilling from her blue lips. “You’re a coward!”

You shake your head, close your eyes and whisper, “None of this is real…”

“(Y/N)-ah!”

When you open your eyes, the doppelganger is gone along with everything else from your nightmares. You were back in reality, still knelt on the grass. However, you quickly realize something was not the same as before.

Hyunjin and Seungmin were no longer trying to kill each other, and instead clinging to each other with fear etched across each of their faces. Same goes for Jisung, Felix and Jeongin. Woojin was staring at you with a blend of sympathy and concern while Changbin exhibited something closer to panic. Minho was just shocked, extremely shocked. And Chan…

Chan was holding a small gash at the edge of his throat.

“N-no…” You whimper, watching the blood spill from down his pale skin. When you look down, you see the knife from before balanced in your lap. “Ch-Chan…”

He shakes his head and holds an arm out, “(Y/N), it’s okay…”

“I almost killed you…”

Chan moves to catch you, but you were already collapsing to the ground. Blurred spots and white stars steal your consciousness, and the last thing you see before slipping into yet another world of darkness was a flash of yellow and a faint scream.

***

It takes you awhile to come to. You even have difficulty opening your eyes. Too afraid the setting your mind would see was not the one your eyes were supposed to. When you strike up the courage, you’re not at all surprised to see you were in a different location from before.

You were no longer outside, but in what seemed to be a quaint, cozy tent. A heavy quilt kept your figure nice and warm. More blankets beneath you to lessen the firmness of the earth on your back. Even so, your muscles still feel stiff as you sit up.

“(Y/N)...” You flinch at the sound of your name and turn to your right to see a certain wolf laid beside you. Your movement seemed to have woken him from a deep slumber as his eyes were still hooded and ears twitching groggily. He lifts a hand from beneath the blanket you two shared and trails it down your arm.

Although you really didn’t want to, you pull away from his touch.

His eyebrows furrow as he sits up. And thus, reveals the sight you were so deathly afraid to see: The deep gash along the base of his neck.

The wound you gave him.

“(Y/N)...” The gentle whisper of your name breaks your resolve and all you want to do is scream in absolute frustration. Unable to look at the injury, you bury your head within your palms and allow the shame and grief to overtake you. Never before have you cried so violently or so mournfully, not even after your mother died. Then again, you never really did allow yourself the time to grieve. Maybe that’s why this was the way it is.

You were crying for the loss of everything: Deaths, lies, mistakes. Everything.

When Chan tugs you into his embrace, you’re too weak and starved for comfort to deny him again. The thought worsens your guilt. Why were you allowed to be selfish when you nearly ended his life?

Still, the hybrid soothes you from the storm that is your mind. His fingers comb through your hair while the other hand catches tears as they cascade down your cheeks. He was speaking in your ear, but his words were incoherent beneath your gulps for air and pathetic whimpers. You don’t know even know how long you were there. Then again, you didn’t really care.

You run out of water to shed eventually, yet you continue to cry even without tears. You were pretty sure you had created as large as a river by then. Maybe then you could actually drown yourself within your own sadness. Not that you weren’t drowning right now.

The weight compressing your chest recedes after some time and your body relaxes as best it can. You were still trembling like a newborn foul, but at least you could breathe properly. Chan refuses to release you from his hold, not that you were complaining. Things may be different from those mornings in your apartment, but you could still spend an eternity just laying in his arms.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the drug?” For the first time, your brain actually recognizes the question that slips from the hybrid’s lips. Unfortunately, it also recognizes the betrayal and distress laced between each syllable. “You took it, didn’t you?”

“I had to.” You confess. Your hand slides into the space where Chan’s rests over the swell of your stomach. Like water to sand, your fingers weave together. And like all the other times where your hands fit so perfectly, you didn’t want to let go. “They were going to use it to cause a genocide… So many innocent humans and hybrids would die.”

“So what? So what if they died?”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do.” His grip on your body tightens. You could feel the bruises that would later fashion in flowers of black and blue across your arms, but you didn’t care. In fact, you welcomed the pain. “Because now… you might die instead.”

“A bit overdue, if you ask me.” You chuckle, attempting to make light of the situation. Chan doesn’t react to your comment, only burrows his head further into the crevice where your shoulders meets your neck. The sigh that airs is hot against your chapped lips. Softly, you try again, “If anything like… what happened earlier happens again, I need you to promise that you’ll do whatever it takes to protect you and the boys.”

“No,” He shakes his head, “I won’t.”

“Yes. You will.”

“I won’t!” Chan growls, maneuvering so he was hovering over your body. One hand rested right beside your head while the other lowers to splay across your chest. Right over your beating heart, “This is going to beat as long as it possibly can. I don’t care what I have to do or give up to keep it that way.”

Your lips upturn sadly, “You know it’s inevitable. I’ll end up killing all of you-”

“-I don’t. Fucking. Believe it.” The hybrid hisses, “You didn’t kill me back there. You woke yourself up.”

“And yet, I still hurt you.” Your hand raises to caress at the scratch. “You have to be realistic. You have to look at this from the bigger picture.”

“Every picture I look at you from will be the same, (Y/N)...” Chan whispers, leaning into the palm cupping his cheek. He continues in an even softer tone, “When I saw the way you looked at me back in the lab when I told you the truth… I realized how stupid I was to ever think I could give you up...

“I tried to remind myself what you were, but you were just so… different… Nothing like the humans I always knew… And I just… wanted you… even though it was never supposed to be this way...”

“I love you, (Y/N)...” Chan’s confesses, “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure that out.”

Emotionally struck by the words you’ve been longing to hear ever since you realized it yourself, your voice trembles when you speak, “If I die-”

“-You’re not going to fucking die.” Whatever words that were resting on the tip of your tongue dissolve when Chan takes both of your wrists and pins them down beside your head. At this angle, he looked so intimidating with his sharp gaze and wolf ears. The vulnerability of your body beneath his sends a pleasurable rush through your body, awakening the warmth of your core.

You gulp, “Ch-Chan…”

“If you think I’m going to allow anything to take you away from me… You’re wrong.” His hot breath caresses your cheek as he murmurs. You feel antsy from the sensations. He stills your squirms with a leg between your own. His knee resting just inches from where you want him most.

You hold your breath, unable to take in the moment fast enough.

“I know you always hated the idea of being my owner... but you own me, babygirl. You own my body, my heart and my soul.” He continues, leaning down to card his lips across the exposed skin of your chest. The contact makes you even more sensitive than before. You can’t help but push up against him, struggling against his hold on your wrists. His grip doesn’t budge.

You sigh in exasperation, “Chan-”

“-But you are my owner, (Y/N).” Your sanity flies out the window when you realize exactly how close the wolf is. There was barely any space between the tips of your noses, his body practically suffocating your own. However, you were only focused on one thing:

His eyes.

Unlike the kind brown you’re used to, his irises were a glowing amber filled with absolute hunger. Yet, deep inside the flecks of gold and caramel, you could see every other emotion bouncing throughout his head. The anxiety. The desperation. The love.

“And if you’re my owner, that means you belong to me too…” He whispers, bending down to rest his forehead against your own. You were so transfixed by his eyes, you couldn’t look away from his gaze. Not even when he releases one of your wrists to slide beneath the hem of your shirt, “You’re mine, (Y/N)... And I’m yours...”

Unable to take anymore, you utilize your free limb and yank the hybrid down to meet your lips. The kiss you two share is unlike any of the others you shared before. While the ministrations were carried out the same, there was so much more meaning and feeling beneath the passion. Your tongues dance: Once for dominance. Twice for eagerness. Three times for desire. You don’t think either of you would have pulled away if your lungs could produce air on their own.

A surprised yelp carries from your throat when Chan palms at your left breast which was already braless beneath your tank top. Fueled by arousal, you grow impatient with the lack of skin on skin and tug roughly at his own shirt. He chuckles at your restlessness, but sits up and removes the clothing nonetheless.

You’ve seen the hybrid shirtless many times, but you still could never get over how well built he was. Lifting your hand, you drag your fingers across his broad chest, down the valley between his pecs and over the lines of his prominent abs. A sound that was far from human rumbles from his throat as you follow the trail of hair that disappears beneath the waistband of his jeans. At a closer look, you notice the obvious tent straining against the denim. You can’t help yourself and close your palm over the bulge.

Chan curses. His grip on your breast toughens, knee pushing up against your core. You keen at the contact, gasping as his bone stimulates your clitoris. Noticing your reaction, he does it again. This time, purposely dragging his knee over your slit. You release a high-pitched moan. Your hand squeezing over his clothed hardness.

Impatient himself, the hybrid removes your shirt and immediately latches his lips over your already hardened nipple. Whines cascade from your lips, your hand moving to tug at his blonde locks. He groans, laving and sucking at your sensitive bud before pulling away to provide its twin the same treatment.

“Chan!...” You lift your hips to grind against his leg, needing something to satiate the fire between your thighs. Your companion groans. He gently encloses his teeth over your nipple and leans backward to playfully tug at your flesh. Another whine is followed by another rock of your hips. You throw your head back with a wince, “Baby, please… I need more…”

Without hesitation, Chan hooks his fingers in the waistband of your jeans and drags them down your thighs with something close to frenzy. You shut your eyes for a second, only to be met with the sound of ripping fabric and a cool breeze on your core.

Chan tosses the scraps of your underwear to the side and inhales a sharp breath that shifts to a deep guttural growl, “Shit, you smell so good…”

His fingers swipe across your slit, just barely caressing your clit. You whine when he pulls away. The sound dying in your throat as he pops the two digits inside his mouth. Another inhuman purr erupts from the wolf, his eyes flashing an even darker orange. Licking his lips, he lowers his hand back down to your core and plunges two fingers inside your aching hole.

“Oh shit! Chan!”

“You’re so tight around my fingers… so tight and warm…” He purrs, nuzzling into your neck before sliding all the way down your body. The quilt is thrown out of the way so Chan can situate himself comfortably between your thighs. His silver ears twitch in anticipation, similar to the curling of your toes as he leans in toward your wet pussy. Almost testing the waters, he sticks his tongue out and licks a quick stripe over your clit. He groans at your taste, “Shit, you taste just like I thought you would… so perfect…”

You hold the sheets for dear life as the hybrid goes to town both thrusting his fingers in and out of your hole and tonguing lazily at your swollen bundle of nerves. Your gazes remained connected and you could actually see your own fucked out expression within the reflection of his irises. It made the knot forming in your stomach tighten even more.

At a certain angle, a high-pitched cry escapes your lips and your hips buck against Chan’s hold. He uses his other limb to pin your waist to the ground. As if he loves torturing you, he continues to move his fingers against that one spot that has you weak while his licks grow more intense.

“Fuck! I’m-I’m gonna cum, Chan!...” Your warning increases the hybrid’s speed. He goes so much faster that your vision goes blurry with hot tears and your lower regions become completely numb. You knew it was over when Chan took your clitoris between his lips and sucked. Hard.

Your orgasm hits like a landslide, shoving you over a cliff you’ve never, ever traveled over before. It rocks your body, and might as well have rocked your world too, because you have never climaxed so hard in your life. Even when you regain some sense of consciousness, your body still continued to tremble and shake.

When you open your eyes, you’re met with Chan’s worried gaze. He cups your cheek and asks frantically, “Babygirl, are you okay? Was I too much-?”

You shake your head, “-God, no! I’ve just… never came like that before…”

He smiles and leans down to press a long peck to your sweaty hairline. While the moment was meant to be sweet, you couldn’t help but notice his hardness pressed against your lower stomach. The thought awakens your core and kick starts your lust. You squirm until your sexes are aligned and buck against his clothed cock.

“(Y/N), b-baby, wait-“

You refuse Chan’s warnings and tug at his hair, “No more waiting. I need you inside me. Now.”

The hybrid’s eyes widen to saucers and his jaw drops, “Are… are you sure?”

“I trust you.” You reply, sending him the most sincere look you’ve ever contorted. “I-I…

“I love you, Chan.”

Your lover’s eyes glaze. Almost as if he would burst into tears. He bends down to seal your lips in another hard kiss, before pulling away to kick off his bottoms. His cock is the biggest you’ve ever seen. The idea of how much it’ll stretch excites you.

“This might hurt a little…” Chan murmurs while pumping his length.

You shake your head with a smile, “I can take a little pain…”

Chan slicks himself as much as he can with your arousal. You whimper when his tip comes in contact with your clit, grabbing at his shoulders for support. He wraps one arm around your waist to keep you in place. The other positions his member right at your entrance.

The first initial push is so painful, it sets your entire lower half on fire. Your whimpers blend with Chan’s growls as he remains still to allow you time to adjust. Your walls squeeze him like a vice, gradually accommodating to his thickness. Inch by inch, he sinks inside of you until his hips meet yours and he’s settled to the very hilt.

“Oh fuck, babygirl...” Your lover whines. His hands fumble for yours, pins them once again to the sides of your head and weaves your fingers together. He releases a mix between a whimper and a growl, rolling his hips gently against yours. “Oh my god, you feel so-so good…”

“Chan… move, please…”

“Shit, okay… Hold on to me, baby…”

You wrap your arms around his neck while your legs wind around his waist. He doesn’t waste any time and sets a steady, shallow pace that drives his cock deep inside your hole. A sheen of perspiration had already begun to form across your connected bodies. The fragrance, sounds and feel of sex already attacking at your senses. The pain from before ebbed away into a nice ache. It blends with the friction of Chan’s member and adds even more pleasure.

“I-I-shit… I will never let any-anything or anyone t-take you away from me…” Chan growls. His words seem to egg him on, his thrusts becoming more frantic and powerful. His nails dig into the flesh of your wrists, likely to leave future bruises. Not that you cared anyway. “Do you understand me, (Y/N)? You’re mine…”

Your silence doesn’t satisfy the hybrid. He releases one of your hands to entangle it within your hair and pulls until your eyes connect. Leaning closer, Chan speaks again, “Tell me you’re mine, babygirl… Please, I-I need to hear you say it…”

“I’m yours…”

He licks his lips, “Say my name, (Y/N), baby, please…”

“Chan! God, fuck, Chan!”

“My beautiful mate…” The wolf hums, his hand lowering to encompass the circumference of your neck. He doesn’t squeeze, only holds you in place as he leans down and sinks his canines into the side of your throat.

Your jaw goes slack. Your mind too far gone to delineate the difference between what is pleasurable pain and painful pleasure. In your fucked out state, you feel the upcoming tension of another orgasm and begin to buck your hips against Chan’s. Moans and pleas spewing from your lips like a mantra, “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Please, Chan, I’m so close!.. oh, please!”

He detaches from your neck with a groan, “Shhh, babygirl… Need to see you cum again, yeah? You look so beautiful when you cum...”

His slurred words make you feel dizzy. Your eyes roll into the back of your head as he continues to angle his thrusts to abuse the most sensitive spot inside of you. You drag your fingernails down his back, likely leaving a scratch or two, but the hybrid doesn’t mind. In fact, his hips seem to speed up.

“Oh shit, baby, I’m gonna cum too… Wh-where-?”

“-Inside!” You screech, locking your ankles at the small of his back. “Cum inside me!”

Your lover hides his whines by sucking at the marred skin of your neck and lowering his hand to roll at your clit, “G-gonna fill you so good, babygirl… I’ll have you leaking my seed for days…

“Fuck, (Y/N), I’m gonna-”

“-Me too!” Your bodies move against each other desperately, yet fluidly, giving and taking as much pleasure as humanely (and hybridly) possible. Perched right on the edge of climax, you cup Chan’s cheek and tug him down into a finish line kiss. With a brush of his tongue over your bottom lip and one final thrust, you hurl into a sea of white light and neverending euphoria.

Chan follows you with a loud howl, clinging to your body as if you’ll disappear any second. Beneath your haze of pleasure, you feel his hot release paint your insides and warm you to the core. He places a hand over your lower stomach before collapsing against your immobille figure.

Carefully and gently, you coax Chan to sit up enough so you could see his face. Heavy gasps fell from his lips, attempting to regain lost air. You also notice how heavily he was shaking. Your whisper breaks the afterglow of silence, “You’re trembling…”

He shakes his head with a crooked smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay…”

You caress the sweaty locks from his forehead and lean forward to place a long peck to the center. While one hand rubs at his back, the other scratches at his left, furry ear. A rumbling purr emerges from his chest as he lowers to lay against your chest.

“Chan?...”

He hums tiredly.

“I forgive you.”

No other words are said. And no other words need to be said. The two of you continue to bask in the heat of each other’s bodies long into the moonless night. Slumber never approaches, only loving touches and beating hearts call for contentment. And even when morning comes, neither of you move from your tight embrace until the sun is high in the sky and the foreboding calls of a harsh reality sound.

***

“Changbinnie-hyung, how much longer?”

Changbin sighs at the youngest fox’s repeated question, but answers nonetheless, “Soon, Jeongin. Two or three hours at most.”

“We’ve been driving all day. Shouldn’t we be there by now?” Hyunjin questions. You smile at the sight of Seungmin’s head leant against his shoulder, his ears as droopy as his eyelids. It didn’t take long for the two to make up after the quarrell, especially after Minho and Chan explained the bigger situation to everyone.

Minho, up in the driver’s seat again, answers this time, “You better shut your damn trap before I throw you out of this car.”

The dalmatian makes no move at pressing his luck. You can’t blame the kid.

“Someone’s a little cranky.” You murmur to yourself.

“You try driving with this chatterbox next to you for twelve plus hours.”

Shit. You forgot about his enhanced hearing.

“(Y/N)-ah, are you feeling better?” You turn to meet Woojin’s concerned gaze and attempt to ease his worry with a soft smile.

“Actually, I am. I think the drug is wearing off.”

Ever since you woke up with Chan, you haven’t had any issues involving headaches, agitation or even nausea. Even those weird flashes of yellow just stopped. You and Chan talked about it earlier, but you think it has something to do with your unique DNA. Although you’re human, the hybrid genes in your blood probably eliminated the drug from your symptoms along with any countering effects. You wish it worked faster, but you have to take what you can get.

Things might work out for the better after all.

“Look! It’s Miroh!” Your eyes snap up to where Jisung is pointing. Your heart both lurches and pulses at the view of the city, miles and miles away. Buildings were lit up like holiday lights in the pitch black of night; a memory of the zoo and your aunt pops into your head. You smile.

She would have loved to see that.

“What are we gonna do once we get to Yellow Wood, Channie-hyung?” Seungmin sits up from the dalmatian’s shoulder, only to wrap a tight arm around his chest and pull him into his side.

Chan shrugs, “Whatever we want. We can go anywhere, do anything.”

“Can we going swimming in the ocean? Like the history books talked about?” Jeongin pipes up. His words laced with childish and innocent hope.

The wolf chuckles, “Those sound like great ideas, Innie.”

“Where would we live, though?” The orange tabby calls from the front, earning a sharp glare from the coyote. Felix turns completely around to face Chan and tilts his head, “There’s probably no shelters in tact or any civilizations…”

“Why not a treehouse?” Your offer erupts the vehicle into chaos. The 00 line and Jeongin burst into discussions of possible layouts and materials to build the actual houses. Through your peripheral, you catch Chan staring at you with eyes of love and admiration. His gaze brings a heated blush across your cheeks.

“We’re definitely living in a treehouse! Like in that one old movie…”

Seungmin finishes for Hyunjin with an annoyed sigh, “Jumanji..?”

“Yeah!”

You giggle, “Sounds like a plan.”

Before anyone can extend any more suggestions regarding the plan of the treehouse, the vehicle jerks and swerves to the side. You stretch your arms outward to protect Jisung and Jeongin from being thrown out of the window. Minho slams on the brakes, coaxing the car to an unsteady stop. He mutters a curse before shaking his head, “Shit. We blew out a tire. We’re gonna have to go the rest of the way on foot.”

“We’re close though.” Chan adds while helping the younger hybrids out of the jeep. Woojin and Changbin proceed to empty the inside and hand everyone their respective bags and suitcases.

You help Jeongin slip his bag around his shoulders before grabbing your own, “Yeah. We’ll be there before you know it.”

You take up the lead with Chan, who grabs your hand, lifts it up and presses a peck to the back of your knuckles. You both are met with a chorus of disgusted groans and whistles which steal laughs and chuckles from your throats. Lugging his suitcase along, you follow Chan as he makes his way deeper into the forest. The rest of the boys not too far behind.

“We’re looking for some sort of lock for that key, right?”

Chan nods, “Yep. I hope it’s not too hard to find.”

“I just wish we knew what we were looking for.” You sigh while gazing longingly through the array of shadowy tree trunks. “I mean, it could be anything for all we know.”

“Hey. We’ll find it.” The wolf sends you a supportive smirk, “And maybe once we’re alone again, you’ll allow me a bite of my favorite snack…”

“You’re such a dork.” Your groan pulls a loud laugh from your lover’s throat. You can’t help but smile, “I love you.”

“I love you more, my mate.”

You shiver, “Still getting used to that.”

“Don’t act like it doesn’t turn you on.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

You, Chan and the other boys move deeper through the forest until you emerge at yet another open field. Your eyes widen when you notice a looming structure just about a hundred feet or two up ahead. It was a stone wall, cracked with age and home to hundreds of patches of vines and moss. You’ve never seen something so tall in your life, even skyscrapers back in Miroh’s capital couldn’t compare.

“Holy shit. That’s the border, isn’t it?”

Minho’s call carries from behind your shoulder, “We did it! We fucking did it!”

“I can’t believe it.” Seungmin gasps. “It’s so tall.”

Felix shakes his head, “How do we get through it?”

“It looks like there’s some type of gate just up ahead.” You point to the iron barred gate hinged in the exact middle of the tall border. Like the rest of the wall, it looked completely abandoned and unguarded. Border patrol was never an issue, since there’s nothing beyond Miroh’s limits. At least, that’s what you originally thought.

“Good eye, (Y/N). Let’s head out-”

“-Wait!” Everyone freezes at the frantic yell of the bengal hybrid. You angle your head to peer at the boy, discovering his eyes to be blown wide and large ears rotating back and forth. Your skin crawls when the rest of the boys tense, and for once, you wish you had super senses like them.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…” Changbin growls, his head whirling up toward the sky. You follow, attempting to see whatever him and the other hybrids were startled by, but discover nothing but stars and a waxing crescent moon.

“What’s going on?”

“Helicopters.” Chan replies in a mellow tone, “We have to move now.”

“No way! If they see us, it’s game over!” Seungmin argues before gesturing back toward the trees, “We should hide until they go away.”

“I don’t understand how they found us in the first place. (Y/N)-noona, you don’t have a tracker, do you?��

You shake your head at Jisung’s inquiry, “Nope.”

“Guys…” Everyone turns to look at Jeongin. His ears were downcast and eyes wide with fright. He spins around and bends his neck to show the unnatural bump at the base of his neck. The size of a tiny tracker. “I didn’t realize I still had it until you guys mentioned it…”

“Fucking hell, Jeongin…” Minho groans while feverishly shaking his head. “Goddamn it, we’re screwed.”

“We have to make a break for it. It’s the only chance we have.” Chan urges, “Once we get outside the border, they won’t follow us.”

“We have to get there first.” Woojin quickly, with the help of Felix, slices at Jeongin’s neck and removes the metal device. He crushes it in his palm and throws the pieces into the grass, “I say we split up. One group goes left and the other goes-”

You interrupt, “-No. All of us should just go for the gate. Chan can get there first, open it and get us through before they get down here.”

“(Y/N)’s right. We just have to run.” Chan tosses his suitcase to the side. Everyone else follows his lead, eliminating any variables that could decrease your chances of success. You gather into a line with Jisung and Chan at your sides. You throw the bengal a determined look before turning to the awaiting gate.

Bright, intimidating searchlights illuminate your path, almost as if leading you to your doom. You will the negative thoughts to subside and instead focus on the good that will arise out of this. You and the boys will escape. You will be free. You will be happy.

It all comes down to this.

With your heart pulsing in your ears and the thoughts in your mind roaring, you barely hear Chan’s yell:

“Now! Go! Go!”

You take off at the signal, not too far behind Jeongin and Changbin. Jisung, Hyunjin and Felix take up the front and are first to enter the eyes of the lights. Alarms and screams sound within your ears, but you can’t tell if the screams are yours. Chan passes you and the other boys. Like lightning, he dashes straight toward the gate.

Too focused on the wolf, you fail to notice the rocks of the terrain and trip. You go flying and crash rather painfully onto the earth. Your hip screams in pain, the sound traveling past your lips. You almost panic. Key word: Almost.

Minho appears behind you and yanks you to your feet, “Goddamn it, (Y/N)-ah, c’mon! Run, run!”

The boys were already so far ahead of you, maybe seventy five percent of the way to the gate. Still unmoving, you take a peek at the helicopter situation and discover maybe three or fours birds hovering in the night sky. Silhouettes emerge from the open hatch of the closest one and slide down what seems to be a rope ladder. The closer you look, the more you realize how much you underestimated their speed. There had to be at least a dozen guards already on your tail. You check the front and spot Chan and Changbin struggling to force open the gate.

You’ll never make it.

“(Y/N)-ah, what the fuck are you doing!? Run, goddamn it! Run-!”

“-Minho, listen to me!” You take the coyote by the shoulders and shake your head, “I’m the one they want. You guys will be able to get out of here if I-”

Minho hisses, “-Don’t you fucking dare spew your bullshit hero complex right now, (Y/N)-ah. If we get out, we all get out-”

“-It’s not going to happen, Minho! Look around us! We’re surrounded!” You check the distance of the guards again, not happy to find them a lot closer than before. In a matter of minutes, they would reach you and the others hybrids. “Let me save you guys! One last time!”

“I already said it’s not fucking happening! If we go, you go!” With that, Minho grabs your wrist and forces you to move. Chan and Woojin were all working to help each one of the youngsters climb through a hole they were able to create near the top of the gate.

Changbin notices how far behind you and the coyote are and yells, “Minho-hyung! (Y/N)-ah, hurry!”

You both reach the gate faster than you would have thought, but it’s still not enough to separate enough distance between you and the approaching guards. Chan and Woojin help Changbin up and through the exit, followed by Minho.

Chan nods, “(Y/N), help me with Woojin.”

The two of you work together to lift Woojin up. His weight is painful on your already aching body, but you persevere through the pain. The bear manages to squeeze through the hole, and with the help of the hybrids on the either side, land safely. He gestures for you and Chan to come next.

“You first, Chan.”

He shakes his head with a sneer, “I’m not falling for this again, (Y/N). You’re going-”

“-There’s no time to argue! Just-”

A gunshot and Chan’s pained scream disrupt your demand. Your gaze falls to see a bullet wound right in the center of Chan’s calf and you’re quick to support him before he can fall. You shake your head and curse, “Fuck! You have to go now! Right now!”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Goddamn it, Chan! Guys, help me!”

“No! Get her up first!”

To your disappointment, the other boys follow their leader and through the bars, help Chan raise you so you can reach the hole and crawl through. You collapse to the grass with a loud thud before scrambling to your feet. Just in time, you see the guards fall upon the wolf.

“No! Stop!” You screech, fighting against Minho’s grip on your arms. “I’m the one you want!”

“(Y/N), don’t-“

You wrench from the coyote’s grip and launch up toward the way you came in. Your legs are grabbed before you can crawl back through, but you hold on for dear life. Turning to the closest guard, you scream, “I’ll go with you willingly, if you let him go!”

Chan growls, “No, (Y/N)-“

“-Take me instead!”

The guards all look at each other, seemingly having some sort of telepathic debate. You kick your legs away from the boys just in time for the head guard to nod.

They help you back on the other side before turning to help a screaming and struggling Chan. They manage to push him though and you watch him fall to the grass on the other side with tears of relief. A burden that has remained on your chest for so long finally lifts. And you see nothing but the nine hybrids standing on the other side of the border.

Finally free from Miroh.

Even when fingers close around your arms and yank you away from the gate, you don’t look away. Chan and Minho and all the other’s screams of your name go unheard against the blood rushing through your ears. You don’t even try to struggle, because what’s the point?

Your main objective is already done:

You found Stray Kids, and now they’re finally free.

It’s all over… right?...

#stray kids x reader #stray kids smut #bang chan x reader #bang chan smut #stray kids fanfic #bang chan au #stray kids #bang chan #woojin #lee know #changbin #hyunjin #han #felix #seungmin #i.n.#kpop fanfic

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lockdownuk · 4 years

Text

Lockdown Diary Part 8

A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.

Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.

Day 211: I stayed up till 5am last night. The last thing I watched was Ronny Chieng, a Malaysian comic in the states. It was a Netflix comedy special and bloody funny. Other than that, a quiet night, nowhere near as fucked as Friday night. As I type, I am about to finish off spicy af sausage cassserole for tea and watch a film - all quite sedate. I’ve work tomorrow, after all!

Day 212: Every time I try and watch something on Amazon Prime, it errors or doesn’t load so I have to uninstall and reinstall, which is a pain the fucking arse. Glad I don’t pay for it. I watched half of the Tom Hanks film last night, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, based on a real life children’s TV actor. It’s good but weird. I’ll finish it tonight. Jo Broom called and told me (well, reminded me of, actually) some good info, especially about insulin lasting 4 hours and the liver producing sugar for when you wake up). Day 213: I didn’t watch the rest of that Tom Hanks film last night, doing so right now. I got a call @5.30pm from Tall Tom asking to pop round which he did (social-distancing at the front door). He dropped of a canvas print he’d ordered of on eof my pictures from FB. Fucking gobsmacked! That’s how much he likes them. I am still in shock. What a brilliant thing to do! Day 214: Finished A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood last night, I enjoyed it. Today has been standard. Half way through the third week back from furlough and, while I am still very glad to be working, I now also relish pasrt of being paid 80% for fuck all! My walks have been tentative today, I have done something to my right ankle, it feels sore but OK when walking at pace. My phone and Google Fit are playing up - I am suddenly walking 8km/h! Day 215: Phoned Dad - Rita sent an email a couple of days ago telling of a lump in his ear which he had removed and they are going to check for cancer. When I spoke with him it was usual dad - nothing to worry about. He spoke very highly of the staff at Stamford Hospital where he had it done. They took skin from his nesxk to put on his ear lobe where they performed the op. I had pie and veg tonight. It’s a real change and I am stuffed as I type this. SB pee-ed me off at work big time late this afternoon. Diary updated! Day 216: Dan’s in court today for his drink driving escapade. I think he’s pleading not guilty - I’m not sure, neither has he been each time I have talked to him about it. It was scheduled at 4pm and he’s meant to let me know how it went. As I type, it’s just gone 9pm. Fuck knows what’s happening. I guess he’ll let me know in his own time. Meanwhile, work was OK, nothing hectic, I am on my first Friday beer, just about to eat meatballs and pasta and watch Taxi, a film written by Luc Besson. End of my 3rd week back and it’s a bit like I wasn’t furloughed for 6 months!

Day 217: I switched off that Taxi film after 30 minutes. It was bollocks. Dan got a 20 month ban (reduced to 15, if he does a course, which he says he will) and £1100 fine. At least it’s over and done with now. I got up at gone 2pm today. I have to cut this late sleeping habit out at the weekends. That being said, it’s 8.40pm, just about to dive in the shower, eat and then get on it. Clocks go back later so I’ve an extra hour to play with!

Day 218: Still managed to stay up stupidly late last night, up at before 1pm (but in real terms, that’s just before 2pm!) Had a video chat with Fog - I was meant to go up to his yesterday to listen to the footy but, ‘cos I was up so late, I didn’t. Anyway, during our chat, we’ve decidied to go to Honolulu when it’s safe, specifically to go to McDs. It was a bizarre conversation - I can’t actually remember the details!

Day 219: The lady (I think it’s a lady) from the Oundle Chronicle emailed to say she didn’t think William (the student) has contacted me (he has but is fucking useless), so she’s found some questions for me to answer and wants me to pick my favourite 4 (hi-res) photos. I’ve written a couple of paragraphs that answer her questions and I was to pick photos that have had the most likes on FB - finding that info out, without trawling back over my posts, is easier said than done! Got the car tyres sorted today - an advisory from the MOT that Julian did last week.. I do like Oundle Tyre and Exhaust centre. Work was fine. Marke had to deal with Eileen Baxter and chatted to me about it. I had it all the week before last. She’s delightful but the least IT savvy person I have ever known in a workplace whereby a computer is integral to the role!

Day 220: I’ve been doing press-ups and toe tocuhes after each exercise for a little while now. 7 press-ups, doesn’t sound much but when I did it before and rapidly increased the numbers (up to 22), it played havoc with my shoulder which I thought was becoming frozen. So, I will icrease the amount slowly. I can just about touch my toes now. When I started, I barely got past my fucking knees! Work was standard today and I had an interesting chat with a recruiter about a job at Jagex, a computer game firm responsible for Runescape which is, apparently, a big deal. Posh playing tonight. At one point, when leading at home to Burton we were top. Now it’s 2-2 with minutes to go and we’re third with fucking Lincoln top. Day 221: I sent an email to Shirley from HR (re) asking about the salary discrepancy between mine and Mark’s. She’s going to talk to me tomorrow about it. I had a lomng chat with Barrzy tonight, always good to catch up and reminisce. I’ve just had two sausage rolls (on the cheap shelf from Co-Op, Dauphinoise dotatoes (ditto), mixed green veg and onion gravy for tea and I am fucking stuffed.

Day 222: Typing at gone 4pm on day 223! Had a meet with Shirley. No dice on the pay until it can be reviewed next year. All pay reviews are on hold. She explained that the salary offer was based on available budget rather than a pay grade or bench mark. Day 223: Typing this very late on day 224. Usual Friday. Work, beers, bed at 5am. went up Fog’s for a couple and watched Train to Busan. Day 224: I swore blind, when I woke and got up (2.24pm) I would have a day off from exercise. Stair climb and 10km walk done! Leigh from Oundle Chronicle messaged chasing my answers for the article. Last night, someone posted such great pics on the Oundle Chatter group that it makes me think twice about posting my photos. I tell everyone I just point and snap with my phone camera and, while it is the phone camera, I do so much pissing about with Google photos I feel like a con, it doesn’t sit well with me. Made lasagne for tea. Fucking lush - lardons, scothc bonnet and an Oxo cube really helped, I think. It’s 11:44pm as I type, 15 mins and I’ll deliver K’s birthday card. Not sure what I am hoping to come out of that, really. Just can’t let go! Day 225: Stupidly late one again last night. Up at 2pm. I’ve responded to Leigh at the Oundle Chronicle - why I make it so hard, I do not know, I really overthink some things. Eye appointment tomorrow, 9.50am, which Sam, Mr. Minos’s secretary offered me when she called on friday. Sueanne was very cool about it when I checked it was OK. So, now I am fretful of what will happen! More lasering, I reckon.

Day 226: Eye clinic was not great. I need lasering in my right eye, so that will be both eyes. Mr. Hussain, the consultant that ive seen loads including today, explained that the field of vision is affected that it can mean I am not allowed to drive. In one eye it doesn’t matter, in both the DVLA will order a test and, if the field isn’t wide enough, means I won’t get a license to drive. Shit! K WhatsApp to thank me for the card plus some ‘chat’ which ended uninvitingly (i.e., end of conversation!). I just replied that I was glad she liked it (the card),

Something is up with my left thumb, it’s sore by the nail, as if it’s ingrowing, but it isn’t. Fuck knows what it is and it’s really bothering me, very painful. Pretty shit day, all in all. Day 227: Called the surgery about my thumb and Dr. leijsen called me back, asked some questions about the photo (I had to take a pic and send it in), including whether there’s any pus, and then said she’ll prescribed anti-biotics. Later today, it started to leak pus, and feel better! But, it’s still not right so I’‘l take the course. Looks like I have got an interview for the IT support job at Jagex, got a call from the recruiter today, just need confirmation. Spoke with Shirley from HR about the fact I might not be able to drive in the future. She was pretty cool about it in a kind of cross-that-bridge way and suggested I run it past Sueanne.

Day 228: Spoke with Sueanne about my impending eye lasering which is on Friday ay 3.30pm, the hospital called to let me know, she was very cool about it and even suggested I take Monday off! More importantly, she spoke of the non-driving as no factor to worry about job wise, especially as we are all WfH nowadays. I have an interview at Jagex, well, Zoom, but it is on Friday, 1pm.

Day 229: Told Mark at work about the lasering adn potential non-driving. I think it shocked him a little. I am worried about tomorrow, big time, although it’s just lasering - I’ve had it done before. I cannot wait for this time tomorrow (9.40pm). I have been trying to concentrate on preparing for the interview but it’s all too easy to get distracted. Day 230: Interview went OK. Eye appointment was horrible but bearable. The doc wants me to book in for more laser but, only so it can be reviewed and ‘topped up’ if need be. Better than a going for a check up and having to book another laser appointment thereafter. It’s near enough 9.00pm and I am going to enjoy a bear or two.

Day 231: No after affects to speak of from the eye appointment but I know lasering has occurred. It’s like I haven’t got the full set of cells recieve information from yje pupil. It’s intangible but still perceptible. Great walk today, took some cracking photos - very pleasing. More booze and draw tonight and, hopefully, up tomorrow before the 2.20pm wake up time of today. Posh beat Oxford away (1-2) in the FA Cup 1st round.

Day 232: 2pm by the time I got out of bed. I’ve got to curb this habit. Missed calls from Dad but answered one from Rita just before going for a walk when I promised to phone tomorrow. Day 233: I think SB wa surprised was at work today. I ordered two rugs (from irugs.co.uk). They are 8x5″ and were 75% off, £58 ea. One for under the table (desk) and I put one in the spare room. Hopefully keep the house a tad warmer. Getting into Barry on Sky Comedy. Barry’s a hit man. It’s darkly intriguing. I took a couple of pics of a solitary poppy today, icuding a couple of macros. They turned out OK so will post one on Wednesday (11/11). Talking of photos, two people (one is Alison Brighty) asked for a jpeg of one of the photos I posted on Saturday so they can get it printed.

Day 234: Spoke with dad today, let him know the situation with my eyes which, I think worries him, so I hate to do it but, also, he needs to know, just in case.

Day 235: The poppy pic I posted was very well received, over 160 likes on the Oundle chatter page and Jo Langford wants the original (why she can’t take it of FB?) to print off, which is nice. I am working on Saturday - gotta attend a meeting at 8am. FFS! SB also agreed for me to back on call, cool!

Day 236: Average sort of day. I really wish I wasn’t working on Saturday! OH, Dan messaged...first I’ve heard from him for over two weeks...he’s got two days of so he can watch all the US Masters which started today, and was good watching. So, not that average a day afterall, now that I think back on it. Day 237: Woke up at 9.14am today, yikes! Messaged with Dan a lot as he is home watching the US Masters...told him abbout my eye issues and the fact there’s a chance of losing my driving license. Also, in a silly facebook post and comments, about me not being able to drink tonight ‘cos of work tomorrow, Scottish Ricky asked if I was OK. I replied, not really, meaning that I’m pissed off I can’t get pissed. He messaged to say if I ever need to chat. Fucking great bloke. I rang him to let him know I was not being serious on FB and we chatted for 30 mins or so. Top man. still, it does remian that I am missing a beer this Friday - roll on tomorrow night!

Day 238: Work thsi morning was OK, finished at midday. Watchung golf, having abeer or two right now (just gone 8pm). Posh lost away to Crewe 0-2. Day 239: Up at 2pm after a good few drinks last night (and some silly video posting on FB of me trying shit lager - Corrs Light - with hot sauce). Just settling down to watch Dustin Johnson win the Masters - he’s -20 with 2 to play, no one near him.

Day 240: I ordered some slippers from Amazon that arrived today. They were also returned today. I’m destined to never find a decent, non-expensive pair.

DJ did win the golf.

I watched Jojo Rabbit this evening. A first class film.

#diary #Tumblr diary #lockdown #COVID19 #lockdownuk

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baroquebucky · 5 years

Note

Request : your ex boyfriend whom you broke up with on good friends comes to visit on a birthday party organized by your current boyfriend Bucky. Bucky feels overshadowed and threatened . Angst and fluff pls

A/N: okay i am LIVING for this honestly, jealous!bucky is a fave !!!! sorry if this sucks :-( keep requesting pls

You didn’t want a famous Stark party for your birthday, you wanted a cute small get together with all your friends and your boyfriend. You had college though, and you were an avenger, so time didn’t really exist for you. Let alone enough time to plan a whole party. So of course you dropped small hints to your beloved Bucky.

“you know these two colors go really well together” “oh this cake is SO yummy!!” “i think this playlist is perfect for something like a laid back but FUN party!” “oh these decorations are amazing”

These subtle hints continued for about a week, not including the bundles of texts you would send him while in class or when you were bored or walking the dog you had, and yes, you forced them to get a dog. And now tony created the little guy his own room, catered to his every need, but of course he preferred you over everyone else and was very protective of you. One time while cuddling on the couch he tried to bite bucky because he thought he was trying to kill you, let’s just say bucky flinches a bit now when the pupper jumps on you.

“Okay team. T minus 10 hours until show time. I need Tony and Rhodes on decorations, Bruce and Natasha on food duty- STRICTLY DESSERTS AND CAKE PLEASE, Clint and Sam on food food duty, Steve and Thor you’re on gifts, I’ve compiled a list, and i am over seeing everything as well as inviting everyone. ARE YOU READY TEAM” Bucky gave out the orders, everyone nodding their heads as they all put their hands in the middle. “This has to be PERFECT Y/N needs to know how much we appreciate her, assemble on 3!” “1, 2, 3” “ASSEMBLE” the heroes yelled out as they scrambled to get everything to perfection. People fighting over which super car to drive.

You however were already in class, running late but with iced coffee so it’s worth it. As you jogged into class rushing to your seat next to your ex. Yes your ex, you guys were great friends though so it was okay, you loved Bucky and he trusted you. “hey man i woke up early but still managed to be late? How does that even work?” You said slightly out of breath setting you bag down and pulling out this classes respective notebooks. “You always find a way Y/N” y/e/n smiled at your frantic actions.

As class came to a close you put away your things and headed to the colleges outdoor area, it’s where you hung out with a few people until your next class. “Mind if i join you today?” y/e/n asked you, “of course not! Cmon before i miss the dog i always pet” you beamed at them as you lightly jogged to meet the canine you loved. Your paths crossed only at that time of day and you were never late, you and the dogs owner, Angelica, became somewhat close thanks to this golden retriever. As you made slight small talk, you ended the conversation and you headed in different directions. As you talked to your ex and your other friends joined you they gave you a cupcake and sang you happy birthday. Time flew and before you knew it you were headed to your next class, ready the day to be over and to get home.

you checked your phone briefly before your class started and saw a text from bucky.

buckaroo: do you still talk to y/e/n ?

you quickly composed a text, yeah i just talked to him for like an hour rn lmao

You hit send and put your phone away as your professor began to talk about the upcoming test you had. After a few hand cramps from taking notes too fast, and trying to not fall asleep, the lesson was over and you were almost free. You had to go to the library quickly to get a book you needed for a report. As you made your way to the library you quickly replied to some birthday texts from friends and playing people back at iMessage games.

After getting the book you headed back to the compound, ready to shower, relax for a bit, and then party it up with you friends. But thats exactly what happened, but not in that order.

“T MINUS 30 MINUTES! HUSTLE PEOPLE HUSTLE IM 100 YEARS OLD AND I MOVE FASTER HURRY IT UP” Bucky shouted as the team finished the final details. It was beautiful, Bucky knew you would love it. The people he had invited flooded in as they were told specific places to hide to surprise you.

“Hey Bucky!” y/e/n called out to the super soldier. “Oh hey, it’s James by the way” Bucky said immediately dreading whatever came out of this assholes mouth. You said that he wasn’t that bad, just didn’t work out dating, Bucky however hated his guts, he lost you, the most amazing thing is all the nine realms and didn’t even feel bad about it. He wanted to punch the guys face in but he couldn’t get blood on the decorations. After forcing himself to your ex walked away and Bucky had to take a deep breath in to collect himself.

“T MINUS 39 SECONDS SHES HERE” Tony yelled as everyone took their places, Bucky grabbed a bouquet of your favorite flowers and opened the door. “hey doll, how was your day?” Bucky smooth talked you with a kiss on the cheek as he hid the flowers behind his back. “Pretty good honey and yours?” You asked hugging him and setting you bag down by the door. “Close your eyes” Bucky started firmly, you chuckled and did as you were told as he led you to the middle of the room. “Happy birthday doll” Bucky whispered in your ear as you opened your eyes.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY” everyone yelled popping up with squeakers and those little blow out things you always loved. You stared in awe as you observed even the smallest of details, not one thing you had said had been left out. You looked at bucky who handed you the flowers and your eyes began to well up with tears. “It’s perfect baby” you smiled getting on your tippy toes to kiss him on the lips quickly. Bucky smiled and quickly kissed you back. “Go have fun baby” he smiled at you as you hugged him one last time before running off to your friends.

About an hour had passed and Bucky could not find you. And someone he spotted you in the corner of the room. With y/e/n. His blood ran cold as you smiled and laughed with him. He saw the way your ex looked at you, the way he put his hand lightly on your arm when he told a joke, and the way his eyes raked over your body as you got another drink. He hated it. As he began striding over to him, his metal arms whirring as he clenched his fists, a strong hand bragged him pulling him back. “Don’t buck. The last thing she’d want is a fight.” Steve told Bucky as he let out a shaky breath. Staring at you as your red dress fit you perfectly and you laughed at what was probably a horrible joke. You snatched his arm from Steve’s grip and walked the other way, the lights bouncing off his metal arm.

“Look at them. Look at her Steve, she’s all laughing and smiling and everything. He’s flirting! Just right there Steve!” Bucky huffed as he ran his hand though his hair angrily. “Go talk to her then” Steve said drinking some of what Thor brought him.

“Maybe she doesn’t love me anymore” He whisperered, watching you lean into your ex while laughing at something he said. He couldnt stand anymore of it.

Bucky stormed out as he headed to the fifth floor where the dog was and where the beautiful view of the city was. “Hey buddy” Bucky said softly as his chest sank lower and lower. The dog- Ace, sat next to him as his tail wagged glad to have some company. “Does she even love me anymore? I mean she’s so beautiful and I’m actually 100 years old. And did you see how she was acting with her ex? Her ex! As if i didn’t plan this whole fucking party for her, buy her exactly what she wanted and make everything perfect? And he suddenly waltzes in and she’s laughing with HIM?” Bucky furrows his eyebrows as he huffs out in anger his complaints. Ace lowly barking and making noises almost agreeing with him. “It’s like she has no respect for herself now” Bucky said immediately regretting his words.

“Wow.” A sad voice echoes behind him. He and ace quickly got up as he saw your standing a little bit behind you two. “No self respect huh? I throw myself at every guy? That’s what you’re saying?” You said angrily, hands shaking from either sadness or rage. “No Y/N you know i don’t mean that” Bucky pleases striding towards you grabbing your wrist. “Don’t touch me.” You stated voice cold.

“Well what the fuck do you expect? I do every fucking thing you tell me, hoping that you can at LEAST validate my efforts and be with me during the party I threw for you. But no. You’re off with you Ex of all people laughing and completely ignoring me.” Bucky said voice raising only a bit. The hurt was evident in his voice, but you were going to give in.

“I thought you trusted me? Do you think something is going on?” You looked at him, knowing that would make him feel bad. “No but it’s just seeing you look so happy with him, hurt.” Bucky whispered.

“Knowing you can have him and any other guy and be normal and live a normal life, with someone who isn’t as broken as I am, someone who doesn’t have to wait two months before being okay with holding hands. Seeing you so happy with him makes me wonder if you’re gonna find someone better and realize you can do so much better than the horrible thing I am.” Bucky whispered not being able to look into your eyes. Your chest hurt from hearing the words leave his mouth. You hated when he was like this.

“Look at me James.” You states sternly grabbing both of his hands in yours, putting two fingers under his chin and making him look at you with his blue eyes that melted your heart.

“I love you. Only you. I don’t care if i can have a ‘normal’ life. If normal means not you, i don’t want that. I want you James Buchanan Barnes. I want you and every one of you flaws. I want you and your good and bad days. I want you and only you. You’re my soulmate and nothing can change my mind. I understand if you think he was flirting and honestly he probably was, which is why i was laughing so much. He probably thinks he can take me back to make me like him again, but little does he know you could snap his neck with your pinky” you smiled at he let out a slight chuckle to your last comment. He pulled you into his chest as you wrapped your arms around him.

“I’m sorry for being such a loser on your big day” Bucky mumbled into your hair as he kissed your forehead. “You’re my loser, the party is still perfect angel” You said kissing his jaw. He stared down at you with pure love in his eyes. “We should probably go back and open presents huh” He smiled kissing your lips between each word. “mmm maybe we should” You said closing your eyes and savoring the moment.

The two of you left Ace to sleep and headed out silently as Bucky told you his plan to threaten your ex. You laughed at his fake macho voice and kissed him once more. “Thank you for everything bucky, really it’s perfect” you said sincerely. “Anytime doll” he smiled as you entered the booming room packed with all the familiar faces. As you wondered off to find something to cut the cake with, y/e/n came up to Bucky.

“There you are! Been looking for you, where’s Y/N?” He asked slyly. Bucky stood a little taller and let the light catch his metal arm. “Listen kid, I’m gonna tell you this once and only once. You flirt with my girl one more time, you try and ‘threaten’ me or try and overshadow me by hanging out with my girl, and I’ll make you wish you were dead. Hell you might actually be dead. Is that clear?” Bucky said in a deep voice close to his ear. He frantically nodded and quickly scampered away as you came back smiling.

“When will you ever learn James” you teased giving him a nudge and leading him to the table. “They gotta know who you belong to babygirl” he smirked as you blushed. “You’re just a big softie” you teased as you two enjoyed the rest of the night together and with friends.

#bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes angst #readers birthday x bucky #bucky barnes imagine #jealous!bucky #reader x bucky barnes #bucky barnes blurb #jealous bucky barnes

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yehet-me-up · 5 years

Text

Boiling Point

Pairing: Jongin x reader (female)

Genre: dude idk, soft and romantic... stripper AU?!

Rating: (M) for language and sexual themes/situations

Word Count: 4,179

Summary: In the year you’ve been working at the Elxyion Male Revue you’ve somehow managed to not date, or anything else, with any of your incredibly hot co-workers. But then a new dancer starts who makes you break all your rules.

A/N: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY/CHRISTMAS @gingersaysjump ILY BAE <333 😉 😉 😉

The lights on the strip dazzle you, as they always do.

A hum of pleasure courses through you on your walk to work. In the year you’ve lived here Vegas has never failed to capture your imagination.

The city seems to rise as night falls. While the rest of the world closes its doors and falls asleep, Vegas wakes from its slumber and comes alive.

A faint breeze blows in off the desert and teases the edges of your dress. The material brushes against your thighs, already slightly damp in the persistent heat. It impresses you the way the blazing sun from the day lingers well on into the night, mixes with alcohol and music and skin, and infuses the city with an electric pulse that doesn’t burn off until dawn.

Something is coming, you think to yourself abruptly. You draw your lip between your teeth and work at it while you ponder what it could be.

Call it intuition, fate, whatever you want - it’s there, and it’s always guided you.

Whatever is coming, you’ll handle it, you tell yourself and shrug absently, releasing your lip.

Oh how wrong you are.

The club is in full preparation mode when you arrive. Kat the bar manager waves at you before her announcer boyfriend Chanyeol resumes what appears to be a very thorough exploration of her mouth with his tongue.

A man with cat-like eyes gives you a nod, his lips pulling back into what would be a smirk on a more arrogant man. The costume manager is fitting him for a military outfit that looks downright deadly and that familiar coil of heat grows in your core as you meet Minseok’s gaze.

You lift your hand in greeting, thankfully slipping through the curtain on the far side of the room to head into the staff lounge. He’s been flirting with you for weeks. Making eye contact every time he brought someone on stage to dance with, grinding his hips into that night’s bachelorette or birthday girl so you knew that he wasn’t just tempting you.

He wanted you to know exactly how good it would be if you finally let him fuck you.

For weeks he’s been letting his hand linger on your lower back when you all leave together at the end of the night. Giving you knowing looks at staff meetings. Hinting at things, but not acting on them; slowly working down your defenses.

But for now you’ve remained strong.

There’s always a buzz around the Elyxion Male Revue on Friday nights. Big crowds. Sweat. Screaming women going insane with each new inch of skin revealed by the dancers.

But, more importantly for you, Friday nights bring excellent tips.

You lift your purse over your head and slip it in your locker. Suddenly you feel a chin press to your shoulder.

‘Are you ready to die, my friend?’ says the cheerful voice.

Turning you raise a brow at your friend Sarah, you fight a smile as she gives you her giddy I know something you don’t know look.

‘What?’

‘Oh come on, ask me,’ she teases, humming.

‘You know I’m not going to ask, so you might as well just tell me,’ you deadpan, pulling your apron from your locker.

‘Ugh, fine. Ruin my fun,’ she says, dropping the charade. ‘Or maybe I won’t tell you, and I’ll get to watch you melt with no warning.’

‘Are you talking about the new military number?’ you ask. ‘Old news. I saw Min being fitted when I came in. Plus, did you forget I work on Sundays when they practice their new routines?’

She makes a sound like a buzzer. ‘Nope. Try again.’

You turn and fold your arms, leveling her with your most serious stare and finally she relents.

‘Oh fine. You’re lucky I love you,’ she says, stepping closer. Something about the mischievous twinkle in her eyes causes the forewarning in the pit of your stomach to come alive again.

‘There’s a new dancer starting,’ she says nonchalantly.

Your brows pull together. ‘Okay... and? We get new dancers all the time, how is that news?’

‘Remember that show we watched last month? That dance competition we binged?’

‘I remember you turning it into a drinking game and almost passing out halfway through the first episode.’

She rolls her eyes and laughs. ‘Yes. That one. Well, I have it on news from a secret source that your favorite dancer just accepted a job here and will be here tomorrow to watch the show.’

Images flood your mind - a downright sinful expression on an angelic face. Hip thrusts revealing swaths of tanned, sweat-covered skin. An artistry of movement that somehow stirred both your heart and your desire.

A groan falls from your lips. ‘Oh, shit.’

Sarah’s eyes light up and she gives you finger guns. ‘There it is!’

‘Kim Jongin is going to be dancing here?’ you ask, desperate to seek clarification.

‘You got it, babe,’ she says, pulling her hair back into a low ponytail and turning to leave. ‘Get ready to burn.’

For a moment you watch her weave through the crowd of dancers, assistants, servers, and bartenders and feel your life tilt off balance.

‘Helloooo ladieeees and welcome to Elyxion, the number one male revue on the strip, out-thrusting Chippendale’s and Thunder From Down Under six nights a week. Are you ready to get this party started?’ Chanyeol’s voice booms over the speakers and the packed crowd goes wild.

You chuckle to yourself and bend down to take a woman’s drink order over the ecstatic screams of the crowd.

The sound of a fire alarm goes off through the room and you quickly write down the drink and move toward the bar.

‘Uh oh, ladies. I think there might be…’ Chanyeol’s joyful voice strings along the crowd, playing perfectly to the mix of fantasy and reality they came here for.

He walks across the stage, lifting his hand to his ear. ‘A FIRE IN THE BUILDING.’

The lights in the room drop just as you come to stand next to Kat at the bar. The two of you share an amused look and turn to watch the first performance.

Minseok always starts the show with the first solo - a firefighter number. Something about his combination of devastatingly hotness and his warm and reassuring presence sets the tone for the evening.

You discreetly deliver drinks to the tables during his dance.

His stare practically bores a hole in the back of your head and you know he’s hoping you’ll make eye contact. It’s a game you both enjoy playing, but there’s something missing tonight.

For some reason when you finally relent, as you always do, and watch him essentially dry hump the bachelorette on stage to Nelly’s ‘Hot in Herre’ you don’t feel the same electricity you once did.

With a confused shake of your head you carry on with the evening, laughing with the bar staff and other waiters, dancing along to the music when you can’t resist, and wondering what it is about the mere mention of Jongin that threw you off your groove.

The mid-afternoon line in Starbucks drags, sapping your energy. You step from foot to foot, eyeing the man at the front of the line who is placing what appears to be a million orders at once.

All you want is caffeine, but apparently Saturday is going to put you through hell to get it. After a long Friday night and with another wild night ahead of you, Saturdays always feel like three days in one.

With a sigh you raise your hand and begin to work your thumb into a kink in your neck. A buzzing in your pocket draws your attention. You pull out your phone and glance at the text on the screen.

Sarah 2:15pm dead woman walking

Sarah 2:15pm hope you’re ready for tonight ;)

Y/N 2:16pm you stop that now

Sarah 2:16pm nope, can’t make me

Sarah 2:16pm muahahahaha

You laugh to yourself and slide the phone back in the pocket of your dress.

Finally the man of a million orders moves to the side and the line moves forward.

The heat in Vegas is an insistent, unrelenting beast. It tugs at your hair, plays along the line of your neck, trails down your spine, refusing to let you find relief. If the club wasn’t air conditioned you’d be willing to bet women of all ages would literally pass out from the combination of masculine sexuality and heat in the air.

It’s especially hot in this goddamn Starbucks because the constant crush of bodies refuses to let the door stay closed and do its job of keeping this place cool.

A group of teenagers brushes past you. One of the boys reaches around to tickle the girl next to him and she jolts in surprise, crashing into you and throwing you backward - directly into the person behind you.

Strong hands wrap around your body, keeping you upright.

‘Shit, I’m so sorry,’ the girl says, reaching out a hand in your direction.

You wave her off with a smile. ‘No harm, no foul. It’s crowded as hell in here.’

She looks relieved and the hoard of youths finally departs, leaving you to turn and thank your rescuer.

Only years of customer service jobs and a practiced ability to control your reactions keeps you from dropping your mouth in shock.

The man behind you is none other than Kim Jongin himself, even more handsome in person in low slung jeans and a plain black button-up shirt. He finally removes his fingers from their hold on your upper arms and instantly you want to ask him to put them back.

‘Are you all right?’ he asks, low voice cascading across your skin.

You shake your head to clear it and give him a warm smile. ‘Yes, thanks to you.’

He laughs. ‘No problem. I’m not used to Starbucks’ being so crowded, but then again I’ve never visited one in Vegas.’

‘I know, right? Vegas is a universe unto itself. No normal rules apply.’

The line slides forward and you take a few steps up before turning back to him. When you do you see that he’s nonchalantly taking a look at your tanned legs showed to perfection by the skirt you’re wearing.

Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, you think, lips twitching in amusement.

‘See something you like?’

He lifts his eyes to meet yours. Were he another man he might look apologetic, chastised, or maybe make a pass at you, a bold statement claiming you as his own possession to admire.

But he surprises you.

‘Sorry, that was rude of me - checking you out before I even ask your name.’

A boyish smile graces his lips accompanied by the seductive lift of one brow. A heat that has nothing to do with the high temperatures outside sweeps through you.

Warning bells go through your mind. Your commitment to not date people you work with. A hard-learned lesson not to be swept up by men who seem too good to be true rushes to your consciousness.

But unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at things, you’ve never been one to heed warnings.

The moment stretches on, neither of you breaking eye contact. There’s something in his irises, playing around his expression you can’t place. An attraction, sure. Playfulness, definitely. You decide to call it purity, someone who is exactly who he presents himself to be - no bullshit or facade, a rarity in Vegas.

You are well and truly fucked. And he didn’t even have to take your clothes off.

‘Well. Are you going to ask?’ you say, giving him your best flirtatious smile.

His brows crease adorably. ‘Ask what?’

The line moves forward and you’re finally to the register. Delight courses through you. Leaning forward you pause a few inches from his ear, looking at him through your lashes. ‘My name.’

He laughs, a bright warm sound, as unrestrained and un-self-conscious as the rest of him while you place your order.

When you step aside he’s got his phone out, holding it up to you with your name saved, making you laugh. Damn, you’d given your name to the barista.

‘How about a number to go with the name?’

Your lips pull back into a lopsided smirk. ‘I don’t think you’ll need it.’

He looks confused again. Somehow, your drink is already ready, the barista at the end of the bar calling your name.

‘I work at Elyxion,’ you say, joy and mischief infusing your words.

He chuckles, looking down at his feet. Another man might have asked questions, been off-put by the clear disparity of information between the two of you. But once again he surprises you, merely lifting a shoulder and turning to place his order.

‘I’ll see tonight.’

‘See you there... Jongin,’ you draw out the syllable, earning another laugh from him as you weave your way outside through the crowd.

The buzz in the club is even higher than normal when you arrive. Something about Jongin’s upcoming appearance has pushed everyone to operate at an even higher level. Costume staff, servers, even some of the strippers themselves - all seem to be trying extra hard tonight.

You laugh to yourself as you get ready, already surrendered to whatever the night will bring.

When you show up to the pre-opening staff huddle you find Jongin easily, his silver hair shining even in the low light of the prep room. When he sees you he gives you a wink before turning to listen to your general manager Junmyeon give the rundown for the show tonight.

He introduces Jongin and everyone welcomes him, the words passing through your mind without your notice. You’re far too distracted by the low cut shirt he’s wearing as you shamelessly check him out.

He catches you watching and smothers a laugh, raising an eyebrow as if to say fair is fair.

You mouth ‘at least I know your name’ to him and his eyes crinkle at the corner as he tries not to laugh.

The huddle breaks up and Junmyeon claps a hand on Jongin’s shoulder, steering him backstage to watch the show.

Unfortunately you only catch glimpses of him throughout the night as you serve drinks. He watches the routines with focus, mimicking the moves subtly in almost real time.

You find him like a homing beacon every time you serve on the far side of the room. And every time you walk back to the bar you run your hand along your neck, simultaneously cursing and thanking God for bringing this man into your orbit.

Sunday is everyone’s Friday, blessedly. A final show to close out the week and then a long day off on Mondays for everyone to rest and recover.

After two full days of weekend high the building is always nice and empty when you arrive for your shift. Sunday afternoons you and Kat do all the weekly tasks like inventory and ordering and bookkeeping in between yawning and drowning yourselves in coffee.

Jongin arrives just after two in an obscenely arousing pair of gray sweatpants and a black tank top. He waves to you and Kat while chatting with some of the other performers before heading onstage.

You do your best to not watch his rehearsal, avoiding the way you can see every line of his body as he practices the choreography.

‘Those goddamn hip thrusts,’ you mutter, glancing away as if he’s the sun, too bright and hot to look at without being burned in some way.

‘What was that?’ Kat asks, but the look on her face lets you know that she’s aware of not only what you said, but also what you meant.

You stick your tongue out at her and kneel down to intently count the glassware behind the bar.

‘That’s what I thought.’

After the last of the group numbers is through a DJ Khaled song starts, low and dangerous, and you feel it in your gut that this is the song they’ve chosen for Jongin’s solo dance.

‘Fuck,’ you sigh.

‘He’s dancing right now isn’t he,’ you ask with a wince, looking up at Kat.

She’s got her arms folded, leaning back against the bar. She tilts her head and whistles. ‘He sure is, my friend.’

‘Double fuck,’ you laugh to yourself.

‘You really should be watching this.’

‘Nope. No. Definitely not,’ you say decisively. ‘No dating people I work with. Or anything else for that matter, no matter how sweet and charming and incredible at dancing they are.’

She laughs. ‘Honey, I think you might want to make an exception.’

You narrow your eyes at her and go back to counting, standing and turning your back on the stage to work on the liquors.

‘You know that works better when you practice on a real person!’ Kat calls out, startling you.

‘What are you doing?!’

When you turn you see Sehun the choreographer rolling his eyes in amusement and Jongin on the floor, raised up on his arms smiling at you.

Kat gives you a satisfied grin. ‘Trust me.’

Jongin stands, resting his hands on his hips. Even from this distance you can see his chest rise and fall with his breathing, the sweat that shines on his chest and arms.

He stares you down, raising that damn brow in challenge. ‘Are you volunteering?’

She practically shoves you forward, taking the inventory list from your hands. ‘Yes, she is.’

You curse under your breath and smooth your hair behind your ears while you walk. Just what you need, to burn alive with lust while half your co-workers watch.

‘Hold You Down’ starts over again, the bass from the speakers thrumming through your veins.

In all the months you’ve worked here you could count on one hand the number of times you’ve been on stage. And you knew decidedly how many times you’ve been on stage in this context - none.

From here the bright lights of the stage make it hard to see the rest of the room, or even backstage. The spotlights create a bubble that exists only for you and Jongin. You assume the position on the chair set up at center stage, bracing your hands and grasping the edges of the chair for dear life.

With his eyes fixed on yours he moves in time to the beat, drawing his lip into his mouth and biting down as he takes off his shirt with aching slowness.

Once it’s free he steps up to you, bringing his face a breath from yours. He bends down, running his hands up your thighs to grasp your hips. You almost whine at how goddamn good he looks staring up at you, his head inches from where you want him the most, if you’re honest with yourself.

In one fluid motion he cups your thighs and lifts you onto his shoulders, your legs over him and your crotch directly in his face. You scream and laugh, grasping the back of his head in your hands to avoid falling. He gives you a wink that only you can see and your shake your head in amusement.

The chorus kicks in, fast and sensual, and he shifts you, spinning you into a bridal style hold.

He moves again, laying you on the floor before tearing off his pants and crawling over you, a hungry look on his face that makes you clench your thighs together.

You’re so captivated by his expression you hardly see what he’s doing with his body. But oh, how you feel it.

His thighs press against yours as he grinds himself into you, balancing the line all male dancers have to between giving the lucky chosen woman what she wants but maintaining enough professional distance to avoid coming on too strong.

Too bad, I want you closer you think, surprising yourself.

He finally finishes and helps you up. From the way he’s breathing heavily and watching you, you know he was thinking the same thing. He thanks you and you walk back to the bar as best as you can without passing out.

‘So, how was it?’ Kat asks.

‘I’m going to need a cold shower as soon as I get home,’ you sigh. ‘Or more batteries for my vibrator.’

Kat laughs, clapping you on the shoulder. ‘Or you could just fuck him. The man is umm literally drooling on you.’

You lift your eyes skyward, praying for divine assitance.

It goes on like this for days.

Lunches at the taco joint down the street, laughing about tales from your previous jobs and his wild career. Dancing together when the group goes out after work to hit the strip on Thursday night.

Flirting with Jongin is a dangerous game you can’t help but play.

Perhaps its resisting fate, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the feeling in your chest when he brushes your hair behind your ear one night.

Or perhaps it’s logic, warning you away from what could be disastrous for your sanity. For life as you know it. Watching him grind on other women on stage makes jealousy and possession rise in your chest like a hungry wolf, in a way it never did for Minseok.

It disturbs you how fast this man has blotted out the rest of your life, and you can’t figure out how to feel about it.

Sunday arrives and once again you watch Jongin dance, feeling like you might combust at any moment from a combination of lust and need and … something decidedly softer.

You take a break as lunch arrives and head to the back room to check your phone. You turn while scrolling through instagram, bumping into a solid form.

This time when Jongin’s arms keep you upright you’re inches from his face. The smell of his cologne and his sweat, the devilish smile on his lips, makes you almost whine out loud.

‘Hey,’ you start with a laugh, but you can’t bring yourself to move.

‘Hey,’ he repeats with a smirk.

Blessedly the back room is empty. You can hear Minseok and Chanyeol laughing distantly and you know they’re entertaining the group while everyone eats. Leaving the two of you all alone back here, for better or worse.

In the silence he lifts his hands to cradle your jaw, his thumbs sweeping across your cheeks. With a sigh you finally succumb to this thing between you, resting your face against his hand and closing your eyes.

‘I love what we have right now, but I don’t just want to flirt with you,’ he says softly. ‘And I’m not just trying to sleep with you, I want more.’

Once again he surprises you with his guilelessness, speaking the truth with no hint of shame. He waits until you open your eyes to continue.

‘I want you to be mine. Will you let me take you for dinner tomorrow?’

Your heart feels like it turns into liquid butter. You shrug and say, ‘Okay.’

‘Okay?’ he asks, confusion once again turning his face boyish and adorable.

You laugh and drop your hands to hold onto his hips. ‘Okay.’

You nod. Simple as that. Perhaps you knew the day you met him that this is where things would lead. Or maybe it’s just that Vegas magic. Either way, you’ll take it.

He smiles in response, wrapping his arms around you, pulling your face into his neck and sighing in satisfaction.

A moment later he pulls back, cupping your neck with his hand and pressing his lips to yours without waiting any longer. He kisses softer than you’d expect from his dancing. Steadily working his mouth against yours until you relax and soften in his arms.

You move your hands to his neck, tangling them in his hair and gently tugging on his lower lip. He grins against you, sliding his tongue along the seam of your lips seeking entrance.

His hands slide down your sides, trailing heat in their wake, heading for your hips. You moan into his mouth as his strong hands slip under the edge of your shirt and caress the skin of your lower back.

The two of you kiss for what feels like days in the quiet, dark back room. Days could have passed and you wouldn’t have even noticed. Eventually he pulls back and gives you a grin.

After a beat you speak. ‘Okay, but could we do both the sex and the relationship, I’m about to die from how badly I want you.’

He laughs against your hair, a low sound that surrounds you. Pulling his head back he meets your gaze, heat evident in his expression.

Slowly he presses you against the wall, his arousal clearly evident against your thigh.

‘Come with me,’ he says with a suggestive raise of his brows, clasping your hand in his.

‘More than happy to,’ you quip, earning you another laugh from him as he leads you into one of the changing rooms.

#kpopwonderlandtag #kpopwritingnet #kwriterskollection #exosnet #jongin x reader #jongin fanfic #jongin scenario #jongin imagine #exo x reader #exo fanfic #exo imagine #exo scenario #kim jongin x reader #jongin #exo au

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chrysaliseuro2019 · 5 years

Text

The Boat was Rocking

It was time to leave the Peloponnese and head to the island of Folegandros. Prior to that we wanted to look at the archeological museum in Nafplio and we also had to return the car to Piraeus the port of Athens from where all the ferries leave. Liz had timed it to all fit together. Car due back in Piraeus at 1.30 with a half hour leeway and ferry leaves for Folegandros at 3.45pm. Two hour drive to Piraeus so we wanted to be on the road by 11.15. We headed for breakfast at 8.30 and had a very pleasant one in the main square with just a few people around at that time. Headed for the museum post that and we were the only visitors in there. It is a really attractive building dating from 1713 in the Venetian style. It was very imposing. The first thing we saw which had been the real drawcard was a midden which was 32000 years old (you don't get a chance to see something that old very often) used by hunter gathererer cave dwellers in the region. Looking up the word midden it appears to be some sort of dump for all sorts of domestic waste which might be human excrement, animal bones, shells, molluscs, charcoal could be anything. Presumably the archaeologists gave it the once over and found all sorts of goodies or possibly baddies in there. In truth it looked like some flattened clay so imagination required. Though not too much. I didn't want to contemplate some ancient cave dweller squatting over the midden (though now I am). The rest of the exhibits were very interesting with a lot of artefacts which had been placed in the tombs of eminent people. Also examples of tools and weapons which showed the transition from hunters to other forms of "economy" and survival. Exhibits ranged mostly in age from 6000 BC to around 400 AD but some much older and covered everything from ornate urns and jugs (which were fantastically reconstructed), figurines, jewellery, tools and a suit of armour from 1500 BC which did not look very manoeuvrable. You felt that anyone inside it would be a sitting duck though it would have taken some penetration. Had a touch of the Monty Pythons. We stayed for around an hour and I think someone else rolled up to visit in that time which was just as we all as the 6/7 staff needed something to do given the museum was only on two not huge floors. We headed back and scurried around packing. Liz keeping a very watchful eye on the time and my intricate packing and ablution procedures. The time was called out at 5 minute intervals. It seemed to work as we head off in the car at 11.19 (precisely). Four minutes late, not bad, in fact in my book that's early. The journey was uneventful with a mix of freeway and standard roads. You can do 130km/hr on some stretches of the freeway so that was handy to keep on schedule. You have to stop for tolls every 20/30kms or so which is usually around 2 euros which slow things down a little. The biggest deal at the end was finding a petrol station. I had bypassed the last one so was not popular. We had to roll up at thrifty/hertz and ask for directions - very handy as station was around the corner. Interestingly when we picked the car up it had been left on half full as they said they had not had time to fill it up. We dubiously wondered if this was another lurk as it's pretty hard to return a car on half full. You are bound to go over. We pondered the various ways that dosh could be made on this but perhaps it was genuine. When you believe there's a conspiracy it's usually incompetence. Never ever happened before though in other countries. We handed the car back around 1.45 as close to half full as we could manage so all good and I must say the staff were very friendly and helpful. Now for the ferry. Piraeus is a pretty large passenger ferry port. There seemed to be around 10 or more quays and perhaps more that we couldn't see and they are spread out around a sort of horseshoe bay with a distance of a kilometre or two (hard to tell) covering them. We set off wheeling our bags with back packs on and it was pretty warm but we weren't 100% sure which quay we had to go to though had an idea. Anyway after about 20 mins of wheeling with a few stops including to buy some savoury pastries we entered a gate and were directed to the kiosk of the shipping line we were using. Now around 2.15. Ferry due to leave at 3.45. Of course we had walked past the kiosk on our way so were now doubling back through the heat but had found where we needed to be so didn't care. Not good news, ferry was running late. They weren't sure why but later said it was the weather and certainly the wind was very strong which wasn't filling us with joyous anticipation for the trip. It would be arriving at around 5.00pm. Leaving, some time after that, typically a half hour turn around so we were told. Nothing to do but head for some covered shelters to get out of the sun, eat our pastries and settle down for a long wait. 5.00pm became 6.10 and the ferry finally rolled up around then. Around that time proceedings descended into farce as another ferry from the same shipping line came in first at a slightly different dock nearby. All those waiting for the Folegandros ferry including us scooted over to that ferry, watched cars and people unload only to be told that we needed to go back to the original spot and wait - it wasn't ours. There was scurrying as everyone tried to get good positions to be on early. This presumably was because some did not have reserved seats and wanted to find the pick of the unreserved seats. We had reserved a couple of seats though our last experience on a ferry to Sardinia had been that reserved seats were not reserved seats and people commandeered them. So we were playing it sort of safe and trying to make sure we were not at the rear end of the line. As our ferry approached people moved from side to side 30 or 40 metres trying to anticipate and partly as directed by staff as to where the ramp would actually be. Imagine a couple of hundred people moving back and forth with suitcases, kids and various holiday paraphernalia all in still warm sun. It was quite something and we for our part were trying to stay reasonably at the front too. To add to the confusion a large petrol tanker was right in the midst of us presumably ready to refuel the ferry and had to reverse causing more chaos. We chatted to an amusing guy from New York and his wife who was good naturedly bemoaning the fact that as we stood in the queue he was supposed to be at a beach birthday party on one of the earlier island stops for this ferry. He and his wife had flown from America to specifically make this event. The best laid plans. Still he said the party would still be going when he got there. Finally around 6.30 the ferry started to unload people followed by cars while some onboarders rushed up the ramp against the flow of offboarders trying to stake their spots. This sent the officials into minor apoplexy and these people were stopped at the top of the ramp while disembarkation finished. We all then put our heads down and rushed up. Elbows weren't quite out but there were no beg pardons. Luckily I was with someone who can handle herself in the clinches and Liz beat me up the ramp hands down. One good reason to be up the ramp relatively early was that the formal storage racks for bags soon ran out though in truth people then just stored their bags alongside them and it didn't seem to be a problem. Also the ferry had several stops at different islands and theoretically each island had a separate storage section. We ignored that as clearly did plenty of others and chucked ours where there was a space. All worked well. Finally we had to negotiate the narrow doorway where tickets were checked with a couple of hundred people trying to be first through but from there the bedlam ceased. Our reserved seats were very comfortable. In a separate section with a hundred or so others though the seating was not full. An attendant checked tickets so no one could take your spot. I immediately shot to the bar and they actually did vodka and tonic which Liz was v pleased about after 4 frustrating hours of sitting on our hands preceded by a 2 hour + drive. I enjoyed a couple of cleansing ales too of course and we settled back to await departure. Of course the boat took another hour and a quarter to depart so finally left around 7.45pm - 4 hours late. Thems the travel breaks sometimes. A bit aggravating apart from the boredom of hanging around. It meant we lost the latter part of the evening and a decent dinner in town in Folegandros. Also we were paying essentially for a bed for a night and Folegandros prices not that cheap. If you knew that you would be arriving so late you would stay at the $50 a night job at the port, assuming it existed, though we reconciled ourselves that with a 1.45 am ferry arrival finding a hotel would have been impossible. Anyway, very efficiently, staff at the apartments where we were staying pick you up from the port and much to our relief after a 6 hour journey due to the rocky weather one was there to transfer us to our digs. The boat trip because of the strong wind did cause a bit of seasickness. There was a lot of side to side rocking. I managed to stay OK though felt a tad uncomfortable from time to time but Liz felt a bit queasy though through a mix of sleep and willpower managed to hold things off and we arrived without any technicolor events. You get these days from time to time. Not much you can do but go into some waiting zone, google, write blogs, go for walks, chat. We had left our hotel in Napflio at 11.20 am and arrived at our new one just after 2.00am. 15 hours. The ferry mob were apologetic and free cokes came round and we were told we could all claim a free ferry ride in the future. Do they do Tasmania? We crawled into bed.

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impalafortrenchcoats · 6 years

Text

tomorrow never came

Author: impalafortrenchcoats

AO3: Link

Chapter: 2/?

Summary:

A look at Hogwarts and the battle for it through the eyes of the students who lived and loved there.

A BTS/Harry Potter Fusion no one asked for, nor wanted.

Ships: Namjin, Yoonseok/Sope, Jikook/Kookmin, VMinKook

Category: Harry Potter AU, Young Love, Angst, Some Fluff, Battle of Hogwarts

Chapter Wordcount: 6,284

Other Chapters: Part 1/ Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

Excerpt:

“But, you know what? Yoongi thinks you’re worth the hassle, okay?”

Namjoon continued to stare.

“And I think you’re pretty cool, too. You listened to me go on about Mario and still wanted to play. You’re a weirdo. And I’m awkward. But I like you. So I think you’re worth it, too. Okay? Nod if you understand.”

Namjoon nodded, eyes glistening slightly.

“So, I’m saying it again and I really, really mean it now. You are my friend, Namjoon. And that means I'm going to be here, whether you like it or not. And as Yoongi would put it, fuck the houses .”

Namjoon gave a little choked laugh. Seokjin couldn’t help but lean in to hug him.

“You might be stubborn, Namjoon, but I’ll have you know I’m pretty stubborn, too. I already decided. I’ll always be here for you, okay?”

It took a few seconds, but eventually he heard Namjoon whisper, “Okay.”

CHAPTER 2

September 1, 1991: Hogwarts Express

Seokjin Kim knew his life was over.

He huddled on the floor of the empty compartment because crying while seated on the actual seats did not satisfy his current level of woe. He was only eleven, but never had he been more certain of a fact than now. His life was over .

The entire morning was a horrible blur of dramatic screaming, mostly on his part, as he clung to his Nintendo Super Comboy and locked himself in his room, all the while ignoring his parents as they alternated between pleading and demanding his cooperation.

If someone had been passing the Kim residence that morning, many interesting exclamations would have been heard.

Things like: “I don't want to be a wizard, Dad!”

And: “Mario isn't a wizard!”

And: “I want to be plumber!”

He vaguely remembered screaming those along with a litany of other nonsense, he’d admit to that. Okay. It was not one of his finest moments.

However, he felt it was justified considering how his family had literally railroaded him into wizard boarding school with almost no consideration for his social life. Sure, magic was cool. But who was going to play Super Mario World with him? He knew how these things worked, incoming witches and wizards generally fit into two categories: 1. Muggleborns or half-bloods who were raised closer to their muggle roots and were going to be too in-awe of the new environment to appreciate the good old simple fun from their world or 2. Purebloods and those already extensively exposed to magic and would have literally no clue what was happening in the muggle world, particularly in the matter of technology.

Seokjin was both fortunate and unfortunate enough to fall into an odd median between the two. While his father was a pureblood wizard of respectable lineage, he had also inherited the rebellious streak from his own father, who had emigrated from Korea in lieu of continuing the family trade as mediwizards, a respectable career for a Chungin class wizard (Seokjin never understood the class division of the Korean Wizarding World, much like he didn't understand the obsession with blood purity here in the U.K.). In any case, Seokjin’s father had taken rebellion one step further and had not only married a muggle woman but had also chosen a mundane career path as a baker.

That was not to say his upbringing was completely devoid of magic. His father had maintained close ties with their family back in Korea, and Seokjin had spent many a happy summer there.

However, one momentous event last year had taken his life on a whole new path. For his 10th birthday, his uncle, while on business in Korea, had managed to pick up a revolutionary game system, the Nintendo Super Comboy.

And his young life was forever changed.

He swore his allegiance to the magnificence that was Mario and the rest of the adorable pixelated crew in Super Mario World, and that was the end of that.

It may have taken several months of groveling on his uncle’s part, but his mother was now on speaking terms with her brother again, so Seokjin figured no harm no foul.

On one hand, yes he was borderline obsessed with the game system, but on the other, he finally had something that helped him connect with the neighborhood muggles his age. Finally, there was something that overcame even his eternal awkwardness, and over the past year, Seokjin could finally say he had a relatively close group of friends. Heck, he would even call Ken, a boy on his block, his best friend.

But now, all that came crashing down. His adventures in Mario’s world with his real life friends were over. Now, he had to start over from scratch, and with witches and wizards.

There was no hope.

His one consolation was that, as an olive branch (and last resort on his father’s part) for peace and his cooperation, he was able to bring his newly magicked Nintendo Super Comboy with him.

At least he would still have Mario.

Speaking of which, he might as well distract himself from his imminent social ostracization with some artificial friends. There will be plenty of time for intensive boyhood pains and feeling sorry for himself later.

However, just as he reached into his pouch containing the Comboy, which his father had also been kind enough to cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on, the door to his compartment slid open with a loud bang to reveal two boys his age.

Seokjin could feel his eyes blinking rapidly, a terrible nervous habit he’d never been able to break. Bloody hell. He wasn't supposed to let anyone know about the pouch, but here he was, shoulders deep in the bag.

His dad was going to kill him.

Both the newcomers silently stared at him. He'd give them a pass. He sure wouldn't know what to do if he were to open a door and come face to face with a sorry looking kid huddling on the floor of a train compartment, half inside a small pouch, face still probably covered in dried tear stains, blinking aggressively.

His whole life was awkward. His father killing him would be merciful.

“Can I help you?” he asked, because his mother raised him better.

The tall, lankier one was the first to answer, although his eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, “Do you mind if we sit here? Everyone up front seems to be making a ruckus about some student being here. It was getting too noisy.”

The whole time Lanky was talking, his friend, a pale, waif-like boy, was giving both Seokjin and his companion extremely dubious looks, like he couldn't decide whether or not he should remain in either of their presence any longer.

“No, go right ahead. There's no one else in here. Except me, I mean. I'm here. Just me.”

“Okay… yeah.” Lanky slid into the room after a short pause, cautiously easing into the bench across from Seokjin.

His friend was a little more reluctant to enter. He turned to look down the train, as if deciding between the pros and cons of going to find another compartment, but ultimately seemed to decide against it as he heaved an impressive sigh and stomped in to collapse next to his friend. He was certainly an interesting character, since the second his butt made contact with the seat, all energy seemed to leak out of him, leaving just enough for him to lazily lift a leg and ease the door close with his foot.

There was an awkward silence. Well, correction, Seokjin was awkward, Lanky was clearly uncomfortable, and Lumpy seemed perfectly fine once he’d melted into the seat. In fact, Seokjin wasn't even sure if he was even awake anymore. Wow. That was fast.

Which was why he jumped and almost dropped the Comboy he was finally pulling out when Lumpy broke the silence, apparently not asleep like he’d thought, “Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Well, here was his chance. New place, new people, new Seokjin Kim.

‘Seokjin-ah, you can do it,’ he thought to himself. ‘Don't be weird. Short and sweet is the way to go.’

But instead, he opened his mouth and cemented his lot in life, “Well, you see, I'm going through a bit of a tough spot right now. My life is over, and I just didn't feel that I could really enjoy the seat properly, and the floor felt like a much better place to mope. Just mope. Not cry. I wasn’t crying. I could move to the seat if it bothers you.”

“I really don't give a shit what you do, mate. I was just asking ‘cause this idiot’s dying to know, but won't ask you until it's too late, and I can't sleep while he’s fidgeting.”

Seokjin honestly didn't have a response for that.

The boy didn't bother to open his eyes as he continued, “Now that that’s out of the way, I'm going to take my nap, now. Don't either of you talk to me until we get to the school or food comes. We good? Good.”

He then proceeded to further melt into his seat and slip into oblivion.

Glancing over to Lanky, Seokjin was slightly comforted to see the boy staring in shocked horror at his friend.

“Is he always like that?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.” He looked back Seokjin. “I'm Kim - I mean, I'm Namjoon Kim, by the way, and he's Yoongi Min. Sorry about… actually, I have no idea what I'm apologizing for, but I feel like I should…”

“I'm Seokjin Kim. And if anything I should apologize.”

“For?”

“I don't know? Sitting on the floor? Being awkward?”

“Well, if we all go through life trying to live up to the expectations of society, that would be a whole lot of extra work, wouldn't it?”

Seokjin silently stared at the boy, who had just said what he did with a completely straight face.

‘What?’ he thought.

“What?” he said after a moment’s consideration.

The boy — his name was Namjoon, Seokjin tried to remind himself — gave a little uncomfortable wriggle in his seat before answering, “I mean, I'm sure you have a perfectly good reason why you're sitting on the floor. I don't know your situation so who am I to judge what you're doing.”

“Huh.” Seokjin continued to inspect Namjoon. He came to a very solid conclusion. “You're an odd one, aren't you?”

“Yoongi always said that I don't know when to stop and that I should probably learn to shut the fuck up.”

“Your friend sounds like a real charmer.”

“He grows on you.”

“Like fungus, I'm sure.”

The other boy only shrugged nonchalantly in response.

Another silence fell over the compartment, although this time it was slightly less awkward than before. Namjoon was fiddling with the hem of his robes, which were a nice change from the usual attire of British wizards. Seokjin noticed the similarity of the two boys’ clothes and those worn by the boys in his grandparents’ neighborhood, so he assumed the boys weren’t locals. Not to mention he’d noticed Namjoon’s earlier slip in starting the introduction with his surname.

He wondered about how to start up a conversation when it came to him. He immediately perked up and beamed brightly at Namjoon.

“Speaking of mushrooms, you want to see something cool?”

And that was the end of that. At some point over the next few hours, Seokjin finally pulled himself off of the floor and onto a seat, and Namjoon had slowly migrated from the increasingly squashed seat, as the sleeping Yoongi began to ooze over and claim more of the bench, to sit next to Seokjin. Both boys were deeply immersed in the game as Seokjin struggled to advance in the level while simultaneously answering the myriad of questions Namjoon threw his way.

They worked through a rough patch earlier when a still confused Namjoon had scoffed at the game, and the threat of a resurgence of waterworks from Seokjin ended that train of thought rather quickly.

They hit another bump in the road to Mario when Namjoon tried to apply some overly philosophical meaning to the pixelated characters. Seokjin nipped that at the bud with a deadpanned, “Sometimes a goomba is just a goomba, Namjoon.”

Eventually, they settled into a comfortable pattern which alternated between discussing gameplay and story, Seokjin slapping a bruise into Namjoon’s shoulder whenever Namjoon managed to wrangle the controls from him, and talking about themselves whenever activities permitted.

By the time the food cart rolled around, Seokjin knew that Namjoon came from a relatively affluent family, who were pretty active in politics as was expected of those in the Yangban class in Korea. He and Yoongi were both sent to study at Hogwarts rather than somewhere closer to home as a means to increase their families’ relations abroad. However, despite both being from the same class, from what Seokjin could make of what wasn't being said, Yoongi was from either a branch family or something of the sort and was from a completely different economic background than Namjoon.

In spite of this possible point of contention, both boys had grown up together and remained close friends. Based on this, Seokjin decided he was going to give the prickly character a chance, first impression notwithstanding.

As for Yoongi, it was almost magical how the second the creaking of the food cart was barely audible from their compartment, his eyes eased open without necessitating any involvement from the compartment’s other occupants.

However, Seokjin couldn't help but note with some trepidation that the casual malaise that seemed to cling to the boy’s every movement was contrasted by the sharp gleam in his eyes as he took in the sight of Seokjin and Namjoon huddling over the game.

Not that Seokjin was intimidated or anything.

Maybe just a little.

“Oh, good. Yoongi, you're up.” Namjoon noted, still keeping an eye on the characters and waiting for the next chance to grab the controller.

“You made a friend.” Yoongi’s tone could be considered disbelief, if one overlooked the lazy drawl.

Namjoon looked over and glared in response. Seokjin didn't voice it aloud, just to save his new friend some dignity, but the pout he was throwing at the boy across from him was more on the cute end of the spectrum. He hoped he wasn't aiming for stern.

He failed miserably if he was.

“Shut up. I could make friends. Seokjin, tell him you're my friend.”

“Um… I'm his friend,” Seokjin obliged.

Okay, now the look that Yoongi was throwing their way was just plain rude.

Seokjin raised his eyebrows back at the boy and stared, for a lack of a better response. Ha, that should show him. Seokjin totally had a handle on the situation. He’d never lost a staring contest in his life, and Yoongi had another thing coming if he thought he was starting today.

Of course, the traitor, Namjoon, took his momentary distraction as an invitation to reclaim the controller.

No, just no. Not happening.

The following scuffle was not going to win him any cool points with Namjoon’s judgmental shadow, but this was his game, okay?

And since the universe apparently had it out for him, he was in the middle of contemplating biting Namjoon’s hand because the boy was just that persistent, when the compartment door slid open again, this time revealing the round face of a boy their age. Everyone froze — well, Yoongi wasn't really moving to begin with — and stared at the newcomer.

While he was clearly shocked silent by the hectic scene inside the compartment, it was still clear that the boy was also rather distressed by the barely concealed tears in his eyes.

“You need something?” Yoongi’s gruff voice broke the silence.

Seokjin sent him a stink eye, not that he thought Yoongi cared, but would it kill him to have a heart?

The boy at the door seemed to wilt under their collective gazes but still managed to ask, “Have you seen a toad? My toad’s run off, again, and I can't find him anywhere.”

“Sorry,” Seokjin hurriedly answered before Yoongi could open his mouth. Who knows what kind of remarks would come out if he did. “We haven't seen any toads.”

“Oh,” the boy deflated even more, “I'll just keep looking.”

“Actually, you want some help with that,” Yoongi asked.

Seokjin stared at him in surprise.

“Yeah, Namjoon here loses stuff all the time. He's got plenty of experience looking for shit. He wouldn't mind helping you out, right, Namjoon? Oh, and, Namjoon, you mind grabbing me something from the food cart while you're at it? Something sweet. I don't care what.”

Of course.

It didn't surprise Seokjin when Namjoon stood to do just that with only a wary glare thrown Yoongi’s way.

As Namjoon ushered the boy out the doorway and off to who knows where, Seokjin managed to catch part of their conversation. The new boy was obviously still unsure about the turn of events.

“You really don't have to do this! I’ll just keep looking. Trevor usually turns up on his own. Um, I'm Neville Longbottom, by the way,” the boy said, his voice fading as they wandered away from the compartment.

Inside, however, the atmosphere abruptly turned cold. Yoongi didn't move, but the entire weight of his gaze fell on Seokjin. And with no Namjoon as a distraction, Seokjin was left wide eyed and clutching his controller.

“Look. I don't know you, but Namjoon? I think you’ve talked with him enough to realize some things, right?”

“He takes Mario way too seriously?”

Yoongi just raised his eyebrow before continuing, “I don't know how things work for you British wizards, but back home things aren't so straightforward. Did Namjoon mention his family?”

“Not really, but I guess they’re something of a big deal? You guys are Yangban , right?”

“Mm-hm. So, consider this a warning, this whole thing, coming to Hogwarts, studying abroad, was Namjoon’s idea, his father doesn't really approve of this. And he sure as hell isn’t going to approve of you.”

Seokjin began to bristle at this, “So are you telling me I can't be friends with him? Because you can take that and shove it — ”

Yoongi gave a short laugh, “No. I'm giving you a warning. Namjoon’s a lot more sensitive than he looks, and I just don't want to deal with the shitstorm later when things go to shit because some pansy-ass decides that there are easier things to do than be friends with a Yangban politician’s son.”

Seokjin stared for a moment.

He wanted to open his mouth and refute the implied accusation.

But the thing was, Seokjin had been to Korea enough times to get the gist of what Yoongi was saying. He had seen firsthand the unspoken but strictly upheld social expectations. He had heard rumors, more horror stories really, of what happens to those who crossed those of higher power. And ultimately, that was all it was, here it was all about blood purity, but there it was about class power. Both were something completely out of people’s control and Seokjin didn't understand it.

He knew himself. He wasn't complicated, and what he wanted was simply a comfortable existence. Conflict was difficult to avoid, of course, but he always tried his best to avoid situations that increased the likelihood.

Situations like these.

Namjoon apparently was going to throw a wrench in his plans for quietly powering through Hogwarts and bailing the second h e graduated.

But here, Yoongi was giving him an out.

Seokjin studied the boy for a moment. He was speaking from experience, Seokjin was sure. There would be consequences to being of an elite class without the financial backings expected of it. He was sure the other boy didn't have it easy either, but he still managed to maintain a friendship with Namjoon.

Suddenly, a wave of some unnamed emotion shook him as he really took in the situation. He thought of his grandfather and what he must have been thinking when he left his home. He thought of his father and mother for some odd reason.

In the end he thought about Yoongi, and he was grateful. Yeah, he could see why Namjoon liked him, in all his prickly glory.

Instead of answering, Seokjin reached into his pouch and pulled out his lunch boxes — his mom knew he was a bottomless pit.

“You want some ddeokpokki?” he asked.

“What?”

“It's really good. Mom always adds octopus because I said fish cakes alone were boring.”

The confusion on Yoongi’s face was the most expressive he’d been all day.

He took a moment to digest what Seokjin said before opening his mouth and trying again, “What?”

“You told Namjoon to get something sweet. The cart lady only has snacks, I should know, I made dad tell me all about the food here. You shouldn't eat sweets on an empty stomach. So, you want some ddeokpokki? I think I have some sandwiches, too.”

Yoongi blinked at him, “Did you not hear anything I just said? What the fuck, mate?”

“Of course I did. I just assume you and Namjoon are going to be a packaged deal. And you're too skinny anyway. Also, did you know you curse a lot?”

Yoongi stared at him.

He let the Yoongi mull things over and busied himself looking for some utensils. They were going to have to share the chopsticks, he guessed.

“What kind of sandwiches do you have?” Yoongi asked finally.

Seokjin smiled and happily went about describing his lunch.

By the time Namjoon got back, Yoongi was munching away at the ddeokpokki, while Seokjin was sulking with the sandwiches. He only offered someof the rice cakes, not all. Yoongi chose to deliberately ignore his attempts at reclaiming them.

“Did you get my sweets?” Yoongi asked.

“Did you find his toad?” Seokjin followed with what he felt was a much more pertinent question.

Rather than respond, Namjoon chucked two pumpkin pastries and a chocolate frog at Yoongi’s head. Only a pastry made contact but bounced harmless off the side of the boy’s head. Yoongi squinted at Namjoon, eyes promising future retribution.

Namjoon ignored him. Although he did throw a few odd looks between Yoongi, Seokjin, and the extra food.

“We didn't find the toad, but we ran into some girl who insisted on helping out. So I left Neville with her and came back,” he said, finally.

“That's too bad. I hope he finds his toad soon,” Seokjin said. “You want a sandwich? I would offer ddeokpokki but some people don't know the meaning of the word ‘share’.”

Yoongi didn't even bother to acknowledge his statement.

As for Namjoon, he continued to look back and forth between the two boys, “So… that's it?”

“What’s it? I have some gamja-jorim, but mom didn't pack a lot of side dishes.”

“No, I mean…” Namjoon trailed off and glanced over at Yoongi.

Yoongi just shook his head, “You can't have the ddeokpokki.”

“Yes, he can! It’s not yours, anyway.”

With purposefully slow movement, Yoongi picked up a rice cake and stuffed the entire thing in his mouth while holding eye contact with Seokjin.

The asshole.

If anything, Namjoon looked more confused by the interaction, “No, I meant to say, what are — ”

He stopped as abruptly as he started, still giving them odd looks. Then he just shrugged and slumped back in his seat.

“You know what? Never mind. Can I have a sandwich?”

Seokjin handed him one, and that was the end of that.

The rest of the train ride was a relatively quiet one, although much more comfortable than before. Yoongi was even kind enough to share a pumpkin pastry with Seokjin and Namjoon, although that may have had to do more with taking the opportunity to hit the lightly dozing Namjoon in the face with the sweet.

The girl who had helped Neville earlier had stopped by at some point and reminded them to change into their school robes, which they did with little complaint.

By the time they were struggling into the rickety little boats that were supposed to carry them to the school, Seokjin would say that he had a relatively solid understanding of the two other boys and would happily call them both friends.

Their boat ended up being only the three of them, since Seokjin was sitting next to Namjoon, and Yoongi just glared at anyone who dared approach him.

And when their boat rounded the bend in the lake and the entirety of the castle became visible, Seokjin had to grudgingly give it to his dad; Hogwarts was pretty cool.

It also gave him a good chance to study Namjoon’s dimples as he took in the sight.

On the other hand, the castle quickly lost points once they were off the boats and were lined up to enter the castle. Seokjin promised himself he would apologize to Namjoon later for the bruises on his arm and the ringing in his ears, when he screamed and latched onto the boy as the ghosts came through the wall to observe the First Years.

He wouldn't be holding his breath for Yoongi’s apology for the scratches on his and Namjoon’s backs from the same incident, though. He was just grateful the other boy didn't rip their school robes in his fright.

When the bustling of the students died down and they were finally ushered into the Great Hall, Seokjin was only mildly surprised to hear it was going to be a hat that was sorting them into their respective houses. His father did mention that the sorting process wasn't going to be anything taxing or painful, unlike what the rumors implied.

What he was surprised with was the hat’s singing. But before they knew it, names were being called and one by one the students sat down on the stool, and when their houses were announced, went to their respective tables.

It was only when Professor McGonagall called, “Kim, Namjoon,” that Seokjin realized he was still clinging onto the other boy’s arm.

He quickly let go, but automatically straightened Namjoon’s robes before backing off and letting the boy make his way to the center of the hall.

It was a few long minutes before the crease in the hat opened and called, “ Slytherin !”

Seokjin was probably the only unsorted student who was clapping along with the students at the green table. Yoongi rolled his eyes at his antics, but he didn't pay the spoilsport any mind. He wanted to show his support. Namjoon was still his first friend at Hogwarts, after all.

And he knew to appreciate Mario.

He didn't have too much time to cheer, since as soon as Namjoon was seated, a sharp call rang for, “Kim, Seokjin.”

Seokjin quickly made his way over, only pausing to smile shakily at Yoongi.

Once seated, the hat was quickly settled over his head, obscuring his view of the hall.

“Ha! Not too keen on Hogwarts, are you? Well, can't say this is a first, but definitely not something I've seen all too often,” he heard the hat’s voice in his head.

“I’m sorry. If it's any consolation, I wouldn't have been happy with any wizarding school.” He hoped he hadn't hurt the hat’s feelings… did hats have feelings? Surely a singing one would have some level of sentience.

The hat chuckled, “No harm done, child. You didn't want to leave your friends, isn't that right? It's good to see one with a level of conscientiousness. Now where to put you, hm?”

Seokjin didn't know what to say, but he thought of Namjoon and Yoongi. He didn't care where he ended up, but they were his friends and since he’d decided it, he was going to keep them. So it didn't really matter which house he was in, he was going to make it work.

“A tenacious one, aren't you? Keeping friendships between houses won't be an easy task. It will mean a lot of hardships.”

Seokjin shook his head slightly. He didn't care. He knew it was going to be hard work from the beginning. Yoongi even warned him.

“So be it. In that case, better be-”

“ Hufflepuff !” The hat called out.

He quickly took off the hat and gingerly placed it back on the stool. As he was making his way over to the Hufflepuff’s table, he tried catching Namjoon’s eye, but the other boy was staring hard at the plate in front of him.

‘What's wrong with him,’ Seokjin wondered. He kept trying to get Namjoon’s attention until he heard Yoongi’s name being called.

“Min, Yoongi.”

It would be a lie to say he wasn't shocked when the hat barely touched Yoongi’s head before calling out, “ Huffepuff !”

Yoongi frowned the whole way over to Seokjin. It was much less shocking when he all but shoved over a boy already seated next to Seokjin to make room for himself.

Seokjin debated apologizing to the other Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley, but gave that idea up when Yoongi crowded his personal space to squint aggressively in his face.

“We have a problem.”

“Yeah. You've killed my personal space bubble. Please back off, Yoongi. I can't take you seriously when you're this close.”

Yoongi did sit back a bit, but his squint was all the more intense, “This is all your fault.”

“Wait, what's the problem exactly?” He thought about what Yoongi said for a moment and added, “And how is it my fault?”

“Why the hell am I in Hufflepuff!”

“How should I know? Wait, was that a rhetorical question?”

“That wasn't a question. This is me explaining the problem to you. I am here. That's not suppose to happen. The only reason I went along with this whole thing was to look out for Namjoon. You don't understand. I don't care how many tests say he's a certified genius, that idiot is a fucking dumbass. I can't watch his sorry ass if I'm stuck over here!”

“You know, it's probably thoughts like that that landed you in Hufflepuff.”

“What?”

“Weren't you listening to the hat?”

“It’s a fucking singing hat!”

“Well, it was singing for a reason! Hardworking and loyal, Yoongi. Those are the traits of Hufflepuff. You were probably all worried about Namjoon. No wonder the hat sorted you so quickly.”

Yoongi stared at him for a minute before uttering a very vehement, “Fuck!”

Seokjin was just about to bring up Yoongi’s unnecessary excess use of expletives again when all around them loud excited whispers broke out. He and Yoongi looked around in confusion before he caught the Macmillan kid saying, “Is that really Harry Potter?”

He turned just in time to see the dark tuft of hair on a small figure disappear under the sorting hat.

“Huh,” he said, mostly to himself, “I forgot he was starting school this year.”

“Who's that? Is he famous or something? They were making a big fuss about him earlier on the train.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot you and Namjoon aren't from around here.”

“So, he's famous?”

“That's an understatement. I'll tell you guys later. Now, about Namjoon, I don't think you're giving him enough credit. The hat put him there for a reason. I'm sure he'll do fine.”

“You have no idea. He’s known as the God of Destruction back home for a reason.”

“Okay. You're going to have to tell me the story behind that later, but what are you so worried about. He still has us. We’re just in different houses, not planets.”

Yoongi gave him a blank stare, “You sure he knows that?”

Seokjin eyes widened in surprise, “What? Yes! He should — I mean — we were…”

He looked over at the Slytherin table where Namjoon was clearly ignoring them.

Seokjin felt his whole face pinch into what he could only assume was an expression of complete and utter dismay.

“That fucking dumbass!”

Yoongi reached over and patted him on the back, “Welcome to the club.”

And so it was that while the rest of the student body began to belt out Hoggy Warty Hogwarts , Seokjin occupied himself by glaring holes into the back of Namjoon’s head. Yoongi was seemingly too busy judging the entire British wizarding world to sing along with everyone.

Dinner came and went, and the students were told to follow the prefects to their dormitories. Seokjin couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of emptiness while taking in the sight of Namjoon as he continued to avoid looking at the two of them.

This simply would not do.

As a public service announcement, it should be noted that two very determined Hufflepuffs on a mission were a terrifying sight to behold.

It took one week and several hours of stalking later, but Yoongi and Seokjin were finally able to corner Namjoon. Although, they had a slight hitch in their plans when one of the Slytherins, a Theodore Nott, had taken it as a personal slight that two seemingly inoffensive first-year Hufflepuffs had the gall to attempt to abscond with one of his housemates. The entire thing came to head in an unfortunately public setting.

One thing was made readily clear from the encounter: Pureblood children were not often faced with good-old, physical threats in a schoolyard confrontation.

What Yoongi lacked in physicality, he made up for in pure, rage-fueled ferocity. He fought like a berserker with nothing to lose.

Seokjin, being a loyal and conscientious friend, made sure to hold onto Yoongi’s wand and cloak for safekeeping as Yoongi single-handedly destroyed all preconceptions about House Hufflepuff in one vicious swoop, colorful profanity and all.

Fortunately, the incident was largely swept under the rug by both parties present, mainly due to mutually assured shame.

The Hufflepuffs were simply not ready to have their peaceful reputation so utterly tarnished, while the Slytherins simply couldn't admit defeat to the badgers, and first years no less.

And, yet, despite the embarrassment from the entire fiasco, Namjoon remained mulishly doubtful of the sincerity of their friendship. It took some effort on Seokjin’s part not to allow Yoongi to beat some sense into their idiot friend, but the time of violence was over. Also, Seokjin wasn't really sure how effective the physical persuasion would be with someone who actually grew up with Yoongi.

He mentioned as much to his still fuming housemate, and Yoongi responded with a loud, “Well, you talk to him! I'm out!”

Yoongi emphatically grabbed both his robe and wand back from Seokjin and proceeded to storm away, leaving in his wake a hallway full of petrified Hufflepuffs, not all of whom were first years.

Seokjin took Namjoon’s momentary distraction by Yoongi’s dramatic exit as a good opportunity to take him by the hand and drag him away to a more secluded area. They ended up in an empty classroom, where Seokjin immediately shoved Namjoon into a chair and all but sat on him to get him to stay.

He made a point to look directly into the taller boy’s eyes as he spoke, “Namjoon, listen to me, okay? I'm not smart like you, and I don't have a way with words like you, so don't expect anything fancy, but you are going to listen to what I have to say. Understood?”

Namjoon nodded at him, probably shocked silent by his forward approach.

“You asked me to tell Yoongi that I was your friend when we were on the train, remember?”

Namjoon nodded again, blushing slightly at the reminder.

“I have to admit, I probably didn't really mean it at the time, because you know, that's a weird request and all. But, after you left, you know what Yoongi told me?”

Namjoon shook his head.

“He said that being your friend was a hassle. And he's right. You are a problem and a half, Namjoon. You're stubborn, too smart for your own good, and without enough common sense to figure your way around people. Your family is going to hate my guts, probably more than they do Yoongi’s. And you don’t even have the decency to appreciate this.”

Namjoon only stared at him. Seokjin continued before the other boy could process his words enough to be hurt.

“But, you know what? Yoongi thinks you’re worth the hassle, okay?”

Namjoon continued to stare.

Namjoon nodded, eyes glistening slightly.

Namjoon gave a little choked laugh. Seokjin couldn’t help but lean in to hug him.

“You might be stubborn, Namjoon, but I’ll have you know I’m pretty stubborn, too. I already decided. I’ll always be here for you, okay?”

It took a few seconds, but eventually he heard Namjoon whisper, “Okay.”

Seokjin smiled and released...

… a breath he didn't realized he was holding.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, how long he had been lost in memory.

It was good, he thought to himself.

Not always, of course, but it had been really good. He was lucky to have them, his friends. They were all stupid, idiot goof-balls, but they were his, and he wouldn't change any second of it even knowing the end. It was probably him being naive, but Seokjin couldn’t work up the slightest doubt that it had all been worth it.

He got to say good-bye, even.

Who knew how many were lucky enough to get even that. He wanted more, though. He wished he had said something to Yoongi and Jimin before running off, but at least he was sure Yoongi understood. And the younger boys, Merlin, he hoped they were all okay. But, Taehyung and Hoseok weren’t even in a house with anyone else.

Please, please, please, don’t let them do anything stupid.

At least with Jungkook, Seokjin was certain that Namjoon wouldn’t have run off without making sure the youngest in their group was safe.

And, Namjoon. Seokjin bit his lips as he tried to ignore the pangs of guilt. He never intended to break his promise.

Maybe someday Namjoon will forgive him.

Special thanks to allourheroes for cleaning up my writing mess.

#bts #bangtan #bts fic #namjin #jikook #kookmin #yoonseok #sope #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #my fanfic #myfanfic #fic: tomorrow never came

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thestylesproject · 6 years

Text

#52 Playing the Intermediary Part 3 (Harry Styles)

Sorry for the delay! It’s long so I hope it makes up for the wait!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

SUMMARY: Where Y/N plays the intermediary in a breakup and is stuck with the ex-boyfriend.

Part 1, Part 2

---

“I don’t want to love a love like yours.”

“I don’t feel too well,” I said, after a few minutes of silence. “My head’s spinning too fast.” I almost fell on him.

“Okay, okay, here sit down,” Harry made me sit down on the bench.

“No, no I think, I want to go home now,” I stumbled onto him and he caught me.

The next I remember is waking up in my room. I was still in my dress which now had my one boob popping out. I groaned, getting out of my head, noticing the medicine and the glass of water kept on the nightstand.

I hope you feel better. H.

This was nice of him. Did he bring me back? I walked to the kitchen, stopping when I saw a half-naked man cooking food. I picked up the vase on the side almost as an instinct, as I walked forward.

“Oh hey, you’re up!” He turned around. Harry.

“What are you doing here?” I shouted, and then held my head because of the pain.

“Cooking us breakfast,” He shrugged. I gave him a look. “What? No, thank you? It was some effort carrying you back home. You didn’t expect me to leave and look for a cab at 3 am, did you?”

“Thank you,” I was grateful that I was back home safe.

“You’ve a nice place here,” He complimented and took out two plates.He had made eggs and bacon. He even had the coffee ready. “Did you have your medicine?”

“Yeah, umm, thanks, it belongs to my aunt.”

“This studio? Why does she own studios?” He asked.

“Umm, she had bought it for her daughter, but she, umm she passed away so, she gave it to me since, I was studying here as well. It is difficult to find a place here anyway. I’m fortunate,” I told him. Why did I have to tell him such details?

“You definitely are, it’s a beautiful place, and in the centre. Where do your parents live?” He asked.

“The food looks nice,” I changed the topic. “Thanks for making it.”

I think he got the clue and didn’t push it, “There you go, you have all your supplies ready. It was easy.”

“I like taking care of myself,” I smiled. “Where’s your shirt?” Not that I minded. He was a little too sexy to keep it all covered, and the attraction level for me was at an all-time high. I couldn’t say the same for him.

“Oh, it got wet in the rain. It still is wet.”

I got up and went to a room to take some large sized T-shirt out that I had bought for comfort clothes. “Wear this.”

“Thanks, your boyfriends?”

“I told you, I have never had a boyfriend,” I took a bite of my food. I moaned, “This is so good!” Harry laughed. “So, what did you mean about helping you?” I asked.

“Let it be, I don’t know what I was thinking,” he shook his head.

“No, tell me. You’ve made me feel guilty enough,” I said.

“Don’t you think you should feel that?” His eyes changed. He became so different when he was angry. “You take out the worst in me.” He picked up his plate and started washing it.

“I’m sorry that your heart is broken. But, I really didn’t break it. For the longest time, I knew her, she has never said anything positive about you. Ever. When I first saw you, I kept thinking that there should be something rotten about you which she hated. I still can’t figure it out. But, she detested being with you. I didn’t like seeing her that way, and so I helped her. I thought it was the right thing to do at that time. I thought I was saving both of you…”

“Who are you to save us?” He shouted. I took a step back.

“What do you want me to do now?” I asked, tears falling from my eyes.

“You thought there was something wrong with me? He asked turning around, his hands still clutching the table.

“There had to be, why would you run away from someone who loves you that much?” I thought, “But, maybe it was because you guys didn’t fit. You can now move on, and find your girl!”

“You know, do me a favour and don’t advise me. You cost me a relationship with a girl I wanted to marry. I think I have had enough.” He said, wiping his hands.

“Maybe you should stop blaming me and blame yourself and your girlfriend for having a relationship of hate and disgust. Fine, I am sorry that it was my voice that hurt you, but it was your girlfriend that ended it. It is the girl who you want to marry who danced and rejoiced after she broke your heart,” I took a step towards him with every line. He couldn’t take me as the one at fault. “She constantly cheated on you, started dating other men, almost instantly after she broke up. Said that you were controlling and the worst relationship she has ever had, and worse, Harry. I am sorry if that is the girl you love, but don’t blame me for being a horrible boyfriend that made the love of his life hate him as much as she wished you’d die!” I covered my mouth with my hand instantly. He was not supposed to know this. What have I done?

I saw a tear fall out of his eyes, and my heart shattered into pieces. First, it was this physical calling that I couldn’t get out my mind whenever he was near me, and now this. I instantly wrapped my hands around him and hugged him tightly. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I shouldn’t have said this to him. It was like holding a rock, cause he didn’t move. I apologized profusely, into his chest, told him that I didn’t mean it, this he wasn’t supposed to know. I repeated I’m sorry again and again.

Time passed, and then I felt his hands wrap around me to only push me away. “Don’t.” That was all he said before he collected his things and left.

—-

I didn’t talk to Harry for the next entire month. It was getting hard for me because against all my rational thinking, my heart had developed a crush on him. He was everything I admired about a guy put into one. It was a joke on me. Not being in a relationship ever, and then finally finding someone I admired at every step was horrible, especially when he used to turn around and walk away whenever he saw me.

I was at an art exhibition today. He was studying Media and Management, but he was an artist on the side, and his work was up today. We had common friends, and he had invited them. I paid for my ticket. I tried to look as pretty as I could. I knew his standards were high, and he never saw me. I was a lovesick idiot who hoped against all my beliefs that this would never work out.

Keeping to myself, I looked at the all the artists, slowly making my way to his work. It was a portrait of a girl sleeping. What shocked me was that it looked so much like me from that night, and then not. The dress was similar, and she was half covered with the blanket wrapped around her. I felt invaded, I felt heartbroken because he wasn’t showing any beauty in this. I walked to the next one. It was a girl sitting with a pile of books in what seemed like a cafe. She had my specs, she had my tattoo, she looked like a sick version of me. I saw the third, the last one. It was an image of a girl, looking as if she was getting off, on a log of wood. It was the worst. She was holding a knife that she had plunged into the wood. The work was called “heartless”.

I took a step back. Is this what he thought of me? This was me. It was no doubt. He must have seen my tattoo, and he had clearly used it. If there was any other sign, I would have believed otherwise. He projected the entire hatred he should be feeling for his girlfriend on me. My heart broke into pieces and tears fell down from my eyes. Wrapping my palm around my mouth, and my hand on my stomach, I tried to calm down. I had always been emotional, so connected and this broke me. I turned around and saw him standing in a suit with his hands in his pocket, his face blank, just looking at me. My hands fell down defeated, and I ran away.

—-

I felt sick. I had never had anyone hate me like this before. And, to be hated by the guy I really liked crushed me. Sara didn’t have anything to say. She told me that after I had told her about his work, she contacted him. And he replied with,

Not everything is about you. Anyway, you mean nothing to me.

At this moment, I felt nothing for Sara. She seemed hurt and, it really didn’t matter anymore. I don’t know if it was her being selfish, or him being irrational, but I had had enough, and I needed to step away from this duo. This time it was me who was running away from him in the corridors. I was hanging with a different set of group, trying to at least not take his friends away. My heart was broken, and I didn’t want anything to do with him or his issues.

The time I couldn’t ignore was when our common friend, Matthew threw his birthday party. I tried keeping away most of the time, trying to get drunk and talk to other guys, trying to Chanel some part of myself which could be attractive. I was suddenly, pulled in a game that I didn’t know, and I sat down lost, as the bottle rotated in front of me and it stopping between Harry and I. Everyone cheered, and Harry rolled his eyes. I was confused. What was happening? He crawled on his knees cutting the circle, as my eyes met his. Before I could turn away, his hands held my face and his lips were on mine. I couldn’t react. It was my first kiss. I didn’t want it to happen this way. I didn’t want him to have it. His power on me, made me respond and he put his tongue in as people cheered and shouted. It was then I pushed him away. I knew I looked bewildered, and he looked at me like, “what is the big deal?”

I could cry, I think I was crying. I got up, and walked away, pushing through the crowd as I heard my friends call me. I quickly booked a cab and stood in front of the gate. “Five mins, just five mins,” I whispered to myself.

“What the fuck happened?” I heard his voice, and a chill went down my spine. I turned around, knowing my makeup was all wet. His eyes seemed greener under the lights. I didn’t respond, and I turned around, trying to check how far the cab was now. “You made a scene back there, I deserve to know the issue since I was the one kissing. And, I am definitely not a horrible kisser.” He almost laughed.

“You are not. Is that enough for your ego? You can go now,” I said, trying to control my shivering.

“What’s wrong Y/N?” He asked again, trying to make me turn around. He pulled harshly the second time and, I yelled.

“It was my first kiss, you fucking asshole!”

“What?”

“And, no! I didn’t want it to be in a party, in a game, in front of people treating it as a joke with a guy who thinks I get off at hurting people!”

Harry came forward, “That’s not what I was trying to show-“

“I don’t care. I have never felt so invalid, worthless, and pathetic as you made me feel. You could have just written my name along with it because everyone knows it’s me. Everyone who has seen my tattoo knows that I am a sick human being who hurt you, while your pathetic girlfriend can go scot free. You are just using me because I am here to take your anger! You are screwed up!” I hit his chest, “You win! I get it I am horrible and ugly and pathetic and just wrong, and I don’t have any right to help people because I have never been loved. Not by parents, not by my friends, and it will never be by the guy I liked because he sees me as sick and disgusting. I saw it, and you win! Are you happy to see me as miserable as you?”

“Madame, did you order a cab?” The driver cuts us off, and I turned around.

“Yes, thank you,” I opened the car door, and turned to look at him. He was just staring at me. I shook my head and sat inside, asking the person to drive.

---

Part 4

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thedefinitionofbts · 7 years

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Crossroads Hiding the Moon

Pairings: Min Yoongi x Reader | Min Yoongi x OC

Genre: Single Dad!Yoongi, Baby!Taehyung, Angst and Fluff

Words: 8K

Description: As requested by anon: “A single dad! yoongi with a toddler? Like super angst in a way that his wife suddenly left them so he turns cold. But then someone comes into their life and his son started calling her mommy, they try to work it out for the kid. Just when everything's better, the ex wife returns and things get complicated but ends up in fluff.”

A/N: My first request! Omg, I finished this super fast because I got way too excited to do a request lol. Well, I hope you enjoy this anonie :)

Present

If there is anything Min Yoongi hates more than being late for important events, it’s driving through the rain during rush hour. He’s on his way to pick up his four year old son, Taehyung, after a long day in the studio, and maybe if Jungkook was more vocally skilled at execution or if Namjoon wasn’t so nit picky about the lyrics, he wouldn’t feel as emotionally drained while the sun was still up. But no, the overly self-confident main vocalist was too arrogant to take constructive criticism seriously, and the popular boy group’s resident genius was too much of a perfectionist to let one “lackluster” chorus slide. So here he is, sitting in the his car listening to the unrelenting raindrops splatter against his windshield, and waiting for the vehicle in front of him to stop drunkenly swerving into his lane.

Truthfully, Yoongi had been feeling rather uneasy all day. He was reluctant to send Taehyung off to daycare, not knowing if the other children would make fun of the toddler for his second hand clothing that Yoongi barely had the money to afford or his eccentric personality that is often misunderstood. Yoongi’s new job didn’t allow children to run around the studio, and it was his first big break, finally being hired by a company as established in the music industry as BigHit just when rent was due in less than 2 weeks and his bank account had been sucked dry because he insisted on buying that expensive pair of shoes for the toddler’s birthday, even if it meant he had to skip lunch each day for the next month. He had barely been scraping by before his self-composed song was selected as the winner of the online competition BigHit had held for rising producers, and it was like the heaven’s was finally listening to his silent prayers.

It’s still pouring as the traffic continues to move at a snails pace, causing Yoongi to drown in his overly worried mind once again. He was afraid Taehyung would be the last kid picked up, having to watch all the other children leave with their parents causing him to start having thoughts of Yoongi abandoning him, just like his mother did. Yoongi swallows thickly and grips the steering wheel tighter, forcing himself not to think about something he’s been trying to forget for over two years now.

When he arrives at the daycare, Yoongi sees Taehyung sitting alone by the window, shoulder slightly slump and legs that were too short to touch the ground swinging carelessly as he stared at the pellets of water trickling down the glass, blurring the view of the grey world outside. He almost looks like he was deep in thought, and it makes Yoongi wonder if Taehyung’s young mind is actually thinking about something profound or if his head was just filled with his favorite cartoons on replay.

“Ah, Mr. Min! You’re finally here.” The friendly voice of the woman in charge snaps Yoongi out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the task at hand.

Yoongi clears his throat awkwardly. “Yeah, I’m here to pick up Taehyung.”

At the sound of his name, Taehyung’s little head perks up and a boxy smile appears on his face as he turns his head to see his father standing at the doorway. And before Yoongi can call him over, the four year old was already a step ahead and had ran over to jump into his arms.

“Daddy!” He laughs, nuzzling his head into the crook of Yoongi’s neck as the older male lifts him off the ground.

“He’s been waiting for quite a while.” The lady brings up the fact that Yoongi was nearly 45 minutes late, as if it hadn’t been obvious by the room void of children except Tae. She has a smile on her face, so Yoongi assumes she doesn’t say that with ill intent but rather concern for his son who had to watch all the other kids leave with their parents.

“Sorry, Tae, this won’t happen again.” Yoongi apologizes, bouncing the little boy in his arms to get in a more comfortable position.

Taehyung shakes his head. “It’s ok, I knew you’d come.”

Yoongi reaches up and ruffles Taehyung’s fluffy hair, smiling at the little boy because his heart felt too full to describe whatever emotion he was feeling into words. If Yoongi was being really honest, the kid was the only person filling that miserable numbness he wakes up to each morning, the only person that can actually bring out a genuine smile from the depths of his being, even if he has to force himself to ignore the other person that Taehyung reminds him of. He often wonders if Taehyung hides his sadness with a childish front, but maybe that was just Yoongi overthinking again or even an effect of projecting his own mindset on the toddler. On one hand, the kid was only four years old, and yet on the other, he had already gone through so much at such a young age.

Taehyung doesn’t want to get his new shoes wet, and honestly neither does Yoongi because Gucci for kids still cost the rising producer an arm and a leg, so Yoongi offers to carry him on the condition that he holds the umbrella–“because daddy doesn’t have three arms”. And of course Taehyung doesn’t object, and so the two of them walk to Yoongi’s car that is parked a block away because street parking was much cheaper than paying for a spot in the lot.

“Daddy look, that person doesn’t have an umbrella” Yoongi’s head turns in the direction that Taehyung’s stubby finger is pointed, and low and behold he see’s you using your wallet sized purse to cover your head in a feeble attempt to remain somewhat dry as you ran towards them waiting for the light to turn green at the crosswalk.

Yoongi stands still, head positioned straight, and gaze fixed at the passing cars on the street as you reached the spot where he was standing with Taehyung, pretending like there wasn’t someone being drenched in the rain while he remained sheltered under an umbrella large enough to fit an entire family.

“Aww, you’re so sweet, thank you.” Your comment makes Yoongi’s jerk his head around and realize just what had happened. Unbeknownst to him, Taehyung had moved the umbrella in a way so that it covered your head as well, and now the three of you were in a situation Yoongi would rather not have to address at a time like this.

“You’re pretty” Taehyung says, giggling a little as he continued to look at your with wide eyes and an impossibly friendly smile.

“Tae” Yoongi mildly scolds, wondering what had gotten into his son, questioning why in the world Taehyung would take part in such an unusual act of kindness towards a stranger on the street, and it wasn’t until Yoongi’s eyes meet directly with yours that the answer to that very question became as obvious as day.

You were almost a mirror image of her.

…

Past

When he was younger, Min Yoongi was a big fan of love that was like summer rain. The kind that hits you suddenly and bursts out of your soul like the scent of earthly elements coming back to life, filling the atmosphere when a seemingly never-ending drought finally comes to an end. Blame his artistic mind and tendency to describe emotion through song, a habit of his that manifested as an interest for the arts when he was young and caused him to spend most of his time listening to music rather than playing with other kids outside. And it was precisely for that reason that Min Yoongi knew he wanted to be a composer from the moment he entered college, opting to major in music the second he got the chance to meet with his university counselor.

He didn’t care what his parents thought of it, didn’t heed the advice from his older successful businessman brother-who was always the favorite in the family-about the risks of trying to make it big in the turbulent music industry. Yoongi was a big believer in passion being the key to success, of course not without hard work and discipline, which was why he found himself in the music theater, practicing classical pieces on the grand piano without an audience, every single day of the year. Because not only was it a place he came to associate with the undying love he harbored for music and the optimistic hope he had for the future, it was also where he met Kim Chaewon for the very first time.

“You’re Min Yoongi, right?”

The silvery voice floats over to Yoongi’s ear, cutting through the musical piece he had been so thoroughly absorbed in. It was almost too cliché because Chaewon exhibited a kind of beauty that made his jaw drop the moment he lifted his gaze off the black and white keys and spotted her walking down the steps to the empty stage. Even though the performance hall was only half lit, her skin still managed to glow smoothly under the dim artificial lighting, and her eyes were large and puppy-like, kind and gentle, like warm spring zephyr.

“Yeah, I am.” Yoongi answers, eyes still fixed on the girl who is smiling at him like winter snow had just melted away after months of turning to decaying slush.

“The one the professor kept raving about in class today, right?”

“Oh, that was…” Yoongi scratches the back of his neck, reminded of how embarrassing it was for the music professor to brag about his project on sound layering. He didn’t like being the center of attention and had sunk lower in the seat when the man had mentioned his name, not that anyone could put a face to his name, or so he thought.

She giggles, light and airy, making Yoongi flush because he’s never met anyone who’s shown genuine interest in his novice work, well except for said professor who keeps praising him in front of the class.

“I forgot to mention, I’m Chaewon. You probably don’t me, but I’ve secretly been listening to you play for quite a while now and just summed up the guts to talk to you today.” Her gaze drops shyly, waiting for Yoongi to respond to her confession.

Yoongi’s at lost for words, not knowing how to respond to such a statement, especially when she’s making his heart beat a mile a minute. At the very least he’s poised enough to thank her for being a fan, which sounded really dumb stuttering out of his nervous mouth but manages to make her laugh, so it wasn’t all in vain he supposes.

Yoongi never thought about how it would feel to actually have someone support his dreams, he wasn’t looking for that kind of reassurance because he was used to being looked down upon. He was used to chasing after something that was unimaginably far away, one that makes him feel like he was running in place every day and that tomorrow would never truly arrive. It never really bothered him because his passion for music stayed true, and he was always confident that he would never stray from that path that would take him closer towards his dream, but Kim Chaewon came to him like summer rain. She was the first person to sincerely believe in him, and she did it when no one else bothered to give his music a chance, when the rest of the world was against his humble beginnings and rejected the potential of an underdog making it to the top.

“You’re going to be an amazing songwriter and producer one day.” Chaewon says to Yoongi as they walk under the cascading cherry blossoms on a warm April afternoon. The sun was warmer than normal today, and the scenery was hazy like an actual dream, only it was actually real and closer than anything else in Yoongi’s life at the time.

“I really hope so.” Yoongi sighs, reminded of all the obstacles that lie on the road ahead.

“I know you will because you’re Min Yoongi and the world deserves to be graced by your unparalleled art.”

Kim Chaewon was ethereal, because not only was her outer appearance angelic and otherworldly, her personality was just as lovely as Yoongi eventually learned over the years. And although Yoongi knew from the moment their minds clicked like that of soulmates that she was the one, it was because she stuck with him through the all-time lows, those periods when he lost the magic touch and would he hit a slump that barred him from coming up with anything good for months, that led Yoongi to love Chaewon more than that satisfying feeling of finally completing a song that conveyed exactly what he intended, more than the way rain cascades like diamond tears from the sky and ends in a passing sun shower that gives birth to a rainbow, and more than everything he thought was meaningful in life before she lit up his world.

Their love was a crystal clear story, one that wasn’t supposed to end.

…

Present

Grocery shopping is always a pain, and not entirely due to the fact that Yoongi was literally broke, but because he had to take time to consider healthy options for his growing boy. If it was just him, he would be fine shoving cheap junk down his esophagus or surviving on minimal food for most of the month, but because of Taehyung, he was forced to actually prepare meals with vegetables and make sure Tae always has his daily serving of fruits, which entailed a trip to the grocery store every weekend.

Luckily Taehyung isn’t all that picky for a four year old, but he was addicted to coke and Yoongi can do nothing but blame himself for allowing the kid to get his hands on the addictive soft drink. In his defense, he didn’t think one sip could have such a dramatic effect, but boy was he wrong.

“Coke!” Taehyung shouts, finger pointing at the 2-liter bottles of black liquid with their signature red label, lined on the shelves. His eyes were opened wide and sparkling like he just saw his first love.

“Not today, Tae” Yoongi mutters, ignoring the boy’s disappointed pout and quickly pushing the shopping cart past the soda section and heading straight towards the breakfast cereals and oatmeal.

He’s trying to decide if cereal is healthy or not. He’s heard of most types being just pure sugar, but there has to be some vitamins hidden in there, right? It was convenient that’s for sure, and Yoongi was definitely a fan of anything that required minimal preparation from box to mouth. Especially in the mornings when he would feel most groggy and not have any motivation to even think about food.

“Hi!” Yoongi hears Taehyung shout at someone walking down the isle, and at first he suspects it’s just some random person that caught his son’s attention, but as he tears his gaze away from the nutrition information printed on the cereal box, he sees someone who makes him do a double take.

The world was definitely fucking with him.

“Hey there little fella, so we meet again.” You smile at the little boy who shared his umbrella with you the other day, reaching over and patting his head as he sat in the shopping cart.

“I’m Y/N by the way, sorry I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself the other day.” You wait for the father of the little boy to look up at you.

“Min Yoongi” He responds, still avoiding eye contact.

“I see you’re taking good care of him” You hint at the box of cheerios that Yoongi was scrutinizing.

“I try” He exhales, throwing the box into the cart and preparing to walk off.

You trail after them, wanting to help out in some way because they had been so kind to you on that rainy day and the kid was the cutest little bun you had ever seen.

“Almond milk would be a good option to pair with that.” You suggest. “Calcium for strong bones.” Your voice is light and optimistic, a tone that Yoongi isn’t so happy to be met with because he’s used to being left alone and ignored.

“Are you some sort of expert?” Yoongi scoffs, mildly annoyed at the fact that you’re clearly not going away, but it’s not like he can just voice that directly.

“I’m not a certified nutritionist, but I know a few things.” You grin, flashing Yoongi a knowing look before taking them down each isle and explaining what foods are healthy as well as easy to prepare. “My sister has a son about the same age as yours, and I babysit for her the time.” You explain, trying to lighten the mood.

He’s more than reluctant at first, face remaining as stoic as ever, but Yoongi hates grocery shopping and he’s too tired to keep reading lists of nutrition information and trying to decipher the hoard of long words he doesn’t even know. So he looks at you momentarily before nodding and diverting his eyes, praying that this’ll be a one-time thing and that it ends as soon as he checks out of the store.

He didn’t welcome your friendly attitude towards him because he didn’t need another person in his life to smile at him like everything was ok, like there’s another chance for him to be happy again and have the courage to trust emotions he doesn’t think are real anymore. Not when you’re standing in front of him looking more breathtaking than anyone he’s seen in years, not when you give off such a soothing and caring aura that Yoongi wishes he hadn’t noticed, and certainly not when you remind him so much of the person he still loves no matter how hard he tries to forget.

It’s pathetic, but Yoongi wants to avoid complicated shit like the plague. He doesn’t need another love story that’ll ripe his heart into tiny pieces and leave him slowly bleeding out on an empty street. He doesn’t need light that makes him believe in lies that disguise themselves as promises, and he doesn’t want to open wounds that have not and will most certainly never heal, because he knows if history repeats itself, he won’t come out of it alive the second time.

“You need help with that?” You offer, gesturing to the arm full of plastic bags Yoongi was holding as the three of you walk out of the store.

“No” He says, detached and not even bothering to spare you a glance.

Yoongi feels Taehyung tug on his pant leg, and he knows exactly what the little boy wants.

“Daddy can’t carry you now, you have to walk like a big boy.”

Taehyung whimpers, a noise that makes the hair on Yoongi’s neck stand up because he knows what’s coming next. And Yoongi curses in his head because you were still walking next to them, which Yoongi is starting to question why you hadn’t left yet because he doesn’t want you to witness what his son’s about to do next.

Taehyung starts wailing, loudly. And it sounds so sad anyone who heard his cries would think his dog had just died or something because no four year old should be able to convey emotions so depressing with just ugly sobbing over something as trivial as having to walk when he wants to be carried, but Tae manages to excel in that area and Yoongi swears the kid could grow up to be an amazing actor-but that’s besides the point right now. The sound echoes throughout the neighborhood, ricocheting off the walls of the houses lining the streets, causing passerbys to cover their ears in annoyance and Yoongi’s face to flush hotly from the growing embarrassment.

“Tae” Yoongi scolds through gritted teeth, but his harsh attitude on makes the boy cry even more. Yoongi closes his eyes and curses again, but just as he was about to bend over and attempt to lift the boy up with seven shopping bags in hand, you’ve already beat him to the catch.

“Awww, don’t cry sweetie, I’ll carry you” You’ve already lifted the toddler up into your arms, wiping his tear stained cheeks with a handkerchief from your purse. “It’s tiring to walk isn’t it?”

Taehyung nods and looks at you with puffy red eyes, but just as soon as you beam at him, his boxy smiles makes a return and it was as if he hadn’t just been bawling just a minute ago.

Yoongi sighs, making a mental note that he needs to stop spoiling Taehyung before the kid starts thinking he can always get his way.

“Don’t you have better things to do?” The question slips out of Yoongi’s mouth after another fifteen minutes of walking, but he regrets it immediately because the pregnant pause that follows starts to suffocate him and he doesn’t even have the guts to look at the flustered expression on your face.

“I-I, ummm”

Yoongi almost regrets calling you out the way he did. He wasn’t purposefully trying to make you feel uncomfortable, but his query was valid. Why were you following them home?

“I know this probably sounds crazy, but I live in the same apartment complex as you. I’ve seen the two of you around, but I-I guess I probably shouldn’t have assumed you knew me since I’ve never officially introduced myself before.”

Yoongi doesn’t know what to think. He’s now certain that the world was fucking with him because this is definitely fate throwing him some kind of curve ball that he can’t escape, or maybe it’s more like a boomerang that’s aimed towards his head.

He clears his throat. “Oh”

That’s all he says in response to your explanation. He doesn’t address the issue further, not when the rest of the walk remains shrouded in silence or when the tension between you and him is skyrocketing through the roof as Yoongi struggles with the door to the apartment complex and is unwilling to ask you to help him, only to grunt a muffled thanks when you rush to his aid with his son still in your arms, and not even when you put Taehyung back on the ground and wave good-bye to the toddler as you exit the elevator on the fifth floor.

…

Past

Chaewon informs Yoongi that she’s missed her period, and normally this wouldn’t alarm her if it weren’t for the added tenderness in her breasts and weird food cravings that she hasn’t experienced until recently or the fact that she and Yoongi had just made love for the first time right after the both of them successfully graduated from university. He had suggested using protection on that night, but Chaewon didn’t think anything unexpected would happen from one time.

Evidently, she was wrong.

“Yoongi, I’m pregnant.” Chaewon holds the pregnancy test up so Yoongi can examine the double lines that have appeared. There’s no joy in her face, no disappointment either, but rather a subtle hint of fear tainting her formerly cheerful eyes.

They weren’t married, and they didn’t have stable jobs or their lives put together. In such a situation, who wouldn’t be terrified to see those two tiny markings on such a life-altering day? Chaewon is thinking about what she’s going to say to her parents, running through all the options they have when it comes to dealing with this, and praying that maybe the test was wrong and that she was only experiencing such symptoms because of stress or a hormonal imbalance not due to the zygote now latched on to her uterine wall.

“Chaewon…” Yoongi gasps, rushing over and embracing her as if he had just been gifted all the stars in the universe, embracing the feeling of excitement mixed with apprehension saturating his senses like it was the most beautiful moment in his life.

“What do we do?” She utters, so softly Yoongi has to lean down and caress her cheek, lifting her chin so he can gaze sincerely into her eyes with the utmost resolve.

“We’ll welcome our beautiful child into this world.”

…

Present

“Yoongi!”

Ok, so now Yoongi is convinced that you’re just a stalker. Like how? He had just walked out of the apartment to take a walk and clear his head after getting Taehyung to take a nap. And just as he was running through all of these album concepts in his head, you happened to spot him strolling along the sidewalk towards the park next to the apartment complex.

Yoongi’s ready to sigh wearily as he sees you walk up to him.

“I was just about to ask if you wanted to have Taehyung meet my sister’s son, Park Jimin. I’m going to babysitting him all next week and if you’re busy with work and stuff, you can drop him off at my apartment.” You smile, waiting for some kind of response from Yoongi. He was so hard to read you begin to wonder if he’s just like that because of his natural personality or if he really didn’t want to see you because there was no sign of elation or even pretend politeness on his face.

“Sure.” Yoongi doesn’t think things through before answering, and he mentally scolds himself for not considering the aftermath of taking you up on your offer, because now he’s officially caught in a relationship more intimate that he promised he would ever allow himself to be with another person. Fuck.

But the thought of not having to rush out of the BigHit building and picking Taehyung up after daycare was just too tempting, and better yet, he didn’t even have to get up an hour early to drop Taehyung off at daycare because you literally lived two floors down, and Taehyung like you for reasons Yoongi is choosing to ignore at this point because that would just twist things up more than they already are.

“Great! I guess I’ll see you Monday then!” You chirp, waving and heading back to the apartment.

…

Taehyung and Jimin get along better than two peas in a pod. Any outsider would assume they had been friends for years or were brothers from another mother. They are in fact the exact same age, give or take a month or two, and they surprisingly shared more interests than Yoongi could’ve predicted.

“How was your day?” You ask as Yoongi enters your apartment to pick up his son.

“Nothing too special.” Yoongi has a minor flashback of Jungkook stuffing a pair of chopsticks up his nose and trying to sing. It was not pretty, but it made him laugh, which is quite a difficult feat so he let it slide.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where do you work?”

“BigHit Entertainment.”

“Whoa, you produce music for Beyond the Scene?” Your eyes widen. “Their music is always topping the charts!”

“I just started, so no, none of my songs have been chart toppers quite yet.”

“But still, you have to be good if they hired you.”

“I guess” He shrugs.

“I’m a huge fan of them.” You admit, face flushing a little. “I’ve been following them since debut.”

“They do have a lot of fans.” Yoongi comments. He looks around the room, rubbing his hands together and trying to figure out a way to thank you for taking care of Taehyung all day and leaving without it seeming like he was taking advantage of your services and didn’t give a fuck about camaraderie.

“So…uh-”

Yoongi isn’t allowed to finish his attempt at more small talk before Taehyung interrupts him. “Mommy, will Jimin come back tomorrow?” Taehyung’s little head momentarily turns away from the toys splayed out on the floor and looks at you and Yoongi sitting on the couch in the living room.

You’re surprised by the four year old’s choice of words because Taehying hadn’t called you by any name other than your own all day. You’re immediate reaction is of shock, but endearment soon replaces that initial astonishment as he beams at you like a blooming flower.

Yoongi grits his teeth, body stiffening at the sound of his son voicing those syllables to a woman that is not Kim Chaewon. He feels irritated, balling his hands into fists as he tries not to drown in this pool of opposing collisions that is making his head spin. She left. But she’s his real mom. She left. But I love her.

“You’re disgusting” He spits out, getting up from the couch.

“W-what?” You utter, shaking your head and trying to digest the situation.

“I trusted you and you brainwashed him. I knew you were a monster.” Yoongi walks over in a fit of rage and grabs Taehyung’s arm forcefully, dragging the kid out of your apartment before you’re brain could even register what was going on.

Yoongi doesn’t think twice about clearing things up. There’s nothing to clear up, it was obvious you had eyes for Taehyung, and you were this creepy woman taking advantage of a little boy who’s mother you resembled so uncannily.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” Taehyung asks the moment Yoongi slams the door.

“Tae, that lady is not your mother.”

“I know,” He answers matter-of-factly. “But she’s nice and she takes care of me, and I really like her.” His bottom lip quivers as he looks at Yoongi with puppy-eyes, wondering why his father was so angry.

It’s not surprising that Taehyung doesn’t remember his real mother. Yoongi doesn't even know if the boy is even aware of what a mother is, what a mother should do, or even what a mother even represents because he’s never been brave enough to address the events that happened when his son was barely old enough to talk. He was convinced that it would go unnoticed; that Taehyung wouldn’t think his small family of two was strange or different from the societal norm. How fucking stupid for him to think that. Like the boy wouldn’t grow up to notice everyone else had two parents when he was only left with one, or he wouldn’t wonder why other children would call one of their parents “mommy” and the other one “daddy”. Or why Yoongi couldn’t look him in the eyes and tell him how he came into this world.

He’s a fool to think everything would just magically go away, and he would never have to face his problems head on.

…

Past

“You supported my dreams back then! What? Have you changed your mind because I’m not as successful as you had hoped???” Yoongi accuses, trying to keep his voice low so he wouldn’t wake up the baby sleeping in the next room. He was angry with himself more than anything, but Chaewon’s words had hit his most vulnerable spots for weeks now and he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“That’s when I thought you were actually going to do something with your life!”

“I am” Yoongi cries, desperately trying to stop this from turning into another full blown argument.

But Chaewon’s harsh words don’t impede. “My parents kicked me out of the house, and now you can’t even keep a roof over my head! How do you expect me to live the rest of my life like this?!”

“Chaewon” Yoongi begs, gripping onto her arm as if she was his lifeline. “I’m trying, I really am… please…” Yoongi is about to get down on his knees because he can’t let her throw him away like a piece of trash. She was the only person he had, and the past few months have been hell with him being stuck in the longest artistic slump he’s ever hit and Chaewon attempting to get any part-time job she can while still taking care of the baby after her long shifts. Yoongi knows it’s all his fault, and he knows Kim Chaewon deserves a better life, and that he has no one to blame but himself for dragging the love of his life down into this misfortunate hellhole with him because he was selfish and didn’t want to let her go.

“I was an idiot to believe an loser like you.”

And then she’s gone, leaving Yoongi in a place darker than hell.

…

Present

Yoongi doesn’t know why he’s standing outside your door, hesitating to knock and mulling over whether or not he should just run back to the elevator and pretend you never existed and hope that Taehyung forgets about you too, but his conscience is eating him alive, and his son obviously won’t let it go.

“Why can’t I go over to Y/N’s house?”

“Why can’t I play with Jimin anymore?”

“Why are you sad?”

It took him two days to weigh out his options, finally deciding that apologizing to you was easier than having to make up stupid answers for that endless string of questions that keep pouring out of Taehyung’s mouth like a faucet he can’t turn off and then constantly justifying them to not only the toddler but also to himself.

Yoongi takes a deep breath, pinches his nose bridge and lifts a finger to ring the doorbell.

“Y-Yoongi?”

“Y/N, uh, hi, ummm, so about those things I said the other day...” Yoongi takes another deep breath as you stare at him, waiting for him to finish. “I’m sorry. I overreacted.”

“It’s ok” You gently reply. “I’d react the same way if my kid did that.”

Yoongi finally has the guts to lift his eyes to trace over your calm features, and he feels like he’s foreign territory because for the first time he sees you for you and not someone else. “Do you mind if I come in?” What the hell was he saying? It’s like someone else was controlling his mouth.

“Of course.” You open the door wider, moving out of the way so the weary looking male can enter.

“She left us.” Yoongi says as you offer him a cup of freshly brewed tea. He doesn’t know why he’s being so open to you. He’s barely ever even been honest to himself, but he’s starting to convince himself that he’s willing to try sorting out a past he can’t hide from any longer because sooner or later, it’s bound to come back with a vengeance. “It was my fault for not providing her the life she deserved.”

“Min Taehyung’s mother?”

“Kim” Yoongi swallows. “Kim Taehyung.”

And maybe it’s also because you mysteriously make his exhausted heart feel like it had found light once again, beating with a kind of fervor that he was convinced had left forever.

“I can tell you loved her very much.” You whisper.

“With all my heart.”

“I’m sorry.” The words sound generic, and you honestly don’t know what else to say. You didn’t have all the details and you barely knew the man, but the shadow covering his eyes is something you desperately want to help him get rid of, and even if you can’t, you at least want to try.

…

When Yoongi’s first song for Beyond the Scene is finished and their album is finally released, BigHit decides to hold a showcase to promote their new concept, which also happens to be their transition into the next era.

“You got me tickets!?” You exclaim, eyes glittering at the yellow slip pinched between Yoongi’s fingers.

“You said you were a fan.” He shrugs.

You wrap your arms around him before your rational mind can weigh out the effects of such an action. You were clearly too excited to thank him in any other way, and you didn’t think he was the kind to oppose physical contact, that is, until you feel his body tense under your embrace. He doesn’t reciprocate the action and you suspect you’ve taken it too far too soon.

You slowly start unravel your arms. “S-sorry” But before you can take a step back; Yoongi grabs your arm and pulls you back into a tight hug.

“Why?” He smiles, patting you on the back and making you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

He even starts inviting you over for dinner on nights he was motivated enough to cook a special meal for Taehyung, claiming to “not want to have to deal with too many leftovers”. But you kind of knew he purposefully prepared a meal for three, because he always made three of everything, no more, no less.

“So who’s your favorite member?” He asks, picking up a piece of beef and putting it into Taehyung’s steaming rice bowl.

“Of Beyond the Scene?” Hm...” You ponder over the difficult answer. “I know there are only four of them, but this is the hardest question I’ve ever been asked.”

Yoongi chuckles. “They're not even similar. Why is it so hard?”

“Well, they’re all super talented and good looking!” You defend. “And each of them adds something new to the table.”

“True” He nods. “But if you knew what they were really like…”

“I know they’re complete dorks.” You roll your eyes.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the million videos they’ve put up online of them doing nothing but messing around. Sometimes I question why they have so many fans.”

“It’s partially because of their music, and the fact that they’re so real.” You explain. “But back to your question, I think my bias has to be Hoseok. He’s literally a ball of sunshine. Or maybe Namjoon because he’s so smart.”

“Hoseok and Namjoon?” Yoongi cocks a brow. “I would’ve taken you to be more of a Seokjin fan.”

“Why’s that?”

“His face is attractive?” Yoongi makes an I-don’t-know gesture.

You shake your head. “Who’s your favorite then?”

“Jungkook” Yoongi replies. “I didn’t like him at first, but I’ve grown used to his playful antics.”

“That youngest? You clearly have a soft spot for the young ones.” You laugh, peering over at Taehyung who had no idea what you guys were talking about.

…

On the day of the showcase, you’re more anxious than you’ve ever been. Out of all the years you been a fan, you never imagined you would one day come across the opportunity to see your favorite idols live. It was the most amazing feeling ever, and it was all thanks to Min Yoongi.

The songs they performed were amazing, and although it was different from their usual sound, you could somehow tell Yoongi was the mastermind behind all of the pieces. There was just something about the emotions conveyed by the beat and lyrics that spoke to you on a deeper level than any of their previous songs. Maybe it was because you had caught a glimpse of the man behind the music on a personal level beforehand or maybe he was just a skilled enough artist to create such beautiful tunes.

“Daddy, I need to pee” Taehyung whines as the third song ends and the members had stopped to introduce themselves one by one.

“Ok, we’ll find you a bathroom.” Yoongi responds. He turns to you. “I’ll be right back.

You nod, eyes still fixed on the four idols on stage.

The quiet that hits Yoongi is a striking contrast to the raucous arena, as the large doors slam shut. He’s casually looking around to find a bathroom when his gaze lands on someone that makes his heart skip several beats. This can’t be real.

And Yoongi thinks it might be his imagination because there’s no way Kim Chaewon was standing ten feet in front of him just as he exits the auditorium with Taehyung following closely behind. His body freezes up, and his throat is constricting to the point where he can’t tell if he’s still breathing.

“Yoongi”

The voice is just as familiar as it sounded two years ago.

“Chaewon?”

“Congratulations on all of this” She gestures at the crowd of screaming fangirls and flashing stage lights across the heavy metal doors.

“H-How did you…? W-Why…?” He can’t even form a coherent question because his brain had stopped functioning normally.

“I can recognize your music from anywhere.” She says, flashing Yoongi a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

Yoongi can feel Taehyung’s grip on the hem of his pant leg as he hides behind his father, looking at the women curiously. “I don’t doubt that, but…”

“Is that…?” She ignores his state of shock and bends over to wave at Taehyung. “Tae!” She beams.

“H-Hi” The little boy responds shyly, clearly not recognizing the women the way she expected him to.

“He’s grown up so well” She sighs, straightening up once again. “If you’re not busy, would you like to grab a cup of coffee with me? So we can, I don’t know, chat?”

Yoongi hesitates. He wants to reject her offer because he knows you’re still waiting for him in the crowd, but he can’t get himself to say no, not when he clearly still has feelings for the woman who left him years ago and is now suddenly back within reach.

…

“She came back.” Yoongi says. “I’m sorry I left without telling you.”

“Oh, Chaewon, right?” You swallow, trying not to make things awkward between the two of you. “It’s totally fine. She must’ve been really happy to see you and Tae.”

Yoongi nods, eyes still trained at the ground. He was standing outside your doorway late at night, wanting to make sure you got home safely after he had left the showcase so unexpectedly.

“Hey, no hard feelings.” You console him, despite your own voice cracking ever so slightly. You had waited for him for hours after the showcase, but he didn’t need to know that.

“You didn’t wait for me for too long did you?”

4 hours.

“No, of course not.” You pretend to make it sound absurd, shaking your head and waving it off like it was no big deal. “I figured something must have come up.”

Yoongi nods.

“So umm, good-night?” You speak after a long drawn out silence.

“Yeah. Good-night.”

…

Yoongi can’t fall asleep that night, and it’s not because he’s thinking about Kim Chaewon coming back into his life and throwing him in complicated shit again, surprisingly, he’s more concerned about you and what you are to him, because he already knows what Chaewon is, more or less. But you on the other hand, you were still shrouded in a misty veil, one created by life’s endless intersections and obstacles. And the universe wasn’t going to give him a break anytime soon, but maybe that’s exactly what he needed to find the right path.

His thoughts flash back to what Chaewon had said to him at the coffee shop.

“We do stupid things when we’re young, but that doesn’t mean what we had wasn’t love.”

Yoongi stares off into the distance, not knowing why her words were not affecting him the way he expected them to.

“Keyword, had”

“Yoongi, I made a mistake. I still have feelings for you, and I know you do too because otherwise you wouldn’t be here right now.”

He nods slowly, absorbing the honeyed words that were seeping out of the woman’s mouth, and making him really consider the exact thing she was saying.

It was nothing short of the truth, he loved Kim Chaewon and undoubtedly still does. But he has always loved her because he thought she loved him for him, plain and unadorned, when in reality, she was always more in love with his music than anything. And don’t get him wrong, he knows that anyone who has the capacity to love and appreciate his music has to have that special connection with his innermost self, but that holds true for any fan and the musician they look up to. And it took the event of her coming back after he had finally found success to make him realize she was only a crossroad and not the moon itself. Because what happens when Yoongi stops composing one day, what will transpire when he’s too old to produce songs and create the art that she loved him for, will she leave again?

Yoongi’s not about to find out.

…

You don’t see Yoongi for a couple of days, and you knew exactly why. It didn’t make you feel any better knowing the reason, but there was that annoying nagging feeling tugging at your heart that you’ve convinced yourself isn’t categorized as jealously, disappointment, or longing. Stop being absurd.

Yoongi is not yours, he never was and never will be. Was it really that hard to accept the fact that he couldn’t fall in love with you when he was still in love with another woman? Yes. No. Does it make it any more justifiable that he maybe would’ve given you a chance had that woman no returned? Yes. No.

“Wake up, Y/N.” You mutter to yourself as you take the elevator down to grab a package that had arrived.

“Looks like I beat you to the chase.” The familiar voice startles you, almost causing you to drop the house keys your were twirling in your fingers.

“Oh, Yoongi” You gasp, clutching your chest like he almost gave you a heart attack.

“I was just about to look for you.” He bites his lower lip, preparing to say something he’s been running through in his head for the past few days.

“Is something wrong?”

“Life is full of crossroads...” Yoongi swallows, wanting to make this whole speech poetic, but he’s too nervous to function for reasons he’s fully aware of but does not have control over. He hasn’t confessed to anyone in a long time, and even then, he’s only every done it once in his life, to that other woman he’s slowly started to place in another section of his heart to make room center stage for you. “Ah, fuck it.” He mutters. “I’ve made mistakes in the past because I used to be the kind of person to be consumed by people the same way I’m consumed by my passions. I tend to place people on the wrong pedestal, and I have a hard time letting go of first loves. But if you are willing, I want to try for us, because I think I’ve finally found the moon after passing many crossroads.”

There’s a long pause because your mind is blank and your heart is racing. You continue to stare at the man standing awkwardly in front of you, gripping onto the box that had just been delivered as if he was the mail carrier, and you don’t think anything can be more endearing than this.

“But umm, if you’re not down, it’s totally ok too. I know this is strange and sudden, and I’m totally just freaking you out right now because. Aw, fuck.” Yoongi’s eyes squeeze close and he tilts his head up.

Scratch that. Said man all choked up as he’s trying to confess despite his debilitating nerves is something even more endearing.

“I’m totally down.” You respond, trying to hold in a laugh as you take the box away from him. “So I’m your moon? Is this going to be Beyond the Scene’s next album concept? Or did you just run out of real ideas.” You playfully nudge him in the arm.

Yoongi smiles, gummy and jubilant, and the universe shimmering within his eyes at that moment is, without a doubt, even more breathtaking than his music.

...

#bts fanfic #bangtan bookclub #btswriters #sfwbangtan #armiesnet #bts scenarios #yoongi scenarios #yoongi fanfic #bts angst #bts fluff #i hope this is okay!#or at least close to what you had in mind #truthfully i suck at love triangles lol #thank you for the request!#requested

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