#old regulars I haven’t seen since nursing school went wild

[demon-princess13]

tonight was fun ✨

#ended up bartending at my old work for a few hours #had such a blast lol #old regulars I haven’t seen since nursing school went wild #and I got to see some sick local bands I’d never heard of so #happy happy happy #me #my media #Spotify

[bangtan-gal]

Hello There (M)

Kim Taehyung Short Story By: Liffy

Warnings: Smut, fluff, angst, super fucking cliche, explicit sexual content (I would say 18+, but I can’t stop you horny seventeen-year-olds, can I?) There’s also Jin x Reader

Synopsis: a gorgeous, drunk stranger shows up on your doorstep one night and invites himself in.

Bad boy!au neighbors!au

Word Count: 12k

Rain hit the windows of the car as you pulled into the driveway. It was such a terrible day to move, rain was pouring down non-stop, your emotions were on a wild roller coaster, and you had no one to help you move in. Hell, you were completely alone—you moved to a city three hours away and your friends were all busy with work and school. You probably wouldn’t see them until the next holiday.

Of course, maybe it was better you completely cut yourself off.

You sigh, hitting the steering wheel as you stared at the small yellow townhome before you. It didn’t look bad, but you couldn’t really judge until you were inside. You had been so desperate to move, to escape, that you disregarded doing walk-throughs. And it was all because of that asshole who broke your he-

You forced your thoughts away from him and from all that. You barely felt the rain when you stepped outside, letting the water soak into your sweater. The boxes weren’t heavy and you didn’t have many, according to the pamphlet the house was completely furnished, so you opted for leaving bigger appliances with your roommate. You had made an agreement that if it turned out there was no furniture, you could come back and get it, but something in the back of your head told you that you wouldn’t have have the guts or energy to go get it.

You rushed to the door, the rain finally starting to get to you. Your hands shook as you fumbled with the keys. Cold burned through your body and you barely managed to unlock the door. When you shoved the door open, a loud squeak came from the hinges. You winced, knowing that if you didn’t get that fixed immediately, this place would become a nightmare.

It wasn’t a lie—the living room and dining room was completely furnished. Of course, some essentials were missing; like a microwave, a dishwasher, and some ceiling lamps. You set the box down with a sigh and looked around.

Looked like this was going to be your new home.

∞∞∞∞∞∞

It’d been two weeks since you moved. The first three days you had interviews non-stop, until you got a confirmed job as a medical assistant at a small nearby hospital. You quickly learned that Jinju was much different from Seoul. It wasn’t small, but after five years of living in Seoul, you had gotten used to constantly crowded streets, hard-to-get jobs, and a never-ending work day.

You wished you could say that it was easy to adjust, but it wasn’t.

You found it impossible to sleep without the sounds of cars rolling past your window, sirens wailing, and music blasting from one of the nearby apartments. It was silent, but in a deafening way. Work was mostly boring, you didn’t have very many patients, and since you were still knew to that hospital, the nurse you worked under didn’t let you help out very much. It was awful, not being able to drown yourself in your work so you wouldn’t suffocate from your feelings.

Everyone was nice—which some might take as a good thing—but in your mind they were all too nice. Your car had broke down one day, resulting in you being two hours late to works, and you didn’t even get questioned. You worked the day normally, without even one dirty look sent your way. It was unnerving. It was boring. You hoped for something exciting to happen.

You were currently driving home from the grocery store, drenched in sweat and other bodily fluids from the work day. It was a late Friday night, but the roads were empty. You couldn’t help but think of Seoul—how the city would be lit up with music and people—not a deathly silent hollow. There were a few clubs open, but they screamed empty. Memories of countless nights of partying invaded your mind and you couldn’t stop the small scream that escaped you.

“This town is awful!”

Throughout the weeks, you’d regretted not doing your research before moving here. You regretted moving to a town where you had zero friends, a town that was nothing like Seoul. Busan would’ve been great—you had plenty of friends there that hadn’t been involved in your life and it was just as rowdy as Seoul. Tonight, you found yourself regretting moving here even more than ever. A Friday where you didn’t work the night shift and where the city was empty.

In your mind, Jinju had seemed to be the perfect place to start over, but you seemed to forget about your personality, your habits. Although you were a generally shy person, you weren’t introverted. You loved the outdoors, you loved the feeling of music vibrating through your anatomy as you bounced on the dance floor.

Once you arrived home, you sat in the kitchen for a while, picking at your nails. It was getting close to ten o’clock, but you weren’t even feeling remotely tired. You grabbed your phone and broke your promise to yourself. You opened up Instagram, scrolling through your feed. Your old roommate, Ji-Ae, already found a new one and from the  looks of it they were getting along just great. You detested the bitterness that swept through you as you stared at the happy faces of all your old friends.

Then your heart throbbed when you stopped at one picture. You bit your lip, quickly shutting off the phone and throwing it down. Your heart starts pounding and your eyes start to sting as tears threaten to spill. You get yourself a glass of water and lean against the counter as you slowly sip at it. The thoughts slowly dissipate as you watch the street.

Thirty minutes later you’re dozing on the couch when a noise has you perking up. You frown when you hear the sound of a car pulling up and loud laughter. You shouldn’t be surprised—it’s a townhome and of course you’d have a neighbor right next door—but you honestly thought you didn’t have one. The past two weeks you haven’t seen or heard anyone or anything. No car, no person, no activity.

“Whatever, it’s not like it’s my problem,” you mutter and your head falls back onto the couch.

But it quickly became your problem.

Keys jingled outside your door and you heard a frustrated groan when whoever it was tried to open the doorknob. Then they started knocking, a low laugh coming from them and then a loud hiccup. They grumbled a name and continued to knock loudly. You frown and stand up, slowly creeping over to the door.

When you open the door, you find yourself face to face with the most gorgeous boy you’ve ever seen. His skin is smooth, his eyes are bright, and his hair is a deep brown. He doesn’t even seem to notice you as he stumbles past you, muttering something about keys under his breath. You open your mouth is question when the boy collapses onto your sofa with a groan.

“Wha-?”

You shook your head, forcing yourself out of your stupor. Your feet scurried across the carpet as you rushed over to shake the boy but it was too late. He was completely wasted, snoring lightly on your couch. You blinked and tried to shake him awake, but he waved you off, accidentally hitting you in the face.

He sneezed loudly and then went back to softly snoring. Disbelief rushed through you—did a super hot, drunk guy just barge into your home and collapse on your couch? What was going on? Who was he? Your lips whitened as you pursed your lips and leaned over him, trying to get a good look and maybe recognize him. Was he from work?

You were met with long lashes, pink lips, and a light spray of freckles. His ears were pierced and you could see tattoos creeping along his collarbone and wrist. His hair was messed up, but in a weird way, it was cute. He let out a little snort and rubbed at his nose and then tried to bury himself even deeper into your couch. You cringed at yourself when you realized you were smiling.

“He’s a random guy—a handsome one—but  still some random, drunk boy! What are you doing?” You hissed at yourself as you backed away into the kitchen. You watched him from there, confusion flooding you. What in the world was going on?

A bitter feeling swept through you, if you were in Seoul you could’ve just texted one of your friends and they would’ve come and helped out. Hell, you had a roommate in Seoul, she could’ve helped.  

You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed. He seemed harmless and if you wake up before him in the morning, it’ll be fine. You grab a blanket and drape it over him and this time when you mutter goodnight to the home, there’s someone to receive it. Kind of.

You wake up in the morning with a groan and look at the time. It’s close to nine thirty and you groan again. After several failed attempts to go back to bed and sleep most of the day away, you flop out of bed. You trudge across the carpet and to the kitchen, your mind set on a cup of coffee. It takes almost all your energy to figure out whether you want a latte or just regular brew. A smile blooms on your face as the steam rises from the machine and you can smell the coffee. The pajama shirt you wear is accurate: coffee is your addiction.

You hum to yourself as you stir in the caramel and creamer. It seems to be a good day, the sun is out and only a few clouds dot the blue sky. The tree outside your kitchen window is still, signaling that there’s no wind. Maybe you could go for a walk.

“Hello there,” a deep voice murmurs.

A scream falls from you and you jump, accidentally swiping the mug off the counter. Dismay sweeps through you as you watch it hit the kitchen ground, ceramic spraying everywhere and coffee spreading over the blue and white kitchen tile. You whirl around, eyes widening when you see a messy-haired boy standing in the entrance of your kitchen. His eyes are half closed, dark circles resting under them. His face is pale—in a sickly, tired way.

You open your mouth and then close it. He continues to just stare at the destroyed mug that lays at your feet. A blush rushes over your cheeks and you fight the urge to start smacking your head. You had been so desperate for coffee that you forgot about the wasted young man that seemed to think your couch was his bed.

“Er-hi,” you squeak out, grabbing a rag to quickly wipe up your mess. You loved that mug, it was a gift from your best friend, but maybe it was best you started destroying memories of your past. You dumb the glass in the trash and rinse your hands, trying to stall time long enough to think of an actual conversation.

“I’m assuming we didn’t?” His voice is so deep and it sends shivers through your body. You turn and watch as he awkwardly motions between the two of you. Heat spreads over your ears and along your cheeks and you quickly shake your head. He nods in understanding and fixes his jacket as he looks around. You can see the confusion shimmering on his face but for some reason you can’t find the words to open your mouth and explain what happened last night. “You don’t have any pain killers, by any chance?”

You blink and then nod, if he was drunk enough to pass out in your house like he owns it, he must be in excruciating pain. You fumble through your cabinets until you find it and toss him the bottle. You hand him a glass of water and then shift from foot to foot. You’d had a couple of one-night stands in your life, but this well… it might’ve felt like one, but it wasn’t. Do you offer him breakfast? Coffee? Or do you just kick him out and hope he finds his way home?

“So, how did I end up here?” He asked, making himself at home as he sits down at your dining table. You frown slightly at the gesture, but choose to shove away your annoyance. He was here because of his irresponsibleness, but you’d been in his place before so you figured you should at least try to be nice.

“You kind of just… showed up drunk at my doorstep,” you explained with a shrug as you started another cup of coffee. “You seemed to think I was someone else and then… decided that this was your house? You passed out on my couch and I didn’t have the heart to kick you out.”

Nor did you have the help to kick him out, but he didn’t need to know that.

He frowned and stared at his water. His eyebrows furrowed and you couldn’t help but admire how the sunlight danced across his face. Dammit, he was gorgeous. Too bad you met under such weird circumstances. He pursed his lips and looked around, recognition flickering through his dark eyes.

“Uh, coffee?” You asked. He blinked at you and nodded. You quickly walked over with another mug and set it down it front of him.

“Thanks. I’m Taehyung by the way,” he said, sending you a small smile. You hate the way your heart flutters at the gesture—fuck he’s adorable.

“Y/N,” you reply softly, grabbing your own mug. You don’t join him at the table, instead you lean against the counter and watch him over your cup as you sip at the warm beverage. By the way his lips quirk up into a smirk, you can tell he knows your watching him, but chooses to ignore you. He sips at his coffee, his eyes fluttering close in pleasure at the taste. You find yourself strongly relating to that feeling.

The two of you finish your drinks in silence and no matter how hard you try to, you can’t take your eyes off him. You wish you could convince yourself that it’s not because of his looks, but you know that’s the main reason. You’re still confused about this boy and how in the world he ended up at your doorstep. You assumed he wasn’t driving and if his friends dropped him off, wouldn’t they know where he lived?

Was this just an awkward chip in your life that you could later laugh about as reminisce about it to friends?

“Well, I oughta get going,” he says as he stands up. “Thanks for the medication and coffee… and for not just rejecting my ass last night and letting me freeze.”

You nod and bite your lip as you lead him towards the door. He licked his lips, revealing a tongue piercing, and then smiled. You watched as he walked down your porch. Taehyung does a small double take, a laugh of disbelief escaping him. He turns around and waves at you, before walking along the driveway and up the porch on the other side. Your mouth gapes open as you stare in shock.

The drunk stranger was your neighbor.

Maybe you shouldn’t have asked for something exciting to happen.

∞∞∞∞∞∞

It seems that Jinju was just happily offering you mishap after mishap. Your car had broken down a week ago and today it decided to pull the same crap. This time though, when someone pulled over to try and help you start your car, it sputtered and then gave out. You saved your loud scream for when the man left and then called the tow truck. There was no reason for your car to be doing this, it was still fairly new and it had gotten a basic repair right before you moved. The town just wanted to watch you suffer, as if you hadn’t already suffered enough.

By the time the tow truck showed up, you had called in work and told them that you wouldn’t be able to come in today. They were understanding—as always—and you weren’t even assigned extra hours. The ride to the shop was awkward, the driver attempting to start conversation, only to be shot down each time by you. You were furious. You were sitting in your yellow scrubs, in a grimy tow truck, and driving to go get your a car a repair that it shouldn’t need.

Maybe the town was trying to get you to leave.

When you arrived, the garage was mostly empty, but men milled about, overalls and t-shirts covered in oil. It was something straight out of a move: bulging biceps, broad chests, and tattoos left and right. They were working on cars and bikes, loud music blaring. A blush spread over your cheeks when you saw the sweat that dripped along their arms and chests and darkened their shirts. Shit, they were all good looking and it wasn’t oka

The man who drove you over called over a man. He was broad shouldered, with black hair that swept over his forehead. He was very handsome, despite the exhaustion that pulled at his face and the sweat that stained his neck and hair, it shined through. He smiled at you and you almost became a pile of puddy right at that moment.

“Your car broke down?” He asked once he was close enough for you to hear. You nodded, not trusting yourself with words at the moment. He walked towards your car and immediately popped up the hood. He bit his lip as he looked through, moving random pipes and unscrewing caps to check the insides. You didn’t know a thing about cars and as he started to spout off things that could be wrong, you just listened in awe.

“Of course,” he said, turning to you with a heart stealing grin, “I can’t find a for-sure diagnosis unless you agree to go on a date with me.”

You blink, tilting your head in confusion. “But uh…?”

“Oh come on, Jin, stop flirting with the customers, would ya?” A familiar voice interrupted. You looked over your shoulder, eyes widening when Taehyung approached. He was staring at the man before you, but when he met your gaze, his face mirrored yours.

The two of you just stared at each other, both shocked to see each other again. You hadn’t seen Taehyung since that day, despite the fact you looked at their door every time you came home and had developed a weird habit to look out the window every few minutes. Now, here he stood before you, a tight black tank top hugging his figure, with glistening biceps and the same messy hair.

He wasn’t completely covered in tattoos like you’d assumed—he had a ring of roses on one wrist and a ring of thorns on the other. There was black and red ink running along his collarbone and disappeared beneath the collar. You looked away and instead met Jin’s inquisitive stare. You blushed under the heat of both their gazes and opted for staring at your sneakers.

“Hyung, I need help!” Another voice interrupted the silence. A boy with black hair came bounding over, whining at Taehyung. Black stud earrings shone in the sun as he tossed his head around. You studied him and couldn’t help but feel that he was too innocent to be working in such an environment.

“Hmmm, okay Kookie,” he muttered and then glanced at you, throwing a quick wink. “See you around Y/N.”

You didn’t reply as he was dragged off by the younger boy. You turned to Jin, your smile tight as you awaited a diagnosis for your car.  The confusion dissipated from his face and the same smirk from before covered his face. He crossed his arms and leaned back, tilting an eyebrow up. You chuckled, actually shocked that he was serious about that date.

“Seriously?” You giggled, searching his face.

“I don’t want a pretty girl like you to escape so quickly,” he said softly and you didn’t realize how close he was until he tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. If you weren’t red before, you were definitely now.

You agreed to the date and tried to fight the butterflies that erupted at his smile. Afterwards he explained what was wrong with your car—or at least tried to. He could obviously tell that you had no idea what he was saying, but he seemed to find it amusing and a low chuckle would fall from his pink lips every time you would just blink in answer.

You spent the rest of the morning at the garage, sitting in the waiting room, flipping carelessly through magazines until Jin came storming in. He was covered in even more grease, but the bright smile on his face would make you think that he was covered in chocolate. He told you he was finished and ushered you out towards your car.

“So, I’d ask you for a date tonight, but I’ve already made plans with friends…” he said with a sad sigh, shaking his head over-dramatically. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why don’t you just invite her along?” Taehyung popped into view, toweling out his hair. Both you and Jin blinked, before the man turned to you with a pout. You weren’t really sure if you wanted to—it felt awkward to be around the other boy, considering the circumstances you met.

“It’s at my place, so you’ll sort of be there whether you want to or not,” he pointed out with a shrug and with Jin’s pout growing, you couldn’t say no. You reluctantly nodded, but a smile pulled at your lips when you saw the man’s childish joy that burst forth.

You couldn’t help it, he was too cute.

You weren’t sure what to bring or what time to show up actually. The boys had just told you it was Taehyung’s and that Jin would be there. Hell, you wouldn’t know anyone else that showed up. Suddenly, you felt stupid and wondered if you should just find an excuse to not come. Jin had left his number in your car, so you could easily give him an excuse.

Except for the fact that the man who was holding the social lived right next door. You didn’t know Taehyung that well, but if what you saw the morning after his drunk episode was anything like his real personality, there would be nothing stopping him from coming over and dragging you to the party. So, that’s how you ended up trying on over hundreds of outfits to figure out what worked.

You went for jeans and a simple t-shirt and fixed up your makeup and pulled your hair up. You didn’t want to wear something too fancy and if you somehow ended up underdressed, you lived right next door. You grabbed a bottle of wine from your cabinet and then hurried out.

Almost the second you knocked on the door, it opened. It wasn’t Taehyung who answered, but another man you’d never seen before. He was grinning and his grin only grew when he saw you. His hair was dyed red and just like every other guy that Taehyung knew, he was gorgeous. You opened your mouth, unsure of what to say and then just opted for offering him the wine bottle as he ushered you inside.

“You must be Y/N? I’m Hoseok, Tae’s roommate,” he explained and then giggled. “I heard about Tae’s drunk shenanigans in your home. I do profusely apologize for that, I should’ve gone looking for him when he didn’t come home after his friends texted me.”

You thought you imagined it, but a dark shadow seemed pass over the boy’s face when he mentioned his roommate’s friends. Then his face immediately brightened up and he showed you to the kitchen and set down your bottle. Their house was set up similarly to yours.

“So, why did you move to Jinju?” Hoseok queried as he got several bowls down from the shelves. He placed them along the counter, filling them with various snacks. You bit your lip, wondering what to tell him. When he saw your hesitation, he told you that you didn’t have to share and instead told you about why he was living in Jinju.

“I work in pharmaceutical sales and originally was in Incheon, but then the clinic I worked for got another branch here and decided to have me move here. That was when I met Tae actually—I seemed to be having some really bad misfortunes, my car had broke down and the house I was supposed to move ended up getting pulled from the market.

“Tae fixed up my car and that was when I found out that his roommate at the time would be moving out in a couple months so I asked if I could move in. Worked out and the three of us lived here for a while and Yoongi was actually gonna stay… but his job called him elsewhere,” he murmured, sadness rolling through his voice at the last sentence. You could feel the sound of loss in it. You brushed your fingers along his knuckles and smiled sympathetically. He returned the smile and then pulled away to continue laying out snacks and drinks.

“Could you get some of the glasses?”

You tried to reach for the cups, but they were on the highest shelf and you weren’t exactly tall. You were up on your toes, your shirt stretching up as your arm reached above your head. Then you felt it, something slightly damp pressing against your back. A warm breath brushed down your neck and you froze.

Taehyung’s face came into view as he reached over you to get the glasses. His hair was wet and he smelled clean and fresh and… leathery. You didn’t realize that you were leaning in to smell him until he pulled away and you almost toppled over. You cleared your throat and tried to pretend that you weren’t just sniffing up the boy. A smirk had spread over the boy’s face, but you were too distracted by your thoughts to notice.

The sound of people entering had you looking up in excitement. Two other boys entered, neither of whom you recognized. Both had blonde hair, but one was much taller with most of it shaved off, and the other was short and his hair was curly. Both were gorgeous and you started wondering if this whole friend group was made up of model-worthy people.

“Please Joon, she was definitely into me,” the shorter one huffed as he flicked the man’s chest. Neither one noticed you as they dumped bags of snacks and games on the counter. The taller one, Joon, snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Get over yourself Jimin, she was practically falling in my lap when I was trying to get her to pay, but if you want her, she’s all yours,” he huffed and started emptying the bags. Both boys were covered in tattoos and piercings, just like Taehyung. You weren’t sure whether to say hi or just try to pretend like you weren’t there until someone introduced you.

You turned around, deciding to just start setting up the other things. Only then did you realize there was nothing for you to do. Hoseok was like a work machine and Taehyung had taken away your one job. So instead, you just stared at the empty countertops, feeling like an actual idiot.

“Oh shit, I didn’t realize we were inviting girls.”

You whirled around, meeting both the boys’ curious stares. A hand lifted on natural instinct and you just waved. You mentally face-palmed yourself when both boys just waved back, the shorter one trying not to laugh while the other’s eyebrows furrowed. With an internal sigh, you prepared to introduce yourself, but were saved by the sound of the door opening and someone storming in.

Jin rounded the corner, carrying a pack of beer with a big smile on his face. He grinned at both boys and then saw you. A squeal—something similar to a little girl—escaped him and he practically pranced over to you. He wrapped you up in a hug and you didn’t return it because you were too shocked. You weren’t expecting that.

Hell, he hadn’t even taken you on that date yet.

“Y/N!” He chirped and then turned to the boys. “Have you met Y/N?”

“Nope,” Jimin said with a grin and held out a hand for you to shake. You quickly accepted it and then shook the other’s. You were certain you looked like the epitome of awkward as you pursed your lips. You stuck your hands in your pockets and rocked back and forth on your feet.

“So, are you new here?” Joon asked, running a hand through the mohawk. “Um yeah, I just moved here several weeks ago,” you murmured, trying not to hide behind Jin as they focused their attention on you. Hoseok also entered the kitchen, smiling at the boys.

“She’s actually our neighbor. She’s the one whose door Tae showed up at,” the man said with a laugh. Jimin burst out laughing and Taehyung chose to enter the kitchen at that time, the younger boy from the garage following him. Jimin glanced at the brown-haired boy and his laughter just grew louder.

“Wow, you invited the girl that you scared the crap out of, Tae? You must have no shame!” The short boy squeaked, wiping away fake tears. Tae blushed and glanced at you. He shrugged and didn’t try to explain himself as he quickly grabbed a beer and opened it.

“Oh,” the boy, Kookie, spoke up, “and it gets better because Jin’s asked her out.”

You didn’t think it was possible, but Jimin’s laughter got louder and shriller. He held his stomach and when he started to fall onto Joon, the man just stepped out of the way and let the blonde sprawl on floor and finish his laughing fit. You couldn’t help but chuckle.  It was a weird situation, wasn’t it?

The rest of the night went similarly to that; the boys making fun of one another and there was a constant stream of laughter. You quickly found most of them to be over-dramatic and full of attitude. When you were playing UNO, Jimin repeatedly threatened everyone with murder if they tried to stop him from winning.

He lost every time.

At the last game, the blonde finally lost it and tackled Jungkook to the floor, attempting to strangle the younger boy. Everyone ignored the two as they fumbled around on the floor, Jimin screeching about how he should have won and it was Jungkook’s fault for throwing plus fours at him like they were dollar bills.

It was getting close to eleven and you sighed, exhaustion starting to catch up to you. You ended up calling it and night and wishing the boy’s goodnight. You had an early shift in the morning and didn’t want your late night to rub off onto your patients. Jin offered to walk you to your door and you happily accepted.

The two of you paused in front of your door and you felt like a young teen for a second as you could feel your heart speed up. Would he kiss you goodnight? You blushed when he studied your face intensely and then a small smiled pulled at his lips. He reached down, cupping your cheeks. You closed your eyes, preparing yourself for the feeling of his lips on yours, only for his warmth to softly press against your forehead.

“Goodnight Y/N.”

∞∞∞∞∞∞

As the weeks passed, you and Jin went on dates as often as you could. You and Hobi grew closer and you were practically living at the man’s house. One of the things you immediately noticed was the lack of Taehyung. He was occasionally there, but it felt like you were in his house more than he was. Hoseok obviously enjoyed your company, he worked his job from home most of the time, but he didn’t get many calls, nor did he have to do paperwork, and since Tae was never home, he was always bored.

You tried to make some female friends outside of the boys, but found it hard. There were sometimes girls at their social nights, but none of them were particularly nice towards you. It felt weird having more guy friends than girls.

You soon learned why Hobi didn’t like Tae’s friends. Jin had come over one night and three of you had been watching a movie, when a group of semi-drunk people stumbled into the home. They reeked of weed and none of them seemed to understand what manners were. Taehyung wasn’t as much of an asshole as them, but he was ruder than normal. He ignored Hoseok when he tried to talk to him in private and openly gagged at the sight of you and Jin cuddled up together. In the end, you said goodnight to Hoseok and you and Jin finished watching the movie at your house before he left.

Work was still slow, but you didn’t mind too much. It was better than your old job in Seoul, constantly running back and forth, doctors screaming demands at you and patients in hysterics around you. Sometimes you missed the rush, but you started to get used to the calmer vibes of Jinju.

“So you do have a boyfriend, Miss Y/L/N?” The little girl asked. You chuckled and nodded as you checked her vitals. “Is he cute?”

“Very cute, do you have a boyfriend?” You tease, quickly typing the results into the computer. You watched out of the corner of your eye as the little girl perked up. She shrugged and then frowned. “I dunno, there’s this cute boy in my class… but he’s always so mean to me. My mom says that it means he likes me, but that doesn’t make sense,” she pouted and then like a drama-queen, threw her hands in the air and collapsed back on the bed. “Maybe he’ll be nicer to me when I go back to school. Is your boyfriend nice to you?” You laugh, thinking about yours and Jin’s last date. You hadn’t brought proper shoes for a hike, so the man had forced you to ride on his back the whole time so you wouldn’t hurt yourself. Your cheeks heated up and you ducked your head.

“Yes, Jiwoo,” you say. The girl pouts and goes on a rant about how the boy obviously doesn’t like her. You listen intently, you’re lunch break was soon and you wanted to avoid any doctors so you could have the whole break to yourself.

When the time came, you bid goodbye to the girl and let her parents know that she’d be clear to leave soon. You stumbled over to the front desk to tell the receptionist that you were taking your break. The woman, Yuna, looked up and grinned and then blinked, asking you to wait for a second.

“Ah yes, you have a visitor. In the ah—well, right over there.”

You blinked and turned around, searching the seats  for someone familiar. A smile spread over your face when you saw Jin sitting there, looking awkward in the tiny seat. A tiny smile was on his face and when he saw you, he bounced to his feet and tripped when he tried to rush over. You chuckled when he finally made it over and the two of you shared a quick kiss.

“Hmmm, what are you doing here?” You murmured, watching him under your lashes.

“I brought you lunch, I was gonna stay and eat with you, but they need me back at the garage,” he explained, handing you a small box. You accepted it with a grin and thanked him softly. You loved Jin’s cooking and your mouth started to water from the scent that wafted from the box.

“Are you coming tonight? Hoseok is throwing another game night,” he asked, wrapping an arm around your waist. You nodded. He kissed you goodbye and kept waving until he exiting the building.

You arrived late to the party, unable to shower, but you had time to change into clothes. You stepped into Hoseok’s, bursting into laughter when Jungkook ran up to you, trying to hide behind you as Jin shook a spatula at him. When the boy tried to run around you and escape, there was a loud smack as the spatula quickly made contact with the boy’s ass. He yelped, screaming for Hoseok to save him.

You hugged Jin, thanking him once again for the lunch. You met Tae’s gaze from across the room and were slightly surprised to see him. You hadn’t seen him since that night with his friends and that had been two weeks ago. He didn’t look different or anything, but maybe you were shocked that he wasn’t drunk. He offered you a weary smile, but you could see annoyance flickering across his face.

“How was work today, Y/N?” Hoseok asked when he saw you. He was setting up a game and you couldn’t help but notice that his smile was brighter than normal.

“Well, I got to talk to a little girl about my boyfriend,” you said with a giggle, pinching Jin’s arm. The man grinned and slung an arm over your shoulder. “You seem really happy, Hobi, what’s up?”

“Yoongi’s coming tonight,” Jungkook piped up for him.

Yoongi was the only one of the friend group that you hadn’t met. You knew a little bit about him, from what you could pick up in conversations. Apparently, he was a well-known, underground rapper. He used to be Tae and Hobi’s roommate, until his job forced him to move Incheon. You couldn’t quite figure out his and Hobi’s relationship; whether they were lovers or best friends. It didn’t matter, he made Hoseok happy.

“And thank god, Jimin isn’t coming!” The maknae piped up again, fist bumping the air. You snorted as Taehyung smacked his head and told him to stop lying about his hate for Jimin.

Namjoon and Jimin owned a tattoo and piercing barn together. You had originally thought they were a couple, but just turned out they were close co-workers who were, in Namjoon’s words, “stuck together for eternity and it’s tearing apart my ability to live.” You found out that Joon did Tae’s tattoos and you were amazed—the tattoos always looked amazing, but knowing that Joon was the artist was weird in a sense.

You played a couple of rounds of Go-fish and Sword Girls. Hoseok kept looking at the door and the clock, his teeth working his lip as he waited for the rapper to arrive. Jin was extra touchy, cuddling up to you and pressing kisses to your shoulder and head repeatedly. Tae looked more annoyed than normal and he kept making faces at you and Jin. Jungkook was the same—a ball of energy that was being unnecessarily vicious in the games.

When the doorbell rang it was like a bomb went off. Hoseok let out a scream and shoved Taehyung out of his way so he could get to the door. Tae also popped up, looking the happiest he had the whole night. You turned and watched as the door opened. A man with light blue hair entered and you looked away when the two hugged; it felt like you were seeing a private moment.

Hoseok dragged the man into the living room, bouncing on his toes. Tae hugged him and Jin waved. Hobi introduced you and then breezed over it, talking non-stop about everything. The game was forgotten as the pair sat on the couch and conversed. The rest of you got up and migrated to the kitchen, trying to pretend like you weren’t watching out of their corner of your eyes and eavesdropping.

“Well, as much as I’d like to say this night will continue, it’s already ended,” Taehyung said and you felt uncomfortable as his gaze was fixed on you. He dragged his gaze away to look at Kook. “You wanna stay here tonight or do you have the early shift?” The boy said he had to leave and then bid everyone goodbye. You tucked yourself into Jin and tickled his sides. It was still an early night and you didn’t want him to leave yet. Taehyung looked away from the two of you, clearing his throat and mindlessly sipping at the beer he held.

“Wanna go back to my place?” You asked, figuring the two of you could just watch a movie. The man nodded and went go grab his coat. You said goodbye to Taehyung and quickly left that you didn’t see the way the boy slammed down his bottle and the frown that took over his face. He clenched his hands into fists and grit his teeth.

You and Jin watched a romcom, but at some point the two of you became less interested in the movie and more interested in each other. You moaned into his mouth as you grinded down on the obvious erection he was sporting. You pulled back with a gasp, your heart hammering as the man’s hands slowly ran up your sides. He pulled you back down, pressing a rough kiss to your lips. He rutted his hips up into yours and you grasped his shoulders.

He hefted you up and the two of you struggled to your room. You let out a breathy laugh when you fell back onto the bed. He tore off his shirt and you admired the expanse of milky skin under the material. He climbed a top you and you whimpered into his mouth when he positioned his knee between your legs.

“Fuck,” you hissed.

∞∞∞∞∞∞

You woke up the next morning with a smile on your face and a blissful ache between your legs. You could hear Jin whistling in the kitchen and utilities clanging around as he prepared breakfast. You stretched, letting out a mewl as your muscles pulled. You got up and threw on a shirt and shorts.

You walked out to the kitchen and pressed a kiss to the boy’s cheek. He gave you a side hug and then went back to focusing on the food. You stumbled over to the couch and sat down, but the second you did there was a knock at your door. You grumbled and got up, going over to the door and wondering who the hell would be here this early in the morning. When you opened the door, you were shocked to see Tae standing there, looking exhausted and his hair a slight mess.

“Ta… what are you doing here?” You queried, not stepping back to let him into the house. He glanced around you, almost like he was trying to see into the house, and then his eyes ran over your legs. You suddenly realized how underdressed you were and became aware of the several hickies that covered your neck and shoulders.

“Um… we’re out of coffee and I don’t mean to be annoying… but I’m desperate and I don’t think I’ll be able to function without it,” he stammered, scratching the back of his neck. You blinked in disbelief—this boy was really here just for a cup of coffee?

Of course, you couldn’t judge him. You were addicted to coffee as well and had three cups every morning. With a sigh, you opened the door further and let him in, forgetting that Jin was in the kitchen. You didn’t see his expression when he saw the boy; his eyes widened and then narrowed and a dark look took over his features. He practically threw himself at your dining table, a sour feeling roiling through his stomach.

If Jin was shocked to see Taehyung, he didn’t voice it or show it. He just glanced over his shoulder and then went back to working on the food. You quickly made a cup of coffee, desperate to get the boy out of your house. You could feel tension in the air and you hoped it was just your over-imaginative mind that was putting it there.

Unlike the first morning Tae had been in your house, he chugged down the coffee, so fast he almost choked on it. He quickly thanked you and then raced from your home. You watched in confusion and then shrugged, turning back to Jin. He didn’t seem to care that the boy was gone and finished preparing the breakfast.

After a nice breakfast, the man bid you goodbye and left for work. You couldn’t rid the smile from your face; the moment felt so surreal. Waking up to him making you breakfast and spending the early hours together and then leaving for work. You blushed when the thought of him returning home after work struck your mind and scolded yourself for getting too far ahead of yourself. You’d barely been dating for a month—you shouldn’t be thinking of that.

In the later morning, Hobi asked you to come over so you could actually meet Yoongi this time. But the way the boy texted you, it sounded like more of a SOS. Apparently things had changed so much since they saw each other and it was more than a little awkward. You felt it in the air the second you stepped into the threshold, Hoseok over-excitedly greeting you at the door and the stranger standing silently in the kitchen with a cup of coffee.

You did a double take.

They had coffee. So why had Taehyung come barging into your house just for the sake of coffee? You frowned, studying the counter to see that, in fact, their coffee machine was definitely stocked up. It was weird and there was an odd feeling in the back of your mind, but you couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought around it.

“So, Y/N, this is Min Yoongi. Yoongi, this is Y/L/N Y/N,” Hoseok chirped, forcing you from your thoughts. You smiled at the man and waved. He offered you a small smile back and then the room fell into silence. You opened your mouth and then closed it, looking away.

“You work at the hospital, correct?” The man said, leaning back against the counter as he studied you.

“Yeah. I’m a RNA. I didn’t graduate college, so I couldn’t get a degree to become a registered nurse,” you explained, “although I don’t regret it. I do get paid less, but the work isn’t as gruelling and I typically get easier patients. You… uh, you’re a rapper, right?”

He studied you for a second, almost like he was trying to gauge your exact thoughts on his job. You squirmed warily under his stare, but it was cut off when Hobi pinched the man’s elbow. Yoongi winced, throwing a quick glare at his friend, before smiling at you with a real smile.

“Yeah. Although that’s more of a part-time thing for me. I write and produce music most of the time,” he murmured. Then he turned to Hobi, a nervous look twitching over his face. “Could we go see Namjoon and Jimin?”

“I’m down, I’ve been wanting to get one of my tattoos fixed up for a while.”

You froze and for some reason your heart started racing. You wanted to turn around and meet his gaze, to challenge him about the coffee, but for some reason you couldn’t. You weren’t sure if he noticed you, but you heard Yoongi ask him if he had a good shower and a low chuckle coming from Hoseok.

“Well, this is good—Yoongi can say hi to those two, you can do your tattoo, and Y/N can finally see the tattoo barn.”

You turned around, refusing to meet Tae’s gaze and opening your mouth to argue with Hobi, but something in the man’s gaze stopped you. You swallowed and nodded, following the three boys out of the house. Yoongi looked tense and Hoseok had a mischievous smile on his face, but the way his fingers were fidgeting proved that he was also nervous.   

You and Taehyung sat in the back of Yoongi’s car, the both of you avoiding each other. The car was bitterly silent and no one dared to breathe a word. The ride was awful, almost suffocating. There was tension between Hobi and Yoongi and the way the two get glancing at each other, with Hobi’s eyebrows furrowing and the ladder’s lips pursing, you knew something was up. You wondered if it was because of the two boys you were going to see. Did Yoongi not get along with one of them? Or was it something else? When the four of you arrived, you all got out. As you approached the door right behind Hobi, Tae grabbed your wrist and pulled you back. You wriggled against him and then whirled around. “What?” You snapped.

“You’re gonna wanna give them a few minutes,” he muttered, eyes slowly moving to look through the glass door.

You blinked and followed his gaze. You couldn’t see through the glass, but you could see silhouettes moving.

“Why?” You whispered back and then the door opened and Namjoon stepped out. The tall blonde looked stressed, but he didn’t say anything to either of you guys as he stepped off to the side.

“Some things happened between the three of them right before Yoongi left—none of us know exactly what—but I think it had something to do with Jimin and Yoongi’s relationship,” he explained under his breath, side-eyeing Joon. “Sometimes I wonder if it was the real reason he left and just used music as an excuse.”

You pursed your lips, taking in that information. Jimin and Yoongi were in a relationship before he moved and Hobi was involved. A dark feeling rolled through your stomach and you had a vague idea of what had happened. The three of you stood out there for ten minutes, before you slowly entered.

You entered last, trying to meet Hobi’s stare, but it was focused on the ground. Yoongi stood beside him, arms crossed with a pissed expression on his face. Jimin greeted you guys with a smile, pulling you in for a side hug, but there wasn’t the usual bounce in his step.

“You know where to go Tae,” Joon said, barely sending a glance his way as he quickly went to stand beside Jimin. “I’ll be over in a few.”

You didn’t want to go with Tae, but the boy grabbed your wrist and dragged you along behind him. You wanted to go comfort Hoseok, but maybe he was right to let them work it out for awhile. Tae flopped down in a chair and when you went to sit in the stool, he pulled you into his lap. You went rigid, trying to fight your way out, the boy was adamant.

“Joon’s gonna sit there,” he muttered, his mouth unnecessarily close to your ear.  

“Then I’ll just stand,” you tried to argue, but he wasn’t having it. You felt stupid as you sat on his lap—not because of the awkwardness, but because you weren’t completely opposed to the idea. You knew you should’ve been, but it just felt right to be right there.

When Joon walked in, he didn’t mention anything about where you were sitting. If he found it weird or disrespectful, he said nothing. He took Tae’s arm, wiped it down, and the two had a quick conversation of what had to be fixed. You watched as he set up the ink and then got a tight hold on Tae’s wrist before bringing the pen down. The second the needle was pressed into his skin, the boy’s other hand tightened around your waist. You don’t know why you did, but you wrapped your hand around his. You weren’t creeped out by the needle—you worked with them everyday—you were more intrigued by the liquid-like movement as Joon fixed the rose design.

It took about fifteen minutes to do the tattoo and at some point you weren’t even aware of the fact that you were on Tae’s lap. You had relaxed into him and just watched the needle move. The look of concentration on Joon’s face was gorgeous. You really made a mistake when you looked back at Tae to see his teeth digging into his bottom lip and his head thrown back, eyes pinched shut. Your cheeks flushed red and you looked away, trying to rid the image of your mind. It wasn’t a M rated situation, but by the look on his face you’d think he was getting a bl-

“All finished,” Joon murmured, “you don’t have to pay for this one, since I was the reason it got messed up in the first place. Wait for the ink to dry.”

“That was cool,” you muttered, finally glancing back at Taehyung when the tattoo artist left.

He chuckled at the twinkle in your eyes.

“Have you never seen that before?” He asked teasingly.

“I never went with my friends when they got one and I never got one,” you muttered and shifted on his lap. Now that it was over, you didn’t feel the need to stay in his lap anymore. You tried to get up, but he kept a steady arm on you. You wiggled, trying to escape. “Come on, Tae.”

“Don- don’t do that sweets,” he hissed.

You froze, but it was too late. You could feel him, pressed up against you. His arm had loosened on you and you knew that you could’ve leapt out of his arms, but you were just frozen. Too many thoughts were racing in your head and you hated the fact that you enjoyed that you were the reason he was this way. The feeling of him pressed against you was too good and you felt heat spread along your cheeks and down to your stomach.

You glanced at him over your shoulder. He met your gaze, nerves evident in his stare as he searched your gaze. Your thoughts were going too fast for you to keep up and the ideas that came to your mind were terrible, but you wanted to do them. A crazy adrenaline high rushed through you and you found yourself leaning in and pressing a kiss against his lips. He stiffened up, but within seconds was returning it.

His hand tangled itself in your hair and he pulled you closer. Your hands fell on his chest and you turned around so you were straddling his waist. A whimper fell from you when he bit your lips and you could feel the cool metal of his tongue piercing sliding along. You opened your mouth and the feeling was just too good, there was something about him. You grinded down on him unintentionally and he threw his head back, letting out a soft groan.

“Fuck sweets,” he hissed, glancing at you.

You blinked and then quickly got off his lap, rushing towards the car.

∞∞∞∞∞∞

“So the two of you kissed?” Hoseok asked in disbelief. Taehyung groaned and nodded, burying his face in his hands. Why did he let that happen? Y/N was dating one of his friends! The girl had opted for getting a ride home from Jimin who had decided the escape the second he could.

It was awful—he’d managed to hide his boner with his jacket, but it refused to go away—he ended up having to jack off when he got home. It didn’t make sense, no girl ever had that much control over him before. It was like he was tightly wrapped around her finger—hell, he’d probably clean her bathroom floor with his tongue if she asked.

“Shouldn’t you be mad at me or something?” Tae huffed, glancing at his hyung. The man shrugged, running a hand through his hair.

“I’ve been the side-chick before Tae,” he murmured softly, “maybe I should be mad… but I understand what it feels like.”

He opened his mouth but shut it when Yoongi entered the living room. The man had been distressed, but now he seemed to have relaxed slightly. He grinned at Hoseok and sat down beside him. Tae watched the two interact, suddenly starting to understand the circumstances of their relationship.

He couldn’t help but wish that someday him and Y/N could be that close.

“And then in the morning the only reason you went over was to see if Jin was still there?” Hobi queried and Taehyung nodded, throwing his head back.

“I just… gosh this is stupid,” he muttered.

“Well,” Yoongi huffed, “mind you, Jin is still Jin. If what I’ve heard is correct, this has been his longest relationship, but he’s normally with girls for a couple weeks. What’s to stop him from cutting her off soon?”

Taehyung wished his heart hadn’t sped up at that idea. It was true, Jin wasn’t exactly known for… permanency. Of course, none of them really were, were they? Jungkook had never been in a relationship and it was a total shock that the boy wasn’t a virgin. Hoseok occasionally went on dates, Jimin hadn’t had an actual relationship since Yoongi left, Namjoon was private about that part of his life, and Taehyung… hell, he only slept around. What was to say he was any better? “Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to date her afterwards,” Yoongi interjected again. Tae glanced up and couldn’t help the frown that came to his face. The blue-haired man just shrugged and when the brunette looked to Hobi, the man refused to meet his gaze. He sighed.

“Well, shit,” he grumbled. He got up, grabbing a coat and heading for the door. When Hobi asked where he was going, he didn’t reply. He’d rather drink his feelings away and get high than deal with it.

He started up the car, heading towards the broken down part of town.

∞∞∞∞∞∞

You hated the night shift. It was empty and lifeless the whole time, no one has ever been wheeled in here, blood gushing from multiple wounds. You couldn’t help but miss the emergency nights you’d had in Seoul. Yes—they were stressful and sometimes caused you to wonder why you ever decided to take this job—but there was always a rush of adrenaline that came with it. Here, you just sat at the receptionist desk, sipping at coffee, and staring at a blank screen.

“Fucking hell,” you groaned, leaning back in you chair. You had taken an extra shift in hopes of forgetting about what had happened at the Tattoo Barn and to, ashamedly admit, avoid Jin. You tried to tell yourself it was because you were too guilty to look him in the eye, but you knew better.

You just didn’t want to see him because after what happened with Tae… you started debating the way your heart raced.

But since the hospital was empty and you had no personal patients, you were left alone with your thoughts and the reception desk. Yuna’s son was sick, so you offered to take her spot instead. You figured it’d be better than just sitting in the hospital, but considering that nobody checked in or out, you were just staring into space. You groaned again and let your head fall onto the counter.

You glanced at your phone and pressed your finger to the home button. You sighed when you saw the message from Jin, telling you good luck. He’d always texted you on your other late night shifts, but this time your heart just didn’t flutter. “It’s just because he’s done it so much now that I’ve gotten used to it,” you thought aloud. You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. Wrong. You had a feeling that if Taehyung texted you, your heart would probably explode. “Emotions shouldn’t change that fast though! I really liked Jin, how can I so easily switch to Tae! Hell, I think at some points I hated that boy.”

You frowned again, there was a thin line between love and hate, wasn’t there?   

“But I don’t love him… do I?”

You went to take a sip of your coffee, but as you brought the cup to your lips you spilled it as a loud shriek split the silence. You jumped up from your chair, almost toppling out of it. A girl covered in tattoos stumbled in, an arm slung over her shoulder as she dragged someone in beside her. You hurried over, wrinkling your nose at the strong scent of weed and alcohol.

“What happened?” You asked when you saw blood and saliva drip from the boy’s mouth.

“I-I don’t know! One second we were all fine and then somebody said something and a fight broke out and I… oh god, there’s so much blood,” she sobbed and you glanced at her and then over your shoulder. You didn’t have your pager on you so you couldn’t call a doctor or a nurse, but you figured you were experienced enough to take care of him for five minutes.

“Help me take him to a room,” you said quickly and grabbed his other arm. The two of you dragged him to the nearest room and dumped him onto the bed. The girl continued to sob and then disappeared into the bathroom, the sounds of retching echoing through the room.

You pulled back the boy’s hood, blinking when you saw a half-passed out Taehyung. You held in your gasp, staring at the open cut that ran over his eyebrow and cheek. His lips were busted and a bruise was starting to form on one of his eyes. Blood was dripping from his lips, dark red sliding down his chin and along his neck, staining the gray t-shirt he wore. He reeked of weed and beer and there were blood spots along his shirt.

“Okay, Tae, I can do this,” you mumbled.

You rustled through the cabinets, pulling out the gauze, antiseptic, needles, and stitches. You may have not graduated, but you’d spent hours learning how to clean wounds and stitch when you dated your ex. He’d done underground boxing and was part of the reason you majored in nursing.

You pressed the gauze into the cut on his forehead, watching as he winced and his eyes flew open, deep eyes meeting yours. He didn’t recognize you, his eyes were still completely dilated, but you were glad to see he was awake. You washed off the blood, cleaning out the wound, and then sanitized the needle. Your teeth tore into your bottom lip as you leaned over him, trying to ignore the way your hands shook.

It took several minutes, but you managed to tightly close up the cut. You cleaned up his lip and then lifted up his, wincing at what you saw. You’d seen awful injuries on your ex, but maybe it was the fact that this boy didn’t choose to get himself hurt. Bruises lined his ribs and stomach and whoever he was going at must’ve been wearings rings. Tiny cuts—nothing too bad—were spread over over the expanse of white and blue skin.

You cleaned up the cuts and then backed away. You didn’t bother to see if the girl was still there or if she’d left. He had to have internal bleeding, especially if he’d been coughing up blood. You’d need a doctor for that.

“Stay awake for me,” you whispered, brushing a thumb over his cheek and before you could overthink, pressed a quick kiss to his cold lips.

When you returned with a doctor and a nurse, you were shoved out of the way as they wheeled him out and to the surgery ward. You sat alone at the desk, arms crossed over yourself. You sighed, fingering your scrubs and then reached for your phone. You debated calling Jin, but then decided against it.

“Hobi? Hey, um… there’s been an accident with Tae,” you mumbled into the phone, trying not to let the sound of your tears through. The man replied in a flurry of cusses and random words and you could hear him fumbling around in the background. The only thing you got from it that he would be there soon.

And sure enough, he was. The red-haired man came running in, Yoongi hot on his heels. He asked you if he could see his roommate, but when you shook your head, he opted for nearly leaping over the desk to hug you. He wasn’t crying, but he was shaking like crazy. You bit your lip and then decided against fighting your emotions. You sobbed into his chest, pulling at his jacket.

You knew why you were so scared, you knew why it hurt to even see him like that, but you kept it inside and didn’t say anything. Several minutes later the other boys arrived. The seven of you sat in silence as you waited for the surgery to finish and for Tae to come up from under the anesthesia.

Morning came and you woke up, your neck sore and head pounding. You fell asleep against Jin in the uncomfortable waiting chairs. Hoseok shook you awake, saying that Tae was finally up and the nurse said he could see him as long as a staff member was present. You groaned and then led the man towards his room. You stepped in, avoiding the brunette’s stare.

Silence filled the room for only a moment before Hoseok exploded.

“You dumbass! God, you should be super fucking glad that you’re already injured or else I would actually beat you. How many times have I told you that those people are terrible influences and that you shouldn’t hang out with them? It’s an actual ass miracle that one of them had the brains to not let you bleed out all over the floor. What would you have done… what would I have done if you died?” He snapped, his voice breaking once he finished his rant. He marched over to the side of Tae’s bed and you prepared yourself to step in, but the older man just stared down at his friend. Hoseok sighed and then fell into the chair beside the bed. “I’m so fucking glad you’re alive. We all are.”

You nodded and finally found the guts to approach the bed. The boy glanced up at you and you smiled weakly at him. He blinked and then glanced down at your hands that fidgeted with the bed sheets. His hand reached out for yours, but when he stopped halfway you reached forward and grasped his cut up hand. You stroked your thumb over his knuckles, feeling the broken skin with a shudder.

“You gonna say anything?” He asked with a broken laugh. You shrugged and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I don’t think I need to reprimand you…” you said softly and then met his gaze. “But I swear, if you ever bleed on my scrubs again I’ll fight you at 3 AM.”

Tae smiled and then looked down at your intertwined hands. Part of you knew that you should pull your hand away, you were still dating Jin, but you couldn’t find the strength to do it. Then you sighed and glanced out the window. The sun was out and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. You smiled.

3 weeks later…

“Hello there.”

You sighed and glanced over your shoulder as Taehyung approached you. You were struggling to take your groceries into your house. The boy grinned at you when you dropped your keys for the umpteenth time and when you just pouted at them. He slowly walked over, picked up the keys for you, and opened the door. You hated the way that he stood so close.

You waltzed into your house, the boy following you. It was a late Friday night. You’d been trying to avoid Tae since his accident, but you were nice to him when you saw each other. Of course, you’d also been avoiding Jin, and you hated the relief that had swept through you when your boyfriend told you he was going home to visit his parents for a week.

“What do you want, Tae?” You murmured quietly, glancing at him over your shoulder. Your eyes gravitated towards his lips, but you forced yourself to meet his burning stare.

“Can’t a friend say hello once in a while? I mean, you did save my life… that sort of makes us buddies for life, right?” He said with a grin, sitting down at your kitchen table like he owned the fucking place. You frowned at him and fought the urge to flip him off.

“Don’t talk like that,” you snapped, practically throwing your groceries on the counter. A low chuckle came from him and you despised the shivers it sent down your spine.

“Right, I forgot that we could never really be friends… because of that incident,” his voice dropped an octave when he reminded you of that night. You pursed your lips, pinching your eyes shut.

His roughs hand gripped at your waist, the two of you tumbling back onto the hospital bed. He hovered over you, his lips ghosting yours with a coy smirk. You glared at him, locking your hands in his hair and pulling him close. Your lips crashed together in a blaze of teeth and tongues.

“Is it just that hard to look at me and not remember that?”

He practically ripped off your pants, his fingers immediately pressing into your folds through your panties. You whimpered, your hips bucking up into his touch. He groaned, pressing kisses down your neck. He moved your panties to the side, one thick finger dipping into your core. You both groaned at the feeling and he pushed in, curling his fingers right into the perfect spot. You mewled beneath him, begging for more.

“Don’t play this game with me, Tae.”

He stretched you out, wasting not time adding two more fingers and scissoring them inside you. Your hands tangled themselves in his hair and you watched his face as he focused his sole attention on the way his fingers pumped in and out of your pussy. He grinned at the sight of your juices leaking out around his thick digits, staining the sheets and your panties.

“What game do you think I’m playing, sweets?”

He pressed the head of his cock against you, glancing at you one more time. His teeth dug into his lip and he pushed in swiftly. You gasped at the feeling and he let out a deep breath. You arched your back, trying to someone take him deeper even though it didn’t feel possible.

“God sweets, you’re so tight.”

He started thrusting slowly but as you continued to whimper underneath him, begging him over and over to go faster, he complied. His thrusts became rough and he was so fucking precise with his movement. Almost all the way out and then right into your cervix, yours hips smashing together.

“I’m dating your friend, Taehyung!”

“Oh, ruin me Tae!” He grinned, nipping at your neck. His thrusts became more erratic as your walls tightened around him and the both of you were approaching your highs. He gasped, whispering a praise under his breath. You squirmed, tightening around him and white exploding in your vision as you came undone beneath him. He jerked his head back, release filling you up.

“You didn’t seem to care about that then.”

The two of you laid side by side in bed. His arm was wrapped around your waist and your head rested on his shoulder. You’d attempted at cleaning up, but you were still covered in sweat and the both of you reeked of sex. You sighed, glancing up at him.

“This can’t happen again, Tae,” you murmured, tracing patterns on his chest.

“But why—”

“You know why,” you huffed, sitting up in bed. You pulled your scrubs back on, glancing at him over your shoulder. “We won’t talk about this, ever.

“It’d be best if we try not to see each other often after this.”

He opened his mouth again, but you beat him to it.

“Dammit, Tae, get out!” You snapped, your hand slamming down on the table. His eyes widened as you glared at him. You so desperately wanted to be with him, constantly, but you couldn’t. He would ruin you.

Hell, he already had.

“Just leave Tae… I don’t want…” you trailed off, fighting back the tears that built up. “I don’t want anything you have to offer.”

He sighed and you turned away as he left.

Hello there.

A/N: lmao, I’m sorry, I know this isn’t the ending you wanted

#bts #kpop #bangtan #bangtan boys #bts x reader #taehyung x reader #kim taehyung x reader #tae x reader #v x reader #taehyung x reader smut #v x reader smut #taehyung smut #kim taehyung smut #tae smut #v smut #taehyung short story #bts smut #bts oneshot #bts short story #bts x reader smut #ziv

[amercsmemoirs]

The Handful and The Healer

Chapter 1: The Fateful Encounter 

AO3

Anders checked the time. 5:03am. Time to check on his newest patient. His ID said Damien Amell, and he was rushed in with alcohol poisoning. Anders pumped his stomach and got him an IV and, after some pain killers, went to sleep. Anders hadn't had much time to talk to him, but on a Wednesday night, there weren't that many people who needed emergency care.

Anders picked up the clipboard on the end of Damien's bed and examined his sleeping patient. Damien's face scrunched and he groaned. He blinked, and his eyes opened and - wow. Grey eyes. Anders had never met anyone with grey eyes; the few born with it typically develop some pigment as a toddler.

Anders was snapped from his train of thought when Damien started coughing. Anders looked over and Damien was sitting upright, hand at his throat.

"Side effect of the stomach pumping, unfortunately," Anders explained. "It's going to be a little hard for you to talk for a while."

"Heh, no kidding," Damien said. His voice was raspy and hoarse, and it probably hurt to even say that, but he still had a weak smile.

"How are you feeling? One word answers are fine," Anders added quickly.

"Hm. Better than yesterday," Damien croaked. "You sure did look surprised when you saw me wake up, doc. Was I that bad?"

"No - And you can call me Anders. You’re just awake earlier than I expected you’d be."

Damien’s face broke out in a grin.

"Heh, thanks. This isn’t my first rodeo, you know.” Then he coughed.

At that, Anders chuckled. His patient was resilient, he’ll give him that much.

"So, was last night a special occasion?" Anders asked.

Damien's head tilted in confusion. Anders's brows furrowed. Maybe he should rephrase the question?

"You know... the binge drinking?" Anders motioned to the hospital bed Damien was laying in.

Damien looked down at the bed and then realization struck.

"Oh! Hah, no, just a regular Wednesday night," Damien answered with a grin. "What, are you new here?"

Anders was completely baffled. How was he the one getting such a I-can't-believe-you-didn't-know-this look from someone binge drinking on a Wednesday night?

"I, uh ... I just transferred here last week from Fereldan. So yeah, I guess you can say I'm new."

Damien's face broke out in a grin. "Welcome to Kirkwall! You seem like a handsome, capable doctor. Why do you work at the smallest hospital in Low Town?"

Anders blinked. Was his patient ... hitting on him?

Damien's toothy grin really made Anders noticed his well-defined cheekbones, and his white teeth really shone next to his dark skin. Huh.

"Oh you know, the old story of med school debts, constant failure, and avoiding the problem. Kirkwall's Lowtown seemed a good place to start over."

Damien's expression darkened as he nodded solemnly. Like he understood where Anders was coming from.

"Where did you go to medical school?"

"Oh! Uh, I didn't. My older brother - he just graduated a few years ago."

"Does he work here?" Anders hadn't seen anyone who looked anything like Damien, but it's possible they just worked opposite shifts.

"Oh, no, he's one of those fancy doctors at that Amell Hospital in High Town," Damien responded casually. But also like he was surprised Anders didn't know that, either. "He's - oh, he's here."

Anders turned around and saw a tall man with shoulder length dreads making a beeline straight towards them. And he was tall. 6'4'' maybe? He probably towered over everyone. Broad shouldered, muscular - he was a doctor? That's insane -

Damien grunted as he threw his legs over the edge of his bed.

"Hey, you shouldn't be moving yet -"

"Damien!"

The man reached them and man, was he tall. And big. And looked incredibly haggard. Bags under his eyes, premature wrinkles. When was the last time this man slept?

The tired looking man pushed up the sleeves of his button up shirt as he pushed past Anders to examine his brother.

"Hey Zeke," Damien said as 'Zeke' turned his face back and forth.

"What's your temperature?," he asked, forgoing a greeting.

"Haven't had the chance to ask." Damien looked a little amused.

"Blood pressure? Last night's blood-alcohol content?"

"I'm pretty sure a doctor would know better than I would. Just ask Anders."

"Damien, please. At least call him 'Doctor'," 'Zeke' said, exasperated.

"Actually, I'm an EMT," Anders interrupted, finally finding his voice.

At that Zeke finally turned to him. It just dawned on him that he probably didn't even see him when he rushed to his brother. He looked him up and down, as if he was suddenly judging him.

"Hello Zeke," Anders began nervously. Damien's eyebrows raised. "I'm Anders. He doesn't have to call me 'doctor'," he added, hand stretched out. "Just my top notch, friendly bedside manner."

"He doesn't have to call you 'doctor'," Zeke agreed, rather coldly. "You aren't one. And it's Ezekiel."

Ouch. Anders lowered his hand.

"Hey, Zeke take it easy - " Damien hopped off the bed - well, less of a hop and more of a plop. He was almost as tall as his brother! And they both were taller than he was. Anders was already almost 6’ -

"We're leaving, Damien.”

As Ezekiel strided past Anders, Anders thought of saying a goodbye - but then thought better of it when he caught a glimpse of Ezekiel’s glower. Damien took two steps after Ezekiel and stopped in front of Anders.

“Yeah … He doesn’t really like it when people call him ‘Zeke’. Sibling privilege, unfair, I know,” Damien mused, patting Anders’s shoulder. This close, Anders could see small, silver lines on his face, marking old scars.

Then Damien winked. “Don’t worry, Anders, you’ll be seeing plenty of me. So you’ll be able to get to know Ezekiel better too! Works out for everyone.”

“Hah. Not too often, I hope?” Anders asked. He wouldn’t mind seeing those grey eyes outside the hospital.

Damien gasped, rather dramatically, and gripped his chest. “Anders! Don’t tell me you’re already tired of me!”

Anders laughed, but before he could get a response out, Ezekiel called for his brother from down the hallway. Damien said his goodbyes and followed his brother out of the hospital. The pair got stares from nurses, doctors, patients - literally everyone they passed on the way out. Ezekiel was cold, but he very clearly dropped everything as soon as he’d heard about his brother. And his brother, Damien … obviously a wild card. Anders felt like Damien walked away knowing more about him than the other way around. But, as extreme as he seemed, he still felt warm and friendly. What an interesting pair.

*~*~

A few hours later, Anders was finishing up his paperwork for the day in the hospital lab. He usually tried to stay out of the lab, but it was usually quieter there than anywhere else. And only doctors had offices. His eyes glanced over his patient list and his eyes caught the name Damien Amell. Why did ‘Amell’ sound so familiar?

“Hey, Bethany,” Anders started. Bethany Hawke was a new intern, fresh out of med school, aspiring to be a doctor. Apparently, she’d shown promise, as Chief of Medicine Orsino had pointed her out to Anders several times since he’s been at the hospital. Anders had to admit, Bethany was quick witted, completed all of her paperwork on time, and had excellent bedside manners. He hadn’t heard a single negative thing about her, and she’d been at this hospital for a few months now.

“Yeah, Anders?” Bethany’s voice rang up from the other side of the desk, behind a stack of papers. The lab wasn’t huge; relatively small for the amount of work they had to get done there, but they had as much equipment as they could fit there. Bethany learned to work around it all pretty quickly, and became pretty adept at stacking what she needed very high.

“What do you know about the ‘Amell’ family?”

“Amell?” She popped her head out from behind the stack and looked over at him. Her dark brown curls bounced as she got up and walked over to him.

“They’re my cousins,” she stated plainly.

“What?” Anders scanned her hazel eyes, trying to see if she was bluffing - but no, people as good as Bethany didn’t bluff.

“Yeah, my mom’s sister and her kids. Ezekiel, Damien, and Claire. Ooh, who did you meet?” She peeked over his shoulder at his paperwork.

“Damien Amell,” Anders answered for her. “And Ezekiel came to pick him up.”

“Oh you met Damien and Zeke!” Bethany exclaimed. Apparently, ‘Zeke’ was okay for siblings and cousins. Anders wondered if Damien knew. “Yeah, Damien is here a lot. It’s pretty much the only way to get Zeke to leave the hospital.”

“What hospital? Damien told me he was a doctor, but I don’t remember which one.”

“Are you kidding?” Bethany looked him up and down, an incredulous tone in her voice. Why did everyone in this family do that to him? “Ezekiel is the chief physician at the Amell Hospital. It’s the biggest and oldest hospital in Kirkwall.”

Now that was something Anders should have known. Maker, the Amell Hospital was huge. And cutthroat. Anders would be lucky to even get an interview. And yet, he did not envy Ezekiel. Even being born into the family, maybe even especially, getting the Chief of Medicine position was not going to be easy. And he still dropped everything to pick up his brother on the other side of town?

“That’s crazy,” Anders started, barely able to wrap his head around this new information. “Why is Damien so … out of control if he’s the son of the Revka Amell? How is he in and out of a rival hospital on a regular basis? Why is Ezekiel risking his position at the most prestigious hospital in the Free Marches to pick up his brother from a hospital? And why aren’t you working at your cousin’s hospital?”

Bethany laughed, her brown skin wrinkling at her eyes. Even her laugh was light and airy.

“Well, Damien has already established with Auntie Rev that he’s not going to be a doctor, and she’s already publicly disowned him. And I would barely call this place a ‘rival hospital.’ Ezekiel spends almost every day of the week in the hospital, doing Auntie Rev’s bidding so he can take over the hospital. So he can spare a day or two to spend with family. And me, I just like helping people. Amell Hospital doctors are a little too … ‘out for themselves’ for me. Except for Zeke, of course,” she added.

That gave Anders pause. That family was so complex, with so many different pieces to the puzzle. Oh, Maker. What had Anders learned?

“Why all the questions, hm? Interested in one of them?” Bethany teased. And she didn’t even sound malicious.

“Huh?” The question caught him off guard. Interested? In whom, exactly?

“Honestly, nearly everyone here wants to get Zeke, somehow.” Bethany seemed to shudder at the thought. “Don’t feel bad about it, but you’d have a long line of doctors and nurses to get through to get to him.” Another laugh.

“No, I’m not interested in Ezekiel, I was just - curious. There’s so much more going on than I’d thought.”

None of that was a lie, really. He just didn’t feel like it was the whole truth for some reason. Not that it mattered; the work he had was more important that this dysfunctional family.

“That’s fair. They are a bit of a mess.” She grinned a little sheepishly. “Well, I’m gonna finish my lab work, unless you had more questions about my cousins?”

Anders chuckled. “No, no. Sorry for taking up so much of your time.”

“No worries!”

She returned to her side of the desk and disappeared behind the stack of papers. He decided to return to his paperwork, as well. Damien Amell. Huh. Well, he’d rather not gonna worry about it right now. If he runs into him again, he’ll consider giving the Amells a second thought.

*~*~

Anders had about a week of normal, adrenaline rushing EMT work before Damien showed up again.

Over the weekend, the work picked up of course; bar fights, car accidents, self-repair mishaps. Nothing out of the ordinary for Kirkwall. He’d spent a few days recuperating at home with his new kitten, Ser-Pounce-A-Lot, and tending to the herb garden he’d set up in his kitchen. He was renting a small apartment in Lowtown, the most reasonable space he could think of given his workplace and his salary, and there wasn’t much room for greenery. However, modern inventions had created things like hanging pot racks and window sills, so Anders made do with what he had.

Then, Thursday night around 7:50pm, Anders was paged to go down to the ER to patch up a street market brawl patient. Apparently, the patient was jumped by four other men, all of whom were in surgery or getting stitches, but they just needed a few wounds sewed up. In hindsight, Anders felt like he really shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was to see Damien in the hospital bed. And to see that he was chatting with an elven nurse he seemed to know really well.

“You really didn’t need to involve yourself, you know,” she was saying as she wiped the blood off his face.

Damien winced. “They were giving Isabela a hard time! And they were drunk at like, 5 in the afternoon!”

The nurse - Anders recognized her as Velanna Ilshae - shook her head. “It was seven in the evening -” Damien protested. “And Isabela can handle herself. You and Carver got too involved.”

Damien looked fake appalled. “And what kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed a lady to be verbally accosted on my watch?”

Velanna stared at him for a few seconds and then smacked his nose.

“Hey!” Damien rubbed his nose and turned to see Anders at his bed. “Anders!” Damien grinned at him, then winced - Anders could tell that probably wasn’t the best idea. There were cuts on his cheeks, near his jawline - likely from multiple rings - and bruises up and down his arms. Whoever he’d fought against had to have been shorter than him. But realistically, who wasn’t? Anders wouldn’t be surprised if he had a fractured rib, honestly.

“Hello again, Damien.” Anders couldn’t help but smile just a little.

“Anders, please talk to Nurse Ilshae about her bedside manners. She just assaulted a bedridden patient!”

Velanna and Anders made eye contact and her expression completely gave off the idea that she would not care about what he had to say about that. Better to leave it alone.

“I can take it from here, Velanna,” he said instead.

She nodded and put the gauze down. Damien waved goodbye as she went to check on another patient.

“So is this a typical Thursday night?” Anders asked as he settled in Velanna’s spot. Those cuts were going to need cleaning and stitches.

“Hah!” Damien laughed, quite cheerfully actually, and then winced again. “Ow! Uh, no. While I do like to keep things interesting, this was more of a night out with friends after work.”

“That’s not very reassuring.” Anders finished cleaning Damien’s face and picked up the butterfly stitches.

Ander would have to get up close and personal to fix up Damien’s face. Time to put that top notch bedside manner to work.

“So, I met your cousin Bethany last week. Well, I’d met her before but I didn’t know she was your cousin. Your families are pretty well established here.”

Damien nodded instead of responding. He was either not good with needles or he knew the routine when someone is sticking his face back together. Probably both.

As Anders finished, he saw Damien’s hand reach up towards his face. Anders suddenly understood how Velanna got comfortable with smacking him.

“Don’t touch.”

Damien’s hand lowered quickly and Anders moved to stitch up the other side.

“But, you wouldn’t know how well established you and Bethany are just by looking at you. You’re both incredibly humble.”

Damien stifled a chuckle. Anders finished the other cheek and wiped the remaining blood off his patients face.

“So, where do you work?”

“The Bone Pit Construction Company,” Damien responded with a grin.

“The - The old mining facility?”

“Hah, yeah, crazy name right? Apparently, it decided to go into construction,” Damien explained. “The owner just didn’t feel like changing the name, I guess?”

“Huh. Well, I’m not too confident about you working in a construction zone with your injuries. I can write you a doctor’s note to get out of work for a few days.”

Damien shook his head. “No, don’t worry about it. I own the place, so I pretty much just bark orders.”

“Aren’t you a little young to own a construction company?”

Anders knew from his ID that he was only 24. Two years younger than Anders and yet so much taller.

“You’re telling me. But, you do a few favors for the owner, clean up some messes, uncover a few murder mysteries, and suddenly they just want nothing to do with the place. So it’s mine now, I guess.” Damien shrugged, then grabbed his side.

That didn’t sound right to Anders, but he didn’t know enough business ownership laws to argue.

“Sure. Alright take a deep breath for me.”

Anders put his stethoscope on and listened to Damien’s breathing. Nothing sounded out of the ordinary, though his heart rate was a little faster than normal.

“Are you feeling alright?” Anders asked.

“Yeah? I mean, relatively speaking. Could be better, could be worse.”

Damien sounded pretty calm.

“It’s just, your heartbeat is a little fast.”

“Oh! Uh, really? That’s, uh, strange, I feel fine. Hey, why were you using a needle earlier? You’re an EMT right? I thought they couldn’t do anything that breaks the skin.”

Was he changing the subject? Anders really didn’t know him well enough to tell if this was him being embarrassed or nervous or if he was just like that.

“Don’t tell me I make you nervous, Damien,” Anders teased. “This is a small hospital and since all of our doctors are taking care of their patients or the men you beat up, I can bend the rules a little.”

“Hm, you should have seen Carver,” Damien said. “He got away without a scratch. He’s Bethany’s twin, by the way.” Anders’s brows shot up. “Yeah, I figured you didn’t know.” Damien grinned yet again.

“Are there any other family members I should know about?” Anders couldn’t keep the exasperation out of his voice, but Maker, did Damien have a lot of relatives.

Damien laughed heartily - and then groaned in pain. Yeah, probably a bruised rib. “Uh, let’s see - Zeke, me, and Claire. And Bethany and Carver have two older sisters, Amber and Alexis. But uh, yeah, that’s it, I’m pretty sure. Do you not have siblings?”

Anders was taken aback by the question. It wasn’t out of line or anything, but Damien’s voice suddenly carried interest and concern. It was unexpected.

“No, I’m, uh, an only child. My parents passed away about a year ago. It’s actually why I was gone for a while.”

“Oh - And I kept making jokes. Sorry - well, sorry for your loss.”

Damien’s voice dropped a little and he looked so concerned and why was Anders even telling him this?

“Don’t worry about it. We weren’t that close. They weren’t too fond of me after I dropped out of med school.”

There was also the whole, preferred-sleeping-with-men thing, but Anders didn’t feel compelled to share that with this near stranger. But then Damien nodded like he understood.

“Yeah that’ll make someone’s parents disown them if they aren’t too careful.”

“Speaking from experience?” Anders asked.

“No, not uh, mine. Zeke went through a lot with Revka.”

“Revka.” Not “mom.”

“Well, I do not envy Ezekiel’s position.” Anders picked up Damien’s patient clipboard and started writing. “You seem fine, other than needing stitches, and your rib is likely just bruised. Nothing’s been punctured or broken, but you should still get some anti-inflammatory medication and keep your side iced for a few days. You should be fine. Also, here’s a doctor’s note anyway,” Anders added, handing him the paper. “You know, just in case you’d like to take a few days from your highly exciting lifestyle.”

Damien chuckled. “Thanks, Anders. I’ll definitely consider that.”

“So is your brother picking you up? I figured he’d show by now.”

If Anders didn’t know any better, he would have sworn Damien’s face fell for the briefest moment.

“Who knows. Maybe they told him it was just a fist fight and I wasn’t dying this time,” he responded casually.

“That would make sense -”

“Nevermind, there he is.”

Damien motioned behind Anders and there was Ezekiel, striding down the hallway to them. Again, Ezekiel pushed past Anders to get to Damien. Anders was convinced he was invisible or something.

“Hey, Zeke.” Damien wore a sheepish grin. “What took so long? We were scared you’d forgotten about me.”

Ezekiel frowned but didn’t dignify that with a response.

“Are you alright?” The older brother was eyeing the stitches on his brother’s cheeks. Maker, Anders didn’t want to know what he’d say if Ezekiel learned he did it and not a certified doctor.

“Yeah I’m fine. Carver is too,” Damien added.

Ezekiel’s teeth clenched. “Carver was with you? Is he here - Is he hurt?”

“No, no, bro, relax. Carver didn’t get a scratch on him. He dropped me off at the hospital and then took Isabela home.” Damien placed his hands on his brothers shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. It looked like that worked.

“Isabela was there too? What, did someone ‘verbally accost’ her again?”

Damien laughed and grabbed his side. “Aaah. Ow. Yeah. Those men are also here, if you were interested in knowing that.”

Ezekiel paused for a second. He seemed to be considering if he cared? Maybe? “I wasn’t. Who did your stitches?”

Damien pointed behind Ezekiel at Anders. “Anders the EMT.” Damien grinned.

Ezekiel turned and looked at Anders for the first time. Yeah, he was definitely invisible to this giant. Ezekiel looked almost the same as last week; bags under his eyes like he hadn’t had a good night’s rest in years, a few lines on his face, and - sunken cheeks? Was he getting enough to eat? The clothes were different, at least. White, purple, and grey plaid button up with black slacks.

“Anders.”

“Hello, Ezekiel.” Anders didn’t want to risk saying more than that after last week’s interaction.

Ezekiel and Damien exchanged a meaningful look and then Ezekiel sighed and turned back to Anders.

“The stitches look - good. Like they won’t get infected.”

Damien groaned loudly and Anders held back a laugh. He had to assume that was Ezekiel’s version of a compliment.

“Uh, thank you. I do my best with what we have. It’s not Amell quality resources, but we get by.” Anders smiled.

Ezekiel frowned and Damien grimaced and - Did Anders say something wrong?

“Right. We should get going, Damien.”  

Ezekiel walked by Anders down the hallway.

Damien got off the bed with that same grimace and stood next to Anders.

“You weren’t wrong, but you shouldn’t have said it. Zeke’s actually convinced Revka to donate supplies to Kirkwall’s hospitals twice a year. So some of this stuff is Amell quality.”

Anders could have kicked himself. Of course that sounded bitter.

“Can you tell him -”

“You’re sorry you said something so hurtful in your ignorance and hope to make it up to him?”

Anders suppressed a frown. “The first bit is more accurate.”

“Heh, alright. I can pass that along. Take care, Anders.”

Damien patted Anders’s shoulder and caught up with his brother, saying something about grabbing dinner before going home.

Just like last time, heads turned as they made their way out the building. Anders was impressed, just like last time, but he was starting to understand why. Sure, Ezekiel was definitely a catch, but Damien had his own charms. He was quick witted and funny and could take a punch, apparently. Actually, a great deal of pain, as many times he’s been in the hospital.

Anders called a nurse to clean what was left of Damien’s blood and moved on to the next patient.

*~*~

Anders strode through the hallway to the break room as quickly as he could. Doctors and nurses flitted about, rushing from one room to another, administering flu shots and changing bandages. It was a Tuesday afternoon and there were a lot of people in the ER with flu symptoms. Some just had stab wounds (this was Lowtown) but more than the usual were sick. He’d already been working since 10am and it was already 3pm. And he was starving. If he could just make it to the break room he’d be in the clear -

“Anders!”

Maker’s balls.

Anders stopped and turned to see Velanna flagging him down.

“Hey, I need you to take over a patient in the clinic for me.”

“Why, Velanna?”

“Because it’s time for my shift to be over.” Velanna crossed her arms, daring him to challenge her.

“Velanna, I’ve been here since 10 and I haven’t eaten -”

“Anders, I’ve been here since last night and I was called in to help with the sudden wave of sick people and I had to cancel a date with a handsome man to stay here.”

Anders glared at her and her superior smirk and gave up. It wasn’t his first full shift without eating and probably wouldn’t be his last.

“Fine. Whatever.”

“Thank you so much, Anders,” Velanna said sarcastically. She patted his arm once as they passed each other. He groaned in response and headed to the clinic.

----

Anders grabbed the clipboard in front of the door and knocked. This patient was diagnosed with a bruised rib and needed a follow up, but they weren’t sick, at least. He heard a voice confirm his entry and opened the door.

“Hey Anders!”

Anders looked up at the cheerful voice and there was Damien, leaning back on his elbows in the bed. His red shirt was torn just above his bicep and was tucked into his black jeans. Damien sat up as Anders crossed the room to him.

“Of course it’s you.” Anders sighed.

“Oh - yeah, sorry, it’s just me,” Damien responded despondently. “Didn’t really mean to bug you again -”

“No, no. No. Sorry Damien,” Anders cut him off. “I’m glad to see you - especially since it’s not in the ER.”

“Yeah, just a follow up, doc.” Damien seemed to be proud of that.

“I’m just really tired and starving and Velanna fed me some story about having to cancel a date with some guy and I just realized it was all a ploy to get me here -”

“She told you she cancelled a date with a guy?” Damien asked, incredulous. “She has a girlfriend, Anders. They hang out with Bethany and Claire sometimes. I’ve even seen them go on double dates with Carver and Merrill. Her name is Sigrun, I think?”

Anders pinched the bridge of nose in frustration. Velanna lied to get him in room with Damien. Why?

“Right. Of course. Just to mess with me I’m sure.”

“No! No, that’s not why - uh, look Anders I don’t wanna impose but -”

“Yes, right, your ribcage. Let me check you out.” Anders approached Damien and poked Damien’s ribcage and he jumped a little, but no groaning, no wincing.

“Your ribs are okay?”

Damien nodded and Anders examined his face - thin, dark lines replaced the red ones from a week ago. Damien’s arms weren’t bruised anymore either.

“You’re all healed up. This is literally the first time I’ve seen you uninjured. Why are you here then?”

“Right, yeah, hang on.”

Anders took a step back as Damien got off the bed and picked up a bag from the floor. He pulled out a small container of pasta, a smaller container filled with - maybe meat? - and a third full of red sauce.

Damien couldn’t be doing what Anders thought he was doing…. Could he?

“I don’t want you to feel like this is a bribe, or anything - I just made dinner last night and I figured you would need something to eat or whatever. I wanted to give this to you whether or not you said yes - Also I wasn’t sure if you ate meat? And I didn’t want to assume, so there’s vegetarian red sauce and some chicken -”

Damien went on and on with increasing nervousness and Anders just couldn’t wrap his head around this. Damien asked Velanna to get Anders into the clinic so Damien could bring him food and - what else?

“Damien, Damien,” Anders interrupted him. Damien stopped talking almost immediately. “What are you trying to say?”

“That, uh, this is your lunch that I made whether or not you say ‘yes.’ I mean - if you want it.” Damien extended the containers to Anders.

“Okay. Thank you, Damien,” Anders started, as he took the containers. “Say yes to what?”

“I was hoping that, maybe on your next off day or something, maybe you and I can … you know … go out to dinner? Or, like, lunch or a movie or something.”

Anders blinked. He went through all of this to ask him out?

“And if you don’t want to it’s fine! I’ll leave and you won’t have to see me again.” Damien paused. “Well, you will see me again, ‘cause I’m here a lot, but not like, in a ‘potentially romantic’ situation -”

“Damien. You’re rambling.” Anders couldn’t hold back a grin. When was the last time he was asked out on a date? Couldn’t even remember the last time he asked someone else. Maker, was he being courted? He suddenly felt nervous.

“Mhm.” Damien stopped talking again.

“I’d be glad to go on a date with you. One thing though; it’ll just be you and me, right? No family members?”

Damien’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and then he laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Just you and me. No family.”

“Then I’ll let you know when I’m free.” Anders smiled up at Damien and might have even thought he was blushing. Maker, he was too old to blush.

“That’s - Awesome! Great! Can’t wait!” Damien leaned in towards Anders, like he was going for a hug but then decided not to. “I’ll, uh see you around!”

Damien grabbed the bag and his jacket and bounded out the door. Anders looked over the stack of containers he’d gotten. How could anyone be so sweet?

And then he realized he didn’t have Damien’s number. So sweet and so impulsive. Anders supposed he could get Damien’s number from Velanna or Bethany -

Then he saw black writing on the largest container:

My brother’s number: (xxx) xxx-xxxx -Ezekiel

#dragon age 2 #anders #anders x m!warden #male amell #Damien Amell #Ezekiel Amell #Velanna #Bethany Hawke #this is like 16 pages #i wrote it in two days #i think my writing is better when i get it all out at once?? #and i dont overthink things??? #anyway i guess #this is officially my #Hot Mess AU #i saw a list and scrolled through it and didnt actually read it #but i glimpsed at this #and Damien is a hot mess(TM) #so here we are #anyway ......................... #enjoy

[visions-skam]

CHAPTER 3

friday, october 28 here-alessia cara That evening, Sana rummaged through her closet to find something to wear. She pulled out loose black clothes and a long black jacket. She pulled them on, wrapped a black scarf around her head, and applied dark lipstick. She went downstairs. Her parents were sitting at the table talking about the wedding they were going to that night and Elias was looking at his phone. When Sana entered the room, Elias stood up. “What are you supposed to be dressed as?” he asked quizzically. Sana rolled her eyes. “I’m a witch. Or a wizard. Or… something.” Elias chuckled. “No, you’re not,” he said. “That’s just your regular clothes. You didn’t put any effort into that whatsoever.” Sana scoffed. “Yeah, okay, says the boy wearing a t-shirt and jeans. What are you supposed to be, a straight-C student with no game?” Their parents laughed at this. “It’s not just any t-shirt, Sana,” Elias replied, brushing off her insult. “It has a werewolf on it. I’m a werewolf.” _

Sana, Yousef, and Elias arrived at Ingrid’s house at nine o’clock. By that time, the party was in full swing. The bass of the music could be heard halfway down the block. Range Rovers, BMWs, and Mercedes Benzes were parked haphazardly on the curb. People were scattered all over the front lawn. Some scantily clad sophomores were already passed out on the grass, blackout drunk after consuming copious amounts of alcohol within a short period of time. A few guys were sitting on the porch, each swigging from a four-hundred-dollar vodka bottle. The ornately carved front door was wide open. No one was guarding it, and there probably wasn’t anyone there sober enough to recognize an intruder anyway. Yousef and Elias balked at the scene before them. They weren’t exactly the coolest students at Beacon Hills High, and this was the first time they’d ever gone to a gathering like this. Sana was unfazed. She was used to the rampant debauchery of wild and glitzy parties. She’d hung out with the “popular crowd” since ninth grade, and she was used to their behavior. She made sure her phone was tucked in her pocket and made her way to the door. Elias and Yousef caught up with her when they snapped out of their awe. “So these kids are just drinking out in the open? Where are their parents?” Yousef asked. Sana shrugged. “Their parents give them money so they don’t feel guilty about ignoring them, and they're too busy with their own lives to really care.” Elias and Yousef looked at each other in disbelief. They shook their heads and followed Sana inside. When they stepped through the threshold, they were greeted with the heavy scent of alcohol. The air was hazy with marijuana smoke. Rap music pulsed from the speakers and reverberated through the house. People were practically fornicating on the leather sectional sofa. Yousef spotted a girl throwing up in a potted plant. A sloppy-drunk blonde wearing cat ears and an impossibly short miniskirt stumbled into Elias, grinned, and kissed him on the lips. Some of Karl’s friends from the lacrosse team were cheering on a guy doing a keg stand. A few people were lying on the floor. They looked unconscious, but no one seemed concerned. The frenzied, almost Saturnalian atmosphere was overwhelming for the two boys. Elias and Yousef looked around wide-eyed. Sana giggled. “You two are sweet. Come on, let’s get something to drink.” They made their way to the kitchen. Inside, they were greeted with the sight of Sara doing a striptease on top of the island. Her boyfriend of the moment was emptying a bottle of liquor into the punch bowl. Sana turned around to face her brother and his best friend. “Okay,” she said. “Looks like we’re not getting anything to drink.” Yousef and Elias laughed. They went back out to the living room and squeezed between two couples to sit on the couch. “So,” Sana asked. “How are you guys enjoying your first real high school party so far?” They paused and surveyed the room. “It’s…” Yousef trailed off. “It’s really… something,” Elias finished. Sana laughed. Yousef studied her while she did. He noticed the way the corners of her eyes crinkled. And the sound of her laugh, he thought, was lovely. She was lovely. “You look…” he paused. “You look really pretty Sana.” Sana smiled and spoke softly. “Thank you. That means… that means a lot.” They stared at each other for a while, silently. They were lost in their own world, exchanging words far beyond those they had spoken aloud. Elias cleared his throat. Yousef and Sana snapped out of their silence. Their cheeks colored. Elias looked at them suspiciously. “Hey, Yousef,” he said. “Stop flirting with my sister, man.” _

After the awkwardness with Yousef and her brother, Sana rose from the sofa and decided to walk around. It was ten o’clock, and she hadn’t even seen Laila yet. She passed the bathroom and paused before it. She contemplated going inside, locking the door, and performing her ablution as a precursor to prayer. She had done it before at parties like this, and she was sure she could find an empty room upstairs to pray in (if they weren’t all occupied by horny teenagers). As she was about to open the door, she heard a long, high-pitched moan from inside. Sana walked away quickly, grateful for an excuse not to pray, no matter how flimsy it was. A floret of guilt blossomed in her stomach. She knew she should want to pray, and she did. She just hadn’t done it in so long, she thought it might feel wrong, or different, or that she would mess it up somehow- Ingrid bumped into Sana, interrupting her train of thought. She was wearing stiletto heels as part of her slutty nurse costume and she couldn’t steady herself. She was breathing heavily, and Sana got a whiff of Jack Daniels on her breath. “Hey Sana,” Ingrid said. Her words were slurred. She grabbed Sana’s face with her hands. “You’re such a good person, Sana. You’re such a good friend. You would tell. You wouldn’t let him get away with this...” She hiccuped and trailed off, her tear-filled eyes glittering in the darkness. Sana nodded and walked away, dismissing Ingrid’s words as inebriated nonsense. She spotted a girl who looked like Laila sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Her face was illuminated by the glow from her cell phone. It was hard to tell whether or not it was really her, as she was one of the few people that had actually put effort into their costume. The girl was wearing a pastel-colored wig and pink swirls were painted on her face. Sana stepped over a passed out lacrosse player and approached her. “Laila?” she asked. The girl looked up and broke into a smile. “Sana, hi,” she answered. “I’m so glad you’re here. This party…” she looked around the room, unsure of how to finish the sentence. “It sucks,” Sana said. “I haven’t been to one of these since last year. I’d almost forgotten how bad they were. If I had remembered, I would’ve suggested we go somewhere actually fun.” Laila laughed. “Well, I mean, it hasn’t been a complete waste. I did see two girls do body shots off of each other and then throw up in each other’s mouths.” “Ah,” Sana said, a grimace clear on her face. “How… classy.” Laila surveyed the room again. “There wasn’t anything like this where I moved here from. Or… anywhere that I’ve ever lived, for that matter.” Sana saw this as an opportunity to get to know Laila a little better. “And where you moved here from - where is that?” “Um, Bakersfield. And Chicago before that. And… so many other places.” She paused reflectively. “Too many to count.” Laila was silent for a second and then spoke. “I was born in Kenya. We moved to the United States when I was two years old. My parents and my aunt, they speak of Kenya with such fondness, but… I don’t even remember it.” She bit her lip and stopped talking again. At that moment, Elias walked up to them. Yousef followed behind. “Hey, Sana,” he said. He turned to Laila. “Hi…” he paused, waiting for her to fill in with her name. “It’s Laila,” she said, a small smile on her face. “Laila,” Elias repeated softly. He spoke gently, as if savoring the syllables on his lips. Laila smiled wider at this. No one had ever said her name like that. She liked it. “Hey,” Elias said. He was talking to all of them, but looking directly at Laila. “Do you want to get out of here?” Laila grinned even wider. Sana thought that if Elias said anything else, her lips might split. Laila was about to respond, but the trill of her ringtone stopped her. She looked down at the screen and was about to decline the call when she saw the name on the caller ID. Her eyes clouded. “I have to take this,” she said slowly. She got up and stepped away, pressing the phone to her ear. Yousef and Sana immediately faced Elias, whose eyes had followed Laila. Sana cleared her throat and looked at her brother expectantly. Elias turned back to them. “What?” he asked, his gaze darting back and forth between the two. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Sana arched an eyebrow knowingly. “Hey, we’re just… curious,” Yousef responded. “It’s not every day that Elias Bakkoush falls in love.” He said the last word in a sing-songy voice. Elias let out a breath. “What? No, no, I just met her. I didn’t even know her name until a minute ago,” he protested. “I think it’s love at first sight…” Sana and Yousef were both teasing him now. They joked and laughed until Laila came back from her phone call. Her anxious demeanor caused Sana, Elias, and Yousef to fall silent. “Um, guys, I would love to go with you, but I have to go. It’s… urgent.” Laila picked up her purse and hurriedly stuffed her phone inside. “Bye, Sana, and…” Yousef and Elias supplied their names. Before they could say anything else, she was gone. “Well,” Yousef said. “That was interesting. Let’s get out of here.”

notes:  i feel like i wrote elias and yousef sort of out of character in this chapter, with regards to how they reacted to the alcohol and behavior at the party, but i tried to do that on purpose. i'll develop their characters as the story progresses. please comment and leave kudos if you enjoyed this chapter!

#skam #skam au #skam fic #teen wolf #teen wolf fic #i miss skam #i miss teen wolf #skamxteenwolf #skam sana #skam elias #skam yousef #skam laila #yousana writing #sana x yousef #sana bakkoush #yousef acar #elias bakkoush #iman meskini #cengiz al #simo el #kenya