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atinytokki · 2 months

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Orbit

Chapter 1: SS Aurora

07:21 Open Space Calibrated Time

They were stranded, stranded in the astral sea.

The spaceship’s auto navigational system spoke into the darkness with a request. “Would you like to set a course?”

“No.”

For now, they would remain adrift.

Untethered. Directionless.

A frail wisp of steam curled upwards from the cup Seonghwa was holding. A calming tea made of rare leaves from his home planet. One that should’ve relaxed him.

It should’ve been a day like any other in between jobs, floating along in their spaceship through the open space that connected distant planets just outside the Aten-Odae Asteroid Belt. A leisurely morning when the residents of SS Aurora took their time rising from their bunks and wandering to the central area.

But this time no one had gotten more than three hours of sleep, and instead of enjoying breakfast together, they were huddled around the table under the lowlight, waiting in an anxious silence.

Because today they were only seven, with their missing leader in the clutches of the Intergalactic Trade Guild, an empire with control over the farthest reaches of the galaxy that waged war on the surrounding systems.

He was gone and for three days now they had heard nothing.

“He’s dead,” Mingi whispered, terrified of his own words as he said them, while Yunho calibrated the holoscreen to tap into the Guild’s most popular news network. “They’ve killed him already, they’d be insane not to.”

“We don’t know that,” Wooyoung scolded, ever the optimist. “Even the Guild has to follow their own rules. He’ll be on trial.”

Seonghwa met his eyes with a wavering smile that quickly died out. He had no encouragement to give when his own breathing was laboured with the stress of the situation. He was a moment away from passing out if he forgot to breathe properly.

Inhale. Exhale.

Relax.

“But do you really think there’s any point in a court proceeding?” Yeosang questioned softly, picking at the food on his plate. “After what he did?”

He was referring, of course, to their Captain’s surrender. Hongjoong had insisted on being captured to allow the rest of the crew to escape the ambush three days ago with their loot and not even Yunho knew why. The credits they had been stealing at the time were not worth Hongjoong’s life.

And, loathe as Seonghwa was to admit it, Yeosang made a good point. They had more than enough evidence against him already, so why not put him to death and be done with it? It didn’t make sense for the Guild to make a judicial spectacle when the price on Hongjoong’s head had been astronomical.

Seonghwa should know, because that price had once been of great interest to him.

The sour taste of bile rose in his throat and he forced it down, focusing on the broadcast when San shushed the discussion and pointed everyone’s attention to it.

“A new case of great interest has taken over the intergalactic networks today due to the figure in custody,” the announcer was saying, his eyes practically devoid of life even as he spoke with an animated voice. “Notorious pirate Kim Hongjoong, whose full identity was revealed upon his arrest, has supposedly been a known public enemy to the Guild for fifteen years, about whom authorities have provided very little information from their investigation.”

A collective outburst of relief swept the room as it sunk in that Hongjoong was indeed alive. “See?” Wooyoung whispered encouragingly, squeezing Seonghwa’s hand from across the table.

Jongho, their mechanic, was shaking with rage. “Fifteen years— are they even hearing themselves?” He barked a mirthless laugh and scanned the room for approval. “That would mean he was branded a traitor when he was just a kid!”

Seonghwa trained his eyes on Yunho, technically their second in command, who had been quiet and singularly focused since setting up the holoscreen. “Did you know about this?” He asked him quietly, unable to keep a hint of betrayal out of his voice in his efforts to restrain the panic overwhelming him. That Hongjoong’s identity had apparently put him at risk since childhood was an unexpected blow on this morning of continuous punches to the gut.

“No,” Yunho responded solemnly, still not looking away from the screen. “But I can’t deny I had my suspicions.”

Seonghwa didn’t have time to dwell on that fact as the broadcast tuned back in.

“The proceedings today will be significant in uncovering potential rebel activities, terrorist acts, and connections to other anti-Guild factions,” the second news presenter continued with growing interest even as she read her lines from the prompting screen behind the camera. She glanced at her partner for a moment before returning to her mark. “And we’ll have all the coverage for you right here when we come back from the break.”

Frozen to his seat, Seonghwa tried and failed to wrap his head around what was going on. The botched heist and Hongjoong’s capture three days ago had already sent him reeling, and now their captain was about to be tried in possibly the most biased courtroom in the universe for all the galaxies to see. How could this be real?

How could he have let this happen?

Suddenly needing to busy his hands while the nauseatingly bright advertisements began to play, Seonghwa stood to collect plates. None were empty, most barely picked at, but he couldn’t blame anyone for their lack of appetite when he wasn’t able stomach anything at the moment either.

Alone in the galley, he wasn’t sure now which was worse; waiting to discover Hongjoong’s fate, or watching it be handed to him live.

Light hovered over him while he scrubbed with limp and useless hands. A stain of food still stuck to one of the plates despite his efforts.

When the obnoxious sounds died down, he hurried back from the galley to see the Guild’s high courtroom on the holoscreen.

It was too soon, much too soon.

“What did I miss?” He nearly choked out.

San’s hands were in his hair, tugging at unruly strands while he explained, “They’re expediting the trial process. His entire case is happening today, now.”

Seonghwa forced himself into a chair to quell his shaking legs. It was all so fast, with no chance for anyone to scheme a way out of the situation.

How would Hongjoong even formulate a defence for himself?

“This whole thing is a sham,” Mingi gritted out, getting up to pace the room angrily. “Just a media circus. They won’t even give him a chance.”

“He’ll find a way…” said Yeosang around an audible gulp, glancing at Yunho for confirmation. “Right?”

The second in command and aristocrat-turned-thief merely shook his head and sighed, jaw locked immediately after. He had known Hongjoong the longest by some slim margin, but evidently it wasn’t enough to be privy to some sort of secret emergency measures for this kind of situation.

There had never been a need to appoint an official second in command, a provisional captain of sorts. Not outside of targeted missions.

Seonghwa folded his arms across his chest to mask the way he shuddered and watched on the screen as their captain was led into the courtroom, an amphitheatre-type space with harsh lighting. The judiciary council remained shrouded by their dark robes and headpieces, a stark contrast to the spotless room and the white-clothed prisoner.

The moment he saw him, his eyes blurred with tears.

It was easy to assume Hongjoong had been locked in a holding cell for three days from his dark, unruly hair or the dull pallor of his skin but what really stood out were his eyes. They found the camera immediately and stayed there for just a second too long to be comfortable, betraying nothing about the feelings inside.

Was he afraid?

Was he angry?

“No visible injuries… that’s a good sign…” Wooyoung was muttering his observations in an effort to convince himself of his own words. As the team’s trained medic, he naturally scrutinised their leader’s physical condition first.

“Injuries we can see, anyway,” San pointed out and, despite having the same thought already himself, Seonghwa felt that much more uneasy hearing it voiced aloud. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and kept his eyes fastened on the display.

Hongjoong was ushered into the seat of the accused and the opening remarks were in full swing without any more introduction. He seemed to be listening with a disdainful expression on his face until the head speaker addressed him directly.

“Kim Hongjoong, you stand before this council accused of piracy. How do you plead?”

Guards on either side of the defendant’s seat dragged him to his feet and it boiled Seonghwa’s blood to see his captain manhandled this way.

He shook them off in annoyance and stated his answer clearly for even the drone cameras to hear.

“Guilty.”

Seonghwa’s jaw dropped.

“No!” Yunho burst out, bringing a shaking hand to his mouth in shock. Surely they had all misheard. “Pleading guilty?”

“What else can he do?” Jongho cried with a helpless laugh that quickly became tears and trembling lips. “They’ve already decided his punishment. If they set this up to make a fool of him, he has no reason to play along.”

Wooyoung’s breath hitched in an attempt to protest, “But—”

“Yes, I took those credits,” Hongjoong was continuing to speak, and silence fell in the Aurora while he commanded the stage. “But they never belonged to the Guild in the first place. Those served by cause I donated my share to are the rightful owners. So which one of us is the real thief?”

One flickering moment of silence resounded before shouts broke out from an unseen audience on the broadcast and the holoscreen’s display quickly switched back to the newsroom where the first presenter smoothly formulated an excuse.

“Our apologies for the disruption, but it appears there have been technical difficulties—”

“Censorship,” Yunho muttered, collapsing back into his chair with a shaky sigh. “They’re afraid of what he might say.”

Though he had likely sealed his own fate, he would speak without being silenced. Glancing between Yunho and the screen, San shook his head and added, “If they think they can control him… well, then they’ve lost their minds.”

Individual access to public channels via holoscreen had been a luxury in Seonghwa’s childhood, but even having become acquainted with the intergalactic network in recent years, he had never seen anything quite like this.

There was no question what the Guild was trying to do.

This was a performance. A taunt. A message— to Hongjoong’s friends and supporters, yes, but also to anyone who might even consider questioning the total authority of their government. It was a promise they would be silenced in turn.

It was a threat.

And Seonghwa couldn’t help but feel the guilt coursing through him, because he knew deep down, no matter what the others said, that this was his fault.

___

3 days ago

“Seonghwa, can I talk to you for a second?”

Hearing the captain’s voice behind him, the former bounty hunter glanced up from his weapons store. “Alright,” he agreed, joining Hongjoong in the hall and signalling the armoury door to slide shut behind him. “Something I can help with?”

Hongjoong opened his mouth to respond and suddenly thought better of it, dropping his head and allowing himself another moment to think.

Seonghwa could sense an unusual level of anxiety about the upcoming job and made an attempt to relieve it. “If this is about the plan—”

“It’s not the plan,” Hongjoong cut him off tiredly and finally looked up so Seonghwa could meet his eyes. They were as warm and trusting as ever, but with that calculating shine that hinted at a sharper edge inside. “How sure are you that Yang’s word is good?”

The source of the tip that had led to this job, the crime boss known only as Yang, had multiple systems under his control and the Intergalactic Trade Guild themselves struggling to operate on Venop 4, the planet he and Seonghwa himself hailed from.

He had sent route information about a Guild cargo ship, including the name of the planet where it would be refuelling, and proposed a generous split of the payload it would be carrying should the Aurora crew succeed in robbing it; 5 million credits.

Seonghwa hadn’t intended to have any business with the notorious gangster, but a life of poverty growing up on that world left few options. As a bounty hunter, he had taken what commissions he was given and without complaint. The strength of a client’s word was rarely part of his considerations.

And so Hongjoong’s doubts, while not entirely out of place, weren’t particularly relevant.

“Does it matter?”

“He wants me dead, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong reminded him, quietly but intensely. “Enough to make multiple attempts. I mean, do you really trust him?”

“Not completely,” Seonghwa admitted, because he knew the fact was hard to ignore. He had personally been extremely fortunate that Hongjoong had overlooked this earlier. “But Yang loves money more than anything else and he knows we’re the best crew to get it for him. I don’t think he’d pass up his share of the payload just for the chance to take us out.”

Hongjoong crossed his arms and glanced out the nearest hall window, withdrawn. There was just open space all around, a dark void for them to hide in, dotted with distant star systems. He was still thinking of an excuse. “It might mean more credits for him in the long run if he does, you know.”

This was more nervous behaviour than usual from Hongjoong. If he let his guard down around anyone, it was usually Seonghwa, but after the communal planning stage, the captain typically kept any further worries to himself.

“I realise that,” Seonghwa replied with a lighthearted shrug. “I’m just hoping he hasn’t.”

There was no more time to debate the future, and Yunho was already poking his head around the corner to interrupt them, “Hyungs? Time to space jump.”

“Alright.” With a final cursory glance at Seonghwa, Hongjoong moved past him and headed towards the cockpit. “Fire up the Infinity Drive.”

Cracking a smile, Seonghwa eagerly followed after a brief stop in the armoury to collect the weapons they’d need. He took the arming of his fellow pirates very seriously.

His position on this particular job was to remain onboard the Aurora keeping watch for enemies, providing a quick getaway, and managing communications between the members and, more distantly, with Yang. This was not a task to be taken lightly, and although Seonghwa’s skills usually lay on the battlefield, his personal relationship with the gangster was of greater value today.

“How did the crossbow work for you in practice?” He asked a stoic Yeosang in the seat next to him as the pair strapped in for the space jump.

“It’s excellent,” the mercenary responded, patting the compact weapon where it hung from his belt. “But is there a way to remove the stun feature? It makes that buzzing sound and I’d like it to be quieter.”

“Yes, there’s a switch to activate silent mode,” Seonghwa described and gestured with his hands. “You’ll just have to make sure your aim is perfect because a near-hit won’t take anyone down with the energy field turned off.”

“Not a problem,” Yeosang chuckled. He hadn’t missed a shot any time in recent memory, and both of them knew it. Life as a soldier for hire on a dying planet required a great deal of precision.

“Hyung,” Mingi suddenly gasped, turning around in his seat to face Seonghwa, clearly having just remembered something. “If you use the drones for intelligence, don’t forget to turn on the stealth feature! We do not want a repeat of QD81.”

From the way Yeosang shuddered next to him, Seonghwa could tell bad things had taken place at the aforementioned incident, but it must have been a time from their history together before he knew either of them.

Mingi and Yeosang both hailed from Diistro, a world so badly scorched by its expanding sun that the atmosphere was nearly sucked away by now, the planet itself turned oblong and misshapen from the pull of gravity. They had been born in different countries, but the arbitrary lines of territory became irrelevant in the worsening climate, leaving a wild and lawless place. The pair were not the simple refugees they appeared to be in the years that followed. They did what they must to survive.

“Right, I’ll take care of it,” Seonghwa assured Mingi, patting him on the shoulder and urging him to buckle up properly. The space jump was always a jolting experience.

“Engaging Infinity Drive,” Yunho called out after the final seatbelt clicked, and everyone braced for the coming plunge through bended space-time. “Prepare for a Level 10.”

Hit with all the G-force of hurtling past systems at indescribable speeds, Seonghwa gritted his teeth until the Aurora slowed to a normal pace on arrival and his tension melted away. The entire process lasted only a few seconds.

Travelling so unnaturally fast put a great deal of pressure on the body, making the highest setting—Level 10– only for emergencies. Going a fair bit slower was much more sustainable for the Infinity Drive as well, but today it couldn’t be helped.

“Approaching Eogawa,” Hongjoong announced as he again took manual control of the spacecraft, banking slightly to the left to bring the planet in view. “Prepare for atmospheric entry.”

Being a gas giant, Eogawa was essentially nothing but atmosphere.

Tinted a soft pink hue in the light of its distant sun, the planet’s peaceful appearance was riddled with hidden dangers. Aside from the storms that raged among surface gases, Eogawa was ringed with massive, thick bands of dust and ice. A lesser pilot might run afoul of such a hazardous minefield, but Hongjoong was careful to avoid the rings and zeroed in on the area Aurora’s radar was pointing him to.

“The refuelling station,” San called out, spotting it first through wispy clouds that flew past once they entered the atmosphere and splattered rain droplets on the windows. “It’s huge.”

Seonghwa shared his astonishment when he leaned forward to catch sight of the station and noticed its size. Not merely a lone rig floating in the sky. Much bigger than expected.

Taking in the sight, Hongjoong directed the ship downwards to the lower platform that appeared to be a service entrance. “First team ready?”

Jongho, Yeosang, and San rose from their seats and filed out, weapons in tow, to their starting position for the heist. Their next task would be to steal themselves some uniforms from the locker room to disguise as robot workers.

Yunho rose to follow them out, assigned to lead their team, but Hongjoong stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and a nod to the right where their next objective lay. He would turn the Aurora eastward in search of a different station.

“When is the train coming next?” Hongjoong asked, sounding somewhat distracted while he scanned the layers upon layers of swirling clouds.

Yunho merely had to check the time to provide an answer. “Thirty seven minutes.”

Thanks to his extensive research, the pirates knew Eogawa’s fuel transportation system was fully automated and operated a levitating train which passed through the station every hour. For a ship as big as the Guild freighter they were after, it would take at least thirty minutes to refuel, likely having maintenance performed by the robotic service workers in the meantime.

This system provided both a way in and a way out with the credits.

“We’ll be on it and ready for transport,” the captain encouraged. “Be careful, the Guild ship should be docking any minute.”

“Understood,” Yunho replied with a smile, and he turned to disembark, sharing a glance with Seonghwa who patted him on the back with a measure of nervous excitement.

It was always a bit nerve wracking splitting up to do their various jobs during a heist or a boarding. Seonghwa knew the risk they were taking every time someone was sent off into hostile territory. If a member was caught, it was expected that they disavow any knowledge of the rest of the group and claim to be acting independently.

They may be pirates, but they all served a higher cause. Something a bit more substantial than mere interference in Guild activities.

“Comms operational?” Jongho’s voice crackled through the radio as soon as the Aurora had set off for the levitating train station.

“Loud and clear,” Hongjoong answered to the mechanic’s satisfaction, and soon the train station came into view. It wasn’t intended for humans, so aside from the cleaning droid bustling around, the platform was empty.

Hongjoong, Mingi, and Wooyoung would board the train to clear out a container and pick up the credits and their disguised members, much more discreet there than in the Aurora.

As he handed control of the ship over to Seonghwa, he gave the dashboard a loving pat. “Take care of things while I’m gone,” he instructed, a redundant request for the meticulous bounty hunter.

“She’s safe in my hands,” Seonghwa assured him anyway, saying his farewells and watching the door slide shut behind them.

Suddenly it was very quiet onboard, and put off by the silence, Seonghwa powered up the engines again and directed the Aurora to the waiting point, behind both stations in the direction the train was sure to come when the heist was finished.

Staying with the getaway vehicle made for a bit of a boring job, so for the next half hour there was nothing much to do but fiddle with his weapons and watch the sun set from gold into soft violet.

He listened in on the comms chatter as the teams informed each other of their progress; Yunho’s team securing disguises and Hongjoong’s team successfully entering a train compartment.

And then, fifteen minutes before the train would arrive, the moment he was least looking forward to arrived in the form of a call from Yang.

Schooling his expression into something vaguely neutral and unbothered, he accepted it and watched the hologram materialise on the dashboard.

The crime lord was evidently seated in his sunroom, snacking on a homemade flatbread that made Seonghwa’s stomach grumble just by looking at it. As glad as he was to be offworld, he had missed the tastes of home.

“Mr. Park, do you have a status update for me?” Yang asked him with a monotone voice, brushing crumbs from his shirt in boredom.

“Everything is proceeding on schedule,” Seonghwa answered, slightly reserved, knowing Hongjoong would prefer he keep the details private. “I’ll let you know when we have a count of the credits and—”

“We found the credits,” San’s voice interrupted through the comms, unaware of Seonghwa’s ongoing conversation. “Five million, it’s all here. We’ve been unloading one case at a time, there’s just two left.”

“Ah,” Yang chuckled, overhearing him. “How efficient, just as expected.”

Seonghwa resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the crime lord’s empty flattery. “Before I go, I thought I’d ask,” he regained control of the conversation while subtly muting the comm radio in the middle of Hongjoong’s response to San. “Where do you suggest we rendezvous?”

Yang glanced to the side, probably out his highland window at the marshes below. It was the time of year when Venop 4 enjoyed a brief reprieve from the rainy season and Seonghwa could practically smell it through the holoscreen.

“Surely it isn’t too much trouble for you to bring the money here?” The crime lord posed the question innocently, but his hard gaze was a clear indication of his thoughts on the matter.

“If I recall correctly, we agreed on a rendezvous, not a delivery,” Seonghwa answered him politely but with enough insistence of his own to carry the point across. “Perhaps with one of your currently deployed ships?”

Yang stared back for a moment, but his little blue hologram didn’t intimidate Seonghwa in the slightest. The boss had much less power in this form than he had last time Seonghwa had seen him, at his compound. Even if he was standing there now, there was something about the freedom of becoming a pirate that made him feel indestructible, like everyone else would simply bounce off his invisible shield.

“Halfway then,” Yang relented, flashing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “My ship Nexus is in the orbit of Sarkei. You can dock there and split the payload.”

“I’ll inform you when we’ve left Eogawa,” Seonghwa promised, satisfied with the answer, and moved to end the call. “Until then—”

“And Seonghwa?” Yang interrupted him, and it gave him pause to hear his given name spoken so easily by the criminal overlord. While it didn’t come as a surprise, it put him on edge knowing Yang had much more information than he was comfortable with. He chuckled like he knew something Seonghwa didn’t, “I look forward to working with you again.”

The bounty hunter didn’t plan to. He could get his intelligence on Guild operations elsewhere.

He was lost in thought for a while after ending the call with no further response, until something in the distance caught his eye. It was the levitating train, moving toward the Aurora quickly. A hatch was open in the top of one of the compartments, and Mingi halfway out of it, yelling something into the wind that Seonghwa couldn’t hear.

Jolting upright, he positioned the ship above the train and lowered the ramp from the undercarriage. He had completely forgotten to unmute the comms.

“Load up and go back!” Mingi was saying, bringing a couple of cases of money with him as he climbed up into the suspended Aurora and ran to the cockpit. “We have to go back, hyung!”

“Why?” Seonghwa watched with growing dread as the others quickly began loading the ship. “What’s going on?”

Yunho dropped a case in the cargo area and joined him at the controls while Mingi ran back to fetch another. He was visibly angry, face red and breath heavy, though at what Seonghwa couldn’t be sure until he opened his mouth.

“He stayed— the idiot!— he got out of the compartment and went back into the refuelling station just as the train took off,” Yunho panted with the effort of the words, clearly in disbelief himself.

“Who?” Seonghwa breathed the question out, strangled by it.

Yunho finally looked him in the eyes.

“Hongjoong.”

Cursing softly, Seonghwa set the Aurora to autopilot, precariously hovering above the moving train, and joined the others in moving the last few cases to their cargo hold.

The next train station was on the horizon when Seonghwa reached down for another case to pass along and was met with San emerging from inside the compartment instead. His instructions were curt, “We’re loaded, turn around.”

Seonghwa helped him into the ship and retracted the ramp, hurrying to the cockpit before being stopped by Yeosang. “Wait!” The mercenary insisted on it and wrapped a hand around Seonghwa’s arm. “The drone. Send in the drone first.”

He was right to be cautious, Seonghwa came to realise when he piloted the drone into the refuelling station from the safety of the cockpit a few minutes later. Guild officials had emerged from the freighter they just robbed and someone was watching them from the secrecy of a connecting hall.

Seonghwa could tell who it was the moment he saw the back of his head.

Lips pursed with worry, he navigated the drone closer. “Let me turn on comms and ask what he’s doing—”

“He already switched off his channel,” Wooyoung broke in before Seonghwa wasted time trying.

“But you can try to patch through to the drone,” Mingi reminded them both, reaching over to turn off the stealth feature he had insisted upon earlier. “There, now the speakers.”

“Hongjoong?” Seonghwa called immediately when it was clear the audio was stable. “Hongjoong, answer me.”

The captain turning his head toward the screen was confirmation he had heard him. “You all need to get out of here,” he said under his breath, returning his gaze to the platform. Clearly he knew something they didn’t. “This is an ambush, Yang must have tipped them off.”

Seonghwa’s stomach dropped.

He should’ve known. Yang would never let such a good chance pass him by, even if he had to work with the Guild for compensation. Even if it meant fewer credits. All his teasing had been meant to distract, and it had succeeded easily.

Hongjoong was hurriedly giving out last minute instructions, “Cut off contact and don’t bring him anything, just get the money to Aten-Odae. The Manager will know what to do. I’m counting on you.”

“Why can’t you come with us?” San protested, unable to keep his voice quiet in his distress. “What are you doing in the station? We could be picking you up right now. There’s still time!”

Hongjoong’s eyes fluttered shut with a sigh. “Check your radar,” he murmured, regret in his voice. “There are ten Guild dreadnoughts with hwacha missiles trained on the Aurora right now. We are out of time. You need to leave while I call them off.”

And when Yeosang pulled up the screen, Seonghwa had to catch his breath. Hongjoong was right. Exactly ten of the Guild’s most heavily weaponised spacecraft were advancing on their position silently and undetected until now. It was horrifying.

Wooyoung’s voice stuck in his throat wetly as he fought back tears, begging him, “Please don’t do this, hyung, we can figure out another way, there has to be something—”

“There isn’t another way, Woo.” From the way Hongjoong spoke, it sounded like it was breaking his heart, too. “I wish there was but… I know I have to do this. Don’t come back here, understand? I won’t let them take you.”

And Seonghwa knew he was right, even as he sat frozen in shock and let Jongho and Mingi argue with the increasingly unresponsive captain while he advanced through the hallway toward the Guild officers.

They’d been tricked and there was nothing else but to retreat.

Seonghwa didn’t realise there were tears streaming down his cheeks until he had already said in a haze, “Don’t go. Don’t.”

It was selfish and he should follow orders and be strong for the others but he couldn’t do it. If Hongjoong stayed behind, there was no way out for him. “I won’t forgive you,” he sobbed.

Hongjoong couldn’t see him but he knew.

“Hey, don’t cry. It’ll be alright,” he comforted softly, taking slow steps backwards away from the drone until a doorway separated them.

His hand hovered over the sensor. “I’m sorry.”

And then he hit the switch and the door slid shut, cutting him off from view.

The feed was blank without a subject in view and Yunho took the controls and directed the drone back out of the station, bringing it aboard the Aurora then suddenly tossing it to the floor in a burst of anger and dropping into his seat wordlessly.

For a moment it was still and silent, and then Wooyoung began to sniffle. Seonghwa reached out to comfort him, but it felt like he was underwater.

The world was moving in slow motion and he was drowning in his own despair. A distant beeping surfaced and he noticed the display, bright red with warning symbols and a repeating alert message.

Enemy ships approaching.

Spurred into action, he sent the Aurora upwards, up through waning sunbeams to the higher layer of clouds and then the next layer and then the next.

“You can’t be serious,” Mingi laughed emptily, glancing in disbelief between Seonghwa and the rest of the team. “We’re leaving him?”

Yeosang’s head was in his hands. “They’ve locked targets on us. There’s no choice.”

“Why didn’t he just call it off before we loaded the ship?” San was bargaining with hypotheticals. “We could’ve used that time. We all could’ve escaped together.”

And of course there was no point now in wondering. They might never know.

Rosy pink rays faded to dusk and seven pirates strapped into their seats and shot up past the highest layer of clouds only to be immediately faced with the enemy dreadnoughts.

Silent and hulking, they simply watched the Aurora fly past them, making no move to shoot the smaller ship down.

Wooyoung dried his eyes and craned his neck to look up at the menacing dreadnoughts through the front window. “They’re just… letting us go.”

“Hongjoong hyung. He turned himself in,” Jongho said mournfully and then braced himself for the space jump as soon as they were clear.

Seonghwa’s tears soaked into his collar.

The stars raced by like a stain on the black canvas and they left their captain behind.

___

18:47 Open Space Calibrated Time

Seonghwa’s light dozing was interrupted by the holoscreen broadcast. After a back and forth of testimonies and cross-examinations by the most incompetent legal representatives the Guild had to offer, a verdict had been reached.

San and Yeosang were called back in to the living area to watch from their various restless activities around the ship.

The head speaker removed her headdress and spoke, unveiled at last, to the accused.

“The council has deliberated at great length to determine an appropriate finding and will vote next on a punishment suitable for the nature of these crimes.” Her beady eyes looked up from the floating wall of text behind the camera she was no doubt reading from and in the direction of the seat of the accused, remorseless. “However, regarding today’s business, it is the decision of this council that on all counts of piracy, assault, corruption, illegal possession of firearms, possession of stolen property, fraudulent or unauthorised access to Intergalactic Trade Guild networks, conspiracy, theft of an Intergalactic Trade Guild spacecraft, and false personation, Kim Hongjoong is found guilty and sentenced to death.”

It was like his throat closed and then was forcefully reopened again as Seonghwa vomited and then blacked out. When he came to, San was rubbing his back. Every eye on him was ringed with red.

He had been expecting it, but the verdict stung like acid in his face.

The broadcast was off now and he hadn’t even been able to see Hongjoong’s face again.

Was he afraid now?

Mingi looked around and finally asked, voice hollow, “What do we do?”

“The Manager told us to split up and lay low,” Yunho scoffed. He was scary like this, stern and sarcastic and so far away from himself.

Hongjoong was their glue. Without him there to hold them together, surely they’d drift off, each going his own way with a heart full of regret and a useless supply of credits in his pocket.

But they hadn’t done so. No one had wandered off yet, ejecting themselves from the Aurora and wishing the rest good luck and goodbye. Even now they huddled together, waiting for something. A sign.

Seonghwa trembled in the cold of realisation washing over him. There was nowhere else to turn. The floor underneath him began to feel firm and he grounded himself in it. He clutched the blanket around his shoulders closer.

More than ever before he pined for Hongjoong’s help, for his guidance.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Seonghwa finally said, shaking his head with some sort of resolution.

He raised his head to see all the others looking at him.

They knew what needed to be done, but no one was ready to speak the words aloud. No one except Seonghwa.

“We break him out. We have to do it ourselves.”

He watched them realise, one by one, that it was up to them now. That they could not go on as a team without their captain. He had brought them together only to abandon them, but he would not be allowed to give his life for theirs so easily.

Jongho nodded and got to his feet, ready to contribute however he could. “All we can hope for now is that his execution is scheduled far in advance.”

Seonghwa did not care what it took. They had to get to Hongjoong first, even if they burned up on entry.

They could not escape the pull of his gravity.

___

A/N: Welcome to my submission for 8 Makes 1 Family Fest Round 2, 2024 version (shh it's not technically revealed yet there so don't tell lol), based on a lovely prompt that grabbed me immediately and is responsible for probably a good chunk of this story's appeal! It will be multi-chaptered and I'll do my best to portray the slice-of-life (the theme of this round) and not go too heavy on the plot but uhh no promises lol. Also if you happen to be a fan of Andor, the randomly insanely good Disney+ Star Wars show (if not, watch it) I think you will also like this! I took some inspiration from it so, while I did make this AU myself, there are things in common.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought!! <3

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honeyonthemind · 2 months

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second hand𓆸

words: 509

characters: c.s. ft. k.h.

genre: drama thriller

sum: A boy on the search for something he had before. (But he doesn't know that!)

⚠: slight gore & mention of death

(Inspired by 6_teh fanart! Specifically, the post captioned with 🌼🌼🌼 on their Instagram)

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･♡ ̆̈°✰⋆˚˖°𓆤𔓘

You win some, you lose some!

Grandma's wisdom echoed in my skull as I felt the excruciating pain of my arm being torn to pieces. The raging beast I had defeated had gotten its last laugh.

As I held my bleeding wound, I took the moment to admire the sky. The lightning blue heavens with its ivory clouds. The afternoon sun was off to the corner of my vision. Shining happily despite the traumatized screams from the spectators. Oh, what an interesting day this was. Grandpa and Grandma will surely be proud, to some extent.

It wasn't long before the black spots overcame my sight. Obscuring the once in a lifetime view.

Wait, I'm not done seeing!

Then my body relaxed, taking my eyelids with it. I awoke three days later. To my surprise.

My grandparents took the responsibility of reviving me. They stopped my profuse bleeding and redirected fresh blood into my veins. My flesh was a lost cause, so Grandpa sawed off the destroyed matter. With a sincere heart, my Grandma designed a prosthetic for the missing limb. Using spare parts from the garage, they constructed my forearm and hand.

The first time seeing the masterpiece was unnerving, to say the least. Grandma reassured me that I'll get used to it in time. She was always right.

In the months to follow, I would no longer be bothered by the fake. Save for the occasional phantom pains, it wasn't so bad. In the years to come, when I was to lay my grandparents to rest. I knew they would always be a part of me. Yet leaving was still the hardest thing to do. I shed my tears while grief gripped my heart. Now I must find something, I don't even know what it is.

From Fallen City to Lone Wolf. I kept marching on. By any means, food and shelter was mine. Even for a little bit. In a particular stop, I stood in a field of blue flowers. I picked out a few to keep in my gloved hand. I spent my whole day there. Enjoying the calmness of it all. Once in a lifetime experience.

The next day, I was almost run down by a pile of speeding metal. A guy with hair the color of the sky poked his head out.

He seemed odd but was kind enough to make me comfortable. It seemed I had found what I needed. A friend.

As the weeks dwindled, we became more familiar. I gave him permission to decorate my body. A brow piercing, trimming my hair(he also snipped off most of his ends), to tattooing tiny doodles across the bridge of my nose. The result was impressive. I was shown the parts of me that I didn't love.

He respected my steel arm and only complimented my grandparent's work.

It made me cry for a long time. He was quite awkward but caring about my outburst.

I was determined to give him as much love as I could. He needed more than he denied.

#choi san #short one shot #dystopia #family #loss #platonic relationships #survival #kim hongjoong #ateez fanfic #ateez au #alternative universe

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mingi-bubu · 1 year

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I am once again asking for kpop scenario/fanfic writers to put a read more in their fics after the first or second paragraph. Third at the most.

If you're writing on mobile, the way to create a read more is to type: :readmore: and then hit enter after. Make sure you don't have a space after the second colon, because it won't work then.

#there's also the 'stop tagging every single member for one of ur writings if theyre not part of the main ship regardless #of it's platonic or romantic' like it's nice that you included hongjoong as the café barista or whatever but if he's not who the reader #is attached to on a more than just 'hey what can i get you' basis he doesn’t need to be tagged #also the way the tagging system works here means you can just write x member scenario(s) or w/e and it'll show up in x member's tag #it's a really weird system and i can explain it more in depth if someone wants but like you can just write seonghwa scenario #and it will appear in the seonghwa tag bc his name was mentioned #kpop in general #sorry for using ateez so much sjfnfk I'm listening to them rn and also if there is a café hongjoong thing written #where he does just get the order and moves on please please know this wasn't an indirect at you!#i just pulled tropes and members out of the air #jae.txt

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notabonestealer · 7 months

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ugh UGH the moots have me thinking about ouranos!seonghwa and gaea!hongjoong again i have to get this oUT--

seonghwa, who is expansive beyond comprehension and feels positively silent about 60% of the time because, while there is always something happening in his endless void, the scale of these events in comparison to his sheer size makes each instance feel like a human's bug bite. seonghwa, who looks on at the roiling mass of activity that is hongjoong and yearns to feel that much, that intensely, just once.

hongjoong, who is much more compact so he always feels like he's buzzing, like he can't afford to sit still, energy coursing through him and rendering him eternally fidgety. in the early days, every disaster smarts like a fresh bruise or a broken bone and as time goes on he is left aching eternally, numb to the pain for the most part. hongjoong, who stares up at the yawning sky encapsulated by seonghwa, longing for the peace the other must feel.

seonghwa, who looks at the chaos of this little globe and sees nothing but beauty in its wild intensity.

hongjoong, who settles himself in the stillest lakes he can find, just to have a taste of the peace in that vast darkness.

seongjoong, who long so much for what the other has, that they do not see the beauty in themselves until they are reflected in the eyes of their other half.

#no this isn't shipping content #they're just platonic soulmates and i'm in love with it #gimme a friendship like this #seongjoong #hongjoong #seonghwa #matz #ateez #it rambles

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themaiddefender · 10 months

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Little Wooyoung 1

Wooyoung who gets so stressed over their new comeback that he just slips, but it's okay because Hongjoong is there and Wooyoung knows that everything will be alright if his favorite hyung is here so he walks to him and tugs at his sleeve, eyes big and shiny with unshed tears because the music is so loud in the practice room and everyone seems mad for no reason. Can't they all be friends and play?

Hongjoong turns to look at Wooyoung, frown in place, not understanding why Wooyoung has stopped dancing.

However, when their eyes meet, he softens instantly and he's quick to cup Wooyoung’s face with his hands, bringing him closer to kiss his forehead.

“Little pumpkin," Hongjoong says, hugging the younger.

"Hyungie, Yuyu hyung yelled at me," Wooyoung mutters, lower lip trembling

They don't know what can trigger Wooyoung to get into little space, but the leader glares at Yunho anyway. No one yells at his little pumpkin. Of course Yunho blushes, embarrassed at being scolded.

Despite not being very strong, Hongjoong picks Wooyoung up and lets the boy hug him like a koala, deciding it's late to train anyway and heading home.

As Wooyoung’s main caregiver, Hongjoong makes sure Woo gets a nice bath (that he leaves for Mingi and Jongho to clean) and puts him on his most comfortable pajamas before sitting him on the couch, ready for dinner.

Yeosang prepares Wooyoung’s plate with a bit of everything and makes sure he swallows the food (he has the habit of leaving it stored in his cheeks and fall asleep with food in his mouth).

Wooyoung refuses to go to bed (even when San hands him Shiber so he can hug the plushie) so they put on Pororo that Wooyoung only watches when he's sit on Hongjoong’s lap it's after ten minutes that Hongjoong carries a very asleep Wooyoung to bed and tucks him in so he can go out and work a bit, when a hand takes his wrist.

"Hyungie, don't go," Woo slurs, half asleep.

Hongjoong is only human and Wooyoung is incredibly cute, how can he refuse? So he gets in bed and hugs the boy until they fall asleep.

#fanfic #ateez #wooyoung #jung wooyoung #age regressor jung wooyoung #caretaker kim hongjoong #little wooyoung #platonic woojoong

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hongssami · 1 year

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🐿

#you don't know this but i am asking for kim hongjoong's hand in platonic marriage in my head and he is saying yes #and now i cook us dinner and make him little bento boxes to bring to work and he rewatches the same movies with me #because it's comfy and we are husbands in theory thank you for listening to the delusioin #delusion* i will now be normal again #i just really love joong :'(((( <33 #i hope he knows how much people love and appreciate him 🥺#wingkkun babbles #dl

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sorryimananti-romantic · 1 year

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Ateez | The Type To

Hongjoong

toothless smiles. you'll never get enough

knows every little fact about you. it's all stored in his head

but can't always figure out your mood, where he needs your help

picks your clothes or accessories sometimes

lets you do the same

more of the dating-inside kind of guy, but makes the most of when you do go out

if he's busy, he'll acknowledge you with a smile and then go back to work and forget you're there

because he likes to focus on one thing at a time

and when he's not busy he's all yours

but when he is busy and you decide to play naughty, he will focus on the task ahead- you.

and make you regret (in the best way) interfering with his work

which has become your thing now

calls you his 'muse' and def makes you feel like one

esp with the way he kisses you and makes you feel like a puddle

he really doesn't stop his hands from going anywhere he pleases

fav place might be at your hip

or fingers in your hair- might take a liking to tug your hair back to make you look at him at times

which is when he'll give you the most sultry look and tell you exactly what the events following will ensue of

def the type to hold you against the wall and move across the room while you make out

laughs between kisses oh goodness-

teases the fck out of you and makes you a whimpering mess

spends alllll his energy on you but still takes care of you after

bites-

the type to make you watch yourself too- like if you can see him taking you in some reflective surface or a mirror, all the better

and then you won't believe the filth that'll come out of his mouth (tho you love it when he mumbles dirty little things in your ears)

also has his soft moments, which are so intimate that sometimes you feel overwhelmed with love

and he'll constantly assure you he's here, here with you, forever :')

does the most meaningful things for you- brings you your fav food, reforms your clothes or accessories for you, paints with you, lets you try doing something with his music samples, etc etc

he's your captain

Seonghwa

pass you subtle glances from across the room

hold your hand and lead the way whenever you're out

make you walk on the inside of the sidewalk

mother you in every way-- wiping your mouth with his sleeve, fix your hair, fix your clothes, fix you

scold you in the most loving tone possible

which makes you wonder if you're actually getting scolded because you start to get heart eyes

never make you feel insecure- it hurts him more than it hurts you

details. details in everything he says and does (flashbacks to his fav colour being 'glossy silver chrome' like who are you i don't know you-)

which means your dates are detailed asf. he'll have everything planned out and make sure you have the best time

but also love it when you take him out on impromptu dates

scans your face before he kisses you

forehead kisses. temple kisses. it's his thing

plays with you a lot (take your mind out of the gutter i'm talking about actual games like the board games or whatever)

but also plays with you a lot- *coughs*

tongue.

also his fingers are kinda long so-

will pick you up in the middle of your makeout session and take you somewhere more comfortable

goes hard, but it takes him a millisecond to turn soft

and he's the best softie ever.

he's gonna take his sweet time exploring every nook and cranny of your body, learning everything about you

learning what you like

and you'll most of the times feel like it's your first time all over again- that's def how he makes it feel like

tho he certainly spices things up every time

it's just he makes you feel so safe and loved

also i feel like you both bring out the playfulness in each other, in both romantic and platonic ways

he's such a romantic.

he's also capable of driving you insane with his facial expressions alone

takes care of you when you're tired, makes sure you're good, tucks you into bed, spoons you, lulls you to sleep :')

Yunho

okay hear me out-

he is literally your best friend

and i mean in the way best friends know each other inside out

and the way they know exactly how you're feeling by just glancing at you

so with yunho, you always feel safe. his constant vocal and physical reassurances keep you grounded at all times

so you wish to do something in return for him-

but he assures you that you, just like this, are enough

he's not hard to please in that way. he's not demanding but he's not making you feel like he's not interested in you either. he's got that perfect balance

the most comfortable presence out there is what i'm saying

(maybe this^ was my delulu thoughts ok now to the real shit-)

he's always looking at you to make sure you're okay, or there,

but sometimes, something turns him on and his eyes change

and he really, really can't hide when he's turned on. he starts picking at his lips while giving you the most sultry gaze

sometimes you pretend not to notice

which is when he becomes unexpectedly playful and teasing

he knows what his hands on your body do to you (turn you into jelly is what they do btw)

so he's going to give you a backhug and while he kisses your neck or ear, he's going to let his hands travel all over your body

or when sitting on his lap, he'll let them rest on your thighs- purposefully

and we all know what purpose those long fingers could serve

he's def the type who'll cuddle into you while lovemaking- like bury his face in your neck, in the crooks. you think that's soft? he can make it a hard moment too.

groans into your ears 100 % and that sound might be one of the hottest things you've heard

and when he mumbles things in your ears? his voice goes new levels of deep you never heard before.

kisses you like you'll break

also loves pinning you to surfaces

fully capable of manhandling you (lovingly, ofc)

likes experimenting a lot with you, figuring out what you like and what you don't like together

big spoon most of the times you bet

jokes around a lot with you too- he never makes you feel overwhelmed in any situation

but he is also fully capable of driving you insane at times *coughs*

best caretaker you know it

Yeosang

i'm having a vision- what starts as savage remarks thrown at each other turns into a challenge, turns into another different sort of challenge

we'll get there later

cafe dates. chocolates. you better be ready to satisfy his sweet tooth

you love complimenting him bc 9/10 times he's gonna respond with a shy smile that made you fall in love in the first place

he's usually teasing you bc that's his love language but is also the most genuine person you know

so whenever he compliments you or tells you how much he loves you, you know it's straight from the heart

holds your hand whenever he gets the chance

will kiss it too

shy kisses at first

until he gets turned on and his eyes change and the inner demon that we seen in halazia comes out oof

gentle kisses. demanding kisses. we-have-all-the-time-in-the-world kisses. i might be lacking in my vocabulary

hands cradling your face- that's what makes you weak

is pretty vocal and wants you to be vocal too when he does something new or even in routine

there's this switch in him- y'all be having a soft moment and his switch gets flipped and then he's just... banging. wild.

loves foreplay

might have a thing for placing his hand on your throat too i mean he has his moments

and he also lets you have your moments which is sth you love about him

i feel like he loves to drive you to the edge multiple times before he finally lets you have your way

which is hot asf

but is also so nervous about making sure you're okay, you're good with whatever he's doing

so he's gonna spoil you when he takes care of you, which might probably lead to a round two-

anyways time to touch some grass <3

San

this mf istg- *breathes*

okay he's such an eye candy do you think you'll be interested in anything else other than just staring at him 24/7 whenever you're with him-

let's not let these intrusive thoughts win and dive deeper :D

so yeah he is a nature admirer and when he takes you out, you do admire nature but you admire him more

esp the curves and edges of his face

and when he catches you, he gets shy. like actual shy

rewards you with a sweet kiss

and a good old hug

but sometimes, things get... heated instead

so he raises his eyebrow and goes sth like 'you done staring'?

and if you toss a sarcastic remark next (9.9/10 times you do), he'll just attack you

flirts with you in public

unintentional flirt most of the time

his kisses have a wide range spectrum. from being the most slow, gentle, i-might-break-you-if-i-hold-you-wrong kisses to hot, open-mouthed, i-am-going-to-break-you kisses (i cannot englishi-)

and he's really not shy in lovemaking. he knows what he's doing. he takes advantage of it

loves driving you to the edge too. will take so long to actually get to the real deal, just playing with you first and cornering you and driving you insane ugh

the type to pull you into his lap and make you straddle and ride him

tongue-

tbh i feel like it can get really filthy with him in the best way possible

but also, he's the softest when he's in the mood

and you love that he can switch

the type to shut you up with a kiss

also the type to hold you by your chin and have a staredown with you whenever you tease him

which just leads to other things-

hugs

lots and lots of hugs. hugs of every kind.

his laugh heals you :(

he'll always tell you he's there for you, he loves you, how imp you are to him :(

pocket sized hehe

Mingi

he's a princess so he deserves princess treatment. the end.

no but he's such an unfiltered personality i feel like in the sense that it just shows what he wants

you can see it in his eyes when he wants a hug, when he wants to leave some place, or when he wants to steal the last bite of your food-

also very good at reading you even if you argue that you're not that readable

to him you will be bc he pays attention to every little detail

the kind to throw his arm around you while you walk

bonus if it's winters and he wraps you in his coat

the type to tie a scarf around your neck and then pull you with it and give you a kiss

his kisses are the meaningful sort. you can tell by his kiss what mood he's in

like if he's slow and he sighs in between, he's probably feeling down. if he's gonna act naughty you'll know what he wants

which makes it easier for you to lead things

lets you lead most of the time too

unless he's feeling some type of way

and when he's feeling that type of way, you're in for a banger (pun intended maybe)

i feel like he's really good with his core strength even when dancing so uhh just go ahead and imagine

fingers. (getting shy at this point)

probably gives the best head

like can you imagine the tip of his nose brushing at the your most sensitive parts-

likes when you run your hands through his hair

likes to tug your hair even more

might have a marking kink like he'll like it when he can see what he's done to you

but he's also the most responsive and comfortable during intimacy

and can go on forever, makes you feel like you can go on forever with him

cuddles with you when you're done, cuddles long and good

will shower with you and 9 out of 10 times that means a second round-

softie. absolute softie at times ;-;

Wooyoung

you both love to drive each other insane. you'll fight a lot at most random things, end up laughing in the middle of an argument, tease tf out of each other

but at the end of the day there's no one you'd rather be with

he feeds you like his life depends on it

which means he'll make you food, he'll get you to try different things when you go out, and he just likes it when you're happy with food

takes care of you subconsciously- like wiping your mouth, fixing your clothes, rolling your sleeves when you're eating, etc- he doesn't do it on purpose, it's ingrained in him to take care of you

intentional flirt.

which means he makes you flushed with embarrassment in public

he knows how to rile you up, and oh, when you're riled up-

you know you'll go home all heated up which will def result in a hot makeout session

he's not shy to show you how much he likes it when you're making out so he's very vocal

and we all know about his degradation kink LMAO he loves it when you show him his place in the middle of making out

and you love it when he begs for you to do sth

but he's also very, very good at making you beg, oh, he'll push to to the edge and make you fucking cry before he gives you what you want

his hands everywhere on your body.

mumbles things in your ears, dirty things

and then bites you earlobe

you just love it when he breaks away in the middle of making out and pushes your hair back, all the while scanning your face as if making sure you're real before smiling the purest smile ever :(

and when he evil smiles? you know you're in for a ride quite literally

switches most of the time

satisfies you in ways you didn't know were possible

quite possibly plays a lot with you- might have a thing for tied wrists (his or yours, whatever you're feeling like)

keeps telling you how beautiful, how perfect you are, and when he says it? you never feel like he's lying. you start to believe it

boosts your confidence 10000x

honestly he has a contagious energy so you kinda sometimes turn into wooyoung too and he just 🧍

aftercare is a whole new level with him

hugs you to sleep <3

Jongho

he sings for you. what more do you want? :')

you'll have to hide apples from him tho LOL

being with him is very comfortable and... peaceful. like he brings out the calm in you

tho when he cracks a dad joke you start to reconsider-

but he's adorable

slaps your butt at the most random times

and then giggles before he runs away

gives you backhugs at the most random times too

likes to peck your cheeks while you're sitting in his lap watching sth with him

which sometimes makes you kiss him

usually starts slow but there's a certain sense of urgency behind that kiss sometimes

which makes it into a heated makeout session

stares into your soul when he breaks away to catch his breath

dry humping follows

likes seeing exactly what his actions make you feel like

shy at first but he's also confident asf

and he's... strong

it just drives you crazy when he pins you as he thrusts into you like there's no way you can break free from that

and why would you? ;)

has a thing for necks i've said it before i'll say it now

and he knows exactly how to please you

which means that when he's in the mood, he's gonna drive you to the edge multiple times before letting you have what you want

sometimes lets you do the same to him

he loves it when you're on top of him and ride him. perfect place for him to hold your butt and squeeze it

really good at aftercare, makes sure you're feeling good too

bear hugs after. cuddles

kisses you multiple times before settling down

sings you to sleep :( (i'll always end jongho imagines with this line)

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hwaslayer · 1 month

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home (khj) | one shot.

—summary: when your home no longer feels like home.

��pairing: kim hongjoong x f!reader

—genre: (18+ - minors dni) established relationship au | fluff, smut, heavy angst

—word count: 24k

—content/warnings: *open-ended, sad ending* cussing/mature language, very platonic cuddling and biting btwn oc and bff lol, alcohol consumption, marijuana use, intoxication, house party scenes, club scenes, making out, protected/unprotected sex, hongjoong’s pull out game on 100, marking/hickeys, thumb sucking, slight choking, breast play, clit play, fingering, oral (f. receiving), multiple orgasms, praising, car sex, *toxic relationship themes (hints of infidelity, gaslighting/manipulation, jealousy, anxiety, bad temper, multiple heartbreaks, crying, yelling/loud arguing, friends getting involved during fights) - please proceed with caution*

—on rotation: change - arin ray & kehlani ・burn - usher ・snooze (acoustic vers) - sza & justin bieber ・ i wish i hated you - ariana grande

Home.

When you think of the word home, plenty of things come to mind: your family, fun times in the backyard with the grill going, home-cooked meals, the smell of the fresh tree and peppermint during Christmas time;

Hongjoong.

It’s been a little over 2 years since Hongjoong has made a home in your heart and continues to— him being your other half and knowing you like the back of his hand. Things started off so beautifully, blossoming into the greatest love you’ve ever known. You remember the day you met him like it was yesterday, remembering every single detail down to the weather, where you were at, how you were feeling at that exact moment;

The excitement, the infatuation, the thrill, the chase.

As beautifully as those moments blossomed, there were other moments that came crashing down, too.

So when you think of the word home, plenty of other things come to mind: loud arguments and hurtful words, doors being slammed, glass hitting the wall, crying till the point your chest hurts;

Hongjoong.

—LATE JUNIOR YEAR IN COLLEGE

“Dude!” Wooyoung runs over to your circle of friends, pushing through the crowd that’s currently in Changbin’s living room. “Cops are outside, we gotta go!”

“What do you mean we gotta go, Woo? We took a fucking uber—”

“Shut it down! Now!” You hear the cops at Changbin’s door, urging for the party to be shut down immediately due to multiple complaints from neighbors for being too loud and disturbing the peace. Quite frankly, it was past 1am and Changbin still had his dj playing music. On top of that, people were outside constantly yelling during rounds of beer pong and being a mess, even down on the sidewalk.

You couldn’t say you were surprised.

However, you are surprised with how fast Wooyoung is booking it. You don’t even know where your other friends are at, or where he’s even going.

“Jung Wooyoung, what the fuck! Where are we going?” You continue to run past him, barely able to catch up especially while drunk.

“This way!” He cuts through the backyard, down the alley and towards a random car you truly don’t recognize.

“Whose car is that?! Wooyoung!” You call for him, but he hops in anyway, dragging you along with him. Everything happens way too fast, you don’t even realize you’re smushed in the backseat of a mini SUV, sitting on someone’s lap. Everyone in the car is loud, the music is loud, the driver is no other than Jeong Yunho—

“Yunho?” You furrow your brows as you peek over the passenger’s seat, quickly glancing down at the unfamiliar individual sitting there. “When did you drive to the party?! Whose car is this?!” You look over to see another unfamiliar individual plopped in the left seat, with Wooyoung in the middle— your friend Ara on said unfamiliar’s lap.

“I told you at lunch that I was driving and asked if you two needed a ride. It’s my cousin’s.” He laughs. “He’s out of town and left the car with us. Told me I could use it if I wanted to. Just make sure no one fucking yacks or else I’m tossing you out. No question.”

“You did not!” You reply to the part where he claims he told you. He probably did, but you can’t remember for the life of you.

“Sure did. You were too busy arguing or whatever with Bin.” Hm, sounds about right, you think. Yunho looks at the rearview mirror to meet your eyes before shifting back to the road. “By the way, this is Mingi. That’s San. And dude you're sitting on is—.”

“Hongjoong.” You look behind you and see Hongjoong giving you a small smile just as he says his name. His hands are awkwardly at his sides, rosy tint coloring the surface of his cheeks as he tries to keep still as much as possible.

“I’m.. so sorry about all of this.” You tell him as you hang onto the headrest in front of you, apologizing to Mingi when your fingers accidentally tug on a hair strand.

“All good.” Hongjoong chuckles, a little unsure of what to do with himself. He’s only met you about a couple of minutes ago, and you’re already on his lap. How sway?

“I saw Yunho while I was trying to find an easy way out and he called for me to follow him, so..” Wooyoung says, but your eyes quickly divert to one of your friends who had been gone the entire night.

“Ara, where have you even been all night?” You tap her arm.

“Around.” She giggles, enjoying herself on San’s lap. They continue to talk amongst each other, and it’s clear where she’s been all night. Welp, as long as she’s happy, and as long as you all are out of trouble’s way.

“Shit, sorry.” Yunho says, abruptly braking.

“Jesus fucking christ, Jeong Yunho.” You put your hand out to stop yourself from crashing into the headrest, another pair of arms suddenly wrapping around your waist to keep you steady.

“Woah there. You good?” Hongjoong still has his arms wrapped around your waist, and you can’t help but shyly nod. You are too drunk for this.

“I wasn’t gonna make it! Sorry!” He points at the yellow light.

“You would’ve made it.” Mingi laughs.

“What would you know, you’re high as shit.” Yunho sighs. “Never being DD again with my cousin’s car. For real. I got somebody high in the front seat and 5 people in the back seat.” He looks around while he patiently waits for the light to turn. “Good thing it’s kinda dead out here.” Yunho quickly turns. “Anywhere we can hang out for a bit?”

“You can go to mine, my roommate is gone for the weekend.”

“You sure?” You nod.

“Yeah. Thanks for driving and letting us squish in here.” You give Yunho a small smile. “We can order some food when we get to my place.”

“Sick.” Yunho presses on the gas, driving at a safe speed down to your apartment. You learn that San, Mingi and Hongjoong go to the neighboring university, but they’ve known Yunho since middle school. For a minute, you forget you’re sitting on Hongjoong’s lap with how comfortable you’ve gotten, conversing with your friends as Yunho continues to drive to the apartment. And Hongjoong doesn’t mind either; hell, he’s forgotten about the entire situation, his hands resting on your thighs. If anything, he’s determined it could help in case Yunho decides to do a hard-brake again. You don’t seem to be uncomfortable and that’s all that matters.

So, all is well and Yunho brings everyone to the apartment in one piece. You immediately hop off of Hongjoong’s lap and quickly thank him for tonight before taking the lead with Wooyoung to your apartment door. Everyone else trails behind at their own speed, with Hongjoong digging his hands into his pockets while he observes you and Wooyoung loudly laughing at your door. You’ve got your arm linked with his as you both crack jokes and playfully bicker. At one point, Wooyoung bites your shoulder, causing you to yelp in pain and push him off. It’s an interesting relationship, he thinks. He’s never seen people be so close and comfortable, but he supposes it’s nice that you two are able to be that way.

“Get comfortable!” You say as everyone finally makes their way inside, kicking their shoes off to the side. “Water is in the fridge, along with other drinks. Feel free to grab anything.”

“Should we order some pizza and chicken?” Yunho is already scrolling through his phone. “That sounds bomb right now.”

“Yeah, that does. Order it and let us know how much we should chip in.” Wooyoung plops onto the floor, grabbing your remote off of the coffee table. “Dude, it’s still pretty early.”

“This is early to you?”

“The night is very much still young, my dear.” He says, pinching your cheeks. You smack his hand away before yawning into your own hands, excusing yourself to the bathroom to change and get comfy while everyone gets situated around the living room. Wooyoung throws on a random scary movie for some source of entertainment, some source of background noise. You quickly wash up and change into a matching hoodie and sweats set, startling yourself when you damn near run into Hongjoong lingering in your hallway. “Oh shit, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” He chuckles. “I don’t mean to seem like a creep, but I was just looking for your bathroom.. but.. I see you just came out of it, so..” He scratches at his temple and you giggle.

“I’m all done.” Hongjoong nods and brushes past, hurriedly making his way to the toilet to break the seal. Once he’s felt relief, he takes a minute to wash his hands and splash a bit of cold water to his face. He’s still feeling the alcohol, bits of the edible, too. But, he’s definitely not as crossed as earlier in the night. Just as he’s patting his face dry, he takes note of all your skincare laying around; that cute pink headband with a huge strawberry on it, various face sheet masks arranged neatly, random rings and other trinkets spread across the open space. Otherwise, both you and your roommate seem to be really organized and neat.

“Oh, uh, thanks.” He says when he catches you in your room. “For letting me borrow the bathroom.” You chuckle, Hongjoong’s eyes roaming around as he peeks in.

“You can come in, you know? My room isn’t entirely off limits.”

“I don’t want to intrude.” He gives you a small smile. “You do have a cozy room, though.”

“Thanks. I try.” You let out a tiny giggle, tossing your clothes into the hamper as he steps inside and slowly eyes the prints and photos organized beautifully along the off-white wall.

“These are nice. Do you order them from somewhere in particular?”

“No. I just look online and buy whatever looks good.” You stand next to him.

“But.. these photos. Did you take them?” He points at the scenic photos you took of and around Hanauma Bay during a family trip to Oahu years ago.

“Yeah.” You tilt your head to the side. “Wow, I miss Oahu. I think it’s time to tell my family we need to do something and go back.” He chuckles.

“They’re beautiful.” You look at him and give him a tiny smile. “Everything about them. The angles. Crisp edges.” He says softly, mainly to himself, but it’s still loud enough for you to hear.

“Thanks. Are you into photography or something?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I try to take my own pictures, too. Just like holding onto memories that way.”

“I agree.” He smiles at you before glancing at the rest of your room. Everything about your room is also neat, organized and incredibly in sync— if that makes sense. Everything follows a certain theme, a certain color tone. Whites, creams, soft pastels. His eyes just gloss over the room in such a smooth way, he’s positive you love being in here.

“Do you spend a lot of time in your room?”

“How can you tell?”

“The way you decorated it. You put a lot of thought into it. It’s really nice. I meant it when I said it looked cozy.”

“You’re just throwing compliments left and right. What did I do to deserve it?” You laugh, and it Hongjoong finds his smile growing bigger.

“I’m just being honest.”

“Well, thank you, Hongjoong. I appreciate it.”

“Are you two hooking up or something? The food is here!” Yunho is heard at the end of the hallway, careful to not walk into something he doesn’t wanna walk into.

“Yunho, why the fuck would I hook up with someone with the door wide open?” You ask as you lead the way out of the room, Hongjoong following behind and shutting your room door close.

“I don’t know, you’re drunk.”

“I’m pretty sober now after everything that’s happened.” Wooyoung is at the coffee table, already spreading out the pizza boxes next to the bucket of chicken.

“So, you weren’t making out in there?” You smack Wooyoung upside the head before plopping down next to him. Hongjoong lets out a small laugh, taking a seat at the end of the coffee table while Mingi does the same on the opposite end. Ara and San are still flirting a storm on your couch, while Yunho takes a seat on Wooyoung’s free side.

“Do you want me to be?”

“I’m sure Hongjoong would be down, you were already pressed up on his lap earlier.” He whispers right into your ear.

“Oh my god. What’s wrong with you?” You pinch him on the thigh, making him yelp in response.

“I’m just saying you deserve all the fun, baby. Jesus. Just go for it next time.” He continues to tease. “Anyway, here. Let’s eat up.”

“What’s playing on the TV right now?” Yunho asks, already gobbling down a slice.

“Who fucking knows, but it’s kinda funny.” Wooyoung laughs at the screen. For the rest of the night, everyone is eating to their heart’s content and actually watching whatever movie happens to be playing on the TV. You stand for a moment to grab some water from the kitchen, unaware that Hongjoong had followed you over to grab another bottle of his own.

“Mind if I grab one, too?”

“Here.” You hand him the bottle, cocking a brow up when Hongjoong hasn’t stopped staring at you.

“Um.” He chuckles and points to your cheek. “May I? You.. there’s sauce.” You giggle.

“Oh shit, wow. That’s embarrassing.” He wets a paper towel before gently dabbing at your cheek, eyes focused on getting the sauce off of your skin. His face is merely inches away, hand gently holding your chin up towards the light.

“There.” He says softly. Except, Hongjoong doesn’t release his grip from your chin right away, eyes now glazing over your features. You’re really, really pretty, and something about you is enticing to him; even if you two have barely known each other for the night, you are enticing and he is curious about you.

“Thank you, Hongjoong.” You say ever so sweetly and it confirms the thoughts swirling in his head— intoxicated or not.

“You’re welcome.” His thumb grazes over your cheek for one last quality control check before he steps back. “Wanna catch the rest of the movie?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Truth be told, Hongjoong isn’t even sure how the whole night unfolded this way. He wasn’t even planning on going out, but leave it to Mingi, San and Yunho to convince him until the very end. He had noticed you ever since the party, eyes glancing around the living room over the edge of his cup while he people-watched, took in his surroundings. What caught his eye the most was how bubbly and energetic you were around everyone, always being the life of the party and genuinely enjoying yourself. You’d loudly laugh and joke, smile from ear to ear while dancing around with a bag of chips in your hand. You didn’t have to do much to be that way, and Hongjoong could tell you were only being yourself. He liked that. He liked seeing you happy, he liked seeing you be you.

So colorful, vibrant.

But, truthfully, he was afraid to make a move. Mainly afraid, but he also knows what kinda wreck he’s been lately. Just lots of shit, lots of baggage— he’s not sure what he’s really ready for or if he’s ready for anything. The thoughts alone are enough to keep him still in his place, pushing certain desires and wants to the back of his mind to try and focus on fixing his shit first.

He can be selfish sometimes, though. It is beautifully dangerous for Hongjoong. Beautiful because it works, dangerous because it works.

So at the end of the night, after Hongjoong watches you giggle away to the stupid movie on the TV, after watching you happily gobble away at the pizza and chicken, after your hands grazed over his a few times; he is going to be selfish.

That would change the trajectory of everything for him, for you.

Ever since that night, Hongjoong and his friends would invite you and your friends to hang out at their apartments and vice versa— engaging in casual drinking over board games and more movies. Every hangout led to you and Hongjoong getting closer and closer, teetering into new territory quicker than you both imagined.

“Hey.” Hongjoong says, stepping out onto his balcony where he finds you getting some fresh air. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing out here?” He jokingly teases, making you roll your eyes even though you feel the heat rising to your cheeks.

“Ew, don’t ever.” He laughs, swinging an arm around your shoulders.

“Why are you smiling like that then?”

“Not because of you.” You tease.

“I don’t see anyone else out here.” He looks down at you. “Seriously, what’s up? You okay?”

“Just wanted to get some air.”

“Wanna go for a walk with me, or do you wanna stay here?”

“Can we stay here? I was looking up at the stars.” You look up. “They’re so bright tonight, Joong. I feel like I haven’t seen them like this in forever.”

“Hm.” He hums, eyes glued onto your side profile. You’re not even doing anything in particular, but this moment right here makes Hongjoong want to pull you close.

Kiss you.

Hold your hand.

“Are you looking?” You look at him with a brow cocked up and he laughs.

“Honestly, nah. I’m sorry, baby girl. I’m just..” He pauses, brushing the hair away from your face. “Let me take you out on a date.”

“You— wait, what?”

“Let me take you out on a date.” He chuckles, pressing his lips against the side of your head. “Please?” Hongjoong had been a bit more affectionate with you as time went on, and you welcomed it because whatever he was feeling, you surely were feeling too. Unspoken feelings and little acts of affection kept you going, and you thrived on it, if you were being honest. You loved the cute ‘lil pinches on your side, the ‘lil moments where he’d grab your hand and let it linger for awhile, the ‘lil moments you’d catch him staring at you from across the room, the ‘lil texts that showed you were on his mind in one way or another. It was the subtle chase, and you loved it.

“A date, hm?”

“I’m serious.” He clicks his teeth in defeat, making you giggle.

“Alright, yeah. Take me out on a date, Hongjoong.” He smiles.

“Yeah? It’ll be fun.”

“Where are you planning on taking me?”

“Why would I tell you that, pretty?” He boops the tip of your nose. “I promise. I got you.”

And to that end, he did. He fulfilled his promise, and he did have you. He took you to a basketball game, one that you had been dying to catch for months, but never had the time to do so. He picked you up that morning and drove to the arena 45 minutes away from campus. It wasn’t like any other date you’ve been on, no. But, it was a date you enjoyed because you had fun and you were comfortable enough to be yourself around him already. You screamed together, you yelled at the refs together, you cheered on the team together. During the game, he’d hold your hand or throw an arm over your shoulder before giving you a quick peck on the cheek or temple. You don’t know what it is, but you trusted him. A lot. Quickly, too.

After the game, he took you out for dinner at a casual restaurant nearby, asking you to order whatever you wanted and that he’d cover everything, as long as you were happy. The two of you talked about everything and anything about life, and you felt like Hongjoong understood you just as you did with him. You knew a bit about his family after all the kick-its and hangouts your friends had. You knew he had an older brother he looked up to and adored, you knew he loved his parents more than anything. You knew he loved his senior dog named Momo, and you knew he cherished his childhood home, his friends— near and far. He knew you also had a good relationship with your family, and he knew the little things about you that made you.. you. It was an equal situation of give and take; not one taking more or less than the other.

Sooner or later, more dates occurred, the affection and PDA progressed to the point that everyone automatically paired you two together. Wherever he was, they’d figured they’d find you there and vice versa. It wasn’t until the date at the baseball game a month later when he made things official with you. Hongjoong knew all the right things to do, all the right things to say. It almost felt unreal that you had him by your side— a stranger whose lap you sat on just to get away from the cops, a stranger you knew nothing about and had no intentions of getting close to.

That stranger became everything to you in such a short amount of time, but you didn’t want it any other way. It felt good being with Hongjoong, and it felt like pure bliss being with him. You were certain you had finally reached cloud nine, and you didn’t think you’d ever come down from it.

“Hello?” You pick up the phone just as you begin to walk to the parking lot after your last class; books tucked against your chest, bag strap slung on your shoulder.

“Hey baby, did you just get out of class?”

“Mhm. Finally! I’m so tired today.”

“Aw, I’m sorry. You don’t have anything else going on tonight, do you?”

“No, but I have homework to finish and I definitely have to study for our next test. What about you? How was school today?”

“Same old. Can’t complain. I just have some things to finish tonight, too.” You hear rustling in the background, followed by his door shutting.

“Did you just get home?”

“Yeah. I went to the gym really quickly.” He lets out a sigh. “I miss you.”

“Aw, I miss you, too. You’ll see me tomorrow, though.”

“I know but.. it feels like a long time from now.” You step into your car and let out a breathy giggle. “Do you wanna just stay over tonight?�� You pause, hearing the question come from him. You’ve hung out at Hongjoong’s apartment more times than you can count, but you’ve never stayed the night since Hongjoong was always so careful about being too quick or pressuring you into doing something you weren’t ready for. It’s not that you weren’t ready, and you definitely thought about it more recently. But, you were also shy because it felt like a huge step for you and Hongjoong’s relationship. Though, you knew he’d enjoy it just as much as you would. You just had to overcome all of your overthinking and get over your assumptions, you think.

“Joong, I have to study tonight.”

“Study at mine. I won’t bug you.” He laughs. “I have some homework I gotta get through, too.” Silence. “Baby, no pressure but I really just miss you.”

“Joongie.” You almost whine. You miss him, too. You really, really do. “Okay, yeah.”

“Really?” He says excitedly.

“Mhm.” You laugh. “I just need to go home, shower and pack a few things.”

“Mmkay. Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Okay.”

“See you soon, pretty girl.” You hang up the call, eyeing the phone before shaking your head and driving home. Not gonna lie, you were extra nervous. You were excited to finally spend the night with him, but you were nervous. You were nervous thinking about what the night would bring. What could it possibly bring? Were you two really gonna study and just go to sleep? Would Hongjoong expect things from you? Hongjoong would kiss you, slowly make out with you and touch you in certain places, but never expected more from it— again, mainly because he was afraid to unintentionally pressure you in any way.

Welp.

You quickly brush your thoughts away and hop in the shower before throwing on a lazy outfit consisting of an oversized sweater and biker shorts. You pack up some things, telling your roommate you’ll be back tomorrow. She teases you a few times about finally sleeping over, yelling from her room that she’ll be excited to hear details if you actually do come back the following day.

When Hongjoong comes, it’s about 15 minutes after you finish packing. He tells you he’s parked near the curb out front, slipping into your shoes and rushing out the front door to greet him. He’s in a hoodie and sweats, hood up on his head while he scrolls through his phone waiting for your arrival.

“Hi.” You happily say, hopping into the passenger’s seat after dropping your bags into the trunk.

“Hey.” He beams at you, leaning over for a kiss. “Ready?” You nod, buckling in your seatbelt. Hongjoong stops by the nearest McDonalds to grab some greasy fast food for you two to indulge in while you both study away.

The apartment is quiet tonight, with San being out and Mingi studying away in his room. The both of you make a beeline to his room, Hongjoong hauling your bags while you take charge of carrying the food in. You place the bag down on the desk, carefully setting the food onto the surface. You let out a squeal when you feel his arms wrap around your waist, pulling you in between his legs when he settles onto the edge of his bed.

“I missed you. I’m glad you’re staying tonight.” His hands are at your hips, gently squeezing before caressing your bare skin.

“I missed you, too.” You cup his cheeks and give him a kiss on the lips.

“Let’s eat first?” He chases after your lips for another quick kiss. “You’ll have energy to study.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” You give him a tiny, toothless smile. You and Hongjoong talk about your day in more detail while eating, laughing and teasing each other before settling down for the rest of the evening. He offers you a shirt to change into so you can be more comfortable, and you take it; slipping into it with ease before plopping back onto his bed with your books in hand. You tuck one leg in, while the other is propped out, with Hongjoong laying on his stomach next to you. He plants random kisses along your leg from time to time, throwing an arm over to hold onto it while he continues to work through his homework.

Surprisingly, you do finish everything.

“Babe.” You call for him as you shut your books close about two hours later, Hongjoong now folding some clothes and putting them away in his closet.

“Mhm?”

“I’m done.” You smile, packing your things into your backpack.

“Nice. See, I told you I wouldn’t bug you.” You laugh, making grabby-hands at Hongjoong.

“Are you almost done, though?”

“I am. Just a few more, then we can cuddle for the rest of the night. Sound good?” You nod.

“I’m gonna get ready for bed.” You hop off and grab your toiletries, throwing on a random pair of Hongjoong’s extra sweats before waddling to the bathroom. You take your time brushing your teeth, washing your face and getting cozy for the night before heading back into Hongjoong’s room. He’s back on the edge of his bed, this time, sorting through Netflix to find something to watch. You carefully slip under his sheets, texting away with Ara and Wooyoung until Hongjoong shuts off his lights and slips in next to you.

The one thing you’ve learned from Hongjoong is that he always gives you his full attention. He never scrolls through his phone for long if you’re with him, doesn’t let other shit occupy his attention. It’s you, and it’s always about you.

So, you set your phone aside and let him pull you into his arms, fixing the pillows so you could comfortably lay on his chest while he lays back against the headboard.

“You okay, baby? Comfortable?” He asks softly. You nod and he gives you a sweet, feathery kiss on the top of your head before starting the movie. There’s silence that falls between you two when the movie begins, but it’s comfortable. It’s sweet, it’s comfortable, it’s peace. Hongjoong gently runs his hand up and down your arm, tracing faint shapes on the surface as a small, reassuring way of saying he loves taking care of you— loves keeping you safe, warm.

Eventually, the movie hits the halfway mark, and you’re kinda over it. You’re over it because all you wanna do is kiss Joong and lazily make out with him until you can’t anymore. You just want him, all of him, and you don’t really wanna wait for the next opportunity to come around when you can have him here, right now. In this bed.

“Babe.” You call for him softly as you rest your chin on his chest and look up at him.

“Hm?” He hums, eyes still glued to the TV.

“Pay attention to me.” You pout, making him shift his attention from the screen down to you.

“I am.” He laughs a bit, hand gently massaging at your scalp. “What can I do for you, baby girl?”

“Just want a kiss.”

“Mm. I’ll be more than happy to give you that.” He smiles. “C’mere.” He adjusts once more while you rise and bring yourself closer, lips locking onto his the moment you are close enough to do so. Even after you pull away, you repeatedly kiss him— Hongjoong squeezing your side in between kisses as a way to encourage you to keep going.

And you do.

The kiss deepens and the movie is now a long-gone thought in the background; simply filling noise, filling space. He lets out a soft sigh when you tug back on his bottom lip and suck onto it, following up with another kiss to keep the intensity alive. Your tongues are fighting for dominance, giving Hongjoong leverage to lay you down onto the mattress while he hovers over your body.

His lips trail down your jaw, down to your neck. He gently nips and sucks at the surface, leaving marks along the way to show off who you truly belong to in this crazy, fucked up world. You are his, and his only.

“Wanna take care of you, baby. Can I?” He pauses as his hand slowly travels underneath your shirt and up your side, thumb caressing right under your bra line. You simply nod, feeling his hand travel to the back of your bra to unhook it in one quick move. You help by tugging your straps down and tossing the bra off to the side, Joong’s hand now coming up to cup your breast— letting out a shaking breath when he toys with your perked nipples.

“Joong.” You whimper. He gives you a look before he pulls your shirt upward, tongue carefully swirling around a bud before repeating the same on the other. He watches as your back slightly arches in response, goosebumps etched on your chest, arms. He plants chaste kisses down your stomach, trailing down to your clothed core.

“Is it okay if I keep going?” He whispers, fingers toying with the band of your cute red panties.

“Please.” You respond, arousal overflowing in the pit of your gut. He hooks his finger onto your panties and slides them off, biting onto his bottom lip when he finally has you like this under his hold. To be honest, you’ve never really had fulfilling sexual experiences in your previous relationship. The sex was good, but it wasn’t great, nor was it memorable. Your ex had a tendency to fuck for one purpose only, and that was to get himself off. He’d never go down on you, but he’d finger you as part of the foreplay. He’d keep it to missionary, never really down to explore other positions or find something that’ll spice up shit in the bedroom. But you were young, so you never really complained. You truthfully thought that was how sexual experiences worked— who were you to fight against that if you didn’t really have anything else to work off of or compare it to?

The other thing about Hongjoong is that he is keen on showing you differently, satisfying and pleasing you to the end. Because it’s you, and it’s always about you.

His thumb presses against your clit, earning a small gasp from you. He smiles at how sensitive you are, damn near begging him to touch you in all the right places, fuck you ‘till you can’t walk. And he will, but he wants to explore you first; really explore you and take you in.

“You’re so beautiful.” His eyes are glued onto you, slipping in two digits inside of you. “So wet.” He curls his fingers just right, pumping them at a perfect rhythm.

“Oh— Joongie.” You let out, toes curling at the end of the bed, hands gripping the sheets when he lowers himself back down in between your thighs; pressing sweet kisses to the inner parts before coming down to your pussy. Everything feels so slow, yet so intimate and special, even when Hongjoong finally latches on and laps away at your clit while his digits continue to pump into you. You’re moaning a little louder now, but he only hopes the TV is loud enough to muffle the noises because he truly could care less about shushing you and trying to keep it down for his roommates.

Oops.

So as to say that you’ve never had memorable sexual experiences with your past, you’ve also never really felt what a real, raw orgasm felt like. And when the first one hits you, it feels like a certain high where all you hear are fireworks exploding. You tremble in his grip and Joong soothes you by kissing you all over, praising you for doing so well, whispering that he’d continue to take care of you. He digs for a condom in his nightstand, sheets draped over his body when he sits back to roll the condom down on his length. Your eyes can’t help fix on it, his tip red and angry— ready to feel you, make you feel good but equally ruin you in the best possible ways.

He eases himself in, lips grazing over yours as he locks eyes with you. The both of you let out soft moans while adjusting to the feeling, Joong keeping a slow pace until you’re more comfortable.

“Keep going.” You manage to whisper against him, enjoying the feeling of being full of him. He picks up his pace, rocking his hips at a steadier pace that has him muttering curse words to himself, your nails digging into his back while your moans get a little louder.

“Baby.” He chuckles. “Fuck— you sound so sexy, but—” He pants a bit, furrowing his brows as he forces himself to hold on a little bit longer. “Mingi.”

“I can’t.” You whine. “Feels too good.” He lets out another shaky breath hearing that slip from your lips, his ego climbing just a bit knowing he can make you tremble under his grip, knowing he has you wrapped around his finger like this.

“So good.” He responds. “So good for me, princess. You’re so, so good.” He praises you, nibbling on your earlobe when his hips snap at a messier, rougher pace. He sucks on your neck more, darkening the reddish blobs littering across the column. You start to move your hips to match his movements, earning a deep groan from Hongjoong. “Ohhhfuck, Y/N. I won’t last.” He dips his thumb down to your clit, wanting to push you over the edge so, so badly. “Can you come for me again, baby? Hm?”

“Hongjoong.” You repeatedly moan his name like a mantra, feeling the coil in your stomach threatening to snap any second now.

“Mhm, that’s it. Come all over me. Give it to me.” He coaxes you. Suddenly, your orgasm washes over and makes your bones feel like jelly; everything sounds and feels like white noise even when Hongjoong snaps his hips roughly, chasing his high until he spills into the condom.

“Holy fuck.” You manage to let out as you try to regulate your breathing— eyes glossy, lips swollen, hair a mess, hickeys covering your neck. It’s a beautiful fucking sight to Hongjoong, and god, does he love seeing you underneath him like this.

“God, you’re perfect.” He kisses you on the lips, carefully removing himself from inside of you. He steps out of the bed and tosses the condom into the trash, slipping back into his sweats to grab the wipes from the bathroom. “You’re so pretty.” He laughs, watching as you lie there, letting him clean you up and take care of you.

“This is pretty to you?”

“Incredibly.” He smiles. “Gonna grab us some water.” He turns to the TV. “Fuck the movie, I guess?” You laugh.

“Yeah, I’m sleepy.”

“Okay, baby. I’ll be right back.” He kisses your forehead before running out to grab some water.

“I see you two were having some fun.” Mingi says with a smirk on his face, exiting the bathroom after a quick shower. Hongjoong truthfully didn’t even hear his ass walk into the bathroom and step into the shower.

“Oops. My bad, dude. We’ll keep it down next time.” Hongjoong chuckles, returning to the room with some water. “Here, drink some. You should probably go pee, too.”

“Joong, I’m so lazy.” You respond after chugging some water.

“Go.” He hands you the sweats you were wearing earlier. You roll your eyes and shove them on, earning a quick ass-slap from Hongjoong for the attitude.

You definitely slept well that night.

And the next morning felt even more perfect, being that you didn’t wake up to a Hongjoong next to you; but, you did wake up to a Hongjoong bringing you a plate of breakfast in bed. He cutely sat on the edge of the bed, brushing the hair out of your face while the other hand held a plate with rice, eggs and spam drizzled in sriracha. You certainly didn’t wanna leave him that day, especially when he pressed repeated kisses against your lips in the car— reassuring you he’d be back to pick you up after classes.

“How was it?” Wooyoung asks as you two sit in the café before classes, raising a brow at the hickeys you’re trying to cover with your sweater [but clearly failing]. “Or should I even ask?” He scratches at his neck as a way to point out your hickeys.

“Uh.” You fiddle with the straw on your drink, biting onto your bottom lip to prevent yourself from smiling too big.

“Ew.” He laughs. “You’re so bad at hiding them, dude. Did he try to eat you or something?”

“You asked!” You tuck your hoodie up. “I didn’t think he’d give me that many hickeys.”

“Mm.” Wooyoung hums. “At least it was good.” He snorts, making you toss a crumpled napkin at his face.

“He made me breakfast in bed, too.”

“You spoiled little brat.” He laughs, this time earning a kick under the table. “Ow, you’re so fiesty today!” He complains.

“Woo, listen to me.” You pout.

“What? The fuck can you possibly be sad about when you got the best fuck of your life and breakfast in bed?”

“Sometimes, I feel like he’s too good to be true.” You give him a look.

“What, why?”

“He’s just so good to me.”

“And you deserve to be loved that way, Y/N. Don’t ever question that shit.” Wooyoung points at you in a scolding manner. “I can tell he genuinely cares about you and really, really likes you. Let the guy love you.”

“Really?” He smiles and nods.

“Yeah, really. It’s the cutest shit. You two are cute.” He pats himself on the back. “Say thank you Wooyoung for throwing us in the backseat of Yunho’s car.”

“Fuck no, you wish.” You joke. Though, you really are grateful for that specific moment. You are grateful to Wooyoung and his irrational, loud, spontaneous ass. You are grateful that Yunho just happened to be there, right at that very second, with the people he was with. Because it brought you to Hongjoong, the one person that has become your homie, lover and friend all in one.

So yeah, maybe Wooyoung is right. After your shitty exes and unfulfilling relationships, maybe you do deserve this.

All of this.

—SUMMER

“Y/N, my favorite!” Hongjoong’s dad says happily as he stands at the front door, watching you step out of the car.

“Hi to you too.” Hongjoong jokes with his dad, making him push Hongjoong out of the way in order to pull you into a big hug. “Mom, your husband doesn’t know how to show love to his youngest son!” Hongjoong yells into the house.

“Hi!” You hug him back before stepping into the house, kicking off your shoes and setting your duffle bag down. His mom comes to greet you, followed by his older brother and his dog, Momo.

“You look so cute today.” His mom says, bringing you to the dining table. “Come eat, I just finished cooking. I made sure to get you some fried fish since I know it’s your favorite.” You sit and look up at her with appreciation before letting out a small ‘thank you.’

When Hongjoong first told you that his family really wanted to meet you, you were scared. You were scared, and you were nervous. All you wanted to do was make a good impression, enough for them to like you and support your relationship with their son.

But it ended up being so much more than that, and you were super happy with the outcome.

You had built such a strong bond with his family over time, just as he did with yours. You constantly wanted to join Hongjoong when he visited home. His parents always asked about you, always wanted to know when the next time you’d drop by. Sometimes, his parents would drive down just to hang out and see you both. Hongjoong had taken you to a huge family gathering or two, his parents proudly showing you off to their family members.

It went the same way with your own parents, but your parents weren’t as adventurous as Hongjoong’s. They loved taking weekend trips to nearby places, while your family loved staying home and being in their comfort zone with the occasional family trips here and there. Your family wasn’t as big as his, and your family loved being lowkey. It wasn’t a problem, but you ended up hanging out with Hongjoong and his family more just because they were closer to the universities and had more plans in store. Plus, you bonded with his father and his older brother over basketball. It was always a good time.

“What time are you guys heading to the party tonight?” His dad sits on the opposite side, already digging into the fried fish that laid flat in the center of the table.

“I don’t know, probably 9 or something.” Hongjoong picks at the fish, dropping pieces into your bowl of rice.

“Whose house is it at?”

“Joshua’s.” His dad nods.

“Y/N, you’re finally gonna meet his childhood friends.” You nod.

“I know, I can’t wait.” You giggle.

“They’re all obnoxious freeloaders.” Hongjoong’s mom laughs while she washes the pans in the sink, telling his father to be nice.

“So what hotel are we staying at over the weekend?” The main reason you two came down for the weekend was because it was a childhood friend’s birthday, and because his parents had plans to do a weekend staycation at a hotel nearly 1.5 hours away. They invited you two to come along, especially since his brother was tagging along, too.

“It’s a smaller one, but it has suites. Ours has a full blown kitchen, living area and two rooms. But we have to sneak Momo in.”

“What do you mean we have to sneak Momo in?” Hongjoong chuckles. “You didn’t check if it was a pet-friendly hotel?”

“I think it is, but I’m not sure. It’s too late to ask anyway. He won’t make a peep.” The both of you turn to Momo sleeping in his crate.

“Yeah, he’s an old man.”

“You and your brother need to sleep out on the pull-out couch so Y/N has the room to herself.”

“Babe, I’m gonna slip into your room.” You playfully nudge him in the midst of eating, rolling your eyes.

“I’m sure the couch will be just as great, Joongie.”

“Don’t be like that.” He pouts.

“Give her some space, my goodness.” You laugh at his mom’s response, excited to spend the weekend with them nonetheless.

The night comes rather quickly, especially after you’ve walked Momo with Joong and tagged along to buy some groceries for the weekend staycation. You’ve dressed yourself up in a cute little mini skirt and a top, while Hongjoong is sporting a white Stussy shirt, black jeans and a backwards cap. The house isn’t too far from his own; the town that his family lives in not being incredibly huge. He pulls up to a block lined with big, two-story homes [similarly to his], parking in a spot around the round-about. The house at the corner is flooding with people— either hanging out outside or in the house, and the music is muffled behind the walls of the house.

“Ready, baby?” You give him a nod and he quickly leans over to kiss you on the lips. The two of you walk hand in hand towards the house, Hongjoong already greeting people the moment you’ve stepped onto the property.

You’re a bit relieved when you see San, Mingi and Yunho hanging around in the house, instantly greeting them while Hongjoong continues to say his hellos. It’s not long before you’re returning back to his side because Hongjoong is proudly introducing you to everyone as his girlfriend, his lady, his girl; arm either swung around your shoulder or your waist. Even though these are people he mainly grew up with, you didn’t feel entirely left out with how down-to-earth and outgoing everyone was.

“Let me get you something to drink.” Hongjoong kisses your temple before tapping your hips and leaving you to Yunho, San and Mingi.

“Dude, I’m glad you came tonight.” Yunho swings an arm around you. “Where’s Woo at?”

“He went home, too! He’s barely been around his apartment cause he’s been spending time with family.”

“He does hate being around school.” You laugh.

“He does.”

“Did you get to meet everyone? I think mostly everyone’s here.” Mingi looks around, sipping on his drink. Hongjoong comes back around with a red cup full of a sweet, fruity cocktail in his hand. He hands you the cup and presses another chaste kiss to your lips before hugging you from behind.

“I think so.” Right at this moment, more roars are coming towards the backyard door where a few heads walk in. Loud greetings and hugs are being thrown towards the group that just arrived, Hongjoong, Yunho, San and Mingi happily greeting the guy that walks in first.

“My guy!” Hongjoong daps him up and everything, even with his one arm still wrapped around your shoulder.

“Kim fucking Hongjoong, it’s about time! I haven’t seen you in so long, dude!” The guy looks down at you with a big smile, giving you a curt nod. “Who’s the pretty lady? Is this Y/N?”

“Sure is.” Hongjoong smiles. “This is my girlfriend, Y/N. Y/N, Jisung.” He properly introduces you.

“I’ve heard so much about you.” He smiles, his semi-long permed black hair cascading down the sides of his face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Truthfully, you’ve probably only heard Jisung’s name tossed around a few times, but Joong has never really talked about him like that. It does make your heart soar that he’s proudly talking about you and beaming about your relationship.

A girl comes up behind Jisung and loudly greets Yunho, San and Mingi. Her eyes simply glaze over you and Hongjoong, but she manages to mutter a small ‘hey’ before pulling Jisung to the drinks. It’s not until someone calls out her name that you realize it’s Hongjoong’s Tara; his ex, Tara. You don’t miss how Hongjoong’s smile fades a bit, and how his body becomes rather stiff. But, he manages to play it off well— returning his attention to you as if the vibe switch never happened. He had always been honest about his relationship with her, telling you that they had always been close before they started dating. But unfortunately, all of that has gone to waste with how awful their break up was. He doesn’t give you details on the breakup— how, why or when it happened. You just know that they’re awkward, and that they’re back to being strangers.

It is what it is, he says. Maybe it just works out better that way.

You never pressed on it, never asked him more. Because whatever Hongjoong was willing to share was okay with you, and as long as he was okay, you were okay. Same thing goes for you and your ex— Hongjoong never pressed you to share what you weren’t comfortable with; but he damn sure made up for everything you had gone through in your previous relationship. He made sure to kiss every scar, every wound, every thought, that made you believe you weren’t enough or that you lacked in certain areas.

Because to him, you truly didn’t. You were one of a kind.

Throughout the night, you and Hongjoong continue to stick to each other, sharing affectionate moments in between silly dances. Tara surprisingly didn’t make her presence known much, and that eased the anxiety you felt when she first walked in. It’s not like you expected him to be bothered purely by the way he talked about their history, but at the same time, you didn’t know what to expect and you didn’t know her. You just wanted to have a good time with him and the people he enjoyed being around. You loved being with him more than anything, and you loved the attention he always gave you. You didn’t have to ask because Hongjoong always gave, always made sure to take care of you before anyone else.

Towards the end, you find yourself clinging close to Yunho and participating in a round of beer pong with him while Hongjoong steps outside to take a few hits of a blunt Jisung made.

“I’m glad you brought Y/N along. I’ve been dying to meet her since your ass talks about her so much.” Joong laughs just as he exhales.

“That’s my girl.”

“You look hella happy with her.”

“I am. We just.. fit. She really does make me happy.” Joong takes another hit.

“That’s good. I’m happy for you.” Jisung chuckles. “So does that mean..?” Joong looks at him because he already knows what he’s talking about.

“We’re not really talking.”

“That’s not what I was gonna ask, though.” Jisung cocks a brow up. “I’m assuming you’re over her and everything since Y/N is around now.”

“Mhm. Yeah.” Is all Hongjoong says. “Been over with.”

“Okay.” Jisung responds. He leaves it at that because even though a tiny part of him feels like Hongjoong isn’t actually over it, who is he to argue against it? Only Hongjoong knows what’s going on in that head of his. Jisung can only hope you don’t get hurt by anything in the end because you seem like a genuinely nice and sweet girl.

Once Hongjoong and Jisung are done smoking, he comes to find you finishing up the round with Yunho. He celebrates your victory, showering you in kisses before whispering in your ear that he wanted to get the fuck up out of there. You take the keys from him and step into the driver’s seat, sober enough compared to your boyfriend since Yunho took all the beer during beer pong. The both of you recount different moments of the party, with you telling Hongjoong that you really enjoyed meeting his group of friends from home.

“Baby.” He breaks the silence, hand on your thigh and giving it a good squeeze.

“Yes?” You quickly look over at him before looking back out to the road.

“You’re so pretty.” He says, the weed still in his system; eyes still glossy and red. “I liked seeing you have fun tonight.”

“Joong.” You giggle.

“No, seriously. You’re perfect.” He squeezes at your thigh again, fingers slowly trailing up to your inner thighs and sending goosebumps to ripple through your body.

“No one’s perfect.”

“You are. To me.” Your breath quietly hitches when you feel his fingers tease at the hem of your skirt. “My pretty girl.” His hand finally dips underneath, teasing at your panties.

“You do remember we’re going back to your parents’ house, right?”

“Mhm.” He teases at the edge of the material; so close, yet so far. Threatening to be right where you want him. “Just sleep in my room.”

“I’m not doing that with your parents around, Hongjoong.” He chuckles.

“They won’t care. Fuck the guest room. You can just be quiet for me, right pretty?” He bites onto his bottom lip.

“Hongjoong.” You whine, almost unable to finish the drive home with the way your boyfriend is being.

“Pull into the park’s lot.” He points ahead. “Need you right now.”

“In the lot?!”

“You won’t sleep in my room, so..” You let out a breath, still obeying to pull into the lot. You needed him just as bad, the ache becoming unbearable in between your legs. You park under the tree for more ‘privacy’ [if you can even it call it that], the rest of the lot completely empty and dark. As soon as you put the gear in park, Hongjoong is tugging onto your shirt, begging for you to be on his lap. “Ride me.” He adjusts the seat enough so that you have room to climb over, already unbuckling his belt and undoing his jeans. When you land on his lap, he tugs your panties to the side and guides you onto his tip, letting out a loud moan when you finally sink down on his length. “Fuuuuck.”

“Joong, someone might see us.”

“No one will see us.” He digs his fingers deeper into your hips, encouraging you to work your hips faster.

“We don’t even have a condom!”

“I’ll pull out.” He laughs. “Fuck baby, I promise. We’re okay.” He kisses you sweetly on the lips. “Just need you right now. Ride me like the good girl you are, hm?” You let out a breathy moan hearing his raspy voice, working your hips back and forth at a steady pace.

“Feels so good.” You whine.

“Always know how to ride me so well.” He dips his thumb into your mouth, watching you wrap your pretty lips around it. “And you’re all mine. Right, princess?”

“I’m yours.” You mewl with a nod just as he slips his thumb out of your mouth, hand now coming to your neck with enough pressure. He pulls you in for a sloppy, wet kiss, shared moans released in between kisses. The friction against your clit is adding onto the pleasure you feel, your orgasm building quick. It only takes a few more rolls against him before you feel yourself unraveling, moans echoing within the car— you’d really be surprised if nobody questioned it. The car moving, sounds probably heard through the windows.

You can’t believe him right now.

“Hongjoong, I’m gonna—” You don’t even finish your sentence before your squeezing the life out of him, walls pulsing around his length. It’s enough to bring Hongjoong’s orgasm out of him, the panic lowkey mixing with the pleasure he’s feeling.

“Fuck— up, baby. Up.” He taps your hips and you move upwards, Joong releasing right into his hand as soon as he’s out. You’re still twitching from the sensitivity while also trying to regulate your breathing, exhaustion hitting you quick in the tight space. “Shit.” Hongjoong says, looking around to grab a napkin.

“You’re so messy.” You joke, making him laugh.

“Where else could I have done it, hm? Enlighten me.” You point to your mouth to tease him. He responds by clicking his teeth, wiping away in between your legs before tending to himself. “Don’t say shit like that, Y/N. We might never make it back to my parents’ place.” You laugh and hop off, albeit struggling to make it back to the driver’s seat.

“We’re leaving.” You fix yourself a bit more before buckling your seatbelt in and starting up the car. Joong continues to adjust himself back into his jeans before settling, letting out a hefty sigh when he’s comfortable.

“Offer still stands, love.”

“What offer?”

“To sleep in my room.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Why?” He pouts and whines. “I’m telling you right now, my parents won’t care.”

“I do!”

“Baby, how are you gonna do me like that?”

“You’ll see me down the hall in the morning.” You smile at him before driving up the hill, the park literally being down the street from the house. When you arrive and park at the curb in front of the house, you and Joong quietly step inside and slip out of your shoes. He playfully grabs you by the waist, pulling you into more kisses in the dark to prevent you from heading up the stairs. You silently scold him and laugh against his lips, afraid his parents will wake up and see you two making out in the entryway. Just as you’re about to head down to the guest room, Joong tugs you by the wrist and pulls you into his room for another round of kisses.

“Just stay with me.” He whispers before locking his lips with yours again.

“I’m down the hall.” He gently sucks onto your bottom lip, slightly pushing himself up against you. “Kim Hongjoong. Stop it.” You tap him on the chest and he sighs in defeat.

“I hate sleeping without you.”

“It’s for one weekend.” You blush at Hongjoong’s neediness. Quite frankly, you don’t wanna be without him either, and it’s taking everything in you to leave him. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

“Fine.” He meets your eyes while caressing your chin. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” You smile at him before leaving him in his room to head down to the guest room. The guest room has a half bathroom that you use to get ready for the night. You quickly wash up and throw on a comfy pajama set before slipping into the bed and plugging your phone into the charger. Hongjoong sends you a few more texts and pouty faces before you send one final text saying you were setting the phone down for the night.

The next morning, you’re woken up by his parents making breakfast downstairs, followed by Hongjoong’s dad yelling for him and his brother to wake up and take Momo out. Hongjoong’s actually the first to be up, responding that he’ll take Momo out after he checks on his other baby first. You giggle to yourself under the covers until you feel another body jump onto the sheets and hug you tightly. He showers you with tickles and kisses before getting up to get ready for the rest of the weekend ahead.

Which, was amazing. Something you’ll always remember, something you’ll always keep close to your heart.

The hotel was small, but beautiful, and it sat in the middle of a cute town. You successfully snuck Momo into the suite with Hongjoong and his brother; the boys tasked with hauling his things and his crate, while you tucked him nicely into a blanket and carried him into the room once the coast was clear. The entire weekend was spent walking around town or playing around at the pool while Hongjoong’s parents always cooked the best meals. Hongjoong would occasionally sneak into your room just to pepper you with kisses and lay with you for a bit before you would whine about his parents finding him in there. It was a weekend full of laughter, bonding, candid photos, kisses and sweet praises from Hongjoong— telling you he felt so lucky to have you.

You, perfect for him.

You, everything to him.

And that continued even after the weekend. You and Hongjoong both found summer jobs just to keep yourselves busy, but he never failed to make you feel loved despite the slight change in schedules. He’d drop by as soon as you both were off, bringing you a bouquet of ‘just cause’ flowers before kissing you and holding you close. He’d bring you to work on days he didn’t have work and patiently wait for you to get off. He’d cook you a good meal, cuddle you and make love to you in the best [yet nastiest] ways. He’d surprise you with little things here and there— shoes, little trinkets, shirts— things he knew you’d like and that reminded him of you, only you. The hangouts with your friends and his friends continued, the bond between all of you only growing more tight.

You could say that summer was amazing. It was the happiest you’ve felt in such a long time. Or.. ever, if you’re being honest.

You were so happy that the moments when Hongjoong would go home for a night to hang out with his childhood friends or help his parents, you’d be sad. You knew you couldn’t always be with him, but those moments when you weren’t, easily made you feel incomplete. You were used to having him around, stuck at your hip while he kissed your temple and kept you close.

You felt empty, like your other half was missing.

“You’re leaving me.” You pout as you wait for your smoothie to be done, Hongjoong resting his chin on top of your head while he lazily holds you from behind. Tonight was one of those nights where you’d be sleeping without Hongjoong, a night where you wouldn’t get any cuddles, kisses.

A night without his warmth.

“Only for the night, love. I’ll be back tomorrow.” He presses his lips to your head. Once your smoothie is done, you take it to the car with your hand in his, head hung low because you don’t wanna be without Hongjoong for a night. You’ve gotten so used to being with him that one night feels way too long.

When he finally gets you back to the apartment, he kisses you sweetly; hands cupping your cheeks before he presses a kiss to your forehead. He tells you how much he’s gonna miss his pretty girl for the night, but he’ll be back before you know it. You smile, hugging him tightly before waving him off and watching his car drive off towards the direction of home.

Though you already missed him, you happily skip to your room and eat your favorite breakfast bagel with your smoothie; reminiscing about how summer has been so, so good to you.

How Hongjoong has been so, so good to you.

—SENIOR YEAR IN COLLEGE

“Hi!” You giggle as you hop into Hongjoong’s car, leaning in to kiss him. But, he moves away, furrowing his brows at you. He’s angry, and you’re not exactly sure why. “Um, okay. What’s wrong?”

“Where have you been? I’ve been waiting here for close to 15 minutes and you weren’t even answering my texts or calls.”

“Babe, I’m sorry. Class ran late and then I ran into Ara and Wooyoung on the way over.” He pulls out of the lot rather quickly, speeding off to his apartment from campus. “Slow down.”

“You couldn’t take that one second to text me or let me know?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think about it.” He doesn’t respond.

“Yeah, you didn’t.”

“It’s 15 minutes, Joong.”

“I’m just saying you could’ve told me, Y/N. I picked you up, it’s the least you could do.”

“The least I could do? If you didn’t wanna pick me up, you could’ve just said so—”

“That’s not the point.”

“Hongjoong, I didn’t do this on purpose. It just slipped my mind.” Your bottom lip starts to tremble. “Why are you so angry with me? I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Exactly.” Is all he says, leaning into his hand propped near the window as the other steers the wheel. You feel the tears building up quickly because not only was this unintentional, but Hongjoong is making you feel incredibly guilty for no reason.

“I said I was sorry. Why are you being like that?”

“I’m not being like anything, Y/N.”

“You’re being mean.”

“Am I?” He quickly turns to you with a glare before looking back out at the road. “I do hella shit for you, the least you could do is fucking let me know you’re gonna be late instead of letting me look dumb.” You flinch at his words, a mixture of both anger and sadness running through your body.

“I don’t mean to be such a chore for you.”

“Wow, there you go putting words into my mouth again. No one even said that.” You cross your arms and quietly slump in your seat, subtly wiping away at the tears streaming down your cheeks. You don’t even continue the conversation, leaving the air heavy and thick for the remaining 10 minute drive home to his apartment.

Once you get there, you simply kick off your shoes and sadly greet San and Mingi before walking into Hongjoong’s room. You change into comfier clothes, and slip into bed; studying for next week’s test and taking notes on your iPad while Joong talks to the boys outside in the living room. They start up a game of FIFA that has them screaming in the living room for an hour or so before they decide they’re gonna head out for a bit. Usually, Hongjoong skips in and begs you to come because he doesn’t wanna go anywhere without you. He loves having fun with you, seeing you smile and being able to kiss you in between.

But tonight, he rushes into the room without saying a word, and grabs a jacket before heading back out. The door to his room shuts close and you can’t help but feel your heart break. All of this over being 15 minutes late, and you feel terrible about yourself.

Why were you doing everything wrong?

“Woo.” You cry into the phone.

“What’s wrong?” You continue to cry quietly. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

“Joong was just hella mad at me. For the dumbest reason.”

“What happened?”

“Dude, he was so mad at me for taking too long. Said I should’ve just texted him and let him know instead of making him look dumb for 15 minutes.”

“I’m sorry, what? That’s what you’re arguing about?” He clicks his teeth. “Y/N, please stop crying. Where is he right now?”

“I don’t know, he left with San and Mingi.”

“Do you want me to pick you up?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“He didn’t say anything else to you?”

“No. He was angry. Sped the fuck off to the apartment and everything.”

“I get where he’s coming from but it’s really not that big of a deal. It’s not like you always do this to him.”

“Why do I feel so bad and guilty about everything? I always feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

“You’re not. He’s just not thinking.” You sniff and wipe away at your face, glancing at the time. You didn’t think Hongjoong would be back any time soon, so you continue to talk to Wooyoung on the phone while going through your notes. It’s about 2 hours in before Wooyoung says he’s gonna call it a night since he needs to wake up early and head home for the weekend. You let him go and get yourself ready for bed— fully expecting Hongjoong to probably sleep outside or create a gap between you two.

You wake up close to midnight when you hear San barge into the room with repeated apologies, hair a mess.

“Y/N, I am so sorry to wake you, but I need help.” You look up at him and sit up, rubbing at your eyes. Suddenly, the sound of someone falling into the floor and crashing into the dining room table echoes in the living room and San panics. “They’re both fucking drunk.” San says, stumbling back into the living room to find Mingi laid out on the dining room chairs, while Hongjoong is on the floor. You sigh and let San guide Mingi to his room, while you tend to your boyfriend.

“Joong, get up.”

“Baby. I’m sooo drunk.”

“Yeah, I can see that. You need to get up, though.” You try to pull him up by the arm. Luckily, he cooperates, though he stumbles a bit while you guide him to the bathroom. “Can we get you ready for bed?”

“Only if you come with me.” He hiccups. You shake your head and sigh.

“Yeah.” You sit him on the toilet. “Sit. I need to grab you some clothes.”

“I’m gonna fall over and die.” He laughs.

“You’re not.” San comes out of the hallway, letting out a huge sigh.

“Mingi’s in bed.”

“Can you watch him? I need to grab him some clothes.” San sits with him while you grab him a change of clothes. You hear them fumbling in the bathroom before Hongjoong lets out another laugh.

“Dude, keep still. Jesus Christ. You’re so lucky Y/N’s taking care of you. I would’ve left your ass there to fend for yourself.” He scolds him just as you walk back into the bathroom.

“Thanks, Sannie.” He gives you a tiny, toothless smile and nods.

“I’m sorry about this.”

“You don’t have to apologize. Just go and get some rest.”

“I’m gonna sleep on Mingi’s floor in case he yacks on himself.” He rolls his eyes, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

“My pretty baby.” He continues to tug you closer, making grabby hands and being all needy.

“Stop, Joong. Get your shirt off.”

“Why are you mad at me?” He whines as you switch out his shirt.

“Cause you were mad at me for something stupid.”

“You were taking so long. I just wanted to be with you, but Wooyoung was taking up your time. W-Wouldn’t you feel the same way?” He slurs.

“Ara, too.” You look at him. “You don’t need to get mad at me for things like that, Hongjoong.” You can’t believe you’re having this talk with him while he’s intoxicated. But for whatever reason, you feel like he’ll understand you better this way. He’ll be less mean, less temperamental.

It shouldn’t be that way, though.

“Sorry.” He mumbles as you help him switch into his pajama bottoms. You don’t respond as you quickly wipe down his face with a wet face towel, handing him his toothbrush. “Baby, m’sorry. What more do you want?” He’s only accepting defeat because what else can he do being this vulnerable right now?

“Okay.” You give him what he wants. “Brush your teeth so you can get to bed.” Hongjoong brushes his teeth, grabbing the tiny cup of mouthwash you hand him before guiding him to the bed. He plops down onto his stomach, arm lazily hanging off the edge while you tuck him in. He falls asleep rather quickly, already deep in sleep when you place a water bottle on the nightstand and a trash can near the bed.

You sleep easily throughout the night after that, with the occasional Hongjoong tossing and turning in bed, sitting up to drink water before he’s back to holding you and keeping you close. You feel his lips press against the back of your head and neck a few times, but you don’t budge. Because you’re still upset, yet you’ve pushed it to the back of your mind to take care of him.

Oh, Hongjoong.

You wish you weren’t so easy to fold when it came to him, your relationship. Hongjoong does so, so well bringing you up; but you’re learning over time and as your relationship goes on, he does so, so well bringing you down, too.

The following morning comes, and Mingi is yacking his brains out in the bathroom. You shrug Hongjoong’s arm off of you before you stretch and slip out of it, Joong way too out of it to even care. By the time you make it outside, Mingi is standing at the bathroom doorway, holding onto his stomach. You ask him if he’s okay and he winces, telling you he’s unsure if he’s got more left in him. You gently push him back to his room to rest before you’re cleaning the bathroom and washing up for the day. You cook a good meal for the boys, arranging a plate for your boyfriend. By the time that you’ve set the food out and cleaned up, Hongjoong is awake, but also struggling to move much.

“God, I’m so fucking hungover.” He mumbles and groans, barely able to look you in the eye.

“Eat.” You set the breakfast on his table.

“You made breakfast?”

“Yeah, cause both you and Mingi sound terrible right now.”

“Baby.” He sits up to drink water before pulling you in between his legs. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to.”

“It’s fine.” You try to push off, but he doesn’t let you go anywhere.

“Hey. I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s fine, Joong.”

“You don’t seem like you’re fine.”

“It’s fine. I’ll text you from now on if I’m gonna be late. I just don’t need you getting mad at me for that.” He hums against your chest and continues to hold you without saying much. So, you stand and wrap your arms around him, letting out a sigh in hopes that all the pent-up frustration would leave, too.

“You’re so good to me.”

“I hope so.” You look down at him, swallowing the lump in your throat. You truly hope you are good to him. At least, you hope he genuinely believes so because it’s so easy to feel like you aren’t, like you aren’t doing enough, especially when Joong gets like that.

Though over time, you believe he meant it, for the most part. Hongjoong is better, but that doesn’t mean the arguments have settled completely. The moments they do spring up, he’s back to his ways of keeping silent and brushing you off, or leaving you behind. He comes back late, slipping into bed before pulling you close and whispering his apologies into your ear.

It’s a never-ending cycle, a circle, but you take it because Joong is what you’ve known, Joong is your other half. You take it because Joong is your home, and that maybe, this was just a silly little phase. Something you two will eventually grow out of.

A little bump in the road, a hill to overcome. As with any relationship.

A weekend full of fun activities eventually makes way, one that universities in your town and neighboring cities always look forward to. It’s the one weekend where all campuses get together for a full day of music, food and friendly competition before partying the night away at a local venue. This year the event was going to be held in the next city over, about an hour drive down. You, Hongjoong and your friends had packed up all your things and drove separately— you with Joong, Wooyoung with Yunho and Ara, San with Mingi.

As soon as you all arrive at the hotel, you unpack and grab dinner before heading to bed for the festivities the next day that started bright and early. You knew you were gonna have tons of fun this weekend, but you didn’t expect it to be the same weekend that you’d be tested; that your relationship would be riding its downhill course yet again.

Your group, along with other familiar faces, stayed during the majority of the day’s events. You and Wooyoung ran into a lot of people you knew growing up, catching up while standing in line for snacks and food, or in between the games happening out on the field. So did Joong.

And he was his usual self, happily introducing you to people you hadn’t met before and vice versa. He kept you to his hip whenever he could, peppering you with kisses, dancing around and having fun like the Hongjoong you first fell in love with. A lot of it felt like old times, like there wasn’t a care in the world. It had just been you and him, through rose-tinted glasses.

When it’s time for the afterparty, you and your friends do a shit ton of pre-gaming before heading out to the venue across the street. The coordinators and the huge security team keep a single file line organized right outside of the doors until opening, allowing the venue to be flooded with people right at 8pm on the dot. You hang onto Joong, afraid you’ll lose him in the sea of people, with your friends around you until you find a good spot on the dance floor. No one wastes any time once you settle on a spot— you working your hips on Hongjoong while he holds you close, while San and Ara are also indulging in each other and Wooyoung is pulling random girls to dance. At some point, Yunho and Mingi run over to grab some drinks for everyone to sip on, the DJ’s setlist continuing to hit all the right spots.

“Baby.” Hongjoong says, arm around your waist while he leans in by your ear. “I’m gonna go find Jisung. He said he just got here.”

“Okay. Tell him I said hi.” He pulls away to look at you and smiles, brushing your hair back.

“I will. Be back? Be good?” He chuckles while you nod, planting a sweet kiss to your lips.

For awhile, Hongjoong is gone long enough that you’re not sure if he ever found Jisung. You start exploring around the dance floor, greeting people you know again before heading off to the spacious hallway that leads to the bathrooms and water fountains. Lots of people are standing around and talking, which makes it a bit harder for you to find him. You eventually do though, and you almost wished you hadn’t at that exact moment, at that exact time.

The exact moment when Tara pulls him in for a hug, keeping her arms around his waist while he looks down at her with a fond smile. He laughs loudly while she continues to talk to him, the grip around his waist clearly not loosening any time soon. He throws an arm around her shoulder and pulls her in for another hug; keeping her there for a bit before she finally pulls back and parts from him.

You head towards his direction, his eyes instantly landing on you when you get closer. He gives you the same fond smile, before pulling you in and hugging you close. You swear you could still smell her perfume on his clothes and it gives you the ick.

“I didn’t know Tara was here, too.” You say, even though you should’ve expected it with all the schools invited. You should’ve known she was bound to be here, especially with Jisung being around.

“Yeah, and?”

“Nothing, nevermind.”

“No, I know you. What are you catching an attitude about? Because I said hi?” He furrows his brows at you and pulls away.

“It’s not even that—” You’re not even sure how to explain yourself, because how do you tell him she makes you uncomfortable without getting accused of being jealous? You know Hongjoong would instantly get upset, thinking you don’t trust him enough to be around his ex. That’s not the case at all. It’s just something about her that makes you feel.. off, and you can’t exactly put your finger on it. It’s probably the way they’re so up and down sometimes, you can’t tell if Hongjoong wants to keep her in his life or not. It makes you wonder how “awful” their breakup truly was.

But yeah, right now, you are kinda mad about how she hugged him and kept him close. He let that happen, too.

“Just because she’s here, you wanna ruin a good night? Be for real, Y/N. All you fucking do is trip over stupid shit.” He says, alcohol surely not helping in this case.

“I’m trippin’ over stupid shit?”

“Yeah, you are! It’s so fucking unnecessary when you act like that. I was just catching up with Jisung and Tara happened to come by. I don’t know why you assume so many things right away. Nobody is putting those thoughts in your head, you do that to yourself.” Hongjoong harshly lets go of you before walking off and leaving you in the hallway. Yunho is just leaving the bathroom, catching you standing there with a sadness in your eyes that surely doesn’t fit the environment you guys are in right now.

“Yo, you okay?” He throws an arm around you and brings you close, having to talk right in your ear because of the music blasting. You look up at him and shake your head, tears pricking your eyes while you sadly stand there with your arms tucked closely to your chest. “Woah, hey. What’s going on?”

“Tara.” Yunho lets out a small sigh as he frowns. He understands the anxiety that builds when she’s around. He knows their full story, and quite frankly, he’s iffy about the whole Tara thing, too. You clearly don’t know, but Yunho can tell your gut is telling you otherwise— that your instincts are making you defensive, making you overthink. He knows how serious their relationship was, but he also knew how much of a rollercoaster it was. How bad the breakup was, how weird they’ve been even post-break up. Hongjoong is a good guy, and he likes to think that he’d be smart enough [and grown enough] to move on from all that mess. “He’s fucking mad at me because I made a big deal out of it. I’m sorry I don’t want her around him.”

“I’m sorry, that’s totally valid. He’s drunk and he’s being a dick. He’ll realize how stupid he’s being. Let him.” Yunho smiles and gives you a playful pinch on the cheek. “No crying allowed. Let’s go back to the dance floor, okay?”

“Bruh! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Wooyoung grabs your wrist when he finally spots you and Yunho. “Don’t you hear the song they’re playing?! It’s our song!” You laugh, letting Yunho and Wooyoung guide you back to the dance floor. Once Yunho and Wooyoung have successfully brought you back to the dance floor, you’re able to brush off your feelings and forget the stupid drama for a bit. Wooyoung dances closely with you [like he always has], playfully singing around and laughing while simultaneously watching the crowd go crazy around you. Being around Wooyoung feels nice because you’re reminded of the good ol’ times. You’re reminded of the times you used to be so, so carefree and so full of life. You’re reminded of the times you didn’t have to worry about a single thing or feel so fucking anxious and frustrated. You’re reminded of the times when you and Wooyoung used to have tons of fun without a single weight on your shoulders.

Well, scratch that. You still do. It’s just a little different now.

During the remaining time you’re at the party, Hongjoong doesn’t return to you even once. And you know he’s hanging out with Jisung. Probably other childhood friends. Definitely Tara. And your suspicions are confirmed when you excuse yourself from dancing with your bestfriend and a few others to grab water, finding Hongjoong laughing and in good spirits with Jisung, Tara and another friend. There’s a look in his eyes when he looks down at her, and it makes your stomach twist.

Of course.

You’re not really sure why that’s the last straw, it’s not like he was doing anything out in the open with her. He would never do anything, you think. Even if you haven’t seen him throughout the night, he would never. But, it’s definitely the fact that he chose to spend his time with them [her] knowing how you felt.

And that shit is fucked up. You’re hurt.

You make contact with him and roll your eyes, shaking your head right before you take a big swig of water and head out the doors. Before you know it, you’re outside, pushing through the random groups lingering to get fresh air. Luckily, the hotel is a short walk across the street. But, you’re not even sure if you should call Wooyoung and take your things into his shared room with Ara and Yunho because you truly don’t want to be around Hongjoong if he was gonna be like that.

“Fuck.” Hongjoong mumbles to himself. Jisung follows his eyes, watching as you storm out of the venue alone.

“Uh, is she good?” Tara can’t help but look over either, heart sinking when she realizes Hongjoong is about to run after you. Because yeah, she has history with him, and she knows deep down that part of Hongjoong still has a grip on it. Just like she does.

“I’ll catch up with you later, alright?” Is all Hongjoong says before bidding them farewell to chase after you.

“Of course.”

“Tara.” Jisung gently scolds her through his tone. “I know that shit has always been complicated, but I need you to let him be.”

“Okay, Jisung. I’m not even saying anything. It’s just annoying how we can’t even be friends.”

“It’s never just that with you two and you know it.” She looks at Jisung and remains quiet, not having a rebuttal.

She knows, she knows.

Meanwhile, Hongjoong pauses in his steps and searches for your familiar figure. More people have piled outside, making it a bit harder for him to navigate through the crowds. Once he leaves the entrance and finds himself on the street, he sees you nearing the crosswalk.

“Baby, baby.” You hear Hongjoong behind you, footsteps getting louder as he picks up his pace to catch up with you. “Baby, wait. I’m sorry.” He repeats when he grabs your wrist, but you’re quick to snatch it out of his grip.

“Hongjoong, go back to the party. Looks like you were having a fucking blast anyway.”

“No, I don’t want to.” He attempts to grab you again but you’ve moved out of his reach.

“And I don’t want you here.” You sharply look at him. “Just go back with your friends. I’m sure Tara’s looking for you, too.”

“I don’t give a fuck! I wanna be with you.”

“If you actually wanted to spend time with me, then you would’ve done that a long time ago.” You feel the tears threatening to spill from your bottom lid as you continue to walk across the street to the hotel. You keep your distance from Hongjoong, genuinely wanting to be alone and away from him for a moment— but he doesn’t understand and he won’t. Because he’s selfish, and the moment he realizes you’re slipping from his grip, he panics.

Saying and throwing everything your way just to get you calm, to not have you be mad.

“I didn’t mean to get upset at you, it’s just frustrating—”

“I really don’t wanna do this right now, okay? I left alone for a reason.”

“Can you just listen to me for a second?”

“I don’t want to!” You push away from him once again, picking up your pace. “Hongjoong, just go back to your friends. For the love of god, I don’t wanna be around you right now. You fucking knew how I felt about the entire thing yet you still spent time with her and your friends. And you got mad at me for voicing those feelings! God forbid I feel that way about her.” You snap. “I don’t wanna do this anymore. I’m so fucking tired of fighting with you, all we do is—” He comes around and tries to stop you in your tracks, hands on your arms as he tries to pull you close.

“No, baby. You don’t mean that. I’m trying here! What do you want me to do?!” His voice slightly raises.

“You’re trying?! Funny cause you had hella shit to say to me at the party. Don’t try and flip the switch now.”

“I didn’t mean it, fuck!” He groans, attempting to stop you from walking any further again. His tone is loud enough to catch the attention of a couple walking past, eyes fixed on the scene until Hongjoong lowers his voice. “I just got frustrated and I’m sorry, okay? Please don’t leave. Let me make this up to you.”

“You don’t even know what the hell you’re sorry for!” You continue to raise your voice before storming up into the lobby, straight to the elevators.

“Yes I do!” He rushes into the elevator with you, and you tuck yourself into the corner. But of course, in a very typical Hongjoong manner, he cages you in, hands resting on the rails while his face barely ghosts yours. “I fucked up, and I didn’t mean to discredit your feelings. I want you to know that I don’t care about Tara. That shit is all in the past. It gets frustrating because I would never do anything to lose you, Y/N. I just need you to trust me. Why don’t you trust me?”

“Joong, I don’t get why you can’t just cut her off. She’s your ex for a reason. I don’t understand it. I just don’t feel comfortable with it, and I’m sorry—”

“I know, baby. If you want me to cut her off, I will. I wanna make up for this and prove it to you.” You let out a breath. “No one else matters to me.” Silence. You aren’t really sure what to say. What can you say? Was it wrong for you to ask him to cut her off?

If not, why do you feel guilty about it? Why do you feel so fucking wrong for doing that? For making it a ‘big deal,’ for voicing your uncomfortability?

“You didn’t have to come after me and miss the party.” You don’t really know what else to say. You’re tired and you’re over it, so you do what you do best in these scenarios: try to physically push him away from you and keep him at bay.

“Stop pushing me away. Baby, please.” He shakes his head and almost whines, cupping your face. “I don’t care about the party. I don’t care about any of them. Why can’t you trust me?” And it’s that stupid fucking look Hongjoong gives you that makes you melt, makes you weak in the knees. He looks at you in a way that reassures you, in a way that tells you how special you are; a way that says you’re mine and only mine.

And it gets you every single time.

You let out a shaky breath when his thumb caresses the surface, lips a few inches away from yours.

“Don’t push me away. I’m sorry, I’ll make this better. You can trust me.” He repeats. You don’t respond besides a simple nod, giving him leverage to press a chaste kiss to your lips as the elevator doors open.

Hongjoong is home to you, which is why you trust him to make it better, to keep you safe.

That night, Hongjoong takes you into the room and shows you his way of making up for it, of taking care of you, of showing you all that matters is you. You slip into the shower, eventually letting Joong join and take you inside. He carefully calculates every move, every kiss, every touch; making sure to whisper and mark your skin with his repeated apologies. And it doesn’t stop there, no. You get yourself ready for bed, throwing on one of Joong’s shirts before slipping under the covers. He shuts off the lights when he’s finished, getting in next to you. Innocent cuddles and kisses eventually turn into Joong taking you from behind; pounding into you while he pulls your hair and whispers sweet nothings in your ear.

No one else matters to me.

You’re perfect.

Made for me.

My good girl.

And you take it all, letting the love consume you all over again. Because for a while after this, things felt beautiful again. You felt like you were back in your honeymoon-cloud nine phase with Hongjoong— sharing laughs and jokes, holding each other close while kissing each other every chance you get. He’d make love to you like the last day on Earth was tomorrow, souls intertwining and never wanting to be apart from you.

Things were good, until they weren’t.

There comes a day when you realize he hasn’t actually cut Tara off, and your anxiety spikes again. There comes a day when all those shitty feelings return, and it makes you question if there was any meaning behind everything Hongjoong said, did.

You sat on Hongjoong’s bed, reading through a chapter of a book for class. He’s out in the hallway grabbing his clothes from the dryer when his phone dings a few times, your eyes shooting to the screen sitting on the nightstand. You used to think it was kinda nice that Hongjoong always set his text previews to show up no matter what. Maybe it was a weird way of showing you that he didn’t have anything to hide, maybe it was a way of showing you that you didn’t need to question anything.

Now, you’re not so sure how to feel about it.

tara: hey. is it okay if i swing by and hang out with you guys?

tara: my aunt passed, and i just want to be away from home.

You do feel a bit bad for her. Losing a loved one is never easy, and she is good friends with San and Mingi, too. But, where is Jisung? Where are her other friends? Surely she has other friends she can rely on, right? You can’t help but fix on the funny feeling and the anxiety that bubbles in your gut seeing her name— anything to do with her. You’re not sure what it is, but Tara unsettles you, and you know it’s for a reason. Your instincts are telling you so.

“Who is it?” You flash his phone his way, a small frown on your lips.

“So much for cutting her off, Hongjoong.”

“I’m not even planning to respond to her.”

“Not my point.”

“I know you aren’t getting mad at me over some unanswered texts. I haven’t even talked to Tara since that night.” He glares at you. But if he hadn’t talked to her since that night, what makes her think it’s okay to ask for something like this?

“Why would you tell me you’d cut her off if you weren’t actually planning on doing so? And why do you sound so mad about it?” You’re tired of doing this, going in circles, having to explain your feelings over and over again.

“Oh my god.” He huffs. “We’re really at this again?”

“Because you don’t get it. It just feels weird.”

“Mm, when I haven’t done anything.” He drops the basket onto the floor. “Since you wanna talk about ‘weird’ and bring this shit up again, what’s been going on with you and Wooyoung then?”

“Are you actually kidding me right now?” You scoff. “You’re not serious.”

“You know, I saw you that night of the party. The two of you dancing hella close. I’ve seen the way he is with you lately, too.”

“Wow.” You laugh pathetically because what is actually going on? Wooyoung had never been an issue, at least, Hongjoong has never vocalized it. Nor has Joong ever given you signs that he was becoming a problem. “You know we’re just close like that. It’s actually unbelievable that you’re comparing him to Tara right now.”

“Oh, bullshit! You expect me to believe that? That’s the shit that feels weird.” Hongjoong yells.

“Yes!” You match his tone. “Because we’ve been together for how long?! You know this. Why are you all of a sudden making this an issue? Wooyoung was never a problem—“

“To you, maybe.”

“And that’s my fault, how?! I can’t read your mind, Joong. You never told me you had issues about it.” You groan. “He’s just one of my best friends. I don’t know how else I’m supposed to prove that to you. I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Then, what the hell was he doing being all up on you? Leaning into your ear like that. Holding you close. Too fucking close.”

“We’ve always been that way! This isn’t anything new, and you know there isn’t a meaning behind it!” You yell, but you’re quick to crawl back into your shell when Hongjoong tosses a dish into the sink harshly before walking away from the kitchen.

“Right.” He starts walking towards his bedroom and you follow behind. “It’s crazy how you make a big deal out of Tara when I keep her at a distance. I don’t do anything to make you uncomfortable, I make sure there’s clear boundaries.”

“That’s not the same, and you know it. Her being around is uncomfortable enough.”

“How is it different?”

“You’re kidding, right?” You cross your arms. “She wants to get back with you so fucking badly, Joong! How can you not see that? She doesn’t care about me, and you apparently don’t either!”

“Oh, I don’t? I cut her off like you asked me to even though there really wasn’t anything going on between us. Shit was fucking crazy to me, but I did it anyway.”

“What exactly does ‘cutting her off’ mean to you? Because she continues to call you and text you, asking you to be there for her when she has so many other people she can turn to. Why does it always have to be you saving the day? You just let it happen, too! You clearly would see her and let her visit when she needs you. You two aren’t together anymore!”

“So, how is this different from Wooyoung? Because every time something happens, you run to him. You ask for him all the time, you call and text him when you need someone. You choose him all the time.”

“No, I don’t! He’s not my ex-boyfriend, this is just how we are. I’ve known him for so long, he would never disrespect you. Why on earth would you ever think of us in that way? This is different because you and your ex have history. She obviously still loves you, and wants to continue feeling close to you. As soon as you’re vulnerable, she wants to swoop in and show you that she’s always been there. You don’t get it!”

“Fine, I don’t!” But Hongjoong does, he’s just matching your energy and the way you fire back makes him want to fire back even more. He yells and he slams his hand against the wall, making you flinch. He’s heated just as much as you are— it’s all in the heat of the moment. “If I ever asked you to cut Wooyoung off, would you?”

“No. I don’t have a reason to. That’s unfair and you know it.” He scoffs as he throws on his jacket and grabs his keys.

“Okay, whatever. Fuck this then.” He says, just as San and Mingi walk into the apartment— pausing mid-conversation at the chaos going on.

“That’s it?” You pause. “Hongjoong.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say to you, Y/N. I gave you what you wanted.”

“And I am too, I’ve been trying to tell you that you shouldn’t worry about Wooyoung.”

“And yet it still feels like you’d choose him over me if it ever came down to it!” His hand hits the wall and it causes you to step back.

“Woah, hold on. Hongjoong—'' Mingi cuts in when he hears Hongjoong yelling at you, also slightly appalled at the topic behind the argument.

“Why do I even have to choose?!” You begin to cry more, aggressively wiping at your tears. He gives you one last look before he’s heading towards his shoes. “Hongjoong.” You call for him. “Where are you going?” He slides into his shoes, still not sparing you a look. “Hongjoong!”

“For a drive.” Is all he says before he’s heading out and slamming the door in your face. Mingi sighs as he sets his things down and tries to race after Hongjoong, while San sits you down and throws an arm around you to console you.

“What happened?”

“He’s getting mad at me cause Tara texted him.” San sighs. “Started talking about Wooyoung.”

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry Y/N, let him cool down.” You don’t say anything because you’re sick of fighting and you’re sick of his friends, your friends, genuinely apologizing on his behalf. It should have never gotten this deep, and your friends shouldn’t have to be involved. Yet, here they are. “He’s being a hothead. I know how you feel, and you shouldn’t have to explain the situation with Wooyoung after all this time.”

“Sannie, I’m so tired.” You cry into your hands. You truly are tired. You feel exhausted from this rollercoaster you’ve been riding for months. You’re not sure if Hongjoong feels too comfortable, or if he’s just losing sight of who you are to him, what this relationship means to him. And that is an awful feeling. “I’m so done fighting with him.”

“I know.” He rubs your arm and gives you a gentle squeeze. “Hongjoong just needs to realize how lucky he is to have someone like you by his side. For real. You do everything for him and you’re always there for him. I know he’s appreciative but he just needs to do better.” He lets out a breath. “We’ll try to talk some sense into him. Why don’t you lie down and get some rest?” You shake your head.

“I’m gonna go home.”

“Want me to drive you?”

“I’m gonna call Woo.” He nods, letting you go to give you some space. “Thank you, Sannie.”

“Of course.” He gives you a small, half-hearted smile. He feels terrible. He truly wishes Hongjoong would stop being so mean sometimes. It’s true; he does have a temper but it’s unfair for him to unload that on you for every little thing, every little inconvenience. You had been nothing but good and patient. Understanding.

“Yo?” Wooyoung picks up as you pack up your things.

“Woo, are you free right now? Can you come get me from Hongjoong’s?”

“Yeah, sure. You okay?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll be there in 10.” And with that, you hang up the call and continue to pack your things. Hongjoong and Mingi haven’t returned, and you’re relieved you don’t have to go explaining yourself if he were to walk in at this moment. Wooyoung arrives sharply in 10 minutes, texting you to come outside. You bid San farewell and hug him tightly, telling him to let Hongjoong know you’ve gone home if he ever asks. He simply nods before watching you leave, releasing a deep sigh as he heads to his room.

The car ride is quiet simply because Wooyoung can tell you’re having a bad night. The thing with Wooyoung [which is why he’s your bestfriend] is that he knows when he just needs to hold space for you and let you be in your peace. He doesn’t ask any questions, he doesn’t hound you for attention. He just lets you be the entire ride home. It’s not until you start breaking down again that he finally feels ready to ask, especially because he hates seeing you this way.

“Y/N, what is it?” Wooyoung lets out a breath when he sees you breaking down in the passenger’s seat. “Come on, let’s get inside first. Okay?” He says, hand coming to rub your back. You don’t respond so Wooyoung takes it upon himself to step out first before coming to your aid on the passenger’s side. He crouches to your level and unbuckles the seatbelt, wiping your tears away before getting you to walk to the apartment. He heads to the kitchen to grab you some water while you change and get into bed.

Wooyoung hears you quietly sniffling and crying to yourself, and he knows he can’t just leave you here like this. So, he places the water down, slips into your bed and holds you, telling you that things will be okay. To anyone, this probably would’ve looked incredibly wrong, and Hongjoong probably would’ve beaten his ass if he knew. But he doesn’t care; because Wooyoung will always do anything for you, especially after all the times you’ve dropped everything to be there for him without asking for shit in return. He cherishes you as his bestfriend and he will always put you first—

That goes to say, Wooyoung would never disrespect Hongjoong. He knows better than that, and if Hongjoong had a problem with him, he’d gladly talk it out and reassure him. Well, he’d at least hope Hongjoong was grown enough to do that.

But if not, then he thinks that's his own damn problem and his own damn fault for assuming and putting shit into his own head. Wooyoung has known you for so long that things like this— platonically laying in bed, consoling and being there for each other— comes so naturally. It doesn’t mean he’s trying to make a move on you [god, no], everyone knows that.

Except Hongjoong, I guess. It’s funny how he tries to flip the script on you when he knows exactly what he’s doing.

It’s kinda stupid, Wooyoung thinks. He should really know better after dating you for over a year at this point. He should really know better, period.

Right now though, you need him and that’s what he’s here for. He continues to quietly shush you and ease you to sleep, phone constantly vibrating and going off on the table. It’s not until he hears your soft snores that he carefully moves to grab your phone and attempt to turn it off, eyes glancing over Hongjoong’s texts and missed call notifications.

hongjoong: where are you?

hongjoong: y/n

hongjoong: assuming you’re with wooyoung

hongjoong: wow really, y/n? after tonight, too? of course you’d run straight to wooyoung

hongjoong: fuck this, whatever

Wooyoung scoffs to himself a bit, the audacity of Hongjoong for being so fucking upset over nothing. Don’t get him wrong. Wooyoung loves seeing you happy. It’s all he wants. And he loved Hongjoong for you. He really did. He thought you two were perfect and actually made for each other.

But, over time, he’s starting to question his thoughts, if he still stands in the same place he did a year ago. Because all this crying, this back and forth, nights of having to come save you; he sees you slowly changing. The light in your eyes dimming. Life slowly being sucked out of you. You aren’t the same bright, fun, loud Y/N you used to be and Wooyoung hates it when he really thinks about it. As the cherry on top [which Wooyoung also hates to admit], everything is becoming way too unhealthy. It’s the way that Hongjoong’s temper gets the best of him, the way all of your friends get involved one way or another. The way this will probably blow over tomorrow, and you and Hongjoong will go about your day like nothing happened.

What’s gonna be left of this?

What’s gonna be left of you?

Wooyoung feels his own phone vibrate, and it’s a text from Yunho. Granted, he kinda saw this coming. But again, he hates that this is what your relationship has become.

yunho: is y/n with you? hongjoong’s wondering where she’s at

wooyoung: where the fuck else would she be?

wooyoung: she’s at home, sleeping

wooyoung: had to pick her up cause she called crying after their argument

yunho: they fought again? over what?

wooyoung: idk but reading his texts, it sounds like part of it was about me

yunho: wtf why? i dont get it?

wooyoung: you and me both

yunho: alright well ill let him know shes safe and asleep. text me if u need me

wooyoung: thanks

wooyoung: also, tell him he can ask me directly next time. i’m not hiding anything, nor is y/n. bold of him to assume shit

He lets out a hefty sigh before setting his phone aside and slipping deeper into your covers, turning onto his side to give you some space.

When the following morning comes, Wooyoung wakes up to your hand on his arm as you reach over to grab your phone. He groans a bit, tugging on the sheets while you sit up and read through Hongjoong’s texts from last night.

“Fucking idiot.” He hears you mutter. As much as he wants to sleep in a little more, he can’t help but worry about you. So, he turns over and sees your fingers pinching at your bottom lip while you continue to read the texts— obvious the tears are building up the more that you do.

“Y/N, what the hell did you guys fight about last night?”

“It was so stupid.”

“Yeah, you’ve said that before.” You look at him and drop your phone, head resting back against the headboard.

“It started because Tara texted him asking if she could swing by for some company since her aunt passed. I got mad at him for it because I swear to god, she’s trying so hard to get back with him and he just lets it happen. I know he’d continue to help her and be there for her even though she has other friends she can rely on. Why does it have to be Hongjoong every fucking time?” You groan, tears already streaming down your cheeks. “And then he started attacking me about you, a-and—” You cry. “It’s unfair. It’s not the same, I don’t know why he’s suddenly making an issue about us or whatever, but it’s not the same and I thought he knew that. He was making me choose, saying I’d probably choose you at the end of the day and that I—”

“What a piece of shit.” Wooyoung says before sitting up and pulling you into a hug. “Nah, I get it. You don’t have to explain the rest.”

“It’s so stupid. Why would he say that when he knows it’s not the same? Tara’s his ex-girlfriend, why doesn’t he see it the way I do?”

“Because he knows he’s wrong and he doesn’t wanna admit it, Y/N. He’s looking for other things to pick at and blame. Deflecting.”

“I’m so done with him getting mad at me like this. I asked him to cut her off for a reason.” You pull away from him and wipe the remaining tears from your face. “I asked him to cut her off because she clearly didn’t give a fuck about me or our relationship. That girl knows no boundaries. She makes me feel anxious and I fucking hate it.”

“And you were right to do so.” You sigh.

“I feel like I’m never winning with him anymore.” You say quietly, defeatedly. “It just never feels like enough.”

“Don’t say shit like that. You’re doing more than enough, he’s just being dumb.” He sighs. “Are you going to talk to him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe later. I just need a moment to myself, I guess.”

“Take your time with it. Talk to him when you’re ready. Don’t let him determine that for you.”

“I know. Thanks for last night.” He gives you a small smile.

“I got you, always. And for the record, I know you’d choose me in the end.”

“Shut up.” You chuckle as you wipe at the stragglers running down your cheeks before pushing him out of your bed.

“Ow.” He pouts and whines. “Why would you hurt me?”

“I need to shower.”

“You should.” You smack him upside the head when you finally stand from your bed and grab a set of new clothes.

“Are you at least feeling better?”

“Kinda? Sleep did me well for sure.”

“It’s cause of me.”

“Wooyoung, I will—” He bites you on the shoulder with a loud laugh, causing you to yell and curse at him this early in the morning. Luckily, your roommate wasn’t home and was off at her internship. But goodness, does your bestfriend drives you nuts. Can’t live with him, can’t live without him.

Once Wooyoung leaves, you take a bit more time just to be in your own peace. You deep clean your room and the rest of the apartment, while playing some soft music in the background. Hongjoong’s call is what interrupts the music coming through your bluetooth speakers, sighing as you disconnect it and pick up the call. He asks if he can come over and talk, and you agree to let him swing by. You aren’t feeling 100% but you are feeling better enough to try and talk to him.

It doesn’t take more than 15 minutes before Hongjoong is walking through your door, kicking off his shoes and setting his wallet and keys off to the side of the dining table. He finds you sorting through some extra prints you’ve kept hidden in your desk drawer, your back turned to him even as he walks in and greets you.

“Hey.” Is all he says, sitting on the edge of your bed.

“Hi.” You turn to him, setting the prints aside.

“Hanging up more?”

“I don’t know yet. I bought these awhile ago and they’ve been sitting in my drawer. I need to figure out how I wanna put them up.” He leans back on his hands and nods. Even throughout all the stupid shit you and Hongjoong have been fighting about, you still find him to be the most handsome, the most charming; it truly makes your heart flutter every time you see him. He’s in a plain white tee and sweats, hair freshly washed and still a bit damp. The tattoo on his arm is poking out from underneath his sleeve and it drives you insane how attractive your boyfriend is.

“Mm.” He hums. “Did you sleep well?”

“Slept well enough.” You look at him. “What about you?”

“I slept alright. Was worried about where you were at.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else but my place, Joong. You know that.”

“With Wooyoung?” You look at him and let out a sigh, crossing your arms as you feel the anger within you grow again.

“Look, if you came here to argue some more, I don’t—”

“I’m not here to argue. I asked a simple question, Y/N.”

“Yes, he was here. But I don’t see why that would be an issue compared to Tara asking to come over.” He licks his lips, but he doesn’t say anything. Just nods.

“She just needs her friends.”

“So do I, but you don’t see me leaning on my ex for that kind of company.”

“We were good friends before we even dated.”

“But you dated, and that’s the shit she’s holding onto. As with anybody.” You roll your eyes. “I guess you did come here to argue.” He shakes his head.

“No. Forget it, I’m sorry.” Is all he says.

“Sorry for what?” You hate that you always have to ask him this because lately, it’s been feeling like he doesn’t even know what he’s apologizing for. Like he’s just apologizing to apologize and move past it. “You do understand where I’m coming from, right? Tara’s your ex-girlfriend and I asked you to cut her off for a reason. Wooyoung and I have been bestfriends for years, and we’ve never been anything more than that. We’re just used to being there for each other and having each other’s backs. It’s natural for us. It doesn’t always have to have a hidden meaning, Hongjoong. Don’t make me choose because it’s not the same thing. Why would you do that? Why would you get upset at me for assuming when you’re doing the same thing about my bestfriend?”

“I hear you. I truthfully don’t wanna fight about this anymore.” He runs his hand through his hair. “I cut her off, alright? Told her she couldn’t do that and expect me to be there for her anymore.” He lets out a heavy sigh as if it was a chore to do, as if he didn’t want to but had no choice.

“Hm.” You hum. It’s not that you don’t trust him, you just don’t trust her. But part of you has also begun to wonder if you could truly be comfortable with his responses— if you could sit back and relax, take it for what it is. It’s complicated. Too complicated for something that started off so simple and beautiful. So beautifully simple.

“Baby.” He calls you as he stands. “Can you come here, please? Look at me.”

“Hongjoong, I just don’t know what to say.” He holds you by the waist, hand on the small of your back while he kisses your forehead, temple.

“Trust me.” He slightly frowns. “I need you to trust me because I would never do anything to lose you, remember? Baby, nothing else matters.”

“Then trust me. Wooyoung would never disrespect you like that and I thought you knew that.” He nods.

“Yeah, I know. I was just upset.” He kisses you on the lips. “I’ll do better.”

And since that moment, Hongjoong was better. Really better. The feelings you felt during the beginning of your relationship with Hongjoong felt like they’ve returned. Hongjoong was good, so, so good to you— it was easy to trust him again and feel safe. He worked on building a safer space for you after the back and forth about Tara, making you feel like he truly understood you and wanted this relationship to flourish like it used to. He cared about you, and he loved you.

Little did you know that this would all come crumbling down in the future. All of it.

The hope that this would eventually pass, that it was just a bump in the road, dwindled when Hongjoong had reverted to his old ways—

You should’ve known it wouldn’t last.

But it breaks you, constantly breaks you, because at this point, you’re convinced it’ll never change.

Not anymore.

“Wooyoung’s graduation party is that weekend. He had to push it out so his family could travel over.” You say, washing your bowl in the sink before plopping back down on the couch with him.

“So you’re not gonna come with me to Jisung’s graduation?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Can’t you at least stop by then go to Wooyoung’s?”

“No, because I told his parents I’d help get everything together, Joong.” You furrow your brows because you already know he’s angry, even though this has absolutely nothing to do with him.

“Alright.” Is all he says, continue to scroll through his phone.

“You’re not mad, are you?”

“I mean, I just wanted you to come along for a bit. I don’t understand why can’t do that, but I guess it’s cause of Wooyoung.” He looks at you again. “I should’ve expected that.”

“Hongjoong.” You call his name with a certain tone, one that says you don’t wanna revisit this so-called issue again.

“What, am I wrong?” He chuckles, but there’s an obvious drip of anger, of venom, in it. “Do you, Y/N.”

“Why are you being like that? I thought you would’ve understood by now.”

“Yeah, I have. It was always going to be Wooyoung anyway, so what the fuck is the point?”

“Why are we back here again? Why do I have to keep explaining myself to you? It’s not that I don’t wanna go to Jisung’s, I just promised Wooyoung and his parents I’d be there.”

“I’m sure an hour or so wouldn’t hurt.”

“Oh my god.” You run your hands through your hair and get up from the couch, heading into his room. “I know that’s not what you’re really trying to get at.”

“It’s true though, right? You’re just choosing Wooyoung like you always do. You’re right, maybe I should just stop because in the end it doesn’t matter. I always put you first, I do everything for you and I always take you into consideration. Everything is about you, and you never do the same—”

“I never do the same?!” You match his tone. The disbelief running through you is unbearable. You’re just not sure how Hongjoong has the audacity to say something like that when you’re always thinking about him and putting your own feelings aside to keep him happy.

But you would never hang that over his head like he does with you.

“You know that’s not true! I appreciate everything you do for me, but you don’t get to hang it over my head like that because I would never do that to you. I would never make you feel guilty about the things I do for you, or make you feel like you’re an obligation.”

“You make me feel that way all the time!” He yells. “You don’t even realize how much you do.”

“Oh, because of Tara? So sorry that was such a fucking tragedy for you!” He groans loudly before hitting the wall.

“For real, fuck this. Count me out of your graduation, too. I’m not doing this shit.”

“Hongjoong, what the fuck is your problem? My own graduation?”

“I don’t wanna do this anymore, Y/N! What the fuck is the point!” He repeats. The words cut through you like a sharp knife because damn, you weren’t expecting that out of this.

“Okay, you know what, Joong. I’m not gonna keep arguing about this with you. Do whatever the hell you want, call me selfish, whatever. I made a promise to my bestfriend and his family and I’m not going back on my word.” You pack up your things and head out the door, not taking one look at him.

“Yeah, whatever. Done with this bullshit.” He slams his room door, causing the walls to shake.

You cried when you got home that evening, but you weren’t crying because of the shit he said, the things he pulled, no. You were crying because you were exhausted and you felt like you had nothing left in you anymore. You didn’t have the energy to keep fighting back, you didn’t have the energy to explain yourself. You shouldn’t have to, and you don’t want to.

Was it wrong to turn down Jisung’s graduation for your bestfriend?

When you said you had no energy, you truly meant it, and Hongjoong clearly did, too. The both of you hadn’t texted or called, let alone seen each other in those two weeks. You weren’t really sure what Hongjoong was up to, but you couldn’t think about much while wrapping up senior year and getting ready for graduation around the corner. Maybe the break was needed, maybe you two really needed the space.

You honestly would’ve thought this was the end of you two.

He manages to prove you and everyone wrong again when he shows up to your graduation, with a big bouquet in hand. Wooyoung nudges you when he catches him across the street, walking over with San, Mingi, Jisung and a few other of their guy friends [who are probably here for Yunho]. He’s dressed in a dark grey short-sleeve dress shirt that’s loosely tucked into his black slacks with black boots. Your parents catch him on their way over to the field to get to their seats, pulling him into a tight hug before pointing over at you, Wooyoung, Ara and Yunho. Your parents [or his] never really knew the extent of your fights, which is why everything seems so fine and dandy in their eyes. Rose-tinted glasses, glitter and gold.

“Congrats!” San yells, hugging all of you before Mingi and the rest make their way around the group.

“You’re here.” You look at him with a slight fondness in your eyes because even though the past weeks have been a mess, Hongjoong still makes you weak. He gives you a tiny smile before pulling you in for a tight hug.

“I missed you. I’m sorry.” He mumbles against your temple before giving you a kiss. “Congrats, my pretty girl.” He tilts your chin up to press a kiss against your lips.

“Thank you, Joong.” He gives you another chaste kiss to the temple before they bid their farewells and rush to the field, the commencement ceremony scheduled to start in a few minutes.

It was a hot day, but nonetheless, a happy day. You felt happy finally getting through college and graduation with your bestfriends alongside of you. Your parents and Hongjoong stand near the stage to snap photos of you as you walk across and grab your diploma, the crowd roaring in celebration. After the ceremony, you, your friends, their families and loved ones all take hours to take photos together before agreeing to eat at a nearby restaurant together for a small, but intimate way to close the day. You would have never known that things had gone awry with you and Hongjoong with the way he lovingly held you, kissed you, kept you close. Though deep down, it was still hurtful to know that this wouldn’t last. That you’d have to accept the fact that this was only temporary.

Hongjoong’s graduation followed the next weekend, and you ended up heading to Jisung’s for a bit before helping with Wooyoung’s party. Wooyoung didn’t really like the idea, and you had apologized for going back on your promise of sticking with him throughout the entire party. But it happened anyway, even if Hongjoong dropped you off to head to Jisung’s party without you.

As long as you were okay, as long as you had stopped crying and feeling so shitty, Wooyoung was okay. Even though he really couldn’t stand what this had become.

But if Wooyoung could save your world from crumbling just a little bit longer, he’ll do that.

Fuck the rest.

—CURRENT

“My birthday baby.” Hongjoong squeezes at your hips before biting onto his bottom lip, eyes ogling your dress and how it hugs you in all the right places, fits perfectly over your curves.

“Hi.” You smile up at him, hands lazily hanging around his neck.

“You’re so beautiful, love.” He says softly, kissing the tip of your nose before moving down to your lips. Jaw. Neck. You giggle in his grip, gently pushing him back by the chest. “I love you.”

“Thank you. I love you, too.” You smile lovingly at him.

“Ready to go? I think everyone’s waiting for the birthday girl to arrive.” You laugh and nod, letting him lead the way to his car.

You and Hongjoong had a good talk about your relationship and where things stood, being able to communicate properly about your needs, wants, giving each other space and letting the other be their own person. There was a tiny conversation about his current status with Tara, and he vaguely told you that they were back to being friends but he swore up and down that it was just.. that. He told you honestly that he wasn’t sure why he had to cut her off when there wasn’t anything going on between them, and that he felt like he didn’t need to. That you needed to trust him and he’d have no problem reassuring you.

So, that was it. And it worked well. It was a bit of adjustment at first, but you knew giving Hongjoong the space he needed was crucial— just as it was for you. You had stopped coming along to every single party or hangout back at home, only seeing his parents from time to time unless they visited Joong at his apartment. It was the same with your family; yet again, none of them knowing what kind of rollercoaster had gone on in your relationship during the past two years.

They just took it as you two evolving in your relationship, keeping things healthy. Alive.

They barely knew about all the nights you cried, you yelled, breaking dishes and cups; having Wooyoung come and save you while Hongjoong stormed off.

You suppose it’s better that way. In the end, you two were still growing and learning. Maybe.

You ended up renting a small studio in the heart of the city after snagging a job right after graduation. Hongjoong and San moved into another place of their own, while Mingi moved back home to help his family and work for their company while he continued his job search. Wooyoung also lived in the heart of the city, renting an in-law while he worked his part-time job and internship at a bigger company. Everything seemed to be going well for everyone, and you couldn’t have asked for more at this point. It seemed too good at one point, but you weren’t going to dwell on it; taking everything for what it is.

The club you decided to celebrate your birthday at is packed with people, but you’re able to easily slip in since Wooyoung, Hongjoong and the rest of your friends chipped in for a VIP table. The DJ was already blasting his music, while you and your friends were off to a quick start with shots. It didn’t take long before you were drunk and dancing the night away with everyone, with Hongjoong— sharing cute, affectionate moments in between. It’s not until he steps away with San to grab another drink at the bar that Mingi swoops you away and playfully dances around with you for a bit; this being the very moment when everything changed.

When your world came crumbling down in one quick, swift motion.

“Dude, to be honest.” Mingi lazily keeps his arm around your shoulder while leaning in towards your ear. “I didn’t know if you and Hongjoong would actually make it through.”

“We had our rough patches, Mangi. I wasn’t sure what things would look like either, but we’re here.” You smile at him and he laughs.

“I know, I know. It’s just.. he had been with Tara a lot. It was confusing.” You furrow your brows at him. “But, I’m glad you two are okay and back to being good. Like.. I’m glad he’s with you. I know he can be dumb but I’m glad it’s you. You’re good for him, sometimes I don’t think he realizes it.” You’re a little appalled at the stuff coming out of Mingi’s mouth, and half of you wants to blame it all on the alcohol. Though, you know you can’t because where on earth would Mingi come up with this? Shit doesn’t just form out of thin air.

“Uh, yeah. I hope so.” Is all you respond with before he pinches your cheek and leaves.

“There she is.” Hongjoong finds you in the crowd, another glass in his hand. “Taste this, it’s so good.” You sip on the drink and nod in approval.

“Thanks, babe.” He gives you a look.

“You okay, baby girl?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” You swallow the lump in your throat. “Have you seen Ara? I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” His tilts your chin up.

“Yeah, I just really need to pee and freshen up.” He slowly nods.

“She’s with San over there.” He points behind you, where you find Ara and San flirting around like they always do. “Seems kinda busy though? I can wait for you outside the bathroom.”

“No Joong, it’s fine. I’ll be alright. I’ll be quick.” You give him a small smile, and he finally lets up with a quick kiss to your forehead and a quick ass-grab. You interrupt San and Ara, letting them know you need her to accompany you to the bathroom. She agrees, linking her arm with yours, but just like Wooyoung, she can tell something else is wrong. Who knows, maybe Hongjoong is onto you too, but you could care less because you don’t know how to confront him about this.

Nor do you want to on your birthday.

“My birthday girl! Are you drunk enough? Why do you look so sober?”

“It’s nothing.” She looks at you and holds you close to her side. “I just need some space.” Quite frankly, you just need her company more than anything. You just need somebody other than Hongjoong.

“Why? Did something happen with Hongjoong?”

“Mm, no.” You lie. You lie to her, you lie to yourself. You lie and you lie in hopes that it’ll ease the pain slowly seeping into your body, in hopes it’ll somehow make things easier for you to accept the harsh reality of your relationship.

Of your home.

“You sure? Do you wanna sneak out of here and go back to my place? You can tell me anything, you know that, right?” You nod. “Or do you want me to get Woo?”

“No, no. It’s okay. I’m just gonna freshen up and head back out there. Thanks for coming with me.” She smiles and squeezes your arm as you two move to the front of the bathroom line.

“Of course, my love!” She chuckles. “I’m glad you did because I didn’t realize how badly I needed to pee.” You laugh, resting your head against hers until a stall opens up for you two to squeeze in and share.

The rest of the night, you’re distancing yourself from Hongjoong enough so that you can still enjoy the night, but not keep him too close. It’s fucking painful to hear Mingi’s words repeatedly in your head, and even though you don’t have concrete evidence to back it up, you already know it’s not needed. You just know, and that is the worst feeling. And this— this is the same gut-wrenching anxiety that you’ve always felt every time she was around, every time you saw her name randomly pop up. It’s the same feeling in your gut, the same feeling that was telling you something was wrong,

Hongjoong doesn’t catch onto anything else, or at least, he doesn’t question you. Instead he has his hand on your thigh and showers you with kisses, oblivious to the fact that Mingi might have just knocked over and spilled his jar of secrets. The apartment is quiet since San is out grabbing food with a few others, giving Hongjoong leverage to kiss you in the living room— his urge, his need, evident through his touch, the deepening of the kiss, Hongjoong pushing himself up against you. But you break the kiss with a simple [but sad] smile, encouraging him to go wash up so you can follow. He laughs and whines a bit before he’s finally grabbing clothes and heading for the bathroom. You’re able to release the breath you’ve been holding, even though your chest hurts and you’re trying your best to not let this completely consume you.

The universe has different plans. Maybe, just maybe, it had been time for things to unravel.

A ding comes from Hongjoong’s phone, and you can’t help but glance at the screen. It’s Tara, but you’re having to unlock his phone to view the preview this time. You nervously navigate to his text thread with her, finding that the entire thread is choppy— big gaps in between dates, some closer than others. But, your eyes land on the first text in the thread and you instantly feel sick to your stomach.

It’s a text from about a year ago, during that summer when you spent with Hongjoong, with his family. The summer you couldn’t spend a second away from him because all you wanted was Hongjoong, all you wanted was to kiss him, cuddle him, keep him close.

The summer he bought you your favorite breakfast bagel and smoothie before dropping you off to go ‘home.’

hongjoong: do you wanna come over and stay the night at the apartment?

tara: yeah! should i leave soon?

hongjoong: yeah im just gonna be here

tara: i’ll be on my way!

tara: joongie i’m outside

hongjoong: meet you at the door in a sec

You feel your hands shaking the more you go through the thread, eyes welling up with tears as the realization hits and settles.

Hongjoong made you trust him, made you believe in everything he said. You put your faith in all his actions, thinking he was truly doing his best to make up for everything he’s done and said.

All of that going to waste.

hongjoong: you home? can i stop by and say hi?

tara: yup!

There is a huge gap after he claimed he so-called cut her off, but it doesn’t mean that the thread ends. There are other texts between them asking if the other is going to be at so and so’s house, or if the other is going to be at so and so’s party. There’s texts of Hongjoong asking if he can pop by and say hi at her place before there’s another big gap and Tara’s texting to ask if she can see him [spoiler: he says yes].

tara: are you going to channie’s?

hongjoong: yeah, are you?

tara: i’m not sure, i wasn’t really feeling it

hongjoong: go 😞

tara: lol why the sad face, isn’t your girlfriend coming?

hongjoong: nah shes not..

tara: ohhh okay, maybe then!

hongjoong: just go, wanna see you ☹️

You don’t even read the recent text because you simply can’t. You remember every single time he mentioned those kick-its, those parties, but not once did you ever think he’d mainly go to see Tara and vice versa. You toss the phone aside and begin to pack your things, fitting them in the bag you came with— not even worrying about how you can haul the rest out right now.

“Girl, I just got home from dropping Ara off. Please don’t tell me I have to slip back into my shit and—”

“Can you meet me at my place? Please.”

“Oh. Shit, yeah, of course. I’m already on my way.” He says, picking up on the shakiness in your voice. Hongjoong is still in the shower and you’re grateful you chose to drive to his place so that you can easily slip out and leave. You’re very much sober and at your breaking point; all you can think about is getting away as soon as possible.

Because the moment you step through your door, you collapse to the floor and start crying. Crying about all the fights, crying about all the times you let up and let Hongjoong get his way. Crying about all the times you let every little feeling, every little detail, brush over your head. Crying about how much you trusted him, loved him.

“Shit, Y/N. What the fuck?” Wooyoung immediately drops to the floor, arms thrown over you as he shushes you and tries to calm you down. He has never heard you cry this hard, has never heard you long for air this badly in between cries. It kills him and he’s not even sure how he can help you right now. And that for him is a first.

When you’re able to breathe a bit, you let everything out on the table. You tell Wooyoung what Mingi said, you tell him about the texts, you tell him about all these instances that you brushed over and didn’t think much of— when in fact, you should’ve stuck to your gut feeling and questioned everything. When you should’ve pressed harder, when you shouldn’t have trusted him so easily. And the realization hits you again because fuck, it is so painful to know that the person you loved for two years hadn’t really been there for you. That he was physically there, but his heart, his soul, wasn’t entirely yours. Probably wasn’t even yours to begin with. And you are so, so stupid for thinking Hongjoong was over her.

Maybe you were just the excuse.

The rebound.

The one he needed for his own selfish reasons.

It was never about you.

And Wooyoung continues to hold you and rock you, because there’s nothing like finding out that the person you invested in didn’t do the same back. There’s nothing like finding out the time you spent on someone, the amount of vulnerability, trust, emotion that came with loving someone for two years, had meant nothing. Wooyoung could murder Hongjoong right now, but that’s the least of his worries because Hongjoong isn’t crying his fucking heart out on a studio floor.

You are.

“I don’t know what I did wrong.” You mumble into his chest. “I don’t know why I wasn’t enough, Woo. How could he just do that to me? I meant nothing to him—”

“Y/N, don’t ever let me hear you blame yourself again. You hear me? This was not your fault. You gave everything your all to him because you were an amazing girlfriend. He fucked up, and he fucked up big time. This is all him.” Your broken sobs continue to echo in your studio, your phone now constantly going off from Hongjoong’s texts and calls. When he unlocked his phone to text you, he noticed Tara’s thread open. So he panics, and he panics.

Calling, texting. Almost ready to jump in his car and explain this even though he can’t.

But Wooyoung shuts off your phone and locks the door, telling Yunho, San and Mingi to tell Hongjoong to back the hell up. That he doesn’t want him near you, and that Hongjoong would know better than to confront the both of you right now.

It all feels like a blur, like white noise; static.

2 years of nothing.

Home to him might’ve meant so many different things; people, places, feelings. But to you, home was Hongjoong. Hongjoong has always been a home to you, everything about home. A home wasn’t a home without him.

But tonight, home looked a little different. Home looks like the empty bed you’re staring at, the dark room, the stillness of your surroundings even as Wooyoung sleeps on the couch. Tonight, home felt a little different, especially when you cry and feel your heart shatter to a million pieces looking at the cold, empty space next to you in bed, Hongjoong’s clothes from your closet tossed all over the place, ripped pictures across your desk that Wooyoung had to snatch out of your grip.

Because did you deserve this? All of this?

It was never about you.

Home was meant to be you and Hongjoong, but all the significant cracks in the relationship that lead to this, the one unfortunate blow that completely destroys you— every bit of you, everything you know, all the love that you’ve had.

Now, there is nothing left of you.

Nothing left of this home you built.

—a/n: ty for sitting through this very personal piece of mine; a reminder that you are beautiful and so, so deserving of the best love and happiness. ♡

—taglist: @asjkdk @bintificreads @interweab @hyukssunflower @everyonewooeverywhere @mcsalterego @persphonesorchid

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eightmakesonebraincell · 11 months

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rules & main masterlist

[#welcome]

⏳ loren, 24, she/her

i post both sfw and nsfw fics - mdni with nsfw content please. i do not take requests, but soft/hard thoughts are always open blank blogs without a profile picture, banner or some form of blog description (and in some instances no posts or reblogs) will be blocked taglist [now open]

⏳ sideblogs @lorensonebraincell @jeffreysleftdimple

⏳ sidekick @sorryimananti-romantic

[#loren writes - scenarios]

📜 ateez as mafia members who fall for you (ot8 x reader)

hyung & maknae line . part two bonus (mingi x reader, wooyoung x reader) mafia boyfriends (christmas special)

📜 ateez as royals who fall for you (ot8 x reader)

hyung line . maknae line

📜 ateez as pirates who fall for you (ot8 x reader)

hyung line . maknae line [latest release]

[#loren writes - smaus]

📜 rating bff!ateez as - twitter thread series (platonic!ot8 x reader)

alarm clocks . beds . fridges . presentations . amusement park rides . computer apps . kinks (kinktober special) . pumpkin carvings (halloween special) . sea animals (seonghwa bonus)

📜 boyfriend!ateez - fake texts (ot8 x reader)

when you call them 'bro' when you call them by their government name when they discover you write smut when you ask them to draw you a flower when you tell them you're constipated

[#loren writes - headcanons]

📜 dogboy!yuyu (yunho x reader)

📜 loren collabs with yumi ♡

ateez as dads (ot8 x reader) ateez as brothers (ot8 x reader) ateez as boyfriends (explicit ver.) (ot8 x reader)

[#loren answers]

📦 ask prompts that are a shame to lose to the tumblr void

mafia!ateez . ceo's son!mingi . prince!jongho . baguette!yunho . spiderman!yunho . michelin chef!yeosang . fallen angels!ateez . soft mafia!ateez . friends2lovers!san . hamster!hongjoong . texting bf!atz a pussy lineup

[#loren's fic recs]

🗂️ an ongoing record of fics that tickle my one braincell (rec reblogs here)

©eightmakesonebraincell. please do not repost or translate any of my works

last updated 23 april 2024

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dancinglikebutterflywings · 2 months

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Say You Love Me Too | Jung Wooyoung

Pairing: Jung Wooyoung x Manager!Reader

Request: No

Synopsis: Reader has broken a rule that could get her fired. She's fallen in love.

Warnings: forbidden romance (?). Okay, here me out, this was supposed to be a cute platonic imagine about Wooyoung having a favourite manager but it didn't turn out that way. Probably kinda sucks.

Word Count: 1,267

ATEEZ Masterlist | Tag List Sign-Up | Requesting Guidelines

By the time it’s time to film the dance practice video for ATEEZ’s latest title track, it has been so engrained in Wooyoung that it’s muscle memory at this point. So, when something off to the side behind the camera’s catches his attention, his dancing isn’t affected as he looks over at the woman sitting crossed legged on the floor in the corner of the dance practice room. Wooyoung’s only issue was keeping himself from grinning ear to ear as he took the chance to look over at her when he could.

Y/N’s going through the file of papers that contained ATEEZ’s up and coming schedules and what needed to be done and who was assigned to which task and all the other joys that came along with being one of the managers. She’s mouthing along with the words of the song and occasionally dancing along to it. She’d been there for every practice and got to sit on some of the studio sessions. The song was just as engrained into her as it was the men who sang and preformed it.

“Let’s take a break and go over it again one more time,” the PD-nim's voice cuts through the room, ending filming for now.

With that, she closes the file and stands up, holding the file to her chest so she doesn’t drop it. She stretches her legs, making her way over to her bag and places the file back inside it. As she stands back up straight, a familiar pair of arms wraps themselves around her as the person they belong to hugs her from behind.

“Wooyoung!” she raises her voice, knowing who it is right away. She manages to get out of his hold as she turns around to face him. “Yah! I told you not to hug me when you’re all sweaty,” she continues, scolding him playfully and hitting his shoulder.

“Are you leaving already?” he asks, ignoring your scolding, watching you hang your bag over your shoulder.

“I have a meeting with the stylists to go over the concept looks and outfits for your comeback stage,” she answers and looks at her phone to see she has seven minutes to get to the conference room she was meeting the stylists in.

“Are you coming back after the meeting?” he asks, his voice lowering, wanting to keep their conversation between just the two of them. She shakes her head, no. “Will I get to see you before you leave tonight?”

“Maybe if you catch me on my way out,” she tells him. “If not, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Before Wooyoung could say anything more, she leaves the practice room.

But Wooyoung doesn’t give up that easy. He makes up some excuse about needing the bathroom and darts out of the room after her. The PD-nim and Hongjoong both shout at him to not be too long.

“Y/N-ah!” he calls after her, only for her to ignore him as she waits for the elevator to reach her floor.

When the elevator’s doors open, she steps inside just as Wooyoung reaches her. Before the doors can close, he slides into the elevator. When the doors close, she turns to him, frowning. “What are you doing?”

“Why do I get the feeling your avoiding me?” he comments, brushing off her question and the disapproving look on her face.

"I'm not avoiding you. I’m busy making sure everything goes smoothly for your comeback,” she she retorts, refuting any claims of avoidance he was accusing her of. "I've been practically juggling two jobs ever since the manager who used to handle this with me switched groups. KQ needs-”

"Is it because of the kiss?" he interjects, cutting off her rambling.

Her body tenses up, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red at the mention of the kiss they shared the night before.

Wooyoung has always made it obvious that he cares deeply for her. From the way his gaze always found her in a crowded room, the way he would look at her with adoration in his eyes, and the way he always made an effort to be with her or beside her. Wooyoung's affection for her was undeniable. And it wasn’t something happened over night. It had built up gradually of the two years she’s been working for them.

Y/N would be lying to herself and everyone around her if she said she didn’t feel the same. But her job was at risk if she ever gave into those feelings. She made it as clear as possible that her and Wooyoung would never go past just being friends.

Until last night happened. He’d kissed her in a moment of weakness on both their parts. She wanted to regret it so bad, but she couldn’t bring herself to. The more she thought about it the more she wanted it to happen again and the more she was willing to look for another job so it could happen again.

She was truly at a crossroads.

“Can we not talk about that?” she asks, even though she wants to. Using her phone as a distraction from looking at him, she sees she has a minute left to get to the conference room.

“I think we should,” he says disagreeing with her choice not to talk about it.

“Not here, not now,” she sighs as the elevator reaches the floor she needs to be on. He follows her out and gently takes her arm stopping her from walking away and turning her back to face him.

“Can I stop by your apartment later?” he asks, his voice once again only quiet enough for her to hear as someone walks by them on to the elevator.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she says, without saying no. “You have late nights and early mornings. You need all the rest you can get. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow when I arrive.”

“But we can’t talk then,” he frowns with a slight pout.

“Maybe it’s best if we didn’t,” she sighs sadly, as she thinks with her brain and not her heart. She leaves him standing in the middle of the corridor, both their hearts breaking for something they want but can never happen.

He’s about to turn around and head back to the practice room when Y/N walks out of the room she just walked into a moment ago. He looks at her confused.

“I need to know,” she speaks before he could ask her what’s going on. “I need to know if your serious about us.”

“The last time I was this serious about someone was when I told Yeosang him and I were going to succeed or fail together,” he admits. “Look how that turned out.”

“Do you think we can make this work?” she asks, a hopeful and anxious look swirling in her eyes.

“I don’t know but I hope we can,” he says, also hopeful as he takes her hand and pulls her into an empty room, just as the elevator doors open alerting them that someone is about to enter the corridor. After the door closes behind them, he takes her face in his hands, tilting her head so he can look into her eyes. “What I do know is that I can’t ignore that I’ve fallen in love you. I never expected to but here we are. Say you love me too.”

“I love you, too,” falls from her lips before she has time to think about it.

Wooyoung smiles and kisses her deeply, trying to convey all the love he has for her.

Likes, Comments & Reblogs are welcomed and appreciated.

©️ 2024 CRAZYFORMFICS. NO ONE HAS PERMISSION TO COPY, TRANSLATE AND/OR REPOST MY WORKS ON HERE OR ANY OTHER SITE.

TAGGED: @staytiny2000 - @dancelikebutterflywings - @treehouse-mouse - @kpopmenace143 - @alexxavicry - @jedi-dreea - @rainydayteacups - @green-agent - @tinyelfperson

#jung wooyoung #wooyoung #wooyoung x reader #jung wooyoung x reader #ateez #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #jung wooyoung imagines #wooyoung imagines #wooyoung fics #wooyoung x y/n #jung wooyoung x y/n #ateez fics #ateez x y/n #atz x reader #atz

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honeyonthemind · 2 months

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the captain𓆸

words: 478

characters: k.h. ft. c.s.

genre: drama thriller

sum: An intro to the boy who would be captain in the end of the beginning.

⚠: mention of death

(Inspired by 6_teh fanart! Specifically, the post captioned with 🌼🌼🌼 on their Instagram)

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･♡ ̆̈°✰⋆˚˖°𓆤𔓘

Time... is a pain in the ass.

An illusion created by humankind to keep us from going mad. Yet, I cross the junkyards of broken things without caring if the days have passed by. It's safe to say that I have loose screws rolling around in my head.

But as I catch flowers and chase Blue Wings. I am reminded of the good in time. Every high noon to every twilight. Down to the seconds of my beating heart. I understand now.

Time is precious.

I tie up my hair. Overgrown but freshly dyed an aquamarine. I should have also searched for something sharp. I jump over the hood of my chunk of metal. Landing onto the other side with ease. The land surrounding me is lifeless. A thick fog of dirt and disease hover above. I recall my many stops before this. All similar. Dead.

I kick at the ground, sending rocks and dirt into the air. Frustrated, I pull at the tie, undoing my hair.

Strands of my dyed hair disturb my eyes. I huff. I walk back to my car and slip through the broken window. My hands grip the wheel. I breathe, trying to put out the fire that threatens to be unleashed. My temper is like a firecracker. Lit quickly, and I will explode into a rain of sparks.

I wonder back to the past. I wish to be there when my hair was less of a mess. Sucking on a cherry pop with a cap worn backwards. Starting new ideas and having the world at my control. Always with my backpack over spilling with lilacs.

When I was bored I would mark my belongings with skulls and Blue Wings. Better than writing my whole name.

Hongjoong.

I can sometimes still hear them. My lost family. They cry to me in my dreams. Scare me awake. The smokey scent lingers in my nostrils and throat.

I miss them some days.

I get out my head opting to start the car again. It roars to life, sputtering a bit. I put the gear into drive. Going forward, avoiding the poison gas. My orange tint goggles sway from their spot around the rear view mirror. They steal my attention for a millisecond.

When I dismiss them I am quickly caught off guard. I stomp on the brakes. A loud shrill fills my ears. I watch in horror as the vehicle stops inches away from the man. He slams his hands onto the rusted hood in surprise.

My heartbeat races while the kicked up dirt settles. I stick my head out of my window.

"Any serious damage?"

"You're years too late."

"Huh?"

The stranger raises his right arm. I gawk at what I'm seeing. Where flesh should be is replaced with steel parts. The man throws up a peace sign.

"Need a ride?" I nonchalantly ask.

#kim hongjoong #drama #dystopia #alternative universe #survival #friendship #platonic relationships #choi san #short one shot

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thelargefrye · 4 months

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NEW JEANS, NEW ME ... one - shot ( 17+ )

pairing : rowdy boy!hongjoong x powerpuff girl!idol!f!reader ; crush!idol!seonghwa x powerpuff girl!idol!f!reader ; fanboy!mingi x powerpuff girl!idol!f!reader x fanboy!san (platonic)

genre : powerpuff girls au, idol au, fluff, comedy, mention of rivals with benefits, mutual pinning

word count : 1.9k

warnings : language, powerpuff girls canon violence, jealous siblings / fighting (but add superpowers to it), sister / girl code and breaking it, talks about relationships / situationships

suffer tag : @sanjoongie

note : ALSO– new header type for this fic because i wanted to try something new!! make sure to let me know what you think about this au

playlist : POWERPUFF GIRLS UNITE

years ago you use to fight crime with your sisters. you all were known as the powerpuff girls to the city of seoul. you have since quit the life of being a superhero and instead chose the path of becoming an idol.

you were furious. you felt nothing but rage and your vision red as you stomped up the stairs and to the room that you knew your sisters would be in. more specifically where your sister haneul would be.

you threw the door open, it reared back and slammed into the wall, startling your three sisters.

"y/n? what's wrong?" julie, the youngest of the four of you, asked as she sat on the bed, flipping through a magazine.

"you fucking bitch! i can't believe you!" you say, pointing at haneul. julie lets out a shocked gasp at your language. the eldest of you all, celine, also looked shocked as she and julie watched you march up to haneul who sat at the vanity.

"you know i like seonghwa, and that i have been talking to him! what gives you the right to try and flirt with him!" you say looking at her, ready to shoot laser eyes through her if you could.

haneul only lets out a laugh before she's turning back to look at herself in the mirror. "gosh, y/n, is that why you came storming in here like a madwoman? because of the nation's boyfriend, park seonghwa?"

"why are you like, haneul?" you ask, hands on your hips as you look at her in the mirror. she seemingly ignores you for a moment, too busy putting her blush on to answer you. this causes you to let out a laugh, and she stops to raise an eyebrow at you. "i know what this is about."

"oh do you know?"

"yeah," you say walking around her, slamming your hand on the vanity and effectively slamming it in half. "you're jealous."

"me? jealous of you? why the hell would i be jealous of you?"

"come on you two, don't fight," julie tries to speak up, but you ignore her.

"because i'm more likable than you, haneul! i'm smarter, prettier, popular, and seonghwa likes me. not you," you can't help the smirk on your face as you watch haneul let out a huff and an eye roll.

"whatever," she says, shoving past you to walk to the closet. "i am not jealous of you, y/n. i'm not the one that quit the group to be a stupid pop idol," she says as she pulls out a top from the closet. more specifically your top.

"and that's my top!" you say, pointing to the pink, sequin top with the heart cut-out that was in her hands. you grimace at her manicured hands touching your things and it only makes you angrier.

"you bought this top months ago, and haven't worn it. what does it matter?"

"it matters because i bought it and don't want your bitchiness all over it," you yell, feeling your fist clench tightly and heating up ready to blast her.

"enough you two!" celine says, getting between the two of you before you could get any closer to each other. "if you both can't say anything nice, then shut up!"

"tell her not to flirt with seonghwa!" you yell, looking at celine hoping she would take your side on this. "it's totally against sister code or something!"

"y/n, i understand what you are saying, but you cannot just come in here and destroy things," she says before turning to haneul who looked bored out of her mind. "haneul, you have been acting like a total bitch lately and it's getting on my nerves. put the top back, i don't care if y/n hasn't worn it yet or not."

"ugh, whatever," haneul says tossing the top haphazardly back into the closet. "i can't believe you need celine to defend you, y/n. what? your stupid singing and dancing made you too weak to defend yourself?"

"i can handle you, don't forget whose stronger than who."

"we're not kids anymore y/n, you not as strong as you think you are anymore. and i'm sure seonghwa knows that too," she pauses, a smirk gracing her lip gloss covered lips. "maybe that's why hongjoong also wants me more than you as well? haven't you wondered why he hasn't called you back in a while?"

"what the fuck did you just say?" you couldn't believe she was now bringing hongjoong into this.

"you heard me, me and joongie have been getting to know each other quite well lately," she says and you watch her pull out her phone, flicking through it with her ugly nails before shoving the screen in your face. and sure enough there was a picture of her and hongjoong hugging, haneul was making a kissing face and hongjoong was grinning his stupid face off as they posed together.

you felt something surge through you the longer you looked at the picture. then before you could think, you snatched the phone from her and chucked it out the window. the phone smashed through the window, sending glass everywhere. julie let out a surprised scream scooting away from the flying glass as if it would actually hurt her.

"you bitch! i just got that new phone!" haneul screamed at you as she reached past celine to grab at you. celine did her best to stop your sister, but it was pointless. not like you wanted her to stop haneul anyways, it had been awhile since you fought anyone anyways.

haneul easily pushed celine away, the eldest and leader of the group stumbled a little before regaining her composure. you could see the rage in celine's eyes, like she was ready to duke it out with haneul as well.

then without another thought, you jump at haneul, your fist coming and landing a harsh punch to her face. the two of you fall to the ground and you can hear julie yelling at you both to stop. you feel haneul landing a punch to your jaw and you know your manager and makeup artist will have a stroke, but right now in this moment you don't care.

you feel someone pull you off of haneul and your sister uses this moment to bring her leg up and kick you. thanks to her super strength – that all four of you have by the way – she sends you flying across the room and through the wall. you are sent outside of the house, rubble flying all around you as you regain your self. hovering in the air, you glare at your sister who stands at the hole in your house before she's now hovering in the sky as well.

then without a second thought the two of you are flying at each other, throwing punches and laser beams at each other. at one point, you grab haneul by her top before throwing her across the city, watching as she zooms further and further away from you. but you quickly fly after her in order to continue your assault on her once she crashes into either the ground or a building. whichever one, you didn't care as long as it hurt.

you easily glide between buildings before you see haneul laying in one of the city intersections. she lets out a groan before she's standing back up, a glare on her face as she looks up at you before jumping back up into the sky.

"wow, i can't believe how low you've become," she says with a smirk on her bruised face. "to come fight your sister over some guys!"

"says you, hannie! you're the one that's desperate to go after boys that i like and you know like me back," you throw back at her. she scowls at you before shooting towards you; however, before the two of you could continue your fight a figure appears in between the two of you.

"fuck off, hongjoong," you say immediately recognizing the figure in front of you. the former villain turned hero lets out a laugh as he turns to look at you. "this doesn't concern you."

"doesn't concern me? pretty girl, i think it does when it comes to destroying the city," he says turning fully to look at you.

"whatever," both you and haneul say in unison with a huff and it reminds you in that moment how you are both sisters. haneul doesn't say anything else before she's flying away, zooming past both you and hongjoong and leaving the two of you alone.

"hey, y/n–

"i gotta go, hongjoong, see ya later," you say, cutting him off, remembering the picture your sister had shown you and her and hongjoong together. you quickly fly in the opposite direction that your sister flew in and now leaving hongjoong by himself.

"well what the hell did i do?" he asks himself.

"and she tried to wear my fucking top!" you say, throwing your hands in as you wrap a bandage around your arm. mingi and san look at you with wide eyes, shocked at the story you had told them.

you had arrived at the two's apartment after your fight with haneul which was now trending on multiple platforms and gossip pages.

you had effectively plopped yourself down on their couch, mingi was the one to run and grab a first-aid kit before sitting next to you. you let out a huff as you began treating your injuries.

"like she broke major sister code, who does she think she is, huh? and stupid hongjoong!"

"rowdy boys' hongjoong?" san says a little surprised that you are bringing the hero up. how did hongjoong fit into this when he thought haneul was trying to steal seonghwa away from you.

"yes, that stupid bastard! we've had an agreement for a while now, and he should know my sister is off limits!" you say, throwing your head back against the couch. your head rests against the back as you look up at the ceiling. their ceiling fan on and humming annoyingly in your ears. you honestly felt like shooting it from the ceiling, but refrained yourself. you couldn't go damaging their apartment when they're nice enough to let you crash here.

you remember when you first met the two males. both of them having been fans for years and it was only when mingi risked his life to help you, that you wanted to know them both to repay the favor. which is how they ended up becoming your best friends and also letting you bum off them when you were too mad at your sisters – mainly haneul – to return home.

"are you saying there's something going on between you and hongjoong?" san asks and you turn to look at him, deadpanned and tired expression.

"its a situationship," you begin to say, "we have this kind of benefits relationship. i go to him to blow off steam and he comes to me for the same thing."

"whoa, who would have thought," mingi said, completely shocked by the news that you just told him. "so what's up with him and haneul?"

"the fuck if i know!" you say, standing up and throwing your arms in the air. "i'm honestly so fucking mad at haneul, i can't even see straight. i need to go lay down, can i stay here tonight?"

"uh, sure," mingi and san say in unison and you thank them before trudging off to their spare bedroom. you close the door behind you before collapsing on the bed, not even bothering to pull the blanket over you.

you let out a sigh before you close your eyes and allow sleep to consume you, knowing you will have to face the consequences of your actions later.

but first a nap.

tag list : @frankenstein852 @watamotee33 @kawennote09 @mixling-blog @marahleiwhen @kpopnightingale @harry-the-pottypus @pyeonghongrie @sanniesbum @marvelahsobx @khjcoo @mysticfire0435 @exfolitae @dementedaly @simeonswhore @moonm1st @nvmbheart @spooo00oky @frgogh @sookacc @seongwin @burnsmepls @ad0rechuu @tunaasan @northerngalxy @silverpixiedust23 @cheesekimchi @confusedmoonchild777 @mjyungi @innieontop @iweirdthingsblog @s0obinluvr @worcesheshestershiresauce @moonlightgrleric @wineyoungie @jeongwangjessmina @lemineso

network : @cultofdionysusnet @cromernet

#cultofdionysusnet #cromernet #kdiarynet #ateez x reader #ateez blurbs #ateez imagines #ateez hongjoong x reader #ateez seonghwa x reader #ateez mingi x reader #ateez san x reader #ateez fluff #ateez humor #ateez superhero au

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bteezxyewriter12 · 4 months

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Airhead

Pairing- Seonghwa x Named Reader

Word count- 11k

Includes- Oral, pussy eating, blow job, deep throating, cum eating, missionary (sort of), cock riding, dirty talk, squirting, multiple orgasms, Hongjoong is an annoying but amazing friend, fluff

Tag List- @mingtina @jaxminnie @yeosayang @delightfulmoonbanana @tannie13 @y00nzin0 @marsstarxhwa

@yeosxxx @seokwoosmole @jjongsbebe @wisejudgedragonhairdo @meowmeowminnie @woo-stars @borntowalkaway @usagionthered @san-realblkwife @seonghwasstar @jejeyeppeo @soulseobi05 @kpop-bambi @prayerofthehaim @realisticnotes @pinkies-things @insomniacatiny @stephy-nicole13

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J POV

I watch Seonghwa's face morph from a blank look to one that finally gets what Wooyoung is saying

And I just wonder how someone, especially a mechanic, can be so dumb

Seriously, Seonghwa is gorgeous and so hot but he's a complete airhead

He's Hongjoong's roommate

Hongjoong is my best friend

Therefore I see Seonghwa a lot and yeah he's gorgeous, but I could never be with him

He always has a dumb look on his face, is always the last to get anything the guys say, everything has to be explained to him, even jokes

He's also a complete player

Always fucking girl after girl, even when I'm at the apartment with Hongjoong

He does seem like an animal in bed though

He's what people would call a male version of a bimbo

Hot, dumb and likes sex

I mean he's nice and all and he'd be good for a fuck but to date?

I'd lose way too many brain cells that I need

So I just oogle him then roll my eyes when he's acting dumb

"Be nice", Hongjoong whispers in my ear

"I am. I'm not saying anything"

"Stop rolling your eyes at him. He'll see then I'm gonna have to spend ten minutes dodging his questions of why you don't seem to like him"

I sigh, trying not to roll my eyes again

That's another thing

Seonghwa somehow got in his head that I don't like him

I don't know why

I'm not outright mean to him

I'm nice, I don't make him feel bad for being stupid, I don't roll my eyes when I speak to him and he says dumb things

I have some conversation with him

Simple ones

But he has it in his head that I don't like him and no matter how many times Hongjoong assures him I do he just doesn't believe it for some reason

I mean he's not my bestie or whatever but he's a friend

"C'mon Jo, cut the eye rolling out. It's not nice"

I huff, "I can't help it sometimes. I don't even know I'm doing it"

"Sure"

"I don't!", I protest

It's true

It's just like a habit and sometimes I do it without knowing

"Yeah ok Jo"

"Whatever", I answer

"That's the spirit", he says sarcastically

"If you two are quite done arguing", San interjects, "Were all ready to leave for the club"

I roll my eyes again

Purposely

"Yeah we're done", Hongjoong answers

"Honestly you two argue like an old married couple", Yeosang says

"Yeah. You two should date with the amount of times you argue", Wooyoung laughs

"Yeah no thanks", I answer

Hongjoong and I actually tried dating a few years ago

It did not work out and we decided to stay just friends

The sex was good though and we have been known to fuck now and again

He's good in bed but not a good boyfriend

For me anyway

And apparently I wasn't a good girlfriend for him

It's fine, while he can be a jerk, he's my best friend, we're there for each other for anything and we love each other

Platonically

"Absolutely not", Hongjoong shakes his head, "I can't deal with that all the time"

"That? I'm a that?", I snap

"When you're acting like a nut yeah you're a that"

I narrow my eyes at him

What a jerk

"As if you're so easy to fucking deal with"

"I'm a peach compared to you", he snorts

"Yeah a soft rotten peach", I scowl

"Alright children", Yunho says loudly, "Back to your corners for now. We're leaving"

Some of the guys stand up and start leaving the restaurant

Standing up, I catch Seonghwa's look on his face

He's looking down and slight upset

Wonder if he's ok

I shrug it off as he stands up, his head lifting, catching my gaze

He smiles, which knocks the breath out of me, then turns and follows Wooyoung

My god he's hot and that smile is gorgeous

But it's just looks, no substance

Sad

"Let's go you nut", Hongjoong nudges me

"Sure thing peach", I say sarcastically

"Hey, be nice or I'll leave you here"

"You would never", I threaten

"Try me", he snorts as we leave the restaurant, "You can get an Uber there"

"You jerk!"

"Oh god what now?", Wooyoung whines

"I'm about to leave her here", Hongjoong grumbles

"He wouldn't dare!", I exclaim

"How would she get to the club?", San asks

"She has Uber", Hongjoong answers

"Stop being a jerk Hongjoong! You started it!"

"Uh, I uh...I can take you. To the club", Seonghwa's voice intervenes

I turn my attention to him, where he's standing next to Jongho, his hands in his pockets

"If you want", he says, "If he's being mean. You can come with me"

"I am not being mean!", Hongjoong yells

"Yeah ok", I tell Seonghwa

Hongjoong is being annoying and I know if I get in his car we're just going to be arguing all the way to the club

It'll be a total mood killer

"What! Joanne!", Hongjoong exclaims

"I'm going with Hwa", I tell him, glaring

"You know what? Fine!", he yells, then looks at Seonghwa, "Good fucking luck. She's your problem now"

"Fuck you!", I shout as he walks to his car

"It's ok Jo", Seonghwa says, suddenly right next to me, "He's just being a jerk. You know he would never leave you here alone"

I know this but why does he have to start shit?

"C'mon Jo. My car's this way"

I glare in the direction of Hongjoong's car then follow Seonghwa to his

--------------------------------

"Give me a shot of vodka!", I yell at the bartender over the loud club music, "And a margarita!"

It's so fucking crowded here

As soon as we got here the guys dispersed

I'm ignoring Hongjoong

Jongho is holding down the couches we were able to get

Yeosang, Yunho and Mingi are dancing

Wooyoung and San are looking for girls to fuck

Yunho is at one of the bars trying to get drinks

And I have no clue where Seonghwa went off to

The ride here was pleasant

Seonghwa didn't say much, just kept the music on which mellowed me out a bit after the argument with my idiot best friend

It was nice

When we got here we met up with the guys then he disappeared

I went to the bathroom and now I'm here waiting for drinks

My feet hurt already in these heels

I'm not a heel person

I'm not really a club person either but I go because the guys want to

It's an excuse to dress slutty and drink so it's not all bad

I stand off to the side of the bar waiting for my drinks when a guy appears next to me, squeezing his way in

Rude

He shouts some order to the bartender then of course looks around him and spots me

Great

His eyes widen and he smirks

Here we go

"Hi", he shouts

"No", I yell, shaking my head

I'm so not in the mood to entertain a drunk

I'm not looking to fuck tonight either

He leans closer, "You're really pretty"

I move my head back, the smell of alcohol invading my nose

"Thanks but no", I answer

"No? You're not dressed like it's a no"

Of course

Typical idiot guy

He smirks, his fingers flicking the chains that are holding my shirt together

"Nice tits"

"Fuck off", I growl

His hand tugs on one of the chains on my skirt, "These could be fun"

Yeah if I choke the life from him with it

I step back, making some space between us

"Fuck off", I repeat

He just laughs, his hand reaching out to touch me again

Suddenly a hand grabs his, stopping him inches from my skin

"Do not touch her", a voice growls dangerously

I look up, shocked to see Seonghwa

And man, he looks pissed

He pushes the guy's hand away, standing slightly in front of me, "Fuck off or I'll make you fuck off"

I gape at the hard look on Seonghwa's face

He looks like he's going to fuck this guy up

The guy snorts, "What are you going to do?"

Seonghwa steps up to him, right in his face

Seonghwa is tall so he towers over the guy

"Try to touch her and fucking find out", he threatens

Not gonna lie, this is kinda hot

Of course leave it to me to find this alpha male shit attractive

Well..maybe it's just attractive on Seonghwa

"And who the fuck are you?", the guy snarls

"She's with me. Back off"

Seonghwa and the guy glare at one another, neither backing down

I really hope there's not a fight

I don't want Seonghwa to get hurt

Although my money is on him, this guy could land a punch or two

"Hey, what's going on?", a guy shouts coming over to the one who tried to hit on me

"He's threatening to kick my ass", he drunk guy snorts, his friend looking over at Seonghwa

"If you touch her again, I will", Seonghwa snarls

The friend looks at the drunk guy sighing, "Again Hyuk? What the fuck man? Why are you always going after someone's girl?"

Apparently he does this often

"She was here alone man"

"Obviously not", his friend rolls his eyes

The friend looks at Seonghwa, "Look I'm sorry. He's a fucking idiot"

"He touched her", Seonghwa growls, "Twice and tried for a third after she backed away. He's lucky I didn't break his fucking fingers"

Holy shit

I've never seen Seonghwa like this, never heard him speak like this

Come to think of it, I haven't seen him angry before

But right now, the rage is radiating off him

"I hear you", the friend says, "I'm really sorry. I'll keep him away"

"Yeah do that"

The friend pulls the drunk guy away, who whines that he didn't get his drink yet

"You don't need more, you fuckwad. You were almost killed, you idiot"

They disappear and Seonghwa turns around to me, his body still tense

"Are you ok?", he asks worriedly

"Yeah Hwa. I'm fine", I nod, "Thanks. For helping"

He nods, "Of course. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you"

I raise my eyebrow at that but it's sweet and yeah it melts my cold heart a little

"Thanks", I smile

He gives me a soft one then asks, "Did you get your drink?"

I shake my head then glance at the bar

"Bartender didn't even make it yet. I think he forgot about me"

"I'll get it for you", he says but I shake my head

"Nah it's ok. After that idiot I'm not too keen on getting drunk right now"

He nods, "Yeah ok. Do you wanna go back to the seats?"

I shake my head

I don't want to sit and watch people

"Would you uh....maybe ...wanna dance?", he asks shyly

"Me?", I ask surprised

He nods

Why the hell not?

We're at a club after all

"Yeah Hwa ok"

He slowly reaches for my hand, taking it

I squeeze his reassuringly, smiling at him

He smiles his beautiful smile, then tugs my hand, leading me to the dance floor

--------------------------------

It's so hot here and I'm sweating so much

But fuck, I'm not stopping

Seonghwa is a fucking amazing dancer

We started out dancing with space between us but as the time went by we got closer and closer

Now my arms are around his neck, his are around my waist, one of his hands on my ass as we grind into each other

His black hair is so sweaty, sticking to his forehead, looking so fucking hot

There are bodies all around us, bumping into us but it's like it's just the two of us in the room

Girls have tried to cut in, wanting to dance with him but he just shakes his head and keeps his hold on me tighter

I'm given dirty look after dirty look but I just smirk at them

There is this one girl though that keeps trying

I think she's like his go to dance partner or something

Maybe a fuck buddy but I've never seen her before

She keeps getting rejected but doesn't get the hint

Another airhead

But whatever, Seonghwa's still dancing with me and that's all that matters

Turning in his arms, he pulls me closer to him, my ass against his dick

His hard dick

I just smirk and keep on dancing

His hand stays on my hip, his other sliding up my body, moving under the chains that hold my shirt together, in between my boobs

I don't know why I'm letting him touch me like this but I am

I like it, his warm hand against my skin, his head next to mine, his breath on my shoulder

God, I'm so turned on

The song changes as we dance and I get lost in my own world with Seonghwa

But then his hand disappears from my hip and I feel him moving away from me

His hand leaves my shirt and I turn around to see that girl tugging him away, pouting

"My turn", she shouts to him but he shakes his head

She doesn't let up, moving her arms around his neck, pressing her body to him while he tries to pry her off him and move away

Rage like I never felt before hits me hard

Is this what he was feeling when that loser tried to touch me because if so, I understand why he was so pissed

I move fast, grabbing her arm and pulling her off him

I get between them, pushing him back behind me, yelling, "Back the fuck off!"

"He's mine!", she shouts

Oh god, is she delusional?

"He said no"

"He's always with me until your skanky ass came! Go away"

I shake my head, the anger building, "He said no. Fuck off"

He shook his head so many times, he rejected her so many times, what doesn't she get?

And her throwing herself at him is just pathetic

She narrows her eyes and the next thing I know she shoves me backward

I teeter back in my heels, Seonghwa catching me before I fall and helping me back upright

"Jagi, you ok?", he asks but I don't answer

I'm furious

Straightening up, I pull my arm back and punch the girl right in the center of her face

Pain runs up my arm but the satisfying sight of her falling down and screaming makes it better

Fucking bitch doesn't know who she's fucking with

If she thinks she's gonna shove me and nothing's gonna happen to her she has another thing coming

She's a crying heap on the floor, blood running from her nose but I'm not done

I start moving towards her, when Seonghwa grabs my hand, pulling me back to him

"Don't Jo. It's ok. I'm ok. Just come with me. Please"

I hesitate, glaring at the girl, torn between beating the crap out of her or listening to Seonghwa

Seonghwa tilts my face to him, the worry in his eyes snapping out of my rage

"Please, come with me"

I nod, relief blooming on his face

He tugs me away and I follow him

We pass the guys at the couches, one of the bars and we make it outside of the club

We move to the side of the club where other people who were already let in are taking a break

"Are you ok?", he asks, turning to me

I raise my eyebrow, "Uh, yeah. Are you? She kinda just sexually harassed you"

"I'm fine. Shit like that happens all the time"

It does?

That has to be so annoying

"Well I'm sorry for that. And uh sorry if she's like your girlfriend or something. I just got mad when she wouldn't stop after you said no"

"She's not anything to me. Just a girl that frequents the clubs I go to. I dance with her sometimes but that's all"

"You don't fuck her?"

He shakes his head, "She seems.... unhinged and I know adding sex to it will just make her crazy"

Yeah no shit

"Thanks for defending me", he says, smiling shyly, "It was kinda hot"

I burst out laughing, "Yeah well I felt the same when you did it"

His smile widens although his cheeks do turn a cute shade of pink

Huh, Seonghwa blushing

Never thought I'd see that

"Do you wanna go back inside?", he asks after a few minutes

I shake my head, "That kinda killed the vibe. I think I'll call an Uber and go home"

"I'll take you", he says softly

I want him too but I'm not gonna be selfish

It's still kinda early and he can go have more fun with the guys

"Nah, it's ok. You don't have to cut your night short because of me. You go have fun, I'll find a way home. Don't worry"

He shakes his head, "It's not cutting anything short. I want to. It's really not a problem. Ok?"

He's looking at me with a small encouraging smile on his face and I give in

"Ok but only if you want to"

"I do", he says, nodding

"Ok"

"Great", he smiles wider, "I'll go get your jacket and bag. I'll be right back"

I'm about to protest and tell him I can get it but he's already gone

I don't know what's happening but this is the most time I've ever spent with Seonghwa and I'm realizing I may have a little crush on the airhead

--------------------------------

His car pulls up to my apartment building, putting the car in park

"Thanks for doing this. You didn't have to"

"Anytime", he says, glancing over at me

The whole ride home was quiet again, with music but I couldn't concentrate

The only thing I kept asking myself was if I was gonna ask him to come in with me or not

And I decided I'm asking

If nothing else, then maybe I can experience the animal I hear when he's fucking and I'm at their apartment

"You wanna come with me?", I ask

He bites his lip, "I do but is that what you want? I don't want you to ask because you feel you have to. It's cool"

I shake my head, shocked at how sweet he is, "It's what I want Hwa. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't what I want. I don't do the pity thing"

"Yeah I should of known", he chuckles, "I'll park the car if you wanna wait in the lobby?"

I shake my head, "I'll stay here with you. We'll go together"

"Ok", he answers

He finds a spot a few spaces down and I'm flabbergasted

"How did you get this spot so easily? Hongjoong has to circle around and around to find a spot"

"Just lucky, I guess", he shrugs

He parks and we get out

Once he's near me, I take his hand and lead him to the building

The wall and elevator ride is quiet, as is when we first get into my apartment

"So basically this is the living room. Kitchen is there", I point, "Bathroom is second door on the right in the hall and my bedroom is at the end of the hall"

"It's nice", he says, looking around

"Thanks", I answer, putting my jacket away in the coat closet

I kick the heels off into the closet too, it feeling so fucking good when my feet sink into the carpet

No more pain

"You can put your jacket and sneakers in here", I tell him

He nods doing just that, then comes to stand in front of me

And cue the awkward silence

I don't know where to look, so I settle on the carpet between us

After a minute, his hand moves, tugging on the chains on my shirt

Well this shirt is popular

"Are you gonna stop teasing me now?", he says softly

My eyes snap to his, wondering what he's talking about

His fingers pull the chain through one of the loops of the shirt, undoing it

"Are you gonna stop showing me what I can't have when you wear clothes like this?"

Wait what?

The chain is pulled through another loop then another

"Are you finally gonna let me have you?"

My mind is blanking as his fingers move the chain through the shirt

I had no idea he even thought about me at all, let alone wanted to fuck me

"I know what you think of me", he says, "You think I'm dumb, I'm a player, an airhead"

How the fuck does he know that?

I have never said anything like that to him and I know Hongjoong would never tell him I think of him like that

"Maybe I am but I promise you, I can fuck you so good, make you cum so hard that I'll be the only one you want in between you legs from now on"

Holy shit

My knees are shaky and I'm so turned on, my panties soaked

He's fucking sexy as fuck

"So are you gonna stop driving me fucking crazy and let me show you I can be everything you want?"

I look at him, his eyes swirling with desire, lust, confidence and affection

Affection?

What?

"Are you?", he whispers

"Yes", I tell him, wanting him so much

He smiles then his lips are against mine, kissing me wildly

My body burns with fire from his lips, shooting to every nerve, my head spinning

I grab onto his shirt to keep myself steady as his arms move around me, pressing me against him

I kiss him back eagerly, his tongue slipping in and playing with mine as I moan in his mouth

His hands slide down to my ass, lifting me up

I lock my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist as I plunge my fingers in his soft hair, kissing him desperately

He breaks the kiss, immediately walking toward the hallway and in the direction of my room

He gently places me on the bed, moving on top of me

He grabs the chain and pulls it through the final loops of the shirt then tossed it away

He moves his hands to my hips and very slowly slides them up, my skin trembling under his fingers

He gets to my shirt, moving it open, his eyes on my boobs, biting his lip

He squeezes softly, his hands cool against my hot skin

"Fuck", he whispers, "After all that teasing, they're so much better than I imagined"

"Imagined?", I ask

He nods, "I wanted you from the first time I saw you"

What?

That was like five years ago

"And every time you wore an outfit like tonight's you drove me fucking insane"

He leans down, pressing kisses in between my boobs, his lips leaving fire in every fucking cell, lighting my entire body up

"But you never paid attention to me", he says, kissing all over my boob, getting closer and closer to my nipple and driving me crazy, "I was ok with it at first. I didn't know you and it wasn't anything more than sexual attraction"

I'm hanging on every word, while desperately wanting him to get his mouth on my nipple

But he doesn't, instead switching to my other boob, kissing it and making me whimper

"But once I got to know you, I hated it. I just wanted you to notice me"

"I did", I moan, "I did"

Of course I noticed him

He's flawless

"Not the way I wanted you to", he murmurs, now kissing my neck, his hands still around my boobs, "You thought I was hot. Like every other girl does. That wasn't what I wanted. I wanted you to see me"

I honestly have no idea about any of this

I don't think Hongjoong even knows this

"And when you did notice me, I knew you thought I was dumb. A hot dumb man whore"

Well he's not wrong

But if that's how he acts then what am I supposed to think?

"What...what did you want me to notice you as?", I ask, his kisses so fucking good

"I can't tell you", he says

I stop him from kissing me, lifting his face to mine

"Tell me", I ask softly

He looks so vulnerable, so unsure and it's shocking me to my core

I've never seen him like this

He looks away as he mutters, "I want you to see me like someone you'd want to be with. Like a boyfriend"

Before tonight I'd say there's no way

That I can't be with someone who's clueless like him

But that was before he protected me, defended me, before he was sweet to me, before he went out of his way to take me home, before he made sure I was comfortable with him coming in

Before I became jealous of that girl who was touching him

And as I look at him I realize I really like him

And I'm all for seeing where this goes with him

"I do Hwa", I whisper, "I do now"

He hesitates, "Are you sure?"

"Hey", I say softly, "I don't do the pity thing remember?"

He nods slowly

"I do see you that way Seonghwa"

"Yeah?"

"Yes", I confirm

He nods, "I'll show you I can be what you want Jo"

I shake my head, "No Hwa, just be you. I don't want you to be anything other than yourself"

He smiles, "I can do that"

"Good baby"

With that, I pull him closer, kissing his soft beautiful lips, melting against him

His lips move from mine to my neck and down, leaving a trail of hot kisses behind

His mouth finally moves around my nipple, sucking softly on it

My body arches into his, moaning loudly, my fingers sliding in his hair

He sucks for awhile, then switches, licking my other nipple before sucking too, pleasure running up my spine

Fuck his mouth is so good

When he finally pulls away, I manage to sit up on my knees, shrugging the rest of my shirt off and throwing it off my bed

I grab him by his shirt and pull him to me, my lips crashing against his

I seriously cannot get enough of kissing him

He kisses me back as I start undoing the buttons of his black button down shirt

I move my fingers as fast as I can but it's not fast enough for me

When there's like three buttons left, I just grab both sides and pull them apart, the buttons popping off and clinking in the room, swallowing the moan he lets out

I'll fix his shirt tomorrow, I'll buy him another one, I'll do whatever, I don't care, I just want it off

Pushing it off his broad shoulders, I toss it with my shirt, then leaving his beautiful lips, I press kisses against his neck

"Fuck baby", he whines as I move my arms around him and press myself as close to him as I can, his soft skin against mine

His arms move around me, holding me while my hands explore the expanse of his back, his muscles rippling under my fingers

Fuck, it feels good

I continue trailing my kisses over his shoulders and all over his chest, wanting to kiss every inch of his perfect skin

As I kiss him, I slide my hands around to the front of him, my fingers trailing all over his chiseled abs

Jesus Christ, it feels like they were carved into him

I shamelessly feel him up then move my hands down to his belt, undoing it

I manage to get his jeans open before he moves me on my back again, his hands pulling down my skirt and panties as he kisses my neck

Once they're off, his lips trail down my body, kissing as much of my skin as he can

I close my eyes, whimpering and breathing hard from how good it feels

His arm moves around my waist, lifting me up as his free hand pushes my legs open

When he gets between my legs, I feel his wet tongue lick up my pussy slowly, pleasure making me gasp

Oh fuck

His tongue speeds up, licking fast, switching between using his whole tongue and just the tip

My god, he's good at eating pussy

He slides his tongue up, rolling it over my clit and can't help but cry out in bliss

It feels fucking amazing

His tongue stays there, flicking faster and faster, my legs shaking, watching him eat me out

He looks like he's actually enjoying himself, content between my legs

And he looks so fucking hot there too

His mouth moves around my clit sucking once then lavishing more licks

So good

"Hwa", I whimper and he lets out a loud moan, his eyes closing, as his tongue keeps moving

"Say it again", he pleads in between licks, "Please, say my name again"

"Hwa", I repeat, lost in the pleasure his tongue is giving me

He groans into me, his free hand digging into my thigh as his tongue moves faster than I thought he could go

He drops his tongue down, sliding it in my hole, my mind blanking from how incredible it feels

"Hwa", I cry, my hand burying in his hair, pushing his face into my cunt as much as possible

He tongue fucks me fast, making me wetter and wetter every second, bringing me closer and closer, my pussy clenching around his tongue with each thrust inside

His tongue is fucking magical

My hips move on their own, grinding into his mouth as intense pleasure washes over me

"Seonghwa!", I yell, coming around his tongue, pulsing around it, my fingers twisting in his hair

He moans so loudly, tongue not stopping as he pumps it in and out of me

As my orgasm finishes, Seonghwa licks up my pussy, his mouth wrapping around my clit and sucking hard, throwing me right back into intense bliss

"Seonghwa! Oh fuck, Seonghwa"

"Mmm jagi, fuck, love this little swollen throbbing clit", he murmurs, "So fucking good to suck on"

I pant hard, his words turning me on even more

"God jagi, you're making me so hard", he groans, "Can't wait to fuck this tiny pussy open"

"Seonghwa", I moan, moving my hips, fucking his face as he keeps his tongue against my clit while he sucks, ecstacy plowing through me

His free hand travels up my body softly, his fingers making heat burst in every single cell

I can't help watching him, watch his jaw move as he's sucks and it's so fucking erotic

His eyes slowly move up to mine, meeting my gaze and holding it

His mouth doesn't stop, slurping on my clit as he looks at me

His eyes hypnotize me, I'm falling into their beautiful brown color

I brush the hair out of his face, keeping a hold on it as his mouth brings me right there, his fingers softly grazing the skin on my side

"Seonghwa", I whimper, closing my eyes as my orgasm wracks through my body

His mouth sucks harder, my body arching from the bed, crying his name louder, the pleasure shutting my mind off

It's so fucking good, better than good

As it passes, Seonghwa let's go of my clit and licks along my cunt, moaning into me, "Tastes so fucking good jagi. Fuck, so sweet, fuck"

It registers that he likes the way I taste and that's surprising

And completely hot

His tongue stops and he moves up on his knees

"Can I fuck you now?", he asks softly, "Please, I need to be inside you"

My eyes widen in shock at the pleading in his voice and all I can do is nod

He stands, getting his jeans and boxers down, then gets back on the bed before I can see his dick

Grabbing my legs, he pushes them till my knees are at my chest, then he holds onto my ankles, pushing the rest of my legs up

Moving closer to me, his cock pushes inside

"Oh oh fuck", I moan as he slides in slowly, his cock stretching me out, the pleasure so acute

My god he has a big dick

A big fat dick

I feel every inch that he pushes into me, my cunt taking him eagerly, sucking him in

"Oh my fucking god", he moans loudly, "Oh my god, baby. So good. Fuck. Fuck...so ngl...fffff"

I know exactly how he feels

He keeps going until he bottoms out, so deep in my pussy, his fat head right against my spot

My cunt squeezes his cock so hard, the pretty sounds coming from his mouth, so loud

"My god, how do you feel this good?", he whimpers, keeping himself inside me, "Fuck, it's never felt that good going inside a pussy before. Jesus, you have to be the tightest cunt I've ever been inside of"

I mean he is the biggest I've ever taken

Hongjoong is pretty big but I think Seonghwa is bigger

There was some room with Hongjoong

There's absolutely no room with Seonghwa, with him barely fitting inside, his cock touching all the right places

"I'm gonna move baby, ok?"

I nod, so anxious to feel him more, "Please"

His cock drags out of me, shivers running up my spine from the bliss

He thrusts back in slowly but hits so deep inside, smashing my spot right away

"Fff...fuck", I whimper, holding onto the sheets

He pulls out again then in, then out, then in, moving a touch faster with each stroke

The bliss running through me is fucking amazing, an intensity I've never felt before

He's going in so deep, it's like I can feel him in my stomach and I fucking love it

"Feels so good jagi", he groans, his grip on my ankles tightening, "Pretty tight little pussy feels so fucking good"

His hips slam into me, the pleasure taking over my entire body

"Seonghwa", I whimper, feeling so good

"Yeah baby fuck, say my name", he groans, "Fuck, I love hearing you say my name"

He pulls my legs down, over his, leaning back on his hand, his hips thrusting faster, splitting my pussy on his fat cock

I have a clear view of him and it's like watching a fucking angel

His body slightly arches as he's still on his knees, his head tilted back, eyes closed, mouth slightly open, moaning so beautifully

His body is covered in a light sheen of sweat, defining his muscles, his free hand holding my hip hard as he fucks into me

I feel my cunt get soaked with every move of his cock, getting closer

I'm surprised

Only one guy has ever made me cum with just his dick

Hongjoong

But it seems that Seonghwa has that skill too

My cunt pulses quickly around his hard dick, his moans so loud

"Fuck, you got so tight. Gonna cum?", he asks

"Yes", I cry, my hands twisting in my sheets

His hips move faster, fucking me right into the intense orgasm

"Seonghwa!", I cry, pleasure slamming into me hard, taking my breath away

His cock keeps moving into me, right into my spot, keeping me in bliss as I repeat his name over and over

"Fuck, you're so fucking gorgeous when you cum", he murmurs

I look up, seeing him watching me, his tongue poking out from the side of his lip

It's so stupidly hot

When the pleasure leaves my body, I sit up, moving off his cock

Before he can do anything, his cock is in my mouth and I'm sucking hard around him

"Shit", he groans, "Fuck...fuck"

His other hand moves behind him, leaning back on both hands and I feel his eyes on me, knowing he's watching

My hand wraps around the part of his cock not in my mouth, jerking him off in time with my sucking

His dick is so big, so thick, so heavy, filling my mouth to the brim

He's also so hard making him incredibly easy to suck on

Pulling off his dick, I lick from his base to his head, listening to the pretty sounds coming from his mouth

I run my tongue over his slit, licking up the cum that he's leaking, moaning at how good he tastes

Wrapping my mouth around his head, I suck over and over, moving down his thick length

His cock throbs in my mouth as I play on his dick, my hand moving up and down quickly

"Oh god", he cries, one of his hands moving in my hair, holding on

Removing my hand, I push down more on his dick, determined to deep throat him

I can do it to Hongjoong, I can do it to him too

Holding onto his hips, I slowly take him in an inch at a time, stopping to get used to him as he goes in deeper

His cock hits the back of my throat, slipping in just a little, tears springing to my eyes

I choke around his dick, spit sliding down the rest of his shaft while I get my throat under control

"Shit jagi, are you ok?", he asks, trying to pull back

I keep him in place, nodding to answer him

When my throat is relaxed, I continue my descent down his cock, breathing in through my nose as his length moves into my throat more and more

And he's just moaning loudly, panting hard, making me smile inside

He's not the only one who's good at sex

Finally, I bottom him out, sucking softly, getting used to him deep in my throat before I begin moving

"Fuck baby", he pants, "Fuck, you're so fucking insane. Nnnn.. no one has ever been able to deep throat me"

I look up at him, smirking around his dick

"God, you look so pretty with my dick in your mouth", he murmurs, his eyes full of desire, "So fucking pretty"

I smile to myself, getting ready to move

I slip up his cock about half way, then surge down, taking all of him in my throat again

"Fuck!", he shouts, his thighs shaking and I take that as my cue to start moving

Bobbing up and down his cock, I feel every inch gliding in and out of my mouth, the sensation surprisingly pleasurable for me

Obviously it's pleasurable for him as he's shouting his head off in bliss

"Fuck baby, fuck, your mouth is so good", he moans, his fingers tightening in my hair, "Fuck, never been blown this good before. Fuck, don't stop"

I'm definitely not, moving faster along his dick, sucking and swallowing a few times every time I bury him in my throat

I love his cock in my mouth, I love the sounds he's making, I love the way his hand is pulling my hair

"I...I can't...I can't last", he whines, "Fuck, it's too good. Gonna make me blow my load so quickly. Fuck"

I move desperately on his dick, wanting nothing more than to swallow his cum

"I'm coming. Fuck...should I get out?", he cries

To answer, I bottom him out in my throat, sucking hard on his length

"Fuck! Joanne, fuck!", he yells, his fat cock throbbing in my mouth, cum shooting down my throat

I swallow over and over, his cum tasting so good

Fuck, I could suck his cock everyday if he'd let me

When he finishes, I start to pull him out of my mouth when he stops me

"No baby, please. Suck my dick more", he begs

Not gonna lie, that's a little weird

In my experience, a guy doesn't want to be sucked on after he cums

It's too sensitive for them

Guess not for Seonghwa or he powers through it until it feels good again

Still, I blow him, changing between deepthroat bobs, swallows and sucking

Slowly his cock gets hard in my mouth again and I go at it harder, his dick like a big fat lollipop

Once he's hard, he tugs on my hair, gently pulling me off him

"I need to be inside you again", he whimpers

Yes please

I move over him, pushing him on his back, my lips against his soft ones

His hands move into my hair, holding on, kissing me back just as eagerly

Moving my hand between us, I move his dick to my entrance and sink down on him

"Mmmmmm", he moans in my mouth as I slide down his cock, feeling his length open me up so pleasurably

I bottom him out, groaning against his lips, his head nestled snuggly against my spot

I move my hips, rocking on him, rubbing my spot on his head

His hands slide down my back, his fingers leaving heat in every cell, stopping at my hips, helping me move on him

My pussy clenches around his fat dick so hard with every rock, pleasure running up my spine

I still can't believe how good he feels

How it feels like he's made for me, made to be inside me

Breaking the kiss, I sit up, getting ready to ride him

His eyes slowly move from my hips up my body to my face, his eyes gazing into mine

"You're so fucking beautiful", he whispers, "Perfect"

I feel my face flush as I shyly tell him, "You're beautiful too Hwa"

His cheeks blush as he smiles softly

I move my hands from his shoulders down to his chest and lower to his abs

Leaning on him, I slide up this dick to his head then sink back down, clenching his cock purposely over and over as I bottom him out

"Oh fuck", he gapes, watching me bounce on him, "How...how is your pussy....squeezing again and again?"

I smirk at him, "I like sex too Hwa. I'm good at it just like you"

He nods, panting, "You are. Fuck. Feels so good"

He's right about that

He feels so good, his cock so good to bounce on, so good to squeeze, his dick going so deep inside me, hitting my spot every time

"Hwa", I moan, closing my eyes and bouncing harder, grinding on his cock every time I take him back in

My mind is shutting off, my head in the clouds from the bliss he's giving me

"So pretty", he whines, "You're so fucking gorgeous, riding my cock so hard. Fuck, I don't want to leave your pussy"

"Don't wanna get off your cock", I whimper, keeping a hard steady pace, his rock hard cock bringing me closer with each bounce

"Fuck, you're gonna cum", he groans, "I...I'm gonna cum too. I can't...I can't last another of your orgasms. Feels too good"

It feels too good?

Seriously?

Mind blown

"Wher-"

"In my pussy", I whimper, my eyes opening and landing on his, "Cum in my pussy"

He nods, his hands helping me bounce on him

It's so hot in here, I'm covered in sweat but I can't stop

He feels too fucking amazing

I move my hands behind me, leaning on his legs as I fuck his cock right into my orgasm

I scream his name as pure ecstasy slams into me, my vision turning white as I squirt all over him

I feel myself gush all over his dick, his lap, my brain turning off as I ride it out on his cock

"Yes fuck. So pretty", he gasps, "Pretty squirting pussy. Fuck, soak my cock baby"

He thrusts up into me, fucking me as his cock throbs hard inside me

"I'm coming", he shouts, sheathing his cock inside me, "I'm coming in your pussy! Fuck Joanne! Fuck!"

I force myself to focus on him, watching him

He's fucking ethereal

He's so sweaty, his hair, his body, glistening all over him

His head pressed back into the bed, eyes closed, mouth slightly open as he moans, pleasure all over this face

Simply stunning

His warm sticky cum shoots deep inside me and it feels so good

I squeeze his cock over and over, milking him for all of it

His body shakes as he finishes, then goes limp on the bed, his muscular chest rising quickly

I kiss his cheek, then move off of him

"One..minute", he breathes, trying to catch his breath

"Yeah Hwa", I answer, "I'll be right back"

I go to the bathroom to clean up and use it

When I finish, I grab a hand towel and wet it, then go back to my room

He's still laying in the same spot, his breathing normal, his eyes still closed

Sitting next to him, I use the towel to clean him cause I kinda left a mess all over his lap

His eyes open slowly, murmuring a thank you

I run my fingers in his hair, smiling and telling him not to worry about it

He smiles back, then slowly sits up

"I should go", he says quietly

Yes he should

However, I don't want him too

I want to know if what he was saying before was true

If he really wants me to see him like a boyfriend

If he really wants to be with me

That's not a conversation for now, it's one for tomorrow

I also want to know what it's like to sleep in his arms

"Don't go Hwa", I say softly, his eyes moving to mine, surprise in them, "Stay with me tonight"

"Are...are you sure?", he asks hesitantly

I nod, "I'm sure. If that's what you want"

"It is", he says shyly, "So much"

"Ok", I smile, "It's late, I think I'm gonna sleep"

"Ok. Me too", he answers

I give him one of my pillows, him laying it next to mine

We get under the covers and I waste no time in turning my body to his, laying my head on his shoulder, my face nuzzling in his neck and cuddling into him, his skin so soft and smooth

His arms immediately move around me, snuggling into me too, holding me tightly

"Night Hwa"

"Night Jo"

I close my eyes, feeling so comfortable in his arms and I know I'm gonna have a great night's sleep

--------------------------------

I wake up, groggily opening my eyes

And I notice I'm alone in my bed

Sitting up, I look for Seonghwa but he's not in my room

Did he really leave?

I can't help the pang of disappointment hitting my chest

After the things he said last night, I assumed he wanted to..date

And I actually was excited for that, especially after spending time with him all last night before we came to my apartment

Although he could of also just said those things to get in my pants

If that was the reason then he succeeded

And it sucks

Or he could have work

It's a Sunday though and I don't know if his mechanic shop is open on Sundays

I sigh, getting up and putting on some PJs

Grabbing my phone, I check it on the way to the bathroom

Nothing

No messages from him

After using the bathroom, I head to my kitchen, trying to decide if I should text him or not

Hear his reasons for bailing while I was asleep

Walking into my kitchen, I look up at the "good morning" I hear

Seonghwa is setting my little kitchen table with plates and breakfast foods, wearing just his boxers

I pinch my arm to make sure I'm awake and this isn't a dream

"You do realize you have absolutely no food here right? I couldn't cook anything and had to order instead"

"I ...uh...didn't get to go shopping yet", I answer, dumbfounded that he's still here and apparently wanted to make breakfast for me

No guy had ever done that before

"Really?", he teases

I blush, "Ok ok. I can't cook for shit. I just buy snacks and food to heat up. And order out"

He chuckles, shaking his head, "I'll cook for you then"

I raise my eyebrows as my brain penetrates his words, making my heart beat faster at what they imply

"Are you hungry? Wanna eat?", he asks

I nod, sitting down, still dumbfounded this is happening

I take a look at the table and he got so much- waffles, eggs, bacon, toast, donuts, bagels, cream cheese, muffins

And in front of my plate is a mug of tea

"How did you-", I start, pointing at the mug

"Hongjoong", he says, blushing, "He complains how you never drink coffee but make your tea like it's coffee"

I roll my eyes, "He's so annoying"

"I agree", he nods

We both get the food we want and start to eat in silence

He keeps looking at me nervously and I'm doing the same thing, not knowing how to bring up last night

He does a little cough and I look up, meeting his gaze

"So uh...about last night", he says softly, hope in his eyes

"I mean what I said", I answer, "I see you as someone I want to be with Hwa. If that's what you want?"

He nods, "It is. So much. I...I really like you"

I smile, reaching out for his hand and he takes mine, "I really like you too Hwa"

"Yeah?", he asks, shyly

I nod, "Yeah"

"Ok"

"Ok", he smiles

We go back to eating, still holding hands and honestly I'm happy

"So can I ask you something?", I ask

He nods, "Yeah"

"How....how are you being so different? You're not acting like...you usually do. You didn't all last night either"

I'm pretty sure he's not dumb like he seems

So is it an act?

Or does he just have dumb moments?

"You mean like an airhead?"

I blush hard, so ashamed I thought of him like that

"I'm sorry Hwa-"

"It's ok jagi. I know why you thought like that. I can act like an airhead sometimes"

"But you're not?", I question

He laughs, "No baby"

"But then why are you so clueless when the guys are talking to you?"

It's not an act is it?

"Jagi, have you heard their conversations? They're so dumb. Half the time I'm not listening and that's why I need them to explain what's going on"

Oh, I get it

He's tuning them out

"That's why you're the last to get a joke or whatever. You're not listening"

"Exactly"

It makes so much sense now

I've only even seen Seonghwa with the guys, never alone like now

That's why he's different with me

He's just being himself now

"I get it. I tune them out too especially when they get into one of their stupid arguments", I reply

He nods, "Yeah, sometimes I just have no patience for it. I just get off of work and I'm tired and they're arguing over if the puffy Cheetos are better than the crunchy ones. Just eat the damn Cheetos"

I burst out laughing

He's so funny

"Yeah but fyi", I say through laughter, "Puffs are better"

"I agree. I just don't want to argue about it all the time"

"Yeah I get it", I answer, "So what are you thinking about when you're spacing out?"

"Honestly?", he asks

I nod

"You"

I almost choke on the tea I just sipped but manage to get it down the right pipe

"Me?", I gape

He nods, "Yeah Jo. I would either be looking at you or thinking about how I could get you to change your mind about me"

That's so...baffling

I had no idea he thought that much about me of all people

"If you wanted me to think differently then why did you act like you were dumb?"

He shrugs, "Girls like a hot dumb guy. It's easy to get laid if I act that way. At first all I wanted was to fuck you. That's how I always got girls before and I thought it'd work on you"

Ok that's offensive but he's not wrong

Girls do love a hot dumb guy to fuck

Even I thought he'd be a good fuck

"It didn't work on you and honestly that intrigued me a little", he continues, "But after I...fell for you...I regretted portraying myself like that. I would try to think of ways to get you to see me differently without you thinking I was a dumb guy trying to get you to see me differently"

I understand what he's saying but now I'm wondering something

"So was...last night...at the club...an act?"

He shakes his head vehemently, "No jagi. I..I offered to take you to the club because you were fighting with Joong. And not for nothing, you both are stubborn and would have continued arguing if you went with him. I decided to kinda be the referee and let you two calm down"

He made a good call

Hongjoong and I would of kept going

We don't argue much but when we do it's like a war

"And at the club, I was looking for you. Hongjoong is usually the one who watches out for you but you two were annoyed at each other and when you weren't with Jongho, I maybe kinda panicked a little", he explains, his cheeks so pink, "When I saw that guy touch you, fuck Jo, I saw red. And when you moved away and he did it again? I ran as fast as I could to get to you. I swear Jo, I've never been that angry in my life. I was ready to kill him"

"I know Hwa. I saw you. I don't think I've ever seen you angry before. It was surprising"

"I...I didn't scare you did I?"

I shake my head, "No baby, you didn't"

He breathes out in relief, "Ok jagi"

"And the dancing?", I ask, smirking at him

"I always wanted to dance with you jagi but I was scared to ask. Last night, it just fell in my lap and I would regret not asking you", he tells me, "Did...do you like dancing with me?"

"Loved it Hwa", I assure him, "You're so sexy baby, I get why girls fawn all over you"

He shakes his head, "I don't care about other girls Jo. You're the only one I want to fawn over me. To see me"

"Well, it's lucky you're mine then", I tell him, squeezing his hand

He raises our hands, kissing the back of mine, nodding, "You have no idea how much I know how lucky I am to have you"

"Oh stop Hwa", I blush

He smiles, shaking his head, "It's true Jo. You're kinda my dream girl. I never thought I'd ever have a shot with you"

"Why would you think that?", I ask, "All you had to do was talk to me"

"Yeah well, you made me nervous. I haven't felt this way for anyone before and I was worried I'd fuck up"

"Well you did pretty good last night", I tease, "All that smooth talking when we got back here"

Remembering him asking me if I was gonna stop teasing him sends shivers down my back

He chuckles, "No smooth talking jagi. Just honestly asking questions"

I get up and sit in his lap, moving my arms around his neck, his arms moving around my waist

"Well I'm glad you asked those questions"

He laughs, "You have no idea how glad I am too baby"

"Now I know"

He nods, moving one of his hands, cupping my face

He leans towards me, his soft perfect lips against mine, kissing me sweetly

I fall into his kiss, my fingers playing with the ends of his hair, his big hands on my back, holding me against him

The kiss turns heated after a bit, his dick getting hard under me, making me smile against his lips

I move my hips, rocking on his dick, a pretty moan coming from him

His hands grab my ass, helping me move against him

It feels good and I'm lost in pleasure when I hear, "Joanne? Where are you? Are you he- what the fuck?"

Seonghwa and I break the kiss, both of us turning to the doorway, Hongjoong standing there complete shock on his face

"What's...uh...going on?", he asks, raising his eyebrows

"Obviously I'm kissing Seonghwa", I answer

"Yeah but...why?"

"Because he's my boyfriend"

"What now?", he asks, his eyes widening

"I'm her boyfriend", he repeats

"But you think he's stupid", Hongjoong blurts

I roll my eyes, "I know he's not"

"You know she's.... difficult?", he tells Seonghwa

What the fuck is his problem?

Why is he saying stupid shit?

"She's really not. You just annoy her"

"She annoys me too!"

"Joongie!", I yell to get his attention

"I'm right here", he snaps, "You don't have to yell"

Keeping myself from giving him a sarcastic answer, I ask instead, "Why are you here?"

"I woke up and realized that I didn't know where you were or if you got home last night and I came to check", he says

"And if I wasn't here?", I ask, amused

"I would of blown up your phone and went on a manhunt", he answers

"I told you I was taking her home last night. You were there with the guys when I said that", Seonghwa rolls his eyes

"I was drunk! I didn't hear you and if I did I didn't remember when I woke up"

"Wait", I say, getting up from Seonghwa's lap, facing Hongjoong, "Did you just wake up and come straight over here?"

He huffs, "Yeah. I got worried ok? I always make sure you're home after we go out and I was worried when I woke up and realized I didn't get you home. If something happened to you because I was pissed at you and got drunk...."

I walk to him, hugging him, his hug full of relief

"Thanks for checking on me Joongie", I sincerely tell him

He really is an amazing friend

"Yeah Jo, of course", he answers, "Just because I'm pissed at you doesn't mean I want anything to happen to you"

"Thanks", I repeat, both of us letting go of each other

He nods, "Yeah well, don't make a big deal about it"

I laugh, "Ok, I won't"

"Besides, now you're Seonghwa's problem"

I snort

Right back being my annoying best friend

"Since you're the boyfriend now, you're responsible for getting her home from now on", he says to Seonghwa, "I pass the torch to you"

"Not a problem", Seonghwa answers, moving behind me, his arms around my waist, pulling me against him

I just smile, loving his arms around me

Hongjoong nods once then looks back at me, "Well seeing as you're fine, I'm out. I need a nap"

I don't make a comment on how he just woke up, instead just nodding

"Ok. Thanks for coming by"

"Sure. See you guys later"

As soon as Hongjoong leaves, I turn around to Seonghwa

"Now, where were we?", he teases

"Hmm", I pretend to think while pulling him down to me, "Right here"

I kiss him hard, my free hand moving to his dick, palming him over his boxers

He kisses me back, picking me up immediately and leaning me against the wall, his hard dick rubbing against my clothed pussy

I smile, knowing I'm going to like being with my airhead

--------------------------------

Six months later

Leaving the restaurant bathroom, I walk back towards our table

Seonghwa has his tongue in his cheek, another dumb look on his face as Wooyoung explains something I know he's not listening to

I giggle as I pass by his chair, leaning over his shoulder and kissing him on the cheek

"My little airhead", I tease in his ear

He snaps out of it, grinning widely at me, "My little tease"

He still spaces out when the guys have their stupid conversations and that's where the nickname, "My little airhead" came from

And he calls me "my little tease", because ever since we got together, I still wear revealing clothes that drive him nuts during times when he can't touch me

When it will be hours until he can

He takes my hand, bringing it to his lips, kissing the back of my hand

"Alright with the mushy stuff", San whines

"What mushy stuff? I'm just kissing my girlfriend's hand, you weirdo", Seonghwa rolls his eyes

"You're always kissing each other somewhere, fawning over each other, touching each other. Cut it out", Wooyoung says

"How about...no", I answer, rolling my eyes, "Stop being drama queens"

"It's not drama! When you're around Hwa doesn't even listen to any of us talking!"

I refrain from telling them that he doesn't listen to them anyway and just give Seonghwa a knowing smile that he returns

"Baby, can you listen to your whiny friend?", I tease

"Sure jagi", he says, kissing the back of my hand again, fire running up my arm from having his beautiful lips on my skin

He looks back at Wooyoung, "What?"

Wooyoung huffs but talks to him, probably picking up where he left off

I just stare at my gorgeous boyfriend, smiling as his eyes haze over, knowing he's not listening to Wooyoung again

I am so glad I gave Seonghwa a chance because he's honestly the best boyfriend I've ever had

We're all about each other, spending anytime we can together

He's very affectionate and protective, always making sure I'm safe whenever we're out together

He takes me out on amazing dates, to places I've never thought about going to and we have so much fun

And now that we live together, he does home dates where he cooks and we have movie nights or do fun things at home

And the sex we have is incredible, just as passionate as it was the first time

Hongjoong and I switched apartments because he said he couldn't stand how loud Seonghwa and I were when we fucked there and he'd rather live by himself

So we moved and the past two months I've been living with Seonghwa and it's fucking amazing

I fell in love with him so fast and I'm happy I did

I just haven't told him yet but I will soon

I don't think I could keep it in much longer

"You ok jagi?", he asks, taking me out of my thoughts

I nod, "Yeah. Thought you were listening to Wooyoung"

He makes a face, rolling his eyes, "Yeah right. I was spacing out again"

"What were you thinking about?"

He smirks, "About how long we have to put in at the club before it's acceptable for me to take you home and rip those clothes off you"

I grin back, loving how hot and bothered he gets

"Just rip them off? Nothing else?", I tease

"Hmm how about fucking my tight wet pussy until you can't walk right tomorrow?", he answers, his voice deep

"I ..I..think we can do that", I murmur, getting turned on

God, I want to take him home right now

"Hey! Love birds! Let's go!", Hongjoong calls, breaking the spell between Seonghwa and me

Standing up, Seonghwa laces out fingers together and leads us out of the restaurant

The guys meet us outside and we all head to the parking lot

Seonghwa leans against his car, his arms around me as I lay my head against his chest, watching San and Wooyoung argue over which club to go to

Hongjoong is glaring at them while the rest of the guys just watch the dramatics with unamused faces

Seonghwa's heart beats in my ear, making me smile

I move my head, kissing his chest where his heart is then look up at him, finding him already looking at me

"Hi baby", I smile

"Hi jagi"

We both smile like idiots, just looking at each other

I reach up, pushing his hair out of his face, my fingers running down his cheek

"I love you Seonghwa", I find myself saying

I do

I fell in love and I want him to know

A huge smile breaks on his face as he tells me, "I love you Jo. So much"

I nod, "So much Hwa"

He leans down, his lips against mine , kissing me like it's the only thing he wants to do

And I kiss him the same way

"Ok ok, we picked a club!", Wooyoung yells

He pulls away, his eyes staying on mine, the love in them apparent

I hope he can see my love for him in mine too

"Hwa? Did you hear? We picked a club", Wooyoung repeats

His eyebrow raises in a question and I shake my head

He nods, then looks at Wooyoung, "We're gonna skip the club tonight"

I smile, loving how we're both on the same page without speaking

"What? Again?"

"Yeah again. We're gonna go home but you guys have fun", he says

"God, ever since you guys got together you're both so boring!", San whines

Yeah, we skip the club a lot

Like I said before I was never a club person and Seonghwa only went to get laid

He said that he has no reason to go anymore now that he has me

He's much more interested in staying home, binging TV shows together and of course having lots and lots of sex

It couldn't be more perfect

"Sorry", he shrugs, walking me to the passenger door of his car

"Yeah whatever"

He opens the door for me and I sit, him making sure I'm all in the car before closing the door

That's another thing I found out about Seonghwa

He's such a gentleman and I eat it up

I watch him wave to the guys, then get in the driver's seat

Wooyoung and San scowl then follow Hongjoong to his car, while Yeosang, Yunho and Mingi go to Jongho's

Seonghwa turns the car on, then takes my hand, smiling at me

"Ready jagi?"

I nod, "Yeah baby. I love you"

His smile widens, "I love you jagi"

With that, he starts driving, heading home

#seonghwa smut #park seonghwa smut #ateez seonghwa smut #park seonghwa fanfic #ateez seonghwa fanfic #seonghwa fanfic #ateez fanfic #ateez smut

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honeyhotteoks · 1 year

Text

this night together - chapter seven (j.yh + s.mg)

chapter seven: any time now

chapter summary: things are finally back to normal, but how long can that really last?

warnings: references to a/b/o dynamics such as heat and knotting and designations, general reader horny thoughts, masturbation

notes: major love for everyone who's been so patient while i worked on this chapter and this fic in general. i've been going through it recently, but hopefully this is a little fun one before we get back to the smut and angst ♡

pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader.......... but we're also featuring some alpha!seonghwa x reader, omega!wooyoung x reader (platonic)

genre: smut, a/b/o/omegaverse, angst, fluff, romance, polyamory

word count: 9.7K

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“No, no I’m telling you,” Hongjoong asserts, his eyes full of passion as he leans across the table, “Bowie was the greatest artist of our time. Period.”

It's at this exact moment that you can see Seonghwa’s eyes go fuzzy as he realizes he’s introduced two of the more argumentative and passionate people he’s ever met to each other, and now he has to live with the consequences. And it’s not even like you and Hongjoong disagree, in reality you’re mostly just agreeing with each other - just loudly and with excitable hand gestures.

You start going down the deep rabbit hole of Hongjoong’s musical preferences again and Seonghwa starts to look for a natural place to cut in, you can see it on his face, but you’re too focused on debating which of Bowie’s albums is actually the greatest of all time to even care. It’s only the second time you’ve met him, but it clicked with him quickly, and despite barely knowing him, here you are.

“Favorite era?” Hongjoong recaptures your attention and you lean back in your seat.

“This is hard,” You admit.

“Mhm,” Hongjoong takes a sip of his drink and leans forward on the table, “there’s a right answer.”

“Are we talking style or music?” You counter back.

“You two,” Seonghwa groans, “I’m getting a headache,”

“Shush,” Hongjoong slaps his friend’s arm softly, “you wanted us to be friends, right?”

“At what cost,” Seonghwa smirks as he knocks back his drink.

“Style or music,” You repeat, nudging Hongjoong.

“Style,” He narrows his eyes.

“Thin white duke,” You answer with zero hesitation.

“Oh,” Seonghwa laughs, “you would,”

“What?” You laugh, “What could that possibly say about me?”

Seonghwa shrugs but Hongjoong nods, “He’s right,”

“Sure,” You roll your eyes.

“You like a man in a suit, that’s what it says,” Hongjoong laughs, “but I would have picked Berlin era.”

“So we both like a man in a suit,” You nod at him.

“You got me there,” He laughs, running a hand through his shock of blue hair.

“I never hear music like that anymore,” You comment and Hongjoong smiles.

“I’d love to produce something like that,” He admits, “but you need someone with a much stronger vocal range for that.”

Seonghwa nods along, and it’s clear it’s not the first time he’s heard this sentiment from Hongjoong.

“Stronger than the idols KQ has now?” You ask, your eyebrow raised.

He nods, “It’s not that they’re not good, everyone’s very talented and I enjoy working with them… but the chance to work with someone one in a million is different,”

“I could see that,” You concede. You don’t know much about music production or vocal performance, but you know a one in a million voice when you hear it.

“You won’t have to wait long from the buzz I’m hearing,” Seonghwa drops his voice to a bit of a hushed tone even though there’s considerable space between your table and anyone else.

“I’m not holding my breath,” Hongjoong says, “I don’t want to get my hopes up,”

“I know it’s a longshot,” Seonghwa offers, “but I’m hearing good things,”

“Me too,” Hongjoong says, “but nothing’s on paper yet, so you know how these things go.”

“So…” You give them a pointed expression.

“Right,” Seonghwa leans in, “KQ is currently courting a big name from a group that just disbanded,”

“To take on a senior group?”

“No,” Hongjoong shakes his head, “just one of the members, as a solo artist.”

“Oh,” You drop your voice, “who?”

“You can’t say anything,” Seonghwa makes a hand gesture as if to say you’re dead if you do, “but Choi Jongho,”

The pause between the three of you seems weighty, but you don’t know him and you have to admit it with a little shrug, “I’ve never heard of him,”

“What?” Hongjoong shakes his head in disbelief, “I mean that’s crazy,”

“I don’t keep up with it as much as you’d think,”

“I mean,” Hongjoong blinks, “he’s the one in a million, he’s the voice.”

“I believe you,” You nod quickly, “I just don’t know him.”

“Well,” He sighs, “hopefully you will. If our CEO can close the deal,”

“You really want to produce for him that badly? He’s that good?” You ask.

“Without question,” He sighs, “I would kill to write him some R&B,”

“Oh, now there’s a thought,” You lean in.

“You just need so much more vocal texture,” Hongjoong explains, “but if you heard him, you’d get it.”

You nod along.

Hongjoong sighs and leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair again, the silver of his many rings catching in the overhead light, “If he signs we could get an album together for early next year,”

“You really want to work with him that badly?” You nod, “He must be amazing.”

“He is,” Hongjoong hums, “so cross your fingers.”

You do and show him your hand, “Done,”

The server passes by your table and smoothly passes the check towards Seonghwa, but Hongjoong intercepts it with practiced ease and slips his heavier credit card into the billfold before returning it to the server’s waiting hands.

“Thank you,” The server nods, “I’ll be right back with this.”

“Thank you, Joong,” Seonghwa smiles, “next time on me,”

Hongjoong waves his hand and you realize it’s much the same as the last dinner. You wonder just how well producers are paid if this is his casual attitude towards a bill for three people eating rich cuts of meat and having crafted cocktails, but judging from Hongjoong’s lack of concern at the check’s total, he’s paid pretty well.

“Thank you, Hongjoong,” You echo.

“Of course,” Hongjoong smiles, and then the bill is back in his hands to sign off before you’re all up and away out the door.

You walk a little ways with them, in the direction of a much busier block so you can catch a taxi home, all the while Hongjoong and Seonghwa chat about people you’ve yet to meet at the company and old times. They’ve been friends for years, you could gather that even without the download of information Seonghwa gave you after your first dinner out with them. They have an easy way about them that makes you smile, and even though you’re not in on any of these stories or jokes, it still feels comfortable. They both exude cool, in their style and the way they walk and talk, their handsome smiles and the cut of their clothes, but they never stray too far into pretension and it makes you like them both all the more.

When Hongjoong checks his phone briefly as he walks and hums quietly, Seonghwa makes a disappointed noise with his tongue against his teeth.

“What?” Hongjoong glances up.

“Stop thinking about work,” Seonghwa interrupts his brain, “it’s ten o’clock,”

“Normally I’m still working, you know,” Hongjoong tucks his phone away and makes a face.

“You do that to yourself, Joong,” Seonghwa comments.

“I know, I know,” He shrugs, “there’s nothing wrong with working hard.” He swivels his head to you at the same time Seonghwa does.

“Don’t look at me,” You throw up your hands in surrender, “I can’t help you, Hwa, I’m at the studio late every day.”

“I have to stop attracting friends who do nothing but work,” Seonghwa says, but he smiles despite his words.

“Speaking of work,” Hongjoong grins conspiratorially at you, “he said you’re on the choreography team for the new tracks,”

“Yes,” You catch Seonghwa’s pleased eye, “I’m assisting with it,”

“How do you like the title song?” He asks.

“I think it’s an earworm,” You admit, “I’ve been hearing it in my head for days,”

“Not too commercial?” He asks.

“I said it was going to be popular,” Seonghwa groans, “not that it’s commercial,”

“I’m just asking,” Hongjoong throws a hand out to his side to smack Seonghwa’s arm.

“It’s not,” You shake your head vehemently, “it’s just good, and catchy as hell,”

“I can’t wait to see what your team does with it,” Hongjoong admits with a sigh, “I’m proud of this album,”

“I’m looking forward to hearing the whole thing,”

“When it’s finished you should come to the listening party,” He offers, his steps slowing as you make it to the curb of the busier street.

“I would love to,” You smile, and Seonghwa nods.

“You’ll be alright to get home?” Hongjoong asks, turning towards you.

“Absolutely,”

“Let me,” Seonghwa steps past you to the edge of the sidewalk and raises an arm out to beckon a taxi over, and a yellow cab flicks its occupied light on and smoothly cuts over to the side lane.

“Thanks, Hwa,”

“Come out again soon?” Hongjoong asks, “I didn’t even get to my thoughts on 90s music,”

“Anytime,” You smile as Seonghwa opens up the taxi door for you.

“I’ll send you some albums,” He adds.

“I love it,” You nod and move to the open door, catching Seonghwa’s eye as you do.

“See you tomorrow,” He says as you slide into your seat.

“Tomorrow,”

He waits for you to swing your legs inside the car and then shuts the door tight, tapping on the hood and backing away to stand next to Hongjoong. He waves, and as the taxi pulls away they turn to walk back the way you came.

Things stay perfectly in this new status quo for weeks, your life so much fuller and richer than the first few months you worked at KQ and tried to find inroads of friendship. Now you have dinner from time to time with Seonghwa and Hongjoong, drinks with your new dance troupe trio, workouts with San, coffee breaks with Wooyoung, and a growing sense of normalcy with Yunho and Mingi as you get back to work with them.

You’re just starting to get comfortable when your phone reminds you that normal never lasts.

As ever, things change.

The shift starts with the first real peace offering you get from Yunho, weeks after the first night back in the studio with them. You’re buried in your phone trying to map out the dates of your next heat, paying exactly zero attention to your surroundings as you go through the app on your phone that tracks out your cycle symptoms. One that sends you painfully patronizing push notifications like - Hey girlie! Your heat is scheduled to start anytime in the next two weeks! Be sure to drink lots of water!! - complete with a panting red faced emoji. The last person you really want to see at this second is Yunho, or Mingi for that matter, and to be reminded of everything that happened a few months ago, but you’re never quite so lucky.

Yunho’s hand enters your eyeline, dropping a coffee on the table in front of you and you jump at the sudden break in your concentration as you snap your phone lock on and let it slip through your fingers.

“Sorry,” He smiles, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” You take a steadying breath as you watch him reach for your phone that skid across the floor, “I was just lost in thought,”

“Mm,” He passes the phone back to you and you’re infinitely grateful for your panic response that locked the phone and darkened the screen to save you any more embarrassment, “is everything okay? You seem a little stressed,”

“I’m good,” You assure him.

Adjusting the cap on his head he gestures to the coffee, “Well, either way you looked like you could use one of these,”

“Thank you,” You smile, trying to let the moment be normal. You had missed him bringing you little things. Before your heat he was always checking up on you, delivering water bottles and protein bars and iced americanos. You can’t help but comment on it as you lift the coffee and give it a shake, “it’s been a while,”

“I know,” He grimaces, “I’m sorry,”

“Don’t be,” You brush him off, “I just meant it’s nice, I’m really glad we’re friends again.”

He swallows a little tightly, glancing to his side, and you know being vulnerable like this isn’t really his favorite thing but he’s trying, “I am sorry though,” he says finally, “Mingi and I shouldn’t have let things get so weird. That was… I mean, this is work. We shouldn’t have let it interfere like that, we should have just talked to you.”

“Me too,” You murmur, letting him off the hook, “it goes both ways.”

“Yeah,” He breathes, and then his eyes come up, “but friends? That’s what you want?”

“Of course,” You nod quickly, the sharp idea of going back to barely talking or looking at each other making you queasy, and the past few weeks of working together with them has felt like a weight off your shoulders.

There’s a beat between you, and a noise to your right as the door to the break room opens and bodies spill in. Someone shouts your name, but your eyes are holding so tightly to Yunho that you don’t even know who it was, you don’t really care. You need to know that he’s on the same page.

Yunho nods finally and smiles, “Good, okay, friends,”

Mingi crashes into him from the side with an arm slung over his shoulders and his face lit up in a bright smile, “Hey,”

“Hi,” You smile, watching as Yunho crosses his arms loosely and lets Mingi stay clinging onto him. You catch Mingi’s eyes, “You’re in a good mood today,”

“I guess so,” He shrugs, “it’s a good day,”

The chair to your side moves and your head snaps over to see San flopping down, a freshly mixed protein smoothie in hand, “You’re late,” he comments and you snap a look to your watch.

Fifteen minutes late to your training with him, and you grimace, “Shit, I’m sorry,”

“It’s cool, I’ll just have to remember this when you’re begging to get out of the last set,” His eyebrows quirk up at you playfully.

Mingi makes a quiet noise and when you look back up at him he’s pouting, “You never let me give you training tips,”

“That’s because you hate the gym,” You laugh.

His nose crinkles, “True,”

Yunho laughs at the exchange and shrugs Mingi off and he looks like he’s about to add something to the conversation, but the door opens again and Dahan and Yujin cut their way through the dining area.

Yujin catches your eye and smiles, “Ready for today?”

You nod and try not to seem too terrified, “Definitely,”

“See you at four,” She says, brushing past your table and heading for the coffee stations at the far side of the room.

You let out a shaky breath, one you didn’t know you were holding quite so tightly in your chest and Yunho’s brow knits together, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” You assure him, “it’s just a big day for me,”

“The meeting?” He asks, referring to the session later today where you and the rest of the crew will meet with the girl group members for the first time. You’ve been elected to run them through some of the point choreography, and while everyone will be working together, you’re first and that level of spotlight makes you buzz with anxiety.

“Yeah,” You shrug, trying to stay casual about it, “it’s not that big of a deal, I know, but I’m still nervous,”

“You’ve been working like crazy,” San cuts in, smoothing a hand over your fidgeting fingers to calm you down, “you’re going to be fine, when have you ever choked?”

“You’re right,” You breathe, pulling your hand back and pushing your hair away from your face, “Yujin and Dahan are just very good.” You don’t elaborate, but the idea of teaching choreography in front of them makes your heart thump loudly in your chest.

“You’re very good,” Mingi dismisses instantly with a noise in his throat.

“Thanks, Mingi,”

“It’s first time jitters,” Yunho smiles, “I get them every time we do something new,”

“You do?” Your eyebrows shoot high.

“Mhm,” He nods, “actually, I have an idea,”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s go for a run,” Yunho checks his watch and then nods.

“Yunho,” You glance to San, “I don’t know,”

“It clears my head every time, trust me,” He presses, “something about running outside�� it’s definitely going to get you out of your head.”

“Go,” San nods, brushing off your unspoken concern about ditching him.

“You don’t mind?” You check with him.

“Nah,” He grins, pushing himself up to stand and offering you a hand to help you to your feet too, “I’ll just go bother Wooyoung,”

“I’m sure he’ll thank me for that,” You laugh.

“He should be so grateful,” San brushes your arm lightly with his fingers and then gives you a warm smile, “but you go, relax, and text me later.”

“I will,” You nod, and he jogs off.

You twist back to Yunho and Mingi at the sound of a throat clearing and Mingi shifts from foot to foot, “I’d join you on the run, but,”

“You hate running,” Yunho finishes for him, “you’re good,”

“Yeah,”

There’s a beat of silence between the three of you, and then Yunho clears his throat again, “Meet me out front in ten? I just need to change,”

“Sure,” You have to do the same, and idly in the back of your mind you wonder if he’s a good runner, the kind of person who makes it look easy.

“Great,” He smiles and then he’s off.

Mingi watches him go and then shifts his attention back to you, “You’ll be great today,”

“You think?” Your nervousness slips out.

“I know.” He nods, pointed with no room for discussion.

You swallow tightly, but agree anyway.

Mingi guides you back out of the pull of your own thoughts when he claps a hand down on your shoulder as he moves past you and around the table, “Just chill,”

“Chill,” You repeat dumbly.

“Mhm,” He shrugs, quirking up an eyebrow at you as he pushes through the door and away.

You’re used to his naturally flirtatious energy, but even a look that intense from him can send your stomach into little flip flops. Your phone dings again in your pocket, the familiar sound of your cycle app sending you another reminder and you don’t even bother to look and see what it says, your lingering gaze on Mingi is enough to tell you.

Alone in the break room you sigh and run your hands through your hair before shaking the little interaction off and heading out to meet Yunho. By the time you’re out front he’s already there, and you think it’s quite possible that this is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made when you lay eyes on him. He’s dressed comfortably, in shorts and running shoes, but it’s the sleeveless black top that makes your pulse quicken.

“Alright,” He says as he sees you approaching, “let’s do it.”

“Okay,” You stretch out your arms in front of you and do your best to focus on your own body and not his and all the ways you’ve seen it move before.

He waves you along and then starts to run.

You set a pace together with ease, and you’re not sure if it’s Yunho accommodating you or you accommodating him, but either way you fall into step smoothly as you start jogging through the streets of Seoul. He adjusts the black cap on his head and settles his arms into a comfortable running position and he slowly starts to increase the pace, but you match him smoothly right back.

“Do you have a route?” You ask between controlled breaths.

“Yeah,” He nods, gesturing up ahead, “just follow me,”

You murmur your agreement, and then refocus your eyes ahead and not on the man to your side. He’s right, you do need this. Your shoulders have been tense with stress for days, your body tired and feeling jittery, but the steady steps over the pavement and the cool air have your muscles relaxing already. You stay focused on your breath and the rest starts to melt away.

“This way,” He directs after a little while heading straight, and he takes a smooth left turn across a busy intersection where the walk signs are lit up for you.

In the distance is a block of trees marking the start of one of the riverside parks, and you’re sure that’s where he’s running to. You can feel him glancing down at you every so often, making sure you’re still at his side, and it’s oddly comforting to run with him and not alone for once. It’s been a while since you’ve been out like this, you’ve taken to sticking with San in the comfort of the KQ gyms, but with Yunho at your side it feels comfortable and right.

“Good?” He asks as you push over the next street and into the entrance of the trail, hooking through two lines of trees.

“Good,” You confirm, “you?”

He smiles and laughs a little, but keeps running, “Definitely,”

You push on and keep pace, moving down the pathway through the trees, nothing but the sound of each other’s breath for company. Being cocooned in trees, this close to the water, makes you feel insulated from the city and with every step your worries about the meeting later have started to fall away.

You glance to Yunho and see that his eyes are still focused ahead, but you swallow hard at the pink blush across his cheeks and collarbones, the sweat now visible on his tanned skin. You have such a clear image of him above you, broad hand on your cheek and cock buried inside your body, looking flushed and sweaty just as he does now.

“Feeling better?” He asks, not slowing his run at all.

His voice jolts you out of your meandering thoughts, “Hmm?”

“Are you feeling any better?” He tries again, “less stressed?”

“A little,” You concede.

He nods, but keeps moving. The lack of conversation between you both normally feels tight and unnatural, but lately it’s started to feel safe again. He’s always been a person you can just be around, nothing extra, just existing. It finally, finally feels right again.

You make your way a little further into the park until it starts to curve around with the bend of the river. Yunho gestures up ahead to a block of benches that overlook the water and he glances down at you, “Let’s take a breath there and then double back,”

“Yeah,”

As you approach the benches and start to slow, Yunho grins, “It’s gorgeous today,”

“It really is,” You agree, chest heaving a little at the effort from the run and you focus on deep steady inhales and exhales.

He walks past the benches and up to the railing at the water, leaning down and resting his elbows on the dark blue painted steel, “That looks fun,” he comments, gesturing towards a group of boats on the water.

“Mm,” You sigh, leaning next to him, your arms nearly brushing, “especially on a day like today.”

He nods quietly, his eyes closing for a moment as he soaks up the warm sun, and then he turns towards you and leans against the railing with his hip, “So,” he says, “is it first time jitters, or is something else going on?”

“W-what do you mean?” His words break you out of your thoughts again, and you didn’t even realize your mind was slipping away somewhere else, but every time he interrupts you it’s painfully obvious to you that you can’t stop worrying.

“I’ve seen you nervous,” He comments, “this feels like more,”

You shift towards him and look up, “A little, maybe,”

“Tell me,” He prompts you, extending his hand for a fraction of a second before he lets it drop back to his thigh.

Your first thought is that you want to touch him too, but you resist it.

“Teaching these girls,” You trail off, dropping your eyes again to the ripple of the water as it kisses the rocky shore, “something about doing it in front of Yujin and Dahan… and even you,”

“Me?” His voice runs high.

“It’s just scary,” You admit, “I’m sure I’ll get over it.”

“I don’t want to make you scared,” He murmurs.

“It’s not that,” You glance up at him, but it’s safer to keep your focus on the water, “I just…. I don’t know if I belong in that room yet, and today all the attention will be on me. I’ve never taught anyone like this before,”

“Yes, you have,” Yunho finally does touch you, nudging your arm and getting your eyes back on him, “you came up with good stuff for this routine. You taught all of us, and I saw you practicing everything together to show them. You’re ready,”

“You really believe that?” The words slip out.

“y/n,” His brow furrows, “of course I do, I wouldn’t have suggested you in the first place if I thought you couldn’t do this.”

He’s right, you can do this, and with flying colors too if you really set your mind to it, but the question still brews in the back of your brain and you have to ask. “Yunho,” You sigh, “why did you suggest me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“We weren’t talking,” You explain, “we were barely looking at each other in the studio, but you still pulled me into this project. Why?”

He’s still for a moment, his eyes flicking over your face and then he sighs, “Because you’re good, and because I know how hard you were working even when we weren’t talking. And because,” he pauses, “because I wanted you there,”

“For me or for my skills?”

“For your skills,” He nods, “the fact that it’s you… well, that just made my choice easier.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?” You murmur.

“I do,” He nods, “so be regular nervous all you want, but never doubt your place in the room, okay? I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Thank you, Yunho,”

He nods and looks back out to the water before checking his watch and taking a deep breath, “You ready to head back?”

“Let’s do it,” You agree with a sigh, shaking out your limbs.

“Did this help?” He asks as he pushes off the railing.

“Yeah,” You smile, “I mean, I’m still a little terrified, but I think that’s normal.”

“Mhm,” He smooths his hand across your shoulders and gives you a squeeze, “plus, I promise you can dance circles around these girls any day of the week,”

“Oh, shut up,” You roll your eyes, “now you’re laying it on too thick,”

“I don’t lie,” He grins, “you know that already,”

You open your mouth to retort but he takes the wind right out of your sails when he starts to jog backwards and he sticks his tongue out to tease you. As he twists around he calls back over his shoulder, “Race you back!”

You scramble forwards, “Hey! No fair, you got a head start,”

He keeps running, but you hear him laugh, “Catch up then!”

You pump your legs harder, moving as fast as possible as you try to reach him. You watch as he glances back over his shoulder, goading you into pushing yourself harder, something swells in your chest. He’s close, if you just pick it up a little more, focus a little more, you’ll reach him. Maybe pass him.

“You still with me?” He shouts back, voice light.

Your heart is pounding in your ears, blood rushing loud, and your chest is screaming with the effort of working your body this hard but you don’t care. You want to win, you need to win. You pump your legs harder, clear your mind, and race. You gain on him inch by inch and you grin when you hear him laugh again, catching you in his peripheral vision as you scream up next to him. He says something but you miss it, your head too focused on every step in front of you.

When you finally make it back to KQ you all but skid into the back entrance with him, colliding shoulder to shoulder and having to brace yourself on the entryway wall so you don’t pitch right over onto the hardwood floor.

Yunho’s hands close over your hips to steady you, and you hear his heavy breath above you before he laughs, “Jesus, you’re fast,”

“You annoyed me,” You wheeze, pressing on your side where a painful, sharp stitch has taken up residence.

Your fingers brush along his for the barest of seconds and he pulls his hands back instantly before giving you an apologetic smile and pulling off his ball cap to wipe the sweat off his brow with the bottom of his shirt. The quick flash of his abs makes you dizzy.

“I still won,” Yunho sighs, leaning against the wall.

You shoot him a look, but you’re still catching your breath and at this point it’s not even worth the fight. As you raise your head to look at him, you suddenly notice the crowded hallway towards the side of the door. Wooyoung and San stand close together, angled towards you but clearly just in halted conversation with Minseok, Yujin, and two of the other dancers.

Wooyoung gives you a single pointed eyebrow raise.

“Were you racing?” Minseok asks, glancing between the two of you.

You make an affirmative noise, all you can do while you recover.

“Fun,” Wooyoung laughs a little to himself and if you had the energy you’d smack him, but you can’t even bother.

“Why?” Minseok asks.

“Why not?” Yunho shrugs and then turns his attention back to you, “Good?”

“Good,” You nod.

For a second he looks like he wants to say something else, maybe give you one last encouraging speech, but he just settles on a smile, “See you in there,”

You nod, smiling back up at him, and then he pushes through the little pocket of your coworkers to get back to the locker rooms. You take another second to catch your breath against the wall, Wooyoung making an expression you need to roll your eyes at, but then you realize. You feel great.

The nerves from the whole day have dissipated, the surging rush of endorphins from pushing yourself so hard, drowning out anything in your body except adrenaline, joy, and a little exhaustion. You could kiss him.

At four o’clock, when you walk into the room, you do it with a clear head. In the back of the studio, Yunho smiles.

***

A week later, your app dings again and this time it’s right on the money.

You submit the paperwork on Thursday after practice, another lozenge tucked into your cheek as you start to feel the first signs of your upcoming heat. It’s already better than last time, a more familiar kind of cycle than what you last experienced. You’re used to it being mostly mild, a few times a year leaving you achy and sore, and insatiably horny, but nothing like the desperate cramping from before.

This time you have things down to a predictable science, and though you might have a few moments of serious weakness or deeper feelings of heat, you’d be fine. This time there would be no dizzy desperation, no crying into your pillow in hopes that an alpha would soothe you and take it away. No begging to be claimed. It would be fine.

You should be fine.

You leave the paperwork on the back desk and hurry out to catch a ride back home before you start to really feel it, but all you can imagine is Yunho’s face when he picks up the papers and you need to not be in the building when that happens.

At home you set yourself up for the next few days. Bedroom door locked, a stash of water bottles, a stack of towels, and a bedside table full of charged and ready toys. You get undressed out of your restrictive leggings and tighter clothes, and pull on a simple pair of sleep shorts and a loose oversized top. Fabric that won’t cling or make you hot, just comfortable enough to relax and take it easy as your body starts to sink into heat.

For a while things are normal and fine, regular aches and pains. You watch a show on your iPad and zone out the feeling, but eventually every little shift of your hips feels sharper, and a low throb starts to pulse inside you. It’s evening when you start to lose focus on the drama you’re watching. Something about the male lead seems familiar to you and your mind keeps drifting.

You settle back into the cushions to get more comfortable and to try and refocus on the show, but the ghost sensation of lips on your throat makes your eyes drift closed.

Your hand is pushing under the elastic of your sleep shorts before you can even think it through.

Your mind keeps replaying the image of Mingi pushing his glasses up into his hair and smiling, the way his hands ran over your body and landed firm on your hips. Yunho’s head between your thighs. Both their fingers searching your body, pushing inside you, pulling you apart over and over again. Their hot breath on your throat. Pretty omega, they called you. Something tumbles in your chest, knots build up in your stomach. Your fingers feel good but they pale in comparison to what you had before and you work yourself up and up but nothing quite comes close to the edge of pleasure you’re looking for.

You’re my best girl.

You bite back a moan and push two fingers inside yourself.

You can almost feel their hands on you, their hot kisses, gentle nips of your skin, but you can’t find the feeling of them inside you. You quicken your hand and replay the images faster in your mind. You miss them, you need them, you want them. You come hard and fast with a shudder, your eyes snapping back open.

There she is. That’s our girl.

“F-fuck,” You breathe to yourself, pulling your hand out of your shorts. Your chest is heaving, a light sheen of sweat over you, and your core throbs like your body wants you to go again.

“Oh my god,” You breathe, pushing yourself off the bed and stumbling into the bathroom, “what is wrong with you, get a grip,”

You shake it off, trying to ignore the fact that you just thought about them while you were getting yourself off. It’s just heat, that’s all it ever is with them, that has to be it. Hot alphas will always scramble your brain at a time like this, you just have to listen to yourself and get a grip.

With a sigh you wash your hands, crawl back into bed, and try to just fall asleep and ignore the images still looping in the back of your brain.

You don’t sleep though, you can’t.

You toss and you turn, and you ache, but you don’t sleep.

Around the third hour of trying to soothe your cramps with a heating pad that you decide to say fuck it and ask for help. You have a small window of time to get to wherever you’ll be spending the duration of your heat, and even though you know with your suppressants this won’t be quite as bad as before, your body still wants.

For a second you think about Mingi. You miss his hands, his easy smile, the way he would slowly stroke your back and massage your hips. You miss his scent, his warmth, and his all encompassing comfort. But things have just started to get back to normal at the studio with him and Yunho and you can’t let a moment of heat weakness lead you back.

You open your phone, flipping through social media in an attempt to distract your mind but before you know it you have Yunho’s contact open and you’re fighting the urge to call, just to hear his voice for a second.

Your finger hovers over the button, you can hear his voice in your mind.

Sweetheart, just tell me where you are, I’m coming to get you.

You can see it.

But it’s just your heat. No matter how much Wooyoung likes to tease you about having a crush, it’s just this. Biology you can’t control rewiring your brain and telling you that they’re your perfect match. But you don’t believe in perfect matches or scent pairings. You don’t.

A particularly tight cramp ripples through your middle and you clench your fist through the pain, shifting in your bedding once again, sweat building at your brow.

In a flash of genius and panic, you close Yunho’s contact card and open another.

The phone rings and rings.

He’s busy, you’ve probably missed him, and when he offered he was drunk anyways so he probably doesn’t remember but then suddenly the phone clicks and connects and his warm voice fills your ear, “Hey, y/n,”

“S-Seonghwa,” You sigh, trying to sound as put together as possible, “hey,”

“Is everything okay?” He checks, and you hear a little background noise and hope to god he’s not still at the studio.

“Definitely,” You press your eyes closed and bite the inside of your lip to keep from making a tight, stressed sound.

“Okay…” He waits a moment and then adds, “then what’s going on? You never call,”

The cramp passes and you take a breath, “Sorry, are you busy? I can call later,”

“No, no,” He says, “I’m just grabbing a drink with Wooyoung and Joong,”

“Is that y/n?” You hear Wooyoung in the background, “Tell her to come meet us!”

“Woo,” Seonghwa’s voice sounds a little far from the receiver and then he comes back on the line, “If you’re free, you can come meet us? We were just thinking about dinner, Hongjoong has a new project for us, you might be interested,”

“Oh,” For a second, in the space between your cramps you forget why you called in the first place, “a new song?”

“Two,” You can practically hear the smile on Seonghwa’s face.

“Exciting,” You smile.

“So what do you say,” Seonghwa says, “come out?”

You would, you wish you could, but you shake your head, “I can’t, I actually… I’ll be out for a couple of days. I submitted the paperwork this morning,”

“Are you going somewhere?” He asks, not yet picking up on the obvious.

“Leave,” You smile at his question.

“Leave,” He repeats, “oh, oh leave!”

“Say it louder, Seonghwa,” You groan.

“Is that why you’re calling?” He says, and a little blush creeps into your cheeks at the thought that he’s with other people and talking to you about this like it’s nothing.

“Kind of,” You admit, “I don’t know, you’re busy I just remembered what you said, but you don’t have to,”

“How are you now? I’m at least thirty minutes away, is that too long?”

Warmth blooms in your chest, “I’m fine, honestly, go have dinner,”

You can practically see him rolling his eyes when he says, “Stop being a martyr. Listen, I’ll call you right back, okay?”

“Okay,”

“And don’t worry,” He assures, his voice honeyed and warm, “I will call, I’ll only be a minute,”

“Okay,” You manage, “thank you, Hwa,”

He says something more but you miss it with the light commotion in the background, and then the line clicks dead.

It takes two minutes, but he calls you right back.

“Hey,” You sigh into the receiver.

“Can you text Woo your address?” Seonghwa asks first, “We’re grabbing a cab,”

“Oh,” You flip the phone on speaker and start typing, “okay, yeah, I’m… Seonghwa, are you sure?”

“Mhm,” He replies, “as long as you are.”

“Give me the phone,” You hear Wooyoung and immediately laugh.

“What do you want?” Seonghwa says, clearly not talking to you.

“Phone,” You hear him say and then after a brief groan, Wooyoung’s voice is in your ear, “Hey, you,”

“Hey,” Something about him calms you instantly.

“How far gone are you? Should we pick stuff up on our way or can you come back to my place?” He’s straight and to the point but still gentle, and you’re starting to feel glad that you called them and not anyone else.

“I’m fine,” You assure him, “I can make it to yours. My roommates are here, I think it would be….”

“Got it,” He says, “well just rest, we’ll be there soon,”

Tears well up in your eyes and you sniffle softly, trying to keep it to yourself.

He picks up on the soft sound immediately, “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

You swallow and wipe away the gathering moisture, “Nothing, you’re both just being so nice,”

“Aw,” He murmurs, “jagiya you’re one of us now, we always take care of each other.”

“Is she crying?” You hear Seonghwa’s voice raise an octave in the background.

“She’s good,” Wooyoung brushes it off, “alright, twenty minutes okay, get your stuff, take a deep breath, and I’ll text you when we’re downstairs.”

“Thanks, Woo,” You manage.

“Deep breaths,” He reminds, and then he’s gone.

You must be insane. You must be fully crazy to invite this type of chaos into your life twice with yet another group of men, but something about this feels right. It feels safe and sure, and something about Wooyoung being an omega too is just making all of this feel so much simpler than last time. At least where your heart is concerned.

It takes you all twenty minutes to get your things together, but you decide to focus on this instead of what all this chaos might mean. You pack a bag of necessities and then change into something loose but more presentable than your sleep clothes. When your phone buzzes again you don’t even look down at it, you just know that it’s Wooyoung arriving right on the dot and you slip out of your apartment as quietly as you can.

Downstairs a car waits across the street and when Seonghwa emerges to greet you, he rushes forwards to take your bags. Your cheeks light up with blush and you have to take a half, staggering step backwards, already being outside and in the presence of an alpha your subconscious mind is reacting to him.

“Let me get these,” Seonghwa says, pulling the bags from your hands, and the touch of his warm skin along yours has a shaky breath leaving your lips.

“Thanks,” You murmur, watching him pack them into the trunk of the cab, and then he turns.

He takes a good look at you and nods, “Yeah, let’s get you to Woo’s,”

“Is it obvious?” You cup your cheeks.

“Not too much,” He assures you, extending his hand for you to take, “but let’s not waste time,”

“Let’s go,” You nod, and he tugs you forwards gently to get you into the car. You settle into the middle seat between Wooyoung and Seonghwa easily.

“Doing good?” Wooyoung asks you, trying to be subtle in front of the driver.

“Mhm,” You nod, and you smile when he laces your fingers together and gives you a squeeze.

Seonghwa gives the next address to the driver and you’re away.

It’s quiet at first, all you can focus on is the way the miles slowly tick down on the map the driver is using, and you try to breathe through your mouth in the closed car full of competing scents but it’s nearly impossible. Seonghwa’s scent envelops you easily, especially in the closed air circulation of the car. Warm, like freshly brewed coffee. You close your eyes as a cramp passes through you and you try not to think of him even though his leg keeps bumping into yours every time the car takes a turn.

The automated sound of a window breaks your concentration and you glance to your side. Seonghwa isn’t looking at you, but he’s cracked the back window a couple of inches, and the pulse of clean air leaves you able to take a shaky inhale and exhale. Wooyoung squeezes your hand again.

The mileage counter keeps clicking down. Seonghwa’s scent stays present in your mind despite the fresh air. Your stomach tightens. The car takes a particularly curving turn and your body is pressed against Seonghwa’s from knee to shoulder and you squeeze Wooyoung’s hand back instead of letting the whine in your throat bubble out.

Your stomach clenches again, and then you feel it. A rush of slick as your body prepares, a flushing flood of hot warmth rolling up your body and through your cheeks. Seonghwa’s arm crosses over you like a seatbelt and he closes his hand over your left thigh, his thumb drawing slow circles to keep you steady and protect you from anyone noticing.

You let yourself glance up at him once more, but he’s still focused out the window, doing his best to comfort you without drawing an ounce of attention.

“Out front?” The driver asks suddenly, and you realize the building ahead across the intersection must be theirs.

“That’s perfect,” Seonghwa replies smoothly, “thank you.”

The minute it takes to cross the intersection feels never ending, and then suddenly things start moving at two-times speed. As the heat cramps increase, Seonghwa’s arm is around your waist and Wooyoung is left hauling your stuff up into the elevator. They get you inside smoothly and as the doors close, Seonghwa lets out a sigh of relief.

“I thought I was going to have to fight every alpha in the lobby,” Seonghwa laughs as the elevator begins to climb, “are you sure you’re on suppressants?”

You can’t help but elbow him slightly in the ribs, “Yes,”

“I’m kidding,” He squeezes you, “you just smell like an extremely edible cake,”

“Mm,” You murmur as a small cramp passes, “well, you know, this is why I’m on the strong stuff,”

The elevator doors open and Wooyoung steps out before you, glancing to either side down the apartment hallway before beckoning you both forwards. He gets out his keys and glances over his shoulder at you both, “Which?”

You tell him the brand as you lean harder on Seonghwa who hushes you softly with a comforting squeeze.

“Ah,” Wooyoung nods, “no wonder,”

You open your mouth to ask him what he means by that, but he’s too busy pushing open the door to his apartment and opening it up for you both to slip inside.

His place is overwhelmingly simple and clean, utilitarian with dark black furniture and gray moody accents, but it suits him. He drops his keys off on the kitchen island and beckons you inside, “Come on in, get comfortable,”

Seonghwa steers you to the couch and settles you down on the middle cushion, “So, where are we at?”

Settled onto the couch now, you honestly feel fine. Your back hurts a little, and your joints are a little stiff, but the aching, pulsing pain you felt back at your apartment has mostly dissipated, “I think I’m fine,”

“Yeah?”

“I mean,” You cross your legs, your hands itching to wrap a cozy blanket around yourself but finding none, “off meds I was practically feral, this is…. manageable,”

“Manageable is good,” Seonghwa smiles.

Wooyoung settles his hand over your yours, soothing your little trembles and then he dips his head to catch your eyes, “I have a room all set up,”

“You do?” Your eyes widen.

“Mm,” He tangles your fingers together again and gives you a squeeze, “I used to have a roommate but when he moved out I just converted the second bedroom,”

“Oh,” You breathe, and you can’t imagine the expense to maintain an apartment large enough to have your very own heat sanctuary, but you dream of the day you get to.

“Let’s go relax in there,” Wooyoung nods, “maybe you’ll like it and get a little sleep,”

“Should we talk?” You glance up at Seonghwa.

“We will,” Seonghwa assures you as he shrugs off his blazer, “but go get comfortable, I’ll start setting up,”

“Setting up?” You ask, confusion evident in your voice.

“Ah,” Wooyoung bumps you with his shoulder, “our Seonghwa takes his caretaker responsibilities very seriously,”

“You’ll want for nothing here, jagiya,” Seonghwa smiles and takes a slight bow, “Wooyoungie is the most pampered omega in Seoul, it will be nice to take care of someone less bratty for a change,”

You laugh sharply and cover your mouth with your hand, “What have I gotten myself into?”

“A fun weekend,” Seonghwa smiles, “now relax, let Woo show you the place.”

Already this feels less stressful than before, and maybe that’s the level of your heat or maybe it’s them, but it feels easy. Wooyoung pulls you up and watches you carefully as you stand to make sure you’re feeling well, and then he guides you down the hall.

Wooyoung’s nesting room is exactly what you’ve been looking for. The bed in this room isn’t necessarily large, but what it is, is covered in blankets and plush pillows. The second bedroom of his apartment has been so smoothly converted into an office and omega haven that you almost wish you had been here for your last, harder heat.

“Okay,” Wooyoung walks you in, “there’s a robe on the back of the door you can use, the mini fridge is pretty stocked, and on that shelf by the bed there’s lozenges, wipes, towels, you name it.”

“Oh my God,” You breathe, scanning over everything as he gestures.

“And over in that bedside table,” He points out the single nightstand, “there’s pretty much any toy you’ll need.”

“Oh,” You blush.

“Hwa and I will be here, of course,” He assures you, “but I like a little extra something,”

“Right,” You smile, “of course you do,”

A gentle knock on the door behind you brings you out of your focus, studying every inch of his perfect heat sanctuary and you turn to see Seonghwa leaning against the door frame.

“How are you feeling?” He asks gently.

“Like myself,” You tell him honestly, “it’s starting, but it doesn’t feel too bad.”

“Mm,” He nods, “it probably won’t be quite as bad as last time, but I’m certainly here for whatever you need,”

“Thank you, Hwa,” You smile, “I can’t thank you enough,”

His eyes light up with warmth and then he looks over you both, “This is nice,” he comments, “the two of you in here,”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Wooyoung laughs as he leans against the desk, “no one’s ready for your knot yet,”

A throb pulses through you, but blissfully no one notices.

“I just think it’s nice,” He shrugs, “two pretty omegas,”

You blush.

“Oh,” Seonghwa smiles as he notices your pink cheeks, “you liked that,”

“Hwa,” You protest weakly.

“Ignore him,” Wooyoung cuts in front of you and leads you back to the bed, “get cozy, you’ll love this.”

He all but puts you in the bed himself, but in minutes you’re relaxed against the cushions, under cooling sheets and downy comforters. Seonghwa waits in the doorway while you get settled, but once you are he smiles and crosses the room to sit on the edge of the bed.

“You’re feeling alright?” He asks, reaching for your hand.

“So far,” You nod, “and this bed is wildly comfortable,”

“Good,” Seonghwa’s fingers smooth over your wrist, slowly stroking your gland and easing you further, “I’m going to go fix you both something for dinner, and if you need anything in the meantime Wooyoung will be right here,”

“Okay,” You breathe.

“I’m going to give Sannie a ring too,” His voice evens out in his chest, low and warm and tender to keep you melting into the bed under you, “is it okay if I tell him you’re here?”

“Sure,”

“Alright then,” He smiles, “just relax,”

“Feeling pretty relaxed,” You tell him.

The sound of your phone vibrating on Wooyoung’s desk draws your eyes, but you focus back on Seonghwa when he says, “I’m sure we can relax you more, don’t worry.”

“You’re forward,” You nudge his thigh.

“And you called me for sex,” He shrugs, “who’s forward now?”

Wooyoung laughs sharply and claps his hands, “This weekend is going to be very fun,”

Your phone buzzes again, then again, and your brows draw together as you look towards it, “Could you,”

Seonghwa doesn’t let you finish your sentence, he crosses the room quickly and then passes your phone over to you, “I’ll be back in a little while, okay?”

“Thank you,”

He nods with a warm expression, and then leaves you and Wooyoung be inside this little cocoon.

“Glad you called?” Wooyoung grins, cheeky and teasing.

“Mm,” You sink deeper into the pillows behind you, “I might have to move in, just for this bed,”

His nose crinkles, “We’ve got to update your space, you should have somewhere like this too,”

“I’d like that,” You sigh, “someday,”

Your phone buzzes again.

“Soon,” Wooyoung dismisses, “until then you can always come here,”

“Well, that’s really nice of you, but,” You tear your eyes away from him to finally illuminate the screen of your phone and your words die on your lips when you see the messages.

Yunho’s name on your screen makes your breath quicken and you open the chat.

hey I got your paperwork. of course it’s fine, but would you please let me know you’re somewhere safe?

I probably shouldn’t have asked that.

I just want to make sure you made it home safely, that’s all. If you need help getting home, you know I’m only a phone call away.

Just… please let me know.

“y/n?” Wooyoung’s voice breaks through your buzzing brain as you read Yunho’s messages over and over.

“What?” You manage, glancing up for the briefest second to catch his worried expression.

“What’s going on?” He asks softly.

“Um,” You murmur, but then your phone buzzes in your hand again, this time not a message from Yunho at all.

He’s freaking out a little bit, but I told him you’re probably already home and sleeping.

Which you are, right?

The two texts from Mingi hang in front of you and a tense feeling knots up in your throat.

“Hey,” Wooyoung interrupts again, pushing his way into the bed beside you without preamble and sidling up to your side, “are you crying?”

“No,” You shake your head, “sorry, I just,”

He waits, holding your gaze with his warm brown eyes and attentive nods, and before you know it you’re letting the phone fall into his hands.

He reads the texts quietly, and then hums, “They’re worried,”

“I know,” Your voice is small.

“Do you want to respond?” He asks.

“I don’t know,” You confess honestly.

“You don’t owe them anything,” He murmurs quietly, locking your phone and setting it to the side so he can turn to you, “I know I keep teasing you about it, but if you wanted to be with them you would have called them. You know how you feel, not me,”

He smooths your hair back and cups your cheek, gathering you a little closer under the covers. You take a deep, shaky breath, and the sudden scent of him all around you feels like a blanket. Fresh linen and summer salt, like falling into bed after a long day in the sun on the beach. His skin is warm against yours and familiar.

“Do you really think that?” You ask.

“Mhm,” He all but whispers, “and either way, you don’t owe them a response right now. You owe yourself rest,”

“Yeah,”

He gives you a minute, and then rubs his thumb over your cheek, “You want to watch something dumb? Maybe fall asleep on me?”

You nod, lips locking tight as your throat stays tense. You feel like if you talk about anything else you might start crying, so you let him pull you closer and grab the remote for the TV mounted on the far wall. He doesn’t ask you what you want to watch, he doesn’t push you any further, he knows you need him to just take care of things before you crumble and text them back.

He selects something funny without putting too much thought into it, and wraps his arm around you as you settle your cheek onto his chest. This was what you were missing so much the last time you went through heat, the steadying comfort of another omega. Your fluttering nerves fall away, and his scent makes you feel warm and your eyes heavy.

“Woo,” You murmur into his shirt.

“Yeah?”

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” You confess.

He sighs, fingers finding yours under the comforter, “And you’re mine,”

You snuggle into him a little more, fingertips brushing the warm hollow of his throat and your heart slowing to a steady, easy rhythm to pump in time with his. Distantly as you fall into sleep, you feel the buzz of your phone again somewhere halfway across the mattress, but this time you don’t even open your eyes.

Wooyoung silences it when it buzzes again, his words soft against your hair when he says, “It’ll all wait until tomorrow, babe, you just rest easy,”

You nod, a yawn taking over you and he chuckles.

“Just sleep,” He murmurs softly, and you do, their messages left unanswered.

#this night together fic #ateez ff #ateez fic #ateez smut #yunho x reader #mingi x reader #seonghwa x reader #wooyoung x reader #yungi x reader #yunho #mingi #hongjoong #seonghwa #wooyoung #honeyhotteoks fics

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