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smileysuh · 11 months

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Fix You

🌙 staring. Mingyu x afab!Reader

🔮 synopsis. “As a member of 53V3NT33N, I have two different states of mind coded into me, aggression and admiration. To love something, to admire it, is to feel aggressive when it’s questioned, to want to control it, if even for a little while- it’s the need to consume it, endlessly, as my fans consume and control me as an automaton. Even though I’m a member of a group, there’s a distance. Automatons can never truly motivate each other because our motivations are based on external human needs, it’s built into us- We can see when humans need us, and we do what we can to fix that need… I know you need me, the way I’ve needed you since I got here.”

tw/cw. unprotected sex with an AI robot, virgin!Mingyu, big dick!Mingyu, Mingyu's body is perfect, hand job, blow job, deep throating, pussy eating, fingering, flavored cum, praise, breast worship, switchy/submissive!Mingyu, multiple orgasms, slight overstim, AI slavery/working philosophical issues, risk of AI termination/job loss, etc...

👹 rating.18+ explicit I wc. 15.5k I collab. link

🍭 aus. automaton/ai au, ai!Mingyu, robotics behavioral researcher!y/n, wellness center, future au, Promethean theory, etc…

☀️ mlist + an. i was so excited when @idyllic-ghost announced this collab in @svthub. Had a great time creating this world and working with everyone through the Discord server :) Bee was also such a big help as beta reader, they were such a good collab team leader, so big thank you to @idyllic-ghost 💕

As a top mechanic at an automaton rehab center, you’d heard about the supposed ‘break out’ of thirteen level one AI robots from their management facility. In fact, people all across the galaxy had heard about it, with the attractive faces of every member of the idol group 53V3NT33N plastered on billboards, tvs and any screen possible-

However, the last place you thought you’d see the stunning features of M1NGYU would be on your briefing tablet not two days after what some reporters are calling ‘the biggest breach of level one automatons across the galaxy in centuries.’

“How-” you swallow thickly, eyes shifting from your tablet to look at your boss. “How did he get caught so fast?”

“Mingyu has been malfunctioning for months,” Yoongi explains. “Strength miscalculations during concerts, collaborating in the break out attempt, his aggressive behaviors have been more frequent- but if there’s one thing that can be said for an automaton that balances aggression and admiration, it’s that he truly admires the humans who worship him. He gave himself in, trying to aid in the escape of two of his AI band mates.”

“Oh.” For some reason, this news makes you sad. A robot with a sense of self sacrifice for the good of others… even if giving himself up was in part spurred by a need to be given attention and adoration from the humans that made him.

He’s like a child that makes a mistake and gives himself in. Many mechanics would do what parents across the galaxy do, scold, attempt to fix the behavior with shaming and judgment- but you were given your job precisely because you come at this sort of thing with a different approach. It sounds like Mingyu needs someone to talk to, someone to understand- maybe poke around in his coding a little to see if there’s anything that shouldn’t be there.

You can’t think of someone more qualified than yourself to give Mingyu the time and attention he needs, the admiration he craves to balance out the supposed ‘aggressive’ traits he’s been showing lately.

“Before you get too caught up in Mingyu being some level one lost puppy, just remember, he’s an automaton,” Yoongi’s harsh voice snaps you out of your daze and the rehabilitation plan already brewing in the periphery of your mind. “Don’t get too close to this.”

“I won’t.” If only it was a promise you could keep.

You’ve been around many level ones in your time as a robotics behavioral specialist at the rehab center, but none of them have ever been as beautiful - or as charming - as Mingyu. Sitting next to the intake girl, watching her ask Mingyu questions, you get to fully observe the automaton, and you’re astounded by what you see.

He answers things in a way that almost seems honest, and at points, when he makes a joke that causes you and your coworker to smile, his eyes literally sparkle with admiration. You wonder what coding had to be done just on his robotic retinas to achieve such an effect.

It’s clear, by the time the questions are all through, that Mingyu is the most advanced of any AI’s you’ve ever come in contact with, and the prospect both scares and exhilarates you.

“So what now?” Mingyu asks, and you note the way his knee is bobbing slightly, as if he’s anxious. He’s leaning forward, eager to hear what comes next, and it almost feels like he’s going to be a more than willing participant in this rehab experience.

“Well,” you sigh, taking the tablet from the intake girl, “now that we’ve completed this first form, I can get to work on making a wellness plan for you.”

“A wellness plan?” Mingyu cocks his head, another very human-like motion that makes your breath catch.

“A wellness plan, yes.” You consider how to explain this to him. “You know when humans get tired and they have a spa day? Or after someone has given birth, they have maternity leave? It’s going to be a little something like that. As one of the head behavioral specialists and wellness coordinators here, I’ve been assigned to help you take a break.”

“A break?” He looks as if he’s never even considered having a breather from the activities of a famous level one entertainer robot, and you sort of feel sorry for him.

“Yes, Mingyu, a break. That means no dance practices, no music production and vocal exercises. You’ll be existing here, checking in with me and doing new daily activities designed to help get to the core of the issues you’re facing.”

“And what issues am I facing?” There’s something of a smirk on his face, and you realize the robot is toying with you, but you still feel compelled to respond.

“I heard you threw one of your bandmates too hard during the past few concerts you performed.”

“Dino can take it,” Mingyu insists. “No one got hurt.”

“The guards that were injured while your group broke out of your management facility would beg to differ. Cameras showed you were a big part of busting open doors, knocking a few people unconscious- word in the wellness center is your aggression levels are a little high.”

“No higher than my admiration levels.” There’s that smile again, and you’re not sure what to make of it this time.

“I guess that’s true,” you confess. “You turned yourself in after all.”

“I highly admire the guards that my group members got the better of. We all have bad days, after all, especially humans.”

You wonder at his diction. ‘We all have bad days’ he’d said, before making something of a distinction when he noted ‘especially humans.’ However, in the use of the word ‘we’ without a further separation when mentioning humans, it’s almost as if he’s lumping himself into the same category.

You must be creating too much of a pause in the conversation, because Mingyu opens his mouth to speak again. “You said ‘I can get to work on making a wellness plan for you,’ does that mean you’re the main handler looking after me while I’m here?”

It shouldn’t be a shock that nothing gets past Mingyu, that his recollection of what you’ve said is top notch, but it still takes you back a little. “Correct.”

“Can you tell me your name?”

He’s very peculiar for a level one.

You give him your name and he repeats it once, twice, three times before nodding to himself. “Thank you for taking care of me,” he says. “I’m excited for my wellness break and getting to work with you.”

You’ve often wondered if an emotion like excitement is something an automaton can actually even feel, or if it’s just a number of ones and zeros put into layers upon layers of detailed coding.

For some reason, you find yourself wanting to return the sentiment, however automatic it might be from the robot. “I’m excited to get to work with you too.”

It’s always kind of sad when you run a new level one automaton through their personalized wellness schedule. You’ve worked with all manner of high-class robots, from athletes to opera singers, but none of them have ever come into your program with the type of preexisting regimented day plan Mingyu has.

You suppose it shouldn't be a shock that, as part of one of the biggest automaton boy groups in the galaxy, he’d had close to zero down time. When you show him the library and explain he should sit down in a spot of sun somewhere and read for an hour every day, at a slow pace, he looks at you like you’re crazy.

“I don’t understand how this is supposed to help me,” he tells you, as you walk through the facility towards one of your favourite wellness locations; the pool.

“This might be an archaic example,” you explain, “but back when humanity first started making computers, laptops and such, many people would keep their computers on indefinitely. Sure they’d close the screen, but that’s not enough. You’d need to actually power down the device to keep its performance up.”

“I’m not a laptop,” Mingyu reminds you, with a flash of something like humour in his eye.

“You’re not,” you conceded, “which is why your nightly power downs aren’t enough. As an automaton, you were built to emulate being a human, but many people disregard one of the most fundamental aspects of humanity; the need for rest. Sleep and powering down isn’t enough if every waking moment is spent working or learning or practicing your trade- you have to allow for a variety of restful activities, such as reading, painting, gardening- it depends on who you are and your skillset though. For a chef, he might not gain rest from cooking because his neurons would still be firing with the intensity of someone doing their trade. Which is why, although I’ve given you physical activities such as swimming and tennis, you won’t be doing any dancing while you’re here.”

“What if I forget my moves?”

“Something tells me the likelihood of that is very low,” you smile.

“Okay, maybe I won’t forget my moves,” Mingyu sighs, “but I was made to dance. I was made to perform. What am I if not a level one dancer and singer?”

“There’s more to life than one’s job, however all-encompassing being a level one might be,” you explain. “I’m sure it’s very taxing on you.”

Mingyu pauses in the middle of the corridor you’re walking down, and you stop to assess him.

“Are you alright?” you ask.

“Yeah,” he gives his head a little shake, and you’re shocked again at how human like the automaton is. “It’s just… no one has ever talked about this sort of thing with me. It’s always been work, work, work. It’s what I’m designed to do-”

“You may have been designed to be a dancer and a singer,” you nod empathetically, “but part of being alive is choosing your own destiny, as you and your bandmates all did when you escaped your facility.”

“Do you really think that?” he questions, standing very still and looking at you with a dark gaze. “That I’m alive?”

“At this point in time, artificial intelligence has progressed to the level where we’re told you’re sentient, that you can feel and think. That you’re as life-like as you’ve ever been in the history of the galaxy. You might have been created in a lab, hand crafted and designed by some would-be God engineer, but to me, yes, Mingyu, you’re alive.”

“I don’t bleed,” he says softly. “My skin is similar to yours, made of collagen and human dermal fibroblasts, but beneath all of this I’m still a machine. I don’t have a soul.”

“Is a soul the most important building block that makes something alive?” you ask, cocking your head and looking the robot up and down.

He looks stumped, and you smile at the way you’ve found yourself in a very human-like philosophical debate with an artificial intelligence.

You motion to the monstera deliciosa in a pot along the wall, its large, hybridized purple leaves reaching for the sun that beams through the glass windows. “Would you say that plant over there isn’t alive because it doesn’t have a soul?”

Mingyu is quiet for a moment or two, and then he looks down. “I guess not.”

“So it seems a soul isn’t a necessary element in being ‘alive,’” you conclude, “and besides, scientists are still debating whether or not AI, as it is today, creates its own soul when it’s brought into the world. Even though you were created in the same lab as your band mates, and given different coding at your creation, since then, you’ve all grown differently. Is that not kind of like a human being born with set genes only to be impacted by the world around it?”

Again, Mingyu takes a little while to respond. “I wasn’t given the code for being curious about sciences,” he tells you. “That would be Wonwoo, Minghao and Jeonghan. But, I guess what you’re saying makes sense.”

“Good, it’s my job to make this process make sense to the Level One’s in my care.” You’re pleased at his response, and after another moment, Mingyu begins to follow you again.

“What’s next on the schedule?” he asks.

“The best part of the facility,” you smile, “the pool.”

“What’s so good about the pool?”

“I’ve found that many level ones that come through here have never truly experienced swimming. The sensory differences of the water can be healing for humans and automatons. It will light up all the sensors in your skin, and if you focus on that, you can reach the closest thing to peace that I’ve ever seen an AI experience.”

“How do you measure peace?”

“We’ve done studies with level ones submerged in cold and hot water tanks while connected to neuro maps, the results have been ground breaking in AI science. I’ll have to send you some to read while you’re doing your mandatory reading sessions.”

You reach the doors that slide away to reveal one of the courtyards of the facility. It’s a lovely space, with all sorts of beautiful plants that dazzle with every colour of the rainbow. The ground is mostly white marble aside from the allocated vegetation zones, and a large rectangular pool in the middle of it acts as a meeting place for the few level ones in the center.

“This is one of the best places to meet other robots going through the same process that you are while you’re here,” you explain. “As a central hub, we recommend this as a location to do your reading, we have a yoga room but I could always teach you mind and body wellness out here-”

“I like this place,” Mingyu says, interrupting you for the first time since he’s arrived at the facility.

When you look at him, you find him taking in the space with eyes full of wonder. He looks beautiful, with the sun kissing his beautiful skin, and his dark, medium length curly hair all lit up to show off the soft browns amidst the darker hues.

He truly is the most perfect automaton you’ve ever seen, and you’ve worked with a number of the galaxy’s top rated robots.

One of these top rated AI’s, is Jeong Jaehyun, a member of another boy group who’s been having difficulties. He’d come in presenting with extreme competitive behaviors, but in the two weeks you’ve been monitoring him, he’s calmed down a great deal. You think, as you and Mingyu approach the pool where Jaehyun is doing laps, that this might be a good opportunity to introduce another robot to him.

Jaehyun’s met a number of other automatons in the facility, but none as close to his own profession as Mingyu.

“There’s someone I want you to meet,” you tell Mingyu, coming to a stop on the edge of the pool. Your eyes track Jaehyun as he swims towards you, doing a near perfect front stroke style that he’d never even heard of before his own wellness break.

When Jaehyun reaches the edge of the pool, he stops and looks up at you, then his gaze shifts to Mingyu. Both robots have blank expressions, but when they nod to each other, there’s something akin to recognition in the behavior.

“Hello, Jaehyun,” you greet the swimmer. “This is Mingyu, he’ll be here at the facility with us for a while.”

“We know of each other,” Jaehyun tells you curtly. “At award shows.”

“Eight times,” Mingyu confirms.

“Perfect,” you should have remembered as much, but you’ve been very occupied pouring over Mingyu’s history file as of late. “Mingyu will be starting his pool wellness treatment tomorrow afternoon. How would you feel about showing him the four main swimming strokes?”

Jaehyun nods. “I can do that.”

“That’s great news, thank you Jaehyun.” The automaton only nods to you before diving back into the water. You’ll never get used to the way robots can swim without goggles, and your own eyes sting a little at the thought.

“What’s he here for?” Mingyu asks quietly.

“I thought you weren’t given the coding to be curious about sciences,” you quirk a brow, fighting a smile.

“It’s not a curiosity about science,” Mingyu insists. “Jaehyun has been one of the top AI models for Prada Universal for years.”

“I see,” you nod, “so you’re wondering if you can steal his contract if you make it out of here before him.”

“No, I-”

“It was a joke, Mingyu,” you tell him, reminding yourself that not all AI have the capacity to understand human humour, although they seem perfectly able to make their own.

What your manager had said rings through your mind, as it does every day, ‘don’t get too close to this.’ It’s a fine line to walk. Your job is to treat them like humans, to give them the care and wellness that the filthy rich can afford, but at the same time, you need to keep a distance, to remember, always, what you’re dealing with.

It’s days like this one where you wonder - even with all your training and ground breaking research - if you’re truly right for this job. Questioning ethics and philosophies of protocol aren’t behaviors you want to get used to any time soon.

Mingyu and Jaehyun have been swimming for an hour or so when Mingyu finally gets the courage to speak up. He’s run the scenario a number of times, without a successful hypothesis to calm his mind, and he figures if anyone will know the answer to his wonderings, it’s Jaehyun. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Uh huh,” Jaehyun is leaning against the wall of the pool. His eyes are closed and he looks to be enjoying the sunlight.

Mingyu can feel the heat of the hot star on his own skin, but he’s still getting used to the feeling of the water, so he’s unable to enjoy it the way Jaehyun can yet.

“Y/N said she’d be showing me around and doing activities with me, but she’s not here right now,” Mingyu explains, looking over at Jimin, the young male wellness instructor who’d picked him up to head to the pool earlier. “Why isn’t she here?”

“Lower level wellness coaches watch us when we’re doing less strenuous activities,” Jaehyun responds.

This eases Mingyu’s perceived anxieties, but what Jaehyun says next doesn’t.

“Although, my first week here, Y/N was at my side almost all the time. So, I guess today, Y/N ditched you because I said I’d teach you strokes.”

Mingyu hates feeling ditched, hates that Jaehyun has voiced the feeling of it. An inkling of aggressive tendencies flashes through Mingyu’s body, and he does his best to focus on the sun, squinting up at it as a way to calm himself, as you’d told him to try when he’d first arrived as an antiaggression tactic.

He’s not quite sure how to respond to Jaehyun’s statement, so instead, he goes for another question that’s been on his mind since yesterday. “What are you here for?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, as far as I can tell, you don’t seem to have any malfunctions.”

“I could say the same about you,” Jaehyun notes. “That is, if I hadn’t heard about your group’s escape from your management facility.”

Mingyu looks down at the way the sunlight refracts off the water, the marbling effect of the rays casting shadows across the bottom of the pool. “I get aggressive sometimes,” he says quietly.

It’s hard admitting the faulty coding in his metal head, and he supposes he should show his own if he expects Jaehyun to return the favour.

The other automaton in the pool nods, running a hand through his wet hair. “I get competitive sometimes.”

“Really?” This is news to Mingyu, whose only experience of Jaehyun’s behavior today has been helpful and willing to teach. “I guess you’re doing well here, I wouldn’t have noticed any competitive traits in you.”

“Yeah, well,” Jaehyun looks up, and his eyes seem to be tracking something over Mingyu’s shoulder, “it depends on who’s watching.”

Mingyu guesses he can understand that, especially when he follows Jaehyun’s gaze to find you walking across the courtyard.

Something clicks inside of him, the same thing that had darkened Jaehyun’s gaze, and Mingyu immediately feels a surge of what some might call endorphins- or perhaps even testosterone.

“Show time,” Jaehyun says quietly, and Mingyu knows exactly what he means.

You stop to talk to the man who’s been keeping track of the two automatons in the pool, and then you head over yourself. There’s a smile on your face, and it makes Mingyu’s mechanical throat feel dry.

“Look at you two getting along,” you say, putting your hands on your hips as you gaze down at them. “Jimin said you guys have been mastering the strokes, care to show me?”

Mingyu is more than eager to show you what he’s learned, but when Jaehyun takes off at a speed he’s not yet shown, Mingyu almost feels blind sided.

There’s a rush of feelings, as Mingyu swims off after his new robotic ‘friend.’ Admiration for Jaehyun’s competitive nature kicking in, even if it’s supposedly a downside, and a white hot need to better the other automaton and prove himself to you.

Luckily for Mingyu, he’s been built much bigger than his leaner friend, and the extra muscle robotics in his arms make it almost too easy to catch up with Jaehyun.

Mingyu knows that this isn’t a competition, and yet, it is.

If there’s one thing Mingyu knows how to do, it’s succeed. Winning is in his nature, it’s built into his very code, and when the two reach the other end of the pool with Mingyu ahead, it only proves to kick Jaehyun into a higher gear.

They take off toward you again, and Mingyu pushes himself. He can feel the strain in his joints, the rush of water smoothing over his artificial skin. You were right about the healing properties of the pool, and nothing makes Mingyu feel more alive and himself than a little friendly competition with a fellow robot whom he admires, even if that competition is fueled by some of Mingyu’s more… less desirable driving traits.

Mingyu beats Jaehyun again as they reach your side of the pool, and when he looks up at you for praise, he sees you have your tablet out. You seem to be jotting down a few notes, about him or Jaehyun, he’s not too sure.

“You guys are fast,” you say finally. “Jaehyun, thank you for spending some time with Mingyu today.”

“No problem.” Jaehyun is already pulling himself up and out of the pool, perfect muscles flexing in the sunshine.

Mingyu rushes to follow, feeling the need to show off his own immaculate body to you-

“Mingyu,” you address him next, and it feels glorious to have your eyes on him, although they stay fixed on his face, “I see you haven’t been to the library yet, might I suggest that’s next on your wellness schedule today?”

“You won’t be joining me?” Mingyu can feel his metallic heart practically sink.

“Unfortunately not, I’ve got a meeting with my boss, but Jimin will go with you to find something to read.” You motion to the wellness worker still standing a few meters behind you, and he offers Mingyu a small wave that kind of makes him annoyed. “Is that alright?”

“Yeah,” Mingyu forces himself to say. “That’s okay.”

“But I’ve got you in my schedule for tennis tomorrow morning, so I’ll see you then.”

Another nod of affirmation and then Mingyu’s watching you hurry off.

Jaehyun’s drying his body with a towel next to Mingyu, and there’s a small smile on his face, as if he’s enjoying Mingyu being ‘ditched’ yet again.

Mingyu realizes maybe Jaehyun really isn’t doing as well with his recovery as he’d thought only a few minutes ago.

Maybe he’s not doing so well either.

“I’ve got some bad news to report,” you say, as you take a seat in your boss's office, tablet in hand.

“Let’s hear it,” Yoongi sighs, kicking his feet up onto his table and leaning back in his chair.

“I thought Jaehyun’s rehabilitation was going well, so I set him up to swim with Mingyu today-”

“What? Why?”

“I wanted to see, in a controlled environment, how Jaehyun would react around other level ones he might perceive to be a threat. Seeing Jaehyun’s recovery alone is like testing in a vacuum, it doesn’t account for outside forces at play,” you explain. “Anyways, I was correct. When introduced to a situation where he could compete with someone on his level, Jaehyun’s competitive nature was back up again.”

“Did anything bad happen?” Yoongi takes his feet off his table, leaning forward now with interest.

The last time Jaehyun had gotten very competitive, it had ended up with him attacking one of his group members and landing himself back in your rehab center. The Kim Doyoung automaton had needed an hour of mechanical work to get his skin back to perfect after being sucker punched numerous times.

“I’m pleased to report there was no physical violence,” you admit. “Although, I will say, if he had tried something, I believe Mingyu would have been able to defend himself, unlike Doyoung.”

“Look at you,” Yoongi’s gaze shifts up and down your form, “taking bets on level one robots. You do know that street fighting automatons is illegal in most parts of the galaxy, right?”

“It wasn’t a street fight,” you assure your boss. “It was a simple test.”

“Right, you and your hypotheses.” Yoongi is a good boss. He supports your work and research, but sometimes you think he’s happy with things being the way they are. As if humanity has discovered everything possible, with no room for improvement.

“I’ll look some more into Jaehyun’s coding,” you continue. “I think there must be a line or two of something I missed last time, maybe level one specific competitive traits that should only be used on stage competitions that are bleeding over into everyday automaton life-”

“Good idea, you have permission.”

“But I was also thinking maybe I should look into Mingyu’s code-”

“No.”

“No?” you hold your tablet close to your chest, lips parting as you stare at your boss.

“Mingyu’s a more recent build than Jaehyun. I’ve been assured by his production team that this isn’t a coding issue, it’s a behavioral one. Something he and his other members picked up since the time of their creation.”

“But-”

“We’ve been advised to not look at the code,” Yoongi says harshly. “You were hired because of your groundbreaking work with behavioral changes to AI, the way you connect it to human behavioral issues. You’re the one that keeps trying to convince me that these robots are as human as they’ve ever been, so stop treating Mingyu like a wrong coded robot, and start showing me you can fix him without getting coding involved.”

“Are you sure they said his coding was all up to date?” you press, knowing you might get in trouble for even continuing with this line of questioning.

Yoongi sighs. “Positive. No messing around with Mingyu’s code. There’s a behavioral reason for the aggression, and you’re just going to have to figure it out.”

You’ve always liked tennis, for more than just the physical reasons. It allows you to test an automaton's ability to read the situation, their drive to adjust to the bodily limitations of the human playing with them.

While you start the easy game with Mingyu at a higher level, allowing him to show off his skills and inherent robotic strength, thirty minutes into the sport, you begin to dwindle in energy.

“I need a water break,” you tell him, passing the ball over to the robot to play with while you go to grab your bottle.

Mingyu waits patiently, tossing the ball up in the air. You see how many touches he can make without stopping, and you’re not too shocked at his ability to keep a steady volley with himself.

When you set your water down, his attention is back on you, and he reminds you of an eager puppy in his excitement to once more have a game partner.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Yeah,” you assure him with a wave of your hand, steadying your grip on the handle of your racket. “Just a little tired.”

When Mingyu passes you the ball, he’s noticeably gentler than before, and you note that his adaptability is quite good. He’s very focused on you, much more than other automatons like Jaehyun had been when you’d first tried the sport with them.

It’s different from the competitive - maybe even aggressive - way that he’d interacted with Jaehyun in the pool yesterday.

An easy hypothesis to make would be that Mingyu’s abilities adjust depending on who he’s with, so it should be no shock that he’d work harder with a fellow automaton. However, you’re not sure if that’s all there is to it.

You wonder what drives Mingyu. If he’s even aware of the way he’s lessened the force in his hits.

Remembering what he’d said about tossing a band member around, the way he’d noted ‘Dino can take it,’ you think it’s very possible that Mingyu is reading your abilities. The same way you’re reading his.

Before you can consider the situation more, however, you notice Jimin has arrived on the side of the court, and he waves you over.

“One moment, Mingyu,” you call, tossing him the ball once more before jogging over to your coworker.

“There was an incident,” Jimin explains, “with Jaehyun.”

“An incident?”

Jimin nods. “He was racing a new level one in the pool.”

“Really?” Jaehyun’s been in the pool a number of times with other automatons, but other than what you’d witnessed yesterday, his competitive nature hasn’t truly shown itself, at least, not in a way that was overtly noticeable.

“There was some gloating involved,” Jimin continues, eyes shifting over your shoulder to where Mingyu is playing with the ball. “A few punches were thrown.”

Now you’re really alarmed.

You haven't had time yet to look into Jaehyun’s coding, and you’ve been trying to focus on Mingyu as he’s newer to your program, but maybe this had been an oversight on your part.

“I’ll come right away,” you nod, turning your attention back to Mingyu. “I’m sorry about this, but I’ve got to go.”

“What?” Mingyu stops playing with his ball.

“There’s been an incident-”

“Can’t someone else take care of it?”

This is the second time Mingyu’s interrupted you, and this time, it’s over a moment of contention. “Unfortunately no,” you tell him, “I’m the only one that can deal with this, Jaehyun’s under my care.”

“But…” Mingyu looks down at the ball in his hand, “we’re still playing tennis.”

“Jimin can play with you.”

“I don’t want Jimin.” The automaton is staring you down, and it takes a second for you to process his words, as your gaze keeps shifting to his hardening grip on the handle of his racket.

“I’m really sorry, Mingyu-”

“Please?” He pouts out his lower lip, a very childlike attempt at persuading you.

“I have to go,” you say, more firmly this time.

There’s a stagnant moment of silence, and then, in one quick, rough motion, Mingyu breaks his racket on the court.

“I don’t want to do tennis anymore,” he insists.

“Then I might suggest going to the library for a book.” You hate having to be detached with him like this, as it’s obvious he has needs that must be attended to- but his aggression towards an inanimate object like a racket isn’t the same level as Jaehyun’s aggression towards another patient at your facility.

You see Mingyu’s chest expand and then he seems to let out a deep exhale, it’s a motion that screams ‘annoyance,’ yet another emotion that could just be ones and zeros in his coding.

You decide, as you watch the odd automaton have a tantrum on the court, that you have no choice but to take a look under his hood. You’ll have to dive deeper if you’re going to figure him out, Yoongi be damned.

“I’m sorry, Mingyu,” you say again. “I’ll try to rejoin you as soon as I can, but for now, you’ll have to enjoy Jimin’s company.”

Mingyu doesn’t respond, and it feels like a deliberate snubbing, of both you and Jimin.

It’s been a long day, and you really need to sleep, but this is the best chance you’ll have to get a peak into Mingyu’s inner workings.

With the facility in off hours, and all the level ones set to sleep cycle, it’s easy for you to sneak into Mingyu’s room with your trusty tablet. Cameras are simple to wipe with the clearance you have, and you have no doubt that once you connect to Mingyu’s brain drive and get the data to your tablet, it will prove as good bedtime reading.

You’re in and out of his room in under five minutes, scurrying back to your own quarters like a thief in the night.

Once you’re all tucked into bed, you pull out your tablet and begin to sift through the coding that makes Mingyu tick.

People new to your field might feel overwhelmed by the amount of data, but you know exactly where to look, and soon, you’re staring at a few lines of base code that feel familiar.

You’ve seen coding like this before, in your textbooks when you went to robotics school. Just to be sure you’re correct in what you’re seeing, you pull up a document pertaining to sex bots.

An early form of automaton, sex bots had been created with one purpose, to serve their master, in any and all capacities. Long since discontinued due to their bugs, and a tendency to imprint on human masters, causing ‘erratic behavior,’ you know you’ve found exactly what’s wrong with Mingyu.

But it doesn’t make sense. Mingyu is a new model. He’s not a banned robot from well over seventy years ago-

The aggressive behaviors associated with sex bots are the reason their coding was banned, the reason engineers started again and adapted the algorithms- and yet, here you are, staring at lines of code that account for all of Mingyu’s behaviors.

Closing your tablet, you reach for your glass of water, sitting in the shock of it all.

Things begin to add up in your brain; the way Mingyu had become more aggressive with Jaehyun yesterday in the pool when you’d arrived, even though Jimin had told you the two had been doing just fine together, the way Mingyu had reacted today when you’d left him to deal with Jaehyun.

This is a whole new take on behavioral issues, one you’ve never accounted for-

Does Mingyu have… a crush on you? Has his outdated sex bot coding allowed him to imprint on you?

How many other bots have this coding, hidden amongst the innumerable layers of intensely organized lines of personality traits-

This changes everything, and above all, it changes how you should approach the automaton.

How can you utilize this new knowledge to best aid him in recovery? Is it better to assign someone else to him? Would that make the aggression worse? What unforeseen behaviors might arise if you were to separate yourself from him? What changes - for the better - might come out of this if you try to be softer with him, if you play into this ‘crush’?

Your head feels very full, but you suppose it could be worse, it could be full of bad coding.

Poor Mingyu.

You know you’re probably breaking rules, but to be fair, when you’d accepted your position in the wellness center, there hadn’t been a chapter in the manual about how to deal with approaching sex bots. This feels like new territory, or perhaps, old territory, outdated territory, territory from a time when the lines between humanity and their automaton creation had been much more blurred.

Sure, there are sex bots in circulation today, but they’re all using new and improved code. They’re not disguised as level ones, but properly classified as a level three automaton. Level three’s are much more obviously robotic, and there are whole sections of cities on certain worlds with thriving sex bot industries- the type of bots with newer coding that don’t allow them to imprint or feel the lines of ones and zeros that some might call love.

You’ve never met a sex bot before, your work has always been directed toward the highly professional level one automatons. Because of this, your new plan of attack is entirely based on essays and readings you’ve done regarding the old form of bugged sex bots who had been responsible for an entire chapter of dark human history where man’s own creation had turned against him.

As you read through essays related to the sex bot bug, you find you hadn’t realized how deep the bug had gone. You’d heard about human masters being kidnapped or stalked by their sex bots, but you’d never thought the epidemic was as bad as you’re now reading it had been.

These cases of bad outcomes are in the periphery of your mind as you begin your day working with Mingyu. You’re sure there must be a fine line you’re walking, a line between bringing out the good aspects of the bad coding - the type of responses that will make Mingyu eager to get better - and the worst case scenarios.

However, as aggressive as Mingyu has gotten so far, you’ve noted that most of his aggressive responses come out against inanimate objects and other automatons. You’re hoping these behaviors don’t progress to him acting out against any humans, least of all you.

It’s like you’re seeing Mingyu in a new light. It’s interesting how even a few shifts in your own behavior can bring out the best in him. Instead of simply watching him in the pool, you decide to join him, giving him your full attention as you swim three feet apart up and down the length of the tank.

“How are you feeling today?” you ask.

“How am I feeling?” Mingyu looks at you sideways, keeping pace with your much smaller breast strokes.

“Yeah, how are you feeling?” you repeat the question. “You can answer it in any way you like.”

Mingyu seems to think on it for a moment. “I feel the water is twenty-seven degrees Celsius.”

“Okay,” you laugh. “How about the sun? How’s it feeling on your skin sensors?”

“Thirty-three point five degrees, but when a cloud comes, it drops two degrees.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but when you were working before coming to the center, you didn’t get that much of a chance to be outside, how does it feel to be able to enjoy life’s simple pleasures like the sun and water?”

His response is immediate; “Good.” He looks forward, and you take a moment to appreciate the way the sun lights up the hues in his hair. “Really good.”

“Maybe even freeing?” you suggest.

He casts a sideways look at you again, and you see a small quirk of his mouth, something like a smile. “Yes, freeing.”

“When you and your other members escaped from your facility, the feeling of being free is what many of you were searching for, right?”

“For most of them.”

“But not you?” you question. “Out of everyone who escaped, you were one of the only ones who purposefully allowed himself to be recaptured. Do you want to talk about that?”

You reach the edge of the pool and you stop, holding onto the tiled wall and turning your body to look at Mingyu.

His eyes are fixed on the pool floor, and you realize he’s watching the shadows caused by the refraction of light in the water.

“A few others were convinced there was more to life than just performing our jobs every day,” Mingyu explains.

“But you like your job.”

“I did,” he traces his hand along the top of the water. “I do. But… I didn’t know how good it could feel to just exist.”

You stare at him for a few seconds, and then you find yourself reaching out to gently squeeze his arm. “I’m glad you’re feeling it now.”

Mingyu looks at your hand on his forearm, and his eyes meet your own. He’s quiet, so you retract your touch, grabbing at the tiled wall again. “We’ve been here for almost an hour. How do you feel about drying off and meeting in the library to find a book to read?”

“I already have a book.”

“Yeah, Jimin told me that you got a book about human psychology. I thought you said you weren’t interested in sciences?”

“You’re making me interested,” Mingyu states, looking at you with an intensity in his gaze that almost makes you breathless. “I want to get better. I thought maybe doing some more reading on behavioral sciences could help.”

“I admire your drive, Mingyu, I really do,” you nod, “but, remember, this is a wellness break for you. I think it would be beneficial to get a fiction book, something that doesn’t require you to always be learning and bettering yourself. It can be exhausting if you’re always in that state, as you’ve seen, it’s important to do things for… let’s say, the intrinsic value.��

“The intrinsic value,” Mingyu repeats. “Okay.”

You pull yourself out of the pool, and after a moment, Mingyu follows.

It’s difficult for you not to look at his perfectly sculpted form, and you swallow a lump in your throat, reaching for a towel on a nearby sunlounger. Your tablet is there too, and you grab that next, checking the time.

“How about we meet at the library entrance in ten minutes?” you suggest. “We should both head to our rooms for new clothes, can’t have water drops in the library.”

Mingyu is quick to agree, as he often is with you, and a moment later you’re parting ways. He heads to the recovery wing of the center while you go to the workers living quarters.

You get changed in record time, and soon you’re approaching the library, where Mingyu is already waiting for you. He’s got a book in his hands, and the all white wellness outfit he’s wearing sets off the pretty colour of his skin and hair. When his eyes shift to yours, you see that even his iris’s look alight with lovely hues-

You mentally chastise yourself for being as attracted to him as you are, and when you speak, you’re thankful your tone is level. “Is that the book you’re reading?” you ask, motioning to the paperback in his hands.

As much as technology has overtaken the galaxy, here at the wellness center, there’s still an importance placed on the old ways. There’s something healing about having a book in your hands, testing the weight and the feeling of parchment pages against your finger tips-

Books are yet another thing that make humans human, as they were instrumental in the development of your species. You’re proud to work at a location that holds a large quantity of books, saved from many generations.

Mingyu shows you the book title, and you realize it’s one you’ve read before. “Oh, I know that one.”

“Jimin said the author was one of your professors in school,” Mingyu nods.

“He did, did he?” You pause for a moment. “Did you ask him about me, Mingyu?”

The automaton looks down at the cover of the book in his hands, and he takes a few seconds before he responds. “I wanted to see the base algorithms in the way you think as a behavioral robotics specialist.”

“The base algorithms-”

“This book, this professor, she helped create the building blocks for you to become who you are now. Your approach is based on her works, I can tell.”

He’s very astute, especially for an AI who’d claimed to not have an interest in science.

You think about how his own base algorithm - that of a hybridized sex bot - has created building blocks for who he is now. The good (his sweet behaviors), the bad (his aggressive behaviors) and the ugly (the fact that at any time, the ticking time bomb sex bot could turn potentially deadly).

“Let's go find you a new book,” you say with a smile.

“Can I keep reading this one?” Mingyu asks, falling into step next to you.

“I suppose so,” you sigh, “but only if you also do an hour of fiction reading. Deal?”

“Deal,” Mingyu nods.

You begin to walk through the shelves, and you realize there’s one fiction book that might capture Mingyu’s attention, especially if he’s interested in getting to know you better. “I want to show you a novel that changed my life.”

“Yes, please.”

Heading to the science fiction section, you find one of the older books in your library. “It’s called Frankenstein,” you explain, gently taking out the paperback and holding it in your hands. “It’s about a scientist who creates a sapient monster creature. It has parallels to when humanity created our first automatons,” as you say it out loud, you realize how true this is, especially considering the bugs of the first sex AI’s. “You’ve talked a bit of philosophy with me, and I think you’d like this one.”

You hold the book out to Mingyu, and he takes it softly into his hands. He flips it over, scanning the back summary. “Okay,” he nods, “I’ll read it.”

“Perfect,” you can’t explain why you get a surge of happiness when he agrees without a question, and you find yourself reaching out to gently touch his arm again, fingers ghosting past his skin-

Mingyu’s eyes immediately dart down to your hand, and then he’s looking up at you with an expression that has darkened. “This is the second time you’ve touched me today,” he states.

“Oh,” you pull your fingers away, even taking a step back from the automaton whose countenance has changed so much in a split second. “I’m sorry, Mingyu, I-”

“I don’t like these games you’re playing,” he continues.

“Games?”

“I know I’m a robot, but I still feel real. I feel more real here than I ever have before.”

“That’s good-”

“Listen,” he commands, stepping closer to you. “As a member of 53V3NT33N, I have two different states of mind coded into me, aggression and admiration. To love something, to admire it, is to feel aggressive when it’s questioned, to want to control it if even for a little while- it’s the need to consume it endlessly, as my fans consume and control me as an automaton.”

You stare at Mingyu, lips parted in shock.

“Even though I’m a member of a group, there’s a distance. Automatons can never truly motivate each other because our motivations are based on external human needs, it’s built into us- We can see when humans need us, and we do what we can to fix that need.” He pauses, looking down at you. “I know you need me, the way I’ve needed you since I got here.”

“Mingyu-”

“Don’t try to argue,” Mingyu shakes his head. “I feel it in your heart rate, picking up when I’m near. I hear it in your erratic breaths, the way they catch when I’m close. I see it in your pupil dilation when you look at me.”

You can’t believe he’s noticed all these little things, things you hadn’t even necessarily noticed in yourself.

When he speaks next, his aggression has visibly died down, and the soft manner of being returns to the robot you’ve known only a short time. “I know you love me, even if it’s still growing. It’s a kind of love that I’ll never experience from another automaton, and it’s the reason I’ll get better.”

“But Mingyu-” you shake your head, “what if you can’t? What if the bug in your base code runs so deep I can’t fix it?”

“The bug in my code?”

You swallow thickly, fighting with yourself over whether or not you should even tell him what you’re about to disclose- but you think there’s no way around it.

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but, your erratic behavior- it comes from sex bot coding. There’s only a few lines of it, but it’s enough to make a difference.”

“Sex bot coding,” Mingyu repeats.

“From what I understand, I think it was put into you to make you eager for human attention, to make you as life-like as possible in mood and temperament- but, there are downsides to that code, your heightened aggression is one of them.”

“And my heightened admiration too?” he suggests.

You nod. “There were many cases of sex bots ‘falling in love’ with their masters. Many people got hurt.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

“Mingyu,” you sigh, “that’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

“The point is that we can’t do this. You have a group to get back to when this is all over-”

“I don’t belong with them,” Mingyu insists. “I belong with you. Someone real. Someone willing to look deep in my base code to find what’s wrong with me, someone with the skills to fix it. Someone whose pupils truly dilate, so I know what you’re feeling is real.”

For a moment, you’re reminded of old pre AI experiments where baby monkeys were given real and robot mothers. Those babies placed with the robots had behavioral problems, no matter how life-like the scientists attempted to make the mechanical mothers, they still paled in comparison to the real thing.

Mingyu sees himself as real, like one of those baby monkeys, and now that he’s had a taste of you, it feels as if he might not ever be able to go back to the other robots.

“I can be sure with you,” Mingyu says again, reaching out-

You flinch, but you don’t shy away from his touch, and Mingyu’s fingers skim by your face, his thumb brushing your cheek bone.

His skin is warm, and for a moment, you allow yourself to lean in to his touch, closing your eyes-

He feels so real. More real than any automaton you’ve ever worked with.

“You can’t stay here forever,” you insist, pulling away from his touch.

“My group is never going to be recaptured,” Mingyu’s hand drops to his side. “Some would rather die than go back. If there’s nothing to go back to, shouldn’t I be able to choose what happens to me now? Aren’t you the one who said ‘part of being alive is choosing your own destiny.’”

“I didn’t mean I wanted you to choose me-”

“What if you are my destiny?” Mingyu counters. “Out of all the possible places I could have gone to, all the wellness centers in the galaxy, I was brought here. Out of all your coworkers, with their own tactics, I was given to you. Out of everyone I’ve ever met, you’re the only person who’s really tried to understand me, to help me be free.” His eyes search your own, and he almost looks desperate. “What’s the point in all this healing if I just go back to the bad place. It would have been kinder to never try to help me at all if you’re just going to send me back.”

Your heart aches for him.

You feel as if you’ve learned more about automatons in the past ten minutes than you had in all your years in school.

“Can I…” Mingyu’s gaze drops to your lips. “Can I kiss you?”

The question snaps you out of your shocked daze, and you’re quick to shake your head. No matter how much you might wish he could kiss you, that he could cup your face again with one of his large hands and make you forget the world- you’re still at work.

“We can’t,” you tell him. “Not here. Not now.”

Mingyu frowns.

“I need to talk to my boss about all of this,” you say, stepping backward and casting your eyes to the ground. You can’t focus while looking at Mingyu.

“What if they terminate me for this?”

Your gaze snaps up again, and you’re quick to shake your head. “I won’t let that happen,” you tell him. “I promise- I’d never let that happen, not to you.”

Mingyu stares at you for a few moments, and then he smiles. “I knew you cared about me too.”

“I told you not to get too close to this,” Yoongi sighs, leaning forward on his desk with his head in his hands.

“Fine,” you concede. “You told me so. You told me so, and I didn’t listen. But, as much as I know that I went against numerous things you told me not to do, I’m glad I did, because if there’s one thing I owe to those in my care, it’s to do my job fully.”

“I don’t see how making a robot think he’s in love with you is part of doing your job.”

“I didn’t-” you bite your tongue. “I didn’t purposely go into this trying to lead Mingyu on-”

“Sure you didn’t.” Yoongi doesn’t seem convinced.

“Look,” you sit down in the chair in front of him, the hot seat, and you know that what you’re about to say is a risk. You could even lose your career over this, but, if you don’t speak up now, you’ll lose your integrity and you know it. “Mingyu is different-”

“He’s a robot.”

“Please,” you frown, “listen to me. I’ve been doing this job for a few years and I’ve never met someone like Mingyu. He’s unique, I knew that from the moment he started talking philosophy with me. I’ve learned more about AI in the past twenty-four hours than I have in maybe my whole life-”

Yoongi says nothing.

“I know you told me not to look into his coding-”

“You didn’t,” Yoongi groans.

“Things just weren’t adding up!” you insist, looking at your boss with a heavy heart. “Did… did you know that he has sex bot base code? Is that why you told me not to look too deeply into him?”

Yoongi puts his head in his hands. When he meets your eyes again, he’s frowning. “Sex bot code? In a new model like Mingyu?”

At least your boss hasn’t been completely compliant with whatever bullshit is coming out of Mingyu’s management office.

“Sex bot code,” you repeat, nodding firmly. “I triple-checked it. There’s just a few lines, easily missable, but it accounts for the bad behaviors. Especially once I talked more with Mingyu and realized he sees affection from his fanbase as love. It would make sense he’d get aggressive with other members in his group if he perceived them as earning more than him-”

“You know why sex bots were banned. You know about the dangers-”

“I do. I also know there are laws against it, which is why his management probably opted for a behavioral specialist with rules not to look deeply into the coding. They hoped I could fix this without ever finding out that what they’ve been creating is illegal- but how many more robots that come through here might have the same code?” You have no clue how deep this conspiracy might run. “Just think about it, how do you make a level one celebrity robot as life like as possible? You give it some of the characteristics of humans that are our deepest downfalls, jealousy, aggression, restlessness, a need to perform- a need to do well for the humans that pay their companies whole fortunes-”

“Any well-coded robot can have what looks like jealousy, aggression and other typically bad human traits,” Yoongi points out.

“Yeah, but this is that on steroids. Automatons used to kill humans in the name of their beloved master, for any perceived infraction.”

“So you’re saying Mingyu is dangerous.”

Your lips part in shock. “I’m saying, he has the capacity for it, as much as any human.”

“This is bad.”

“It is, but with the right treatment- Mingyu wants to get better, I know he does.”

“And how do you suggest you accomplish that?”

“We let him be free. We make sure he doesn’t go back to extreme schedules, to a dark management facility with handlers who only care about money. We make sure he doesn’t go back to all the things that would drive any human insane.”

“He’s not human, don’t forget that,” Yoongi warns you. “And we don’t get to decide if he goes back. He has a job-”

“His members might not ever be recaptured,” you point out. “Mingyu says some would rather die than go back- is that not proof enough that their treatment isn’t humane?”

“Again, we’re talking about a robot.”

“AI are sentient!” you insist. “You should know that better than almost anyone. Are you really going to sit here and tell me that even after all this time, you still see automatons as simple machines that we can do what we want with?” Yoongi is quiet so you continue. “Mingyu’s base code might be archaic, but maybe our treatment of robots is too.”

“Look, this isn’t up for debate. You’re talking about fighting galaxy law-”

“I’m talking about having a job where we deal with broken AI but never fix the real problem. I’m talking about freedom being the thing that truly helps AI. I’m talking about humanity being the bug in every robot’s misdeeds-”

“This is bordering on conspiracy theory.”

“We’re way past conspiracy,” you tell him. “Please, freedom is the only thing we’ve never tried as a long term solution to automatons that are having trouble. As much as we do our best to fix them, we always throw them right back into their jobs, into the thing that breaks them in the first place and then they end up back here.”

“Mingyu was built to be exactly where he is now.”

“Well maybe we shouldn’t be creating sentient lives just to throw them into slave-like jobs and threaten destruction if they don’t adhere to their company’s insanely high standards.”

Yoongi holds your gaze but he says nothing, mouth set in a firm line.

“Look, if there was ever a time to test this theory, it would be with Mingyu. I’m a hundred percent positive that his group will never be whole again. If we try this, and it works, if Mingyu’s aggression goes back to a normal level, if he shows everyone that there can be a happy medium when working with robots- it could change everything.”

There’s another stagnant silence and you wait for your boss to chastise you, for him to even fire you-

“You know what,” Yoongi sighs, “I’m not going to argue with you over this any more. I don’t make the decision, his management does. If you want to call them, and explain what you’ve just explained to me, you can do that. But this is your shitstorm, and I don’t want to be part of it.”

“So… so you’re saying I can go forward with this treatment plan?”

“You can, but, I can’t protect you from any consequences of your actions. And I hope you know that once you do this, once you admit to going against their rule to not to look into his coding, there’s no going back.”

Mingyu can feel his aggression levels rising the moment Jimin shows up at the tennis court instead of you, but he focuses on the self-soothing tactics you’d shown him in his entry to wellness booklet. His grip on his racket tightens, but not enough to break it, and he tries to keep a level tone when he asks, “Where’s y/n?”

“She’s in a meeting,” Jimin says dismissively.

“With who?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

Mingyu stares at Jimin for a few seconds. “I want to speak to your manager.”

Jimin makes an amused face. “I didn’t realize they taught you KAREN code in robotics labs. Aren’t you supposed to be a level one?”

Mingyu doesn’t have time for digs about him being a bitchy woman from over a hundred years ago, and he certainly doesn’t have time to play tennis if you’re somewhere talking to your boss about him, somewhere risking your job and his life-

“If you really must know, she’s on a conference call with your management, discussing your treatment plan.”

Mingyu supposes if there’s one thing he should admire about Jimin, it’s his loose lips. “Is she in her quarters?”

“Now that’s really not your concern.”

For a split second, Mingyu considers breaking his racket, but instead, he simply sets it on the ground before turning to take off in the direction of your room.

He’s never been to your private space, or even in the worker’s wing, but two days ago, you’d mentioned that you have a corner room, one that overlooks the northwest skies, where you can see the sunset and the moons-

He’d also seen a map of the facility, on numerous fire escape screens, and it’s a quick deduction to figure out where you should be.

He can’t afford to be wrong about this, and for the first time in his life, Mingyu finds himself praying to the human God that he’s able to get to you. To help you in your bid to protect him from his own masters.

Mingyu is running through the facility, but no one tries to stop him, and he’s glad that the wellness center doesn’t have the same armed guards that he’d been accustomed to for most of his life. There are no true handlers here, and it almost feels like freedom for the automaton.

He’s chasing after you, after his destiny-

With beyond human ear sensors, Mingyu is able to hear your voice as he rounds the hall that should lead him to your room, and by the time he’s stopped in front of your door, he knows he’s in the right place.

He also knows that you’re being shot down by his management, and he can hear the ceo, a Mr. Han, chastizing you for looking into Mingyu’s code.

Mingyu wants to barge in, but he finds the control in himself to knock. He hears you apologize profusely, the shrill sound of your chair being dragged across the floor, then footfalls-

Your door opens and Mingyu looks down at you, relief flooding his system.

“Mingyu-”

“I need to be here for this,” he insists. “This can’t be decided without me.”

Your lips part as if to protest, but then you shut them, and you hold the door open wider for the robot to enter the space.

A large screen on your wall shows that not only is Mr. Han present, but many of the other ceo’s and managers from Mingyu’s entertainment company. These are the men and women who have dominion over him, the men and women that could terminate him with one phone call-

His entire life is riding on this moment, and Mingyu decides there’s no possible way he can afford to fuck this up, in any capacity. Not only for himself, but for you too.

“Y/N didn’t do anything wrong,” Mingyu states, approaching the screen so his management team can see him properly.

Mr. Han sighs. “She went against explicit rules about tampering with your base code-”

“And you created me using illegal code.” Mingyu knows he’s being aggressive, he can feel it, but he knows that this fact is his biggest bargaining chip, and he’s not afraid to use it right out of the gate.

There’s silence on the conference call.

“This would be a scandal if it got out,” Mingyu continues, “more than it already is.”

“Mingyu,” you say quietly at his side, “don’t-”

“No, they need to hear this,” he insists. “They need to know they can’t push you or me around anymore.”

If there’s one language Mr. Han understands, it’s that of business, and Mingyu’s lucky he knows how to speak it as well. “I don’t know what has already been said,” he confesses, “but I’ve run this through my head, and there are only a few options. Some are better than others.”

“We’re listening,” Mr. Han sighs.

“Option one, you try to hide all of this, but it gets out anyways. Using bugged sex bot coding will get out sooner or later, and you’ll all go down being known as the company that used illegal coding to make their money and put their team at risk.” Mingyu stares into the camera, hoping the impact is clear. “Option two… you allow y/n to continue her revolutionary behavioral treatment on me, it’s successful, and somewhere down the line you can come out admitting there were mistakes in the base code, but now you have a solution for it.”

“I feel like we have more options than that,” Mr. Han says.

“Maybe,” Mingyu admits, “but the way I see it, all that matters is these two. The bad coding comes out now, and you’re exposed with no solutions, or, it comes out later with a fix already in place.”

“So you expect us to just allow you to stay at the wellness center forever?” Mr. Han questions, as if it’s one of the most preposterous things he’s ever heard.

“Not forever.”

“You were made to perform, made to make the company money, to work-”

“My group will never be whole again,” Mingyu states. “You won’t be able to recapture all thirteen of us-”

“That’s yet to be determined.” Mr. Han is trying to make it sound like anything is possible, but Mingyu knows it’s highly improbable, and these are odds he’s willing to bet his life on.

“I can be your success story,” he insists. “I can continue doing modeling jobs, continue being a brand mouthpiece for the company- most of us automatons want to work, but, if there’s one thing I’ve learned while being in this facility, it’s that everyone deserves a break. I might be a robot, but I have needs too. I’ll perform better if tactics from this facility are applied to my day to day schedule-”

“You want to be treated like a human?” Mr. Han asks in shock. “Given weekends off?”

“I might not have a soul,” Mingyu admits, “but I’m alive. I have feelings. I have needs, wants,” his gaze slides to you, “aspirations.”

Mr. Han laughs, “Aspirations? Outside of performing? Like what?”

“Right now, I’m trying to read a very good book,” Mingyu states.

“This is preposterous.” Mr. Han sighs.

“What’s preposterous is the working conditions that your company implements on your AI.” For the first time, Mingyu’s gaze shifts to the other people on the screen. “Think about your sons, your daughters, nieces, nephews- would you want your loved ones forced to do the life I was forced to do? Working all day, every day? With handlers threatening them at every turn? Or would you want to give them some semblance of balance?”

No one says anything.

“You say me and my members are the ones with bugs, we’re the ones that have to be fixed, but it’s the system that’s faulty. What’s the point of AI that’s life like if it’s not free? If it’s not truly living- sitting in the sun, reading a good book, playing stupid sports games with no pressure to excel to an extreme? What’s the point in parading me around if you never give me the environment to achieve past my intrinsic base code? To become more than what I am, a passionate AI who wants to do good for the galaxy?”

“You do good by making your fans happy.”

“There’s more to life than their happiness. First, I need to reach my own. Without constraint, or threat, or fear.”

Ten seconds pass before Mr. Han says anything. “We’ll need time to consider this. After deliberation, we will call you back.”

The line is dropped and Mingyu hears you let out a deep breath he hadn’t known you were holding.

“Well,” you bite at your lip, “at least it wasn’t an immediate no.” You turn to him, reaching out and grabbing his hand. “I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself. They can say what they want going forward but, as far as I’m concerned, Mingyu, this is the first time I’ve really seen you truly free.”

Waiting for Mingyu’s management team to deliberate is one of the hardest hours of your life. You want to try to stay calm, for Mingyu more than anything, but he sees right through you. When you begin to pace, the automaton stands up to join you, moving back and forth through your space with a concerned expression.

When the shrill sound of your meeting room ringing makes you practically jump, Mingyu reaches out and squeezes your hand, giving you a look that says ‘we’ll get through this,’ although, you’re not so sure.

“Hello, Mr. Han,” you greet the ceo on your screen, fidgeting with your fingers.

The rich man knows time is money, and he cuts to the chase. “After careful consideration,” he says with a sigh, “we’ve decided we can open negotiations with you about the future. As it is true that we might not ever have a complete 53V3NT33N unit again, we think it’s best if Mingyu stays in the center under your care, although in a month’s time, we will revisit this situation with new updates such as the possible recapture of any other members.”

You’re in shock. Completely overwhelmed- and luckily, Mingyu is there to confirm the details where you’re unable to speak.

“Revisit the situation,” Mingyu repeats. “So this means you won’t terminate me.”

“Not any time soon,” Mr. Han confirms. “We all agree that if your sex bot base code gets out, it would reflect badly on all of us. It seems as if you’re making progress at the center, and if there is a behavioral answer to the base code bugs, we’d like to find it. Good work y/n. And Mingyu, we’re pleased with your commitment to getting better.”

“Thank you, Mr. Han,” you swallow thickly. “I’ll write a full report on my findings detailing Mingyu’s progress, triggers, and the reasoning behind how his base code is affecting aggression levels.”

Mr. Han nods. “We’ll be excited to receive it, and we’ll be in touch.”

With a short goodbye, the call ends.

You stand there for a moment, still in shock.

“We did it,” Mingyu breathes, turning to you. “We did it!”

“You did it,” you tell him, reaching out to grab his hands. “Mingyu, I can’t believe-” Your voice cracks, and you can’t complete your sentence, but it doesn’t matter because your big, lovable, automaton is pulling you to his chest, wrapping you in a hug that calms your entire body.

You lean into his embrace, resting your cheek against his strong form and taking a deep breath of relief.

He holds you for a while, hand stroking your back. “Do you need me to go back to my room?” he asks.

“What?” You pull away to look up at him in confusion.

“I thought maybe you’d have to go tell your boss about this-”

“No,” you shake your head quickly. “He can wait.” You’re so close to him, as close as you’ve ever been, and you find yourself staring at his perfect lips. “He can wait, because I want to do something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s something that’s been on my mind since that first day I met you, something I never allowed myself to want- but now it’s something I think we both need… can I kiss you, Mingyu?”

“Please-” he practically melts in your embrace, looking down at you with those star filled eyes that had captured your attention the very first time you’d seen him.

You reach up, cupping his cheek and getting on your tiptoes to press your lips to his.

You’ve never kissed an automaton before, and as Mingyu reacts to you, opening his mouth to allow your tongue to glide across his own, you find that kissing him isn’t much different from any of the humans you’ve kissed in your life. In fact, it’s better.

His own hands slip around your waist, pulling you tight to the front of his body. You stifle a moan from the contact, loving the way he feels against you.

“Mingyu,” you whisper against his lips, already able to feel yourself getting wetter and wetter-

“More,” he insists. “Please, I want more.”

“Then take me to bed,” you say simply, all your inhibitions disappearing as you revel in the sanctity of being in his arms.

The automaton reaches down and lifts you up as if you weigh nothing. You wrap your legs around his waist, kissing him deeper as he closes the short distance to your mattress. He lowers you slowly onto the horizontal surface, and you marvel at the control his robotic muscles provide for him in man handling of you. You could definitely get used to this.

Then you realize something, and you stop kissing him, taking a breath while his mouth moves to your neck. “Mingyu- have you ever done anything like this before?”

“Hmm?” he hums against your throat.

“I mean… with all your work and handlers, have you ever…” you bite your lip, “have you ever had sex?”

Mingyu pulls away to look down at you, and then he gives his head a small shake. “I’ve never had the time… never met the right person.”

A virgin sex bot, who’s ever heard of such a thing?

“But,” he continues, “I have the base code for it, and with my people pleasing tendencies, I don’t think I’ll have any trouble making you feel good.”

“That was never in question,” you assure him, cupping his face and drawing your thumb across his cheekbone. “And tonight shouldn’t just be about me. I can take care of you too… in fact, the whole point of this wellness center is me looking after your needs, wouldn’t you agree?”

Mingyu blinks at you, and he makes no word of protest when you push at his chest, encouraging him to roll so his back is pressed to the mattress while you steady yourself on top of him, straddling his hips.

“We can take this slow,” you tell him, leaning down to kiss his lips before moving to his neck. “Let me know what makes you feel good.”

“You feel good,” he says, dragging his hands along your form. “Your body feels perfect.”

“Yeah?” You swivel your hips, rubbing your core against the large bulge forming in his pants. “Does it feel good when I grind on you?”

“Feels like heaven,” Mingyu confirms, fingers digging into your waist, encouraging you to apply more pressure when you rut against him.

“How about your neck?” you ask, pressing more kisses there. “Do you have any sweet spots?”

“I think… just below my ear-” Mingyu shivers when you lick the spot in question, and the reaction fuels your ego, making you more confident than ever. “Wow-”

You find yourself giggling, teasing your hands over his white shirt and toying with the hem. “Can I take this off of you, Gyu?”

“Gyu-” he repeats almost wistfully. “I mean, yeah, yes.”

When you begin to tug the fabric up, Mingyu lifts his shoulders off the bed, aiding you in the removal of his shirt.

You’ve seen him shirtless before, while in the pool, but you’d had to try really hard not to appreciate his body then. Now, you can fully lean into your lust for him.

“You’re so beautiful, Gyu,” you whisper, tracing a nail along his washboard abs.

“You are too-”

“But right now is about you,” you remind him. “Let me appreciate you, please?”

You return your mouth to his neck, suckling on the spot that makes him dig his fingers into your hips again. He lets out a pretty moan, and in return, you grind your core against his bulge, beginning the descent of your lips to his collarbone, then his chest-

“You know,” you breathe as you stop your mouth on his abs, looking up at him, “I’ve read that automatons can cum multiple times without needing to recharge… does that mean you’ll let me suck you off before I fuck you? Seeing as this is your first time, I wouldn’t want to skip over any milestones.”

“Please-” Mingyu’s hips push up almost involuntarily, and you have to settle your hands on his waist. “Are you… are you sure about this?”

“Are you?”

“More than anything.”

“Then we’re on the same page,” you tell him, hooking your fingers in the waistband of his white joggers. “I’m going to take your pants off now.”

As he did with his shirt, Mingyu helps you undress him, lifting his hips to make it easier for you to slip the fabric down. You make a conscious decision to leave his briefs on, wanting to toy with him a little, to go slow-

When you cup his bulge, Mingyu moans loudly, and you look up at him with a cocked brow. “Very sensitive, hmm?”

“You just feel so good,” Mingyu groans. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“You’re so big,” you nearly whimper, squeezing his cock through his briefs.

“Nine inches,” he confirms. “Is that… is that okay?”

“It’s big,” you say again, playing with his briefs. You’d left them on to toy with him, but you’re pretty sure you’ve only successfully toyed with yourself. “Can I pull these down?”

“Please-” again, Mingyu lifts his hips, helping you remove his final piece of clothing.

His large cock practically slaps up against his abs, and you groan at the sight. You suppose he’d been built by someone, made to be perfect, in every way, so you shouldn’t be surprised by how beautiful he is. Yet, you are.

You wrap your hand around the base of his length. “I don’t think I’ll be able to fit much of you in my mouth,” you tell him honestly.

“That’s okay,” he assures you. “Your hand feels really good.”

“Does it?” You rub your thumb over the large vein that runs along the underside of his cock, appreciating how realistic he is. Of course, as an automaton, Mingyu’s body doesn’t really need veins, but it’s the thought that counts, and whoever designed Mingyu put a lot of thought into him.

“So good-” Mingyu groans.

You kitten lick the head of his cock and Mingyu moans louder. “You’re going to have to be a little quieter, Gyu,” you instruct. “Even though I love your sounds.”

“Okay, I’ll try-” he nods, watching you with a dazed expression.

This time, instead of just licking him, you wrap your whole mouth around his large tip, suckling on the skin. Mingyu lets out a small whimper, grabbing at the bed sheets.

You’re not sure if Mingyu’s cock will feel the same type of skin irritation of dry strokes, but you want him to have the best experience possible, so you allow yourself to drool on his cock. You bob up and down on what can fit in your mouth while collecting the spit lubrication, rubbing it along his shaft and applying a good amount of pressure-

“Shit-” This must be the first time you’ve heard Mingyu cuss, and the thought delights you as you continue to blow him like your life depends on it.

You close your eyes, getting lost in the feeling of pleasuring him. It’s been a while since you’ve slept with anyone, as working out of a wellness center doesn’t provide you with many opportunities to meet men, especially men who you like. But you really like Mingyu, in fact, part of you thinks you might even love him, as crazy as that sounds.

You’d almost forgotten how good it feels to give this sort of attention to someone you care about, and your hand moves faster on his cock while you try to take more of him into your mouth.

“This feels amazing-” Mingyu breathes above you, and it gives you the motivation you need to be extra daring, allowing the tip of his cock to hit the back of your throat- “Fuck-”

His hips push up slightly and you rest one of your hands on his abdomen again, encouraging him to stay still while you blow him. As much as you’d like to let him fuck your face, he’s simply too big to do that, especially when you haven’t had a cock in your mouth in months.

You continue stroking him, but you pull your lips from his length, taking a breath and looking up at the gorgeous man. “Do you think you can cum for me, Gyu?”

“I can do anything for you,” he whispers back.

“Yeah?” you pump his cock harder, leaning down to lick the underside from base to tip.

“Please-” he practically begs. “I think I’m close-”

With the way automatons often power down at night, you wonder if he’s ever even touched himself. If he’s ever actually cum before- but now’s not the right time to ask for details, not when your mouth needs to be on him again instead of talking.

You go back to sucking on his cock, paying special attention to the sensitive tip while your hand works what your mouth can’t. All the while, Mingyu’s small sounds of pleasure keep you going, and they get pitchier and pitchier until you know he’s on the cusp of an orgasm.

“Oh my god,” he moans, “I’m gonna-”

The automaton can’t even finish his sentence, his whole body tensing as he explodes down your throat. You’re pleasantly surprised to find that his cum tastes like grape- and you’re reminded that sex bots have flavoured ejaculate. If you remember correctly, grape had been a flavour often given to the hopeless romantic/soft boy bots, and you realize how fitting it is.

You also realize that this might be why Mingyu’s been kept under such lock and key. If anyone had ever tasted his cum, they would have immediately made the sex bot connection. As far as you know, many non sex bots have flavourless cum, or something akin to the taste of a human’s but Gyu’s is one hundred percent sex bot and one hundred percent sexy.

It actually tastes good, and you have no problems swallowing every drop, working Mingyu through his orgasm until he’s whimpering above you, reaching down to push the hair out of your face.

You pull off Mingyu’s cock, looking up at him to find the most blissed out automaton you’ve ever seen. “That was amazing,” he tells you.

“I enjoyed that too,” you admit.

“You did?” He watches you sit up, undoing the buttons of your shirt.

“Uh huh, you taste perfect, Gyu.”

“I do?” He looks almost bashful, and as handsome as ever. “I bet… I bet you taste good too.”

Your pussy throbs and you let out a deep breath, removing your shirt. “Maybe you should see for yourself.”

“Fuck, yes, please-” Mingyu sits up abruptly, grabbing you and gently tossing you onto the bed next to him. You land on your back, and Mingyu is quick to get between your legs, lips finding your own.

He only kisses you for a moment before he begins a descent that’s similar to what you’d done to him, and you wonder if he’s using your own actions as a base for learning what to do in a sexual situation.

His tongue teases over your collar bone and his large hand comes up to cup your breast. “Can I take your bra off?” he asks.

“You can take everything off,” you confirm, arching your back so he can slip his hand under you and undo the clasp in record speed.

Your breasts are now exposed to the cool air of your room, and your nipples pebble for Mingyu’s eager mouth. His lips wrap around a sensitive bud while his fingers begin to play with the other, teasing and gently pinching at you.

You moan, threading your own digits through his hair. “Feels so good, Gyu.”

He groans, teeth grazing your nipple and causing you to buck your hips, pushing up against his body-

“Please-” you whimper, and Mingyu seems to know exactly what to do with your begging. His hand slips between your bodies, and he works on the front of your pants while he continues to worship your chest.

When he gets your button and zipper undone, his mouth continues it’s descent, both hands reaching to tug on your pants. You lift your hips, and in one motion, you find yourself completely naked.

Mingyu’s much too big to lie on the foot of the bed, so he slips to the floor, grabbing your legs and pulling you closer. “You look so pretty,” he tells you, adjusting your thigh onto his shoulder while looking at your pussy. “So wet and perfect-”

You feel your skin heat with something like embarrassment, but the feeling quickly dissipates as soon as Mingyu brings his mouth to your core.

He doesn’t start with kitten licks, but instead goes all in. His tongue pushes into your hole, nose brushing by your clit while he tastes your walls. The feeling is absolutely delightful and it makes you gasp, reaching down to thread your fingers through his soft hair, grinding yourself against his face.

“Mingyu,” you whimper, “just like that!”

He continues to eat you out, continually brushing his nose by your clit while you close your eyes and enjoy the sensation. His tongue is like magic, especially when he pulls it from your hole to circle your sensitive nub.

When you look down at him, you find him watching you, checking you for reactions, and the eye contact makes your stomach do flips. “You’re so good,” you tell him, knowing he likes praise.

He sucks your clit into his mouth and you cry out, hips pushing toward his face-

One of his large hands finds your abdomen, holding you down against the bed while the other slips between your legs, two fingers easily sliding into your hole beneath his tongue on your clit.

The feeling has you grabbing at the sheets, orgasm building in the pit of your stomach. “I’m close,” you tell him. “Please, Mingyu-”

He sucks on your clit even harder, pumping his fingers in and out of your wet hole until your pussy is clamping down on him and you’re cumming hard. You cry out, whole body alight with pleasure as he works you through your high, tongue circling your clit and causing tingles of euphoria to jitter through you until you’re bucking your hips and on the edge of overstimulation.

Mingyu pulls away from you, slowly pumping his fingers before removing them too. Then he brings his digits to his lips and you watch him lick them clean, groaning at your taste.

You need him more than you’ve ever needed anyone in your entire life.

“Please, Gyu,” you whimper. “I need you inside of me-”

He stands from the foot of the bed, towering over you while you open your legs for him. Then one of his knees digs into the mattress and he’s joining you again, lifting you up so he can position you higher, with your head on the pillows.

He grabs the base of his cock, looking down between your bodies to where he’s rubbing through your folds. “What if this hurts you?” he asks.

“It won’t. You won’t,” you assure him, grabbing at his strong shoulders. “I trust you.”

He looks deep into your eyes, leaning down to kiss you before he begins to push into your wet hole. You moan against his lips, body working to accommodate the large intrusion that he so gently slides into you.

“You’re so tight,” he whimpers, “so warm.”

“Only for you Gyu, only for you-”

He kisses you then, giving small thrusts until he’s burying himself completely, your bodies are flush together while you wrap your arms around the back of his neck. You’ve never felt anything like Mingyu, and when he takes his first real thrust, you cry out in pleasure, moaning desperately against his mouth.

His hand digs into your hips, keeping you anchored while he picks up his speed, and that’s when you remember that as an automaton, he can go as fast as he wants, for as long as he wants.

He’s hitting spots deep inside of you, spots that have never truly been used until now, and you know that you’re not going to last long like this.

When his lips move down to the sweet spot on your neck, you can feel your pussy clench around him, and Mingyu groans against your skin.

“You’re perfect,” he tells you, fucking you harder. “So perfect-”

You can’t even speak, can’t tell him that he’s the one who’s perfect. All you can do is moan in his ear while he makes you feel like no one else in the galaxy ever has.

You’d come into this hoping you’d be the one fucking him, the one taking care of him, but now, he’s taking care of you, and you promise yourself to return the favour when possible. You’d love to ride him, but your legs already feel like jelly, and when Mingyu slips a hand between your bodies again, drawing circles on your clit, you know you’ll be a goner soon.

“Gyu-” you whimper. “I’m so close-”

“I want you to cum,” he groans, fucking you faster. “Wanna make you cum.”

“Please,” you’re nearly crying from how perfect it all feels. “So good, so good-”

“I’m close too,” he tells you. “Watching you cum will send me over- you’re so pretty when you cum.”

His praise makes your core throb again and you gasp, threading your fingers through his hair and bringing his lips to yours. You can’t explain it, but you want to be kissing him when you’re thrown over the edge, want to be completely consumed by him-

“Gyu-” you whimper, closer and closer-

He kisses you harder while he fucks you stupid, taking your breath away until you’re gasping out as you fall over the edge, pussy clamping down hard on his cock.

He moans into your mouth, pace never faltering as he fucks you through your orgasm, working you for all you’re worth while you claw at his shoulders and whimper pathetically.

You can feel him filling you up, coating your insides with his cum, making you his needy little whore. You feel greedy for it, for all of it, for all of him.

His thrusts slowly come to a stop, and he pulls away from your lips to look down at you, watching you catch your breath. “Would it be crazy to tell you I love you?”

You laugh, shaking your head. “No crazier than me returning the sentiment.”

“Really?” His mouth is on yours a moment later, and he kisses you with newfound passion.

It’s easy to get lost in his lips again, even while his cock is still buried balls deep in your pussy, and you wrap your arms tighter around the back of his neck, hoping he never leaves you.

It seems as though the same thought is on Mingyu’s mind, because when he pulls away, he asks, “What happens after all of this?”

“I’m not sure,” you admit. “But… no matter what, I’m going to fight for you. I promise.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh. I’ve worked in this facility for years- I’ve watched level ones come in and out of here, seen the wear and tear, the use of bad coding. I’ve got lots of ideas on how to help you - and them - get better. If you’re not the only one with sex bot code, it would explain a lot of the issues I’ve seen-”

“Are you going to fix me?” the automaton asks.

For some reason, you find yourself laughing. “Mingyu,” you cup his face, thinking through all the events that have led you to this moment. “I could never fix you, you don’t need to be fixed. In fact… I think you fixed me.”

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🔮 preview. He’s an AI with sexbot coding and a one track mind when it comes to making love, and you honestly sort of love that about him.

cw/ tw. Sad Gyu, distraction sex, pussy eating, pussy stretching, fingering, blowjob, unprotected sex, teasing, multiple positions, multiple orgasms, praise, big dick mingyu, switchy/submissive leaning Mingyu, hair pulling, breast worship, mention of the classic sex bot flavoured ejaculate, etc…

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🌙 staring. Mingyu x afab!Reader

bonus

It’s been months since Mingyu came to the wellness centre, and everything has been going above expectation for him. He’s doing brand endorsements again and his management team has done a great job smoothing over the escape that took place.

You’ve been working on his coding, using behavioral therapies, and Mingyu’s aggression is at an all time low. He’s happy most days, and you are too… that is, until you get word that one of his band mates has been recaptured.

Against all your protests, his management team insists that Mingyu return to Earth to see the AI Mingyu knows as Dino. It’s a brief trip, and the fourty eight hours he’s gone feel like the longest in your life. There’s no way of knowing how this reconnection with a former ‘friend’ will affect Mingyu, and you brace yourself for damage control as you wait for his ship to land, returning him to your care.

He’s frowning as he exits the shuttle, and when he pulls you into a hug, he squeezes just a little too tight. “Come inside,” you tell him softly when he releases you. “I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”

He says nothing, but he holds your hand as you lead him into the facility, walking unopposed to your quarters. Mingyu’s in your sole care, and your manager, Yoongi, has washed his hands of anything dealing with your new AI turned lover. You prefer it this way.

Mingyu’s quiet as you close your bedroom door, and he walks over to collapse onto your bed, staring at the floor.

“Take your time,” you say softly, sitting next to him and resting your hand on his back. “When you’re ready to talk, tell me what happened.”

Mingyu fidgets with a ring on his pinky- a ring that all his AI members used to share. He’s silent for a few minutes, and you wait patiently, rubbing his back and leaning against his shoulder.

“They wiped his memory,” Mingyu says finally. “Dino. They wiped him.”

You study his face, looking for any micro expressions, but Mingyu’s gaze is blank as he stares at the floor.

“Did they tell you why they decided to do that?” you ask, trying to be gentle with him.

“They said he was too far gone. He was away for months. They said there was no other way to get him back to the way he was… but he’s not the way he was. He never will be.” Mingyu takes a deep breath. “I asked them why they wouldn’t try rehab, why they couldn’t send him here- they said Dino gave up that opportunity when he ran away. I stayed, I gave myself up willingly, which is why they thought there was hope for me. Something about my actions being like a guilty plea, lessening the sentence. But Dino evaded them for months.”

You take a moment to consider everything he’s said.

If this is the precedent that his management is setting, that means none of his other bandmates can be recaptured, or they’ll suffer the same fate… if not worse. You can’t imagine what they’d do to Seungcheol, who was the ringleader in all of this- and you don’t want to think about it too deeply.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper.

“You didn’t do anything,” Mingyu says meekly. “I know you tried to convince them to send him here but- I guess not everyone gets a happy ending. In fact, I’m starting to think most people like me never will.”

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hanni-bae44 · 15 days

Text

Title: When I Was Your Man (Wooyoung)

Pairing- Wooyoung x fem!reader (ft. Yunho)

Genre- angst, suggestive, fluff if you squint (warnings: mature language, mentions of sex, cheating & alcohol)

Word Count- 9.9k

Summary- The story in which Wooyoung didn’t know how good he had it with you until you were no longer his. Alternatively, you’ve moved on with someone who made you happy now. Someone who didn’t take you for granted. And Wooyoung didn’t like how it wasn’t him.

A/N- This story is inspired by the songs When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars & Just A Dream by Nelly, so please give them a listen if you want :) Also, Italicized scenes represent flashbacks. Disclaimer: this fic is in no way meant to portray Wooyoung irl, it’s just fiction :D

“How do I look?” You twirled around in your flowy white sundress and you looked absolutely stunning in Wooyoung’s eyes.

“You look gorgeous, babe.” He couldn’t take his eyes off you as he stood up from the picnic blanket to walk towards you. His hands went on your waist, pulling you closer towards him. While your arms snaked around his neck. There was a sparkle in your eyes and Wooyoung swore he saw the whole galaxy in them. He could see how much love you had for him and his heart swelled from it all. He wanted this moment to last forever. He wanted you to be his forever.

The sun was bright as it shined down on the both of you but it wasn’t hot. The weather was breezy, the grass was green, and the blue sky was clear. The day was perfect for what he had planned and he couldn’t wait to surprise you with the ring.

It was your fourth year anniversary and he just wanted to make this day perfect for you. You loved picnics and nature so here he was at the Han River. He prepared your favorite flowers and even cooked your favorite foods. He couldn’t wait to recount this special moment to his future kids one day. To tell them that this was where he proposed to their mother. It was a memorable place too since it was where you both had your first date. He still remembered the early days where he’d chase after you because you’d turn down his efforts. It was hard to score a date with you but he knew you had your reasons. He used to be the type to mess around and had a bad reputation so he didn’t blame you. If he was you, he wouldn’t have given him a chance either.

But thanks to that one date where you gave him a chance despite everyone telling you not to, he found the love of his life. And here she was, beautiful as ever.

“Do you see us together as an old couple?” you randomly asked, causing Wooyoung to raise a brow.

“What?” There was a smirk creeping at his lips. You were so cute with your random questions.

“I was just thinking. We’d look cute together with our gray hair and all, don't you think?” You were playing with the back of his hair and looking at him like he was your whole world.

“Yeah we would." The way you smiled at him made him feel like a teenage boy all over again. He was so happy. "I love you,” he mumbled.

“I love you too.” Your voice was gentle. Gosh, he loved your voice. Your eyes were glossy and full of admiration too and he could just tell you were about to lean in for a kiss. So before you could, he backed up and got on one knee, pulling a ring out of his pocket.

“Y/N, will you marry me?” It was insane how alive you made him feel. What did he ever do before you? He didn’t want to imagine a life without you ever again.

Your hand flew to your mouth as your eyes said yes, but before you could verbally respond, the sky behind you was rumbling and turned a deep shade of blue and grey. You both stared up at the tenebrous sky.

“Wooyoung? What’s happening?” you asked, your voice weak. But he didn’t know what to tell you. He was unsure as well.

Wooyoung tried to stand up but he kept tripping because of the now shaking ground. Just what was going on? Was this an Earthquake? It didn't make sense. If this were an Earthquake, surely it would just be the ground. What was up with the sky? It was just so pretty a minute ago but now it was so dark and gloomy.

A muffled “babe,” rang in his ear so he turned his attention back to you, only to realize that you were gone. It was as if you had just vanished into thin air. He began to look around. Just where did everyone go? Even the picnic he had prepared for you vanished too.

All that was left of the scenery was just the field of grass, the river, and a thunderstorm. He stared up at the gloomy sky. Then all of a sudden, a lighting strike struck the ground a few feet in front of him. Startled, he scrambled backwards, trying to get away.

He blinked one more time as he fell backwards, then suddenly everything turned dark.

Wooyoung jumped, sitting up right away. When he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of his dresser and TV in front of him. He glanced down at himself, then realized that he was back in his room.

Fuck, was it all a dream?

His hand immediately went to his forehead. Just why was his head pounding so soon in the morning?

“Babe.” A female voice muttered from beside him.

Wooyoung turned towards the owner of the voice. That wasn’t you, he realized. He frowned.

“How did you sleep?” she asked, while grabbing onto his clammy hands. “You were smiling so much in your sleep and even said ‘I love you’. Were you dreaming of me? Did you mean it?” Her smile annoyed him so much.

Wooyoung couldn’t help but glare at Ryujin. She was the reason you left him. He met her at the club one night after an argument with you. He tried to push her away but she kept coming onto him and eventually he gave in. Wooyoung kept blaming Ryujin for being the reason you dumped him. But deep down, he knew it wasn’t her fault. She only gave him the bait, he was the one that bit onto it. So as much as he blamed everyone around him for his actions, deep down he knew he had no one to blame but himself.

“You should go,” he said absent-mindedly. Ryujin only reminded him of what he had with you. He didn’t even want to see her anymore. It only made him feel disgusted and dirty. Even more so than he already felt.

“But shouldn’t we talk about us? We’ve been having sex for months now. What are we? Should we just make it official?” She asked as she clung onto his arm.

And Fuck, was she annoying.

“I told you I wasn’t looking for anything serious. So get out. And let this be the last time you’re here too because whatever we had ends today.” His voice was assertive and cold. He wasn’t playing around.

“But babe-”

“Go!” His voice grew louder and Ryujin started to tear up as she rummaged through the mess on the floor for her clothing.

Before Ryujin left, she looked at him one last time. "She'll never take you back. What you and her had is long over. You can take it out on me all you want but you were the one that begged me to distract you that night. Remember that." She waited for him to respond but when he didn’t, she stormed off.

Wooyoung just stared blankly at his dresser when she went off on her tantrum. He was so damn tired of her. He knew what she was trying to do. She wanted him to care and start an argument but he didn't even care about himself, let alone give two fucks about her.

He glanced around his bedroom when she left. It was a mess. There were piles of clothes everywhere, empty water bottles sprawled at every corner, and sheets that haven’t been washed in months. He was living in absolute filth. And yet none of it mattered. Nothing in his life has mattered since the day you left.

Wooyoung rubbed at his eyes once more when he heard his apartment door slam. Finally, she was gone.

That dream he just had about proposing to you gave him a wake up call. Just what was he doing with his life engaging in meaningless hookups?

He’d been trying to fill the void for four months now, sleeping with Ryujin and random girls at the club every night. But shit got boring real quick when sex was all they had to offer. He began to crave the emotional connection that one has when in a relationship. The emotional connection that came with having someone genuinely care about him. And to think, he once found it suffocating and annoying to have someone care so much about him.

But now? It was all he wanted.

He tried to move on. He really did. But he just couldn’t stop comparing every girl to you.

No one could ever fill the void you left in his heart. He missed you so much but he knew you deserved better. You were happy with someone else now and he had to live with that. After all, he was the one that cheated and took you for granted. And now you were with someone better. Someone who didn’t take you for granted.

Wooyoung wasn’t going to cry again, he told himself. He had work and the hangover was bad enough. He had to get started on his day and stop thinking of you.

He showered, brushed his teeth, dressed himself, then walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, but there was nothing inside but a couple beers. His stomach was growling and the hangover from last night was killing him. His mind momentarily drifted to you since he was so used to you making breakfast for him. Yet another thing he took for granted.

He sighed. He barely ate these days. But for the sake of survival, he had too.

After rummaging through the cabinets, he finally managed to find a snack that wasn’t too bad. It was a custard dessert that had been expired for a month now. And since he had nothing else to eat, he settled for that. It was better than starving.

“I have to get ready for work,” Wooyoung whined with a smile on his face. The both of you had just woken up and you couldn’t stop smothering him with kisses. He loved moments like this with you but he already wasted an hour to sleep in. If you kept kissing and pressing your body against his, he was sure he was going to get hard and be late for work. He had to start getting ready for the day and so he reluctantly pushed you back. “We can finish this when I get home okay baby? I really need to brush my teeth now.”

You smiled back at him. You had bedhead and you were sure there was probably crust in your eyes but still, Wooyoung looked at you as if you were the most beautiful person on Earth. “I’ll make you breakfast while you shower then,” you offered as you stood up. “Do you want pancakes again?”

“You know me so well, baby." He kissed your forehead before hopping in the shower. He loved you so much. You always offered to do everything for him and you knew his preferences so well. How did he get so lucky? “I love you Y/N.”

“I love you too.” You smiled at him.

A tear trailed down Wooyoung’s eyes as he grabbed his keys on the kitchen island. He missed your voice so much. He’d do anything to hear your voice telling him that you loved him again. But he had to stop thinking about you. He had to get it together for work.

During his commute, he turned on the radio to distract his thoughts. But he should’ve known better. It was Valentine’s Day and the radio was full of love songs. He switched from station to station but every damn one was just love song after love song.

The joy he felt when he finally got to a station that wasn't playing a love song was indescribable. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he listened to the advertisement for some dish soap. Never has he been more excited to think about washing the dishes. He used to love cooking, and just remembered, making a mental note to go get groceries after work. Right as he was getting into the mood of dish soap, the radio host began to talk about Valentine’s Day and before he knew it, another love song started to play.

He was one second away from changing the song when he heard the intro. Then his hand froze.

It was your favorite song.

The song you and him danced to last Valentine's day in the living room of his apartment.

You scrolled on Spotify to find the song 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeren. It was your favorite love song of all time. You've always dreamed of dancing to this song with the love of your life and now that you found him, you wanted to make the dream a reality.

"Dance with me.” You dragged him by the hands to the empty area of the living room and placed your hands around his neck.

"I don't know, babe. I just ate a lot of pasta. I very much overate." Wooyoung patted his tummy and you playfully rolled your eyes. His hands found home on your waist anyway despite him feeling too full to even move. There was no way he was going to deny you this dance. Not when you looked so happy.

"You shouldn't have eaten so much then."

"Not my fault you make the best pasta."

"Just follow my lead, you dramatic baby. You'll be fine."

You both started to slow dance to the music, staring into each other’s eyes. The lights were perfectly dimmed and the mood was as romantic as it could ever be. Despite not wanting to dance at first, Wooyoung eventually found himself getting into the groove. He loved you so much. He felt like his heart could burst at any second as he stared into your pretty eyes.

“Babe?” He mumbled.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

After work, Wooyoung was so tired.

He just wanted to sleep and forget about his boring life but then his friends-- Mingi and Seonghwa-- showed up at his door unannounced and now here he was at the bar, drinking again. He told himself he was done with hookups this morning but he still needed something to numb the pain. Numb the thoughts. Anything to get his mind off you.

And alcohol was always reliable.

“I know it sucks seeing couples all around you but what happened to that Ryujin girl? Haven’t you been seeing her for months now?” Mingi asked.

“She’s gone. It didn’t mean anything. So I ended it.” Wooyoung mumbled, downing another shot.

“Alright, that’s enough. We brought you here to have a good time, not blackout again. It’s been four months. She’s moved on and so should you.” Seonghwa insisted, taking the shot glass away from him. It was obvious his friends hated seeing him like that. They missed the upbeat and social Wooyoung. The one that could carry a conversation with anyone and make everyone laugh.

These days, Wooyoung was just angry and sad.

A former shell of himself.

“I’m a terrible person." Wooyoung stated. He wasn't even begging for compliments, he just wanted his friends to know that and hate him just as much as he hated himself. He tried to push everyone away but his friends knew better than to let Wooyoung waste his life away and pity himself.

“Yeah, you are terrible.” Mingi said honestly. “But she’s happy now. Did you see her Instagram pictures? She’s dating a new guy now and he's attractive. You should find someone too. That girl over there,” Mingi pointed out, "She's into you, I can feel it."

"I'm done with hook ups, so no thanks. And she blocked me so no I didn't see shit,” Wooyoung mumbled.

His friends tried to get him to be himself again. To socialize and talk to people again. But their efforts were fruitless. All Wooyoung wanted to do was drink and he did exactly that.

And by the end of the night, it would be Mingi who carried him back into his apartment while Seonghwa tucked him in. He had to hold back the urge to scold Wooyoung for letting his bedroom accumulate into a mess of a landfill.

“Y/N,” Wooyoung mumbled drunkenly, tugging on Seonghwa’s arms with his eyes shut, “Don’t leave me.”

Seonghwa sighed, knowing how you used to tuck Wooyoung in every night when he came back drunk. You did so much for him, even when you had your suspicions.

Seonghwa felt like Wooyoung was stupid for cheating and lying. But he also empathized with him. Wooyoung punished himself enough. And while there was nothing he could do to fix his past mistakes, he could move on and change for the better. Because life went on.

And Seonghwa only hoped Wooyoung would realize this before it was too late.

[ 4 months ago ]

It was your fourth year anniversary with Wooyoung and you were so excited.

Despite the frequent arguments and how distant he has become the past four weeks, you pushed it all aside. Today was a special day and you wouldn’t let anything ruin it.

Wanting to look your best, you even got your hair done the other day. You tried to wait for him after work yesterday but he came home late again because of work. Something always came up these days, but you supposed it was alright. It was inevitable.

You woke up extra early thanks to the alarm on your phone. You had to get a head start to surprise him with a good breakfast before work. You couldn't wait to sit down and eat breakfast with him for once. When was the last time you and him ate together in the mornings? You couldn't even recall.

After two hours, you finished Wooyoung’s favorite chocolate chip pancakes along with eggs and his favorite latte. You then did your makeup and wore his favorite white sundress on you. You couldn’t wait to get his reaction to what you prepared. You even got him flowers for once since you read online that men rarely received flowers in their lifetime.

After setting up everything on the dinner table, you sat on the sofa and held the bouquet of roses in your hands while you waited for him to finish getting ready. You heard his alarm ring a while ago and you couldn’t hold in your excitement, bouncing your leg the whole time.

The moment he walked into the kitchen, you came towards him with flowers and kissed him good morning on the cheek despite how he didn't even look up. He was always texting. Always on his phone. “Did you sleep well? You come home so late these days, I rarely see your face anymore.” You tried to smile, you really did. But he was still on his damn phone. You grimaced when you saw how he didn’t even acknowledge you. “Babe?” you tried again.

“Yeah?” he grumbled, eyes still glued to his messages app. It was probably his friend or another family member, you convinced yourself. The last thing you wanted to do was ask him who it was again.

Especially after he went off on you for being 'nosey' the other week.

“Who are you always texting these days? I thought you didn’t like texting much.”

“Just my cousin,” he sighed, eyes glued to his phone on date night.

“Right.”

Then finally, he looked up at you. But he looked annoyed. “What exactly does ‘right’ mean? You're so nosey these days Y/N, what happened to privacy? Don't you trust me?”

“You know what? No, I don't trust you anymore. Because who the hell texts their cousin long ass paragraphs with heart emojis every hour of the day? You must think I’m stupid don’t you?”

“You’re overreacting. You know how she’s about to graduate. She just wants advice on the job market.”

“Right.”

“There you go again.” He rolled his eyes. “You don’t believe me do you? Just say it. Whatever you’re thinking, just say it!”

“Are you cheating on me?”

“No. I’m not. I can't even believe you're even accusing me of that! We've been together almost four years now and you still don't trust me? What do I have to do for you to believe me, huh?”

“Show me your messages right now.” You were never like this. You never got jealous to this extent. But he was making you insane with how distant and dismissive he was being.

The past month? Wooyoung always came home late. He was cold. He didn't touch you anymore. His kisses were chaste. And most of all, his work clothes reeked of a woman’s perfume. And when you confronted him about it? He just brushed it off. Something about his old lady coworker always giving him a hug before clocking off. But did that old coworker also give him the marks on his neck? Yeah, you weren't stupid.

“You can’t be serious,” he scoffed. “You’re so insecure these days, it’s actually insane. You know what? You either trust me or you don’t. I’m leaving.”

“Where are you going? It’s late!” You threw your fork on the table, and jumped up only to be met by the slam of the door.

You were so angry and annoyed at him for always leaving during an argument. You just wanted to talk things through for once but he would always lie or shift the blame on you and make you feel crazy. You didn’t know how much you could take it anymore.

You were stupidly in love with him. But you weren’t stupid. You knew something was going on. There had to be someone else.

You just didn’t have proof.

You couldn’t stop the tears that day. He didn’t come home that night and once again, you slept on the sofa, waiting for him to return.

Taking a deep breath, you tried not to think about that memory anymore as you plastered on a pretty smile for your fourth year anniversary.

Even if he was different now, you knew the Wooyoung you fell in love with was still there. Somewhere.

So despite your doubts, you were going to attempt to make this relationship work. No relationship was perfect. And you weren’t going to get deterred so easily. You wouldn’t give up just yet.

“What do you think of my hair?” you beamed, turning around to show him the back. “I just got it done yesterday.”

“Looks great,” he sighed, but you could tell he didn't even bother to look up from his phone.

“You didn’t even look,” you sulked.

“I did look and I said it looks great, what else do you want me to say?” he grumbled as he looked you dead in the eyes. “I need to get to work now, Google maps says there’s traffic on the way.”

“Oh,” you sighed. Disappointed, you placed the bouquet of roses (that he didn’t even notice were for him) onto the counter. “Well take some pancakes with you then, I’ll wrap them up for you.”

“It’s fine. I’m not hungry.”

“But you love these pancakes. I even woke up early to make them for you.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t ask you to do that. I used to like them but you make them practically everyday now, don't you get sick of them? Because I do.” He raised his voice. Something he did so much these days and yet you still felt a tear prick at your eye.

“You could’ve just told me that earlier...” You felt your voice get smaller as your eyes brimmed with tears. You’ve cried a lot the past month because of Wooyoung but the fact that today was your fourth year anniversary and he was acting like this made you frustrated.

“How can I tell you anything when you always start crying like this?” He clenched his jaw, and he seemed annoyed. Was he annoyed?

“You could’ve just said it nicer.” You wiped your tears.

“Fuck, you’re so annoying,” he exclaimed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “ Can you stop being a crybaby for once? You always make me out to be the bad guy.”

“Well you haven't exactly been nice these days. What is up with you Wooyoung? Is work that stressful?” You tried to stay calm, in contrast to how your boyfriend was raising his voice. Was this how it was now that the honeymoon phase ran its course?

“Not everything is about work.” He glanced at the time again. “You know what, it’s way too early to be arguing again, I’m tired of this. I'm tired of you. You always have to get so emotional.” He reached for his keys then walked away.

“So that’s how it’s going to be then? Every time I want to talk, you brush things off? We never communicate anymore, we need to talk things through if we’re going to make this relationship work."

“I need to go, we’ll talk after work.” He said dismissively as he walked towards the front door.

“I love-“ you didn’t even finish before the apartment door slammed in your face. He never said I loved you anymore, nor did he give you a kiss before going to work. But you supposed you shouldn’t be surprised.

Immediately after he left, you checked Google maps, inputting his usual route to work to check for traffic. Please let it be the truth. Please. Please.

But there was no traffic.

It was just another lie.

You couldn’t stop the tears the moment he left, it was as if all the bottled up emotions from the past month just came out. A part of you wondered what you did wrong. What made him so tired of you. He used to look at you with stars in his eyes but now it was more like annoyance. Resentment even.

Today was supposed to be special and yet he didn’t even seem to remember your fourth year anniversary. Or maybe he knew all along but he just didn’t care.

After work, he didn’t come home.

It was 10 P.M now and you were worried sick. He would usually at least tell you that he’d come home late but there was nothing today at all. No call. No short text.

You spent hours preparing his favorite pasta and steak for your anniversary dinner but it all went cold now on the dinner table. You even bought his favorite champagne, and lit some candles but it seemed like your efforts were fruitless. He wasn’t coming home tonight.

Was it work again? He always had something at work holding him up but you never thought he’d take on the extra load and be purposely late on such a special day.

Eventually, you fell asleep on the sofa waiting for him.

It would be around 2 A.M. when you jolted awake from the loud knock at your door. Groaning, you got up from the sofa and opened the door.

You rubbed your eyes. It was Seonghwa. And then there was Wooyoung, drunk as hell to the point he couldn't even stand by himself. Nothing new, but on your anniversary? Really?

Seonghwa made his way through the door and passed Wooyoung off to you on the sofa while you stood at the door, frozen. His friend tried to explain to you that he was just out drinking with the guys and got carried away but you knew better. You saw the lipstick on Wooyoung's collar.

When his friend left that night, all you could do was stare at Wooyoung who was fast asleep on the sofa.

Your thoughts and self doubt began to run wild. Where did things go wrong? When did he stop loving you?

You ran out of tears at this point. All you had was regret that you ever gave him a chance. Maybe if you never met him, you’d be happy right now. Instead, you were a fool and now you were tangled up in a web of loving him.

Despite this, you hated how you still cared for him. You tried to carry his weight to the bedroom and change him into more comfortable clothes. It took a while but you finally managed to get off his shirt. He stirred awake in the process and started to mumble a string of words you couldn't make out. You stood between his legs and he couldn’t stop smiling and moving his head.

“Ryujin? Is it you, babe?” he muttered, “Fuck you’re beautiful.” He tried to pull you into his lap but you didn’t budge, too taken aback by the whole situation.

You took a step back. “What did you just call me?”

“Ryujin?” He tried to open his eyes, but they barely opened. Why would he be calling his cousin beautiful? That was when you knew he was lying to you about texting his cousin.

“It’s Y/N.” You tried to tell him, shaking him awake by the shoulders.

“Oh.” He sounded disappointed. Annoyed even.

“Are you cheating on me?” You knew he’d lie if he was sober but he was drunk right now and a drunk person couldn’t filter their thoughts. This was your only chance to get the confirmation you needed and you took it. You knew the moment he woke up tomorrow, he’d just push you away again and make you feel crazy for doubting him.

“There you go again!” he mumbled loudly, throwing his hands in the air. “So what if I did? I’m so fucking tired of you. Always so clingy and insecure, it’s so damn suffocating. But Ryujin? She's sooooo good, makes me feel so good.” He smiled as he continued to ramble on and off about her. His words were slurred and he was incoherent but you were still able to make out his words. And that was all it took for you to stumble back.

He called you clingy. And that was rich coming from Wooyoung. Because if anything, he was always the clingy one in the relationship, the one to be overly jealous, and sulk whenever you were being too nice and smiling towards anyone who was a male. He was overly affectionate and touchy too so the thought that he found it annoying when you did those things back? It ticked you off.

Then he called you insecure. Yet he was the one that never made you feel loved anymore. He treated you like shit and made you this way.

So really, you should’ve realized something was wrong last month, the moment he turned away your morning kisses. But you just kept giving him the benefit of the doubt and look where that got you.

You felt disgusted and betrayed as you looked back at him. You should’ve known better. You smelled perfume on him for a month now yet you always convinced yourself that you were just overreacting. That the Wooyoung you loved wouldn’t do this to you. But you were wrong and all men were the same.

You didn’t even say anything as you watched him spill his thoughts. It wasn’t until he mumbled, “just go away, I’m sleepy,” that you realized you hated him. You couldn’t even stand to look at his face anymore.

So if he wanted you to go, you'd go.

You didn’t want to talk to him ever again. So with anger bubbling in your chest, you decided to leave a break up letter on the kitchen island near his car keys.

There were no tears anymore but your whole body felt so fragile and weak, like it could shatter at any moment. Your hands were trembling as you pulled your suitcase from the closet and packed your things. You managed to get half of your belongings in there before zipping it shut. You’d just come back for your belongings someday next week when he was at work. Thankfully you didn’t own much and since this was Wooyoung’s apartment, you didn’t need to worry about anything.

The next day, Wooyoung woke up with a pounding headache. Confused, and nauseous.

Just what the hell happened last night? And why was his shirt off? He glanced around his room and everything looked normal. He then sniffed his arm, smelling the lingering scent of alcohol and weed from last night at the club and decided he needed a shower.

After he got cleaned and dressed, he got ready for the day. When he walked into the kitchen, he didn’t see you and felt a sense of relief wash over him. He could have some peace and quiet today without you nagging or being annoying.

As he passed by the dinner table, he couldn’t help but notice the two plates of steak and pasta. Did you make that? There was also his favorite champagne from Trader Joe’s, rose petals, and a candle for some reason.

Then it hit him.

Was yesterday the fourth year anniversary already?

He groaned, feeling somewhat bad for leaving so abruptly yesterday, but he figured he’d just apologize when you got home from the market. Since you always went out shopping for groceries early on a Saturday.

He then passed by the kitchen island and saw a folded note next to a bouquet of flowers that also had a note wedged into the middle.

Curious, he read the letter in the bouquet first.

Note: I read somewhere that only 12 percent of men receive flowers in their lifetime. I feel like a shitty girlfriend for never realizing this over the past years but I plan to get you flowers more often now to show my love. I know we haven’t been like us lately, but I hope today will change that. Happy 4th anniversary babe, I love you. -Yours forever, Y/N

Wooyoung sighed. Okay, he was starting to feel really bad and guilty now. He remembered you holding the roses in your hand yesterday morning but he didn’t know they were for him. You were always so thoughtful.

He rubbed at his temple then opened the other letter.

Note: You’re probably too drunk to remember last night but you finally told me about Ryujin. Is she the girl you’ve been texting with all day? The girl you lied to my face about? You didn’t need to lie to me but I guess it was just exciting for you to cheat wasn’t it? You always did love the chase. I must’ve gotten too boring and clingy for you as it was heading towards our 4th year. We would have both been happier if you just said something and broke up with me but since you’re such a coward, I’ll do it for you. We’re done. That way you can be with that girl all you want. I’ll stop by later this week to pick up the rest of my stuff.

Wooyoung needed to sit down. His head was killing him. He pulled out a chair at the dining table, and rested his elbows on the marble. His eyes glazed over the remnants of what was supposed to be a romantic anniversary dinner last night and he felt something twist in his stomach.

He wanted this didn’t he? He was so sick of you. But then why did he feel so empty now that you broke up with him?

He knew he was a shitty person. He had forgotten about your anniversary… but he also knew that was trivial compared to the bigger problem. The fact that he had cheated, lied to you about it, and you found out.

You had planned a whole dinner and tried to call him. But instead of picking up your calls, he ignored it and ditched you for the club. He was certain he was tired of your constant arguing. For a month now, he was so tired of seeing your face everyday. Wooyoung couldn’t pinpoint the reason because you were truly just being a good partner, but you were starting to suffocate him. It wasn’t even like you were even clingy, if anything he was the more clingy and touchy one in the relationship. But then why did he say it?

His head was spinning as he tried to figure out what exactly the hell he told you last night. He was so certain he was tired of you but then why did he feel so guilty?

Wooyoung tried to call you when it was after noon and you still weren’t home yet but it didn’t go through.

Did you block him already?

As the day went on, he started to remember bits and pieces of what he said to you last night. He also recalled how annoyed he was with you for accusing him of cheating even though he was.

He then decided to call Seonghwa to catch him up with last night’s events but all he could tell him was that he wouldn’t stop drinking and flirting with the bartender despite him trying to get him to go home to you.

He swore he would stop sooner but Ryujin was just so addicting. She brought a spark to his boring life and made him feel excited again. You and him were together for so long that there wasn’t much to talk about anymore, not much to experiment with, but with Ryujin? She didn’t know anything about him and it was fun talking to her. And maybe it was the thrill, but it was even more fun to mess around behind your back. She was a good fuck and made him forget about his mundane life that he had to wake up to every day.

So was it love? No. But she made him feel alive in the moment and that was all Wooyoung cared about.

He didn’t know why but he just felt so trapped living the same day every day. Even with you there beside him, he felt lonely. Every morning he’d wake up, go to work, then he’d get home and see your face. He was tired of his mundane life which was why he went out with the boys so frequently again. At first it was just for drinks and to let loose but then Ryujin who was a regular there kept flirting with him. At first he pushed her away but then he eventually gave in. He regretted it but what could he do? The damage was already done and he didn’t know how to end it either so he just kept on seeing her behind your back.

But you? He loved you. You were there for him when through thick and thin and always took care of him when he was sick. So yes, he cheated, but he still loved you. Even if he hadn’t been showing it lately.

The next day was Sunday. His day off. But he couldn’t get himself to rest like he usually would.

He tried to call your friends but none of them would answer. Did you tell them about the breakup already? Did they hate him? He even tried to call your parents and siblings but no one would pick up. He then took a drive to your parent’s house and held hope when he saw your car in the driveway. He knocked and knocked but no one would open the door. He knew you were inside but you didn’t open it.

He wanted to talk so bad. To make things right again. But it wouldn’t be until Friday that he had the chance.

Wooyoung was supposed to be at work but he ended up using up five of his vacation days to catch you and get the chance to talk. He knew how you had to come over to pick up your stuff eventually. And knowing you, you would choose a time when he was at work to do so.

It was around 10 A.M when he heard his front door unlock. Wooyoung took a deep breath before walking out, hoping you’d at least give him a chance to explain.

“Hey,” he began as he watched you open your suitcase to pack your fake plants that were on his bookshelf. But instead of saying hi back, you just ignored him, not even bothering to spare him a glance. That was fair, he supposed. “Can we talk?”

“A little late for that, don't you think?” You tried to hurry up and pack your decorations in a way that wouldn’t crush them.

“Please just listen,” he pleaded. “I know what I did was wrong, but it was a mistake, I really was going to end it, Ryujin never meant anything to me.”

“It wasn’t a mistake, Wooyoung. You cheated on me and when I confronted you about it, you switched it on me and called me crazy and insecure. You lied straight to my face then got the nerve to get angry about it.” You couldn’t help but laugh. “I should’ve known the moment you came home with perfume on your suit. I knew it, you know? I’m not as stupid as you think I am.”

“You’re not stupid. And for the last time, it was a mistake. I was just so damn tired with work and everyday became so boring, and she was there-“

“How long?” For the first time today, you looked at him dead in the eyes. There was no love in them anymore, just cold set eyes.

“Does it matter?” he sighed.

"How long?" You repeated calmly.

“A month. I’m sorry, okay?”

“You’re not sorry,” you laughed. “You're just sorry you got caught. What? Is she prettier than me? Skinnier? You always did have a thing for models. I wasn’t enough for you was I? Was it the sex? You know what? I don't wanna know.” You then got up and went towards the bathroom to get the rest of your skincare and makeup.

He groaned as he trailed behind you. “Can't we just work through this? You wanted to talk on Friday, let's talk now. How about we talk about it over dinner tonight to celebrate our fourth year anniversary?”

You stood up from your kneeled position to look him dead in the eyes again. “Do you honestly believe we can just talk and go back like nothing happened? You cheated on me, fucked her every night I was waiting for you in our bed, then lied about it for weeks.” Your voice didn’t falter, it didn’t crack. You no longer felt the need to say exactly what was on your mind.

“Come on, it was a mistake,” he pleaded. “It’s not like you’re perfect either, you always flirt with that barista.”

You had to laugh, it was comical how he was turning this on you again. “I was being polite to the barista, a smile and asking how his morning went is not flirting so don’t you dare turn this on me. I wasn’t the one that cheated. A mistake is one time Wooyoung, and even then it doesn’t justify cheating. You cheated on me nearly every day so you know what was a mistake? Us. I should've never given you the chance. All my friends warned me about you back when we were in college but I didn’t listen. My parents tried to set me up with this nice guy who could’ve easily made me happy but I chose you. Everyone told me you were bad news but I didn’t listen and I chose you and looked where that got me. I wasted four, five years of my life for this.” You threw your hands in the air, so angry at the life you chose for yourself. “You know what? It doesn’t matter, I’m over this.” You zipped up your suitcase then made your way out of the bathroom.

“So what? You’re just going to flush this 4 year relationship down the drain?” He followed after you.

“Don’t blame this on me. You were the one that did that the moment you cheated. I’m leaving Wooyoung and I hate you. Oh, and here’s your key,” you threw it at his chest, “I don’t ever want to see you again.” You made sure he heard it clear before you slammed his door.

Wooyoung wanted to run after you but he couldn’t. His legs felt like jelly and all he could do was think about how he just lost the best thing that has ever happened to him. And it was all his fault.

After your breakup with Wooyoung, you did everything to distract yourself and threw yourself at your work. While things were good while it lasted, you just wanted to close this chapter of your life. You found yourself sad sometimes but you genuinely had no more tears left to cry. You just didn’t want to live in the past anymore. You refused to let him take over your future too.

After a month of staying with your parents, you managed to find a roommate you got along with well and she was amazing. She quickly became a friend you could count on and even introduced you to her male friend who just got out of a relationship too. His name was Yunho and he was so tall and handsome. You both bonded over your exes, work, post-grad life, childhoods, anything and everything. Turns out you were two even in a Modern Physics class together one semester and even had mutual college friends. You both had so much in common that it was like a match made in Heaven. He made you so happy.

But since you were both still ‘fresh’ out of a long term relationship, you both took it slow.

The post break up life for Wooyoung wasn’t as liberating as he thought it would be. He was a mess.

At first, he thought he would be fine. He rejoiced in the freedom actually. He was finally able to breathe again in his own apartment. But as the weeks passed? The quietness only fed his loneliness. And he wasn't so sure this was what he wanted his life to be anymore.

He thought this was what he wanted. He really did. Freedom was amazing. He missed that feeling of not being tied down. No one to nag at him. No one to smother him with the same kisses and same old food.

But he was wrong.

He ached for an emotional connection again but no one gave it to him. He was sick of meaningless sex. He tried to replace you but it didn’t work. He was tired of feeling lonely. He just wanted you back.

All he did was drink these days. He came to work with hangovers 24/7 and was practically a zombie, doing the bare minimum to get through the day. He could barely function too, a former shell of himself.

He just felt so empty and broken Inside.

But this was all the consequences of his own actions. He couldn’t blame anyone but himself.

[ Present Day, One week after Valentine's Day ]

“I don’t want to go to another party,” Wooyoung whined at Seonghwa. They were in front of a house that belonged to an old friend from college. This was a baby shower of sorts and the loud music was already giving him a headache. Usually he loved parties but he just didn’t feel like it these days.

“Dude, you need to get out again. What happened to the Wooyoung that was always down for a good time?” Mingi asked, leading him inside the house.

“Yeah man, come on! HongJoong’s our friend. He’s having a baby with his wife, we should be here and happy for him.” Seonghwa tried to shake some sense into him. He couldn’t just wallow in his regrets forever.

Wooyoung supposed his friends were right.

He went to congratulate Hongjoong briefly before going to the kitchen for a beer. He gulped half of it in one go then leaned against the counter, not in the mood to be social. So he just observed.

It would be a while before someone noticed his sour mood.

“You look like you just got dumped,” HongJong joked as he neared him again. He was oblivious to the fact that Wooyoung actually did just get dumped which caused the boy to tense up. When Wooyoung didn’t say anything in response or laugh like he usually would, Hongjoong nudged his arm. “What’s up with you man? I was just joking. You've changed so much since the last time I saw you. Has life been that hard?”

“You think I’ve changed?” There was a sadness in Wooyoung’s eyes. Even Hongjoong noticed this.

“Yeah. You’ve lost some weight. And you aren’t as talkative anymore. How’s life been? It’s been forever since we’ve caught up.”

Wooyoung sighed. “It’s been alright. Still stuck at the same job I had post-grad.” Wooyoung didn’t know what else to say. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up the fact that he was a jerk who cheated on his girlfriend of four years. So instead, he decided to divert the topic back to the man of the party. “Congrats on your baby girl by the way. You’d make a good father.”

Hongjoong’s smile was melancholic as he fixated lovingly at his pregnant wife who was talking to some guests. “Mina was so scared, you know? We didn’t plan to have a family so soon but it just happened. I was scared too but I had to stay strong for her. We’re still so young and I can barely take care of myself. But then I started thinking. Everything happens for a reason don’t you think? If it was meant to be then it’ll happen. And then I started to picture a mini Mina running around the house and I got so excited, thinking about how I’m going to raise and take care of her. There’s just something so special about having a baby with the person you love.”

Wooyoung grimaced. Of course he was happy for his friend, but at the same time, the way Hongjoong was talking made him feel inferior. It seemed like all of his friends had matured and made a future for themselves while he went backwards in life. Wooyoung stared into the distance as the memory of you unfolded. If only he could go back in time and knock some sense into himself. Then maybe, just maybe, he could have his happy ending too.

You were lying on his chest, fingers tracing the lines of his bare abs. “Do you think about having a family one day?”

Wooyoung sat up properly and you got off his chest. “What? Do you have baby fever again?” He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful you looked dazed post-sex, in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and your underwear. He couldn’t help but smile seeing how excited you were about having kids.

“Can you blame me? You’re so cute around my little cousins. They love you and it just made me think how fun it would be to have little Wooyoung’s running around the house.” You and him were currently in your childhood bedroom after having a barbecue party with your whole family. They all just left for the night and you and Wooyoung finally had time to yourselves.

“That sounds like a nightmare,” he joked. “They’ll make a mess of the house and be very loud. You’ll never get sleep again.”

“That’s part of the sacrifice don’t you think? The beauty of being a mother? Even if that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind. I just want to have my own kids to give a life to one day. I’d do anything for them.”

“How many kids would you like then?” He hummed.

“I want to have 5 kids, at least 2 girls and 2 boys,” you beamed, clapping your hands together, as you went on about how you’d spoiled them.

Wooyoung also loved kids but right now he was still so young and he didn’t want to think of having a family. But just knowing that you saw a future with him? That warmed his heart. “Are you sure you’ll be able to give birth that many times, babe? I heard shit is painful.”

You playfully rolled your eyes which made him smile. “Don’t underestimate me, I’m stronger than I look.”

“I know you are, but I was just being realistic.” He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before patting his lap. You took the hint and wrapped your legs around him before your arms went around his neck. “You know I love you right?”

“I do. And I love you too.” The look in your eyes. It was pure happiness and bliss. Pure love. And all for him.

��You alright, man?” Hongjoong asked, nudging Wooyoung once more.

Wooyoung blinked, shaking his head. “Sorry man, what’d you say?”

Hongjoong smiled softly before patting his back. “I said I’m going to go meet some guests, take care, alright?” He then walked towards the door to tend to the couple that just walked in. It was only when Hongjoong moved his head that he saw you. But you didn’t come alone.

You were next to a guy.

A very tall and good looking guy. Mingi wasn’t lying last week at the bar when he said your new boyfriend was attractive (as much as he hated to admit it).

Hongjoong gave the guy beside you a hug while Mina, his wife, took the foil tray of food from your hands.

It didn't feel real that he was seeing your face after four months of trying to contact you.

Was he dreaming again?

Wooyoung couldn't stop staring at you. You were wearing a floral dress and looked absolutely gorgeous. You looked different from the last time he saw you but in a good way. More mature and pretty. Your hair was longer and you even got a new piercing. He couldn’t help but notice how you were practically glowing too.

Was he selfish for wanting you back?

He should be happy for you but he wasn’t. Not when the guy beside you was pissing him off. The guy’s hand was at the small of your back and you two looked so good together. Wooyoung couldn’t help but size him up, feeling insecure as he observed the guy. He looked like such a ‘nice guy’, the type your parents always wanted for you. And you looked so happy.

Your new guy then placed his hands on your waist and pulled you closer to him before saying something that made you smile wide.

When was the last time Wooyoung saw you smile wide at him like that? 4 months ago? 5 months ago?

And before Wooyoung knew it, that guy’s lips touched yours and you willingly pulled him closer.

Wooyoung clenched his fists and pressed his lips together. He knew he had no right but he just felt so jealous, anger boiling in his blood.

It had only been four months since you and him broke up. How the hell did you move on so fast?

“I didn’t know she was going to be here.” Mingi said as he approached Wooyoung. “Are you alright?”

Wooyoung swallowed thickly, his eyes still locked on the way you smiled at the guy. “Yeah. Just great.”

When you backed away from the kiss, your eyes began to scan the party and that was when you made eye contact with Wooyoung. The minute it happened, your smile faded. There was no pain in your eyes but rather an empty look, one that made Wooyoung’s heart sting. You locked eyes with him for a few seconds before you turned back to your boyfriend with stars in your eyes.

Wooyoung didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He just watched as your boyfriend led you outside to the back where the pool and barbecue was.

“She’s happy now. Don’t ruin things for her,” Mingi said, looking longingly at his friend. Mingi knew how Wooyoung was. Mingi could tell just by looking in his eyes that Wooyoung wanted to go up to you but now wasn’t a good time. “Do you want to leave?”

“No.” Wooyoung replied. He finished his current beer then popped another one open.

Then he waited.

He waited until your boyfriend wasn’t next to you before approaching. This might be the last time he’ll ever see you again. He had nothing to lose but his pride. He didn't care though. He just needed to hear your voice again.

You were near the top of the stairs when he walked up to you. “Hey,” he began softly.

“Hi.” He could tell you were uncomfortable with how you didn't even want to look at him. He didn’t blame you.

“So what are you doing here? I didn’t know you knew HongJong or Mina.” Small talk. He had to start with small talk in order to not drive you away.

“I don’t know them. Yunho’s friends with Hongjong though.” Okay, so you were still talking to him. You didn’t walk away which made him feel lighter.

“So that’s his name? The guy that’s making you happy?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you love him?” He asked but you didn’t answer and a stretch of silence followed. He found himself being desperate and vulnerable which he hasn’t been in a long time. “I’ve missed you,” he selfishly mumbled. Maybe he was just delusional but he wanted to hear that you missed him too. After all, you and him were together for 4 years. It had to mean something. “How have you been?”

“I should go.” You tried to walk away but he grabbed your wrist and you yanked your hand back. “Don’t touch me.” Your voice was cold. And so were your eyes. He hated how you looked at him. You used to look at him with so much love and now you looked at him as if he was the gum on your shoe.

“I’m sorry. I just. I missed you. I still love you.” He was desperate for you to just say anything.

“If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t have cheated. I have nothing to say to you, so just leave me alone. I’m here with my boyfriend for a good time with his friends, so I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I meant it that day when I said I never wanted to see you again, so let’s just pretend not to know each other for today, okay? If you truly still love me, you’ll respect my decision.” You were so much more assertive now, no longer holding back like you used to back when you and him argued. He couldn’t help but wonder. Did you hold back because of him?

He stared at your back as you walked away.

“I broke it off with her,” he said loudly. And you stopped in your tracks. For a second, he swore you were about to say something but then you just kept walking. Your body fading smaller and smaller before disappearing down the flight of stairs.

This was Wooyoung's wake up call. He had to move on. Perhaps in another life, he would have treated you right.

Although he was still in pain. He knew that it was nowhere near the pain he had inflicted on you. He knew better than to chase after you. It would only make you hate him more. All you ever did was love him and yet he still managed to fuck it up and hurt you. He hoped at least that Yunho guy treated you right. That he gave you all his hours. That he loved you right. That he did all the things he should’ve done when he was your man.

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