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j0hnj4ej3n · 2 years

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𓆩♡𓆪 being in an arranged marriage with nct dream 𓆩♡𓆪

(pic credits to owners)

Word count: 2.2k

Warnings: it’s about arranged marriages, i personally think that can be triggering on its own so don’t read if you’re uncomfortable! personally, i am not for the idea of arranged marriages because there’s so many layers to it that i don’t agree with. BUT this is a work of fiction, the dreamies and y/n are all royals in this and nothing bad happens to anyone, except under jisung’s where y/n is slightly disrespected

Notes: this was requested by an anon! “I’d like to make an NCT Dream reactions request to being in an arranged marriage, and slowly warming up to their partner” if you like my writing, you can buy me a cup of coffee here and feel free to send more requests in too. stay tuned for more~

𔘓 Mark

Mark always knew that this would be his fate, so he has long accepted it. The first time you two met each other was on your wedding day and he looked like such a kind and harmless guy it helped you calm down a bit. He would try to be your friend first, just getting to know you bit by bit during mealtimes and before bedtime. For the first week, he didn’t even sleep on the same bed as you because he could sense that you were uncomfortable but overtime, you assured him that it was okay. You slowly found yourself enjoying Mark’s presence as he did with yours. Sometimes you would sit with him in his office as he worked on the merger of your kingdoms. It was clear to everyone in the castle that the two of you were slowly falling for each other. Mark always wanted to be around you as much as he could and would even send flowers or gifts if he ever had to be away, even if it was only for a few days. He would take your advice into consideration when making decisions for the people and in regards to the merger, which made you feel heard and more than just an exchange for peace between the kingdoms. Both you and Mark could play the piano and spent many hours sitting in front of the piano together, playing random tunes. Sometimes, Mark would even turn them into songs and you would get to decide on the titles. One night, when it was just you and him in your shared bedroom, Mark presented you with a ring. “The ring we exchanged during the wedding was merely the unification of our kingdoms. This one, I made specially for you. And I know that, *chuckles*, we’re already married but… y/n, will you marry me? On your own accord this time?”

𔘓 Renjun

Renjun first saw you at an evening ball several years ago and even back then, his heart fluttered at the sight of you. He thinks you’re simply beautiful but he’s too shy to ever tell you. The both of you met once or twice before your wedding day to just get to know each other a little better and to in a lack of better phrasing, ‘accept your fates’ together. Renjun has always been nice to you and was always extremely respectful. Anyone would be damned if they even try to be rude to you. The two of you warmed up to each other rather quickly, especially after Renjun came back from a meeting and found you painting. “You paint too?” Now, evenings before dinner are reserved for the two of you to paint together in the palace garden. On rainy days, the two of you would paint in your room, trying to paint portraits of each other. You don’t know when it happened, but you could feel yourself slowly seeing Renjun in a romantic light. Maybe it’s the way he greets you good morning, with that sweet smile of his when you arrive for breakfast. Or maybe it’s the way the two of you could paint in silence together and not feel awkward. Perhaps, it’s the few nights when you can’t sleep and Renjun tries his best to make you comfortable, soothing you to sleep by singing softly and lightly running his fingers through your hair. If anything, you’re so grateful to have been paired with Renjun. Who is not just a wonderful prince but also a loving husband.

𔘓 Jeno

You were always an independent girl. You learned everything your father taught about how to rule a kingdom and you trained with your mother in sword fighting ever since you were old enough to hold the weapon. You never saw a need for you to marry into another kingdom, but maybe this is the fate of many princesses who were not next in line to the throne. On the second night of your marriage with Jeno, you learned that he was the best swordsman in his kingdom and only two weeks after your unification, he would be going away to war with the help of your kingdom’s best knights. On the third morning of your marriage, Jeno got up early for training and after begging him repeatedly to let you join him during training, he said yes. None of the knights dared spar with you so Jeno would and you liked how he was never easy on you. You found a new sense of excitement when training with Jeno, he did too. Jeno never thought the princess he would marry would share his love for swordfighting. But the more time the two of you spent training together with the other knights, the more overwhelming your worries became. It felt like the two weeks went by too fast and Jeno and the best knights from both kingdoms were set to leave for war tomorrow. “Let me go with you, I want to help.” you tell him the morning before his departure. “There’s no way.” “Why not? You know I can fight.” “You have to stay here and protect our people while I’m gone… and if I happen to never come back, at least they still have a future queen.” You couldn’t help but hold the young man you now call your husband in your arms, “You’re going to fight and then you’re going to come home to me. You understand?” Jeno offers you a sweet smile and nods, relishing in your embrace before he sets out for war. The war was a short but important one, at least that was the plan. They were supposed to be back in a month, but it’s been more than two weeks since a month passed and there was no news from the army. Your bed never felt more empty and every night, you lose sleep just praying to any god who would bring your Jeno home to you. (should i make an au out of this? It’s getting too long)

𔘓 Haechan

Haechan really didn’t like the idea of being in an arranged marriage. What’s a marriage if there’s no love in it? He still promised himself he would do his best with you – he would treat you like the princess that you are. He was the one to strike up conversations first and initiate activities to do together since it was still years before the two of you would be crowned king and queen. Now’s the perfect time to get to know each other. “Is there anything you like to do?” Haechan asked you meekly, since he could tell you were still rather reserved around him. “I was learning ballroom dancing before the wedding, I’m still not very good though.” Haechan’s eyes lit up at that and the next day, he requested for arrangements to be made so the two of you could start classes together. He might have walked into this marriage doubtful of how it will all turn out but he slowly realised that he would never trade you for any riches in the world. You slowly opened up to him and the two of you loved dancing together. To hold each other close and sway along to the soft, slow melodies. Haechan loves your ballroom dancing lessons, but he loves it more when the two of you would sneak into the ballroom in the middle of the night. Both in your comfortable pyjamas, running on tiptoes and hand-in-hand towards the dimly lit ballroom. The two of you would dance to the quiet humming from Haechan since it was already so late at night. The ballroom would be filled with the soft padding of both your featherlight steps and the hushed giggles. The two of you would dance till your hearts’ content before retiring to your shared bedroom and fall asleep in each other’s arms.

𔘓 Jaemin

Jaemin was lucky enough that his parents allowed him to choose who he would be married to. Sure, it was still an arranged marriage but he got to select someone who he thought he could grow to love. During the wedding, Jaemin was so excited to just get to know you and live his life with you. You, on the other hand, were nervous but you always knew Jaemin as a gentle and righteous prince from a neighbouring kingdom so you tried to be optimistic about your future. From the moment the wedding ended, Jaemin treated you like the most important person in his life because now you truly were. He would make sure that you had everything you needed and wanted. He would make sure you were taken care of and that it wouldn’t be too hard of an adjustment from your lifestyle back at your kingdom. He made it so easy for you to fall for him, for his kind and loving nature. Jaemin had to travel a lot with the king (his father) to build alliances and such and whenever he did, he would bring home a gift especially for you. “Do you like it? I was walking around and when I saw it, I thought of you.” Sometimes it’s something small and meaningful, other times, it’s grand and extravagant. No matter the gift, you were just grateful for the fact that Jaemin was always thinking about you. You tell him he doesn’t need to get you gifts so often but he never listens. Jaemin just always wanted to shower you with love and everything that he has.

𔘓 Chenle

He doesn’t understand why he had to marry someone. He was the only son, the next heir to the throne. And he knew he could definitely rule on his own, why was there a need for a queen? So after the wedding, Chenle doesn’t really treat you like you were his wife. He treated you more like you were just the person he was sharing a room with – a roommate, but for life. You started feeling really lonely, you didn’t expect Chenle to treat you like a wife immediately. But at least as a friend? It wasn’t like you wanted this too but you at least walked in deciding to give it a shot. Chenle left for sword fighting practice and you were left alone again in your big bedroom after breakfast. It’s been two weeks and you miss your family, your old life. Every time you try to strike a conversation with Chenle it fails and he never goes deeper than a few words. You couldn’t help but cry silently every time you were alone. One day Chenle came back from practice and found you crying, your back turned from the door of your shared bedroom. “Are you okay?” He asked timidly, wondering what had gotten you so upset. And you were too overwhelmed to even speak so you just continued crying. Chenle was baffled but he sat silently next to you and waited until you were ready to talk to him. Once you calmed down, you mustered up all the courage you had to tell him how you felt. Chenle felt really bad and he never realised how badly it affected you. He explains that he had no idea what he was supposed to do, like what does it even take to be a husband? But he did apologise and he forgoed sword fighting the next day to just spend some time with you. The two of you had no idea what marriage entails but from then on, the two of you promised to figure this all out together. And it is safe to say that months later, the two of you grew inseparable. Everywhere Chenle was, you were right there with him.

𔘓 Jisung

Jisung is so clueless and the first night is really awkward. The two of you were like “which side do you want to sleep on?” and literally spent five minutes in heavy silence, until Jisung mumbles out a quick ‘goodnight’ and turns the nightlight off. Things get better over the weeks and the two of you would consider yourselves friends. Jisung would spend time with you everyday, before and after going into meetings about alliances or mere kingdom matters. You would read to him as he laid his head on your lap in the corner of the library in the day or when right before going to bed at night. He would always start discussions about fantastical creatures like fairies, trolls, vampires. He would ask questions like “Do you believe in aliens?” or “What do you think would actually happen if a vampire bites you?” and the two of you could end up talking all night. It was clear that the two of you grew to like each other more and more, but was it just as close friends or something more? When he caught a guard being disrespectful to you when you asked about Jisung’s whereabouts (since he never usually got back from a meeting this late), Jisung only saw red. You looked so taken aback when the guard raised his voice at you, your eyes were wide in wary and your hands instinctively curled into tiny fists against your chest. He never felt anger like that, how dare he? The audacity to talk to a princess, like this? He was able to maintain his cool however, when he went up to the two of you and demanded the guard to apologise for being disrespectful. It was then that Jisung realised two things: one, he would protect you with his life and two, maybe he does see you as someone a lot more than just a close friend.

#nct dream #nct dream scenarios #nct dream reactions #nct dream royal #j0hnj4ej3n

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kiwixlime · 2 years

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Pretty Girl

M is for Mistress

Joel works as a developer. You are his helpful little assistant. He’s the man of your dreams. Small catch, he already has a wife.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Cheating, affairs, smut - dirty talk, praise kink, age difference (think 10ish years), unprotected p-in-v, possessive behavior, tad bit of manipulation, hints of obedience, angst. Joel and reader make very bad decisions. Cheating is bad, guys. Always be good to your partner! 18+ Minors DNI

As an assistant, you don’t love your job. You didn’t go to school to answer someone else’s calls and fetch them coffee or a bagel whenever they wanted it. Your skills and talents aren’t being put to use here at all. That part sucks. But as far as bosses go, Joel Miller is one of the best.

He’s an intriguing older man. And something about him just draws you in. When you first met during your interview, he was oddly quiet. He barely asked you any questions, didn’t engage with you except for a few pleasantries. His brother, Tommy, did all the talking.

At first, you were put off by it. The position was for Joel's assistant. But he seemed less than interested in speaking to you. You weren’t sure if he was always the silent type or if he just didn’t like you upon first impression.

So when Tommy called you later that afternoon to tell you that you had gotten the job, you almost declined. You’re a friendly person. You like to talk and get to know your coworkers. And sure, Joel Miller isn't exactly your coworker. But you did not want to be uncomfortable or change yourself to make the stern man happy.

But the more you considered the offer, the more you realized you couldn’t afford to turn it down. The pay was decent enough, and the job would look good on your resume for the future. If you had to force a smile from your boss once in a while, you’d do what you could to make it happen.

That was about four months ago. After your hiring, Joel warmed up to you. He’s still not super chatty or inviting to most people. But he’s kind to you, and he treats you with respect. It helps that you’re the perfect assistant. You do as you’re told, and you’re compliant. He likes that.

He likes how well you listen and take direction. He likes that you always seem to know what he’s going to say next. You being able to anticipate his needs is impressive. It’s been a long time since someone’s been able to match his energy.

But you’re different. There’s a spark inside you that you refuse to let dim. Even in your boring office job, one you are way too qualified for, you manage to stay vibrantly upbeat. It’s something that annoys him from time to time. He doesn’t have the best attitude due to his crumbling personal life, and your peppiness around the place tends to drive him up the wall. But it’s refreshing. You are refreshing.

In fact, seeing your smiling face greeting him each morning is what he looks forward to the most each day. Every time he walks into the office at 8AM on the dot, his entire mood perks up to see you already at your desk. Exactly where you should be.

“Mornin’, darlin’,” Joel greets as he approaches you, soft smile on his face and eyes bright and ready for the day.

You smile at the name and stand, smoothing out the fine wrinkles in your skirt as you do so. There’s a small stack of files next to your phone that needs Joel’s attention, and you already know that he’ll be asking you for a cup of coffee. So you hand off the folders with a grin, saying, “These all need to be signed and dated and then sent off to Tommy. I can do that, if you want. You have three messages already, all from Mr. Lawson. He’s a very pushy old man. And the coffee is already on. I’ll have a cup for you soon.”

“You’re the best,” he chuckles, giving you a nod before grabbing the files and heading back into his office. The door closes behind him, and he lets out a deep sigh. It’s hard to be professional. It really is. But it’s even harder to put on a brave face and pretend life is peachy when he feels like his world is falling apart.

Work is the only thing keeping him sane anymore. And admittedly, you are a big part of that. He throws himself into what he can during the day and spends a few hours after everyone's gone to do…other things.

“Joel!” He hears you shout from the hallway, interrupting his inner monologue. “Mr. Lawson is calling again!” You let out the cutest giggle as you transfer the call to him, and he can’t help but smile. Just hearing your voice melts all his stress away. Thank god for you.

The day picks up after that. Joel’s busy with client calls, and you do your job of scheduling meetings and researching what you can to help lighten the load. Between calls and filing, you also run errands, make copies, and deliver documents to different floors. You’re busy, always busy.

So when you finally get a moment to catch your breath at your desk, you’re thankful. But you only get a few minutes before your phone rings again. You glance down at the caller ID, and your stomach twists at the familiar number. Politely, you answer the phone, once again taking a message for Joel.

That same number calls at least four more times throughout the day, but Joel’s been busy each time. You know he won’t have a free moment in his schedule until after 3PM. So you continue to take messages even though the woman on the other end is displeased. No matter how many times you tell her to call back after 3, she does not listen.

So you keep track of the messages, scribbling them out on your bright blue sticky notes. You list all the details: the name, number, time of call, topic of message, and whether or not they want a call back. These little notes just fall onto your growing stack of things to give Joel.

Currently, he’s busy with Tommy. They’re not in a meeting or talking about anything important, just shooting the shit like they do every day. But you try to give them their brotherly bonding time. You know they both look forward to it.

But you have too much left to do, and your desk is feeling too cluttered for you to focus. So you decide to gather the pile of messages and drop them off to Joel on your way to the bathroom. His office is not far from where your desk is located, an easy shortcut that won’t take up too much of their time.

A soft knock on Joel’s closed door alerts both Miller brothers. Tommy is the one to yell a quick “come on in.”

Slowly pushing open the door, you offer one of your brightest smiles to the duo as they watch you enter. You try not to blush under their gaze as you walk up to Joel’s desk, nervously shaking the notices in your hand. “From your wife,” you say quietly, handing the messages to your boss. His eyes flick up to meet yours, his stare sharp and intense at the mention of his significant other.

You look away quickly, still feeling Joel’s fiery eyes on you. But you don’t want to arouse suspicion with Tommy, so you say nothing else as you pass off the messages. Tommy gives you a friendly nod, and Joel mumbles a simple thank you as you leave.

When he’s sure you’re out of earshot, Tommy places a firm hand on Joel’s shoulder. He has a goofy grin on his face, mouth twitching into a mischievous smile. “I don’t know how you get any work done with her around,” he teases. “Evelyn know you have a pretty assistant? Can’t imagine she’s okay with that.”

It’s a joke. Joel knows it’s just a joke. But still, he flinches at the accusation, face burning. He lets out a gruff laugh to satisfy Tommy and picks up the phone, clearing his throat. He gives his younger brother a look asking for privacy, which Tommy picks up on and excuses himself. Joel waits a beat after his brother leaves before slamming the handset back down.

A snarl paints his face, and he crumples up the messages in his hand, tossing them into the trash bin by his desk. He groans and runs his hands through his hair, mumbling affirmations under his breath. Peering up at the clock, the smallest sliver of joy blooms within him. The day is almost over. Thank god.

The hours tick by, and the building slowly empties until you and Joel are the only ones left. It’s like this most nights. You don’t have much of a personal life, so you let yourself follow the whole you’re not done until your boss is done mindset.

Among other things.

You’re sitting at your desk, replying to an email when you hear Joel’s voice call for you. His deep voice sounds groggy, strained, and you know he’s been working hard all day. He deserves something to cheer him up. He deserves a reward.

The entire building is quiet save for the clicking of your heels on the marble floor. Your footsteps echo as you make your way to Joel’s office. His door is ajar, so you walk in without knocking. He’s at his desk, in his chair, hair messy and eyes tired. He offers a weak smile, which you return.

“What can I do for you, Joel?” You ask politely even though you already know what he wants.

“You know what you can do,” he says with a tightlipped smile.

You bite your lip, eyes falling to the trash where the discarded messages are. Your stomach sours, but you can’t stop the warm tingling seeping through your insides. “Joel, I’m not--”

“You’re so beautiful,” he cuts you off, familiar with your usual banter. It always starts this way, but Joel knows how to warm you up, push your buttons. All he has to do is give you a look, say the right thing about your eyes, or smile, and you cave. That’s what’s happening right now. You feel yourself giving in. And to seal your fate, he adds, “you’re the only person in this world that can make me feel something other than dread.”

“Joel,” you frown, slowly striding over to his desk. Up close, under the yellow lights of his office, he looks exhausted. But still handsome. Even when he’s overworked, there’s an aura that surrounds him. It’s something that makes him desirable. Makes you smitten.

“You make me happy, darlin’,” your boss admits, and your heart beats rapidly at the name he uses for you. His words are sweet, drenched in a silky tone that makes your knees go weak. The power he holds over you is concerning and unhealthy. But you’re under a spell. His spell. And he has no intention of releasing you. “You know that, right?” He asks.

Your eyes flutter as you melt into his stare. You sigh and nod, accepting your place in life. Joel’s life. “I know,” you answer. “I know.”

“I’m just so tired of this,” he grumbles, sounding pained. “I don’t know what to do.”

You have two options here. Joel’s home life isn’t ideal. You know he and Evelyn are having their issues. They’re in counseling, but you also know Joel isn’t giving it a fair chance. He’s stubborn that way, burying himself in his work. Or your legs.

The first time you had sex with Joel was after they had a big fight. He was working late, as usual. It was only you and a few interns left behind to help the man out when Evelyn came storming in. She was angry, yelling at you and the others until Joel came out to grab her. You could still hear them in his office, so you did what you thought was best and dismissed the interns, sending them home.

Then you waited in the break room. The fight wasn’t your business. You weren’t going to stand by and listen even though you were sure their domestic dispute would be tomorrow’s big news. Still, you kept yourself occupied, knowing Joel would find you when it blew over.

And he did. And you comforted him. And he appreciated how well you listened, how you let him rant. And then he kissed you once quickly. And then again, much harder until you were screaming his name on the break room table.

Since then, you’ve both been on your worst behavior.

So you have two options here. Tell him to take a few minutes and then collect his things and go home. Or…

“Let me take your mind off of it,” you tell him exactly what he wants to hear. And like that, you can practically feel his tension leave the room only to be replaced by a different kind.

He smiles wickedly in your direction, motioning his finger for you to come to him. Being the good assistant you are, you oblige, settling yourself onto his lap. As you find your comfort, you reach up to undo the pins in your hair, letting it fall down in relief.

Joel threads his fingers through your hair, lightly tugging on your tresses before his hands wander down around your neck and then over your breasts. He stops to undo the pesky buttons that hide your chest from him, working quickly and not caring if he rips any. You don’t care either at this point.

He tilts his head up, lips brushing against yours, and you give him what he wants, kissing him passionately. His warm mouth captures yours, smooth tongue licking at every crevice he can, gathering your sweet taste. A little moan slips from your throat and it sends a carnal desire through Joel’s veins.

Losing patience, he rips the rest of the buttons off to push your shirt down over your shoulders. Your pretty pink bra exposes itself to him, and he breaks the kiss, licking his lips as he eyes you over. His large hands smooth over your tits, gently squeezing, and you reach back to unhook your bra.

He pulls it off you, tossing it to the ground before bringing his hands back up to massage your chest. You whimper as you feel his thumb roll over your nipple, kissing him deeply again to signal you want more. But he knows. He always knows.

“Joel,” you breathe as you regretfully pull your lips away from his. Your eyes are heavy, hands on his chest as you grind into his lap. He’s hard already, bulging in his pants and pressing against your aching core. You could get yourself off just like this. And Joel would let you, but that’s not what he needs right now. He needs more.

“Touch me, darlin’,” he orders you, bucking up into you and making you moan again. Now he’s just being cruel. But you suppose you are, too. “Wanna feel your hands on my cock,” he sighs.

He’s so hot and it’s so unfair. His words spur you on, and your hands drop to his pants, skillfully undoing his belt. You tease him a little, letting your palm brush over his hard on as you remove the belt from the loops. He groans, and you smile, proud of yourself.

His hand grabs your wrist tightly, stopping you in your tracks. “Don’t tease,” he warns, eyes dark and voice low.

You nod and capture your lip between your teeth. “Yes, sir,” you purr, and he gives your wrist one more tight squeeze before letting it go.

With your hands free, you make quick work of pulling Joel out of his pants. His hard cock springs to life before you, and he lets out a quiet moan of relief. You take him into your hands and sigh at how warm he is. His thickness fills your fists completely as you start to stroke him, up and down. You drop a hand down to his balls, cupping him how he likes.

His tip is flushed, angry, dripping with precum that you use to lube him up. The sound of your wet hand against his slick cock grows louder, your wrist turning quickly to pull more delicious moans out of him. “Fuck, darlin’,” he gasps as you grip him harder. “Feels so good, don’t stop, baby. Don’t stop.”

“Hmm,” you murmur, listening to his orders, picking up the pace of your strokes. You lean over, licking your lips before spitting on his cock. Your saliva trickles over his glistening head before pooling over your fingers. “Is this what you wanted?” You ask sweetly, massaging him in your hands. “You need a release, huh?”

“Yes, fuck,” he groans as he drops his head back onto his chair. “Doin’ so well, baby girl. So good.” His praises are cut short as a moan peels from his throat. You love the sounds he makes. And you love the fact that it’s you causing them.

You don’t want to think about what he does with his wife. You don’t want to know if she can make him feel like this… “So gorgeous,” Joel gasps as his eyes open and meet yours. “No one makes me feel the way you do, darlin’,” he says, and you smile, getting your answer.

You move to kiss his lips, but he dodges your advances, instead going for your throat. He knows it’s your most sensitive spot, and he wants to make you feel as good as he does. He kisses along your neck, stopping to nip at the tendons of your throat, biting you and marking you as his.

And you are. Fuck, you are. He’s a married man. You’ll never fully have him. But he has you, and he lets you know it. His fist bunches in your skirt, pushing it up until he can see your matching pink panties. He chuckles lightly, dragging a finger against your clothed cunt. “So pretty,” he coos, pressing his knuckle into your heat.

A gasp erupts from your throat, and you push yourself against him. If he had the time, he’d tease you, play with you a little more, make you squirm. But his wife is expecting him so he needs this to be a quickie. Unfortunately.

He pushes your soaked panties aside and easily slips a finger into your drenched pussy. The contact makes you cry out in pleasure, digging your fingernails into his shoulders for something to grasp on to. Your head falls back as he prods at you, smirking at how you unravel for him. Your perfect sounds are his motivation, sliding another of his digits past your folds.

You can feel his wedding band against you as he stretches you out. And you know what you’re doing is horrible - you are horrible. But then he curls his fingers inside you in just the right way that all your guilty feelings dissipate. “This pussy is mine,” he growls, and you’re a goner.

When he can’t take it anymore, he lifts you slightly, bringing his fingers to his lips and sucking them clean. You’re in a daze as he laps at his fingers, feeling sensations you should not be feeling when he sinks his ring finger past his lips. Fuck, you’re terrible. But it’s so fucking hot.

“Ride me, sweet girl,” Joel commands you, guiding your dripping cunt to his cock. You sink down onto him and smash your lips to his. As your arms glide around his neck, his hands find your ass, grabbing handfuls of your creamy flesh and pulling you against him.

“Fuck, Joel,” you moan into his mouth. “So big,” you whimper as you grind your hips harder, taking him as deep as you can. “Feel so good inside me.” You lean into him, grabbing his face in your hands and kissing him so hard he’ll be able to feel your lips linger for days. Mine, you think. Even though he’s not.

But right now, he is. Right now, he’s inside you, moaning your name, fucking your brains out. That’s all that matters.

Joel slaps your ass hard before grabbing it, pulling you down on him as hard as he can, forcing your hips to meet in a bruising fashion. He fucks up into you, tongue intruding your mouth as his cock fills your pussy. “Pretty girl,” he whispers into the kiss. “Look so good on top of me.”

“Faster, Joel,” you plead, thighs clenching desperately against him. He’s so thick, hitting all of the right spots, brushing against every inch of your walls. Joel picks up speed, and your eyes roll back, collapsing on top of him from the force.

He’s thrusting up into you unbelievably fast, arms wrapped around your waist and holding you in place. “Take me so well, darlin’,” he compliments, closing his eyes. You feel amazing around him, warm and tight and perfect. Truth is, Joel’s never fucked anyone like you before. You’re loud and responsive and enthusiastic and so, so obedient.

“Oh, god,” you gasp, fingernails clawing at whatever part of him you can. “Joel, Joel,” you groan his name over and over, and it goes straight to his dick. It’s his mission to fuck you until his name is the only thing on your lips.

“Such a good girl,” he murmurs, slowing his movements until he comes to a stop. You whimper, and he reprimands you with a gentle smack to your ass. You push your weak body up, hands on his chest and arms shaking. Your cloudy eyes meet his, full of something dark and sinister. “Fuck yourself on my cock, baby,” he says.

With as much energy as you can, you begin to roll your hips, but he presses his fingers into your sides. He’s not making this easy on you. But you want it, you need it. “I’m gonna cum,” you whine, wiggling on top of him.

“Of course you are,” Joel chuckles and helps move your spent body. “Only I can make you cum like this, huh? No one can fuck you like I do. My beautiful girl.” His finger hooks under your chin, and he places a soft kiss to the tip of your nose.

Joel thrusts up into you hard, and it sets you off. His hot breath on your skin aids you as you cum, clenching around his cock as you drip all over him. The release that washes over you is intense, freeing, and well-deserved after a hot fuck. He moans at the feeling of you and glances down at your mess. He smirks.

“That’s my good girl,” he purrs, grabbing the back of your head and pulling you in for a kiss. “Can I fill you up, darlin’? You look so pretty when you’re leaking with my cum. I want to see it. Please?”

“Uh huh,” you moan, nodding your head furiously.

“So fucking hot,” he grunts, stilling inside of you. He cums hard, coating your walls white, fucking his seed deep into you. His smile is radiant as he finishes. “You’re incredible,” he sighs happily.

The two of you clean yourselves up in mostly silence. You find a way to fix your ripped shirt, tying it so it covers your chest. Joel helps you smooth your skirt out, cleaning up what you missed on your legs. The air smells of sweat and sex and you know you both look a mess. But it’s time to finally go home.

Before you can say anything, his cell phone rings, and your stomach drops. It’s her. He gives you an apologetic look before putting on a happy face.

He answers the call in a sickly sweet voice. “Hey, darlin’,” he says, and you can feel your eyes well up. “Yeah, I had to work late again. I’ll be home soon.”

You drown out his conversation, unable to listen longer. You know your place here. You’ve accepted it.

When he’s done, Joel says nothing, sliding his phone into his pocket. He bids you goodnight with a kiss to your temple. You hide your disappointment as he whispers a goodbye. He’s going home. Back to his wife.

“Goodnight,” you say softly, watching him walk away. Once he leaves, you let your tears fall. As far as bosses go, Joel Miller is one of the best. And even though your heart breaks every night, you know the next time he beckons you for a secret rendezvous, you’ll be at his side ready for him to take.

Masterlist

Joel Miller Taglist: @swtaura - @chxpsi - @extraneous-trip - @cerebellam - @tiredbeebo - @kirsteng42 - @trickstersp8

Fic tag: @detectivebarba

Special thanks to @tiredbeebo for naming Joel's wife!

#joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #joel tlou #tlou fanfiction

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joeyjoeylee · 1 year

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Ok so.... This is a weird ask lol. But if you don't mind can you share a mini update of both sides of the law? Like?? Do you think Beth still is in law? Is Rio still in crime?? Are they still together 😭? Like where do you see all the ch in the future? Also I love this fic so much seriously one of my favs ever thk you so much for writing it 💗💖💗💖💗💖💗💖

Anon, thank you, this made my day - I'm so psyched you liked it and thank youuuu for letting me know!

And no, I never mind asks (the serotonin of seeing that little envelope with a dot on it lol) so let's gooooooooo:

I have thought about this in the context of a "sequel" of sorts and been trying (and largely failing lol) to see if I could continue the story and fill in blanks without using the two main POVs. Everyone BUT the "both sides" in other words. The "future" in that "sequel" though only goes out a couple years plus will likely never get completed plus it's easier to write in bullet points just answering your questions and ya girl prioritizes laziness and the easiest way out at all times so:

Yes, Beth would still be in the law, although the form of her career would change over the years. I see her craving the Law Firm life for awhile - having her own cases, telling people she is "Elizabeth Boland, ESQUIRE" (lol, nerd), feeling like she has a seat at the table with other experienced litigators she respects like Gretchen/Katz, learning the system and being part of all the "culture" (bar stuff, meeting judges, etc.), and most importantly making money. She's been a stay-at-home mom for a decade+, and while that is hard work, now she's surrounded by adults (albeit adults of the worst kind, aka lawyers) and she wants to prove that she's the smartest and most competent to all them too (less "prove" and more "make them acknowledge").

The Law Firm life would lose its appeal after a few years though. Katz would retire to Florida and she'd have the whole firm to herself but once she'd hired a bunch of new associates, got the whole thing running as Managing Partner, got a few "Best Detroit Mid-Size Firm" awards, etc., she'd be looking for other challenges. She's like Rio in that she wants to be in charge (thinks she is in charge at all times lol) but her need for power and control manifests a little differently imo - Beth wants it in a societally approved external way - wants everyone looking to say "Well, objectively, you just can't get better than that. We, as a Society, approve."

That's a judge or a politician. "Your Honor...." "Senator...." "Councilwoman..." - Rio would die laughing at wanting to be called any of those out loud, even as he'd brutally shut down any lack of respect towards him from anyone on either side of the law. Power to Rio doesn't need to be chronicled in the Wayne County Bar Association Newsletter before that makes it real, it just is. But this would be the Beth Dream imo. EVERYONE having to say ("Say it! SAY! IT!") her title, out loud and to her face.

So she'd maneuver herself into kissing ass and doing grunt bar/alumni work for the name recognition the first few years in practice until she was recommended for substitute judge positions, then springboard a few years after that into running for judge/political office.

In contrast, he'd stay with crime, yes of course. The problem with going 100% clean is that in the Legit World there is always going to be someone else Society makes your boss, and that rubs against his soul. Even the best lawyer with the highest hourly rate or most high-profile clients can get screwed by a shitty judge (see, e.g., the current United States Supreme Court). So staying clean/legit means working within the System mostly and that is just too limiting. Plus he likes the action, the rush, just likes it.

So he'd keep his criminal empire, but continue to morph and evolve to stay on top and one step ahead. He'd keep the legit stuff too as a cover and to interlace/enhance and because he likes the irony and fuck-you-ism of having his legit biz stuff be an entry into a prissy white country club that he only wants to be a part of to say a silent you-can't-keep-me-out and to get into fights with Gretchen on the tennis court.

YES THEY WOULD BE TOGETHER. And they'd stay together, whatever/wherever the road. The years apart would be like a bit of an unhealed wound they would never talk about but would always be lurking. A reminder of the alternative, a cautionary tale of what it could be like to choose pride/wanting to be right/being afraid of what others think over compromise. Nothing is as bad as that.

Which is not to say they wouldn't butt heads and battle on the regular though, both because it's a type of foreplay they both crave and because both of them deep to their core think they are right at all times and also the one in charge over the other. She'd try to get him to bankroll certain "community" type bullshit that he'd find deeply lame or try to strongarm him into going along with her wacky biz ideas. He'd try to steer her into how she should be running her firm (shots....FIRED, she would literally black out from rage) or taking on certain type of cases best for her "image."

(I was trying to play with this as the new conflict in their relationship - b/c hell no with cheating etc. - in the "sequel." Basically reimagining/reworking the Season 2 Crackhouse Goons Encounter. That Beth gets a felony drug court-appointed client who fails to appear for his court date. She's all gungho because she wants to kiss the butt of the judge who appointed her and show she is the Super Best Number One Court-Appointed Counsel Ever in Detroit. So she tracks the random junkie down to the Crackhouse, then actually goes in looking for him, Annie in tow, then has to bluff her way out like in canon. Rio is NOT pleased to find this out and tries to "order" her (lol, mistake) not to take on cases like that. This causes Big Fight that Gretchen is a reluctant bystander to and wants to kill herself watching how stupid and stubborn they are.)

Of the rest of the characters - do you mean like Gretchen/Gardner/Courtney? Or Dean/Ruby/Annie? Or just Rio/Beth and this is already too long (it is, I know). I'll just do a couple of law ones:

Gretchen - Stays at her Firm til the day she dies. Would never give up litigating or crim defense for judgeship or anything else. Sees it as her way to protect her family (literal family in Rio/Beth and figurative family as in their business and all its people), and is forever annoyed that Rio sees her sensible "I need to work within the Law as much as possible if I'm going to do us the most Good [and by that I mean, Bad]" as too cautious. Becomes a mentor of sort to Beth in her first few years of practice and then later deep friends/sister-in-law but neither of them ever fully see it, Beth because she views herself as having Ruby/Annie as Friends/Sisters Only in Life, Gretchen because she's always thought of herself as a woman who only gets along with men and not other women.

Gardner - tries to fit into the same big law shoes his father wore for 5 years or so. Ends up getting dumped by law school boyfriend/love of his life who's frustrated Gardner won't stop trying to squish himself into the Warrington Success mold his father wants him to fill (and not be gay, obvi). Comes to his senses 10 years or so after graduation and leaves private practice, becomes a law professor instead so he can read and think in quiet and work with shiny new students. Reconnects with Beth/Rio when he invites Beth to his wedding (new guy he loves a lot, even if he still thinks about Joel on occasion) on a whim and she replies with a Plus One and a note that Rio says to tell you "he's looking forward to it, G."

I'm so sorry for this stream of consciousness, Anon, I've had 5 cups of coffee this morning. Hopefully this is what you were asking and THANK YOU again!

#this got long anon I am sorry as always

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leggerefiore · 1 year

Note

{Chatting}

First off, love Emin. He is the best and sweetest husband and we all would kill for him.

If you wanted something for him to write moten letters about, you wrote a thing once, I think? Where Emin and the reader were childhood friends, moved in together, and then confessed their mutual feelings.

So Emin could have written love letters he never meant to send during all the years he spent pining, just to get his feelings out do he didn't explode~

~Spark💥

emin induced amnesia. i did write a piece where he had a childhood friend romance lol

Bestest friend,

My mom said that being honest is verrrry important! So, I'm writing this to be truthful! Like Reshiram! I like you! A lot! You're my favourite person! I want to spend aaaaaall my time with you and be your favourite person, too! I want to play fun games like tag and house until we both pass out in my bed! I think I love you! Please write me back or meet me at recess or outside school!

— Emin

The ten-year-old reread his letter again and again before sighing. His Klink hovered by him and gave encouraging grinding. He shook his head and hid it in a toy train.

My crush,

I have no idea how to tell you this, but I love you. No, wait. That's not right. I do love you, but I also want to tell you why! We've been friends since kindergarten, as you took care of him in a way to help with my horrible shyness. Every time I think of your smile, I just feel warm. Happy. Content. I love you, as I said. You talk with me even when I have a mood of not wanting to speak much. My lonely childhood faded the minute you entered my life. I love you. I want to marry you one day!

No, once again I'm getting ahead of myself. I just want to thank you, especially for being my friend and caring for me. Doing homework and hanging out with you have become extremely important parts of my life. I want you to always been in my future. Being separated from you seems sad. So…

I love you!

— Emin

The teenager flushed at his letter and tossed it into the bin beside his desk quickly. His Klang made harsh sounds at his cowardice.

Later.

He'd definitely try again later.

(Klang sneaked the letter out and hid it in a toy train he still held on to.)

My beloved,

Where do I begin? You're my closest friend and person whom I rely on more than any other. How often do you scold me to take time off and care for myself? How often do you visit me to give me friendly company? I can't even begin to count. You continue to take care of me and be my friend even after so many years of knowing one another. I truly doubt that I would be the same without you. Your encouragement to pursue my dreams of being both a conductor and pokemon trainer helped immensely in getting me where I am now. There are not enough ways to thank you, truthfully.

Many times in the past I have written letters like this one in order to confess my feelings to you, but all have been tossed away. Once again, I write to tell you that I love you. Your companionship is something I desire much more than I could ever truly admit aloud. I want to make up all your kindness by being the most caring, adoring boyfriend I can be. Of course, that's only if you are alright with that! No pressure. I respect any boundaries you want or need as always.

Though… I wish I could tell you just how verrrry beautiful you are. I adore your smile. I love seeing you pop in at the station and gift me a lunch… Your sweetness has fully entrapped my heart. I doubt I could find another after you…

I love you. Completely.

— Emin

The Subway Boss tossed the paper into the bin again as he buried his bright red face into his grey coat sleeves. Foolish! He was verrrry stupid! Love you? He should be content to just simply remain your friend. He swallowed dryly.

Klinklang took the paper again when their master had left the office. Into the train once more.

A train the pokemon presented to you during a visit to Emin's office.

#emin.ima #loveletter.ima #its emin loving day!!!!

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aayushiagrawal123 · 2 years

Text

Vaise toh mai kabhi kahi jati nahi hu par b ne kaha toh maine socha chalo bor toh ho hi rahe h ghum kar aate h vaha kuch random floor dance chal raha tha.

B ko kisi se milna tha toh maine kaha mai yahi side mai wait karti hu tum jao.

Maine high waist jeans n top phena hua tha n balo mai clature lagaya tha.

Itne mai A vaha par aaye n he said "excuse me".

Maine unki taraf strangely dekha.

Then he said "do you have any dance partner?"

Maine sirf gardan hilai.

"Can you be mine?"

Lol

He said, "Can you come with me as my dance partner?"

I said, "yes". Slowly.

We both get on to the dance floor.

Now the time comes to hold your dance partner hand.

He offer his hand I hold his hand softly.

When we awkwarly hold each other hands

I smiled and look at him. He also smile to ears.

Then i asked your name?

A: Yeah, I am A.

Me: I am Aayushi.

Nice.

Then it's to start dancing

I was kind of nervous n he support me well.

Me: Actually, I am very good in this.

A: It's ok, you can improve.

I smile.

Finally, dance is over.

Now, we start talking about where we live what we do.

He also works in company not so far by my office.

We exchange number and greet to meet again next day at the same time.

He said can i drop you I said i can manage.

And we left.

Again next day when we meet.

We talk about our hobbies and interests. He is so much interested and eager to know about me.

So, more than 1 hour I let him know all the things that I have done until now.

Now his turn.

He says a lot about how him. One thing i really liked about him is that he has so many dreams to live with. He tells me deeply about his ambitions and one thing that is common between both of us is that we both are not ready to settle for less and wanted to serve for humanity. Also, after sometime when we got to know each other more better we conclude that both have unanimous thinking about money.

That it is only important for living and we both can be happy without it also.

He appreciated my efforts.

Give me compliment like tumhara toh sahi h sab tum toh perfect kar leti ho. And start teasing me alot.

I handle his tease with all my love. And he used to say me that never talk with any other like the way you talk to me. I also love to give all that I have with all my love. He also love my service things.

Cleaning Food Massage and he also used to talk less. But he likes my being. And loves to stare me like an infant used to stare at his mother. And also comes closure to me whenever he gets a chance.

Vo ek saal mai bahut pagalpanti kiya.

Saare pagalpan jo bacha rakha tha usse ek saal mai kiya.

Vo bina bataye din raat mai kabhi bhi bas unko mere saath rehna h.

Ek durse ko sunnte h aur saath mai bahut haste h.

The way we sees in each other eyes like a small kid watching stars for the first time.

The way he touches me feel his strong hands feel like having a soft feather touches me.

Unke aane par mujhe yeh pata chala zindagi mai pyar kitna important h.

Pyaar bahut important h life spend karne ke liye.

I know I got fucked when his voice makes me turn on.

When I first met and after spending some time I am definately sure that he is the good human being.

He respects womens.

Our relationship starts with having mutual respect for each other.

And that is the only reason I wanted to move ahead with him.

He listens to me and loves my intellectual skills.

Kyuki mujhe hamesha se hi apne partner mai yeh chahiye tha ki Meri respect bale hi na kare

Par uss ladki ki respect kare jo apna sab kuch choodh kar aayi h

Uss ladki ki jo tumhare bache ko janam dene ke liye apni jaan par khel gayi.

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waywardsummoner46 · 2 years

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You do Kaz? Sweet! I know you’re busy right now and you don’t need to rush into it, but I just want to send you an idea before I forget it. It’s a Kaz x reader where they both like each other, but the only problem is that reader has always dreamed of starting a family and she knows she can’t have that with Kaz because of trauma. Afraid she might leave him, maybe Kaz has the crows steal a baby from an orphanage and kind of shoves it in readers hands and is like “this is our baby”. He has a bit of yandere behavior but he’s still the same old Kaz.

Our Baby

Pairing: Slightly Yandere!Kaz Brekker x reader

Summary: You loved Kaz and he loved you but his phobia to physical contact became an obstacle to what you really wanted: a family. Noticing this, Kaz takes it upon himself to get you a child, securing your happiness. But what you don't know, is that you're being hunted and Kaz has ulterior motives rather than just supplying your solitude.

Word Count: 1584

Warnings: hints to violence, slight yandere behaviour, hints of being hunted and subjected to slavery and manipulation

A/N: Helloooooo! Two fics in two days? That’s a result of my illness, welp. Anyway, to the anon that requested this I am so sorry that it’s taken me so long to get to this but thank you for requesting and for giving me another series idea whilst also adding to my Darkling draft idea. Let me know what you guys think and I hope you’re all having a wonderful day :)

________________________________________________________________

It was becoming increasingly obvious to Kaz that you wanted a family.

For the past few weeks, all you had wanted to do was leave the Crow Club in exchange for exploring the richer and better kept areas of Ketterdam to watch the little children running around the streets and to watch how they interact with a multitude of things. You were practically drooling over the family dynamic you saw in various families and your desire to become a mother yourself was becoming unbearable; you tried to suppress it but Kaz is the Bastard of the Barrel for a reason… he noticed.

Initially you never stated why you wanted to leave the Barrel, claiming you wanted to explore the city and become more familiar with it which was understandable considering you were Ravka-born and raised. Yet Kaz’s observation skills were as impressive as ever and he read between your innocent little lies.

By no means would you ridicule Kaz for his trauma and inability to commence physical contact which is just one reason out of many he adored you: your patience and acceptance of him was something he’d very rarely come across. To trust someone enough with that information in the first place implied that you were a majorly important person to him.

He respected you and you respected him.

These brief interactions and silent staring from afar of the children continued until Kaz pulled you into his office one evening and confronted you about it.

With furrowed brows, you knocked on the door to Kaz’s office and after hearing the faint sound of acknowledgement, you cautiously took a step in. “Jesper said you needed me, everything alright?” You asked the figure rigidly leaning over his desk.

On further observation he didn’t actually seem to be analysing any of the papers or maps on his desk, rather caught up in his own head which was never something good. His eyes were shut and his brows mirrored your own - furrowed.

Your hands were itching to reach out for him but you knew that’d only make the situation worse given his haphephobia so you resisted, leaving them twitching slightly by your sides. Hesitantly, you opened your mouth to ask him something else but he cut you off.

“I’ve noticed how frequent your visits to the other districts are, (Y/N),” his gravelly voice cut through the suffocating silence.

You gulped. “Uh-um-uh, yeah! Yes, yes I have been going quite a lot. But that’s because I wanted to explore the city, Kaz. It’s quite big, I’ve come to realise,” you awkwardly laughed. He left the table then and fixed his jacket, grabbing his cane and slowly limping over to you.

Once he was standing directly in front of you, he lifted a violently shaking hand up to your cheek… you waited for the contact of his gloved hand but it never came. You diverted your eyes away from his hands to study his face instead. His jaw was clenched tightly and he was blinking quicker than usual as though he was debating his next move.

Brow slightly raised, you said, “Don’t force yourself, Kaz. Tell me what’s wrong.” Before you could second guess your actions, you quickly raised your own hand to place it over his. He took a brief intake of breath but didn’t move away, nor did that drowning feeling overwhelm him as it usually did.

He took an inaudible gulp before continuing. “Don’t lie to me, (Y/N).”

It was your turn to clench your jaw now and to avert your eyes. And just as your little moment started, it ended abruptly with Kaz taking a big step back and donning his scheming face. Or the hostile and terribly scary one he wears when confronting potential enemies.

You straightened your back and stared defiantly into his eyes. “Leave it, Kaz. It doesn’t matter.”

He gave you a malicious grin, “Oh my darling. It does matter. You want a family and knowing that I can’t provide you with one, you start developing an unhealthy obsession with others. Leaving the Barrel for hours at a time, not letting anyone know you’re leaving or when you’ll be back. Even taking notes on how to be a good mother and researching the orphanages stationed around the city, am I missing anything?” He listed in the same monotonous voice he uses on political challengers.

Your gaze now rested shamefully on the floor with your hands nervously fidgeting behind your back, something you knew Kaz didn’t like. “Stop acting like a child and answer me, (Y/N).”

Deciding to comply with him, you straightened to your full height and swallowed the lump in your throat. “It was never meant to be like that Kaz. If I hurt you in any way then I’m sorry but unlike you, some of us can’t suppress what we desire. Not me, not Inej with her ship, not Jesper with his gambling, not Nina wanting to avenge Matthias,” tears welled in your eyes at the pain you and your friends have experienced. “Yes, I’d like a child but I’m perfectly content with loving you only for the rest of my life, despite what you may think I do love you and our personal obstacles won’t affect that.”

His head was angled up, looking down on you. He didn’t respond, instead storming out of the room and leaving you wondering just what in Saints’ name just happened.

That evening you waited in his office for a good few hours before retiring dejectedly to your own room, heart heavy and tears flowing.

You didn’t see Kaz the next day or the day after that and you were convinced that you’d overstepped; whether with the physical contact or the verbal declaration of love you didn’t know. So who could blame you when you jumped out of your skin when he sat down right in front of you in the bar?

You’d ordered the heaviest drink you could from Jesper (who was on bar duty for a change) and was about to chug it down and wallow in your misery for the rest of the night but of course Kaz had to ruin your plans. Taking in a shaky breath you risked glancing up at him but almost died from shock when you saw a baby in his lap. You stuttered and tripped over incomprehensible words as you tried to even process the sight of Kaz Brekker with a literal baby in his hands.

He looked something akin to a child being scolded, face angled down, eyes slightly wide and legs twitching slightly. Never had you seen him so nervous. “I-uh, went to the orphanage when I left and got this for you,” he said uncharacteristically quietly, it was unnerving. Yet you couldn’t quite swallow the chuckle that came out of you at him addressing the child as “this”.

You smiled slowly at him, realising that he didn’t look like a scolded child but instead one looking for approval. “Thank you, Kaz, you have no idea what this means to me.” Reaching over the table, Kaz practically dumped the child in your arms leaving you giggling. A small smile was painted across his face, one you mistook for happiness instead of self-satisfaction, and he raised himself from the table with the promise he’d see you later and approached Jesper at the bar.

The two Crows slyly watched you, playing with the baby and making it giggle with the funny faces you were making, from the corners of their eyes before Jesper whisked Kaz’s drink up and plopped it onto the table.

“Gotta say, boss. That was a brilliant plan. I mean not only did you give the Mrs what she wanted but you secured yourself an heir! Wow,” Jesper said to Kaz. In return, he raised an unamused eyebrow, signalling that he saw past Jesper’s bullshit. Jesper raised his hands in mock surrender with a matching mocking smile on his lips.

“Alright, you got me,” he drew in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “How close was he this time?”

Kaz downed his drink in one and carded a hand through his hair. “There were five Heartrenders in the street beside where she usually goes. Not far behind them Zoya Nazyalensky and the King himself were spotted but Nikolai seems to still be The Darkling’s little demon. No sight of The Darkling himself yet though,” Kaz returned in an equally quiet tone.

Jesper looked at you worriedly. “What’s the next step, boss? I’ll help as much as I can.”

“I need you to send a message to my Crows; tell them that the lost Shadow Summoner has been found. (Y/N) is still a Crow as far as I’m concerned and I’m not letting The Darkling enslave her like he did Alina.”

“You got it, Kaz. As soon as I’m done with bar duty, I’ll get on that,” Jesper replied.

Kaz suddenly had a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Jesper?” a murmur of acknowledgment. “I thought you were on door duty.” Then a loud groan and a slightly annoyed expression came onto Jesper’s face but he knew better than to refuse.

“Nothing escapes you, does it?” He asked, then sauntered off, chucking the towel down on the counter.

Kaz took the liberty of pouring himself another drink and turned to look at you. Nothing would take you away from him. He’d make sure of it, even if he had to store you away from the entire world.

#Kaz Brekker #kaz brekker x reader #dark!kaz brekker #dark!Kaz Brekker x reader #shadow and bone #Grishaverse #grishaverse x reader #the darkling #the darkling x reader

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ilalos · 3 years

Text

Worth it (Anthony Bridgerton x reader) Part 1/2

Summary: You’re Simon’s cousin and you are ready for your first social season, excited for the courting and dancing. Your plans are shattered when you find yourself in an arranged marriage to none other than Lord Anthony Bridgerton, the one man who avoided love like it was the plague.

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy, arranged marriage, tiny bit of angst, Anthony is an idiot, if you think of anything else please let me know.

Word count: 2.5k

It was the second season the duke and duchess had the pleasure of enjoying together in their London home. The duke’s household had been rejoicing in the arrival of baby A for a year now and the family was also preparing themselves for the birth of their second child. One might think that they would rather spend these blissful moments away from the chaos that the social season brought, and one might be right.

Simon and Daphne had opted to miss this social season in view of the fact that Daphne would be heavily pregnant when the summer started and would be at risk of having the baby in London instead of the comfort of her home. They chose instead to visit the Bridgerton home before the season started so Daphne could be with her family for a couple weeks with no added stress.

But their plans changed when Simon’s aunt, seeing that they were going to London, decided to ship you, her daughter, with them so you could be part of the social season and hopefully find yourself a husband. The couple had agreed to take you to London and also to chaperone you throughout the social season.

You were a good, polite, and well-prepared lady; your mother had sent you to the finest finishing school in the country to make sure you were molded into the perfect bride. Despite the extensive preparations your mother had subjugated you to, there was one thing they couldn’t take away from you and that was the desire to marry for love. Everyone told you that what mattered was how well you could marry, that you’d eventually grow to tolerate your husband and that your children would give you more than enough joy; but that just didn’t seem enough for you. It didn’t matter how you felt about a loveless marriage though, your mother had been clear when she told you that you had this one season to find a husband and if you didn’t she’d choose for you whomever she seemed fit.

On the day of your arrival you learned she didn’t intend to give you even one season and, with no previous notice to you or him, you were introduced to Anthony Bridgerton as his bride.

Violet Bridgerton had grown tired of her son’s refusal to marry and after pressing him about the matter he admitted he was looking for a wife this season; she didn’t trust him to choose well and when Daphne wrote to her mother about you, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. And so, with your mother’s blessing, Lord Bridgerton was given your hand in marriage.

“I beg your pardon?” Anthony was shocked, to say the least.

“You heard me, son, this is Lady (y/l/n) and she is to be your bride”

You couldn’t think, move or do anything but stand there staring at the man you were supposed to marry. Your mouth opened and closed like a fish and Daphne had to guide you to take a seat because she feared you might faint. Anthony then excused himself and fled to his study with Simon hot on his heels.

“I’m deeply sorry for throwing this at you with no warning, your mother warned that if you were told before you got here you might have refused to come at all” Violet apologized taking a seat in front of you and taking one of your hands between hers.

“Anthony is a wonderful man and I’m certain you will learn to like him, maybe even love him” continued Daphne.

Meanwhile, in Anthony’s office, a similar conversation was being held.

“What excuse do you have now to reject her?” Asked Simon

“I don’t know her, that’s enough to not want this marriage”

“You said you didn’t wish to love the person you had to marry, so I don’t see the big deal in not knowing her” Simon served himself and Anthony a drink as he spoke.

“Even with that being true, I also said she had to be smart and at least interesting to talk to” he took a small sip of his drink “and also that it wouldn’t hurt if she happened to be beautiful”

“And isn’t she?” Simon raised a brow behind his cup before continuing “She is incredibly smart, kind and she also attended the best finishing school available in the London area, which means she is as proper as a lady can be”

“Well yes, but-”

“Your only problem with her is that your mother forced her upon you”

“My only problem is that I saw in her face she had no idea she was betrothed to me, it is not fair for her to be forced to a short and loveless marriage like ours will be” Anthony finished his drink and slammed the cup on his desk, he knew there was no way out of this.

“She, as any lady in the country, knows that her duty is to marry well” Simon placed his cup softly besides Anthony’s “You’re the most desirable bachelor this season, there’s no better man for her if we look at status, money, and age”

Anthony limited himself to roll his eyes and remained silent, he knew Simon was right but it still stung that because of him you were now forced to be married to a man you didn’t love.

“Well, she’ll be a young widow so she’ll eventually have a chance at finding love”

A knock on the door interrupted Simon’s answer and he was thankful because he was quite frankly tired of Anthony’s certainty that he would die young, he understood that Edmund’s death had been hard for him but it was still tiresome to hear him speak like that constantly.

“Yes?” Called Anthony from his desk, prompting Gregory to enter.

“Mother requests both your presences in the dining hall for supper, now”

The rest of the day was uneventful, Anthony refused to speak to you and you were too shocked to utter a single word to anyone. After supper you excused yourself and went to bed early, when you had laid down Daphne entered your room and gave you a letter from your mother before saying good night and wishing you sweet dreams. You sat up and decided to read the letter before bed, maybe it would bring you some comfort.

“My dearest daughter,

If you’ve received this letter it means that you know about your engagement to lord Bridgerton, we couldn’t find a way to tell you because we feared you might refuse to travel to London if you knew. I hope you understand that all I’m trying to do is securing your future, the viscount is a kind man and you’ll be safe with him. I sincerely wish for you to be happy by his side, and maybe even learn to love him.

I know your father is looking down at you proudly and I’m certain he’ll bless your union with happiness, you were his sunshine and he’ll always take care of you no matter where he is, as will I.

Love,

Your mother who loves you”

You couldn’t help but feel angry at your mother for lying to you like that as if you were a child with no control over your own emotions. It would’ve been nice to know about your fate before you got here, it would have saved you from daydreaming about balls and love matches that you now knew were never going to be possible. Still, you were grateful that they had chosen Anthony, they might as well had promised you to an ugly old man. So you fell asleep that night disappointed on the false expectations you were allowed to have, but grateful for having secured the best bachelor in the season without even trying; it might not have been a love match but at least it was a good one.

-this time jump is brought to you by Roma, my golden retriever-

“If we are to be married no matter what, shouldn’t you spare me the pain of courting her?” Anthony was straightening his tie as he spoke to his mother.

“Courting, in this case, isn’t meant to convince her to marry you, it’s so society can see your intentions are respectable” she took over his hands and settled the bow tie once and for all “this ball is the perfect opportunity for everyone to see you both as a couple”

“And you act as if you weren’t already attending for Eloise” Benedict entered the room also dressed for the ball.

“Chaperoning, not dancing” clarified Anthony.

“It’s only one dance, my lord, it will be over before we know it” you had entered the room without anyone noticing and Anthony was a little taken back by your beauty, but recovered quickly enough.

“The dance might be, but the ball will be unending” with that he left the room to go and rush Eloise, they were going to be late.

You frowned a little looking at his retreating form, he hadn’t said anything about the way you looked, not one single compliment for his future wife. Benedict must have noticed your disappointment because he swiftly stepped in to make you feel better.

“You look positively stunning (y/n)” he kissed your hand with a small wink “My brother sure is a lucky man”

“That he is” called Daphne from the door “Here you go darling” he placed a tiara on your head, “I told you it would look wonderful with your dress, now let’s go” she patted your back softly “Simon’s waiting for us in the carriage”

“We’ll see you at the ball, my dear” called Violet seeing her daughter to the door.

The ball was beautiful and you felt overwhelmed by the number of people in the room. Simon and Daphne guided you through the room and you felt everyone’s stares on you, you hadn’t presented before the queen because you were already in courtship with Lord Bridgerton so everyone was seeing you for the very first time.

Daphne had begun to feel tired and Simon had left to fetch her some lemonade while she found somewhere to sit down for a while, leaving you unchaperoned and praying no one would approach you while they were gone.

“Excuse me, miss?” So much for prayers.

“Yes?” Yo faked a smile as best as you could looking at the old man in front of you.

“I see you have so much space in your dancing card, perhaps I could book myself the next dance?” Your card was in fact empty because your darling fiancé had yet to appear.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible Mr. Wyatt, since she’s dancing with me,” said Anthony who had gotten to you just in time.

“Perhaps the next one, then?” Persisted Mr. Wyatt.

“That would be my dance” this time it was Benedict who saved you “Would you look at that? Her card is full, maybe you could try on the next ball” You hadn’t even noticed them scribbling all the Bridgerton’s names on your dancing card until it was full, but it now was and you were thankful for it.

“Thank you so much, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had had to dance with that man” you thanked Benedict.

“What are brothers for if not to protect future sisters-in-law from dancing with horrid men?” He joked back, making you giggle.

“Well then, let’s have our dance and get this over with” Anthony broke you from your fit of giggles.

“Remember you two, you have to look madly in love” at his brother's comment Anthony only managed to huff some curse words under his breath, dragging you to the dance floor by the wrist.

Once on the dance floor, you both got in position, and when the waltz started you began gliding through the dance floor gracefully.

“For someone who says he doesn’t like balls, you are an exceptional dancer,” you said in a playful tone.

“Mother made us take classes when we were little, any respectable man should be a decent dancer”

“They paid off, it’s a pleasure dancing with you” he didn’t respond to anything so you continued “Are there other talents you are hiding from me, Lord Bridgerton?”

“Not that I’m aware off, miss (y/l/n)” his answer was short and it was clear he didn’t care for conversation.

It had been like this since the two of you had been introduced, any attempt you made to get to know him better was quickly shut down by him. It was as if he wanted to remain a stranger to you, but you were to be married and you at least wanted to know a little about him besides his name and his clear lack of humor.

When the dance ended you left the dance floor and met with Colin by the beverages table.

“Why so sad, love?” The pet name caught you off guard but you assumed it had something to do with the alcohol you could smell on his breath.

“It’s nothing, Colin” you attempted to smile as you served yourself a small glass of lemonade “Have you seen my cousin?” You asked before he continued asking questions.

“He is by those tables with Daphne, a ball is no place for a pregnant lady” Colin pointed to the other corner of the room.

You thanked him and walked to where he had pointed, you were ready to leave, and also what Colin said was true, being in this ball was very stressful for Daphne so the earlier you left the better. Soon you spotted your cousin, his wife, and, to your horror, Anthony.

“Cousin! What are you doing here? I thought you’d be dancing with Benedict” said Simon.

“I was thirsty so I went to get some lemonade, here” you handed a glass to Daphne “I brought you some”

“How nice of you, thank you” she took a small sip “shouldn’t you be having fun? It’s your first ball dear”

“I think I’m quite tired already” you turned to look at Simon “Perhaps we could leave, cousin?”

“If you wish” he looked you up and down, making sure you were alright “Why don’t you and Anthony promenade around the room while I send for the carriage? Just to end the night right, at least in the eyes of the people”

You simply nodded and watched the way Anthony rolled his eyes as he offered you his arm. His plain rejection of you always hurt you, you knew he didn’t love you but never did you expect him to despise you. You walked by his side with a soft smile planted on your face but on the inside, you were hurting because with each day you saw your future clearer, and what the future held for you was being married to a man who could not stand you and would never love you. But then he lead you to your carriage and kissed your cheek when you were out of everyone's view, maybe he didn't find you so bad after all.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hi! I hope you enjoyed reading this, if you like it let me know i love the feedback. I’m kind of in love with Anthony atm so that’s why this is the second story I’ve written of him. Thanks for reading! :)

#anthony bridgerton #bridgerton #bridgerton netflix #anthony bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton x you #anthony bridgerton imagine #bridgerton imagine #my writing

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babyboibucky · 3 years

Text

Salt, Sugar and Viruses

Pairing: Office!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You’ve been secretly making coffee for Bucky at the office.

Word Count: 1,962

Warnings: Two idiots just doing idiot things

A/N: This was done in a haste so I kinda hate it lol but I can’t get this story out of my head and thanks to @bitchassbucky for pushing me to write a full fic of this 🥰 luv u 🥺

MAIN MASTERLIST

"You have a crush on Barnes' grumpy ass?!" Sam choked out.

You angrily hushed him and frantically looked around the pantry to make sure that your secret was still safe. Fortunately, only you, Sam and Nat were inside having your respective afternoon breaks.

"What? He's nice. And cute." you told Sam as you stirred your coffee, smiling to yourself at the thought of your office crush, Bucky.

"How'd you even meet him, he works all the way at the IT department." Sam asked.

Nat snorted recalling the encounters she witnessed for the past few months. Some of which were unintentional but most of them? You had carefully planned out just so you could come up with an excuse to request for Bucky's assistance.

"She might have gotten viruses in her computer once...or twice. Or thrice." Nat teased.

The first time you met Bucky was when most of your files suddenly got corrupted. It was hella embarrassing because you didn't know shit about how computers worked and well, you've been illegally downloading torrents since the office's internet connection was a gift from the internet gods. Without a doubt, your computer was a nest for viruses.

Bucky showed up in your floor that morning and you almost sunk into your seat from shame. You'd heard the IT Department complain about everybody else in the office messing up their computer systems. When you turned around, Bucky greeted you with a charming smile and soft hello. You could still remember how he felt when he stayed behind you as you sat on your chair, bending over to take your mouse in his hand.

God, he smelled so good you almost turned your head to nuzzle your face into his neck.

He was very soft-spoken you realized; Bucky was kind enough to walk you through the process and to be honest, you couldn't recall a damn thing he said. Something about firewalls? And shields? Whatever, you didn't really listen. You just stared at Bucky as he explained everything, solving your problem in less than fifteen minutes.

Since then, your crush for Bucky grew bigger. You'd entered the elevator together a couple of times, shared small conversations that made your heart flutter. When those little moments didn't seem enough, you started your devious plan to fuck up your computer a bit. By the third time Bucky fixed your computer, he was already comfortable enough to tease you for being a "virus magnet".

"Hello? Young lady, come back to earth." Sam snapped his finger right in front of your face, interrupting your thoughts.

You clicked your tongue at him and swatted his hand away. "If you ever tell this to anyone, Wilson. You are dead." you warned, poinitng a finger at him.

Sam rolled his eyes, "It's so unfair how he's kind to you. Last time I requested for his assistance he got all smug and grumpy at me." he complained.

Nat shook her head in amusment, "That's because you've been downloading porn. You know the IT department can access our browser histories, right?"

You choked on your coffe, "WHAT?!"

Nat narrowed her eyes at you, "You been up to no good for you to react like that?"

You faceplamed, "I've been stalking his Facebook account."

Sam chortled, "What are you, in high school? Jesus, calm down. You're gonna be fine. Why don't you just tell him you like him?"

You made a face, "I'm not Nat to have the guts to do that."

Nat hummed, bringing her mug to the sink to wash it. "Why don't you start by making him coffee?"

"I don't know how he likes his coffee."

You received a pointed look from both your friends. You groaned in defeat, "Okay, fine. I know how Bucky likes his coffee."

Nat smirked, "Stalker."

Bucky always arrived in the office half an hour before nine in the morning. This gives him time to settle into his cubicle, buy a sandwich at the stall downstairs and to make himself a cup of coffee. It was his daily routine and upon going back to his desk after buying his breakfast sandwich, Bucky was surprised to see a cup of newly brewed coffee on his desk.

He looked around but there were no signs of anyone. There wasn't even a note of some sort. Carefully, he brought the cup to his face and inhaled its scent. Shrugging, he took a tiny sip.

"How's the little secret admirer doing?" Nat asked, grabbing a chair and sitting down beside you.

You deadpanned, "I've been leaving him his coffee for an entire week now and nothing's happened yet."

Nat frowned, "Are you kidding me? Why would you expect for something to happen when you haven't been leaving any clues?" she said.

"I'm shy, okay?! Maybe I should hide somewhere, check for his reaction. See whether I have a chance." you shrugged.

It was stupid of you to leave the coffee on Bucky's desk. You never stayed to wait for him. You just left it there without a note or anything that would even give him a clue about you and your little crush on him. You knew the reason why, of course. You were afraid of rejection. Sometimes, you'd feel like you have a chance with him since he was always so kind and warm to you. Not to mention, everyone in the office knows him to be grumpy but around you, he was totally the opposite of that.

But then again, maybe he was just nice to you because you were nice to him too.

One morning after leaving Bucky his coffee, you finally decided to leave him a note. You ran back to your cubicle to get a post-it and a pen. Before you could even walk around your desk, you spotted Bucky headed over to the pantry, the cup of coffee in his hand.

"Fuck, okay. Maybe I should just directly ask him out?" you thought to yourself.

You quickly followed Bucky into the pantry and almost whined when you saw that Sam was inside as well. You widened your eyes at him, signalling for him to leave but Sam was preoccupied on observing Bucky who seemed to be in a bad mood.

"Rough morning?" Sam just had to ask as you awkwardly stood by the doorway, finding the right timing to butt in.

Bucky's forehead creased as he let out a huff, "Rough weeks, actually." he answered.

You opened your mouth to say something comforting, wanting to lift Bucky's spirits up but he turned around and glanced at you and then back to Sam.

"Does anyone hate me in this office?" Bucky asked.

You and Sam exchanged looks, both of utter confusion before shaking your heads in unison. "Why'd you ask?" Sam asked.

Bucky lifted the cup of coffee that you made, "Someone's been making me coffee." he stated.

You cleared your throat, "...is it bad?" you asked.

Bucky made a face, "Terrible actually."

Ouch.

"I mean, the first time I saw it I was actually flattered. And then I took a sip and it's just...salty." Bucky said, pouring the coffee into the sink before throwing it into the bin.

Sam's head snapped towards your direction, his face almost red from biting back a laugh. Your face heated up at the realization that you've been putting salt into Bucky's coffee instead of sugar. All this time. You wanted to disappear right then and there. And Sam had to be the one to witness your huge failure.

"I thought it was a mistake since the next day, there was another coffee on my desk. I tried it out and it's still salty. It lasted a week, you guys. And I was dumb enough to keep on tasting it in hopes that it might have been a genuine mistake. But now I'm starting to think that someone hates me that much to fuck my coffee up." Bucky explained, face scrunched up into a mixture of irritation and curiosity.

Sam failed to stifle his laughter and exploded, "Funniest shit I've ever heard." he told Bucky before standing up and making his way to the door where you stood.

Your face was red and if the salt and sugar mishap was already humiliating enough, Sam decided to make things even worse for you.

"You really need to check the labels before pouring shit into his coffee." and with that, Sam gave your shoulder a squeeze before leaving the pantry.

Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath and tried to calm yourself. When you opened them, Bucky was staring at you with an expression you couldn't paint.

"Did you...were you the one leaving me coffee?" he asked.

You secretly pinched yourself in the arm to check whether you were just dreaming. Fuck, you hoped you were having a nightmare but the pain that you felt made it clear that you totally fucked up.

You nodded in embarrassment.

"You hate me that much?" Bucky asked in disbelief, as if he was offended that out of all people, it had to be you.

You quickly shook your head, "No, God no! I just...it's because I..." you stammered, trying to find the courage to spit out the words you've been dying to tell Bucky.

Bucky tilted his head, "Because you...?" he urged.

Your hands balled into fists as you let out another deep breath. Bucky probably hates you right now, but whatever. This was your only chance and to hell, you were going to confess.

"Because I like you?"

You didn't think that Bucky's confused look could even turn more...well, confused. But he was looking at you incredulously as though you've grown a second head, or a third head.

"You like me so you decided to put salt in my coffee?" he asked again.

You honestly didn't know who sounded even more stupid now, you or Bucky. Because if he still didn't understand what was going on, he was dense as fuck.

"No!" you explained. "I wanted to make you a decent cup of coffee but I guess I was too careless and didn't realize that I've been putting in salt instead of sugar." you said.

Bucky didn't say anything after that. He just stared at you, but he didn't seem confused anymore. If any, he looked like he was processing the entire situation.

"You like me." he stated again.

Will your embarrassment ever end?!

"Yes, Bucky. And I messed up my chance and you know what? I'm just going to show myself out and leave you alone." you told him and forced a fake grin before attempting to walk out.

A hand gripped your wrist, pulling you back into the pantry. This time, Bucky was the one who looked embarrassed.

"I might have...done something pretty stupid too." he said, avoiding your gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck.

You eyed him suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"I uhh...I did something to your computer...the day before you requested for my assistance for the first time." Bucky admitted shyly.

It was your turn to get muddled at Bucky's confession. "But why?" you asked.

Bucky offered a shy smile, "Because I've been seeing you around the building and thought you were cute."

And then everything clicked. It was a light bulb moment for the both of you.

"Oh. Ohhh okay. I see." you said before suddenly breaking into laughter.

Bucky joined you and scratched his head, "I guess we're both idiots." he said, placing his hands inside his pockets as he stared at you.

"This went...way more interesting than I thought." you said with a nod.

There was a pause before you decided to speak up, "So, do you want coffee?"

Bucky beamed at you as he nodded, "As long as you'll use sugar this time."

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#bbbwrites #oneshots: bucky barnes #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky x reader #bucky x you #sebastian stan #bucky #bucky fic #bucky barnes fic #bucky fluff #bucky barnes fluff

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yuzukult · 3 years

Text

acquitted love || sjn & reader

title: acquitted love pairing: johnny suh x reader genre: fluff, angst, co-workers!au, lawyer!au, one-sided enemies to lovers word count: 8.7k warnings: some language/cursing, brief mentions of sex but there's no actual discussions or explicit conversations of the topic, but generally pg-13 prompt: you absolutely hate johnny suh. but when your boss pairs you two up together for one of the highest profile cases, you’re left working close with your enemy but he doesn’t seem to think that way of you. a/n: tada!! i wrote this for the @/ficscafe fic exchange event!! so @urlocalnctstan , hope you enjoy this !! i tried to write it according to what you put as your preferences, but honestly T_T it was so hard bc i was just not getting any ideas!! hopefully this is something you’d like :D enjoy !!

“God, isn’t he just… so attractive?”

Along with a click on your tongue, you feign a hit in Hyeri’s direction, whose reflexes have gotten so much faster in the past couple years of knowing you and it shows when she cowers underneath your arm. She gifts you that not-so-apologetic smile, full of mischievousness because she knows no matter how annoying she can be, you’ll still love her nonetheless.

“Why do you keep talking about Johnny? You know he’s banned as a topic of our conversations.”

Hyeri rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her white frilled blouse. You know that she doesn’t actually inhabit any romantic feelings for Johnny, but she has a problem of thinking without the usage of her brain when she sees a hot guy.

Not that you think Johnny is hot.

No.

“Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t think he’s at least an ounce of smokin’ hot.” She’s unraveled her arms by now, poking your shoulder incessantly to grasp onto your attention as you're tapping on the buttons of the copier machine. “I bet if you asked him out, he’d say yes.”

You briefly glare at Hyeri. “You realize that he and I don’t get along, right? He keeps finding stupid loopholes in the system to win his cases. He thinks with his heart, not his head, and sometimes, with whatever that thing was in his pants.” And, not to mention that he walks out the court with that big grin stretched from cheek to cheek, giving the ‘good news’ to your well-respected boss (who you desperately seek the approval of but that’s a different story for another time). And every single time, she gives him that nod of appreciation, that ‘nod of approval’ if you will, when it should be given to you and not to some asshole who fucks his way to victory.

“But he’s so hot—”

You narrow your eyes at your friend, and with a stern voice, you call out, “Hyeri.”

She shrugs. “Honestly, though, he’s hella smart. He’s got a job here, and works under your boss. It’s Park, Kim & Associates—notice how Park is first, because she’s a fucking genius. She only picks the intelligent ones to work under her. Why do you think I’m still working for Mr. Kim?”

Park Seohyun and Kim Gonghyun—one of the biggest lawyers in the region, decided to join together to build their own law firm from the ground up. They were both highly respected in their field; Kim Gonghyun spent years of his life being mentored by one of the most famous judges, and as for Park Seohyun, she was, simply put, admirable because of the obstacles she has overcome to make her dreams of working in law to be real. Being a woman, young, and beautiful, she’s had her fair share of encounters with people who disregard her potential, that is until she met Gonghyun—who, admittingly is an old man who seems like he’d be traditional, sexist, even, but he proves to also make people realize how wrong they are with their impression of him.

But, as Mr. Kim is getting older, he’s gotten a bit… lazy.

In fact, he’s been slacking so much that he’s gotten a new rep in the office—if he was your direct supervisor, or your supervisor was under him, you were on the side of the office where all the easier, uncomplicated cases were assigned. Which meant that there was a slight possibility that your talents and skills weren’t as sharp and exceptional as you thought they were.

And well, Hyeri works directly underneath Mr. Kim.

Hyeri doesn’t want a heavy workload, despite the fact that there’s a plethora of files on her desk, stacked up one onto another as tall as her PC tower, and they were all open and closed cases—needless to say that she didn’t mind it.

“Okay, but you got offered a position under Seohyun. Do you really think you’re not wasting your potential?”

Hyeri scoffs. “Never. At least, not now. I’m still in my twenties, I’d like to enjoy my youth while I can, for your information.”

You quirk a brow. “And does any of that pertain fucking Johnny? The hot guy, so you claim?”

She immediately has her hand covering your mouth and you scowl. “Shhhhh, he works here!”

You bite the flesh of her hand and Hyeri instantly retracts. “You think I don’t know my archenemy works here? He sits directly across from my office—I get the best view of the guy and I’m not even one of his fangirls.”

“You’re not gonna be one of those girls who claim they’re different because they don’t like him but then end up falling for him anyway… are you?”

Your hand goes up and Hyeri crouches down.

“Stop it.”

“Seriously though! It’s the classic e2l love story,” she has her hands gesturing in front of her like she’s making an imaginary rainbow, “Two lawyers, constantly butting heads, accept each other’s differences and learn to love—“

“The fuck is an ‘e2l’?”

“Enemies to lovers.”

“Are you high? Stop spitting nonsense.” This time, you’re waving the stack of papers that finish printing in front of her face. “Meet me for lunch later. But if you keep talking about my archenemy and I falling in love, you can kiss a free meal goodbye.”

Hyeri gasps.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Maybe. Just maybe, Hyeri might be a tiny smidge right when she says Johnny is handsome. Just a bit though, because she can’t get credit for something like that.

He’s dyed his hair this shade of brunette that sort of reminds you of roasted chestnuts on a cold, winter day, sitting inside of a cooker outside of your childhood home, baking along with some sweet potatoes your mom had gotten from a farmer’s market nearby. Johnny has this focused gaze attached to the screen of his monitor; there’s a dip in the fronts of his brows, lips tightened into a straight line, and constant switching back and forth from the computer while taking notes down in a book that’s laid open in front of him.

You wonder what’s running through his mind, or well, you’re more interested in what files he has sprawled out on top of his desk.

Truthfully, if it hadn’t been obvious enough, you weren’t quite a fan of Johnny Suh and it’s mostly due to his work ethic. He’d been notorious for his reputation of sleeping around—especially with the opposing side—so it’s hard to convince yourself that he didn’t win the case because of his actual capabilities, but it’s because he pulled some strings.

And Johnny doesn’t put much effort into denying it either.

Albeit deep down, you were a teeny bit envious of his confidence. He struts around the courtroom with ease, and when he presents his position, there’s no staggering in his voice—it’s always crisp and clean, weighted with nothing but credence, and never straying from his initial perspective. It’s never a lack of poise, it’s consistently the look he goes for; from the hand gestures and the furrowed brows, to the rhetorical questions in the end of certain statements that has the speculators and jury sitting at the edge of their seat, Johnny had a talent for performing in the courtroom, but that doesn��t mean anything when the way he gets to the success isn’t ethical.

Just at that moment, his eyes lift from the screen and meet yours.

There isn’t any hesitation when you scramble to grab the remote controller, and the shades drop over the windows instantaneously.

“Fuck,” you mutter underneath your breath, tossing the remote onto your desk and shaking your hands after. What if he thought you were admiring him? Maybe he didn’t see. Yeah. It was for a brief second, and with how close your offices were to each other, it would be common to accidentally lock eyes… right?

Interrupting your thoughts, the office phone rings and it nearly startles the living soul out of you. But before you reach for it, your head tilts to the side curiously because the extension number is familiar—it’s Park Seohyun’s, your boss.

What could she be calling for?

You don’t remember fucking something up—but to be fair, half the times, you never really know if you’ve actually fucked up until someone with steaming ears and a crimson face comes storming in. So… did you do something good? Again, you don’t think that’s right either, because other people would’ve made comments about it.

Deciding to swallow your nerves, you pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey!” Seohyun never fails to be bubbly, and you could never mimic her energy. You definitely had to be born with that kind of enthusiasm. “I have a favor. Hop into my office.”

Leaned back in her leather swivel chair, she had her fingers laced with each other while resting over her stomach. Johnny stands beside you (and you do your best to not look directly at him, especially after that weird staring thing), and you both feel like kids being lectured by parents from how still you are. Her office is huge, probably the size of both yours and Johnny’s combined; with ceiling to floor windows, cases of books that line the perimeter, not to mention the humongous ass couch that practically covers the other half of the room, and her desk was so wide, you estimate about four monitors would fit on there with still additional space for work. That wasn’t even the best part—the view of the city looks almost like a generic lockscreen of a Windows computer, and you’re not even sure why she goes home at night when she basically has a penthouse here.

“As you know, I have a favor.”

“Right,” Johnny retorts, mostly as a filler in the awkward silence. “So… what’s the favor?”

She pulls a box from her purse; square, black and made from a leather material with a lock pad stitched into it, something you’ve never seen before, and she slides the passcode in, then it pops the lid open. A key (a… very small one) sits in the velvety cushion, with nothing else occupying the space with it, and it looks comical. She uses this to open the very top drawer of her desk, and as she pulls using the handle, there’s another box inside, but this time, metal instead of leather, but still black.

What the fuck?

It seems Johnny shares the same thoughts, because he sneaks a glance over at you.

“You see,” Seohyun begins, pressing on the digital keys of the box until there’s a beep at the end and the case hisses open. “There’s a lot of security for this. Which means you understand the importance of it.”

Then, she picks up four manila envelopes and lies on the surface of her wooden top desk. “I have a family emergency to attend to this upcoming week. I’m boarding a flight tonight. So I’m leaving the Hwang v. Yoon case to the two of you.”

“Fuck—”

“The what?”

You and Johnny are sputtering out of shock. The Hwang v. Yoon case is the biggest case that the firm is involved in currently, and the only people involved in it have been Seohyun and Gonghyun. It’s been on every social media platform you could think of; from Facebook to Twitter, TikTok to Instagram—there’s even this weird website for emo/grunge teens or strange kids that like writing fanfic called Tumblr, and whatever that is, it’s discussed on there too.

“What about Gonghyun?”

Seohyun scoffs, closing the drawer and dropping the key back into her special box. Where do you even get a box like that? “He can’t handle this alone. So I’m kicking him off until I come back. I thought about letting the two of you work with him, but his ego is so inflated, it’ll get in the way of our chances of winning. It’s easier if it was just me and him, but seeing that things at home aren’t well, I’m going to need you two to step up to the plate.”

The room goes quiet. The only sounds you hear are the muffled noises of a typical bustling office outside the thick walls of Seohyun’s office, and at first, excitement rushes through your blood because Seohyun thought of you taking over a special, high profile case.

Albeit, another realization gets soaked up, and it’s that Johnny also came to mind, and that because it’s such an important case, the two of you would be… working… many… hours… together.

Maybe you should back out of it—but then again, this is such a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Imagine winning this— it wouldn’t be good for just the law firm, it’d be good for you too. Your name, in articles on these big fancy news websites, perhaps even on new channels, talking about how you, this amazing lawyer, won the Hwang v. Yoon case.

But then you’re snapped back into reality when Johnny leans over to take the envelopes from Seohyun.

If your name is on those platforms, so is Johnny’s.

God, this guy just ruins everything, doesn’t he?

“We’ll take care of it, Seohyun. You can trust us,” he says assuringly, a smile tugging on each corner of his lips with that dazzling gaze. “We’ll be at our best.”

Kiss ass.

If you had the option, you wouldn’t be spending your Saturday night here at work, in one of those conference rooms with a long table in the middle, a big projector that displays on the wall, and a random black leather loveseat couch that lines the one corner in case there’s too many occupants.

Especially since the person who’s accompanying you is Johnny Suh.

There’s probably a lot of people who would kill to be in your position (Hyeri being one of them), but you dread it. Not to be that person, but what’s so special about him anyway? What? He’s tall, has some muscles, long luscious hair that he can slick back with that sultry stare—wait, what?

“Alright, moving on…” From what? You guys just started? It’d been clear with Seohyun that the mornings would be dedicated to other cases, but nights would be considered overtime and where you’d zoom in your focus on Ms. Hwang’s justice. “Let’s take a look at the facts here.”

Johnny slips off his blazer, hanging it on the back of one of the chairs as you’re seated in another, leaning back comfortably with an arm resting on the table. He loosens the first few buttons of his dress shirt before folding up the sleeves, and that’s when you notice a little thing in the inner crook of his elbow—is that a fucking sunflower? Is that what he uses to reel girls in? That he’s soft enough to have a pretty little flower etched onto his gentle, silky and supple—

“Okay,” he says, interjecting into your thoughts with a laser pointer in his hand. He taps on the space bar of his laptop that mirrors what’s on his screen, but then, that’s when you realize what’s on the slides.

There’s a collage of pictures, mostly street, casually walking themed ones, but the common factor was that they were of Yoon Changmin, the man you guys were up against. They were all paparazzi-like photos, which begs the question, how did he get pics like this, and why did he get them?

“What’s the point of this?” you ask, voice laced with nothing but suspicion.

“We gotta get into the mind of the enemy.” You wanna get into the mind of your enemy, too.

You gesture to the one image of Changmin with an arm around his girlfriend and a finger up his nose. “Seems like he’s trying to reach inside of his head instead of us. These are just everyday pictures, Johnny. What’s that going to do for us?”

“Well,” he begins, turning to look at the wall of ‘evidence’. “You see—wait, holy shit.”

Freezing in the midst of reaching for your coffee, your head jolts in the direction of your partner. “What? What is it?”

“Holy shit,” he exclaims, “Hoooooooooly shit. Why didn’t I see this before? This changes everything.”

Furrowing your brows, you’ve given up getting your drink and dropped your hands onto the table. “Tell me, what is it?”

“This is a game changer.”

“Johnny,” you call out sternly, and his eyes link with yours before he instantly points to a particular picture with his red laser pointer.

“Look at that.” There’s pride saturated in his words, but when you look at what he’s indicating, your body slouches in disappointment.

Why the hell was he directing your attention onto Changmin’s thighs? Surely, there’s no denying that they were attractive—you recall that his alibi was at the gym that very night of the crime.

“What? He’s guilty for showing off his toothpick legs?” They were lean, you never said they were muscular.

“No,” he retorts, slightly irritated by your response as he rolls his eyes. “Look at his pants.”

“Okay…”

“They’re jean shorts.”

There’s a pregnant pause, but the expression on your face is so loud it can’t be hidden.

Johnny continues, “That’s a fashion crime.” He says it as if it’s an obvious fact known by many. “Not to mention that it’s fucking raw hem. He should be arrested.”

Suddenly, your opinion of him thinking too much with his heart dissipates because it seems like he’s thinking out of his ass instead. Did he win those cases out of pity? How did this guy even pass the bar? How about law school? How the hell did he even get into law school?

“I don’t think—”

“Listen, alright, just hear me out,” he’s got the palms of his hands resting flat on the surface of the table, doing his best to gain your full undivided attention. “Only assholes wear jean shorts. They flaunt that shit around like they own the place, but they’re horrendous pieces of clothing that should not be on a male’s body. I don’t care what you say, what your opinion is, because that is a fact.”

Puffing your cheeks, you feel at a loss. If Johnny is who you had to get this done, it feels like you’re not going to be finding much evidence any time soon.

“Okay, if… if that’s how you want to play it, then show me the evidence—other than those 2012 cut off denim shorts.”

He reaches over to hit his space bar again, then with a wink and a slide change, he leans closer to you and says with that deep, honeyed voice, “Gladly.”

You hate admitting when you’re wrong.

Ironically, you concede and will confess when you actually are, but it doesn’t mean that you enjoy it. For example, when Hyeri claims that the intern Mark had a crush on you, you quickly waved her off, stating something along the lines of, “I’m too intimidating; there’s better chances of him being scared of me than ever finding me attractive.” And then a week later, you owed Hyeri free lunch at that hip ramen place downtown because Mark had approached your desk that very morning with a bouquet of red roses flowers for you, a cheeky grin glued to his face with pools of hearts in his eyes, and ready to ask you on a date because it was the day after his internship had ended. Naturally, it wasn’t fun rejecting that poor college boy.

But, you won’t say you find Johnny interesting or handsome. Or that there’s potential when it came to possibly (just barely the slightest smidge) that you’d ever consider asking Johnny out. He’s your enemy here, you’ve mentioned that a multitude of times, and you stand firm on that very declaration, despite the fact that sometimes when he gets too close, your breath gets caught in your throat and you feel like you can’t get whatever’s lodged in out.

Albeit it’s not the whole “you guys are gonna end up together” comment that Hyeri makes and resulting in you denying it afterwards, it’s that Johnny might… be a decent lawyer.

He’s not the best one you’ve seen; the stupid revelation he had on the first day working on the case about the jean shorts is evidence for it, but it’s the days following that were slowly changing your perspective on him.

When you said, “He thinks too much with his heart more than with his head,” it was 100% correct.

When meeting with potential witnesses, you recognized that Johnny empathizes with people often; when they cry and start panicking from being overwhelmed, he's quick on his feet to put an arm around them, share reassuring words, and have them back to normal in record’s time.

And, well… you? You’re the one making them cry in the first place.

You don’t want to fully take the blame for being the cause of their tears, but people need to hear what’s happening, and the very detail that they can’t even handle this information probably means they’re not worthwhile as a key witness.

Johnny, of course, thinks otherwise.

He believes that these people should have a voice (although you’ve alluded that they might be more useless than helpful), and putting them on the stand with Yoon Changmin there would change the view of the jury to supporting Hwang Naeri.

“Listen, if we get these people to sign the form, we’d get witnesses and it’ll help Naeri,” Johnny claims, frantically moving his arms annoyingly as he talks, trying his best to express the gravity of the situation, “and maybe, maybe, money wouldn’t be how Changmin wins, but how he loses. We can’t have another person with jean shorts walking on the streets of our city like this—they deserve to go to prison.”

You scrunch up your nose. “Why does this always revert back to the jean shorts?”

“It always has to do with jean shorts,” he snaps back matter-of-factly. “Any straight guy wearing jean shorts with that much goddamn confidence has done some wrong in their lives.”

“Right, but I’m pretty sure that the crimes he did are mainly the reason why he’s being prosecuted against.”

“Jean shorts are the windows to the soul.”

“I’m almost 100% sure that eyes are the windows to the soul, but whatever. If you genuinely believe that the women we met today would benefit our case, then… okay. Let’s bring them to the stand.”

On the contrary to you, Johnny doesn’t have a hard time convincing witnesses to testify. You see the way that he works; those kind eyes directed at the participants, the pools of chocolate were sweet, saturated in nothing but tenderness and warmth, then he does that weird thing where he reaches for their hands and cups them before the words that escapes from his lips are enough to swoon them to stand in front of a courtroom.

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a method to his so-called madness.

Aggression and bluntness don’t work, it seems, because when you’re the one attempting to convince these people to go against the man that had done them wrong, they’re less willing to do it. Something about ‘moving on,’ and ‘not wanting to relive those memories again,’ but if it was you, you’d want justice. Then again, not everyone is like you, and not everyone thinks like you, and spending this abundance of time with Johnny is slowly getting you to ease into that perspective.

So… the initial impression you had of him may have been wrong.

And maybe, just maybe, you’re developing some feelings for him, just as Hyeri predicted.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

His abrupt personal question is enough to have the coffee spill into your mouth to slide down the ‘wrong throat’ because you’re choking, hand on your chest as you’re tackling to regain your breath again and Johnny only stares in disbelief, blinking blankly. “Are… are you okay?”

You glare at him through a hooded gaze. “Well,” you clear your throat once more. “Now, I am.”

“Cool.” He nods, retracting his hand so he could rub your back soothingly, deciding it’s best to stay away. “Are you going to answer my question?”

Quirking a brow, your head tilts slightly in puzzlement. “Why are you asking this?”

Johnny shrugs. “Isn’t it weird that we’ve hung out with each other for a whole week—stayed here for nights and we both don’t know anything about each other?”

Tapping your fingers against the wooden top table, you sigh. Maybe he’s got a point; after all, “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer,” right?

“No, I’m single.”

Johnny’s face suddenly brightens, ears perked, and his body straightens its posture in his seat at this revelation. “Oh, uh, I didn’t know that. You seemed busy in your personal life, so I, uh… was just wondering.” He looked anxious, but you couldn’t pinpoint why. “I, um, I’m single too, by the way, in case you’re wondering.” You weren’t.

The plethora of cardboard and plastic boxes scattered across the table was a representation of the night. It’s been long, exhausting, and messy, mostly because it’s a Friday night, the hearing was on Monday, and the two of you were nowhere near close to having enough to present to the court. In fear of disappointing Seohyun, the two of you agreed to stay over the office for the weekend to cram work for the case. There’s no denying that the atmosphere is weirder on the weekends, especially since, well, no one really comes here on the weekends. Johnny had to use the bathroom earlier and ran into the cleaning lady and she nearly shit her pants because she didn’t think anyone was here, so she had music blasting in her headphones.

Johnny is… interesting. He makes you laugh—or well, want to laugh, but you don’t give him that sense of satisfaction—and he’s smart but in his own weird way. He’s not like the other lawyers you’ve met, or any of the law students you attended University with because he’s more lighthearted and free-spirited than the rest, taking life in strides instead of just overwhelming himself in the abundance of stress that work brings.

He’s entirely the opposite of you.

And maybe you could learn something from the guy, but there’s something in you that brews hatred toward him. Possibility that you resent how easy he makes being a lawyer seem when you’re struggling in your day-to-day life to make things work.

But it’s way too fucking hard when he’s just… like that.

Despite all of that, he’s very generous and kind toward you. On rough days, he delivers your coffee order, the one you always get because he remembers what you asked the intern to get for you the last time, and he’s good at identifying when you’re just having that kind of day. You eventually learn he has a photographic memory (fucking show off), so when he saw that crumpled napkin with scribbles of what you want in that dumb intern’s hand, it wasn’t hard to remember. Which, by the way, is how he’s able to get into the most prestigious school for undergrad, manage to pass the bar so easily, and get into law school effortlessly.

And knowing this information sort of angers you more.

You know this isn’t his fault—he’s been blessed with a trait that people desire, one that you also yearn for, but the lucky ones get handed a lot of things in life. You wonder if he’s the type of guy who wins girls easily after matching with them on dating sites because of this stupid ass ‘photographic memory.’ Does he sleep with them right after? Does it ever get serious?

You shrug your shoulders and shake your head. You shouldn’t even let these strange thoughts haunt you, especially when you don’t even like him.

He’s a spoiled brat who gets everything handed to him on a silver platter.

So you’re left counting the remaining days until the trial so you don’t ever have to work with Johnny Suh this closely again.

Okay, well, it’s evident that bad luck is glued to your side because after you win the Hwang v. Yoon case for your law firm with that asshole, Seohyun is so impressed. So goddamn impressed that she insists that all the high profile cases are to be given to both you and Johnny.

To work as a team.

Together.

Jesus, this is Hell for you.

Surely, the promotion and raise that came along with it was definitely a plus, but it has you wondering if it’s even worth it. He’s been your unspoken enemy since the first day, and although you think you’re pretty forthright about your hatred for this guy, he can’t seem to read social cues.

When you’re pushing the double doors into the conference room the two of you often spend working on cases in, you expect Johnny to be ready for another day. But strangely enough, Johnny doesn’t have his laptop out or any of the notebooks sprawled across the table.

“Um,” you slide the strap of your bag off your shoulder and onto the spare chair. “Did you come late or something?”

He takes in a deep breath like he’s been holding back something. “We need to talk.”

There’s worry inscribed into his features; from the crease in between his brows, to his pursed lips, and eyes soaked in concern, almost like he’s got bad news to share and it has your stomach in knots. Was it that the case was thrown out? It couldn’t be, right? You both worked hard, presented your stance to the point that the jury and the judge were in awe with your findings. Sure, you had to cover Johnny’s mouth right before he was about to go off in a tangent about jean shorts, but overall, it was a good win, a hard one to go back on and pull out the wrongs of it. So what was it?

“I’m quitting our partnership.”

You blink. “What?”

He gestures to the room with his hands as if there’s anything out to reference. “This thing. Our work. The big profile cases. The famous stuff. I told Seohyun that I won’t be doing it anymore and she can revoke the promotion and the raise.”

You’re still not catching on. “… Why?” Was it something you did? Yeah, you weren’t a big fan of Johnny either, but were you so bad that he decided to not go through with the raise because of you?

“Because,” he pushes his blazer back, hands sliding into the front pockets of his navy blue trousers. “There’s a policy put into place. Those who are on the same cases cannot have any personal relations with each other that extend past friendships.”

“We’re not even friends?” With confusion written across your face, your head tilts to the side. “I’m not… I’m not catching on here.”

“I like you.”

Startled, the words you want to say are stolen out of your mouth. You’re left with a mixture of perturbation and bewilderment, uncertain where to go from there because Johnny asked for the removal of both a promotion and additional money that could be so good for his career… and it’s all because he has a crush on you?

“You quit the best thing that could’ve happened to you because you like me?”

“Yeah,” Johnny states calmly, sucking in his cheeks for a brief moment. “Ain’t that romantic?”

You scoff. “No. Absolutely not. You’re insane! Why would you do yourself dirty like that? Use your head, Johnny, you’re constantly thinking with that stupid heart of yours, and hate to break it to you, but it won’t get you anywhere.” Combing your hair with your fingers, you let out a sigh. “Go ask Seohyun for the position back. Say you made a mistake and—”

“I’m not asking her for the position back.”

Johnny doesn’t make any sense to you. “What? Why wouldn’t you do that?

“Because,” he laughs in disbelief, not because he thinks you’re funny. “I’m not going to force myself to work with a girl that I keep falling for. That’s self-inflicting, you realize that, right? You’re amazing, but you can seriously be so dense sometimes.”

“I’m dense? You just told one of the best law firms in the city that you don’t want to work on the important cases anymore because you have a stupid crush on your partner!”

“If we were on a team with more people, maybe it’d be different. But it’s just us two. You think I won’t fall any harder? That’s not easy. Every time I see you working, I swear I could be hopelessly in love with you one day.”

Your heart stops for a second.

This is Johnny Suh you were talking about here. One of the claimed best lawyers in your office, one of the most intelligent people that Hyeri has ever met, and Seohyun evidently backs this up because she’s given him so much recognition for his work. He’s the guy who worked with you to win the Hwang v. Yoon case, he’s the one who brought up the stupid jean shorts that seemed so far-fetched at the time, but they were a crucial detail everyone missed—it so happened that when Changmin bought those dumb shorts, there was evidence of at least one of his crimes in that store from the security cameras.

Any cis-gendered male who wears jean shorts can’t be trusted, according to Johnny.

And candidly speaking? You couldn’t even deny that. Your past two ex-boyfriends both wore jean shorts and the one cheated on you and the other one was caught money laundering.

“Listen,” he begins, interrupting your foggy thoughts. “I’m not asking you to tell me you like me back. I’m telling you because you should know, and that I can’t go on any further without letting you know. I’ll, uh, be in my office. Seohyun said she’d find a replacement for me.”

Hyeri is his replacement.

She’s great company and does a good job of helping you with whatever you need, but that was just it. Hyeri followed you, she never led with you, just as Johnny does. Agreeing with everything you say, mindlessly trailing behind everything you do—Hyeri was smart, but she couldn’t figure out how to think for herself when it came to these bigger cases because she’s never been given such a responsibility. But you couldn’t even blame her because it’s what she was told to do under Gonghyun.

“You said that you think Maeri snatched the bracelet?”

“No, I said if you watched the security video that the jewelry store submitted, it clearly shows that Maeri snatched the bracelet. Not that I ‘think.’ The proof is right there, Hyeri.”

She nods, resuming back to her work on the computer. Truthfully, Hyeri felt more like an assistant than a co-worker, someone to bounce ideas off of and to see from a different perspective. And as much as you hated Johnny, he had decent points. He had ways of making you put yourself into the shoes of people you never thought you were; although the guy was obnoxious, at least he actually was… good at his job.

Deciding you can’t take it anymore when Hyeri asks for the tenth time that hour about your beliefs rather than her own, you abruptly stand from your seat.

“Where are you going?”

“Out,” you reply shortly. “I’ll be back.”

It was just a spontaneous thought. It’s after hours, and although there are some people who stay behind to get some work done, you had your doubts that Johnny would still be here. He seems to have a better grip on that work/life balance thing people talked about (unlike yourself), but it didn’t hurt to check his office, right?

It’s a good thing you went with it. Because right across from yours, there’s Johnny.

There’s one single lamp that shines over the tabletop of his desk, and the other sources of light in his office are from his computer screen and the ones from the city skyline from behind him. It has him seemingly angelic like this, so serene, calm, and collected, only focused on what’s laid out in front of him. The sun has gone down, people have gone home, but Johnny remains, hardworking as always, despite your previous observations that he’s a lazy, unprofessional guy who gets everything handed down to him.

With a knock on his glass door, he flinches, head raising up and eyes meeting yours.

Were his eyes always this sparkly?

Opening the door, Johnny drops the pen in his hand and crosses his arms before leaning back in his seat. “What’s up?”

“You’re here late,” you state the obvious, and Johnny only nods in return, without a rebuttal in sight. “You aren’t normally here late. At least, before the Hwang v. Yoon case.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But Seohyun dropped something on my desk this morning. Wanted to work on it. What brings you here?”

Inhaling in a deep breath of courage, your hands bundle up into a fist by your side. “Please come back.”

Johnny raises a brow. “What?”

“Come back,” you reiterate, this time, it’s less tense and releases with ease. Caving in isn’t usually this effortless to you, but something about Johnny makes you feel… comfortable enough.“Come back and work with me again. Yes, I’m not supportive of how you do things—”

“Then let’s go out on a date.”

You freeze. Legs rooted into the floors of Johnny’s office, you’re left immobile and diffident on how to react next. It wasn’t what you were expecting, although you weren’t quite sure what you were hoping to anticipate, but it most definitely was not this.

“I—”

“I said my terms,” he retorts, shutting the book in front of him before shuffling up from his seat. He’s leaving, you realize, and Johnny’s ready to head home for the night and you’re not sure if you could handle an entire weekend with Hyeri here. “And, I meant what I said. One date, and if it really doesn’t work out, I’ll stay on the case.”

Chewing on your bottom lip anxiously, the next words that come out are out of character for you. “And… what if it does?”

A soft smile tugs from each corner of his mouth. “Then we’ll figure it out from there. Promise.”

This is… awkward. It shouldn’t be, but yet somehow, it remains awkward.

You’ve spent weeks with Johnny before, and those moments were in a room, in the middle of the night, and alone. Hours and hours were dedicated to work, yes, but it was just the two of you and nobody else.

So why is it so weird being in a five Michelin star restaurant with him?

Maybe it’s the atmosphere. The dim lights, the white clothed tables in lieu of the scratched up wooden one back at the law firm, and instead of leather seats, there’s a neutral beige chaise cushion for the dining chair, slightly less comfortable because it doesn’t recline like the one in your office. Instead of an array of photos and evidence disseminated in front of you, there’s a laminated menu with a multitude of options of what to have for dinner.

Johnny gets the steak with mashed potatoes and string beans, and you order something similar but seared salmon for the main protein. The waitress offers wine, babbling on about the age of the red, where the vineyard is located, and the dryness to sweetness—to be honest, you could care less; you’d rather have gin and sprite with a squirt of lime. A couple glasses of that and you can almost guarantee that the night would end with a deep slumber.

Oddly enough, Johnny seems nervous. Ever since he pulled up in his midnight black Audi in front of your apartment complex, he’s been acting strange. He keeps wiping his sweaty palms off the material of his trousers, occasionally swiping off the droplets that fall on the side of his face.

“Are you… okay?” you suddenly ask, adjusting your dress in your seat. Deciding to go with a black silk dress with a slit up the leg and your hair let down, it’s not a look you often sport but since you’re going on a date (one you haven’t been on in quite some time), you figured it would be nice to at least play the part.

“I’m, uh, honestly, I’ve never really asked a girl out before.”

You quirk a brow curiously. “What? You’re telling me you never asked a girl out before?”

He lets out a bashful laugh with a faint nod, making an attempt to swallow his nerves after. “Honestly, I’ve always been asked out and not the other way around. Not to sound like that guy, but I never really had to put effort into trying for girls. They kind of just…”

“—Throw themselves at you?”

He beams. “Yeah! Like that. I don’t really know how to react half the time, but it makes the whole dating scene a little bit easier.” Geez, he called you dense, but he’s over here acting clueless.

Either way, it feels like whatever opinion you had about Johnny remained true. He never had to try when it came to the dating scene, and you could only imagine what that means for work and the relationships he has with the women in your career field.

“Mm, does that usually happen with work too?”

Befuddled, Johnny leans back in his chair. “What do you mean by that?”

With a shrug of your shoulders, you’re poking the meat of your salmon that falls off easily. After the first initial bite, the fish practically melts on impact when it touches the tip of your tongue, smooth like butter and bursting with flavor that couldn’t be described by any common person because it wouldn’t do the salmon justice. Johnny seemed to put a lot into this date, and you’re left pondering what the point of this was. Did he actually like you, or was he trying to get into your head? “Just seems like you get a lot of special treatment.”

“Are you jealous?”

“In what way?” you snap back.

“Are you jealous of me because I’m getting this so-called special treatment that you think I’ve always had, or were you jealous of the girls that seemingly got my attention?”

You’re left without anything to say.

It was a good observation he made because truthfully, you never saw it like that.

In actuality, you often saw Johnny as your rival. He climbed the ladder in the field with ease, and it wasn’t hard to quickly blame his success on the fact that he was a guy in a male dominated industry, but the fact that there’s a possible interpretation for your hatred may be from these feelings you might’ve been harboring for him this entire time… that can’t be it… right?

“I mean, look at where you are now,” you begin, trying to defend yourself. It can’t be true that the reason you’ve been bitter about Johnny was because of the girls that got his attention, and one of them not being you. “You got a high position from—”

“—From hard work,” Johnny interjects with his brows furrowed. “I didn’t get to where I was because I slept around, if that’s what you’re insinuating. I knew you sort of always hated me, but I’ve always admired you. I like your work ethic, I like your style, even though we’re both on opposite spectrums, I like the way you think and I wanted to know what it was like being partners with you. Getting to be on that case with you showed me more than just who you were as a lawyer, but who you were as a person. I like you, but I’m trying to put my finger on why you hate me so much.”

“So you noticed.” Sucking in your cheeks, your eyes trail elsewhere—from the fork that lays beside your plate, to the glass filled halfway with wine, to the little candle that sits in between the two of you that flickers the way he has your heart when he expresses once more how he feels about you.

“Yeah, of course I noticed. If you like someone, it’s kind to miss details like that about them. So… you really hated me because you thought I slept my way to the top, huh?”

“I mean…” shoulders dropping in exasperation, you run your fingers through your disheveled hair. “All those rumors—”

“Again, they’re just rumors. I worked hard to get here, you know. And I’m kind of offended that you thought of me that way.”

You scoff. “They’re rumors, Johnny, it’s kind of hard to ignore all the office gossip when that’s all you hear. Plus, it wasn’t hard to believe either, with the whole flirtatious act whenever you encounter anyone who’s breathing and has a vagina.”

“I wasn’t flirting.”

“You need a book for dummies that elaborates on what’s flirting or not, because Johnny Suh, whatever it is you do with your body language in front of that chick who sits by the front door.”

“You mean Siwoo? The pregnant one who’s married to her highschool sweetheart? Also, how do you not know our receptionist’s name?”

You throw your arms into the air. “How am I supposed to know her name?”

He tilts his head to the side, genuinely baffled. “Do you… not talk to anyone outside of Hyeri?”

Your silence answers his question.

“I… honestly, I don’t know if I should be offended or if I should be honored. You think I didn’t earn anything that I have now, you think that everything I have was handed to me. On one hand, it’s flattering that you think my looks and my bedroom skills could do that but at the same time… I’m offended because you think I’m incapable.”

“I never said you were incapable—”

“But you implied it.”

Hands falling onto your lap, it’s your turn to gulp. His words come shooting at you, but you’re without a shield to protect yourself, and with the new experience of working with Johnny, there comes the realization at times that Johnny is a hard worker. There are some things that he says and does that aren’t like the people you’ve encountered, and being put on new cases with Hyeri only proved it. He’s thoughtful in the sense that whenever you’d bring up your stance on something, he challenges you with what the defense might counter.

Johnny makes you want to be better. Not just against him, but to brush off the dust on your skills and enter into the battlefield of a courtroom to showcase them.

“Well, if you’re staying silent, I just want to say that I tried,” the crinkle in between your brows makes another appearance because Johnny is great at leaving you stunned and confused. “I really like you. I love how your head works, and I wanna be with someone like that but I also can’t be with someone who doesn’t respect me.”

Why is it that when you’re in that conference room with him, you’re not afraid and never running out of things to say, but now you’re empty handed?

“I’ll pay for dinner. Grab you an Uber. I honestly thought I could overlook those things, and maybe your perspective for me has changed, but I could see it on your face. It’s the same.”

After that date with Johnny, his life turns back to normal.

Yours? Not so much.

Candidly speaking, part of you missed working with Johnny. You were wrong about him, so wrong, and even when you wanted to apologize at the dinner for what you thought of him, the pride in you was like a vicious plague that blackened your insides, preventing you from ever saying those words.

Oftentimes, you’d still be able to sneak a glimpse of him in his office with that same look on his face—full of concentration and nothing else in his mind other than the task at hand.

The cases you have with Hyeri entail a head like Johnny’s. Someone who could question you, to protest against your stance when there could be flaws in it. It feels like deja vu each time you think about it, each time you open a new case file and Hyeri sits there, perched in that seat beside yours, eyes sparkling with what you have in mind next, instead of what she has going on in hers.

Although you’ve tried convincing yourself that maybe, just maybe, what you feel for Johnny is purely professional but when you see him standing by the water cooler with a couple of your coworkers, eyes mimicking the moon crescents in the skies, replicating the ways his lips curl in elation—it was beginning hard to believe that it was all platonic feelings.

So maybe you should be bold for once. Pull off that exterior that displays you as someone who isn’t just independent and assiduous, but someone who’s stubborn and aggressive in getting what they want—and not in a good way.

This time, you’ll show it in a good way.

Or at least, you’ll try.

Johnny is a routine kind-of-guy—he grabs an iced americano every morning at the coffee shop downstairs at the edge of the street, he does his daily 11:00AM drop-by at the water cooler to refill his Hydroflask (which was his prized possession, by the way), and parked in the same exact spot in the parking garage of your building, despite there being an abundance of places he could choose.

That’s why you decide to stand by his car after work that day. Bouncing on the balls of your feet, hands shaking because it’s your turn to feel anxious. That blazer that once fit so comfortably in the morning suddenly feels tight and hot in the afternoon, and the weather hasn’t even changed. Your bag slung over your shoulder weighs ten times heavier than an hour ago, and you can’t stop your jaw from tightening.

Before your thoughts could spiral off all the possibilities of what the outcome may be when you tell Johnny how you feel, he’s already standing there, feet away from you with that dip in the fronts of his brows that you want to smoothen out the crinkles of with the pad of your thumb.

“Hi,” you greet, faint and peculiarly different from your other approaches. “Um, I just… was waiting for you.”

“Hey,” Johnny says back, the first few buttons of his shirt already unraveled, his blazer hung over his forearm and the sleeves are rolled up. “I see that. What’s up with you?”

“Um,” your leg was jittery, hard to control so you spat everything you had to say out as fast as you could before he could see right through you. “I just wanted to apologize. For everything. You’re admirable, kind, and I wish I inhabited those same characteristics you have. I think professionally, you’ve got great ideas, one that could be implemented into mine and what we did together for that case was just… yeah. We could do something big if we put our heads together.”

Johnny nods in agreement. The relationship between you two work-wise was obvious, he knew that much. “And what about… outside of that?”

“I like you,” you choked, barely getting the words out. “More than just coworkers, um, I guess, more than friends but I’m not really sure since you walked out on our first date,” inhaling in a deep breath of courage, you continue on, “and I don’t know how you feel now after I’m standing before you like this, asking for another chance and that I’m sorry.”

He stares at you blankly, and it leaves you unsure whether or not he accepts your apology. “You know why we ended that date early.”

“Well,” you start again, “can we… start over and try again? I promise I won’t tempt you to end the date early this time.”

And with that, there’s the signature smile that Johnny sports that swoons girls, makes their knees weak, and heart clench but this time… it’s just for you.

“I’d really like that.”

#ficscafe #nct fanfic #johnny x reader #johnny fanfic #johnny suh #johnny nct #nct 127 #nct 127 fanfic #suh johnny #gyukultfics #idk what else to tag #hopefully this does well :|

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