Got lost trying to find the bathroom|Â Marley |23| She/her | Hello! Iâve been both a reader and writer and I know the value of both. I am hoping to create a bond between both by leaving extensive and positive-filled ramblings on writerâs pages that I enjoy, regardless of fandom. My chats are always open for recommendations, or if you just want to chat!
Pairing: Demon!Chan x F.Reader
Themes: Supernatural AU | Smut | Established Relationship (kind of)
Word Count: ~3k | AO3
Synopsis: How ironic... to have found yourself entangled with a demon called Christopher, of all things. Some people wouldâve made you believe he was taking advantage of you. But you knew better.
Warnings: pet names · there seems to be specks of plot in my corn (pwp) · Chris has horns and a tail (feels like that deserves a warning on its own) · graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut).
Authorâs Note: finally sat down to finish this idea i had ages ago. iâve been in a bit of a slump lately, so this was certainly a nice warm-up. this is all just filth, and i dedicate it to my fellow monster lovers.
especial thanks to @notastraykid & @kisskissbanggang for reading this one and sharing their valuable thoughts with me. it means the world to međ
Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.
Smut Warnings: literal monster cock · praising · smidge of degradation · unprotected penetration [piv & anal] · the tail goes in places it probably shouldnât go into · double penetration · minimal nipple action.
Disclaimer: the story presented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.
âYouâre so warm, sweetheartâŠâ Chris mumbled against your cheek, all while he held your jaw in place with his hand.
âSo warm and softâŠâ
With his chest partially against your back, one of your legs over his hip, keeping your legs as spread open as much as this position allowed, Chris kept each thrust controlled, and his rhythm steady.
âSo⊠mortalâŠâ
The feeling of his cock splitting you open repeatedly had your mind disconnected from anything that wasnât him and you on this bed, and it wasnât like you wanted it to be any other way.
You werenât really sure how long youâd been here, much less how many times either of you had reached that perfect peak. Your thoughts were just muddied images, the only thing you could see clearly was Chris.
Chris, and his charming smile, and his ageless eyes, and the horns on his head, and his perfect noseâŠÂ
The weight of his arm on your chest and the tight hold on your jaw felt heavenly, just like his length within your walls did.Â
âMortal, but incredibly talented⊠Perfectly capable of⊠taking me, of giving me everything. Hm?â
His voice was but a whisper against your cheek. There was no way you wouldnât have been able to hear him when he was this close, when you both were one and the same with how intertwined you were, when every single one of your senses were solely focused on himâŠ
It wasnât just his length or what he was saying that had your mind hazy. It was also the pants and groans and grunts he let out, all the kisses he pressed on the side of your face, and the feeling of his thick tail wrapped around your waist.
Chris had a way with words, and whenever he talked like this to you, whenever he let out his thoughts completely unfiltered while you had sex, you couldnât help but feel tingly all over. Aroused, warmer, wetterâŠ
âCanât talk, darling?â Chris mumbled, each word made his lips brush against the skin of your cheek. He pressed a lingering kiss on your skin, keeping the pace of his hips just as steady as he had this entire time, unfaltering, somewhat slow, but precise.
You opened your mouth to speak, to confirm what heâd said much earlier. That yes, yes you were more than capable of taking anything he wanted to give you, that you could talk. But, honestly, you couldnât really confirm that, not when what came out of your mouth instead was a moan.
He chuckled, clearly amused. So amused he quickened his pace, further clouding your reason. Just his mere presence set your insides alight, that, added to his motions, to his words, was just so incredibly dangerous. He had your mind going all fuzzy, drunk on his aura and the feel of him.Â
A priest would tell you this was all a curse, that the demon laying here with you was manipulating you for his own gain, enhancing your lust and sins so he could ultimately devour you whole for his own pleasure.
But you knew better.
There was no way you wouldnât have known better, when this arrangement had been going for so long. Chris had always made it very clear that heâd never used any spell or mind control to make you do the things you did, his presence simply enhanced what was already there.Â
And you believed him.
âSinful little human, arenât you?â You could still remember the first time he told you that, back when you found him by a tree in the townâs cemetery.Â
Youâd given in to him so easily⊠And, honestly? You had no regrets. Zero regrets.
Especially when he was fucking you this good, when he fucked you this good several nights a week.
âAll these endorphin rushes keep us healthy, hm?â Chris said sometimes, and you couldnât help but agree. Sometimes you were groggy and achy the next day, but you were certainly satisfied, even happy⊠What an odd emotion to feel thanks to a demon.
âHave you gone dumb already?â Chris chuckled. You felt your cheeks burn with embarrassment, but you nodded anyway. Because it was true, you couldnât even speak at this point. âAww, pretty little human has gone dumb on my cock, poor thingâŠâ
There was something about his condescending tone that made pleasure pool in the pit of your stomach, that made your lower belly tighten further. Needy, needy, needy, needy⊠You could almost hear his voice in your mind, and you honestly wouldnât be surprised if it truly was him speaking to you. It wouldnât have been the first time his thoughts slipped into yours while you both got lost in each other.
Chrisâ hand loosened its grip on your face, while his tail unravelled from around your waist. His fingers ghosted all the way down your torso, between your breasts, over your belly, until they reached that borderline overstimulated nub between your legs. You couldnât help but mewl, a sound that was almost pathetic to your ears. Not only because of his motions on your clit, but also because his tail had made its way up your body, until it found one of your nipples to rub it gently with its tapered tip.
It was so much. He was so much. And, somehow, you still couldnât get enough.
âCâmon, pretty thingâ, Chris was panting, diligently stimulating those pleasure points of your body in just the exact way you needed him to, in that way youâd shown him how to all those months ago. âArenât you gonna bless me with another? I need it, darling. And I know you need it, tooâ.
His pace picked up, until he was almost brutally ramming into you, stretching you open to your very limits, stimulating your insides in ways only the bumps and ridges of his very supernatural cock could. You were certainly close, and you knew that it wouldnât take long for you to finally come undone under his enticing motions.
You could barely register the sound of his name coming out of your mouth, not only because of how quiet youâd said it, but also because your mind was going completely numb, hazy as you drew closer and closer to that ledge. With the rough pad of his fingers, with the texture of the tip of his tail, Chris worked you up, and, just like youâd predicted, in a matter of minutes, you fell face first into that pool of burning ecstasy that Chris himself had prepared for you.
The feeling raked throughout your body, extending from your core to every single one of your limbs. You couldnât tell if you were moaning, or crying, or saying his name. You couldnât tell what was going on outside of the feeling of Chrisâ skin on your own, of his breath against your cheek.
âThatâs it, baby. I love it when you tremble for me. Youâre so good, doing so wellâŠâ Chris whispered the words in your ear. You could barely hear them over the sound of your own heart beating within them.
Gasping for air, you released Chrisâ tail from your grip. You honestly hadnât even realised youâd grabbed it in your orgasm-induced frenzy. The tip of it had finally stopped stimulating your nipples. Instead, it found its way between your legs to replace his fingers on your clit, just to apply pressure on it to prolong the final waves of your climax while he used his now unoccupied hand to turn your head towards him so he could kiss you.Â
His thrusts had stopped, his tongue, forked and slightly textured, was gentle when it moved against your own, and his thumb softly caressed your cheek as you were barely conscious enough to kiss him back. The taste of him was addictive, his throbbing length within your warmth made you dizzier, and it was at moments like these that you were reminded of why you always let him into your bed.
Because you just couldnât get enough.
When you fully came down from your high, you figured heâd start ramming into you once again so he could reach his own relief. Instead, he removed his hand from your face and brought it to your lower abdomen, where it settled to caress the skin.Â
âSayâŠâ Chris mumbled, pressing a quick, brief peck on your lips before he pulled out of your walls.
The loss of contact almost made you whine, but when his hand left your lower abdomen, and you started feeling the slick tip of his cock against the sensitive skin of your ass, you looked at him through half lidded eyes, holding your breath in anticipation.
âWould you let me come in your perfect little hole, pet?â Chrisâ tail moved away from your core to wrap around your thigh, squeezing the supple flesh as he continued to rub the head of his length over the ridged skin between your buttocks.Â
You swallowed, licking your lips while you nodded. You didnât trust your voice right now, you just knew you were almost trembling with excitement at the thought. It had only been a couple of days, but you certainly missed the stretch, just his fingers earlier in the evening hadnât been enough.
âSay itâ, Chris reached for the bottle of lube that had been discarded next to the pillows, like he was sure you were going to comply.
And he was right. You were going to comply, you wanted to, needed toâŠ
âPleaseâŠâ Your voice was hoarse, low, tired after all the involuntary noises that had been escaping your mouth, but you did say the one thing you knew he wanted you to. And as soon as you did, you heard his deep intake of breath.
His tail moved your thigh, closing your legs, and your body moved instinctively, laying fully on your side so Chris could press his chest completely against your back. With a hand on your buttock, you helped him keep yourself spread open, exposed so the lubed tip of his cock could start pushing against the ring of muscle between your cheeks.
Breathing deeply, you willed yourself to relax, and after a few moments, he finally breached past the initial resistance, slowly, but steadily filling your ass with his monstrous cock. Chris groaned behind you, nuzzling your shoulder. You just whined, already feeling yourself heating up with the feel of him going into your hole.
As soon as he bottomed out, his hand found its way to your lower belly, gripping your soft flesh tightly while his sharp teeth scraped the skin of your shoulder. A shiver ran up your spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake. The feeling of fullness within you was absolutely mouth-watering, but, still, you wanted more.
Reaching for Chrisâ tail on your thigh, you ran your fingers through the black snakeskin. The motion had him swearing under his breath, right next to your ear. The skin of his tail was smooth, sensitive, shining under the low lighting provided by the lamp in the corner of your room. The shimmer and iridescence was like nothing youâd ever seen before. Pretty⊠So, so prettyâŠ
âChrisâŠâÂ
ââŠHm?âÂ
âMoveâ.
Chris inhaled sharply behind you, tightening his grip on your belly, and finally started to move. Slowly at first, to ensure you felt every ridge, every bump of his length, making your eyes roll to the back of your head. Oh, what a satisfying stretchâŠ
When you dragged your nails over the texture on his tail, Chris groaned, and his pace picked up considerably. His tail unfurled, releasing your thigh for blood to rush back to the areaâyou honestly hadnât even realised how tight heâd been holding onto you. The mild numbness didnât prevent you from feeling its movement, though.Â
Releasing your tummy to instead hook his hand under your knee, Chris pushed your leg towards your chest, giving his tail plenty room to find its way between your legs.
You could feel your legs tremble, your heart almost leaping out of your chest, and, in a poor attempt to ground yourself, you reached back, finding Chrisâ soft strands. But, most importantly, finding one of his horns.Â
The moment you held onto the keratin covering, Chris swore, borderline moaned under your tightening grip around the base of it. Before you knew it, the tip of his tail was at your entrance, teasing your opening while Chris kept brutally and repeatedly pushing himself into your ass. There was nothing you could coherently say or do. You knew what he wanted, what you wanted, but you just couldnât speak.
However, you really didnât need to say anything, as you mindlessly caressed the base of his horn, his tail had finally plunged itself right into your sopping cunt. Full, full, full, oh, so full of Chris⊠Just how you wanted to be, how he wanted it to beâŠ
Warm, warm, warm, wet, tight⊠Chris didnât say any of this, but you could hear him clear as day, even through the fog coating your thoughts. He was losing himself as well, and you could feel yourself gush around his tail with how aroused the thought made you, with how good he was fucking both of your holes.
âHow are you⊠this soft and warm, hm? Warm little human. Lewd, sinful, arenât you? Giving yourself to a demon so whollyâŠâ Chris mumbled the words against the skin of your shoulder, broken between groans and whines of his own as you kept stroking the horn in your hand, as you kept squeezing him tight.Â
You just nodded, incapable of telling him anything else. You could feel the flesh of your bum ripple with each collision of his hips, and it wasnât long until his thrusts and the movement of his tail became an uncoordinated mess. He was close, and youâd be damned if you didnât make the most of it yourself.
With your fingers on your clit, you rubbed quick circles as best as you could in this position. Uncaring of the desperate moans coming out of your mouth, at your motions, at the stretch of his cock in your ass, and his tail within your walls, nudging your sweet spot.Â
âShit⊠Fuck, gonnaâgonna blow, pretty thingâ, Chris was panting, breathless after hours of indulging in you and your body, and you certainly werenât doing any better. âStuff you full of me⊠Want it, pet? Want that?â
You nodded, frantically rubbing your clit as you chased your relief, telling him that yes, yes you wanted it. You wanted anything he was willing to give you.
With a desperate plea of your name, Chris finally came. His tail stopped moving, but his thrusts didnât, he kept fucking into you as he filled up your ass, whining once your own orgasm washed over you and you started to clamp hard around his appendages. Whines of your own escaped from between your lips, your grip on his horn tightened, eliciting more desperate pleas from the demon behind you.
After one final thrust, keeping his hips as flush as he could with your buttocks, Chris finally stilled. Your throat was dry after doing nothing but moaning and crying for a while, your chest rose and fell with your quick breaths, and you could feel Chrisâ doing the same against your back.
When his tail left the comfort of your warmth, it snaked all the way up your body, until the tip pressed against your lips, which you eagerly opened to let it in.
As you swirled your tongue around the textured skin, you could taste yourself on it, something that didnât displease you in the slightest. If you hadnât just spent hours here, you were sure just the texture and the taste on your tongue wouldâve been enough to heat you up all over again.
Chris pressed tired, lingering kisses on your shoulder, just as he pulled out of your ass. Slowly, his cum spilled out and onto the now more than ruined bedsheets, joining the mix of fluids that had ended up there throughout the evening.
When you finally let go of his horn, when his tail finally popped out of your mouth, you turned around, looking into those dark eyes of his that always made a shiver run up and down your spine. Chris just grinned, a wolfish grin that had you scoffing a small laugh and rolling your eyes.
Your limbs were achy, your eyes could barely stay open, but you still let him pull you into his arms when he stood up from the bed. The sheets behind you started moving on their own as he walked you to your bathroom, where he sat you down on the toilet so he could diligently clean you up. A shower just wouldnât be possible right now, you could barely stand straight, so he just made do with a jug and a washcloth.
One wouldnât think a demon would be this gentle, but Chris was probably the oddest demon youâd ever met. âIf Iâm gonna do something, I better do it rightâ, he often said, and as you came to find out, this was just an integral part of fucking you as the act itself.
When you were finally mostly dry, laying your head on his chest with the now clean bedding under you, you could feel your eyes droop, vaguely even registering the words coming out of Chrisâ mouth.
âWhen you wake up tomorrow, I wonât be here. But, with a bit of luck, Iâll be back in a couple of nightsâ, he mumbled, quietly as he caressed your hair and your back.
You just hummed to let him know youâd heard him. Not like he needed to tell you that, since it was always like this. Heâd appear, feed off of your lust, and disappear for a few nights. That was your arrangement. It wasnât conventional, nor normal in any way, but it was what you had, and, for now, it was enough. It was just what you needed yourself.
A priest would certainly tell you this was all a curse, that the demon laying here with you, cuddling you, was manipulating you for his own gain. But what a priest wouldnât have known at first glance, was that you had summoned this demon yourself. That the only reason you let him into your bed and feed off of you, was because, in a way, you fed off of him, too.
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Pairing: SpaceRebel!Chan x WitchQueen!F.Reader
Themes: Fantasy AU | Sci-Fi AU | Royalty AU | Soulmate AU | Slow Burn | Mutual Pining | Angst | Smut | Fluff.
Word Count: ~127k |Â AO3
Synopsis: Being a rebel fighting against a galactic oppressor was no easy feat, but it was something Chan took great pride in. As they took part in a stealth mission, Chan and his friends found themselves stranded on an unknown planet, and meeting a mysterious ally; an ally that, over the course of five long months, will help Chan regain hope.
Series Warnings: Third person POV · Very loose and liberal usage of Star Wars concepts (mostly to refer to weapons and tech). you donât need to know anything about SW to read this, trust me · Physical descriptions of the main female character such as: can visibly blush, having long hair, and being short · Violence · Swearing · Mature themes and language · Original characters · Graphic smut (later chapters) · Mentions of the members of other groups (later chapters) · No one is straight, beware · Each chapter will include its own individual warnings. Chapters marked as M (Mature) either include highly detailed violence, or smut.
Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.
Index:
Day 1. | Day 2. | Day 3. | Day 4. | Day 5. | Day 6. | Day 7. | Day 8. | Day 9. | Day 10. | Day 15. | Day 17. | Day 60. | Day 82. | Day 90. | Day 91. | Day 92. | Day 152. | Day 159. | Epilogue.
Post story drabbles/one shots
‷Available exclusively on AO3. An account is required to read these.
Authorâs note: the idea for this monster started while i was watching Obi-Wan Kenobi⊠one thing led to another and now weâre here. this series is special to me, i fell in love with every single one of the characters and iâm ecstatic about it. iâm really just posting it for the heck of it since this is purely self-indulgent (i literally went mmmm, i need more fantasy AUs, guess iâll do it myself). English is my second language, so constructive feedback on grammar, pacing, plot, etc is always welcome :)
16/08/2023: i started writing this series sometime in July 2022... then i started to publish each chapter from September 2022 until November 2022. in July 2023, i decided i wanted to re-work it since my writing has developed quite a bit and i felt like i could do a much better job... so i did. iâm genuinely much happier with this version of the story, and i hope that those that read it back then, and those that will read it now get to enjoy it as much as i do (:
if you notice any weird formatting/sentences, donât hesitate to point them out to me! this fic is a monster, and there must be things that i missed for sure hahah
Disclaimer: the story presented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.
peach, saffron, vanilla | four of wands chap. 2 đ
pairing: witch!hyunjin x afab reader | wc: 22.2k | genre: romance, light angst, suggestive/eventual smut | chapter warnings: angst due to a past relationship (reader), mutual pining, occult sciences/mentions of magick, drinking, voyeurism ("accidental"), heavy fantasizing. Mention of (fictional) historical backstory with heavy violence. This work contains explicit + adult themes: 18+ only. Ageless blogs DNI. [ the magick in this work isn't written with the intention to be accurate ] Reader discretion advised. Explicit warnings under the cut | masterlist.
âž» Your heart was trapped in a cage. Your heart was chained up, tethered, your heart was the feather of a raven, your heart was the space in between the stars. Millions of light years of distance, of emptiness, just voids after voids after voids.Â
Explicit warnings: voyeurism and masturbation (m, f). Cum eating (m, f) Mentions of semi-public sex, graphic mentions of sex magick & the use of sex for occult purposes (sex rituals). Open discussions about sexual themes that elicit arousal for MC.
On Wednesday, you woke up to a bright, sunny sky. A spring day that was cosplaying as summer, with the breeze carrying all sorts of scentsâgrass, flowers, herbs, and the now familiar smell of the breakfasts served at Parkerâs. That morning, you made your coffee and waved at Ali and Michelle from your front porch when they went past your house. You were on your laptop answering emails. Far down toward the empty lot and the pond, a small group of wild rabbits was hopping around, minding their rabbit business. You watched them and their fluffy brown and white fur in between emails.Â
After your shower, you put on casual clothes and went on a little walk in your backyard. It was rather large, and you hadnât explored it and its perimeter properly. And, truth be told, the far end, bordered by the tree line leading into the woods, had been on your mind since the other night. The nightmare. The wet dream, a voice added in your head but you quickly dismissed it.Â
But by studying the area, you noticed there was a trail past the initial tree lines. You couldnât see where it went or where it ended from here, but it got you curious.Â
You grabbed your purse and headed outside. The walk from your house to Main St was relatively short, but youâd need to find a car soon, especially if you wanted to do some shopping in the nearby towns. But Meg had said sheâd help when you had gone to Parkerâs for lunch the other day, and you believed her. She seemed to know everybody in town so she was bound to find something.Â
You knew where you were headed but you still made a few stops along the wayâyou quickly went in and out at the Leeâs to say hi to Felix. In exchange, he gave you a couple sticks of garlic bread. You also stopped by the post office where Ali spilled some lukewarm tea about one of her coworkers who she suspected was having an affair with someone from the bakery next door.Â
And then you reached your destinationâBahngâs Sporting Center. It was sort of early and yet there were several cars in the parking lot already. Still, it was Chris himself who welcomed you into the store, as warmly as he would welcome a close friend. He gave you a quick tour of the place. By the interactions he had with clients and employees alike, you decided he was probably the best boss anyone could have. He was kind and helpful and very laid-back, insisting that the elderly man behind the cash register take an extra break right this second.Â
âWhat can I do for you today, friend?â Chris asked at the end of the tourâyou stood with him among the pool accessories and supplies. âOr did you just miss me?â He gave you a playful wink.Â
âThereâs a trail behind my house,â you started. âI remember you said the woods lead to Elkwater SpringsâŠ? Is it hike-appropriate?âÂ
âOh, absolutely it is!â Chris seemed delighted and immediately led you to a different section of the store. âSome parts of the trail might not be as cleared out as others but itâs pretty straightforward. You really canât get lost and if you do, youâll either end up at the main lake or at the back of the hardware store.âÂ
 You tried to picture the map of Heron Lake in your head as best as your memory could. You figured that if you did end up too far away from home to return either by the forest or the road, you could always give Felix a call and see if he had a pizza to deliver around there.Â
âIâll need shoes then,â you decided. You still didnât know why it had to be today, but you just needed to go explore this forest for some reason. âAll I have is some old sneakers, or heelsâŠâÂ
âGotcha.â Chris immediately showed you a specific pair on a shelf nearby, his dimpled smile illuminating the room as if selling you a pair of shoes was his dream come true. âThose are some of the best mountain boots I have. Theyâre light but also waterproofâconvenient as we sometimes get sudden rainfalls and all. Theyâre super secure around the ankle but flexible enough for good movement. Also, theyâre on sale. Whatâs your size?â
You studied the boxes in front of you and motioned toward the ones of the right size. âThere doesnât seem to be a sale announced,â you noted, suppressing a smile.
âWell, I own the store, so I must know better than you.â Chris winked at you. âThe sale is for women who got my wife drunk on bellinis last week specifically. No one else is eligible.â
You laughed with Christopher as he helped you around the store. The hiking boots were a perfect fit, but he also suggested that you get a decent water bottle and a hat as well as some insect repellent. âFor ticks,â he specified. He also mentioned that SPF might be a good idea but that tree coverage was excessive in that part of the forest, and you shouldnât be burning under the sun.Â
After you paid, Chris mentioned he had a few errands to run and offered you a ride. You werenât sure the errands in question were anywhere near your house but you accepted anyway. Sometimes, people just wanted to be kind to each other. It was difficult to accept, though, and youâd need to work on that.
For some reason, it felt like Chris and Renee had been put on your path for that exactly. As inâChris was begging you to please let him give you a ride home; you canât just carry all that stuff on the street anyway, can you? And he looked like he meant it.Â
Sometimes, people were meant to carry our burdens, big or small. That was probably one of the hardest things to accept in life.Â
On the way home, you also let Christopher give you advice on the particular terrain in the area behind your house. Youâd have to be careful where you set foot because sometimes the rocks could be slippery. You wouldnât have great cell reception all the way, but it would be decent for most of it.
âDonât get hurt,â Chris finally said as you closed the car door behind you. âMy wife will kill me if you canât make it to soccer tomorrow because I sold you stuff to go on a hike.â
âDonât worry, I wonât go too far since itâs the first time.â But that turned out to be a lie.Â
You filled your backpack with essentials and changed into more appropriate clothing before heading to the trail. It was already past noon when you went past the tree lineâoaks and birches and larches, a few bushes with flowers on them that you didnât recognize. You had used a Plant ID app for the trees but would need to do the same with the bushes to figure out if the berries they would grow would be edible at all. If you werenât sure, Chris would know though. And since he seemed inclined on keeping you aliveâŠ
Entering the forest felt like entering a new dimension. Your house was some distance away from the center of town but sounds of human life still made it to you sometimes. Cars, a fire truck, voices.Â
But not here. You could swear you had gone through a portal. It took your eyes a few seconds to adjust to the new lighting. Chris hadnât lied about that tree coverage. The air was cool here and smelled like earth, like leafage, with faint sweet undertones of flowers.Â
Trees bordered the trail on either side of it. Trees of all kinds, too many to ID them all. That day, you realized that green was too simple of a word to describe the variety of shades filed under it. The soft green of the grass, the harsh green of firs, the peculiar green of the moss growing on bark. Bushes of all shapes and colors, mushrooms you wouldnât even dare touch, flowers that were too impatient to wait for summer and preferred to bloom in the spring.Â
Dragonflies, butterflies, bees buzzing all around, moving from one flower to another to harvest the pollen. Bumblebees so heavy with it that they struggled to stay in the air.Â
Animals. More rabbits, some squirrels. Birds. So many of them. Birdsongs that you could only faintly hear before were now crystal clear. Whistles and warblings and other intricate notes. You recorded it all on your phone, both amazed and curious. You were almost sure that if you replayed that footage to one of the locals, theyâd be able to put a name on every single song on it. Not that it mattered, not really. You just couldnât help but want to learn their names. You had never heard as many birds as that.
The trail itself was covered in pine needles. It made your footsteps quiet and comfortable, but you now understood why Chris had been so adamant on you making sure not to slip and hurt yourself. You walked slowly at first, looking all around you, at the soft rays of light filtering through the tree branches and insects zooming through them.Â
You walked. You may have been one of those darn city slickers, but it also made you a great walker. You didnât particularly like public transit and you enjoyed nice weatherâthe perfect combination for people who liked to walk. It was a nice walk, too. With valleys and clearings. Sometimes, the trail took you back to a little creek that ran along it, and you liked to squat to look into it, or to let the water run through your fingers. You laughed when you saw tadpoles, but you werenât afraid to be called crazy. Not here. Not just in Heron Lakeâhere exactly. There was fucking nobody here to witness your bewilderment. It made you feel like you were alone in the world, which was a strange thought: both comforting and frightening.Â
The creek eventually became larger and larger, and you knew you must be getting near Elkwater Springs somehow. You thought you could hear a waterfall in the distance, but it could have been the wind or something else.Â
It was at that point that the trail forked for the first time. It had been pretty straightforward until then, curving and bending through the forest alongside the creek, even crossing it at one point on a small but sturdy wood and stone bridge.
You drank some of your water as you watched the two options before you. It was clear that the path on the left was the one you were supposed to takeâit was more defined, cleaner. The other one had small trees growing on some parts of it and did not look that inviting. You figured that since it was your first time here, you should stay on the main trail, for safety. Maybe some other time, Felix, Renee or Chris would come along and youâd try the other one.Â
You had done the right callâthat trail took you straight to the Elkwater Springs area.Â
The path went down a steep hill as, on your left, the waterfall plunged into the river that became a lake. There were people thereâa few kayaks on the lake and some people sitting on large rocks by the waterfall. You felt like doing that too, because even if it was a small waterfall, it was still pretty and you liked the sound of it. You could feel the power in it, too, somehow, but you couldnât understand how, or why it mattered at all.Â
You sat in the shade of a solitary larch tree. You had a nice view of everything and yet felt like you werenât in the way of anyone. You did, however, enjoy watching them, too. Most of them seemed to be tourists. Families or couples or groups of friends. Everybody seemed happy.
You snapped a few pictures. The waterfall, the lake. As you snacked on your granola bar, you suddenly became aware that these photos would be forever yours. You couldnât think of a single person to whom you could send these. Nobody who would care anyway. Nobody back home cared. Everyone here had been here dozens of times.Â
There were many ways to be alone. You had felt very alone when you had caught your ex fucking your boss. You had felt very alone years and years before that when none of your friends had come to your birthday party. When you were eight. Such a young age to know the bitter taste of solitude.
But it had tasted just the same as it did today. A moment so pure, so beautiful, a moment that should be shared but that would forever be yours and yours only. What a sad, tragic thing.Â
Using your backpack as a makeshift pillow, you laid down on the soft grass. To rest. To look at the sky and the tree branches and the birds. You didnât mean to fall asleep, but you did. A light sleep, but you dreamt nonetheless.Â
You dreamt that you were in the forest and that somebody was calling your name. A voice like honey, soft and kind and beautiful, just calling you, over and over. You were not afraid.
You jerked awake anywayâthe hike must have made you more tired than you thought it would, because when you woke up, the light had shifted completely and most tourists were gone from the area, with just a few people scattered here and there. It looked like the sun was about to go down, so you quickly grabbed your things and started your way back.
You walked quickly, scared that you wouldnât make it in time before sundown. Chris had made sure you left his store with a powerful dynamo flashlight but you still didnât want to risk it. You often checked your phone to make sure you still had signal in case you did get lostânot that you would, or could, get lost, because the trail was literally just one trail, one path, covered with pine needles always. There was just one trail.Â
Except not.
You didnât get lostâsoon enough though, you realized that by focusing too much on your phone, you had taken a different path, the one from earlier that was less visible. You stopped in your tracks, looking all around you to try and see if you could maybe cross the trees to make it to the real trail.Â
It became obvious you were in the dip of a soft valley. You could cross the trees but they looked thick, and you were scared youâd somehow make your situation worse by doing that. You could also walk back in your tracks until you found the other trail. And yet, your gaze returned, over and over, to the slope on the other side. A simple climb would take you to the higher point of the valley.
You had no reason to do that. Sure, perhaps youâd get a good vantage point up there. It was still a far worse idea than just turning back, but you felt compelled to go anyway.
As if something, or someone, was calling you.Â
The terrain was different here. It was still part of the forest, but it was a large clearing with very few trees that grew except for those surrounding the building.
A house, it seemed like. The sort of house that had more windows than walls, and a modern yet rustic look to it. The size of it was impressiveâit was several yards away from you and yet it left you speechless. It looked like it had been something else before it had been transformed into a home, maybe some kind of tourist attraction.
A small rocky path connected the house to the forest, where it continued. There was a car parked at the end of it by the houseâa modest but clean Subaru Outback. By all accounts, if there was a car, there must be an actual road nearby, which relieved you. Maybe there had been a good reason why you felt like you ought to climb up here.
But it didnât matter, not for now. The house fascinated you. Its tall windows, some of them with curtains but most, not. The interior of the house was intricately decoratedârich woods and earth tones. Sage green, whites, yellows. Plants all over the place. Obviously, the owner of the house was very outdoorsyâthere was a large fenced area behind the house that could only be some sort of garden. A large willow tree hid it from your view, and vines grew along the fence, offering good privacy. It looked like there were more plants out there, and even furniture. But you werenât going to snoop around, were you?Â
You hid behind one of the trees while you tried to recreate a map of the town to figure out on which road this rocky path would lead. You could be crazy, but it might actually be not too far from Chris and Reneeâs place. Were you willing to risk that? Maybe you should try to just have a look⊠See if you recognized anythingâŠÂ
You stayed behind the trees. The presence of the car in the driveway let you know that someone was most likely in the house and you didnât feel like being mistaken for a robber. You chose to go around behind the house instead of in front of it, but before you could make it there, something caught your attention, making you stop right then and there.
As soon as you turned the first corner of the large house, you came face to face with more large windows. The kitchen on the first floor, although most of it was obstructed by the garden and the fence. You could hear water, tooâa fountain most likely.Â
There was light in one of the windows upstairs. Normally, you would have stared for 0.2 seconds before moving onâafter all, sundown was imminentâbut not this time. What you saw demanded your attention. What you saw effectively changed you, forever. You knew you shouldnât be seeing this. You knew you should certainly not be watching, but you couldnât look away.Â
Crimson hair, a bare chest. A room that could have been a bedroom, it was hard to tell from down here. The man was sitting in a strange position on a couch. There were candles on shelves all around him, burning bright but not as bright as him. Hyunjin.
Everything clicked into place. Only him would live in a place such as this.
Only him would be fervently masturbating, surrounded by candles and herbs and other things you simply couldnât see because you couldnât look away from him. You watched as Hyunjinâs back arched into the couch, as he fucked his palm languidly. His cock was long and smooth and he not once let go of it. His mouth was wide open. You tried to listen but you couldnât hear anything. You knew that he must have been crying out. His eyes were closed and his face was twisted with pain and pleasure alike.Â
Look away. But you couldnât. You had never seen anything like this. You had never seen anyone like this. Hyunjinâs body was lean and toned, moving gracefully as he fucked his hand. He looked strong. His red hair was sticking to the sweat on his forehead. His cheeks were flushed.Â
He wasnât just jerking off. The more you looked, the more evident it became that he was making love to his hand, to himself, or something that seemed like it. He thrust into his own palm exactly like he would into a lover. Into you. His strong thighs supported most of his weight, helping the rolls of his hips, his cock was hard and twitching and as beautiful as him.
Keep looking. Look at me. Donât take your eyes off me. You could hear Hyunjinâs voice haunting your head. You knew it was only the most perverted parts of your brain begging to indulge, but it worked. Look at the way I fuck. This could be you. This should be you. Come to me, darling. Iâll make you feel so good.Â
You did not avert your eyes. There was pressure growing between your legs. Wetness, too. All of a sudden you felt so empty. Your mind, your cunt, your heart.
He was close. It was obviousâeven from here, you could make out the dark flush of his cock. For all you knew, he could have been at it for a while, edging himself for hours.Â
Hyunjin came and you heard him despite the soundproof windows. You heard him in your head, imagining his pretty moans and whimpers as he tensed up and pulsed into his hand. He came all over the floor and himself, head fallen behind, legs wide open. You felt the exact same emotion, the same force, as you had when you had witnessed the waterfall earlier. Something that could not be explained.Â
You tasted the salt of his cum when Hyunjin let go of his cock to wipe it off his stomach and he put his fingers in his mouth, sucking them clean, which you had never seen a guy do before. It was lewd, sensual, it felt like an act of rebellion, like something sacred. You thought of the pink of his tongue laced with the off-white of his cum. You thought of his voice and his lips and his softening cock and the amber-colored light that filled the room. You wanted it to fill you too. If peopleâs souls had colors, Hyunjinâs was like that. Amber, soft, pretty, warm.Â
Wait, come back. But you had already turned back, practically throwing yourself down the slope to put as much distance between you and the strange house as you could. Between you and the man with the crimson hair. As you quite literally ran down, you could swear you saw four gardenias growing on the slope, among the pine needles and grass and wild raspberry bushes. But it couldnât be. Hyunjin had effectively rendered you crazyâcrazy enough that you ought to tell someone to take you to a hospital, but you wouldnât need to beg anybody if you just told them you heard his voice in your mind and tasted his cum on your tongue.
He was still moaning in your head, and calling your name, and fucking you, his crimson hair blinding you. To love and to be loved.Â
It took you no time to find the trail again, but you were tired, your legs weary and your pussy wet. The sun was almost completely gone when you finally reached your backyard again and your phone rang. Felixâs name was on the screen but you didnât pick up the call. You were covered in sweat and pine needles and god-knows-what, but as soon as you entered your house, you pulled your pants down, then your panties. They hung around your knees as you finally pressed your fingers against your pussy.
You were wet. Sensitive. Not any different than if Hyunjin had been fucking you himself. You wasted no time rubbing your clit then shoving your fingers into your throbbing hole. But it wasnât enough. You fell on your knees, seeking friction, now effectively fucking your fingers against the floor, moaning in the crook of your elbow.
One minute and seventeen secondsâthe time it took your orgasm to rise within you like a storm over a dusky sky. There was a puddle of your slick on the floor beneath you where you had been grinding on the floor. Your hole pulsed around your fingers, sending waves of pleasure throughout your whole body. The living room was dark, no amber-colored lightâit was your moans that filled the room. You came to the thought of Hyunjinâs hand around your neck as he sprayed his cum into your sloppy cunt.
You did not dream again that night because you barely got any sleep.
You were going to be late for soccer.
You were busy Thursday morningâtwo online meetings and then another meeting over the phone, the three of them new clients. It meant three new files and a lot of getting to know each other. You were looking forward to working with these companies, but you had underestimated the time it would take to fill every form. You also hadnât expected having to complete all of this work with so few hours of sleep.
But at least it kept you distracted. At least your mind was on something other than the house in the forest, the house overlooking the valley, the house with the interior basking in amber-colored light. The man with the crimson hair and the intricate rolls of his hips, reminiscent of waves or a shooting star. His large hand squeezing his cock, his lips closing around his fingers, sucking his cum off himself.Â
And then your mother called. She had no purpose for the call, she said. She just missed you. You missed her too, so you talked to her. An hour, then another. By the time you hung up, your phone battery was empty and you hadnât eaten anything all day. You made some foodâa plate of turkey sliders with pasta salad and a large glass of iced tea. It was all normal. You should feel normal, but you didnât.
Something had changed inside of you but not like someone changed their hair color or painted the walls of their living roomâyou had changed the same way seasons changed. You had changed the way winter melts into spring, shyly at first, and then all of a sudden. No turning back. There were buds sprouting within you, there were white gardenias blooming, their stem firmly planted into your chest, expanding, their sweet, creamy scent enveloping you.
You showered and, lulled by the hot water, you fell asleep on your couch, only to wake up way past dinner time.Â
You were almost late for soccer.Â
You werenât sure you wanted to go at all. How could you ever look Hyunijn in the eyes again? It had been wrong, so wrong to just⊠stay there and watch him. There was a little voice inside your head telling you that he hadnât exactly been hiding eitherâhe had been lustfully masturbating, fully naked, right by a large fucking window. Maybe he was into that. Maybe he was into exhibitionism. Because if he didnât want to be seen, heâd at least draw the curtains closed, right?
You sat by the large window in your bedroom too, your eyes glued to the space where, behind the trees, was the trail leading to Elkwater Springs. To Hyunjin. Your phone vibrated a couple of times. You werenât a psychic, or a witch, but you knew exactly what youâd see once you picked it up.
Renee : Girl are you coming or not?Â
Renee: I can come pick you up right now, they can start without meÂ
You put your phone backâyou didnât know what to tell her. You had been accustomed to saying the truth as often as possible, but this time would have to be an exception. You needed to get over it. You were an adult. You watched porn and enjoyed it. Hyunjin was not the first man you had seen masturbating. You liked to watch girls, too. Regular guy-fucks-girl porn did very little for you and you had always been more into solo stuff.Â
Maybe that was why the whole situation troubled you so muchâbecause yesterdayâs scene scratched a very particular itch for you. It had nothing to do with Hyunjin himself, this was all basically muscle memory. Your brain was used to becoming aroused by watching things like that. End of the story.Â
Your phone vibrated again.
Renee: nevermind Iâm literally in my car right now on my way to you
You: itâs not safe! Donât text and drive!Â
Renee: okay maybe I exaggerated and I havenât started the car yet. Are you okay? Do you not want to come to soccer anymore?Â
You sighed, watching the trees sway with the soft breeze.Â
You: I accidentally took a longer nap than expected. Just running late. You donât have to pick me up
Renee: be there in 5
It left you five minutes to find a soccer-appropriate outfit. You had no intention of actually playing the game, but you didnât want to look too out of place either. You decided on a pair of comfortable shorts and a black t-shirt with a sunflower print on it. You wore a sports tank top underneath, just in case Chris would pick you up and throw you onto the soccer field, forcing you to play.Â
You had bought some grapefruit beer to bring along, so you grabbed that before joining Renee when her car pulled up in your driveway. She was also sporting the shorts-and-tank-top look, and her hair was held in a ponytail. She nodded eagerly when she saw the beer you were holding. âLove that shit,â she commented as she backed up and returned to the road. She was driving Chrisâ car today, so a chill R&B beat was playing on the speakers and there were four or five black hoodies at the back of the car.Â
âSorry Iâm late,â you said. You almost added, I wasnât sure Iâd go at all but stopped at the last second. If you said that, youâd need to give her a reason why and you didnât feel like making one up. âI didnât sleep too well last night.â
âDonât worry, we got full teams today, donât feel forced to play.â Renee was tapping the wheel to the rhythm of the song and humming it under her breath when she wasnât speaking. âI mean, youâre never forced to play, but⊠you know?â
You laughed. âYeah, I know.â You liked that about Reneeâneither of you owed long and detailed explanations to the other about certain things. She knew exactly how you were feeling. Or well⊠she knew most of it, anyway.
âHad a good hike?â she inquired, raising an eyebrow. âChris told me you went to the store yesterday.âÂ
You gulped, playing with the fabric of your shirt, looking at the scenery out the window. You were probably three minutes away from the high school now. âYeah, it was nice.â You paused, choosing your next words carefully. âI went all the way to Elkwater Springs and back. Itâs beautiful.âÂ
âIt is beautiful,â Renee commented. Maybe she was sensing something was off about you but she didnât push it. âDidnât get lost?â
You shook your head, now staring at her fingers on the wheel. âNot really. Stayed on the main trail.âÂ
There was a pause, short, but a little tense yet playful. âYou know, if you take the other trail, then up the valley, you get to Hyunjinâs house.âÂ
You paused, too. For a long time. You were pulling up to the high school when you spoke again. âI did go up the valley. I saw his house,â you admitted finally. âItâs big.â So is his cock.Â
There was a smile on Reneeâs face, one that you could hear through her voice despite not looking at her directly. âIt used to be some sort of wellness retreat center some time ago. It was closed for years, and then we learned that someone had bought the building and the surrounding land to fix everything up and live in it.â
You nodded. âItâs a big house,â you said again, but this time you actually meant it. You hadnât even thought about it yesterdayâyour mind was too busy on the events happening inside to focus on anything else. âHe has a lot of money, looks like.â He hadnât even let you pay him for the tarot reading. He had poured you several shots of very expensive bourbon. âA lot a lot. Whatâs his job? Like, his actual job, I mean?â You refused to believe that he was living off late-night tarot readings at Parkerâs.
Renee parked the car and turned off the engine before she spoke again. âHe doesnât have one, not really.â She exited the vehicle and you followed her after grabbing your beersâbut she had all of your attention. The sun was warm on your skin. âYouâll see him sometimes helping out at Parkerâs when heâs bored, or sometimes he hangs around the store with Chris. Heâll go help Felix and his dad when theyâre overwhelmed with deliveries. Heâll go bake a few batches of muffins at the bakery. But heâll never accept cash for it. Heâll take a leftover pizza if Mr. Lee gives him one. Heâll let Chris invite him out for dinner or beers. But never actual money, and the same goes for his⊠talent.â
If you had been curious before, you were downright fascinated now. You walked with Renee around the school, but she made a point to walk slowlyâshe wanted to tell you these things. Or she wanted you to know them, you werenât sure. And you werenât sure why, but you needed to know. Hell, if Hyunjin had a biography out, youâd order a copy and spend all night reading it.Â
âHe wouldnât let me pay him,â you revealed, kicking a rock on your way. The parking lot was large, too large for the school, it seemed. But the area was surrounded by forests and hills, and you could see the mountains from here. There were birds singing and insects clicking. You recognized the Subaru in the handful of cars parked at the front of the school.Â
âHe has money. Enough money. He doesnât need a job. He doesnât need people to pay him when they go for a consult.â You had reached the end of the main building, revealing the large stretch of green grass in between the school and the forest. There were a few areas for the students to hang out, a race track and, at the far back, a soccer field. Music was playing from a wireless speaker. You saw the small group already kicking a ball for fun. There was a tall man with crimson hair. âHis money comes from a legal settlement, but I donât know what was the settlement, nobody does,â Renee added with a shrug. âApparently, itâs medical-related, but we donât know for sure.âÂ
You nodded. You were both walking a bit faster now. âRenee, is he an actual witch? Does he actually have powers?â Above all, this was what was on your mind the most.Â
Renee stopped in the middle of the track field. From here, you could see the scene a little better. Chris was talking and laughing with Felix and another man you didnât know, but his outfit and general style hinted that he might be the P.E. teacher with special permissions, allowing the soccer group to reunite every week here. You were pleased to see that Ali and Michelle were here too, but only Michelle was dressed in sports clothes. Meg and her boyfriend were there, Felixâs sister and two women you didnât know.Â
There were more people, too, but not too much. You were intimidated but relieved to see a few familiar faces. Ali was comfortably sitting on the bench with Bruceâyou already knew that was where you were headed right this second. Youâd probably hear more about the affair between the postal worker and the bakery employee.Â
Renee nodded slowly. âLook. I donât know what I believe in. Or I donât believe in.â She shrugged. âThereâs something about him. He offered me a reading maybe a month after he moved in. His hair was black back then. I had never seen anyone like that.â She giggled softly. âI mean, he is excessively beautiful, isnât he?âÂ
You couldnât deny it. âHe doesnât look real.â
âChris says that too!â You laughed with Renee at that, and she went on. âAnyway. He just asked me if he could read my cards. Sure, why not? I was outside, at the park by Hawthorn Road, reading a book. He sat down with me on the grass and we started.â Reneeâs voice became quiet all of a sudden, like she was choking a little. âHe told me that my momâs energy followed me everywhere. How could he have known? That my mother is dead? The cards were pretty straightforward. My past was a little dark and my present was wobbly. At that time, I didnât like that I didnât have a goal. The card for my future reading was Justice. He told me I ought to do what was right for me. That after I had become just and aligned to my truth, I would feel better.â Renee paused again and you gave her space, not really looking toward her. âI was really depressed back then, I thought I was useless. I started taking fewer translation contracts. I started writing more. One day, I called Chrisâwe were just friends back then but I had a crush on him, I just didnât think I was worthy of himâbecause I needed to ask him a few questions for the novel I was working on. He ended up coming to my place and he read some of the book. He loved it. He kissed me that day. We got married a year later. Hyunjin officiated.âÂ
To love and to be loved. Not exactly the same thing, but not completely different either. In Reneeâs case, it had been obvious she needed to give herself enough love and time to accomplish her creative goals, which had perhaps unlocked something in her heart, too.Â
Renee seemed to understand your pensive expression. She lifted her chin toward you. âWhat was yours? Your main card, I mean?âÂ
You thought about the gardenias you had believed were growing near Hyunjinâs house. How they could only be a hallucination. Or a memory. âFour of Wands.â
Renee frowned. âI donât know what this one means.â
You werenât sure you should tell anyone about thisâbut if you were going to tell someone, it would be Renee. Especially after she had told you this whole story about her card. âHe told me this card only appeared to people in the process of falling in love. He also said that even though I didnât think I was ready, I actually was.â
âReady for what?â
âTo love. And to be loved.â It felt strange to speak those words out loud. Strange, but not bad. They tasted like honeyed bourbon, warm and sweet and exhilarating.Â
Reneeâs eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs. âGirl! Who youâre in love with like that?âÂ
You shook your head. âNo. He specifically said the card appeared to people who were falling in love, not already in love. Apparently itâs not the same.â You took a deep breath. âItâs why I was asking if you thought he had actual powers, though. Because Iâm not falling in love with anybody. And I certainly am not ready to, anyway. I had grieved the whole ârelationshipâ thing after my ex.âÂ
âDid you love him? Your ex?â You had almost reached the soccer field. You could hear Chris enthusiastic voice from here. âDo you remember what it felt when you fell in love with him?â
You thought about it. Really thought about it. The sight of a smile on peopleâs faces was too much at that momentâyou looked down to watch the blades of grass instead, but not before a streak of crimson caught your eye momentarily. âI donât know if I was in love with him. I donât know why I stayed with him. I donât understand why. When I think about my relationship, it feels like I was playing a role because I thought that was right. I donât think he loved me. I resented him a lot for that. But I donât think I loved him either. I was just better at pretending I didâat convincing myself I did.âÂ
Renee patted your back gently. âThen how would you know that youâre not falling in love if you donât know what it feels like?âÂ
She went past the gate to join the others before you could give her an answer.Â
It was Chris who introduced you to everybody. The P.E teacher, Changbin. He spoke to you for about one minute, but his speech was so fast that he might as well have given you his whole entire biography in that short span of time. Still, he spoke with a poised voice, and his smile was pleasant.Â
There was also two men around your ageâone with blue eyes and dusty blond hair and the other with dark, shaved hair and also blue eyes. The difference between the shades of blues were, in that order, a bright sunny day and a stormy afternoon. They were Adam and Ronan, and by the way Adam slapped Ronanâs ass for no apparent reasonâand the way Ronan responded to that by giving Adam a shy kiss on the corner of his lips, you understood they were a couple. Apparently, Ronan was Chrisâ tattoo artist and Adam owned the townâs car repair shop.Â
You met Megâs boyfriend, Minho. The first impression he left on you was that he was a quiet guy, but polite and nice. And then ten seconds later, when Chris asked him a very simple question, he pretended he did not speak the language. Minho started talking louder and louder, all made-up gibberish words, until Chris tackled him into the grass to make him stop. The quiet guy illusion disappeared very quickly when he turned out to be the loudest of them all.Â
You had seen Felixâs sister on a few occasions so she asked about your work and you asked her about the concert she had mentioned she would attend last weekend in another city. She seemed to have had a good time. Her friends were sweet too and complimented your shirt, so you nervously admitted you loved their outfits too.Â
âFantastic Four.â A soccer ball rolled gently toward you until it stopped right by your shoe. You looked in the direction where it had come from, only to see Hyunjin standing a few feet away from you, a bottle of water in one hand, the other resting on his waist. He was a little out of breath. âHappy to see you made it. Renee said youâd come.â
You blinked, trying to take it in all at once. Fantastic Fourâit didnât take you too long to understand he was referring to the card from your reading.Â
Hyunjin was wearing comfortable black shorts and a white t-shirt. His hair was a bit of a mess because he obviously had been running around practicing just earlier but the sun was hitting it just right, making it look like stained glass, like a strawberry lollipop melting under the light. Despite the very normal appearance of his outfit, you couldnât help but feel like there was something magical about this man. The tattoos helped, but it was more than that. He had a glimmer in his eyes and he was smiling, but it was restrained. Like there was something behind that, something darker, as if he was standing at the edge of a cliff and he was afraid of heights. As if he was keeping his happiness on a leash.Â
You kicked the ball toward him and he caught it under his foot. âI came to watch,â you told him, trying very hard to ignore Reneeâs intense gaze on you as she was obviously snooping around your conversation with Hyunjin. âLooks like you play a lot, though.âÂ
âI was on a team for a few years.â Hyunjin nudged the ball again and it returned to you. âIn school,â he clarified. Around the two of you, people were about to separate the group into two teams. âSome people are coming to my place after. Iâm making pizza. Youâre welcome to join.â Hyunjin took a step toward you, the breeze carrying his scent to your nostrils. He smelled like his cologne, like deodorant. Sweat was pearling at his temples and the sun was making the drops look like tiny crystals. âIâd really like it if you came.âÂ
You blushed violently and there was nowhere to hide. You were standing right in front of him and he was staring at you with his big dark eyes. In the sun, they looked like two drops of dark syrup on whipped cream, with streaks of terracotta, with streaks of a color reminiscent of burgundy. The more you looked at him, the more you wanted to stare. Your eyes flicked between his eyes, the ink on his skin, the crystals rolling on the side of his face, the delicate curves of his cheeks and jaw. Your eyes, often, returned to his lips, enticing, pillowy, dark pink.Â
You didnât know what to say. âIâll go.â As if there was any other option. As if you could resist him anyway. You felt the urge to fill the conversation a little to diffuse the tension building in your chest, and so that he didnât think you were some weirdo. It had been a lot easier to speak to him when you were tipsy. âI saw your house the other day,â you added. âI went to Elkwater Springs through the trail behind my house.âÂ
Hyunjinâs smile relaxed a little, and so did his broad shoulders. He came closer to you to take the ball. âI also saw your house the other day,â he said with a soft chuckle. âI was gathering some stuff in the forest. Some herbs carry stronger energy when you harvest them during a thunderstorm. I almost went to knock because I saw that youâd left your windows open, but you closed them in the end. Didn't want your house to get rained in.âÂ
A wave of ice-cold chills went through your body, tickling your skin all over. You remembered very distinctly the dream you had on the night there had been a thunderstorm.Â
Hyunjin touching you, kissing you, fucking you. The dream had seemed so real that you could almost feel it still, his weight on you as he made love to you on that big rock.Â
You remembered the dream and the wetness between your legs when you had woken up. You remembered closing the windows and seeing something behind the trees at the back of your house.Â
âDonât worry,â Hyunjin added with a wink. âI didnât spy on you or anything. It was the middle of the night. But thereâs yarrow growing in that area, so I visit it once in a while.âÂ
You had so many questionsâhow was he orienting himself at night, during a thunderstorm, in a dense forest? What was so special about storm-harvested yarrow? And what exactly was yarrow anyway? Had he heard you through the open windows? Had he heard you as you were dreaming of him, of his cock stretching you, his mouth devouring yours?Â
You couldnât be more grateful when, in the end, Chan stopped tackling Minho to tackle Hyunjin instead, urging him to start the game.Â
It seemed that while Chan acted like a mom to the group, Hyunjin was in charge of whatever came to soccer itself. You observed them as they played rock-paper-scissors to define the teams while Ali and Ronan were chatting with you on the bench. When Ronan asked you about the special grapefruit beer you had brought, mentioning it was one of his favorites, you gave him as good of an answer as you could, still too absorbed with the man with crimson hair to really pay attention to anything else.Â
It didnât take very long for you to understand why Hyunjin was in charge of soccer. He was good at it. He was better at it than anyone elseârunning and dodging and feinting and sliding, all of it while looking like a meteor, bright and fierce and unreal. What a sight it was to watch him play. Hyunjin was good and he knew it, and confidence became him. He wore it like some people wore a special cologne on a date nightâknowing it wasnât for everyday use, but being aware of its potency.
Hyunjinâs gaze was focused and yet he was smiling. Sometimes, the smile turned into a cocky grin but that suited him, too. He earned himself grunts and playful rolls of the eyes whenever he stole the ball from his opponents. On the first break, it was debated whether Hyunjin should be alternating between the two teams since the other strong player was apparently absent tonight due to a family reunion. Eventually, Ronan offered to join the opposite team since Hyunjin was worth two players and the idea was accepted, leaving you with Ali and Bruce on the bench. Bruce seemed to be enjoying watching the gameâas much as a dog could enjoy soccer, at least.Â
The sun went down toward the end of the second half, but Changbin had turned on the exterior lighting. People were more relaxed now, some had simply stopped playing to watch the rest of them finish the game. Most players still on the field had a beer in handâit was Chan and Hyunjin against Felix, Minho and Changbin. Every time Minho kicked the ball and it did not go exactly where it was supposed to go, Chan would yell, MINHO IS ALLERGIC TO BALLS!!!!!!!!!!! at the top of his lungs.Â
You could get used to that. How friendly everyone was. You left the bench to mingle a little, accepting a White Claw from Adam and also sharing your grapefruit beer with those who wanted one. It was one of those that Hyunjin was drinking now, not even spilling a drop of it as he scored yet again with an elegant flip of his hair to get it out of his face. He was sweating heavily, the drops of sweat stained red by his hair, in turn staining his white shirt with specks of red and pink.Â
Renee was chatting with Meg but she was staring at you staring at him. In passing, she mentioned to you that she was one of those who would go to Hyunjinâs place after and you were welcome to get yet another ride with her. She and Chris also had the habit of getting shitfaced drunk at Hyunjinâs place and usually walked home since they lived not too far from him, and you were also welcome to crash at their place. âUnless you spend the night with magic man,â Renee added with a wink, making you blush.Â
Here, sunsets lasted for a long while. Where there wasnât a mountain, you could see a strip of light, amber at first, then dark orange, then dusty pink, then indigo⊠Then it faded into the midnight blue of the sky. At that point, the game was over and most people were gathering their thingsâsome people had left already. Hyunjin disappeared in the school with a small group where they would use the showers in a locker room.Â
Minho was one of the last ones still there. âHave fun sucking each otherâs tiny tiny dicks off,â he said to Hyunjin, Chan, and Changbin. To be fair, they had made fun of him and his balls too, and it was deserved. If somebody had heard them but didnât know them, they might have believed they had been serious, but you knew better.
The night was cool. Renee, perhaps sensing you needed it, didnât speak much for the first half of the car ride. It was just the two of youâChan would get a ride with Hyunjinâand the windows were down. You looked at the sky, wondering why you were seeing him among the stars.Â
You broke the silence. The sound of your own voice surprised youâthere wasnât even any music playing. âRenee, you said you had a crush on Chris before dating him.â
A pause. âYes. He was my friend.â You were leaving Main St to get to the road that crossed the forest.Â
You didnât even know what you were trying to say. âIâve never had a crush, not really,â you admitted finally. âExcept when I was like nine years old. When I look back, I realize I missed so many things. I was always⊠afraid of that. It never felt right. And I have no idea what to do now.âÂ
Another pause, but shorter this time. âHey, can we be adults here? Two grown-ass women, speaking heart-to-heart?â She offered you a soft smile. She had a little bit of a sunburn on the tip of her nose and on her cheeks, and it made her even more beautiful somehow. âThis is about how you want to fuck Hyunjin, yeah?âÂ
This sentence felt just about the same as if she had suddenly crashed the car into a tree. Your heart jumped in your chest but you couldnât even look away from her. Your mind was racing as fast as your heartbeat.Â
âCome on! Itâs alright! The manâs really fucking hot and mysterious.â Renee bit her lip gently, as if she hesitated. âIâve seen the way you look at him. And⊠him at you.âÂ
âHe doesnât look at me. Iâve seen him twice in my whole life,â you commented. âThe first time, he was forced to look at me because he was giving me a tarot reading. And tonight he was busy outplaying everybody on that field.â
âYour overly defensive tone tells me everything I need to know.â Renee took yet another, narrower roadâthis one was not even paved, but you recognized the pattern of trees you had seen closer to Hyunjinâs place. âSo, youâve never had a crush before now, is that what youâre telling me?â
You were new here but you trusted Renee enough to tell her this. âI dreamt about him. Itâs like he really is a witch and he put a spell on me.â
Renee chuckled. âIâm not saying he doesnât have some sort of powers, but he didnât put any spell on you, woman. You just need him to blow your back into oblivion. Ever had a one-night stand?â
âNo, but almost.â You had made out with a guy after a party but hadnât let him fuck you. The next morning, he had asked you on a date and you had ghosted him because you didnât want to date him. âIâm not easily attracted to people.â You sighed. âI donât know what love feels like either. I guess I never thought about having sex with somebody I didnât know.â
Renee was now pulling up to Hyunjinâs driveway. You could see some light from his house through the trees. âI wasnât kidding when I said I think he wants to fuck you too. If he hits on you, how about you let him instead of deflecting? See where this goes. Just a thought.âÂ
You had mourned all of this. Your relationship with your ex felt like a long-term scam instead of a proper romantic adventure. This whole time you had blamed yourself, and yourself onlyâyou couldnât blame him for being afraid to face life on his own and choosing to make a partner out of you. Couldnât blame him for how easy it had been to lure you into his bed and then into his life. Maybe some of this had been because you, too, used to be terrified to be alone.
You still were, to a certain extent at least. Above all, you were resigned to it. To be alone.Â
âI guess. I still donât think he wants to fuck me. Have you seen him?â
âGirl shut up. Just accept it.â Hyunjinâs house had appeared before you. From this angle, it was even more impressive.Â
It was just this huge building in an empty lot in the middle of the forest. There were a few lanterns here and there, illuminating the front and backyard. There were trees and flowers and chairs and decorations. A small paved path led from the parking space to the front door. The air smelled like lilac and freshly cut grass. You wished it was daytime.Â
You sat at a small table near the house while waiting for the others to also arrive after theirâMinhoâs wordsâgay shower. This is what you heardâReneeâs breathing, and the breeze, and katydids and crickets. You heard something croaking too, farther away in the trees. In the distance, you could swear you were hearing the waterfall, too, steady, powerful, as if the sound of it was carried by the wind. This is what you feltâlike you belonged here, but you didnât know why. Like this house was where you were supposed to be tonight. Like Renee was right. Like you had been wrong to believe that you would even notice someone the way you noticed Hyunjin.
While you were waiting, a cat appeared from behind the houseâimmediately, Renee jumped on her feet to greet the little all-gray feline. She petted its long hair and the cat jumped into her arms. âThatâs Alma. Sheâs Hyunjinâs,â she explained, bringing the cat back to the table where you were sitting. âSheâs the sweetest cat I ever met. Iâve actually been tempted in the past to steal her from him.âÂ
Her coat was soft. Alma let you scratch her head and her chin. âIs she hungry? Hyunjinâs been gone for a while.âÂ
Renee smiled. âNah, sheâs fine. Actually, if she showed up now, it means the boys will be there shortly. She seems to sense when her human will be home.âÂ
You listened to the music of the night. The katydids, the wind, the waterfall. âLetâs say youâre right somehow,â you said, almost under your breath. Renee had to lean in closer to you. You were keeping your eyes on Alma, now curled up into a ball on the table. âLetâs say he does want to fuck me.â You took a deep breath. In the distance, a new noise emergedâa car. âLetâs say he does, whatever. And letâs say that we do fuck, just that, no strings attached. He tells me he had a good time but that it wonât go any further. What happens after?â This was a genuine question. âThis is a really small town. Iâm renting that house for a year. Do people who have one-night stands see each other all the time, do they wave each other hello when they randomly come face to face at the grocery store?â
Renee looked at you for a long while, as if she couldnât understand what you were saying. When she spoke again, Hyunjinâs car was appearing through the path in the trees. âBut why the fuck do you assume heâll want nothing to do with you after you guys fucked?â
You couldnât give her an answer because you didnât have one other than being used to being disposable. You were glad the boys had arrivedâit gave you the perfect excuse to remain quiet.Â
A lot of jokes were made about their extensively gay shower. Chris kissed Renee while Hyunjin was unlocking his front door, Alma rubbing her side on his shins. He was talking sweetly to her while Felix was checking his phone. Apparently, Changbin had decided to stay in town and go to Parker's instead. It sounded like Hyunjin took no offense in thatâChangbin had a crush on one of the employees and everybody knew it except her, apparently.Â
âI forgive you the gay shower,â you heard Renee tell Chris behind you, âif you promise me we wonât go home too late tonight.âÂ
âAre you okay? Youâre tired?â Chris sounded genuinely worried. There was something about the way Chris and Renee loved each other that made you believe that love did exist.
âNah, I just feel like writing a little.â Hyunjin had pushed open his door and Felix had followed him inside, and you looked behind you before going in too.Â
Renee winked at you with a smile. âFelix leaves early too usually,â she said, to you. And it sparked something inside of you, but you averted your gaze, too shy to admit it.
If the house had impressed you from the outside, it was even more spectacular from the inside. The ceilings were high and the windows were hugeâbut you already knew that. The walls were painted whiteâbut a warm white, cozy, like fluffy clouds on which the beginning of a sunset reflects. There were also a lot of sage-green accentsâthe couch, a large bookshelf, the French doors separating the living room from the kitchen.Â
There were flowers everywhere. And books, and strange objects. Mason jars filled with herbs or dried flowers or liquids you couldnât recognize. Decks of tarot cards, crystals and gems and pieces of paper with hastily written notes, or peculiar sigils drawn on them. Plants everywhere. Potted, hanging, all the shades of green and brown and more. The walls were covered with pictures and frames and more plants and flowers. Fairy lights and posters. Chairs and armchairs all over the place, with throw blankets and cushions and footrests. All of it mismatched. All of it unique, most likely thrifted. All of it coherent, and so very Hyunjin.
âYou donât need to be shy,â Hyunjin told you. He had noticed that you were looking around furtively. âI can give you a little tour if youâd like. Then we can start on dinner?â
âIâm starving!â Felix complained, but he was smiling.Â
It was late and you ought to be hungry too, only you werenât. You thought about what Renee had told you. âAlright, Iâd love a tour. This is such a nice house.âÂ
After the living room, Hyunjin showed you the kitchen next. It was huge, and fully equipped to feed thirty people at least, you reckoned. Hyunjin explained about how the building used to be this wellness center and how he had the whole house remodeled, except the kitchen. He liked it as it was, and kept most of the equipment, only changing the cupboards for something that fit more his taste. There was, again, a lot to see here. Hanging bouquets of dried herbs. Jars filled with spices and intricate ingredients. Something you liked about Hyunjinâs house was that it was clean but not tidy. There were books on the countertop. There were a few plates and an empty mug by the sink.
This house was lived in. It was loved, too, and it showed.Â
Hyunjin gave Alma some wet food while you two were in the kitchen. You could hear the othersâ conversation from hereâthey were discussing some event that would take place in the town next week that would apparently make Chris very busy at the shop all week. You observed as the gray cat lapped at her food, purring and happy.Â
Hyunjin showed you the bathroom and the guest room. The guest room was more modest, but it had a beautiful frame on the wallâa hyperrealistic still-life painting. Peaches on a wooden table, next to a bottle of wine. The sun was caressing the fruit, gently, lovingly almost. The colors were incredible. Hyunjin told you he bought it at an art fair last year, from the artist herself.Â
The upstairs was even better. Hyunjin had an âofficeâ, with a beautiful wooden desk and more bookshelves. He showed you the room you had seen him in the other day, you saw the couch, the large window. On a shelf, there was a small collection of photo cameras. Some very old, some very recent. Hyunjin told you he liked photography but didnât dedicate enough time to it. He showed you one camera in particular, a film camera, that he had bought from a man on the street a few years ago. âHe was a tourist. I liked the camera for some reason. It called me. I made an offer and he accepted. Sold it to me with the film still inside.â Hyunjin showed you a thin photo album that was by the camera. It contained the pictures taken by the stranger and also by him. It showed Heron Lake, Main St, Elkwater Springs.Â
One picture showed Hyunjin, not from up close, but it was undeniably him. His hair was about the same length it was today, but black. He was sitting under a tree, his knees up, supporting what seemed to be a journal he was writing into. He had fewer tattoos than he did today, but the same wisdom in his eyes. The same strength, the same softness to him. The man had taken this picture, then Hyunjin had noticed him, and had bought the camera from him. The rest of the pictures were taken by Hyunjinâthe view from the top of the Elkwater Springs waterfall, a beautiful rose bush, Main St, Chris and ReneeâŠ
Everything Hyunjin showed you was a little universe in itself. An empty vivarium that he kept just in case a lizard, a snake or a frog would need saving. Another one containing dormant chrysalidesâluna moths and monarch butterflies that Hyunjin raised and released around his garden every year. âIâll show you the garden later,â he promised. The upstairs also had a little reading nook and two bathroomsâone was for the master bedroom.Â
You were intimidated by all of this. By the spells scribbled down on pieces of paper here and there. By him. By his damp hair, his tattoos, by his soft voice and by how tall he was. By the shelves filled with candles of all sizes and colors, with essential oils and herbs and strange items and ingredients. You were intimidated because you had no idea what you were doing here and why your heart was fluttering, but it was, and it felt good that it did. It made you feel alive.Â
It made you wish you werenât so frightened to open up.Â
When you joined the others again, Hyunjin offered all of you a drink while he was making a quick dinner. âAll of the ingredients are ready, I just need to put the pizza together and cook it.â He turned to you then, âWanna give me a hand? You seemed to like the kitchen.âÂ
You had never been particularly good at cooking, but you could recognize a good kitchen when you saw one. âYes. And Iâll have a drink, too.â Maybe this would help you.Â
This is what happenedâyou followed Hyunjin to the kitchen and he made drinks. Gin with lime and lemon juice and fresh mint and homemade strawberry syrup, on the rocks. It was good and refreshing and delicious. You two never stopped talking.Â
You mentioned his soccer skills and he told you about his school and how his parents were strict but he had been on the soccer team and also in a few swimming competitions. He asked you about your school, too, and you told him the basics of it, although that sparked many memories and you two ended up chatting about your childhoods for a good while as Hyunjin was preparing dinner.Â
He was making pizzasâall from scratch. You observed as he worked the dough with his agile hands, kneading and folding it like he knew what he was doing. âFelixâs dad taught me,â he said finally, noticing your interest.Â
Occasionally, one of the others would come in the kitchen to ask something or for a refill on the drinksâyou took care of that while Hyunjin was making the food, but you wondered why they wouldnât join you. In the end, you figured Renee was probably trying to earn her wingwoman of the year title and, perhaps helped by the couple drinks you had, it made you smile discreetly.Â
You should feel awkward. You should be embarrassed beyond beliefâyou had quite literally pulled a voyeur moment on that man and watched him masturbate. You didnât know him, not really, but you knew his parentsâ names and you knew that he liked to make his pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes and herbs he grew in his garden. He knew that you were bitter about a lost job opportunity and that before moving here, you had never seen mountains like that, so high and lush with greenery and life.Â
You knew that you would watch him cook for hours and hours if given the chance. His motions were precise, neither slow or fast, always just right, somehow. He wouldnât let you help himâhe was making two pizzas, one with grilled veggies and the other with bacon. He chopped the bacon and cooked it in a pan with rosemary and a dash of honey. He made the veggies with browned butter and parsley and thyme and you watched as the mushrooms and bell peppers and red onion and cauliflower became grilled to perfection.Â
âI didnât like to cook before,â Hyunjin began as he spread the sauce on the dough. âI guess I learned to appreciate it in this very kitchen.âÂ
âIt is a practical kitchen,â you commented. A low, chill beat was coming from the living room, creating a soft and relaxing ambiance when layered with the conversations happening in the two different rooms. You felt at ease here. âDid you live in a house before, or an apartment?âÂ
Hyunjin hesitated but it barely showed. âAn apartment.â Another pause as he started piling up the ingredients on the pizzas. âI like it much better here. It feels right.âÂ
You didnât want to make him uncomfortable. His delicate traits were like an open bookâwhatever was on his mind didnât please him, so you should redirect the conversation elsewhere.Â
But it made you curious.
âI think I get it,â you offered. âThis place feels right for me too. This place even moreâyour house, I mean.âÂ
A thin smile appeared on Hyunjinâs pink lips and he looked away from the pizzas to stare into your eyes. âHeron Lake found you too, didnât it?âÂ
âWhat?â
âWhy would you come here if you hadnât been called? How did you even find this place? This town out of all towns? A tiny nook in between mountains? Nowhere?âÂ
Hyunjin wasnât the first person to ask you this question and he was certainly not the last. The truth was that you didnât have an answer. You didnât really know.Â
âHow did it happen for you?â Hyunjin inquired, reprising his making of the pizzas after taking a few sips from his drink. Behind him, Alma went to curl up on a rattan chair in the corner of the room. âSaw an ad for Chrisâ store for no reason? Thought you could uncover the truth about Mothman? Read one of the Elkwater forest ghost stories online?âÂ
âNo, Iââ You frowned, putting your glass back on the counter with a loud clink. Mothman was one thing, but⊠âThere are ghosts?â You looked around, but the curtains were drawn on the windows and it was nighttime anyway. âWhat the fuck?â
Hyunjin shrugged. âIâve never encountered anything truly malevolent, donât worry. Itâs an old forest. An old place. Thereâs all sorts of things hereâand itâs why you were called, why I was called. Nobody finds Heron Lakeâit finds you.âÂ
You were wondering what sort of ghosts might live in a forestâalso making you question everything you thought you knew about life. If anybody had asked you if you believed in ghosts five minutes ago, the answer would have been not really. And now the answer was I donât know. If you didnât believe in something, it shouldnât scare you, right?Â
âI was just online looking at⊠nothing and everything,â you recalled, definitely trying to think about anything other than ghosts in your backyard. âJust scrolling. Then I zoomed in on this random place, and again, and again, and the lake caught my eye. Elkwater Springs. And now Iâm here. So I guess youâre right.â
Hyunjin stuck his tongue out playfully, suppressing a laugh. âIâm always right!âÂ
You rolled your eyes but really, he was always right⊠About things he had no reason to be. And it was unsettling. At your age, you didnât think you could ever see magic again in this world, and here you were. Hyunjinâs arrival in your life had changed your beliefs fundamentally, probably more than you wanted to admit for now, but definitely more than you thought it had.
Hyunjin seemed focused on his task, as if placing cheese on pizzas was the most important thing in the world right now. It was endearing. It was fascinating. The bracelets around his wrists tinkled like windchimes when he moved. His hair was almost fully dry now, looking silky soft under the amber ceiling lights.Â
The question spilled from your lips before you could even think about stopping it. âHyunjin, is magic real?â
He didnât budgeâhe simply looked at you over the pizzas. âSome magic is real. You can ask me questions if youâd like. I canât promise you I have all the answers, but Iâll do my best to quench your curiosity.â With a lopsided smile, he added, âDonât hold back.â
You looked over your shoulder while Hyunjin was putting the pizzas into the oven. In the living room, Renee, Chris and Felix were apparently now playing a video game. âShouldnât we join them?â
âYou can if youâd like, but I have to stay near the pizzas to make sure they donât overcook.â Hyunjin crossed the kitchen to make it to his very fancy fridgeâthe doors matched the cupboards and it was huge and looked like you could play a movie on itâand pulled a bottle of wine from it. âFeel free to join me. This house⊠is a safe space. You can do whatever you want and nobody will ever judge you. I only invite people who give off energies that match mine, and each otherâs.âÂ
This, you didnât doubt at all. In fact, it explained a lot about the sudden comfort you had felt in here. How, already, you were sitting crossed-legged on one of the stools in the kitchen, snacking on the cheese and bacon that hadnât made it on the pizzas, speaking with Hyunjin about your childhood and lost dreams, or about the uses of basilâit tasted delicious and was supposed to attract luck. Â
âYou can go take a nap upstairs, or pick a book to read, or play video games, or go sit outside in the garden with Alma,â Hyunjin went on. âDonât worry about it.â
You stared at him and at the way his thick, perfectly sculpted brows stitched together as he was uncorking the wine. âIâll stay here then.â Your voice was a little shaky. You cleared your voice. âThat wine looks fancy.â
âIt is,â Hyunjin admitted. âLast year, I helped a couple with a spell and a ritual. A couple of months later⊠They sent me a gift package. As a thank you. And there was a bottle of this wine in it, and Iâve been addicted ever since. I indulge once in a while.âÂ
Hyunjin said that in the same voice he would have used to tell you he helped someone with a flat tire. The wine was from Italyâa Gaviâand its color was a complex yellow reminiscent of sunsets. Or liquid gold. You suppressed a smile as Hyunjin grabbed a second wine glass and filled it for you.Â
âYou help people. Thatâs honorable.â You meant it. âYou help them enough that they want to thank you and send gifts.â It made you wonder what exactly was your purpose in life. Your job helped nobody. What kind of legacy was that? âThey must have been very grateful.â
The wine was delicious. Cold, refreshing, sweet but with bold citrusy notes and a pleasant floral aftertaste. It tasted like summer. It tasted like the illusion you had once been truly happy in your life.Â
âYeah, they were.â Hyunjinâs smile turned dark for a few seconds. His full lips were coated with the wine. The kitchen smelled like pizza and laughter resonated through the house. You never wanted the moment to end, but you watched as Hyunjin reached for his phone and looked for something on itâhe only needed a few seconds. Soon enough, he showed you a picture. It must have been them, the couple he had mentioned. Their smiles were radiant. The man was holding a newborn baby.Â
âThatâs them?â
Hyunjin nodded. âThey werenât able to conceive. But it was their dream. To have a baby.âÂ
In that instant, Hyunjinâs face looked like he had never been happy once in his life. You gave him the phone back, and it returned on the counter while he drank heavily from his glass. You watched his adamâs apple bob as he swallowed it all, gulping thickly. Maybe he was uncomfortable talking about that, about his⊠powers.Â
But he went on. âThey came here as tourists. They got lost on a hike and I came across them and offered to guide them back. On the way back to town, we chatted, and I learned that it was a little vacation they were having because they had suffered through IVF procedures and nothing had worked out.â
âBut how does that work? A spell to make a woman pregnant?â
Hyunjin thought about it for a long time, swirling his wine in his glass, head tilted to the side. His crimson hair brushed elegantly on his shoulder as he sorted through his thoughts. He wasâand there was no denying itâthe most beautiful fucking thing you had ever seen. From his perfect honey skin, his plush lips, his posture.Â
âSee, itâs not abracadabra and sheâs pregnant,â he explained. âI told you the other nightâitâs all about intention. And about channeling those intentions with the right energies. They just needed a little nudge. They just neededâŠâ
You finished his sentence, remembering what he had said during your tarot reading. â...an antenna.â
âAn antenna,â Hyunjin echoed, looking a little more relaxed. âAll it took was their love and their desire to bring life into this world. Some nettle, the flames of a few candles, the full moon. Green ink on paper, and enough energy to cast the spell. I didnât do much, just guided them.â
Somehow, Hyunjin was even more beautiful when he was talking about his talent. There was a spark in his eyes, there was confidence in his voice. It made you want to sit here all night and listen to him.Â
âEnergy? What kind of energy? you asked, curious. The timer on the oven said there was two minutes left on the pizzas. Hyunjin was regularly checking up on them. You needed more time.Â
Hyunjin drank some wine and licked it off his perfect lips, staring directly into your eyes. âWhen appropriate, I find sex to be the most efficient spell-casting technique.â He drank wine, again, pressing his tongue against the glass before locking his lips around it, carefully letting the liquid into his mouth. He swallowed it, never breaking eye contact with you. âOrgasms are powerful, but everything that comes before is, too. Lust, desire, kisses and touches. All that.â
It was as if Hyunjin had shocked youâa violent, electricity-charged wind stirred within you, starting as a tingle in your fingertips and ending as tremors in your core. You pressed your thighs together as if it would make any difference. As if you hadnât felt that sentence in your clit.Â
âSâSex?â You were a little too aware of the warmth emanating from your face. You were a little too aware of how quickly your heart was beating, too.Â
âSex magick,â Hyunjin confirmed with a nod. âItâs not necessarily whatâs required in every situation, but often, it just⊠works. Naturally, for people seeking fertilityâŠâÂ
There was one minute left on the timer. Hyunjin went to look at the pizzas anyway, just to make sure. You stared at the golden liquid in your glass, rethinking your whole life in just a few seconds. âBut what does it mean? You⊠You had sex with them?â
Hyunjin let out a short snort, but it wasnât a mockery, it was as if he found you genuinely funny. âGod, no! Iâve never had sex with anyone for a spell. But I was there, yes. The baby was conceived that very night as far as we know. I brought them to the top of a mountain, and we talked for a while, and then⊠Then they started touching each other, and I just encouraged them. Talked them through it, guided the intentions. The same goes for solo stuff, too. Iâm just there to make sure the energies flow.â
âYou watch people fuck?â This sounded messed upâit should be messed up, but it wasnât. Somehow, it fucking wasnât. âYou talk to them while they fuck and it⊠it⊠makes magic happen?â
âThatâs a wildly summarized version of it, yes. I doubt that me, simply encouraging him to fuck her deeper, or to tell her how good she is at taking him, or to comment on how fucking beautiful it was when he filled her with his fertile seed, is what made the pregnancy hold this one time. But then, what do we know?â
You knew one thingâthat your pussy was wet. That you couldnât not imagine it now, the night, the full moon, two lovers fucking on the ground, their bodies feeding off the energy of the moonlight and the earth beneath them, their cum permeating the soil, their moans filling the air. Hyunjinâs soft voice, guiding them, his gaze lingering on the curve of her breasts, on his cock stretching her.Â
You knew one thingâyou didnât know anything. Maybe it was all true. Maybe Hyunjin held power inside him somehow. Maybe he was able to make things happen. Maybe his voice carried intent, maybe his lips were beautiful enough to make miracles happen. For all you knew, his cum contained ancient, forgotten magic.
The timer on the oven went off, making you jump in your seat. You almost fell off but managed to make it look smooth, as if you were getting up. Your knees almost gave out when you stood on your feet.Â
You were so wet that you could feel it stick to your panties.Â
Hyunjin, in the span of two minutes, had aroused you so badly that you were considering running to the bathroom real quick to finger yourself to get some relief. You didnât think you could make it through dinner.Â
âDinnerâs ready!â Hyunjin shouted toward the living room. âIs your match over soon?âÂ
âThree minutes-ish!â Chris replied. Three minutesâyou didnât need that long to cum, not in the state that you were in currently.Â
You began retreating, slow, careful steps, never turning your back on Hyunjin, as if he were a wild animal. He was pulling plates from the cupboards while the pizzas cooled down a little.
âTell me,â Hyunjin began, now looking into the fridge to grab some cans of soda, âis there something you want? No, let me rephrase that.â He placed the Coke Zeros and the Ginger Ales on the counter and turned to you, his eyes inquisitive. âI know thereâs something that you want. Iâm offering you my help.â
âYour help?â You gulped, the pressure between your legs coming and going in waves.Â
âA spell. I can make a spell with you. That thing you wantâwe can make it happen.â Hyunjin took a step toward you, enveloping you in his scent once again. You could feel the warmth emanating from his body.Â
âWith me?â As opposed to for you? He was the witchâyou had no magical power except the excessive talent of always picking the slowest checkout lane at the local Wal-Mart. âI donât⊠Iâm not a witch.â
âItâs your intentions that matter,â Hyunjin explained with a soft, comprehensive smile. âThey matter more than whatever I can do to help. Just think about it. Itâs a simple offer, and itâs free.âÂ
You were about to respond when the rest of the group joined you in the large kitchen. Chan and Felix grabbed a can of soda each while telling Hyunjin about the wondrous feats they had just accomplished in the gameâand Renee had to remind them that she had beaten both of them in the end. The room smelled delicious, the scent of the tomatoes Hyunjin had roasted with garlic for the sauce, the fresh herbs, the touch of sweetness in the bacon. And yet, Hyunjinâs personal scent, the strange perfume of roses and smoke and sunshine, haunted you.Â
You took the same seat you had just left, now abandoning your plan of a quick cum in the bathroom. The wetness between your legs was uncomfortable and yet, there was something thrilling about it, as if it served as a reminder. That somebody had stirred something up within you. A storm, a forest fire, something frightening, something unstoppable. Something beautiful.
The pizza tasted as good as it smelled, and you listened to the conversations around the counter as everybody sat on their stools to eat dinner, giving Hyunjin all the compliments he so deserved. Between the five of you, the fancy Gavi wine disappeared rather quickly but was followed with a refreshing beer to finish dinner with.Â
At some point this week, people had stopped calling you new girl, and you had stopped feeling like a stranger, too. You saw something in the localsâ eyes here in Heron Lakeâfamiliarity. Like the trees were not just trees, but old friends. Like the mountain was their home. Like the lakes and rivers surrounding this place were a lot more than simple bodies of water. Like they were anchored into this place, the soil, the forest, the mountains, like they were a part of it as much as it was a part of them.
You were a little afraid of this feeling inside of you, but you couldnât deny your heart any longerâit was on its knees, begging you to allow Renee to become your best fucking friend, begging you to ask Chris to join you on a hike, begging you to ask Felix if he could show you how to play his favorite video game.Â
Begging you to let Hyunjin tell you the whole history of witchcraft if he wanted to. Begging you to let him in. Him, all of them. Ali and Michelle too, and Adam and Ronan. Maybe you should finally look into getting that tattoo you wanted to get earlier this year. Maybe you should visit Parkerâs often and ask Meg if she needed help waiting a few tables, maybe you should learn to know the mysterious Minho while you were there, while also assisting Changbin in seducing that girl he liked.Â
Maybe each person was a work of art on a canvas, not quite blank but never quite finished either, always changing, always being made more beautiful as they let other peopleâs colors blend with their own. Maybe Hyunjin had been rightâyou hadnât found Heron Lake, it had found you.Â
Like you were supposed to come here. For the first time in your life, everything felt right.Â
Renee had conveniently picked the seat right next to yours. You had, on purpose, stayed a little away from Hyunjin, perhaps to give your mind a little rest from the intense spinning that occurred to it every time you were a little too close to the man with the crimson hair.Â
She dipped some of the crust of her second pizza slice in Hyunjinâs fancy chives and butter sauce, chasing it down with some beer. âSo,â she started, wiping the corner of her mouth with a paper napkin. But then she didnât say anything else.
You werenât a foolâyou knew exactly what she was trying to say, probably utilizing the fact that the boys were very focused on watching a video on Felixâs phone. âYeah?â What were you supposed to tell her? Hyunjin told me about that one time he watched a couple conceive a baby and it made me wet and now I want him to perform sex rituals on me?
âWeâll probably leave soon after dinner,â Renee went on after finishing her pizza. âWeâll go get the car from the school tomorrow, we can give you a ride home then. Felix, you still staying over at our place?â
âThink so!â Felix clapped enthusiastically. He turned to you. âYou should come too! But if you really wanna go home, we can call someone and head back home together.â Felix lived closer to you than the others.Â
Hyunjinâs gaze flicked from the phone, landing on you for half a second before returning to the screen. You noticed it, and Renee noticed it too. âYou guys should stay a little longer. I made ice cream,â he said, pushing his empty plate away.Â
An extensive explanation of Hyunjinâs latest hobby followed, dutifully given by Chris and Felix. Apparently, Hyunjin had won an ice cream machine at a fair that had visited the town last year, and he had started experimenting with that. Some peopleâChangbinâsaid that he made the best ice cream in the world.Â
You and Chris cleaned up the kitchen a little while Renee was helping Hyunjin divide the leftoversâapparently, it was also a tradition of this group of friends to share the leftovers when they met for a meal. âActually, I think our cupboard has more containers from everyone elseâs than our own,â Chris explained with one of his insanely endearing giggles.Â
âI should host sometime soon,â you decided, but you couldnât figure why the fuck you had said that. Not that you didnât mean itâyouâd love to invite people over, but you certainly couldnât cook on Hyunjinâs level and your house was bland. A lot of your belongings were still in boxes or bags, and you hadnât bothered with decorating any of the rooms, knowing that you were only renting for a year. âI wonât make pizza as good as this though,â you added, making sure everybody was warned.Â
âI can help you,â Hyunjin offered. Behind him, Felix was preparing bowls and spoons for the ice cream. âWhen you host, I mean. Iâll come over and help out.âÂ
Reneeâs face was worth approximately five million US dollars at that very moment and you tried to ignore her expression of pure triumph. You also tried to push some of your hair over your face to hide the blatant flush on your cheeks. âOhâwowâI meanâyouâre really niceâthatâsâthatâs nice,â you managed. âYou donât have to, I meanââ
Hyunjin tksed you, rolling his eyes with a smile. âI know I donât have to. Believe it or not, most of the time, when people offer their help, itâs because they genuinely mean it.â
You nodded, humbled, but your heart was warm. âYouâre right. Thanks, Hyunjin.âÂ
âIce cream time!â Hyunjin declared to change the subject. Maybe he had noticed your slight discomfort, but he couldnât know that part of it was from panties being still very wet from earlier and everything that entailed. âI made two flavorsâpistachio with pine honey, and peach, saffron and vanilla.âÂ
Hyunjin took care of scooping everyoneâs ice cream, not letting anybody help him. Chris mentioned he wanted to eat outside to get some fresh air. Felix followed him after Hyunjin filled his bowl with huge scoops of each flavor. It was your turn now, but Hyunjin pulled Reneeâs bowl. âI assume pine honey?â he told her with a smile.Â
âYou know me.â Renee went to a drawer to get a spoon in addition to the one she was already holding. âYou also know me enough to know Iâm definitely gonna have a taste of the other one too.â
âIâd be offended if you didnât,â Hyunjin admitted with a laugh.Â
You watched Renee taste the peach ice cream. She had a slight frown, as if she was truly studying it. âWow,â she muttered. âThatâs special.âÂ
âIt sure is.â Hyunjin handed her the bowl filled with pistachio and pine honey ice cream, âI came up with the recipe last week.â He pulled the last two empty bowls toward himâyours and hisâand began filling them with peach ice cream.Â
Renee thanked him and went with the others outside. You could see them from here, sitting at the small table where you and Renee had been earlier. There was a small lantern on it and Chris had turned it on, basking the three of them in soft, yellow light. There was something excessively peaceful in seeing this trio and their smiles.Â
âI didnât ask which one you wanted,â Hyunjin said, pulling you back to the kitchen. âItâs because I made the recipe for this one after I met you.âÂ
The ceramic bowl was cold in your hand when you grabbed it from him, filled with two perfect scoops of golden-colored ice cream. You had never seen such color in ice cream beforeâthere was obviously nothing artificial about it. It reminded you of sunflowers and marigolds and the smell of sunshine that lingered on Hyunjin.Â
He glanced at the window, watching the others for a few seconds. âIâd like to show you the garden,â he told you. âIf you want?â
A scary thought went through your mindâthat youâd follow him just about anywhere if he asked you with those eyes, if he asked you before he licked clean the ice cream scooper, the thick cream sticking to his wet tongue, his eyes observing you as if you were a map, a puzzle, a question waiting to be answered. Youâd probably follow him if he told you he wanted to go deep into the forest to harvest some obscure herb.Â
But the garden sounded nice. Anywhere sounded nice if he were there. âIâd love to,â you retorted, clearing your throat.Â
âWe can talk about your spell,â Hyunjin explained, storing the ice cream into his large freezer again. âWeâll also have to discuss boundaries, and if youâre comfortable with it, you can tell me what itâs about exactly, but I think I know.âÂ
You followed him into the short hallway that ended with a large sliding door that led to the garden. âYou do?âÂ
âWell I know you got the Three of Swords in your tarot reading, and I know it was about your ex,â Hyunjin explained, stopping right before the door, keeping a hand on the handle. âIâm interested to know how exactly youâd like to get back at him. And maybe what it is that he did to you, too. If you want. Because⊠I know thatâs what itâs all about. I know it's preventing you from being happy.â Hyunjin hesitated. âIâd like to think we could become friends you and I, or something. Someday.â
âOh.â How could Hyunjin read you so well? And why was he so kind to you? Maybe life had made you forget that, sometimes, people were honest and upfront about their emotions. That life wasnât always about downplayed feelings. That not everybody was playing a game of who will text first, that not everybody was keeping vital information unspoken. âYeah, Iâd like that a lot.â The warmth on your cheeks was back and you needed to busy yourself with something, so you simply picked up some ice cream on your spoon and brought it to your lips as Hyunjin was pushing the door open.Â
The intricate beauty of the garden hit you at the exact same time as the elaborate taste of the ice cream did, almost causing your synapses to short-circuit.
The ice cream was sweet, but not overly sweet. It tasted like ripe peaches and saffron and vanilla, exactly what it had been described as, but the blend of these three flavors created a fourth one that was strangely familiar. You quickly ate more, chasing more of that unexpected yet divine taste, letting it melt on your tongue and coat the inside of your mouth.Â
âOh my godâŠâ You turned to Hyunjin as he closed the door behind him. âThatâs delicious!âÂ
For the first time maybe ever, Hyunjin appeared shy. Bashful. He took his time with the door before looking in your direction again. âYou really like it?â The garden had minimal lighting, all warm and intimate, but enough to show his big, dark eyes.Â
You took a step toward him, momentarily forgetting the magic garden around you. âYou made this? From scratch?â The taste lingered in your mouth. The bowl was cold in your hand. Hyunjin was tall and his eyes were devouring yours. âAfter you met me?âÂ
Hyunjin took a bite of the ice cream as if he needed to revisit its taste, to make sure. âOur first meeting left quite a strong impression on me,â he admitted. He looked somewhere behind you. âAre you afraid of birds? Some people are.â
âWhat? Birds? No, why?â You didnât want to change the subject. For some reason, this ice cream was the most important thing to you right now.Â
Hyunjinâs uneasiness seemed to dissipate a little. He licked his lips clean and stretched his neck, looking vaguely in the direction of the forestâprobably around the very place you had been when you had seen him in his window. He parted his lips, just barely, and whistled. A soft whistle at first, then turning into a melody. The sound was steady, beautiful. It filled your mind the same way the ice creamâs flavor had.Â
Your gaze followed Hyunjinâs, looking up to the sky. And, seeing the sky.
You had moved to Heron Lake a little while ago now, and while you had heard about the view of the night sky from the mountains, you hadnât experienced it. Until now. The sky looked like deep blue silk. The stars werenât just white dots on it, they were actual little spheres of light. Yellow and orange or blueish or red, even. Sparkling and twinkling and shining into the darkness. From here, it looked like you should touch them, feel them under your fingertips. They looked like red pearls of sweat rolling on Hyunjinâs honey skin. They looked like the fairy lights reflecting in his big eyes. Worlds and galaxies and mysteries and the taste of ripe peaches with a touch of saffron and vanilla.Â
You jumped when the same whistle that Hyunjin had produced echoed into the night, but this time it hadnât spilled from his lips. You looked everywhere around, and, for a second, figured that Chris or someone else must have responded to him, until you heard the flapping of wings, until you saw a shadow flying beneath the stars.Â
A raven carefully circled over the garden until it landed gently on Hyunjinâs shoulder, immediately going for the bowl of ice cream that he was holding. You knew this was a raven because last week, when you had asked what was the difference between a raven and a crow, Felix had told you that youâll know when you see a raven because theyâre just so fucking huge. He had been right about that.
The bird gently tapped the ceramic with its large beak before returning to nuzzle in Hyunjinâs neck, eliciting a giggle from him. He let go of the ice cream to scratch the top of the birdâs head, much like he would do to a dog.Â
You had told him you werenât scared of birds and that was true, but you had never seen such a big one from so close. It was large but it was beautiful, almost invisible in the night, the lights reflecting on its feathers.Â
âYouâre calm,â Hyunjin noticed. âA lot of people freak out.â
âIs thatâŠÂ your bird?â You couldnât help but come a little closer, fascinated by the way the birdâs head moved, and the sound it made when it flapped its wings.Â
âYes and no. I donât want to claim him as mine. He was abandoned by his group when he was still a fledgling⊠I donât know why.â Hyunjin left a little kiss on the birdâs face, to which itâheâresponded with a low, soft croaking noise and a short series of whistles. He turned to you. âDo you know what a group of ravens is called? Thereâs a word for it.â
âWhat is it?â As if this is what mattered now. You kept eating the ice cream before it could melt, almost like you wanted to remember this taste forever. Almost like you needed to figure out what it reminded you of before the bowl was empty.Â
âAn unkindness.âÂ
Unkindness. Words were often so harsh, so cruel, gratuitous. You stared at the raven resting on Hyunjinâs shoulder, finding absolutely nothing unkind about it.
âWhat about this one?â you inquired, curious, hoping he would explain to you why there was a kind raven living around his house, or maybe give you its name if it had one. âWhat do you call it?â
Hyunjin's eyes were as dark as the bird's feathers when he stared into yours. âA friend. A guardian.â The bird flapped its wings, taking flight but not for longâit went to rest on a low branch of one of the few trees within the fenced garden, preening like there was no tomorrow. âHis name is Arisâshort for Polaris, the North Star. I found him on a very difficult day. A dark, dark dayâŠâ
Hyunjin let the sentence trail to silence and you allowed it, giving him a few seconds of privacy as he was staring at his feathered friend. âDid you find him or did he find you?â you asked, smiling fondly.Â
He was smiling when Hyunjin turned to you again, the bittersweet cloud gone away. âYouâre starting to get it.â He saluted you like a master would his apprentice. Twisting his neck toward the raven, he added, âWanna go back to sleep, Aris?âÂ
Aris let out a low shrill before speaking words. âGoodnight Aris,â he said in a voice that sounded much like Hyunjinâs. âGoodnight Aris, goodnight Aris, bye bye, sweet dreams.âÂ
You knew that some birds could talkâor rather, mimic soundsâbut this was beyond anything you thought possible. Aris took flight once again, disappearing into the night with a muffled whoosh.
âWow.â You stood there, still staring blankly at the branch where Aris had been a moment ago. âI think thatâs the coolest thing Iâve ever fucking seen.â
Hyunjin laughed so hard at this that he choked on the last spoonful of his ice cream. There were tears in his eyes when he managed to breathe normally again. âI think he likes you though. He tends to be wary of strangers usually.â
âIâll take that as a compliment.â You scraped the bottom of your bowl to make sure you werenât wasting any of that peach ice cream. The taste was so bold, sweet yet⊠sweet yet⊠perfect. The word erotic came to your mind, but you quickly pushed that at the back of your head. The rest of this train of thought would have to wait until you were reunited with your vibrator. âHeâs beautiful. He lives outside?â
âYeah. Sometimes heâll stay inside though,â Hyunjin explained. âHeâs free to do whatever. Sometimes, he leaves for several days. And I always think, thatâs it, Aris finally found a mate. But he always returns. Always alone.â
You frowned, feeling genuine melancholy for this bird. âOh. Thatâs too badâŠâ The ice cream was gone, so you licked your lips clean and left the empty bowl with Hyunjinâs on a stony ledge. âBut he has you. Thatâs something. Maybe he doesnât want a mate.âÂ
âI delude myself into thinking this, yes. That itâs his choice. Some people choose to be aloneâmaybe birds do the same.âÂ
You couldnât stop the question before it escaped your lipsâand you didnât really want to stop it anyway. âYou seem alone too, Hyunjin. Arenât you?â You hadnât seen any sign of a partner in his house and by the way Renee was so adamantly trying to get you into his pants, he must be single. âIs it your choice?â It must be, you thought. He was too beautiful, too striking, not to be desired by many.
He did not hesitate, did not shy away. âYes.â Then, softly, âsame as you.â He motioned toward the garden, inviting you in. âLetâs go?âÂ
You followed him. There was a lot to see all at once, but Hyunjin assured you that it was even prettier during the day when all the flowers were open and soaking up the sun. But you liked it at night, too. The fence provided intimacy and a sense of warmthâit was made of wood but covered entirely by thick, leafy vines. It smelled like wet earth, like flowers, like herbs, too.Â
There was a tiny greenhouse in which Hyunjin grew various thingsâfrom rosemary to chamomile, also French parsley, lavender, bay leaf and sage and everything in between. He also had a few tomato plants and grew his own lettuce. He promised he would make you a salad when it would be time to harvest, claiming that his lettuce was particularly flavorful because he planted it alongside basil and oregano.Â
Hyunjin also had a hot tub. A very fancy one at that, but not luxurious per seâhe explained that it was more like a complicated bathtub. The water was exclusively heated by a stove that burned wood. âItâs not the same as electrical. The warmth is different. Elemental. Real.â And then he explained how even the water here wasnât apparently just regular water.
âThe buildingâs water source comes from the same underground water source as Elkwater Springs,â he clarified. âThis is one of the many reasons I really wanted this house.â
âWhy, though? The water is just better?â The strong flavor of the ice cream remained in your mouthâit stayed there, lingering, much like the wetness between your legs.Â
Hyunjin raised his eyebrows, surprised. âYou havenât heard the legend behind Elkwater Springs? How it got its name and all?âÂ
You tried to remember if you had seen this pop up anywhere but couldnât think of it at all. âIs it not online?âÂ
Hyunjin shook his head, inviting you to sit with him on an outdoor couch. The cushions were smooth and bouncy. This outdoor lounge set was much more comfortable than the one you had in your fucking living room.Â
âThe legend dates back to way before Heron Lake was founded,â he began, speaking in a low voice, as if he didnât want to be heard by anybody but you. The people who were here had lived here for a long time and they knew the ancient magic of the mountains. They also knew the forest well, respecting it and worshiping it as their goddess. They lived here peacefully for centuries until they were disturbed by invaders who wanted their land. They did not want to fightâspilling blood in a battle within the forest would be an affront to their goddess.Â
âThey folded to preserve peace, making deals with the invaders, asking to be left alone if they moved farther into the forest. The deal was made. The clan leader was a wise woman. She had lost her mate to an illness many years prior to thatâall that she had left was her people and her daughter. The daughter fell in love with one of the invaders and she became pregnant with his child.Â
âWhen the truth was uncovered, the invaders killed the man for treason and came to take the daughter away and bring her with them. Her pregnancy was advanced by thenâso much so that the shock of it all made her water break. The clan protected her. They firmly said that the child belonged to the forest, just like its mother and its grandmother. The invaders slaughtered more than half of the clan, including the wise leader. Her daughter fled, disappearing into the trees, leaving behind her a trail of blood that was dripping from between her legs. She collapsed near Elkwater Springs and gave birth, alone, to her son. It was then that one of the invaders caught up with her, alerted by the babyâs cries and by the blood staining the grass. When he tried to shoot her, an elk appeared from behind the large rocks and was killed by the invader in her place.â
Hyunjinâs storytelling was so gripping that you could see everything clearlyâevery tree, every person. You could see the elk, imagine its blood in its thick coat, you could hear the motherâs cries and pleas. There was nothing else leftâjust you and Hyunjin, and the words that came out of his enticing mouth.Â
âThe legend says that it was the goddess, the forest, who protected the mother and her child. This gave the mother enough time to disarm her opponent and she killed him, knowing she shouldnât spill blood in the forest, knowing it was the only way she could save her baby. She washed her son in the waters of what would then become Elkwater Springs. The baby did not cry after this.Â
âThe mother left her son with the dead elk, carrying the dead invader away, begging the goddess to save her son. The invaders came and found her soon after. They killed her and assumed they had also killed the bastard son. They threw her body in the water and it was carried back to the dead elk and to her son. This is how her cousin found her, and her son, who was very much alive. They took the meat of the elk and buried her nearby. The motherâs blood runs into Elkwater Springs, and so does her protection. The trail in the forest was created by her sonâs birth blood as she ran away from the fight, ending at the waterfall. The son lived a long life, and it is thanks to him and the sacrifice his mother made that the forest is preserved.âÂ
It took you a long while to process and digest it all. Hyunjin may have presented this as a legend, but you heard this as a truth. You thought about the trail that you had followed and how it had conveniently carried you exactly here. From your house. You thought about the strange force you had felt in the waterfall, something that you hadnât been able to explain but something that you had felt within you.Â
âThis is such a sad storyâŠâ Your voice was small, smaller than you had imagined. You were moved. Hell, the pressure you had felt all evening in your lower abdomen had turned into an ache, almost as if the mother from the legend had come to show you what her pain had been like.Â
âBut the baby lived,â Hyunjin retorted, his voice suddenly low, dull, flat. âItâs all that matters. The mother gave her life for her son. She wouldnât have wanted to be alive anyway if her baby had somehow perished.âÂ
You gulped, listening to the silence around you, realizing that silence was just a made-up word for something that didnât exist except maybe in the vacuum of space. But here, silence meant the distant flow of the waterfall, the katydids, Hyunjinâs slow breathing, distant voices of your friends, and the lazy flapping of water coming from the hot tub.Â
You didnât insist. âYes,â you decided to say, staring at the pretty paved path underneath your shoes. It was made of what seemed to be natural rocks, uneven and mismatched, yet they agreed together and agreed with the rest of the strange garden. Somehow. The high-tech hot tub, the willow tree, the oak tree, the greenhouse, the countless flowers and bushes and plants. Everything, you thought, must be so closely tied to Hyunjin, his soul, his energy. As if he held this whole place together somehow.Â
You heard footsteps in the not-silence. They stopped at a short distance from you, on the other side of the fence.Â
It was Felix. âMy dad just called to check if I was too drunk to drive⊠heâs closing the restaurant in 10, said heâd pick me up after his last delivery. If you wanna hop in.âÂ
Every atom, every molecule of your body was at war with your brainâyou wanted to go home. You wanted to stay here. Hell, youâd spend the whole entire night right here, sitting on this couch, staring at the stars. You could see shapes in them. Lines and formations and constellations that didnât even exist. You wanted to stay here and observe Aris the raven from up close, study his black feathers under the sunlight. You wanted to stay here and listen to Hyunjin tell you stories all night. And then the day after. And the night after. With your mouth still sweet from the ice cream.Â
But you knew better. âAlright, thanks a lot, Lix. Iâll be there soon.âÂ
âDonât forget your leftovers in the fridge,â Hyunjin warned, and he turned to you again as Felix was walking away. âWe should probably talk about your spell before you go,â he offered. âIf you want.â
You thought about Daehan. About the pain he had put you through. For so long you had wanted revengeâproper revenge. You had schemed and conspired and while you had never acted, it was never for a lack of will. You were simply afraid of the person it would make of you if you managed to ruin his life. But this is what you had wanted to doâyou had wanted to anonymously contact upper management of your old company and tell them about him fucking your boss in the bathroom. It wasnât even made up, it was all real. But you knew this would be more than enough to get him fired. You should have told someone, anyone, about it. But you never did.Â
Because you werenât one for revenge. Not in practice. In theory, it was fun to think about it, to imagine his face as he got scolded for it, as his life was shattering. But really, you didnât think you could live with yourself if you did it.Â
But you couldnât live with yourself with what he had done to you either.Â
âI donât really want⊠I donât want revenge,â you told Hyunjin.Â
âWhat is it that you want, then?â he asked softly.Â
You told him everything. You told him about how Daehan was your competition and then your boyfriend and how he had never loved you right. Because, perhaps, he had never loved you. âI shouldnât have stayed with him, but I did, and thatâs on me.â How there had never been plans for the future, how he had never wanted to make enough space for you in his apartment, how you had never attended a full reunion with his family. âI should have seen the signs, the red flags, but I didnât.âÂ
You told him about the Director of Creative Marketing job opening and how it had felt like a dream you could have. Because for the first time in your life, you felt like you could do this, that you were worthy of this job, of something. You told Hyunjin about all the times Daehan wouldnât come home until very late and all the tears that stained your pillows and how he started hating you for it. Because you cried. Because, over time, you stopped being able to cry quietly. You told him about the breakup. And how you had felt numb about it. Neither sad, neither happy. Something else.
You told him about the utter lust with which he had fucked your boss in the bathroom and the cum dripping on her thigh and the look on his face. âHe never fucked me like this. I still think Iâm unfuckable.â Hyunjin listened, never speaking a word. He just listened, sometimes nodding, sometimes humming in agreement with a statement you made.Â
âAnd I hate myself because I just let him do all this to me. I blame all of this on myself, even though I shouldnât, but some of it really is on me,â you concluded with a sigh, your gaze flicking from Hyunjin, to the sky, to the string of fairy lights next to you.Â
Hyunjin took a few seconds to think about it. âSo, what is it that you want?â He licked his lips, staring at you intensely. âIt helps when you put concrete words on your emotions. Even if what you want is impossibleâyour heart feels lighter once youâve spoken the words that are trapped inside of it.â
âFor a long time I just wanted to ruin his life,â you admitted, with shame, looking at your feet. âWanted to make him lose his job. Expose him. Something.â You found enough courage to look into Hyunjinâs eyes again, the smooth dark brown of them, coated with an emotion you couldnât name. âI donât want that anymore. I just⊠I just want to know if he knows what he did to me. If he realizes what he put me through, for so long. Does he know? Do you think he knows that he hurt me?â
Hyunjin had no hesitation when he took your hand in his. His skin was smooth and warm, and your hand fit entirely in his. He squeezed it gently, sending wildfires through your entire body. âTell me why you want to know if he knows that he hurt you. Say it. Find the words to express it.â
Hyunjin brushed his thumb on your skin. He was very close nowâso close that you could feel his breath on your skin, warm and creamy and boozy. You ought to be distracted. Part of you wasâthe pressure was back between your legs, the tickling, too. And yet there was only you, and your hand in his, and Hyunjinâs big brown eyes.Â
âBecause if he knows that he hurt me, and did all of that despite knowing how it made me feel, it means itâs⊠his fault. It means itâs not my fault. And it means Iâm right for hating him.â You realized your face was warm again, but not because you were blushingâa few tears were rolling on your cheeks. Not really because you were sad, but because it felt liberating to finally tell the story, from beginning to end, to someone. And to put words on the dark feelings in your heart. âI donât like that I hate him. I just⊠I just wish he had been brave enough to break up with me before. So that I didnât have all this hatred inside me.â
Hyunjin nodded slowly, keeping your hand wrapped in his, bringing his other hand to your face. Gently, he wiped your tears away with his thumb.Â
âJust cry if you have to cry, itâs okay,â he whispered. âYouâre safe here.âÂ
Your vision was blurry but you could still see genuine sorrow on Hyunjinâs face. He bit his lips and, finally, pulled you close, embracing you. And it felt natural, not forced, not weirdâit felt like you belonged in his long arms, basking in his scent, his warmth, his presence. He pressed you against him and you buried your face into him.Â
âI understand what you want,â Hyunjin said after a few moments. âWe can make you better. Do you trust me?âÂ
You nodded in his arms and he pushed your hair away from your face-stained tears, looking into your eyes. âYes.â Truth be told, you trusted Hyunjin like you had never trusted anyone before in your life. It was a brand new feeling, strange and scary and beautifulâjust like him. âAnything.â You meant that. At that moment, you realized you did mean it, as scary as this all was. You thought about the couple he had told you about, and the ritual with the moon. It had worked, hadnât it? âThose people who couldnât have a baby,â you started. âThe full moon. It worked for them.âÂ
Hyunjin gulped thickly, taking a deep breath. âThe next full moon comes very soon,â he said. He was so close that he was speaking directly into your ear. His voice echoed within you, like an earthquake. âAre you comfortable with⊠that?âÂ
You nodded. âHow does it work? You said it was the most powerful one.â You thought of the sight of him in that very window you were sitting under, of the way he was making love to the air, to himself, to some unseen entity. Perhaps he was making love to the ghost of the mother who had given her life to save her son. Was this why he seemed so strong? Because he used his powers like this? You thought, also, about how it was the same hand he used to touch himself that was touching your skin now. The lips that were ghosting your ear had eaten his cumâand that made you dizzy.
Hyunjin pulled away from you, making it easier for him to look you in the eyes. Except he didnâtâhe averted his gaze, staring instead at your hand, still in his. But then he let go of you as well.Â
âIâll be very honest with you,â he started. âI believe that if you performed a ritual at the full moonâthe full moon is best to release unwanted vibrationsâit would be best if you used your sexual energy to cast it. It just makes sense, especially considering what you told me about your ex and how he treated you.âÂ
You nodded. âYes. I want to try that.âÂ
You could swear that Hyunjinâs cheeks had darkened a little. He still wasnât looking in your direction. Instead he was fiddling with the delicate chain around his neck. âAre you sure youâre comfortable with that? If Iâm⊠present during the ritual, I mean?âÂ
âYes.â The true answer would be more complicated than thatâyou wouldnât be comfortable, you would be embarrassed, no matter what the spell entailed. But you also knew that Hyunjinâs presence was necessary. And, part of you really wanted him to be there.
You wanted him to see you, perhaps, the way you had seen him in that window.
Hyunjin ran his fingers through his hair while taking a deep breath. He looked like he was about to take a dive into an olympic pool. âIf weâre going to do this,â he began, controlling his voice and yet you still heard the faint tremors in it. âYou have to know something, or else itâd feel like Iâm taking advantage of you, which Iâm not. I genuinely think you were sent here for a reason, and that we can free you from this burden that you have to carry. ButââÂ
You didnât press him. Instead, you gave him space. Whatever he was about to tell you, he didnât really want to tell you, he just felt compelled toâmaybe he had seen a stain of bad luck in your future, maybe the idea of spectating your sexual energy disgusted him, maybe he would need you to do a blood sacrifice to the moon. In the distance, you could hear a car coming closer and you guessed it must be your ride home.Â
Hyunjin blurted out the rest of his sentence so fast that it took you several seconds to properly process it. âIâm attracted to you. Sexually. I donât think thisâll get in the way of me assisting, but you have to be aware of it before we proceed so that whatever consent you give me is at least informed.âÂ
Seconds passed. Hyunjin dared not look anywhere that was in your direction but you couldnât look away. His profile, the curves of his cheekbones, the shape of his lipsâfrom here, they looked like a perfectly drawn cartoon-style heart. The way the soft breeze hit his hair. His posture, both perfect and casual, almost nonchalant.Â
It was a splendid night. The stars were pretty, the weather was just right, you had made new friends. Your mouth still tasted like some mysterious ice cream. You felt good. Tired, but not in a bad way. Tired like having spent too much time in the sun and tired like having laughed a little too hard. Your pussy was wet and your heart beat fast. There was enough alcohol coursing through your veins to numb you, but not enough to make you stupid. You had heard Hyunjinâs words and you understood them. You were just having a hard time believing that they were real.
âYou donât have to say anything,â Hyunjin added quickly, finally staring upon you with panic in his eyes. âAnd itâs totally okay if you no longer want me to perform the ritualâwe can find some other way. Itâs just that it sounds creepy as fuck if I tell you I have to be there and guide you while you⊠you⊠while you explore your feminine and sexual energies and I⊠I⊠Iâm not a stalker, Iâm not a creep, I promise, but itâs okay if you donât want toââ
âHyunjin.â You cut him off, speaking firmly. âI want to do the ritual, and Iâd like you to be there.â The car was coming closer and closer. You could stay. You could spend the night. Yet, something told you that you really shouldnât, that the time wasnât right.
âOh.â Hyunjin relaxed instantly, burying his face into his big hands, embarrassed. âOkay then, good,â he spoke into his palms.Â
Youâre the most beautiful thing Iâve ever seen, you wanted to tell him. Iâve been thinking about you since the very moment I laid eyes on you. Iâve been wondering about your cock since I saw you fuck your own hand with it. Iâve been wanting you, and only you, for the few days that Iâve known you.Â
But you said nothing of the sort. Of courseâyour heart was trapped in a cage. Your heart was chained up, tethered, your heart was the feather of a raven, your heart was the space in between the stars. Millions of light years of distance, of emptiness, just voids after voids after voids.Â
It seemed to help Hyunjin to talk about âbusinessâ. âYouâll have to practice a few things,â he said as the sound of a car, and car doors, resonated all the way to here. âFirst, you should try practicing having an orgasm with your eyes open. The whole time.â He was blushing but he didnât shy away this time and it made you want to kiss him. âAnd you also have to practice, huh, edging.âÂ
Edging didnât seem possible in your life, not anymore, not since you had met him, the sex witch with the mysterious aura and perfect body. It was as if all that was possible were long sessions between you and your favorite toys and cumming over and over, never quite satiated, until you passed out in your bed.Â
Felixâs voice came from the front of the house. âHey! Carâs here! Take your time though!âÂ
âEdging?â You could have cooked an egg on your face with how warm it was. âWhy?â
âTo charge up more energy,â Hyunjin explained. âDonât worry, Iâm not gonna torture you for hours and hoursâbut this sort of ritual is best with one, meaningful, huh, finish. Weâll build up your tension until itâs time that you release. Sounds okay?âÂ
âYes.â You were grateful you werenât wearing clear shorts because you were soaking through two layers of fabric. âSounds okay.âÂ
âThe next full moon is next week on Saturday,â Hyunjin explained. âIf I remember correctly, the apex will be just a few minutes short of midnight. âI think weâll both need some time to, huh, make ourselves comfortable⊠Why donât you come by around six? I can pick you up if you havenât found a car by then. Iâll make some dinner and we can have a few drinks and chat.âÂ
You nodded slowly, getting up before you could leave an embarrassing stain on Hyunjinâs couch. It felt so futile, so ridiculous, so stupid, to plan on seeing him next week when he was right there and you right here and he could fuck you into that couch all night. âAlright, Iâll be here at six.â Then, turning to him, you added, âThank you. For wanting to help me.âÂ
âNo problem.â Hyunjin stood as well, now leading you back into the house. He forgot the empty ice cream bowls as he passed them, so you grabbed them. âAnd if at any time before or during the ritual, you want to stopâitâs not a problem. Itâs all okay,â he explained. âIt will only work if youâre entirely comfortable with it anyway. Itâll work best if you⊠if you like it. God, I know I sound like a fucking insane personâŠâ
He pulled the door open, letting you in before himself. From here, you could hear voices in the kitchen, and sounds of items being moved in the fridge. âI trust you, Hyunjin.â And it was true. You really did. âI donât think youâre insane.âÂ
Chris appeared at the other end of the hallway, his smile illuminating the whole room. âThere they are! Did he introduce Aris to you?â
You welcomed Chrisâ warm presence and let it calm you. âHe did,â was all you managed, though.Â
âI miss him, I ought to visit more often,â Chris added before disappearing once again.Â
The kitchen was somewhat busy with everybody packing their leftovers. Felix was talking with his dad and ReneeâRenee shot you a glance that you knew meant she would be calling you for details tomorrow. You refused your own container with a slice of pizza in it, and Hyunjin didnât insist. Instead, he went to the freezer and handed you the tub of peach ice cream.Â
âI made it for you after all.â He shoved his hands in his pants, his bashful demeanor returning. âIâll see you around, Fantastic Four.âÂ
âThanks for the ice cream. And for⊠the rest.âÂ
Hyunjin offered you a stiff nod as a response, and you followed Felix outside after saying goodbye to Chris and Renee.Â
You were grateful that both Felix and his dad were talkativeâthey did all of the conversation on the way back, allowing you to simply nod or hum to reply to them. When you tried to pay them for the ride, they adamantly refused, Felix pointing out that when youâd find a car, youâd probably be the one offering rides back home. He was right, or at least, you were hoping he was. You were hoping that youâd be able to become friends with people again, someday.Â
Your house was quiet and dark, but warm from the sun today. You cracked open a few windows upstairs and debated whether you should shower now or after. You stared at the drawer where you kept your favorite sex toys. You had never thought this about them, but tonight, they seemed so pointless. As if you knew they would never suffice.Â
So you did shower, lathering your body, every inch of it. But in your mind, it was Hyunjinâs fingers spreading the soap on your skin, rubbing it into you. It was his hand between your legs, fucking you under the hot water, his chest pressed against your back, rubbing circles on your clit, massaging your breasts. You almost came, but you didnât.Â
You fucked yourself in your bed, on your back first, using a blue dildo. But that wasnât enough and, soon, you ended up on your knees with the toy shoved deep within you, humping a pillow. In your mind, it was Hyunjin beneath you, fucking you from under, his fingers digging into your waist, slamming you onto him. You almost came, but you didnât.Â
Your bed was a mess by then and your pillow was damp, stained. Your room smelled like your pussy. Your room smelled likeâÂ
Like peach and saffron and vanilla ice cream.Â
Your house was dark but it was cooler with the windows open. Naked, your cunt throbbing and dripping, you returned downstairs, heading directly for your fridge, grabbing a spoon from the cutlery drawer on the way. First, you rubbed your pussy with your free hand, listening to the wet noises of it, gathering as much of your juices as you could on your fingers before licking them clean. You tasted good. You tasted sweet, but not overly sweet.Â
The tub of ice cream was just where you had left it in the freezer. You brought it on the counter and took a large spoonful of it, shoving it all in your mouth, not minding the cream melting at the corner of your lips.Â
The ice cream tasted like you. Like your cunt, specifically like your juices when you were craving Hyunjin. Because of course he made your pussy taste better. The ice cream tasted like being afraid and letting go anyway. The ice cream tasted like your wet pussy, like your moans louder than a storm. The ice cream tasted like the Four of Wands.Â
You came hunched over your counter, fucking yourself with three fingers, the taste of peach and saffron and vanilla lingering in your mouth, drops of cream rolling down your neck and onto your breasts, drops of cream rolling down your inner thighs too, sticking to your skin. To love and to be loved.
... to be continued.
A special thank you for @cb97percent & her fic, Momo, for inspiring me parts of this chapter! In fact, a special thank you to Ren, period, for supporting me in this lil writing adventure, and for inspiring me and many others to create, and to create in a way that is aligned with ourselves. And, thank you for teaching me about kindness.
a/n: Hello beloveds! <3 I'm happy to share this new chapter of the witch boy with you all. Thank you for the support on chapter one! I appreciate all the feedback & kindness. I'm hoping to update Super Bored soon after this, stay tuned! đž
permanent taglist: [note that I will soon be making a post regarding my taglist since many people on it are passive readers/inactive ] @cb97percent @changbinluvr @neosracha @hwan-g @staytheword @j-0ne25 @leedunno @aimeexx @hyunskizz @lotus-dly @thestarseeker @suhomylife @abiaswreck @chanlovesme @binstitsweat @hyunjinswifeee @straydhampir @fwess @skizzel-reblogs @katsukis1wife @chans1aptop @sunlitwilderness @erispancakes @skzfelixlove @hyunsungbased @revehosh @casualtaelyn @yourhwngness @hynjnskz @hyuneyeon @yourmercibeaucoupsblog @moasworld @neosfw @jollchacho @dreamingsmile @changbinheart
And then you go with the storytelling??? and even more beautiful landscapes??? the freaking house??? uhm I wanna go there! and I literally saw the legend in front of my eyes! at this point I am just screaming nonsense. The point is I loved it, I love you, you are amazing, this is amazing. I'm done.
Or am I? No really I think I need to start highlighting and annotating to ever do you justice with my reblogs so I can properly scream about every little thing that moved me or point out the sentences that made me go like 'âŠwow' and while weâre on the subject: That last paragraph⊠pure fucking art! I try not to curse but it is needed here.
Also Animal Crossing is one of my favourite games, too đ and I am really happy and a bit envious about you living in a town like Heron Lake.
Hope you have a great day!
P.S. A super bored update?? at this point I am invested in all of your fics but I do have to say I am really excited about frog boi coming back ;)
Ahh thank you so much dear for your kind words, for reading, for interacting!
I'm SO happy that this little fic feels like a home to you <3 I think it's what I was trying to do, really.
However you're being way too generous here and I'm not even sure what I should say!! You are SO sweet, so kind to use all these terms to talk about my humble fic. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. My town also has a waterfall that has a legend much like this one here! eheh.
I really, profoundly appreciate this. This fic isn't very popular but I'm glad it means so much to you <3 mwah
pairing: witch!hyunjin x afab reader | wc: 15.6k | genre: romance, light angst, smut | chapter warnings: angst due to a past relationship (reader), occult sciences/use of magick, drinking, light drug use, heavy fantasizing. This work contains explicit + adult themes: 18+ ONLY. Explicit warnings under the cut. | the magick in this work is not written with the intention of being fully accurate | masterlist.
âž» What you couldnât explain, though, was the feeling that had entered you. What you couldnât explain was the tiny jolts of electricity coursing through your veins, leaving trails of kisses under your skin. Warm kisses, cold kisses, hundreds of little sparks that filled you with peace. With blind trust. With whatever you felt when you stared for a little too long at Hyunjinâs pomegranate lips.
explicit warnings: (accidental) voyeurism involving unprotected vaginal sex and creampie, dreams of sexual nature depicting vaginal sex. fantasizing and masturbation.
The taxi driverâs face was kind, his smile was gentle. âSo whatâs someone like you doing in Heron Lake?âÂ
âSomeone like me?â You hadnât really taken offense to the manâs question but it made you curious.
He shrugged, negotiating a left turn to engage onto a narrower road. There wasnât much to see outside the windows of the carâtrees on either side and high grasses. Everything in the most elaborate yet purest greens you had ever seen. The day was warm and sunny, and the sky was a blue so deep it moved you. Or so you thoughtâyou liked to think that you could still be moved by the beauty of the sky. Or by anything, really.
âSomeone like you. Anyone, I guess. Itâs a small town, lots of tourists visit in the summer, but you said you were moving out here.âÂ
It was your turn to shrug. âI lived in cities my whole life, bigger, smaller⊠I wanted to change it up, and when I started looking into it, itâs the first town that appeared on Google Maps.â That was only about twenty-three percent the truth, but you figured a taxi driver didnât need to know your whole entire life history. âSo Iâm here by coincidence, you could say.â
Besides, you didnât like thinking about what had made you leave everything behind, and talking about it was even worse.Â
The taxi driver seemed satisfied with your response nonetheless. âThink youâll like it here then if what you wanted was to get away from the city.âÂ
You hoped you would. You hadnât lied about thatâthe most time you had spent in nature was one time when your parents had rented a cabin by the sea. There had been a small forest nearby. You were six. You also hadnât lied about opening up Google Maps and deciding where you would rebuild your whole life in the span of about forty-seven seconds.Â
Some traveling later, this nice man had picked you up at a bus station two towns away from Heron Lake, because Heron Lake was too small to have its own bus station. According to your information, it did have one grocery store, one post office, and apart from the McDonaldâs, one restaurant that also served as a bar and a pizza place. Of course, the town square was also equipped with a few shops that served mostly tourists but that locals must also enjoy, you figured. This man was also the only taxi driver in the village, but he drove people to nearby towns when they needed other errands done.Â
âYouâre the first person I ever drive thatâs actually moving here, and Iâve been doing this most of my lifeâ he added. He must have been in his early 50s, but you werenât sure. âWell, this is it. Welcome to Heron Lake, lady from the city.âÂ
The scenery was changingâtrees were becoming more sparse, and there were houses in between patches of green, with a suburban look to them. Front yards, back yards, side yards. Decorative trees and pools and flowerbeds. Not a building over three stories in sight.Â
You had studied the town a little, just the basics. There was the aptly named Main St, where most of the action went on. The grocery store and post office and all that. There were a few residential roads, and then there was the furniture manufacturing warehouse and factory as well as the hardware store on another. The town was slightly in altitude and yet surrounded by mountains and valleys and forests and rivers and lakes. It was a strangely secluded area, too grand to seem real, and yet, it was.
You had found a house for rent in a neighborhood that comprised exactly three houses on one road, Bluebell Dr. The rent was affordable, explained by years of pandemic followed by one year of less-than-stellar weather. The landlord had admitted he typically only rented to tourists, but that heâd let you rent the house for at least a year if you took care of the yard and landscaping. It had seemed like such a good deal that you couldnât not take it. But truth be told, you had never, ever mowed a lawn once in your life.Â
âItâs pretty,â you commented, and you meant it. The sidewalks were clean and the âdowntown areaâ was lovely, with a park and nicely decorated buildings. âWhereâs the lake?â For some reason, you couldnât figure it out despite having spent a lot of time in front of your computer screen, memorizing streets and directions.Â
âWhich one?â The taxi driver asked, but when you looked away from the window to meet his gaze in the rearview mirror, you saw that he had a playful smile. He knew what you meant. âHeron Lakeâs this way, miss.â He slowed down the car, showing you a road with more houses on it, but also a park with a couple of tennis courts and some swings. âBut thatâs where all the tourists go. Almost impossible to enjoy in the summer. Iâd recommend Elkwater Springs. Tourists donât like to go there, because you have to hike for a while before reaching it.âÂ
You nodded. You had seen this name pop up during your research. The river ran through the forest, then became rapids, then a waterfall. There was a lake-looking thing in the forest, and then Elkwater became a river again.
You smiled. âThanks a lot. Iâll make sure to go visit.âÂ
The driver became your guide for the short ride to Bluebell Drive. He told you about the restaurant, Parkerâs, and about the best flavors of ice cream to get at the ice cream shop that was also the bakery. His favorite was Raspberry Swirl, but you were highly interested in the Tangerine Dream he also mentioned. He suggested trying the brown sugar and cinnamon bread the baker made on Saturdays. You told him youâd need to take care of your lawn, wondering if perhaps he knew the best brands of lawnmowers.Â
âLots of kids will mow your lawn for a few bucks,â he responded. âYou really only need to mow it during the summer, it wonât grow the rest of the year.â You wondered if he was a father. If he were, he was probably a wonderful dad. âWhen you go to Parkerâs, youâll see a wall with business cards and some posters. Just hire any of them, theyâre good kids. And youâll be helping them buy the next Playstation Box 5 or whatever.âÂ
You chuckled, nodding. âGood idea,â you commented.
He had stopped the car in the driveway of a small but nice houseâyour house for the upcoming year. The blinds were shut, but everything seemed clean as far as you could tell. The landlord had left your keys under a small turtle statue at the back of the house.Â
âThis is it, miss.â He didnât wait until exiting the car to begin unloading the trunk. You helped him, but he insisted on taking your two suitcases and several bags to your front door. He also gave you his personal phone number and you knew there was nothing creepy about him. He said that if you couldnât find anyone to take care of your lawn, heâd make sure it got done by someone reliable. He also didnât let you pay for the fare.Â
âA small gift to welcome you to Heron Lake,â he said. His smile was genuine. The trees were green, and you wondered if your heart would ever feel light again.Â
You took your time settling into your new home. The house was comfortable. Your bedroom was on the second floor and it had large corner windows with a view of the backyard on one side and a small empty lot on the other. It had a pond and grasses and cattails. You saw ducks and herons and kingfishers. You heard bullfrogs at night and warblers during the day. The air smelled crisp, it smelled like the green of the trees and the blue of the sky.Â
You became familiar with Heron Lakeâs pizza place. You ordered pizza the first night and it was delivered by a friendly-looking dude with a deep voice, a soft smile, and freckles on his cheeks. He was pretty and sweet, and you tipped him well. Two days later, you ran out of pizza leftovers, so you ordered againâand it was him who took your order over the phone. He also delivered it. You learned he was the ownerâs son and that his name was Felix. He brought you brownies and a soda, on the house.Â
The next time you called for pizza, it was his father who took your order. He told you Felix was on his day off and that heâd bring you the pizza tonight. The father was just as kind as the son. When he noticed the half-assembled bookshelf behind you, he offered to come back tomorrow with Felix and âhelp you with thatâ.Â
âOkay, but this time I pay for my brownies.âÂ
The next day was warm but breezy. The Lees arrived with a couple of cordless drills and some other tools. You had visited the grocery store for the first time that day, purchasing some beers and snacks to share with them. It turned out to be a good day, and the house had turned into a home by the end of it. Felix invited you to spend the evening at Parkerâs, saying youâd meet people and make new friends. You werenât ready for that yet, so you said you were too tired. They refused to take any money from you.Â
You still had to come up with a believable story as to why you were here. Why you had left a seemingly good life behind in order to start over in a small town that was named after its main lake. You could just tell the truth but you werenât sure you wanted that. If you showed people your wounds, they were likely to become unable to see past them.Â
And you just wanted to be you again. The you that you had been before, or something close to it. You knew you would never be able to achieve that if people looked at you with pity in their eyes. You knew it wouldnât be easy even if they didnât, but it was still better than not trying at all. By moving here, you had done something extraordinary. If you had stayed behind, it wouldnât have been trying at all. You would have been trapped.
Like a flower planted in the wrong kind of soil. Something that cannot exist in the long term. You were still trying to figure out whether you were the wilting flower or the inapt soil.Â
â Ten months earlier âÂ
The apartment was dark and quiet when you opened the door. You remained on the doorstep for a few seconds, processing the information that you had. It was Friday, you were sure of it. Your phone also said that it was indeed 18:23 PM. Daehan should be here, and he wasnât.Â
You locked the door behind you and checked the bedroom in case he had decided to take a nap after work. Because of his seniority in the company, he had meetings on Friday afternoons and often went home early while you remained at the office to finish your work, or review some reports to prepare for the next week.Â
You met him at work. You were hired by the company and they placed you within Daehanâs teamâyou were a promising employee and your views on marketing strategies challenged his, which was supposed to take the team to the next level.
And it did.Â
You became stronger together. Your clients were always the most satisfied in the company, earning the both of you generous bonuses and a few pats on the back. You were proud of the work you did because you put your whole entire soul into it. Even though he was your boss, Daehan treated you with respect, like an equal.
Well. Until he bent you over his desk and fucked you senseless that one night. He hadnât respected you very much that nightâwhich you had liked a lot.Â
Now he was your boyfriend. He was also a senior team manager and you had taken his place as the leader of your group. Things werenât quite the same at the office now that you were on separate teams, but they were alright, and you loved him. You two had moved in together early into the relationship but it was out of convenienceâyour renting contract had been expiring and Daehanâs apartment was closer to the office than yours. Done deal.Â
It had been almost a year now since you had moved in with him. And today was the first time he wasnât home and hadnât texted you about it.Â
Then it happened again. And again. At first, he would answer your texts, usually letting you know that the meeting had been prolonged and he was at some restaurant or bar to meet with clients. Then he wouldnât answer your texts and he often came home well after you had gone to bed. You worried a lot in the beginning. Worried that he was overworked or would become so. Worried that he was unhappy with you and preferred to work instead of being with you. You worried that he was depressed and didnât know how to talk to someone about it. You worried that he would meet someone better than you one night.Â
Until you worried that he had already met someone better than you, and that he wasnât even working on Friday afternoons, just spending time with her.Â
Then came your first real fight with Daehan. The first and the last.Â
You had cried yourself to sleep and the noise of Daehan coming home woke you up. You stayed in bed, doing your best to keep your breathing steady. You didnât want to cry, not in front of him. It wasnât really because you were ashamed. You did love him, at the time, and you just didnât want him to know that he was hurting you.Â
But one little sniffle betrayed you after he had come out of the shower. âIf you donât trust me, why are we together?â His voice had been low and dark. The orange light from a streetlamp near your window was filtering through the blinds. You sat on the bed, crossed-legged, facing him as he was putting on his clothes. You looked at him, really looked at him, because you already knew it would be the last time. His skin still damp from the shower, his soft cock, the scar on his left side which he had gotten as a child. His hair dripping water onto the t-shirt he had just put on and onto the floor, too.Â
âI didnât say anything,â you had pointed out.Â
âIâm tired of coming home to a girl who cries in bed.â Daehan had laid down then, next to you, as though you werenât there.Â
âDo you love me, Daehan?âÂ
He had been on his back, staring at the ceiling in his gray t-shirts and black boxer shorts. It took a long time before he spoke again. âI donât know anymore.âÂ
So that had been the end of your relationship.Â
â Eight months earlier âÂ
You had a roommate now, a girl from work. She wasnât unkind, she just wasnât the type of person you would have chosen to live with if you had a chance to choose. But she had been looking for a roommate at the same time as you had been looking for a place to live⊠and here you were. You could have stayed with Daehan a little longer, even separated, but that might have killed you, or worse.Â
She was nice. The roommate. She liked dating apps and bringing boys home. Girls, too. You wished you could be like her. You wished sex didnât have to mean too much. She had invited you along to a bar one night, gotten you drunk, and she had kissed you. She was a good kisser and it had made your heart and pussy flutter when her tongue had played with yours, but you couldnât let it go anywhere past that. She didnât hold it against you. Because she couldnât see past your wounds.Â
It was around that time that things started to get bad at work. You had been so thankful that you werenât working with Daehan anymoreâit was bound to end badly, somehow. When were you granted nice things anyway? Peace of mind?Â
Your boss sent a memo mentioning that a position had opened upstairs, in the lower-upper management section. The promotion came with a good parking space and a not-so-humble pay raise, which you intended on using to get your own place and live alone. The next year, you would be eligible for another promotion to upper management, or a similar position in one of the sister companies overseas.Â
You wanted the job. You started staying late at work to make your reports extra pretty and nice. You always smiled even though you didnât want to. You worked so hard your body forgot what it was like to restâwhen you allowed yourself a few hours to unwind, you were unable to stop, and often ended up going on a hike or for a run. You didnât even like running. But you couldnât stop.
When you stopped for too long, your brain slowed down, and allowed all the unwanted thoughts in. At that time, you were still processing the break-up with Daehan. You had really thought he was the man you were going to end up with. Your mother worried about you. Your father too, but he didnât say so, he just made sure you got food delivered once in a while.Â
One evening you were particularly thirsty because of the spicy soup your father had ordered for you. It was almost 9:00 PM and you were still at the office, but you rarely left before 10 anyway.Â
On your way to the vending machine, you heard a peculiar noise. A voice. No, voices, plural. Muffled sounds, too. Screams.
No, moans.
You had no business investigating but you also knew that if it ever became known that people had been fucking on this floor while you were there and you hadnât done anything, youâd never be considered for the promotion. So you walked through the hallways, trying to locate the source of the noises.
They came from a bathroom. The door wasnât even closed, it just rested against the frame. By the sounds of it, it was a woman and a man, fucking like animals. Shoes squeaking, grunts, moans, whispers, flesh on flesh, wet noises. You had no business doing so, but you gently pushed the door until you were able to see who it was.
It was your boss. She was bent over the sink, being fucked from behind. Her hand was pressed against the mirror, leaving imprints on it, and her hair was in the fist of the man who was slamming into her.Â
Daehan.Â
You couldnât look away and it wasnât because you liked what you were seeing. It was as if you were witnessing something terrible. Something a lot more significant than it seemed. You could tell that he was closeâyou recognized the expression on his face. He pushed himself deeper into your boss and came there. He wasnât wearing a condom because his cum gushed out from around his cock, sticking to her thigh. He raised his eyes while he was still there, still pulsing, and made eye contact with you in the mirror.Â
You did not get the promotion. Daehan, however, did. Even if the job was on the creative side and he had the creativity of a block of ice left out in the sun. Even if he didnât need the job and hadnât even applied for the promotion. He got it.Â
Also, two months later, your boss left a meeting hurriedly, running out of the conference room to throw up in a garbage bin just outside. You resigned that day. Freelancing and being broke was better than whatever the fuck was about to unfold right before your eyes if you stayed.Â
Which brings us back to Heron Lake and the bold move of leaving everything behind and starting with a clean slate. Well, that had been your intention anywayâyou had since then realized that you could travel all around the world and it wouldnât matter. It would never be a clean slate because your wounds were bleeding all over, wherever you were, staining the soil, modifying the landscape, altering the terroir.Â
It took you some time to get used to it. To Heron Lake, to the friendly people ringing your items behind cash registers, to the particular scents of the place. You had never imagined it would be like thatâyou didnât mind waking up early because then you caught a glimpse of the heron in the pond next door. You liked watching the sunrise and the sky turning from gray to yellow to pale blue, to blue. You liked to watch the world become alive. Finches and warblers and groundhogs. Raccoons hurrying back to their nests for the day. Crows and bumblebees. Flowers stretching their petals. Other birds that filled the air with their song, no doubt looking for a mate for the summer.Â
Two ladies that lived down the street passed by your house every morning at 6:30. Every single day. They walked their small dog, a friendly French bulldog. Over time, you learned that the dogâs name was Bruce, and the ladies were a couple. You started drinking your coffee on the front porch just to get a chance to wave at them. One day, at the grocery store, you bought a box of dog treats. A week later, you had prepared enough coffee for three, and invited the ladies to join you on the porch. You had croissants from the bakery and some sweet coffee. Their names were Ali and Michelle and they told you their story.Â
They were friends since college, although Ali had dropped out. They both got married to men and neither marriage was successful. After their divorceâMichelle had two kidsâthey had realized they had been in love with each other all this time. And now they were living together, happy, simply. Michelle was a veterinarian and Ali worked at the post office. When theyâd retire, theyâd go spend a year in the Mediterranean.Â
âSo what brings you here?â Ali had asked one Saturday morning. This time, they had brought some muffins. Michelle liked to bake. âHow come you chose this place out of all places?â
âYou two chose this place out of all places, too,â you had pointed out. They were blueberry muffins and they were delicious.Â
âYes, because we wanted to flee our conservative families and go live our little lesbian dream together,â Michelle had retorted. âNobody who doesnât absolutely need to chooses to come live here.â She was right. Of course she was right.
That day, it was the first time you told anyone about it. Back home, others only had pieces of the puzzle, not the whole story. For some reason, it was easier to talk about it here. âMy ex and I broke up because he didnât love me anymore. But I donât think he ever really did love me. I think he was waiting to fall in love with me, I donât know.â You paused, chasing the blueberry muffin with some of your iced latte. The air was warm already, thick, even if it wasnât quite summer yet. âAnd then he stole my dream job. So I left.âÂ
It was as easy as that. There were no violins, no drama. Sometimes you remembered the sounds of him fucking your boss over the sink, the wet noises of him driving into her, the grunts, the moans. How come you had felt all sorts of things about this, but never any jealousy?Â
Ali had chortled, but there was no joy in her laugh. âYeah. Men.â
âYeah,â you had echoed. âMen.âÂ
You finally visited Parkerâs three weeks after moving to Heron Lake. By now, you were familiar with the grocery store and the ice cream shop/bakery, with the post office, too, thanks to Ali who always greeted you kindly when you went to pick up your mail. Anywhere you went, you heard about the townâs restaurant. You coming to Parkerâs tonight? I need a beer, wanna head over to Parkerâs after? Hey, whatâs the special at Parkerâs today? Iâm hungry.Â
Until it was your turn to go. You ran over Felix while shopping for a lawn mower. Or something. The hardware store was nice, family-owned, and you particularly liked to visit their garden sectionâit made you want to buy a ton of flowers that would most likely die under your care. But still, they were pretty.Â
Felix just needed a few things for his dad. âHowâs the furniture treating you?â he asked with a knowing smile. âHope everythingâs still holding up.â
You smiled back. âEverythingâs great, thank you so much again. I owe you one.â
Felix fiddled with the screwdriver he was holding. âYou could repay me today if youâre free,â he said. He seemed shy all of a sudden. âItâs the Double Trouble night at Parkerâsâonce a month, when you come in with a friend, first pitcher of beer is half price.âÂ
You shot a glance at the lawnmowers in front of you, still indecisive. You had been eyeing a very modest reel push mower, thinking it could be fun. Thinking it seemed a lot less dangerous than one of the electric or gas ones. âActually, Iâd love to go.â You were curious about this place, and you appreciated that Felix had asked you to go. âWhoâs your usual friend, though? Wonât they be upset?âÂ
Felix chuckled. âChangbinâs out of town for work. Though, he might still be upset, somehow, that I didnât go with him.âÂ
You laughed with Felix, nodding. âAlright then. What time?â
âIâll meet you there at 7, sounds good?âÂ
It did sound good. Something about Heron Lake and the tourists, the shades of greens all over the scenery, the floral scent transported by the breeze, made it easy to say yes to Felix. It made you want to watch the sunset over Heron Lake on the terrace behind Parkerâsâyou had heard about this a lot already.Â
It did sound good until you returned homeâwithout a lawn mowerâand got yourself busy. You let the afternoon pass, working on a project you were close to finishing. You didnât want to work all day because you had done that for the past four, and while you were aware that you needed to take on clients to earn a living, you also didnât want to overdo it.
At 17:30, you hopped in the shower. You were in the middle of rinsing out your apple & green tea conditioner when a quite frightening thought hit you.Â
Had Felix asked you out on a date?Â
You didnât want that. Not that you had anything against himâFelix was nice, funny, pleasant. He was kind, too, and you liked his freckles. But you didnât want to date him.
You didnât want to date anybody.
You still remembered the exact moment that it hit you. Sure, everyone said that after a breakup. That it was over, that they wouldnât be looking to date. All that crap. But to you, it had been something else, not exactly like a promise, but more like a resignation. Enlightenment. One might have called it an epiphany, even. The best comparison was to grieve for something you knew you could never have again. You had done your mourning. The mourning of your heart. It had been time to move on.Â
You didnât want to date Felix. You wanted to be his friend. You wanted to have a beer with him, you wanted him to tell you the townâs gossip or what exactly he put in his brownies that made them so delicious.Â
But what about his intentions? You really, really didnât want him to get the wrong idea. He was a good guy, and you could use a friend like him. Maybe I should cancel, one part of your brain told you. No, then you seem like a cunt. Besides, how would you even cancel? You didnât have his number. Youâd have to call his parentsâ pizza restaurant and ask for it, which would be a very humbling experience.Â
And, deep down, you knew that going out would do you some good.Â
So, you went.Â
Parkerâs was on Main St. At this time of the day, the quaint little road was the busiest you had ever seen it. Felixâs pizza place seemed filled with teenagers or families. The ice cream shopâs outdoor seating was filled with people who were already having dessert. Most of them, you guessed, were tourists. It was an easy guest because thatâs all everyone was talking about. When the weather was good, people from the city made their way here to spend the weekends. A lot of people spent summers in Heron Lake, tooâmore specifically in one of the many cabins up for rent in the northeastern portion of the town, away from Main St, away from everything, even Elkwater Springs. If you hadnât found the house, you would have tried to rent one of the cabins and maybe get lost in the forest to become one with nature. Or something.Â
Parkerâs also had outdoor seatingâboth at the front of the restaurant and at the back. You could see the lake from there, down a hill. Sometimes, a local band would come and play a few tracks for the patrons. You had only heard good things about the place.Â
The building was modest, but clean. It had been a regular house a long time ago, with a variety of rooms and features added to it over time. It gave the restaurant a quirky look, interesting, different. It had a brick exterior and black window frames. Several planters with colorful flowers hung from the structure, with bumblebees and butterflies visiting them. You liked it. You liked the vibe of it, the sound of laughter coming from the outdoor tables. The door had been left wide open as well as the large windowsâit was a bright sunny day and you could hear music playing from inside. Trendy, low key music that filled the room nicely, floating above the buzzing of conversations and cutlery and glasses clinking.Â
You couldnât see Felix from here so you decided to get in. It smelled like foodâthey didnât have a huge menu but they did grill meat and offered some food. You hadnât had dinner, eager to try their grilled chicken sandwich, which you had heard a lot about.Â
The place was crowded. You couldnât even see a single vacant chair and some clients were even standing up or chilling around the pool table, most of them drinking beer. You could imagine they were all here to enjoy the Double Trouble special.Â
The floor creaked under your feet. The interior was lived-in, cozy, inviting, a mix of old and new. When you crossed the room to reach the back patio and still couldnât find Felix, you felt a slight panic rise within youâthis was an entirely new place for you and you didnât know many people, and finding yourself alone here was a little overwhelmingâŠ
Until the kind-looking woman behind the counter spoke to you. She was filling two pitchers of beer from a tap. She was stylishâlavender-colored hair tied in space buns with a clever graphic t-shirt. She put the two pitchers on a tray and walked around the counter to deliver the beers to the table near where you were standingâa group of six was currently playing a game of dominoes.Â
âYou looking for someone?â The woman asked with a smile. She had dark-colored lipstick and it looked good on her. She couldnât have been much older than you.Â
âUh, I was supposed to meet my friendâŠâ you started, still looking around the restaurant to see if you could locate Felixâs trademark bleached hair and freckles.Â
âAh, you must be the new girl.â The womanâs smile grew not wider, but warmer, and she offered her hand to shake. âIâm Meg. Felix told me to expect youâheâll be a little late.â
Relief washed over you. At least he hadnât stood you up or anything. âThatâs fine, I can wait outsideââ
But Meg didnât let you. She showed the counter where she had come from and motioned you to follow her. âCome here, Iâll get you a chair and a lemonade. Want something to spike it up a little? Itâs on Felixâs tab, donât worry.â She laughed so earnestly that you could only laugh with her. You immediately felt comfortable and were grateful you chose to come here.Â
She pulled a chair from behind the counter and let you sit near her while she prepared your lemonade. It was homemade, she said, her grandmotherâs recipe. In this short conversation, you learned that she was the owner of this place and that it was a family business. Her mother was ill and her father was taking care of her, so they had given her the restaurant. âI didnât want it at first,â Meg admitted, âbut now I fucking love this place. I grew up within these walls, after all.â It showedâit looked like she belonged here, and that this place belonged to her, too.Â
The lemonade was cold and delicious, crisp and tangy and just sweet enough. You finished half your glass and Meg immediately refilled it before showing you a bottle of vodka with an inquisitive look. When you gave her a nod, she added a generous amount of it to your glass before walking away with a wink to take care of newly arrived clients.
You settled in and watched the crowd, listening to conversations and to the music alike. You felt peaceful despite your chaotic surroundings, and took interest, for a few minutes, in a match of arm wrestling at a nearby table. The guys were funny and they were being cheered on by the people around themâyou were pretty sure that some of them had even bet money on their favorite.Â
When that died down, you noticed a corkboard with a variety of posters and business cards on itâyou took that opportunity to look for a possible landscaping company that could help out with your ginormous backyard and front lawn. You didnât find much in that regardâthe closest you saw was a business card for a plant waterer. I take care of your green babies while you are away.Â
Okay.
There were also a few announcements regarding closed trails in North Bend forest and various posters for local amateur sports teams. You read some of the business cards, recognizing Michelleâs vet clinic. There was also the sporting goods shop that you had passed a few times while going to the grocery store, thinking that you ought to give it a visit sometime if you ever wanted to venture into the woods for a hikeâyou would need some hiking boots. And probably some other stuff, you reckoned.Â
You made a mental note to at least look into itâaccording to their business card, Bahngâs Sporting Center also rented bicycles, kayaks, and fishing gear among other things.Â
There was also the Leesâ pizza place, and also a hair salon owned by Felixâs cousin. Camping grounds, holistic magick services, a pet groomerâ
Hold up. Your eyes returned to the piece of paper that had caught your attention. It wasnât a business card, just a piece of paper with black ink on it.Â
holistic magickÂ
tarot readings, cleansings, tasseomancy, custom spells, and more. skeptics welcome.Â
There wasnât a phone number underneath, not even a name or an address. Nothing. This told you nothing about who had scribbled those words on this cream-colored paper except that they had interesting handwriting. Somehow, it was both a little sloppy and elegant. Uneven and light. Skeptics welcome. Out of all the ads and announcements on the board, this one captivated you most because it was just random words thrown together to form a sentence and it served no other purpose than making you curious.Â
Not that youâd actually want to get in touch with that person. No matter how welcome skeptics actually were. You liked to think that you had an open mind but you also had your limitsâitâs not that you didnât at all believe in tarot, it was more that you didnât believe in humans. A lot of people out there were just very very good at bullshitting.Â
But whatever, right?
Felix came in soon after. By the looks of it, he was fresh out of the shower. His smile was as warm as ever, and he gave you an awkward but heartfelt hug.Â
âSo sorry Iâm late!â He waved at Meg as she passed by the two of you, holding two large trays with drinks. âMy dad needed help at the restaurant.â
You were a little ashamed of it, but you had drunk most of your special lemonade. âDonât worry about it. Is he gonna be okay? Seems like the townâs pretty busy tonight.â You felt comfortable leaving your empty glass behind the counter with other dishes waiting to be washed.Â
âOh yeah, donât worry! His employee just needed a few hoursâsome plumbing issue at his placeâbefore he could come in. Itâs all good now.â Felixâs smile grew wider. âI knew it would be packed tonight so I asked my friend to save us a table for four. Is that okay with you? Everyoneâs been eager to meet you. The new girl.â
That again. The new girl. You knew there were no bad intentions behind that nickname but you couldnât help but wonder how long, exactly, you would be referred to as new. A month, two months?Â
Until another, newer girl moved in? Â
âWell, letâs go then.â You made yourself smile, realizing that you sort of meant it. There really was something about this townâand how welcoming everybody was.Â
Felix led you to the back of the restaurant, at the outdoor seating section. It was just as crowded as every other corner of the place, but the view was splendid here. The lake took a curve and kept going, nestled by some willows and high grasses. Several groups of ducks floated on it, and other birds sang in the distance. It seemed to you that Felix saluted every single person on this patio but ultimately, you made it to your final destinationâa table for four in the furthermost corner, with two people already sitting at it. A man and a woman who were probably a couple.Â
The man seemed relaxed, sitting comfortably in his seat with a beer. He was listening to what the woman was telling himâand he seemed very invested in the story. He had a genuine smile, kind eyes, and dimples. His hair was wavy and soft, moving gently with the breeze. When he laughed, it did something to youâlike you had been hugged or something. He laughed like he really meant it. He had a tattoo sleeve too, and each piece of ink on it made you curious, but you didnât want to stare for too long.
The woman was as good-looking as the man, maybe more. She was drinking something that resembled a bellini and it matched her peach-colored lipstick. From here, she spoke in long, intelligent sentences, pausing once in a while as if she was making sure every word had its purpose, or maybe to let the man process them. In any case, it gave a pleasant cadence to her voice, and it made you want to listen to her, too.Â
The conversation came to a halt when they noticed that Felix was approaching. âMy man!â the guy said, rising from his seat to give Felix a warm hugâand really embracing him, too. Then, he turned to the girl. âYou owe me twenty.âÂ
âFuck you,â she replied, but she was smiling. She had an intriguing smile, but it was beautiful, much like the rest of her. She reached for her purse behind her chair and she immediately slammed the twenty dollar bill on the table with an annoyed expression on her face.Â
âWe had a bet,â the man said not to Felix, but to you. âI said youâd come and she said she didnât think you would. I win.âÂ
You chuckled. âThe stakes were so high, Felixâyou should have told me. I came unprepared for this.âÂ
Felix laughed as he sat down on one of the two empty chairs. The other guy stayed with you for a second to introduce himself. âIâm Chris and this is Renee.â He motioned toward the bellini-drinking woman. âSheâs my wife.âÂ
âScored way out of his league if you ask me,â Felix pointed out, which earned him a heartfelt cheer from Renee and a solid slap behind the head from Chris. âChris owns the sporting goods store,â he added.Â
âOh, thatâs awesome. I was just thinking I should go check it out,â you admitted with a smile. âItâs a pleasure to meet you guys.â You turned to Renee, biting your lip. âSorry I cost you twenty. Next drink is on me.âÂ
She gave you an appraising look, squinting just a little with the sun kissing her hair. âI like you. Chris, go sit on the other side, I want to sit with my new friend. Girl talk, no boys allowed.âÂ
Chris didnât seem to mind one bit. He circled the table to sit next to Felix, immediately engaging in a conversation about a new model of mountain bike he had just ordered for the store. Apparently, Felix had suggested it to him some time ago or something. You couldnât listen for much longer because Renee immediately grabbed your attention.Â
She had a strong aura and eyes just as kind as Chrisâ. She licked the bellini off her lips. âSo, new girlâwhat brings you around here?â She took a sip of her drink. It looked refreshing. âBy the way, you donât have to answer any of these questions, but feel free to ask stuff too if youâd like.â She bit her lip. âI have a lot of tea about this town, you know. Hot tea, too.â
You giggled, shaking your head. âI just needed a change,â you replied, and for the first time it didnât feel like a lieâdidnât feel like you were supposed to elaborate on your answer any more than that. âIâve lived in cities all my life.â
âDamn, you got balls.â Renee raised her glass at you. âLeaving family, friends, job behindâŠâ She hesitated. âLover?â
You didnât know what exactly compelled you to be so open to this woman literally within two minutes of meeting her for the first time, but it felt natural anyway. âNo. Prick made me feel like shit for weeks until I gathered enough courage to break up with him. Then he fucked my boss and stole my dream job.â
Renee closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. âGod but do I fucking hate men.â She sighed. âYouâre better off without him anyway. Fuck that dude.â
âFuck that dude,â you agreed.
Chris didnât even bat an eye and you decided you liked themâboth of them. âChris doesnât count,â Renee specified. âNot most of the time anyway. Felix is too sweet to count too.â You had to agree with her on that as well.Â
Meg came to take your ordersâthe guys got the half price pitcher of beer but you ordered another round of bellinis for you and Renee. It was going to be a good night and you couldnât remember the last time you had that thought. That you were about to have fun, and being so confident about it.Â
The sun was descending rapidly over the horizon but the drinks kept you warm. You talked with your new acquaintances, learning to know them and letting them learn to know you, too.Â
Renee was an authorâshe had started out as a translator but had always held the dream of writing her own book someday. She still had some translating contracts but the publishing house that employed her for those had also published her first novelâand her second, too. You were greatly intrigued by that and promised yourself to check them out. There were stars in Chrisâ eyes when she told you about that. Or whenever he looked at her. It made you believe that love still existed.
Two bellinis inâand a third on the wayâyou learned about the hard time that Felix had when his family had moved here and that it was Chris that had taken care of him. He was a few years older than him and didnât let any of the kids bully Felix. Apparently, he was still a scrawny, skinny thing back then, but now you were certain that nobody would even dare fuck with Christopher Bahngâthe man looked strong, and his toned muscles were a defense mechanism in themselves. CAUTION, DO NOT FUCK WITH.Â
The sun was down when Renee told the story of Chrisâ proposal to her. The sky was a deep blue except on the horizon where some amber and pink lingered, forming a fine line that kept pulling your gaze away from the table. You were certain that this wasnât some sort of date with Felix and you were having a good time. The food was good, the drinks were even better, and you enjoyed spending time with these new people.Â
âHe deadass proposed during karaoke?â You were past trying to conceal your laughterâand a little too tipsy to do so anyway. You buried your face into your hands, at least trying to be graceful about it. âChris, really?â
âIt was romantic as fuck,â Chris retorted solemnly. âYou just had to be there.â
Felix nudged his friend. âI was there. It was many things, but Iâm not sure that romantic is one of them.â
There was love in Reneeâs eyes when she looked at her husband. âWell, weâre still married, so I guess he isnât so bad.â Not ten minutes ago, Renee had confessed that she had fallen in love with Chris because he was âthe dorkiest dudeâ she ever met.Â
âI guess Iâm not so bad,â Chris agreed, leaning over the table to leave a kiss on his wifeâs forehead. Felix got a phone call at the same time and excused himself to take the call, leaving the group altogether. Chris had seen the name on the screen and admitted to you that this friend was having a hard time, and often needed to chat even just for ten minutes to get his mind off things.Â
You could understand that. Hell, you could sympathize with that.Â
Thanks to the newfound quietness around the table, you suddenly paid more attention to the table next to yours. Three girls were having some rum and coke but had barely touched their drinksâthey seemed very focused on something that was happening inside, keeping their eyes glued to the large window.Â
âI think we should go now,â one of them said. âHe looks like heâs almost done!â
Another clicked her tongue. âIsnât it rude to show up before heâs done, though? You know he could just as easily tell us to fuck offâŠâÂ
You stretched your neck in an attempt at seeing what exactly they were talking about, but couldnât really due to a large group of people passing the window. You sat back into your chair, frowning a little and noticing the knowing glance Chris gave Renee. They stared at each other, at the girls next to you, and then at you.
âHey?â you whispered, very much tipsy. The third bellini was empty but you were now enjoying a light and airy white wine. âWhatâs going on?â You shook your head in the direction of the curious girls.
Reneeâs smile turned playful. She stood, surprisingly steady for somebody who had so much to drink, and you admired that about her. She offered you her hand. âThink itâs time you met our special guy.âÂ
âSpecial guy?â You stood too, leaning against the table for a few seconds while you found your balance. You took Reneeâs hand but she didnât quite make a move yet. âWho?â
âDo you reckon heâs got any actual appointments tonight, babe?â Renee asked Christopher.Â
âAh, if itâs you asking, he wonât say no.â Chris smiled and winked at you, suddenly excited. âDonât worry. His ways are a little unorthodox, but this guy is the best in the industry.â
You had no idea who they were talking about exactlyâby the sound of it, this guy could be either a high-end gigolo, a renowned hair stylist or a very good electrician. âWhat guy?â you finally questioned. âHeâs the best at what?â
Renee pulled you away from the table, taking you toward the entrance of the building. âHis name is Hyunjin.â Her smokey eye makeup glimmered under the fairy lights on the ceiling. âYouâll just see, trust me,â was all she said, and you didnât insist.Â
It didnât take very long until you noticed exactly who she was taking you to. Despite the building being crowded and filled with all sorts of people, there was one person standing out. A man, sitting on his own at a booth in a dark corner. He had a bottle of bourbon in front of him as well as a few empty shot glasses. Some of them were lined up, apparently having been used previously. That was a little peculiar but it was far from being the strangest thing about him.
This guy was part supermodel, part siren, part regular dude. At first glance, his bright crimson hair was the most noticeable thing about him and yet you soon realized that wasnât quite true. He was wearing a simple loose black t-shirt but it hung on his broad shoulders elegantly, the fabric hugging him in the right places to show his lean yet toned physique. A few tattoos demanded your immediate attentionâat the base of his neck, a couple of small symbols you didnât recognize as well as four moons forming a line, depicting the four phases. The tattoos were a little bigger on his arms and more intriguing, too. There was a strangely detailedâand a little eerieâbiblically accurate angel with many wings and eyes and faded colors and broken feathers.Â
Another caught your eyeâa beautiful swan with a rose wrapped around its delicate neck, the thorns visibly piercing the skin. It looked so real that it made it seem as if it was Hyunjinâs skin that was bleeding. Some leafage and some flowersâblack roses, red roses, blue orchid, purple hyacinth⊠There was something else too, some sort of intricately decorated golden stick. No, a scepter, with a dark purple gem on top, and carvings adorning it.Â
Something about the ink on the manâs skin let you know that it was telling a story, as if every one of them didnât just have a meaning, but a purpose.
Your train of thought was interrupted when the group of three girls from earlier passed you, making their way toward the table with the strange, red-haired man. They stopped just a few feet away from him, keeping their distance as they whispered and giggled, the three of them blushing like virgins at their first house party. Hell, you could understand. The man was beyond good-lookingâhe was a specific type of handsome that you had never encountered before, and staring at him didnât feel unlike staring at the sun for too long.Â
When one of the girls gathered enough courage to approach the man, he looked up from the small wooden box he was holding but not to look at herâinstead, he looked directly in the direction where you and Renee were standing.
âGood evening, Mrs. Bahng.â The man spoke in a pleasant, rhythmic voice. You barely heard him over the music and the crowd. âHow can I help you today?âÂ
Renee winked at you before dragging you with her toward the table. You avoided staring at the pretty man by observing the table from up closeâit looked like the discarded glasses had been used, and his phone screen was cracked. It didnât tell you much about him, but you welcomed the distraction. He had also brought a book with him, which was sorta weirdâParkerâs didnât look like the kind of place people came for a peaceful reading session. It was a poetry book.Â
âHi Hyunjin,â Renee didnât sit in the booth. You stayed behind her, checking out the guyâs tattoos. They were very cool. âYou busy?â
âOf course not.â Hyunjin chuckled, leaving the wooden box on the table. It had carvings on it. Flowers and birds and stars. âI assume itâll be for the new girl?âÂ
âYup.â Renee actually physically pushed you forward and you almost ran into the table. âHave fun, new girl.â
âWaitââ you started, panicking. You still had no fucking clue who this guy was, but it was too lateâRenee was already making her way to the bar to strike a conversation with Meg.Â
You turned back to face Hyunjin. He was staring up at you, his expression neutral. When your gaze met his, your existence shifted a little or a lot.Â
Staring into his eyes was exactly like jerking awake in the middle of the night after dreaming of falling. Big beautiful dark eyes, intelligent and curious, sad and contemplative. Eyes like a reverie, like chasms, like clouds of black smoke. And yet he didnât have eyes like the nightâthey were more reminiscent of dusk, with a sliver of radiance remaining. The ceiling lights made it seem as if Hyunjinâs eyes were galaxies filled with stars. You looked away because you feared you would fall into them, into him.Â
But looking at the rest of him wasnât an easy feat. From this close, you saw the other details of his faceâthe moles, just there, as if delicately painted on porcelain. His honey skin, a perfect match for the honey in his voice, too. His lips, full and inviting and ethereal, lips so pink they looked like they had been stained with the juice of a ripe pomegranate.Â
The round nose, the curves of his cheeks, his jawlineâHyunjin had the sort of looks that would require a lifetime of studying them to perhaps get to the bottom of it. Maybe more.Â
He pushed a strand of red hair behind a pierced ear. You were aware of the disappointed group of girls behind you, aware that they were retreating fartherâaware of the crowd and the night growing darker, but none of it mattered anymore.
Hyunjinâs pretty lips curved into an enigmatic smile. âPlease have a seat.â When you didnât move, he motioned at the empty bench across from him. âI wonât bite,â he added.Â
âRenee didnât even tell me what you were doing,â you admitted finally.Â
Hyunjin reached for the wooden box on the table, lifting its lid to let you see the contents. It was a case for a deck of cards, but not just any kind. Hyunjin took it out of the box, showing you his tarot cards. âYou donât have to,â he assured. âWhatever youâd prefer.âÂ
You frowned, looking behind your shoulder at the corkboard on the wall by the counter. âYouâre the guy from that ad,â you stated, turning back to Hyunjin. Your curiosity got the best of you and you just had to ask. âYou didnât put your name on it, how are people supposed to reach out?â
Hyunjin glanced at you over the bottle of bourbon he had grasped. âTheyâre not. Either people find me when theyâre supposed to, or I find them.â Hyunjin then pulled two glasses from the pile of clean ones and filled them with liquor. âI like to have a drink with the person before a reading.â
âWhat if I donât drink?â The bourbon was dark, amber, and it seemed almost thick in this light.Â
Hyunjin tilted his head with a smile, pushing a glass in front of you. âWell I would find that hard to believe considering I can smell Reneeâs favorite drink on your breath.âÂ
Warmth spread on your face but you smiled back, biting your lip. Hyunjin raised his glass and you did the same, clinking them before drinking their contents. The bourbon was strong and sweet with a unique honeyed aftertaste. You memorized the label on the bottle, promising yourself youâd buy some.Â
âSo?â The deck of cards was back in Hyunjinâs hands. He had long, agile fingers, and was fidgeting with them skillfully. âSkeptics are welcome,â he said, quoting his own ad.Â
Hyunjin spread the cards in front of him. They were beautiful. It was obvious they were used often and yet they were perfectly preserved. The images on them were drawn in an intricate style with a black background and fine white lines, adorned with iridescent golden embellishments. The theme seemed to be nature-oriented, with images depicting flowers, trees, mountains, stars and even animals. Hyunjin let you stare at them for a while, not shying away, keeping his calm composure.Â
He leaned over the table a little and his scent hit your nostrilsâhe smelled like the outdoors, like smoke from a cedarwood fire. He smelled like roses, like incense, like amber, like having spent the day in the sun. His personal smell took you by surprise enough for you to gasp a little, definitely not helped by the new proximity of his face to yours. From this close, you noticed the silky appearance of his skin and the fine lines in his lips. You wondered if you would feel them if you brushed your fingertips over them. You wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by lips like those.Â
God, Iâm so tipsy. Thanks to Renee and her love for bellinis, you were drunk enough to fantasize about kissing a strangerâand not just any stranger either. Some sexy weirdo tarot reading dude.Â
You shrugged. âAlright, let me go get my purse then.â
Hyunjin waved his big hand. âFree of charge. Want another shot?â
You handed him your glass and he filled it before filling his, too. You drank yours while Hyunjin was shuffling the cards. He did so in a messily methodical wayâyou could tell he had a technique but you couldnât decipher it.Â
âIâve never done this before,â you admitted with a small voice. âI donât know how this worksâŠâ
âThatâs alright, just relax.â Hyunjinâs voice was soothing enough that it calmed you down. It was almost as if you had no other choice but to trust him fully and entirely. âYou donât need to do anything.âÂ
Hyunjin gathered the deck back together, leaving the cards in one neat pile. He stared at it, then stared at you, and you felt yourself melt into the bench. His gaze was profound, piercing. It was as if he was seeing past you, as if he was reading your soul and somehow understanding it. He watched you for a few more seconds and you were thankful when, finally, he averted his gaze to focus on the deck of cards again. He spread them skillfully in a line in front of you.
âTouch three cards, please,â he invited, tilting his head. His red hair followed the motion, brushing his shoulder. âTake your time, Iâm in no hurry. You have to really mean it.â
You stared at the deck. âMean it?â The backside of the cards was just as pretty as the frontâgolden constellations on a dark background. âI donât know, Iââ
Hyunjin used his imperatively relaxing voice again. âTake a deep breath, new girl.â You listened to him, filling your lungs with oxygen before exhaling in a long sigh. âThatâs it, now do it again. Itâs all about intent.â
You raised an eyebrow inquisitively. âIntent?â
âThis isnât Harry Potter. There is no magic.â Hyunjin spoke slowly, each syllable dancing on his tongue before spilling from his pretty lips. âThere is only intent.âÂ
You werenât sure you knew exactly what that meant but reported your attention on the cards anyway, scanning them one by one.Â
Hyunjin gave you another instruction. âIâm gonna be asking questions now, but donât answer them. The cards will answer. I just want your mind filled with them.âÂ
You nodded, waiting.
âWhen was the last time you were vulnerableâtruly vulnerable with another human being? What is your favorite flower? Did your parents love you?â He paused, maybe letting you process it. When you raised your eyes to look at him, he invited you to concentrate on the cards again.Â
The more you looked at them, the more your gaze kept flicking back to specific ones.
âHow was your first kiss? Do you like your job? Do you prefer the day or the night? Sun or rain? Do you have purpose? Do you create purpose for your life? Are our emotions real, or are they simply a chemical reaction in our brains triggered by certain stimuli? When you look at the sky, do you see shapes in the clouds, or do you just see the sky? Do you believe in God? Do you believe in the afterlife? Who disappointed you? Who broke your heart? Why did you let them break your heart if you knew they didnât deserve you?âÂ
Your heart sank in your chest. You had almost tuned out Hyunjinâs incessant questions as you were picking your cards, but the last ones echoed in your mind. Just like having a song stuck in your head, only it was one you didn't like.Â
Hyunjin anticipated your reaction. âDonât look at me,â he said. âLook at the cards.â
And then it became obvious. A sense of calmness pierced the veil of your uncertainty, and instead of a whole deck of cards before you, it was as if there were only three.
You put your index finger on one of them. âThis card,â you started. âThis one, too. And this one.âÂ
Hyunjin collected the cards as you showed them to him. He set them aside while gathering the rest of them and putting them back in the wooden box. Your heart was beating fast and your head was spinning a little. Maybe you had a few too many drinks.Â
âAlright, letâs start.â Hyunjin put the three cards in front of you, in the same order you had named them. He flipped the first card.Â
The image on it was so violent that you gasped. It showed a marine landscapeâthe central point was a whale. It was underwater. Behind the ocean was a sky with both stars and clouds. The animal was bleedingâthree daggers were stuck in its side.Â
âThree of Swords,â Hyunjin enunciated. He stared at the card for a long time before looking into your eyes.Â
âWhat does that mean? Is something bad going to happen to me?âÂ
You didnât even believe in any of this. You had never even bothered reading your horoscope fully, not even once, because it never really mattered to you, except maybe to joke about it. So why were you suddenly so tense? Why did the fate of this printed sea mammal matter to you so much?
âPeople mistakenly believe tarot is all about reading the future. I canât read the future,â Hyunjin explained calmly. He crossed his fingers together over the table. âSomeone hurt you, though. It was personal. Thatâs what this card tells me.âÂ
There was only one explanationâHyunjin had heard you talk to Renee about your ex and the whole dream job shenanigans. You hadnât noticed him and his crimson hair but it didnât mean he wasnât listening. Maybe he was colluding with Meg to impress clients and boost sales or something, and she had heard your conversation. Maybe it was just a coincidence. It had to be. Skeptics welcome.Â
And then it occurred to you. âHavenât most people been hurt, though?âÂ
âOh, of course.â Hyunjin sat back into the booth, pouring himself another shot. âGuess I didnât need a card to tell me that. But this card indicates that the pain you went through changed you forever. The mere fact that you moved here speaks lengths about it.â He pushed the Three of Swords closer to you. âWhy did you stay with your ex for so long? Was it because you believed this was the best you could ever get? That no one else would ever want you, that even his half-assed love was all youâd ever get?âÂ
You gulped. âYou listened to me. You heard me. With Renee. Earlier.â He had to have heard you. Somehow. Why you were getting this irrationally angry eluded you, but you knew one thingâinfringing on other peopleâs privacy, especially about something as delicate as this, wasnât funny.Â
Hyunjin held your gaze. âIf it comforts you to think so, we can pretend I did.â He licked his lips lazily, letting his tongue linger on them longer than necessary. It was pink and smooth, and wet. It left his lips glistening. âDo you want to stop?âÂ
Out of the three cards, he was bound to get something wrong, you figured. âKeep going.âÂ
âDo you want to talk about it? Your ex?â He seemed sincere, and his posture had relaxed.Â
You thought about it. âI donât think thereâs anything to say on the matter.â You sighed, playing with the fabric of your shirt under the table. âHe fucked up in so many ways, but I made the first mistake when I allowed him to be so important to me.âÂ
Hyunjin gave you a firm nod. âDonât blame yourself for that.â Without waiting, he flipped the second card.
You couldnât tell exactly what it showed at firstâthe card was facing the other way. It showed a raven with an intricate key in its large beak. The animal looked wise.Â
âThe Hierophant,â Hyunjin said, his voice low. âItâs reversed.â
âIs that bad?â you questioned, your heart suddenly picking up a pace. Not that you caredânone of this was real at all, was it?Â
Hyunjin rested his chin on the back of his hands, scanning the card, then you, then the card again. You werenât even hearing the loud crowd all around you, werenât paying attention to the laughter and the music and the several pairs of eyes in your and Hyunjinâs direction. Somehow, you were very aware of your heartbeat, your breathing, and of Hyunjinâs breathing, too. The way he tilted his head as he was deep in his thoughts, his delicate features serious and pensive.Â
âI donât see how this would be a bad card for you,â he concluded after a while. âRelating to the Three of Swordsâthe daggers in your heartâI only see good in this card. Feel it, will you?â He slid the card right to you.
You took in between your fingers. The paper was of great quality. Thick and nice, with a strange velvety feel to it. The golden and silver lines were smooth, pleasant to the touch.Â
âYouâre smiling,â Hyunjin pointed out. âIt confirms my suspicions.âÂ
He was right. You were smiling and you hadnât even noticed. Two seconds earlier, you were downright offended by Hyunjinâs little pretending game and now you were completely pacified.Â
âAnd what are those suspicions exactly, Mr. Psychic?âÂ
Hyunjin hesitated, letting his answer swirl in his mind before he allowed it anywhere near his vocal cords. He watched you againâregarded, ratherâand smacked his lips together. âYou wonât care because you believe in none of that stuff,â he began, pulling the card back to him. âI have a very⊠personal approach to my readings.â
âMeaning?â
âMeaning if you check on your phone later on and read the significance of each card, youâll think I told you just the worst bullshit. Itâs what I told you earlierâitâs all about intent.âÂ
You thought you knew what he meant. âOkay, so the meaning you attach to each card isnât the same as everybody else?âÂ
âSorta. Kinda. Itâs hard to explain.â Hyunjin pushed a crimson strand of hair behind his ear, revealing a piercing. An all-black snake wrapped around his helix. âThis card tells me that youâre in a period where youâre questioning many things. Yourself, your beliefs.â He paused for an instant. âYou already made a bold choice by moving hereâI sense that not everybody approved of that. It was the beginning of your journey. You know, you really donât have to fit in. You might never be truly happy if you waste all your energy trying to blend in.â
âEasy for you to say, Mr. Psychic. Youâre the guy with the tattoos and the red hair who gives free tarot readings in the middle of a busy bar on a Friday night.â
Hyunjin nodded, acknowledging. âYes.â He hesitated again. âI⊠relate to this card in its reverse form.â Gently, he brushed his fingertip on the card, exactly on the ravenâs head. It looked as if he was caressing it lovingly. âI wonât burden you with the detailsâtheyâre unnecessary anywayâbut this card spoke to me once. More than once.â
You looked at Hyunjin, his surreal beauty, the ink dancing on his skin, the lights reflecting on his bright hair. âIt spoke to you?â You knew he didnât mean that this literal piece of cardboard had said words to him but you could not comprehend the true meaning of what he said. Still, you didnât insistâyou could feel this was a sensitive matter somehow.Â
You chose to redirect the conversation toward you instead. Something told you Hyunjin was more comfortable talking about others instead of himself. âI canât say I actively try to blend in every minute of every day,â you commented with a shrug, âbut now that you say it, I think itâs all Iâve ever known. I donât try to blend in because Iâve never not done it.â You paused, choosing your next words carefully. âI donât have anything worth showing off anyway, so why bother?âÂ
Without skipping a beat, Hyunjin poured you another shot and then one for himself. He emptied his glass before he answered you. You thought that the arm wrestling tournament was beginning again somewhere behind you.Â
âYou just havenât found your thing yet. Take a match for example. Without something to ignite it, it looks harmless.âÂ
You found no argument against that. Worse yet, you agreed with himâthat job that you had wanted so badly was supposed to be it. You had intended for that promotion to be the thing that would propel you to satisfaction. Contentment. Happiness? Maybe. You never liked the idea of having your job as your main goal. It just didnât feel right.Â
âTraditionally, a reversed Hierophant could signify a relationship that has run its course,â Hyunjin went on. âOften, when people get this card while theyâre in a relationship end up cheating on their partner.â
âBut Iâm very much single, so what does it mean?âÂ
Hyunjin gave you a slightly smug smile. âMeans that whoever you will be seeing next wonât be as shitty as your ex. Not because Iâm predicting anything. But I understand that youâre never gonna settle, not again. You learned your lesson. Was he any good in bed? I get the feeling that he wasnât.â
You blushed heavily, taken aback by how blunt Hyunjin was. Blunt and yet earnest, curious but not nosy. If this was all pretense, he was a very, very good actor.Â
âYou donât have to answerââ he began, but you cut him off. Maybe sober!you would have put an end to this, but you had said sayonara to sober!you several bellinis ago.Â
âHe wasnât very good but thatâs not the problem,â you explained. âYou know, skill is one thing. But⊠he didnât⊠he didnât really try either.â
You hadnât been jealous of your boss when you had caught Daehan having sex with her so soon after the end of the relationship. You were jealous because he had never even tried to fuck you the way he was fucking her. The closest to it you had ever gotten from Daehan was that time he fucked you in the office. Maybe he had a massive office sex kink or something.Â
âI donât need a card to tell me youâre better off without him,â Hyunjin observed. He adjusted his weight on the bench and flipped the last card. âOh,â was all he said when it appeared before you.Â
To you, the card seemed innocent. Benign. Much, much tamer than the stabbed whale from earlier and yet Hyunjin seemed deeply troubled. It just showed flowers. Gardenias. All in various stages of growth. One was barely more than a bud and the last had its petals wide open.Â
You put a hand over your mouth as fear began to grow in your chest. âWhatâs wrong with this? Itâs just⊠flowers.â
Hyunjin put his index on the card, moving it from one flower to the other in a loop, his gaze averted from yours. âItâs not a bad card. I just⊠didnât expect it would show up in your reading.â
âWhyâs that? What does it mean?â
This time, Hyunjin did look at you so intensely that you wanted to disappear. You couldnât read his expression. Angry? Confused? Disappointed?Â
âRemember what I told you? That my approach to tarot is different? Thatâs because my relationship with it, with the fabric of life itself, is different.â
The more he spoke, the less sense Hyunjin made. You wondered if he had been drinking a little too much. Or, perhaps, if you had been. âYeah, I remember. Why?â
âYouâre not gonna believe me,â was all he said after a long, tired sigh.
âTry me, Mr. Psychic.â Part of you truly wanted to know. Another part of you wanted this to be overânot because you didnât enjoy it, or Hyunjinâs company, but because it was disturbing. Like you were forced to look at your own reflection in a mirror for too long.
âThe Four of Wands,â Hyunjin said after a while. Around you, the patrons of the bar were just as loud but it felt as if your head had been plunged underwater. âIt only shows for people who are falling in love. And also, donât call me that. Iâm not a psychic.â
You were underwater. The air felt thick as it entered your lungs, sitting there, cool, unmoving. Drowning you. Your skin prickled as a shiver advanced on your spine, leaving goosebumps all over your body. You had seen many things in your life. Your parents liked to travel and they brought you to many places when you were a child. You read books, you liked to talk to people and get to know them. But you had never experienced anything like it, like tonight.Â
âIâm not in love,â you corrected. You wanted to say so much more but words eluded you. âSo what should I call you anyway?â
âI didnât say the Four of Wands appeared to people who are in love. I said it appeared to people who were falling in love. Itâs not the same thing.â Hyunjin shook his head, his red hair falling back in front of his face, partially covering his eyes, like a storm moving over a dusky sky. âAnd, Iâm not a psychic. Iâm a witch.â
In one agile motion, Hyunjin gathered the three cards on the table and put them back with the rest of the deck.Â
The strange irritation from earlier was back, clawing at your chest from the inside. âAÂ witch?â Somehow this was worse. Less believable.Â
Scarier.Â
âSo youâre telling me Iâm falling in love and Iâm not even aware of it?âÂ
âGuess so.â A shrug. âYou can choose not to believe me, thatâs fine.â
You frowned, finding yourself upset for no reason at all. It made you feel like a Karen in the middle of a Wal-Mart, asking to speak to the manager. âYouâre telling me you have legit magical powers?âÂ
âNo.â He leaned over the table a little, entering your personal space. You let him. So that you could admire the mole under his eye and the other one on his cheek. So that you could smell himâyou had never felt like peopleâs souls had scents before. But tonight, you did. âThink of it as a radio station. Some people get no reception on it. Some people get a distant white noise, or get intermittent reception. I just happen to have been put on the right frequency. I didnât just get great receptionâI became the antenna.â He pulled back, spreading his huge hands on the wooden table. âNot that you believe me anyway.âÂ
No, you didnât. Not really. Did you? Realistically, anyone who knew the basics of body language and could tell a good story would have been able to tell you the things Hyunjin had told you about the cards tonight. You knew that. What you couldnât explain, though, was the feeling that had entered you. What you couldnât explain was the tiny jolts of electricity coursing through your veins, leaving trails of kisses under your skin. Warm kisses, cold kisses, hundreds of little sparks that filled you with peace. With blind trust. With whatever you felt when you stared for a little too long at Hyunjinâs pomegranate lipsâyou didnât even dare think about this word, not even about the letters that formed it. As if thinking about it would manifest it, would make it real.Â
âIt was interesting,â you chose to say. You couldnât bring yourself to say, No I donât believe you. Saying it out loud would make that so real, so finite, too, and you weren't ready to fully commit to that statement.
âIâm sorry that happened to you,â Hyunjin offered. âYour ex, all that. And⊠I apologize if I upset you.âÂ
âAh, donât worry. I just⊠moved across the world to get away from my problems. Should start working soon.â You gave him a reassuring smile, largely sponsored by your drinks. Normally, talking about personal mattersâespecially this oneâwas difficult for you. âIâm not upset. I justâŠâ
âItâs alright. I challenged your beliefs, itâs normal to feel like that.â
Like what? You wanted to ask, but you didnâtâyou werenât sure you wanted him to spill yet another truth about you.
Something caught Hyunjinâs eyes behind you. âI think Renee wants you back, I should let you go.â He chuckled softly. âIâll see you around, though.âÂ
One glance over your shoulder confirmed itâRenee was waiting eagerly by the door leading to the back terrace. She was chatting with Felix, but obviously waiting for you to be done. You nodded, finally pushing yourself up. Your head spun for a few seconds. It was just the bourbon, but it felt like your axis had shifted somehow.Â
âThank you for the reading.â You stood by the table, not quite ready to say goodbye yet. âYou sure I canât pay you?â
âYes, I wonât take money from you.â Hyunjin started gathering his things tooâhe was leaving. âThanks for letting me read your cards. It was⊠intriguing. You have a special aura.âÂ
For some reason, you thought about something he had said earlier. That a card had spoken to him. You really, really wanted to ask him for details about that. In that instant, you almost asked Hyunjin where he lived, hoping to offer him company if he was walking back home. You didnât really want this moment to be over.Â
âYou have a special everything.â Your giggle was dismissive but you still blushed. âHave a nice night, Hyunjin.âÂ
You waved each other goodbye. When you spun around to face Renee, she had a knowing smile on her faceâand even, maybe, somewhat of a smug expression, but playful. You didnât know her enough to read her mind, but you knew she would have at least a million questions for you. Felixâs smile was soft and he seemed peaceful.Â
A hand landed on your shoulder, gently, softly. Lightly at first before the grasp became firmer, confident. It was warm. Not warm like a boiling kettle. Not warm like taking a spoonful of soup that hadn't had time to cool down. Warm like the sunrise. Warm like holding a cup of coffee.Â
âWait, please.â It was Hyunjin. There was a messenger bag on his shoulder and he was holding a gray cardigan. He was tallâyou twisted your neck to look him in the eyes. Like this, he was even more handsome. There was something excessively graceful about the way he held himself. âThereâs something else I have to tell you.â
Many people were staring at you. You could feel their eyes drill holes into your skin. Hyunjin noticed too, so he leaned closer to you, bringing his face just inches away from yours to speak into your ear.
âThe Four of Wands,â he murmured, and yet you heard him as clearly as if he had been shouting. As if he was speaking directly into your soul. When he spoke, his boozy breath tickled your skin, causing a distracting pressure between your legs. He smelled good. He was tall, so tall, so beautiful. âIt means something else, too. It means⊠that youâre ready. Youâre ready for it. You think youâre not, but you are.â
The closeness of him was more than enough to trouble you. There was a storm stirring up in your core. A dangerous one. âReady for what?â You wanted to touch him, feel his honey skin beneath your fingertips.Â
Hyunjin pulled back just enough to lock his gaze with yours. âTo love. And to be loved.â With that, he walked away and exited the bar, leaving you stunned.
You tried to ignore the curious glances all around you, and it was easy. Hyunjinâs words played in your mind like a broken record. To love and to be loved. To love and to be loved. To love. And to be loved.Â
âHey new girl!â Reneeâs enthusiasm pulled youâsomewhatâback to reality. She had made her way to you. âSo? Heâs good, isnât he?âÂ
âHeâs⊠heâs something, for sure.â To love and to be loved.Â
Chris joined the three of you, bringing with him your purse, Reneeâs purse, and Felixâs jacket. He patiently handed everyone their things, much like a single mom of three. âItâs getting late,â he said. âWeâll walk you home. You can wait for me outside while I settle the tab.â
You grabbed your purse, still somewhat under Hyunjinâs effect. You were dazed and yet you knew you couldnât solely blame the alcohol. You could still feel his touch on your shoulder.Â
âOh, right,â you managed, reaching for your walletâbut Chris didnât let you.Â
âDonât bother. Itâs all on me. And do not insist.â You werenât used to blind kindness. It didnât feel forced.
You didnât feel bad, and you couldnât think of a single occasion before in your life where a similar scenario had played and you hadnât felt terrible guilt.
You waited for Chris just outside the bar. Felix had lit up a joint and was sharing it with Renee. The night was cool and pleasant. You could still hear the crowd of the restaurant from here, muffled, happy, careless. You watched them through the large windowsâMeg and Chris chatting while she entered his tab on the cash register. The arm wrestling guys. A few couples, some holding hands, some not. Laughter and conversationsânothing had changed.
So why did everything feel different than it had before a random, albeit handsome, dude had given you a tarot reading? Â
âSo, what did you think of her?â Felix asked Renee as he handed you the joint. âDid she pass?â
It took a few milliseconds before you understood he was referring to you. You blinked, inhaling the smoke. The weed was good, strong but with a sweet aftertaste. âPass what?â You thought about it. âWas tonight some sort of test?â
âYes and no. I was genuinely curious about you, new girl,â Renee admitted, taking the joint from between your fingers when you gave it to her. âBut also, we have a spot that just opened for soccer nights. You in?â
âSoccer nights?â You recalled one of the posters you had seen in the bar, the one announcing âADULT SOCCERâ on Thursday nights. To be completely frank, you had believed it to be some sort of euphemism for swingers. Or something.Â
Chris had joined you again and he smoked while his wife explained the concept to you. âJust our little group meeting up for friendly soccer games at the townâs high school,â she said. âWeâre friends with the P.E teacher. It has its perks.â
âItâs just for fun,â Chris chimed in. âAfterwards we come here for drinks and food, or to someoneâs place.âÂ
âI told everyone about you,â Felix admitted. âI said you were really nice. We just wanted to meet up with you before, to see the chemistry.âÂ
âIt actually sounds awesome.â You meant that. You could tell that everyone here had great chemistry indeed, and you often found days rather long when you just spent all week at home, working, and wondering how you would manage to mow your lawn. âI donât play soccer, though. I never haveâŠâ
âOh, forgot to mention that skill isnât a requirement to join the team,â Renee interjected, wrapping her arm around your shoulders. âThe proof of that is that we let Meg play every week.â
âI think she still holds the record for player who scored the most often into their own goal,â Felix noted, and hilarity ensued. He turned to you and added, âWhy donât you come check it out next week? No pressure, donât need to play. We bring beers, you can just sit and watch! Weâre good company.â
âI donât really know anyone except you guysâŠâ you started. Renee squeezed you tighter and let the boys get past you as Chris and Felix were now play-fighting to decide who would get the last of the joint. You slowed down to match her pace.
âYou donât have to come.â She had a mysterious smile on her face. âBut Hyunjinâs on the team. Just thought you should know.â
You looked away for a moment, overcome with shame. The intonation in Reneeâs voice said everything it had to say. At least it was too dark outside and there was no way she could see the red on your cheeks. âAh, is he?â You even tried to play it cool. âIs that supposed to change my mind about going?âÂ
Renee chortled. âOh, I know it already has, donât worry. Thursday nights at the high school. You can bring your own beer but we always have too much. People start to arrive at 6:30 ish. If you have any questions you can always text me.â She gave you a gentle pat on the back. And a wink, too, loaded with unspoken things.Â
You watched from behind as she went on to wrestle with the boysâand rightfully won the last of the weed. You were trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Could you be intrigued enough about Hyunjin that you were actually looking forward to seeing him again? You couldnât remember the last time somebody had captivated you like that.Â
You didnât think it had ever happened to you before, actually.
Felix left firstâhe was gonna go to his fatherâs restaurant and see if they needed help to close up. Then you walked with Chris and Renee for a little while. You had always felt safe in Heron Lake so far, but you appreciated their gesture, especially considering the strange uneasiness in your chest, and the lingering warmth on your shoulder. The town only had one taxi driver and no ride services, so when people drank, they usually relied on friends to drive them home. Apparently, Chris and Renee were supposed to get a ride home with Megâs boyfriend, so they kindly refused your offer to sleep at your place.
âDid you know that the woods behind your house lead to Elkwater Springs?â Chris asked you as you were unlocking your front door. âIf you ever need hiking equipment, come see me. Iâll give you a discount.â You thanked him. You thanked Renee, too. With sincerity.Â
That evening, you showered thoroughly to wash the smell of food and liquor and weed off you. The night was cool, but not too cool. You left a crack open in the window of your bedroom.Â
You dreamt.Â
You dreamt of your old office. A handsome man with crimson hair was sitting on your chair, making it swirl, swirl, swirl. Faster, always faster. It made you dizzy. You reached for him, certain the chair would break under such speed. The manâs skin was as warm as a cup of coffee. When you touched him, he disappeared, and so did you.Â
You reappeared in your house. It was your house but it wasnât, it had no walls, no ceiling, no roof. Only the floors and the doorframes remained. And yet you were not scared. It was dusk, and a storm was approaching. But you were not scared.Â
There was something in the forest behind your house. You were naked because of the shower, but you went to investigate anyway. âHello?â you asked, but you did not recognize your voice. And yet it was your voice. Maybe it wasnât your ears hearing them, though. You walked for a long time. The storm was approaching, thunder rolling, distant lightning, but you were not scared.Â
When you reached a clearing where there were no trees, just a few big rocks covered in moss, you saw him again. The man with the crimson hair.
Hyunjin.
He was naked too and yet you could not make out the details of his body. He was laying on top of one of the large rocks. The moonlight reflected on his skin but there was no moon, there was just a storm. And yet there was light. âYou came,â he said. âJoin me.â You did. The grass was soft underneath your feet. The breeze was cool. Hyunjin helped you up the rock and his skin was as warm as a cup of coffee.Â
He played with your hair and it made you wet. He kissed the back of your neck and you did not question it. His long fingers touched you. Your shoulder, your breasts, your hip. His lips never left your skin for more than a few milliseconds at a time. He was whispering something into your skin, he was leaving kisses, leaving his spit, too. After a while you were able to understand the words he was saying. To love and to be loved.
Hyunjin fucked you on that rock, his cock pounding into you, your juices leaking onto the moss beneath you, feeding it, feeding the earth.Â
His crimson hair was all you could see. That, and the moon, but there was no moon, just a storm. You could not hear him, you could only hear thunder. There was wind and the leaves were rustling but they made no sound.Â
You woke up when very real thunder cracked, making you jump in your bed, almost falling off it. In a sudden state of awareness, you kneeled on your mattress to close up the window before it could rain inside. It was raining pretty hard, and it was dark, but as you rolled the window closed, you could swear you saw something in the trees behind your house.Â
Your heart was pounding. You were certain that you had locked all the doors, so you let yourself fall back on your bed. Besides, except for wild animals, nobody would go out in that rain.Â
Something was cool and damp against your assâa quick check-up showed a small wet puddle under you. You brought your fingers between your legs, finding your folds wet and sensitive. Ready.Â
You caressed your breasts but it was long, agile fingers you were thinking about. You sucked on your own fingers but it was pomegranate lips you were imagining. You teased your folds and your entrance and your clit but it was the man with the crimson hair you were yearning for, whispering incantations into your ear, fucking an imprint of your body into the softest moss, blades of grass tickling your skin.Â
Were you still dreaming? Maybe you had dreamed him entirely. Maybe nothing had happened at the bar. Maybe you werenât even in Heron Lake and this was all a fever dream. Maybe youâd wake up in your other life, the miserable life you had before you came here.
You rolled onto your stomach, fucking your hand, chasing your high, dripping all over your forearm and your mattress. You moaned into your pillow and each surge of pleasure brought a new vision. A whale. A raven. Four gardenias. Eyes like dusk. A wet pink tongue gliding over your body, licking your clit just like That. Yes. Yes. Yes.
You came hard, gushing all over yourself, moaning a strangerâs name into your pillow.Â
You had not been dreaming, because you fell asleep again and the storm was still piercing the sky and your cum was drying on your fingers. There were words haunting your mind as you drifted back to sleep. To love and to be loved.
... to be continued.
a/n: hello my beloveds! I'm... actually really happy to share this story with you. I'm also terrified, but writing this has been really fun, and many things about this work are very close to my heart. Which might be why I'm so excited to share this today! I would like to thank all my readers for the support and the kindness & interactions. You guys are amazing.
I also would like to give a special thanks and shout out to Ren, @cb97percent. Thank you for the inspiration and the support. Thank you for all the other things, too. You know what I'm talking about.
Also: Currently finishing up the next Taste of Honey update!! I'm really excited about this too. Coming soon!!
Pairing: Werewolf!Changbin x Werewolf!F.Reader
Themes: Fantasy/Supernatural AU | Smut | Fluff | Established Relationship
Word Count: ~5k | AO3
Synopsis: As you and Changbin got to fulfil one of your shared fantasies, he couldnât help but be reminded that you were the one and only wolf for him. [This story is an instalment of my WereRoomies series. although you probably donât need to read the previous Changbin instalments to understand and enjoy this, i highly recommend you to~].
Warnings: this is all so soft and maybe a bit corny, all things considered · theyâre in love, your honour · graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut).
Authorâs Note: the title of this one was inspired by a song called Cuando Llegue tu Amor from an Argentine series i used to watch. it makes me feel butterflies in my belly to this day⊠anyway, this one was long overdue in my opinion. i was DYING to write Changbin and his girl like this, and iâm happy i finally got to do it. this might not be everyoneâs cup of tea, but i hope some of you get to enjoy it regardless !
Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.
Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.
It wasnât common for Changbin to be home earlier than you. He often had to stay back at work to finish whichever bullshit task his boss assigned him that day, while you, with your privileged IT coordinator role, got to come home on time. Today, though, his boss had finally let him get those hours the company owed him, and he was able to clock out early in the afternoon.
Youâd sent Changbin a text a couple of hours ago when your shift had ended, telling him you were going to meet up with Chrisâ girlfriend at the shopping centre, and that itâd take you a bit to come home. This, admittedly, made him pout like a sad puppy. He finally was home at a normal time, but what was the point if he couldnât spend some time with his dearest omega?Â
Regardless, he figured you more than deserved to go out with a friend to unwind, so he simply sent you a âhave fun pup! bring some of those cookies i likeđâ back, and decided to watch some movie on TV that could distract him enough.
A couple of hours after you both texted, Changbin heard the rumble of his phone on the coffee table, so he reached for it, and he immediately smiled as he saw it was you who was calling.
âHi, pupâ, Changbin took the remote and lowered the TVâs volume so he could hear you properly.
âHi, Binnieâ, you sounded incredibly happy, Changbin could practically hear the smile on your face, and in turn, it made him smile. âHowâre you doing?â
âIâm boredâ, he admitted. âIâm all lonely and sad because my mate hasnât come home yetâ, Changbin brought a hand to the junction of his neck and shoulder, mindlessly tracing the raised skin your mating bite had left behind.
Somehow, it was both incredibly crazy and totally normal that he had mated. Crazy because he, an alpha, had been the one marked, that heâd been marked by you, an omega. But it was also normal because it had been you whoâd done it.
Never in his life had Changbin felt this much like himself, knowing that heâd get to spend the rest of his life with you, the omega that used to drive him crazy, the omega that ran away from her former pack and sought comfort in him, the omega that had inadvertently shown him that his needs and his feelings were normal, was enough for him to feel nothing but excitement and love.Â
Nothing had been traditional in your relationship, but that was fine. More than fine. It was amazing.
âAww, donât be like that. Iâm coming home soonâ, you chuckled. âWhich is why Iâm calling you. I got a surprise for youâ.
âA surprise?â Had he been in his wolf form, Changbin was sure his ears wouldâve perked up and his tail wouldâve started to wag as soon as he heard that.
âMm. A surprise. ButâŠyouâd need to prep yourself, babyâ.
âOh?â Goosebumps rose on his arms when he caught on your tone. Whenever you asked him to prep before you came home, he just knew youâd be in some type of mood. A very horny mood that surely meant you were just going to rock his world. âGo on, Iâm listeningâŠâ
âNuh-uh, Iâm not giving you any spoilers. Just need you to clean yourself up and be ready when I get homeâ.
âJust clean up?â A little smirk made its way onto Changbinâs lips. âKnow that I asked that while I wiggled my eyebrowsâ.
He heard you chuckle on the other side of the line, and honestly, he probably shouldnât have felt as giddy as he did, but he was giddy, and curious as to what you had in store for him. âYou can stretch yourself a bit, too, if you want. Iâm not sure if my dearest alpha is patient enough to wait for me to get homeâ.
Changbin shot up from the sofa, immediately making his way to the bathroom. âYour dearest alpha is practically in the shower alreadyâ.
âMmmâŠLove when you follow instructions this well, Binnie. You should do the same at workâ.
Changbin groaned at that, just as he reached the bathroom and started to tug his shorts down. âDonât talk about work now! youâll bring my boner downâ.
You laughed, offering a âFine, fineâŠAnyway, Iâll be there in less than an hour, baby. See you then. Hm?â
He honestly couldnât have felt any more excited.
As soon as you walked through the door, Changbin was on you.Â
Your shopping bags ungraciously dropped to the floor, and a surprised yelp left your lips when Changbin kissed you.Â
With a tight grip on your thighs, he lifted you up to press you against the back of your front door just as your legs wrapped around his waist and your fingers buried in his hair. The taste of you on his tongue was exactly what Changbin had been needing all day, and the harder he got, the more impatient he was getting.Â
âWelcome home, puppyâŠâ He mumbled against the skin of your neck once he detached his mouth from yours to focus on your throat instead.
âTâThank you, Binnie, babyâŠâ Gripping the hair on the back of his head, you pulled him away from your neck, and he couldnât contain the satisfied hum that resonated from deep within him with the motion. âI see you missed meâ.Â
ââCourse I didâ, Changbin chuckled, just as he gently placed you on your feet. âEspecially after you teased me this much. Iâm so hard, baby, lookâ.Â
Taking a hold of your hand, Changbin brought it to his crotch, and his hips bucked once you tightened your grip around him. You bit your lip, focusing your eyes on where your hand was pressed against him. The smell of your arousal had his senses on overdrive, your ginger and nutmeg scent filled every single crevice of his brain, and he was more than ready for whatever this surprise of yours was.Â
You pressed a brief kiss on his lips, and squeezed him one more time before you finally let go, making him pout. âI need to shower and get changed, baby. Wait for me on the sofa, yeah? Iâll be here in no timeâ.Â
Changbin sneaked his hands to your bum, holding you tightly while he kissed you again. After a few moments, he finally pulled back, landing a smack on your bottom before he let you go altogether. âAlright, puppy. Iâll be waiting for you right here. Donât keep me waitingâ.Â
After one final kiss to his cheek, you gathered your shopping bags, stuffed your hand on one of them and took out the box of cookies heâd asked for, handing it to him before you made your way down the hall, towards the bedroom.Â
So Changbin did just as you asked him. Placing the box of cookies on the coffee table, he sat on that sofa, with his legs spread open, his cock already throbbing in his shorts. Sporadically, heâd stroke himself over the fabric to get some relief. There was no room for him to go soft when your scent plagued his mind, when it wrapped around every single one of his senses, and when he had his ass stuffed with the biggest plug he had.
Fifteen minutes had passed and Changbin was honestly getting impatient, not to say needy. He was genuinely considering going into the bathroom and railing you right there, but his desire to do just what youâd asked him to do was stronger than his own physical needs, so he decided against it.Â
When you finally appeared in the living room, Changbin was glad he hadnât moved a single centimetre out of place.Â
âWowâŠLook at youâŠâ
âYou like it?â
He honestly wasnât sure where to look. This was, quite possibly, the prettiest lingerie set youâd gotten so far. Black lace, a sheer bra that showed your stiffening nipples so perfectlyâŠIt was so simple, yet it hugged your figure so well, Changbin started to feel his mouth water and his cock twitch in his shorts.
âI love it, puppy⊠Fuck, wanna eat you upâŠâ His eyes raked your figure, taking in every curve, every dip, taking in his perfect little omega, his mate just for himâŠÂ
âThis isnât the surprise, thoughâ, that was when Changbin noticed you had one of your arms behind your back, and his mind started to race.
He chuckled, shaking his head from side to side, incredulous. âFuck meâŠIf this isnât the surprise then what are you scheming, baby?âÂ
You gave him one more smile, a borderline devilish smile that had the hair at his nape standing on end. Before he could question any further, you finally moved your hand from behind your back, showing him the item youâd been hiding. His jaw dropped. Out of all the things you couldâve pulled out, that wasnât what he was expecting, but he wasnât going to complain, not when the twitch of his cock was enough to know how delighted the sight of that item had made him.
âI havenât been able to stop thinking about this since our conversation last weekâŠSo I finally went ahead and got itâ.Â
A strap.Â
A fucking strap.
You went ahead and got a strap-on.Â
âHoly shitâŠâ Changbinâs eyes changed focus from your face, to the item in your hands, back and forth a few times, and the erection in his shorts was suddenly utterly unbearable. âSo youâre gonna fuck me, fuck me, huh?âÂ
You licked your lips, dangling the strap in your hands. âIf youâre up and ready for itâ.Â
âFuckâŠâ Before he could even think about it, Changbin was already on you, kissing you like heâd die if he didnât. And, in a way, it kind of felt like thatâd be the case.
Once he scooped you in his arms, he made his way to your shared bedroom, almost blindly since he wouldnât detach his mouth from yours for a second. He barely even registered anything around him that wasnât you and your scent and the strap that draped over his back once you rested your arms on his shoulders, he honestly didnât want to register anything else, either.Â
Last week, after one particularly satisfying session of you stimulating him with one of his plugs, Changbin couldnât help but drop the question âwhat if youâŠyou know, fucked me? LikeâŠyou know?â Heâd been super awkward about it, unable to voice his thoughts clearly, but you understood him anyway, and your eyes practically lit up with excitement.Â
âOh, Binnie, seriously? We have to prepareâŠOh God, we have to do research!â Ever the perfectionist, of course you wanted to research anything you possibly could on the topic, just like youâd done when you started talking about playing with his ass earlier on.
Changbin genuinely didnât think itâd happen this soon, but he wasnât going to complain. He was, unashamedly, ready for you to fuck him in the ass.
Being properly fucked in the ass was one of those things heâd always think about before he started his relationship with youâŠOne of those things he often found himself fantasising with, or watching a video of, when he was having some alone time, right until he blew his load. But, before, guilt would always come once the post-nut clarity hit him. After all, for an alpha to want to be fucked in the ass was surely a disgrace, something that went against his nature, or so heâd been taught to think.
Thankfully for him, heâd left all those prejudices in the past. Getting close to you had shown him that these things he craved for werenât something to be ashamed of, that he was as much of an alpha werewolf as anyone else even if he took anything up the ass. If anything, he just felt like a fool for denying himself of this for so long.
As soon as Changbin made it to the bedroom, he placed you on your feet, and you immediately pushed him to the bed.
It all became a blur once his instincts started to take a hold of his mind. In a second he was naked, laying on his back, and pushing your underwear to the side as you sat on his face.Â
Your grip on his hair was tight while you ground yourself on his tongue, and, honestly, if it were up to him, heâd be more than happy to stay right here for the rest of his life, with his mouth between your legs, with his tongue licking your folds and drinking you up.
Changbin really wasnât sure who was being louder, you, or him. Your legs trembled next to his head, the headboard creaked a bit under your strong grip, and he caught himself thrusting up into nothing several times throughout the entire thing.
Even if there was that strap waiting for you both, Changbin wasnât in any particular hurry for it, determined to have you come undone under his tongue, determined to have your lust-filled scent engulf him whole.
âOh, fuckââ Your hips stilled, your hold on his hair and the headboard got impossibly tight, Changbin couldnât breathe, and he honestly didnât want to breathe, not when you sounded so sweet when you were coming right on his tongue. He couldâve suffocated right there for all he cared as long as he got to hear those delicious sounds coming out of your mouth.
âShit, sorry, babyâŠâ You mumbled, chuckling a bit while you shuffled further down his body to settle yourself right on top of his length so you could lean in and kiss him.
Changbin just hummed, holding your waist, relishing your warmth against his painfully hard length as you pressed kisses on his lips, relishing the soft caresses of your fingers on his hair.
âPuppy?â Changbin mumbled after a while, when your body fully relaxed on top of his.
âHm?â You nuzzled his neck, softly licking the mating bite on his skin, making him shiver.
ââŠFuck meâ
Pulling yourself away from his neck, you just smiled at him. With a brief peck on Changbinâs lips you finally left the bed altogether to gather a couple of towels from the freshly washed laundry in the closet. As soon as they were all neatly placed on the bed, Changbin sat on top of them, waiting for you to come close again.
âWould you like to help me with this?â You asked, kneeling in front of him with the strap in your hands, to which he simply nodded, biting his bottom lip to contain the smile that was spreading on his face.
It was honestly way more intimate than he couldâve ever imagined. Sure, he was horny and hard and leaking, but as he helped you fasten the strap securely around your hips, kissing and licking and nibbling any area of exposed skin his lips would land on, Changbin just couldnât help but feel immensely close to youâboth physically and emotionally. Which was something that wasnât new, he often felt this way, but it was kind of amusing how he also did in a situation like this.
âFuck, you really do look so hot, pup. You always do, but, damnâŠâÂ
Changbin wasnât sure if it was the combination of your lingerie and the strap, or if it was just how unashamedly in love he was, but you did look extra beautiful, and if there was one thing he was ready for tonight was for his gorgeous mate to fuck him stupid.
You took his hand, and grabbed the tube of lube with your free one. âCâmon, baby. Lube me up. Hm?âÂ
As soon as he opened his hand, you uncapped the tube and squeezed some of the sticky substance on it. With a hefty amount of lubricant now on his palm, you guided his hand to the toy between your legs, and immediately he wrapped his fingers around it and started to spread the lube on it.
âHowâs it feel, Binnie? Is the size okay? Think youâre ready for it?â Your voice was so incredibly gentle, and the way your hips bucked to meet the movement of his hand was honestly making him dizzy.
God, was he ready for itâŠ
âFuck, yeahâŠâ
âGoodâ, a smirk made its way onto your lips, and he was almost vibrating with excitement already just by that look in your eyes. âNow, hands and knees, my dearest alphaâ.
He couldnât help the scoff that came out of his mouth, but he still complied with your request after placing a brief peck on your lips.
He wiped his hand on one of the towels below him, and did as asked. As soon as he was settled, he felt your lips on one of his buttcheeks, kissing and sucking on his skin right as you pulled the plug out, making him sigh, feeling content under your tender touch.Â
âOh, shit, pupâŠâ When you pushed two fingers inside, Changbin all but melted. Coupled with your lips sucking love bites all over his lower back, he could feel his cock leak fluids onto the towels below him and his heart swell in his chest.
You worked him up for a while, carefully stretching him open, whispering sweet nothings against his skin, and he could honestly barely think straight at this point.
âYou ready, Binnie? Feeling okay?â You emphasised your words with a nudge to his prostate, making him swear under his breath.Â
âYes! Yes, fuckâŠâ
You pulled your fingers out of his ass and landed a playful smack on one of his buttcheeks, chuckling a soft âso eager, babyâŠâ
Changbin felt a fat dollop of lube drip on his ass, and he shivered in anticipation. As soon as you started to tease his hole with the tip of your toy, he was sure he was going to combust.
âIf you wanna stop at any point or if it hurts let me know, okay? I really donât wanna hurt you, babyâ, Changbin just nodded in response, just to let you know he understood what you were saying.
âOh, fuckâŠâ The moan that came out of his mouth as soon as you pushed into him was almost foreign to his own ears. The size was close to what he figured an average human cock would be like, but he still felt just so full.Â
Yet, not full enoughâŠ
You were taking so longâŠtoo long. He wanted you as deep as you could go, so, spurred on by the hazy, needy state of his mind, he just pushed his hips back until you were flush to him.
He vaguely registered his name coming out of your mouth, with a hint of disapproval in your tone, but he honestly couldnât hear it properly over the sound of his own groan of relief once he was stuffed to the brim. âFuckâŠFuck, fuck, puppy, thatâs so goodâŠâ
âBaby, carefulâŠâ You dragged your fingertips from his mating mark, all the way down his spine, making him shiver. âArch your back a bit for me, hm?â
So he shifted the weight of his upper body onto his elbows and arched his lower back, somehow feeling you even deeper like this.Â
âShitâŠIâm droolingâ, Changbin chuckled, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.Â
âDoes it feel good, Bin?â You leaned into him and started pressing kisses on his back, just as you held tightly onto his hips. âFeels good to have your omega mount you?â
Fuck, essentially, you were mounting him, and that realisation had a bead of pre-cum falling from his tip and onto the bed. âSo good, pup⊠God, please, moveâ.
The moment you started a rhythm, Changbinâs mind disconnected completely. All he could register were the sounds of your skin hitting his, the delicious stretch of your fake cock going in and out of his hole, and the feel of your hands pulling his hips back to meet every thrust.
One particularly precise thrust brushed his prostate, and stars started to cloud his vision. It didnât help that you were running your mouth as well, a lot, getting him incredibly worked up.
âLook at you, Bin, youâre so fucking pretty, and handsome, and gorgeous, you know?â Each statement was emphasised by a sharp thrust, and all Changbin could do was grip the bed sheets tighter and push his hips back to meet your movements.
The moment you leaned into him and your tongue found his mating mark, he started to tremble. The area was already sensitive on its own, but with the addition of your cock stretching him open time and time again the sensation increased tenfold.
âBin, babyâŠWanna try it on your back?â
Changbin nodded, and the whine that came out of his mouth when you pulled out was almost pathetic to his ears.
Immediately, he flipped on his back, and he pulled you down for a kiss the second you were nestled between his legs. It was sloppy and uncoordinated, but he didnât care. He needed to kiss you, he needed to feel you close against his body or he was certain heâd die.
âLove youâŠâ Changbin mumbled against your mouth, and he placed another kiss on your lips to make his point.Â
âLove you, too, my alpha, my Changbinâ, you mumbled back, and he felt goosebumps rise on his flesh at your words.
When you pulled away from his tight hug, you added some extra lube to your toy and his ass for good measure.
âShit, this is gonna be a bit difficultâŠWe need some elevationâ, you looked around the bed, until you spotted something over Changbin's head. âBaby, can you pass me that pillow?â
He blindly reached for the pillow in question, and as soon as you had it in your hands you instructed him to lift his hips so you could fold it and place it under him to add some height.Â
âThat looks much betterâŠâ
When you pushed yourself into him again, Changbin felt his eyes roll to the back of his head, and he reached for your thighs, squeezing them tightly in a poor attempt to keep himself grounded. âShitâŠâ
Throwing one of his legs over your shoulder, a hand on his hip and the other pressing on his abdomen, you started to move, a bit faster than before, coaxing the most blissed-out sounds to come out of his mouth.
âFucking hell, Changbin, you sound so hot right nowâŠyou look so fucking good taking my cock, babyâ, Changbin whined at your words, he whined, tightening his hold on your thighs as he felt heat rush to his head.Â
âMaybe I should get one of those werewolf cocks, the ones with the knotsâŠâ
God, you were seriously going to kill him. Changbin felt his thighs tremble, and more pre-cum leaked from his cock, forming a puddle on his abdomen, right below where you were pressing your hand. If only you moved it a bit further downâŠÂ
âWould you like that, baby? For me to stuff my knot deep inside your tight hole?â
You were trying to kill him. He was sure. The thought of you stuffing him full of your knot, of breeding him, was something he never expected to arouse him this much. Changbin knew it was physiologically impossible, but logic wasnât exactly driving his consciousness right now. Was he even conscious at this point? He wasnât sure. The only things on his mind were you, and your scent, and your cock up his ass.
âYâYes, fuckâŠWould love your knot, baby, so muchâ.
The moment you took his cock in your hand and started pumping him, he knew he was done for. âFuck, puppy, love, youâre gonna make me comeâ.Â
âWant you to come, baby. Câmon, Changbin, give it to meâ, you leaned into him, catching his mouth in a sloppy kiss right as your grip tightened, and his whines started to become more and more desperate the longer you worked his cock, the longer you fucked his ass.Â
âBinnieâŠâ You snapped your hips harder, heat pooled in the pit of his stomach, his lower abdomen tensed further and further, he was so closeâŠSo close he almost missed your sudden request. âMark me, loveâŠâ
âOh, pup, fuckâŠfuck, fuck, fuckâŠâ Before he knew it, his canines had enlarged and he was sinking his teeth on the junction of your shoulder and neck, just as blind-hot pleasure started to course through his body, just as a seemingly endless amount of cum started to spurt from his cock.
He vaguely registered the broken moans coming out of his mouth, muffled by your flesh trapped between his teeth, just like he vaguely registered his own name coming out as a breathless moan out of your own mouth. Changbin wasnât sure if it was the âbeing fucked in the assâ part of the experience or the âmarking my omega and the love of my lifeâ one, but, as he came down from his high, it all felt as if he was having an out of body experience.
When he finally let go of your flesh, he licked the bite to soothe your skin before he kissed the area, holding you close with a hand on the small of your back, mindlessly mumbling, âmine, mine, mineâŠâ
âYours, Bin, babyâŠâ You whispered, a bit breathless, just before you claimed his mouth in a deep, sensual kiss.
Once you finally pulled out, his head fell back against the mattress. Changbin was panting, eyes squeezed shut while he tried to regain some composure, and there was an obnoxious ringing in his ears. He heard some shuffling, and before he could even register it, you were straddling his waist, pressing your core against his abdomen, surely getting it drenched in his cum.
âHowâre you feeling, baby?â You leaned in, propping yourself on your elbows and pressing a quick kiss on his lips.
âThat was insane, pupâ, Changbin held your bum, squishing the plump flesh as he pressed kisses on your cheeks. âCanât believe you asked me to mark you with your fake cock up my assâ.
You laughed at that, burying your face in the crook of his neck while he held you close. âIt felt so good, thoughâŠLike electricity flowing through my body. Was that how you felt when I did it?â
Changbin just hummed in confirmation, leaving one of his hands on your buttcheek while the other dragged up your spine to finally settle on the mark heâd left on your skin, tracing it with his fingertips.
You both laid there for a while, until his cum was almost disgustingly dry. âItâs not disgusting, what are you talking about, Bin?â You chuckled all the way to the bathroom, where you spent a good while cleaning each other up.Â
Changbin truly felt like he was floating on a cloud, not only due to the physical satisfaction youâd brought him, but also his instinctual one. He was genuinely more than happy to only be marked by you, but marking you, although it wasnât something he felt like he needed to do, certainly was something the instincts of his inner wolf appreciated.
Now more than ever, he was sure that you were his, he was yours, and your bond was something he was determined to protect.
âYou think we should hide all this in the closet?â You asked once you were all cleaned up and back in the bedroom, placing all the now also clean plugs, toys, and the strap in the box you usually kept in the open compartment of your bedside table.Â
âWhy? No one comes in hereâ, Changbin chuckled from where he was laying on the bed.
âJeongin does, though. He thinks heâs slick, but I know he likes to snoop aroundâ, you opened the closet door and crouched on the floor to move things around and find a place for what you liked to call your âplayboxâ. âWhy do we have so much shit stacked here?â
That was exactly the moment Changbin remembered why there was so much stuff stacked in the closet, and he shot up from the bed as fast as he could at the realisation. âWait, pup, donât move anything!â
It was too late, though. By the time he was standing next to you, you had already found what Changbin had so carefully hidden at the very bottom of the closet.
Your brows furrowed while you held the black, velvet box in your hand.
âWhoâs snooping around now?â Changbin just sighed, crossing his arms and leaning on the closetâs door, offering you a smirk. âGo on, might as well open it since you found it alreadyâ.
You gasped as soon as you opened the ring box, and Changbin would lie if the sound didnât satisfy him. Catching you off guard was one of his favourite pastimes at this point.Â
âChangbin!â
âI know weâre mated, but I figured, you know, we could get married like humans, tooâ, it certainly wasnât the most romantic proposal, not when he was butt-naked, leaning against the closet, while you were crouching on the floor trying to hide your box of sex toys, but you had already found the damned thing so might as well say it now.
âOh, Binnieâ, in an instant, you were shooting up from the floor and wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him into a tight hug, all while you giggled and smothered his face in kisses, making him giggle in return.
âI had it all planned out, pup!â Changbin sighed dramatically, hugging your waist to keep you flush to his body. âWas gonna take you to a picnic by the river, light up candles, get down on one knee and everything!â
âSeriously?â You chuckled, and Changbin just offered an overly exasperated âDead serious!â, but the splitting smile on his face was clearly enough for you to know he wasnât really upset. âNot only did I get to fuck you dumb, but I also got marked by my alpha, and I got engaged to you? Itâs like Christmas tonightâ.
Changbin just laughed, finally pulling himself away from your embrace and taking the ring box from your hand. âYouâre not engaged yet, thoughâ.
A pout made its way to your lips, and Changbin quickly kissed it away before he took the ring out of the box and held your left hand in his. âWould you marry me, puppy?â
âYesâ, you replied simply, with a bright smile on your lips.Â
Changbin slid the ring on your finger and pulled you in for a kiss, hugging you close. âLove you, pup. My perfect omegaâ.
You giggled, hugging him tighter. âLove you, too, Bin. My dearest alphaâ.
Every day, Changbin couldnât help but feel incredibly lucky that you had returned to his life. Even if the circumstances in which you did werenât the most pleasant ones for either of you, he was grateful that he managed to find that other wolf out there for him, that other wolf that accepted him just as he was, that other wolf he was capable of loving with all his heart. He was grateful that he found you.
For years, he thought heâd have to hide and repress himself until the day he died, but now, the prospect of a forever of freedom, a forever of your company, was something that heâd cherish close to his heart.
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Pairing: Bodyguard/Assassin!Chan x Mercenary!F.Reader
Themes: Smut | bit of Fluff | Angst | Strangers to lovers to enemies but lovers? (i donât even know how to categorise this one)
Word Count: ~6k | AO3
Synopsis: With a career like yours, you knew you shouldnât let yourself fall in love. But honestly, in retrospect, there was no way you wouldnât have fallen in love with Chris. After meeting him, you couldnât help but hope that heâd be the last person you fell this deeply forâmaybe foolishly soâŠ
Warnings: pet names · cold weapons · firearms · questionable morals · graphic depictions of violence · graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut) · open ending.
Authorâs Note: as soon as i watched the 5-STAR trailer my creative juices started flowing, and i set camp in my google docs until this piece was born. please donât hesitate to let me know if i missed any warnings⊠this oneâs a bit sad (or, at least, it made me sad). i apologise in advance.
thanks once again to @straylightdream and @cursed-mars-bars for reading this and letting me know it didnât suckđ
Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.
Smut Warnings: unprotected penetration [piv] · finger sucking · some praising, of course · oral [F&M Rec] · rimming [F.Rec] · nipple play · creampie · overstimulation · multiple orgasms
Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.
In your line of work, it was hard to have any kind of interpersonal relationships. Having either platonic or romantic connections posed a risk, not only to you, but also to the others involved.Â
Even then, you were a firm believer that, as long as no one knew your identity while you were âon the clockâ, was enough for you to keep at least a handful of people close to you. You had a few close friends, some with a similar profession to yours, some just office or retail workers that had no idea what you did for a living. What you didnât have, though, was a romantic partner.
It was tough to keep a relationship going when you couldnât tell them what you did to bring food to the table. Youâd always dance around the topic fairly easily, but, eventually, the situation would become unsustainable, and either you or the other person decided to break things off.
Youâd been single for a while nowâa long, long whileâand you honestly had no active desire to find yourself a romantic companion. That wasâŠuntil you met Chris.
Chris was a friend of a friend of a friend, someone you had seen once or twice at the odd social gathering you attended. He was incredibly handsome, but, most importantly, he was funny, always made you laugh whenever you interacted, and also seemed to have similar interests to yours.Â
In a twist of fateâand against your better judgementâyou ended up going on a date with him. A date that, surprisingly, ended with you and him tangled in his bedsheets. That night, you discovered that, not only were you compatible with Chris when it came to opinions on the current state of the world, on the theories for the next season of your favourite shows, but also in bed.
It was honestly almost crazy how good he made you feel, how there seemed to be sparks flying in the air whenever your bodies touched in any way, and, not to throw roses on your own garden, but you were confident that you made him feel good, too. So much so, the next morning, when you had to leave and heâd kissed the oxygen out of your lungs before dropping the most adorable âYouâll call me back, right?â you knew you had no escape, that there was no way youâd pass up this opportunity.
Five months down the line and you already had a Christopher-shaped hole in your heart. You knew it was stupid, that it was dangerous, but you just couldnât help it. Not when he was quite possibly the best romantic partner youâd ever hadâto be fair, the bar was already quite low, but he still managed to jump ten metres over it.
In any relationship youâd ever had you always avoided the topic of work, not only yours, but the other personâs, too. If you avoided asking about their job, maybe they wouldnât ask about yours, that was your reasoning. However, youâd discovered that people loved to talk about their jobs, that some people even made them their one and only topic of conversation, which was incredibly inconvenient.
Thankfully, Chris didnât talk about work at all. Not his, nor yours. You had no idea what he did for a living, all you could infer was that it paid enough for him to live comfortably in his cosy flat. You honestly didnât care, he could keep that information to himself as long as you could keep yours as well.
What you did for a living was probably not the most morally right career path, but it was your family trade. Youâd been trained for it since you were very young, so it was honestly a no brainer for you. Some people called it a gun for hire, some called it being a mercenary, you, personally, didnât particularly feel like calling it anything at all.
People hired you whenever they needed someone kidnapped, tortured, or killed. And, although you had killed for your job before, you almost always tried to turn those offers down. Clean-up was messy, and even if you hardly had any empathy for your targets, killing them always made you feel a bit uneasy.
Two nights ago you were called in for a job, the kidnapping of the eldest son of the Kim family that ruled the capital city. Seungmin, his name was. Based on the investigation youâd done he was younger than you, a bit rowdy, and an apparent oddball. He, very inconveniently for you, also had a handful of very skilled bodyguards protecting him at all times.
You couldnât find any records of those bodyguards of his, only that they called themselves the Five-Point Stars, and that they were good at what they did. Regardless, you had a lot of confidence in your own abilities. After all, never once had you lost a fight, nor been unable to finish one of your jobsâalthough youâd been close to being killed sometimes, youâd admit.
As soon as you woke up, you started to recount the plan you had put together for your mission tonight.
After wiretapping his personal tailorâs phone, you heard him tell someone how he had prepared Seungminâs suit for the night. You knew Seungmin was going to attend a screening of a new movie that was financed by his father. Itâd be dark, crowded, and the perfect setting for you to sneak in, get him unconscious, take him out of there, and hopefully outsmart his bodyguards.
A particularly loud snore next to you snapped you out of your focus, and you turned around to find Chris on his back, with an arm over his eyes and his mouth slightly open. You couldnât help but smile at the sight, and, for a moment, even if just for this morning, you decided you wanted to enjoy being just a regular civilian instead of a trained assassin.
âBabyâŠâ You reached for Chrisâ shoulder to lightly shake him awake. âBaby, wake upâ.
Chrisâ whole body tensed. His hand flew to catch yours that was shaking him awake, and he held it in a tight grip. Throughout your relationship youâd discovered that Chris had incredibly quick reflexes, and a very intense fight or flight response, so his sudden movement didnât faze you in the slightest. âWâwhat?â
âYou were about to choke, baby. You need to moveâ, throughout your relationship, youâd also learnt that Chris suffered from a sleeping disorder. You found out about it the first time he woke you up in the middle of the night gasping for air.
Poor thing, heâd been so embarrassed while he told you about it, but you were quick to reassure him that you didnât mind, if anything, it only made you worry about him.
Because that was how important Chris was to you. Important enough for you to care about his sleeping habits, important enough that he warmed your cold heart.
So now, any time you were awake and you heard him snore particularly loudly, you woke him up before he could choke on his spit.
âAh⊠Thank you, sweetheartâ, he mumbled, clearly still half asleep.Â
Chris turned to his side, scooting closer to you and pulling you into his arms. You couldnât help the small giggle that left your lips as soon as your head was tucked under his chin, just like he seemed to not be able to contain his at all, either.Â
The feeling of his bare skin against yours was incredibly comforting, his warmth seeped into you, reaching areas deep within your heart that no one else ever had before.
As you laid there in his arms, as you heard his heartbeat under your ear, and as you felt the minute rumbles of his snoring resume, you realised this was probably the happiest youâd ever been with a partner, and you hoped that your relationship with Chris would be the last one you ever had.
Getting into the movie screening was easy. Your specialty was sneaking around undetected, youâd learnt to walk without making a soundâno sound from your feet hitting the ground, nor your breath going in and out of your lungs, nor your clothes moving with the windâŠ
Youâd also heard from Seungminâs tailorâwhose name was apparently Hyunjinâthat the Kims had a special, private room in this particular cinema, so that was likely where the eldest son of the family would be.
Finding this room was the hard part. It wasnât in any of the blueprints of the building, so you spent a good hour surveying the place, until you finally saw a waiter coming out from what seemed to be a simple wall.
Tightening the hood over your head, making sure the lower part of your face was covered properly by your kerchief, you made your way to that wall to inspect it closely. There was a tile on the wall that was shaped differently than the others. It was barely perceptible, just a tad smaller than the ones around it, so you pressed on it, and immediately you were able to push what you now knew was a door camouflaged as part of the wall.
As soon as you stepped into the room, you saw Seungmin, sitting on what looked to be a very comfortable armchair, watching the movie from behind the glass that kept this area hidden from the rest of the auditorium.Â
Slowly, you approached him, careful to not make a single sound as you unclipped the rope you had attached to your belt. Before you could use it, though, you felt a slight disturbance in the air around you, and every single one of your senses zeroed in on the direction of it.
In a second, you ducked, just barely missing the bat that had been swung your way.
âChan!â You heard Seungmin scream, but you didnât dare turn to look at him, not when his bodyguard had all his attention on you.
It was just one man. You could barely make out the features of his face, not only because it was dark, but also because he had a mask covering the lower half of his face, and because he was moving so fast you could hardly take in anything else.
The man, Chan, based on the name Seungmin had screamed, certainly put up a good fight. Any blow you sent his way he blocked without much difficulty, just like you did his. It was a pretty on par encounter, but you were running out of time. The longer you stayed there, the more time you were giving them to get back-up, so you reasoned the wisest choice was to retreat. This mission was getting way too dangerous, and if they captured you itâd all be over.
Chan wasnât giving up, though, and he was making it incredibly hard for you to make your escape. You managed to kick him in the chest, but aside from a grunt of discomfort he didnât relent, and, with a swing of his bat, he was able to land a hit on your arm.
It was painful, yes, but you could hardly feel it with the adrenaline pumping through your system. Taking a knife from their designated place on your bodice, you threw it in Chanâs direction. It didnât stab him, but it did manage to cut one side of his mask, enough to distract him so you could make your escape.
By the time you were out of the cinema the place was full of guards, so you knew your night was over.
It didnât matter.Â
You hadnât lost. You were just experiencing a set-back.
âMissed you so much, gorgeousâ, Chris mumbled between kisses, further pressing you against the back of your front door.
âMissed you, tooâ, was all you mumbled back, unable to keep your lips away from his for too long.
You hadnât seen Chris for seven whole days. It wasnât because you didnât want to, you were honestly desperate to see him, but once you were back at your place after your failed attempt to kidnap Seungmin you realised how hurt your body was.
That guy Chan had certainly done a number on you, and the only thing that kept you from bursting into flames by the rage you felt, was the fact that you were sure youâd done a number on him, too.
Your bruises had now just started to fade, so you figured they were now normal-looking enough that your boyfriend wouldnât think much about them.Â
You were supposed to go out for dinner tonight, but as soon as Chris was at your doorstep, as soon as his lips were on yours, you both quickly realised you didnât want to go for dinner anymore. How could you, when the taste of each other was much better than any meal you could possibly have?
âCome hereâ, Chris pulled himself away from you, taking a hold of your hand and tugging you towards the sofa. âHavenât been able to stop thinking about those nudes you sent meâ.
You couldnât help the smirk that came to your face. Of course he couldnât stop thinking about the pictures you sent him. That was their entire purpose, after all. They were simple, really, but clearly enough to rile him up. It was just you riding one of your favourite dildos, with your ass on full display for him to ogle.
Chris pushed you to the sofa. As soon as you were seated he dropped to his knees, and spread you open for him. Wearing a skirt to your date was certainly the wisest choice you made tonight.
âMaybe I should send you a video next time. Iâll ride it just like I ride youâ, you said, just as you lifted your hips enough for him to pull your underwear down your legs.
âFuck, you spoil me too muchâ, was the last thing to come out of Chrisâ mouth before he dived between your legs. His lips found your clit with expert ease, gently sucking on it.
Your entire body came alight, a moan of his name escaped your mouth, and you brought a hand to his head so you could tug on his curls, just how you knew he liked it. âSo fucking good with your mouth, baby, fuckâŠâ
Chris simply hummed in response, sending vibrations through your body, making you whine.
With his hands on the back of your thighs, he pushed your legs further towards your chest, getting better access to your centre. Chris had very quickly learnt his way around your body, and heâd even shown you new ways in which you could feel good, ways youâd never even imagined youâd get to experience.
His tongue changed focus, from your clit to your entrance, diligently licking your folds, and he groaned at the taste of you on his tongue once he pushed it within your walls. He stayed there for a while, occasionally coming back up to lick and suck on your clit only to come back down to slurp you up. Until he finally moved further down so he could lick the tender skin of your ass, all while he stimulated your clit with his fingers, making you shiver.Â
Desire pooled in the pit of your stomach, and the most pathetic whine left your mouth as soon as he started to lave at your skin. You wouldâve never thought how good this could feel, never let a partner come anywhere near your ass, but one night, after drinking one too many beers, the topic of things you wouldâve liked to try in bed came up.Â
You could still remember the look on Chrisâ face when he confidently said âIâd really like to eat your ass. Like, would love to, honestlyâ. And maybe itâd been the fact that you were a bit tipsy, or the fact that he was so utterly unashamed when he said it, or maybe even the fact that you trusted Chris like youâd never trusted anyone else before, but you werenât entirely displeased with the idea⊠So you gave it a try, and now you couldnât even fathom getting head if you didnât feel his tongue on your ass at least once.
Without detaching his mouth from your sensitive skin, he brought two fingers to your mouth, and you wasted no time on wrapping your lips around them, sucking on them, licking them. You couldnât help but moan around his digits, and Chris simply gave you a satisfied hum in response.
He let you enjoy the feeling of his fingers in your mouth for a while, until they were thoroughly coated in your saliva. As soon as he removed them from between your lips, he brought them to your entrance and pushed them into you, to the last knuckle. âCâmon, baby. Show me your pretty tits. Hm?â
You just nodded in response, unable to form a sentence with the now relentless pace of his fingers continuously hitting the most sensitive areas within your walls. With trembling fingers, you unbuttoned your blouse and squeezed your breasts over the fabric of your lace bralette before you pulled them out of the cups.
âShit, look at you⊠Touch them, baby. Just how you like itâ.
So you complied, lightly dragging your fingers over your now stiff nipples, sending tiny shocks of pleasure up and down your spine with the motion. The stimulation you were giving to your chest, Chrisâ fingers going in and out of your cunt, and the dirty words coming out of his mouth brought you close to the edge, and you started to feel incredibly desperate for your relief.
âChris, babyâŠâ You whined as Chris sped up his motions, as you rolled your nipples between your fingers.
âYes, sweetheart?â Chrisâ voice was so soft, a complete contrast to the brutal pace of his fingers.
âWant yourâYour mouthâ, you could barely hold eye contact anymore, seeing the desire in his eyes brought heat to your cheeks. It was always the same when he found himself between your legs, he always looked at you like you were the prettiest thing heâd ever seen, and it made you feel incredibly wanted.Â
âHmm⊠You sure thatâs what you want?â
You nodded, a bit frantically, youâd admit. âWant your mouth toâŠmake me come, please, loveââ
You knew that the second the word âpleaseâ left your mouth youâd get exactly what you asked for, and you barely registered the broken moan that flew past your lips as soon as his lips attached to your clit once again.
Chrisâ movements didnât relent until you were coming. They didnât even relent while you were coming. He kept sucking on your clit, fucking you open with his fingers, turning you into a whimpering mess as he pushed you past the brink of overstimulation, and making you fall face first into a consecutive high.
When he was done with you, you were still trembling, panting, and he finally left his place on the floor to sit next to you on the sofa and pull you into his chest so he could softly caress your hair, mumbling sweet words of encouragement. âMmm⊠Such a good girl, arenât you, love? So good to me. You did wellâŠâ
You just hummed, burying your face in the crook of his neck to leisurely press kisses on his skin.Â
As soon as you regained some of your composure, you kissed him. You kissed him with such want one wouldâve thought he hadnât just made you feel like youâd gone to the moon and back four times. You quickly undid his belt, unbuttoned his jeans, and tugged them and his underwear down just enough to let his length free of its confinements.
In no time, you had straddled him and sunk yourself on his cock, eliciting a shared sigh of relief.
You sneaked a hand under his shirt just as you leaned in to kiss him again. His abdomen tensed and relaxed while you slowly traced every muscle with your fingertips, your soft caresses eliciting content sighs to fall from his lips and get lost in your mouth. Taking a hold of the hem of his shirt, you tried to get it off of his frame, but Chris shook his head, pulling your hands away and mumbling a âno time for that⊠God, bun, moveâŠâ
Chris held your ass tightly in his hands as you bounced on him. His mouth attached to your chest, sucking your nipples into his mouth so he could lick them, nibble on them. Under the unfaltering pace of your hips, it only took a handful of minutes to turn him into a moaning, whining mess.
âFuck, baby⊠If you donât slow down, Iâll blowâ, Chris nuzzled his face on your chest, and you brought your hands to the back of his head, further pushing him into your cleavage.
âGoodâ, was all you told him, admittedly a bit breathless. âNeed you to fill me up, Chris, baby⊠Need it so badâŠâ
Chris swore under his breath, and his hold on your buttocks tightened. It wasnât long until you got exactly what you wanted. With a moan of your name, your boyfriend pumped you full of his release, making you whine at the warmth of his cum reaching deep inside you.
You didnât stop moving, though.
Even if your thighs were burning, you kept bouncing on his cock, until his groans of relief turned into desperate whines, until he was whimpering against your chest and digging his short nails on the supple flesh of your buttcheeks.
âPâpleaseâŠâ You heard him whine, and youâd be lying if you said you didnât felt accomplished by the sound. That was when you took pity on him, finally sitting down fully on his lap and stopping your movements.
Chris groaned, exhaling all that air heâd been holding in while you overstimulated him. He threw his head back to rest it on the backrest of the sofa, looking eighty shades of fucked out of his mind. He was breathing heavilyâas were youâand he could barely keep his eyes open, but he still let out an incredulous laugh, giving you one of his blinding smiles, making you smile in return.
Cupping your cheeks, he pulled you down for a kiss before he whispered, âI fucking love youâ.
And once he said it, you finally let yourself voice those thoughts that had been roaming your mind for a while now, just before you leaned in for another kiss. âI love you, babyâ.
By the time you had both thoroughly enjoyed one another, you were too tired to leave your place. So you ordered takeout, got into your comfiest pyjamas, and decided to have your dinner date in the warmth of your home while watching your favourite show together.
Although, to be fair, you didnât get very far into the show. With your now full stomachs, Chris pulled you into his arms while you both laid on the sofa, softly caressing your hair as he sang to you, inadvertently lulling you to sleep.
This Chan guy was seriously testing your patience.Â
Every time you tried to get to the Kim kid heâd always be there, heâd always manage to get you to back off. It was starting to hurt your pride, and, even if you were one to avoid killing, you started to genuinely consider taking his life just so he could stop being a nuance.
Youâd had three other failed attempts at your task since that fiasco in the cinema, so tonight would hopefully be the day you succeeded. Seungmin was to attend a piano concert at one of the classic theatres his family owned, meaning heâd once again be in a dark, crowded place. There was no hidden room as far as you could tell from your surveillance earlier this week, so that gave you some semblance of peace.
You werenât sure if it was the fact that this particular job was taking longer than usual to get it over with, or if it was the fact that you kept being forced to retreat by that one bodyguard of Seungminâs time and time again, but lately youâd been incredibly frustrated, and it seemed like the only way to get that frustration out of your system was to get it fucked out of you. Luckily, even if your boyfriend didnât know what was going on, he had been giving you exactly what you needed and more any time you asked for it.
The droplets falling down Chrisâ pecs and his toned stomach added a delightful shine to his physique, yet you could hardly focus on any of it. The only thing you could focus on was the feeling of his cock on your tongue, heavy and warm, the delicious sounds coming out of his mouth and bouncing off of his showerâs walls as you took him in and out of your throat, and the dark, lustful, but somehow still loving look in his eyes.Â
âShit⊠You always tell me how good I am with my mouth⊠But what about you, baby, huh?â Chris leaned his head back on the tiles, holding your head in place so he could start slowly thrusting into your mouth, making you moan.
You just couldnât take it anymore, you needed him to fuck you dumb, you needed to further disconnect your mind from reality outside of these walls. So, with a tight grip on the base of his cock, you pulled your mouth off of Chris and started pumping him in your hand, looking him right in the eyes.
âFuck meâ.
Chris just laughed as soon as the words were out of your mouth. He swiftly helped you to your feet so he could turn you around and push your chest against the cold tile wall. âSomeone woke up a bit needy today. Hm?â
âAnd what if IâFuckâŠâ You completely forgot where your sentence was going as soon as you felt your boyfriend push himself into you, stretching you open just so perfectly all you could do was rest your forehead against the wall when he started to move.
âMaybe you should move inâŠâ Chris attached his lips to your shoulder, kissing and sucking on your skin as his hand found its way towards your front, right between your legs to diligently rub that sweet bud at the apex of your thighs. The mix of his motions between your legs, of the words he mumbled against your skin, and the obscene sound of your wet skin colliding time and time again was steadily clouding your reason, enough to genuinely consider what he was offering. âIf you did, we could do this every day, sweetheartâŠâ
âMaybe I shouldâŠâ You were certainly delirious, there was no way you could live with another person while trying to keep your trade a secret. But the longer you stayed in that shower, relishing the company and precise motions of your boyfriend, the more you wanted to believe it was possible.
Even after heâd coaxed a mind-numbing orgasm out of you, after heâd stuffed you full of his cum, and after heâd helped you dry your hair with the hairdryer he kept in one of the drawers of his bathroom, when you both were getting dressed in his bedroom, you desperately wanted to believe it was possible to have a normal life. Maybe you should start considering retirement⊠But would you be able to live a civilian life without the thrill of your job? You werenât too sure. For Chris, though, you might tryâŠ
âCome here, bunâ, Chris suddenly held your waist and dropped to his bed, bringing you down with him. All you did was laugh, scrambling to find a comfortable position on top of him so you could kiss him.
He was really giggly today, and the sound warmed you up. You dragged your fingers over his still damp curls as you peppered his face with kisses, chuckling with mirth and an immense amount of love for this man that had managed to make you feel a bit normal again.Â
âPretty?â Chris tried to get your attention. You just hummed in response to let him know you were listening, but you didnât stop pressing kisses on his cheek.
With his hands on your waist, he tried to get you to look at him. âListen, baby. ThereâsâŠthereâs something Iâd like to tell youâŠâ
You finally pulled yourself away a bit, enough to look him in the eyes. He looked incredibly serious, more than you had ever seen him over the course of your relationship, and it gave you pause.
Chris opened his mouth to speak, but before any words came out, the obnoxious ringtone of his phone interrupted him. With a roll of his eyes and an annoyed sigh, he gently pushed you off of him, muttering a âGimme a sec, gotta take thisâŠâ
You watched Chris leave the bedroom entirely before you stood up from his bed and continued getting dressed. You could hear your boyfriendâs hushed voice coming from the living room, but you couldnât make out a single word. Maybe it was for the best, you honestly didnât like to pry on his private conversations. After all, youâd hate it if he tried to eavesdrop on yours, all things considered.
By the time he was back you had already gotten yourself into a fresh set of clothes. There was a frown on his face, but it quickly disappeared the moment he spotted you by his mirror.
Standing behind you, he placed his hands on your belly, pulling you back towards his chest as he pressed kisses on your neck. You just hummed, watching him through the mirror and melting in his hold.Â
âBabeâ, you mumbled, getting him to open his eyes and look at you through the mirror. He rested his chin on your shoulder, intently listening to you. âWhatâd you want to tell me?â
Chris took a deep breath, pulling himself away from you to take a hold of your hips once you turned around and looped your arms around his neck. âItâs nothing urgent. Say⊠What if we go on a little vacation to the coast this weekend?â
âMmm⊠A little escapade?â You chuckled, and Chris hummed in response, cupping your cheek with one hand to pull you in for a kiss.
If everything went well tonight, youâd more than appreciate some time to wind down from the entire thing, and spending the entire weekend relaxing, barely even clothed, listening to the waves crashing against the breakwater with Chris sounded like absolute heaven. Itâd be like your own little celebration for your win over that insufferable guard dog of Seungminâs.
âSounds like a great idea, babyâ, you told your boyfriend as soon as his lips detached from yours, smiling brightly at him.
The sound of the piano could be heard perfectly even outside of the theatre. You didnât know the name of the piece, but it was clear that it was being played by expert hands. Even if you were mostly impassive whenever you fell into yourâŠprofessional mode, you were still a bit on edge after months of having your plans ruined by Chan, so the melody floating in the air certainly helped soothe you a bit.
The corridors to the main hall were empty, completely quiet save for the sound of the piano bouncing off of the walls. The old construction was a bit difficult to navigate, but youâd gotten well acquainted with the place throughout the past week, so you found your way to the concert hall with ease.
Everything was dark, save for the lights shining on the stage, illuminating the silhouette of the musician sitting on one of the three pianos thatâd been set on the podium.Â
Something felt odd, though.
In an instant, you noticed the emptiness in the hall. The music stopped, replaced by a loud bang and the sound of the bullet hitting the wall, right where your head had been just seconds before your instincts kicked in and you moved away.
It was a trap.
Youâd stupidly let them lure you in here, where Seungmin was, very clearly, not even present.
No matter. You might not get your target tonight, but you could still get your peace back.
Chan kept firing at you from the stage, and you continued to expertly dodge his bullets as you swiftly got closer to him. Somewhere in the back of your mind you could hear your fatherâs voice from back when he was training you, telling you that chasing after someone that wasnât the one youâd been hired to attack was foolish, that itâd put you at risk. You didnât care, this was personal now.
Taking one of the knives from your bodice, you threw it in Chanâs direction, just barely missing his form when he ducked out of the way. It felt like it lasted for a long time, you throwing knives at him, and him shooting at you, until you made it to the stage and he had no option but to physically fight you.
He was incredibly agile, but so were you. Especially after having fought him so many times. Youâd picked up his tells, how he shifted his weight on his heel before he threw a punch, how he moved slightly to the left when he kicked, so itâd gotten easier to counterattack each and every single one of his moves.
Chan was good at what he did⊠But you were better.
With a kick to his knee and a push on his chest, you managed to send him to the floor and pin him under you. He tried to move, but you swiftly pressed one of your knives to his neck, effectively stopping his movements.
There was a moment of silence, a moment of you staring down at him, and a moment of him staring up at you.
This was the first time youâd actually gotten to see his face this clearly. There was usually barely any illumination whenever youâd fought before, and both of your quick movements made it easy to miss the details on the exposed areas of your faces. His straight hair pushed off of his foreheadâsave for one single piece that seemed to always be out of placeâgave you plenty of room to see the blue contact lenses he wore. You couldnât help but wonder if those were simply for aesthetic purposes, or if they held any sort of special tech quality to themâhe worked for the Kims, after all.
There was something eerily familiar in the way his eyebrows furrowed, in his eyes, even with the obviously fake blue colour. Whether you were going to kill him or not, you suddenly felt an intense need to see his face. All of it. So, with your free hand, you hooked your finger on the side of his mask so you could pull it off.
For a split second, you couldnât help but wonder if your eyes were playing a trick on you. Despite the straight hair and the blue contacts, the curve of his lips and the shape of his nose were so distinct there was just no way this man could be anyone else.
You tried to never speak while on the clock. After all, your voice might be a very good indicator of your identity. It mightâve been the shock of seeing such a familiar face, but you really couldnât help the name from coming out of your mouth, as a barely audible whisper. ââŠChris?â
Confusion crossed the features of the man under you. His eyes jumped all over your faceâor what could be seen of it, at least. His angry frown turned into a look of shock, mixed with some concern, and you saw his Adamâs apple bob in your peripheral vision when he swallowed, almost audibly.
You still had the knife pressed to his neck, but you were honestly unable to move at all. So much so you didnât even flinch when he slowly started to move himself.
With a trembling hand, he reached for the black kerchief that covered the lower half of your face. You didnât stop him, you just let him tug it down to your neck and reveal your face to him.
The sound of your name, coming out as a breathless whisper out of his mouth hurt more than any hit youâd received throughout the past handful of months.
âWhat theâŠfuckâ, the hurt tone in his voice broke your heart, and you could feel the lump form in your throat. âAll this timeâŠ?â
âI had no ideaâ, you couldnât help the tremble in your voice, and you werenât sure if you hated yourself for being so vulnerable in front of the enemy. But then again, he wasnât only an enemy, he was also the man youâd fallen madly in love with.
âWhy are you doing this? Why are you trying to get to Seungmin?â His voice trembled, yet neither of you dared to move further.
âI was hired to do itâ, you replied simply.
âBy whom?â
âI wonât tell you⊠IâŠcanâtâ, you could feel them. The treacherous tears that pricked your eyes⊠Crying in front of the enemy was unheard of, but you supposed these werenât normal circumstances.
Chris swallowed again, and you could see tears of his own well in his eyes. âSoâŠwhat now, bun?â
The sound of the pet name coming out of his mouth fully obliterated the remaining pieces of your heart, and you couldnât stop the tears from falling anymore. So you didnât. âIâI donât knowâŠâ
âYou should kill meâ, Chris said, very confidently, without any semblance of doubt in his voice. And even though your grip on the knife tightened, you didnât move it, you just shook your head in response, trying to contain the sob that threatened to come out of your mouth.
âYou shouldâ, he repeated after a few moments of silence. âIâve doneâŠmany horrible things in my life. Iâve killed people, tortured people⊠Iâve done it proudly, tooâ, Chris brought a hand to your wrist, holding it gently, but firmly. âIâve made peace with all that a long, long time ago⊠But knowing Iâve spent months hurting the woman I love is something I canât live withâŠâ
âYou didnât knowâ, your hand started to tremble, too, and Chrisâ hold on your wrist tightened to keep it steady.
âDoesnât matterâ, finally, tears started to fall from Chrisâ eyes, and his voice broke a bit when he spoke to you. âI wanted you dead. Even if I didnât know, I was trying to kill youâ.
You shook your head, closing your eyes tightly.
Maybe, if you closed them hard enough, youâd realise this was all a dream, a horrible nightmare you could still wake up from.
âWhy donât you kill me instead?â You mumbled after a while, when you finally opened your eyes. âI, too, was trying to kill the man that I loveâŠâ
âI canât stop protecting Seungmin. I wonât stop. Iâm the only thing keeping you from reaching your target, pretty. Look at usâŠâ Chrisâ thumb softly caressed your wrist, right on the sliver of skin your gloves exposed. âLook at our positions. You know you already wonâ.
You shook your head again, and Chris pushed on your wrist, further digging the blade into his skin as he mumbled, âDo itâŠâ
He was right, you had the upper hand. Logically, it made sense for you to kill him, but there was no way you would. What a selfish thing for him to ask⊠Did he think getting to Seungmin was more important than his own life? That youâd be fine justâŠtaking it?
Yanking your wrist out of his grip, you threw your knife to the side, as far away from you as possible. Chris just looked at you, confused, hurt, and you just couldnât bear to see that look in his eyes. In an instant, you were standing, finally getting off of him.
âBabyâŠâ You mumbled, trying to steady the sound of your voice. You turned your back to him, unable to look at him any longer. âIâm sorry⊠I donât think Iâll make it to our vacation this weekendâ.
With that, you started walking, trying to get as far away from that stage as possible.
The last thing you heard before you left the theatre altogether was the cacophony of sounds produced by what you knew to be the erratic smashing of piano keys, a complete contrast to the soothing melody youâd been listening to when you came in here⊠That soothing melody that you now knew was being played by Chan, by Chris, by your biggest rival who turned out to also be the love of your life.
As you left, with tears in your eyes, with your heart shattered in your chest, you realised that this was the first time youâd truly lost. There had been no room for you to win since the very beginning.
in purple: canât be tagged. If you want to be removed (or if i tagged you incorrectly) from the list just PM me. If you want to be added fill in this form~
Constructive feedback (or even keysmashes, really) is always welcome :) feel free to leave your comments in the caption/tags when you reblog, or by sending me an ask !
Pairing: WerewolfKing!Chan x HumanPrincess!Reader
Themes: Supernatural/Fantasy AU | Smut | Mild Angst | Royalty | Mediaeval Setting
Word Count: ~3k | AO3
Synopsis: As a Princess, all youâd ever been deemed good for was doing what you were told and keeping to your role, something that frustrated you beyond belief. It wasnât until you met that young wolf in the forest that you finally realised there was more out there for you.
Warnings: reader is implied to be chubby/curvy (of course, when is it not atp) · descriptive attributes of the reader are used. such as: exact age & having long hair · themes of misogyny · themes of motherhood/pregnancy · possessiveness · pet names · graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut).
Authorâs Note: shout out to đ§ anon for suggesting the idea of WerewolfKing!Chan x Princess!Reader in these two asks. at this point iâm convinced iâll end up going through every possible iteration of werewolf!chan i can lol. it probably wonât go in the direction it was expected, but i hope some of you get to enjoy it regardless~
special thanks to @cursed-mars-bars & @straylightdream for beta-reading this.
Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.
Smut Warnings: mentions and depictions of loss of âvirginityâ · praising (duh) · oral (F.Rec) · unprotected penetration [piv] · probably body worship · marking · breeding · public sex? · cum eating (probably not in the way you expect)
Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.
This was wrong. It was so, so wrong. At least, to the standards of some.Â
As a princess, youâd been taught that all youâd ever be good for was marrying you off to a powerful family, to be used as an offering for political convenience and alliances, with no regard for your own wants and needs. That was, of course, as long as you maintained your virtue. Or what your mother referred to as âvirtueâ.
âNo man wants to own an already used gloveâ, you heard the Crown Prince say once, which sounded just so ridiculous to you. Not only because women were most certainly not pieces of clothing, but also because your dearest older brother had probably laid with dozens of men and women without being married himself.
Hypocrites, all of them.Â
âYourâYour MajestyâŠâ You gasped. You could feel blood rush to your head under the devious tongue of the man between your legs. Although, you werenât sure if man was the right word to use to describe him.
He hummed, effectively sending delicious vibrations through your body that made you whine.
âI told you, pupâŠâ He detached himself from your centre enough to speak, temporarily replacing his mouth with his fingers to rub slow circles on that bundle of nerves between yours legs. âWhen weâre here, just the two of us, I want you to use my name. Hm?âÂ
Swallowing the saliva that had collected in your mouth, you nodded.
âSay it, Your Highness. Say it with your whole chest. Relish the fact that only you get to do soâ.
The movement of his fingers on your clit had your head spinning, but you needed to complyâyou wanted to complyâso, after taking a deep breath, you did. âCâChrisâ.
A smile formed on his lips, but it wasnât smug, nor belittling. It was a genuine smile, one of those that always made him look his age, as if he hadnât experienced any form of cruelty in his life, a smile that made your heart flutter in your chest. âAgainâ.Â
âChrisâŠâ You could barely hold eye contact anymore, it was hard to do so when your brain was trying to send you into fight or flight whenever you looked into his eyesâa feeling that completely clashed with the one building in the pit of your stomach due to Chrisâ movements between your legs.
âThatâs it, pup. So good for meâ, you felt yourself flush, not only at his praise, but also because he returned his mouth to your centre to lightly suck on your clit.
If your father knew you were here, laying on the ground, in the middle of the forest, with the Wolf King himself feasting on your cunt, heâd surely send you to a convent to repent. Not only for âlosing your virtueâ, but also for âlosing your moralsâ by giving yourself to what he believed to be a barbaric beast.
You didnât care, though. You never did.
Your father didnât know Chris. He didnât know anything that wasnât what heâd been taught by those before him, heâd never even bothered to question it. He didnât know that, in reality, the man you had whollyâwillinglyâgiven yourself to, was heaps more civilised than he would ever be.
âOhâŠâ You brought a hand to Chrisâ head to bury your fingers in his hair, shivering not only at the feeling of his plush lips and his wet tongue on your clit, but also at the silky feeling of his dark strands between your fingers. You needed to hold onto something, something that could keep yourself attached to reality while he quickened the pace of his tongue.
In retrospect, you figured it was only a matter of time before you ended up here with Chris. Youâd known him since you were a child. The first time you saw him he was but a young pup, a fluffy canine that had found you sitting on the ground, with your back against a tree, sobbing in the middle of the forest after youâd had an argument with your mother.
You didnât know what he was back then, you thought he was just a regular, maybe overly friendly and domesticated wolf, but after a couple of times of seeing him in the forest, he finally revealed himself to you. You wouldâve honestly never expected for an animal to shift into a boy, much less a boy like Chris.
He was soâŠregal.
As soon as your eyes met when he was in his human form you could immediately tell he wasnât just some boyânot only because of the obvious furry situation, but also because of the way he carried himself, because of the way he articulated his thoughts.
After a couple of times meeting as just a boy and a girl in the forest, you got to truly learn who he was. The Prince of the Forest, heâd said. His mother led the biggest clan of lycanthropes in the vast forest, a realm that would be his in due time.
Meeting Chris had changed your view on the forest, on what your people said of this place. Youâd been taught it was filled with beasts that ate people, that killed people, that deceived people⊠But when you met Chris, a simple boy who just so happened to also be a wolf, a boy who kept you company and understood you and respected you as an equal, you realised your father and your mother and everyone around you were all just full of shit.
It was fascinating, really. Learning the hierarchical structures of the forest as an outsider⊠Especially when Chris clearly trusted you enough to confide in you. Which was why, in a cruel turn of fate, by the time you were sixteen, you could no longer go to the forest to meet him.
Your father had noticed you were frequently missing, and one day, while you walked the familiar paths to your usual meeting spot, you noticed someone following you. Thankfully, it all happened before you met Chris that day, but, regretfully, it also meant that you never got to say goodbye.
You often found yourself thinking about Chris after that. Not all day, but almost every day you did. At least once⊠When you saw your fatherâs hunting dogs, when you ate something you liked, and even when you started to bloom into adulthood and your dreams bled into images of greens and the feel of smooth skin and warm lips on your own.
For your twenty-fourth birthday, your father had kindly gifted you a betrothed, probably the complete opposite of anything you couldâve possibly wanted. âYouâre getting too old, my dear. Your younger sister already has two children of her own. Itâs time you finally fulfil your duty, arenât you happy?â
You were not happy, to say the least. You were furious. Youâd managed to avoid any arrangements for years, always got the other party to call off the engagement first, but this time it wasnât working in your favour, theyâd have you marry soon after you turned twenty-five. Which was why you found yourself back in the forest. Trying to escape the sombre future ahead of you.
That was how you found Chris again, that was how Chris found you again. After almost ten years. Sobbing on the forest floor with your back against a tree and your head pressed to your knees.
You honestly hadnât expected to see him again. There was, of course, a small light of hope in you that wished you would, but you never entertained it, it just hurt way too much if you did. However, what you also hadnât expected, was the hurt look in his eyes, nor the tremble in his voice when he asked you âWhy did you never come back?â
So, with a tremble of your own in your voice, you told him the chain of events that led to your disappearance. âI just didnât want them to find you, Your Highness. It wouldâve gotten both of us in dangerâ.
You could still remember how Chris cradled your face in his hands that night, rubbing away the tears that had fallen down your cheeks with his thumbs, just as he muttered a very quiet, and very soft âYour MajestyâŠâÂ
The confusion mustâve been clear on your face, because he chuckled, offering a âItâs Your Majesty now, Your Highness. Iâm King now. A lot has happened since we last met. I can tell you all of it, if you wish to hear it, but with one condition⊠Right here, between us, Iâm just Chris, and youâre just you. Just like beforeâŠâ
Just like before, heâd said⊠But before youâd never been that physically close to each other. Before, youâd never kissed like you needed each other to breathe. That wasnât what you did before, but somehow it felt just so incredibly natural, almost as if youâd spent a lifetime doing so.
You did talk a lot that night in the forest, both of you. Chris told you the events that led to his coronation, about the war amongst clans that took his motherâs life as well as many others. A war that, despite the many costs, he managed to win. Just like you told him stories of your ownâmuch less interesting stories than his, to be honest.Â
You, also, lost your âvirtueâ that very same night. You really hadnât planned it to be that way, it just sort of happened, and you werenât sure if it was the moonlight shining on you both, or if it was the longing accumulated during those almost ten years spent apart, but, at that moment, there was nothing more that you wanted than to feel Chrisâ body against yours.
Any time his lips attached to your skin sparks of pleasure and love ignited within the deepest areas in your heart. It didnât matter if it was on your lips, your cheeks, your chest, your tummy, your thighs, or between your legs⊠His kisses steadily kindled the burning flame in the pit of your stomach, making it burn bright just for him.
The pleasure youâd provided to yourself all these years had been nothing compared to how you felt with Chris. You werenât sure if it was the fact that it was someone else that was stimulating those sacred areas of your body that no one else had ever touched, if it was the fact that youâd been in love with him practically since the day you met him in the forest over thirteen years ago, or if it was the combination of it all that had stars clouding your vision and your heart growing ten sizes in your chestâŠÂ
Regardless, you knew this would be a feeling that no one else would be able to replicate, and if there was ever someone capable of it you just didnât want them. You wanted no one else but Chris.
It wasnât until heâd finally soiled your tummy with his release, when he had carefully cleaned it off of you and you laid in his arms that you finally told him of your engagement. Maybe it was a bit cruel, youâd admit. To drop such a bomb on him in one of his most vulnerable moments. His eyes clouded with a dangerous mix of pain and sadness and anger.
So much of it all you did get scared for a second. Until he cradled your face in his hands and very confidently said âMarry meâ.
You were at a loss, suddenly feeling incredibly inadequate to marry a King, even more the Wolf King of the forest. You didnât know enough of his people, you didnât know if theyâd accept you, if youâd be fit to cater to their needs. All concerns which you voiced to Chris. Heâd reassured you that his people were very different from yours, more accepting, and that you were already more than capable of leading, that heâd never wanted anyone else by his side that wasnât you.
Over the course of a year, you got close and personal with Chrisâ kind. It was honestly almost insane, maddening, how these people that shifted into beasts had shown you more kindness than your own kin. It baffled you, knowing how much pain you had endured over nothing throughout your short life when you saw just how much more socially advanced they were. Although you shouldnât have been surprised, not when these were the people from which the man you fell madly in love with was born.
So here you were, a few days after your twenty-fifth birthday, gone without leaving a trace, just a month before your marriage to Duke WhateverHisNameWas, laying on the forest floor with only a thick coat to protect your back, and a completely different man than the one you were supposed to marry between your legsâbut, admittedly, the only man youâd ever wanted.
âChris, IâmâŠâ You could hardly speak. Tears were collecting in your eyes, you could feel your lower belly tightening further with Chrisâ diligent licks and gentle sucks, with the tight grip of his hand on your soft lower belly, and the delicious drag of his four digits inside your walls hitting your most sensitive spots.
Chris hummed in response, picking up his movements, bringing you closer to that satisfying climax you were so desperate for.
Quiet moans spilled freely from your lips once that blinding pleasure consumed you whole. Your thighs trembled, your grip on his hair tightened, and you simply let the feeling overtake every single one of your senses.
When Chris finally detached himself from your sensitive warmth, your body slumped. You were gasping for air a bit, with your eyes barely open, just enough so you could catch a glimpse of the satisfied smile on your loverâs lips before he came back up to connect his mouth with yours.
You sighed, content, looping your arms around his neck as you savoured the unmistakable taste of your pleasure still lingering on his lips.
âAre you sure about this, pup?â Chris asked when he finally pulled back.Â
How considerate of him to worry about this now.
âI am. I donât want to be anyone elseâs. Just yours. Only yoursâ, you replied confidently, because if there was something you believed in right now was just how irrevocably his you were.
Your breath hitched in your throat as you felt his warmth between your legs, as you felt the tip of his length drag along your folds and spread the remnants of your release all over you both. Chris looked deeply into your eyes, looking at you like you mattered, like you were someone truly important, someone he cared for.
âNo one elseâsâ, he repeated, just as he leaned in to connect his mouth to yours again, as he finally started to push himself into you.
You whimpered at the feeling. Not only because of the undeniable stretch, but also for what it represented. What it had always represented.
Chris hushed you softly, attaching his lips to your cheeks so he could press soothing kisses on your soft skin. He took his time, slowly giving you every centimetre of him he had to offer, until he was fully sheathed within your heat. It didnât matter if youâd done this before, if youâd taken him more times than you could count, having him fully inside was always difficult for the first few minutes, but you never complained, not when you knew just how incredibly good it would soon feel.Â
âCanât promise you I can remain this gentle, pupâ, he mumbled against your cheek, just like he often did. He was capable of gentleness, but he was also capable of being incredibly unforgiving, so he always tried to give you a heads upânot like you didnât know this already. Pressing one more kiss on your cheek for good measure, he pulled back to look you in the eyes. âIâm using every single drop of willpower to not let the beast consume me⊠But, fuck, youâre just so warmâŠâ
You cradled his face in your hands, dragging your thumbs over his skin, unable to keep your eyes from shifting focus between his eyes, his nose, his lips, the tiny, barely perceptible freckles that littered his cheeks⊠âItâs okay, my love. Let it consume you if you must. Iâm his, too, after allâ.
Ever so slowly, Chris finally moved, starting a rhythm, letting you adjust to the movement of his thickness within your walls. With a hand buried in the hair on the back of his head and the other spread palm flat on his warm chest, right over his racing heart, you wrapped your legs around his waist. The movement shifted the angle of your hips, and moans fell from both of your mouths at just how deep inside of you he could reach like this.Â
âThat feels⊠FuckâŠâ He increased the tempo of his hips, eliciting desperate whines and moans from your mouth once he started to fully ram into you. You could feel your breasts bounce with every harsh thrust of his hips, but even if to an outsider it mightâve seemed like he was pushing your limits, this was one of the tamest versions of himself, one that balanced his human needs along with his animal ones fairly well, one you were more than acclimated to.
âGoodâŠâ You finished the sentence heâd started, throwing your head back when his cock hit your sweet spot, effectively sending jolts of pleasure up and down your spine. âFuck⊠There. Right there, loveâ.Â
âMmm⊠Here?â With precise thrusts, he repeatedly stimulated those utmost sensitive areas inside your walls, making you lose your train of thought and leaving you no other option but to desperately nod to answer his question.
With a hand next to your head and the other holding on tightly to your hip, Chris kept his steady pace. The nacre moon charm that always hung from the chain around his neck continuously dragged against your chest with every thrust of his hips, the quiet tinkling it produced barely audible among the cacophony of blissed-out sounds he was coaxing out of you, and the ones you were coaxing out of him.
Chris buried himself deep inside you time and time again, until you lost track of time, gradually speeding his movements, increasing the strength in which his hips hit your soft skin.
âClose⊠So, so closeâŠâ He mumbled eventually, and you shivered in anticipation.Â
He lowered himself on his elbows, getting close enough to start leaving sloppy, open mouthed kisses on your neck.Â
âDo it, Chrisâ, you whispered in his ear, panting a bit, pressing one of your hands on his lower back. âMark me, my Kingâ.
Chris groaned, and before you knew it, he was sinking his teeth on the junction of your neck and your shoulder. The sting of his bite quickly shifted into a feeling of unadulterated ecstasy, a feeling of euphoria that spread all throughout your body, dragging searing heat in its wake.
A low, animalistic growl resonated from your lover once he reached his own climax and started to pump you full of him, of everything he had to give. You barely even registered it, too consumed by the pleasure still coursing through your body, by the feeling of his canines still attached to your skin and his unfaltering thrusts.
After a minute, with a grunt, he pushed his hips flush against yours, burying himself as deep as he could inside of you, and his movements finally stopped. His tongue soothed the fresh bite heâd left on your skin, and you shuddered a bit.
His mouth was once again on yours, kissing you deeply, just like he had always been meant to do.
When he pulled back from the kiss, Chris looked you in the eyes, softly caressing your cheek with his knuckles. âYouâre all mine now, pup. Mine to keep, to love, to breed. Only mineâ.Â
âAlways have beenâ, you replied simply, regarding him with a small smile on your lips.Â
Chris chuckled, and he leaned down to press a brief kiss on your lips.Â
He finally pulled himself away from you entirely, bringing his hands to your inner thighs so he could keep you fully spread open for him. With his eyes so focused on your centre, you suddenly felt heat creep on your cheeksâa bit of an absurd reaction, considering heâd seen your modesty innumerable times, although never after stuffing you full of his seed. That was a first.
Chris dived in again, and you trembled as you felt his warm, wet tongue lapping up your sensitive folds, gently cleaning you up.
When he was done, he straightened himself, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and smiling brightly at you.Â
You brought your hands to your soft lower belly, just as a bashful smile settled on your lips. âYou really think I couldâŠâ
You let your question trail off, and Chris chuckled as he brought his hands to your sides. Slowly, he dragged them down to your hips, where he squeezed the plump swell of them. âWhen I saw you again after all these years, when I saw these hips of yours, I knew youâd be just perfect to carry my pups, loveâ.
âWe might have to give it a few tries, thoughâ, you extended your hand, and Chris immediately took it and helped you sit down. The coat heâd placed on the ground before he laid you on it was soft against your bare skin, and you couldnât help but appreciate his thoughtfulness.
âThen weâll try as many times as necessaryâ, Chris sat with his back against a tree, and pulled you to sit on his lap.
Resting your arms on his broad shoulders, you leaned in for a kiss, and as soon as your mouths touched, he let out a satisfied hum.
âMy father is a goddamn fool for thinking he could marry me off to some guyâ, you said as soon as you pulled back, burying your fingers in his hair and gently dragging them over Chrisâ scalp, making him chuckle.Â
He pushed your now undone hair off of your shoulder, exposing the mark heâd left so he could softly trace it with this thumb. The area was incredibly sensitive, and his tender touch made you shiver. âDoesnât matter now. The second anyone so much as tries to take you away from me will be the moment they draw their last breath. Youâre already my Queen, my love. All mineâ.Â
You leaned in again, pressing a kiss to his lips. Pulling back just a bit, with your mouths barely a hairâs width apart, your lips brushed against his with every whispered word that came out of your mouth. âYours, my Kingâ.
Maybe if your father had taken you seriously for one second in his life, you wouldnât have ended up here, married to the King of the forest. But as Chris held you in his arms, and as he eventually helped you re-dress so he could take you to what would now be your forever home, you figured it was best not to dwell on hypotheticals, not when you finally felt this incredibly cared for and so incredibly full of love.
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ìŽì ëŽêČ êž°ë íží ìŹìŽë ëŒ // Now you can lean on me and rest in peace
ìì€í ë ëŽ íìì êŒ ììêČ // I will hold you dear in my arms
Pairing: Mechanic!Chan x F.Reader
Themes: Smut | Some Fluff | Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Word Count: ~10k | AO3
Synopsis: Chris was the best mechanic youâd ever met. He was good at his craft, capable of bringing your dingy car back to life time and time again. He was, also, excellent at riling you up just by existing, which wasnât the best when you were absolutely convinced he just wanted to be friends with you. But maybe, just maybe, heâd prove you wrong. [You can find part two here].
Warnings: curvy/chubby reader · reader is clueless · personification of an inanimate object (the car is referred to by name and male pronouns sometimes) · improper use of car related vocabulary probably (author is clueless on the topic, they donât even know how to drive) · discussions of weight and usage of the word fat (in a very neutral manner) · Christopher is Stronk · special guest appearance: Jisung.
Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.
Authorâs Note: mechanic!chan was suggested by an âanonâ (đ), after they watched this performance, and i felt inspired by the suggestion, so i decided to write a little something for it. a little something that somehow managed to gather more words than i ever expected, as usual. anyway, hope it doesnât disappoint :^)
fun fact: i dreamt once that i wrote a fic called herbie, so i guess the prophecy has been fulfilled now.
Smut Warnings: the reader has an oral fixation · the reader has sexually charged thoughts (i canât blame her) · pet names (baby, babe, gorgeous, beautiful, pretty, etc) · lots of praising (itâs a staple in my chan fics at this point, oops) · praise kink · strength kink if you squint? · oral [M&F.Rec] · deepthroating/mouth fucking · protected penetration [piv].
Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.
Christopher Bang.Â
The man whoâd saved your ass countless times in the past handful of months. The man whoâd been plaguing your thoughts since the very first moment you entered his repair shop.
And to think it was your older brotherâs fault. âGet a second-hand carâ, he said. âItâs cheap and super reliableâ, he said. âYes, of course itâll be fineâ, he said. Your brother was, ultimately, full of bullshit. Youâd never trust his opinion ever again.
Getting a second-hand car was quite possibly the worst financial decision youâd ever taken.
At first youâd been incredibly excited. You even named it Herbie, after the famous car that was⊠Well, called Herbie.Â
With Herbie, youâd be able to get to work faster, youâd no longer have to stay in uncomfortable social situations just because you were waiting for your ride for the night to take you home, youâd no longer have to balance grocery bags on your tiny bicycle, youâd be independent.Â
For two months, you were living your best life with Herbie. But then he started showing The Signs.
It started with the AC not turning on, then, the wipers wouldnât wipe, until eventually, he shut down completely. Which wouldnât have been so bad, had it not happened while you were driving on the fucking highway. To say you were pissed was an understatement. That day, when that happened, you were fortunate enough to be with your friend, Jisung.Â
Not only did Jisung calm your fit of rage, but he also told you he had a friend who fixed cars for a living. âHeâs very reliable. He wonât overcharge you, really. I vouch for him, trust him with my life at this pointâ, which, honestly, finding a mechanic these days that wasnât trying to find problems that werenât there to overcharge you was hard, so you took Jisungâs advice and took Herbie to Wolfgang: Repair Shop.
That was where you saw Chris the first time.
You could still remember the exact moment your eyes landed on him. Although, to be fair, the first thing you saw were his boots peeking out from below a car.
âHello?â You heard a thud after you greeted the pair of legs, followed by a very graceful âfuck!â.
âJust one second!â He slid from under the car, and when he stood from the creeper, you honestly werenât prepared.
Broad shoulders, strong, defined arms, a mess of curls on his head, plush, pink lips, and that nose. Jisung had forgotten to give you the most important detail about his friend, the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous. Even with the oil coating his exposed arms, hands, and the smudge on his cheek, he was probably one of the finest specimens youâd ever seen.
âCan I help you?â He smiled, and God, he had dimples, too. Of fucking course he had to have dimplesâŠ
âIâmâIââ You were embarrassing yourself, barely even capable of forming a coherent sentence, all as he looked at you with a glint of amusement in his eyes. So you got your bearings, taking a deep breath. âMy car keeps dying on me. Iâm a friend of Jisungâs, he told me to come to youâ.
âOh!â His eyes widened and he honestly looked beyond surprised. âYou are Jisungâs friend?â There was a slight tone of disbelief in his voice, and the way he looked you up and down honestly confused you a bit. Was there a problem with your outfit? It was a bit warm out and this was a nice, comfortable dress⊠Maybe you were supposed to wear something different to a car repair shop? Maybe it was one of those social rules no one talked about but you were supposed to just know they existed.Â
Regardless, you decided to ignore the thought altogether, because he started talking again. âIâm Chris. Iâd offer my hand, but I donât think youâd like to get yours covered in motor oilâ, he chuckled, wiping his hands on a rag that hung from his belt, and it genuinely made you smile. âCâmon, letâs take a look at your car and see what we can do. Hm?â
That was how it all started. Chris was polite, he certainly knew his way around these things, and every time you had a problem with Herbie you went to his shop. At some point, you became well acquainted with him, it was impossible not to when Herbie kept dying practically every other week, and when Chris was just so friendly.
You enjoyed spending time at the shop with him, and sometimes you wondered if you were being weird or annoying by staying a bit longer than any customer probably would, but Chris seemed to be just as engaged in the conversation as you were every time, so that spark of doubt in you always died very quickly.Â
After a couple of months, Chris simply handed you a piece of paper. âHereâs my number. Text me whenever you needâ.
And you did. Although, you took a while to text him. You finally did it only because Herbie had started to leak water; after all, that was what he had given you his number for. But it seemed like after that Chris and you just⊠Started to talk about other things, completely unrelated to Herbie.
âYou slut, who you texting with that smile on your face? Did you finally get yourself a man?â Jisung teased you one day when you were hanging out with him, supposedly watching movies.
You scoffed, rolling your eyes. âAs if. You know the only thing I attract are mosquitoes, and itâs only because they want to suck my blood. Itâs just Chris. He sent me this funny video of Wolfgang, wanna see?â
Wolfgang was Chrisâ dog, an overly excited husky that seemed to be a walking disaster. You told Chris once in passing that you liked dogs, that it cheered you up whenever you saw them do their Dog Things, and since then he started to send you pictures or videos of his dog regularly, which you highly appreciated, they did bring up your mood every time.
Jisung blinked at you. âChristopher Bang? My friend Chris?â
âYeah? Which other Chris do we both know?â You returned your eyes to your phone, chuckling at a meme Chris had just sent you.
âWhatâs he sending you? Lemme seeâ, Jisung grabbed your phone out of your hands, ignoring your protests altogether. âHuh⊠Would you look at thatâŠâ
âWhy are you scrolling? Stop that, itâs a private conversationâ, you lunged at your friend, trying to get the phone out of his hands. After a bit of jostling he finally relented, and you huffed as you diverted your attention back to the chat with Chris.
Jisung called your name, and you looked up from your phone to your friend, seeing his confused face. âYou⊠You do know heâs flirting with you, right?â
âWhat?â You laughed at that. âDonât be ridiculousâ.
âIâm being seriousâ, Jisung turned to face you fully on the sofa, looking at your face very intently. He was quiet for a moment, but then he was gaspingârather dramatically, if you might add. âOh my God! You havenât noticed!â
âThereâs nothing to notice, Jisung. Chris isnât flirting with me, donât be sillyâ, you chuckled just at the thought. As if the Christopher Bang would be flirting with you.
âYou seriously canât be this denseâ, Jisung scoffed, turning back to the movie. âYou do you, then. Iâm telling you, though. Heâs one hundred percent flirting with youâ.
How ludicrous. Chris had shown zero interest in you for as long as youâd known him. You were sure he only saw you as a friend at best, and that was only because you were on âsending memesâ basis now, before you were just his customer with the dingy car that kept needing repairs.Â
Youâd admit, though, that after a handful of months, Chris had become a really close friend. Heâd text you every morning without fail. Most of the time, heâd send you a picture while he was walking his dog. It could be a picture of Wolfgang, or a picture of the sunrise, or a selfieâthose were the hardest ones to look at, to be honest.Â
At some point, you realised you had developed a crush on him, and looking at his face in those selfies, still a bit swollen with sleep, with his hair a bit tousled, or with a beanie over his head covering his eyebrows, looking incredibly cuddly, wasnât helping you cope much.
Sometimes heâd text you while he was in the gym, too. Which wouldâve been fine, had he not also started to send you selfies when he was there. They were never anything too revealing, heâd always be fully clothed, but the sight of his reddened hands, his bulging veins after lifting, his flushed face, and just overall sweaty form was just something you didnât need. It always heated you up, made you suddenly feel like your mouth was just too empty, itâd made your mind wander into very dangerous, and very horny territory.Â
It was already hard enough to watch Chris work on Herbie. Whenever he did and you were at the shop, youâd start to fixate on the way the muscles of his exposed arms moved, or how his ass looked when he was bending over the motor to do whichever magic he needed to do, it always made you wonder if heâd be able to perform that magic on you, if his hands would touch you as delicately but as precisely as they did with Herbieâs components, or how itâd be like if you were the one bending over the bonnet, preferably with him just right behind you⊠Regardless, seeing him also at the gym through his pictures was just too much. Heâd sometimes ask you weird questions while he was there, too, which always left you a bit confused.
âmind if i ask whatâs your weight? you dont have to tell me if you dont want to, iâm just curious. iâm trying to bulk up, you see. mineâsâŠâ You didnât particularly have a problem with the question itself, you just found it odd that he asked you that out of the blue, and for a brief moment you wondered if heâd been trying to say you were fatâwhich wouldnât have been the first time that happened to you, having lived most of your life as person with extra fat on their body for what was considered ideal in this societyâs standards had already numbed you to questions like these.
You hadnât told him right away, you simply sent him a âwhy? are you gonna tell me to lose weight? lolâ to which he replied a string of messages in quick succession âoh god no. far from that, youâre perfect just as you are honestly. iâm just curious cuz i want to get toâŠâ Heâd go on about his goals and what-not, and you decided to humour him, since it genuinely didnât seem like he was trying to make fun of you, he actually never brought up the topic again after that.
Chris wasnât just handsome, he was also cute, and a bit of a dork. A dork with extensive knowledge in cars and each of their components, but with even more extensive knowledge in pokemon and each and every single type.
âIce is strong against dragon and ground, you see? So I have to fight this Garchomp with a pokemon that can do ice attacks, but that can also withstand his attacks, like Gyarados, you know?â The first time Chris pulled an explanation like that, while he was still covered in Herbieâs oil, you understood why he was friends with Jisung. They were both just dorks. Gym rats and dorks. The oddest combination you could possibly think of, but somehow it just added to their charm. To Chrisâ charm specifically.
That balance of his technical knowledge, his hotness, and his dorkness, coupled with just how good of a person he genuinely wasâalways willing to help, always ready to stand his ground for things he believed inâonly made you fall stupidly deeper for him. But you decided to keep these feelings to yourself, you liked having Chris by your side, not only because he was the only one who seemed to be able to bring Herbie back to life, but also because he was just a good friend, and you were sure that if you confessed your feelings things just wouldnât be the same.
Taking Herbie out these days was always a gamble. You never knew when he was going to break down, but sometimes you really had to take a leap of faith. Most of the time it all went fine, but today, it seemed like he wasnât in a mood to cooperate. Herbie had decided that breaking down in the middle of nowhere at twenty hours on a Friday was the best idea, which left you on the brink of frustrated, angry tears.Â
So, obviously, you called the only person you knew could help you in this situation.
âYou alright?â Chris asked as soon as he arrived and stood in front of where you were leaning on your car. âOh, God. Are you crying? Why are you crying?â
âIâm just so fucking done with this carâ, you brought your hands to your face, sobbing once the frustration that had built inside of you couldnât be contained anymore.
âHeyâŠâ You felt Chrisâ body heat practically envelop you when he moved into your space, and, had you not been crying like a baby, youâd probably feel a bit flustered about it. âAre youâ Can Iâ Do you want a hug?â
You just noddedâstill covering your face with your handsâbecause of course you wanted a hug. You were trembling with your quiet sobs, so a hug sounded like absolute heaven at this moment, and when Chris finally leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around your shoulders to pull you to him, the fact that Herbie had left you stranded in the middle of nowhere seemed so insignificant now.
Chris was so incredibly warm. The way he softly caressed your back helped ease your trembles, and, eventually, the tears stopped, too. So you finally moved your hands away from your face, bringing your arms around his waist to hug him as well, just as you buried your face on his shoulderâprobably leaving small puddles of tears on the fabric of his boilersuit.
That was when you noticed his attire. Similar to how he dressed when he was at the shop, but clearly completely clean. His boilersuit even smelt like his fabric softener still, and⊠Was he wearing perfume?
You pulled yourself a bit from him, and his calloused hands cradled your face immediately to wipe your tears with his thumbs. You could feel heat spread on your cheeks as he did.
Chris was so close to you still, the heat of his palm on your cheeks seeped into you, shooting straight to your fluttering heart. He truly was incredibly handsome, and as you looked him in the eyes the words left your mouth before you could even think twice about them.
âWow. Your eyelashes are so prettyâ.
A look of surprise crossed Chrisâ features, and you saw his Adamâs apple bob, right before he pulled his hands away from your face and opened the driverâs door of your car, giggling. Giggling in that utterly Christopher way he always did.
âWell, yours are, tooâ, he said while he pulled the lever near the wheel to release the safety latch so he could open the bonnet of your car.
For a moment, you couldâve sworn his ears were red, and you wondered briefly if he mightâve been feeling warm with his boilersuit on, since it was warm tonight, which was why you had decided to wear a dress in the first place. âWere you at the shop when I called?â
âWas on my wayâ, Chris rounded your car, finally standing in front of it and opening the bonnet. âAhh, Herbie. Youâd certainly seen better days, havenât you, buddy?â He took his phone from his pocket, switched on the torch, and handed it to you. âCould you hold this for me? Please?â
âWhy were you going to the shop this late?â You asked as you pointed the light towards Herbieâs insides.
âWas gonna work on the bike. Angle this a bit, pleaseâ, Chris took your hand, angling it however he needed it so he could see whatever it was he needed to seeâfor you he might as well had been doing dark magic on your car. You saw him push cables around like he knew what each of them was for, which he surely did, this was his livelihood, after all, but it all just looked the same to you, so you were immensely relieved that he was able to help you out tonight.
âYou fix cars all day and still have the drive to work on your bike in the evening?â You chuckled, just as Chris moved your hand to point the light somewhere else.
âYouâd be surprised how much drive I can have when Iâm doing something I likeâ, there was a smile on his face as he said it, and honestly you couldnât help but believe him. Just like you couldnât help but wonder what else he could like thatâd fuel that drive of his⊠âAlright, weâre gonna have to jumpstart it. Gimme a secâ.
Chris left your side for a moment, and he returned almost immediately after with a jumper cable in his hands. Once he had attached it to his 4X4âs and Herbieâs battery, he instructed you to go back to the driverâs seat and to turn the ignition at his signal.
You did as asked, and as soon as you did Herbie came back to life, making you heave a sigh of relief. Chris appeared by your door a few seconds after. âLetâs go to the shop, yeah? I donât think heâll make it much further, to be honestâ.
And honestly, you didnât think your car would make it far, either. So you followed Chrisâ 4X4 out of the area and through the familiar roads to his repair shop. You couldnât help but feel immensely grateful, not only because he was helping you now, but because he always did it. Whenever youâd needed him, heâd always been there, which did nothing to appease the ever growing feelings you had for him.
When you made it to Chrisâ shop, he simply opened the gate to the garage and signalled you to come in. You got off your car as soon as it was parked, just as Chris was unzipping his boilersuit, revealing his black vest top underneath and his admittedly mouthwatering arms as he tied the top part of the garment around his waist.
âThank you, Chris. Reallyâ, you told him as soon as he stood in front of you, handing him Herbieâs keys when he opened his palm.
âOh, pleaseâ, he waved his hand as if to dismiss the thought, as if what he did was something not even worth thanking him for. âIâm glad you called, I wouldâve felt really bad if I couldnât have helped you with thisâ, he gave you a smile, one of his blinding smiles that made his dimples appear on his cheeks and his eyes disappear, and you suddenly felt your cheeks warm up and like your heart was going to burst out of your chest.
Chris made sure to place a wedge behind each of Herbieâs wheels just so the car was secure in place, and then turned to you. âCome with meâ.
He guided you to the sink by the corner of the shop. Pumping some soap into his hands and opening the tap, he started to generously lather the suds all over his hands.Â
âCome here, you need to wash your hands, tooâ, Chris took your hands in his, getting them all soapy, making sure to spread the soap between each of your fingers, going as far as to rub your hands between his, or lace his fingers with yours to fulfil the task.
You couldnât help but chuckle. âChris, I didnât touch anythingâ.
âYou sure?â He chuckled, but his motions didnât stop. âItâs better to be safe than sorry, no?â
âI guessâ, you didnât think your cheeks couldâve felt any hotter. You seriously hoped it wasnât that noticeable.
After thoroughly rinsing your hands under the tap, he gave you a clean rag to dry them on just as he motioned for you to follow him again. So you did, walking past his half restored bike and into his office.
Chris placed Herbieâs keys on the designated case that corresponded to the number in which you had parked your car, and then turned to the minifridge. âYou want a soda?â
âSureâ, you took the glass bottle from him as soon as he opened it and handed it to you. You always found it odd that he had glass bottles and not cans, considering how little space he had in that fridge. When you asked him about it once Chris simply went on about how âcans just donât taste the same! The soda tastes so much better when itâs drunk from a bottleâ, and as soon as he said that you just couldnât untaste it anymore. Glass bottles were, ultimately, superior.
ââSuppose Iâll get an uberâ, you sighed after you took a sip of your drink, walking a bit so you could lean against the wall.
âAn uber? Nonsense, Iâll drive you home, donât worryâ, Chris took a sip of his drink, just as he leaned on his desk.
âAw, câmon. You already went out of your way to rescue me. I donât wanna take more of your timeâ.
Chris scoffed. âDonât make me begâ.
âI wouldnât dareâ, you chuckled, although you were suddenly curious of what would happen if you did make him beg⊠âBut what about your bike?â
âThe bike wonât be ready anytime soon. The only reason I was coming here was because I was restless at home. Now Iâd much rather spend some time with you, to be honestâ, Chris took a sip of his drink again, and suddenly holding his gaze felt like too much, but the way your eyes decided to focus on his Adamâs apple moving with every sip he took wasnât that much easier.
âYou knowâŠâ Chris said after a few moments of silence, pulling your eyes back up from where they had been glued to his neck. âI think it might be time for you to consider letting Herbie go. Itâs been months, and I honestly donât think I can save himâ.
You sighed. âI know⊠But I fear Iâve grown attached to the damned thing. Besides, wouldnât you lose your most regular customer?â You added the last part with a chuckle, taking a sip of your drink right after.
Chris chuckled. âSo youâre saying you only talk to me âcause of Herbie?â
You almost choked on your drink. âNâno. Of course not. Youâre a good friend, Chris. Trulyâ.Â
He placed his drink on the desk, and a smirk made its way onto his face. âJust a good friend?â
âUhh⊠A great friend?â You laughed softly, drinking some more of your soda.
Chris went silent for a moment. As you saw him worry at his bottom lip and looking anywhere but where you were standing, you wondered if you had said something wrong. That was, until he chuckled.
âI donât think Iâm a good friend, to be honestâ, he crossed his arms over his chest, bouncing his leg a bit. âGood friends donât secretly hope for their friendâs car to break down so theyâd call them for helpâ.Â
You were just bringing your bottle to your lips, but his words made you stop in your tracks. âWhat?â
Chris looked at you for a moment. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but then he was tipping his head to the side and laughing. âGod, I seriously didnât believe Jisung at first, but you really are dense for some things, arenât you?âÂ
âI am⊠So confused right nowâ.
Chris shook his head a bit, and he walked closer to you. âLet me tell you a secretâŠâ He got into your space, close enough that you could smell his perfume, and the proximity made you swallow the saliva that seemed to have suddenly pooled in your mouth. Leaning into you, he brought his mouth to your ear, whispering. âI really, really like youâ.
You blinked, and you honestly felt like your brain had short-circuited. âYou⊠What?â
No way was Christopher Bang telling you he liked you. There was just no way. You wouldâve noticed⊠You wouldâve, right? You definitely wouldâve⊠Wouldnât have you noticed?
Suddenly you remembered Jisung. How heâd tried to tell you multiple times throughout the past few months that Chris was flirting with you, that you should shoot your shot, but you honestly had never believed him, because it seemed just so ridiculous to you that Chris could even look at you in that light.
âIâve, uh⊠Liked you for a while. A long, long whileâ, Chris pulled himself away from your space completely, and he looked at your face for a moment. A moment that you stayed completely silent, still trying to process the fact that Chris liked you⊠And for a while now.
You saw his brows furrow as he chewed on his bottom lip. Then he was speaking again. âI just⊠Couldnât keep quiet about it anymore. When we hugged earlier I realised I wanted to do that more, and that I should probably grow a pair and tell you already. Iâd like to take you on a date, if you want, but I can understand if you donât want toâŠâ
He was rambling. A lot. Saying a lot of things. This was the Nervous Chris youâd only seen a couple of times, the Nervous Chris whose coping mechanism was just to jump to conclusions and talk in a single breath. Suddenly, it all seemed to click into place. The good morning texts, the selfies, the late night talks at the shop after Herbie had died on you time and time again, it was so clear to you now.
âIf you donât like me back thatâs fine, you can just say so, I wonât take it to hearââ
You kissed him.
It was barely anything. Just a peck on the lips, but it was enough to shut him up, enough to make his eyes go wide in surprise, and, to your own selfish delight, enough to bring a delicate blush to his cheeks.
âI like you, tooâ, you said simply, still a bit shocked by his confession, a bit shocked by your confession coming out of your own mouth. You honestly never thought youâd be able to say that to him out loud, but you did. Just like he had.
Chris looked stunned for a bit. But that stunned look didnât last long, it quickly turned to something else, something raw and incredibly alluring. Stepping into your space again, he brought a hand to the back of your head, holding you in place just as his other hand took the bottle from your hands to place it on the tool cart next to you, right as his lips found yours.
This kiss was nothing like the peck youâd given him. It was loaded with need and want and lust. So much of all of it you couldnât even believe how blind youâd been. Every press of his lips against yours kindled the fire that started to burn in the pit of your stomach. When his hand joined the other cradling your head, you just couldnât help the small whimper that came out of your mouth, and that tiny noise seemed to have spurred Chris on, enough to press you flush against the wall as his tongue made its way inside your mouth, as your arms wrapped around his waist.
Heat was spreading quickly inside of you, and you were starting to feel lightheadedâwhether it was due to the shock, or due to how Chris was pressing you against the wall, or due to the motions of his kiss and the lack of oxygen, you werenât too sure. One of your hands laid palm flat on the small of his back, while the other pressed between his shoulder blades, and the hum that came out of his mouth seemed to have travelled all the way to your heart, making it beat even faster in your chest.
Chris detached his mouth from yours, only for a moment, enough to talk. âDoes this meanâŠâ He pressed another kiss on your lips. âThat youâd likeâŠâ And another. âTo go on a date?â This kiss lasted a bit longer than the others, it lasted until you nodded your head.
âYesâ, you pressed a kiss on his lips, just as your arms moved to loop around his neck and his wrapped around your waist, keeping you impossibly closer to him. âWould love toâ.
He hummed again, and he immediately resumed the soft movement of his lips on yours. Keeping you tight against him for a while. Until it seemed like his brain had caught up with him.Â
âWe should probably stopâ, but he didnât stop kissing you, just like you didnât, either. You just couldnât get enough of his full lips on yours, of his tongue pushing against yours.
âDo you want to?â Your fingers made their way through the curls at the back of his head, holding the strands between them just how youâd dreamt to do so many times throughout the past handful of months.
âGod, noâ, and you believed him, not only because of how desperate he sounded when he said it, but also because he just kept kissing you, talking in between quick pecks of his lips. âBut I donât want⊠To make it seem⊠Like this is all I want⊠You know?â
You knew. You knew because you were thinking exactly the same thing. You could feel him against your pubic bone, hard, warm, and it all made you incredibly wet, maybe embarrassingly so. But this was Chris, it was hard to feel embarrassed with him, which was part of the reason why you had developed feelings for him in the first place.
You hummed, just to let him know that you understood what he was trying to say without removing your lips from his. As you kissed him, as you felt him and his warmth, your mind started to cloud a bit. The mix of his motions, of the months and months of pining for him, and the even more months of self-inflicted celibacy clearly made it so logical thinking wasnât your strongest attribute at this time.
âWould you still⊠Take me on a date⊠If I sucked you off right now?â The words flew past your mouth between kisses, too fast for you to even think twice and stop them.
âShitâŠâ Chris pulled himself away from your lips completely, looking you in the eyes. As you took in the flush on his face, his plush, kiss-bitten lips, and his blown pupils, you couldnât help but think just how incredibly beautiful he looked like this. âAre you being serious?â
âDead seriousâ, your chest was heaving, and your fingers carded through his hair, lightly scratching his scalp with your nails, making Chris bite his lip and take a deep breath.
âOf course I would. Iâd take you to the fucking moon even if I got it wet right nowâ.
You chuckled at that, and pressed a brief kiss on his lips. âA date is enough, babeâ.
âBabe, huh?â Chris took a deep breath, just as you pushed him away from you a bit, enough to have space so you could drop to your knees, uncaring of your bare skin touching the floor. All you could care about was the outline of his length against his clothes when you pressed your hand on it.
âSorry, you donât like âbabeâ?â You looked up at him, right in the eyes, just as you untied the sleeves of his boilersuit from around his waist.
âI like it a lot, actuallyâ, there was a bit of a smug smirk on his face, and it had you licking your lips.
Just as you were about to pull the bottom of his suit further down, he brought a hand to one of yours, diverting your eyes back up to his. His gaze had softened, and the smile on his face coupled with that look in his eyes made you flush further. âYou donât have to, seriously. Donât feel obligated to do itâ.
âI donâtâ, you reassured him. âI want to do it. Badly. But only if you want it, tooâ.
âFuck⊠I do. So badâ, he licked his lips, and he moved his hand away from yours to place it on your head instead. âYouâve got no idea how much, shitâŠâ
So you resumed your motions, tugging his bottoms along with his underwear, enough for his length to spring free of its confinements. You werenât surprised with the sight, honestly. A pretty face like his surely came with a pretty cock, too. So of fucking course it was pretty, especially so as precum pooled at its tip, especially when it looked just so delectably hard. It was a bit on the girthier side, but nothing too crazy, nothing you couldnât handle. If anything, it just made your mouth water, and you licked your lips in anticipation.
âShitâŠâ You took him in your hand, spreading around the bead of precum that had collected on his tip to give him a couple of tentative pumps, making him swear under his breath and bite his bottom lip. âHow do you like it?â
âFuck⊠Sloppy. Make it as wet as you can, the messier the betterâ, the words flew past his lips, completely shamelessly, almost as if he didnât even need to think about them. Chris seemed to be transfixed on the sight of your hand working his length, and you took that opportunity to spit on it, making him groan while you started to coat him in your saliva.
So you delayed no further, dying for a taste, and a taste you got. As soon as your lips wrapped around his tip Chris swore. Loudly. He threw his head back and his fingers seemed to tighten a bit on your head, but he didnât move you, he let you keep the pace as you saw fit. You started slow, holding him by the base and just bobbing your head for your lips to repeatedly catch on the ridge of his head and for your tongue to rub against the frenulum on the underside, taking him deeper into your mouth with every other stroke.
The moment you opened your eyes and your gaze found his, your inner walls involuntarily clenched around nothing, and suddenly you felt like you needed some relief. But you ultimately decided to keep your focus on Chris, on his lustful gaze, on his furrowed brows, on his gentle hold on your head, and the grunts and groans threatening to come out of his mouth, dampened by the way his teeth trapped his bottom lip.
He wanted it messy and sloppy, so you were ready to give it to him messy and sloppy. Itâd been a while since youâd done this, but youâd be damned if you didnât at least try. With a deep breath, you took him in deeper, breaching past the initial resistance for him to ease into your throat.
âOh, fuck⊠Youâre kidding⊠ShitâŠâ Chris threw his head back, letting the most delicious noises out of his mouth, almost making you lightheaded with how aroused his heavy cock in your mouth coupled with his blissed out sounds got you.
You took your time slurping him up, uncaring if saliva dribbled out of your mouth as you worked against your gag reflex, feeling tears quickly collect in the corner of your eyes. When you felt confident enough with your motions, you brought your hand to his that held your head in place, while you placed the other on his hip, holding him tightly.Â
âYou want me to move, pretty? Fuck your perfect little mouth?â You nodded in response, humming around his length.
Slowly, he started to thrust into your mouth. Chris was being extremely careful, being mindful of every controlled push of his hips, but even with his slow pace, you couldnât help but moan as soon as he started moving, making him groan in response. That was when you finally gave into your own desires, moving your hand away from his that lay on your head to bring it under your dress so you could press circles on your clit over your underwear, eliciting broken whimpers from your mouth.
âShit, look at youâŠâ Chris looked fucked out of his mind already, with his heaving chest and the increasing pace of his hips. You were sure you werenât looking any more collected than he was, especially when you started to feel tears finally fall from the corner of your eyes every time you blinked.
With one particularly precise thrust of his hips, Chrisâ length went in further than you were used to, essentially choking you on his cock, making you gag harshly. Chris pulled his length out of your mouth, and you gasped for air immediately.
âFuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, so fucking good with that mouth⊠Come here, beautifulâ, Chris helped you to your feet, wrapping his arms around your waist once you were standing on your feet and pressing kisses all over your cheeks. You were still panting a bit, flushed from exertion, but Chris kissed you anyway, and you kissed him back, holding onto his shoulders for dear life. âNeed to taste youâ, he mumbled between pecks of his lips. âPlease, please, please let me eat you outâ.
You just nodded, very eagerly if you might add. But you honestly couldnât find it in you to be embarrassed about it, not when Chris begged so fervently for it. Just the thought of seeing him between your legs had you already clenching with need.
While you kissed, Chris removed his arms from your waist. You felt him fumble with his underwear and his boilersuit, hastily wrapping it around his waist, and before you could even register what he was doing, he was taking a hold of your ass and scooping you into his arms.
âChris, fuck, wait. Iâm heavy as hellâ, you were slightly alarmed, but your legs wrapped around his waist for stability anyway just as you held onto his shoulders.
âHeavy?â Chris chuckled, moving towards his desk. âBaby, I can lift almost thrice your weightâ.
âYou, what?â You asked, a bit confusedâand also aroused, because, fuck, how strong was this manâŠâChris pushed away some of the items on his desk to sit you on it, close to the edge. After all the revelations that had come to light earlier, it finally dawned on you. âIs that⊠Why you asked what my weight was all those months ago?â
âOf course! Needed to make sure that if I ever got a chance I was able to do everything I wantedâ, he dropped to his knees, starting to press tender kisses up your shins. âMust admit I had to stop whole hip thrusts sets sometimes because Iâd get so fucking hard halfway through, fuckâ.
You couldnât help but laugh at that, a hearty, and slightly incredulous laugh. âHoly shit. I genuinely thought you would tell me I had to lose weight at some pointâ.
âWhat? Iâd neverâ, Chris chuckled, bringing his hands to your thighs, squeezing them. âI mean, itâs your body, you can do whatever you want, but know that I find you incredibly attractive however you lookâ, he moved his hands further up, right under the hem of your dress to finally hook his fingers on the waistband of your underwear. âCan I take these off, gorgeous?â
âYesâ, you giggled, feeling yourself heating up further just by his words and the feeling of his hands on your skin. With your hands on the desk you lifted your hips enough for him to slip the garment down your legs and off of you. He threw your underwear on the desk, and they landed somewhere behind you.
Bringing his hands back to your thighs, Chris rubbed circles with his thumbs for a second, only to finally move them further up, catching the hem of your dress and bringing it with him as he went. You chewed on your bottom lip, feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden. That was, until he finally pushed your legs apart. With the way he swore under his breath and the way his eyes seemed to get impossibly darker as soon as he took sight of your seeping core, any nervousness seemed to have been obliterated, and you couldnât help but feel just so incredibly wanted.
âFuck⊠Even here, huh?â He threw your legs over his shoulders, and you felt yourself heat up in anticipation. âPlump, pretty⊠ShitâŠâ
Desire pooled in the pit of your stomach, it was honestly almost pathetic how affected you felt just by the things he was saying and the sight of him between your legs.
âYou knowâŠâ Chris pressed his lips to your inner thigh, sucking harshly, leaving marks on your skin, making you inhale a shaky breath. âThis is the exact same dress you were wearing the first time you came into my shopâ.
Your eyes widened a bit in surprise. âYou remember what I was wearing?â
âHm, âcourse I doâ, he moved his attention back to your eyes, just as he pressed a chaste kiss on your inner thigh. âIâve been dreaming of you in this fucking dress for months, babyâŠâ
âYou have?â
âI haveâ, one of his hands came to grip your thigh, while the other moved to your hip, giving you a hefty squeeze. âHow do you like it, pretty? Or how do you not like it, for that matter?â
You licked your lips, suddenly transfixed by the sight of his lips brushing your skin. âGentle sucks go a long way. Iâm a bit, uh⊠Sensitiveâ.
âSensitive, huh? âCourse you are⊠Hold this for me, hm?â He took a hold of your hand and brought it to one of your thighs, just as he spread you open further, propping your foot on the desk. So you did as asked, keeping your legs open as he diverted his attention back to your heat. âGood girl⊠Just like thatâŠâ
As soon as he spread you with two of his fingers, and he dived, landing soft, tentative licks on your clit, you knew you were done for. Your whole body jolted a bit, and a soft whimper escaped your mouth. âOh, fuckâŠâ
Chris just hummed, moving to lick at your entrance, getting a taste of your essence with his brows pulled together, looking just so fucking delighted. Just the thought that he was genuinely enjoying himself got you moaning a bit louder under the quickening movements of his tongue, and as soon as his lips pressed on your clit, giving you those gentle sucks you had asked for, your mind just disconnected completely.
He took his time working you up, turning you to a whimpering mess just with his lips and his tongue, gradually increasing his tempo to build your upcoming release. Whenever he dipped lower to lick at your entrance, his nose would bump your clit with every movement of his head, he was essentially making out with your cunt and you would gladly let him do whatever and however he wanted. Your nerve endings were on fire, your toes curled with need, and your walls clenched with his unrelenting pace.
When he detached his mouth from your core you almost wanted to cry, but he only did it for a second, enough to ask a âFingers, baby?â only to press his lips to your sensitive skin again, sucking your clit into his mouth and licking it with his tongue.
You werenât sure if the âyesâ actually came out of your mouth, you vaguely only registered your eager nodding and the soft moan that escaped your lips as soon as you felt one of his digits at your entrance. Chris groaned against your skin as soon as he inserted the first finger to the knuckle, the vibration of the sound further fueling that fire in the pit of your stomach. He pumped his finger in tandem with his tongue on your clit, touching and prodding and gauging your reactions to his every move.
One particularly sharp nudge of his finger on your walls had you moaning a bit louder than you were before, and Chris seemed to have picked it up immediately, because he plunged a second finger right after and started pumping his digits in and out, hitting that sweet spot over and over while his lips gently sucked on your clit. You needed to have a hand on the desk to keep yourself up, to maintain some stability, so you shuffled your foot a bit and simply let go of your thigh to bring the hand that was holding it to his head, burying your fingers in his hair and pushing him further against you with a whimper.
Chris groaned as soon as your fingers threaded through his hair, immediately picking up the pace of his fingers and his tongue, bringing you further and further towards the edge, and God if you needed to tip over that edge⊠With how well he was working you up you felt your lower belly tighten with exertion, and your walls spasm more frequently around his fingers.
âChris⊠Fuck, fuck, Iâm so fucking close, pleaseââ You almost choked with the moan that came out of your mouth after you spoke, since Chris immediately started ramming his fingers into you harder, faster, just as his plush, now swollen lips kept sucking that sensitive bundle of nerves between your legs.
He was absolutely determined to give you your relief, and as soon as you were able to open your eyes and look at him, the look in his eyes, lustful, greedy, was enough to finally push you over the edge. Searing heat spread all over your body with your release, pure pleasure overflowed each and every one of your senses, making you perceive nothing but Chris, Chris, Chris, and his lips between your legs, and his hair between your fingers, and his fingers inside of you.
Chrisâ motions didnât relent until you were thoroughly satisfied, until you weakly pushed on his head with a âshit, baby, enough, pleaseâ when he had you on the brink of oversensitivity. As soon as his mouth detached from your heat, he pulled his fingers out and brought them to his lips, sucking them clean before he finally stood up and caught your mouth in a heated kiss. The fact that you could taste yourself on his lips only seemed to spur you on further, making you whimper while you brought a hand to the back of his head and took a handful of his curls to finally get completely lost in the motions of his kiss.
âSo pretty, fuckâŠâ He mumbled when his mouth disconnected from yours, cradling your head in his hands as he smothered your face with kisses. âSo fucking gorgeous when you come for me, shitâŠâ
His borderline adoring words had you feeling tingly all over, somehow both making your heart swell in your chest and your walls involuntarily flutter even when they were still sporadically spasming from the after effects of your orgasm. When Chris kissed you again, you looped your arms around his neck just as his hands found your hips, pulling him flush to you, heaving chest against heaving chest, getting lost in the feeling of his lips on yours and his hands kneading your flesh.
âHoly fuckâ, you chuckled as soon as Chrisâ lips parted from yours, and he followed suit, chuckling while he made his way to your neck, to press kisses all over your skin.
âMmm, I know, right?â
Chris hugged you close, leisurely kissing and licking your neck and shoulders. His soft, lingering touches seemed to shoot straight to the deepest areas within your heart, and even though youâd just had a mind-numbing orgasm, you certainly wanted more. More of him.
âChris?â You mumbled, hugging him a bit tighter.
âMm?â
You pressed a kiss to his cheek, then moved to take his earlobe between your teeth, tugging gently before you whispered, âwant youâ.
Chris took in a shaky breath, and he pulled himself away from your neck to look at your face. God, you wanted to kiss him, his flushed face and his swollen lips would be a sight thatâd haunt your wettest dreams from now on, you just knew.Â
He licked his lips. âWe donât have to, prettyâ.
âMm⊠Youâre right, we donât have toâ, dragging one of your hands from his shoulders, down his chest, his abdomen, all the way to his length, you pressed your palm firmly, feeling him still hard under your grasp. âBut do you want to?â
âFuck, yeah, I want toâ, Chris held your hips tighter, and you wondered if youâd see bruises tomorrow just as he placed a kiss on your lips. âI want you so badâ.
âYou have me. Right here, baby. You can have me right hereâ, you mumbled against his lips, pressing a kiss there right after, just as Chris swore under his breath.
âShit⊠Gimme a secâ, he detached himself from you, rounding the desk and pulling one of the drawers open, muttering to himself. âThere were some here, Iâm sureâŠâ
You turned to look at him, oddly amused by the way he carelessly moved things around in his drawers. âWhat are you looking for?â
âAha! Theseâ, he pulled a three piece box of condoms, and he turned it around a few times in his hand with a frown on his face. âI seriously hope these arenât expiredâŠâ
You chuckled at the sight of his focused face, amused, but also incredibly curious. âWhy do you even have a box of condoms in your deskâs drawers? How many girls have you had in here?â
âBelieve it or not, youâre the first oneâ, he chuckled, opening the package and taking one of the foil packets out, examining it closely for a moment, only to finally heave a sigh of relief. âThank God. Not expiredâ.
With a smile on your lips, you quirked a brow at him, just as you watched him round the desk again to stand in front of you. He shrugged to your silent question, taking the foil packet between his teeth so he could untie the top of his boilersuit from around his hips and tug the rest and his underwear down enough so his length was free again, and youâd admit you got a bit distracted by the sight.
With the corner of the condom packet still held in place by his teeth, he finally tore it open, and you took the bit of foil that was still in his mouth to drop it somewhere on the desk while Chris carefully slid the condom down his length.
âYouâd be surprised how many things a condom can be used for when working with cars. Theyâre always useful when you need to get creative and use whatever you have at handâ, Chris stood between your parted legs, placing his hands on your hips and squeezing.
âWhat kind of MacGyver bullshit is that?â You chuckled, but the sound quickly turned into a surprised yelp when Chris held you tightly and pulled you closer to the edge of the desk.
âTheyâve always been helpful when Iâve needed themâ, leaning into you, Chris placed a hand on your cheek, pulling you into a kiss just as he rubbed the tip of his cock up and down your slit, spreading your juices around and teasing your clit in the process, making you whimper into his mouth. âBut Iâll be honest, Iâve never been more happy to have them at hand than I do right nowâ.
You brought a hand to play with the hair at the back of his head, pulling him for a brief kiss. âPut them to good use, thenâ.
âDemanding, are we?â Chris chuckled, but he lined himself with your entrance anyway, slowly easing his length into your heat. âOh, shitâŠâ
It was a stretch, alright, but he was being just so incredibly careful, and you appreciated it, you really did. But you were also incredibly desperate to be filled, so you wrapped your legs around his torso and pushed on his ass with your heel, urging him on, making him jut his hips further forward.
âShit⊠Have mercy on me, will you?â He mumbled against your cheek, pressing a soft kiss on your skin while his now free hand made its way to your hip again, holding you tightly.
âWant youâ, you replied simply, probably whinier and less demanding that you were trying to sound, but Chris complied with your request anyway, finally thrusting all the way in, making you gasp with just how incredibly full you felt.
âWant you, tooâ, he pressed his lips to your neck, kissing and sucking on your skin. The thought of waking up tomorrow and seeing his marks on your neck or your hips made you flush impossibly further, even as he moved along to press kisses on the exposed skin of your shoulder. âWant you so bad Iâm genuinely about to burst just by being inside you right now. Need a secondâ.
Bringing a hand to his cheek, you made him turn away from your shoulder to look at you, and the way he bit his lip before he leaned in for a kiss had you involuntarily clenching around him, eliciting a choked groan from his lips.
âFuck, driving me nuts⊠Seriously, weâre gonna have⊠The best fucking date ever⊠Youâll seeâŠâ He mumbled his words between kisses, and it genuinely had you laughing, because of course he was still thinking about your future date. âCâmon, beautiful. Hold on to meâ.
So you did, bringing your arms to rest on his shoulders, burying one of your hands in his hair, all while he placed one hand on the small of your back, and the other on the desk for stability. Finally, Chris moved, starting a rhythm with precise thrusts, making you gasp at the sensation of his length dragging against your walls, making him groan.
âFuck, shit⊠Thatâs good. So good. Feel so fucking perfect around me, baby. Perfectâ, with the increase of his tempo you could barely register the words coming out of his mouth, all you could do was whine while you nodded in agreement, hoping that he, too, would know how just incredibly good he felt inside of you.
The way Chris kissed you, almost desperate, the way he started to ram into you, stretching you so deliciously you were already starting to feel lightheaded, all combined had that little bit of sanity you had left in you leave your body entirely, finally letting you succumb to just your utmost primal need for pleasure. But more specifically, for pleasure you could share with Chris.
You honestly couldnât tell how long you spent getting pounded to that desk, you could just feel Chrisâ cock repeatedly splitting you open and his lips on yours and the words that heâd occasionally mumble against your skin, his words of praise and encouragement that had you once again feeling tingly all over, words that fed that pool of arousal inside of you, threatening to spill it all over. You vaguely registered words of your own leave your mouth, too. Words that seemed to spur him on, that seemed to pull blissed-out sounds from his lips and yours nonstop.Â
âLean back a bit for me, gorgeousâ, and you couldnât help but comply, removing one of your hands from his shoulders to place it behind you to lean on it, leaving just enough space between your bodies for Chris to sneak his hand between your bodies, finding your clit and drawing fervent circles on your already oversensitive bud, eliciting a moan from your lips as soon as he did. âFuck, fuck, thatâs it, baby. Just like that, milk my cock just like that, huhâŠâ
âChrisââ You honestly werenât sure what you were even going to tell him, you could just feel your next high approaching increasingly fast, and you needed it. You needed it badly.
âItâs fine, pretty. Whenever youâre ready, just let goâ, he mumbled the words against your cheek, pressing a chaste kiss on it, a complete contrast to his sharp thrusts and the fast movement of his fingers between your legs. âWant to feel you so bad, fuckâŠâ
âShitââ With a few more flicks of his fingers on your clit, you finally got that sweet, sweet relief. The feeling spread all throughout your body, dragging sounds of pure, unadulterated pleasure out of your mouth, making your legs shake from exertion as you tried to keep your hold around Chrisâ torso.
Bringing both of his hands to your hips for leverage, Chris chased his own release, his grunts and groans getting lost in your mouth while he kissed you again. One, two, three thrusts and he was flush against you, shooting his load into the condom while he was buried as deep as he could within your warmth, a mix of his groans and your name and a colourful string of swears flying past his lips as he rode the waves of his ecstasy with minute rolls of his hips.
âHoly fuckâ, he cradled your face in his hands, pulling you in for one more heated kiss while he came down from his high, and you couldnât help but chuckle softly.
âI agreeâ, you were panting a bit, breathless, leaning back on both of your hands as you tried to catch your breath.
Chris laughed, a hearty laugh that had a smile appearing on your face immediately. Taking a hold of the condom by the base of his length to make sure it was secure in place, he finally pulled out, carefully sliding it off of him, tying a knot and throwing it in the bin by his desk. You missed his warmth inside of you immediately.
Taking a roll of toilet paper from one of the tool carts nearby, he quickly cleaned any remnants of his release from his length before he was tucking it back into his briefs, finally wrapping the top of his boilersuit around his waist again. With more paper in hand Chris asked you to âplease open up those pretty legs for me, hm?â so he could clean you up, helping you back into your underwear right after.
As soon as you were standing back on yourâadmittedly unsteadyâfeet, Chris wrapped his arms around your waist, placing a quick kiss on your lips only to move up and press another on your forehead. âYou okay?â
âIâm more than okayâ, you chuckled, melting into his embrace. âEverything hurts, though. Howâre you?â
âOn cloud nineâ, he replied simply, giving you one of his blinding smiles, making your heart race with the sight.
When Chris finally detached himself from you, he reached for the soda heâd taken out of your hands earlier, giving it back to you once you told him âI still want to drink it. Even if itâs not cold anymore, seriouslyâ, and after a bit of back and forth he simply relented.
âWould youâŠâ Chris started to ask, while he bent down to take the bag out of the bin. âWould you like to come to my place? I mean, I can take you to yours, too, thatâs fine, but I figured, you know, you could stay over, and we could have dinner, and I can make you breakfast tomorrow, and Iâm sure Wolfgang would love to see you, and we could cuddle to sleep, you know? But if you donât want to, itâs finââ
You took a hold of his hand, squeezing it in yours to stop his rambling. âIâd love toâ.
Chris just giggled a bit, pressing a quick kiss on your lips and tugging you out of his office back to the garage once heâd switched off the light. When you were outside, you made your way to his 4X4, watching him chuck the small bin bag from his office into the bigger bin out in the garage and going through the motions of switching every light off in here, too.
As you watched him, your eyes drifted to Herbie, parked in hisâby nowâusual spot. Maybe Chris was right, maybe it was time you considered letting him go. Heâd served you well for those two months at the beginning, and when you were in a pinch he was very forgiving, but his condition was unsustainable at this point.
As soon as Chris was by your side again he gave you a kiss for good measure, opening his 4X4âs passenger door for you. You just smiled at him, pressing one more kiss on his lips before you finally hopped in. Chris rounded the bonnet and started to very animatedly talk about a funny thing Wolfgang had done just this morning, gesturing with his hands while he recounted the event, making you laugh.
While Chris drove you two to his place, with soft music playing on the radio, with his hand occasionally shifting from the gear lever to squeeze your thigh, all while a light, easy conversation flowed between you two, you figured that Herbie mightâve been the worst financial decision youâd ever made, but at the very least, heâd brought you to Chris, so you really couldnât hold a grudge against him, not when you felt so incredibly light and couldnât wipe the smile off of your face.
You can find part two here
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@heeseungrr has plagiarized the fanfiction of @hyunfilms and I feel itâs important to call this out. I took screenshots of when the first chapter from both writers was posted, and if you look closely youâll notice the authorâs note and chapter warnings are essentially identical
Please please please help spread the word and please give love to @hyunfilms because sheâs truly an incredible author and deserves all the love and support in the world.
Ofc this is inspired by Mariâs precious painter â€
đđ· @ughbehavior ââ@aunty-tiger-potato ââ Â @stay-wol ââ Â @sori-kkun ââ @sunnyville36 ââ Â @cursed-mars-bars ââ Â @minzbins ââ Â @inniejeonginnie
Pairing: Werewolf!Chan x Human!F.Reader
Themes: Supernatural/Fantasy AU | Smut (Fluff at the end) | Roomies to Lovers
Warnings: curvy MC, swearing, pet names, possessiveness, good olâ rut driven intercourse (smut warnings under the cut).
Word Count: ~7k | AO3
Summary: Your roommate had been acting weird lately, weirder than usual. It was because of his condition, you thought, and in a way, you had been right, just not in the way you had expected. [This story is an instalment of my WereRoomies series].
Authorâs note: Happy Halloween month to all of us! If thereâs a God up there, only she can judge me for this. If you enjoyed this checkout part 1.5: Rut & part 2:Â Itâs Warm In
Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.
I said this in private but I wanted to say it again here, the level of comfort and wholesome that you managed to create with this series will never not amaze me.
The way that you introduced her relationship with Chan already sets the stage for the wholesomeness that is to follow. His awkwardness about her going out with her friend and her considering his nerves and using that knowledge to look away to make it easier for him to speak â such a small detail but it speaks volumes about how much she cares about him.
(For the time being) We love platonic terms of endearment, âbabesâ, âprettyâ, and âloveâ.
Although she isnât aware of his supernatural nature yet, and therefore his intentions behind giving her his jacket when she goes out, just the act of him giving her HIS jacket doesnât feel possessive. Itâs endearing, especially with how insistent he is but is still nervous about doing it.
I love the subtle hints of his supernatural nature that could be overlooked as something else, such as her describing his gaze as intimidating but not in a menacing way, but even as a human she is affected by it.
But we see a lot about her character as she naturally fights against her instinct to back down, almost making her his equal without even realizing it, and this can contribute towards her status in the pack later on.
Him kissing her forehead before she leaves? Swoon. Him kissing his other friends' foreheads? Double swoon.
Her admitting that his behaviour had been a little strange but still taking advantage of his insistent hugs was humorous.
Even though it must have been difficult for Chan to reel in his protective instincts, it was sweet to see him get so flustered after.
(A little spoiler) But when Chan and she do become an item, Iâm curious if Chan gets jealous of her being physically affectionate with the other packmates as he does now before they admit their feelings.
Iâm surprised that the pack was able to keep their secret from her for so long considering howâŠpassionate they are about being a pack and being in each other's space so much. It was only a matter of time. I find how curious she is and the way that she does additional research about their âconditionâ as very sweet â she wants to understand them and make sure that they never feel like they are âfreaksâ in her eyes.
He just pushed her against a wall, acting out of character and her first concern is if he is feeling okay? This woman is playing for my own heart.
âBeen trying really hard to not make you uncomfortable, but here I am being a total creepâ. Both of them are â theyâre that couple that looks good together because theyâre good for each other.
Her knowledge about werewolves and applying it to Chanâs situation was attractive.
I wonder if every time that she ovulates it triggers his ruts â or if there are multiple factors at play.
âWhat if I donât want you to hold back?â So attractive.
We love to see idiots in love realize that theyâre idiots in love.
Him picking her up with such ease and making her feel attractive was so sensual. It was the effortlessness of how he did it, without even thinking, about something that she probably spends some time thinking about (for better or worse), that was what made it and him attractive.
We love supportive friends â even if it means going with your friend to a clinic to get tested, hopefully, that scared Changbin into being a little more careful next time.
Your take on being alpha was so interesting â you rejected the notion that they are simply possessive or being ruled by their animal instincts, but rather the role of a protector, a source of comfort, and that is a very refreshing take and explains why Chan runs his pack so well.
Did Chan blush and leave her hanging about her male alpha knot questions because of the topic or discussing the topic with her?
Chanâs appreciation for her body and making her feel so loved made me giddy.
Chan feel for her bad, the man had been scenting her almost as soon as she moved in â not that I blame him.
Hi friends.
I'm not really good at writing these, and it's not something I enjoy the idea of doing, but I am struggling.
My name is Jeri, I'm a Chronically ill, Disabled & Neurodivergent content creator and artist.
A few weeks back on my first ever holiday I caught Covid pretty severely, due to being immunocompromised it has really effected me and unfortunately my biggest form of income has been affected by this.
Along with my breathing still being heavily affected; I am struggling to speak, my voice is pretty much non-existent and when it seems okay it goes very easily again.
Without my voice I cannot stream, and without streaming I do not have an income, as I am too ill & disabled for a "real job". Streaming helps pay my bills and helps me pay for my pet's food and general needs.
I have no idea when my voice will be back, but I've already been off "work" for over a month now, which means I'm at least 1 month's pay down, and I have no idea how much longer my voice is going to be out of commission.
If anyone would like to help me out I've a Ko-Fi.
Or if you are a STAY or Black Rose and enjoy Fan Art; I've prints of Stray Kids & The Rose available on INPRNT.
I also have art commissions open.
Anyways, I'm not really good at these things,
But Thank You for reading â€
Thank you so much everyone for your kindness đ
Yous have no idea how much your generosity means to me, like I'm really not used to asking for things and I know that times are difficult for everyone so for people to reach out and help in any amount is really touching, and I am so grateful â€
Thank you for helping me support my little family.
I'm still going to be off work for a while, but this is a huge weight off my shoulder đ
Post a screencap of your lock screen photo, a screencap of the last/current song listened to, as well as the last photo of a celebrity that you saved in your phone đ
So I found one of my fics on wattpad. It's a fic I posted on my sideblog @purpleblooms called The godfather, which I wrote for fun and is far from being my best work but it's still really frustrating to realize that someone stole it and translated it obviously without any sort of permission. If you have a minute, could you please report this user & this translation. They also have many other works that have been stolen from tumblr from other authors.
My blog was hidden from people without an account. Which means they're tumblr users who steal works just to post them on wattpad. And then people wonder why authors deactivate?
You never agreed on taking this thing further than dates and sex, never even mentioned feelings, yet he has them. Hyunjinâs mistake wasnât that, thoughâit was alluding to these feelings while you were trying to have sex with him.
âł pairing: hyunjin x reader
âł word count: 10.7k
âł genre: smut, some? angst, f2l, slight sub/dom dynamics, kind of a slow burn
âł warnings: minors dni! please read warnings!! two smut scenes [oral (f.receiving), unprotected sex, two creampies (one accidental), some begging, ball sucking, rimming)], the mc has a problem with coming, kind of fluffy, hyunjin is... hyunjin (overthinking)
Ⳡmasterlist ⥠series masterpost ⥠updates ⥠read on AO3
if you want to support my writing, you can buy me a coffee here and let me know what you think about it here. thank you! âĄ
Still buzzing from his high, Hyunjin doesnât stop kissing you.Â
No matter how many times his tongue swipes across yours, how much he explores your mouth, sucks on your bottom lip, and inhales your scent, itâs never enough. Having you in his arms after sleeping with you is perfect, and so is the feeling of your hands on his body.Â
Somewhere along the way, you stop tugging his cock and just relax. For the first time in a long time, you let Hyunjin take the lead, tower over you as he cups your face and kisses you, his thigh between your legs, his body keeping you warm. He enjoys it a lot, every little bit of it, and then you grab his cock again as if you suddenly remember this thing is a bit too intimate for you, that youâre there to help him get over this fear of his and heâs just there to take you out on dates.Â
Somehow, this realization shoots a pang through his chest, but Hyunjin canât really focus on it too much, not when every slide of your hand up and down his cock makes him want you again. You have this ability to hypnotize him with your mouth or touch, make him forget to even think, let alone worry.
âSo hard already,â you hum against his lips, fist clenching around his tip. âYou must like me a lot.â
Itâs a joke, he knows, especially when you chuckle and squeeze his balls. But, itâs not a joke to Hyunjin, who feels like heâs fallen for you even more now, unable to control it. âYouâre just now realizing that?â he asks before he pecks your mouth, eyes piercing into yours. âI thought it was⊠obvious.â
For a while, you two just look at each other, the change in your expression telling Hyunjin youâre confused by his statement.Â
Did he take it too far this time? You never agreed on taking this thing further than dates and sex, never even mentioned feelings, yet he has them. Hyunjinâs mistake wasnât that, thoughâit was alluding to these feelings while you were trying to have sex with him.
Finally, you gulp and look to the side with a barely audible sigh. âI meant as in having sex with me.â The statement is there to put him back in his place, remind him of what he is there for, nothing more.
âThat too,â Hyunjin agrees, feeling like he is about to be sick. Heâs never been in this position, practically admitting his feelings for someone just to have the person completely ignore them, trying to change the topic, not even addressing it. But then again, isnât it his fault? Heâs the idiot who is bringing this up during sex. âSex with you is just great.â
âWith you, too,â you readily respond, showing him sex is more comfortable a topic for you. âReady to go again?â
When Hyunjin nods, you donât waste time. In an instant, you get out of his arms, push him down on the bed and climb on top of him. Youâre straddling his thighs with a mischievous look on your face, and he realizes this is so much better than anything heâs imagined, even if itâs temporary, even if he gets his heart broken.
âGood to go like this?â you ask, looking down at his cock positioned an inch away from your pussy. He wishes he could take a picture of it so he can stare at it whenever he needs you because everything about the sight is perfect.
Hyunjin nods at you and only then realizes what youâre asking. âY-you donât want a condom?â
âWe can use one if you want it,â you say, immediately reaching for the drawer, but Hyunjin stops you by grabbing your hand. For some reason, his touch makes you shiver.
âNo, do it like this,â he agrees, gulping down the saliva that pooled in his mouth at the realization that you were going to have unprotected sex. âWeâre both clean, and you use birth control, so itâs fine.â
You seem happy when you nod, and the next second, youâre sinking on his cock again. This time feels even better if thatâs humanly possible. Hyunjin opens his mouth to tell you that, but words just donât come to him. His eyes water because of the intensity of the whole thingâhe feels you so well, every part of you, so wet and plush and soft for him, walls pulling his skin back just right. Itâs perfect.
Because youâve come earlier, your heat is so slick and sticky that it helps his cock glide into you with ease. âGod, Jinnie, so hard,â you hiss at him, hands moving down to your thighs. âWant to ride you all night.â
âIâIâMhmm, yes,â is all he can muster out. He tries to speak but fails, the words dying in his throat because of how engulfing the whole thing is. Hyunjin doesnât even touch youâhis hands rest next to his sides as you ride him, hips moving up and down quickly, your juices dripping down his balls.
And then, you start moving faster, using your thighs to push yourself up, sliding off his dick before falling on it again, letting it enter you all the way. The friction youâre causing is better than anything heâs felt before, and Hyunjin suddenly feels a ball of warmth form in his balls and shoot straight to his cock.
âOh, fuck, fuck, fuck!â Hyunjin whines, starting to panic when he realizes heâs about to come inside of you. Itâs fastâtoo fast, embarrassingly fastâand he canât even tell you because heâs overwhelmed.Â
He grabs your hips instead of talking and pulls you up, but not soon enoughâthe first spurt of cum has already painted your walls white. The second one shoots out right after his dick leaves your heat, which means it aims right at your pussy, painting it white. The one after lands on your thighs and his hip, and the rest of it gushes out of Hyunjinâs cock, which has landed on his stomach with a loud thud, forming a small pool of liquid around the head.Â
The sight of you covered in cum is marvelous and turns him on beyond words, but Hyunjin canât focus on it now, not when he fucked up big time. He grunts loudly and curses under his breath. âIâm so fucking sorry, Iâm sââ he starts apologizing, but stops when he sees the way youâre looking at himâyouâve just told him not to apologize for coming. âIâm⊠I didnât mean to.â
âHey, itâs all good,â you comfort him, slowly easing yourself onto his thighs so you can sit on them while you lean in and kiss him. âIt happens. All goodâŠâ
âI didnât mean to come inside, we didnât agree on that, I swear it wasnât on purpose. I wouldnât do that with asking you, I would neââ Words just keep coming as Hyunjin panics, realizing heâs overstepped a big boundary. It wasnât purposeful, but does that really matter? You canât just come inside of someone without getting their consent.Â
âHyunjin!â you raise your voice slightly just to get him to stop talking. When he does, you cup his face and pull him in closer until he sits up on the bed and wraps his arms around you. âItâs okay. I know it wasnât planned. If it was already happening, you shouldnât have interrupted it,â you say with a shrug. âYou ruined it for yourself, didnât you?â
Hyunjin nods, realizing youâre right. He did come, but it didnât feel as good as the first time, mostly because panic took over him and he pulled out, coming without feeling anything around his cock. But, itâs not something he cares about right now. Thereâll be more orgasms. âI, I wasnât expecting it to feel so different, so good. I guess the condom makes a difference.â
He should have expected it, though. It was the first time in his life he got to fuck someone raw, feel their warmth directly on his cock, experience every curve of their pussy on his skinâof course it would feel divine.Â
âWell, if you only have sex drunk, your dick is numb and you donât feel much, so Iâm sure it feels good with or without one when sober,â you say teasingly, taking a deep breath. âYou didnât warn me, though.âÂ
That is true. He came unexpectedly, but he should have warned you somehow. Itâs just that his mind blanked, and he could only focus on his orgasm rushing through him as you surrounded him so completely.Â
âIâm sorry, I reallyâŠ. It just took over me,â Hyunjin scoffs, rubbing your sides. âI know I promised Iâd warn you. I fucked up.â
âItâs all goodâŠâ you say softly before smirking, and he just knows you already have something in mind. âYou should make it up to me.âÂ
He responds before you can even finish the sentence, so fucking eager to please you and make you forget about this absolute mess that happened. âYou name it,â he says, realizing heâs really willing to do anything to make it up to you.
He didnât last that long the first time, but the second try was even worse, and Hyunjin couldnât help but notice that you werenât even enjoying it that much. Well, you might be enjoying the way heâs flustered or awkward, but youâre not enjoying the sex itself, and that pangs his chest.
You pretend to think for a second, looking around, playing dumb, when Hyunjin is sure you have already made up your mind about exactly what you want. You always know what you need and how to get it.Â
âLick it off of me,â you chime and gently move from him, plopping down onto your back.Â
When you do, you spread your legs seductively, leaving Hyunjin with no option but to go to town and suck his sperm off of your plush thighs. It doesnât taste as good as your juices, clearly, but itâs not about him or the tasteâitâs about cleaning you up and you enjoying the whole thing.
Hyunjin suckles on the skin of your thigh long after the cumâs gone down his throat, which makes you pat his head gently. âDonât like the taste?âÂ
Youâre teasing him now, but he has it coming. If heâd waited a while or warned you, all this cum would be deep inside your cunt and not all over you. âLike yours much better,â heâs quick to respond this time, saying it with a smile. The smile is only there because he can tell how much youâre enjoying his lips on you, even if theyâre nowhere near where you need him most.
You quip, âYou can taste once you get it all off.â
That promise is incentive enough for Hyunjin to lick every drop of cum off of you before moving down to your pussy, getting lost in it instantly. Youâre perfect, thereâs no better way to describe it. The taste, the smell, the feeling of your thighs wrapping around his head, his fingers sinking into them, your moans filling his earsâitâs all mind-blowing. Hyunjin never wants it to stop.
âRight there!â you whine when the tip of his tongue rubs your clit the way you like it, his chin pressed against your slit. Hyunjin feels your wetness spreading all over the bottom half of his face and he loves every second of it. He's proud of being able to make you that wet and excited. âYes, baby, keep goingââ
God, there you go with the nickname again, making his heart swell up, making Hyunjin put in even more effort into giving you head, into licking and sucking so well you have no choice but to come for him. He notices all the warning signsâyour stomach sucking in, clenching, releasing, body stiffening, hands grabbing fisftuls of his hair and pushing his face further into you. Youâre close, so he hums and keeps going, wanting to send you over the edge.
But, it doesnât happen. Youâre still clenched and ready, hips hovering just above the bed, but nothing happens, even though youâre moaning loudly. To confirm his suspicions, you pull his face away from your crotch and let your hips fall down to the bed with a loud, disappointed sigh.
âLetâs just fuck,â you suggest, not even looking at him. He senses a hint of annoyance with the situation in your voice, which saddens him.
âNo,â Hyunjin rejects you readily for the first time since heâs met you. âI want you to come.â
âI canât seem to,â you spit the words at him, but he knows youâre just frustrated with yourself or, more precisely, your body. âDonât waste time.â
âWaste time?â Hyunjin chuckles, mouth moving down until he is able to stick his tongue out and lick a stripe up your slit. âIâm not wasting time. I love going down on you. If it makes you feel good, I can keep doing it for hours.â
You groan and let your head fall back down into the pillows, legs slightly spreading so Hyunjin can go again. He decides not to mention coming again. Maybe thatâs just putting more pressure on you. Does it really matter if you come? The point is making you feel good, and you are clearly feeling just that when his mouth is on you. If he mentions it, he might ruin it for you.
âGood,â Hyunjin says instead, patting your thighs. âYou relax and just enjoy.â
And thatâs exactly what you do. Hyunjin doesnât hear any remarks from you, no cockiness leaving your mouthâno compliments, either. All you do is moan, occasionally bucking your hips into him, especially when his mouth pulls away from your clit. Hyunjin loves to see you so needy for him, for more, body twisting under his, moaning getting louder.
He changes his technique again, opting for languid swipes of his tongue across your slit, the tip of his tongue gently dipping between your folds and into your heat before moving back up to your clit, time and time again. He repeats the motion at least a hundred times before he decides to insert two fingers inside of you and focus his efforts on your clitâlicking, sucking, flicking.Â
âOh, fuck, Jinnie,â you grunt at him, hands once again flying to his hair to grip it tightly. âRight there.â
Okay, heâs doing good so far. The realization just makes Hyunjin want to make you feel better, so he applies more pressure to your clit and curls his fingers when theyâre fully inside of you, wanting to rub you the right way from the inside, too.
Hyunjin doesnât expect you to come, doesnât need you to if you canât. All he is trying to do is make you feel good and give you back at least an ounce of the pleasure youâve given him. He needs you to feel good, and judging by how high-pitched your moans become, Hyunjin knows heâs doing it.
Without a warning, your thighs wrap around his head, trapping it between your legs as your hips lift off the bed and you come, crying out his name, the lower half of your body shaking as you moan and drop down into the sheets once more.Â
Hyunjin kisses your clit and your body reacts like electricity is running through it, thighs shaking, hips pulling away from his face. âFuck, fuck,â you hiss, hands cupping his face and moving his head away from your crotch, face distorted with pleasure. âNo, no, please, too much.â
Did he break you? Hyunjin immediately crawls over your body until youâre face to face. âAll good?â he asks, waiting for you to open your eyes.Â
âJust buzzing,â you respond with a chuckle, opening your eyes to smile at him. âThank you.â
âPlease tell me you didnât just thank me for making you come,â Hyunjin mumbles with a grimace. âI should be thanking you all the time, in that case.â
You laugh at this, hands wrapping around his shoulders. âOkay, I wonât thank you from now on. You⊠Did great, though. Patient.â
âYouâre always patient with me,â Hyunjin retorts, mouth finding yours eagerly. God, he loves this privilege of getting to kiss you when he wants. âMake me feel so good every time.â
âYou too,â you mumble, unable to keep your eyes open. He hopes itâs because of all the pleasure youâre feeling, and you quickly confirm his suspicions. âWant to go again?â
âFuck yes,â Hyunjin says confidently, hoping heâll last longer this time. Heâs come twice already. At this point, he canât blow fast. It doesnât work that way, Hyunjin hopes.
Your hand moves down between your bodies and grabs his cock, so he lifts his hips and lets you position him at your soaking entrance. God, the feeling already has his knees faltering. Still, Hyunjin pushes his cock into you and groans, âSo fucking tight still.â
âI just came,â you explain with a chuckle, and Hyunjin just has to kiss your cheek or heâll scream. You shouldnât be that cute while heâs inside of youâitâs causing too many feelings to bubble up to the surface.
âSo youâre saying I should keep you coming all the time to have you this tight?â he suggests, the seed already planted in his brain. Oh, Hyunjin is going to make you come ten times a night if youâll be this willing to take all of him, if youâll do it happily.Â
He moves his elbows down, planting them next to your shoulders, head almost touching the mattress.Â
âFeels good?â you ask through a hiss, eyes meeting his as you both turn your heads to the side so you can look at each other.
âMhm,â he hums gently, hips slowly moving forward and back, cock getting coated with the remnants of your orgasm with every gentle thrust. âWant me to change the angle?â
âWhatever you want,â you say with a grin. âIt all feels good.â
âYou feel good,â Hyunjin retorts, kissing you, letting his tongue roam your mouth while he rocks his hips back and forth, feeling like youâre full of his cock. Itâs just that youâre so tight now, and he fits in perfectly every time he bottoms out.Â
Slowly but surely, Hyunjin builds a steady pace, one that doesnât feel too good for him. Then, he props himself up using his palms, changing the angle. This one makes his head spin, especially since he now gets an even better look at you and your body, your tits bouncing with every swift move of his hips. âGood?â he checks, and you nod.
âNice,â you respond. âYou?â
âIâm barely holding it in,â he admits through a chuckle, wondering if he sounds pathetic. But, you donât seem to think so. You didnât laugh at him at all tonight, and you donât seem disappointed that he came so fast earlier, which means a lot more than Hyunjin can ever explain to you. âWant to come already.â
âIf you can, keep going,â you encourage him softly, hands stroking his biceps gently. âIf you canât, donât pull out. Fill me up, enjoy it. You deserve it, baby.â
âGod!â Hyunjin pulls out quickly, enjoying the fact that your cunt stays a bit stretched after losing his girth, the sight of it intoxicating. âWhen you say things like that, I just want to blow.â
You laugh devilishly and spread your thighs wider. âThatâs the point, Jinnie⊠I should say things that make you feel good.â
âAnd I should keep fucking you through them,â Hyunjin points out, knowing heâs nowhere near ready to have the type of sex you want, âif I want you to have a good time.â
âIâm already having a great time,â you grin, hand moving down to rub your clit. âWhy donât you put it back in? I know you want to.â
The next second, Hyunjin is inside of you, cock sliding in smoothly until he bottoms out again, your walls wrapped around him in all the right ways. âFuck, I love this.â
âGood, good, youâre doing good,â you tell him, hands once again on his biceps, patting them slowly. âJust like that.â
Hyunjin keeps going for a while. Itâs not as slow as before, but itâs not hard at all. Just gentle and somewhat lazy, until he gets used to the overwhelming feeling of your wet cunt around him. With every move of his, it seems like your walls get more and more determined to trap him inside of you and have him come on them.Â
âI never want to stop,â he informs you, and it makes you moan in response. Your hand is now tangled in his hair, fingernails gently grazing his scalp, and he feels like he wants to cry out.
Still, he has a sense heâs enjoying your cunt a lot more than youâre enjoying his cock or the way he moves. Hyunjin is too slow for you, too weak. Heâs not showing you what you want to see. Youâve said it yourselfâyou want to hear how good youâre making someone feel, and he canât even be loud for you or talk dirty to you.Â
All of those things just make it harder for him to keep fucking you. Even hearing himself moan while heâs inside of you makes Hyunjin want to come. Other guys probably arenât this⊠weak.
âYouâre not enjoying it,â he states with a grunt, feeling his cock twitch as he slows down.Â
âHyunjin, stop,â you hiss at him, making him freeze in place. âLet's not do this⊠I am enjoying this.â
He gulps loudly, feeling like heâs getting scolded, even though youâre trying to comfort him. Since he stays quiet and only moves slightly, you continue, âWhen I'm not, I'll tell you to switch it up or to do something else, okay? Stay out of your head and just enjoy.â
âBut not too much right?â Hyunjin asks, trying to find some humor in it and make you forget heâs still overthinking every single thing.Â
âYup, not too much,â you say as you prop yourself up on your palms too until youâre face to face with him again. âWe want you to last, Jinnie, right?âÂ
The new angle seems to be working better for you, and Hyunjin soon realizes itâs the same angle you like to get fingered from because he can curl his fingers and reach that place easily. So, he tries to stay in the same place and only move his hips.Â
At first, Hyunjin goes slow, but then, he realizes going fast makes it harder for him to come. Itâs not that you donât feel perfectâitâs that so many things are happening at once that itâs hard to concentrate on one, so he only thinks about fucking you and moves, keeping his orgasm at bay. However, you seem to like this a lot more, judging by the way you dig your feet into the mattress and moan his name over and over again, mouth finding his.Â
âYouâre so good to me,â you praise him, all of it rushing straight to his cock. Youâre so pretty now when youâre all sweaty, hair messy, mouth open so you can take sharp breaths while Hyunjin rams his cock into you. âFuck me so well already.â
âYou feel fucking amazing,â Hyunjin mutters at you. âSuch a sweet, sweet cunt.â He means it, too. Everything about you is perfect, including the part heâs now exploring with new eyes, getting to feel it in ways that seemed surreal just a couple of weeks back.
âYou have a great cock,â you tell him in between kisses.
âI do?â Heâs inside of you, heâs made you come already, youâve told him you liked him, yet this is the compliment that gets to Hyunjin, that makes him slow down again and grin at you.
âMhm,â you hum in agreement, slowly easing yourself down on your elbows and looking up at him through your lashes, a sight that makes Hyunjin want to pull out and paint your face white. âGirthy, long, hooked. Perfect.âÂ
âHard enough?â Hyunjin is not teasingâhe really wants to know. At this point, he canât really feel his cock. His entire body feels like itâs burning, and his cock is completely wet and warm, but thatâs about it. All he feels is that heâs going fast and sheathing himself between your walls.Â
âJust right,â you nod enthusiastically. âYouâre doing great⊠Third time, too.â
âMhm,â he nods. It is the third time heâs inside you tonight, and thatâs something he never really thought was possible for a guy like him. âYouâre just too good.â
âYou are,â you tell him reassuringly, now lying back down on the bed and grabbing his shoulders. âStop for a second.â
When Hyunjin does that, you push your legs up to your chest and then stick them out until theyâre reading on his shoulders. The change of angle gets him to moan your name loudly, even though heâs not even movingâHyunjin can feel how much deeper his cock went when you threw your legs over his shoulders.Â
âDo you really want to kill me tonight?â he chuckles, body shaking with excitement. Heâs never been this deep in pussy before, especially not in such an intimate setting, when youâre both sober, when heâs not nervous about the whole thing. âI canât hold it in.â
âThen donât, Jinnie,â you say nonchalantly as if youâre not giving him permission to come. âYouâve done great. Maybe this time you should fill me up the right way. Keep fucking me through it, huh? Get to feel it?â
âOh, fuck, please,â Hyunjin caves in instantly and starts to smack his hips into you so hard he thinks heâll break you in half. He wonât and heâs sure youâve been with men who have fucked you harder, longer, and better, but right now, Hyunjin canât get himself to care about all of that. Heâs the one fucking you into the mattress, heâs the one whose cum you want inside of you so badly. âI want to give it to you well.â
âYou will,â you nod, pulling Hyunjin in closer until heâs practically lying on top of you, your legs stopping his chest from touching yours. âFuck me hard, okay? And donât stop when youâre coming. I want you to feel me when you come inside of me.â
âOh my God,â he grunts at you, head dropping right next to yours as his hips start smacking into you hard. The sounds are ungodly, but Hyunjin loves themâthey sound like something straight out of porn, both you and him moaning, and the sounds of his skin hitting yours as he chases his high. âYouâre gonna take all of it?â
âYes, all of it,â you agree readily, hands grazing their way down his back to his ass, fingers digging into it. âI want your cum so bad, Jinnie, you have no idea. Come inside of me.â
The moans that leave his throat are embarrassing, but Hyunjin has never even imagined you saying all those things. Getting to hear you be so filthy around him makes him go feral, hips snapping into you time and time again. The only need he feels is the one to pump you full of his cum like youâre asking him to. âAh, baby, fuck, youâre so tight⊠You sure you want it inside?â
âYes, please, Hyunjin, give it to me,â you moan the words at him, hands wrapping around his shoulders, legs moving down to wrap around his waist. The way you moan his name makes him dizzy.
âAh, fuck, fuck, fuck,â is all he utters as a warning before he shoots in you. This time, Hyunjin doesnât stop moving. Instead, he goes even faster, feeling it spurt out of his cock inside of you, wetting you even more, until thereâs nothing left in his balls.
âYes, Jinnie, give me all of it,â you say, sinking your teeth into his shoulder, body clenching around his. âYouâre so good⊠Fucking me so well.â
Your words make sure he gets every single drop of his cum out, staying lodged deep inside of your pussy. He got to fuck you raw and come inside of you? Itâs the best night of Hyunjinâs life.Â
âYouâre so good, baby,â you whisper at him, hand grazing his back, the other gently tugging the hair at the nape of his head. The nickname is still messing with him, even after heâs filled you full of cum, after heâs given you everything he has, after itâs clear you want him too. Thereâs just something in the way you say it so gently, almost like you mean it. âYou did great⊠Stayed hard all the timeâŠâ
He did, didnât he? Hyunjin forgot all about his worry that his cock would go soft from too much excitement, and it somehow worked because he did stay hard for you all night. Thatâs at least one thing heâs managed to get under control.
âMhm,â he hums and kisses your neck, unable to lift his head and kiss your mouth instead. Heâs spent in every sense of the word, and your warmth is lulling him to sleep. If you keep playing with his hair like that, he might just fall asleep on you. ââCause youâre amazing.â
The compliment makes your walls contract around him, and Hyunjin moans again, feeling even more sensitive than before. Heâs not aroused anymoreâinstead, his body is buzzing, post-orgasm bliss washing over him, making him want to hold you close.
You go on, speaking softly, as if youâre giving him permission to fall asleep on top of you, his cock still inside of you along with all of his cum, âAnd you came for me three times tonight⊠And fucked me hard. Canât wait till you feel more confident. Youâll be giving it to me rough in no time.â
âI wish,â Hyunjin mumbles after what seems like a minute of silence. He canât speak right away, he canât even think, but he wants to tell you everything. You deserve to get everything you want for being so sweet and good to him. âI want to fuck you well. Youâre so good to me.â
âYouâre good to me,â you tell him as you kiss the top of his head one, two, three times, each of which make him shudder and pull you in closer. He never wants to leave your embrace. âYou did great, Jinnie, reallyâŠâ
âItâs because of you,â he admits after a while, sighing deeply, completely comfortable in your arms. âI love fucking you, love being with you⊠Love everything about you, reallyâŠâ
You two did take a while to respond to each other every time since he came, but this time, Hyunjin notices you take a long while to respond. Every second that passes makes him more nervous. Did he cross the line again by saying something as real as that after sex? Maybe itâs not stuff you want to hear from the guy whoâs just there to fuck you, no matter how real it feels for him.
You donât respond at all. Well, maybe you do, but Hyunjin falls asleep, so he canât be sure if you said anything in return or if you successfully avoided it. He sleeps like a log through it all, doesnât even notice you pushing him off of yourself so you can get yourself clean, doesnât register the warm cloth you use to wipe his cock clean or the way you pull the covers over him to make sure heâs warm.
Hyunjin sleeps through your shower too, not even noticing you spend a long while in there, washing the night and his scent off of you. He does, however, stir from sleep when you join him under the covers later, and lie down with your back turned to him. Do you like being hugged in your sleep? Do you want him to touch you, play with your hair, kiss your shoulder to help you fall asleep?Â
Hyunjin isn't sure. There are so many things he just doesnât know about you because heâs not a part of your life that way, even though he really wants to be. Still, since heâs barely awake and yearns for the feeling of your body close to his, Hyunjin scoots over and spoons you, nestling his chin in the crook of your neck so he can kiss the side of your face. âSleep tight.â
âYou too,â you whisper back, hand moving up to cup his face so softly he chases after it, not wanting you to stop. âSleep, itâs late.â
âWhy are you not sleeping?â Hyunjin asks you, hoping youâre feeling okay. Heâs too tired to lift his head and glance at the clock on your nightstand, but heâs sure itâs a lot later in the night.
âI had to take a shower,â you tell him, patting his hand reassuringly. âItâs all good. Letâs try to get some sleep.â
âCan I hold you like this?â Heâs not sure what exactly makes him think you want that or that he should do it, but Hyunjin doesnât really care at this point. Heâs still so happy and at peace because of everything thatâs happened that he feels itâs okay to ask for the things he wants.Â
âYou can. Let me just turn to the side.â
When you do, Hyunjin throws his arm around you, leg finding its place between yours, mouth instantly pressing soft kisses to the side of your face. âYouâre so pretty and soft,â he mumbles, eyes closing slowly as sleep washes over him. âYou were right. I never want to leave.â
The admission makes you chuckle and pat his hand again. âSleep well, Jinnie⊠You can stay.â
âWant to stay forever,â he mumbles into your cheek, breathing in your scent deeply. âFeels so nice to be so close to youâŠâ
After you two start having sex, Hyunjin feels like a new person. Everything changes, even though nothingâs changed on the surface. He still works a lot, spends time with friends, and sees you when you both have time. However, he now has completely different things on his mind.Â
Whenever he has time to rest, he texts you, admitting the things he would do to you if you were close. You do the same, which makes Hyunjin feel even crazier about you. He gets a picture here and there and sends you even more of them, wanting to entice you further. It all feels perfect, which makes him even more afraid of losing it.
So, when Chan asks him about you, Hyunjin freezes in place. âUh, IâŠâ
âRelax, you donât have to talk about it if you donât want to,â his friend says with a grin. âIâm just curious because you seem to be happy, and I know you were worried about⊠it.â
âYeah, itâs, uh, not that big of a problem anymore, I guess,â Hyunjin mumbles, feeling his ears redden. He has no problem talking about this stuff with Chan, but he doesnât want to talk about your sex life with any of his friends. What if you hear heâs talking about it? Maybe you donât want people to know about you two.
âGood. Iâm happy for you two then,â Chan says sincerely, patting his shoulder. âYou should bring her over sometimes.â
âBring her over?â
âYeah, like we sometimes bring people over when we date,â Chan suggests, looking at Hyunjin strangely. Itâs the normal thing to do, sure, but itâs something you two havenât discussed. Do you want to stay over at his place when his roommates are around?Â
Hyunjin almost cringes at the idea of having you wake up in the morning and go into the living room to find Changbin and Chan playing video games in their boxers. He prefers staying over at yours, anyway, especially because then he doesnât have to worry about being loud with his moans, which Hyunjin usually is.Â
âAh, Iâll, uh, see about that,â he says, sounding a lot more uncomfortable than he actually is.Â
âI mean, you donât have to,â Chan smiles warmly, âbut you can if you want to. Besides, we know both of you, so it would make sense.â
âIâm not sure weâre there yet,â Hyunjin admits, effectively shutting Chan up. He doesnât fail to notice the way his friend grimaces before giving him a sympathetic look, one that shows pity.Â
Are you there yet? Thatâs all he keeps thinking about that day and the next one, especially when you two go out to a club. Neither one of you goes out often, but you manage to convince Hyunjin to join you at this party your friend wants to go to.
âSheâll get drunk and dance all night and we can just slip out since more people are coming. Go to mine and fool around, huh?â you asked him back then, and that was enough for Hyunjin to say yes. Heâd never turn down the offer of fooling around with you.Â
Tonight, he kind of wishes he did, just because heâs surrounded by a bunch of women and youâre not exactly paying any attention to him. It might be the drinks, it might be that your friends donât even know you two are dating or the fact that random guys have been walking up to you all night. They all get turned down, sure, but Hyunjinâs confidence takes a hit every time he realizes another one is going to try to shoot his shot while heâs there, and heâs just acting like youâre friends and heâs okay with it.
The fact that Changbin is there with his friends just makes things worse for Hyunjin. He was expecting this to be your night, even though youâve told him itâs about your friend whoâs going through a breakup. âShe usually wants to be with us, but then she gets really drunk and parties. Those of us who donât want to party just go home at that point.â
Well, tonight, your friend doesnât seem âreally drunkâ at all. Sheâs dancing, but sheâs also talking to the rest of the group, which means you probably canât go home right now. Of course, Changbin doesnât know any of that, so he walks over to you first since youâre the first one out of the two he spots. Granted, itâs kind of hard to see Hyunjin, whoâs practically hiding in the booth, waiting for you to come get him when youâre ready to go home.
Changbin hugs you warmly, kissing your cheek while he talks and talks into your ear. Drunk, Hyunjin concludes. Everyone except him is drunk. Changbinâs hand lingers around your waist for a lot longer than anyone elseâs has tonight, including Hyunjin, which annoys him. Heâs not jealous of his friend or your friendshipâheâs just annoyed that he doesnât have the guts to get up and do the same as Changbin. You two are friends, too, right? So why is Hyunjin waiting for your instructions to come hug or kiss you when he could be doing that on his own?
He doesnât, though. Hyunjin just ends up watching you converse with Changbin for a little while until you clearly mention himâhis roommateâs head snaps in his direction. The next second, Changbin rushes over to Hyunjin and plops down on the seat next to him, giving his roommate a side hug.
âMy man, you look like youâre sitting in the doghouse,â he jokes. âEverything okay?â
âJust not drunk enough,â Hyunjin responds, not knowing what else to say. That is not a lieâhe is here because he hasnât had enough to drink. Otherwise, heâd be out there dancing with you.
âGo out there and have fun with the girls. Youâre the only guy whoâs gone out with this many women tonight, why not use it?â
Hyunjin canât imagine being the type of guy who walks into your circle of friends and starts dancing with each oneâitâs just not him. Changbin, on the other hand⊠Itâs definitely something his friend would shamelessly do and have tons of fun with it, and so would the women.
âI think Iâll pass.â
âOnly one woman you want to dance with, huh?â his roommate asks knowingly, to which Hyunjin can only nod. âI figured that was it.â
âYou did?â
When drunk, Changbin doesn't tease as much as he usually does. In fact, he turns into the type of person who wants to solve everyoneâs issues and encourage them. Luckily, thatâs exactly what Hyunjin needs tonight.Â
âI knew youâd fall for her,â Changbin leans in and lowers his voice. âNow that you have, why donât you tell her?â
âTell her?â Hyunjin repeats his words in horror. No way heâs telling you heâs crazy about you, not tonight, not anytime soon. Heâs horrified by the idea of you telling him heâs ruined the whole thing by catching feelings. âNo, I wonât do that. Not yet. Itâs not⊠Like that.â
âSuit yourself.â Changbin shrugs and sits up straight again. âI think you two could work.â
âY-you do?â Hyunjin hates how hopeful his question sounds as if he needs reassurance from anyone. Youâve slept with him. You kiss him and hug him and meet him whenever you can. Shouldnât that be enough? Why is there a part of him that wants more?
âYeah. A guy like me would butt heads with her all the time. You? Youâre mellow,â his roommate concludes with a grin, but the words arenât what Hyunjin was hoping to hear. Is that it? He wasnât a manly guy who ordered you around, who disagreed with you, who teased you, and thatâs why you liked him? Sounds terrible, in Hyunjinâs opinion. âBesides, she doesnât always bring dates around to hangouts with friends, and since youâre hereâŠâ
With that, Changbin pats Hyunjinâs shoulder and gets up. âIâm gonna go dance with the ladies since youâre not feeling like it.â
And dance he does, for what seems like an eternity. Theyâre all eating Changbin up, including you. Of course, you sneak glances his way and motion for Hyunjin to come over, but heâs not in the mood. Heâs not drunk enough to dance carelessly, so heâd just look out of place and your friends would think youâre dating a guy with a stick up his ass, if they would even think youâre dating at all. At this point, he looks like that cousin your mom made you take out with you whenever you went out with friendsâa boring outsider who doesnât put in the effort.
Encouraged by seeing Changbin be accepted into your little group, other men decide to join. Some stay for a while because theyâre not too pushy, others get turned down. Hyunjin catches a lot of them looking your way, trying to get closer to you, and feels angry, but itâs irrational. None of these people know about you two, except Changbin. Even if they did, people have every right to shoot their shot, especially when Hyunjin is sitting around doing nothing.
After another half an hour of him just sitting by the table drinking and talking to the friend that stops by to rest her feet for a couple of minutes, Hyunjin realizes youâre coming over and feels a bit lighter.
âIâm sorry, she didnât want to let me leave,â you tell him as you sit down right next to him, hand moving down to squeeze his thigh. âWhat is it, Jinnie? Bored?â
âAnnoyed,â he admits, glaring at another guy whoâs walking over straight to you.
Heâs seen you talk to this man for less than a minute earlier when you were dancing. The guy approached you from the back and started dancing against you, which made you turn around and give him a weird look. He said something, you said something back, and he left, seeming disappointed.
You turn around to see what Hyunjin is staring at and let out a loud sigh before glancing at Hyunjin. âJust great.â
âI thought you said you donât want to go sit down and have a drink,â the guy grunts at you, standing right next to your table and acting like you two know each other. Maybe you do, Hyunjin wouldn't know.Â
âI said I didnât want to do that with you,â you spit the words at him with a grin. Hyunjin admires how you can always find the right thing to say and how you never seem afraid to stand up for yourself.
âBut you want to do it with this guy?â The man glares at him like heâs the worst possible choice for you. In Hyunjinâs mind, this guy is everything you hate, so heâs not even worried about this insane tactic of his working.Â
âAbsolutely,â you admit without batting an eye. âYouâre kind of interrupting us.â
The man scoffs at you, glancing at Hyunjin again with a look of anger in his eyes. âWhatever. He didnât even put in any fucking effort.â
This comment makes you laugh loudly. âHe gives great head, though,â you tell the guy and giggle again, which makes Hyunjin chuckle and look to the side.
The man rolls his eyes at you and walks away, and you two are left laughing. âAnd thatâs why I have stopped going out.â
Hyunjin quickly retorts, âThatâs why I havenât even started going out in the first place.â
âYouâre the wiser one here, Hyunjin.â With a slight pat of his thigh, you cock your head to the side and smile at him. âWant to go back to mine?â
âYou sure?â
âYeah⊠I feel like you havenât been having fun tonight. Could it be because I havenât been paying that much attention to you?â
Hyunjin doesnât want to admit to it, but itâs completely true. The only reason heâs in a sour mood is because youâre making it all about your friend who invited you here, and heâs acting like an idiot.Â
âIâm sorry,â he apologizes instantly, looking down in shame for a second. Youâre onto him, and it would be stupid of him to pretend thatâs not why heâs acting like an idiot. âI just miss you.â
You lean in, moving your head to the side until your mouth is next to his ear. âMiss being in me?â
âAlways,â Hyunjin admits without thinking about it because thatâs true. He misses everything about you. âThat too.â
An hour later, he realizes heâs being punished for acting needy and getting jealous over you.Â
Heâs been naked in your bed for what seems like an eternity. Youâre naked, too, but heâs not inside of you, and Hyunjin is questioning whether he will be at all.
âYour goal tonight is not to come, not until I tell you to,â you say sweetly, hovering above his crotch. Hyunjin canât take his eyes off of you and heâs not even trying. Why would he, when youâre naked and aroused, nipples perking up with every touch you give him, crotch glistening with excitement? âCan you do that?â
âMhmâ, he hums in agreement and hopes to God you donât decide to ruin him tonight. If he comes too fast, Hyunjin might just cry after the fucked up night heâs had. âIâll do my best.â
âI know,â you coo, hand finding his cheek to rub. âYouâre always good for me.â
He nods, gulping loudly, wondering what you have in store for him. Back at the club, he felt so tired, but now his eyes are wide open, body shivering with excitement.Â
Youâve been grazing his skin with your fingernails gently, circling his nipples, pinching them, placing a kiss here and thereâon his rib cage, on his shoulder, on his hip, his inner thigh. Wherever you touch, you leave goosebumps and warmth in your wake, often a little bit of drool that makes him cool down when you move away, just getting his dick harder.Â
The pool of precum on his stomach right below the tip of his cock is embarrassing, but you seem to enjoy it. You dip the tip of your finger in it and bring it up to your mouth, sucking it in and humming. âDonât get too excited just yet, hmâŠâ
Itâs smart advice, but practically impossible for a guy like Hyunjin, especially when you move your knees back until youâre kneeling between his legs. Your hands slide up and down his thighs until you push them up so he has to prop them on his feet and keep them spread. Exposed is the word that comes to mind. Completely naked for you, spread out for you while you kneel there, propped up on your elbows as you just inspect.Â
âMaybe we should have a bit more fun tonight, hm?â you ask absentmindedly, your eyes focused on his red cock. âYou were good. But, a bit jealous. Didnât ask for what you want. So now youâre going to be good and ask for the things you want, wonât you?â
Hyunjin gulps and nods, focused on the way you lean in and plant a soft kiss to his inner thigh. The kiss is so warm and gentle it makes him shiver, cock twitching with excitement.Â
âWords, Jinnie,â you remind him when you remove your lips from his skin for just a second. Then, your mouth attaches to the soft skin of his inner thigh again, planting a warm, wet kiss on it. Then, another, a bit higher.Â
âY-yeah,â he clears his throat because of the voice crack, âI will.â
âGood,â you hum and continue kissing him. This time, you suck the skin into your mouth and run your tongue across it before sucking on it for a second or two. Then, you release and move to the next patch of this skin. His cock flaps up and lands in the small pool of precum with a sticky sound, and it makes Hyunjin clench.
You play with him for a long while, which is when it dawns on him that itâs all youâre going to do until he asks for more. Thatâs the whole point hereâto get Hyunjin to ask for the stuff he wants. Still, he canât. He lets you suck and kiss both his inner thighs, your fingers digging into the flesh and squeezing gently over and over again.Â
Then, you move up to his hips and waist, until you reach his nipples, which you pay special attention to. You flatten your tongue and lick over and over again until he bucks his hips up and crashes into your body, which is hovering over his.Â
You giggle, seemingly not minding. Slowly, you move on to the other nipple and give it the same treatment. When you reach his neck and suck on the sensitive skin there, Hyunjin finally whispers, âPlease.â Itâs tiny and barely audible, his body trembling with anticipation.
âPlease, what, baby?â you ask softly, nudging the side of his face with your forehead before planting a kiss on his collarbone. âWords.â
âTouch me,â he asks, sounding a bit more confident, his hands grabbing fistfuls of the sheet beneath him.Â
âBut I am,â you coo, fingers grazing up and down his chest, stopping right when theyâre about to reach his cock and moving up to his shoulder. âBeen touching you all this time. Kissing you, too.â
Instead of saying anything, Hyunjin takes your hand in his and leads it to his cock. When it makes contact with his erection, he grunts loudly, kicking his head back. âHere. Touch me here.â
âThought youâd never ask,â you say through a chuckle and dip your palm in his precum. Then, you rub it against his cock head before starting to jerk him off, slowly, gently, as if you two have all the time in the world.
âShit!â he grunts, hips bucking into your tight fist.Â
âLike that?â you ask, even if itâs clear heâs falling apart under you. Thatâs exactly what you likeâknowing you have him right where you want him, ready to do whatever you want.
âY-yeah,â Hyunjin exhales and looks at you just to find you looking right back at him.
âThis is all you want?â
âNo,â he admits, this time more confidently. âI want you to make me come and I want to make you come.â
Itâs easier to admit what he wants when youâre pleasuring him, when you look so aroused doing it, when he sees you rubbing your thighs together when you squeeze his dick, enjoying how hard it is for you.
âSo many wishes,â you whisper, getting up on your knees and planting a kiss on his lips. âYou can get whatever you want, Jinnie.â
âWhat do you want?â he grunts the question out because you squeeze the tip of his cock so hard he wants to blow right away.Â
âI want to make you beg,â you say the words so sweetly that Hyunjinâs head snaps up, eyes suddenly wide open. âYouâre so pretty when you struggle with words⊠And beg for me.â
âThen do it,â he challenges you, even though itâs not a challenge at all. A kiss here, a lick there, and heâll be beggingâyou both know it.
Hyunjin doesnât really know what heâs getting himself into, but he finds out soon when you lie down between his legs and start sucking on his balls, your palms pressing into the back of his thighs, pushing them up. Itâs the same position heâs in when he eats you out, and he feels exposed this way, but canât tell you to stop because he doesnât want you to. âFuck, thatâs good,â he mumbles at you when you fit both his balls into your mouth and suck on them. âFuck!â
And then, you suddenly stop. You donât move away, though. Your mouth is right next to his balls, and your eyes are looking up at him. âKeep going, please,â Hyunjin shamelessly begs.
You hum against his balls, giving your approval before sucking his balls into your mouth. Once again, heâs engulfed with the warmth of your mouth. You continue pushing them out of your mouth and then back in, drool spilling out of your mouth, over your chin, and onto the mattress below. When you finally let his balls fall out of your mouth, Hyunjin is panting and sweating, cock twitching on its own against his skin, desperate for your touch. âI should have known youâd like me playing with your balls this much.â
Heâs about to tell you that you should have or that he doesâheâs not even sure himselfâwhen you swipe your tongue over his perineum, making him see stars. What? How did no one ever tell him that feels so good? You look up at him with both eyebrows cocked up and wait for Hyunjin to say something. âAh⊠More. Please.â
Is he being good enough for you? He sure hopes so, even though he forgets the rules, forgets to talk to you, forgets to ask nicely. All Hyunjin wants to do is make you feel good and happy with him enough to want to keep him around. When your raspy tongue licks the skin below his ballsack again, he forgets everything else and focuses solely on the gentle swipes of your wet and warm muscle against the part of him no oneâs ever even touched before, let alone licked.Â
âSound so good when you moan like that,â you tell him when he moans your name so loud your neighbors can probably hear. With that, you move your tongue away from his perineum.
Hyunjin almost protests, deciding to beg for you to continue licking him there, but then you press your mouth against the same spot and kiss it gently, as if you are kissing his lips. This gentleness makes his hips snap up, back arching into your touch, legs opening even wider. âOh my GodâŠâ Hyunjin grunts, fighting the urge to tug at his cock just once to get rid of some of the pressure he feels.
âGood?â you ask with a chuckle, even though you can tell heâs falling apart. While you wait for him to respond, you attach your mouth to his skin again and suckle on it gently.Â
âF-feels so good, so so good,â Hyunjin mumbles incoherently because you are pushing your tongue against the patch of skin just like he does against your clit. It makes his insides feel perfect, his prostate instantly reacting to the hard swipes of your tongue. âOh my Godââ
âI knew youâd sound perfect,â you say when you pull away from him to get some air, drool smeared all around your lips. Hyunjin thinks itâs the prettiest youâve ever looked, lust written all over your pretty face. âCan I eat you out, Jinnie?â
âEatâuh, y-yeah. Iâve, Iâve never done that,â he informs you quickly, breathing getting even heavier when he realizes what youâre about to do to him. Hyunjin is a bit terrified of something so new, but at the same time, he wants you to do whatever you want to him. If that includes your tongue on his rim, so be itâheâs sure youâll make it feel perfect.Â
âI know, baby,â you coo, hands gently rubbing the back of his thighs, which are still up in the air. âIâll be gentle, okay? You have to talk to me, though⊠If you donât like it, say that and weâre stopping. If you want more or less of something, say it.â
âI will,â Hyunjin says with a nod, but you donât seem to trust him, judging by the way you cock an eyebrow up.
âI mean it,â you say and kiss his thigh, your eyes focused on his. âItâs important. You have to speak to me or Iâll stop.â
âI promise,â he says, nodding once again for good measure.
And then, the fun starts, and Hyunjinâs cock feels like itâs about to explode. You spit on his hole when you lean in, and the feeling of warm saliva dripping over it makes him groan and clench. âStop me if you donât like it, Hyunjin,â you say in all seriousness before you attach your mouth onto his asshole, and it takes all the willpower he has to stop himself from screaming.
How can a tongue feel this good? Thatâs all thatâs on his mind as you tease his hole with the tip of your tongue, letting him get adjusted to the feeling. He hums gently, spreading your legs even wider, but you still insist, âHow is it?â
âGood, good,â he says, voice hoarse, eyes closed shut. Fuck, itâs perfect. He has to remind himself to keep talking to you unless he wants you to stop. Thatâs the last thing Hyunjin wants. He thought this would be a normal thing, nothing too exciting, nothing that makes him want to blow his load, but he was wrong. âPerfect.â
âGood,â you hum and flatten your tongue before you start licking his hole, up and down. With every swipe of your muscle, Hyunjin relaxes a bit more, allowing you better access, more room for your tongue to touch, his cock rock hard.
None of his friends talk to him about rimming, which is why he wasnât aware it was this good. People are really missing out on a lot. He was missing out on a lot before he got together with you. Itâs a vulnerable position to be in, his knees up to his chest, feet dangling in the air, his crotch exposed to your looks and touches, but Hyunjin trusts you completely, which is why lets you do whatever you want.Â
Youâre there to make him feel good, just like he is for you. You hum questioningly, reminding him of your deal. âFuck, it feels really good,â he says instantly through gritted teeth. âDidnât, ah, didnât know it was⊠Fuck⊠Youâre so good.â
You hum and continue licking, now spreading your lips around the hole and pushing your flattened tongue against it, which feels so warm and good Hyunjin groans your name, hips bucking into you. âLike getting your ass played with?â you ask when you move away for a second.
Hyunjin canât see you, but he can bet you have a cocky smirk on your face, as you should. Every time heâs with you, you manage to show and teach him something new, something heâd never tried before. At the same time, he loves all of it. âI guess I do,â he admits, sighing, his ass clenching in expectation of your next move.Â
âI thought you might,â you admit, kissing his ass cheek gently. âI could go down on you all day.â
âFuck!â Hyunjin doesnât have anything else to say to that other than to start begging you to do just that, but itâs not his goal. He wants to be in you tonight, wants to make you feel good, wants you to come for him.Â
And then, you go in again, giving him hard swipes, gentle sucks, all of which make his cock twitch against his stomach, precum leaking once again. When he feels your tongue gently push its way past the tight ring of muscles, Hyunjin clenches. The soft rubbing motions youâre making against his cheeks get him to relax, which is when you push the tip of your tongue in again and start humming. It sounds wet and messy, and Hyunjinâs balls tighten uncontrollably, pleasure starting to release.
So, he warns you heâs coming, but you donât pull away. If it happens, relax and enjoy itâthatâs what you said. So, itâs exactly what Hyunjin does. He lets himself go while enjoying the way your tongue prods into his ass, your mouth keeping it all warm, fingers digging into his skin. The orgasm is the strongest one heâs had, topped only by the one he had while inside of you without a condom. Itâs a different type of orgasm, one that comes straight from his gut, one that washes over his entire body, causing it to twitch while Hyunjin hears static and sees white, even though his eyes are closed.
When his cock is done spurting cum all over his chest, you move away, planting soft kisses on his inner thighs before pushing yourself up on your knees and easing both of his thighs onto the mattress. You do it so gently Hyunjin barely feels it, especially since waves of pleasure are still shooting through him.Â
âGood, Jinnie?â you ask even though it's quite evident heâs fallen apart under your tongue and he can't even catch his breath.
âP-perfect,â he mumbles, finally opening his eyes. âYouâre so good at everything. Want to be with you all the fucking time⊠Make me feel amazing.â
Hyunjin means every single word of it and he hopes you know heâs not just saying it because youâve given him one of the most intense orgasms ever. He means itâhe loves being with you.
You chuckle, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. âSo easy to make you come, Jinnie⊠Itâs cute.â
âIâm sorry, so fast,â he mumbles, eyes still closed as he tries to calm his breathing down and stop his thighs and ass from clenching. Itâs pathetic.
Your palm lands on his balls with a light smack, one that makes his hips buck up and makes him groan. âBut you failed your mission, even if you looked and sounded amazing doing it.â
âIâm sorry,â he apologizes again, feeling shame rush over him. He did promise you he wouldnât come until you told him to, and here he was, gushing cum because you ate his ass. He was sure you could have gone on for a long while and done even more, but he blew so quickly due to his inexperience. Embarrassing.
Still, you donât seem to mind. In fact, you let him go down on you, melding into his touch, allowing Hyunjin to finger you open while his tongue pushes against your clit. He makes you come twice, feeling so happy with himself he could burst. By the time heâs done with you, youâre both too tired to have sex, sleep taking over you.Â
Sex doesnât even matter, not to Hyunjin, not when he gets to stay the night and be the big spoon, keep you in place, and plant kisses on your neck and hair, hoping you feel the same way he does. Hope springs eternal, after all.
if you want to support my writing, you can buy me a coffee here and let me know what you think about it here. thank you! âĄ
At the beginning of this chapter, he just proves to himself that if he allows himself to get lost in the passion of the moment, he doesnât doubt taking control of their advantages,
Her reaction to him confessing to having feelings for her beyond when they sleep together and have dates is interesting â although they had entered the relationship with a somewhat agreement in helping him in the bedroom, she voiced wanting to go serious romantically before they even made that arrangement. She is perhaps very overwhelmed with her own emotions towards him and she isnât used to linking sex with emotions, another reason for their relationship.
She isnât used to not controlling the situation, evident in her taking over in the bedroom again once they both awkwardly avoided the conversation about their feelings.
When Hyunjin does get into his own head, at least theyâre able to communicate through it he doesnât just shut down and wallow in self-pity.
This poor man is falling hard for her, even more, so once getting to know her on a deeper level than his fantasies. So much so that it takes Changbin of all people to tell him to grow confidence and show her how deeply he feels and officially define their relationship outside the bedroom.
He was craving her undivided attention all night but doubt he expect it to manifest in her punishing him by using his own pleasure against him in the best possible way.
âSex doesnât even matter, not to Hyunjinâ, I love how the story has grown bigger than how self-conscious he was about his sexual experience and thatâs due to her and his genuine feelings that have grown.
a heart. a wound. a black hole. ( ìŽëȘ ì ë¶ì ì€ ) series masterlist.
{ 18+ only. minors/ageless/blank blogs DNI ⥠masterlist }
pairing: hyunjin x (afab) reader | genre: soulmate au, romance with smut | warnings: This work deals with potentially heavy themes. angst, use of recreational drugs, alcoholism, bad parenting (hj receiving), traveling/roadtrip/camping. loss of a parent (reader). themes of jealousy, mutual pining and complicated feelings. mentions of suicidal ideation. Explicit sexual content, adult themes and smut. (18+ only).
Summary: ( An unexpected event nudges you out of your routine, compelling you to follow your instincts for once ) Fate is a red ribbon, a blue sky, or the song of a bird that's more a ghost than a living creature. You meet fate and it has many names. You meet fate and it changes you. Masterlist under the cut.
ââseries masterlist. đ š
(* not all chapters contain full smut scenes but all chapters are meant for adult audiences only. )
àŒ¶ Prologue: Not quantum physics.
àŒ¶ Chapter one â Salt Lake City.
àŒ¶ Chapter two â Las Vegas.
àŒ¶ Chapter three â ( title tbr )
âș the exact number of chapters has not yet been determined!
