a master post of (almost) all the fics I've read and enjoyed on here for you all to check out. go show some love to the creators!
✨ are all-time favorites. will be updated for ongoing fics and whenever I find new ones.
most of this is 18+ so please be aware of that.
a note for the authors of these fics; if you're reading this, if possible, please lmk if you've changed your @, otherwise it'll be impossible to find these fics again. thanks so much!! <3
also, click here for smau fic recs!
i had to split this up cause the links were getting too much, so click here for the solo member fic recs!
OT8/Multiple Members
✨Into The Aurora by @honeyhotteoks
series, completed, 35 chapters, idol!OT8 x reader, 18+
✨Hotel California by @mint-yooxgi
series, completed, 27 chapters, OT8 x reader, 18+
✨Mists of Celeste by @hongism
series, ongoing, chapter 49/?, ? x reader, 18+
✨not all that glitters is gold by @the7thcrow
series, ongoing, chapter 10/?, hwa x san x woo x reader
✨Pirate King by @chaseatinydream
series, completed, hongjoong x reader, wooyoung x reader
room for three by @honeyhotteoks
series, completed, chapter 5/5, seonghwa x yunho x reader, 18+
✨The Answer on AO3 and also on tumblr by @berryunho
series, ongoing, chapter 29/?, mingi x reader, hongjoong x reader, san x reader, seonghwa x reader
bloodline on AO3
series, ongoing, chapter 18/?, ? x reader
just between friends by @honeyhotteoks
oneshot, yunho x reader x mingi, 15.8k words, 18+
pick a card by @destiny-fics
series, completed, 10 chapters, OT8 x reader, 18+
✨like the moon by @sunmoonjune
series, ongoing, chapter 17/?, OT8 x reader
dewdrops at dawn by @sunmoonjune
oneshot, OT8 x reader, 17.2k words
panini by @smileysuh
oneshot, yunho x reader x mingi, 11.8k words, 18+
8th Grade by @smileysuh
oneshot, yunho x reader x mingi, 8.9k words, 18+
bingo by @milfgyuu
oneshot, wooyoung x reader x yunho, 18+
✨starring role by @nonclassyparty
series, completed, chapter 11/11, san x reader, mingi x reader, 18+
✨subtle variations of heartbreak by @nonclassyparty
miniseries, completed, 9 chapters
✨in love and lore by @shadowynn
series, ongoing, chapter 11/?, OT8 x reader
✨to tempt fate by @mint-yooxgi
series, ongoing, chapter 8/?, OT8 x reader
✨paradise gardens by @mint-yooxgi
series, ongoing, chapter 13/?, OT8 x reader, 18+
✨morning mist by @mint-yooxgi
series, ongoing, chapter 14/?, OT8 x reader
✨the paradigm complex by @shadowynn
series, ongoing, chapter 4/?, OT8 x reader
✨this night together by @honeyhotteoks
series, ongoing, chapter 9/?, yunho x reader x mingi, a/b/o, 18+
one day at a time by @sorryimananti-romantic
oneshot, 18.5k words, seonghwa x reader, yunho x reader
devil’s landing by @efelixer
series, ongoing, chapter 12/?, ? x reader
oh my *** by @ohmyamor
oneshot, ot8 x reade, 10.2k words
✨unconventional first encounters with ateez by @bluehwale
headcanon (i love this)
compromise by @cyberpxnk
oneshot, 11k words, yunho x reader x seonghwa, 18+
pairing: non-idol!svt x gn!reader [branches into individual parts]
genre: romance. darl+ing inspired au (peter pan-esque in ways). fantasy, slightly (there’s implications of magic). [future genres to be added]
release date: 07/03/2022 – 7/26/2023
warnings: amnesiac reader + non-idol!svt has missing memories. food mentions. lots of skinship. heavily implied that reader + svt are the only people left in the world.
summary:
It all starts when you wake up in a field without a name or any memories to define yourself with. Thirteen men take you in as one of their own, and slowly you begin to wonder what is going on within this world… and between you and one of them.
When soulmates are suddenly thrust upon the world, you are one in a million who wishes they weren't -- and that's before you meet the person (people?!) making your life much harder than it needs to be. And before someone asks you to sign an NDA.
genres: comedy disguised as romance and romance disguised as comedy, soulmate au, technically an alternate universe but they're still idols, fluff, angst?, short chapters
relationship(s): SVT ot13 x reader
warnings: 18+ (there will be no smut but perhaps suggestive parts and multiple references to/jokes about sex and I honestly just don't feel comfy with minors reading my writing of that stuff sorry). coarse language. everybody's a little bit very stupid. individual chapters will have their own warnings
01 "you are not alone"
02 "fuck you and your interview"
03 "this day will make the you of tomorrow"
04 "it won't make sense"
05 "trust no one"
interlude i
06 "take it slow"
07 "bro, chill"
chapter 08 status: tbd
have a question about atus updates? check the frequently asked questions tag first please!
new chapters are not on a schedule nor guaranteed. there will be no taglist. thank you for reading!
synopsis : people say that you’ll experience three kinds of love in your lifetime. the first is an idealistic love, the kind that feels straight out of a fairy tale. the second is the hard love, the kind that will leave you with lessons about yourself and the love you want and need to experience. finally, the love you never see coming. this is the story of your three loves.
pairing : svt 97 line x gn!reader
notes : non-idol au, coming of age, angst, fluff, my attempts at humor
will probably contain : food mentions, suggestive humor / content
taglist : open ! send an ask or reply to this post <3
when your roommate quits his job at the coffee shop you frequent you never imagined the new guy would be hot or even your type. to make matters worse you both study law at the same university.
your friends to try to convince you to get together with him. you try to convince them you just find him really nice… but are you able to convince yourself?
SYNOPSIS ⤏ you're trying to peacefully build your starter house on the empires server when your neighbor so rudely (accidentally) kills you, starting the biggest war on the server just one day in.
PARING ⤏ idol!jung yunho x streamer!fem reader
GENRE ⤏ smau, rom-com, fluff, "enemies" to friends to lovers
FEATURING ⤏ ateez, txt, aespa, and sungchan from riize
FACECLAIM ⤏ faceclaim for y/n purely for picture purposes!! (@ sullendin on ig)
WARNINGS ⤏ swearing, a lot of dnd/bg3 references, pls ignore timestamps 💔, mentions of minecraft alliances, wars, and deaths, sexual and kms/kys jokes
STARTED ⤏ 8/21/2024
STATUS ⤏ ongoing ♡
NOTE ⤏ i've been so obsessed with minecraft youtubers lately 💀 so i decided to do a fun little story inspired by the empires smp that ldshadowlady and her friends did awhile back!
Pairing: Ateez X Reader (Focus on Yeosang, Yunho, San, and Mingi)
Words: 10,500
Warnings: Mentions of past trauma and bullying: past suicidal thoughts mentioned, and mention of a lack of self worth, OC runs into an old 'friend' near the beginning, I think that's it honestly. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.
A/n: So, I decided to split this part into two since I feel it makes the story flow better. I'm happy where I ended it, and I really hope you all look forward to the next few parts! There's quite a lot of story coming your way hehehe As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~
Also, gentle reminder that I don’t do tag lists.
Mini Masterlist - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten - Part Eleven - Part Twelve
There’s a fond look in your eyes as you stand by yourself in front of the large window overlooking the newborns sleeping soundly before you. The hospital is quiet, given how early in the morning it is, a few staff walking behind you every now and then. Still, you cannot help but watch over little Elijah, even now, ensuring that nothing happens to him while his mother rests with his father in her hospital room.
Born a little over eight hours ago, well into the night, he sleeps soundly. A week late, weighing in at a healthy eight pounds, eleven ounces, they keep him wrapped up while Crystal recovers from giving birth the night before.
When you had gotten the call yesterday, you immediately rushed to the hospital with Seonghwa and the others. You met your parents here, waiting as long as you could before being sent home. Having wanted as natural a birth as possible, Crystal had been in for a long night.
Much to your content, you discovered Elijah had been born in the early hours of the morning, and had already been checked over for any ailments that might affect him after birth. He had none, and is perfectly healthy according to all of the doctors. A fact which makes you, and all of your family, happy beyond belief.
Currently, Vasco is with Crystal, staying with her after recovery while Elijah sleeps. San has went to grab you both coffees with Mingi, who you asked to stop by and check up on Crystal for you on the way to the café. You want to make sure that she’s fairing well while you check up on your baby nephew for the first time.
The other guys stayed home, per your request. Of course, a few of them had protested at that - Wooyoung, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong - considering you all don’t know what Malik or Dimitri’s next moves are. However, at your assurance, they backed off. Besides, you have both Mingi and San here with you, and you highly doubt you would be attacked in a hospital.
Still, you’re on high alert. Just in case.
Looking over little Elijah once more as he sleeps, you notice a figure come to stand beside you out of the corner of your eyes. He’s tall, but not as tall as Yunho, with dirty blond hair. He looks familiar, but you don’t pay him much mind. You just wish he’d stop glancing at you every few seconds.
The soft call of your name startles you, and you finally turn to get a good look at the man standing beside you. His blue eyes are hauntingly familiar.
“Hi, Jake.” You give him a small, albeit tight smile.
“I thought it was you, but I wasn’t sure.” He smiles lightly back. “I haven’t seen you since elementary school. How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been well.” You reply softly. “Yourself?”
“Never better,” his eyes crinkle slightly as he turns back to observe the sleeping infants before you. “Is one of them yours?”
He holds a paper coffee cup in his hand, using it to motion before him along the line of babies.
“Oh. No.” You shake your head. “Just a proud aunt watching over her nephew.”
The corner of your lips twitches upwards as you motion to Elijah sleeping soundly before you.
A moment of silence as you cradle your elbows in your hands, almost to the point of curling in on yourself. You clear your throat. “You?”
A brilliant smile lights up his features, his eyes crinkling at the sides as his chest puffs out slightly in pride. He nods in the direction of two girls sleeping side by side. “My wife just had a twins.”
“Oh.” You meet his gaze briefly, offering him a small smile. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” He grins widely, ruffling his hair which already seems quite disheveled. “It would have been your sister, right?”
You blink, pulled out of your own thoughts for the moment. “I’m sorry?”
“Your sister who had the baby,” he motions lightly to Elijah with his cup again. “If I remember correctly.”
“Oh, uh, yeah.” You clear your throat once more. “It was her.”
“Tell her congratulations for me.” He nods.
You swallow the dryness in your throat, shifting from foot to foot. “I will. Thank you.”
You don’t think you’ve ever had an encounter where you’ve felt more awkward in your life. Sure, you could brush up against Mingi’s, or even San’s mental links right now, but it’s not like you’re in danger. You’re just more uncomfortable than anything at the moment, given everything he did to you when you were younger.
“Actually, it must be pure luck that we ran into each other today.” This time, Jake clears his throat, somewhat nervously.
You hum in response, shifting the slightest bit further from him without arousing suspicion.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the past lately, and it just reminded me that I never apologized to you.”
His statement catches you so off guard, that your hands end up falling to your sides.
“I was a huge asshole to you when we were younger, and I don’t know how much this will mean to you now, but I’m sorry. I wasn’t happy when I was a kid, and I felt you were an easy target to take that out on. I was always jealous of you, and I let that and my anger control my actions. That was not right.” He says, no longer looking towards you, but down at his hands with that coffee cup held in them for dear life. “I regret getting my friends involved to torment you, too. The feeling of them listening to me gave me a sense of power I felt I lacked in my life, and you were the unfortunate victim.”
You swear you’ve stopped breathing, whole body feeling numb as you refuse to so much as look in his direction. Jake was one of the ones who tormented you so much when you were younger, and gave you all of those self doubts, as well as an incredible amount of self hatred. One of the ones who made you believe you were worthless, ugly, and unlovable.
The worst part: he started out as one of your closest friends, too. A close friend who you had cherished above all else, just as you do with all the people you care about.
A worried call of your name greets your ears, and you turn to see San standing to your opposite side, a cup of coffee held in each of his hands. Mingi is nowhere in sight.
There is no hiding the narrowed eyed look San sends Jake’s way as the former comes to stand beside you. He places the cup of coffee in your hand gently before immediately wrapping his now free arm around your waist. Almost instantly, he pulls you into his side.
“You don’t have to forgive me.” Jake continues, and you feel San’s grip around your waist tighten. “It’s been years, and I would understand if you never did. What I did was vile, and inexcusable. Just know, that I am sorry, and I regret it all.” He swallows thickly. “I just thought you should know.”
With a firm nod in acknowledgement towards San, and without another word spoken, Jake takes his leave.
Your eyes follow after him down the hall, watching as he retreats around a corner and out of sight. You don’t even notice Mingi has come to join you until you hear his voice speaking to you.
“Who was that?” There’s a hint of a growl to his words, him taking note of the distressed state you seem to be in at the moment.
You inhale sharply, as if suddenly coming back to the reality before you.
“Starlight?” Immediately, worry takes over Mingi’s features as he looks at you.
Beside you, you can feel San physically trembling.
“Baby,” his voice is low in attempts to control his building anger, “What did he do to you?”
You shake your head, blinking a few times blankly. “Nothing.”
“Then, why was he apologizing to you?” Mingi’s brow furrows, stepping in front of you in order to gently grasp your hands still holding onto that cup in his own.
“That was Jake.” You blink, head still reeling at this turn of events. “He- he-“ You take a deep breath in to steady your nerves. “He was my friend. Once.”
The two males share a look.
“You don’t look like you’ve just been chatting up an old friend.” San glares off in the direction Jake had walked off in, as if he can still see the male behind the walls of the hospital.
“He was my friend,” you repeat, pursing your lips for only a moment, “before he started bullying me.”
You swear that were you not in a public place, both males would have let growls escape them.
“He made me feel worthless, and pathetic.” Your gaze is somewhat blank, as if recalling memories from your childhood that you have long since kept hidden. “I can’t count the amount of times he told me I was ugly.” You swallow. “And fat. And stupid. And that I would never amount to anything. That no one would ever care for me, so I should just runaway and die.”
You swear you see San’s eyes flash in the reflection of the glass beside Mingi’s head.
“He got his friends involved, and it was like a game to them who could berate me the most.” You don’t know how you’re still standing, or how you’ve managed to quell your building emotions for the time being, but you do. “He told me to kill myself more times than I can remember.”
You look down at that cup of coffee in your hands, finally taking note of Mingi still gently holding onto you. The way they both have trouble breathing, chests heaving with each breath, you just know that they’re both barely containing their anger for the moment.
“I told you once before how people would pretend to like me as a joke,” you exhale shakily, and you hear the faintest of growls come from the man still holding you to his side. “I wish I could say I saw through it every time, but sometimes having a crush can blind you.”
San nearly drops the cup of coffee in his hand. “You liked him?”
“I mentioned we started off as friends, no?” Your lips twitch upwards sadly. “I think that’s what made what he did worse. I let so many things slide because I just wanted his attention. It’s something I’ve always done. With him though, any attention was good attention to me. It didn’t take long for it to change. His younger brother always was rude to me from the start, but then he started in on the ‘fun’, too.”
This time, there’s no mistaking when Mingi’s eyes flash black right before you.
Quickly, you scan the hallway to ensure it’s still empty.
It is.
“He never apologized, or even acknowledged what he did to me before. He always denied it when confronted about it, too.” Your grip tightens slightly around that cup in your hands. “Until now.”
Raising a shaky hand to your cheek, Mingi cups your face tenderly in his palm. Gently, his thumb strokes over your skin, and you can feel the barely contained rage in his touch despite how delicately he holds onto you.
“We should tear him apart for what he did to you.” Mingi keeps his voice surprisingly low and steady. His Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. “He doesn’t deserve to live.”
A low growl of agreement sounds from San.
Almost instantly, you’re shaking your head. “No.”
“What do you mean, ‘no’?” San asks, pulling away from you in shock as he begins pacing in front of both you and Mingi in that little space between where you stand and the wall.
“He’s not worth it.” You reach out, and instantly San has his free hand in yours. “I never expected to run into him after all these years, least of all for him to apologize as soon as I did.”
“Are you-“ Mingi takes the time to study your features closely, gently guiding your gaze back to his. “Are you okay?”
“Shocked.” You blink a few times in response. “Attempting to process things for the moment, but I think I’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?” San steps in closer, nothing but worry etched into his brow.
“Yeah.” You meet his gaze. “I don’t know, it’s almost… freeing in a sense.” You swallow. “It’s almost like getting a sense of closure I never knew I needed.”
Instantly, the two males seem to relax the slightest bit from your words.
“He seemed genuine when he spoke to you.” San adds softly, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Besides, I’m sure our dear Sannie here would have torn him apart in an instant if he sensed any malicious or deceitful thoughts towards you.” Mingi finally drops his hands, turning to glance off in the direction Jake went off in. “I know I would have.”
“You’re damn right I would have.” San hums in agreement.
A soft laugh escapes you. “That I do know.”
They offer you small smiles in response, an affectionate gleam to their eyes.
“His wife just had twins.” You motion to the two baby girls wrapped up in blankets near Elijah with your chin.
They spare a brief look in their direction before shifting their focus onto Elijah. Almost instantaneously, Elijah stretches in his sleep, a tiny yawn escaping him as he shifts his position.
You coo lovingly down at your little nephew.
“He’s perfectly healthy, as far as we, and all of the doctors can tell.” San is beside you once more, his arm wrapped securely around your waist.
“And Crystal?” You spare a glance at Mingi.
“A little tired, but recovering just fine.” He smiles at you in response. “I checked her over like you asked.”
“Good.” A soft smile pulls at your lips. “I’m glad.”
Slowly, the three of you begin making your way back down the hallway and towards the room Crystal is in. You plan to spend some time with her before heading back for the day, and getting some more training done with Yunho and Yeosang.
You’re almost at a point where you can start learning the basics of a few weapons, and you’re getting quite excited. Wooyoung is more than ready to start teaching you about different poisons, and he’s often hinted at certain plants which have high toxicity levels. For now, he’s still letting you have some space, not wanting to give you any ‘ideas’ for the next time he gets overtly clingy.
Not that you would poison him.
Similarly, Yunho has been helping you hone your mind, strengthening it before the inevitable happens once you become like them.
Once you become like them.
There’s a thought that has been crossing your mind more often than not lately. You know that they mentioned that it would consist of the merging of souls in a way - you give them a piece of your soul while they give you a piece of theirs in exchange - but you’re still not entirely sure what that entails. You’ve been meaning to ask, only, you haven’t found the proper time to do so.
Perhaps you’ll bring it up again, soon.
For now, you’ll focus on joking around and making your sister smile as you sit beside her hospital bed. Vasco managed to pass out in the one chair in the time it took for Mingi to come find both you and San, but you don’t hold it against him. The man has been up all night with his wife.
After about an hour, you notice Crystal starting to drift off to sleep, too, so you bid her a fond farewell for now. With a big hug and a kiss from you, you tell her to get as much rest as she can, and that you’ll be around to visit again soon.
The whole car ride back home is quiet. Both Mingi and San attempt to engage you in conversation, only for you to reply with small, one word answers. That is, if you don’t just hum in response. Your mind is clearly elsewhere, and worry furrows their brows as they watch you almost subconsciously drive home.
You seem distracted, and it’s enough to have the others observing you carefully as you walk through the house. The quiet is unusual for you after visiting your sister, and though you don’t appear angry, or upset, it’s quite unsettling.
Of course, it takes no time for both Mingi and San to be sharing what happened with the others.
Why am I suddenly getting flashbacks to that worm we disposed of all those months ago? Wooyoung nearly growls out in all of their heads.
Believe me, Hongjoong sighs. You’re not the only one.
So, why aren’t we doing that to this one right now? Perhaps even something worse?Jongho quirks a brow while staring down at the pages of his book.
She told us not to. Mingi replies. Said he wasn’t worth it.
But he hurt her. This time, it’s Seonghwa who responds. None of his brothers need to see him to know that he wears a frown on his features currently.
An expression mirrored by more than just one male.
She said it happened a long time ago. San adds. We don’t know the full details, just what she’s told us.
And that should have been enough to at least torment the fellow. Yunho says, as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.
I don’t know, guys. Mingi sighs. She told us that she felt as if it was almost freeing in a sense for him to apologize after all these years. You know I’m all for eviscerating anyone that harms her, but if she says not to, I think we should listen to her.
We’re lucky she hasn’t found out about Calum, yet. Yeosang chimes in, an almost knowing hum to his words.
And she never will. Hongjoong confirms. Just like she doesn’t have to know about this ‘Jake’ guy.
His wife just had twins, Hongjoong. San states, rather firmly. Besides, do you really want to disobey Our Queen’s wishes like that so easily?
A moment of silence settles over all of them as San’s words sink in.
San’s right. Seonghwa finally breaks the building tension. We don’t purposely orphan children, or widow spouses. Nor should we go against her wishes.
Boo! You guys are no fun. They can all practically hear the pout in Wooyoung’s voice as he says this.
I suppose the circumstances were a lot different last time. Jongho sighs.
We could still torment him mentally. Yunho suggests casually.
Oh, I’m all for this! Wooyoung exclaims excitedly. I could mildly poison him. Make it a hindrance to his daily life for a week or so.
All fun ideas, Yeosang hums. But I think you’re all forgetting one important detail.
At his brother’s inquisitive silence, Yeosang is quick to continue.
She said, ‘no’.
“Is everything okay?” The sound of your voice, somewhat worried and soft, draws both Yunho and Yeosang out of their mental conversation with their brothers for the moment.
“Of course, Petal.” Yunho smiles at you. “We’re just worried about you, is all.”
“Me?” You quirk a brow in surprise.
“You seem distracted.” Yeosang tilts his head to the side slightly, almost curiously.
“You two have been standing to the side frowning like you can’t decide between cheddar or parmesan cheese for the past ten minutes.” You huff out a laugh. “If anyone’s distracted, it’s you.”
“We’re waiting for you to finish stretching.” Yeosang answers, attempting some form of causality.
“I finished stretching and doing some warm up exercises ten minutes ago.” You deadpan.
“Oh.”
That seems to shut them up for a good thirty seconds.
“So then, what would you like to work on today, Petal?” Yunho is quick to change the subject.
Immediately, you begin vibrating in excitement, grinning widely as your eyes shine.
“Let’s finalize your hand-to-hand combat training first before we pull out the knives.” Yunho chuckles.
A dramatic pout pulls onto your features and Yeosang elbows Yunho quite pointedly in the ribs.
“Don’t worry, My Dear, we’ll let you try some weapons later today.” Yeosang assures you.
Almost instantly, your mood perks up, and both of them are smiling fondly at you.
“I take it I won’t actually get any pointy objects to start.” You quirk a brow playfully.
The two males share a look before Yunho is shrugging. “If that’s what you want.”
“We may be overprotective, Dearest, but we’re not unreasonable.” Yeosang replies. “If any incidents occur, we can just heal you.”
“Or us.” Yunho adds at seeing your expression of disbelief.
A subtle nod of your head in amusement is all he gets in response.
“You’ve been working on building your strength with Mingi and San, correct?” Yunho is quick to ask, walking over to the sparring mats to your left.
A nod is all the confirmation he gets.
“Alright then, Dearest,” Yeosang smiles, moving over beside his brother before meeting your gaze. “Show us what you’ve got.”
“Are you suggesting I take the both of you at the same time?” You quirk a brow teasingly as you step onto the mats.
The low growls you receive in response are all the confirmation you get that they’ve taken the comment in a different way than what you originally insinuated.
“Keep thinking like that, I’ll easily distract the both of you.” You chuckle, a sultry pull to the corner of your lips.
“We can’t help it, Dearest,” Yeosang sighs, almost wistfully. “You have a habit of dropping the most interesting thoughts into our minds at the best of times.”
“Not the worst?” Your brows flick upwards suggestively.
“Sometimes.” Yunho chuckles, and at the way your mouth falls open in mock offence, he’s quick to add, “I never said it was a bad thing, Petal.”
“It’s just a little more difficult to…” Yeosang searches for the right word, “concentrate on the battlefield with certain additions to our physique.”
“Yes, I can quite imagine how painful it is to fight when you’re hard.” You grin, huffing out a small laugh.
“It’s certainly not the most comfortable thing.” Yeosang nods in agreement.
“You speak as if you have experience with this sort of thing,” Your eyebrows raise, amusement shining behind your eyes.
When both of them shrug, you cannot help the boisterous laugh that escapes you.
“I’d say Captain has the most, though.” Yunho adds, seemingly nonchalantly. “He can get intense on the battlefield. In more than one way.”
“Oh?” This piques your interest. “Then, I look forward to it.”
The way they both blink at you in mild shock has you giggling.
“What? Surprised it doesn’t phase me that much anymore?” You tilt your head curiously.
“A little bit,” Yunho blinks, loosening his stance in preparation to fight you.
“A girl has her fantasies.” This time, it’s your turn to shrug.
Two low growls greet your ears, the faintest tint of black darkening their eyes.
“Care to share, Dearest?” Yeosang begins stalking towards you slowly, like a predator would its prey.
You immediately begin countering his every move, watching Yunho carefully out of the corner of your eyes. “Perhaps I’ll just show you.”
His breath hitches, and you strike.
For the next forty minutes, the three of you spar together on the mats. A few times, you manage to pin one of them, only for the other to knock you right off your balance. You’ve only ever sparred with one partner before, besides last week when Jongho and Mingi decided to challenge you further. So, taking on multiple of them at a time requires even more quick maneuvers and thinking on your part, but you’re starting to recognize a pattern to their attacks.
You’re not sure if they’re doing it on purpose, or if they’re aware of it or not, but Yunho seems to be the one to observe the scene before moving, and only when it looks like Yeosang has created an opening for him to get through. That, or when you’ve managed to subdue Yeosang for the moment.
Yeosang, on the other hand, enjoys staying low to the ground, crouching as he goes in for the attack to throw off your balance. He’s nimble, and much more flexible than you thought he could be. A fact which intrigues you as much as impresses you.
Both never fail to praise you any opportunity they get.
During the second round, Yeosang accidentally manages to tear your shirt. The scraps of fabric hang limply off of your shoulders, exposing your torso and the sports bra you wear.
Luckily, for you, it seems to distract them for a moment. Out of shock or something else, you don’t quite know. Either way, you know an opportunity when you see one.
Using this to your advantage, you manage to land a solid roundhouse kick to the side of Yunho’s head, quickly subduing Yeosang in the next moment.
Your chest heaves as you pin Yeosang beneath you, a victorious grin pulling at your lips.
Just as you go to say something, a low groan from the male laying on his back to your left draws your attention.
“Oh shit, Universe!” You hop right off of Yeosang to inspect the damage you’ve done to Yunho’s cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he replies, somewhat in a daze. His hand comes up to cup his cheek, almost affectionately. “Never better.”
“I just kicked you in the face, and you’re acting like a schoolboy who’s just received a cheek kiss from his crush for the first time.” You chuckle, noticing how Yeosang now kneels beside you with an almost pout on his lips. You quirk a brow, “What, you want me to kick you, too?”
Yeosang shoots you an innocent side eyed look, hope shining behind his orbs.
“I can’t wait to tell Mingi,” Yunho chuckles, pushing himself into a sitting position.
“I think Wooyoung might be more jealous.” Yeosang comments casually.
“You guys want me to harm you when we spar?” The appal is clear on your features.
“We don’t get hurt that easily, Dearest, but when it’s you that manages to surprise us, it’s incredible.” Yeosang tells you honestly. “Not to mention how much pride that fills us when you hit us in this context.”
“Not to mention incredibly sexy.” Yunho breathes, still stuck in that daze as the tips of his fingers gently rub over his cheek.
A brief conversation with Hongjoong about that scar that still sits proudly on his chest flashes through your mind.
“It’s impressive.” Yeosang concludes with a firm nod.
“Oh.” You giggle, a heat rising to your cheeks at their praise. “I still worry, though.”
“We know.” Yunho smiles at you, noticing how you gently pull his hand away to place a tender kiss upon his cheek. His ears flare bright red. “The feeling is, and will always be, mutual, Petal.”
You simply smile in response, helping Yunho back to his feet. Still, you cannot hide the concern in your eyes.
“Don’t worry, Petal.” Yunho chuckles, wrapping his one arm around you briefly in order to place a gentle kiss onto your temple. “Believe me when I say we’ve all suffered much worse injuries at each other’s hands before.”
You blink at him in shock.
“Remember how we told that you we don’t hold back on each other when sparring?” Yeosang chimes in.
Realization floods your features, nodding along to his words slowly.
“The bets were the worst.” Yunho hums, clearly reminiscing some past memories. “We would never kill each other, but we’ve gotten close to it a few times.”
Your brow furrows immensely in worry.
“Heat of the moment, Dearest.” Yeosang is quick to explain at the way your lips seem to part with a response. “It’s why we always had at least one of us to moderate the fights when we made bets on each other.”
“I still want to watch you guys fight one another at some point.” You comment, moving off to the side to take a drink of water.
“We haven’t forgotten, Petal.” Yunho grins. “We’re just saving it for now.”
You pout, somewhat dramatically.
“All in due time, Dearest.” Yeosang chuckles. “All in due time.”
You sigh, “I suppose it might be better for when I know how to at least use some weapons. I can study how you guys all use them, then.”
“Exactly.” Yunho nods, before catching himself. “Wait, what?”
“I thought I mentioned that I’m somewhat of a visual learner?” You tilt your head slightly in inquiry at him.
A flash of your hands weaving together those flowers in that clearing all those months ago flits through his mind.
“I remember now.” He hums, a loving smile gracing his lips.
A smile which you return.
Yeosang clears his throat, looking pointedly at Yunho. “How’s your head?”
Yunho spares a brief look towards you, a smirk pulling subtly onto his features. He licks his lips. “No complaints.”
The second that you spit out the water you’re drinking, Yeosang has jumped onto Yunho’s back, locking his arms around the elder male’s throat and choking him out. You begin coughing simultaneously as laughter attempts to escape you, Yunho thrashing around with Yeosang clinging like a koala to his back.
Finally, you manage to get your coughing under control as laughter takes over in full swing. Your eyes crinkle as you see the two of them continuing to play fight, Yunho soon tossing Yeosang over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and slamming the shorter male onto the mat below him.
The fact that they can hear how joyous you are in this moment makes each of their hearts swell. A sound neither will ever grow tired of. Knowing that they are the cause only serves to make them happy, pride swelling in their chests despite the circumstances that lead to this encounter. Well, at least for one of them.
You watch on with a fond look in your eyes as you lean against the side wall. That is, until a distant look crosses your features, and you seem to zone out for a minute or two.
“Is everything okay, Dearest?” It’s Yeosang’s voice that manages to pull you out of your thoughts.
You focus back in on your surroundings, noticing the worried tug of both his and Yunho’s brows, the two of them standing before you.
“Yeah,” you send them both a small smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”
“Now, who’s the distracted one?” Yunho jokes, moving beside you in order to nudge your arm slightly with his elbow.
Yeosang sends him a pointed look before turning back to you. “Are you sure you’re okay, Dearest? San and Mingi told us what happened earlier at the hospital.“
You take a moment to think, brow furrowing slightly as you look down at the ground.
“I just-“ you sigh. “I had so much pent up anger and sadness when I was younger for what he did to me. I never understood why he did it, and now that this has happened, I don’t quite know how to feel.”
“How do you feel, Petal?” Yunho steps in closer, placing a comforting hand onto your shoulder.
“Relieved, in a way.” You reply honestly. “Confused. Maybe a little angry, and a slight bit resentful still. It happened so long ago, that I didn’t think too much of the situation anymore. At least, I tried not to, but seeing him today just brought everything back. I’m still attempting to figure out if I’m actually passed everything with him or not, or if I just wanted to scrub it from my memory. I don’t think I can forgive him, though. Not after what he did to me.”
A brief pause.
“You know, I contemplating running away from home because of him. Just disappearing off the map, and dying in a ditch, because I believed him when he said no one would care.” You swallow thickly. “I was only ten.”
The way you see Yeosang’s eyes flash before you out of the corner of your vision says it all. You don’t even need to look at Yunho to know he does the same.
“Yet, hearing him apologize for things today…” you trail off, finally lifting your gaze to glance at both males standing around you. “Well, it’s like I told San and Mingi earlier today. It did feel freeing. It felt like finally getting an acknowledgment of everything bad he did to me, and him owning up to it. It’s- it’s-” you blink, your lips parting as they twitch upwards, “gratifying.”
Gently, Yeosang takes your hands in his own, yet you still manage to feel the subtle way he cannot control them from shaking.
“Is there-“ he swallows thickly, keeping his voice low as he clears his throat, “Is there anything we can do?”
You take a moment to stare deeply into his eyes, thinking of your answer carefully.
You blink lightly once more.
“No.” You shake your head. “No. I don’t think there is.”
“Petal-“
“The past can’t be changed now, nor do I want it to be.” You cut Yunho’s worried tone off. “I’m not the same person I was back then, but it’s made me who I am today. Yes, he hurt me.” You take a breath. “Am I going to let those old memories control my life? No. Besides, I’ve got more important things to think about now.”
“As long as you’re okay, Petal,” Yunho squeezes your shoulder gently. “That’s all we care about.”
“I’m okay, Yun.” You offer him a small smile before squeezing Yeosang’s hands back. “I’ll be okay.”
A comfortable silence settles over the three of you as you all hold onto each other so tenderly. You know both males will do whatever they can to comfort you, should you ask them to, but right now, you also have other things on your mind. Mainly, moving passed this and getting on with your new life.
“So…” You spare a glance at each male surrounding you. “Weapons?”
Yeosang quirks a brow, “What would you like to start with?”
“You’re letting me choose?” Your eyes widen, and you cannot help the way you begin to bounce on your feet.
At their nods, a large grin pulls at your lips.
“Is there something you have in mind?” Yunho asks, an eager tone to his inquiry.
Multiple weapons flash through your mind at once, and you bring a hand up to your chest in hopes to quell your racing heart. That’s when you remember the state of your shirt, or rather, your now non-existent shirt.
Humming in thought to yourself, you pull the last few scraps of material off of your body. Gently, you tuck the fabric beside your water bottle, leaving you in just your sports bra for the time being. Not that any of you really mind.
That’s when you get an idea.
“Well, it’d be best to start with something at least somewhat familiar, no?” You look between the two males before you.
“That would probably be best.” Yeosang nods in confirmation.
“Well, since I haven’t seen any of you use any of your weapons yet, I’ll stick with something I’ve used before.” You reply, a knowing grin tugging onto your features. “Could one of you please get me a bat?”
You can see the surprise on both of their features the instant you say this. Regardless, Yeosang makes a wooden baseball bat appear in his hand, presenting it to you almost immediately.
“A bat, Petal?” Yunho’s brow quirks.
“Listen, I don’t want to be playing around with something I don’t understand yet. No matter how badly I want to throw an axe, or stab something with a sword, it’s not worth the risk for my first try.” You reply, grabbing the wooden object from Yeosang’s outstretched hand. “This,” you shake the bat lightly, “at least I’m somewhat familiar with. The worst it can really do is break a few bones at the present.”
“Is that why you were going to use it to bash San’s kneecaps in with?” Yeosang’s eyes shine with nothing but amusement.
“I had a lot of pent up rage as a teenager.” You shrug, stepping back onto the sparring mat while letting the bat spin loosely in your hand. A blink, and you’ve allowed it to fall in a circle, the tip nearly touching the ground before you’re holding it upright in the air. “Reina and I spent a lot of time in rec rooms, smashing shit. Especially when the whole thing happened with her ex first year of university.”
“You’ve mentioned.” Yunho nods, recalling that conversation briefly in his mind.
“There’s a reason he takes my threats seriously.” You grin, stepping up before a fighting dummy.
You eye the test dummy, flipping the bat almost absentmindedly in your one hand.
“Should we be worried?” Yeosang chuckles, a pleasant shiver caressing his spine as he watches you handle that bat for the moment.
“It’s been a while, so potentially.” You shrug, solidifying your hold on the base. “The first few times I ever swung seriously, I kept accidentally letting the bat go. It would go flying across the room and into the wall.”
“We’ll stand behind you, then.” Yunho grins, an eager gleam in his eyes as he sees you beginning to weigh the bat in each of your hands.
Continuously, you do more spins with the bat, tossing it from hand to hand to get a better feel of the wood beneath your grip.
“I wonder how much worse my swing has gotten.” You say, almost absentmindedly to yourself. “It’s been a while. My aim’s also never been particularly good.”
“Oh, come on, Baby,” San’s voice suddenly coming from behind you has you jumping before you’re spinning around to face him. “You can’t be that bad if you’re confident enough to threaten me with it.”
Your eyebrow quirks, noticing all eight of them now standing behind you.
“You think we’re going to pass up the opportunity of seeing you hit something with a weapon for the first time?” Wooyoung grins, almost maniacally. “Not likely, Angel.”
“Didn’t realize I’d have an audience.” You mutter, tightening your grip on the base of that bat in your hand once more.
“We’re only here to encourage you, Starlight.” Mingi smiles, a proud nod to his head.
“Yunho also wouldn’t stop bragging about getting kicked in the face by you.” San adds, somewhat bitterly. “We’re also here to kick his ass afterwards."
You shoot a pointed look at Yunho.
“What?” He raises his hands in his own defence. “I told you already, Petal. It makes us proud knowing what you’re capable of.”
“He’s just hoping you’ll do it again.” Hongjoong hums, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Says the one begging to be stabbed all the time,” Seonghwa rolls his eyes.
“Just say you’re jealous and be done with it.” Jongho snorts, leaning against one of the racks with weights on them.
“Okay,” you huff out a small laugh, turning back around to face the fighting dummy.
Lowly, you can hear them continuing to bicker behind you, and the fact that you can hardly feel their attention lingering on you causes you to relax. Inhaling deeply, you fill your lungs with as much air as you can before slowly exhaling. Shuffling from foot to foot, you gently tap the tip of the bat against the side of your foot in preparation for what you’re about to do.
Raising the wooden object, you let it spin once more in your hand before you’re gripping it tightly in your hold. Lining up your shot, a crazed look takes over your features as you swing the bat to strike at the head of the dummy, letting your adrenaline drive you. The resulting crack fills the room on impact, and the dummy goes tumbling to the floor with little resistance.
Silence surrounds you, and all you can register is a loud ringing in your ears as your chest heaves with each breath. Your body stands over that fighting dummy, now laying face down on the floor, the bat resting at your side with the tip balanced upon the floor.
That felt good. Probably better than it should have for the moment.
You turn to face them, a gleeful giggle falling from your lips, “How was that?”
However, you do not expect the scene that greets you as soon as you turn around.
San has fallen to his knees, his chest heaving as his mouth rests open in shock. Wooyoung is right beside him, both his and San’s chests heaving as the younger supports himself using his one arm on the ground. Seonghwa has a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder, steadying himself while the elder can only stand there, stunned, with his eyes as black as night. To his left, Jongho stands, barely holding himself upright against that rack of weights for the moment as Mingi attempts to steady himself against the wall. Both Yunho and Yeosang are not fairing much better, appearing as if they’ve stopped breathing for the time being.
They all look about ready to pounce on you. In a good way, of course.
“Uh…” you blink at them in shock.
A loud crash is heard as Jongho finally loses his balance, a weight tumbling to the ground as it dislodges from the rack. It lands unceremoniously on his foot, of which he immediately grabs, hopping around as curses fall from his mouth.
“Oh shit, are you okay?” Immediately, you attempt to rush over to Jongho, only to get stopped by two males.
The breath escapes you as you go tumbling to the floor, the bat clattering onto the mat beside you. You hardly register anything for the moment except the sight of the ceiling above you, and the sound of low, pleased snarls filling the room and surrounding you from all angles.
A male rests on top of you, and you can feel yourself laying on top of another, both with their faces pressed into either side of your neck. Their pleased rumbles reverberate through your chest, every exhale they make tickling your skin. You swear they both begin nuzzling into you, too.
“Geez, if this is how you’re going to react every time I smack something, I think we’re going to need to put some rules in place.” You joke, an amused chuckle spilling from your lips as you see Hongjoong finally pull back from your neck to stare into your eyes.
“My Love, you cannot blame us.” There’s a hint of a growl to his words as his gaze swirls with that all too familiar darkness that you’ve become used to. “You must understand, we’ve been dreaming of this moment for a very long time.”
“What?” The corner of your lips quirks upwards. “Me smacking something with a bat?”
“You using any kind of weapon.” Seonghwa answers, his chest rumbling beneath you once more as his grip tightens against your hips.
He shifts beneath you, and you swear that you can feel something hard already pressing firmly into your ass.
Your breath hitches slightly, and you swear you feel him smirk against your skin.
“So, you really could have done some damage to San that day.” Yunho observes casually with a hum.
“Hey!” Said male whines, finally managing to stand back to his feet.
“I would have paid to see it.” Jongho says, replacing the fallen weight back onto the rack.
“You were the one who gave her the bat.” Mingi recalls.
“And I’d do it again!” The youngest replies, quite eagerly at that.
“Okay, so make sure there aren’t any bats around when we do anything to piss her off.” Wooyoung nods, somewhat to himself.
“More like, make sure you hide all the bats when you inevitably annoy her again.” Yunho teases, the others snickering along in agreement.
“Hey!” This time, it’s Wooyoung’s turn to whine.
“Woah, let’s not rule out the fact that I’m not gonna go around smacking you guys for the hell of it.” You chime in, gently guiding Hongjoong off of you for the moment, much to his displeasure.
“So, you don’t want to smack our asses?” Mingi quirks a knowing brow.
“If anyone wants to smack someone’s ass here, Min, it’s you.” You playfully roll your eyes, noticing how he suddenly averts his own gaze knowing damn well that you speak the truth.
“How did we go from baseball bats to smacking asses?” Seonghwa exhales a long sigh, helping you sit up beside him.
“It’s good for moral support.” San quips, Wooyoung immediately nodding along enthusiastically.
“You want me to spank you?” You look at them expectantly, noticing how red quite a few of them begin to get at your words.
Mingi begins to splutter.
“Well, if you’re offering,” Wooyoung smirks deviously, jutting out his hip slightly as if to put his ass on display.
This earns him a smack upside the head from Jongho, who suddenly cannot seem to meet your gaze.
“I mean, if you want me to,” you shrug, unaware of the commotion you’ve just started.
San and Wooyoung now appear to be wrestling on the ground, arguing about who’s going to get felt up first. Meanwhile, both Mingi and Jongho keep pushing each other back every time the other takes a step forward and towards you. Yunho laughs off to the side while both Seonghwa and Hongjoong begin bickering beside you. The only one you have yet to hear speak since this whole fiasco started is Yeosang.
Turning your head, you nearly jump when you see Yeosang crouched beside you. Silently, he presses a finger to his lips, helping you to your feet as you both slip away during the chaos erupting around you.
Carefully, Yeosang leads you to an area off to the side. It’s quite a long area, acting as a shooting range for target practice more than anything. Given how close it is to where you just were, you’re surprised none of the others have noticed your disappearance yet. Looks like they’re too busy bickering with one another to take note of your absence.
“Yeo?” You blink at him curiously, noticing how he moves around quickly, gathering a few things before standing directly in front of you.
“I had to get you away before they noticed.” He smiles, resting a quiver of arrows against the bench closest to you.
A bow rests in his left hand. It’s simplistic in design, and quite slim, but even you can tell that it’s carved from wood despite the smooth, black paint that covers the entirety of it.
“Are you going to shoot for me?” You cannot hide the excitement in your eyes.
“Perhaps.” A teasing quirk to his lips upwards. “Or maybe I intend for us to shoot together.”
Your breath hitches, a large grin painting your features as you giggle gleefully.
“You know, I’ve always loved archery.” You comment, barely able to prevent yourself from bouncing on your toes as you watch him grab an arrow from the quiver.
“I remember.” He smiles, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Would you like to watch me-“
“Yes.” There is no hesitation in your response, even as you clasp your hands over your chest hopefully. “I mean…” You clear your throat, noticing how he blinks at you in mild shock. “Please. I would love to.”
With those final words, you motion for him to continue.
A kind smile and a nod are all you get in response as Yeosang takes his position on the little shooting platform. Still, he holds that bow in his one hand, placing the arrow into the little nook before taking a deep breath to steady himself. Then, with a smooth precision that you’ve become so accustomed to from him, he lifts his weapon, lining up his shot with the target at the end of the track.
Every movement he makes, every breath he takes, you observe carefully. Your eyes never leave him, noting how focused he looks in this very moment. The string of the bow is pressed against the corner of his lips as he draws the arrow back, arms not so much as wavering even in the slightest in their hold. The line from the tip of the arrow to the end of his elbow is steady, and if you didn’t know him, you’d swear he was a statue rather than a living person in this very moment.
A breath, and the arrow is loosed.
The tip spears through the air, landing in a dull thunk as it meets its target across the way. Naturally, it lands dead centre.
Nothing but awe paints your features as you see him turn to you. Adoration is clear in your eyes as you watch him step up to you, a shy smile tugging at his lips.
“You’re incredible, you know that?” You breathe, your hands still clasped in front of your chest.
“That truly means the world to me coming from you, Dearest.” Yeosang smiles softly, bringing his free hand up to gently cup your cheek. “I’m just glad I can finally share this with you.”
“I won’t lie, I’ve been looking forward to this since you mentioned teaching me that day at the mall.” Your lids flutter shut, leaning into his touch.
“Really?” He tilts his head slightly, thumb tenderly stroking along your cheek. At the way you hum in response, he steps in closer, breath ghosting the skin of your lips. “I’m glad.”
Softly, your eyes open to stare deeply into his own. He seems to be studying your every feature, nothing but fondness reflected in his gaze as he cannot help but keep sparing fleeting glances down at your lips.
Your tongue darts out to wet them, and you hear his breath hitch slightly in his throat.
“I always enjoy spending time with you, Yeo.” The admission is but a whisper on your lips, scared that if you speak any louder, you’ll disturb the moment between the two of you.
Faintly, in the background, you can still hear the other seven bickering about something or other. Not that you’re really paying attention to them at the moment.
“The feeling is, and always will be, mutual, My Queen.” He breathes out, leaning forward slightly to rest his forehead against your own.
Your heart flutters.
“Yeosang?”
He hums, tilting his head slightly forward so that his nose brushes against your own.
“Kiss me.”
Like every time before, you do not have to ask him twice.
How the press of his lips against your own always feels just like the very first time escapes you. Always, he holds you gently, pouring everything he is into the movement of his lips over your own. He cradles you close, loving how your own hands find purchase on his shoulders to steady yourself as he kisses your breath away.
It’s slow, and loving. Nothing more expected than what the other is willing to give. All the same, it makes your heart race, nothing but love flooding your veins as he holds you to him gently.
Slowly, he retracts, only for you to quickly press forward to peck his lips a few more times.
He chuckles, “Dearest.”
“You can’t blame me.” You hum, eyes fluttering open as you loop your arms around his neck. “You’re addictive, Yeosang.”
A pleasant shiver caresses his spine as he growls lowly. “I could say the same about you, My Queen.”
You giggle, and it’s still one of the most melodic sounds Yeosang has ever heard in his entire life.
“Now,” you hum, taking a minor step back while unlocking your arms from around his shoulders in order to stare at him eagerly. “Show me how to do that, please.”
Yeosang smiles, his heart thundering inside of his chest. “It would be my honour.”
A dull thud from behind you both draws your attention to see the other seven seemingly wrestling with each other for the moment. Yunho seems to have pinned Mingi on the mat, both Wooyoung and San going after Jongho at the same time. Hongjoong and Seonghwa seem to be attempting to choke the other out while standing on their feet, locked in a stalemate of sorts as chaos thrives around them.
A low chuckle escapes you as you shake your head. “I have a feeling they’ll be busy for a while.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Yeosang grins right along with you. Extending his free hand out to you, his eyes begin to shine, “Shall we?”
“We shall.” You immediately place your hand in his.
Gently, Yeosang guides you up onto that little platform with him, making sure to line you both up with a fresh target on the track.
Out of the corner of your eyes, you see his first arrow still sticking proudly out of that first target off to the side.
“How much do you know about archery?” He asks, nothing but curiosity in his gaze as he grabs another arrow from the quiver.
“Honestly?” You take moment to think. “Not much. Other than what you’ve already told me.”
He nods, stepping in beside you as he offers you the bow.
“The hardest part to begin with can be finding enough strength to draw back the string.” He explains, noting how you carefully observe the bow and all its intricate details as soon as you have it in your hands. Your wonder and awe makes his heart skip a beat. “We can practice that a few times before you attempt to knock an arrow.”
“Okay.” Your eyes dart back up to meet his gaze, and you hear his breath catch in his throat yet again.
With a little help from Yeosang, he’s able to guide you on how to properly hold a bow.
“Don’t be afraid of it, Dearest.” He instructs. “You can cause far more damage with a bow than it can ever do to you while wielding it.”
A nod from you is all he receives that you understand his words.
For a few minutes, he has you practice lifting the bow into a shooting stance, and drawing the string back as if you’re about to take a shot. Still, he holds that arrow in his hand, watching on with nothing but loving pride in his eyes as you follow his every instruction with the utmost care.
“You’re doing wonderful, Dearest.” He grins, his gaze dripping with affection as he watches you absolutely revel in his praise. “You’re picking up things very quickly, especially the basics.”
You giggle, a subtle heat rising to your cheeks. “Well, I did spend a lot of time pretending to be an archer when I was younger. I may not have known much, but some of my favourite characters are, so I wanted to be just like them.”
Yeosang quirks a brow, “Oh?”
“Yeah,” you avert your gaze, somewhat shyly. “Katniss, Kagome, Legolas. I always wanted a bow from the woodland realm when I was small. I thought the designs were beautiful, and like I said before, I’ve always had a fascination with archery.”
“Remind me to show you my collection soon, then.” He hums knowingly, a fond look dancing within his eyes.
Your whole demeanour perks up even further, “Okay!”
“For now, how about we shoot your first arrow?” There’s nothing but tender love in his gaze as he looks at you, seeing as you begin shaking lightly in excitement. “Deep breath, Dearest. You don’t want to be shooting with a shaky arm.”
You grin, nodding eagerly.
Following his instructions and taking a deep, steadying breath, you manage to calm your nerves slightly. Still, you cannot deny the excitement that courses through your veins as he hands you that singular arrow.
Gently, Yeosang instructs you on how to notch it before drawing it back.
“We can practice with you drawing from a quiver another time.” He says. “For now, let’s just keep it simple.”
“Sounds good.” You smile.
“Okay, Dearest,” he motions towards the target with his head. “Whenever you’re ready.”
A nod is all he receives in response as you take another deep breath.
Looking towards your feet, you take a moment to steady your nerves once more. Shifting your gaze, you study that target across the way, relaxing your shoulders just as Yeosang has instructed you to do. Raising the bow, you draw the string back, lining up your shot as best as you can.
The feeling of his eyes watching you is a little nerve wracking to say the least. You can feel your hands shaking as you attempt to steady your aim, holding your breath as your eyes focus in on the target at the end of the track. With each second that passes, you find it increasingly difficult to maintain the pull of the string, that thin band threatening to snap forward and through your grip at any moment.
There’s a furrow to your brow as you concentrate, but even you can tell how shaky you’ve suddenly become.
Softly, Yeosang moves behind you, placing his hands on your waist in comfort.
“Breathe, Dearest.” He whispers lowly into your ear, causing a shiver to caress your spine as his nose trails up the skin of your neck. “You’ve got this.”
Slowly, his hands begin to trail up your sides. Goosebumps erupt on your arms as you feel him cover your one hand holding onto the bow with his own, the other supporting your arm that’s drawing back the string. His chin rests on your shoulder, head leaning in the softest of touches against your own.
Suddenly, the string doesn’t become as difficult to hold onto anymore.
“Guide me.” His voice rumbles out. “We can make the shot together.”
The soothing timbre of his voice manages to calm you, and you find yourself taking another much needed deep breath. The heat of his body pressing against yours only adds to the moment, and you allow the familiar, comforting scent of sea island cotton to surround you.
You steady your hands.
The arrow is loosed in the blink of an eye, and you barely register the dull thunk of it sinking into the target across the way. All you can think about in this moment is how Yeosang’s hands feel settling back on your waist, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he buries his face into the side of your neck.
“See,” he hums lowly, squeezing your waist gently in his grip. “I knew you could do it."
Blinking to clear your vision, you allow your whole body to relax into his touch.
That’s when you see where your arrow has landed.
An involuntary excited squeal escapes you as you turn around in his hold.
“Sangie! Look!” You giggle, eyes crinkling at the sides with your joyous expression. “We hit bullseye!”
“You did that all by yourself, Dearest.” He grins, hands squeezing your hips gently once more. “I’m so proud of you.”
You begin wiggling happily in his hold, eyes falling shut as you smile wide.
“Leave it to Yeosang to steal everyone’s thunder.” Mingi grumbles from off to the side.
Turning your head, you see him standing with his arms crossed, a slight pout on his lips. The others don’t seem to be faring any better, but you’re too happy to care at the moment.
“Guys!” You bounce on your feet, pointing to the target at the end of the track. “Look!”
Several sets of eyes finally take note of the two targets side by side with arrows sticking out of the centre of each of them.
“Is one of those yours, My Love?” There’s a certain prideful gleam shining within Hongjoong’s eyes as he asks this.
At your vigorous nod, they have all the answers they need.
“That’s incredible, Baby!” San immediately rushes over to you, pulling you out of Yeosang’s embrace and into his own. He immediately lifts you in his arms, laughing along with you in your excitement, much to the elder’s annoyance.
“You did wonderful, Petal.” Yunho hums, being the next to walk over to you. Easily, he pulls San off of you, dragging him back in order for Yeosang to wrap you back into his arms once again.
A firm nod is sent to the taller male from Yeosang in thanks, to which Yunho simply smiles at in response.
A pout rests on San’s lips as he crosses his arms, only lessened by the fact that Wooyoung has to be held back by Jongho in the next second before the male tackles you to the ground in his excitement.
“It’s only because I have such a good teacher.” The way you turn and look back at Yeosang with nothing but fondness in your gaze says it all.
Soft rumbles shake their chests as they observe the scene before them, and they know for a fact that the loving look that resides on Yeosang’s features right this very instant is reflected on all of their own faces right now. Seeing you so happy, and so eager to learn even one of their chosen weapons has both a pride and love unlike ever before filling their chests. Emotions of which they will gladly indulge in when they’re with you, any and every time that they can.
“How was shooting an arrow for the first time, My Divine?” Seonghwa asks, an eager gleam to his eyes.
You smile, hands tightening subconsciously around that bow still held in your hands. You spare a glance down at the weapon. “Wonderful.”
“She’s a natural.” Yeosang hums, never tearing his eyes away from you for one second.
“I swear you’re just saying that.” You avert your gaze shyly, a vibrant heat rising to your cheeks.
“We’re not.” Wooyoung shakes his head almost instantly.
“You’re incredible, Starlight.” Mingi adds without a moment of hesitation.
“Our Perfect Queen.” Yunho’s voice rumble out, growls of agreement sounding around you immediately.
You allow for your eyes to flutter shut, revelling in this moment with all of them for as long as you can as you relax further into Yeosang’s embrace.
“My Lovely Kings.” The words are but a pleasant hum on your lips.
Again, eight low growls rumble out through the room. A smile pulls at your lips as the sound dissipates, allowing for a comfortable silence to settle over all of you.
“So,” Yeosang’s low voice by your ear has you blinking your eyes open, heart skipping a beat as you hear his next words, “Want to see my collection?”
warnings: we have finally gotten to the smut (minors dni), petnames, pretty tame for now i think, let me know if i should add anything else !
word count: 4.0k
(previous chapter) (masterlist)
[Wooyoung] Whooooo wants to go the bar with me friday night?
[Choi Jongho] Absolutely no one.
[Choi San] I don’t think that day will work
[Yunho] I’m busy sorry!
[Wooyoung] Bro... what about y/n i can always depend on you right
I’m also busy…
[Wooyoung] I miss work for one day and suddenly everyone has plans :(
[Kim Hongjoong] woo are you dumb
[Wooyoung] Wait a second
[Wooyoung] Oh my god.
[Wooyoung] You know what I think I’ll do a movie night instead! By myself!
[Song Mingi] i’ll join you
“Well someone’s happy today!” Wooyoung teases as you walk into the office. He’s been relentless everyday, spouting some combination of encouraging support and playful jabs.
“10 hours,” you sigh as you sink down into your cubicle. Your workload was easy enough this week, but you kept getting distracted easily, the mere thought of making things ~official~ sending you into daydream mode. Wooyoung always snapped you out of it with a lighthearted jab, you knew he found it just as funny as you did.
“You know if he does anything you don’t like-”
“You will all yell at Yunho so he never hurts me again, I know,” you cut him off. Every single one of them has pulled you aside or privately texted you to express just how much they’ll defend you if anything happens.
He only chuckles, “I just wanna make sure you know! He’s a really nice guy, but things happen, I don’t know.”
“I can fend for myself, but I appreciate the backup,” he nods and gives you a genuine smile.
“I’m so excited for you guys, really! His last relationship didn’t end terribly or anything, but he’s such a romantic person I was hoping someone deserving of him came along.” He sounds more serious now, and it hasn’t really crossed your mind what Yunho would be coming to the table with. You’ve been so focused on how much you’ll have to explain about yourself. “Please don’t break his heart, okay?” Wooyoung makes one last quiet request before turning to his own screen and settling into work mode for the day. You don't respond, but you repeat his words to yourself mentally. You won't break any hearts this summer.
You started getting ready almost immediately after getting home, risking no chance of running late. The place he picked out wasn’t fancy in the slightest, so you went light on the outfit, a nice denim skirt and cute top. The plan didn’t necessarily include either one of you coming home for the night, but you tidied up the living room just in case. You didn’t really mind the thought of him in your apartment anyway.
The road you live on is fairly quiet at this hour, so you figure the next car you hear pull up to the building must be him. You take one last look in the mirror before grabbing your bag and nearly jumping down the stairs. It still didn’t feel real in your head, such a perfect person being into you as much as you’re into them. Intrusive thoughts of how quickly you could sabotage the date only flood your mind briefly before you open the front doors and spot Yunho standing against his car.
“Are you ready?” he beams at you, holding out a hand to help you into the front seat.
You giggle and accept the offer, “more than I’ll ever be.”
The interior is all sleek black. It doesn’t look brand new, but it’s clean and orderly. It smells like him. You fidget with the hem of your skirt as he rounds the car and settles into the driver’s seat.
“Anything in particular you want to listen to?” You tilt your head at the question, and he quickly adds that it’s okay if you don’t.
“No I like listening to music, I’m just not sure what I should show you,” chuckling, you whip out your phone and scan through your playlist. Yunho has mentioned a few of his favorite songs in conversation, and seeing as neither of you were particularly picky it shouldn’t be so hard to find something. You make up your mind and press play.
“Fun,” he bops his head to the beat, occasionally tapping a finger on the steering wheel. The car ride is mostly silent between you two, and you can’t tell if he’s just as nervous. Ever since San told him your feelings, he’s had a new aura around him. He’s playful and teases you to no end, like the rest of them, but surely he must be giddy too? Maybe he has more experience than you thought.
The hostess guides you to a small window seat, but by now it’s completely dark outside. She hands two menus to you before tending to the next reservation, and you settle into the booth. You had mentioned in the car that you like knowing what to order beforehand, and Yunho offered to order it for you, so you had nothing to do for the next few minutes. If the way his eyes rake over the laminated sheet means anything, he must be starving. His hair is parted down the middle, somewhat pushed out of his face, and his face is scrunched cutely in concentration. He’s wearing a button down and slacks, but it doesn’t look so formal that it stands out. He’s good at looking effortlessly put together.
“Good evening! Can I get you started with some drinks?” A waiter appears in front of your table, directing all his attention to Yunho. You expected as much, and gladly let him take the lead.
“Actually I think we’re ready to order!” He takes one last look at the menu before reciting both your orders perfectly. Once he’s sure the waiter has them down correctly and is out of earshot, he lets out a long sigh.
“That didn’t upset you, did it?” He frowns a little, “I don’t know why he didn’t even acknowledge you.”
“Oh no it’s fine I promise,” you take one of his hands into your own, “it was a shitty move but I hate speaking so it works out in my favor.”
“As long as you’re fine,” he sighs again and squeezes your hand. No one’s ever really noticed that before, at least not while you were on dates. You always subconsciously clocked it as some form of sexism but never made a fuss, so seeing Yunho so distraught is a foreign feeling. You’re eager to change the subject.
“So what made you like me?” Smooth, definitely not too direct at all.
“Oh?” He chuckles, “I thought I already told you why when we were at the park. I feel so comfortable around you, and you’re really good at what you do. It’s admirable.”
“That can’t possibly be enough to have a crush on-”
“You’re incredibly pretty, too,” his hand that was sitting in yours pulls away to rest on his cheek, tilting his head playfully, “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since you arrived.”
You stare, shocked, as the waiter comes back to drop off complimentary water and a promise of food coming soon. He only grins, stirring the ice in his cup with a straw before taking a sip. This wasn’t the shy, polite man you originally liked, but his teasing only makes you want him more.
“Too forward?”
You shake your head a bit too aggressively, almost completely ruining your hair, “No no no, I have too! You’re really cute.” No amount of talking could help you recover from how flustered you are right now.
“Aw,” fluttering his lashes, “so that’s why you like me?”
“I mean you’re also just really nice and observant of everyone around you,” you start fiddling with your own cup, “I guess I just felt comfortable with you, too.”
“Good to know the feeling’s mutual,” he breaks his teasing act and chuckles, and you can only manage to nurse the ice cold water in front of you. “I’m sure the guys have bugged you a lot so I don’t know what you know, but it’s been a long time since I’ve liked someone so much. It’s nice.”
His ears are that familiar bright red again, “are you nervous, Yunho?”
“Only a little,” he blushes even more at the question, rubbing his ears a bit and giggling, “are you?”
You nod, “I got dumped earlier this year and I wasn’t planning on doing anything this summer, so yeah. A little more than you are.”
“Why did he dump you?” A face of genuine confusion washes over him. It’s not that he thought it was a red flag, he just couldn’t think of a single reason anyone would abandon you.
“Ah, she just,” you sigh, wondering how much you should share. If you were a good person, you’d tell him everything. You’d tell him what your heart really desires and why your friends were being so mean that night you spent in his apartment. You’d be transparent about what you want out of a relationship, because that’s what first dates are for right?
“Sorry for assuming!” He shakes his head, “you can continue, though, I promise.”
“I think she just grew apart from me, I don’t know? We spent all of college together, but I think we were going in different directions.” He nods understandingly, and you feel a ping of guilt in your gut.
“Yeah that happens. I had a girlfriend my freshman year, but we ended up not having a lot of overlapping interests or anything. Conversations fizzled out quick.”
It’s your turn to nod, and Wooyoung’s words rattle around in your brain. Yunho’s a romantic, someone who puts his all into everything, including relationships. You could tell as much just seeing how he interacts with his friends, but hearing the disappointment in his voice scares you. The slight guilt you felt has grown into a consistent, dull ache of anxiety.
“Have you seen anyone since then?” You shuffle a bit in your seat, your breakups lingering in the air.
He nods, chuckling, “a few flings here and there, but nothing substantial. I don’t really love hookup culture, but I haven’t found anyone I really like.”
“Until now!”
“Right! Now I have someone I want to impress. She’s so pretty and nice, I just want to take care of her.” He stares at you fondly now, still blushing from his round cheeks to the tips of his ears.
“Oh really?” You trace the rim of your now empty cup with one finger.
“Mm, all my friends like her too. I think she’s perfect for me.”
“You’re so corny,” you laugh, slapping his hand. The anxiety fades as quickly as it appeared.
Your waiter might have the worst timing imaginable, because not even 2 seconds later does he plop a large slab of steak in front of Yunho. “Sorry ma’am, your meal will be out in just a few minutes!” You nod and watch him scurry back to the kitchen. When you turn your attention back to Yunho, his eyes are wider than you’ve ever seen in your life.
“Do you mind if I eat first?” He doesn’t look up at you, but you tell him it’s fine and watch as he instantly tears into his dinner, nodding excitedly at the first bite and shaking a fist as if he’s won the lottery. Your dish arrives a few minutes later as promised and you dig in as well, falling into a comfortable silence. Bits and pieces of conversations around you pass by, waiters rushing back and forth, a TV quietly playing golf highlights at the bar. You don’t want the night to end.
“This is your place right?” He pulls up to the curb and turns down the music. The car ride home was comfortable, both tired after some of the most filling and delicious meals you’ve had in a while. Fresh anxiety pooled in your gut at the thought of leaving him now.
“Do you want to come inside?” You offer and he’s smiling at you like he thought you’d never ask. “We could play games or something?”
“What games do you have?” He turns the car off and unlocks the doors, turning as much as he can to face you.
“I have a switch! I can start up Mario Kart or something,” his eyes sparkle at that, and you smile at your successful plan.
“Are you any good?”
“Better than you I bet,” you raise an eyebrow. He copies your expression before silently getting out of the car, and you follow. He doesn’t say a word as you lead him up the steps to your apartment on the second floor, or as you slink into your living room and settle in. You boot up your switch and download Mario Kart, and he only grins at you from his side of the couch when you hand him a controller.
“If I win,” he starts, eyes trained on the screen as he selects his kart setup, “I get to kiss you.”
You lean back into the couch and lock in your own kart, “deal.”
You tried your best, you really did. It might’ve been your best effort in the history of owning this game, even. But Yunho placed first in all four races easily, and by the last one he was so excited he barely waited for the scoreboard to appear before throwing the joycon to the side and grabbing your arm.
“This isn’t fair! I didn’t know you were a pro at this,” you argue, letting him move you with ease, thighs fully touching now and one arm slung around your shoulders.
“It was completely fair,” he chuckles just above your head. You look up and see his signature crooked smile plastered across his face, annoyingly proud of his own victory. His other hand comes up to cup your cheek.
“And now I get my prize.”
This time you’re prepared. It lasts longer than the kiss at the subway, his movements slow and intentional. His soft lips melt against yours and you feel his grip on you tighten a little, but it’s innocent. This time, you don’t let him pull away, though. Your hands wrap around his neck and you kiss back, leaning into him. He lets out a small, cute gasp before accepting you, and it all feels so natural. His lips moving against yours, your skin running hot beneath his hand, your leg against his. He tests the waters and swipes his tongue across your lip and you quickly respond, gripping the hair at the nape of his neck. He moves slowly and curiously, as if he has all the time in the world to explore you and he wants to spend every last second of it. But when his hand traces down your side to rest on your hip you know you need more.
“Lean back,” you finally pull away. He listens immediately, eyes glazed over with infatuation as he watches you swing one leg around him and sit comfortably in his lap. Your skirt rides up to your hips and his hands rub the newly exposed skin of your thighs, sending goosebumps down your legs.
“You know I really didn’t have any intention to sleep with you on the first date,” he mumbles, but you ignore him. You lean down and press soft kisses up his neck, purposely hitting every pretty mole on him, before making your way to his ear.
“Third,” you correct, “and it doesn’t matter, because it’s my intention now.” You feel his grip on you tighten even more and you continue to work your way painfully slowly down his neck, from one side to the other. He lets out shaky sighs at every small nip and suck, hands now fervently roaming around your body, squeezing any skin he can find. His fingers slide beneath your shirt and you can feel him make quick work of your bra, pushing you up just enough to slide both garments off.
You swear you feel him twitch beneath you, and he makes no effort to hide the way he takes in your exposed body, “where’s your room?” You can barely hear him, not when you’re so focused on the marks you’ve left on him and his blown out look. When you don’t respond, he pulls your hips forward, grinding against you. “Baby, your room?”
“The door with the poster on it,” you sigh at the friction. He wraps both hands firmly around your ass and stands up, effortlessly carrying you to your bed. He places you gently on the edge before nearly ripping off his shirt and pants, leaving nothing but the impossibly large tent in his underwear. You don’t have time to take in the sight, his large frame quickly maneuvering on top of you.
“I’d usually be more calm, but you’re so beautiful I can’t help myself,” he whispers, making his way down your neck. His kisses are aggressive and sloppy now, but just as slow as you were on him. His dick is pressed flush against your thigh, but when you try to roll your hips for some relief he presses you down with a firm hand. “Let me have my fun, love.”
All you can do is whine his name, fingers tangling in his hair as he sucks on your skin. At this point your clit is throbbing, heat spreading through you at every touch of his, but you know if you move again he’ll only get meaner. Part of you wants to try.
“Can I?” You feel slender fingers hook under your skirt and panties, and when you only whine his name again in response he takes no time pulling them off you.
“Yunho please,” you feel like you might start crying if he doesn’t touch you soon.
“So pretty for me.” He drops the last of your clothing on the floor behind him. “Did I get you this worked up already?”
Your legs falter a bit at his words, but he keeps his broad chest in between them, spreading you wide enough for his liking. You want to beg more, but he must read your mind because before you open your mouth his tongue is flat against your heat. He’s teasing at first, kitten licks with little pressure, but when you genuinely moan for the first time he gets to business. One hand wrapped around your thigh, the other makes its way below his busy mouth. Two fingers glide in, setting a slow and steady pace that only builds you up more.
He pulls up only briefly, fingers still going, to take in your blissed out state. You look back down at him at the loss of contact, but he only smirks, “I want you to watch me, love.”
All you can do is nod, struggling not to throw your head back into your covers as he goes back down. His long fingers brush against all the right places, his tongue flicking in perfect time to your building orgasm. He doesn’t speed up or slow down, he just keeps going until he feels your plush thighs clench around either side of him. You mumble his name over and over as it finally washes over you, feeling him lap up every last drop and holding your hips close to him.
“Fuck,” Yunho sighs, finally sitting up and letting your legs lay flat.
“How are you so good at that?” You prop yourself up on your elbows. Your head starts pounding a bit, but you still want more.
He chuckles and turns behind him, searching through his slacks left abandoned on the floor, “I told you I’ve had hookups every so often. I’m not clueless, you know.”
“I need to see what else you can do,” you tease, and just as you say it he produces a metal condom wrapper, grinning.
“Well you’re about to, if you’re up to it?” You almost ask why you wouldn’t be, but then you see it. You’ve only taken a few dicks in your life, but his was certainly the largest. He pumps a few times waiting for your response, parting his lips at the feeling.
“Yunho,” you mumble, taking in the sight. A thin sheen of sweat already covers his forehead, cheeks and chest a light shade of pink. He’s staring back at you, taking his bottom lip between his teeth as he etches your form into his memory.
“Is that a yes?” You nod and he slips the condom on before leaning back down over you. He kisses you again, as deep as humanly possible, and lines up with you. “Promise me you’ll say something if it hurts, okay?”
“I promise,” you smile up at him and he kisses you again, entering softly. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t sting, but it’s only for a second before you’re pulling him closer. He thrusts in again, fully burying himself this time, and you feel him groan against your lips.
“You’re perfect, you know that?” He sighs above you, setting a steady pace that has you digging into his shoulders. He drops his head into the crook of your neck, leaving open mouthed kisses on your hot skin in between his panting. You can’t help the stream of moans and curses that leave your mouth, you’ll have to deal with your neighbors’ complaints tomorrow.
One of his hands snakes down to your thigh again and he slows down to readjust. He leaves one last sloppy kiss on your jaw before straightening up and pushing your legs back, folding you in half. You grip the sheets until your knuckles pale, but nothing could prepare you for the feeling of him bottoming out in this position. He pistons into you, strangled breaths leaving his lips. You grab a pillow and bite down as hard as possible, it’s the only thing stopping you from screaming at the top of your lungs.
He gets sloppy quickly and you nearly orgasm at the sound of him groaning your name alone, voice deep and broken. His hips stutter, slamming into you one last time before he collapses on top of you. You both take deep breaths in tandem, recovering slowly and rubbing circles into his skin. He presses gentle kisses along your neck until he finds the energy to get up again, giving you a squeeze before sliding out.
“Did I wow you?” He jokes, discarding the condom and wrapper and finding a small towel to clean up with.
“Mm, I don’t know. Might have to try again,” you laugh, “there’s more towels in the bathroom across the hall.”
“We can in the morning baby,” his laughter is the last thing you hear as he disappears into the hallway. He quickly returns with a fresh wash cloth and a cup of water for you. You hold out a hand for the cloth, but he waves you away, cleaning you up himself. It’s so natural and careful you almost completely forget he was a stranger just a few weeks ago. You almost forget how temporary this all is.
“Don’t you need to get home?” you take a sip of water and hope it helps the dull headache from being jostled around.
He scoffs at you, genuinely surprised, “are you kidding me?”
“I just didn’t know if,”
“If I was joking about having you in the morning, too? Let me cuddle you to sleep or so help me god,” Yunho turns the lights off and flops onto the other side of your bed, tugging your arm. The longer you wait, the more he pouts and tugs, but eventually you give in.
You can’t help but leave small kisses all over each other as you lay entangled in the dark, neither of you wanting to fall asleep yet. His energy is overwhelming, heart beating softly against your cheek, thumbs rubbing small circles into your arms. You think this is the first night since you’ve arrived that you won’t end the day worried, that maybe this was the best possible way your night could’ve gone. Maybe the next few months will be okay. Maybe you should get some sleep.
warnings: none for this chapter, let me know if i should add anything!
word count: 3.2k
note: i promise we will get serious and smutty very soon i just love writing stupid cheesy fluff lolol
(previous chapter) (next chapter) (masterlist)
When you wake up it’s in a bed you don’t recognize. The sun peaks around the closed blinds and your hands instinctively feel around the sheets for your phone. You wince at the brightness. 10:47AM. You try to focus on whatever Wooyoung was blowing your phone up about, but it’s too hard. Your head is pounding and your body feels heavy. You spot a bottle of Gatorade and a post it note on the nightstand next to you.
Make sure to drink this! I left some spare towels and clothes in the bathroom if you want to wash up. Feel free to take any snacks from the kitchen. I’ll crash on the couch tonight.
“Oh my god,” you groan and throw your head back into the pillows. It all comes flooding back, your friends’ messages, everything you said to Yunho, the way he held you. He listened to you ramble about something that probably didn’t make any sense to him and now you’re laying in his bed because he’s just too nice for his own good. You wonder when he’ll finally get fed up with you.
You might never get an answer to that question, because when you finally muster the strength to get out of bed and shuffle into the living room, he jumps from his spot on the couch to bring you a plate of food. He let you sleep in his bed and now he’s handing you food on a literal platter. At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if he offered to help you into the bath.
“Good morning, y/n,” he speaks softly, “I cut up some fruit and bread if you’re up to it. And there’s spare clothes in the bathroom, but if you want I can start running the water for you.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“Why are you being so nice?” You giggle and accept the small breakfast, plopping down on a chair.
“Proving that you’d like me in college,” he jokes as he walks towards the bathroom. You can only sigh in response, feigning annoyance. You finally pull out your phone again to read your messages, and a few moments later you hear the muffled sound of water rushing into the tub.
[Jung Wooyoung] She’s probably passed out just like San LOL
[Choi San] Well clearly even I woke up before her
[Choi San] y/n we’re not letting you drink like that again until your farewell party
[Park Seonghwa] Can we start planning for that now please
I’m so sorry!! Idk what i was thinking, but i feel better and yunho’s place is mad comfy
[Song Mingi] ask him to let you see his gaming setup its insane
There’s still a dull ache behind your eyes, but whatever nerves you were feeling last night are completely overshadowed by the butterflies of friendship you just can’t seem to get used to. You were sure they’d judge you for getting shitfaced immediately, and maybe they silently are, but they're not making you feel bad about it. Maybe Yunho was right, maybe you’ve been calling the wrong people your friends. You have to remember to thank him for keeping their conversation a secret. But first you need to wash off the makeup you’re sure is smeared all over your face.
“Bath’s ready,” he pokes his head around the corner, smiling.
“Thank you, really. For everything. I’ll get out of your hair as soon as I wash up,” you get up and try to make your way down the hall, but he places both hands firmly on your shoulders.
“You’re really not a bother at all, to any of us,” he stares at you for what feels like forever, willing the message into your head. You know he’s trying to comfort you after crying about how alone you feel, but you can’t take this kind of directness while sober. When you nod and look down at the floor he finally loosens up, “and I’m not doing anything today, so feel free to stay. You know, if you want to.”
When you look back up he’s giving you a fond smile again, ears tinted light pink. You just nod a second time, too aware and nervous of how close you two are standing now. Neither of you really know what game you’re playing, but it both makes you rush to opposite sides of the apartment.
You spend your bath wondering what imaginary line everyone was walking between you and Yunho. You’re smart enough to notice all the jabs at him anytime he mentions you, and Wooyoung’s question about dating is still clear as day in your head. But what are they all getting at? Is your crush just that blatantly obvious to everyone? Why else would they make fun of you? The water slowly gets too cold for your liking and you try to switch gears and think about what you’ll do today instead.
Yunho stuck to his word and had a pile of clothes ready for you on the counter. You assume it's just a pair of his own sweatpants and a shirt, but it still makes your stomach flip flop at the thought of him preparing all this. Maybe you should ask him about what games he has or if there’s a movie he could put on to pass the time. But first, you needed a real meal.
Apparently he can read your mind, because when you pad back into the living room he already has a menu pulled up on his phone. “Do you want waffles from that one place again? They looked really good.”
“They were, but it was kinda expensive,” you flop down next to him on the couch, close enough to see his screen.
“I wasn’t planning on letting you pay anyway,” he nudges you playfully, “you can return the favor when you get your first paycheck.”
You just roll your eyes in response, confirming the order with him and letting him handle it. He recommends a movie before you get the chance to, and by the time your food arrives you’re both already comfortably in each other's arms.
“I think the food’s here,” you mention, making no effort to get up.
“Then you should get it,” he mumbles back. He doesn’t move his arm around your shoulders or his head on top of yours to let you, though.
“What if I’m comfy?”
“I already paid for it.”
You can’t argue with that, and he finally detaches himself from you to emphasize it. You pick up the food and slip back onto the couch and all you can think about is how normal it all feels. Sitting and eating and laughing with him comes so naturally, as if you two have lived together for years. He makes no effort to press you about the night before or imply that you should get going. He just happily accepts your presence. You barely make any conversation at all while the movie plays, but he doesn’t let you go for a second. You’ll never know if he did have plans for today, because he spent it all with you.
When you finally get home, it’s already late. You were going to spend the day catching up on some videos and articles you have bookmarked, but instead you just climb into bed and set your alarms. Even the lack of free time can’t upset you, not with the feeling of Yunho’s body engulfing yours still at the front of your mind.
[Choi San]: Hey I’m sorry again for the party! I should’ve been looking out for you
[Choi San]: It’s a good thing Yunho always does LOL
[Choi San]: Anyway me and Hwa are gonna get coffee before work tomorrow and you are invited ! See you tomorrow
You shoot back a quick message confirming you’ll be there and set your alarms a tad earlier. That friendly poking fun at Yunho is back, and you decide you’ll ask San over coffee. You feel like you’re on cloud nine right now, what’s the worst he could say?
“There she is!” Seonghwa shoots you a sweet smile before blowing on his fresh coffee.
“Good morning! I’m sorry again for the party you guys,” you pull out a seat at the small table and set down your bag.
“Listen, we’re the last two people you have to worry about judging your alcohol tolerance,” San chuckles over his own cup, already half finished. “Those men are beasts!”
“They’ll be lucky if their livers don’t dissolve soon,” Seonghwa jokes, finally taking a sip.
“I really didn’t think I’d drink so much, but I guess the games got the best of me,” you laugh along with them. There was no need for them to know about your internal dilemma, or the way you clung to Yunho for dear life in between passing out.
“How was Yunho’s place yesterday?” San asks, and you immediately blush.
“It was fine! We just ate food and watched a movie. It was chill,” you look down, playing with your fingers to ease the sudden stress of his name. You were sure they knew about your feelings at this point, why else would they ask?
“Good,” Seonghwa circles the lid of his cup with a finger. They look at each other briefly before smiling.
“Is it that obvious?”
They both look up at you startled. San is the first to compose himself, “is what obvious?”
“Between me and Yunho…” you mumble, regretting your decision. Maybe you misread the situation. The bliss of Yunho's cuddles might've clouded your judgement on this one.
San just sighs, visibly relieved, “thank god we’re all on the same page.” Seonghwa starts cackling.
You look up at them in utter bewilderment, “we are?”
“It was getting hard teasing him without outright saying it,” Seonghwa finally catches his breath.
“I didn’t know how much longer I could embarrass him without just telling him to make a move!”
Your jaw drops at San’s comment, now fully lost. “You were making fun of him?”
“Well yeah, he’s the one with a giant crush on you!” This time its San who breaks into a fit of laughter.
“He hasn’t been this whipped since like… the first year of college,” Seonghwa recounts, and your head is spinning so much all you can do is rest it in your hands while they compose themselves. San is the first to notice.
“Do you not like him back?” He's worried now. You look back up at him and you don’t know what face you’re making but it can’t be pretty.
Seonghwa mistakes your shock for disgust. “Hey, if he’s making you uncomfortable we can tell him? That’s the last thing we would want.”
“No no no that’s not,” you blurt out, cheeks running so hot you could probably burn someone. “I just… I didn’t realize he liked me too.”
It’s their turn to stare at you, mouths agape. Clearly none of you had been on the same page.
“Too?” they say in unison, and if you didn’t feel like your world was falling apart you would’ve laughed at their timing.
“Yes? This whole time I thought you were making fun of me,” you sigh. Seonghwa can only muster a small “wow” before going back to his coffee. San looks speechless, words forming at the tip of his tongue before completely dissolving.
You cross one leg over the other and clear your throat. The situation feels like it belongs on a sitcom. “So you guys mean to tell me that this whole time you were teasing Yunho for liking me? Yunho has liked me this whole time?”
“Precisely,” Seonghwa responds between sips, “and you mean to tell us that you liked him this whole time?”
All you can do is nod. Hearing it out in the open like that brings you a new sense of shame, although you don’t really know why since it’s clear to everyone else that the feelings are mutual. San finally echoes Seonghwa with a delayed “wow” before whipping out his phone.
“Please don’t tell him,” you borderline beg, but he just giggles.
“You really didn’t notice? You guys are practically made for eachother you know,” he puts his phone facedown on the table after typing a suspiciously long message.
“Be nice,” Seonghwa scolds him before taking his own turn to tease you, “if I fell in love with a man not even a week after meeting him I’d also be flustered.”
“Hey!” you shout, but giggles quickly follow as it dawns on you. You’re both stupid. You both have been so caught up on not making the other uncomfortable that if it weren’t for the teasing men in front of you, you might’ve never known. But now you don’t know what to do next.
San must read your mind because his phone dings and he holds it up for you excitedly, “you should meet him after work!”
“What did you say to him!” you reach for his phone but leans back, your arms comically flailing across the table.
“Just that a little birdie told me his crush likes him back,” San smirks and slides the phone back into his pocket, “you better thank me. I just scored you the hottest date ever.”
All you can do is hold your head in your hands again while the three of you laugh. You don’t really know what you’re laughing at, maybe at how stupid this whole thing is. Maybe it’s the only way you can relieve all your stress around seeing him everyday.
“This feels like a match made in heaven,” Seonghwa starts, finally finishing off his cup, “but if it doesn’t turn out well we’ll still be your friends, seriously.”
San chimes in with an approving hum. “Yunho’s really the nicest person I’ve ever met, but if anything you don’t like happens, let us know! The last thing we want is for you to be uncomfortable the whole summer.”
“Thank you for the blessings,” you joke, but it's the nicest thing they could’ve said to you. Apparently the thought of actually dating Yunho was more nerve wracking than just being delusional in private.
It’s been hours since your eye opening exchange and you still feel giddy. You thank the universe Wooyoung called in sick today or else you truly never would’ve heard the end of it. Your leg is shaking endlessly, fingers tapping on your mousepad instead of writing the emails you desperately need to. The few times you’ve made eye contact with Seonghwa across the room, you both giggle quietly like middle schoolers. You felt like a middle schooler too, urgently waiting for a text from one person. And then it arrives.
[Jeong Yunho] Meet you in the lobby at 5?
You quickly respond and set your phone down to get some work done, hoping it will speed time up. It doesn’t, because you end up shooting laser beams at the clock in the corner of your screen and counting down each minute instead.
“Are you done for the day?” Seonghwa’s voice floats above you and you jump. Saying you were would be a complete and utter lie, but you decide to take up the offer.
“Yeah, is it okay if I leave a bit early?” you start logging out before finishing the question, and he only nods and winks in response. You’ll have to remember to thank him for being the best wingman ever, for the both of you.
You spot Yunho as soon as the elevator doors open, surprised that he’s also here so early. He’s wearing a light blue sweater and slacks to suit the slightly chilly weather today, and his eyes are glued to his phone. When he finally looks up, you see a kind of smile you’ve never seen on him before. His shy, thoughtful look has been replaced with some air of confidence.
“Out early?” he questions once you’re only a few feet away.
“Seonghwa let me go,” you chuckle at how much it sounds like he’s your parent.
“San also told me I should head down early,” he takes a hand in yours, an ever familiar feeling, and starts walking, “they’re quite the mischievous ones aren’t they?”
You can only giggle in response. “Where are we going?”
“You take the subway home don’t you?”
“You only asked me to meet you so you could walk me two blocks?” you nudge him lightly and he grins down at you, lighthearted energy behind his eyes that you usually only see when the others are around.
“Were you expecting something else?” he nudges back.
“I thought you might bring up San’s messages?"
“His messages about what?” He quirks his eyebrows.
“About how much you’re in love with me,” you roll your eyes, deciding to play along.
He lets out a dramatic gasp and drops your hand, “how could you accuse me of such a thing?”
You can’t help but laugh at the act and he finally breaks, taking your hand back in his. You make it to the first crosswalk and wait for the light to turn.
“Could you really not tell?” he looks down at you, brows quirked in genuine confusion this time.
“I was too worried I was projecting onto you or something,” the walk sign lights up and you pull him forward, not wanting your confession to linger in the air too long.
“San was right, we really are made for eachother,” he chuckles, “but I thought having the equivalent of two dates already would’ve made it obvious.”
It’s your turn to gasp. Thinking of your outing as a date was one thing, but hearing him call it as such made your stomach flip flop in ways you couldn’t hide. You arrive at the subway station before you can think of a good comeback.
“Do you want to make it three?” You look up at him and he’s got a mischievous grin again, clearly finding joy in making you say what you both already know.
“I’m not so sure…” you try to act, tossing the idea around in your head as if it isn’t the only thing you’ve been thinking about all day.
You don’t process the way he says “then let me convince you” before you feel the hand that isn’t laced in yours come up to cup your face and you see him lean towards you. The feeling of his lips on yours is quick and soft and it's over before you know it. He pulls back before you can lean in though, and when you open your eyes again, his hand is still holding your chin to look up at him. His teasing expression barely covers his own giddy excitement, but you know he’s waiting for you to answer.
“A third would be good,” you mumble, feeling your skin under his fingers heat up in embarrassment.
“Perfect, I’ll pick you up on Friday,” he lets go and starts walking you down the steps into the station as if he didn’t just scramble your brain. You wonder if he can feel your heart pounding through your hand or the way sweat is pooling between your fingers. If you had trouble waiting until the end of the day today, you feel like you might die before you make it to the end of the week.
summary: the new year brings a new job that finally pays enough for you to believe that things might be getting better. in fact, it pays so much that even an idiot would be able to tell that doing anything to jeopardize it is stupid. unfortunately, falling in love with your boss’ young lover is definitely a way of jeopardizing it and also your one mistake out of many.
pairing: choi san x fem. reader
warnings: smut, cursing, mentions of depression and men being weird and creepy, death (not main characters), angst
a/n: hello everyone!! welcome to another story, i hope you all enjoy the first part (have no idea when pt 2 will be coming) but before you all start reading i just want to say to literally not take anything job related, business related, law related etc in this story seriously i genuinely have zero clue about any of that and was just making up shit as i went for the purpose of the story so i don’t want to hear none of it. one the other hand, happy birthday my san, i love you very much and i hope it’s a good one! <3
moodboard // playlist // my main masterlist
part 1;
You’re in a car with a beautiful boy, and you’re trying not to tell him that you love him
(January of then)
January is always the worst month of the year.
You get a job through your friend Mingi’s friend of a friend.
The assistant of Do Jihyun e-mails you in the last week of December saying to be at the company on the first Monday of the new year, 7 a.m. sharp.
Mingi was absolutely appalled to learn that you had no knowledge on who Do Jihyun was and quickly went on a 10 minute crash-course for one of the most powerful women in South Korea the Saturday before your first day.
warnings: queerphobia, shitty friends, short descriptions of anxiety, drinking, let me know if i should add anything!
word count: 2.6k
note: reader's old friends r pretty shitty but if u r queer / polyam i love u i just want u to know that. also another short chapter but i promise more is on the way >.< and im addicted to writing groupchat!ateez
(previous chapter) (masterlist)
Niya let out a haughty laugh, “that’s seriously why you gathered us here, y/n?” Alex and Ray took her lead, the group slowly devolving into a fit of chuckling and knee slapping.
“I just wanted to be transparent with you guys, you’re my closest friends,” you glared, confused. It wasn’t the first time you’ve had to come out to someone about something, and it was a better reaction than your family, but it wasn’t what you wanted.
“Okay but isn’t that basically, like, cheating?” Alex calmed himself first, but he still wasn’t taking you seriously. “Like who would agree to that?”
“A lot of people are in polyamorous relationships. I’ve been reading a lot and it sounds like what I want right now,” you let out with a frustrated groan.
“Certainly not breaking the stereotype that bi people are promiscuous,” Ray chimed in.
Niya takes a sip of water and clears her throat. She was never very affectionate with you, but you thought she’d at least understand how serious this was. You couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Look, I’m glad you think of us as people who would care about that, but after what happened with Sarah I can’t really take you seriously. You cheated on her and then looked up how you could justify it.”
“I what?” you almost yelled. The tears wasted no time breaking past your eyelashes and onto your cheeks. “Is she really telling people I cheated on her?”
“I mean you would argue all the time and even talked about seeing other people with her. It’s no wonder she left.”
You couldn’t believe your ears. Sarah asked you out within the first week of freshman year and you hit it off really well. But ever since junior year started, you’ve felt suffocated. You didn’t want to depend on her for everything and you certainly didn’t want her to depend on you that much. Not that she did.
You had brought up the idea of polyamory, that maybe what you needed was different people for different needs. You didn’t even have anyone in mind, it was just something you wanted to be transparent about. But she was disgusted with you. You thought breaking up with you was enough, so why did she have to twist the truth? And why were your friends believing her over you?
“I can’t believe you guys are taking her side. During what was supposed to be a vulnerable moment for me.”
Alex just chuckles, “you’re being so dramatic right now, there are no sides. Let’s go get dinner and call it a night.”
Ray agrees, “it’s not that serious to us, trust me. Leave your ex in the past y/n.”
You stare into the bathroom mirror, trying to decide if the heart hair clips you just put in are too cutesy for a friendly get together. Who are you trying to impress? Yunho doesn’t care. That doesn’t stop you from putting on a full face of makeup and a cute dress, something you can’t wear to work. You don’t wanna drink too much tonight, either, you have appearances to keep. Of course none of this matters to any of them. But it matters to the small part of your brain that still thinks you have a shot with him.
[Alex] any plans this weekend, y/n?
[Ray] how’s the dating scene over there?
Two short buzzes vibrate through the countertop and you pick your phone up, assuming it's the boys.
[Niya] she prob cant find anyone to group date with LOL
You can’t believe your eyes. The last time you talked to them was to announce your internship, and they congratulated you, but not much else. Ever since you tried to open up to them, they haven’t really talked to you much. You assumed they had a different group chat to talk, and maybe this was some form of entertainment for them.
i have a party to go to in about 20 minutes lolol
no dates just really nice friends
You try your best to play along, to not be passive aggressive with them. But you feel hot tears start to swell and threaten your makeup.
[Niya] don’t break anyone’s heart this summer
Her message is the last thing you see before turning on Do Not Disturb and putting a playlist on full volume. Niya’s right. This isn’t the time to explore what your heart wants. Your heart has only ever gotten you into trouble. You can’t help but play out what breaking up with Yunho would look like. It feels crazy thinking about dumping someone you’re not even dating. But it’s the only way to curb your feelings for him. You leave in 11 weeks.
San’s apartment complex was only a few blocks away from your own, so you told Yunho you could walk there yourself. He still offered to meet you at the entrance and walk you back home at night. He assured you it wouldn’t be a burden because he lives in the same complex as San, just on a different floor. Half of them live in this building, in fact, and you find that cute for some reason. The inseparable eight men.
These are the kinds of thoughts that pass through your mind as you make your way down the street to the address Yunho sent. Except you don’t quite remember it, and when you check your phone again you realize you never turned DND off. Three missed calls and some amount of texts from Wooyoung that you don’t even want to count.
[Jung Wooyoung] If you don’t pick up soon i’m filing a missing person report
[Jung Wooyoung] I knew we should’ve had it at my place
[Choi Jongho] Your place is even farther what are you talking about??
[Song Mingi] i have this chat on mute too, i don’t blame her
[Jeong Yunho] Yeah and I have to tell you everything twice you ass
[Jeong Yunho] I’ll be waiting at the entrance, so just look for me y/n
[Kim Hongjoong] how romantic of you
[Jeong Yunho] Shut up
Before you can type a reply, a voice calls you over across the street. Your eyes shoot up and meet Yunho’s, visible relief on his face. He’s standing outside a tall, fancy looking building, and you wonder just how much his rent is.
“Sorry!” you wave, jogging over. “I turned on DND so I could focus on getting ready and I guess I forgot to-”
“I’m glad you made it,” he took both your hands in his and smiled, “you look nice!”
“Oh, I wasn’t sure if I overdressed,” you shake your head nervously.
“No, no, I like it. I would’ve liked whatever you wore.”
“Thank you,” you watch as his ears grow redder than a strawberry and he turns to head inside.
[Jeong Yunho] She’s in safe hands!
[Jung Wooyoung] Very big hands too
[Choi San] What.
What??
[Choi San] Anyway I left the door unlocked!
[Park Seonghwa] Can we crack open the drinks now
[Choi Jongho] You cant drink
The elevator ride up is comfortable silence as you text the boys. After the last hour of messages, you feel like maybe a drink or two will fix your problems after all. And when you make your way through San’s front door and see Seonghwa already red in the face, you know you won’t be out of place.
“Who wants to play a drinking game?” Jongho announces to the group, which forms a semicircle across the couches of San’s living room. His place is nice, mostly black furniture and accents, recently renovated. The living room and kitchen were only separated by a small counter, and there was a short hallway that led to what you assumed were his bedroom and bathroom.
“Can you let me finish the food first! My god,” you hear Wooyoung complain from in front of the stove.
“Knock knock,” Yunho announces your presence, clearly not noticed by anyone yet.
“You made it!” Mingi jumps up from his seat first, “I was scared Yunho would keep you to himself.”
You can’t even process what that could’ve meant before everyone showers you in compliments. “Your dress is so nice!” San greets you with a hug, ushering you into the main area.
“y/n! I’m making beef and I’m forcing you to eat some! No arguing!” Woo calls again from the kitchen.
“Sorry for worrying you guys, I wasn’t paying attention,” you take a seat next to Seonghwa and Yunho follows, telling the older man to move over some.
“Don’t worry about it, Wooyoung just gets anxious,” Hongjoong chimes in, giving you a wide smile. The alcohol seems to be warming his cheeks already.
“Here,” Hwa passes you an unopened beer and gets you ready for whatever game Jongho has lined up. Yunho picks up a glass of water from the table and snakes an arm around your shoulders.
“You’re not gonna drink?” You glance over, trying to hide the shock at the sudden contact.
“I probably will later,” he clinks his glass against your bottle playfully, “I’m not as easy as Hwa, don’t worry.”
An hour and a dozen drinking games later, it starts to hit you. The drinks already left you feeling warm and tired, but the lull in conversation gives you a second to think. The messages from your friends back home come flooding back, and they make you nauseous. Or maybe it was the bottle in your hand you definitely shouldn’t have opened. Either way, you lean further into Yunho’s chest, who hasn’t moved all night.
“You feeling okay?” he mumbles.
Wooyoung suddenly stands up to announce his need for the bathroom, Yeosang is asking for another drink, and Mingi is clinging to Jongho, begging for attention. The scene in front of you looks like you had a good time, so why is anxiety bubbling up inside of you?
You don’t respond and Yunho tries again, “are you able to get up? Do you need help?”
Maybe that’s why he didn’t drink today.
You mumble something and try to stand, but you fall back into him. “This is pathetic,” you accidentally say out loud.
“No, no, it’s alright. You just need some water.”
“Don’t leave.” You don’t know who you’re talking to at that moment. You tug on Yunho’s arm, but in your head you’re standing in front of your friends, Sarah, your family.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he chuckles and keeps an arm around you, gently patting your head, “not without you.” You feel yourself exhale slowly and close your eyes. Someone asks if you’re okay, but you can’t make out who over the fuzz.
“I’m just gonna take her downstairs where it’s quiet, get her some water and food.”
“Did we do something wrong?”
“You did play a lot of games didn’t you?”
“I think she just drank a bit too much, I’m sure Yunho will take care of her.”
“It’s fun to tease him for once about something. He’s whipped.”
“Next time let’s go easy on the drinks, yeah?”
When you wake up, it’s not in the same room. It’s a similar layout, but the couch is dark blue and there’s a wooden coffee table in front of you. You focus your eyes a bit more and realize Yunho is sitting across from you in a matching chair. Fuck.
“How long have I been out for?”
“It’s only been like half an hour,” relief washes over his face and he moves to sit next to you, “but I was worried. I carried you down to my apartment so you’d have some space and silence.”
“Thanks,” you sit up and stretch.
“You should have some water and snacks if you can stomach it,” Yunho gestures to the table, and you immediately pick up a glass. You no longer feel nauseous, but everything’s still a bit fuzzy and Niya’s words keep replaying in your head. Niya.
“Did something happen earlier?” he tries.
“Did I say something while I was out?”
“No, but you usually don’t have DND on. And you don’t seem like the type to drink too much on the first weekend you’re here, but I might be wrong,” he chuckles and places a hand on your knee.
“I don’t think I should be telling you all this a week into our friendship,” you take another sip hoping it will clear your head. You’re dangerously close to spilling everything to him.
“I’m really good at listening.”
Fuck.
You cross your legs and turn to face him on the couch and he mirrors you, “I just don’t know where to begin. My friends hate me, I think.”
“Did they say something to you?”
“They just keep teasing me about things that I don’t really think are things you should tease friends about. I mean it’s not my fault I like people so easily.” There’s no turning back now, you’re still not sober, but you’re angry and your heart’s racing.
He caresses your shoulder and lets you continue, “I mean I promised myself I wouldn’t date anyone this summer because I’d never see them again, ya know? I’m trying to be responsible. But Woo … Woo said he wants me to loosen up and I think he’s right. Why do my friends get to decide how much I sleep around? Why do they get to bully me into being alone? I’m so embarrassed to even have crushes and for what?”
You curl into him then, and he starts patting your hair. “These people don’t really sound like your friends, y/n.”
“I wish they weren’t,” you mumble between labored breaths. You don’t want him to see you cry over something so stupid. You're so far out of your mind right now.
“They don’t have to be.”
“But then I’d have no one.” It’s something you never admitted out loud before. You can’t tell if it’s the alcohol or the comfort of the man next to you or if you’re finally just breaking, but it all comes out. “You all are the best friends I’ve had in a while and it’s so pathetic to say because I’ve only known you for a week. You’re all so smart and nice and funny and pretty as fuck. You all have nice jobs and nice apartments, you’ll probably all get nice partners too and live happy lives together like the perfect friend group you are. I just wish that was me.”
Yunho’s face is some combination of confusion and pity. You didn’t really say enough for him to understand the full weight of the situation, and he's trying not to think about just how close you are, but he feels bad. He doesn’t have anything to say, he just lets you wrap your arms around him and cry into his chest. His hand runs along your back and his heart beats steadily against your ear, and you feel tired again. If you were sober, you'd feel like a big baby. But under the haze of the drinks and tears and the warmth radiating from his body, you doze off.
[Jeong Yunho] She’s exhausted but she’ll be okay
[Jeong Yunho] I’m gonna let her sleep here for tonight
[Song Mingi] with you??
[Jeong Yunho] I’m obviously sleeping on the couch ????
[Choi Jongho] Did something happen? Just tired?
[Jeong Yunho] Long week
[Jung Wooyoung] Aww she’s an emotional drunk
[Jung Wooyoung] Good thing she has a big strong man like you
[Kang Yeosang] Shut up
[Choi Jongho] Congrats you said something so annoying Yeo had to step in
[Jung Wooyoung] It was just a joke ! love you y/n ~
[Kang Yeosang] I hope you get a good rest y/n you’re always welcome back
[Kim Hongjoong] we’ll go easy on the drinks next time
[Jung Wooyoung] She’s probably passed out just like San LOL
—summary: yunho can’t stand how you’re so wrapped up in the notorious campus fuckboy, park seonghwa. he would gladly love you the way you deserve, despite being shy, awkward and the complete opposite of seonghwa. thus, when he finds himself spending more time with you over literature reviews and random study sessions, he decides to take on the challenge to win you over.
—pairing: jeong yunho x f. reader x park seonghwa
—genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers/friends to lovers, college au | fluff, angst, smut
—word count: 1.9k
—chapter warning: cussing/mature language, very basic intro/kick off to the series, mentions of smut/protected sex but not too detailed, chaeryeong (itzy), soobin (txt) and seungmin (skz) are included as non-idols and as oc’s bestfriends/roommates, a glimpse into yunho and his personality!
—a/n: hi everyone! kicking off my yunho series - i hope you enjoy! i will try to update every other weekend, but i’ll always try to let everyone know if there are any delays. thank you for the support! 💞
chapter summary: you probably would have preferred the cold shoulder. yunho and mingi find out about your heat, and things get harder.
warnings: this chapter is a pain train. no other warnings except angst and consistent references to heat and all that goes with that.
notes: i'm SO glad you all enjoyed chapter eight!! it was a fun one. please enjoy the moment many of you have been waiting for..... yungi's return and everything that comes with that. good luck because oof our y/n is going through it.
pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader
You expect to see them immediately when you walk into the studio a little early on Monday but it’s painfully empty. The back office door is shut and locked tight, so you know Yunho hasn’t been in yet and if he’s not here, neither is Mingi. It feels familiar, and you’re starting to wonder if every heat is going to end with them throwing a tantrum.
“You just going to stand there?” Wooyoung’s voice nearly knocks you sideways and you jump in your shoes.
“Don’t do that!” You spin on your heel and smack his shoulder.
“You’re literally staring at a door,” Wooyoung levels you with a look, “I’m trying to pull you back down to reality so you can make it through this stupid day,”
“Fine,” You sigh, “I guess… I don’t know, do I look okay?”
He rolls his eyes, “You know you do,”
“I just don’t want,” You start but the sound of the heavy back door to the studio startles you once again and your heart lands squarely in your throat when you see them.
They barely look at you. A swift, fast glance, just enough for you to know they’ve seen you. Your hands suddenly feel slick and clammy and your stomach starts churning immediately.
“Hey,” Wooyoung steps around you to grab their attention and break the sudden awkward tension in the hall, “did anyone ever call to get the lights in Studio 3 fixed?”
Yunho blinks, almost confused by his words but then he recovers, “Uh, no, I thought they were fixed already,”
“Out again,” Wooyoung shakes his head, “I think it’s electrical if the bulbs keep blowing,”
Mingi listens for a moment, but the moment he’s sure this conversation has nothing for him he simply says, “I’ll catch you guys later,” and then he’s pushing past the two of them to cut down the hallway.
He doesn’t look at you at all.
Yunho watches him go and then refocuses on Wooyoung, “I’ll call someone,” he says, “is it the whole back panel again?”
“I’ll show you,” Wooyoung gestures down the hall, throwing a fast glance at you that communicates so much with just one flick of his eyes - Don’t follow, you’re welcome, you owe me.
As Yunho turns away from you to follow Wooyoung down the hallway you mouth a thank you and watch them go. The cold shoulder you can deal with, you’re almost too practiced with that at this point, so at least you can breathe a little easier and get back to work.
You bottle it all right back up, and even though the day has been terrible and long and awkward, you know that San’s right. It’s your studio too. You’ve missed things being out for your leave and you have to catch up quickly to stay an unshakeable member of this group. All you have to do is focus on the work.
You know you probably have to talk to them at some point, but you really didn’t think it would be today of all days. You thought they’d go back to the way it was before, an entire day of their tense glances communicated that clearly. But suddenly Mingi’s in front of you while you’re tucked up on the computer in the corner of one of the studios rewatching a cut of today’s practice and you know it’s going to be now, now or never.
“So, you’re good?” He asks suddenly, a little starting since you had expected him to just pass you by without a word, just like the rest of the day behind you.
“What?” You manage, swiveling around in your chair.
“You’re good?” He asks again, but his face is blank, passive.
You open your mouth to answer but Yunho’s voice from the side has your head snapping towards it.
“Mingi,” Yunho’s voice is firm, “let’s go.”
“One sec,” Mingi doesn’t look away from you.
“I said let’s go,” Yunho shakes his head.
“Hey,” Mingi starts and then Yunho looks at you.
“Can you lock up if you’re not leaving?” He asks, jaw tightening as soon as the words are out of his mouth.
“Sure,” You manage.
“Mingi, let’s go.” Yunho’s attention leaves you instantly, and you’ve never felt more invisible to him.
“Bro,” Mingi shakes his head, “can you fuck off for one second?”
“No, I’m getting in the car, do you want a ride or not?” Yunho’s jaw jumps in frustration.
Mingi mutters something under his breath and then meets your eyes again, “y/n,”
“Yeah?” You’re so overwhelmingly confused.
“I said, are you good?”
“Why wouldn’t I be good?” Your brows draw together.
Mingi shuts his mouth tightly, his hands forming loose fists and then he nods once, “Fine,”
“What’s going on with you two?” Your eyes dart between them, the anger in the room so palpable. They’ve been cold, they’ve been passive, but they’ve never, ever been angry with you. Not like this.
There’s a long beat of silence and then finally Yunho speaks, “Are you serious?”
“What?”
“You disappear for three days,” Yunho drops his gym bag and looks to you, “and you can’t even answer a single fucking text message, and you want to know what’s going on with us?”
Your stomach clenches hard, his dark eyes boring into you now and you need him to look away. “I was on heat leave,” You say clearly, “you got the paperwork, I know you did.”
They’re both silent.
“Look,” You sigh, and it’s already harder to maintain the wall than you thought it would be, “I’m sorry I didn’t text you back, that was shitty, but I was a little preoccupied,”
Yunho grimaces.
“Yunho, jesus,” You push yourself up off the chair and take a few steps towards them, “I don’t know what you want from me,”
“We were worried,” Mingi offers, and his voice is still low and firm, but his words at least are a little kinder.
“Well, I appreciate that, but I was fine.”
Yunho huffs, and you can almost see him fighting an eye roll. Anger bubbles inside you at their entitlement over you and your time and you can’t stop your mouth or your hot head now.
“Seriously,” You square your shoulders towards him, “Yunho, we’re friends so I feel like I can say this, but you’re acting like an asshole right now.”
“I’m acting like an asshole?” His voice gets sharp at the end, anger radiating in him.
“Yes!” You push farther into his space, “Sharing a heat together doesn’t mean I owe you something,”
His jaw jumps at your words.
“No one’s saying that,” Mingi cuts in immediately, physically pushing between you both and holding his hands up.
“Tell that to him,” You nod towards Yunho.
Yunho stays silent.
Mingi keeps his hands up, “Listen,” he catches your eyes, “no one’s angry. We just didn’t hear from you for three days, we didn’t know if you were somewhere safe. That’s all.”
“Well, I was,” You assure him, “I had everything handled, I’m back on my suppressants,”
“I know,” Mingi nods, and you suppose he would be able to tell, with your scent dampened.
“What about onboarding?” Yunho pipes in and you crane around Mingi to see him. His cheeks are flushed pink, and you can see how frustrated he is, but he tries to ask this question a bit more softly.
“What about it?” You give him one more chance, just one.
Yunho clears his throat and says again, “Onboarding. Mingi said it can be a lot, like before,”
“I had it covered,” You assure him.
“I just thought,” Yunho shifts from foot to foot, trying to find his words, “I thought maybe if it was as hard as before you’d be out of it, and I, I don’t know,”
You want to be mad at him, you really do, but that part of his fear makes sense to you. When you think about your time with them and how much you don’t quite remember perfectly, how hard it was to make it home, you get it.
“Honestly,” You exhale, relaxing the tension a bit, “I am sorry I didn’t text you back. I can understand why you were worried,”
His shoulders relax with yours, “I’m sorry too,”
You can’t say it’s okay, but you nod, glancing up to Mingi who’s seemed to soften up a bit too. There’s a long beat between you and finally Mingi asks, “So, we’re good?”
“Yeah,” You nod, “we’re good,”
Yunho nods and agrees, “I am really sorry, I really was just worried about you,”
“I know,” You nod, “I think I should have just texted you, but I didn’t know what to say,”
“Yeah,” Mingi laughs a little, just a huff and he runs his hand through his short hair, “that’s fair,”
You smile too and press your hands to your cheeks for a little cool relief, letting out a long sigh as the tension starts to release. It could end here, they could say goodbye and goodnight and you could finish up and then it would be over, but when Yunho shifts and glances between the two of you, you know immediately it won’t be so simple.
“Well,” Yunho clears his throat, “next time if you’d rather not be alone, you know, I think we’ve done pretty good at staying friends,”
“Oh,” Your heart feels like it might just fall straight out of your chest, “Yunho, I,”
“It was weird for a couple of weeks,” He adds, “but,”
You know you just have to say it, you have to get it out of your mouth before you can’t, and the words bubble up sharp and sudden, “I wasn’t alone,”
“You weren’t?” Mingi’s brows shoot up.
Yunho falls silent, ears running dark pink.
“No,” You shake your head, “I wasn’t,”
“Of course you weren’t,” Yunho manages, “sorry, that was… I don’t know why I assumed,”
“Probably because I told you that’s what I normally do,” You soften, “so I understand why you were worried, but I’m telling you that I was fine, taken care of,”
He asks it like he can’t help himself, the word falling right off his tongue, “Who?”
You take a half step back, shaking your head, “Yunho, no,”
“Why not? We’re friends,” Mingi rationalizes.
They suddenly look so much like jealous lovers you can’t breathe. Something deep in your gut must have been right all along about them, and you don’t know why you can’t stop making this same mistake over and over again. Your biology must really want you to fall for a guy like this but as harsh as the twist in your gut feels, you push it back, refusing to submit.
“No,” You turn on your heel, “I’m leaving,”
Hands on your arms pull you back and twist you around in Mingi’s hold, “Fuck,” he says, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, that was so out of line,”
“You don’t get to ask, okay?” You push him off, putting a foot of distance between you.
“I know that, we know that,” Mingi nods, holding your gaze and trying to diffuse whatever this conversation has become, “it was stupid, forget it,”
Yunho moves closer, stopping by Mingi’s side to give you the same distance, “Completely stupid, I’m sorry,”
You’re already so sick of them apologizing, but you swallow tightly and try to let it go, “Okay,”
“Only,” Yunho pauses, debating on whether or not he should say this and your breath catches in your throat, “only, why didn’t you call us?”
“What?” You can barely believe him.
“You don’t have to tell us anything,” Yunho says, looking quickly at Mingi who nods, “I just… I thought you would have called us, and when I saw the paperwork and you didn’t answer I thought maybe something happened.”
The stretching silence between you is crushing you. A flare of anger bubbles in your belly, “You said my heat before was a one time thing.”
“I never said that.”
“You did,” You shake your head, and now you just can’t stop the words, “and you know what, Yunho? Maybe this wouldn’t have been so hard and confusing if you didn’t treat me like I was invisible for weeks after we had sex,”
“You were avoiding me too,” His tongue is quick when he’s angry and you can almost see the regret in his eyes but he doubles down, “both of us.”
“I’m not going to listen to this,” You cheeks flare with angry blush, “I’m done. We work together, that’s it. I don’t know what you want from me, I’ll get whiplash if you keep-”
Your words die on your tongue, your back connecting with the hard studio wall behind you. You don’t see Mingi coming, your eyes steady on Yunho and you’re about to throw up your hands and leave again when Mingi collides into you, his lips on yours.
“Mingi!” You squeak against his mouth.
“Please,” He pleads, shaking his head.
His body feels so good you might lose your mind entirely. His plush mouth stays on yours, tongue dipping between your lips to flick along yours. His scent envelops you, his hot hands holding you against him, and you melt into him as your body responds to him. He kisses like you’re his only lifeline, messy and hungry and pouring desperation into you ounce by ounce. Your hand tightens on his back. He hitches your leg up onto his hip, pressing your body open for him to slot between your legs.
Your eyes stay shut as he kisses his way down your jaw, nipping along your skin until his mouth is on your throat, ghosting softly over your pulsepoint. Your mind is spinning, flooded hot, everything falling away and then it all stops.
Mingi stiffens, body locking up and you hear him take a deep inhale of breath. He rocks back away from you, “Seonghwa?”
“What?” Yunho’s voice re-enters the mix.
Mingi steps away from you and you brace your body against the wall, finding your feet under you and trying to catch your breath, “Don’t,”
“I’m right,” Mingi’s face knits up in confusion, his fists tighten, “fuck,”
Yunho looks stricken.
“You slept with Seonghwa?” Mingi repeats.
“Don’t,” You repeat, anger curling inside you and you push off the wall, “we’re friends and maybe I should have texted you, but that’s all we are, you made that perfectly fucking clear after my heat. You don’t get to treat me like I cheated or try to mark your fucking territory,” You scrub your hand across your throat where Mingi kissed you, where he let his tongue linger.
“We’re not together,” You reiterate, “we’re not in love, or soulmates, or scent matches, or whatever the fuck else people say. We had sex, that’s it.”
The words are out there, dropped between you like lead and you realize coldly somewhere in the back of your mind, you can never take that back.
Yunho and Mingi stand stock still at the grenade dropped between you, but then Yunho shifts forwards one step with a tight inhalation of breath.
“That’s not all it was for me,” He manages, and when you meet his eyes your resolve nearly, nearly crumbles.
“Whatever you feel for me isn’t real, it’s biology,” You shake your head, trying to catch your breath and keep your words straight. If they loved you before they would have come to you then, you just have to hold onto that truth.
“Don’t tell me what I feel,” Yunho looks away from you, his hands tight, “don’t patronize me.”
“This is why we should have never,” You shake your head, looking at Mingi like you might see a scrap of reason in his eyes, but you see nothing, pure passive inattention like he’s shut down and left the conversation.
“y/n,” Yunho shakes his head, “I’m not some lovesick virgin,”
“I know that,” You sigh, “I didn’t mean,”
“You did,” Yunho interrupts, “and if you don’t feel the same about us, just say it.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” You feel like you’ve entered an entirely different narrative, “You said you wanted to be friends, isn’t that what we are?”
“Friends don’t kiss like that,” Mingi admits gruffly.
“You kissed me,” You manage.
“y/n,” Mingi says softly, “I felt it, the way you kissed me back, touched me… there’s something there,”
“Is that what this is about?” Your jaw tightens, “You think I’m yours?”
Mingi’s jaw snaps shut, muscles jumping.
Yunho shakes his head, bringing you back to his eyes, “No,” he sighs, “but,”
“But what?” You won’t cry, not here, “You’re perfectly fine treating me like I’m invisible until another alpha gets a little too close? I’m a person! A whole entire person, I’m not an omega for you to… to…”
“I know that!” Yunho exclaims, “I like you. We like you, it has nothing to do with designation,”
“That’s the most naive sentence I’ve ever heard,” You take a step back, away, closer to the mirrored wall, “if that were true why didn’t you say anything weeks ago?”
“I didn’t know then,” He insists, looking to Mingi for help but finding none in his vacant eyes.
“That’s what I’m saying,” You sigh, exasperated, “you’re just realizing it now? Right when I spend my heat with another alpha? You’re confused.”
“It’s not confusion,” Mingi says simply, “we’re not stupid.”
“So, you both have feelings for me? Is that what you’re saying?” You bite back, and you clench your fist tight. You won’t cry.
They say nothing, silence filling the room like smoke and you need to get out.
“After we spent that time together,” You take a steadying breath, “I missed you both so much it hurt. All the time. I would convince myself not to come to your place and knock on the door and… and I don’t know what I wanted. I thought about you all the time, and the things you said and did for me. I missed you so much it made me sick,”
“Then,” Yunho starts, his voice small but you shake your head.
“But you didn’t want me,” You insist, “you spent weeks making sure I knew it. Every day you wouldn’t look at me, you wouldn’t talk to me, I’ve never felt so small.”
Mingi’s eyes cloud and he drops his head.
“And it was hard, but the things I felt for you went away,” You press, despite the tightness in your chest, “with a little time and space, it went away. I know you both care about me, and I care about you, but you don’t love me.”
“I don’t accept that,” Yunho shakes his head, moving forwards before you can process it, his arms around you as he tucks you into his chest, “how can you say that when this feels the way it does?”
Your head throbs with the scent of him, washing through you and making your limbs go soft and your heartbeat slow to a stutter instead of a pounding thump, but your brain clicks back into place and you wriggle in his arms, “Let me go,”
He leans away, cupping your cheek in his hand to draw your face up to his gaze, “Don’t you?” He manages, voice cracking gently.
You’re dizzy, mind flooded and confused, but you try, “I don’t,”
His thumb strokes a gentle line over your cheekbone, shifting just a little closer, “y/n,”
“Yunho,” You manage, your voice shaking as you try to stay level, “if you kiss me now, there’s nothing for us.”
His brow creases as he studies your eyes, exhaling an unsteady breath.
“I’ll go, I’ll find another studio.” You grip your hand tight and let your nails dig into your soft palm, “I need you to let me go, please, let me go,”
His arms fall away, and he takes two sizable steps back, running a hand through his hair, “After everything, that’s it?”
“It has to be,” Your eyes feel prickly, “I’ve moved on. I need you both to do the same. Find someone else, another omega. I know you think you want me, but it’s just your alphas talking. And maybe we could have been more than this, but you hurt me, you both did, and I’ve moved on.”
“I shouldn’t have kissed you,” Mingi manages.
“No,” You shake your head, “you shouldn’t have.”
“I’m sorry,” His voice is small.
“This,” Yunho tries to say something, but his voice is thick with emotion and he clears his throat, words dying on his lips.
“I’m sorry too,” You finally add, “and I thought we could go back to being friends, but this, it hurts too much.”
“What do we do?” Yunho asks, voice hollow.
“I need some space,” You swallow tightly, “we’ll do the work, but that’s it. If we ever have a shot at being friends someday, at feeling like this isn’t always there… that’s what I need, and maybe we can fix this.”
“Okay,” Mingi says.
“Tour,” Yunho takes a deep breath, and you realize now that he has tears flooding his eyes that he’s doing his best to blink away, “we’ll be gone for months,”
He’s right, in a matter of weeks they’ll be gone with a small group of the BB Trippin dance crew to Europe. You have your focus here with the newly debuting group alongside Dahan and Yujin, but they don’t, they’re leaving with New World and it would be almost three full months until they’d be back in Korea.
“Good,” You breathe, ignoring the pit forming in your stomach at the thought of not seeing them, “then let’s just get through the next few weeks, but after that you go. Don’t text me, don’t call me, just… move on.”
Silence stretches, but Yunho nods.
If you stay here for one more minute you’re going to cry, “I have to go,”
He nods again.
There’s more to say, you can feel it, but you can’t do it now and you have to push yourself to get out the door. You push past them as quickly as you can, eyes on the door in front of you, but Yunho follows behind and catches you once more in the hall.
“y/n,” He doesn’t touch you, but calls after you in the hall, but you don’t turn around you can’t. If you look at him one more time you’ll cry, you’ll go back, you’ll throw all the things you said to the side just to feel his arms around you one more time or Mingi’s lips on yours and you can’t. You have to be better than this, for yourself.
You stop though and turn your head just a little to let him know you’re listening.
“I’m,” His voice tightens and hitches, “I’m really fucking sorry we lost you,”
Hot tears overflow at his words, spilling over down your cheeks and you drop your head and nod. You grip your hands tighter and steady yourself and hope to god that your voice will hold up, “Me too,”
He takes a tight, wet inhale and you have to move, one more second in this hallway and you’ll want nothing more than to comfort him, to soothe your alpha and smooth this moment over, but the latent thought of him as yours strikes panic in your chest and you push forward down the hall.
You round the corner at the end by the office, and the image of him coming out of the doorway that first night won’t leave you alone, the way he softened when he saw you in heat, the way he took you in his arms.
You stifle a sob with your hand over your lips, and then you’re running. Out of here, away from this, and you don’t know where you’re going until you get there, every step a blur.
You knock fast on San’s door, and you feel bad about crashing their night, but you can barely breathe and you need to see a friendly face or you just might fall apart. You had gotten your tears under control on your way over, out of sheer embarrassment that you were crying in the middle of the street, but tightness gathers in your throat now as you wait for an answer to the door and pins prick the back of your eyes.
You hear shuffling on the opposite side of the door, a hand on the knob, and tears spill over already.
San’s smiling when he opens the door, looking over his shoulder back into the main living space and finishing saying something to Wooyoung who’s inside, and your breath hitches.
His eyes settle on you, “y/n?” His face falls as he sees your tears, “What?”
“S-San,” Your tears rush faster, your words cut off in a sob and you launch yourself forwards to collide with his chest, wrapping your arms around his neck and burying your face in his shoulder, sobs wracking yours.
“Hey, hey, hey,” He stumbles back, wrapping his arms around you, “what’s going on?”
“y/n’s here?” Wooyoung’s voice comes from the side and you can’t stop yourself from crying harder.
“I need you to breathe,” San soothes you, his voice low, “I need you to tell me what happened,”
You shake your head into his neck, hiccuping as you do.
“Are you hurt?” He presses, one of his hands sliding up your sides to search your body, “I need you to talk to me,”
You drag in a shaky breath, but Wooyoung sees you now and jumps forwards, “Is she hurt?”
“Woo,” San interrupts him, “hang on, okay, just,”
“I’m,” You clear your throat, “I’m not hurt,”
San exhales heavily, relieved at your words and nods, cupping the back of your head, “Alright, just breathe,”
“What the hell happened?” Wooyoung says.
“I know as much as you do,” San says, “just grab her stuff and let’s get inside,”
“Yeah,” You hear Wooyoung moving, picking up your bag from the floor outside his apartment door, and then you hear it click shut.
“y/n,” San tries again as you try to get your breathing under control, “can you tell me what happened?”
“I t-talked to Yunho and Mingi,” You murmur wetly into his shirt.
“What the fuck did those idiots do?” Wooyoung’s hand settles between your shoulder blades as he shifts closer to try and catch your eyes.
“It’s a mess,” You manage.
“Woo,” San says softly, “get her a glass of water,”
“But,” Wooyoung starts.
“Go.” San insists.
Wooyoung’s hand leaves you.
“y/n,” San says, “come inside and sit down,”
You peel yourself away from him, covering your face immediately as tears continue to roll down your cheeks, but San steers you inside with a warm arm until you’re sinking down onto the couch.
“Water,” Wooyoung says, holding an icy cold glass in his hand and taking his spot on the extended length of the sectional so he can angle towards you and see your face, “drink this,”
He presses the glass into your hands and you take a shaky sip, the cold shocking your brain a little as you try to get a little more down.
San tugs the coffee table a little closer and takes a seat on the wood top and then leans forward to catch your eyes, elbows resting on his knees, “Can you tell us what happened?”
You sigh deeply and then recover your breath, wiping your eyes with the sleeve of your sweater, “They know,”
“About this weekend?” San surmises.
“Just Seonghwa,” You clarify, taking another sip of water, “they were so angry, I didn't want to tell them the rest,”
“Fucking assholes,” Wooyoung curses, his jaw tightening as he looks away.
“What else?” San’s voice is gentle, so unlike confident alpha tone you had gotten used to, “You can tell us,”
“They… I mean, Yunho… he said that they,” The words get jumbled in your mind as you flash back to the studio room, “it’s all so fucked, they’re acting like this is…”
“Babe,” Wooyoung plucks the glass from your hands and passes it to San, returning his hands to yours so he can steady your shakes, “you’re not making a lot of sense, and I’m about two seconds from driving over to their place and castrating them. I need you to please tell me they didn’t do anything stupid,”
“Youngie,” San sighs, exasperated.
You shake your head, “No,” you manage, “they have feelings for me, they said… when they found out about my heat they were so…”
“Now?” Wooyoung’s eyebrows go high, “Now they have feelings for you?”
“That’s basically what I said,” Your lips turn up in the smallest smile.
“What else?” San cuts through the commentary.
“If they had said something, anything weeks ago,” You trail off.
“They didn’t though,” San reminds you, “and that’s on them. Not on you.”
“So you fought?” Wooyoung surmises.
You wipe your eyes again and nod, “It was awful,”
“I’m sorry,” Wooyoung takes your hands in his, smoothing his thumbs over the back of your knuckles, “We all knew they might be upset, we shouldn’t have left you alone,”
“I handled it,” You shake your head, the telltale feeling of a migraine coming on in the back of your skull from how many tears you’ve shed, “I… just - I don’t know why this is so hard,”
San shifts forwards, cupping your cheek in his hand and soothing you, “How about you stay over tonight? We can order some takeout and just forget about this for now,”
“I’ve got soju if you need a drink,” Wooyoung adds, “whatever you need, we’re here,”
“I just want to know what to do,” You push San’s hands away and drag your fingers through your hair, “it shouldn’t be this hard,”
“How did you leave it?” Wooyoung asks gently, hand on your knee.
Yunho’s words in the hallway strike back through your chest, but you shake your head, “Kind of terribly,”
“Okay,” He prompts you for a little more.
“I told them to go on tour and to not contact me so we can get some space,” You say it in a single breath and then you duck your head in your hands again.
“Damn,” Wooyoung grimaces.
“I know,” You sniff back fresh tears, “maybe I should have stayed, but, I just… I couldn’t,”
“y/n,” San pulls your hands down and takes them in his, smoothing his thumbs over the soft hollows of your palms, “you did the right thing. Space is good,”
“Is it?” You said it, and in the moment you believed it, but months without speaking to them feels like torture.
“It’s good,” He nods, wiping away your tears, “you need time to figure out how you feel and they need time to do the same. You’re never going to be able to get it if you’re working on top of each other every day,”
You let San’s words sink in and you know he’s right. All of the talking and the not talking with them up to this point had just left your relationship a jumbled mess. Time away could fix this. You knew it deep in your gut in the studio as you backed out the door and you know it now.
With a deep breath you scrub your hands under your eyes to clear away the last remnants of tears and any smudged mascara and you nod, “Woo,” you face him, “where’s that soju?”
“On it,” He grins, “I know exactly what you need,”
“Yeah?”
“Mhm,” Wooyoung hops up and heads for San’s kitchen, “Beer, soju, and junk food. I’m making chapagetti,”
You groan, knowing exactly what your body is going to feel like tomorrow.
“At least put some protein on it,” San calls back, “for the love of god,”
“Sannie,” Wooyoung says, his head clearly in the fridge at the muffled tone, “just let me work my magic,”
“Mhm,” San shakes his head.
“I’m going to be so hungover tomorrow aren’t I?”
“Definitely,” San laughs, “but you can crash here, we’ll take care of you.”
You nod, knowing they absolutely will.
When Wooyoung hands you the cold glass of beer and the shot you clink your glass with him and knock it back in sync and for a little while you put it all out of your mind.
It isn’t until later, in the safe darkness of San’s bedroom with your best friends on either side of you, that you feel like the words might make it out of your mouth without it all ending around you. The alcohol in your system has started to dissipate, leaving you exhausted and a little heavy feeling, but your thoughts are starting to stitch back together and you just have to tell them.
You’re snuggled tight to Wooyoung’s chest, your forehead pressed to his sternum, San behind you but not really touching you, just laying on his back and staying close enough to give you the comfort of another body. You can’t stop replaying it, seeing them when they realized you had been with not just someone else but someone they knew.
You don’t know what possesses you, but in the darkness you murmur, “Mingi kissed me,”
Wooyoung’s breathing hitches for just a moment as he registers your words, but he recovers cleanly, his fingers just running over your hair again and again, “When?”
“Tonight,” You shift, pushing yourself to lie on your back between the two of them, “I think he was trying to show me he meant it,”
They let your words sit there for a moment, and then Wooyoung turns to look at you, “How do you feel about it?”
“Stupid,” You exhale, answering honestly, “really fucking stupid,”
“Why?” San props up on one arm, hand on his cheek and brow furrowed as he looks down at you.
You feel the outline of his mouth on yours again, his hands and how they held you, how much he poured into one moment just to get you to understand. “Because,” You answer, “all I could think about was how much I missed him,”
“y/n,” Wooyoung murmurs, “do you think they meant it? That their feelings are real?”
“Maybe,” You say, “but the timing,”
“Yeah,”
“And besides,” You shake your head, “I said some things I shouldn’t have,”
“Like?” San asks.
“I told them they fucked it up,” You blink back tears, “and that we weren’t soulmates and that they’re wrong,”
“Oh,” San says, “that’s direct,”
“I know,” You groan, dropping your hands over your eyes, “I was just so angry,”
“Space will be good then,” Wooyoung offers, “you all need a breather.”
“There’s no easy way to work together when that’s how you left it,” San points out, “so time away gives you all a chance to rethink some things and get some clarity,”
“What if,” The words die in your throat.
“What?” San nudges you.
“What if they come back and nothing’s fixed,” You sigh, “what if it’s worse?”
“You won’t know it until it happens,” San takes your hand in his, lacing your fingers together, “you can’t control everything, y/n, sometimes you just have to let things work out.”
You nod, and then you ask the question you’ve been afraid of since you walked out the studio door, “Should I have just stayed? If… if they do have feelings for me, and they’re real, should I have just stayed?”
“It would have been easier,” Wooyoung murmurs, “but babe, you’d still have the same questions,”
“Yeah,” You breathe, stomach in knots.
“Tour is soon,” San reminds you, “you got through weeks of the cold shoulder last time, you can do this,”
You nod.
“It’s late,” Wooyoung comments.
“I know,” You murmur.
“It’s going to be okay,” San says, “I know it will.”
“You’re right,” You breathe, “I just think it shouldn’t be this hard, if we were meant to work out, shouldn’t it be easier than this?”
They’re quiet for a moment and then San sighs, “Probably,”
Wooyoung turns and looks at him, his lips closing before he shrugs and rolls towards you, snuggling up to your side.
“What?” You nudge him, reading through his silence.
“Nothing,” He says.
“Woo,” You nudge him harder.
“I just think you shouldn’t close any doors,”
“Mm,”
“I’m just saying,” He wraps an arm around your middle, “take the break from them, see how you feel later. You’re overthinking this,”
San drags his thumb over your knuckles and Wooyoung shifts closer, resting his head on your shoulder. The quiet stretches around you as you take in his words. He might be right, but you can’t think about that now. Not with the day you’ve had and the headache behind your eyes.
The fight plays over and over again in your mind every time you close your eyes, a loop of Mingi’s mouth on yours and Yunho’s eyes shining with tears. The feeling of their hands on you, begging you to stay. The look on their faces when they realized you had sought out another alpha for your heat, and not just any, but one of their best friends. You wonder what might have changed had you texted them back, who you might have met at the studio today instead.
That’s not all it was for me.
A little piece of you wishes you could take back everything you said.
warnings: just some short descriptions of anxiety & negative self talk again, let me know if i should add anything!
word count: 3k
(previous chapter) (masterlist)
“Are you big on dating, y/n?” You nearly spit out your coffee. You look over and Wooyoung is staring at you innocently, “sorry if that’s weird to ask but I'm just tired of staring at this screen.” You don’t believe for a second that he doesn’t have an ulterior motive, but you decide to bite the bullet. You could muster a safe response, you've had to do it for every other person who's asked. And he was right, it was already 3:30pm. You needed a break.
“It wasn’t a weird question,” you clear your throat, “and no, not recently I guess.” You shift in your seat, crossing one leg over the other.
He hums in acknowledgement, “I just wanted to ask because you know, if eight attractive men took interest in me I’d be a mess.” You lock eyes for a second before hysterically laughing, and he follows suit. You can’t tell if he knows your internal dilemma about Yunho, but you try to formulate an innocuous enough response.
“Oh my god no,” you wipe tears from your eyes, “no, no, no, you guys are nice but I can tell we’re all just friends.” It’s not a lie, but it’s not the truth you want. “Besides, I promised myself I wouldn’t date anyone while I was here,” you regain your composure. That part is honest.
He furrows his brows, “Why? Bad experiences?”
You try not to wince, “no, it’s just such a short time period that it’d get too complicated too quickly.” He nods, and for a moment you think you’re off the hook. You wake your computer back up and try to ignore the way you suddenly can’t stop thinking about Yunho again. Maybe it wouldn’t be complicated with him.
“Well,” he stands up and stretches, “I’ll make it my goal to loosen you up, then.” You shoot him a shocked look, and he crosses his arms. “What? You can’t go three whole months without any action, y/n. I know you’re not here for a long time, but you don’t have to date people for a long time either,” he smirks and gets up to refill his water bottle before you can refute.
If you were being honest with yourself, that’s something you’ve wanted for a while. You have always wished that you could just let hookups come and go. You’ve always wished you didn’t develop feelings for people so quickly that you feel like you’ll die without their attention. It wasn’t healthy, and maybe Wooyoung was right, maybe he could get you to come out of your shell. Maybe a summer fling wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Yunho walks up to your desk a few seconds later, a grin plastered across his face. “You ready?”
You all but jump out of your seat, mentally cursing yourself for failing to notice him walk in, “yeah! Yeah I just need to save a few things and then I can go.” You can’t even recover yourself smoothly and you thank the universe that Wooyoung wasn’t within earshot to bully you. You blush so hard you think you’ll explode into a million pieces if you make eye contact with Yunho, so you keep your eyes glued to the screen.
“Mm, I’ll go talk to Seonghwa for a bit then. Grab me when you’re done,” you feel his hand on your shoulder, giving you a brief but comforting squeeze, before he walks across the office to the supervisor’s desk. You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding and finally looked up in his direction. He’s wearing a simple white shirt and wide black pants, and a blazer that was probably making him overheat is folded neatly in his arms. Seonghwa must say something funny because he throws his head back in laughter before glancing back at you.
“Ready for your date with Yunho?” Wooyoung elbows you and you jump again. You can’t seem to realize when anyone is walking up to you anymore.
“Ready for my what?” You blurt out before reading his expression, clearly joking just to joke.
“I was just kidding!” he throws his hands up, “but if you ask him about his favorite ice cream joint on the way there he might love you forever.”
You slap him on the arm and pack your bag for the day. The words love you forever ring in your head and you can’t believe how pathetic you are. Yunho feels like such an easy person to love forever, to spend the rest of your life with. Wooyoung was suspiciously good at pressing your buttons in just the right way, and you can’t help but think about why he was asking you about your dating life. Maybe it’s all just a big game to him.
Yunho ushers you past the front doors into the sunny weather outside. The elevator ride down was quiet, but it’s not very awkward being quiet with him. He was a jokester with his friends around, but right now he’s just a calm and steady presence, quietly observing you. In the office, just the mere thought of him filled you with nerves and it took some manual breathing to recenter yourself. But walking side by side, nothing but the sounds of the city enveloping you both, you feel safe.
“So how far away is this park?” You break the silence after a few blocks of walking. You just wanted to hear his voice.
“Oh yeah, sorry,” he chuckles, “I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark! It’s only two more blocks away, and then we’ll just walk around until we find a nice place to sit down. But I have a little surprise to show you first.”
You clasp your hands together, “Really? What is it?”
“If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore,” he smiles down at you, “but I hope you like sweet things.”
You know he knows you like sweet things. He watched you order a waffle and smoothie for lunch yesterday, and you keep a small bag of candy on your desk that he might’ve seen as well. You know he likes sweet things too, if Wooyoung’s ice cream comment is anything to go off of. The butterflies in your stomach go crazy at the thought of him bringing you to his favorite ice scream spot. You can’t help but feel special. Maybe he likes you too?
“It’s just a little spot we went to in college a lot, it reminds me of good times with the boys,” he flashes a small smile your direction and you come back to your senses. This outing was meant to help you learn about the city and their friendship, it’s not a date. It’s not a date.
“You know I was a little scared I wouldn’t get to enjoy my summer if I was working the whole time,” you tried to lighten up.
“Really? Dasoft won’t work you to death,” he chuckles, “we wouldn’t work here if it was that kind of company.” You turn a corner and a bright blue and white striped cart catches your eye. A handwritten sign next to it reads Super Sunwoo Ice Cream.
“Yeah I can see that now. Why do you guys work here anyway?” You could pat yourself on the back for being so calm and collected right now.
“That’s a long story. What kind of ice cream do you like?”
“Strawberry,” you reach for your wallet but he grabs your hand instead, pulling you closer to the cart.
“Hi sir!” Yunho chirps. The older man behind the cart stands up from his stool and a smile of recognition slowly grows across his face.
“Yunho! It’s been so long, same as usual?” He grabs a waffle cone and opens the cooler, calm and practiced motions like he’s done this every summer for decades. Maybe he has.
“Two of them, please!”
“Oh?” The man finally notices you standing there, and you feel out of place for a moment before his eyes turn into crescents again, “you must be new around here! Any friend of Yunho’s is a friend of mine.” You smile and watch him carefully scoop one and then two cones full of what looked like homemade strawberry ice cream. You hadn’t gotten ice cream like this since you were a kid and the wave of nostalgia is almost painful.
“How much will this be, sir?” Yunho grabs the two cones and hands one to you before turning back to the older man.
“Oh don’t worry about it this time!” he chuckles, “You can make it up to me the next time the boys come around. Go have some fun.”
Yunho squints and tries to refuse the free offer, but you just thank him profusely and make your way into the park. “You always accept free food Yunho. Always,” you elbow him, lighthearted.
“I know I know,” he chuckles, “but Mr. Sunwoo has been working for so long. I wish I could buy enough ice cream to just let him retire.”
“If it makes you feel better,” you take a mouthful of ice cream from your cone, “this is so good I might just visit him everyday.”
“Really? We usually go as a group at least once a week during the summer. I’ll count you in,” he gives you the biggest, most genuine smile you’ve seen so far and you feel like you could melt faster than the dessert in your hand.
You follow him down a quiet path through the park, landing at a bench along the way. It was a standard metal city bench, but it overlooked a tiny pond across the path and was surrounded by trees. The sounds of cars and bustling people faded long ago, all that was left was the birds above you and your quiet footsteps. You both fell into comfortable silence again, with Yunho lightly tapping his fingers in his lap. He finished his strawberry cone a while ago.
“Can I hear the long story?” you look up at him, taking the final bite of your cone.
“Sorry?”
“Of why you all work at the same company? I know how you all met but, like, what about after that?”
“Ah, right, I'm supposed to be telling you about us,” he laughs and combs a hand through his hair, “it’s just so nice being able to get some peace and quiet with you.”
You smile and fiddle with your own hair, mirroring his movements.
“Like you probably gathered, Seonghwa and Hongjoong got hired here first,” he started, “Joong got an internship the year prior, similar to yours, before being offered a full time position. And then he recommended the company to Hwa.”
“Did he purposely want to stick with you guys?”
He shrugs, “I don’t think I’ll ever know how thought out Joong’s plans are, but he always manages to keep us on the right track. Even back in the dorms, while Hwa would let us get away with things, Hongjoong was strict enough to get us to behave without getting us kicked out.”
Your mind quickly races with what they could’ve been doing that would’ve gotten them expelled, and you ask him as much. He just chuckles, “nothing insane! Sometimes we’d just have a bit too much to drink and we’re not exactly the quietest group of people.”
“If we went to college together I’m not sure I’d like all of you,” you joke, but he sits up straight at the comment.
“Would you like me?”
You look up at him and for the first time this afternoon, he looks a little nervous. You spot the red tips of his ears. “I don’t think I know enough about you yet. You’ll have to show me,” you lie. You don’t know why you decided now was the time to test your flirting skills.
“I see,” he grins before leaning back against the bench, “well just wait until you hear about how the rest of us got here.”
“I’m all ears,” you lean forward, elbows resting on your knees.
“I did my final project for a class on how to market this brand of ramen I really like, and I guess it was so good someone forwarded my name to a Dasoft recruiter. They contacted me about an internship in the sales department and I’ve been moving up since. The same thing happened with Mingi and Jongho minus the final project part. They’re both just really fucking smart and got jobs the moment the recruiters talked to them.”
“Really? Is it what you all wanted out of college?”
“Not all of us, but you can’t argue with a good salary,” he sighs, “I’m sure some of us will move on eventually.”
You sit up and look up at him and you see the faintest hint of worry in his eyes. You wonder if maybe he’s just as scared of losing his friends as you are, if maybe you could hug him right now to comfort the both of you. Mostly you.
He breaks your wild assumptions with a playful smile, “have you noticed Wooyoung playing games next to you? He definitely only took up Seonghwa’s offer because it was easy money for now, but he has bigger dreams. He’s not cut out for a lifetime of cubicles and meetings.”
“That’s easy to believe,” you lean back, relieved. “You know his first words to me, or well, about me, were-”
“I have several unread emails and I need lunch now?” he mocked Wooyoung’s higher voice, “yeah he was telling us over lunch before you and Hwa arrived. He almost felt kinda bad about it.”
You both laugh at the thought. Wooyoung can only be described as lovingly annoying, and you can’t even imagine him being self conscious about something he said. “Yeah well, it’s nice to know he cares about my feelings, because he certainly knows how to tease me.”
“He’s like that with everyone really. I don’t think we’d all be as close if it weren’t for him, he’s just so outgoing and affectionate it’s contagious. You should totally take him up on the clubbing offer sometime.”
You nod, “What about Yeo and San? They seem pretty good at their jobs.”
“They both try their absolute best at everything, I’m sure they’d be good anywhere,” he acknowledges, “I don’t really know what they want to do in the future, but whatever it is, they’ll get it.”
“You all will,” you assure him.
“I wanna know more about you, y/n,” he turns to you, “and hear your voice instead of mine.” He flashes that infectious crooked grin and gives you the floor.
“Honestly I don’t know,” you start. Just getting into college and staying there has been rough for you, and while you’re sure Yunho would listen, it doesn’t feel like the time to rant about all your shortcomings. “Hopefully this internship will help me figure out what I like and what I don’t.” He hums understandably. “So far I know I like friendly coworkers,” you add, bumping shoulders with him.
“Let’s go,” he shakes a fist excitedly, “we’ve set the standard for the rest of your life. No one will ever be as good as us, you know.” You know he’s joking, but with the way you’re feeling you’re not so sure it's a lie.
“Yeah, it’s been great so far, genuinely. I thought this internship would be too good to be true, and it still feels that way, but I’m excited.”
He nods and stares at you fondly, silently urging you to continue. “It’s not much harder than school, either. I actually feel kind of competent for once,” you laugh.
“You are competent,” he replies, “I mean from what I’ve heard you’re probably more talented than most of us are.” You quirk an eyebrow, but he continues, “I’m serious. There’s just something really charming about you. I see why you got the position.”
“If you keep complimenting me you might become my new favorite,” it comes out of your mouth before you can even think about it. Smooth.
He laughs again, one that has his whole body shaking and leaning into your space a bit, “over Wooyoung? I’ll take that spot any day.”
“You have 12 weeks to keep it!”
“12 weeks huh,” he contains himself, trailing off at the thought. You both grow silent, and suddenly it hits you. All this beautiful nature, all the busy city streets, the company building, your coworkers, Yunho, they’d all be gone in 12 weeks. If you were alone this could be anxiety attack worthy, but he’s right next to you. He can see the way you start fidgeting with your fingers and breathing slightly faster. He’s been watching you intently the whole time.
“Do you like parties?” he tries.
“What kind?” you keep your eyes trained on the ground below your feet.
“The 9 of us at San’s place. Drinks. Music. Food. That kind of party.”
You nod, and he lays a hand on top of yours for the millionth time that week. And just like every other time, it instantly comforts you. This is pathetic.
“This Saturday,” he squeezes, “I’ll text you the address. Or I can pick you up from your place if it’s far.”
“That sounds nice,” you turn your hand and squeeze back. Now you’re actually holding hands, and his thumb slowly rubs back and forth over yours.
“Perfect,” he pulls out his phone with his other hand, “I’ll let the guys know.”
You stay like that for a while, holding hands and taking in the nature of the park. You feel like you’re in some twisted dream, sitting next to a perfect man who isn’t your boyfriend, making plans with people who won’t be your friends in a few months, getting accustomed to a city you’ll never visit again.
You try so hard to push the thoughts to the side, and with each minute and pass of Yunho’s thumb, they slowly do.
chapter summary: a new set of friends help you through heat and this time it just works like clockwork
warnings: this is a full smut-a-thon. specific tags for: heat, knotting, and other a/b/o dynamics, gratituous use of 'alpha' and 'omega', fingering, thigh riding, oral (f receiving), use of sex toys / dildos, frank conversations about sex and heat, praise praise praise, light degradation, alpha on alpha action which means m/m pairing here, not just them helping reader, so much cum including the artificial kind.....
notes: thank you all so much for your patience!! next chapter is in progress, but tbd on post date.
pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader for the core fic overall, but this chapter is alpha!seonghwa x alpha!san x omega!wooyoung x omega!reader
Unlike your last heat, this time you sleep through the night. Despite the ache in your hips and the hot flashes that leave you kicking off your covers, you stay deep in sleep with the comforting scent of another omega near you. You don’t start to wake properly until morning, with the sun peeking through the gaps in the curtains.
For a moment, just a sliver of a second, you forget where you are. A little jolt running up your spine as you feel a warm body underneath you, but then you see his tan skin and mop of black hair and remember you’re with Wooyoung and you’re safe. You let yourself relax again, cheek once again on his shoulder and you take a deep, steady breath. The warm summer sun washes through you at his scent, and your busy mind seems to quiet back down. He’s still sleeping, head turned to the side away from you and mouth open, the room silent except for the tiny little catches in the back of his throat that indicate he’s still deep in sleep.
At some point in the night your bodies became further tangled up together, that’s the first thing you really notice. You’re almost entirely on top of him, lounging across him like he’s a body pillow, with one leg hitched over his thigh and your face buried in his chest. The second thing you notice is how tight your stomach is and how hard your nipples feel pressed up against the rough fabric of your shirt.
Wooyoung groans a little, stretching under you as he stretches into his morning, and you’re doing just fine until his leg shifts and suddenly you’re pressed firmly against his thigh.
It’s almost embarrassing how apparent the wet patch in your underwear is, just the sensation of something warm pressing up against your slick core leaving your body responding in seconds. Your nipples harden further and your back aches a little, but you stay as still as you can and exhale softly, trying to disguise how shaky and needy you feel in your gut.
Wooyoung grumbles something, his head tossing to the opposite side, and you feel his arm close over your back, “Hey, cuddle bug,”
It cuts the tension immediately, and you laugh against his chest, “Sorry, I know I kind of attached in the night,”
“It’s fine,” His hand smooths up and down over your back and you press your eyes closed to ignore the throbbing you’re starting to feel. He yawns above you, “It’s good you slept,”
“Mhm,” You nod against his chest.
“Are you feeling okay?” He checks.
“Very, very comfortable,” You tell him, and that’s partially true.
“It’s the nest,” He yawns again, “I swear my heats are like ten times better here,”
“I think it’s more you,”
“Nah,” Wooyoung ruffles your hair, “it’s the bamboo cooling sheets, I know all the tricks,”
He makes you laugh softly again, but this time he shifts under you completely to adjust his position underneath you and when he brings his leg up, pushing his thigh against your core harder, your fingers tighten on his arms and you can’t help the soft moan that escapes from your lips.
He freezes entirely, the room quiet.
“S-sorry,” You exhale tightly, starting to push yourself up from your nestled place on his chest so you can try and find his eyes and see how uncomfortable this is about to be.
“Why didn’t you say?” His hands slip under the hem of your shirt, stroking the bare skin of your lower back.
“Let me,” As much as you don’t want to, you start to push your body up and away from him, but he catches you in his arms and brings you back down to his chest, “Woo,”
“Do you like kissing?” He asks out of nowhere, his hand pushing into your hair and guiding your gaze to his.
“What?” You blink.
“You’re so tense,” He studies your face, applying a little pressure where he holds you to guide you back down into a fully comfortable position, “it’s just me,”
“But,” You say, words falling flat. You don’t have a reason why or an explanation, it’s just that his hands on you like this is so unexpected. You called Seonghwa, you expected Seonghwa, Wooyoung nestled between your thighs is a wild card.
“Shh,” He soothes you, hand splaying wide on your skin, “relax, babe, it’s only me,”
You can barely move, your stomach clenching painfully and your clit all but throbbing against him. You’ve never had sex with another omega, certainly not in heat, but something about his scent and his comforting tone and his hot thigh against your cunt is making the idea of a knot fade from your mind.
“You really are so pretty,” He smiles, his opposite hand shifting lower to slip under the elastic of your sleep pants, “and you smell so delicious,”
“Y-Yeah?”
His hand bypasses the hem of your underwear too and he cups your ass, “Like something sugary,”
“Honey,” You murmur, the briefest flash of Mingi’s mouth on your throat in your mind’s eye.
“That’s it,” Wooyoung nods, his voice a soft murmur when he says, “do you taste like honey too?”
You sigh, hazy feeling against him, warmth in your cheeks.
“Can I kiss you? Or would that be too weird?” Wooyoung slowly drags you up a little so he can reach your mouth a little better in his reclined position, but he doesn’t move to lock his lips to yours.
It sounds like it should be weird, especially given how well things turned out between you and Yunho and Mingi, but something about Wooyoung just deflates all the pressure in the room and you’ve never felt more comfortable.
You nod, and he gathers you close so that you’re laying fully over him.
“Did you sleep well?” He murmurs softly, nuzzling your nose with his and pressing the briefest, featherlight kiss to your lips.
“Yeah,” You breathe, your eyes slipping closed as he nuzzles you again.
“You seem good too,” He comments, letting his lips travel along your jaw until he finds your earlobe and gives it a gentle tug with his teeth.
Your body twitches in response and you nod against his head.
“Not in pain?” He checks, his hand once again slipping inside your sleep pants to cup your bare backside.
“N-not right now,” You murmur.
“Good,” His lips press against yours, a little longer this time. His lips are so warm, and he alternates between steady kisses and nuzzles, just getting you used to the feeling of his mouth on yours.
All the while, your body melts down, muscles relaxing one by one.
Wooyoung sighs warmly against you, his next kiss a little more open, coaxing your mouth to follow. Your stomach erupts in needy little butterflies, and then his tongue is in your mouth.
“Oh,” You sigh pleasantly and he wraps his arms tighter around you.
“You feel so good,” He groans, his hands searching your skin under your clothes.
“S-so do you,” You stammer, your words whispered in the barely there space between you.
The air is starting to feel thicker around you, warm and hazy, but your body shivers like there’s a chill in the room and you know it’s your heat running you hot and cold. Wooyoung reaches for the comforter, pulling it up and over the two of you so that you’re wrapped tighter in the building warmth. Your hips buck softly as he nips your lip and he nods.
“Yeah?” He murmurs between kisses and caresses, “How do you feel?”
Your brain is feeling buzzy and hot and you smile against his mouth, “Fucking horny,”
He laughs, cupping your cheek as he kisses you again, this time deeper and laden with so much innuendo you think you might just come on the spot.
You moan into his mouth, and slowly he raises his knee and plants his foot, effectively angling his thigh perfectly right between yours so that you’re straddling him tightly, every rock of your bodies just forcing your cunt closer to him.
“Come on,” He urges you softly, pressing his hand into your hip and coaxing you into it.
You follow this press of his hands and push your hips forwards, moaning into him immediately. “Fuck,” You pant against his cheek.
“Yeah?” He chuckles, dragging your hips back and forth again, coaxing you into a rhythm.
You nod, lips falling away from his as you collapse over him, eyes slipping closed as you bury your face into the side of his neck. He smells heavenly, and you let that sensation wrap around you as you continue canting your hips and dragging yourself back and forth across his thigh. You can feel the heat radiating off him even through the layers of fabric between you, his sleep pants, yours, and your panties, and you’re sure that you’re soaking through them with every grind of your hips.
Your head is getting cottony as pleasure starts arcing up your spine, and you feel Wooyoung hold you closer, his lips against your ear. You hear something squeak behind you, and feel the air in the room change, but you don’t stop, you just keep rolling your hips and finding solace in his arms.
Wooyoung murmurs something, but you don’t quite catch it and you make a soft noise to get him to repeat himself but he doesn’t. The comforter moves from its position draped over you, and the bed shifts. Your hips stop and you blink your eyes open, realizing that you’re not alone in the room anymore. The comforter still covers both of you from the waist down, but anyone could surely tell what you and Wooyoung were doing.
“Morning,” Seonghwa’s warm, low alpha tone sends a shiver up your spine.
“Hey,” Wooyoung keeps his voice quiet too, his fingers tracing up and down your back.
“Everything okay in here?” Seonghwa asks.
“Mhm,” Wooyoung’s hand slips out of your sleep pants and rests casually on your hip, “we just woke up,”
“Did she sleep through the night?” He sounds a little surprised.
“Mhm,” Wooyoung replies.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Seonghwa’s voice is soothing, and you sigh when his hand smooths over your hair, “I heard you rustling around and wanted to make sure you weren’t in any pain,”
“I’m okay,” You assure him, your eyes already getting heavy at the feeling of them both touching you.
Wooyoung’s thigh tenses between yours and you let out a little shuddering breath.
“You don’t sound very okay,” Seonghwa murmurs, and your body responds to his tone in a second with a rush of morning slick. Wooyoung chuckles under you at the growing wet patch on his sweats.
“Don’t laugh,” You slap his chest lightly, “I’m in heat, I can’t help it,”
“What’s funny?” Seonghwa asks, a smile in his voice.
“Oh, nothing,” You can practically see the grin on his face, “just one second of you playing sexy concerned alpha and she’s slicking all over me,”
“Woo!” You press your eyes closed, blush lighting up your neck and cheeks.
“Don’t tease her like that,” Seonghwa tuts, “that’s not nice,”
“Maybe she likes not nice,” Wooyoung smirks.
“Will you two stop that,” You groan, and it feels like even though you’re not getting any friction, the pressure against your clit alone is enough to make the bubble in your belly grow and grow, “I was so close,”
You don’t mean for your voice to sound so needy, but it does.
Seonghwa’s alpha responds immediately, and even though you hear Wooyoung chuckle again, he keeps his mouth shut this time. Seonghwa shushes you, pulling back the comforter completely so he can see the way you two are tangled together and then he gets closer, “Oh, jagiya, I’m sorry, let me help,”
A soft whine leaves you as he takes you in his hands and lifts you away from Wooyoung’s chest.
“Can you take your bottoms off for me, or do you need a little help, darling?” Seonghwa’s body being so close is making your mind do little somersaults, but you still have control over yourself well enough to shift on the bed and reach for your waistband.
It’s an awkward position, poised over Wooyoung while Seonghwa holds you in his arms, but Wooyoung reaches out and helps drag your sleep pants off, catching your underwear with his thumbs to pull them away too.
“Wow,” Wooyoung breathes as your panties pull away, revealing just how slick and puffy you are.
“That better be a good wow,” You sigh, letting your head fall back onto Seonghwa’s waiting shoulder.
“Oh, it definitely is,” Wooyoung says, moving around underneath you to kick off his own sleep pants.
Seonghwa reaches around you then, his hand coming to close over your sex, and then he hums pleasantly, “What a lovely omega, you are,”
You shudder at his praise, hips pressing down to feel more of his hand, hoping that he’ll slip his fingers inside, but he simply drags his hand up and away and leaves you pulsing with desire.
“Oh, god,” You groan, “please someone do something,”
Wooyoung reaches up for you, gathering you back down and Seonghwa supports your slow descent as you get back into position over Wooyoung’s thigh. This time the sensation is instant, his hot skin under yours, and your mind instantly curls back into hazy pleasure with the first rock of your hips.
“Perfect,” Seonghwa hums, “look at you two,”
Wooyoung drags your hips along, but laughs sharply at Seonghwa, “Relax, alpha,” he punctuates the word with his tone, “I know this is like, your wet dream, but listen to her… she needs to come,”
You do, you really, really do. You don’t know what will get you there, but so far you’re dancing on the edge of your pleasure but unable to fully grasp it. Wooyoung feels hot and perfect beneath you, and Seonghwa is saying all the right things to delight the primal part of your brain, but every time you feel close to the edge you fall away from it.
Frustrated tears gather in your eyes and you bite down on your cheek to keep from crying out in equal irritation at yourself and your body.
“Hush,” Seonghwa soothes you, his hands sweeping up and down your bare back, “we’re right here, darling,”
“I can’t,” You work your hips faster against Wooyoung’s thigh, “I’m so…”
“Tell us what you need, babe,” Wooyoung’s hand dips under your shirt, finding your breast and softly teasing your nipple.
You moan sharply as pleasure bubbles through you, not quite there but close, “Kiss me, please, please,”
His mouth is on yours in a second, tongue against yours and everything just hot pants between you both.
Seonghwa’s hands squeeze your hips and you moan as he talks you through it, “That’s it, omega, make yourself come, fuck Youngie’s pretty thigh,”
You choke out a tight cry into Wooyoung’s mouth.
“You’re so close,” Seonghwa continues, “so wet, pretty girl,”
“Oh fuck, fuck,” You fall away from Wooyoung’s mouth, dropping your forehead to his, your hips picking up the pace just a bit, just enough to get you there.
Wooyoung groans at the sight of you, pushing your hair out of your faces and holding you against him, nodding against your sweat slick skin, “Come,”
“I’m,” You choke, “I’m…”
Seonghwa’s hands coast over you, and his next words undo you, “I can’t wait to bury myself in that sweet cunt,”
Your hips snap forward, your orgasm crashing into you like a wall and you collapse against Wooyoung as it takes you under. Seonghwa reaches his hand around your shuddering thighs and pushes his fingers between your dripping folds and Wooyoung’s slick leg, locating your clit with ease and working his hand fast back and forth to prolong your orgasm.
You squeak, eyes slamming shut, gripping down on Wooyoung’s shoulders and you’d fall to the side if it weren’t for the two of them holding you steady through the crash of pleasure.
“That’s it, that’s it,” Seonghwa hums.
“Oh my god, oh, yes babe,” Wooyoung peppers kisses over your face as your shakes start to transform into little trembling rushes, “mm, I bet that felt so good, didn’t it?”
You’re nodding, just now coming to the realization that Seonghwa’s hands aren’t between your thighs anymore, you’ve just been dragging your throbbing clit back and forth lazily over Wooyoung’s leg until you’re sated. Your body slows, now just trembling in the afterglow. They’re touching you still, just softly, a lazy bit of aftercare in the morning sun and you sigh across Wooyoung’s chest.
“Good morning,” Seonghwa chuckles.
“It is a good morning,” You grin, your head feeling decidedly less foggy after the orgasm and you hide your face in Wooyoung’s chest for a second as you laugh.
“So ridiculous,” Wooyoung kisses your shoulder and laughs with you, his leg sliding to straighten and effectively dropping you down closer to the bed.
With a sigh you roll off him and cover your face with your hands, “That was so nice,”
“You might not even need me,” Seonghwa hums, a little playful pout in his voice as he prods your hip.
You drop your hands instantly and reach for him, “Mm, Hwa don’t be jealous, I literally woke up on top of him,”
“Like a clingy space heater,” Wooyoung jokes and you slap his arm.
Seonghwa smiles, easing himself down next to you both and propping his head up on one hand, “Feeling alright?”
“I’m so good now,” You confess.
Wooyoung chuckles and snuggles up to your back, tucking you into him again and taking his hand to tangle your fingers together.
“Mm,” Seonghwa sighs, brushing Wooyoung’s hair back from his cheek as he looks down at you both, “this really is such a nice surprise,”
“Mhm,”
“I think we should get you a nice big breakfast,” Seonghwa smiles, “are you hungry?”
“A little,”
Wooyoung’s hand slips out of yours and dips under your oversized shirt, closing over your belly, “Hungry for food?”
“Shush,” You elbow him.
“I don’t know,” He nuzzles you, “you seemed pretty insatiable this morning,”
Blush flushes your cheeks.
“Maybe you need more,” He nips at your ear and you gasp.
Reason floods your mind though, and you shake your head, “Woo, no,”
He stills immediately and angles up to look at you, “What’s up?”
“Can we just talk first? Before this gets messy?” You ask, “Well, messier,”
His hands are off you in any suggestive way a moment later, and Seonghwa slides off the bed to locate your sleep pants and pass them over to you, “Let’s go make breakfast together and talk,”
“Okay, good, yes,” You pull on your sleep pants and ease yourself off the bed, Seonghwa’s hand sliding to your arm like a magnet.
“What are you in the mood for?” Wooyoung pulls open the door to the bedroom, injecting the nest with a cold flush of air and you shiver at the way the feeling of the room changes when you’re not holed up in a mix of their scents.
“Do you have any fruit?” You ask him, “something light?”
He nods, “Hwa, can I take care of the food this time?”
“Sure,” He steps closer to your back, hands not quite holding you, but resting on you in whatever way he can.
Wooyoung disappears into the kitchen, pulling out various ingredients from the fridge and a cutting board from the cupboard. You notice immediately that he’s quick with a knife, easily dicing up the food, and it’s a little mesmerizing to watch the way he works. Seonghwa watches too, a fond smile on his lips.
“So,” Seonghwa finally says, turning towards you, “what’s on your mind?”
You ease back onto the living room sofa and tuck your legs in, “I just feel like we’re supposed to talk about this,”
“It’s a good idea,” Wooyoung assures you, dropping off a plate of expertly cut fruit and glasses of ice water.
“Mm,” Seonghwa nods, popping a strawberry in his mouth, “we’ve been doing this for so long together I think we forget a bit how familiar we already are,”
“How long has it been?” You reach for the plate of fruit but Seonghwa pushes your hands away with a soft sound.
You watch as he piles a plate high with an assortment for you, “Two years? Three?”
“Three,” Wooyoung says from the kitchen, “y/n, do you want any coffee?”
You shake your head, “Not this morning, thank you,”
“What about you?” Seonghwa prompts.
“My heats?” You clarify.
“Mhm,” He turns towards you fully, listening and attentive, “what about you?”
Wooyoung takes the seat on the sofa across from you and drops a coffee in front of Seonghwa.
“Outside of Yunho and Mingi, I’ve never really done the whole casual heat sex thing,” You explain, “I was never very comfortable with it,”
“I get that,” Wooyoung nods, taking a bite of melon, “it’s hard to know who to trust,”
“All the time,” You agree with ease.
Seonghwa frowns, “I wish it weren’t that way,”
“I know,” Wooyoung shrugs, “but not all alphas are as nice as you and Sannie, that’s just the truth,”
A shiver runs up your back, you know that all too well and so does Wooyoung. Sometimes not as nice just means pretty words at night and a cold bed in the morning, but sometimes not as nice means so much more. You wonder how many shared experiences you and Wooyoung have had over the course of your lives as omegas.
Seonghwa’s jaw jumps tightly, his hand on the table pressing into a loose fist and you can feel the tense stress of him at the idea.
“I hope,” Seonghwa swallows and then looks to you, “that at least San and I have never made you feel uncomfortable,”
“Never,” You answer fast.
“And everyone else at the office is,” He trails off, looking to Wooyoung for a little help, “that’s not a problem at work is it?”
Wooyoung shakes his head and keeps eating, treating this whole sudden twist of the conversation so casually, “I get looks sometimes, you know, but no it’s not a problem,”
“Agreed,” You take a bite of your breakfast too, “looks I can deal with,”
“I’m sorry,” Seonghwa says quietly.
“It’s not your fault,” You shake your head, “but this is why I haven’t really gotten out much. Honestly, I hope you know that it means a lot to me that I felt comfortable enough to call you. Think about that, not the bad stuff,”
“She’s right,” Wooyoung sips his coffee, “but you know the other thing that just sucks but is true?”
“Hmm?” You pull your eyes away from Seonghwa to look at him.
“Alphas will just leave you alone when they know you’re even rumored to be with another alpha,” Wooyoung says, “I haven’t had to deal with any shit in so long and that’s all Sannie and you,”
“I hate that,” Seonghwa grumbles.
“It’s true though,” You shrug, and then a thought occurs to you, “wait,”
They do, glancing between each other as you gather your thoughts.
“Could you tell I had been with Yunho and Mingi?” You ask, a little afraid of the answer, “if I hadn't told you, would you have known anyways?”
“Not in the way you’re thinking,” Seonghwa says, “I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. I couldn’t tell until we were close together during dance practice, and even then it wasn’t like I caught a specific person’s scent, we were never close enough for that. It was more just the feeling that you weren’t…. unscented?”
“Mm,” You bite the inside of your cheek, thinking it through.
“Relax,” Wooyoung squeezes your hand, “stressing about things you can’t control isn’t going to make your heat any easier,”
“I can’t help it,”
“Here,” Seonghwa pushes back his chair and reaches for you, “come sit with me a second, I can feel you worrying from here,”
You shift over from your chair and follow the guidance of his hands until you’re settled in his lap. It should feel awkward, but it doesn’t and you don’t really spend any time worrying about that now that you’re wrapped up in an alpha’s warm arms.
“Now,” Seonghwa’s hand strokes your thigh slowly, “we’re all friends here, right?”
“Yes?” You twist to catch his eyes.
“Then I just want you to relax,” He gives you a squeeze, “Woo and I will take care of you for the rest of the weekend, and on Monday or Tuesday when you go back to the studio everything will be fine. Yunho and Mingi will be whatever they are, but that isn’t your worry, that’s theirs.”
“And us?” You ask softly.
“We’ll be fine,” He says with ease, “y/n, listen, I don’t know what they said or didn’t say to you but I can guarantee it wasn’t clear.”
You nod.
“We’re friends, and Woo I’ll let you speak for yourself, but that’s all I’m interested in being. I’d like to help you this weekend, and then if in the future we end up sleeping together again? That’s fine, but as friends.” Seonghwa is so crystal clear you feel the floor giving under you. This is what you thought you had with Yunho and Mingi all those weeks ago, but in the face of actual clarity you can see how muddled and lost the three of you had been back then.
“That’s…” You search for the words, “such a relief, honestly,”
“Good,” Seonghwa smooths his thumb across the gland in your wrist.
“Me too,” Wooyoung jumps in, “actual no strings attached friend sex is the best kind,”
“You think so?” You shuffle back a little further onto Seonghwa’s lap.
“I know so,” Wooyoung says, “actually just being yourself and then not spending fucking days anxiously waiting for a phone call? Yeah, it’s better,”
“God, this is easier,” You sink back against Seonghwa’s chest and then glance at him, “is this okay?”
“Yes,” He assures you, wrapping an arm around your middle and holding you to him, “it’s nice, actually.”
“Does this mean we can spend the rest of the weekend in bed, then?” Wooyoung grins.
“I guess it does,” You laugh.
“y/n,” Seonghwa starts from behind you, shifting a little underneath you and you can hear the difference in his voice suddenly at the thought of bed, “are you still hungry?”
“I don’t think so,” You murmur, deeply aware of the way his hands have started to shift to your hips.
“I’m still a little hungry,” He confesses, and you watch as he starts to pull up the hem of your t-shirt, “starving actually,”
“Oh,” You can already feel blush creeping up your cheeks.
He lifts your shirt more, his hands brushing up and down your stomach gently as he lets you recline onto his chest, and then his fingers creep higher, just barely brushing the underside of your breasts, “Is this okay?”
“Mhm,” You answer, breathy and tight.
“Is this?” He lifts the shirt higher, dragging the material up over your bare breasts and drawing your nipples to attention.
You manage a nod against his shoulder.
“And this?” His thumb strokes over your nipple directly now.
“Yes,” You shudder.
Wooyoung sighs across the room, drawing your attention and you watch as he licks his lips, sliding his hand into his boxer briefs. When his hand starts to bob underneath the fabric you moan softly, gripping down on Seonghwa’s thigh under your hand.
“Let’s go to bed,” Seonghwa kisses your temple and drops your shirt, “right now,”
Instantly you’re aching, scrambling off his lap and ready to go wherever he’ll take you just as long as he keeps talking to you like that.
Wooyoung whines quietly, pulling his hand back, but you’re on the sudden same page of needing to get to a bed and needing to get to one fast.
Seonghwa pulls you along until you’re in the room again, and Wooyoung shuts the door behind you. Your head starts to get dizzy again with the heat and the warmth of them both, and Seonghwa only makes it worse when he tugs your shirt up over your head and palms your breast, “You’re so soft, jagi,”
Your mouth runs dry, and once again Wooyoung pulls the tie on your sleep pants and tugs them off you as he kisses your bare shoulder.
“Look at you,” Seonghwa hums appreciatively, “so very pretty,”
Your body pulses, the tone of his voice and the warmth bubbling everything back up inside you fast, “Please,”
“Lie back,” He maneuvers you to the bed, and you follow his instructions.
Wooyoung eases down next to you, tossing off his own shirt as he does.
“You’ve been slick all morning,” Seonghwa says as he descends over you, kissing across your jaw and down your neck, “do you know how badly I wanted to just bend you over?”
“F-fuck,” You choke, “alpha, please,”
He widens your legs with one hand, settling himself lower over you as he teases you with his lips, tongue, teeth, enhancing every little sensation with his words, “You make such pretty sounds, I almost knotted you on the breakfast table,”
“Oh my god,” Your back arches naturally, pressing yourself into him, “Hwa, oh my god,”
“Shush,” Seonghwa kisses down your bare chest, nuzzling your sternum as his hand starts to travel from its place near your knee up your inner thigh, creeping dangerously close to your core.
“He’s good at this,” Wooyoung tells you softly, his fingers ever so gently teasing your pert nipple.
“Woo,” Seonghwa sighs a breath of hot air across your belly, “leave a little to the imagination, hmm?”
Wooyoung snorts, “Touchy,”
Your body is starting to ache, neediness starting to curl open inside you and you huff softly, “I’m going to be touchy in a minute,”
Seonghwa groans, “Don’t tell me I adopted another brat,”
“I’m on my b-best behavior,” Your voice catches as his fingers finally part your slick folds, “but I am in heat.”
“Yes, you are, aren’t you?” Seonghwa nips at your hip bone, his lips traveling to your inner thighs as he sinks to his knees between your splayed knees, “Positively aching,”
“Oh,” You shiver, two of his fingers finally pushing inside your slick channel.
“You’re not quite ready for a knot yet though,” He comments softly.
“I know something that might help with that,” You smile, spreading your legs wider for him.
“I bet you do,” Seonghwa’s eyebrow quirks, his hand pulling back and thrusting forward in a pulse, his thumb dragging warm circles over your clit.
The reaction of your body is instantaneous, a quick rush of slick and a dizzy wash of pleasure up your spine as you let your head fall back into Wooyoung’s waiting palm.
“Told you,” Wooyoung whispers, and he kisses you fast, trapping your laugh between your lips.
Seonghwa grins, the pace of his hand perfect and sure and you’re already feeling the dizzy sparks of a building orgasm up your spine when the sharp sound of a doorbell brings you all out of it. You and Wooyoung break apart and his brows knit together in confusion, “Who’s here?”
“No idea,” Seonghwa waits a moment, but then comes a knock.
You’re shivering, feeling fucked already and you blink hard, wetting your lips and trying to shake off the cloudy feeling inside your brain.
“Sorry,” Seonghwa gives you a face and slowly pulls his fingers from you, “let me just see what’s going on,”
“Sure,” You sigh, watching as he jogs to the bathroom to rinse off his hands before getting to the door.
“Woo,” Your hands reflexively cover yourself, “do you have something I can wear?”
“Yeah, come here,” He pulls you to a sitting position and crosses the room for the robe hanging on the back of the door, long and dark gray and plush.
As you wrap yourself up in it, Wooyoung tosses on a pullover and gives you a smile, communicating silently that you should just relax while he and Seonghwa go investigate.
You flop back against the bedding and sigh, fighting the urge to squeeze your thighs together. You should check your phone, you should just suck it up and text Yunho and Mingi back, but before you get up the resolve you hear a new voice from the main room of the apartment.
“Where have you been?” San.
“Didn’t you get my voicemail?” Seonghwa asks.
“I saw you called,” San says, and you pull yourself up from the bed to creep closer to the hall, “but you didn’t answer any of my texts,”
“Right…” Seonghwa draws out, “because I called?”
“Sannie,” Wooyoung sighs, “we didn’t go missing, we’ve just been,”
“Is your heat early?” San interrupts suddenly, “why didn’t you call me?”
You creep around the doorframe just a little more and you smile when you see San cupping Wooyoung’s cheeks, Seonghwa all but rolling his eyes behind him.
Wooyoung makes an annoyed noise and pushes his sometimes lover’s hands away, “We did call you, now will you listen for two seconds?”
“If I knew you were in heat I would have come straight over,” San pushes forwards.
“Well that’s nice,” Wooyoung disentangles himself and keeps an arm’s length between him and his alpha, “but Sannie, I’m not in heat. Not even a little,”
“But,” San looks confused.
You step out a little further into the room, arms wrapped around yourself even though the robe drowns you, “He’s not, but I am,”
San snaps around with a start, “y/n!”
“Hey, San,” You give him a small wave.
“I didn’t know you were here,” He says.
“I was trying to tell you,” Seonghwa laughs, “can’t you tell Wooyoungie’s scent from hers?”
“Of course he can,” Wooyoung slaps Seonghwa across the arm, “ass.”
San sputters, falling silent and his eyes narrowing a little at his friend, and it’s clear as crystal what the vibe between the three of them is, even when heat is concerned.
“Speaking of heat,” Seonghwa meets your eyes from across their little dining room nook table that stands between you, them, and the kitchen, “are you alright? Should you be up?”
“I’m fine, Hwa,” You assure him with a smile, taking a few more steps forwards and raising your arms as if to show him, “really, this one’s a lot easier.”
San clears his throat and you can see him divert his eyes from you deliberately, a little blush up his cheeks, “So, this is why you haven’t been answering your phones,”
“Pretty much,” Wooyoung laughs.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” He says, locking eyes with Seonghwa.
“Sannie,” Seonghwa’s voice softens a little, and he gives him the smallest shake of the head.
You can feel the disappointment coming off of San in waves, and you can’t quite place the source except to assume that this has always been their thing, not yours. Your mouth feels a little dry as you watch them silently communicate with each other, and you take the second to realize just how much your hips are aching, legs feeling heavy, and your cramps are still deeply uncomfortable no matter how much better they are from last time. Seonghwa edging you really hasn’t helped though, and now you’re starting to feel a little desperate for relief, sweat breaking out along your hairline.
“It was kind of sudden,” Wooyoung jumps in between the two of them, smoothing over the moment of tension with ease, “right, y/n?”
You nod, securing the robe around you a little more tightly, “I really…” you start with a breath, “I honestly didn’t mean to intrude on this.” You gesture to the three of them and take a few steps forward. It’s not like you can really offer to leave at this point, but it feels like all you can really say.
San doesn’t let you feel those nerves for long though, his face clears and he shakes his head, “No, honestly, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. You’re not intruding, you know that,”
Your hands rest on the back of one of the dining room chairs as you look between them, “As long as that’s true,” you worry your lip, “I had a hard enough time with Mingi and Yunho… if I ever did anything to hurt my friendship with you, I wouldn’t forgive myself.”
“Don’t think like that,” Seonghwa assures you, “not with us,”
“He’s right,” San nods, “I should have just listened to my voicemail,”
“Good,” You sigh, “that’s good.”
Wooyoung’s eyes flick over you and then he hums, “Do you want some tea, babe? You look a little pale,”
You nod immediately, “That would be so perfect,”
“I’ll get it,” Seonghwa stops Wooyoung as he moves towards the kitchen, “you both rest, I’ll take care of it,”
Wooyoung grins, “I’m not in heat, I can help,”
Seonghwa makes a noise and shrugs, “Just let me dote for a minute, would you?”
Wooyoung laughs sharply in response and the tension dissipates just like that, San’s expression relaxing into an easy smile as he watches the exchange.
“Thank you, Seonghwa,” You murmur, nudging Wooyoung in the ribs as you do.
Seonghwa disappears around the corner into the kitchen and you hear the sound of the electric kettle start up, and San finally lets his bag drop to the floor and his shoulders relax as he says, “How are you doing, then?”
“Good,” You smile, “much better than last time,”
“Mm,” San nods, “I’m glad to hear it,”
The silence stretches between you for a moment and then you find yourself asking without a second thought, “Did you go into the studio today?”
None of you had any set schedules or meetings today, but San is there more days than not regardless of schedule.
Wooyoung glances to you, knowing exactly what you’re asking but keeps his mouth shut.
“This morning,” San nods, “I just left a little while ago and I was running some errands before I stopped over,”
“Ah,” You nod, “how was it?”
“The studio?” His brows knit together in confusion, “Same as always,”
“Jesus,” Wooyoung rolls his eyes, “she’s asking if you saw Yunho and Mingi, if things were weird?”
“They weren’t in,” San replies, and then things seem to click together, “do they know you’re here?”
You shake your head, stomach twisting up in knots inside you.
“Do you not want them to know?” San asks.
“I… don’t really know,” You confess.
“Well,” San shrugs, “I didn’t see them, but if I do see them later, I won’t mention you. You can decide what you want them to know and when.”
“Thank you, San,” You murmur.
The knotting nervousness in your stomach doubles at the thought that they didn’t go into work today, even just a little in the morning when you know they almost always do. Where were they? Were they looking for you? Wondering about you? Thinking of you? You picture Mingi at your apartment door, trying to explain to your roommates who he is and what he’s doing there and finding out that instead of being able to swoop in and take care of you… you’re gone.
A cramp lights up your back and your hand flies to your stomach as you double over, jaw locked down tight at the sudden wave of discomfort.
“Hey, easy, easy,” San has an arm around you instantly, holding you upright and supporting you better than the chair could, “you’re okay,”
Your head rocks to the side, resting on his chest and you take a deep, necessary breath against the soft cotton of his t-shirt. He smells floral, the thought strikes you suddenly and starkly, more heady than most other alphas scents and you take another breath to let the scent of him wash over you. Jasmine hits you first, its sharp musk making you a little dizzy until you catch the underlying warmth of sandalwood. Your body relaxes into him naturally and he chuckles as he feels your trembling muscles unclench under his hands.
“San,” You murmur into his chest, the sound muffled.
“Hmm?”
“Can you help me to the couch?” You lean into him.
“Mhm,” He shifts and suddenly you’re in his arms entirely, “let’s sit,”
“Hyung, how’s that tea?” Wooyoung calls into the kitchen, and you feel his soft hand coast down the length of your arm as he shifts past you and San to try and help.
“Almost,” Seonghwa calls back, “she okay?”
“I’m fine,” You tell the room, “it’s just a cramp,”
“Here we go,” San says softly as he settles you down on the couch, “let me help,”
He shifts to sit behind you, his hands finding your lower back and he presses into your aching spine with his thumbs, kneading and massaging perfect circles into your body. You sigh, the overwhelming relief flooding you as he helps take away the immediate sharp soreness of your hips. What your body needs is a knot, but this combined with the warm scents of both alphas is a start.
Seonghwa returns a moment later, a mug of bright red tea in hand and he maneuvers the warm cup into your waiting fingers.
“What’s this?” You ask, dipping your head to smell the steaming liquid.
“Raspberry leaf,” He replies.
“Don’t you drink this for your heat?” Wooyoung flops onto the other couch that faces yours and quirks an eyebrow.
“Should I be?” You let the warm berry scent pass through you, the cup warming your chilly hands.
“Yes?” Wooyoung shakes his head, looking almost appalled, “it really helps regulate your hormones, helps with intensity spikes, is an anti-inflammatory, and promotes fertility.”
“Fertility isn’t really the goal here, Woo,” You snort.
“It is if it means your cycle is easier to deal with,” He dismisses, “you’re now on a Wooyoung prescribed two cups a day,”
“Fine, fine,” You take a gentle sip, testing the heat, “but I’m not drinking this because of your speech I’m drinking it because it smells good,”
“Whatever you say, babe,” Wooyoung rolls his eyes, gesturing for you to drink up.
San continues gently kneading your back as you take your first proper sip of the tea and Seonghwa settles on the sofa next to you. He brushes your hair back softly with his hand and gives you a smile, “After this, let’s get you back to bed,”
You nod into your cup, “I’d like that,”
“Do you normally spend your heats alone?” San asks, his hands slowing but still not lifting off your body, now just resting on your lower hips.
“Usually,” You take another sip.
“I could never,” Wooyoung grimaces, “that’s not fun, that’s just torture,”
“Heat isn’t really fun,” You laugh, “it’s just a thing.”
“You seemed to have a good time with Yunho and Mingi,” Wooyoung wags his eyebrows.
“Yeah, well, we all know how that one turned out,” You grimace.
“Relax,” Seonghwa smooths a hand over your knee through the fabric of the robe, “Youngie, leave her be.”
“Didn’t you ever want help?” San asks.
You chew the inside of your lip, “I guess, but my heats off suppressants are really intense and on them… I mean, usually I can handle it, so I handle it,”
“You’re a strong person,” San comments softly, giving your hip a squeeze as he shifts to start massaging your back again.
You almost muster a reply, but Wooyoung takes the attention of the room again with a groan, “I couldn’t do that, I tried once and it was awful,”
“What are your heats like, anyways?” You ask, leaning a little on Seonghwa’s shoulder as San keeps working your tired muscles.
“Oh, he’s the worst,” Seonghwa smiles, “constant begging the minute he starts slicking up,”
“Oh shut up,” Wooyoung grumbles.
“I’m just telling the truth,” Seonghwa laughs.
Another light cramp pulses through you and you exhale softly, taking another sip of tea. San’s hands pause, and he leans around you to watch your face, but Seonghwa and Wooyoung keep on bickering.
“Should I tell y/n how we found you last time you went into heat?” Seonghwa grins.
“I’ll literally kill you, Hwa,” Wooyoung tosses a pillow hard and it collides with Seonghwa’s chest.
“Not a very nice way to treat your alpha,” Seonghwa replies, his hand leaving your knee as he goes to toss the pillow back.
“Maybe you’ll have to punish me later,” Wooyoung slaps the flying pillow out of the air so it lands smoothly back on the couch and gives Seonghwa a flirty smile, tongue against his teeth.
“Maybe I will,”
Your stomach locks up, core pulsing lightly and you suddenly feel stifled in the room, hot and cold all at the same time. You make a soft, tense noise and the cup in your fingers tips to the side, losing some of the tea as you try to recover it.
“Shh,” San plucks the cup from your hands and sets it on the table, curling around to your side, “it’s alright,”
“Ow,” You manage, pressing a palm down over your stomach.
San smooths his hand along yours and catches your eyes, “You’re alright, omega,”
Something inside you melts and he gently strokes the gland in your neck with his opposite hand, nodding as you start to relax from the immediate surge of pain and arousal.
“Jagiya,” Seonghwa strokes your skin, “let’s go to bed,”
“Please,” your eyes flutter shut.
“Then I should go,” San clears his throat, his hands starting to lift away from you, “I’ll leave you three to,”
You don’t know what possesses you, but you reach for him the minute his skin leaves yours, eyes flying open as you grab his hands and shake your head, “Don’t go,”
His eyes blow wide, “y/n,”
“Why not?” You glance at Wooyoung and Seonghwa, a little panicked now that the trajectory of this is uncertain, but all you know is that you’d like him to stay. You squeeze San’s hands, “You’re here, we’re all here, I mean… why not stay?”
His eyes flick past you to Seonghwa, holding a question you don’t understand.
“If you don’t want to,” The words leave you in a rush, at the sinking realization that he may not want any of this.
San looks back to you in a flash, “It’s not that,”
Relief blooms inside you, “It’s not?”
“Not at all,” He smooths down your hair and tries to ease you, “but are you sure?”
“Sure,” You nod, “really,”
His eyes flick over you, and you can feel him considering his next move, but then he nods.
You end up right back where you were when the doorbell rang twenty minutes ago, only this time you have San on your right while Wooyoung teases you on your left and Seonghwa rests between your thighs. Distantly in the back of your brain, the part that’s still rational and sarcastic, you wonder if your brain is broken now and your omega needs two alphas to feel sated.
“I won’t make you wait,” Seonghwa suddenly says, sinking down and attaching his mouth to your aching sex without any further preamble, and it pulls you sharply out of your own thoughts.
“Oh, fuck,” You groan, your hips jerking at the sudden spark of sensation.
“So sensitive,” Seonghwa hums appreciatively, locating your clit with the hardened tip of his tongue and flicking it firmly.
You mutter something, head already fogging up, and San brushes his fingers along your arm, “Can I touch you, omega?” He murmurs, his voice thickening, getting huskier.
You nod fast, holding his gaze to let him know he’s allowed and he shifts to press lazy kisses along your chest as he watches the other alpha between your thighs.
For all of Wooyoung’s jokes before, he’s fallen silent now. His eyes are blown wide as he watches the way both alphas touch you, and you can tell he’s torn between helping you along and helping himself.
“Let’s get you ready for that knot, hmm?” Seonghwa kisses your mound, and you feel his fingers stroking your entrance, pushing in just slightly and then retracting to tease your body just right and let all your internal muscles unlock.
Inside you, your omega feels like it’s finally waking. Your heat that’s been bubbling all day against the medicated ceiling of your suppressants feels like a pressure cooker now, ready to burst and leave you desperate with want. Seonghwa’s tongue returns to your swollen bud and San’s lips find your nipple, and you feel the hot wave ripple through you, “A-alpha,”
“Right here, darling,” Seonghwa croons, thrusting two fingers deep inside you and drawing a tight moan from your lips.
“Alpha,” You stammer, “I need it,”
“Mhm,”
San sighs pleasantly against your sweat slick skin, his hand stroking along your side and Seonghwa doubles his efforts, thrusting his fingers in earnest now and sucking hard on your clit. Hot pleasure strikes up your spine and you moan, head back and your eyes slipping closed as you let the feeling of their hands on you make you dizzy and wet.
“Right there,” You pant, “alpha, y-yes, yes,”
He hums against you and you scramble in the sheets, gripping down on Wooyoung’s forearm.
“Woo,” San’s voice enters the mix but you barely register, the orgasm in front of you so quickly approaching that you need to reach it and reach it now.
Wooyoung shifts next to you, and Seonghwa pulls back from you for a split second to catch his breath before the sensation in your brain pops apart like a firecracker. Seonghwa licks a deep stripe over your slit, and then secures his lips around your clit once more, alternating sharp sucks and flicks of his tongue. The air in the room tightens when San delivers a sharp lick to your pebbled nipple and then Wooyoung follows suit on your other side.
“Oh, god,” Your eyes press closed tightly and you grip the back of San’s shirt in your desperate squirming, “I’m,”
“Come on, baby,” Wooyoung encourages, rolling his tongue over you again, “you’re so close,”
You whine sharply, hips canting, “Please, please,”
Seonghwa’s hands on your hips tighten, and he doesn’t change pace or pressure or anything at all, he just doesn’t stop. The bubble threatening to burst inside your belly feels hot and full and then with a rush, it pops and you shudder open into your first real heat addled orgasm.
“Good, good,” Seonghwa’s fingers start to slow and you whine sharply.
Wooyoung pulls off your breast with a little gasp, his face flushed pink and he meets your eyes as you start to crest upwards into another wave, but as Seonghwa’s hand slows so does the approach of what could be and you whimper, thighs quivering.
“Oh,” Wooyoung pouts a little at you, sympathetic and understanding and he hushes you, “I got you,”
You want more, and you know it needs to end in a knot for your body to register everything right, but in this split second you need Wooyoung more. You nod, frantic and close to tears, “Please,”
He pushes back from you quick, rocking over the side of the bed and suddenly he’s got his hands on Seonghwa, pushing him away, “Shove over,”
“W-what?” Seonghwa seems startled by the sudden directness of the omega and San lifts his head to see what’s happening at the sharp tone of his voice.
“Just move,” Wooyoung drops to his knees and dips his arms under your thighs until your legs are swung up over his shoulders and he’s tugging you down the bed to move you into position. You squeak when he drags you down the bed and San laughs above you.
“I’ve never seen you so assertive, Youngie,” He comments.
“Shut up,” Wooyoung bites back, “she’s not done,”
“Please, God,” Your hips jerk, angling for him to touch you, you can feel your pleasure slipping and you need him to catch it before it’s gone.
“Not God, babe,” Wooyoung nips your thigh with his teeth and you jerk again in his hands, “but I’ll do my best,”
“So cocky,” Seonghwa rolls his eyes, stepping back to hand over control.
“I’ll show you how it’s done, alpha,” Wooyoung shoots him an even cockier grin, tongue against teeth, and you’re about to say something more but then he’s on you.
Wooyoung treats your cunt like he knows every inch of it, like he’s done this for you specifically a thousand times before. Without ever asking he knows the pace you like, the way you need something inside you just to feel the weight of it, the way your mind spins when he reaches around and lays a hand over belly.
“I can’t, oh God, oh fuck,” You scramble but he holds you steady.
He hums warmly against you, picking up the pace of his sucks on your swollen bundle of nerves and when he feels your legs start to shake in earnest he presses up with two fingers inside you and presses down with the heel of his hand over your lower stomach. You were close before, off the back of your orgasm from Seonghwa’s tongue, but this is something else entirely and your vision whites out as your back arches. One hand fists the sheets, the other gripping down over Wooyoung’s and you can barely hear the noises you’re making but you know they must be feral.
When he’s sure you’re coming through it, no longer seeking drawn out stimulation but instead pulling your hips back and away from his sharp tongue, he lifts away just enough to give your aching clit some relief from overstimulation.
“You do taste like honey,” Is the first thing he says, his breath hot against your cunt as he stays between your thighs, recovering from his own lack of oxygen.
Your body is starting to relax from the tense muscle lock up of your orgasm, and slowly your eyes start to open.
“Holy shit,” Seonghwa breathes and your eyes flick to him. His eyes are dark, studying you both and you can see the hard line of his erection straining against his trousers.
San brushes your sweat slick hair back from your forehead and smiles down at you, “Doing okay?”
Words feel slow to your lips but you nod, “Mhm,”
Wooyoung makes a little huff between your thighs and you glance down, seeing how close Seonghwa has stepped again, his fingers running through the omega’s hair. Seonghwa hums appreciatively, caressing Wooyoung as he leans against your inner thigh, “Good boy,”
Wooyoung preens, you can see the sudden warmth flooding him at the praise.
“A very good boy,” Seonghwa croons again, “taking such good care of our pretty new omega,”
“Thank you, alpha,” Wooyoung nuzzles into Seonghwa’s palm and for a second it feels like you’re watching something too intimate, but then he pushes back from you and drops your legs off his shoulders, “I hope you took notes,”
Seonghwa sighs and delivers a fast, friendly smack to the back of Wooyoung’s head, their brief moment of heat dissipating with Wooyoung’s easy teasing. But Seonghwa softens again the moment he turns his attention to you, his hands gentle on your sides as he settles close, “You still in there, darling?”
“Kind of,” You admit, still hazy, “I can’t feel my legs,”
“Sounds about right,” San laughs as Wooyoung collapses into his side, and San swings an arm over his shoulders to let him snuggle closer.
“You still haven’t been knotted,” Seonghwa notes softly, stroking your skin, “how are you feeling?”
The idea of a knot sends a thrill through you, but your body feels sluggish, “Dizzy,”
He hums softly, the tone empathetic and warm.
“I need a few minutes,” You tell him honestly.
“Of course,” He soothes, “we’re here for you, you set the pace.”
“That was just a lot,”
Wooyoung grins and you roll your eyes at him.
“It’s a marathon, not a race,” San notes.
“I’ll just touch you a little,” Seonghwa relaxes next to you, running his fingers up and down your thigh, “you tell me when you want more,”
“Okay,” Your voice is thready as he dips his hand between your thighs.
“You two look good together,” San appraises, reaching across the bed to feel your skin, gentle strokes and and down your arm.
“Do we?” You laugh a little, but something is starting to thrum again in the back of your brain.
“Mm,” San’s hand moves a little further, cupping your breast and kneading it slowly, “a little too good,”
Seonghwa’s fingers explore you lazily, running up the soft, plush skin of your cunt but never quite getting close enough to properly tease your slit or your aching bud. He sighs pleasantly as he watches your nipples harden into peaks, “Don’t be jealous Sannie,”
San huffs softly, and then he leans forward to press a chaste kiss to your chest, “y/n,” he murmurs, “is this alright?”
You twitch under them, “Y-yes,”
“She’s a puddle,” Wooyoung jokes as he catches sight of your hazy look, “are my alphas making you feel so, so good, omega?”
Your hips jerk and Seonghwa lays his hand over your thighs to steady you.
“More,” You nod, resting one hand on the back of San’s neck, fingertips sinking into his hair as you push his head towards your breast.
“Like this?” He murmurs against your skin, flattening his tongue over your nipple once to lick it firmly before he closes his plush lips around it and sucks.
Heat spikes up your spine and you nod, “Yes, like that,”
The sound of a belt buckle draws your eyes back up to Seonghwa and you watch him disrobe entirely, dropping his trousers and kicking off his boxers.
“Let’s just take it slow,” Seonghwa eases your legs open, and you tilt your hips back to shift yourself into position and give him the access he needs, “sound good?”
Despite the way you’re starting to ache, you nod and relax back into the sheets, cupping San to your chest as he lavishes your nipple.
“Pretty,” Seonghwa hums as he slides his hands up the back of your thighs and deepens your position.
It’s exposing and raw, but at the same time you know exactly how much this is lighting up the deep part of your brain that needs this, so you just let yourself go.
“Nice and wet,” He smiles, this time dragging two fingers down your slit, rocking the slick pad of his middle finger over your swollen bundle of nerves.
You gasp a little, shaking in his grip.
“Isn’t she pretty, Sannie?” He says, glancing at the other alpha.
“Mhm,” San sighs, lifting up with a little pop so he can take you both in. He relaxes back against Wooyoung and when you twist your head to the side you see the hungry darkness in San’s gaze. Wooyoung’s eyes flick over you, a subtle smile on his lips, and then he tucks himself close behind San and starts to work a hand into the alpha’s sweats.
You hiss sharply when you feel something heavier drop over your slit and you jerk back to Seonghwa, his hard cock now nestled between your folds as he teases your clit lazily with the head.
“You want alpha’s cock, pretty girl?” Seonghwa says, rocking his hips to drag his length over your seam.
“Please,” You nod, fingers tight in the sheets.
“Where?” He teases.
“Hwa,”
“Here?” He presses the tip of his cock against your slick hole and then stops completely.
“Yes, yes,” You shiver, “please,”
He slides away with a smirk.
“Where?” He asks again, and you realize he wants to hear you say it.
Wooyoung chuckles softly next to you, and you hear San sigh, the distinct slow sound of swishing fabric as Wooyoung works his hand over San’s cock. It feels a little thrilling to have an audience, it’s making your hazy brain even needier and wanton and you jerk your hips against Seonghwa’s cock to try and get him to move the right way.
Seonghwa shakes his head, “Where?”
Your back aches, a cramp in your core, and you huff, a little flustered, “Inside,”
“Inside where?” Seonghwa tuts.
You swallow hard, reaching down between your legs. With gentle fingers you run your fingers along his shaft, watching his face for every little reaction. His jaw jumps as you swirl your fingers over the velvet head of his cock and you repeat the motion, again and again to get a harder reaction from him.
You’re watching each other intently, waiting to see who will fall apart first. When he sighs once, soft and breathy, you angle your hips back just a little and push down on his cock, directing him inside your aching channel and sinking him an inch or two inside you.
“Ah, ah,” He scolds, catching your wrist and locking you both still, “just say where you want me, omega,”
“Inside,” You insist, voice breaking a little as a flush lights up your chest, “alpha, please,”
“Just tell me,” He pleads, dropping his thumb over your clit, “it’s easy, darling, it’s just words,”
You wet your lips and reach up for him, fingertips skimming over his arm, “Hwa,” you murmur, blush lighting up your cheeks, “I want you inside me, please, in my pussy,”
He smiles and then rocks forward, pushing inside you to the hilt in one fluid motion, “Good omega,”
The sensation of him filling you so fast and so suddenly has your body arching up against the sheets and your head falling back, your eyes shutting tightly as you moan, “Oh, fuck,”
“Damn,” Wooyoung murmurs, but you ignore him.
“Does that feel good, omega?” Seonghwa leans down over you, holding you tightly with a hand anchored to the back of your thigh just below the knee, holding you open wide for him.
You whine tightly as he rocks inside you, the curled angle driving the head of his cock over your sweet spot again and again, the firm plane of his pubic bone pressing rhythmically against your clit. You feel dizzy from the sensation, but then you feel something low and needy in your gut.
“Knot,” You stammer out, gripping down on any part of Seonghwa you can hold.
“Is that what you want?” He smiles, rolling his hips.
“Alpha, please,” You pant, “knot me,”
He thrusts forward hard, holding himself tightly inside you and he shakes his head, “Ask nicely,”
A shudder runs up your spine and you think it’s entirely possible that Wooyoung isn’t really that much of a brat, Seonghwa just likes it when the omegas under him whine. You rock your hips and beg him to keep moving inside you with your body, but he shakes his head again. He wants to hear you.
“Alpha,” You pant, dropping your voice a bit and tapping into that deep coursing need running through you, “please knot me, please,”
“Good girl,” He sighs, moving his hips again.
“Please,” Your head lolls back as he starts to thrust again in earnest.
“I’ll keep you on my knot all night,” He chokes, finally starting to lose himself a little, the base of his cock starting to swell.
“Yes, yes,”
“Beg,” He thrusts hard, knocking your hips together, “beg me to fucking knot you,”
Your mind tunnels, nothing but you and Seonghwa working together now and when you answer him it feels almost like another person, “Alpha, please, please, I’m so empty,”
“Fuck,” He pants.
“Please, fill me up,” You moan, nails digging into his arms.
“Mine,” He drops lower over you, pulling your head back by your hair and attaching his lips to your throat, “isn’t that right, pretty thing?”
“Oh,” Your body is locking up around his cock suddenly as the dam breaks, “oh, fuck Hwa, don’t stop,”
He shakes his head against you and keeps thrusting, panting into your hair. With a groan he shudders, locking his hips forwards and you feel the swell of his knot push past your entrance and expand. “Fuck, that’s it,” He grinds his hips against yours, and then you feel him release hot and wet and filling inside you. Pleasure washes back over you and you jut your hips against his just to feel another sweeping wave, your body disconnecting deliciously as he comes inside you.
Your brain reconnects slowly. First you register the weight of him above you, pressing down into you with his cock still buried inside your heat. Then his soft fingers in your hair, his lips on your cheek.
His knot is already softening and you sigh, reaching up for him and running your fingers through his black hair as you catch your breath and reopen your eyes.
“Hey,” He murmurs down at you, “okay?”
“Mhm,” You smile lazily, “you?”
“Excellent,” He laughs, dropping one more kiss to your cheek.
“I’ll say,” Wooyoung clears his throat and you blush scarlet, you had forgotten how close they were, how present they were.
You cover your face with your hands and groan.
“You’re fun when you let loose,” Wooyoung prods your shoulder to get your attention, “I never would have pegged you for so much dirty talk,”
“Oh my god,” You sigh, twisting to look at him, “will you please shut up?”
“I’m just saying,” He shrugs and you’re trying to come up with a clever retort but then you feel Seonghwa start to pull himself free and you realize a few things at once.
Where Wooyoung is looking at you and Seonghwa together, San hasn’t glanced at you once. His eyes are glued to Seonghwa, running over his sweat-slick body, his lips parted and his muscles locked up tight. He’s not in a rut, you know that clearly, but his expression and his eyes remind you of a rut, singularly focused and serious.
Seonghwa notices it a moment later as he slides off the bed and you watch him smile, “Like something you see Sannie?”
Wooyoung rolls his eyes and scoots a little closer to you on the bed and then San moves, quick like a flash. He secures a hand around Seonghwa’s wrist and tugs him down fast to land on top of him and then he kisses the other alpha so hard they both make a surprised hiss of pleasure.
“San, what,” Seonghwa manages, but San won’t let him be. His lips are hungry, his body hungrier still, dragging the man closer and closer and slotting their hips together as their mouths work together.
San breaks the kiss first, rolling to the side and effectively trapping Seonghwa beneath him, “I need you right now,”
“Oh,” Seonghwa shudders, his cock starting to stiffen again.
Wooyoung moves closer to you, giving them some much needed space and giving you the post-coital cuddles you really need. He tugs a blanket up over your bodies and spoons you, settling in like you’re about to watch a show together.
“Don’t mind them,” Wooyoung murmurs into your ear, “they get like this,”
You open your mouth but Seonghwa moans sharply as San kisses down his neck, letting his tongue drag over the other alpha’s gland and nipping his collarbone.
“Turn over,” San says, manhandling Seonghwa into a better position before pushing down his own pants just enough to free his cock.
They’re nothing but need, clawing at each other just to feel skin against skin and it’s clear that they’ve done this a thousand times before, so intimately familiar with each other’s bodies. You can hear their breath, their every move against the sheets, and it feels like you’ve been given a view into something too intimate, too real.
“Woo,” You murmur quietly, “should we…”
He hesitates, almost unable to tear his eyes away but then he nods, “Shower?”
“Mhm,”
Wooyoung slips out of bed behind you as San drags Seonghwa’s head to the side and reaches into Wooyoung’s nightstand for the lube.
“San,” Seonghwa whines in a tone you’ve never in your life heard from the alpha, “please, fucking please,”
“Shh,” San brushes a hand down his lover’s back and then uncaps the lubricant in his hands, “I’ve got you jagiya,”
Your lips part in awe as you watch them, stunned at the way they look together, move together. You only snap out of it when Wooyoung taps your side, and you slide quietly out of the bed too, focused on not disturbing the couple beside you. You follow Wooyoung to the connected bathroom, but you keep watching them all the while.
Seonghwa groans when San thrusts his hips forward hard, pushing himself inside and you shiver at the image, your own body responding at the sight. San runs a hand through his hair before squeezing Seonghwa’s hips, silently letting him know that he’s about to move. As he does, rocking his hips in slow steady thrusts, he runs his hand reverently along Seonghwa’s skin, finding his hand in the sheets and twining their fingers together.
“I missed you so much,” San says lowly, pressing a kiss between Seonghwa’s shoulders.
Seonghwa makes another noise, almost a sob as he nods into the bedding, gripping down on the alpha’s hand harder.
Even with the knotting you just experienced, the sight of them together is enough to light a flushing warmth back through your body and make you want again.
“y/n,” Wooyoung finally catches your attention and you pull yourself away from the doorway and into the bathroom.
In the shower, you and Wooyoung stick close together, and the sounds from the other room still make it through the door despite the drone of the water. You gravitate towards each other easily, wanting to feel the comfort of each other’s bodies in the warmth of the spray. You kiss until your jaw aches, and make each other come one more time despite the water turning tepid halfway through.
When you’re done and the water is off, you wrap yourselves in fluffy blue towels and listen closely to see if San and Seonghwa are finished.
As you lean against the sink, Wooyoung gently drags a brush through your wet hair to detangle it from the shower and you finally ask the question that’s been brewing in the back of your mind, “Woo,” you murmur, keeping your voice low to ensure the alphas in the adjacent room can’t hear you, “why aren’t they together?”
Relationships between the same designation are rare but certainly not unheard of, especially in polyamorous relationships, and it’s plain as day to you now how much they connect and care about one another.
Wooyoung meets your eyes in the mirror and shrugs, his mouth downturned, “You’d have to ask them,”
“You don’t know?” Your eyebrows shoot high.
He shakes his head, “I learned not to push that one a long time ago,”
You chew the inside of your lip, mulling it over. Your conversation with San all those weeks ago when he walked you home flicks through your mind and you remember the way that he brushed right past the topic the minute you started to press. You had assumed the person he was referring to was Wooyoung, they’re always so tactile with one another, but the longer you spend with them behind closed doors the more you realize that is just how Wooyoung communicates, with touch. Now the little moments of tension you spotted between San and Seonghwa make so much more sense.
Wooyoung finishes brushing out your hair and puts the brush back on the sink, “What’s that face for?”
You smooth out your expression and recover, “Sorry,”
“What?” He prompts you.
“What about you?” You ask softly.
“I love them, they’re my best friends,” He says with ease.
“Okay,” You hold his gaze in the mirror.
He wraps his arms around you and shakes his head, “It works for us,” He says, “and if they’re not ready to admit how they feel to themselves, then that’s up to them and they can have whatever this is,”
“As long as you’re not caught in the middle,” You press a kiss to his forearm.
“Not with them,” He assures you.
The sound of laughter from the next room draws your attention and Wooyoung smiles, “Let’s go, don’t worry about this,” he says and you nod, staying bundled up in your towel as you follow him into the next room.
San and Seonghwa are cuddled tightly together, trading soft and quiet kisses, but when they hear you both coming back in you watch San straighten up a little and look towards the two of you. They look so good together, so natural, relaxing against each other in the sheets looking far more at peace than you’ve ever seen them.
“Sorry about that,” He clears his throat softly.
“Don’t be sorry,” You shake your head.
“We’re supposed to be taking care of you,” He smiles, “I just got a little carried away,”
Seonghwa blushes, dipping his face into the pillow below him and you grin, “I’m actually doing fine, don’t worry about me.”
“Can we come back in?” Wooyoung asks as he climbs onto the bed, reaching back for your hand.
“Of course,” Seonghwa pushes San back towards the other edge of the bed and he lifts the duvet, “it’s your nest not ours, please,”
Something inside you feels a little soft, like warm melted butter at the idea of a full nest and you feel your tense shoulders relax. Wooyoung maneuvers you into the center, snuggled up between him and Seonghwa, but San reaches across and soon you’re sinking into all three of their touches.
“You want to try and sleep?” San asks softly.
“We probably should,” You nod.
Seonghwa finds the tender gland in your neck and strokes it gently, “We’ll be right here when you wake up,”
You shift closer, resting your cheek on his chest and you nod, “I know you will,”
“Good,” He sighs, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.
Held like this it’s easy to drift off so you do.
When you wake again it’s to the sounds of rustling sheets, but not someone getting up and out of bed, it’s the clear sound of rocking. Whoever it is sounds close, pleasured little pants and moans, and you can feel your stomach knotting up and just the sounds of sex in the room so close to you.
There’s a warm body behind you, just coconing you in, but it’s different than how you fell asleep. The body behind you is broader, warmer, and you realize after a moment of hazy waking that it’s San cuddled up to your back and spooning you, not Wooyoung. You slept hard though, and you’re not really surprised that everyone shifting around didn’t wake you even though the bed isn’t really large enough for the four of you. You’re all making it work and you’d be lying if you said the close proximity of them and their scents wasn’t keeping you calmer than any heat you’ve had before.
Your face is tucked into a pillow, and you don’t exactly want to alert the room that you’re awake, but you’re starting to feel uncomfortably hot again and you can feel yourself itching out of your skin, desperate to just slip a hand between your thighs and relieve the growing tension.
Someone, Wooyoung you gather, moans quietly next to you.
“So needy,” Seonghwa whispers, “and you’re not even in heat,”
Wooyoung makes another shuddering noise, and the bed moves next to you a little faster.
You feel it when San’s hand on your hip tightens, his breath warm behind you, and then there’s the telltale sensation of his cock growing hard against your backside. Your eyes flutter open, your hands gripping the bedding beneath you.
San swallows tightly and drops his lips to your ear, “You awake?”
You nod, lifting your head a little.
Seonghwa and Wooyoung are tangled together inches from you, and the groan that leaves you at the sight of them is sudden and sharp, a cramp lighting up inside you.
Seonghwa’s head snaps to the side at the sound and his brows knit together, “Omega?”
Your muscles clench, slick rushing forth, “Oh, god,”
Wooyoung whines, his fingers digging into Seonghwa’s shoulders, “Stay with me, Hwa,”
“I’m sorry, baby,” Seonghwa shifts to tend to the omega in his lap, “I’m right here,”
“y/n?” San’s lips press closer to your ear, “let me help,”
You relax into his chest immediately, your legs parting, body practically purring the moment his hand smooths over your hip to press between your legs.
“We have an audience, baby,” Seonghwa murmurs, pulling Wooyoung down to his mouth and kissing him soundly.
Wooyoung moans, desperate and shaky, his hips starting to move again beneath the comforter as he and Seonghwa rock against each other.
“You do like that, don’t you,” Seonghwa teases him, his fingers tracing a line up Wooyoung’s chest and circling his pebbled nipple.
“Jesus,” Wooyoung stammers, “fuck,”
You can’t tear your eyes away, you’re glued to them and the way their bodies move together, but you gasp sharply as San brushes his fingertips gently over your clit and starts to explore you.
“More,” You beg softly, “please, Sannie,”
If it's at all possible, his cock gets stiffer against your backside.
“Is my pretty boy going to come?” Seonghwa hums at Wooyoung, nipping at his lip and placing wet kisses across his jaw.
“I need it,” He chokes out in reply.
San pushes a finger inside you, but with the way you’re dripping and aching for a knot it’s nowhere near enough and you shake your head, “Alpha, please,”
“Shh, shh,” He soothes, pulling back his hand entirely, “hold on, jagi,”
He rifles around behind you, and you hear the sound of a drawer opening and closing. He’s fiddling with something behind you but you can’t turn around, you just need to let him take care of things. Your body is too flushed with warmth and slick with sweat to comprehend anything but the deep need inside you to feel what Wooyoung is feeling, and every second that you watch them makes your need hungrier.
“Here we go,” San wraps an arm around you, and you see a flash of something pink and blue in his hands but you don’t make sense of it until he hikes up your leg to open you up wide and you feel something hard push at the entrance of your cunt.
“What,” You start to say but then he angles the toy upwards and sinks the first few inches of the thick dildo inside you.
“Just relax,” He eases you, “watch them,”
A moment ago you would have said you needed a real cock, that no knotting dildo would do, but with the way San is wrapped around you it doesn’t seem to matter. The heat from his body sinks into yours, blooming jasmine everywhere as his breath passes over you, staccatoed pants with every sharp flex of his arm to fuck you deeper.
In front of you, Seonghwa and Wooyoung have gotten closer, their faces tucked close to one another as Wooyoung chokes out another moan. You watch the red blush creep up his chest, his back, his cheeks, flushing him deliciously as his body starts to tremble in earnest.
“Come, baby,” Seonghwa kisses his ear, “don’t stop,”
Wooyoung groans, muttering something into Seonghwa’s collarbone and he smiles in response, petting Wooyoung’s hair and dropping his lips to Wooyoung’s aching throat. Your body locks up, the sight too much for your heat-addled brain.
“Deeper,” You plead, “harder,”
San nods against your shoulder, “Good, omega,”
A throbbing pulses through your body, and he pushes the dildo in deeper, the knot at the base catching on your slick hole as he works the toy faster and harder. You look down between your legs, at the way his muscular arm arcs over your belly and at how fast his hand works the silicone cock inside you, and all you can do is moan and grip down on the bedding once more.
“I’m, I’m,” Wooyoung pants and you look back up, “fuck, I’m coming,”
Seonghwa sucks at Wooyoung’s pulse, teasing his mating gland and scenting him and you watch Wooyoung’s eyes roll back, his body locking up in absolute pleasure as his orgasm collides into him. He ruts himself against Seonghwa blindly, aching and whimpering until his hips slow and he slips down against the alpha to rest on his chest.
“Baby,” Seonghwa strokes his lover’s back, “you’re so good,”
The praise, even when not directed at you, sends a spark of needy pleasure through your body and you grip down on San’s arm, “Please,”
He shifts you both suddenly, wrapping you tightly in his arms and rolling you so that you’re laid out on top of him, your back to his chest and your body folding open and prone like a fresh flower. Once you’re settled there he returns to working the toy in and out of your fluttering walls, but this time he takes his opposite hand and finds your clit, setting a quick rhythm against your bud to stimulate you fast.
“G-God, oh god,” You grip down on the sheets, letting him control you.
“Good omegas come,” San all but growls in your ear, “are you good, jagi?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Your brain is fogging up, things feeling hot and cold at the same time, “knot me,”
“Come,”
“Knot, please, alpha,” You manage, and even though you feel the pressure dropping low in your belly, the only thing that will get you over the edge of pleasure is his knot.
“You want to be filled?” He pumps the toy sharply.
“Yes!” You clamp your eyes down tight, holding on.
His fingers slip off your clit, hand reaching for something in the bedding and you start to whine but then he does it. With one full thrust the knot of the toy pushes up inside you and activates the primal part of your brain that had been lying so dormant. You’re flustered and coming hard so suddenly, but he continues to rock and grind the toy to catch against your clit and leave your body fluttering over into orgasm.
“Yes, oh, oh, fuck,” You babble, and then you feel something more. The sensation of a cock spilling inside you is so distinctive, so real, and you blink your eyes open with a gasp as the sensation heightens your orgasm into another rolling wave.
When it all slows down, you can barely breathe.
San leaves the toy inside you, one hand on your hip and the other slowly stroking your belly.
“y/n,” Seonghwa’s voice is warm and close, fingertips coasting along your cheek, “are you alright?”
“I’m so good,” You sigh, an overwhelming urge to snuggle into a cuddle pile and never leave it, “I’m perfect,”
“Not too rough?” San checks as he starts to push himself up a little.
You shake your head against his chest, your hands finally unlocking from the sheets.
“Alright,” He reaches between your legs and gently takes the toy, “relax, let me help with this,”
Knotting dildos, while an incredible substitute during heat, lack one feature most of the time. Where a real alpha’s knot would deflate and easily allow you to uncouple, knotting dildos like this one are just solid silicone. You let him ease the toy out of your channel, going slow and keeping you calm with his warm scent. When it pops free you fall back with a sigh, ignoring the sudden rush of artificial cum out of you.
“I’ll get a towel,” Wooyoung murmurs, and when you look up you realize he’s already standing and redressed in boxers and an oversized dark gray shirt.
“Water too,” San instructs and Wooyoung diverts to the mini fridge.
San eases you off his chest and to the side, and Seonghwa pulls away the sheets that had been under you, now damp and soiled with slick and cum. When he flops back to lie down you notice he’s closer, moving into San’s side and their bodies rest against each other from hip to shoulder, slotting together like a puzzle.
“Let me in,” Wooyoung says as he climbs back into the bed, a warm washcloth swept between your thighs and a water bottle in your hand.
Wooyoung’s phone lights up with a chime, an alarm, but he silences without a thought.
“Woo,” Seonghwa stops him, “get your meds before you forget,”
You blink hard and lift your head, “Your suppressants?”
“Mm,” Wooyoung nods, quickly moving towards his bag by the door, “I wasn’t even paying attention,”
“What time is it?” You twist in the sheets.
“You need yours?” Wooyoung asks, “Where are they?”
“What day is it?” You start doing mental math and in much the same way you need to take birth control pills like clockwork, you need to stay on schedule with suppressants.
“Saturday,” San runs a hand along your back to soothe you, “you’re alright,”
“Where, babe?” Wooyoung asks again, pulling your bag from the floor.
“There’s a pink pouch in the side,” You tell him, “they should be in there,”
“Got it,”
“Did you miss one?” Seonghwa eases you back into the bedding, “Or two?”
“One,” You answer immediately, your schedule built into you even in heat, “I’m good,”
“Good,” Seonghwa rubs your back, “don’t worry,”
“Here,” Wooyoung presses your pill pack into your hand.
He takes his own pill and then slides back into bed while you pop two out of their little foil packet, Friday and Saturday together, and then down them both with the remaining water in the bottle. Relief fills you immediately, the last thing you want to deal with during onboarding would be a broken and extended cycle.
“Thank you for the reminder,” You sigh, “I don’t know where my head is,”
“Heat,” Seonghwa laughs.
“Mm,” You nod, “this one has been so easy though, honestly,”
“That’s good,” San finds your hand and gives you a squeeze, “but don’t be hard on yourself,”
“Exactly,” Seonghwa nods, “I should have asked your schedule,”
“It’s fine,” You shake your head, “we’re good, crisis averted,”
Wooyoung laughs and snuggles up to your back, “God, could you imagine if we both forgot,”
“Absolutely not,” San groans.
“Both of you in heat?” Seonghwa shakes his head, “I don’t know if we could handle that one,”
“Ha ha,” Wooyoung grumbles, “I’m not that bad,”
“I don’t know,” You relax into their touch, letting your eyes drift closed again, “I think I believe them,”
He huffs into your shoulder, and San and Seonghwa both laugh again, shuffling lower in the bedding until all four of you are sandwiched together. Your body feels stiff, little cramps here and there, but for right now you can just relax and feel them close to you, their combined scents easing you into a warm mid-morning nap.
You spend the whole weekend tangled up with the three of them in every possible way, falling in and out of the peaks and valleys of your heat right alongside them. It’s easier this time around, never feeling faded or too foggy even on your hardest days, everything you need just taken care of without question. It’s surely the suppressants, but it’s them too, everything feeling so natural and easy and comfortable. You hardly have room to think of anything but yourself and the men with you until your heat breaks entirely.
You don’t think of them once until it’s over, and then you do.
This time it’s immediate, a fast sinking feeling while you’re awake that’s like being doused in ice cold water when drinking, an instantly sobering effect that leaves you blinking hard and slightly dizzy. San and Seonghwa aren’t with you, they’re in the kitchen making lunch while you and Wooyoung relaxed together in a bit of a post orgasmic haze, but all of a sudden you wish they were here.
“Shit,” You breathe, pushing yourself into a sitting position and dragging the robe tighter around you.
“You good?” Wooyoung asks from his position to your side.
“Yeah,” You nod, “but it’s done,”
“That was fast,” He murmurs, stroking your hair back, “I would have thought one more day,”
“Me too,” You breathe, running your hands over your face and trying to get your head around things. It’s both helpful that it’s Sunday so you can go back to work tomorrow, but too sudden, this heat a full two days shorter than the previous.
“What can I get you?” He rolls over onto one hip and looks up at you.
“Can you just hand me my phone,” You nod past him to where it sits on the charger, flipped over and silenced, “my roommates are probably looking for me,”
“Yeah,” He grabs it and then grabs the water bottle on the nightstand too, “here, this too,”
“Thank you,” You take both, and then drink as much water as you can manage to soothe your dry throat.
Wooyoung slides up to sit next to you and rests a warm hand on your knee, but he stays quiet and lets you come back to center.
After three days of being with them you almost fully forgot how you left it at the studio, how you left it with them. When you light up your phone and actually take a look at your notifications your stomach knots up immediately. There’s fluff of course, random notifications from Instagram and Twitter, a few texts from friends and you can see that your roommates group chat is actively pinging with messages, but then you scroll a little further to texts from a few nights ago and feel your pulse quicken.
You hesitate a little, not sure if you really want to know what the unread text from Mingi says, but then you click it and lose your breath all over again.
He’s freaking out a little bit, but I told him you’re probably already home and sleeping.
Which you are, right?
You swallow tightly, and then read the third one, sent fifteen minutes after the first two.
I just really hope you’re safe.
Now your chest hurts.
“What is it?” Wooyoung glances at you, but you know he knows.
It was real, you know it now. Deep in your core you know that every moment spent with them wasn’t just your heat, and it wasn’t just your hormones. The longing you felt after and your willingness to let them have every inch of you wasn’t just nothing.
You hand him the phone silently, you just can’t manage to say it out loud.
He reads the text and sees your expression, and all it once it dawns on him too. Wooyoung tucks your hair behind your ear and smooths his thumb along your jaw, “So this heat was different wasn’t it?”
Your eyes fill with tears fast, and you wet your lips, “Yeah,”
“Oh, babe,” His eyes soften.
“Woo,” You swallow hard to push the tears away, “I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t,”
“Fuck,” He gathers you close, leaning back into the cushions and tucking your face into his chest, “come here, don’t cry,”
You hear the door creak open and you press your eyes closed tight.
“What’s going on in here?” San asks, his voice low and soothing, “What’s wrong?”
Wooyoung rubs your back and sighs, “Life sucks,”
You laugh sharply into Wooyoung’s chest at his tone and nod your head, “Fucking sucks,”
“Oh, y/n,” Seonghwa murmurs, “are you coming down already, I’m so sorry we stepped out,”
Your brain throbs, the memory of Mingi holding you steady as you cried last time flickering so brightly you can almost feel the echo of his arms around you and you bury your head deeper into Wooyoung’s chest as if that will be a place for you to hide away from all of this.
“Get in here,” Wooyoung says at that, “she’s shivering,”
Someone warm sidles up to your back, and at the warm scent of freshly brewed coffee you know it’s Seonghwa. He cuddles you both close and presses kisses along your shoulder, “What’s wrong, jagiya? Talk to us,”
You search through your feelings, through all the things you could say or not say and all you can do is sigh, heavy and hard against Wooyoung’s warm skin. You push yourself back, rolling onto your back between them and you realize San is sitting on the edge of the bed by Seonghwa, reaching over his lover to rest his hand on your thigh.
You find Wooyoung’s hand in the tangled mess and lace your fingers together, “You’ve all been so wonderful to me the past couple of days,”
“That’s why you’re so upset?” Seonghwa smooths his hand over your forehead.
“I don’t want to go back to normal,” You confess, “I don’t want to go back to work,”
Wooyoung’s brows knit together, fully empathizing with the part that’s hurting so badly. In the clarity of your come down it’s readily apparent to you how different this has been from your time with Yunho and Mingi. This time was casual, this time was easy. The comfort of these two alphas was essential and soothing, but you don’t want them, not like you wanted before. You had been so sure the ache in your body that yearned so deeply was something so easily written off, a biological want, but knowing better now hurts.
“Why, jagi?” San strokes your skin lovingly.
“I’ve been so stupid,” You pull your hand from Wooyoung’s and sweep both through your hair, wiping under your eyes as you get control of yourself, “Woo was right all along,”
You know he’d normally make a joke, but he just nods, “I’m sorry,”
“Is this about them?” Seonghwa asks softly.
You manage a nod, “How am I supposed to go back to the studio?”
“Stop,” San shakes his head firmly, “it’s your studio too.”
“Is it though?”
“Yes,” He squeezes you, “I know this hurts, but you said it yourself, they wanted it to be a one-time thing,”
Misery curls in your gut at that thought, that your time with them really is over, but you nod, “They’ve been pretty clear, they just want to be friends.”
“And you?” San prompts you again, and Seonghwa looks up to him.
“I’ve been moving on from them since it happened,” You murmur, “I guess I just didn’t know before now if it was real or just… being an omega.”
“At least you know now,” Wooyoung offers quietly, “and I know this doesn’t help, help, but next time when it feels real, you’ll know it is, you can trust it.”
You don’t really want a next time with someone else, some faceless fated alpha, but you nod anyway.
Seonghwa leans into you, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “I know it’s hard loving someone, or caring for someone like this when they don’t feel the same,” he says quietly, “but believe me when I say you’re worth a thousand of them, and this heartache will fade,”
The room is still around you, quiet, and your breath hitches as you hang on his words and how true you know they are. Wooyoung reaches across you to brush his hand down Seonghwa’s arm, and you feel the weight of the bed change. When you open your eyes, San is gone.
“Sannie?” You murmur.
Seonghwa shakes his head against yours, “He’s fine,” he murmurs, “this isn’t about him,”
“It’s complicated,” You surmise, turning to find Seonghwa’s brown eyes.
“Isn’t it always?” He smiles, angles into a joke, and the moment of vulnerability is gone.
You let him hold you quietly in the middle of the bed for a moment before you manage, “What now?”
“Now we get up,” Wooyoung squeezes your hand, “we get cleaned up, and we get an absolutely delicious fucking dinner,”
Despite the tears lingering in your eyes his words pull a laugh straight from your chest and you nod, “That sounds… so good right about now,”
“Mhm,” Wooyoung nods, “you can’t let this pull you under again,”
“I know,” You breathe.
“Tomorrow will be fine,” He doubles down, “awkward, but you’ve done that with them before. You’ll be just fine,”
“Okay,”
“You two can use the shower first if you want,” Wooyoung kisses your shoulder.
“Should we order in?” Seonghwa asks, still resting by your side.
“No,” Wooyoung insists, “we’re going out, and we’re getting our minds off things.” He’s off the bed a second later and he follows San out of the room, no room for argument now that he’s set his mind to cheering you back up.
Seonghwa’s quiet, but then he drops his lips to your gland and presses gentle kisses there to help soothe you before he asks, “Are you up to going out? I can pull the alpha card if you need to me to calm Youngie down,”
If you’re being really truly honest, you want nothing more than to curl up in bed, but you know if you do that you’ll just spend the next ten hours worrying about tomorrow’s inevitable encounter. You chew your lip and fight the urge to take his offer, “It might be good for me to get out,” you settle on.
“Then we’re going,” He nods.
Seonghwa rolls off the bed, but you can feel the question lingering on your tongue and you reach out and take his hand, “Hwa,”
“What is it?” He smiles softly down at you.
You smooth your thumb along the back of his hand, “You and San,”
His smile fades and his eyes flick away from yours for just a moment, “I’ll tell you another time,”
“You don’t have to,” You rush to correct, “but you’ve been here for me, and I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you too,”
“I’m fine, y/n, honestly,” He retracts his hand but you tighten your grip.
“I’m sure you are,” You hold his gaze, “but I’m still here,”
He swallows tightly and then nods, “I’ll start the shower for you,”
You leave it here, you have to. With San so close in the next room and the way Seonghwa left you in bed you can practically feel his boundary line between you and you have to respect it. Maybe he’ll tell you someday and maybe he won’t, but it’s clear to you that there’s something swirling and deep between these two alphas and their omega. Even in the easiest relationships, things are hard.
With the room empty you take a moment and you turn your phone over in your hands. You need to put them out of sight and out of mind if you’re going to make it through the night at your own apartment without fixating on them and how you feel. But for just a moment you just can’t help yourself.
With a sigh you open up your messages again and read through Mingi’s texts and then Yunho’s. Your fingers hover over the keys and you wonder what message you could write back at this point that wouldn’t feel terrible to them or to you, or what doors it might open, but you don’t.
Seonghwa calls out to let you know the shower is warm and you pull yourself out of bed, leaving your phone once again face down on the dresser. It will just be what it will be, and nothing you do today will change that. You follow Seonghwa into the shower, and then you both follow Wooyoung and San out for the night.
It all feels normal almost immediately, like any other night out that you’ve had with them before. You don’t feel any longing, any desperate ache. You don’t want to cling to Seonghwa or San at all, despite how good the weekend might have been. Suppressants or not, you feel normal. Clear.
The remaining tension with San is gone too, with practiced ease he’s back to his normal self. You know it clearly, he’s done this exact dance before. He laughs alongside Seonghwa like best friends do, with a perfectly acceptable amount of space between them. No heated glances, no touches under the table.
You think maybe all you have to do is learn how to dance like San.
summary: you just finished your junior year of college, snagging an unbelievable summer internship in seoul. But after your supervisor and his friends invite you into their circle with open arms, your heart gets caught between a rock and a hard place named yunho. you don't think you can get through these 12 weeks without someone's feelings getting hurt.
warnings: explicit smut, depictions of anxiety, struggles with identity, toxic relationships, more warnings per chapter ~ let me know if anything else should be added
current word count: 4.3k
note: my writing is so rusty and this is my first series on here, but i hope its okay! most of it's written in advance so I'll try to update as frequently as possible
warnings: none for this chapter, let me know if i should add anything!
word count: 2.1k
(next chapter) (masterlist)
Your habit of procrastinating paid you no favor as you walked into your dorm covered in yet-to-be-packed clothes and essentials. There were about 5 hours before your flight and at least 3 of those would be spent at the airport, so you had to move quickly. You took a deep breath and made your way through the piles, your mind drifting off as your hands worked swiftly. This was your 3rd year at university and it was the hardest one yet. For visual arts, it’s the first year you got total freedom over your projects—which meant total responsibility over how they turned out. Luckily, your pieces landed you an offer in Seoul that was almost too good to be true. Dasoft Inc. 12-week paid marketing internship, room and board included for international applicants.
To be honest, marketing wasn’t in your original plans for the future, but who could say no to an opportunity to travel across the world? And get paid to do it, no less? You had your morals, but you weren’t stupid. You just hoped they didn’t overwork you to death. Before you could dwell much longer on the summer ahead of you, your phone vibrated on your dresser, signaling for you to get on the next bus. You did a final look around your small, now mostly empty, dorm before locking the door for the last time that semester.
“Good morning!” the front desk attendant chirped as you made your way into the Dasoft lobby. Moving in had gone fairly smoothly, but starting the gig not even 24 hours after did not help the anxious knot in your stomach.
“Hello! I’m a new intern for the marketing department…” you reply, tripping over your words slightly. She seems to understand immediately, though, flashing a smile before dialing a number on the phone next to her. A minute later a young man makes his way out of the elevator and towards the front lobby. You try not to stare, but it's impossible not to—his jet black hair is slicked back, sides shaved short. He has black slacks and a white button down with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows.
“Hi! You must be y/n?” his smooth voice snaps you out of your thoughts. If he noticed you checking him out, he doesn't mention it. You nod and he motions for you to follow him back to the elevators. “We’ve been so excited for you to start working here.”
“Really?” you clear your throat and try to hold conversation. You were never very good in formal settings. “I take it you’re my supervisor?”
“Mhm, you can call me Seonghwa. After you,” the elevator dings.
“Seonghwa? That’s a nice name,” you watch as he scans his ID before pressing the 3rd floor button and turning back to you. “Do you all call each other by your first names so casually here?”
He lets out a small chuckle, “in our department yes. I can’t speak for everyone else, but the marketing team is like a big family.” You’re not sure if he could pick up on your nerves before, but you visibly relax at the statement. Despite his intimidating appearance, you already start to feel comfortable with him.
You follow Seonghwa into the department’s office suite, quickly gaining everyone’s attention. They all seemed to be working—some in groups, others in their cubicles—but they were eager to see what’s new. You give a quick bow, secretly hoping to do introductions after you get more accustomed to the space. All chances of that are ruined when a short, rather enthusiastic man approaches you. “Hwa, please tell me this is the new intern because I have several unread emails and I need lunch, like, now.” His words would fill you with dread if his tone wasn’t so lighthearted.
“y/n, this is Wooyoung, the least annoying member of the marketing team-”
“Hey! You know you love me!” Wooyoung interrupts, slinging an arm around the older man’s shoulders.
“-and Wooyoung, this is indeed our new intern, y/n. And her job is not to handle your out of control inbox,” he sighs, feigning irritation with what you now understand is a good friend, “but I will give you credit for making our work culture what it is.”
“I know I’m perfect. The guys are meeting up at our usual place to eat, don’t be late!” Wooyoung smirks before turning to you, “and y/n! Welcome to the team. My cubicle is right next to yours so don’t be a stranger.” Before you can respond he walks past both of you to the elevators. You can’t tell if you’re annoyed that such an extroverted person will work next to you, or relieved that it won’t be painfully awkward.
“Excuse him,” Seonghwa chuckles, walking you towards the only empty cubicle, “ever since I offered him a position at the company he’s been a social butterfly. He probably knows every person who works here.”
“I’m just glad someone can do the talking,” you joke, and he nods understandingly. “How do you guys know each other anyway? You seem close,” you settle into the tiny space, feeling more comfortable now that you got a sense of the workplace.
“Oh we went to college together. He was a year below me and only graduated last year, so he’s the newest hire after you,” he smiles at you before raising his eyebrows slightly, “if you want we can talk more at lunch?”
You shuffle awkwardly, not realizing Wooyoung’s offer was to both of you, “oh it sounded like a friend thing, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“No no no,” he swats his hand, “we are meeting with friends but they all work at the company too. And besides, I still need to talk to you about your role here—might as well do it over some delicious food!” At those words you realize the anxiety in your stomach from earlier has been replaced with hunger. Maybe a meal wouldn’t hurt.
“If you say so,” smiling and standing back up, waiting for him to lead you back out to whatever their “usual spot” was. You see a dash of relief on his face, as if he was actually scared you wouldn’t want to spend time with them.
You both make your way back down the elevator and out the front doors. Turns out their usual spot was the Wendy’s a block away, and you felt a bit relieved it wasn’t some fancy cafe. This was well within your budget. When you walk in, you see Wooyoung jump up immediately, “there’s our new girl!” All seven heads turn in your direction, and you start to feel a bit dizzy. Does this company only hire pretty people?
Seonghwa chuckles and makes his way to the two tables they’ve pushed together. You trail behind a bit, taking in the scene. He wasn’t lying when he told you they were coworkers, they all wore various formal outfits and had their company lanyards on, but they did look around your age. They had ordered already and some had started eating. You slowly walk over before realizing Seonghwa took the last empty spot.
Without missing a beat, the man across from him jumps up and pulls a chair from a nearby empty table, gesturing for you to sit at the end in between them. “Hi y/n! Woo has not stopped talking about you since you got here.” You feel your cheeks get warm almost immediately.
“Listen, she’s the first new person in the office since I got there,” Wooyoung defends himself, mouth half full with a chicken nugget, “she’s our age, she’s cute, she’s clearly smart enough to get the job, and I’m sure she’ll be a way cooler friend than you losers.” If he didn’t say it all so matter-of-factly, you might’ve been a bit uncomfortable, but it’s clear he’s just a people person.
“Woo, she’s right here,” Seonghwa jabs, “and she can introduce herself.” You actually liked not having to speak just yet, but you knew you couldn’t be quiet forever.
“Hi, I’m y/n, the new marketing intern. I just finished my 3rd year of university and I’ll be here for the next 12 weeks. Nice to meet all of you?” Your nerves clearly show through your voice but you hope they don’t tease you too much about it.
“Isn’t she just adorable?” Woo squeaks to the group before turning to you, “don’t even worry about being here y/n. Me and Seonghwa are in marketing, but you already know that. Yunho,” he gestures to the man who grabbed you a seat, “and San are in sales. We work pretty closely with them so you might see them around.” He turns to point to the far side of the table, introducing the other four, “this is Yeosang, IT guy. Feel free to bother him,” Yeosang side eyes Woo before giving you a kind smile. “Over there’s Mingi, finance. He looks scary but he’s the biggest baby ever. Then there’s Hongjoong in management, possibly the only responsible person at this table. And Jongho at the end? He makes the big bucks,” he finishes with a laugh.
“I doubt I make much more than any of you,” Jongho clarifies, “I’m in product development, but I’m just as new as everyone else.”
Mingi scoffs, “Yeah but you’re also a year younger and somehow graduated with us! You’re basically a genius.”
“You’re literally in finance and have the nicest apartment here,” Yunho chimes in, poking fun at Mingi.
Before you can even ask the question, San speaks up, “Mingi’s right that Jongho started college a year early. The rest of us except Hongjoong and Seonghwa are the same age. We all lived together freshman year with Joong and Hwa as our RAs and I guess the rest is history.”
You nod, thinking about your own small friend group at home. They were mostly cool people and really excited for you when you announced your internship, but you all weren’t as close knit as these guys. Your friends never made you feel accepted like they did, and it had only been five minutes. Any nerves you felt about this new job had completely faded away.
Yunho’s large hand lands gently on top of yours, snapping you out of your thoughts, “What about you? How’d you end up here?” You stare at his hand for a moment, appreciating its warmth, before continuing the conversation. You explain your major and how you found the internship, and Seonghwa chimes in to tell you about your responsibilities now that you’re here. The table is filled with approving ooh’s and they sound genuinely excited to have a new person to befriend. The conversation eventually shifts away from you and you feel grateful, finally having some time to observe all the personalities around you.
Lunch hour comes to a close and the boys slowly clean up and make their way back to the office. You barely touched your food since it was made so late, but Seonghwa assured you eating at your cubicle is fine. Yunho is the last to leave, and it looks like he wants to say something to you, but he decides against it. “See you at the meeting tomorrow, Hwa?”
“Mhm,” your supervisor nods and you all move towards the exit. “I believe y/n will be there too to take notes. I think it’s best if she just jumps right in.” You swear you see Yunho’s face light up at the comment, but you dismiss it.
The three of you walk closely back to the office, the two men talking about business things you’re sure you’d understand soon. A closer look at Yunho has your heart fluttering—he’s taller than the rest of the boys and his fluffy brown hair falls just above his eyes. He looks and acts like a big puppy and seems perpetually happy. Unlike Wooyoung’s enthusiasm, though, Yunho was a bit quieter and observant of everyone, only jumping in to make a silly joke here and there. He’s also been the touchiest with you by far, but it doesn’t upset you. You’re not sure how it makes you feel, and you decide to save that thought for when you get back to the privacy of your own home.
Before you know it, you’ve finished your first day. Seonghwa had given you a clear set of tasks to be done this week and you felt good. You make your way out of the building and to the subway, ready to decompress after meeting so many new people. The moment you find a place to sit, your phone dings.