I decided to collect all exclusive stories I know of. I have done something similar for SJM books .
If you know of any other exclusive story, please let me know!
THE CRUEL PRINCE
A visit to the Impossible Lands Barnes and Noble edition
Deleted Scenes From The Cruel Prince (Some of these are alternate storylines)
THE WICKED KING
deleted scene from The Wicked King, Barnes and Noble edition
THE QUEEN OF NOTHING
Cardan’s letters from the Queen of Nothing Barnes and Noble edition, should be read after the book
deleted scene from The Queen of Nothing , sent via Holly’s official newsletter
THE STOLEN HEIR
The Walmart Exclusive Stolen Heir content
The Stolen Heir Barnes & Noble Bonus Content, author’s personal journal pages and notes on the manuscript,
Some posts I found useful:
post about True Names
A Guide to Holly Black’s Extended Faerie Universe
The Night I Let You Go (And Couldn't Breathe After)
paring: bangchan x fem!reader
gender: angst, fluff, a fight before tour puts distance between you, and bangchan can’t stop thinking about you
word count: 1.5k (1507)
warnings: nun
You knew something was wrong.
Even before he walked through the door that night, you could feel it.
Bang Chan had been drowning in work for weeks — rehearsals, late-night studio sessions, choreography clean-ups, last-minute meetings with the tour team. He barely texted. He barely ate. And when he did come home, his energy was like a ghost of him — tired eyes, slumped shoulders, and a quietness that didn’t suit the man you loved.
You weren’t mad at him. You were worried.
But when people are overwhelmed, they push away the ones they love — and that’s exactly what Chan was doing to you.
That night, when he finally came home close to midnight, you were waiting on the couch. He kicked off his shoes and muttered a barely audible, “I’m home,” not even meeting your eyes.
You tried to keep your voice steady, calm. “Chan… can we talk?”
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he always did when he was stressed. “Y/N, not now. I’m exhausted.”
“I know you are,” you said gently, “but I can’t keep acting like everything’s okay when it’s not. You’re not okay. And we’re not okay either.”
That’s when his eyes finally met yours — tired, but slightly defensive.
“I’m doing everything I can. What else do you want from me?”
Ouch. That stung more than you thought it would.
“I’m not asking for more. I’m asking to be part of your life right now, even when it’s messy. You keep shutting me out, Chan.”
His jaw clenched, and he looked away. “I just… don’t have time for this. For drama.”
There it was — the word that made your chest ache. Drama.
He didn’t mean it. You knew he didn’t. But it still hurt.
You didn’t scream. You didn’t cry. You just stood up and said, “Good luck on tour,” before walking toward your room.
You didn’t think that night would end like that.
No one ever plans a goodbye to feel like a fracture.
But somehow, you and Chan had broken in the worst possible way — quietly.
It wasn’t a screaming match, it wasn’t tears on the floor.
It was exhaustion. Distance. The sharpness of silence when love wants to speak but pride gets in the way.
And he left the next morning without even looking back. No kiss. No message. Just… gone.
You didn’t know how much it would haunt him.
And just like that, the fight happened.
Short, quiet, but sharp.
And he left for the airport the next morning without saying goodbye.
He hated himself for it.
The second his plane took off, he knew he messed up.
He had a full tour schedule ahead of him, but his heart was stuck back in Seoul — in that quiet living room, with the look on your face when you closed the door behind you.
For the first few days of the North American tour, Chan went into “leader mode.”
He buried himself in rehearsals. He kept smiling during interviews. He helped the younger members get through their jet lag and stage nerves.
But the second the lights went down and the crowd disappeared… it hit him.
You weren’t there.
You weren’t texting him "good luck" before the show.
You weren’t calling him to remind him to eat.
You weren’t there when he walked back into his hotel room, cold and empty and echoing too loud in the quiet.
And worst of all…
He left when you were hurt. He left when he should’ve stayed.
He left without fixing anything.
The first night, he told himself you both needed space. That once the tour settled, things would fall into place.
The second night, he couldn’t sleep. He stared at his phone for hours, typing messages he never sent:
I’m sorry.
I messed up.
Are you okay?
But he deleted all of them. Every time.
Because he didn’t know if you wanted to hear from him.
He didn’t know if he deserved to.
Felix noticed first.
The way Chan barely ate. How he stayed in the studio even after everyone else left. How he’d sit by the hotel window at 3 a.m., staring at nothing.
“Hyung,” Felix said gently one night, “you need to talk to her.”
Chan didn’t even look up. “She probably hates me.”
Felix shook his head. “She doesn’t. She’s hurt. That’s different.”
But Chan didn’t believe it.
Not when your voice haunted him every time he tried to sleep.
“I just want to be part of your life… even when it’s messy.”
“You keep shutting me out.”
You were right. You’d always been right.
And now he was thousands of miles away from the one person who grounded him — who made all the chaos worth it.
He started seeing you everywhere.
Every time a fan gave him a plushie that reminded him of you.
Every time he passed a street musician playing a song you loved.
Every time he looked in the mirror and barely recognized the man looking back.
During the third show, when the lights dimmed before their final encore, he had a full second of panic.
You weren’t in the crowd.
You always tried to be, even when it was just as a little silhouette backstage or watching through a livestream. And now?
Gone.
Because of him.
He finally broke down to Felix two nights later in the hotel room.
“I feel like there’s a hole in my chest,” he whispered, voice cracking. “I miss her so much it physically hurts.”
Felix handed him his phone.
“Then fix it. Before it’s too late.”
Chan stared at the screen… then shook his head.
“She deserves better. She deserves someone who doesn’t drag her through my storms.”
Felix smiled sadly. “She never asked for perfect skies. She asked to be there with you.”
What you didn’t know was that Chan had already started preparing a small surprise for you. Even before the fight.
Just a little corner of his hotel room he wanted to decorate with your photo, your favorite snacks, and a note he planned to leave on your pillow for when you visited later in the tour.
But now the gifts stayed untouched, hidden in his suitcase.
It was like they stared at him every night, reminding him of what he lost.
And you? You tried to go on with your days like normal, but everything felt off. Every time you saw a picture of him at the airport, or heard someone talking about the tour, your stomach twisted.
It wasn’t until Felix texted you two nights later that something shifted.
"Hey, Y/N. I know things are weird. But he’s not okay without you. Neither of you are. Please… come to LA. I’ll help you."
You didn’t even have to think twice.
The next thing you knew, you were on a plane with your heart racing faster than the jet engines. Felix met you at the airport in a hoodie and mask, like some undercover angel, and helped sneak you into the hotel where the boys were staying.
Your hands were shaking when you reached Chan’s room.
“Don’t knock,” Felix whispered. “He’s expecting me.”
He slid the keycard into the door, opened it slightly, and gave you one last nod before disappearing down the hallway.
Inside, the lights were low — warm, soft. A candle was burning on the nightstand. And there he was.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.
When he turned and saw you…
Everything cracked.
“Y/N…?”
You didn’t say anything at first. Just ran into his arms. And he held you like he’d been drowning for days and you were the only breath he had left.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered over and over into your shoulder. “I was stupid. I was stressed and scared and I pushed you away, and that’s the last thing I ever wanted to do.”
“I know,” you murmured. “I just wanted to be there for you. That’s all I ever wanted.”
He pulled back, eyes glassy. “I left without fixing it. I left when we were broken. I thought about you every second on that flight. Every second here. I was going to fly you out myself if Felix didn’t beat me to it.”
You both laughed a little through the tears.
Then he stood up and led you to the corner of the room where a tiny surprise was waiting: a little photo of you both framed on the table, next to your favorite snacks and a hand-written note.
“I miss home. And home is you.”
That night, you didn’t talk much more. You didn’t have to.
You just lay curled up in bed together, his arms around you, his lips pressed to your hair as he finally — finally — slept like someone at peace.
And maybe things weren’t perfect.
Maybe they never would be.
But that night, in a quiet hotel room in a city far from home, you both found your way back to each other.
Synopsis: When Han Jisung hears someone singing at his universities practice rooms, he can’t get their voice out of his head and knows he needs them for this song. Problem is he doesn’t know who they are, so he turns to the Internet.
Wc: 1.7k, 2 sc
A/N: Hi everyone! Happy Stay Day! This is my contribution to @starlostastronaut ‘s Stay’s secret gift exchange! I got @www-hanverse for mine 💛 and the prompts I ended up going with were Han, college au, and meet cute! This is also the most I’ve physically written out for this blog as I mostly do texts but I wanted to challenge myself a bit and do a cute little one-shot. Hope y’all enjoy!!! And make sure to check out the other participants of the exchange!
By the time your friend had sent you a screenshot of the post and a
“Don’t you use that room a lot???”
text, it felt like the whole campus must have seen it. Even just looking at the amount of views that post has had you overwhelmed. I mean you’ve never even spoken to the guy And now his hunt for this mystery singer, who just so happened to be you, was the talk of the campus.
So much for staying under the radar, you thought to yourself. You debated simply just never going back to the practice rooms and continue your peaceful routine, minus the singing part that is.
A part of you was curious about this Jisung guy though and what he meant by he wrote a song that “needs your voice.” You spent multiple days sprawled out in your dorm room coming up with as many cons as you could think of to try and silence the part of your mind that wanted to answer that question. On one hand there could be no harm in helping this guy out, but on the other you know nothing about this guy. As far as you know though he could be a creep… With a sigh, staring at your ceiling, you decide to at least meet him and hear him out, if anything just to get this situation off your mind and allow you to focus on your homework with the rapidly approaching deadline.
As you slowly make your way over to the practice rooms, you have to fight the urge to turn back every few minutes. The anxiety builds with every step closer coming to a peak when you spot your now former safe place of practice room four. In that moment it hits you, you don’t even know where you're supposed to meet this Jisung guy. Your eyes dart back and forth between room three and room five. Pulling out your phone to double check his tweet to see if he left any information was less than helpful. Not a single detail about where to find him, “did he even think that part through?” crossed your mind.
Taking a deep breath and as quiet as footsteps as you could make, you approached the doors to get a quick peek trying to use the tiny bit of (what you hoped was) his face from his twitter icon.
Your knock was met with a quick caught off guard “come in!” As you entered you saw the man fumble around with his mess of notebooks, loose papers, and guitar on his lap.
“Hi”, you muttered out nervously, “do you happen to be Jisung?”
“Yeah, that’s me” he responded awkwardly
“I um… saw your post…” you were mentally kicking yourself for not thinking about what you’d actually say. Now you're just standing there nervously fidgeting with your hands, looking around the room trying to avoid making eye contact, your face hot with embarrassment over not knowing what to say.
“Oh! Are you the girl that always practices next door?”
You only nod in response, but with that he gets up hurriedly, almost knocking over a stack of papers in the process “let me clear a space for you to sit!”
You both sit there for a moment in awkward silence, you keeping uncomfortably still and him uncontrollably bouncing his leg.
“Right, um… so the song” he stutters “I’m sorry if you found it weird or anything that I was listening in on you singing and then for you know… posting about it online… but um you really do have a really nice voice and it would be just right for the song”
His rambling was kinda cute and it helped put your mind at ease that he was in fact just as nervous as you are.
“Could you tell me a bit more about the song?”
“Of course! Let me find the lyrics I wrote and then I can show you the beat I have started for it” he said while shuffling through his stacks of papers and multiple notebooks trying to find the exact one. “So anyways, the song isn’t for a class or anything, so no need to worry about anything being graded. It’s just something that I haven’t been able to get out of my head and needed to put out into the world.” He scratches the back of his head while handing you the correct notebook.
You nod your head in acknowledgement of his words as you started to look over the lyrics.
“These are heartbreaking… but like in a beautiful way”, he nods along with your analysis as you look back over the words from the top, until a certain section catches your eye.
“Is this a Nana reference?” you ask after eyeing over a line multiple times.
“It is! You’ve seen Nana?” Jisung asks excitedly with a sparkle in his eyes “It’s one of my favorite animes and it felt right with the melancholy vibe I was going for!”
You couldn’t help but giggle at the way he lit up, “It’s one of mine too, but I definitely wouldn’t have taken you for a shoujo lover.”
“Guys can like romance and slice of life stuff too” jisung responded with almost a slight pout.
“I never said they couldn’t! I was just saying you don’t give off the vibe… though actually if we’re talking Nana you did give off Osaki vibes.”
A slight blush crept up on his face, “where have you been all my life”
“I mean…” he clears his throat, “where have you been around campus, I can’t believe I’ve never seen you before and I thought I knew just about everyone in the music department”
“Oh, um… that’s cause I’m not a music major” you laugh nervously. “I actually don’t know the first proper thing about music, I just enjoy singing as like a hobby.”
Jisung seems a little taken aback by your response. “Well that definitely makes sense as to why I wouldn’t have seen you” he chuckles a little. “But again you do have a really nice voice” he says while avoiding eye contact. “Oh! I still haven’t shown you the beat I have in mind yet.”
The two of you listen to his work together and as you guys work on making changes together the next hour passes by quickly. You guys call it a day after convincing a begrudging Han not to skip his class, but make an agreement to meet back up when you both have a break from your classes.
This kept up for the next few weeks, even after you guys finished working on the song. It seemed as though there was always something new that would bring you back into the practice room next door. Not that you minded, in fact if he didn’t find the excuses to keep you coming by you would have done so yourself. Han and you got along so quickly and you almost find it hard to believe how shy and bumbling he had been the first time the two of you had met, as the friend you know now can be quite loud and rambunctious at times. Though he probably sees you the same way as you were equally nervous at your first meeting.
The more time you spent together with Han, the more you two found you had a lot in common. Your taste in anime being a major one, which had led to the practice room being used just being used to binge a show together instead of working on anything music related. Han once tried to argue that if the show was about music it should count as study material for him and thus was an appropriate use of the room. You disagreed, but weren’t about to say no.
Even after excuses to see each other were no longer needed, you never shook off your initial thought about him being “kinda cute.” Instead the more you got to know him and be around him that feeling grew and the “kinda” was dropped. He was more than cute. He was handsome, he was charming, he was funny, and he was someone you loved being around. Even though you found yourself back in your dorm in a state of contemplation and nervousness, this time was because you knew your new found friend was more than that to you.
When you approached the door with nerves, you were reminded of your first meeting with Han Jisung and how nervous you were to meet that stranger. But it was one of the best decisions you’ve ever made and you just hope to yourself that this goes well. Deep breath you think to yourself as you twist the handle and enter.
As the door opens he immediately looks up at you with a smile that calms your nerves. “Hi y/nnie! I brought some snacks today!” Jisung greeted while lifting up the bag of goodies.
You plopped down next to him and rummaged through the bag before deciding on a treat. As you ate your snack you took a few moments before mustering up the courage to finally ask “Hey Hannie, are you free Saturday night? To go get dinner… as a date?” You felt your heart thump as the word date left your lips and your face felt increasingly warmer.
“Y-yes!” He stammered out quickly as his face reddened. “I mean, yes I’d love to… as a date.”
A moment of silence passed where you both looked each other in the eye before Jisung exclaimed “Gaahhh” he hid his face against his knees “I’m happy you asked, like really happy! But you beat me to it and I had this whole thing planned!”
You couldn’t help but laugh at his emotional turmoil. He really was cute especially when he got all pouty like this. “You know, if you play your cards right, you could still stick to your plan and ask me to be your partner since I only asked you on a date.”
“R-right! Then I need to go make sure everything is perfect for when the time comes!” He said as he clumsily stood up and hurried to get his things together.
As he left the room beat red with a smile and a wave, you thought to yourself I’m glad he made that post.
⤜ GENRE: fake dating, grumpy x sunshine, destination wedding romance, emotional hurt/comfort, slow burn, found family, fluff with a splash of angst, fade to black (mentions of weight gain, bullying from family about weight) fast paced, almost insta love I want to say,
⤜ TROPES: fake dating, one bed, ex-hockey player, protective male lead, grumpy x sunshine, mutual pining, he falls first, standing up to toxic family, strangers to lovers, secret softie, small town charm, leads on to more fics for each member
DISCLAIMER: I’m dyslexic so sometimes writing words can come out a bit different. Example: Sometimes I’d write Box instead of books, or confuse myself by thinking too far into the sentence “The whole time you’d known her you’d never known her to touch a drop of TEA. (meaning coffee) she usually stuck to tea”. (If that makes sense oh my gosh)
The morning sun was spilling through the living room windows of your house, making it warm under your bare feet. You were sitting in the bay window seat reading through the local gossip column of your small town - Citrus Cove - and the gossip was popping off this morning. The owner of the local bakery - Mrs Jones - had spotted a moving fan coming into the town, and the dinner owner had commented, mentioning the guy moving in was incredible to look at. You smirked to yourself as you shook your head, reading through the comments.
Citrus Cove was a small town with a population of maybe 800 people, which meant that everyone knew everyone, and of course, gossip was a must in a small place such as this one. It had been the same when you’d first moved here; everyone knew who you were before you’d even finished unpacking your boxes, but you wouldn’t change a thing about it.
You loved the small coastal town in the middle of nowhere. It had almost everything you could need, sure, the nearest mall was almost an hour's drive, but at least you weren’t surrounded by millions of people. Besides, who didn’t want to live somewhere where the main street was filled with small businesses and cafes? It was the heart of Citrus Cove. Then you had the local coffee shop where everyone hung out. The daily squeeze. Which was run by the cutest elderly lady - Mrs Dalloway - who had given you your first job in the town until you worked in the local inn.
The place was lovely, but there wasn’t too much to do besides the pier where everybody seemed to hang out, and the library/Rec center, where there was also a nursery where you tried to help out as much as possible. The joys of small-town life meant everyone was willing to help one another.
“Oh my god,” You giggled to yourself as you saw the old football coach mentioning the guy moving in was handsome as well. It seemed that whoever the mystery guy was, he already had a lot of the elder generation wrapped around his fingers. You sipped your coffee and looked up and out of the window when you saw it:
A white van pulled into the house next door. The For Sale sign had come down last week, but no one knew who had bought the place — and in Citrus Cove, that was basically a national emergency. Which now explained the gossip in the town's group.
You squinted out the window, trying to get a peek at the guy everyone was chatting about.
A guy jumped down from the driver's seat. Tall. Broad shoulders. He was wearing a baseball cap turned backwards. He moved stiffly as he picked up the boxes, and you could almost swear that there was a slight limp as he moved.
New neighbor alert.
And you were wearing pajama pants with a hole in the knee.
You hesitated for like a full thirty seconds, then grabbed your hoodie and headed outside anyway. It was the neighbourly thing to do to offer to help, right? You wanted to help him, and it had nothing to do with wanting to know more about him…Though curiosity always won in this town, and you were going to be neighbours with him.
“Hey!” you called, jogging up the drive as he wrestled with a lamp sticking out of a box. “Need a hand?”
Chan looked up — and you blinked. No wonder the guy had won the hearts of people in town. He was breathtaking. But even then, that didn’t feel like the right way to describe him; truly, the man looked like something ripped from a magazine.
Dimples. Brown eyes that looked like the shade of a perfect hot chocolate at the start of autumn. Then his smile?! It was the kind of smile that probably ruined a few hearts over the years. Chan grinned as he looked at you, his eyes lingering on the PJs you were wearing that had a few holes in them, and the cartoon characters were slightly faded.
“Nice pajamas.” He chuckled softly, and you detected an Australian accent, your heart skipped a beat, a little before you felt the self-consciousness creeping in. Here he was looking like he just came out of a magazine, and you had just gotten up.
You tugged the sleeves of your hoodie a little and could feel your cheeks beginning to heat up. He’s not like them. You tried to convince yourself. You’d grown up with a family that made it known to you that you were being judged heavily by them, and sometimes it still played on your mind when someone would playfully tease you.
“Thanks. I call this look ‘just woke up and emotionally unprepared for social interaction.’” You laugh softly and do a small spin for him so he can get a good look at you, and Chan laughs wholeheartedly. He’d barely spoken to you, and he already felt at ease…And you weren’t screaming in his face, asking for a photo or autograph, so that was always a plus.
“I like it,” he said easily, shifting the box into one arm. There was a chance you had no idea who he was, which was a relief to him. When his manager had suggested this small town to get away from everything, part of him worried people would know him, but everyone he’d seen that morning was the wiser.
“Very bold.” He teases, and you roll your eyes, but you can’t stop your smile. It seemed as though he was going to be a nice neighbour to have at least. And he didn’t seem like the guy who lived there before. He’d been a huge hoarder. After he’d left Citrus Cove, you’d helped Alan, the real estate agent, get the home ready for pics, and there were thousands of board games everywhere as well as plastic spoons.
“I’m Y/N. I live next door.” You tell him with another smile, picking up one of his boxes and following him inside as you both put them down. Chan turned to look at you and nodded,
“Chan,” he offered, then paused. There was a chance that if he gave you his last name, you might Google him…but would it look weird if he didn’t give it to you? “Like... just Chan. No last name right now. Still unpacking that part of my identity.” You laughed a little and nodded.
“Mysterious. I like it, Just Chan.” You laugh, and he chuckles shyly, going back out to the van with you.
The two of you continued to bring in the boxes from the van and into the house, you following his every order on where he wanted things put. You’d also popped out to get changed and grabbed you both some coffee and had insisted on paying for it all since he was new in town.
“When you’re unpacked, we should check out Mrs Jones’s cafe. I swear to god, she puts crack in the cinnamon rolls.” You tell him as you sit on the kitchen counter, sipping on your coffee, as Chan chuckled,
“Yeah? Is it close?” Chan wasn’t exactly used to small towns. The last place he’d lived was a city, and everything was pretty far from where he lived in his apartment.
“Five-minute walk, and then next to her place, there's a diner, which by the way, has the best breakfast burrito, and you’ll totally be getting one of those at some point this week.”
“Is that an excuse for you to get one and just give me one too?” He smirks, nudging you with his foot a little, and you whine at him,
“I usually get one on Wednesday mornings on my way to work,” You corrected him, and he smirked at you. Usually, Chan didn’t want to be around people too much, but there was something about you that made him feel at ease, and he wanted to get to know you more.
“Where do you work?” he quizzes as he jumps up onto the counter opposite you and drinks from the to-go cup you’d gotten. Damn, the coffee was amazing. He didn't even want to imagine the baked goods Mrs Jones was selling.
“There’s an inn just outside of town, the Clementine Inn.” You mentioned, and Chan nodded. It was where he was supposed to stay originally when he was coming into town, but he’d managed to get the house earlier than he’d expected.
“Oh! Yeah, I was meant to stay there, but my real estate agent got the paperwork finished early.” You smiled a little and nodded. You couldn’t remember speaking to anyone with an Aussie accent over the phone, so you could only assume it was your friend who had booked him in.
“You probably spoke with me on the phone then, that or-”
“It was a girl who sounded like she’d had a little too much sugar that morning?” He offered, and you giggled a little and nodded, it sounded like your best friend, alright.
“That would be our other neighbour. She’s away on holiday, so you don’t have to worry about her for now.” You tease and shake your head at him.
“Do you know everyone in town then?” He arched his brow.
“Almost, but it’s nice. Last winter, the hardware store owner came out and fixed my window and lock because my front door was shit.” You shake your head. You’d been so glad to Fred since you didn’t have to freeze your ass off all winter.
“Seems like a nice town then,” He kept talking, but your phone buzzing inside your pocket drew your attention away for a second, and you pulled it out, checking it over, but you wished you hadn’t. As soon as you saw your sister's contact information on the screen, your stomach bottomed out.
Sister 🐍: Just a reminder about the wedding next week. I assume you’re still coming? You'd better have booked that room — we don’t have space otherwise.
Sister 🐍: Also, please don’t wear anything weird. This is my big moment. Try not to make it about you for once x
Right, as if you could forget about it. The wedding. Her wedding…To your ex.
Your sister had taken a lot from you over the years: clothes, friends, your confidence. But this? This had been the final nail in the humiliation coffin for you. You and Daniel had been together for almost six months when you finally took him home to meet your family. You knew you weren’t able to avoid them forever, and you’d been wise to do it until then.
But as soon as you’d introduced him to your sister, you knew your mistake, instantly. She spent the whole night batting her lashes at him, flipping her hair, and giggling at everything he said, and your parents went along with it.
“Yn? You okay?” Chan asked as he tilted his head, bringing you back into the room. You hesitated a little and shook your head, putting your phone down onto the counter.
“My sister is getting married…to my ex, and she expects me to show up to the wedding and smile about it,” You sigh, rubbing the bridge of your nose, and instantly Chan feels rage. She’s taken someone from you? Not only that, but someone had left you for her? What kind of shit eating human did that kind of balls?
“Are you fucking kidding?”
“Trust me, I wish.” You groan a little and shake your head. Whenever people found out about this, they had the same reaction. Every single person thought you were joking and then they'd either side with your sister, if they knew her, or call her a raging bitch, which you agreed with.
“Was it someone from here?” He questioned, ready to fight the guy if he ever came across him around the town.
“God no, it was before I moved to Citrus Cove. It was the reason I moved here; here, no one knew me. I know that probably sounds silly.” You grumbled and shook your head. Chan bit back the urge to tell you he understood more than you would think.
“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking…”
“My whole life, my sister has just been awful to me…I never knew why. I figured when we were younger, she’d grow out of it, but she never did. She took my clothes, friends…Toys…Every boyfriend I’d had in high school.” You shook your head a little, and Chan’s heart softened even more for you. He’d never imagined growing up with someone like that; his family had always been close, and he and his siblings got along.
“I was always referred to as the plain Jane…I wasn’t anything special, I wasn’t ugly, but I wasn’t pretty either compared to her. My family likes to remind me every now and again I’ll never be like Delilah.” You sigh and stop, realising you were now trauma dumping on someone you’d met less than three hours ago,
“Keep going,” he urges, poking your leg with his foot.
“Delilah is big on social media…Like huge. When I took Daniel home to meet my family, she set her eyes on him, and that was it. Not even a day after we got home, he ended things with me, and she posted him all over her feed, and they’ve been together since.”
“What a piece of fucking shit,” He growls out. He could hardly believe what he was hearing from you,
“First, you’re fucking stunning, even in your faded pajamas and just woken up to right now, with sweat covering your head and tired from lugging my boxes around,” He rambled a little, and your heart began to pick up speed. He thought you were pretty? God, you were fighting butterflies right now.
“T-Thanks, Chan. I’m honestly dreading it, the wedding is in Spain, and I keep trying to tell myself I can avoid them, but I know them. They’ll organise meals together and make snide comments about how I’m clearly not over Daniel.” You sigh, pushing your head in your hands. Chan bit down on his lip.
For some reason, he had the overwhelming urge to help you. He knew exactly how,
“Do you need a fake boyfriend?” He questioned. You finally pulled your hands away from your face and blinked at him, afraid you’d heard him wrong.
“Huh?” Chan shrugged casually. It happens in books and movies all of the time, right? What was the issue with doing it in real life? It would help you out, and he would get to go to Spain for a while…Plus, he was really enjoying his time with you.
“It’s a classic. Works in movies all the time. I’m new here, and have nothing to do. You need moral support. Boom. Win-win.” He made it sound as if this was something he would do on a regular basis, and you laughed a little but stared at him.
“You want to fly to Spain with me to pretend we’re dating?” You gestured between the two of you, and he grinned at you.
“Sure. I’ve got a passport. And I look great in wedding photos,” he wiggled his eyebrows at you. You had no doubt in your mind that he looked good in all the photos that there ever were of him.
Your mouth opened. Closed. It opened again. You weren’t entirely sure if he was just pulling your leg or was giving you a real proposition for you to consider…and part of you hoped it was real.
“…are you serious?” You ask him slowly, unsure if this is some kind of joke.
“Deadly,” Chan said as he took your empty coffee cup and put it into the bin, moving around the kitchen as he unpacked some of the plates and bowls, putting them into various cupboards, all the while you watched him.
“Let me get this straight,” you said slowly, handing him a mug and then another.
“You’re willing to fly across the world with a girl you just met, pretend to be in love with me, survive my toxic family, and eat hotel food for four days?” You looked up at him, and he grinned down at you with a shrug of his shoulders.
“You forgot ‘look great in photos.’” You gave him a look, one that said you didn’t believe him or you were unsure of it.
“You’re either very nice or a little unhinged,” Chan smirked at you and shook his head.
“Can’t I be both?” You shook your head at him, completely flustered by his offer. This was insane, right?
“I can’t ask you to do this.”
“You didn’t. I offered.” You stared at him, unsure of what to say. Chan seemed calm…Almost too calm, as if he’d done things ten times more intense than faking a relationship before.
“…What did you used to do before moving here?” you asked casually. He’d not mentioned what he’d done before coming to Citrus Cove; there was something about him that seemed like he wasn’t your normal townie. Chan glanced away for a second, just a flicker as he made himself seem busy:
“A little bit of travel. Some sports stuff. Mostly just... noise.” He shrugged, trying to keep it as vague as possible. For the first time in years, he wasn't a famous hockey player (Well, ex-hockey player), he was just Chan, next door neighbour to the incredibly cute girl he wanted to get to know.
“Noise?” You arched your brow this time, following him as he moved to put some more kitchenware away
“Yeah. Big crowds. Cameras. It got loud,” he grumbled a little. Everything had gotten too much toward the end. A giant accident on the ice left him unable to skate. He’d snapped two bones in his ankle and nearly lost two of his fingers. The constant paparazzi following him everywhere, never any privacy. This was his one shot at being normal, and he could see that with you.
“You were famous?” Chan chuckled under his breath, not meeting your eyes and shaking his head.
“Not really. Just... known.” He lied a little, playing it down as though it wasn’t a big deal. He used to be, not anymore, but you didn’t need to know everything. There was something about the way he deflected that made your curiosity spark.
Before you could press further, your phone lit up again, and you sighed.
Sister 🐍: Did you book your plus one? Or are you still coming alone?
Your chest tightened as you stared at the screen. You knew she wanted you to be alone. So she could stand at the altar, beside your ex, and know she had won again. You’d be the pathetic sister in the corner. The forgotten one.
Your jaw clenched. You thought about Chan again and then nodded your head. This would be the one thing you could do to get back at all of them. To show you that you didn’t give a shit about Daniel because you truly didn’t.
The second he’d gone after your sister, you’d lost all feelings for the man, and sure, it had hurt, but you weren’t going to stay hurt about it when there was nothing you could do to change the outcome. That and you knew that being hurt would only give your sister more fuel against you.
“…Okay,” you said suddenly. “Let’s do it.” Chan looked over at you, his heart picking up ever so slightly.
“Yeah?” He smirks, and you nod.
“You’ll have to meet my family. They’re... a lot.” You warned him, but Chan didn’t seem to waver. In fact, he seemed more sure that he could do this than before.
“I can handle it.” He promises you as you bite your lip a little. Your family was the worst. You knew everyone said that, but they truly were.
“They’ll probably judge your entire life.” You warn him, hoping you weren’t somehow talking him out of this, but Chan simply shrugged it off again with his shoulders.
“I’m used to critics.” You blinked at that. Now you were more focused on seeing what it was he did in his life to make him used to critics and noise. You narrowed your eyes a little and moved closer to him as if you could see it written on his skin,
“Okay, see, now you sound like a retired popstar.” Chan chuckled and looked at you, smirking as you got closer and narrowed your eyes at him.
“Promise I’m not.” You hum a little at his answer and fold your arms over your chest.
“Were you on The Bachelor?” He laughed out loud. If he had, it would have made national news. No. Chan had never been one to date - at least in the public eye.
“God, no. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.” He still didn’t elaborate further, and you were about to open your mouth and ask him more about it, but he cut you off by holding out his hand,
“Deal?” You looked at his outstretched palm. His hand was callused and strong, but there was a scar on one knuckle—like it had been split open once. You swallow a little. It wasn’t like your family would ever know you were faking a relationship. It would be a few days in Spain together, and you could figure things out.
“Deal.” You said before shaking his hand.
“Good, now help me unpack the kitchen, and we can go and grab some food at that diner, I’m starving.” He smirks at you with a wink, and you begin to work on helping him with the rest of his gear.
Two days had passed since then, and now the two of you were standing inside the tiny regional airport with your suitcases beside you. The two of you had spent the last two days trying to get to know one another and learn as much as you could so that you could appear real in front of your parents.
You stood in leggings and a baggy shirt while Chan was wearing a plain black hoodie, jeans, and a pair of sunglasses tucked into his hoodie collar; he looked casual yet effortlessly sexy. It is completely unfair given the amount of stress sweat that was pouring out of you.
“This is a terrible idea,” you whisper as you both make your way toward security, and Chan smirks a little. You’d tried to back out of this four times in the last two days, but he wasn’t about to let you do that. There was no way he was going to let you show up to your bitchy sister alone, not when he wanted to help you.
“You need to relax,” He chuckles, “It’s a nice break in Spain. We’ll see your sister, and I’ll drag you sightseeing so you can use that as an excuse.” He tells you happily
“But-”
“You already told her you had a plus one, it’s too late to back out now. We’ve committed to the bit.” He tells you as he wraps an arm around your shoulder and drags you into his side, you groan a little. Your stomach was already twisting in knots at the thought of lying. You didn’t feel guilty, but you were worried that they were going to find out the truth.
“I’m going to throw up.” You mumbled, rubbing your stomach. Chan quickly lets you go and points over his shoulder as he says,
“If you do, aim away from the nice old lady behind us.” You glared at him, nudging him with your shoulder as he winked down at you and chuckled.
“Everything’s going to be fine, sunshine.” He sounded so sure of himself, you had no reason not to believe him, and you nodded a little. Trying to calm yourself down as you made it into security.
Surprisingly, security had gone really smoothly; you thought for sure that you were going to get stopped since you looked so suspicious. You were super nervous, travelling with a man too attractive for his own good, and you even flinched when the TSA agent asked how long the two of you had been together.
Chan didn’t, though; he’d leaned his arm on the counter and smiled casually,
“Six months. We met in this cute coffee shop after she spilled tea all over me.”
“And then you made a dumb joke about oat milk not belonging in tea,” you added without thinking. The two of them had come up with the lie about where you met the day before, deciding you needed something easy to remember for your family to believe you.
Now the two of you were just leaving the shop with some drinks while you were waiting to board, you’d grabbed snacks and drinks since you were pretty hungry and had at least two hours before the plane left. Now you were trying to come up with a plan about the hotel room since you didn’t think he would want to share a bed with you.
“When we get there, I’ll ask if we can get a cot for the room. I drool in my sleep, so I don’t want to subject you to that.” You felt embarrassed mentioning this to him, but he needed to know in case it somehow came up from your sister. Which, knowing her, she would bring up just to make you feel tiny.
“I’ll say you snore or something so badly it keeps me up.” You shrug a little, and Chan chuckles. You were right about the snoring, which was funny to him.
“It’s fine. I do snore.” You turned to him, horrified. “Do you?” You watched him closely, and he nodded his head at you.
“Yeah, my old team-roommates, used to tell me I would keep them up sometimes whenever I got some sleep. I suck at it, got insomnia.” He chuckles a little and takes a sip of his drink. You were about to question him about the slip-up of words when you heard someone gasp in front of you,
“Oh my word! You look just like that hockey boy my grandson used to watch! What was his name?! Chris?! Or… Ch—” Chan coughed loudly, his orange juice spitting back into the bottle, and you rubbed his back softly, trying to stop him from choking.
“I get that a lot,” he lies quickly, he didn’t need you finding out in the middle of a crowded airport who he really was. Chan laughed a little and wrapped his arm around you, leading you toward the seating area.
“Come on, sunshine.” He whispers, and you blink at him.
“That was weird. Do you actually look like someone famous?” You squinted at him, trying to figure out if you thought he looked like someone, and he shrugged a little, scratching the back of his neck.
“Apparently.” He laughs, but it wasn’t his usual carefree laughter he gave you. This one felt forced and tighter somehow,
“You gonna tell me who?” He popped the cap off his juice bottle and shook his head.
“Nope. Figure it out alone.” He winks at you, and you pout your bottom lip at him.
“Rude.”
“Wouldn’t want to ruin the mystery,” he said with a smirk, nudging your shoulder as you both made your way to the seats and dropped down beside each other. Chan silently hoped no one else came up to him while he was with you. Not that he was ashamed to be seen with you, but he liked being Chan with you, instead of famous hockey player Chris Bhang.
The whole flight, Chan had been unbearably calm. Every time you told him something you were worrying about, he gave you an explanation for it.
What if they bring up our first date? What if they ask about your siblings? What if they figure it out? Every question you threw at him, he had an answer for. And you’d done your best not to stare at him the whole flight. He’d been sitting there, his head leaned back and his eyemask over his eyes. You’d watched him closely, noting the small scar by his temple, the way his fingers flexed even in his sleep…Like his body wasn’t used to being so still all the time.
But now you were here, and after a tense bus ride, you’d decided you wanted to go home already. You were covered in a thin layer of sweat, your hair out of place, and yet Chan looked as though he’d woken up with a team of stylists around him.
“It’s not fair, how do you always look so good?” you grumble as you get out of the bus and grab your bags. Chan bent down and picked up your carry-on before wheeling both suitcases behind him and shaking his head with a smile on his lips.
“You think I look good, sunshine?” He wriggles his eyebrows at you, and you roll your eyes at him. He knew you thought he looked good, god, sometimes you wondered how you could even speak around him. He was that good-looking. This was never going to work. You’d told yourself a million times. He was too good-looking, your sister was never going to believe Chan would want you, of all people.
As if reading your mind, Chan took your hand in his quickly and stopped you from moving. You turned to look at him, about to spew out more what-ifs, but he was quick to stop you.
“We’re going to have fun. We’re going to tan by the pool and you’re going to look breathtaking by my side, okay?” he asked rhetorically before cupping your face in his hand and running his thumb over your bottom lip, feeling how sore it was from you biting it the whole plane ride.
“We’ll go to our room, we’ll get you some chapstick, and we’ll take it one thing at a time, okay sunshine?” He asks again, and you nod your head, feeling better with him by your side, and the two of you begin making your way into the hotel.
The hotel was a luxury villa resort that practically screamed, Look at me, I’m better than you. Because, of course, your sister was going to pick something like this for her wedding. The walls were whitewashed, palm trees swaying over a marble entrance, and a staff that looked like they’d all stepped out of an influencer’s reel. It screamed everything your sister loved about herself while you felt yourself shrinking back. You took your suitcase, and Chan laced your fingers together as you began walking into the glittering lobby. You could feel your stomach flipping out as you held hands.
You weren’t supposed to be nervous. It was fake. So why did it feel like you were starting something real with him?
At the check-in desk, the concierge smiled politely at the two of you as he looked up from the computer screen. “Ah, Miss Y/L/N. Welcome. You're here for the Delgado wedding, yes?” Delgado. She’d already started using his last name from the moment they started dating, so it shouldn’t have surprised you that she was using it now, but she did.
Chan squeezed your hand softly, bringing you back to reality, and you nodded, forcing your best not-dying-in-spite-of-it smile.
“That’s me.” You giggle, trying your best to appear as though you really wanted to be there.
“And this is…?” The concierge asks, looking up at Chan. For a moment, Chan thought he’d been found out, but there wasn’t a look of realisation on the concierge’s face.
“My boyfriend,” you said quickly, before the word could catch in your throat. “Chan.” Chan smiled easily, reaching over to rest a hand on your lower back like it was the most natural thing in the world. His thumb brushed your spine, and you almost forgot how to breathe.
“Room 409,” the concierge confirmed. “It’s a deluxe suite, king bed, ocean view.” He smiles sweetly at you, giving you both your own key and snapping his fingers at the bell boy to come and take your bags, but your head was caught on what he’d said.
“Sorry, did you say king bed?” He nodded politely. You’d called on the bus to ask for a double room or for a cot to be delivered since your ‘boyfriend’ snored, but it was clear now that wasn’t going to work.
“I asked if we could get a cot, if you heard this man snore, you’d understand,” you laughed anxiously, and Chan rubbed your lower back,
“Yes, I know, but, unfortunately, due to the wedding booking being out of most of our capacity, there were no rooms left with two beds or adjacent doubles...And the cots are all used. The bride is having her bridesmaids sleep in her suite…Would you like extra pillows?”
Pillows are not the issue, sir. You wanted to bite out at him, but you knew that he wasn’t the issue here. The universe was clearly trying to force you to embarrass yourself in front of Chan and make a bad impression.
“One bed’s fine.” Chan quickly told him, and you looked up at him.
“Is it?” You whispered to him, you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by sharing a bed with you when the two of you had only just met one another, but he just leaned down, lips brushing your ear,
“Unless you’d rather cuddle with your stuffed animal, I know you packed,” he smirks, and you push his stomach softly and shake your head.
The room was, of course, beautiful. You hadn’t expected anything less from a place like this one, but it felt too romantic for your liking.
Cream walls, soft gold accents, and breezy curtains framing the balcony doors. The ocean stretched out just beyond the glass like a postcard. You wanted to appreciate it. Really, you did. But your attention was firmly fixed on the king-sized bed in the middle of the room. Chan had put your bags in the wardrobe and stood at the foot of it with his hands on his hips, staring at the bed.
“Well,” you said slowly, clearing your throat a little as you stared at the bed. You suddenly felt so awkward around him, and Chan hated that. He needed you to feel relaxed around him for this to work, and you had been up until now.
“That’s a big bed.” You finished, but Chan threw himself onto it with zero shame and snuggled into the pillows with a soft sigh, his whole body relaxing against the memory foam mattress.
“Big enough for boundaries. I don’t bite unless asked.” He says suggestively, and you roll your eyes, picking up one of the decorative pillows and hitting him softly with it.
“Not funny.” He shrugged, arms behind his head as he snuggled into the covers.
“Could be worse. Could’ve been bunk beds.” He sits up a little, and you stare at him.
“You say that like you’ve done this before.” Your gaze landed back on Chan, and you noticed that his smile faltered for half a second, barely noticeable, but you’d caught it. Slowly, you lower yourself onto the bed, sitting close to him. It was big enough that the two of you would be right up close to one another.
“Let’s just say I’ve survived worse sleeping arrangements,” he said, tone a little lighter now. “We’ll survive this one,” he assures you.
“Fine, but we need ground rules.” Chan sat up straight and crossed his legs, sitting across from you as he nodded, letting you continue on.
“No spooning. No accidental boob grazes. No sleep-talking confessions of love.”
“Noted.” He held up three fingers and then held his other hand on his chest as he looked into your eyes.
“I solemnly swear not to fall in love with you in my sleep.” He smirks a little. Mostly because he could already feel himself catching feelings, and it was easier to play it off than to admit that out loud right now. You gave him a dry look; you needed him to take this seriously.
“I’m serious, Chan…No accidental grabbing, unless someone is around…” Chan could hear the desperation in his voice, and he nodded his head, rubbing his hand on your knee.
“I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour unless we’re around your family and you need me to pretend.” You relax a little, and Chan moves his hands to your shoulders, shaking you a little.
“Now, unpack. We’ll steam our outfits, make sure we look like we’re models, yeah?” He watches you closely for any sign of uncertainty, but you nod and get up from the bed, making your way to the wardrobe to start unpacking.
“Get up, though, we might be boyfriend-girlfriend for the weekend, but I’m not touching your underwear.” You giggle, making Chan smirk. Your giggle made his whole chest feel light whenever he heard it, and he just knew the promise he made about not falling in love…was going to be the best promise he would ever break.
“I say we go down to the beach for a walk, we could get some ice cream, and then watch the sunset,” Chan states as he stands on the small balcony of your room. You watch him closely. He seemed so relaxed here. Dressed in some shorts and a nice smart shirt, he looked like he belonged here…but that was just who he seemed to be. He seems to fit in anywhere.
Back home, it was like he’d lived there his whole life. He got along well with every shop owner. Even Mrs Jones had taken a liking to him and made sure to set aside cinnamon rolls for you both the last two times you’d been in.
“Sure, I promised Mrs Jones we’d get her a couple of magnets as well, so maybe we can find a gift shop.” You suggested. Walking out onto the balcony to join him, you leant on the wall and looked out at the beach. If it wasn’t for the wedding happening, this would have been the perfect moment.
“I checked out the one downstairs, and I’m not paying $15 for one magnet.” You giggle a little and shake your head. The afternoon breeze was so nice on your skin right now, it felt perfect…Too perfect.
Your phone buzzed, and just like that, your entire mood soured.
Sister 🐍: We’re by the pool. Everyone’s here. Don’t take too long, babe. It’s cocktail hour.
You swallowed hard as you read the messages, reality hitting you that you were actually going to have to see and speak to your family now and not just hide out with Chan the whole time.
“I’m gonna have to face them, aren’t I?” you muttered. Chan straightened as he watched you.
“You’re not alone this time, though.” He reassured you by making you meet his eyes. You’d done nothing but warn him for the last two days what he was going up against, but now he was actually going to face them,
“You don’t even know what you’re walking into.” You mumble, and he just smiles at you, as if nothing could ever bother him.
“Then I’ll walk in first. Go put on that stunning dress and we’ll head down.” He pats your back softly, and you sigh, moving back into the hotel room to change.
You stood in the lobby in your simple blue satin dress because your sister never sent you the group color code, on purpose, but you weren’t so sure. The fabric hugged you perfectly, skimming over your curves, but it didn’t cling to you too tightly. Chan’s heart was racing as he took in your appearance. He’d barely taken his eyes off you since you came out of the bathroom dressed like this.
There was a subtle slit up one side of your dress, and it made the dress sway with every step. You’d told him it was boring and plain, but something about you in that dress made you look… glowing. Chan thought you looked like a secret no one else had ever been lucky enough to know, and one he was going to keep close to him forever.
“You okay?” he asked gently, stepping up beside you. The lobby was empty besides a couple of workers who were all staring in your direction, wondering why you were just standing there when everyone else involved with the wedding was outside.
You didn’t look at Chan, you couldn’t bring yourself to. You felt seconds away from throwing up or passing out, neither of which you wanted to do in front of Chan.
“I don’t think I’ve ever dreaded seeing my own family more.” As much as he wanted to push you to go out there and show your family who you were, he wasn't going to push you into something you really didn’t want to do. He shifted a little and pulled you to the side in front of the reception desk.
“Do you want to go back upstairs? Skip the whole thing?” You exhaled a breath you hadn’t even realised that you were holding. You knew hiding was only going to fuel your sister's story about you “still being in love with Daniel”. The last thing you wanted was to make her feel like she's right.
“She’ll tell people I’m still in love with him.” You grumbled, and Chan watched you. He could tell by the look in your eyes that you weren’t, but part of him still needed to ask…he had to be sure that there was no chance you would ever go back to him.
“You’re not, right?”
“No way in hell,” You scoff, and he smirks, seeing the smile on your face. That was all he needed to make sure that you were okay and back to your smiling self.
“Anyway, I can’t not go…that would make her too happy. She thrives on my disappearing or being miserable…We need to go out there and be the best damn couple we can be.” You told him, and he smirked, nodding his head.
“We’re doing this together. You’re not alone in dealing with them now, you’ve got me, sunshine.” He tells you as he takes your hand in his, falling too easily into the boyfriend role with you.
“I mean it, whatever they throw at you tonight—I’ll be there. Right beside you. They don’t get to talk to you like you’re nothing.” Your throat tightened hearing him sound so sure of this. He promised you that he wasn’t going to leave you, no matter what.
“You don’t even know me,” You whisper a little, the self-consciousness creeping in, and Chan smiles weakly. He hated seeing you so broken down like this. He wanted the bright and sunshine girl he’d gotten to know over the last few days he’d spent with you.
“I don’t need to. I’ve seen the way you try so hard for people who don’t try for you. That tells me everything.” You blinked rapidly, trying not to let your eyes fill with tears, and you quickly looked away from him.
“You’re too nice.” He bumped his shoulder into yours before squeezing your hand tightly
“Or maybe you’re just not used to being treated right.” Silence followed as you looked up at him, and he just grinned down at you.
“Come on,” he said finally, nudging you toward the door. “Let’s go let your sister know she’s not the only one who can turn heads.”
The pool was surrounded by fairy lights that were making beautiful reflections on the water. No one was in the pool, which was to be expected. It was shut off for your sister, and she’d never get her hair wet or risk someone else getting it wet by jumping in the pool. Every single person was dressed in some form of rose gold dress, and the men looked smart and casual. Once again, you were wearing the wrong colour.
You were the smudge on a flawless portrait, the forgotten sister who everyone invited out of pity. And somehow, Chan looked like he belonged here. Casual, golden, confident. He fit in with all of them, and you stuck out like a sore thumb. Your breath caught in your throat, and you turned around, ready to leave and change, but your hip hit the table, and it caused people to look up.
“Yn-” Chan tries to speak, but he’s quickly cut off by someone else.
“Y/N, there you are,” came the too-sweet voice of your sister, gliding over in a silk wrap dress, her makeup perfect and eyes sharper than diamonds. Nothing short of perfect as she made her way over to you.
“We were wondering when you’d show.”
“If she’d show,” You heard one of the bridesmaids snicker to the others. You opened your mouth to respond, but she wasn’t looking at you. She was looking at Chan, automatically assuming he wasn’t with you.
“Oh,” she said, voice lighting up. “You’re not from around here, are you?” She flipped some of her hair over her shoulder and made her way over, holding her hand out for him to take, but Chan just smiled politely at her.
“The pool is closed for a wedding event, but you’re more than welcome to join us! The more the merrier.” She giggles too happily, and your stomach dips. Of course, she didn’t think that Chan was here with you. Chan was a born-again Greek God, and you were…you.
“I’m Delilah. Bride. Sister of the chaos tornado over here.” She thrust her chin in your direction as if she were too good to even say your name, and you winced. She had no idea you and Chan were here together and hadn’t even introduced you to him.
“Nice to meet you.” He said through gritted teeth. He already hated her with a burning passion, and he wanted to take you back home, not just to the hotel room but back to Citrus Cove, where the two of you could ignore your family forever.
You opened your mouth to tell her that you were there together, but she shot you a look, one you knew all too well that meant, “Shut up. I’m talking.” Delilah’s eyes sparkled with something vicious.
“So… are you staying here too? On holiday?” She quizzed, walking over to him a little too close for your liking, and for Chan, it seemed. He’d taken a step back and moved toward you again. Before he could correct her and tell her what he was really there for, she barreled on.
“If Y/N’s annoying you, I deeply apologize. She’s always been a bit much. You know, clingy. Intense. Scared of being alone.” She laughed like it was a charming anecdote. You weren’t scared of being alone at all. Your whole life, you’d been alone, your parents only favoured her, and you’d spent most of your life like that.
“We used to call her little limpet when we were kids—she just latched on to anyone who gave her attention.” She laughed wildly while your heart plummeted into your stomach. Your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth, and you stared down at the pool so you wouldn’t cry in front of her. That was what she was aiming for.
Chan’s jaw clenched tightly as he noticed the look of hurt on your face, and all he wanted was to push your sister in the pool, but he knew he couldn’t. Delilah, still smiling and unable to read the room, stepped closer to him.
“Don’t worry, though, you’re not the first guy she’s followed around. It’s kind of her thing. God, remember when she cried for three days because some guy in college told her she was plain?” She laughed again, all teeth. All of the bridesmaids, who had once been your friends too, laughed along with her loudly.
“We thought she’d never get over herself.” Delilah continued as she shook her head. The girls moved toward you and Chan while he stayed silent, counting to ten over and over again in his mind to keep himself calm.
“She cut all of her hair short and got that piercing.” Katie, one of your old best friends, laughed obnoxiously loud, you wanted the ground to swallow you whole and never let you out again. You’d been mentally preparing yourself for this, but nothing, NOTHING, could have prepared you for a full attack.
“That got super infected! God, she was so gross.” Delilah squealed before everyone laughed.
You wanted to sink into the pool fully clothed. Or maybe into the earth. You wondered if anyone would notice you making a run for it, but by now, there were multiple people staring in your direction, and there was no way out.
“C-Chan’s my date.” You said, finally finding your voice as Chan looked down at you, his hand finding yours and giving it a squeeze. Delilah blinked. Laughed…Actually laughed, but it died out when she realised you were being serious.
“Wait…What?” She scoffs a little as she looks you up and down before looking back at Chan. You knew you didn’t match. She knew you didn’t match. But Chan spoke up, quiet but firm.
“She’s not following me. I’m here because I want to be. I’m her boyfriend.” He states sternly this time, and this time it shuts her up…Just long enough for her to reload.
“I mean, sure,” she said, recovering from being shut down so quickly. There was no way your sister was going to give up, not when her friends were around her.
“If that’s what we’re calling it. Just don’t let her guilt you into anything. Y/N’s a master at playing the victim.” She giggles. You stared down at the cobblestones, all the while Chan's grip on your lower back tightened by a small fraction. It was a subtle sign you weren’t going through this alone.
Slowly, you turned to look up at him. The way his fingers twitched against your back made it seem like he wanted to do something, say something back at her, but he remained silent. You’d asked him to, back in the room, you’d asked him that no matter what he heard, he wouldn’t say anything back…That your sister wasn’t worth it.
Delilah patted you on the arm like you were a sad puppy; you could see the smirk on her lips.
“Don’t take it personally, sweetie. You know I love you. We’re just so different, you and I. Always have been.” She walked away before you could reply, her hair bouncing, voice already lifted for someone else more important.
You swallowed hard, forcing your breath steady.
“…She’s right,” you said quietly, not looking at Chan. You stare down at the floor, you hated how weak she always made you feel. No matter what you did, you were never good enough in her or your parents ' eyes.
“We’ve always been different.” Chan didn’t reply right away; he was too busy counting to 20 in his head, trying to keep himself calm. All he wanted to do was rip into your sister for the shit she’d just said, but he needed to play nice, make a good impression before making them realise what they were missing out on without you.
“She’s a raging bitch.” He grumbles harshly, and your head flies up to look at him. Chan was still looking at the crowd of people, his face looked as though it was made of stone, and his eyes were hard.
You managed a weak smile. At least someone here finally agreed with you about your sister.
“You don’t have to say that.”
“I didn’t say it for you. It’s true. What kind of bitch says that to her own sister?” He grumbles, wrapping his arm around your shoulder as he leads you in the direction of the bar. It was going to take a lot of Soju or whiskey to get him through this night without taking your sister down.
You, however, glanced over your shoulder in the direction of your sister and her friends. All of them were staring in your direction, pointing and laughing, you already knew you were the centre of their jokes. Chan ordered drinks, but your mind was already preoccupied by a voice in your head reminding you that your sister was right, you were different.
Luckily for the rest of the night, you’d managed to avoid taking Chan to your parents, the two of you sat together on some sun loungers, and you told him stories about everyone in the pool area, since he needed to know their names anyway.
The morning sun filtered weakly through the sheer curtains of the bridal suite. You sat stiffly on a plush chair and watched as people fluttered around the room. You’d been woken up at 6 that morning with a reminder that you were supposed to be a bridesmaid for your sister. Maybe it was her way of torturing you, sending you up there to watch her marry your ex.
You weren’t exactly bothered seeing it, as a matter of fact, you wanted them to be together and hoped they ended up happy, since she was going through so much trouble with you because of it.
Delilah and her bridesmaids buzzed around the room happily, giggling with one another, and the air felt so thick you could barely breathe. All you wanted was to go back to the room and order room service with Chan, who, when you left, had been asleep on the bed.
One of Deliah’s bridesmaids—a tall, sharp-faced woman named Camilla—approached you with a clipboard in her hand. She looked up from it for a moment,
“So,” Camilla said, her eyes flicking over you like you were a project she didn’t want to waste time on, you could see the disgusted look on her face as she saw you sitting in the bridesmaid dress.
“How are you feeling about the dress?” You swallowed, unsure. The green dress was considerably tight to your body, which was odd. A few months ago, when your sister had asked for measurements, you’d made sure to get them done properly and sent them over to her.
“It’s-”
“Tight.” Camilla finished for you, biting down on her tongue as she looked you up and down and back at her chart, clearly reading through whatever was on it. This time, Delilah chimed in from behind, lips curved in a sweet smile that didn’t reach her eyes - clearly fake.
“Oh, you’re doing great, sweetie. It’s just… maybe we could find you a bigger dress? The last fitting was a few weeks ago, and you never showed up.” She shrugs her head, looking at the dress that was clearly too tight for you. It showed off everything you hated about yourself.
You looked down at your body, suddenly self-conscious. You’d noticed the way your jeans felt tighter lately, maybe you’d gained weight? Delilah was smirking to herself, seeing you come undone.
“Is it… the weight?” you asked hesitantly.
“It’s a surprise Chan is with you, he’s got a major gym body and you’ve got…fridge.” She giggles, and the other girls all join in with her. Camilla laughed so hard she accidentally showed the measurements for each girl, and yours was wrong.
“Maybe I could get a bigger size-”
“They’re custom-made. There was no way I was going to let my girls have dresses from a store.” Delilah snaps harshly.
“You’ll just have to sit in the back and not be in the wedding,” She shrugs, and you look back at the dress. It was just two sizes too small; clearly, she’d done this on purpose. But if she didn’t want you in the wedding to torture you, why would she do all of this? Was it just to show she had power all over again?
“That’s for the best. We do have a lot of cameras here filming Deliah and the wedding.” Camilla states, causing you to frown. There hadn’t been a single camera in the room during the fitting.
“Oh. I already told them not to capture YN anyway.” Delilah shrugged as she looked down at her nails. You really were here just to be the butt of her jokes and the one that they could kick around like it meant nothing. You wanted to speak, to say you were fine, that you didn’t care about the dress or the cameras, but the words caught in your throat.
“It’s settled, we’ll just have Ani replace her. She’ll fit in the dress no problem.” Delilah snapped her fingers, and you were practically shown out of the chair, and Camilla stared at you.
“Take it off. We need to make sure you don't stretch the material too thin.” Camilla grumbles, and you nod, heading toward the small bathroom to get changed.
“W-Where do you want me to stand at the wedding?” You questioned, your eyes flicking to your sister, who couldn’t seem less bothered if she tried.
“The back. Make sure your ‘date’ is front row though, we can pull views in through him.” Delilah says, but the way she’d called Chan your ‘date’ didn’t sit right with you. It was like she didn’t believe the lie you were selling.
When you got back to the hotel room that morning, you’d barely spoken to Chan, which didn’t sit right with him. He’d even ordered you some lunch, but you gave him some excuse about not being hungry, so he ate it instead.
Now the two of you were sitting at a dining table alone, you’d been pushed to the side because there “wasn’t enough room” on the main table. The table was dressed with white linens, candles in tall holders, and laughter echoed around the room. The small voice in your head is telling you that everyone was laughing at you.
There was a salad in front of you, but your appetite had vanished; it had vanished since earlier that day.
“You okay?” Chan asked, leaning down to whisper into your ear but making it look like he was pressing a warm kiss to your head. You nodded stiffly, Chan didn’t believe you for a second.
“She’s barely touched her plate,” your mother said rather loudly to Delilah, who looked up and shrugged her shoulders.
“She’s feeling a little rounder these days, she’s probably trying to lose some weight,” Delilah said with a cruel smile, loud enough for you to hear, unfortunately, Chan had heard too, and his jaw tensed tightly.
Your ex-boyfriend, Daniel, smirked, glass in hand. “Yeah, Y/N, you putting on weight or something? Didn’t think Spain would be good for your diet.” The room chuckled, but the joke was a dagger that twisted deep inside your chest.
“Did you ever end up finding something that fits for tomorrow?” Your cousin asked from across the room, and Chan’s frown deepened.
“What does she mean? I thought you were going to be a bridesmaid?” He brushes his hand over yours, and you look down at the table. You hadn’t even had the chance to tell Chan you’d been kicked off that duty,
“She's too fat for the dress. So we gave the spot to someone else.” Delilah said so matter-of-factly, you wanted to throw up right there and then.
“They took my measurements and ignored them…I don’t think she wanted me to be a bridesmaid…Just wanted me here for humiliation." You whispered, finally finding your voice. Chan, however, went deathly quiet. He was seconds away from ripping into someone for what was being said.
“That dress she’s wearing now doesn’t even go with the theme.” Someone grumbles,
“She’s always been…unique,” Delilah said. But the word almost sounded like a slur. You didn’t look up; you were used to it. Used to the way they all laughed and belittled you. You just wanted to blend back into the background like you always had.
“Chan must be a saint to deal with someone so difficult.”
“Especially when she’s fat and ugly,” Daniel commented, and that was it. Chan’s fork hit the table with force, and he stood up abruptly.
“Enough!” He said, his voice cold and harsh as he stared around the room. People turned to look at him as everything fell silent. Chan’s eyes locked on Daniel’s face as he stared down at him.
“You want to talk about weight? How about talking about your character instead?” Daniel’s smirk faltered a little; none of them were used to someone sticking up to them, and it showed.
Chan continued, voice rising just enough to fill the room, he made a point to stare at your sister, parents, and ex-boyfriend as he addressed them.
“Y/N is here, standing strong while you waste your breath throwing insults. Maybe if you spent less time tearing people down, you’d realize what you lost.” You felt tears prick your eyes, but Chan shook his head.
“Every single one of you should be ashamed! You sit here in your perfect little outfits and pretend that you’re better than her? You tear her apart for existing differently than you…because she doesn’t need to scream to be heard?” He looks down at you, his chest heaving a little,
“Because she doesn’t want to play your twisted little mind games. Yn is the kindest, strongest, most patient person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.” He snaps, your breath caught in your throat, hearing him say this out loud. Did he mean it? Was he just playing a role?
“And you?” Chan turned to look at your sister,
“You’re marrying her ex, mimicking her smile, stealing her memories like they’re things you earned. You think you’re the center of the universe, newsflash…you’re not. You’re no one. People will forget you once they see you for what you truly are.” Your sister looked as if she was seconds away from vomiting, and your mother was gasping for air.
Chan looked back at you, your eyes were filled with tears, but you quickly blinked them away. This was the first time in years you’d ever felt seen. Someone actually defended you.
Chan sat back down, softer now, and reached for your hand under the table. You squeezed it softly, letting him know that you were okay. The rest of the room was deathly silent; all that could be heard were the sounds of glasses and mumbled chatter.
“T-Thank you,” You whisper to him, breaking the silence. Chan squeezed your hand back,
“You’re amazing, okay? I won’t take any bullshit about it.” He winked at you, and you felt your heart picking up in speed while your cheeks felt heated.
Later that night, you found yourself on the balcony outside of your room again, the cool Spanish air brushing your skin and teasing away some of the heat that the day had left behind. Sighing a little, you sank down onto a wrought-iron chair, staring out at the distant lights of the town. You’d been rethinking dinner all night.
After Chan’s outburst, not a single comment was made about you or in your direction. Your sister had refused to say anything and went back to filming on her phone like nothing had happened.
Chan stepped outside onto the balcony, but didn’t sit beside you. Instead, he leaned against the railing, shoulders squared but relaxed. For a moment, neither of you spoke; you silently listened to the waves crashing against the sand and the distant chatter of other people inside the resort. In your little room, your own bubble, it was perfect.
“You didn’t deserve any of that tonight,” Chan said, finally breaking the silence and glancing over at you. He needed you to know that none of what was being said was true, or that you deserved to hear any of it. You swallowed thickly and shifted against the seat.
“I’m used to it.”
“No,” he said, turning to meet your eyes. His whole body moves to face you,
“No, you shouldn’t be. And that’s what makes me… I don’t know. It makes me want to—” He stopped himself, the words catching somewhere in his throat. He’d promised you not to catch feelings, but something about being here with you…and even back home was making it damn near impossible not to.
Everything new he learnt about you, he found he adored. Taking in a deep breath, he tried to clear his head before speaking.
“I’m sorry,” he said, running a hand through his hair and sinking down into the chair opposite yours.
“That sounded stupid.” He finished, and you nudged him with your foot, forcing him to look you in the eyes.
“What were you going to say, Channie?” Chan hesitated; the nickname sounded like heaven coming from your lips, and he desperately wanted to hear you calling him it over and over again, so he shook his head. He didn’t want to risk any of this,
“Nothing important.” He lied. But the way he looked at you, like you were suddenly the only thing that mattered, said everything he wouldn’t say. Your chest was starting to hurt as you watched him,
“Hey. You just defended me in a room of almost 100 people…You can tell me.” You teased, and Chan gave an almost shy smile to you and sighed, looking up at the night sky.
“Maybe I’m breaking one of the rules…M-Maybe I’m starting to care more than I should.” He admitted out loud. You felt your heart fluttering, warmth spreading through you all over as you looked back at him.
“You’re not alone,” you said softly, letting him know that his feelings weren’t just one-sided. Chan felt his heart skip a beat. God, it had been years since he’d confessed a crush on someone; he felt like a middle schooler all over again. But he just nodded his head, his eyes fixed on the sky as a blush crept onto his cheeks.
A calm silence hung in the air, and you smiled, laying your head on your knees as you both enjoyed the silence together. Neither of you reaches for the thread of something more hanging between you…not yet, at least.
“Tonight, I’m promising you a nice walk on the beach,” Chan told you as you sat together on the daybed, he’d pulled the canopy over so you were both in the shade.
“Sure, maybe I can finally get the magnets for everyone back home,” You relax a little, pulling sunglasses on over your eyes, snuggling into the pillows. Your sister had arranged for everyone to have a chill day by the pool today since the wedding was tomorrow.
“Oh, don’t forget, Nancy wants us to get photos at the wedding. She said we’ll look good.” Chan smirks. In reality, Nancy hadn’t asked for anything, but Chan wanted a photo of the two of you so he could have it as his new lockscreen. You’d taken a few selfies, but he wanted to be different. He wanted a real photo of you both together.
“She’s cute, she’ll probably put it on the board in the cafe, you know.” You laugh a little. You open your mouth to speak again, but you can feel eyes on you. Slowly, you looked around the area to figure out who it was. Felicity - yours and Delilah’s cousin - was staring straight at you.
“Isn’t it adorable that Yn thinks she can wear a bikini?” She hisses,
“Bless her heart, she’s trying so hard to fit in.” Felicity giggled, making Delilah smirk, her gaze flicking between you and Chan, who was now clenching his fists by his side. He’d had enough of your shitty family, and he thought last night would have been the end of it all.
“Can’t even keep their mouths shut,” He grits out, but you slowly reach out and hold his hand, squeezing it softly and smiling sweetly at him. You were trying to show him silently that it wasn’t bothering you.
“Oh, she’s definitely trying, honestly, it’s embarrassing.” Delilah giggles, flicking her hair over her shoulder and getting up. She was in a white bikini, showing off her perfectly toned body. She looked as though she would be on the arm of someone like Chan.
“Yn looks fucking hot today. Doesn’t she?” Chan asked loudly to one of the waiters, who began stuttering over his words. Your cheeks were heating up, and you whined at Chan, hiding into his neck as he chuckled to himself.
“Couples volleyball!” Delilah screamed out.
“Let’s see how real these relationships are!” She giggles, and you look at Chan. You knew none of them were being subtle about it. Chan simply nodded at you and got up from the chair, following you to the pool.
“I bet she’s paying him. She doesn’t deserve this level of hot,” Someone mumbles as you get into the water. Chan instantly wrapped his arms around you from behind and cuddled into you.
“You ought to be careful, Chan. She used to write poems about my brother in school,” Lia giggles, making your whole body tense up. She knew you’d had a crush on her brother in high school; she’d pushed you toward him, claiming she wanted you as a sister in law.
“Let’s just play. Yeah?” he grumbles at your family, and they nod.
The teams ended up being uneven, so you’d all merged into a chaotic free-for-all of “who can keep the beach ball up longest,” but it quickly devolved into a war of egos before long. Mainly your ex’s. He kept smashing the ball toward Chan like he was trying to test his reflexes, daring him to mess up, either that or he was trying to smash the ball into his face.
But it never worked; Chan never missed a beat in hitting the ball back to your ex and your family, making it look like it was nothing to him. He moved like water; he was fluid, fast, and effortless. Every hit was precise, powerful, and you couldn’t take your eyes off him. Every movement made your heart race. Your ex was livid. And you were absolutely loving it.
“Not bad for a washed-up athlete,” Daniel muttered under his breath, chest heaving as he stared at Chan. You frown a little, watching the two of them.
“Not bad for a guy clinging to his high school glory days,” Chan murmured back, just loud enough for you and Delilah to hear him. Delilah smirks to herself before swimming over to him, draping an arm casually over the side of the pool next to his shoulder. Your stomach twisted watching her as she attempted to flirt with your ‘boyfriend’. You’d never been jealous before, but this had you raging.
“You’re actually kinda good at this,” she said, voice high and girlish, feigning a laugh. “If you ever get tired of playing house with my sister, come find me, yeah?” You froze, hearing her. She was getting married…tomorrow…to your ex. Now she was attempting to get with another one?!
“She’s my girlfriend,” Chan said, gaze fixed straight ahead on you, he didn’t give a shit about your sister.
“And you should really stop talking about her like she’s not standing right here.” Your sister pouted out her bottom lip and scoffed a little,
“Don’t be so fucking sensitive, it was a bloody joke,”
“That wasn’t funny,” Chan said with a blank expression. Tension rippled through the water, and no one moved for a minute. You were counting the seconds down in your head, waiting for your sister to snap or say something back…but it never came.
Someone splashed another person, easing the tension a little. You smiled weakly when someone threw the ball your way, trying to play along, and to get rid of the tension, you hit it. Your fingers were shaking, but you hit it, sending it flying into someone's mimosa on the side of the pool. A round of grumbles and curses from people followed,
“Maybe sit this one out, babe,” your sister called out, sickeningly sweet.
“You’ve never been sporty!”
“Remember when she tried out for cheer and broke someone's wrist trying to flip?” Felicity giggles, and people explode in laughter around her. You stepped back, pointing over your shoulder to the sunbed.
“I-I’m…I-I’m gonna take a break,” You said softly, backing your way toward the side of the pool. You were halfway to the steps when Chan wrapped his arm around your waist and held you close.
“You don’t have to pretend with her anymore. I know she's a lot, Chan, just come and hang out with us.” Your sister called out, but Chan didn’t even glance at her; he looked down at you and stared into your eyes.
“I’m right where I want to be.” He whispers, kissing your forehead and climbing out of the water. He turned back to you, offering you his hand to help you out of the pool. You took it, dripping wet, your cheeks heating up and not from the sun but from the attention he was giving you.
“Shall we go back to our room and watch TV?” He suggests. Grabbing his towel and wrapping it around your shoulders. You looked up at him. He somehow looked even better now his hair was wet and dripping down his head, you could almost see the slight curls in his hair.
“Order room service and eat all our weight in pasta?” You raised an eyebrow, Chan’s heart picked up, and he nodded his head. It sounded like the perfect day to him, much better than sitting here with your family.
“Run up, I’ll grab our stuff.” He nods to you, quickly kissing your lips before sending you on your way. The kiss was so quick and so easy that it felt as though it was only natural for him to do. His cheeks were turning red as you bit your lip, heading up to your room, glancing over your shoulder at him with a shy smile before finally disappearing.
Chan was about to grab his stuff when Daniel bumped into his shoulder, shoving him to the side,
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” he said to him.
“Girls like her always latch onto someone better to make themselves feel worthy. She’ll move on when the pity runs out.” It would have bothered Chan, but you had no idea who he was. So he was letting the words rush off him like water off a duck's back.
The sun was setting beneath the waves, leaving a golden look over everything it touched. The waves were crashing gently against the whore, and the sand was so nice and warm beneath your feet as you and Chan walked across it. Your hand was locked in his, your shoes were shoved inside one of the bags he was carrying.
There had to be about four of them, all tiny little souvenir bags from your day together. The two of you had gone on a small tour of the town you were staying in and took lots of pictures while picking up a lot of gifts for everyone back home.
The two of you had gotten a little competitive about who could get the tackiest magnet,
“I still think the dancing bull figurine was a bold choice,” You giggled, nudging his hips with yours. Chan grinned down at you, cocking his eyebrow.
“Please. You bought a magnet shaped like a lady with boobs that jiggle and say ‘squeeze me’ on them. You got me beat.” You laughed so hard you almost let out a small snort, making Chan smirk to himself. God, your laugh was so full and bright, it made his chest flutter whenever he heard it, and he’d heard it a lot today.
It turned out that getting away from your family was the key to seeing you relax and finally let go. Chan pulled you closer to him as you walked, both of you enjoying the closeness you had with one another, without thinking about it too much.
“Oh! I also got Mrs Jones that rose tea she loves. And the twins at the inn, I got them mini flamenco dolls…They’ll love them,” Chan smiled down at you. He loved that you’d cared enough to try and get everyone back at home a gift.
“You always think of everyone else.” He states that as you stop walking, just looking out at the waves together, he bit his tongue. He wanted to open up to you a little without having to tell you about his life before you.
“I got something for the Coach, too,” He said slowly, trying to gauge your reaction. Your head slowly turned away from the waves to his eyes, and it felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. You were barefaced, your hair natural, and you just looked like someone from his dreams.
“Are you trying to sweeten him up?” You tease, nudging him in the side, but Chan shrugged a little. You’d heard whispers of the high school back home wanting a new coach, and you knew Chan had a sporty side.
“He’s retiring, and I want to throw my name in for the job.”
“You are pretty sporty.” You shrug a little, thinking nothing more of it. The fact that you didn’t press him for more information made him relax. It was clear you wouldn’t care if he used to be famous.
“Y-Yeah…S-So I got him some keychains for the kids on the team and I got him a hat to replace his tattered one.” He smiles fondly before looking down at you, moving his free hand to cup your face in his hand, brushing his thumb over your lip.
“I got you something, too.” He whispers, Your eyes lit up.
“You did?” You gasp a little, only making Chan chuckle softly to himself. He had it in one of the bags, but he wasn’t going to show it until you were back in the hotel room together.
“Mhm. But you’re not allowed to see it until later.”
“Why not?” You scoff,
“Because I said so.” He winked, tugging your hand so the two of you would start walking together again.
“You’ll like it, I promise.” He chuckles softly. You pretended to pout, tugging lightly on his hand, but he didn’t let go. Neither of you even noticed that you hadn’t let go of one another all day. The space between you just didn’t exist anymore — your bodies moved in sync, like this was the most normal thing in the world…Like you were a couple…
And the scariest part of all of it? It didn’t feel like pretending anymore to you.
You glanced up at the hotel in the distance, its lights twinkling like stars just beginning to blink into the sky. You were getting hungry, and you had the wedding in the morning, so you already knew you were going to have to be up early to get ready.
“I’ll head up and order room service. You still want that pasta?” You quizzed right as you got off the beach, sliding into your sandals. Chan nods as he stretches his back a little.
“Definitely,” he said. “Extra parmesan. And maybe something made of chocolate for dessert.” He groaned, rubbing his stomach like he’d not eaten all day, but you’d been sneaking food while you were out.
“Got it. I’ll go and grab some extra towels from reception.” He squeezed your hand before letting go, gently.
“Don’t be long, if that chocolate comes before you, I can’t promise it’ll be there,” You tease and rush off.
The hallway going up to the room was nearly deserted, the only light coming from the soft glow of sconces along the polished walls. Chan’s steps were echoing as he made his way up to your door. In his hand were the spare towels and a surprise he’d gotten for you. It wasn’t much, but it was a rose gold dress that nearly matched the theme of the wedding. As well as a bracelet he’d picked up for you.
He knew you weren’t exactly upset about being kicked to the back of the room of the wedding, but he wanted you by his side, in a dress that made you feel and look like a million bucks…But you always looked that way to him. Even early in the morning when you’d just woken up and were having coffee together…
He’d thought you were stunning when you stood on his porch in pajamas that were faded with holes in them. Tonight, he was going to admit that to you; he didn’t care that you’d both promised not to fall for one another, he knew you were falling for him too.
Just as he reached the corner of your door, Daniel stepped out from the shadows with a mocking grin all over his face.
“What is it?” Chan grumbled, his voice laced with annoyance that your ex was even here right now.
“Just came to see the famous Ex-hockey ‘playboy’ who couldn’t even last his last season before some injury had him crying for the exit.” Daniel sneers, making Chan’s stomach twist. The injury wasn’t just “some” injury, it had nearly killed him,
It had been an accident on the ice, resulting in him almost losing his fingers; he’d broken his knee and his ankle in two places. Then there was the skate that had gone into his temple; he was lucky to even be alive.
“I’d love to see you try and survive a skate to the face, dickface.” Chan said, his eyes meeting Daniel’s with a calmness behind them.
“You think you’re clever, don’t you?” Daniel sneered, stepping closer, invading Chan’s space, but Chan didn’t flinch; he wouldn’t give the motherfucker the satisfaction.
“But let’s be honest — you’re nothing more than a charity case in this whole mess. Y/N’s using you, making herself feel better by dragging you into her mess so she doesn’t have to face me alone.” Chan stared at him, refusing to crack,
“Did she act like she didn’t know you?” Daniel tilts his head at him, and this time Chan had a reaction. His eye twitched just a little, but his face remained stoic.
“You don’t know her,” Chan said quietly. Daniel laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that echoed off the walls.
“She really pulled one over on you, huh? Sweet little Y/N. Always was quiet, always playing the victim.” He gave a mock pout and shook his head.
“But she’s smarter than people give her credit for. She knows exactly what she was doing bringing you here.” Chan’s jaw tensed this time. There was no way you knew who he was…You seemed surprised whenever someone knew him. You were blind to everything about his old life…Right?
“She knows who you are. She has to. I used to watch your games all the time — she sat right there on the couch next to me. You don’t think she recognized you? Come on, man. She’s playing you.” That seed of doubt hit its mark and buried deep in Chan’s gut.
“She brought you here because you’re a shield. A distraction. Someone to take the heat off her for once.” His voice dropped lower, venom curling around every word. Chan felt his heart shattering at the thought of it all. You knew him…You’d played him…Were you going to sell the fucking story?
No…He couldn’t even bring himself to think that way about you.
“Maybe you’re right,” Chan finally said, his voice shaking a little.
“Maybe I am just what she needed to take the pressure off. A washed-up loser she can parade around, but at least she wants me.” Chan grumbles at him, and Daniel just smirks at him. He was proud he’d planted doubt in his mind.
“Whatever, man. You’re going to be the butt of everyone's jokes. The vlog will go up and you’ll be a laughing stock…Again. All because you fell for that ugly bitches lies.” Daniel sniggers as he walks away.
Chan had no idea how long he’d been standing there after Daniel had left, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. His words were still bouncing around in his head.
She knows who you are.
She’s using you.
You wanted to take the heat off her.
You’ll be a laughing stock.
He knew he shouldn’t have listened to him; he should have just gone straight to the hotel room to spend the night with you. He knew, deep down, that Daniel was cruel and petty, the kind of man who got off on cutting others down just to stand a little taller himself. But that didn’t stop the words from digging in deep.
He’d been too eager. Too willing to believe in the soft way you looked at him, the way you laughed at his terrible jokes, the way your hand fit so naturally in his. He let it all mean something when maybe it didn’t.
He swallowed thickly, jaw tense, and stared down at the small box in his hand. The surprise he’d picked up for you from a little beachside stall. A delicate charm bracelet, each charm shaped like something they’d seen that week. A seashell. A lemon. A tiny plane. One for each day they’d spent pretending.
Pretending.
His chest twisted.
He should’ve known better.
When he got back to the room, you were already on the bed, cross-legged, you were wrapped in the hotel rope, and looking up from your phone. Instantly, he freaked out inside his head,
Were you texting someone about him? Were you writing notes about him?
Your eyes lit up when you saw him. “Hey,” you said softly. “Took you a while, I nearly ate all of the food alone,” You said with a small, awkward laugh. Chan didn’t answer you, though; he set the box down on the desk and went into the bathroom without another word.
You stared at the closed door, your heart sinking. Something was wrong…he’d been fine until now.
You shifted in the bed, turning over about to greet Chan like you had every morning lately, but the bed was cold. You sit up and look around the room, just as the bathroom door opens. Chan was dressed in shorts and a baggy shirt.
“Morning, you wanna eat?”
“Can’t. Got to go to the gym. See you at the reception.” He said, his voice low and clipped, before he walked out of the room. The door slamming shut behind him, leaving you stunned.
You’d fallen asleep the night before, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom; had he stayed in there all night? Your fingers trembled a little as you got up and opened the box he’d left on the desk for you. Inside was a beautiful gown and bracelet.
Your chest grew heavy as you stared down at them both. If he wanted you to wear these, why was he acting so cold toward you?
At the wedding ceremony, you felt like a ghost among the crowd. You’d attempted to move to the front of the wedding, but your sister blocked it from happening. Telling you she wanted you in the back of the room so you wouldn’t draw too much attention to yourself.
You’d tried to get Chan’s attention during the vows, but he kept his head forward, avoiding you. As if looking at you might shatter him.
Every single time his eyes caught yours, he was quick to look away, and each time it made your heart shatter.
Around you, the guests smiled and whispered, but you felt isolated, trapped in a moment that should have been joyful. What happened? The two of you had been working so well until the night before…
The reception was held in a grand hall decorated with twinkling lights and fragrant flowers. It was fucking loud too, you’d tried to catch Chan on the way out from the vows, but he’d slipped you in the huge crowds of people.
Delilah flitted around like a queen bee, demanding attention and ensuring she remained the center of the room. You were trying to find Chan, but it was like he’d vanished into thin air. You slid a glass from a waiter and moved toward the terrace. You needed some air to clear your head on what you were meant to do now.
Did he hate you? What had you even done?
And then you heard it. Two men were talking behind you, voices low but careless as they laughed together and shook their heads. You frown but move closer without being seen, wanting to know what was going on.
“Dude, you know who that is, right?” Caleb said to one of Daniel’s friends.
“Chan Bang. Yeah. Played pro hockey — until his knee blew out and he took a skate to the face,” Your breath caught in your throat. That explained the scar on his temple…not to mention the weird interactions that had been happening. No wonder he only gave you his first time. He was probably freaked out.
“Can’t believe he’s with her. No offense, but she’s punching.” The insult didn’t even sting as it came from Caleb's lips.
“She’s not with him. Daniel told me the whole thing — she’s using him. Pretending. He said she probably just wanted someone famous so the attention wouldn’t all be on her sister for once.” You completely froze in place, the glass in your hand slipping to the floor and smashing.
People stared in your direction, but you didn’t give a shit. Your blood was running cold. Daniel was lying…Telling people that you were using Chan?! That you knew who he was…Like, this was some kind of desperate stunt to make yourself look relevant.
Your whole body was heating with rage. Real, full-bodied rage, you’d never let yourself feel until right now. Like fate was twisting the knife, you heard Daniel speaking loudly and across the room.
“All that hype, just to end up a washed-up has-been with a limp. What’s next? Teaching hockey to toddlers in some middle-of-nowhere town?” He laughed coldly, and everyone surrounding him joined in. Your whole body ached, and you kicked off your heels.
“You really thought she liked you? Come on, mate. She knew exactly who you were. She just wanted someone shiny enough to draw attention.” Chan stood stiffly, hands clenched at his sides, jaw tight. But he didn’t say anything. He never did when it came to himself.
“Enough.” The voice came out clear and harsh. Chan looked up to see you standing there. Dressed in the gown he’d gotten for you. Earlier, when he’d spotted you, he wanted to tell you how perfect you looked, but he’d stopped himself. He couldn’t tell you how pretty you were when he thought that you were using him.
“The little girl came to rescue the loser-” Champagne splashed over Daniel’s face and suit, cutting him off short. You stare at them all, your eyes burning with a rage Chan had never seen in you before.
“You can mock me all you want,” you said, eyes locked on Daniel.
“You’ve been doing it my whole life. My clothes. My weight. My hair. My friends. Even my relationships. But you don’t get to talk about him like that.” You hiss out. Daniel blinked, caught completely off guard.
“He is more of a man than you will ever be. You’re fucking jealous he can make a living skating while you’re still living out your glory days from high school.” No one spoke a word. Champagne glasses were clattering as people listened. No one ever expected you to.
Chan’s eyes were on you; he couldn’t look away. You looked so hot right now.
“I didn’t know who he was,” you continued. It was the one lie you needed to clear up right now, but your voice was cracking with so much emotion.
“But I know who he is. I know how he makes me feel safe in a room full of people who’ve spent their entire lives making me feel small. I know he looks at me like I’m someone worth knowing. And I won’t let you take that away from me.” The silence after your words was louder than the music had been.
Daniel muttered something under his breath and stormed off. Chan hadn’t moved until you turned to him slowly, and your hands were trembling.
“I swear, I didn’t know Chan.” You whispered, your eyes pleading with him as you stepped in front of him, reaching for his hand but stopping, allowing him to connect with you if he did.
“But I do now, and it doesn’t bother me…I’m not letting you go without a fight…and I can fight, Chan.” You whisper. He stares at you for a long second, reaching for your hand. It was a small touch, but your whole world seemed to relax with that one touch.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, voice thick. “For seeing me. I’m sorry, I believed that asshole.” He sighs, leaning down and pressing his forehead to your own. You glance around and pull him toward the terrace, you didn’t want anyone to overhear this and report back about it.
Once you were outside, you leant on the wall and looked up at him,
“I was scared you knew who I really was,” he admitted. It wasn’t a good excuse; it was all he had to offer to you.
“and that this was all just… fake for you…When I was falling harder than I ever expected to,” Your heart ached at the vulnerability in his words, it was the first time you’d seen him not look so confident in himself.
“Chan,” you whisper. He moved closer to you, taking your face in his hands and running his thumb under your eyes.
“This was supposed to be a favor…a fake thing, but it stopped being fake the minute you looked at me like I mattered.” You whisper to him, his breath hitching as you admit that to him.
“I never thought I’d see someone who sees past all of the shit in my life…The injury, the hockey shit, all of the mistakes I made…but you see me for who I am…Not the hockey star, just me.”
“Just Chan.” You whisper, remembering how he’d told you he was “just chan” in his kitchen. Chan chuckled softly, leaning his head on yours as you giggled a little.
“I don’t want this to be pretend anymore.” He whispered,
“I was coming back to the room to tell you that last night when Daniel cornered me.” He shudders at the memory, moving his hands from your face to your waist and drawing your body closer to his.
“I don’t care about the past,” you reminded him, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck.
“All I care about is us.” Chan’s lips curled into a genuine smile—warm, hopeful.
“Us,” he echoed, leaning down toward you but stopping midway to make sure that you wanted this as well. The kiss was unrushed, a little unsure at first. Just a peek on the lips…Then it moved into more.
A soft press of lips, his hands gripping your hips tightly and pulling you closer to him. Above you, fireworks exploded - no doubt your sisters work for her vlog. You deepened the kiss a little, sliding your tongue into his mouth as he resisted the urge to pick you up and take you right there and then.
“W-We should go slow,” He whispers, his forehead resting against yours, both of you panting heavily.
“We do have that big bed…” You whisper, your heart racing and Chan’s pants getting tighter,
“Afraid you wouldn’t keep up?” You tease, running your hand down his front toward the belt of his pants, and he grunts, bucking his hips a little.
“N-No…I wanted to be a gentleman,”
“Be one tomorrow…Fuck me tonight.” You whisper, biting his lip softly and smirking as you pull away to leave the terrace, Chan following behind you like a needy puppy.
The elevator doors slid shut behind you both. You were already rummaging around in your small clutch bag to find the room key, practically bouncing with excitement. Your heart was racing, Chan’s was pounding against his chest, and he was scared you’d be able to hear it somehow.
“F-fuck, where is it?!” You whine, more to yourself than to him, as you went through the bag, desperate to get into the room. There was no way you were going to miss this night.
“Relax, sunshine. It’s almost as though you’re excited,” He teases, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to your shoulder, pushing your need to the edge. You were seconds away from letting him take you right there in the hallway.
“I-I can’t find it,” you hiss. Chan’s hand slid to your waist, pulling you flush against his chest and grinding his hardness against your ass so you could feel just how hard he was for you.
“You’ve been driving me crazy all night,” he murmured, voice low and husky against your skin. Your fingers finally grabbed the key, and you practically threw the door open.
The door had barely closed behind you both before Chan’s mouth was on yours, you threw your bag behind him, and wrapped your arms around the back of his neck. There was no hesitation, no pretending, just pure raw and real heat between you.
“I need you,” You whisper as you kiss down his neck, your hands working on undoing his tie as you then rip his shirt open, buttons flying across the room. Chan chuckled darkly, looking down at you, his hands moving to frame your face. He was holding you like he was something precious, something breakable.
He was kissing you like he’d been dying to, like he’d spent every second in silence today dreaming of this moment with you. Your fingers slid into his curls, tugging gently, and the low growl that left his throat made your knees wobble,
“I’ve wanted you since that first day in your pajamas…I was done for,” He whispered between the kisses, backing you slowly toward the bed. You giggled a little
“You called them cute.”
“I was trying not to lose my mind,” he muttered, lips trailing along your jaw, down the column of your neck.
“I was imagining them on my bedroom floor…You have no idea what you do to me…” You gasp as his teeth graze against your skin, you slowly lie down onto the bed, and look up at him shyly.
“Fuck,” he exhaled, stepping back for just a beat to take you in. He was never going to get enough of you. You giggle a little, slowly pulling your dress off and dropping it by the bed, leaving you naked in front of him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He whispers. Heat grew all over your body, not just from what he was saying, but it was the way he was looking at you, he was looking at you like he meant every single word. That you were the only one for him.
Chan stepped forward again, slower now, like he wanted to savor this moment with you, which he did. His hands slid along your hips, thumbs brushing your bare skin, and you leaned into him, kissed him again — deeper this time, needier.
“Tell me this is real,” you whispered, voice trembling as he hovered above you, his lips brushing yours. He cupped your cheek, eyes locked on yours.
“This stopped being fake the minute I got to share a bed with you, sunshine.” You kiss him again, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him closer to you, ready to be intimate with him and seal the deal.
As the bus pulled into the small station of Citrus Cove, you felt the warm, familiar breeze wrap around you like a welcome hug. God, it felt good to be out of the summer heat in Spain and off the bus. You needed to crack your back in at least seven places,
“Wanna crack my back?” you groan, twisting awkwardly as you stretch. “It’s driving me nuts.” Chan pulls a face like you just offered him a plate of raw sardines, and he takes a step back from you.
“Absolutely not. That sound is cursed.” You stare at him, scandalised. Surely, he’d heard much worse in his hockey days?
“You’re a hockey player! You’ve definitely heard worse.” You scoff at him, and Chan smirks down at you.
“Yeah— my own bones, sunshine. Every snap sucked. I’m traumatised. You’re on your own.” He tells you, holding his hands up in defence while you pout dramatically.
“We just got back, and already you’re abandoning me? I feel betrayed.” He rolls his eyes, tossing his cap into his bag as you both walk toward the exit of the bus station.
“Says the girl about to run off and play Santa with all the gifts we picked up.” He smirks at you, and you stop walking and scoff playfully at him.
“Okay, rude. But then I’m coming right back for movie night. With snacks.”
“You staying over?” he asks casually, like it’s no big deal, but you catch the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. You both couldn’t stay away from each other, god, there had been a moment on the plane, he thought he was going to have to sneak you into the toilets…but he was good and kept himself calm.
“I don’t think I can sleep without you anymore… you’ve ruined me. I’m a ruined woman, Chan.” You say dramatically, laying your hand over your forehead, but the action only made him smirk at you, completely smug and unbothered,
“In more ways than one.” He whispers in your ear suggestively, you gasp, swatting him with your neck pillow, his laughter echoing around you as you chase him out of the exit, but you freeze in place, seeing people from the town waiting for you.
There were signs made with “Mr and Mrs Bhang” written on them, and Chan’s cheeks were turning bright red.
Mrs Jones was practically squealing as she looked at you both, swatting Jamerson's hands as she whispered something to him about you both holding hands.
“We heard about Spain! What a wedding!” Mrs. Henderson, your friendly neighbor from down the lane, called out as you passed by her. Your cheeks were heating more and more.
“And the kiss… the kiss was all over TikTok yesterday!” added a teenage girl clutching her phone, cheeks flushed from excitement. You bit your lip to keep from smiling too widely. You knew your sister had been recording the wedding, but you thought the kiss was private.
“Did you know Chan was famous? Like, seriously?!” Mrs Jones asks, opening her car door for you and Chan to climb inside. You shook your head, still a little stunned by how quickly the news had spread. Chan, standing behind you, caught your flustered expression, and his eyes sparkled with quiet amusement.
“You’re officially mine now, princess.” He whispers, sealing the promise with a kiss.
Life in Citrus Cove settled back into its normal and easy rhythm. Chan threw himself into coaching the school’s hockey team, the kids adored him — even the stubborn ones found themselves working harder under his calm, steady guidance. You adored seeing him work every night, doing something he enjoyed. It gave him back something he thought he’d lost a long time ago.
You, meanwhile, returned to the inn like you’d never left. Your best friend had taken a couple of days off lately, and you wanted to catch up with her. On the days you had a night shift, Chan made sure to come and sit with you in the lobby, making himself useful by learning to fold napkins and even make beds.
Your mornings were spent in bed, with breakfast together. You spent more time at his place than your own. You were working on getting out of your lease soon, too. Your evenings were filled with laughter and soft touches exchanged between you and Chan.
Finally, though, you’d tracked down your best friend and were forcing her to come and sit with you for a while. Mrs Jones had just bought over your coffee and cake order before leaving the two of you alone.
Your best friend let out a dramatic sigh, stirring her drink without taking a sip. She looked exhausted, with bags under her eyes, and even her clothes were messy. Your friend was someone who prided herself on her fashion; she did work in a fashion magazine after all.
“The toddler next door is going to be the death of me. She’s got lungs like an airhorn — and no concept of sleep.” She sighs, running her hands over her face. You raised a brow, there was no one in town who had given birth lately, but you knew one of Chan’s ex-teammates had moved to Citrus Cove,
“Isn’t that the new guy? Minho, right? He moved into the old Jenkins place?” You quizzed, sipping on your coffee as she nodded her head.
“Yeah,” she said, blowing on her coffee. Clearly, she needed it; the whole time you’d known her, she’d never touched a drop of coffee. She was usually strictly tea only.
“Single dad. Quiet. Hot, in a brooding dad kind of way. But that kid’s got a scream that could shatter windows. I swear, kids gonna be a fucking opera singer,” You grinned at her. She was on “break” from the magazine for a while. “Break” being code for “creative block,” and she needed time off to get her mind back into the game.
“Didn’t you used to be a nanny before you moved here? Maybe you could offer to babysit. Give him — and yourself — a break…You’re on a break from the magazine...” She blinked, surprised. It had been nice when she used to be a nanny, and Minho did seem like he would need a little help.
“You think I should?” You shrugged a little.
“This is Citrus Cove. People leave casseroles on porches for strangers. My kiss with Chan was trending. I’m pretty sure knocking on the door and offering help is normal. And hey, it wouldn’t hurt to get to know the brooding single dad either…” You smirk, wriggling your eyebrows at her.
“Getting laid might help with the block, too.” You wink at her, she laughs, already pulling her phone out and nodding.
Neither of you knew it yet, but this one small decision that was about to shift everything…
Yawning aggressively, Sky tipped her box of cereal over her bowl. She covered her mouth with a hand as she yawned again, her eyelids drooping closed.
"Oh are you having cereal? Put some in for me too."
Sky's eyes snapped open. The fifteen year old wondered if she had briefly slipped into the realm of dreams; but no, when she looked to her right side, she saw the face behind the familiar deep voice.
"Uncle Chicken?" She rubbed her eyes, confused. "Where the hell did you come from?"
Felix chuckled mischievously. He pointed to the French doors that were wide open. "Through the side door."
"What the f - " Sky groaned, dumping a spoon into her bowl. She reached into the cupboard below her and pulled out another bowl.
"Cereal first," Felix suddenly said as Sky reached for the milk bottle. He started to laugh when she scowled at him, her hands sliding the box towards her instead.
"Didn't you eat brekkie?" Sky asked her uncle.
Felix shook his head as he grabbed a spoon. "I felt lonely. I missed my favourite niece."
At that, the corners of Sky's lips curled up, her eyes crinkling into happy moons. "Good thing I missed you too."
Making a bashful 'aw' sound, Felix slid his arms around her shoulders. He hugged her loosely as she poured milk into his cereal, heat radiating off of him like the sunshine that was spilling through the windows and onto the floor.
"Mum and dad are still asleep by the way," Sky said, handing Felix his bowl. "In case you were wondering."
"Yeah … they're definitely not sleeping."
Felix and Sky turned to another voice; Minho sauntered in through the French doors, a smirk on his face. He suddenly frowned as he peered down at himself - cat fur covered his black t-shirt, and he vaguely picked it off the fabric.
"They're probably … doing something else," Minho continued as he headed straight to the fridge. His eyes landed on a carton of orange juice and he immediately screwed the top off of it before tipping his head back and gulping down the contents.
"Uncle Lee Know? You're here too?" Sky was astounded; even though she was mostly used to her uncles popping out of nowhere, their sudden appearances still caught her off guard from time to time. "At least get a glass … oh my God … "
She pushed a glass towards him just as the juice trickled down his chin. Minho giggled just as Felix guffawed, his eyes widening as he clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the noise.
"It's fine, they probably really aren't sleeping," Sky groaned to Felix.
Minho wiggled his eyebrows. Felix pressed his lips together as a huge smirk grew on his face.
"Oh stop it," Sky sighed, slumping down onto a stool. "I do not want to picture my parents doing anything but sleeping."
"Too late," another voice caused the three of them to turn their heads.
Seungmin was nonchalant as he slipped his shoes off before entering the house. He looked completely at home when he jumped over the sofa and sank amongst the cushions, his arm going to rest over his forehead.
"What the hell is happening?" Sky threw her hands up in confusion. "Why are you all disturbing my peace?"
Felix pouted just as Minho and Seungmin burst into laughter. Sky sighed and gently patted Felix's head, his hair bouncing comically like animated chicken feathers.
"It's fine. It's fine. Just let me eat first … I'm so hungry," Sky grumbled and shoved her cereal into her mouth. "You might as well call everyone else over too."
As if on cue, Jisung and Hyunjin's high pitched cackling could be heard in the near distance. Sky sagged into her stool, her uncles bursting into laughter all over again as the newcomers entered their house.
"Amazing," Sky said as she chewed her cereal mechanically. "Just amazing."
It wasn't long before the rest of Sky's uncles had clustered themselves around the breakfast bar; Jeongin's eyes were closing as he stared into the abyss, and Sky couldn't help but snort at the differences between her uncles. Half of them were screaming, the other half slumped on their stools in shapes she didn't even know were humanely possible.
Sky shook her head as she muttered into her cereal; for some reason she had no intention in delving further into, Jisung and Hyunjin had already managed to fall out with each other. They sat glaring at each other, Jisung’s glasses askew on his nose as Hyunjin grimaced at him, his legs elegantly crossed at the knee.
In her mind, Sky gave them approximately three minutes before they started cackling together again.
"Who finished the cereal?" Changbin called from the other end of the kitchen. He seemed rather dejected as he shook an empty box over an empty bowl.
Felix blinked at him. He looked away.
Sighing, Sky pushed her stool back and swung herself off of it before making her way into the pantry. She grabbed a new box of cereal as well as a few other snacks before dumping them in the middle of the kitchen counter.
"Thanks Ky," Changbin grinned happily as he reached the cereal. "You're the best."
"I know," Sky rolled her eyes, making her uncles laugh. She then slumped back into her stool; her cereal was now soggy and she glared at it before continuing to finish it.
As annoyed as she was at the horrid texture of her breakfast, Sky realised that she wouldn't change the bizarre dynamics of her family for the world. She loved every single person that made up her chaotic family, and that was something she knew she was incredibly lucky for - even if they did barge into her house unannounced early in the morning. It was something that she cherished more than they'd ever know.
She smiled to herself as she drank the milk from her bowl.
"What the fuck is happening here?" Noah mumbled as he trudged into the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes, squinting to see if he was hallucinating. He wasn't. "Uncle Ji, why are you eating that cushion?"
Jisung looked down; he was indeed biting the corner of a yellow cushion, and he tossed it away in bewilderment.
"I thought it was toast," Jisung whined.
Noah shook his head. "Your toast is on the floor."
The bread in question had fallen a while ago - it most likely flew out of Jisung’s hand amidst his row with Hyunjin.
Sighing, Noah pressed the button of the espresso machine. It whirred to life and he grabbed a mug. "I'll make you some more. Does anyone else want toast?"
"I'll have some coffee," Seungmin said. "Iced."
"Iced Americano?" Noah asked; his uncle nodded - it was the only thing he ever drank.
"I want some!" Felix exclaimed.
Sky stared at him. Noah's eyes widened.
"How about a … uhm … milk … shake?" Noah suggested instead.
Felix scrunched his nose up in thought. "Okay!"
Just then there were footsteps on the stairs; Chan appeared, his face mildly contorting in affectionate annoyance at the sight of the full kitchen.
"Good morning?" Chan chuckled. "Why are you all here?"
"I missed Sky," Felix explained.
"I'm hungry," Changbin said through a mouthful of cereal.
"I'm thirsty," Minho tapped the edge of an empty juice container against the counter.
"I'm just here," Seungmin said.
Chan shook his head as he circled around the kitchen. He picked up the empty cereal box and the toast from the floor, along with other pieces of rubbish that had seemed to already accumulate. He tutted as he threw things into the rubbish bin before placing the toast outside; the birds in their garden immediately began to attack it and he smiled in satisfaction.
"You can't eat in your own houses?" Chan grumbled. "Do you still think you're kids?"
"Yes," said seven voices in unison, making Sky jump.
Chan shook his head. He couldn't help the smile that was spreading across his face as he made his way to Sky.
"Good morning, my real child," Chan said as he planted a fat kiss to her cheek. His friends laughed at his statement as he did the same to Noah. "Good morning, my other real child."
"That's rude," Jisung declared. "We're all your real children."
Chan threw a cushion at him. "Shut up."
Jisung was about to throw a fit when Y/N entered; she stared at them all and started to laugh.
"It's like a zoo in here," Y/N said. "I thought I heard a racket going on."
"That was uncle Ji and uncle Jinnie," Sky said, letting her mother cuddle her to death. "They were fighting."
"And eating the furniture," Noah snorted. "Here's your coffee, Uncle Minnie."
Seungmin smiled happily as he took his coffee. As soon as he took the first sip, he looked as though he was zapped with a currently; he immediately looked brighter and Sky couldn't help but giggle at him.
"What are you laughing at?" Seungmin tutted. "Are you making fun of me?"
"You have an addiction," Sky said. "You're a drug addict."
Chan frowned at that. Sky stared at him innocently and the man burst into quiet laughter as he slid his arm around his wife.
"Have you all eaten?" Y/N asked. She grinned "You probably have no room for pancakes … "
The entire room piped up at that; suddenly everyone was incredibly hungry, and Changbin pushed his empty cereal bowl away as Jisung hid the toast behind his back.
"I think they want pancakes, baby," Chan laughed, rubbing Y/N's shoulders. "Look at them … they look like children."
Giggling, Y/N turned around and grabbed a bowl. She made her way to the fridge and pulled out all the fruit she could find, grateful she had been shopping the previous day.
"Pancakes it is, then," She grinned. "Who's helping?"
---
Tag list ~ @koos-euphoria @raethethey @hugs4chan @hotmesshapa @manonblackbeak-trash @hendsernoodle @stanskzseungmin @ateez-babygirl @dalamjisung @dinosdawn @cookiemonstermusic258 @strwbrryfroyo @gazelle-des-pres @qtieskz @stigmvta @necromancersupreme @super-btstrash-posts @changlix-mp4 @exonations @changboobies @jeyelleohe @rae-blogging @planetdemon @dani41 @jumbocircus @octalalica @velvetand-roses @foivetimesacharm @anaaam @waverzzzzzzzz @peachy-flxwr @elizabeth11moreno @lenfilms @xhazmania @starshine-moon @justoutfromdead @snow-pegasus @lixiesbabyhands @bbychannie97 @laylasbunbunny @americanokisses @bluechans @bellamuerte1987 @meowmeowisdaname @chanssmiles @minunivers @septicrebel @bangchans-angel @spacegirlstuff (let me know if you wanna be added or removed)
Texts with Bf!Skz when you're on your periods (maknae line)
hyung line
warnings: shark week for reader, this is so random i hate it and love it idk, seungmin is super sweet in this bcz i love sweet seungmin as much as i love menace seungmin :)
Texts with Bf!Skz when you're on your period (Hyung line)
maknae line
warnings: shark week T~T, crack, joke abt murdering in chan's, idk i think thats all?
~ A/N : hihi i know i haven't posted in a while but ill start now!! ill also be changing my blog theme when i get the time and motivation. i did another typo its two instead of to in changbin's im so sorry 😭 this was made because im suffering rn too <3
in which… you and hyunjin raise your daughter together, hyunjin being the loud and proud dad that he is.
warnings: some mentions of pregnancy failure, but brief, loads of fluff
authors note: nearly shed tears at this idea, i love this, meant to be headcannons but i just wrote loads of mini drabbles after a few headcannons
part two
dad!hyunjin who cried when he found out you were pregnant. after many failed attempts between the couple, to then lead to their chance, their future. you could say hyunjin cried like a baby, no pun intended.
dad!hyunhin who as soon as he found out he was straight online, shopping for all the necessities. he wouldn’t stop talking about all the little outfits he’d be able to buy your baby.
dad!hyunjin who once you two had been to the booking appointment, with your new midwife, where the baby was confirmed to be healthy in every way. hyunjin couldn’t hold back from telling the group.
hyunjin had mysteriously called for a meeting with the others. they were nervous. hyunjin wasn’t the type to just randomly call a meeting, so the sudden request definitely threw everyone off.
“what is this?” chan asked.
he’d also brought you along but sat you on the couch next to han, to try and make the surprise less obvious. “i’ve been trying so hard to keep this secret. like so hard. but i can finally share something with you,” he turned around and pulled a little box out of his bag, handing it to chan who was sat in the middle of the group.
they all looked at him perplexed, to which he just gestured at the box, muttering a swear word, a habit he’d definitely need to stop.
you’d picked your phone up, wanting to record the special moments. these were his best friends after all, and was a monumental moment for the entire group.
chan opened the box and shuffled through the tissue paper inside, when he finally felt a piece of fabric. chan pulled the fabric out and unfolded it.
a small lilac baby romper, with the words ‘baby stay - february’ stitched onto the light coloured material.
the boys all had the same reaction. the confusion hitting them first, then a glance between you and hyunjin. but then it fully hit them.
chan was the first to jump up and hug hyunjin, yelling out in joy. the others soon following, tears in eyes, laughter and cheers coming out of their mouths.
you teared up at the support your new family were receiving. the love the baby would be given from the moment they were born.
the boys then came straight over to you, hugging you carefully, congratulating you. they knew how much motherhood meant to you.
ever since you and hyunjin began dating, you’d took on the motherly role, looking after all seven of them, even though you had your own life.
“holy shit, you’re actually going to have a physically baby,” han breathed, with a laugh.
“well, yeah that’s how this works,” hyunjin laughed back, holding you tightly.
dad!hyunjin who immediately began redecorating the spare bedroom of the apartment. he didn’t even know the gender yet, but he was so excited for this new life.
dad!hyunjin who wouldn’t let you do any work around the house. it became all him. washing? his job. cleaning? his job. doing the dishes? his job. you tried to intervene but he wasn’t having any of it.
dad!hyunjin who didn’t want to know the gender yet. he waited to find out with you and everyone else he loved at the gender reveal party.
the gender reveal party was a month or so after you two told everyone. you’d hired out a small air b&b in the countryside. somewhere where you two could spend the rest of the weekend together, enjoying the company of each other and the baby.
you’d told everyone to wear their predicted gender colour. you and hyunjin in pink. chan, felix and han also wearing various shades of pink. while changbin, seungmin, minho and jeongin wore blue.
and you guys even made that stupid tiktok of ‘i’m your mother and i think you’re gonna be…’, which all the stays loved, to say the least.
it was a small thing. no confetti or smoke. just a cake, that held yours and hyunjin’s future. one colour that would mean everything.
you and hyunjin held a glass each. smiling at each other, the joy evident in both of you.
everyone counted down from five, while you and hyunjin looked away. as everyone echoed one, you two pushed the glasses into the cake.
he looked at you, whispering a gentle, ‘three, two, one’. you both turned towards the glasses which now held coloured cake and lifted them up.
hyunjin yelled out in celebration. pink cake. he immediately enveloped you in a hug, tighter than ever, then placed a kiss on your lips.
ever since you guys met, he shared his dream of being a girl dad, so this wish becoming true meant a lot to the man. after showering you with love, he turned to his bestfriends, celebrating with them.
you turned to your own family. embracing each one of them in hugs, many congrats being passed around.
dad!hyunjin who that very night shared with the world the news he’d been longing to share. he posted on instagram a maternity picture of you, with the caption ‘baby stay - baby girl i can’t wait to meet you, bring on february 💗’. and the stays went mental.
dad!hyunjin who then immediately started buying baby clothes, shoes, socks, little hats and headbands. he was so excited to be able to choose her outfits, to match with her.
dad!hyunjin who stayed by your side the entire time you were in labour. his sole focus was you. he’d packed your bag in a hurry and immediately rushed to the hospital, excited but so stressed.
dad!hyunjin who praised you the whole time as you were giving birth. whispering how much he loved you, how incredibly brave you are. everything you need to hear in that moment.
dad!hyunjin once your baby girl was born, he didn’t even look at her at first. he just cradled your head and gave you all his attention. loving you hard as the midwife’s prepared the baby for skin-to-skin contact.
dad!hyunjin who cried his eyes out when he saw you holding his baby. his two babies. his girls. there right in front of him.
dad!hyunjin who cried even harder when he held her for the first time.
dad!hyunjin who facetimed each member one by one, having not told them that you were in labour.
hyunjin thought he was hilarious. facetiming the other members, but held the camera infront of his new born daughter, ‘ari’. the name which meant ‘pretty, lovely and beautiful’. everything that hyunjin, saw you and his baby girl as.
hyunjin called chan first. there had been a joke made about chan being the baby’s grandad, due to him being the hyung of the group. the phone rang two times before chan picked up, “hey hyunjin, how’s-” his voice cut off when he noticed it wasn’t hyunjin on the other end. it was his baby. their new born baby.
chan gasped and put a hand over his mouth, muttering a quiet ‘no way’. he let out a small disbelieving laugh. “what’s her name?”
it was felix next. felix might have been the most excited out of everyone. he’d bought loads of items for the baby once her gender was revealed and he always became so emotional whenever hyunjin spoke about his baby.
felix answered basically straight away and gasped immediately, his eyes turning glassy. he wiped his eyes and looked at the baby girl on his screen. “hyunjin…” he whispered.
hyunjin clicked onto han’s facetime, letting the phone ring as he smiled at each members reaction. han picked up the facetime, changbin on his left.
han let out a small cuss word, changbin immediately looking over to the call. the two were so incredibly happy, that they had to mute their microphone so that they could cheer loudly without upsetting the baby.
seungmin was next. he took a couple attempts to get through to, but once he did, he was beaming ear to ear. he congratulated you first. praised you for it all and then congratulated his bestfriend, amazed by the new baby of the family.
minho hadn’t shut up about the baby. dying to meet the little girl, as he’d kept complaining that you’d been pregnant for too long and that the baby was doing it on purpose. so when he picked up that facetime call, he immediately had tears streaming down his face. asking when he could meet her.
lastly, the couple called i.n. they knew he had a full day of photoshoots so they waited until the couple returned home from the hospital to call him, as that would mean jeongin’s long day would hopefully have finished by now.
after one ring jeongin picked up. “hey hyun-” he cut himself off staring at the screen, wide-eyed, in awe at the little girl who lay on her fathers chest.
he just stared. and he eventually muttered “i’m not the youngest anymore,”
dad!hyunjin who posted so many photos of you, him and ari. never of her face. just her little hand, or the back of her head where dark hair was beginning to grow. he was such a proud dad and he loved showing the world what you two created.
You and Lee Know had always been close—best friends since high school. People often joked you were basically dating already. You both laughed it off, hiding behind that familiar excuse: “We don’t want to ruin our friendship.”
But underneath it all, there were stolen glances, lingering touches, and unspoken questions that hung in the air like static.
One lazy summer night, the two of you were sprawled out in his living room. The lights were dim, the fan humming quietly above. He was in sweats, hair slightly tousled, and you were curled beside him with your knees tucked under a throw blanket.
You were talking about dating again—your mutual lack of experience.
“I’ve never even kissed anyone seriously,” you admitted, your voice light, but your chest tight.
He turned his head slowly toward you. “Me neither.”
You looked at each other for a moment too long. The silence settled between you, heavy with possibility.
Then, half a laugh in his throat, he said, “What if… we just tried it?”
Your heart skipped. “What?”
“A practice kiss,” he said, sitting up slightly. His voice was soft, but his eyes didn’t flinch. “So if we ever do get into relationships, we’re not totally clueless.”
You swallowed hard. “Wouldn’t that be… weird?”
His voice dropped, and he looked almost nervous. “Only if we let it be.”
The space between you seemed to shrink. You leaned closer, your eyes flicking to his mouth without meaning to. Your hand brushed against his on the couch.
“Just practice,” you whispered, more to yourself than to him.
He nodded, his face inches from yours. “Just… practice.”
When his lips touched yours, it was slow, hesitant—like testing the warmth of water. It wasn’t rushed or messy. It was deliberate, curious, lingering. His hand came up to cup the side of your face, thumb brushing your cheek.
You kissed him back, your fingers finding his shirt, holding onto him lightly like he was something precious. The kiss deepened a little, your bodies moving closer, breath mingling, hearts racing faster than they should have.
When you finally pulled away, neither of you spoke right away. His eyes searched yours, voice low and husky.
“That didn’t feel like practice.”
You nodded slowly. “No… it didn’t.”
He leaned his forehead against yours, his breath fanning your lips. “So… now what?”
You smiled, barely able to believe it. “Maybe we stop pretending we don’t want more.”
The kiss ended… but neither of you moved away.
His forehead still rested gently against yours, your breaths mingling, and all you could hear was the soft hum of the fan above and the thunder of your own heartbeat. His thumb was still tracing slow circles along your cheek, grounding you and simultaneously making your entire body buzz.
“Y/N…” he said your name so quietly, it felt like a secret. “Tell me to stop.”
You didn’t.
Instead, you tilted your head, lips brushing his again—but this time, there was no hesitation. This kiss was deeper, warmer, hungrier. Your hands slid up to his shoulders, then tangled in the hair at the back of his neck as he kissed you like he’d been holding back for years. Maybe he had.
Lee Know shifted, guiding you gently backward so your back met the cushions. His hand slid along your waist, tentative but firm, like he wanted to explore but was afraid to push too far. Every touch of his fingers left a trail of heat.
“We’ve waited so long to pretend this wasn’t happening,” you breathed against his mouth. “I don’t want to pretend anymore.”
That lit something in him.
He exhaled shakily, eyes flickering down to your lips, then lower—to the curve of your neck, the way your chest rose with every breath. “You drive me insane,” he murmured, his voice rough now. “The way you smile… the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching…”
Your fingers found the hem of his hoodie, slipping underneath to press against his warm skin. He gasped slightly at the contact, muscles tightening under your touch.
“Then stop holding back,” you whispered, your voice breathy but firm.
His mouth found yours again, this time with more urgency. His kiss was possessive, claiming, but still respectful—still him. Lee Know never rushed things, even now. His hands roamed your sides, gripping your hips gently as if memorizing the shape of you. One slid up your back, pulling you closer, until your bodies were flush against each other on the couch.
You could feel everything—his heartbeat, his breath, the tension coiled in his body. Every inch of him was pressed into you, but not in a way that felt greedy. It felt needed.
The kiss broke for only a moment—your foreheads still touching. “This isn’t just a kiss anymore,” you whispered, and he nodded, brushing your lips again softly, reverently.
“I know,” he murmured, voice hoarse. “It’s everything I’ve been scared to want.”
Your legs tangled with his as you shifted again, and he leaned in further, his lips trailing down to your jawline, then your neck. His kisses were featherlight, teasing, but enough to make you shiver beneath him. His hand splayed across your lower back, holding you close as if letting go wasn’t an option.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against your skin, lips brushing the hollow of your throat. “I’ve wanted to say it for so long.”
You arched slightly into his touch, eyes fluttering closed. “Then say it again.”
“Beautiful,” he repeated, with a kiss just below your ear. “Perfect.” Another, just at the corner of your mouth. “Mine.”
That last word made your breath hitch.
You pulled him back up to meet your gaze. “Are we really doing this?”
“If you want me,” he said, eyes searching yours with everything he’d ever held back. “You have me. Not just tonight.”
You nodded, swallowing emotion and desire all at once. “I’ve always wanted you.”
And then you kissed him again—no more hesitation, no more pretending.
every girl wants chocolate, right? Well, what about you?
Seungmin stood in line at the little downtown chocolate shop, heart pounding like he was about to do something way braver than buying a box of truffles.
"She’s gonna love this,"He muttered to himself, — or so he thought. Well, because you weren’t the flowers type. He glances at the polished glass case full of dark, milk, and white chocolate dreams.
You didn’t say that, exactly. But you wore boots scuffed at the toes, used a canvas backpack instead of a purse, and always rolled your eyes when Valentine’s Day commercials came on.
“She’s practical,” Seungmin had told his friend Jeongin the night before. “She’s not one of those girls who wants, like, roses delivered in a hatbox with some Instagram caption.”
Jeongin had shrugged. “Sure. But have you asked her what she likes?”
Seungmin waved him off. “She’s not a flowers girl.”
So he picked out a sleek black box with sea salt caramels and dark chocolate with chili flakes — gourmet, minimalist, adult. It was the kind of chocolate that said, I pay attention. I care. I’m not over-the-top. Which is exactly the message he wanted to send.
That evening, he met you in the park by the fountain — your idea. You had your usual half-smile and a brown scarf knotted around your neck.
"Hey," you said, leaning in for a quick kiss. "What’s the occasion?"
Seungmin grinned and held out the box. "No occasion. Just saw these and thought of you."
You blinked, surprised. “Oh—chocolate.”
“You like chocolate, right?” he asked, suddenly unsure.
“I do. I mean, this looks fancy.” You opened the box and peeked inside. “Chili?”
“Yeah! I figured you’d like something a little different.”
You smiled politely, but it didn’t reach your eyes. You took one, bit into it, nodded. “Yeah. It’s good.”
Seungmin felt the moment falling flat like a deflated balloon. “You okay?”
You hesitated, then looked down at the box in your hands. “Can I tell you something kind of dumb?”
“Sure.”
“I love flowers,” you said. “Like, really love them. But I never say that because people always assume I don’t.”
Seungmin blinked. “Wait — what? I thought you weren’t into that stuff.”
You laughed, half-embarrassed. “Everyone thinks that! I guess because I dress like a girl who would want chocolate and don’t post selfies with roses? I mean, sure, I don’t want a dozen red roses on a yacht, but wildflowers? Daisies? A scrappy little bunch from the corner store? I’d die. I love that stuff.”
Seungmin stared at her, mouth open. “You’re telling me I’ve been trying not to buy you flowers this whole time because I thought it wasn’t your thing — and it actually is?”
You nodded, amused. “You’ve been sabotaging your own game.”
He groaned, dramatic. “Unbelievable.”
You popped another chili chocolate in your mouth and made a face. “Also? You should try this one before giving it to someone.”
They laughed. The sun dipped behind the trees, casting long gold shadows across the path.
Seungmin took a breath. “Okay. Tomorrow. I’m showing up with flowers. What kind?”
Your eyes lit up. “Surprise me. But no roses. I want something weird and beautiful.”
Kim Seungmin x f!reader || Fluff, established relationship, bantering, seungmin making calling reader old, seungmin being an awkward freak, seungmin saying reader is talking to the voices
Word count: ~2k
a/n: It's completely self indulgent, guys </3 I gotta start this off somehow, someway. Afjodisjf, stay silly, stay safe!! Also, guys, all of the jokes in this fic are meant to be lighthearted and silly and were in no way, shape, or form meant to shame, make fun of, or insult anyone who actually has schizophrenia.
It started out with simple plushies, ones you would often collect. These plushies ranged from Miffy dolls, Skutto Tachisan charms, to even those silly Mofusand plushies. All of these little gifts found mysteriously on your bed, attached to your bag, and even sitting on counters and tables waiting for you at home. Strange, but not the weirdest thing that’s happened around you. The weirdest thing to happen to you was dating your boyfriend.
Kim Seungmin, your average baseball nerd, but also your one and only boyfriend. You’ve mentioned liking little plushies to Seungmin, but you never expected to have them magically show up without much of a reason. However, your one and only suspect casually denies these allegations when you bring them up to him. Sometimes you wonder how he even pulls it off with these stunts without you catching him. Either he’s a magician or has impeccable timing, and you know very well that he wasn’t a magician.
Once, you were out on a date wandering the streets of Seoul, and randomly, you found a small plush charm attached to your bag, as if it were originally there to begin with. It was a charming little keychain, a little white puppy with pastel blue accents, and a pink bow to top it off. You don’t remember when the charm found itself on your bag, but you knew that it had to be Seungmin.
You looked at the man walking beside you, brows furrowed as you tried to read his expression. Nothing. You couldn’t read his intentions at all, everything drawing a blank on when, how, or why he’d do such things. It’s not that you hated his silly gesture, but more so, why he was never direct in giving you such gifts. Curiosity piqued your interest was the best way to describe it.
After staring at the boy for some time, he broke the one-sided staring competition with his own brown orbs. “So are you gonna stare all day, or are you gonna tell me what’s got your staring so hard like it’s a staring competition?” He quirked an eyebrow as he gave you his usual deadpan face, his corner of his lips then slightly curling upwards. He definitely knew that you were at a complete loss because of him, and he loved it.
“It’s not staring; it’s called reading a person,” you huffed as your eyes flicked back down to the new charm and then back up to his eyes. You sighed and then asked him, with that same questioning look he gave you earlier, “Are you gonna explain how you added a new charm to my collection without me noticing you put it on?” You then pointed at the new charm on your bag with a confused look on your face. The chain for the charm was a bead chain; there was no way you wouldn’t notice Seungmin struggling to chain the bead into the locking mechanism. Those chains make anyone struggle when chaining them properly.
Seungmin looks at you with a blank face, his expression unreadable. It was obviously him who did it, but will he admit it? Of course not. “That wasn’t me. You sure it wasn’t on your bag before we left your place?” His poker face still not budging as he looked at the new charm. “Maybe your dementia is getting to you since you’re getting so old,” his lips quirk back up into a smirk before playfully poking your head. His attempts of wanting to divert the conversation didn’t go as planned, however, as you shake your head, obviously not wanting to give up on your little interrogation.
“It’s not dementia! You’re the only one who could’ve put him on here!” You shook your head as you heavily emphasized the mysterious charm on your bag once more. You weren’t getting anywhere with him, frustrated that he wouldn’t admit to his crime, you let it go this time without a tiny pout on your lips. You walked off from him, your pace faster than before, but he caught up in no time with a grin on his face as he pulled you in by your shoulder and placed a tiny kiss on your hair before walking in silence back home. After all, he knew you wouldn’t be pouty for that long.
To this day, that same charm is still happily hanging on your bag, swaying back and forth to wherever you walk. Today, you and Seungmin were at a local cafe enjoying a cup of coffee and sweet treats. The two of you guys rambled about work and the latest gossip at your workplace, not a single detail left out to paint a vivid picture for him to imagine. However, when you glanced back at the charm he left on your bag that night, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander on how he did it without you noticing.
You found yourself sighing as you sipped the drink you ordered. After days, weeks, even, of pondering on how he can do such tricks, you finally gave up on pressing him for the answer. You already knew that it was him, but it was a matter of him admitting to his silly crime to put this case to a close.
Seungmin noticed your sigh, his head perking up at the soft exhale. “What’s got you thinking so hard all of a sudden?” His expression still unreadable, but his eyes held a softness only for you. You gave an awkward laugh before confessing the mystery plaguing your head for weeks now. “I’m still confused about how you do it. You know, leaving plushies around my place secretly and attaching the Skutto Tachisan charms on my bag when we’re together,” you stared down at your drink in shame as if you were the one doing something wrong.
Your eyes flickered up to read his face once more, but all there was on his expression was a tiny smile gracing his lips. “I already told you that it wasn’t me, so…” Seungmin’s voice trailed off as he denied your claims against him for the nth time. This time, you didn’t fight back against him, just heavily sighed as you nodded your head, playing along with his antics. To be honest, you didn’t expect him to keep up with the act this long. You would’ve expected him to come clean after you pressed him for an answer the first few times, but no dice.
Soon enough, the two of you left the cafe out to venture the streets once more. As you passed by various stores ranging from stationery to clothing, Seungmin trailed carefully behind you. His hands shoved in his jacket pockets as he carefully watched you lead the way, pulling him along as you continued to window shop. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he let you do as you pleased with him.
Little did you know, inside his pocket was another plush charm ready to find its new home on your bag. It was a matter of time before you would notice that he was hiding something from you again. As the two of you entered a busy clothing store, he thought it’d be the perfect chance for him to attach the charm to your bag. You curiously stared at the various clothing articles before you as you tried to see if there was anything that caught your eye. Seungmin, noticing you were in a daze, found that it was the ideal time for him to pull off his silly stunt. What he didn’t expect was for you to immediately turn around and ask him what his thoughts were on a dress.
He immediately froze; he was caught in the act as if he were caught stealing something. His hands holding the tiny bead chain near the end of your bag strap. You look at Seungmin with a confused face, almost appalled, as he looks like he was a deer in headlights. You gave him a shit eating smile as you placed your hands over his frozen ones, “Looks like you got caught… Whatever shall we do?”
You let go of his hands as you took the charm out of his own. This time, it was a white otter with a baby pink bowtie that he had for you. You couldn’t help but stare in awe at the cute charm, its doe eyes with its tiny blush on its cheek was too adorable for you to hate. “You know, you could’ve just given these to me normally,” you teased as you held the charm in the air, twisting the bead chain between your fingers, causing it to spin.
Seungmin stared at you with nothing left to say, his cover completely blown. He’s gotten pretty good at reading you, but this time, he was simply just unlucky with his timing. “It was fun to see your face when you saw them, it was cute…” His voice soft as he looked down at the ground, almost like a puppy getting scolded, his imaginary puppy ears flopping down in a sulking manner. It wasn’t like him to not put up a fight when it came to saying things like this to you, especially if he’s in public.
You couldn’t help but laugh at his honest response before clipping the charm onto your bag. “You can be so weird sometimes,” you take his hand as you rub small circles on the back of his hand in a reassuring manner. “But I don’t hate it, it’s funny, cute even,” you lightly teased before looking at his sullen expression. “What? You sad that I caught you in the act?” You poked his arm with the same shit eating smile from earlier.
Seungmin scoffed, finally recovering from his internal and external crisis: “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He rolled his eyes as he tried to play it off nonchalantly, but he knew there was no way of fully recovering from this.
You rolled your eyes as you pulled him along through the store, “Right, keep telling yourself that.” You continued to walk back to the store entrance, never letting go of his hand, even with all the teasing remarks sent his way. As you exit the store, you gently swayed your intertwined hands back and forth, waiting for Seungmin to break the silence.
“I thought you’d be happy to see them,” was his delayed response. Sure, he admitted it was fun to see your reaction, but beyond everything else, it was just his special way of loving you. After all, how could he not get you those silly plushies after hearing you mention that you like them? Consider it his way of silently loving you, seeing you light up, brows furrowed in confusion, but still treating them preciously as if they were alive, made everything worth the hassle. It was special, silent, and uniquely him, and you of all people knew that.
You melted at his response and leaned your body closer to his, your shoulder bumping against him, “I love you too, silly.” This time, he didn’t shove back, just a quiet nod of acknowledgement. However, that intimate silence turned back into a brighter mood with just one silly joke. “Wow, so we’re talking to the voices now? Didn’t know you loved the voices,” Seungmin jokes before getting a playful push from you, your smile bright despite his words.
“Oh shut up, this is coming from the guy who got caught in the act of trying to add another charm to my bag? Even though you’ve been doing this for how long now? Months?” You jabbed back, your laugh being played on repeat in his head. Even if he tried, he could never get tired of hearing that same laugh. He rolled his eyes as he finally accepted the allegations; a laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head, “I guess so. I did it for so long because I love you more than you think.”
His answer stunned you, but you felt warm inside at his earnest answer. There was no need to jab back or respond; just a gentle squeeze of his hand told you he meant it this time: no jokes, no jabs, just pure silent honesty. Just his own way of loving you.
A/n: omg thank you sooooo much for all of the love and support on the skz everyday texts I posted a couple of days ago!!!! I love each and every one of you!! Don’t forget to leave suggestions in my comments or the Ask Me Anything’s 💓 Also let me know if you would like to be added to the skz taglist
A/n: thank you so much for all of the love recently!! Make sure to check out the other skz texts through the masterlist link at the top!! Don’t forget to leave any suggestions / requests in the comments or my Ask Me Anything’s 💓 also let me know if you would like adding to the skz taglist!!
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