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izzy's playlists!
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@hyuninnie00
Introduction
Hello, I’m Taly | 23
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
I’ll be posting skz and other sketches and bits of photography I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
you can follow me for my art or whatever on Twitter & instagram
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
Please read my byf & Rules before anything please and thank you!
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I love to talk my inbox are always open!!!
The Leaders | Masterlist
"this is the underworld that no one escapes from"
ot8!ateez x f!reader
mafia au
genres and warnings: slowburn, angst, fluff, eventual smut (mdni!) poly!ateez, smoking, drinking, gambling, illegal businesses, politics, violence, heavy themes, mild gore, multiple pairings, more specific warnings in the chapters
word count: 257k
synopsis: in eden 1970, you join the inner circle of the crescent company by sharing information that could crumble the very foundations of eden itself. amidst the dark world of manipulation, connections, dirty politics and illegal dealings, you navigate with eight seemingly-refined gentlemen who have your back as the war with the elites begins.
timeline | maps | character book | visual board | chapter titles
chapters:
one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven | twelve | thirteen | fourteen | fifteen | sixteen | seventeen | eighteen | nineteen | twenty | epilogue
status: complete
taglist: closed.
read it on ao3 | wattpad
I used to like eating meat and one day I just stopped eating and and well I started getting sick anytime I would consume meat so it honestly helped in the me eating less red meat, poultry and fish still is something i consume but I’m honestly decreasing that as well and since I started cooking I’ve been looking at dishes that don’t require any time of meat
Picrew chain
Got a fun one for today. Make yourself in this picrew and put your name in the incorrect quote generator!
tagging, @frauleiiin @blackberry-command-cap @crqstalite @per-astraea @selenescantinaofficial
No pressure, as always :)
well. can't argue with that but I'm not entirely sure I have the rizz to pull a supreme enemy either
thank you, this is a fun one :)
tagging uhhhh @rakghoulified @catohphm @ebitenpura @terra-h-l @performativetotebag
Thank you both for the tags @blackberry-command-cap and @frauleiiin you guys are the best 💕
NPT: @shanaraharlyah @rubensmuse @scarecrowwizard @disasterchandelier @zaolan @rypnami <333
Waow... thanks for the tag Mars!!
Entirely true actually tagging for fun (no pressure, sorry if you're not okay with tag games ^^'); @tiramegtoons @tearsoftime0086 @0kaypk
:]
@darkmedolie @weepingmillow @mc-from-hell @areindeerlime
@studio-petrichor @harp-a-loo-loo
Megs! The creature ! It's behind you!!
(I wanted to do it sooner but picrew server was down the other day when I tried)
@smorallow @hplonesomeart @habijob
Only do it if you want no obligations.
Habijob: Sometimes I wonder if I’m hearing voices. Habijob: Then I remember that’s the last bit of sanity I have trying to get me to fall asleep at a reasonable time.
@misplaymaker @mapleykin @fedoraspooky @mak-to-the-future
That quote isn't even wrong :sob:
was not tagged in this but i love it so much
itsaboon: Oh hi, thanks for checking in, I’m ✨still a piece of garbage✨
AAHHHHH i actually love this quote bill wurtz reference GO
go forth unto victory, my moots
@annoying--moth @twoastricts @mil3st0nes @runicmaster @notsticks-notsticks @natavinsmoke06 @vaguelyhumorousbeans @minnow-pop @pettyfrogger @aedynlikesgreen @dusalex @captaincalamity
Cool!! Thanks for the tag ✨
“I know what a prism is! It’s where you put bad people.”
Yeah… yeah fair enough. (Also- skz stuff on the pitcrew?! I’m happy)
@your-local-lune @spiritedghost4 @ntixxx @shadowrealm2010 moots ;)
Ok I loved this one!!! Me and Skz and BTS lol
Honestly its finals week and what if i want to be a duck? No one asked me if I wanted to be a duck!
Tags (absolutely no pressure!) [Also anyone else who sees this and wants too!]
@muffin-man2311 @chrispypineappleburger @your-least-favorite-poet
Thank you ghost for the tag!!! Love you <3
I tried to make mine as realistically close to myself as possible and somehow she turned out prettier than me 😔💔
Autumn: Sorry I can’t be emotionally vulnerable with you it’d ruin the mystery.
I'm afraid I fw this quote heavy
P.s. I forgot the eyebrows. No wonder it looked incomplete😭
My pretty residents~
(No pressure) @chanslaptopbattery @loonarixsxx
this was so fun tysm for the tag <3
i like this sm it does look like me hehehe
"rin: Friendship is like peeing on yourself. Everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling it brings."
i was sceptical wether to put the quote cause.... but then i felt like it would be cheating if i re-did it lol
tag with no pressure!! sorry if this is bothering any of you тт @lizal1cious @pvppymin @starlostjisung @miniseungkimcami @pineapple-burgah
ahh tysm for the tag this was so so fun omg the quote is me trying to convince seungmin to date me
no pressure tags: @astrayapple @yawwni @joyracha @skzcodered @miniseungkimcami
Red: My knee just cracked so loudly that I half expect it to glow in the dark tonight.
I think this quote generator just called me old lol
Bri your picrew is super cute!!
No-pressure tags: @kloversung @hanjinology @b4echo
sitri: I love sarcasm! It’s like punching people in the face, but with words!
BAHAHA THIS IS JUST SO ACCURATE.
also, omg red your picrew is so cuuute!
no pressure tags: @kloversung @chandora @channlust @starlostjisung @viisstrayy @hnsbxby @pineapple-burgah @lizal1cious @yawwni @jektaev @joyracha @binniebb
I lost the plot bc I tried to do this as accurately as possible
lei: *Picks up hammer and breaks ringing cell phone.*
also very accurate
no pressure tags @yawwni @kloversung @binniebb @jektaev @pineapple-burgah @hnsbxby @zosauce @quokkaine @joyracha @b4echo @stryscribbles @strrykais (half of yall have been probably tagged but we're all a closed circle)
ty for the tags @skzcodered @channlust💕💕
i guess bro😭✌️✌️✌️✌️
and yes my cat is here ofc he got a cameo
@hyvnesangel @kirbray04 @satorisoup @quokkaine @kloversung @joyracha @yawwni @hnsbxby @gyuzies @moch3rii @sugarkiiss @hanjinology @stryscribbles @strrykais @koiiq
no pressure !!
biblically accurate how pale i am
tags no pressure dont shoot me.. @yawngnab @xhoinicx @breathe4me @izzyy-stuff @filmsbyun
Wasn’t tagged but wanted to join
Oh you know anytime it has to do with plants I gotta show my sweet child of mine @scribblesnsketches05
Sending them updated pictures of my sprout
Oh you know anytime it has to do with plants I gotta show my sweet child of mine @scribblesnsketches05
𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾
⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ hwang hyunjin x fem!reader
𝜗𝜚⋆ dad!hyunjin, mom!reader, they alr have a daughter [5.4k]
A day filled with happiness, laughter and endless cake, hyunjin's sad watching his little girl grow up, his solution? put another baby in you!
breeding, oral (m & f rec), fingering, tit sucking, body worship, size kink, belly bulge, creampie, unprotected sex (shocker), teasing, manhandling, hyunnie is whipped!, lovely in love like literally 90% is them being married and in love.
It was your daughters 3rd birthday, a day filled with toddlers screaming, giggling and just as much fun. Family, friends gathered around in your backyard, decorated in pink, hand painted decorations because Hyewon deserved nothing but the best.
Hyewon, your pride and joy, carried her for 9 long, painful months.
Just for her to be a mini Hyunjin.
The same dramatic flare even at three, the same soft look when they want something, the same mole under their eyes.
Hyunjin was made to be a dad, his soft presence, his caring nature; that belief has only been solidified after Hyewon.
Despite his hectic schedule he never missed anything, every appointment, every milestone he was there. He says its because she knew he'd be sad and she definitely didn't want her appa to be sad.
The suns long set, the pink and orange in the sky fading to blue and black. The chaotic day of constant sound and chaos settling to the distant sounds of dogs barking and contentment.
Inside its similar, the faint humming of the washing machine, Hyewon's sleeping mumbles through the baby monitor.
Your humming along to whatever songs auto playing on your phone, cleaning up the mountain of dishes from today, swapping with Hyunjin — leaving him to wrangle your hyperactive daughter who consumed nearly her body weight in sugar to bed.
You're off in your own thoughts when you suddenly feel Hyunjin's familiar arms wrap around you, halting your cleaning. Feeling Hyunjin relax into you, conditions you to do the same.
Hyunjin's hands roaming over you, holding onto your stomach keeping you in place for him, feeling his forehead resting on your shoulder.
"Little miss is all asleep." His voice quiet, muffled against your skin. You hum slightly, a small smile on your lips, not yet turning to look back at him.
"How'd you manage that?" In response he simply laughs a little bit, the laugh vibrating against your skin, sending shivers down your spine.
"Bribery, told her we'd take her to the park tomorrow with Siwoo." He presses a soft kiss to the exposed skin of your shoulder blade.
"Is Chan aware of this play date yet?" You hum in amusement awaiting his answer.
He simply mumbles something incoherent into your shirt, tightening his hold on you.
Putting down whatever plate you were washing, focusing off to the side, the small photo on the window sill; You, Hyunjin and Hyewon when she was first brought home.
Hyunjin's eyes following yours, his whole body softening at the memory.
"She was so small.." His voice almost unsteady, the memories flooding back, only feeling like yesterday his family was started.
"Can't believe shes three, soon shes gonna start school, then high school then college —" Your teasing words causing Hyunjin to groan against you.
"Don't start, shes not even out of preschool yet." His words make you soften, knowing he hates the fact shes growing up, his little girl growing up, growing out of being his mini me. (You doubt the dramatic-ness will fade)
"Maybe its time we think about a little sibling for Hyewon, hm? maybe being a big sister will teach her some responsibility." Teasing him even further, though your words lighthearted it sparks something in him. Expecting a witty response about Hyewon not needing to be responsible yet.
When it doesn't come you don't push, instead he turns you around, hands settling on your hips, taking in your slightly dishevelled appearance from the day, makeup slightly smudged around the eyes, lip gloss long gone — still looking utterly ethereal.
"What?" You say slightly amused, biting back a small smile as you look at him. He doesn't respond with words, his fingers moving to trace over your jawline, captivated by you.
You immediately soften under his touch, your hands holding into his shirt, your thumbs running over the fabric.
He leans over, his lips brushing over yours, not capturing them yet, just settling there, enjoying the ghost of you against him.
Your breath hitches slightly, letting him guide you, not pushing forward, just enjoying him in the moment.
When he finally presses his lips on yours its perfect.
Its not fireworks, its consuming.
Your lips move against each others perfectly, knowing each others rhythm, not rushing to anything, just taking in the moment — the rare moments of tranquility, of quiet.
Enjoying the tender moments, melting into his touch, your fingers moving to thread into his hair, not pulling on it just grounding you to him.
When it breaks its only because you cant breathe, both of you catching your breathes, not daring to part further than necessary. Opening your eyes you meet his, already looking at you.
"You're so beautiful." Its a whisper, it would be inaudible to anyone but you — and that's the point, he doesn't need to flash his love for you, shout words from the rooftop, if you wanted him too he would but he doesn't need to.
His love for you is fierce, all consuming and heavy, its presence its him.
His lips catch on yours again, pulling you into another kiss, this time the kiss deepens, lips moving against each others naturally, holding onto each other, trying to pull each other impossibly closer.
Hyunjin guides you instinctively through the house, carefully avoiding furniture and misplaced toys. Pushing through doors until your in your shared room. Guiding you to the bed, breaking the kiss to help you lay down on the bed.
Settling on your elbows, looking up at him, His white shirt stained with paint from the party, his hair slightly messed up from your hold on it.
Quickly he leans over you, effectively caging you on the bed. Pressing sweet kisses over your face with a smile, one to your cheek, your forehead, your nose, your chin then finally a kiss to your lips.
Its all smiles from both of you, as you cup his jaw as his hands hold himself up above you, falling over ontop of you when you shift under him slightly, breaking the kiss with laughter.
"You're an idiot, Hyune." Your words lacking any malice, smiling against his plush lips. Your fingers carding through his hair, just enjoying him in the moment.
"M'your idiot though.." He mutters against your lips, cradling your face then pressing a soft kiss against your lips, then pressing a kiss to your cheek then to your jaw, peppering soft kisses down the curve.
You cant help but scrunch your nose a little but laughing at his comment, instinctively tilting your head back to give him more room, your fingers massaging his scalp slightly, pulling on the lengths when he nips at your neck.
"Cheesy.." you mumble teasing him, you feel him nip at your neck making you yelp a bit pulling him off your neck to meet your eyes.
There's not an ounce of regret in his eyes, smiling wide looking at you, taking you all in.
"You love me for it." He hums, his fingers tracing down your side before dipping under your shirt, his cold fingers against your warm skin making you shiver under his touch.
"I love you despite it, there's a difference." You sigh dramatically, your cheeks hurting from smiling. He watches as you roll your eyes at him huffing in amusement.
Before you can make another snide comment hes moving, moving away from you only to settle above your stomach, pushing his head under your shirt causing you to make a strained yelp or laugh.
"Careful, gonna wake up the princess if you're not quiet." his words muffled from him muttering against your skin. Hyunjin, whos pressing open mouth kisses against your stomach. Your hands move you hold onto his shoulders.
After hes decided hes too impatient he slips out from under your shirt, he grabs your hands pulling you up to your knees with him. That dopey smile adorn on his lips you cant help smile back at him, your arms settling around his neck, your thumb brushing against the skin of his neck.
"You're so beautiful.." He whispers, just loud enough for you to hear it, your expression quickly softens, your movements halting temporarily.
"Always saying saying that, Hyunnie" You tease softly, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Always mean it too, so pretty for me even when you don't think so." His words sharp and honest, the air shifting, the tension growing thicker, more intense.
You cant help but moan slightly at his words, which immediately makes him smile wide, teasingly.
His hold on you is tight but not painful, you can tell you'll be bruised on your hips tomorrow but its worth it.
Hyunjin guides you back down till your head hits the pillows, your chest rising from your uneven breathing. Hyunjin cant help but admire you, the way your hair fans out around you, the way your pupils dilate, how you look at him like he hangs stars.
"You're staring." Your soft voice brings him out of his daze, he doesn't respond verbally not trusting his voice to not break, instead he smiles at you.
His fingers trace the hem of your his shirt, you get the memo, lifting yourself up a bit to help remove your shirt, letting it fall to the other side of the bed.
No matter how many times he's seen you like this his eyes never waver. Looking a you like you were sculpted just for him, like you're the most beautiful being created, and to Hyunjin you are.
He takes a deep breath, taking in the sight of you, his fingers stationary on your stomach.
Only when you mutter his name he comes back to reality, smiling sweetly at you before he leans down and presses a kiss to your stomach.
"Remember how beautiful you looked pregnant?" He whispers against your skin, not yet meeting your eyes, fingers grazing the band of your shorts.
"I could barely get my shoes on in the morning, Hyune." you hum in amusement.
"Doesn't mean you weren't gorgeous — god you were glowing, you always have been breathtaking but seeing you carrying my daughter, you looked divine." His words honest, you know that, hes told you hundreds of times — but this time its different, looking at you with something darker in his eyes.
"Whenever i see you with Hyewon all i can think about is how good you are with her, how amazing of a mother you are — how fucking perfect you'd look pregnant again." You cant help the way your breath hitches at his words, unconsciously pressing your thighs together, which of course he notices.
He finally shuts up, deciding you've been teased enough for now.
He kisses down your stomach, putting extra attention on every stretch mark, every freckle and mole. His fingers hook on your waistband, pulling them down torturously slow, kissing every inch of you.
Your skin tingles everywhere he kisses, your fingers lacing in his hair tugging gently, pulling a groan from him which only makes you bite your lip holding back a laugh.
Hyunjin whos less amused, nips the sensitive skin of your thigh, which makes you smack his head slightly, the vibrations of his laugh making you shiver slightly, Hyunjin's hands holding you firmly in place.
"You're such a tease." He sighs dramatically lifting his head from between your thighs to rest his cheek on one of them, his hand soothing the skin of your other thigh, drawing small shapes on it as he looks up at you with a grin.
"Oh I'm the tease? What am i doing?" You huff in amusement, your fingers running through his hair, not able to take your eyes off his.
"Existing." He says simply, dead serious in his accusation.
"My existence is enough to test your sanity?" You cant help but smile at him, enjoying the way his touch feels against your skin.
He simply hums in agreement his movements stopping suddenly. "Can barely contain myself half the time."
"Only half? — id say its more like 25 —" You're words quickly die on the tip of your tongue when you feel his warm breath against your heat.
Hyunjin's nose ghosts you, taking in all of you.
He stills in front of you, you feel his fingers dig into the plush of your thighs, faintly hearing him take a deep breath against you. His tongue suddenly swipes up your slit, you can barely process the sudden pleasure before hes diving against your pussy.
Hyunjin's lips attach your clit, sucking on your aching bud with devotion. His tongue darting around, putting pressure on your clit, you cant help the whimpers that flea your lips, holding onto anything you can, one hand settling in his hair pulling on the dark locks, the other scrunching the silk sheets below you.
"Gotta be quiet, baby — don't wanna wake the princess hm?" he murmurs low against your bundle of nerves, his voice creating vibrations against your clit pulling a choked compliant moan from you, biting your lower lip so hard you might break skin.
Taking a sharp breath as his tongue dips from your clit, running through your folds, lapping up all your slick, his nose nudging against your clit with every lick.
You could swear he was enjoying this just as much — if not more than you, moaning desperately into your pussy despite warning you to be quiet. His moans only escalate when you tug on his scalp, groaning into your cunt.
The quiet night interrupted by your joint moans and mindless whispers echoing through the walls, — thankful you don't live close enough to anyone to be bothered.
"Hyunjin —" your breathed moans only fuelling him further, one of his hands snaking across your thigh, his thumb nudging against your sore clit.
Only for him to pull his face away from your cunt to look at you, forcing you to look back down at him — instantly throwing your head back at the sight.
His hair a mess, a sheen of sweat coating his hairline — the bottom half of his face coated in a mix of your slick and his spit, a stupid sly grin plastered with it.
"Missed her so much — been so focused on planning the perfect party for the princess forgot to take care of my girl ~" Fuck hes not even talking to you, you cant help but try and press your thighs together at him talking to your pussy.
His thumb leaves your clit much to your displeasure — whining as you buck your hips up to try and chase his touch. He simply coos at you pressing a soft hiss to your inner thigh, his fingers parting you with a V taking in the sight of you soaked in front of him.
"Gonna stretch you out so good, baby gotta get you nice and ready f'me" Hyunjin presses a final kiss to your clit before you can feel one of his thick fingers prodding your entrance. He's still at your hole, enamoured with how how your clenching around nothing, how you try bucking up to somehow slip his finger in you, pointless but he admires your efforts none the less.
You can barely hold back your moans, your lip sore from biting back. All you can think about is how good he feels — how you desperately crave more.
Hyunjin's eyes darken as he takes you in, the view of your tight cunt sucking in only one of his fingers, letting out a hum in amusement.
You moan as you feel his finger press into you, the slight fullness barely satiating your need for him. Almost like he can tell his finger curls slightly into you, clenching around his digit.
"S'good for me, baby — gonna take another f'me? Hyunjin coos at you, phrasing it like a question knowing damn well you're desperate for more.
You nod vigorously, breathless moans filling the room, fuelling Hyunjin's motivation — eager to please you above his want to tease you endlessly.
You feel a second finger nudge your entrance — clenching around his other finger — soft whimpers, pleading him for more.
You immediately arch at the feeling of his fingers filling you up so good — fingers curling into his hair and the sheets next to you. Breathless moans escaping you, barely able to be mindful of your volume the feeling of him inside you satisfying your need to be close to him.
"Hyune.." You whine quietly, pleading for him to move, your pleas are short lived when you feel him pull out, thrusting his fingers into your tight hole.
His movements are fast but precise, knowing exactly where to angle his fingers to have you wrecked under him.
"Please — ple-please!! — f-fuck Hyunnie t-much..!!" Your words falling short on any meaning, your hips bucking down to meet his thrusts, moaning helplessly around his fingers as the press against that spot only he can reach.
"Taking me so well — fuck,, clenching me so tight even after all this time." he lets out a breathless laugh, his eyes focused on your cunt, how it sucks him in so well.
You can barely process his words — feeling your orgasm approach quickly — the constant thrusts of his long thick fingers, prodding at your gummy spot — his dishevelled appearance — fuck its too much for any sane person.
"Gonna cum over my fingers, muse — god, you're unreal.." Mumbling to himself at this point — you're barely able to contain yourself, your lips bruised from you biting to try and fail holding back your moans.
Hyunjin dips down, lips lips latching onto your aching clit — the final nail pulling your orgasm from you.
His movements only slow, helping you ride out your orgasm, his lips sucking on your slit softly, tongue flicking it pulling strained whines from you.
When he notices your haze fading he parts from your bud, his fingers slowing its thrusts to a halt completely.
you immediately whine, trying with all your strength to try and thrust up to have any sort of friction. Hyunjin simply holds onto your hips, keeping you in place.
Pulling his fingers from your aching cunt, you whine at the loss of him, quickly silencing yourself when you see him put his fingers in his mouth, sucking the digits. Hyunjin moans at the taste of you, his grip on your hip tightening, his eyes never leave yours.
His fingers pull out with a pop, a small devilish smile gracing his lips as he leans over your body, his hand grazing up your side, capturing your lips in a feverish kiss.
Your hands settle on the back of his neck, pulling him down closer, deepening the kiss. Hyunjin nipping at your bottom lip causing you to moan, taking the chance sticking his tongue in your month, his tongue pressing against yours in a heated kiss.
When you part its for a need for oxygen, neither of you wanting it to end, chasing his lips as he presses a faint kiss to you cheek before pulling back completely.
Quickly you forget how to breathe when he reaches for the collar of his shirt, pulling it over his head, throwing it to the side. Your breath hitching at the sight of his bare torso, His honey skin adorned with soft freckles from countless trips to the beach with Hyewon — faint marks from previous night, your gaze dropping lower and lower till it focus on the defined 'V' leading to his sweatpants.
"You're staring." He teases barely affecting you, looking up and meeting his eyes finally.
"A lot to stare at, Mr Hwang." You quip back with a smile, a small laugh escaping him as he leans back down, mimicking his actions leaning back down against the mattress.
"Flattery will get you everything Mrs Hwang." He whispers in your ear, a small huff in amusement leaving you.
Pushing him back up, sitting yourself up, your fingers skirting over the waist band of his sweats, his boxers peaking through, smiling to yourself as you look up at him with feigning innocence.
Hyunjin looks away from you, a shakey laugh escaping him as he looks back at you, full of love. "You're unreal."
"You've told me once or twice." you hum, your fingers hooking at the band, slipping both his boxers and sweatpants down enough for him to pull them off, ending up at the foot of the bed.
"Only once or twice? Maybe i need to tell you more." He smiles at you.
He leans back over you, his nose touching yours slightly as his fingers tuck some hair behind your ear, his eyes full and never leaving yours.
"I love you." He whispers softly against your lips, causing you to smile against his.
'Love you more." You whisper teasingly back against his lips.
Hyunjin only pulls back to dramatically sigh, his smile never fading, his eyes never leaving yours.
"Unlikely, muse." He grabs your hands pulling you up to him, his lips attaching to yours instantly.
You melt into the kiss with a sigh, enjoying the quiet intimacy's with him.
Pulling away from the kiss only to press your lips on the slope of his jaw, nibbling at his skin, your fingers squeezing at his biceps.
Pushing him gently against the mattress, falling down with a small huff, a smile still spread on his lips.
Straddling his thighs you take him in under you, the roles reversed.
Noticing immediately his hardened cock twitching against his stomach, your nails dragging along his thigh, Hyunjin letting out small strained sounds, barely holding onto his composure.
Your fingers continue trailing him, scratching down his toned stomach across the small trail of hair leading to his length. Nearly salivating at the sight of his thick cock heavy against his stomach.
Feeling your focused eyes on him he cant help but laugh humorlessly. "Way to make a guy feel nervous, muse."
You hum in response, your hand wrapping around his length, pulling a choked moan from him.
Tightening your grip slightly as your hand moves up and down his cock, your thumb pressing on the sensitive slit of his tip. Pathetic moans leaving his lips, unable to look away from the sight of you with his cock.
Dipping your head to his length, your tongue dips out from your lips, making small kitten like licks on his tip just how he likes it.
Before you can get any further he pulls you off, pushing you back against the pillows, his legs caging your hips.
"What —" You're about to tease him when you notice the flushed look on his face, serious while his eats tinge pink.
'If you went any further i would have been gone before we even started." He says breathlessly, your teasing smile fading as your heart hammers in your chest.
His eyes trained on your chest, your nipples perked from the cold chill in the room, Brainlessly his hands quickly move, his thumb swiping over the sensitive bud.
Your body changed after Hyewon, all parts looking different even years after, but to Hyunjin you've never looked better.
He pulls on your nipple with his thumb and index finger, twisting the sensitive bud, making you whimper. Not leaving the other one aching and unattended he bends down capturing it between his teeth, moaning against the mound.
"Hyune —" you tilt your head back against the pillows, your hand holding onto the back of his head holding him in place against your boob. His fingers halting against your other bud, his full attention on the nipple in his mouth.
His hips grind against your thigh, barely missing your cunt, feeling the heat of him so close but unobtainable, whining from the brushes of pleasure you pull him off your chest, with a groan.
Hyunjin quickly looks up to meet your eyes about to say something that quickly dies on the tip of his tongue when he sees your helpless glossy eyes.
He smiles softly, pressing a quick kiss to your chest before kissing the tip of your nose.
Pulling your thighs apart, settling between them, your legs naturally hooking over his hips.
His hand trails down your side, almost trying to memorised every bit of you, his finger brush over your thigh, his fingers leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.
Hyunjin leans over you, effectively caging you in, his hand wrapping around his cock, pumping his length a few times — soft groans falling from his lips.
He pulls you closer, lining up with your sopping hole, taking in the sight of you wrecked under him.
Desperate pleas fall from your lips, you try rutting your hips to push him in, only forcing his tip to up against your clit — strained moans leaving both your lips.
Hyunjin cant help but exhale, his restraint slowly fading, feeling your slick coat his cock. One of his hands hold onto your hip, the other resting by you.
Slowly his tip breaches your entrance, immediately whimpering at the weight of him pressing into you. Squeezing around his tip — nearly pushing him out, despite the prep you'll never get used to the size of him.
"Pushing me out, mama, fuck — s'tight for me hm?" his tone trying to sooth you despite his teasing words.
You cant help but moan — squirming around under him as you feel his cock going deeper and deeper.
Feeling so full of him — taking over all of your senses, the taste of his cock — his lips lingering, the scent of his cologne on his pillows the faint pants and moans fleeing from his lips.
The room echos every small sound — from Hyunjin's breathed moans, your sweet whines and the wet slicked sound of him in you.
Your hands grip at his shoulders, nails scratching against his skin — a small hiss escaping his lips. Feeling his hips meet yours when hes fully pressed into is a sensation you'll never grow tired of, the pleasureful stretch of him, unable to tell where he ends and you start.
Faint moans slip from Hyunjin's lips at you squeezing him, moving closer you you, leaning on his elbows for support.
"Not g-gonna last, muse — fuck." His voice breaks, ragged from pleasure — your tight warm walls feeling like heaven around him.
His head dips to lean against your shoulder, leaving wet kisses against your skin. You pull him off your shoulder, capturing his lips in a heated kiss with no rhythm, sucking on his bottom lip.
Hyunjin pulls back with a heavy breath, his adjusting so he can run his fingers through your hair.
When you open your eyes, they immediately meet his dark ones, the small moan that slips out is involuntary as he takes a sharp breath, looking back in your eyes asking if your ready.
When he pulls back you miss the heavy feeling of him in you — instantly taking it back when you feel him thrust deeply back into you. The slow drag of his hips only to thrust into you hard.
The slick sounds of his cock pushing into your tight cunt, the feeling of your walls fluttering around him with every mean thrust. His tip intentionally grazing that sweet spot with every thrust.
"H-hyunnie — fuck!" Your moans raising slightly as the pleasure becomes unbearable, feeling sensitive from your previous orgasms. Hyunjin shushes you with a quick kiss, his lips stationary on yours as his trusts grown less strategic and needier.
"Need you to be quiet f'me, yeah muse? — gonna wake our princess if you're not careful. He smiles against your lips. Despite his words it only urges him to fuck you harder into the mattress. Pulling back from you, his hands sliding down you hips, holding you in place his thrusts quickening.
"J-Just as good as when i had you the first time — fuck maybe even better, so perfect for me yeah? my perfect girl." His praise barely registering to either of you, Hyunjin murmuring incoherently completely overtaken by the feeling of you.
Hyunjin only pushes your body further, hooking your leg over his arm, his thrusts going deeper and rougher — your sobbed moans only serving as encouragements.
"S-so good for me, can feel you everywhere, yeah? Look at you, muse." His breathing even as his cock drills into your pussy.
When you manage to open your eyes you expect to find his meeting yours but no — their focused on your stomach, the small bump of him in you, stretching you out so good. You cant help but squeeze your eyes shut tilting your eyes back as you mewl biting your lip.
The sound Hyunjin makes when you see the bulge hes making in your stomach teeters on a growl.
"Taking me so good, baby ~ fuck look at you —" His hand moves to your stomach — pushing down on the bulge, pulling senseless moans from you.
"Can feel me everywhere, huh baby? — gonna fill you so good, its gonna take, yeah?" You can tell hes getting close, his rough thrusts growing sloppier.
Feeling you clench at the thought makes him laugh breathlessly, sucking air through his teeth, the rough thrusts now with purpose.
"Ohhh~ you like that, hm? Filling you up over and over again till it takes? Have everyone know who you belong to — reminding e-everyone only i can make you feel this good, yeah?" Your moans only fuelling his impending orgasm, his fingers moving to your clit, rubbing harsh figure 8s on the oversensitive bud.
The duel sensation of his mean sloppy thrusts and the sweet relief of your aching clit getting attention makes your orgasm build quickly, Hyunjin mumbling barely audible sweet nothings in your ear pushing you to the break, shaking and clenching hard around him as your orgasms bursts.
Hyunjin follows instantly after you, the feeling of you squeezing him and you moaning his name as you cum.
His movements only slow, helping you both ride out your orgasms together, the intensity of them fading into bliss.
Hyunjin's small thrusts into you only stop when you wince in overstimulation, quickly apologising with a small kiss to your shoulder. Both of you catching your breath trying to calm yourselves.
Hyunjin collapses onto you with a dramatic huff, burying his face into your neck.
You can help but laugh, the air being forced out of you as your husband lands on you. Your shaking hands run through his hair, the roots damp with sweat, humming as you feel his heart beat against yours.
"You're gonna crush me." you tease, your throat sore from your endless moans from earlier.
"You'll be fine." His words muffled against your hair, only for him to sigh sitting up slightly to lean his chin against your chest looking up at you with his signature grin.
"You're ridiculous." Smiling wide at him, your fingers massaging his scalp.
He hums slightly, enjoying the feelings of your fingers in his hair. "You enjoy my ridiculousness." He says matter of factly.
Your smile only softens in response, only then realising that hes still inside you, the feeling not unpleasant at all, comforting almost.
"Get up, need to clean up." you sigh dramatically, Hyunjin only groaning in response, neither of you making any effort to move.
"Keeping you all to myself, just a bit longer." Burying his face into your chest making you laugh.
You smile wide, enjoying the moment; no work, no members screaming, no crying child — just you and him enjoying the small window of alone time.
"I meant it, by the way." He says after a moment looking at you.
You hum absent minded, fingers drawing shapes on his back. "What?"
"Wanting another kid, giving Hyewon a sibling." His words stopping your movements on his back, looking back at him, his eyes already on you, serious.
"Yeah?" You cant help the smile that breaks out on your face, one quickly spreading on Hyunjin's face.
He only nods, confirming. "I think we're ready — plus Won would make a good sister."
You hum, "You mean teaching them how to have you wrapped around your finger and how to milk all their uncles for everything a child could want?"
"Exactly that." His fingers tuck some hair behind your ear.
You take a deep breath, not believing what you're gonna say. "Okay."
Hyunjin perks up at your confirmation. "Okay?" His voice full of excitement.
You nod, the smile making your cheeks hurt but you wouldn't have it any other way.
"I guess its time to get to work." He says with a cheshire grin, before you can even say anything his lips move down your body. Making quick work on his earlier promise.
general taglist: @nanilis @hoonsocks @sweethoons @beomiracles @izzyy-stuff @yvampyr @kookiesnkim @owlieuwu @seungminsslut @hyukascampfire @yawngnab
how he sees me | hwang hyunjin | part eight
— SUMMARY. In which Hyunjin is a little bit of an asshole, and Y/N just misses him.
— PAIRING. hwang hyunjin x fem!reader
— GENRE. punk!hyunjin, ex-childhood-bestfriends-to-lovers au
— WC. 10.7k+
— WARNINGS/OTHER. cursing, alcohol consumption, angst, fluff (sweeter times await us), slight jealously (we all know from who), hyunjin is a lot softer (but still dom!hyunjin), smut consisting of : unprotected sex, public sex (?), self-inflicted choking, spanking, fingering, squirting (he must be really good at that, geez), m!masturbation, sub!hyunjin (for a split second), y/n is on top, lots of dirty talk
— NOTE. whew, it’s been a wild ride. i started this back in 2024, took a long break, & then came back to it, & i am so glad i did. this was my first series on here, and it is my baby. it’s very bittersweet that we’re finally at the end, but do not fret, there will be an epilogue 🙂↔️ thank you to everyone who stayed patient with me & interacted with me — you all mean the world!!!
ᝰ epilogue | series m.list
The city faded behind them mile by mile.
By the time they were winding through the quieter roads outside of LA, the glow had softened into a distant haze, barely touching the sky ahead. Dark hills were surrounding them, and the air through the open window felt cooler. Y/N’s head was resting against the window, propped up by her hand, a throwback playlist softly playing through the entire car. Hyunjin’s hand was resting against her bare thigh, hot with his touch, his left gripping the steering wheel. He was slouched back in the drivers seat, fingers drumming against her leg to the beat of the music as he quietly sang along to the Hoedown Throwdown. A classic.
“I knew you secretly liked Hannah Montana.”
Hyunjin side-eyed her, fingers coming to an abrupt stop on her thigh, “And what makes you say that?”
Y/N smirked, turning her head to face him, still side-eying the shit out of her. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re thumping your fingers to each singular beat and singing it like your entire life depends on it?”
“Doesn’t mean I like Hannah Montana,” He huffed out, and Y/N’s smirk only widened, “You forced me to watch that shit. And all you kept yapping about was if she was going to pick Jessie or Jake. Jake was the better choice, obviously.”
It seemed like Hyunjin knew what he said, as he let out a loud groan, dramatically throwing his head back on the seat behind him. “Don’t you start,” He grumbled out in fake annoyance as Y/N started to laugh at him. She knew he was invested.
“Shall I turn it up a little for you?” She let out teasingly, giggling even louder once he glared at her. Before she could turn the volume up, she felt his hand leave her thigh, seeing that he had annoyingly moved it to rest on the steering wheel. Y/N decided she didn’t like that.
“Why’d you move your hand?” She let out without thinking.
He glanced at her, smirking slightly, “Because you’re being annoying.”
Y/N huffed, crossing her arms across her chest as she glared at him. Her thigh felt cold, and she didn’t like it. “Put it back.”
“No.”
“Yes.” She raised her voice slightly, feeling even more annoyed once she saw how smug he looked.
“No.”
“Jinnie,” She whined his name out, lightly stomping her foot on the floorboard, “I said, put it back!”
She froze once she realized what she said, body going stiff in the seat. Why is she acting like this in front of him? And over his hand on her thigh?
Maybe it was the way the drive didn’t even feel awkward when it should have. They’ve been through so much together, had so much distance and unspoken feelings between them, that the ride to wherever Hyunjin was taking her should have been awkward, but it wasn’t. It felt easy, and it felt like them. She was acting how she did when they were in high school, and she suddenly felt embarrassed at that fact. That can’t be appealing when she’s a grown-ass woman now. Right?
Y/N glanced at Hyunjin nervously, cheeks heating up when she saw him starring at her, a cocky grin on his face, eyebrows raised in amusement. For a second, she caught a glimpse of the seventeen year old he once was, looking at her the exact same way whenever she threw a fit in his car. The striking resemblance had her heart stuttering in her chest in a way that felt overwhelmingly familiar.
His hand on her thigh made her jump slightly, not expecting him to listen to her and definitely not expecting him to place it right back where it was before. “There, you big baby,” He said teasingly, fingers brushing against the skin there, “Happy now?”
Y/N huffed, pretending to be annoyed, when they both knew she was anything but that.
“You’re still not going to tell me where we’re going?” She spoke again before he could, desperately trying to redirect the attention and embarrassment off of her.
His lips quirked, and he looked like he wanted to tease her further, but thankfully decided against it. “You’ll know when we get there.”
“That sounds awfully sus.”
“It’s supposed to be.”
Y/N leaned back in her seat, her thighs shifting. Hyunjin’s hand tightened around her at the movement, and she tried to ignore it. “If I get kidnapped after six years of you being gone, I’m going to be really offended.”
He laughed under his breath, “That would be a terrible comeback plan.”
It would, but Y/N wouldn’t mind it.
The car finally slowed a quiet pull-off area surrounded by open land. A small, wooden sign marked the edge of a trail, and beyond it, nothing but darkness and sky. They had made it just outside Angeles National Forest.
Before she could even say anything, Hyunjin was already parking the car, un-buckling his seatbelt as he stepped out. The door closed with a quiet bang, and Y/N was in the middle of un-bucking her own seatbelt, when the passenger door opened. Hyunjin was standing there, smiling, holding his hand out for her to take.
“Shall we?” He wiggled his fingers, and Y/N couldn’t stop the deep blush that rose on her cheeks as she took his hand.
“Since when have you become so gentlemanly?” She asked once he closed her side of the door, their hands still intertwined.
“Since I’ve realized you deserve more than what I’ve been giving.”
His words hung in the air for a minute, the silence hitting almost immediately.
“Plus, I’ve always been a gentleman when it came to you.” He continued in a lighter tone, leading her over towards the back of the car. He opened the trunk, a bunch of blankets and a basket coming into view. Y/N could see that there was a bouquet of red roses sitting in there, smaller than the large bouquet he had gotten her awhile back, and a bottle of red wine with two glasses.
He turned towards her, his gaze making her shiver, “I have to let go of your hand so I can grab everything, petal. Promise you won’t be fussy when I do?”
Y/N rolled her eyes, letting go first so he couldn’t beat her to it, “Shut up.”
He chuckled lightly, slinging the basket over one shoulder, the two blankets on his other. Y/N asked if she could carry something, but he wouldn’t let her, insisting he had this, closing the trunk back.
He was struggling a little as he started to walk, Y/N following behind. “You’re so stubborn,” She let out, folding her arms across her chest as the wind blew, “You look like you’re about to drop everything.”
“I got this, baby. I have muscle now, you know?”
Oh she knows. She knows very well.
They walked a short distance, their footsteps crunching lightly against the dirt and gravel. Y/N stifled a laugh every time Hyunjin almost tripped over a twig on the ground, hearing him cursing to himself each time.
The trees finally opened up to a wide clearing, and Y/N let out a short gasp at the view. The sky stretched endlessly above them, deep and clear, scattered with stars so bright that it almost didn’t feel real. She was able to see the stars in the city, but the constant haze the sky gave off prevented her from seeing them this clear. Here, the city glow was nowhere in sight, and it looked just how she used to remember when they stargazed together back home.
“Jinnie…” She said his name, in awe, eyes dancing across each and every star that laid in the darkness, “I’ve never seen it like this. I haven’t seen it like this in so long it feels like.”
Hyunjin watched her instead of the sky, letting out a pleased hum, “I was hoping you would say that.”
He placed the basket down, beginning to lay out one of the giant fluffy blankets on the dirt and grass. “I know weren’t not supposed to talk when we watch the stars, but that rule’s already been broken, so it’s okay now, right?”
She hummed in response, taking a small step forward, like she might somehow disturb it. “How did you find this place?”
“Chan showed it to me awhile ago,” He replied, sitting crisscrossed on the blanket, placing the bottle of wine and the two glasses in front of him, “I came here sometimes when I couldn’t sleep, or when I just needed silence. It felt like something you would’ve liked.”
This made her glance over at him, “You thought about me out here?”
“All the time. Believe it or not, I’ve never stopped thinking about you, petal.”
She stood there for a second, the weight of that settling in. She let out a breath, slowly walking over towards him, toeing off her shoes before sitting down on the blanket beside him.
He had started opening the bottle of wine, tongue lightly sticking out as he concentrated on popping the cork out. He always did that when he focused on something. He did it whenever they made up dance routines to show her mom, whenever he painted, whenever he stood on the soccer field debating his next move. It made her smile as she scooted a little closer to him.
“You’re doing that thing with your tongue again.”
The cork came off with a soft pop, and he reached down to start filling up the wine glasses in front of him, side-eying her. “I can do a lot of things with my tongue, wouldn’t you agree?”
Y/N shoved him lightly, thankful that it was dark so he couldn’t see how red her entire face was. She jerked the wine glass out of his grip, taking a sip of the wine, ignoring the giant smirk on his lips. “Idiot.” She smiled into the glass.
Hyunjin took a sip of his own glass, his gaze never wavering on her. Y/N could feel the intensity of it, and it made her shift a little, a shiver running through her once the wind blew a little stronger than before.
“Here,” He wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, careful not to knock over the glass in her hand, “I brought this for you. I knew you’d be cold. I told you to change but of course, you never listen to me.”
“I put a sweatshirt on,” She defended herself, fingers curling around the blanket as she covered her shoulders up more.
“Like a sweatshirt will keep you warm enough out here. Should’ve put on pants, too.”
“Maybe I knew you would keep me warm enough,” She cheekily smiled at him as he rolled his eyes teasingly. She moved a little closer to him, his cologne flooding her senses, and her eyes softened as she studied him, “You’ve always taken care of me, haven’t you?”
“I guess I have.” He whispered back.
Y/N never had much money growing up. Her mother worked night shifts, picking up extra shifts as a waitress in nearby restaurants just so they could get extra money for necessities. When she got older, she worked at a small little café down the street in attempts to help out in every way she could. The shifts and added stress only got worse once her nana became sick, but Hyunjin helped out every way he could. Her father left them when she was young, so it was only Y/N and her mother for the longest time. Well, that’s until Hyunjin came into the picture, and was immediately treated like he was a part of their family.
Hyunjin knew they didn’t have much. Play dates mainly occurred at his house, as it was much bigger and offered way more space than Y/N could ever imagine. Hyunjin’s nanny was always understanding, cooking extra food for lunch or dinner so she’d be able to take some home. Sooyong had the same kind of heart as Hyunjin did. Y/N knows he had gotten it from her.
As they got older, Hyunjin helped out a lot more. He would buy them things they needed, pay their heating bill, sometimes even paying off rent when it was late. Y/N’s mother always appreciated the gestures and took it without hesitation, but Y/N hated it. She knew Hyunjin had come from money, and he used it towards them more times than she could count. It made her feel worthless, in a way, as she knew she’d never be able to pay him back for everything he’s done for them. Although Y/N is much more financially stable now with a secure job that pays her well, she still has that same guilt of paying him back sitting over her shoulders, but she knows that she’d probably never be able to. He wouldn’t let her, anyway.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked softly, another gust of wind blowing her hair in her face. She didn’t move it.
“Just how much you’ve done for me and my family, and that I’ll never be able to re-pay you for all you’ve done, as much as I want to.”
The words felt heavy coming out of her mouth. She jumped slightly when his fingers brushed against her cheek as he tucked her hair behind her ear. He kept it there for a moment. “You don’t need to worry about that, petal,” He spoke gently, fingers slowly moving down her arm to her hand as he intertwined their hands together, “I’ve told you this before, and it’s the same now. I wanted to help you and your family. It was a choice I made.”
“But why?” She asked, unable to hide the slight vulnerability in her question, eyes focused on their hands resting in her lap, “You know how I feel about it, and you know you didn’t have to do any of that. I just don’t understand why.”
“Because I loved you.” His response was immediate, rolling off his tongue like it meant nothing and everything at the same time. Y/N jerked her head over towards him, goosebumps forming on her skin not from the slight chill, but from what he just said.
“You… loved me?” She emphasized the word, trying not to cry from how he said it in past-tense. Hyunjin loved her? As in, he used to, but not anymore? And what did he even mean by that? Did he love her as a friend, or something more?
I guess it doesn’t even matter if he doesn’t feel it right now.
Y/N looked away from him, tears brimming her eyes. Her hand loosened under his, and she suddenly felt sick.
“Wait, shit, that didn’t come out right,” He spoke again, frantic, hand gripping onto hers a little tighter when he noticed her trying to let go, “Fuck, I’m not good at this shit. I’m not good at this at all.”
Y/N was a little confused now, chewing on her bottom lip nervously, eyes focused on the glass in her free hand. She heard him cursing silently, shifting his body a couple times before he readjusted himself beside her, now sitting on his knees.
“Can you look at me?” He strained out, and Y/N tried to blink away her tears before turning towards him. His face was so close to her now, and she could feel him breathing against her skin.
“That’s not… this is not how I wanted to tell you,” He ran his right hand through his hair, and Y/N could tell he was frustrated with himself. He let out a loud sigh, moving their hands to lay on his lap, fingers softly tracing the back of her hand.
“Six years ago, you asked me if I loved you,” He started, licking his lips nervously, “I hesitated. And then I panicked. And then I… I ran off, because I thought I wasn’t good enough for you.”
The moonlight was casting a glow between them, igniting just enough light to where she could see him. “I still don’t think I’m good enough for you, but I’m going to be the man that you deserve, whatever the fuck that takes.”
He sighed again, clearing his throat, shifting their hands on his thighs. “What I said was true. I loved you. I loved you when you shared your lunch with me the first day I met you. I loved you when you called me Jinnie for the first time. I loved you when you forced me to play Barbies every single weekend and dress up in your god-awful princess dresses that I’m still surprised fit me as good as they did. I loved you whenever I went to bed, whenever I woke up, and in every fucking way that you can love someone. I loved you so much that it physically hurt, because I knew I could never have you in that way.”
Y/N couldn’t stop the singular tear from falling down her face, gripping his hand harder, holding it like she never wanted to let go.
“And I still love you, Y/N. In every fucked up way, I love you,” He breathed out, and Y/N felt like it was getting difficult to breathe, “Being away from you all these years only intensified the feeling. I love you, I’m in love with you, and I will spend every fucking second of the rest of my pathetic, fucking life telling you that.”
He lifted his hand up, delicately caressing the side of her face, and she melted into him immediately. “My life is anything but normal now, and there’s going to be some barriers we’ll have to get through, but I want to get through them with you, because I want to be with you, in every way. I want to wake up every morning to see you lying beside me with your hair all tangled up and poofy like you’ve been electrocuted a dozen times throughout the night, I want to grow old with you and get arthritis with you, I want to see you in the crowd at my shows and fuck you backstage, I want to kiss you and touch you every second of every fucking day, and I want to love you, just how I should have all these years.”
She couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her mouth at his words, his lips brushing against hers ever so slightly as he looked at her like she was everything, like she was the only girl in the world. “I love you, Y/N. I love you so fucking much.”
Y/N leaned in to kiss him, unable to stop herself, not that she wanted to, anyway. He tasted like red wine and all things Hyunjin—he tasted like home.
They both smiled into the kiss, giggles escaping both of their mouths in-between soft kisses, and Y/N felt this overcoming sense of euphoria travel through her.
Hyunjin loves her. The same Hyunjin that hates eggplants, that spends over an hour in the bathroom getting ready for bed, that can quote every line from SpongeBob—the same Hyunjin that she’s always known and loved.
Her Hyunjin.
“I swear I had a better way to tell you, but of course I had to ruin my plan by being a fucking idiot.” He mumbled into her mouth.
“Yeah, but you’re my fucking idiot.” She smiled at him, reaching over to sit her wine glass down in the grass away from them. Before he could say anything else, she was already back on him, kissing him with more force than before, her tongue immediately slipping into his mouth.
He let out a soft groan against her, hands coming up to rest on her hips as he leaned back, legs out in front of him. She plopped herself down on his lap with enough force to make them both moan, hands tangling through his hair, tugging at it lightly.
Her hips moved against him, feeling him hardening beneath her, and she bit his bottom lip, tugging at the lip ring that sat there. “You love doing that,” He breathed out before leaning back in.
“Doing what?”
She bit his lip ring again, and he groaned out, gripping her hips harder. “That. Biting my lip ring.”
“Yeah, so what?” She let out, hips speeding up against him, his cock straining against his jeans, “It’s hot. You’re so fucking hot, Jinnie. Can’t control myself.”
“Oh, fuck,” He moaned out roughly, her shorts riding up her asscheeks with each movement. He slipped his hands underneath the fabric, groaning once he didn’t feel any underwear. “Fuck, you’re not wearing panties?”
Instead of answering him, she smirked, grinding against his dick so hard that it had him leaning his head back, eyes screwing shut in pleasure. “Fuck,” He strained out, her face leaning down to kiss the side of his neck, biting and sucking at the skin there. He tilted his head back more to give her more access, hips jerking up when she bit down just right below his ear. He could feel her smirking against him.
He turned his head so he could kiss her again, a pout forming on his lips as he she pulled back, getting off of his lap to stand up in front of him. Her legs were a little shaky, and she hoped he didn’t notice.
“Take your clothes off,” Y/N demanded, tone wavering slightly. Her pussy was throbbing in her shorts, but she wanted to do something first.
“What…” His voice cracked slightly before he quickly cleared his throat, attempting to sit up. Without thinking, she raised her foot, placing it against his chest as she held him back.
“I said… take your clothes off, Jinnie. Now.”
Hyunjin smirked at her in amusement, falling back down on the ground with a soft plop. Her foot stayed on his chest as he un-buttoned his jeans, maintaining eye contact as he slowly slid them down. Y/N couldn’t help but notice the large bulge in his briefs, straining deliciously against the fabric, begging for attention. She found herself starring at it a little too long, a smug expression on Hyunjin’s face once she finally looked back at him.
She took her foot off his chest, but not before pressing down on him with a little force. The smirk on his face only widened. “Keep going,” She continued, sounding a little breathless despite her act of trying to appear un-fazed.
He cocked an eyebrow, sitting up a little to pull the hoodie off of his head, tossing it carelessly behind him. He trailed his hands down his torso slowly, watching her with a gaze so sensual it almost made her fall to her knees.
“Want this off, too?” He asked lowly, fingers teasing at the waistband of his briefs. Y/N nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“What? Sorry, I can’t hear you. You’re going to have to speak louder if you want me to take my cock out for you.”
His words had her face flushing and pussy dripping, having the urge to just rip them off herself, but she couldn’t do that. She wanted him to do something else first.
“Stop being a brat,” She spat out, breathing a little heavier, “You heard me the first time. I said, take off your fucking clothes. I want to see your cock.”
Really, Y/N doesn’t know what exactly has come over her. All she knew was that Hyunjin loves her, and she loves him, and she’s going to relish in this moment in every way possible.
Hyunjin looked like he was on cloud-nine, starring at her with that same blissful expression, biting his lip as he grinned at her cheekily. He slipped his fingers in his briefs, tugging them down and quickly kicking them off his legs, slinging the rest of his clothes to the side. His cock sprang up immediately, sitting so perfect and so hard and so thick that Y/N felt her mouth watering.
His hand was lazily trailing up his torso, stopping up at his nipple, slowly circling the bud there as he cocked his head to the side, starring at her expectantly. The sight was so mesmerizing that it had her at a complete loss of words. But only for a moment.
“Touch yourself for me.”
The words came out in a whine, breathless, eager.
His gaze darkened, lip ring catching in the moonlight. “You want me to show you how I touch myself to the thought of you?”
“Yes,” She whimpered out, feeling like her heart was about to beat out of her chest, “Please.” God, that’s all she wants.
He hummed, licking his lips once as he spat in his hand before lazily stroking himself, coating his dick in the wetness of his saliva. He let out a soft moan, hips jerking once he reached the tip, circling his fingers around his slit, almost like he was teasing himself.
“Is this how you like it?” Y/N asked, clenching her thighs together at the sight of him. He nodded his head rapidly, a low whine escaping his mouth as he picked up his pace, tugging his dick a little faster, gripping it a little harder. His other hand came back up to circle at his nipple, pinching it lightly, a low moan falling from his lips.
“You like that, too?” She breathed out, the urge to touch herself growing stronger each second that passes, “You like playing with your nipples like that?”
“Hm, yeah,” He smirked out, fingers dancing across his chest as he did the same with his other, “Think about you biting and sucking on them all the time. Think you’d like to do that for me? Be a good girl and make me feel good?”
Y/N nodded, feeling like she was in some sort of a trance. His smirk widened once he realized she wasn’t saying anything.
His hand trailed up, fingers lightly gripping his throat, applying enough pressure to elicit a small gasp from his mouth, his hips thrusting more sloppily into his hand. Y/N’s knees buckled then, feeling like she was really about to pass out, because when did Hyunjin become so kinky? He was watching her with hooded eyes, a throaty moan escaping his mouth once he applied a little more pressure. He looked like a fucking porn star.
Y/N swallowed down a moan, feeling hot all of a sudden. She reached down to tug her sweatshirt over her head, fumbling with her shorts before slinging them off too. She was wet as fuck, her entire body felt like it was on fire, and she needed him. She needed him now.
She didn’t even care how desperate she looked when she quite literally pounced on top of him, her pussy gliding against his dick so deliciously. His hands came back up to grip at her ass, loudly groaning into her mouth as she kept rocking her hips into him. Her hands were on his face, slowly sliding back to the back of his head as she tugged at his hair, kissing him deeper.
“Jinnie,” She loudly gasped out, throwing her head back as he bent down to suck her nipple into his mouth. He bit at it lightly, leaving a trail of spit with his tongue as he moved to the other side, “Jinnie… p-please…”
A hard smack on her ass had her back arching into him, her pussy gliding against him even harder. “You gonna fuck me, petal?” He breathed out heavily, massaging both of her asscheeks in his hands as he kept rocking her hips forward, “Gonna ride me? Gonna show me how much you love me?”
Y/N nodded her head eagerly, mind clouded with Hyunjin, Hyunjin, Hyunjin. “Do I need a condom?”
“N-no,” She breathed out, “I have an IUD.”
“Fucking perfect.”
She felt him reach down to grip his dick, and she lifted her body up just enough to where the tip was grazing over her pussy lips. They both moaned at the feeling, and Y/N watched as he kept sliding it up and down her folds, tapping her clit with the head of his dick.
Y/N had never been on top before. Well, she was on top when her and Felix briefly hooked-up years ago, but never with Hyunjin.
Felix. The thought of them sleeping together suddenly crossed her mind, and it didn’t feel right to do this without him knowing.
“Hyunjin,” She let out his name, a little urgent, hands coming up to rest against his chest. He hummed in response, not really paying attention, eyes focused on his dick continuously sliding in-between her wet folds.
She said his name again, louder, strained. He looked up then, a look of confusion on his face once he saw how nervous she suddenly looked. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“I just…” She trailed off, trying to figure out how to say this. God, this was the most awful time to break the news, but the guilt would have weighed heavy on her shoulders if she didn’t tell him, “I slept with Felix.”
Y/N cringed once the words left her mouth. She probably could have worded that a little better.
Hyunjin grew stiff beneath her, eyes darkening as he glared up at her, “The fuck?”
Okay, she definitely could have worded that a little better.
“I’m sorry, but what the fuck did you just say?” He spat out, and Y/N gulped nervously, “You fucked Felix?”
“Y-yes. Well, kind of,” She replied, not helping the situation at all, “It was a long time ago. My freshman year at university. We were both drunk, and it only lasted like fifteen seconds because I started crying because I missed you and it didn’t feel right.”
This was definitely not how she was expecting this to go.
His dick was still grazing her pussy, a particular shift against her clit causing her to let out a small whimper. Hyunjin looked pissed off, confused, and aroused as fuck all at the same time as he kept glaring at her.
“That’s actually depressing,” He stated, slightly guilty look on his face, but it didn’t last long, “Why are you telling me this now?”
“I don’t know,” She shrugged lightly, biting her bottom lip slightly as she looked at him, “It just didn’t feel right to not tell you when I was about to… you know. Sorry. Bad timing, I know.”
“About to what? Ride my cock?” He raised an eyebrow, tapping his dick against her again, “Were you riding his cock when you were crying about me?”
He circled her clit with the head of his dick, and the stimulation caused her to drawl out a soft moan. She closed her eyes, starting to grind herself down on him again, a warmth traveling up her entire body.
Another hard smack to her ass had her letting out a surprised gasp, eyes shooting back open. “Answer me.” He demanded lowly.
“Y-yes,” She moaned out, lifting her hips up a little to position his dick at her entrance, mouth gaped open as she felt him slowly start to stretch her out as she sank down on him just a little bit, “Fuck, yes. All I was thinking about was you, Jinnie. It hasn’t been anyone else since. Please… please, can I ride you? It’s all I want.”
She wanted his cock so bad, wanted him so bad, that it had her whining out like a bitch in heat. He groaned loudly, eyes flickering from her pussy to her face and back to her pussy, so wet and ready for him. “Go ahead, baby. Do whatever you want to me. I’m yours. I can promise you, though, it’s going to be longer than fifteen measly seconds.”
“Says the guy who came in his pants completely untouched just from fingering me.”
Before he could even reply to her, she was already sinking down onto him slowly, gasping at the feeling of him inside her. The stretch was insane, and it had her eyes screwing shut in complete bliss, her pussy sucking him in like she was made for him.
“Fuck, you’re so fucking tight,” He whined out lowly, eyes zeroed in on her pussy lips swallowing him while the more she took of him, “And so fucking wet. Holy fuck. I can’t believe this is happening right now.”
Y/N moaned in reply, sinking down even further, hands coming up to lightly tug against his nipples as she sank down on him completely. A choked moan fell from his mouth, and she leaned her body down to kiss him, moaning into his mouth as she grinded her clit against his pelvis.
“Jinnie,” She whimpered his name out, the feeling on her clit driving her insane, “Y-you feel… oh my god.”
Hyunjin cursed again, really struggling to not take matters into his own hands and fuck her into oblivion, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. His grip on her ass tightened as she lifted herself up completely before coming back down with a little more force, moaning loudly into the open air.
“I love you,” She murmured into his mouth so tenderly.
And then Hyunjin came.
The feeling of him shooting his load inside her had her gasping out loud, Hyunjin’s hips jerking up once as he worked off his high with a drawn out groan. His eyes were screwed shut, eyebrows furrowed, slick lips parted as he kept whining out her name. She watched him crumble in amused silence, yet completely mesmerized by how beautiful he looked underneath her.
He peaked one eye open after a few more seconds, an embarrassed groan escaping his lips as he covered his entire face with his hands. Y/N held in her laugh, not wanting to embarrass him further, a sense of pride swelling in her chest that she actually made him cum this fast.
“Well, you beat it, but only by an extra five seconds.”
He groaned again, still half-hard inside her, and Y/N had to suppress a moan when he shifted his body. “Well this just ruined my fucking pride.”
Y/N giggled fondly, leaning down to softly grab ahold of his hands, prying them away from his face. He was chewing on his bottom lip shamefully.
“Sorry,” He smiled shyly.
Y/N leaned down to kiss him again, pulling back with a fond expression, “Don’t apologize. I love you.”
“I love you.” He kissed her again, moaning lightly once she shifted on top of him. Each time she moved he got even harder, his hands resting against her hips.
She whined out his name, and as much as he wanted her to ride him, he wanted her to cum even more, so he gripped her ass, quickly flipping them over so she’d lay beneath him. Y/N gasped into his mouth and he used this opportunity to slip his tongue inside, head tilting as he kissed her deeper, needier.
“Let me make you feel good, baby,” He mumbled into her mouth, hips thrusting into her at a slow pace, his hand coming down to softly trace circles on her clit. She moaned loudly, wrapping her legs around his waist, urging him to go deeper, not wanting to ever let go.
“Yeah, that’s it,” He breathed out a moan, fingers speeding up on her clit, thrusting into her faster, the wet sound of her pussy swallowing him whole ringing in his ears, “That’s it, baby. Does it feel good? Does my cock feel good? Hm? Like the way it feels inside your tight pussy? Your pussy is made for me, and only me. You know that?”
She cursed out, head tilting back, and he bent his head down to lick a stripe up the side of her neck before nipping on the skin right behind her ear. Her nails were digging into his back, clawing at the skin there, the slight burn making him hiss out in pleasure. She moaned his name again, and he hiked her legs up, pushing her knees towards her head before ramming back into her.
“Oh, fuck,” She screamed out, his cock hitting her just right, toes curling at the angle he was pounding into her, feeling a warmth begin to form in her stomach, “R-right there… don’t stop… please… o-oh my god.”
His dick felt like it was about to explode, his head spinning. He was fucking into her with so much force that it had her entire body jerking backwards, his balls slapping against her asscheeks with each thrust forward. “Fuck, I love you,” He panted out, eyes screwed shut as he jerked his head back, hair falling in front of his face, “I love you so fucking much… l-love this pussy so fucking much… you’re perfect. So perfect. You’re mine, and I’m never letting you go. My petal… my angel… fuck.”
“I-I love you, Jinnie,” Y/N cried out, that warmth coaling in her stomach, “I’m g-gonna… fuck…”
“Yeah, baby,” His fingers slipped off her clit, wetness trailing down his thighs, hips stuttering into her, “C-cum all over my cock… just like that… mhm… fuck,”
She cried out his name, back arching as her entire body went stiff, stars clouding her vision as she came all over him. He bottomed out with a loud moan of her name, and she felt that familiar warmth shoot into her belly once he finished inside her.
He collapsed on top of her, spent the fuck out, their skin sticking together from the sweat that had built up. Her hands tangled in his hair, combing through it lovingly, entirely drenched in sweat. He dug his face into her neck, breathing in her scent deeply, curling his arms around her to hold her closer against him.
“I hope that made up for the twenty seconds.” He mumbled into her neck.
She breathed out a laugh, still a little drunk on the post-orgasmic haze she was in, eyes flickering up to the sky above her.
She was suddenly brought back to the first time they had sex with each other, giving their firsts to one another, lying in the same position. The moonlight was casting an elegant glow over them, tangling them together.
She swallowed thickly at the memory, at how real it felt. “I love you.” She said again, because she couldn’t ever say it enough.
He placed a lazy kiss to her neck, relaxing completely into her, “I love you. Always.”
There was no hesitation, no uncomfortable stiffness, no heavy weight sitting on her shoulders. She glanced back up at the sky. The moonlight seemed much brighter.
And this time, finally, it made them into one.
Y/N woke up in a blissful daze.
Her body was warm, too warm, a pair of arms wrapped around her so tight she couldn’t even move. She was lying on her back in the middle of the bed, Hyunjin’s legs slung over her own, his head resting on her bare chest. The swell of her breast felt damp, and when she glanced down, she noticed that he had been drooling in his sleep.
She rolled her eyes fondly. Of course.
“Jinnie?” She combed her fingers softly through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. He didn’t budge, soft snores escaping his mouth, his body twitching.
Doesn’t snore my ass.
“Jinnie,” She tried again, shaking his shoulders gently. He let out a low groan, licking his lips as he readjusted his head on her boob, the feeling of his tongue grazing her skin making her shiver, “Jinnie, baby, I have to pee.”
He made a noise of protest, arms tightening around her briefly before he trailed his hand down her body. Goosebumps formed on her skin at his touch, and she gasped lightly when his hand snuck in-between her thighs.
“I have to pee,” She squeaked out, squirming in his hold once she felt his fingers dip into her pussy once before coming up to start circling her clit.
He grunted into her skin, moving his head to start sucking at the skin on her breast before licking over towards her nipple. His fingers sped up their pace and she let out a low moan, attempting to shut her legs together to trap his hand so he’d stop.
“Jinnie, stop, I really have to pee,” She strained out, the feeling in her bladder only getting heavier the more he stimulated her.
“Piss on my hand, then,” He rasped out, curling three of his fingers into her pussy, making her back arch into him, “I’m not letting you go until you cum on my fingers again. So hold it, or piss on me. Your choice.”
His name got caught in her throat as she threw her head back on the pillow behind her, grinding her hips with each thrust of his fingers. Her pussy was so wet, his fingers sliding in and out of her with ease, hitting that sweet spot over and over again, her toes curling.
He was panting into her skin, groaning lowly as he alternated between sucking and biting at her nipple. Y/N felt that familiar pit forming in her stomach, the pressure building up quickly, and her body tensed up as her eyes screwed shut in utter bliss, back lifting off the mattress with a loud cry of his name.
A gush of wettness trickled down her thighs, her body spazzing out as her high came down. He was loudly moaning into her skin, fingers still inside her as he worked her through it, the stimulation making her hips jerk.
“J-jinnie,” She breathed out his name, hands coming down to grab at his wrist, attempting to pull him away. He let out a grunt, his fingers slipping out of her with a sound so lewd it had her ears ringing.
She all but ran to the bathroom once she managed to push him off of her, dots floating her vision as she did so, but she was able to manage as she hurriedly plopped down on the toilet, sighing in relief once she finally was able to empty her bladder. For a second, she thought she might have actually peed herself in her bed and on Hyunjin’s hand, but it seemed like she just squirted again instead. This was starting to become a routine for her. She can’t say she entirely hates it though.
She winced once she wiped herself, flushing the toilet and standing up to wash her hands. She gasped once she looked at her reflection in the mirror, head tilting to the side as she got a better look. Her entire neck was covered in hickies, there was another right above her right breast, and she had faint bite marks in-between her thighs—all a visual reminder of last night. Y/N doesn’t know how many times they’ve fucked each other over the span of the last eight hours or so, but it was enough to where her pussy was sore and her clit was swollen from the constant overstimulation. But she honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.
She felt her cheeks heating up at how clingy Hyunjin was all night, never wanting to leave her side even for a split second. She needed to shower? He was getting in with her. She needed to pee? He was perched up on the bathroom sink swinging his legs back and forth as he patiently waited on her. Luckily, she didn’t have to shit, but she knew he would be in the same exact spot if she did, probably complaining the entire time about how it smells like sewage water. No, there is no probably—he would. And she knows this because he’s done it before.
Y/N let out a quiet sigh, pulling her tangled hair up into her claw clip as she started washing her face and brushing her teeth. Her eyes glanced over to the extra toothbrush sitting beside hers on the counter. She had a spare toothbrush underneath her sink, and Hyunjin had claimed it as his own to keep at her place. It reminded her of when they each had designated toothbrushes at each other’s house when they were younger, a given from all the sleepovers they had. It warmed her heart in a way that had her feeling giddy.
Once she was finished freshening herself up, she stepped outside the bathroom, fully expecting Hyunjin to be wide awake and waiting impatiently for her to come back to bed. A soft smile formed on her lips once she saw him lying diagonally on the bed on his stomach, soft snores falling from his mouth with each breath. He was fast asleep.
She shuffled over to him quietly, admiring him. His cheeks were smushed against the pillow, his arms and legs sprawled out everywhere like a starfish, his hair falling messily in his face and scattering around the pillow behind him. The covers were kicked down to the edge of the bed, his ass on display, and Y/N had to stifle a laugh from how cute he looked right now. She bent down to peck a quick kiss to his cheek before covering him back up, throwing on an oversized t-shirt and some pajama pants before heading out of her bedroom.
The smell of bacon caught her attention, and she quietly closed the bedroom door before making her way towards the kitchen. Felix must be home.
Her assumption was correct as she padded into the kitchen, seeing Felix hunched over the oven as he fried the bacon. Minho was sitting at the island, scrolling through his phone mindlessly, head turning to the side once he heard her.
“Well don’t you look awfully cheerful this fine and dandy morning,” Minho grinned teasingly, placing his phone down, “Just glowing, really. Had some good dick last night?”
Y/N choked on the air, face immediately heating up, stuttering out a mix of words that made zero sense.
“Don’t even attempt to deny it. We all heard you. All. Fucking. Night. Is his dick that good? Sheesh.”
“Minho!” She screeched out his name, absolutely mortified, but really, what did she expect? It was her own fault. There was no hearing the end of this.
“No, seriously, I’m dying to know. Man had you moaning like a fucking pornstar the entire night, so he’s got to be hung. It was disrupting my Game of Thrones time down here, so I feel I have a right to know.”
“Can we stop talking about their sex life while I’m trying to fix everyone a nice breakfast?” Felix chimed in, placing the cooked bacon on a plate beside him.
“Don’t be a killjoy, Lix,” Minho rolled his eyes, and Felix flipped him off before turning his attention back to the stove, “So where is loverboy, anyway?”
“He’s sleeping,” Y/N replied, walking over to stand closer to Felix, peering over his shoulder to see what he was making. Her stomach grumbled when she saw that he was now plating the french toast, sprinkling some powdered sugar on top.
“Spent out from all that fucking?”
Y/N was about to yell at him again, when Felix beat her to it. “If you say one more thing about sex I will throw your food into the trash.”
“God, you guys are so boring! Bor-ring.” He replied with another roll of his eyes, hopping off the stool to walk towards the dining table, pulling a chair out and plopping down.
Y/N’s face was still red, but she tried to shake off the embarrassment by reaching for the plate of bacon, “I can take this to the table.”
Felix hummed in response, turning around to grab some orange juice from the fridge, walking over to place it on the table. Y/N followed behind him, setting the bacon down in the middle of the table, Minho immediately reaching out to plop a piece in his mouth.
Y/N’s eyes widened slightly when she noticed that there were four places set up at the table instead of three. She didn’t realize she was starring at the extra seat as deep as she was until she heard Felix’s voice behind her. “Are you going to wake him up to come eat or should I just save him a plate?”
Y/N blinked, completely bewildered at the fact that Felix had not only made enough food for all four of them, but had saved Hyunjin a place at the table to eat with them. And that, for some reason, had her wanting to cry.
She turned towards him, seeing him waiting there expectantly. And she didn’t even think twice before leaning in to hug him.
“Thank you,” She mumbled into his chest, “Thank you for including him. It means so much to me.”
Y/N could feel him hesitate for a second before slowly wrapping his arms around her. She let in a deep breath, willing herself not to become too emotional and start crying. She hadn’t hugged Felix in so long. The air around them had changed ever since Hyunjin had come back into her life, and he’d been acting very differently around her, distancing himself every chance he got and only conversing when appropriate. At the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, she found herself gripping his shirt tighter, pulling back slightly to face him.
“I know you’re upset with me, and I hate how distant we are from each other now, but I can’t apologize for loving him. I won’t apologize for loving him. You both mean so much to me, and the fact that you’re trying, tells me enough. But I just hope that you can keep trying and understand me, understand us.”
Felix sighed loudly, running his hands over her bare arms once before resting them at her shoulders. “I know you love him, Y/N. I know how much he means to you. I’m not asking you to apologize for how you feel, I would never do that. I just wanted to be sure you knew what you were getting yourself into. I didn’t want you to get hurt again.”
“I know, and I love you for that, but is ignoring me and potentially ruining our friendship over a decision I’m making for myself really worth it?”
He starred at her for a second, rubbing her shoulder gently, another sigh escaping his mouth, “Hyunjin came by and talked to me.”
“What?” She let out, a confused expression on her face, “When?”
“A few days ago. It was after you left for work,” He replied, chewing on his bottom lip, “He just wanted to talk to me. Said he knew we both didn’t like each other, but that I meant a lot to you, so he wanted us to get on good terms.”
Y/N could feel her heart swelling in her chest. Why didn’t he tell her he came and talked to Felix?
“He basically gave me a space to ask him anything, and he would answer truthfully. Said he knew I was wary of him barging back into your life, and wanted to try and clear the air a little. I guess he wanted my approval in some way before he came back to you.”
Y/N’s lips parted, and the back of her neck felt hot. “What…” She trailed off, mind feeling a little fuzzy, “He did? That’s really… unlike him.”
“Yeah, I could hardly believe it either,” Felix laughed out in disbelief before growing a more serious look on his face, “I still don’t entirely trust the asshole, but I did grow some respect for him. And I’m not going to dictate your life. So if you’re happy with him, I am, too. We also have a lot of things in common, apparently, as annoying as that is.”
Y/N smiled, pulling him back into a hug as she let out a little squeal of happiness. He laughed against her, holding her head into his chest, and she pulled back, giving him a little peck to the side of his face before pinching it with her fingers. “Thank you, Lixie. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”
“What am I, a piece of chopped liver?”
Y/N turned to the table to see that Minho was leaning against the table, his head propped up on his hand as he scowled at them. “I never got a proper thank you, you know. I was yours and his biggest supporters, and I was the one that led you to him again in the first place. So where the fuck is my kiss?”
Y/N rolled her eyes, walking over to plant a quick peck on his cheek, shoving him to the side lightly once she pulled away. “There. Thank you, Minho. Really means a lot to have your constant support.”
“I’m going to pretend that wasn’t sarcastic.”
“It wasn’t. I was being serious. Thank you, seriously.” Y/N laughed out, walking back towards the kitchen to start making her a coffee.
She heard Felix and Minho bickering with each other—Felix telling him to stop eating all the bacon, Minho complaining that he didn’t make enough. She smiled to herself, taking the oat milk out of the fridge as her espresso shot brewed. Right now, everything felt like it was finally back in place. Y/N couldn’t help but feel giddy with bringing Hyunjin into their routine, into their life.
“Are you going to wake him up or no?” Felix asked once Y/N sat her glass down on the table, pulling out the chair so she could sit down.
“No. He seemed comfortable. I don’t want to bother him,” She replied, taking a sip of her coffee, “Oh, by the way. I told him we slept together that one time. It didn’t feel right keeping it from him.”
Felix choked on a piece of bacon, and Minho smirked. “Great. Now he’s going to hate me again.”
As if on cue, Hyunjin had made himself present, padding into the kitchen with a loud yawn. His hair was messy, held back by one of her headbands with a bow on the front she kept in her bathroom to help hold her hair back whenever she was washing her face. He was shirtless, the same shorts he wore last night hanging low on his hips, and Y/N immediately felt her face heating up at the sight of him. It was truly unfair for someone to look this good at ten in the morning.
“Good morning,” He lowly grumbled out, walking over towards Y/N, bending down slightly as he kissed her. The kiss was sweet, and she found herself melting into it a little before realizing where she was, pulling back.
Minho and Felix mumbled out good mornings of their own, and Y/N could feel Minho’s stare on them. Hyunjin sat down in the chair beside her, scooting his chair over so he could lean his head against her shoulder, placing her hand on his thigh as he cuddled into her more.
Felix told him to help himself with the breakfast, gesturing towards the food and his empty plate that was set out for him. Hyunjin looked surprised for a second, before letting out a quick thank you, to which Felix nodded in acknowledgement. Hyunjin eyed the food in front of him before glancing back over towards her. “You just left me all alone up there. Disposed of me like I was a one-night-stand. I was very offended. Did you just use me last night, petal?”
Y/N felt her face heating up even more, taking another sip of her coffee as he tightened his grip on her slightly. She could see Minho’s smirk widen from her peripheral vision.
“I was letting you sleep,” She strained out quietly, tips of her ears turning red, “Also, you were taking up the entire bed and drooling all over my sheets. There was nowhere for me to go.”
“Excuses, excuses,” Minho chimed in, and Y/N glared at him playfully.
“I forgive you, baby,” Hyunjin murmured quietly in her ear before planting a quick kiss to it, “You can just make it up to me later.”
He leaned over to start filling his plate with food, thanking Felix again for thinking of him, and Y/N took another long sip of her coffee in attempt to hide her flushed state.
Breakfast then turned into what resembled a family dinner, with Felix asking how everyone is doing, what plans they have for the day, if the food is up to par. It felt surprisingly comfortable, it felt natural, and it felt right.
“Oh, Hyunjin. Y/N’s been giving out free kisses all morning. Thought you should know that. You know, bro code and all.” Minho let out, giving Y/N a sly look that had her kicking his leg underneath the table.
“Oh, has she, now?” Hyunjin piped up beside her, taking a sip of his orange juice, placing it back down on the table with a small hum, “That’s okay. We all know she’ll be kissing something else later.”
Felix immediately groaned in annoyance, throwing his head back in frustration as Minho cackled beside him. “Seriously, can we please stop talking about sex?!”
“This feels oddly erotic.”
Hyunjin laughed at Y/N’s words, the silk blindfold he currently had on her eyes blocking her vision completely as she blindly trusted him to not lead her into a wall. His hand was on her back, warm at the touch, his fingers lightly dancing across her spine as she stood another step forward.
He let out a hum, his breath fanning the back of her neck, “You want me to keep it on while I fuck you?”
“N-no,” She replied quickly, breathy, before immediately correcting herself, “I mean… maybe?”
“Hm,” He hummed right at her ear, and she hated how her panties instantly dampened, “Yes or no, baby. You know I don’t take a lousy maybe as an answer.”
His arms circled around her waist, pausing her steps forward as he dipped his hands in-between her thighs, softly rubbing against her pussy through her leggings. She moaned quietly, pushing her ass back against him at his touch, and his other hand gripped at her waist a little tighter.
“Say?” He breathed hotly into the side of her neck, licking a long stripe up to her ear before softly nipping at it, “Want me to handcuff you to my bed and blindfold you so I can have my way with you? You’d have no idea what I’m doing… no way to escape… no way to touch me. You’d be completely helpless, begging, crying for me to make you cum. Or would you beg me to stop?”
“Jinnie,” Y/N whined out, feeling his hand travel upwards, grazing at the hem of her leggings, dipping two of his fingers inside, “Y-you’re supposed to be showing me your painting.”
“Fuck the painting,” He groaned deeply, fingers rubbing against her clit over her panties, kissing over to the other side of her neck.
“Jinnie,” She called his name out again, hands grabbing at his wrist. She felt a little dizzy, and her body felt hot, “I-I wanna see what you painted me. Please?”
He sighed into her skin, biting at her neck playfully as he withdrew his fingers, placing his hand back on her waist. “Fine. You’re lucky I love you. But you’re sucking my cock with this blindfold on after we’re done, right? Because I’m so hard right now thinking about it I could cum in my pants again.”
“Fine, whatever,” Y/N rolled her eyes, even though he couldn’t see her, acting like she hated it, when they both knew she was a slut for his dick.
“Don’t act like you hate the way I fuck your pretty face, baby,” He lightly smacked her ass, before reaching behind her head to un-tie the blindfold. He slid it off of her eyes carefully, and Y/N blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the lighting, trying to ignore the way her pussy fluttered from his words.
Her eyes landed on the canvas that was propped up in front of her, and she started walking closer, eyes dancing across the canvas as she took in every single detail. It wasn’t what she was expecting. At a first glance, it looked chaotic. There were broad strokes clashing into each other, colors bleeding where they shouldn’t. But the longer she looked, the more it had started to feel familiar.
There was a figure at the center, unmistakably her. It wasn’t a portrait, and it wasn’t entirely detailed, but it was her. Light colors were splotched around her, dark lines cutting through it, spreading outward into the rest of the canvas. On one side, deep blues and greys folded into each other, with streaks of red and orange on the other. And everywhere else, there were faint, almost invisible lines, like veins or cracks, leading back to her.
She stepped closer without realizing she even moved in the first place, “What is it?”
Hyunjin didn’t reply right away, and Y/N turned to look at him, seeing him standing there, hands fidgeting at his sides nervously, shyly, like he didn’t know what to do with them. “It’s… how you feel to me,” He replied quietly, shifting on his feet.
He stepped beside her, glancing over towards the painting, eyes dancing across it like he’s seeing it for the time. “The lighter parts are everything good… everything that makes me feel good. It’s the way you laugh, the way you touch me, the way you look at me like I’m the most important thing in your life. It’s the way you always make things feel lighter, like I can breathe properly whenever you’re around me.”
He paused, his words coming out a little uneven. Y/N knows she should have been starring at the painting, but she kept looking at him instead. “The cracks represent wanting something you know you’re not allowed to have,” His voice was quieter, softer, “It represents the feeling of being close to you, but not close in the way that I deserved. It represents hurt, pain, but only just enough to where I notice it… just enough that doesn’t go away completely.”
She felt tears forming in her eyes, reaching out to gently grab ahold of his hand. He intertwined their fingers immediately, smiling softly as he glanced down at them once, before looking back at the canvas.
“And the rest?” She asked softly.
“The rest is everything I didn’t say,” He replied, rubbing his fingers against the back of her hand, “It represents all the overthinking, all the times I’ve wanted to tell you I loved you but didn’t, all the almosts we had. It just… kept building. It got louder in my head, messier in my head.”
There was a long silence, and Y/N glanced back at the painting, seeing it in a different light as she connected his words with the beautiful mess of streaks and colors laid out in front of her. Y/N had seen many of his paintings before, but never something like this.
“You know I’m not great with words,” He spoke after another beat, moving his body to stand in front of her. She looked up at him, saw the vulnerability in his eyes, and she reached her hands up to rest on his face, “Actually, I’m shit with words. But I hope this can tell you everything I couldn’t, and remind you just how much you mean to me if you ever doubt my love for you.”
He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers ever so softly, hands coming up to rest against her own. “I love you, Y/N. And I’ll never stop loving you, even when I’m buried six feet under. You’re it for me, baby. Always.”
“I love you, Jinnie. Always.” Y/N leaned in to kiss him, savoring every single taste of him, every broken piece of him that she’ll put back together. He smiled into her, pulling back with a laugh that had his eyes crinkling into little crescents that always made her heart warm.
And as she stood there, safe and content in his arms, she felt everything. All the years of heartbreak, of growing up together, of navigating life together, of the distance between them—it all started to make sense. Because everything they’ve been through together, every single barrier they faced, suddenly seemed worth it in the end.
Because even after the sun sets and the moon rises and another day ends, Hyunjin would still be hers. And she’d be his.
Crossing the City for You - [yunho x reader]
He wanted you before. Thought it was just sex. Now he knows you were everything. And he’s not leaving until you let him stay again.
based on [this] request
Pairing: Yunho x fem!Reader Tropes: Strangers to Friends to FWB to Lovers. (wow) Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Brief Smut, Angst, Emotional Drama Warnings: sexual content, consensual sex, friends-with-benefits / casual sexual dynamics, dominance & submission, sexual teasing / frustration, sexual tension and craving, jealousy, regret, guilt, emotional vulnerability, emotional manipulation, power dynamics, fear of loss / abandonment, anxiety, frustration, anger, emotional introspection, explicit language, sexual language, sexual objectification, relational stress, absence, longing, yearning, heartache, loneliness, embarrassment, humiliation, tension-filled conversations, alcohol Word Count: 10k
masterlist
The bar is loud in a way that feels deserved. Long table. Shared plates passed hand to hand. Too many voices layered on top of each other. Coats slung over chairs like no one plans on leaving early.
Jihye drags you through the door by the wrist.
“You need to leave your house before you turn into furniture,” she says, already laughing, already halfway gone.
You roll your eyes but let her pull you anyway.
You don’t know anyone. Not really.
Jihye’s friends. Their partners. Friends-of-friends. A whole ecosystem already in motion. You step into it like a guest star with no script.
So you stay close to her at first. Shoulder to shoulder. Listening more than talking. Laughing quietly, hand rising to your mouth without thinking, like you’re checking yourself.
That’s when he appears.
No introduction. No announcement. He’s just there, sliding into the empty space beside you like it’s been waiting.
He notices things. You can feel it.
The way you anchor yourself to your friend at first. The way you watch the room before you speak. The way your laugh comes out soft at first, like you’re testing the water, then fuller when something actually gets you.
He doesn’t try to take up space. He doesn’t push conversation. Just offers small comments. Observations. Questions that don’t demand anything back.
It’s easy to answer him.
Easier than it should be.
He stays near you most of the night without meaning to. You stay aware of him without understanding why.
At some point, his chair shifts closer. Not touching. Just close enough that when he leans in to hear you over the noise, you catch the clean, faint scent of his shampoo.
It makes you pause. Just a flicker. Not attraction. Not nerves exactly. Just the sensation of being seen.
But it doesn’t turn sharp. It doesn’t turn heavy.
Because he’s gentle. Because none of this feels like it’s going anywhere it shouldn’t.
You talk at the edge of the noise. Quiet commentary. Shared humor that doesn’t need to be loud to land. You point things out to each other, details other people miss. It feels less like meeting someone new and more like finding someone who’s been speaking your language all along.
You clock his softness immediately. He clocks your attentiveness just as fast.
You don’t name it. You don’t even think to. There’s nothing to rush toward.
Something just settles between you. Quiet. Solid. Alive. After that night, everything it’s easy. Almost suspiciously so.
You don’t call it friendship yet, but it behaves like one.
Group hangouts blur together. Late dinners. Street food eaten standing up at midnight. Loud rooms. Too much alcohol. Too many conversations crossing over each other.
Always people. Always public.
And still, somehow, you and Yunho keep finding each other. You make space for him without thinking. Shift your chair. Move your bag. He angles his body toward yours even when the room is full, even when there’s no reason to.
There’s no flirting. No charged moments anyone could point at. Just comfort that deepens.
You’re a little touchy, but only because he makes you laugh. Not on purpose. He just does. The kind of laugh that punches out of you, ugly and full and unguarded. He looks proud every time it happens, like he’s accomplished something sacred.
You start doing things for him before he asks. Handing him water when he’s too deep into a story. Checking in with a look when he goes quiet. He doesn’t explain much yet, but somehow you still understand when something’s off.
You text at strange hours.
About the show you’re both watching. About the restaurant he tried and already knows you’d like. About nothing that couldn’t wait, except it didn’t want to.
At group hangouts, you catch yourself waiting for him to arrive. Not consciously. Just that the night doesn’t fully start until he does.
At the end of nights, you walk side by side. Close. Not touching. Conversations tapering into silence that doesn’t feel unfinished.
You laugh at something someone else says and instinctively look for him. He’s already looking at you.
Later, you bend forward laughing at the table, hand landing on his thigh for balance.
You don’t apologize. He doesn’t move.
It isn’t romance. It isn’t tension. It’s trust. It’s relief.
The hangouts keep happening.
Same faces. Same volume. Same rhythm of plates passed down tables that are always too small. Laughter layered over laughter. Elbows brushing. Knees knocking. A familiar chaos that feels lived in.
Until one night, it starts thinning.
People peel off in pairs and trios. Jackets claimed. Phones out. Someone hugs you with the soft finality of an ending night. The room exhales.
And suddenly, the idea of leaving alone lands wrong.
Not fear. You’re not afraid. It’s resistance. A quiet, stubborn no in your chest.
You don’t think it through. You just reach out and catch Yunho’s sleeve. Fingers curl into the fabric. Light. Intentional.
“Don’t let me go home alone,” you say, like it’s a joke. Like it’s nothing.
He doesn’t pause.
“Okay,” he says, already moving, already grabbing his coat.
The taxi smells like night air and clean laundry and something rancid you can’t name. The city blurs past in streaks of light. Your knees brush once. Then again. No one shifts away.
His hand finds your thigh.
Not searching. Not squeezing. Just there, like gravity.
Your breathing changes before you notice it has. The space between you tightens, thin and electric, but neither of you touches it with words. Talking would make it fragile.
You stop at a convenience store because neither of you is ready for the night to end yet. Cheap food. Sweet treats. Fluorescent lights flattening the world into something simple. You laugh too easily. He bumps your shoulder with his. It’s casual. Normal. Another night.
At your apartment, the lights are low. Shoes kicked off wherever they land. Food spread across the couch like an afterthought.
You sit too close. Knees touching. Shoulders brushing. Neither of you comments on it.
It feels domestic in a way that sneaks up on you. Not intimate. Just unguarded. Like this could be a habit if you let it.
You eat side by side, trading bites, talking about nothing that matters. Yunho says something dry, offhand. You laugh harder than it deserves. Head tipping back. Eyes closing for a second.
When you open them, he’s already looking at you.
Not intense. Not soft. Just focused.
Something shifts. No announcement. No spark. Just a quiet alignment, like two things clicking into place.
He doesn’t hesitate.
He kisses you.
Sudden. Clean. No warning at all.
His mouth is warm and sure and there, stealing the air from your lungs before your brain catches up.
You don’t know if it’s the alcohol. Or the closeness. Or the fact that you haven’t been touched in too long. Or that he’s right here and you’re tired of being careful.
You don’t stop it. You don’t analyze it. You let it happen.
For half a second, your body stills. Not from doubt. From surprise. From the sharp awareness that this could be nothing, and you want it anyway.
He pulls back just as fast.
“I—sorry,” he starts, already flushing, already stepping away. “I shouldn’t have—”
You don’t let him finish.
You grab his shirt and kiss him again. Harder. No hesitation this time. No questions asked.
No confession. No romance. Just two people in the same space, tipsy, lonely, bored enough to let whatever this is happen.
You straddle his lap, knees braced on either side of his thighs. He exhales ragged into your mouth, hands gripping your hips, sliding lower, pressing you closer, claiming.
Your fingers dig into his hair, nails scratching. He pants, moans, low and feral. You gasp against him, letting your body go, letting yourself want him like this.
He groans deep in his throat, hands sliding up your back, pulling you flush against him.
He lifts you without breaking the kiss, your feet barely touching the floor as he carries you down the hall. Every touch, every brush of skin, every press of his body against yours is magnified, electric, impossible to ignore.
The door slams. He pins you against it. Teeth graze your jaw. Tongue slides over yours. His hands roam over your thighs, hips, back, moving as if memorizing every curve, every shiver, every gasp.
You grind into him, desperate. He growls, low and wet, sliding his hands under your legs, rocking you into him. You moan, breathless, nails dragging down his back, hips meeting his every move.
He shifts you to the bed, upright, lips never leaving yours. Every touch, every press of his palm sets your nerves on fire. Your body writhes, presses, claws, wants more.
Bodies collide, grind, clutch, hungry, feral. Moans and gasps fill the room, raw and messy, every touch devouring, igniting.
He pauses, forehead to yours, panting, pupils blown, chest heaving. You don’t stop. You want more. He wants more.
Then he snaps back. Hard. Immediate. Reckless. You move like you’ve been starving, skin on fire, mouths and hands claiming.
Tonight isn’t slow. It isn’t careful. But it’s only the start.
Soft light leaks through the curtains like it’s being careful not to wake you.
The room smells like skin and sleep and sex. The sheets are twisted around your legs. Your body heavy in that boneless, floating way that only happens after a wild night.
You wake first.
Yunho is behind you, arm draped over your waist, weight solid and unthinking. His face is tucked into your back, breath slow, mouth warm against your shoulder blade. Asleep. Unaware. Completely relaxed in a way you’ve never seen him before.
There’s a moment. The kind your brain tries to label. The kind that usually comes with panic, or regret, or the frantic inventory of clothes on the floor.
None of that shows up.
Instead, there’s this quiet click inside your chest. Like something settling into place.
It was sudden. You know that. You barely know each other like this. You crossed a line without discussion, without rules, without promises.
And still. It fits.
His arm tightens slightly, reflexive, pulling you closer like his body knows before his mind does. Your back presses into his body. Your breath syncs with his without effort.
You don’t move. But your body remembers.
His hands, warm and big, sliding over your back, forcing your spine to arch just right, pressing you into every curve.
The way his mouth trailed over your back, teeth grazing, tongue running slow and rough, biting into the skin of your shoulder.
The memory of his length buried perfectly inside you, filling you exactly where it needed to.
How he’d groan low and rough, hand gripping your waist, sliding down your thighs, keeping you in place, keeping you his.
You shiver, remembering his long fingers slipping inside your hair as he pushed harder, as he whispered your name, as he claimed you over and over.
Remembering the burn of his bite as he came, spilling over your lower back, leaving hot streaks and marks only you would know.
Goosebumps rise across your arms. Heat pools low at the memories, wet and needy again just for him.
At some point he stirs.
Not fully awake. Just enough to nuzzle closer, nose brushing your neck, a quiet hum vibrating against your skin. Possessive without meaning to be. Familiar without earning it yet.
You don’t speak. Neither does he.
There’s no talk of what this means. No morning-after jokes. No scrambling for distance.
Just two bodies staying where they landed, and the unspoken understanding that whatever you did last night, neither of you is taking it back.
After that, it slips into place too smoothly to question.
You don’t label it. You don’t negotiate feelings or expectations. You just open a door and keep walking through it.
At first, it’s simple.
You text him late. He comes over. You don’t pretend it’s anything else.
You don’t stay the night. Neither does he.
He shows up when you ask, like this is a favor he’s happy to perform. You let him in already half undressed, already tired, already wanting to forget whatever version of the day you’re shedding at the door.
It’s efficient. Clean. Good.
He pays attention to your body in a way that feels practiced, not sentimental. Like he’s solving something, not attaching to it. You like that. You like not being looked at as fragile.
You can have a terrible day. A fight with your family. A small humiliation that sticks under your skin. You can be worn thin and irritable and quiet.
Yunho doesn’t ask questions. He doesn’t pry.
He gives you a few hours where your head goes quiet.
Then, when it’s over, he presses a quick kiss to your cheek, gathers his clothes from the floor, and leaves sometime around three in the morning.
No sleepovers. No breakfast. No lingering.
It’s cold in the way routines are cold. Comfortable. Dependable. Almost boring.
You tell yourself that’s the appeal, and for a while, it stays that way.
Until it doesn’t.
It starts with him staying because it’s late. Because it’s raining. Because the last train is gone and neither of you feels like pretending that matters.
You wake up with his arm around you and don’t move it away.
Showers stop being something you do separately.
They start innocent, water running over skin, hands adjusting shampoo or lathering soap.
But his hands don’t stay still for long.
They settle on your hips, warm and sure, pressing you against him. His lips find your neck, teeth grazing lightly, making you shiver and squirm, trying to rinse yourself but failing completely.
Before you know it, you’re pressed against the shower wall, his body flush against yours, hips moving, mouth hot and demanding.
The water streams over both of you, but neither of you notices. You barely manage to remind yourself to rinse again afterward.
It’s like he starts remembering you.
Not big things. Small ones. The kind you don’t notice until they’re there. He brings you water without asking. Knows when to slow down, when to push, when to just keep you close while you come back to yourself.
You tell yourself it’s nothing. That he’s just attentive. That this is what good sex looks like.
But then you start seeing each other outside of bedrooms.
Quick dinners that turn into hours. Late nights that don’t end when the drinks do. Sometimes you skip group hangouts entirely and don’t explain why. Music low. Windows open. Your leg thrown over him without thinking.
Sometimes you still show up with everyone else. You sit beside him like always. You laugh. You act normal.
You don’t hide. But you don’t explain either.
There’s an ease to it that makes people stop asking questions.
The sex deepens without losing its edge.
Still wild. Still dirty in a way that makes your skin tingle. But threaded through with something quieter. The way he touches you like he’s learning you all over again every time. The way he steadies you because he knows exactly how you unravel.
Foreheads pressed together. Breaths shared. His voice low in your ear, grounding, almost caring.
Aftercare becomes a language of its own.
Cold water pressed into your hands. Soft laughter in the dark. Fingers brushing your hair back from your face.
You start staying the night more often than not. You fall asleep with your face pressed into his neck, like his scent has become something your body looks for.
Leaving gets harder. You linger. You move slower. You invent reasons to stay another ten minutes.
Yunho is confident, but never careless. Dominant without cruelty. He makes you feel wanted without making you feel owned.
You enjoy it. You don’t overthink it.
At first.
You tell yourself this is just sex. Just timing. Just two adults meeting each other where they are.
And for a while, that feels true.
But you realize one night, halfway home from his place, that you haven’t slept with anyone else. Not because you agreed not to. Not because you promised anything. Just because the idea doesn’t appeal to you.
Why would it, when Yunho is there whenever you need him?
You don’t panic about it. You file it under convenience. Familiarity. Habit.
But then you catch yourself waiting for his texts.
Checking your phone when there’s no reason to. Feeling something sharp twist in your chest when he takes longer than usual to answer, then swallowing it down immediately.
Jealousy doesn’t belong in the story you’ve told yourself.
So you don’t let it stay.
You still act the same.
You still joke. Still tease him. Still pull him close like nothing’s changed, still let your body speak the language you agreed on.
You still fuck him like this is just what you do.
You still show up to group hangouts and laugh and play your part perfectly.
But something in you has shifted.
Your energy softens without your permission. You hold his gaze longer. Touch him more when you don’t need to. Your hands linger at his neck, his wrist, memorizing him.
You don’t rush away afterward anymore. You stay. Let him pull you in. Let your breathing match his. Let the quiet stretch.
You wake up more often pressed into his chest than not.
Yunho notices. He always does.
One night, when the room is dark and calm and his chin is resting lightly against your head, he asks,
“You okay?”
It’s gentle. Careful. Almost afraid of the answer.
You respond too fast.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
He hums, unconvinced, but lets it go.
You lie awake long after he falls asleep, staring at the wall, heart pounding like it’s trying to warn you.
Because you’re not fine.
You’re splitting yourself in two every time you leave him.
One part of you stays behind, curled in his sheets, breathing him in. The other walks away pretending this doesn’t hurt.
You’re training your body to recognize him as home while pretending your heart doesn’t know it yet.
And one night, watching him sleep, you understand with sudden, terrifying clarity:
If you don’t say something soon, you’re going to lose yourself.
So you memorize everything instead.
The weight of his arm. The sound of his breathing. The way his thumb twitches in sleep like he’s still holding on.
Just in case anything goes wrong.
It’s one of those nights.
The kind that feels uncontained. Like everything is louder, hotter, closer. Yunho’s apartment smells like sweat and skin and the faint citrus of soap. Music long forgotten. Windows cracked open to the city breathing in.
The sex is messy. Unfiltered. Hungry, like you’re both trying to say something without language.
He’s everywhere. Hands firm, sure. Mouth warm, relentless.
You ride him, hips snapping hard, letting all your frustration spill out. Each move drags out a groan from him. He doesn’t stop you. Doesn’t even try.
For the first time in forever, he lets you take control.
He knows you needed this, knows you needed him when you called mid-rage, teeth clenched, after your coworker screwed up and your boss tore into you.
He knows you too well now. Knows how to pull you apart and put you back together with the same patience. Knows how to keep you right on the edge, murmuring your name like it’s grounding him too.
After, you’re tangled together. Skin still hot. Your body thrown over his, his palm resting absentmindedly at your hip like it belongs there.
Your heart won’t slow down.
This feels like the moment. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s honest. Because you can’t keep carrying this alone.
You stare at the wall for a second, then turn your head toward him. You don’t rush it. You don’t dramatize it. You don’t want to scare him off.
“So,” you say lightly, almost smiling. Too casually for how tight your chest feels. “Just so we’re on the same page.”
Yunho hums, distracted, thumb absentminded where your hip meets the mattress. Comfortable. Easy. Like this conversation is already solved.
“I haven’t slept with anyone else,” you start. Soft. Neutral.
He doesn’t react right away, just nods, like you’ve told him what you had for lunch.
You swallow.
“Not since you.”
That makes his hand still.
You take a breath before you lose your nerve. Your hands feel useless, so you press them against yourself. You’re suddenly very aware of your body. Of how exposed you are. Of how you chose to say this.
“I really like you,” you say. No jokes. No cushion. “And I think I want more than… whatever this is.”
Silence.
Not the heavy kind. The empty kind. The kind that doesn’t rush to meet you halfway.
Yunho exhales slowly. Runs a hand through his hair. His body stays close, but something in him shuts a door.
He doesn’t look at you at first.
When he does, his expression is gentle. Careful. Already apologetic.
“I really like what we have,” he says. The words are calm. Practiced. Like he’s been here before. “I just don’t want to mess it up.”
You nod automatically, like your body is trying to keep up appearances.
“I’m not really looking for anything more serious right now,” he adds. “And I don’t want to hurt you.”
He keeps talking.
About timing. About how easy this is. About how good it feels when things don’t have expectations attached. About how this doesn’t have to be complicated unless you make it that way.
You stop listening for meaning.
All you hear is no.
Heat floods your face. Sudden. Nauseating. You feel stupid. Too earnest. Like you misread a room you’ve been standing in for months.
You sit up abruptly.
The sheet slides down your body, and the movement feels obscene now. Wrong. You scramble to pull it back up, arms crossing over your chest, clumsy and embarrassed.
God. You were naked when you said it.
You were naked when you offered him your heart.
Your throat tightens.
“Okay,” you say quickly. Too quickly. Like you’re reassuring him.
You reach for your clothes.
Yunho frowns, sitting up too, confusion flashing across his face.
“Wait,” he says. “Hey—no, I didn’t mean—”
You stand, grabbing your underwear from the floor, turning your back to him as you put them on with shaking hands.
Your voice comes out steadier than you feel.
“We should stop whatever this is.”
The air shifts.
“What?” He straightens. “Why would we—no, why?”
His words come faster now, tripping over each other.
“We don’t have to stop. We can still see each other. This doesn’t have to change. I just think what we have is good, you know?”
That’s the moment it really breaks you.
Not when he said no.
When he offered you less.
You let out a short, breathless laugh. It surprises even you. Sharp. Ugly. It cracks right through the room.
You pull your shirt over your head, quickly and almost panicking.
“No,” you say, still smiling a little, like the laugh left a bruise. “I don’t want to keep sleeping with someone who’s already decided I’m optional.”
He goes quiet.
“I won’t be convenient,” you add. Softer now. Final.
You finish dressing. Jeans. Shoes. Your movements feel mechanical, like you’re watching yourself from somewhere far away.
You grab your coat.
“Please,” he says, planning to reach for you, but his voice breaks just enough to hurt. “Don’t go like this.”
You pause with your hand on the door.
You don’t turn around.
“I meant what I said,” you tell him. “I really liked you.”
Then you leave, closing the door loudly behind you.
Yunho stays where he is. Naked. Sheets twisted in his fists. Hair a mess. Heart racing, body still buzzing with something that has nowhere to go now.
The high crashes hard.
The apartment feels suddenly too big. Too quiet.
He stares at the door long after you’re gone, confused, breathless, empty.
He doesn’t understand what he just lost. Not yet.
So he does what he always does when something hurts but doesn’t have a name. He organizes it.
He tells himself it makes sense. People stop sleeping together all the time. This wasn’t a relationship. There were no rules to break, no promises to mourn. Just timing. Just sex. Just convenience.
He showers. He washes your scent off his hands like it’s a routine he’s finished with. He changes the sheets. Not dramatically. Just because they’re dirty.
He goes to bed alone and tells himself it’s temporary. That bodies adjust. That habits fade. That this is nothing he hasn’t survived before.
In the days that follow, Yunho keeps functioning. That’s the word he uses in his head. Functioning.
He shows up. He laughs on cue. He answers messages with the same timing as always, the same punctuation, the same neutral warmth. You become something he keeps sealed. A closed folder. A finished file. A choice already made.
He tells himself he misses you the way you miss a shortcut you stopped taking. Mildly. Absentmindedly. Like something convenient that no longer exists.
He even texts you once.
Nothing loaded. Nothing risky. A stupid meme he would’ve sent without thinking before. No subtext. No weight.
You don’t answer.
The second day, he tries again. An inside joke, softened, stripped clean of intimacy. Something that could belong to any friend.
Still nothing.
On the third day, your reply comes.
Short. Polite. Late. A smiley face that doesn’t actually mean anything.
That’s when it lands.
The quiet understanding that whatever existed between you doesn’t downgrade into friendship. It doesn’t revert. It doesn’t survive the change intact.
This isn’t going to be the same.
He tells himself that’s fine. People unlearn closeness all the time.
What he misses first is you as a presence. As someone who knew things about him without asking. You learned each other sideways. Through pauses, habits, half-moments that were never labeled important but stayed anyway.
That kind of knowing doesn’t dissolve cleanly.
At the first group hangout, something feels wrong before he can name it.
You’re there. Laughing. Engaged. Sitting across the table instead of beside him. You greet him easily, like nothing ever lodged itself between your ribs and stayed there.
You don’t touch him.
Not when you laugh too hard and lean forward. Not when you reach past him for a drink. Not when someone says something that would’ve earned him a look before. Your hands stay to yourself.
The inside jokes die quietly. No confrontation. No tension. Just no one reaching for them anymore.
You talk like adults who know how to behave. Friendly. Considerate. Practiced.
It’s unbearable in its restraint.
He notices the absence in his body before it ever reaches his heart.
His thigh stays untouched. His arm stays empty when you get tipsy. You don’t lean into him like gravity is optional anymore.
You don’t look for him when you laugh.
You don’t text him when something reminds you of him. You don’t send songs. You don’t ask if he ate.
It isn’t anger. That would be easier.
It’s distance.
And his body doesn’t know what to do with it.
He reaches for you without thinking sometimes. A hand lifting, stopping midair. Muscles remembering something his mind insists wasn’t that serious.
At night, his apartment feels wrong.
The bed is too wide. The sheets stay cold. There’s a clean, undeniable space beside him now. And his body keeps turning toward it anyway.
He tells himself he misses the sex.
That lie lasts exactly three nights.
Because what he actually aches for isn’t release. It’s memory. Your weight tucked into his side. The way you softened after. The way your breathing evened out against his chest. The sigh you made when he pulled you closer, like you’d been waiting for it.
His body knows before he does.
Then one night, the group gathers again. Same bar. Same noise. Same long table.
Something is wrong the moment Yunho sits down.
He scans the room without meaning to.
You’re not there.
“Uh… do you know if she’s coming?” he asks, voice lowered, like the question itself might expose him.
“She should be here soon,” Jihye says. Then, curious. “Why?”
“Nothing,” he answers too quickly, and hates that his pulse refuses to settle.
When the door opens, he looks up without thinking.
And there you are.
Smiling. Relaxed. Different.
And not alone.
The guy beside you is tall, easy in his skin. His arm rests around your shoulders like it belongs there, like it found its place quickly and never questioned it. You lean into him without hesitation.
Yunho freezes.
Something sharp twists low in his chest, sudden and disorienting. Jealousy hits like vertigo, the ground dropping out from under him.
His first instinct is denial.
He studies the guy the way he studies problems. Searches for flaws. For reasons this shouldn’t work.
There aren’t many.
He listens when you talk. Laughs at the right moments. Touches you like it’s allowed. Like it’s expected.
The worst part is how easy it looks.
You look good with him.
Yunho stays quiet, fingers clenched around his glass, watching something he never let himself want take shape right in front of him. He doesn’t interrupt. Doesn’t react. Barely breathes.
And that’s when it finally clicks.
Not when he lost your bed.
When he lost your attention.
When he lost the way you used to turn toward him without thinking, like he was your default setting. Like he was where you landed when you didn’t have to choose.
He didn’t just lose your body.
He lost your heart. Your laugh. Your softness. The way you chose him without strategy, without fear, without holding something back.
And now he has to sit across the table and watch someone else receive it.
Not steal it. Not borrow it.
Receive it.
Later, he tells himself he’s just curious.
He opens your socials without thinking, thumb hovering where it doesn’t belong. He doesn’t like anything. Doesn’t comment. Doesn’t insert himself back into your life. He just watches, pretending that’s cleaner.
You’ve changed what you post.
Not dramatically. Just enough to hurt.
The little things you used to send only him are gone. Song screenshots. Blurry streetlights. Half-eaten meals with no caption because the commentary was meant for him.
Now it’s faces. Moments. Other people.
He notices the absence like a bruise he keeps pressing, checking if it still hurts.
It does. Every time.
You laugh in a video someone tags you in. Head thrown back, unguarded, bright. He hasn’t heard that laugh aimed at him in months. Not since before the door closed. Not since you stopped choosing him without thinking.
He watches it once.
Then again.
Hates himself for both.
At the next group hangout, he knows before he sees it.
You’re there, sitting on the new guy’s lap like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Your hand rests on his thigh, fingers absentminded, intimate and natural. His arm is snug around your waist, thumb tracing slow circles like he has nowhere else to be.
Like he’s proud to be there.
Yunho’s breath stutters.
The room keeps moving, laughter rising and falling, glasses clinking, but something inside him stalls completely. He can’t look away. Can’t look anywhere else.
That used to be him.
Not the lap. The ease.
The way you settled into someone without checking if it was allowed. The way your body trusted without negotiation.
He looks down at his drink because suddenly he feels exposed, like everyone can see the thought ripping through him.
And the worst part?
He doesn’t get to be angry.
He doesn’t get to flinch when someone else touches you. Doesn’t get to look wounded when you’re adored openly, held without hesitation by another man.
He rejected you.
He handed you away.
So he sits there in silence, watching someone else do everything he was too afraid to claim, knowing he forfeited the right to say anything about it to anyone.
That night, he goes home alone.
The apartment greets him with silence. No extra shoes by the door. No laugh from the couch. No weight in his bed forcing him to the edge.
He sits on the mattress and opens your text thread before he remembers he shouldn’t.
Your name is still there. The last message still his. Something stupid. Something unfinished.
He doesn’t type.
He just stares, struck by the terrifying thought that this might be it. That this might be all he ever gets to keep.
Then he opens the playlist.
The one you made together that night waiting for takeout, sprawled on the floor, arguing over song choices like it mattered. You’d leaned against his leg, humming along, completely at home.
The first track starts.
And suddenly, you’re everywhere.
The way you used to fall asleep against him, warm and trusting. The way your fingers curled into his shirt in your sleep like a reflex. The sigh you made when he pulled you closer, like you’d been waiting for it.
He presses his palms into his eyes, breath shaking.
He’s scared now.
Not of commitment. Not of wanting too much.
He’s scared he lost you forever because he mistook safety for distance and caution for control.
For the first time, Yunho knows with brutal clarity:
He doesn’t just want you back.
He needs you.
And he has no idea how to earn you again. But he’s going to try.
He starts small.
A message he types and deletes. A reply in the group chat aimed too precisely to be accidental. Standing a little too close, then catching himself, stepping back like he’s memorized the distance now.
He tells himself patience is respect. That restraint counts for something.
Then one night, while everyone’s arguing over shots and laughing too loud, he catches you alone by the bar.
The space is narrow. No audience. No buffer.
“Hey,” he says, softer than he planned.
You turn.
Polite. Neutral. Guard already in place.
“Hi.”
The pause stretches. It’s unbearable. He hates how careful you look now, like you’re bracing for impact from someone who already proved he can’t be trusted with momentum.
“I was wondering if we could talk,” he says. “Just for a minute.”
You don’t scoff. You don’t roll your eyes.
“I’m with someone now,” you say calmly.
Not sharp. Not defensive.
Just factual.
The words hit anyway. Clean. Direct. No room to negotiate around them.
“I know,” he says too fast. “I’m not trying to— I just thought maybe I could explain.”
You shake your head, barely.
“You don’t need to.”
Something in his chest splinters.
“I was wrong,” he says. Quiet. Stripped. “I didn’t handle things right. I didn’t see what I had until—”
“You saw it,” you interrupt gently. “You just didn’t choose it.”
The distinction lands heavier than anger ever could.
He swallows. Tries again, voice cracking despite his effort to keep it steady.
“I was scared. I thought if I let it become real, I’d ruin it. I didn’t want to lose you.”
You look at him then. Really look.
“You already had me once.”
That’s the moment that ruins him.
Because you’re not accusing. You’re explaining. Drawing a line with care, not cruelty.
You don’t punish him. You don’t raise your voice. You don’t ask for apologies you already know won’t change anything.
You protect yourself.
“I’m not doing this,” you add softly. “Please don’t make me.”
Something ugly flashes across his face. Not anger. Panic, turning desperate.
“So what?” he says, too fast. “You just… went with the easy option?” he asks. Too fast. Too raw. “Someone new. Someone who’d give you the attention you need?”
The words hit the air and rot instantly.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he says right away, voice dropping. “I’m sorry. That was— that was cruel. I shouldn’t have said that.”
You don’t snap. You don’t defend yourself. You just look at him, steady and tired. Almost disappointed.
“It wasn’t easy,” you say. “I just stopped hoping for you.”
That lands harder than a fight would’ve.
He swallows, nods once like he’s absorbing a blow.
Weeks later, he tries again.
Cornered courage. Hands shoved into his pockets like he’s afraid of what they’ll reach for if left loose.
“I miss you,” he says. No polish. No strategy. Just truth bleeding out.
You exhale slowly, like you’ve had this conversation in your head already.
“Please don’t,” you say. “I’m asking you to stop.”
“I can’t just forget you,” he says, quiet but urgent. “You mattered. You still do.”
“I know,” you reply. “But that doesn’t mean you get access to me anymore.”
That’s when he finally breaks.
“I need you,” he admits, barely above a whisper. Not a confession. Not a plea dressed up as romance. Just need, raw and humiliating.
You close your eyes for half a second.
Then you open them.
“I need you to let me go.”
You turn to go. As you pass him, he whispers it without thinking, without control.
“I can’t.”
You hear it, but choose not to answer.
And that’s the moment Yunho understands.
This isn’t about timing. Or fear. Or missed chances he can argue his way back into.
This is consequences.
And he learns the slow, brutal lesson of it.
That wanting forgiveness doesn’t entitle him to it. That regret doesn’t reverse time. That loving you now doesn’t erase that he couldn’t choose you then.
So he adapts. He files you away into the part of himself he doesn’t touch unless he has to.
Turns longing into routine. Turns regret into background noise.
Weeks pass. Then months.
Your absence stops feeling sharp and starts feeling structural, like a missing wall he’s learned to walk around. He tells himself this is what moving on looks like. Not relief. Just endurance.
Then, one night, the world reaches back in and says your name.
They’re at Mingi’s apartment, sprawled across couches and floor cushions, controllers warm in their hands. It’s late. Too late. The kind of hour where the lights are low, the game volume is too loud, and no one’s pretending they’re not tired anymore.
Someone’s lost for the third time in a row. Wooyoung complains. Mingi throws popcorn at him. San’s scrolling on his phone, only half paying attention.
He mentions it like it’s nothing.
“By the way,” San says, eyes still on the screen, “did you guys hear she and that guy broke up?”
Yunho freezes.
Controller still in his hands. Thumbs hovering. Chest jolting once, hard, like it’s checking whether it’s allowed to react.
“What?” Seonghwa asks from the armchair. “Seriously? They were basically perfect.”
“Right?” Wooyoung adds. “Good job, good guy, attentive. Honestly kind of weird she dumped him. They looked solid.”
Weird.
The game resumes. Someone yells. Someone dies. The room keeps moving.
Yunho doesn’t.
All he hears is your name. And then the absence of someone else beside it.
He should feel bad. That’s the correct response. Someone ended a relationship. Someone got hurt.
He doesn’t.
What he feels is air. Sudden and dizzying. Like a window opening in a room he didn’t know had been suffocating him.
Hope sparks before he can stop it. Warm. Reckless. Immediate.
He drops his gaze to the controller because he doesn’t trust his face. His mouth still twitches anyway. The smallest smile. The first one in weeks that doesn’t feel rehearsed.
You’re single.
His chest warms immediately, that familiar, dangerous heat flaring back to life like it never left. Like it’s been waiting.
He doesn’t wonder why you ended it. Doesn’t think about timing or decency or what it says about him that this feels like good news.
He just knows one thing, with absolute clarity.
This is his moment.
All the restraint he’s been forcing on himself loosens at once. The quiet suffering. The careful distance. The pretending that patience was the same thing as acceptance.
Gone.
He doesn’t care that he already failed once. Doesn’t care that he doesn’t deserve another chance. Doesn’t care that this could implode spectacularly.
You’re free again.
And this time, he’s not going to hover. Not going to hesitate. Not going to confuse fear with respect.
He’s going to gain you back.
The game ends. Someone groans. Someone reaches for a drink.
Yunho sets the controller down.
“Already?” Mingi asks, blinking at him from the floor. “It’s not even—”
“I gotta go,” Yunho says, already standing.
“Now?” Wooyoung frowns. “It’s like—”
“Yeah. Now.”
He grabs his jacket from the rack, movements rushed, barely controlled. His heart is beating too fast. His hands feel light, they’re trembling slightly.
“Everything okay?” San asks, finally looking up.
Yunho doesn’t answer. He’s already halfway to the door.
“I’ll text,” he throws over his shoulder.
“Yunho, wait, what—”
The door slams shut behind him.
Cold air hits his face. He exhales sharply, like he’s been holding his breath for weeks.
He flags down a taxi with a raised hand that’s shaking just a little too much now.
“Address?” the driver asks.
He blurts yours without hesitation. Like his brain’s been rehearsing it.
The door closes. The car pulls away.
And suddenly he’s bouncing his leg like a man possessed, knee knocking against the seat, fingers pressed to his lips. Every red light is personal. He leans forward, watching the city, willing it to move faster.
He knows the neighborhood before the driver says a word. That bakery. The flickering streetlight. The chipped paint near your door.
“Here,” he says, already reaching for his wallet. “You can stop here.”
He’s out before the car stops completely.
The walk to your door feels longer than the entire drive. His heart is loud now. His thoughts trip over each other.
What if you don’t open? What if you tell him to leave? What if he ruins this too?
He stops in front of your door. Raises his hand. Pauses. Then knocks.
You open it after a moment. You’re not surprised. Of course you’re not. You clock him instantly, the rushed breathing, the way he’s standing like he might bolt.
“Hey,” he says, softer now. “I just… I heard.”
You don’t invite him in. You lean against the doorframe instead, arms crossing loosely. Calm. Collected. That look you’ve perfected. The one that says you’re in control.
“I figured,” you say. “You don’t usually show up like this unless you want something.”
There it is. Precise. A warning.
He swallows.
“I wanted to check on you,” he says. “As a friend.”
You lift an eyebrow.
“Do you really want to start with a lie?”
He winces.
“…No.”
Silence stretches between you. It’s unbearable.
You sigh, looking past him for a second, then back again.
“I’m fine,” you say. “If that’s what you came to ask.”
“That’s not,” he blurts, then stops himself. Recalibrates. Tries again. “I mean, it is. But also—it’s not the reason I’m here.”
You don’t prompt him.
“I didn’t plan this,” he says, voice a little too fast. “I mean, I planned to come, but I didn’t script anything. The second I heard, my head just… shut down.”
You cross your arms, defensive but still listening. Against your better judgment.
“I told myself I’d respect what you asked for,” he continues. “And I did. I stayed away. But I need you to listen to me.”
“You don’t get to show up now just because I’m single again,” you say. Firm. Protective. “I won’t be the girl you realize you want only after someone else had me.”
“I know,” he says immediately. “And if that’s all this was, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Then what is it?” you ask.
He hesitates. His hands flex at his sides, restless. Nervous in a way you’ve never seen him before.
“This… this is me admitting I didn’t understand what I had until it was gone,” he says. “And instead of facing it, I ran.”
He meets your eyes fully now.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me,” he adds quickly. “I’m not asking for a reset. I just needed you to know that not choosing you back was the worst thing I’ve ever done.”
You look at him for a long moment.
“You hurt me,” you say quietly.
“I know,” he says. “And I don’t get to undo that. All I can do is show you I understand it now.”
A beat.
“If you tell me to leave, I will,” he continues. “If you tell me it’s too late, I’ll respect that. I just couldn’t live with not being honest anymore.”
Your defenses crack, slow and unwilling.
“You are late,” you murmur.
“I know,” he says. No argument. No excuse. “But I’m here on purpose this time.”
You close your eyes. Breathe. When you open them, he’s still there. Still waiting.
“…Come in,” you say.
His breath leaves him in a rush, relief sharp enough to make him dizzy.
He steps inside like he’s been allowed into something sacred. Careful. Measured. As if one wrong move could get him sent back out.
Your place smells like you. Familiar in a way that hits him low and unfair. You’re already walking toward the kitchen, unhurried, dressed in soft lounge clothes that shouldn’t be distracting but somehow are. Soft fabric. Bare arms. Effortless.
You’ve always been devastating without trying.
Yunho stays rooted in the middle of the living room, hands flexing like they don’t know what to do without you telling them.
You don’t ask what he wants to drink.
You never did.
You pour automatically. Ice clinks against glass, sharp in the quiet. You’re not rushing him. You’re letting the silence work. Letting him feel it.
He fills it anyway.
“I miss your body,” he says. Plain. Unarmored. “And I hate how honest that is.”
Your brow lifts, amused. Curious. Dangerous.
You hand him the glass without looking at him. Your fingers don’t brush his.
“Oh?” you murmur. “That’s what you crossed the city to confess?”
He shakes his head immediately. Too fast.
“No. Yes. I don’t know.” A breath leaves him, rough. He drags a hand through his hair. “I miss the way you moved like you knew exactly what you were doing to me. Like you weren’t performing, you were just present. With me.”
You lean back against the counter, finally facing him. Calm. Unreadable. Waiting.
“I miss how you never held back with me,” he says. “How you trusted me with the parts of you that weren’t polite. The sounds. The way you’d pull me closer when it got overwhelming instead of pushing me away.”
He takes a step forward without thinking. Stops himself like it burns.
“And I know I could sleep with anyone,” he continues, voice lowering. “I did. It was fine.” A bitter huff. “But it was empty. Because it wasn’t you.”
That’s where his voice slips. Just enough to hear it.
“It wasn’t just sex,” he says. “It was you paying attention to me. Seeing me. Touch was the only way I knew how to say how much I admired you. It felt… bigger than words.”
“You didn’t choose me when it mattered,” you say. Soft. Steady. Unarguable.
He flinches anyway.
“I know,” he says. Not rushed this time. “And I didn’t realize what that choice actually was when I made it.”
Your jaw tightens.
“I didn’t feel nothing,” he admits. “That’s the worst part. I felt calm. With you. Safe. Like I didn’t have to perform or impress or be anything other than myself.”
He shakes his head, frustrated with himself.
“And I mistook that for it not being serious.”
Your eyes flicker.
“I told myself that if it didn’t feel chaotic, it couldn’t be love. That if it didn’t scare me every second, then it was just comfort. Just sex. Just timing.”
He lets out a short, humorless laugh.
“I didn’t understand that peace doesn’t mean absence. It means trust.”
Your chest tightens despite yourself.
“I didn’t wake up one day jealous,” he continues. I woke up and everything was… off. Nothing made sense without you there.”
You glance at him sharply.
“I noticed because I missed you,” he says. “As a person. As my person. In my day. In my space. In the way I think.”
His voice drops. He steps closer, not touching, careful like you might spook.
“And then I realized… I hadn’t lost sex. I’d lost access. To you.”
Silence presses in again.
You exhale slowly.
You take a sip of your drink, buying yourself time.
“So,” you say. “What is this. An apology tour?”
He shakes his head.
“No. It’s a request. A slow one.” He swallows. “I want the chance to earn my way back into your life. And if that takes watching you look at me like this for a while, I’ll take it.”
You set your glass down slowly.
You step closer. Slow enough to make it intentional.
He keeps his eyes on the floor, like if he looks at you, he’ll lose the nerve he barely has.
“You left me naked and humiliated,” you say evenly. “You don’t get to rush anything.”
“I know,” he says. No hesitation. “I won’t.”
A beat.
“I learned something about you,” he adds, softer. “You don’t fold when someone pushes. You fold when you feel safe.”
His eyes flick up, searching for damage.
“I’m not touching you tonight unless you tell me to,” he says. “I’m not pushing. I’m not asking for shortcuts. I’ll stand right here and tell you the truth until you’re bored of hearing it, if that’s what it takes.”
You study him. The restraint. The way he’s clearly aching and still choosing to stay still.
You already know what you want.
You just need to know if he’s strong enough to wait for it. You just want to see how far he’s willing to go for it.
“…Keep talking,” you say.
And Yunho does.
Because for the first time, he understands that wanting you isn’t the risk.
Losing you was.
Yunho clears his throat, like he’s stepping into a wave he knows will knock him under.
“You ruined casual for me,” he says quietly. “And I didn’t understand that until you were gone.”
“Yunho,” you say softly.
“I need you,” he continues. No flourish. No charm. “I need you to choose me again.”
You hum softly, circling him now. Letting him feel you without touching.
“I fucked up,” he continues. “I was an idiot, and I let that cost me you. I won’t do that again. I swear I won’t.”
“Yunho,” you repeat, trying to catch his attention.
He finally lifts his gaze.
You’re close now. Close enough to steal his breath without touching him.
You reach past him, take the untouched glass from his hand, set it on the island behind you. Your fingers linger on the counter. Not on him.
That’s when it hits him.
His breath stutters.
“I didn’t mean to sound desperate,” he murmurs.
You smile. Slow. Satisfied.
“I know,” you say. “You just are.”
Something in him breaks open at that. His lips part like he might actually sink to his knees from the permission alone.
And then, finally, you let your fingers brush his wrist. Barely there. A promise, not a reward.
Your hand finds his forearm. So light he almost laughs, breathless, convinced for half a second that it’s memory, not reality.
Then you move. Slow. Intentional. Up his side. Along his arm.
Yunho swallows hard.
Your fingers slide higher, grazing his bicep, your touch feather-soft, cruel in its patience.
You say nothing.
That makes him nervous.
“I miss you,” he says again, more desperately now. “I ache for you. I wake up reaching for you. I fall asleep hearing your voice in my head. I keep replaying that night, what you said to me—”
Your hand squeezes his shoulder. Firm. Anchoring.
He exhales, shaking.
“Please,” he murmurs. “Tell me you still meant it.”
Your hand keeps climbing until your palm cups his jaw.
He goes utterly still.
Your thumb brushes his lower lip. Slow. Thoughtful. Claiming. His silence is immediate, absolute.
Now it’s your turn.
“I tried to forget you,” you say quietly. “God knows I tried.”
Your thumb traces his lip again, almost absent.
“When you said no to me… it felt like something split open,” you continue. “Like I’d made myself small enough to fit into your hands, and you still let me fall.”
His eyes shine. He doesn’t interrupt. He wouldn’t dare.
“So I did the easy thing,” you admit. “I dated someone who was there. Someone handsome. Someone safe. Someone who wanted me without hesitation.”
A soft, bitter smile curves your mouth.
“They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone,” You shake your head. “It’s a lie.”
Your grip tightens slightly at his jaw.
“All it did was make it clearer,” you whisper. “That it was always you. That it never stopped being you.”
His hands twitch at his sides, restrained by sheer will.
“I felt selfish,” you say. “For trying to cover a wound you left with someone else. For pretending you were replaceable.”
You lean in until he can feel your breath.
“You weren’t,” you finish. “Because no one ever touched me the way you did. No one ever saw me the way you did.”
The silence is dense. Charged.
Your thumb stills on his lip.
“And now,” you say softly, dangerously, “you’re here. Begging.”
His voice breaks when he answers.
“Because I love you,” Yunho says. No fear left. No hedging. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving I deserve you, if you let me.”
You lift your other hand.
Now you’re holding his face with both palms, thumbs warm against his skin. He looks wrecked. Wide-eyed. Bare. Like he’s bracing for either salvation or another fall.
Your eyes soften. Pityful. Hungry.
You rise onto your toes and press a kiss to his mouth.
Light. Teasing. Testing.
It barely lasts a second.
He doesn’t move. Doesn’t chase it. Doesn’t take more than you give. He just breathes in sharply, like he’s afraid to shatter the moment by wanting too loudly, too soon.
You pull back enough to see his expression.
And you laugh.
Just a little. Soft. Fond. Amused by how undone he looks.
Then you kiss him again.
This time there’s no hesitation.
His restraint collapses instantly. His arms come around you, firm and sure, pulling you into his chest like he’s afraid you might disappear if there’s even an inch of space left between you.
The kiss turns messy. Uncareful. Hungry in a way that has nothing to do with urgency and everything to do with relief.
It tastes different.
You both feel it.
There’s no desperation in it now. No proving. No bargaining. Just recognition. Like something has finally slotted back into place.
He tightens his hold when you shift, one hand cradling the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair to keep you close. The other settles around your waist, grounding and claiming you, pulling you until your body fits against his, remembering instinctively how to do this.
He doesn’t want to break the kiss.
Not now. Not after finally getting you back.
So he keeps kissing you, slower now, deeper, like he’s trying to remember the exact shape of your mouth after all this time. No rush. No hunger sharp enough to hurt. Just warmth and familiarity settling back into place.
Then, right when you think he’s about to escalate things, he breaks the kiss.
Not abruptly. Reluctantly. Forehead resting against yours, breath still uneven.
“W-wait…” he murmurs, voice low, rough.
His words stumble over themselves, shivering out of his mouth like his body doesn’t want to obey his brain.
“I… I just—” He swallows, hitches a breath. His fingers twitch, then still. His chest rises and falls too fast.
You hum in question, hands still holding his face. Your warmth, your presence, slows him down.
He swallows, eyes flicking down and then back up to yours, suddenly uncertain in a way that’s almost endearing, and he tries again, clearer now.
“Would it be okay if…” He hesitates, lips parting, then blurts it out before he can overthink it. “If we just— if you’d let me stay? Tonight. Just sleep. With you.”
You blink.
He rushes to clarify, hands loosening on you like he’s afraid he’s already crossed a line.
“I don’t mean— I just— I really miss falling asleep next to you. I miss waking up and knowing you’re there.” His voice dips, softer. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
There it is.
The raw honesty. The almost-embarrassment. The way he looks at you like he’s bracing for rejection but hoping so hard it borders on painful.
You can’t help it.
You laugh.
Not mocking. Not cruel. Just a quiet, affectionate sound that makes his shoulders sag with relief even before you answer.
“You look like you’re about to ask me to adopt you,” you tease gently.
His lips twitch, sheepish. “I’d be a very good emotional support boyfriend.”
That does it.
You slip your hand into his, fingers lacing together like they never forgot how. “Come on,” you say, tugging him lightly. “You can stay.”
He exhales like he’s been holding his breath for months.
You lead him down the hall, hand in hand, and he follows without question.
Your bedroom feels different with him in it. Warmer. Fuller. Like it’s been waiting.
Before he gets in bed, he pauses by your dresser. A small, almost proud smile tugs at his lips as he pulls out the clothes he once left here months ago.
You never threw them away.
He slips into them quietly, the familiar softness of the fabric hugging him. Something about it feels like reclaiming a piece of himself, like stepping back into a place he’d never meant to leave.
You crawl into bed first. He joins you carefully, like he’s been granted access to something precious.
The moment you settle, he moves closer, tentative at first, then more certain when you don’t pull away.
He settles nearly on top of you, chest against yours, head resting against your heart.
His arm wraps around your waist, molding to you as if he’s always known exactly how you fit together. Like muscle memory.
His weight is grounding, a quiet claim, and you can feel the steady beat of his pulse through his temple against your chest.
His face tucks into the curve of your neck with a quiet sigh, nose brushing your skin.
“You’re so warm,” he murmurs. “I almost forgot how warm you are.”
Your fingers find his hair automatically, combing through it slowly. He melts at the touch, a soft sound leaving him before he can stop it.
“I missed this,” he whispers. “I missed you like this. God, I felt so empty without you here.”
You feel his lips press gentle kisses to your collarbone. One. Then another. Nothing demanding. Just affection spilling over.
“I kept reaching for you in my sleep,” he admits, voice muffled against your skin. “Waking up and realizing you weren’t there was the worst part of my day. Every day.”
You tilt your head slightly, giving him more room, letting him nuzzle closer.
“You forgave me,” he says quietly, almost like he’s still surprised by it. “I don’t know how, but… thank you.”
You smile to yourself, thumb tracing lazy circles near his temple. “How could I not?” you murmur. “You’re looking at me like I hung the moon.”
He lifts his head just enough to look at you, eyes soft, open, unguarded.
“That’s because you did,” he says simply. “And I’m not letting myself forget it again.”
Your chest tightens in the best way.
You tug him closer, burying your face into his hair now. “Get some sleep,” you tell him softly. “You’re safe.”
He relaxes instantly at that. Fully. Arm tightening around you, grounding, protective. The steady press of his chest against yours makes your own heartbeat slow.
“I’m so glad you’re mine again,” he murmurs, already half-asleep. “I promise I won’t take this for granted.”
His breathing evens out soon after, warm and steady against your neck.
You stay awake a little longer, fingers still in his hair, smiling as he presses one last sleepy kiss to your skin.
When you think he’s finally asleep, your lips brush over his temple. “I love you,” you murmur, just enough for him to hear.
A soft sigh, a subtle shiver, and then his lips press to your neck, feather-light but unmistakable. You can feel the curve of a smile against your skin.
“I love you more,” he whispers, voice low, intimate, almost vibrating through you.
You smile against him, kissing the top of his head gently, closing your eyes at last.
Your body relaxes fully underneath him, into the weight and warmth and presence you’ve missed so desperately.
Finally, after everything, you let yourself just be.
Held, safe, and utterly his again.
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𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾
⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ hwang hyunjin x fem!reader
𝜗𝜚⋆ dad!hyunjin, mom!reader, they alr have a daughter [5.4k]
A day filled with happiness, laughter and endless cake, hyunjin's sad watching his little girl grow up, his solution? put another baby in you!
breeding, oral (m & f rec), fingering, tit sucking, body worship, size kink, belly bulge, creampie, unprotected sex (shocker), teasing, manhandling, hyunnie is whipped!, lovely in love like literally 90% is them being married and in love.
It was your daughters 3rd birthday, a day filled with toddlers screaming, giggling and just as much fun. Family, friends gathered around in your backyard, decorated in pink, hand painted decorations because Hyewon deserved nothing but the best.
Hyewon, your pride and joy, carried her for 9 long, painful months.
Just for her to be a mini Hyunjin.
The same dramatic flare even at three, the same soft look when they want something, the same mole under their eyes.
Hyunjin was made to be a dad, his soft presence, his caring nature; that belief has only been solidified after Hyewon.
Despite his hectic schedule he never missed anything, every appointment, every milestone he was there. He says its because she knew he'd be sad and she definitely didn't want her appa to be sad.
The suns long set, the pink and orange in the sky fading to blue and black. The chaotic day of constant sound and chaos settling to the distant sounds of dogs barking and contentment.
Inside its similar, the faint humming of the washing machine, Hyewon's sleeping mumbles through the baby monitor.
Your humming along to whatever songs auto playing on your phone, cleaning up the mountain of dishes from today, swapping with Hyunjin — leaving him to wrangle your hyperactive daughter who consumed nearly her body weight in sugar to bed.
You're off in your own thoughts when you suddenly feel Hyunjin's familiar arms wrap around you, halting your cleaning. Feeling Hyunjin relax into you, conditions you to do the same.
Hyunjin's hands roaming over you, holding onto your stomach keeping you in place for him, feeling his forehead resting on your shoulder.
"Little miss is all asleep." His voice quiet, muffled against your skin. You hum slightly, a small smile on your lips, not yet turning to look back at him.
"How'd you manage that?" In response he simply laughs a little bit, the laugh vibrating against your skin, sending shivers down your spine.
"Bribery, told her we'd take her to the park tomorrow with Siwoo." He presses a soft kiss to the exposed skin of your shoulder blade.
"Is Chan aware of this play date yet?" You hum in amusement awaiting his answer.
He simply mumbles something incoherent into your shirt, tightening his hold on you.
Putting down whatever plate you were washing, focusing off to the side, the small photo on the window sill; You, Hyunjin and Hyewon when she was first brought home.
Hyunjin's eyes following yours, his whole body softening at the memory.
"She was so small.." His voice almost unsteady, the memories flooding back, only feeling like yesterday his family was started.
"Can't believe shes three, soon shes gonna start school, then high school then college —" Your teasing words causing Hyunjin to groan against you.
"Don't start, shes not even out of preschool yet." His words make you soften, knowing he hates the fact shes growing up, his little girl growing up, growing out of being his mini me. (You doubt the dramatic-ness will fade)
"Maybe its time we think about a little sibling for Hyewon, hm? maybe being a big sister will teach her some responsibility." Teasing him even further, though your words lighthearted it sparks something in him. Expecting a witty response about Hyewon not needing to be responsible yet.
When it doesn't come you don't push, instead he turns you around, hands settling on your hips, taking in your slightly dishevelled appearance from the day, makeup slightly smudged around the eyes, lip gloss long gone — still looking utterly ethereal.
"What?" You say slightly amused, biting back a small smile as you look at him. He doesn't respond with words, his fingers moving to trace over your jawline, captivated by you.
You immediately soften under his touch, your hands holding into his shirt, your thumbs running over the fabric.
He leans over, his lips brushing over yours, not capturing them yet, just settling there, enjoying the ghost of you against him.
Your breath hitches slightly, letting him guide you, not pushing forward, just enjoying him in the moment.
When he finally presses his lips on yours its perfect.
Its not fireworks, its consuming.
Your lips move against each others perfectly, knowing each others rhythm, not rushing to anything, just taking in the moment — the rare moments of tranquility, of quiet.
Enjoying the tender moments, melting into his touch, your fingers moving to thread into his hair, not pulling on it just grounding you to him.
When it breaks its only because you cant breathe, both of you catching your breathes, not daring to part further than necessary. Opening your eyes you meet his, already looking at you.
"You're so beautiful." Its a whisper, it would be inaudible to anyone but you — and that's the point, he doesn't need to flash his love for you, shout words from the rooftop, if you wanted him too he would but he doesn't need to.
His love for you is fierce, all consuming and heavy, its presence its him.
His lips catch on yours again, pulling you into another kiss, this time the kiss deepens, lips moving against each others naturally, holding onto each other, trying to pull each other impossibly closer.
Hyunjin guides you instinctively through the house, carefully avoiding furniture and misplaced toys. Pushing through doors until your in your shared room. Guiding you to the bed, breaking the kiss to help you lay down on the bed.
Settling on your elbows, looking up at him, His white shirt stained with paint from the party, his hair slightly messed up from your hold on it.
Quickly he leans over you, effectively caging you on the bed. Pressing sweet kisses over your face with a smile, one to your cheek, your forehead, your nose, your chin then finally a kiss to your lips.
Its all smiles from both of you, as you cup his jaw as his hands hold himself up above you, falling over ontop of you when you shift under him slightly, breaking the kiss with laughter.
"You're an idiot, Hyune." Your words lacking any malice, smiling against his plush lips. Your fingers carding through his hair, just enjoying him in the moment.
"M'your idiot though.." He mutters against your lips, cradling your face then pressing a soft kiss against your lips, then pressing a kiss to your cheek then to your jaw, peppering soft kisses down the curve.
You cant help but scrunch your nose a little but laughing at his comment, instinctively tilting your head back to give him more room, your fingers massaging his scalp slightly, pulling on the lengths when he nips at your neck.
"Cheesy.." you mumble teasing him, you feel him nip at your neck making you yelp a bit pulling him off your neck to meet your eyes.
There's not an ounce of regret in his eyes, smiling wide looking at you, taking you all in.
"You love me for it." He hums, his fingers tracing down your side before dipping under your shirt, his cold fingers against your warm skin making you shiver under his touch.
"I love you despite it, there's a difference." You sigh dramatically, your cheeks hurting from smiling. He watches as you roll your eyes at him huffing in amusement.
Before you can make another snide comment hes moving, moving away from you only to settle above your stomach, pushing his head under your shirt causing you to make a strained yelp or laugh.
"Careful, gonna wake up the princess if you're not quiet." his words muffled from him muttering against your skin. Hyunjin, whos pressing open mouth kisses against your stomach. Your hands move you hold onto his shoulders.
After hes decided hes too impatient he slips out from under your shirt, he grabs your hands pulling you up to your knees with him. That dopey smile adorn on his lips you cant help smile back at him, your arms settling around his neck, your thumb brushing against the skin of his neck.
"You're so beautiful.." He whispers, just loud enough for you to hear it, your expression quickly softens, your movements halting temporarily.
"Always saying saying that, Hyunnie" You tease softly, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Always mean it too, so pretty for me even when you don't think so." His words sharp and honest, the air shifting, the tension growing thicker, more intense.
You cant help but moan slightly at his words, which immediately makes him smile wide, teasingly.
His hold on you is tight but not painful, you can tell you'll be bruised on your hips tomorrow but its worth it.
Hyunjin guides you back down till your head hits the pillows, your chest rising from your uneven breathing. Hyunjin cant help but admire you, the way your hair fans out around you, the way your pupils dilate, how you look at him like he hangs stars.
"You're staring." Your soft voice brings him out of his daze, he doesn't respond verbally not trusting his voice to not break, instead he smiles at you.
His fingers trace the hem of your his shirt, you get the memo, lifting yourself up a bit to help remove your shirt, letting it fall to the other side of the bed.
No matter how many times he's seen you like this his eyes never waver. Looking a you like you were sculpted just for him, like you're the most beautiful being created, and to Hyunjin you are.
He takes a deep breath, taking in the sight of you, his fingers stationary on your stomach.
Only when you mutter his name he comes back to reality, smiling sweetly at you before he leans down and presses a kiss to your stomach.
"Remember how beautiful you looked pregnant?" He whispers against your skin, not yet meeting your eyes, fingers grazing the band of your shorts.
"I could barely get my shoes on in the morning, Hyune." you hum in amusement.
"Doesn't mean you weren't gorgeous — god you were glowing, you always have been breathtaking but seeing you carrying my daughter, you looked divine." His words honest, you know that, hes told you hundreds of times — but this time its different, looking at you with something darker in his eyes.
"Whenever i see you with Hyewon all i can think about is how good you are with her, how amazing of a mother you are — how fucking perfect you'd look pregnant again." You cant help the way your breath hitches at his words, unconsciously pressing your thighs together, which of course he notices.
He finally shuts up, deciding you've been teased enough for now.
He kisses down your stomach, putting extra attention on every stretch mark, every freckle and mole. His fingers hook on your waistband, pulling them down torturously slow, kissing every inch of you.
Your skin tingles everywhere he kisses, your fingers lacing in his hair tugging gently, pulling a groan from him which only makes you bite your lip holding back a laugh.
Hyunjin whos less amused, nips the sensitive skin of your thigh, which makes you smack his head slightly, the vibrations of his laugh making you shiver slightly, Hyunjin's hands holding you firmly in place.
"You're such a tease." He sighs dramatically lifting his head from between your thighs to rest his cheek on one of them, his hand soothing the skin of your other thigh, drawing small shapes on it as he looks up at you with a grin.
"Oh I'm the tease? What am i doing?" You huff in amusement, your fingers running through his hair, not able to take your eyes off his.
"Existing." He says simply, dead serious in his accusation.
"My existence is enough to test your sanity?" You cant help but smile at him, enjoying the way his touch feels against your skin.
He simply hums in agreement his movements stopping suddenly. "Can barely contain myself half the time."
"Only half? — id say its more like 25 —" You're words quickly die on the tip of your tongue when you feel his warm breath against your heat.
Hyunjin's nose ghosts you, taking in all of you.
He stills in front of you, you feel his fingers dig into the plush of your thighs, faintly hearing him take a deep breath against you. His tongue suddenly swipes up your slit, you can barely process the sudden pleasure before hes diving against your pussy.
Hyunjin's lips attach your clit, sucking on your aching bud with devotion. His tongue darting around, putting pressure on your clit, you cant help the whimpers that flea your lips, holding onto anything you can, one hand settling in his hair pulling on the dark locks, the other scrunching the silk sheets below you.
"Gotta be quiet, baby — don't wanna wake the princess hm?" he murmurs low against your bundle of nerves, his voice creating vibrations against your clit pulling a choked compliant moan from you, biting your lower lip so hard you might break skin.
Taking a sharp breath as his tongue dips from your clit, running through your folds, lapping up all your slick, his nose nudging against your clit with every lick.
You could swear he was enjoying this just as much — if not more than you, moaning desperately into your pussy despite warning you to be quiet. His moans only escalate when you tug on his scalp, groaning into your cunt.
The quiet night interrupted by your joint moans and mindless whispers echoing through the walls, — thankful you don't live close enough to anyone to be bothered.
"Hyunjin —" your breathed moans only fuelling him further, one of his hands snaking across your thigh, his thumb nudging against your sore clit.
Only for him to pull his face away from your cunt to look at you, forcing you to look back down at him — instantly throwing your head back at the sight.
His hair a mess, a sheen of sweat coating his hairline — the bottom half of his face coated in a mix of your slick and his spit, a stupid sly grin plastered with it.
"Missed her so much — been so focused on planning the perfect party for the princess forgot to take care of my girl ~" Fuck hes not even talking to you, you cant help but try and press your thighs together at him talking to your pussy.
His thumb leaves your clit much to your displeasure — whining as you buck your hips up to try and chase his touch. He simply coos at you pressing a soft hiss to your inner thigh, his fingers parting you with a V taking in the sight of you soaked in front of him.
"Gonna stretch you out so good, baby gotta get you nice and ready f'me" Hyunjin presses a final kiss to your clit before you can feel one of his thick fingers prodding your entrance. He's still at your hole, enamoured with how how your clenching around nothing, how you try bucking up to somehow slip his finger in you, pointless but he admires your efforts none the less.
You can barely hold back your moans, your lip sore from biting back. All you can think about is how good he feels — how you desperately crave more.
Hyunjin's eyes darken as he takes you in, the view of your tight cunt sucking in only one of his fingers, letting out a hum in amusement.
You moan as you feel his finger press into you, the slight fullness barely satiating your need for him. Almost like he can tell his finger curls slightly into you, clenching around his digit.
"S'good for me, baby — gonna take another f'me? Hyunjin coos at you, phrasing it like a question knowing damn well you're desperate for more.
You nod vigorously, breathless moans filling the room, fuelling Hyunjin's motivation — eager to please you above his want to tease you endlessly.
You feel a second finger nudge your entrance — clenching around his other finger — soft whimpers, pleading him for more.
You immediately arch at the feeling of his fingers filling you up so good — fingers curling into his hair and the sheets next to you. Breathless moans escaping you, barely able to be mindful of your volume the feeling of him inside you satisfying your need to be close to him.
"Hyune.." You whine quietly, pleading for him to move, your pleas are short lived when you feel him pull out, thrusting his fingers into your tight hole.
His movements are fast but precise, knowing exactly where to angle his fingers to have you wrecked under him.
"Please — ple-please!! — f-fuck Hyunnie t-much..!!" Your words falling short on any meaning, your hips bucking down to meet his thrusts, moaning helplessly around his fingers as the press against that spot only he can reach.
"Taking me so well — fuck,, clenching me so tight even after all this time." he lets out a breathless laugh, his eyes focused on your cunt, how it sucks him in so well.
You can barely process his words — feeling your orgasm approach quickly — the constant thrusts of his long thick fingers, prodding at your gummy spot — his dishevelled appearance — fuck its too much for any sane person.
"Gonna cum over my fingers, muse — god, you're unreal.." Mumbling to himself at this point — you're barely able to contain yourself, your lips bruised from you biting to try and fail holding back your moans.
Hyunjin dips down, lips lips latching onto your aching clit — the final nail pulling your orgasm from you.
His movements only slow, helping you ride out your orgasm, his lips sucking on your slit softly, tongue flicking it pulling strained whines from you.
When he notices your haze fading he parts from your bud, his fingers slowing its thrusts to a halt completely.
you immediately whine, trying with all your strength to try and thrust up to have any sort of friction. Hyunjin simply holds onto your hips, keeping you in place.
Pulling his fingers from your aching cunt, you whine at the loss of him, quickly silencing yourself when you see him put his fingers in his mouth, sucking the digits. Hyunjin moans at the taste of you, his grip on your hip tightening, his eyes never leave yours.
His fingers pull out with a pop, a small devilish smile gracing his lips as he leans over your body, his hand grazing up your side, capturing your lips in a feverish kiss.
Your hands settle on the back of his neck, pulling him down closer, deepening the kiss. Hyunjin nipping at your bottom lip causing you to moan, taking the chance sticking his tongue in your month, his tongue pressing against yours in a heated kiss.
When you part its for a need for oxygen, neither of you wanting it to end, chasing his lips as he presses a faint kiss to you cheek before pulling back completely.
Quickly you forget how to breathe when he reaches for the collar of his shirt, pulling it over his head, throwing it to the side. Your breath hitching at the sight of his bare torso, His honey skin adorned with soft freckles from countless trips to the beach with Hyewon — faint marks from previous night, your gaze dropping lower and lower till it focus on the defined 'V' leading to his sweatpants.
"You're staring." He teases barely affecting you, looking up and meeting his eyes finally.
"A lot to stare at, Mr Hwang." You quip back with a smile, a small laugh escaping him as he leans back down, mimicking his actions leaning back down against the mattress.
"Flattery will get you everything Mrs Hwang." He whispers in your ear, a small huff in amusement leaving you.
Pushing him back up, sitting yourself up, your fingers skirting over the waist band of his sweats, his boxers peaking through, smiling to yourself as you look up at him with feigning innocence.
Hyunjin looks away from you, a shakey laugh escaping him as he looks back at you, full of love. "You're unreal."
"You've told me once or twice." you hum, your fingers hooking at the band, slipping both his boxers and sweatpants down enough for him to pull them off, ending up at the foot of the bed.
"Only once or twice? Maybe i need to tell you more." He smiles at you.
He leans back over you, his nose touching yours slightly as his fingers tuck some hair behind your ear, his eyes full and never leaving yours.
"I love you." He whispers softly against your lips, causing you to smile against his.
'Love you more." You whisper teasingly back against his lips.
Hyunjin only pulls back to dramatically sigh, his smile never fading, his eyes never leaving yours.
"Unlikely, muse." He grabs your hands pulling you up to him, his lips attaching to yours instantly.
You melt into the kiss with a sigh, enjoying the quiet intimacy's with him.
Pulling away from the kiss only to press your lips on the slope of his jaw, nibbling at his skin, your fingers squeezing at his biceps.
Pushing him gently against the mattress, falling down with a small huff, a smile still spread on his lips.
Straddling his thighs you take him in under you, the roles reversed.
Noticing immediately his hardened cock twitching against his stomach, your nails dragging along his thigh, Hyunjin letting out small strained sounds, barely holding onto his composure.
Your fingers continue trailing him, scratching down his toned stomach across the small trail of hair leading to his length. Nearly salivating at the sight of his thick cock heavy against his stomach.
Feeling your focused eyes on him he cant help but laugh humorlessly. "Way to make a guy feel nervous, muse."
You hum in response, your hand wrapping around his length, pulling a choked moan from him.
Tightening your grip slightly as your hand moves up and down his cock, your thumb pressing on the sensitive slit of his tip. Pathetic moans leaving his lips, unable to look away from the sight of you with his cock.
Dipping your head to his length, your tongue dips out from your lips, making small kitten like licks on his tip just how he likes it.
Before you can get any further he pulls you off, pushing you back against the pillows, his legs caging your hips.
"What —" You're about to tease him when you notice the flushed look on his face, serious while his eats tinge pink.
'If you went any further i would have been gone before we even started." He says breathlessly, your teasing smile fading as your heart hammers in your chest.
His eyes trained on your chest, your nipples perked from the cold chill in the room, Brainlessly his hands quickly move, his thumb swiping over the sensitive bud.
Your body changed after Hyewon, all parts looking different even years after, but to Hyunjin you've never looked better.
He pulls on your nipple with his thumb and index finger, twisting the sensitive bud, making you whimper. Not leaving the other one aching and unattended he bends down capturing it between his teeth, moaning against the mound.
"Hyune —" you tilt your head back against the pillows, your hand holding onto the back of his head holding him in place against your boob. His fingers halting against your other bud, his full attention on the nipple in his mouth.
His hips grind against your thigh, barely missing your cunt, feeling the heat of him so close but unobtainable, whining from the brushes of pleasure you pull him off your chest, with a groan.
Hyunjin quickly looks up to meet your eyes about to say something that quickly dies on the tip of his tongue when he sees your helpless glossy eyes.
He smiles softly, pressing a quick kiss to your chest before kissing the tip of your nose.
Pulling your thighs apart, settling between them, your legs naturally hooking over his hips.
His hand trails down your side, almost trying to memorised every bit of you, his finger brush over your thigh, his fingers leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.
Hyunjin leans over you, effectively caging you in, his hand wrapping around his cock, pumping his length a few times — soft groans falling from his lips.
He pulls you closer, lining up with your sopping hole, taking in the sight of you wrecked under him.
Desperate pleas fall from your lips, you try rutting your hips to push him in, only forcing his tip to up against your clit — strained moans leaving both your lips.
Hyunjin cant help but exhale, his restraint slowly fading, feeling your slick coat his cock. One of his hands hold onto your hip, the other resting by you.
Slowly his tip breaches your entrance, immediately whimpering at the weight of him pressing into you. Squeezing around his tip — nearly pushing him out, despite the prep you'll never get used to the size of him.
"Pushing me out, mama, fuck — s'tight for me hm?" his tone trying to sooth you despite his teasing words.
You cant help but moan — squirming around under him as you feel his cock going deeper and deeper.
Feeling so full of him — taking over all of your senses, the taste of his cock — his lips lingering, the scent of his cologne on his pillows the faint pants and moans fleeing from his lips.
The room echos every small sound — from Hyunjin's breathed moans, your sweet whines and the wet slicked sound of him in you.
Your hands grip at his shoulders, nails scratching against his skin — a small hiss escaping his lips. Feeling his hips meet yours when hes fully pressed into is a sensation you'll never grow tired of, the pleasureful stretch of him, unable to tell where he ends and you start.
Faint moans slip from Hyunjin's lips at you squeezing him, moving closer you you, leaning on his elbows for support.
"Not g-gonna last, muse — fuck." His voice breaks, ragged from pleasure — your tight warm walls feeling like heaven around him.
His head dips to lean against your shoulder, leaving wet kisses against your skin. You pull him off your shoulder, capturing his lips in a heated kiss with no rhythm, sucking on his bottom lip.
Hyunjin pulls back with a heavy breath, his adjusting so he can run his fingers through your hair.
When you open your eyes, they immediately meet his dark ones, the small moan that slips out is involuntary as he takes a sharp breath, looking back in your eyes asking if your ready.
When he pulls back you miss the heavy feeling of him in you — instantly taking it back when you feel him thrust deeply back into you. The slow drag of his hips only to thrust into you hard.
The slick sounds of his cock pushing into your tight cunt, the feeling of your walls fluttering around him with every mean thrust. His tip intentionally grazing that sweet spot with every thrust.
"H-hyunnie — fuck!" Your moans raising slightly as the pleasure becomes unbearable, feeling sensitive from your previous orgasms. Hyunjin shushes you with a quick kiss, his lips stationary on yours as his trusts grown less strategic and needier.
"Need you to be quiet f'me, yeah muse? — gonna wake our princess if you're not careful. He smiles against your lips. Despite his words it only urges him to fuck you harder into the mattress. Pulling back from you, his hands sliding down you hips, holding you in place his thrusts quickening.
"J-Just as good as when i had you the first time — fuck maybe even better, so perfect for me yeah? my perfect girl." His praise barely registering to either of you, Hyunjin murmuring incoherently completely overtaken by the feeling of you.
Hyunjin only pushes your body further, hooking your leg over his arm, his thrusts going deeper and rougher — your sobbed moans only serving as encouragements.
"S-so good for me, can feel you everywhere, yeah? Look at you, muse." His breathing even as his cock drills into your pussy.
When you manage to open your eyes you expect to find his meeting yours but no — their focused on your stomach, the small bump of him in you, stretching you out so good. You cant help but squeeze your eyes shut tilting your eyes back as you mewl biting your lip.
The sound Hyunjin makes when you see the bulge hes making in your stomach teeters on a growl.
"Taking me so good, baby ~ fuck look at you —" His hand moves to your stomach — pushing down on the bulge, pulling senseless moans from you.
"Can feel me everywhere, huh baby? — gonna fill you so good, its gonna take, yeah?" You can tell hes getting close, his rough thrusts growing sloppier.
Feeling you clench at the thought makes him laugh breathlessly, sucking air through his teeth, the rough thrusts now with purpose.
"Ohhh~ you like that, hm? Filling you up over and over again till it takes? Have everyone know who you belong to — reminding e-everyone only i can make you feel this good, yeah?" Your moans only fuelling his impending orgasm, his fingers moving to your clit, rubbing harsh figure 8s on the oversensitive bud.
The duel sensation of his mean sloppy thrusts and the sweet relief of your aching clit getting attention makes your orgasm build quickly, Hyunjin mumbling barely audible sweet nothings in your ear pushing you to the break, shaking and clenching hard around him as your orgasms bursts.
Hyunjin follows instantly after you, the feeling of you squeezing him and you moaning his name as you cum.
His movements only slow, helping you both ride out your orgasms together, the intensity of them fading into bliss.
Hyunjin's small thrusts into you only stop when you wince in overstimulation, quickly apologising with a small kiss to your shoulder. Both of you catching your breath trying to calm yourselves.
Hyunjin collapses onto you with a dramatic huff, burying his face into your neck.
You can help but laugh, the air being forced out of you as your husband lands on you. Your shaking hands run through his hair, the roots damp with sweat, humming as you feel his heart beat against yours.
"You're gonna crush me." you tease, your throat sore from your endless moans from earlier.
"You'll be fine." His words muffled against your hair, only for him to sigh sitting up slightly to lean his chin against your chest looking up at you with his signature grin.
"You're ridiculous." Smiling wide at him, your fingers massaging his scalp.
He hums slightly, enjoying the feelings of your fingers in his hair. "You enjoy my ridiculousness." He says matter of factly.
Your smile only softens in response, only then realising that hes still inside you, the feeling not unpleasant at all, comforting almost.
"Get up, need to clean up." you sigh dramatically, Hyunjin only groaning in response, neither of you making any effort to move.
"Keeping you all to myself, just a bit longer." Burying his face into your chest making you laugh.
You smile wide, enjoying the moment; no work, no members screaming, no crying child — just you and him enjoying the small window of alone time.
"I meant it, by the way." He says after a moment looking at you.
You hum absent minded, fingers drawing shapes on his back. "What?"
"Wanting another kid, giving Hyewon a sibling." His words stopping your movements on his back, looking back at him, his eyes already on you, serious.
"Yeah?" You cant help the smile that breaks out on your face, one quickly spreading on Hyunjin's face.
He only nods, confirming. "I think we're ready — plus Won would make a good sister."
You hum, "You mean teaching them how to have you wrapped around your finger and how to milk all their uncles for everything a child could want?"
"Exactly that." His fingers tuck some hair behind your ear.
You take a deep breath, not believing what you're gonna say. "Okay."
Hyunjin perks up at your confirmation. "Okay?" His voice full of excitement.
You nod, the smile making your cheeks hurt but you wouldn't have it any other way.
"I guess its time to get to work." He says with a cheshire grin, before you can even say anything his lips move down your body. Making quick work on his earlier promise.
general taglist: @nanilis @hoonsocks @sweethoons @beomiracles @izzyy-stuff @yvampyr @kookiesnkim @owlieuwu @seungminsslut @hyukascampfire @yawngnab
White Love
iceprince!hongjoong x fireprincess!reader
genre: fantasy, fluff, angst, hongjoong being an absolute flirt-
word count: ~24k
synopsis: there seems to be an eternal winter set in wonderland caused by the ice prince hongjoong, and you- the fire princess who has been laying low for a while- set out to end it. what you don't expect is to find him freezing to death trapped in a tower, and as you save him, you find out that the mages in wonderland are uprising to end the original bloodline- titled prince and princesses. creating a small team with your childhood friend seonghwa and a water mage yunho, you and hongjoong fight against the threat to your life while uncovering secrets and finding unexpected friends and love.
You've had enough of the cold.
You didn't hate winter- it used to be your favourite time of the year, especially the part where you'd brew yourself some coffee and burn your tongue while you sat out in the snow, gloved hands both warm from the cup of coffee in your hand but freezing because of the chilly air.
You loved snow, you loved the white blanket of cloud on earth, and you loved sitting in front of the fire- something you really couldn't do the rest of the year. You loved the cloudy skies and the cool palette of colours that came only in winter. You also loved cuddling to your friends or cats or dogs in winter, putting a hand in someone's pocket and warm both your hands, playing with someone and shoving ice down their back, earning satisfied screams as you giggled and ran away, making snowman and snow animals and having a snowball fight.
But this time, the winter wasn't ending- it had been well past the time for spring to arrive. The trees were still bare, lakes still frozen and it felt like the temperature was dropping every passing day. It should have been summer by now, but nobody dared complain.
It was because of him.
People were careful when they called his name or talked about him- they didn't want the wind to carry their complains to his ears in case he got angry- which couldn't end well. It was already cold enough.
Hongjoong, his name was. The Ice Prince.
Wonderland lived up to its name- a place full of wonders. Anyone with an affinity for magic who couldn't adjust to the lands of the humans settled in Wonderland. It was a free place for all humans whether they possessed magic or not, given they lived peacefully. Of course, the majority was of the Wonderers- the name given to those who possessed any sort of magic.
And you- well, you tried to pass away unnoticed. Your magic was, if not more, as dangerous as Hongjoong's- where his was the gift of ice, yours was the gift of fire.
Polar opposites, that's what you both were, in every aspect. He was a Prince. Every child grew up hearing stories about the Prince of Ice- and he'd built quite a reputation for himself. There were just so many rumours about him that you didn't know what to believe.
The Prince froze his enemies and then shattered their bodies.
The Prince burned him with his cold.
The Prince is just a young kid.
The Prince healed my freezing skin.
The Prince played in snow with my child.
You had no idea what to believe, and whenever you pictured him, you pictured a middle-aged man, even though most of the people had told you he was around your age. You just couldn't help but form this picture of a sulking old man sitting on his ice throne all dressed in white when you thought of him.
But you were no one to judge- you weren't quite in the place to complain when you were living two different lives. Most of the people knew you as a person with a little affinity for fire- enough to light stoves and burn the fire even in the winter, enough to burn metal if you tried long enough.
However, you were called the Fire Princess too- though no one had made the connection yet. It was just that you were too good at your disguise- and you weren't as dramatic as this Hongjoong person. You didn't involve yourself in any sort of politics or drama. The reason you were called the Fire Princess was because you had once saved Wonderland from flooding by a hurricane when you had steamed off all the water threatening to drown your homeland.
That was 5 years ago, and you had since kept a very low profile, getting well adjusted to your mundane life- an owner of a bookstore café. It was cozy and fit well with the vibe of winters, but-
The winter needed to stop.
You were wondering what the reason was- what had the Ice Prince all... disturbed? Was he okay? Was he doing this on purpose? Did he like to see the people suffer because of this endless winter?
Your friend Seonghwa- who basically lived in the café though he was a part-timer- was the only one alive who knew of your true identity. He was your childhood friend and the closest thing you had to a family. You looked at him as he sat in front of the fireplace- he really wasn't handling the cold well anymore. His fingers and toes would often swell due to the cold and you made him stay near you for the time-being. You could keep the café warm enough for him all day long, everyday as long as he needed.
You picked a candy and made your way next to Seonghwa, handing him the candy with a smile as you sat down. "Are your fingers better now?"
"They are, but as soon as I go out and stay too long, they start to freeze again," he sighed, shaking his head.
"I wonder what's got this Hongjoong's panties in a twist," you mumbled, and Seonghwa slapped your arm, but you only shrugged, "What? It's not like he's gonna hear me."
You had a point- but Seonghwa was too involved in the gossip that ran around, and he only shushed you, saying you never knew when the cold could get worse than it already was because he heard one of us complaining.
"Do you think I should get out of my hole and go talk to the Prince of Ice?" You asked after a moment, genuinely wondering if it was time that you confronted this man.
Seonghwa shook his head no rather strongly, making you laugh a bit, "You've kept a low-profile. If you go now and end this winter, it's gonna be too obvious that you're the one they've been searching for."
You supposed he was right- anyone would make the connection this time. One is an incidence, twice is a coincidence, and thrice would be a pattern- your cover would blow.
"But Seonghwa," you leaned forward, "I'm so tired of this cold, I'm beginning to hate it. I really think I should make things normal, see what's up and what's going on. Maybe I can't do anything about it, but at least I can try, for everyone's sake."
"You're gonna miss winter when it's gone," Seonghwa laughed, and you bit your lip to keep from smiling- one of the major reason that you loved winter was that you could burn from within without attracting attention. You could release fire here and there without making it strange. In summers... you really didn't handle the hot weather well, which was ironic.
"Maybe this time, I won't," you said your weak retort, ignoring his snickers and thinking. Should you, or should you not?
You did.
Early morning the very next day, you packed a bag with some simple belongings- some clothes, food, weapons, books for when you got bored and a map. Seonghwa came to see you off as you instructed him on how to take care of the bookstore while you were gone.
"I know," Seonghwa laughed, "Anyone who's curious gets to stay as long as they want and read books, in which case coffee is on the house."
You smiled, "Don't scare the poor souls away, will you?"
Seonghwa smirked- he knew you were talking about his shadow magic. He had a tendency to prank people when he got bored, and you had hence prohibited him from using magic inside the bookstore and the café. "I won't. Promise."
Pleased, you gave him a hug, telling him to look after himself and make sure he didn't stay out long, and he told you to be careful and come back if it got too dangerous. "I can turn him to ashes if he tries anything, you know," you told him, referring to Hongjoong.
"He can turn you to ice just as easily, so don't do anything stupid," Seonghwa pinched his nose bridge, already regretting ever agreeing and not stopping you- but he couldn't.
You left while the sun was rising, going north- you could feel the heat in the air and could feel where it was the coldest- north it was. You didn't need to wear much clothes to protect from the cold since you could warm yourself, but to prevent unwanted attention you had donned a long coat and boots- the latter being a necessity since the ice was getting thicker the further you travelled north.
It wasn't going to be a long journey- it would take two days at most, travelling on horses for the most part until you'd reach the mountains, which was when you'd had to resort to walking.
The mountains stretched some hundred miles, and you were worried just how you were going to find someone who you'd never seen- especially because you knew that when you'd get close, it'd confuse your senses and maybe you'd end up getting lost (not a big deal, you could find your way back somehow) or never finding him (big deal).
Or maybe he'd find you first- which was a big possibility. You'd have to mask your magic as soon as you were closer- but that would result in you feeling the actual cold. So you were weighing your options- risk getting detected by Hongjoong who you're going to find anyway, or risk freezing in the cold and maybe miss the chance to find him?
You shrugged- you'd go with the risk of getting detected. It could work as a shortcut.
The two days to the mountains were as uneventful as they could be. You had tagged along with two older women going in the same direction, exchanging food and gossip, from which you learnt more about what was going on in Wonderland.
You used to be the center of gossip, either as a subject or as a contributor. But ever since the incident 5 years ago, your life had changed. It wasn't the incident itself that changed your life but how people started treating you differently, which made you move and start fresh, Seonghwa soon following after you simply because he wanted a change too- and you were glad he had.
You learnt from the ladies that it was getting restless in the south- the water magicians were causing problems again just like 5 years ago, maybe to provoke the others or call out the fire princess for revenge for their brother. You listened with mundane curiosity, only nodding or reacting with a gasp sometimes, the ladies unknown to the fact that you were the fire princess they were talking about.
Once you reached the mountains and started travelling alone, you really started to feel the gravity of the situation. You really had no idea how the Ice Prince was going to be like. He could be ruthless. He really could kill you if you weren't fast enough. He could do anything to you.
For a while that you hiked, you mused about the other possibilities. Maybe he was just a kid, trying to get his powers in control- much like you had struggled in your early teens. Or maybe he was an old man who looked like cotton candy, all white hair and white beard- like the Santa Claus humans believe in.
Or he could be an angry old man too.
While you were snickering at the thought of the Ice Prince being a wrinkly old man, you reached the foothill of the mountain range, sighing when you looked up to the endless height all covered in a thick blanket of ice.
You sighed, clutching your necklace- a gift from your late mother which acted as a siphon, willing more heat into your body to keep yourself from freezing- it really was cold here. You noticed a group of men a few feet away, all bundled up, probably going their way up to hike too. Thinking it would be better to travel with a group rather than alone yet again, you decided to join them, stopping when a tall boy with dark hair and red streaks noticed you.
"You wanna go up the mountain?" He asked, scanning you once, and you could immediately feel his magic- something to do with water.
"Yep," you nodded, looking back at the group of men, "Are they all going?"
"We collect ice to sell, from the frozen lake. Blocks of ice," he told you, nudging you to follow him, "What's taking you up the mountains in such cold?"
"Just going to... visit a friend who lives in the north," you said casually, but he didn't miss your unintentional pause, and he didn't probe further either.
He introduced you to the old men, who laughed when you denied extra coats and mufflers from them, saying you had a 'little' affinity for fire magic and that would keep you warm.
"I hope it does, we don't want to bring your freezing corpse back," one of the men laughed.
"Uncle!" The boy- you had noticed the only young company they had- shook his head, "Don't mind him- he loves joking about death. It's how he rolls."
"I don't," you smiled, "So, what's your name?"
"Yunho," he smiled this time, and you thought he was incredibly cute for such a tall giant, "And you are?"
You told him your name, taking the stick he gave you as you started walking up, "What do you think about this never-ending winter?"
"To be honest, I'm kinda sick of it, even when business has been good lately," he smiled guiltily, eyes darting to the men as if afraid they'd hear him, "I miss summer."
"Me too," you sighed wistfully, "Even though winter was my favourite season, I'm beginning to hate it."
"I wish the Fire Princess could set his ass on fire," he snorted, making you laugh out loud, "He needs a taste of fire, this Ice Prince."
"Have you ever seen him? The Ice Prince, his name is Hongjoong, right?"
"So we've heard," Yunho said, offering you his hand as you stepped on a rock too high for you, "I haven't seen him, but he has-" he pointed to one of the men- the one with a rather aged face, he probably looked older than he actually was, "he's only seen him from afar, but he says you'd recognize him instantly."
"Because of his overwhelming magic?" You wondered.
"He lives up to his name," Yunho said, "Hair and skin as pale as snow. His eyes are... icy too."
"Oooo," you grinned, "Is he young?"
"What are you thinking?" Yunho wriggled his brows as he laughed and you shook your head, stifling your laugh, "He is probably in his 20s."
"Ah, I thought he was a... I don't know. Old man? Grumpy old ice man with a cold heart."
"That's what people usually tend to think," Yunho chuckled, "Much like the Fire Princess. People used to think she'd be a woman who'd be 'as hot as fire'. They were rather disappointed to find her only a scrawny teenager."
"And what's wrong with that? Everybody is a kid before they turn 'hot as hell'," you pouted, your voice giving away your disappointment and Yunho raised a brow.
"I suppose you have a point- I wonder where she is now. Have you ever had the chance to see or meet her?"
"Not really," you shrugged, "Have you?"
"Sadly, no," Yunho sighed wistfully, "I'd like to see her though."
"You wanna see if she is hot as hell?" You poked his arm, making him grin.
"No, I just... I have water magic, you know. Most of us have a grudge against her, you know the history," he told you, and you realized too late that you were treading on dangerous waters, literally.
"Do you think what she did was wrong?" You asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't, actually," he sighed deeply, "Our own people- the water mages were wrong. They have no right to control the flow of nature. I'm glad Wonderland was saved from the flood and destruction, but at the same time... I think it was unnecessary to make a spectacle of his death."
"Spectacle?" You gaped at him- what was he talking about?
"I heard she burned that water mage alive in front of hundreds of people," Yunho looked at you.
"Well, do you think she could have gotten away alive if she had?" You frowned, "Don't you think she would have been detained at the spot?"
"I don't know- I've heard a lot of versions of the event," Yunho admitted, "I don't know what to believe anymore."
You nodded- people had made various versions of the actual incident. And you were the last person who was going to tell them what really had happened.
After two hours of hiking, you all sat down in a circle to eat, and you lit them a fire, preventing it from burning off thanks to the strong wind at this height. They roasted chicken and vegetables on the fire, exchanging stories of their times in the mountain and you listened eagerly.
The men were a friendly bunch, you found out as you talked to them. They were pretty used to the snow since they worked in the mountains, and you learned that Yunho was one of the men's nephew, learning to adjust the temperature of his water magic- but none of them had water magic so Yunho was on his own.
"I could teach you," you offered, his eyes lighting up, "I have to control the temperature of my fire magic too- it should be the same thing."
"As much as I like the offer, is this really gonna come in handy to me?" Yunho wondered.
"Of course," you told him, "Think of the possibilities. You can extend your magic to ice and fire- you can freeze water and make vapours too- you can be the Ice Prince and Fire Princess, Yunho."
He giggled at that, making you join, "I like the sound of Fire Princess."
"I'm serious!" You laughed a bit, "Think about it- water so hot you could burn someone from the inside out- you know our bodies are one-third water."
"Why would I need to do that!" Yunho groaned, "I don't want to burn people alive!"
"You should always be prepared," your tone was grim, "You never know when someone is gonna come after you."
Yunho looked at you as you said that, a curious glint in his eyes. Just who were you? "Do you have people coming after you?"
"Fire magic is rare as it is, and in the winters it gets worse," you admitted, "Just like water magic- not rare but people take it for granted."
You travelled north along with the group until it was dark and they were tired, leading you to the cabin- you learned that there were such cabins for travellers and hikers situated every few miles, open to everyone. After a few fruits you decided to rest, tired from all the hiking you had done, your legs aching because you had never hiked such a long distance in one day.
The next morning, drinking some warm tea and eating fruits, Yunho told you that the rest of them were going to the lake only a few miles west from here.
"Are you still going north?" He asked, standing beside you as you peeked down from the height, wowing at the scene in front of you- it was winter wonderland, literally. The trees had icicles hanging from them, and everything in sight was just a beautiful shade of white.
"Yes, I don't know how long I have to go, but I have a map so I should be fine," you shrugged, and Yunho failed to stifle his smile, shaking his head as he put his hands in his pocket, and you narrowed your eyes at him, "What?"
"You do know there's nothing up north anymore, don't you?" He was grinning shamelessly now.
"Ah, is that so?" You shrugged, "I'll just explore a bit. I have to meet my friend a bit further up north."
"Hey, there's literally nothing up there. No cabins- no one is able to go further because of the blizzard. Are you sure you have a friend up there?"
You bit your lip, wishing Seonghwa was here- he would have saved your ass. You were not a good liar, opting to shut your mouth when you couldn't say the truth.
"You're going to the Ice Prince, aren't you?" Yunho was smiling.
"And why would I go to him? I haven't even seen the dude," you pouted.
"I have high suspicions of who you are, and don't try to deny it- you're a bad liar."
You pursed your lips, looking at him, "Whatever you're thinking, you're probably wrong."
"Maybe I am," he sighed, rather happy with how the situation turned out, "But you're not really denying anything either."
You looked at Yunho who was grinning in victory and you rolled your eyes, "Whatever. Yeah, I am going to see the Ice Prince and maybe I'll set his ass on fire too. Someone has to."
Yunho laughed, "Can I tag along? I'd love to see the sight."
You scanned him- he really was all positive vibes, chill and happy. You sensed no danger from him, and his presence was relaxing- something quite rare. "If you want to learn about your magic, you can tag along."
"Alright," he jumped happily, "I'm going to tell my uncle then- don't run away!"
You waved at him, sighing as you looked at the sun peeking from behind the clouds. Yunho really was different, considering he was a water mage too. He wasn't like the rest of them who were bitter towards all fire mages since the incident, and the fact that he didn't believe anything he heard about the incident said a lot about his personality.
Yunho came back with his bag and yours, taking out a muffler and wrapping it around his head and burying his nose inside too, "There's gonna be a strong blizzard up there. We'll freeze to death- unless you have a way to keep me warm. I'll probably be the only one dying- you won't let me freeze to death, will you?"
"I won't," you laughed at how his eyes searched your face, "Come on, I'll even teach you how to keep yourself warm with your own magic."
"Alright, I'll trust you on that- if you ditch me out in the cold, my uncle remembers your face- he told me to tell you that."
You saluted, grinning, "Alright, sir. Shall we?"
-----------------
"The storm's crazy," you shook your head, Yunho close by as you hiked up the snow- it was very thick and your boots were sinking in the snow much more than before, "What the hell is up with this Hongjoong?"
"I know right," Yunho shivered a bit- even when you had created a circle of warmth around the two of you, it still didn't stop the chill from entering your body. You weren't using all your magic though, keeping as much reserved as you could manage without getting sick in the cold, "Do you think he might be... I don't know- in some sort of trouble?"
"Let's hope not," you muttered. It was unlikely. He was probably being a little bitch and testing his powers here, unaware of the magnitude of it. Or maybe he was aware and doing this on purpose-
You paused- you didn't want the incidents from 5 years ago to repeat again.
"Is something wrong?" Yunho frowned, and you opened your mouth to speak but then shut up.
"Nothing," you managed to say, motioning him to carry on walking, "Just had a thought."
"Are you... worried about what's gonna happen when you do meet him?"
"Yeah," you nodded, "This could turn out really bad, actually. Now is the time to back out, Yunho."
"I tagged along to learn about my magic, so I think I'll stick," he said and you smiled at that.
Finding a little cave, the two of you went inside, eating the lunch box the uncles had packed you two, deciding to eat less to save the food for when you'll actually need it. You warmed water for both of you, sitting in front of a fire that burned without wood- suspended in the air.
"So, how much can you do with your magic currently?"
"I can handle the water part well," Yunho told you, crossing his legs, "Bending, controlling the flow- not the best with a large amount but I can handle it okay."
You nodded- it was good enough for a normal mage, "You're not from the original bloodline, are you?"
You were referring to the greater mages, as people called them. You and Hongjoong both were from the original bloodline, hence dubbed Prince and Princess of your elements. "Do you think I'd tell you if I was?"
You made an impressed face as Yunho grinned, shaking his head, "I'm not. I'm... normal."
"Way to phrase it," you muttered, "Okay, so considering you're 'normal', that's good enough. Can you manifest water right now and burn out this fire?"
Yunho nodded, raising his hand and concentrating for a few seconds, water forming in his hand drop by drop until it swirled around his hand and he sent it to the fire which burned out with a sizzle.
"Good," you said, and the fire burned again without you moving an inch, and Yunho gaped at you, "Can you manifest your magic without movement, with a thought?"
"I thought only the greater mages could do that," he raised a brow, but you shook your head.
"Anyone who's well trained can do that. It just requires a lot of focused concentration. You can learn that too. You'll need to use your imagination- picture creating a body of water in front of you. Your hand isn't the outlet actually- it just helps you with the focusing part."
"You're making it sound easier than it is," Yunho laughed nervously, "Should I try?"
"You can, but it's gonna take some time. Just try picturing it daily until you can feel it- it's gonna require a lot of glaring in the space- which is exactly what you're doing right now."
Yunho groaned- he had been glaring daggers at the fire. You shook your head as you smiled, "You don't need to be angry to manifest it either. It'll come naturally- don't forget to practice like 8 hours a day."
"8 hours!" Yunho wailed, and you glared at him.
"Do you want me to kick you down from where we came from?"
"No ma'am," he saluted, straightening, "So what about the temperature part?"
"That's harder than manifesting your magic with a thought, so I say you get to that first."
"Can you control your fire's magic?" He asked. You put your hand in front of Yunho, a flame drawing from your index finger, "Go ahead and touch it."
Yunho frowned at you, but you shook your head, "It's not gonna burn, I promise. Go ahead."
Skeptical, he put his fingers right above the flame as if feeling for heat, but you raised your finger and let the flame make contact with his skin, Yunho drawing his hand back reflexively, but then testing it himself, touching your flame, and then you lit your hand in cold fire.
"That's... amazing- it's only a little warm- how is it possible?"
"It can be hot too- hot enough to burn my own skin," you told him, "Your magic can hurt you too- never forget that."
Yunho stared at you- his suspicions about you were turning into belief and your show of magic abilities wasn't really helping your case. "You know what? I'm gonna assume you are the Fire Princess."
"But I'm not," you smiled.
"I'm gonna assume until I actually see the Fire Princess in front of me," he smiled, "Until then, you are her."
"Do I look like a Fire Princess though?" You wondered out loud, "People assume she has fiery red hair and eyes that glow like fire-"
"You're definitely looking like the scrawny kid they talk about," Yunho snickered, making you slap his arm.
"I'm not scrawny and definitely not a kid anymore!"
"You tell yourself that," he grinned, "But I'll say... your eyes. You do know they kind of glow whenever you use your magic more?"
You gaped at Yunho- "You're not serious."
Yunho gaped back at you, "Has no one told you that?"
You shook your head no, "I just don't really use my magic much, so I guess people didn't notice. The cold fire requires more strength so that's why you must have noticed."
"Well," Yunho shifted, "My case rests. No set of eyes glow even when you use all of your magic. I guess that rumour was true after all."
You raised a brow, "What rumour?"
"The water mages remember your eyes," Yunho said, "From when you steamed all the water."
"Oh," you nodded absently, looking at Yunho and realizing a second later that you had fallen in his trap when you saw him smirking, "But I'm not the Fire Princess."
"Whatever you say," he laughed, shaking his head and you laughed a bit too. You were going to keep denying it shamelessly.
As the two of you walked further up, you couldn't believe just how easily you had shown Yunho your magic and how relaxed you were with him. You wondered if it was because he reminded you of a younger you- back when you were still learning the strengths and weaknesses of your magic, so curious about how you could control it better. The two of you engaged in small talk as you walked, helping each other whenever a tough spot came, and you found the blizzard getting stronger than before, Yunho shivering now despite your circle of warmth.
"He must be close," you wondered, looking at Yunho and finding his teeth chattering- you couldn't increase the temperature of your warmth anymore- it would require too much magic, "You should have told me you were feeling cold, Yunho. Why didn't you?"
"Didn't want to bother you," he simply said, passing a weak smile.
"I would have been bothered more if I had to deal with your frozen corpse," you muttered, "Take off your gloves."
"Are you crazy?" Yunho frowned at you, hugging himself and you rolled your eyes.
"Take it off- just this one," you pointed to his hand beside you, and as he took off his glove, you took off your own, folding your fingers in his, raising your hands as you looked at your joined hands, "You're hands are... very big."
Yunho laughed out loud, "Yours are small," he squeezed your hands, muttering 'tiny', noticing that he had stopped shivering. "Is this easier than creating that circle around us?"
"This is nothing to me," you told him, "The circle required magic- this is just my subconscious, you could say."
Yunho nodded, thanking you for not letting him freeze, and you continued following the source of the blizzard which grew so strong that you had to melt any snow that made way to your face, asking Yunho if he could lend you some power.
"Don't drain me too much," he warned, "Otherwise you'll have to deal with my corpse."
"I know how much you hold, Yunho, don't worry," you told him and he nodded, lending you as much as you wanted, until you found another cave- it was getting dark so you decided to rest.
Once again, you built a fire on which Yunho cooked some raw chicken, you wowing because he had way too may food supplies in his bag- he was probably wearing all the clothes he owned at this point. As you two ate, Yunho asked you just what you planned to do once you were face to face with the Ice Prince.
"Ask him politely to put an end to this winter and keep it to the mountains," you sipped on your tea, "I haven't thought about what to do if he denies."
"You really came without a plan, didn't you?" Yunho shook his head, "How did that friend of yours even let you go?"
"He believed I'd set the Ice Prince on fire if he denied, so maybe I should do that?" You wondered, making him laugh.
"Okay, Princess," Yunho shook his head, and you once again denied you weren't the Fire Princess. "Come on, no one else other than the Fire Princess would dare confront the Ice Prince without a plan."
"Some people are just dumb and think they can rule the world, you know," you shrugged, "maybe I'm one of them."
"Maybe you're both," Yunho pointed, and you had to acknowledge that.
When you were done eating, you took out your sleeping bags, and you stood wondering what to do with your magic- you couldn't control the fire when you were asleep. Yunho looked at you from where he sat on his bag, yours next to him.
"Sorry to inconvenience you," you finally said, "But I can't hold the fire when I'm asleep. So... the only option you have is to stay in contact with my skin to keep you warm while we sleep."
Yunho shook his head at the way you worded that, smirking a little, "How do you suggest we do that?"
"Well," you took off your sweater, leaving you in a half-sleeved T-shirt, "just hold my hand or arm as we sleep- and if I turn... I don't know, man, do whatever it takes to stay alive at this point. I don't want to deal with your frozen corpse in the morning."
Yunho laughed at that, a little nervous, "Sorry for inconveniencing you, princess, but you brought this upon yourself when you offered to teach me magic," he said as you lay down beside him, sleeping bags side by side, burning the fire out, the moonlight slowly filling the cave and giving you a little vision as your eyes adjusted to the darkness, your hands joined as you lay side by side, "You're basically a walking furnace, aren't you?"
"I am, and don't you go calling me princess," you laughed a bit, "that sounds so weird."
"That's all I'm calling you from now," he grinned, and you told him to shut up and sleep, smiling as he squeezed your hand unconsciously.
----------------
You, of course, woke up with Yunho hugging you as the big spoon.
And oh, he was a big ass spoon. He was basically engulfing your figure, one arm draped over your waist and over your own arm, hand on your hand, and you lazily played with his hands as you took your time to wake yourself up fully.
You couldn't help but smile at your joined hands, feeling a little giddy inside- the events really had turned out so unpredictable. You hadn't expected to make a friend out of your journey, let alone feel like a stupid giddy teenager with hormones because a guy was sleeping with you like that.
You mentally slapped yourself- this wasn't your first time sleeping with a guy, technically. You and Seonghwa had a habit of lying down on bed and gossiping until you passed out- but Seonghwa really didn't count. You decided to blame your fluttering heart to the lack of love in your life- you had a habit of driving away anyone who tried getting closer. You really didn't want anyone to know you were the Fire Princess. It would have only caused complications. Plus, the town you now lived in was small, and all the guys around your age knew you liked being alone. You hadn't gotten much action the past few years, if you were being honest.
And here you were with the man who was calling you princess, having found out your deepest secret two days in staying with you. You thanked the force above that Yunho had no filter and was honest and rational, not doubting you even when he was a water mage. He was just... different. Nice.
Yunho unconsciously tugged at you, bringing you closer and you decided it was time to wake the hell up. You tried putting his arm up and sliding away, but it was heavy- you later realized he was awake.
"Good morning to you too," Yunho scoffed.
"You're so heavy, let me go!" You groaned, making him snicker as he finally put his arm up and you lit a fire, no longer in contact with Yunho, "someone slept really well."
"I did, actually," Yunho rubbed his eyes. His cheeks were flushed- morning face, you had seen it yesterday too. It was kinda cute.
"I'm hoping to find that little brat today," you referred to the Ice Prince, "so eat up to your fill. He better prepare a feast for us when we arrive."
Yunho laughed, "What's got you in a bad mood, princess?"
"Even I'm beginning to feel cold," you sighed, "And we're running out of food. If we don't find him today we'll have to go back."
"Alright," Yunho finally got up, "Let's do that."
Eating only an apple each for breakfast and running on coffee, you turned a notch down on your siphon, allowing you to access a bit more power as you and Yunho ascended the mountain, the blizzard now in full force and you had to hold Yunho's hand not only to keep him from freezing but also for his physical strength as he led you into the eye of the storm.
"There's no way he's doing this on purpose, unless he's an evil maniac," you shouted- you really couldn't hear each other well anymore due to the strong wind, "He must be in some sort of trouble."
"I think so too!" Yunho basically dragged you up, "Is this like when you lose control of your magic? Would you set the world on fire if you did?"
"Exactly like that," you confirmed, "I once nearly burned my own self and the whole house."
Yunho grimaced, and you kept moving forward- maps were useless. You both were utterly lost and maybe doomed too. You needed to get to the Ice Prince today and see what all this fuss was about.
It had been a few more minutes of walking to the apparent source when you sensed magic- and not of a single person, but-
There were at least 10 people with ice magic and other magic here.
You tugged at Yunho's hand and when he looked at you, you motioned him to stay quiet and went behind a big rock to take cover.
"There are at least 10 mages here," you began, "can you veil your magic so they won't sense you?"
"I've never needed to do that," Yunho looked sorry, but you shook your head and told him it was okay.
"We have to deal with them anyway- I'm sure you know basic offence and defence, right?"
Which was how you ended up using Yunho as a bait.
As a water mage, he could easily pass by as someone who came for the ice and isn't affected by the blizzard because most of the water mages can control ice to some extent too.
You were in front of a building- you didn't know what else to call it, it was all steel and rocks from the outside, and it was quite huge as well, like a mini-palace of sorts, probably built this way to keep the cold away. Three men were stationed at the entrance, two a few feet ahead and Yunho strolled in, saying hi all well-mannered, saying he was passing by for ice and talking about how the storm was so bad.
You didn't have much time- Yunho was barely keeping himself together, since he was no longer in contact with you and your magic that kept you warm. You couldn't risk his life. So as soon as the men relaxed from their tense position, playing along with pretending that they knew nothing about the storm, you came in range and sent some smoke their way, making them choke hard and pass out, Yunho running to you and holding your already extended hand hastily, teeth chattering.
"This was easier than I thought," Yunho commented.
"Only because they didn't feel me, and because you're an incredible actor," you grinned at him and he grinned back. "Now let's deal with the guards at the entrance- stick with me, okay? They won't sense me."
"Okay," Yunho said and you two walked right ahead, hoping the two men wouldn't notice the absent guards towards their left, and as soon as they noticed you, they came for you, but they were out when you choked them on the very air they breathed, and Yunho stood with his mouth hanging open, shaking his head at you.
“What?” You shrugged, unaware of the source of his surprise.
“There’s absolutely no way you’re not her,” he said, narrowing his eyes at you, “No fire mage could have as much control as you- suffocating the men without burning their lungs from the inside out? Who the hell trained you if you’re not her?”
“Let’s pretend you didn’t see that,” you pursed your lips in amusement, beckoning him forward, standing in front of the steel doors where you paused before you opened them, and turning towards him. “Now is the time to back out, Yunho. I don’t know how dangerous it can get from here, and I cannot guarantee your safety though I’ll try my absolute best, but… now is the time to reconsider this.”
Yunho huffed, jumping up and down enthusiastically, shivering once because he had let go of your hand, “I’m going in there with you, whether you like it or not, simply because you’re a tiny girl and I want to protect you.”
“This tiny girl could set your ass on fire,” you muttered, smiling as you opened the door, telling him to put up a defence because you were going full offence from here.
The lobby was huge, all ice and blue and white, a chandelier hanging in the middle. You had no time to admire the beauty of the interior- men after men came, hurtling their magic at you, sending sharp icicles that could slice your skin open but they melted before they came in your focus- you had a ring of fire around the two of you, and Yunho was glad for that. He wasn’t sure if his water magic was going to be any use in front of these very skilled ice mages.
“Who the hell are you?” One of the mages muttered, and you turned to him- a rather tall man with dark hair and even darker eyes, if that was possible.
“Who do you think?” You sent a shot of fire at him, but he put up an ice shield, making you stop, “Where is the Ice Prince? Take me to him.”
“As if,” he scoffed, “You’re not taking him anywhere- who sent you? Are you here to save him or kill him?”
Save him? Were you right about this?
You heard Yunho groan and you noticed he had just deflected a sharp icicle aimed for you, and you set the man on fire, leaving him gasping for air as he burned the fire out from within, which proved your theory that these men were not under-skilled.
You raised your hands- you really had no time for this chit-chat. In a matter of seconds, all the men in your vision were gasping for air and passing out, and you put the ring of fire out from around you.
“We need to lock them and tie them good,” you muttered, and Yunho immediately started dragging the men in a corner piling them in front of you- there were 6 of them.
This was not good.
As you bit your lips, thinking, Yunho looked at you, also waiting for an explanation. You finally sighed, “We don’t have much time- we should check to see where the Ice Prince is at before we think about what to do with this lot. They’ll stay out for a while. Let’s go.”
You and Yunho made your way around, checking room after room, until Yunho found a narrow passageway that led upstairs to a tower-like structure you had managed to see a glimpse of from the outside. You took the lead, Yunho right behind you, and you noticed it was getting colder and colder- frost covered the walls in decorative patterns. You squeezed Yunho’s hand- he would freeze without you.
There was a single door, and you could instantly feel the strong presence inside, as could Yunho as he looked at you. “It’s too dangerous,” you told him, taking off your necklace- the siphon and putting it around his neck, “This should keep you warm- go downstairs while I deal with this.”
“But it’s too dangerous for you alone-“
“No buts,” you shushed him, “Trust me, I got this. Now go. I don’t want to drag your corpse out now, do I?”
Yunho smiled, trusting you and before he started to go down, you stopped him, “Do not touch the necklace’s notch. You’ll find this building on fire if you do, so be careful.”
“Oh- is this a siphon?” Yunho asked and you nodded, and he raised his brow as if to say ‘you keep proving my point’, grinning as he ran downstairs.
You breathed, turning around and touching the doorknob, melting the locks and opening the door after a moment-
You did not expect to see the Ice Prince chained to the walls, head on his knees, making himself appear smaller than he was, his silver hair- almost white- falling messily, icicles hanging from his hair-
Gosh, he was freezing himself.
You walked to him cautiously- it looked like he was unconscious. Slightly poking him, you realized that either he was, or he was out for a moment, but the sudden irrational fear crawled inside you that there was a possibility that he was only a step away from death.
“…Hongjoong?” You tried calling him but he didn’t respond, and you gently pushed his figure to the back, revealing his face-
Gosh, he was… beautiful- even when frost was covering his eyelashes and his lips were blue and frosted. You touched his face- he was freezing from the inside out, and the gauntlets on his hands didn’t help, especially since they looked like they were made to block his magic, the iron covering his hands completely, his arms falling limply to his side.
Biting your lips, you pulled at the chains- you’d had to melt them without burning them, but it was too risky. You didn’t want to burn his hands, so you only melted the chain from near the wrists and his gauntlets, freeing him from the wall, and then you lay him down, putting a hand on his forehead and sending a little spark of fire inside him- enough to start the process of waking him up from his frozen state. You took out a kerchief, wiping his eyes as the frost on his eyelashes melted, then wiping his face as colour seeped through his skin, and you realized he wasn’t as pale as you thought he’d be.
The room was still ice-cold, making your breath materialise in the air, so you decided to start with putting the temperature of the room down, getting up and walking to the window as you started to melt the ice-
You didn’t even hear him wake up from his sleep and you only turned when it was too late-
He was upon you and pushed you, making you instinctively hold on to him as the window shattered and you two were then hurtling out to your death- your screams ringing in the air as he tried to choke you, realizing his hands were still blocked.
You only had time to scream, “I’m here to save you, you fucker!” before Hongjoong’s eyes changed, and he put his blocked hand out, making an icy slide to save you from breaking your head open on the rock (or save himself, probably, because he had plans to kill you) and then you two were rolling down on the soft snow, halting slowly and you coughed, spitting ice out from your mouth, finding Hongjoong on top of you, pinning your hands down.
“Who sent you?” He practically growled, his icy blue eyes burning you.
“I came to save you, you idiot,” you groaned, kicking him on the stomach and pushing him off, sending him moaning in pain loudly as he clutched at his stomach- he was probably weak right now, “I came to end this never-ending winter and see what got your icy ass in trouble, and you- you decide to push me out of that freaking tower?”
“Then why are my hands still inside this?” He put them in the air as if proving a point, and you rolled your eyes.
“I’m a fire mage, for fuck’s sake. I could burn the flesh off your hands if I tried breaking that. You’d like that, I’m sure.”
He stared at you for a moment, the icy wind circling around you two as you realized you were in the eye of the storm, and you raised your brows impatiently. He sighed, “How do I get this thing out?”
“I don’t know, man, try breaking it,” you groaned, getting up and squealing in pain as you saw the shards buried in your arms, “I’m gonna kill you later.”
He said nothing, and you shook your head because the only shard of broken glass he had gotten was on his cheek, sending blood trickling down, already frozen to his skin.
Yunho came outside, calling your name and Hongjoong instinctively sent a bolt of ice in his direction, which you melted before it could cut him, glaring daggers at him. “That’s my friend, you idiot. We mean no harm. Stop acting like a brat while we figure this out."
Hongjoong only sighed, bringing his knees to his chest again as Yunho rushed to you, examining your hurt state, glaring at Hongjoong. “I have healing magic- let me try healing your arms."
You nodded- most water mages had an affinity for healing. Yunho pulled the pointy shards out of your skin, healing them with a swipe of his finger over the open wound. By the time he was done you were seething in pain and anger, dimming it down a notch when you saw the guilty look in Hongjoong’s eyes.
“You gonna tell me why you were locked in that tower?” You asked, and Hongjoong sighed.
“Where are the ice mages?”
“Out cold, but not for too long,” you said.
“They planned to kill me, but I am too powerful, so they were trying to weaken me before getting rid of me.”
“You in your weakened state have put the entire land in eternal winter,” you muttered.
“I’m sure you like the cold,” Hongjoong raised his brow, “Fire Princess.”
Yunho met your eyes, and you pursed your lips- no point denying it now, really. “I may like the cold but it got too much for everyone, Hongjoong. And you…. You were freezing from the inside. You do know that you were only a step away from death, don’t you?”
Hongjoong’s eyes flashed, and you realized that he had no idea, “You really mean me no harm?”
“Unless you try to kill me or my friend here, no, I mean no harm.”
Hongjoong sighed, getting up, “We should lock the men first. Do not underestimate their skills. We can get to this…” he looked at his shackled hands, “later.”
With that, the three of you went inside, Yunho dragging them to the nearest room and you helping while Hongjoong watched, and when they all were in the same room, Hongjoong looked at the ceiling, drawing sharp icicles down and trapping them such that they couldn’t move without hurting themselves or killing themselves, and you whistled- he wasn’t joking around.
“Now,” Hongjoong said as the three of you went to the lobby, “How do you suggest I get rid of these?”
You thought for a minute, “Try freezing them and breaking them?”
“You could try melting them,” Yunho suggested.
“It’s too risky, I’d burn him,” you bit your lips, but Yunho was shaking his head.
“If you can suffocate the men without burning their lungs, you can surely try breaking this without melting him too.”
Hongjoong raised a brow at that, but you shook your head. It was too risky.
“What if,” Hongjoong began, “You melt from the outside and I freeze from the inside? It’s gonna break it, right?”
“Technically, it should, but don’t blame me if I burn you,” you put your hands in the air and Hongjoong only shrugged to give you an okay.
Taking his imprisoned hands, you looked at him, finding his eyes glowing as he focused on controlling the amount of magic he sent, and you realized your eyes must be glowing too- did they glow like fire? You shut your eyes, focusing on feeling your magic, stopping when you felt the ice of Hongjoong’s and working backwards from there, until the iron started crumbling in your hands.
Hongjoong flexed his hands, making an impressed face at you, “Thank you, I guess.”
“You guess?” You sighed, but smiled. He must have been through a lot for him to be like this- so distrustful of everyone.
“Make yourself at home,” Hongjoong offered.
“Don’t tell me this is your home,” you frowned.
“It has to be,” Yunho smiled, “I mean, look at that,” he pointed at the chandelier, and you noticed that it was made of ice- blue flame glowing in the middle that could only be the flame of ice rather than of fire.
“You live alone, and these- people, they came for you, why?” You looked at him, “Also if this is your home I’m expecting there is food here because I am famished.”
Hongjoong scoffed, leading you to the kitchen, groaning at the mess the men had made of his home, “Has no one come for you yet? I mean, you are the Fire Princess. You don’t pretend to be someone else, do you?”
You looked guiltily as Yunho who grinned, “And what if I do? Should I have built myself a fire palace and set the whole land on fire?”
Hongjoong winced, “I did not sent the blizzard on this land on purpose, Princess. You must know. And you still haven’t answered my question.”
Hongjoong put some fruits on the table and you and Yunho took the frozen fruits, you touching them lightly to make them normal before you started eating the strawberries and the grapes, “No one except the water mages come after me- you know because of what happened 5 years ago. But I’ve been living in peace for quite a while now.”
Hongjoong looked suspiciously at Yunho- after all, he was a water mage too. “You won’t be in peace for longer. There’s been a… movement going on, you could say. They’re planning to get rid of the original bloodlines. They’ve already killed my uncle, who was the only remaining member of the original family apart from me here in Wonderland. Do you have someone in your family?”
“Well, they all died 4 years ago- just how long has the movement been going on?” You frowned- your parents had died a rather suspicious death. You had tried finding out more but you had no idea and found no clue.
“Long enough,” Hongjoong said, as if to tell you that your family’s death might have to do something with that, “The other originals have all left this land for the fear of their life. It’s only you and me now, Princess.”
You rolled your eyes at how he called you princess- as if he was being sarcastic, nothing like the endearing way Yunho called you. “What do you suggest then, Prince? If they got you, they could get me too.”
“Well, lucky for you, there are only a few fire mages around here. Their plan was to fight ice with ice, fire with fire, you know the deal. But they’ll come after me- these were only a few men. The rest are coming soon, so we should get the hell away from here as soon as possible.”
“And go where? With you looking like… this,” you scanned him, and he raised his arms.
“Me looking like what?”
“Like the Ice Prince,” you looked at Yunho, “Tell me someone will look at him and not make the connection right away.”
“She’s right,” Yunho said, “You look like the Ice Prince. Your hair and eyes kind of give you away.”
“So?” Hongjoong pointed at you, “Her eyes turn amber and glow when she uses her magic!”
“But she could pass as a normal fire mage, you, on the other hand… it’s gonna be hard.”
Hongjoong groaned and you looked at Yunho in amusement, “I’m so glad I look normal enough.”
“Well,” Hongjoong put a cherry in his mouth, “Is there somewhere we can go and lay low for a while?”
You noticed how Hongjoong had casually joined your gang and was going to follow you wherever you go. You looked at Yunho, “Why am I so tempted to ditch him here?”
“Hey!” Hongjoong looked offended, “Fine, I can go my way. Don’t come crawling to me when they come after you!”
“Crawling?” You scoffed, “You don’t come crawling to me when they get you again! Oh wait- you won’t be able to. You’d just set the whole world on ice and hibernate.”
Yunho snorted, failing to hold his laugh as the two of you bickered back and forth, finally getting up and stopping you two from jabbing fingers at each other’s faces. “Okay, okay, stop. We go together from here- it’s better to stick together.”
“You’re not the Water Prince, are you?” Hongjoong eyed Yunho suspiciously.
“I’m not,” Yunho raised his hands, and Hongjoong eyed the necklace he was wearing, making Yunho look at you and take the necklace off.
“I almost forgot,” you breathed, putting the necklace around yourself, you had been warming the room subconsciously anyway, “Anyways, we should definitely leave this place. As much as I hate it, the only place I got is where I live right now, so… let’s go there and plan from there. And Hongjoong? Please try putting this blizzard out if you can help it. But take it down bit by bit- I don’t want anyone to be suspicious of you.”
Hongjoong nodded- he could do that.
Packing food for the journey and asking Hongjoong to cover himself like a normal man who gets cold, the three of you left the house, Hongjoong icing the door shut and sending a mini blizzard around the house for precautionary measures.
You and Yunho naturally took the lead, Hongjoong following close by as you discussed which route to take.
"Should we drop by the site?" Yunho asked, mentioning the cabins where the men who had accompanied you up would be, "We could get a hot meal definitely."
"Let's do that, I'm starting to abhor the idea of more fruits," you muttered.
"Won't it be too suspicious if I drop by?" Hongjoong almost mumbled as if he didn't really want you to hear that, but you did, and you pursed your lips.
"Just blend in, can you? If anyone asks, your name is... Jongho. Can you do that?"
"I don't know about the 'blending in' part," Hongjoong shrugged and you glared at him.
"That is the least you can do for all of us."
"Now don't you go giving me shit about my appearance. You should have been born with hair the colour of fire. You'd know how it'd feel to stick out like a sore thumb then."
You glared at him, "I'm not giving you shit about your appearance, Prince. All I'm asking of you is to act friendly when you meet anyone and try to keep a low profile. Not so hard, is it?"
"It is, Princess, because everyone seems to recognize me no matter how hard I try to stay low. I'm sure you of all people know how that feels."
"Now, now," Yunho stepped in between you two, patting your back to calm you down, "Those men won't say a word if I ask them to."
"They better not," Hongjoong only kept glaring at you and you made a face when you had enough, making him snort, "So very charming."
"I wonder what's keeping me from setting your smartass on fire," you sighed.
"I'd like to see you try, Princess. Let's see whose fire burns more," Hongjoong's eyes glowed, and Yunho waved his hands awkwardly between you two.
"I'm changing the topic. So where are we going?" Yunho asked you.
"I live south, near the sea," you smiled a bit when you thought of home, "I own a bookstore café. Try not to ruin the warm atmosphere of that place when I take you there, will you, Prince?"
He only snorted, ignoring you, and you continued, "I have a friend who practically lives there. I think you and him will get along well."
"Me and him?" Hongjoong frowned, "and why do you think so?"
"You'll see when we get there," you smirked, and Hongjoong straightened as if to say no force on this Earth could do so.
----------------
You could barely keep your laughter in when you saw Hongjoong obeying Seonghwa- it wasn't that Seonghwa was ordering him around, but when he'd give him a simple task like 'hand me that', or 'get me that from outside', Hongjoong would find himself doing the task without complaining.
You supposed the poor boy had been alone long enough and found something comforting about Seonghwa- everybody seemed to. There was just something about Seonghwa's nature that was so caring and motherly that everyone found themselves comforted by his presence.
You recalled when Hongjoong had challenged you when you'd said he'd get along well with Seonghwa. He'd been so persistent on not getting along with you, at least. Even Yunho and him would share a giggle over jokes every now and then, but you?
You wondered if Hongjoong hated you. Sometimes he'd listen to what you said, but sometimes he'd act like a... brat and spoil your mood. You wonder if he annoyed you on purpose.
He had definitely annoyed you all the way down from that damned mountains of the north. He had failed to keep a low profile in the cabin and Yunho had to ask the uncles to keep their secret because of the threat on your heads, which had led them to make the connection about you too. Though they were impressed and maybe a little intimidated by the presence of two of the originals, they had treated you two well, giving you warm meals and a place to sleep as a thanks for keeping them all warm during your trip up.
You had made it back without much happening, and when you entered your home with the two boys, Seonghwa's jaw had dropped.
"So which one of them is your boyfriend?" Was the first thing that Seonghwa had asked and the two had immediately burst into laughter and groans while you had scolded Seonghwa and told him all about what happened as he made you all coffee and gave you something to eat.
"So he's the Ice Prince," Seonghwa smiled, "Nice to meet you. You look younger than I thought."
"And how old did you think I'd be?" Hongjoong out one leg over the other.
"I don't know- I used to think my age- I guess you are. But she-" he pointed at you, "used to imagine a wrinkly old man, so my ideas mixed a bit..."
"Wow," Hongjoong shook his head at you, "I don't remember thinking of the Fire Princess as a wrinkly old hag."
"I don't remember thinking of the Fire Princess as a scrawny kid, but here we are," Yunho sighed and you yelled at the two, tempted to throw your dessert at them but Seonghwa calmed you down with a touch, and you only huffed.
Seonghwa had told stories about your pasts, especially embarrassing stories about how you'd set everything you touched on fire when you were recovering from the incident 5 years ago, having a laugh over it as he showed off his burns that he got from you proudly.
"These are friendship marks," Seonghwa showed them off as if it was a badge. You rolled your eyes as the others shook their head at you, disappointed.
"I should have friendship marks too," you muttered, feeling sorry for Seonghwa. He had refused to let go of the scars even though he could have gotten them healed, saying it was a reminder that you got through the hard times with him, and your own burns, which Seonghwa didn't mention because they were too personal, were a reminder of that. Seonghwa looked at you pointedly as if to remind you of your own burns, and Hongjoong didn't miss that look.
You had two rooms in your house at the back of the bookstore, so the guys decided to share the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts in your room, the smaller of the two with a queen sized bed and a table at one end, not much to the room.
The next day was busy for you- you had to go out in the town for supplies and to catch up on the gossip which would reveal if Hongjoong was right about this uprising- if you could call it that- and see if people were suspicious about your guests.
When you came back, Seonghwa had already prepared a meal for the four of you, and you instantly slumped in the chair, telling Seonghwa about how your day was, and Hongjoong watched you two interact with curiosity- the way you and Seonghwa rolled was too smooth and natural. Even Yunho fit right in and he sometimes felt like an outsider.
After eating, Seonghwa was instructing Hongjoong to pick up the dishes and telling him where to put what, which was why you were holding back your amusement. They really got along well, and you were glad, though you could feel Hongjoong still felt awkward.
You and Hongjoong were still arguing with each other every moment you had a chance, calling each other prince and princess like it was a curse word, and though Yunho and Seonghwa would try to calm you down, they decided to team up and enjoy watching you bicker back and forth instead as they sipped on their drinks.
"You set your own hair on fire!" Hongjoong laughed as he recalled a story Seonghwa had told him, "Is this why your hair is so dark but looks like rust in the sunlight?"
"Says the person who put on frost mascara," you raised a brow, "I should have plucked your unbelievably pretty lashes when I had the chance."
"At least you acknowledge they're pretty, Princess," Hongjoong smirked.
"Crazy how the only thing remotely pretty about you are your lashes, but your ugly personality is just so overpowering that I only noticed your lashes when you were almost dead. Now what does that say about you?"
Yunho hooted, Seonghwa giving him a clap saying 'that's my girl', and Hongjoong clenched his jaw.
"I don't know if you're trying to flirt with me or fight with me," Hongjoong muttered, and you pretended to throw up.
"Flirt with you? I'd rather set my own self on fire, Prince."
"Would you now?" Hongjoong leaned in a bit, "Interesting."
"What is your problem?" You leaned in as if trying to figure him out, "Do you want me to hate you? Because you're doing a damn good job."
"You're really the Princess of Fire, aren't you?" Hongjoong smirked, "It's just so easy to get you all hot and angry, it's tempting, really."
"And you really are the Prince of Ice, aren't you?" You leaned back, "Should I melt that frozen heart of yours?"
"You're really bad at this," Seonghwa ended up laughing painfully, making all of you laugh with him, "I really can't tell if you're fighting or flirting anymore."
"I can't either," Yunho wiped his eyes from laughing too hard, "She really sucks at this."
Hongjoong danced in his seat in victory, but Seonghwa shook his head at him, "Your retorts are too weak, Hongjoong. You both are unbelievable."
"Hey!" Hongjoong yelled at him, "At least I'm not the one subtly flirting!"
"I'm not flirting!" You glared at him, the fire in the fireplace catching intensity, "You know perfectly well what I meant!"
"Yeah, go ahead, melt my frozen heart, Princess," Hongjoong grinned, pausing when your eyes glowed, and Seonghwa realized what was happening, instantly rushing to you and putting his hand on your shoulder but shrieking in pain because you were burning.
You hadn't meant to lose control, but something about Hongjoong... and the way he worded that- it reminded you of a particular incident from 5 years ago when you had that fight with the Water Prince, and you were triggered- you were feeling so hot. You were burning from the inside.
"Yunho- can you bring cold water, quick!" Seonghwa's eyes were wide with worry, and Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa in confusion and worry, then looked at you with your eyes glowing and hair rising as smoke seeped out from your skin, making you get up and fall on your knees on the floor.
Seonghwa noticed the guilt behind Hongjoong's eyes, "It's not you, Hongjoong. She went through something in the past- sometimes she gets triggered and this happens."
"Is there something I can do? She's burning from the inside, isn't she?"
Yunho came inside with a bucket of cold water and Seonghwa placed it in front of you, using his shadow-phantom hands to place your hands inside the water but it instantly evaporated, and before one of them could get up and get more, Hongjoong leaned in front of you, motioning to Seonghwa that it was okay.
"Hey," Hongjoong said softly, calling your name- you could hear him call your name but it felt as light as a whisper because of the roaring in your ear and the pain in your chest- you couldn't breathe. Hongjoong tried taking your hand but you shook your face absently as you flinched away, trying to tell him to be careful, but he took your searing hot hands anyway, and you reveled in how cold they were.
"It's okay, you can't burn me," Hongjoong whispered, taking your other hand as well and sending the cold inside your skin bit by bit, until you started to shiver and then fell unconscious on his lap.
"Well," Seonghwa wowed, "This definitely saved me from dragging her out and burying her in the snow and worrying my ass off for hours until she got okay."
Yunho winced as he heard that, "That bad?"
Seonghwa nodded, taking your limp figure in his arms, "Let's get her upstairs."
Hongjoong and Yunho followed, opening the door to your room and he lay you on the bed, spreading your blanket over you, checking to see if your necklace was okay. The other two looked around your room, finding it strangely empty as if no one lived here, only a few of your belongings in sight.
"She doesn't like getting attached to a place," Seonghwa explained, "she won't admit it but she's gotten very attached to her café."
"I can see why," Yunho nodded, "she practically lives there. This is only for sleeping, isn't it?"
"Pretty much," he smiled, "Let's go to sleep- it's late. She'll be out cold for a while too."
Hongjoong couldn't really sleep that night- he kept recalling how your eyes changed and you went in that trance, and something about it reminded him of when he was first caught and had given up, hence setting this never ending winter in motion.
Feeling a bit stuffy, Hongjoong decided to go out and get some air, wearing snow boots if he changed his mind for a walk, almost screaming when he shut the door, took a turn and saw you sitting in the snow with your knees drawn to your chest and bare feet and legs buried in the snow.
"Gosh, you scared me," Hongjoong muttered and scared you, making you flush because you hadn't expected to get caught sitting here like this. He sat beside you, "Are you... okay?"
"I am... I don't know," you looked away from him, "I still feel like I am on fire."
Hongjoong touched your hand to check- you weren't completely normal, you were still hot as if you were running a fever. "Do you always come and sit in the snow like this?"
"Seonghwa buries me in the snow or puts me in the tub and piles ice on me," you muttered, finding yourself laughing a bit at that and Hongjoong joined, "Usually does the trick, as stupid as it sounds."
"How long have you been out here?"
"An hour or more," you admitted, and Hongjoong shook his head.
"Let me..." he looked at you for permission and you nodded. He took your hand, interlacing his fingers with you, staring at your joined hands. "Does the siphon not work properly?"
"It does, it's just... the fire magic is too much for me. I feel like I wasn't build to handle it."
"You're built for the fire magic," Hongjoong assured you, "You have to embrace it. I don't wear a siphon- they did no good at keeping my own magic in control."
"Well," you scoffed, "You almost froze yourself too."
"I was trapped, of course I did. I felt helpless. But you... I won't ask what happened unless you want to tell me, but whatever happened... don't hate your magic because of that."
You stared at him, his eyes almost dark blue as tendrils of his hair fell over them. "Have you ever hated yours?"
"More times than I'll admit," he sighed, "with people like us... our relationship with magic really is a love-hate one, isn't it?"
You smiled as you nodded, already feeling better as you felt your body getting cooler, "It is. I think this winter was the first time I felt my magic was a blessing."
Hongjoong nodded- Seonghwa had mentioned something about how you were secretly making the fire in all the fireplaces in the town warmer, "I guess something good did come out of all this. But can I ask you something?"
You looked at him and he hesitated a bit before asking, "You could have left me to die. There was no reason for you to save me."
You heard the question behind that statement good and clear. You squeezed his hand, "You reminded me of myself. Nobody should have to die like that, all alone engulfed by their own magic. I knew the risk- I knew you could be a madman who was having fun with this winter, but even if you were, I couldn't leave anyone like that."
Hongjoong nodded, but it still didn't make sense to him. Were you just being kind? What was your reason? You laughed as you saw his confused state, "I didn't need a reason to save you, Hongjoong, it's as simple as that."
Hongjoong smiled not at your answer but because it was perhaps the first time you had called him by his name and not a sarcastic spat of his nickname 'prince'. As if you had heard his thoughts, you surprised him by saying, "Don't let it get to you, Prince."
Hongjoong laughed out loud for the first time in a while, and you smiled at how endearing and lively his laugh was.
"You know you sound better when you're laughing and not being an ass," you commented.
"Don't get used to it, Princess," he raised a brow at you and you rolled your eyes.
You didn't take your hand away from each other even when the both of you knew that there was no need to keep holding them anymore.
-----------------
If you had thought that last night's interaction was going to shift your hot-and-cold relation with Hongjoong, you were very wrong because the two of you were back to nonsensical bickering as if last night hadn't happened at all.
"Why would you waste your energy on boiling water again and again when all you could do was touch it!" Hongjoong threw his hands in the air, "Tell me, Yunho, how does this make sense?"
Yunho looked at you as if to ask you for your explanation, and you began, "Not everyone flaunts their magic at every opportunity, you cold piece of shit who sends blizzards out just for the heck of it."
Yunho snorted, "But he didn't do that on purpose?"
"I'm not talking about this time, I've seen enough random blizzards to know which were natural and which weren't," you glared at Hongjoong as if to prove your point, who didn't say anything because you were right, and then you turned to Yunho, "And you! Whose side are you on!"
"No one's," Yunho laughed, clearly enjoying this, "Was just asking, calm down."
"You're telling her to calm down? That's like asking fire not to burn you," Hongjoong muttered.
"Shut up and come for lunch," Seonghwa called and the three of you immediately got up, joining Seonghwa at the table, and Yunho commented on how Seonghwa was basically the mother of this house.
"I am, and what about it?" Seonghwa grinned proudly, making even Hongjoong smile.
"He loves doing this," you dig into the bowl of rice, "you should see him clean this place, he cleans as if-"
"I'm gonna have to stop you there," Seonghwa warned you and you immediately shut up, "Anyways, Hongjoong, can you tell me more about the people who are rebelling against the original bloodline? Because I think I have something to tell you guys."
"What is it?" You asked, but Hongjoong began.
"There are a very few originals and most of them have left this land to blend in with the humans, which I believe is because they got wind of the uprising, if you can call it that," Hongjoong glanced at you, "She and I are currently the only ones remaining, and since she... killed the Prince of Water-"
"But she did not kill the Prince of Water," Seonghwa said as if he was stating the obvious, and both Hongjoong and Yunho looked at you, Yunho more in surprise and Hongjoong more in amusement.
"Is that what she told you?" Hongjoong raised a brow, and Seonghwa put his chopstick down a bit too furiously, glaring at Hongjoong.
"I am an eye-witness, and if you do not believe this, you can get out of this house right now."
"Seonghwa, there's no need-"
Seonghwa only raised his hand, looking at Yunho and Hongjoong as if daring them to challenge his statement, and Hongjoong stared between you and Seonghwa back and forth as you said, "I told you, Seonghwa, that there is no need to keep defending me. I may not have killed the Prince but he died because of me-"
"He did not," Seonghwa glared at you this time, shutting you up- you two had argued enough about this already, "So?"
"I believe you," Yunho said and you looked at him in surprise, "If you had really killed him and made a 'spectacle' out of it, you would have killed me or Hongjoong too. You're far too kind and nice to have done that."
You felt the sudden urge to hug Yunho but instead found yourself waiting for Hongjoong's answer, and his icy blue eyes scanned you, "I mean... if you say so. Just saying what I heard."
"Well, I hope you get your facts straight," Seonghwa smiled as if nothing had happened and urged Hongjoong to continue, which he did hesitantly, "So the Prince of Water is dead... right?" You nodded, "That leaves only the two of us, as far as I know. I don't know how they haven't found you yet, but they got to me first- they have been after me for quite a while now. I just thought it was petty revenge or something at first but I heard the gossips, I heard them talk, so I know that it's a thing now."
"But what are they going to get from getting rid of us?" You frowned, "I mean, it's not like we're ruling this land or taking over their properties or something. We're just... kids, trying to live a normal life."
"That's what you and I know, and that's what people who know us know," Hongjoong looked at Yunho and Seonghwa, "But if I have to blame someone, I have to blame the Prince of Water. He strengthened the belief that the original bloodline thinks of themselves as superior and wants to change the flow of nature and whatnot. You know all that he did, don't you?"
Yunho nodded, "Most of the water mages weren't on his side, but when he started threatening his own kind... there was nothing we could do. And only the people close to the Prince know of how things got bad to the extent that the Princess of Fire had to intervene and put a stop to this, but that only enraged them, mostly because they thought that as water mages, they should have been the one to stop him, and because they suspected her intentions, that she was going to follow in his footsteps."
"That makes sense..." you nodded as you tried to digest all the information.
"What I don't understand is," Yunho began, shifting so he was facing you, "Why you weren't denying the rumours. What really happened that day, princess?"
Hongjoong raised a brow at how he'd called you princess- Yunho hadn't called you that much since you'd arrive here- hadn't been too long so you didn't feel awkward about it, but even Seonghwa smiled at the contrast between Yunho's and Hongjoong's way of calling you princess.
You pursed your lips, looking at Seonghwa- would they believe you? Seonghwa nodded- you knew he was urging you to try, and whether they believed you or not would say a lot about them and where you all stood.
But that's what you were afraid of. Yunho was your friend, and you knew it would hurt if he didn't believe you. Even Hongjoong, who was a little shit if you could sum it up, was something like a friend now and you cared about what they thought of you.
"It was my father- he told me to put an end to all this. He was sick- he had a leg problem so he couldn't go out and solve this feud with the Prince of Water. Apparently our fathers went way back. Anyways, I didn't expect things to spiral out of control- it started with a normal conversation with the water mages, some of my friends including Seonghwa with me. But then... it was like he was possessed. He started fighting with his own friends and it got physical, and then he took off his siphon and lost control. His mother had air magic so she tried to change the direction of the incoming flood but it was no use- she asked me to step in."
You sighed as you recalled the events, a shiver running down your spine, "I made the hurricane evaporate before it could touch the land, but somehow... it burned the Prince too."
"What do you mean?" Yunho frowned.
"Make a water ball," you asked Yunho, and he raised his hand in the air, making a water ball swirl in the air, and you sent fire for it, making it evaporate.
"It didn't hurt you, right?" You asked, and Yunho nodded, "But somehow, it burned the Prince. I didn't even realize- I turned and he was burning as if I'd set him on fire."
"But that's... impossible," Hongjoong frowned, "There's no way that could have happened."
"I saw it," Seonghwa looked grim, "I know she was only focusing on the flood- I could feel her magic better than anyone else since I'm familiar with it. But the Water Prince... I have suspicions that she was framed. That this was all a grand scheme to frame the Fire Princess but I was always confused because why would they need to do that?"
"Until you heard about the uprising," Yunho finished.
Seonghwa nodded, "I heard gossips too- even though I didn't tell you," he looked at you, "but it seemed too far fetched of an idea. But what Hongjoong went through, trapped for months... while you were gone, a few men came in this town asking if there was a fire mage here. I asked them what made them think so, and they said the fire is warmer than normal fire."
"And only a fire mage could have felt that," you narrowed your eyes as you leaned forward and tried to connect everything, "do you think even fire mages are in league with the uprising?"
"Mages of all kinds," Hongjoong assured you, "In fact, the ice mages were going to fetch a fire mage to end me, which was why I attacked you when I gained consciousness."
"I still don't hear you apologizing about it, you ass."
"Why should I? It was defence."
"It's called defence when someone attacks you in the first place!" You looked at him with disbelief in your eyes as he grinned shamelessly, throwing a little spark of fire for him which he caught between his fingers and turned to a snowflake, sticking his tongue out at you.
"You kids," Seonghwa shook his head, "Maybe the men came to fetch you to be the fire mage that ends Hongjoong, since they wouldn't have known that you were also the other original they needed to end."
"Plausible," Yunho commented, "Which means they'll be back."
Silence fell as you all thought about it, "Should we be prepared?"
You looked at Yunho, "I don't know. Should we?"
"It would be wise to prepare- you don't want to go through what I went through," Hongjoong looked at you, "it's not like you can hibernate yourself. Or would you turn yourself toast?"
You turned to him haughtily, "Do not test me, Prince."
"Hongjoong," Seonghwa warned, shaking his head, and Hongjoong was about to protest but he realized why Seonghwa was shaking his head- something about him taunting your magic would trigger you again, which led him to think just what had you gone through again.
"Anyways," Yunho got up, feeling the thick tension in the air, "We have two originals here, so we're better and stronger than anyone who comes. We just have to be careful and watch our backs for now, don't we?"
Seonghwa nodded and you got up as well, "I need to go to the market. Does anyone wanna come?"
Both Yunho and Hongjoong raised their hands and you folded your arms as you looked at Hongjoong, "Give me one solid reason why I should let you accompany me."
"And why aren't you asking Yunho?" Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at you.
"Because he won't be a pain in my ass during the short trip, Prince," you told him and Yunho did a silly dance to further spice it up between you two.
"I'll be on my best behaviour," Hongjoong promised.
You should have known he meant it sarcastically.
"You eat mint-choco?" Hongjoong made the most disgusted face he could muster as you were picking out ice-cream flavours.
"You're literally eating a rainbow ice-cream, you kid," you snorted.
"At least I'm not eating toothpaste flavoured ice-cream."
Yunho almost choked on his own ice-cream as he heard that, "You both should have settled on cookies and cream. Can you two let each other live?"
You both smiled as if you were enjoying this, and Yunho rolled his eyes, muttering 'get a room'. You picked another rainbow ice-cream.
"Ha, are you finally trying it?"
"It's for Seonghwa," you told him, and he gaped at you.
"Seonghwa's not a kid for eating rainbow ice-cream but I am?"
"He gets to be a kid sometimes because he's not being one 24/7," you looked at him pointedly, and Yunho laughed out loud.
"You guys are getting better at this!" Yunho clapped, "Definitely better than 'should I melt your frozen heart'- ow!"
You made Yunho shut up as you pinched his arm, noticing Hongjoong's attention elsewhere, following his eyes to see he was staring at the kids playing in the snow outside.
"I'll wait outside while you get the rest done," Hongjoong told you both and you nodded, taking Yunho with you as you walked down the aisles and Yunho read the grocery list Seonghwa had made.
You were utterly surprised, to put it simply, to find Hongjoong playing with the little kids and having a snowball fight when you went outside after the two of you finished shopping.
"I did not expect him to get along with kids," Yunho muttered, sharing your disbelief of the situation.
"He's literally cheating in the snowball fight," you laughed as you noticed how he was only pretending to make snowballs when in reality he had them ready in a matter of seconds.
You watched him laugh out loud as he ran from the attacks, throwing snow at the kids and running around, saving a little girl who must be on his team, stopping when he noticed you and getting hit with a snowball in the process, making the kids yell in victory.
"Are you done?" Hongjoong asked.
You nodded, waving the bags in the air, "Should we all have a snowball fight?"
Hongjoong smirked, and you made 3 teams, the kids joining you- but really...
This was war.
You were melting any attack that came for you, as was Yunho. Hongjoong's snowballs were turning into ice-balls now, hard ice balls and you yelled at him.
"You'll hurt us!" You glared at him, making a snowball and wrapping it in cold flame, "Have a taste of this!"
"You can't win against me, Princess," Hongjoong only waved a hand to deflect it, "I'd be surprised if you win against Yunho-"
Which was when Yunho sent a snowball for Hongjoong's face and it hit home, making you howl in victory.
"You!" Hongjoong laughed, sending a giant snowball for Yunho, "Have a taste of this!"
Yunho laughed, falling on his butt on the soft snow as he let the snow ball fall on him, popping out of it like a snowman, making the kids watching laugh and run to him as they shaped the snow.
"Kids!" You clapped your hand, grabbing their attention, "This guy here can make really good snowmen!"
The kids immediately ran for Hongjoong who rolled his eyes, Yunho thanking you as he got out of the snow, shivering. The two of you sat on a bench recovering from the cold while Hongjoong really did make the best snowmen of every sizes and shapes, teaching the kids how to.
You watched Hongjoong with mundane curiosity- it was like a veil had shed from his personality, revealing a simple person who enjoyed playing with the kids in the snow and laughed without a worry in this world. It made you wonder just who Hongjoong was- not the ice prince but simply Hongjoong.
Though you had only met a while ago, there was something comforting about the way you all clicked and though you'd never say it out loud, there was also something comforting about the nonstop bickering between Hongjoong and you. It was a nice change in your home- the café, because Seonghwa and you were the type to mostly stay silent and busy yourself with your own work. Having new friends certainly lifted up the mood.
Even the customers in your café liked Yunho- you supposed he was the type to make place in everyone's heart. Yunho had been helping around more in the mornings, mostly serving. Hongjoong was always hiding somewhere in the bookstore, and sometimes you'd catch him have a little conversation about books with someone who came to stop by.
Hongjoong noticed you hadn't commented on his behaviour since you guys had left the store, and he wondered whether it was because you were surprised (he hoped in a good way) or because you simply weren't interested and had nothing to say.
But his lips curled in a smile when you later sat with him late at night drinking coffee in front of the fireplace while Yunho and Seonghwa went out for a walk, and finally commented on it.
"You look like you had fun earlier," you said, keeping your voice neutral.
"I had," Hongjoong smiled, gazing at the fire, "it's been long since I had that kind of fun."
"What?" You laughed a bit, "You're telling me that you have ice magic but you didn't go around playing with the snow and making someone slip in the snow?"
Hongjoong looked at you, amused, "What do you think my life was like before everything happened? Do you think I owned an ice-cream truck and went around town?"
"You're seriously telling me you never made someone slip in the snow when they annoyed you?" You looked at him in disbelief.
Hongjoong held your stare but then gave in, "Okay, maybe once, maybe twice. I stayed low mostly. It's not like you used to go around setting people on fire, did you?"
"Not much fun you can have playing with fire," you nodded grimly, "But ice, man! If I had your magic I'd have a little snowman accompany me everywhere I go."
"Which would speak for how lonely you are," Hongjoong retorted, "Speaking about that, is Seonghwa the only friend you have?"
"And what about it?" You frowned, "You like him, don't you?"
"I do, it's just... how did you get here?" Hongjoong looked around, "I mean... how come you, of all people, run a bookstore café with their childhood friend?"
"That sounds like a backhanded insult, but I'll ignore that," you said and Hongjoong smirked, "We used to live in the same town, until that incident happened. Things got too much for me, every water mage was after me, and then some. I had to leave town, my family came with me. It was only mom and dad anyway. We settled in a nearby town, but then they passed away in an accident. I went back to Seonghwa, since he was the only family I had. We decided to move here then."
Hongjoong nodded, "Can I ask what kind of an accident it was?"
"I'm actually not sure," you replied, "some sort of a ship accident when they were going to Mist Island-"
You paused. The incidents couldn't be related, could they?
"I know what you're thinking," Hongjoong's voice was low, "there's a chance that it's connected to the uprising. But we can't be sure. Don't let it get to you- it might have been just an accident-"
"But..." you looked at him, "They drowned. If there were water mages on board, they would have lived, wouldn't they? Maybe they couldn't save everyone and that's understandable, but... maybe I should find the survivors and interrogate them."
Hongjoong noticed your choice of words, "Hey, we can't be sure. Don't attract unnecessary attention, your life's already in danger as we speak-"
"If there's a chance that it wasn't an accident," you breathed, the fire in the fireplace turning red, "and they died because of me, I won't forgive the water mages- and I mean all of them."
"Hey," Hongjoong got up, noticing your glowing eyes, bending in front of you as he put a hand on yours, cooling you down, "it's gonna be okay. We'll find out, okay? And remember- you don't have to blame all the water mages if that was the case. Yunho is your friend, and he's one of the kindest people we know, isn't he? He is a water mage, and he is your friend. Be wise about this, will you?"
You took a deep breath, nodding, the fire dimming back to normal, "Sorry, I- I nearly lost control, I'm sorry-" you noticed his hand on yours, taking it and examining it to check if it was okay, "I could have burned you, Hongjoong."
"You couldn't," he only smiled, "you can't burn me, you should know."
"I can definitely set your ass on fire," you raised a brow.
"I'd rather you melt my frozen heart, Princess."
You rolled your eyes, but your heart fluttered unexplainably at that as you scanned Hongjoong's face, taking in his features, realizing you two were closer than ever with him bending down in front of you.
"I might burn and hurt you in the process," you managed to say, your voice barely coming out more than a whisper.
"Well, good for you," Hongjoong leaned in to whisper in your ear, "I like playing with fire."
You laughed a bit as he drew back and took his seat, smirking at you. "I'm not even sure if you were flirting or just being yourself."
"I can do both at the same time," he winked at you.
"Gosh, I should have left you in that tower," you finished your coffee, getting up, "You look prettier when you're hibernated and all frosty."
"At least you're admitting that I'm pretty, Princess," Hongjoong got up too, bringing his cup with him.
"Don't let it get to your head, Prince," you scoffed, mentally cursing yourself because Seonghwa was right- you sucked at this.
"You're prettier too," Hongjoong said, and you turned to look at him, finding him grinning devilishly, "When you're all angry and hot-"
You sent a bolt of fire his way and he snubbed it with merely a wave, making you send another for his butt which he dodged expertly.
"Come on, what did I say?!" Hongjoong cried out, laughing in disbelief when you started grinning.
"You like me angry and hot, I'm going to give you angry and hot."
You both kept sending fire and ice for each other, running around and laughing out loudly, cursing at each other and giggling like kids, not even noticing when Yunho and Seonghwa entered and stood in the doorway frozen while they watched you play like kids in your own little world.
"Should we maybe go for another round?" Yunho muttered, "I feel like I'm interrupting somewhere."
Seonghwa scoffed, "Fire and Ice? Who would've thought."
Yunho looked at Seonghwa and laughed, "You think they...?"
"I know that they are going to become a thing," Seonghwa nodded at him, smiling, "can't say I dislike the idea. Come on, let's give them five more minutes, then I'm ending this-"
You gasped as you realized the snowball Hongjoong had sent for you hit Seonghwa square in the face.
"I- I didn't mean to-" Hongjoong attempted to say but ended up laughing as he saw Seonghwa sigh in disappointment.
"Come out!" Seonghwa glared at Hongjoong, "Let's have a man-to-man snowball fight!"
Yunho stood grabbing Seonghwa's arm trying to hold him back but ending up in tears because he was laughing so hard as Seonghwa sent phantom hands and started dragging Hongjoong out, Hongjoong screaming in help, and you pinched the bridge of your nose, smiling.
"Let's not be kids about this," you told Seonghwa, who let go of Hongjoong.
"Rich coming from you," Seonghwa raised a brow at you and you blew a kiss at him, sticking your tongue out.
-----------------
You and Yunho were trying to practice your magic, you teaching him about the basic principles and how he should be able to control his magic better, and you discovered that Yunho was a quick learner, apart from being very patient and cooperative. It was probably why he learned and listened to you well, and he would do even better if-
If Hongjoong wasn't practically breathing down your necks as you taught him.
"Shouldn't he be learning from me?" Hongjoong questioned, "water and ice are related. Fire and water are enemies in all sense."
"It's actually better when you learn from your enemy- not that Yunho is mine," you said, "it's better when you know how to defend yourself against the magic that is the most threatening to you, don't you think so Yunho?"
"Definitely," Yunho nodded, grinning at Hongjoong, "you should learn a bit from her too."
"You're enjoying this way too much, aren't you?" Hongjoong scoffed, "ice and fire are equals, I'd say. No one lived to tell which one's better if they battled it out."
"Should we check and decide once and for all?" You offered, and Hongjoong raised his hands in the air in surrender, making you shake your head. You noticed Seonghwa coming out and propping himself in the chair next to Hongjoong with a knitting set in his hands.
"You should learn with me," Hongjoong told Seonghwa, "After all, what goes better than cold and dark?"
"Now don't you go corrupting my friend," you glared at him, ignoring when Hongjoong asked you just how he was 'corrupting' Seonghwa, turning back to focus on Yunho.
"Sorry for being distracted, Hongjoong doesn't let me breathe," you muttered, and Yunho told you it was okay, "so, where were we?"
"Water has memories," Yunho told you, "doesn't every magic have memories?"
"Water is always there, in one form or another," you told him, sitting down and touching the snow, "this snow was water at some point. But water bodies, like lakes and oceans, they have memories. So if it's been in contact with anything, you can access the memory."
"I've heard about it," Yunho nodded, running his hands over the snow- you stared shamelessly because at this point, you had a thing for his hands, "But isn't it like something specific to the Water Prince maybe?"
"No magic is specific only to the original bloodline," you corrected him, "We just have more strength of everything in our magic. If you train long and hard, you can open every chamber of your magic. You do know that even the originals can't access every chamber of their magic, don't you?"
"I heard you have to keep one or two closed so it doesn't consume you," Yunho looked at you and you nodded in confirmation.
"Since you're not an original, you don't have to worry about it consuming you- you can open every chamber because you'll only be accessing some of it- you can't delve in completely."
"That theory sucks, by the way," Hongjoong commented, "What if he ends up unintentionally focusing all his energy in one chamber? What if it consumes him?"
"It won't consume him if it's only one chamber- rather he'd become a master of it," you corrected.
"That's only your theory. No one has done it before."
"I know it works, Prince," you huffed, and Hongjoong was about to speak up but Seonghwa put a hand on his arm.
"Don't ask how, ever," he warned, "she went through literal hell herself to find this out."
Hongjoong opened his mouth to speak but shut up instantly- literal hell? For you, literal hell could only be your own magic-
Hongjoong's eyes went wide in realization as Seonghwa nodded- it must have had to do something with the incident 5 years ago, he realized. He watched you put your hand through the snow and turn it into water- such control, such power... you must really have gone through literal hell to know all of this. It made him wonder just how it had happened. Had you lost control of your magic?
It was the next day when he got his answer as you rushed through the bookstore, row after row, to find Seonghwa but finding Hongjoong instead, and he took in your state.
"Everything okay?"
"Where's Seonghwa?" You asked, trying to catch your breath.
"He went out for grocery- what's wrong?"
"I have no time to explain, he's in danger," your eyes glowed for a second before you came back, "Help me find him."
Hongjoong immediately got up, not questioning how you knew, calling Yunho over and Hongjoong used his tracking magic, the three of you running to the site.
You had almost reached the store when you spotted Seonghwa's magic- phantom hands in the air as a signal, and you tugged Yunho's arm-
"Water mages," you looked at him, "You shouldn't go if you don't want to be in their blacklist."
"Seonghwa's my friend too," Yunho simply said as he took your hand and ran to where Seonghwa was.
Hongjoong stopped you, raising his hands and marking the men- there were 4 of them, and Seonghwa was barely holding, his face etched into a pained expression.
"Stay back," you said, "I'll handle this."
With that, your eyes glowed as you raised your hand and swiped it, knocking all of them unconscious in seconds and Hongjoong made an impressed face.
"That's certainly handy," he commented, and you shrugged, rushing to Seonghwa who was out of breath.
"I felt it- are you okay? Was I late?" You asked as you grabbed Seonghwa by the shoulders, examining him. He laughed a bit, patting your cheek.
"I'm fine, but you definitely could have arrived earlier- I was losing hope. But I guess the fire you put in my necklace definitely works."
"Sorry," you muttered but Seonghwa told you he was joking and that it was fine.
"Are all of them water mages?" Yunho frowned as he looked at the fallen bodies, "I don't think I recognize any of them."
"Seems like it," Hongjoong sighed, "We should do something about this before people notice."
Which was how you ended up with the 4 men tied to the chairs in your basement, waiting for them to wake up so you could start questioning them. When one of them stirred, you all met eyes and Seonghwa wrapped his dark magic around the man's hand, rendering him unable to use his magic. The man blinked a few times, adjusting himself to the surroundings, looking around and then ended up laughing like a maniac, which had you nervously bite your lip as you looked at Hongjoong.
"I didn't expect such a weird group of friends, Princess," he looked at each of them, "keeping friends close and enemies closer, aren't you?"
"And why would I need to keep my enemies closer? I'm sure you must have an answer to that?"
"I must say, I didn't expect the Ice Prince in your company," he scanned Hongjoong, his lips curling in a devilish smile, "Had a good time with my friends in the mountains?"
Hongjoong got up, circling around the man, "Who's behind this uprising?"
"Wouldn't you love to know," the man practically spat, his dark hair falling on his face, and when Hongjoong's eyes glowed in anger, you stepped in.
"If you value your life, you'll answer my questions," your eyes glowed and your voice was steel, "You do know I was framed for your Prince's death, don't you?"
His eyes flashed, "Is that an excuse for burning him to death? Is this how you're going to save your hide now?"
"Were you present 5 years ago when all of that happened?" Yunho asked, "Did you see the Princess burn him to death?"
"Who else could have?" The man scoffed, "What's your point, girl?"
"I don't care whether you believe me or not," you leaned in front of him, "Do you have any knowledge of the incident that drowned the rest of the original fire bloodline?"
Hongjoong called your name in warning while Seonghwa and Yunho gasped in realization, the man staring at you, thinking, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Please," you scoffed, "All of Wonderland knows exactly how the last of the fire bloodline died, and you don't know what I'm talking about? Tell me, do you know the water mages that were on board? Or..." your hand was on fire now as you threatened to burn him, "Were you on board?"
"I wasn't!" He cringed away from the burning sensation that neared his hand, "I don't know the water mages who were!"
"I can smell the lies on you," you whispered, bringing your hand closer to his, "Would you like to burn to death like your Prince?"
Hongjoong called your name in warning again but Seonghwa stopped him and Yunho too, who looked like he would get up any second now. You waited until the man sighed, giving in.
"I may know one of the water mages who were on board- not personally. I'm not sure, but I think I have an idea- he goes by the name of Kwangsoo."
You nodded, taking a step away from him and he sighed in relief, Hongjoong making you back away further as he took over.
"Who sent you and who is behind this stupid idea to end the original bloodline?" Hongjoong's voice was as icy as his magic, making you shiver a bit as you joined Seonghwa and Yunho, Seonghwa rubbing your back.
"Does it matter?" The man asked, "It's been going around for decades now, longer before you were born, the both of you. It's only rising in magnitude now, that's why you noticed."
That was news to all of you- it seemed like the ones who were a part of the uprising were taught about how it began and all that too. Hongjoong made the man talk, learning some history and their plans with him and you, finally stopping and standing back with you.
"Shall we kill them or let them go?"
"I don't kill people," you raised your hands in surrender, "be my guest, do whatever you'd like."
So Hongjoong let them go with a message to convey to their little gang- do not mess with the Ice Prince and the Fire Princess, who're living in peace and will continue to do so unless provoked.
Later that night, Hongjoong joined you when he found you sitting bare-feet in the ice again, shivering a bit. He shook his head at you, "You know, you don't have to do this every time you feel as if you're burning- I'm here. I'm here for you."
Something about the way he said that made you look up and stare at him for a good minute, "I didn't want to bother you- plus, it's awkward to ask you to do that."
"So you're considerate and shy?" Hongjoong grinned, making you roll your eyes and throw a fistful of snow at him, "But really, it's not gonna be awkward if we don't make it."
"I'm not quite sure if I understand," you muttered, watching Hongjoong sigh and offer you his hand.
"Walk with me?"
The two of you walked with hands joined as he sent his magic to cool your insides down, and you suddenly felt wary of how it would look like to anyone else who noticed. Hongjoong looked like he was comfortable with this- you, however, were both comfortable and nervous.
"Earlier today... would you really have burned the man for answers?" Hongjoong finally asked you.
You pursed your lips, "I would say no but now that I think about it... I'm not quite sure."
"That's okay, you know?" Hongjoong squeezed your hand, "I think it's a bit suspicious- your parents' death. We should make sure, just in case, but... are you sure you can handle the truth?"
"That's exactly why I was out there in the snow thinking," you smiled sheepishly, "It would be ugly if I lose control again."
"Again?" Hongjoong asked, "When did that happen last time?"
"I suppose you should know," you looked at him, "When the Prince of Water was burned to death, I was the obvious suspect. I was... imprisoned, like you, for a while. That's how it happened- I ended up burning my own shackles and the very ground I sat on. They had to let me go- if it weren't for my father, I would have set Wonderland on fire."
"Ah," Hongjoong realized there really was a reason you were so considerate when you first saw him- he must have reminded you of yourself, "How do you think that happened, the Prince?"
"A simple trick of fire and an air mage is the most probable answer," you said, "We fire mages tend to burn a man from the inside out- not the outside, like setting a person on fire. Fire mages have a bit of a... dramatic flair, you could say."
Despite the seriousness of the topic, Hongjoong was grinning, "I heard ice mages make it dramatic too- slowly freeze a man."
"What a spectacle," you muttered bitterly, sharing a laugh with Hongjoong, noticing your still joined hands realizing you were okay now, "You can let go of my hand- I'm normal now."
"And if I want to keep holding on?" Hongjoong looked at you, his long lashes casting a shadow on his eyes in the strong moonlight.
"I really don't get you," you laughed, flushing despite yourself, "Do you have a thing for holding hands?"
"I like how warm your hands are, actually," Hongjoong raised your joined hands as if looking at them, "I may be the Ice Prince but I like the warmth, just like you like the cold."
"We're polar opposites," you stopped walking, "crazy how we fit with each other, isn't it?"
Hongjoong smiled warmly at you, tucking your hair behind your ear, patting your cheek, and you stood with lips parted, watching him scan your face until his smile grew into a smirk. "Flirting back, are we?"
"I really should have left you in that damned tower," you muttered, beginning to go away but Hongjoong pulled you back to him, wrapping his arms around you, never letting go of your hand. You tried wriggling out of his embrace as you groaned, but he only held you tighter, laughing a bit, and you couldn't tell if he was being playful or what.
"I'm gonna set your ass on fire if you don't let me go, Hongjoong," you warned, though you were smiling.
Hongjoong shifted so he could whisper in your ear, "It's been a while since I've hugged a human and not a snowman, Princess, let me be."
You weren't sure if he was joking or not, so you only stood awkwardly, finally melting into the hug after a few seconds. "You feel like a snowman."
"And you feel like home- warm and safe."
You finally wrapped your arms around him after that, letting him get his share of hug that he had craved so much, stealing warmth and cold from each other.
-----------------
"Either you go with me or you don't go," Seonghwa gave his verdict, turning back to cleaning the library while you stood with the broom in your hand and jaw clenched.
"It's dangerous, why don't you understand that if something happened to you, I won't be able to take it?"
"As happy as I am to hear that," Seonghwa let out a short laugh, "I'd rather we go together. I may not be an original but you know I can look after myself better than the others. And you're taking Hongjoong with you, someone you only met a few weeks ago. That hurts my pride."
That was a fact you could not deny, "But... Seonghwa, I wouldn't be too sad if something happened to Hongjoong now, would I?"
"I hear you loud and clear, Princess!" Hongjoong shouted from the other row where he and Yunho were arranging books, and you heard Yunho's breathy giggles, "Back at you!"
You pointed a thumb backwards, looking at Seonghwa smugly as if your point was proven, "See? We won't be sad if something happened to one of us."
"But Yunho's going too!" Seonghwa started cleaning furiously.
"We're using him as a guide and we're going to drop him off afterwards- maybe even earlier if the situation calls."
"I can look after myself too!" Yunho shouted.
"I'd be sad if something happened to you!" You shouted back.
"Hey, what's with the discrimination!" You heard a furious shuffle as Hongjoong came to you, laughing in disbelief, "You wanna go, Seonghwa? Let's go, all of us."
"Hongjoong," you warned, but you were cut off by him.
"They're adults, good with their magic and can take care of themselves," Hongjoong's voice was not sarcastic anymore, and you knew you were being unfair about this. You sighed, shaking your head as you went back to cleaning, and Seonghwa stifled his laugh when he saw steam rise from your head, deciding to not comment on it in case you really did burn his ass like you always threatened to.
The four of you shut the café and Seonghwa met with the grandma next door to tell her they'd be gone for a few days. Hongjoong didn't need to be told to wear a hoodie and cover his head- silver hair like his could be seen and recognized from quite a distance, and with the threat hanging on his head and yours, you guys were better off safe than sorry.
It was quite a week that you travelled- constant bickering between you and Hongjoong in the day but in the nights when both of you had trouble sleeping, you'd sit watch and get to know each other. You didn't realize how it became a routine- something you were beginning to look forward to, when the two of you weren't Prince and Princess but Hongjoong and... you.
Yunho and Seonghwa had been the most cooperative, as if they were afraid you'd both ditch them because it was dangerous and go on your own. Yunho learned his magic with you and Hongjoong while Seonghwa practiced his deadly magic as well- there really was a lot you could do with shadows and phantoms. But you realized with every passing day that the four of you got along really well, and that you were going to miss them when you would part ways. You secretly wanted to keep them all to yourselves, and you were going to offer them the mundane life of running the bookstore café with you before you'd part ways.
You were on your way to the coast where most of the water mages dwelled, having passed as a group of friends travelling. You all had ditched the idea of carriages after people started to notice Hongjoong and you- you supposed it was just the aura you both gave that caught people's attention. You and Seonghwa were just bickering over something stupid when Hongjoong heard an arrow whoosh your way and pushed you both to the ground, an ice shield automatically forming around the four of you.
You heard the distant yells of 'ice prince' along with the loud buzzing in your ears as Hongjoong shook you from your initial shock, and you pushed Seonghwa and Yunho behind you as you stood beside Hongjoong.
"There are 6," Hongjoong muttered, "They must have been following us for a while now. What do we do?"
"I'll handle this," Seonghwa stood up, and you watched a black smoke seep out of him as he sent phantom hands, knocking the men off their feet, but one of them sent a strong light your way which negated Seonghwa's magic and he shook his head.
"Drop the shield, Hongjoong," you said, "take cover, you two."
With that, you sent arrow after arrow of fire while Hongjoong both defended and attacked, Yunho yelling half in surprise and victory when he managed to create an ice shield of his own, Hongjoong sharing a grin with him. Seonghwa sat with his knees on the ground, sending an imperceptible thread of shadow and blinding the men.
"Should we run or should we do something about them?" Yunho asked.
"I say knock them unconscious and run," you muttered, "I'm not killing if you're not."
So you did that, tying the men together and leaving them in the middle of the forest to their fate while you continued travelling.
"This is exactly why I did not want you along with me," you glared at Seonghwa, "You could have been hurt and I could have done nothing about it."
"You could have been hurt too, if it weren't for Hongjoong," Seonghwa glared back, "What I'm saying is that we're in this together, whether you like it or not."
"I don't," you said, "and you both are staying with Yunho's family until we come back with information."
You and Seonghwa argued for a bit until Hongjoong intervened, telling you both to shut up. You huffed in anger and started walking a bit behind, Yunho joining you while Hongjoong gave you a knowing look- he'd made Seonghwa understand.
"You know she loves you a lot," Hongjoong said, "She wants you safe, and she doesn't want to worry about you."
"She thinks of me as a burden," Seonghwa sighed.
"No, she doesn't. She thinks of you as someone precious enough that she would lose herself if she lost you," Hongjoong smiled as he said that, "I think that's better than taking me as a scapegoat."
Seonghwa laughed, shaking his head, "She cares for you too, more than she'd like and would ever admit. I understand why she's comfortable with you- she thinks of you as an equal, someone who'll have her back without worrying the hell out of her- but she worries about you too- not the same reasons as me."
"Good to hear," Hongjoong was grinning and Seonghwa scanned his face, a knowing smile creeping on his face.
"You like her, don't you?"
"Me? Her?" Hongjoong barfed, "ew, no."
"You keep telling yourself that," Seonghwa laughed knowingly while Hongjoong brought his icy hands to cool his now warm cheeks.
Meanwhile, Yunho was patting your back. "I understand why you want us to stay, but... the way you talk to Seonghwa, I'm not sure he understands your intentions. Or if he does... he just doesn't like the way you voice them."
"And how do I talk?" You asked.
"Aggressively-caringly," Yunho laughed, "It's like watching siblings fight- they'll never admit they love each other but they'll also give their life for the other."
You finally smiled at that, "We'll be fine too, Seonghwa needs to understand. I know he understands, it just.... you said it," you laughed in defeat.
You reached the village where Yunho's uncle lived, recognizing the group of men you'd met that day during the mountain hike, and they welcomed all of you, including Hongjoong. They shut the windows, telling you all that you could be comfortable.
"Is there a reason why they aren't a part of the uprising like most of the mages?" You asked Yunho out of genuine curiosity as you examined the group of men who were playing board games, Hongjoong joining them in a game of chess and Seonghwa watching them excitedly.
"They really don't agree with the ideology," Yunho told you, "What's the point in killing the originals? There's always gonna be someone who's more powerful than the rest of us- it all comes down to whether they wield their power with the wrong intent or not."
"Exactly," Yunho's uncle propped down on your table, "The Prince of Water was my friend- he always thought of himself as superior. He had this planned for a while, and what happened to him... he had it coming."
"You do know who I am, don't you?" You asked, "you don't think I killed him?"
"You were just a little girl," he sighed, "I wasn't there, but my friends over there-" he pointed to Hongjoong's table, "they saw it, saw the whole thing. There was no way even an original could stop a flood and burn a man at the same time- plus I know how dramatic fire mages are. They don't set fire like that."
You smiled knowingly at Yunho, who smiled back, "Thank you for having us. It must be risky even for you- we won't be long here, just take care of my friend Seonghwa till we come back."
"Are you going to inquire about the ship accident that drowned your parents?" He asked, and you nodded- he was quick. "There's no use inquiring around. I know it was done on purpose- there were water mages on the ship, but they aren't to blame- it was one of the Illusioners."
"Illusioner? As in people who can make you think your magic isn't working and stuff like that? Aren't they extinct or something?"
"They live in a close community, the few remaining ones. I heard one of them was aboard. That's the only explanation that makes sense as well."
He was right, and this changed everything. After a quiet meal where you sorted your thoughts out, you hugged Seonghwa and Yunho, telling them to stay safe and wait patiently.
"I don't know how long it's gonna take, but if I'm dead, you'll know it. So don't go back before that."
"Don't say things like that," Seonghwa scolded, hugging you tighter, "You better come back."
With a kiss to your forehead, he let you go, and Yunho ruffled your hair, the two of you waving at and thanking everyone for their hospitality, donning your cloaks and setting out, the salty tinge of seawater in the air hitting your nostrils now that you had been inside for a while. Upon the instructions, you both took the ship that lead to Mist Island, where the Illusioners should be.
You told Hongjoong all about what you'd learned, and he agreed with that theory- it was the strongest lead you had so far. You had to find the person responsible for the accident, but...
"I don't know what I'm going to do once I find the Illusioner," you told Hongjoong when night time fell and you sat at the edge, watching land fade away.
"If you want me to... I could kill him for you."
You looked at Hongjoong in surprise, but his eyes were steel. He really meant it. You shook your head, "Would that solve anything? It would only fuel the uprising if people learn we killed one of the rarest mages."
"What are we going to do about the uprising anyway?" Hongjoong asked, "They're gonna keep coming after us. I don't want to leave Wonderland, even if it feels unsafe."
"You have a home with me, Hongjoong," you looked at him, "You don't have to go anywhere."
"I thought you couldn't stand me, Princess," Hongjoong scoffed, "Are you really offering that?"
"As long as you stop being a pain," you told him, making him laugh, "but really. Isn't it cool, us 4 running the café and just living life? We could expand the business. You could open an ice-cream truck right outside, maybe go around town, grow a beard like Santa."
Hongjoong shook his head at you, "You really enjoy my suffering, don't you?"
"Can't say I don't," you grinned.
"Thanks for the offer," Hongjoong sighed as he looked at the sky, "I'll think about it."
"Look at you pretending to think about it- you even left your stuff back there!" You slapped his arm, and he gasped in realization, "Should we make a detour and go to the tower, get the rest of your stuff too?" You teased, "I'd like to bring home the ice chandelier-"
Hongjoong flicked your forehead, making you howl in pain and try to flick his forehead but he leaned back, making you lean further in until you were almost on top of him and he had to hold your waist to keep you from falling. "If you wanted to be on top of me, you could have asked nicely."
You rolled your eyes, going back to sitting and Hongjoong only laughed at your embarrassed state, putting an arm around your shoulder and bringing you closer, cuddling into your side. "You're very clingy, Prince."
"You love it, Princess."
You made a face but you were too tired to argue further, so you put a head on his shoulder as the two of you watched the calm waves of the sea pull you further away from Wonderland.
The next evening, you reached Mist Island, the mountains large enough to make you shiver a bit- it had an eerie feel to it, just like its name. "Funny that it's called Mist Island," you said, "I really can't see much."
Hongjoong nodded- there was a strange fog spread over the surface of the ground, making the place seem haunted, the only reason you weren't scared being that it was day and it felt okay. "You think someone make this fog on purpose?"
"Definitely," you grinned, "If I had an island to myself, I'd have an eternal fire burning somewhere too- for the people to recognize it from far away."
Hongjoong laughed at that, "How dramatic."
You narrowed your eyes at him, "Have you forgotten how you built a freaking ice palace? With the ice chandelier? You're seriously gonna call me dramatic when you look like that? Have you dyed your hair, Prince?"
"I have not!" Hongjoong pouted, "Stop giving me shit about my appearance!" You grinned- you actually were pretty sure that you had a thing for Hongjoong's hair now- it was just such a beautiful shade of white and silver and the faintest hint of blonde, and it went so well with his icy blue eyes. "You can stop staring at me now, Princess. I'm not even sure what you're thinking, and I'm not sure I wanna know."
"Come on," you poked his arm before putting yours around his, "you know I like your hair."
"Do you now?" Hongjoong smirked.
"Nah, I just said that to make you feel better," you rolled your eyes, "Can we move now?"
Hongjoong pouted and was muttering some curses while you dragged him further into the island, trying to formulate a plan but getting distracted whenever Hongjoong pointed at something or teased you over something, and you wished you had Seonghwa with you- he was the only one who could shut Hongjoong up.
You were just walking through the forest following the sound of the city when a woman stepped in front of you all of a sudden, seemingly appearing from the fog, making you bite your tongue to keep from screaming.
"The original fire and ice mages," the woman scanned you both and you instinctively held on to Hongjoong tighter, "to what do we owe the pleasure?"
You couldn't feel any magic from her, and she looked normal enough- dark hair and darker eyes- but something about her was making the magic in your blood scream. "We come in search of the Illusioners. Just some questions to ask- all in peace," Hongjoong assured, and you nodded.
The woman let out a short laugh, "In peace? Questions? I don't think those two go well together," she suddenly put her hands up and you reacted instinctively, creating a shield, but-
You failed.
Your magic wasn't working.
"You're an Illusioner," you muttered, and she grinned, making you both drop to your knees, and you had no time to look how Hongjoong was holding up, seeing more people join the woman before everything went black.
-----------------
You woke up in chains again.
You weren't sure if this was a dream or reality, but when you saw Hongjoong chained in front of you, his skin going paler and frost spreading on his lips and eyelids, you realized this was real. You really were chained, yet again.
Just like 5 years ago.
"No, no, no," you mumbled, staring at your gauntlets, preventing you from using your magic, and you panicked. You had no time to think, no time to plan, you just panicked as memories crept up your mind-
You were burning, and you would die.
There was nothing left in this world anymore. Just burning, hot fire. You were going to set Wonderland on fire before burning from the inside out.
You shook your head- there was no time to dwell on the past memories that always triggered you, now was not the time to be triggered and start burning from the inside out, but-
You couldn't help it. You could feel your magic roiling restlessly inside you.
You were going to burn from the inside out, and there was no Seonghwa to help you-
"Hongjoong," you almost whispered, looking around- you were in a basement, of all the places, just like that time, "Hongjoong!"
He didn't stir. He was out cold, and he was probably freezing from the inside too, just like you were burning. His head was hanging painfully to his side, chains around his waist holding him half-up like yours were.
You couldn't burn- not without getting Hongjoong out. You had to save Hongjoong, just like he had saved you so many times without even knowing. Just like you had saved him when you first met him.
You shut your eyes, trying to stop your restless magic from clouding your brain as you tried to think- these gauntlets were somehow presenting you from using magic altogether. Five years ago, you didn't have the ability to use magic without your hands, but this time it seemed it didn't matter.
You were so scared- for Hongjoong, more than yourself. For the innocent people on this island. For the destruction you'd cause if you lost control. Just what was the Illusioner thinking when she tied you both like this? Did she not know the amount of destruction you were capable of if you lost control?
Illusioner. Makes you think you are unable to use your magic.
Was this an illusion? Or were your gauntlets an illusion?
You looked down at your gauntlets, wondering if they were real. It certainly felt real- especially since it weighed your hands down, but... were they just for show? Could you somehow use your magic itself to break through the illusion?
You concentrated the magic to your hands- to hell with it if the metal would burn and melt the flesh on your hands. This was your only chance at making it out alive and saving Hongjoong and the rest of the island.
I am the Princess of Fire.
You brought your hands to the siphon, struggling to turn the notches down so you could have access to your full powers.
I am the Princess of Fire, and I will not be afraid of my own magic.
You shut your eyes in pain, willing your magic to travel to your hands, melting the gauntlet.
I will not be afraid of my magic, because it cannot burn me.
These were the last words your father, the original fire mage, had told you to keep close to your heart, because as soon as you were scared of your magic, it would start hurting you. You never understood why and how you could not be scared of the magnitude and hazard of your magic, but now it was starting to make sense.
Your mother had always told you that there needed to be something you wanted to protect- if not your own self (which should be the case), something so precious to you that you would risk your life to protect that. As you opened your eyes and looked at Hongjoong, you understood what she meant.
It was crazy how you had such a soft spot for the Prince of Ice you'd met only a few weeks ago. You'd never expected him to care about you either, but he clearly did. You'd learn how his family had left Wonderland in the fear of their life, but Hongjoong felt at home here- despite the threat to his own life. Despite going through something similar than what you had- what had broken you down completely. You were in awe of how strong he was- he embraced his magic, even when it hurt him like it was hurting him now. He only needed someone who believed in him to be okay.
You recalled your conversation from one of the nights when you were on your way to the coast and couldn't sleep, Hongjoong with you for 'night watch' as you both stared at the full moon. You finally asked him how long had he been imprisoned, since the winter season had come naturally enough but it only had gotten prolonged.
"5 months," Hongjoong sighed, "give or take."
"5 months?" You gaped at him, and he only smiled, "That's crazy, Hongjoong. How did you not, I don't know, freeze from the inside out, become an ice statue and shatter while engulfing Wonderland in some crazy blizzard that would freeze everyone too?"
Hongjoong laughed at your panicked state, "I think it's because I came to terms with my magic or something like that. I used to hate my magic too- people always said I felt too cold, even to the touch. My hair wasn't always white as well, believe it or not-"
You let out a scandalous gasp and Hongjoong slapped your arm before continuing, "People started to hate me, and I first thought I was the problem, but then I realized that I really wasn't. Those who actually care stick with you, whether you look like and feel like a snowman or not."
"Well," you grinned, "you make a pretty snowman. But, Hongjoong, you know I was imprisoned too. I barely made it three weeks before I started to melt everything around me. It's impressive that a prolonged winter was the only thing you really caused."
"You really should love yourself more, Princess," Hongjoong caressed your hair with a sad smile, and you noted how this time he didn't have that sarcastic tone every time he called you princess, "You should know that you matter, if not to anyone else, than to yourself. If no one's gonna love you, you have to love yourself."
"I have Seonghwa," you said, "And I had my parents- I know they loved me... but- then why was I so weak?"
"You weren't weak," Hongjoong shook his head, "Don't ever think of yourself as weak. The fact that you didn't set Wonderland on fire but only started burning from your own self before anything else, that means you didn't believe in yourself. Sometimes it happens- no matter the amount of people who love you and believe you, you end up doubting yourself."
"And I suppose in your case, since no one believed in you... you believed in yourself?"
Hongjoong nodded, "Well, you have one more person who believes in you now. Give yourself some credit, Princess. You're stronger than you think you are. Know why? Because despite the fire in your body, that fire doesn't drive people away- it attracts them. The people in your town know that you are the Princess, they just don't show it- because they believe in you. You keep them warm. I have heard them talking about you and how their homes are always warm. You heal the people's hearts without even realizing."
You gaped at Hongjoong- you had never realized the people knew. But... they had always been good to you. You had sometimes suspected that they knew, but now that Hongjoong confirmed it...
You stared at the gauntlets, watching it melt away and fall apart with a crack- it didn't hurt you. You stared at the broken gauntlets in confusion, your mouth opening in surprise when the gauntlets faded into smoke-
The gauntlets were an illusion.
You looked at Hongjoong- he probably didn't realize this was an illusion and was fighting with something inside his head- he was frowning. Perhaps he was battling with his magic. You melted the chains- those were real, and rushed to Hongjoong, touching his face and flinching away at first, because he was beyond ice cold.
You cupped his face, holding it up as you drew his hair back, "Hongjoong, listen to me. Everything is an illusion. You can break free. Hongjoong?"
Hongjoong groaned in response- he didn't seem well. You joined your foreheads, spreading warmth on his body through the skin contact, whispering his name again and again, drawing back when his groan went louder, your hands never leaving his face.
He finally opened his eyes, the frost on his lashes melting away as he looked at you in confusion. "Those gauntlets aren't real," you told him, "it's an illusion, Hongjoong. You can break free. Come on, you can do it."
"Help me," he looked down at his gauntlets and you understood, sending your magic through them, just like that time, while Hongjoong sent his ice magic, making the gauntlets crack and fade away, and he flexed his now free hands, looking at you in surprise as his vision became clearer, as if the mist on his eyes was now gone.
"That was quick," you muttered, laughing, and Hongjoong- still in his chains- bent forward to cup your face, his hands now warm, joining your foreheads again.
"You melted my frozen heart, Princess," he breathed, "exactly how I wanted you to."
You don't know who did it first, but you were kissing each other, quick and good before drawing apart, "We have to get away first, Prince."
With that, you broke apart his chains and melted the door knob, "As long as you realize that the only thing stopping your magic is you, you can break free of any illusions, understand?"
Hongjoong nodded, and the two of you went up the stairs, knocking out two mages before ascending, finding yourself in a dark lobby, instinctively holding on to each other. You heard some movement at your back and lit a fire around the source, trapping the same woman that you'd met. She panicked for a second, and then the fire went out-
"It's still there, the fire," Hongjoong whispered, "she's just making it seem like it isn't."
"Well, well," the woman scoffed, "Didn't expect you two to be so... chummy."
"I need answers, or you burn to death," you left Hongjoong's hand to bring the fire closer to the woman, inch by inch, "Which one of you Illusioner bitches was on board on the ship that killed my parents?"
"You can't kill me- you won't. Just like you couldn't kill the Prince of Water. Just like you couldn't kill the people who imprisoned you. Because your heart is soft, Princess."
"Her heart may be soft," Hongjoong was seething, "But mine isn't."
Your circle of fire burned blue- the hottest of flames, and the woman let out a scream as the fire spread barely inches away from her, "Tell me, Illusioner. Who is responsible for her parent's death?"
"Would you let me go if I told you I was?"
You narrowed your eyes, "Is this your way of saving your friend- or whoever it is you're taking the blame for? Because I don't think you should be doing that when you could burn to death."
"It was me," she glared at you both, "It's true that it was a natural accident- there was only one water mage aboard and he minimized the damage, but some people were bound to die. I just made sure your parents were one of them- I wouldn't have noticed there were fire mages aboard if they hadn't used their magic to try and save people."
You expected your knees to go weak and fall, maybe cry, but you only nodded absently, Hongjoong putting a hand on your shoulder, whispering your name.
"Leave her here, like this," you said to Hongjoong.
"NO!" The woman screamed, putting her arms around herself, her forehead glistening from the sweat, but you smirked.
"You're an Illusioner huh? Maybe make yourself believe there's no fire surrounding you and try stepping through it?"
With that, you turned and grabbed Hongjoong's hand, going outside, noticing a circle of blue fire around every Illusioner and you gaped at Hongjoong. He grinned, "Didn't want anything interrupting you, Princess."
"I didn't even notice," you sighed, "Let's get the hell out of here."
------------------
"I win," Yunho announced, raising his arms in victory as he slumped back on his chair, making the three of you gape.
"Not fair!" Hongjoong looked at him in disbelief, and so did you.
"He's one lucky guy," you scoffed, sharing a laugh with Seonghwa.
"Play games with Yunho, 10 out of 10 times you lose," Seonghwa laughed, all of your attention drawing to the door when the bell sounded and customers entered. Seonghwa got up, gathering the dices and cleaning the table, Yunho going to the counter to take their order.
"Walk with me?" Hongjoong asked, and you smiled, telling Seonghwa you'd be back in a while.
"I could get used to this," Hongjoong smiled as you two walked the empty path to the river, no one out so early in the morning.
"This?" You raised your joined hands, wriggling your eyebrows.
"I was talking about us running your bookstore café and living such a mundane life, but-" Hongjoong brought you closer with a smirk, "I could also get used to this."
It had been a couple of weeks since the encounter with the Illusioners on Mist Island- the fire circles that had trapped the mages were actually hot enough to make them sweat but cool enough to not burn them, leaving them confused and panicked until one of them would take the risk and realize it was only a trick- an illusion. You had both left with a simple message- do not bother us. Don't try to interfere in our lives, and we won't interfere in yours. It was relatively peaceful now- the uprising had died down a little since the mages you'd encounter so far had all made it out alive, which sent a clear message- you meant no harm.
You'd gone back to Wonderland and Seonghwa had almost cried when he saw you unscratched, and Yunho had decided to join you after all- but he joined you a week later, after wrapping up everything back home. The bookstore café was your home now- you'd clear up the store room so the boys could have an extra room, but you guys tended to fall asleep wherever you liked- you loved that it was so comfortable.
It was also really, really comfortable with Hongjoong- ever since that day, you guys were back to your routine of teasing each other until one of you screamed in frustration, but then finding comfort in each other's arms too, sharing light kisses every once in a while as you tried to figure out the change in your relationship and what exactly it meant.
You shook your head at Hongjoong who was muttering sinful things in your ears- something to rile you up and make you blush furiously, but you knew he'd never even touch you without your permission.
"I really, really want to kiss you right now," Hongjoong whispered in your ear, "And cover you in frost."
"You could do that," you said, "And I could cover you in ashes. I'm sure the black soot would look great on you."
"So romantic," Hongjoong laughed, the two of you sitting down by the river, and you looked at Hongjoong- his skin looked warmer now that winter was gone, his white shirt making his hair shine even brighter. Hongjoong turned to look at you, "What are you looking at?"
"You," you bit your lip as your hands travelled to his neck, bringing him in for a kiss.
This time it wasn't the light kisses and pecks you'd been sharing for weeks now- you wanted to dive further. You did as you leaned into him, a groan of surprise leaving him as his hands snaked to your waist, shifting you on top of him so he could meet the fervour of your kiss better, smiling into it.
"You're burning hot right now, you know that?" Hongjoong laughed a bit, your pink cheeks looking lovely to him.
"Good thing I have you to cool me down, isn't it?" You almost whispered.
"Gosh, I think I love you, Princess," he smiled widely as he caressed your face.
"You think?" You laughed, pushing him back on the soft grass as you kissed him, "I think I can tolerate you now, Prince."
"See? This is why I like you," Hongjoong muttered, and you slapped his cheek lightly.
"Shut up and let me kiss you."
"Make me."
You did. And as you pinned his hands on the ground, frost in the shape of flames sketched itself on the grass, leaving a trace of all things good.
You were the Fire Princess, and he was the Ice Prince. And you couldn't have been more perfect for each other.
It’s been a while since I read this
TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN
♫ any time, all day, every week for ya.
୨୧ summary: even though you broke off your friends with benefits arrangement with chan, he’ll still be there whenever you need him. ୨୧ pairing: reformed fuckboy!bang chan x fem!reader ୨୧ genre: college au, angst, fluff ୨୧ word count: 3.8k ୨୧ warnings: 18+ (no smut but there’s explicit sexual language so MINORS DNI), toxic men & a shitty date (not chan!!), poor communication, jealousy, fwb -> lovers, small argument, confessions, pet names (baby, princess, pretty) ୨୧ author's note: working on a long fic that’s beating my ass icl so here’s something short in the meantime!! ♡
chan is always right. even when you want so desperately for him to be wrong.
he was right about being “the best fuck of your life”, he was right about you falling for him, and now, he was right about the classmate you agreed to go on a date with. you were hoping for a distraction and only ended up back where you started: in the arms of the man you fell for when you promised yourself you wouldn’t.
it seemed like an alright idea at the time. your classmate was sweet, always offered to send the notes, greeted you as you walked into the room, said all the right things that made you believe his intentions were pure and good. and since you had officially ended your arrangement with chan, you were free to pursue whoever you wanted.
so you did.
you decided on dinner, and he picked you up right on time with flowers, the false gentleman persona on full display. guilt was beginning to tug at you for entertaining him when you weren’t all that interested.
that guilt was misplaced and short-lived, though. once he had paid the bill and you both quietly accepted that the date was over, he asked if you wanted to go home with him. it sounded gentle, but your rejection shifted his tone into something spiteful quickly.
this was supposed to help you get over chan, and at first, you could’ve almost been convinced that it was working. you laughed heartily, smiled genuinely, flowed through conversation easily. but his question wiped all of that away instantly, a pit settling deep in your stomach. because the last person you slept with is chan — the only person you’ve slept with in almost a year.
and as his face unfurled into disgust, you realized chan was right all along. all the times you’d mention your classmate sending you the notes unprompted or asking if you were okay on days you were absent told him one thing: this guy expected something from you, and he was only doing what he needed to get it. call it cynicism, call it intuition, call it whatever you want; chan was firm in his opinion.
you had never listened, though, laughing at him for being silly and jealous, brushing it off like nothing would ever come of it.
if only you had listened.
maybe then you wouldn’t be sitting dejectedly at the table he left you at, hardly registering the past few minutes. your date — your ride — had just up and walked off like you were nothing. like the past months he’s spent being the nice guy were just a ploy. they were.
too much time passes with you stuck in your seat numbly. you’re not sure you can will any of your limbs to move. your waitress even comes over and asks if you’re okay, all pity and soft smiles. she promises you can stay for as long as you need, but you know that’s only a comforting lie.
on your way to the exit, you call the one person you know will always be there, no questions asked. no expectations. even after telling chan it’s over, he’ll come to your rescue whenever you need. because he’s nothing like him; he’s real in everything he portrays, and his kindness isn’t rooted in anything selfish or superficial.
before sex entered the equation (a mistake, perhaps), you were friends, so of course he still cares about you beyond it. but not in the way you care about him. not in the way that craves for more than just physicality, that refuses to be confined by rules and limitations.
just in the way that you know he’ll answer. he picks up on the second ring.
“y/n?” he greets, voice a little groggy, and it makes your heart drop stupidly. he almost always naps after sex; he’s probably still laid up in bed with someone else, and here you are calling him because your date left you stranded.
it’s still nice to hear his voice, though. that’s how badly you’ve fallen.
“hi,” you breathe out. “are you busy?”
there’s rustling on the other end and then his voice comes out clearer, more intentional. “no. no, not busy…just dozed off is all,” he assures.
right. dozed off. it’s not abnormal for a human being to nap, but your brain has already come to its own conclusions. you suddenly wish you had called one of your friends instead.
“oh.”
you don’t try to hide how deflated you sound, and he notices right away. he can read you like a book without even being in your presence.
“what’s up? are you okay?” he asks quickly. each word is laced with sincerity and it reminds you of why you fell for him to begin with. chan is caring, attentive, gentle (when he isn’t fucking you like he has something to prove).
that same sincerity, coupled with the night’s events, brings tears to your eyes. you squeeze them shut to stop them from falling. “i’m okay,” you lie, “i just need someone to pick me up…you were the first person i thought to call.”
too honest. he’s either going to wonder why you called him first, or, worse, feel way too smug that you did.
“where are you?”
or he’ll just ignore all of the obvious questions in favor of the only one that really matters to him. the semantics can come later. it’s clear you need him, and that means he has one single priority right now.
“at some restaurant. i don’t know, he picked it, and i—” you begin. in your distress, you can’t even remember the restaurant’s name. quite frankly, you never want to come here again, anyways.
he interrupts you swiftly, latching onto one specific word in your ramble. “‘he?’” he questions, and you can picture his face. eyebrows furrowed, mouth downturned, staring right through you.
“yeah,” you say quietly, trying to avoid the inevitable. might as well get the hard part over with now. “that guy from stats.” the one you warned me about. multiple times.
“y/n,” he sighs. he doesn’t even sound angry; he just sounds disappointed. which is ten times worse, because you can handle anger, but you don’t know how to navigate disappointment.
“i’m sorry,” you mumble.
it’s the only thing you can think to say. you aren’t even sure if he heard it over the boisterous laughs of patrons entering the restaurant and the whir of cars in the parking lot.
but he heard you clearly, and it broke his heart. “baby, don’t apologize right now. just send me your location and i’ll be there as soon as i can, alright?” he soothes, already shrugging on a hoodie and slipping on a pair of shoes.
the pet name rolls off his tongue so smoothly he doesn’t even realize he probably shouldn’t use it anymore. and he certainly doesn’t realize how it unravels you, your heart still fluttering like it did the first time he’d called you something affectionate.
“okay,” you pull your phone from your ear and oblige, “i sent it.”
he’s walking out his door and heading for his car shortly after, all of his movements on fast forward since you’re involved. you’re about a twenty minute drive from him and he curses internally, wishing there was a way for him to get to you faster.
“i’ll be there real soon. wait for me, okay, pretty?”
you nod like he can see you, and then the call ends, and you’re left with only the night air and the chatter of strangers.
it’s a colder night, the wind adding a harsh chill that nips at your face and bare legs. there’s the obvious option: go back inside until chan arrives so you aren’t suffering unnecessarily. but you dread even the thought of stepping foot in there again, no matter how warm it may be.
so you stand in place, arms enveloping yourself to contain some of your body heat, wishing you had never fucking smiled at stats guy that first day in class.
meanwhile, chan’s gripping the steering wheel so hard it almost hurts. he’s desperate to get to you, so he isn’t driving reckless, but he’s definitely taking the speed limit as a suggestion.
truthfully, his friends would probably judge him heavily right now. you’re the girl he’s head over heels for that ended things just last week. there’s no reason for him to still be so whipped for you, especially to the point of picking you up from a shitty date with another man. he’ll never feel bad for being someone you can count on, though. not even when you left him feeling this empty.
it’s partially his fault. he should have known he couldn’t do no commitment, no feelings sex with you. his friend — his beautiful, funny, stubborn friend. you’re different than the other girls he kept around for only days at a time.
a twenty minute drive becomes thirteen, seven minutes shaved off by his haste and the lack of traffic, thankfully. you recognize his car the moment it pulls into the parking lot from all your past experiences. all the times he picked you up in it and all the times he fucked you dumb in it.
“you look good, princess. shame it was for him of all people,” he says as you climb into his passenger seat.
you roll your eyes and settle into the warmth, pretending to not notice his eyes dragging over you. “thanks,” you force out, “for picking me up.”
not a thank you for the compliment, no need to let him know how much his words affect you.
“so talk to me. what did that asshole do?” he asks, jaw clenched. he’s tried to prepare himself for it, but he feels an entirely new wave of anger wash over him now that you’re right next to him. still an angel, the last person any guy should dream of mistreating.
“typical asshole shit,” you shrug, hoping you’d seem less bothered than you are, “just walked out when i wouldn’t go home with him.”
he’s quiet, fuming with anger but determined to not take it out on you. his suspicions were correct, and he hates that they were. hates that someone hurt you, hates that some idiot didn’t see how fucking lucky he was that you gave him a chance.
“i told you that guy was a fucking loser,” he finally growls. it’s far more filtered than what he’s truly thinking.
“yeah, i know. can we save the ‘i told you so’s for later, please?” you sigh.
the car comes to a red light and he looks over at you, face illuminated perfectly by the light shining through the windshield. you tear your eyes away because looking at him is a stark reminder. his hand comes to rest on your thigh as if he was silently telling you he’d always be there.
even if you look away, he’ll remain in the shadows of your mind ever-presently. you proved that by calling him today.
you both glance down at his hand, and when you make no attempt to move it, a sly smile spreads across his face. “i’m not gonna rub it in your face, baby. you know i’m not like that,” he promises.
something about hearing the word “baby” fall from his lips now — no longer over the phone but right beside you — unsettles something you tried to ignore. the ease and confidence with which he said it along with his satisfied smirk makes the question tumble out before you can bite it back.
“did you call her that, too?”
utter confusion. that’s the best way you could describe his expression right now. because he is confused, completely dumbfounded as the prospect of there being any “her” that isn’t you.
“who?” he asks, wondering where that notion even came from.
there’s been no one but you for a year. no girls coming in and out of his apartment, no drunken kisses at parties. his friends have tried to introduce him to other girls, hoping to revitalize the “fun” chan they once knew; he’s cut them off every time, throwing out quick greetings before taking off to find you.
you have a chance to turn back. to tell him you were joking and that you don’t care, anyway. for some reason, you dive forward into the conversation that’ll either break you or your secrets.
“the girl you were just with,” you answer matter-of-factly.
“what?” his body nearly jerks back in his seat at the absurdity, his hand yanking away from your thigh at once. “i wasn’t with anyone.”
it’d be difficult to fake a reaction like that, so you know you’re wrong. you feel stupid for letting your assumptions have so much life, but being in love with someone you weren’t supposed to be in love with would make anyone a little irrational.
“i just assumed…because i woke you up.” god, now you even sound stupid. add napping to the list of things that apparently have secondary implications.
chan pinches the bridge of his nose and exhales deeply. you really drive him crazy — in the best and worst ways. “jesus, y/n, just because i was taking a nap doesn’t mean i fucked someone,” he huffs.
“god forbid a girl notices a pattern,” you attempt to joke, but it comes out flat. he doesn’t even crack a smile.
“you just ended things last week,” he reminds, “do you think i’d move on that fast?”
are you supposed to answer that? because the answer would be yes, yes you do. you’ve seen it before, when you were just friends and he’d have a different girl on his arm every weekend. why would you be any different? just because you happened to be regularly fucking for a year — longer than chan’s kept anyone else around?
no. no way. chan doesn’t do relationships or commitment and he certainly doesn’t do love. that’s exactly why you were trying to bury yours so far back you could pretend it never existed.
“wouldn’t be the first time,” you scoff. “plus, it was just sex.”
the dagger that pierces both of you. ouch. you, because it’s such a horrible lie it barely can find a voice outside your chest. him, because he thinks it’s your truth, and that tears him apart.
he pokes his tongue in his cheek and shakes his head in disbelief. “okay,” he laughs dryly.
“what? am i wrong?” you shoot back. there’s a breaking point only each of you can bring the other to, and you’re both nearing it. usually it’s a game, but right now, it’s a warzone.
“yeah, you’re dead wrong,” he snaps. his intensity startles you, so much so that you can’t even register his words. “i ‘sleep’ after we have sex because it feels like the only way i can get you to stay,” he continues, softer now but still with a lingering edge.
you tilt your head and pout, fully committing to the battle. and you’re not even sure how you got here — things just seem to spiral with chan. that’s how you went from fucking to falling in love, and how so many nights you went from casual teasing to being driven into the mattress.
“aw, you want me to stay, chan?” you taunt. “wanna cuddle and hold hands after you cum so you can pretend you’re this lover boy that you’re not?”
“god, you’re so annoying,” he groans. you don’t even realize that the car’s stopped moving. the tension in the small space has completely clouded your brain.
“please, go on. really making my night so much better,” you retort.
now that he’s no longer driving, he doesn’t need to keep his glances quick and sharp. he can stare right at you as much as he wants, and he’s taking full advantage of that. because he’s all too aware of what just a stare can do to you. a man conscious of his own power is dangerous.
“you’re funny, y/n,” he chuckles, but there’s no humor. “you asked me about another girl. why is that? if it’s just sex, why do you care?”
fuck. him. seriously, fuck him for always being right and always seeing right through you and always knowing exactly how to leave you answerless.
“i was just curious.”
he laughs again, and this time it almost sounds genuine. sympathy laughter. “you’re a bad liar. and you drive me insane twenty-four fucking seven,” he huffs. “yeah, i want you to stay. at least i’m honest. you’re always trying to leave so quickly, and sometimes i’m not strong enough to watch you walk out the door.”
his voice shifts to something raw and unguarded, and you wonder if you’re misreading this. but if he wants honesty, fine, you’ll give him honesty and suffer with the consequences after.
“i leave so quickly because if i don’t, i’m scared you’ll see,” you whisper.
“scared i’ll see what? baby, i’ve seen every part of you. what are you trying to hide?” he questions, practically begging.
it’s almost comical how fast you two switch from sarcastic quips and meaningless insults to gentle vulnerability. this is the perfect glimpse into the past year — the desperation that often unfolded into something you couldn’t quite fathom.
all the times he’d bring you a towel to clean up with and then fall back into bed beside you, draping his arm across you and drifting to sleep with a quickness you envied. and you’d allow yourself the pleasure of staying a little longer while he slept, praying he wouldn’t wake up to notice you slowly cracking.
you wish you could hate him. there’s plenty of reasons for you to. like him being so certain that you’d catch feelings (and seemingly doing everything in his power to assure that you do), or pulling you out of deep study sessions because he “needs you.”
but he’s begging, and you can’t hate him when he begs.
“the part that’s so fucking desperate for more,” you choke out. his eyes go wide and you can’t tell with what — pure shock, horror, relief? it doesn’t matter; the truth is out, and you’re letting it all spill now. “that’s why i said we had to stop. because we promised no strings attached, but somehow you knew i’d fall for you and you were right.”
“y/n,” he says sharply.
you hear him, but you continue as if you didn’t. now that you’ve finally confessed what you’ve swallowed back for so long, your lips won’t stop moving. they’re greedy, taking every single word you’ve kept from them at the back of your throat.
“so i had to end things. i know we were just ‘friends with benefits’ or whatever and i’m an idiot for catching feelings, but—”
he interrupts you again, louder now. “y/n,” he repeats, dropping his hand on top of yours as it rests on the center console. hopefully his touch would be enough to pull you out of your rant. and it is. you fall silent abruptly, the weight of your confession sinking in. “i was wrong,” he corrects.
“huh?”
god, you’re cute. confusion written all over your perfect face, mouth slightly agape while you await an explanation. but now that he has your attention, he’s finding it rather difficult to find his voice.
you fell for him. just like he predicted. what he didn’t predict, however, was how fucking happy he’d be when you did.
because he fell for you too. against his rules, against his own will, he fell stupidly, madly, wholly in love with you. and now he can't hide it anymore. he doesn't need to hide it.
he takes one deep breath before beginning his own ramble — his final breath before everything changes. hopefully.
“i was wrong because i told myself you were just another girl,” he admits shakily, “and you’re not.” you interlock your fingers with his, and suddenly it’s all too easy to keep going. “you’re the girl i’ll always pick up for. the girl that doesn’t ever listen and yet i love her more for it. the girl i pretend to be asleep with just so she’ll stay a little longer.”
you blink at him slowly. “you were pretending?”
out of all the things he just said, that’s what you choose to focus on? his frequent scheme to get you to stay by playing pretend? if he didn’t just reveal that he loves you, he’d probably call you annoying again.
“not always!” he defends. “just…sometimes. did you really not notice all those times i was smiling like an idiot while i held you?”
“no…” you trail, and he can’t help but laugh. how oblivious you’ve both been.
“shit. i guess we’re just two clueless idiots.”
two clueless idiots who broke the rules and hopelessly fell for each other. and you realize that now.
“wait,” you begin again, “you love me? like, you’re in love with me?”
please say yes, you chant internally.
instead, his lips curl into a smug smile. “are you not in love with me?” he teases.
“don’t be a child.”
“say it.”
his hand is strong against yours, trying to squeeze the words out of you.
“fine,” you roll your eyes, “yes, i’m in love with you, stupid. and the sex. mostly the sex.”
definitely not mostly the sex. it was a plus — a huge one, sure. but it’s not what made you fall for him.
you fell for him during the nights when you’d stay and watch his chest rise and fall (which you now know may have been partially a lie). you fell for him when he’d answer every call and every text no matter how late or how trivial.
“trust me, you moan too loud for me to not know that,” he quips.
nevermind. you hate him.
“chan,” you deadpan, and he leans in closer.
dropping his voice to a whisper, he adds, “oh, yeah. i’m in love with you too,” like it’s an afterthought. messing with you is too fun, even as you’re spilling your hearts out to each other. he mostly just likes the trouble it gets him into later.
“fuck you,” you scowl, but your expression softens quickly. he’s so close now, and oh how you’ve missed his lips.
“promise?” he grins, breath hitting your face as he speaks.
when you kiss, it’s like everything you remember yet something entirely new. it’s a kiss that has something to prove, something to say.
i love you. i’m so in love with you.
and when you climb into his lap and it only plunges quickly from there, it’s clear it’s not just sex. was it ever, really?
for once, chan was wrong. he does do relationships, commitment, love, the whole damn thing. but only for you. only for you would he break every single rule he’s ever set.
lord knows he’s already broken most of them.
「𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝」
❝𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜?❞
➥ Bang Chan x Reader (f) — 3.5k (~15 min. read)
➥ Childhood Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Sentimental Sexy
➥ Written for A Very Merry KPOPmas❄️ ⁞ Unresolved Resolutions
⚠ — Heavy pining, angst frosting, smut with feelings.
➥ On December 31, 2024, you and Chris made New Year’s resolutions, and he’s been in hell ever since. Well, that’s actually a bald-faced lie.
He’s been in hell ever since the first time you watched the stars together.
Reblog and share your thoughts to watch stars with Chris then kiss him on New Year's.
*a/n: This, my children, is what happens when you mix this cursed footage with this banger a.k.a. the mentos and coke of feelings. Happy belated Christmas to everyone who celebrates it, and a Happy New Year to all in advance. May your sky be full of stars in 2026~
Do you sometimes miss seeing the stars? Because he does.
He can remember the very first time like it was yesterday. Clear as day. On the rooftop of your aunt’s house when the entire family was having a sleepover on a warm summer night. You were 15 when you told him it wasn’t a few stars in the vast sky but just a tiny island of sky among an ocean of stars. You were 18 when you made a wish upon a shooting star for the first time, holding his hand so tightly like you were terrified to fall.
To this day, he thinks of you every time a star falls. He thinks of you a lot.
He’s been thinking of you longer than he’s known himself.
He can’t stand people. Never has. Not even his own mother sometimes. It comes easy to him to curse a mouthful, slam doors, then walk out without a denouement, but he’s never managed to do it once to you. Not even when he was furious with you. Not even when he really really wanted to. Not even when you were in the arms of another man.
He knows you don’t love him like that.
That’s the sole reason he doesn’t believe in love. Never has. Because he knows it’s futile. He knows it’s in vain. It’s just an endless spring of suffering because there is no such thing as a happy ending. He’s so despicable that he knows no one will stand by his side. He’s so unlovable that he knows no one would attend his funeral if he died. He just can’t admit it out loud because he still has some pride.
But when you look at him like that…
In his wildest dreams, he imagines one day you might just love him like that.
You think he’s all intimidating because his voice is deeper now, don’t you? He might have a harder shell now, but how come you can’t see that deep inside he’s still the same boy you knew? The one you walked to school with hand in hand. The one you watched stars with on rooftops.
He needs a lifetime’s worth of courage just to stand next to you sometimes. How come you can’t see that?
He absolutely loathes dancing, but he still took you to your senior prom. He still took you to a club on your birthday when he would have preferred some calm. He still let you wrap your arms around him when it was raining hell outside because he will dance with you whenever you want. Even though he doesn’t know how to move much. He will do anything to feel your touch.
Anything.
You were a lot older when you were babbling to him about some guy. He had no idea what the hell you saw in this motherfucker so much. Someone that cold, that stoic, that indifferent didn’t fucking deserve to know what it was like to feel your touch. You told him you didn’t want to risk getting rejected because it would be awkward afterwards. He told you if worst came to worst, he would be there to hold your hands.
Because he always has.
He was bleeding through every orifice of his body on the day of your alleged confession, but he promised you he would wait for you at the park. He had resolved to be there for you whether you were beaming or completely in the dark. Hours passed, but you were a no-show. He thought he could survive it, but maybe he wasn’t ready for this blow after all. He was already halfway home when you called him to ask him if he was still there. He told you he was, booking it back but still clinging to a prayer. He wanted you to be happy, but not if you were going to slip through his hands.
He couldn’t have been any more relieved when you didn’t follow through with your plans.
He tried his utmost best to look like he was listening, but he wasn’t able to focus at all. Most of your words went in one ear and out the other. It was the hardest fucking thing not to look into your eyes with the stupidest, fondest smile, and he was the lightest breeze away from screaming his undying love for you at your face.
How come you couldn’t see that?
He told you his hopes. He told you his fears. There is only one thing he never told you, and he is going to take it to the grave. He just doesn’t want to risk getting rejected because it will be awkward afterwards. He hasn’t known a life without you, and he doesn’t want to find out if his hypotheses are true. He already knows it isn’t worth much.
Would it kill you to at least try to see him like that?
He knows you have him wrapped around your finger. He knows he can never escape it. If he moves ten thousand miles away from you, your ghost will come with him, too, he knows. But he doesn’t care because he needs you.
He needs you because you’re everything he’s not.
He needs you because you’re all that he’s got.
He has never once said he loves you because he always thought that you knew.
He has never said it once because that would be a lot more than he could chew.
He only finds the courage when he drinks, but time after time he has to strike that.
He just can’t tell you because you don’t seem to love him like that.
Not when you’re in love with another man.
A simple question you ask him. Out of everywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be?
He asks you where you are so he knows where to flee.
He loves it when you laugh. It always works like a charm. Even if he’s in the foulest mood, life suddenly becomes worth living again. The sun shines, the birds chirp, the colors become warmer, and he feels faint because of how overwhelmed he is with his undying love for you.
Do you sometimes miss seeing the stars? Because he does.
He yearns for the times he could have you all to himself sometimes, but he is aware neither of you is 18 anymore. You have a life of your own. A lot has happened since that night on the rooftop, and now you’re all grown. He will settle for being alone, but not without you etched somewhere in the fabric of his life.
He would much rather have you be his wife, but he knows you don’t love him like that.
Everything you want to do, he hopes that you do. Every dream you have, he hopes it comes true. He has indulged you when you wanted to make a New Year’s resolution, too. It was supposed to be a challenge where you stood by each other’s side to keep the other accountable. For one year. To do that one thing neither of you has ever managed to do. You begged him to tell you what his resolution was, but he just wouldn’t. Something about how the brain thinks the goal is achieved if you say it out loud. Whereas he just didn’t want to risk getting rejected because he knew what he wanted was not allowed.
Days have passed. Weeks. Months.
Before he knows it, it’s December again.
He will never forget how happy you are when you show him the four digits in your savings account. You are so so proud, talking about how you made the impossible possible, and now you are demanding proof of his promise from him. In all honesty, he is ashamed of his end result.
Because continuously failing for 365 days, 5 hours, and 59 seconds feels like a horrendous insult.
No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t stop loving you. No matter how much he resolves to.
He will die knowing you will never love him like that.
He’s been trying. God knows he’s been trying so damn hard to get over you, but he just can’t replace you with someone new. It will take a lot more years than just a few. As long as the sky you are both under is blue, he knows he’s never going to be able to.
When he tells you he couldn’t live up to his promise, he wishes you didn’t look at him like that.
He wants to curse a mouthful, slam doors, then walk out, but he’s never managed to do it once to you. Not even when he was furious with you. And he isn’t about to.
He loathes himself so much for disappointing you, but there is no way he can offer a believable excuse. He would much rather pretend to be obtuse because he told you all his hopes, all his fears, but there is no way he can let his biggest secret loose. He swore to take it to the grave.
For years, you watched him. You watched his insufferably obstinate ways. You watched him turn into the biggest recluse. You watched him make all the wrong moves, terrified he was slowly drifting away from you. You haven’t known a life without him, and you don’t want to find out if it would really be that grim. You already know it’s not worth much. How come he can’t see that?
How come he can’t see you love him like that?
You have been yearning to feel him on your skin longer than you’ve known yourself. You knew he absolutely loathed dancing, but you still asked him to take you to your senior prom. You still asked him to take you to a club on your birthday when you fucking knew he would have preferred some calm. You dragged him out into the pouring rain because you would do anything to feel his touch. But the more time passed by, the more your excuses didn’t amount to much.
You were wishing he could see through them so that he’d fucking realize you loved him like that.
You already failed to open your heart to him at the park, making up yet another story about some guy that didn’t even exist. Your latest and lamest excuse was making New Year’s resolutions together because you really believed one year was enough time to put these devastating feelings you’ve been carrying around for years into words. This time, you would do it. You just had to tell him the 143; there was nothing to it.
But you spectacularly blew it.
December 31. 23:41. His apartment. His living room. His couch. Too much wine as courage juice. When it’s time to show your work, you choke and watch yourself show him your bank account instead. You make up yet another story about making the impossible possible whereas you’ve already been saving that money for over two years on the off chance that he would say yes to going to Japan with you. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t stop loving him.
And it seems like nothing is going to happen unless you go out on a limb because he doesn’t seem to love you like that.
You wonder if he ever misses seeing the stars because at this point, they are nothing more than a reminder of your scars. All the sendoffs you could kiss him but didn’t. All the sleepovers you could love him but couldn’t. Something at the back of your head kept telling you you shouldn’t, but you are going to die the most torturous death if you can’t hold him in your arms, chest to chest, palm to palm, cry-whispering into his ear that you have always loved him like that. That ever since that one night on a rooftop somewhere, all your wishes on shooting stars have been a plea to kiss him just once.
In a momentary lapse of sanity, you renounce everything that’s not him and empty an entire clip on the unbearable agony of his absence.
He doesn’t know what to do with himself when you suddenly kiss him like that.
He is in disbelief that you are touching him like that. That you are loving him like that. He has dreamed of this for so long that if he dies right now, he will be the happiest man. He wouldn’t even care about the zero attendance at his funeral. He certainly doesn’t give a fuck about the wine glasses that crash on his hardwood floors, staining them in the exact shade of his soul-crushing longing for you.
It’s not as slow and romantic as he always pictured it to be—he is all but ripping your clothes off of you, his lips never leaving yours, your hands latched to his face, breathlessly devouring each other as if you would die otherwise, but he wouldn’t trade this moment for the world. How imperfect it is is perfection itself.
He forces himself to slow down. Really slow down and just take you in for a while. How you look at him with the biggest anticipation in your eyes. How your body is already covered in goosebumps. How he can physically see your pulse just from the vein on your neck, getting faster if he so much as leans in to kiss you.
He won’t survive the night, that much is true.
Your scent on his nose is narcotic. He feels high just from mere kisses down your chest, and he loves how it makes you flinch as he makes his way even lower. He has to pull through. He has to be strong enough not to pass out when he finally meets the subject of his wildest wet dreams in the flesh.
He groans like he is in pain when he witnesses the glory of your nakedness for the first time. He feels like he’s about to cry.
He has never seen anything as beautiful as your pussy.
Self-restraint is the worst form of torture, but he has to endure it. He has to take it slow. He has to savor you to avenge the years you spent away from each other, fully clothed, in different rooms, different apartments, even different cities at one point, but you’re just so beautiful, and he is one pathetic man. It’s just one taste of your slick, just one drag of his tongue on your clit…
…and he doesn’t know what takes over him.
He buries his head between your legs, licking you like you have the antidote to his years’ worth of self-deprecation there. If this is a dream, he doesn’t want to wake up. If he’s hallucinating, he never wants to return to the ugly reality of not knowing what your skin feels like. He licks, he licks, and he licks, melting into a puddle with each moan you let out, growing louder in his ears. He wants to hear it. He wants to hear you moan his name. He wants to hear you moan you love him, and promise to never let him go, and convince him that this is indeed real. He wants to make you happy. He wants to make you cum. He wants to build a life together with you even if it means he has to give up everything.
Fingertips sinking deeper into your thighs, head buried deeper into your cunt, he falls deeper in love with you when you fall apart on his tongue.
He will burn this world down for you if you ask him.
You don’t want to come down. You never want to come down when you’re with him. You don’t allow yourself a moment’s respite and pull him up, tasting yourself on his lips like you indulge in the most decadent delicacy. He trembles under your touch even though his fireplace provides more than enough warmth, even though your body is in flames, even though he has hell itself in his beautiful soft browns. You don’t peel your eyes off of them as you strip him bare, your heart breaking into a million pieces at how scared he looked. You want to embrace him. You want to shelter him. You want to shield him from everything ugly in this world so that he only knows happiness. So that he only knows love.
He has hated himself enough to last five nations for three lifetimes.
The firmness of his skin is such a delightful contrast to the softness of his gaze. The hardness of his cock is maddening on your soaked folds. You nod at him, encouraging him to let loose, set himself free, unleash his insanity on you so he can finally finally get a moment’s peace. You are more than willing to carry half his burden for him. All of it, if he ever lets you. You want to make him happy. You want to make him cum. You want to leave it all behind and run away with him even if it means you have to forsake everything you’ve ever known to be true.
You will move heaven and earth for him even if he doesn’t ask you.
He pants as he sinks into you, and you gently hold his face, gazing deep into his eyes. To ground him. To remind him that you’re here and always will be. To convince him that it’s just you two against the world now. You pull him closer and melt into his kiss, and that’s the moment he decides to let it…
…go.
His tensed body relaxes, and he starts to pave his way into you. Languid thrusts first. Very close to that ‘slow and romantic’ he always pictured it to be. But the deeper he sinks into you, the more your sounds of pleasure turn from bashful moans to deep growls, the more he loses it. He picks up his pace, caving to his pleasure with zero willpower at play, eventually turning erratic. How is he supposed to control himself when you look at him like that? How is he supposed to be all ‘slow and romantic’ when you’re scratching all over his shoulders like that, urging him to drill you into that couch with all kinds of obscenities spilling from your lips?
How is he supposed to love you when all you’re ordering him to do is to fuck you like his life depends on it? Don’t you know your wish is his fucking command?
He throws your legs over his shoulders and takes off, dying a little inside with every push. Oh, he can definitely get used to this. He can do this first thing in the morning and last thing at night, even if you ask for it or not, because he has a lifetime’s worth of cravings to satisfy, and it was a horrendous move on your part to repeatedly tell him to, quote, “have his way with you”.
Of course he will. He will fuck you like a whore, then love you like the goddess he will dedicate his entire life to. Every day.
You hold onto his shoulders for dear life, eyes so wide with how deep he reaches inside you, relishing each drop of sweat that drips on your chest. He pants quicker and quicker, bolting towards the finish line at full speed, and even then, all he thinks about is just how much you own his heart. He has never known love like this. He has never known pleasure like this, experiencing the highest of highs just by looking into the eyes of the woman he has spent his entire life loving. Then he hears it.
Oh, he hears it loud and clear.
He hears you moan his name, over and over and over again, eyes squeezed shut, hands groping him hard, legs locked around him just to make sure he doesn’t even attempt to pull out. On the ledge of his free fall, staring at the first day of the rest of his life, he moans the loudest 143 he has ever spoken, the very first one he ever truly means, and empties himself inside you, thoroughly, fully, until there isn’t a single drop left in him. Until he becomes one with you.
Just to make sure you don’t even attempt to be apart from him anymore.
“Chris, do you sometimes miss seeing the stars?”
You know what? He no longer does. Not when he can witness entire galaxies in your eyes.
Not when he knows that you love him like that.
✉ Enjoyed this? Your feedback & reblogs free my chapters from the draft prison.
「© 2025, cb97percent · No translations, rewrites, or reposts permitted」
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Scarlets writing always amazes me
Definitely a good read when I’m in Chan mood
Waaaa my child !!!!
hi everyone😭
as you might’ve noticed, i got hacked a few days ago~
i was a lil under the influence (not proud of that either) and i realized soon enough but they had gained access to them
i have full access to my accounts atm
sorry to anyone that received a message or talked to the scammer.
Hello everyone please do NOT respond to these blogs this is NOT @ deadpanjisung or @ passionfruitneedsabreak she reached out to me through Twitter telling me she’s been hacked and to not reply to the messages that this hacker has sent
She did email tumblr and in hopes to get her blogs back
