I’m on my way to go home after having a tiring day at school when I hear somebody calling my name.
“Y/N!”
I turn around to find the person in question and I spot Choi Yeonjun jogging in my direction. He makes a gesture for me to tell me to wait for him.
“Hey, do you need something?” I ask as he reaches me.
“Well it’s snowing outside and I was wondering if I could give you a ride home, so you won’t catch a cold.”
“It’s ok, I don’t want to bother you.” I say smiling with gratitude.
“Y/N, if it would’ve been a bother for me, I wouldn’t have suggested this in the first place... And there’s actually something I want to ask you when we’ll arrive at your house.” He says while giving me his cute pouting face that I can’t refuse.
“Okay then, and also thank you.”
“No problem.”
After we arrive at my place, he looks a little bit nervous. That would be a first for Yeonjun, because he’s always so confident, so I wait for him until he’s ready to talk.
“Y/N, will you make me the honour to go on a date with me?” He looks at me with his big eyes, and that makes me lose myself in them for a moment.
The Choi Yeonjun, the boy I first met one year ago during one of my dance classes, the one I started having a crush on 3 months ago, just asked me out.
“It would be my pleasure, Yeonjun.” I say giving him a big smile and I see his face changing from nervous into a big smile too, mirroring mine.
Yeonjun told me to wear warm clothes, because the date will be somewhere outside, but he didn’t exactly told me where.
So here I am, almost ready, but I’m not sure if I should wear a beanie or not. I decide against it, since I curled my hair and I don’t wanna ruin it.
I hear a notification for my phone, and when I check it I see a message from Yeonjun telling me he’s already outside my house, so I take my purse and go to greet him.
The drive to our destination was short. When we arrived I see that Yeonjun’s idea was to go skating on an ice rink in the park. I’m really excited, as I never tried this before, but then I realise that I will for sure make a fool out of myself in front of Yeonjun and the other people there, so my face fell at this thought.
“Do you like ice skating? Or should we go somewhere else?” Of course he saw my change in expression and know he probably thinks that I don’t like his idea, so I look at him with a small smile.
“I never skated before...” I say in a small voice and I hear him saying a small “Cute” as he puts his beanie on my head. I look up at him confused.
“I told you to dress warm but you’re not wearing any hat, so I will give you mine. As for the other thing, you don’t need to worry, I will teach you how to skate. I promise I won’t let you fall, so let’s get on the ice rink.” He says smiling at me and I nod my head to say “yes”.
He helps me with putting on my skates and then he puts his too. Yeonjun offers me his hand to hold and I gladly accept it, as I can’t take a step in those skates by myself. He leads us to the ice rink. I can feel my legs slipping, but I don’t fall, as Yeonjun is holding both my hands in his. He helps me to keep my balance and teaches me the basics, then leaves me go and try by myself.
I make a few steps and I turn to look at Yeonjun, only to see him giving me a proud expression and thumbs up, but I lose my balance as I was focused on him.
I’m prepared for the impact with the ice that’s next to come, but it doesn’t, as I’m catched by a pair of hands that hold onto my waist, pulling me up to a warm chest.
I look up and I meet Yeonjun’s concerned gaze on me.
“Are you alright, Y/N?” He asks looking at me up and down, then making eye contact.
“Y-yes, thank you for catching me.” I say blushing, since the space between our faces got the smallest it’s ever been.
“I said I won’t let you fall, cutie.” He takes my hand in his, intertwining our fingers and we start skating together.
After almost two hours on ice I feel pretty exhausted and kind of cold, so Yeonjun suggests to go and grab some hot chocolate to warm up.
We both got out drinks and started to discuss about some school stuff we have to do and about the next dance competition our school is going to have next month.
“So... Yeonjun, when did you start liking me?” I ask curiously.
“Well, about three months ago, when we were assigned as a pair for the dance project. I started to feel something that was more than just what a simple friend would feel for his other friend. How about you? When did you fall for my charms, Y/N?” He gives me his typical smirk and wink combo, and I chuckle at his cute attempt of winking that always fails.
“Around that time too. You surprised me with your born talent, you were the best partner I had. Not to mention your constant flirting that didn’t help with not falling for you.” I say smiling back at the memories we made together.
We continued to talk more about the moments we spent together while having a slice of cake.
Yeonjun asked me on another date for tomorrow, to which I agreed right away.
He drove me home and made sure to accompany me to my front door.
“I had a great time today, Yeonjun. Thanks for teaching me how to skate, I really had fun.”
“Don’t thank me. It was all thanks to your incredible speed at learning. I can’t wait for our next date, Y/N.” He then comes closer to my face and places a goodbye kiss my cheek then leaves.
I hurry inside and throw myself onto my bed and start giggling like a little kid. I can’t stop myself from smiling and thinking about him. I can’t wait for our date tomorrow either.
INCLUDING. fem!reader. stray kids hyunjin, seungmin, minho, chan, felix, changbin, han, and jeongin. ateez seonghwa, yeosang, and san. bts taehyung and jungkook. blackpink lisa. itzy yeji. twice nayeon and sana. somi.
GENRES. university!au, friends with benefits, best friends to lovers, fluff, angst, smut.
SUMMARY. What’s one to do when your boyfriend of four years suddenly ghosts you, and reappears dating another girl not even one week later? Your best friends, Lisa and Yeji, insist on helping you move on. But that proves hard to do when you see him all over campus, the new blonde right by his side. Not mention that your friends, were also his friends. With the aid of numerous frat parties, drunken mistakes, and even a couple new friends, can you make it through?
A/N. i’ve had this idea in my head for so long, but never… done anything about it? so here we are! this is basically my first my first attempt at fanfiction, but i hope you’ll like it anyways! i don’t have a set schedule, so chapters will be uploaded just whenever i finish them. i’m super excited to finally bring this idea to life, so here’s to All the Words Left Unspoken. ( credits to one of my beautiful best friends for helping me with the title! ) ❥︎
INCLUDING. fem!reader. stray kids hyunjin, seungmin, minho, chan, felix, changbin, han, and jeongin. ateez seonghwa, yeosang, and san. bts taehyung and jungkook. blackpink lisa. itzy yeji. twice nayeon and sana. somi.
GENRES. university!au, friends with benefits, best friends to lovers, fluff, angst, smut.
SUMMARY. What’s one to do when your boyfriend of four years suddenly ghosts you, and reappears dating another girl not even one week later? Your best friends, Lisa and Yeji, insist on helping you move on. But that proves hard to do when you see him all over campus, the new blonde right by his side. Not mention that your friends, were also his friends. With the aid of numerous frat parties, drunken mistakes, and even a couple new friends, can you make it through?
A/N. i’ve had this idea in my head for so long, but never… done anything about it? so here we are! this is basically my first my first attempt at fanfiction, but i hope you’ll like it anyways! i don’t have a set schedule, so chapters will be uploaded just whenever i finish them. i’m super excited to finally bring this idea to life, so here’s to All the Words Left Unspoken. ( credits to one of my beautiful best friends for helping me with the title! ) ❥︎
Genre: Roommates AU, Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Fuckboy AU
Word Count: 5.1k
Warnings: None
Previous Chapter
The sound of the screen door banging against the wooden frame of the cabin forces you to blearily come to. Blinking, you glance over at the clock on the table and squint your eyes to read the time. Just past 11 in the morning. You must've slept like the dead because the last thing you remember is falling asleep in Sunwoo's arms. Turning your head, you take in the empty pillow beside you. A small frown forms when you realize your morning is starting off differently than yesterday, but when you think about last night, the frown is instantly washed away.
You stretch your body in the warm sheets cocooned around you and smile. Your entire being is sore but in the absolute best way possible. Flashes of last night replay in your mind, and you're instantly giddy to see the man behind it all. That's the only thing that gets you up and moving out of this bed. This blissful, wonderful bed is where half of your dreams came true last night.
Once you have your pile of clothes in hand - and yes, you picked out a cute outfit that doesn't necessarily make sense for spending the day in the woods - you peek your head out of the bedroom. When you realize you're the only one in the cabin, you leave your room and head straight for the bathroom. The first thing you need to do is hop in the shower and wash last night’s activities off of your body.
Admittedly, you zoom through your shower and getting ready because you're too excited to see Sunwoo. Though you're sad he left the bed before you - especially after… last night - you're still anxious to see him. A part of you is nervous too because now what? Are the two of you going to have "the talk" and become a couple? Will the two of you continue to just hook up? While you'd like to think you're strong enough to not fall into that pattern with him, after last night… you're not entirely sure. What if Sunwoo gets nervous about being this close to someone again and screws it all up? So many thoughts whirl through your mind that you don't even notice someone has entered the cabin until Sophia is standing in the bathroom doorway.
"Well, good morning to you," she smiles with a knowing look in her eyes.
You groan. Great, you haven't even gotten to the part where you dread seeing the rest of the group yet. Of course, they'd know what happened. Half of them have big mouths, and you're sure this particular information spread like wildfire.
"Don't worry. I've already talked to Eric, so he shouldn't be too obnoxious," she tells you with a slightly less than confident tone. "The others, though… Well, stay strong."
Her words cause you to laugh, and you step out of the bathroom after one more finishing fluff of your hair. "Thank you for trying to control your annoying boyfriend."
She knows your words are a joke, and she flashes you a rueful smile. "There's still Hyunjae… and Haknyeon… Let's just say he's less than thrilled to be sharing this cabin."
You grimace as you wonder how much Haknyeon wants to strangle the two of you. With a sigh, you move toward the cabin door to face the music, but Sophia stops you.
"Um? Where do you think you're going?" She asks with a raised brow. "I need details! I want to know everything!" She pauses, and a grossed-out look crosses her face. "Nevermind, not everything. Just the good stuff! How was it? How was he? Did he -"
The sound of your stomach growling cuts her off, and you both look down at the offending noise. Sophia tries not to laugh as you wrap your arms around your stomach.
"I didn't eat dinner last night."
"Oh, I know," she replies. "We all know."
You roll your eyes and exit the cabin with Sophia hot on your trail. As you approach the spot you'd normally find everyone, it's like you can see the smirks on their faces where you stand, and you know you're in for it. What you don't see is Sunwoo…
"Ohhohoho, there she is!" Hyunjae shouts, forcing the attention onto you.
The entire group looks over at you, and you do your best to keep yourself composed. You will not let them get to you. Even though you can feel your skin heating up. As you glance around the group for Sunwoo, you notice Haknyeon stand up and walk away. When his eyes avoid your direction completely, you hear a couple of the boys snicker.
"You traumatized poor Haknyeon," Kevin says with a laugh.
Normally, you'd ask what it was that traumatized him, but you have a feeling you don't want to know how much they know. Instead, you silently drop down on a chair next to Jacob and do your best to ignore it.
"I have so much I want to say, but I've already been yelled at," Eric shoots a glare at Sophia. "So, I'll keep my mouth shut."
"Small blessings," you mutter, causing the group to laugh.
"Well, I haven't been yelled at, so I'll say it all," Hyunjae grins wickedly and leans forward in his seat. "So, you and Sunwoo finally did the devil's tango?"
You laugh despite yourself and shake your head. He's never going to stop unless you give him what he wants. "Yes. We had sex. There. Are you happy?"
"Extremely," he grins. "It must've been really good too because we heard you all the way out here."
Panic causes your heart to crawl into your throat, but before you can really freak out, the rest of the group denies it.
"We didn't hear anything."
"Shut up, Hyunjae."
"They didn't hear anything, but some of us -" Eric cuts off when Sophia whacks him in the chest. A frustrated look crosses his face as he turns to face her. "For the love of god, woman. Stop hitting me."
Hyunjae tries to return to teasing, but Sangyeon immediately puts an end to it with one look. When he turns to face you with an awkward expression, you brace yourself. You silently watch Sangyeon compose himself and put on his "adult" face.
"Do we have to…" he pauses and waves a hand between the two of you. "You both know to be… safe, right?"
The rest of the group either gasps in horror or groans in dread, and you want your seat to swallow you whole. No way. There's no way.
"Are you trying to give her a safe sex talk right now?" Kevin asks incredulously.
Before Sangyeon can say anything, Hyunjae gets out of his seat, announcing, "I'm removing myself from this situation."
Eric quickly gets up and follows, causing Sangyeon to yell, "Do you really want a bunch of little Sunwoo's running around?!"
"Oh my god," someone mutters while you disassociate from the situation. The two of you have had sex once. Once. Okay, twice, but you certainly didn't deserve this yet.
"Okay. Okay. I'll drop it," Sangyeon concedes. "Not like I wanted to talk about it anyway."
While the group turns to a more normal discussion - although the one prior is normal for them - you lean toward Jacob and lower your voice.
"Where is Sunwoo?"
"Oh, he had to go into town for something. He'll be back in a little while."
A bummed-out feeling enters your chest. What'd he have to go into town for, and how come he didn't leave you a note or something? Before you can let it take hold, you shove it aside. He'll be back later, and until then, you're starving.
An hour or so passes while you eat food and hang out with the group. Before you know it, Sunwoo is pulling down the drive, and a nervous excitement fills you. You stand up to greet him, but Chanhee intercepts you.
"Hey, can I get your help with something?"
Confusion runs through you as Chanhee pulls you to a secluded part of the beach. You look around curiously to see if you can figure out what he needs help with, but nothing catches your attention.
"What's up, Chanhee?"
He looks over your shoulder to see if anyone's around. "Well, Sangyeon's girlfriend's birthday is next week, but I figured since we're all together, we should celebrate it while we're here."
Your eyes light up. "We totally should! That'd be so nice."
"The thing is, I can't trust half of these idiots to stay quiet," he rolls his eyes. "Can I get you and Soph to come up with a plan while I distract the rest of them with something else?"
"Of course!" You immediately respond. Ideas of cakes and balloons are already dancing through your head.
Chanhee gives you a relieved smile before glancing over your shoulder again. "Thank you! You're the best."
You turn and watch as he walks away. When he makes a beeline straight for Sunwoo - who is watching the two of you - your heart jumps in your chest. Moving to go say hi to Sunwoo, your steps falter when he doesn't even glance back at you and instead walks away with Chanhee.
Okay. Weird, but maybe Chanhee recruited him too. He could've at least waved at you or something, though. Feeling a sour mood start to take over, you push it from your mind and focus on the task at hand. You need Sophia.
Spending the next five minutes searching for her, you finally find her in Sangyeon's cabin with the girl in question. You signal for her to follow you outside, and she quickly excuses herself. As you turn to leave their cabin, you spot Sunwoo and Sangyeon in Sangyeon's room. Before you can think anything else about it, the door is shut, closing you out. You stand there dumbfounded for a moment before following Sophia out of the cabin.
While you fill her in on the plan, your mind wanders back to Sangyeon's room. Maybe Chanhee was in there with them, and they were filling Sangyeon in on the plan. Of course, they'd shut the door if his girlfriend is right there.
Sophia is just as excited as you, and the two of you come up with ideas for presents and decorations for the next hour. Thoughts of Sunwoo disappear as you focus on coming up with something brilliant for the girl who's been nothing but welcoming to you.
When it's time for the two of you to go to the store and get some supplies, your first thought is Sunwoo and his car. You're going to need to borrow it if you're going to pull this off. Plus, it's past time to talk to him. You start looking for him at your cabin, and luck is on your side when you find him there.
"Sunwoo!" You happily shout as you come up behind him.
He jumps, startled, before looking back at you and composing himself. "Oh, hey… What's up?"
Some of your happiness slips away at his casual demeanor, but you ignore it. You just… surprised him. That's all.
Noticing your unease, he comes up to you and plants a soft kiss on your forehead. Your eyes fall shut at the sweet gesture, and you give yourself a moment to appreciate it. When he pulls away, he gives you a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry. What I should've said is, 'Hello, beautiful. How did you sleep?'"
A small part of you loosens as he rubs his hand up and down your arm. You smile at him. "Good. I was out like a light."
"I know," he laughs. "You didn't even move when I woke up. I tried to kiss your face like yesterday, but you didn't even twitch."
The rest of your unease melts away, and you relax. This is how it's supposed to be between you. This is the Sunwoo you've come to know.
You pout. "I was sad not waking up next to you. Especially after…"
"Last night," he raises his brows with a cocky grin on his face.
You give his smug look a blank stare before drily replying, "Nevermind."
He laughs when you turn away from him and wraps his arms around you, effectively trapping you against him. He playfully asks, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Oh! That actually reminds me that I came in here for something!" You turn in his arms and wrap yours around his waist in return. "Can Soph and I borrow your car?"
His hand comes up to brush some of your hair behind your ears. "Trying to run away already?"
"If I was running away, I wouldn't have used the term borrow," you tease. "We're just gonna run and get a cake and decorations for the party."
"Party?" He asks in confusion.
"For Sangyeon's girlfriend!"
When his face scrunches up, and he looks at you like he has no idea what you're talking about, you furrow your brows. "I thought Chanhee told you?"
The moment you mention Chanhee's name, Sunwoo's eyes light up. "Oh! The party! I forgot Chanhee mentioned that."
You eye him for a moment, suspicions rising. Is that not what he was talking to Chanhee and Sangyeon about?
His hand drops into his pocket and he pulls out the car keys. He hands them to you without another word before reaching into his pocket again and pulling out his wallet. "How much do you think you'll spend?"
"Oh, don't worry about it," you tell him as you drop your arms and step away. "I don't mind paying."
"Well, let me help pay for some," he insists, taking out a couple of bills and tucking them into your hand. He's leaving no room for arguing, so you shrug and accept the money.
"If you insist."
He tucks the wallet back into his pocket and steps toward you. When he places his fingers under your chin and tips your head up, you could melt. He lightly brushes his lips against yours before giving you a proper kiss. He whispers the words "hurry back" and you nod.
The moment you get into Sunwoo's car with Sophia, you explode.
"Somethings going on with Sunwoo."
She looks at you with wide eyes. Her body isn't even all the way in the vehicle yet. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know," you shove the keys into the ignition and start the car while she puts on her seatbelt. "He's acting weird. I'm getting weird vibes."
You glance over at her as you pull the car out of its parking spot and start to move down the drive. When she just quietly stares back at you, you elaborate. "Well, first. He left this morning without saying a word. Fine, whatever. I was sleeping. Then when he comes back, he doesn't even acknowledge my presence. He immediately goes to Chanhee to talk. I assumed they were talking about the party, but when I mentioned it to him, he had no clue what I was talking about."
"Take a breath," she gets in before you can start the next sentence.
You take a deep breath and try to collect your thoughts. "I thought after last night, we'd be closer, but I feel like he's more distant than ever? I don't know. Maybe it's just me…"
When you look back at Sophia, you see her face is carefully blank, and you become frustrated. "It is me, isn't it? I'm making something out of nothing."
"I wouldn't say that," she finally says.
"Then, what would you say?"
She bites her lip like she's searching for an answer. "Maybe he just doesn't know how to act? I mean, this is the first time he's slept with someone and kept them around in how long? He could be freaking out just as much as you are."
Her words don't sit well with you. Not because they hurt you, but because it just doesn't feel like the truth. Sure, there's truth behind them, but that just doesn't feel like what's happening.
"How about we focus on getting a yummy cake, and when we get back, you talk to him?" She suggests.
It leaves a hurt feeling in your heart because you expected more out of this conversation. Honestly, you kind of expected her to offer to beat him up or something. Instead, you just feel more confused.
When you eventually get back to the cabins, party supplies and cake in tow, Jacob and Kevin - who are apparently now aware of the party - come help you carry in the bags before Sangyeon's girlfriend can see them.
Apparently, Chanhee is right. None of them can keep a secret. Though, you don't know why that surprises you, considering how your morning went.
Speaking of Chanhee, you see him, Sangyeon, and Sunwoo off at the edge of the woods talking. Before you can go over there and figure out what is going on, Sophia drags you into a cabin to start setting things up.
You distract yourself by blowing up balloons and helping Sophia decorate Sangyeon's cabin. The rest of the group keeps his girlfriend busy while also running into the cabin and grabbing whatever she needs to keep her out. It's almost laughable how obvious it is. However, when Chanhee steps through the door, you quickly abandon your tasks and zero in on him.
"Is there something going on with Sunwoo?"
He stares at you for a long moment before letting out a "nope" and moving on. He looks over the decorations and the cake before saying, "This place looks great. Are we ready for her to come in?"
Sophia confirms that all we have to do is light the candles. You continue to stand in the same place, feeling like you've been dismissed. Letting out a frustrated sigh, you watch Chanhee leave to get everyone while Sophia lights the candles. When she glances over at you, you plaster a happy expression on your face that doesn't feel real even to you.
Sophia gives you a gentle smile and quietly says, "It'll all make sense soon."
Your eyes laser in on her and her confirmation that she basically knows what's happening. "What does that mean?"
"Shh! They're coming!"
"No, Soph. What are -"
The cabin door opens, revealing Sangyeon's girlfriend and the rest of the group behind her on the deck. You all shout "surprise" nearly startling the poor girl out of her skin. Her eyes trail over the balloons and streamers before landing on the cake, and a giant grin breaks out on her face.
"Is this all for me?"
"Happy early birthday, babe," Sangyeon wraps his arms around her and gives her a kiss on the cheek.
"Well, thank you…" she says happily, but confusion also rests on her face. "You know my birthday isn't for a few weeks, though?"
Your brows furrow. Didn't Chanhee say next week when you talked earlier?
"I know, but I figured we could celebrate it now while we're all together," Sangyeon tells her. The look he's giving her makes it seem like he's trying to will her to understand something. Like if he tries hard enough, they'll suddenly become telepathic and can communicate without words. The entire thing is odd to you, but then someone shouts the word "cake" and everyone is back to normal again.
You move back, so you don't get trampled when the boys stampede for the cake. Sophia immediately starts threatening people about what'll happen if they make her drop it, and that causes them to calm down. Somewhat.
A hand comes to rest on the small of your back and you glance over to find Sunwoo next to you. He looks at you, and you can see the nervousness in his eyes as he asks, "Can we go talk?"
Instantly, your stomach drops down to your butt, and your palms get sweaty, but you nod yes. You follow him out of the cabin, not noticing a few sets of eyes following you out. Once you step out into the fresh air, you take a deep breath and try to relax.
"Walk with me?" Sunwoo cocks his head away from the cabin, and you wordlessly follow.
Your mind is racing 100 miles a minute. This can't be good, can it? But why would it be bad? Does he regret last night? Has he realized that he's actually not ready for a relationship, and that's why he's been acting weird? You quickly stop yourself. Why are you instantly thinking the worst?
Deep down, you know it's because you're scared. You've fallen so hard for this man that it's taken you by surprise. You can't recall a time when you've felt this deeply about someone. Where you like them so much, you just enjoy watching them exist. You like seeing their eyes dart around a room as they take everything in or seeing the little moments where they're deep in thought and not paying attention to the world around them. That's how deep you are for Sunwoo, and his nervous silence has your heart crawling up your throat.
Once Sunwoo starts heading for a small path into the woods that you've never noticed, you begin to slow down. "You're taking me into the woods?"
He looks back and notices your hesitancy. "There's something I want to show you."
You thought he wanted to talk? Regardless, you slip your hand into his when he holds it out and let him pull you into the line of trees. His thumb traces a path back and forth across the back of your hand, and the light touch calms you.
"What do you want to show me?"
He squeezes your hand. "It's a surprise."
The two of you walk for a couple of minutes through the dense trees. You wonder how and when Sunwoo had the opportunity to explore the woods. Maybe one of the others found whatever it is and just showed it to him while you were setting up for the party. You did see him, Chanhee, and Sangyeon near the path entrance earlier.
Up ahead, lights catch your attention, and you move your head to try and get a better view. When you see a break through the trees, you notice there's a small clearing up ahead. As you approach, the sight before you becomes clear and your heart starts to hammer in your chest.
Fairy lights twinkle, wrapping around wooden poles stuck in the ground and crisscrossing overhead of a small sitting area. Blankets are draped underneath with big, fluffy throw pillows sprinkled around. A wicker picnic basket rests off to the side of the blankets, along with a bucket and a bottle of champagne that's being chilled. Your steps falter as you take in the magical sight in front of you.
When you finally look up at Sunwoo in shock, you notice him watching you. He nibbles on his lower lip nervously as he lets you take it all in. Finally, when his voice reaches your ears, you can hear the hope within it.
"Do you like it?"
Your mouth opens and closes a few times as your eyes flash between the scene ahead of you and him. "I- You did this for me?"
He nods and searches your face. "I've been working on it for most of the day."
So, that's why he's been so weird today! He'd been coming up with and preparing all of this for you… Your throat gets thick with emotion. Nobody has ever done anything like this for you… This moment is going to stick with you for the rest of your life.
"Sunwoo… I love it," you meet his gaze, feeling a burning start behind your eyes. "This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me."
A brilliant smile lights up his face, and he slowly pulls you with him as he walks over to the blankets. You're too stunned to do much besides stare at all of his hard work. This man… This amazing, wonderful, beautiful man has officially stolen your heart. He held it before, but now you realize that you're never getting it back. It's his.
He stops you at the edge of the blankets and reaches down behind the basket. When he stands up, he offers you a bouquet of colorful flowers. Gingerly, you take them, and as you admire them, you realize they're the same flowers dotted throughout the clearing.
Sunwoo handpicked you flowers.
Your eyes flash up to his, and you convey as many emotions as you can in them. You're not entirely sure you can talk with the way your throat is completely closed. If you open your mouth, you might burst into tears.
Sunwoo looks more nervous than you've ever seen him, but you know he's understanding everything you can't find the words to say. He's always been able to read you like a book.
When Sunwoo kicks off his shoes and steps on the blanket, you follow suit. The two of you sit down next to each other while you attempt to find the right words to say.
"Thank you," your voice comes out hoarse, and you clear it. "I don't even know how to describe the way I'm feeling right now."
He offers you a small smile. "It's okay. I can see it."
"I had no idea you were planning any of this…"
He shrugs. "I had some help."
Everything falls into place for you. Him avoiding you and being gone when you woke up, Chanhee being there nearly every time you turned around…
"Chanhee?"
"Chanhee, Sophia, Sangyeon…" he nods before a curious expression takes over his face. "Though, I'm still not entirely sure how it turned into a birthday party for his girlfriend."
You laugh, knowing how you dove head first into that without question. Reaching for his hand, you look down and play with his fingers while you get your thoughts in order.
"Nobody has ever done anything like this for me… I've always seen it in movies and wondered what it would be like, but I don't think anything could ever compare to this moment."
He squeezes your hand, causing you to look up at him. "Well, I'm glad it's me that's giving it to you."
He sits up straight and turns until he's facing you, but he never lets go of your hands. Instead, he brings his other one up and holds both of yours with his. "I like you. Any fool with eyes can see how completely head over heels I am for you… From the moment I met you, I knew you were gonna be someone important to me, and the more time we spent together, the more I could see myself giving you my entire heart."
When your chest squeezes painfully, you realize you're not even breathing anymore. You take a shaky breath but stay quiet because you know Sunwoo isn't done yet.
"You've helped me realize that I can have something beautiful again. That I can give my all to someone, and they'll give me theirs in return. You make me feel like I can take on the world and that you'll be there whether I fail or succeed. You just make me… feel, and I want to do the same for you. I want to make you feel valid and important, and safe. I want to cheer you on and explore a new hobby with you every day, even if I think it's stupid." He cracks a smile, and you laugh even though tears are filling your eyes. You remember saying those words to him that first night at the bonfire, and you swear you can feel your insides melting.
"I want to cherish you and root for you in every single thing you do because… I love you. I love everything about you, and I want to be with you more than anything in this world."
A tear spills down your cheek, and you do that weird laugh-cry thing. Sunwoo fights back a smile and lets go of one of your hands. He lightly brushes the tears from your face and leans in to kiss you on the forehead, breathing the words "I love you" onto your skin.
"I love you too, Sunwoo," you finally force the words out. Sunwoo pulls back to look at your face, his own eyes shining. "I love everything about you, and I've never felt so understood and cared about before. It's unfair because I think you stole all the good ways to say it, but I want all of those things too. I want to be with you, and I want to give you my everything, even though you already have it. You already have my mind, body, and soul, Sunwoo, and there's no one else I'd rather give it to."
Sunwoo smiles before leaning in to kiss you. When his hand comes up to caress your jawline, you swear this moment couldn't get any more perfect. This is all you want, and you're finally ready to have it.
Suddenly, a couple of cheers sound out from the woods, and you and Sunwoo are startled apart. You blink at each other in disbelief as it dawns on you that your stupid friends are watching from the woods. When you look over at the sound, you see a few of their faces poking out from the foliage.
"Are you guys together now?" Eric yells.
"Did he propose?" You hear Hyunjae ask someone, only to gasp in pain when that person hits him in response.
A laugh is ripped out of you, even though a part of you is annoyed. However, why would you expect anything else? They've been like this from day one, and now this chaotic group of people is forever entwined in your life.
Sunwoo takes a deep breath before yelling, "If all of you aren't gone in the next 30 seconds, I'm going to stick hair removal cream in your shampoo!"
The woods suddenly get really quiet, and you lose it when you hear the group start to sneak away. A few seconds later, Sunwoo joins in.
"I hope you realize what you've gotten yourself into," he smirks.
You do, and you feel yourself glowing as you reply, "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Summary: Interacting with others has never been easy for you, whether it is talking to them or, worse, flirting with them. As a result, relationships, but also any form of sexual interactions have always eluded you. You had no reason to think that was going to change anytime soon.
And then your hot neighbor’s cat shows up in your apartment, and you think that things just might change. Even if it’s only on one front.
Word count: 13.3k
Genre: Neighbors AU, slice of life, smut, fluff & angst
Warnings & Tags: mention of a dead grandparent, social anxiety, insecurities, loss of virginity, reader doesn’t tell minho that she’s a virgin, smut (vaginal sex, oral sex [female receiving], fingering, very soft sex), unreliable narrator, unresolved romantic tension.
A/N: Hi everyone! After going through a rough past couple of… six months, hence the disappearance, and pretty much not writing/not finishing anything for all of that, I just really wanted to try writing something again. This was long — it basically took me the whole summer to write this piece — but I’m happy that I’ve managed to create something again :) Thank you to all of the people who sent kind messages during that time, I saw them and truly appreciated them. I hope you enjoy this, and I would really appreciate it if you could let me know your thoughts, especially if you like it!
“It sounds like you really needs to get laid,” Nari comments, and the table laughs heartily while you smile. You make the conscious effort of creasing your eyes, so it looks genuine, but hopefully no one can tell. She reaches over to grab your hand, an amused grin on her face, and squeezes it. “We’ll get on that soon, I promise, but in the meantime, being here is the next best thing.”
You smile and nod, but you also shift slightly in your chair.
‘Here’ is the District 9, and it’s, for all intents and purposes, a strip club. There’s no actual stripping happening, but there are scantily-clad men dancing on stage, and rumors flying around about ‘private sessions’ that can happen in one of the backrooms, if you’re willing to pay. You and your friends — coworkers — are here for the men. But, as the lights dim and your friends start clapping, instead of focusing on the stage, you cast a look over your shoulder.
*This can be read as a standalone fic as there is about 5% plot in this part. So, if you're looking for some Sunwoo smut, here you go. For my normal readers, you can absolutely skip this part if you're uncomfortable!! You won't miss anything.*
Pairing: Kim Sunwoo x Female Reader
Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Roommates AU, Fuckboy AU
Word Count: 4k
Warnings: vaginal sex, fingering, oral sex (both rec.), slightly dominant Sunwoo, language, feels, KIM MF SUNWOO
Previous Chapter
The hot stare Sunwoo gives you overwhelms your senses. The lust is so clear in his dark eyes that it steals the breath from your body. Your nerves tingle and light with fire in anticipation, and you bite down on your lip to ground yourself. You feel like a live wire, and only Sunwoo knows what to do to help.
Sunwoo suddenly closes the distance between you and crashes his lips into yours. You breathe him in, letting him dominate you with his tongue much like you hope he does with his body. It's only a moment before his teeth bite lightly on your bottom lip, and he pulls away.
He stops a couple of inches from your face. His gaze admires your lips before looking up into your eyes. His hand - which you have zero idea where it previously was - comes up to lightly caress that same lip he nipped you on, and you swallow.
"Only I can bite your lips," he tells you in a husky voice that makes your knees weak.
A feverish urge has you knocking his hand away, and your arms wrap around his neck while your lips find their way back to his. Your frenzied state sets off Sunwoo, and he crushes you back against the counter, pushing his body so tightly into yours that you're almost positive the two of you are going to fuse together.
His lips are soft and hungry, and you lose yourself in him. Your entire world could implode, and you'd have no idea. The only thought and care you have is to be so wrapped up in Sunwoo that nobody would be able to tell where one of you begins and the other ends.
When Sunwoo pulls you to him and begins to steer your body, you give him full control. The cabin isn't that big, and you have faith that Sunwoo isn't going to mess this moment up by ramming you into anything that'd hurt you. So, while he pushes you backward through the cabin, you focus on making his eyes roll to the back of his head with your tongue.
The two of you fumble your way into the bedroom, and Sunwoo backs you up until you feel the bed hit the back of your legs. You're forced to fall back until you're semi-sprawled on the bed. Sunwoo crawls over top of you. He gives you a very languid kiss while his hands grip your waist and slide under your shirt. When your hands dig into his soft hair, he decides to bring his focus to your neck.
"You have no idea how badly I want you," he murmurs against your skin.
Breathlessly, you respond, "Then, why don't you show me?"
A puff of air from an amused laugh hits your neck, and he starts to nibble on your earlobe. "Oh, I'll show you alright. I've already told you I want to hear all the pretty sounds you make."
You hum as his hands work their way up your stomach. He pushes your shirt with them, exposing your skin, and moves back so he can pull you up and tug it off your body. Just before your shirt goes over your head, you hear him say, "At least, I'd like to hear them in person this time."
As the fabric slides over your head, you pause in confusion. This time? What on earth did that mean? Once your shirt is gone, Sunwoo takes in your baffled face and smirks. Instead of responding to your obvious bewilderment, he bites his lips and brings his hand up to play with your bra strap. His fingers slide under it, and he slowly pulls it down your skin.
"What do you mean this time?" You have to ask.
His eyes flash up to yours, and the heat in them causes you to swallow. "We were roommates, love. No matter how quiet you were trying to be, I still heard you moaning my name while touching yourself."
You stay still for so long that you have to remind yourself to breathe once you feel pain in your chest. He heard you? Masturbating?! He heard you saying his name?
Sunwoo takes advantage of your frozen state, leaning in to kiss your naked shoulder. When his nose trails its way up your neck, and he starts sucking on your skin, you begin to thaw and bring yourself back into the moment.
"You sounded so sexy saying my name like that," he murmurs. "I've always wondered what you did to make those sounds come out. Wondered how they'd sound with you underneath me… Wondered if I could make you cry out even louder."
You whimper in response to his words and feel heat pooling in your core. There's no chance for you to be embarrassed because you're so absurdly turned on. The racing of your heart is almost all you can hear until you feel the snap of your bra strap coming loose. You watch Sunwoo as he pulls off your bra and exposes you to him. For some reason, seeing him close his eyes and take a deep breath gives you satisfaction.
When he opens them again, he pushes you to lay flat on the bed. One of his hands comes up, ghosting around the edge of your breast. He teases you in a circular pattern, getting close to your nipple, but never touching it. When he finally does swipe his thumb over the erect bud, you gasp with a jolt.
While his fingers tweak and rub one nipple, he lowers his head and attaches his mouth to the other one. You arch your back, shoving the mound against his mouth, and he lightly bites it in response before soothing the sting away with his tongue. Your hips lift on their own accord, searching for the pleasure they know is close by. You've waited for this for too long. Too much teasing is going to make you want to rip the skin from your body. Sunwoo must be able to tell when his name comes out of your mouth like a plea.
His hand abandons your breast and slices down your stomach to the waistline of your shorts. You've never been so grateful in your life that you're wearing something with an elastic waistband. Sunwoo easily slides his hand into your underwear, bypassing your shorts entirely. His hand lightly cups you before his fingers spread your folds apart. You both whimper as his fingers put pressure against your nub and slide down to your entrance, gathering wetness to spread around.
Sunwoo pulls away from your breast and watches your reaction as he slides a finger and then another into you. "You're so fucking wet."
His words have your body shaking, and you bring your hips up to meet his hand. He curls his fingers, and you throw your head back against the pillow and bite your lip. When you're able to look back at Sunwoo, you see him staring at you in absolute awe. He looks like he's trying to commit every single one of your expressions to memory.
It turns you on so much that your hand snakes down in between your bodies and finds the hem of his basketball shorts. You see his body tense up as your fingers slide against his skin, and once you wrap your hand around Sunwoo's length, he lets out a groan. His fingers push into you faster, and your hand matches his pace. The two of you stare at each other until you both become overwhelmed, and Sunwoo leans down to give you a crushing kiss.
It only lasts for a moment before he pulls away, taking his delicious fingers with him. You let out a needy whine in response, but once you see Sunwoo scrambling to take his clothes off, you quickly join him.
As you yank down your shorts and underwear, thoughts of Sunwoo kissing you through the fabric or slowly pulling them down your body vanish. You can save those for another time because you need him to fuck you right now. You feel like you'll literally explode if he doesn't fill you up immediately.
Sunwoo echoes your thoughts as he crawls in between your legs. His naked body is a sight to behold. "I need to be inside of you right now. I don't think I can wait any longer."
In the second you agree, Sunwoo lines himself up with your entrance. You feel the tip of his cock brushing against your folds in a teasing way, but you can see the strain on Sunwoo's face. Hell, you can feel it throughout your whole body.
"Just fuck me, Sunwoo. Please," you whine.
In response, he pushes his cock inside of you, inch by glorious inch. You gasp as he slides in and spread your legs open wide. Once he's fully sheathed, he tries to wait for you to adjust, but you're beyond that. You move your hips, and Sunwoo instantly begins thrusting into you.
His elbows cage your body between his arms. He leans down and kisses you, pushing his tongue into your mouth and timing it perfectly with his thrusts. You bring your legs up to wrap them around his waist and pull him closer. The friction this causes against your clit has you moaning into his mouth.
Your hands slide up the sides of his body, and you can feel his muscles responding. Digging your fingers into his skin, you love the way his body feels as he pumps into you. Sunwoo's hands find their way into your hair, and he grabs onto it with a tight grip. You feel so thoroughly trapped underneath him, and you'd have it no other way. You want to do nothing but worship him like a God.
The feeling of him sliding in and out of you is the best thing you've ever experienced. It's like the two of you were made for each other. You feel him everywhere, and your body sucks him in with zero intention of ever letting go.
Sunwoo's hands loosen in your hair, and he sits up, adjusting his position so he can watch himself slide into you. His hands grip your waist, pulling you against him as he fucks your body. Leaning onto your elbows, you breathlessly watch his cock disappear inside of you. You swear you bite your lip so hard; that you can taste blood.
"You like watching me fuck you?" Sunwoo asks, noticing your stare. "Like seeing how well you take my cock?"
You whine out a "yeah" because you're pretty sure that's the only word you know right now. You moan with every thrust of his hips, and this new angle has him hitting that beautiful, sweet spot inside of you. Your body falls back down to the bed as you let out some variations of "fuck, Sunwoo" until your brain can comprehend a sentence.
"God, you feel so fucking good," you breathlessly tell him, feeling a coil tightening inside of you.
"Yeah? You like how good I'm fucking you, baby?" His body is covered in a sheen of sweat as he focuses on making you cum. "Does my cock feel good filling you up?"
While Sunwoo brings his thumb to your clit, you choke out a “yes”. He puts the perfect amount of pressure on the nub as he rolls his hips into your body. He circles his thumb frantically, and your body arches off the bed as you feel your climax approaching.
"I'm so close, so close," you whisper out, barely able to warn him of your swiftly approaching orgasm.
"Cum for me," he groans out, and that's all it takes.
You gasp loudly as your orgasm hits you. It's like an explosion inside of you, sweeping over your body in waves. You moan as Sunwoo continues to fuck you, determined to ride out your high for as long as he can. Your body clenches his member, squeezing him tightly, and you feel him twitch. His moves become sloppy, and soon, he's cumming inside of you with a loud, sexy groan.
He collapses on top of you to catch his breath. When you bring your hands up to his back and rub his muscles, breathing hard yourself, he lets out a labored laugh. Once he gets enough air, he gets up on his elbows and looks down at you. Your breath catches in your throat when you see the happiness radiating off of him.
"Well, that was fun," he smirks, causing you to laugh and drop your arms.
He leans down and gives you a soft kiss. When he slowly pulls out of you, you lightly gasp at the sensation and clench around the emptiness. He rolls over to the side of you and plops down on the mattress before gathering you in his arms and pulling you to him.
You lay your head on his chest and listen to his heart steady. Closing your eyes, you feel a rush of emotions flying through your head. Sunwoo quietly caresses your arm while you both just take everything in. There's so much that you want to say, but it doesn't seem like the right time to say anything. Until a thought hits you.
Turning your head, you look Sunwoo dead in the eyes and ask, "You heard me masturbating?"
Sunwoo's startled by the question before a cheeky grin grows on his face. "A couple of times."
You immediately whack his stomach, causing him to make an "oomph" sound. He playfully glares down at you. "What was that for?"
"For being a perv!"
"You're the one that was moaning my name over and over again."
You whack him on the stomach a second time. Sunwoo grabs your arms, and using his legs, flips you over onto your back. You look up at him, only too happy to be pinned underneath him again. He leans down and kisses you. His tongue moving in a tantalizing pattern that has you rolling your eyes into the back of your head.
He moves back enough to see your eyes but stays close within the region of your lips. "You know… now that I think about it, I don't think I made you moan loud enough that last time."
"No?" You breathe as he lightly bumps his nose against yours.
"Mm-mm," he hums with a shake of his head.
"I guess you have to do better this time then."
He raises his brow and pulls back to fully see your face before he laughs. "Well, lucky for you, I can't seem to get enough of you."
Now, it's your turn to hum. "Lucky for you, the feeling is mutual."
He lowers himself onto his elbows. Kissing your collarbone when it's within reach and then spending time licking and nibbling each breast until he's satisfied enough. He lowers himself down, kissing and biting a path across your stomach. Your heart crawls into your throat in anticipation, and you can only watch Sunwoo while being completely under his spell.
"This time," he says as he approaches your hip. "I'm gonna take my time with you. I'm going to learn every inch of your body until I know it better than my own."
You swallow. Your body is electrified. Your nerves feel like they're vibrating under your skin as you watch Sunwoo lower himself until he's face-to-face with your sweetest spot. He nestles himself in between your legs.
When he grabs your thighs and hooks your legs over his shoulders, your mouth parts with an anticipatory gasp. He takes it a step further, using his thumbs to spread apart your folds and admire them. You nearly choke on your tongue when he licks his lips, and his eyes find yours. You see the burning desire you feel reflected there.
"You're so fucking beautiful," he whispers before his eyes return to your core.
Somehow, amid its racing, your heart flutters. However, your mind quickly forgets it since your core is throbbing almost painfully now. His head is right there, just tempting you evilly. When he lowers his head, you finally think he's going to taste you, but he just hovers and breathes. His warm breath messes with you in unbearable ways.
Finally, his tongue darts out. He flicks the tip of it in a light kitten lick against your small bud, and you nearly come out of your shell. He continues the torture for a moment before laying his tongue flat against you and slowly lapping at your folds.
Your breath quickly becomes ragged as he licks and sucks. Your hips match his pace, lifting to press harder against his tongue. His arms slide down your thighs to your hips, and he pins you down so he can control your pleasure. You whine in his tight grip, but soon the moans take over, being ripped from your body.
"Oh my god, Sunwoo," you cry out as he wraps his lips around your pleasure point, teasing you with his tongue and driving you nearly mad.
When he growls against you, adding vibrations to the mix, your body nearly comes off the bed. He holds you tightly, torturing you some more. He eventually pulls his tongue away and takes a deep steadying breath. He kisses the side of your thigh, mumbling words that you have to concentrate on.
"You taste so good, baby girl."
You whine, wanting him to shut up, and he thankfully gets the message. He dives back into your folds with even more vigor than before. One of his hands leaves your hips and quickly finds your entrance. He inserts two fingers, pumping and curling them in a delicious pattern that matches his tongue.
All the muscles in your stomach begin to tighten until you feel the tether inside of you snap. Your mind leaves your body, flinging itself out of the earthly realm, while your mouth cries out Sunwoo's name like it's a praise. Sunwoo skillfully continues to work you through your high and slowly lets you come down when it's over.
You try to take deep calming breaths once the ride is over, but Sunwoo’s silence has you unnerved. Peeling your eyes open, you see Sunwoo bring his fingers to his mouth and suck your wetness off of them. Your eyes roll back at the sight, and you mumble out a curse that has Sunwoo laughing.
"I could watch you fall apart a hundred times over," his voice approaches you as he makes his way up your body.
"You can do that any time you want," you breathlessly reply.
You quickly shut up when Sunwoo leans down and thrusts his tongue into your mouth. You taste yourself on him, and you groan. Bringing your legs up to wrap around him, you feel his hardened member hit your thigh, and you pull away.
Looking down, you see his hard length glaring at you. It looks like it needs a lot of love, and you're only too happy to please it. You push Sunwoo's chest, and he lets you roll him over onto his back. His cock springs up, and your mouth instantly waters.
"I think it's time I return the favor," you suggest, glancing at Sunwoo to see him nodding eagerly.
Getting onto your knees and positioned in front of his cock takes a matter of seconds. The tip is an angry red, already leaking precum that has your tongue darting out to catch it. Sunwoo takes a loud breath as your tongue glides along the head. You give him cute little kitten licks like he gave you and are instantly satisfied when his hips lift, trying to get more of his member inside of you.
Obliging, you take the tip of him in. Swirling your tongue around the top for a moment, you take it out and lick down his length. You spread the spit with one of your hands, twisting lightly until he's wet enough that it won't hurt. Then, you take in his length until he hits the back of your throat.
Sunwoo lets out a loud groan as you hollow out your cheeks and suck on him like he's a piece of candy. His hands slide into your hair and grip it tightly, making sure to keep it out of your face so he can watch you choke on his dick.
You try to take him down your throat, ignoring the tears that prick at your eyes. When Sunwoo lets out the loudest moan you've ever heard from him, you feel nothing but pride. You suck and lick until Sunwoo suddenly pulls your mouth off him. Confused, you look up at him and see his eyes frantic and blazing with lust.
"I want to finish inside of you," he quickly says. "I need to feel you around me when I cum."
You nod, and almost instantly, Sunwoo is pushing you onto your back and climbing on top of you. His knee spreads your legs apart, and he lines up with your entrance, gliding in with ease. He buries himself to the base and shudders. You moan at the fullness and clench around him before he can even move, causing him to hiss and drop his forehead onto your shoulder.
"I really want to take my time with you," he groans, "but I just can't stop myself once I'm inside of you."
"I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to take your time later." You move your hips, and Sunwoo's hand moves to tightly grip your waist and stop you.
His head pops up, and a gleam sparkles in his eyes. "I'm holding you to that."
You nod, and he finally starts moving his hips. He pulls nearly all the way out of you before slowly sliding back in again. He does this a couple more times, and you whine his name to get him to stop. He doesn't. You claw at the sheets as he tortures you slowly. When Sunwoo feels like he's tormented you enough that way, he finally speeds up.
With each slam of his hips, your body scoots up the bed until he grips your hips tightly and pulls you back against him. You wrap your legs around his waist, holding him close, and the new position has him going deeper.
The pressure builds in your abdomen again, and you start clenching around his length in response. Sunwoo's thrusts become wild. He reaches down to your sensitive bundle of nerves and rubs his fingers against the nub, trying to pull you over the edge with him. You're gasping as he slams into you, and you can feel that coil within you snap. You climax so hard; you see stars exploding behind your eyes. You're vaguely aware that your orgasm sets off Sunwoo's, but you're too far gone to appreciate it.
Once your mind comes back to you and your breathing returns to normal. You focus on Sunwoo, who is just as gone as you are. His head rests on your chest, and his arms snake their way around your back. You lay there in complete and utter bliss.
Nearly five minutes pass by before Sunwoo's head slowly lifts, and he looks at you. He admires your face with a gentle smile. You can see he's holding himself back like there are words on the tip of his tongue, but he keeps them to himself.
"What're you thinking?" You finally ask, bringing your hand up to brush his messy hair back from his face.
He shakes his head with a knowing smile. "I'm just trying to figure out how I got so lucky."
"Me too," you joke, and he mocks you.
Consequently, he pulls out of you and rolls off to the side. You watch him with a pout, not wanting him to be so far away from you. Once he notices, he quickly gathers you into his arms and cuddles himself around you. He holds you tightly like he never wants to let go of you, which is completely okay because you never want him to.
As you fall asleep in his arms, your brain catches on to whispered words that you're not entirely sure you've imagined or not. You tell yourself you're dreaming as you hear Sunwoo's quiet "I love you" against the top of your head, and you fall into a deep sleep.
*This can be read as a standalone fic as there is about 5% plot in this part. So, if you're looking for some Sunwoo smut, here you go. For my normal readers, you can absolutely skip this part if you're uncomfortable!! You won't miss anything.*
Pairing: Kim Sunwoo x Female Reader
Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Roommates AU, Fuckboy AU
Word Count: 4k
Warnings: vaginal sex, fingering, oral sex (both rec.), slightly dominant Sunwoo, language, feels, KIM MF SUNWOO
Previous Chapter
The hot stare Sunwoo gives you overwhelms your senses. The lust is so clear in his dark eyes that it steals the breath from your body. Your nerves tingle and light with fire in anticipation, and you bite down on your lip to ground yourself. You feel like a live wire, and only Sunwoo knows what to do to help.
Sunwoo suddenly closes the distance between you and crashes his lips into yours. You breathe him in, letting him dominate you with his tongue much like you hope he does with his body. It's only a moment before his teeth bite lightly on your bottom lip, and he pulls away.
He stops a couple of inches from your face. His gaze admires your lips before looking up into your eyes. His hand - which you have zero idea where it previously was - comes up to lightly caress that same lip he nipped you on, and you swallow.
"Only I can bite your lips," he tells you in a husky voice that makes your knees weak.
A feverish urge has you knocking his hand away, and your arms wrap around his neck while your lips find their way back to his. Your frenzied state sets off Sunwoo, and he crushes you back against the counter, pushing his body so tightly into yours that you're almost positive the two of you are going to fuse together.
His lips are soft and hungry, and you lose yourself in him. Your entire world could implode, and you'd have no idea. The only thought and care you have is to be so wrapped up in Sunwoo that nobody would be able to tell where one of you begins and the other ends.
When Sunwoo pulls you to him and begins to steer your body, you give him full control. The cabin isn't that big, and you have faith that Sunwoo isn't going to mess this moment up by ramming you into anything that'd hurt you. So, while he pushes you backward through the cabin, you focus on making his eyes roll to the back of his head with your tongue.
The two of you fumble your way into the bedroom, and Sunwoo backs you up until you feel the bed hit the back of your legs. You're forced to fall back until you're semi-sprawled on the bed. Sunwoo crawls over top of you. He gives you a very languid kiss while his hands grip your waist and slide under your shirt. When your hands dig into his soft hair, he decides to bring his focus to your neck.
"You have no idea how badly I want you," he murmurs against your skin.
Breathlessly, you respond, "Then, why don't you show me?"
A puff of air from an amused laugh hits your neck, and he starts to nibble on your earlobe. "Oh, I'll show you alright. I've already told you I want to hear all the pretty sounds you make."
You hum as his hands work their way up your stomach. He pushes your shirt with them, exposing your skin, and moves back so he can pull you up and tug it off your body. Just before your shirt goes over your head, you hear him say, "At least, I'd like to hear them in person this time."
As the fabric slides over your head, you pause in confusion. This time? What on earth did that mean? Once your shirt is gone, Sunwoo takes in your baffled face and smirks. Instead of responding to your obvious bewilderment, he bites his lips and brings his hand up to play with your bra strap. His fingers slide under it, and he slowly pulls it down your skin.
"What do you mean this time?" You have to ask.
His eyes flash up to yours, and the heat in them causes you to swallow. "We were roommates, love. No matter how quiet you were trying to be, I still heard you moaning my name while touching yourself."
You stay still for so long that you have to remind yourself to breathe once you feel pain in your chest. He heard you? Masturbating?! He heard you saying his name?
Sunwoo takes advantage of your frozen state, leaning in to kiss your naked shoulder. When his nose trails its way up your neck, and he starts sucking on your skin, you begin to thaw and bring yourself back into the moment.
"You sounded so sexy saying my name like that," he murmurs. "I've always wondered what you did to make those sounds come out. Wondered how they'd sound with you underneath me… Wondered if I could make you cry out even louder."
You whimper in response to his words and feel heat pooling in your core. There's no chance for you to be embarrassed because you're so absurdly turned on. The racing of your heart is almost all you can hear until you feel the snap of your bra strap coming loose. You watch Sunwoo as he pulls off your bra and exposes you to him. For some reason, seeing him close his eyes and take a deep breath gives you satisfaction.
When he opens them again, he pushes you to lay flat on the bed. One of his hands comes up, ghosting around the edge of your breast. He teases you in a circular pattern, getting close to your nipple, but never touching it. When he finally does swipe his thumb over the erect bud, you gasp with a jolt.
While his fingers tweak and rub one nipple, he lowers his head and attaches his mouth to the other one. You arch your back, shoving the mound against his mouth, and he lightly bites it in response before soothing the sting away with his tongue. Your hips lift on their own accord, searching for the pleasure they know is close by. You've waited for this for too long. Too much teasing is going to make you want to rip the skin from your body. Sunwoo must be able to tell when his name comes out of your mouth like a plea.
His hand abandons your breast and slices down your stomach to the waistline of your shorts. You've never been so grateful in your life that you're wearing something with an elastic waistband. Sunwoo easily slides his hand into your underwear, bypassing your shorts entirely. His hand lightly cups you before his fingers spread your folds apart. You both whimper as his fingers put pressure against your nub and slide down to your entrance, gathering wetness to spread around.
Sunwoo pulls away from your breast and watches your reaction as he slides a finger and then another into you. "You're so fucking wet."
His words have your body shaking, and you bring your hips up to meet his hand. He curls his fingers, and you throw your head back against the pillow and bite your lip. When you're able to look back at Sunwoo, you see him staring at you in absolute awe. He looks like he's trying to commit every single one of your expressions to memory.
It turns you on so much that your hand snakes down in between your bodies and finds the hem of his basketball shorts. You see his body tense up as your fingers slide against his skin, and once you wrap your hand around Sunwoo's length, he lets out a groan. His fingers push into you faster, and your hand matches his pace. The two of you stare at each other until you both become overwhelmed, and Sunwoo leans down to give you a crushing kiss.
It only lasts for a moment before he pulls away, taking his delicious fingers with him. You let out a needy whine in response, but once you see Sunwoo scrambling to take his clothes off, you quickly join him.
As you yank down your shorts and underwear, thoughts of Sunwoo kissing you through the fabric or slowly pulling them down your body vanish. You can save those for another time because you need him to fuck you right now. You feel like you'll literally explode if he doesn't fill you up immediately.
Sunwoo echoes your thoughts as he crawls in between your legs. His naked body is a sight to behold. "I need to be inside of you right now. I don't think I can wait any longer."
In the second you agree, Sunwoo lines himself up with your entrance. You feel the tip of his cock brushing against your folds in a teasing way, but you can see the strain on Sunwoo's face. Hell, you can feel it throughout your whole body.
"Just fuck me, Sunwoo. Please," you whine.
In response, he pushes his cock inside of you, inch by glorious inch. You gasp as he slides in and spread your legs open wide. Once he's fully sheathed, he tries to wait for you to adjust, but you're beyond that. You move your hips, and Sunwoo instantly begins thrusting into you.
His elbows cage your body between his arms. He leans down and kisses you, pushing his tongue into your mouth and timing it perfectly with his thrusts. You bring your legs up to wrap them around his waist and pull him closer. The friction this causes against your clit has you moaning into his mouth.
Your hands slide up the sides of his body, and you can feel his muscles responding. Digging your fingers into his skin, you love the way his body feels as he pumps into you. Sunwoo's hands find their way into your hair, and he grabs onto it with a tight grip. You feel so thoroughly trapped underneath him, and you'd have it no other way. You want to do nothing but worship him like a God.
The feeling of him sliding in and out of you is the best thing you've ever experienced. It's like the two of you were made for each other. You feel him everywhere, and your body sucks him in with zero intention of ever letting go.
Sunwoo's hands loosen in your hair, and he sits up, adjusting his position so he can watch himself slide into you. His hands grip your waist, pulling you against him as he fucks your body. Leaning onto your elbows, you breathlessly watch his cock disappear inside of you. You swear you bite your lip so hard; that you can taste blood.
"You like watching me fuck you?" Sunwoo asks, noticing your stare. "Like seeing how well you take my cock?"
You whine out a "yeah" because you're pretty sure that's the only word you know right now. You moan with every thrust of his hips, and this new angle has him hitting that beautiful, sweet spot inside of you. Your body falls back down to the bed as you let out some variations of "fuck, Sunwoo" until your brain can comprehend a sentence.
"God, you feel so fucking good," you breathlessly tell him, feeling a coil tightening inside of you.
"Yeah? You like how good I'm fucking you, baby?" His body is covered in a sheen of sweat as he focuses on making you cum. "Does my cock feel good filling you up?"
While Sunwoo brings his thumb to your clit, you choke out a “yes”. He puts the perfect amount of pressure on the nub as he rolls his hips into your body. He circles his thumb frantically, and your body arches off the bed as you feel your climax approaching.
"I'm so close, so close," you whisper out, barely able to warn him of your swiftly approaching orgasm.
"Cum for me," he groans out, and that's all it takes.
You gasp loudly as your orgasm hits you. It's like an explosion inside of you, sweeping over your body in waves. You moan as Sunwoo continues to fuck you, determined to ride out your high for as long as he can. Your body clenches his member, squeezing him tightly, and you feel him twitch. His moves become sloppy, and soon, he's cumming inside of you with a loud, sexy groan.
He collapses on top of you to catch his breath. When you bring your hands up to his back and rub his muscles, breathing hard yourself, he lets out a labored laugh. Once he gets enough air, he gets up on his elbows and looks down at you. Your breath catches in your throat when you see the happiness radiating off of him.
"Well, that was fun," he smirks, causing you to laugh and drop your arms.
He leans down and gives you a soft kiss. When he slowly pulls out of you, you lightly gasp at the sensation and clench around the emptiness. He rolls over to the side of you and plops down on the mattress before gathering you in his arms and pulling you to him.
You lay your head on his chest and listen to his heart steady. Closing your eyes, you feel a rush of emotions flying through your head. Sunwoo quietly caresses your arm while you both just take everything in. There's so much that you want to say, but it doesn't seem like the right time to say anything. Until a thought hits you.
Turning your head, you look Sunwoo dead in the eyes and ask, "You heard me masturbating?"
Sunwoo's startled by the question before a cheeky grin grows on his face. "A couple of times."
You immediately whack his stomach, causing him to make an "oomph" sound. He playfully glares down at you. "What was that for?"
"For being a perv!"
"You're the one that was moaning my name over and over again."
You whack him on the stomach a second time. Sunwoo grabs your arms, and using his legs, flips you over onto your back. You look up at him, only too happy to be pinned underneath him again. He leans down and kisses you. His tongue moving in a tantalizing pattern that has you rolling your eyes into the back of your head.
He moves back enough to see your eyes but stays close within the region of your lips. "You know… now that I think about it, I don't think I made you moan loud enough that last time."
"No?" You breathe as he lightly bumps his nose against yours.
"Mm-mm," he hums with a shake of his head.
"I guess you have to do better this time then."
He raises his brow and pulls back to fully see your face before he laughs. "Well, lucky for you, I can't seem to get enough of you."
Now, it's your turn to hum. "Lucky for you, the feeling is mutual."
He lowers himself onto his elbows. Kissing your collarbone when it's within reach and then spending time licking and nibbling each breast until he's satisfied enough. He lowers himself down, kissing and biting a path across your stomach. Your heart crawls into your throat in anticipation, and you can only watch Sunwoo while being completely under his spell.
"This time," he says as he approaches your hip. "I'm gonna take my time with you. I'm going to learn every inch of your body until I know it better than my own."
You swallow. Your body is electrified. Your nerves feel like they're vibrating under your skin as you watch Sunwoo lower himself until he's face-to-face with your sweetest spot. He nestles himself in between your legs.
When he grabs your thighs and hooks your legs over his shoulders, your mouth parts with an anticipatory gasp. He takes it a step further, using his thumbs to spread apart your folds and admire them. You nearly choke on your tongue when he licks his lips, and his eyes find yours. You see the burning desire you feel reflected there.
"You're so fucking beautiful," he whispers before his eyes return to your core.
Somehow, amid its racing, your heart flutters. However, your mind quickly forgets it since your core is throbbing almost painfully now. His head is right there, just tempting you evilly. When he lowers his head, you finally think he's going to taste you, but he just hovers and breathes. His warm breath messes with you in unbearable ways.
Finally, his tongue darts out. He flicks the tip of it in a light kitten lick against your small bud, and you nearly come out of your shell. He continues the torture for a moment before laying his tongue flat against you and slowly lapping at your folds.
Your breath quickly becomes ragged as he licks and sucks. Your hips match his pace, lifting to press harder against his tongue. His arms slide down your thighs to your hips, and he pins you down so he can control your pleasure. You whine in his tight grip, but soon the moans take over, being ripped from your body.
"Oh my god, Sunwoo," you cry out as he wraps his lips around your pleasure point, teasing you with his tongue and driving you nearly mad.
When he growls against you, adding vibrations to the mix, your body nearly comes off the bed. He holds you tightly, torturing you some more. He eventually pulls his tongue away and takes a deep steadying breath. He kisses the side of your thigh, mumbling words that you have to concentrate on.
"You taste so good, baby girl."
You whine, wanting him to shut up, and he thankfully gets the message. He dives back into your folds with even more vigor than before. One of his hands leaves your hips and quickly finds your entrance. He inserts two fingers, pumping and curling them in a delicious pattern that matches his tongue.
All the muscles in your stomach begin to tighten until you feel the tether inside of you snap. Your mind leaves your body, flinging itself out of the earthly realm, while your mouth cries out Sunwoo's name like it's a praise. Sunwoo skillfully continues to work you through your high and slowly lets you come down when it's over.
You try to take deep calming breaths once the ride is over, but Sunwoo’s silence has you unnerved. Peeling your eyes open, you see Sunwoo bring his fingers to his mouth and suck your wetness off of them. Your eyes roll back at the sight, and you mumble out a curse that has Sunwoo laughing.
"I could watch you fall apart a hundred times over," his voice approaches you as he makes his way up your body.
"You can do that any time you want," you breathlessly reply.
You quickly shut up when Sunwoo leans down and thrusts his tongue into your mouth. You taste yourself on him, and you groan. Bringing your legs up to wrap around him, you feel his hardened member hit your thigh, and you pull away.
Looking down, you see his hard length glaring at you. It looks like it needs a lot of love, and you're only too happy to please it. You push Sunwoo's chest, and he lets you roll him over onto his back. His cock springs up, and your mouth instantly waters.
"I think it's time I return the favor," you suggest, glancing at Sunwoo to see him nodding eagerly.
Getting onto your knees and positioned in front of his cock takes a matter of seconds. The tip is an angry red, already leaking precum that has your tongue darting out to catch it. Sunwoo takes a loud breath as your tongue glides along the head. You give him cute little kitten licks like he gave you and are instantly satisfied when his hips lift, trying to get more of his member inside of you.
Obliging, you take the tip of him in. Swirling your tongue around the top for a moment, you take it out and lick down his length. You spread the spit with one of your hands, twisting lightly until he's wet enough that it won't hurt. Then, you take in his length until he hits the back of your throat.
Sunwoo lets out a loud groan as you hollow out your cheeks and suck on him like he's a piece of candy. His hands slide into your hair and grip it tightly, making sure to keep it out of your face so he can watch you choke on his dick.
You try to take him down your throat, ignoring the tears that prick at your eyes. When Sunwoo lets out the loudest moan you've ever heard from him, you feel nothing but pride. You suck and lick until Sunwoo suddenly pulls your mouth off him. Confused, you look up at him and see his eyes frantic and blazing with lust.
"I want to finish inside of you," he quickly says. "I need to feel you around me when I cum."
You nod, and almost instantly, Sunwoo is pushing you onto your back and climbing on top of you. His knee spreads your legs apart, and he lines up with your entrance, gliding in with ease. He buries himself to the base and shudders. You moan at the fullness and clench around him before he can even move, causing him to hiss and drop his forehead onto your shoulder.
"I really want to take my time with you," he groans, "but I just can't stop myself once I'm inside of you."
"I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to take your time later." You move your hips, and Sunwoo's hand moves to tightly grip your waist and stop you.
His head pops up, and a gleam sparkles in his eyes. "I'm holding you to that."
You nod, and he finally starts moving his hips. He pulls nearly all the way out of you before slowly sliding back in again. He does this a couple more times, and you whine his name to get him to stop. He doesn't. You claw at the sheets as he tortures you slowly. When Sunwoo feels like he's tormented you enough that way, he finally speeds up.
With each slam of his hips, your body scoots up the bed until he grips your hips tightly and pulls you back against him. You wrap your legs around his waist, holding him close, and the new position has him going deeper.
The pressure builds in your abdomen again, and you start clenching around his length in response. Sunwoo's thrusts become wild. He reaches down to your sensitive bundle of nerves and rubs his fingers against the nub, trying to pull you over the edge with him. You're gasping as he slams into you, and you can feel that coil within you snap. You climax so hard; you see stars exploding behind your eyes. You're vaguely aware that your orgasm sets off Sunwoo's, but you're too far gone to appreciate it.
Once your mind comes back to you and your breathing returns to normal. You focus on Sunwoo, who is just as gone as you are. His head rests on your chest, and his arms snake their way around your back. You lay there in complete and utter bliss.
Nearly five minutes pass by before Sunwoo's head slowly lifts, and he looks at you. He admires your face with a gentle smile. You can see he's holding himself back like there are words on the tip of his tongue, but he keeps them to himself.
"What're you thinking?" You finally ask, bringing your hand up to brush his messy hair back from his face.
He shakes his head with a knowing smile. "I'm just trying to figure out how I got so lucky."
"Me too," you joke, and he mocks you.
Consequently, he pulls out of you and rolls off to the side. You watch him with a pout, not wanting him to be so far away from you. Once he notices, he quickly gathers you into his arms and cuddles himself around you. He holds you tightly like he never wants to let go of you, which is completely okay because you never want him to.
As you fall asleep in his arms, your brain catches on to whispered words that you're not entirely sure you've imagined or not. You tell yourself you're dreaming as you hear Sunwoo's quiet "I love you" against the top of your head, and you fall into a deep sleep.
PAIRING: Minho x Fem! Reader
GENRE: fantasy, pirate au, angst with a happy ending, enemies to friends to lovers, soulmates (I know you saw it coming), LOTS of pop culture references (two aldo giovanni and giacomo’s references italian readers this is for you), magic au
WORDS: 23k
WARNINGS: mention of murder, mention of drowning, smut
NOTES: I sure do hope you’ve read Chris’ merman fic because I’m feeding on my own lore / Ananke is meant as the greek goddess of fate / extra kudos to Black Desert for having an amazing map and kudos to me for using the videogame aesthetic because I don’t have enough creativity in me to come up with a fantasy world
SUMMARY:
«I think I’ve never missed Cleo so much.» you quietly sniffled.
«Your lover?» Minho questioned immediately.
«My cat.» you clarified without hesitation.
“«Everything is over, now.» the Captain spoke in a confident voice, «I won’t let anyone else hurt you.» he added, before capturing his lover’s lip in a gentle kiss.”
«Oh, holy fuck,» you blurted out as soon as you read that sentence, closing the book out of instinct, «holy shit, finally!» you added to yourself, completely aware about the fact that you were smiling like an idiot at no one but the now finished book in your lap but well, you couldn’t help yourself.
It was a book you’ve randomly found in the book-store next to your workplace, its cover had nothing special that immediately jumped to the eye: it was relegated in leather, some golden details that recalled the title written in beautiful handwriting.
Actually, if you had to be completely honest, the detail that convinced you to buy it was the small golden stone embedded right under the title, instead of the actual plot – plot that in the end you came to adore.
«You are really lucky, this is the only copy that has been sent to us.» had said the old lady working there, making you furtherly curious and giving you another reason to buy it.
It was a love story, but it contained the right amount of adventure as well. Christopher, a young and fearless pirate, was not only the Captain of the Golden Fleece – who was capable of intimidating anyone who saw its sails in the distance, but he had become the head of the entire commercial network that passed through the sea. Chris had at least 200 fleets under his command, each of them committing various raids in the name of their Captain, whose now was able to sail wherever he wanted without getting his hands dirty as he had done in the past.
During his adventures, he eventually fell in love with a girl – Leana, who was originally engaged with a navy’s soldier; after an awful lot of vicissitudes and obstacles in the path of their happiness, Christopher eventually stole her away – he’s a pirate after all, making her a member of his crew and finally allowing each other to live their so craved love story.
Of course, the Captain would have never made it alone; his seven long time friends had always been more than ready to help him and support him in every case of need.
Among his crew, you definitely had a personal favourite: Lee Minho, a young former bounty hunter enamoured with the feeling of freedom he felt while sailing that definitely made your heart race more than once. He was straightforward and sarcastic, a reason why Christopher found himself asking for Minho’s advice the most; despite his strong personality, he truly cared for his friends, and he considered them like a family. Chapter by chapter, you found yourself admiring his character so much that you anticipated every one of his appearances, eager to read more about him.
«Oh, Cleo, can you imagine a love like this?» you sighed dreamily, absently running your fingers through your cat’s thick fur, Cleo simply mewled at you, a faint noise that you interpreted as a proper answer, «or a life like this.» you added, your voice suddenly turning a little more hesitant, a little more lonelier. During the last few months, your life had fallen into an incredibly boring and obnoxious loop: go to work, finish your shift with an incredible amount of stress spreading through your body just to stop in order to buy groceries on your way home, see some friends once in a while, take care of your cat and repeat, repeat, repeat.
Of course, you would have felt a lot lonelier if it weren’t for Cleo: you found her sitting in front of your apartment complex on a random day two years ago and since then she started living with you, as if she had been expressively been waiting for you to find her that day.
«You always look angry, don’t you?» you cooed at her, hoisting her into your lap as to cuddle her a little closer. «Just like your mom.» you referred to yourself, shortly drowning your face in her soft fur, loudly smooching her a few times; Cleo mewled, as if she was exasperated at your behaviour and you quietly giggled, your soft laughter shifting into a sigh as your eyes fell on the book once again.
“I was really lucky to get the only copy of this,” you definitely had loved everything about the story, to the point to start fantasizing and wondering what could their next adventure be now that the crew gained a new very special member.
Did Chris and Leana got married in an actual chapel or did they ask someone in their crew to randomly marry them just like Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner did?
Engrossed in your thoughts, you didn’t realize that you ended up drifting off on your couch – still uncomfortably wearing your jeans, and therefore, you definitely could not notice about the strange events occurring as soon as sleep overcame your senses.
The book you were holding in your hand seemed to be woken up by a curious kind of magic, as the golden stone began to glow in a faint light; the book opened by itself just as if it possessed personal will, and its pages quickly turned back and forth by themselves. The book’s golden glow gradually seemed to shine brighter and brighter, and it eventually woke you up.
«What the-» you mumbled, confused, when you felt as if someone or something was harshly tugging at your soul and all of a sudden, you felt like you couldn’t breathe anymore.
The book had closed once again, politely placing itself on your coffee table; the glowing had completely disappeared, and the golden stone returned to its original plain looking appearance.
However, in what has always been your home, all traces of your presence seemed to have vanished altogether.
“Oh, despise. Such a big word, baby,” Minho drawled with an obnoxious smirk, the one that simultaneously made you want to rip his hair out and kiss those perfectly delectable lips of his, “If it’s any consolation, I abhor your presence as well.”
“Wonderful,” you crossed your legs, a smile creeping onto your face as you leaned backward in your chair, “So why exactly are you here?”
Minho laughed, “The same reason I presume that you’re here for. A hundred dollars to put up with you is a tempting offer.”
Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Roommates AU, Fuckboy AU
Word Count: 4.2k
Warnings: mentions of sex, SUNWOO
Previous Chapter
The sound of someone shouting pulls you out of the fitful sleep you're in. You blink a couple of times as you try to figure out where you are and who is making so much noise. Glancing around the room, you see the wooden walls of the cabin and it all comes back to you. The lake. The bonfire. Sunwoo.
Another shout comes through the open windows, and now you regret opening them for the "nice breeze". You should've just turned on the air conditioning instead. A deep groan comes from Eric and Sophia's room, and you can only assume Eric is severely regretting all the alcohol he drank last night.
The screen door to the cabin next to you slams shut, echoing across the lake. Sangyeon's voice barely reaches your ears, but you know he's telling whoever is already up to keep it down. You wonder which one of them is awake and sans hangover enough to be making this much noise already. Are they always like this? Is this just how they are?
You roll over to try to get comfortable, but it's like rolling over onto a boulder wrapped in fabric. This stupid couch prevented you from getting any proper rest. It might've been better to sleep on the hardwood floor instead. You turn to lay on your back again and let out a sigh. There's no use in trying to fall back asleep. You might as well just get moving.
Sitting up, you let out your own groan as you realize just how sore you actually are. There's absolutely no way you can do a week of this. It's like putting your body through torture. You stand up, hearing a couple of bones crack, and try to stretch out the kinks in the rest of your body.
Reaching for the pile of clothes some smart part of your brain told you to grab out of the boy’s room last night, you go into the bathroom to change and make yourself presentable. Nothing too far-fetched since you're in the woods, but enough to make you look cute. There is someone you're trying to impress after all.
As you slip on flip-flops, you hear the soft muffle of talking coming from one of the rooms. You're sure everyone will be waking up soon, so you won't be the only one missing out on good sleep. You push open the door to the back deck and look towards the bonfire pit to see a few people already moving about and getting breakfast ready.
Jacob spots you first as you approach. "Good morning!"
"Hey, Cobie. You're up early."
He smiles. "Early riser. What do you want for breakfast?"
"Whatever you're having is fine," you tell him and glance over at the chairs to see a spot next to Kevin is open.
As you move to sit down, Jacob asks, "How long did you two stay up for?"
That catches Kevin's attention, and he skips right over greetings to ask, "You and Sunwoo?"
Ignoring him, you look up at Jacob. "We went to bed right after you did."
"Together?!" Kevin loudly exclaims, nearly falling out of his chair in shock and catching everyone else's attention.
Younghoon, across the bonfire pit, lifts his eyebrows and smiles as he asks, "You and Sunwoo slept together?"
"No," you loudly say before this can snowball into something bigger. "No, we did not sleep together."
"Why not?" Kevin pouts, and you finally look over at him in exasperation.
"Mind your own business," you respond. You're just grateful that Hyunjae and Eric aren't out here to add to the teasing like they always do.
The rest of breakfast passes by uneventfully, and soon everyone is awake and quietly talking around the bonfire pit. They discuss how fun yesterday was, how nice it is up here, who's hungover, and how they slept. That last conversation is sparked when you turn funny, and your body screams at you, causing you to let out a small gasp.
"Those couches sucked, didn't they?" Hyunjae shouts while pointing at you.
"Dude… be quiet," Eric rubs his forehead with a wince, feeling just as hungover as you expected he would.
Juyeon twists his neck to the side, stretching out an invisible kink. "That was the worst sleep of my life."
Changmin tells them to quit being dramatic with a roll of his eyes before Hyunjae turns on him. "No, you don't understand. It was like sleeping on a pile of rocks."
"I feel like I've been beaten up," Juyeon agrees.
You notice a few people starting to look at you, the only other one that slept on a couch. Hyunjae and Juyeon immediately ask you to vouch for them, making everyone give you their full attention.
"It wasn't that bad," you mumble, not wanting to make it into a whole thing.
Hyunjae glares daggers your way for playing it down. You glance over at Sunwoo to see him watching you very closely, scrutinizing your words and actions. Of course, he knows you're lying. You can see the conclusion in his eyes.
"Okay," you relent. "I'm seriously considering sleeping in Sunwoo's car for the rest of the trip."
"See!" Hyunjae yells before looking at Changmin. "I told you."
"Dude, the shouting," Eric groans.
When you look back at Sunwoo, you see him and Haknyeon speaking in low tones. Haknyeon has a slightly annoyed look on his face as he listens to Sunwoo. When he glances over at you, he immediately wipes the expression off his face after realizing you saw it.
"You can sleep with me," Sophia offers from your left.
Eric immediately sits up in his chair. "Hello? Boyfriend?"
"Yes? Boyfriend?" She puts on her sweet voice. "Can you sleep on that horrible couch so my best friend doesn't have to sleep on it two nights in a row?"
Eric immediately starts to protest, but you put your hand up and stop him. "I'll be alright, Soph. Thank you, though."
"That doesn't really seem fair that she has to sleep on the couch the whole week," Sangyeon's girlfriend softly chimes in. "I mean, the rest of you are switching, right?"
"Yeah, speaking of that," Hyunjae starts, facing his cabin mates. "I'm getting a bed tonight, so you four can figure out who's turn it is to sleep on the rock pile."
"Thank you for making it seem so appealing," Chanhee glumly says, causing Hyunjae to smile sweetly at him.
"You're very welcome."
Haknyeon calls your name, and when you look over at him, he says, "I'll trade spots with you."
Everyone goes silent, a couple smirking as they realize what this means. The reluctance in Haknyeon's voice doesn't even register in your mind because your brain is starting to go into full panic mode.
You and Sunwoo? Sleeping together? In the same bed? Just right there, next to each other the whole night? Alone? You're unsure if the heat traveling through your body is from nervousness or something else. A part of you does feel excited at the idea, but you mostly suddenly feel like a middle schooler being alone with your crush for the first time.
"That's okay, Haknyeon. Thank you, but I'll be fine," you find yourself saying.
"Unfortunately, I insist," he responds with a glance toward Sunwoo.
Your gaze follows his, and you meet Sunwoo's stare. You know he is searching your face for hesitancy, reluctance, or any other uncomfortable emotion you might be feeling before he speaks up.
"If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to," he gives you a wistful smile. "I will one hundred percent give you the keys to my car if you want those instead."
His words cause you to chuckle and melt some of your nerves away. The fact that he'd willingly hand over his keys to his car nestles itself inside your brain. So, does the realization that he forced Haknyeon to give you his side of the bed. Besides, you really, really don't want to sleep on that awful couch two nights in a row.
"Sleeping on a bed does sound nice," you smile at him. You're both adults. This is going to be totally fine.
You swear you see Sunwoo's skin pinken a little, but he covers it well. "It's settled then, roomie."
"Roomie," Eric snorts.
"I'm so glad I'm not in that cabin," Kevin laughs.
The amusement on Eric's face disappears as he thinks about Kevin's words. Once they settle in, he immediately puts both you and Sunwoo in his sight.
"If I hear a single sound come out of that bedroom that's not a snore, I will fight you both."
"Likewise," Sunwoo irritably replies, throwing the plastic fork he had used at Eric.
You and Sophia share an embarrassed look before you mutter, "It's too early for this."
"Eric, what are you doing?" Hyunjae exasperatedly asks, giving him a look. "Our ship is finally sailing, don't ruin it!"
You sink into your seat, hoping you can disappear from this conversation. It's painfully obvious to you that this friend group is very interested in you and Sunwoo's love life. While you love their support, they have a habit of making things embarrassing. Glancing over at Sunwoo, you see he's as flustered by them as you are.
"You're not in the same cabin as that ship!" Eric yells at Hyunjae, causing a few people to laugh.
"Anyways!" Sunwoo loudly says as he thinks of a topic to change the conversation to. "What does everyone want to do today?"
Unfortunately for you both, everyone ignores him, and much to your horror starts talking about the two of you sharing a bed. When Changmin calls your name, relief floods through you. Anything, anything, to change the conversation.
"Did you know that Sunwoo begged to be in the same cabin as you?"
Your mouth parts as you take in the smirk on his face before your eyes dart to Sunwoo. He looks as frozen as you feel. The only indication that he hasn't suddenly turned into a statue is the way his eyes widen when Chanhee confirms it. Then, he looks like he's trying to do everything he can to disappear into thin air.
"Oh?" You question.
The second your voice reaches Sunwoo's ears, his eyes find yours. You've never seen him so flustered in your existence, and it's bringing you great amusement, along with a healthy boost of ego.
"I didn't ask that," he immediately tries to deny.
"You're right," Changmin concedes. "You didn't ask that. You begged like I said."
Sunwoo stands up from his chair, announcing he's going to put on his swim trunks before leaving for the cabin. The boys look amused at his escape, and you are too until they turn their attention on you.
"Why don't you go with him?" Hyunjae asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
You shake your head and ignore him, but, of course, Eric joins in. "What do you think the odds are of you two hooking up by the end of this week?"
A couple of the boys laugh, but Sophia lightly slaps Eric on the arm. He turns to her with a glare. "Why are you always hitting me?"
"Will you leave her alone?"
"It's just a question!" He responds, turning to you. "One we all would like to know the answer to, by the way."
You stare blankly at him. "On second thought, I think I will go put my suit on."
Before anyone can make any lewd comments, you face Sophia. "Will you come with me?"
She nods, and the two of you stand up. Thankfully, that changes the topic of conversation, and soon, the others are getting up to put suits on as well.
You and Sophia walk silently to the cabin, and you couldn't be more grateful that she's giving you this moment. You just had a lot of information thrown at you at once, so you need a moment. The second you step onto the back deck of your cabin, though, all thoughts fly out of your head.
The sliding glass door opens to reveal a half-naked Sunwoo. You freeze in place, taking in the sight in front of you while you attempt to remember how to function. Any upper hand you had in the flustered game diminished the second you saw his suit hanging low on his hips. Sunwoo holds all the power now.
There's a smirk on his face as your eyes trail along the length of his body. A very toned and beautiful body. His abs clench as you eye them for a little too long, and you have to process the fact that he has abs, but there they are in all of their beautiful glory. Along with a tattoo on his ribcage. He has a freaking tattoo? You study it, trying to see what it is. All you know is that you want to lick -.
An actual record scratch sounds in your brain. What the hell are you doing? How long have you been ogling this man?
"You see something you like?" He teasingly asks.
The way he says those words nearly has you curling your toes. You're supposed to sleep in the same bed as him? Oh, you are in so much trouble.
Somehow managing to keep your cool, you ignore his question and walk directly up to him. It's like some unknown presence has taken over your body. Your hand slowly reaches up, and your fingers lightly touch his skin as you trace the outline of his tattoo. He lets out a surprised gasp when you make contact, and you look into his eyes.
"Have I ever told you how much I like tattoos?" You murmur, causing him to swallow.
"If I knew that, I would've shown you it a long time ago," he responds in a low voice. "Feel free to look at it as often as you'd like."
The two of you stare at each other. Each mesmerized and completely removed from the world. If you just leaned forward, your lips would finally get the relief they've been craving for months. When his gaze falls to your mouth, you take a chance and lean forward until a shout completely breaks the spell.
"Kiss!" Hyunjae maniacally laughs.
Sunwoo closes his eyes, letting out a long, deep sigh. Your hand drops from his side, and you step back, clearing your throat. After a moment, Sunwoo lets out a disbelieving laugh, and you know you're not the only one that has the urge to strangle the loudmouth.
"Are you fucking kidding me, Hyunjae?!" Sophia explodes from behind you. "They were going to!"
You had forgotten she was even there. You were too wrapped up in Sunwoo.
Sophia stomps past you into the cabin, muttering something about drowning Hyunjae in the lake once she gets her suit on. A thoughtful expression crosses Sunwoo's face before he says, "I think I'll help her with that."
He steps around you and walks off the deck, making a beeline for Hyunjae. You wish you could see Sunwoo's face because the way Hyunjae's eyes widen and he literally runs in the opposite direction is comical. You sigh before walking into the cabin, wondering if you and Sunwoo will ever not be interrupted. You're dramatically beginning to think you'll die before you feel Sunwoo's lips on you.
Once you're suited up and in the lake with everyone else - except for Hyunjae, who wisely stayed out of the water - antics ensue. Chicken fights are waged, kayaks and tubes are flipped, and Haknyeon is almost accidentally drowned by Kevin. All in all, it's a fun time. You and Sophia stay as far away from the chaos as you can, and once you've had enough of the water, you both spread out some towels and lay in the sun to dry off.
Or that was the plan until you feel arms under your knees and your back, and you're suddenly being lifted in the air. Your eyes fly open to find Sunwoo carrying you toward the water. Immediately, you begin to struggle against him, barely registering the fact that Sunwoo is holding you against his body because you know he's about to toss you back into the water.
You flail your arms and kick your legs to get free, but he only tightens his grip on you. He makes sure you have zero room to escape, and when you look up at him, you see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"Sunwoo, please don't," you beg once he's already knee-deep in water. "I was almost dry!"
His only response is, "Hold your breath."
Absolutely not. Your arms wrap themselves tightly around his neck instead. He attempts to throw you in the water, but the death grip you have on him prevents you from going anywhere. Once Sunwoo realizes this, you think you've won, but you're oh, so wrong.
Unexpectedly, Sunwoo jumps, flinging both of you toward the water. You hold your breath as you go under, but you refuse to let Sunwoo go. He brought you out here. Now, he has to deal with you.
When Sunwoo resurfaces, you're forced up along with him. You take a deep breath as Sunwoo chuckles lowly in your ear. Unwrapping one arm, you wipe at your eyes so you can see again, but then you put your arm back around his neck without thinking. There's not a single part of you that wants to let him go. You want to cling to him like a monkey, so you do.
Almost automatically, his hands come to rest on your waist. His fingers splay across your skin, causing goosebumps to erupt all over you. You loosen the grip you have on him enough for you to pull back and look at his face. Water drops off the ends of his hair, but he ignores it as he looks at you.
The two of you quietly stare at each other, treading water even though you both can reach the bottom perfectly fine. Your gaze trails down to his full lips, admiring the way the water glistens on them before going back up to his eyes. The sounds from your friends fade away until it seems like you and Sunwoo are off in your own world. Like only the two of you exist.
Slowly, Sunwoo leans toward you, making his intentions clear. Your eyes fall to his lips for a moment before you close them. The moment his lips touch yours, it's like your body releases a giant sigh, saying finally. The kiss is soft at first, testing and slow, and you match his delicate pace. His fingers dig a little into your skin like he can't believe this is finally happening, and he needs to check to make sure you're really there.
He deepens the kiss, pulling your body against his. You tilt your head before wrapping your legs around his waist, causing him to put his feet down so he can have more control. When you feel his tongue lick against your lips, you gladly open up for him.
He kisses you hungrily, tongue teasing yours in a tantalizing pattern that has you whimpering. Sunwoo softly groans at the sound and holds your body even tighter. The move has your sweetest spot pushed directly against his abdomen, making your toes curl. His body is hard below your softness, and you want to live in this moment forever. You want to kiss Sunwoo for the rest of your existence.
Cheers reach your ears, causing the building frenzy you're starting to feel ebb. You both slow down, bringing the kiss back to the soft sweetness that it started at. Sunwoo slowly breaks away, only putting enough space in between you so that he can see your eyes.
He stares at you with an adoring look. A soft smile grows as he quietly says, "I've been wanting to do that for a really long time."
"I'm glad you finally got the chance," you breathily reply.
He moves closer to you, affectionately brushing your nose with his before his lips capture yours again. You hum into the kiss, and you feel him smile against your mouth.
"Okay! Okay! Enough already," Kevin's voice reaches you along with a splash of water.
Your legs unwillingly drop from Sunwoo's waist, and you send a wave back at Kevin for ruining a perfect moment. Not that anything could ever really ruin that perfect moment. It'll forever be ingrained in your mind.
The rest of the evening passes by in a blur because you just keep reliving that kiss over and over. Even Sophia gives up on trying to get your attention. Once night falls, everyone is so exhausted from swimming and the rough night before that you all decide to call it and head to your cabins.
Haknyeon quickly grabs what he needs from the room, including his pillow, and treks to the couch. You grab your own pillow, telling Haknyeon that he can use the blanket you brought if he wants, and toss it onto the bed. The moment Sunwoo comes out of the bathroom, you grab your things and dart for it.
Once your teeth are brushed and you're in your pajamas, you come out to see the boys talking in the living room. Sophia stands in their bedroom doorway with an amused look on her face. Eric glances at you for a second before focusing back on Sunwoo.
"I'm just letting you know that if we can't, you can't!"
"None of you can!" Haknyeon irritably says from the couch.
You pause for a moment before asking, "What's going on?"
Sunwoo turns and faces you with a cheeky grin. "Eric's informing us that we're not allowed to have sex here."
Your eyes widen at the blunt words, and you can feel your face heating up. You can barely process what he just said before Eric continues on about being serious. Sophia eventually grabs him and pulls him into their room. He allows her to move him, but he brings his fingers up to his eyes and then points them towards Sunwoo in an "I'm watching you" gesture as he disappears.
Sophia shuts their door, and you duck into your bedroom to hide from the embarrassment. Sunwoo follows you in, quietly laughing. When you turn around and face him, he shuts the door and watches you for a moment.
"You know… I'd ask if you can be quiet, but I don't want you to be quiet the first time we're together." His eyes languidly trail down your body before eventually coming back up to your face. "I want to hear every beautiful sound you make."
You shakily inhale while you bat back the heat instantly flooding your body. His words have stolen all of your breath and have affected you more than you care to admit. Way, way more.
"Bold of you to assume I'd have sex with you, Sunwoo," you do your best to play it cool, but inside you're literally screaming.
He raises an eyebrow and stalks toward you. "Are you saying you wouldn't?"
Before you can respond, he continues in a much lower voice. "Do I need to make you want it more?"
A bang against the shared bedroom wall rocks the frames hanging on it. You jump, startled, before stifling a laugh. Sunwoo rolls his eyes, muttering Eric's name in irritation. After a moment, he sighs, and the sexy side of Sunwoo you so desperately want to see is once again tamed. He waves toward the bed. "Which side would you like?"
You shrug and move to the side you're closest to. You crawl in, and Sunwoo shuts off the lights. You feel the bed dip a couple of seconds later as he gets in next to you. The silence quickly becomes overwhelming, and your thoughts barrage you with attacks.
The two of you were wet and nearly naked while having your tongues in each other's mouths just hours ago. Sunwoo just said he wants to hear the sounds you make when you have sex. You've masturbated to thoughts of this man more times than you would dare to own up to, and now you're supposed to lay in bed next to him and sleep? In what world? Your body is way too wired for this, and your heart is throwing a damn party in your chest.
Sunwoo turns over on his side facing you. His arm wraps around your torso, and he pulls you closer, mumbling, "You're so far away."
His mouth is right about your ear. His breath causes your hair to slightly move, and his words skitter across the shell of your ear. His leg comes up and drapes across yours, and you're officially trapped against his body when he tucks you in closer.
You bask in his warmth, savoring the feeling of being safe and cared for. Your mind begins to process everything that's happened between the two of you. The shameless flirting, the deep conversations, the kiss, the apparent planning of future sex, and now cuddling? Your brain has completely turned to mush.
How are you supposed to survive this man? Brazen, single, fuckboy Sunwoo had managed to get under your skin so easily. What the hell would devoted, loving, in a relationship Sunwoo do to you?
The answer to how you'll survive suddenly comes to you.
Genre: Roommate AU, Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Fuckboy AU
Word Count: 6k
Warnings: swearing
Previous Chapter
Eric dramatically drops down onto the couch. His sweaty body halfway draping over Sophia as he takes a moment to catch his breath. Sophia grimaces at the wet clothes touching her skin but pats his arm lovingly anyway. Hyunjae plops down on the floor in front of you and leans back against the couch. His body equally sweaty.
Sunwoo walks out of his bedroom with a cardboard box in his hands, giving the guys an unamused look as he sees the two of them taking a break. "Really?"
"How have you accumulated even more shit than you had before?" Eric complains.
"I don't have that much more stuff," Sunwoo rolls his eyes.
"It's taken an entire extra load this time," Sangyeon walks back into your apartment with a deadpan expression. Clearly annoyed he got roped into helping Sunwoo move again.
Sunwoo looks at the older man with an apologetic expression. "Okay. I have a little more stuff, but it's because I had more room here."
You listen to the boys bicker for a moment as you take in your, once again, trashed living room. Only this time, instead of feeling apprehensive and nervous, you just feel sad. It's official. Sunwoo is moving out. His background checks cleared the other day, and he signed the lease today. You're back to living on your own for a while.
"You guys are acting like you carried 500-pound boxes around," Kevin says in amusement as he chomps on a piece of pizza in the chair next to you.
Below you, you see Hyunjae's head whip toward Kevin, followed by a finger pointing in his direction. "Don't think I didn't notice you carried one box down, Moon."
Kevin shoves the rest of his pizza in his mouth and looks away innocently, causing Hyunjae to snort, "That's what I thought."
Sunwoo sets the box he's holding down before carefully sitting on it. He glances around the room, taking everything in with a thoughtful expression. Then, his eyes meet yours.
"I'm gonna really miss being here and seeing you every day."
Heat immediately creeps up your neck and warms your face. When the rest of the room zeroes in on you or looks between the two of you, you feel like you're going to burst into flames. "Me too."
The last few days, ever since Sunwoo talked to the apartment lady, the two of you have been hanging out at home together. You've been watching movies, playing games, and just… talking. Talking about everything under the sun. Your thoughts and fears, dreams and goals, past relationships, and how you've changed. You've talked about everything - except for your feelings for each other.
You have an inkling that Sunwoo might share the same feelings that you do. There were moments when he let small things slip through, but you didn't want to ruin your last moments as roommates, so you didn't push the issue. There'll be time for the two of you to have that discussion later. For now, you're happy to let your bond as friends continue to grow instead.
Laughter pulls you from your thoughts, and you glance around the room to find the rest of the guys teasing you and Sunwoo.
"You can still hang out with each other."
"Yeah, you're moving five minutes away," Eric laughs with Hyunjae.
"He's gonna miss her," Hyunjae mockingly gives Eric big puppy eyes, causing you to slap the back of his head. He looks back at you like a wounded puppy before scooting out of reach and starting all over again.
Kevin joins in from the corner. "You must be a great roommate. Can I move in now?"
"Yeah, what'd you do? Sangyeon asks. "Cook for him?"
"Draw him a bath?" Hyunjae busts out laughing before he and Eric go on a tangent.
Sunwoo does his signature fake laugh as they tease both of you, but he eventually ends up kicking Hyunjae to get him to stop. You roll your eyes at the words, but you can't help but laugh at their antics. Plus, it's fun to watch them tease Sunwoo. Even if you’re collateral damage.
"You can always have sleepovers," Kevin suggests while wiggling his eyebrows.
You throw a couch pillow at Kevin, but Eric loves the idea. "Sleepovers! We should have a giant sleepover party!"
"Yeah… I don't think that's what Kevin meant," Hyunjae looks at Eric like he's dumb.
"I know what he meant," Eric rolls his eyes, "but doesn't a sleepover with all of us sound fun?"
"It sounds like pure hell," Sunwoo comments, causing you to laugh.
A prideful expression crosses his features when he hears you laugh. You look away bashfully until Eric's idea of cramming all of them into your apartment reaches your ears.
"I hate to burst your bubble, but there's no way all of you are sleeping over here."
Eric's face falls, and he gives you a sad look, which irritatingly enough makes you want to take back your words.
"It's not that I don't think it sounds fun," you amend. "There's literally not enough room."
The room falls silent in disappointment before Sangyeon suggests, "We could go somewhere? Rent cabins for a week or something when the semester is over?"
"Oh. My. God," Eric sits up excitedly. "We have to do that! That'd be so fun!"
You and Sophia share a glance before she shrugs. "That actually does sound nice."
"We could invite the rest of the guys and their girlfriends too. Make a whole thing out of it," Kevin suggests.
You all share looks of excitement and anticipation before Hyunjae asks, "So, are we actually doing this?"
That's all it takes before everyone starts throwing out ideas, Sunwoo's boxes long forgotten. You think of places you can go, things you can do, and plan on making it a huge end-of-the-school-year trip. Though there's still another month of school left, it now gives you something to look forward to.
By the end of it, 15 of you are planning to go, including Sangyeon and Younghoon's girlfriends. Sangyeon searched for rental cabins while Hyunjae and Eric texted the rest of their friends to see if they were in. You and Sophia were in charge of coming up with things to do while there, and Sunwoo and Kevin were forced to figure out all the other small details in the meantime.
Once Sangyeon gets the okay from the rest of you on a set of cabins he found along a quiet lake, he calls the owner to make a reservation. The rest of you sit quietly in excitement as you watch him talk things through on the phone.
"Okay! Thank you so much!" Sangyeon says, wrapping up the call. "Can't wait to see you either."
He hangs up the phone and looks down at it with a questioning expression on his features before looking up at the rest of you. "Was that a weird thing to say?"
"Who cares? Are we good to go?" Eric asks impatiently.
A giant smile overtakes Sangyeon's face. "We're booked for a week after finals!"
The group cheers excitedly, but Sangyeon immediately hushes them. "Hang on. Hang on. Let me tell you the details... Alright, we're renting three cabins. They each have two bedrooms and a couch. So, that means five to a cabin, and we will be taking turns with the couches."
"Personally, I think the couples should get the beds," Eric comments, causing Hyunjae to roll his eyes.
"Gee. I wonder why."
Sangyeon nods. "That makes the most sense. Three rooms for the couples, and then the rest of you can pair up to split the other three rooms and the couches."
"I'll take a couch," you find yourself offering.
It makes sense to you. You don't really want to share a bed with anyone. Maybe, you'd share a bed with Kevin or even Sunwoo if you had to, but you'd feel less pressured if you didn't have to worry about that. If you slept next to Sunwoo, you had a feeling you'd be too nervous to actually go to sleep and would toss and turn all night instead.
You feel someone's stare burning a hole into your head, and you glance around the room until you find the culprit. Sunwoo is staring at you, clearly lost in thought, until he feels your own stare on him, and he looks away. What? Is he bummed that you offered to sleep on the couch? Did he want to share a room with you? You shove the thoughts aside and begin mentally preparing to spend a week in total chaos.
—-------------------------------------
"Ah, ah. Get in the back with your girlfriend," Sunwoo stops Eric as he opens the passenger side door of Sunwoo's vehicle.
"But we're bros," Eric pouts, throwing a playful glare your way. "Why does she get the front seat?"
"Because she's nicer to look at than you are," Sunwoo comments as he shoves the rest of the luggage into the trunk.
You smirk as you take the passenger door from Eric and wave for him to go to the backseat with Sophia. He rolls his eyes before moving to the back door and throwing it open. You crawl into the familiar passenger seat and shut the door. A zap of excitement zooms through you, and you glance into the backseat to find Sophia. A contagious smile is on her face, and soon even Eric is smiling, clearly over his assigned seating.
Sunwoo slams the trunk closed just as Sangyeon's car pulls up alongside you. He rolls the window down, and you glance in the back to see Jacob and Kevin waving. You wave back as Sangyeon asks, "Are you ready to go?"
Sunwoo comes to a stop by the driver's side door and leans over the roof of the car. "We're all set. Has anyone else left yet?"
"The others were meeting up at Chanhee and Changmin's place and taking off from there. They'll probably arrive right after us."
"Then, let's freaking go!" Eric yells excitedly from the back.
Sangyeon grins as Sunwoo climbs into the car and starts the engine. The excitement is palpable in the air. Sangyeon pulls ahead, and Sunwoo gets out onto the road behind him. You feel like you can bounce in your seat from giddiness. You've been counting down the days to this trip, and it's finally here! You were beginning to think it'd never come.
"What are we going to do when we get there? Go swimming? Make food? Start a fire?" Eric begins planning.
"Check-in would be my guess," Sophia responds drily.
You laugh, wondering how long Eric's been like this as the trip approached. Eric's always high energy, but you don't know if you've ever seen him this excited.
"Don't be lame," he responds.
"So, how have you been?" Sunwoo asks you as the two in the back fall into conversation.
You've only seen Sunwoo a handful of times since he moved out, and it was always in a group setting. You've actually seen everyone only a handful of times because you had all been so busy and stressed out with finals. Being in his presence now only reminds you of how drawn you are to him. Not that you could really forget, but you're suddenly reminded of how strong his allure is.
"I'm just glad the year is over, and we get a break.”
"Me too. Finals were freaking rough," he agrees. "I'm sad we weren't able to hang out a lot, though."
"Well, we have an entire week to make up for that."
A mischievous grin spreads across his face. "That we do."
Noticing the silence in the backseat, you turn around to see Eric and Sophia not so subtly listening in on your conversation. Before you can say anything, Eric asks, "Did you two ever make out?"
Your eyes widen while Sophia smacks him, and he turns and looks at her incredulously. "Why are you hitting me? You want to know too!"
You immediately turn back around in your seat, feeling your face flush. Glancing over at Sunwoo, you see a smirk on his face, but you certainly don't expect him to say his next words.
"Unfortunately, not yet."
For a second, you forget how to breathe and Sunwoo definitely notices. He laughs before reaching over and patting your thigh a couple of times. When he leaves his hand splayed out on your bare skin, you can't decide if your lightheadedness is from his actions or a lack of oxygen... Both. Definitely both. Also… bless you for deciding to wear shorts today.
The warmth of his hand spreads throughout your body when Eric says something about now knowing the perfect dare. Sunwoo jokingly replies about now having to choose dare when it's Eric's turn. Your heart pounds so hard in your chest that you almost question if you're having a heart attack.
Thankfully, the rest of the ride doesn't involve teasing you. Sunwoo eventually removes his hand from your thigh so you can think. If it wasn't obvious what you're in for this weekend before, it most certainly is now. Not to mention, there's more to Sunwoo's flirting than his normal "make a girl squeal" that he usually has going on. There's something in the way he watches you that confirms he has feelings for you. You had a hunch before, but now you're almost positive.
"Oh my god, there's the sign!" Eric yells, making your ears ring. Normally, you'd be annoyed, but you're too excited. It's finally happening! Your fun week-long getaway has arrived!
Sangyeon puts on his blinker and turns into a copse of trees, Sunwoo soon following behind. The gravel drive is hilly, and with the trees surrounding you, it feels like you've been transported to another world. It certainly isn't like the urban streets you're used to.
A cluster of wood cabins comes into view, and a grin breaks out on your face. The lake is visible behind the cabins, and the sun glitters off of the calm water. You couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.
Sangyeon parks his car in front of the office, and when Sunwoo parks next to him, you all get out and inhale a big whiff of fresh air. While Sangyeon and his girlfriend head into the office, the rest of you talk excitedly about your upcoming week of fun. Eric and Kevin take off in-between two cabins to look at the lake, while Jacob and Sunwoo come up with everyone's first move. You and Sophia walk up to what appears to be an empty cabin and peek in through the windows to get a hint of your accommodations. When you turn back around, you see Sunwoo leaning against his car, watching you with a light smile on his face. You smile back and move to go stand by him when two other cars pull down the drive.
You can hear the excited chatter through their open windows as the rest of your friends arrive. Hyunjae leans out the window and lets out a "woo-hoo" that's immediately cut off when Changmin turns around and smacks him. The noise draws the attention of the rest of your friends, and they all wander to the parking lot.
Sangyeon and his girlfriend walk out of the office, dangling three sets of keys in their hands. Thankfully, someone planned ahead on who'd be sharing cabins, and Sangyeon hands the other two sets of keys to those he deems responsible. Keeping the keys for his cabin himself, he turns and hands Jacob one set. He then scans the crowd, skipping Sunwoo and Eric - much to their dismay - to hand Haknyeon the third set.
Once the keys are claimed, Sangyeon has about two seconds to point in the general direction of their cabins before the crowd takes off running. Their vehicles long forgotten. Even though it's pretty clear who's sleeping where, they still run to fight for the best rooms. The only ones left standing are the four girls - you, Sophia, Sangyeon’s and Younghoon's girlfriends - and Sangyeon himself.
He turns to his girlfriend and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Brace yourself, love. It's going to be a long week."
"Okay, dad," Sophia snorts before turning to you. "First mission of the trip: Get Sangyeon drunk off his ass."
You smirk and look back at him. "Sounds good to me."
The rest of your group moves to follow the noise coming from one side of the property. As you get to the three cabins, you see you're on the far end of the rental place. Whether that's because the owner wanted to tuck you away or they figured it'd be nice to be on the edge didn't matter. It gave you your own small, private beach, and it's awesome.
You make a mental note to explore outside before following Sophia into your cabin. The inside is cute and cozy, with tacky little trinkets and decorations scattered throughout. The wooden walls make the space feel warm and small and give off the "You're in the middle of nowhere" vibes. Sophia finds Eric in one of the rooms, and you move to inspect the couch. It's brown and looks worn, but it's long enough to do the trick, so you set your bags down on the cushions.
A TV rests pushed into the corner, but unless it rains, it'll be of no use to you. A small, circular table sits right next to the little kitchenette and in front of a patio door that leads out to the back deck. You move to take a look out the sliding glass door, and a smile spreads across your face.
The lake shines, taking up most of the view, and you see a couple of small boats tied up to a dock in between two of the cabins. To the right is a private beach and much to your childish delight, a small park in the sand. The bonfire pit sits toward the edge of the beach with nice wooden chairs just waiting to be claimed.
"Do you want to stick your stuff in my room?" Sunwoo's voice reaches your ears, and you turn to face him. "That way it won't be out in the open for everyone to see."
"Thank you. That'd be great."
He grabs your bags without another word, and you follow him to the room he and Haknyeon are sharing. He places your stuff against the wall next to his and faces you. "Feel free to come in here whenever."
Before you can say anything back to him, Eric fills up the doorway. "They're grilling behind Jacob's cabin if you're hungry."
He turns around and makes a beeline for the back door. Sophia follows after him, shooting a "you two are standing in his bedroom in a soon-to-be empty cabin" look. Exasperatedly, you roll your eyes and look back at Sunwoo, who's smirking in Sophia's direction. Obviously, you aren't the only one who caught her message.
He looks at you and raises his brows like he's saying, "your move". Nervousness overwhelms your system, and you quickly leave his bedroom, squeaking, "Let's go eat!"
Sunwoo's laugh follows you out of the cabin.
A few hours later, after everyone had a filling dinner and exhausted themselves from playing in the lake or screwing around on the playground, you all gather around the bonfire pit that someone started amid the chaos. Alcohol is getting passed around, as well as items to make smores, and you find yourself dropping onto one of the wooden chairs with a happy smile on your face.
The lake laps quietly on the shore to your right, and you turn your head to see the sun setting behind the trees on the other side of the lake. Today has been absolutely perfect, and the night is just getting started.
The sound of someone sitting next to you catches your attention, and you turn to see who it is. The delicious smell of his cologne hits you before his striking face comes into focus. You smile at Sunwoo as he holds out a plastic cup for you to take.
"I have no idea how this tastes, but Eric made them, so assume there's a shit ton of alcohol in it."
You laugh as you take the cup and watch Sunwoo bring his own cup to his plump lips. It only takes a second for him to grimace at the taste, but he continues to drink it for a few more gulps before he pulls it away.
"Jesus christ," he says, blinking a few times. "If you want a different drink, just say the word. I will not be offended."
You take a tiny sip from the cup and jerk back when the taste hits your tongue. "Oh my god, it tastes like straight rubbing alcohol."
Sunwoo reaches over and takes the cup from your hand, dumping them both out in the sand behind you. When he looks back at you, he says, "Our secret, okay?"
Once you nod, he gets up and goes over to the picnic table that's all set up with alcohol. You watch him make you a new drink, pushing away Eric when he tries to come help. Then, he comes back over to you.
"Okay. Let's try this again." He hands you the cup. "Now, I will be offended if you don't like this because this is my special blend."
"What's so special about it?" You bring the drink up to your nose and smell it, feeling pleased when a fruity aroma reaches you.
He gives you a cheeky grin. "It's made by me."
You huff out a laugh before letting the contents of the cup slide into your mouth. A burst of fruitiness fills your senses, and only a hint of alcohol is there. Sunwoo waits patiently for you to decide if you like it. You nod and then give him a thumbs up.
"This is really good. Thank you."
"Once again, your taste is impeccable."
Your brows furrow as you question, "When was the first time it was impeccable?"
"When you said you liked me," he smirks.
Thankful that it's getting dark and it's harder to see your facial expressions, you bring the cup to your lips and take a big long swig of it. Once you feel you've got a hold of yourself, you look back at Sunwoo and ask, "So, how's having your own place?"
His lips pull down. "It's not bad. I have room for all of my stuff, but it's quiet…"
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"I miss living with you. I had a lot of fun at your place. It was nice to hang out every day."
You're stunned by the sudden confession, but you find yourself agreeing. "It's certainly not the same without you there. I don't know what to do with myself half the time."
He smiles into his cup. "I'm free this summer. We can go back to our old ways of hanging out on your couch."
You laugh. "Does that sound appealing?"
"Of course, it does," he looks up at you with an intense stare.
"Okay…" You quietly respond.
"Sunwoo!" Someone yells from across the fire, pulling his attention.
You take the moment to admire him while he's not paying attention. The fire reflects off his face, making him appear even more gorgeous than he normally does. If that's even possible. He looks ethereal, like a God.
It also hits you how much you've missed him. Having these small, simple conversations with him brought you a lot of joy, and you're so happy to be in this moment. To be near him. You find you don't want to go that long without seeing him again.
Sunwoo turns back to you. "Do you want to make some smores?"
"Sure," you nod, causing him to get up and grab the ingredients for you.
He comes back and hands you a metal pole to hold while he pushes a marshmallow onto the tip. He pushes one onto his own, and then you both place the white puff balls into the flames in front of you. The two of you discuss the antics of the others, how drunk everyone is getting, and everything else you can think of, which is probably how you burn three marshmallows to a crisp.
Once you whack the charred goo into the fire pit, Sunwoo takes your pole from you, shoving another marshmallow on the end. "Let me make it this time."
You can't help but laugh at yourself and laugh even louder when Jacob pouts that you're wasting all the "gooey goodness".
"How do you like it?" Sunwoo asks, causing you to raise your brows.
"How do I like what?" You mischievously respond.
Sunwoo's head whips back toward you with a parted mouth. When he sees your amused look, he says, "Your smores, you little shit."
A laugh is ripped from you, and you feel emboldened thanks to the alcohol in your system. "However you give it to me, Sunwoo."
You hear him mutter under his breath. "Jesus christ."
A couple of the guys try to get his attention, but he tells them that he's busy as he fixes your smore for you. He smushes the graham cracker pieces together and blows on it before facing you.
"Come here."
You lean over the arm of your chair and start to reach for the smore, but Sunwoo pulls it away from you.
"Uh uh. You can't be trusted to not somehow mess it up."
When you open your mouth to protest, Sunwoo pushes the smore lightly against your lips. You hold his stare as you take a bite of the sweet treat, but your eyes fall closed as the flavor explodes in your mouth.
You hum as you swallow. "Wow, that's good."
"Yeah, it is." Sunwoo's voice comes out a bit choked, and you open your eyes to look at him. He clears his throat and hands you the rest of your smore so he can assemble his own.
You turn to face the fire again and take a moment to survey the group. The rest of them are getting progressively drunk. Some are sitting in the seats around the fire, some are pushing each other on the swings at the playground, and a couple have disappeared for the night.
"I'm really glad we did this," you decide to say, and Sunwoo agrees.
"I'm happy we could all make it."
Changmin stumbles up to Sunwoo and starts pulling on his arm. "Come here. I want to show you something."
"Later," Sunwoo replies, pulling his arm away.
Changmin's brows furrow as he tries to figure out why he's being denied, but then his eyes travel up to you, and a drunk understanding seems to enter them. He leans down to whisper to Sunwoo, but he might as well have been shouting because you can hear him clear as day. "Are you having a date with your girlfriend?"
Your heart thumps loudly in your chest as Changmin makes eye contact with you. Butterflies erupt in your stomach when he continues on. "You're right. She's very pretty."
"Okay!" Sunwoo's voice raises. You try to decide if there's an edge of panic in it or if he's just trying to do damage control. "Why don't you show Chanhee whatever it is?"
Changmin pouts. "I already did."
"Juyeon, then!" Sunwoo suggests, seeing an opportunity as the older man walks by.
Changmin sighs. "Fine…"
When he turns away, Sunwoo eyes you from his peripheral vision before turning to fully face you. He bites his lip for a moment as he tries to figure out what to say after that. However, you decide it's time to mess with him some more.
"So, you think I'm pretty?"
He meets your stare, and you notice his eyes twinkling, much like the stars above you. "I think you're beautiful."
"Oh…" you let slip out. You always expected Sunwoo to tease you, and time and time again, he manages to surprise you. The fact that he called you beautiful is barely registering yet. You clear your throat. "And was that before or after I became your girlfriend?"
His lips quiver as he fights a smile. "Oh, definitely before. I've been bragging about you since day one."
A giddy feeling flows through your body. His stare is so intense - so caressing - that you have to look away. You face the fire and watch the logs snap and pop. Flames dance before your eyes as you debate where to go with this conversation.
Both of you are tipsy, at the very least. If you're going to discuss potential relationships, you'd prefer you both be one hundred percent present. You don't want a single misunderstanding, but that doesn't mean you can't talk about other things.
"What are you looking for in your next relationship?"
He looks slightly surprised by the question but leans back to give it some thought.
"I want to be able to have that trust with someone again. That feeling of knowing your person will always have your back and your best interests at heart," he starts. "A sense of security, I guess… I want to feel so loved… like I'm someone's everything, but I don't want to be their entire world. I want them to be their own person. I want to root for them as much as they root for me." He faces you. "Does that sound stupid?"
You swallow, noticing how dry your throat has gone. "Not at all."
"I don't know," he turns away again, looking down at his cup. "A part of me is afraid. The one relationship I really gave my all to slapped me in the face. I'd like to have a relationship like that again, but with a better outcome. I don't want to feel worthless again."
You were going to stay quiet and let him talk, but you couldn't let that statement pass without a rebuttal. "Sunwoo, you're so far from worthless. It's not even funny. You're brave and kind. You push people to try things because you know they can handle it. You pay attention to the things most people think don't even matter, and you stick up for the people you care about without a second thought. You're an amazing friend, and I know you'll be an amazing partner to anyone worthy enough to be with you."
It takes a minute or so before he finally looks up at you again. "Thank you."
"I'm only telling you the truth," you shrug.
He hums. "What about you? What are you looking for?"
You take a deep breath and let yourself become hypnotized by the fire. For some reason, you feel like you could spill all of your secrets here, and both the fire and Sunwoo would harbor them until the end.
"I want someone who makes me feel valid and important. Someone who will let me explore a new hobby every single day even if they think it's stupid. Someone who will cheer me on instead of bringing me down and make me prove my worth all of the time," you admit. "I don't want to feel small and insignificant. I want to feel loved and cherished, and safe. To be fair, I think that's all anyone wants."
"I'll cheers to that," Sunwoo holds his cup up, and you lightly knock yours against it.
The two of you stay silent for a little bit. Both of you are lost in your own worlds, but you don't want this deep conversation to end. You want to tell Sunwoo even more stuff that'd be hard for you to say normally.
"You're really easy to talk to," you tell him. "I don't feel like you judge me at all."
"I don't," he says, leaning his head back against the chair. "People have done nothing but judge me for years. They think I'm a dick or a whore, an asshole, and I don't want to make people feel that way."
You glance over at him. "I don't think you're a dick or an asshole. There was a time I thought you were a whore, though."
He looks at you in amusement, and you bring your hand up, pinching your thumb and forefinger close together. "Just like a tiny bit of a whore."
He laughs, and you smile. He knows how you felt about him, and you've apologized multiple times, so you feel like you can joke about it now. Plus, there's nothing better than Sunwoo's laugh, and that's all you want to hear.
"I've been wanting to thank you for quite some time," he admits.
"For what?"
"For taking the time to get to know me. The real me," he sighs. "You didn't care about my reputation, and you didn't try to get in my pants like every other girl that spends time with me. You just looked at me like I was another guy and learned who I am as a person. That meant a lot to me."
You give him a small smile. "You know, I really didn't want you to move in with me at the beginning, but now, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm so happy I had the chance to get to know you and that you're in my life now."
He searches your face like he's working up the nerve to say something, but then his eyes dart past you. You turn to see Jacob quietly walking up to you. He gives you both a tired smile before saying, "I'm going to bed. Can you guys put the fire out when you're done?"
"Sure," Sunwoo nods to him while you look around the bonfire. Not a single soul is outside with you. Everyone else has gone inside and probably passed out. You pull out your phone and tap the screen to check the time.
"Wow, I didn't realize how late it already was."
"I don't know how we missed everyone going inside."
"Good conversation," you smile as he stands up.
He looks around for a stick and finds the one Sangyeon was using to stoke the fire. "That it was. Are you still good, or are you ready for bed?"
As much as you'd like to stay up and talk to Sunwoo until the sun comes up, exhaustion hits you. That, paired with the knowledge that the rest of the guys will probably wake you up with their loudness tells you that you should go to sleep.
"Bedtime."
Sunwoo nods in agreement and begins breaking the fire down. You head to the lake, discarding what’s left in your cup as you go and fill it up with lake water before joining him at the fire and dumping it on the flames. The wood sizzles, fading to red embers, and when Sunwoo decides it's okay enough to leave for the night, the two of you walk to your cabin.
"Do you have enough blankets and pillows?" He asks as the two of you step onto the back deck.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," you slow down when you notice he's come to a stop.
When you turn to face him, he lets out a quiet, "Okay".
The two of you silently stare at each other. Your eyes both searching the others. Then, he glances down to your lips, and his gaze stays there. Your mouth parts and you try to inhale air because it suddenly feels like you can't breathe. Is he going to kiss you? Right now?
Your stomach swirls with nerves until Sunwoo closes his eyes. It looks like it pains him to do so, but he does it. When he opens them again, the look of desire that was taking over his face is pushed down, hidden wherever he usually keeps it. His eyes come back up to yours, and he gives you a sweet smile, though it does little to lessen the disappointment you feel.
Genre: Roommates AU, Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Fuckboy AU
Word Count: 3.4k
Warnings: name-calling
Previous Chapter
The array of emotions you felt when Sunwoo told you about Minjee and the conversation he overheard were nothing compared to the ones that hit you when Sunwoo's words sank into your brain. You're not even sure which emotion to cling to as they swirl wildly throughout your body.
Sadness is the predominant emotion, and it hits you harder than you expect. You knew that this arrangement wasn't permanent, but you never even thought about Sunwoo moving out. You never considered how you'd feel when it happened. Then again… you never considered the possibility of falling for him either. The old you, the one who agreed to let him temporarily stay, would probably be doing jumping jacks right now. The present you… not so much.
Mixed in with that sadness is worry. Worry about how your relationship will change when you’re no longer forced to be in the same space. Will you still see Sunwoo often, or will he ghost you just like he did with all of those other girls? You have to believe that the friendship you’ve built means more to him than a one night stand does, but that doesn’t mean the slight anxiety and nervousness you feel aren’t still right there telling you otherwise.
When you realize Sunwoo is waiting for you to say something, you push a weak smile onto your face. You are happy for him. You're sure it'll be nice for him to have his own space and not feel like he's constantly invading yours, so you’ll put on a happy face for him. That doesn't mean you're not bummed out, though.
"That's great, Sunwoo. I'm happy for you."
His eyes search yours for a moment. You wish you could see whatever it is he can as he takes in the forced happy expression on your features. Are your feelings clear on your face, or are you better at hiding them than you realize?
"What's your favorite dessert?" He suddenly asks, eyes narrowing in focus.
Thrown off by the random question, you open your mouth to respond but then shut it in confusion. Sunwoo takes in your furrowed brow and questioning gaze. The corner of his lips tilt up in amusement.
"If you could have any dessert in the world right now, what would you want?"
"I - why?"
He nibbles on his bottom lip before saying, "Because I want to take you out."
Air rushes into your lungs as you inhale in surprise. Your heart slams against your ribcage as his words turn over in your head, and you can feel your eyes widen, but almost like he can see where your thoughts are heading, he adds, "I want to treat you for letting me stay here."
It feels like the floor beneath you has disappeared with the way your stomach drops. His clarification might as well be in neon letters. He saw you processing his words and realized you thought he was asking you out and quickly amended them. Of course. What else did you expect? You know he doesn't feel the same. Hell, now he's probably going to use it as an opportunity to softly drop an "I'm not interested" while he's at it.
"Sunwoo, you really don't have to do that."
"Please?" He softly asks. "Let me do something for you."
A pout begins to form on his face, and you quickly - and annoyingly - realize that there's no way you can turn down the cute expression. Add it to the list of growing weaknesses you have for him.
"I'm not really picky about desserts," you admit, allowing him a chance to treat you.
A smile quickly grows on his face. "Perfect! I found a really nice looking dessert shop a few blocks away. Are you okay to go now?"
A small disbelieving laugh escapes you. You certainly didn't think he meant now when he asked. "For breakfast?"
"What better way to wake up?" He gives you an answering grin.
You shake your head, but the amused smile wants to permanently etch itself onto your face. His happy, smiling face paired with the knowledge that he took the time to think about this idea and search for a place to take you before he even asked, slightly softens the blow you're sure is coming.
"Lead the way," you wave an arm towards the front door. The look of satisfaction that crosses his features sends warmth blossoming through your chest. When he places his hand on the small of your back and ushers you to the door, that warmth spreads throughout the rest of your body until you're almost positive you'll burn alive.
Sunwoo insists on driving. Even though you swear that this entire thing is unnecessary, he'll hear none of it. He even goes as far as to ask if you accept thank yous as well as help, which only makes you stick your tongue out at him and slump in your seat. The laugh that erupts from him is something that you could listen to forever, and that catapults you right back into the present. Right back into remembering that he's leaving.
"This is it!" He excitedly announces, leaning down and peeking out of your window as he parks in front of the cafe.
You follow his gaze to the cute little brick building right outside your window. A small sign above the door has the name of the shop written in an adorable bubbly font. A cupcake sits next to it with a cartoonishly smiling expression, bringing an airy smile to your face. It's a charming shop, and the pastries and desserts resting on glass display cases in the windows make your mouth water.
Without you even noticing, Sunwoo is rounding the front of the vehicle and opening your car door for you. You gape at him in surprise while your heart beats extra hard in your chest. How on earth are you not supposed to fall for him when he does things like this? Truly, you stand no chance. You climb out of the car with as much grace as you can muster and avoid his gaze. There's no point in letting your feelings for him grow, and that's all that's going to happen if you look at his charming face.
"It's cute, isn't it?" He eagerly asks. "As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to take you here."
"Why?" His words cause you to blurt out, but he doesn't miss a beat.
"Because I couldn't think of anyone else who'd appreciate it as much as me besides you, my little snack fiend."
He doesn't give you a chance to respond as he moves toward the building. A part of you is glad, though. You didn't know if you were going to get defensive because he called you a sneak fiend - which in his defense is accurate - or melt because he added a "my" in front of it. Pushing it from your mind, you follow Sunwoo into the dessert shop.
If the sight of the dessert in the windows was enough to make your mouth water, the aroma is on another level. You stand motionless as you take in the inside of the shop. The adorable decor and the display cases in front of you with cutely decorated desserts make you feel giddy. The cherry on top of the entire moment is Sunwoo standing next to you, watching your face with a wistful expression.
The two of you move to the counter to examine the sweets as a worker bounces over to you with a smile. She glances at you before offering a sugary sweet smile to Sunwoo. "Good morning. What can I get for you?"
You stare at the worker for another moment before Sunwoo's voice pulls your eyes to him. "Anything catching your interest?"
Anything catching your interest? You mean besides the fact that Sunwoo isn't giving the pretty employee the time of day while she stares at him with clear intrigue? You commit the fuzzy feeling in your chest to memory as Sunwoo keeps his gaze solely on you. Who knows if you'll ever experience another moment like this? You wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.
After you each pick out a dessert, the two of you move to a little bistro table by one of the front windows. The morning sunshine washes over you and makes you feel like the lead in a movie. This moment is something you never expected, and you just wanted to soak it all in.
Both of you take bites of your acquired desserts, and the delicious flavor that explodes in your mouth is enough to make you let out a small moan of contentment. When Sunwoo chokes on his spoonful of dessert, you try to keep the satisfied smile off your face as you wonder what all of these small things mean. If his actions and reactions add up to something or if it's all wishful thinking.
Sunwoo leans over and steals a bite of your dessert. When you look over at him in mock outrage, he offers a bite of his. "Want to try mine?"
Of course, you do, and after you try his, Sunwoo takes it as open season on your dessert until you eventually whine at him for eating nearly all of it.
"Sunwoo, why didn't you get one of these if you were just going to eat all of it?" You pout.
Sunwoo stares at you, his mouth slightly hanging open as you give him your best sad face before he finally shakes himself from it. "Hey, stop being cute. My heart can't handle it."
It's your turn to attempt to shake yourself, but his words steal your breath away. He can't handle it? You've barely been able to handle anything he's done since you walked out of your bedroom this morning! You find yourself sticking your tongue out at him again and wonder who the heck you are becoming to do that action twice in less than an hour. However, you truly have no idea what to say in reply.
"I said stop being cute. Not continue doing it," he mutters, but you still hear his words, and it only causes your heart to beat at triple speed.
Why is he saying things like that? Why is he trying to make your heart burst out of your chest? Especially when he knows how you feel about him. It'd be bordering on rude if you didn't already know Sunwoo wouldn't purposely hurt you like that.
"You stop," you grumble, shoving the last bite of your dessert in your mouth before he gets the chance to snatch it away from you.
"Stop what? Telling you that you're being cute?"
You sit in silence for a moment as you debate how honest and raw you want to be with him this early in the morning. Maybe it's time you nudge him and see how he reacts.
"Yes. Especially when I know you overheard what Minjee said last night."
You didn't have to clarify which part of Minjee's words you were talking about. Sunwoo knows. You can tell by the way he freezes in his seat and searches your face with his eyes. He dips his chin in a slight nod when he sees how serious you're being.
"I'm sorry for learning something about you that you weren't ready for me to know…"
A rush of air enters your body as you inhale. For some reason, that's not where you expected the conversation to go. You expected teasing or rejection. You hadn't expected an apology, nor did you need one. He didn’t eavesdrop on your conversation to learn your secret. He expected to learn about Minjee's bitchiness.
Unsure of what to say, your eyes fall down to the empty plate in front of you. The air between the two of you isn't awkward. It's questioning, like you're both hesitant on how to broach this topic. Sunwoo probably doesn't want to say the wrong thing, and you have no idea if you're even ready to hear what he has to say, but you feel like now is the time to find out.
"Sunwoo, I -"
His phone buzzes on the table next to him and both of you glance down at the small device as a set of numbers flashes across the screen. Sunwoo's brows furrow, and he bites his lip before looking back up at you.
"It's the apartment complex…"
"Oh… go ahead," you wave toward the phone, indicating to him to answer it.
If your body can physically deflate, it does at this very moment. You have allowed yourself to forget that he's leaving you and getting his own place. Allowed yourself to fall into this dream world of a fake date with him instead, and now reality is smacking you in the face.
You glance out the window as Sunwoo talks things through with the person on the phone. It sounds like things are going well if his words are any indication. Sadness creeps in again, conflicting with the beautiful sunny weather outside. How could you have so many things you want to say to him but be so unsure of how to get the words out of your mouth?
To make matters worse, your eyes fall on a familiar figure leaning against a car across the street. Your mood sours even more, and you find yourself glaring out the window as the person watches the two of you.
Sunwoo finishes up his call, but you don't even look at him as he attempts to tell you the news.
"So, I got the… hey, are you okay?"
He turns his head to follow your line of sight out the window when you don't respond, and you know the minute he spots the person you noticed. Even from your peripheral, you can see his entire body stiffen. What you don't expect is for him to stand up from his seat and make a beeline for the café door.
"Sunwoo, wait!" You get up and race after him, hoping to stop whatever is about to happen before it does. He ignores you as he pushes open the door and walks out onto the sidewalk.
Quickly pushing out the door, you reach for his arm and feel a small relief when your fingers find purchase. You hold onto him tightly as you move in front of him and get his attention.
"Sunwoo, it's not worth it. Let's just ignore him."
"If we ignore him, he's going to think doing this type of shit is okay, and it's not." His eyes search yours. You've never seen a more focused and determined stare looking back at you. "Especially if I'm not going to be at the apartment to protect you anymore. He's already shown up once. I'm not gonna take the chance that he won't do it again."
The two of you stare at each other. Him waiting for your permission to put an end to this, and you searching for any sign of too much anger. The absolute last thing you want is for the two of them to get into a fight in the middle of the street.
You let your hand drop from his arm, and Sunwoo does his best to hide the pleased expression on his face. As he moves to step past you, you say, "Just please try not to hit him again. I don't want you to get in any trouble."
He flashes a grin at you before crossing the street, checking for traffic as he goes. You quickly follow him because there's no way in hell you're missing whatever is said. A sense of relief floods you when you realize that Jay's presence only leaves you feeling irritated and apathetic. You don't care about this man's existence anymore. You just want him out of your life for good.
Sunwoo comes to a stop directly in front of Jay. The two men eye each other, sizing the other up until you come to a stop next to Sunwoo. Jay's gaze flicks to you for a moment, but Sunwoo doesn't let it stay there long.
"So, you've moved on from barging into people's homes to stalking?"
Jay lets out a soft snort. "I have better things to do than stalk a lying slut."
Jay flinches when Sunwoo takes a step toward him, clearly remembering what happened the last time he called you names. You're proud of Sunwoo when he manages to hold himself back from hitting him. Again.
"Listen," Suwoo starts, "I don't really give a shit what you're doing out here, but I'm telling you right now, you better leave her the hell alone. No more surprise visits to her place, no more showing up wherever she is, and no more stupid blocked phone calls. Stop acting like a deranged lunatic, and move on with your life."
Jay's eyes widen fractionally at the mention of the phone calls, but he does his best to mask it. It's already too late, though, because that slip-up confirms what you were already suspicious about.
"Or what?" Jay dares him.
You can't see Sunwoo's full face from your vantage point, but judging by the way Jay's expression shifts to an unsure one, you're guessing whatever he sees is not pretty.
"Go ahead and try something, Jay," Sunwoo's voice lowers until even your eyes widen. "I dare you."
Jay's throat bobs before he pulls himself to his full height and rolls his eyes. "Whatever. She's nothing to me anyways."
Sunwoo scoffs. "Clearly."
Jay pushes away from his car and moves toward the driver’s seat door, but you still have a question yourself. Not to mention something you feel you need to get off your chest.
"Who told you Sunwoo was staying with me?"
He throws open his door and glares back at you. The two of you stare at each other for a moment. You almost get the feeling that he's waiting to see if you'll back down just like you used to, but you're a completely different person now. You no longer care about sparing his feelings.
"Minjee," he finally answers.
Sunwoo shifts next to you, and you can only hope he's not trying to take the blame for Jay coming back into your life. It's not his fault that things played out the way they did, and he certainly can’t control Minjee.
As Jay gets into his vehicle, you say your final words to him, feeling happy you can finally get them off your chest.
"I didn't cheat on you, Jay. No matter how shitty you were to me, I stayed loyal."
He pauses before shutting the door behind him. He doesn't glance in your direction as he starts the car and shifts it into drive, but it doesn't matter to you. You said what you needed to say. Hopefully, it's over now.
Fingers lightly touch your upper back, and you turn to see Sunwoo staring at you with a worried expression. "Are you okay?"
Nodding, you offer a small smile and say, "I'm fine."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah, I'm good… It's nice to finally have some answers and to get that off my chest." You grin at him. "Plus, you didn't hit him, so that's good."
The corners of his mouth tilt up before a regretful expression takes over his face. "I'm sorry that -"
"Sunwoo, stop," you interrupt him, already knowing what he's going to say. "I don't blame you. At all. So, don't even try to take fault for anything anyone else did."
He opens his mouth to refute what you said, but you blaze ahead before he gets the chance.
"Thank you. Thank you for sticking up for me, and for standing by my side… and for making me feel safe."
His eyes immediately soften as he takes in your words and vulnerability. He takes a step closer to you and wraps his arms around your frame, pulling you to him. You allow yourself to melt into his embrace and rest your head against his body. When you wrap your arms around his waist, he shifts you even closer.
"I like keeping you safe," his voice rumbles against your ear, causing you to melt inside. You inhale his warm scent, feeling yourself relaxing in the familiarity of it and try to soak up this moment the best you can.
You don't want to let go, physically or metaphorically, and Sunwoo's words and actions are making it 800 times harder. You find yourself falling for him even more with each passing moment, and you can only hope that Sunwoo is feeling the same.
Genre: Roommates AU, Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Fuckboy AU
Word Count: 3.4k
Warnings: name-calling
Previous Chapter
The array of emotions you felt when Sunwoo told you about Minjee and the conversation he overheard were nothing compared to the ones that hit you when Sunwoo's words sank into your brain. You're not even sure which emotion to cling to as they swirl wildly throughout your body.
Sadness is the predominant emotion, and it hits you harder than you expect. You knew that this arrangement wasn't permanent, but you never even thought about Sunwoo moving out. You never considered how you'd feel when it happened. Then again… you never considered the possibility of falling for him either. The old you, the one who agreed to let him temporarily stay, would probably be doing jumping jacks right now. The present you… not so much.
Mixed in with that sadness is worry. Worry about how your relationship will change when you’re no longer forced to be in the same space. Will you still see Sunwoo often, or will he ghost you just like he did with all of those other girls? You have to believe that the friendship you’ve built means more to him than a one night stand does, but that doesn’t mean the slight anxiety and nervousness you feel aren’t still right there telling you otherwise.
When you realize Sunwoo is waiting for you to say something, you push a weak smile onto your face. You are happy for him. You're sure it'll be nice for him to have his own space and not feel like he's constantly invading yours, so you’ll put on a happy face for him. That doesn't mean you're not bummed out, though.
"That's great, Sunwoo. I'm happy for you."
His eyes search yours for a moment. You wish you could see whatever it is he can as he takes in the forced happy expression on your features. Are your feelings clear on your face, or are you better at hiding them than you realize?
"What's your favorite dessert?" He suddenly asks, eyes narrowing in focus.
Thrown off by the random question, you open your mouth to respond but then shut it in confusion. Sunwoo takes in your furrowed brow and questioning gaze. The corner of his lips tilt up in amusement.
"If you could have any dessert in the world right now, what would you want?"
"I - why?"
He nibbles on his bottom lip before saying, "Because I want to take you out."
Air rushes into your lungs as you inhale in surprise. Your heart slams against your ribcage as his words turn over in your head, and you can feel your eyes widen, but almost like he can see where your thoughts are heading, he adds, "I want to treat you for letting me stay here."
It feels like the floor beneath you has disappeared with the way your stomach drops. His clarification might as well be in neon letters. He saw you processing his words and realized you thought he was asking you out and quickly amended them. Of course. What else did you expect? You know he doesn't feel the same. Hell, now he's probably going to use it as an opportunity to softly drop an "I'm not interested" while he's at it.
"Sunwoo, you really don't have to do that."
"Please?" He softly asks. "Let me do something for you."
A pout begins to form on his face, and you quickly - and annoyingly - realize that there's no way you can turn down the cute expression. Add it to the list of growing weaknesses you have for him.
"I'm not really picky about desserts," you admit, allowing him a chance to treat you.
A smile quickly grows on his face. "Perfect! I found a really nice looking dessert shop a few blocks away. Are you okay to go now?"
A small disbelieving laugh escapes you. You certainly didn't think he meant now when he asked. "For breakfast?"
"What better way to wake up?" He gives you an answering grin.
You shake your head, but the amused smile wants to permanently etch itself onto your face. His happy, smiling face paired with the knowledge that he took the time to think about this idea and search for a place to take you before he even asked, slightly softens the blow you're sure is coming.
"Lead the way," you wave an arm towards the front door. The look of satisfaction that crosses his features sends warmth blossoming through your chest. When he places his hand on the small of your back and ushers you to the door, that warmth spreads throughout the rest of your body until you're almost positive you'll burn alive.
Sunwoo insists on driving. Even though you swear that this entire thing is unnecessary, he'll hear none of it. He even goes as far as to ask if you accept thank yous as well as help, which only makes you stick your tongue out at him and slump in your seat. The laugh that erupts from him is something that you could listen to forever, and that catapults you right back into the present. Right back into remembering that he's leaving.
"This is it!" He excitedly announces, leaning down and peeking out of your window as he parks in front of the cafe.
You follow his gaze to the cute little brick building right outside your window. A small sign above the door has the name of the shop written in an adorable bubbly font. A cupcake sits next to it with a cartoonishly smiling expression, bringing an airy smile to your face. It's a charming shop, and the pastries and desserts resting on glass display cases in the windows make your mouth water.
Without you even noticing, Sunwoo is rounding the front of the vehicle and opening your car door for you. You gape at him in surprise while your heart beats extra hard in your chest. How on earth are you not supposed to fall for him when he does things like this? Truly, you stand no chance. You climb out of the car with as much grace as you can muster and avoid his gaze. There's no point in letting your feelings for him grow, and that's all that's going to happen if you look at his charming face.
"It's cute, isn't it?" He eagerly asks. "As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to take you here."
"Why?" His words cause you to blurt out, but he doesn't miss a beat.
"Because I couldn't think of anyone else who'd appreciate it as much as me besides you, my little snack fiend."
He doesn't give you a chance to respond as he moves toward the building. A part of you is glad, though. You didn't know if you were going to get defensive because he called you a sneak fiend - which in his defense is accurate - or melt because he added a "my" in front of it. Pushing it from your mind, you follow Sunwoo into the dessert shop.
If the sight of the dessert in the windows was enough to make your mouth water, the aroma is on another level. You stand motionless as you take in the inside of the shop. The adorable decor and the display cases in front of you with cutely decorated desserts make you feel giddy. The cherry on top of the entire moment is Sunwoo standing next to you, watching your face with a wistful expression.
The two of you move to the counter to examine the sweets as a worker bounces over to you with a smile. She glances at you before offering a sugary sweet smile to Sunwoo. "Good morning. What can I get for you?"
You stare at the worker for another moment before Sunwoo's voice pulls your eyes to him. "Anything catching your interest?"
Anything catching your interest? You mean besides the fact that Sunwoo isn't giving the pretty employee the time of day while she stares at him with clear intrigue? You commit the fuzzy feeling in your chest to memory as Sunwoo keeps his gaze solely on you. Who knows if you'll ever experience another moment like this? You wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.
After you each pick out a dessert, the two of you move to a little bistro table by one of the front windows. The morning sunshine washes over you and makes you feel like the lead in a movie. This moment is something you never expected, and you just wanted to soak it all in.
Both of you take bites of your acquired desserts, and the delicious flavor that explodes in your mouth is enough to make you let out a small moan of contentment. When Sunwoo chokes on his spoonful of dessert, you try to keep the satisfied smile off your face as you wonder what all of these small things mean. If his actions and reactions add up to something or if it's all wishful thinking.
Sunwoo leans over and steals a bite of your dessert. When you look over at him in mock outrage, he offers a bite of his. "Want to try mine?"
Of course, you do, and after you try his, Sunwoo takes it as open season on your dessert until you eventually whine at him for eating nearly all of it.
"Sunwoo, why didn't you get one of these if you were just going to eat all of it?" You pout.
Sunwoo stares at you, his mouth slightly hanging open as you give him your best sad face before he finally shakes himself from it. "Hey, stop being cute. My heart can't handle it."
It's your turn to attempt to shake yourself, but his words steal your breath away. He can't handle it? You've barely been able to handle anything he's done since you walked out of your bedroom this morning! You find yourself sticking your tongue out at him again and wonder who the heck you are becoming to do that action twice in less than an hour. However, you truly have no idea what to say in reply.
"I said stop being cute. Not continue doing it," he mutters, but you still hear his words, and it only causes your heart to beat at triple speed.
Why is he saying things like that? Why is he trying to make your heart burst out of your chest? Especially when he knows how you feel about him. It'd be bordering on rude if you didn't already know Sunwoo wouldn't purposely hurt you like that.
"You stop," you grumble, shoving the last bite of your dessert in your mouth before he gets the chance to snatch it away from you.
"Stop what? Telling you that you're being cute?"
You sit in silence for a moment as you debate how honest and raw you want to be with him this early in the morning. Maybe it's time you nudge him and see how he reacts.
"Yes. Especially when I know you overheard what Minjee said last night."
You didn't have to clarify which part of Minjee's words you were talking about. Sunwoo knows. You can tell by the way he freezes in his seat and searches your face with his eyes. He dips his chin in a slight nod when he sees how serious you're being.
"I'm sorry for learning something about you that you weren't ready for me to know…"
A rush of air enters your body as you inhale. For some reason, that's not where you expected the conversation to go. You expected teasing or rejection. You hadn't expected an apology, nor did you need one. He didn’t eavesdrop on your conversation to learn your secret. He expected to learn about Minjee's bitchiness.
Unsure of what to say, your eyes fall down to the empty plate in front of you. The air between the two of you isn't awkward. It's questioning, like you're both hesitant on how to broach this topic. Sunwoo probably doesn't want to say the wrong thing, and you have no idea if you're even ready to hear what he has to say, but you feel like now is the time to find out.
"Sunwoo, I -"
His phone buzzes on the table next to him and both of you glance down at the small device as a set of numbers flashes across the screen. Sunwoo's brows furrow, and he bites his lip before looking back up at you.
"It's the apartment complex…"
"Oh… go ahead," you wave toward the phone, indicating to him to answer it.
If your body can physically deflate, it does at this very moment. You have allowed yourself to forget that he's leaving you and getting his own place. Allowed yourself to fall into this dream world of a fake date with him instead, and now reality is smacking you in the face.
You glance out the window as Sunwoo talks things through with the person on the phone. It sounds like things are going well if his words are any indication. Sadness creeps in again, conflicting with the beautiful sunny weather outside. How could you have so many things you want to say to him but be so unsure of how to get the words out of your mouth?
To make matters worse, your eyes fall on a familiar figure leaning against a car across the street. Your mood sours even more, and you find yourself glaring out the window as the person watches the two of you.
Sunwoo finishes up his call, but you don't even look at him as he attempts to tell you the news.
"So, I got the… hey, are you okay?"
He turns his head to follow your line of sight out the window when you don't respond, and you know the minute he spots the person you noticed. Even from your peripheral, you can see his entire body stiffen. What you don't expect is for him to stand up from his seat and make a beeline for the café door.
"Sunwoo, wait!" You get up and race after him, hoping to stop whatever is about to happen before it does. He ignores you as he pushes open the door and walks out onto the sidewalk.
Quickly pushing out the door, you reach for his arm and feel a small relief when your fingers find purchase. You hold onto him tightly as you move in front of him and get his attention.
"Sunwoo, it's not worth it. Let's just ignore him."
"If we ignore him, he's going to think doing this type of shit is okay, and it's not." His eyes search yours. You've never seen a more focused and determined stare looking back at you. "Especially if I'm not going to be at the apartment to protect you anymore. He's already shown up once. I'm not gonna take the chance that he won't do it again."
The two of you stare at each other. Him waiting for your permission to put an end to this, and you searching for any sign of too much anger. The absolute last thing you want is for the two of them to get into a fight in the middle of the street.
You let your hand drop from his arm, and Sunwoo does his best to hide the pleased expression on his face. As he moves to step past you, you say, "Just please try not to hit him again. I don't want you to get in any trouble."
He flashes a grin at you before crossing the street, checking for traffic as he goes. You quickly follow him because there's no way in hell you're missing whatever is said. A sense of relief floods you when you realize that Jay's presence only leaves you feeling irritated and apathetic. You don't care about this man's existence anymore. You just want him out of your life for good.
Sunwoo comes to a stop directly in front of Jay. The two men eye each other, sizing the other up until you come to a stop next to Sunwoo. Jay's gaze flicks to you for a moment, but Sunwoo doesn't let it stay there long.
"So, you've moved on from barging into people's homes to stalking?"
Jay lets out a soft snort. "I have better things to do than stalk a lying slut."
Jay flinches when Sunwoo takes a step toward him, clearly remembering what happened the last time he called you names. You're proud of Sunwoo when he manages to hold himself back from hitting him. Again.
"Listen," Suwoo starts, "I don't really give a shit what you're doing out here, but I'm telling you right now, you better leave her the hell alone. No more surprise visits to her place, no more showing up wherever she is, and no more stupid blocked phone calls. Stop acting like a deranged lunatic, and move on with your life."
Jay's eyes widen fractionally at the mention of the phone calls, but he does his best to mask it. It's already too late, though, because that slip-up confirms what you were already suspicious about.
"Or what?" Jay dares him.
You can't see Sunwoo's full face from your vantage point, but judging by the way Jay's expression shifts to an unsure one, you're guessing whatever he sees is not pretty.
"Go ahead and try something, Jay," Sunwoo's voice lowers until even your eyes widen. "I dare you."
Jay's throat bobs before he pulls himself to his full height and rolls his eyes. "Whatever. She's nothing to me anyways."
Sunwoo scoffs. "Clearly."
Jay pushes away from his car and moves toward the driver’s seat door, but you still have a question yourself. Not to mention something you feel you need to get off your chest.
"Who told you Sunwoo was staying with me?"
He throws open his door and glares back at you. The two of you stare at each other for a moment. You almost get the feeling that he's waiting to see if you'll back down just like you used to, but you're a completely different person now. You no longer care about sparing his feelings.
"Minjee," he finally answers.
Sunwoo shifts next to you, and you can only hope he's not trying to take the blame for Jay coming back into your life. It's not his fault that things played out the way they did, and he certainly can’t control Minjee.
As Jay gets into his vehicle, you say your final words to him, feeling happy you can finally get them off your chest.
"I didn't cheat on you, Jay. No matter how shitty you were to me, I stayed loyal."
He pauses before shutting the door behind him. He doesn't glance in your direction as he starts the car and shifts it into drive, but it doesn't matter to you. You said what you needed to say. Hopefully, it's over now.
Fingers lightly touch your upper back, and you turn to see Sunwoo staring at you with a worried expression. "Are you okay?"
Nodding, you offer a small smile and say, "I'm fine."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah, I'm good… It's nice to finally have some answers and to get that off my chest." You grin at him. "Plus, you didn't hit him, so that's good."
The corners of his mouth tilt up before a regretful expression takes over his face. "I'm sorry that -"
"Sunwoo, stop," you interrupt him, already knowing what he's going to say. "I don't blame you. At all. So, don't even try to take fault for anything anyone else did."
He opens his mouth to refute what you said, but you blaze ahead before he gets the chance.
"Thank you. Thank you for sticking up for me, and for standing by my side… and for making me feel safe."
His eyes immediately soften as he takes in your words and vulnerability. He takes a step closer to you and wraps his arms around your frame, pulling you to him. You allow yourself to melt into his embrace and rest your head against his body. When you wrap your arms around his waist, he shifts you even closer.
"I like keeping you safe," his voice rumbles against your ear, causing you to melt inside. You inhale his warm scent, feeling yourself relaxing in the familiarity of it and try to soak up this moment the best you can.
You don't want to let go, physically or metaphorically, and Sunwoo's words and actions are making it 800 times harder. You find yourself falling for him even more with each passing moment, and you can only hope that Sunwoo is feeling the same.
