magnanimitty

he caught himself thinking about her for the rest of the day. it was almost embarrassing. every now and then, he'd realize he was smiling to himself for absolutely no reason, only to remember exactly who had been occupying his thoughts. his coworkers noticed almost immediately. there was no hiding it. the teasing started before dinner had even ended, someone had finally asked if he'd met someone. river, surprisingly, didn't bother denying it. he admitted it. told them there was a girl he'd started seeing. of course, the moment everest's name came up, the garage erupted. everyone there knew him in one way or another, which made it impossible to leave out the small detail that the girl happened to be his best friend's younger sister. the whistles. the laughter. the fake condolences. they came one after another.

“man, you're dead.”

“should we start planning the funeral?”

“does everest know yet?”

river rolled his eyes through all of it, laughing along despite himself. by the end of the shift, the constant joking had somehow made the day fly by. it wasn't a bad way to spend the evening. once he finally got home, he'd barely stepped through the front door before his phone buzzed in his pocket. sunhee. his smile returned before he'd even unlocked the screen.

📱: awww just for the weekend? 📱: sweetheart! you don't need a towel or toothpaste. i've got those. 📱: there's soap, there's shampoo... although probably not the kind you use. 📱: we could go shopping together and then make brownies afterward? 📱: damn. i'll come pick you up in the morning and take your bag with me. you're not carrying that thing around all day.

somehow… she stayed on his mind long after the conversation ended. she was there when he fell asleep and somehow, she was the first thing he thought about when he woke up the next morning. friday. finally. which meant he got to pick her up after classes and bring her home with him. the thought alone was enough to get him moving.

he tossed a load of clothes into the washing machine, though he didn't actually start it yet. instead, he walked around the apartment making sure everything looked at least somewhat presentable. the trash went out first. his laptop, usually abandoned somewhere random, found its proper place on the coffee table, headset resting neatly on top instead of being left on the couch or forgotten on the floor. it still looked lived in but at least it looked like someone had attempted to clean. once he was satisfied, he grabbed his phone and called one of his coworkers. hiro. the two of them had become surprisingly good friends. “you're already at campus?” river laughed. “alright. i'll be there in twenty.” he hated having to leave his bike behind. really hated it but the car made more sense today. it was more comfortable, especially if sunhee was bringing an overnight bag. besides, judging by how excited hiro had sounded, the guy was probably thrilled he'd get to borrow river's yamaha for the weekend.

after swapping vehicles, river pulled onto the road. traffic, unfortunately, had other plans. what should've been a quick drive turned into a slow crawl through packed streets, making him glance at the dashboard clock more often than he'd like. by the time he finally reached sunhee's building, he was almost running late. he quickly sent her a message letting her know he'd arrived before climbing out of the car. walking around to the front, he leaned casually against the hood while he waited. the sleek black sports car gleamed beneath the morning light. similar to everest's. just… better. at least, river liked to think so.

the moment sunhee stepped out of the building, he pushed himself away from the car without hesitation. meeting her halfway, he reached for her bag before she even had the chance to protest. “morning.” his grin was immediate. without another thought, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her as though they hadn't just seen each other the day before. somehow… it already felt like it'd been much longer. after a gentle squeeze, he leaned back just enough to look at her. “did you sleep well?” still carrying her bag, river walked beside her toward the passenger side. he opened the door for her, waiting until she'd settled comfortably inside before closing it gently. only then did he walk around to the back of the car, lift the trunk and place her bag inside. a moment later, he rounded the vehicle and slipped into the driver's seat, unable to hide the small smile that still lingered on his face.

sunhee had her phone on the edge of the bed while she stood over her bag holding a set of matching pajama's , which were cute but not nearly as comfortable in one hand , while the other held her massively large shirt and shorts that weren't flattering , but were comfortable . which one were appropriate for a first sleepover ? sunhee knew she was overthinking it , probably because she knew this would really be their first date together despite the pair of them already having spent a night tangled in each other's arms ... and sunhee was pretty sure she'd passed out naked in his bed , so did pajama's really matter ?

seeing his name light up her screen had sunhee dropping both sets of clothes on the ground and launched across the length of her bag on the floor to reach for it and read the given nickname once again , feet hitting the floor happily as she read it once , twice , and a third time over , so clearly reading the words in river's voice and picturing the grin he had when he typed out his response . if she wasn't completely head over heels , then her lack of sleep from her excitement surely was .

she'd never been more excited to go to class the next day that entire semester than she was that night , tossing and turning , grabbing her phone to see if time had magically sped up that she'd with river soon . her focus wasn't on any of her lectures and sat there waiting for his name to appear on her phone again , ignoring the looks from her friends as they all stared at the packed bag that sat by her feet with a pair of her cat faced socks hanging out the side from just how full it was that she couldn't zip it up all the way ; perhaps she might have overpacked ... just in case she did end up staying longer than the weekend .

" good morning ! " had he seen how her feet had picked up when she saw him ? she'd almost dropped her bag on the ground to run the rest of the way to meet him in that hug , so endearingly sweet how he held her , she'd almost forgotten he had parked in a very public lot where everyone could see . sunhee didn't even care as she gripped him tighter with the biggest smile on her face . she couldn't recall a time when anyone had been that excited to see her before , feeling her heart do that weird leap again when the car door was held open and shut for her , and river put her bag away like the true gentleman he was .

" i didn't sleep much , " she admitted , already turned in her seat to fully face him even with her seatbelt on . " i was too excited to see you i had a hard time falling asleep . " had he been just as happy to see her as she was him ? sunhee really hoped so , reaching across the console of the car to grab his knee and hold it as a small touch that would bring them just a little bit closer . " a whole weekend together ? " they didn't need to fill every minute with a date , or find ways to spent their time ; sunhee was perfectly content sitting there watching him repair cars all day if that's what he wanted . her hand lifted from his knee to reach for her backpack she'd held on to , set neatly between her legs , and pulled out one of the books she'd finished a few times over , clearly well worn by the state of the cover that had faded from years of use . " i remember what you said about those stories about wolves and monsters ? this one is old , but it's one of my favorites . i thought we could read it together ... if we have time , " she added , voice tone going a bit softer towards the end when she realized hos ridiculously childish it sounded now that she said it out loud . " if that sounds too weird , i'm sure we could find something else to do . whatever you'd like ! "

it was almost funny. while she talked about reading together, river had the exact same thought cross his mind. he could already picture it so clearly—- her curled up beside him with a book she'd been wanting to start or one she loved enough to read all over again. he wouldn't even mind just listening. hearing her voice fill the quiet while she read chapter after chapter sounded... peaceful. maybe they'd make a habit out of it. find a park or simply stay at his apartment with mugs of something warm nearby. read a little every time they met until they reached the last page, then start another book all over again. for someone who had always struggled to sit still long enough to finish a novel, somehow the idea didn't sound boring anymore.

his thoughts drifted back to the present as the bike rolled through familiar streets. once again, he was taking her back. and once again, he found himself thinking that if she ever asked, he'd happily pick her up after classes too. especially on the days she stayed late. knowing she'd gotten home safely would always be enough for him. there was something else he'd noticed, too. she wasn't nearly as stiff on the bike anymore. the first ride had been all tense shoulders and hesitant movements, her arms wrapped around him like she expected the bike to launch into the air at any second. this time… she'd relaxed. he could feel it every time they stopped at a light or leaned into a turn. her body rested more naturally against his back now, no longer rigid with nervousness. the realization stayed with him the entire ride.

by the time they reached the university, river slowed to a stop and switched off the engine. after pulling off his helmet, he gave his head a quick shake, leaving his dark hair even messier than before. “you can see me anytime, sweetheart.” the words came easily. maybe a little too easily. his expression brightened even more when she mentioned the possibility of coming over for a sleepover. honestly… he liked that idea a little too much. she wasn't wrong, either. it wouldn't exactly be her first time inside his apartment. or his bedroom. that thought almost made him laugh to himself.

“you don't have classes on weekends, do you?” he tilted his head, already entertaining the idea. “you could stay the night.” after a brief pause, he shrugged. “or honestly... you could stay the whole weekend.” his smile softened. “hell, you could stay the whole week if you wanted.” he pointed vaguely down the road. “my place is a little closer to your school anyway.” there wasn't an ounce of hidden meaning behind the offer. he simply enjoyed having her around. sharing the same space didn't seem strange to him at all. if anything, it sounded... nice. comfortable. like waking up, making breakfast together, bumping into each other in the kitchen or arguing over whose turn it was to choose a movie. the thought settled warmly somewhere deep in his chest before he quietly pushed it aside. one step at a time. he wasn't about to rush her.

instead, he simply left the invitation hanging between them. she could think about it. decide whether she wanted to stay over, when it would work with her schedule and let him know whenever she was ready. there was no pressure. only the offer. once he'd watched her disappear safely inside, river pulled his helmet back on and climbed onto his bike again. the ride back started calmly enough. then the open road stretched out in front of him. a grin spread beneath his helmet. he twisted the throttle. the engine answered instantly, roaring louder as the bike surged forward. speed had always done something to him. the rush of adrenaline. the wind pressing against his jacket. the city lights blurring past. it was one of the few feelings he'd never grown tired of and for the rest of the ride back, he let himself enjoy every second of it.

" sweetheart ? " she thought she heard it correctly . no one had ever given her an endearing nickname like that before and meant for it to be kind -- usually a way to tease her , yet when river said it , it felt genuine and real . it did another twinge to her heart as she stood there with her hands holding the straps of her heavy backpack and didn't make the rest of her afternoon of classes seem as difficult . " i usually tutor on the weekends ... if my professor needs any help , i'll come in if they ask . "

it wasn't as though sunhee had much of a personal life outside of her classes , what time she did have was in a cafe with her friends or find something to do with everest . " the whole weekend ? " she repeated again , contemplating taking him up on the offer for the whole week if he was willingly offering . she thought about it , perhaps only a few seconds , but eagerly nodded . " i think the weekend is nice . we can spend time getting to know each other more , if you wouldn't mind if i bring some of my studying with . "

she'd been a little ... distracted the first time that she couldn't remember exactly how his apartment was set up and if there was a place for her to lay out her books and literature notes . hopefully he wouldn't mind if she was sprawled out on the floor with her many notebooks and laptop to finish the necessary grading . worries brushed aside as she saw the doors of the university begin to open and other students began trickling out of the front on their way to their next classes , leaving sunhee with not that much time left before she had to be in the lecture hall .

" i can't wait for our next date , " she said . she wanted to kiss him , something quick and meaningful , but hesitated , as if the two of them hadn't already slept together . it felt different this time , and opted for another one of her hugs that snuggly wrapped herself around him . " thank you for the drive back to the university . i'll make sure to message you when i get home later tonight . and i'll let you know what time i can come over tomorrow night ! " she left him with a little wave and a small skip in her step as she partly ran to her class , bearing an excited smile , and a happy nervousness that left her thrilled the rest of the night .

then frantic packing . sunhee didn't have a suitcase , but she had a big enough bag that could hold a couple days worth of clothes she shoved inside , a few facemasks , and her backpack with her notes . she chewed her lip as she looked over everything and tried to remember river's apartment , embarrassed at how little she could recall if she needed to bring anything else like shampoo or soap . she picked up her phone and was sending him a picture of everything she'd already packed .

[ sms : river ] i know i might be overpacking but what else should i bring for this weekend ? do i need to bring my own towel or toothpaste ?

[ sms : river ] do you want me to bring brownies ? i want to bake for you again but idk if i'll have any room left

[ sms : river ] do you have stuff so i can make brownies there ?

#wanted #nico #do that again i was walking my laundry

yum-nyang

(credit)

“of course i mean that—-” he looked almost offended that she'd even questioned him. almost. river knew exactly where her doubt came from, so instead of taking it personally, he simply smiled. it was warm. genuine and adoring. the dangling earring in his ear swayed lightly as he gave his head a small shake. “ah, it slowed you down?” his smile softened. “it's okay.” he gave her shoulder a gentle bump. “sometimes it's better to take things slow and enjoy things for as long as you can.” he truly believed that. there wasn't always a reason to rush through life. still… his thoughts briefly wandered elsewhere. he knew enough about her mother to understand things weren't exactly easy. if the woman ever found out about him… what would happen? would she try to keep sunhee away from him? or would she simply voice her disapproval and leave it at that? either way, river knew it probably wouldn't be pleasant. the thought lingered only for a second before disappearing completely.

his attention returned to sunhee the moment she started talking about the kinds of stories she enjoyed. his eyes practically lit up. they seemed to shine with excitement. “that's what i like too.” he grinned. “i'm not very good at reading anymore.” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “i barely have time these days.” the excuse left his mouth before he could stop it and he immediately knew it sounded weak. if he really wanted to read… he'd make time. he just hadn't lately. “also... fascinating indeed.” one eyebrow arched when she admitted she wasn't entirely convinced those kinds of things could actually exist. without really thinking about it, his fingers found a loose strand of her hair. he gently twirled it around one finger while he thought aloud. “i actually believe in all of it.” his voice remained calm. “creatures like that.” he shrugged lightly. “magic, i think they exist.” his gaze drifted somewhere ahead. “i think there are things walking among us that people simply don't notice.” he smiled faintly. “but that's just me.” what he didn't say was that, above all else, he believed in fate. more than monsters. more than magic. fate had a strange way of pulling people together for reasons they couldn't understand until much later. just like it had done with him and sunhee.

eventually, his attention shifted to the glow of her phone screen. he noticed the brief glance she gave the time. river pushed himself to his feet. “give me a second.” he pointed toward the back room. “i'll be right back.” without another word, he disappeared behind the door. about five minutes later, he returned. the grease-stained overalls were gone. instead, he'd changed into black ripped jeans, keeping the same tank top underneath a leather jacket. he'd even sprayed on a bit of cologne, just enough to replace the lingering scent of engine oil and grease with something cleaner. his phone remained in one hand as he finished typing out a quick message to his boss. “let's go?” he finally looked up, slipping the phone into his pocket. “i don't want you to be late.” a grin tugged at the corner of his lips. “come on, my cute backpack.” he held his hand out toward her waiting for her to take it.

river didn't strike her as the type to enjoy reading . perhaps it was because his association with her brother already had her determining what kind of guy river was , that he was a more bad boy type with a rough exterior and sort of cut off from his emotions that she would have to break through , just to have her predisposed assumptions shattered in just the first two days of really getting to know him . river seemed like he had a soft heart and seemed happy to enter a relationship with good intentions .

" i'll read to you one day . if you want . " was that too weird ? sunhee could imagine it already , the pair of them enjoying a simple date together in the park , laid out on a blanket , his head resting in her lap while she read to him a story from one of her books and played with his hair . maybe with his earring -- she was already developing a fascination with the jewelry piece that seemed to draw her attention whenever it moved . " and we can talk more about these monsters you think are real and why . you'll have to point them out to me one day . "

a text with her everst's name popped up on her screen questioning if she'd need a ride home that day after class . it felt rude for her to pull her attention away from river to respond to it , quickly writing back that she'd need to stay later than normal to grade extra and she'd take the bus home , but thanked him for his offer regardless . it took every bit of resistance she had not to blurt out she was already at river's work when he'd just given his approval to his relationship , but shaking hands refrained . then soon enough , her new knight in shining armor appeared in his typical model fashion , a big contrast to the greasy oil stained uniform he'd just had on .

sunhee wasn't ready to go back to her classes yet , but if she stuck around any longer , she would be late , and couldn't afford to miss her professor's lecture considering it was the same professor she worked over . regardless of her bad history with other guys , she refused to be late because of one . " thank you for driving me back -- i really don't mind taking -- " and refuse when he'd already texted his boss and changed ? sunhee caught the whiff of his cologne , surprisingly a bit sweeter than she would have imagined , one that didn't overwhelm her senses with something bitter that most other guys seemed to prefer . she really only offered to seem polite .

" don't forget about the cookies . they're a gift ... if you wanted to share them with some of the other guys , " she mumbled , her backpack on again and adjusting pieces of her hair that had gotten stuck under the straps . sunhee was back on the same bike as the day before , no longer cautious and worried about the potential man she held onto with concerns about his intentions . she was back in front of her building in half the time it had taken for her to get there , dismounting with just the slightest little stumble when her shoe caught the seat . she didn't fall . just a small trip . " do you think i could see you again soon ? " she asked . " i've already been over to your house ... it would be nice to spend some time getting to actually talk without classes getting in the way . i could bring a bag . spend the night ? "

#wanted #fuma #idk what to even say other than #no #this isn't good for my mental health

oops my hand slipped @deerhunteer

it had started as an innocent enough date . a simple dinner , the pair discussing their respective days and river complimenting on her outfit -- her favorite skirt and silky crop top that laced together in the front . " you bought this for me , " she'd commented with a light blush coloring her cheeks and pushing her hair behind her ear with the way he was looking at her .

" i did ? i don't remember that , " he said with his usual teasing tone and knowing grin just to try and make his girlfriend more flustered . perhaps it was the ambiance of the little restaurant they were in , or that he'd missed sunhee after spending an entire day apart ( or he was just horny ) , but he wanted to see her blush even more . " you should have done a little spin for me before we left . " his hand was already sliding up her leg from where he sat next to her on the booth , fingers teasing the smooth skin and pinching the end of her skirt until sunhee almost jumped out of her seat causing her knee to hit the underside of the table .

" stop . " she was giggling and playfully smacking at his wrist , but really , with the way he calmed her down by pressing a small kiss to her nose was enough to have her blushing all over again rather than getting her flustered . he did seem to behave himself for the rest of their meal and instead pulled her back to his side and every so often lifted the fork to feed her food . she felt silly doing it , though quickly made up for it by feeding him right back while ignoring the other couples that stared at them for their cringey behavior .

sunhee wasn't surprised at all to be pushed against the back of his apartment door once it was closed . pretty much every night , they had sex , and if everest really knew what happened after their dates he would have never agreed to letting his best friend in to sunhee's life in the first place . sometimes she wondered if he knew just how wild river really was or was blissfully ignorant to the filth the couple committed every night as he only saw the sweet side of river whenever they were out together ; the boyfriend that always held the door open and was always covering her with his jacket -- what reason did he have to suspect the pair ?

" come on , sweet girl . ride me in that cute skirt . " sunhee mewled against his lips as she started pawing at his clothes , tugging his shirt over his head before he'd lifted her in his arms and brought her to the bedroom where he'd gently lay her on the mattress first before undoing his belt and dropping his loose pants to the ground .

sunhee was too desperate to get on him to pull her top off . the lace was quite stubborn , eventually huffing from the effort and tossing her panties aside instead . river's hands guided over his girlfriends waist as she rode him slow , deep , and admiring the way she looked over him with mild amusement to how quickly she seemed to turn to mush .

" you're so receptive . " sunhee's mewls turned into the occasional moan , then a gasp when river suddenly thrust up into her causing her to still above him and tensed . " god . you're so cute , " he whispered to his girlfriend's eyes shutting closed and seeing her eyes brim with tears as his cock stroked deeper inside her -- she let out the loudest whine that had river growling and wrapping his arm around her waist to throw her onto her back and pushed into her so hard the headboard knocked against the wall . again and again . the sound so loud sunhee could barely make out her own sounds around the slamming , the force of it eventually rustling the pillows around them that one fell on her face. sunhee quickly grabbed it with and used it to bite on the corner of it to muffle to try and muffle the whines that were coming out of her , river quickly snatching it out of her grasp and tossing it aside .

" those sounds belong to me , " he growled with the same intensity he'd used their first night together . his hand went to grab at sunhee's jaw and turned her head so she was looking directly at him , her eyes glazed out and so unfocused all he could do was chuckle and kiss her to try and bring her back . he slowed the movement of his hips , grinding against her core , sunhee finally blinking back at him , just for another roll of his thrust to make her go cross eyed . river scoffed at how adorably braindead she went , another kiss to her forehead despite the harsh thrusts he still gave . " you love it when i do this ... aeygo fucking filth ... " sunhee barely acknowledged the words , arms going limp next to her frame from the same position she'd had from holding the pillow next to her head . river pushed himself up , stopping just long enough to give his girlfriend a bit of time to catch her breath , though his hands still roamed down her body .

he paused over her top . he briefly thought about ripping it , though she seemed to love it so much , whether she liked the style , or if she really was that sweet to wear it as often as she did since it was a gift -- his heart briefly warmed at how much she cherished the little surprises he brought her . how sweet she really was with him and how no one had ever been as good to him as she had ; he wanted to protect her from all the bad things in the world and kill all those asshole ex boyfriends that had taken advantage of her kindness . only for it to be replaced by a insatiable hunger when sunhee's fingers tightened to grab the sheets at her head .

" more river , please ... "

river groaned . " don't worry , princess , i'll never stop ... " he didn't rip the silk of her top . but he did tear the skirt still wrapped around her waist and didn't bother tossing away the shredded fabric and left it slumped on the mattress under her . he did tug her top down until her breasts bounced and sleeves caught at her elbows , effectively pinning her arms to her side , and the neckline bunching at her waist . his right hand came to fondle her breast , thumbing at her nipple until it pebbled , and making sunhee turn into mush all over again . " you're too receptive to make me stop ... " a pinch to her nipple had her gasping , eyes shooting open and whining out from the little bit of pain , only for it to be soothed by his tongue and kiss it better . sunhee had just enough energy to tangle her fingers in his hair as he mouthed at her breast , though not long enough ; river shoved her arm back beside her head and sat himself up again .

" such a pretty girl , " he mumbled down at her as he lifted her leg and settled it over his shoulder , kissing at her calf until his lips caught the gold chain of the anklet he'd bought her with the wolf pendant hanging off the end . he knowingly grinned when she saw the expression across his girlfriend's face as she realized he was right ; it would look cuter there when he fucked her with her legs by his neck . his reward ? a hard thrust . one so deep and grip so tight on her leg that sunhee's bottom frame lifted off the mattress , and river nearly had her bent in half with the force of his thrusts . the little whines she'd been letting out turned into full blown screaming . thankfully none of the neighbors seemed to complain .

bonus scene :

everest felt a disturbance in the force . it wasn't like sunhee to decline a night out together . ever since he'd given river permission , if that's what he could even call it , to date his little sister he'd noticed how quick she was to choose spending time with river than him , and honestly , it hurt his pride . just a little . just one year ago she'd been ecstatic about spending every waking moment with him and refused to go even one day without talking to him , even in those moments where he'd found her constant attention a little annoying , now found endearing .

she hadn't given him a real reason why . sunhee was a terrible liar and could spot it before she'd even fumbled the words out of her mouth . and it really hadn't been a lie when she said she was busy , but now everest wasn't buying it as he reached for his phone on his nightstand and checked her location .

" fuck ! " he nearly threw his phone into the wall when she saw the dot with her pin right in river's apartment . he zoomed in ; yeah . the bedroom . he should have dialed river's number first , but he was worried about cursing his friend out over the phone so loudly knew he'd get hung up on . so he called her first .

" sunhee's phone . "

everest could hear river's smirk through the line and gripped his phone so tightly he felt the case start to crack under his fingers .

" what the fuck is sunhee doing at your house ? and why the fuck are you answering her phone ? "

" dude . relax . she felt tired after our date and i wasn't about to drive her all the way back to her mom's place across town . what kind of boyfriend do you think i am ? " river asked , amused , and adjusting sunhee from where she slept completely passed out at his side .

" i can see she's in your room , dickface ! "

river laughed . " yeah ? and i'm sleeping on the couch . "

" you have her phone asshole ! "

" well ... damn . you caught me . " sunhee slowly woke up at the familiar sound of her brother's screaming , still a bit dazed and confused , as unfocused eyes tried to make out the scene with river holding her phone .

everest jumped out of his bed and started pacing the room to calm himself down . or to stop himself from driving over there and beating his best friend to death .

" and look at that , you woke her up . now that isn't a nice thing to do as an older brother , is it ? "

" let me talk to her . "

" not with that tone , i won't . " sunhee's eyes narrowed as she saw river smirk continue to light up his whole face .

" let me talk to sunhee or i swear i'm gonna cut off your balls and shove them down your -- "

" everest ? " sunhee's tired voice came through .

his tone softened almost immediately . he sighed . " sunhee ... are you alright ? " she nodded , even though he couldn't see her . she let out a soft yawn .

" i'm fine . "

" why are you at his house instead of yours ? if you were tired , you could've stayed with me , " he attempted . he wiped his hand down his face as if that would take away the sudden anger and urge to protect his little sister .

" ... everest . he's my boyfriend ... i can spend the night at his house , " she mumbled as sleep lured her . another yawn . " if you're that worried , you can pick me up and bring me home tomorrow morning . breakfast ? " she offered .

" first thing in the morning , " everest promised , though didn't get a chance to give a time as the line went quiet . he knew river had snatched the phone from her just to not give him the satisfaction of having the last word . " bitch , " he mumbled under his breath as he thought about river and how pleased he must have felt with himself in that moment .

meanwhile , sunhee's eyes grew heavy again as she felt herself start to fall back asleep . river was pressing gentle kisses across her face and stroking her cheek as she tried fighting off the exhaustion that would inevitably lure her to sleep again . then he laughed .

" wonder what everest will think when he comes to breakfast and realizes you're not wearing your own clothes . " he laughed again , peeking at the ruined and torn fabric of sunhee's only outfit scrapped on the floor beside them .

#deerhunteer

loveonetual

“they better.” the words left him with a quiet scoff. for someone who considered himself a pacifist, river had spent a surprising amount of his life learning when not to fight. mostly because he knew exactly how ugly things could get when he finally lost his patience. avoiding conflict wasn't weakness—- it was self-control. still, there were exceptions and if someone had hurt her? well. he couldn't promise he'd remain nearly as reasonable. the thought crossed his mind that everest had probably dealt with a few of those idiots himself. knowing his best friend, protecting the people he loved was practically second nature.

his attention quickly returned to sunhee when she reacted to the nose boop. cute. way too cute. river watched her with open fondness, though a spark of mischief flickered briefly through his eyes when she insisted he couldn't just keep doing that. oh, he absolutely could and there were probably plenty of other things he could do that she wouldn't protest either. but he kept those thoughts firmly to himself. for once, he wasn't interested in rushing ahead. more than anything, he wanted to do this properly. take his time. show her who he really was. show her that he respected her, valued her and wasn't just chasing a fleeting feeling.

so instead of teasing her further, he settled in and listened. there was something soothing about hearing her talk. the sound of her voice alone was enough to keep his attention locked entirely on her. when she downplayed herself, river immediately shook his head. “i'd like to disagree but go ahead.” a low chuckle escaped him. he let her continue uninterrupted, nodding occasionally as she spoke about her family. the parts involving her mother and everest weren't exactly new information—- he'd heard plenty over the years from his best friend. everything else, though? that was new and river made a mental note of every detail. especially the parts about her interests.

if he was being honest, he was already filing away ideas in the back of his mind. places he could take her. things they could do together. small outings that sounded suspiciously like dates. maybe even traditions they could build over time. the thought alone made him smile. when she started talking about school and business materials, however, he groaned dramatically. “ugh. tell me about it.” he leaned back slightly. “anything business-related is enough to put me to sleep.” his grin widened as he turned to look at her. that same adoring expression remained firmly in place. “i'll be rooting for you, though.” and he meant it, without hesitation. “actually...” he added, curiosity creeping into his voice. “have you tried applying to any of those places yet?”

truthfully, he had no idea how internships or student placements worked. surely companies hired students sometimes. otherwise how was anyone supposed to get experience in the first place? his attention shifted again when she mentioned fantasy. that immediately caught his interest. “fantasy, huh?” his brows lifted. “what kind?” he tilted his head slightly. “dragons? magic? kingdoms? weird creatures lurking in forests?” his smile grew more playful. “because depending on your answer, i might judge you.” the statement was immediately followed by a quiet laugh, making it obvious he was kidding. mostly. “seriously, though,” he continued, settling more comfortably beside her. “what do you like about it?” it wasn't hard to imagine the conversation carrying on for hours if they let it and honestly? river wouldn't have minded that at all.

sunhee wasn't used to this sort of attention . not direct , at least , where they actually listened to what she said , added on , and to hear that someone would be cheering for her goals had the younger woman pausing . had she heard him correctly ? " you mean that ? " she asked , his words giving her a moment to reflect on how that simple kindness really made her feel motivated to try harder in her studies . suddenly the financial papers she graded didn't see so bad anymore .

" i don't have a reason to apply yet , i'm still finishing classes . since mom isn't helping out much , i had to take a student intern position to pay my tuition and it set me back on my pace to finish when i would have liked . " she shrugged , as if it wasn't that big of a deal her graduation date being set back a few years than she would have liked . to her , it didn't seem all that bad coming from such an unsupportive household , not realizing how foreign the concept was until everest became a regular part of her life . her mother had already commented with a snarky frown that she spent too much time with her brother and loved to point out how their father hadn't made an effort to get to know her , so it was a waste getting to know everest , too . sunhee always figured it came from a place of jealousy that her father would have rather spent time with his real family than the woman he'd carried on an affair with -- and she didn't waste her mental energy on that .

and no point in bothering river with those petty details when he was still focused on making her feel like the most special girl in the entire world with his simple questions , but the way he asked them with such genuine curiosity was what really had her brain turning into goo . would he find it too silly if she started to gush about her fantasy novels to him ? " the fairytale ones . with the dragons and wolves ... knights and queens , fantasy villages and good vs bad . it's a way to escape into a different reality and explore things that don't exist in the real world . it's incredibly fascinating , don't you think ? " she asked , lifting her head to gauge his reaction before her head rested back on to his shoulder . sunhee had her arms around his waist soon enough in a side cuddle on that couch not blocked off from the rest of the empty shop , wishing she could've stayed there for hours babbling on and on about the books she loved to reach rather than go back to class . " they're endlessly entertaining to me . sometimes i get to edit assignments from the creative writing majors and some of the things they can come up with are impressive -- or awfully cringey . i don't care for the types of stories that get too weird . they have to be grounded in some sort of realism . it's not like those sorts of creatures exist in real life and if it gets to be too much , then it's hard for me to follow . "

“my work is fine—- hours are flexible. i can leave and come in whenever i want.” it was one of the advantages of working where he did. everyone operated more or less the same way. as long as deadlines were met and nobody spent their shifts slacking off, nobody really cared what hours they worked. there were nights when river preferred being in the garage long after everyone else had gone home, music playing through the speakers while he worked in peace. but around full moons, early shifts became his best friend. besides, he'd feel better knowing she got back to campus without any trouble.

his brows knitted together slightly at her words. honestly, he couldn't help wondering what kind of guys she'd dealt with before. the way she reacted to basic consideration made it sound like she'd rarely received it. to river, none of this felt extraordinary. if he cared about someone, this was simply what he did. if anything, it only strengthened his resolve to show her what genuine interest looked like. “listen,” he said after a moment, “if we ever run into one of those guys, give me a heads-up.” his mouth twitched upward. “i just wanna... talk.” the words were delivered lightly enough to sound like a joke but the look in his eyes told a different story. there was a seriousness there that suggested he wasn't entirely kidding.

thankfully, the moment she giggled and admitted she wanted to get to know him better, that expression melted away completely. river reached over and gently booped her nose. then she rested her head against his shoulder and suddenly the world felt a little quieter. the closeness came far too naturally. he found himself relaxing into it without even thinking. with a small chuckle, he leaned his cheek against the top of her head, his gaze drifting aimlessly across the garage. “let's start with family basics.” his voice carried a warmth that hadn't been there before. “i have an older sister.” a fond smile tugged at his lips. “honestly, i was raised by women. especially my granny.” the mention of her immediately stirred something nostalgic in his chest. he missed her. maybe he should make the trip out there soon. spend a few days with her, help around the house, make sure she was doing okay. the thought lingered pleasantly in the back of his mind.

“as for hobbies...” he continued. “i've got a lot of them.” he laughed softly. “other than riding around and modding cars—- which is funny because that's also what i do for a living—- i really like photography.” there were already hints of that scattered all over his instagram. sunsets, city lights, random moments he'd found beautiful enough to capture before they disappeared. “dancing too.” his smile widened slightly. “i learned b-boying while also trying to figure out what an engine actually was and how the hell it worked.” he hummed thoughtfully, falling quiet for a moment as old memories surfaced. “those were interesting years.” the amusement in his voice was obvious. “i'd spend one part of the day covered in grease trying to understand mechanical parts, then spend the rest practicing moves until my legs felt like they were going to fall off.” another quiet laugh escaped him. “somehow both stuck.” for a few seconds, he simply enjoyed sitting there beside her, shoulder touching shoulder. comfortable. the kind of silence that didn't need filling. eventually, he tilted his head slightly. “i think that's the basics.” his gaze dropped toward her, soft and curious. “your turn, sweetheart.”

river's tone of voice and expression made sunhee think he didn't just want to talk should they run in to any of her exes . she rolled her eyes , too reminiscent of the same way everest had taken care of one of them already who had taken a liking to following her around campus after they'd broken up . or the other that liked to randomly message her in the middle of the night when they grew lonely ; it had taken a while ( and of her brother's stern guidance ) before she finally grew the courage to block his number . " it's ok . most of those jerks know better than to try and approach me anymore , " she said plainly without any explanation to her words . her insinuation should have been enough for river to grasp her brother had already intervened .

she felt the touch to her nose before she'd seen it . sunhee's eyes crossed her vision as she watched his hand move away , and his endearing grin when she realized what he'd done . it made her feel precious . hands lifted almost immediately as she fell back into the cushions and covered her face with her palms , peeking through her fingers at him and having to cover the redness in her cheeks so he didn't see the effect such a small touch could do . " you can't do things like that , " she mumbled as she fell into a small laugh that didn't fade until he pulled her back to his side again .

then sunhee listened . every word , she was focused , tracking his face when he spoke , watching for his change in expressions when he spoke about the hobbies he loved doing , and the passion so evident sunhee ended up smiling with him . that fluttering came back to her stomach again when she realized not only did she like him more than she thought , but that this might have been the deepest she'd ever felt about someone before and it should have scared her , but it didn't . she felt safe , comfortable -- something none of her other boyfriends had before .

" i don't think i'm as interesting as that , " she said when he asked about her . sunhee reached to poke him on his cheek , still curled on his side and turning so her knees were up on the couch and nudging against his lap . " well , you know my family . there's just my mom -- " a different story for a completely different time . " -- and everest , who i only learned about last year . there's not really anyone else worth mentioning as i don't know my grandparents and never knew my dad ... i used to enjoy reading and walking through parks , but since i started school it's been hard for me to find the time to enjoy anything . the only reading i get to do now is through editing papers from other students , and it isn't as fun when it's for business and financial students as it is for fantasy novels . i hope that one day , a publishing agency will hire me to edit for them . " her head lifted from his shoulder , a bit more serious as she didn't want to seem like she was picky about her future . " not that i need to make a ton of money or anything like that . i'd like to live ... comfortably . that's it . "

river settled onto the armrest beside sunhee, finishing one cookie only to immediately reach for another. they were honestly addictive. far better than anything he could pick up from a store and he found himself genuinely grateful she'd made them for him. “you know,” he started, taking another bite before continuing once he'd swallowed, “i told him we talked. that i really want to get to know you.” his gaze dropped briefly to the cookie in his hand. “i told him that if we click and things work out, then my intentions would naturally become more serious.” it felt important to be honest about that much. not just for himself but for her too. everest knew where river stood now and that conversation had been somewhat difficult without adding any unnecessary details. some things were better left between the two of them. “just so you know i didn’t tell him that we slept together already.” a laugh escaped him. “pretty sure we'd both be dead by now otherwise.” he let out a snort at the thought. knowing everest, the reaction would've been immediate and dramatic.

the amusement faded slightly when she mentioned having to head back. river's expression shifted without him realizing it. he'd assumed she was done for the day. part of him had already started considering whether he could convince her to grab dinner with him afterward, maybe take a walk somewhere nice. nothing complicated. nothing with expectations attached. just more time together. “i'll give you a ride back to school, then.” his voice softened automatically. and then she reached for his hand. simple and innocent but somehow it hit harder than he expected. especially when she admitted she'd missed him. for a moment, river wasn't entirely sure what to do with that feeling. he'd had crushes before. he'd fallen for people before. at least he thought he had. this felt different. warmer. the urge to pull her into his arms and keep her there for a while was almost overwhelming but he resisted it. instead, he carefully set the container aside and made sure the lid was secured before turning his full attention back to her.

his hand slid gently up her arm until he reached a loose strand of hair that had fallen into her face. with careful fingers, he tucked it behind her ear. god, she was cute. cute enough to make his heart do embarrassing things. “i missed you too.” the confession was barely louder than a whisper but there was no mistaking the sincerity behind it. his hand lingered for a second before falling away. “mmm...” he hummed thoughtfully. “i guess now we can finally start talking about the important stuff.” a grin tugged at his lips. “you know, hobbies. childhood stories. embarrassing memories. all the things people are supposed to learn about each other.” he tilted his head slightly. “though something tells me we're probably going to have to save most of that for next time.” and somehow, the thought of there being a next time made him smile even more.

so he hadn't told everst everything ? sunhee tried to smile through it , thankful he'd at least told her the truth , but realizing there was a secret , even one she wouldn't share with her closest friends considering the intimacy of it , she'd have to keep from him would eat her up from the inside . she doubted her brother would ask something so absurdly personal , especially with his best friend of all people , but worried about her response should it ever come up . her gaze fell to her lap , then down to river's hand as it clasped around hers and missed his expression fall .

" i couldn't pull you away from work , " she tried to explain , though paused her sentence when river didn't seem burdened by the idea . the alarms in her head went off again , trying to figure out why he was being so sweet with her and willing to drive her all the way back to class when they were on the other side of town . none of her past boyfriends had ever been this nice to her , and the touch to her hair had her almost flinching , not out of fear , but out of surprise .

" you're really nice to me , " she giggled when the touch left chills down her arm where his fingers had just been . she hadn't said much , but the rest left unspoken should have been the warning that sunhee wasn't used to such kind gestures river had already shown her . none of them had ever wanted to get to know her without an ulterior motive , usually just to toss her aside when she wasn't worth the trouble anymore . " i want to get to know you better , too ." she scooted closer to him on the space left between them on the couch , their forms pressed , but sunhee took the extra leap by laying her head down on his shoulder instead . " i don't have to leave right now ... i have a few minutes to learn about the things you like . can i assume because you ride a motorcycle and work in a shop you like to work on cars ? did you learn it by yourself , or did your family teach you ? " she asked , opting to start from the simple things and learn about his family first . sunhee wasn't sure if he was ready to hear about the mess from her parents .

pillowxtalk

Yeonwoo was used to a variety of reactions to him telling people what one of his jobs was. Some were positive and some were negative, which was as he expected. The young male knew it was an unusual way to make money, but it worked well for him and, on top of that, it helped him with his acting skills. "I enjoy helping people in the way that I can and those who come to me know what they get," he said and then watched her fold her arms in front of her. It was rather easy to tell that the young woman had questions she wanted to ask.

Yeonwoo was surprised at her choice of words as her question came, and he chuckled, amused as she shook her head right after. "Don't worry, even after your first question, I knew you didn't mean to become a client of mine. Also, I don't do things like that. Being someone's fake date needs some preparation." He reassured her, finding her nervousness endearing. "I didn't have plans for the evening, so sure let's eat together. I can already tell you would love to ask me questions." The young male smiled and then gestured down the street. "I'm sure you already have a place in mind for yourself, so lead the way."

#pillowxtalk #pillowxtalk (1)#replies (hana)

hana had lots of questions . most of them were ones she didn't feel were appropriate for a stranger she'd just met , but yeonwoo seemed open to talking about it , and she wasn't about to miss on the opportunity to share a meal with someone new . she was far too extroverted to pass up something like this .

" i usually pick up from a small noodle shop ... there's a few chairs out in the front we could sit at . " hana gave another look from the bottom of his shoes to the top of his blazer , figuring he was used to finer sorts of restaurants and not family run shops that aren't well maintained . " i go there a few times a week . you might like it . " she gestured for him to follow , waiting until he was near her pace as she started directing the two of them further from the crowds of the train and diverting off to the side roads that were mostly desolate .

📱: just bring yourself. that would be sweet enough.

with that final message sent, river set his phone aside and finally got some sleep. morning came far too quickly. the shrill ringing of his phone dragged him out of a particularly good dream, leaving him groaning into his pillow before blindly reaching for the device. one look at the screen told him everything he needed to know. his boss and apparently it was urgent. all river could do was drag himself out of bed, freshen up, throw on some clothes and head to work earlier than he’d planned.

the first half of the day passed much like any other. music blasted from the speakers overhead—- one of his favorite playlists cycling through song after song while the garage echoed with the familiar sounds of clinking tools, rattling metal, revving engines and the occasional curse shouted across the workspace whenever someone dropped something or ran into a problem. it was chaotic and exactly the kind of environment he loved.

when lunch rolled around and everyone else started talking about closing up for a break, river waved them off and stayed behind. claimed he wasn't hungry. which wasn’t entirely true. the real reason was much simpler. he didn't want to miss sunhee. she’d told him she was stopping by and despite trying to act casual about it, he’d been looking forward to seeing her all day. so the moment a figure appeared in the doorway, river’s attention snapped up immediately. he practically lit up. without thinking, he tossed the tool he’d been holding onto the workbench and wiped his grease-stained hands on the rag hanging from the pocket of his overalls.

seeing her standing there with a container in hand made something warm settle in his chest. happy. appreciated. maybe both. “you didn't have to do this, sunhee.” he accepted the container carefully before noticing the bag slung over her shoulder. reaching for it, he lifted it experimentally and nearly laughed. “damn,” he said. “did you put a bricks in here or something?” shaking his head, he carried it over and set it down on one of the few clean spots in the shop—- an old couch tucked away from the work area. it was a much safer place than anywhere near the half-disassembled cars scattered around the garage.

only then did he return his attention to the container she’d brought. opening it, he chuckled softly at her explanation before reaching in and grabbing one of the cookies. the first bite surprised him. his eyebrows lifted immediately. “whoa.” another bite followed. “these are actually so good.” there wasn't a hint of exaggeration in his voice. he chewed slowly, completely unconcerned with hiding how much he was enjoying them. “mhmm…” his gaze drifted around the garage before he shrugged. “this is where i work. nothing impressive.” though judging by the fondness in his voice, he clearly didn't mean that. the garage was noisy, cluttered and constantly smelled faintly of oil and gasoline and yet it was one of his favorite places in the world.

turning back toward her, river brushed a hand through his hair. “do you want something to drink?” he jerked a thumb toward the entrance. “there's a vending machine outside. unfortunately, that’s about the best hospitality i can offer.” a sheepish smile pulled at his lips.

when he'd sent her the location of his workplace , sunhee didn't know what she'd expected , and the little mechanic shop was quite a surprise -- it brought up more questions than answers , still trying to figure out where her brother fit into the equation , and how long they'd been friends . she'd been worried about sticking out in the shop with her appearance , not wanting to distract his work or get him in trouble ; honestly , she'd expected to drop him off the cookies and make the long journey back to class since he'd be too busy to spare her a second glance . to have her bag removed from her shoulders and the excited expression filled her up with the warmth she'd craved since she'd last received a message from him that morning .

the shop was exactly what she'd imagined ; grease stains and the unmistakable scent of gasoline wafting through the air , worn down walls , a rougher exterior despite , and river's appearance felt so different from the man she'd met for the first time at the club . yet , it felt so uniquely river , butterflies erupted all over again as she'd sat on the faded worn couch with a bright smile and red cheeks as he complimented her baking .

" it's not much , " she'd tried to defend the state of them after going through the whole morning on her hip . " it's just a way of thanking you for taking me home from class , and ... i guess another way of showing that i'm really grateful you spoke to everest about what happened . it's really brave of you to confront him like that . " she hadn't known what they'd discussed during their little heart to heart , probably for the best considering her brother's strength and the headache he was still sporting after headbutting his best friend , and it wasn't her place to question exactly what had gone down between them .

sunhee shook her head at his offer . " no , i can't stay too long . it's an half hour bus ride back to class , " she said casually like her coming across town to spend a few minutes with him was a simple occurrence . she was hesitant , pausing halfway , until her much cleaner hands reached out for his grease stained ones and pressed her fingers to his palm . " i missed you , " she said with a small voice , unable to meet his gaze with the little shift of embarrassment . " thank you also for showing me where you work and this part of your life . i hope one day i can come by more casually during my breaks . "