ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ

𝑖 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒

[puppywritings]

last posted: 'celeritas’ - kim jungwoo

the basics

name: william

pronouns: he/him

age: 21 (00 line)

location/timezone: england/gmt

i write for: nct, stray kids, bts, pentagon

my ultimate biases: hwang hyunjin, kim doyoung, son chaeyoung, kim jonghyun, qian kun, lee taeyong, jung wooseok, kim wonpil

links

⇢   my carrd ⇢   request guidelines ⇢   masterlist ⇢   upcoming works

⇢   fic recs blog ⇢   personal blog ⇢   networks

⇢   nct historical au collab

[puppywritings]

hiatus

hello everyone! long time no see

to get straight to the point, i'm putting this blog on hiatus (as if that wasn't obvious enough already, it's been a good three months since i posted 🥲)

i'm in the last year of my counselling degree rn and it's taking up a lot of my time and energy, i can't really fit writing into my life at the moment. i've started my dissertation and i'm about to start working on my application for my masters. there's a lot going on but i'm enjoying it greatly 💗

i'm aware i have a few outstanding collab pieces, most of which are sitting in my drafts half-written, and right now i can't say for certain whether or not they'll get posted, so i'm gonna say maybe some day.

i will be back, i just can't be sure when. look after yourselves 😚

[puppywritings]

[10:44pm] mark lee; fluff, tw alcohol. 0.5k words.

mark lee was a lightweight. this was a fact you knew well. and so, when you went out for a few late-night drinks with your boyfriend, you should've known it was going to end this way. while you were only tipsy, mark was passing into full-on drunk.

the walk home was only fifteen minutes normally, but you were taking it slowly, mark's hand tightly grasping yours.

"hey," mark murmured. "the park."

you walked past the playground every day on your way to work, but it was eerily quiet and empty - as expected at this late hour. the roundabout sat motionless, the climbing frame empty.

mark looked at you, a scarily mischievous grin on his face. "should we..."

"the gate's locked, mark," you pointed out. "c'mon, let's get home."

he scoffed. "the fence is, what, a foot high?"

before you had the opportunity to respond, mark had let go of your hand, crossed the street, and hopped the fence. you blinked. and followed his steps.

mark was sitting on the swingset, beaming as he waited for you to join him. you took a seat on the second swing, and looked over at your boyfriend. you couldn't help but smile back at him. his eyes were sparkling in the light of the streetlamps, and he looked positively angelic.

with a laugh, mark began to swing, pushing his legs through the air to boost his height. his giggles were music to your ears, and you followed suit.

"look how high i can go," mark panted, and you chuckled at him.

"hey, watch this!" he said suddenly, and before you knew what was happening, he jumped off the seat, flying through the air and (miraculously) landing neatly on the cushioned rubber floor.

"oh my god, be careful!" you gasped at him.

"i'm a professional, baby," he waved away your worries, looking very proud of his maneuver. you slowed your swinging down gradually, watching as mark shrugged out of his coat, discarding it on the floor and stretching his arms wide.

"you'll catch a cold, mark lee," you tutted, though he failed to listen.

"come here," he said, extending his hand out to you. "come dance with me."

you smiled, standing up. "there's no music, markie."

"we don't need any," he said, taking you into his arms. his hands went to your waist, and you rested yours on his shoulders. you let him move you, swaying together to an imaginary beat under the light of the moon.

"you're so beautiful," mark complimented you, gazing at you with pure adoration in his eyes. you leaned in, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck and kissing his lips.

"you're so warm," you said, pulling his body closer to yours and absorbing his body heat, combating the cool temperatures of the night. mark squeezed you tightly, picking you up and spinning you around.

"mark!" you giggled, and he put you down, kissing you again.

"let's go home," you suggested, and he nodded. "don't forget your coat!"

"okay, baby," he said, picking his coat up from the ground and taking your hand in his once more.

[puppywritings]

update

hi everyone 💕

i'm aware i've been mia for a hot minute and i apologise for that 😭 i've had a lot going on in my life (moved house, ended my relationship, got a job then lost it, we've been a mess over here ngl) BUT i have some exciting things in the works and there's gonna be some new content real soon i promise 💗

i hope all my followers are doing okay:)

[notnctu]

beginnings ; masterlist

“when we met, i knew you were the beginning of something special.”

Beginnings is an ot23 nct fic collaboration that is centered around MEET CUTES. This is a term coined by rom-coms to describe a scene which two people who will form a future romantic couple meet for the first time, typically under unusual, humorous, or cute circumstances.

Links to teasers/fics will be continuously updated once authors begin releasing their content. This collab will conclude by September 12th. Please request individual authors to be part of their taglist! I will also reblog everyone’s fic after it is released and every fic should be tracked by the #beginningscollab tag.

Biggest thank you to every participating author! it’s been a journey and i am overjoyed to announce your creations. Every story already sounds beyond anything I could have imagined <3

AU CINÉMA - @neonun-au​

“how could you possibly sleep through the shining?”

Genre: fluff, romantic comedy, strangers to lovers Warnings: n/a (maybe mild language)  Expected Word Count: 3-5k Synopsis: every thursday night you have a standing date alone to watch an old film in the nearly abandoned theatre on the edge of downtown. Eager for another night of quiet viewing you arrive to the showing only to find someone in your usual spot.

teaser ; read here

TAKE THE LEAP - @sehunniepotwrites​

“This summer’s going to be different. This is the summer we face our fears. Together.”

Genre: childhood friends!au, friends to lovers!au, summer vacation!au, camping!au, comedy, fluff Warnings: language, cliff diving, sexual tension, food and alcohol consumption Synopsis: Johnny Suh has always had a fear of heights and falling from high places. He’d rather keep his feet planted to the ground at all times. But once, just this once, he thinks he’s ready to plummet from the skies because he’s falling all in you.

teaser ; read here

HOOKED ON THE FEELING - @tyonfs​

“you know, i don’t usually get girls falling all over me like this.”

Genre: fluff, crack, strangers to lovers Warnings: profanity, some suggestive content Synopsis: in five minutes, you’re about to ride the disco pang-pang that you’ve been dreading. that’s plenty of time for you to admire the attractive biology major from your university and wish that you could pluck up the courage to talk to. luckily (or unlucky) for you, you end up falling right into the lap of lee taeyong.

teaser ; read here

HAPPENSTANCE - notnctu

“I hope we never lose sight of each other.”

Genre: fluff, strangers to lovers, soulmate au  Warnings: suggestive language Expected Word Count: 4-5k Synopsis: nakamoto yuta has appeared in your life on multiple separate occasions, is this a sign of fate or simple happenstance? you were never one to believe in soulmates or happy endings, but you may have stumbled upon your own fairytale with several happy beginnings.

teaser ; read here

WHAT AM I NOW? - @slightlymore​

“His breath looked steady by the movement of his shoulders. Yours was all over the place.”

Genre: romantic comedy, +18  Warnings: explicit sexual content, smoking  Expected Word Count: 10k Synopsis: When you’re focused on something so intensely and it’s suddenly gone, what do you do? When your world is made of that something and now you’re stumbling when trying to grab it because it’s not there anymore, then what do you do? What were you now? What am I now?

teaser ; read here

ONCE BURNED, TWICE SHY - @2enjun​

“well then, it sounds like we’ve both been burned.”

Genre: fluff, single dad!au, strangers to lovers Warnings: explicit sexual content, profanity, alcohol consumption Expected Word Count: 8k–10k Synopsis: Having recently gone through a rough breakup, you’ve been slow to return to the dating scene. When a single father enters your salon after learning that his life-skills do not include cutting his daughter’s hair you find that your heart is more fickle than your head. But you’re not the only one to have been burned and Kun isn’t ready to open his heart to just anyone yet. Fortunately, Kun likes to keep his hair well-kept and the lesson he learned through the fail with his daughter’s hair keeps him coming back to you for regular cuts. With professionalism all that keeps you from asking a client out, it only takes a chance encounter and a little liquid courage to have things heating up.

teaser ; read here

PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF - @hyuckles-chuckles​

“no way.”

“what?”

“i think that’s my best friend from the second grade.”

Genre: fluff, romantic comedy, childhood best friends!au, best friends to lovers!au, PG13 Warnings: none for now Synopsis: even after many years of not seeing your best friend from the second grade - ten - you still think about him constantly. what had he done after moving away, what did he do when the two of you grew apart at the beginning of middle school, what did he major in when (and if) he went to college… did he still think of you as much as you had of him? well, your questions will soon be answered when by luck you bump into him, picking up right where you left off.

teaser ; read here

AVALANCHE - @puppywritings​

“i guess we’re just gonna have to find a way to pass the time.”

Genre: strangers to lovers, fluff Warnings: suggestive language, claustrophobia Expected Word Count: 3-5k Synopsis: you thought a winter skiing holiday would be a good idea; you’re now seriously reconsidering that. you got a bit more snow than you’d bargained for, and now you’re snowed in with a very handsome stranger. the only thing you can do now is wait it out, and maybe get to know this mysteriously pretty man in the meantime.

teaser ; read here

GILDED - @kaepop-trash​

“I was told my entire life that I was one day to be a Queen. Your Prince wishes to deny my that and I must accept it because that is my duty. But I ask you, what am I to be now?”

“The most terrifying and exhilarating thing you can be, Princess. You’ll be free.”

Genre: Fluff, Royalty au, Enlightenment Era au, Strangers to Lovers, Arrange marriage au Warnings: n/a Synopsis: There were rumours that the second youngest princess was to be wed to the enemy in a final effort to end the war and famine that ravaged the kingdom. An envoy had been dispatched hastily, the gossips all claiming that a court painter was being sent by strict order of the Prince. There were hushed whispers that the so-called “plain” Princess had struck the rather handsome match and acquired the wealthy kingdom only because the Prince she was promised to was a strange man— one who vowed to be the last king of his land.

teaser ; read here

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - notnctu 

“Lucas, I already told you, I don’t even bake the cookies.” 

“Okay, but what about the secret recipe to your heart?”

Genre: fluff, maybe a lil bit of crack, and if you squint hard enough slightly suggestive Warnings: alcohol, tbd Synopsis: You worked at the bakery next door where Lucas worked. Though making and drinking boba could be considered cute and endearing, nothing could beat your sugary sweetness whenever you entered his shop for a refreshing drink during your break and if he was lucky, he’d get some cookies out of it. Your cheerful voice and kind words never failed to turn him into mush. He swore he saw glitter in your eyes and that your smile glowed like an entrance to the skies. Someone so adorable and endearing could not exist in this world, he started believing that angels must be real. But when he sees you again, he can’t help but beg for more of your oh so sweet chocolate chip cookies.

teaser ; read here

THE WORDS I COULDN’T SAY - @dreamcities​

“people say there’s a right time for everything, but there wasn’t a right time for me to tell you i loved you with all of my heart.”

Genre: fluff, angst, best friend!au, college!au, unrequited love!au Warnings: tbd Synopsis: mark lee is your best friend, your number one fan, your personal spider-man. the two of you had been close since the beginning of college, and while you thought of him as only a close friend, he’s always thought of you as something more. his feelings for you had only grown over time, so when the two of you part ways, mark sends you a letter with all the words he couldn’t say.

teaser ; read here

QUIET IN THE LIBRARY - @solarune​

“did you know you drool when you sleep?”

Genre: fluff, college au, strangers to friends to lovers Warnings: tbd Synopsis: you’ve never liked people who go the library just to goof off, you don’t see the point. why not just go home? or to the union? or literally anywhere else where a certain handsome stranger can’t distract you. you don’t know his name or who he is in general. all you know is that this guy has made an enemy out of you by staring out the window every time you see him. which is every day. until finals week comes around and suddenly, his table is the only one with an open seat.

teaser ; read here

EUDAIMONIA; WOULD YOU LET ME FOLLOW YOU? - @sly-merlin​

“can’t you hear the choo-choo of my heart”

Genre: strangers to no-more strangers, fluff, jeno being the cute boy he is! Warnings: train journey, motion sickness(nt in case of our main characters), suggestive Expected Word Count: min 5k Synopsis: one wrong ticket led you to several unanticipated routes and a very bothersome and affable stranger who, due to some unknown reasons, wasn’t interested in being a stranger!

teaser ; read here

PERSEPHONE GIVE US SPRING - @jisungiest​

“We are told to only worship goddesses of olympus. Athena. Aphrodite and Artemis and yet here i am worshiping you on earth” 

Genre: angst, fluff, smut, historical au, strangers to lovers, ancient greek au  Warnings: smut, tbd Expected Word Count: 10k Synopsis: You pray to Persephone that spring should come a little early, that the blossoms bloom in abundance and the warmth melts the snow that lies upon the soil. Yet in pleasing one god, you upset another and the winged gods answer your prayer. Bringing spring to you as Jaemin.

teaser ; read here

IF YOU FALL FOR ME - @nctsworld​ 

Genre: angst, soulmates/reincarnation au Warnings: major character deaths, ambiguous ending, flashbacks Synopsis: if yangyang’s merely a stranger at the bar, why do you feel like you’ve met him before?

teaser ; read here

CATCHING LIGHTNING - @byunbaekby​​

Genre: fluff, dancer!au Warnings: none atm Synopsis: You’ve never really been light on your feet, always endlessly clumsy and tripping over air — your biggest fear comes alive when you’ve been asked to be a bridesmaid at your aunt’s wedding. You’re required to perform an opening dance, but you can’t even stand in heels let alone ballroom dance in them! Your aunt refers you to some ballroom dance lessons, and when you see the rather adorable teacher’s assistant there, maybe you can kill two birds with one stone: learning to dance, and finding a date to the wedding.

teaser ; read here

A HEAD’S A HEAVY BURDEN - @hotdogct​​

Genre: fluff Warnings: none rn! Synopsis: Chenle already had the ultimate meet-cute story in his friendship with Jisung - his first Korean friend. If anything, your story was more of a meet-disaster. When Chenle adopted a dog to keep him company, once living alone proved to be too lonely, little did he know his new ‘daughter’ would land him in hot water with you. There are consequences to naming your dog ‘big head’, after all. 

teaser ; read here

YELLOW CARD - @your-world-with-nct​​

“in this game of high school romance, one has to be cautious and careful when playing with hearts, unless you want a yellow card.”

Genre: fluff, minor angst, high school au, matchmaker au Warnings: cursing Synopsis: park jisung was never the sporty type, he wasn’t one for games; he’d rather get his exercise from creative outlets like dance, instead of playing stupid games full of rules that he was bound to forget about when he started playing anyways. but, when jisung gets tangled up in a game of high school romance, involving a particular soccer player that had captured his heart, he finds himself caving into his worst fears and forgetting the rules of love. let’s hope that jisung is cautious and careful when it comes to playing with hearts, unless he wants to get a yellow card.

teaser ; read here

[notnctu]

beginnings ; nct collab

“when we met, i knew you were the beginning of something special.”

Happy One Year Anniversary and Happy 4k followers, lovelies! Thank you for such an amazing journey thus far. It’s rather bittersweet for me to announce this collab. This is my first time hosting a collab and I have been so excitedly working on this project in secrecy for a few months now. The bitter part of it is this also means I must announce my departure. 

This is my final project on tumblr. My parting gift? My final send off? I’m leaving tumblr! After the conclusion of this collab, I will be archiving this blog and logging out of tumblr indefinitely. I never intended to stay for as long as I did, especially since I put writing behind me for a while now. Nevertheless, I met a community of people that gave me happiness for a good period of time. I owe it all to you (readers and writers alike) for making this such a memorable and hard experience to let go.

Quarantine came with a gift of igniting my spark for the craft once again, but as the world is starting to move on and grow, I must do the same. I hope I was able to make an impact on you as much as you made one on me. While this is the end of notnctu, this is marks the beginning of another path that awaits me.

Moving on from the bitter parts, the sweetest part of this collab are the participating authors themselves! I personally invited my friends to participate and to help make this something special for me. I want to thank with my whole heart for the individuals who have dedicated their time and efforts into my collab. This wouldn’t have been achievable without you all. (ilysm and many more).

Beginnings is an ot23 nct fic collaboration that is centered around MEET CUTES. This is a term coined by rom-coms to describe a scene which two people who will form a future romantic couple meet for the first time, typically under unusual, humorous, or cute circumstances.

Each fic will include a scene in which their characters meet for the first time (a meet cute). Many different tropes will be explored, this theme is about the beginnings of a relationship, but it is not limited to strangers to lovers.

ADDITIONAL INFO —

All fics will be reader insert (member x y/n)

Smut has been allowed, unless you are a minor. I am aware of Jisung’s age, but because I am personally very uncomfortable seeing sensual themes for him, there will be no suggestive/smut content for Sungchan/Chenle/Jisung.

Min length is set at 1k and Max length is set at 10k

August 7th, 2021 will be when I release the official masterlist, which will include the fic details and will be continuously updated with links once fics are released.  

The hard deadline is September 11th, 2021, but fics have starting August 22nd, 2021 to be released. I will reblog the official masterlist once every link is updated on the 12th to conclude the collab. 

With that being said, I will be archiving the blog the day after. For my current works, I will be trying my best to finish them before I go. 

Keep reading

[puppywritings]

celeritas - kim jungwoo x gender neutral reader

masterlist

⇢   synopsis: celeritas; speed, swiftness. windswept hair and ripped jeans. kim jungwoo, mysterious neighbour and alleged street racer. just what secrets lie within this man? and can you match his speed?

⇢   word count: 7.3k

⇢   trigger warnings: car accident, blood, non-serious injury, swearing, implied sex but no explicit scenes.

⇢   a/n: this is my piece for adrenaline rush, the nct racer au collab! please make sure to check out the other pieces in the collab:)

When your boss moved you to the graveyard shift, you were certain it was nothing short of a curse. The lack of sunlight you witnessed, the subsequent cost of vitamin D supplements, the inherent loneliness of living your whole life while the majority of your city slept.

There were certain benefits, however, once you gave yourself the time to adjust. Laundry, for example. On your days off, you were perfectly free to saunter down to the completely empty laundry room in your apartment building, which was a rare sight. In days long past, you’d had to fight tooth and nail for an opportunity to run a load of laundry, although you had found that the room was mostly empty come 3 in the morning. Key word: mostly.

There was a certain gentleman, who apparently lived in your apartment building, although you hadn’t ever seen him before your late-night laundry escapades. Now, however, he seemed to be a regular fixture in your life. You hadn’t yet figured out whether this was a benefit or drawback. In fact, you were having trouble figuring him out in general.

Soft brown hair, a little overgrown but he wore it well. Warm eyes, dark and shining, the kind you’d expect to see on a puppy. An air of confidence, the sense that he knew exactly who he was and what he was worth. Something about him… you just had to know more. He was a particularly interesting synopsis on the back of a novel, and you wanted to stay up all night reading him, cover to cover. You’d begun sharing smiles with the man, glances across the laundry room. Not that night, though.

That night, his rosy lips were pointed decidedly downwards in a frustrated pout, his eyebrows furrowed in a worried knot. There was something on his mind, that much was clear, and your mind ran wild, creating stories about what might be troubling him. He’d missed his stop on the bus home and ended up in a strange neighbourhood, and he was attempting to comprehend the oddities he’d witnessed. He was an undefeated chess master, and an upcoming champion was threatening his spot on the throne. His pet turtle hadn’t been eating her greens and he just couldn’t figure out why. None of those things, or perhaps all of those things.

“Fuck! For the love of god!”

The man’s cursing startled you from your daydreams, the impact of his shout causing you to drop the shirt you were holding. Even through your alarm, you found yourself thinking that he had a nice voice - even when he was yelling obscenities. You wondered how it would sound when he paid compliments, when he rambled about something he cared about, when poetry tumbled from his lips.

“Hey,” you called to him across the room, with all the bravery you could muster. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed, although this clearly wasn’t the case. “I just can’t get this damn stain out.”

“Hm. What’s the stain?”

He lifted the shirt higher so that you could see it. A white t-shirt - well, you assumed it was once white. The condition of the fabric, when he pulled it from the washing machine, was a little less than ideal. A rusty stain covered the expanse of the material, red and brown. The man was far from happy - you could tell this wasn’t his first time battling this particular stain.

“Would you believe me if I said it’s ketchup?” he asked with a wry smirk. You couldn’t help but smile back at him - his sarcastic amusement was contagious, and you couldn’t help but feel that this was a frequent exchange for him. Not so much the laundry situation, but the smirk, making warmth blossom in the heart of a complete stranger.

You nodded. “Got it, no questions asked. Have you tried running a cold cycle? And do you wanna borrow some stain remover?”

“You’re a lifesaver,” he praised you. “Or at the very least, a shirt-saver.” You laughed at this; you wouldn’t have expected him to be so dorky. Or, upon reconsideration, maybe it was obvious. From the way his eyes glinted in the light. You swiftly closed your own machine, setting off the cycle, before gathering your equipment, your clothes-washing tools, and taking them over to the man.

“Here,” you said, taking the shirt from him and squirting the remover onto it. You walked him through the steps, rubbing the substance into the material before tossing it back into the machine and running a cold cycle.

“I’m Jungwoo, by the way. Apartment 127.” He held his hand out, and you shook it. Jungwoo, you thought, running his name through your mind. You wondered how it might taste, through laughter or in the dark.

“[Name]. Apartment 129.”

“No way,” he remarked. “We’re so close together - how haven’t we bumped into each other? Before recently, I mean.” It made you feel strangely special, the way he acknowledged your recent encounters with each other. Though you’d never spoken, he recognised you. He’d noticed you.

You shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. Well, actually - I just moved to the night shift.”

“That’ll be it,” he confirmed. “I’m a creature of the night, mainly.”

“Well, I’m gonna go. I have… stuff to do.” His pause intrigued you, but you let it slip. Jungwoo tapped the sign on the wall beside him, reading DO NOT LEAVE LAUNDRY UNATTENDED. “I won’t tell if you won’t. See you around, [Name].” With a wink, and a smile, he was gone.

*

Now that you had a name to the face, a voice to the man, a sliver of personality to the otherwise unknown figure, Jungwoo seemed to occupy your thoughts a lot more in the coming week. Hard as you tried to curb these thoughts - you barely knew the man, after all - but whenever you left your apartment, particularly when it was any later than 11pm, you found yourself looking for him. You scanned the hallways, crossed your fingers when the elevator doors opened, kept an eye on the door of apartment 127. It was all to no avail, however. You didn’t see Jungwoo once in the week following.

You’d almost given up hope entirely, or perhaps you were so weary and exhausted from your shift that even Jungwoo was far from your thoughts, which were solely focused on your warm, comfortable bed that you couldn’t wait to fall into. Birds were chattering away to one another, and you sincerely believed you’d never get used to falling asleep at seven in the morning. As you were scanning your way into the building, passing your key fob over the sensor, you noticed a figure behind you, in your reflection. The person was tall, though their identity was hidden by their hood, and fear flashed through you.

You really hoped this wasn't one of those horror stories - where a strange man gains entry to an apartment building where he doesn't belong, only to murder its inhabitants. You glanced backwards before you pulled the door open, only for your fear to lessen and your concern-slash-confusion to raise.

"Jungwoo?" you asked, peering at him. He was clearly trying to hide himself, but you knew it was him. You unrecognised his lips, and hoped that wasn't creepy, but what deterred you was the swelling around the left side of his jaw. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, [Name]. I'm fine." He tried to give you a reassuring smile, but winced as the action twinged his swollen features.

"You don't seem too fine," you commented, trying to peer at the rest of his face, under his hood.

"I've had worse," he shrugged, wincing again. "Look, can we go inside?"

You frowned, pulling open your apartment door before ushering him inside and pulling down his hood, acting fast and catching him unaware, only to gasp at the state of his face. Along with his swollen jaw was a black eye, and a gash across his forehead that had recently ceased its bleeding, judging by the dark, dried blood around the site of injury

"Oh my god, Jungwoo, what happened?"

"Listen, I said it's fine-"

"Come on, let me patch you up." You grasped his arm, marching him towards the elevator, and he got the message that his protesting was worthless and you wouldn't be taking no for an answer. Once in your apartment, you pulled a chair out from your kitchen table and pushed Jungwoo firmly down onto it, before digging the first aid kit out of your cupboard.

Jungwoo was silent through the whole affair, and you sensed that some of this was surprise. It didn't seem like he was used to this - being taken charge of, that was. He seemed like the type of guy who took charge of everything and everyone he encountered. Well, you supposed, he had met his match.

He was a good patient, and only flinched once, when you brushed his wounds with an antibacterial wipe. Finished your cleaning and bandaging, you leaned back against your kitchen counter, eyeing the man up. He said nothing, simply looking back at you with an undetectable look on his face. His lips were set in a straight line, though his eyes were soft.

“Do you want a drink?” you asked him eventually, breaking the silence. “I have decaf coffee, tea, hot cocoa-”

“Hot cocoa, please!” Jungwoo interrupted, looking excited all of a sudden, despite his injuries. You nodded, and went to prepare two hot cocoas. Silence fell again, and it was a strangely comfortable silence considering you were near-strangers.

“So,” you spoke after a few moments, “I know I said I wouldn't ask questions. But I did just fix your face, so I think you kinda owe me a little explanation.”

“Hey, hey. This face? Could never need fixing. You can’t fix perfection.”

You gave him a look. “You’re avoiding the subject, Jungwoo.”

“Alright, alright,” he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m a street racer.”

You paused for a few beats, looking at him. Searching his face for any sign of amusement, waiting for a gotcha!

It didn’t come. “A street racer?”

“You don’t believe me?” he asked. He sounded genuine. You were left wondering whether he was, in fact, a street racer… or a pathological liar.

“You don’t look like a street racer,” was all you said, as you handed him his cocoa. He took a sip.

“Then, what do I look like?” he questioned. A model, you thought. Outwardly, however, you simply shrugged, and tried to hide your blush by taking a sip of your drink. “You can come see me in action if you want, baby. I’m racing again tomorrow night, midnight.”

You raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Follow a mysterious man, who I’ve found covered in blood on two separate occasions? Come on. Even to you, that must sound a little shifty.”

Jungwoo shrugged. “You’re the one who invited me into your home, baby.”

You sighed -  you couldn’t really fight him on that one. You wrapped your hands around your mug tightly. “I don’t know anything about you, Jungwoo. I don’t even know your last name-”

“Kim,” he interrupted. “Kim Jungwoo.”

You roll your eyes. “Fine. Well I know your last name, now. But still. How do I know you’re even telling the truth?”

Jungwoo smiled, his lips twisting upwards in the corners in the most endearing way possible. He looked into your eyes. “[Name]. Darling. Why would I lie?”

You give him a cynical look. “Really, Jungwoo? There are some serious creeps out there. Creeps who tell many different lies for many different reasons. And none of them are good reasons.”

“Just trust me, okay? Take a leap of faith.” You raised an eyebrow at him. Most creeps weren’t this pretty. “A leap right into my arms,” he continued, stretching his arms wide as an invitation.

Snorting out a laugh, you delivered a shove to his shoulder. Gently - you didn’t know the extent of his injuries. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Midnight, right?”

“Midnight,” he confirmed. He smiled at you, in a way that you couldn’t help but smile back. “See you then.”

With that, he was gone, leaving you alone in your kitchen once more. Jungwoo always seemed to come and go, much like a tornado, leaving you shell-shocked and windswept in his wake. Street racing, hm? You shook your head to yourself. Just what were you getting yourself into?

*

As you didn't have a car, you didn't tend to visit your building's underground parking lot often. If you did, you were sure you would've noticed Jungwoo's car before. Cars didn't typically stand out to you - you weren't a car person. But even you had to admit, there was something impressive about the vehicle.

It sat low to the ground, vintage-looking, stark black with two contrasting white stripes running across the middle. You didn't know they still made cars like that; maybe they didn't, you considered. You found yourself wondering how it sounded when the engine ran, how it looked when Jungwoo sped down city streets inside it. You noted the sizable dent on the front bumper, and wondered just how bad his crash had been the previous night. Apparently not big enough to deter him, seeing that he got right back into the game, but perhaps that said more about Jungwoo than the size of the crash.

"What do you think?" Jungwoo asked, his smirk audible in his voice. This thing was clearly his pride and joy.

"I like it," you admitted honestly. It's cute, you tacked on, mentally. Though it was an honest compliment, you weren't sure it would go down well if you voiced it.

You smiled when Jungwoo opened the passenger-side door for you. It was nice learning things about him - he was a gentleman, you noted, someone who believed in chivalry.

"You aren't gonna speed with me in the car, right?" you asked as he settled into the driver's seat, only half joking.

He shook his head. "I put myself at risk when I drive. I wouldn't do the same to you, [Name]." You said nothing, but felt your heart swell.

“It’s just a twenty-minute drive, baby. This kinda stuff has to take place on the outskirts of the city.”

“Hey,” you remarked, your tone surprised, curious, but not hostile. “Why do you keep calling me baby?”

Jungwoo paused for a moment. He didn’t seem to have the answer any more than you did. “I don’t call everyone ‘baby’ y’know. I’m not one of those guys,” he noted your sceptical look, “Really.” He trained his gaze back towards the road, eyes pointed forwards. “Something about you… I don’t know, [Name]. I just have to call you baby.”

You’d be lying if you said your heart didn’t flutter wildly at that. You pulled your scarf up to hide the blush that flooded your cheeks. You'd spent far longer than you'd like to admit picking out your outfit. You weren't entirely sure what type of person he was yet, nor the crowd he raced with. Not that you were trying to impress anybody - that wasn't you, that wasn't what you did. You just didn't want to stand out too much.

The weather was warming but the nights were still cool. You'd gone for a light jacket, paired with your favourite scarf. Enough to keep you warm, but not so much that you were completely bundled up.

"This isn't a big race, by the way," Jungwoo shared. "I'm sorry I can't show you something more impressive."

"That's okay," you told him, and it was the truth. You were happy to be invited here regardless. "I've never seen street racing before, so I guess I'll be impressed by anything."

Jungwoo snickered. "You're cute."

The city lights passed by in red and white streaks, and you felt dazzled. Before long, Jungwoo was pulling into a parking lot on the outskirts of the city. It had a strange feel to it; you knew that, by day, this place was probably rather abandoned, seeing activity levels of zero, most days. But now, just after midnight, there was a thrum of energy, small as it were.

Streetlights shone onto the lot, revealing one other car, its door open. One figure stood beside the car, another sitting in the passenger's seat.

Jungwoo put the car in park, but paused and turned to you before getting out. "Hey, if you wanna go home at any point, just let me know. I'm your ride 'n stuff, so…"

You nodded. "Thanks."

"And, by the way, if you get scared, you can always hold your hand."

You scoffed. "Sure. You wish."

Jungwoo winked at you, and opened his door to climb out. "Maybe I do wish that," he murmured before swiftly moving on, not giving you enough time to react. "The door sticks, I'll come open it for you."

Jungwoo was flirty. But you didn't know what he was after. You didn't know how genuine he was. Sure, he'd invited you out here to watch him race with his friends, but how did you know he wasn't just doing it to get laid? Were you the first person he'd brought here? The second? The tenth?

You found yourself flustered as you looked up at him, climbing out of the car. You really had to stop overthinking every interaction between you two. You left the car and approached the other, sticking close to Jungwoo's side.

"Jungwoo," greeted the standing man with an inclination of his head, a happy grin on his face.

"Hey guys," Jungwoo grinned at the boys. "This is [Name], like I said."

"Hi," you waved politely.

"This is Yukhei and Sicheng," he indicated to his friends. You found yourself wondering, Are all street racers this beautiful?

Yukhei was tall, an overgrown golden retriever of a man, with kind eyes and tousled hair. His beauty was a warm and welcoming one, and you couldn't help but feel favourably towards him right away. Sicheng, sitting in the car, had a more elegant, delicate beauty, a slight smile and a curious gaze; something about him intrigued you. You weren't sure what you'd expected of a group of street racers, but this wasn't it.

"Let's get into it," Jungwoo declared, sounding fired up. His excitement was electric, you felt it in the air.

"Move it, babe," Yukhei instructed Sicheng, who left the car with a roll of his eyes.

"Look after [Name] for me, Sicheng," Jungwoo called out before getting back in his car.

"I'm sure [Name] can look after themselves," Sicheng responded, before turning to you. "You might want to step back for this, though."

You complied wordlessly, taking a few steps backwards. Jungwoo and Yukhei lined up their respective cars, revving their engines a little more ferocity than necessary. Sicheng stood in front of them, a piece of fabric in his hand that looked like a bandana. He raised it in the air. The tension was thick, anticipation weighing on your shoulders. Sicheng lowered the bandana, and in an instant the cars were gone, leaving behind a cloud of dust which you braced yourself against.

And then… silence. It felt a little anticlimactic, but it made sense when you thought about it; the boys were racing through a concrete jungle, obviously you couldn't observe the whole course. Sicheng let out a huge breath, a cathartic sigh. You realised that your own adrenaline was running high, and imagined that Sicheng's must be even higher, since the cars had rushed right past him, impossibly close.

"That's that," he commented, smiling at you. He came to stand beside you, and you watched as he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, pulling out a flask. "Cocoa," he said, before taking a swig. "Want some?"

You took it happily, enjoying the warmth that the sip instilled deep inside you. The night was a bit colder than you expected.

"So, you're Yukhei's-" the word boyfriend was on the tip of your tongue, but Sicheng interrupted before it could come out.

"No, no. We're just friends - he's my best friend. He's like a brother to me."

You nodded in understanding. "And you don't race?"

"Only idiots race," he said sagely, and you trusted his judgement; if the people he was closest to races, he would surely be an expert.

"I'll keep that in mind." You accepted the cocoa flask, when he offered it to you again.

"So, how do you know Jungwoo? He was very vague when he said he was bringing someone."

Your initial response, mentally, was I don't know him, not really. Although, you waved it away. It didn't feel true. "He's my neighbour. We haven't known each other long."

"He must like you," Sicheng remarked offhandedly.

"Well, I don't know about that," you denied, skeptical.

"He wouldn't have brought you here if you weren't special. This whole thing, the racing, it's all underground. You can get into a lot of trouble when you're caught."

You thought this over. Special. Of course, this was Sicheng's word, not Jungwoo's, but you wanted it to be true. It seemed more and more likely, the longer you dwelled on it; and you certainly had spent some time dwelling on it. He must've seen something in you, to invite you here. Maybe more than just bed-material. Maybe.

Minutes later, the two cars returned to the parking lot, almost side by side.

“I won that, for sure!” Yukhei yelled out of his open window.

“Yeah, for once,” Jungwoo contended. “C’mon, you’re showing me up in front of [Name]. They’re gonna think I’m a bad racer.”

“You’ll get it next time, Jungwoo,” you cheered him on with a smile.

Jungwoo and Yukhei raced a few more times, while you and Sicheng drank hot cocoa and cheered them on. You couldn’t explain why, but you felt more and more enthusiastic each time Jungwoo returned; you really got into the spirit of things. Jungwoo seemed to be the clear victor; he had won four races while Yukhei had only won one.

"Should we call it a night?" Jungwoo asked. "I'm starving." You had to admit, you were getting pretty hungry too. Upon checking your phone, you realised that a few hours had passed. You were so consumed in the excitement, in keeping score for Jungwoo, that you'd barely realised time was passing.

"I was thinking the same thing," Yukhei agreed. "We going to Aeja's?"

Jungwoo turned to you. "Are you up for that, [Name]?"

"Aeja's?"

"Aeja's diner," he elaborated. "The best apple pie you've ever tasted. Are you hungry? I can take you home, if you want."

Your stomach rumbled, as if answering the question for you, and you chuckled. "I'm famished."

You found yourself smiling when you got back into the car with Jungwoo. His presence was warm, and it felt good to be sitting next to him again.

“Are you having fun tonight?” Jungwoo asked you as he pulled out of the parking lot, following Yukhei’s car. “Sorry we haven’t really got to hang out yet. It can be kinda boring, watching people race.”

“No, I’m having fun,” you told him honestly. “This is exciting, and Sicheng’s been keeping me company; he seems nice.”

“I hope we can spend some more time together, [Name],” Jungwoo said, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at you. “We should hang out again.”

“I’d like that,” you replied honestly.

The tinkle of the bell above the door was a light, welcoming sound when you stepped into the diner. It was a nice place, and though you'd never been there before, it somehow instilled a sense of warm nostalgia within you. Hardwood floors, neon lights, cracked red leather booths. It was like something out of a movie. It was empty, save for a bored-looking waiter behind the counter.

"You guys again? Really?" he drawled, but there was a teasing expression on his face. He had an angular jaw, chocolate-brown hair in a low ponytail, and a nametag reading Yuta.

"Hush. We keep you in business," shot back Sicheng, as the four of you found your seats in a booth.

"You're right," the waiter - Yuta - conceded. "Manager's talking about shutting this place up at 10 every night." He came around the counter, joining you at your table.

"Don't you dare," threatened Yukhei, sounding deeply devastated at the prospect of new opening hours.

"It's not up to me, bro," Yuta raised his hands in surrender, seeming amused.

"I need this place," Yukhei iterated.

"Yeah, yeah. What do you want?" Yuta pulled a notebook and pencil from the pocket in his apron, ready to take your orders.

Jungwoo, Yukhei and Sicheng all knew what they wanted immediately, being regulars at the diner, so you just followed Jungwoo’s lead and ordered a burger and fries, with a milkshake.

Yukhei folded his arms onto the table, leaning towards you. “So. Did Jungwoo tell you about the big race?”

You looked to Jungwoo in question. “Big race?”

Jungwoo nodded in confirmation. “In a few weeks. That’s what we’re practicing for right now.”

“Million won prize,” Yukhei interjected.

Your eyes widened in surprise. “A million? Where does the money even come from?”

“Gambling, mostly,” Jungwoo explained. “A lot of people bet on the organised races.”

“Your Jungwoo’s the favourite for this upcoming race - three to one.”

You dismissed Yukhei’s remark of your Jungwoo, instead focusing on his claim of Jungwoo’s capability. “Woah, really?” He looked bashful when he met your gaze, and you had to admire the fact that he hadn’t bragged about this to you; you’d met far too many boys who boasted and gloated about their many triumphs, talking themselves up in a completely unnecessary and unlikable way. Jungwoo wasn’t one of these boys, it seemed.

“It’s not like this is a huge race,” he explained. “I only stand out locally. Plus, I have some pretty strong competition in this guy Jaehyun.”

“This is so crazy,” you expressed. “This whole street racing thing, I mean. It’s all been happening right under my nose and I had no idea. I didn’t even know it existed, really. I kind of thought it was just a movie thing.”

“It’s very real, baby,” Jungwoo assured you. You had to admit, you weren’t at all mad about the pet name he’d assigned to you; your heart fluttered each time the word passed his lips.

Yuta returned with your food, and you all tucked in. The boys hadn’t been exaggerating about the quality of this place - the fries were heavenly, the burger not too greasy.

“You know what they say about street racing, right?” Sicheng asked you, and you looked at him inquisitively. “Street racing started when they made the second car.” You smiled at the charming proverb.

“Drive fast and leave a sexy corpse, that’s my motto,” Yukhei said, around a mouthful of burger. Jungwoo snorted out a laugh, and Sicheng rolled his eyes though he was clearly amused. You caught Jungwoo’s gaze, and your own laughter doubled. There was a certain happiness that erupted within you, whenever you made eye contact with the boy.

You had to admit, this night was the most fun you’d had in a long time. You hadn’t met up with any friends in a while, now that you were a night owl, and you appreciated the way these three boys accepted you into their circle.

*

It was almost instantaneous, the switch in your life from loner to social butterfly. You began spending your nights with Jungwoo, Yukhei, and Sicheng, either racing, hanging in the diner, or otherwise exploring the city. You and Jungwoo had grown close, faster than you would’ve expected. He set off fireworks in your heart, stars erupting whenever you closed your eyes.

“What did you do before I came along?” you asked Sicheng as he poured you a cup of hot cocoa, in the parking lot that had grown incredibly familiar. “This must be so boring on your own.”

“I didn’t come to watch them race often,” Sicheng said. “I come to the big races, and we hang out a lot anyways - it’s not easy to find other people who are pretty much nocturnal. But Jungwoo asked me to come along to keep you company that first night.”

You hummed in acknowledgement. You supposed this was a new routine for more than just you.

“Oh, shit,” Sicheng muttered suddenly, looking past you. You turned to see red flashing lights, a police car cruising by silently.

“That’s bad, right?” you asked Sicheng, your heart spiking with nerves.

“It’s not good,” he confirmed, grimacing.

“What’ll happen if they’re caught?”

“They’ll probably get taken down to the station,” he explained. “After that, who knows.” Sicheng seemed worried, going by the tense look on his face, and his agitation was contagious. A sense of panic began to set in, and you chewed your lip anxiously.

“If they realise cops are patrolling before they’re caught, they should manage to get away okay,” he said, and you nodded in understanding.

After a few minutes, a few tense and painful minutes, a car rolled into a parking lot - Yukhei’s. He drove to you and Sicheng, parking up and climbing out.

“Where’s Jungwoo?” were the first words that passed your lips, urgent and hurried.

“Hiding out, I hope,” Yukhei responded, running a hand through his hair. “Fucking cop car, patrolling. We split when we saw it.”

Your worries weren’t eased in the slightest. “I’ll try texting him.” When you pulled your phone out of your pocket, you realised your hands were shaking.

Are you okay??? you tapped out, as quickly as you could. Moments passed. “He’s not replying,” you exhaled.

“Don’t worry, okay? It could mean he’s on the road, driving back here,” Yukhei said.

“It could also mean he’s been caught,” Sicheng mentioned. You saw Yukhei shoot him a look that said not helping.

Yukhei patted you on the shoulder. “Jungwoo’s survived much closer calls than this, alright? He’s tough. He’ll be fine.”

Though it felt like hours had passed, it had only been eight minutes, and you knew this precisely as you’d been checking your phone for messages the whole time. When the hum of Jungwoo’s engine neared, and he arrived at the parking lot, you audibly gasped. He jumped out of his car, and the sight of him, unscathed, brought relief that was almost overwhelming. You ran to him, hugging him tightly.

“Hey, hey, I’m alright. It’s okay,” Jungwoo reassured you with a surprised laugh, wrapping his arms around you. You pulled away, feeling shy all of a sudden, though Jungwoo kept a hold on you, arm wrapped around your waist.

“You think there was a leak?” Jungwoo asked.

“Maybe,” Yukhei responded with a shrug.

“A leak?” you asked. “What do you mean?”

“The police may have gotten word that there’s a race planned here. They don’t usually patrol this area,” Jungwoo explained, still holding you close.

“That’s what makes it a perfect racing spot,” Yukhei added. “No speed cameras, no police.”

Jungwoo sighed. “Let’s just call it quits for tonight, yeah? I’ll talk to Johnny tomorrow, see what he knows.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Yukhei agreed. “Let me know if you hear anything.”

“C’mon, baby,” Jungwoo said, ushering you to his car.

The ride home was strangely silent. You didn’t think it had ever been this quiet between the two of you, not since your laundry room days. When Jungwoo parked up in the garage, he paused before getting out of the car, turning to you.

“Hey,” he said softly, placing a comforting hand on your knee. “You okay?” You simply nodded, eyes trained on your lap. “Look at me,” he said, and you did. His eyes were wide, genuine concern evident in his expression.

“I was really worried about you tonight,” you explained, and he smiled.

“I know,” he said gently. “That’s not something I’m used to, y’know? There usually isn’t anyone to worry about me like this.” His voice didn’t call for pity. If anything, he sounded amused by your outburst.

“I don’t know what came over me. I was terrified for you, Jungwoo.”

His smile turned into more of a smirk. “Maybe you just care about me, baby.”

“I do. I really do.” Your heart was racing, pounding at an alarming rate. Looking at Jungwoo, this hurricane of a man who had stormed his way into your life, you felt something you couldn’t explain. You wanted to be close to him, to stay close to him forever. When he slowly leaned in, you closed your eyes and waited for his lips to find yours.

They were soft - softer than you would’ve expected. His touch was light as a feather when he cupped your cheek. Your hands went to him automatically, settling on his body as though they were always supposed to be there; your left landing on his shoulder, your right flat on his chest. Jungwoo deepened the kiss without hesitation, sliding his tongue past your lips and using it expertly. A small moan emerged from within you, and Jungwoo pulled away before things got any more intense. You were left panting slightly, adrenaline coursing through you.

“I care about you too, for the record,” Jungwoo stated, and you smiled, shaking your head in amusement.

“Do you want to come to my apartment?” you invited him.

“I’d love to.”

*

You awoke as the sun was setting, golden rays filtering through your curtains. You blinked yourself awake, eyes adjusting to the room. Jungwoo was sitting at the edge of your bed, scrolling through his phone. You smiled to yourself, admiring his frame, the wide expanse of his shoulders. You noticed his eyebrows tied together, frustration etched into his features, and wondered just what he was looking at.

“Morning,” you greeted him sleepily, before amending, “Evening.”

“Hey, baby,” he replied, expression softening into a kind smile once he saw that you were awake. “You sleep well?”

You nodded. “Everything okay?”

Jungwoo laughed, a stressed chuckle, as he ran his hand through his hair. “One of our message boards was infiltrated - everything’s coded, but we can’t take any risks, especially not after last night. We’re gonna have to change the location of the race.”

“Oh no,” you said with a frown, moving to sit beside him. He lifted his arm, and you cuddled into his side, savoring his warmth. You tried hard not to smile to yourself, given Jungwoo’s unfortunate situation. You hadn’t realised just how much you’d craved his touch until you got it, and now you’d gotten a taste, you never wanted to let go.

Jungwoo groaned. “This is gonna throw me off, big-time.”

“But it’ll throw everyone else off, too. That could be a bonus,” you pointed out.

“You’re right,” he agreed, planting a kiss on the top of your head. “Plus, I have you now. My good luck charm.”

You smiled into the warm skin of his bare chest. This was a big obstacle, very close to the race. But, even with your very limited knowledge on the subject, Jungwoo seemed like a very competent racer. You knew he’d push through this.

*

The boys hadn't been exaggerating about the sheer energy these big races brought. There was an electricity in the air, and you felt inexplicably giddy, as though all your hairs were standing on end.

Floodlights shone down on the parking lot - not the one you'd been visiting, unfortunately, but a revised location on the other side of the city. The place was swarming, a whole crowd of people packed into the lot. Around fifty, if you had to estimate. Drinking, laughing, preparing. You didn't know what you'd expected, in terms of demographics, but you were surprised. People from all walks of life were here; punks with brightly coloured mohawks, men who wouldn't look out of place as lawyers or accountants, some of the most beautiful women you'd ever seen. It seemed that the art of street racing was seductive to all types of people.

You clutched Jungwoo's hand as you looked out at everyone, standing beside his trusty car. You knew he was nervous, but he didn't show it. He smiled down at you, giving your hand a squeeze.

"You're gonna do amazing," you reassured him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I know," he said, hints of a smirk on his lips. He looked past you suddenly, scowling. "Who let you in here?"

You turned to see a man approaching, a smug look plastered on his face. He was tall, as tall as Jungwoo, and handsome. Though his charm was different to Jungwoo’s; where Jungwoo was pretty, puppy-dog eyes and a bright smile, Jaehyun was angular, cocky grin and dark eyes.

“Could ask the same about you,” he shot back. “You ready to get your ass kicked?”

Jungwoo sighed, shaking his head with a smile. “Don’t try to trash talk me, Jaehyun. It’s embarrassing.”

“I’m not gonna be the one who’s embarrassed, Kim,” Jaehyun denied. “See you out there.”

“You won’t see me, man,” Jungwoo called out to him as he walked away. “You’ll be left behind in my dust.” Jaehyun failed to reply, only shooting Jungwoo the middle finger behind his back. Jungwoo snorted in laughter.

“So, that’s Jaehyun?” you asked. You’d heard about him, from Jungwoo and the others. He was one of the only racers who was on Jungwoo’s level, his biggest competitor. He’d won the last race, and Jungwoo was determined to take back the crown.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Jungwoo nodded. “Nasty piece of work, right?”

“Yeah, awful,” you agreed with a laugh - it wasn’t serious. The two of them were rivals, that much was evident, but you sensed a great deal of respect between them, without a doubt. They challenged each other, pushed each other to be better, and it seemed that they appreciated each other for that.

An air horn sounded suddenly, and you grasped Jungwoo’s hand a little tighter in surprise. He grinned at you, and you laughed as your cheeks heated. You were just so excited, so worked up, that it made you jumpy. “That’s the signal, babe,” Jungwoo explained. “Kiss for good luck?” You complied, giving him one last lingering kiss.

You reconvened with Sicheng, watching as Jungwoo and Yukhei got in their cars and drove towards the starting line. There were six cars, in total, with Jungwoo, Yukhei, and Jaehyun accounting for three of them. Yukhei’s nimble red car stood out among the bunch; Jaehyun’s was a deep blue, bigger than Yukhei or Jungwoo’s; however Jungwoo’s was certainly the most impressive of the bunch, with her stark white stripes. You could have been biased, though.

Your heart was pounding. With nerves, with excitement, possibly even a bit of fear. This was racing - real racing. You knew how dangerous it could get. After all, you’d fixed up Jungwoo’s injuries yourself. And, really, he was lucky to get away that lightly.

The parking lot was near silent as the cars lined up. You and Sicheng stood, a few metres away from the line of cars. You looked at Jungwoo, through his windshield. There was a look on his face, determined and excited, that made your heart flutter.

You’d never felt a silence so heavy, never heard a silence so loud. It was as though every single person was holding their breath. The tension sunk its sharp, jagged teeth into your skin, and you dug your nails into your palm.

“On your marks,” boomed a voice, amplified by a megaphone.

“Get set.” Engines revved.

“Go!”

Almost the instant the word had been uttered, the cars had sped off, leaving no trace behind. The crowd erupted, whooping and cheering. Sicheng pulled you into a hug, and you laughed as you held him close. There was a certain high that came from this, an adrenaline rush. You could barely even imagine how Jungwoo must be feeling, flying down the streets at lightning speed.

“You look nervous,” Sicheng commented, the corner of his mouth lifting. You gave him a small smile in response. “Jungwoo knows what he’s doing,” he reassured you, and you nodded. This felt so reminiscent of the times you’d spent with Sicheng, waiting for Jungwoo and Yukhei to finish racing, drinking hot cocoa and laughing together. Though it also felt wildly different. There was something riding on this race; Jungwoo’s pride and a lot of money. Your heart was pounding. A month ago you’d never spared a thought for street racing, and now? You’d give anything for one man to win this race.

The race was a little longer than what Jungwoo and Yukhei had been practicing - or maybe it only felt that way because you were sitting on the edge of your metaphorical seat. You could hear them, in the distance. An unmistakable low rumbling, thrumming through the asphalt. It grew louder, the cars drew nearer. You reached for Sicheng’s hand, clutching it tightly as butterflies raged in your stomach. You stepped forwards, peering down the street. You saw the headlights in the distance, as they turned onto the stretch of road. Sicheng gripped your shoulder, pulling you back gently from harm’s way, and you chuckled, a little embarrassed at your anxious enthusiasm.

You didn’t think you’d ever seen cars move that fast - in fact, you didn’t think you’d ever seen anything move that fast. You barely had time to blink, as Jungwoo and Jaehyun’s vehicles, a blur of black and navy, raced ahead of the others, appearing in front of you within an instant.

A screech, a deafening crashing sound, and a hoard of gasps met your ears all at once. If it weren’t for Sicheng’s grasp on your hand, you would’ve ran directly into the line of oncoming cars. “Jungwoo!” you heard yourself cry out, and although it was your voice, it sounded distant, far away.

“Hey, hey, [Name],” Sicheng said, pulling you closer to him. “He’s okay, Jungwoo’s okay.” His words were meant to soothe you, but his voice was still tinged with worry. You blinked, looking out at the scene in front of you.

The other cars whizzed by, driving past the wreck that Jaehyun’s car had become. Jungwoo had been the clear winner, as Jaehyun’s car had skidded off-course just a short distance from the finish line. The bumper had been dented, the metal crumpling as though it were paper. You watched as Jaehyun stumbled out of the driver’s side, mostly unscathed. A group of people ran to him, now that the cars had stopped flying by, carrying first aid kits, but you paid them no attention. You shrugged free of Sicheng’s grasp, running to where Jungwoo had stopped.

You caught sight of his car, dented along one side, and tears sprang to your eyes. Jungwoo climbed out when he saw you coming, and you held him at arm's length, looking over him frantically. “Are you okay?” you asked, your voice barely rising above a whisper.

“Baby, baby, I’m fine,” Jungwoo breathed, pulling you into a hug.

“Jaehyun,” you uttered. “He-”

Jungwoo pulled back, kissing your forehead. “He’s okay,” he assured you. You followed his gaze to Jaehyun, whose forehead was being wiped by a makeshift medic. He gave the two of you a thumbs up, and Jungwoo waved back.

“You won,” you stated, looking back to Jungwoo.

“Yeah,” Jungwoo laughed. “I guess I did.”

“You don’t sound very happy,” you pointed out, caressing his cheek lightly.

“It doesn’t feel right - I feel like I’ve won unlawfully, y’know? I only won cause Jaehyun crashed-”

“Maybe, but you don’t know that for sure,” you told him. “You won, and that’s that.” Jungwoo sighed, and you kissed him.

An air horn sounded, and you jumped yet again. Jungwoo laughed. “That’s for me, babe.”

“And the winner is Kim Jungwoo,” called out the voice, crackly through the megaphone. Jungwoo raised his hands in victory, as a scatter of applause rang out for him.

“A million won, huh?” you said. “What you gonna spend it on?”

“Fixing up my car, probably,” he sighed, looking back at the dent in his vehicle. “And I might take my baby on vacation.”

You giggled, kissing him once more. This street racing thing was slightly terrifying, you had found. But it had its plus sides too.

[yuta-nakamots]

ADRENALINE RUSH! COLLAB MASTERLIST

Disclaimer: This collab was previously hosted by @ickjun​, otherwise known as mjlkau, injuncore, or Anie. I am in no way trying to steal her ideas or credit, I am only putting together a masterlist of the works created for this collab. Anie has given me permission to lead the collab and post this masterlist in her stead. This collab was also first announced before NCT had 23 members hence why we only have stories for 21 members. We will not be accepting any new writers.

To the writers: All current writers involved are to either finish their work or let us know in the collab discord server that they will be withdrawing from the collab. If you have already posted, please send me your teaser or fic through Tumblr or our designated channels on discord and I’ll gladly add it to this masterlist. This masterlist will be updated as the authors post their teasers and full fics. If there is only a teaser posted for a member then all information about the teaser will be entered here until the full fic is posted, at which time the details will be edited. 

COLLAB DETAILS

writers must create a work where their chosen member is a racer

being a ‘racer’ is not only limited to street racing but it will likely be the most common theme of this collab 

most of these stories contain multiple trigger warning so to writers, please be sure to include appropriate warnings, and to readers, please be sure to read the warnings 

writers may post their fics any time that they please up until the deadline

the final deadline is the end of May 

if you have any questions or concerns regarding this collab, please direct them to me, lucas-wongs 

@suhpressed || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@joh–pping || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@alreadyblondenow || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@haechanblr​ || teaser || full fic; Overdrive || - Genre(s): angst, smut, fluff (no smut in this teaser); established relationship, rich kid!au, racer!au. - Warning(s): mentions of alcohol consumption, smoking, car sex, mentions of criminal activity, swearing (none in this teaser). - Summary: yuta’s change had been brought by an impulse. he had always been the model son, a pristine image that had been built as his family’s biggest pride; but heavy is the head that wears the crown, and he had simply gotten tired of holding on. now he has a shiny red car and a fiery thirst for adrenaline, and you’re just left to watch from the sidelines as the relationship you once built threatens to tumble to the ground.

@pastelsicheng​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@lucas-wongs​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@the32ndbeat​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@armysantiny​ || full fic; Reckless || - Genre(s): fluff, angst, comfort - Warning(s): hospital, injury, concussion, broken arm - Summary: After ending her tournament on a high, y/n takes Sicheng to the practice track for a few spins on her bike. Opting to watch her instead, he warns y/n not to injure herself; she does need to rest after her race. Promising to try and be as careful as she can, y/n takes her bike on a few laps of the track. When she takes her eyes off the track for just a moment, she sends the bike and herself flying into the ground.

@puppywritings​ || teaser || full fic; Celeritas || - Genre(s): N/A - Warning(s): blood, non-serious injury - Summary: celeritas; speed, swiftness. windswept hair and ripped jeans. kim jungwoo, mysterious neighbour and alleged street racer. just what secrets lie within this man? and can you match his speed?

@prettyjaems​​ || teaser || full fic; Rush || - Genre(s): Angst, Fluff, Suggestive,street racer au. - Warning(s): N/A - Summary: Wong Yukhei. A literal mystery on two legs. As long as the sun’s up, he’s a high class executive, having grown up in the glitz and glamour of the shiny billionaire world. He’s been following rules since he learned to walk. As soon as the sun goes down however, he’s someone else, turning into a guy who has no regard for any rules; Lucas. He’s managed to separate these two identities for so long. All of that changes when he meets you. Do your eyes deceive you, or do you see Yukhei in the front seat?

@yongiefilms​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@bumblebeenct​ || teaser || full fic; System Failure || - Genre(s): Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Angst, Racing - Warning(s): nightmares, death, bullying, guns, swearing. - Summary: You and Xiaojun didn’t really know each other that well, yet with supporting different teams in the league you knew you’d never see eye to eye. Nobody ever thinks VR is dangerous but a glitch is the one thing forcing you to work with a boy you’d much rather not talk to.

@byunbaekby​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@dearyongs​ || teaser || full fic; racing against the devil || - Genre(s): racer!au, enemies-to-lovers!au, artist!au, fluff, angst - Warning(s): hospital visits, heavy drinking, mentioned character death, mentions and descriptions of a drunk driving car accident - Summary: after a drunk driving accident while street racing, the thing you once loved becomes the thing you hate the most. now as a college graduate working full time, things seemed okay for the most part—until you met jeno lee, nicknamed “the prince of racing.” bad luck seems to have pinned onto you, and you find yourself running into the racer more often than needed. however, this may be the beginning of a new story, and maybe what you thought was misfortune was really a blessing in disguise.

@byunbaekby​ || teaser || full fic; bloom again || - Genre(s): angst, fluff, racer au, slight college au, strangers to lovers, mutual pining, love triangle, hurt and comfort - Warning(s): language, cheating, mentions of abuse, depictions of a toxic/abusive relationship (not between jaemin and the reader), optional smut, illegal street racing, mentions of drugs - Summary: the world has never been kind to na jaemin. left alone with a deadbeat mother, he’s learned how to survive on his own. now twenty and a college student whose life and vitality (not to mention his rent) relies solely on his success in his career as an illegal street racer, he runs alone. everything he has, he’s fought for with his own hands and grit. he’s never asked for anything, which is what makes the world so cruel: when he finally meets someone who he desires for more than a night, you already belong to someone else.

@ukiyoexo​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@lelenoir​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

@dreamystuffers​ || teaser || full fic || - Genre(s): - Warning(s): - Summary:

[justwhumpythings]

Fun meta asks for writers

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

What character do you have the most fun writing?

What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?

How would you describe your writing process?

What do you envy in other writers?

Do you want your writing to be famous?

Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Would you say your writing has changed over time?

What part of writing is the most fun?

[127-mile]

What if | Collab call.

“What” and “if”.

Two words as non-threatening as words can be. Put them side to side, and they might haunt you for the rest of your life.

What if the guy doesn’t get the girl, what if you lose the friend you’ve caught feelings for, what if the killer gets away with murder, what if your enemy doesn’t become your desired lover?

What if a happy ending wasn’t written in the stars you gazed at?

Oh well, maybe it is time for you to experience how your story is truly about to end.

Hello, and welcome to a very special collab hosted by the wonderful and beautiful @moondustaeil and moi. We’ve been talking about hosting a collab together for a while, and here it is. We are both extremely excited to present you “What if”.

The theme of this collab is simple: angsty, unhappy and tragic endings. You have the freedom to come up with a plot and a twisted unhappy ending. To inspire you: you can ask for some possible aus, or check them in the discord server once you are in.

If you would like to join, please message me @/127-mile, or @moondustaeil and rb the post when it is done.

This is an NCT collab.

21 spots to fill, as we will take a member each.

First come, first serve basis.

The minimum word count is 2k, there is no maximum.

The deadline will be in 2022.

You have to be 18+ to write smut and/or suggestive content.

No smut and/or suggestive content for Sungchan, Chenle and Jisung.

All genres are allowed as long as you have all of the warnings written down. No non-con, dub-con, incest, pedophilia etc.

The reader has to be inclusive.

Having a Discord is required, as it makes it easier to communicate.

If you change url or if you want to step out, please message either of us on Discord or on Tumblr.

Keep reading

[puppywritings]

celeritas - kim jungwoo x gender neutral reader (teaser)

masterlist

⇢   synopsis: celeritas; speed, swiftness. windswept hair and ripped jeans. kim jungwoo, mysterious neighbour and alleged street racer. just what secrets lie within this man? and can you match his speed?

⇢   release date: some time in april, exact date tbc

⇢   expected word count: 4k-8k

⇢   teaser word count: 0.9k

⇢   trigger warnings for full fic: car accident, blood, non-serious injury, swearing.

⇢   trigger warnings for teaser: blood, non-serious injury

⇢   a/n: this is my piece for the racer au collab, originally hosted by the lovely anie 💕

send me an ask or message to be added to the taglist!

"Jungwoo?" you asked, peering at him. He was clearly trying to hide himself, but you knew it was him. You unrecognised his lips, and hoped that wasn't creepy, but what deterred you was the swelling around the left side of his jaw. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, Y/N. I'm fine." He tried to give you a reassuring smile, but winced as the action twinged his swollen features. 

"You don't seem too fine," you commented, trying to peer at the rest of his face, under his hood. 

"I've had worse," he shrugged, wincing again. "Look, can we go inside?"

You frowned, pulling open your apartment door before ushering him inside and pulling down his hood, acting fast and catching him unaware, only to gasp at the state of his face. Along with his swollen jaw was a black eye, and a gash across his forehead that had recently ceased its bleeding, judging by the dark, dried blood around the site of injury 

"Oh my god, Jungwoo, what happened?"

"Listen, I said it's fine-"

"Come on, let me patch you up." You grasped his arm, marching him towards the elevator, and he got the message that his protesting was worthless and you wouldn't be taking no for an answer. Once in your apartment, you pulled a chair out from your kitchen table and pushed Jungwoo firmly down onto it, before digging the first aid kit out of your cupboard. 

Jungwoo was silent through the whole affair, and you sensed that some of this was surprise. It didn't seem like he was used to this - being taken charge of, that was. He seemed like the type of guy who took charge of everything and everyone he encountered. Well, you supposed, he had met his match.

He was a good patient, and only flinched once, when you brushed his wounds with an antibacterial wipe. Finished your cleaning and bandaging, you leaned back against your kitchen counter, eyeing the man up. He said nothing, simply looking back at you with an undetectable look on his face. His lips were set in a straight line, though his eyes were soft.

“Do you want a drink?” you asked him eventually, breaking the silence. “I have decaf coffee, tea, hot cocoa-”

“Hot cocoa, please!” Jungwoo interrupted, looking excited all of a sudden, despite his injuries. You nodded, and went to prepare two hot cocoas. Silence fell again, and it was a strangely comfortable silence considering you were near-strangers.

“So,” you spoke after a few moments, “I know I said I wouldn't ask questions. But I did just fix your face, so I think you kinda owe me a little explanation.”

“Hey, hey. This face? Could never need fixing. You can’t fix perfection.”

You gave him a look. “You’re avoiding the subject, Jungwoo.”

“Alright, alright,” he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m a street racer.”

You paused for a few beats, looking at him. Searching his face for any sign of amusement, waiting for a gotcha! 

It didn’t come. “A street racer?”

“You don’t believe me?” he asked. He sounded genuine enough. You were left wondering whether he was, in fact, a street racer… or a pathological liar.

“You don’t look like a street racer,” was all you said, as you handed him his cocoa. He took a sip.

“Then, what do I look like?” he questioned. A model, you thought. Outwardly, however, you simply shrugged, and tried to hide your blush by taking a sip of your drink, which was far too hot. “You can come see me in action if you want, baby. I’m racing again tomorrow night, midnight.”

You raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Follow a mysterious man, who I’ve found covered in blood on two separate occasions? Come on. Even to you, that must sound a little shifty.”

Jungwoo shrugged. “You’re the one who invited me into your home, babe."

You sighed -  you couldn’t really fight him on that one. You wrapped your hands around your mug tightly. “I don’t know anything about you, Jungwoo. I don’t even know your last name-”

“Kim,” he interrupted. “Kim Jungwoo.”

You roll your eyes. “Fine. Well I know your last name, now. But still. How do I know you’re even telling the truth?”

Jungwoo smiled, his lips twisting upwards in the corners in the most endearing way possible. He looked into your eyes. “Y/N. Darling. Why would I lie?”

You give him a cynical look. “Really, Jungwoo? There are some serious creeps out there. Creeps who tell many different lies for many different reasons. And none of them are good reasons.”

“Just trust me, okay? Take a leap of faith.” You raised an eyebrow at him. Most creeps weren’t this pretty. “A leap right into my arms,” he continued, stretching his arms wide as an invitation.

Snorting out a laugh, you delivered a shove to his shoulder. Gently - you didn’t know the extent of his injuries. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Midnight, right?”

“Midnight,” he confirmed. He smiled at you, in a way that you couldn’t help but smile back. “See you then.” 

With that, he was gone, leaving you alone in your kitchen once more. Jungwoo always seemed to come and go, much like a tornado, leaving you shell-shocked and windswept in his wake. Street racing, hm? You shook your head to yourself. Just what were you getting yourself into?

[puppywritings]

celeritas - kim jungwoo x gender neutral reader (teaser)

masterlist

⇢   synopsis: celeritas; speed, swiftness. windswept hair and ripped jeans. kim jungwoo, mysterious neighbour and alleged street racer. just what secrets lie within this man? and can you match his speed?

⇢   release date: some time in april, exact date tbc

⇢   expected word count: 4k-8k

⇢   teaser word count: 0.9k

⇢   trigger warnings for full fic: car accident, blood, non-serious injury, swearing.

⇢   trigger warnings for teaser: blood, non-serious injury

⇢   a/n: this is my piece for the racer au collab, originally hosted by the lovely anie 💕

send me an ask or message to be added to the taglist!

"Jungwoo?" you asked, peering at him. He was clearly trying to hide himself, but you knew it was him. You unrecognised his lips, and hoped that wasn't creepy, but what deterred you was the swelling around the left side of his jaw. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, Y/N. I'm fine." He tried to give you a reassuring smile, but winced as the action twinged his swollen features. 

"You don't seem too fine," you commented, trying to peer at the rest of his face, under his hood. 

"I've had worse," he shrugged, wincing again. "Look, can we go inside?"

You frowned, pulling open your apartment door before ushering him inside and pulling down his hood, acting fast and catching him unaware, only to gasp at the state of his face. Along with his swollen jaw was a black eye, and a gash across his forehead that had recently ceased its bleeding, judging by the dark, dried blood around the site of injury 

"Oh my god, Jungwoo, what happened?"

"Listen, I said it's fine-"

"Come on, let me patch you up." You grasped his arm, marching him towards the elevator, and he got the message that his protesting was worthless and you wouldn't be taking no for an answer. Once in your apartment, you pulled a chair out from your kitchen table and pushed Jungwoo firmly down onto it, before digging the first aid kit out of your cupboard. 

Jungwoo was silent through the whole affair, and you sensed that some of this was surprise. It didn't seem like he was used to this - being taken charge of, that was. He seemed like the type of guy who took charge of everything and everyone he encountered. Well, you supposed, he had met his match.

He was a good patient, and only flinched once, when you brushed his wounds with an antibacterial wipe. Finished your cleaning and bandaging, you leaned back against your kitchen counter, eyeing the man up. He said nothing, simply looking back at you with an undetectable look on his face. His lips were set in a straight line, though his eyes were soft.

“Do you want a drink?” you asked him eventually, breaking the silence. “I have decaf coffee, tea, hot cocoa-”

“Hot cocoa, please!” Jungwoo interrupted, looking excited all of a sudden, despite his injuries. You nodded, and went to prepare two hot cocoas. Silence fell again, and it was a strangely comfortable silence considering you were near-strangers.

“So,” you spoke after a few moments, “I know I said I wouldn't ask questions. But I did just fix your face, so I think you kinda owe me a little explanation.”

“Hey, hey. This face? Could never need fixing. You can’t fix perfection.”

You gave him a look. “You’re avoiding the subject, Jungwoo.”

“Alright, alright,” he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m a street racer.”

You paused for a few beats, looking at him. Searching his face for any sign of amusement, waiting for a gotcha! 

It didn’t come. “A street racer?”

“You don’t believe me?” he asked. He sounded genuine enough. You were left wondering whether he was, in fact, a street racer… or a pathological liar.

“You don’t look like a street racer,” was all you said, as you handed him his cocoa. He took a sip.

“Then, what do I look like?” he questioned. A model, you thought. Outwardly, however, you simply shrugged, and tried to hide your blush by taking a sip of your drink, which was far too hot. “You can come see me in action if you want, baby. I’m racing again tomorrow night, midnight.”

You raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Follow a mysterious man, who I’ve found covered in blood on two separate occasions? Come on. Even to you, that must sound a little shifty.”

Jungwoo shrugged. “You’re the one who invited me into your home, babe."

You sighed -  you couldn’t really fight him on that one. You wrapped your hands around your mug tightly. “I don’t know anything about you, Jungwoo. I don’t even know your last name-”

“Kim,” he interrupted. “Kim Jungwoo.”

You roll your eyes. “Fine. Well I know your last name, now. But still. How do I know you’re even telling the truth?”

Jungwoo smiled, his lips twisting upwards in the corners in the most endearing way possible. He looked into your eyes. “Y/N. Darling. Why would I lie?”

You give him a cynical look. “Really, Jungwoo? There are some serious creeps out there. Creeps who tell many different lies for many different reasons. And none of them are good reasons.”

“Just trust me, okay? Take a leap of faith.” You raised an eyebrow at him. Most creeps weren’t this pretty. “A leap right into my arms,” he continued, stretching his arms wide as an invitation.

Snorting out a laugh, you delivered a shove to his shoulder. Gently - you didn’t know the extent of his injuries. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Midnight, right?”

“Midnight,” he confirmed. He smiled at you, in a way that you couldn’t help but smile back. “See you then.” 

With that, he was gone, leaving you alone in your kitchen once more. Jungwoo always seemed to come and go, much like a tornado, leaving you shell-shocked and windswept in his wake. Street racing, hm? You shook your head to yourself. Just what were you getting yourself into?

[puppywritings]

celeritas - kim jungwoo x gender neutral reader (teaser)

masterlist

⇢   synopsis: celeritas; speed, swiftness. windswept hair and ripped jeans. kim jungwoo, mysterious neighbour and alleged street racer. just what secrets lie within this man? and can you match his speed?

⇢   release date: some time in april, exact date tbc

⇢   expected word count: 4k-8k

⇢   teaser word count: 0.9k

⇢   trigger warnings for full fic: car accident, blood, non-serious injury, swearing.

⇢   trigger warnings for teaser: blood, non-serious injury

⇢   a/n: this is my piece for the racer au collab, originally hosted by the lovely anie 💕

send me an ask or message to be added to the taglist!

"Jungwoo?" you asked, peering at him. He was clearly trying to hide himself, but you knew it was him. You unrecognised his lips, and hoped that wasn't creepy, but what deterred you was the swelling around the left side of his jaw. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, Y/N. I'm fine." He tried to give you a reassuring smile, but winced as the action twinged his swollen features. 

"You don't seem too fine," you commented, trying to peer at the rest of his face, under his hood. 

"I've had worse," he shrugged, wincing again. "Look, can we go inside?"

You frowned, pulling open your apartment door before ushering him inside and pulling down his hood, acting fast and catching him unaware, only to gasp at the state of his face. Along with his swollen jaw was a black eye, and a gash across his forehead that had recently ceased its bleeding, judging by the dark, dried blood around the site of injury 

"Oh my god, Jungwoo, what happened?"

"Listen, I said it's fine-"

"Come on, let me patch you up." You grasped his arm, marching him towards the elevator, and he got the message that his protesting was worthless and you wouldn't be taking no for an answer. Once in your apartment, you pulled a chair out from your kitchen table and pushed Jungwoo firmly down onto it, before digging the first aid kit out of your cupboard. 

Jungwoo was silent through the whole affair, and you sensed that some of this was surprise. It didn't seem like he was used to this - being taken charge of, that was. He seemed like the type of guy who took charge of everything and everyone he encountered. Well, you supposed, he had met his match.

He was a good patient, and only flinched once, when you brushed his wounds with an antibacterial wipe. Finished your cleaning and bandaging, you leaned back against your kitchen counter, eyeing the man up. He said nothing, simply looking back at you with an undetectable look on his face. His lips were set in a straight line, though his eyes were soft.

“Do you want a drink?” you asked him eventually, breaking the silence. “I have decaf coffee, tea, hot cocoa-”

“Hot cocoa, please!” Jungwoo interrupted, looking excited all of a sudden, despite his injuries. You nodded, and went to prepare two hot cocoas. Silence fell again, and it was a strangely comfortable silence considering you were near-strangers.

“So,” you spoke after a few moments, “I know I said I wouldn't ask questions. But I did just fix your face, so I think you kinda owe me a little explanation.”

“Hey, hey. This face? Could never need fixing. You can’t fix perfection.”

You gave him a look. “You’re avoiding the subject, Jungwoo.”

“Alright, alright,” he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m a street racer.”

You paused for a few beats, looking at him. Searching his face for any sign of amusement, waiting for a gotcha! 

It didn’t come. “A street racer?”

“You don’t believe me?” he asked. He sounded genuine enough. You were left wondering whether he was, in fact, a street racer… or a pathological liar.

“You don’t look like a street racer,” was all you said, as you handed him his cocoa. He took a sip.

“Then, what do I look like?” he questioned. A model, you thought. Outwardly, however, you simply shrugged, and tried to hide your blush by taking a sip of your drink, which was far too hot. “You can come see me in action if you want, baby. I’m racing again tomorrow night, midnight.”

You raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Follow a mysterious man, who I’ve found covered in blood on two separate occasions? Come on. Even to you, that must sound a little shifty.”

Jungwoo shrugged. “You’re the one who invited me into your home, babe."

You sighed -  you couldn’t really fight him on that one. You wrapped your hands around your mug tightly. “I don’t know anything about you, Jungwoo. I don’t even know your last name-”

“Kim,” he interrupted. “Kim Jungwoo.”

You roll your eyes. “Fine. Well I know your last name, now. But still. How do I know you’re even telling the truth?”

Jungwoo smiled, his lips twisting upwards in the corners in the most endearing way possible. He looked into your eyes. “Y/N. Darling. Why would I lie?”

You give him a cynical look. “Really, Jungwoo? There are some serious creeps out there. Creeps who tell many different lies for many different reasons. And none of them are good reasons.”

“Just trust me, okay? Take a leap of faith.” You raised an eyebrow at him. Most creeps weren’t this pretty. “A leap right into my arms,” he continued, stretching his arms wide as an invitation.

Snorting out a laugh, you delivered a shove to his shoulder. Gently - you didn’t know the extent of his injuries. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Midnight, right?”

“Midnight,” he confirmed. He smiled at you, in a way that you couldn’t help but smile back. “See you then.” 

With that, he was gone, leaving you alone in your kitchen once more. Jungwoo always seemed to come and go, much like a tornado, leaving you shell-shocked and windswept in his wake. Street racing, hm? You shook your head to yourself. Just what were you getting yourself into?

[puppywritings]

celeritas teaser coming soon 😌

[millysarchive]

WIP list will be updated soon, with more surprises on the way!

Keep reading

[millysarchive]

WIP list will be updated soon, with more surprises on the way!

Keep reading

[alastorisagod-deactivated202509]

ʜʏᴜɴᴊɪɴ 🆇 ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ʜᴀɪʀ