Hello, welcome to my personal fanfiction library, in this page you can find all the jimins fanfics that I have read. This page is still under editing, I still got a lot of work to do like arrange them by category/theme/au so please be patient and if you like this stories please share and don’t forget to give love to this amazing authors♡
This is to all the wonderful stories and writers that don’t want to forget, im so sorry for always being a silent reader i would really love to give you back a littlel by sharing your beautiful work with other people.
If you have any fanfic that you would like to share, I’ll appreciate it ♡
Categories
f - Fluff / s - Smut / a - Angst / c - Crack / h - Horror / ♔ Personal favorites /
Pt.2 / Pt.3
Firecracker ✔ (s) | Enemies to lovers, Dance Teacher!Jimin @ratedbangtann
The Devil and I ✔ (s) | Demon!Jimin, Religious themes @ratedbangtann
The whore of babylon ✔ (s) | Demon!Jimin, Religious themes, paranormal @ratedbangtann - Continuation of: The Devil and I
Fragile ✔ (f) | Established Relationship, Hurt/Confort @augustbutwinter
Beneath the water ✔ (f, a, s) | Mermaid!au/fantasy!au @jungshookz
Esse tuus ✔ (s)| Incubus!Jimin, office!au @lavienjin
The evolution of you and i ✔ (f, a) | Hybrid!Jimin @readyplayerhobi
Dear diary (f) | Hybrid!Jimin, Roomates au @moccahobi
Half of you (f, a) | Enemies to lovers @minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong
Loose ends ✔ ♔ (s) | Enemies to lovers, Yandere @scribblemetae
Breaking the rules ✔(s) | Escort!au @btssmutgalore
Lost and found ✔ (f, a) Idol!Jimin @kimvtae
Good boy ✔ ♔ (f, a, s) | @btssmutgalore
Lovely demons ✔♔ (f, a, s) | Fantasy, Enemies to lovers, Prince of hell!AU, Witch!AU @kpopfanfictrash
Worshipers of the spring ✔ (f, a, s) | God of wine!jimin @jimlingss
Inner needs ✔ (s) | Friends to lovers @avveh
Sexcapade ✔ (s, c) | Strangers to lovers @hamsterclaw
Lets get quizzical ✔ ♔ (f, a, s) | Friends to lovers @taleasnewastime
Never Falling ✔ ♔ (a, s) | Enemies to Lovers!au, Singer!Jimin, non-idol!au, Assistant!reader @yoonia
The other woman ✔ (a, s) | Infidelity, CEO!Jimin @namjooningelsewhere
Arte Factum ✔ ♔ (f, a, s) | Artifical Intelligence AU, horror, sci-fi @lolabangtan
El dorado ✔ ♔ (f, a, s) | Enemies to lovers, slowburn, gold diggers au, adventure au, archeologist!jimin @smoochkooks (Another one of my top 5 favorites probably bc u don't know how much of a sucker I am for archeologist/ gold diggers stories, plus, the story was so amazingly done.)
Lover to lean on ✔ (f, a, s) | neighbor!AU, flower shop!AU @sketchguk
Temple of adonis ✔ (s) | Mythological god!AU, Ancient Phoenicia!AU @yoon2k
Amoris et decorare ✔♔ (f, a, s) | slytherin!jimin x ravenclaw!reader @writtenwhalien
Rage ✔ (f, a, s)| Cop!Jimin @hamsterclaw
Christmas mass ✔ (s) | Demon!Jimin @yoongsisbae
Demon time ✔♔ (a, s) | Strangers to lovers, Club owner!jimin, stripper!reader @sugakookitty
You make me nervous ✔ (s) | @gimmethatagustd
Horizon ✔♔(a, s) | Dystopian future AU @hamsterclaw
Hooked ✔♔ (f, a, s) Nerd!Jimin @parkdatjimin DEACTIVATED (This one has a big place in my heart, i hope you come back one day, Mindy, miss you so much).
things get carried away with the campus good boy after you agree to help him have some actual fun at a party. but hold up now because you’re not the one supposed to be hooked.
Hommie Hopper till i die ✔ (s) @h0neypjm
I’m always right ✔ (f) @love-dreams
Florezco ✔♔ (f, a, s) @honeymoonjin
Power Play ✔♔ (f, a, s) Pornstar!AU @dovechim
Cloud Nine ✔ (s,h) Vampire!AU @suga-kookiemonsterter
Hello ✔♔ (f, a, s) Exes to lovers!AU, one-sided love @gyukult
Quid pro quo ✔ (s) Lawyer!jimin, Lawyer!reader, enemies with benefits @fantasybangtan
Honey i’m home ✔ (f, s) Strangers to friends to lovers!AU @yoongsgguktae
The art of benefits ✔ (f, s) Friends with benefits!AU @jimlingss
So it goes ✔♔ (f, s) Alien!Jimin @dovechim
Into the wilderness ✔♔ (f, a) Unrequited love @gukyi
Blue blood ✔ (a, s) Royalty!AU @joonbird
The scent of a flower ✔ (s) @cosmostae
Magic and Mysteries ✔♔ (f, a) Witch familiar!Au, Hybrid!Au, Wich!Reader @jimlingss
Love me Better ✔♔ (f, a, s) Strangers to lovers, FWB, Detective!AU @taegularitiess (This one is in the top 5 of my favorite fics, it so incredible written, every time I remember it it just give me chills, this has to be one of my favorite fluff Jimin's of all times.)
Otherworldly / pt2 / pt3 ✔♔ (a, s, h) Coraline!AU @sinning-on-a-sunday (You dont know the excitmet i felt when i saw a Coraline!AU, i loved the concept of this story).
— pairing: bird hybrid jimin x (f) reader
— word count: 5.4k
— summary: When your workplace announces that they've decided to promote collaboration between departments, you suddenly find yourself face to face with your sworn nemesis Park Jimin. Your plans to avoid him are quickly foiled as his presence turns the floor into a madhouse, your coworkers all vying for his attention. With so many people at his beck and call, why is it that Jimin is always so insistent on getting in your way?
01 - 02 - 03 / Masterlist
You stifle a yawn, blinking your bleary eyes at your screen.
It's not that the project is so demanding that it's keeping you from sleeping, it's more so ... everything else. It's been two weeks since you started working with Jimin and those weeks have consisted of jealous looks from the bird hybrid's groupies and dealing with an increasingly infuriating partner.
The thing is, Park Jimin just won't leave you alone.
"Coffee, for you."
You look up at Jimin as he gently pushes a takeaway cup over to your side of the table. He holds another one in his hand, presumably for himself, and gives you an encouraging nod as he catches your eye.
You tentatively reach out for the drink, finding it just the right side of hot as you wrap your fingers around it. You eye it suspiciously as you bring it up to your nose, giving the cup a discreet sniff. It simply smells like coffee, nothing more and nothing less. You doubt Jimin would poison you – but you wouldn't be surprised if the bird hybrid's definition of funny would be to prank you by putting something less than savory in your drink. Still, you hold his gaze as you bring the cup to your lips, determined not to give him the satisfaction of reacting if there is anything wrong with it.
You take a small sip, expecting the worst, but the taste that hits your tongue is normal. You drink a little more just to be sure but the taste remains the same. Based on the roast, you know that it's from the café down the block, the one that sells really good but horribly overpriced coffee. You've gone there with Jungkook a few times for a special pick-me-up when work has been rough but it's not something you would splurge on regularly.
"Thank you," You mumble, confused yet grateful that Jimin went out of his way to buy it for you.
Jimin's lips curve with a proud smile as he sees you enjoying the drink, his feathers ruffling happily as he takes his seat.
"My pleasure," His eyes crease under the force of his grin, the pale blush in his cheeks quickly hidden by his coffee cup.
You turn your attention back to your work, determined to get as much as possible done. Somehow it feels like you've seen more of Jimin in the past two weeks than you did Jungkook in the past three years, even though you worked side by side for all that time. It might be because Jimin insisted that you would work on the project together – squeezed into the smallest meeting room the department offers. If you're not looking at your screen, there's nowhere to look but directly at Jimin.
The bird hybrid just seems to constantly demand your attention in one way or another. If he's not sitting in front of you, he's walking around in circles, airing his ideas out loud to get your input. No matter what changes you propose, Jimin is always ready to challenge them, often turning a simple yes or no question into a discussion. He has a peculiar working style that absolutely grinds your gears but you can't deny that it works decently well.
Though, the absolute worst part of it all, is that Jimin is somehow becoming more and more attractive every day – and it's not like you can avoid looking at him. Your traitorous heart is beginning to feel confused and it certainly doesn't help that Jimin keeps pestering you about eating lunch together every day.
Even now, it's like clockwork as the time shifts to noon, Jimin's piercing eyes flicking up to meet yours as he coyly asks, "So, what are you doing for lunch today? I found this really nice ramen place just around the block a few days ago, I think you'd like–"
"Jimin-ssi!"
The smile on the bird hybrid's face turns into a grimace as the door to your private work room is flung open, his question interrupted by the same gaggle of people that never leaves him alone. The woman who called out his name, the one you've learned is another bird hybrid from Jimin's old department, sends you a hard glare when you don't immediately remove yourself from Jimin's presence.
You know this situation isn't exactly well-liked by his admirers – you've seen the frowns and heard the whispers whenever you leave the room – but she truly seems to detest the fact that you're working together in such close proximity. You're not sure what gave her the idea that you would take her precious Jimin away from her when that's the last thing you'd want to do, but you don't want to stick around to stoke that ire even more.
"It seems I'll have to decline, Park. Do enjoy your ramen though."
You quickly grab your essentials, shooting Jimin a strained smile before you slip out of the room. As scary as that woman is, you're thankful for her interruption today. A small part of you was tempted to take Jimin up on his offer for once, just to see why he's trying so hard to share a meal with you.
Shaking your head, you beeline straight for Jungkook, desperate for some fresh air and to look at something that isn't Park Jimin. You think you might be starting to go a little crazy from being cooped up in that room. That has to be the only explanation as to why you'd be willing to spend more time with him.
Of course, you should have known that Jimin wouldn't give up that easily.
You've been working on the project for a month now and despite the constant interruptions by his groupies, he never misses a chance to ask you out for lunch. He is nothing if not persistent. You have steeled yourself since that day you almost slipped up – now more determined than ever to not give into Jimin's charms. The thing is, you still can't figure out if he genuinely wants to share a friendly meal with you or if it's just another ploy to one-up you somehow. So many weeks of working together has started to shift your perception of him and you can concede that he's not as horrible as you first thought, but that's all there is to it.
You hold back a tired groan as you settle into the two-seater squished into the corner of the room, taking the tablet Jimin hands you with a muttered thank you.
The project has finally gotten to the stage where it's time to review all the ideas and plans you have so far so that you can narrow it down and choose the best direction to move forward with. Once you settle on that today, you should only have to spend a few more weeks crammed in here with Jimin before the design department takes over.
You watch as Jimin chooses the chair next to the couch, his wings looking awfully squished in that narrow space. The bird hybrid looks as unbothered as ever, tapping around on the tablet in his lap. Still, you can't shake the feeling that maybe Jimin has just gotten so used to conforming and contorting himself in public spaces that he doesn't even notice it anymore.
Clearing your throat, you catch Jimin's attention, his eyes as attentive as ever as they find yours. You nod at his compressed wings as you say, "Let's switch places, you look uncomfortable."
"Oh."
Jimin stares at you as if you've grown two heads, the purples in his eyes twinkling under the overhead light as he cocks his head. He glances over his shoulder as if he had forgotten he even had wings, seemingly considering your offer for a second before shaking his head.
"That's okay. You're tired and the couch is more comfortable than this chair anyway," He smiles.
"Park, you're crammed in there," You huff, ignoring the warmth that creeps up the back of your neck at Jimin's consideration. "You have wings, I don't. Please take the couch."
You can tell from the gentle look that crosses Jimin's face that he's going to chivalrously deny your offer once again. Before you can stop yourself, the part of your brain that maybe cares just a little opens your mouth and you find yourself saying, "Then let's share the couch at least. It would still be better than that chair."
For a moment, the shock on your face is mirrored on Jimin's. The bird hybrid shakes off the surprise much quicker, his smile brightening to a grin as he pushes himself out of the chair.
"Well, if you insist, then I'll gladly accept your offer."
The couch dips under Jimin's weight, his deep blue wings taking up so much space it almost feels like you've squeezed in another person between the two of you.
"Are you sure this is okay?"
You can tell by Jimin's shuffling that he's trying to make himself as small as possible and that just won't do. You won't allow him to view himself as an inconvenience.
Scooting forward on the couch, you leave a decent gap behind your back and the seat, making room for Jimin's wings.
"There, you can relax them a bit if you'd like. It looks painful holding your wings so tightly to your back all the time."
You look away before you can read Jimin's expression, turning back to the tablet in your lap. You worry your bottom lip between your teeth, belatedly realizing that maybe you just overstepped a boundary – that maybe it would've been better to wait until Jimin asked instead of just assuming what he needed.
Your cheeks turn warm with embarrassment as you mindlessly click around on the screen, your mind elsewhere as you try to come up with a decent apology. Judging by how Jimin hasn't said anything yet, you fear that you really did do something inappropriate.
Just as the words reach the tip of your tongue, your hands clenched awkwardly in your lap, you feel movement behind your back. Jimin lets out a deep, relieved sigh as he loosens up the position of his wings, letting them splay out as much as the couch allows. Even with the added space you gave him, his wings are so large that you can feel the feathers ruffling against the back of your shirt in tandem with Jimin's breaths.
"Thank you."
Jimin says it so softly that it catches you off-guard, your heart skipping a beat from how tender his voice sounds.
It seems it has caused your brain to short-circuit, because the next thing that comes out of your mouth is, "Are they heavy? Your wings, I mean."
Jimin is quiet for a moment. "Yes and no? They're the same as any other limb so I'm normally not very conscious of them. I don't notice the weight, but they can get tired and achy, just like an arm. Choosing to work for a human-based company probably wasn't the best decision on my part – it's not exactly made to accommodate someone like me."
You see Jimin shrug out of the corner of your eye.
"I see," You murmur.
The pit of your stomach feels unexpectedly heavy. Even though Jimin is your sworn nemesis, it still upsets you that he has accepted that hurting himself is the only way he'll be able to fit in. It makes you wonder if Hoseok is experiencing the same thing too – if the deer hybrid hasn't told you simply because he's expected as a hybrid to change himself to fit in alongside humans.
Jimin lightly knocks his arm into yours, the touch shaking you out of your thoughts.
"We should start reviewing our work if we want to go home today," He says, raising an eyebrow as he angles his tablet in your direction. "But if you want to spend more time with me–"
"There's no time like the present, let's start reviewing!" You sputter, tapping your screen rapidly in other to wake it back up.
Jimin lets out a low snort at how easily flustered you are, hiding his smile behind his hand as he begins to look through your collected ideas.
Once your embarrassment dies down, you find that the review session with Jimin goes by without a hitch. For the most part, you both agree on what ideas to keep and which to scrap, making your review session more productive than you had anticipated. You had imagined that Jimin would oppose all of your picks just to torture you, but it's quite the opposite. The bird hybrid listens and agrees with your chosen ideas and for the few he doesn't like – he provides good reasons as to why they won't work. You find yourself nodding along to his criticism, agreeing with the points you hadn't thought of yourself. Not only that, Jimin seems to do the same – in turn valuing your input and insight when you go through his proposed plans. It's such a stark contrast to the Jimin you've gotten used to that it's enough to make you wonder if you stepped into an alternative universe this morning.
You pause as you click on the next slide, your brows furrowing as you see a familiar idea.
You had included it in your proposal to Mr. Shin, the same one you threw away and never got to turn in. So how did it end up here?
"What's this?" You ask Jimin, pointing to your screen. "I never submitted these ideas."
"Ah," Jimin glances at your tablet, scratching the feathers at the back of his neck as he admits, "I did."
"I saw you throwing out your proposal when Mr. Shin announced that he had picked mine. It didn't feel right that you spent so much time on it and didn't even get to submit it because of me so I, well, turned it in for you. After you left that day."
You blink at him. "You went through my trash?"
"Well, it sounds bad when you say it like that!" Jimin groans. "I wanted us both to have an equal chance. Once Mr. Shin looked at it, he realized that your ideas were just as good as mine and wanted them implemented. I was favored because I'm a transfer, that's all. And I would never steal your ideas – I told him that I would refuse to use your concepts if you weren't willing to work together on this project."
You're not sure you like how it makes your stomach flutter. The high walls you've built to protect yourself are crumbling more and more with each passing day you spend together.
"Thank you, I appreciate that."
The smile Jimin gives you is almost blinding, his wings curving slightly inward almost as if they're trying to get a little closer to you.
You hate to admit it but maybe Jimin isn't as bad as you made him out to be. You may have imagined him as your enemy, someone who only wanted to tear you down and steal your opportunities, but so far Jimin has been nothing but nice to you. A little annoying sometimes sure, but he's never done anything malicious.
You offer him a smile in return, noting how the tops of his cheeks seem a little more red than usual.
Maybe it's about time that you admit that Jimin deserves a second chance.
"I've missed you," Jungkook whines, clinging to your arm. "Work is so boring without you!"
"We literally eat lunch together every day," You laugh.
You use your sleeve to wipe off the layer of dust that has settled on your monitor over the last few weeks. Jungkook holds on tighter to your other arm, pouting as he says, "That's not the same."
"I know," You sigh, lightly knocking your head against Jungkook's, "I missed you too."
After six weeks of working with Jimin in that small room, it almost feels foreign to be back at your desk with so many people milling about. You're honestly thankful that the bird hybrid had a meeting outside the office today, it gives you half a day to work without any disruptions. Your poor heart needs a few hours of calm and there's nothing like Jungkook's antics to take your mind off the rather confusing feelings you've been dealing with lately.
"Soooo.." Jungkook leans back in his chair, his eyes wide with faux innocence as he asks, "How has it been working with the enemy? You haven't complained as much the last couple of weeks."
It seems you're quiet for just a moment too long, Jungkook letting out a gasp as he exclaims, "Don't tell me Park Jimin has won you over?"
"Shut up," You huff, knocking his hand away from your arm. You bite the inside of your cheek, annoying flashes of Jimin's smile as you accept the coffee he brings you every morning – and how he never ceases to be irritatingly attentive and kind – racing through your mind.
"I guess he isn't as bad as I first thought," You concede.
Jungkook hums, avoiding your sharp glare as he turns to his computer. You can tell from the slight smirk on his face that he definitely isn't going to let this go – he's just going to wait until the perfect moment to interrogate you.
"Interesting."
"Don't make it weird," You hiss, "He's just a decent person, nothing more."
Jungkook nods. "As I said – interesting."
You rub the skin between your brows, already regretting not faking your disdain for Jimin. It seems your time apart from Jungkook has softened you too much and made you forget just how much of a persistent gremlin he can be when he thinks there's some juicy gossip to be uncovered.
You boot up your computer with a groan. You still have four hours to go before Jimin will return to the office and Jungkook is going to use every available second to interrogate you until he does. A fleeting, hopeful thought crosses your mind that maybe Jimin will come back sooner than he's supposed to in order to save you. Just as soon as you realize what you were just daydreaming about, you pinch your leg so hard it makes you wince, bringing yourself back to reality.
You were so excited to have some time away from Jimin but the moment he's gone, you're what, missing him?
You shake your head, ignoring the little flutter in your stomach that confirms you're right.
Sure, Jimin might be charming and sweet when it's just the two of you but the bird hybrid is an absolute flirt and you really shouldn't be reading anything into his advances. It's a recipe for getting hurt.
It seems the time you've spent alone with him has made you forget just how shameless he is when it comes to getting attention. You don't have to wait very long, only a few hours in fact, until that reminder smacks you in the face again.
"You're so annoying," You whine, giving Jungkook's chair a shove.
The moment Mr. Shin left his office for a meeting in another department, it was like the whole floor exhaled, low chatter bursting to life as the elevator doors closed.
Jungkook had seen it as his chance to get some answers, his mischief mode activated, and the constant pestering was starting to get on your nerves.
"Says you," Jungkook huffs, rolling himself back to his desk. "It's a simple yes or no question! Do you like him or not?"
"I tolerate him," You say, narrowing your eyes as Jungkook grabs the arms of your chair.
He pulls your chair flush with his, his own eyes narrowing in return, "That's not what I asked."
"Too bad," You wave your hand, "That's all you're going to get."
"Don't make me tickle you," Jungkook shakes out his fingers, "You know both of us will regret that."
"Jungkook, that's inappropriate! We're at work," You hiss as you snatch one of his hands out of the air, pressing it firmly against his chest. You're not going to let Jungkook expose you as a tickle squealer in front of your coworkers just because he's curious about something you don't have an answer to yet.
"What's inappropriate?"
You jerk back at the sound of Jimin's voice, shocked that you didn't notice the bird hybrid approaching your desks. You drop Jungkook's hand as you notice Jimin's burning stare, his violet eyes fixated on where your skin touched your friend. The fact that you feel so flustered by Jimin's sudden appearance makes it hard to think, your brain refusing to catch up.
"Nothing?" You squeak. You quickly clear your throat as Jungkook snickers under his breath, adding more confidence to your voice as you say, "It's nothing. You.. You're back earlier than expected, though?"
Jimin's gaze flickers between the two of you slowly, his expression unreadable. "The meeting didn't take as long as they first assumed. They offered to take us out to lunch to make up for it but I told them I already had an appointment I couldn't be late for."
Your heart thumps in your chest as Jimin pointedly looks your way. Surely he didn't rush back just to ask you out to lunch like he always does?
"Anyway," Jimin says, "I wanted to tell you that I'm back and that we can hold our progress meeting after our break is over."
"Right, sounds good," You smile.
"Talking about taking a break–"
Alarm bells start going off the moment you register Jungkook's teasing tone. The swift kick you land on the bottom of his chair is ignored, Jungkook's doe eyes spelling nothing but trouble as he continues, "If you don't have any lunch plans yet, Jimin-ssi, you'd be welcome to join us today."
It takes everything in you to not reach out and throttle him. You have no doubt Jungkook is doing this partly for the drama and partly because he thinks he's helping you in some roundabout way, but this is not it.
"I'm sure Jimin has some prior arrangement already–"
"I'd love to," Jimin's feathers ruffle happily behind his back, his beaming smile directed at you and only you, like you were the one to personally invite him. The force of it makes your heart race.
"Great!" Jungkook claps his hands, undeterred at being ignored. "Mr. Shin won't be back until the end of the day and there's only ten minutes left until lunchtime, so how about we head down now?"
Jungkook sends you a pointed look before you can protest. "Half the floor has already left, so we won't get in trouble."
"Fine," You smile through your teeth, your fleeting plan of sending Jimin to his desk and using that time to slip away foiled before you could even set it into motion. "Let's go eat lunch, then. Together."
"Let's," Jimin grins, taking a step towards the door. The bird hybrid's wings seem bigger than before, more relaxed, as he waits for you and Jungkook to grab your things.
You drag your feet as you follow Jimin, dreading the not-so-subtle questions you're sure Jungkook will be asking to test the water for you. While Jungkook is one of your closest friends and an overall great guy, you think his biggest flaw might be how much of a meddler he is.
"You and your damn muscles," You huff as Jungkook manhandles you into the elevator, blocking any chance you have at escaping.
"Please, you love them."
You only roll your eyes in response, knowing he isn't entirely wrong. You do like the extra space his muscles provide on packed elevator rides but aside from that, you couldn't be more neutral about Jungkook's body.
"Oh?" Jimin inquires, his violet eyes staring intently at Jungkook's arms, "They don't look that big?"
"I'll show you," Jungkook puffs out his chest, gladly offering his arm to the bird hybrid as a chance to show off.
Jimin wraps his hands around Jungkook's bicep, his gaze briefly flickering over to you before it returns to the man next to him. Something awed, maybe jealous, passes over Jimin's face as Jungkook flexes his muscles.
The bird hybrid doesn't shy away from squeezing and feeling up his arm, a sly smile crossing his lips as he says, "I didn't think you could get more handsome Jungkook-ssi, but look at you."
Jungkook sputters at the unexpected compliment, his cheeks turning red under Jimin's undivided attention.
You cross your arms, something unpleasant bubbling in your stomach as you watch Jimin's touch linger, the bird hybrid offering a few more compliments before the elevator announces its arrival.
Jimin exits first, leaving a flustered Jungkook behind. He looks at you with big eyes, hand covering the left side of his chest as he says, "Oh, he is good at this. I think my heart fluttered a little."
You swallow thickly, the reprimanding voice of your past self echoing in your head, reminding you that this is what Jimin is - a flirt. You're not special for receiving a little more of his attention lately, it's all just circumstance.
"You should get that checked out," You mutter, stepping out of the elevator to catch up with the bird hybrid.
Your goal is to do everything as quickly as possible – get your food, eat, and get out. But even you couldn't have expected just how awkward lunch would be.
From the moment Jimin took his seat next to you, you could feel the other people in the cafeteria staring you all down with envy. The situation certainly isn't made better by Jungkook and Hoseok - the two of them openly gawking and giggling whenever Jimin makes a comment that's even remotely funny. You know Jimin is charming, you can't deny that yourself, but you expected a little more resilience from your friends.
In the end, you end up picking at your food, unable to stomach much with the growing pit in your belly.
"Are you okay?" You glance over at Jimin, noting the concerned furrow between his brows.
"I'm fine," You force a wobbly smile, "I think I must have eaten something bad for breakfast."
"Should I go get you some medicine? There's a pharmacy right around the corner."
"It's fine." You quickly shake your head as Jimin begins to stand up, grabbing his arm to pull him back down into his seat. The bird hybrid doesn't seem convinced, his wings ruffling with protest behind his back.
"Wait, Y/n, did you try one of the protein shakes I gave you for breakfast? I told you not to drink it on an empty stomach–"
Jungkook's voice turns muffled, blending into the background noise as you shift your eyes from Jimin and meet hers across the room.
It's the same woman, the bird hybrid from Jimin's old department, who stops by your little makeshift office every day to drag him out for lunch. She's a swan, you think, known to be awfully territorial over what they consider to be theirs. And you have no doubt that she's staked her claim on Jimin, regardless of whether he knows or not.
But he's not hers.
And he's not yours either.
The realization feels like a shot to the heart.
Even from the other side of the cafeteria, you can tell her gaze is venomous as she stares you down. The uneasy feeling in your stomach keeps growing, clawing at your insides, desperate to get out. She's looking at you like she knows what you're thinking – what you're feeling – they all are, and you absolutely cannot let Jimin find out.
"Uhm," You hastily push yourself to your feet, "I need to use the bathroom. I'm not feeling good."
You scurry off as fast as your legs can carry you, ignoring the familiar voices that call out your name. You don't stop until you reach the bathroom that's a little ways down the hall from the cafeteria.
Locking yourself in a stall, you sink onto the closed toilet lid, hands covering your face.
"Fuck," You whisper.
You like Jimin.
You can't pinpoint exactly when it happened but in retrospect, it's obvious your feelings for him have been growing for a while now, blossoming into something beyond your control. The worst part is – you don't even know if Jimin is single. It's never been a subject that has interested you before recently and you honestly just assumed that he must be taken based on the amount of attention he always garners when he walks into a room.
You take a deep breath, lightly slapping your face to bring yourself back to reality.
Jimin might be taken but he might also not be. You won't know for sure until you ask - or well, until you get Jungkook to not-so-casually bring it up with him. You might have a chance.
Until then, you just have to go out there and pretend that nothing has changed, that all is still like it was. You still have a job to do, regardless of your feelings.
Quickly washing your hands, you brace yourself to walk back into the cafeteria. Your flushed appearance can be blamed on not feeling good – you're certainly not going to admit it's because you finally understand that you like Jimin.
You tap your hands on your trousers as you step out of the bathroom, making sure they're dry as you walk back down the hallway.
Your steps halt as you reach the corner, your feet rooted to the ground as you hear Jimin's hushed voice in tandem with another. You plaster yourself to the wall, holding your breath as you listen in to what they're talking about.
"Be serious!" A female voice hisses. The swan hybrid.
"You expect her to help you? To treat you right? She's human, Jimin-ssi, she doesn't know anything about what it means to be a hybrid."
The swan hybrid spits out the word like it's a curse, followed by the sound of annoyed, rustling feathers.
"Do you think she's going to even look at you once your little project is over? She's just going to run back to her "friend"."
Oh.
She's talking about you.
The anxiety bubbling in your stomach roars back to life, your hands shaking as you find you can't do anything but listen - your feet unable to move.
Jimin's silence feels like a knife through the heart. Surely he doesn't think anything is going on between you and Jungkook? He knows you're just friends. And even so, you believed that you had grown closer lately, so much so that maybe you would continue to talk even when the project was over. But judging by his lack of response, it seems that you haven't given Jimin that impression at all.
"She doesn't deserve you. She can't do the things I can do, babe. "
You hear a deep sigh, Jimin's, his voice tight as he admits, "You're right. I know that. She's not you–"
Before you even realize it, you're already halfway down the hallway, feet carrying you straight back to the bathroom. Your blood is roaring in your ears, the last part of Jimin's sentence mercifully too muffled for you to hear.
It seems you got this all wrong. It doesn't matter if Jimin is single, because he clearly doesn't like you like that. It seems the kindness he's been showing you has just been him being a good co-worker, keeping things civil and friendly.
You must have been projecting your feelings onto him, reading into things that didn't even exist.
How mortifying.
You stumble back into the same stall you only left a few minutes prior, eyes burning, as you lock the door behind you. You're not sure which emotion is strongest – disappointment, embarrassment, heartbreak, but it hurts all the same.
You can only hope that Jimin hasn't noticed your growing interest in the same way as the swan hybrid had.
There's only one thing you can do to save yourself from further humiliation, to make sure that doesn't happen.
You have to pretend your feelings never changed. That you only tolerate him at best.
You have to pretend until it becomes true again.
Maybe it's time to go back to how things were, to distance yourself. Even if you fooled yourself into hoping for something more, the truth is that there is only one thing you and Jimin can be.
Enemies.
a/n: welcome back! it sure wasn't my plan to spend two months on this chapter but i've been jumping from one assignment to another and i've been more or less sick this entire time, so it sadly took me much longer than expected :( but here we are with ch 2! there will be three chapters total for this fic, so we still have one more to go.
what do you think so far? will jimin be able to clear up this misunderstanding and will the mc trust him enough to accept it? 🫣
i would love to hear your thoughts so far and reblogs are very much appreciated 💖
SUMMARY ➩ Born and raised in the busy city, you are in for a major life shift when you’re sent to the country side. You imagine the farmers son won’t be much help. (nobody’s son, nobody’s daughter)
AUTHORS NOTE ➩ Marking this as my official leave from retirement. This is the first work since Skin on Skin I feel a genuine connection too and I can proudly say I love it a lot. I hope you like it as much as me! Please check out the playlist and listen as you read if you'd like (PART TWO OUT NOW)
Growing up in the city had influenced a few factors of your core development and the way you went about life. You took a second to open up to strangers, had faster reflexes than most people you’d met from other places and could ignore the sound of a horn two feet from your ear.
What it hadn’t done is making you a spoiled and sheltered brat, although you imagined your father would place some strong disagreement on that statement.
It absolutely had not made you the type of person that was so ‘out of control’ you needed to be sent to the middle of absolute nowhere to learn a thing or two about respect and taking care of things other than yourself.
This was not an issue you had and you could not fathom the fact you had been in the car for six hours now heading towards your new summer hell. You were in your early twenties and you should have slammed the door in your fathers face when you opened it to his scowl but sadly, his name was on the lease and he probably would have had the door removed.
Instead you had packed two bags, said bye to your precious cats and dragged your feet all the way to the car.
You imagined your fathers vehicle had never seen so much dirt in its life and even he seemed a bit bothered by the gravel roads that left a cloud of dust all over his doors and windows. Your father had been raised almost exactly the same as you so it felt a bit ironic and hypocritical.
It was not your fault he was a wealthy businessman, stationing his small family in the bustling streets of the city instead of a nice sized home somewhere. Your idea of dinner around the table was grabbing a bite to eat at the local pizza place, your fridge covered in project plans and work reminders instead of toddler art and positive report cards.
Your dad had raised you in a cold apartment suited for a bachelor, leaving you to get your fatherly advice from doormen and paying cleaning ladies extra to change your diapers. He was somehow still surprised to see you standing with a glare on your face as you exited the car and stared at the farm house.
“Atleast try to be pleasant.” He mumbled under his breath, the familiar expression he had whenever he felt embarrassed by you creeping up on his face. You had seen it your entire life, when you stood too slouched in front of a client or stuttered giving a speech at a company dinner.
You sent him a stronger dirty look that easily slid off your face when the door opened.
Despite what he may think, you actually were not a terrible person and you had no intentions of disrespecting the home owners even though you would rather eat the horses hay than have to stay here.
It was actually a beautiful home, grand in size with a large wraparound porch and land full of crops and various sized barns and pens.
There had been a faint memory of coming here a handful of times when you were younger, listening to your father take a gentle and relaxed tone you had only heard a few times and playing with the farmers boy that was around your age.
That had been a lifetime ago and while the landscape was relatively nostalgic and familiar, you had changed so drastically that you couldn’t feel more out of place if you tried.
You watched as the large bearded man approached your father, pulling him into a tight hug unlike his friends back home who would greet him with a firm handshake. This man clearly did not care about your fathers hesitance to embrace him, the rim of his cowboy hat knocking your fathers thin framed glasses slightly askew.
You had a hard time holding in a laugh at his dishevelled appearance after the bear hug and the man's sights set on you right as a smile crept up on your face.
“There she is.” He greeted you like he was an uncle you saw frequently and your eyes widened at the realization he was coming to give you a similarly tight hug, knocking the breath out of you as he nearly lifted you from the ground.
“Sorry honey, we are huggers around here.” You hadn’t even noticed the small woman behind his staggering frame and you caught her gentle eyes in your gaze right before she pulled you in for a much softer hug. “Except for my son sadly. He didn’t quite inherit that trait I suppose.”
The boy hadn’t left the porch, a few feet behind his parents as he stared at you and your father with an expression that was much colder than his warm parents held. You could tell he had already built some bias around your visit and you didn’t mind considering you had done the same, defenses building at his sour look.
“I’m sorry but I..” You trailed off awkwardly as you glanced between the bubbly couple, hoping they could understand so you didn’t have to tell them vocally that you had no idea who they were. The woman's face dropped just slightly but the farmer gave you a soft smile as he cupped your arm.
“That’s alright honey.” His gentle tone almost made you want to turn around and jump head first into the car, creeping its way under your skin and making you feel like that little girl that used to sneak branches in her room to use as a christmas tree. “It’s been lifetimes since we got to see you.”
His gaze fell over your shoulder towards your father with that statement and you almost thought it sounded hostile, or however hostile somebody so warm could manage. Your fathers throat clearing behind you confirmed your belief and you looked down at your feet as you were ushered inside.
You learned from listening in on the conversation silently that he was in fact a bit upset with your father. The man, Minchul apparently as you heard his wife softly calling him, had made a handful of comments about missing out on your life that he was attempting to disguise as jokes.
You had watched enough tense conversations with businessmen to be pretty good at picking up on what people actually wanted to say. Your father responded each time with a different excuse about being busy but you knew he wished he could tell the farmer that he simply outgrew him and whatever this dynamic was.
The woman had told you softly that her name was Nari and you watched as she barely sat down, bouncing between the table and the kitchen whenever she noticed somebody was running low on their drink or the finger foods she had prepared.
Her tending to you all didn’t feel like the panicked way your fathers cooks would try to keep him pleased and calm but rather like she enjoyed taking care of the people around her, eyes bright whenever you thanked her or took a bite of something she had made.
“Jungkook will be helping her with her chores and duties.” Minchul’s low voice was bringing you back to the conversation, interest spiked as you realized they were discussing your stay there.
You had very little information about how long you would be here or what exactly you were meant to accomplish but your eyes shifted over to the son at the mention of his name, sitting across from you and also not having spoken a word.
He was staring at his father as he spoke, gaze unwavering and still as cold as it had been outside. You had realized outside that he was the same boy you had played with when you were a kid but he had clearly changed as much as you had because he no longer had an ounce of welcoming energy to him.
“If she gives you any trouble son, feel free to call me.” Your father was speaking directly to him like you weren’t even there and Jungkook’s jaw shifted at the use of the word ‘son’.
A smile almost crept back up at the interesting reaction but it faded as soon as he looked at you, curious like he expected you to say something snobbish in return to your fathers jab. You didn’t have any plans to, used to him warning people about you like you were a walking disaster.
“I’m sure we can manage.” His voice was flat and lacking any real care but you hadn’t figured he would reply at all, let alone with something borderlining disrespectful.
The rest of the table seemed to agree because the room fell silent at his comment and your dad seemed taken back by the fact Jungkook hadn’t immediately agreed with his implication. You barely moved, not wanting to put yourself on the wrong side of things while he was still here.
“Apologize.” Minchul was speaking the word hushed and you looked at him with widened eyes, not even realizing it had been him speaking considering how cold it came out. It was completely different to the tone he used with the rest of you but Jungkook didn’t seem affected at all.
“I’m sorry sir.” He said it easily, practiced and lacking any real apology. It seemed the phrase alone was all his father wanted to hear because his shoulders lost tension and he awkwardly patted the table as he changed the subject to something about your dads car.
You removed yourself mentally from the conversation again but you caught the way Jungkook’s mom rubbed his shoulder soothingly as she passed him on her back to the kitchen.
----
“You are really just leaving me?” Your voice was icy as you watched your father toss your bags out of his car, squinting his eyes at the dirt it brought into the air and glaring at you like it was your fault. “I don’t even know these people.”
“I do.” He said simply as he closed the trunk and watched you with disappointment swirling in his gaze. You could tell there was a lot he wanted to say to you but as always, he left it plain and gave you a firm nod that you knew put an end to this conversation.
You did nothing but watch as he got into the driver seat and pulled off down the dirt road, headlights disappearing behind the trees and fields of corn. You sighed softly and sunk down on the rocky path way, not really caring if they were watching from the window and judging you.
You didn’t know these people and it was hard to even process that this was really happening to you right now. The sun had fully set when you stopped thinking yourself away and you realized you had been outside for a lot longer than you had meant to be.
Nobody had come out to get you or even check if you were alright but you figured they were just giving you the space to throw your internal tantrum before inevitably accepting your fate and figuring out what to do from there.
Your sigh turned into a dragged out and low groan as you buried your face in your dusty hands, cringing away when you felt the sting of the debris entering your eyes and realizing you felt like you were going to cry regardless of the pain.
“You sleeping out here?”
You jumped at the sudden voice coming from your right, looking sideways at a pair of dirty and ripped boots before trailing up the tall frame and landing on Jungkook and a raised eyebrow. He had been the last person from the family you expected to come outside to collect you and you groaned again.
“I just need a minute okay?” Your voice came out cold but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care about his feelings right now. He was unwillingly participating in your banishment but it was still participation in your eyes and for that alone, you disliked him.
“City girls and their minutes.” It was mumbled under his breath but loud enough for you to hear. You didn’t even warrant it with a reaction, staring numbly at the gravel and willing a loose horse to run him over with your mind.
He didn’t leave the entire time you sat there and you could feel him staring at your back as you practically curled into a ball. Eventually you stood up calmly, dusted yourself off and headed inside the house.
----
Jungkook had silently left your bags at the foot of your door and disappeared down the hall into what you assumed was his own, soft music coming from behind the peeling wood. You left your door open, feeling awkward in the unfamiliar room like you had somehow broken into this nice family's home and crawled into a random bed.
You barely slept at all the first night and the sound of the roosters screeching only two hours after your eyes actually closed was enough to make you consider hitch hiking back to the city.
The entire family was downstairs in the kitchen to your dismay and you couldn’t fix your face in time, seeing the concern radiating from Nari as she took in your exhausted eyes and closed off demeanor. You mumbled a morning greeting and shifted onto the seat furthest from them all.
“Did you sleep okay?” She asked softly as she placed a glass of orange juice in front of you and you nodded at her, both of you knowing you were being nice rather than honest. She pursed her lips and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder for a second as reassurance that she understood.
“Good because you have a long day today.” Minchul sounded as cheerful as yesterday but there was an underlying tone to his voice that made you not want to disobey him. He made pleasant conversation with his wife as you and Jungkook ate silently on the other side of the table.
Jungkook hadn’t even waited for you to finish eating, cleaning off his place and kissing his mom on the side of the head before pushing through the front door. You watched in disbelief as he left you behind, scarfing down the rest of your eggs and rushing after him, nearly tripping down the stairs as you followed him to the largest barn.
The smell was assaulting but you didn’t visually react, not wanting to give him the satisfaction considering he was leaning against a slate of wood and watching you for any signs that you were going to complain.
When you gave him a firm and determined stare he was tossing a silver bucket in your direction, both of you tracking it as it hit the barn floor and bounced a few times.
“Seriously?” You remarked, your first real word of the day being forced out due to disbelief. He didn’t answer and instead entered one of the stalls holding a large cow. “Couldn’t just hand it to me?”
There was no reply again and you sighed as you followed him, scowling when you saw the black and white animal staring at you with a bored expression. Jungkook slid a small stool over to you before leaning back again on the wall of the stall. The cow took a step towards him and you flinched back as its large belly almost pushed you over.
“Am I supposed to do something with him?” You gestured at the stool and cow in confusion and Jungkook raised an eyebrow.
“She’s a girl.” He said simply and you gave him an incredulous look, feeling like you were going insane from attempting to communicate with him. “You’re supposed to milk her.”
You stared at him silently for a few seconds, trying to figure out if he was joking or not before glancing at the bucket and realizing he was apparently very serious. You took a breath so deep that it moved your entire body as you tried to calm yourself, ignoring the slightly amused look he grew at the action.
You hadn’t even sat fully on the stool before he was speaking again.
“Wrong.”
You glared at him and adjusted your position, leaning forward hesitantly to reach out to the cow.
“Wrong again.”
Another attempt, a different section of the utters that looked as foreign as the rest of the large creature. She shifted like she felt as awkward as you did for touching her and you sighed at his lack of interjection.
“Touch her there and she’ll probably kick you in the face.”
You let out a loud and bitter laugh that made the cow grunt softly, standing from the stool and shoving it in his direction. He watched you quietly as the rage built up inside you, even more so at the indifference on his face.
“If you aren’t even going to attempt to help me, then you go ahead and do it.” You spat as you pointed between him, the bucket, and the cow. He didn’t say anything again and the silence was somehow more annoying than him making small comments towards you.
He wordlessly moved the stool and you sat down with a huff, at first just picking at your fingers and then deciding to actually watch as he milked the cow. It was slightly interesting, especially considering your current options for entertainment.
His hands were gentle with the animal and she seemed a lot more relaxed now that he was the one near her undercarriage and not some strange girl with tense shoulders and shoes that definitely weren’t made for a barn floor. It was intriguing to you to watch the cows body language change so outwardly.
Jungkook finished up after some time and you followed him to his next set of chores. This time and the next, he didn’t bother trying to get you to do anything. Instead he did them all easily and allowed you to simply watch as he herded the sheep into their pens, poured disgusting sludge into the trough for the pigs and dragged the stubborn horses back into the gated area.
By the end of the day, you were exhausted without having done much at all.
He didn’t even seem phased by the fact he had spent the entire day in the sun doing hard physical labor and you sighed as he walked ahead of you back to the house.
You felt like an invisible shadow following him around all day with little to no conversation between you and it pained you to watch the sun set knowing you had wasted your time and learned nothing but the fact Jungkook was a stubborn asshole.
His dad was waiting on the porch as you approached and you watched as Jungkook’s back hardened at the sight of the kind man. He was smiling largely but it was past his son and towards you, clapping his hands in delight as he took in the dirt on your pants and your sweat dried hair.
“How was your first day?” He asked warmly as you ascended the steps. Jungkook had slowed down to let you pass and he lingered at the patch of grass near the bottom. “Was he a good teacher?”
The shift in his tone made you glance backwards towards the teacher in question and his flat face showed no sense of what he wanted you to say. You felt like you were hesitating too long and you turned back to Minchul with a soft smile.
“The best. I learned a lot actually.” You said gently and he smiled proudly, a large hand between your shoulder blades as he led you inside for dinner.
Jungkook was as silent as always but he didn’t look as unimpressed with you when you caught his eyes across the table. There was a beat of nothing before he gave you a small nod, enough for you to understand he appreciated you lying to his dad for him.
Dinner was calm and quiet as you zoned out from exhaustion and you barely flinched when his parents asked you to work together to get the dishes washed and dried quickly. You moved on autopilot to the sink and responded with a light mumble as they wished you both a goodnight.
Jungkook stood wordlessly next to you, taking each wet dish you handed him as he dried them precisely with a towel. It was quiet through the first half of the sink and then he was clearing his throat with a hint of awkwardness.
“You didn’t have to do that.” He said in a near whisper. You didn’t even glance at him, handing over another dish casually.
“I didn’t do anything but spare myself the awkwardness of watching you get lectured.” Your tone was flat like it genuinely meant nothing to you but you figured you both knew the reason you had done it. He seemed tense at your answer so you sighed softly. “I know what it’s like to have a dickhead for a father.”
He paused his movements when you said that and you wondered if it was the wrong thing to speak into the quiet kitchen before you heard him laugh softly under his breath.
It didn’t take a psychologist to realize Jungkook had a different relationship with Minchul than most other people would. His cold and harsh tone towards his son seemed to come out of thin air the second he laid his eyes on the younger man and you felt yourself becoming more nosy than you should be.
Their dirty laundry was none of your business and you hurriedly finished dishes.
----
The next day's chore list actually seemed a bit more lax and you quickly understood that he must do all of the extremely difficult things at the end of the week.
Monday was more about maintenance and you felt a little guilty for doing nothing yesterday so you were glad that you could actually help with some smaller stuff, both going stir crazy from doing so little with yourself and also feeling useless the more he sweated and moved around.
You helped sweep loose hay from the stables, collected eggs from under the squawking hens and even assisted him in filling up the water barrels with fresh and clean gallons. You were actually feeling a little satisfied with yourself when the day started to come to a finish and you glanced at him to see what you had to do next.
He surprised you when he pulled two small items out of his jean pockets, fidgeting with them until the lighter was producing a flame that he used to light the rolled up paper. You eyed him curiously as he inhaled around the joint before stretching his hand out towards you without so much of a glance or a word.
“Wow.” You breathed out a mocking laugh as you took it from him, studying it before putting it between your lips and speaking around it. “I am genuinely shocked right now.”
He laughed flatly at your tone and looked at you from the corner of his eye. You were sitting on a small hay bale while he leaned against the large wheel of an old tractor, behind one of the barns a bit further away from the house.
“It’s rude to make assumptions about people.” He said flatly as he took the joint back but you knew he wasn’t serious, lightheartedly replying to you and only furthering your bewilderment.
“What would your dad say if he knew you were getting me stoned right now?” You were only teasing and you hoped he could tell by the tone in your voice, it seemed like he did because he shrugged his shoulders casually.
“Less what he would say and more what he would do.”
The statement was heavier than he intended it to be and you both fell silent at the darker implication to his words. He passed it back to you and you watched him for a long moment before hitting it, seeing the way he almost winced at himself for saying something so awkward.
You let it hang in the air for a few minutes as you listened to the sounds of his inhales paired with the animals in the distance as they got ready for bed. EVentually you were sighing and his eyes went to you, almost in anticipation.
“Good thing I don’t tend to make a habit of reporting back to fathers.” You lifted your shoulders like it was a simple thing to say and his face flashed with something heavier again.
You’d smoked weed before a few times but Jungkook either had some especially strong country grown shit or your tolerance had significantly diminished because you somehow ended up in one of the sheep fields, both flat on your backs as you looked up at the stars.
For once you appreciated the fact he didn’t talk much because you felt a bit ridiculously emotional at the sight of them all. A childhood of light polluted skies had robbed you of star gazing and pointing out made up planets so it was overwhelming to see so many of them above you.
Jungkook seemed to be thinking similarly despite growing up under this sky, his mouth parted a bit in awe every time you glanced over at his side profile a few feet away from you.
“I get why you guys like it out here now I think.” You said wistfully, voice a little breathier than you realized it was when it was escaping you. He laughed a little at the sudden declaration and it didn’t seem as mocking as it had a few hours ago.
“Thought it would take longer to whip you into shape.” He joked back, voice a little higher than normal and you figured it was the high having settled in that was making him more comfortable to engage in conversation with you. “Some sweeping and a view was all you needed to appreciate the simple life?”
He was clearly messing with you and almost mocking your fathers reasoning for sending you here but you felt a light sting deep in your chest.
Jungkook was not the reason for it but he was the accidental messenger of the rhetoric your father had been spewing at you since nearly middle school. He couldn’t fathom a world where you cared about things or paid attention to people other than yourself.
It felt impossibly suffocating to argue with somebody who had a different reality in their head, left wondering how would you begin to correct a version of yourself that didn’t exist?
There were no number of saved movie tickets and sentimental souvenirs, no hours spent making your friends a sloppy birthday cake instead of buying them something store prepared, and no amount of love and empathy in your heart that could convince him you were a thoughtful person.
“There's nothing simple about this.” You ignored your heavier feelings as you raised a limp hand to gesture to the endless sky.
“I’m sure the city has its own views.” He retorted and you turned your head to the side when you noticed a hint of longing in his voice. He stiffened like he could feel you staring but didn’t look at you, eyes a bit more shifty.
“Breathtaking ones. I never get used to it.” You said back softly, wondering if that was something he wanted to hear or if it would fuel the fire to his apparent inner conflict. You were left wondering because he didn’t reply to you.
The silence didn’t last as long as usual, the intoxication in your lungs making you both a little less awkward and a little more lax when it came to unraveling useless information. He told you about the town's small population and how everyone he passed had probably changed his diapers at some point and you ranted about your cats back home and how guilty you felt for leaving them alone.
“Why didn’t you bring them here?” He said like it was an obvious option, maybe too high to remember that you weren’t exactly on a purposeful vacation. Your silence seemed to remind him of this fact and he kissed his teeth in realization. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
“Your parents?” You said in confusion, rolling over onto your side in the grass so you could face him and groaning softly at the tightness in your back. He glanced at you and nodded, still laying flat and staring at the sky in between looks. “I don’t have anyone who would bring them here for me.”
Your voice barely held any bitterness, it was just the truth. It was a pretty big favor to ask even to somebody you would consider a friend and you didn’t even really have any of those anyways.
“Assuming you don’t know how to drive a stick.” He said thoughtfully and you shook your head with a light eye roll at his subtle jab. “I can take you.”
“What?” You sat up and he did the same, although avoiding looking at you head on. “Why would you do that?”
He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal he just offered to drive you twelve hours round trip just to bring your two cats all the way back here. He glanced back towards the house, the warm glow of the porch lights small considering how far out you were, and then back up towards the never ending sky full of stars.
“Gives me a break from chores.” He said noncommittally like he was offering to do a load of laundry for you.
You woke up the next morning with a soft knock on the guest bedroom door, opening it to see Jungkook leaning against the side of it with truck keys dangling around his finger. He gave them a little spin when he saw your eyes widen in surprise that he parents had actually agreed to the request he had made this morning after your conversation in the field.
You nod your head in understanding and close the door so you can hurriedly get ready, feeling a bit amused at the fact you’d been arguing only a few hours ago. Jungkook is silent when you find him in the living room and as he shows you to the truck, excitedly climbing into the passenger seat and waving goodbye to Nari who stands on the porch with a concerned look as she clutches a dish towel to her chest.
It felt beyond ridiculous that you were making this trip with somebody you barely knew and even worse, barely got along with.
He was silent for almost the entire first half of the drive, playing music from a rotating stack of CD’s and cursing under his breath whenever the truck made a particularly loud noise. It was comforting to feel the rumble underneath you as he shifted gears and passed miles and miles of barren farmland.
You had only been there for a couple days and you were already craving new scenery, eyes widening with excitement when you could vaguely make out the city skyline in the distance. You were still probably an hour out but it was undeniable the way your blood felt warmer.
“Do you see it?” You asked him excitedly, breaking the bubble of silence. You looked at him as you sat up but you didn’t need to hear his answer out loud, seeing it on his face as soon as you saw his expression.
His eyes were bright with awe and interest as you approached the tall skyscrapers and dizzying highways, traffic seemingly coming from every direction as he went from leaning forward to try and see the tops of buildings past the windshield and focusing on not missing the exits you rushed out with poor directional skills.
“It’s bigger than I thought.” He eventually said and it came out in one singular breath that made you smile, understanding the feeling all too well.
You let him take it all in so he didn’t get too distracted trying to navigate the busy and tight streets with hsi truck that stood out clearly compared to most of the more compact and practical vehicles around you.
You eventually managed to make your way to your apartment and he looked slightly surprised as he exited the driver seat and looked up at the building. He had heard stories of your dads lavish lifestyle so he clearly hadn’t been expecting the exposed brick and dirty windows of your building.
It was hard not to laugh at his expression, shaking your head and walking past him. You felt giddy knowing you would get to be home even if it was temporary and you could hear your cats meowing behind the door before you even pushed it open.
You greeted them enthusiastically as Jungkook closed the door behind you, eyes scanning around your small and homey apartment.
“Not exactly the penthouse suite.” He muttered and you glared at him from where you were crouching by your cats on the floor.
“Must to his dismay.” You didn’t need to say you were talking about your father for him to understand what you meant. “He won’t even step foot in this place.”
It felt especially ridiculous considering how nice and welcoming your apartment was. The walls were full of pictures of your friends and cats, postcards from random beachy cities covering your fridge door and mismatched furniture.
You had decided as soon as you moved in that you would make your place the polar opposite of the studio apartment you were raised in, trading in cold tile and sterile feeling lights for warm toned lamps and fuzzy rugs to comfort your feet.
“Do you need anything?” Your voice was softer than he had heard it before and Jungkook shook his head as he kicked his shoes off. You watched him quizzically before he gestured towards your clock on the wall.
“Might as well stay here tonight.” He said simply and your heart lurched at the idea of getting to sleep in your own bed. “I’m fine now but reckon I’d be exhausted halfway through the drive back.”
You weren’t even slightly planning to argue with that or question what his parents reaction would be, quickly standing to your feet to prepare something for him to wear other than his jeans and flannel. He stood there silently as you made him a comfortable bed on the couch, eventually wandering over to stare out your large living room window.
“Breathtaking right?” You spoke from behind him and he jumped a bit before nodding and glancing back at you.
“Yeah it’s beautiful.” He watched you for a few seconds before turning back to study the city and its seemingly never ending skyline.
Jungkook must have been more tired than he let on because he was asleep almost as soon as he laid down on your couch and you took a few hours to enjoy your space for the last time in a while, preparing your cats and their things both for travel and for extended stay.
It warmed your heart to picture them with so much space to run around, basking in the sun and chasing field mice while you did your chores. Jungkook was clearly being generous with his offer to take you but he really had no idea just how much it meant to you to have them with you in such an unfamiliar place.
He was just as quiet the next morning and as you brought your cat carriers and extra bags down to the truck but the ride back was a lot warmer and you felt ages less sour as you approached the town this time around. The hushed conversations between you felt smoother as you lost some of the awkwardness.
His father was sitting on the porch when you pulled back up and he enthusiastically greeted your cats in their carriers, Nari rushing out at the sound of your voices to help bring them inside.
You watched from the doorway as he gave Jungkook a firm nod and placed a hand stiffly on his shoulder. Jungkook pursed his lips at the action of approval and returned the nod with one of his own.
“Was that good?” You whispered to him as he passed you in the doorway and he let out a large breath that you imagined he had been holding since he left the truck.
“Yeah, I think it was.” He said back and you smiled at him, glad he had not gotten in trouble for trying to help you out.
The following week felt a lot easier now that you had a large piece of home with you, bed a little warmer with your cats curling up next to you. The chores were brutal and you were miserable half the time the sun was out but you were getting used to the ache of your body and the burn covering your skin.
Jungkook was still silent most of the day but he was doing things slower and more exaggerated so you could actually learn the few times he noticed you showing interest and paying attention. There were tasks you could do fully on your own now and you found yourself looking forward to when the sun would set and he'd knock on your door softly, an expectant look on his face as he flashed another joint between his fingers.
It was a nice routine for the two of you to wander out to the field near the sheep barn, smoking until the tightness of your bones faded enough for you to giggle into the grass and tell eachother random tidbits about your life.
“I heard your dad tell mine that you ran away.” Jungkook said gently one night when your conversation started to borderline on serious and you said nothing for a while.
“At 22 I thought it would just be considered taking a vacation.” Your voice was half humorous and half bitter, the latter side much more apparent in your tone. You sighed so deeply you felt like you were going to melt down into the dirt. “I’ve been further away for much longer, he only noticed this time because one of his clients saw me while traveling.”
“You went alone?” His questions rarely held so much interest and you glanced at him, finding him staring at the stars with his eyebrows furrowed like he hadn't considered that possible.
“I’m always alone.” You shrugged to yourself. “Aren't you?”
You weren’t trying to make a harsh assumption but you’d been there two weeks and not once did Jungkook leave the farm land other than your trip to the city. His parents went off to town a few times a week or to a friend's house for supper but Jungkook stayed throughout it all, never once hearing mention of a friend of his or seeing a photo somewhere in the house.
He shrugged but it was one of those times where you both already knew what his answer would be. His eyes shifted over to you and you watched curiously.
“Not so much anymore.” He said plainly but you smiled a bit at the implication, knowing it was probably a change for him to have you following behind his trail all day long. Maybe even a welcomed change now that you were getting along finally. ly.
You and Jungkook spent the next week with the exact same routine and now that you were used to most of it, you felt yourself going stir crazy. Little things were always changing, animals needing more help than usual or storms making it so you had to help around the house instead but for the most part everything stayed exactly the same.
It was a welcomed assignment when Nari softly asked you to take horses into town and pick up a few things. You didn’t ask why you couldn’t just take the truck even though you were beginning to wish you had as you stared at the large creature.
“You know I can’t ride that, right?” You said simply as you shook your head firmly. Jungkook laughed a little at your fearful tone before gesturing at the single saddle he had pulled off of the wall.
You were confused for a few seconds before realizing he was insinuating you both get on the horse together, your gaze shifting over to him to see him standing by the horse and clearly waiting for you to reach the same conclusion.
“You’re joking aren’t you?” Your voice shook a little as you squeaked out the question.
Clearly he wasn’t because Jungkook had easily lifted you up onto the large horse before swinging his leg over and situating himself naturally. You were left sitting behind him, feeling like you were about to throw up and having no choice but to wrap your arms tightly around his middle.
He was laughing at you when you squeezed your grip anytime you took a turn or the horse sped up to cross a road. It felt a bit ridiculous as some cars passed you but you saw more and more horseback people as you got closer to town and almost all of them enthusiastically greeted Jungkook.
The stories he had told you about knowing everybody here were clearly true because he couldn’t be more liked if he tried.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the market and Jungkook reached a hand up to you so you could slide off the horse, his hands sturdy above your hip so you didn’t land the wrong way. You eyed him as he tied the large animal to a post outside, petting its nose softly and whispering something you didn’t hear.
A whistle behind you made his hands freeze and both of you turned to see an older man sitting outside the market, a bucket full of loose change infront of him and a brown paper bag around a glass bottle sat on his lap.
“Pretty little thing.” His accent was even heavier due to the slur in his speech and your eyes narrowed as he scanned down your frame. Jungkook’s mother had left some pretty farm dresses and cowgirl boots outside your door a few nights ago and you had been excited to wear them until his eyes were on your bare legs. “Ain’t from around here.”
It was a statement and not a question and you scoffed at him.
“What gave it away?” You said coldly. You knew you still didn’t carry yourself like somebody from the country even when you wore their clothes and did their labor, the lack of a drawl in your voice really not helping you towards fitting in.
You could feel the presence of Jungkook approaching behind you now that he had gotten the horse situated and you glanced over your shoulder. His face was cold again and he was a lot closer to you than he typically would be, nearly touching your back to his chest.
“Johnny.” He said simply, addressing the man and making himself known.
“Oh you’re Jeon’s boy aint you?” He said with an amused smile, looking like he was suddenly reminiscing. Jungkook must have nodded or given him a confirming look because the man was suddenly laughing so hard he was swaying to the side. “Them Jeon’s… are good men.” He pointed at Jungkook as he paused, then laughed loudly again.
You felt yourself reaching back and wrapping your hands around Jungkook’s elbow before you could think about it, going to pull him towards the entrance so you both could leave this conversation and not hear whatever it was he was laughing so hard about.
The man's eyes flashed with interest when he saw you touching his arm, hugging it to your side in a way that could come across as intimate rather than instinctual.
“Oh, is this your missus?” He called and you saw an older couple's head turn with annoyance at his loud tone and the outdated phrasing, shaking their heads in disapproval.
Jungkook’s cheek shifted as he addressed you like that and you sighed at the realization this was going to take you too far off track for you to bother with. You tugged him softly and ignored the obnoxious laughter coming from behind you as you entered the market.
“Just ignore it.” You said softly, not letting go of his arm even when you were deeper into the store. He glanced at you like he was upset you hadn’t let him handle it and that furthered your reasoning for keeping a hold on him.
“He was disrespectful.” He said plainly, eyes still heated even when you stopped walking and turned to face him. The tips of your boots touched his as you reached into his shirt pocket to pull out the list his mother had given him, catching him stuffing it in there before you mounted the horse. “How can he talk to a woman like that?”
“He was a drunk idiot.” You stated, catching his eye for a second as you stood there before realizing how close you were and taking a step away.
Jungkook still seemed irritated as you shopped, filling a basket full of the ingredients his mom had written in neat handwriting. He took the basket from you when it was more than half full and starting to get a little heavy and you gave him a thankful look.
It was hard for him to stay annoyed considering the countless older women that stopped to coo at him and ask him how his parents were, remarking on the last time they’d seen him and how tall and handsome he had grown up to be.
This was something you had also noticed, much to your dismay.
You figured you had been too distracted your first two weeks but your general dislike for your situation and Jungkook himself to realize the devastating fact that he was actually the most attractive person you had been around.
He was now constantly distracting you without even meaning to, tan skin and big eyes so effortlessly lifting things two times your size and controlling stubborn animals. It was a bit ridiculous that somebody with forearms that veiny and strong also looked that good in a stupid cowboy hat.
Even now, leaning against a fridge as he watched you scan over the list in his washed denim jeans and giant belt buckle. It was something straight out of a cowboy fantasy and you felt like a fool for falling victim to it.
It didn’t help your new found dilemma that he was also the sweetest person you had ever met now that he was done giving you the silent treatment and glaring everytime you messed something up.
Whether it was natural southern hospitality or his mothers teachings, Jungkook was a well mannered boy down to his core and did not consider opening the door for you or carrying bags for the older women in the store anything other than the bare minimum.
You weren’t surprised that he was so aggravated by the drunk man for eyeing you or calling you his missus, like you were a piece of property because that was just the type of guy Jungkook was.
“Reckon we are almost done?”
And then there was that.
Your eyes shifted over to him as his voice broke you from your thoughts and you almost outwardly sighed in annoyance with yourself. Never once in your entire life had you considered that a southern accent might bring your heart into your throat but apparently that was just something that happened to you now.
You imagined Jungkook didn’t even think he had an accent let alone realized how heavy it was but the low drawl and phrases he used made you feel like a preteen girl who had just discovered british boy bands for the first time.
“Yeah pretty much, just…” You trailed off as your eyes landed on a small booth tucked in the back corner of the vendor section.
Jungkook squinted at you before turning around and scoffing a little when he realized what had caught your attention so easily.
You felt like your feet were magnetically drawn to the rows of pretty farm dresses, lace bandanas and cowgirl hats. Your eyes were wide as you took them all in, already feeling your bank account emptying. The clothes Nari had been bringing you weren’t hideous but they certainly weren’t the most flattering things you had ever worn.
He stood there holding the baskets of groceries while you pointed out everything you wanted to the woman at the booth, smiling happily as you left the store with your arms full.
“You’re ridiculous.” He said flatly as he shook his head and situated the grocery bags in the saddle bags on each side of the horse. His words lacked any heat and you rolled your eyes as you watched him.
“What I am, is sick of sharing a closet with your mother.” He shot you a look. “No offense.”
A laugh escaped him as he finished, turning to you expectantly. It felt more natural now to step closer to the massive animal and he stared at you as you stood in front of him, making sure you were ready and nodding when you gave him an expectant look.
His hands were back on your hips, confirming to yourself that you were inching into delusional territory when your stomach lit up. He was easily lifting you almost above his head so you could swing your leg over the saddle, further forward than you had been.
You almost scooted back to your place but he was mounting before you could and you quickly realized he had placed you there purposefully, now sat behind you with his thighs on the outside of yours.
“Oh so I’m steering now?” You glanced back at him and he looked amused, taking off his hat and adjusting it before placing it on your head. You squinted at him and his mischievous expression before quickly facing forward when he was kicking his foot and whistling lowly to get the horse to start to move.
“Lucky is good to learn on.” He said simply and you suddenly considered steering you both into a lake when you heard his low voice now behind you and near your ear. “He’s gentle.”
“He’s huge.” You remarked plainly and this time when he breathed out a short laugh you could feel it on the back of your neck.
You rode in pleasant silence and the sun was far less brutal now that it was starting to set, the little bit of shine kept out of your eyes by his hat sitting comfortably on your head. You tried to ignore that flutter in your chest at the fact you were wearing his hat and riding his horse, back pressed to chest even if it was just for safety.
“Does it ever get annoying living in such a small town?” You mused in a calm voice after another group of people waved to Jungkook. “Running into ex girlfriends all the time I bet.”
He didn’t respond right away and you swore you thought you felt him tensing behind you. You glanced over your shoulder at him, hoping to find him wearing an amused expression and instead he was just staring at you blankly.
Your eyebrows furrowed for a long second before you were turning back forward with a mouth parted in understanding.
Suddenly it was awkward and you mentally punched yourself for being the one to bring the uncomfortable air to the conversation. Neither of you said anything and you somehow decided that was worse than whatever was about to come out of your mouth.
“Sorry. There’s nothing wrong with that, you know?”
“Just stop talking.” He grunted behind you, sounding more pained and embarrassed than angry with you. “It makes it way worse when you say stuff like that.”
You weren’t sure how anything could make it better but you genuinely didn’t think any less of Jungkook for not having a girlfriend before, if anything it felt a bit ridiculous considering what he looked like but you definitely could not say that to him.
Instead you just fell into a silence that you hoped wasn’t marking the return of your feud. You gave him another apologetic look in the barn after he helped you down and he sighed softly when he saw it, giving you his habitual nod and taking his hat off of your head gently so he could wear it again.
You found yourself unusually bored without the company of Jungkook who had disappeared into his room almost as soon as you got back.
You ended up sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the porch, your more affectionate cat napping in your lap while the other brushed against the wood arches. You were attempting to write in your journal but your mind was blanking or rather full of other things.
There was genuine guilt inside of you for accidentally making Jungkook feel embarrassed but you weren’t really sure what to do about it, finding him hard to read when it came to certain things.
It was easy to tell when he was tired of a particularly repetitive chore, when he felt irritated by his dad more than usual, and when he was getting moody because he was hungry but how did you make him feel better about something like this without making him more humiliated when you brought it up again.
The boy in question was interrupting your string of thoughts and half composed apologies when he was bursting through the front door.
You sat up quickly, eyes wide from the way it slammed against the side of the house and cracked on its old hinges. You were just opening your mouth to ask him what had happened when Minchul was storming out right behind him, his belt in his hand and an expression that made your blood run cold.
“Do it again until it's right.” He was screaming down the porch at Jungkook’s tense back that didn’t stop moving.
He didn’t seem afraid necessarily but rather furious as he made his way to one of the barns, shoulders squared and barely giving you a glimpse of the glare on his face before he slammed the large door shut and disappeared inside.
“That damn boy is useless.” Minchul spat to himself and you stared at him with a shocked and fearful glance. He faltered when he noticed you sitting there and sighed softly, body relaxing just enough for you to narrow your gaze. “Sorry you had to see that honey. You think he would know better by now.”
You didn’t dare respond to him, not trusting yourself to hold back from saying something that would get you or Jungkook in any trouble, or any more in his case. Your eyes drifted to the belt in his tight grip and he sighed again before heading back inside.
Supper was painfully silent and you felt terrible for Nari considering she had spent hours preparing it.
You made sure to hum softly after every few bites, exaggerating the noise so she would know you found it delicious. She gave you a knowing look across the table and smiled at you, breaking the quiet with a soft question about how you liked the town.
It was unlike you to speak at the dinner table but the men were clearly abandoning that role for the night so you and her exchanged gentle small talk while you all ate, trying to make the room feel less suffocating.
You’d understood after the first few nights that it was expected of you and Jungkook to do the dishes so you hugged Nari goodnight and drifted over to the sink.
You didn’t say anything, didn’t ask him if he was okay in fear of making it even worse. His shoulders were still tense like they had been earlier and the look on his face was bugging you, not used to seeing it compared to his usual expressions.
“I’m sorry.” He surprised you by being the first to speak, a low mutter as he took a wet plate from you and dried it off. “He shouldn’t have done that in front of you.”
You wanted to retort that he shouldn't have done it at all but that felt stupid and obvious, something you both already knew and didn’t need to voice. You just shook your head at his apology, not needing to accept one from him.
“You’re a good man Jungkook.” You finally decided to say plainly, not emotion in your voice so he could take the words as simple and true as they were.
He faltered with his hand in mid air, only a brief second before he was taking another dish.
When you were done washing you leaned against the counter next to you, watching him and waiting for him to finish up. He wasn’t looking at you but you knew he felt you staring. He sighed when he dried the last one and finally turned towards you.
“Why are you lookin’ at me like that princess?” He said with exhaustion lacing his words and although the name was mocking, it still sent a jolt through your body.
“You know you’re handsome right?” You weren’t trying to flirt with him, especially not with this awkward air from what you had seen. You were just genuinely wondering if he had even noticed, unable to tell by the way he carried himself.
Jungkook stared at you with an unchanging expression, like he was waiting for you to say something else or even laugh at him.
It wasn’t the first time you noticed the sheer size of him, not exactly the tallest man you’d met but certainly making up for it by the width of his shoulders and the broad muscle on his chest. His father was a naturally large man with a round belly and tall stature but you imagined Jungkook could take him quite easily in terms of strength.
“C’mere.” You baited softly, not moving from the counter and just watching him with an almost expressionless face. He took a few seconds but his feet were eventually moving and he was a few feet closer to you now.
Your hand was on his arm, gentle and tracing as you squeezed it lightly but kept your gaze locked on his face. His body was locked with tension as he looked at you, almost curiously.
“No girlfriends but..” You faded off when you saw the flash of annoyance pass over his face, not liking that you were bringing this back up again. “Have you ever hooked up with someone?”
The question lingered in the air adn you almost wondered if he was planning on rejecting you. He hadn’t done anything that made you think he was necessarily interested in you the way you were becoming interested in him but you knew you were relatively pretty and he clearly didn’t mind your company, showing it in his own stoic way.
“What’s it matter?” He mumbled back, shifting a step or two closer like he hadn’t realized he was.
His lack of an actual answer inside the response told you what you needed to know and he seemed to understand that considering the way he sighed.
“Do you think I’m judging you?”
Your head had cocked as you said it and he let out a humorless laugh at the earnest way you asked it.
“Aren’t you?” He retorted and it was a bit more heated than his voice had been before, defenses clearly up despite the way your hand was still smoothing over his arm as you had this conversation. “I’m not some loser.”
Your eyebrows furrowed at the outburst, wondering when he had drawn that conclusion. It wasn’t that surprising that a southern boy would associate sexual experience with masculinity or social class but you shook your head.
“I already told you what I think of you Jungkook.” You answered back, stopping your hand from rubbing his skin and letting it just rest instead. “I think you’re a good man.” Your tone was gentle and smooth so he didn’t have any reason to think you were making fun of him. “And that you’re handsome.”
Your hand moved to sit on his firm chest and you could feel the way his heart raced underneath your palm, fast and pounding as you stared up at him. Jungkook might genuinely be the most beautiful man you’d ever seen, sun kissed skin and scars littering his body from a lifetime of hard work.
His features were strong and manly but paired with gentle eyes that watched you quizzically and you were sighing softly without even meaning to. You hoped you weren’t overwhelming him with your sudden forwardness but there was only so much time you could spend watching him think lowly of himself before you longer to inform him of the way others viewed him.
You leaned up on your tippy toes while simultaneously bringing his face down so you could kiss him softly, thumb rubbing his jaw and cheek.
He only hesitated for a second before he was kissing you back, taking a few steps forward until your back was hitting the counter again but this time with his body pressing against yours. Your mouths moved together eagerly and you made a small noise when his hands were on your hips, yours moving to play with the hairs touching the back of his neck.
His height and size was making you feel crazy as he tugged you against him, his strong arms around you and the thought of how easily he had lifted your entire body earlier made you feel warm as you made out desperately.
The sound of someone clearing their throat was making you jump away from each other and your eyes were both wide with panic as you saw his mother standing at the bottom of the stairs in her nightgown. Your chest was rising and falling both from the intense make out session and embarrassment.
“I-“ You squeaked out in an attempt to explain but nothing followed and you almost thought his mom looked amused.
“Goodnight.” She said softly before turning back around like she hadn't seen anything. You’d expected to be sent up to your rooms for the night but clearly she was attempting to meddle by leaving you alone again.
The tension had popped and you awkwardly looked at Jungkook.
Jungkook let out a shaky breath as he watched his mom go back upstairs, his heart still beating like a drum in his chest. His cheeks were still flushed red with embarrassment, and he ran a hand sheepishly through his hair as he looked at you with an unreadable expression.
He took a deep breath and the sound made you feel way worse. You shifted on your feet, not really knowing what to do in this situation. It felt so ridiculous that you couldn’t help yourself from bursting out into soft laughter and he gave you a disbelieving look.
Your forehead fell against his chest as you laughed softly, eyes squeezed shut from embarrassment. You felt his body shaking slightly as he joined you in your giggle fit and you were glad he wasn’t taking this as seriously as you feared he might.
You could feel his hand in your hair as he brushed it out of your face and your laughter faded off into a warm smile as you looked up at him, rocking onto your tiptoe to press against him in another kiss. It was much sweeter this time, lacking any real heat.
Only until his hands were back on your hips and then you couldn’t stop yourself from parting your lips and pushing deeper, grateful he had understood what you wanted when he pushed you back against the counter and tilted his head with yours.
It was picking up in pace again and your tongue was moving against his bottom lip, whining softly when he licked against your own and bringing one of your hands back to rub his hard chest.
“You’re a good kisser.” You remarked against his mouth and you could quite literally feel him smirk, the realization making you feel like you were truly going crazy.
“You’re pretty.” He said back in that same monotone voice he always had and you smiled at the now familiar sound of it. His hands tensed against your hips and you quickly got what he wanted, kissing him again with more fever after his compliment towards you.
You weren’t sure how you went from arguing with him a few weeks ago to making out desperately in his kitchen but it was hard to dislike the change in things when it felt so good, barely able to pull yourself away from him when he was whispering into your mouth that you needed to get some sleep.
He was right and you knew that but he practically had to maneuver you both towards the bedroom hall, stopping to kiss you along the way and laughing when your hands were stubborn in their exploration of his strong arms.
You’d closed your door and immediately pressed your back against it as you sucked in a deep breath, waiting until you heard his own close down the hall before you were throwing yourself on the bed and screaming into the pillow.
----
The next morning left you feeling slightly anxious and embarrassed, nervous to face Jungkook with your new development and downright terrified to see his mother.
She was alone in the kitchen when you ventured down and you froze at the bottom of the staircase, considering turning around and booking it back up the stairs until her gentle gaze landed on you and it was too late.
“C'mon honey, I won’t bite.” She said with amusement lacing her words and your shoulders halfway relaxed. You blushed and walked fully into the room, avoiding the counter she had seen Jungkook pressing you against last night like it was infected.
“I’m so sorry ma’am. I didn’t mean to disrespect you and your house.” You said quickly with a sigh as you sat on one of the stools, not even planning to address it but unable to stop yourself from feeling foolish.
She watched you with patient eyes as you spoke it in one breath and then smiled gently. “I haven’t seen my baby smile like that since he was a boy. I know he’s a grown up now and he does what grown ups do.” Your face flushed at the implication and you suddenly wondered if she had already figured this was happening. “I think you’d do him some good.”
You weren’t sure how to respond to her kind words and you stayed quiet and stiff on the stool.
The floorboard creaking made you turn back to the doorway and you froze even more when you saw Jungkook standing there, his expression alerting you to the fact he had been there longer than you had realized and most likely eavesdropping.
“Hi.” You instinctively breathed out when you noticed him, ridiculously handsome in the early morning.
He cleared his throat and entered the kitchen, giving his mother a soft kiss on the cheek as a greeting before placing his hands on the island and looking at you awkwardly. “Hey.”
Nari suddenly decided she had something to do that involved her going out to the chicken coop but you didn’t miss the instigating look she shot him over her shoulder as she left. You almost thought his cheeks were tinged pink as he quickly looked away from her and your lips curled upwards just enough for him to sigh.
“Listen I-”
“Do you want to do something with me today?” He had cut you off and then froze like he hadn’t even realized you were speaking.
Your eyes were a little wide as you stared at him, forgetting what you were even trying to tell him, most likely something that would give him the option to pretend the kiss had never happened but you liked his idea a lot better.
“Something like.. other than chores?” You half teased as you reminded him that you did something with him almost every single day if farm work counted. He was nodding his head swiftly and going between avoiding looking at you directly and staring into your eyes intensely. “Yes Jungkook, I would. That sounds very nice.”
He looked overly relieved that you had agreed and you began to really question his sanity if he actually thought you would reject him after what had happened.
Jungkook had instructed you that you would need a bathing suit and something comfortable to walk in, not leaving much to the imagination about what he wanted to do but leaving you excited regardless.
You almost asked him how he had gotten the two of you out of duties but you saw Nari carrying a small bag of hay as you stepped out onto the porch and realized quickly she must have agreed to help out today.
She was giving you a soft look and you returned it with a small smile and a wave goodbye, hearing the hinges creak behind you as he made his way out of the house and paused next to you to look at his mom as she disappeared back to the nearest barn.
“Ready?” He said softly and you nodded your head at him, glancing to the side and feeling glad to see him smiling subtly.
The new development between you did not change the fact Jungkook didn’t talk much but it did mean he let you be the one to shuffle through his CD collection until you found something you liked. He actually had a few things you managed to recognize and you put in the back of your mind to request a mixtape of his favorite tracks.
You preferred the windows down and wind blowing to the cold and sterile AC of your car back in the city, hair in your face and the now familiar scents that the warm air danced through the old truck being things you had grown used to faster than your usual that you had simply tolerated for two decades.
He was tapping the steering wheel to the music and your eyes scanned over him briefly now that he was distracted.
He had abandoned his button up flannels for the day in place of a loose shirt that was tucked into his jeans and belt in random places, showcasing his large belt buckle that you had started to think was his signature.
Clearly you were obvious enough that he caught on to the feeling of you staring because he was sending you a sideways glance that made you laugh. Most guys would probably smirk cockily if they noticed you checking them out like that but Jungkook was certainly not most guys, quickly facing forward again and swallowing hard.
You watched from the side mirror as dust kicked up nearly to your window, feeling him shift gears as he pulled off onto the side of the dirt road.
There was nothing special about the area he stopped at, a simple stretch of road with trees canopy over the top and giving you a nice break from the sun. You looked at him, curious why he was stopping.
“Cmon.” He said and his eyes flashed with something bright before he was getting out of the driver's side and gesturing for you to slide across the bench seat of the truck so you could come out his door.
His hand was reaching out to grab yours, helping you out smoothly and the act made it so you were standing almost as close as you were the night before. He took a few seconds to let his eyes dart over your face before he was stepping back and keeping his hand over yours.
“It’s through here.” He breathed and you nodded, letting him gently guide you through the trees and brush.
You could see a faint desired path, dirt in place of grass where people had been stepping and venturing off from the road like you were now.
Luckily it wasn’t a long walk considering you were not exactly accustomed enough to the outdoor life to enjoy branches in your face but you were glad you had heeded his warning about comfortable shoes.
You felt his hand squeezing yours as he slowed his pace, leaving you almost stumbling into his back from your lack of paying attention.
He glanced back at you as you came to a stop beside him, hands wrapping around his arm similarly to the way you had held him at the market. He stepped to the side more so you could see what he was bringing you towards and your mouth parted.
The quarry was only a little bigger than a pond, surrounded on all sides by trees and tall rock walls that glistened from the water splashed on them by the numerous small waterfalls in various places alongside it.
The water was a beautiful blue-green shade that looked especially inviting given the heat today and there was a small slope that led to a patch of sand, sporadic bushes of flowers and long hanging vines decorating the empty spaces.
“Wow.” You breathed out as you stepped out of the tree line, walking along the top of the quarry until you could shuffle your way down the slope towards the beach.
Jungkook stayed right behind you, silent and squeezing your hand every so often whenever the path got a bit steep. You were grateful considering how little focus you had now that you were presented with such a beautiful sight.
“Do you like it?” He was asking softly when you made it to the waterline, the area even more breathtaking from down below. Your eyes scanned over the quarry walls around you now and you almost felt emotional.
You’d never seen anything even remotely similar to this and it was overwhelming you a little bit. It was like an oasis hidden just off the dirty road, untouched by civilization and nurtured by the elements around you.
“It’s amazing.” You turned to face him and he looked pleased that you were excited, biting the inside of his cheek and nodding as he took off his hat and placed it on a nearby log.
Your eyebrows raised in question before he was shifting backwards and kicking off his boots, a laugh of disbelief leaving you in a single breath.
The girlish giggle was leaving you before you could stop it and you didn’t care enough to feel embarrassed about the sound, hurriedly removing your easiest layers before pulling your dress over your head and leaving you in your bathing suit.
When you emerged from the lacy fabric you were greeted by a shirtless Jungkook and you fully froze, eyes locking on his chest and the full expanse of his tattooed sleeve that you’d been catching glimpses of whenever he wore a shirt.
You already knew he was strong, easily detectable by his stamina and how much he could move and carry without breaking a sweat. Plus the telling veins lining his forearms that pulses whenever he shifted or gripped something.
None of these small tidbits could’ve prepared you for the sight of Jeon Jungkook shirtless and you couldn’t even bother to disguise how intensely you were staring at his toned chest and the happy trail wedged between hard ab muscles.
Jungkook seemed to not even notice the way you were looking at him but that probably had something to do with the fact he was staring at you the same exact way, hair messy from removing your dress that now sat at your feet.
You imagined at another time it could’ve been heated but instead it was bashful, almost shy as you both came to reality and looked away in sync. Your cheeks felt warm again and you squinted up at the burning sun like it was the cause and not the pull in your stomach.
It was easier to run towards the water than face him again and he seemed to agree considering you could hear the sound of him entering right behind you.
The two of you splashed and played for nearly an hour, throwing handfuls of water and filling the echoing quarry with your shrieks and laughter as you did so. Your stomach was aching from how hard you were laughing and your cheeks felt even worse, in the best way possible.
You’d even begun to wonder if you had ever actually smiled before this exact moment, the happiness rushing through you feeling so foreign. You were completely detached from yourself.
The wealth of your family name, the cold expressions you both faced daily and learned to force onto yourself and even the heaviness of the city air and its routine were all fading from your mind. Right now you were simply a girl having fun in a beautiful place with a boy that liked you enough to free his day and show it to you.
Jungkook was either thinking similarly or simply recognizing your melancholy because the play splashing faded into the two of you slowly inching closer and closer in the water until your arms were looped around his neck and his settled warmly on your waist.
Your eyes were scanning over the parts of his chest that were not under the hazy water, cold fingers lightly tracing over the scars and marks littering his tan skin.
He was simply watching you, eyes on your face and only shifting away briefly whenever you made eye contact.
“Where'd you get this one?” Your voice was a whisper and it felt like the first time you’d talked in a while, smoothing over a particularly large mark spanning across his left collarbone all the way to his shoulder.
“Got bucked off Lucky when I was fourteen.” He said in a low voice, referencing the large horse you’d taken into town together. “Landed wrong on the wired fence.”
You nodded softly as he recounted the story, feeling a deeper warmth when you thought about teenage Jungkook and his mishaps as he grew into the practiced country man he was now. His hands squeezed your waist as your hand crept up to his cheek and you shifted closer.
“This one?” Your tone was more hesitant when you saw the look on his face at the touch, already knowing he’d be explaining that especially deep mark next.
“I was seventeen.” He started off slowly and you watched him, hand moving to cup his cheek and obscure the scar from your vision. His face instinctively pushed against your palm and he sighed. “Accidentally tipped a barrel of feed we were transporting to the neighbors. My dad sent me flying into the wall and I guess there was an old nail or something.”
It was the first time he had outwardly voiced what you already assumed and although you knew, it didn’t make it any easier to hear him say it.
“Has he always done that?” You whispered and he shook his head.
“Just when I became a teenager.” He said simply, like it wasn't a big deal to him. It probably wasn’t anymore and you couldn't help but frown softly, feeling worse when his eyes flashed with concern. “Happens less now.”
Another thing you didn’t need to hear out loud to understand. Jungkook was bigger now, stronger and harder to push around even if he allowed it up to a certain point. You had a feeling that he'd never lay a hand on his father to test the theory but you had full confidence he could lay him out if needed and you imagined Minchul had realized something similar.
You felt the words leave you, not exactly sure if that was what he needed anyways. There was nothing you could say that would make it stop and you figured he had thought of any reassuring phrases you would’ve come up with anyways.
There was only one thing that made sense to you and you hoped it was the right choice when you kissed him softly.
It was so gentle he barely felt it and then you were pulling back and pressing your forehead against his. His gaze was softer now and you could feel the wet droplets from his hair on your skin, his large hand leaving your hip underwater to hold your face and bring you into him again.
This time there was some heat behind the action, mouths moving together as you wrapped your legs around his middle to be as close as possible.
Jungkook kissed you deeply, a low noise sounding from his chest when you were tugging softly at his lower lip. It felt like a habit to tangle your tongue with his and you sighed against his mouth, one hand on his jaw with the other resting on his chest as he held you weightlessly in the water.
“Have I mentioned you’re a good kisser?” You breathed against his mouth and he made a low noise, used to your antics and teasing comments by now. His hands were under your thighs to keep you supported around his waist and you sighed as you fell back into a kiss.
It felt utterly ridiculous, disbelief still clouding your mind when you felt the butterflies in your stomach and the way your skin felt tingly wherever his hands traced. You had barely felt anything before you got here and suddenly your days were full of satisfying muscle aches and electric glances across the room with a boy who was holding you like he actually managed to care about you.
You felt like a fool for putting so much weight behind kissing him, behind being somewhere he considered special and laughing like little kids together.
“I am so happy you are here.”
All of your concerns faded away when he whispered the words against your lips, unable to keep kissing him but loving the way he pecked your mouth a few times before realizing you weren’t responding anymore and looking at you heavily.
Maybe he could tell it was something you needed to hear because one of his hands left your leg in favor of pushing your wet hair behind your ear, thumb tracing over your swollen lips.
“You mean that?” You accidentally whispered it and that felt much more vulnerable than you had meant it to come across, not able to stop yourself from seeking confirmation. You’d spent your entire life feeling like you were taking up space, a ghost in crowded conference halls and an investment only worthy of funding.
Jungkook had nothing to take from you, you had nothing to offer him here in this new version of you that you had barely begun to understand yourself and yet his eyes were soft and genuine as he nodded.
“I was just going through the motions before you.” He responded right when you needed to hear it most and the rare show of vocalized honesty from him hit harder. You could tell it was difficult for him to say these things out loud without feeling insecure and you appreciated it even more.
You kissed him eagerly and barely processed the way he was standing out of the water and easily carrying you to the shore, only recognizing your new location when your back touched the warm sand and you gasped softly.
It was swallowed by his mouth as he placed himself over you, holding his weight up with his left arm so he wasn’t exactly pressing against you. He felt even better in this position and your hands tangled in his hair, pulling him down and keeping his mouth moving with yours like it was the only way you could function.
You weren’t sure how long you stayed there like that, going between kissing heavily and whispering sweet words to each other that made your chest tighten so much it felt like it was going to explode.
The sun had started to set and you felt slightly chilled in your damp suit, flushing when he noticed your shiver and silently moved to help pull your dress back over your head. He stood from the sand, offering a hand to lift you up and steadying you before finding his discarded shirt.
It was silent on the way back to the farm but welcomed. You had abandoned the passenger seat in favor of sitting in the middle, laying your head on his shoulder and smiling every time his hand moved from the gear stick to rest on your bare knee.
He had his left arm out the window as he tapped the top of it occasionally along to the music but he quickly withdrew it when you pulled in the long driveway and saw the porch light still on. It was dark by now but not quite late enough to cause any suspicion, sky a dark blue as the sun fully set.
You were glad you had enough sense to scoot back into your seat because you passed the scattered trees and could now clearly see Minchul stood on the porch, not at all trying to pretend he wasn’t waiting for you.
Jungkook was tense and his face was dark in a way that pulled a pout onto your face, hoping you didn’t have a sour end to such a beautiful day.
He sighed as he parked the truck and you reached your hand over to grab his, his eyes darting to you quickly like he had forgotten you were sitting there with him. You watched as his shoulders dropped as they lost their tension and he gave you a soft smile and squeezed your hand in his.
You were both exiting the truck and you gave Minchul a small wave, only slightly surprised that he didn’t return it. He was still keeping up the charming and friendly persona with you but clearly it didn’t matter when his hard gaze was locked on his son.
“How were the Johnsons?” He said lowly and you knew better than to respond or showcase any confusion on your face even though you had no idea what he was talking about.
“The Johnsons?” Jungkook’s voice was casual as he walked, barely faltering at the question and not even glancing at his dad as he stepped onto the porch. You stayed on the yard and watched them, breath held as it almost seemed like they were sizing each other up. You weren’t used to seeing any defiance from Jungkook and it worried you. “We were at the Lee’s. Mary said hello.”
He went inside, sending you a glance as he did and you stood there silently.
Minchul scoffed and you saw his jaw clench in annoyance, clearly wanting to test Jungkook and catch him in a lie. Nari and him must have come up with a cover story beforehand about where you two were the entire day, something you stupidly hadn’t even considered.
His gaze fell on you and while it wasn’t as icy, it still didn’t look thrilled to see you. You were glad you had become so accustomed to having a flat expression because the last thing you wanted was to be the one who fucked it up and got the both of you in trouble.
“Thank you for letting us have some time off.” You said softly, tone as polite as you could manage and he stayed very still for a few more seconds before giving you a small smile and nodding. You stayed there as he turned to head inside, finally letting out the breath you were holding.
----
It was difficult to know Jungkook was so close yet also understanding spending unnecessary time with him could get you in trouble potentially. You knew you were both adults but it was his fathers house and clearly he didn’t have sound reasoning for his hatred towards Jungkook.
As much as you wanted to lounge in his room with him and listen to music, you settled for opening your door and letting it float down the hallway towards you as you journaled.
You were back to chores the next morning like normal and you couldn’t help the shy smile on your face when you saw him in the kitchen. He returned it and you felt his foot nudge against yours when you slid onto the stool beside him, side eyeing him playfully as Nari brought you both a plate of breakfast.
There was a welcomed silence as you ate rather quickly and then you were both slipping out of the house, soft giggles escaping you at the fast way he walked towards the barn. He glanced behind you towards the house and must've determined the coast was clear because he was scooping you off of your feet to get you there quicker.
“You’re insane.” You laughed and slapped against his shoulder as he bridal style carried you into the barn, rounding the corner and setting you down when you were out of sight.
“Is that a bad thing?” His eyebrow went up and you narrowed your eyes jokingly, a bright smile on your face as you stared up at him. “Maybe I just missed you.”
You still weren’t used to the quiet boy you had grown accustomed to being able to say the most devastating things like he didn’t even realize what they did to you. You sucked in a breath at the statement and it wasn’t long before he was kissing you again.
There seemed to be a mutual addiction to the action now that you’d done it a few times and you were glad you weren’t alone in that, not sure what you would do if he wasn’t so willing to kiss you all the time.
Kissing you didn’t seem to be the only thing on Jungkook’s mind because it wasn’t long before he had you laid back against a blanket over the hay, making you half wonder if he planned this or if it was just a spontaneous decision. Either way you appreciated the gesture, not sure you could enjoy the way he was kissing down your neck as much if you had scratchy grass poking you back.
“Jungkook.” You gasped his name out when his teeth brushed over your collarbone and his back hardened at the sound for a second before he was humming, low and sensual as he questioned the reason for your call. “More.”
He picked his head up long enough to look into your eyes, scanning over your face with a dark expression you hadn’t quite seen from him. It was similar to the way he looked when he was particularly focused on a hard task but there was something deeper there and you suddenly felt flustered.
“Tell me what you want.” It was a soft instruction that subtly reminded you he didn’t really know what he was doing.
“Anything, just…” Your hands were in his hair and you kissed him softly as you tried to collect yourself, distracted by the way he was looking at you and the weight of his body on top of yours. “Just you. I just want you.”
That seemed to be enough for him to forget his inexperienced based hesitance because his mouth was back on yours, sloppy and hot in a way that made a shiver go down your spine. His hands moved under your dress, pushing it up so it sat under your ribs and exposed your lower half.
He went back to kissing down your neck and this time he didn’t stop at your dress, skipping your covered section and shifting his body further down so he could have his mouth on your stomach. You sucked in a gasp at the sensation, keeping your hands in his hair to keep yourself grounded under the illusion of some control.
It was a world changing sight to see him down between your legs like that, eyes darting from your lace panties back up to your face to make sure you were feeling okay. You imagined he was being met with a very eager expression on your face, nearly pleading as you took in his messy hair and doe eyes.
The first press of his lips alongside your inner thigh was almost enough to ruin your life and you whined softly, shifting your knees further apart so he had no issue getting where he needed.
“Quiet down princess.” The already low drawl of his voice had taken an even deeper tone and you shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut like you were pained at the idea of silence. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful baby.”
He had no idea the way he was wrecking you with the pet names, made even more clear by the way his mouth was on your core through the thin wet fabric of your underwear. Your hips bucked as you made a strangled sound and his hand was shooting up to hold you down, pressing against your stomach and kissing his teeth at you like you were an animal he was trying to settle.
The instinctive way he attempted to tame you made your head spin, not even realizing how sexy you would find that until he did it.
“Jungkook.” You were breathing again and shifting your hips upwards, heat surging through you when you realized you weren’t even able to move under his strong hold. He was easily pressing you against the blanket with one hand and one of yours moved from his hair to pull at the waistband of your panties.
He didn’t need you to explain that to him, hurriedly sitting up enough that he could pull them down your thighs and grunting a little when you kicked them away, settling back between your legs and taking a deep breath at the sight of you bare.
“Please.” You pleaded and he looked back up at you.
“You want it baby?” He said lowly, a whole new persona to him you hadn’t even begun to fantasize about and you nodded eagerly, eyes a little glassy. “Want me to taste you?”
You made another high pitched impatient sound and he laughed a little, breath hitting your wet folds making your body tighten for a second.
He was finally done teasing you and you knew you wouldn’t be able to keep quiet like he requested as soon as his mouth was on you, hands moving to your knees to keep your legs from clamping around his head as he licked against you.
“Oh fuck.” You whined and he closed his eyes at the taste of you, tongue slow and testing as he explored what areas brought the biggest reaction out from your lips. He was clearly a good kisser in more than one way because you felt like you were going to pass out just from the way his mouth moved, getting more eager the more comfortable he got.
Your hips rocked forward against his face as much as his grip allowed, searching for friction and finding it when his nose brushed against your sensitive clit. His mouth quickly followed, tongue working your bud and bringing noises out of you that you didn’t even know you were capable of.
“Feels so good.” You mewled and he groaned against you, sending another wave of pleasure and longing through you.
“It’s good princess?” He was breathing heavier from the lack of oxygen considering he hadn’t taken his mouth off of you since he got down there and you almost laughed at the sound of it. You weren’t sure if he was dirty talking or genuinely looking for reassurance but you nodded eagerly regardless, hands tangling back in his hair and pressing his face back between your legs.
“Make me cum.” You said the order softly, more of a plea than anything and he took it easily, practically making out with your cunt in his desperation to give you what you wanted. Jungkook was clearly a pleaser and you found it even more stupid nobody had jumped his bones yet, although a possessive flare surging through you every time you remembered you were his first.
You did a terrible job keeping quiet as he ate you out and you figured the rough way he was squeezing your thighs was meant to be reminders but you ignored him in favor of rolling your hips along with his mouth, biting your lip to keep from outwardly screaming when you realized you were about to cum.
Your grip in his hair tightened almost painfully and your breathing picked up, chest rising and falling in heavy pants as you got closer. Luckily Jungkook knew enough to not stop, pressing his tongue against your hole with his nose nudging your clit and bringing you to release so suddenly you felt dizzy.
“What the fuck?” You felt almost startled by how fast and intensely he made you finish and he slowed down, eyeing you curiously and almost looking like he was smiling. He kissed your thighs a few more times softly before he was coming back up on top of you.
You moaned when he was kissing you out of nowhere, not even slightly disgusted at the idea of tasting yourself and instead eagerly licking into his mouth.
“Wait.” You gasped into it and he barely slowed, only pausing to kiss the corners of your lips and let you speak. “What about you?”
Your hand was inching between your bodies to feel his hard length but you faltered when you felt the wet patch on his pants instead. His body tensed on top of yours and your eyes went back to his face, taking in his embarrassed expression and feeling a million different types of warmth rushing through you suddenly.
“Fuck.” He said in one breath, eyes shutting tight for a second like he was willing himself to disappear.
“That might be the hottest thing that has ever happened to me.” You said far too loud for the quiet barn and he looked at you like you were crazy, eyebrows furrowed and cheeks turning pink when he processed the dazed out look returning to your face. “You came in your pants from eating me out? Are you even real?”
He was frozen for a long few seconds with that same expression before he was pushing out a singular disbelieving laugh and resting his head on your shoulder. You giggled as he groaned into your hot skin, hand coming back up to his hair to pet it gently this time.
You didn’t move for a bit, kissing softly until the heat was beginning to feel too intense now that you didn’t have a mind numbing distraction.
“We have to do our chores.” You whispered against his lips and he sighed softly, knowing you were right.
He was gentle as he helped you stand up, sitting you back on a wood slate so he could pull your underwear backup and adjust your dress. His hands were smoothing through your hair to help control it, picking loose pieces of grass and straw as you watched his face.
The barn was quiet as you reached up to cup his face, pulling him in for another kiss and sighing softly when you felt him smiling.
“What are you doing to me?” You almost groaned as he pulled away again, tugging you off of the wood so you were standing in front of him. You were close enough for your chest to press together and you craned your neck to look up at him.
“It’s mutual.” He responded easily and you felt like you were really going crazy.
Luckily he had more sense than you and was backing up a few feet to pop the tension filled bubble and help keep you focused. It was almost impossible to watch him do chores now that you knew what was hidden under his shirt, and became familiar with those grunts in a different context.
You worked through the day together and kept your shy smiles and loaded glances to as much of a minimum as you could manage.
Supper was much more pleasant today and you felt like things were starting to really flow nicely around here, your heart feeling content as you and Nari joked around over the meal and the men listened with fond smiles.
Your gaze went to Jungkook for the hundredth time today and you found him already watching you, eyes bright and a smile on his face that you usually didn’t see at dinner time. He must have felt similarly to you about how good the day was because he didn’t look away, holding your eyes affectionately.
When you finally blushed and looked away, your line of sight landed on Minchuk and you froze.
He was staring at you with an expression of understanding, like he had just figured something out. His jaw tensed as he looked towards Jungkook and you felt red hot fear in your chest.
Jungkook had started conversing calmly with his mother and didn’t seem to notice the expression on either of your faces.
It wasn’t until your time to do the dishes that you even dared to look at him again, breathing a sigh of relief when he sunk against you for a hug.
You wrapped your arms tightly around him, stretching on your tiptoes and burying your face in his neck as he circled his against your lower back. The fact it was overly sappy didn’t miss you but you couldn’t really care anymore, longing to be near him after any amount of time.
“I feel crazy.” His voice was slightly muffled by your hair and you smiled at the sound of it and the warm tone he only seemed to take when he spoke to you. “How did I miss you so bad when you are right here?”
You shake your head, not trusting yourself to speak without saying something even more ridiculous but he hopes he knows what you mean, what you want to shout into the quiet kitchen.
No, you aren't crazy. No you're not the only one feeling like this. No you don't understand it either.
You only see a glimpse of his eyes before you are kissing and you can’t even remember who started it, if you went on your tiptoes or if he bent down to your level to catch you in something so feverish it felt like you had gone a year apart. There was no way of knowing who backed your bodies up against the counter, whose hands explored the other's frame first and who decided completely abandoning the dishes was somehow a good idea.
The only thing you could pinpoint was the exact moment it ended and he was suddenly ripped from you in a way that was so jarring you felt your knees go weak like you were going to collapse without him.
It took you a few seconds to track his body, stumbled across the kitchen like he had gotten thrown. The icy expression on his face made you realize he had been, your eyes darting to Minchul standing only a few feet away with his chest puffed and his eyebrows pulled together in a way that made your mouth part in shock.
“What the hell do you think you are doing boy?” His voice was venomous and he made another move in Jungkook’s direction that had you covering your mouth, lips still wet from kissing him.
Jungkook didn’t move a muscle, not even slightly flinching or faltering his hardened expression. You wanted to shout at him that now was not the time to challenge his father, not after such a good day and certainly not over you. The look on his face told you that there was no point in trying to diffuse the situation, his shoulders squaring as he shifted his body defensively.
“Oh.” Minchul looked genuinely surprised under all the rage until a bitter laugh slipped out as he stared at Jungkook mockingly. “You’re tough ain't you. A real man now?”
“Minchul.” You said slowly, taking a step away from the counter and trying to put yourself in their peripheral vision. You had a light amount of hope that seeing you in the room might be enough to humble the angry man and also calm Jungkook down enough to at least hold this off. You had wondered if you should call out for Nari but you decided against it. “We.. we were just-”
“I know what you were doing.” He spat as he turned to look at you and the way he stared at you stole all of the hope from underneath you. It was the exact same way he looked at Jungkook and you knew that any effort he was putting into faking a charming persona was no longer applied to you.
“Watch it.” Jungkook was speaking for the first time and both of you snapped your gazes over to him.
His voice had never sounded like that and you felt a wave of fear run over you, not towards him necessarily but towards the outcome that would be caused by this level of anger coming from both of them. He clearly had no intention of pushing away his feelings and fauxing respect to get his dad off of his back, combative and aggressive now that you were being spoken down to.
“Y/N.” Minchul was speaking calm and slow but the way his glare never left Jungkook’s taut frame sent a shiver down your spine and your eyes widened. “Go outside honey.”
“I-” You went to object but he sent you another look that left no room for argument and you turned desperately to Jungkook. He was clenching his jaw and looking pained as he finally looked at you just long enough to give you a confirming nod. His face barely softened but it was noticeable to you, a silent act of reassurance that he would be okay.
You felt beneath yourself as you stumbled outside, not really sure what else to do with your body once you got out there. You got the strange urge to call your father even though he would never help you, even to call your mother who had been dead for most of your life.
Your brain was just searching desperately for solutions and even more so when you heard crashing from inside the house, tears springing to your eyes as you took a few more shaky steps away to try and put some distance between you and the grunts of anger and pain.
The sensible part of your brain noticed a light switching on upstairs as the volume increased, realizing Nari must have woken up and would most likely be rushing down to the kitchen and putting a stop to whatever was happening.
It was a power you clearly did not have and you felt so overwhelmingly useless.
You felt like you were outside for hours alone like that even though it was only a few breathless minutes before Jungkook was coming outside. He was walking fast and storming right past you, similarly to the way he had been the other week when Minchul brought out the belt on the porch.
“Jungkook.” You called out to him and your hands reached for his arm, heart clenching when you made brief contact before they were slipping off as he refused to stop. You started to chase after him without really thinking about it, needing to speak to him before you exploded. “Wait please.”
He whipped around at the crack in your voice and you faltered when you saw the blood on his lip and redness surrounding his eye and cheek. You were sure there were more marks you’d be able to pinpoint tomorrow and you were suddenly grateful for the moon lighting him up.
Your hands were coming up to cup his face instinctively as a wounded noise left you and he winced at the feeling of your hands on his injuries. Your mouth was opening and closing as you searched for the words to say, head shaking as you felt like you were about to cry or throw up or both.
“Did you know?” His voice was hoarse and your eyebrows automatically furrowed in confusion. It was asked softly but he scoffed at your expression and repeated it in a much harsher tone.
“Know what?” You almost begged, wanting so badly to understand him and be able to help in some way. You took a step closer and he looked pained by the action, your stomach turning at the way he avoided looking directly at you. “Did I know what Jungkook? What happened?”
He was quiet for a long time and you felt like the dirt underneath you was slipping away and finally waking you up from this dream you’d been living in. You half wanted to sink with it and wake up in your warm bed worlds away from here with vague visions of a beautiful cowboy and the other half was clawing at the collapsing ground and pleading for the dirt under your nails to stay until morning.
“Your dad owns the farm.” He said it so simply like it didn’t take the air out of your lungs and you shook your head, both in denial and confusion on what he was saying. His eyes were cold as he stared at you like he wasn’t sure if you were the enemy or not anymore. “He owns everything. You own everything.”
He emphasized the pronoun like he was trying to make it really clear to you that you played some type of role in this situation and you shifted away from him.
It suddenly made so much more sense to you, the way Minchul and your father interacted like they were forced to and the memories of coming here as a child feeling so foreign and locked away. How kind the Jeon’s had been to you and the pure fury towards you and Jungkook for getting involved, it was all a result of your father placing his polished shoe on another aspect of your life.
This time it wasn’t an apartment back in the city or your daily schedule, not even your name on the important document that locked you into the family business for life if anything tragic happened to him. Your father had managed to put his greedy hands on something you had deemed untouchable.
Jungkook had created a world for you that didn’t allow the bad stuff to exist, that blocked out every memory you had that was grey and cold. He had brought the sun to you and now you were learning your father had already staked his flag on its surface.
“What are you talking about?” You didn’t know what else to say and you could feel hot tears on your flamed cheeks now. You had never felt adrenaline like that, pure emotion and panic as your chest started to rise and fall quickly.
Jungkook was quiet as he watched you like he was conflicted about what to do. Once a particularly rough breath ran through your body he was softening his shoulders and gaze simultaneously, pulling you against his frame as you wracked with a heavy sob.
You hadn’t had a panic attack in years, since you were a teenager who could barely stand the sight of a crowded crosswalk or a presentation. There was no doubt in your mind that you would not be able to get out of the strong grip of it easily on your own and you sunk against him.
“I’m sorry.” He breathed and you pushed your face into his chest, muffling the strangled noise that left you. “Of course you didn’t know. I know you didn’t know.”
“I want to go home.” Is what you eventually breathed out even though you realized as soon as you said it that you weren’t sure what you were referring to. The thought of your apartment was only comforting until you remembered he didn’t even exist there and you sunk lower against him.
“We can go there.” He said back hurriedly like he had already considered that as an option. You felt terrible for not being in the state to talk to him properly, to ask him if he was okay and if he could face his father again. “I’ll take you, we can go home.”
You weren’t sure he knew what that meant to you but he was gently lowering you on the stairs and going back inside before you could tell him. His back was tense and you had half a mind to yell out for him to come back, to not go in and to stay with you where you could pretend you could keep him safe.
Instead of sitting there and feeling useless, you stood to your feet and chased after him.
He was already on his way back out and you bumped into each other, a startled sound leaving him as his hands reached out to grab your arms and steady you. You were still breathing heavily and now confused by how quickly he had returned, eyes going over his wide shoulders.
Nari was standing in the middle of the kitchen with a dim look on her face, stealing her of her usual warmth and soft glow. Minchul was nowhere to be seen but you could tell by the damage to the room that it had been a full blown scuffle between the two of them.
You felt devastated for her, knowing how much love and pride she held for her kitchen and the things she created. There were shattered plates and disarrayed decorations, a large hole in the wall that you had a bad feeling was created by Jungkook’s back. She met your eyes over his frame and you felt relief when she softened slightly at the sight of your swollen eyes and remorseful stare.
“Go on, honey.” She said in a voice so gentle it broke your heart, Jungkook’s hands tightening on your arms at the sound of it. “I’ll be alright here.”
He was shifting and you could hear the sound of the keys in his fingers now, only just feeling the cold metal pressing against your skin. You nodded swiftly at her and gave her one more heavy look that you hoped she would understand despite your lack of words, her smile in return making you believe she had.
Jungkook and you were quick to leave the house and you felt another sob go through you when he spared one last look towards the barn where Lucky and the other horses were most likely asleep for the night, knowing there was no certain timeline he would be able to see them again any time soon.
He was opening the passenger door for you and making a soft noise with his teeth to get your attention through your devastation, closing it softly once you were sitting on the bench seat.
You waited until he was sat and finished taking a few deep breaths, until you were squealing out of the driveway and pretending the light wasn't still on upstairs. Only after you were on the dirt road and heading towards uncertainty did you scoot over into the middle seat.
This time around you weren’t damp from the quarry water and your cheeks were not sore from smiling so hard you felt euphoric. There were no shy glances and no toeing the line between unlikely friends and something more. But there was the feeling of his hand wrapped around your knee like he was scared to forget you were there and the soft kisses you were laying on his bruised face as he drove.
Going back the same way you came but with your heart full of adoration and something much more real that you were too afraid to name just yet. You felt like your fantasy world was finally mixing into reality and the colors mixing with your cold gray was a lot less jarring knowing he was the one braving it all with you.
Jungkook released a soft breath when your head landed on his shoulder and you felt the weight of it all go with it.
⤷ “There was no happy ending, no dragon slayer to save the kingdom and get the princess — there was only him: Jungkook. A simple orphan that was lucky enough to be invited into the castle, a former homeless thief that had found shelter in the form of an elysian heir.
Now, after twelve years by your side, he was about to lose you to the world you sought to explore.”
✓ Couple: Jungkook x Reader | Knight!AU and Princess!AU
✓ Filed under: angst, fluff, smut, fantasy
✓ Look out for: violence, death
✓ Words: 36, 772
Author’s Note: Recommended song [x] | The poem she reads is this one: [x] | MAP OF REPHYC | I decided to join the two parts, and now the monster is back together. I’m sorry in advance for this.
“And while we’re in our laughing, weeping fit,
Hurl helmets, crowns, and swords into the pit.
But, dear, cling close to me; since you were gone,
My barren thoughts have chilled me to the bone.”
— William Butler Yeats
The amber-bathed trees stood out against the turquoise sky, its leaves patiently dancing to the sound of the cool autumn breeze. As the night slowly approached in the skyline, the passing clouds were tinged in coral and lavender; gracefully reflecting its luminescence onto the sea. The everlasting waters were surprisingly calm that day, kindly embracing the sand before leaving the coast behind; the soft sound of the waves turning into a peaceful melody to the ears of lonely sailors.
For a traveler, the sight of those immaculate lands could be considered a mystical landscape, for the simple way they so ethereally combined: a perfect harmony only nature could achieve, waltzing to form the beautiful kingdom of Ceres. If such adventurer were to walk beyond the docks and into the village, there might be a chance to catch its residents as they ever so gradually retrieved back to their homes, candles lighting up as the star-encrusted darkness covered the place with delicacy. Exploring beyond the humble residencies, a street market would welcome the visitor with open arms, its quietness contrasting with the usual effervescent buzz that filled the crowded streets; and, at last, the chapel awaited right besides the beige library, its doors always open for late visitors.
Still, the true focus would reside on top of a hill: a monochromatic construction that stood out in the midst of an ocean of trees — the castle. From the lower of servants to the highest of monarchy, the ones living inside of it would be deeply asleep by the time a special door opened with a faint creek. Inside the now empty chambers, the clear curtains swinged in the wind, bringing along the vague smell of the sea; a pleasant scent that would not reach the Princess’ senses, for she was long gone.
Your rushed footsteps did not make a sound against the marble staircase, your cloak-covered body no more than a silhouette in a gargantuan cosmos wrapped in ebony. The pearly tone of the moon passed through the massive, dusty window behind you, dripping over the unoccupied Great Halls of the castle in the form of a phantasmagorical light.
However, you could not pay attention to any of those factors — you were late.
SUMMARY ➩ Born and raised in the busy city, you are in for a major life shift when you’re sent to the country side. You imagine the farmers son won’t be much help. (nobody’s son, nobody’s daughter)
AUTHORS NOTE ➩ Marking this as my official leave from retirement. This is the first work since Skin on Skin I feel a genuine connection too and I can proudly say I love it a lot. I hope you like it as much as me! Please check out the playlist and listen as you read if you'd like (PART TWO OUT NOW)
Growing up in the city had influenced a few factors of your core development and the way you went about life. You took a second to open up to strangers, had faster reflexes than most people you’d met from other places and could ignore the sound of a horn two feet from your ear.
What it hadn’t done is making you a spoiled and sheltered brat, although you imagined your father would place some strong disagreement on that statement.
It absolutely had not made you the type of person that was so ‘out of control’ you needed to be sent to the middle of absolute nowhere to learn a thing or two about respect and taking care of things other than yourself.
This was not an issue you had and you could not fathom the fact you had been in the car for six hours now heading towards your new summer hell. You were in your early twenties and you should have slammed the door in your fathers face when you opened it to his scowl but sadly, his name was on the lease and he probably would have had the door removed.
Instead you had packed two bags, said bye to your precious cats and dragged your feet all the way to the car.
You imagined your fathers vehicle had never seen so much dirt in its life and even he seemed a bit bothered by the gravel roads that left a cloud of dust all over his doors and windows. Your father had been raised almost exactly the same as you so it felt a bit ironic and hypocritical.
It was not your fault he was a wealthy businessman, stationing his small family in the bustling streets of the city instead of a nice sized home somewhere. Your idea of dinner around the table was grabbing a bite to eat at the local pizza place, your fridge covered in project plans and work reminders instead of toddler art and positive report cards.
Your dad had raised you in a cold apartment suited for a bachelor, leaving you to get your fatherly advice from doormen and paying cleaning ladies extra to change your diapers. He was somehow still surprised to see you standing with a glare on your face as you exited the car and stared at the farm house.
“Atleast try to be pleasant.” He mumbled under his breath, the familiar expression he had whenever he felt embarrassed by you creeping up on his face. You had seen it your entire life, when you stood too slouched in front of a client or stuttered giving a speech at a company dinner.
You sent him a stronger dirty look that easily slid off your face when the door opened.
Despite what he may think, you actually were not a terrible person and you had no intentions of disrespecting the home owners even though you would rather eat the horses hay than have to stay here.
It was actually a beautiful home, grand in size with a large wraparound porch and land full of crops and various sized barns and pens.
There had been a faint memory of coming here a handful of times when you were younger, listening to your father take a gentle and relaxed tone you had only heard a few times and playing with the farmers boy that was around your age.
That had been a lifetime ago and while the landscape was relatively nostalgic and familiar, you had changed so drastically that you couldn’t feel more out of place if you tried.
You watched as the large bearded man approached your father, pulling him into a tight hug unlike his friends back home who would greet him with a firm handshake. This man clearly did not care about your fathers hesitance to embrace him, the rim of his cowboy hat knocking your fathers thin framed glasses slightly askew.
You had a hard time holding in a laugh at his dishevelled appearance after the bear hug and the man's sights set on you right as a smile crept up on your face.
“There she is.” He greeted you like he was an uncle you saw frequently and your eyes widened at the realization he was coming to give you a similarly tight hug, knocking the breath out of you as he nearly lifted you from the ground.
“Sorry honey, we are huggers around here.” You hadn’t even noticed the small woman behind his staggering frame and you caught her gentle eyes in your gaze right before she pulled you in for a much softer hug. “Except for my son sadly. He didn’t quite inherit that trait I suppose.”
The boy hadn’t left the porch, a few feet behind his parents as he stared at you and your father with an expression that was much colder than his warm parents held. You could tell he had already built some bias around your visit and you didn’t mind considering you had done the same, defenses building at his sour look.
“I’m sorry but I..” You trailed off awkwardly as you glanced between the bubbly couple, hoping they could understand so you didn’t have to tell them vocally that you had no idea who they were. The woman's face dropped just slightly but the farmer gave you a soft smile as he cupped your arm.
“That’s alright honey.” His gentle tone almost made you want to turn around and jump head first into the car, creeping its way under your skin and making you feel like that little girl that used to sneak branches in her room to use as a christmas tree. “It’s been lifetimes since we got to see you.”
His gaze fell over your shoulder towards your father with that statement and you almost thought it sounded hostile, or however hostile somebody so warm could manage. Your fathers throat clearing behind you confirmed your belief and you looked down at your feet as you were ushered inside.
You learned from listening in on the conversation silently that he was in fact a bit upset with your father. The man, Minchul apparently as you heard his wife softly calling him, had made a handful of comments about missing out on your life that he was attempting to disguise as jokes.
You had watched enough tense conversations with businessmen to be pretty good at picking up on what people actually wanted to say. Your father responded each time with a different excuse about being busy but you knew he wished he could tell the farmer that he simply outgrew him and whatever this dynamic was.
The woman had told you softly that her name was Nari and you watched as she barely sat down, bouncing between the table and the kitchen whenever she noticed somebody was running low on their drink or the finger foods she had prepared.
Her tending to you all didn’t feel like the panicked way your fathers cooks would try to keep him pleased and calm but rather like she enjoyed taking care of the people around her, eyes bright whenever you thanked her or took a bite of something she had made.
“Jungkook will be helping her with her chores and duties.” Minchul’s low voice was bringing you back to the conversation, interest spiked as you realized they were discussing your stay there.
You had very little information about how long you would be here or what exactly you were meant to accomplish but your eyes shifted over to the son at the mention of his name, sitting across from you and also not having spoken a word.
He was staring at his father as he spoke, gaze unwavering and still as cold as it had been outside. You had realized outside that he was the same boy you had played with when you were a kid but he had clearly changed as much as you had because he no longer had an ounce of welcoming energy to him.
“If she gives you any trouble son, feel free to call me.” Your father was speaking directly to him like you weren’t even there and Jungkook’s jaw shifted at the use of the word ‘son’.
A smile almost crept back up at the interesting reaction but it faded as soon as he looked at you, curious like he expected you to say something snobbish in return to your fathers jab. You didn’t have any plans to, used to him warning people about you like you were a walking disaster.
“I’m sure we can manage.” His voice was flat and lacking any real care but you hadn’t figured he would reply at all, let alone with something borderlining disrespectful.
The rest of the table seemed to agree because the room fell silent at his comment and your dad seemed taken back by the fact Jungkook hadn’t immediately agreed with his implication. You barely moved, not wanting to put yourself on the wrong side of things while he was still here.
“Apologize.” Minchul was speaking the word hushed and you looked at him with widened eyes, not even realizing it had been him speaking considering how cold it came out. It was completely different to the tone he used with the rest of you but Jungkook didn’t seem affected at all.
“I’m sorry sir.” He said it easily, practiced and lacking any real apology. It seemed the phrase alone was all his father wanted to hear because his shoulders lost tension and he awkwardly patted the table as he changed the subject to something about your dads car.
You removed yourself mentally from the conversation again but you caught the way Jungkook’s mom rubbed his shoulder soothingly as she passed him on her back to the kitchen.
----
“You are really just leaving me?” Your voice was icy as you watched your father toss your bags out of his car, squinting his eyes at the dirt it brought into the air and glaring at you like it was your fault. “I don’t even know these people.”
“I do.” He said simply as he closed the trunk and watched you with disappointment swirling in his gaze. You could tell there was a lot he wanted to say to you but as always, he left it plain and gave you a firm nod that you knew put an end to this conversation.
You did nothing but watch as he got into the driver seat and pulled off down the dirt road, headlights disappearing behind the trees and fields of corn. You sighed softly and sunk down on the rocky path way, not really caring if they were watching from the window and judging you.
You didn’t know these people and it was hard to even process that this was really happening to you right now. The sun had fully set when you stopped thinking yourself away and you realized you had been outside for a lot longer than you had meant to be.
Nobody had come out to get you or even check if you were alright but you figured they were just giving you the space to throw your internal tantrum before inevitably accepting your fate and figuring out what to do from there.
Your sigh turned into a dragged out and low groan as you buried your face in your dusty hands, cringing away when you felt the sting of the debris entering your eyes and realizing you felt like you were going to cry regardless of the pain.
“You sleeping out here?”
You jumped at the sudden voice coming from your right, looking sideways at a pair of dirty and ripped boots before trailing up the tall frame and landing on Jungkook and a raised eyebrow. He had been the last person from the family you expected to come outside to collect you and you groaned again.
“I just need a minute okay?” Your voice came out cold but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care about his feelings right now. He was unwillingly participating in your banishment but it was still participation in your eyes and for that alone, you disliked him.
“City girls and their minutes.” It was mumbled under his breath but loud enough for you to hear. You didn’t even warrant it with a reaction, staring numbly at the gravel and willing a loose horse to run him over with your mind.
He didn’t leave the entire time you sat there and you could feel him staring at your back as you practically curled into a ball. Eventually you stood up calmly, dusted yourself off and headed inside the house.
----
Jungkook had silently left your bags at the foot of your door and disappeared down the hall into what you assumed was his own, soft music coming from behind the peeling wood. You left your door open, feeling awkward in the unfamiliar room like you had somehow broken into this nice family's home and crawled into a random bed.
You barely slept at all the first night and the sound of the roosters screeching only two hours after your eyes actually closed was enough to make you consider hitch hiking back to the city.
The entire family was downstairs in the kitchen to your dismay and you couldn’t fix your face in time, seeing the concern radiating from Nari as she took in your exhausted eyes and closed off demeanor. You mumbled a morning greeting and shifted onto the seat furthest from them all.
“Did you sleep okay?” She asked softly as she placed a glass of orange juice in front of you and you nodded at her, both of you knowing you were being nice rather than honest. She pursed her lips and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder for a second as reassurance that she understood.
“Good because you have a long day today.” Minchul sounded as cheerful as yesterday but there was an underlying tone to his voice that made you not want to disobey him. He made pleasant conversation with his wife as you and Jungkook ate silently on the other side of the table.
Jungkook hadn’t even waited for you to finish eating, cleaning off his place and kissing his mom on the side of the head before pushing through the front door. You watched in disbelief as he left you behind, scarfing down the rest of your eggs and rushing after him, nearly tripping down the stairs as you followed him to the largest barn.
The smell was assaulting but you didn’t visually react, not wanting to give him the satisfaction considering he was leaning against a slate of wood and watching you for any signs that you were going to complain.
When you gave him a firm and determined stare he was tossing a silver bucket in your direction, both of you tracking it as it hit the barn floor and bounced a few times.
“Seriously?” You remarked, your first real word of the day being forced out due to disbelief. He didn’t answer and instead entered one of the stalls holding a large cow. “Couldn’t just hand it to me?”
There was no reply again and you sighed as you followed him, scowling when you saw the black and white animal staring at you with a bored expression. Jungkook slid a small stool over to you before leaning back again on the wall of the stall. The cow took a step towards him and you flinched back as its large belly almost pushed you over.
“Am I supposed to do something with him?” You gestured at the stool and cow in confusion and Jungkook raised an eyebrow.
“She’s a girl.” He said simply and you gave him an incredulous look, feeling like you were going insane from attempting to communicate with him. “You’re supposed to milk her.”
You stared at him silently for a few seconds, trying to figure out if he was joking or not before glancing at the bucket and realizing he was apparently very serious. You took a breath so deep that it moved your entire body as you tried to calm yourself, ignoring the slightly amused look he grew at the action.
You hadn’t even sat fully on the stool before he was speaking again.
“Wrong.”
You glared at him and adjusted your position, leaning forward hesitantly to reach out to the cow.
“Wrong again.”
Another attempt, a different section of the utters that looked as foreign as the rest of the large creature. She shifted like she felt as awkward as you did for touching her and you sighed at his lack of interjection.
“Touch her there and she’ll probably kick you in the face.”
You let out a loud and bitter laugh that made the cow grunt softly, standing from the stool and shoving it in his direction. He watched you quietly as the rage built up inside you, even more so at the indifference on his face.
“If you aren’t even going to attempt to help me, then you go ahead and do it.” You spat as you pointed between him, the bucket, and the cow. He didn’t say anything again and the silence was somehow more annoying than him making small comments towards you.
He wordlessly moved the stool and you sat down with a huff, at first just picking at your fingers and then deciding to actually watch as he milked the cow. It was slightly interesting, especially considering your current options for entertainment.
His hands were gentle with the animal and she seemed a lot more relaxed now that he was the one near her undercarriage and not some strange girl with tense shoulders and shoes that definitely weren’t made for a barn floor. It was intriguing to you to watch the cows body language change so outwardly.
Jungkook finished up after some time and you followed him to his next set of chores. This time and the next, he didn’t bother trying to get you to do anything. Instead he did them all easily and allowed you to simply watch as he herded the sheep into their pens, poured disgusting sludge into the trough for the pigs and dragged the stubborn horses back into the gated area.
By the end of the day, you were exhausted without having done much at all.
He didn’t even seem phased by the fact he had spent the entire day in the sun doing hard physical labor and you sighed as he walked ahead of you back to the house.
You felt like an invisible shadow following him around all day with little to no conversation between you and it pained you to watch the sun set knowing you had wasted your time and learned nothing but the fact Jungkook was a stubborn asshole.
His dad was waiting on the porch as you approached and you watched as Jungkook’s back hardened at the sight of the kind man. He was smiling largely but it was past his son and towards you, clapping his hands in delight as he took in the dirt on your pants and your sweat dried hair.
“How was your first day?” He asked warmly as you ascended the steps. Jungkook had slowed down to let you pass and he lingered at the patch of grass near the bottom. “Was he a good teacher?”
The shift in his tone made you glance backwards towards the teacher in question and his flat face showed no sense of what he wanted you to say. You felt like you were hesitating too long and you turned back to Minchul with a soft smile.
“The best. I learned a lot actually.” You said gently and he smiled proudly, a large hand between your shoulder blades as he led you inside for dinner.
Jungkook was as silent as always but he didn’t look as unimpressed with you when you caught his eyes across the table. There was a beat of nothing before he gave you a small nod, enough for you to understand he appreciated you lying to his dad for him.
Dinner was calm and quiet as you zoned out from exhaustion and you barely flinched when his parents asked you to work together to get the dishes washed and dried quickly. You moved on autopilot to the sink and responded with a light mumble as they wished you both a goodnight.
Jungkook stood wordlessly next to you, taking each wet dish you handed him as he dried them precisely with a towel. It was quiet through the first half of the sink and then he was clearing his throat with a hint of awkwardness.
“You didn’t have to do that.” He said in a near whisper. You didn’t even glance at him, handing over another dish casually.
“I didn’t do anything but spare myself the awkwardness of watching you get lectured.” Your tone was flat like it genuinely meant nothing to you but you figured you both knew the reason you had done it. He seemed tense at your answer so you sighed softly. “I know what it’s like to have a dickhead for a father.”
He paused his movements when you said that and you wondered if it was the wrong thing to speak into the quiet kitchen before you heard him laugh softly under his breath.
It didn’t take a psychologist to realize Jungkook had a different relationship with Minchul than most other people would. His cold and harsh tone towards his son seemed to come out of thin air the second he laid his eyes on the younger man and you felt yourself becoming more nosy than you should be.
Their dirty laundry was none of your business and you hurriedly finished dishes.
----
The next day's chore list actually seemed a bit more lax and you quickly understood that he must do all of the extremely difficult things at the end of the week.
Monday was more about maintenance and you felt a little guilty for doing nothing yesterday so you were glad that you could actually help with some smaller stuff, both going stir crazy from doing so little with yourself and also feeling useless the more he sweated and moved around.
You helped sweep loose hay from the stables, collected eggs from under the squawking hens and even assisted him in filling up the water barrels with fresh and clean gallons. You were actually feeling a little satisfied with yourself when the day started to come to a finish and you glanced at him to see what you had to do next.
He surprised you when he pulled two small items out of his jean pockets, fidgeting with them until the lighter was producing a flame that he used to light the rolled up paper. You eyed him curiously as he inhaled around the joint before stretching his hand out towards you without so much of a glance or a word.
“Wow.” You breathed out a mocking laugh as you took it from him, studying it before putting it between your lips and speaking around it. “I am genuinely shocked right now.”
He laughed flatly at your tone and looked at you from the corner of his eye. You were sitting on a small hay bale while he leaned against the large wheel of an old tractor, behind one of the barns a bit further away from the house.
“It’s rude to make assumptions about people.” He said flatly as he took the joint back but you knew he wasn’t serious, lightheartedly replying to you and only furthering your bewilderment.
“What would your dad say if he knew you were getting me stoned right now?” You were only teasing and you hoped he could tell by the tone in your voice, it seemed like he did because he shrugged his shoulders casually.
“Less what he would say and more what he would do.”
The statement was heavier than he intended it to be and you both fell silent at the darker implication to his words. He passed it back to you and you watched him for a long moment before hitting it, seeing the way he almost winced at himself for saying something so awkward.
You let it hang in the air for a few minutes as you listened to the sounds of his inhales paired with the animals in the distance as they got ready for bed. EVentually you were sighing and his eyes went to you, almost in anticipation.
“Good thing I don’t tend to make a habit of reporting back to fathers.” You lifted your shoulders like it was a simple thing to say and his face flashed with something heavier again.
You’d smoked weed before a few times but Jungkook either had some especially strong country grown shit or your tolerance had significantly diminished because you somehow ended up in one of the sheep fields, both flat on your backs as you looked up at the stars.
For once you appreciated the fact he didn’t talk much because you felt a bit ridiculously emotional at the sight of them all. A childhood of light polluted skies had robbed you of star gazing and pointing out made up planets so it was overwhelming to see so many of them above you.
Jungkook seemed to be thinking similarly despite growing up under this sky, his mouth parted a bit in awe every time you glanced over at his side profile a few feet away from you.
“I get why you guys like it out here now I think.” You said wistfully, voice a little breathier than you realized it was when it was escaping you. He laughed a little at the sudden declaration and it didn’t seem as mocking as it had a few hours ago.
“Thought it would take longer to whip you into shape.” He joked back, voice a little higher than normal and you figured it was the high having settled in that was making him more comfortable to engage in conversation with you. “Some sweeping and a view was all you needed to appreciate the simple life?”
He was clearly messing with you and almost mocking your fathers reasoning for sending you here but you felt a light sting deep in your chest.
Jungkook was not the reason for it but he was the accidental messenger of the rhetoric your father had been spewing at you since nearly middle school. He couldn’t fathom a world where you cared about things or paid attention to people other than yourself.
It felt impossibly suffocating to argue with somebody who had a different reality in their head, left wondering how would you begin to correct a version of yourself that didn’t exist?
There were no number of saved movie tickets and sentimental souvenirs, no hours spent making your friends a sloppy birthday cake instead of buying them something store prepared, and no amount of love and empathy in your heart that could convince him you were a thoughtful person.
“There's nothing simple about this.” You ignored your heavier feelings as you raised a limp hand to gesture to the endless sky.
“I’m sure the city has its own views.” He retorted and you turned your head to the side when you noticed a hint of longing in his voice. He stiffened like he could feel you staring but didn’t look at you, eyes a bit more shifty.
“Breathtaking ones. I never get used to it.” You said back softly, wondering if that was something he wanted to hear or if it would fuel the fire to his apparent inner conflict. You were left wondering because he didn’t reply to you.
The silence didn’t last as long as usual, the intoxication in your lungs making you both a little less awkward and a little more lax when it came to unraveling useless information. He told you about the town's small population and how everyone he passed had probably changed his diapers at some point and you ranted about your cats back home and how guilty you felt for leaving them alone.
“Why didn’t you bring them here?” He said like it was an obvious option, maybe too high to remember that you weren’t exactly on a purposeful vacation. Your silence seemed to remind him of this fact and he kissed his teeth in realization. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
“Your parents?” You said in confusion, rolling over onto your side in the grass so you could face him and groaning softly at the tightness in your back. He glanced at you and nodded, still laying flat and staring at the sky in between looks. “I don’t have anyone who would bring them here for me.”
Your voice barely held any bitterness, it was just the truth. It was a pretty big favor to ask even to somebody you would consider a friend and you didn’t even really have any of those anyways.
“Assuming you don’t know how to drive a stick.” He said thoughtfully and you shook your head with a light eye roll at his subtle jab. “I can take you.”
“What?” You sat up and he did the same, although avoiding looking at you head on. “Why would you do that?”
He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal he just offered to drive you twelve hours round trip just to bring your two cats all the way back here. He glanced back towards the house, the warm glow of the porch lights small considering how far out you were, and then back up towards the never ending sky full of stars.
“Gives me a break from chores.” He said noncommittally like he was offering to do a load of laundry for you.
You woke up the next morning with a soft knock on the guest bedroom door, opening it to see Jungkook leaning against the side of it with truck keys dangling around his finger. He gave them a little spin when he saw your eyes widen in surprise that he parents had actually agreed to the request he had made this morning after your conversation in the field.
You nod your head in understanding and close the door so you can hurriedly get ready, feeling a bit amused at the fact you’d been arguing only a few hours ago. Jungkook is silent when you find him in the living room and as he shows you to the truck, excitedly climbing into the passenger seat and waving goodbye to Nari who stands on the porch with a concerned look as she clutches a dish towel to her chest.
It felt beyond ridiculous that you were making this trip with somebody you barely knew and even worse, barely got along with.
He was silent for almost the entire first half of the drive, playing music from a rotating stack of CD’s and cursing under his breath whenever the truck made a particularly loud noise. It was comforting to feel the rumble underneath you as he shifted gears and passed miles and miles of barren farmland.
You had only been there for a couple days and you were already craving new scenery, eyes widening with excitement when you could vaguely make out the city skyline in the distance. You were still probably an hour out but it was undeniable the way your blood felt warmer.
“Do you see it?” You asked him excitedly, breaking the bubble of silence. You looked at him as you sat up but you didn’t need to hear his answer out loud, seeing it on his face as soon as you saw his expression.
His eyes were bright with awe and interest as you approached the tall skyscrapers and dizzying highways, traffic seemingly coming from every direction as he went from leaning forward to try and see the tops of buildings past the windshield and focusing on not missing the exits you rushed out with poor directional skills.
“It’s bigger than I thought.” He eventually said and it came out in one singular breath that made you smile, understanding the feeling all too well.
You let him take it all in so he didn’t get too distracted trying to navigate the busy and tight streets with hsi truck that stood out clearly compared to most of the more compact and practical vehicles around you.
You eventually managed to make your way to your apartment and he looked slightly surprised as he exited the driver seat and looked up at the building. He had heard stories of your dads lavish lifestyle so he clearly hadn’t been expecting the exposed brick and dirty windows of your building.
It was hard not to laugh at his expression, shaking your head and walking past him. You felt giddy knowing you would get to be home even if it was temporary and you could hear your cats meowing behind the door before you even pushed it open.
You greeted them enthusiastically as Jungkook closed the door behind you, eyes scanning around your small and homey apartment.
“Not exactly the penthouse suite.” He muttered and you glared at him from where you were crouching by your cats on the floor.
“Must to his dismay.” You didn’t need to say you were talking about your father for him to understand what you meant. “He won’t even step foot in this place.”
It felt especially ridiculous considering how nice and welcoming your apartment was. The walls were full of pictures of your friends and cats, postcards from random beachy cities covering your fridge door and mismatched furniture.
You had decided as soon as you moved in that you would make your place the polar opposite of the studio apartment you were raised in, trading in cold tile and sterile feeling lights for warm toned lamps and fuzzy rugs to comfort your feet.
“Do you need anything?” Your voice was softer than he had heard it before and Jungkook shook his head as he kicked his shoes off. You watched him quizzically before he gestured towards your clock on the wall.
“Might as well stay here tonight.” He said simply and your heart lurched at the idea of getting to sleep in your own bed. “I’m fine now but reckon I’d be exhausted halfway through the drive back.”
You weren’t even slightly planning to argue with that or question what his parents reaction would be, quickly standing to your feet to prepare something for him to wear other than his jeans and flannel. He stood there silently as you made him a comfortable bed on the couch, eventually wandering over to stare out your large living room window.
“Breathtaking right?” You spoke from behind him and he jumped a bit before nodding and glancing back at you.
“Yeah it’s beautiful.” He watched you for a few seconds before turning back to study the city and its seemingly never ending skyline.
Jungkook must have been more tired than he let on because he was asleep almost as soon as he laid down on your couch and you took a few hours to enjoy your space for the last time in a while, preparing your cats and their things both for travel and for extended stay.
It warmed your heart to picture them with so much space to run around, basking in the sun and chasing field mice while you did your chores. Jungkook was clearly being generous with his offer to take you but he really had no idea just how much it meant to you to have them with you in such an unfamiliar place.
He was just as quiet the next morning and as you brought your cat carriers and extra bags down to the truck but the ride back was a lot warmer and you felt ages less sour as you approached the town this time around. The hushed conversations between you felt smoother as you lost some of the awkwardness.
His father was sitting on the porch when you pulled back up and he enthusiastically greeted your cats in their carriers, Nari rushing out at the sound of your voices to help bring them inside.
You watched from the doorway as he gave Jungkook a firm nod and placed a hand stiffly on his shoulder. Jungkook pursed his lips at the action of approval and returned the nod with one of his own.
“Was that good?” You whispered to him as he passed you in the doorway and he let out a large breath that you imagined he had been holding since he left the truck.
“Yeah, I think it was.” He said back and you smiled at him, glad he had not gotten in trouble for trying to help you out.
The following week felt a lot easier now that you had a large piece of home with you, bed a little warmer with your cats curling up next to you. The chores were brutal and you were miserable half the time the sun was out but you were getting used to the ache of your body and the burn covering your skin.
Jungkook was still silent most of the day but he was doing things slower and more exaggerated so you could actually learn the few times he noticed you showing interest and paying attention. There were tasks you could do fully on your own now and you found yourself looking forward to when the sun would set and he'd knock on your door softly, an expectant look on his face as he flashed another joint between his fingers.
It was a nice routine for the two of you to wander out to the field near the sheep barn, smoking until the tightness of your bones faded enough for you to giggle into the grass and tell eachother random tidbits about your life.
“I heard your dad tell mine that you ran away.” Jungkook said gently one night when your conversation started to borderline on serious and you said nothing for a while.
“At 22 I thought it would just be considered taking a vacation.” Your voice was half humorous and half bitter, the latter side much more apparent in your tone. You sighed so deeply you felt like you were going to melt down into the dirt. “I’ve been further away for much longer, he only noticed this time because one of his clients saw me while traveling.”
“You went alone?” His questions rarely held so much interest and you glanced at him, finding him staring at the stars with his eyebrows furrowed like he hadn't considered that possible.
“I’m always alone.” You shrugged to yourself. “Aren't you?”
You weren’t trying to make a harsh assumption but you’d been there two weeks and not once did Jungkook leave the farm land other than your trip to the city. His parents went off to town a few times a week or to a friend's house for supper but Jungkook stayed throughout it all, never once hearing mention of a friend of his or seeing a photo somewhere in the house.
He shrugged but it was one of those times where you both already knew what his answer would be. His eyes shifted over to you and you watched curiously.
“Not so much anymore.” He said plainly but you smiled a bit at the implication, knowing it was probably a change for him to have you following behind his trail all day long. Maybe even a welcomed change now that you were getting along finally. ly.
You and Jungkook spent the next week with the exact same routine and now that you were used to most of it, you felt yourself going stir crazy. Little things were always changing, animals needing more help than usual or storms making it so you had to help around the house instead but for the most part everything stayed exactly the same.
It was a welcomed assignment when Nari softly asked you to take horses into town and pick up a few things. You didn’t ask why you couldn’t just take the truck even though you were beginning to wish you had as you stared at the large creature.
“You know I can’t ride that, right?” You said simply as you shook your head firmly. Jungkook laughed a little at your fearful tone before gesturing at the single saddle he had pulled off of the wall.
You were confused for a few seconds before realizing he was insinuating you both get on the horse together, your gaze shifting over to him to see him standing by the horse and clearly waiting for you to reach the same conclusion.
“You’re joking aren’t you?” Your voice shook a little as you squeaked out the question.
Clearly he wasn’t because Jungkook had easily lifted you up onto the large horse before swinging his leg over and situating himself naturally. You were left sitting behind him, feeling like you were about to throw up and having no choice but to wrap your arms tightly around his middle.
He was laughing at you when you squeezed your grip anytime you took a turn or the horse sped up to cross a road. It felt a bit ridiculous as some cars passed you but you saw more and more horseback people as you got closer to town and almost all of them enthusiastically greeted Jungkook.
The stories he had told you about knowing everybody here were clearly true because he couldn’t be more liked if he tried.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the market and Jungkook reached a hand up to you so you could slide off the horse, his hands sturdy above your hip so you didn’t land the wrong way. You eyed him as he tied the large animal to a post outside, petting its nose softly and whispering something you didn’t hear.
A whistle behind you made his hands freeze and both of you turned to see an older man sitting outside the market, a bucket full of loose change infront of him and a brown paper bag around a glass bottle sat on his lap.
“Pretty little thing.” His accent was even heavier due to the slur in his speech and your eyes narrowed as he scanned down your frame. Jungkook’s mother had left some pretty farm dresses and cowgirl boots outside your door a few nights ago and you had been excited to wear them until his eyes were on your bare legs. “Ain’t from around here.”
It was a statement and not a question and you scoffed at him.
“What gave it away?” You said coldly. You knew you still didn’t carry yourself like somebody from the country even when you wore their clothes and did their labor, the lack of a drawl in your voice really not helping you towards fitting in.
You could feel the presence of Jungkook approaching behind you now that he had gotten the horse situated and you glanced over your shoulder. His face was cold again and he was a lot closer to you than he typically would be, nearly touching your back to his chest.
“Johnny.” He said simply, addressing the man and making himself known.
“Oh you’re Jeon’s boy aint you?” He said with an amused smile, looking like he was suddenly reminiscing. Jungkook must have nodded or given him a confirming look because the man was suddenly laughing so hard he was swaying to the side. “Them Jeon’s… are good men.” He pointed at Jungkook as he paused, then laughed loudly again.
You felt yourself reaching back and wrapping your hands around Jungkook’s elbow before you could think about it, going to pull him towards the entrance so you both could leave this conversation and not hear whatever it was he was laughing so hard about.
The man's eyes flashed with interest when he saw you touching his arm, hugging it to your side in a way that could come across as intimate rather than instinctual.
“Oh, is this your missus?” He called and you saw an older couple's head turn with annoyance at his loud tone and the outdated phrasing, shaking their heads in disapproval.
Jungkook’s cheek shifted as he addressed you like that and you sighed at the realization this was going to take you too far off track for you to bother with. You tugged him softly and ignored the obnoxious laughter coming from behind you as you entered the market.
“Just ignore it.” You said softly, not letting go of his arm even when you were deeper into the store. He glanced at you like he was upset you hadn’t let him handle it and that furthered your reasoning for keeping a hold on him.
“He was disrespectful.” He said plainly, eyes still heated even when you stopped walking and turned to face him. The tips of your boots touched his as you reached into his shirt pocket to pull out the list his mother had given him, catching him stuffing it in there before you mounted the horse. “How can he talk to a woman like that?”
“He was a drunk idiot.” You stated, catching his eye for a second as you stood there before realizing how close you were and taking a step away.
Jungkook still seemed irritated as you shopped, filling a basket full of the ingredients his mom had written in neat handwriting. He took the basket from you when it was more than half full and starting to get a little heavy and you gave him a thankful look.
It was hard for him to stay annoyed considering the countless older women that stopped to coo at him and ask him how his parents were, remarking on the last time they’d seen him and how tall and handsome he had grown up to be.
This was something you had also noticed, much to your dismay.
You figured you had been too distracted your first two weeks but your general dislike for your situation and Jungkook himself to realize the devastating fact that he was actually the most attractive person you had been around.
He was now constantly distracting you without even meaning to, tan skin and big eyes so effortlessly lifting things two times your size and controlling stubborn animals. It was a bit ridiculous that somebody with forearms that veiny and strong also looked that good in a stupid cowboy hat.
Even now, leaning against a fridge as he watched you scan over the list in his washed denim jeans and giant belt buckle. It was something straight out of a cowboy fantasy and you felt like a fool for falling victim to it.
It didn’t help your new found dilemma that he was also the sweetest person you had ever met now that he was done giving you the silent treatment and glaring everytime you messed something up.
Whether it was natural southern hospitality or his mothers teachings, Jungkook was a well mannered boy down to his core and did not consider opening the door for you or carrying bags for the older women in the store anything other than the bare minimum.
You weren’t surprised that he was so aggravated by the drunk man for eyeing you or calling you his missus, like you were a piece of property because that was just the type of guy Jungkook was.
“Reckon we are almost done?”
And then there was that.
Your eyes shifted over to him as his voice broke you from your thoughts and you almost outwardly sighed in annoyance with yourself. Never once in your entire life had you considered that a southern accent might bring your heart into your throat but apparently that was just something that happened to you now.
You imagined Jungkook didn’t even think he had an accent let alone realized how heavy it was but the low drawl and phrases he used made you feel like a preteen girl who had just discovered british boy bands for the first time.
“Yeah pretty much, just…” You trailed off as your eyes landed on a small booth tucked in the back corner of the vendor section.
Jungkook squinted at you before turning around and scoffing a little when he realized what had caught your attention so easily.
You felt like your feet were magnetically drawn to the rows of pretty farm dresses, lace bandanas and cowgirl hats. Your eyes were wide as you took them all in, already feeling your bank account emptying. The clothes Nari had been bringing you weren’t hideous but they certainly weren’t the most flattering things you had ever worn.
He stood there holding the baskets of groceries while you pointed out everything you wanted to the woman at the booth, smiling happily as you left the store with your arms full.
“You’re ridiculous.” He said flatly as he shook his head and situated the grocery bags in the saddle bags on each side of the horse. His words lacked any heat and you rolled your eyes as you watched him.
“What I am, is sick of sharing a closet with your mother.” He shot you a look. “No offense.”
A laugh escaped him as he finished, turning to you expectantly. It felt more natural now to step closer to the massive animal and he stared at you as you stood in front of him, making sure you were ready and nodding when you gave him an expectant look.
His hands were back on your hips, confirming to yourself that you were inching into delusional territory when your stomach lit up. He was easily lifting you almost above his head so you could swing your leg over the saddle, further forward than you had been.
You almost scooted back to your place but he was mounting before you could and you quickly realized he had placed you there purposefully, now sat behind you with his thighs on the outside of yours.
“Oh so I’m steering now?” You glanced back at him and he looked amused, taking off his hat and adjusting it before placing it on your head. You squinted at him and his mischievous expression before quickly facing forward when he was kicking his foot and whistling lowly to get the horse to start to move.
“Lucky is good to learn on.” He said simply and you suddenly considered steering you both into a lake when you heard his low voice now behind you and near your ear. “He’s gentle.”
“He’s huge.” You remarked plainly and this time when he breathed out a short laugh you could feel it on the back of your neck.
You rode in pleasant silence and the sun was far less brutal now that it was starting to set, the little bit of shine kept out of your eyes by his hat sitting comfortably on your head. You tried to ignore that flutter in your chest at the fact you were wearing his hat and riding his horse, back pressed to chest even if it was just for safety.
“Does it ever get annoying living in such a small town?” You mused in a calm voice after another group of people waved to Jungkook. “Running into ex girlfriends all the time I bet.”
He didn’t respond right away and you swore you thought you felt him tensing behind you. You glanced over your shoulder at him, hoping to find him wearing an amused expression and instead he was just staring at you blankly.
Your eyebrows furrowed for a long second before you were turning back forward with a mouth parted in understanding.
Suddenly it was awkward and you mentally punched yourself for being the one to bring the uncomfortable air to the conversation. Neither of you said anything and you somehow decided that was worse than whatever was about to come out of your mouth.
“Sorry. There’s nothing wrong with that, you know?”
“Just stop talking.” He grunted behind you, sounding more pained and embarrassed than angry with you. “It makes it way worse when you say stuff like that.”
You weren’t sure how anything could make it better but you genuinely didn’t think any less of Jungkook for not having a girlfriend before, if anything it felt a bit ridiculous considering what he looked like but you definitely could not say that to him.
Instead you just fell into a silence that you hoped wasn’t marking the return of your feud. You gave him another apologetic look in the barn after he helped you down and he sighed softly when he saw it, giving you his habitual nod and taking his hat off of your head gently so he could wear it again.
You found yourself unusually bored without the company of Jungkook who had disappeared into his room almost as soon as you got back.
You ended up sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the porch, your more affectionate cat napping in your lap while the other brushed against the wood arches. You were attempting to write in your journal but your mind was blanking or rather full of other things.
There was genuine guilt inside of you for accidentally making Jungkook feel embarrassed but you weren’t really sure what to do about it, finding him hard to read when it came to certain things.
It was easy to tell when he was tired of a particularly repetitive chore, when he felt irritated by his dad more than usual, and when he was getting moody because he was hungry but how did you make him feel better about something like this without making him more humiliated when you brought it up again.
The boy in question was interrupting your string of thoughts and half composed apologies when he was bursting through the front door.
You sat up quickly, eyes wide from the way it slammed against the side of the house and cracked on its old hinges. You were just opening your mouth to ask him what had happened when Minchul was storming out right behind him, his belt in his hand and an expression that made your blood run cold.
“Do it again until it's right.” He was screaming down the porch at Jungkook’s tense back that didn’t stop moving.
He didn’t seem afraid necessarily but rather furious as he made his way to one of the barns, shoulders squared and barely giving you a glimpse of the glare on his face before he slammed the large door shut and disappeared inside.
“That damn boy is useless.” Minchul spat to himself and you stared at him with a shocked and fearful glance. He faltered when he noticed you sitting there and sighed softly, body relaxing just enough for you to narrow your gaze. “Sorry you had to see that honey. You think he would know better by now.”
You didn’t dare respond to him, not trusting yourself to hold back from saying something that would get you or Jungkook in any trouble, or any more in his case. Your eyes drifted to the belt in his tight grip and he sighed again before heading back inside.
Supper was painfully silent and you felt terrible for Nari considering she had spent hours preparing it.
You made sure to hum softly after every few bites, exaggerating the noise so she would know you found it delicious. She gave you a knowing look across the table and smiled at you, breaking the quiet with a soft question about how you liked the town.
It was unlike you to speak at the dinner table but the men were clearly abandoning that role for the night so you and her exchanged gentle small talk while you all ate, trying to make the room feel less suffocating.
You’d understood after the first few nights that it was expected of you and Jungkook to do the dishes so you hugged Nari goodnight and drifted over to the sink.
You didn’t say anything, didn’t ask him if he was okay in fear of making it even worse. His shoulders were still tense like they had been earlier and the look on his face was bugging you, not used to seeing it compared to his usual expressions.
“I’m sorry.” He surprised you by being the first to speak, a low mutter as he took a wet plate from you and dried it off. “He shouldn’t have done that in front of you.”
You wanted to retort that he shouldn't have done it at all but that felt stupid and obvious, something you both already knew and didn’t need to voice. You just shook your head at his apology, not needing to accept one from him.
“You’re a good man Jungkook.” You finally decided to say plainly, not emotion in your voice so he could take the words as simple and true as they were.
He faltered with his hand in mid air, only a brief second before he was taking another dish.
When you were done washing you leaned against the counter next to you, watching him and waiting for him to finish up. He wasn’t looking at you but you knew he felt you staring. He sighed when he dried the last one and finally turned towards you.
“Why are you lookin’ at me like that princess?” He said with exhaustion lacing his words and although the name was mocking, it still sent a jolt through your body.
“You know you’re handsome right?” You weren’t trying to flirt with him, especially not with this awkward air from what you had seen. You were just genuinely wondering if he had even noticed, unable to tell by the way he carried himself.
Jungkook stared at you with an unchanging expression, like he was waiting for you to say something else or even laugh at him.
It wasn’t the first time you noticed the sheer size of him, not exactly the tallest man you’d met but certainly making up for it by the width of his shoulders and the broad muscle on his chest. His father was a naturally large man with a round belly and tall stature but you imagined Jungkook could take him quite easily in terms of strength.
“C’mere.” You baited softly, not moving from the counter and just watching him with an almost expressionless face. He took a few seconds but his feet were eventually moving and he was a few feet closer to you now.
Your hand was on his arm, gentle and tracing as you squeezed it lightly but kept your gaze locked on his face. His body was locked with tension as he looked at you, almost curiously.
“No girlfriends but..” You faded off when you saw the flash of annoyance pass over his face, not liking that you were bringing this back up again. “Have you ever hooked up with someone?”
The question lingered in the air adn you almost wondered if he was planning on rejecting you. He hadn’t done anything that made you think he was necessarily interested in you the way you were becoming interested in him but you knew you were relatively pretty and he clearly didn’t mind your company, showing it in his own stoic way.
“What’s it matter?” He mumbled back, shifting a step or two closer like he hadn’t realized he was.
His lack of an actual answer inside the response told you what you needed to know and he seemed to understand that considering the way he sighed.
“Do you think I’m judging you?”
Your head had cocked as you said it and he let out a humorless laugh at the earnest way you asked it.
“Aren’t you?” He retorted and it was a bit more heated than his voice had been before, defenses clearly up despite the way your hand was still smoothing over his arm as you had this conversation. “I’m not some loser.”
Your eyebrows furrowed at the outburst, wondering when he had drawn that conclusion. It wasn’t that surprising that a southern boy would associate sexual experience with masculinity or social class but you shook your head.
“I already told you what I think of you Jungkook.” You answered back, stopping your hand from rubbing his skin and letting it just rest instead. “I think you’re a good man.” Your tone was gentle and smooth so he didn’t have any reason to think you were making fun of him. “And that you’re handsome.”
Your hand moved to sit on his firm chest and you could feel the way his heart raced underneath your palm, fast and pounding as you stared up at him. Jungkook might genuinely be the most beautiful man you’d ever seen, sun kissed skin and scars littering his body from a lifetime of hard work.
His features were strong and manly but paired with gentle eyes that watched you quizzically and you were sighing softly without even meaning to. You hoped you weren’t overwhelming him with your sudden forwardness but there was only so much time you could spend watching him think lowly of himself before you longer to inform him of the way others viewed him.
You leaned up on your tippy toes while simultaneously bringing his face down so you could kiss him softly, thumb rubbing his jaw and cheek.
He only hesitated for a second before he was kissing you back, taking a few steps forward until your back was hitting the counter again but this time with his body pressing against yours. Your mouths moved together eagerly and you made a small noise when his hands were on your hips, yours moving to play with the hairs touching the back of his neck.
His height and size was making you feel crazy as he tugged you against him, his strong arms around you and the thought of how easily he had lifted your entire body earlier made you feel warm as you made out desperately.
The sound of someone clearing their throat was making you jump away from each other and your eyes were both wide with panic as you saw his mother standing at the bottom of the stairs in her nightgown. Your chest was rising and falling both from the intense make out session and embarrassment.
“I-“ You squeaked out in an attempt to explain but nothing followed and you almost thought his mom looked amused.
“Goodnight.” She said softly before turning back around like she hadn't seen anything. You’d expected to be sent up to your rooms for the night but clearly she was attempting to meddle by leaving you alone again.
The tension had popped and you awkwardly looked at Jungkook.
Jungkook let out a shaky breath as he watched his mom go back upstairs, his heart still beating like a drum in his chest. His cheeks were still flushed red with embarrassment, and he ran a hand sheepishly through his hair as he looked at you with an unreadable expression.
He took a deep breath and the sound made you feel way worse. You shifted on your feet, not really knowing what to do in this situation. It felt so ridiculous that you couldn’t help yourself from bursting out into soft laughter and he gave you a disbelieving look.
Your forehead fell against his chest as you laughed softly, eyes squeezed shut from embarrassment. You felt his body shaking slightly as he joined you in your giggle fit and you were glad he wasn’t taking this as seriously as you feared he might.
You could feel his hand in your hair as he brushed it out of your face and your laughter faded off into a warm smile as you looked up at him, rocking onto your tiptoe to press against him in another kiss. It was much sweeter this time, lacking any real heat.
Only until his hands were back on your hips and then you couldn’t stop yourself from parting your lips and pushing deeper, grateful he had understood what you wanted when he pushed you back against the counter and tilted his head with yours.
It was picking up in pace again and your tongue was moving against his bottom lip, whining softly when he licked against your own and bringing one of your hands back to rub his hard chest.
“You’re a good kisser.” You remarked against his mouth and you could quite literally feel him smirk, the realization making you feel like you were truly going crazy.
“You’re pretty.” He said back in that same monotone voice he always had and you smiled at the now familiar sound of it. His hands tensed against your hips and you quickly got what he wanted, kissing him again with more fever after his compliment towards you.
You weren’t sure how you went from arguing with him a few weeks ago to making out desperately in his kitchen but it was hard to dislike the change in things when it felt so good, barely able to pull yourself away from him when he was whispering into your mouth that you needed to get some sleep.
He was right and you knew that but he practically had to maneuver you both towards the bedroom hall, stopping to kiss you along the way and laughing when your hands were stubborn in their exploration of his strong arms.
You’d closed your door and immediately pressed your back against it as you sucked in a deep breath, waiting until you heard his own close down the hall before you were throwing yourself on the bed and screaming into the pillow.
----
The next morning left you feeling slightly anxious and embarrassed, nervous to face Jungkook with your new development and downright terrified to see his mother.
She was alone in the kitchen when you ventured down and you froze at the bottom of the staircase, considering turning around and booking it back up the stairs until her gentle gaze landed on you and it was too late.
“C'mon honey, I won’t bite.” She said with amusement lacing her words and your shoulders halfway relaxed. You blushed and walked fully into the room, avoiding the counter she had seen Jungkook pressing you against last night like it was infected.
“I’m so sorry ma’am. I didn’t mean to disrespect you and your house.” You said quickly with a sigh as you sat on one of the stools, not even planning to address it but unable to stop yourself from feeling foolish.
She watched you with patient eyes as you spoke it in one breath and then smiled gently. “I haven’t seen my baby smile like that since he was a boy. I know he’s a grown up now and he does what grown ups do.” Your face flushed at the implication and you suddenly wondered if she had already figured this was happening. “I think you’d do him some good.”
You weren’t sure how to respond to her kind words and you stayed quiet and stiff on the stool.
The floorboard creaking made you turn back to the doorway and you froze even more when you saw Jungkook standing there, his expression alerting you to the fact he had been there longer than you had realized and most likely eavesdropping.
“Hi.” You instinctively breathed out when you noticed him, ridiculously handsome in the early morning.
He cleared his throat and entered the kitchen, giving his mother a soft kiss on the cheek as a greeting before placing his hands on the island and looking at you awkwardly. “Hey.”
Nari suddenly decided she had something to do that involved her going out to the chicken coop but you didn’t miss the instigating look she shot him over her shoulder as she left. You almost thought his cheeks were tinged pink as he quickly looked away from her and your lips curled upwards just enough for him to sigh.
“Listen I-”
“Do you want to do something with me today?” He had cut you off and then froze like he hadn’t even realized you were speaking.
Your eyes were a little wide as you stared at him, forgetting what you were even trying to tell him, most likely something that would give him the option to pretend the kiss had never happened but you liked his idea a lot better.
“Something like.. other than chores?” You half teased as you reminded him that you did something with him almost every single day if farm work counted. He was nodding his head swiftly and going between avoiding looking at you directly and staring into your eyes intensely. “Yes Jungkook, I would. That sounds very nice.”
He looked overly relieved that you had agreed and you began to really question his sanity if he actually thought you would reject him after what had happened.
Jungkook had instructed you that you would need a bathing suit and something comfortable to walk in, not leaving much to the imagination about what he wanted to do but leaving you excited regardless.
You almost asked him how he had gotten the two of you out of duties but you saw Nari carrying a small bag of hay as you stepped out onto the porch and realized quickly she must have agreed to help out today.
She was giving you a soft look and you returned it with a small smile and a wave goodbye, hearing the hinges creak behind you as he made his way out of the house and paused next to you to look at his mom as she disappeared back to the nearest barn.
“Ready?” He said softly and you nodded your head at him, glancing to the side and feeling glad to see him smiling subtly.
The new development between you did not change the fact Jungkook didn’t talk much but it did mean he let you be the one to shuffle through his CD collection until you found something you liked. He actually had a few things you managed to recognize and you put in the back of your mind to request a mixtape of his favorite tracks.
You preferred the windows down and wind blowing to the cold and sterile AC of your car back in the city, hair in your face and the now familiar scents that the warm air danced through the old truck being things you had grown used to faster than your usual that you had simply tolerated for two decades.
He was tapping the steering wheel to the music and your eyes scanned over him briefly now that he was distracted.
He had abandoned his button up flannels for the day in place of a loose shirt that was tucked into his jeans and belt in random places, showcasing his large belt buckle that you had started to think was his signature.
Clearly you were obvious enough that he caught on to the feeling of you staring because he was sending you a sideways glance that made you laugh. Most guys would probably smirk cockily if they noticed you checking them out like that but Jungkook was certainly not most guys, quickly facing forward again and swallowing hard.
You watched from the side mirror as dust kicked up nearly to your window, feeling him shift gears as he pulled off onto the side of the dirt road.
There was nothing special about the area he stopped at, a simple stretch of road with trees canopy over the top and giving you a nice break from the sun. You looked at him, curious why he was stopping.
“Cmon.” He said and his eyes flashed with something bright before he was getting out of the driver's side and gesturing for you to slide across the bench seat of the truck so you could come out his door.
His hand was reaching out to grab yours, helping you out smoothly and the act made it so you were standing almost as close as you were the night before. He took a few seconds to let his eyes dart over your face before he was stepping back and keeping his hand over yours.
“It’s through here.” He breathed and you nodded, letting him gently guide you through the trees and brush.
You could see a faint desired path, dirt in place of grass where people had been stepping and venturing off from the road like you were now.
Luckily it wasn’t a long walk considering you were not exactly accustomed enough to the outdoor life to enjoy branches in your face but you were glad you had heeded his warning about comfortable shoes.
You felt his hand squeezing yours as he slowed his pace, leaving you almost stumbling into his back from your lack of paying attention.
He glanced back at you as you came to a stop beside him, hands wrapping around his arm similarly to the way you had held him at the market. He stepped to the side more so you could see what he was bringing you towards and your mouth parted.
The quarry was only a little bigger than a pond, surrounded on all sides by trees and tall rock walls that glistened from the water splashed on them by the numerous small waterfalls in various places alongside it.
The water was a beautiful blue-green shade that looked especially inviting given the heat today and there was a small slope that led to a patch of sand, sporadic bushes of flowers and long hanging vines decorating the empty spaces.
“Wow.” You breathed out as you stepped out of the tree line, walking along the top of the quarry until you could shuffle your way down the slope towards the beach.
Jungkook stayed right behind you, silent and squeezing your hand every so often whenever the path got a bit steep. You were grateful considering how little focus you had now that you were presented with such a beautiful sight.
“Do you like it?” He was asking softly when you made it to the waterline, the area even more breathtaking from down below. Your eyes scanned over the quarry walls around you now and you almost felt emotional.
You’d never seen anything even remotely similar to this and it was overwhelming you a little bit. It was like an oasis hidden just off the dirty road, untouched by civilization and nurtured by the elements around you.
“It’s amazing.” You turned to face him and he looked pleased that you were excited, biting the inside of his cheek and nodding as he took off his hat and placed it on a nearby log.
Your eyebrows raised in question before he was shifting backwards and kicking off his boots, a laugh of disbelief leaving you in a single breath.
The girlish giggle was leaving you before you could stop it and you didn’t care enough to feel embarrassed about the sound, hurriedly removing your easiest layers before pulling your dress over your head and leaving you in your bathing suit.
When you emerged from the lacy fabric you were greeted by a shirtless Jungkook and you fully froze, eyes locking on his chest and the full expanse of his tattooed sleeve that you’d been catching glimpses of whenever he wore a shirt.
You already knew he was strong, easily detectable by his stamina and how much he could move and carry without breaking a sweat. Plus the telling veins lining his forearms that pulses whenever he shifted or gripped something.
None of these small tidbits could’ve prepared you for the sight of Jeon Jungkook shirtless and you couldn’t even bother to disguise how intensely you were staring at his toned chest and the happy trail wedged between hard ab muscles.
Jungkook seemed to not even notice the way you were looking at him but that probably had something to do with the fact he was staring at you the same exact way, hair messy from removing your dress that now sat at your feet.
You imagined at another time it could’ve been heated but instead it was bashful, almost shy as you both came to reality and looked away in sync. Your cheeks felt warm again and you squinted up at the burning sun like it was the cause and not the pull in your stomach.
It was easier to run towards the water than face him again and he seemed to agree considering you could hear the sound of him entering right behind you.
The two of you splashed and played for nearly an hour, throwing handfuls of water and filling the echoing quarry with your shrieks and laughter as you did so. Your stomach was aching from how hard you were laughing and your cheeks felt even worse, in the best way possible.
You’d even begun to wonder if you had ever actually smiled before this exact moment, the happiness rushing through you feeling so foreign. You were completely detached from yourself.
The wealth of your family name, the cold expressions you both faced daily and learned to force onto yourself and even the heaviness of the city air and its routine were all fading from your mind. Right now you were simply a girl having fun in a beautiful place with a boy that liked you enough to free his day and show it to you.
Jungkook was either thinking similarly or simply recognizing your melancholy because the play splashing faded into the two of you slowly inching closer and closer in the water until your arms were looped around his neck and his settled warmly on your waist.
Your eyes were scanning over the parts of his chest that were not under the hazy water, cold fingers lightly tracing over the scars and marks littering his tan skin.
He was simply watching you, eyes on your face and only shifting away briefly whenever you made eye contact.
“Where'd you get this one?” Your voice was a whisper and it felt like the first time you’d talked in a while, smoothing over a particularly large mark spanning across his left collarbone all the way to his shoulder.
“Got bucked off Lucky when I was fourteen.” He said in a low voice, referencing the large horse you’d taken into town together. “Landed wrong on the wired fence.”
You nodded softly as he recounted the story, feeling a deeper warmth when you thought about teenage Jungkook and his mishaps as he grew into the practiced country man he was now. His hands squeezed your waist as your hand crept up to his cheek and you shifted closer.
“This one?” Your tone was more hesitant when you saw the look on his face at the touch, already knowing he’d be explaining that especially deep mark next.
“I was seventeen.” He started off slowly and you watched him, hand moving to cup his cheek and obscure the scar from your vision. His face instinctively pushed against your palm and he sighed. “Accidentally tipped a barrel of feed we were transporting to the neighbors. My dad sent me flying into the wall and I guess there was an old nail or something.”
It was the first time he had outwardly voiced what you already assumed and although you knew, it didn’t make it any easier to hear him say it.
“Has he always done that?” You whispered and he shook his head.
“Just when I became a teenager.” He said simply, like it wasn't a big deal to him. It probably wasn’t anymore and you couldn't help but frown softly, feeling worse when his eyes flashed with concern. “Happens less now.”
Another thing you didn’t need to hear out loud to understand. Jungkook was bigger now, stronger and harder to push around even if he allowed it up to a certain point. You had a feeling that he'd never lay a hand on his father to test the theory but you had full confidence he could lay him out if needed and you imagined Minchul had realized something similar.
You felt the words leave you, not exactly sure if that was what he needed anyways. There was nothing you could say that would make it stop and you figured he had thought of any reassuring phrases you would’ve come up with anyways.
There was only one thing that made sense to you and you hoped it was the right choice when you kissed him softly.
It was so gentle he barely felt it and then you were pulling back and pressing your forehead against his. His gaze was softer now and you could feel the wet droplets from his hair on your skin, his large hand leaving your hip underwater to hold your face and bring you into him again.
This time there was some heat behind the action, mouths moving together as you wrapped your legs around his middle to be as close as possible.
Jungkook kissed you deeply, a low noise sounding from his chest when you were tugging softly at his lower lip. It felt like a habit to tangle your tongue with his and you sighed against his mouth, one hand on his jaw with the other resting on his chest as he held you weightlessly in the water.
“Have I mentioned you’re a good kisser?” You breathed against his mouth and he made a low noise, used to your antics and teasing comments by now. His hands were under your thighs to keep you supported around his waist and you sighed as you fell back into a kiss.
It felt utterly ridiculous, disbelief still clouding your mind when you felt the butterflies in your stomach and the way your skin felt tingly wherever his hands traced. You had barely felt anything before you got here and suddenly your days were full of satisfying muscle aches and electric glances across the room with a boy who was holding you like he actually managed to care about you.
You felt like a fool for putting so much weight behind kissing him, behind being somewhere he considered special and laughing like little kids together.
“I am so happy you are here.”
All of your concerns faded away when he whispered the words against your lips, unable to keep kissing him but loving the way he pecked your mouth a few times before realizing you weren’t responding anymore and looking at you heavily.
Maybe he could tell it was something you needed to hear because one of his hands left your leg in favor of pushing your wet hair behind your ear, thumb tracing over your swollen lips.
“You mean that?” You accidentally whispered it and that felt much more vulnerable than you had meant it to come across, not able to stop yourself from seeking confirmation. You’d spent your entire life feeling like you were taking up space, a ghost in crowded conference halls and an investment only worthy of funding.
Jungkook had nothing to take from you, you had nothing to offer him here in this new version of you that you had barely begun to understand yourself and yet his eyes were soft and genuine as he nodded.
“I was just going through the motions before you.” He responded right when you needed to hear it most and the rare show of vocalized honesty from him hit harder. You could tell it was difficult for him to say these things out loud without feeling insecure and you appreciated it even more.
You kissed him eagerly and barely processed the way he was standing out of the water and easily carrying you to the shore, only recognizing your new location when your back touched the warm sand and you gasped softly.
It was swallowed by his mouth as he placed himself over you, holding his weight up with his left arm so he wasn’t exactly pressing against you. He felt even better in this position and your hands tangled in his hair, pulling him down and keeping his mouth moving with yours like it was the only way you could function.
You weren’t sure how long you stayed there like that, going between kissing heavily and whispering sweet words to each other that made your chest tighten so much it felt like it was going to explode.
The sun had started to set and you felt slightly chilled in your damp suit, flushing when he noticed your shiver and silently moved to help pull your dress back over your head. He stood from the sand, offering a hand to lift you up and steadying you before finding his discarded shirt.
It was silent on the way back to the farm but welcomed. You had abandoned the passenger seat in favor of sitting in the middle, laying your head on his shoulder and smiling every time his hand moved from the gear stick to rest on your bare knee.
He had his left arm out the window as he tapped the top of it occasionally along to the music but he quickly withdrew it when you pulled in the long driveway and saw the porch light still on. It was dark by now but not quite late enough to cause any suspicion, sky a dark blue as the sun fully set.
You were glad you had enough sense to scoot back into your seat because you passed the scattered trees and could now clearly see Minchul stood on the porch, not at all trying to pretend he wasn’t waiting for you.
Jungkook was tense and his face was dark in a way that pulled a pout onto your face, hoping you didn’t have a sour end to such a beautiful day.
He sighed as he parked the truck and you reached your hand over to grab his, his eyes darting to you quickly like he had forgotten you were sitting there with him. You watched as his shoulders dropped as they lost their tension and he gave you a soft smile and squeezed your hand in his.
You were both exiting the truck and you gave Minchul a small wave, only slightly surprised that he didn’t return it. He was still keeping up the charming and friendly persona with you but clearly it didn’t matter when his hard gaze was locked on his son.
“How were the Johnsons?” He said lowly and you knew better than to respond or showcase any confusion on your face even though you had no idea what he was talking about.
“The Johnsons?” Jungkook’s voice was casual as he walked, barely faltering at the question and not even glancing at his dad as he stepped onto the porch. You stayed on the yard and watched them, breath held as it almost seemed like they were sizing each other up. You weren’t used to seeing any defiance from Jungkook and it worried you. “We were at the Lee’s. Mary said hello.”
He went inside, sending you a glance as he did and you stood there silently.
Minchul scoffed and you saw his jaw clench in annoyance, clearly wanting to test Jungkook and catch him in a lie. Nari and him must have come up with a cover story beforehand about where you two were the entire day, something you stupidly hadn’t even considered.
His gaze fell on you and while it wasn’t as icy, it still didn’t look thrilled to see you. You were glad you had become so accustomed to having a flat expression because the last thing you wanted was to be the one who fucked it up and got the both of you in trouble.
“Thank you for letting us have some time off.” You said softly, tone as polite as you could manage and he stayed very still for a few more seconds before giving you a small smile and nodding. You stayed there as he turned to head inside, finally letting out the breath you were holding.
----
It was difficult to know Jungkook was so close yet also understanding spending unnecessary time with him could get you in trouble potentially. You knew you were both adults but it was his fathers house and clearly he didn’t have sound reasoning for his hatred towards Jungkook.
As much as you wanted to lounge in his room with him and listen to music, you settled for opening your door and letting it float down the hallway towards you as you journaled.
You were back to chores the next morning like normal and you couldn’t help the shy smile on your face when you saw him in the kitchen. He returned it and you felt his foot nudge against yours when you slid onto the stool beside him, side eyeing him playfully as Nari brought you both a plate of breakfast.
There was a welcomed silence as you ate rather quickly and then you were both slipping out of the house, soft giggles escaping you at the fast way he walked towards the barn. He glanced behind you towards the house and must've determined the coast was clear because he was scooping you off of your feet to get you there quicker.
“You’re insane.” You laughed and slapped against his shoulder as he bridal style carried you into the barn, rounding the corner and setting you down when you were out of sight.
“Is that a bad thing?” His eyebrow went up and you narrowed your eyes jokingly, a bright smile on your face as you stared up at him. “Maybe I just missed you.”
You still weren’t used to the quiet boy you had grown accustomed to being able to say the most devastating things like he didn’t even realize what they did to you. You sucked in a breath at the statement and it wasn’t long before he was kissing you again.
There seemed to be a mutual addiction to the action now that you’d done it a few times and you were glad you weren’t alone in that, not sure what you would do if he wasn’t so willing to kiss you all the time.
Kissing you didn’t seem to be the only thing on Jungkook’s mind because it wasn’t long before he had you laid back against a blanket over the hay, making you half wonder if he planned this or if it was just a spontaneous decision. Either way you appreciated the gesture, not sure you could enjoy the way he was kissing down your neck as much if you had scratchy grass poking you back.
“Jungkook.” You gasped his name out when his teeth brushed over your collarbone and his back hardened at the sound for a second before he was humming, low and sensual as he questioned the reason for your call. “More.”
He picked his head up long enough to look into your eyes, scanning over your face with a dark expression you hadn’t quite seen from him. It was similar to the way he looked when he was particularly focused on a hard task but there was something deeper there and you suddenly felt flustered.
“Tell me what you want.” It was a soft instruction that subtly reminded you he didn’t really know what he was doing.
“Anything, just…” Your hands were in his hair and you kissed him softly as you tried to collect yourself, distracted by the way he was looking at you and the weight of his body on top of yours. “Just you. I just want you.”
That seemed to be enough for him to forget his inexperienced based hesitance because his mouth was back on yours, sloppy and hot in a way that made a shiver go down your spine. His hands moved under your dress, pushing it up so it sat under your ribs and exposed your lower half.
He went back to kissing down your neck and this time he didn’t stop at your dress, skipping your covered section and shifting his body further down so he could have his mouth on your stomach. You sucked in a gasp at the sensation, keeping your hands in his hair to keep yourself grounded under the illusion of some control.
It was a world changing sight to see him down between your legs like that, eyes darting from your lace panties back up to your face to make sure you were feeling okay. You imagined he was being met with a very eager expression on your face, nearly pleading as you took in his messy hair and doe eyes.
The first press of his lips alongside your inner thigh was almost enough to ruin your life and you whined softly, shifting your knees further apart so he had no issue getting where he needed.
“Quiet down princess.” The already low drawl of his voice had taken an even deeper tone and you shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut like you were pained at the idea of silence. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful baby.”
He had no idea the way he was wrecking you with the pet names, made even more clear by the way his mouth was on your core through the thin wet fabric of your underwear. Your hips bucked as you made a strangled sound and his hand was shooting up to hold you down, pressing against your stomach and kissing his teeth at you like you were an animal he was trying to settle.
The instinctive way he attempted to tame you made your head spin, not even realizing how sexy you would find that until he did it.
“Jungkook.” You were breathing again and shifting your hips upwards, heat surging through you when you realized you weren’t even able to move under his strong hold. He was easily pressing you against the blanket with one hand and one of yours moved from his hair to pull at the waistband of your panties.
He didn’t need you to explain that to him, hurriedly sitting up enough that he could pull them down your thighs and grunting a little when you kicked them away, settling back between your legs and taking a deep breath at the sight of you bare.
“Please.” You pleaded and he looked back up at you.
“You want it baby?” He said lowly, a whole new persona to him you hadn’t even begun to fantasize about and you nodded eagerly, eyes a little glassy. “Want me to taste you?”
You made another high pitched impatient sound and he laughed a little, breath hitting your wet folds making your body tighten for a second.
He was finally done teasing you and you knew you wouldn’t be able to keep quiet like he requested as soon as his mouth was on you, hands moving to your knees to keep your legs from clamping around his head as he licked against you.
“Oh fuck.” You whined and he closed his eyes at the taste of you, tongue slow and testing as he explored what areas brought the biggest reaction out from your lips. He was clearly a good kisser in more than one way because you felt like you were going to pass out just from the way his mouth moved, getting more eager the more comfortable he got.
Your hips rocked forward against his face as much as his grip allowed, searching for friction and finding it when his nose brushed against your sensitive clit. His mouth quickly followed, tongue working your bud and bringing noises out of you that you didn’t even know you were capable of.
“Feels so good.” You mewled and he groaned against you, sending another wave of pleasure and longing through you.
“It’s good princess?” He was breathing heavier from the lack of oxygen considering he hadn’t taken his mouth off of you since he got down there and you almost laughed at the sound of it. You weren’t sure if he was dirty talking or genuinely looking for reassurance but you nodded eagerly regardless, hands tangling back in his hair and pressing his face back between your legs.
“Make me cum.” You said the order softly, more of a plea than anything and he took it easily, practically making out with your cunt in his desperation to give you what you wanted. Jungkook was clearly a pleaser and you found it even more stupid nobody had jumped his bones yet, although a possessive flare surging through you every time you remembered you were his first.
You did a terrible job keeping quiet as he ate you out and you figured the rough way he was squeezing your thighs was meant to be reminders but you ignored him in favor of rolling your hips along with his mouth, biting your lip to keep from outwardly screaming when you realized you were about to cum.
Your grip in his hair tightened almost painfully and your breathing picked up, chest rising and falling in heavy pants as you got closer. Luckily Jungkook knew enough to not stop, pressing his tongue against your hole with his nose nudging your clit and bringing you to release so suddenly you felt dizzy.
“What the fuck?” You felt almost startled by how fast and intensely he made you finish and he slowed down, eyeing you curiously and almost looking like he was smiling. He kissed your thighs a few more times softly before he was coming back up on top of you.
You moaned when he was kissing you out of nowhere, not even slightly disgusted at the idea of tasting yourself and instead eagerly licking into his mouth.
“Wait.” You gasped into it and he barely slowed, only pausing to kiss the corners of your lips and let you speak. “What about you?”
Your hand was inching between your bodies to feel his hard length but you faltered when you felt the wet patch on his pants instead. His body tensed on top of yours and your eyes went back to his face, taking in his embarrassed expression and feeling a million different types of warmth rushing through you suddenly.
“Fuck.” He said in one breath, eyes shutting tight for a second like he was willing himself to disappear.
“That might be the hottest thing that has ever happened to me.” You said far too loud for the quiet barn and he looked at you like you were crazy, eyebrows furrowed and cheeks turning pink when he processed the dazed out look returning to your face. “You came in your pants from eating me out? Are you even real?”
He was frozen for a long few seconds with that same expression before he was pushing out a singular disbelieving laugh and resting his head on your shoulder. You giggled as he groaned into your hot skin, hand coming back up to his hair to pet it gently this time.
You didn’t move for a bit, kissing softly until the heat was beginning to feel too intense now that you didn’t have a mind numbing distraction.
“We have to do our chores.” You whispered against his lips and he sighed softly, knowing you were right.
He was gentle as he helped you stand up, sitting you back on a wood slate so he could pull your underwear backup and adjust your dress. His hands were smoothing through your hair to help control it, picking loose pieces of grass and straw as you watched his face.
The barn was quiet as you reached up to cup his face, pulling him in for another kiss and sighing softly when you felt him smiling.
“What are you doing to me?” You almost groaned as he pulled away again, tugging you off of the wood so you were standing in front of him. You were close enough for your chest to press together and you craned your neck to look up at him.
“It’s mutual.” He responded easily and you felt like you were really going crazy.
Luckily he had more sense than you and was backing up a few feet to pop the tension filled bubble and help keep you focused. It was almost impossible to watch him do chores now that you knew what was hidden under his shirt, and became familiar with those grunts in a different context.
You worked through the day together and kept your shy smiles and loaded glances to as much of a minimum as you could manage.
Supper was much more pleasant today and you felt like things were starting to really flow nicely around here, your heart feeling content as you and Nari joked around over the meal and the men listened with fond smiles.
Your gaze went to Jungkook for the hundredth time today and you found him already watching you, eyes bright and a smile on his face that you usually didn’t see at dinner time. He must have felt similarly to you about how good the day was because he didn’t look away, holding your eyes affectionately.
When you finally blushed and looked away, your line of sight landed on Minchuk and you froze.
He was staring at you with an expression of understanding, like he had just figured something out. His jaw tensed as he looked towards Jungkook and you felt red hot fear in your chest.
Jungkook had started conversing calmly with his mother and didn’t seem to notice the expression on either of your faces.
It wasn’t until your time to do the dishes that you even dared to look at him again, breathing a sigh of relief when he sunk against you for a hug.
You wrapped your arms tightly around him, stretching on your tiptoes and burying your face in his neck as he circled his against your lower back. The fact it was overly sappy didn’t miss you but you couldn’t really care anymore, longing to be near him after any amount of time.
“I feel crazy.” His voice was slightly muffled by your hair and you smiled at the sound of it and the warm tone he only seemed to take when he spoke to you. “How did I miss you so bad when you are right here?”
You shake your head, not trusting yourself to speak without saying something even more ridiculous but he hopes he knows what you mean, what you want to shout into the quiet kitchen.
No, you aren't crazy. No you're not the only one feeling like this. No you don't understand it either.
You only see a glimpse of his eyes before you are kissing and you can’t even remember who started it, if you went on your tiptoes or if he bent down to your level to catch you in something so feverish it felt like you had gone a year apart. There was no way of knowing who backed your bodies up against the counter, whose hands explored the other's frame first and who decided completely abandoning the dishes was somehow a good idea.
The only thing you could pinpoint was the exact moment it ended and he was suddenly ripped from you in a way that was so jarring you felt your knees go weak like you were going to collapse without him.
It took you a few seconds to track his body, stumbled across the kitchen like he had gotten thrown. The icy expression on his face made you realize he had been, your eyes darting to Minchul standing only a few feet away with his chest puffed and his eyebrows pulled together in a way that made your mouth part in shock.
“What the hell do you think you are doing boy?” His voice was venomous and he made another move in Jungkook’s direction that had you covering your mouth, lips still wet from kissing him.
Jungkook didn’t move a muscle, not even slightly flinching or faltering his hardened expression. You wanted to shout at him that now was not the time to challenge his father, not after such a good day and certainly not over you. The look on his face told you that there was no point in trying to diffuse the situation, his shoulders squaring as he shifted his body defensively.
“Oh.” Minchul looked genuinely surprised under all the rage until a bitter laugh slipped out as he stared at Jungkook mockingly. “You’re tough ain't you. A real man now?”
“Minchul.” You said slowly, taking a step away from the counter and trying to put yourself in their peripheral vision. You had a light amount of hope that seeing you in the room might be enough to humble the angry man and also calm Jungkook down enough to at least hold this off. You had wondered if you should call out for Nari but you decided against it. “We.. we were just-”
“I know what you were doing.” He spat as he turned to look at you and the way he stared at you stole all of the hope from underneath you. It was the exact same way he looked at Jungkook and you knew that any effort he was putting into faking a charming persona was no longer applied to you.
“Watch it.” Jungkook was speaking for the first time and both of you snapped your gazes over to him.
His voice had never sounded like that and you felt a wave of fear run over you, not towards him necessarily but towards the outcome that would be caused by this level of anger coming from both of them. He clearly had no intention of pushing away his feelings and fauxing respect to get his dad off of his back, combative and aggressive now that you were being spoken down to.
“Y/N.” Minchul was speaking calm and slow but the way his glare never left Jungkook’s taut frame sent a shiver down your spine and your eyes widened. “Go outside honey.”
“I-” You went to object but he sent you another look that left no room for argument and you turned desperately to Jungkook. He was clenching his jaw and looking pained as he finally looked at you just long enough to give you a confirming nod. His face barely softened but it was noticeable to you, a silent act of reassurance that he would be okay.
You felt beneath yourself as you stumbled outside, not really sure what else to do with your body once you got out there. You got the strange urge to call your father even though he would never help you, even to call your mother who had been dead for most of your life.
Your brain was just searching desperately for solutions and even more so when you heard crashing from inside the house, tears springing to your eyes as you took a few more shaky steps away to try and put some distance between you and the grunts of anger and pain.
The sensible part of your brain noticed a light switching on upstairs as the volume increased, realizing Nari must have woken up and would most likely be rushing down to the kitchen and putting a stop to whatever was happening.
It was a power you clearly did not have and you felt so overwhelmingly useless.
You felt like you were outside for hours alone like that even though it was only a few breathless minutes before Jungkook was coming outside. He was walking fast and storming right past you, similarly to the way he had been the other week when Minchul brought out the belt on the porch.
“Jungkook.” You called out to him and your hands reached for his arm, heart clenching when you made brief contact before they were slipping off as he refused to stop. You started to chase after him without really thinking about it, needing to speak to him before you exploded. “Wait please.”
He whipped around at the crack in your voice and you faltered when you saw the blood on his lip and redness surrounding his eye and cheek. You were sure there were more marks you’d be able to pinpoint tomorrow and you were suddenly grateful for the moon lighting him up.
Your hands were coming up to cup his face instinctively as a wounded noise left you and he winced at the feeling of your hands on his injuries. Your mouth was opening and closing as you searched for the words to say, head shaking as you felt like you were about to cry or throw up or both.
“Did you know?” His voice was hoarse and your eyebrows automatically furrowed in confusion. It was asked softly but he scoffed at your expression and repeated it in a much harsher tone.
“Know what?” You almost begged, wanting so badly to understand him and be able to help in some way. You took a step closer and he looked pained by the action, your stomach turning at the way he avoided looking directly at you. “Did I know what Jungkook? What happened?”
He was quiet for a long time and you felt like the dirt underneath you was slipping away and finally waking you up from this dream you’d been living in. You half wanted to sink with it and wake up in your warm bed worlds away from here with vague visions of a beautiful cowboy and the other half was clawing at the collapsing ground and pleading for the dirt under your nails to stay until morning.
“Your dad owns the farm.” He said it so simply like it didn’t take the air out of your lungs and you shook your head, both in denial and confusion on what he was saying. His eyes were cold as he stared at you like he wasn’t sure if you were the enemy or not anymore. “He owns everything. You own everything.”
He emphasized the pronoun like he was trying to make it really clear to you that you played some type of role in this situation and you shifted away from him.
It suddenly made so much more sense to you, the way Minchul and your father interacted like they were forced to and the memories of coming here as a child feeling so foreign and locked away. How kind the Jeon’s had been to you and the pure fury towards you and Jungkook for getting involved, it was all a result of your father placing his polished shoe on another aspect of your life.
This time it wasn’t an apartment back in the city or your daily schedule, not even your name on the important document that locked you into the family business for life if anything tragic happened to him. Your father had managed to put his greedy hands on something you had deemed untouchable.
Jungkook had created a world for you that didn’t allow the bad stuff to exist, that blocked out every memory you had that was grey and cold. He had brought the sun to you and now you were learning your father had already staked his flag on its surface.
“What are you talking about?” You didn’t know what else to say and you could feel hot tears on your flamed cheeks now. You had never felt adrenaline like that, pure emotion and panic as your chest started to rise and fall quickly.
Jungkook was quiet as he watched you like he was conflicted about what to do. Once a particularly rough breath ran through your body he was softening his shoulders and gaze simultaneously, pulling you against his frame as you wracked with a heavy sob.
You hadn’t had a panic attack in years, since you were a teenager who could barely stand the sight of a crowded crosswalk or a presentation. There was no doubt in your mind that you would not be able to get out of the strong grip of it easily on your own and you sunk against him.
“I’m sorry.” He breathed and you pushed your face into his chest, muffling the strangled noise that left you. “Of course you didn’t know. I know you didn’t know.”
“I want to go home.” Is what you eventually breathed out even though you realized as soon as you said it that you weren’t sure what you were referring to. The thought of your apartment was only comforting until you remembered he didn’t even exist there and you sunk lower against him.
“We can go there.” He said back hurriedly like he had already considered that as an option. You felt terrible for not being in the state to talk to him properly, to ask him if he was okay and if he could face his father again. “I’ll take you, we can go home.”
You weren’t sure he knew what that meant to you but he was gently lowering you on the stairs and going back inside before you could tell him. His back was tense and you had half a mind to yell out for him to come back, to not go in and to stay with you where you could pretend you could keep him safe.
Instead of sitting there and feeling useless, you stood to your feet and chased after him.
He was already on his way back out and you bumped into each other, a startled sound leaving him as his hands reached out to grab your arms and steady you. You were still breathing heavily and now confused by how quickly he had returned, eyes going over his wide shoulders.
Nari was standing in the middle of the kitchen with a dim look on her face, stealing her of her usual warmth and soft glow. Minchul was nowhere to be seen but you could tell by the damage to the room that it had been a full blown scuffle between the two of them.
You felt devastated for her, knowing how much love and pride she held for her kitchen and the things she created. There were shattered plates and disarrayed decorations, a large hole in the wall that you had a bad feeling was created by Jungkook’s back. She met your eyes over his frame and you felt relief when she softened slightly at the sight of your swollen eyes and remorseful stare.
“Go on, honey.” She said in a voice so gentle it broke your heart, Jungkook’s hands tightening on your arms at the sound of it. “I’ll be alright here.”
He was shifting and you could hear the sound of the keys in his fingers now, only just feeling the cold metal pressing against your skin. You nodded swiftly at her and gave her one more heavy look that you hoped she would understand despite your lack of words, her smile in return making you believe she had.
Jungkook and you were quick to leave the house and you felt another sob go through you when he spared one last look towards the barn where Lucky and the other horses were most likely asleep for the night, knowing there was no certain timeline he would be able to see them again any time soon.
He was opening the passenger door for you and making a soft noise with his teeth to get your attention through your devastation, closing it softly once you were sitting on the bench seat.
You waited until he was sat and finished taking a few deep breaths, until you were squealing out of the driveway and pretending the light wasn't still on upstairs. Only after you were on the dirt road and heading towards uncertainty did you scoot over into the middle seat.
This time around you weren’t damp from the quarry water and your cheeks were not sore from smiling so hard you felt euphoric. There were no shy glances and no toeing the line between unlikely friends and something more. But there was the feeling of his hand wrapped around your knee like he was scared to forget you were there and the soft kisses you were laying on his bruised face as he drove.
Going back the same way you came but with your heart full of adoration and something much more real that you were too afraid to name just yet. You felt like your fantasy world was finally mixing into reality and the colors mixing with your cold gray was a lot less jarring knowing he was the one braving it all with you.
Jungkook released a soft breath when your head landed on his shoulder and you felt the weight of it all go with it.
You were born with a Gift that the world wanted to turn into a weapon. All Jungkook wanted to do was show you that you could find love, even in the dark.
Relationship: Shadow Elemental Jungkook x Water Elemental Reader
Rating: Explicit
Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence (someone you love is gonna die I'm so sorry)
Tags: Dystopia, Fantasy, Friends to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Character Death, Murder, Human Experimentation, War, Jungkook is a precious baby boy but he’ll also kill you, Elemental Magic, Shadow Elemental Jungkook, Fire Elemental Yoongi, Loss of Virginity, Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Cunnilingus, Outdoor Sex
Word Count: 25,983
A/N: Fun fact, Taehyung’s character is based off of Jeff Goldblum. Part of a spring offering collab.
Soundtrack: cyberpunk - ateez
moodboard credit: @btscontentenjoyer
3 MONTHS
Lookout duty is hard on you. When it’s your turn to camp out on the roof and watch for potential threats, you complain that staying awake all night is hard. Most of the other runaways are night owls, but you aren’t. You need your beauty sleep, you joke. You can’t get comfortable on the roof, even if there’s a flat landing with pillows and blankets to keep you warm.
These are a few of your excuses, but you can’t bring yourself to tell the others the truth: you are scared.
It’s close to midnight when you hear the creak of the trapdoor opening. The likelihood of it being anyone other than the group of Gifted runaways you live with is low, but you can’t trust that the impossible wouldn’t happen. You’ve seen the impossible happen far too often.
Hopping down from the old milk crate you’d been sitting on, you crouch behind a giant bean bag with your bow and arrow ready. The harness you wear strapped around your torso holds your spare arrows. It digs hard enough into your shoulder that you form blisters if you don’t wear a thick enough shirt.
The fluffy pink hair poking out of the trapdoor makes you sigh in relief.
“Hey, kid,” the pink-haired man whispers.
He gently closes the trapdoor and walks with a hunched back toward you, careful not to expose too much of his body beyond the roof’s railing. The abandoned warehouse you live in is on the city’s outskirts, with nothing for miles but empty concrete parking lots and overgrown plots of land.
Still, you never know who might be out there. Although the Red Pins have only inflicted pain from within their research facilities, all the runaway Gifteds know that the government employs more than one type of evil to hunt them down.
You try not to think about them, those scientists in long white coats that fall to their thighs and blood-red nametags pinned to their labels with names you often see painted on the walls of your nightmares. Lately, the frequency of the nightmares has lessened. It doesn’t feel like it, though, when you often wake in the middle of the night to your friends screaming in their sleep while they suffer through their own trauma. You wish the knowledge that the pain of being government lab rats is something you all share could be comforting. But, instead, it only makes you hurt more.
“Yoongi,” you huff, returning to your perch on the milk crate. Now your hands are all sweaty. “You should be sleeping.”
“Hi, Yoongi; nice to see you too! Thanks for coming to hang out with me!” Yoongi mocks your voice, clearly stating what he thinks you should have said. “Oh, no problem, Y/N. I just wanted to see how you were doing and hang out with my favorite kiddo.”
You scrunch your nose at kiddo.
“I’m not a kid.”
Yoongi leans over to rub his knuckles into your head. “Nah, you definitely are.”
Despite the lack of lighting outside, Yoongi practically glows. That’s always how it is with fire elementals. It’s like they absorb all the light and let it buzz inside them. Like fireflies, you’d once told Yoongi. He hadn’t found it cute to be compared to a bug.
“If I’m a firefly, then you’re a fucking fish,” he’d teased. You’d promptly summoned water from a nearby puddle to throw in his face.
For as long as you can remember, that’s how it has been between the two of you: fire and water. A push and pull. So different that you need each other to be whole.
You watch Yoongi get comfortable in the bean bag, his skinny limbs spreading like a starfish and his eyes lifting to the sky. In quiet moments like this, you would give anything to hold him. And not out of fear like you had when the scary men came to take you away from your parents. And not out of anger like you had to when you stopped him from blowing up the research facility they’d held you in.
No, you want to hold him and for it to be gentle, soft, and peaceful.
Like now, when the world is silent except for the crickets calling to each other in the weeds and the rustle of wind in the trees.
But he thinks you’re just a kid.
You’re not that much younger than him. But, if you put in the effort to look at your relationship objectively, you’d see that Yoongi’s paternal nature comes out with you and the other runaway Gifteds. He cares for you as an older brother would.
It’s not enough for you, though. It will never be enough.
“Is everyone else asleep?” You rest your elbows on your knees and hold your chin in your hand. When you speak, you look out at the empty field.
“Hobi sneezed and blasted a hole through the bathroom wall,” Yoongi says with a low chuckle. “So me and Joon found some supplies to patch it up the best we could. I think they’re all asleep now, though.”
“How is it Hobi’s the one breaking shit and Namjoon’s fixing it?” You press your hand against your mouth to muffle the ugly snort bursting from you. There’s very little to find funny in this life, so you cherish how your chest burns with fond warmth.
“The world’s all backwards.” Yoongi’s gummy smile lights up the night and tears into your heart.
The two of you fall silent once again. Moving slowly, you reach out to hook your pinky finger with Yoongi’s, a small smile forming when you feel his pinky wrap tightly around yours.
“Where are we gonna go, Yoong?”
He watches you with eyes heavy with sleep, determined to stay up with you even though he doesn’t need to. Initially, you thought it was because he wanted to keep you company. Now, you often wonder if it’s because Yoongi is afraid to sleep, too. He never speaks about his experience at the Labs; the other runaways have learned the hard way not to ask. Singed eyebrows don’t look good on anyone.
“I don’t know.”
You already knew this would be the answer, but it scares you anyway. Yoongi always knows everything.
Yoongi lets go of your hand to sit up in the bean bag.
“Hey, kid,” he whispers. He gently presses his palm to your jaw, cupping your face. You hope he doesn’t hear your breath hitch in your throat. “As long as we’re together, you don’t gotta worry about anything, okay?”
You stare at him for a long time, searching the bags under his eyes and the worry lines on his forehead.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
3 MONTHS, 1 WEEK
There’s a stream that cuts through the overgrown fields behind the warehouse. It’s man-made, flowing from a sewer tunnel beneath the cracked parking lot - and likely from somewhere else, perhaps connected to a lake beyond the woods at the property’s edge. The separation between industrialization and the natural world of the unknown hurts your heart. You’d never felt longing until you found yourself inside a cage of cinderblock walls and concrete floors.
A rope of water whips across your face, drawing you from your thoughts of the woods. It’s muddy and makes your skin and clothes smell sour.
Though the air is still crisp and bites at the tip of your nose, spring came early this year. It takes minimal effort for Namjoon to draw more water from the soiled stream as it’s not frozen over like it should be. With a flick of his wrist, another rope of water hits you, this time across your chest.
“Aghh!”
“Pay attention.”
You lift your arm in enough time to block his next assault. The liquid rope freezes in the air before shattering into a thousand glimmering pieces, scattering jagged ice across the pale yellow grass.
“I’m tired of this, Grandpa.”
Namjoon rolls his eyes at the pop culture reference; you’re pleased he understood. Posed to speak, mouth already opening, he barely gets a sound out before another voice bellows across the field.
“WELL, THAT’S TOO DAMN BAD!”
Hoseok isn’t afraid to be loud. He smiles, all teeth and pink tongue, and throws his head back as he cackles. Everywhere he goes, he carries the smell of spring with him - cherry blossoms and morning dew that makes newly-grown pieces of grass stick wet against ankles.
You close your eyes and let spring overpower the sour smell of sewer water Namjoon has thrown at you for the past hour. It lets you forget how your skin aches with welts and bruises.
As Hoseok bounds toward you and Namjoon, a dark tornado spins beside him. When he gets closer, you can see Hoseok occasionally blowing a small gust of air toward the tornado. It appears to be made of smoke, a gradient of grays and blacks.
“Look at this,” your friend announces with a mischievous grin. “Me and JK learned a new trick.”
With a quick snap of Hoseok’s fingers, you and Namjoon watch in patient silence as the tornado begins to slow its speed. Almost gently, the smoke curls tighter and tighter until the darkness turns into a solid mass.
Jungkook stumbles a few times as he attempts to get his footing. His limbs continue to propel his body into a small spin.
Hoseok quickly reaches out to grab the younger man. Secure hands squeeze his shoulders, and then it’s only Jungkook’s head lolling about.
“Cool, right?” Jungkook’s voice is gruff, but his lips curl into a weak smile.
Namjoon lets out a long sigh. “You look like you’re going to be sick.”
Although Namjoon is right, Jungkook does look like the effort of his little party trick took a toll on his body; you can’t help but match his smile. Especially when his eyes flick toward yours. You told his gaze for half a second before Jungkook quickly looks away. His cheeks flush pink, but you’re sure it’s from the exertion of all that spinning.
“I think it’s really cool,” you praise the two while elbowing Namjoon in the ribs. With a grumble, your sparring partner returns to his previous stance a few feet away.
“We should go again. Just for a little while longer.”
Every muscle in your body feels stiff when you turn away from Hoseok and Jungkook.
“I hurt all over, Joonie.”
“Let her rest!” Hoseok adds to your whining. “All we ever do is practice fighting.”
“Sparring.”
Hoseok waves a dismissive hand at the younger man. “Whatever you want to call it. I find it to be fri-”
You stifle a laugh by pressing the back of your hand to your mouth as Hoseok is tackled to the ground by Jungkook. The two men roll around, all arms and legs, kicking up dead grass and dirt. A lot of howling and teasing laughter rings through the open air.
It isn’t until Jungkook is launched into the sky by a gust of wind you know comes from Hoseok, and lands roughly on his back, that the playful fight ceases. How Jungkook lands knocks all the air out of his chest, but he laughs once his lungs start working again.
“Ridiculous, all of you.” Hoseok brushes grass from his clothes. It’s futile; they’re dirty and ragged anyway. Try as you and Namjoon might to use your Gifts to clean the clothes; water does little when there’s no soap.
“I let you win,” Jungkook teases.
Still, he stands a bit further from Hoseok than he had previously. Not far enough for anyone to notice, aside from you. You notice although you don’t mean to. It’s hard not to when Jungkook keeps stealing glances, only to look away when you try to return his gaze.
“You did not.”
“Did, too.” His insistence makes you giggle.
“And how did that work out for you? Hmm? How does your back feel? I know you landed on that rock.”
“I-It, it doesn’t hurt.” Jungkook glances your way. His cheeks are still pink. “Would take more than that to hurt me.”
“Jungkook is impossible to beat.”
You startle at the gentle voice, spinning on your heels to see Yoongi approaching the group. He’s got a leather satchel strapped across his chest and resting at his hip. It bulges with what you assume are plants and fruits scavenged from the woods.
“Boy Scouts” is what Yoongi offered when you asked how he knew so much about surviving in nature. It was peculiar; nothing about Yoongi seemed like the type. He’s tougher, more steel than wood or earth. A bulletproof shield, you think. Broad and strong.
“Impossible?”
Your question is meant to be a tease, but Yoongi’s face remains stoic. Such a severe look only reveals itself when he assumes his position as your misfit group’s leader. It would be extremely attractive if it didn’t scare you.
“How can you fight shadows?” Yoongi deadpans. He stares into your eyes long enough to make your face feel hot, but you don’t look away.
“I…”
Yoongi hums at your lack of an answer. Suddenly, you feel unbelievably small.
“It’s not impossible,” Jungkook whispers. His head hangs low, long bangs hiding his face. The rest of his hair is tied into a bun at the nape of his neck. “I’m just as beatable as you, hyung.”
Something about Yoongi’s expression softens at the honorific. Formalities died long ago, along with many other traditions that once made Korea what it was. So many things died during the war - tangible and cultural - lives and ways of being. Now, the Republic is something you know your friends no longer recognize. Although it is not your home country, your heart aches for what it once was - something you will never have the privilege to experience because you arrived during the Restoration of the Republic - a fallacy of an era since the country was never restored to how it was.
That may be best. It is easier to mourn the loss of something you never knew.
In moments like this, you feel terribly inadequate - when you speak with broken Korean or struggle to understand the foreign politics behind why Gifteds are hunted, no matter how many times Namjoon patiently attempts to teach you. All you know is that, at least here, to be Gifted is not a death sentence, per se. Other countries’ governments have been far less lenient with their mutant population.
You’re simply seen as a science experiment to be tested on, poked and prodded, pushed until you’re driven mad, and then warped into whatever shape the government has the need for.
“You have no match,” Yoongi smiles softly at Jungkook with a shake of his head. “I do.”
Holding out his hand, a small flame appears in the center of Yoongi’s palm. It floats just above the skin, though he isn’t burned. You’ve seen Yoongi summon fire a million times from the heat of the air around him, and he never ceases to amaze you.
With a nod in Namjoon’s direction, Yoongi waits for a small rope of dirty water to splash against his hand. Namjoon is much kinder in his attack against Yoongi, only summoning enough water to extinguish the flame.
“Water will always win against me,” Yoongi admits. This time, he holds your gaze when he speaks. “It is my match.”
You feel something stir in your belly that migrates up your chest until it eventually threatens to suffocate you, nearly getting lodged in your throat.
“You would do well to continue sparring with Namjoon,” he says after a moment before turning to Hoseok and Jungkook, who have otherwise been silent.
It’s an order, even if Yoongi is gentle with his words.
With a sigh, you turn back to Namjoon. It’s difficult to stamp down the heat Yoongi always manages to trigger inside of you. You would compare him to fire even if it didn’t already run in his veins.
Drawing from the murky stream, you weave a ball of water between your palms.
“Let’s go again.”
While you spar with Namjoon, Yoongi leads Hoseok and Jungkook to the other end of the field.
You and Namjoon spar as though you are dancing. It’s a push and pull, your rhythms falling into harmony, even when one of you performs a surprise attack or a new move that hasn’t been practiced before. Perhaps it is because you both fight with water. There is a fluidity to it that the others don’t possess.
Occasionally, your eyes stray to where Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jungkook have begun to spar. The three men do not dance. Instead, they are a fury of elements intertwining in chaos. The wind snuffs fire, Yoongi and Hoseok blasting each other incessantly. Shadows allow Jungkook to disappear before being hit by an attack, only to reappear right behind his opponent to go in for the kill.
And it would be a kill if this was real. You know Jungkook keeps a rather terrifying knife strapped to his thigh. You all carry weapons, though you don’t really need them. Even Jungkook, with a Gift that’s misunderstood and exceptionally rare, is never found without his weapon.
Out of all the Gifteds you’ve met on your way to safety, you have never encountered another who can manipulate shadows. So, there is truth to Yoongi’s statement.
Jungkook is terrifying, even with the wide, starry eyes he always seems to stare at you with. He’s quiet and shy, typically sticking to Hoseok. You assume it’s likely because you found the two of them together. Both were kept in the same room at the research facility in Busan. As unassuming as Jungkook may be, you’ve seen him manipulate shadows to wrap around a Red Pin’s neck. Those shadows twisted and tightened until the man crumpled.
You didn’t need to have the Gift of blood manipulation to know when his heart stopped.
It was one of the scariest moments of your life, even beyond the suffering you’d endured having lived in the research facilities since you were a teen. Before then, you’d never seen someone die. Even when Yoongi and Namjoon helped you escape, they shielded you from the worst of it. It wasn’t until the three of you came upon the newest facility that such horrors were unleashed.
Jungkook hates himself for it. You know he does; you typically make your bed beside his, and he cries in his sleep. Self-defense protects the body in the moment, but harms the mind and heart long-term.
You probably would have done the same.
For as tragic as his story is - or what little you know of it - Jungkook has an undeniably beautiful soul. Those horrors have yet to turn him cruel or his heart black. Even when he spars, you can tell that he’s being gentle. He holds back and doesn’t reach his full potential out of fear of hurting others, you’re sure. You can see it in how he bounces on the balls of his feet to keep his movements light and how his back muscles ripple beneath his shirt as it clings to his skin. A bead of sweat runs along his neck, over the vein that bulges from his exerting effort.
Something prickles under your skin. When you look up, it’s into those wide eyes full of galaxies you’ll never understand, are somehow okay with not understanding if it means you can continue to gaze upon them.
A small smile pulls the corners of Jungkook’s mouth up. His expression is short-lived, though, quickly falling as a bright orange flame licks at his ankles.
“Don’t let my words get to your head, Jeon,” Yoongi teases. “Impossible to beat, but easy to hurt.”
This time, you catch Yoongi’s eye. You duck your head when he winks at you, just in time to block another blast of water from Namjoon.
“Why is everyone so off today?” Namjoon grumbles to himself. You haven’t managed to successfully hit him even once.
“I’m tired,” you whine again, dropping a ball of water to the ground. Dead grass quickly soaks it up once it splashes. “We should check on Jessi.”
Your group’s sixth and final member is tucked away in the corner of the warehouse on the top floor. It’s dark up there, though Yoongi’s everlasting fire, paired with the windows Jessi managed to open, gives enough light for her to work.
She has black grease smudged on her left cheek and across her forehead. Her long, thick hair is tied back into a ponytail, though strands have fallen out to frame her face. When you step closer, you hear her muttering, but you can’t make out what she’s saying. It’s not for you. She speaks, facing the black box placed in front of where she kneels on the floor. The floor can’t feel good on her knees with its bits of broken concrete and dirt. Everything hurts in this life; it hardly matters as long as you’re here and not there.
“This piece of shit,” Jessi hisses, running her hands across her face. It smears more grease onto her skin, but she doesn’t care.
“Not working?”
“Beep beep boop beeping all over the fucking place, then static. White noise and shit. Like it’s telling me to fuck off even though I’m the one fixing it.”
You hum, crouching down to stare at the box. It’s an old radio meant to transport messages back and forth. Perhaps left behind by the military after it had occupied this land while it bulldozed the vigilantes seeking to save Gifteds from the fate you all ended up sharing anyway.
Jessi tweaks a few exposed wires. Every time they spark, you flinch. Mini white lightning, it’s deadly for anyone but Jessi. She grumbles and continues her work with deft fingers calloused from toiling away at the stupid thing for months.
“I’m normally so fucking good at this, I swear to God.”
Frustration colors her tone, even if her expression and cursing didn’t already give her feelings away.
You don’t doubt her, though, and you tell her as much. Still, you know firsthand that it sucks when your powers don’t work how you want them to. As a technopath, fixing the radio should be easy work for her.
“There must be something wrong with it… Maybe the Red Pins did something to it?”
You don’t know anything about technology. Even with the phone you’d stolen off one of the Red Pins, all you’d gotten to do was look at TikTok and try to find out where your parents were before Yoongi made you destroy the device. The government had ways to track you. Technology was as much your friend as a stranger on the street.
With a sigh, Jessi leans back until she’s sitting flat on the grimy floor.
“Maybe? Fuck if I know. I think I’m getting close, though. I’m getting some frequency when I concentrate really hard, but I wanna fix it so it’ll work even without me.”
Your friend whispers the end of her statement. It goes without saying; each one of you knows the fragility of life on the run.
“Thank you for working so hard.” Even in the dim lighting, you can see her watery eyes shine. It hurts your heart, but all you can offer is a light squeeze of her shoulder.
Jessi shrugs. “It’s as much for me as it is for you.”
You watch her stand and brush the dirt from her butt, her joints cracking from sitting down too long. When you first joined this mutant crew, you would have followed behind Jessi to comfort her. But, after months of running and fighting, you’ve learned that sometimes solitude is the best healing method.
4 MONTHS, 2 DAYS
“What makes you think you’re ready? That any of us are ready?”
Yoongi watches you with catlike eyes from where he sits at the kitchen table. The chairs circled around the battered wooden table are mismatched and in varying stages of deterioration from being abandoned for so long. The one Yoongi sits in is metal, and he leans on its two back legs, his right foot pressed to the floor to keep himself steady and his arms crossed against his chest.
Although Yoongi isn’t raising his voice - he never does - you still feel like you’re being scolded.
“I know we are,” you challenge him. Your voice is steady even as your fingers tremble. To stop them from shaking, you squeeze your hands into a fist, nails biting at the skin of your palms.
You should sit down, but holding your energy in is hard. Instead, you pace the kitchen while Yoongi’s cat eyes and Jessi’s wide ones follow you. You feel like a lion looping its cage, the desire to run restricted and confined.
“How?”
“We can’t stay here, Yoong! We can’t. I can’t.”
The front legs of Yoongi’s chair slam into the concrete floor. He allows the momentum to pull him forward, landing his elbows on the table’s surface.
Looking at Yoongi hurts. You can tell from his face that the next thing he says won’t be pleasant. His lips are pressed into a fine line that curves downward slightly. It’s cute how he can pull off a straight-lipped frown, but not when it’s directed at you.
It’s been at least an hour of back and forth between the three of you. Jessi tapped out a long time ago, resolved to watch the tennis match of an argument between you and Yoongi rather than exert energy on a fight she isn’t committed to. Yoongi and Jessi have the final say in all group decisions as the group’s elders. It’s another reminder of how you think Yoongi sees you as someone to take care of rather than an equal.
“Have you ever killed someone before, Y/N?”
You pause your pacing to stand in front of the table. Yoongi is an exceptional cook, managing to create delicious meals out of what little you all have to work with from the forest. But now, at this moment, you feel like you’re going to be sick from the food churning in your stomach.
“No.”
“No,” Yoongi repeats. He speaks slowly, like he’s mulling your answer over, letting it twist around his tongue until he’s satisfied enough with its taste to swallow it down.
Leaning forward, Yoongi presses his palms against the table’s surface. He spreads his fingers and stares at them. The two of you seem to trace over the scars that line his skin, little nicks, and slices that healed light pink or blazing white. You’ve never seen Yoongi naked, but you have seen a good expanse of his body when you’ve used your Gift to help the others get clean. From what you’ve seen, you know Yoongi’s entire body is littered with battle scars.
“I have,” he admits what you already knew, and the gravelly sound of his voice makes you shudder. “Jungkook has.”
You wince at the mention of the younger man, but Yoongi doesn’t give you a chance to speak.
“Do you want to ask him what it’s like to squeeze the life out of another man? He may have done it with shadows, but I guarantee he still felt it in his hands.”
Yoongi lifts his eyes to yours when the first tear rolls down your cheek. Concern wrinkles his forehead.
“Yoongi,” you start, but the pink-haired man shakes his head.
“I don’t mean to upset you, kiddo.” The pet name twists your gut tighter with frustration - even though Yoongi’s voice is filled with gentle adoration when he calls out to you. “But I’ll be damned if I let us walk into that forest without knowing where we’re going or whose claws we’re running into. The Gifted Commune is, at best, a rumor. At worst - a trap.”
You want to tell him that falling for a rumor or getting caught by the government is better than sitting in a concrete cage. The prospect of finding a community of other Gifted runaways who have managed to create a society safe from the evils you’ve grown up with means more to you than the fear of the unknown.
There’s no use, though. Jessi is nodding along to Yoongi’s words; the blank expression she wears when she’s upset already masks her face.
“I will not put you in a situation where you must kill or be killed, Y/N. I won’t fucking do it.” Yoongi clears his throat suddenly, and he looks away from you. You’re unsure, but think he might be blinking back unshed tears.
You’re still pissed, but now your anger is mixed quite prettily with debilitating guilt. You’ve never seen Yoongi cry, and you realize with a sinking feeling that you really don’t want to.
“It’s too fucking risky,” Jessi finally speaks. She presses her fingers against her forehead, massaging it slowly as she, too, looks for words. “The radio is almost fixed; I can feel that it’s close. Then we will have a clearer line of communication with the Commune. It doesn’t guarantee anything, obviously, but it’s better than going in without fucking knowing anything.”
There’s nothing else to say. Yoongi doesn’t look at you or Jessi, instead staring at something in the opposite corner of the room.
Jessi gives you what you think is a smile laced with pity - or at least an apology.
How can everyone be so content to stay in the warehouse? You’re a bunch of sitting ducks, hiding out in the same location for months, practically waiting for the government to send their agents to either corral you into laboratories again or exterminate you. You don’t understand how becoming a moving target is a bad thing.
But, ultimately, you don’t understand why Yoongi can’t just trust you.
With a frustrated huff, you twist around to hurry out of the kitchen. As you cross the threshold, Namjoon appears in the doorway.
“Oh, I need to ask you-”
You don’t mean to shove Namjoon with your shoulder as hard as you do, but you don’t have the patience to comply with whatever he expects you to do for him. Probably more sparring and training.
On the one hand, sharing your identity as a water elemental with someone else in the group is an affirming experience. On the other, it’s infuriating because Namjoon sees your potential and pushes you toward it - even when you fight against him.
Namjoon sputters something, and you hear Jessi convince him to drop it. Whatever else they have to say is lost on you; you’re no longer interested in entertaining the conversations of the “leaders” of the group. Part of you wants to find Hoseok or Jungkook to force them to commiserate with you, but something about dumping your sludge of emotions onto them feels wrong.
So you do what you’ve always done best: you repress.
It isn’t until a few hours later when you’re lounging on your makeshift bed with the only tattered book you kept from your facility (Fahrenheit 451, how fitting), that you give yourself over to the gnawing need to interact with other humans.
Jungkook bounces on the balls of his feet, items that you can’t make out pressed against his chest.
“Will you cut my hair for me, noona?”
The out-of-use honorific flusters you, making your face burn under Jungkook’s attentive gaze.
“You don’t have to be so formal with me,” you insist, embarrassment ravaging your twisted stomach and fluttering chest. Something about the attention Jungkook gives you makes you feel nervous and giddy.
“It’s not very formal, really. It’s… respectful? I just… You are, it means,” Jungkook lets out a huff. He blows his bangs out of his face as his cheeks turn pink. “You are special to me.”
You duck your head, shocked by Jungkook’s honesty. It warms you in a way you’re not sure you understand, letting the feeling sit inside your chest rather than exploring it any further.
“Where I come from, we don’t have words like that.”
Jungkook gives you a shrug. Neither of you mentions that in Korea, those words don’t really exist anymore, either.
“But, okay,” you relent softly.
Jungkook stands beside the mess of blankets that make up your bed, holding a pair of scissors and electric clippers Jessi enhanced to operate on their own. Jungkook nicked them from a Red Pin on their way out of the research facility he’d grown up in. Hairstyling tools didn’t seem high on your list of items to steal, but they’d come in handy. Like now, with Jungkook’s bangs falling entirely into his eyes and his hair sweeping across his shoulders.
The pout Jungkook wears lessens slightly. He holds out the tools with an expectant look on his face. It’s cute how his bottom lip juts out, pink and chapped from nervously chewing on it. You’d overheard Namjoon scolding him for something earlier that morning before you went outside to patrol the grounds with Hoseok and Jessi.
Taking the items from Jungkook, you lead him out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. The lights sputter briefly before they fully brighten the small room. Jessi was excited to learn that her Gift extended to electricity as a whole, not just that within technology like computers and radios. With all your Gifts combined, the warehouse is liveable, almost comfortable.
Jungkook sits on the closed lid of the toilet, making you tower over him. He parts his legs slightly so you can stand between them as you run your fingers through his hair.
You spread your fingers and sweep his bangs up, exposing his forehead. It opens up his face more and makes him look older. Jungkook is handsome; there’s no denying that. You’re sure in another life, he could have been a regular college kid with a sweet girlfriend and a bright future.
“What would you like me to do?”
“Hmm?” Jungkook hums with his eyes closed, and his head tilted back slightly.
You don’t miss how he leans into your touch, completely pliable in your hands, as you massage his scalp and continue to play with his hair. It’s thick and soft, even without the proper haircare products to maintain the health of the follicles.
“How do you want me to cut it, silly?”
You reach for the hairbrush you keep tucked away in the bathroom cabinet. It takes a few more moments of silence while you brush out Jungkook’s waves before he finally speaks.
“Short. Cut it all off, please? It’s too hard to take care of now, and it gets in my face.”
“Don’t get mad at me if it comes out bad.”
Jungkook lets out a frustrated sound. “You always do a great job. You gave Yoongi hyung an undercut. It looks so good!”
At the mention of Yoongi, you feel your heart drop. Somehow you know Jungkook is here to make you feel better even if he hasn’t said anything about the argument, and he’s the one seeking your help, not the other way around. He’s a distraction - one you wonder if Yoongi sent himself.
It isn’t that Yoongi won’t apologize; you just never give him a chance to before you run off to lick your wounds on your own.
It’s the healing quality of solitude, you think as you prepare to cut Jungkook’s hair. However, this time, you’re not alone.
You can’t help but smile when Jungkook starts singing a song of his own creation as chunks of his hair fall to the floor. His song drowns out the static that buzzes in your brain like the fuzziness Jessi’s broken radio emits when anyone but her fiddles with it.
“This way,” you speak softly, not wanting to disrupt his singing as you press your fingertips against his jaw and under his chin to lift his face toward you. Your finger presses against the little mole just below Jungkook’s bottom lip. The angle gives you a better view of your work so far.
A small smile flickers on Jungkook’s face as though he’s trying to keep it down, but the corners of his mouth won’t listen to him.
“It feels nice. We don’t touch.”
You hum and nod your head, but Jungkook’s eyes are still closed. It’s true; kind touches are rare. Hoseok is really the only one who gives out hugs. Everything is tough all the time. There’s little room for gentleness, even amongst friends.
So you understand when Jungkook’s smile wins out, and he finally surrenders to the happiness your light touches along his jaw bring him.
4 MONTHS, 5 DAYS
It takes Yoongi three days to apologize.
Perhaps you should have apologized first, but you struggle to see how you could have done anything that warrants an apology. Yes, you feel bad for upsetting Yoongi, but his attitude toward you lately has rubbed you the wrong way.
During the three days it takes him to apologize to you, he seems to do his best to avoid you.
On the days you’re assigned to go on patrol with Yoongi, Jungkook accompanies you instead. You don’t mind having Jungkook by your side, you discover, even though you’re upset that Yoongi is behaving so childishly.
Neither Jungkook nor Yoongi talks much, but you learn that their silence feels different. Whereas Yoongi’s silence stems from feeling confident and content with not needing to fill the air with incessant babbling, Jungkook’s silence is awkward and heavy. He fiddles with the loose strings of his shirt, his reddened cuticles, and everything else. You don’t mind the awkwardness, though. It’s nice to comb through the woods with someone as powerful as Jungkook; you know there’s nothing to fear with him around.
The only weapon Jungkook carries is the knife strapped to his thigh. You, on the other hand, stay heavily armed. Your fingers tighten around your bow. When you twist your torso, the harness that holds your arrows digs into your shoulder. You also have a knife, though you are honestly afraid of close combat. A gun would be even better, but ammo is difficult to come by. It’s easier to collect your arrows after you’ve shot them, although you haven’t needed to yet. Since finding refuge at the warehouse, no one has discovered your group.
Apparently, all your friends are willing to keep testing fate. You aren’t interested in pushing your luck. Jungkook doesn’t comment on the group’s plans for moving forward - or lack thereof. Something tells you that he’ll do whatever Yoongi and Jessi tell him to do.
Still, going on patrol with Jungkook does a decent job of preventing your thoughts from straying toward your argument with Yoongi. Your hands brushed together a few times as you walked side by side, and you could practically feel Jungkook’s brain shortcircuit from the contact.
Part of you thinks he has a crush on you, but the more logical part of you knows he’s probably shy. The kid has gone through a lot in life. Not everything is always about you; you try to remind yourself. Yoongi doesn’t even want you. Why would Jungkook?
On the third day, bright doe eyes don’t greet you at the edge of the woods, just as the sun is kissing the sky for the first time. Instead, sharp cat eyes hold your gaze when you lightly jog over.
“Good morning, kiddo.”
Yoongi wears dark shorts with tattered edges cut from a pair of old jeans and a plain t-shirt the color of the forest in spring. It’s not warm enough to wear what he’s wearing, but fire elementals run hot like you run cold.
“Hi,” you say, voice a bit stunted as you hold your jacket tighter to your body.
You’ve foregone your bow and arrows today; you may or may not have snapped your bow in a fit of frustration that may or may not have anything to do with Yoongi ignoring you at dinner the night before. A knife and your Gift will have to do, but you feel it is enough. Namjoon insists on learning how to use your Gifts and weapons in tandem. For double the defense, or so he says.
Carrying a knife seems ridiculous when you know how to choke someone with their own spit without touching them.
Once you’re within arm’s reach, Yoongi offers his hand to you. He holds it as though he’s going in for a handshake. Yellow-orange fire licks at his palm and swirls in tendrils around his fingers and wrist.
After a few seconds of silence, he makes a slight grunting sound and wiggles his fingers, beckoning you.
It’s impossible not to cave. A prickly feeling tingles down your arm, beginning somewhere in your chest and eventually settling in your fingertips. A tiny hurricane of water stolen from the moisture in the air circles around your hand just as the fire does Yoongi’s.
He lets out a pleased sound when your palms glide across each other. You hook your thumbs together, using the momentum to spin your hands around until your fingers are interlaced and pressed into your palms. You both squeeze your hands once, twice, three times in a heartbeat before pulling away. By the end, the fire and water have disappeared.
When you meet Yoongi’s eyes, the warmth of the fire in his palm has transferred to his gaze. There is an apology in how you release each other’s hands. The handshake holds secret words of friendship and reassurance between you.
The two of you stand in silence for a bit until Yoongi tilts his head in the direction of the woods. You nod in response and follow Yoongi along one of the many patrol paths your group has established.
There’s never anything in the woods besides small animals like squirrels and rabbits, but everyone feels better knowing there is a consistent patrol of the area, just in case.
“So,” When you look at Yoongi, his lips twist into a light smirk you absolutely do not like. “You and Jungkook.”
“Me and Jungkook what?”
Yoongi shrugs. “Just seems like you two been hanging out a lot.”
“Yeah, because you were fucking ignoring me all week.”
His smirk drops into a stern frown, but Yoongi continues following the path. He walks slightly ahead of you with his hands clasped behind his back. It feels like he’s taking a leisurely stroll through a garden rather than going on patrol in the woods for government assassins.
“It was immature and irresponsible of me, and I’m sorry for that.”
Forgiving Yoongi is too easy. It’s the way the morning sun shines through the canopy of trees above you, casting streaks of light against his fading pink hair. The way he carries himself with confidence is gentle and comforting rather than arrogant or misplaced. It’s how he looks at you; you know he would do anything for you.
“It’s okay,” you finally concede. You scramble a bit to fall in line with Yoongi again. “I was being dramatic.”
“Life is one big drama, isn’t it?” Yoongi muses with a chuckle. It’s a question he doesn’t expect an answer to, which is good, considering you’ve got something else buzzing around in your head.
Well, fuck it. You’re just gonna say it.
Heart pounding, you eventually find it in you to say, “I still think you’re wrong.”
After a moment, Yoongi hums in acknowledgment of your admission but doesn’t offer anything else. It’s better than nothing, so you tell yourself to be content with all that he offers.
“Anyway…” You don’t want to drop the subject, but Yoongi’s question is nagging in the back of your brain now - a nagging question you now have a gnawing desire to know the meaning behind. “Me and Jungkook can hang out without it meaning-”
Before you can finish your statement, Yoongi slaps his hand against your mouth. The calluses on his palms are rough against your chapped lips, and his skin is sweaty. His free arm comes around to the front of your chest near your collarbones. He draws you against his chest so tightly you can’t move.
“Don’t talk.” His breath is hot against your face, and his voice is almost indiscernible.
You give a tiny nod before locking your body completely still. You hold your breath, straining to hear what Yoongi might hear or see what he might see. There’s nothing, just the usual sound of life in the woods - birds chirping, small animals scurrying in the brush. You don’t see anything either.
You can only focus on the frantic pounding of your heart and the calm beat of Yoongi’s against your back. How he can be so relaxed when he thinks there might be danger in the woods that you can’t even see is unreal.
Slowly, Yoongi takes a step back away from you. He holds a finger to his lips and silently mouths for you to stay where you are. Everything inside you screams to disobey as you watch Yoongi disappear further into the woods, the thick trees swallowing him whole.
But you don’t. You stay put, fear rooting you to the ground even though your body desperately wants to follow.
What lies beyond the thicket of trees? What is dangerous enough that Yoongi wants you to stay put but not so dangerous that he believes he can take it on alone?
Just when your resolve is about to crumble, something catches your attention out of the corner of your eye. Barely breathing, you turn your head to watch a dark spot glide across the forest floor. It’s two-dimensional, not an object but a presence creeping along the ground.
Suddenly, the spot grows. It spreads, turning its shape from a flat, uneven circle to a thing with tendrils sticking out of it, each new tendril moving independently. You gasp when one of the tendrils creeps up your leg. Despite being two-dimensional, you can feel the darkness. It’s firm and cold, like a snake slithering up your body.
Every inch of you trembles as the strange darkness slowly spreads across your body. You squeeze your eyes and hold your breath. Perhaps this is the thing that Yoongi saw, a phantom stalking the trees. But now you’re left behind to be absorbed into its darkness, eaten alive.
You’re startled when the cold disappears; instead, strong arms pull you against a firm chest. Warmth envelopes you, and when you open your eyes, you see familiar ones looking back at you.
“I got you,” Jungkook murmurs. He has you tucked under his chin, and he tilts his head down when he speaks to you. You shiver as his lips lightly brush against your forehead.
“Where did you-”
“Shhh.”
Jungkook’s heart isn’t steady like Yoongi’s had been. On the contrary, it’s beating rather furiously. You can hear him attempting to regulate his emotions, taking in mindful breaths and exhaling in a way that tickles your skin.
You don’t know how long you stand there pulled against Jungkook’s chest. After a while, your breathing matches his until you fall into a gentle rhythm that makes you sleepy. The adrenaline is making you crash, your body hardly strong enough to hold yourself up after panicking so severely - still panicking. Luckily, when you lean into Jungkook, his hold on you tightens.
In another situation, pressing your fronts together would have flooded your body with heat. You can feel all of Jungkook like this, from the bulging muscles of his chest to his thigh pressed slightly between your legs from how he holds you up. But fear of the unknown and Jungkook’s clearly distressed state prevent those other thoughts from materializing.
Jungkook’s body doesn’t relax until Yoongi appears around the corner of a large tree. He keeps his arms wrapped around you, and for a second, Yoongi looks around at the clearing you’re in as though he can’t see you.
It isn’t until Jungkook lets go of you that recognition flashes in Yoongi’s eyes.
“There you are,” Yoongi murmurs to the two of you. He looks like he rolled around on the ground, little pieces of leaves and sticks caught in his hair and stuck to his clothes. His left knee is bleeding from a few superficial scrapes.
“What the fuck happened to you?”
Yoongi looks at Jungkook before he answers your question, which irritates you. “I tripped when I rushed in, but it was nothing. Just a large fox I heard making noise back there.”
A fox is likely the largest animal in the woods, with no bears or wolves in the area. Still, you don’t trust Yoongi. You can pick up on the charred smell coming off of him. He smells like a barbecue, which means only one thing…
“Have you been practicing turning yourself invisible?”
Jungkook ducks his head down but no longer has long bangs to hide his face. It takes a second for your brain to process Yoongi’s question - and the change in the topic - but Jungkook is already answering him by the time you figure it out.
“It’s not really invisibility,” he says softly. “It’s more like… an illusion.”
Yoongi hums and motions for the two of you to start walking. You’re returning to the warehouse, you realize, even though you only just started the patrol route.
“Yeah, I can… adjust the lighting, I guess? To make it seem like you can’t see me. Or, us, this time.”
Jungkook gives you a small smile when you whip around to look at him.
“I didn’t know you could do that.”
“Yeah,” Jungkook repeats. He draws his bottom lip between his teeth and wiggles it like he has more to say but doesn’t want to let it out just yet.
The three of you walk in silence until you reach the warehouse. When Yoongi walks ahead of you, you can tell he’s limping, even as he does his best to walk normally.
“He’s okay.”
Jungkook stands beside you in the field behind the warehouse, watching Yoongi reach the backdoor.
“He’s bleeding.”
Jungkook’s ears are pink when he responds, “He’ll be okay.”
“He’s lying to us.”
Jungkook absentmindedly runs his fingers along his bottom lip. It droops as he speaks through a pout. “Maybe. But I trust him, even if he is.”
It’s a strange thing to trust someone who is lying.
All you can do is nod. All you can do is accept that the people around you are doing what’s right because, aside from them, there is no one and nothing you can trust in the world.
As you approach the warehouse, Jungkook curls his fingers around your wrist to stop you. He watches you with the same wide-eyed look he gives everyone, though something about this time feels different. His expression is more open and vulnerable. He looks at you like he’s waiting for you to hurt him.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” he apologizes softly.
“But you didn’t?”
Your eyebrows crease your forehead, trying to recall what you may have done to make Jungkook feel like you feared him. Sure, his sudden appearance in the woods was startling, but he’d brought you a feeling of comfort and safety - not fear.
Jungkook doesn’t correct you. Instead, he lets go of your wrist as shame warms his cheeks, but he doesn’t look away from you. The timidness is still there. You can see it in how he chews on his bottom lip. Still, his eyes take on a more guarded, hardened expression for a split second, and then…
He’s gone.
“What the fuck?” You mutter to yourself.
Now that you’ve seen the darkness before, your eyes quickly notice the spot on the ground that creeps and grows into odd shapes, slinking along the grass before taking form up your legs, curling around your arms.
It’s Jungkook. You knew it in the woods, somewhere deep down. Your fear for Yoongi’s safety - and your own - prevented you from processing the situation. But now, as the darkness envelopes you again, you know what to expect when you close your eyes and open them to see Jungkook’s broad chest as he crushes you against him.
“You never showed me before.”
Maybe it’s weird that you’re still clinging to each other, but Jungkook is warm and solid, and his heartbeat guides yours into a slower rhythm.
“That’s because it’s creepy.”
“Well, I think it’s cool. Even though, yeah, you kinda scared the shit outta me.”
Jungkook lets out an embarrassed whine and squeezes you tighter. You knew he could command shadows but hadn’t realized he could become one or move within them. Sure, the tornado trick he’d done a few times with Hoseok had been cool, but you’d always thought he was merely swirling the darkness around himself. You hadn’t realized he was the darkness.
Honestly, it made him all the more terrifying and equally as endearing.
“I just had this… feeling something bad was happening…” Jungkook whispers into your hair. “I needed to check.”
“Good thing it was only a fox.”
Jungkook nods in agreement; you know he believes it more than you do.
“I’m just happy you’re safe.” You can feel his cheek press against the top of your head for a moment before he finally releases you.
There’s a feeling there as Jungkook leads you to the warehouse. He laces his fingers with yours, and you can’t help but hear Yoongi’s question on a loop in your head.
You and Jungkook?
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS
“What if they think we’re the feds and feed us false information?”
“We’re too stupid to be the feds. It would be obvious.”
“I don’t know… we all escaped the government, so they must be pretty stupid.”
“What if they’re the feds?”
“Shit, I never thought about that.”
“They’re not the fucking feds.”
“How do you know that?!”
“Can all of you please just shut the fuck up?”
The six of you crowd around the radio on the kitchen table. Jessi shows you how to operate it, which flip to switch to activate the microphone, and how to adjust the volume. You’re all muted for now. When Hoseok goes to flip the switch, Jessi smacks his hand out of the way.
“Listen to me,” she says sternly, turning in her seat to get a good look at all of you. “No one talks.”
“But-”
“No one talks.”
Five heads nod at her command, including Yoongi, which feels very satisfying to you for some reason.
Details of the Gifted Commune somewhere beyond the woods traveled by word of mouth. Coordinates and radio frequencies were exchanged in hushed tones between the Gifteds who dared dream of a life beyond the Labs. You’re sad to admit that you were never one of those Gifteds. It wasn’t until Yoongi helped you escape that you even realized escaping was an option, so brainwashed into thinking the Labs were all you had. You were in a new country, stumbling through an unfamiliar language, taken from your family. Sure, you’d learned enough to get by over time - but missing your adolescent years made you feel hopeless.
Jessi is the only one who had communicated with the Commune leaders in the past when she and another Gifted managed to break into a control room in the Labs she came from.
That’s why she’s the one to speak into the radio that you find operates much like a long-distance walkie-talkie. You’re glad it’s not you. She introduces herself, her whereabouts, and her credentials with an even voice you know you could never replicate.
Despite the distrust you’re all afraid of, Jessi’s previous connection to the Commune makes it easy for her to request to speak to the Commune leader, a healer named Kim Taehyung.
Sitting with your fingers gripping the edge of the table so tightly your knuckles are beginning to ache, you lean forward as though you can get closer to the gentle voice that floats from the radio’s speakers.
Taehyung doesn’t sound anything like you’d imagined, though you aren’t sure what you were expecting, to be honest. Maybe someone with a rougher voice made harsh by the trials of life as a fugitive of the Republic. Instead, he’s soft as he asks Jessi how many there are of you and what your coordinates are. This man, already larger than life even though none of you knows what he looks like, is patient as he gives Jessi instructions on how to reach the Commune.
“I can assure you,” Taehyung speaks, and you don’t know what he’s about to say, but you find yourself already believing him, “You will be safe here. It won’t be a short trip.” That makes your gut twist, but you focus on his following words. “But there are abandoned shelters along the route to find refuge in. The nights get terribly cold.”
Namjoon scribbles some notes down on a worn piece of paper. It’s been written on and erased to add more notes over the months you’ve been at the warehouse since there are only a few pieces of paper between the six of you. There’s a small hole in the middle of the page where someone erased too hard - or too many times, you suppose.
“Thank you, Taehyung-ssi.”
The line is quiet for a moment. Jessi’s gaze shoots up to glare at Jungkook’s interruption, but Taehyung speaks before she can chastise the younger man.
“Anything for my dongsaeng,” the man on the other side of the radio states.
You don’t know him, so there is no way to tell if the subtle lilt to his voice indicates affection, but it seems like it as the two men use polite terms no one ever uses anymore. It’s old-fashioned and reminiscent of a time lost to all of you.
Jessi steers the conversation back to planning the group’s journey to the Commune. Excitement makes you jittery as you skip out of the kitchen, the men - aside from Yoongi - following after you. The boring stuff is what follows, and you’re all content to let the leaders discuss that stuff.
“Do you think we’ll be able to do it?” Hoseok clasps his hands together, occasionally squeezing them. When he speaks, he keeps his eyes on the closed kitchen door.
Namjoon shrugs at the same time you respond, “We have to.”
5 MONTHS
Later, when you look back on this time in your life, you’ll see that everything that transpired during those precious months at the warehouse led up to this.
At the moment, though, you don’t see anything but the beginnings of spring attempting to sprout from the hard winter earth.
You sit on the roof atop the old milkcrate with your elbows on your knees. Your eyes follow a small butterfly floating through the light breeze. It’s quiet, just like any other day.
Yoongi, Jessi, and Namjoon are inside, preparing for the trip you all will make through the woods to the Commune. Hoseok and Jungkook are somewhere at the perimeter of the woods, gathering whatever they can as food for the trip.
You’ve learned that there is a runaway at the Commune whose Gift allows them to disguise the Commune, similar to Jungkook’s Gift of optical illusion through shadows. Except this Gifted can alter reality, bend the shape of time and space to make the Commune simply…. disappear to anyone they don’t want to find it.
It sounds otherworldly, something you can hardly wrap your head around, but you must remind yourself that before your Gift had revealed itself to you, you had never believed in the supernatural or fantasy. Now you were everything a younger version of you couldn’t have begun to believe.
A tiny part of you had been worried that you would get nervous, but you find you can’t sit still from the enthusiasm building up energy in your body to the point you might explode. It’s exciting, the knowledge that in a few short days, you won’t have to sit on top of this roof with your bow and fear that has seemed to make its home deep inside your chest.
Soon you’ll be safe.
You hold your breath as the butterfly gently flutters toward you. With a slight dip in its flight, the beautiful insect descends until it rests on your shoe. You’re pretty sure you learned somewhere that butterflies shouldn’t be touched, but you want to run your finger along its wings so badly.
Just before you can touch it, a scream rings out, echoing against the warehouse and reverberating across the industrial park’s empty fields and parking lots. Crows take off into the sky, their cawing harmonizing with the shouts coming from behind you.
With your heart beating in your throat, you stand and run to the other side of the roof toward the woods.
“RUN! Y/N, FUCKING RUN!”
You just barely catch a glimpse of Jungkook’s face as he sprints out of the woods before suddenly disappearing. Your blood becomes ice, piercing your veins as it glides through your body. Jungkook is a shadow now, you tell yourself. He didn’t really disappear.
Hoseok stumbles out of the woods behind Jungkook, the wind at his feet enabling him to run across the field faster than an average human.
At first, you think they’re just playing some silly game. Jungkook and Hoseok always mess around, pranking each other and playfighting. This seems like some elaborate joke until you watch Hoseok use his Gift to lift a giant chunk of concrete from the ground near the warehouse and throw it toward the woods.
You watch with wide eyes as multiple masked men, wearing all black except for the blood-red insignia of the Republic on their chests, crash through the woods like a spring flood.
Red Pin agents.
They’re armed with guns, some still on their hips while others are holding them out in front of them as they swarm the warehouse’s perimeter.
One of the men tilts his head up, his dark eyes locking with yours before you drop to your knees to hide behind the protective barrier around the roof.
You throw your bow over your arm and head so it rests across your chest and back and crawl as quickly as you can toward the trapdoor.
Your limbs tremble so terribly that you miss the last few rungs of the ladder and fall flat on your back, knocking the wind out of you. With a gasp, you touch the back of your head and try to blink away the stars swarming your eyes. When you bring your hand back, your fingers are coated red.
“Shit! Get up, Y/N. Get the fuck up!”
A pair of strong hands squeeze your biceps, and once your vision clears, you see that it’s Jessi hauling you to your feet. There are grease streaks on her face. You wonder if they’re from…
“The radio,” you croak, your lungs still struggling to work properly.
“It was fucking rigged,” she spits, “I don’t know how I couldn’t sense it. But it was.”
And now they are here to collect you - or kill you, you aren’t sure.
Maybe they would spare Jungkook. He has a Rare Gift; they would be stupid to harm him. The rest of you, though? Common Gifts - although Jessi’s is Uncommon, but certainly not Rare.
You feel lightheaded, likely from the fall and blood loss as it trickles down the back of your neck. It’s thick and wet. The smell of iron floods your nostrils and makes your stomach curl inward. It doesn’t matter, though. Jessi throws your arm around her shoulders and practically drags you through the warehouse.
Inside is a tornado. Namjoon and Hoseok are scrambling to gather as many supplies as they can. Luckily, many of the essential items are already packed, though Jessi quickly tosses out the radio from the duffle bag she flings over her shoulder.
“Stupid piece of fucking military bullshit,” she grumbles, giving the item a harsh kick with her steel-toed boots. “Gonna get us all fucking killed.”
Hoseok lets out a whine. “Please don’t say that.”
His face is bright pink, and his hands shake while he shoves clothes, random notes, and anything else he can find into his duffle bag.
“We need to get the fuck out of here,” Jessi growls in response. Her tone has Namjoon and Hoseok picking up the pace.
Somewhere below you, likely on the first floor, you hear the sound of glass breaking.
“Fuck,” Namjoon hisses. You don’t think you’ve ever heard him curse before, and in any other situation, you would have giggled. But right now, he looks so grim it makes all the hairs on your arms stand. “They’re inside.”
The sound of shouting and boots slapping against the concrete floors gets louder the longer the four of you stare at each other. Even Jessi, with her commanding presence, seems to stand frozen in place. The shouting becomes easier to understand as death threats if your group refuses to cooperate and willingly turn yourselves in to the government.
As if any of you would actually go back to the Labs. At least, not without a fight.
“If we stand here, we are going to die.” Your voice trembles just barely above a whisper. It’s enough, though.
Namjoon gives a curt nod and looks around the room you’re in - the room that was once your bedroom. Your little nest of blankets is in the corner, along with Jungkook’s and Jessi’s. The beds have been rifled through, likely by Namjoon and Hoseok collecting the warmest blankest to bring on the trip.
“The window,” Hoseok finally says with a quiet hiss. The warehouse is relatively large, so it will take some time for the Red Pin agents to figure out which room you’re in.
The four of you rush to the window and peer out of it. From what you can tell, there aren’t any Red Pin agents below. Even if there are, it would be a smaller number than is currently bulldozing through the warehouse.
It’s a long drop, though. You’re on the third floor.
“I’ll ease you down,” Hoseok insists. He props open the window and rests his hip against the wall. “Sit on the edge, with your feet out like that.” His fingers are delicate but firm as he positions Namjoon the way he needs him to be. Sweet Namjoon, willing to put his life in Hoseok’s hands and go first in case something terrible happens.
Hoseok’s hands shake as he uses his Gift to slow Namjoon’s fall when the other man finally jumps from the window.
Tears burn the corners of your eyes as you watch Jessi do the same as Namjoon. The two land on the ground roughly but without injury. Hoseok looks exhausted, likely from the pressure of not fucking up and less because of the exertion.
“Come on,” he urges you as the Red Pin agents’ shouting gets louder. “They’re close.”
You climb into the window, letting your legs dangle out the other side. Before Hoseok conjures a gentle breeze between his hands, you grab onto his wrist. Something is tugging at your chest; it has been since the moment you saw Hoseok and Jungkook escape from the woods.
“Hobi,” you hope he hears the plead in your voice. “Where is Yoongi?”
The way he grimaces shoots anxiety through you so severely that you feel your entire body jolt.
“He and Jungkook are down there.”
“Down there…”
“Figh-”
Hoseok cuts himself off by letting out a shrill shriek when Jungkook suddenly materializes beside you. He has a deep gash on his cheek, blood pouring from the wound, coating his chin and neck deep red. His hair is matted and stands up on end, and there’s more blood all over his clothes, enough that you can’t tell if the blood is from him or someone else.
“Get out,” he wheezes. When he grabs Hoseok’s arm, he leaves blotches of blood on his skin. “Hyung’s gonna blow it up.”
“Blow it up?” You hiss, twisting around to stare at Jungkook.
It’s a mistake.
His irises are dark and wide, so vast that his eyes are almost entirely black. It gives him a crazed look, like a wild animal backed into a corner with its teeth bared.
What’s worse, it’s not just his eyes that are black. The veins in his neck are black like dark spiderwebs climbing up his throat and spreading down so far that it reaches the raised veins in the backs of his hands. He looks like he’s possessed, like the darkness of his Gift is consuming him whole.
“Get out.”
Before you can argue further, you feel Jungkook’s palm press between your shoulder blades, and suddenly you’re falling out of the window.
When you open your eyes, you’re on the ground. Your upper body is propped up by Namjoon. His arms are wrapped around your torso, your back pulled against his chest to stabilize you. His chest rapidly raises and falls against you, but you hardly notice this. All you can focus on are the eyes staring back at you.
“You okay, kid?”
Yoongi looks much like Jungkook. Blood is splattered across his face and staining his clothes. His faded pink hair is plastered to his sweat-drenched skin. He crouches beside you and Namjoon, one hand pressed into the grass to keep himself steady.
From behind Yoongi, you can hear gunshots and screaming echoing through the warehouse. If Hell had a sound, you were sure it would be this.
You try to turn to look at the building you’d just jumped from, but Yoongi grabs your chin.
“Hey,” he lightly squeezes your cheeks. “As long as we’re together, you don’t gotta worry about anything. You remember that?”
You nod once Yoongi drops his hand from your face. You try not to shiver when the air blows against your now wet skin; try not to think about how your skin is now stained with someone else’s blood.
“Hyung!”
Yoongi turns toward the warehouse. Now that he’s distracted, he can’t stop you from peering around him to get a look at the building that you’ve made your home for the past five months.
What looks like black smoke furls around the building. From how the tendrils move like snakes through busted-out windows, you know it isn’t smoke but shadows. Through an open window, you watch one of the shadows slip around a Red Pin agent’s throat like a noose. It tightens and tightens, squeezing the man so hard his face turns purple and his eyes water.
Before you can witness more, your view is again obscured by Yoongi.
“Hyung!”
Jungkook’s shout sounds more desperate than the first, and you feel your heart constrict at the pained edge of his tone.
Yoongi must notice the desperation, as well, because he quickly grabs your hand. Fire swirls between his fingers as he presses his palm against yours.
“Yoongi, please-”
“You need to listen to me.”
He presses his hand against yours even harder, only letting up when you give in and summon little streams of water to intertwine with his fire. You don’t like how rushed your secret handshake feels.
“I need you to look after Jungkook. The kid’s stubborn as fuck, worse than you.”
“Why are you saying this?”
Yoongi’s gives you a small smile, lifting his hand to swipe his thumb against your cheek. The blood there mixes with the tears you hadn’t realized you’re shedding.
“Because it’s what I need you to do.”
Taking your face in his hands, Yoongi pulls you close to kiss your forehead. You feel Namjoon lift you to your feet when Yoongi lets go. Hoseok had cushioned your fall from the window, but you’re weak from blood loss and the exhaustion that fear can instill in the bones.
Before you can say anything more, Yoongi sprints toward the warehouse, disappearing through the backdoor and into the darkness that surrounds the building.
“Namjoon, let me go!” You scream as your friend squeezes his arms around your waist to haul you toward the woods. Jessi and Hoseok wait for you there, hidden within the trees, as the sounds of fighting and death from the warehouse get louder.
Your friend lets out a low grunt when you dig your heels into the ground, but he’s stronger than you, and the action only deters him for a moment. He lifts you a bit, practically carrying you.
Namjoon only stops when a flash of bright red light turns the entire industrial park dark for a split second before a deafening crash rings through the air. Even though your feet aren’t on the ground, you can feel the ground shake with the explosion that busts all the windows out of the warehouse. The entire building bursts into flames, turning the walls black. Balls of fire fly out of the broken windows, igniting the grass below.
You crumble to the ground once Namjoon reaches the woods.
“We have to go,” Hoseok pleads. When you look up at him, his cheeks are streaked with tear tracks, too.
Turning back to the fiery scene across the field, you watch a dark spot slither from shadow to shadow in the grass until it merges with your own shadow beside you on the ground. You tremble when Jungkook wraps his arms around your shoulders. His body is still crawling with dark veins, and the whites of his eyes are now entirely black.
“Where is he?”
You glare into Jungkook’s eyes and swallow down the fear they strike in your heart. Like black holes, ready to absorb anything unlucky enough to fall in their path.
The frown Jungkook wears intensifies.
“Jungkook. Where. Is. He.”
Jungkook closes his eyes and shakes his head, jaw clamped shut so tightly you can see the muscles ripple under his skin. When he opens them again, black tears pour from his empty eyes.
It’s like all the air is sucked out of your lungs, like a punch to the throat. You’re breathing in as hard as you can, as fast as you can, but nothing’s staying. Everything is too cold. You can feel the blood crusting on your skin, the throb in the back of your head. Black ash falls from the sky, further obstructing your ability to breathe.
Everything is too much.
“Get off of me.”
You try wiggling out from Jungkook’s grasp, but he doesn’t let go.
“We have to keep moving.”
“Get the fuck off of me!”
Jungkook lets you push him away. He leans back on his heels and watches you. Or, you think he is. It’s hard to tell where those black eyes look, but it doesn’t matter.
“Yoongi,” you moan, sagging forward to dig your fingers into the ground. You rip tufts of grass until all that’s left is dirt.
With closed fists, you beat into the now bare ground, over and over, until your knuckles split open, and Jungkook has to scoop you into his arms to stop you. Your fingers are raw and bloody, and you don’t feel any of it. Nothing at all. Just numb. Numbness spreads through your body like Jungkook’s black veins spread through his.
None of this is real.
“Jungkook,” you sob into the crook of his neck with your arms thrown around his shoulders. He holds you bridal style with one arm wrapped around your torso and the other under your legs.
“I know.”
“He’s coming back, right? How will he find us if we keep going?”
Jungkook tightens his hold on you, cradling you against his chest. You assume he’s following the group deeper into the woods, but your eyes are closed, and your face is buried in his neck. He smells like smoke and blood, but you all do now.
“Jungkook, he’s coming back, right?”
A wet sob cuts through the otherwise quiet woods somewhere in front of you. You think it’s Hoseok, but you can’t tell.
“This way,” Jessi whispers.
There’s shuffling, then only the sound of feet crunching dead leaves and snapping twigs. Jungkook jostles you slightly to adjust his grip on you, murmuring gentle apologies every time he does.
“How are you holding up?” This time it’s Namjoon. He sounds close, like he’s walking in line with Jungkook.
“I can keep us hidden until we’re deeper in, but then I’ll have to stop,” Jungkook says through gritted teeth, as though he doesn’t want to admit what he must say next. “I’m exhausted.”
“Want me to carry-”
“No.”
Jungkook barks his response with an aggression you’ve never heard from him. He squeezes you, almost protectively close to his chest, as Namjoon assures him everything is fine. It’s hard to focus on the men’s hushed voices when you waver in and out of consciousness.
Eventually, all you can see when your close your eyes is a flash of bright light, like fire engulfing your brain.
And then everything goes black.
SHELTER #2
Hoseok’s hands shake as he holds the flint rock in one and the steel knife in the other. Twigs snap beneath his boots as he adjusts his squat. Each fidget draws your attention despite your desire to keep your eyes off the sight of Hoseok struggling.
After three failed attempts at creating a spark, Jessi quickly snatches the items from Hoseok’s grasp and kneels beside the fire pit.
“You’re gonna fucking stab yourself,” she grumbles, though she, too, struggles the first few tries. Eventually, the little pile of tinder ignites, filling the circle of rocks you’d gathered with a hot fire whose heat licks at your ankles.
Namjoon fists your jacket sleeve and drags you backward, nearly toppling you over and making the wet grass stain the butt of your pants a dark green.
It rained today. You can’t help but wonder if it washed away the blood and soot from the warehouse or if more Red Pin agents will show up and find evidence of what happened there.
“You’re sitting too close.”
“I’m cold.”
“You’re too close, Y/N.”
You glare at Namjoon, opening your mouth to retort that you’re an adult who can take care of yourself when a sob cuts through the tension between you.
Hoseok shudders with each heave of his shoulders, nearly folding in on himself, with his elbows on his knees and his palms pressed against his eyes.
“Hyung,” Namjoon calls out; his voice barely registers over Hoseok’s crying.
“It makes me think of him.” It’s all Hoseok says, all he needs to say.
Namjoon and Jessi’s expressions crumple like Hoseok’s body in the dirt. You watch them lock eyes with each other, something silent and private passing between them. You don’t know why, but it pisses you off. It shouldn’t, though.
Something dark and sick is growing inside you, this angry mass doubling in size every time someone cries for Yoongi. He was your best friend. He found you, saved you, and helped you see that there was more to life. The rest of them don’t get it. Yoongi didn’t mean to them what he meant to you.
Attempting to hoard grief all to yourself isn’t fair to you or the rest of your group, but you want to do it anyway. You want to be selfish because you feel you deserve the right to hurt the most. The rest of them don’t get it.
Rather than voice your frustration, you bite your bottom lip and dig your fingers into the dirt, winding up your whole body into a tight fist that’s not quite ready to spring but prepared all the same. If you let yourself loose, you know you’ll say something you shouldn’t – something you know you don’t actually mean and that you’ll regret, if not tomorrow, then ten years from now. Assuming you survive that long.
For now, survival should be the only thing on your mind.
The fire sputters slightly. A section of the tinder is wet from the morning’s rain. You hold out your hand, palm facing the sky, and wait.
Hoseok’s sobs have subsided by the time you’ve drawn the moisture out of the wet wood. It sits in a small pool of water in your palm. A reckless part of you wants to plunge your hand into the fire, but you spread your fingers apart instead. The water falls through your fingers and soaks into the grass.
The fire’s crackling overpowers the silence that blankets the four of you. Each of you stares deep into its flames, streaks of orange burning in your eyes. You wonder if Jungkook’s invisibility shield (“Optical illusion, guys.”) is strong enough to hide the fire. You’d never thought to ask if he can maintain the shield when he’s not even around.
Twigs snapping in the distance make you reach for the knife sticking out of the ground beside you. Hoseok doesn’t seem concerned by the sound, but his sense of smell as the air carries it to him may be compromised from all the crying. His nose has been running since your group left the warehouse.
You haven’t cried since you woke up inside the first abandoned shelter Taehyung mentioned would be on your path to the Commune. Even if you wanted to cry, you wouldn’t be able to. The part of your chest where the sobs should come from just feels empty.
The rustling in the woods increases until you hear the sound of someone clearing their throat.
Jungkook emerges from the darkness with a satchel – Yoongi’s satchel – thrown across his chest and a stone bowl in his arms.
“Rabbit. I skinned them already. I thought you guys might not wanna see…” Jungkook trails off when his bright eyes fall on Hoseok’s tear-stained face. With a quiet sigh, he crouches beside the fire and slides the satchel off, handing it to Namjoon.
“Fruits,” he mumbles, not looking in Namjoon’s direction once the older man takes the bag from him. Instead, and unsurprisingly, Jungkook’s eyes are on you.
You look away. There’s too much in those eyes, full of constellations of stories you’re too weak to learn. Bending your knees, you draw your legs against your chest and hug them, returning your gaze to the fire while Jungkook prepares to cook the meat and Namjoon handles the other food.
Yoongi asked you to look after Jungkook, but it’s he who has taken care of the group. Namjoon seems too busy fussing over Hoseok, and you know you aren’t any help. Jessi is the leader by default now that Yoongi isn’t here to take charge. She’s strong and has kept the group on a tight schedule. You know it’s her way of coping. There’s no time to lose herself in mourning if she charges ahead. Having an end goal gives her purpose.
If only you knew what yours was.
SHELTER #3
Your feet sink into the ground with each step you take. The sand feels soft between your toes as you wiggle them, watching the little black grains roll across your skin and make your toes disappear. Your steps halt just before you reach the water’s edge, where bright orange waves lap at the black shore. The shore stretches in both directions, a black stripe for as far as you can see. A ghost of a memory tickles your brain. Jack-o’-lanterns lit by tealight candles, and the smell of cinnamon.
Suddenly, the orange waves kick up in speed, crashing against the shore more violently. The force causes black sand to spray into the air. You can taste it in your mouth, feel it gritty against your teeth and harsh on your tongue.
You try to lift your hands to cover your face, but you find that you can’t. They’re trapped to your sides by long vines that wrap around your wrists and dive deep into the sand, rooting you in place. You try to pull out of the vines’ grasp. Thorns dig into your skin so deeply that black blood oozes from the jagged puncture wounds the thorns leave behind.
“Don’t struggle.”
The voice brings stillness to the whirlwind of sand and the crash of waves.
You already know who it is, but your body still feels surprised when Yoongi takes slow steps toward you from the other end of the shore. He’s dressed in a flowy white shirt and loose white pants. When you look down, you realize you’re matching.
“What do I do?”
Yoongi ignores your question. His fingers run along your forearm, his index finger dipping into one of the holes in your wrist, still dripping black blood. It doesn’t hurt, even though you know it should.
Dark cat eyes examine the black that stains his fingers. After another silent minute, Yoongi wipes your blood on the front of his shirt. You don’t know why you’re worried that he’ll ruin it.
“Jungkookie is here.”
“What?”
Yoongi walks toward the orange ocean. You scramble to keep up, but the sand grabs your ankles and pulls you back every time you step forward.
“Yoongi! Wait for me!”
“You don’t need me anymore. This is a good thing.”
Your friend nods his head before stepping into the water. The moment his foot touches the orange waves, the entire ocean bursts into flames.
“Yoongi!” You shriek, running as fast as possible, but the sand won’t let you go. It sucks you down until you’re up to your knees in the soft grains trapped in the hold of the shore. Your brain knows it’s hopeless, but your body keeps struggling even though Yoongi told you not to.
Suddenly, you feel rough hands grab your arms, and you’re being pulled into the sand, the grains filling your mouth and nose until your lungs are full and you can’t breathe.
“Hey, hey, shhh, it’s okay.”
Fingers trail along your hairline, dragging down the length of your face and tracing your jaw. Rather than cold sand, you feel something solid and warm wrap around your body.
“Breathe. In and out, okay? Inhale… exhale… I got you. It’s okay. I got you.”
As your body returns to you, you realize your face is pressed against smooth skin. You can taste salt on your lips, but no sand. When you blink, your eyelids feel heavy and wet.
You’re crying. Sobbing, actually.
“I miss him, too. So fucking much.”
Jungkook is crying, too. His voice remains steady, though. He’s always so steady now. The shy, fumbling boy of the warehouse is no more. In the time since the Red Pin attack, Jungkook changed. You all did, but he seems to have changed the most. His eyes still hold the stars, but the darkness seems… deeper now. His aura has lost its boyishness.
The abandoned building where your group has taken refuge is dark, only lit by the moonlight filtering through the slotted windows. You think it may have once been a cabin for a couple or small family.
Jungkook cradles you in his lap. The two of you are wrapped in thick blankets, cocooned away from the world.
“I’m sorry,” you whisper.
Jessi is asleep in the corner of the room, while Namjoon and Hoseok have made their beds in the room across the hall. You’re all accustomed to loud noises at night. Nearly all of you have suffered from night terrors at some point.
“It’s okay. You’ve had to listen to me cry in my sleep, too,” Jungkook points out with a small smile.
It’s a breathtaking smile. Jungkook’s cheeks shine with fresh tears, but his bunny teeth poke out, and his eyes crease with the sincerity in that smile. It warms the empty parts of your chest – like hot tea poured into a cool mug. Perhaps the odd feeling in your stomach is similar to the bubble of water boiling.
“You’re cute when you cry. I’m an ugly crier,” you sniff. It’s stupid to say, but you don’t want to think about how sad you all are.
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. All the boogers and the dumb faces I make.”
Jungkook shakes his head. His hair is getting long again.
“I think you’re beautiful.”
“Don’t lie,” you try to joke, but your voice comes out small and unsure rather than teasing.
“I would never lie to you.”
As if to seal the promise, Jungkook presses his lips against your forehead in a kiss. Your fingers ache from how tightly you squeeze the fabric of his shirt into your fists.
Every day you trudge through the woods in search of the Commune, and every day you live in fear of the Red Pins finding you once again. But being in Jungkook’s lap, face nuzzling the crook of his neck, his strong arms holding you against his chest… It’s the only time you genuinely feel safe.
SHELTER #4
“When was the last time,” Jungkook pauses to pull his shirt over his head, “you took a bath?”
Your eyes roam the expanse of his broad chest, the dips and valleys of his abdomen, and the sparse dark hairs disappearing into the waistband of his pants. You’ve seen Jungkook shirtless before. It’s a treat every time, although you feel a twinge of guilt from looking now. Running along his ribcage is an extended cut, red with scabs. Jessi did her best to stitch Jungkook up with whatever she had in the supplies Namjoon and Hoseok snatched before you fled the warehouse. It’s a pretty nasty wound, but it seems to be healing well. Part of you wonders if exposing it to lake water is a good idea, but you keep the thought to yourself. Jungkook is tired of everyone babying him. He hasn’t told you as much, but you can tell.
“I’m too ashamed to answer that question.”
“You and me both,” Jungkook snorts.
He removes the harness strapped around his thigh, taking the large knife off along with it. After the Red Pin attack, you now know how pointless it is to carry any weapon other than a gun. However, none of you have guns, though you still believe your Gifts are better than any human-made weaponry.
“Too bad we don’t have, like, soap and shit,” you grumble, stomping a cluster of wild mushrooms growing along the bank of the lake you’d found.
Jungkook’s tattooed fingers play with his belt buckle while his big, brown eyes flit up to meet yours.
“Sorry!” You rush to apologize and turn your back to him. Heat creeps up your neck, spreading across your cheeks and biting at your ears’ tips.
Your discomfort worsens when you hear a quiet chuckle rumble from Jungkook. There’s the rustle of clothes and, soon after, a light splash that tells you he has eased himself into the lake.
“You’re good.”
When you turn around, Jungkook isn’t facing you. He dips his head back to wet his hair, running his fingers through it a few times before righting himself again, still facing away from you. The water reaches his lower back when he’s standing, but you can tell he is crouching slightly because the gentle waves lap higher up on his back. It’s not dirty water since the lake has a fresh stream feeding it, which ensures that the water isn’t stagnant, but it’s murky enough from the plants growing at the bottom that you can’t make out the rest of Jungkook’s body. Not that you want to, considering he’s naked.
Thankful for the privacy, you quickly strip out of your clothes and step into the water. You keep a respectful distance between you, choosing not to drift too far into deeper water. You much prefer to at least touch the sandy bottom with your tiptoes.
Slipping deep enough that only your head remains above water, you watch Jungkook as he uses an old rag to scrub his arms. You’re both disgustingly grimy.
“Lucky we found this place,” you think aloud as you begin to work on scrubbing down yourself, as well.
“We are.”
“Jungkook. You can look now.”
His head snaps up, gaze locking with yours for a split second before he averts his eyes again. You’re close enough to see pink bloom across his face.
You clear your throat to fill the silence when he says nothing. Part of you thought it might spur him to talk, but the tension between you remains.
You’re not sure when it first developed. Part of you knows it has always been there, perhaps dormant or less noticeable. Much of it falls back on Jungkook’s behavior, you think as you watch him slide the rag down his chest. The tension has always lived in the dark expanse of his eyes and how he searches for you, always you, maybe without even realizing it himself. It’s gotten worse since you’ve started waking up every morning wrapped in his arms and nuzzling his neck.
“What’s the first thing you want to do when we get to the Commune?” Jungkook finally speaks. When he does, you force yourself to drop your gaze, focusing intently on continuing to wash yourself to the best of your ability with the lack of soap.
“Eat food that isn’t rabbit, hopefully.”
“Hey!”
A giant splash of water hits you in the face. You gasp, rushing to wipe away the droplets clinging to your eyelashes.
“F–fuck you!” You sputter.
“It’s not my fault rabbits are the easiest things to catch around here. I’m doing my best!”
Another splash slaps into you. It isn’t hard enough to sting, but it’s a splash all the same.
“You’re real dumb if you think you can start a splashing war with someone who has a water Gift,” you challenge.
“I’m not scared of you,” Jungkook sticks out his tongue after he challenges you.
All it takes is a flick of your wrist and a wave higher than most nearby trees descend on Jungkook. It doesn’t ever reach him, though. The sheer panic that contorts his face is enough to warm your body with evil satisfaction. You gently let the wave descend into the lake, barely kicking up enough to splash Jungkook against the chest.
“I showed you mercy. You’re welcome, young man.”
Jungkook lets out a loud snort, eyes rolling into the back of his head in defiance. “You’re insane.”
“You provoke me.”
You don’t like how high his eyebrows arch, unable to decipher what an expression like that is supposed to mean.
“I provoke you? In what way?”
You narrow your eyes at him. “You literally did it just now.”
Jungkook straightens up a little. The action makes more of his torso rise from the water. You can’t help but drop your eyes to the water level that has fallen so dangerously low on his hips.
When your gaze finally returns to his face, Jungkook is wearing an exaggerated pout.
“I’m innocent.”
“Pfft,” you scoff.
By this point, your fingers are starting to get wrinkly, and the position you’re standing in to ensure your whole body is covered in the water is becoming uncomfortable. You’re just about to tell Jungkook that you’re done playing games – that the two of you need to hurry up before the rest of your group gets worried about you being gone for too long – when the man disappears.
“Oh my god, Jungkook-ah, why?”
Your eyes dart around the lake, eyeing each shadow suspiciously. You don’t think you see Jungkook’s actual body underwater, so all you can guess is that he’s doing his creepy crawly shadow-walking just to bother you.
“This is doing the exact opposite of proving that you’re innoce–” You interrupt yourself with a loud gasp when you feel fingers squeeze your bare hips.
“Boo,” Jungkook deadpans, but his face quickly cracks into a smile.
You want to laugh at yourself for being so easily startled, to match Jungkook’s joyfulness, but all you can focus on is the feeling of his fingertips pressing into your skin.
“Jungkook…”
“Hm?”
He’s absentminded as his gaze drops down to stare at your lips. You automatically lick them, almost on instinct, unable to stop yourself. Jungkook follows your lead, though he pulls his bottom lip between his teeth instead of settling his face. If that action didn’t already make your stomach twist into a knot, the darkness of Jungkook’s gaze does.
“I…” Jungkook rubs slow circles into your hips with his thumbs, following the curve of your hip bone and effectively interrupting your thoughts.
You don’t know who leans in first, but it doesn’t really matter. The moment Jungkook’s lips connect with yours, it’s as though your brain completely empties.
It’s a hesitant kiss, just a light press of Jungkook’s closed mouth against yours. He grows bolder when you don’t pull away, parting his lips slightly. He nibbles at your bottom lip, prompting you to part yours as well, allowing him to slot your lips together.
You bring your hands up to squeeze Jungkook’s biceps, coaxing a slight whine from him when your nails lightly dig into his skin. The sound is gentle but needy, making your skin prickle with goosebumps. You’ve never heard Jungkook sound like that, never heard anyone sound like that.
You’ve never even kissed anyone before.
It’s not what you expected, though you haven’t spent much time thinking about physical intimacy. Being trapped in the Labs, it never seemed like something you’d have the privilege of exploring. Once you escaped, there was only one person you ever thought about being intimate with – and even then, it was far more wholesome than this, you now realize. This… is different.
Jungkook trembles, and you feel his hands flex against your hips as he tilts his head to the side, deepening the kiss.
A few times, the two of you fumble, noses bumping into each other and teeth nipping a bit too hard. It makes you wonder if this is Jungkook’s first kiss, too. You decide it doesn’t matter if it is. It’s warm and soft, and Jungkook tastes sweet, like the berries Hoseok picked earlier today. You’re dizzy; Jungkook stealing the air from your lungs. Your body screams for you to pull away, but you cling to him tighter.
Something firm brushing against your inner thigh brings you back to reality. You nearly jump out of Jungkook’s grasp, chest heaving and fingers trembling beneath the water.
“I’m sorry,” Jungkook hurries to speak before you do.
Before you can say anything in return – though you’re not sure what you want to say – Jungkook is gone. All that’s left are his clothes still neatly folded on the grass beside the lake and a thrum of excitement beating through your body to the tune of guilt and shame.
Kissing Jungkook felt good. And that is why it can never happen again.
SHELTER #5
If you ever told Jessi that you see her as a mother figure, she would probably kill you. You consider this as she wields a machete, hacking away at the brush that blocks your path as you continue toward the Commune. The muscles in her bicep and shoulders flex with each swing. It’s sexy and terrifying, and you can only admire her strength when the rest of your group is floundering.
The guys trail behind, practically dragging their feet. It’s Jungkook’s fault (and maybe yours, but you won’t think about that).
Ever since the kiss, Jungkook has avoided you. You haven’t interacted with each other in days, aside from the cuddles you share at night when nightmares overtake you.
Hoseok and Namjoon have also noticed the shift in his behavior, though they believe it’s grief causing him to distance himself from the group. They hang back, letting you and Jessi march forward, so they can talk and do whatever boys do to cheer each other up when the world is falling apart.
You try not to think about it too much, but Jessi and her motherly instincts don’t let you know peace.
“Yoongi wouldn’t want us to be so fucking sad all the time.” Jessi lets out a grunt as she hacks at a particularly thick tree branch blocking your path. “If he was here right now, he’d kick all of our asses with a quickness.”
She’s right; it goes without saying.
Letting her arm fall to her side, Jessi uses her free hand to wipe away the sweat that collects on her forehead and drips down the side of her face. She looks at you like she’s waiting for you to do something. The expression makes you feel uneasy.
“What?”
“Did you even hear the shit I was saying?”
“Yes.”
“Okay then, what’re you gonna do about it?”
You scrunch your eyebrows together. “About what?”
Jessi lets out a frustrated huff and again brings the machete down on the tree branch. It splinters and breaks, providing enough weakness for Jessi to stomp down on it with a steel-toed boot.
“Did you and Jungkook fuck?”
“What?!”
When you gasp, you’re sure you inhale a bug, sucking it right down your throat and probably into your fucking lungs for all you know. It sparks a terrible coughing fit that makes Jessi pause to slap you between the shoulder blades a few times.
“Why–” you heave, tears in your eyes, “why would you think that?”
Jessi pushes forward through the forest brush with a roll of her eyes.
“It’s obvious there’s something going on. The poor boy’s moping around after you like a lovesick puppy. Even worse than usual.”
If you weren’t already sweating your ass off, you would be heating up from Jessi’s astute observations.
“I don’t know what you're–”
“Aish, fucking save it, babe,” Jessi interrupts you with a wave of the hand that isn’t holding the machete. “All I’m trying to say is that it’s okay to feel good. Life is fucked as it is. Stop ruining good things for yourself and live as best as you can in the circumstances we got, alright?”
She gives you a stern look from the side, a look that you quickly try to avoid by ducking your head down. Suddenly, the ground is fascinating.
“I’m fine.”
“Right, and I don’t have a fat ass.”
“Really!” You insist. The desperation in your voice is pathetic and telling.
“Yoongi would want you to live, hun. I know he would. And you wanna know how I know?”
There isn’t a need to say anything; once Jessi has her mind set on something, she sees it through until the end.
“There wasn’t a fox in the woods. It was a Red Pin scout.” She gives you a pointed look. “But ignorance is bliss, and he wanted you to be happy. He wanted you to live without more fear, so he didn’t tell you. So do whatever you need to do to fix things with Jungkook and be fucking happy.”
You fall behind as Jessi speeds up, the path much clearer now than it had been just a few feet before. The guys are still meandering further back, so you fall somewhere in the middle, close enough to see everyone at either end but far enough that you can be alone with your thoughts without interruption.
Jessi is right, but it feels wrong to let yourself feel good. How can you be happy when Yoongi isn’t here? There is a bit of survivor’s guilt clutching at your heart, but most of your struggle is from the pain of simply not having Yoongi around. Being happy feels like it would be a betrayal of some kind.
Yoongi would disagree. He would give you that gummy smile and poke you in the ribs until you cry, and then he would tell you that you’re being an idiot.
With a sigh, you break into a light jog to catch up with Jessi, Yoongi’s voice echoing for the millionth time in your head.
You and Jungkook.
COMFORT
You are ashamed to admit that you take longer to apologize to Jungkook than Yoongi took to apologize you to.
In fact, you never apologize to Jungkook before your group makes it to the Commune. It never seemed like the right opportunity came. There was always someone else around, or Jungkook looked exceptionally sad, or you told yourself you would say something once he woke up but got caught up watching how beautiful he looks when he sleeps cuddled against you every night.
It’s always tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. The thing about tomorrow is that it always comes until it doesn’t.
And then suddenly, you’re all stumbling into a clearing in the woods that leads to what looks like a hole in the trees, and there is magic dancing in your bones that pulls your thoughts away from anything but the man who stands to greet you.
Kim Taehyung is not what you expected from the leader of a notorious Gifted runaway commune that has evaded the authorities for years. Admittedly, you had few expectations – too busy worrying about surviving the trek to think about what the man would look like when he finally greeted you. Still, it’s a lot to process.
“Welcome, my little Gifts!”
The lithe man stretches his long arms out as wide as his wingspan will let him. Your group exchanges looks when Taehyung doesn’t move, his eyebrows arched as he waits.
The six of you stand at the Commune entrance, marked by two trees manipulated into forming a magical-looking arch. Large flower bushes and more trees flank the arch, hiding whatever may lie within the Commune. Try as you might, as you peer over Jessi’s shoulder, you can’t see through the thicket.
Taehyung lets out a quiet sigh, but his arms don’t seem to tire. He wiggles his fingers as though he’s beckoning you into his arms. The movements, although small, make the numerous gold bracelets that line his wrists clink together like wind chimes. He wears loose slacks and an oversized white silk shirt. A knitted shawl with intricate patterns stitched into it in earth tones hangs over his broad shoulders. The tassels sway in the wind. You don’t know how, but he smells like summer.
“Do you not seek comfort?”
A loud whimper erupts from the middle of your huddle, and suddenly Jungkook pushes past Jessi and Namjoon. He stumbles the few steps it takes to reach Taehyung.
“Jungkook-ah,” Jessi whisper-yells, but it’s too late. Jungkook has his face buried in Taehyung’s chest, a sob tearing through his body.
“Shhh, my little Gift, you are home.”
Taehyung keeps his eyebrows arched, giving the rest of your group a pointed look. It takes hardly a second before Hoseok follows Jungkook, launching himself into Taehyung’s embrace with such power you’re shocked the Commune leader manages to stay upright. Hoseok’s cries harmonize with Jungkook’s until Namjoon eventually joins.
Never one to open up about sadness, Jessi stares down the Commune leader with a challenging look that would make the bravest soldiers shit themselves – and yet Taehyung merely smiles the strangest, most charming smile you’ve ever seen.
Before you know it, you’re standing alone because Jessi has a singular tear sliding down her round cheek, and Taehyung has one arm curling her against his chest, too.
Comfort.
It’s funny, isn’t it? Funny that we want it, crave it, even from a complete stranger. Comfort provides no solution to our problems and is even sometimes used to avoid problems altogether. You have known little comfort since Jungkook carried you away from the warehouse.
Okay then, what’re you gonna do about it?
You meet Jessi’s gaze, and the realization hits you that this is the first time you’ve seen her cry.
“Be happy, Y/N.” If Jessi speaks out loud, you can’t hear her but can read her mouth clearly.
It’s like something shatters in your chest. It’s shocking; you were convinced nothing was left inside to break. But when Taehyung finally lowers both arms to wrap them around your group – yourself included – no pain or sadness plagues your heart. You feel strangely at peace. Taehyung’s summer scent envelopes you. It’s freshly-cut grass, sea salt, and cherry blossoms. Warmth spreads from the man, what you imagine it feels like to be a plant absorbing nutrients from the sun.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Taehyung speaks softly. “This is my Gift, and it makes my heart happy to share it with you today.”
You remember that Taehyung is a healer Gifted when he gently extricates himself from what became a group hug that lasted for eternity.
“Are we feeling better now?”
You all find yourselves nodding. Taehyung beams at that. He claps his hands together, startling Hoseok into a small giggle.
“Wonderful!” Taehyung turns on his heel, his shawl billowing out behind him as he swiftly crosses the archway. “Now, come with me. We have many things to take care of!”
Your group hurries to keep up with the man who’s all legs. Beyond the arch, the Commune is more like a small village than whatever tent city you’d expected. Little houses similar to the abandoned ones your group found refuge in on the way here line the dirt paths – except these are full of life. Odd markings are painted on the brick and concrete buildings, all in the bright colors of summer: sunny yellows, healthy greens, and vibrant pinks.
You notice that in the doorway of every building is a small basket, sometimes more than one, resting on the ground. Some are full of items you can’t quite make out because Taehyung is walking so quickly that you don’t have time to peek into any of them.
“I can’t quite remember how many there are of us,” Taehyung says over his shoulder as he leads you down a road lined with shops. There’s clothing, produce, and other wares for sale. You feel embarrassed by how your mouth waters simply from seeing an apple. “I would say at least three hundred, but Seokjin hyung would know better. He’s the brains of all this. I’m merely the handsome face of the operation.”
“Yah, I heard that, Kim Taehyung!”
“Oh, so you heard me singing your praises, hyung?”
Taehyung leads you to what you guess is the center of the Commune by the way the buildings form a half circle around a grassy quad. In the middle of the quad, there is a large pile of tinder – tree branches, dead grass and hay, planks of wood, and other items stacked on top of each other to build what will most likely be a giant bonfire from the looks of it.
The man known as Seokjin approaches your group just to shove Taehyung’s shoulder with his own. “I am both the brains and the beauty, thank you very much. You can be second-best.”
“You’re demoting me? In front of our new friends?” Taehyung pouts.
Seokjin twists his broad torso to get a good look at your ragtag team of misfits. Facing this new man’s beauty head-on, you are quickly reminded of how disgusting you all probably look and smell, having fought through the woods for weeks without even a proper bath.
Even though you all look like hell, Seokjin beams just as Taehyung had.
“Oh good, you didn’t run away!”
You feel Jessi tense beside you. “Why the fuck would we run away?”
“Taehyung is insufferable, that’s why.”
“Hey!” The leader shoves his friend much harder than his friend had shoved him. “You’re so grumpy. Do you need a hug?”
Seokjin swats at Taehyung. “Don’t you have things to do? Summer is here soon. Go make daisy chains or something. Jimin and I will take care of our new friends.”
“Daisy chains?” You blurt out in question as Taehyung wiggles his fingers at your group in a goodbye. In the blink of an eye, he’s gone, disappearing into the crowds of people going about their day in the Commune. You’ve never seen so many Gifteds, free and all together, in your life.
Seokjin hums, beckoning your group to follow him deeper into the Commune.
“In a few days, it will be the First of Summer. I assume you all have never celebrated Summer?”
You find it odd that Seokjin speaks of the season as though it’s a holiday. When no one responds, he lets out a long sigh.
“You’ve missed out on so much, trapped like lab rats.” He spits the end of his sentence. It’s in anger at the research facilities rather than a judgment of you, but it makes your heart sting just the same. You wish Taehyung was here.
Leading you to a three-story building that looks similar to a warehouse or an office building, with plain concrete walls decorated with more colorful markings, Seokjin pauses to let your group enter the front door first.
“This is my home,” Seokjin welcomes your group. “My husband and I sleep on the first floor, but there are a few empty guest rooms on the second and third. Newcomers tend to stay with us until we’ve built them their own homes.”
“That’s so generous of you, Seokjin,” Hoseok speaks up for the first time. The crackle in his voice tells you he’s still on the verge of tears, but he smiles when you turn to look at him.
“Please, call me hyung if you’d like.” Seokjin smiles.
Taehyung and Seokjin’s use of honorifics warms your heart, even though you don’t have the same emotional attachment to the custom as the others. When you look out of the corner of your eye, you see Jungkook smile at the honorific, too.
“We’ll get your rooms situated, but first, are you hungry?”
“Fuck yes,” Jessi groans.
The group and Seokjin laugh when you ask, “Do you have anything besides rabbit?”
In the kitchen, your group meets Seokjin’s husband, Jimin, a fire Gifted. When Jimin pulls you into a tight hug, tears prickle in the corners of your eyes because his body burns, and he smells faintly of smoke, just like Yoongi.
While chomping away at fresh vegetables and meat that isn’t rabbit, you learn that Seokjin is the legendary cosmic Gifted you only half-heartedly believed to be real. His ability to bend time and space wipes the Commune off the radar, ensuring the Red Pins never find it. Despite his large personality, he seems too shy to demonstrate his Gift, even as Jimin pesters him.
They’re cute, Seokjin and Jimin. They fuss over your group as though they are your parents, making sure that you each get a turn taking a shower and that you have enough blankets and pillows in your bedrooms. Hoseok, Namjoon, and Jungkook share one, while you and Jessi share another. Jimin apologizes profusely about not being able to provide you with your own bedrooms, which you all dismiss.
“We anticipate a few additional newcomers soon; I’m so sorry we don’t have enough room to spread out,” Jimin bemoans as he plays with his fingers.
“Are you kidding?” Namjoon teases with a smile that crinkles his eyes. “We’ve been living in an abandoned warehouse for months.”
“Sleeping on the floor gave me fucking arthritis, and I’m barely thirty,” Jessi chimes in.
“That’s not how that works.”
“Fuck off, Jungkook-ah. Tell that to my broken back.”
Jimin looks appalled by your previous living situation, making your group joke around more. Laugh through the pain, right? It’s a coping mechanism you’ve all done a decent job of perfecting. Sometimes being alive is enough to laugh about because, well, at least you’re alive.
After a whirlwind of a day getting settled into Seokjin and Jimin’s home, you can finally ease your bones into a real bed with a thick, fluffy mattress and clean sheets. Your tummy is full of delicious food, your body clean and well-moisturized thanks to Jimin’s homemade skincare products, and you finally allow yourself to sink into the one thing you’ve been scared to find: comfort.
Just before sleep overtakes you, you hear a quiet, almost timid, knock at the door. You wrack your brain, thinking about who it could be and why they need you. It feels like too much effort to get out of bed when you’ve only just been able to relax, so you call out to the person on the other side of the door.
“Hi.”
Jungkook’s wide eyes peer at you through the dark, a sliver of moonlight peeking through the window blinds highlighting parts of his face.
“Hi,” you say, pausing to quietly clear your throat. “What’s up?”
“Can’t sleep.”
Your heart feels like it will fly out of your chest when Jungkook hesitantly steps into your bedroom. You watch him eye Jessi’s sleeping form in the bed on the opposite side of the room, perhaps weighing the pros and cons of being in the room if she wakes up.
Apparently accepting the risk, Jungkook scurries over to stand beside your bed.
“Can I sleep with you?”
It’s the most Jungkook has spoken to you since he fled the lake. His request shouldn’t make your stomach flip with nerves; you’ve cuddled together every night since your first nightmare about Yoongi. So it should be easy when you respond,
“Of course.”
You quickly scoot over to give Jungkook room when he slips beneath the sheets.
“Thank you,” he whispers into the dark.
Holding out your arms, you encourage Jungkook to curl against your side, a position you usually take, but something tells you that Jungkook needs this more than you do. Part of your assumption is due to the timid, gentle boy who entered your bedroom – a different person than the one you watched murder multiple Red Pins at the warehouse with frightening ease.
He’s still the same, though, deep down, a lonely boy with nothing to his name, just like the rest of you.
Jungkook stays quiet while you run your fingers through his hair. You’re reminded of the promise you were supposed to make to Yoongi, the one about taking care of Jungkook. It’s time for you to finally fulfill that promise, and you already know what the first step should be.
“I’m sorry,” you apologize softly. “I don’t like not talking to you.”
And it hurts more than you realize. Saying it out loud makes it real, this scary uncertainty in your relationship that you’ve never experienced before. Jungkook has always been there – a steady comfort to fall back on, soft eyes to search for in moments tainted with fear and grief. Not having Jungkook in your life… It’s unfathomable.
“I’m sorry, too,” Jungkook whispers into the crook of your neck.
You’re not sure what he’s sorry for, though you remind yourself that a relationship is a two-way street. The two of you should have talked rather than dance around each other. Even now, you’re not really talking. You want to bring it up – the kiss. What it means for him. What it means for you. Why it happened in the first place. If it’s… okay, okay to like how soft Jungkook’s lips had felt on yours and how sweet he’d tasted. Okay to feel an unfamiliar heat spread throughout your body, starting at his fingers gripping your waist.
“I’m sorry I did it without asking first,” Jungkook elaborates after a few minutes of silence.
Even though he doesn’t say what it is, you don’t need him to spell it out before you reply, “It’s okay.”
“It’s not, though.”
You shiver when Jungkook’s lips brush against your neck as he talks. His breath is cold, even though his body is warm. You wonder if it’s the darkness inside of him seeping out when he breathes.
“I swear, it is. I forgive you. We both kinda went for it, right?” You say with an awkward laugh.
“I’m not sorry about doing it.” Jungkook squeezes you tighter, but you’re already holding your breath. “I’d do it again.”
His confession is whispered so quietly you likely wouldn’t have heard him if it weren’t for the fact that his lips brush your neck just below your ear.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Jungkook’s lips travel higher. You close your eyes and let out a shuddered breath when his lips brush against your earlobe.
It’s getting harder to relax, your body completely rigid and your breathing on the verge of frantic as Jungkook drags his nose down the length of your neck. The touch sends tingling sensations across your body. A strange feeling, like your stomach is flipping around inside of you, consumes you. His nose on your skin tickles, but it’s somehow more than just a tickle. It feels… good. Makes your stomach tense and heat spread, chasing after the goosebumps.
“Goodnight,” Jungkook finally whispers into the crook of your neck.
It takes you a long time to fall asleep.
THE EVE
Apparently, the First of Summer is something to celebrate at the Commune. It seems as though everyone has a task to complete on the Eve of the holiday to get all the preparations in order, even you and your misfit crew.
“Our Gifts are at their strongest during the Summer; haven’t you noticed?”
Jimin flutters around like a hummingbird, gracefully darting between about a dozen small baskets lined up in the grass beside his home. The fire Gifted places a variety of items in the baskets: flower bouquets, fruits and vegetables wrapped in protective cloths, and other little trinkets and handmade presents.
“Is that so?” Namjoon perks up from where he’d been watching a line of ants march into a small anthill. He sits in the grass next to you and Jessi while Jungkook and Hoseok stand closer to where Jimin flits around.
“Mhm. We are more in tune with the Seasons compared to humans.”
Jessi scoffs, “We are humans.”
Cradling a bouquet of tiger lilies in one hand, Jimin puts his other hand on his hip. It’s supposed to be sassy and, perhaps, stern, but he just comes off as adorable in your eyes.
“We are not humans.”
“Then what are we?”
With a huff, Jimin gently places the flowers in a basket that’s nearly full.
“We are Gifts from Nature. Don’t you feel it? The Earth flows through our veins, Jessi. She broke pieces off herself to gift to us; pieces of the Universe exist inside of us. Humans don’t have that.”
There mustn’t be a good comeback for such lofty talk because Jessi remains quiet after Jimin finishes speaking. You don’t blame her; the perspective Jimin offers isn’t one you’ve ever heard of before. Everyone talks about Gifteds as mutants, genetic abominations. It’s scientific and clinical, although no scientist has figured out how or why Gifteds exist.
Jimin’s perspective sounds like… magic. You decide that you quite like the idea that some omnipresent entity chose to give up parts of herself to make you special, a lot more than believing you’re an unnatural freak.
“What are these for?” Hoseok asks, bending at the waist to peer into one of the baskets.
“They’re gifts,” Jimin says with a little giggle, likely at the tease around the word he uses. “It’s customary to give gifts on the First of Summer. You’re supposed to leave them on your neighbors’ doorsteps, though you could directly gift them during the Bonfire.”
Brushing his hands onto his pants, Jimin straightens up and looks around at your group. In the few days you’ve known Jimin, you’ve noticed that his lips poke out when he’s thinking. It reminds you of a little beak on a baby bird. You’ve told Jungkook as much, and he agrees.
Your eyes fall on Jungkook, hoping he’ll look your way. It doesn’t take long for him to tilt his head to the side and meet your gaze. Sometimes you wonder if Jungkook can sense you somehow. You don’t understand how his Gift works, but it seems mysterious enough to be capable of anything at this point. How else would he somehow know when you’re looking in his direction every time?
With a mischievous glint in your eyes, you subtly pucker your lips.
Jungkook catches on quickly. His eyebrows shoot up, and a small smirk etches itself into his features. He pinches his lips into a pucker, too, and wiggles his eyebrows at you.
You have to press your lips together to stop yourself from laughing.
“Jungkook?”
The younger man quickly straightens his posture and schools his face when Jimin calls out to him.
“Yes, hyung?”
“Want to help me finish up with some decorations? Jessi, too?”
Jungkook nods hard enough that you worry he might give himself a headache.
As Jessi pushes herself off the ground, Jimin turns to you, Namjoon, and Hoseok.
“How about you all help Seokjin down at the quad with the Bonfire? He’s working on setting up the tables and food stalls for the Morning of Summer. We gather to have a breakfast feast and celebrate the first Morning together.”
Hoseok beams at the idea, turning to you with his hands held out. You squeeze them and let him help haul you onto your feet.
“It sounds so nice,” Hoseok chirps with excitement as the three of you make your way through the winding dirt road toward the quad, past rows of unique homes and community gardens scattered across what is essentially a makeshift neighborhood.
“Having a community… I feel like I don’t know how to enjoy it,” Namjoon says softly.
“What do you mean?” It seems odd to you; haven’t they all wanted something like this?
“I don’t remember how to be social. I was, I think, at some point. Before the Labs. And, of course, I feel comfortable with you all. But…”
“Being around strangers is hard,” you offer.
Namjoon nods in agreement. He isn’t sad, though, like you’d assumed he’d be. Namjoon wears a smile as Hoseok wraps his arms around his waist.
“The good thing is we have all the time in the world to figure ourselves out, now. We get to be whatever we want to be, and exist however we want to exist. No more running, no more hiding, no more fighting,” Hoseok says with a grin, and it’s impossible to not believe him.
The air Gifted nuzzles his face into Namjoon’s neck, and you swear there is light pink that mixes with the honey of Namjoon’s cheeks.
Hoseok’s display of affection reminds you of your nights with Jungkook. They’ve become more frequent; nearly every night, he slips into your bed to cuddle with his lips dragging along your neck, just lightly enough to seem innocent but still present enough to make your body burn with an unfamiliar heat.
You haven’t done anything more than cuddle, and you’re having a hard time telling yourself that you’re okay with that.
Seokjin doesn’t give you time to ponder what you think is your budding love life. He gives you, Hoseok, and Namjoon a variety of tasks to complete throughout the day, from painting what you learn are ancient runes on the sides of buildings to helping the farmers harvest their produce to bring to the food stalls. Manual labor doesn’t bother the three of you; for months, you’ve all lived in a world where you work hard to survive, hunting and building your shelters. This work is easy in comparison and much more entertaining.
At some point, Taehyung strolls through the busy quad to check on the outdoor dining space coming to fruition a safe distance from the large bonfire. He plops down on the bench at one of the tables, elbow on the table and chin resting in his hand as he watches you, Hoseok, and Namjoon take a break to munch on some snacks one of the farmers had given you.
“Having fun, little Gifts?”
Taehyung’s eyes sparkle in the late afternoon sun, and you can’t help but melt into the comfort that radiates from him.
“I could stay here forever,” Hoseok mumbles around a large bite of an apple.
“Oh?” The twinkling of Taehyung’s eyes morphs from adoration to teasing amusement. “I thought that was already the plan.”
Hoseok nods, giving the leader a sheepish look.
“That would be dope, yeah.”
“Then it is done.”
The exchange makes you and Namjoon giggle, though the sweet sounds quickly die out when familiar figures jog down the dirt path toward where you sit.
Jimin is beaming, his entire aura nearly glowing, though you know part of that is due to his Gift. Your gut twists from the memory of Yoongi, but the pain doesn’t cut as deeply as it used to. At first, you thought the lessening of the pain meant you were forgetting him or no longer caring about him, and you felt even more grief from that. But a late-night heart-to-heart with Hoseok taught you that this isn’t apathy; it’s healing.
So you acknowledge the little prick of pain that sits in your chest but choose to use the memory of Yoongi to fuel your new love for Jimin, who you know Yoongi would have loved, too.
“Jiminie!” Taehyung calls from his seat at the table. He holds his arms open, eagerly pulling the other man into a spine-crushing hug.
The call of your own name draws your attention away from the men. You turn to see Jessi flashing you an uncharacteristically large grin. It makes you extremely suspicious.
“What do you want?” You question her with narrowed eyes.
“Oh, nothing. Jungkook wants something, though,” she says in a sing-songy voice before skipping - literally skipping - away to talk to Hoseok and Namjoon.
Jungkook stands at the opposite end of the long wooden table. In his hands is a small wicker basket and he shuffles from foot to foot, staring at nothing in particular.
“Jungkook-ah?”
He looks up at you with large, startled eyes. In a split second, he’s gone. The only evidence that the young man had even been there is the wicker basket now rocking from side to side in front of you on the table.
You can’t help but giggle as dark shadows slither from table to table.
“Do you think he can still hear me when he’s in his shadow form?” Jessi slides onto the bench beside you. She looks around at all the shadows, likely wondering which one is Jungkook.
“I have no idea.”
“Hey, Jungkook-ah!” Jessi looks over her shoulder to survey more of the quad. “You’re a fucking wimp!”
Ignoring Jessi’s comment, you turn your attention to the basket. Inside is a small bouquet of white mugunghwa, a modern-looking pale pink jeogori, and a brand-new hard copy of Fahrenheit 451. Your heart pounds in your chest as you lift each item from the basket and gently place them on the table in front of you, inspecting them with soft eyes and careful fingers.
“Where…?”
“He picked the flowers himself and did odd jobs around the Commune and hunted some meat to trade for the jeogori and the book,” Jessi answers your unfinished question.
You feel your eyes tingle at the corners, with tears threatening to burn your cheeks if you blink too hard. From what it sounds like, the Summer gifts are extremely meaningful - something you share with those you care about to wish them a fruitful year and good health. To think that Jungkook has spent the few days you’ve been here preparing such a gift for you warms your heart, so much so that you feel like you’re catching fire from the inside out.
“This is very special,” Taehyung speaks as he caresses one of the flower’s petals.
You’d almost forgotten about Seokjin, Taehyung, Jimin, and the rest of your group.
“It is,” you agree. You carefully return the items to the basket to keep them safe. “I don’t have a gift for him, though. Is it fair to show up to the Bonfire empty-handed?”
Jimin rests his chin on Taehyung’s head and hums as he thinks.
“Typically, we don’t give gifts to each other during the Bonfire. The gifts you bring to the Bonfire are offerings to Nature to ask for health and prosperity in the upcoming year. You’ll toss them into the fire and recite the offering prayer - but you don’t have to since you don’t know it yet.”
You’re not sure you have anything to offer the Bonfire, either, but it seems Taehyung reads your mind.
“There are other ways to give an offering to Nature, if not through the Bonfire,” Taehyung supplies with a small smirk. He looks mischievous and sneaky; the expression makes your skin tickle with goosebumps.
“Yeah, you can fuck,” Seokjin adds with a smirk of his own. He looks too proud of himself when you choke on your next inhale of air.
“You can what?” Hoseok nearly trips over his feet in his attempt to get closer to hear what Seokjin has to say.
“It’s not an official part of the Summer celebration,” Jimin interjects with a roll of his eyes at his husband.
“It’s a part my sweet Jiminie doesn’t mind partaking in.”
“Seokjin!”
Taehyung throws his head back in a loud cackle as Jimin’s face turns bright pink. The poor fire Gifted sputters as he tries to defend himself.
“N-no! No! It’s, no!”
Seokjin shrugs and stretches his arms over his head, leaning on each side long enough to make his joints pop.
“Sex is part of Nature, is it not? It represents vitality, fertility, birth, new beginnings,” Seokjin points out. “Nature takes all that we give her with equal value.”
If Jimin is uncomfortable, you’re downright mortified. You can’t help but look around at the quad as Jessi had, every shadow lurking around the corner more suspicious than the next. What does it mean that they mention sex, and your thought immediately turns to Jungkook? Shame burns at your cheeks, but you can’t get the image out of your mind. You know pretty much nothing about sex and can barely even imagine what it would be like, yet you latch onto the idea that Jungkook might be…
Well…
You can’t say it. You can’t bring yourself to think about it. Shaking your head, you quickly stand and scoop the wicker basket into your arms.
“I’m going to put this in my room,” you announce to no one and everyone.
The group shouts teasing comments about your shy behavior as you do your best to walk calmly in the direction of Seokjin and Jimin’s house, avoiding everyone’s gaze and especially the shadows.
FIRE
You expected the Bonfire to hurt. Not physically, since there are plenty of fire Gifteds around to ensure the celebrations stay safe and under control. No, you expected the pain of the Bonfire to be internal, an emotional pain like the pain you’ve been failing to run from in the months since Yoongi left you.
It has taken you a long time to let go of the anger you’ve let fester inside of you. Your anger verges on hatred, and hatred helps no one. Who is there to hate? Yoongi, for sacrificing himself to save his friends? The rest of your group for mourning your best friend just as profoundly as you have? The Red Pins for taking everything away from you?
The Bonfire crackles and hums like it’s trying to speak to you, but its voice is drowned out by the singing and shouting of the Gifteds dancing in a circle around its flames. The flames reach nearly as high as the buildings surrounding it. Jimin and the other fire Gifteds occasionally pull out stray flames, letting them lick around their arms and bodies to entertain the children fascinated by Gifts they have yet to master within themselves.
The performance is beautiful just as much as it hurts your heart to watch. You’re mesmerized by the dancing flames and swaddled by the heat of the Bonfire, so you don’t notice another Gifted approaching you until you’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
“Have you given your offering yet?”
The fire reflects in Jungkook’s eyes like an orange light show, hues swirling and dancing to the tune of whatever ancient language the Gifteds sing in.
“Not yet,” you respond, turning to look at him.
Jungkook’s gaze drops to take in the jeogori you’re wearing – the one he gifted you the day before. It fits you well, loose enough that you don’t feel restricted, but still cut in a way that compliments your body. You’re glad it’s short-sleeved, or you’d be sweating in the summer night air.
“Me either.”
“What did you bring?”
Jungkook pats his thigh. When you look down, you see that he has his knife strapped to his leg.
“The fire probably isn’t hot enough to melt it, but… I think it’s the thought that counts.”
It’s a serious matter, what the two of you are discussing, but you can’t help but giggle as you crouch down to retrieve your offering from where it sits at your feet.
“Your bow?” Jungkook whispers as though he’s scandalized.
“And my arrows.”
“Are you sure you want to do that? You always–”
You shake your head. “We’re giving our weapons up for the same reasons, aren’t we?”
Jungkook nibbles at his bottom lip for a few moments. He turns away from you, those big doe eyes focused again on the fire.
“Yoongi gave them to us.” When Jungkook speaks, his voice quivers, but his cheeks remain dry. “And we’re done fighting.”
“We’re done fighting…”
You mull over the thought, let it roll around in your head, test out its taste on your tongue and see how it weighs in your heart. No more fighting, just like Hoseok said. In the place of fighting, you have a community, like Namjoon wanted. Like you all wanted, no matter how afraid you are to embrace it or admit that you aren’t sure how to join it.
Yoongi never wanted any of you to have to fight.
“Yeah.” Jungkook’s shoulders sag. “I don’t think I could keep it up even if I had to. I’m… ready to be happy. Like the hyungs. They are so bright.”
Your heart cracks with every word, nearly spilling out onto the floor when you watch Jimin sprint across the quad to launch himself into Seokjin’s arms. He wraps his legs around Seokjin’s waist as the two kiss, the fire illuminating their faces like angels’ halos.
Reaching over, you squeeze Jungkook’s hand, lacing your fingers with his. You don’t need to speak; gently tugging his arm has him following you through the crowd toward the base of the Bonfire. The rest of your friends are somewhere around the Bonfire, but you aren’t interested in looking for them.
“1… 2… 3.”
When Jungkook stops counting, the two of you toss your weapons into the fire. Your hands are still intertwined, even if the heat makes your skin sweaty and stick together. You’re both willing to stand at the Bonfire for as long as you can, letting the flames burn your retinas as you try to follow the path the fire takes to eat away at the weapons you’ve surrendered to it.
Letting go feels good, even if you’re letting go of something Yoongi gave you. In a way, he has given you far more than just a bow and some deadly arrows – or a knife and thigh harness. He gave you love, hope, and a second chance. He showed you what it means to love and be loved selflessly and unconditionally and taught you what it means to be a leader in the face of unbelievable hardship.
You don’t think you could have been even half of the person Yoongi was.
The press of fingers at the tip of your chin pulls you out of your melancholic thoughts. Jungkook cradles your face, swiping the pad of his thumb along your cheek once a few tears slip from your lash line.
“Sorry, this is ridiculous,” you croak out. “This is supposed to be a happy celebration.”
Jungkook’s eyebrows furrow as a pout turns the corners of his lips downward. You think he’s about to scold you over apologizing for your feelings – which you know you shouldn’t do – but Jungkook is always full of surprises.
“Can I take you somewhere?”
Forests will likely always scare you. Too many unspeakable things have happened within the woods, too many sad souls wrapped around tree roots and branches. You’re unsure what the woods around the Commune have seen - or if they’re even real; Seokjin’s Gift confuses you. Are the woods here the same ones you traveled through to get here? Are they imaginary, crafted by Seokjin’s mind? Does any of this exist?
The woods certainly feel different here than at the warehouse. Jungkook leads you by the hand down a winding path through trees decorated with brightly-colored garlands draped across their luscious green branches. You recognize the decorations as ones Jungkook, Jessi, and Jimin helped the children make while the rest of your group worked with Seokjin on the Bonfire.
“I found this spot when I was looking for your gifts,” Jungkook murmurs.
“With Jimin?”
“Mhm. He said, I know a place. It was funny.”
The sound of the Bonfire festivities is far in the distance, muted by the quiet rustling of life in the woods. Jungkook stops to brush a few vines away that hang from the trees. When he steps to the side to let you walk through the opening he created, you feel your breath get caught in your throat.
Before you is a circular clearing littered with white and pink mugunghwa shrubs. The flowers nearly glow in the dark, and their sweet scent permeates the air. But what really tugs at your heart is the smattering of tiny fireflies that meander above your head, exploring the peaceful little world away from the chaos of the Commune.
“Jimin hyung said he doesn’t think anyone else knows this place. He comes here to be alone. Or… with Seokjin,” Jungkook whispers, giving you a sheepish look with pink cheeks. “I think it’s supposed to be, umm, you know, for what the hyungs were talking about, but, I, uh, I’m not…”
You suddenly feel hot, warmth prickling at your skin and making moisture collect along your hairline despite being far from the fire. What is Jungkook going on about? You have an idea but are too nervous to respond to his rambling.
Jungkook nudges you with his shoulder before carefully weaving through the shrubs until he finds a more open spot to sit in the grass.
You follow him, the two of you sitting face-to-face, your knees bumping into each other as you cross them.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” you whisper. “And for the gifts. I didn’t get to talk to you about them…”
There’s no need to speak so quietly, but something about this place makes you worry being too loud would disrupt the magic of it.
“Of course,” Jungkook responds just as softly. “I wanted to show you something special because you are special to me.”
Your stomach flips at the memory of Jungkook’s similar confession when you last cut his hair at the warehouse. His gentleness has been a saving grace for you in a world so dark, even when the darkness sometimes consumes him, too.
“You’re special to me, too.” It’s easy to admit; it flows from your mouth as easily as water flows from your soul.
“Thank you… I think we deserve something soft. Does that make sense?”
You tell him that it does because even if you aren’t entirely sure what that means to him, you know that you desire softness in a life that has been so hard.
Jungkook gives you a small smile. A shake of his head flips his bangs out of his eyes so he can look at you properly. It feels different, the way he looks at you. Darker, more intense, but not scary like you’ve seen him look at you before. There is the same power in his gaze, but it’s gentler.
You don’t know what to make of it, so you don’t comment on it. Instead, you reach up to brush Jungkook’s bangs out of his eyes.
“I need to cut your hair,” you muse, a small smirk pulling up the corner of your mouth.
Your fingers linger on his face, migrating from his forehead to drag down the bridge of his nose. When you get to the tip, you mean to bop it lightly, but Jungkook tilts his head back. The adjustment makes your finger slip, and you end up pressing against his lips instead.
Jungkook watches you with curious eyes as he puckers his lips slightly to kiss your finger. It’s a closed-mouth kiss, nothing scandalous, but you feel electricity shoot up your arm and spread through your body.
“Oh,” you quietly gasp when Jungkook takes hold of your wrist. He kisses each of your other fingers, ending with a lingering one on your palm.
“Can I tell you something?” He asks, bringing your hand down to hold in his lap.
You silently nod because you’re afraid of what you might say or sound like if you open your mouth.
Jungkook takes a deep breath, and his grip on your hand tightens slightly. Whatever it is he’s going to say seems like it’s taking a lot for him to sort through in his head from the way his breathing picks up and his eyebrows furrow.
“Jungkook-ah, you don’t have to…”
Jungkook shakes his head and takes your other hand, too.
“No, I have to do this. It’s… we’re just, ahh.” He tilts his head back to stare at the starry sky. After a moment, he exhales loudly out of his nostrils and drops his gaze to yours again. “I’m in love with you. And for some reason, I feel like I shouldn’t tell you that ‘cause it seems selfish to dump this on you ‘cause everything is so… fucked up. It’s so fucked. I don’t know why I feel like I’m not allowed to… to be like this, to feel like this. But Jimin hyung said love is in our Nature and is never bad. And, yeah. I guess, yeah. I’m in love with you, and I think you need to know ‘cause I can’t keep pretending I’m not.”
Out of breath from expelling his words as fast as he can, Jungkook clamps his mouth shut and waits silently. Waits. Waits for you to do something, to say something.
He’s right. Everything is fucked up enough that you can relate to the guilt Jungkook feels for wanting to love, to be happy. He didn’t call it guilt, but you’ve felt it, so you know. It’s precisely what Jessi scolded you about – on numerous occasions. It’s what Hoseok, Namjoon, and Seokjin and Jimin have shown you that you can overcome.
Are you in love with Jungkook?
As you watch him bat his pretty eyelashes at you, those large eyes bearing his entire soul and the love and hurt inside, you think that maybe you aren’t in love with him, not right now. But you do love him. And you think, maybe one day, when your heart no longer hurts, you could be in love, too.
So it feels right when you scoot closer to Jungkook and slide your hand against the side of his face to bring your lips to his.
Something flutters in the pit of your stomach, like the fireflies above your head, when Jungkook’s lips move with yours. There’s a push and pull to your movements, a hesitant dance that reminds you of how Jungkook spars. His touches are light yet calculated, showing strength when he holds himself back.
“It’s okay to be happy,” you whisper against Jungkook’s lips when you finally pull away – just barely because you want to cocoon yourself in the warmth of his body.
“You make me happy,” he whispers back.
It takes more kissing, the exchange of air and spit that would normally gross you out but somehow feels good before your brain finally lets go of the negativity you’ve been holding.
Jungkook kisses away your shame and guilt as he squeezes your hips and pulls you into his lap. You settle on his thighs with your legs wrapped around his tiny waist and let him kiss you until you can’t breathe. And just when you feel like you’ll suffocate in the most pleasant way, he begins planting kisses along your jaw.
Your hands find the hair at the back of Jungkook’s head, and you run your fingers through his hair to distract yourself from how your hands are trembling. Your entire body vibrates with a desperate feeling you’ve never had before as Jungkook sucks on the sensitive skin of your throat. The sensation makes you squirm.
“Fuck,” Jungkook groans into the crook of your neck. He sounds pained to you, which makes you panic.
“What? What’s wrong?” You feel like you’re blinking sleep out of your eyes from how dazed you are. Embarrassment creeps along your burning skin; how can you be so out of your mind that you start behaving like this?
Jungkook presses his hands flat against your back, the pads of his fingers massaging your muscles while he lowers his touch, slowly and gently, until his hands find the curve of your ass.
“Jungkook-ah,” you nearly scold him when he squeezes you.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he confesses, encouraging you to grind against his crotch.
It’s only then that you feel his erection in his pants. The knowledge that he’s reacting this way because of you makes the electricity in your veins spike through you even stronger.
“Me either.”
Jungkook finally lifts his head to look at you, and it’s a wonder how he manages to wear innocent doe eyes yet bite his kissed-pink bottom lip in an air of seduction that makes your body tingle.
“I want to be good for you.”
His words do something to you that you’re too scared to address, so you opt for humor when you reply, “Well, I don’t have anything to compare you to.”
With a roll of his eyes, Jungkook brings trembling hands to the side of your jeogori where the strings are tied into a bow to keep the clothing in place.
“Can I take this off?”
“Please.”
Getting naked in front of Jungkook is a lot less terrifying than you thought it would be – not that you’d ever thought of it before! Not like this, at least. The two of you have bathed together, but that’s different. It’s easier to hide in the water, and both of you are respectful enough not to take peeks. So it’s most likely the calming presence Jungkook holds that keeps you relaxed once you kneel naked in front of each other. In the moonlight, you both let your eyes wander each other’s figures, drinking in each other like you want to savor it.
You let Jungkook’s hands wander, experimentally pinching your nipples to draw a moan out of you and tickling your stomach as his touches make their way down your body. He whispers gentle words of encouragement and proclamations of your beauty when you fall back in the grass and open your thighs for him.
“I want to touch you,” Jungkook says into your chest. Your skin glistens from how his tongue explores where his hands just had, but you’re more focused on his fingers ghosting over your hips. “Please?”
“Yes,” you whimper.
You’re both shaking when Jungkook slips his fingers through your folds, his thumb lightly pressing against your clit while his fingers reach your entrance. It’s an odd sensation, but you’re quickly a moaning mess beneath him. Even if the rhythm of his fingers pumping in and out of you isn’t consistent, and he’s touching you almost too lightly as though he’s afraid of hurting you, it still feels good.
“Am I doing okay?”
You can’t help but laugh.
When he gives you a pout, you throw your arm around his shoulders and pull him down to kiss him. He hovers over you, spreading you open further because your thighs press against the outsides of his hips. You both notice when his cock – which you’d nervously ignored until now – brushes against the crease of your thigh.
“Fuck,” Jungkook moans, and it’s the prettiest sound you’ve ever heard. “I want… I wanna, ah, fuck.” If you’d thought Jungkook’s usual flustered state was cute, this is downright deadly.
“Me, too.” You guess what he’s trying to say – are confirmed when he lightly bites your shoulder and ruts against you.
“Are you sure?”
It’s a valid question, and you surprise yourself when you say “yes” without hesitation. But you’ve wanted this for much longer than you can admit. Your desire for Jungkook has grown with every soft late-night cuddle and almost kiss.
Jungkook rolls his hips, gliding his cock between your thighs, the motion wet and slippery. It takes some fumbling before he manages to line himself with your entrance and slowly sink inside you.
Gentle, careful, he whispers that he’ll take care of you even though he has no experience. With each thrust, you promise him that it doesn’t hurt, speak praise into his ear that makes his entire body shiver.
Your legs ache from your unusual position, and your sweat mixes with Jungkook’s in a way that’s honestly disgusting if you think about it. Still, you can’t deny how good the building pressure feels as it seems to start between your thighs and at your clit, slowly spreading like wildfire up your stomach and into somewhere deep inside of you.
The only time you’ve heard anyone talk about sex is Jessi, and it was typically in a negative light. Something about men not knowing where the clit is or how to use their dicks. Jungkook seems like a natural; he’s the golden maknae for a reason. Maybe it’s not mind-blowing, but you’re both starting with nothing to guide you.
Rather than a life-changing orgasm, you’re more interested in how Jungkook looks like he’d give his heart to you, no questions asked. Like he already has.
You’re more interested in how softly he kisses you and holds your leg against his hip and caresses it like you’re something worth treating with care.
You’re more interested in how he moans, “I love you, fuck, I love you so much,” and lets you bite his bottom lip because he knows you aren’t ready to say it back, and he’s okay with that. Because he’ll wait for you for as long as you need him to.
“I’m so sorry,” Jungkook moans against your throat, where he’s sucked blossoms nearly as pretty as the mugunghwa. “But I’m gonna come, like, ahh, fuck, like right, fuck, shit, like right now.”
From Jessi’s complaints, sex is supposed to end with this: Jungkook finding his release against your inner thighs because he has enough sense to pull out, and you’re left on your back, discarded and unsatisfied.
So when Jungkook slides down until your thighs are propped open by his shoulders, you watch in confusion because you thought it was over.
The flick of his tongue against your clit has you lifting off the ground from how sharply you arch your back. You frantically exhale a raspy chant of Jungkook’s name in time with each pump of his fingers he’s managed to slip inside you while you struggle to lie still.
“Let me make you feel good,” he murmurs with shiny lips, and you see stars just from that image alone.
Later, when you’re both sweaty and exhausted, you curl together under the protective barrier of Jungkook’s shadows. He hides you from the world and keeps you safe until morning when you’ll return to the Commune to bring in the First of Summer with a breakfast feast.
But until then, you hold each other with promises of never letting go, forgiveness, and understanding.
“We’re gonna be okay,” Jungkook whispers against your hair.
“You just have to stick with me, right?”
When he laughs, you feel it rumble through his chest. “By your side is the only place I wanna be.”
You fall asleep among the mugunghwa shrubs and fireflies to the sound of Jungkook’s heartbeat.
⤷ loving jungkook was easy, he was the shy and nerdy guy no one really noticed, and that was fine for him. however, everything changed when a radioactive spider bite turned him into the city’s mysterious new hero. as a detective, you were quick to notice the shift. then, his mentor, Kang Sangmin, died in front of you. now, you’re hunting a killer and uncovering the truth about the man you thought you knew.
— pairing: spidey!jungkook x detective!fem. reader
— genre: established relationship, murder au, mystery au, spiderman au, angst, fluff, and smut
— rating: 18+
— status: ongoing
— all parts contain mature content & warnings listed in each part
“w-who are you? that's not funny, i swear i will c-call the cops—”
the voice on the other end laughs, the voice effect slowly dropping, revealing the familiar sound behind it. you immediately relax.
“fuck you.”
“come on!! it's spooky season.”
you roll your eyes.
“let me in, sweets. it's cold outside.”
you scoff and hang up, heading to the front door. you swing it open, glaring at the figure standing there.
“you're an asshole, you know that? you could've gone to prison!”
he steps past you, grinning, as he pulls off his gloves and jacket, his laugh barely under control. “y-you should've heard yourself!”
“seriously, jimin, that wasn’t funny. i almost peed my pants,” you grumble, closing the door and turning to him with your arms crossed.
“aw, poor ___, scared of the least scariest character ever.” he mocks you, sticking out his lower lip in a fake pout, then heads straight to your living room.
“what!? a serial killer is scary! especially if he's after me,” you follow behind him, still fuming. “and by the way, did you get a new number?”
“yep,” he says, collapsing onto your couch. “and you know i can't pass up an opportunity to scare the shit out of my favorite loser.”
“why am i even friends with you again?” you ask, plopping down next to him. he quickly pulls you in, wrapping an arm around your shoulder.
“hmm, lemme think.” he pauses for effect. “maybe 'cause we've been neighbors since birth, went to the same school, same uni? oh, and probably because i'm the only guy who knows every embarrassing detail about your life. yeah, that’s gotta be it.” he nods
you shove him playfully, laughing. “you're so annoying. i hate you.”
he chuckles, “oh come on, sweets, you know you love me.”
“whatever,” you mutter, but a small smile betrays you.
“so, you got a boyfriend?”
“why? you wanna ask me out on a date?”
“maybe. do you have a boyfriend?”
“no.”
“you never told me your name.”
“why do you want to know my name?”
“because i want to know who i am looking at.”
“boo!!! casey had zero survival skills,” jimin suddenly exclaims, making you flinch.
you’ve watched the scream movies with jimin ever since you were kids. he loved them, but you were never a big fan. still, he insisted you’d watch at least one every year during “spooky season.” eventually, you got used to it. it doesn’t feel that scary anymore when he’s beside you.
your arm is linked through his, and your head rests comfortably on his shoulder as you continue watching the movie. the tension of the scene doesn’t bother you much, maybe because you’ve seen it too many times, or maybe because jimin’s presence keeps you calm.
well, except for the moments when he randomly yells at the screen and scares you half to death.
“so, you thought you’d climb through my window and have a little raw footage?"
“no, no. i wouldn’t dream of breaking your underwear rule. i just thought maybe we could do a little on-top-of-the-clothes stuff, just to make it pg-13.”
“you are a tease.”
“he doesn’t want you!” you boo at the screen, making jimin chuckle.
he glances at you from the corner of his eye, smirking. “___, why don’t we have a pg-13 relationship, huh?”
you scoff, rolling your eyes. “yeah, no, i’m not flashing my boobs.”
“but you’ve seen my dick!” he exclaims, his voice almost accusatory as you pull back, ready to fire back immediately.
“that was because you were proving it’s not small!” you remind him, your eyes narrowing.
“let this virgin have a look,” he pouts dramatically, sticking out his lower lip like that will convince you.
“i never asked to look at your dick when i was a virgin!” you shoot back, crossing your arms. he opens his mouth to counter, but before he can get a word in, you cut him off. “that doesn’t count. you were the one who showed me. i said i never asked for it!”
his lips twitch into a small smile as he tries one last desperate attempt. “pretty please, ___?” he pleads, giving you the full force of his puppy eyes.
you scoff, a small laugh escaping despite yourself. “fine!”
his eyes light up, and he sits there expectantly, waiting for you to pull your shirt off. you hesitate for a moment, your fingers lingering at the hem, but eventually, you tug it over your head, exposing the light pink bra with a small bow in the center.
his gaze drops instantly. he licks his lips. “pretty bra,” he murmurs
“thanks, pervert,” you joke, he's smirking like you just gave him the world’s weirdest compliment.
his grin widens, not even the slightest bit ashamed. “can i take it off?”
you bite your bottom lip, feeling your heart race as you nod. his hands come up, gentle and slow, as if he’s savoring every second. his fingers brush along the edges of your bra and trace the sides of your breasts, making your breath hitch.
then, with a quiet click , he unclasps the bra.
“okay?” he asks softly, his eyes meeting yours, giving you a chance to change your mind.
you swallow hard and breathe out, “okay.”
he hooks his fingers under the straps, sliding them down your arms and letting the bra fall away. his eyes darken as your breasts are fully revealed to him. the sight of your soft skin and perked nipples leaves him speechless, his chest rising and falling a little faster now.
“oh fuck...” he breathes, like the words slipped out without him realizing.
you feel the heat spreading through your body, an ache growing between your legs as you watch his reaction. the way his gaze lingers on your chest, the hunger in his eyes. it makes your core throb.
“touch me, jimin,” you say without a second thought. the words leave your mouth so easily, and the moment they do, he’s on you, not wasting a second. his hands cup your breasts, the warmth of his palms sending shivers down your spine as he starts rubbing your nipples with his fingers.
you squirm under his touch, your eyes fluttering shut when he rolls your nipples between his fingers, pinching them just enough to make you gasp.
“does that feel good?” he asks, his voice low.
you nod, biting your lip. the answer comes in the form of a soft moan when his mouth closes around your right nipple, sucking gently and teasing it with his tongue.
you glance down, watching the way his lips wrap around you, and it makes you dizzy with pleasure.
“sorry, couldn’t resist,” he mumbles against your skin, pulling back just enough to grin before trailing kisses along your breasts.
you let out a shaky breath, overwhelmed by the way he’s touching you. “are you sure you’ve never done this before?” you manage to ask between gasps.
his lips curl into a playful smirk. “love it too much?”
“i hate you,” you whisper, but the amused smile on your face tells a different story.
he chuckles softly and moves up to kiss your neck. “can i fuck you, ___?” he murmurs against your skin, his lips brushing your pulse.
“yes.” the word slips out of your mouth almost too quickly.
but then it hits you, and you pull back slightly. “w-wait, are you sure? i mean, do you really want me to be your first—”
he cuts you off with a kiss, his plump lips pressing against yours.
“mmmh...” you hum into the kiss, melting against him as his lips move against yours. it’s everything, soft, warm, and somehow exactly what you didn’t know you needed.
he pulls back just enough to meet your gaze, “i wouldn't have it any other way.”
“why do you even have condoms?” jimin asks, positioned between your legs as he rolls the condom on. you’d told him they were in your nightstand, so now the two of you are on your bed, getting ready.
“uh, because i don’t wanna get pregnant?” you reply. “plus, i’m not the virgin here.”
the corners of his mouth lift into a teasing grin. “damn, there are actual people who wanna fuck you?”
you raise an eyebrow, matching his playful energy. “yeah, and you’re one of them.”
he chuckles, shaking his head. “touché.”
then, with a serious expression, he grabs your hips. “alright… here i go”
you burst into laughter, the words catching you off guard. “h-here i go? jimin, we’re not in kindergarten!” you laugh uncontrollably, and he frowns, making you laugh harder.
“shut up, i was just letting you know!” he glares you.
you try to stifle your laughter, barely holding it together. “right, right. sorry... you got this, champ!” and just like that, you lose it again, dissolving into more giggles.
he rolls his eyes dramatically, trying to look annoyed. “you’re turning me off, you know.”
you grin, glancing down between his legs. “so why’s your junior still standing, then?”
he blinks, surprised, before laughing along with you. “junior?” he echoes
“okay, okay, my bad,” you say, catching your breath.
“for real this time… here we go.” you give him a mischievous smile, and he shakes his head, biting his lip to hide a grin.
“you’re impossible,” he mutters under his breath, but his hands slide back to your waist, steadying himself.
the playful mood shifts into something more intimate as you relax into the bed beneath him. with one slow, deliberate motion, he pushes inside you.
he groans at the feeling, his hands tightening on your hips. you gasp softly, biting your lip as the warmth spreads through you.
he moves slowly at first, soft gasps and low moans falling from his lips with every thrust.
“fuck, you feel so good,” he groans, his hips starting to pick up speed. the sound of skin against skin fills the room, and it has you gripping the sheets tighter, trying to hold onto something—anything—because he’s driving you insane.
“jimin— y-yes, fuck!” you manage to stammer, though the words are slurred with pleasure. it barely even matters. all you know is that he feels fucking amazing inside you.
he grabs your legs and lifts them onto his shoulders without missing a beat, the new angle making his cock hit deeper.
“mmh, you're so fucking tight, baby,” he rasps,
as if you weren’t already lost in pleasure, his fingers find your clit. he starts rubbing it in slow, deliberate circles, all while his hips keep thrusting into you. the sensations are overwhelming; his cock filling you, his fingers working you.
you gasp, whimpering uncontrollably. every thrust, every rub, every movement sends shocks of pleasure through your body, leaving you trembling beneath him.
“j-jimin—” you choke on your own words, barely holding on as the intensity builds.
“that’s it, baby,” he groans.
you cry out, feeling your orgasm crash over you. your body tenses, back arching off the bed as you cum hard, soaking his cock. the pleasure is so overwhelming it borders on painful, leaving you gasping, crying, and writhing under him.
“so fucking pretty,” he breathes, mesmerized by the sight of you falling apart beneath him.
watching your cum drip down onto him only pushes him closer to the edge. with a few more frantic thrusts, he groans deeply, burying himself inside you as he spills into the condom.
his movements slow down, but he stays inside you for a moment, catching his breath. you lie there, panting and basking in the afterglow, bodies still pressed together.
“holy shit,” you whisper, heart pounding in your chest.
he chuckles softly as he pull out, “yeah... holy shit”
“are you sure this was your first time?” you chuckle breathlessly, your chest still heaving as you try to catch your breath.
he laughs along with you, the sound low and a little shy now that the heat of the moment has passed. “yeah, pretty sure,” he murmurs, rubbing the back of his neck. “unless i’ve been sleepwalking through sex.”
you giggle, “well, you didn’t exactly perform like a rookie.”
“natural talent, i guess.” he grins, but there’s a flush creeping up his neck that makes you laugh even more.
you both lie there for a moment in comfortable silence, the room filled with the sound of your soft breathing. there’s no awkwardness. just a weird sense of ease, like this was exactly how things were supposed to go.
“so… you got a boyfriend?” he breaks the silence, glancing over at you with a playful glint in his eyes.
you smile to yourself, and speak up. “why? you wanna ask me out on a date?”
“maybe. do you have a boyfriend?” he asks, with a teasing smirk playing on his lips.
“no.” you reply, meeting his gaze.
for a moment, you both hold the stare, and then it breaks as you burst into laughter, the room filling with the sound of it, light and carefree.
“so i did great, right?” he asks
“mmh, not bad,” you hum, pretending to be unimpressed, though the smirk on your face gives you away. “maybe a solid 8 out of 10.”
his jaw drops dramatically. “only an 8?”
“you lost points for saying ‘here i go’.” you tease, biting your lip to hold back your laughter.
“oh, come on!” he groans, covering his face with both hands. “i’ll never live that down, will i?”
“nope,” you say smugly, shifting closer to him on the bed.
he drops his hands, a grin spreading across his face.
might drop this fic next week! i’m like 75% done which is surprising for me who hasn’t been writing new fics for bts in a long time 😫 I AM PUMPED AND SCARED BUT YEAH THIS IS A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK I GUESS????
genre ↠ mafia AU — romance/action (angst, fluff, smut)
18+ | warnings ↠ all sorts of crime (including: drug and arms trade, embezzlement, mentions of kidnapping and attempted kidnapping), frequent use of guns and knives, gore (non-descriptive), mild injuries to multiple characters including reader, death (descriptive).
summary ↠ Blood, business and betrayal is all that Park Jimin has ever known, but when you cross paths again, the stakes are raised even higher and he finds himself battling his conscience, and his heart.
taglist is open – dm/comment/send an ask to be added <3
notes ↠ okay I’m announcing this for the nth time now but it’s gotta happen! Lol 😭 I have had enough of not posting it and I’m always excited for this one so I need to just share it. I already released the prologue a while ago but I’ve made it private since then and will repost it again in a week or so. taglist is open <3
it's being a long time since i started reading Amelia´s works and i have loved every single one of them, i can't wait to star reading this series finally <3 (i think it's a series, correct me if I'm wrong tho)
🜍Part of the BANGTAN CINEMA: HORROR NIGHT COLLABORATION
🜍Title: Cathexis
ca·thex·is/kəˈTHeksəs/ noun: the concentration of mental energy on one particular person, idea, or object (especially to an unhealthy degree).
🜍Summary: Possessing a power that was genetically passed onto him, Jimin has to face life’s struggles managing this burden alone. He finds himself back in a town he vaguely recalls , where he hopes to find some semblance of peace, but what he doesn’t expect is to come face to face with his past.
🜍Film: Firestarter 18+M
🜍Pairing: Jimin x reader
🜍Genre: Slight Yandere 🜍 Firestarter au 🜍 Thriller 🜍 Total WC:27k
Exes to Lovers!AU | Hybrid!Jungkook x Hybrid!OC | Soulmate!AU
genre: angst, smut, exes to lovers, vampire/werewolf hybrid (emphasis on werewolf), soulmates, forced proximity
rating: explicit
description: He doesn’t remember loving you. How could he, when you’re the one who erased his memories? You run into him a year later at a wedding. The year after that he’s reported missing and you go off to find him. Then you wonder: did he ever forget you?
word count: 9.1k
warnings: blood, blood-drinking, one injury, flirting, TXT is mentioned and they’re horny brats but protective!JK swoops in, ANGST, mentions of compulsion, past deaths, JK smokes for like, one second, fire, resentment, but trust me, they will fall for each other all over again, two-shot 💖
smut warnings: OC goes into HEAT at the worst time, kissing, oral sex (female receiving), fingering, squirting, overstimulation, (more intense smut to come in part 2)
a/n: This is an epilogue for my series Moonstruck (inspired by TVD), but it can be read as a STAND-ALONE! You do not have to read Moonstruck (but it will be more satisfying if you have 😉). I love this couple and they deserve their (steamy) happy ending. They both embody the “right person, wrong place.”
Part 1 | Part 2 |
“You’re going to forget the fact you ever loved me. I’m just the girl who had a crush on you and trained with you, nothing more. I want you to live your life freely. If we ever cross paths again, don’t approach me. When I’m ready, I’ll come to you and you can decide then if you’ll have me. You’ll remember then. I love you, Jungkook.”
You first saw him again at a wedding.
When you arrive at the venue, your eyes scan the sea of strangers for him like an automated response. You clutch onto the chain of your purse, the tight squeeze in your chest never seeming to disappear. Once you’re sure of his absence, the tension in your shoulders fades.
Round tables are arranged around a central dance floor, so you sit at the closest one, joining in the crowd’s applause despite not knowing what’s happening. The happy couple is swaying to romantic jazz music played by the live band, their adoring smiles perfectly matched.
“What did I miss?”
Your old classmate chuckles when she notices your presence, using her fingers to count as she lists off her answers. “The ring bearer, flower girl, the da-da-da-da piano introduction, the vows, the kiss, the first dance—so pretty much everything. Surprised to see you here.”
So are you. It took you hours of hyping yourself up before deciding to attend. You never RSVP-ed properly, allocating all your time to getting ready instead. Not that you had anyone to impress, but it’s a wedding. Sweatpants weren’t going to cut it.
“Can everyone please have a seat? We’re going to hear the best man give his speech!” That authoritative voice belonged to Kim Namjoon, the headmaster of BTSU (Be The Supernatural University). His dimple smile emerges when he notices you and he waves excitedly, dropping the microphone in the process.
You giggle. “See? I didn’t miss everything, Lia.”
She hands you a glass of champagne, then clinks the glass against your own. “Okay, Ms. Fashionably Late. At least you look hot.”
The guests take their seats while the couple sits at the head table near the dance floor. There’s a small stage next to them and on it is a microphone stand under a beautifully decorated archway. A blanket of silence washes over the crowd as anticipation rises, but the best man is nowhere to be found. Murmurs spread quickly as heads turn in confusion.
“I’m here, I’m here!”
You don’t have to look to know who that voice belonged to. The glass in your hand trembles, on the brink of shattering under your tightening grip. Your mouth parts open in shock, your heart rate beating so loudly that it rings in your ears, drowning out the noise of the crowd’s applause as the so-called best man gets on stage.
Jeon Jungkook — your ex-boyfriend.
Could you even call him your ex? Your history was, in a word, complicated. Boyfriend and girlfriend weren’t labels you two were fortunate enough to share. Bound by trauma, forced into despair, crippled with pain — the “relationship” in question was toxic.
“You’re going to forget the fact you ever loved me…”
A hybrid had many advantages — compulsion included. With one look, you ordered him to forget having loved you and then left. Traveling the world healed you and the thought of returning to your college campus never once crossed your mind until a year later.
Your old professor sent you a text — a wedding invitation to be specific. Though the gesture was sweet, you preferred staying blissfully ignorant. You almost deleted it. However, F.O.M.O was a crippling feeling, so you ultimately gave in.
You were aware the chances of running into Jungkook were high, but that’s why you arrived late on purpose. You had let your guard down too easily, assuming he might’ve left early or not bother showing up at all. What a fool.
The fairy lights strung across the venue illuminate him with a gorgeous golden glow as he steps onto the stage. You hold your breath as the world seems to slow down, taking in his features.
His hair used to be longer and shaggier; you teased him for having a mop-head back then (lovingly). Now it’s half long, with shaved sides and a slight mullet. He wore a simple white shirt, layered with a classic black blazer and matching dress pants. Several square box chains surrounded his neck, complimenting his silver hoop earrings and lip ring (when did he get that?). His accessories sparkle under the lights, almost blinding, as if he were a living filter.
Damn. He’s only gotten more gorgeous.
Jungkook quickly adjusts the microphone stand to his height, then presents a bunny-tooth grin. “Hello everyone! Sorry, I’m late. I had forgotten my script.” He shakes the index cards in his hands gently, causing a ripple of laughter through the crowd. “It’s an honor being both Hoseok and Yoongi’s best man.”
Jung Hoseok was your old classmate, who used to be the alpha of the werewolf pack senior year. But then along came Jungkook, who stole the title from beneath him after challenging him to a duel. Funny how he is now his best man.
Min Yoongi was the one who invited you, a research assistant at your university. If you had to describe him in a phrase, it’d be: “Actions speak louder than words.” You knew his intentions when he sent the invitation, so you had to come and support him the same way he’s done for you.
Jungkook peers down at his script before placing a hand on the microphone.
“I’ve known Yoongi and Hoseok for years now and their love is truly special. They’re often private with their affection, but we know how they would go out of their way for each other. My favorite part is whenever Hoseok compliments Yoongi, he’d—”
“AaarrghhH!!!” The obnoxious scream is from Yoongi himself, who had stood up and faced away from the crowd. People crack up at his hilarity, including Hoseok who is clapping his hands like a seal.
“Yes. That. Exactly that,” Jungkook says, followed by a soft chuckle. “The two play off each other well. Hoseok brings joy to everyone and it’s infectious. I’ve never seen Yoongi happier than when he’s with Hoseok.”
Yoongi rubs the nape of his neck, a shy smile gracing his features as he sits back down. Hoseok places his head on his partner’s shoulders, sighing in content. Jungkook flips to the next index card and clears his throat.
“Yoongi and Hoseok are people I like from the bottom of my heart. They’re like family, and I’m so glad to be a part of their story. We were able to come to where we are right now because everybody was all together.” His lips tremble slightly as he holds the corners of the card with both hands, tears slowly welling up in his eyes. His head hangs low for a moment but then he looks up, forcing a smile on his face. “Sorry, I’m getting emotional.”
You almost shout it’s okay! but nothing comes out. Fortunately, a couple of folks blurt out comforting words that make him laugh as he quickly wipes his tears away. He rolls his shoulders back and blows a small raspberry with his lips to reset.
“These two have both helped me through so much. When I almost lost my life. When I lost my friends. When I wanted to give up on myself,” His eyes scanned across the venue as if simulating eye contact with each guest. “And especially when I experienced the biggest absence of my life with…”
His words are cut short at the same time your breath hitches. It’s a split second, but you’re sure. You’re sure his gaze fell on you, his expression stiffening slightly while you let out a silent gasp. The world seems to be at a standstill until he crumples the cards in his hand and tosses them aside. He lets out a half-hearted laugh, gesturing to the large projector screen he prepared earlier.
“Enough about me!” he exclaims. “I made a compilation of the couple’s best moments. Enjoy!”
You don’t pay attention to the video playing despite the roaring laughter from the crowd. Someone shouts something about the couple wearing colorful animal sheet masks, but your eyes are glued to Jungkook. He exits the stage, heading back to his group of friends at the table furthest from yours. They give him a pat on the back and he’s back to smiling as if nothing happened.
Was it your imagination? Maybe he wasn’t looking at you. You finish your champagne in one gulp, slamming the glass down without meaning to. The sharp sting in your palm makes you realize your actions as you groan, the deep cut across your hand oozing blood.
“[Y/N], are you okay? Oh my gosh, here.” Lia is quick to grab the cloth napkin, wrapping it around your hand and tying a knot.
“Thanks, but I’m fine. I’ll heal anyway.”
“Still, how did this even happen? What’s got you so tense?”
You say nothing, but she follows your line of sight and purses her lips. “Are you looking at the wolves? Is it Jungkook?”
“No,” you say quickly. “I’m gonna go to the restroom and wash the blood off.”
Before she can interrogate you further, you make a break for it. It was difficult walking in your nude heels, each step feeling like you were sinking deeper into the grass. The fairy lights help you see in the dark as you pass by the greenery of the garden, the flowers being your favorite part. You’d stop to smell them but didn’t want the blood to stain their lovely petals. Your feet finally reach a cobblestone path and you see the restroom building up ahead.
There’s a handwashing sink outside. Once you turn on the faucet, you unwrap the cloth around your hand and wash the excess blood away. The cut had partially healed already — another perk of hybrid blood — but it still felt nice.
You find yourself lost in thought as the cool water flows onto your hands. You tell yourself there’s no way Jungkook was looking at you. He doesn’t even know you. At least, not in the way he used to.
“I’m just the girl who had a crush on you and trained with you, nothing more. I want you to live your life freely.”
Ah. Right. You’ve been reduced to a mere stranger now. The depressing reality makes you sigh as you turn off the water.
That’s when you hear it. Footsteps. Heavy ones that grow louder from behind you. The hairs on your neck stand up as you turn around.
Jungkook is approaching you, his stride long and confident. Your brain must have been rewired to put him in slow motion because he’s like a model walking down a runway. You can’t believe your eyes and are torn between running away or staying put. He’s closer now. Your heart skips a beat, the anticipation crushing you. Stay put it is.
“If we ever cross paths again, don’t approach me.”
Yet here he is. Approaching you. Had the compulsion not worked on him? Did he remember you all this time? Well, your answer comes when he walks right by you without sparing a glance as he enters the men’s restroom. You blink a few times, stunned by what took place.
Well, that proves it; the compulsion was still effective. You look at the bloody napkin in your hand, clutching it tightly.
“What, is he blind? He didn’t even ask if I was okay. This is a huge red flag, literally!” You wave the fabric around like a crazed woman, having half a mind to chuck it across the building. After sulking for a minute, you compose yourself and prepare to head back.
That’s when an unpleasant smell creeps its way into your nose. It’s harsh, like the smell of acetone and burnt wood, and you cough uncontrollably. The acrid fumes are suffocating as you wander around the restrooms for the smell.
“It’s coming from the men’s side…” you mumble to yourself.
“When I’m ready, I’ll come to you and you can decide then if you’ll have me.”
Ignore it. It’s not your business. Yet your feet are already stomping inside, where your ex jolts in alarm at your sudden presence.
“Hey, just because you’re a hybrid doesn’t mean smoking is okay!” The cigarette dangles from his mouth when his lips part in a small “o” shape, seconds from falling. You swipe it from him, drop it on the ground, and crush it under your heel. His doe eyes are larger than before, but your actions render him speechless. “It’s a gross habit and causes bad breath. So… yeah. Don’t smoke. Even if you’re practically immortal it’s not good for you.”
You spin around and close your eyes, cringing at your meddlesome behavior. You should leave before things escalate.
“Are you okay?” Your eyes flutter open. He must think you’re deranged! “Your hand… is that blood?”
You look down, noticing the cloth in your hand was no longer white, but a deep crimson that seemed to permeate nonstop.
“Oh, this is nothing. It’ll heal soon.”
He circles and gets in front of you, holding out his hand. “May I take a look?”
Whatever compels you to give your hand to him is a mystery, but you do it. He removes the cloth first, then inspects your palm, concern etched in his features. Blood continues to ooze out of the gash, but all you can focus on is the warmth of his hand enveloping your cold one. It reminds you of holding a hot cup of coffee in the morning except in this case, your cortisol levels are spiking.
“It’s not good for you, you know,” he says with a soft smile. He directs his gaze from his hand to your own. “Getting cuts on such pretty hands. Who did this to you?”
If you had a brain, you didn’t anymore. You feel it short-circuiting, the hints of protectiveness in his voice setting sirens off in your mind. “No one… I accidentally broke a glass.”
It comes out as a whisper, but he acknowledges your response with a gentle “hmm.”
“This won’t do. It’s not healing fast enough,” His eyes shift up to meet your own. “You’re practically dripping in my hand.”
How can he say such things to you with such a straight face? The double entendre is blatant, but calling him out for it would only expose your impure thoughts.
“Shall I clean you up?” You don’t miss how he says “you” and not “it.” His irises glow a ruby red, matching his blood-shot sclera. Protruding veins appear under his eyes as he opens his mouth wide enough to exhibit his sharp fangs. It’s a hauntingly beautiful sight.
“That’s okay, you don’t—you don’t have to.”
“Maybe I want to. Besides… I was smoking to curb my cravings. You took that away, so I need something else to satisfy me.”
You gulp. “And you think my blood will do that?”
He flashes you a smirk. “I’d like to find out. If you’ll let me.”
He doesn’t remember. He doesn’t remember. He can’t remember. Right?
You agree with a soft “okay” and Jungkook doesn’t hold back. He sticks his tongue out, licking up the blood that overflowed onto his thumb first before following the stream up to your palm. He presses his lips onto the gash and sucks, earning a small gasp from you. This catches his attention, and he stares at you. His pupils are dilated, the primal look in his gaze so enrapturing.
The pit of your stomach is on fire as he continues feeding from the palm of your hand. His tongue comes out to play, swiping back and forth, leaving no spot untouched. It tickles, but you’re too tense to move a muscle.
Then he moans. It’s low at first, but then he closes his eyes and does it again. This time it’s more guttural, and he presses harder against you like he was starved.
“Ow,” you say, wincing when his fangs pierce your skin. It coaxes more blood to come out, and he visibly shudders.
“Sorry, I—Fuck,” His breath is uneven as he pants, drunk on your taste. He furrowed his eyebrows like he was mad, fighting against his primal urges to devour you whole. “I’ll be more careful. Please let me finish, please.”
Oh my god. He’s begging you. It’s too adorable to resist. He opens his eyes when you don’t reply, and you quickly give him your consent. His technique, if you can even call it that, grows sloppy as he rushes to clean up the mess he made. It’s like he was embarrassed, which makes your heart grow fonder.
Once he finishes, his lips come together and make a loud smooching sound. He kisses the spot once again, lovingly, and then pulls away. You’re shocked to see the cut is no longer there.
“Delicious. Sweet, with a hint of spice.”
You’re flattered by the handsome blood sommelier but retract your hand, hiding it behind your back while clearing your throat.
“Um… Thank you.” That sounded more lame out loud than in your head, but nothing else seemed appropriate.
Jungkook rubs the excess blood from the corner of his lips with his thumb. “It was my pleasure.” He sucks it and then releases his thumb with a loud pop.
Discomfort washes over you with how quiet the restroom gets, but you don’t break the silence. Instead, you turn around and head for the exit.
“You’re [Y/N], right?” Three steps. That’s how far you got. “We were in the same year together.”
You grab onto the chain of your purse again. “Yeah. We were.”
And you leave it at that.
You walk around to ease the buried feelings threatening to bubble up to the surface. Aside from the reception in the garden, the rest of the campus is quiet. Not a single light is on from the buildings you pass, your heels following the moonlight instead.
You pass the library, the gym, and the fine arts hall, but your steps halt at the girls’ dormitory. Memories flood your mind one by one: decorating your room, staying up late studying for exams, and the time when Jungkook slept over and—no. Shit. Don’t think about a love that’s lost.
A weighted sigh comes as you sit on the steps, giving your feet a much-deserved break. You hug your knees, tuck your head down, and rest it in your folded arms as if you wanted to hide from the world. Why the hell did you think coming here would be easy?
His touch lingers in your mind as you replay the moment. The way he held your hand, the way he was concerned for your well-being, and the way he fed off your blood was far more intimate than you expected. Then he said your name.
It ignited a yearning you thought you had suppressed.
“I should leave…” you say out loud to no one in particular.
“And miss the group picture?”
You lift your head slowly like you were caught red-handed committing a heinous crime. You’re greeted by pointed black dress shoes, black dress pants, a white shirt and black blazer, silver necklaces, and soft doe eyes that could melt anyone’s heart.
“Jungkook…”
His eyes light up, a tinge of rouge dancing across his cheeks as he slips his hands into his pockets. “So you do remember me.”
How could I ever forget? “Well yeah… we were in the same year together.”
He scrunches his nose, amused at your usage of his past words. “That’s it? We were sparring partners, we went on missions together, and I’m pretty sure you saved my life by turning me into a hybrid,” Your jaw falls to the ground while his lips curve into a playful grin. “Ring a bell?”
The logistics of your compulsion weren’t specific as to how much Jungkook would remember. Then again, you didn’t erase his memory of your existence, so it’s natural he would remember some basic things.
“Wow, you have a good memory. Um… yeah, I guess that covers the extent of our relationship.”
He quirks his eyebrow, sounding far too happy for your liking as he says, “We… have a relationship?”
You put your hands out in a stop motion and shake them in a panic. “No! Not at all. I–I meant that’s all we are to each other. Nothing more, nothing less. Just old classmates.”
“I see. What a shame though. I feel like we would have… should have gotten to know each other more back then.”
His voice has a trace of longing, but you dismiss it for friendly conversation. “Really? I was too focused on my studies anyway. You wouldn’t have liked me.”
He nods. “Considering how you stomped out my cigarette? Yeah, probably not.”
You scoff, a playful glint in your eyes. “Excuse me for looking out for you.”
“Never asked you to, but I’ll admit, I enjoy the attention.” You both laugh and then he extends his hand out to you. “Come on. Let’s go take the group picture together.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I’m not fond of pictures. Yoongi and Hobi don’t even know I’m here, so it’s not like they’ll notice.”
“I’ll notice,” You stare at him, watching his smile fade and how serious his demeanor becomes. “Your absence is significant, especially to those who care about you. They’ll remember it for the rest of their lives.”
You are about to speak when he adds, “Besides, the formation is off and we need one more person to fill in the gap.”
With a roll of your eyes, you swat his hand away and stand. “Alright, I get it. Let’s go.”
He smiles, puts his hands back in his pockets, and leads the way back. You follow him to the garden where guests are lined up in neat, staggered rows. Most of them have their arms crossed, some tapping their feet anxiously, while the rest have their hands on their hips. Even the main couple in the front row are mouthing words you can’t hear, but the way Yoongi slaps a hand to his forehead makes you aware of his distress.
“Oh!” Hoseok shouts with a jump, pointing his finger in your direction. “They’re here!”
Everyone expresses their relief with a “thank goodness” or “about time” as you and Jungkook make your way over.
“You found her!” Namjoon says, holding up his hand for a high-five. Jungkook walks by too fast to notice, so you high-five him to ease his embarrassment.
“Wow, is that [Y/N]? You look incredible.” The man next to Namjoon gives you two thumbs up and you smile at the compliment.
“Jin…” You can’t help but hug him tight and he reciprocates. Kim Seokjin aka Jin was the head witch on campus and counselor. You’ve confided in him for years and seeing him again almost brings tears to your eyes.
“Alright, alright. That’s enough.” Yoongi pats Jin’s back, a signal to release his hold on you. You laugh and then embrace him next, earning an obnoxious groan, but the fond smile on his face shows his true emotions. “I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for coming.”
“Of course. Thank you for inviting me.”
You stop hugging him to see Hoseok with his arms out already, his heart-shaped grin wide.
“Come here~,” You let out an “oof” sound from how tight he squeezes you. “We had no idea you were here! Jungkook convinced the cameraman to wait until he found you.”
You let him go and look over to Jungkook, who clears his throat as he looks off to the side. The apples of his cheeks are rosy, which you find endearing.
“Here, stand in the front row next to me,” Hoseok says, gesturing to the spot between him and Jungkook. Jungkook takes a large step to the right, allowing enough space for you to squeeze in.
“Alright, now that we finally have everyone here…” the cameraman says out loud, throwing a harsh glare in your direction. You give him a sheepish grin in return. “Everyone needs to scoot over to my left please.”
The crowd obeys, but the cameraman’s displeased frown remains. “Now everyone needs to squeeze closer together.”
There’s some shuffling and you bump into Hoseok after Jungkook’s shoulder bumps into yours.
“Sorry,” he whispers. You tell him it’s okay.
The cameraman crosses his arms. “Come on, you guys. Act like you like each other! Closer!”
Everyone scooches in again, but Jungkook’s hand brushes against yours. The touch is electrifying, and you forget how to breathe. You can’t process your emotions as the cameraman orders the guests on your side to turn their bodies inwards at an angle. Jungkook exhales and his hot breath fans the nape of your neck. You feel your palms start to sweat.
“Three, two, one, smile!” You put on your most picture-perfect smile, the flash nearly blinding you. “One more! This time do a silly pose!”
You observe what others choose for their pose. Bunny ears are common, heart poses are also popular whether using arms or hands. Some stick their tongues out while others fake a dramatic gasp. You shift in your position when your heels betray you and you stumble backward.
As if on cue, a pair of arms catch you and you’re dipped like you’re in a dance class with Jungkook’s face peering down at you. His sweet cologne wafts into your nostrils, a nice blend of amber and rose. These moments only happen in movies — or so you think — yet he’s a fantasy that somehow becomes your reality.
The camera shutters and captures your deer-in-the-headlights expression and Jungkook’s, who mirrors after you. It makes the cameraman let out a hearty laugh, and he’s not sure who the real married couple is.
“Are you okay?”
You nod and he helps you regain stability. Your hand touches your face, feeling the heat radiating off your cheek. The cameraman dismisses everyone and your friends jump at the opportunity to hound you with questions.
Hoseok’s eager to go first. “Whatcha been up to, [Y/N]? It’s been so long since we’ve all been together.”
“Just traveling, not much,” you reply, forcing the muscles in your mouth to cooperate into a believable smile.
“Hey, that’s her business. Don’t be nosy,” Namjoon interjects. Yoongi and Jin give each other a knowing look.
“You’re just saying that because she communicates with you the most,” Jin teases.
“I mean, I was her mentor… can’t help it if I’m her favorite.” He pats his puffed-out chest twice, proud as he winks at you. You giggle and Yoongi joins in the conversation.
“Okay, if anyone’s her favorite, it’s actually me. But anyway,” he tilts his head towards the bar, “help yourself to a drink.”
“Ooh, I will. Do you have any recommendations?” you ask.
“Do you want something strong? Fruity?”
“Get her what Jungkook got,” Namjoon says. Jungkook stands off to the side, his jaw clenches at his name being mentioned. “You like peach-flavored things, right?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
“Because he told me…” He notices the group shooting glares at him like daggers. It reminds you of when an idol spoils their next comeback by accident. “... Told me it was delicious and that anyone would like it. It goes down smoothly. Very yummy. Hah. Hahaha! Is that a saxophone?”
He leaves the group in a hurry with Jin chasing after him yelling, “No! Leave the sax alone! I’m not paying for damages!”
Awkward glances are exchanged between Hoseok and Yoongi, a silent two-player game of telepathy you weren’t a part of. You can’t compel Hoseok, but Yoongi’s human. One look and you’d know what he was thinking, but that’d be highly inappropriate to do that to the groom at his wedding.
“I’ll order my own,” you tell the couple and they wave goodbye. Jungkook’s already retreated to his friends, much to your relief.
Once you’re at the outdoor bar, your mood lifts upon seeing the bartender. She puts down the glass she was drying and rests her hands on the countertop.
“Well if it isn’t the original hybrid queen herself.”
The bartender is young, her oval face and sharp jawline giving her a cute, handsome aura. Her hair is short, about shoulder-length, and straight. Her eyes are large, emphasized by her dramatic makeup to draw you in until you’re lost in them.
“Hi, Ryujin. Wow, I haven’t seen you in forever.” She had a white shirt underneath her black vest; you think it suits her tom-boyish charms well.
“Since vampire ability class, I know. What can I get you, beautiful?”
The smirk she sends you has your nerves sparking, and the palms of your hands sweaty. It was different when a girl complimented you. It felt more believable, flattering even.
You shrug in response to maintain a calm demeanor. “Hmm… I don’t know. Maybe something fruity? Citrusy?”
She nods, grabbing a shaker and a bottle of liquor under the counter straight away. You watch as she juggles the two items in the air, covering your mouth at the thought of gravity ruining her trick. However, she caught them both with ease, moving at such a fast speed as she concocted your beverage. It’s an elegant performance, her movements fluid like it’s an art. She finishes by topping off your glass with an orange slice.
“Here you go,” She slides the glittery pink drink over, and you take a sip, allowing the fruity taste to coat your tongue. “Matches your dress.”
You smile at the thoughtful gesture. “It’s good. Tastes like peaches and grapefruit. What’s it called?”
“It’s something I came up with. I wouldn’t mind sharing the recipe with you after the event’s over.”
You don’t miss the flirty tone in her words and can only laugh. She was so refreshing and has always stuck up for you in the past when others called you stuck-up for being a hybrid. Who knew she would end up flirting with you at a wedding years later?
“So? What do you say?” she asks, her eyes brimming with hope. You take another drink and finish the whole thing despite your shaky hands. She gives you a fond smile. “If I’m being too forward, tell me.”
“No, I’m just nervous,” you blurt out, setting the glass down. “You’re really pretty.”
“Is that so?”
You’re about to respond when you feel your temperature rise. You clasp a hand to your forehead, which goes from warm to scalding in seconds. Sweat beads form around your temples as your breathing becomes harsher. You rest your elbow on the counter to keep yourself balanced, but your legs are burning too. It was like someone lit a torch from beneath you, cooking your flesh inside out.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Ryujin asks. You shake your head and your vision blurs, the lights behind her looking like a bokeh image. She hands a bottle of water to you, and you gulp it down, yet the fever persists and you feel worse.
Ryujin sees your eyes widen in alarm as you peer down at your dress. She inspects it too, but doesn’t see anything abnormal. You rub your thighs together.
“Fuck… I think I’m in heat,” you tell her. Your hand rummages through your purse and then you curse again, frustrated. “I’m out of suppressants!”
Ryujin snaps her fingers when a lightbulb goes off in her head. “Ask Lia.”
“Good idea.”
You blink to wet your eyes, regaining clarity of your surroundings before heading to Lia on the dance floor. She was all smiles with a guy until you bumped into her, your darn heels being the bane of your existence.
“Hey!”
“Sorry,” you quickly say, “I need your help.”
She takes one look, excuses herself, and brings you to a quieter space. Her hand reaches into her clutch and pulls out a lace handkerchief, dabbing the sweat off your forehead. Her touch is gentle and she asks quietly, “Are you in heat?”
Lia and Ryujin were best friends. Your sole encounters with her were because of Ryujin by extension, but even back then, you knew she was sweet. Wolves often looked down upon her because of her doll-like, docile appearance. However, she had enough balls to find friends in other cliques and was, what people say, a girl’s girl.
“Yes, I feel like I’m dying. Ryujin told me to ask if you have suppressants.”
“I don’t. Do you not track your cycle?”
“I’m a hybrid! It’s random for me!”
She grimaces, the pity in her eyes inevitable. “I’m sorry, I forgot. But you need to get out of here. Do you know how many horny young wolves are here with zero self-restraint?”
You shift your weight and a pool of discharge releases in your panties, the sticky sensation making you cringe. Lia brings out a travel-sized perfume spray and spritzes your entire body. A wheeze is forced out of you from the potent floral scent, but at least it will cover your pheromones long enough for a distraction.
“Hey everyone! The fireworks are starting soon, let’s go to the front of the school and watch!” Hoseok has his hands cupped around his mouth to carry his voice through the venue, catching the attention of all guests. Lia holds both your hands, looking you dead in the eye with a straight face.
“There. Use this time to find suppressants or get out of here. The perfume won’t last very long.”
“Thanks, Lia, I will.”
While the crowd heads towards the front, you rush back to the restroom building. You’re a panting mess once inside, but you go into a stall, shut it, and pull down your undergarment. The fabric is soaked in slick and has a hefty weight—you have no choice but to discard it.
Grabbing toilet paper, you clean yourself up as best as you can. Then you step out, wash your hands, and exit the building.
“Hey there.” You almost topple backward from the sudden intrusion. Three guys are in front of you, all wearing the same, smug grin. They’re young, probably younger than you, but one thing’s for sure—they’re werewolves.
There’s a particular scent that emits from wolves. It’s earthy, like a pine tree, and you’d usually find it comforting but now? Fear crawls up your spine like a spider has latched onto you, its legs creeping up your back in a spot you can’t smack away.
The one in the middle had greeted you first. He has a youthful face, and sculpted cheekbones, which are easy on the eyes. Speaking of, that was his most striking feature. They are almost cat-like (ironically) with how wide and long they are.
“Are you lost? Everyone’s watching the fireworks,” he says, his thumb hiked over his shoulder. You don’t respond. “Ah, I’m Yeonjun. This is Beomgyu and that’s Soobin.”
Soobin is the tallest. He shows off his dimple smile upon being introduced, which seems pure, but the way his irises shifted to goldenrod says otherwise. Beomgyu, on the other hand, had the most innocent baby face you’ve ever seen. However, you don’t miss the way he licks his lips while giving you a once-over.
“I’m [Y/N]...” You don’t know why you give them your name, but it slips out. Maybe you hoped playing along would lead them to spare you.
“Oh!” Soobin says, his index finger pointing up at the discovery. “You’re the original hybrid the professors rave about!”
“Half-vampire, half-werewolf, right?” Beomgyu asks. Your double moon necklace glows as you form your fingers into a claw shape behind your back. A small flame ignites and you hold it there, waiting for the right opportunity.
“Yeah. I guess,” you say. “Why don’t you boys go watch the fireworks? I’ll catch up.”
“Nonsense! As gentlemen, we should escort you. Unless… you’d rather do something else. Here. Now.” Yeonjun raises an eyebrow, but you scowl in response.
“No thanks.”
Soobin takes a step forward. “Is there anything else we can help you with?”
Beomgyu takes two. “I’m sure the three of us can be of use to you.”
It’s not until Yeonjun approaches you that you cower, stepping backward until you’re stopped by the water fountains. “No need to be shy. No one’s around.”
Your blood is boiling, though you’re not sure if it’s from your heat or rage. What’s worse is you’re not mad at them; you’re mad at yourself. Their words spurred you on as arousal drips down your thighs, a sign of your body’s betrayal. You fear if this escalates, they’ll figure out you’re not wearing anything underneath.
“Get. Back.” You reveal the burning flame in your palm, the heat emanating off of it close enough to Yeonjun’s face. He jumps back and places a hand on his chest.
“Whoa! She’s feisty. Or should I say… fiery.”
“Maybe we should head back. She can do magic. I thought hybrids don’t know magic,” Soobin whispers. Yeonjun laughs at the ridiculous suggestion, shoving his friend for his cowardice as Beomgyu inspects him for injuries.
“Doesn’t matter. Look at her state now.” He points in your direction, seeing how you’re barely able to stand. Your breaths are quick, shallow and your heart is thumping around like it’s going to burst out of your rib cage. The fire in your hand diminishes to a mere flicker, and then it’s out. You try to bring it back with the flick of a wrist, but all that emits are tiny sparks. Shit. I haven’t been practicing long enough.
Your womanhood is craving something, anything to alleviate the agony. It’s screaming for release, and you hold your abdomen as a sudden cramp pains you horribly. Human females experience this type of thing monthly and you have to hand it to them. This type of pain requires endurance and fucking sucks.
You fall onto all fours, clutching your heart which is seconds away from bursting. It’s beating so loud, you can’t even hear the vulgar things the youngins are saying as they rush over. Soobin grabs your right arm; Yeonjun has the other.
You thrash in their clutches, but they only mock you with their boisterous laughter as they force you to your feet.
“Hey, hey! We’re just trying to help,” Soobin says.
“Unless you’d rather be on all fours,” Yeonjun teases. Beomgyu bends down to your eye level, a crooked smile on his dainty face, the true embodiment of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“You’re pure temptation, you know that?” He leans close, his lips grazing the shell of your ear as he whispers, “Give up. Don’t put up a fight.”
“I don’t consent,” you say, a harsh bite in your words.
Soobin squeezes your arm, almost crushing it in his large hands. “Why? Is it because we’re young?”
“It’s clear you’re horny… we are too. Come on,” Beomgyu pleads. “We’ll take good care of you. Teach us what you like.”
“Yeah. And we’ll do the same.” Yeonjun holds your hand, inspecting it closely. “So soft. I bet your hand would feel so good around my—“
“Get your hands off her before I bite them off.”
Dizziness overwhelms you, so all you see is a blurry figure behind Beomgyu, and you shake your head to come to your senses. Once the man’s face comes into focus, relief washes over you, sending signals for your brain to let down your guard. The energy you so desperately clung to has depleted, so you close your eyes as your limbs turn into jelly.
Five seconds pass and the boys’ hold on you is gone. Someone else catches you before you faint, his scent familiar and comforting.
“I got you,” he says as he lets you lean against his body.
“Jungkook…”
“Can you stand?” You don’t know but nod anyway. “Good. Get behind me. You don’t want to see this.”
His broad back shields you from the three wolves, so you don’t even see the damage he inflicted upon them. Yeonjun was thrown into a tree a hundred feet away, the impact so potent that it split in half. Soobin and Beomgyu were fortunate not to collide into anything after being catapulted… except for each other.
Soobin lands on top of Beomgyu and the smaller boy groans, pushing him off in a huff. He stands first and helps Soobin after.
“Hey, we didn’t do anything wrong!” Yeonjun shouts as he scrambles to his feet, flaring his nostrils. “You and I both know she’s a bitch in heat!”
You cling onto Jungkook’s blazer, and he looks over his shoulder.
“Is he right?” You don’t know if he asks to be polite because even you can smell your essence leaking. You hide your face in his back, flustered, but he feels you nod.
He redirects his attention back to the wolves. “That doesn’t give you the right to touch her. I suggest you leave before I make it physically impossible.”
Soobin scoffs while Beomgyu rolls his eyes. Yeonjun’s fuse was already lit and Jungkook’s sure there’s smoke coming out of his ears. You hear him crack his knuckles, the silence that follows deafening as you hold your breath in anticipation.
“It’s three against two. Well, three against one, really,” Soobin says, laughing like he’s already won.
“All I see is three smooth-brained pups who are pissing me off.” Jungkook’s eyes shift to a fiery goldenrod, the corner of his lips twitching as he smirks. “You’re aware that [Y/N] isn’t the only hybrid… right?”
You don’t see it, but their faces pale in comparison to earlier. Beomgyu covers his mouth, Soobin’s eyes widen, and Yeonjun growls.
“There were rumors about more than one hybrid existing, but I didn’t think they were true,” Beomgyu says in a hushed tone.
“She turned him? Fuck, they’re bonded then,” Soobin says. Yeonjun waves him off in a dismissive manner.
“I don’t give a fuck. She’s not marked. We can take them.”
Jungkook has his fists up and changes into a fighter stance, but he feels you press your forehead against his back. It’s a searing sensation that scorches him even through the two layers of fabric he had on. He turns around and holds you by the shoulders.
“Hey, stay with me,” he begs. Your head is lolling back and forth as if you were inebriated.
“It’s so hot… I’m too hot… I hate this, I hate this. Please… I need to cool down,” you beg. Jungkook takes a peek at the time on his watch, then bites his lower lip.
“Okay,” he whispers. “When I count to three, I need you to hold your breath. Can you do that for me?”
You mumble something Jungkook believes is a “yes” based on the beginning /y/ sound.
“Three… two…”— he looks up —“one!”
A firework shoots up into the night sky, painting it with an explosive rainbow of sparkles. You cover your sensitive ears, but make sure to hold your breath as Jungkook uses his enhanced speed to whisk you away. More fireworks go off, muffling your tracks and making the youngins work harder to find you.
However, Jungkook’s skills are unmatched. He sprints to the side of the school where the mountains are, and they follow suit. At the last second, he pivots and heads to the secluded area on the opposite side, where the lake is.
The last memory you had here was something you blocked out to spare your mental health. You had almost died. But now this place was going to save you, funny enough. If you think about it, the lake had more happy memories than bad. This was where Namjoon trained you before you trained Jungkook.
You can picture it now as if it was yesterday. He, a newly turned werewolf, scared of what’s to come in his new life, and you, the school prodigy who had a crush on him.
Jungkook jumps off the dock with you in his arms, the splash overshadowed by the firework’s detonation. The cool water refreshes your sweltering body as you close your eyes, submitting to it. For a moment you don’t care about anything. Not how your makeup is smeared, how your curls are undone, or how your dress is ruined.
You feel strong arms hold you close, and an overwhelming sense of longing hits you in the gut. God, you missed him so much. Even without his memories, he still cares for you. Hell, he went out of his way to protect you.
Just when your lungs are on the verge of giving out, you’re pulled up to the surface. Your eyes flutter open as you rub the water off your face. Jungkook coughs, then cups your face with both hands.
“Are you okay?”
You take in his appearance for what feels like an eternity. His brown eyes twinkle from the moonlight, so beautiful and full of worry. You find it amusing how his hair is stuck to his forehead, the strands partially obstructing his view. Your hand pushes it out of the way without thinking like muscle memory, causing his breath to hitch.
“Thanks to you.”
Fireworks are still going off in the distance, illuminating you two in the crystal-clear water. Jungkook slowly removes his hands from you.
“Good. I um… don’t hear them anymore. They must’ve left. And the water should keep your scent hidden for now.”
“That’s a relief.” Jungkook places the back of his hand against your forehead but retracts it quickly as if he touched a hot stove.
“Ow, oh my god. You’re still burning up!”
How naive were you to think it’d be over? You’ve experienced this once before, but that was with your first ex, who was at your beck and call for sex whenever you needed it. You couldn’t ask that of Jungkook. Not after everything that’s happened.
“I’ll figure something out. You’ve done a lot for me already and your clothes are wet.”
“I don’t give a damn about my clothes. Tell me how I can help you.”
*BOOM*
A red heart-shaped firework went off as you two stared at each other. Your gaze flickers from his eyes to his luscious lips and he doesn’t miss it. Maybe you don’t want him to.
“Why do you want to help me? We… We’re not that close.”
“Well… the thing is… I-I just…” He is so freakin’ cute. You might die from how endearing he is before your heat destroys you first. “Because.”
“Because?”
*BOOM*
“Because it’s finally just you and me.”
His answer is simple. There shouldn’t be any underlying connotations and yet, it reminds you of a past conversation.
“We’re in this together. You and me. Okay?”
“Is it really you and me…”
“What do you mean?”
“Will it ever be? Just you and me?”
“Now tell me what you need. Use me.”
Your pussy is throbbing so much that it’s agonizing. You just need a quick release, then you’ll be sane enough to go home without collapsing.
“This feels…” So right, you think. “Wrong.”
His hands sneak around your waist. “Then let’s misbehave.”
He hoists you up onto the edge of the dock without warning as if you weigh nothing, and a grunt leaves his lips. It’s far too sexy to ignore, and your mind craves to hear it again. Then he places his hands on either side of your thighs and pulls himself up halfway out of the water, his face now directly in front of yours.
“Tell me what you need. How can I please you?”
Fuck. You bite your lower lip when you realize the dock isn’t that tall—he’s at the perfect height to carry out the desires you’ve been suppressing. “I need to come…”
A water droplet falls off his button nose when he chuckles. “How do you want to come?”
You stare at his lips, which are thin yet plump at the same time, his lower lip being the bigger half. You think back to earlier when he sucked your palm.
“I want you to eat me out…”
He moves fast, almost like he knew what you’d say. His grip on the dock loosens, and he plops back into the lake but grabs your ankles, pulling you forward until your bottom is perched on the very edge. He spreads your thighs and rests his head between them, looking up at you like you were worth the entire universe.
“Why don’t you lift your dress for me, gorgeous?”
You’re unsure what’s louder — the fireworks or your heart rate. If he keeps speaking to you in that low dialect, you may come right now. Your fingers bunch up the fabric at the hem and you slowly pull it up, exposing your pussy to his feasting eyes.
“Fuck, what a beautiful pussy.”
You take two fingers and glide it up your folds, coating it in your slick. Jungkook watches, unsure of what you are going to do next. You lean forward, cupping his face with your other hand with a naughty glint in your eyes.
“Open.” He obliges, and you stick your coated fingers in his mouth. A muffled groan comes out as he sucks your fingers, his tongue swirling around so nothing goes to waste. “Good boy.”
You remove your fingers and he’s practically drooling, his eyes a bit crazed from your addictive taste.
“Please let me pleasure you, please.”
You don’t answer and run a hand through his damp hair, stopping at the back to grip it tight as you guide his head closer to where you need him most. He peers up at you adoringly when you hold him an inch away.
“Please me then.”
He doesn’t hesitate. His tongue licks a stripe on your sopping cunt, earning a shudder from you. Your thighs squeeze his head like a reflex, which only spurs him on to press his mouth harder against you. He begins to lap up your juices like a dog and you throw your head back, moaning at how insanely good it felt.
You tangle your fingers in his hair and pull him closer if possible, the tight hold giving him a tinge of pain that ignites his carnal desires. He slurps your pussy like it was his last meal on death row, slithering his arms underneath your knees and holding your thighs hostage. You don’t know which noise was most obscene—your moaning or Jungkook’s.
Sneaking your free hand down, you use your forefinger and middle finger to spread your pussy lips wider. Jungkook’s excited and sinks his tongue as deep as it would go. You’re impatient now, riding his face as he tongue-fucks you.
“Fuck, you’re so good to me, yes—oh god…” You don’t have it in you to say anything more coherent except for broken moans. Jungkook pauses for a second, and you whine at the loss of contact. Then you’re being stretched out as his two fingers submerge into you, nearly knocking the breath out of you.
You lean back on your forearms as he begins to piston them into you, your wetness making it easy—too easy even. They slip out when he speeds up, and he makes up for it by eating you out and sinking his fingers back in simultaneously.
You’re shaking, unable to hold yourself up any longer. Your back rests on the wooden planks as Jungkook flicks your clit with his tongue, his fingers drilling into you at a brutal speed and brushing your sweet spot.
You see the last of the fireworks show go off, a beautiful explosion of silver sparkles and stars, as your orgasm finally comes. You arch your back and scream, but Jungkook doesn’t slow down. He can feel how tight your walls are constricting around his fingers and knows you need a few more seconds of bliss to be fully satisfied.
Overstimulation was always a gamble. If pushed too far, you’d be in pain. But most of the time you welcome it. One second you want the pleasure to stop building, but then you crave that ache of clenching so hard until your body gives out.
Jungkook stops again. This time he pulls himself out of the water completely and hovers over your body. His fingers plunge into you again, his speed relentless, and you swear you’re seeing stars (or maybe that’s the fireworks who knows). Your eyes roll to the back of your head and you say his name like a mantra.
“Come for me, beautiful. I want you dripping in my hand again.”
Your eyes are wide when warm lips are pressed against your own. But you submit and savor it, having missed his touch. Combining that with the way he curls his fingers inside makes you squirt. Hard.
Your entire body convulses and you can’t even scream because Jungkook is determined to swallow them. The limitation only makes you come harder than before. Then again, you’re not sure if this is a second orgasm or a drawn-out first one.
The involuntary gushing is an indescribable sudden wave of pleasure. You feel so relieved from the release, pushed to tears at how good it felt. Jungkook pulls away a centimeter to let you breathe, and you submit to the foreign feeling.
Oh my god, he made me squirt. I didn’t even know that was possible.
He pulls his soaked fingers out and resumes kissing you, moving his lips in rhythm to yours. It’s so natural, almost like he’s done this before. Well, he has, but it felt so right. So loving. So… intimate.
You place a hand on his chest and give him a gentle push. He pulls back a little, a melancholy look passing his face.
“Will you stay?”
You can’t. He’s not supposed to be tangled up with you again. You erased his love for you for a reason; it wasn’t the right time. Any decisions made till now were because of your heat and your brain was finally back in command.
“I can’t.”
He caresses your cheek. “Why not?”
Because I’m not ready to love you the way you deserve. Because I love you so much that I’m afraid things will fall apart again.
“Because we don’t know each other,” You push him off you and stand, trying not to slip. Jungkook’s hands were already in position to catch you if you did. “Not really.”
As you walk away, he says something so chilling that it crystalizes your blood into ice. “You’re running away again.”
You refuse to turn around. “It’s my choice.”
“What about my choice and what I want? Do you not care?” He stands up and tightens his fists. “Are you leaving for good this time?”
This… time? He doesn’t remember. He can’t remember.
“Goodbye, Jungkook.”
He watches as your figure grows smaller in the distance. His head hangs low and he fights back tears. You’ve made it clear what you want. He had to let you go.
A/N: I am currently writing part 2, don't worry! It's a long one, lol. This was also my first time writing in present tense. Loved it. I hope you enjoyed it too. Thank you for giving my writing a chance. 🥰
At Bora Ranch you will rediscover who you are, reconnect with your sister, and your childhood friend, Park Jimin, that will stir old feelings back. There's a lot of ups and downs, a lot of heartbreak, misunderstandings, what ifs, bad timing, but in the end, you will know what truly makes your heart beat, and where your heart's home is.
It's a story that will take you on a heartbreaking journey to find out what love is and the meaning of 'home', coming home and finding love. There's a lot of angst in it, I'd call it HEALING ANGST. Everything will be good in the end! Just have to go through a lot of heartbreak before the sun truly shines. There's a lot of soulmates vibes/undertones in it, and it's a lovestory at it's core. It's very romancey (Why do I suddenly feel like I wrote a YA but with mature language???).
This story is HEAVLY inspired by McLoed's Daughters (both the world/setting/plot), some plot points follow that story, but most of it doesn't.
“It will take some time
To find your heart
And come back home
You could walk for miles
Cross every river
And find your not alone
‘Cos I'll be there”
- From McLeod’s Daughters theme song
🐴 Summary: You’d never thought you’d step foot back at the ranch– a place you used to call home a long time ago. When you are forced to go back, reconcile with your sister and a certain childhood friend that you had long forgotten, will sparks reunite?
🐴 Pairing: jimin x reader (main), jungkook x reader (only happens once in the first chapter)*, jungkook x OC (jessi), namjoon x OC (jessi), yoongi x hoseok, namjoon x oc, seokjin x oc, taehyung x oc
*I also want to clarify some things about the tags/pairings! Jungkook x reader only happens once, it is crucial for the sake of the plot, but please don't let that stop you from reading it (I take it you want to read it because of Jimin x reader). Jimin x reader is the main couple!
🐴 Characters: female reader (she’s more like an OC, but isn’t mentioned by name and no “y/n”), Jimin, Jungkook, Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Seokjin, Taehyung and four female original characters.
🐴 AUs: ranch!au, slice of life!au, childhood friends to lovers!au, cowboy!au, soulmate!au
🐴 Genres: smut, humor, fluff, slow burn and angst (yes, it’s got everything lol!)
🐴 Rating: mature/explicit/R18 – this is mature/explicit content, so minors, please do not interact!
🐴 Word count: 230k (epilogue excluded)
🐴Disclaimer: I do not own BTS or know them personally and this work of fiction is purely fictional and for entertainment purposes only. The actions and personalities described in the story do not reflect those of BTS— it’s just fiction. Also, if you would kindly read the tags/warnings before reading, that would be lovely: and if you don’t like whatever is described in the tags, just hit return and find something else to read. Thank you 🌸
🐴 Warnings/tag: will be tagged for each individual chapter. But it does contain sexual themes, smut and a lot of sexual tension and a hell of a lot of angst! Like series is an emotional rollercoaster ride, it will leave you both happy, sad, frustrated, mad, angry and oh so in love. All through the series. You have been warned, lol.
🐴 Status: completed 🥳
🐴 Fancy reading on AO3? It is cross-posted there!
🐴 Do you want to see the book cover (there's a teaser too)? [it's here]
🐴 Author’s note: this series is heavily inspired by the TV show McLeod’s Daughters. Some plot points will feel familiar, while others won’t (because I don’t follow that story structure to a tee). But If you love that show that I do, I’m 100% sure you’ll love this story too! Also, I don’t expect people to really be interested in this… this is more of a story about coming home, finding home, finding love and such… and I don’t know if you want to read that sort of thing? But I fucking love it! ✨
Chapter #1 - Inheritance
| word count: 8.2k | read → chapter one
Chapter #2 - It’s a Long Road
| word count: 9.1k | read → chapter two
Chapter #3 - Sometimes
| word count: 11.8k | read → chapter three
Chapter #4 - It Comes to This
| word count: 7.5k | read → chapter four
Chapter #5 - Our Home, Our Place
| word count: 11k | read → chapter five
Chapter #6 - Wild Horses
| word count: 11k | read → chapter six
Chapter #7 - We Got it Wrong
| word count: 9.5k | read → chapter seven
Chapter #8 - Love You, Hate You
| word count: 9.5k | read → chapter eight
Chapter #9 - Take the Rain Away
| word count: 8.2k | read → chapter nine
Chapter #10 - The First Touch
| word count: 16.4k | read → chapter ten
Chapter #11 - This Perfect Day
| word count: 14.4k | read → chapter eleven
Chapter #13 - Love Letter
| word count: 13.4k | read → chapter thirteen
Chapter #14 - I Wish the Past was Different
| word count: 10.5k | read → chapter fourteen
Chapter #15 - Did I Tell You?
| word count: 13.7k | read → chapter fifteen
Chapter #16 - The Stranger
| word count: 14.1k | read → chapter sixteen
Chapter #17 - Love of Your Life
| word count: 13.3k | read → chapter seventeen
Chapter #18 - By My Side
| word count: 14.7k | read → chapter eighteen
Chapter #19 - Home [END]
| word count: 18.2k | read → chapter nineteen
Chapter #20 - My Heart's Home [Epilogue + Q&A]
| word count: 7.4k | read → chapter twenty
Please let me know if you're excited for this??? I'm still writing it, and honestly... I love it! But it's tough to write such a long series without any feedback or knowledge whether it's good or sucks... so.. yeah....
♡ pairing: pre-k teacher!jimin x pre-k teacher! f. reader
♡ genre: single dad au, fluff, crack, enemies to lovers, 18+
♡ wc: 16k
♡ summary: Being a Pre-K teacher is no easy feat, but Jimin is always up for the challenge. However, on his first day on the job, he makes an enemy in the parking lot before he even sets foot inside the building. Looks like this school year won’t be all sunshine and rainbows after all.
♡ warnings: mention of nervousness, snippy!Jimin, angry!reader, food mention, angst, lots of pettiness in the workplace, pranks in the workplace, meddling mother, mention of minor injuries
♡ part of @btsfests "Daddy's Home Fest"
♡ Date: April 6, 2024
Jimin had gotten the call early in the morning. He was distressed as he got his four-year-old daughter, Harin, ready for school.
The sun barely rose over the horizon as Jimin scrambled out of bed. He had missed the first day of school yesterday, but he had only gotten hired today. Harin had missed the first day due to a mishap with the moving company misplacing all her boxes of clothes, something they had found when the school day had ended.
Jimin had called the school, assuring them Harin would be in tomorrow. The secretary assured him it was fine, there were a few children who missed the first day, seeing as it was a half day to get the children situated and have an orientation. Nothing too big ever occurred for those few hours the school was open.
Jimin was surprised when he got the call in the morning informing him that he had gotten the Pre-K teacher job. He knew school started the day before, and he hadn’t been selected. He was offered higher pay and figured the person originally hired for the position had dropped out at the last moment.
Jimin didn’t care. He loved teaching and he was determined to make this move back to his hometown work no matter what. Harin’s mother, Mia, had given him full custody shortly after Harin’s birth when the two split less than amicably. Jimin sometimes wished the relationship had been salvageable but knew in the end, there was no point in trying to get Mia to stay with him or with Harin, which she very much had no interest in raising.
That was all water under the bridge for Jimin. He was doing an astounding job raising Harin and now that he was moved closer to his parents, who lived right across the street, he knew he could handle everything life would throw at him.
The elementary school he attended as a child was just down the road from his childhood home and his home with Harin. His next-door neighbor was one of his childhood best friends, Yoongi, and his parents’ neighbor was another friend named Jungkook, and his boyfriend Seokjin.
Jimin hadn’t had time to meet the rest of his neighbors, but the neighborhood seemed lively. Children ran around in the evenings, people walked their dogs, and some pushed their cats in strollers down the sidewalk.
Yoongi and his wife, Bree, had a daughter a year older than Harin. Her name was Lila, and she had been around to play with Harin yesterday after school. Jimin was grateful Harin had at least one friend here already. Seokjin’s nieces and nephews visited in the summer, but by the time Jimin moved in, the kids had already gone home to prepare for the new school year.
Nerves filled Jimin as he packed Harin’s unicorn lunch bag. He used the sandwich cutter to shape the sandwich into dinosaurs. He packed her some fresh fruit, vegetables, and a small pack of gummy bears.
Harin was excited to go to school. She had gotten up earlier than her alarm, ran around the room to get her clothes on, and woken Jimin up. Jimin kissed her cheek before taking her to his bathroom to sit her on the counter.
“What should we do to your hair today?” Jimin had asked her as she picked out a scrunchie that matched her outfit.
“Ponytail,” Harin had stated as she stared at her reflection. Jimin nodded as he grabbed her hairbrush, gently brushing her hair as Harin asked about her lunch and snacks. Jimin replied as he stared at his daughter’s reflection. She was a little mini-him. Her features reflected his so much, and for that he was grateful. He knew that was something he’d have to work on eventually, but for now, he focused on his daughter and his first day at the elementary school he attended as a child. He was a little apprehensive of seeing some of his teachers as co-workers but there were a few that he was eager to see once again.
Once Jimin finished brushing Harin’s hair he sent her to the kitchen table for breakfast while he got himself ready. He changed his pajamas to black slacks, a light-blue button-up shirt tucked into his pants, and a black leather belt. He rolled the sleeves to his elbows and grabbed a black blazer from his closet.
Jimin’s coffee waited for him in his blue travel mug, a little sweeter than he’d like but he could get through his day a little easier with some coffee and a chocolate chip muffin.
Before Jimin knew it, he was running late.
It took Jimin a few minutes to get his belongings and Harin’s in the car before he led his daughter to the backseat to strap her into her booster seat. Jimin made sure his daughter was secure before he got into the driver’s seat.
Jimin cursed to himself. How could he be late on his first day? This wasn’t the first impression he wanted to give the staff or the principal.
The call had been last minute, but he thought he could show up early enough to meet some of the parents of his new students.
Damn, tomorrow he’d have to try again.
Jimin was confused when he arrived at the school. A line wrapped around the building as parents dropped their children off. Jimin had to make a left-hand turn to get into the line, which would make him cut people off and nobody would let him in. His daughter is none the wiser as she sings along to a song on the radio, rapping along at the correct parts. Jimin would have been impressed if it hadn’t been for his friend, Namjoon, babysitting and teaching her all the curse words in one day.
Sighing, Jimin shakes his head at the memory.
It had taken a few days for Harin to understand those words weren’t for her to say, much less at school. Namjoon had profusely apologized, but now Jungkook and Seokjin were on emergency babysitting duty if needed. However, Jimin was impressed that Harin had most of Cypher Pt. 3 down. Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok, another of Jimin’s friends who was a baker in town, had been rappers in the underground for most of their youth and the Cypher Collection lived on in their playlists. Part 3 just happened to be his and Harin’s favorite.
Jimin had attended all their shows with all their other friends until the three decided to focus on their personal lives. Yoongi still wrote and produced on the side, often flying across the country to studios with Namjoon, who also did features when he wasn’t writing and producing alongside Yoongi.
A loud honk startles him out of his thoughts. He waves apologetically as he turns his black Nissan Rogue into the school parking lot. Jimin taps his fingers on the steering wheel while he waits for his turn to drop off his child.
Just because Jimin was running late, didn’t mean Harin had to. He figured he could drop her off in line and then rush to the staff parking lot on the other side of the loop. He’d have to break into a run to get to the office for his badge, clock in, put his lunch away, and haul ass to his classroom.
Jimin hoped his Teacher Assistant was there already. He’d apologize to them profusely and offer to buy them lunch tomorrow.
“Harin, make sure you grab your backpack,” Jimin reminds her as he pulls up for his turn. A staff member opens the backdoor, unbuckling Harin’s seatbelt.
“Good morning,” they greet him as they take Harin’s pink backpack and help Harin onto the sidewalk.
“Bye, Daddy!” Harin waves as the staff member helps her put her backpack on.
“Bye, baby! I’ll be right down the hall, okay?” Jimin calls as he waves, and the back door shuts as his daughter is taken inside the school.
Relieved, Jimin checks his mirrors before pulling off the curb. All he had to do was park and haul ass to the office. He could do it. He had about five minutes to accomplish it and he hoped it would go smoothly.
Jimin pulls into the staff parking lot with ease. He sees one spot open and drives toward it, putting his signal as another car arrives in front of his vehicle with its blinker on.
However, Jimin arrives first and takes the spot. The car waits for a moment before driving away. Jimin doesn’t pay them attention as he gathers his belongings and coffee. He puts his blazer on as quickly as possible and pockets his car keys after he looks at the vehicle.
When he rounds the back of his car, he bumps into someone, spilling his warm coffee on their clothing.
“You did that on purpose!” The woman screams. “You took my spot and now you’re throwing coffee on my dress!”
Jimin is taken aback.
“It was an accident,” he explains as he pats his pocket for a handkerchief but must have forgotten it in his haste to leave home.
“Everyone knows I park right there every day! You took my spot!” The woman stomps her heel and Jimin rolls his eyes, which upsets the lady more.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me?!” She asks, shocked.
“Yes,” Jimin shrugs. Normally he’d be an adult about the situation. Maybe he’d offer to get her dress dry-cleaned or buy her a new one. He did feel bad about it, but he was already having a bad morning and she was making him late with her screaming.
“I’m late,” Jimin states as he walks around her, ignoring her calls, insisting he move his vehicle.
“What a grouch,” Jimin utters as he walks toward the school's front office. Hopefully, he wouldn’t see her again any time soon. She must be one of the parents parking where she shouldn’t. Even if she claimed to park there daily, Jimin didn’t care.
Not today.
“I am so sorry,” Jimin apologizes as he enters his classroom. The Teacher's Assistant is already in class, helping children put their belongings in their cubbies that were assigned yesterday. “It won’t happen again.”
“No worries,” the man smiles as he helps a child remove their backpack. “It happens. I heard they called you this morning, so I understand. I’m Kim Taehyung, your Teacher Assistant.”
“Park Jimin,” Jimin introduces himself, shaking Taehyung’s hand firmly.
“Nice to meet you,” Taehyung says genuinely. He shows Jimin to his desk, and the list of their students' names and where they will sit unless he’d like to make changes. Jimin shakes his head.
“This is the schedule. It usually doesn’t change unless there’s an assembly or fire drill. Lunch is from 11 to 11:30 and recess is from 11:30 to 11:45. Then we pick them up and they have their bathroom break until 12. Nap is from 12 to 1:30 and then they have Center Time before going home at 3. Bus students leave at 2:50 and Car Pick-up at 2:55.” Taehyung said as he explained the schedule.
“Thank you. How would I get ahold of my daughter? I think she’s with a Miss Sweetheart?” Jimin tried his best to remember Harin’s teacher, wishing he had been able to meet her this morning but it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did. He’d just have to hope he could meet her at lunch today.
Taehyung chuckles. “The students and parents call her Miss. Sweetheart. She’s lovely. The best teacher you could get for your little one, but I am biased because she’s my best friend.”
“Oh? I’d love to meet her,” Jimin says as he grabs the breakfast cart. Taehyung helps him distribute the cereal packs and milk, helping the students one at a time until they’re all situated.
“You’ll love her!” Taehyung gushes as he tells Jimin Miss Sweetheart’s real name. Jimin does his best to memorize it as he sits at his desk to do attendance. Taehyung keeps a close eye on the children as they eat their breakfast.
“You could go across the hall to let her know your daughter should come to your room for pickup instead of heading outside. It might make it easier to get out of here after you complete your after-school duty,” Taehyung said as he helped a child open their carton of orange juice.
“Yes, that’s not a bad idea,” Jimin notes as he rises. “Right across the hall?”
“Yup,” Taehuyng nods. “She’s got her name on a giant wooden pencil sign. You can’t miss it.”
Jimin nods as he heads out of his classroom. He leaves the door open, so he can rush back if needed.
As Taehyung said, Miss Sweetheart’s name is on the pencil outside the classroom. The door is open and he can hear the soft chatter of the children.
Jimin knocks lightly and a woman with short black hair and sunkissed skin looks up. She’s wearing a long dress with a black cardigan and matching glasses. Her makeup is minimal, but pretty nonetheless. She’s a few inches shorter than Jimin, he notes. Her smile is warm and bright, dazzling as she quirks her head. Jimin thinks she’s beautiful.
“Hello, can I help you?” She asks as she walks toward the door. “I’m the Teacher's Assistant, Mrs. Gonzalez.”
“Daddy!” Harin shouts when she spots her father. Mrs. Gonzalez steps aside once she spots Jimin’s faculty badge.
“Hey, baby,” Jimin waves awkwardly. The students are all watching him instead of eating their breakfast. Jimin feels his cheeks grow warm as he clears his throat. He doesn’t spot anyone else in the room with Mrs. Gonzalez, so he turns to her again.
“Sorry for interrupting,” Jimin apologizes. “I’m Park Jimin, the new Pre-K teacher across the hall.”
Mrs. Gonzalez nods.
“I’m also Harin’s father,” Jimin explains. “I just wanted to ask if Harin could be sent to my classroom instead of the Pick-up area after school.”
Mrs. Gonzalez smiles. “Sure, that’s not a problem.”
“Thank you so much,” Jimin sighed in relief before wishing her a good day and heading to his classroom. He shuts the door and thanks Taehyung as the two have their breakfast and the kids finish up.
Across the hall, Miss Sweetheart returns to her classroom. “Well, Lupita, I did the best I could to get this coffee stain out but it looks like I’ll just have to bear and suffer with it today. I’m packing extra clothes tomorrow to keep in my car.”
Lupita smiles sympathetically. “I’m sure tomorrow will be better.”
You nod, smiling as you return to your desk.
“Oh, before I forget. Harin’s father would like her sent to his classroom instead of Pick-up,” Mrs. Gonzalez informs you. You nod and write it on a notepad on your desk so you don’t forget.
“Thank you, Mrs. Gonzalez.”
The end of the school day arrives faster than Jimin thought it would. He ate his lunch in his classroom to review the lesson plan for the week. One of the Pre-K teachers had provided them until he could do his own. He was grateful for the help, especially tossed into this on such short notice.
Jimin had other interviews lined up and was bummed about not getting a job offer at the elementary school where his daughter would be attending. It had been his first choice, so he didn’t care about the underlying circumstances of how he got the job, he was just happy that he did.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Taehyung tells Jimin as he grabs his belongings and escorts the children who are walkers to the correct area. Jimin waves, grateful he doesn’t have after-school duty today. He’s scheduled for tomorrow, so he’ll pack his daughter extra snacks. Overall, it wasn’t a bad day even after the events that occurred this morning. He hoped he could apologize to that woman sometime, but he wouldn’t let it stew.
“Daddy,” Harin says as she pulls on his shirt. “I wanna go home. Lila’s waiting.”
“I’m going, love. Let me just grab my stuff, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy!” Harin twirls around once. Her hair didn’t make it the rest of the day. Her scrunchie clings loosely to her black hair as she twirls again before growing dizzy and giggling.
Jimin shakes his head as he smiles at her sweetly. He takes her backpack from her and takes her hand. He leads her out of his classroom, locking the door and heading for the office.
With ease, Jimin clocks out as he says his goodbyes to the staff.
Harin claps when she sees the car, allowing Jimin to place their belongings in the trunk before he scoops her up and helps her into the booster seat. He hands her a bottle of water and checks that she’s secure before rounding the vehicle and climbing into the driver’s seat.
Music plays softly in the background from the radio. Harin drinks some water and then puts the bottle in the cup holder of her seat.
“Did you have a good day at school, sweetie?” Jimin asks as he safely pulls out of the parking spot and the parking lot.
“It was the best!” Harin exclaims in excitement. “We had cereal for breakfast and chicken nuggets for lunch! I made two friends, Beth and Hilario! They’re tall like Uncle Kookie!”
Jimin laughs. He’s sure two four-year-olds aren’t that tall, but he listens intently and asks more about her day.
“And Miss Sweetheart is so nice! She’s my favorite ever! She’s funny and pretty! I like her!”
“That’s good, baby. I’m glad you like your teacher,” Jimin states honestly. He had worried Harin would have a hard time on her first day of school. He worried she wouldn’t like it, or her teacher would be mean, or she’d cry all day for him. Harin did well when left with family or friends but Jimin was still worried. It was a lot of changes for her all at once, and though they were changes made for the better, he couldn’t help but worry.
Jimin had a much larger support system now that he was back in his hometown than when they lived an hour away. He had hoped it would make parenting a little easier with his parents nearby. He was doing fantastic even if he couldn’t see it, but the extra help and support would be nice.
The moment Jimin parks in his driveway, Harin tugs at her seatbelt until Jimin opens the door and unclips it. He helps his daughter out of the car, and she runs next door to Lila, who plays on the front porch while her mother and Yoongi watch her.
“Harin!” Lila screeches. The two girls hug as Jimin shuts the car door and opens the trunk. He grabs his bag and Harin’s. He shuts the trunk and rounds the vehicle as Yoongi waves.
“Hey!” Jimin greets as he meets Yoongi halfway. Harin and Lila run around the front yard, giggling as they chase each other.
“How was your first day?” Yoongi asks his best friend.
Jimin sighs heavily.
“That bad, huh?” Yoongi smirks.
“No,” Jimin chuckles as he runs a hand through his long black hair. “This morning started rocky, but it was fine once I got in my classroom.”
“Wanna talk about it?” Yoongi asks as Lila runs to him and clings to his leg before Harin does the same. The girls tug on his pants, wanting him to join the chase.
Yoongi laughs, patting both girls on the head. “In just a minute, okay?”
“Okay!” They chirp as they take off running, squealing in delight when Jungkook crosses the street to join them. The three run around in circles and Yoongi turns back to Jimin.
“We were running late,” Jimin recounts this morning’s events as Yoongi follows along, nodding his head and grimacing when he gets to the part about spilling coffee on a stranger.
“Tomorrow’s another chance to get it right,” Yoongi states.
“Ever the wise man,” Jimin laughs. Yoongi cracks a smile as the girls run up to him with Jungkook in tow.
“Play with us!” They plead.
Jimin gets down to their level, a smile on his lips.
“I have to put our bags inside and change. I’ll come to join you in a few minutes, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy,” Harin nods as they pull Yoongi and Jungkook toward the giant oak tree to climb.
“Take your time, man. We’ve got this,” Yoongi assured him.
“Thanks, Yoon. I need to get dinner started but I’ll come back out as soon as possible,” Jimin says as he steps toward his house.
“Don’t worry about it,” Yoongi grins, patting Jimin on the back and turning to the girls. Jungkook has both in the tree and Yoongi’s heart nearly falls out of his chest as he rushes over in a panic.
Jimin shakes his head. Jungkook’s adventurous streak had been an influence on both girls. Something Yoongi and Jimin loved and hated.
Oh, well.
Jimin smiles brightly as he pulls into the parking lot earlier than yesterday. He parks in the same spot as the day before with a smirk.
Harin gets out of the car by herself but has to wait for Jimin to open the trunk to get her backpack. Jimin figures it would be best to walk his daughter in himself. After all, he’s not the only teacher with children at the school.
Just as he thinks that another teacher pulls in and gets out with her two children, her badge around her neck on a lanyard. Jimin takes his daughter’s hand and walks her across the parking lot, noticing as the car from yesterday pulls in.
With a friendly, yet devious grin, Jimin waves at the woman behind the wheel, noticing how she clenches her hands and shoots him a glare.
Humming to himself, Jimin crosses the drop-off area safely with Harin at his side. He’s in a joyous mood all the way into the building after clocking in and taking his daughter to her classroom.
“There’s coffee and muffins in the lounge if you want to head up there,” Taehyung informs Jimin as he walks into the classroom with his backpack over one shoulder and an iced coffee in one hand with a banana nut muffin sitting on the lid.
“I could use some coffee,” Jimin muses as he removes his black leather jacket and drapes it over his desk chair. “Had to skip it this morning to get here earlier than yesterday.”
Taehyung nods as he sets his belongings on his desk, a mouthful of muffin in his mouth.
Tae swallows and nods. “Go for it.”
Jimin thanks him as he heads out of the classroom. Only a few kids are playing on the carpet for Circle Time, and Taehyung watches them while Jimin heads off to the lounge, greeting a few teachers and faculty as he heads to the teacher’s lounge.
The lounge isn’t as small as the one in the last school he worked at. There are three TVs mounted on the walls, a treadmill near one TV, and a set of weights beside it for those who want to remain active on their breaks.
There are two industrial-size refrigerators on one wall, with enough room for everyone’s lunch and all the food and drinks provided by the school. Several tables litter the rest of the room, along with a plush gray couch with blue cushions and a large island beside the sink and cabinets filled with mugs and travel cups.
Just like Taehyung had said, there’s a bountiful array of muffins, cookies, and breakfast sandwiches on one table beside a note that says Faculty, please enjoy.
On the counter by the sink, several sleek appliances sit ready to be used. Among them is the iced coffee machine beside a Keuring. Jimin grins as he grabs a cup and makes his coffee, waiting for it to brew while he picks out a chocolate chip muffin.
The smell of his hazelnut coffee makes his mouth water as he takes a bite of his muffin. He moves closer to the coffee maker and waits for it to finish brewing.
Once he’s got it ready to go, he turns to look for a lid, only for him to bump into someone. A bit of his coffee ends up on the person he bumped into, and he nearly curses.
“Really? Again?!”
Jimin freezes. He feels his blood run cold. Though she’s looking down at the stain on her dress, he recognizes the dress’s pattern from this morning, and the annoyance in her voice is the same as yesterday.
Fuck, Jimin had done it now.
“I’m sorry,” he apologizes as he grabs a lid for his coffee.
“Do you have it out for me?” She hisses as he dabs at her dress and finally looks Jimin in the eye.
Jimin is too stunned to speak. He licks his lips before trying to think of a response. When none comes, it enrages her even more.
“First, you took my parking spot yesterday and today. Then you spilled your coffee on me twice. Should I expect this to become a daily occurrence so I can send you my dry cleaning bill?!”
Jimin blinks. He’s still unable to think clearly. He apologizes again before he steps around the woman and heads to his classroom with his coffee in one hand and a muffin in the other.
The end of the school day comes faster than Jimin expected. He’s tired and a little sleepy. His daughter is delivered to his classroom as he’s getting his students ready to go to the car pickup area.
“Miss Sweetheart is so nice! Today we colored and went over numbers,” Harin smiles as she holds Jimin’s hand on the way outside.
Jimin has Harin sit where he can see her and wait for the other students' names to be called.
Harin takes her homework out. She’s ahead of some kids in her class because Jimin teaches her at home. She can spell her name, write her name, and read a few sight words. She had even memorized his phone number and Jungkook’s in case of an emergency and now she just had to learn her new address.
Yoongi would have a time when Jimin told him about today.
Jimin truly felt awful about spilling his coffee on this woman twice but he had apologized, right? It was an accident… though he also stole her parking spot twice in a row now.
Grimacing, Jimin focuses on getting the students to their parents’ vehicles. He’ll have to talk to his friends this weekend and get advice on what to do. The last thing he wanted was to make an enemy at his school.
“Miss Sweetheart!” Harin shouts, smiling and waving at a woman who approaches while Jimin gets a student into their car. He shuts the door and waves before he heads back to his daughter, now that he’s done with his after-school duty.
For a split second, Jimin panicked when Harin’s belongings were left on the ground but his daughter was nowhere in sight. Ice builds in his veins as panic sets in and he looks to the left and right.
It’s not until he hears Harin’s tinkling laughter that Jimin calms down, rushing to her side.
“Harin!” He exclaims, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. “Baby, you know better than to run off without telling me.”
“Sorry, Daddy,” Harin frowns. “I just wanted to say bye to Miss Sweetheart.”
Jimin sighs as he scoops his daughter into his arms and finally turns to his daughter’s teacher. His smile is wiped off his face and yours when your eyes lock.
“Miss Sweetheart,” Jimin says through gritted teeth as you scowl.
“Mr. Park,” you growl with a blink of your eyes. Your favorite student’s father just happens to be the obnoxious (gorgeous) man who has been making your first week of the school year absolute hell.
“You’re Harin’s teacher,” Jimin is dumbfounded as he shifts Harin’s weight in his arms.
“Yup,” you affirm in a clipped tone. “And you’re her dad.”
“That’s me,” Jimin nods. He can’t help but notice how beautiful you are when you’re not seething. Maybe if he hadn’t been in such a rush both days, he would have noticed how beautiful your eyes are, or how cute your nose looks when it’s scrunched in disgust aimed at him.
Fuck, he’d fucked up majorly. His daughter had nothing but praises for you and now you hated him, maybe even loathed him. The last thing he wanted was to have an enemy in school. He didn’t want his coworkers to hate him and he’d fucked up royally only two days into his school year.
“Daddy, I wanna go,” Harin chimes as she wiggles in her father’s hold until Jimin sets her down. Harin grabs her belongings, stuffing her homework folder in her backpack before zipping it close and running back to her dad.
“Bye!” Harin shouts, waving excitedly at her teacher.
Jimin watches as Miss Sweetheart bends down to eye level with Harin. She coos at his daughter and Harin hugs her tightly, saying bye once more before going to hold Jimin’s hand.
You rise to your full height, nodding at Jimin before you head inside the building to get your belongings.
Jimin sighs in relief. At least you weren’t taking his faux pas out on Harin.
He was thankful for that.
“You what?” Yoongi laughs so hard his stomach hurts as he bangs his fist on his thigh.
“Shhh,” Jimin hisses. He had just gotten Harin to bed and he’d be damned if Yoongi woke her up.
“Man,” Yoongi rasps, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Talk about bad luck.”
Jimin rolls his eyes. “You’re telling me. How do I fix it?”
Yoongi smirks, shaking his head. “First, offer to pay for her dry cleaning.”
Jimin nods.
“Then, quit parking in her spot. Official or not, she said she had it first.”
Jimin pouts. “But it’s a good spot.”
Yoongi rolls his eyes. “And she’s Harin’s teacher. Let her have the spot, she’s been there longer than you. Didn’t you say you wanted this to go smoothly?”
“Yeah,” Jimin huffs. “I’ll fix it tomorrow. I don’t need anyone hating me. You should have seen the scowl she had on her face when she realized I was Harin’s dad.”
Yoongi chuckles. “I’d have paid money to see that.”
“Go home,” Jimin sticks his tongue out at his best friend, playfully pushing him toward the front door.
Yoongi laughs, patting Jimin on the shoulder as he takes his leave.
“Oh,” Yoongi snaps as he turns around. His left hand grips the doorknob as he meets Jimin’s gaze. “Don’t forget Sleepover Saturday. Bree’s taking the girls to get mani-pedis so pack an overnight bag for Harin.”
Jimin nods, blinking away the tears that sting the corners of his eyes.
“Tell Bree, thanks. I appreciate her including Harin,” Jimin swallows thickly. He knows Harin will ask soon why she doesn’t have a mom like Lila, and Jimin hasn’t quite figured out what to tell her yet.
“No problem, Chim. You know we love her as our own,” Yoongi said as he opened the door and headed out with one last wave.
Jimin sniffles as the door shuts and he sits on the couch until he dozed off for a while.
Someday Harin would start asking questions about her mother, and Jimin didn’t want to hurt her with the truth.
He wishes things were easier to explain, to assure Harin wouldn’t feel unwanted but Jimin wasn’t sure how. It wasn’t Harin’s fault that Mia had no interest in being a mother. It was Mia’s decision.
Jimin doesn’t know what he’ll do. Maybe he can ask his friends on Saturday night. After all, it takes a village to raise a child, at least that’s what the saying was.
Jimin had a pretty darn good one.
Hopefully, that would be enough to break his daughter’s heart with the truth. Hopefully, Jimin and his family could piece it back together again.
That never worked for Humpty Dumpty though.
The next morning, Jimin pulls into the parking lot. He’s still trying to gauge what time he should arrive at school to get Harin to class, clock in, get his coffee, and get situated before class starts.
Today is no different, except in Jimin’s parking spot sits Miss Sweetheart’s car.
He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he parks beside her. He’s arrived early enough to take someone else’s unassigned spot.
Harin waits for Jimin to get her out of the car before getting her backpack from the trunk. She’s too excited to wait for lunch and opens her kitten lunch bag to get her pudding cup out.
Despite Jimin’s best efforts, he finally gives in and takes the chocolate pudding cup from his daughter to open it.
Jimin stops in the middle of the parking lot to peel back the foil wrapper, grunting when it doesn’t come off easily. He tries again, too focused on the wrapper to notice you walking behind him to cross the lot and get to the school.
“There!” Jimin exclaims as he pulls the wrapper off the plastic pudding cup and the cup goes flying in the air just as you go to pass him.
It lands on your chest.
Chocolate pudding smears on your white blouse and black scarf.
You close your eyes and count to ten, then fifteen, and twenty as the cup falls at your feet.
“Mr. Park,” you seethed as you opened your eyes and glared at him. “I would appreciate it if you could keep your drinks and food off my clothing.”
“I-I’m so sorry.” Jimin is quick to say but you raise your hand to stop him.
“Keep your apologies. I will send you my dry cleaning bill at the end of the week. Or, if this continues, I’ll add up the total until the end of the semester. Whichever you prefer.”
Jimin scoffs. “It was an accident. I apologized.”
“Daddy, there’s a car,” Harin tugs on her father’s pink button-down shirt and Jimin nods as he leads his daughter out of the parking lot.
You turn to go back to your car to change your top. You should keep several outfits on hand for the rest of the school year if you have to be near Mr. Park.
Taehyung has decided to remain neutral. He likes Jimin quite a bit. He’s one of the best teachers he’s ever worked with sans Miss Sweetheart.
Jimin’s not all that bad once you get to know him. He and Jimin just click. They read each other well and anticipated the other’s needs. Tae could see them being close friends outside the workplace.
However, Taehyung still struggles with his loyalty to you. All week he’s heard of this awful teacher taking your usual spot and spilling coffee on your clothing.
Taehyung tried to tell you they were accidents from how you retold the stories but you can be hard-headed when you want to. For now, Taehyung plans to stay out of the squabble you’re having with this stranger. The new year just started. It was too early to make enemies or pick sides in battles that didn’t pertain to him, even if you were his best friend.
Today, you texted Taehyung earlier than usual. You pick up your coffee order and his, park in your usual spot, and head into the building.
You take your time making copies, drinking your coffee, and eating breakfast. By the time Taehyung joins you in your classroom for an early morning chat, you’re in a fabulous mood.
“So it turns out my mortal enemy is the dad of one of my star students,” you state as you cross one leg over the other. You’re looking down at the attendance sheet sitting on your desk. You were still working on learning every student's name and it was easier than waiting for your computer to wake up and log in.
“Really?” Taehyung’s brows disappear under his hair. He lifts his coffee to his lips and takes a sip.
“Mhm,” you nod. “His name is Park. Saw him yesterday on duty.”
Taehyung’s face pales and he nearly spits out his iced white mocha coffee.
There were only two Parks this school year, and one happened to be female.
“First name Jimin?” Taehyung asks nervously, needing confirmation.
You look at your file, finding Harin’s name and her father’s name.
Park Jimin.
“Yeah, how’d you know?” You raise a brow at your best friend as you tap your pen on your desk.
“That’s my teacher,” Taehyung admits ruefully. His hopes of friendship wither away as your eyes widen and a frown mars your beautiful face.
“Ah!” You scream, stomping your foot. “He’s made my life hell these past few days!”
“Look, I’m sure you two can work past this. You said he apologized, right? Forgive him,” Taehyung advises as you glare at him.
“Tae, he did it twice. Twice!”
“I’ll talk to him,” Taehyung suggests but you shake your head fiercely.
“No. You don’t need to get caught in the middle of this. You’re stuck with him eight hours a day. I can’t make it awkward for you. It’s fine. I’m a grown woman. I can handle this cordially,” you sigh as you close your file and send Taehyung on his way. The students and Mrs. Gonzalez should arrive soon. The last thing you need is to make a spectacle.
Taehyung gives you a knowing look and you roll your eyes before dismissing him.
He pauses at the door, a smirk on his lips.
“Cordially.”
Jimin is surprised his eyes don’t get stuck in the back of his head from how hard he rolls them. He had come early as usual but not early enough.
He scoffs when he sees you parked in his spot. However, he refrains from cursing in front of his daughter. Instead, he parks in the empty spot beside your car and grumbles obscenities while rounding his vehicle.
It wasn’t even about the parking spot. Jimin didn’t care where he parked as long as there was room for his car. How you had reacted on his first day was what had driven him mad and he dived right into pettiness.
Though he still felt a little awful about the coffee spills; Jimin seemed to care less and less as you accused him of doing it purposely and now taking the time to come in earlier than him just to spite him. He knew it wasn’t a coincidence. How could it be when the two of you had stepped on each other's toes all week?
Tomorrow would be Friday, and he’d have the weekend to relax.
Surely, this little feud wouldn’t extend past the first week of school?! You were both adults and though Jimin could admit it was fun to ruffle your feathers each morning, he had to remember that Harin liked you.
Despite the irony of you being called Miss Sweetheart, when you had been anything but toward him.
Jimin doesn’t let his thoughts sour his mood as he walks Harin to class before he sets his belongings on the cluttered desk and informs Taehyung of his whereabouts.
“I’m gonna make a coffee in the lounge and clock in.”
Taehyung nods, waving Jimin off as a few students trickle in. Not enough to be out of ratio, but enough to warrant his full attention.
Jimin says his good mornings on his way to the lounge. He makes sure to clock in first and avoids the gazes of his fellow faculty.
He knows they stare because he’s hot. Jimin prides himself in his appearance, he kind of has to keep up with Jungkook and Harin, the two love run at the park whenever possible. Harin and Lila, keep Jimin and all his friends in shape, from playing tag, to hide and seek, and now climbing trees.
Jimin knows it won’t be much longer before Harin asks for tumbling classes, ballet, soccer, ice skating, bowling, and rock climbing courses. So Jimin does his best to keep in shape and do his skincare because Jungkook and Hoseok showing up at his door with baskets full of products isn’t on his calendar anymore. He’s got his bathroom counter littered with items and a printed-out sheet of how and when to apply them.
Today, Jimin wears a white button-down shirt with the first two buttons undone. He's tucked his shirt into his black slacks and wears his favorite black leather belt. His hair is perfectly styled and shows his forehead. It draws the attention of a few teachers who giggle when he passes by.
Jimin’s eyes seem to sparkle when he spots the coffee maker, only to frown when he spots you beside it.
Jimin notes the way you tense when you realize who’s standing beside you. It's easy to tell you're taking your time on purpose. You hum to yourself as you look at the pods remaining on the stand. There’s only one hazelnut left and you note Jimin muttering how he hopes you won’t take it.
Grinning, you take the pod and insert it into the machine, waiting for the coffee to brew while you hum to yourself.
Jimin bites his tongue, annoyance bubbling in his chest.
The coffee aroma fills the lounge. It brightens your smile just a bit as your coffee finishes brewing into your cup. Humming, you grab the creamer and pour some into your cup, setting the bottle on the counter before going to grab a spoon to stir your coffee.
Jimin taps his foot, frowning. Heat eats at his neck, and his shirt feels too stuffy.
You pay him no mind as you raise your cup to your lips, tasting the sweetness before deciding a little more creamer is needed. You circle the spoon in your cup, ignoring Jimin’s pointed looks. If his eyes could light you on fire, you have no doubt you would be.
“Oh, I should make a cup for Taehyung,” you muse as you reach for another pod.
“He has coffee,” Jimin huffs, the tapping of his foot on the linoleum growing louder.
“Hmm, I’ll text him,” you take your phone out of your pocket and take your time typing up a message, making a show of deleting and retyping it a few times.
You sip your coffee as you wait for a response. Jimin glares, his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw taut. If you didn’t hate him so much, you could admit he was gorgeous. From his lean body to his plush lips that you’d be lucky to kiss.
You take another sip of your drink, hiding your smile behind the mug as your phone buzzes.
“Oh, must be Tae,” you grin, eyes wickedly shining as you read the text. “Oh, I guess he’s still got the coffee I bought him this morning. How could I have forgotten?”
Jimin growls, stomping his foot like a petulant child.
“All yours, Mr. Park,” you smile smugly as you step aside.
Jimin mutters something under his breath as he goes to make his coffee. You bite back a laugh as you head for the door.
“Class starts in a few minutes. Don’t wanna be late again,” you call over your shoulder, noting the way his shoulders tense.
“Thanks for the reminder, Sweetheart,” Jimin grits, eyes like burning coal when he looks at you.
“No problem, Park.”
Hours later, Jimin lines up his students. Taehyung hands them their name badge to hang around their neck while they play outside. Though Jimin and Tae have been doing well learning and memorizing names, their class heads to the playground with Miss Sweetheart’s classroom.
By the time Jimin’s class makes it outside, your class is already running around, laughing and shouting on the playground.
Jimin’s kids get excited, smiling as they approach. A quick review of the playground rules is given before Jimin sets them free.
Taehyung watches the students, calling attention to inappropriate behavior while Jimin looks for his daughter.
Harin is running around with a few kids, laughing as she runs around the playground before climbing up the steps to use a slide. Jimin relaxes once he spots her and he keeps an eye on his students while Taehyung and Mrs. Gonzalez chat over their paperwork.
Miss Sweetheart watches her students, ignoring the heat of Jimin’s gaze.
You weren’t happy that you had to share your time outside with the annoying man but you had promised Taehyung you’d be cordial and other than your little petty tirade this morning, you were going to try her best.
Taehyung had texted you once Jimin had come back to the classroom with his coffee in hand. He had not been amused at your shenanigans and you had promised to do better.
But you’d still out petty Jimin when the opportunity presented itself.
“Miss Sweetheart!” You look up as you come out of your reverie.
“Harin!” You grin as you open your arms and get down to her level. She smiles as she jumps in your arms, holding a tiny dandelion in her hand.
“For you,” she squeals as she hands you the weed. You smile, thanking her with a hug before setting her down.
“It’s pretty,” you say as she holds your hand. Harin was so sweet and smart. She loved to help you and Mrs. Gonzalez. You adored her already and it amazed you how sweet she was when her father got on your nerves but you wouldn’t let your personal feelings with her father get in the way of your relationship with Harin or any of the other students.
Jimin tries not to panic when he doesn’t see Harin. His heart beats rapidly, his brow shines with cold sweat and his hands clench into fists as he looks for his daughter and doesn’t find her.
Slowly, Jimin rounds the playground, relaxing once he spots Harin with her teacher. The two are smiling and Harin is quick to hug her, clinging to her as they both blow on the dandelion before Harin runs off once again to join her friends.
When your gaze meets him, he doesn’t look away. His eyes are stormy as he watches you for another moment, studying you before turning his attention back to the students.
Perhaps you weren’t as bad as he thought.
That wouldn’t stop him from being petty though.
“So I’ll swing by after school to pick up the girls,” Yoongi reminds his best friend, Jimin, after school.
Harin and Lila are already running around in the front yard. Bree and Seokjin chat on the front porch and Jungkook has his dog, Bam, on a leash.
“Tomorrow?” Jimin asks for confirmation.
“Yes,” Yoongi nods. “Bree, Jungkook, and Seokjin are going to that new pizza place with the arcade. We talked about it in the group chat.”
Jimin takes his phone out of his pocket. He goes to his messages and sees the muted symbol for the group chat. He has 157 unread messages.
“Damn,” Jimin says as he quickly skims through the messages until he reads about the pizza place. Namjoon and Hoseok have work to do, but Jungkook and Seokjin are excited to go. Jimin knows it’ll probably turn into some sort of competition between them and Yoongi will end up carrying the girls’ prizes.
“I’ll meet you there,” Jimin nods. “You can take Harin after school and I’ll come home for a change of clothes.”
“Sure thing,” Yoongi agrees before Harin and Lila cling to his legs.
“Come play, Daddy,” Lila tugs on her father’s hand while Harin takes the other one.
“Come on, Uncle Yoongi! Uncle Koo wants to race with Bammie!” Harin giggles as she tugs her uncle.
“I’ll change and be right out,” Jimin tells Harin as the three take off after Jungkook.
Bam barks excitedly as they run and eventually, Harin ends up being carried by Jungkook while Yoongi carries his daughter on his shoulders.
Jimin chuckles as he heads into his home to get changed. He knows his parents will be home from work soon, and he’d like to say hi to them before dinner.
Despite living across the street, it had been hard for Jimin to see them between work and making dinner. There were still boxes that needed to be unpacked in his home, and he was hoping he could get them unpacked while Harin had her sleepover next door.
Another race starts when Jimin joins his family outside. The girls have lost interest in racing and Bammie runs with them in the front yard while Jimin catches up to Yoongi and Jungkook, cackling when he runs past both of them to the end of the block and back to his house.
“Cheater!” Yoongi shouts as he comes in third place. Jimin huffs a laugh as Jungkook sits on the grass, groaning when Bam goes over to lick his face.
“Wanna go again?” Jimin goads and Yoongi flips him off.
Jimin cackles as he shakes his head, calling Harin over to go home.
“We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
~
Jimin is earlier than usual.
Harin is just happy to be at school. She follows Jimin to his classroom and helps him set out the morning exercise on everyone’s desk.
Today, they’re going over the letter A.
For a moment, Jimin feels bad getting to school so early, especially because Harin was now involved in his pettiness without knowing so. He could have asked Yoongi to drop her off with Lila, but he was already picking up the girls after school and Jimin didn’t want to wake up the Min household for his petty dealings.
Today, he had parked his car in his usual spot. He was proud of himself for getting to work early. Very few people littered the halls and he was able to get his hands worksheets printed and his coffee made before other faculty crowded the lounge.
Harin sat at his desk with her breakfast. She sang to herself as she swirled her cereal in its plastic container. The bright colors stood out against the white bowl as Harin went in for another mouthful.
All Jimin had to do now was wait for class to start.
~
Fumes escape from your ears as you pull into the parking lot.
It was Friday. The last day of the school week and the first day of your weekend once the school bell rang.
You were in no mood to pull into the lot and see Park Jimin’s car in your spot. You had been here at the same time as yesterday but it seems like the evil villain has decided to best you.
No matter, on Monday morning you would win once and for all. Besides, how long could you keep this up before the principal got involved?
Monday would determine the true winner.
~
Despite Taehyung’s best efforts to not get involved in your revenge plan, he ends up involved.
Taehyung asks Jimin to go to lunch with him to celebrate surviving their first week of the school week.
It hadn’t been too hard to convince Jimin, especially when Taehyung mentioned the restaurant down the road offered all the teachers and faculty a forty percent discount if they had their badges.
All you needed was for Tae to get Jimin out of the classroom long enough for you to sneak in and get to his computer.
You sit on his desk chair, looking around until a pink sticky note catches your attention.
Password: 1994Jimin!
Okay, after your scheming was done, you’d get Taehyung to give Park a lesson in cyber security.
Logging in is easy and it only takes you a few minutes to take a screenshot of his desktop and add little photos of his icons before moving everything into a file you disguise as a flower.
While you finish up, your eyes scan Jimin’s desk. Beside the mousepad, there’s a pink photo frame with Harin smiling.
Beside it, there’s a frame with a photo of Jimin and Harin. You note there’s no mother in the photo, and you recall Jimin’s paperwork only including his parents and a man named Jungkook in case of an emergency.
You could admit Jimin was hot. He was beautiful in an ethereal way and his voice sometimes made your heart do flips. You could find him attractive if he didn’t annoy the fuck out of you. Which is why you’re currently changing his desktop to prank him.
No matter how many times he clicks on the desktop’s icons, nothing will open until he figures out they’re all just images. Nothing will launch, and hopefully Taehyung can give you a detailed recounting of Jimin’s annoyance.
Smiling, you bask in the genius of your plan. After all, you weren’t trying to harm Jimin in any way. You know the coffee incidents were accidents but you were so far in this now you kind of just rolled with it.
It had been a long time since someone got under your skin like this, and maybe you were being immature but you liked pushing Jimin’s buttons. You liked to make him tick. You liked the way his jaw grew taut, his eyes dark as he stared at you, almost as if seeing into your soul.
You could admit to yourself that maybe you had a teeny, weeny, minuscule crush on the (assumed) single dad Pre-K teacher.
But for now, that would stay in the vault.
You log out of the computer as soon as you’re done, cackling for a second before running out of the classroom. You have a quick snack at your desk, and text Taehyung a thumbs up.
[You]: All clear, Tae
[Tae]: 👀
Jimin huffs, his brow furrows as he clicks on the web browser icon.
“Why won’t you open?” He grits his teeth as he runs a hand through his black hair. It’s a little longer than normal, but with the move, the new job, and the new enemy across the hall, he hadn’t had a chance to get it cut.
Taehyung works on his paperwork on his desk. It’s nap time for the kiddos, and he’s using the time to get some work done before the weekend.
He goes over the lesson plan for next week, one from his best friend. Hopefully, by next week, Jimin will have his lesson plan ready to get them along.
“What is wrong with this thing?” Jimin huffs, his jaw is taut and his eyes blaze with frustration. The clicking of his mouse fills the classroom and a few students stir in their sleep.
Finally, Jimin decides to restart his computer. He clicks on the menu and sees a new folder. When he opens it on his screen, he frowns.
There’s no way in hell!
Jimin curses in his head, nearly growling as he figures out what’s going on.
“Who would have done this?” Jimin utters as he changes his background wallpaper and his icons back to the way they were.
Surprisingly, the web browser finally opens and he’s able to log onto his account to input grades and open the new lesson plan for the following week.
Jimin will spend his weekend working on his lesson plans and hopefully have a few weeks of them ready by the time Monday rolls around.
“Tae?” Jimin asks as he looks up from his screen. “Was Miss Sweetheart in here?”
“Not that I know of,” Taehyung lies smoothly. “Is something wrong?”
Jimin shakes his head. “No, not anymore. My computer was just acting funny.”
“Oh, do you need to use mine?” Taehyung offers and Jimin shakes his head.
“I got it. Someone just changed all my icons and desktop wallpaper. Nothing worked,” Jimin shrugs as he finishes his work and puts his computer to sleep.
“Huh, weird,” Taehyung responds before going back to his work. He feels the heat of Jimin’s stare but ignores it as he sends a strongly-worded, yet professional, email to Miss Sweetheart.
Jimin doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out you were behind his computer debacle. Your little prank caused him to lose valuable time he could have dedicated to paperwork and lesson plans.
So, he thinks of a plan to get back at you because it’s not enough for this to die out in the first week. Nope, Jimin won’t be the one pulling out first. If it’s a prank war you want, then that’s exactly what you’ll get.
Jimin is glad he doesn’t have after-school duty today as Harin gets delivered to his classroom. Mrs. Gonzalez and you take his students to the pick-up area and the walkers.
His genius plan will go through the weekend. He let the secretary know his car wouldn’t start and he’d move it on Monday afternoon.
The secretary had left a message for the principal and custodian, and Jimin was on his way out the door to the pickup area. A sadistic smile on his lips.
Jimin waits outside the school with Lila and Harin. Both girls are talking about their day as they wait for Yoongi’s SUV to pull up.
Yoongi does a double take when he spots Jimin with his daughter and “niece.”
The teacher on duty opens the doors to the SUV and Jimin helps Harin into her car seat while Yoongi buckles Lila.
Jimin climbs into the passenger seat and waits for Yoongi to join him.
Once the doors are shut and locked, Yoongi pulls off from the curb.
“Something you wanna tell me, Chim?” Yoongi asks as he lowers the music on the stereo.
“Nope,” Jimin says, popping the p.
“Uh-huh,” Yoongi scoffs. He keeps his eyes on the road as Lila and Harin giggle in the backseat.
“Just remind me to grab my car keys on Monday morning,” Jimin states as he looks out the window as Yoongi turns onto their neighborhood.
Yoongi clicks his tongue but says nothing else as he pulls into his driveway.
“You left your car at the school for the weekend to make sure you got the spot on Monday morning?” Jungkook is flabbergasted as he takes a bite of his pizza.
Seokjin took the girls to the arcade section of the pizza joint after they rushed through their dinner.
Bree had joined them, getting into a competition to see who could win the biggest prize, her or Seokjin.
Seokjin wasn’t one to lose a challenge, so Yoongi knew his wife would be occupied for a while.
“I mean, when you say it like that, it sounds stupid!” Jimin exclaims, feeling heat rush to his cheeks.
“Because it is stupid,” Yoongi rolls his eyes. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Look,” Jimin tries to defend his decision. “It’s just for Monday. She’s been on my nerves since school started. You know what she did today?”
Jungkook shakes his head, already invested in this conversation so he can relay the details to Seokjin at bedtime. He slurps some cheese from his pizza as Jimin continues.
“She changed the shit on my computer so nothing I clicked opened. I spent too much time figuring out what was wrong,” Jimin huffs with a roll of his pretty brown eyes.
“That’s pretty funny,” Yoongi chuckles. “I’ll have to pull that one off on Namjoon.”
Jimin scowls. “Hello?! She’s doing all this because of an accident!”
“Well,” Jungkook pipes in as he wipes the grease from his lips with the back of his tattooed hand. Yoongi and Jimin grimace, handing him napkins in unison.
Jungkook rolls his eyes but accepts the napkins. “You didn’t have to retaliate, Jimin. You could have ended this early on.”
Yoongi nods. “He’s right, you know?”
“Too bad,” Jimin shrugs. “I already left my car in the lot and I have plans for Monday.”
Yoongi groans. “Can’t you just let this go?”
“No,” Jimin states firmly. “I intend to win this.”
“What’s her name, anyway?” Jungkook asks as he takes another slice of pepperoni pizza from the tray.
“Miss Sweetheart or something,” Jimin shrugs. “She’s Harin’s teacher.”
“You’re doing this to Harin’s teacher?” Jungkook’s eyes widened in surprise. “The one she never stops talking about?”
For the first time, Jimin feels shame. He nods, sighing heavily.
“Maybe I can apologize one more time. I mean, Harin does like her.”
“Sounds like your best idea yet.” Yoongi nods in agreement.
Jungkook slurps cheese loudly off his pizza, chewing obnoxiously before Jimin excuses himself from the table.
On Monday, he would make amends.
Sunday morning comes sooner than you’d like. You skipped your jog the day before but you had promised to climb out of bed and head out.
You jogged on the sidewalk, your water bottle in your hand and your phone strapped to your arm. The morning was rather cool, the last bit of summer just barely clinging on.
A few cars drove by on the street, and a few people said good morning as they walked their dogs in the opposite direction. The birds chirped brightly, a rooster crowed in the distance and a few dogs barked in their yards as you jogged by, heading toward the school.
“Is that…?” You come to a full stop when you jog to the parking lot.
The chain link fence is bolted shut like every weekend but a Nissan Rogue sits on the lot. It’s parked in your spot and you scowl.
“Did he leave his fucking car here so he’d get the spot on Monday?!” You screech as you pull your phone out of its pocket and snap a photo.
Seconds after sending it to your best friend, your phone vibrates in his hand.
You don’t bother with a greeting as you seethe, placing the phone to your ear.
“He left his car parked here to beat me on Monday!”
“Sweetheart,” Taehyung sighs, sleepiness evident in his tone. “Don’t you think it’s time to put this behind you? How long are the two of you going to keep this up?”
“Tae,” you huff but he clicks his tongue.
“No! It’s been a week and I’m tired of being caught in the middle. I like him, Sweets. He’s a good teacher and a good friend, potentially. I’m not getting involved in this anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Taehyung,” you apologize, feeling icky about the situation. “I won’t drag you into this anymore, I swear.”
Taehyung remains silent for a few moments as he lies in bed staring at the ceiling. He didn’t miss your double meaning but he was too sleepy to try and talk you out of whatever your plans were.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you like him,” Taehyung says, surprising you.
You guffaw, spitting over yourself as you splutter and walk toward your apartment.
“As if!” You scream in defense.
Taehyung had to pull the phone away from his ear as you continued.
“Why would I ever like someone like him?! Have you lost your mind, Tae?!”
“Someone like him?” Taehyung chuckles. “Devastatingly gorgeous, funny, and with an ass that won’t quit? Since when is that not your type?”
“Tae!”
Taehyung laughs his head off, tells you goodbye through more laughter, and hangs up. Your protest told him everything he needed to know, and perhaps he was right.
Maybe Jimin was a little cute or whatever.
But your anger and annoyance trumped your attraction for the man.
You would win this.
You had to.
Monday morning rolls around and Jimin is more upbeat than usual.
Yoongi drops him off along with Lila and Harin. He gets the girls inside the school before he heads to his car to make sure nothing has happened to it over the weekend.
When he doesn’t notice anything out of place, Jimin hurries into the school.
He’s earlier than usual and he manages to convince the custodian to let him into Miss Sweetheart’s classroom, claiming his daughter left her teddy bear in her cubby.
The students that are early, wait in the cafeteria studying, doing homework, or playing board games while the teachers arrive.
Jimin takes the pack of googly eyes out of his pocket and gets to work.
He’s quick to stick them on the computer screen, the mouse, the mousepad, the stapler, the tape dispenser, the attendance log, the box of tissues, the hand sanitizer, and anywhere he can think of.
Jimin is proud of himself as he gets to his classroom and sets his bag on his desk. He busies himself with his lesson plan for a while before Taehyung and their students arrive.
“Have a good weekend?” Taehyung asks as he settles into his desk.
“It was wonderful,” Jimin answers with a shit-eating grin.
“What the actual fuck?” You’re grateful you’re alone as you step into your classroom.
You’d arrive a little later than usual despite your best efforts to be early. You knew it would be no use trying to beat Jimin to the parking spot since he left his car there all weekend.
You had left him a nice little present on his windshield, a big ole fake dog shit a student left on your chair last year.
You hope it garners the same reaction from Jimin as it did you.
“Oh!” Mrs. Gonzalez exclaims in surprise as she sees hundreds of little eyes staring back at her. “New decor?”
You shake your head. “I came in and it was like this.”
“Interesting choice,” Mrs. Gonzalez says as she goes to her desk to get situated.
Your blood boils in your veins as you stomp to your desk, you didn’t know how but you would make Jimin pay for this.
Who else would have taken the time to annoy you this much?
You pick googly eyes off your mouse, sighing as you see them on just about everything.
They even stare back at you from the monitor.
“You’ll pay for this, Park.”
Harin is talking a million miles a minute as Jimin straps her into her car seat after school.
Today, he’s decided to take his car home. He didn’t want to bother Yoongi for rides to school every morning.
“Daddy, what’s that?” Harin asks with a wrinkled nose. “Is that Bammie’s?”
Jimin is puzzled. He shuts the car door and looks in the direction his daughter is pointing in.
His eyes widen when he spots the pile of shit on his windshield that rivals anything Bammie could have passed.
“Oh! Oh, god!” Jimin gags. He covers his mouth with his hand as he tries not to throw up all over the hood of the car.
How the fuck did someone even get it on the windshield?
Jimin is disgusted as he stares at the pile of shit. He doesn’t have anything to get it off the windshield and using the wipers might just smear shit all over the glass.
He’d have to move it with his hands!
“Miss Sweetheart!” He growls as he shuts his eyes and gets ready to flick the poop off the windshield. He says a quick prayer to whoever and ignores the screaming from his daughter in the car.
“Ew!” Harin screams from her seat.
Jimin is near tears as his hand connects to the poop, and he lifts it.
It’s soft.
It’s fake.
“Thank fuck!” Jimin shouts as he lifts the fake pile of dog shit and gets into his car.
Harin giggles from her seat as Jimin sets the poop on the passenger seat and starts the car.
“Let’s go home, baby.”
Two months later, and you’re still pranking Jimin as he does you.
Taehyung has befriended him, which made it harder to get him involved as he stood firm in his decision not to take sides.
Jimin had agreed to let him stay out of it and you wish you could just cut your losses at this point. It was a stupid parking spot for fucks sake.
However, in some weird way, you liked the attention and detail Jimin would put in his pranks.
Somehow, between planning and scheming, you’d developed a tiny crush on the hot man. You often found yourself staring at him during meetings or lunches shared with Taehyung and Jimin, the only time the two of you would have a truce of some sort because Taehyung insisted on it.
It was Friday the thirteenth of October. Something to make this already spooky month a little more terrifying.
You had your share of bad luck—from arriving late to school to spilling water down the front of your dress.
Mrs. Gonzalez had insisted you take a few minutes to yourself to make your coffee in the lounge. She could tell you needed a breather.
Now, you were waiting for your coffee to brew in the empty lounge. It was too early for anyone to take a break, but too late for anyone to arrive at work. You were grateful for the quiet of the empty lounge.
You open the fridge to steal a cookie from your packed lunch when you spot a chocolate cake. You knew they usually got cakes and pastries for breakfast most weeks and you had been too late in the morning to see the spread but seeing this cake made you ecstatic.
You cut yourself a slice and get your coffee ready. You take a seat at an empty table and enjoy your cake, moaning when the chocolate icing hits your taste buds.
Your day was already brightening up.
“Just about done,” Taehyung informs you as he sends an email to Jimin with the paperwork needing his approval before being turned in on Monday afternoon.
Jimin has headed to the lounge ahead of the two of you to snag a table.
“Ready?” Taehyung follows you out of the classroom toward the lounge. You spot Jimin up ahead speaking with some of the fifth-grade teachers.
“It’s Jimin’s birthday today,” Taehyung says casually as the two of you enter the lounge. You grab your lunch bag from the fridge and hand Taehyung his.
“Oh, I didn’t know that,” you shrug, but Taehyung sees past your fake indifference. He remains silent as he heads for the microwave as you take your usual seat.
Taehyung comes over to your table when his food is done and takes the seat beside you.
“Some of the teachers got him a birthday cake,” Taehyung informs you as he digs into his meal.
“Oh, how nice,” you pretend to be interested but Taehyung rolls his eyes.
“Just admit you like him and let us live in peace.”
“If you already know why do you need to hear me say it? He’s hot, and he’s kinda funny.” You shrug as Jimin enters the lounge.
“The two of you would make a cute couple and Harin adores you,” Taehyung takes another bite of his meal as a few teachers begin singing Happy Birthday.
Someone opens the refrigerator and takes out the box of cake you dug into this morning.
“Oh, no!” You cover your cheeks as heat rises to them and you watch in horror as they open the box just as the song ends and Jimin looks at the cake perplexed.
It’s silent.
Dead silent as realization and shock took over everyone’s face.
“Who cut Jimin’s cake?!” One of the fifth-grade teachers asks in absolute horror.
“Who would cut our Minnie’s cake?” Another asks as they look around the room filled with staff.
A few people shake their heads in disappointment but all you can do is stare at Jimin with wide, horrified eyes.
It was an accident.
A complete accident.
You didn’t know it was his birthday, much less that the cake in the fridge wasn’t some type of teacher appreciation and not a birthday cake.
“You didn’t!” Taehyung hisses as he takes in your mortified expression and how you sink into your chair.
“It’s fine,” Jimin chuckles. “We can still have cake. I’m sure it’s delicious if a piece is already missing!”
The staff laughs as Jimin slices a piece of cake for everyone, including you.
Jimin looks at you with a smirk on his lips.
Taehyung excuses himself as some of the staff leave the lounge to get to their classrooms early in preparation for their afternoon classes. Plus, he couldn’t handle the second-hand embarrassment much longer.
Jimin says nothing for a few minutes, and you pick at your slice of chocolate cake, too embarrassed to finish it.
“Not gonna eat it?” Jimin asks with a raised brow. You meet his gaze and shake your head.
“Not hungry.”
“Still full from the first slice, Sweetheart?” Jimin’s smile widens as you rise from your seat abruptly.
Jimin laughs as you stomp out of the lounge toward your classroom without giving him a parting glance.
Nothing could top this.
Jimin is exhausted when he pulls up to his driveway Friday afternoon.
Harin is already unbuckling herself from her seat when she spots Lila waiting in the front yard. Seokjin and Bree sit on the porch watching Bam run around the tree while Yoongi helps Harin out of the car.
“Hey Princess,” he greets Harin with a smile. “Are you excited for your birthday tomorrow?”
Harin nods, “Grandma is having a party for me and Daddy.”
Yoongi chuckles as Lila comes running toward them.
“Daddy, can Harin sleep over for her birthday tonight?” Lila asks with a pout.
Harin catches on quickly and pouts at Yoongi and her father. “Please?”
Yoongi looks at Jimin, who nods. “Just be home for breakfast, okay?”
“Yay!” The girls take off running toward Bam, laughing when he licks Harin’s face.
“Your mom wanted us to go to her house when you arrived,” Yoongi informs Jimin.
“Let me just change and I’ll meet you there,” Jimin assures his friend.
Yoongi nods as he heads across the street to the Park’s home. Jungkook will meet him there with the last of the party supplies for tomorrow.
Fifteen minutes later, Jimin opens the door of his parent’s house.
“Mom!” Jimin calls as he shuts the front door.
“We’re in here!” Jungkook calls back from the kitchen.
Jimin makes his way through the familiar home until he arrives at the kitchen.
Jungkook is sitting at the table, stuffing goodie bags while Yoongi frosts Harin’s cupcakes and Mrs. Park frosts the cake for Jimin.
“Oh, my baby is here!” Mrs. Park exclaims as she finishes writing Jimin’s name on the cake. She pats her hands on her apron and wraps her son in a tight hug.
“Mom!” Jimin hisses out of breath like a deflating balloon. “I can’t breathe.”
“Well, don’t kill the boy, honey,” Mr. Park chuckles as he enters the kitchen.
Mrs. Park releases Jimin, going to pinch his cheeks instead.
“Mother,” Jimin sighs as he endures the pinching a moment longer before he’s released.
“I haven’t seen you or Harin all week,” she states as she goes back to her frosting.
“We’re still unpacking and Harin is with Lila,” Jimin informs his mother as he leans against the counter.
“They’re having a sleepover,” Yoongi tells Mrs. Park as he finishes the last cupcake.
“Oh, will she still come tomorrow for miyeokguk?” Mrs. Park asks as she sets down a bowl for Jimin on the counter.
“She will,” Jimin promises before kissing his mother’s cheek.
“The weather will be nice tomorrow, so we can have the backyard party after all,” Mr. Park says as he helps Jungkook fill the goodie bags with candies and toys.
“I’ll come around early to set up the tables and chairs. Seokjin can decorate them and when Jimin gets Harin here, we can finish up,” Yoongi tells the group.
“Sounds like a plan,” Jimin slurps loudly.
“Bree and I are taking the girls out, so they’ll be surprised with the decorations,” Mrs. Park smiles as she places the finished cake in a box and puts it in the fridge.
“Thanks, everyone,” Jimin says wholeheartedly. “I appreciate you doing this for us.”
“Nonsense, we’re all glad to have you two back. We missed you,” Jungkook frowns. “It wasn’t the same without you around.”
“Yeah,” Yoongi agrees. “Hoseok and Namjoon struggled the most trying to see us all. They’re so busy.”
“They’ll be here tomorrow though,” Jungkook says as he pops a chocolate in his mouth.
“Good, it’s been ages since we’ve gotten together,” Jimin finishes his soup with one last slurp.
“That reminds me,” Mrs. Park snaps. “I set up a blind date for you, Minnie. Oh! You’ll love her!”
Jungkook giggles while Yoongi smirks, pleased with Jimin’s annoyed expression.
“Mom!”
“No, honey. I’ve already set it up and you can’t get out of it. She’s the daughter of a friend of a friend. She’s a teacher and she’s beautiful,” Mrs. Park rambles on.
“Mom,” Jimin groans as he cards a hand through his hair. “I don’t have time to date right now. Can’t I just enjoy my birthday with you and my friends?”
“One date, Jimin. That’s it,” Mrs. Park is relentless and Jimin knows he can’t break her heart so he begrudgingly agrees to one date.
“You’ll love her! She’s gorgeous!”
“Do you have a picture of her?” Jungkook inquires, grinning like a madman at his best friend’s demise.
“Well, no,” Mrs. Park shakes her head. “My friend showed it to me when we were out to lunch. But she’s beautiful, smart, funny, with a gorgeous smile.”
Jimin sighs heavily, he knows his mother means well but he isn’t interested in going on blind dates. Besides, he was kind of hoping he could eventually gather enough courage to ask you out. He knew he annoyed the hell out of you, and he did his pranks to get a rise from you but he also liked the way you said his name when he irritated you to hell and back. He liked the way you’d stomp your foot or his, he liked the way you only had eyes for him. Sure, it was probably because you were expecting a prank, but he enjoyed the warmth of your heated gaze on him. The way your lip caught between your teeth as you eyed him up and down.
Jimin knew he took up a lot of your thoughts. Taehyung had said so during lunch one day. He couldn’t lie, it stroked his ego a little.
Jimin wanted to be the only thing you filled your thoughts with. He wanted to be someone in your life, even if he was annoying.
Isn’t the line between love and hate rather thin?
The next morning is a blur for Jimin. He’s busy from the moment he wakes up until the birthday party begins.
Harin and Lila are out with Bree and Mrs. Park getting their nails done and getting their outfits on. Yoongi and Seokjin are putting the finishing touches on the table decorations and food table.
Namjoon is setting up the bounce house and Hoseok is inside making sure the Parks’ home is spotless, despite Mrs. Park having already done so.
“Daddy!” Harin shouts as she barrels through the back door straight for Jimin.
He opens his arms and gets down to her level just before she tackles him in a hug. He lifts her easily, spinning her around while her giggles fill the air and she clings to her father. A wide smile is on her face and she kisses Jimin’s cheek before he sets her down.
Lila is in Yoongi’s arms as Bree runs home to get herself ready while Jungkook comes into the backyard with handfuls of presents for Harin, Jimin, and Lila.
“I’m here!” Jungkook exclaims as he sets the gifts down on the table and pauses to open his wallet and stuff a few bills into the money gift box.
Jimin looks around the backyard and smiles, he truly is blessed with the best family and friends he could have ever asked for.
An hour later, the party is in full swing. Harin and Lila run around the yard with some of Harin’s classmates.
Lunch has been served and now children run around, play in the bounce house, and play games with Jungkook, Namjoon, and Bam.
“Hey,” Taehyung greets Jimin after he sets the gifts on the designated table.
“Hey! Glad you could make it,” Jimin grins as he hugs Taehyung. “Food is over there. Help yourself to anything. I’ll introduce you to my friends in a bit.”
“Sounds great,” Taehyung nods as he spots Harin and Lila. He wishes Harin a happy birthday as he heads for the food table.
Mrs. Park welcomes more guests as they arrive. She smiles brightly when she spots the woman she was going to set up with her son.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” She greets the flustered woman. Mrs. Park looks around trying to spot Jimin, but grabs Jungkook’s attention instead, waving him over.
Mrs. Park introduces you to Jungkook, and you smile politely as you’re led to the gift table to drop off the gift. You didn’t have a chance to inform Mrs. Park that you were there for Harin. You don’t know if you should be elated or displeased that your mother set you up with Park Jimin, but this may work out after all. You do like him, and you did have a crush on him.
Oh, Taehyung was gonna have a laugh with this one.
Your cheeks are hot with the thought of Taehyung finding out about your predicament. You barely listen as Jungkook goes on about Jimin.
“So you came for Jimin’s birthday?” Jungkook asks as you reach the table with gifts. You set yours down and shake your head.
“I’m Harin’s teacher. She invited the class to her party,” you explain and watch as the realization hits and he cackles before he looks across the yard and waves someone over.
Not ten seconds later, a shorter man with cat-like eyes joins Jungkook and smiles. “Hello, I’m Min Yoongi.”
“This is the woman Mrs. Park set up with Jimin on a blind date,” Jungkook smirks as you nod.
“Oh?” Yoongi raises a brow. “What do you do?”
“I’m Harin’s teacher,” you explain as realization crosses Yoongi’s face and he too, laughs and shakes his head.
“Small world, huh?” Yoongi grins as his daughter comes over and wraps herself around his leg.
“Come play with us!” Lila exclaims as she tugs Yoongi by the hand toward the bounce house. You’re left alone with Jungkook, who asks you to follow him to greet Harin.
“Miss Sweetheart!” Harin shouts when she spots you, running full speed to hug you. You smile when she hugs you, lifting her in your arms.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty princess? Are you having fun?” you ask as Jungkook leaves your side, most likely to get Jimin.
Taehyung comes over once he spots you, grinning at Harin as she tells you about her birthday. You listen intently, ignoring Taehyung as he tries to tell you something.
“And we got our nails done!” Harin finishes as she shows you her freshly painted nails. They’re a light pink with tiny little stars, perfect for her princess-themed party.
Across the yard, Jimin is crawling out of the bounce house, nearly sick as Yoongi bounces by his feet when they get tangled on the net in search of freedom.
“Hey!” Jungkook can’t help the Cheshire smile on his lips. “The woman your mom set you up is here.”
Jimin furrows his brows in confusion. “What?”
Jungkook nods, resembling a bobblehead. “She’s holding Harin right now.”
Jimin is on his feet in an instant. How could his mother and best friend allow a stranger to hold his child? They knew better.
In his rush to get to Harin, Jimin doesn’t realize who is holding his daughter.
“Miss Sweetheart!” Harin giggles as the two spin in a circle when Jimin approaches and freezes.
You were the one his mother had set him up with?
Had his mother been scheming or was this pure coincidence? Jimin’s unsure but at least the panic in his body has left him as Harin hugs you tight and you spin once more, causing her to giggle.
Jimin can feel his heart pulsing, but not out of fear or panic, but something more. He notes the way you gush over Harin, giggling with her as you bounce her in your arms to readjust her, eager to play with her as Harin points toward the fence where there’s a ‘Pin the tail on the Donkey’ stuck to it.
Namjoon approaches Jimin with Hoseok in tow, the two curious at all the fuss. Taehyung joins the group at Jimin’s side as Yoongi and Seokjin approach while Jungkook tries to wrangle in the kids for the sack race.
“What did we miss?” Namjoon asks as he leans on Hoseok.
“You remember I told you about someone eating my birthday cake yesterday?” Jimin asks his friends and Taehyung bites back a laugh.
“Yeah?” Hoseok states with a befuddled look.
“It was Harin’s teacher,” Yoongi smirks.
Jimin nods. “It was Harin’s teacher.”
“And Harin’s teacher is the woman blindfolded and being spun by Jungkook at the donkey thing,” Taehyung explains.
It’s silent for a moment before they all burst out laughing. Jimin shakes his head as they continue to laugh.
“So the woman you’ve been crushing on lately, and your “enemy”, and the blind date your mom set you up on is Miss Sweetheart?” Yoongi can’t help but cackle as he watches you with Harin.
Jungkook tied himself to you for the three-legged race while Harin and Lila beat them easily. You and Jungkook fall on top of each other, groaning as you get untied and realize you lost.
Jimin and his friends head over to help the two of you up before Mr. Park announces a rematch with the adults and then one for the children.
Jungkook and Seokjin pair up, Yoongi and Bree, Namjoon and Hoseok, and Taehyung, and Mr. Park, leaving Jimin with you.
“You better not lose this round,” Jimin teases as he approaches you.
You glare at him before getting down to tie your legs together. “I only lost because Jungkook is wearing those chunky boots.”
Jimin looks at his best friend and immediately spots the shiny chunky boots that could stomp anyone easily but also trip the muscular man and anyone around him. Jimin had been witness to Jungkook tripping over himself or moving furniture with his colossal shoes.
“Fair,” Jimin acquiesced.
“Is everyone ready?” Mrs. Park asks from the sidelines as the kids move away from the area. The children cheer for you and Jimin. Harin cheers the loudest as the race begins.
Jimin wraps his arm around your waist. “Is this okay?”
You blink.
“Fuck, I should have asked before,” Jimin winces, apologizing before you assure him that it’s fine.
“Go!” Mrs. Park shouts and Yoongi and Bree take off immediately.
Seokjin and Jungkook go down after a few steps due to Jungkook’s boots and Seokjin’s massive shoulders. The two bicker on the floor as they try to get on their feet but fall on each other again.
You and Jimin are doing well. His cologne smells amazing and it makes you a little dizzy. What you wouldn’t give to snuggle into his chest for a while.
Taehyung and Mr. Park nearly pass you as you daydream about Jimin.
“What are you thinking about?” Jimin asks as he looks at you from his peripheral. He noticed the goofy grin on your lips as you kept moving forward.
“Nothing,” you lie, which causes him to roll his eyes at you.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me?!” you huff as you bump him with your hip. Hoseok and Namjoon take their turn in passing you as you stop to bicker with Jimin.
Up ahead, Yoongi and Bree are rounding the blue cone set up for the race and are making their way back to Mrs. Park and the finish line. Behind them, Namjoon and Hoseok pass Taehyung and Mr. Park while Jungkook and Seokjin have given up and moved on to prepare the sacks for the sack race up next.
“Jimin!” His mom yells from her spot. “Quit rolling your eyes and get back to the race!”
Jimin sighs.
“You heard her, Jimin!” you exclaim as you move forward, towing Jimin along with you as he mutters under his breath about you and his mother ganging up on him. You bite back a smile as you round the cone and pass by Taehyung and Mr. Park.
You manage to work together to pass Namjoon and Hoseok, but your foot trips Jimin, who goes down like a house of cards with you on top of him.
You both stare at each other in surprise. You admire the curve of his lips, so pretty and pink; kissable. Jimin seems to be doing the same to you as his breath catches in his throat and he admires every bit of perfection that is your face.
“Son! Get up!” Mr. Park laughs as he and Tae race past the two of you, breaking whatever moment you shared with Jimin.
Jimin is the first to recover as he ignores the thundering of his heart to get up and help you to your feet. He brushes himself off as you two stand and hobble to the finish line, coming in last.
“You guys suck,” Seokjin teases as you and Jimin join him and Jungkook. Jimin rolls his eyes and you poke his side.
“Habit of yours?”
“Only when you’re around,” he jokes, sticking his tongue out at you as he bumps you with his hip. Jungkook and Seokjin share a look you miss as you’re handed a brown potato sack.
“My turn,” Taehyung squeezes between you and Jimin, grabbing his own sack and one for Mr. Park.
Mrs. Park smiles as she watches her son interact with you. Yoongi notices her staring and approaches her.
“Jimin really seems to hit it off with her, huh?” Mrs. Park comments as she helps Harin into her sack.
“I’d say so,” Yoongi grins. He’s genuinely happy for his best friend. Jimin deserved a chance at happiness.
“I did good picking her for him,” Mrs. Park states once Harin has hopped off to find Lila and her school friends.
Mrs. Park’s eyes widen in surprise as she looks over at you and Jimin. For the first time in a long time, he’s smiling from ear to ear with someone other than his family and friends. Mrs. Park knew not to meddle but she just wanted her son to be happy. She knew family was important to Jimin, one of the values she had instilled in him.
Yoongi and Mrs. Park sit back as the sack race begins and all the children took off hopping forward to win. Laughter fills the yard as they go and some stumble. Miss Sweetheart rushes to them along with Jimin, soothing the children and cleaning skinned knees and bruised elbows.
Once the race for the children ends, the adults get ready as Mrs. Park and Seokjin take the kids to the bounce house.
Jimin and Jungkook get ahead of everyone else. Namjoon tripped over himself, and Hoseok trips over him. Mr. Park and Taehyung go around them, laughing when Jungkook trips over himself and faceplants into the grass.
You reach Jimin easily, smirking when you pass him. He goes faster, catching up to you and bouncing in front of you, causing you to trip and take him down with you when your arms flail.
“You just love being on top of me, huh?” Jimin smirks as you stare down at him.
“Oh, you’d love that,” you retort with a roll of your eyes, but your tummy flips because he’s right. You do like being on top of him.
“I would,” Jimin chuckles as you climb off him and free yourself from the potato sack. Jimin does the same as he takes your sack and his back to the table.
You follow him, standing beside him.
“I’m glad you came. Harin really likes you,” Jimin says absentmindedly as he looks for his daughter across the yard.
“I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot.”
“It’s okay,” you say with a genuine smile. “I can be a bit of a grouch.”
Jimin’s cheeks turn pink as he remembers calling you that the first time he met you in the school parking lot. His ears burn as he apologizes again.
“Come on, let me beat your butt at cornhole,” you laugh as you run in the opposite direction with Jimin right behind you.
It’s been a long afternoon.
Jimin and Harin have been sung to, presents have been opened and children have been picked up by their parents.
Jimin’s friends and parents begin cleaning up the yard, chatting as they go.
You stick around to help Jimin. He stands by the food table putting away leftovers for his friends to take home.
“You sure know how to throw a birthday party,” you comment as you help him put the food away in a container.
“Yeah, I went overboard on her first birthday party. She was Pebbles and Lila was BamBam,” Jimin chuckles as he takes his phone out to show you pictures of Harin.
“She’s adorable,” you squeal. “She’s such a joy to be around. She’s the sweetest little girl.”
“I was worried about her starting school but she loves you so much. I’m glad my shitty attitude didn’t cause waves between you two,” Jimin sighs regretfully. “I was such an ass.”
“I would never let a parent’s attitude toward me influence my treatment of their child. I was an ass, also. How about we start over?” you offer him your hand to shake and he does so with a beaming smile.
“I’d love that.”
The two of you finish putting the food away before Jimin stands in front of his birthday cake. Harin’s classmates had gone for the cupcakes and Jimin’s cake remained untouched.
“Want a bite of this cake too? I’ll close my eyes and you can pretend I’m not here,” Jimin teases, laughing when you shove him.
“It was an accident!” you huff, stomping your foot as Jimin continues to laugh.
You roll your eyes at him and pout.
Jimin cuts a slice of his birthday cake and plates it. He grabs a fork and cuts into the cake, offering you a bite.
You take it but stick your tongue out after.
“Was that so hard?” Jimin smirks and you resist the urge to flip him off.
You take the plate for him and the fork, cutting a small piece to feed him. Jimin opens his mouth to take it, and you smear some of the frosting on his lips.
Jimin licks his lips and your eyes follow his tongue as heat spreads through your veins. Jimin’s eyes lock on yours, eyes dark and hooded as he finishes.
You stand frozen in your spot as he dips his finger in the icing and places it on your lips.
“You’ve got a little something here,” he says as he places his finger in his mouth to suck it clean. He then takes a step forward. You nod as he licks the corner of your mouth before his lips meet yours.
Fireworks seem to go off when your eyes shut, your hands gripping his shoulders as the kiss deepens and your heart thuds rapidly in your chest.
Jimin moans softly as he takes your bottom lip and nips it gently. You moan as he pulls away, body fueled with desire as you stare at each other longingly.
“How about that date?” Jimin asks, his cheeks flushed pink and his black hair falling over his eyes. You could just eat him up.
