Summary: After an annoying mix-up at a hotel, leaving you and Ni-ki with only one bed to share, you're confronted with the unspoken words that have been floating around your head for months. But you shouldn't cross that line...you really shouldn't.
A/N: I love this trope so much, and after learning that Ni-ki is a certified cuddler, I had to do this (also, absolutely obsessed with Limbo Ni-ki).
You walked into the hotel room and dropped your backpack with a huff. The single bed in the middle of the room stared at you mockingly, its perfectly straightened sheets and undisturbed covers daring you to ruin it.
Ni-ki walked in behind you, lugging his large leather duffel. He stopped when he saw the bed, and you felt the sudden urge to create space between the two of you.
“I guess they weren’t lying about the bed mixup.”
You walked to the window, tossing your bag into the corner, “I guess not.”
You heard him shift on his feet, “I can sleep on the floor, ask them to bring up some extra pillows and blankets…”
“No, it’s fine, we can manage, it’s just a bed.” You said, although your heart raced at the idea of sharing a queen-sized bed with Ni-ki. He was a tall guy, and you knew from the other members that he tended to stretch out in his sleep. You thought about the other members peacefully enjoying their rooms with separate beds, and cursed the gods for making you and Ni-ki the youngest, always getting the leftovers.
Ni-ki walked to the bed. “Which side do you want?”
You jumped onto the right side, closest to the window, and took your phone out. “This side’s fine, want to get room service?”
He smiled and climbed on the bed next to you, reaching for the TV remote, “You read my mind.”
Thirty minutes later, two plates of potstickers and a big bowl of orange chicken with rice sat between the two of you on the bed. You watched the TV together, the light from the screen casting a soft glow on your faces. It was almost midnight, and the building was quiet. Based on the group chat, you guessed that most of the others were asleep. Only Jungwon, doing his nightly Weverse messages, was still active. You loved the stillness that came with staying up late. It was a moment for you to have the world to yourself, to take a break from all the day-to-day activity.
Ni-ki was the same; he often joined you on late-night walks or midnight snacks in the kitchen. You didn’t talk all the time, just enjoyed each other's presence, passing the time together when your heads were too loud to sleep.
But tonight was different.
Tonight, there were no separate rooms to retreat to when your eyes started to get heavy. There was only this bed, nothing to cut the tension that hung between the two of you on lonely nights.
Ni-ki’s deep laugh echoed next to you, sending a jolt down your back. You shifted on the bed, taking another bite of food before standing up. “It’s getting late.”
Ni-ki nodded, “Yeah, we should sleep.”
You stared at each other for a second, unsure how to navigate the new situation. “I guess I’ll shower first?”
He nodded again, eyes darting away and back to you, “Sounds good.”
You bit your lip slightly and grabbed your bag before heading to the bathroom. You heard him start to clean up the food as you closed the door.
You showered quickly, too anxious to enjoy it properly. You opened your bag to get your sleep shirt, and after a few seconds of digging, realized with horror that you had forgotten it in the dorms. You looked through your other clothes, but none of them were baggy enough to be comfortable for sleeping. You sighed, putting on your sleep shorts (that you thankfully remembered), and wrapping a towel around your chest.
You cracked open the door to the bathroom and found Ni-ki lounging comfortably on the bed, his head propped on the raised arm behind his head. “Ni-ki?”
He glanced up, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the towel you clutched to your chest.
“Could I borrow one of your shirts? I forgot mine.”
His eyes got even wider, but he didn’t waste a second. “Yeah, totally.” He went to his bag and grabbed a large black t-shirt, tossing it to you, his eyes avoiding you like the wrong side of a magnet.
“Thanks,” you stammered, quickly closing the door behind you. You leaned against the door, cursing yourself for the second time that day. Of all days, you chose this one to be forgetful?
You removed the towel and pulled Ni-ki’s shirt over your head. It was huge, falling low enough to cover your thighs. Unable to resist your curiosity, you sniffed it slightly. It smelled like him, well, like his perfume at least. Mandarin and basil, a calming scent you’d always liked on him.
You finished up in the bathroom and cracked the door open slowly, avoiding Ni-ki’s eyes as you set your bag back in its corner. But you felt his gaze on your back the entire time, dragging down your back and legs. You felt it like a physical touch, a warm caress down your hot skin. It made you shiver.
You let your eyes glance up as you crawled under the covers. He was staring, but clearly trying very hard not to. He ran a hand through his honey-colored hair and stood up almost as soon as you sat down, like he couldn’t stand to be near you. Without a word, he grabbed his stuff and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
You scrolled on Weverse as you listened to the shower run, replying to posts and comments. It was the only thing that kept your mind off the feeling of Ni-ki’s shirt on your skin, and what you would do if Ni-ki’s legs brushed against yours in the night…
The shower stopped, and a few minutes later, the door opened. Ni-ki walked out with his hair damp, a towel resting on his shoulder over a white tank top. His boxers hung low on his hips, revealing the top of his V-line. You dragged your eyes away, feeling heat creep up your neck.
He rubbed his hair with the towel one more time and climbed into bed. The space was even smaller than you anticipated. If you shifted your legs more than a few inches, you knew you’d brush against him. You could feel his body heat already sinking into your skin, making the covers feel hot and stifling. You felt the urge to throw the covers back, but you felt strange being so exposed. The sheets were the only thing between your bare skin and Ni-ki’s gaze.
Ni-ki scrolled on his phone beside you, chuckling at random TikToks. You were looking at your phone, but your mind was fully concentrated on the proximity of Ni-ki’s elbow to your shoulder. You shifted to give yourself more room.
He looked over, “Comfortable?”
You smiled, “Yeah, just warm.”
He glanced down, “You can take off your shorts if you want, I don’t mind.”
You bit your lip. Maybe he didn’t mind, but you weren’t so sure you didn’t. But the longer Ni-ki looked at you, the warmer you got, and you knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep if you were practically melting.
“Ok…” You slipped off your shorts from under the sheets, leaving yourself in nothing but underwear.
You looked at him, and he quickly glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck. You swore you could see a hint of red on his cheeks…
You bit your lip, “I’m going to turn off the lights now.”
He nodded, eyes locked on his phone.
You turned off the lamp on your side table, and he turned off his, plunging the room into darkness. The glow of Ni-ki’s screen was the only light in the room, and you turned so your back was to him.
A few minutes later, Ni-ki put his phone on the bedside table and turned on his side. You felt his breath ghosting the back of your neck, and heard him inhale sharply. “You smell good.”
His voice was so quiet you thought you were hearing things, “What?”
“You smell really good.”
You were not hearing things.
He moved slightly closer.
“It’s probably my shampoo,” you whispered.
“I like it.”
“Thanks.”
His breath was hot on your neck, and you put all of your energy into keeping your heart rate steady. You thought he would touch you; you realized you wanted him to.
But he didn’t, and ten minutes later, the quiet sounds of his breathing filled the room.
You let out a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding. What were you thinking? This was better anyway, you wouldn’t want to make things…awkward in the group. But you couldn’t help but acknowledge the hint of disappointment that sat heavy in your gut.
You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, letting the tension slip off your shoulders as the softness of the mattress sank under you. You listened to the quiet sounds of Ni-ki’s breathing and slowly slipped into sleep.
After what felt like hours, you were awoken by the heat of your skin and a thin layer of sweat on your neck. You were hot. One of your legs was thrown over the top of the covers, your bare skin exposed to the room. You were curled forward slightly, hugging a bundle of sheets to your chest.
And that’s when you noticed the arm wrapped around your waist.
Ni-ki’s chest was pressed against your back, holding you close so your body molded around the curve of his torso. His face was buried in your hair, his lips brushing against your neck. His body heat flowed into you like a heater, setting your skin on fire for more than one reason.
You shifted slightly, your arm ghosting over the one wrapped around your waist. Ni-ki made a sound and pulled you even closer, sighing deeply.
You froze, unsure whether to move or keep still. You tentatively placed your hand over Ni-ki’s, stroking the skin slightly.
He stirred again, “y/n,” he whispered.
You tensed, your name falling from his lips like a confession, his voice low and rough with sleep.
“Yeah?”
He burrowed his face between your neck and shoulder, “So warm,” he murmured.
You weren’t sure if he was just saying things or if he was awake. “Ni-ki?” You whispered.
No response.
A devious thought slipped into your head. You started to wonder how he would react if he were awake. You moved your leg, the one trapped under the covers, until it tangled with his. Then you interlaced your fingers, keeping his arm locked around your waist.
You heard him exhale, and he squeezed your hand.
You moved again, this time lightly grinding against his crotch, which you felt pressed against your ass.
His arm moved, letting go of your hand and drifting away from your waist down your thigh. He traced the skin lightly, only brushing your hot skin with the tips of his fingers. Shivers raced down your spine, and you felt a slight pressure building in your core.
“Ni-ki?” You whispered.
His hand returned to your waist, this time slipping under your (his) shirt and resting on your bare stomach. His mouth went to your ear, “Did I tell you how good you look in my shirt?”
You smiled, “No.”
“You make me crazy.” He kissed your neck, his hair tickling your cheek as it fell across your skin.
You sighed softly, your hand drifting up to his hair. You tried to turn over to face him, but his hand on your stomach held you in place, moving over to grip your hip. “Stay still for me.” his hand dipped lower, brushing over your panties that were already wet with your arousal. “Let me make you feel good.”
You grinded against him again, a quiet whimper slipping from your lips, “Ok.”
His other hand reached under and around you to grip your breast. He squeezed it slightly before brushing his thumb over the sensitive bud through the fabric, sending jolts of pleasure down your spine. His other hand cupped your core, his palm just barely rubbing against your clit.
You groaned, your whole body pressed against his chest as Ni-ki’s hands wandered over your body. Just light enough to make you whine with need. He held you tight, whispering quiet praise in your ears as you squirmed against him.
“I’ve wanted you for so long.” He said, his breath racing over your skin like fire. He continued to kiss your neck, working his way to the nape. He flicked out his tongue, wetting the skin.
You moaned, “Ni-ki…”
“Shhh, baby, I’ve got you.” Without warning, he sank his teeth into the sensitive skin, making you gasp. You arched against him, drawing a groan from Ni-ki’s lips as you rubbed against his hard length pressing against you. He brought his mouth back to the aching spot, running his tongue along the wound and sucking softly.
The pain mixed with pleasure, and you felt your walls start to clench around nothing. “Ni-ki, I need you, please.”
“Yeah? What do you need, baby? Use your words.”
“I-inside me, please-” You gasp as Ni-ki’s fingers dipped under your panties and into your folds in one fluid movement. The hand that had been playing with your nipple grasped the bottom of your shirt, pulling it up until your tits were exposed to the cold air of the room. He massaged one with his right hand and bent his head over your body to take the left one into his mouth, licking hungrily. His left hand continued its assault on your core, slightly dipping into your entrance and pulling out, never going where you needed him.
You moved your arm to tangle in his hair, pushing his head down closer to your chest. A deep rumble vibrated from his throat as you pulled on his hair. The sound made your walls clench again, and you moved against Ni-ki’s hand, desperate to be filled.
His mouth left your breast with a wet pop, and he turned his head to capture your lips. The kiss was messy and desperate, his tongue slipping into your mouth with ease. You felt his finger finally duck fully through your entrance. You moaned, and his mouth swallowed it, the wet sounds of your tongues mixing with the sound of his finger squelching in your juices.
He groaned with you and slipped in another finger, the stretch making your eyes roll to the back of your head. Your mouth opened in a silent gasp as you felt your orgasm building. “I-I’m close.”
He picked up the pace of his fingers, “Let me hear your sounds y/n, you’re so pretty when you’re loud.”
Your nails dug into his scalp as you felt the pressure build, your breathing turning into desperate gasps. Ni-ki watched your face as your orgasm ripped through you. Your eyes widened, your back arching against his chest. He kissed you through it, placing gentle marks up your neck and on your cheeks. The pleasure swept through you in waves, tingling and pulsing across your body. You stroked Ni-ki’s hair, breathing slowly as the pressure dissipated and settled.
He removed his fingers from your hole, bringing them up to his lips and sucking softly, holding your gaze the whole time. Then he leaned down and kissed you, gently this time. You tasted yourself on his lips, and you sighed breathlessly against him.
He pulled away and lay back down, pulling you tight against him. He kissed your neck, “My girl,” he whispered.
You closed your eyes. The warmth from his body, paired with the exhaustion of your muscles, beckoned you back to sleep. Ni-ki traced slow circles on the bare skin of your stomach, murmuring into your ear as you drifted off with the feeling of his reverent hands drifting over your skin.
The next morning, you woke up to the feeling of warm sunlight on your face and a large hand holding yours.
You slowly opened your eyes and found Ni-ki’s sleepy face staring back at you. His features were soft and relaxed, his hair messy and sticking up in every direction. You’d always thought Ni-ki was especially cute in the mornings.
Your hand rested next to your face, and he held it gently within his own, brushing his thumb over your knuckles.
“You look so beautiful when you sleep.” He said, his eyes locked on yours.
You smiled teasingly, “You definitely have the best bedhead I’ve ever seen.”
He laughed and buried his face in his pillow.
You interlocked your fingers with his, bringing his hand up to your lips and kissing it softly.
He looked up, watching you like he couldn’t believe you were real. “So…” he said, his eyes darting nervously between your face and your interlocked hands.
“So…” You said back.
He reached out with his free hand and brushed a strand of hair out of your face. “Everything I said last night was true. I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you.”
You smiled, but it quickly faded when you thought about what awaited you outside of the bubble of the hotel room. “I just don’t want to hurt the group.” You whispered.
He tilted your chin up with his hand, forcing you to look at him. “We won’t, not if we’re careful. You’re mine, and I’m yours. We’ve always known it, and ignoring it will only make it worse.”
You thought back to the numerous late nights spent eating ramen and laughing until you were both crying, the unspoken words you never dared acknowledge. You saw now that the two of you had always been on interweaving paths, paths that were inevitably set for collision. And now that you tasted the sparks, felt them race down your skin, you knew there was no going back.
You moved, crawling over him until you straddled his waist. His hands instinctively grabbed your hips, looking up at you with wide, hungry eyes. You leaned towards him slowly, “You’re mine, you said?”
He smiled and met you halfway, his lips parting around yours. His hand ran through your hair, tugging slightly as he pulled back to whisper against your lips. “And I’m yours.”
IN WHICH... Jake walks into his apartment to find you—half-naked—dancing in his living room. When he learns that his roommate left you there and never even touched you, he can’t wait to clean up his mess.
WC: 3.7k
Content/Warnings: MDNI, Strangers to Lovers, Porn With Minimal Plot, Nicotine Use, Smut, Kissing, Unprotected Sex, Edging, Dry-Humping, Riding Jake, Sub Jake (wants reader to use his body)
NOW PLAYING... "Steal The Show" - Lauv
Ari's Note: So this was purely inspired by my complete obsession with Lauv's "Steal The Show" from Elemental (which I actually first heard on Jake's live), and this idea came to me while I was listening. So this is dedicated to all my fellow Lauv listeners <3 Also, this Jake pic?? Like hello?? 😳🫠
The first thing Jake heard walking into his apartment was music.
He set his bag down with a thud, his back aching from carrying it all day. He was exhausted. Running from class to work and back to class again, spending every spare moment studying for his midterm an hour ago that he’d probably bombed.
All he wanted to do was shower and sleep, but the music blasting from the living room seemed to have other ideas. He cursed. God, was he sick of his roommate. Link seemed never to get tired of driving Jake mad. Playing the TV until 3 am, making food in the middle of the night, and having his girlfriend, Lizzie, over so much she practically lived there. He thought about moving out at least three times a day, but the rent was too good, and money was too tight.
He walked slowly to the living room, preparing a speech on decent manners and respect for the people you live with, but when he turned the corner, he froze.
Because there, dancing in the middle of his living room, your eyes closed as you moved with the music, was a girl he’d never seen before.
It wasn’t Lizzie; it wasn’t one of his friends who used his couch to get high; it was a stranger. And not just that, you were practically naked.
He spotted a pile of clothes on the floor, leaving you in nothing but a bra and underwear, dancing to the music like it was your entire world. You flipped your hair and swung your hips, spinning and smiling like you were joy itself. Jake watched in muted shock, the music slowly registering as a song from that new Disney movie about the elements he used to help him get to sleep once.
He looked down and saw a dark blue vape on the coffee table, only just registering how the room smelled a little like blueberries.
Jake opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. You looked so happy, so full of life, the complete opposite of how he felt. It was oddly freeing, and just slightly, he felt some of the tension slip from his shoulders.
He watched you until the song ended, his eyes tracing the curve of your hips and the bounce of your breasts as you moved. You hadn’t noticed—too lost in your own world—or maybe the slight haze of smoke in the room as you giggled and tangled your hands in your hair.
But then it stopped, and Jake blinked. He opened his mouth just as you turned around.
“Oh, my god.” You jumped back, hands immediately moving up to cover yourself.
“S-sorry,” Jake stuttered, “I didn’t mean to-” He looked away and reminded himself that this was a stranger in his apartment. He looked back up, trying his best to keep his eyes from wandering. “Um, who are you?”
“Uh, y/n? Link let me in.”
Jake cocked his head. “Ok…where is he?”
You shrugged, sitting on the couch and picking up the blue vape to take another hit, all of your previous shyness gone. “He said he had to run some errands and to make myself at home.”
He realized that she had no idea Link was probably with Lizzie right now, fucking her while she sat alone getting buzzed in his apartment.
How much of an idiot could that guy be?
Jake sighed, turning off the TV as a new song started playing on the speakers. He ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Link…he has a girlfriend, and I doubt he’s coming back tonight.”
You stared at him for a second before a high-pitched laugh stumbled from your lips. You tucked your knees to your chest, and Jake couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting to your exposed thigh.
“That sounds like my luck, always picking the wrong guy.” You studied the vape between your fingers, a dazed expression on your face. You held it out to him. “Want a hit?”
Jake’s eyes darted between you and the vape, knowing he should say no, that he should go shower as he planned and go to bed. But another part of his brain, the one that kept staring at the way your boobs spilled out of your bra, urged his feet forward. And before he could process it, he was sitting down next to you, taking the vape from your fingers and bringing it up to his mouth.
The hit was long and satisfying, blooming into his lungs with a subtle warmth. He coughed slightly as he pulled it from his lips, which made you smirk. “Been a while?” You asked.
“Long day.” He said. Jake put it back on the table, leaning back into the couch with a sigh.
He felt your eyes on him, and he turned his head, noticing now how pretty your eyes were. “How’d you meet Link?”
You tilted your head against the couch cushion, your body still turned towards him. “In the library. He sat at my table while I was studying.”
“What’d he say?”
“He said that I looked like I was stressed and could use a night to relax.”
“So you followed him here?”
“I know, I have zero survival instincts.”
Jake snorted, “Did you guys…?”
You laughed, burying your head in the cushions. “We made out a bit, I sucked his dick, and he left.” You moved your head so that only one eye and part of your mouth were visible. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”
Jake laughed too. “No, he is, believe me, that guy is a total train wreck. If I had a penny for every time he made me roll my eyes, I’d be rich.”
“That bad?”
“Oh yeah, he makes me miss the dorms.”
You raised your eyebrows. “Oh, so really bad. And here I was falling for it.”
Jake shrugged. “Looks like you were having plenty of fun without him. Never thought I’d see someone dance like that to a song from a kids' movie.”
You shoved his leg with your foot. He tried not to think about the way your thighs rubbed together.
“It’s a good song; you can’t blame me.”
He put his hands up, feeling the buzz setting in, his head fuzzy and loose. “Hey, I’m not. I enjoyed the show.” He winked.
You smiled and looked down, picking at the skin around your nail.
Jake glanced over you again, the words slipping from his lips before he could stop them: “Did he really not do anything?”
You looked up, letting out a short laugh. “I took these clothes off myself; he barely touched me.”
Jake felt a twinge of annoyance in his gut. How could Link leave a girl like you sitting around? If you’re going to be a cheating asshole, at least do it right. He slowly reached out his hand and gently brushed his knuckles down your knee.
“Do you want to be touched?”
The air in the room shifted as you both realized where you were sitting.
You visibly tensed, your eyes searching his. Jake chewed on his lip, studying your expression that started as hesitation and slowly morphed into interest.
“Maybe.”
He smirked. “Maybe?” He moved a bit closer, opening his palm to move down your thigh, your skin prickling under him. “I’m going to need you to be a bit clearer.”
Your eyes fell to his lips, and he watched with bated breath as you parted your knees slightly at his touch. Jake searched your eyes for confirmation, making small circles on your thigh.
He watched your pupils dilate and your skin shiver. The hint of smoke in the room hung around your face, making the tension feel thicker—heavier.
You nodded, your words slightly breathless, “Yes.”
He moved, gripping your thighs and pulling them hard so you were dragged onto your back. He ran his hand up your stomach, smirking as you shivered under him. He leaned down and kissed the skin below your bra.
You sighed, and he smiled, realizing how long you must have been waiting to be touched that night. He hooked his hand behind your back and unclipped your bra, pulling it off you in one motion. Jake groaned when he took in your bare chest, immediately sinking to take one of your nipples in his mouth.
His tongue played with the raised bud, the sensation combined with his hair tickling your skin, making you moan. You slipped your hand into his hair, holding him down.
Jake made a sound, his tongue becoming more active as he felt your fingers pull at his hair. His hand moved down to your hip, his thumb playing with the hem of your underwear as he pulled away from your breast with a wet pop.
He looked at you, the nicotine making the image of you spread out under him painfully euphoric as his erection pressed against his pants. “Link doesn’t know what he’s missing.” He leaned down and captured your lips with his, moving his mouth until you opened for him, giving him the space to slip his tongue past your teeth. He swirled his tongue around yours, groaning when you pulled him closer. “Don’t worry,” he pulled back, “I’ll make you feel good.”
You nodded quickly, your body humming with excitement. “What’s your name again?”
He smiled, “Jake.”
You threaded your fingers in his hair, pulling his mouth back on yours. “Jake,” you moaned into his mouth. You grabbed at the bottom of his shirt, desperate to feel his bare skin pressed against yours.
He pulled back just long enough to pull the fabric over his head, revealing a lean expanse of muscle and smooth pale skin. You barely had time to enjoy the view before he was back on you, kissing you like a starved animal.
“Fuck I needed this,” he groaned. He traced his hand down your stomach in reverence, his hungry eyes scraping down your body. “You’re so pretty. Should dance for me all the time”
You smiled, his words sending a shock of pleasure straight towards your core. “I’ll consider it.”
He smirked and buried his face in your neck, kissing and sucking at the skin with persistent swipes of his tongue. “I’ll play whatever song you want.”
You moaned as his teeth grazed your nape and you felt your walls clench around nothing. You gripped at his back, feeling his shoulders flex around your touch. You dug your nails in slightly and smiled when he whimpered into your neck, his arm braced around your head, buckling. His chest fell until he was pressed fully against your tits, your hard peaks buried against the warmth of his body.
“Jake!” You gasped, your forehead pressed against his as you tried to catch your breath. You couldn’t stop staring at his lips. They were swollen and glistening with your shared saliva, slightly parted as air slipped through in short gasps. You thought you could kiss them all day, and the heavy fog in your brain was doing nothing to dissuade you.
You kissed him again. “I want to ride you, want to feel you cum inside me.”
Jake made a sound—something between a growl and a whine—and gripped your waist, his fingers firm and protective. He searched your face, his eyes dripping with desire. But even still, you could pick out a single kernel of restraint.
“Are you sure? You don’t even know me-”
“Jake.” You said, holding his face as you stared at him. “I don’t give a shit right now. After waiting hours for your jerk roommate, I think I deserve a reward.”
Jake smirked, and with a surprising show of strength, hooked his hands under your ass and lifted you off the couch and onto his lap.
You yelped in surprise, gripping onto his shoulders as your whole world blurred.
He smiled, his hands holding your hips firmly against him. You could feel his erection pressed against your core, the fabric of his pants already damp with arousal. He hadn’t removed your panties, and the thin layer of fabric between your aching bodies was torturous.
You ground against him softly, and both of you moaned together. His hands gripped your ass cheeks and spread them wider, making your core sit more firmly on his length. Jake moved your hips so your folds brushed over him in another torturous stripe, making you both gasp.
You fumbled at the button on his pants, but he shoved your hands away, instead holding your wrists and guiding them around his neck. “Not yet. I wanna feel you…slowly.”
“Jake,” you whined, “I’ve waited so long.”
He kissed you softly. “I know, baby, but it will be worth it, I promise. Link is gonna regret leaving you alone for the rest of his life.”
You smiled against his lips.
Then he moved.
His hips ground against yours in a steady rhythm, making your clothed core rub against his pants with devastating friction. You buried your hands in his hair, tugging softly as broken moans slipped from your lips. Jake’s breathing became ragged as he moved, and he nuzzled his nose into your neck and up your cheek until his lips were on you, swallowing your sounds in a hungry kiss.
You moved against each other until you were so wet your underwear was practically soaked through, and you could hear the squelch of your pussy with every move of your hips. The sound only fueled the hunger between you, and you sped up, moaning every time his tip caught on your clit.
Jake watched you with wide eyes, his head whipping up and down between your colliding bodies and the way your tits bounced as you ground with increased passion. He leaned forward and took one of your hard nipples into his mouth, flicking his tongue against the bud with surprising control. You ran your hands down his back that was already wet with sweat, and you felt his groan vibrate from his throat and through your chest.
“Jake, I’m close.” You breathed.
He immediately pulled away, and you almost came at the sight of him. His hair was a complete mess from your fingers, big and fluffy and falling in sweaty clumps over his forehead. His lips were somehow puffier than before, pink as sour candy—and when his tongue flicked out over them—you couldn’t help but sigh. But his eyes were what almost destroyed you. They were wide and dazed, unfocused on everything except you, and when they met yours, there was only pure need.
“You ready to ride me, baby?" His hands went to the button of his jeans, and he loosened it before looking back at you for confirmation.
You responded by slipping off his lap, giving him enough room to pull his pants and boxers down. His hard length sprang free, and you cursed at the sight of it. It was long and thick, dripping and angry at the tip from the intense foreplay. You forced your mouth closed when you realized you were basically drooling.
Jake leaned back on the couch and beckoned to you, eyes darting between your face and his dick.
You bit your lip and pulled off your soaked panties before slowly climbing back over him, gasping as his tip brushed your folds. His hands settled back over your hips, providing a steady anchor.
“Go slow,” He said.
You grabbed his shoulders and gently moved so his tip brushed a stripe through your swollen pussy lips, covering him in your wetness.
Jake inhaled sharply and tilted his head back, his jaw clenched.
“You like that?” You did it again.
“Yes!” He gasped. He tilted his head so it was sandwiched between your breasts. “You feel so fucking good, y/n.”
“I thought you were the one supposed to make me feel good, yet here we are.” You teased, sinking so his tip barely slotted into your entrance.
He groaned into your chest, his hot breath fanning over your tits. His grip on your hips only tightened, his fingers almost painful. You looked down and saw the veins on his forearms protruding prominently, strained as he resisted spearing you with his cock.
“You said to go slow; I’m just following your orders, Jake.”
“Good girl,” he gasped. He kissed the space between your breasts. “So perfect for me.” He lowered your hips, drawing a loud moan from your lips as the stretch deepened. Jake thought it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard, and he realized he’d do anything to hear it again.
He tilted up his mouth and pulled your head down, taking your mouth in a searing kiss. The way he sucked on your tongue and bit at your lip distracted you completely from your teasing advances, and before you could stop yourself, your body was melting into him, and you felt yourself sink onto his cock in one overwhelming motion.
You gasped against Jake’s lips, the intensity of the stretch making your vision momentarily go white. You dug your nails into his shoulders, and the sound he made was broken and barely human. Jake breathed against your mouth in short whimpers, and you could feel his hips trembling under you, desperate to listen to human instinct and move.
“You ok?” He brushed a strand of hair out of your face, searching your eyes for any sign of discomfort.
You smiled weakly, taking in the warm pressure of him filling you. “Perfect.”
He smiled back and kissed you softly. “Ride me y/n. Want you to use my body like you deserve."
You didn’t respond; you just moved.
You started with gentle grinds, closing your eyes as you felt the ridges of his dick brush against your smooth walls with agonizing friction. You kept your foreheads together, exchanging hot breaths as you slowly learned each other’s bodies. One of Jake’s hands remained a stabilizer on your hips while the other cupped the back of your neck, holding you close. You opened your eyes, watching as his face contorted in pleasure with every thrust of your hips. When the shock of the stretch faded, and only the deep pressure in your core remained, you started to move faster, breathy moans escaping your throat with every snap.
Jake stared down at the place where his cock disappeared into your entrance, eyes wide because he could hardly believe this was happening. An hour ago he’d been moments away from showering and collapsing onto his cramped twin bed, and now he was getting fucked by his roommate’s discarded side-chick.
And he was loving it.
He leaned back onto the couch, giving you space to grind on him fully, gripping your ass and moaning as he felt his climax building.
Jake’s broken sounds spurred you on until you were bouncing on his cock in a debilitating rhythm, moving deep so his tip pounded against your cervix, sending shockwaves of pleasure down your back.
“Jake,” you moaned. “You feel so good.”
His voice was high-pitched and strained as he responded. “You're doing great, baby; you look so beautiful like this. Could watch you bounce on my dick forever.”
You grabbed his hair and pulled him into a messy kiss, the room filled with nothing but the sound of your squelching juices and the clashing of teeth and tongues.
Jake started bucking against you, moving in time with your rhythm as he chased the swell of pleasure racing through his entire body.
The two of you desperately fucked each other until you were nothing but sweaty, moaning messes slicked in saliva and arousal, bodies moving in a tangle of roaming hands and clenched thighs.
It was hot, it was filthy, and both of you were too far gone to process what it must have looked like from the outside.
Jake might have heard the front door of the apartment open—two slurring voices drifting down the hall—if he hadn’t finished at that exact moment.
His orgasm swept over him like a tidal wave, knocking the breath out of him as his mouth dropped open in a broken gasp and he arched against the couch.
The second his warm seed spilled inside you, you felt your walls clench as an explosion of pleasure erupted through your body. Your pussy milked him dry, spasming in concentrated bursts until you knew you were full of him. You gripped Jake’s neck, resting your head on his shoulder as you slowed your grinds and the aftershocks faded into a satisfying hum in your muscles.
Jake slung one arm over your back, tracing soft, soothing circles on the hot skin as his heart rate slowed.
“What the fuck?”
A girl's voice cut through the space like a knife, and both of your eyes shot open. Link and Lizzy stood in the doorway of the living room, staring at the two of you tangled together on the couch, your bodies dripping with sweat and cum.
“Jake…what the hell, man? I thought we agreed on no sex in the common space?” Link said, his expression shocked but also slightly smug.
You were frozen on Jake’s lap, his cock still inside you. You covered up your chest as best you could, and Jake pulled you close so he was shielding you with his chest. “I- uh- thought you’d be gone for the night.”
He shrugged, “plans changed, but it’s ok man, I’m glad you got some.” He winked, and when Link’s eyes looked you up and down, you wanted to vomit.
Jake frowned. “Whatever, man, we’ll clean up; just get out of here.”
He put his hands up. “Alright, alright, I’m going. Don’t have too much fun!” He grabbed his girlfriend's hand and disappeared down the hall.
The second Jake heard his door close, he turned to you, cupping your face in his hand. “Are you ok?”
You nodded and sighed. “Yeah, I can’t believe I thought he was charming at one point.”
Jake laughed softly. “It’s ok, there was a brief period of about five minutes I thought he was a decent guy too.”
“Then what happened?”
“Well, he started blasting music at full volume in this very room.” He searched your eyes. “But after today, maybe I don’t mind that as much anymore.”
You smiled. “Did I steal the show?”
Jake leaned forward and kissed you slowly. “Completely.”
Pairings: Roommate!Jungwon x Fem!Reader x Best Friend!Jay
IN WHICH... your roommate Jungwon knows you're down bad for his best friend, Jay. He loves watching Jay flirt with you until you're a flustered mess, so why not spice things up with a little game?
A/N: I know Truth or Dare is a bit overused...BUT I WANTED TO WRITE IT, OK. Anyways, live, laugh, love JayWon. This is pretty filthy; enjoy ;D
Jungwon glanced at you, sprawled on the couch with your feet propped in his lap like you always did after a long day of classes.
He smiled to himself, rubbing soothing circles on your ankles as he glanced at his messages.
Jay was coming over in thirty minutes, and you had no idea.
He imagined the look on your face when he walked through the door— eyes wide and cheeks flushed, smiling too much, laughing too loudly.
It was adorable.
He loved seeing you turn into a flustered mess around his best friend. So he took every opportunity he could to put you two in the same room, watching from the side as you tried and failed to appear cool and relaxed.
Jay was a good sport about it, smiling when he was supposed to, keeping his flirting just subtle enough to drive you insane without crossing a line.
Jungwon watched it all, pulling you into his chest after getting home, as you babbled about how hot Jay was. You let him run his hands down your arms and bury his face in your neck, too distracted by thoughts of Jay to realize just how much your roommate loved to touch you.
Another message popped up on Jungwon’s phone.
Jay was ten minutes away.
He looked at you again, your face relaxed as you stared at your phone, your mouth curling slightly at the corners at something on the screen.
It was going to be a fun night.
You looked at Jungwon as the doorbell rang. “Are you expecting someone?”
He shrugged, gently removing your feet from his lap as he stood up. “Nope, I’ll check.” He got up and walked to the door, his figure disappearing down the hall.
You heard the door open, and a familiar voice trailed into the room.
You froze.
No, it couldn’t be.
You bolted upright, looking down in horror as you realized that you were in pajamas: an oversized t-shirt and sleep shorts that rode up your thighs. There was no time to change, no time to hide in your room. You ran your fingers through your hair, adjusting the shorts on your hips as you assumed a normal sitting position on the couch.
Jay walked into the room, and you glanced over your shoulder as casually as you could manage. “Oh, hey, Jay.”
His characteristic side-smile appeared on his face: “Hey, y/n, how are you?”
You smiled, “I’m good, just…relaxing.” You tried not to let your eyes wander. He was wearing a loose button-up shirt and baggy jeans. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to his elbows, with two buttons undone at the top, so his collarbone was on full display.
But the worst (best) part? A thin pair of black glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, perched lazily as if he threw them on in a rush.
Was he trying to kill you?
You turned away as you felt heat creeping up your neck, scrolling absently on your phone.
Jungwon’s voice wafted through the space: “Can I get you something to drink, Jay?”
“Water’s fine.”
Your eyes were on your phone, but your attention was solely focused on Jay’s every movement. You heard him shift on his feet before he walked over and took a seat on the couch next to you, only a cushion between you.
“You look comfy.” He said.
You sucked in your bottom lip, pulling your bare legs under you as you shot him a half-smile. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were coming over.”
He chuckled lowly, the sound triggering a warm ache between your legs. “It’s ok, I don’t mind.” He paused before adding, “It’s cute.”
A smile worked its way to your mouth as you fiddled with the bottom of your shirt. This kind of comment was normal for Jay, subtle but said at just the right moment to make you squirm. No matter how many times he did it, you never got used to it.
Jungwon came over with a glass of water for Jay, setting it on the table in front of him before sitting on the other side of you. He put his arm over your shoulder and practically pulled you on top of him, drawing a surprised yelp from your lips.
You gave him a sharp look, feeling a blush settle on your cheeks. He was never this touchy when Jay was around, always opting to hover on the sidelines and hold you later after you were done being a flustered mess.
But now his arm casually rested over your waist, your back against his chest as he traced your stomach through your shirt.
Jay’s eyes flicked to Jungwon’s arm over you, but he said nothing, his face unreadable. He leaned over and brought the water glass to his lips, his throat bobbing as he drank.
You couldn’t help but stare.
“Should we watch something?”
Jungwon’s voice interrupted your thoughts, and you tore your gaze away from Jay and to the TV, where Jungwon was already scrolling through movies.
Ten minutes later, you all settled on some rom-com you’d never seen, the studio fanfare echoing through the room.
Jungwon rested his chin on your head, his arm tightening around your waist as he shifted to pull you closer.
You didn’t move; you couldn’t move, because pulling away from him would mean moving closer to Jay, which was not an option. So you leaned back, letting yourself relax against Jungwon. You felt him smile behind you.
Throughout the movie, Jungwon’s hands got bolder. He traced circles on your thigh, brushed his knuckles against your arm, and played with the edge of your shirt so his fingers were just centimeters from the bare skin of your stomach.
You tried to ignore it, but with Jay on the other side of you, every touch felt different—charged. You knew that Jungwon was enjoying this, a hum vibrating from his chest every time you shifted under him.
At one point, he put his lips next to your ear, hot breath fanning over your neck as he whispered, “Comfortable?”
Your skin shivered, and you let out a breath, “Yeah.”
“Really? Because you’re moving a lot.”
You glanced at Jay to see if he was listening, but his face was turned towards the TV, seemingly totally unaware of your conversation.
“I know what you’re doing,” you hissed.
Jungwon let his hand rest at the top of your thigh. “What am I doing?”
“Being annoying.”
He laughed softly against your hair, which drew Jay’s attention. His dark eyes flicked to his friend's hand on your thigh, and this time—just barely—his eyes narrowed.
Jay stood up. “I’m going to grab a beer; anyone want one?”
“Ooh, yes, please,” Jungwon said
Jay looked at you, “y/n?”
You nodded, “Sure.”
The second he left the room, you wiggled out of Jungwon’s arms, climbing out of his lap.
“Hey,” he whined, reaching for you.
You ignored him. “What’s gotten into you? You’re so…clingy.”
“Can a guy not cuddle with his roommate?”
“Uh, not in front of the guy you know I like,” You said.
“I’m helping you; this will make him jealous.”
“Or it will scare him off, because Jay’s a good guy who wouldn’t steal the girl his best friend is fondling.”
Jungwon shrugged, “Fine, if you don’t like me touching you, I won’t.” He crossed his arms.
“I-,” you stopped. Of course, you liked it—being held by him. After a long day, Jungwon was always the person who could help you relax. Always the person who made you feel safe.
But this was different, at least—that’s what you told yourself.
You were still staring at Jungwon’s pouty expression when Jay walked back in.
He handed you both a beer and took his old seat, eyes darting between you and Jungwon.
You sighed and sat between them, your knee now barely brushing against Jungwon’s. He didn’t look at you.
The TV droned on, and you kept telling yourself that this was what you wanted. To be around Jay and embarrassingly flirt with him until (you hoped) he would finally make a move. But he was quietly watching the movie, and Jungwon was looking ahead with an expression like a stone, ignoring you regardless of how many apologetic glances you sent him.
You sank into the couch cushions and chalked the night up to a failure.
When the movie ended, you immediately got to your feet, planning to hide in your room for the rest of the evening.
“Tired already?” Jay said.
You laughed nervously, “Yeah, well I have a lot of studying to do tomorrow.”
“You didn’t even finish your drink.”
You looked down at the coffee table where your barely touched beer sat, the one you’d abandoned after Jungwon had given you the cold shoulder.
“You can finish it.” You said.
“y/n.”
You stopped, because no matter how hard you tried, Jungwon was your weakness. You turned, and almost smiled in relief when you saw that his cold expression had been replaced with a teasing smirk.
“How about we play a game?”
Your eyes narrowed. “What game?”
“Hmm,” he put a finger on his lip, “Would You Rather? Never Have I Ever? Truth or Dare?”
“What are we, thirteen?” Jay snorted.
“Come on, Jay Hyung, it’ll be fun. Have you ever even played them?”
Jay tapped his foot. “I guess not.”
Jungwon grinned at you. “y/n? Don’t make me force you.”
You tried to resist. Tried to make the words “no” come out of your mouth because the idea of playing any of those games with Jay in the mix made your heart race. But you still felt bad for shutting down Jungwon earlier, and he looked so cute right now with his hair flopping over his forehead…
“Fine.” You plopped back onto the couch. “Would You Rather sounds the least painful.”
“What do you say we introduce some shots into the mix, Jay?” Jungwon said.
Jay smiled, “In that case, Truth or Dare is best.” He looked at you, “That way you have an out.”
You groaned, “Why ask me if you’re not gonna listen?”
Jungwon laughed and ruffled your hair before heading to the kitchen. “You were outvoted y/n; it’s totally fair.”
“Whatever.”
Ten minutes later, the three of you sat on the ground around the coffee table, a shot glass in front of each of you with a bottle of vodka in the center.
“You'd better actually play the game, Wonie. I’m not in the mood to deal with you being drunk right now.” You grumbled.
He waved his hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll play, I promise.”
Jay just chuckled and poured each of you a shot. “One to start?”
You didn’t even wait for them. Just grabbed your glass and downed it, wincing as the bitter liquid hit the back of your throat.
Both of them stared at you with surprise etched on their faces.
“What?”
“Someone wasn’t lying about the long day,” Jay said, downing his too.
You rolled your eyes. “Let’s just start.”
After taking his shot, Jungwon turned to you. “Ok, y/n, truth or dare?”
You hesitated. This game was new for Jungwon, a step beyond the teasing comments and subtle hints. To make things worse, you could tell from the way he looked at you that he was feeling risky. Neither option was safe.
“Truth.”
He smiled sweetly. “What do you think about Jay Hyung?"
You froze. The question was simple enough, and Jungwon asked it with a casual lightness to his voice that could fool everyone. Everyone except you. You glanced at Jay, who seemed to be trying to hold back a smirk.
“Jay is…nice. He’s respectful and caring and…plays the guitar really well.”
Jungwon raised his eyebrows. “That’s it?”
You nodded quickly, avoiding Jay’s eyes that you felt burning into the side of your face. “Yup.”
He shrugged. “Ok, your turn then.”
“Truth or dare, Jungwon?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Dare.”
You bit your lip, flying through a list of potential dares. They all felt so boring, and you were starting to feel a bit vengeful. He loved making you squirm; maybe it was time for him to get a taste of his own medicine.
“I dare you to let me text your ex.” You smirked; it was perfect. He hated talking about her. You’d met her once, and she was that annoying type who was painfully clingy and controlling. If she wasn’t with him, she was texting him—often about her complete disapproval of you—saying how “improper” it was for a guy to have a female roommate. He had to block her for his own sanity. He would definitely take the shot; no way would he open up that can of worms.
Jungwon pulled out his phone and held it out to you with zero hesitation. “Go ahead.”
You stared at him, pushing down your shock as you slowly took it out of his hands. “Really?”
He shrugged.
You pursed your lips and decided to take a different route. You stood up and walked over to Jungwon, lowering yourself into his lap. You felt him exhale sharply, and Jay chuckled from the other side of the table. You took Jungwon’s arm and wrapped it around you, then pulled up his phone camera. You shifted until the picture looked as couply as possible, then took it, the frame showing nothing but his large hand palming your stomach.
You stood up and sent it before looking back at Jungwon.
He looked genuinely flustered, the most you’d ever seen him. His face was bright red, his pupils wide, and he couldn’t quite meet your eyes.
You cocked your head. He touched you like that all the time and never looked more than vaguely amused. But the second you initiated, he looked just like you after a few hours of talking to Jay…
Wait.
No.
Jungwon’s phone buzzed in your hand, ripping you out of your thoughts. You opened it to the message you’d sent, eyes widening at the texts that flooded the screen.
I fucking knew you liked her.
You asshole, how long were you cheating on me??
That bitch can’t give you HALF of what I could!!
They went on and on and on… and you half-threw Jungwon’s phone back at him before sitting back down, feeling slightly dizzy. Were you really that oblivious?
Jungwon looked between you and the messages lighting up his phone, his eyes a storm of concern and satisfaction.
Jay wasted no time. “Jungwon, truth or dare?”
“Truth,” he said, trying to catch your eye.
“Did you really choose to room with y/n over me because you thought ‘space would be good for our friendship’?”
Your head snapped up, looking between the two boys before settling on Jungwon, who was shooting Jay a death glare.
“You told me Jay had already found a roommate.”
He laughed nervously, “Well, Heeseung was looking for a place.”
“But I asked him first,” Jay said. “He turned me down almost immediately.”
“Listen…” Jungwon tried.
“Answer the question or drink,” Jay said.
You were staring at Jungwon like he was a different person, and you assumed he noticed, because one look at you and he was reaching for his shot glass. After he drank, he leveled an annoyed expression at Jay.
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare,” Jay said.
Jungwon worked his jaw, studying Jay carefully. “I dare you to take your shirt off.”
Jay snorted, his eyebrows raised. “Really?”
“Do it or drink, Jay Hyung.”
You stared at your lap, wanting nothing more than to hide in your room. You knew if Jay did that, you’d be a blushing mess, and Jungwon knew it too.
But if he liked you, why did he keep pushing you towards Jay? Shouldn’t he be possessive or something? Although now that you thought about it, he was possessive—at least around everyone who wasn’t Jay. He never let you out of his sight at parties, and within minutes of a guy approaching you, he was always by your side, a light hand at your back as he subtly told the guy to fuck off.
You thought he was looking out for you, making sure you were safe. But now, you saw it for what it really was: a claim.
And for some reason, Jay was the only exception.
Jay glanced at you, his eyes dropping down to the way you were wringing your hands. He nodded slightly, and slowly—torturously—unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. He let it slip off his shoulders and tossed it behind him, leaving his chest completely bare.
It should be illegal how good he looked. Messy black hair, tan skin, black glasses sitting crooked on the edge of his nose. You tried not to stare. You really did. But you’d been imagining this exact image for months, and now that it was in front of you, you couldn’t look away.
Jay caught your eye and smirked, leaning back onto his hands behind his back and looking smugly at Jungwon.
But your roommate’s eyes were locked on you. He studied you with a hunger you’d never seen in him, watching the way your eyes were pulled to Jay like a magnet, and the way you crossed your legs, trying to calm the hot pressure building in your core.
“It’s your turn, y/n,” Jay said.
You stared at the bottle of vodka on the table, not wanting to look at either of them. The tension in the room was palpable, hovering around you like a raincloud ready to burst.
You forced yourself to look at Jay, trying with your entire being to keep your eyes on his face. “Truth or dare?”
He tilted his head, a slight smile on his face as he took in the blush on your neck. “Truth.”
“Um.” You looked between him and the vodka. “Do you…really think I’m cute?”
You watched as Jay’s eyes darkened, his gaze briefly dropping to your lips. He leaned forward, his muscles flexing as he rested his forearm on the table. “I mean what I say, y/n.”
The way he was looking at you was doing unholy things to your brain. You felt like he was undressing you with his eyes, his stare lingering on every shift of your hips as you squirmed under his attention.
You wanted him to touch you so bad it hurt.
Jungwon cleared his throat, snapping you both out of your trance. A muscle in his jaw was clenched as he looked between the two of you, his fingers tapping against his knee in a steady rhythm.
You bit your lip, brushing a strand of hair out of your eyes. “Go ahead, Jay.”
“Truth or dare y/n?”
You were quickly losing your ability to look Jay in the eye without every thought in your head immediately dissolving into warm emptiness. Your thighs clenched involuntarily every time his low voice slipped from between his lips, and you weren’t sure how much longer you could hold it together.
“Dare.”
Jay exhaled softly, and you saw his hand clench. He looked at Jungwon, whose cheeks were already flushed, and pupils wide as he looked at you, a half-contained neediness in his eyes.
“I dare you to sit in my lap.”
You felt your mouth fall open as the words left his mouth, a rush of blood going straight between your legs. His eyes traced the parting of your lips the same way a cat looked at a toy, drinking in your shock like it was fuel. He shot you the crooked half-smile he knew drove you crazy. “You can drink, you know.”
You knew you should. It was one of those dares that was supposed to make you drink, but the thought of your back pressed against Jay’s bare chest…it was everything you’d been dreaming about.
Jungwon’s gaze bore into you like a physical pressure, and as you turned your head, you prepared yourself for jealousy, even anger. But instead, when your eyes met his, you found only anticipation.
You stared at your shot glass, every thought in your brain screaming at you to fill it, but your desire was winning, and your body was being pulled towards Jay as if he was your center of gravity.
Slowly, you got to your feet and moved towards Jay. His eyes were almost completely black as he watched you, and when you lowered your butt to sit squarely in his crossed legs, his hands found your hips, holding you firmly against him.
He took off his glasses and placed them on the table, then shifted so his chin rested on your shoulder, his breath hot on your neck as he whispered in your ear. “Good choice.”
You had to hold your breath to stop from whimpering. His skin felt electric whenever it touched you, and his hands weren’t helping. His fingers traced gentle strokes in the bend between your hips and thighs, one of them occasionally brushing up your bare leg.
You cursed yourself for wearing shorts; the skin-to-skin contact was going to be the end of you.
“Jungwon, go.” Jay’s low voice sent a shiver down your spine, and you couldn’t stop yourself from exhaling softly.
You felt him smile against your ear.
Jungwon licked his lips, gaze locked on the way you chewed on your lip to keep from making a sound you knew you’d regret.
“y/n, truth or dare?”
“Truth,” you said quickly.
His question was instant and slightly breathless. “Are you turned on right now?”
You tensed, and at that moment, Jay’s hand drifted towards your inner thigh.
You gasped, pressing your back against his chest as the pressure in your core tightened.
Jungwon smirked, his expression almost predatory.
Jay chuckled. “I feel like that answers it.”
“I want to hear her say it,” Jungwon said.
You knew there was no getting out of this one, but you tried to sound at least a little put-together as you said it. “Yes…”
“Yes what?” Jungwon asked.
You clicked your tongue. “Yes, I’m turned on.”
Jay nuzzled his nose behind your ear, his lips brushing over your hot skin, sending a shivering jolt down your back.
“Jay…” you sighed.
He made a sound similar to a purr. “Oh, I like it when you say my name like that.”
The ache between your legs was so intense it hurt, and you were about five seconds away from grinding on Jay’s lap. You couldn’t take it anymore; you needed to be touched.
Then you realized you had the power, because it was your turn.
Jungwon had moved closer, taking your old spot as he watched the way Jay traced your neck with his lips, his fingers playing with the necklace around his neck.
“Jungwon, truth or dare?”
His eyes darted up to yours. “Truth.”
You sighed because it was not the one you wanted him to pick. Luckily, you still had plenty of questions. “Why do you like watching Jay flirt with me?”
You saw them exchange glances.
Jungwon rubbed the back of his neck. “I liked…that he distracted you. I could see you get flustered and nervous around me since it wasn’t about me. You’d let me hold you and comfort you, something that would never happen if I-”
He stopped, and you noticed the growing tint of red on his cheeks.
“If you what?”
He leaned back on his hands, a teasing smile on his face. “You’ll have to wait for your next turn.”
You rolled your eyes, momentarily forgetting where you were sitting until Jay’s hand slipped under your shirt.
You inhaled sharply as his hand palmed your stomach, the contact making your hunger flourish with a new intensity.
Jay’s voice sounded close to your ear. “I guess it’s my turn now. Are you ready?”
You nodded, your head feeling heavy.
His breath made your skin tingle as he spoke. “Truth or dare y/n?”
Frankly, you were done playing games.
“Dare.”
He smiled against your neck, and a few seconds passed before he declared your fate.
“I dare you to kiss Jungwon.”
The room went silent.
You looked at Jungwon.
He was staring at Jay with wide eyes, all of his playful confidence gone as his carefully guarded desires were revealed to the world.
“You can still drink y/n,” Jay said, his voice smug.
You realized you didn’t want to, and even though Jay was the one who made your knees weak, you were so horny you didn’t particularly care who was doing the touching.
Your eyes flicked down to Jungwon’s lips, and you felt a spark of pleasure in your brain when you saw his eyes visibly darken with need. Plus, it was about time that Jungwon took his turn being the flustered one.
You moved to climb out of Jay’s lap, but his hands gripped your hips, holding you down. “Nope, he has to come to you.”
Jungwon didn’t hesitate. He moved until he was directly across from Jay’s legs, looking up at you with nervous anticipation.
Slowly, you hooked your hand behind his neck, playing with the ends of his hair as your eyes scanned his face.
You’d barely touched him, and he looked wrecked. His pupils were blown completely wide, his skin was hot, and his breathing came out in quick, shallow gasps. He kept looking between your eyes and your lips, like he was scared they’d disappear if he looked away for too long.
You smiled because you were starting to understand why Jungwon enjoyed seeing you like this. The way he was looking at you made your core ache just as much as Jay’s rogue fingers, and you wondered how many of the nights that he held you after watching you lose your mind over Jay ended with him stroking himself in his room.
Now, you could help each other.
You leaned in, and you felt him tentatively brush his nose against yours, his hot breath ghosting over your mouth before your lips finally touched.
His lips were soft, familiar like you’d kissed them thousands of times. You felt a warmth bloom in your chest like a campfire—intense but safe. Jungwon made a sound, and you felt his hand instinctively rise to brush your waist, like he wanted to hold you but didn’t want to overstep.
You grabbed his wrist and moved his hand the rest of the way, smiling against his lips as his fingers dug gratefully into your side.
That’s when you felt a finger press on your clit.
You gasped into Jungwon’s mouth as a surge of pleasure swept through your body, your grip on his hair tightening, causing a groan to slip from his lips.
“Don’t mind me,” Jay said, pulling your hair back from your neck and leaning down to kiss the sensitive skin, his finger still pressed firmly on your clit through your shorts.
Your focus was narrowed until all you could feel was the painful pressure between your legs and the warmth of Jungwon’s lips. But in that moment, it didn’t matter whose lips were whose, or whose hands; all that mattered was that you wanted them on you.
So you kissed Jungwon as if your life depended on it, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him as close as physics allowed, because on that floor—sandwiched between two boys that’d been devouring you with their eyes for hours—it felt like it did.
Jungwon responded to your sudden eagerness like he’d been waiting for it all his life, opening his mouth and letting your tongues dance like fated lovers, his hands gripping your waist with a claiming force.
Jay hadn’t stopped kissing your neck, nipping and sucking at the skin like he wanted to spell his own name in bruises. His fingers had started making light circles over your clothed core, the slight pressure driving you even crazier than direct contact. You shifted on his lap, trying to grind against his finger and increase the pressure. Every time, his other hand would pinch the skin on your inner thigh, making you arch and tremble against his back.
You desperately wanted to feel your skin pressed against his bare chest, so you moved one arm from around Jungwon’s neck and gripped the bottom of your sleep shirt, tugging it up against Jungwon’s hands. He got the message and detached from your lips with a wet pop, ripping your shirt off your body and tossing it to the side.
A broken groan escaped his lips as he took you in bare before him. “You’re more than I ever imagined.” He reached out and rolled one of your hard nipples between his thumb and index finger, smiling as you moaned at the contact.
“Do you like it when I touch you y/n?”
“Yes!” You gasped. “I love it when you touch me, Wonie.”
“God, you sound so pretty,” Jay said, teeth grazing over your ear.
You leaned your head back on his shoulder, sighing as your skin met his.
“Fuck Jungwon,” Jay said, his hand on your hip moving up to cup your other breast. “How did you hold back for so long?”
Jungwon took your nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue over the sensitive bud. “I wanted her to beg for it.”
Jay smiled and forced your chin towards him, drinking in your wrecked expression with hungry eyes. “I don’t hear much begging.”
“Jay,” you breathed, “I want you so bad.”
“How bad?”
“I want you to fuck me.”
“Yeah?” He sighed, tracing your bottom lip with his thumb.
You continued, the pressure in your core so intense it was making you delirious, Jungwon’s persistent mouth on your chest not helping. “I’ve wanted you for so long, I dreamed of you inside me, please.”
The sentence had barely left your mouth when he kissed you.
His lips were hungry, firm, devouring your mouth like a wild animal. One of your hands found his hair, and he growled, holding your chin towards him with an almost painful grip.
The room was filled with the sound of clashing tongues and wet licks, your strained moan occasionally cutting through the filth.
Jay’s hand had migrated under your sleep shorts, running up your folds through your soaked panties.
Your hips jerked against him with every stroke, begging for more.
He just smiled against your lips, never giving you the pressure you craved.
He was just as bad as Jungwon, preferring to watch you slowly come apart, much more than the end goal. You wondered if your roommate had learned it from him.
You were vaguely aware of Jungwon removing his hoodie and t-shirt, moving forward until you were basically straddled between them. His hands found your waistband, pulling your shorts down completely until you were naked besides your panties. He watched Jay’s hand run over your core with glazed eyes, his erection growing painfully in his pants.
When you felt Jungwon’s hand on your wrist, pulling it towards him, you broke the kiss with Jay to look, breathing heavily.
Jungwon placed your palm over his bulge, groaning as you squeezed softly.
You leaned forward, watching every twitch of pleasure on Jungwon’s face as you rubbed him. “How long have you been hiding this from me, Jungwon?”
He tilted his head back, moaning softly. “So long, baby.”
The pet name made you smile. “You should have just asked; you know how much I like to make you happy. My sweet Wonie, my perfect roommate. I could have helped you.”
His face was strained as he looked at you. “Really? You would have…?”
You lowered your voice, keeping your eyes locked. “Anything for you, Jungwon.”
That was enough to make him buck against your hand, and he pulled away from your touch, gasping as his legs trembled. “I almost came right there, and you barely touched me.”
“Take it off, Jungwon.”
He nodded, pulling at the waistband of his sweats, stripping down his pants, and his boxers in one motion. His cock sprang free, already dripping and angry with arousal.
You licked your lips and reached for him.
Jungwon sat back down, and when your fingers made contact, he groaned.
You slowly stroked his shaft, watching his face contort in pleasure at your touch.
You heard Jay sigh behind you, the sound sending a vibration through your back. “Need to see your face look like that,” he whispered.
Then his fingers slipped under your panties.
“Jay!” You moaned, pressing your back harder against his chest.
His finger swiped through your wet folds, the sound so filthy it made you arch against him.
You continued your strokes along Jungwon’s shaft, speeding up slightly when Jay’s fingers made your control slip.
Jungwon was a moaning mess under you, keeping himself propped up on his elbows as he watched you touch him while Jay made you squirm.
Jay put his other hand back on your breast, pinching your hard nipple as he continued to tease your entrance.
You brushed your finger over the slit on Jungwon’s tip; his sounds were the only thing keeping you grounded as Jay edged you.
“Fuck!” Jungwon groaned. “Talk to me, y/n; I want to hear your voice.”
“Wonie,” you gasped, trying to grind against Jay’s fingers. “I’ve always loved it when you touched me; you always made me feel good even when I was miserable.”
Jay’s thumb pressed against your clit, drawing a high-pitched moan from your throat. You pumped Jungwon’s dick with desperate speed, feeling the pressure in your core building.
Jungwon’s breathing was ragged. “y/n, I’m close!”
“Jay!” You sobbed, turning your head to bury your face in his neck.
Jay chuckled lowly and finally slipped two fingers past your entrance, a scream streaming from your lips as he curled up to hit your G-spot.
Your orgasm hit you like a truck, exploding through you like a parade of fireworks. You let go of Jungwon and gripped Jay’s knees with an iron grip as pleasure wracked your body.
Jungwon came right after, gasping as hot ropes of his cum shot out over your stomach and even Jay’s hand, which was still moving inside you as he helped you through your orgasm.
You ground on Jay’s hand as you rode out the aftershocks, your chest heaving as the hours of buildup were finally released.
When you were slumped against him, Jay removed his hand, eyes going to Jungwon as he studied the remnants of cum on his arm.
Jungwon lay on the ground with a lazy smile on his face. “Sorry, Jay Hyung.”
Jay just smirked and put his arm in front of your mouth. “Open up.”
Your mouth dropped open, too spent to be anything but obedient.
Jay put his hand on the back of your head and pushed you towards his arm, sighing as he watched you lick up the white substance. “Good girl.”
When you were done, you fell back onto Jay’s chest, finding solace in his warmth.
He chuckled. “You ok?”
You nodded, your eyes closed as you nuzzled your cheek into his neck. “I’m perfect.”
“Yeah, you are,” Jungwon said, watching you curl into Jay with nothing but adoration in his eyes.
“But I feel bad that you didn’t get to feel good, Jay.”
Jay stroked your hair. “Don’t feel bad; watching you was reward enough.”
You traced his collarbone with your finger, his skin so warm and smooth it was intoxicating. You remembered what you’d said to him earlier when he’d asked you to beg. You hadn’t lied; they weren’t just words spoken in desperation. You wanted Jay fully, and the fresh ache in your core told you that you weren’t ready for the night to end.
You put your lips next to his ear and lowered your voice into a whisper. “Jay, I still need you.”
He tensed under you, his hands that had been wandering over your waist stilling.
“y/n…” he said, his voice strained.
“What?” You pouted. “Do you not want me?”
He stared at your plump lips, and you could see the battle of restraint in his eyes. His expression alone answered your question, but you wanted to hear him say it.
“It’s not that, I just…” A muscle in his jaw twitched, and he looked at Jungwon, who was watching the two of you closely. “Jungwon has liked you for so long and I can’t-”
Jungwon cut him off. “It’s ok, Jay, do what she asks.”
“What?” Jay said.
You looked at your roommate, whose back was already propped against the table, his hand drifting to his hardening cock. “Fuck her, Jay Hyung.”
Jay searched your face for confirmation, his hand drifting down to your ass.
So you kissed him.
Jay groaned into your mouth, his lips moving with a new intensity now that the unspoken boundaries had been stripped away. One of his hands tangled in your hair while the other hooked under your thigh, holding you flush against him. He gently lowered you off his lap, pushing you onto your back on the carpet. He stood up and grabbed at the zipper on his jeans, sighing as his hard length finally sprang free.
“Jay,” you moaned. Your walls clenched at the sight of him, and you watched with bated breath as he slowly sank to his knees before you.
Beside you, Jungwon had started to stroke himself. His eyes were glassy as they flicked between Jay’s dick and your face, pupils widening as he watched your lips part in a needy whine. The effect your sounds had on him was almost concerning. He thought that he could spend the rest of his life hearing them and never get tired of it. He reminded himself to ask if he could record you next time.
Jay grabbed your legs and hooked them over his shoulders, smirking when you gasped at the sudden change in position. He hissed as he let his tip run through your folds, your wetness coating his length.
You clawed at the floor, fingers curling in the carpet as shockwaves of pleasure coursed through you in intense bursts. Your vagina clenched around nothing, wanting so desperately to be filled.
“You feel so fucking good.” Jay groaned. He teased your entrance, hovering at the rim of your hole, moving in small circles.
You tried to push yourself onto him, but he pulled back every time, watching with brutal satisfaction as a few tears spilled down your face.
“Jay!” You sobbed, so frustrated you didn’t know what to do with yourself. You didn’t think you’d wanted anything more in your life.
“Shh, it’s ok, baby.” Jungwon appeared by your head. He stroked your hair and peppered kisses down your face. “Just a little longer, ok?”
You reached for him; his voice a beacon in the dark, more comforting than you could put into words.
Jungwon interlaced your fingers and leaned down to kiss your lips.
You gripped his hair, holding onto him like a lifeline.
His kiss was deep and claiming, full of unspoken confessions and pent-up desires. With every move of his lips, you remembered the way he held you to his chest after a long day, or the way he hovered near you at a party, only a step away whenever you needed him.
You were lost in it, lost in him, and then you felt a pressure between your legs, and with a strangled groan, Jay pushed inside of you.
You cried out, ripping your mouth away from Jungwon as you threw your head back, the stretch so good you were seeing white.
Since you were still wet from earlier, Jay wasted no time. He moved inside of you in eager thrusts, his rhythm hard and devastating.
“You’re so tight,” he growled, “so fucking perfect for me.”
Jungwon kept stroking your hair, his other hand on his cock as he pumped himself in time with Jay’s thrusts. “Keep going, Jay Hyung, she’s so pretty right now.”
Jay’s grip tightened on your hips as he deepened his thrusts, studying the pleasure on your face with the same care and intensity he studied his F1 races.
You were a moaning wreck, your sounds getting higher and more frequent as you felt your orgasm building.
Jungwon removed his hand from your hair and shifted towards where Jay was slipping inside of you. With one hand never leaving his dick, his gaze turned towards you; he reached down and pressed two fingers on your clit.
You screamed, tears streaming down your face as he started making firm, consistent circles over the sensitive bud.
He pumped himself harder, his breaths turning ragged as he approached his climax.
Jay had started slamming into you with frantic snaps against your pelvis, his eyes wide as short gasps stumbled from his lips.
You were all close, all chasing a release you’d been thinking of the second Jungwon turned down Jay’s roommate offer. Beginning the slow-burn cycle of stolen glances and loaded words that left you all aching by the end of the day.
You came first.
A broken cry ripped from your throat as you felt your walls clamp down around Jay, spasms of pleasure flowing through your body in waves.
Jay followed you, gasping as his hot seed filled you to the brim, your pussy milking him dry. He slowed his thrusts as he helped you through it, the two of you moaning in harmony.
Jungwon was last. He jerked himself off with quick strokes of his hand, wrecked whines slipping from between his lips as he came for the second time that night. He aligned himself so most of it landed around your mouth, and you licked up as much as you could, finding the way he followed the flicks of your tongue addicting.
The smell of sex lingered over the room like a cloud, the only sound the heaving of your mingled breaths.
Jay pulled out of you, groaning as your bodies came apart with a wet squelch. He collapsed next to you, eyes closed as he caught his breath.
Jungwon crawled to the vacant space between your legs, licking his lips before leaning down to clean up Jay’s cum leaking down your thighs.
You whimpered, oversensitive and spent, too weak to shove him away.
“Jay, would you get her face?” Jungwon said, voice muffled between your legs.
Jay sighed, opening his eyes and leaning over you. He kissed away the remains of Jungwon’s mess, tongue flicking over your skin as he licked up every drop. When he was done, he kissed you softly, and you moaned when you tasted Jungwon’s cum on his lips.
He smirked, “You’re a filthy little thing, aren’t you?”
You kissed him again, a smile on your lips. “Only for you.”
When Jungwon was finished, he lay down on your other side, his hand moving to your waist as he pulled your back against his chest. He kissed your shoulder. “How do you feel?”
You placed your hand over his on your waist, brushing his fingers. “Tired.”
“But a good tired?” Jay asked.
You laughed. “Yeah, pretty good.”
“So I didn’t ruin our friendship?” Jungwon asked, face buried in your hair.
You smiled. “No, Wonie, I think you made it better.”
“So…we can do this again?”
You giggled at the hope in his voice. “All three of us?”
Jay pushed a strand of hair out of your face. “If you want.”
You ran your hand down Jay’s chest, smiling when his muscles flexed under your touch. You could get used to this.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Jungwon made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a laugh, peppering kisses down your neck, his lips curved into a smile against your skin. “Now I can stop pretending everything you do doesn’t drive me insane.”
Jay leaned in and kissed you softly. “You know, at first, I only flirted because Jungwon asked me to, but somewhere along the way, I started believing what I was saying.”
You grinned, brushing his cheek with your thumb. “So you’re in?”
Pairings: Brother's Best Friend!Heeseung x Fem!Reader
IN WHICH you start an OnlyFans to pay for your parents' damaged car after an accident that was most definitely your fault. Little do you know that your biggest fan is none other than your childhood crush and your older brother's best friend: Lee Heeseung.
WC: 4.1k
Content/Warnings: MDNI, Brother's Best Friend, Childhood Friends, Reader is Jay's Little Sister, Reader is Spoiled, Sprinkle of Fluff, Cursing, Mentions of Drug Use, Smut, Kissing, Unprotected Sex, Aftercare, Bathroom/Counter Sex (trying very hard to be quiet).
A/N: In honor of our Heeseung's (second) debut ❤️
You tilted your head back on the bed, moaning as you ran your fingers through your folds, wet sounds filling your room.
The red recording light of your laptop blinked in front of you, pointing directly at the spot where your fingers dipped into your entrance and cutting off above your bare chest. You never showed your face.
The friction sent jolts of pleasure down your back, the tight coil of heat between your legs growing with every second.
Your free hand gripped the sheets, fingers turning white as you felt your climax approaching. You put your thumb on your clit, rubbing fast and hard circles as your orgasm crashed over you, drawing a silent gasp from your lips as your mouth dropped open.
You arched on the bed, your breasts bouncing as you collapsed onto the mattress with a spent thud. Your breaths were ragged as you panted, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before sitting up and ending the recording. You dragged it to your drafts folder before closing your laptop and heading for the shower.
After half an hour of edging yourself on camera, you were always a sticky mess. But it was all worth it for the money. Three weeks on OnlyFans, and you were already halfway to the 1k you owed your parents for fucking up your dad's car. You had insisted that a cat ran in the road, and you just had to swerve, but your older brother Jay smelled the weed on your breath before you’d even finished your carefully constructed cover story. He’d sold you out without a second thought, almost as angry as your parents at your recklessness.
They said you were an embarrassment, a damper on the Park name. But you knew from the tinge of fear in your mother's eyes that they were mostly just scared. Scared that they could have lost you.
You swore that you’d never do it again, but it wasn’t enough. So your dad decided the best way to learn would be to take it out of your bank account. The only problem? You were hopelessly broke.
As much as you were embarrassed to admit it, you had always relied on your parents' money. While your friends all held part-time jobs in high school, you would go to the mall, dragging Jay around to buy the newest designer purse or jar of face cream you didn’t need.
And now you were months away from going to college, and after the car situation, your parents made it painfully clear they were done spoiling you.
So you tried. You tried looking for a job, handing in your meagre resume at fast food places and clothing stores. But no one ever called you back, and you were starting to think you’d be living at home for the rest of your life.
But then, one night, at 12:23 AM, you were staring at your phone, scrolling through Instagram comments, when you saw them: a strand of those sex bots begging for followers.
A light bulb went off in your head like a spotlight, and you looked down at yourself in your oversized shirt and underwear. Why work when your best source of income was right in front of you? Your body.
By 1:00 AM, you had made an OnlyFans account, and by 2:00 AM, you had posted your first video, your skin hot and flushed after touching yourself. You watched as subscribers and tips flooded in, and by the end of the week, you had $200 in your bank account.
It shocked you how easy it was. Play with your tits, do a bit of moaning, and bam, money.
Men were so easy.
But after a few days, you noticed that one particular account kept popping up in your feed. It always left the biggest tips and was one of the first viewers to pop up on every video. The username was simple, designed like it was meant to blend into the background: zedlover01
You didn’t think much of it; it made sense that people would have favorite creators as they do on any social media site. But you couldn’t help but be curious. Who was he? A 40-year-old man in his mom’s basement? A run-of-the-mill pervert? Or maybe he was like you, a college kid looking for a bit of a thrill.
You were sitting on the couch in the living room, brainstorming ideas to spice up your content, when the front door opened.
Jay’s voice filtered into the room, accompanied by the voices of his annoyingly attractive college friends, Jungwon and Heeseung.
You’d always crushed on them in that quiet, thrilling way, blushing if they met your eyes too long, stomach fluttering if they said your name a certain way. It helped that they were sweet, especially Heeseung. He’d always ask if you wanted to join whatever game they were playing on the TV, if you wanted a ride somewhere, or if you wanted him to make you an extra ramen packet. Every time, his warm eyes would brush over you like gentle lapping waves on a beach, making your legs feel weak under you.
You wondered how they’d react if they knew what you did in your room every night.
“Hey y/n!” Jungwon said, plopping onto the other couch next to Jay. “How’s the job search?”
You pursed your lips, keeping your expression neutral. Of course, Jay had told them. The day Jay kept a secret from Jungwon would be the day you won the lottery.
“Ok, I’m still looking.”
Heeseung sat on the couch next to you, keeping one cushion spaced between you. “My brother works at the dollar store by the mall. I could ask him to recommend you.”
His gentle voice swept over you, making you feel strangely relaxed. You smiled politely. “Thanks, Heeseung, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Jay snorted from across the room. “y/n wouldn’t be caught dead in a dollar store. Her tastes are way too expensive.”
You glared at him. “That’s not true! Dollar stores are…nice.”
“Have you even been in one before?” Jay asked, his eyebrows raised.
You looked down at your lap. “No…”
Jay smiled. “I rest my case.”
Heeseung chuckled. “It’s ok, y/n, no pressure at all, just thought I’d ask.”
“No, no, I really appreciate it; I’m just…keeping my options open.”
For just a second, something on Heeseung’s face shifted. His eyes narrowed, an almost imperceptible flicker of knowing behind his pupils, as if—just briefly—he could see right through your lie. But then it was gone, and his easy smile returned. “Of course, I understand.”
Pretty soon, the boys had shifted to playing games. Jay pulled up Mario Golf, fitting, since the other unspoken part of your punishment was going to the course with Jay a few times a week. Your parents called it ‘sibling bonding time,’ clearly meant as a way to tame your delinquent brain, as they hoped to have your brother's sense of responsibility rub off on you. (although they didn’t say that last part out loud).
Like always, Heeseung offered you a controller, but you declined, not wanting to embarrass yourself any more times than you could control in front of him. When you played with Jay, you always ended up hitting the ball into the bunker.
The three of them took turns swinging with their Joy-Cons, the room filling with a mix of curses and celebrations as the balls either completely missed the hole or flew straight towards it.
Heeseung was surprisingly good, and every time he stepped up to swing, your eyes traveled from the flex of his bicep up to the focused intensity in his eyes, his hair falling softly over his forehead.
He’d swing and get his ball right next to the hole, causing Jay to groan and Jungwon’s eyes to widen. Then he’d turn around, a laugh stumbling from his lips as he met your eyes. You would nod at him with an equally giddy smile, finding its way onto your face, and for just a second, you swore his gaze dropped down to your lips.
It was so brief you thought you’d imagined it, but the damage was done, and a swell of heat traveled up your neck as he sat back down next to you, the single cushion between you suddenly feeling way too small.
As you watched Jay and Jungwon take their turns, you realized you were hyperaware of Heeseung’s movements. You couldn’t stop yourself from glancing over every time he ran his fingers through his hair or bounced his leg, making the couch tremble under you. You just kept wondering how soft his hair was, or how much you wanted to bounce on his lap…
You inhaled sharply, wiping the image from your mind. This was not the time to be having fantasies about your brother’s best friend.
But Heeseung noticed.
His Bambi eyes flicked over your face, watching the way you pursed your lips and shifted in your seat. Even though you felt his gaze like a brand on the side of your face, you didn’t look at him, instead forcing yourself to watch the screen, letting Luigi’s disappointed face distract you from the needy pressure between your legs.
Then, Heeseung stood up for his last turn. He got into position, chest turned towards you, and face tilted towards the screen as he readied his shot. While the others held their breath as they looked at the screen, your gaze lingered on the slight parting of his lips, wondering how they’d taste.
Jay’s voice cut through the room. “Let’s go, zedlover01.”
You watched Heeseung’s entire body go still.
It took a few seconds for the familiarity of the name to click, but when it did, you momentarily stopped breathing.
Slowly, you raised your eyes to Heeseung’s. He had been staring at you, clearly assessing your reaction, but the second he saw the cold shock of realization on your face, he tore his eyes away like your gaze burned him.
The action alone ruled out any coincidence.
He glanced at Jay. “Don’t call me that.”
Jay cocked his head, clearly confused. “But it’s your name; you use it on every game we play.”
“Is Heeseung Hyung embarrassed?” Jungwon said teasingly, noticing the line of red creeping up Heeseung’s neck.
He ducked his head, jaw tight as he looked at the screen. “Just…let me focus.”
The boys went quiet, shooting each other bewildered glances.
You were staring at your lap, a roar of emotions running through your head that you weren’t sure how to acknowledge. Heeseung—your brother’s best friend, the boy you’d been crushing on for half of your life—had been watching you fall apart in front of a camera for weeks. And not just watching, but paying, obsessing, treating your videos like the newest episodes of his favorite show.
He’d seen you naked, he’d heard your moans, and he’d liked it.
If Jay ever found out, he’d murder both of you. Heeseung out of anger, and you out of disappointment.
But what Jay thought was the least of your concerns. Because now Heeseung was sitting back down on the couch after he botched his shot, his cheeks the same shade as his pink hair as he scraped his palms up his thighs.
You felt like you couldn’t breathe, the space between you so thick with tension you thought you could cut it with one of Jay’s specialty knives. You had to escape; you had to get away from him. Just to get one second to catch your breath and process everything away from your brother's watchful gaze.
So while Jungwon was taking his shot, you moved. You slipped off the couch and headed straight for the bathroom, feeling Heeseung’s eyes on you the entire time. Your surroundings were a blur as you moved through the house, and the second your feet hit smooth tile, you shut the door behind you, leaning your back against it and breathing deeply.
The sounds of your panting echoed through the large bathroom, the quiet helping to calm the rapid beating in your chest. You closed your eyes, imagining Heeseung’s gentle smile curved into a silent gasp as he watched you touch yourself. You imagined him sitting with his back propped against his headboard, fingers running over his shaft as he listened to you—the girl he’d practically grown up with—fuck herself on her bed. And here he was, talking to you like nothing had changed, even though everything had.
You cursed as you realized that just thinking about it made you wet.
A familiar, needy heat gathered between your legs, making your finger tremble as you thought about relieving yourself. You couldn’t deny that Heeseung’s face had popped into your mind a few times as you filmed—nothing detailed—just glimpses. Flashes of his hand or his warm smile, sinking into a smirk as he ran his hand up your thigh.
You forced yourself to your feet, trying to ignore the aching pressure as you splashed some water on your face.
That’s when a gentle knock sounded at the door.
“Hello?” You said.
A soft voice sounded from the other side. “It’s me.” He paused, then added like an afterthought. “Heeseung.”
You sighed. Of course, it was him. You wanted to tell him to go away. To go back to his friends and pretend none of this ever happened. But the way his voice made your panties dampen said otherwise. You dried your face, and before you could stop yourself, you were reaching for the door.
The second you turned the lock, he was slipping inside, closing it behind him with a firm click, his back leaning against the polished wood as he stared at you.
You felt like you were looking at a different person. Gone was the polite smile and the caring eyes, replaced by a firm stare and barely contained desperation.
“y/n, listen, I found your account by accident, and I didn’t even know it was you until a few days later…” He trailed off, eyes drifting to your lips like they were hypnotizing him. “Then I just couldn’t stop.”
Your breath caught, the ache between your legs pulsing like a reminder.
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted to, but I didn’t really know how without freaking you out.”
“I’m not freaked out.”
“You aren’t?”
You snorted. “Well…maybe a little. I’m just surprised.”
He sucked in his bottom lip, looking at you shyly. “In a good way?”
The words made your stomach flip. You bit back a smile. “How’d you know it was me?”
Heeseung stepped towards you, fingers twitching at his sides as if he wanted to touch you but wasn’t sure he should. He smiled softly. “The Weeknd poster above your bed. The bottom half was showing in one of your videos, and I recognized it instantly.”
Your eyes narrowed, but a smile tugged at your lips. “How do you know I have that poster? Are you sneaking around my room?”
He smiled sheepishly. “Jay went in to grab your hairdryer or something one time, and I might have taken a peek.”
You gasped, putting your hand on his chest and shoving him slightly. “You creep.” But there was no venom in your voice, and you didn’t pull back your hand.
Heeseung looked down at it, his eyes darkening slightly.
You felt his heartbeat against your palm and could swear it was speeding up with every second.
His hand drifted up and rested over yours, holding it against his chest. He looked at you, his eyes searching. “When I realized it was you, something…changed.”
You bit your lip, the air in the bathroom humming with the tension. “How so?”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the sounds you made in those videos, and wanted nothing more than to be the one causing them.”
You exhaled slowly, unknowingly moving closer to him.
He continued. “When I heard about the accident, I told myself I was giving you money to help you out, but I never skipped a single upload.” Heeseung’s other hand cupped your face, tilting your chin up so you were meeting his eyes. “It’s like you unlocked a part of myself I didn’t know was there, and now that it’s awake…I don’t know if I can ignore it.”
He was so close that your breaths mingled in the air, intertwining like twin flames. The pressure in your core was so intense that you could feel your inhibitions slipping away, fading until the only thought in your head was Heeseung’s lips.
“What if I don’t want you to ignore it?”
Heeseung made a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan, his eyes glassy and dark. “Don’t say what you don’t mean y/n.”
“Heeseung, just kiss me.”
His lips crashed onto yours before you could blink, and just like that, everything vanished. You didn’t think about Jay and Jungwon being in the other room, or what it meant to kiss your brother’s best friend; there was only Heeseung: his mouth, his hands. They roamed over you like they’d been reaching for you as long as they could move, your skin tingling wherever he touched.
Your lips moved together in a desperate clashing of teeth and tongue, and when his hand found your waist and a soft moan escaped your lips, he swallowed it, enveloping your mouth under his with claiming intensity.
He moved you until your back hit the sink, and braced himself against the counter with one hand while the other moved up to tangle in your hair. Heeseung kissed you like he was sick, and your lips were the antidote, smiling as you moaned into his mouth.
He pulled back to bury his head in your neck. “Your sounds are so beautiful, baby. I never want them to stop.”
“Heeseung!” You gasped. The coil of heat between your legs was twisted so tight you wanted to cry. It wasn’t a question anymore. You needed him, and you needed him now. “Heeseung, please, need you inside me.”
You felt him still against your neck, and he leaned back to press his forehead against yours, eyes glazed as he panted. “Are you sure? Once I start, I can’t promise I’ll be gentle.”
You nodded, channeling every bit of need into your voice you could muster. “I’m sure, Hee, it hurts so bad.”
He smiled, kissing the corner of your mouth. “Ok, baby, I’ll help you; don’t worry.” He tugged at the zipper on his jeans, groaning as his erection sprang free, a drop of pre-cum already gathering at the tip.
Your eyes widened at his size, and just the image of him filling you up made you whimper.
Heeseung’s hands found your waistband, pulling down your shorts and panties in one fluid motion. He cursed when he saw your glistening lips, already soaking wet and aching for him.
“How long have you been like this?” He breathed.
“All day. The second you walked in the door, I was wet for you.”
“Fuck.” He hooked his hands under your thighs and lifted you onto the counter, your bare ass hitting the cold surface, sending a shock up your spine. He gripped your chin between his fingers, forcing you to look at him. “As much as I love hearing you, you need to be quiet ok? If your brother hears us, we’re dead.”
You ran your hands up his chest, the pressure so dizzying you could barely hear him. But somehow, you choked out a yes, and finally, torturously, he aligned himself with your entrance.
When he pushed into you, you had to bite your tongue to keep yourself from moaning. You buried your face in his neck, taking in air in shallow gasps as you fought to stay quiet. The way he filled you was agonizingly good, eons better than using your own fingers on camera. You had no words to describe it, nothing to say except his name as you murmured it into his ear over and over again: “Heeseung, Heeseung, Heeseung…”
When he finally bottomed out, he stopped and sighed, breathing in time with you as he brushed sweaty strands of hair out of your face. “Still ok?”
“Yes.” You breathed, “more than ok.” You tangled one of your hands in his pink hair, pulling him into a messy kiss as your hips trembled under his grasp.
He groaned, melting into your touch, and as his tongue slipped into your mouth, he moved. It wasn’t gentle; it wasn’t testing; it was brutal.
Heeseung pulled out almost fully before slamming back into you. You couldn’t stop a choked sob from ripping out of your throat, but he was ready. He put his hand behind your neck and kissed you hard, creating a sealed chamber with your mouths that muffled every sound. He moved against you mercilessly, the friction of his shaft scraping against your walls so overwhelming you thought you were going to pass out.
You clutched at his shoulders, feeling the lean muscle flex under your fingers as you searched for something to ground you. He moaned as your thumb drifted over his nape, sending a fresh wave of pleasure down your back.
Somehow, you were being quiet, with your muffled moans mostly drowned out by the slapping of skin and the squelch of your juices around his cock.
But you weren’t done, the coil in your core still being twisted to its limit. You hooked your legs around his back and pulled him closer, causing both of you to groan into each other's mouths as the angle deepened.
You could feel Heeseung’s thrusts getting shaky, his breathing more ragged, and you knew he was close. You began to grind against him in tune with his thrusts, your bodies rocking against each other in a filthy image.
Heeseung’s groans turned into desperate whimpers as you rocked against him, and you disconnected your lips as his thrusts became a rapid chase, both of you breathing hard as you held on to each other.
“You’re so fucking perfect.” He said, his eyes wide and wrecked. “Like you were made for me.”
You were too far gone for words and were halfway through saying his name when your orgasm swept over you. It was like the breaking of a dam, a rush of wetness dripping between your legs as your walls clamped down with a sudden snap.
Heeseung buried his face in your neck to muffle his moan as he came apart after you, his back spasming as you milked him dry. You held onto him through it, kissing his sweaty neck as your bodies trembled and twitched together, still connected as a sticky mess tumbled down between you.
His hands braced the counter around you as his breathing slowed, and for a few seconds, you stayed there, existing in the moment when you’d crossed the line and become as close as your bodies allowed.
Then Heeseung pulled out of you, exhaling sharply as he left the warmth of your walls. Without a word, he grabbed some toilet paper and started cleaning you, his soft hands brushing down your thighs as he sopped up every drop of his cum.
When he was done, he stepped between your still-open legs and kissed you. This time, the kiss was gentle and sweet, full of possibilities and an uncertain future. You felt a stirring in your gut, but it wasn’t arousal; it was excitement. Anticipation for a relationship you had yet to consider, and a life that now felt more livable with Heeseung in it.
Suddenly, nothing felt impossible.
He smiled as he pulled back, eyes tracing your face like he was trying to memorize it. “Would it be bad if I said I’m glad you messed up your parents' car?”
You laughed. “Maybe a little?”
He kissed your nose. “Even if it led me to you?”
“I’ve always been here, Hee.”
“But you weren’t mine.”
You smiled, studying the face of the boy who’d always been familiar but now felt like home. “Is that dollar store job still on the table?”
He tilted his head, a strand of hair falling over his eye. “You actually want it?”
“Well, I can’t really keep doing OnlyFans…”
Heeseung leaned into your arms, burying his head in your chest and wrapping his arms around your lower back. You could feel his grin against your shirt. “I’ll call my brother tomorrow.”
You giggled and stroked his hair, letting the moment sink over you like the heat of the sun on a chilly day.
There was only one problem: How the hell were you going to tell Jay?
Taglist: @kristynaaah
Pls let me know if you'd like to be added to my perm tag list!
IN WHICH... It's the 4th of July, and you can't stop staring at the way your boyfriend is eating watermelon: his lips flushed and his chin dripping. You can't help but wonder what else that mouth can do...
WC: 2k
Content/Warnings: MDNI, Established Relationship, Touch of Fluff, Jake is so cute and bf material UGH, Smut, Kissing, Oral Sex (receiving), Sitting on Jake's Face, Riding Jake's Nose
Ari's Note: I totally forgot about the 4th until a few days ago, so I decided to whip up this little treat. Enjoy luvs! (I hope I didn't ruin watermelon for you) 😳
You watched Jake’s lips close around the watermelon across the table, his tongue darting out to lick up the dripping red juice.
Your fingers clenched around your lemonade glass, the cold from the ice doing little to distract you from the sound of his mouth sucking at the fruit.
To your right, your mom was telling some story about the time she and her friends set off fireworks in their backyard, scorching so much of the grass she’d been grounded for a month.
You tried to listen, but the way your boyfriend was eating through the plate of watermelon on the table was driving you insane. His lips were stained a darker shade of pink, his soft brown hair slightly tousled from the breeze that brushed over the lake, and his eyes…they danced like stars.
Ever since you invited Jake to come home to the States with you for the 4th of July, he’d been giddy with excitement. He showed you outfits he was thinking of wearing (almost always some iteration of red, white, and blue); he talked about fireworks, parades, parties… and then there was the food.
Every night, he’d ask you about the typical food that Americans had during the holiday, looking at you with wide eyes as you described burgers, hot dogs, steak, ice cream, corn, watermelon…the list went on.
Now that he was here, he ate like a madman, sitting at the table on your family’s patio in his baggy jeans and white and red long-sleeved shirt, licking his lips as watermelon juice dripped down his chin.
You could think of another use for those lips…and it had nothing to do with food and everything to do with the ache between your legs.
Jake caught your eye and tilted his head as he noticed your strained expression, a strand of hair falling over his eye.
God, he was adorable. You couldn’t believe he was yours half the time.
You smiled and glanced down at his mouth, letting your teeth scrape against your bottom lip as you looked up at him through your lashes.
His eyes dropped to your lips, darkening slightly as realization flooded his features.
“So Jake, how’s the weather in Seoul this time of year?”
Jake’s head whipped towards your dad, who was looking at him curiously, a beer propped on his knee.
“Oh, it’s pretty warm, not so different from here actually,” Jake said, a polite smile on his face.
“That’s good, I wouldn't want you melting on us.” Your dad chuckled. “y/n tells us she’s been struggling to stay cool.”
“It always feels hotter in the city.” You said, “So it’s nice to be back where it’s a little…quieter.”
Jake took another bite of watermelon, and this time, he looked straight at you as he sucked the juice into his mouth, the sound going straight to your core.
You glared at him, shifting slightly in your seat.
He just smiled, holding his hand up to cover his laugh.
“Enjoying the watermelon, Jake?” Your mom asked, glancing at the almost empty plate.
Jake nodded, his fluffy hair bobbing cutely. “It’s so good, thank you for all the food.”
“Of course! We’re so happy to have you. Maybe y/n will come home more if you’re willing to go with her.” She shot you a pointed look.
Jake chuckled. “I’ll try to convince her.”
You nudged Jake’s foot under the table, pointing to the house with your eyes, your chin resting on your hand as you bit back a smile.
Jake glanced at his phone before looking back at your parents, a mask of a frown on his face. “I just noticed my phone is about to die; I’m gonna go plug it in.” He stood up. “Do you guys need anything?”
You stood up too, almost tripping over your chair leg as you stepped away from the table. “I’ll go with you; you said you forgot your charger on the plane, didn’t you?”
Jake nodded, a flicker of amusement on his face. “Oh yeah babe, I almost forgot, can I borrow one?”
“Yeah, I’ll show you where we keep the extras.” You walked towards the door. “We’ll be right back!”
Your mom waved you off. “Take your time, honey!”
The second you were out of your parents' line of sight, you grabbed Jake’s hand, heading straight for your room.
Jake laughed at your eagerness. “That was some good quick thinking back there; I’ll have to make sure I hide my charger from them the rest of the trip.”
“Just say you were wrong and found it buried in your bag or something.” You said, finally reaching your door and closing it behind the two of you.
Jake bit his bottom lip, looking you up and down with a teasing smile. You felt a flutter in your stomach. Even though you’d been together for six months, you still felt as lovesick around him as the first week you started dating. Everything he did made your stomach flip and your heart race; it was both exhilarating and exhausting. Because with him, you were on top of the world, but without him you felt like you couldn’t breathe.
Not to mention the physical aspect.
Your sex drive had been low your entire life. You thought it was just how you were wired—an inherent part of you that would never change.
But then you met Jake, and that theory went completely out the window.
For the first month, you felt like you were in a porno. You fucked on the couch, on the counters, in the shower, in the car…it was an addiction that only applied to Jake—triggered by his eyes, his hands, and his lips that he never stopped playing with.
It drove you crazy how he bit them, licked them, and rolled them between his fingers. It was a torture tactic designed especially for you, and he knew it.
“You really couldn’t wait till after dinner?” Jake feigned annoyance, but you could tell by the curve of his mouth that he loved seeing you desperate for him.
You put your hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating under your fingers. “Nope, you looked way too good eating that watermelon, and now I have a problem that only you can solve.” You glanced down.
“Is that so? Are you jealous of a piece of fruit, baby?” Jake said, his voice low in a way that sank under your skin.
You laughed softly. “Maybe…”
He rested his forehead on yours, his hand holding the back of your neck. “Your parents will be wondering where we are pretty soon.”
“I guess we better hurry then.”
Without wasting another second, you leaned in and connected your lips.
Jake responded immediately, sighing as his hands dropped to your waist, pulling you against him.
You slipped your tongue in his mouth, smiling when you felt the sticky watermelon residue on the corners of his lips.
He pushed you towards the bed until you were sitting down, staring up at him with glassy eyes. Jake gently pushed you onto your back, placing kisses down your jaw. “Where do you want me, baby?” He smirked against your skin. “How can I solve your ‘problem’?”
“Your tongue, Jake; I need your tongue.”
He pulled away to look at you, his lips swollen from kissing. “Wanna sit on my face?” He kissed you again. “Ride my nose?”
Your eyes widened, and you nodded quickly, already sitting up, the pressure in your core aching.
Jake climbed onto the bed and motioned you towards him, his eyes dark and locked on your crotch.
You fumbled at the zipper on your jeans, sighing when you pulled down the fabric and your wet pussy hit cold air.
Jake groaned from the bed, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. “Come here.”
You swung your leg over his waist, moving up until you were perched above his face, thighs straddling his head.
Jake’s hands gripped your hips, his fingers tight as he lowered you towards him.
When his lips made contact with your folds, you gasped, leaning against the headboard for support as jolts of pleasure shot up your spine.
You felt his tongue lick a stripe up towards your clit, lapping at your wetness gathering around your entrance the same way he sucked up the watermelon juice.
“Fuck, Jake.” You groaned, sinking lower onto his skull.
He hummed against you, the vibration sending another shiver down your back.
You ground against his face, moaning when you felt your clit brush against his large nose. You pressed down a little harder, causing Jake’s fingers to dig into your hips, keeping you just raised enough where he could breathe, but close enough where he had easy access to every inch of you.
The pressure of his nose against your sensitive bundle of nerves was divine, adding just the right amount of stimulation as his tongue teased your entrance.
You reached down to tangle your fingers through his hair, drawing a whimper deep from his throat.
“Jake baby, you feel so good.” You sighed, looking down to watch your juices glisten over his nose.
His voice sounded from below. “You taste so sweet,” he mumbled against your folds, “could eat this pussy all day.”
You rubbed your clit against his nose again, moving in small circles to create little explosions of pleasure shooting through your body.
Jake groaned and pulled you even closer, spearing his tongue through your hole, making you gasp and arch against the headboard.
He moved your hips against his tongue in a fast and steady rhythm, the friction slight but torturous as the rough texture of his tongue rubbed against your walls.
You started fucking his face, moving in gentle thrusts so you felt the stimulation from his nose and tongue at the same time.
“Jake, I’m close!” You cried, trying not to be too loud in case your parents had come back into the house.
In response, Jake shifted you down and sucked your clit into his mouth, moaning loudly as he felt your thighs start to tremble around his head.
Your grip on his hair tightened as you felt your climax approaching, building like a firecracker about to blow.
With a final suck on your clit, the wet sound echoing against the walls of the room, your orgasm crashed over you, rising like a sea of sparklers as your mouth opened in a silent gasp.
Jake didn’t stop. He devoured you like the watermelon was an appetizer and you were the main course, slurping at your juices with a starving intensity that left you breathless.
You leaned your head against the headboard as the aftershocks subsided, leaving nothing but a warm emptiness between your legs.
Slowly, you lifted off of Jake’s face, swinging your leg back over his waist and collapsing beside him on the bed.
He was panting softly, eyes following your every move as you settled beside him. “Problem solved?”
You chuckled weakly. “Always my favorite problem solver.”
He smiled, his nose and mouth still glistening with your juices, making his skin glow even more than it usually did.
“Have anything else I need to fix?”
You smoothed out a few strands of his now-messy hair, giggling at the cowlick that refused to go down.
“I’ll let you know.”
“At this point, I feel like we need another excuse for why we were gone so long,” Jake said, looking at you fondly.
You leaned in and kissed his lips, smiling as you tasted yourself on him. “Just say your mom called or something.”
He hummed softly, his fingers tangling in your hair as he deepened the kiss.
After a few seconds, he pulled away, leaning his forehead against yours. “What’d I do to deserve you?”
You looked back at him, staring with so much adoration you thought your heart would burst. “I ask myself that every day.”
Jake brushed a strand of hair out of your eyes. “Happy 4th, Love.”
You pecked his nose, a dumb grin plastered on your face. “Happy 4th, Jakey.”
Synopsis: A lazy afternoon where Jake wants nothing more than to hold you while he naps.
WC: <1k
Content: Established Relationship, FLUFF, Cuddling, Sleepy Jake
A/N: Just a cute little drabble for my sleep-loving Jakey
You were curled up on the couch, nose buried in a book as soft afternoon light filtered through the blinds, painting a soft glow on the dark brown wood of the coffee table holding your steaming mug of tea.
It was 3:00 PM, and your boyfriend Jake had just finished the weekly grocery run, an errand which always resulted in an afternoon nap.
Usually, he’d put away the groceries and retreat to your bedroom with the quiet consistency that came with a solidified routine. But today, he lingered.
Jake sat on the other side of the couch, his legs pulled up to his chest as he absently gazed at his phone. You felt his eyes on you every few seconds, his restless energy cutting into your focus like a baby on a plane.
You knew he wanted something, but you wanted to hear him say it.
He shifted on the couch, a small sigh slipping from his lips.
You glanced over at him and had to bite back a smile at the way he was pouting his lip, his fingers pulling at the string of his hoodie.
He was so cute when he was needy.
Your eyes were on your book, but your ears were attuned to his every movement—the shake of his leg, the tap of his finger against his knee, the slight exhalation of air through his nose—he was close.
You grabbed your mug from the table and took a sip, humming softly as the hot liquid hit the back of your throat.
Jake audibly sighed.
“y/n…”
You smiled, putting on your most innocent expression as you turned your head. “Yes, Jakey?”
He tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie, biting his lip as his eyes darted between you and his lap. “I know you’re reading right now, but…would you nap with me?”
You giggled at how bashful he looked, his fluffy brown hair falling forward into his eyes as he waited for your response.
“You want to cuddle?”
He smiled and nodded enthusiastically, moving towards you on the couch, his hand resting on your knee. “Naps are better with partners.”
“Oh, are they?”
Jake laughed, nuzzling his head into your arm, his soft locks tickling your skin. “Yes. Especially when they’re you,” he said, his voice muffled.
You closed your book and kissed the top of his head. “Lucky for you, I just finished a chapter.”
Jake pulled away just enough so he could crane his head up to look at you. His eyes were so puppy-like you could feel your heart melting. “It’s not because I’m cute?”
You smiled, brushing a piece of hair out of his face. “It doesn’t hurt.”
He leaned forward and put his lips on yours, kissing you softly before pulling back and getting to his feet. He offered his hand. “M’lady, your chambers await.”
“Why, thank you, M’lord.”
You took his hand, his warm fingers closing around yours as he led you to your shared bedroom, the warm light of the living room fading as you moved into the darkness of the hallway.
The king-sized bed waited like an old friend, the comforter puffy and inviting. Jake had picked out all the bedding himself, insisting that good sleep required good materials. No one you knew loved sleep quite as much as your boyfriend did.
Jake turned off the light and climbed under the covers, eyes locked on you as you came around the other side. He opened his arms, reaching for you like you were the air he breathed.
The second your back hit the mattress, you crawled into his arms, burying your face in his chest, his hoodie soft on your skin. You inhaled his rich and earthy scent, sighing as you felt his breath on your hair.
His arms wrapped around your back, cradling your head, while yours snaked around his waist, pulling tight to hold him flush against you.
Jake threw his leg over yours with claiming pressure, and you knew you weren’t getting up anytime soon.
He massaged your scalp with his hand and peppered kisses from your forehead down to your neck, making you giggle and squirm against him.
He smiled. “See? This is much better.”
You nuzzled against his neck, your body buzzing with warmth and joy at being in the arms of your favorite person. “Alright, I’ll give you this one.”
His hand traced soothing strokes down your back, making your spine shiver. “So we can do this again?”
“Mhm,” you murmured, already feeling your eyes getting heavy. “Just tell me when, baby.”
“How about next week? And the week after that?” He said, his voice a whisper in your ear.
“Whatever you want, Jakey.”
You felt him smile against your hair, his heart a comforting rhythm against your cheek. “I love you y/n. Sleep tight.”
“I love you too, Jake.”
Your voice was barely audible against his hoodie, and within minutes, Jake heard the quiet sounds of your breathing echoing through the room.
He smiled and closed his eyes, holding you firmly against him, letting your breath lull him into sleep like a light in the dark.
Pairings: Bounty Hunter!Jay x Fem!Reader x Jake!Jedi
Summary: It's the era of the Old Republic. The Galaxy brims with the conflict between the Separatists and the Jedi Order, the Sith hovering like a dark cloud in the background, waiting for their opportunity to strike. Jake Sim, a newly named Jedi Knight, is on his first mission, investigating a rumor about a mysterious Force user he's been told is a danger to the Order itself. Jay Park, the notorious bounty hunter, is chasing a bounty, drowning his thoughts in hard punches, credits, and black leather. You are camped out in the Outer Rim, running from the tragedy that haunts your dreams no matter how far you travel. What you do know is that Devon Four isn't such a bad planet to settle; maybe you could hang around for a while. What you don't know is that you're being hunted, and you're about to find out what happens when three meteors destined to burn finally collide.
WC: 38k (idk what happened)
PART 1 (18.6k); PART 2 (19.6k) - Forced to split :/
Content/Warnings: MDNI, Multiple POVs, Enemies to Lovers, Polyamory, Hurt/Comfort, Angst With a Happy Ending, Cursing (mostly Jay), Mention of Death/Murder, Violence, Injury, Blood, Alcohol Use, Smut, Daddy Kink, Praise Kink, Biting/Marking, Oral Sex (giving/receiving), Masochism (taser), Power Imbalance, Multiple Orgasms, Freaky Dom Jay, Whiny Sub Jake, Growling, Begging, Unprotected Sex, Blindfold, Sensory Overload
A/N: Soo this wasn't supposed to be more than 30k, but here we are! This is the freakiest fic I've ever written, but also my favorite. I am a HUGE Star Wars nerd, and the GM Jay pics were so bounty-hunter-coded I had to write it. I guess Jay became kind of a mix between Han Solo and Cad Bane, while Jake is a true Luke/Anakin boy. Just a disclaimer: you DO NOT need to know about Star Wars to enjoy this fic. I tried to make it as accessible as possible, but if you are confused about anything, feel free to leave a comment or do a quick Google search! I put so much love into this, so if you enjoy, PLEASE give it some love. Comments and reblogs truly make my day <3
JAKE
Jake fiddled with a Republic credit between his fingers, the slight click of his nails against the cool metal blending with the bustling sounds of the cantina.
The place was packed, even though there was a cantina on almost every block on Devon Four. The Outer Rim planet was small, but its main city was dense, bustling with market stalls and bars full of all kinds of people. A loud half-growl-half-laugh sounded from the table behind him, and Jake glanced at the rowdy group of Gamorreans that seemed to be playing some kind of drinking game.
Jake eyed his own drink warily, some sour-tasting beer that the bartender had shoved in front of him, and practically forced him to try. He eyed him now, an older man with an unnerving scar drawn across his eye and down to his throat. Jake picked up his drink and forced down another sip, wincing as the foul flavor tussled with his taste buds.
He pulled his cloak more firmly over his head, doing another scan of the room. The cantina was mostly full of merchants, their shoulders slack as they enjoyed a cold drink after hours of shouting at passersby. When he arrived a couple of days before, he had to dodge a fair amount of them, shooting them apologetic smiles as he brushed past their stalls with his head down. He’d felt their eyes on him as he passed, and the lightsaber at his hip felt heavy.
His first mission as a Jedi Knight. He thought back to a few days before, when he strolled proudly out of the Jedi Temple to his own ship, eager to start the next phase of his journey as a Jedi. He’d imagined tense negotiations with senators, or lightsaber duels with battle droids, the types of things he did with his master when he was a padawan. But instead, here he was, sitting alone at a bar in the Outer Rim, chasing a rumor he didn’t even know was real.
He glanced at the Trandoshan a few seats down from him, its reptilian face looking darkly at its drink. He looked down and saw a blaster holstered at the alien's waist. Maybe a bounty hunter?
Jake closed his eyes, the sounds of the cantina dulling as he used The Force to sense those around him. He focused on the Trandoshan, trying to pick up any hint of a pull, an energy, anything signifying a connection to The Force. He found none.
Jake opened his eyes and stared glumly at his drink. Three days on this planet and he’d found nothing, no “highly dangerous Force-sensitive adult” that the council had briefed him on so thoroughly, no hint of separatist activity, nothing.
He went back to fidgeting with his coin, absently staring at the bartender and wondering how he got such a nasty scar.
“Giddy tonic treating you well?” A girl took the seat next to him, peering past the hood of his cloak curiously.
He stared at her for a second, his brain taking a second to catch up with his mouth. No one had tried to talk to him yet. In fact, they avoided him like the plague. “Uh, not really.” He frowned at his almost full cup, “What even is it?”
She shrugged, “Not sure, and honestly, I’m not sure I want to know, I don’t think anything good can make anything taste like that.”
He smirked, pushing the drink away, “I’m with you there.”
She waved the bartender over, ordering something he’d never heard of. He made a note to remember it, already trusting her taste much more than the scarred bartender's. She looked at him again, her eyes calculating and sharp. Jake resisted the impulse to look away, finding her attention…refreshing. “You’re cute, we don’t get people like you around here often.”
He chuckled nervously, this time looking away. “Just passing through for a few days.”
She tilted her head, hair falling in front of her eyes as she propped her chin on her hand, “You a bounty hunter? I always like talking to them, that is, if they don’t look like they want to kill me. It sounds nice to be able to go anywhere on a whim, be your own boss, all that good stuff.”
He really looked at her then. She wore simple clothes in faded earth tones—the fashion of the locals—with a brown knapsack at her hip. Her boots were worn and torn at the edges, the heels reinforced with steel. She was young, around his age, her face curious, but firm with confidence. He felt oddly small next to her, his anxiety about his mission seeping back into his thoughts with a new force. “Not a bounty hunter, but having your own ship is nice.”
Her eyes widened, “So you do have one? What’s the model? How does she fly?”
He smiled, finding the excited light in her eyes adorable, “It’s called a Vector, and she flies nicely, only a few years old too. She takes turns as smooth as butter.”
She furrowed her eyebrows, “Vector? That sounds familiar…”
Jake hesitated. Usually, he wouldn’t try to hide his Jedi status, but the council had told him to blend in. To cover his lightsaber at all times and wear non-traditional robes…they hadn’t told him why, though.
He shrugged, “I’m sure a lot of ships pass through here, you must have seen one.”
She nodded, staring at the cup that the bartender had placed in front of her just a few seconds before, a slight frown on her face.
“Do you live here?” He asked, trying to change the topic.
“Yeah, I move around every few years, to keep things…fresh.” She looked away again. “I like Devon Four, it’s busy in all the right ways. Work is easy to find; there’s always a room for rent. But it’ll be time for me to move on soon.” She turned to him, “Hey, you think you could give me a lift in your shiny Vector? I’d be no trouble, just drop me off somewhere on your way.” She smirked, her hand drifting closer to his on the bar. “Or I could hang around mystery boy, got a girl waiting for you at home?”
Jake’s eyes widened, and he quickly pulled his hand away. “U-uh, that’s not-”
She pouted, “What? Do you not like me?”
Jake ran a hand through his hair, letting his hood slip off his head and pool around his shoulders. It wasn’t that. She was pretty, really pretty. Her smile was teasing and curious and her eyes were bright but slightly narrowed at the corners, like she had a secret meant just for him. Plus, she had a soft lilt in her voice that made him want to listen to her all day. But romance was a tricky subject among the Jedi…
“Listen, I-just, um-”
She started laughing, interrupting Jake’s stuttering. “It’s ok, I’m just messing with you, no hard feelings.” She shrugged, “I thought I’d try, you’re the best looking guy I’ve seen in like…five years?”
Jake stared at her, a smile creeping onto his lips.
“What’s your name, by the way? Mine’s y/n.”
The smile took over. “Jake.”
“Well, Jake, want me to order you another drink? I think Scarface over there would stop staring daggers at you if you actually drank something.”
Jake looked up at the bartender, who was, in fact, glaring at him coldly. “Is his name actually Scarface?” He whispered.
“No, I think it’s Freddy or something, but Scarface is way more fun.” She said, laughing under her breath.
“Do you know how he got it?”
She took another sip from her cup, “Nope, that, my friend, is one of the biggest mysteries of this city.”
Jake laughed for what felt like the first time in weeks, and she laughed with him, hiding her face when Scarface looked in their direction. He felt the stress from the mission slip off his shoulders, settling into a quiet pressure in the back of his mind. A wave of confidence passed over him. He could do this; he could be a Jedi Knight who helped people and made his master proud, just like he always dreamed.
He was still laughing when he felt a body crash into him from behind. He whirled around, finding a drunk-looking man stumbling away from him, “Sorry, man, my bad.” Jake looked down, sighing at the orange liquid that coated the front of his cloak.
y/n grabbed a towel over the bar, “Here, let me help.” She rubbed the cloth against his cloak, lifting some of it open to get at the inside. She froze.
Jake looked at her, confused. Her eyes were locked on his hip, wide with…fear? He followed her eyes to his lightsaber, the polished silver bright in the dim light of the cantina.
“Vector…a Jedi Vector.” She looked up at him, her voice shaky, “You’re a Jedi.”
Before he could open his mouth, she was stumbling back, turning and running towards the door. Jake shot to his feet, staring after her, his thoughts whirling in a confused mess through his skull. But after a moment, it hit him, and with a focused scan of the bar, he felt it—a pulse of energy—large and unstable, hovering around her receding back with an unsettling hum. He scrambled after her, yelling for people to move as he raced towards the door.
He winced as he burst outside, the sun blinding as he scanned the street. There. She was sprinting down the block, shoving people as she went, leaving a cacophony of angry shouts in her wake.
Jake willed his legs to move, slipping into the crowd as he tried desperately not to lose track of her. “Stop! In the name of the Republic, I command you to stop!”
It didn’t work on y/n, but it did help clear the crowd, most people stepping back as they watched him tear down the street. He got a clearer view and spotted her ahead, ducking around street stalls with surprisingly agile steps. She glanced back at him. There was no trace of the confident girl he had laughed with, no sign she had ever been there at all. Now there was only terror, desperation, and above it all, glaring at him with such an intensity it almost stopped him in his tracks—was hate.
She turned down an alley and was gone.
JAY
Jay stared at the holo image of his target: a Trandoshan, its green, lizard-like face staring back at him. Apparently, he was a slave smuggler for the separatists, a particular breed of shitface. Jay smiled. This would be fun.
He put away the holo and looked at the rows of stalls in front of him. He’d never been to Devon Four before, and he reminded himself never to come back; Too many people, way too many.
He walked slowly, scanning everyone in sight, looking for hunched body language and baggy cloaks, trademarks of bounties in hiding. His black leather jacket felt heavy in the heat, and he put on his shades, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. He thought about the cool interior of his ship, the comforting emptiness of space, and the stars that glowed above his head at night, staring down at him like guardians. Soon. Soon he’d be off this planet.
Merchants beckoned to him as he walked, shoving their wares in his face. Jay never said anything, just brushed his hand against the handle of his blaster, the black glass over his eyes fixed ahead. He assumed word got around, because pretty soon, no one even looked at him.
Jay smiled. Much better.
He spotted a few other hunters as he walked, leaning against buildings, cleaning their weapons, staring out into the crowd. Apparently, this city was a hot spot, not a happy thought after just swearing never to come back.
A few of them nodded at him as he passed. He returned the gesture with the slight upturn of his lips, staying focused on the flow of people around him. Jay Park was a well-known name among bounty hunters, which came with its own set of perks. First pick of bounties, and the right to refuse them, something most hunters couldn’t afford. This Trandoshan was one he picked personally.
Jay slipped a toothpick out of his jacket pocket, slipping it between his teeth. He’d taken his time with this one, letting the lizard gain some ground before he followed. It was always more fun to make them think they had escaped, only to be captured that very same day. He never got tired of seeing the shock on their faces.
He had stopped to look at an antique set of guitars when a bit of movement flickered out of the corner of his eye. He looked up, and spotted a green head disappearing down a side alley.
Jay crossed the street to the alley, taking off his glasses as he stepped into the shade of the buildings around him. He pulled up his sleeve to reveal the slim metal band around his forearm. He pressed a few buttons, readying the capture net. He heard footsteps receding close by and peered around the corner. Sure enough, the Trandoshan walked quickly down the alley, its scaled head reflecting bits of sunlight that shimmered against the wall. Jay quietly followed, walking just fast enough so that he could gain ground without making a sound.
Suddenly, shouts started echoing from the street market. The Trandoshan's head snapped towards the source, and then it was running.
Shit.
Jay sprinted after it, pulling out his blaster and setting it to the stun setting. The lizard cut down another alley. Jay took the same turn, just fast enough to see his target turn again, disappearing down another building. Jay sped up, forcing adrenaline into his legs as he rounded the other corner.
BAM.
A body collided with his, almost knocking him off his feet. He reached out his arms instinctively, grabbing the person to steady himself.
A girl stood grasped in his arms, panting heavily. Her eyes were wide, her hair pasted to her forehead with sweat. She stared at him like she couldn’t quite decide if he was real. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered.
Jay looked around. Three alleys branched off from the one they were in, and Jay realized that he had no clue which one the Trandoshan chose. He lost it.
“God damnit.” He muttered.
The girl glanced behind her, “Listen, I’m sorry, again, but I really have to go.” She tried to step around him, but he tightened his grip on her shoulders, keeping her in place.
“Y-”
He was about to say something when a man’s voice echoed from the end of the alley. “Stop her!”
“Fuck!” Jay felt the girl pull against his hands, and when they didn’t budge, a physical force pushed him away from her. He winced as his back hit the wall, watching as the girl stumbled away from him, tearing down another alleyway. The man who had yelled was getting closer, so without much time to think, Jay ran after her. But as he followed, he noticed that she didn’t seem to have a destination. She ducked down every path she could find, whipping her head around in desperation every time she turned a corner.
Jay called out to her, “Hey, follow me, I know a place!”
He saw her steps falter slightly. She yelled back at him, “Where?”
“Just trust me!”
She slowed, allowing him to catch up to her. “Smart choice.” He said. “This way.”
YOU
You walked tentatively onto his ship. It was on the larger side, with a wide open room past the entrance and three hallways branching off to other parts of the ship. The main room had a circular center console, displaying a detailed holo map of Devon Four. You leaned against its edge, peering at the tiny streets. “Whoa.”
“Try not to touch anything.” Your new companion said, shedding his black leather jacket and hanging it on a nearby rack.
It struck you then how clean everything was. The black gloss of the flooring gleamed, reflecting the soft line of lights built into the walls of the ship. A small bookshelf was attached to the wall, all the covers perfectly arranged and uniform. Under the bookshelf sat a table, with two chairs placed on either side, and in its center, perfectly symmetrical, stood a single, glassy green rock.
Nothing was out of place.
“What was your name again?” You asked, turning back to the stranger.
“I never told you my name.” He said, clicking a button on the console of his arm band until a part of the wall opened, revealing an assortment of weapons and gadgets.
“So you’re a bounty hunter.” You whispered.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He removed the band from his wrist and placed it into a spot on the wall. “Jay.”
“That’s your name?”
“Yes.”
You shifted on your feet. “Well, Jay, thanks for helping me hide, but I should probably head back now.” You turned toward the door of the ship.
“Oh no, you don’t.”
His voice stopped you in your tracks.
“You lost me my bounty today. You know what that means?”
You turned back around, “No?”
He tapped another spot on the wall, an invisible console you couldn’t even see, which closed the hatch over the guns. “It means that I need a replacement.”
Your eyes widened, “Me? Why can’t you just go back out to get them? I’m sure they’re still in the city somewhere. I could even help.”
Jay chuckled, “Usually I would, god knows that piece of shit deserves it, but with you…” He leaned against the wall. “I found something even better.”
You felt a stab of fear in your chest. “What do you mean?”
He started walking towards you, “I mean, sweetheart, that I know what you did in that alley.” He stopped until he was right in front of you, and you were forced to look up to meet his eyes. “That was no freak show of strength. You used The Force, didn’t you?”
You stared at him, schooling every muscle on your face into neutrality. “The Force? What’s that?”
He scoffed, “Don’t play dumb with me. Let me guess, you were running because that guy, whoever he is, knows what you are, knows what you can do.”
You stared at him, cursing yourself for letting your control slip. It was only a second of panic, and it might have cost you everything. “Fine, and what if I am what you think I am?”
He smirked, “Then my problem is solved. I’m sure my client will be happy with a Force user over a run-of-the-mill smuggler.”
You stepped back, feeling something break inside you. After everything, everything you’ve been through, a bounty hunter is what gets you?
“Jay, please, I’ll help you find your target, I-I’ll get you money, I’ll do anything, just please don’t do this.” You searched his eyes for any hint of sympathy—any at all—but you found none, just cold indifference.
He shrugged, “Guess running into me wasn’t so lucky for you after all.”
You felt tears welling in your eyes, “Jay plea-”
“You have two options: either you keep talking, and I freeze you in carbonite, or you shut your mouth like a good girl and enjoy the ride.” His dark eyes pierced into yours, daring you to challenge him. You could tell he was completely serious.
You wiped a stray tear from your cheek, “Ok,” you whispered.
He nodded, “Good choice. Feel free to make yourself at home, then, just don’t try anything, I think I made the consequences clear.”
He turned to hover over the holo map, swiping his hand in the air to change the projection. “Oh, what’s your name?”
“y/n,” you said softly, shoulders slumped as you stared at your feet.
He didn’t look up.
JAKE
Jake paced around his hotel room on Devon Four, his comlink tossed onto his bed as he waited for his meeting with the Jedi Council. He felt like the device was staring at him, mocking him for his failure.
He had her, and he let her slip away.
He ran another hand through his messy hair, replaying his conversation with one of the workers at the shipyard. She had told him that she saw a girl and a man dressed in all black walk onto an expensive-looking freighter. No one had come back out, and the ship had flown off about an hour later.
The girl matched y/n’s description, and the man—the worker said—looked like a bounty hunter.
Jake groaned, falling heavily onto his bed. Losing her was bad enough, but to a bounty hunter? She could be anywhere.
He thought again of the fear and hatred on her face as she ran from him, and then the way she laughed, eyes bright and relaxed as she looked at him. She hardly seemed ‘dangerous.’ Maybe they were looking for someone else? But he remembered the shift in the air as he saw her push away the bounty hunter from afar, the pull. She had used The Force; there was no doubt about it.
He tried not to think of his master, Plo Koon, and the disappointed gaze he leveled at Jake whenever he messed up as a padawan. The Kel Dor had never raised his voice at him; he would just stare at him, and even though his specialized mask covered his eyes, to Jake, it felt a lot worse than anger.
The comlink next to him made a quiet ding before lighting up, revealing the members of the council, sitting in a circle and staring at Jake.
He scrambled up from the bed, smoothing out his hair and bowing slightly, “Masters.”
“Jake, we hear you have an update for us.” His Master, Plo Koon, said, the gridded black goggles piercing.
Jake gulped, “Yes, I found the… ‘highly dangerous Force-sensitive adult’” He said slowly. He wrung his hands, “But she got away from me.”
Mace Windu spoke up, his brows furrowed, “How so?”
“Well, I was talking to her, and I didn’t realize she was Force-sensitive, and then um…” He bit his lip. “Basically, she saw my lightsaber and got spooked and ran.”
“Where she went, do you know?” Yoda spoke up, his green face kind and curious. Jake had always found his presence comforting.
“A worker at the shipyard said she saw her leave with a man. She thought he looked like a bounty hunter.”
“A bounty hunter?” Mace said, leaning forward in his chair. “Was she his target?”
Jake shook his head, avoiding Plo’s masked gaze, “I’m not positive, but no, I don’t think so. I saw her use the Force on him; it took him by surprise.”
“Did you get a good look at the hunter? Any defining features?” Obi-Wan Kenobi’s voice cut through the holo.
“Not really, he was human and wore a lot of black,” Jake said, mentally replaying his blurry image of the man.
“Sounds like every bounty hunter I’ve ever met.” Kit Fisto said, drawing a few scattered chuckles.
Jake grimaced, “How do you suggest I proceed, Master? I’m prepared to rectify my mistake in any way I can.”
“Find her, you must,” Yoda said. “Her count of Midichlorians too high, it is. Because of her past, an interest to the Sith, she will be.”
“And with a bounty hunter, she’s more likely to fall into the wrong hands,” Obi-Wan said.
“Her past?” Jake asked.
Mace leaned back in his chair. “Listen, Jake, all you need to know is that she is a danger to the Jedi Order, and if she continually refuses our aid, she will need to be disposed of.”
Jake’s eyes widened. He thought back to the bar, her wide eyes, and the way her smile lit up her face. “I-I just don’t understand. Is that really necessary? If I could just talk to her-”
“She’s been evading us for years, Jake. She has no interest in the Jedi. A simple ‘talk’ won’t suffice.” Mace said.
He looked at his feet, thinking again about the hatred that hung in her eyes, buried in fear. “Why does she hate us?” He whispered.
A silence settled around his room. He looked at Plo, who watched him passively, tapping his finger against his chair.
“Anything else to report, Jake?” Mace said, his expression firm.
Jake shook his head.
“Then we look forward to your next report,” Mace said. He clicked a button on his chair, and the image of the council room disappeared.
YOU
You lay in the makeshift bed that you had constructed in Jay’s storage closet, absently throwing a small rubber ball up into the air, listening to the engine of the ship rumble beneath you.
It had been less than 24 hours since you had left Devon Four, held hostage in Jay's ship. He hardly spoke to you, just showed you where you could set up a makeshift bed and gave you a pile of blankets. The ship was definitely large enough for extra rooms, but he’d said that they were all occupied, muttering something about tools. You were hardly surprised; you couldn’t imagine Jay ever having guests.
But you didn’t mind the silence, even without his threat; you didn’t want to speak to him anyway. He was cold and mean, nothing like Jake.
Jake.
You thought about the Jedi as you tossed the ball, how nice it was to laugh with someone again, even if that someone was a Jedi. You scowled, and yet a part of you wished he had taken you instead of Mr. All-in-black-leather-jerk-face.
You caught the ball and slipped it into your satchel, exchanging it with your pouch-sized PIP droid. The green and orange droid whirred as it came to life, its two eye-like sockets lighting up as it tilted its head up to your face. Whirrr beep bip. It chirped at you, tilting its head like a puppy.
You smiled, “Well, Pip, it looks like our luck finally ran out.” You sighed, “I guess I couldn’t run from the Jedi forever.”
Pip made a few questioning beeps.
“No, I’m on some stick-in-the-ass bounty hunter’s ship going…I don’t know where, actually, but he said we’d be there sometime tomorrow.” You propped your arm behind your head.
Pip made a whirring sound.
“I can’t escape; there’s no pod on this ship, and he watches me like a hawk. Besides being a pain in my ass, he’s also a clean freak.”
Pip popped out one of its multi-tool limbs, a small screwdriver.
You snorted, “You think I could actually fight him and win? I saw his weapon wall; he has like 20 different gadgets all built for the primary purpose of immobilizing me.”
A knock sounded on the door. “Who are you talking to?” Jay’s voice echoed from behind the door.
You stuffed Pip back in your satchel, “Myself!” You called back.
“Well…be quieter, I’m trying to focus.”
“On what?”
He didn’t answer, and when you got up to open the door, he was gone.
You scoffed. Would it kill him to talk to you?. You decided to explore. He never said you couldn’t walk around; in fact, he said to “make yourself at home.” Besides, this might be the last ship you have free range on for a long time.
You started in the main console chamber. There were three doors, one of which you knew went to the cockpit. The other two were mysteries. You chose a door, the one adjacent to the small table with the green rock, and walked straight through. Behind it was a hallway covered in the same black polished surface as the main room, stretching across the floor and up the walls. Lights lit up at the curves of the ceiling, the hallway a bright tunnel before you.
A door stood on your left, and you pushed it open. Inside was some sort of workshop. Wires, tools, and pieces of metal covered the tables and floor. It was an assortment of older and newer-looking machines, some rusted, others shiny and pristine. Bits of crude-looking armor stood out from the junk, looking like something out of a holovid. It surprised you, not because of the gear, but because it was messy. It was the only place on the whole ship that felt real, like an actual person lived here and not some emotionless droid in the body of a bounty hunter.
You walked around a bit, peering at some of the muddled wires and mysterious gadgets. You saw palm-sized hand grenades, electrified rope, a dart gun the size of your pinky…Something caught your eye. Pushed to the back of one table, partly hidden under a pile of warped metal like an afterthought, was a metal arm brace. It was small, smaller than you estimated Jay’s forearm to be. But even stranger, it was decorated. Colorful swirls adorned the smooth expanse of steel, filling the brace. The paint looked almost fresh, but a few spots gave it away. Tiny chips flaked off at the edges, as if it had been painted and re-painted repeatedly. It was intentional, planned, and stood out jarringly against the shades of grays that dominated every corner of the ship. You wondered who made it, and if Jay made it, why? Who was it for? You put the brace down.
You left the workshop and walked to the next closed door down the hallway. Just like the last one, you opened it without pause, and what you saw stopped you in your tracks.
The room was a gym. An assortment of equipment lay spread out across the room. A mechanized lifting bench, dumbbells that could adjust their own weight, a slightly dangerous-looking treadmill covered in different colored lights and buttons…and Jay stood in the middle, moving around a black punching bag. His shirt was off, his skin flushed and slick with sweat. You took in the curve of his biceps, the firmness of his 6-pack above the waistline of his shorts. His hair was slicked back with the moisture on his scalp, making his dark, spiky hair fall lightly over his forehead. He stepped around the bag with calculated steps, landing focused punches that made the tough fabric shiver. His muscles tensed with every strike, making the veins on his forearms stand out against his tan skin.
Of course you’d noticed that Jay was attractive, in a mysterious, pristine way—the complete opposite of Jake—who pulled you in with his kind eyes and soft features. Where Jake was soft, Jay was sharp, his eyes, his jaw, his words.
He hadn’t noticed you yet, too focused on the precise swing of his arm to process that the door had even opened. Your eyes kept drifting to his neck, studying the way his collarbone shifted under his skin…
You blinked and took a step back, quickly inching towards the door when his voice cut through the room. “Got bored talking to yourself?”
You froze, sighing deeply before turning around, “Yep, thought I’d enjoy my last few hours of semi-freedom.”
“Uh huh.” He caught your eyes drifting back down his chest. He smirked. “Like what you see?”
You felt a wave of heat wash over your face. “No- I mean yes- I mean-” You stopped, glaring at him, “You’re ok.”
He raised his eyebrows, “Really? Just ok? How long were you standing there? Like five minutes?”
“It was definitely not more than 30 seconds.”
“Would you say you enjoyed those 30 seconds?”
You groaned, “God, you’re annoying, no wonder you live alone in your sad, antiseptic heap of black metal.”
He laughed, “Just the way I like it, sweetheart. People are overrated.”
His laugh threw you off, as you realized it was the first time you’d seen him smile. It lit up his face, collapsing the harsh lines and giving life to his usual impassive stare. You found yourself wanting to see it again.
“I have a name, you know.”
He grabbed a towel hanging from the bar of the bench press. “Y/n.” He said it almost like a question, like he was testing the way it sounded in his mouth. His deep voice resounded through your eardrums, and you refused to acknowledge the jolt of pleasure it sent through your brain.
A tense silence settled over the room. You stared at your feet. He unwrapped the tape around his knuckles, the sticky sound of it echoing against the ship's walls. Unlike you, Jay didn’t mind the silence. “So…do you work out often?”
You mentally cursed yourself. What a stupid question. What were you even doing? He’s your captor, y/n, stop looking at his abs and remember how he’s ruining your life!
He shrugged, “Most days. It keeps me relaxed.”
You raised your eyebrows, “You call yourself relaxed? You’re like the most intense person I’ve ever met.”
“Imagine how I’d be if I didn’t work out.”
“I’d probably be dead by now,” you muttered.
And maybe that would have been better.
He looked up at you, his eyes reminded you of a cat as he studied you like a rat. “I’ve been wondering, why haven’t you used The Force on me? Couldn’t you take over my mind, throw me into space, and take my ship? What’s stopping you?”
You didn’t expect that question, although you probably should have. For all he knew, you were a traitorous Jedi being hunted down for crimes against the Republic. You’d never talked about The Force with anyone, except Pip, that is. It was weird hearing the word come from someone else’s lips, directed at you no less.
You hesitated. In a way, it was the last thing you had against Jay, the last bit of power you held over him. But here you were flying towards an uncertain future, likely filled with people who would only see you as a number, a tool. And as Jay looked at you, his eyes full of not malice, but curiosity, you found the words spilling out.
“I don’t know how.”
He frowned, “But you used it earlier. You pushed me hard. It actually kind of hurt.”
“In the current circumstance, I’m not sorry.”
Jay just shrugged, taking a swig of water. You clenched your fists. His nonchalance was really starting to annoy you.
You continued. “I can only use it when my emotions are high. When I’m panicked or angry…” You flexed your hands. “The only way I can describe it is this ball of energy that sits just out of sight, always there, always ready.” You leaned against the wall, “But it’s uncontrolled, too massive for me to even wrap my head around. Every time I tried to use it in the past…someone got hurt.”
“The guy on Devon Four, was he a Jedi?”
You nodded, recalling the bright silver of the lightsaber hilt at Jake’s hip.
His eyes narrowed. “Then why would you run from him? Couldn’t they train you? Show you how to control it?”
You looked away. “I don’t want the Jedi’s help.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t!” You snapped.
Jay stared at your hands that were clasped over your stomach. You looked down and saw that they were shaking. You quickly shoved them in your pockets, looking anywhere but him. “I’ll be in my closet.” You turned and left the room without another word, leaving Jay staring after you, his eyes storming.
An hour later, a knock sounded on the closet door.
“What?” You called out. You were lying with your back to the door, curled up and staring at the wall. The reality of your situation hit you again, this time with greater force. What was going to happen to you? The galaxy had its fair share of kindness, but even more cruelty.
You didn’t want to die.
Jay’s low voice echoed from beyond the door. “I brought you some food. You should eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
You heard him sigh, but he didn’t push. You heard the sound of a bowl hitting the ground and a moment later, footsteps receding down the hall.
You waited five minutes before opening the door, finding a small wooden bowl of what looked like stew, still warm. You brought it back into your tiny room, sighing deeply as you took a bite. It was full of flavor, its warmth flowing down your throat and heating your body from the inside. It helped ground you, the panic from before slipping into the back of your mind like an afterthought.
For just a moment, you allowed yourself to forget.
JAY
Sleep had always been a challenge for Jay.
He’d spent too many years sleeping with one eye open, too many years with his muscles tensed and ready. Even now, completely alone on his own ship, he still felt it: the kernel of fear in the back of his head.
But he wasn’t alone now.
In the next hallway, through the 2nd door on the right, a girl slept, curled in a bundle of blankets, breathing softly. Jay felt like he could feel her, the heat of her body forming a red blob in his mind like a heat signature on a map, sticking out like a beacon among the darkness.
It was strange, but oddly…comforting. More comforting than the nights he’d brought girls on the ship after a few drinks, their warm bodies tangled with his as he stared up at the ceiling, a hand loosely thrown over a bare back.
No, this was different; he just wasn’t sure why.
He sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and putting on a pair of black sweatpants. He didn’t bother with a shirt.
Jay walked to the control console in the main room of the ship, leaning over the panel and flicking through holo-images. He pulled up an image of Vulpter, the planet where he was taking y/n, scanning trade routes and street layouts. He didn’t want to be caught off guard as he had been in the confusing back alleys of Devon Four.
The silence of the ship felt heavy as he swiped, the blue of the holo creating a dim, ghostly glow around the room. He found his thoughts drifting back to his conversation with y/n. He recalled the way her hands shook when he mentioned the Jedi, the fear in her eyes, a fear he knew well.
He sighed and stretched against the console, his muscles flexing as he moved and cracked his neck. He remembered the bowl he left in front of her door. Jay looked at the entrance to the hallway. He worked his jaw and pushed off from the console, making his way to the closet door.
He stopped in front of it and frowned when he saw that it wasn’t closed all the way. He hesitated, but gently touched the cool metal with his hand, pushing it open slightly. His eyes landed on the wooden bowl, empty. A slight smile cracked on his lips.
Jay bent down to pick it up. He stilled on his knees, the sound of her breathing drifting through his ears. He pushed the door open a little wider until he could see her sleeping form curled against the wall. Her face was turned towards the door, and he stared at her relaxed features. He traced over the curve of her lips and the fluttering of her eyelashes, the way she gripped the corner of the blanket under her chin, and held her knees close to her chest. The position of someone used to sleeping in tight spaces.
A strand of hair hung in front of her eyes, and he felt the sudden urge to reach out and tuck it behind her ear. He blinked, grabbed the bowl, and got to his feet. He stood on the threshold, one hand on the small metal handle of the door. Jay looked at her sleeping form one last time, gazing at the slightly open curve of her mouth before quietly shutting the door behind him.
JAKE
Jake stumbled out of the bar, gripping the rail by the stairs as his vision blurred.
Two planets, and five drinks later, he finally had a name: Jay Park. The notorious bounty hunter who famously wore all black, had obnoxiously spiky hair, and a freighter that matched the exact description the woman on Devon Four had given him.
He had passed through all the major bounty hunter clubs and businesses, looking for a contact, a lead, anything. And he had found it, in a small club on Zakuul, where a man named Nox had claimed he had the location of Jay’s ship, and where he was going. Apparently, he was a part of some hunter clan that kept tabs on all the major bounty hunters, but Jake didn’t ask many questions.
Nox had promised to tell him anything he wanted. The price? Have a few drinks with him. He could have refused, could have used a Jedi mind trick to force him to tell him everything. But when he saw the booze, the bright lights of the club pulsing around him, he decided he could use a break from being a Jedi.
Before the drinks, 80% of the thoughts in his head were dominated by Mace’s words: “She will need to be disposed of.” y/n’s face dominated the other 20%. Her smile, her terror, and sometimes…his blue lightsaber through her chest, her body sagging lifelessly in his arms.
Now, his thoughts were heavy mush, drifting in scattered images. It was nice.
He clutched the data chip with the information on Jay’s whereabouts in his hand, almost tripping on a crack in the concrete as he moved toward his hotel.
He’d find them tomorrow. He’d find her tomorrow.
YOU
You stared out of the window of the cockpit, watching the blurring white light of lightspeed flash by. It was strangely relaxing and slightly hypnotizing. You felt another twinge of envy in your gut that some people got to experience this every day, traveling across the galaxy on a whim, never worrying about being followed.
Jay walked into the cockpit, only glancing at you before pressing a few buttons on the control panel.
His hair was wet from the shower, water droplets dripping onto the bare skin of his shoulders, not covered by his black tank top. You stared at the muscles on his back that shifted with every stretch of his arm. You hated yourself for it, but didn’t have the strength to care.
His voice interrupted your thoughts. “We should be there in a few hours.”
“What planet?”
You saw a muscle in his jaw twitch, and he was silent for a moment. “It’s called Vulpter.”
“Never heard of it.”
“It’s an industrial planet, mostly laborers and businessmen.” He took a seat in the pilot's chair. “My client owns one of the plants.”
“Is he gonna put me to work?” You said, arms crossed, slouching in your chair.
Jay glanced at you, his face unreadable. “I don’t know, he manages a lot of people.”
Silence.
“What will he pay you for me?” You asked, staring back at the flashing lights outside the window.
Jay leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “Does it matter?”
“Not really, but maybe it’ll give me something to think about when they’re torturing me into using The Force.”
Jay scoffed, but you continued.
“I’ll think, ‘hm, I wonder what Jay is doing with his big payout, maybe he bought another treadmill, or maybe he’s gambling it all away on Canto Bight like I never even existed.’”
He laughed harshly, “You really think I’m the devil, don’t you? Even after I saved you from the Jedi? I didn’t lock you up or freeze you like I do to most of my bounties. I gave you a nice place to sleep and a home-cooked meal; you should be thanking me.”
“Thanking you?” You sat up, staring at him with cold fury. “You’re selling me, Jay. I’m not some piece of shit criminal that has a bounty on me; I’m just a person whose life you’re ruining. Just because you give me a nice meal before you do it doesn’t make you blameless.” You stood up, storming out of the small room, “I’m not a fucking animal.”
Jay didn’t move from his chair. You couldn’t see it, but his face was dark, his jaw clenched. He stared ahead, running his tongue over his teeth and clenching his hand into a fist. He pressed a few buttons, bringing the ship out of lightspeed.
You went to the bathroom, his stupid, perfect bathroom that was still humid from his shower. You stared at yourself in the mirror, wanting to shatter it with a hammer. You wondered how he would react to the broken shards—violent anger, or anguished pain. You couldn’t decide which one you liked better, but either was better than his infuriating passivity.
You still had your fingers gripped around the edge of the sink when the ship suddenly jolted.
Your head shot up, staring with wide eyes as the glass trembled and the floor vibrated under your feet. You moved quickly back to the cockpit, fear tightening in your chest as Jay’s voice sounded from ahead.
“What the fuck do you want?”
You made it to the door, staring at Jay, whose face was twisted in annoyance. He leaned over the controls, gaze locked on the transmission dial.
“I know you have her.”
You froze.
Jake’s voice spilled out of the intercom, his voice firmer than the last time you heard it. This wasn’t the cute boy from the cantina; this was the Jedi.
You inhaled sharply.
Jay heard and looked up, his eyes lingering on yours before turning back to the dial. “I don’t appreciate being shot at unprovoked.”
“Unprovoked? You stole my mission; that was payback. Now, I’d like you to hand her over. If not, I’ll be forced to bring you in.”
Jay chuckled darkly, “Bring me in? Who do you think you’re talking to? Your ‘mission’ lost me, my bounty Jedi. Someone’s gotta pay me.”
The voice was silent for a moment, and Jay glanced at you again. You were sitting back in your chair, digging your nails into your knee, eyes glazed over as you stared at nothing. You felt The Force hum around you like a physical presence, building with the tightness in your chest.
Jake’s voice cut back through the space. “Very well, hunter, I’ll pay you double whatever your client was going to give you for her.”
You watched as Jay’s eyes widened. He stared at the dial. “Double?” He lowered his voice, “We’re talking over 300,000 credits.”
“The Republic will make sure it gets to you.”
You studied Jay’s face. He worked his jaw, his whole body tense as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. You felt sick, running through a myriad of scenarios, trying to decide whether being sold off to the Jedi or some random businessman was worse. But when you closed your eyes, you heard the crack of a skull, the hum of a lightsaber, and a cold terror gripped you.
You felt yourself start to panic, “Jay-”
He looked up, and when he saw your face, something shifted. For just a second, his mask fell. The sharpness in his gaze dulled, the muscles in his jaw relaxed, and when you looked into his eyes, you saw it: understanding.
The look was gone before you could blink.
Jay turned back to the dial. “Sorry, Jedi, you can tell your masters to fuck right off.”
He disconnected the transmission and put his hands on the steering lever as the ship lurched forward. You almost fell out of your chair, grabbing the armrests to steady yourself.
“Hang on!” Jay yelled. You felt the ship shake again as Jake raced after you, pelting your shields with his laser cannons. Jay spun the ship, twirling around the shots as he sped forward.
You looked out the window, cursing when you saw what was ahead. “Jay, are you trying to kill us?”
He pressed a few buttons. “We can lose him in the meteor field; his shields aren’t strong enough to get through.”
You took a deep breath and closed your eyes. You hated to admit it, but if anyone was going to be this reckless and get away with it—smug, annoyingly confident Jay—was that person. The ship swerved suddenly, and your eyes snapped open. A meteor whirled by, just barely missing the front of the freighter.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” You tilted your head back against your seat, knuckles white from gripping the armrests.
Jay cursed as a rock clipped the butt of the ship, jolting it to the side. He twirled the lever again, steadying it as you curved around another boulder. “We’re almost through.”
“Great.” You said, eyes still clenched shut.
For another five minutes, the ship served and shook violently, the rattling of the ship only broken by Jay’s focused grunts. You kept your eyes closed, not wanting to see death racing by.
And then, everything was still.
You cracked an eye open and sighed in relief when you saw space stretching before you, black and empty, not a meteor in sight. You hesitantly removed your hands from the armrest and sat up.
Jay leaned back in his chair, breathing deeply. You noticed the glisten of sweat on his neck, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he stared ahead.
It hit you what he had just done. Jay Park, the premier bounty hunter, had just given up a bounty double the size of the original payout, and after that, he had risked his life.
“Did we lose him?” You asked quietly.
He nodded, “Yeah, he didn’t follow.”
The silence hung heavy between you, empty besides the sound of Jay’s breathing. You shifted in your seat, struggling to find the right words. You kept opening your mouth and closing it again, everything sounding wrong after you’d yelled at him earlier.
Jay stood up, cutting you off before you started. “But he’ll be back. The fact that he found us so fast means that he’s got a tracker on us.” He leaned forward and put the ship back into hyperspace.
“Where is it?”
He sighed, “I don’t know, it could be anywhere. If my systems haven’t picked it up, that means it’s tiny, too small for me to find with the tools I have. We’ll have to make a pit stop and have someone scan the ship. Otherwise, he’ll find us again.”
He started to move towards the door, not even glancing at you.
“Jay-” You tried.
“We’re backtracking. He can’t follow us in hyperspace, so we’re making a detour to Koros to buy us some time. We should get there tomorrow morning.” He left the room, leaving you staring helplessly after him.
You sighed, falling back in your chair and running your hands through your hair. You were still his prisoner, so why did you feel so terrible? You thought back to the way his face softened when he looked at you. The way it transformed him from the cold bounty hunter into someone else, someone who you weren’t sure you’d met yet. If he had turned down an offer for 300,000 credits, an amount you could hardly imagine, maybe there was hope he wouldn’t turn you in?
You stared back out the window, watching the lights fly by like sparks from a fire, letting the comforting hope of freedom drift and stray through your mind like an old friend.
You were sitting at the small table across from the holo map, staring absently at the polished green rock in the center. Your reflection stared back at you, the jagged ends distorting your features.
It never occurred to you how boring being a prisoner was. Jay hadn’t talked to you since he left the cockpit that morning; in fact, you hadn’t even seen him. You knew he was in his workshop from the sounds of clanging metal and flying sparks, but he hadn’t come out, and you hadn’t dared to knock.
But even if you were brave enough, you weren’t sure what you’d say. You didn’t want to apologize per say—he was still holding you here after all—but it felt like you had to do something. What do you say to the person who saved your life?
So you wandered around the ship, you talked to Pip, and you stared at the green rock, waiting for something to happen.
Then, a bowl appeared in front of your face.
You shot up, finding Jay staring down at you, his hand leaving the rim of the bowl. You frowned and looked down, seeing that he was barefoot. That explained how you hadn’t heard him walk in. He cradled another bowl in his hands and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall.
You raised your eyebrows, eyeing the empty chair across from you. “There is a chair, you know.”
He took a bite of stew, “I like the floor.”
You stared at him for a second before taking your bowl and sitting down on the floor across from him.
He looked at you like you’d grown two heads.
“What?” You asked.
A smirk ghosted his lips and he shook his head, “Nothing.”
Your eyes glanced down at his figure. He was wearing a tight black shirt and gray work pants, the fabric scattered with oil stains and paint chips. His hair was slicked back from his face, a few strands falling forward and into his eyes. Every time he brought the spoon up to his mouth, you saw the muscles of his bicep flex under the tight fabric. God, why did he have to look like that?
He glanced up and met your eyes. You quickly looked away.
You heard him sigh, “You know, I think today calls for some celebration.”
You watched, surprised, as he got up and clicked something on the hidden panel in the wall. The black surface slid open to reveal a small compartment filled with an array of bottles. Jay took out a tall one with dark brown liquid and two small glasses, pressing a button to close the cubby before sitting back down in front of you. “Ever try Corellian Brandy?”
You shook your head.
“It’s strong, but good, especially with a good stew.” He poured you both a small glass, shoving yours toward you. He picked up his glass and instantly downed it, wincing slightly as the liquid sloshed down his throat.
You smiled slightly and picked up your own. You sniffed it. Its odor was strong with a slight sweetness, like it was mixed with a dash of honey. You took a tiny sip and almost gagged. The smell was deceptive because all you felt was a strong burning as it hit the back of your throat.
Jay chuckled, holding up his newly filled glass, “To not dying.”
You held up yours, coughing, “To life.”
Jay downed his second glass and took another bite of his stew.
You bit your lip and stared at the brown liquid, taking a deep breath before tipping the whole glass into your mouth.
An hour later, you were giggling at something Jay said, half lying on the floor as laughs wracked your body.
Jay watched you with a lazy smile on his face, not as drunk as you, but not too far behind. His head felt light and fuzzy, making your laugh sound brighter and louder.
“And then what did you do?” You got out.
“I showed him my blaster and said, ‘Sorry, but I don’t speak idiot, feel free to take it up with my manager, although I don’t think he speaks it either.’”
Both you and Jay burst out laughing. You clutched your chest as you leaned your head against the floor, feeling tears slip from your eyes. Jay slouched against the wall, his head tilted back against the cool black metal of the ship.
You lay on the floor as your laughter faded into short chuckles, staring at the ceiling as your head buzzed with the same pleasant fuzziness.
You thought you felt Jay’s eyes on you, but you were too dazed to care.
“Why didn’t you let Jake have me?” You said, thoughts drifting back to that morning.
“Is that his name? Jake.” Jay frowned. “You just…seemed so scared, more scared than you ever were here.”
You turned your head to look at him. He stared at you, his features relaxed. You knew he was telling the truth. “I was scared. I…hate the Jedi.” You breathed.
“Why?” He said, taking another swig from the bottle. You’d abandoned the cups ages ago.
“They killed my parents.” You said, staring at the wall next to Jay’s head.
His face twisted in a mix of shock and confusion. “They did? The Jedi?”
You nodded, “Yeah, they came to take me like all the other Force-sensitive children when I was young, around five. They did their little Jedi tests and decided that they had to take me.”
“Don’t the parents have to agree?”
“Normally, yes, but I was different. I heard them say something about a ‘high count,’ and ‘massive potential.’ I think my parents thought that they were going to take me by force, and maybe they were, I don’t know.”
You sat up and took the bottle out of Jay’s hand, taking another swig. He didn’t stop you, just stared, a touch of concern in his eyes. You didn’t notice. “We were living in the Outer Rim in some remote farm world that hardly anyone ever went to. My parents barely knew anything about the Jedi, and they weren’t about to give their only daughter to them.”
You lay back down, the cold floor feeling good against your hot skin. “So they took them by surprise and attacked.” You chuckled, “Tried to do it with dull kitchen knives. The Jedi were so surprised, and the younger one, the padawan, panicked. With the wave of his arm, he threw my mother into the wall.” You waved your hand to demonstrate the gesture. “I heard a horrible crack, and she went still.”
“I’m sorry,” Jay murmured, his eyes dark.
You glanced at him, but kept talking. “My father somehow reacted faster than the Jedi. He got me out and handed me off to one of the local shop owners before going back for my mother. I think he knew she was dead. I knew she was dead. But he didn’t want to accept it, or maybe a part of him didn’t want to live without her.”
You felt the pressure of water in your eyes and were only dimly aware of a drop slipping down your cheek. “Or maybe a part of him blamed me for bringing the Jedi to our door.” You whispered.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Jay said. He leaned forward until his arms rested over his knees, staring at you intently. You saw his hand twitch, like he wanted to reach for you.
His words hit you harder than you expected. It was a thought that’d been running through your head in quiet whispers most of your life. It lingered in your dreams, your body, the eyes of fathers you saw walking down the street with their children in tow. You knew you weren’t the direct cause, the Jedi killed your mother, not you. But you also knew that if you’d never been born, or if you’d been born different…they’d still be alive.
You took a breath, keeping your eyes locked on the ceiling. “I know, but I wonder sometimes. He never came back. Maybe the Jedi got him, maybe they didn’t.” You shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. All I know is that the Jedi are not the golden heroes everyone says they are.”
Jay laughed harshly, “Definitely not, I waited years for them, and they never came.” He stared at his hands, tracing his fingers over calluses you had never noticed before. “They’re just a story they tell to children.”
Somehow, you had gotten closer. Your head lay next to his folded knees, your hands on your chest within reach of his clasped hands. You turned onto your side and let your gaze wander over his face, tracing the hard line of his jaw and the line of his lips. The lights lining the walls were dimmed low, making his skin look smooth and rich. You found yourself wondering if it would be as soft as it looked.
“Why did you wait?”
Jay’s eyes widened slightly, startled, as if he hadn’t meant to say that. But when he looked at you, the expression faded, replaced with a glazed, distant stare. He searched your face for something—you didn’t know what—but maybe he found it, because after a moment, he continued. “My homeworld was overrun by Separatist forces when I was around ten. My father died in the fighting, and my mother was taken away, probably somewhere else on the planet.” He took a breath. “There was a valuable resource in my world called Ilifrium.” He nodded at the green rock on the table, “That’s a sample right there.”
You stared at the rock, studying its curved edges with newfound interest as he continued.
“We would melt it down and use it in our cooking, because it was a powerful natural medicine. It made your muscles stronger, strengthened your immune system, made you less prone to fatigue…” He trailed off. “It was known that it could increase your lifespan by up to 20 years.” He smiled, a gentle, loving curve of his lips. “My people were strong, happy, and when the Separatists realized what Ilifrium could do for their enemies, the Jedi, they launched a planetary takeover.”
He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes a storm of grief and anger. “They forced us to melt down our reserves and strip the planet of everything, working us with barely any food or water-” His voice broke, and your hand instinctively reached up to rest over the one clenched in his lap.
Jay met your eyes, calculating. Slowly, he enclosed your small hand within his large one, squeezing slightly.
You nodded at him to continue.
He took a deep breath. “Every day, I prayed that the Jedi would come to free us from the Separatists. That they would save our planet and my people like they did so many others.” He paused. “But they never did, and the droids stayed and worked us until nothing was left.”
Violent anger rumbled in his voice as he talked, his face hardening into the familiar lines of the bounty hunter. You saw now that the Jedi changed Jay just as much as they changed you, maybe more so. Rage and pain were his fuel, while grief and fear were yours. Neither were sustainable. Both were destined for the crash.
His hand still held yours and you squeezed it slightly, drawing his gaze to your face. “I guess we’re both pretty fucked up then.”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched you, eyes tracing your face like he was studying an expensive painting.
You sat up, but you’d been laying down for so long that the shift was disorienting, and your vision blurred. You fell half into Jay’s lap, your hands latching onto his legs. His hands gripped your shoulders, steadying you, just like the first day you met. Except this time you were close, much closer. You looked up and realized his face was only inches away. You were painfully aware of the way his hands felt against your skin, the booze making the loneliness of the past few days feel tense and suffocating. One of your hands rested on his knee, and the other on his thigh, and the firmness of his body under you felt grounding, like nothing could sway you as long as he held you there.
Jay’s eyes roamed over you like an animal, his pupils dark and blown wide. His mouth was slightly parted, his hot breath fanning over your skin as his gaze darted between your eyes and your lips.
No words were spoken, but it felt like a million conversations were passing between the rhythm of his breath and the pressure of his hands. His right hand left your shoulder and floated up to your face. He gently took your chin between his thumb and index finger, as if you were a piece of glass that would shatter under his touch. He traced the skin softly, sending pleasant shivers down your body, only intensified by the buzz in your skull.
Jay looked at you like he was fighting against a demon, his entire body screaming at him to close the distance. The part of his brain, not fogged up by the brandy, told him to stop. But the voice was so quiet, shouting from behind a reinforced wall on another planet. He felt his body move forward. His hand tilted up your chin.
And when the warmth of your lips met his, the voice went silent.
Every thought in your head evaporated the second he leaned in.
There was only the hand that cupped your face and the firm body beneath your fingers, kissing you as if he needed you to breathe.
You melted under him like he was fire, and you were ice, threading one of your hands through his hair and pulling him closer.
Jay made a noise and moved his hand from your shoulder to your waist, pulling you onto his lap. You wrapped your knees around his torso, straddling him. His hands moved to your hips, pulling you so close you could feel the hard length of his erection pressing against your core.
You shifted slightly, sighing as you felt your clit brush against his shaft. Jay growled into your mouth, digging his fingers into your hips to hold you still. The sound sent a jolt of pleasure straight between your legs, and you nipped at his lip, the brandy boosting your confidence.
He hissed and pulled back, looking at you like you were a problem he didn’t sign up for. But he didn’t let go of you, didn’t push you away. Instead he picked you up. Hooked his hands under your ass and pushed his back against the wall until he was on his feet.
You hooked your legs around his waist, your eyes searching his face.
Jay’s eyes were locked on your lips, his pupils wide and unreadable. He leaned in, his nose brushing yours before kissing you again. His mouth moved against yours hungrily, grazing your bottom lip with his teeth. You made a noise halfway between a moan and a whimper and he swallowed all of it, his hands on your thighs tightening. He tried to walk forward a few steps, but stumbled slightly, his hand shooting out to grab the edge of the holo map to stay standing.
He groaned in annoyance, and you laughed softly against his lips. He pulled away and readjusted his hold on your thighs before walking again, this time his eyes facing forward.
You took the opportunity to lean your face into the crook of his neck, gently kissing the sensitive skin.
“Fuck,” he whispered, and you could feel the sound rumble against his chest. You smiled and made your kisses sloppier, using your tongue to swirl wet circles.
You were only half aware of being in a new area of the ship, the hallway spotted with unfamiliar doors. He carried you to the very end, his hands starting to make erratic movements around your thighs as his resolve weakened.
You were still making out with his neck, teasing the skin with your teeth before sucking the area into your mouth.
“y/n” he groaned. Jay had been about to touch the panel on the wall to open the door, but as your teeth sank into his nape, he slammed you against it instead, forcing you to look at him. “If you don’t stop I’m going to fuck you right here.” His eyes were completely black, and you could tell that his self control was hanging by a thread. “I’d much prefer the bed, I can take you better that way, but if you don’t keep your teeth in check and behave, we won’t make it there.”
The intensity of his stare only strengthened the pressure between your legs, and it was all you could do to nod, tongue darting out to collect the excess moisture on your lips.
His eyes flicked down at the movement, and you watched a muscle tighten in his jaw as he reached and touched the console to open the door.
You felt the wall against your back disappear as it met open air, and he wasted no time walking in. You glanced around, getting a brief view of a large bed next to a small kitchenette, an empty pot perched on the stove.
Jay threw you onto the bed, immediately grabbing the bottom of his black shirt and pulling it up and off his head. He tossed it onto the floor like an afterthought, walking to the edge of the bed and staring down at you. You sat with your legs extended and your hands holding you up from behind, raking your eyes down his chest. Somehow, he looked even better now than he did in the gym, the soft light of the lamp on the bedside table casting golden shadows onto the ridges of his muscles.
He smirked as he followed your eyes and put his knee on the mattress, pushing you onto your back as he climbed over you. Jay’s eyes traced your body with the precision of a hunter deciding where to make the first cut, analytic and cold. His hand landed on your waist, drifting up below your shirt as he lifted it to expose your breasts. He wasted no time, reaching under you to unclip your bra with the ease of a pro.
The second your nipples were exposed, he was on you, flicking his tongue against your raised peaks with teasing consistency.
You arched against him, the spikes of pleasure enhanced by the brandy.
Without moving his mouth, he pinned you down, one hand slipping down to your thigh and the other pinning your arm, holding you against the mattress.
You couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping your lips at the situation. At the total absurdity of it. Here you were, being held down by the man who picked you up off the street and locked you in his ship, one of the most notorious bounty hunters in the galaxy.
And you were enjoying it. Really enjoying it.
He stopped at your laugh, looking up at you like you’d gone mad. He migrated to your neck, placing a few soft kisses, “Something funny?”
You laughed again, shrinking against his lips.
You felt him smile against your skin, his chuckle vibrating through his body and against yours. “You’re so…” He trailed off, and when you turned your head to look at him, he attacked your lips, silencing your lingering laughter which quickly turned into desperate whimpers.
His tongue brushed against your teeth, asking for entrance, and when you hesitated, he bit your lip, making you gasp. He slipped his tongue through your open mouth, groaning as it tangled with yours.
You clawed at his back, moaning as you felt his deltoid flex under your hand. You wanted to touch every inch of him, to feel his bodyrespond to your touch.
Jay reached his hand down to tug at your pants. You helped, breaking the kiss to slide them down your hips and onto the floor. Jay kissed you again, flicking up your chin with his finger before kissing down your chest.
You propped yourself up on your elbows, watching with glossy eyes as the pressure in your core built with every glide of his lips.
When he reached the line of your panties he stopped. He looked up at you, a dark smirk on his face. With his teeth, he bit the edge of the fabric, moving his head back as he pulled them down.
The sight alone made you moan, and you bucked your hips in response, begging for him.
The moment the fabric peeled away, exposing your pussy to the open air, his tongue was on you, dipping into your folds, and brushing a deep stroke up to your clit.
You tried to arch again, but his hands held you down, their grip on your thighs firm and commanding.
Jay didn’t stop, he didn’t tease, he attacked, eating you out like he was starving.
Your hands gripped the sheets, the pleasure so intense you knew release was imminent. His tongue was precise, calculated, hitting every spot at just the right speed and pressure. It was like he’d tasted you a thousand times, memorizing your body better than you ever had.
“Jay, oh fuck please!” You cried, your moans turning into desperate pleas.
He didn’t stop, not even for a second. No, instead, he dipped his tongue into your entrance, slipping it in and out, drawing a strangled gasp from your mouth. You reached out one hand to grab his hair, pulling him even closer.
He moaned against you, sending another jolt of pleasure through your body. “I’m close,” you choked, “Jay I’m so close.”
At that, he stopped. He slowly tilted his head up, his mouth coated in your juices, his eyes ruined. “But I’m not done with you.”
You almost came right there.
He stood up, his hand going to the band of his sweatpants. Your eyes widened, and he noticed.
He pulled them down along with his boxers in one fluid motion, his hard length coming free. You licked your lips at the sight, eyes darting up to his face.
Jay’s expression was so intense it almost scared you. He looked like he was in pain, eyes locked on your gleaming pussy like it was his reason for living. He leaned against the edge of the bed and hooked his hands under your knees, pulling you close until his cock hovered outside your entrance.
“Ready to cum for me baby?” His voice was deep, completely wrecked.
You nodded quickly, unable to take your eyes off his length inches from where you needed him.
You felt a hand grab your chin, forcing you to look at him. “Be a good girl and use your words.” He growled.
“Yes,” you breathed, “I want to cum for you.”
He raised his eyebrows, “yes who?”
It slipped out before you could stop yourself, “Yes Daddy.”
Jay’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting that response. But it was quickly followed by a dark smile, his eyes suddenly a shade brighter. His grip on your chin loosened, turning almost loving as he brushed your cheek with his thumb. “Yes, Daddy will take care of you.”
The second the words left his mouth, he slammed into you, the gentle touch on your cheek falling away as he filled you.
You screamed, falling back onto the bed as the stretch made your eyes roll back.
Jay moved fast, pumping into you with a brutal rhythm that made your mouth drop open in a silent scream. He watched your face the whole time, his brows drawn together as he fucked you into oblivion.
You desperately grasped at the bedsheets, needing to hold something as your entire body shook with his thrusts.
Jay put his hand on your breast, kneading the hard peaks. You took the opportunity to grab his arm, digging your fingers into the hard muscle to give you some semblance of reality.
He winced at the strength of your grip, and you could tell by the flicker in his eye that he liked it.
You let your nails press harshly into his flesh, watching his skin go pale around the pressure. Jay groaned, and with his hand still on your hip he dragged you closer, allowing him to thrust even deeper into you.
At the feeling of his dick pounding against your cervix, you bit down on your lip, hard. You felt a warm trail of blood form on the delicate skin, barely registering as it slipped down your chin. Jay saw and leaned forward, tugging your chin towards him and flicking his tongue out to lick up the red line. Then he captured your lips, the metallic tang of your blood mixed with his saliva making you whimper.
“Careful sweetheart,” he said. “Daddy doesn’t want you to get hurt.”
You tried to close the distance again but he dodged your lips, smirking.
You trembled under him, feeling your orgasm building on the brink of release as he continued his deep thrusts. You were past the point of forming words, but Jay didn’t care. He slowed his rhythm, smiling as your face contorted with need. “I’m going to need to hear you y/n, tell me what you need.”
You cursed. “Jay if you don’t start moving right now, I’m gonna-”
He thrust his hand between the space where your bodies met, pressuring your clit firmly. “That’s my girl.” And then he moved, a desperate hungry rhythm as he chased his own release inside you. You arched off the bed with a choked sob as your orgasm finally ripped through you, sending waves of shivering pleasure in spasms down your body. Jay came shortly after, groaning as your walls clenched around him, his seed filling you completely in a sticky mass. You sighed at the warmth in your vagina, feeling your muscles twitch and then relax into the mattress.
Jay stayed inside you for a moment, panting heavily. His forehead glistened with sweat, his expression dazed. Then he slowly pulled out, both of you moaning softly at the separation. He bent down his head and started cleaning you with his tongue, lapping at his cum that dripped down your thighs. You whined at the overstimulation, but lay still, too tired to squirm under him.
When he was done, he crawled on the bed, pulling you onto his chest as he collapsed against the pillows. You curled into him like a loth cat, his warmth radiating into your tired muscles. The fuzzy ache of the brandy had almost worn off, and you could feel your eyes getting heavy. Jay stroked your hair, his breathing steady and comforting against your ear.
You didn’t say anything, and neither did he. You just held each other, basking in the stillness as sleep took you both.
You woke up to the warm embrace of silk sheets and the soothing pressure of a thick pillow under your head.
You groaned, curling into a ball as you started to feel the pressure of a hangover pulsing in your skull. You lay there for a few minutes, half asleep and relaxed.
But then you felt the dull ache between your legs, and the memories from the night before came rushing in.
Your eyes snapped open towards the other side of the bed, half hoping, half dreading seeing another body. But it was empty, and when you reached over to feel the rumpled sheets, they were cold.
You sat up slowly, wincing as the throbbing in your head intensified. You glanced at the bedside table, eyes widening when you found a tall glass of water and a small white pill next to it. Besides the glass was a small note with only one word: Drink
You downed the pill and the water before getting to your feet, groaning as you faced the reality of just how sore your body was. With some difficulty, you eventually got your shirt and pants back on, and took the opportunity to get a closer look at the room.
Just as you remembered, a small kitchenette stood in one corner, clean and tidy beside the large pot on the stove, remnants from last night's dinner. But on the other side of the bed, in a spot you hadn’t noticed, stood an old-looking guitar. It was a typical double-necked model made from dark wood and polished metal strings, but it looked tweaked slightly, like Jay had added to it. There were two extra tuning pegs on each side, slightly brighter than the other ones, connected to strings leading under a covered hood built out of the soundhole. You imagined Jay playing it, tucking the instrument to his chest, his face relaxed and gentle as he played. You smiled.
You stood up and walked back to the door, the pill already kicking in as the pounding in your head lessened to a dull ache. You took a deep breath as you stepped out, not totally sure what to expect from Jay. You replayed the image of his blown pupils boring into you, his desperate thrusts and the way he kissed you like he was starving. You felt a slight swell of heat in your core at the memory. It was…so different from the cold mask you’d faced from that first day. It was the version of him that flew through an asteroid field to save you, the version of him that listened to your story and told you it wasn’t your fault.
The words you didn’t know how badly you needed to hear.
You walked into the main room, the space quiet besides the steady humming of the ship around you. You could tell from the sound that you were still in hyperspace, shooting towards a planet you’d never stepped foot on.
Before you could decide what to do, a door whirred open to your left. You looked up, watching as Jay stepped through, a towel thrown over his shoulder and a fresh layer of sweat slicked over his forehead, clearly straight from the gym.
You ached at the sight of him. God, what had you let him do to you?
“Hi.” You said.
His eyes washed over you, cautious, distant, and you realized with a sinking feeling in your gut that the mask was back, and the Jay that had held you against his chest was gone.
“Hey.” He said. He rubbed the towel through his hair, his eyes flicking to your lips.
You brushed your finger over the cut, wincing gently as the memory of his tongue licking up your blood flashed through your mind.
He looked away and walked past you towards the cockpit, “Did you take the pill?”
You nodded, trying to hide the hurt that blossomed in your chest, “Yeah, thank you, it helped.”
“I have a contact on Naboo for them, no better hangover med in the galaxy.”
You followed him into the small room, saying nothing as you watched him check a few of the bright indicators on the control panel. “We’ll be leaving hyperspace in about an hour and then we’ll head straight down to Koros. We’ll have to be fast since Jake will be on our tail.”
You shifted on your feet. “Jay…”
“What?” His face was hard.
You opened your mouth but no words came out. “...Can we talk?”
He clenched his jaw, his eyes full of something you couldn’t read. Somehow, it was worse, like every bit of familiarity you’d built had been erased by the night before. He had been as physically close to you as anyone, and yet now he seemed like he was lightyears away.
“There’s nothing to talk about.” He squared his shoulders and walked out of the room, keeping his distance as he brushed by you, like your skin was a drug he was scared to touch.
JAKE
Jake woke to the sound of beeping.
He half fell out of his seat as his eyes snapped open, scrambling towards the red indicator on the console. He clicked a few buttons, a relieved laugh slipping from his lips as a dot appeared on the small locator grid.
He had them, there was still a chance.
He immediately put in Jay’s ship coordinates and set his ship to hyperspeed, sighing as the racing white lights arched over him. He never got tired of it.
Jake leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair as he tried to wake himself up from the last day of sitting and waiting. He hadn’t told the council about the encounter, even though he probably should have. He kept replaying Jay’s words in his mind, what kind of bounty hunter declined a bounty, especially one that large?
He had no explanation for it, nothing besides the spiteful, childish pride of refusing any sort of help, even when it was desperately needed. He saw it all the time as a padawan, planets full of people that would rather die fighting by themselves than accept the Jedi’s help. He didn’t understand it, that’s what the Jedi were there for.
But mostly, he didn’t tell the council because he couldn’t bear to hear the words again: “if she continually refuses our aid, she will need to be disposed of.”
He didn’t believe them, he didn’t believe that the bright-eyed girl he met in the cantina, who brushed her hand over his, and called the bartender Scarface, could be a danger to the Jedi.
There had to be another way.
YOU
The second Jay opened the door to the ship, you stormed out, shouldering your worn satchel as you clomped down the metal ramp.
“y/n, where are you going?” Jay stood at the entrance, his expression annoyed.
“I’m taking a walk, I need a break from you.”
He sighed, running a hand through his freshly washed hair. “No, Jake could catch up to us at any time, we need to stick together.”
“Oh so now you wanna stay together?”
He let out a harsh laugh, “God I can’t do this right now. You need to follow me, you really think you can fend off a Jedi?”
You scoffed, “I can do a lot of things you don’t know about Jay. I’m a wealth of surprises.”
His face hardened, his mouth making a thin line. “Listen y/n, last night…” he cursed softly, “It was a mistake, ok? I had too much to drink and I got carried away.”
You could do nothing to stop the pain from showing on your face, realizing that his words, the ones that had you crawling into his arms, didn’t mean as much as you thought they did.
You thought you saw his face soften slightly as he looked at you, but it was gone before it was even really there. “If you expected more from it…I’m sorry.”
You turned away before he could finish his sentence, needing to get away from him before he saw you break any more. That was one thing you refused to give him: your tears.
He called after you, but it fell on deaf ears. There was only the roar of blood in your ears and the sounds of the city, drowning out his voice like a repressed memory. You slipped into the crowd, letting it consume you.
You hated him.
You hated the way you couldn’t stop thinking about the way his tongue felt between your thighs. You hated the way he listened to you like he cared. You hated the way he squeezed your hand. You hated the way he looked at you as he told you it was a mistake.
You walked through the crowd like you had a destination, but really you had none. You just needed to create distance, needed to get away from his emotionless stare. But you knew not even the stretch of the city would be enough. You pulled out Pip as you walked, cursing as you talked. The droid's beeps made you feel slightly better, at least one thing in the galaxy seemed to want to talk to you. Even if it was a droid, with no legs.
You walked until the smell of food made your steps slow, and let it lead you to a street stall set up outside what looked like a very fancy restaurant. This planet was the complete opposite of Devon Four: rich, sprawling, and covered with the type of high-class people you had learned to stay away from. These were the types of people who would sell you out to the Jedi without a second thought, but at the moment, you didn’t really care.
You sat at the stall and poured a handful of credits on the counter that you’d stolen from one of Jay’s drawers. You knew he wouldn’t notice you’d taken them, but you wished that he would, just to see the annoyed tick of his jaw.
You decided then that you’d take your chances with the Jedi. You’d survived this long, you could do it again. But Jay’s words flashed through your mind: “You really think you can fend off a Jedi?”
Honestly, you didn’t know, but anything was better than spending another second with him.
You ate eagerly, the food—some kind of noodle dish— heavenly against your empty stomach. Jay had offered you food before you landed, but you’d refused. Half because you were angry, and half because your stomach was always iffy after a night of drinking.
You chattered to Pip as you ate, planning out where you would go next or how you could get off the planet.
And that’s when everything went black.
JAKE
Jake heaved her into his arms after the Force sleep took hold, turning her brain off like a switch. He threw the babbling droid on the table into her sack, not wanting to cause more of a scene than he already was.
People stared at him as he walked, but not as concerned as they were curious. Koros wasn’t very far from Coruscant; the Jedi were common and well-respected here. He had changed into his proper robes after landing and realized he had missed it after the hostile caution of the Outer Rim.
He glanced down at her, taking in the peaceful expression that glossed over her features as her cheek rested against his chest. His eyes narrowed when he spotted the red mark on her lip, a swell of concern roiling in his gut. Had Jay hit her?
When he got to his ship, he gently placed her in the chair behind the pilot's seat, buckling her in and brushing a strand of hair out of her face before taking his own place. Jake started the ship with a gentle hum, the engines roaring to life as he lifted it into the air. He set the coordinates for a planet in the next system, wanting to create distance from the bounty hunter who was surely nearby. But not to Coruscant, not yet.
Jake didn’t care what the council said, he was going to talk to her, and he was going to make her listen.
He had just made the jump into hyperspeed when he felt the air shift.
He turned around, his mouth dropping as he found wide eyes staring back. She was awake. How was she awake? He’d put her in Force sleep, she couldn’t just wake up!
“Jake,” she said between short gasps, “let me out, Jake.” She struggled against the seatstrap, a look of pure panic on her face.
“It’s ok, I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m taking you-”
“Jay!” She yelled, “Jay please, I’m sorry.” A trail of tears slipped down her cheeks. “I should have listened, oh fuck, I should have listened.”
Jake didn’t know how to react to what he was hearing, he tentatively reached a hand towards her arm, wanting to steady her.
This was the wrong move.
She jerked her arm away and the entire ship lurched with her, swerving and causing Jake to lose his balance. He gripped his chair, desperately trying to calm her down as her uncontrolled Force abilities came out.
“y/n listen to me, you’re ok, I just want to talk to you.”
She jerked again, sending the ship spinning in the other direction.
Jake could barely see straight as the ship spun, and as he stared at her features twisted in panic, he knew there was no getting through to her. Not now.
He flung out his hand and used the Force the same way as before, groaning in relief as he watched her face go lax and her body slump into the chair.
He fell back into his seat, quickly righting the ship towards their new destination: a small plains planet called Argos. He glanced back at her every few minutes, making sure she stayed under.
JAY
Jay paid the mechanic and walked away, turning over the miniature tracking device in his hand. It was barely the size of his fingernail, and so thin it was almost transparent. He had no idea how it got there, or how long. He made a note to do more regular checkups on his ship, and have a word with the hunter guild about keeping tabs on him.
He wandered a few blocks of the city, eyeing the luxury boutiques and pristine restaurants. It was a nice place, he could see himself spending time here. He passed a window featuring a glamorous purple and blue dress on a mannequin, the layers of fabric overlapping into what felt like an endless train.
His first thought was how good she’d look wearing it.
His second thought was how hurt she’d looked as she stormed away from him.
Jay clicked his tongue, adjusting the dark shades over his eyes as he walked away from the window. He hadn’t lied to her, it was a mistake. He never should have let his guard down like that. Not to her. Not to anyone.
He was a loner, and he liked that life. No one to worry about, no one to fight with…but right now he was worried, and after that fight, it was only worse. He hated the way his stomach dropped when he thought about her, and hated the way his eyes searched the crowd now, looking for the flutter of brown fabric or the sound of heavy boots.
Yeah, it was definitely a mistake.
He stopped and pulled out his tracker, tired of looking the old-fashioned way. Clearly she had really wanted to get away from him, and hid well. Unbeknownst to her, he had found her PIP droid and installed a tracking program. He did this for most of his bounties in the event they got away from him (something that never happened), and hadn’t thought twice when he’d habitually done the same for her.
Jay flipped open the metal screen, and his heart stopped.
Her dot wasn’t even on the screen. Wasn’t even on the planet.
He zoomed out, swiping his finger frantically until he finally found it, beeping calmly, halfway to the next starsystem.
His feet were moving before his brain could finish processing what he’d seen. Jake got her, he knew it without a shadow of a doubt.
An intense wave of guilt welled up in his gut, and he stumbled slightly. The feeling shocked him—it was like he’d been punched in the gut—and he almost threw up right then, leaning onto a nearby trash chute. Her pained face flashed through his mind for what felt like the thousandth time that day. This was his fault, he’d pushed her away, and left her vulnerable. He knew she was helpless against an experienced Force user, yet he let her go anyway, too much of a coward to actually talk to her.
He felt his hand shake as he raked it through his hair, stumbling slightly toward his ship still parked in the docks.
He thought of the fear on her face when he’d first crashed into her on Devon Four, or when Jake’s voice sounded through the transmitter.
He thought of her story, her parents.
Jay ripped off his shades as he made it to his ship, heading straight for the cockpit. He avoided looking at the spot on the floor where he’d first kissed her. There was only guilt, pain, and anger.
He sat down in the pilot's seat and put his hand on the lever.
YOU
You woke up with a gasp.
Brown sheets, tan walls, dark wood, a man in a chair. You were in a hotel, lying sprawled on a bed as life returned to your limbs. You blinked, memories from the last few hours zipping through your mind like the white flashes of lightspeed.
The man stood as you sat up, his hair messy like he’d run his hand through it too many times, a concerned expression clouding his features.
Jake.
You closed your eyes and leaned your head back against the headboard. God damn it. Jay was right, of course he was right; you hadn’t even heard Jake come up behind you.
“How do you feel?” Jake’s soft voice washed over you. The worried lilt in his voice surprised you.
You kept your eyes closed. “Like I was knocked out by the Force.”
“Technically it was a Force induced sleep, I didn’t ‘knock you out.’”
“Whatever.”
You heard him shift on his feet, the only sound in the silence of the room. “I took you here so we could talk.”
“What do we have to talk about? Just take me to Coruscant and get it over with Jake. Or better yet, kill me now.”
You heard him wince, and you opened your eyes to see him chewing his lip, avoiding your face. “I’m not doing that, I just needed to know why.”
“Why what?”
“Why do the Jedi think you’re dangerous?”
You stared at him.
He continued. “They say that you’ll join the Sith, that you’ll be a danger to the Order itself.”
You snorted, “I’m flattered.”
“y/n, this isn’t a joke, if you don’t listen to them, they’ll kill you!”
You narrowed your eyes, “Maybe that’d be better.”
Jake laughed like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “You sound like the bounty hunter, what’d he do to you, did he give you that mark? Brainwash you into becoming his sidekick?” He gestured to your lip.
You looked away as you felt a prickle of heat on your neck. Your brain betrayed you, the image of Jay’s tongue on your chin replaying like a movie.
Thankfully, Jake didn’t notice the way your thighs clenched.
“No, I bit myself.” You whispered.
His eyes softened, but only slightly. “You were calling his name, you know. On the ship.”
You felt your chest tighten, remembering only a panicked haze from the confines of Jake’s ship. You didn’t remember calling for him, but you knew Jake had no reason to lie.
“I was scared.”
“Are you still scared?”
“Yes.”
He sighed. “Why? Why do you hate us? The Jedi are protectors, guardians, they help people and do good, I just don’t understand wh-”
“Because they took everything from me Jake!” You cut him off, raising your voice into a broken cry.
He froze.
You buried your head in your hands, wanting nothing more than your old life. The one before Jake, before Jay. When you spent every night on a different couch, or tucked in someone else’s bed. It wasn’t perfect, but it was peaceful. It was yours.
Jake carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, “y/n.”
Your name sounded so good on his lips, the word gentle and full of care. The same way Jay said it last night. You felt a tear slip down your cheek.
“y/n, tell me what happened.”
You were exhausted, mentally and physically. Your walls were brittle, weak, and so you did. You told him everything. The night of your parents death, your life growing up as an orphan, your years on the run surviving as a common thief…it spilled out of you in a wave, pent up and brimming after years of keeping it down.
He never took his eyes off you the entire time, his face going through a whirlwind of emotions as he listened. First shock, then confusion, then disbelief. His leg shook, the veins on his arms protruded as he flexed his hand, but he never looked away. Not once.
When you finished, he sighed like he’d been holding his breath, shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. Then he stood up and paced, glancing between you and the wall, as he picked at his plump lips.
You didn’t say anything, just watched as Jake’s entire world changed.
“I-I don’t understand, how could that even happen, the Jedi don’t kill civilians, nor do they take Force-sensitive children against their will.”
“My parents thought they were.”
“Well they were wrong.” He snapped.
A pang of hurt flickered on your face, and Jake noticed, his expression immediately softening. “I’m sorry, I just-” He stopped, sighing deeply, “why wouldn’t they tell us about you? Why didn’t they tell me about what happened?”
“They probably didn’t want to break people’s trust,” you whispered, “It was a mistake, and they covered it up.”
He sat back down on the bed, his back to you. “Do you remember the names of the Jedi who did it?”
You shook your head, “No, I can only remember their faces. Mostly the padawan, he was the one who killed my mother.”
Jake nodded, his face distant.
For a few minutes, you sat in silence, Jake leaning his elbows on his knees as he stared out the hotel room window.
You jumped slightly when he finally spoke. “What if I taught you?”
You tilted your head, “What?”
“The council was right about one thing, you’re powerful, I could barely handle you when you used the Force to move the ship.” He turned his body to face you, “You need to learn how to control it before you hurt someone.”
You stared at your lap, “I have a few times already.”
He tentatively placed his hand on your knee, drawing your eyes back to his. “Not again, I’ll train you.”
“The council wouldn’t let you.”
He smiled, and just like that, he was the boy in the cantina again.
“No, they wouldn’t, but they don’t have to know. I’ll take you somewhere far from here, somewhere they’ll never find you. I’ll tell them that you’re dead, and I’ll visit as often as I can.” Jake moved closer, grabbing your hand, “I’ll teach you everything I know, and before you know it, you’ll be as good as a Jedi.”
His eyes were so bright as he looked at you, so full of hope, and you realized as you looked at him that this was what the Jedi represented. The others were fake, just projections of Jedi. But Jake, he was real. He was the Jedi.
You felt your body relax, and for just a second, you let yourself believe him.
The plan was set.
Jake was going to take you to the most remote planet he could find, far away from Coruscant and the Jedi. Then he would report to the council, and tell them you were dead.
You tried not to think about Jay. Every time his voice played through your mind you pushed it away. You focused on Jake—his voice, his smile—the one who was going to save you from this mess.
You were half asleep on the bed, encouraged by Jake to get some more rest before leaving when a knock sounded on the hotel door.
Jake’s head shot up from the bag he’d been packing, his hand hovering over his lightsaber. “Who’s there?”
“Open the door Jake.”
You watched as Jake’s entire body froze, his face morphing into a look of dread. His eyes were locked on the door, staring at it like a monster was about to walk through.
“Jake?” You whispered.
He turned his head, a pained expression on his face. “y/n, I’m sorry.”
The door slid open, and in walked a dark-skinned man in Jedi robes, two figures in similar uniform behind him. He glanced at Jake before resting his eyes on you, his face unreadable. “y/n l/n, we’re going to need you to come with us.”
You moved back on the bed, the familiar twinge of fear flaring in your gut.
“Either you come willingly, or we take you. You’ve run long enough.”
You looked desperately at Jake but his eyes were glued to his feet, his shoulders slumped.
“Don’t look at him, look at me. He can’t help you.”
“Master Windu…” Jake whispered.
The man’s head whirled towards Jake. “Enough. We told you not to talk to her. Your job was to capture and return. Luckily we have enough spies on this planet that we had a report on your location before you left your ship.”
Jake winced like a kicked puppy, his hands clasped tightly at his sides.
Windu glanced at you one more time before turning towards the door. He nodded to his companions. “Take her, we’ve wasted enough time.”
The other Jedi approached the bed. You tried to run, your instincts the only thing left to rely on. But before you could take a step, a hand gripped your wrist, tugging you against an unfamiliar body while you felt your hands held and locked in stuncuffs behind your back. You squirmed and fought against them, not caring how it made you look. After running from them for a majority of your life, you sure as hell weren’t going to make it easy for them.
They half pulled-half dragged you out of the room. You got one last look at Jake before the door closed behind you. He watched you helplessly, his mouth open in silent protest as you felt an angry tear slip down your cheek.
Somehow, this hurt more. Having the hope ripped out of your chest before it could properly settle. You should have known it was just a dream. A dream created by a boy too blinded by the false light of the Jedi to see.
JAKE
Jake slowly walked out of the hotel, covering his eyes as the sun pierced him.
He felt lost, empty, the cold grip of failure sitting heavy on his chest. He just let it happen. Just watched as Mace commanded them to take her. He couldn’t say anything. Why didn’t he say anything?
It was like every bit of confidence he had built up the last few days had been ripped out of him the second Master Windu stepped into the room. Jake knew he was a Master, someone with vast amounts of wisdom and experience, but it’s like he didn’t even matter. He was a Jedi Knight and yet he still felt like a padawan. Pushed to the side like an ignorant child. And yet, even his master, Plo Koon, had treated him more like an equal.
And then there was y/n’s story.
The Jedi? Killers? His stomach lurched every time he thought of it, the crack of y/n’s mothers skull against the wall playing in his head like he’d seen it himself. They didn’t even tell him.
He grit his teeth as he stalked towards his ship. He asked the council why she was so important, and to his face, they had ignored him. He wondered how many people knew. Just the council? Or was it only him they didn’t trust?
Jake pulled his hood tighter over his head as y/n’s desperate eyes clung to his mind.
He was about 100 yards from his ship when his arm moved, The Force screaming at him to block as a blaster shot zoomed toward his head. The blue glow of his lightsaber whirled in front of him as he deflected it.
He looked up, eyes widening as a figure in all black stocked toward him, his arm raised with a blaster gripped in his hand.
Jay Park.
“Where is she?” He shouted, his footsteps not slowing.
Jake tilted his head, remembering how y/n had called for him. “She’s gone, you should have taken my deal when you had the chance.”
The bounty hunter wore his dark shades, so Jake could only see his jaw clench as he shot the blaster again, this time at Jake’s feet. He jumped back, his lightsaber still humming beside him.
“You gave her up? Didn’t you?”
His voice was low and dangerous, and Jake felt a flicker of fear shiver in his stomach. “In case you forgot, I’m a Jedi. It was my job to give her up.”
Jay smirked, “Oh I know, which is why I’m going to fucking kill you.” He hit a button on the band on his wrist, shooting another shot with his blaster as a net shot out of a device on Jay’s belt, heading straight for Jake.
He dove, hitting the ground hard as he just narrowly dodged the net. Jay shot again, his blaster echoing through the now-empty shipyard as Jake used his lightsaber to deflect each one.
“Jay, wait-” Jake said before being forced to the ground as a small throwing knife whizzed past his neck.
Jay responded by taking a compact metal tube out of his boot, clicking a button so it opened into an electrified whip, its tendrils creating a soft humming sound similar to Jake’s lightsaber.
Jake raised his eyebrows, “Really?”
Jay shrugged, “Jedi aren’t the only ones with cool weapons.” He flung it outward, Jake using The Force to jump around it.
Jay scoffed, “Are you just going to run forever, or are you going to fight?”
“I’m only defending myself, Jedi don’t fight civilians.”
Jay cursed, “God I’m so sick of your stupid rules. All of that crap about controlling your emotions and cutting attachments, it’s not natural”
“Who are you to tell me what’s natural? You hunt people for a living.”
“Your entire mission was to find y/n, it’s the same thing.”
“I don’t get paid.”
“Sucks for you.”
Jake felt his temper flare, and he dug his nails into his palm. He extinguished his lightsaber, putting it back on his belt before turning away. “I’m done with you.”
Jake heard Jay raise his blaster, and he whirled, putting his hand out and throwing
Jay off of his feet with The Force. The hunter groaned on the ground. He raised his head with a smile on his face, wiping a trickle of blood off his lip.“That’s better.”
Jake’s nostrils flared as he stared at him, “Why are you even here? She’s not your target.”
Jay’s smile dropped. He sat up. “I have my reasons.”
“Well you better tell me, because if you still want to find her, you’re going to need my help.”
Jay raised his eyebrows, “Help? Are you saying you’re going to betray the Jedi?”
Jake bit his lip, “It’s not betrayal if I’m saving an innocent life, something the Jedi taught me to do.”
Jay took off his shades, his eyes dark, “So they will kill her?”
“Based on what she told me…yes, I think there’s a high chance.”
“She told you then? About her parents?”
Jake frowned, “She told you?”
The bounty hunter stood up, running a hand through his spiky hair, “Yeah.”
Jake ignored the twinge of jealousy in his gut. “She’s living proof of the Jedi’s mistake, they’ll give her some tests, ask her questions, and if they decide she’s too prone to anger or any other strong emotion…they won’t let her walk free.”
Jay let out a short laugh, “So she’s doomed?”
Jake thought about the way she struggled against the stuncuffs, fighting against her captors like a caged animal. Despite himself, he smiled. “Probably.”
Pairings: Spirit Guide!Jay x Fem!Reader
WC: 4.3k
Summary: All you wanted was one day to yourself after weeks of built-up stress at your new job. Just one morning to sit on a mountain and listen to nothing but the birds. But the rain had other plans, one of them being a mysterious stranger with a heart-stopping smile and a supernatural ability to say just the right thing.
Content/Warnings: Strangers to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Ghosts, Light Angst, Mention of Harassment, Workplace Stress/Burnout
A/N: Fully inspired by the Vogue video with Jay getting into the truck with a hint of fantasy. Absolutely gagged by those photos and needed to write something about it :D I think some of my anxiety about graduating next year slipped into this, so if you're in the same boat, this is for you! I'm also always so comforted by Jay's thoughtful Weverse comments and wanted to put that energy into a fic. As always, Likes, Comments, and Reblogs are very appreciated <3
P.S. I recommend listening to "The Big Rock Candy Mountain" before/after reading :)
The sound of rain hitting your windshield mixed with the rumbling hum of your truck as you drove through the narrow mountain road.
You leaned forward in your seat, squinting to make out the asphalt passing beneath your wheels. The green of the trees and bushes was so bright that it was almost blinding, and you drove slowly as your wipers worked to clear the falling rain.
All you wanted was a nice picnic with a view of the city down below, some sort of break from the endless stress of your new job. First, your dad had insisted you take his old truck, insisting it would be “better for the hills.” Then you’d realized halfway there you’d forgotten a picnic blanket. By the time you had sat down on the grass and started to lay out food, the rain had started, and you had to run back to the truck since, of course, you hadn’t thought to pack an umbrella.
Basically, the day was a disaster.
You turned the dial of the radio, groaning when only static came through. You leaned against the wheel, resting your chin on the top as you stared glumly ahead. Soon, you’d be back to getting coffees and answering phone calls with the rudest people you’d ever talked to on the other end, treating you like you were the reason for all of their problems. You knew your first job out of college wouldn’t be great, but you couldn’t help but think you’d worked your ass off for the last four years for nothing.
At least the rain was relaxing. You’d always liked rain. The smell, the sound, the way it made the world look a shade brighter after it faded into the clouds. It felt like an excuse, a reason to stay inside and let your worries wash away as the sky emptied itself.
You hummed and tapped your finger against the wheel, doing your best to romanticize the situation. It was at least a few hours' drive back to your parents' house; might as well get comfortable.
The road curved ahead of you, and as you turned the wheel, you noticed a glint of light and movement behind the wall of rain.
You slowed down and squinted even harder.
The glint shone off the surface of a clear umbrella, the dim sunlight reflecting off water droplets. And when you looked under it, you saw a man in a blue jean jacket and washed jeans.
You tilted your head, wondering why someone would be out here on foot and in the rain. You were at least a mile from the bottom of the mountain, and he didn’t look like a hiker.
The truck came closer, and you watched as his head turned at the sound. Without hesitation, he stopped and stuck out his thumb.
Your breath caught. You’d never picked up a hitchhiker before, and picking up a random man wasn’t exactly high up in the list of “safe things to do as a woman traveling alone.”
But as the truck approached him, your foot was already pressing on the brake.
You couldn’t see his face very clearly in the rain, so you rolled down your passenger seat window.
He walked up to the door and put his hand on the open frame, a friendly smile on his face. “Hey, mind giving me a ride?”
You stared at him. Because now that the rain wasn’t blurring his face, you could finally see just how attractive he was. Dark hair, sharp jawline, deep brown eyes…it was frankly unfair.
“U-um, yeah, it’s no problem. Get in.”
You shoved your bag off the seat as you quickly cleared space, forcing a polite smile as he closed his umbrella and opened the door.
He slid into the seat beside you, wiping a few drops of water from his hair as he placed the umbrella by his feet.
You realized the radio static still played softly against the engine’s hum, but as you reached out to turn it off, music started playing.
You exhaled sharply and pulled your hand back, staring at the dial.
The man noticed. “You ok?”
You nodded slowly, shifting the truck back into drive and shaking your head slightly, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”
He shot you the same close-lipped smile, and you put your foot on the gas.
“So…” you started, “what’s your name?”
“Oh, sorry, It’s Jay. Probably should have started with that.”
You waved your hand, “It’s ok, lucky for you, I’m not too knowledgeable on the usual order of hitchhiker pleasantries. I’m y/n by the way.”
He laughed, “Me neither; I thought I’d try something new.”
“Yeah? It wasn’t the pouring rain that encouraged you?”
He clicked his tongue, “That might have had something to do with it. I don’t mind the rain, though; I spend a lot of time in Seattle.”
“Oh, so you’re a pro.”
He let out a short laugh, and when you glanced over, you caught a hint of his teeth—perfect—just like the rest of him.
“I just have some practice,” Jay said.
“Why are you out here anyway?”
“Why are you out here?” He countered, a slight smirk on his lips.
You snorted, “I was attempting to have a picnic, but the rain had other plans.”
“By yourself?”
You glared at him, “Can a girl not take herself out? Enjoy her own company?”
He put a hand up, “You’re right, they can, but picnics tend to be a social activity. Or a romantic one.”
You pursed your lips, keeping your eyes on the road even though you could feel his gaze on you.
“I guess I was looking for the quiet.”
“Life can be loud,” Jay said.
“Tell me about it.”
You felt him turn away to look out the window, and you let out a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding.
Jay tapped his fingers against the car door, creating an oddly familiar rhythm as his dark eyes scanned the blur of colors streaming past. It was strange. The song was on the tip of your tongue, the rhythm scratching a dusty part of your brain you forgot was there. It was annoying. It was right there, a word that flickered on the edge of your awareness.
Jay stopped, his hand falling back into his lap.
You frowned, relaxing your grip on the wheel.
“You didn’t say why you were out here.”
Jay shrugged, “I decided to take a walk.”
“It’s a far walk.”
“It’s a nice day.”
You raised your eyebrows. “It’s raining.”
“I told you, I don’t mind the rain.”
You were getting nowhere in this conversation.
“Where are you headed?”
He smiled, this time with teeth, “It’s hard to describe; I’ll let you know when we’re close.”
You gave up, leaning back into your seat and watching the rain tap against the glass. You imagined the tapping of Carl’s fingers against his desk, your annoying desk partner who kept his eyes on your chest more than your face. You’d give anything not to have to see him again tomorrow.
“So what do you do?” Jay asked.
His voice dragged you out of your thoughts, and you glanced over at his curious expression.
“Nothing special, I work at a publishing house.”
“That sounds at least a little special.”
You shrugged, “I thought it would be, but it turns out my job is mostly feeding the people who read books rather than reading them myself.”
“Why did you want to work there?” He asked.
You sighed. “I always wanted to be a writer and thought that I could get some inspiration, or at least learn about the process. It’s not a bad idea to have some connections in the field.”
“Seems like you’re in the right place then.”
“Maybe. Some days I doubt it.”
“It’s normal to fear failure.”
You turned your head, eyes narrowed. “I didn’t say I was going to fail.”
He chuckled, and you hated how much the sound made your stomach flip. “No, but you feel it; most college graduates do.”
Your heart stilled, “How do you know I just graduated?”
He smiled, “Lucky guess.”
You must have looked a bit pale because his face immediately softened, “y/n, I saw your license plate frame, the ‘alumni’ one? I’m not stalking you or anything.”
You let out a breath, “Oh, yeah, I didn’t know my dad put those on already.”
He ran a hand through his hair, the dark strands falling softly over his face. You found yourself wondering if they’d be soft to touch.
“So…failure is normal, huh?”
“Of course.” He said, “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t fail. Not saying you will fail. In fact, I have a feeling that you’re going to achieve exactly what you set out to do.”
You slowed on the brakes as the rain suddenly got heavier, pouring down in waves. “Really?”
He smiled to himself, looking out at the downpour, “You’re putting in the effort, and you care; that’s all that matters.”
You smiled back, the tension that almost always hung over your shoulders these days slipping slightly. “Thanks, Jay, I think I needed to hear that.”
He said nothing, seemingly distracted by something outside.
“You ok?” You asked.
“Stop the car.” He was staring intently at something outside, waving for you to brake.
Confused, you brought the car to a halt.
Jay pushed open the door and jogged outside, heading straight towards a bush.
“Jay!” You called, “What are you doing? You’re going to get soaked!”
He swiped his hand at the bush and quickly jogged back, ducking into the car and slamming the door shut behind him.
“Man, good thing I found you; it’s bad out there.”
He was dripping wet, his dark hair plastered to his forehead. But a genuine smile rested on his mouth, and when you saw what he held in his hand, your eyes widened.
It was a white hydrangea flower, its petals dripped with water, but it was bright and full, thriving from the gift of the rain.
It had always been one of your favorite flowers.
He held it out, and you took it gingerly, softly running your fingers over the velvety surface of the petals. You looked at Jay. “You ran out into the pouring rain to get me a flower? You literally have an umbrella.”
He shrugged, “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I saw it and just felt like you were meant to have it.”
You giggled, “You are a strange person, Jay.”
“In a good way?” He smiled.
You cocked your head, “I think so, yes. There’s time for it to go either way.”
He laughed, trying to brush some of the water out of his face.
“Oh, here, you’re gonna catch a cold or something; let me help.” You pulled off your hoodie and held it out to him.
He looked at it incredulously. “I don’t want to ruin your hoodie.”
You rolled your eyes, “Oh please, it’s just water. It’ll survive.”
He hesitated, so before you could stop yourself, you leaned forward and used it to ruffle his hair, brushing it back until it stood up in a damp cluster of spikes.
You snorted and covered your mouth with your hand, because unfortunately, he looked incredibly silly, like a cat after it was forced into a bath.
Jay had a quizzical look on his face, his eyes turning up as if he could see what his own hair looked like. “Let me guess, I look like a rockstar.”
You couldn’t help it; you laughed—a loud, breathless laugh that made your belly hurt. You leaned onto his shoulder, and you heard him start to laugh too. When you looked up, he was staring at you with bright eyes, like nothing could make him happier than this moment.
“You look…like a drenched cat, but in a cute way?”
He smirked, “So I’m cute?”
You felt a strip of heat crawl up your neck, but you ignored it, too lost in the way his eyes caressed your face like you were something precious. “Yes, adorable.”
“So I should wear it like this more often?”
You bit your lip, catching the way his eyes followed the movement. “Mmm, maybe it can be a nice post-shower look.”
“Ah, ok, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Suddenly, you realized how close you were. Your thighs were only inches apart, your hands holding onto the hoodie that rested in his lap. You looked away and created some space. “You should take off your jacket too; it’s probably heavy.”
He nodded and shrugged off his jean jacket, draping it onto the dashboard, leaving him in a white polo shirt damp at the collar.
You picked up the flower resting on the seat beside you and put it on the dashboard next to his jacket. “Perfect.” You said to yourself.
“Yeah,” Jay whispered. But when you looked at him, his eyes were on you.
You turned away and started the engine of the car, realizing as you looked out the window that the rain had stopped.
Jay started humming.
It was the same rhythm as the first one. It tugged at your brain, danced on the tip of your tongue, begging you to be recognized.
“What’s that?” You asked.
He stopped. “It’s called ‘The Big Rock Candy Mountain.’ It’s about a mystical place full of nothing but peace and freedom. Alcohol trickles down rocks, the sun always shines, and the people sleep all day.” He glanced at you, smiling, “Sounds pretty nice, huh?”
But you weren’t looking at him; you were staring at your hands wrapped around the wheel, an old memory floating to the surface of your consciousness.
You were sitting under the huge oak tree in your backyard, small legs crossed as you sat huddled over a book in your lap. The sun was bright, but only partially shone through the branches above you, creating a speckling of light on the grass.
Your dad walked out a few minutes later and sat next to you, looking up at the tree that had been with your family for generations. He looked down at you. “What are you reading?”
“Magic Tree House.” You didn’t look up.
He grunted, tapping his fingers against his knee as he looked up at the branches.
The two of you sat like this for a few minutes, listening to the sound of leaves brushing against each other and birds chirping.
Then he started singing.
It was a low melody, meandering and silly, and it captured your attention because you’d never heard your father sing before.
“Did you make that up?” You asked, tilting your head.
He smiled, “Nope, I heard it in a dream."
"But dreams aren't real." You said.
"Of course, dreams are real! One day, when I was just a boy, a man appeared in my dream and taught me the song. It's as real as you telling me about your book." Your father said.
You giggled. Your father always loved talking about his dreams. They were full of adventures and strange people. Your mother always said that he had a connection to the spirit world or something.
"What's the song about?" You asked.
"It's a story about a place called The Big Rock Candy Mountain, where no one works, and all of their dreams come true.”
“How do your dreams come true if you’re not working?”
He shrugged, “Not sure; I think it's not as much about not working as it is about believing.”
"Believing what?"
"Believing that your dreams are a part of you, and no matter what you do, you're working towards them just by being yourself. But maybe I'll ask my teacher if I ever see him again." He winked.
You frowned.
“But you know why I like it?”
“Why?”
“Because on days like this.” He gestured at the arching leaves above you, the green of the leaves almost glowing in the sun: “I remember that we live in a beautiful world that one day, long after we’re gone, will be just a story. Then, all of my worries slip away.”
You stared at your dad’s bright eyes and soft smile, letting some of his contentment rub off on you. “That easy?”
He nodded, “That easy, kiddo.”
You blinked, the rain-brushed windshield materializing back into view. You took a breath, realizing you’d momentarily stopped.
“You ok?”
Jay’s voice fully pulled you back into reality, and you quickly glanced at him. “Yeah, fine, I just…know that song. My dad used to sing it to me.”
He smiled, “Good taste.”
“Where’d you hear it?”
“You know, I can’t remember. I feel like I’ve always known it. It’s comforting, reminds me to live in the moment.”
You shook your head, a short laugh slipping between your lips.
Jay cocked his head. “What?”
You laughed again, “You’re just…” You looked at him, feeling a bloom of warmth in your chest as you met his dark brown eyes. “This might sound weird, but I feel like I’ve met you before.”
He put a hand on his chest, his face twisted in feigned hurt. “Ouch, I thought I’d be more memorable if you had. Do you often run into dashingly handsome strangers?”
You playfully shoved his shoulder, feeling a rush of heat on your cheeks. “It’s not that; I just feel like I’ve known you for a long time. Or like…you’ve known me for a long time. Does that make sense?”
Jay leaned against the door, his chest turned towards you. He crossed his arms and rested his head against the window, his features soft. “It does. I feel the same. You’re comfortable…familiar.”
You sucked in your lips to stop from smiling, keeping your eyes on the road. You had left the curves of the mountain a while ago, and now you were on an open highway, green fields stretching in every direction.
You found yourself wishing that the drive would never end.
“Has anyone ever told you that you crinkle your nose when you smile?”
You looked up, surprised. “What?”
Jay watched you carefully, drinking in your features with a focused intensity.
“Your nose. Your nostrils flare, and the skin wrinkles.” He chuckled, “It’s cute.”
Your eyes darted between him and the road, trying to find anything that would distract you from the way your brain was desperately grappling for the right words.
“N-no, that’s a new one.”
He was enjoying watching you get all flustered, his amused expression tracing the way your eyes avoided his, and the way your fingers went white around the wheel.
“You also bite the inside of your cheek.”
You laughed nervously, “Do you normally watch people this closely?”
Jay chuckled, the sound low and rich, “Only the ones I like.”
“So I make the list?”
“You’re moving up.”
You looked forward, but you felt his eyes on you like a physical pressure. It was like you were being unraveled. Stripped away layer by layer until the only version of you that remained was one you hadn’t shown to anyone in a long time. It was terrifying. It was intoxicating, and you found yourself wanting more.
“So do you have someone waiting for you? Wherever home is.”
Jay’s gaze shifted to the window, and the loss of his attention felt physical. “I like to move around, stay busy; not the best lifestyle for a relationship.”
You felt a surge of hope in your chest. “I’m sure there are people who’d love to live that way, especially if they had someone to do it with.” You paused. “I’ve always wanted to travel.” You added, and you internally face-palmed for how desperate that sounded.
Jay didn’t say anything, and when you glanced at him, he was staring at you. But instead of the teasing smile or the confident swagger, he looked…sad. Like, he was sorry for you.
He cleared his throat and gestured outside. “Next exit is my stop.”
“Oh, ok.”
Just like that, the hope was gone. He didn’t like you, I mean, look at him, he was probably some famous model. You never had a chance. You pushed down the disappointment.
You turned the truck down the exit, Jay directing you to a small row of shops by the gas station.
“Are you sure this is right? This is like barely a town.”
It was one of those small clusters made just for the highway, nothing but a handful of fast food places and a rundown motel. Jay had you pull up in front of a laundromat, a squat building that wasn’t much better off than the motel. It was empty.
He sighed and grabbed his damp jacket off the dashboard, draping it over his shoulder. “I guess this is it. Thanks again for the ride; I’m glad I found you.”
“You mean that I found you? It’s my truck you’re sitting in.”
His smile faltered for a second. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
You looked down at your hands in your lap. “Thank you for…everything you said. I think it helped me sort out some of the mess in my head.”
He smiled, “That’s what I’m here for.”
You snorted. “What? Helping hopeless dreamers get their lives together?”
“Hey.”
You felt a hand on your chin, forcing your eyes up to meet Jay’s. His touch was feather-light, scarily gentle, and immediately, you felt your body relax.
“You’re not hopeless; you’re just doing your best. All the work you’ve put in up to this point matters. You're working towards something you care about, and that’s already more than a lot of people can say. Write what you’ve always wanted to, and don’t ever think you’re falling behind.” He brushed your cheek with his thumb, eyes searching yours. “Because I've always thought that you’re amazing.”
His words sank into you like honey, silencing the doubtful voices in your head like they were never there. You felt lighter and vaguely distant from yourself, like you were looking into your own eyes from the outside.
But the dominant thought in your head, the one that shouted above all the others, was that he was close. Really close. Jay’s breath fanned over your face with soothing warmth, and you noticed for the first time that he had a small scar on his nose.
Your eyes darted to his lips, and you heard his breath catch.
Before you could think, you were leaning forward.
He pulled back, almost startled, his grip on your face tightening as you were held in place.
You looked up at him, confused and horrified that you’d overstepped.
His eyes were strained, hesitant, staring at your lips like they were forbidden fruit. But behind them lurked a need that shone brighter than anything else, and with an almost imperceptible sigh, he leaned down and kissed you.
The kiss shocked you. It was electric, but controlled. His mouth fit around yours like it was made for you, his tongue brushing over your bottom lip with a reverent touch. You opened for him, and he slipped his tongue in, expertly claiming every inch.
You made a sound halfway between a gasp and a moan, and you felt him smile against your lips, tilting up your chin for a deeper angle.
You reached out your hand, wanting to touch him, feel him, anything.
But the second your fingers brushed his neck, he pulled back.
Jay rested his forehead against yours, panting slightly, eyes glazed over, and lips swollen. “I really need to go.”
You reached for him, but he was already pulling away, pushing open the door and reaching for his umbrella at his feet.
“Wait, no, Jay, I don’t even know where you live-”
“y/n.”
Your name on his lips stopped you, and you leaned helplessly against the driver's seat, begging him with your eyes to stay.
“Promise me you won’t give up. Promise me that you’ll keep going.” His eyes were soft and pleading, a flicker of pain hovering on the edges. “Please, for me.”
You nodded. “I promise,” you whispered. “But Jay, please, I want to see you again.”
He smiled a beautiful, heartbreaking smile. “You will. One day, I’ll find you all over again.”
Jay began to push the door closed when he paused. “Oh, and one more thing, don’t worry about Carl; he’ll be looking you in the eyes from now on.”
The door closed with a heavy thud.
You stared at the space where Jay had been, your head spinning. Carl? How would Jay know Carl? You said a lot to Jay, but you knew with absolute certainty that you never mentioned your pervert coworker.
You flung open your door and stumbled out into the street. “How did you-”
The street was empty.
You turned in every direction, searching for the clear glint of his umbrella, the royal blue of his jacket, the dark mess of his hair. He’d been out of your sight for no more than a few seconds, and the nearest turn of the road was at least 100 feet away.
But there was nothing.
You were the only person on the whole street, and with a cold shock, you realized that your truck was the only car.
Dread washed over you as you hurriedly walked down the block, peering into window after window. All were empty, some were trashed, and the buildings at the end were completely boarded up.
It was a ghost town.
How had you not noticed?
Jay.
He seemed to know all of your worries about your job; he knew your favorite flower, he knew the song your dad used to sing you, and he knew you just graduated…
You walked back to your truck and stared numbly at the nondescript license plate. Your dad hadn’t put on the alumni frames yet.
“I’m glad I found you.”
You took a shaky breath, touching your lips with your finger, because whichever way you looked at it, you thought you could still taste him.
You climbed back into your car and stared blankly at the white hydrangea on your dashboard, its petals still damp from the rain.
The radio crackled, making you jump, and a familiar melody started to play.
“I am headed for a land that's far away, beside the crystal fountains, so come with me, we’ll go and see, The Big Rock Candy Mountain…”
The next day at work, Carl barely looked at you.
Whenever you tried to talk to him, he’d frantically stumble away, inventing some excuse about getting coffee or going to the bathroom.
A few months later, he quit.
You heard from the girl at the desk behind you that he wouldn’t stop talking about some dream he had. Where a man had come to him—A man with dark hair and a scar on his nose.
