⋆. 𐙚 ˚𝓦e all know how nice and sweet Yuu is, and how people tend to bully them, but how about we bring in hater! Reader who gets defensive over Yuu? *evil laughter*
Yuu gets teased as much as a nerd in a typical hughschool musical, and that is everyday, sometimes by their own friends, and sometimes by their classmates. However, you are sick and tired of seeing them getting trampled on. So you turned the game on them and get personal. Very personal.
Ace pouted as he begged Yuu again to help him take the collar of his housewarden off. But he did it in a way that ticked you off, and as the prefect's trusted friend, you were gonna clap back for their sake.
"C'mon Yuu... " the silence indicated that he was gonna say something outrageous "y'know you wouldn't really be the 'beast tamer' without us helping the overblots y'know?" Another silence that nailed the coffin "you're kinda useless without our help" then the silence that made him realize that you were there, with them, seeing this whole thing play out.
Yuu can sense your diss from a mile away. They opened their mouth to dismiss his words and say something selfless. However you held your hand up to shut them up, and they obliged.
"Excuse me?"
Ace chuckled awkwardly, sensing the chaos that was about to play out if he doesn't back out now, "I-I mean-" "no, no I heard you the first time"
Silence once again, "say that again with a full chest, and look into my eyes"
Ace was cooked, very, very cooked.
"Ace... The prefect has been battling fighting overblots left and right that they might as well have a world record." Oh dear "You have been nothing but a deadbeat profiting off of their kindness and the least you can do, is be their friend" you pointed at him "you think you deserve them? You think that you can just use them for entertainment?" You smiled "I think you must've forgotten how they helped you from getting killed by your housewarden, I think that you must've forgotten that if not for them, your dorm will not be as safe as now" then you folded your hands on your lap "so stop being a selfish asshole and fix your own problems" you glanced at the surprised Yuu "and stop dragging your friends down with you"
Spoilers: Ace got very quiet and didn't bother Yuu as much after that, also, he also got very tense around you. Deuce caught wind of that through Grim (he was listening from the other side of the room) and he also acted weird around you.
Which is funny to Yuu's perspective, because you're not evil, you don't even get personal; you don't care if someone insults you, but you're just very protective of your friends, yes including the first years, even though the first years might not... Really see it because they've been victims of your verbal attacks more than once.
You think the overblots are safe? Oh no. In fact, they're the common victims of your verbal attacks that almost all of them tense up when you arrive.
The people who are said victims are: Azul, (very first, sorry Azul, I'm petty, not nice) Leona, (lol) Ace, Riddle, Vil, Epel, Sebek, Idia, and Jack. These are not always the frequent victims, but you have struck a very personal bone in their body that their body tense up in defense. Are you sorry? No, Yuu deserved better, so no regrets there.
Azul was actually kinda funny because you got so personal, that he's unnaturally polite to you, and Yuu out of trauma (I am not holding back in insults, I hate him for what he did to Yuu)
"Azul. You are the most capable and intelligent person in this campus, it pains me to say this— but unless you start having self respect to yourself and see value in yourself, you'll always be reduced to a scammer in the ocean. So stop terrorizing Yuu or else I'll show you why you'll never be the better version of your past self"
He thinks about that frequently.
Your spitefulness even got to Malleus for fucks sake! Even Lilia was taken aback from your uhm... Speach lol.
I'll probably make a oneshot about this because it's so fun to write a spiteful person and getting to criticize the twst cast— despite being a fan of them.
𝗔/𝗻: BEFORE YOU ALL SAY I'M A HATER NO I'M NOTTTT 😭 I don't hate them, I just dislike them because people seem to forget that they have flaws, they have toxic traits— AND I'M TIRED OF PRETENDING THAT I WON'T CRITICIZE THEM ‼️‼️ I actually really like their character, but, lets all be honest, if we were in Yuu's place we would be spiteful and hateful. So let's all clap Yuu for being patient. ALSO I DON'T REGRET WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IN AN EXTENDED ONESHOT OF THIS AND IN THIS DRABBLE-
Summary: Taehyung finally finds you again after years of searching, and all he needs to do is kiss you to return the memories of your past life together. The only problem is you're already in a relationship, and with the very person who executed you in the first place.
Pairing: Jungkook x Reader, Taehyung x Reader
Genre: Reincarnation AU, Royalty AU, Unrequited Love, Friends to Lovers, Ex-Friends to Lovers, Angst, Fluff, Smut
Word Count: 28.5k
Warnings: major character death(s) (in the past, they get reincarnated), execution/death, suicide, blood, swords, wound from a blade, crying, screaming, arguing, cheating, lying, heartbreak, mentions of war, death of loved ones, the fifteenth century, horses, fear of heights, pregnancy, mentions of childbirth, being restrained, migraines, hallucinations/seeing visions, flashbacks, corsets, gowns, basketball, cheerleading, loud crowds, gymnasiums, passing out, needles, being sedated, vomiting, drinking, cursing, depression, mention of graves, crypts, children, chapel, wedding, priest, sacraments, kings, queens, knights, armor and shields, pet names (baby, love, darling), beer pong, darts, loss of friendship, nonconsensual kissing, mention of sorcery/sorceress, spells, reincarnation. SMUT: big dick Tae and JK 🤪, loss of virginity, missionary, oral sex (f receiving), unprotected sex, pull-out method, mention of masturbation (f), jacking off/hand job, dick riding, fingering, multiple orgasms, forced exhibitionism (idk how to explain it properly but someone listens outside the door as they have sex), cum eating, coming on skin, cream pie, making out in public, alright I think that's everything but lmk if I missed something.
Author’s Note: Jungkook villain era?? haha jk... unless 👀, ok anyway, happy festa everyone! for this fic we got BOAF ‘EM, baby! so excited to have my biases front and center in this monster of a fic lmao. I didn’t even know this many words were capable of coming from my brain but here they are. I really hope you guys love it even though some of our characters be making some major blunders. please don't judge OC too harshly, OK? she's doing her best. also I'll formally apologize to Tae for constantly putting him in these situations at a later date. I'm very proud of how this turned out, so, as always, please lmk your thoughts and I hope you enjoyyyy :)
Taehyung kneels across from you, devoid of the armor and shield which make up his regular attire. They’ve been stripped from him, leaving him in just his frock and riding pants. Two of his fellow knights hold his arms out, turning him into the image of the cross before your eyes. You don’t repent, since God is not the one you need to beg for forgiveness.
Your nails scratch harshly against the wood below you as you listen to the footsteps of the King circling around before they halt behind your back. His footsteps which are so familiar and were once the sound you stayed up waiting to hear come down the corridor.
Time moves like the cogs of an ungreased wheel, each click of its turns bringing you closer to the fate which awaits you.
Taehyung glares at the King and thrashes against his restraints, even though every soul in the room, including him, knows it’s useless. His insubordination goes ignored.
“Any last words, your Highness?”
Eyes snapping shut, your emotions betray you as a sob escapes from your chest and tears fall from your eyes onto the floor below. An unalterable grief overtakes you when you look into Taehyung’s chocolate eyes one last time before returning your gaze to the floor.
“I love you,” you whisper across an exhale, most likely your last. “I am so sorry.”
A single poignant moment passes before the sharp blade slices across the delicate skin of your neck.
You gasp and grab at your throat, but the sound becomes a gurgle as blood pours from your neck, staining the wood and your gown below you. The deep red liquid flows around your fingers and stains your skin with its potency. Your vision is already gone, and your hearing follows only seconds after. Your body meets the floor with a thump as the light in your eyes flickers out.
Blood continues to spill from your wound and run through the knots in the wood like a river around stones, creating a halo of it around your body.
“No, no, no, Y/N!” Taehyung cries as he pulls against the knights again, trying to reach you even though you’re already gone. The beautiful eyes he adores stare lifelessly back at him. “You monster,” he sneers.
The King doesn’t say another word, and doesn’t offer Taehyung the same grace he did to you. He just slowly makes his way across the room before repeating the action across his former first knight’s neck.
His body falls next to yours, his blood fanning out around him and combining with yours into a pool of thick, dark liquid that leaks through the cracks in the wood. Your clothing absorbs the fluid and paints you both red.
A final thump follows shortly after.
PRESENT DAY
Taehyung doesn’t know where he’s going, but he thinks it must be the right direction because he can hear cheers from the building coming into view. It’s massive compared to the rest of the school's architecture, but he’s not surprised by that. Most universities nowadays put more emphasis on sports than anything else.
The cheers only grow as he approaches, a loud buzzer triggering the eruption of sound each time. When he enters the gym, the bounce of the basketball and swoosh of it falling into the net joins the mixture of noises coming from inside. He hands his ticket to the woman at the entrance before heading towards the basketball court.
It’s uncomfortably warm in the gym. All the bodies stacked in the bleachers and the sweat from the players creates a thick air around the whole scene. The combination of the temperature and loud noises only perpetuates the distortion of his senses, as if he isn’t anxious enough already. Taehyung’s eyes scan the space as he stands in the doorway, off to the side to avoid disturbing the patrons who come and go.
It only takes him a few seconds to find you.
You’re standing courtside, among the first row of cheerleaders who stand with their pom poms behind their back. Hair down and in curls, with a piece of it tucked behind one ear, and glitter all over your eyelids and cheeks. You look nothing like the last time he saw you and yet somehow you’re exactly the same.
Every few minutes you rub the plastic poms together to cheer on the team, sometimes shouting for them, too. It’s so mundane and yet it takes Taehyung’s breath away. It’s only natural, given that this is his first time seeing you in… well, since his last life.
He never moves from his spot in the doorway, he just stands and admires your every movement and gesture.
His eyes trace across your familiar visage. Your eyes still sparkle, your skin is soft and dewy, and your lips steal his attention instantaneously. The faint blush across your cheeks reminds him of his childhood and of home. It’s been so long, but seeing you now makes him feel like it was only yesterday.
The only thing out of place is seeing you in this attire. Your cheerleader uniform consists of a miniskirt and tight top which only just meets the top of your skirt. Every time you stretch or move your hips, a sliver of your stomach shows and Taehyung is holding his breath. It’s enough to send his mind into a frenzy. In his last life, he never saw so much as your ankle until the first time he made love to you.
All too soon, the game ends with a final buzzer. Your team must have won, because you join the rest of the cheerleaders in a chant with the spectators behind you before congratulating the team one by one.
Once the celebrations are through, you begin packing your things in a duffel matching the university's colors. One of the basketball players walks over and talks to you as you swap out your shoes for something more comfortable and bring a sweatshirt down over your head. Taehyung’s in a love-filled daze as he watches you pull your hair out from where it’s trapped under the neckline and smile at your conversation partner. Every little thing you do is pure magic in his eyes.
Suddenly, you’re waving goodbye to the athlete and walking towards the very exit where Taehyung stands. He’s nervous, more nervous than he’s ever been in his entire life. This one, at least. His heartbeat slows in time with your steps as you grow closer and closer.
“Hi!” Taehyung catches your attention.
You look confused as to where the voice is coming from, your eyes flitting around the room to find the answer, but then you spot Taehyung in front of you and smile.
“Hi,” you respond.
“You — you were great out there,” Taehyung compliments.
Your head tilts to the right and your nose scrunches as you smile. There’s an ache in Taehyung’s chest at the familiar movement. Even your mannerisms are the same.
“Was I? Thank you,” you say. “I didn’t do much.”
“Maybe not, but it’s obvious why you’re front and center,” Taehyung continues.
“That’s what I get for being cheer captain,” you sing-song. Taehyung opens his mouth to say something else, but you continue before he can. “I’m so sorry, my boyfriend is sick so I’m trying to get back to him as fast as I can.”
“Oh.” Boyfriend? “That’s alright, I’ll leave you be. I’m Taehyung, by the way.”
“Y/N,” you reply with a miniature curtsy. You have no memories of ever being a royal, but it must still be in your blood somewhere. “Well, see you later.”
“Yeah, later,” Taehyung concurs.
Taehyung should be elated about having his first conversation with you after an over twenty-year-long hunt, but he didn’t account for everything before traveling across the country to find you. The possibility of you already being in a relationship when he found you never once crossed his mind.
How is he supposed to kiss you and return your memories if you’re already taken?
Taehyung sits in his new dorm for the next couple days and paces around the small room as he thinks of a plan. Eventually, he decides to befriend you, which should be easy since an introduction has already been made, and make you fall in love with him the same way he did in your last lives together.
He stole you from someone once before and all he has to do is do it again.
The next time he sees you is in the library. You’re sitting at a table near the wall of windows that overlooks the large plane of grass marking the center of campus. You have big pink headphones on and are moving your head slowly back and forth to whatever music is coming from them. There are two books and a laptop in front of you and you’re writing diligently in a notebook which rests on your lap.
Taehyung approaches you slowly, checking his surroundings for any mysterious boyfriends who may come to join you.
When he reaches you without any interruptions, he taps the desk with his knuckles to grab your attention. You smile when you see him and remove your headphones.
“Hey, Taehyung,” you greet him.
His heart soars over you remembering his name.
“Hi, mind if I join you?”
“No, of course not,” you respond. Gesturing to the empty seat across from you with your hand, you smile again as Taehyung takes his backpack off and sits down. “So, you’re new around here. Transfer student?”
“Yup,” Taehyung says as he pulls his laptop out.
“Are you a senior, too?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a majority of my credits, but because of the transfer nonsense there are some things I’ll need to retake,” he explains.
“Bummer,” you reply. Your hand fishes in your backpack before pulling out a piece of candy and popping it in your mouth. “Do you play any sports?”
Before Taehyung answers, you offer him a piece of your sweets, but he declines with a wave.
“Just fencing and horseback riding, if you count those,” he answers.
“Um, woah. Yes, I count those,” you laugh. “That’s way cooler than contact sports.”
Talking to you is as easy as breathing and it sets Taehyung’s heart alight in his chest. It makes him remember all of your long conversations about everything and nothing. Your presence is so warm, welcoming, and familiar that it’s easy for him to forget this is only your second conversation.
“How’s your boyfriend?”
“Oh, he’s doing a lot better. Thanks for asking,” you say. “Normally, he’s at the games with me, since he’s the captain of the team, but he caught a nasty cold last week and couldn’t play.”
“So he’s a basketball player?” You nod and bite your candy in half. You’re adorably vicious with the chewy treat. “And how long have you known each other or been together or whatever.”
“Two years,” you say nonchalantly.
Two years?
Taehyung definitely has his work cut out for him. You’re not just in any relationship, you’re in a serious, long standing relationship. He needs to learn more about him so he can better understand who he’s up against. Hopefully, as your friendship grows, you’ll offer to introduce the two of them.
“Wow, that’s awesome,” he says even though it tastes bitter in his mouth.
“Yeah, we met freshman year and were just friends for a long time, but the heart wants what the heart wants, ya know?”
Yes, he certainly knows all too well.
You end up studying together for a couple hours before you leave for cheer practice. After that, you form a routine of meeting up to work on assignments and study, which perfectly aligns with Taehyung’s plans.
The study “dates” always happen at the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays, usually after lunch. It works well for you both because the silent moments are comfortable and the conversation is easy. Your study sessions are the only time Taehyung sees you for a couple months, and he’s yet to meet your boyfriend.
That changes one Thursday when you invite him to the basketball game the following night. Apparently, it’s against the university’s main rival and you’re giddy about the competition and hopefully seeing the team win. Taehyung graciously accepts and tells you he’ll see you then when you say goodbye.
Taehyung is wearing a hoodie with the university logo on it that he picked up from the school store earlier today. He blends in seamlessly with the crowd of students all wearing the same colors to support the team. After handing his ticket over, he makes his way into the gym and finds one of the few empty spots on the bleachers.
The court is currently empty since there’s still some time before the game starts. The other students on the bleachers are conversing with each other and eating their concessions, but Taehyung is mentally preparing himself to finally see his competitor for your heart.
Taehyung isn’t one to brag, but he’s been told he’s pretty handsome, and he likes to think he’s got a good personality. He’s just worrying himself sick over whether those attributes will be enough to make you end a two year long partnership. All he can hope for is that you walk into the gym with someone of below average looks and a shitty personality.
His leg bounces incessantly as the minutes tick by and the start time of the game nears. He watches other cheerleaders and basketball players filter in through the doors, every single one making his heart stop until he realizes it isn’t you. When it finally is you, Taehyung finds himself moving to the edge of his seat, his lip catching between his teeth.
You walk into the gym through the large metal doors first, but Taehyung can see a hand laced with yours. His eyes trace from where your hands are connected up the tattooed arm of your companion until he’s able to see the stranger’s face.
No amount of mental preparation could’ve prepared him for this sight.
As if his prior life is flashing before his very eyes, he watches in horror as you reach up on your tiptoes and press a kiss to your boyfriend’s lips. Your boyfriend smiles against your mouth in return, chasing your lips with his own before pulling back and moving your hair away from your face.
There is no mistaking the familiar features Taehyung is seeing. Besides maybe the length of his hair and the tattoo sleeve occupying his right arm, everything is identical.
Taehyung scores through his memories for an answer, any explanation for the disturbing scene he's watching. It doesn’t make any sense. The reincarnation spell should’ve only applied to you two. So why are you walking hand-in-hand across the basketball court with the King?
What the fuck is Jungkook doing here?
1422
The spring rainfall gave life to more blooms this season than last, creating a beautiful vision of purple and white in the valley near your home. They’re only wildflowers, but they still spread a sweet fragrance through the air. The sight of the flowers billowing in the wind is picturesque and something you look forward to at the conclusion of every winter.
On the road parallel to the valley, two figures on horseback come into view ahead of the slow-sinking sun. You wave to greet your regular visitors, laughing when you notice one of them speeding up and leaving the other in the dust.
The horse galloping towards you is a familiar sight, and you trust the rider enough to know he’ll stop with plenty of time before he reaches you.
“Jungkook, that was not very nice,” you playfully scold him once he’s close enough to hear you.
Taehyung follows the same path to you on his own steed, a clearly exaggerated frown evident on his features as he approaches.
“He is never nice!” He jokes.
“I am always nice,” Jungkook corrects him.
They both gracefully dismount and nudge each other while you follow your usual routine of walking over to Jungkook’s horse, Bam, and petting him on his forehead. Your fingers gently move down the horse’s face as you coo at him. Bam pushes his muzzle into your hand, making a noise of appreciation at the attention you’re providing him.
Jungkook affectionately watches the scene, his starry eyes following the movement of your hand and the smile that grows on your lips the more you interact with his beloved horse. You don’t notice the way his eyes trace over your profile as he wears a smile of his own.
“You can ride him, if you would like,” Jungkook offers.
“What?” You ask, but before he can answer you, Jungkook’s hands are on either side of your waist and he’s lifting you onto the saddle. “Oh, wait, wait!”
Your hands grab onto the saddle to steady yourself, your eyes wide as you look down from the great height.
“Uh, Jungkook —”
“Do not worry, I am holding you. You are not going to fall,” Jungkook states.
You feel his palm on your lower back, and his other hand is petting Bam to keep him calm. It’s unfamiliar, but not unwelcome, feeling the heat of his hand on you, but you don’t want him to see the blush appearing on your cheeks.
“Oh… okay,” you mumble.
Eyes glancing down again, you shut them instantly when you see how high off the ground you are.
“I believe she would still like to get down, Jungkook,” Taehyung comments.
You look down at Jungkook with fearful eyes to confirm Taehyung’s statement. His lips quirk downward in a frown before he grabs you by the waist again and brings your feet safely to the ground.
“I am sorry,” Jungkook tells you, his hands still on your waist. “I did not mean to scare you.”
“You did not scare me,” you say, stepping back so his hands fall away from you. “Bam scares me. Well, not Bam, because he is so sweet, but Bam’s height.”
Jungkook smiles at your explanation, his eyes crinkling in the corners, and it makes you mirror his expression.
“Yeontan would like some attention, too, m’lady,” Taehyung sing-songs while walking towards you both, his horse following him by the reins.
“I will be there in a moment.” You pet Bam’s forehead once more before moving to Taehyung’s horse to give him the same affection. “What was the subject of your royal lessons today?”
“Battle strategy,” Jungkook says as he ties Bam to your stable. Taehyung follows suit with Yeontan once you’re done petting him.
Your heartbeat comes to a screeching halt at his answer, and a wave of fear washes over you at the dramatic change of topic for their lessons. Yesterday, they were learning about the proper way to eat soup and which fork should be used first.
Jungkook notices your concerned expression and walks towards you. His eyes search yours for the reason you look so frightened as his hand slowly rises to hold your own. You allow him to take it, and you know he can feel the way it shakes in his grasp.
“That is not because you will be heading to battle anytime soon, is it?” You ask him.
The Kingdom is at war with a neighboring country and has been for nearly three years. Despite how long the men have been fighting, there is still no end in sight. It’s been devastating for the Kingdom as men leave their homes and families never to return again. Almost every child in your town is without a father and their mothers are left alone to care for their land and houses.
“No,” Jungkook assures you, his hand squeezing your own before letting it go. Relief spreads across your chest and dispels the anxiety pooling in your gut. “Two heirs cannot go to battle at the same time.”
Your friend Jungkook is actually Prince Jungkook, but it’s easy to forget that when he’s teasing you or rolling around in the valley. He’s the younger of two sons, and his brother Junghyun is fighting alongside his father in the war. Since Jungkook isn’t next in line for the throne, he lives life at a slower pace and is more carefree. You appreciate that about him and enjoy taking part in his boyish antics.
Taehyung comes from a long line of knights who have served the crown for generations. Knights begin training at a very young age, and depending on their lineage, their future role is decided long before they complete their training. Taehyung has known he’d eventually be Jungkook’s first knight since childhood. The pair have known each other since they were toddlers and are as close as brothers.
You grew up with both of them because your parents work at the castle and you lived in the staff quarters until you began working yourself. Jungkook’s mother, the Queen, absolutely adores children and believes education is essential to living a good life. As such, she hires tutors to teach the children of all the staff as well as the young knights and royal family. It was during these lessons that you first met Jungkook and Taehyung. The three of you bonded over folktales and your love of animals and quickly became close friends.
Since you no longer live at the castle since becoming a midwife, the two boys come to visit you nearly every day between their daily lessons. The time is usually spent talking about what they learned or which books they’re reading. Sometimes, often in the summertime, the three of you play childhood games in the valley or take a short walk to the river where you can sink your feet into the cool water.
A new anxiety emerges when you remember that the rules which dictate Jungkook’s life are not the same for Taehyung.
“That does not apply to Taehyung, does it?” You question as he comes to stand beside you, too.
Your worried eyes meet his and you squeeze his forearm while awaiting a response.
“No,” Taehyung answers with a grimace. “I could be called upon at any time, but I am not fully trained. I do not believe that will occur unless there are no other options.”
Taehyung spoke too soon, because within a month’s time, he’s visiting you to tell you he has to leave for the battlefront in a fortnight.
Something in you knows as soon as you see him what news he’ll be sharing, but your heart shatters all the same when the words leave his mouth. You cry into your hands as he sits across from you at your kitchen table. He’s your best friend and you know there is a chance you will never see him again once he departs. The fear and sorrow coursing through you are enough to drown you. There is nothing that terrifies you more than losing him or Jungkook.
Taehyung reaches across the table and removes your hands from your face to hold them instead.
“I promise I will come back, Y/N, and when I do… I will take care of you. If you will have me,” he states.
“What?”
“I love you, and I want to marry you,” he confesses.
The thought doesn’t make sense within your mind. Taehyung’s noble status gives him the right to have the pick of the litter in terms of a wife. You don’t even have a dowry you can offer him.
“I do not understand how you could love me,” you respond.
“How could I not?”
He kisses the back of your hands and then rests his cheek against them.
You’re unsure how to respond to his proposal, or if you even should. He’s saying this now because he’s leaving, and you can’t give him an answer when there’s a chance he’ll never return. The reveal of his feelings for you frazels your mind and makes you question everything. So, you decide his proposal is something you’ll organize your thoughts about once he returns, if he returns.
The fortnight passes by both agonizingly slow and too quickly. The anxiety eating away at your nervous system turns the days into long threads of time with no end, but simultaneously, the calendar seems to be skippping ahead multiple days at a time.
When time lands on the third day from his departure, the whispers of a tragedy spread across the land like wildfire.
You hear it first from one of your patients, an expecting mother who you’re checking up on after she fell ill. When she whispers the news to you, your blood runs cold. You don’t believe her initially, but then, as you leave her home, you hear it repeating all around you in the voices of your neighbors.
King Jeon and Prince Junghyun are dead. The father and son perished in a bloody battle which took more than half of your men’s lives.
Whispers in bars and conversations across fields about how the King’s death will affect farming and trade are all you hear in the days following the announcement, but all you can think about is whether or not Jungkook is alright.
Unsurprisingly, you have no visitors until the morning Taehyung is supposed to leave. You watch from your kitchen window as the sunrise breaks over the valley. As the sky goes from deep blue to orange, you hear the familiar sound of horses galloping down the road.
Exiting your house in a flash, you wait for your friends to reach you and dismount before approaching them. You go straight to Jungkook, taking his hands in your own and rubbing over his knuckles with your thumbs.
“I am so, so sorry, Jungkook,” you tell him.
He squeezes your hands in return and a small smile appears on his lips, except it doesn't reach his eyes the way it normally does.
“I am alright,” he assures you. “I will miss them dearly, but it is my mother I truly worry about.”
“If there is anything I can do, please tell me,” you reply. His only response is a nod as Taehyung comes from behind the horses after tying them up. “When do you leave?”
“I am not leaving anymore,” he states. “I have to stay to protect the King.”
“The King?” The dead King?
“Yes, the King,” he parrots, gesturing to Jungkook.
You feel so foolish for forgetting what the consequences of Junghyun’s death really are. Jungkook will now have to take up the mantle of King without anyone ahead of him to guide him into the role.
You gaze at your childhood friend, attempting to imagine him in a crown. A smile appears on your face when you think about how handsome he will look with it sitting atop his pretty black hair. Jungkook is prudent, kind, and compassionate and you know he will make a wonderful ruler.
“Oh,” you say, letting his hands go as you take a step back. It’s one thing to be affectionate with a Prince, it’s another entirely to do so with a King. “Well, I suppose I will be seeing a lot less of you then.”
Jungkook frowns deeply and shakes his head.
“I do not want that,” he responds. “You are important to me and I will make time to visit you regardless.”
You’re sure Jungkook means what he’s saying, and believes it himself, but the odds of it being true are slim to none. A King has to bear the weight of the world and his new role will certainly keep him and Taehyung from visiting you as often.
It feels like goodbye as you wave at them and watch their figures disappear down the road. Your head falls forward and tears fall from your eyes onto the grass. The world is changing too fast for you to keep up.
Despite your worries, Jungkook comes to visit you the next day carrying a bouquet of white roses.
You’ve never been in a carriage before, let alone in one which is currently on its way to the castle. It’s been years since you were last at the monumental estate which houses both your parents and best friends.
As you approach, you notice the familiar grounds where you once played as a child. You see visions of you, Jungkook, and Taehyung running around in circles as they chase you and all at once the memories of your time here come flooding back. The memory of when Jungkook accidentally sent you both flying into one of the fountains brings a smile to your face. You’ll never forget the look on his mother’s face when she saw you both soaked and dripping on the castle floor. And the one of Taehyung picking flowers for you only for them to blow away when a strong wind flew in. He pouted for hours afterwards.
The feeling of returning home brings you comfort amongst all the chaos surrounding you.
The carriage stops in front of the entrance to the castle and you see the massive stone doors which separate the outside world from the home of the royal family. Your parents are already waiting for you along with some fellow staff, their faces giddy with excitement about seeing you. The driver offers you his hand to help you down the steps and once your feet hit the ground, you run straight into your mother’s embrace.
“Oh, honey, we missed you,” she tells you.
“I missed you, too,” you sigh.
A lurching sound indicates the doors are opening and Jungkook and his mother emerge from behind them. Jungkook takes two steps at a time, skipping down the limestone to reach you faster. His mother sighs knowingly at his behavior, a warm smile present on her lips.
“I am happy to see you arrived safely,” he says as he offers you his hand.
You curtsy to his mother, the Queen, who you haven’t seen in many years now. She’s just as beautiful as you remember, even though her eyes carry a new sadness in them.
“Your Majesty, I am so very sorry about your husband and son,” you say to her.
“I appreciate it, my dear. I am so happy to see you,” she replies. “Let us go inside and I can show you around.”
She hooks her arm around yours and you almost recoil away from her in shock. The Queen is escorting you like an old friend and it defies all the logic in your brain. Even though you grew up here, you have always been well aware of your place in the world.
Your mother and father wave goodbye to the three of you as they report back to their duties. A pair of matching smiles on their faces as they watch you enter the castle.
Once inside, your eyes sweep around the grand entrance and the corridors which splinter away from the room. You notice all the beautiful artwork and intricate architecture of the castle that you didn’t take the time to admire as a child. You were too busy playing and soaking up all the knowledge you could from your tutors.
“I apologize, I have a meeting to attend, if you will excuse me,” Jungkook tells you.
Then, much to your surprise, he takes the back of his hand and runs it along your cheekbone, the softest of smiles present on his face as he does so. Your eyes open in wonder at the gesture, but once he’s turning and walking away from you, a matching smile appears on your lips.
Your skin feels warm where his fingers were, and you avert your eyes from his disappearing figure to try and stop the blush from continuing to spread. When you turn to your left towards the Queen, that knowing, motherly look is back. She just shrugs before turning in the opposite direction to lead you further into the castle.
When Jungkook enters the room the sound of chairs scraping against the stone floor permeates the air. All of the staff, parliamentarians, advisors, and knights stand at attention in the presence of their future King. The knights place their arms across their chest out of respect, including Taehyung, who is sitting to the left of the throne. Not yet being acclimated to the sight, Jungkook gestures for everyone to sit with a wave of his hand before taking his seat next to Taehyung.
The throne to the right of Jungkook, which is reserved for his future Queen, remains empty.
“How is the planning coming along?” Jungkook asks the royal coordinator. He is effectively the head of staff who oversees everything that goes on inside the castle.
“Wonderfully, your Highness. The wedding and coronations will occur subsequently in the chapel three days from now. The Priest is already preparing the sacraments,” the man replies.
“Wedding? Whose wedding?” Taehyung asks as he looks over at Jungkook.
Jungkook doesn’t get the chance to answer him before a parliamentarian joins the conversation.
“Have you not heard? She is supposed to be arriving today, is that right, your Majesty?”
“Yes.” Jungkook clears his throat before continuing. “Y/N arrived only moments ago and is currently touring the castle with my mother.”
“Y/N?” Taehyung snaps. His whole body turns towards Jungkook, the shock and disbelief distorting his features. Jungkook doesn’t explain or answer, he merely glances at him in warning before continuing the meeting.
When the meeting concludes, the entire room stands at attention again as Jungkook exits. Taehyung follows closely behind and catches up to match Jungkook’s pace.
“You are marrying Y/N?” Taehyung asks incredulously. “When did this happen?”
“Yes, I am,” Jungkook responds flatly. “She will be your Queen soon. You should refrain from calling her by name.”
“What is wrong with you?” Taehyung stops Jungkook with his arm. “I have known you my whole life, you would never do something like this to me.”
“Do to you?”
“Yes, your Highness,” Taehyung says sarcastically. “You know how I feel about her.”
“Things change, Taehyung. Half of my family is dead. I have a role to play that I am nowhere near prepared for. I am sorry if this hurts you, but I have different priorities now; different responsibilities.”
“What do those responsibilities have to do with Y/N?”
Jungkook stops walking again and turns to face his friend, his wall of regality dropping to allow his true emotions to surface.
“Because there is no else I would rather have by my side when I face them,” he answers whole-heartedly. Jungkook doesn’t wait for Taehyung to reply before he continues down the corridor.
When you wake up on the morning of your wedding, you momentarily forget where you are until you see the dazzling wedding dress hanging from the wardrobe. The gown is almost too beautiful to wear, and it stares at you from across the room as if to ask “are you ready for this?” You aren’t sure of the answer.
The sound of knocking steals you away from your thoughts. Assuming it’s the maids coming to help you get ready, you tell them to come in and rise from your bed.
It’s shocking how efficiently the group of women work to turn you into a living, breathing doll. One of them brushes and styles your hair, another puts makeup on you for the first time in your life, and two of them work to get you into your dress.
The dress takes longer to put on you than both the hair and makeup combined. It’s a massive pool of fabric and you can barely tell which end is the top and which is the bottom. You stand with your hands gripping the dresser as both women tug at the strings of the corset and lock you into place. When they finish, you clutch your stomach and attempt to inhale a deep breath. They smile assuredly at you and encourage you to walk around so you can get used to being in such a gown.
Later in the day, you’re alone with one of the maids while she finishes your hair by placing pins in it. A sudden knock interrupts her and she goes to answer it. You aren’t sure who it is until you see her stepping back with wide eyes. Jungkook enters with a slight bow of his head and she immediately curtsies and then proceeds to stand at attention.
Jungkook chuckles nervously, still acclimating himself with everyone’s new behavior towards him.
“Can we have a minute?” He asks her and she obeys with a curt nod before exiting the room.
“Hi,” you greet him.
“You look beautiful,” Jungkook tells you.
“It is none of my doing,” you say. “The maids are amazing at making me look like something I am not.”
“That is not true,” Jungkook argues. “You have always been beautiful, Y/N.” Tilting your head to the right, your nose scrunches and you smile at his compliment. “I wanted to make sure I came to see you before… I know it has been a few days and I apologize, it has been so hectic lately.”
You haven’t seen him since arriving at the castle and he’s certainly a sight for sore eyes. Rising from your seat, you walk to him and take his hands.
“You do not have to worry about me,” you affirm. “I know you have a lot of responsibilities.”
“Yes,” he smiles. “And unfortunately, soon you will, too.”
“Right,” you laugh. “Being the Queen and all.”
The idea is still so foreign to you that it feels unnatural leaving your lips.
“I… I cannot thank you enough for doing this for me, Y/N. I know it is a huge commitment and I am so grateful.”
“Jungkook.” You grip his hands a little tighter and he reciprocates the action. “Why are you acting like I am the one doing you a favor? You asked me to be your Queen, to rule a Kingdom by your side. I should be thanking you.”
Jungkook sighs, his gaze dropping to your connected hands. His thumbs massage over your knuckles absentmindedly.
“I just know this was not the life you envisioned for yourself,” he eventually responds.
“It is not,” you concur. Jungkook frowns and you continue before he gets the wrong idea. “I would say it is better. I loved being a midwife and bringing children into the world, but I grew up here and now I get to spend the rest of my days here.” You squeeze his hands one more time before speaking again. “I am here because I wish to be, Jungkook. Nothing more.”
Jungkook smiles at you and lifts your hands to his lips to kiss them before letting you go and heading for the door.
“I will see you at the altar, my Queen.”
Your dress weighs down on you like a pile of bricks. It’s your first time wearing a gown, and you didn’t anticipate it being this hard to move. Despite the uncomfortability, the lace and fabric cover you beautifully and it’s easy to feel like a Queen when you look down at its design.
When you first enter the chapel, Jungkook’s eyes go wide and his lips part before his expression slowly softens into one of admiration and awe. He saw you only moments ago, but the vision of you coming towards him surrounded by flowers and soft candlelight takes his breath away.
When you see him, you’re equally as stunned. His hair is pushed back away from his forehead, leaving his pretty features as the main focal point. The style makes him look regal and elegant. His wedding attire compliments him in all the right places and the white color accentuates his honey skin. When he visited you before he was still in his normal clothes, so the sight is truly something to behold.
Once you reach the altar, Jungkook stands to the right of you as his left hand holds yours. You’re thankful because if he wasn’t holding your hand the entire room would be able to see it shaking. You know he can feel the movement in his grasp, because every so often he squeezes your fingers. Sometimes he does it twice or three times in a row, and it reminds you of the secret messages you would send to each other across the library during lessons.
In the back corner behind the altar, just on the other side of Jungkook, stands Taehyung, dawning his armor for the first time. It makes you so proud to see him living up to his family’s legacy.
Although, his new uniform isn’t what catches your attention, it’s the deep scowl painting his features into something you’ve never seen before. It makes you look over at him with a face of concern, silently questioning what’s wrong, although, you believe you know the answer already.
Taehyung has every right to be angry with you. He told you he loves you and wants to marry you, and then you accepted a proposal from his best friend. To make matters worse, you weren’t able to tell him about the marriage yourself since you didn’t see him before traveling to the castle. You want to tell him everything, explain your feelings and why you’re standing next to Jungkook today and not him, but the conversation will have to wait.
The wedding ceremony ends with a final prayer before the Priest immediately begins the prayers and readings for the coronation. You and Jungkook turn around to face the crowd and it only heightens your nerves. Jungkook notices the shift in your body language and soothingly runs his thumb up and down your pointer finger. Taking a deep breath, you squeeze his hand in return to communicate to him that you’re alright.
At the instruction of the Priest, the two of you kneel down together and wait patiently for the crowns to be placed on your heads.
Jungkook goes first, and you watch in awe as the Priest places a large gold crown onto his head. When he does, a lock of shiny black hair falls onto Jungkook’s forehead. You can’t help but smile, noticing how it somehow makes him look even more handsome. Your best friend is a King now and you have to blink a couple times to stop tears from forming in your eyes.
Only a moment later, the cool metal of a tiara is resting on your hair, the edges of it sinking between your strands to keep it secure. It simply doesn’t feel real and you’re terrified of waking up from this dream come true.
You stand up as one and the entire chapel erupts with cheers and hollers. You and Jungkook make eye contact and both have to suppress a laugh. His eyes are shining with the light of the whole galaxy, and it brings you more happiness than you can put into words.
The celebratory feast commemorating your marriage begins as soon as you leave the chapel. The transition happens so quickly you don’t even get to speak with Jungkook privately before you’re entering the grand ballroom. The large space is ornately decorated and every corner has a giant table of food and wine.
Jungkook never once lets go of your hand.
There is a constant stream of guests greeting and congratulating you, and his touch and presence beside you is the only thing keeping you calm. Jungkook is used to this, and he handles every single encounter with grace. You mostly stumble about and nod as people regale you with kind words and affection.
Taehyung is on your mind the entire night, and your eyes are constantly scanning the massive crowd of people for his familiar head of hair. You want to speak with him as soon as possible to clear the air between you. He’s so important to you and it kills you knowing how much you hurt him. You never find him, and the evening comes to a close before you have a chance to reconcile.
Before you know it, you and Jungkook are traveling in a lavish carriage to begin your honeymoon. The war prevents you from traveling to another country for the occasion, but you’ll still be spending a month at the family’s countryside estate before returning to your regular duties at the castle.
Even though it’s the middle of the night when you arrive, there are staff outside the entrance waiting to greet you and take your luggage.
The head parliamentarian escorts you and Jungkook to the King’s suite. Your hands are shaking again as reality kicks in, but you curl your fingers into your palm to keep anyone from noticing.
The parliamentarian must escort you as well as stand outside your door tonight so he can report back that the marriage has been consummated. The thought of a stranger listening in on your first night with your husband makes your skin crawl, but this is how things are done when you’re royalty.
The man opens the door to the suite so you and Jungkook can enter before shutting it behind you with a slam. Silence overtakes the room as your eyes roam over the walls and windows, the sachet in the corner, and the large bed in the center of the back wall.
You take a shaky breath, itching at your sleeve where the unfamiliar material rubs against you uncomfortably.
Jungkook gets your attention with a call of your name. He points at the artwork on one of the walls, a large painting with a gaudy gold frame encapsulating it.
“What was the artist thinking when they made this one?” He asks through a laugh.
You hum as you study the painting. It’s rather unpleasant to look at, and you can’t even fully make out all the shapes and colors.
“We will have to call upon him to ask,” you respond. “I do not think one could guess if they tried.”
Jungkook laughs and the familiar sound eases your mind and calms your nerves a little. You keep reminding yourself that it’s just him, someone you’ve known all your life, but your brain still persists with its overthinking.
You mosey around the room and peruse more of the artwork and decor before falling onto the bed with a plop. Despite your best efforts, your gown is too heavy and large to sit down normally. You’re half laying-half sitting on the mattress as your feet dangle over the edge. The fabric pools all around you and threatens to drown you in white lace.
Jungkook joins you on the bed, but leaves a decent amount of space between you.
“I am unsure if I know how to get this monstrosity off of me,” you admit with a scoff.
Reaching over your shoulder, you tug at the ribbon caging you into the gown. When you aren’t able to loosen it yourself, Jungkook clears his throat, raising his eyebrows and gesturing towards you to ask permission. You let your hands fall back onto your lap before answering him with a nod of your head.
Jungkook kneels behind you on the bed so he can begin loosening the ties of the corset. You jump when you first feel his hands brush against you. He moves slowly, his touch as light as a feather as he unties the knot and begins to weave the ribbon back and forth to remove it. Once he’s about halfway done, the tension releases from around your waist and you take your first unimpeached breath of the day.
“Oh, thank you,” you sigh. You watch curiously as Jungkook stands to face you and reaches his hands out for you to take. “What?”
“Stand up and I will help you out of it,” he replies.
You obey quickly, standing up while holding the fabric to your chest so it doesn’t fall away. Jungkook laughs when he notices the action.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I cannot get you out of it if you are holding it up, my darling.”
The deep timbre of his voice as he uses the pet name is enough to make your heart skip a beat.
“Right,” you reply and let go.
Maybe Jungkook isn’t as nervous as you, or maybe he just hides it well. As a woman, you are completely untouched, your own hand being your only source of pleasure so far. But the rules are different for men and Jungkook may not be as shy about these things as you are.
The dress falls into a heap on the floor and Jungkook takes your hands to hold you steady as you step out of the large skirt one foot at a time. Even with your body still covered by your underdress, this is the most exposed you’ve ever been to another person. The raw vulnerability causes your hands to start shaking again, but you let go of Jungkook before he can notice.
“Feel better?”
“Yes, thank you so much,” you respond.
Jungkook grabs the expansive amount of fabric and places it gently over one of the dressers. You return to your spot on the bed and he follows suit, this time sitting a bit closer to you.
A weighted tension creeps into the room like fog across the morning air. It beckons a silence between you that leaves only your breathing as background noise. There’s a feeling of anticipation floating around as well, like the whole atmosphere is on edge and waiting to see what happens next.
“How do you feel now that everything is done?” Jungkook asks.
“Hmm, I am happy, but also nervous,” you admit.
“Me, too,” he replies.
“You are? I figured you would be used to this.”
“It is not the royal aspect I am nervous about.”
“What are you nervous about then?”
Jungkook chuckles and runs a hand through his hair, ruining the style and bringing his black locks down onto his forehead. It makes him look boyish and charming.
“Not only did I go from being a Prince to a King in a matter of days, but I am a husband now, too. Your husband,” he explains. He looks down and sighs, his eyes closing momentarily. “I want to do right by you, Y/N.”
“You have always done right by me, Jungkook, I do not see that changing anytime soon,” you reassure him.
There’s a lull in the conversation, but the tension is slowly dissipating and morphing into a comforting aura instead.
“Hmm, I am so glad it is you. I cannot imagine how anxious I would be if it was anyone else,” Jungkook states.
“Is that why you asked me?” You probe him. “Because I am familiar to you?”
“No,” he says with a shake of his head. You raise your eyebrows at him when he doesn’t add anything else to his answer. He chuckles and licks his lips. “I asked because I wanted to marry you. Simple as that.”
His eyes meet yours and the ever-present stars and sincerity in them make you feel like you’re the only person in the world.
“Why?” You whisper. You fear if you speak too loud it will ruin the moment.
Jungkook tilts his head and tongues his cheek.
“You know I am not good with my words,” he says. “Can I show you instead?”
“Show me?”
Jungkook nods as his hand twists around your forearm, gently pulling you towards him. You stand to better adjust your position, but then he pulls you into his lap, holding you by the backs of your thighs so he can place them on either side of his own. The sudden movement makes you gasp and hold onto his shoulders for support.
Being this close to him is startling, but feeling him beneath you is as comforting as a warm bath after a long day of work. You wonder how you ever went this long without touching him like this in the first place.
Jungkook’s hand caresses your jaw as he looks into your eyes. You can see the cogs turning in his mind as he assesses whether or not you’re comfortable with his touch.
His hand is bigger than your entire cheek and the feeling of his skin on yours makes your eyes shut in pleasure. You feel his thumb gently moving back and forth across your cheekbone and you sigh happily.
“Jungkook,” you murmur. “That feels so nice.”
“It does?” You nod your head with your eyes still closed. “Do you want me to keep going?”
“What do you mean?”
Jungkook’s chuckle forces your eyes open. There are crinkles around his eyes as he gazes at you from mere inches away. He looks so pretty up close.
“We have to appease the man outside at some point tonight, so I am asking you if you would like me to keep making you feel nice,” he explains.
Your mouth snaps shut as the overwhelming anxiety from earlier begins to burrow inside you again. There’s no doubt your body wants your husband, wants Jungkook, as you can feel a tightness in your thighs you’ve only experienced during self exploration before, but it’s all so nerve wracking that you can’t bring yourself to answer him.
“I… I have never, I —”
“I know, my darling,” he responds. His thumb moves across your cheek again before he leans in and presses a kiss to the other one. He lets his lips linger there for a moment before coming back to face you. “Was that alright?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Alright, how about I keep going and you tell me if you want me to stop,” he suggests.
You only nod in response, not trusting your own voice to get your thoughts across clearly.
Jungkook leans in and kisses the same spot before moving down your face, pressing his lips to every inch of skin he comes in contact with. When he reaches your jaw, he lets his tongue drag across you and it pulls a gasp from your throat. He kisses you even harder when he gets to your neck, his lips and tongue moving slowly against your delicate skin before sucking over your pulse point.
“Oh,” you gasp at the unfamiliar sensation. “Oh, Jungkook,” you moan, not recognizing the tone of your own voice.
“Still feel nice, my Queen?” His words dance across the wet spot he’s left on your neck.
“Yes, my King,” you answer breathlessly.
He continues to kiss across your neck and the exposed area on your shoulder while his hand moves away from your face to caress your body. Starting at your shoulder, he traces your outline slowly until he reaches your hip, where his other hand already resides on the opposite side.
His lips leave your neck and a whimper escapes you involuntarily. Jungkook smiles and rests his forehead against yours.
“Can I kiss you?”
You giggle at him being chivalrous enough to ask when he was just painting your neck in his saliva.
“Yes, of course.”
Jungkook kisses you tentatively, so gentle with the pressure of his lips that you almost don’t feel it. You can tell he’s hesitant and doesn’t want to scare you, but when you feel his lips on yours for the first time, your own hesitation melts away.
Your hands leave his shoulders to wrap around his neck as he moves his lips in a slow rhythm against your own. It sends sparks throughout your entire body and makes the feeling in your thighs even more distracting. Jungkook wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you closer to him so your chests touch. His hands flex against your back as he moves them up and down to feel you.
You begin kissing him back as you get the hang of things, mirroring his movements and turning your head to gain better access. Jungkook’s hand sinks into your hair and you moan into his mouth when you feel his fingers on your scalp. The kiss is slow and sensual and you already feel more in your loins than you ever have when pleasuring yourself.
“Jungkook,” you speak when you come up for air. “I need more.”
Jungkook smiles adoringly at you and kisses you once more before lifting you off his lap and standing up. He takes his first layers of clothing off without ever breaking eye contact with you. It has your thighs rubbing together as you watch his fingers pop open buttons and untie laces.
Once he matches you in his state of undress, he gestures to you to come closer with his pointer finger. You obey instantly, not wanting to wait another moment to feel him against you again.
“Have you ever touched yourself?” He asks once you’re standing inches from him. You nod. “Good.”
“Have you… done this before?” Jungkook frowns at your question, and you know he doesn’t want to disappoint you with his reply. “I will not be upset, I promise.”
“I have,” he answers.
“Will you show me, then? I want to make you feel nice, too,” you ask quietly.
The corner of Jungkook’s mouth quirks up and he nods in affirmation. His hands reach out to caress your waist before he turns you around so your back is pressed against his chest. The movement has you gasping, but it morphs into a moan when his lips return to your neck.
He sits again, bringing you with him. He spreads your legs overtop his own which completely opens you up for him. It makes your heart race and your nerves come alive, but you push the anxiety away to continue enjoying his touch.
His hand catches the bottom hem of your underdress and slowly moves it up until your undergarments are exposed to the air. You gasp and grip Jungkook’s forearm when his palm comes to rest over your center. He isn’t touching you yet, necessarily, but you can still feel your core pulsing in anticipation.
“Do you trust me?” He whispers directly into your ear.
“Always,” you reply without missing a beat.
Jungkook hooks his fingers in your undergarment and you lift your hips just enough for him to remove it from your body. The cool air against your wetness sends shivers down your spine.
The initial feeling of Jungkook gently tracing your folds makes you jump in his arms. He shushes you quietly before continuing his ministrations, adding more pressure as his fingers spread your essence around. His hand moves upwards until he’s touching your swollen nub and a loud moan escapes from your mouth.
Your hand covers your mouth in response, your eyes wide in shock of a noise like that coming from you. Jungkook chuckles warmly from behind you.
“No, no,” he says, removing your hand from your face. “They are supposed to hear us, anyway. Do not muffle your noises. I want to hear everything, my Queen.”
Jungkook presses down on your clit and you moan again without restraint. He uses the wetness he collects on his fingers to massage you in your most sensitive spot and it makes your head spin. You’re certain if he wasn’t holding you, your knees would give out. They’re the same motions you use on yourself and yet his fingers make it feel so much more intense. It’s incomparable to anything you’ve ever experienced before in your life.
He retreats back into your folds to spreads them apart before pushing his middle finger into your hole. You gasp again, your nails digging into his skin where you’re still holding onto his arm.
“Is this okay?”
You nod repeatedly in response. It is more than okay. It feels so heavenly you wonder if you’re about to meet God himself.
Jungkook’s finger moves in and out of your hole slowly, a squelching sound accompanying each slide of his appendage. Before long, he adds his ring finger and fucks you with them both, stretching your hole open for the first time.
“Oh, God,” you moan as your head falls to his shoulder. “That… that is amazing, my King.”
Jungkook presses a kiss to your cheek, leaving his lips there as he continues to fuck you slowly with his fingers. He presses his palm down so it meets your clit as his hand moves against you. Your moans are short and high pitched, happening in quick succession now as your orgasm nears.
Your husband picks up the pace, moving his fingers faster and sending them deeper into your pussy. Every time he enters you he reaches a spongy spot inside your walls that has you reeling from the pleasure.
Not only are you focusing on your own ecstasy, but you can feel him hardening beneath you and it makes you want him even more. There is a deep, instinctual need inside you to provide him the same pleasure he is giving you.
“I want you to come for me, my darling,” Jungkook whispers before kissing your neck again. “Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, Jungkook, I am so close,” you respond.
The words have barely left your lips when you feel your orgasm crashing over you like a wave with a high pitched scream that barely sounds like yourself. Jungkook continues to pump his fingers into you as you shake in his arms and your pussy convulses around him.
It’s the most euphoric thing you’ve ever felt and it’s almost too overwhelming to bear. Your thighs are still shaking even once he removes his fingers. You watch with wide eyes as he slips them into his mouth to suck your juices off.
“Jung — mmhf.”
He cuts you off with a kiss, gripping your jaw to keep your face where it is. You moan into each other’s mouths as you devour one another passionately. Jungkook leans you both back, the two of you crashing to the bed with him above you. Leaving your lips for only a moment, Jungkook reaches down to grab the hem of your dress and pull it over your head.
It leaves you completely bare before him and on instinct you go to cover your chest and stomach. Jungkook smiles affectionately at your shyness, but he doesn’t scold you, just laces his fingers with yours and moves your hands away from your body.
“I want to see you, too,” you say as you look into his deep brown eyes.
Jungkook obliges you silently, stretching up and removing his top before kneeling to remove his pants, leaving him with only a single garment covering his manhood.
“Better?”
You nod and reach up to bring his face to yours again. He lovingly traces over your figure beneath him, moving his hands over your waist, hips, shoulders, and arms. It feels as though he is trying to map you in your entirety. His big hands complete their exploration by grabbing both of your breasts and massaging them. You moan, your head falling back against the bed and opening your neck up for him to kiss again.
He doesn’t stay there long before moving lower and kissing across your tits as he squeezes them. His lips latch onto your nipple and you gasp, your hand gripping his black hair in response. He sucks and licks over the nub of your left breast before moving to the right. The sensation has you going mad and it makes your hips buck up against his own.
When you do, you feel how hard his cock has become. Your hand sneaks down and you grab him over his garment, pushing your palm gently against his bulge.
“Oh, darling,” he gasps. You laugh happily at his reaction, feeling accomplished that you’re pleasuring him as well.
“Is this alright?” You ask as you bat your eyelashes.
“It is… so much more than alright. Please do not stop,” he begs you.
You continue the same movement, applying more pressure as Jungkook’s head falls to your shoulder, pressing soft kisses on your skin as he moans.
Feeling more confident now, you stop your movements to remove his undergarment. He stares at your hands as they reveal his body to you. A shuddering breath pushes past your lips when you see your husband’s cock for the first time.
“Oh,” you say as your voice drops an octave.
Jungkook is what you can only assume is large. It’s certainly bigger than the penises you’ve seen in art and statues, but you have no real life comparison. He’s long and thick, with large veins running down his shaft. You don’t think your fingers will touch if you wrap your hand around him.
Jungkook chuckles and raises your head to meet his eyes.
“Do not worry. I will make sure you are ready before you take me,” he assures you.
“How will you do that?”
Jungkook doesn’t respond verbally, he simply maneuvers you both to the center of the bed before sinking down so his face is in front of your cunt. He leans down to kiss and bite along the supple skin of your thighs as he makes his way to where you’re leaking for him already.
His eyes bore into yours when he finally reaches your center and his tongue leaves his mouth for a tentative lick along your folds. You break his eye contact with a loud and deep moan as your head tips back and hits the pillows beneath you.
“Oh, my King,” you sigh in ecstasy.
Your husband wastes not a single second more, his tongue flattening against your hole and licking up the essence that’s collected there. Your legs shake where they rest next to his head and your nails dig into the sheets, twisting them in your grasp.
Jungkook is relentless, despite your body already showing signs of oversensitivity. His tongue slides through your folds as he kisses your cunt and moans into you. Then he moves to lick your clit and suck it into his mouth, before returning again to fuck his tongue into you. While his mouth is abusing your hole he uses his nose to create friction on your swollen nub. Everything he does sends shockwaves through your entire being and you feel like your consciousness is no longer on the earth.
You come again faster than you can even register, your thighs locking around Jungkook’s head as your whole body spasms. Jungkook doesn’t stop, though, even once your breathing begins to return to normal. He continues on as if you didn’t reach a climax at all. It sends your body into overdrive and you gasp at the painful pleasure that shoots through your core.
Hands finding his hair, you tug on the strands as your hips move to meet his mouth. He groans against you, nodding as if to tell you to keep going. You do, your pussy rubbing against his face while he licks your cum away.
Everything about it is downright filthy and yet it creates the most wonderful feeling to ever course through your veins.
Jungkook’s mouth moves against you like he knows your body better than you do. His tongue only laps at you a couple more times before another orgasm hits you, and it causes you to gasp and moan pathetically as your hips gyrate against him. He finally comes up for air once he feels your body still, his head resting on your thigh as he kisses it softly.
“Did that feel good, my darling?” Jungkook asks with a smile. His pink lips are swollen and shiny with your essence.
“You have no idea,” you pant, each word coming out across an exhale.
Jungkook’s smile grows exponentially and he comes up to meet you at your lips again. You can taste yourself on him and it makes you moan into his kiss.
“Are you ready, my Queen?”
His eyes peer into your own when he asks and you can tell he wants to see you so he knows whether you truly are or not.
“Well, what about you?”
“You do not need to worry about me,” he tells you.
“But I want to,” you argue. “I want to pleasure you, my King. I want to give you everything.”
Jungkook pauses your conversation as his eyes search yours for something.
“Are you saying that because you think it is your duty?”
“No.”
“Then —”
“I am saying it because it is how I feel about you, Jungkook. It has nothing to do with duty.”
Jungkook sighs and kisses the tip of your nose. You can’t help but blush, the gentle affection warming your heart and making you smile up at him.
“I would love nothing more, my darling,” he tells you. “But I think we should save that for another day. Truthfully, I need to be inside you or I will go mad.”
His words spread heat throughout your entire body.
“Is that so?”
The smirk currently occupying your lips isn’t there for long because Jungkook kisses it away. A dreamy sigh comes from you as your tongues meet for a lazy dance inside your mouth. You could kiss him forever if given the chance. The taste of his lips and the feel of them against your own has you completely hypnotized.
Jungkook uses the distraction of his kiss to line himself up with your core, gently running the tip of his cock through your folds and then spreading your cum down his shaft to lubricate his skin. Your pussy reacts immediately, clenching around nothing and leaking more cum onto your thighs. When he’s ready, he nuzzles his nose against yours and kisses your cheek.
“This may hurt,” he warns you.
“I know,” you smile reassuringly. “I will be alright.”
“You will tell me if you are uncomfortable at all, yes?”
“Yes, darling,” you reply in a mock-tone of his deep voice. He beams at you, his eyes disappearing for a moment before giving you one final peck.
Jungkook enters you slowly, letting just his head push past your tight circle of nerves before waiting to make sure you’re alright. Your nails dig into the skin of his shoulders as your pussy stretches to accommodate him. It isn’t as painful as you expected, more so a tight pressure within your walls. You nod reassuringly at him once you’ve adjusted and he continues gently until his hips meet yours and his cock is nestled up against your cervix.
You gasp at the full intrusion, your lips kissing his shoulder and biting down on the muscle to relieve the foreign ache.
“Try to relax, darling, it will help,” he coos in your ear.
Taking multiple deep breaths, you close your eyes and wait for the pressure to subside. Once it does, you’re mesmerized by the pleasure. Jungkook’s cock throbs inside you and he’s so thick that you can feel every ridge and vein pressing against your walls.
“Okay,” you say, looking into Jungkook’s eyes and brushing his hair away from his face. He still looks hesitant, raising his eyebrows at you to confirm you’re truly ready. You answer him with a kiss and he smiles against your mouth.
Jungkook rears back slowly, never once looking away from you to ensure you’re alright, and then sinks back in. You moan when he enters you again, this time feeling nothing but pleasure and euphoria. His tip repeatedly hits the same spot inside you and it makes you see stars as your eyes roll back.
His body hovers over yours, his forearms holding him steady. Your hands are in his hair and around his neck, tugging on the strands in time with his movements. He grabs your leg to bring it higher around his hip and thrusts into you even deeper. Your moans tangle together in the air between you along with the wet sound of his cock entering you over and over. Jungkook is fucking you like his life depends on it, like is whole life has lead to this very moment. He kisses your shoulder and neck and sucks on your earlobe before finally coming back to your lips to ravish your mouth.
Consummation of marriage doesn’t seem like the right term for this act anymore, it’s too exquisite to be described in such a mundane way.
You gaze up at Jungkook as he watches his cock come out of you and go back in again. He groans at the sight, throwing his head back, and you run your hand down his sharp jaw to grab his attention.
“I love you,” you tell him, despite how terrified you are for him to finally know the truth. His eyes go wide, his mouth opening and shutting again when he can’t find the right words to reply. You smile at his reaction, finding it utterly adorable how you’ve stunned him into silence. “I love you, my King, my husband… my Jungkook.”
Jungkook blinks repeatedly and you can see tears pricking at the corners of his starry eyes, which only makes yours do the same. He maps your face with his eyes as he relishes in your confession. His head shakes in disbelief, but then he smiles and breathes out a laugh.
“I love you, Y/N,” he finally responds. “My Queen, you have no idea how long I have loved you.”
He kisses you again, this time so ardently it steals your breath right from your lungs. His thrusts speed up while your mouths chase each other, the emotions swirling inside you both making you even needier. Your nails rake down his back in red streaks as he pistons into you and grinds against your hips.
“M’close, my love,” he tells you with a kiss to your neck.
“Give me a child, Jungkook,” you reply. “Fill up my womb, please.”
Jungkook groans extensively into the skin of your neck as he pushes your hips deeper into the bed so he can fuck you harder. One of his hands sneaks between your bodies to massage your clit, making sure you are on the same precipice as he is.
You come together, loud moans filling the air as your pussy spasms and squeezes Jungkook’s cock inside your walls. Warmth spreads through you as his cum fills you up and he fucks it deeper into you. Gasping at how utterly full you feel, you go to move until Jungkook stops you with a squeeze to your hip.
“Not yet,” he whispers. “I do not want you to lose a single drop.”
The thought of Jungkook’s seed sitting deep inside your womb and him refusing to pull out to keep it there has you moaning all over again.
You whine at the feeling of emptiness that overtakes you when he does finally leave the warmth of your cunt. You’re in delirium from all the climaxes and pleasure your husband gave to you and you can barely keep your eyes open.
Jungkook cleans away any excess fluid from between your legs with a rag before tucking you in and joining you in the bed. He kisses you goodnight with a peck to your lips and forehead before telling you he loves you again. You are already halfway asleep, but make an attempt to tell him the same nonetheless.
The honeymoon gets extended to three months, simply because Jungkook refuses to share you with anyone else; completely content with having you all to himself for just a while longer. Now that the feelings you were both hiding for so long are out in the open, you want to enjoy your time together without reality sneaking its way in.
When you do finally return, you’re very much pregnant. Initially, you and Jungkook decide to keep it a secret, but then his mother notices the small bump over your womb and practically shouts the news from the rooftop of the castle. Your mother and father are absolutely elated and everytime they even glance at you tears of joy well up in their eyes.
Your pregnancy is celebrated all throughout the Kingdom with festivals and parades, but there’s one person you never hear congratulations from. In fact, you barely see him around the many halls and rooms which surround you, as if he’s merely a myth your mind conjured up.
Once you do see Taehyung, it’s a far cry from the reunion you were hoping for. All he does is bow to you before continuing on down the corridor. His eyes don’t even meet yours and his expression is stone cold and empty. Your heart absolutely shatters in two and you find solace in the library to cry the ache away.
Jungkook finds you before anyone else does, his eyes going wide when he sees you slumped over with your head in your hands.
“Darling?” He crouches down before you and pulls your head up by your chin. “My love, what is wrong? Is it something with the baby?”
“No,” you cry and shake your head. “Taehyung… he will not even look at me.”
Jungkook frowns and tucks some of your hair behind your ear.
“Just give him some time,” he tells you.
You shake your head again.
“No, I need to speak to him. I have to tell him why I accepted your proposal and not his,” you explain.
“Taehyung proposed to you?” Jungkook asks, shock evident in his tone.
“Yes, when he came to tell me he was leaving for the war,” you state. “He told me he would come back and marry me, but I did not give him an answer.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have only ever loved you, Jungkook.”
Just as you feared, time does nothing to bridge the gap between you and your best friend.
The war ends six months into your pregnancy, and even as all the residents of the castle gather in the ballroom for a celebratory feast, he utters not a single word to you. When you give birth a few months later, your relationship is still not mended and you fear it never will be.
PRESENT DAY
Taehyung thinks he’s going to throw up. His hands are sweaty and shaking, his internal temperature is dropping, and his leg won’t stop bouncing against the bleachers. Despite all that, he can’t bring himself to peel his eyes away from you and Jungkook as you enter the gym together.
Jungkook’s fingers are laced with yours as you walk just ahead of him. Your smile is so bright when you glance back at him momentarily and all Taehyung can think is that you don’t know. You have no idea you’re holding hands with your own killer.
Once you reach the other cheerleaders, you wrap your arms around Jungkook’s neck to hug him. He smiles at your embrace and nuzzles his head in the junction of your neck and shoulder, pecking your cheek before letting you go. You mouth “I love you” to him and his smile grows as he repeats the phrase back to you. As if it could get worse, Jungkook taps your ass before walking towards the locker room. You don’t even turn around to scold him, just playfully slap his hand as he laughs and leaves you with your teammates.
Bile threatens to scratch Taehyung's esophagus as he watches Jungkook stroll away from you and disappear into the locker room. He hopes no one notices his staring problem, but it’s impossible for him to look away from the reincarnation of his former best friend.
This shouldn’t be possible and yet he can’t deny what’s right in front of his own eyes.
A buzzer pulls Taehyung from his thoughts and the game begins with introductions of both teams. You’re standing courtside in your usual spot at the center of the formation. You cheer as they announce all the players and you yell even louder when they announce Jungkook, after which he winks at you and returns to his position on the court.
The irony of a former King and Queen being reincarnated as the captain of the cheerleading squad and the captain of the basketball team doesn’t escape Taehyung. Because what else would they be?
Taehyung would love nothing more than to enjoy the game and cheer along with the rest of the crowd, but his mind is slowly spiraling into madness.
He needs to find out if Jungkook remembers his past life or not.
If Jungkook does have his memories, that means he’s dating you when he knows what he did and you don’t. Taehyung’s face scrunches in disgust at the thought. He would have to be getting off on it if that’s the case, of knowing he has you back in his clutches while you’re clueless.
On the other hand, if Jungkook doesn’t remember his last life, then you two are clearly drawn together by some other force of nature that Taehyung isn’t aware of. Perhaps this is just the way your fates are always meant to align, with you and Jungkook together while Taehyung has to come in and save you from him. At least this time Jungkook doesn’t have the authority to murder you.
The biggest question of the night is still how.
Sometime before you and Taehyung were killed, he sought out a sorceress to cast a protection spell. The spell was simple, but it could only be cast on one of you, so Taehyung made the decision to cast it on you instead of himself. It read:
The person you love will follow you into the next life, and with a kiss, your memories will be returned to you.
Taehyung chose the spell because he wanted you and him to get a do-over in case something bad happens to you. The only requirement of the spell is that you have to die together, or at least in quick succession to one another. Since that prerequisite was met, you were reincarnated and he has knowledge of his past life.
Jungkook being here adds a wrench of astronomical proportions to his plans and makes him wonder if Jungkook cast a spell of his own before he killed you. Maybe he got wind of what Taehyung had done and decided to add himself into the mix.
He may never find out, especially if Jungkook is truly clueless to who he was before.
When the game ends, Taehyung watches with a clenched jaw as Jungkook scoops you into his arms and lifts you off the ground. You giggle as he does it and the sound is so beautiful it almost brings tears to Taehyung’s eyes. He can practically feel the happiness radiating from you as Jungkook kisses you before setting you back down on the floor.
It feels like the past is haunting him and laughing in his face. The image of you two before him is so familiar he can almost picture you in your wedding gown instead of your uniform.
You and Jungkook hold hands again as you converse with all the students coming over to congratulate the team on their big win. Taehyung knows it’s now or never and makes his way down to greet you two.
“Taehyung!” You wave at him with your free hand.
Jungkook looks up to follow your line of sight. He doesn’t look stunned by the sound of Taehyung’s name and his eyes don’t go wide when he spots him amongst the crowd, so that must be a good sign.
“Hey,” Taehyung says as he steps in front of you.
“Taehyung, this is Jungkook and Jungkook, this is Taehyung,” you introduce the two boys.
Taehyung could laugh out loud at the irony of it.
“Hey man, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Jungkook says as he shakes Taehyung’s hand. “Y/N has told me all about you. I’m glad she finally has someone to study with who doesn’t distract her.”
“You mean yourself?” You say, turning to him with a smirk.
He teasingly blows a kiss at you and your head tilts to the right, accompanied by your usual nose scrunch and smile combo.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Taehyung says with a forced smile. If he could go a hundred lives without ever meeting Jungkook again, he would. “She talks about you a lot, as well. The mysterious boyfriend.”
“Yeah, I wish we could’ve met sooner. This one says we would get along great,” Jungkook explains.
He moves behind you to rest his arms over your shoulders, his chin meeting your hair. Your fingers absentmindedly trace his tattoos where his arms hang over your chest. Taehyung’s eyes follow every movement and he has to fight not to lose his mind at the displays of affection.
“You think so?” Taehyung asks you and you nod repeatedly.
“Oh, yeah,” you answer. “I don’t know what it is, I can just tell you’d be like two peas in a pod.”
“Well, we should all hang out sometime and see if she’s right,” Taehyung suggests.
He only does so because he needs to know for sure about Jungkook’s memories. If he can find ways to test him and possibly trip him up, he will.
“I’m always right,” you argue.
“Mmhm, sure you are, my love,” Jungkook says as he kisses your shoulder before standing back up to his full height and taking your hand.
Taehyung almost visibly recoils at the sound of one of Jungkook’s old pet names for you.
“We have to get going to the team’s celebration dinner, but I’ll text you and maybe we can plan something with the three of us?” You propose.
You go to grab your bag but Jungkook is already slinging it over his shoulder. When you notice, you smile and slap his arm playfully.
“Yeah, sounds great,” Taehyung responds.
Jungkook waves goodbye and you follow suit before you’re both turning around and heading for the door. You lay your head on Jungkook’s bicep as you walk and he bends over to kiss the top of your head.
Taehyung throws his head back with a groan. He’s waited hundreds of years and spent the last 20 or so looking for you only to find you in Jungkook’s arms yet again. He wants to have a word with the universe so he can really speak his mind on the matter.
You text him a couple days later inviting him to a party with some athletes at an off-campus house. It isn’t ideal, but he needs to get as close to you as possible if this is ever going to work.
The familiar stench of cheap beer and marijuana is already infiltrating Taehyung’s nostrils as he enters. In fact, he walks right through someone’s puff cloud and coughs his whole way into the house. Once inside, he grabs a strong drink from the kitchen and starts searching for you.
When he finds you, you’re facing his direction while closing one eye to better aim your ping pong ball. Jungkook is opposite you, his back to Taehyung, as everyone waits with bated breath for the outcome of your shot.
You toss the ping pong ball with precision and it bounces once on the table before sinking right in the center cup. Throwing your hands up to cheer, your proud eyes find Jungkook’s to validate your accomplishment even though he’s on the opposing team.
“Ha! Take that, Kook,” you tease.
“Alright, alright, I’ll give you that one,” Jungkook responds as he grabs the ball from the cup and downs the drink. “But it’s the last one you’re going to get, baby.”
Jungkook is much quicker than you with his aim and sinks his ball into the matching cup on your side of the table. He puts his arms out and shrugs when you pout in his direction. Rolling your eyes, you chug the beer before setting the cup to the side.
Taehyung stands to the side to watch the rest of the beer pong tournament and unfortunately for you, Jungkook was right, and you never land a ball in one of his cups again.
When the game ends you sulk your way over to Jungkook, making a show of crossing your arms over your chest and pouting at him. Taehyung has to look away when he notices Jungkook bending down to kiss the pout away. By the time he looks back, Jungkook has his arm around your shoulders and yours is around his waist.
“Oh, Tae, hi!” You shout when you notice him. “Oh wait, can I call you that?”
“Of course,” Taehyung replies with a smile. “Hey Jungkook.”
“Hey, what’s up? Glad you could make it,” Jungkook says.
“You know I think the rules of boyfriendship say you’re supposed to let your girlfriend win at these things,” Taehyung points out.
“See! What did I say?”
You look up at Jungkook, the pout returning with a vengeance.
Jungkook squishes your cheeks between his fingers and coos at you mockingly. You giggle and your eyes squeeze shut before pushing him away with a gentle shove to his chest.
“I never let anyone win,” Jungkook states.
I am fully aware.
“It’s true, he’s stupid competitive, but he’s also magically good at fucking everything, so it kinda works in his favor,” you explain.
“I bet I could beat you at something,” Taehyung says casually.
Jungkook’s eyebrows move up his forehead, a big toothy grin appearing on his face.
“Am I finally about to face a worthy opponent?” He asks rhetorically, his voice pitching up with eagerness. “What’s your game, Taetae?”
Taetae?
Taehyung is almost tempted to ask Jungkook to slice his neck open again. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to feign nicety when all he wants to do is punch the guy. Whether he has his memories or not, he’s still the only obstacle left standing in Taehyung’s path to you.
“Um,” Taehyung scopes out the landscape of the house. “Darts?”
Jungkook nods, pursing his lips as he thinks and gazes at the dart board.
“I can do darts,” he replies.
You leave to grab more drinks while they stroll over to the empty corner where the dart board is hanging. Jungkook pulls the darts from the board and tosses some to Taehyung before stepping back behind the duck tape marking the floor. He gestures with his hands for Taehyung to go first.
“So, I don’t want to make anything awkward, but I feel like I have to give you the obligatory ‘don’t try anything with my girl’ speech,” Jungkook says after Taehyung has thrown his first dart. “Not to say you guys can’t hang out because I’m not like that. She can do whatever she wants. I just like to let guys know that I mean business, ya know?”
“What do you mean?” Taehyung asks.
“I mean that I’m head over heels in love and would do just about anything to keep her next to me,” Jungkook states. He aims quickly and throws his first dart. “As long as she wants me, of course.”
“And if she didn’t… want you, I mean, would you fight for her?” Taehyung continues before taking his next throw.
“Of course I would,” Jungkook responds with a shrug, as if it’s the easiest answer in the world. “She means everything to me.”
Taehyung can hear the sincerity in Jungkook’s voice and it reflects in his eyes, too, even in the dim lighting.
“I hear you, Jungkook. Loud and clear,” Taehyung says before gesturing for Jungkook to take his next shot. “How did you guys meet anyway?”
Jungkook takes a sip from his cup before throwing his next dart, the guy barely has to look at the board and he still hits a bullseye. Some things never change.
“The weekend before freshman orientation all the athletes move in early and have this big mixer,” Jungkook explains. “She took my fucking breath away from across the room, but we were actually friends for a long time before we started dating.”
“Why is that?” Taehyung throws his last dart and then leans against the nearby railing.
“Well, honestly, I wanted to try out the whole ‘soil your oats’ thing when I first got to college, but then the more time I spent with her, the more I couldn’t get her off my mind. I never even touched another girl the whole year, even before we got together.”
“Baby, I brought drinks!” Your sweet voice rings out before they can continue their conversation.
Jungkook turns around at the sound of it, a huge smile on his face even though you’ve only been gone a couple minutes.
“Oh, thanks, Princess.”
He greets you with a kiss as he takes the beer bottle from your hand.
Taehyung has to hide the way his teeth grind together at the nickname. He hates how ironic it is given that you were never a Princess, only a Queen, because you were shoved into a role you never asked for by your so-called best friend.
His inner monologue is interrupted when you hand him a beer bottle as well. He thanks you with a bow of his head before turning back to the game. Jungkook throws his last dart and then leans forward to count up the points.
“Oh, you guys are tied,” you say with a smile. “Looks like someone’s giving you a run for your money, Kook.”
“It appears so,” he responds. “I think you were right about me and Taetae, we’re gonna be great friends.”
Taehyung’s head tilts at the tiny lick of sarcasm in Jungkook’s voice. He doesn’t think you notice it, though, since you’re still smiling at your boyfriend like he hung the stars in the sky.
There isn’t a second round because you tug on Jungkook’s hand and ask him to dance with you instead. He obliges your request without hesitation, already moving towards the other room while you wave goodbye to Taehyung. Once you’re gone, Taehyung runs his fingers through his hair and looks at the dart board with matching scores. Figures.
He doesn’t see you again until much later after he’s had a little too much to drink. When he does, he immediately regrets coming to look for you.
Jungkook is pinning you against the wall as he kisses you slowly, his mouth moving against yours like he has all the time in the world. His knee is between your thighs and he’s caressing your waist beneath your shirt. You make out hungrily, his tongue slipping into your mouth while you bite on his lower lip. Then he grips your jaw and kisses your neck, sucking on your skin until you whimper. Your hands run up his back and grip tightly onto his jacket.
“Kook,” you moan. “Upstairs.”
Jungkook nods at your command from where his face is still against your neck. Without missing a beat, he takes your hand and leads you around the corner to the back stairwell. Taehyung can hear your giggles as you two run up the stairs together.
Taehyung actually does get sick this time. It’s a mixture of the alcohol and his mind agonizing over the thought of you two in a bedroom alone together. His knuckles turn white as he grips the edge of the toilet bowl he’s currently bent over.
Jungkook shouldn’t get to touch you like that, shouldn’t get to hold you or kiss you after what he did.
Taehyung’s eyes snap shut as the memory of you clutching your bleeding neck flashes in his mind. He presses his knuckles to his eyelids to try and get the image to go away. It never does. Taehyung is constantly haunted by the look of terror in your eyes as you fall over and bleed out right in front of him.
He presses his forehead against the cabinet next to him as he tries to catch his breath. He still isn’t sure if Jungkook has his memories or not, but it doesn’t matter anymore. You deserve to know exactly who you’re dating.
A few days later, you’re sitting across from him with half a gummy worm hanging from your mouth while you read something on your laptop. Every so often you start typing and your brow creases in concentration. Taehyung can’t keep his eyes off you for a second. You’re undeniably endearing and it’s taking everything in him not to reach across the table and kiss you right now.
“Jungkook says he really likes you,” you say without looking up.
“Really? I honestly couldn’t tell,” Taehyung replies.
“Oh yeah, no, he talked about you a lot after the party. Said he finally met his match,” you continue.
“Hmm, he wasn’t jealous at all?”
You look up with confusion written on your face.
“No,” you stretch out the syllable. “Should he be?”
“No, no! I just know him and I talked about it a bit and —”
“Talked about what?”
“Well, about you being his and that I should respect that,” Taehyung explains.
“Oh, yeah, he does that,” you say with a wave of your hand. “In his eyes, I’m the most beautiful girl in the world, so everyone must want me, ya know?”
“You are,” Taehyung accidentally says before biting his lip aggressively. Your eyes bulge as you stare at him in shock across the table. “I… I didn’t mean it like that.”
You nod, your lip held captive between your teeth while you look everywhere but at Taehyung.
“Um —”
“Y/N, I’m so sorry,” Taehyung interrupts. “I promise, I’m not trying to make a move on you or steal you away from Jungkook. You just… I mean, objectively, you are beautiful, and truth be told you remind me of someone I used to know, so I just… oh I don’t know.”
“It’s alright,” you say with a gentle smile. “Let’s just forget about it, yeah?”
You end up missing your study session with him on Thursday, shooting him a text an hour after you normally arrive that you got caught up with something else and you’ll see him next time.
Taehyung already knows next time is never going to come. You’ll subtly ghost him after making excuses for a few weeks, and he doesn’t blame you. He crossed a line and you’re trying to set some boundaries in return. But he refuses to leave you in the dark any longer, and if his plan is failing, he’ll need to come up with another one.
There’s a home basketball game tonight, so Taehyung buys a ticket at the entrance before heading into the gym. You’re already there with the other cheerleaders, but Jungkook is nowhere in sight. Taehyung knows he has to be quick about this and doesn’t hesitate to approach you courtside.
“Hey,” he greets you.
“Oh, hi,” you respond with your usual smile. Maybe you really were busy yesterday or maybe you’re just good at hiding your true emotions.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
Your body tenses at his question, and your eyes flit to the other side of the room, but you eventually nod and the two of you leave and stand in an unoccupied area behind the gym doors.
“What’s up?” You ask as you cross your arms.
“I just wanted to make sure everything is still good between us,” he admits.
You nod slowly and chew on your lip as you debate over your answer.
“Honestly? No,” you confess. “You’re really fun to hang out with and I’ve enjoyed our study time together, but what you said the other day… it’s obvious that this is more than a friendship for you and I’m not comfortable continuing to hang out one-on-one knowing that.”
Taehyung’s hands begin to shake as he digests your words. He knows what he has to do and yet he can’t bring himself to do it.
“Look, I do like you as more than a friend, and I think you should give me a shot because Jungkook isn’t who you think he is.”
“Excuse me?” You gawk at him. “You’ve met him twice, Tae! How dare you?”
“No, Y/N, you don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand, huh?”
“That… you don’t have all the information, but I can give it to you,” Taehyung offers.
“Information? What are you even talking about?” There’s a momentary pause until you shake your head and put your hands up in surrender. “You know what, no, I don’t even wanna know. I trust my boyfriend more than a guy I’ve known for barely three months.”
You start to walk away, moving swiftly past Taehyung, but he catches your wrist.
“Wait!”
“Taehyung, let go of me.”
“I’m sorry about this.”
Taehyung uses his grip on your wrist to pull you into him and presses his lips to yours. He never wanted to do it this way, never without your consent, but he’s losing you again and he can’t risk that.
It only lasts two seconds before you’re shoving him off of you, but it’s enough. This kiss is the final puzzle piece to returning your memories so you can be together again.
“What the hell, Tae?” You shout before running back towards the gym.
The words have barely passed your lips when the first wave hits you. It stops you in your tracks, your hands bracing themselves on the cold metal doors as images flood your mind.
Ball gowns, children playing, a grassy field with wildflowers, two horses galloping towards you, blood pooling on the floor. You gasp and your hand instinctively grabs at your neck. The mirage stops and you shake your head, thinking it’s just some bizarre daydream brought on by the stress of Taehyung’s actions.
You return to your courtside formation just in time to see Jungkook entering the gym from the locker room. As soon as your eyes land on his silhouette, more images appear.
A large bed in a dark room, a gold crown, white roses, a baby cradle, his hand pulling a dress up your thigh, him spinning you in the air, and finally, his eyes, sharp and cold, looking at you in disgust.
You trip over nothing at all, accidentally bumping into your teammate behind you. She asks if you’re alright, but you're too frazzled to verbally answer her and nod instead.
Jungkook notices your abnormal behavior from across the room and pivots to walk towards you. When he does, the Jungkook you know seemingly blinks out of existence and is replaced by a version of him in medieval attire with a crown on his head. You blink rapidly to eradicate the hallucination, but it only lasts for a split second before you see him in his basketball uniform again.
Lifting your hands to stop him from coming any closer, you avoid his eyes and turn around to take a sip of water. Your head is pounding as unfamiliar scenes infiltrate your mind one at a time. Nothing makes sense and you wonder if you somehow fell asleep and are dreaming all of this. You pinch your forearm and flinch when your nails dig in and send a sharp pain through your skin.
You try to steady your breathing, but the images are unyielding and overwhelming. Looking up into the bleachers, you see Taehyung, and just like before, he phases into a version of himself wearing knight’s armor and a shield.
Grasping the side of your head and massaging your temple, you turn back towards the game just as the buzzer sounds.
The roar of the crowd and the players yelling commands at each other only serves to make matters worse. You brace your head between your hands and bend over, willing the kaleidoscope of visions to cease. Squeezing your eyes shut, you count your inhales and exhales in a feeble attempt to self soothe.
Another cheerleader rubs your back and asks if you’re feeling okay, but her voice sounds like it’s coming from underwater. All you can see, hear, and feel are the vivid daydreams of you, Taehyung, and Jungkook in medieval clothes as you stroll around a huge stone castle. The last thing you see is Taehyung held taut by two knights. A deep, foreboding aura seeps into your bones and then you feel a sharp blade slice across your jugular.
Everything fades to black as you pass out.
“Oh, my God, Y/N,” the cheerleader behind you gasps as you fall into her.
All movement on the court comes to a screeching halt, and Jungkook is throwing the ball out of his hands before running over to you.
“What happened?” He asks as he bends down. His fingers gently move your hair away from your face and he presses the back of his hand to your forehead to check your temperature.
“I don’t know, she looked like she was having a migraine and then she was just out,” someone explains.
Taehyung starts moving through the stands to reach you, but before he can, your eyes begin to blink open. He stands still as a statue as he watches you take in your surroundings. When you see Jungkook leaning over you, you gasp and move away.
“No… no,” you whimper.
“Baby?”
“No, don’t touch me,” you yell when his hand goes to caress your arm.
“Y/N, it’s me.”
“No, no, no,” you cry as you cradle your head in your hands. “Make it stop, please make it stop.”
Jungkook looks at the girl still holding you in horror, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.
The first-aid team runs in and heads towards the commotion. One of them tries to move you, but you only wail louder and coil into yourself, preventing them from doing anything to help.
“We’re gonna need to sedate her,” one of them says.
“What?” Jungkook asks with wide eyes. “What do you mean?”
The paramedic doesn’t answer him, they just stick a small needle in your arm and push the medicine into your vein. Your cries subside into whimpers almost immediately, and then you’re out cold again.
The gym is completely silent as everyone watches with concern for you and your wellbeing.
The paramedics move you to a stretcher and roll you out of the gym. Jungkook stands to follow them, but not before turning over his shoulder and meeting eyes with Taehyung.
“You, with me, now,” he orders.
And that’s the moment Taehyung finally knows for sure. Jungkook has his memories. He knows exactly who he was in his past life, and more importantly, what he did.
1430
You’re clutching your dress between the fingers of your left hand as you take quick steps down the hall, attempting to catch up to the tiny figure ahead of you. The five year old is far too quick for your liking, and she’s mischievous in nature which only makes it worse.
“Sooyoung,” you call when you finally catch up to her, scooping her into your arms when you’re close enough. “What did mommy say about running in the corridors? There are big, pointy objects all around and you could run into one.”
“Sorry, mommy,” she giggles, tucking herself into your chest.
You rub her back and place a kiss in her hair. Just then, you hear the sound of a door opening and Jungkook steps out, running his hands through his hair methodically.
“Daddy!” Sooyoung shouts and wiggles herself away from you.
Putting her down, you watch as her little feet carry her to his side. Jungkook stops in his tracks, his eyes bright with affection and a large toothy grin on his face. When she finally reaches him, he lifts her up by her waist, bringing her over his head as she giggles endlessly before resting her against his hip.
“How is my beautiful Princess doing?”
“Good, I learned the alphabet this morning,” she tells him.
“You did? Baby, that is wonderful,” he praises her. She smiles and leans over to plant a wet smooch on his cheek. Jungkook laughs and returns the favor to her, kissing her multiple times until she tells him to stop with a giggle. When Jungkook reaches you he leans down to kiss your lips. “Hi, my love.”
“Hello, my King,” you say as he passes Sooyoung over to you. You put her down and let her roam in the room just off to the left where some of her toys are. “Are you joining us for lunch?”
“No, my darling, I cannot,” he says with a frown. You mirror his expression and he tucks some of your hair behind your ear. “I am sorry, my Queen. You know I would if it were up to me.”
“I know,” you reply.
Even though the war which took the lives of Jungkook’s brother and father ended shortly before you gave birth to your first son, another one broke out three months ago. Thankfully, since his heirs are too young to rule in his stead, there was a mutual agreement that Jungkook wouldn’t go away to fight because of what happened during the last war. But even though he’s here with you, moments like this are some of the only ones you get to spend together.
Other than these brief encounters when you happen to cross paths, the only time you see him is when he comes to bed for the night. During the first month of the war, you would stay up for him, waiting in eager anticipation for the sound of his footsteps coming down the corridor. When he did finally arrive, he would sweep you up into his arms and make love to you before tucking you into bed and falling asleep with you in his hold. Over time, his entrances into your bedroom came later and later, and you would fall asleep while waiting for him. Now, he simply presses a kiss to your forehead in your sleep before pulling you into his arms. When you wake up, he’s usually already gone.
Everytime you get so much as a glimpse of him, it soothes the melancholy feeling in your heart and brings a smile to your face. Even if all you see is a familiar head of black hair and broad shoulders turning around a corner.
Time moves torturously slow without him beside you and you feel the ache of missing him all the way down to your bones. The loneliness is becoming unbearable, especially since your two eldest children, Sooyoung, who is almost five, and Junghyun, named after his late uncle, who is seven, are busy with their tutor most of the day. That leaves you with your identical twin boys, Minho and Wonshik, who are two. They’re quite entertaining, but nothing can fill the void of not having your beloved husband around.
“Perhaps I will see you tonight?” You ask.
“I hope so,” Jungkook says as he caresses your cheek. He bends down to kiss you again, for longer this time now that your daughter is out of the way. “I love you, my Queen, so very much.”
“I love you more,” you reply with a final peck.
Jungkook raises his eyebrow to silently challenge your statement before waving goodbye to you and your daughter as he continues down the corridor.
Sighing in exasperation, you call for your daughter and take her hand as you walk towards the dining hall to eat lunch with your other children.
Some days later you’re walking through the large gardens behind the castle while the twins nap inside. Early afternoons are the only time of day when you’re able to take a break from motherhood and be alone with your thoughts. Although, you’re certainly not lacking in alone time at the moment.
As you pass by the hedges on your way back inside, you spot Taehyung speaking with some fellow knights. You no longer attempt to make eye contact with him and neither does he. It’s been nearly eight years since you last spoke besides obligatory greetings or discussions involving his duties. The idea of you two ever being close again is a pipe dream you stopped hoping for long ago. You miss him dearly, and you always will, but it’s useless driving yourself mad over an impossibility.
After lunch, you hear a knock at the nursery door where you’re playing with Minho and Wonshik. When you see Taehyung enter after allowing the visitor entry, you’re taken aback. He’s usually only ever with Jungkook or completing a task on his behalf.
“Sir Taehyung, can I help you?” You ask him.
“I am assigned to be here, your Majesty,” he answers you flatly.
“Pardon?”
“The King has assigned me to be your personal guard.”
“Why would I need a personal guard?” You question, pulling Minho closer to your chest. There’s never been a reason or need for you to be under supervision before and you don’t like the sound of it.
“The battlefront has moved closer to the Eastern border and as such, King Jungkook wants you and the children to each be guarded day and night in the event that the enemy breaks down our defenses or sneaks into the Kingdom,” he explains.
You nod as you digest the news, looking down at your two-year old who gazes back with familiar big, brown eyes. Putting him back on the ground to play with his twin, you stand and walk towards Taehyung.
“If that is the case I believe we should have a conversation, Sir Taehyung.”
“I do not believe that is necessary, my Queen.”
“I think it is,” you argue. “If you are going to be with me around the clock I do not want it to be awkward.”
Taehyung grimaces and chews on his bottom lip as he thinks about his following words. You cross your arms over your chest for good measure, even though you look nowhere near intimidating.
“I do not wish to speak about the past, but I will attempt to be cordial with you for the sake of the arrangement,” he proposes. “Is that alright with you, your Highness?”
You mull it over in your mind for a minute before nodding curtly and turning back towards your children.
His assignment of guarding you is considerably more boring compared to his usual duties. All he does is walk behind you at a reasonable distance while you traverse the gardens, stand behind your seat at meal times, guard the door while you read in the library, and sit in the nursery with you as you play with the children.
Despite Taehyung assuring you otherwise, the first days of his assignment are extremely awkward. He hardly speaks to you and when he does, it’s clipped and cold. But time seems to massage the tension away and slowly, but surely, he warms up to you.
The first time you see him smile is when Wonshik decides to come towards you for a hug and falls flat on his face. Your whole body tenses in shock when you hear the nostalgic sound of Taehyung chuckling behind you. It brings a huge smile to your face even as you’re trying to calm Wonshik down from his accident.
Eventually, the quiet moments turn into real conversations.
You often stop to enjoy nature during your garden walks and there’s a large bench near the creek you like sitting on. One day, your hand taps against the stone and you look over your shoulder at Taehyung. He raises his eyebrows, silently asking if you mean for him to sit there. When you nod, he waits a few moments before moving towards you and sitting down on the other end of the bench.
“Is this not the most beautiful view?” You ask as you gaze out across the creek.
“It is one of them, for sure,” Taehyung answers.
It’s the first time he’s said anything of substance to you in close to a decade, and you almost begin to cry at the thought.
“The valley by my house was beautiful, too, but I believe I prefer this,” you state. Taehyung only hums in response. “Do you have any special spots around the castle you think are particularly nice?”
“I do, actually,” Taehyung says. “There is a corridor just off the maid’s quarters where they store the new and old artwork as they cycle through them. I go there sometimes and look at the art up close. Not many people know about it, so it is always peaceful.”
You admire his profile as he speaks, and a smile appears on your lips involuntarily. Even with the passage of time, his features are identical to the boy you once knew. Losing his friendship has always been your biggest heartbreak, and you can feel your soul slowly healing whenever you’re with him.
That encounter becomes the starting point for your new relationship with Taehyung. It becomes a routine to stop and chat during your daily walks, and you look forward to it everyday. As time goes on your conversations grow longer and dive deeper. You never touch on the past, but you don’t need to. The friendship picks up where it left off as if no time has passed at all.
A few months into Taehyung’s assignment as your personal guard, you’re walking through the garden when Jungkook comes out from the castle.
“Darling?” You call out to him when you see him. “What are you doing out here?”
“I came to say goodbye, my love. I have to leave to speak to some allies in a neighboring town,” he tells you.
You frown and your shoulders drop. When Jungkook reaches you he takes your hands in his and kisses them.
“How long will you be gone?”
“Three days.”
“That is Sooyoung’s birthday.”
“Well, then I will make it two days,” he responds without missing a beat.
“Are you sure?”
Jungkook smiles and tucks your hair behind your ear.
“I would not miss it for the world, my love,” he assures you. You acknowledge his promise with a nod before wrapping your arms around his neck to hug him goodbye. He returns the gesture in kind, lifting your heels off the ground as he embraces you tightly. “I love you, I will see you soon.”
He kisses you for a lingering moment before nodding towards Taehyung and leaving to meet the parliamentarians in the entryway of the castle.
You bite down hard on your lip to stop the bubbling sorrow within you from spilling over to the surface, but it does so anyway. Hands coming up to hide your face, a sob breaks from your chest as your palms collect your tears.
“Your Majesty? Is everything alright?” Taehyung asks, his surprise at your reaction evident in his tone. He moves to stand in front of you.
“I am sorry, I do not mean to be emotional,” you say as you lift your head and wipe the tears away.
“That is nothing to apologize for,” he states. “Can I do anything?”
“No, no,” you respond. “Unless you know how to end this Godforsaken war.”
“Is it the war that is upsetting you, my Queen?”
“Yes, because it is the war that is keeping my husband from me.”
“What do you mean, your Highness?”
“I have not had a real conversation with Jungkook in nearly half a year, Sir Taehyung,” you tell him. “Moments like these are all I get. He is too busy with battle strategies and trade routes to spend any time with me or the children.”
“Your Highness, I am so sorry to hear that. I was not aware,” he replies.
“I should not be telling you this, I apologize,” you say. “Please forget I mentioned anything.”
“Your Highness, if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know,” Taehyung offers.
The conversation ends there and you finish your stroll before returning inside to your children for dinner. When you tell them about Jungkook being gone, they all cry the same as you, not used to their father being gone even though he’s around less these days. The sentiment is shared amongst all five of you. You feel Jungkook’s absence from the castle everywhere you turn even if you wouldn’t normally see him anyway.
Exiting your room the next day, you find Taehyung outside your door as usual, but he has something hidden in his left hand. Before you have the opportunity to question him about it, he pulls a bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back.
“I wanted to cheer you up, your Majesty, I hope I am not overstepping.” The flowers are purple and white, same as the ones which grew outside your home. You gasp in delight, your hands coming up to cover your mouth.
“Oh, Taehyung, they are so beautiful,” you tell him as he hands them to you. “Thank you so very much.”
You don’t realize your slip of the tongue, the honorific noticeably absent when you say his name, and it brings a smile to your companion’s face.
“I am glad you like them, my Queen,” he says with a deep bow.
You smile at him, your head tilting to the right as your nose scrunches, before putting your nose to the bouquet to smell the flower’s sweet scent. It reminds you of home and fills you with a deep, comforting warmth.
Over the next two days you and Taehyung begin to speak even more, conversing as you walk the halls and making jokes while playing with the children. Taehyung even joins you on the floor and playfully teases the twins with a game of peek-a-boo. It’s the happiest you’ve been in months. You still miss Jungkook dearly, but the loneliness that’s made a home inside your heart goes away on a brief vacation.
By the morning of Sooyoung’s birthday Jungkook has yet to return, but you still have hope he’ll make it back before the end of the day.
You’re arranging some of her presents sent from family members and citizens alike when Taehyung enters with some more that were just dropped off. As you’re moving one of the larger gifts, your hair falls into your face and you attempt to push it away by blowing air out of your mouth since your hands are full.
Suddenly, you feel a fingertip against your cheek, and you look over to see Taehyung moving the strand out of the way for you. He’s close enough that you can see the deep chocolate color of his irises.
An unfamiliar tension threads itself between you both as you stand in silence only inches apart. Taehyung opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by a voice coming from outside the room.
“Where is my beautiful wife?”
Your eyes light up at the sound of Jungkook’s voice, breaking the moment between you and Taehyung in an instant. Rushing towards the door, you throw it open and look for the source of your husband’s voice.
Jungkook spots you from down the hall and he sighs in relief, an adoring smile growing on his lips. Running towards him without another thought, you laugh cheerfully as he opens his arms to welcome you into his chest.
Instead of hugging you, though, he grabs you by the waist and lifts you above his head as he often does with your daughter. You make a sound somewhere between a laugh and a squeal before wrapping your arms around his neck as he brings you down into his embrace.
“Oh, I missed you, my darling,” he whispers into your hair.
“I missed you so much, Jungkook,” you respond and bury your face into his shoulder. “You made it back in time.”
“I promised you I would, did I not?” You look up and nod, fresh tears evident in your eyes. He frowns when he notices them and reaches up to wipe the tears away. “What is wrong, my love?”
“I just missed you, that is all,” you answer.
Jungkook nods in agreement before bending down to kiss you, your mouths naturally moving together in a practiced rhythm. He holds you in place with a desperate grip to the back of your head as your fingers curl around the fabric of his shirt. His head tilts to kiss you with more fervor and swallow the noise you make when his tongue traces your bottom lip and sinks into your mouth. It’s a passionate dance you haven’t experienced in months, and it almost makes you start crying again.
You reluctantly pull away, the breath missing from both your lungs, as your hands tighten around the collar of his shirt.
“I am sorry it has been so long since I have done that,” Jungkook pants as he caresses your face. “I hope you know I think about it all the time. I am always thinking of you, my Y/N.”
You nod as another tear rolls down your cheek. Jungkook kisses it away before letting you go so he can greet the children.
Your strange moment with Taehyung is forgotten, and weeks go by with your friendship continuing to blossom as it did over those two days.
Jungkook leaves again, this time for a week, to visit with the ruler of a neighboring Kingdom who can possibly help end the war. It breaks your heart all over again, even though you know a week isn’t that long. The distance between you has just grown so wide, that seeing him between meetings and feeling his arms around you at night is the only thing keeping you sane.
You haven’t had sex since the first month of the war, and it feels like you’re being slowly drawn and quartered. Before, sex was almost a nightly occurrence, sometimes even twice a day if the children were with their grandparents. Jungkook spoiled you with pleasure, and now the torture of being without his touch is downright unbearable.
Sometimes you pleasure yourself, just to take the edge off, but it’s nothing compared to Jungkook. He knows your body better than you do, and your hands don’t even come close to doing him justice.
Last night you cried yourself to sleep from the pain of missing him and the need pulsating in your thighs. You’d do anything, even take up a sword yourself, to end this war so you can have him back. Whenever he’s gone, it feels like the weight of the entire castle is sitting on your chest.
Your emotions from the night before are still evident on your face this morning, and Taehyung notices.
“Are you alright, your Majesty?” He asks after greeting you in the library. “Your eyes look swollen, did you have a negative reaction to something you ate?”
“No,” you say with a shake of your head.
“Then, what is it, my Queen?” Taehyung probes with a look of concern.
“It is nothing, Sir Taehyung,” you answer. “I was merely missing my husband again.”
Taehyung frowns and takes a step closer to you. You notice the movement, but don’t step back as you normally would.
“Is there anything I can do? Anyway I can help you, your Majesty?”
Taehyung’s gaze is piercing and it makes your face and neck flush with a pink hue. Without warning, an undeniable heat begins to spread across your abdomen and simmer in your gut. You know the sensation all too well, but you’ve never felt something like this for Taehyung, even before you were married. Forcing your eyes shut, you will the temptation to disappear. But it’s been so long since you’ve been touched, and Taehyung is the one constant in your life at the moment.
“I… am not sure,” you admit.
“Is it just him that you miss or something else as well?” Taehyung asks cautiously. “I cannot do anything about your husband not being here, but I can help in other ways.”
Biting your lip hard enough to draw blood, you avoid his stare and beg your feet to move away from him. All you need is to take a single step back and the tension will break.
“Taehyung,” you speak softly.
“Y/N,” he replies, his eyes sharpening. It’s the first time you’ve heard his voice speak your name since before you got married, before you became Queen.
“Will you help me… please?”
Taehyung moves like lightning, as if he’s been waiting an eternity for you to say those words. His warm hands engulf your waist so he can push you back until your thighs hit the large desk behind you. He lifts you effortlessly, placing you on the edge of the wood without ever breaking eye contact. Descending to his knees before you, his hands trace the curve of your legs over your dress.
Your brain is screaming at you to stop now before you’re past the point of no return. But there is nothing you can do, your body is overriding the commands which normally control your movements. It’s aching to be touched, and it no longer cares who’s doing it.
Taehyung’s hands disappear beneath your gown, caressing your ankles and calves before he’s pulling up the fabric so it rests above your knees. His head leaves your line of sight, and then you feel a featherlight touch to your covered sex.
You gasp, clapping your hand over your mouth when you do. Taehyung’s fingers trace your folds through your undergarment, and you can feel his warm breath on your inner thighs. Then, you feel him pull the fabric aside and he touches you for the first time. You moan into your palm as he dips his fingers into your essence and carries it up to your clit. He gently circles the sensitive nub before pressing down hard and rubbing. Head tipping back in euphoria, you use your elbows to keep yourself somewhat upright.
He plays with your pussy for a while, exploring the unfamiliar territory of your body, before finally sinking his fingers into your hole. Your desperate whimper is muffled by your flesh when he inserts two fingers into you and begins pumping them in and out. The wet squelch of him fucking his fingers into you is almost foreign, since it’s been so long since you’ve heard it.
A shockwave of pleasure devours you whole when he kisses your clit and then flattens his tongue to lick you repeatedly. He matches the pace of his fingers and the dual sensation has you biting down on your hand to stop yourself from screaming. You feel yourself drowning in the hellish desire that’s slowly overtaking your soul.
Taehyung moans against you, removing his hand from your pussy to grip you by the thighs and pull you closer to his face. Once he’s hands-free, he begins devouring your cunt like he hasn’t eaten for days. He licks all the way up your slit before circling your clit with his tongue. Then he goes back down and kisses you as he drinks the juices leaking out of your hole. Your mind is paralyzed by the pleasure and it isn’t long before you feel your orgasm nearing.
Your hand grips his hair, tugging on the dark strands and making him grunt. He licks you harder in response, fucking his tongue into your hole and using his nose to keep friction on your clit. You come with a cry, sinking your teeth into the skin of your hand to keep yourself quiet.
It’s only then you realize you’re crying, but they aren’t tears of pleasure. The emotional response is from the unfathomable guilt and self-hatred over what you’ve just done. An act you can never take back and must live with for the rest of your life.
Taehyung licks you a few more times, slurping up your cum and moaning at the taste before rising to stand in front of you. Your chest is red and heaving as you come down from your high. He looks smug and proud of what he’s done to you, and it makes you sick.
You gag into the hand still covering your mouth before leaping off of the table and finding the nearest basin. The contents of your stomach force their way up your throat as you vomit into the receptacle. Your fingers shake and you grip the metal edge to hold yourself upright. Bile burns your esophagus as tears roll down and collect on your chin.
When your stomach is completely empty, and only mucus drips from your mouth, you fall over onto the floor. Your hands cover your face as you scream and cry. The harsh, deep sobs making you gasp for air and cough repeatedly.
“What have I done?” You wail into your hands and shake your head back and forth, as if the movement could somehow turn back time. The faces of your children and husband flash across your mind and make more tears fall. You think of Jungkook, hundreds of miles away, probably wondering how you’re doing, and your soul tears itself to shreds. “Oh, God, what have I done?”
Taehyung crouches down next to you and moves his hand along your spine to soothe you as best he can. You’re undeserving of his affection, the only thing you deserve now is damnation.
Jungkook comes home three days later. You get sick again as soon as you hear his voice filtering in from down the hall.
A month goes by without you or Taehyung mentioning the incident. You push forward and pretend like nothing happened, or least you do. It’s uncertain how Taehyung feels, but frankly, you don’t care to know. The only thing that matters is that it can never happen again. You’ve loved Jungkook since you were a child, and the putrid thought of betraying him again is enough to send you to your grave.
But it’s hard, it's so very hard. Because he isn’t here beside you to hold you and kiss you and remind you that everything’s going to be alright. You only hear his voice every few days, if that; only feel his touch once every other week if you happen to wake up in the night and feel his arm around you. The loneliness is suffocating you from the inside and you feel it choking you to death more and more everyday.
You cry for hours on end most days. The self-hatred, guilt, sorrow, and despair mix together to create a cacophony of emotions you have no way of controlling. Taehyung just waits outside your door and listens to your sobs with no power to do anything about them.
Your children are the only joy in your life at the moment, but even spending time with them is difficult because all four of them share a pair of eyes with their father. Everywhere you look you see pieces of Jungkook, whether in the children or in the desolate halls of the castle, but you never see the man himself.
At least strolling through the gardens and speaking with Taehyung while you sit near the creek brings you peace. It reminds you so much of old times and you’re relieved to finally have your best friend back after reconnecting over these many months.
He makes you laugh and listens intently when you tell him about the books you’re reading and what the children are learning about in their lessons. In return, he talks about knighthood and whatever silliness the men got up to in their freetime. Without him, you don’t think you would be surviving this endless solitude.
“Your Majesty, if I may?” Taehyung says from beside you on the bench. You gesture with your hand for him to continue. “Forgive me for my forwardness, but your mental state is only getting worse. I do not know how much longer you can go on like this.”
Eyes glancing down, you pick at the fabric of your dress and pull at the threads with your fingers.
“I will be fine. I just have to wait until the war is over,” you state.
“Your Highness, the last war went on for close to four years, and it has not even been one yet,” he points out. “You cannot go on like this.”
“What would you have me do?”
“You already know the answer to that.”
“No,” you snap at him.
“Y/N —”
“No, do not even think of speaking it out loud,” you order him sternly. “That was the biggest regret of my life and I will not give into it again.”
“There is no reason you should be alone, Y/N!” Taehyung stands and faces you as he speaks. “Jungkook asked you to marry him and now he leaves you alone and untouched and it is killing you.”
Tears prick at your eyes as Taehyung’s words force reality close enough until you can no longer hide from it. Jungkook’s love for you is unquestionable, and you know the war is the sole reason he isn’t beside you, but the war is still ongoing, and he has no control over its end.
“Taehyung, I cannot betray him again,” you whisper, more so to yourself than to him.
“It does not have to be like that,” Taehyung argues. “It is just pleasure. A body to touch and hold you so you are no longer lonely and isolated. Nothing can take away from the love you and him share. But this situation is unfair to you, and you know it is.”
“What is in it for you, Taehyung?” You ask him. “Why are you so set on being the body which helps me with that endeavor?”
“You already know why, my Queen. My feelings have never changed, even after all this time.”
The day Taehyung confessed his feelings for you was so long ago it almost feels like another lifetime. You never responded, because you didn’t share those same feelings for him. But these months together have meant more to you than you can even articulate, and you aren’t sure if that’s still the case.
What you feel for Taehyung is very different from what you feel for Jungkook.
Jungkook is, without a shadow of a doubt, the love of your life. Your love for him burns deep within your heart like an ever-glowing hearth. It’s solid and foundational to your very being. He's your best friend, husband, and father of your children, and there’s nothing in this world that could make you love him less.
Taehyung is more like a candle, something that only burns you if you reach out and touch the flame. It’s warm and inviting during a time where your whole world feels dark. The love feels familiar because the seed was planted long ago and nourished throughout your years of friendship, but now it’s blooming.
“You still love me?”
“With every part of me.”
You pause and compartmentalize your thoughts before continuing.
“I never meant to hurt you, all those years ago,” you tell him. “I am sorry for doing so.”
“It is alright, my Queen,” he responds, taking his seat beside you again. “I know you did not have much choice in the matter.”
You assume he means the speed at which everything happened, and don’t correct him.
“I care about you very much, Taehyung.” You inhale and close your eyes, counting to four before releasing the air from your lungs. “I do love you. It… it is not like my love for my husband, but it is there. I cannot deny that.”
“Then will you let me do this for you?” Taehyung asks. When you look at him, his eyes are glossy, no doubt from the confession of your newfound feelings. “I am not asking for anything in return, your Majesty. I only want to help you.”
Your thoughts trample over one another as they all scramble for the top position on the dog pile. But you truly believe the only way you’ll survive this war is if you shut your mind off, turn out the lights and let your body puppeteer you.
Taehyung is right that your depression and isolation are slowly killing you. There’s no energy left for you to play with your children, you can barely eat or sleep, and your hair has even begun to fall out.
So, you follow him to his quarters in the Eastern wing of the castle.
You jump at the sound of the door shutting behind you and locking into place. It’s strange being inside his bedroom, but the trinkets and items scattered around the room feel familiar to you because they’re his.
Taehyung is quick to capture your lips with his and it sends a shock through your nervous system. You’ve never kissed anyone but Jungkook, and he kisses you so differently than your husband does. If Jungkook is water, Taehyung is fire. The kiss scorches you and burns across your insides until it lights a fire inside your stomach. You allow yourself to return his affection, let your lips move against his as he walks you backwards towards the bed.
The two of you fall together onto the mattress with a soft bounce. Taehyung’s hands find your own and pull them over your head, imprisoning them against the bed. He begins to kiss down your face and neck, sucking gently and licking over your skin. You moan and tilt your head to give him more access to you. It’s been so long since you’ve felt ravished and worshipped, and your body welcomes it on impulse.
He moves slowly from your neck to your chest, his lips and tongue caressing the tops of your breasts and softly biting down on the fatty flesh.
You nudge him with your knee to make him sit up before reaching around to untie your corset. Taking the hint, Taehyung begins undressing as well. His armor meets the floor with a loud metallic clap as you step out of your clothes and return to his bed.
He moves you up the mattress by your waist, all the while still kissing you and exploring your mouth with his tongue. Taehyung takes a moment to admire your bare chest before him, his hands coming up to caress your breasts and then kiss them. His tongue circles your nipple before sucking on it, turning it hard and sensitive between his teeth. You gasp and moan as your hands grab onto his hair.
Continuing down your body, Taehyung removes the undergarment hiding your pussy from him and kisses your folds. Your head falls back against the pillows as your chest rises with ragged breaths. He eats you out like it will be his last meal, and if the two of you are ever caught, it will be. His tongue fucks into your hole and the sloppy sound of your essence and his salvia mixing into one fills the room. He moves to your clit and lets his teeth scrape over the flesh. You whine as he sucks and licks on your sensitive nerve endings.
His two middle fingers enter you with a wet squelch and he starts curling them so they press against your spongy walls. You moan freely, knowing the first knight’s quarters are completely secluded. He pumps his fingers in and out of you as he devours your clit with his mouth. Your head is spinning in ecstasy. Your pussy greedily sucks his digits in and leaks essence all over his hand.
It doesn’t take long for you to come with a strained gasp, your legs shaking and clenching around his head.
Taehyung removes his fingers slowly before licking them clean and kissing along your thighs. When he kisses you again you can taste yourself on him. It’s been so long now that the flavor is almost foreign.
You push forward without reprieve, wrapping your legs around Taehyung’s thighs to flip him over. He matches your eagerness and starts pulling his undergarment off so you can pump his cock with your hand. The sound of spit has Taehyung’s eyes rolling back as you coat his length in your saliva and begin sliding your fingers up and down his shaft. He moans from deep within his chest. His eyes close as he relishes in the feeling of you jacking him off. His cock is big and thick, and your mouth waters instinctively as you think about him filling you up.
Once he’s hard and leaking precum all over your hand, you position yourself over him and sink down into his lap. The intrusion hurts at first, since your hole isn’t used to stretching open anymore, but then your pussy adjusts to the shape of him and pleasure rolls over you in waves.
Taehyung’s hands grasp desperately at your hips, his fingertips making divots in your flesh. He leans in to kiss and suck on your breasts again and you hold his head to you to continue enjoying the feeling. Hips rising until only his tip is left inside, you slam down against him and proceed to bounce on his dick at a steadfast pace. Identical moans breach the air and Taehyung sits up to kiss at your exposed throat when your head tips back. He licks across your jugular and bites into the skin below your ear. Need and desire course through you like lava as the veins of his cock rub against your velvet walls.
You force your mind into submission, refusing to allow the feelings of guilt and despair to take a single breath. This is something your body has been craving for months and now isn’t the time for your incessant thoughts to bury you in agony. For the first time in a long while, your mind is completely silent.
Tears of pleasure fall as Taehyung guides you by the hips to bounce on him harder, sending his cock deeper into your cunt until you can feel him in your stomach. When your bodies meet, you grind against his pelvis to create friction on your clit.
“You cannot come inside me,” you say through a groan. “You will have to pull out and come on my skin instead.”
Taehyung nods responsively before grabbing you by the hair to kiss you feverishly. His tongue sinks into your mouth and tangles with your own and you moan around the wet muscle. Your teeth drag his bottom lip away before letting it snap back into place. You hear him growl beneath you.
“Does it feel good, my Queen?”
“Yes,” you answer breathlessly before pushing him back onto the bed and gripping his chest to support your body.
Your nails scratch at his pecks as you fuck yourself on his hardness, leaning down to kiss his collarbones and shoulder. Taehyung takes the opportunity the new position grants him to plant his feet on the bed and thrust up into you. You scream, biting down on his shoulder to muffle the sound as he abuses your pussy. You feel his balls slapping against your ass as he fucks into you relentlessly, not slowing his pace for a single moment.
“I am going to come,” you pant into his ear.
“Please, my Queen, let me feel you finish,” he responds.
Your orgasm builds from embers into a slow-burning fire as Taehyung’s final thrusts send you over the edge. When your cunt pulses and soaks Taehyung’s length in cum he moans and rolls you over in one fluid motion. His cock leaves you empty and he fucks his hand before painting your stomach in his seed.
You gasp at the novel feeling of cum splashing onto your flesh. It’s hot and sticky, but you feel prideful over the physical manifestation of Taehyung’s pleasure on your body.
Taehyung gets up from the bed while you’re still trying to catch your breath. The feeling of a wet cloth greets you as he wipes away his cum from your skin and then throws the cloth onto a dresser.
“Did it help, your Highness?”
You can only nod in return, too fucked-out and delirious from the pleasure and adrenaline.
It does help. The two of you continue to sneak away to his quarters two to three times a week so you can use his body to relieve the ache of loneliness. Soon enough your energy returns, allowing you to play with your children again. You lovingly watch their smiles and hear their laughter as they run around the grass. Your appetite returns and your health improves, both physically and mentally. The guilt still eats at you like a famished predator, especially anytime you see Jungkook around the castle or feel him pull you into him at night, but your mind has reached its limit and it can no longer carry the weight of the world.
Neither of you speak of the feelings you shared in the garden before this all started. Taehyung knows how fragile and vulnerable your mental state is and he doesn’t want to pressure you into making this anything more than what it is; just the pleasures of the flesh, only desire, and not love.
The anniversary of the war comes and goes as if it’s just another day, and you and Taehyung continue your affair unbridled. Your entanglements don’t last much longer than that, though.
On the last day of your life, you and Taehyung are in his quarters getting dressed after sleeping together. He leans down to kiss you goodbye when the sound of his door hinges breaking forces you apart.
Four knights barge in, followed by Jungkook.
Your husband’s eyes are unrecognizable, cold and harsh, with no light in them. Reality grips you tight and your hands clasp over your mouth when you realize what must happen now. Jungkook doesn’t say a word, just gestures towards you with his head to command the knights to grab you.
“No! Wait!” You shout as they take each of your arms and restrain you between their bodies. They do the same to Taehyung and he thrashes against their hold. “Wait, Jungkook, please let me explain.” He’s turned away from you now, but you see his hands shake before clenching into fists. The membrane around your heart closes in on the beating muscle. “Jungkook, please just let me see the children,” you beg. “Let me say goodbye to them. Please, my King.”
There’s a heavy moment of silence, the only sound coming from the tears already rolling down your cheeks.
“Take her to the nursery before bringing her to me,” he instructs the knights before exiting. The knights holding Taehyung force him out of the room to follow Jungkook while they bring you in the opposite direction.
The knights hold you taut between them as you walk to where your children are with their nanny, but there is no need. You won’t fight the inevitable.
When you reach the nursery, they let go of you with a glare of warning before allowing you to go inside. The tears begin to fall again as soon as you see your children playing with their toys and books on the ground.
“Mommy!” The four of them shout in unison before running over to you, the young twins stumbling over their little legs to get to you.
You bend down and open your arms for all of them to embrace you at once. Your hands comb over their hair as you kiss their heads. The tears never once cease as you gaze at their beautiful faces.
“Why are you crying, Mommy?” Junghyun asks as he wipes at a tear on your cheek. He’s practically a mini Jungkook, his big eyes and black hair identical to his father’s.
“I have to go away for a while, and I am going to miss you so very much,” you tell him as you caress his cheek.
“Where are you going?” Sooyoung asks with tears in her own eyes.
“It does not matter, my Princess, all that matters is that I love you, and I will miss you all so, so much,” you explain as your voice breaks. “Daddy is going to take good care of you, alright? You know mommy and daddy love you more than anything, yes?”
All four of their little heads nod at you. It makes you smile through the streaks of tears coming down.
“I love you, mommy, and we will miss you, too,” Junghyun says.
He wraps his arms around your neck and you have to bite your lip to suppress a sob. Minho and Wonshik coo and make grabby hands at you for attention. You pick them up one at a time and kiss their cheeks as they tell you they “wuv you foo.”
Sooyoung, your brave little girl, wipes her own tears away before hugging you and kissing your cheek. You return the affection and brush her hair from her eyes.
“Alright. Goodbye, my loves,” you say as evenly as you can.
You don’t glance back at them as you leave. If you see them even once more, you know you will not be able to walk down the long corridor to the fate that awaits you. The knights take your arms again once you’re out of sight of the children. The tears finally cease, and you walk with your back straight and head up.
There’s no reason to cower from what lies ahead, you made your bed and now you must lay in it.
PRESENT DAY
The first-aid team brings you to the nurse’s office in the adjoining building to the gym. The nurse briefly checks your vitals before letting you sleep off the medicine in the back room. It’s supposed to last about an hour, so she places two chairs inside for Taehyung and Jungkook to sit while they wait.
Jungkook storms in first, barely allowing Taehyung to shut the door behind him before he’s facing him with rage burning in his irises.
“Really great fucking timing, Taehyung, truly,” he snaps.
Taehyung has to refrain from physically attacking Jungkook. He clenches his hands into fists until his nails make crescents in his palms.
“You disgusting piece of shit, you fucking monster!” Taehyung shouts. “How dare you hold and kiss her and let her love you when you know what you did and she’s clueless!”
“How dare I?” Jungkook mirrors his tone. “How dare you! You transferred to our fucking school and became friends with her just to try and steal her from me again.”
“I am trying to save her from you!” Taehyung says through gritted teeth.
“Save her? What am I going to do to her? I’m not a King anymore, I’m a fucking college basketball player.”
“You murdered her and she deserves to know.”
Jungkook pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath and releasing the pressure from his neck with a turn of his head.
“Executed.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I executed her, Taehyung, not murdered. And I did it because it was my fucking job as King!” Jungkook yells as he closes in on his former friend.
“She was your wife, the mother of your fucking children and —”
“YOU LEFT ME NO CHOICE!” Jungkook screams at him before stepping back again. He runs his hands down his face and pushes his hair back before continuing, calmer this time. “What did you want me to do, huh? What should I have done when my Queen and first knight betrayed me? Should I have made you sleep in the stables and called it good? That would’ve done an excellent job at showing the entire Kingdom and all our enemies how much of a coward I am.” Jungkook laughs incredulously. “No, no, you do not get to make me the villain, Taehyung. I may have held the blade in my hand but you are the reason she died.”
Taehyung doesn’t respond to his statements, just shakes his head and asks him what he really wants to know.
“How are you even here, Jungkook? I had a sorceress put a spell on Y/N to reincarnate us. You were never supposed to be a part of it,” Taehyung explains.
“I don’t know, what did the spell say?”
“That the person she loves will meet her in the next life and return her memories.”
Jungkook stares him down with his eyebrows raised.
“I’m sorry, you’re confused why a spell like that would bring me, her husband, here, too? You can’t see why that would include me?” Jungkook scoffs and turns away. “Do you think I forced her to marry me? Forced her to be with me and bear my children? Who the fuck do you think I am?” He turns back towards Taehyung again with more fire in his eyes. “She loved me. We loved each other and your little affair did nothing to change that.”
“That’s not what I mean. There was a catch, Jungkook. We had to die together for the spell to work. One right after the other.” Jungkook goes quiet after he hears Taehyung’s words, his eyes tilting towards the floor as his jaw ticks. “Wait…”
“I hadn’t even cleaned your blood off my sword yet.”
Taehyung takes a step back, his eyes opening in shock. He shakes his head, pushing his hair from his eyes as he does so.
“You aren’t seriously saying —”
“I didn’t plan to do it,” Jungkook admits quietly. “But when I looked down at you two, I just…” He glances at your sleeping form, his eyes following the way your chest rises and falls. “I couldn’t live without her. Couldn’t live without either of you, truthfully.”
Silence is all Taehyung can respond with as the true answer of how the three of you are all together again breaks his resolve of confronting Jungkook. The two don’t speak again, they just take the seats at opposite ends of the room and wait for you to wake up.
When you do, it’s with a groan. Your hand comes to rest against your temple as you slowly sit up. Once you’re sitting on the edge of the bed, your eyes finally open and land on Jungkook across from you. They widen for a moment, but then soften as tears well up in them.
“Jungkook,” you cry, your arms opening for him.
He gets to you in a millisecond, pulling you into his chest and wrapping his arms around you. You sob against him as your hands grip the edges of his uniform. He shushes you comfortingly, combing through your hair with his fingers and pressing his lips to the crown of your head.
“S’okay, baby, I’m right here,” he whispers to you.
You stay like that for a while, your cries filling the room and breaking both their hearts in the process.
“Do you know?” You ask without looking up. “Do you have your memories, too?”
“Yeah, my love, I do,” he answers you.
You look up at him with glassy eyes. It’s overwhelming now that your memories are back. He’s here in front of you as you know him, but just underneath the surface there is a shimmer of the King you once knew.
“And you still wanted to be with me after we met?” You ask through a hiccup. “Even knowing what I did?”
Jungkook grabs your face with both hands and pushes your hair out of your eyes so he can see you properly.
“Are you kidding?” He smiles upon remembering your reunion. “When I found you again it was the happiest day of my life.” A watery chuckle escapes your lips. “I don’t care about any of that, Y/N. I have loved you in all of my lifetimes and I will continue to do so in however many more the universe grants me.”
“I love you so much,” you tell him. “And I am so, so sorry.”
He shakes his head, his thumbs gently moving across your cheekbones.
“It was a long time ago, my darling. All is forgiven.”
“It doesn’t feel like a long time ago, more like it was only yesterday.”
“That’s because you just got your memories back,” he reassures you. “After a while, they’ll seem like nothing more than an old dream.”
You nod to acknowledge his words before crashing back into him, letting your arms snake around his neck as he pulls you into his lap. It only takes you another minute to fall asleep again in Jungkook’s arms, a side effect the nurse warned them about earlier.
Taehyung doesn’t stay much longer. Truthfully, he needs to gather his own thoughts, and he knows you’ll be in no condition to talk with him when you wake up.
You text him once the weekend passes and ask to meet by the lake behind the university. When he arrives, you’re already sitting on the wooden bench with your legs crossed and a notebook open in your lap. He doesn’t approach you right away, instead he just takes in the sight of you tucking a piece of hair behind your ear and bending over to write in your notebook.
“Hi,” Taehyung greets you as he rounds the bench.
“Hi,” you reply quietly and gesture for him to sit beside you.
“I didn’t see you around campus at all this weekend,” Taehyung notes.
You sigh and meet his eyes with a soft smile.
“Yeah, um, Jungkook and I decided to take the train to the museum they built out of our castle. We saw our family crypt, too, where we, our children, and grandchildren are buried,” you explain.
“Oh, wow,” Taehyung replies.
“There was this history book they were selling at the gift shop with our entire family tree in it. We sat where the library used to be and read it together. It talked about what happened to the children and had the names and titles of all your grandchildren,” you tell him. “It was really nice.”
“So, what happened with your children?”
“The royal advisor ruled in Junghyun’s stead since he was too young to be King when Jungkook died. The war ended after about five years, and then when Junghyun turned sixteen he was able to rule on his own. Sooyoung married a Prince in a neighboring Kingdom and ruled there as Queen, which is exactly what she always wanted. Minho and Wonshik married a Duchess and Viscountess and they actually became royal tutors. You know, like the ones you and Jungkook had growing up, who taught you sword fighting and horseback riding and all that?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“I’m so happy knowing they all grew up well and started their own families. Jungkook and I have ten grandchildren.”
“Ten? Wow,” Taehyung laughs. You proudly nod your head and gaze out again at the water. “I’m glad you were able to learn all about them.”
“Yeah… I just wish I had been there to see it,” you whisper. “Wish we both had.” A moment later you snap your fingers when you remember something else. “Actually, we saw your grave, too. It’s in the knight’s crypt not far from our own.”
“Knight’s crypt? I shouldn’t have been buried there. I was stripped of my knighthood when we… well, you know,” he replies.
“I thought the same thing, but Jungkook told me he ordered you to be buried there anyway before the execution,” you respond.
Taehyung is completely dumbfounded by what you’re telling him. It doesn’t compute in his brain why Jungkook would allow him to be buried among the other knights. Before he can question you further, you turn towards him, crossing one leg under your knee so you can face him directly.
“Look, I never got to explain everything to you about what happened leading up to Jungkook and I getting married, and I would like to, if you’ll let me.”
Taehyung nods encouragingly for you to continue, gesturing with his hands that you have the floor to speak your mind. You thank him with a calm smile before sitting up straight so you can finally say what you need to after all this time.
“When you told me you were leaving for the war and confessed that you loved me and wanted to marry me, I didn’t give you an answer because, one, I was shocked, and two, I couldn’t reciprocate. Growing up, I only ever had feelings for Jungkook. I certainly loved you because you were my best friend, but it was strictly platonic. I honestly put your proposal in the back of my mind because you were leaving and I didn’t even know if you would survive the war or not. Then all of a sudden Jungkook had to become King, meaning you were no longer going away and I didn’t know what that meant in regard to your proposal. You were about to be first knight and have a lot more responsibilities, so I figured I would wait for you to approach me before finally giving you my answer. All that changed when Jungkook came by the following day to ask for my hand in marriage because that… that was my dream, Tae. I had loved him for almost my entire life. I wanted to speak to you prior to the wedding or even before arriving at the castle, but there was no time. I had hoped to explain my feelings so you knew I wasn’t just ignoring your confession and doing whatever I wanted. Obviously, I never got the chance, and you stopped speaking to me altogether.”
You pause to take a deep breath.
“It’s true that when the war broke out and we grew close again, I developed feelings for you. You were there for me when no one else was and it was easy to fall for you when we would spend day in and day out together. But that was the first time in my life I ever held any romantic feelings for you. I know you think Jungkook stole me from you or forced me into becoming Queen, but that’s just not the case. My heart has always belonged to Jungkook from the very beginning and even when I did grow to love you, my feelings for him never waned.”
He believes you may be done, but then you speak again after gathering your thoughts.
“All this to say, I am so grateful you cast a spell on me so we all have a second chance at this, but the memories you returned to me are just that… memories. The life I’m currently living; the one where I was born to two pediatricians, went to ballet school, and became a cheerleader; that’s my life. It’s not the one where I was a midwife and later a Queen. Even if you and I had been these star-crossed lovers who never got the chance to be together, it doesn’t change the life I’ve lived so far. It doesn’t change the fact that I fell in love with Jungkook. Not the Prince or King, but the computer science major who plays basketball and is competitive, funny, spontaneous, and kind. I love him for who he is today, memories or not.”
Taehyung takes several moments to absorb everything you’re telling him, and truthfully, he’s confused. His entire life he’s always believed you felt the same way for him, and when you told him you loved him in the gardens he thought you meant you always had.
“But, before you were executed, your last words… you told me you loved me, Y/N,” Taehyung argues.
Your eyes widen and a sympathetic frown appears on your face.
“Taehyung, my last words...” You sigh. “I wasn’t saying that to you. I was saying it to Jungkook.”
The truth forces a sob out of Taehyung as tears escape from his waterline. He goes to wipe them away, but your finger is already grazing his cheek and doing so yourself.
“This was supposed to be our second chance, Y/N. For you and me to finally be together,” he cries.
“It still can be. Romantic love is not the only kind there is. You are and forever will be my best friend, and this can be our second chance to have the friendship we were always supposed to have. For all three of us to be together the way we once were,” you propose.
“No, I could never forgive Jungkook for what he did,” he snaps.
“Forgive him?” You harshly respond. “We stabbed him in the fucking back. I vowed to love and cherish him and then I fucked his best friend and first knight. The one person he was supposed to trust more than anyone in the world. Then we forced a sword into his hand and made him kill the two people he loved the most. We knew when we started sleeping together what would happen if we got caught and we did it anyway. He didn’t kill us, Tae, we killed him.”
You exhale and tuck your hair behind your ear, chewing on your lip as you calm down and think of your next words.
“I love you, Taehyung. I will always love you, and I want you in my life. Jungkook wants you in his life,” you state. “But you have to be willing to move on from the past and accept what happened. Take accountability for the things we did and let it all go.”
Once you leave, Taehyung sits in silence as he stares out across the lake, sorrowful tears staining his skin. He knows you’re right about the past. It’s time to move on and start living the life he has now, but it isn’t easy when he’s spent so long just waiting for you to start your lives together.
The sun disappears from the sky before Taehyung comes to the realization he can still have that, just as you said, because being together doesn’t have to mean romantically. And truth be told, he needs his friends more than anything else.
He finds you and Jungkook at a picnic table outside the library about a week later.
Your arms are pushing at Jungkook’s shoulders to keep him from grabbing the candy bag between your legs. He’s sporting a mischievous toothy grin as he tries to maneuver around your hold to successfully steal your treat. You laugh loudly when Jungkook bites at the air in a feeble attempt to use his teeth as a method of thievery. It distracts you enough, though, and Jungkook uses the opportunity to snatch the bag from you before stealing a kiss, too.
“Nooo,” you whine as he laughs and eats your candy uninterrupted.
Taehyung clears his throat, and you both stop in your tracks, the candy bag falling from Jungkook’s hands onto the table with a soft plop.
“Hey,” Taehyung says through a chuckle. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for… well, there’s a lot, isn’t there?” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m just sorry, and if you guys would be interested, maybe we can all hang out sometime.”
For the first time, he looks at Jungkook instead of you, and watches the way his expression morphs from surprise to delight. In an instant, Jungkook is standing and rounding the table to bring Taehyung into a crippling embrace. Taehyung chuckles awkwardly, hesitant to show any affection in return, but then Jungkook rests his chin on Taehyung’s shoulder, and the bittersweet nostalgia makes him wrap his arms around him.
“I missed you,” Jungkook confesses.
Taehyung sighs and tightens his grip.
“Missed you, too… your Highness.”
“Don’t even joke, man.”
You squeal behind them, your feet tapping against the ground while you do a miniature victory dance from your seat. They both turn to look at you with completely endeared twin smiles, and you smile right back, head tilting to the right as your nose scrunches up.
The smell of wildflowers wafts through the air, despite there being none around, as if the universe is congratulating the three of you on finally making it back home to each other.
Summary ⋆˚꩜｡—Roommates, horror movie night, and one impulsive request: you never expected Clark Kent in a Ghostface mask to be the hottest thing you’d ever see—until he turns your scream into a moan.
Warnings ݁ ˖ִ ࣪ — Dom!Clark x Sub!Fem!reader, Mask kink, Mild fear play, Sex with mask on, Clark gets confident behind the mask..., P in V (no condom mentioned take that as you will), Size kink, Reader being a horror junkie, Lots of groping, Little bit of Mean!Clark for the roleplay aspect, Soft choking because Clark is too sweet, Hair pulling, READER KNOWS HE IS SUPERMAN, I'm probably forgetting something, Not so slow, slow burn? kinda?
Notes! ´ཀ` — Some may say this is too early...i say you lack whimsy and joy plus summerween/slasher summer never dies. also. this is REALLY long like a FULL fic.
The glow of the TV flickered across your shared apartment, painting both you and Clark. Clark leaned back against the couch, broad shoulders relaxed, as he lets out a quiet laugh at the over-the-top gore.
“Not so scary when you can hear the guy breathing through the mask,” he teased. Your eyes flicked toward your closet, an idea bubbling up before you could stop yourself. “I still have mine from last year,” you said, grin tugging at your lips. “You know… the Ghostface mask. Wanna try it on?”
Clark raised an eyebrow, his gaze narrowing on you at the mischievous idea. For once, he didn’t hesitate. He slid the mask on, the black-and-white visage transforming him in an instant. When he turned back to you, his voice dropped, smooth and wicked, the playfulness melting into something that made your skin prickle.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” his voice rasped behind the mask, confident and slow. “Scared?" Heat pooled low in your stomach, and suddenly, every second of pretending you weren’t hopelessly drawn to your roommate felt like it was unraveling at once. You tried to steady your breath, but it was useless—the sight of Clark Kent, your sweet, awkward roommate, looming over you in a Ghostface mask was doing things to you you didn’t dare name.
He tilted his head, like the killers always did in the movies, but instead of menacing silence, a cracked, soft chuckle slipped out. “You know,” his voice muffled slightly behind the mask, “this is… uh, probably the least ‘Clark Kent’ thing I’ve ever done.” He shifted to stand behind the couch, looking down at you in his well fitted white tee and low hanging black sweats—somehow the most erotic outfit in the momment. “But you’re looking at me like you don’t hate it.”
“I definitely don’t hate it,” you admitted, lips curling into a sly smile. Clark straightened, his broad chest rising under his worn t-shirt, the mask giving him a strange confidence. “Then maybe I should… keep it on,” he teased, voice dipping lower. A pause, then he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck even as the mask kept his face hidden. “Gosh, that sounded cooler in my head.”
You giggled, leaning back against the couch and tilting your chin up to look at him, emboldened by the way his usual dorky charm bled into the sharper edge he was trying to wear. “No,” you whispered, eyes locked on the empty black eyeholes, “it sounded hot.” He froze for a beat, like the words short-circuited his brain, before he swallowed hard. When he spoke again, his voice trembled between Clark’s usual shy stammer and the teasing confidence he was trying to hold on to. “Y-you shouldn’t say things like that,” he murmured, tilting his head again in a Ghostface mimic. “Unless… you mean them.”
Your heart hammered. “What if I do?”
For a moment, the room was quiet except for the faint screams from the TV. Clark’s lips curved beneath the mask, his voice low but a little uneven, like he was fighting to keep his cool. “You really like this, don’t you?” His tone was light, teasing, though you caught the nervous hitch under it. “Me in a dorky horror mask… that’s all it takes?” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “I thought I had to, you know, actually be smooth for once.”
You smirked, leaning in a little.
“Maybe I like both sides of you.”
He tilted his head again but to the other side, mimicking the intrigue of a canine, the mask making the gesture sharper, more confident than his words. “Careful,” he murmured, voice dropping low in a way that made your skin prickle, “if you keep looking at me like that… I might actually do something about it.”
Your pulse quickened, but instead of shying away, you leaned back into the couch cushions, letting a sly smile curl your lips. “Do something about it?” you echoed, your tone laced with challenge. “You? Clark Kent, who blushes when I walk out in my pajamas?” He stiffened, his broad shoulders squaring a little. Behind the mask, you caught the faintest laugh, though it was tight, almost defensive. “That was—different,” he muttered, his voice a mix of embarrassment and something darker.
“Right,” you teased, lifting your chin toward him, boldness sparking in your chest. “Big scary Ghostface… but underneath, you’re still just my nerdy roommate.” That did it. His hands gripped the back of the couch, arms bracketing you in place, and the soft, bashful Clark you knew cracked into something else entirely. He leaned forward, towering over you, his voice dropping to a growl just above your ear.
Then his hand moved—slow, deliberate—sliding from the back of the couch until his palm pressed lightly against your throat. Not enough to frighten, just enough to hold you still. His thumb traced up to your cheek, brushing over your skin like he owned the space he touched. "What's your motive...do you...w-want me to make a move?" Clark's voice is slightly shakey—his normaly geeky self peeking through in a question worded in a way of receiving consent to continue.
You swallowed against his hand, the warmth of his palm sending a rush down your spine. Your lips curved into a slow smile. “Maybe I do,” you whispered, tilting your chin just slightly against his hold. “Maybe I’ve wanted you before we moved in.” His breath hitched, audible through the mask, and the hand at your throat tightened just a fraction, like the words had unlocked something inside him.
“You’re serious?” he asked, the quaver in his tone betraying that nervous, boyish side of him you knew so well. But the way he leaned closer, body heat radiating over you as his thumb brushed your cheekbone, was anything but shy. Before you could get another word in, Clark moved. His hand at your throat guided you back against the couch cushion, gentle but firm, while he leaned down over you. The glossy white mask hovered close enough for you to see your reflection in it.
He adjusts the mask, lifting it just enough to free his mouth while still keeping most of it in place. His lips were warm, hesitant at first, then surer as you melted against his kiss. He pulled back just barely, lips still grazing yours, breath unsteady. “Been dying to do that,” he admitted in a whisper, his usual dorky honesty breaking through the darker persona for a moment. Then, quieter, his lips brushing yours again: “Tell me not to… and I’ll stop.”
Your chest rose against his hand as you drew in a shaky breath. “Yes, Clark,” you whispered, the words tumbling out before you could second-guess them. “I want you to.” Clark froze for a heartbeat, like he had to be absolutely sure, then exhaled a shaky breath that ghosted over your skin. His mouth crashed back to yours, hungrier this time, the mask tilting awkwardly against your face but neither of you caring.
The next thing you knew, you were in your room, the mask tossed to the side on the bed, the glow of the hallway light spilling faintly across tangled sheets. Clark hovered over you, still half in disbelief, his big hands sliding beneath your shirt like he was memorizing every inch of you. His palms were broad and hot against your waist, gliding up slowly, reverently, before pausing just beneath your ribs. “Golly," he muttered, almost to himself, his voice low and shaky as his thumbs traced idle circles against your skin. “I never thought… I mean, I’ve pictured this, sure—way too many times—but actually being here? With you?” His laugh was nervous, breathless, but his touch never faltered, his hands wandering higher in gentle, greedy sweeps.
He dipped his head to your neck, lips brushing your skin as he rambled softly between kisses. “You’re so warm… softer than I even imagined… and you’re letting me touch you like this—” His words broke into a groan when your fingers threaded into his hair, tugging just enough to make his confidence crackle hotter. “Oh geez, I can’t stop—” Clark breathed against your skin, the words spilling between ragged kisses. “I’ve wanted this for so long, and now that I have you—” His teeth grazed your pulse, drawing a gasp from your lips. “—I don’t think I can slow down.”
Your fingers clutched at the hem of his shirt before sliding up, tugging at his dark hair as you whispered, half-daring, half-pleading: “Clark… put the mask back on.” He stilled, pulling back just enough to look at you, breath heavy, eyes blown wide with heat. “You’re serious?” His voice cracked with disbelief, a hint of the shy farm boy surfacing through the haze. You nodded firmly, lips curling into a wicked grin. “Dead serious.” Something shifted in his gaze, that flicker of nervousness hardening into hunger. Without a word, he reached for where the mask had been thrown, sliding it back over his face.
The moment it clicked into place, he loomed over you again—different now, sharper, a ghostly confidence radiating through the white grin of the mask. One hand caged the side of your head as the other smoothly slips down into your sleep shorts and under your waistband. When he speaks, his voice was steady, smooth, and commanding in a way that sent heat pooling low in your stomach.
“Then scream for me."
When he pushes into you, your back arches, a desperate sound tearing from your throat. Clark curses low under his breath, his forehead pressing to yours, the mask cool and hard against your skin. His big hands pin your hips, holding you in place as he drives deeper with time and adjusting. You whimper his name, nails raking his shoulders, and his laugh is shaky, wrecked. “Say it again,” he begs, thrusts growing harder, hungrier, his control unraveling. “Say my name—make me lose my mind.”
Clark’s hands don’t hesitate this time. One grips your waist, the other slides under the hem of your shirt, tugging it up over your chest in one smooth, deliberate motion. The fabric bunches at the top of your chest, leaving you bare beneath his touch. His palms roam greedily, cupping and kneading, thumbs brushing over your nipples in a way that makes you gasp. He leans close, mask hovering inches from your face, and his voice drops into that dark, teasing rasp.
His hands tighten for a second, playful but firm, pinching lightly to draw a sharp intake of breath from you. “I thought you liked pretending you were in charge.” You shake under him, fingers clutching his forearms, as stuttered gasps of shock and arousal at his sudden flip of personality as he laughs low, a growl mixing with the amusement. The white mask staring down at you like a predator, and leans closer so his voice is a low, menacing whisper. “Don’t even think about getting away,” he murmurs, as he feels your body jumping away from his rough thrusting—as if subconsciously trying to run away from it.
His hips press harder against yours, grinding with every movement of his hands. You’re shaking under him, your breath coming in short, desperate moans and gasps. “Clark…” you whisper, voice trembling. “Please… don’t stop!" He leans even closer, mask brushing against your temple, voice dipping into a silky rasp. “I don’t plan on stopping,” he promises. “Not until you can’t take it anymore… not until you’re screaming my name.”
With that, he drives harder into your rhythm, hands roaming and teasing, lips hovering over every sensitive patch of skin he can reach, the hand on your chest slipping between your thighs to circle tight against your quickly found clit. Every word he whispers is a combination of warning and praise, teasing and claiming, until the tension inside you snaps.
Your back arches, fingers clutching at his arms, and Clark’s loud, borderline pathetic string of sounds vibrates through the mask as he follows you over the edge, holding you close, grinding down with careful, possessive movements until both of you collapse into breathless, heated exhaustion. Clark finally pulls back slightly, and you feel him pause, then, slowly, deliberately, he lifts the Ghostface mask off. The sight of him makes your stomach twist with heat—his hair damp with sweat, lips slightly swollen, chest rising and falling rapidly, and eyes dark with lingering hunger.
He chuckles breathlessly, a little embarrassed but still heavy with confidence, leaning close until his forehead rests against yours. “I can tell you're not done yet,” he murmurs, thumb brushing over your lips. “I can feel it…” as you become blatantly aware of his still completely hard cock as it jumps inside you and causes you to jolt softly at the mild overstimulation. Your thighs press together instinctively, a shiver rolling over you. The look in his eyes, raw and hungry, makes it impossible to resist. “Then…” you whisper, voice trembling, “maybe we don’t have to be done.”
He grins, teeth flashing and dimples shining, finally free from the mask’s anonymity. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he says, voice low and teasing, already pressing back into you, the promise of round two lingering in the charged air.
request: “Hi! I like your posts. I want to ask if you can- I mean can you make a chapter of bucky and reader as reader delivery time with comedy and funny lines. Like reader is being frustrating from bucky words 'calm down' while trying to push and reader snap at him 'I'm never you touch or fuck me again'. Not serious but funny and comedy one. Can you please”
warnings: a lot of cursing, reader in a lot of pain, Bucky is kinda slow when he’s nervous, fluff, established relationship, hospitals
word count: 1.3k+
A/n: tysm for this request i loved it, i pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit so i hope you like it also to the person who requested this dm me so i can tag you unless you sent it anonymously. love you lots and lots like jelly tots❤️
You groan lightly as another contraction washes over you. Instinctively, your hand gently rubs your stomach, hoping to soothe your pain. Bucky's heavy footsteps fill the room as he paces up and down, running a hand through his hair while he mutters something about midwives, parking meters, and whether or not he brought enough snacks.
You knew he was nervous; hell, you both were, but his constant pacing was starting to give you a headache, along with the fluorescent lights that illuminated your hospital room. "James, if you keep pacing, I'm going to shoot you in the knee, and you know I'm hormonal enough to get away with it in court!" You groan as you rub your temples.
He instantly stops to rush to your side, arms awkwardly hovering before settling around your shoulders. "You're doing amazing, doll, so good", he says gently, brushing your hair off your sweaty forehead. A string of curse words leaves your mouth as another contraction forces its way through your body. It's sharp. Hot. Unrelenting.
You breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth, like your midwife taught you. Useless. Still hurts like hell. "Don't 'doll' me, James, unless you've got an epidural in your hand," you moan as your nails dig into his arm. "Noted," he mutters, pressing a kiss to your temple.
Bucky's breath fans your shoulder, and the feeling immediately overwhelms you. "James, if you take another breath, I will divorce you." Bucky instantly holds his breath, not letting go until the contraction passes.
He gently squeezes your hand as you blink away tears you didn’t even realise had formed. Damn hormones. Damn him, for still managing to be sweet. You shift slightly, trying to find a less miserable position, and just as your breathing evens out, a sudden warm gush makes your eyes widen in horror.
"Buck", you whimper, your grip on his forearm tightening. His eyes immediately snap towards yours, "Yeah? What? What is it? You okay?" You look down, then back up, "I think my water just broke", you mutter as tears well in your eyes.
He blinks once, twice. Then stares at the now-damp hospital bed like it just insulted his bloodline. "Oh. Okay, um. Yep. That's totally normal, right? That's supposed to happen. Totally not bad, just messy... messy. Okay, okay, okay." He starts patting his pockets for no reason. "Do you need a towel? A nurse? or um-"
"Breathe, James. One of us has to." You pat his chest. He nods so fast he nearly gives himself whiplash. "Right. Breathing. Breathing is good." Just then, the door bursts open and your nurse walks in, awfully chirpy and blissfully unaware of the warzone she just entered.
Her eyes flicker to the soaked sheets and claps her hands, "Well, looks like we're getting close, Mom!" She smiles. "Define 'close,' " you grunt, gripping Bucky's arm like it owes you money.
"Ten centimetres and a few contractions away from showtime!" she chirps, rolling in a cart of instruments that look like torture devices, sending a chill through your spine.
Bucky's eyes follow the cart, landing on a specific hunk of metal. "What the heck if that?" The nurse just winks, "Don't worry, Mr. Barnes. That's not for you, unless you decide to pass out on us, then it might be"
You groan, leaning back on Bucky's shoulder. "Buck, if I die, name the baby after me."
"You aren't gonna die, baby," he whispers, "But if you do, I'll build statues in your honour and tattoo your name on my forehead" You sniff, half-laughing, "That last part better be a joke, Barnes."
A FEW MINUTES LATER
"Ah fuck!" you shout, your head hitting the back of your hospital bed. Your midwife and three other nurses are huddled in front of you, all muttering words of encouragement to help you push, yet it seems like your little bundle of joy is not ready to come out, much to your disappointment.
"You're doing amazing, sweetheart. I love you so much," The sweet words muttered by your husband should give you a sense of comfort, yet they only seem to fill you with rage. "You give our son your fat fucking head, make me have to push it out, then say you love me!" The words just tumble out of your mouth, causing a few nurses to snicker as Bucky stares at you, bewildered.
You bite back a sob as you're forced to push again.
Your nails dig into Bucky's arm as he kisses away any stray tears, "Fuck you, Barnes, I'm never letting you do this to me again", you sob, yet you move closer to his chest, needing his comfort. Bucky doesn't even flinch at your outburst, just nods solemnly as he wipes away your tears.
"You're right, love, totally fair. I'll take a vow of celibacy or become a monk and only look at you from across the room," he coos, pressing a kiss to your cheek.
A nurse near you feet snorts but covers it up with a cough. Another contraction slams through you like a freight train, and you scream through gritted teeth. "You better! And you're sleeping in the nursery for the next year!"
"Yes, ma'am", Bucky whispers, forehead pressing against yours as you pant like you just ran a marathon. "Nursery, the Appalachians. Wherever you want, baby"
"Okay, sweetheart," your midwife cuts in, her voice calm and soothing despite the battle happening in front of her, "Just one more big push. Let's meet this stubborn little soldier of yours"
You glare up at Bucky, "If he comes out looking like you, swear to God you will never see the light of day again" Your threat falls on deaf ears as Bucky simply smiles down at you. You groan, pushing with all your might. Cursing Bucky, cursing the baby, cursing every man who's ever looked attractive with long hair and a metal arm, and then suddenly, there's silence. Just for a breath. Then.
A cry, a loud, wet, furious cry that rocks your whole world. Making you forget about all the pain, sweat and tears. "Oh my God." You whisper, chest heaving. Tears run down your face again, but for a different reason this time.
"He's here", Bucky breathes, voice cracking as he looks down at the wriggling, red-faced baby now being cradled in your midwife's arms. Your baby.
You flop back against the pillows, chest heaving, exhausted and covered in sweat. "If his first word isn't mama, we're mailing him back"
Bucky laughs, a full-body laugh that rumbles in his chest, sending vibrations through your cheek where it rests against his chest. "We'll keep the receipt just in case".
Summary: You have fallen in love with the ever stoic and brooding So'lek. So, your friends convince you to court him. You know he would never accept any form of courting except traditional. Anything through interesting artefacts from the RDA, past handmade stuff, all the way to the best harvested resources from your hunts. Anything for him to see you worthy. Does it work though? If so, why did he vanish all of a sudden with no word? Will he come back?
Warnings: none for now, just fluff
Notes: Well, I had an insane burn out and I came to the conclusion I'm awful with multichapter fics. So, likely after this one, I'll be sticking to just one shots. But I'm determined to finish this series. If I left any <i><i/> tell me, since I'm double posting it to AO3 as well as here
Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 (work in progress...)
If you want to be added to the tag list, or I forgot someone, please comment or dm me <3
“What should I do? He’s not taking the hints at all!” you whined, lounging over Priya’s lap on your stomach like an overgrown cat, your tail lashing back as she mindlessly braided small pieces of your hair together. “I don’t know babe. If he’s anything like human males, then he’s going to be stupid about love. I don’t think he’s like humans, only thinking with their dicks, but love signs might still be lost on them.” Priya shrugged, trying to console you as you laid together in the plush alcove of the HQ. It came to a mutual agreement that So’lek’s name shall not be named when whining about him, because he was very likely to be around.
“Are human males really that useless? Dear Eywa. Now I understand why you’re into women.” You scoffed, rolling your eyes and dropping your forehead against Priya’s thigh. Her body shook gently with an amused laughter, her fingers raking through your hair. “It’s not really a choice. Sexuality is not something you choose on Earth, but yea. I’m still glad to be with the fairer sex” She hummed softly.
It stayed quiet for a moment before Priya chimed in again. “Maybe you should get a makeover or something. On Earth, if you want someone’s attention, you dress nice, smell nice and you stick around the person to make them see you in a better light.” She grinned like she just had an epiphany. “Better light? I mean, the lighting in here is buttcheeks, but would a better light make him fall in love with me?” you picked up your head, confusion on your face as you studied Priya’s deadpan look. “No, babe. I meant…whatever. Just…maybe ask the Aranahe clan for help. Me and my already limited knowledge on men, let alone Na’vi men, is little help to you, girl. I’m just here for the tea.”
You sat up on your knees, kuru sliding down your back, making you shiver involuntarily as you stared ahead in thought. Ask the Aranahe for help. Sure, you had friends in the Aranahe, but would any of them really know how to court someone like So’lek and make you look pretty for him? Unless…
“But wait, I’m not making you tea. We ran out of tea bags couple days ago. But I promised I’d go look for some more at the RDA-“
“Oh my god! Just go girl!”
Getting to the Hometree didn’t take long. Only couple minutes with Katir. Today was pretty much a day off for you. Just existing, no fights, no chores. And yet, you walked out and called your ikran, only to find her already prepper with her lighter, non-fighting gear, by none other than So’lek himself. It honestly made you grin the whole way to the Hometree. Because what you were about to do, would be for him.
You jumped off your bonded, strutting past everyone on the landing platform high up in the tree, waving happily at Kukulope who waved back leisurely, before you made your way inside. The Hometree’s warm lighting always put you at ease. Before you helped take down couple RDA sites, the top of the tree buzzed with the fluttering of kinglor wings. But once you cleaned up their natural habitat, you helped relocate them back into the forest. That made the tree a little quieter with their wings, but hundred times louder ad busier with the weavers, admiring and working with their new, stronger silk. That’s pretty much how you found her as well.
“Hey, Nefika!” you called excitedly as you skipped over the buckets of silk dye towards the master weaver in the centre, soaking pieces of silk in a different bucket of dye. Her head snapped up, making you almost concerned she might snap her neck, colourful feathers bobbing in her hair and beads clacking together. A wide smile graced her worn features as she sat back, wiping her hands into a spare cloth before getting up to greet you properly.
“Hello, ma yawntu! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Nefika boomed excitedly, arms spread out for you to fall into, squeezing you in a strong hug. “We’ve seen each other couple days back” you laughed in amusement, your head falling on her shoulders as she rocked you like a mother would. Nefika always felt like a safe space to you. Ever since Etuwa brought you here, Nefika was one constant in this tree. Always here, always willing to listen and always to back you up.
“It’s always long to see your beautiful face.” She cooed, her hands finding your face, cradling it gently once you pulled back. She always knew how to make you smile, that’s what made her so special to you. “But I know you, you little rascal! You only come to find me when you need something! You’re breaking my heart here, ma yawntu…so! Spill it. What can I do for you this time?” She threw her hands up, dramatic as always. You could only grin in response.
“You know me too well.” You conceded playfully, ears swivelling back under her interested gaze, the thought of doing this only to impress So’lek suddenly feeling so childish and vain. But you were already too far gone to go back, so you had to push through. “You better not laugh at me, woman,” you warned playfully. “However…there might be someone that I may or may not want to impress. So, I was wondering if you could help? Make me look like the most beautiful girl in this chunk of Pandora?”
Her eyes stayed glued on you for almost an uncomfortably long time, just observing before a small smug smile lit up her face. “Oh, you sweet thing. You’re already beautiful. But I am flattered it is me you chose to come for help to. Of course I’ll help. One beautiful woman to another.” She hummed, her hands finding her hips as she circled you. Her hands brushed over your hair, bringing it to her nose. “You smell divine, like ripe fortunefruit, I’ll give you that. But that hair needs to be fixed. And your clothes a little tidied. Come, come”
She giggled, taking your hand and pulling you along towards her chamber. “Your clothes are fine for everyday use. To run around and do your warrior things. But they won’t impress a boy.” She mused and before you could even compute your own voice, a small correction of ‘a man’ flew out of your mouth. Her head whipped around, her bob bouncing as suspicion crossed her golden eyes. “A man, you say. Who is this man, pray tell?” she grinned wolfishly. A flush crawled over your face at her gaze, your ears swiveling back in embarrassment. Her eyes narrowed before she released your hand and raised hers in a sign of resignation. “You do not need to tell, ma yawntu. I’ll try to guess and guess what a distinguished man like him would want.”
She moved towards a woven basket, opening it up and picking up intricate tops one by one, judging each one with scrutiny of an executioner, before turning and holding them up to envision them on your body. Shaking her head, she tossed them away like they disgusted her. Upon finding nothing of interest she scoffed, shoving them all back before moving to a different box, this was woven with wood to give it more structure. “These ones are the good ones. From the old kinglor silk. I’m aware they make the same quality silk now again. However, I do not have time to replicate these with the new silk.” She shrugged, digging through the boxes.
You could clearly see these were some of the best quality works you’ve ever seen. Not that you’ve seen many traditional Na’vi garbs, but from seeing what everyone in the Aranahe wore, these were almost celebratory quality clothes. Light, airy, colourful, dotted with intricate beads and iridescent shells. She continued the process of pulling them out, scrunching her nose in distaste and tossing them aside. Until one. She pulled it out, ready to toss it, before stopping and staring at it. Finally, she turned around, holding it up to compare to your body from where she was kneeling.
“This one, ma yawntu.” She grinned victoriously. Standing up, she strolled over proudly like a hammerhead flaunting its plume. “This one is it. You are sweet like fortune fruit, smell divinely like one, its only right the colours would suit you.” She declared before presenting you with the piece. “Try it on. Tell me what you think. I’ll go look for the matching tewng.”
With that you were left alone with the piece. Moving to the side, you examined glistening material, smiling. It was beautiful. The colour was soft, not assaulting to the eyes. The leather complimented the colour of the silk, and the beads were clearly sewn with love for the craft. So, you set it aside. Removing your own top wasn’t difficult. Koranu made it quite easy when she showed you how to make the shawl. It was sturdy with leather and plant fibre weaved to be protective, while the colourful silk around the shoulder and neck, along with the iridescent shells, made it pretty. So, you took it off easily, looking back quickly to check no one was there to see you.
When you confirmed you were alone, you carefully slipped the top over your head, just as Nefika entered again. “Here it is. You will be breathtaking.” She grinned, gasping when she saw you. Her face softened into a proud smile, walking over, her hand finding the small of your back. “Here. Let me help” Her coo felt like a gentle touch. Setting the tewng down next to your top, she walked around to allow her deft hands tie the leather choked that held the top together around your neck. Once done, she helped you out of your loincloth, careful to avert her eyes when you undressed for your privacy. She helped you tie the strings, correcting the hanging embellishments before she stepped back.
“I feel like I’m looking at a woman ready for a mating celebration.” She breathed out, her eyes soft, hand reaching up to cover her mouth. “Come look. You are ethereal.” She whispered, as if talking too loudly could crash the illusion. Walking over to a wall of the tree coated in dry resin, polished to a perfect mirror and there you saw the whole village.
The top consisted of a brown leather choker, woven with intricate patterns, iridescent shells and beads sewn onto it. Lavender coloured silk was attached to the centre of the collar, the two pieces of fabric draping down to cover the breasts, wrapping around the chest where they tied in a long bow, the bottom of the draping having more beads and shells as tassels. From the same point on the leather choker also sprouted two pieces of lighter purple sheer silk, draping your shoulders and attaching to the back of the collar.
The tewng was made of a slightly darker colour to the top, asymmetrical at the bottom with ornate holes in a pattern, The top was, again, embellished with more beads and shells, the straps made of the same brown leather and two pieces of the same sheer fabric draping your hips. The colour made the blue of your skin look rich, the cut showing off your newly honed muscles. You felt breathtaking.
“Ma sevin yawntu.” Nefika sighed, her hands sliding down your shoulders before gently guiding the arrow glove off your hand with the promise of replacing it with a matching, or at least a similar one. She caught the furrow of your brows before laughing. “Don’t worry, you get this one back with your clothes”
“No, I just…Sevin?” You asked, whipping your head around to look at her in confusion. “What does that mean?”
She stared at you like you’ve just grown another head, before snorting. “Sevin, ma yawntu, means pretty. I’m calling you pretty. Yikes. I knew the RDA didn’t allow you to learn much Na’vi, but this is just sad,” She tutted her tongue before sauntering off to retrieve a watching glove to your outfit, leaving you standing there like you’ve just been hit with scalding water.
Sevin. Sevin. That’s what So’lek called you. Was he calling you pretty? Obviously sevin meant pretty. You’d trust Nefika with your life, so it did mean he called you pretty. So, then why wasn’t he picking up the hints on your courting!? This was so confusing.
“Unclench your jaw, yawne. Your teeth will hurt when you get to my age.” Nefika joked as she slid a brown leather archery glove over your wrist before standing behind you. “What coul’ve possibly distressed you this much about the word sevin, hm? You can tell me.” She prodded gently, turning you slightly in her grasp as she looked into your eyes. She could tell by the unsure look and pinched back ears you were hesitant, only to break seconds later.
“It’s So’lek. Sometimes he calls me sevin. I just…I didn’t realise and I’ve been courting him and he’s not reciprocating!” you word vomited, throwing your arms up, ears twitching in distress as you stepped back. You were sure your expression got more miserable when you heard her laugh.
“Oh! You silly little thing! Is this about that old fool? You should’ve said so!” Her bubbly laugh bounced off the walls. “You promised you wouldn’t laugh!” You cried, attempting to slip past her to escape, but her hands grasped your arm and pulled you back. “No! No! I’m just excited, ma syulang! Oh, how cute you are…how have you courted him so far?” She asked with a grin, easing your nerves slightly.
“Well…I spend time with him. We go out for hunts, on missions, we’ve gone flying like a week and a half ago. And I gifted him a list of names from the RDA I’ve always given him.” You explained before your eyes found Nefika’s unimpressed face. You blinked before furrowing your brows. “What?” you mumbled
“Yawntu…So you’ve done nothing out of the ordinary and yet expect him to see through your soul? You need to do something different! Make him something! For us the gift of jewellery made with your very own hands is the highest symbol of love.” She explained, motioning to her bracelets and necklace to prove her point. You opened your mouth to argue that you didn’t know how, but she was already two steps ahead. “Come! I’ll teach you. You make it for him looking like that?! He will drop to his knees.”
With that you settled by the fire, you watched her show you the example, sitting it in front of you to take inspiration while she worked on your hair. It was surprisingly more difficult than it seemed, but the motion and repetitive nature put you oddly at peace. What definitely helped as well was Nefika sitting behind you, her hands undoing your previous hairstyle to brush through your hair and get back to rebraiding it into a more intricate braid.
“Just like that. You can add the bead now. On the middle strap. Just like that!” She instructed from over your shoulder. You nodded in understanding, threading a polished crystalised sap bead on the leather strip, before braiding it back into the necklace. You weren’t sure what was So’lek’s favourite colour, but you did know he liked colour, despite his often dull look. So, the deep orange looked good next to the bright green and soft yellow will give him a pop of colour.
“And now you can add the tooth,” she instructed, motioning to the nantang tooth you decided you wanted for the centre piece. You’ve hunted a mature nantang couple days back. Its flesh was a gift for the Aranahe, leaving you with its teeth. Some of them you used for your gear, but one stayed behind. A smaller one, but still well formed so you came to the conclusion that it would look wonderful on jewellery. And now with Nefika’s help you learned how to use it.
It took only three hours to finish the piece and for Nefika to finish your hair, gently slipping couple flowers made of silk and feathers into the braid. “You will take his breath away, ma yawntu.” She grinned proudly as she spun you around, watching the silk drape your blue skin. “Go home. Go get your man. But come back as soon as possible and spill the drama.” She hugged you tightly, her hands finding your face like proud mother before ushering you away with a gentle pat to the butt. You rolled your eyes internally as her drive for drama, a thing she seemingly always had. Whenever someone was fighting, she was there to watch. If something happened to someone, you learned through her what it was.
So, with that you skipped out of her chamber back up to the ikran landing platform, walking past couple hunters who have just landed from their hunt. Out of the corner of your eye you could see them whip around, almost fast enough to make their kuru whip them in the face. That enough was a sign that this just might work on So’lek. Maybe not to that extent of snapping his neck to look, but he will look for sure. With that thought putting a smile on your face, you clambered on Katir’s back and took off to go back to the Resistance.
It was quite late into the night by the time you landed in front of the Resistance. You jumped off your ikran and walked towards the entrance, eager to show off your outfit. Upon entering, the Resistance was dim, most of the people long in bed with only couple left awake to keep track of RDA. And there sat So’lek, looking peeved as he carved a bow out of a chunk of root. His head snapped up when the airlock hissed shut, his eyes catching yours.
“And where have you been? It’s late in the night. I was-…we were all worried about you!” He hissed, setting his work down before standing up, towering over your form. You smiled at the worry etched on his face, walking closer. You walked from the dim corridor into the light of the small alcove, grinning like a nantang.
“Didn’t know I had a curfew” You joked, watching his face relax when his eyes dropped to your clothes, mouth staying open in shock. You snorted, watching his eyes flick up and down, ears, previously flat against his skull, now pointed at attention, blinking slowly. “Wow. No need to undress me with your eyes, good sir. You can just ask.” You teased, watching his face cycle from mute amazement, to sputtering embarrassment.
“I’m not. I- Sarentu! You can’t just say things like that…” he sputtered like boiling water, his ears flicking back, face growing purple as his body straightened up uncomfortably and turned away slightly. “I’m joking…” you mumbled, smile softening a little. “Do you like it?” You asked quietly, suddenly growing unsure of yourself. You looked down at the revealing outfit, very unfit for fighting, before spinning around to give him a show. His face relaxed, his eyes tracing every inch of your skin, trying to avoid your breasts before nodding lightly.
“You look…beautiful.” He breathed out, almost like it physically hurt him, his face somber as his hand reached out to brush your arm, touch feather light. “Breathtaking, truly.” He hummed, giving you a tight smile, arms dropping to his sides as he straightened his back, trying to coach himself back in line.
“Thank you.” You grinned, a flush crawling up your neck. You expected some other words from him. Nice was on top of your list. Or good. Or interesting. You definitely didn’t expect beautiful and, least of all, breathtaking. But you must push through. This was only part of the plan, the other past rested nestled in the waistband of your loincloth. You bit back the nerves rising in your chest, reaching back to pull the carefully crafted necklace and present it before him.
“Uhm…here. I made it with Nefika for you.” You stuttered out, shoving the necklace into his hands, barely seeing his face turn into utter shock. “Sarentu…what is this about?” he asked carefully, measured. You couldn’t tell him straight up, that’s not very Na’vi. You have to say anything, but I want you.
“It’s a gift. I was learning to weave, and I had a spare tooth, so I used it. It’s for you. Don’t worry about it.” You dismissed it, stepping back with a nervous smile. “I’m kinda drained. I’m just- I’m gonna go to bed. Enjoy, So’lek. Good night.” You grinned, turning around, his flushed face barely flashing in your mind before you were out the airlock door again, smacking a hand against your temple. Fuck! That was so stupid! You could’ve done anything except this. And yet this is the outcome. How fucking stupid are you? Fuck! So embarrassing.
“Sleep well, yawne.” He mumbled just as the door slid closed and you stepped outside into the small overhang where the Sarentu hung out and usually slept. Ri’nela was out like daylight, leaving only Nor carving a pa’li out of wood before his head raised. “Woah! Looking good! Was that what you were up to all day? And So’lek didn’t jump your bones?” He snorted, smirking as he watched you plop down next to him by the fire. “Nor!” You chastised him gently, face flushed. “He’s not gonna jump my bones. I don’t think it even had much effect on him…” Nor looked confused before shrugging. “Would’ve worked on me.” He hummed. Well, there was one last thing you could technically try, since RDA gear, or handmade gift, nor stunning outfit didn’t work. But you’ll need help, or at least some mental help. This was the last hail Mary before you’d either give up forever, or just straight up tell him and ruin the team dynamic forever.
so i've been entertaining the idea that these two things (dr. beanies and organ grinder) are the same guy
WHY? i'm glad you asked
short answer: beanies killed his past self after fucking up at some point
(like that one rick and morty episode)
long answer:
we know he's (and by extention we've) used his time machine for random bullshit (the entire third act is about that)
additionally, there's this unused part from the scrapped IOU item:
"What the hell is wrong with you!? He's gonna think I'm you!
I can't be stuck with this debt again... You gotta help me man!
Here, take this gun, enter the time machine and kill me on another timeline.
But bring the body back here so we can fake my death again.
No wait, this version of you has no idea what I'm talking about.
Ugh well whatever, I'll just trick you again later.
GO HOME!"
(yes it's unused dialogue, but it can still be inferred that he could and would do something like this)
so from beanies' side this isn't out of the realm of possibility, but what about organ grinder?
(most of his personality changes can be chalked up to his brain rotting out of his skull)
he says some oddly specific things as you upgrade him
going in order! (sort of)!
"You look so damn familiar... maybe it's the hair? I knew someone with hair a while back...
No wait, you are the cat lady? The one who keeps leaving me all those limp tasties!"
(his inability to properly remember you might just be the short-term memory of having recently met you, OR it could be a memory from further back. it's flimsy and unclear)
"Maybe next time when my lips aren't so scabby we can do a french kiss?... it's just an idea.
Or maybe a 3-way kiss between me, you and Stacy!
Wait no... Stacy? Why did i say Stacy? I meant Hunk!
Hunk is what I'm calling the pile of dead bodies behind your house!"
WHY would he know stacy's name? and WHY would he freudian-slip-up with it when talking about a pile of dead cats?
(unless it's a coincidence, but that's lame)
(he could also have been a regular subject in beanies' lab, but that's not the theory i'm going for)*
addendum: this is a really weird thing to say, even for boon county standards
"Those are diseases!
They are so rare and valuable!"
but you know who it's entirely in-character for? beanies!
"The memories are coming fast!
I see someone digging up my grave! he looked just like me!
A baby! A baby boy that was 2 babies in one!
I see a bean... a talking bean with a man's voice!"
from this we gleam that he knew tink, butch, and frank at some point, or at least they made an impression on him
i'm not sure where to put frank here... sorry.
but the other two are clearer!
the 2-for-1 baby deal is likely butch and tink
how would organ grinder know about this? unless he saw them in the lab *(as a subject), or he separated them himself
the man digging him up? well that could've been anyone...
possibly the one guy who knows how to bring dead people back to life...
ok but why would beanies dig up his corpse and revive it after killing him, that's fucking stupid
(implying that beanies' ideas aren't fucking stupid to begin with)
i dont know. maybe he wanted something. maybe he figured no one would notice the suspicious corpse that wasn't supposed to be there missing from the boneyard
addendum2: it'd make organ grinder's pairing with steven in the chaos fight a bit more thematically coherent, which is fun
(the rift is nonsense on purpose, but it's still an interesting choice)
yeah that's the gist of it. organ grinder was probably thrown out once he proved himself to be useless
that's all. ok cool thanks love you bye
EDIT:
ADDITIONALLY! because i forgot
organ grinder and beanies are the only characters in the entire game to call you an "ignoramus":
"YOU SCREWED IT ALL UP! YOU, YOU PINHEADED IGNORAMUS! YOU BUCKTOOTHED JACKASS!"
"My life's work ruined by some ignoramus... some ignor..."
i checked! in the npc dialog master file
it's a big big nerd word. fitting for a big big nerd like beanies
they're also the only characters who bring up the throbbing domain, which is weird
i mean for organ grinder it makes sense to be there
but beanies' relation is a lot less clear...
maybe that would explain organ grinder's hissy fit about it. it depends...
I loved your salbucktommy vampire au - could we get a 5 AU in that? Or! A 5 AU prompt and a switcharoo - Buck is the vampire and saltommy assume he just works shifts like they do when the never see him during the day…
ooohhhhhhhhh
1. Evan is traveling and gets turned into a vampire somewhere between Wyoming and wherever he was going next. It's more of an accident than anything else, because his maker--a Bolshevik revolutionary named Dmitri--didn't mean to take as much blood as he did. He usually left people alive, having seen too much death and horror in his living days. But Evan had been like sunshine, and Dmitri had gone too far. He'd opened his wrist as penance, even though he's sorry for cursing Evan. They travel toward the West Coast, ending up in Los Angeles, because cities are easier. There's underground places to go to get blood from willing donors, and Evan finds out there's a lot of beautiful women willing to offer up a vein to a vampire.
2. There's a fire at the building next door to where Evan is crashing. He'd found a group of guys who partied and didn't ask questions about his schedule. He calls 911, and a fire crew shows up. Evan aches to do something like that, something to help instead of hurt. He asks one of the firefighters about their shifts, if there's a way to only work nights. "Nah, twenty-four on, twenty-four off, do that rotation a few times and then you get four days off," the firefighter explains. "But I know they got overnights in dispatch, nursing, all kinds of stuff you can do." "O-oh," Evan says, realizing he has a path forward through all of this. "Thanks. Uh, I'm Evan." "Sal," he replies, grinning. "Think about the academy, though, a house would be lucky to have you." And he gives Evan a once over and grins again, and Evan feels his cheeks heat with borrowed blood.
3. Evan becomes a dispatcher and asks for overnights, and Sue is happen to give them to him. People don't usually fight for that shift unless they're already used to working nights. "Yep, been doing it for a few years now," Evan lies. He tries to call Dmitri to let him know he's gotten a job, but Dmitri's been gone for a while. He apparently doesn't stay anywhere too long, but he'd expected him to at least say something. He's worried, but he's not sure if he should be. He just feels lonely. At work, people talk about their families and their lives. He gets to know Abby, who's been with her boyfriend for a while. He's a firefighter. He swings by to drop off dinner for her one night, and Evan recognizes him from the house fire. "H-hey, you work with, uh, Sal? Right?" he says, and he can hear Tommy's pulse spike. "I had to call you guys to my neighbor's house a few months ago. I'm Evan." Tommy smiles and shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you, Evan," he says, his pulse still pounding.
4. Through the radios, Evan gets to know a lot of the first responders in the area. He doesn't get to see Abby anymore once she switches to days because of her mom, but he gets to know Josh, who picks up shifts all over the place, and Linda, who works swing sometimes. He doesn't hear Sal for a while, and then he comes up with the 122. "What're you doing all the way over there?" Evan asks, smiling. "Oh, it's a long story," Sal replies. "I'll tell you over dinner." And Evan flushes and ducks his head, which is new. But he ends up going out to eat with Sal, even though food just sort of tastes fine compared to blood. But Evan compromises by ordering an extra rare steak while Sal tells him about his suspension and transfer. After dinner, Sal kisses him, and Evan feels his useless lungs expand on a sharp inhale.
5. Being bisexual seems to be the way for most vampires he's met, so he's not really bothered by the idea. He's dead, what does he care who he's attracted to? So he and Sal go on a few dates, and he can't ever grab lunch or brunch with him, but he blames it on his work schedule. He starts seeing more of Tommy again, too, because Sal is still best friends with him. Then Evan gets close with him, too. They're there to help him when he realizes he can't keep lying to himself and everyone else, that he has to leave Abby and come out. Evan encourages him to tell her the truth, she's dealing with enough as it is. So the breakup is more amicable but still sad, she's still upset with him for lying to her. Tommy stays on Sal's couch for a week while he moves out and finds a short term rental until he can find something permanent, and Evan finds himself not minding that he's suddenly around all the time.
6. It happens not out of nowhere, but maybe a little unexpectedly. One night, they're hanging out and watching a game and splitting a six pack, and an offhand remark here, a lingering touch there, and the night ends with the three of them in bed. It's fun, it's supposed to just be fun, but it's hard to make a case for that when they're all acting like they've been starving for each other. After, Evan doesn't usually stay over, because he can't really go home in the morning. But he wakes up to Sal howling and wailing and Tommy hugging him while his shoulders shake wiith sobs. "Wha's goin' on?" Evan slurs, sitting up. He can feel the sunrise coming and swears, jumping to his feet to get his stuff. "Holy shit, you're alive," Tommy breathes. Evan freezes while he's pulling his pants on. "Uh, yeah?" he says, which is only sort of true. "Baby, y-you stopped breathing," Sal says, taking a shaky step toward him. "You were going cold. What--" "I have that...thing," Evan lies. He was supposed to memorize the name of it, the thing where people had low respiration and heart rate and got put in morgues sometimes. But he could never remember it. "I did fucking CPR and you didn't wake up," Tommy says. And then the sun starts peeking over the horizon, and Evan scrambles into his clothes. "O-okay, so--fuck." He hears sirens. "Make them go away. Please. I can't--" And he doesn't know what they say, but they make the paramedics leave. And then they want answers.
7. Evan is curled up in the corner of the bed, because there's a little sunlight splashing through the side of the curtains. "I'm dead," he says, and the two exchange a look. "Not dead dead, but I'm--" He sighs and lets his fangs drop, opening his mouth to show them. "I'm a vampire," he says, and they exchange another look. "I have been for almost two years, since before I came here, a-and I don't kill people. I swear. I use willing donors a-and animal blood. And I don't have to eat every night, that's a--that's a movie thing." He chews on his lip for a moment and looks between them. "Please don't kill me." "We're not going to kill you," Tommy says. "How long have you thought you were a vampire?" And Evan rolls his eyes and sticks his arm into the sunlight. When he catches on fire for just a moment, it's a good place to start in his effort to make them realize he's not delusional.
8. "Please tell me the garlic thing ain't real," Sal pleads. "It's not, I like garlic," Evan says. "Thank fuck," Sal sighs. "That cannot be your only concern," Tommy says flatly, and Sal shrugs. "Be more Italian, Salvatore, I swear to--" "I don't wanna poison him!" Sal protests. It's so dumb, but the sentiment makes Evan smile. "So you're not going to make me leave?" he asks. Sal scoots closer and laces his fingers with Evan's. "Nah," he says, smiling and looking over at Tommy. "You?" "Apparently not," Tommy says, taking Evan's other hand. "Unless that was a one night thing." "Nope," Evan says quickly, yanking their hands close. "Nope, not a one night thing."
9. Maddie moves to LA, Evan sniffs out Doug down the line and rips his fucking throat out before she even knows he's in town. It takes some time after, but she finds out what's really going on with her brother. "Have you ever killed anyone?" she asks, and he almost lies to her. When he tells her, her face crumples, and Evan thinks he fucked up bad. "H-he's gone?" she asks, her voice brittle and shaking, and he nods, and she hugs him and cries and thanks him.
10. There's a building collapse, and Sal is pinned. Evan yanks his headset off and signs out of his workstation, telling Maddie he has to go. He goes to the site, climbing into the rubble. His reflexes aren't much better than a human's, so it's rough going. But he finds Sal, tears open his wrist, and drips the blood into his waiting mouth before biting him. His body gets pulled out, but he wakes up miraculously just a few minutes later. He lies, says he'll go to the hospital. Tommy meets them at home, and they take Sal to one of Evan's clubs. While they watch him feed from a woman's wrist, Tommy looks over at Evan. "What about me?" he asks. "Whenever you want," Evan says, squeezing his hand. "Or if we're going to lose you." Tommy nods and looks back at Sal. "Give me until I'm forty-five," he says. After severe smoke inhalation at forty-three, that's all it takes for Sal and Evan to press their wrists to his mouth in a hospital room.
