Discover Top Posts Tagged with #westside

✯ wildflower c.b.

♡. pairings. bang chan x fem!reader.

♡. genre. boxer au, gang au, slice of life(?), fluff, slightly angsty.

♡. summary. in which you meet the girl who had chris before you, but hyunjin isn’t going to let you forget who actually won the boxer's heart.

a one shot in the westside universe – chronologically read after ‘nothing’s gonna hurt you baby’.

♡. word count. 12.6k

♡. warnings. oh my god your grown man bf has fucked people before you gasp, bit of self doubt from y/n, violence, another boxing match, jealousy (on both sides), blood, non explicit intercourse, medical and fighting inaccuracies, happy ending / no miscommunication (i think we all know these two are way too mature and stable to let that happen)

♡. notes. me vs running out of these ate chan teaser pics for headers but at the same time wanting it to be cohesive........ does this mean we can't have more westside!chan........ anyway, this one's a bit heavier than last week idk i'm jst a yapper to my core.

also i know i've been consistent with this updating every week schedule for the last month but i'm gna be so fr.. i may have run out of ideas 😭 for now ? so maybe it's time to lower ur expectations i'm sorry guys, i don't have anything in the works for next week (unless u have ideas or things u wanna see?? send them my way?? i might try and write it??) but for now i'm attempting to write the spin off which. is a massive challenge icl pls pray for me.. i've never written full fluff esp for someone like lix I'M STUCK

as always, thank you for your support, feel free to ask any questions and follow along for more!

♡. westside masterlist. here.

♡. read on ao3. here.

works in this series: westside. paradise. nothing's gonna hurt you baby. wildflower. tko.

Monday

A week had passed.

A whole week since you watched Chris shoot Dominic Ricci in an alley and then say “it’s sorted” when you worried about people finding the body, or any kind of evidence linking your boyfriend to the murder.

Well it definitely was ‘sorted’, considering the fact that you hadn’t seen anything on the news about it, nor had there been any rumours or whispers. It was as if Dominic Ricci had just vanished into thin air.

How did Chris have this much power? Chris, who went red when you added a single chilli to a meal, managed to cover up a shooting in the busiest part of town.

“Part 65, who the fuck did I marry?” You joked, making Jisung howl with laughter.

He knew all about what happened that night, since apparently Changbin and Minho were a part of the clean up crew.

Well, Changbin did the heavy lifting.

With a lot of whining, according to Minho.

“And you were joking about my boyfriend being in the mafia . . you’re the real Wattpad girl, Y/N,” he said from where he was lounging on the sofa, iPad in his hands and Honkai: Star Rail open.

You threw a pillow at him from your sofa, making him screech.

“Fine, fine, you’re not like other girls,” he continued to tease, making you roll your eyes. “Real talk though, you’re fine with it, right? Not like . . panicking and wanting to dump him?”

No.

No, you weren’t.

You had made your peace with Chris’ actions. This was the life he lived, and he knew how to keep you and his family safe. You should trust that. Trust the man who never let you down.

“No, no I’m not going to dump him. Would you dump Minho for that?”

Jisung didn’t miss a beat.

“Honestly? It’s kind of hot. If Minho beat someone up for me . . and then shot him . . he would be getting the best head–”

“Okay, that’s enough!”

He burst out laughing, shaking his head.

“Go make me dinner, woman.”

This time, you threw two pillows.

“You should be sleeping.”

“I’d sleep better if you were next to me.”

“Aren’t you working out? What am I going to do, sit on the weights?”

“You could. I can bench press you.”

A snort.

“I highly doubt that, baby.”

“Princess, I definitely can.”

You paused, trying not to think about that.

“Anyway, are you nearly done? Don’t you have that meeting with Jeongin’s Professor tomorrow morning?”

“Fuck, yeah I do. Still think you should come with me.”

“I could ask Taeyeon for the morning off . .”

“Next time, we’ll plan it better. I don’t want your boss to get mad at me. Again.”

You smiled, recalling the time where Chris showed up at the clinic with lunch every day for a week, to the point where Taeyeon yelled at him for distracting her best doctor.

“That was so funny.”

“She’s like a crazy doctor mum.”

“She’s just . . got high standards.”

“And I don’t meet them?”

“Nah, you’re not the problem. She . . took a chance on me. I was a freshly graduated intern with barely any experience and she gave me a full time job. She just doesn’t want me to make silly mistakes because I’m daydreaming about my boyfriend instead of focusing on my patient.”

“Hm, that boyfriend of yours sounds dangerous. People’s lives are at risk, doc.”

“I know right? I should get rid of him.”

“Woah, woah. Let’s not be too hasty.”

“No? Don’t you think we’d be saving lives? For the greater good?”

“But you’re my life.”

A pause.

“That was so fucking cheesy, Christopher.”

“You like that? Very Noah of me, right?”

“Noah?”

“The guy from the movie we watched . . the one with the letters?”

“Are you pretending you’re too cool to know about The Notebook?”

“That’s what it was called! The Notebook!”

“You are so full of shit, Christopher. I know you loved that film.”

“He wrote to her every day. Every day.”

“True love, I guess.”

“I should write you love letters. Dear princess, I love when you do that thing with your mouth–”

“I’m hanging up.”

Wednesday

It wasn’t often you got to be at Whiskey Business when it was still open, but Felix had recently decided to extend the opening hours to test how busy it would be if they went ahead with their expansion that Jeongin proposed.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, this meant that a random Wednesday night was super busy at the bakery.

You had stopped by after work to walk home with Jisung, forgetting that he was working late tonight. Jeongin didn’t have a shift today, he had some studying to catch up on, so Lix was completely swamped.

That was the only reason you offered to help, honestly.

After a 20 second deliberation, Felix decided he trusted you to take orders and pass them on to Jisung or himself, because ‘how hard could it be?’, even if he did feel a little bit guilty that you were helping out after working a full day. You reassured him that you had a chill day at work and he could pay you back with your favourite milkshake.

Which was how you found yourself taking a note of an elderly woman’s coffee order, repeating it back to a distressed Jisung while The Goonies played on the screen across from you.

The queue was thankfully coming to an end, so you could go and help him make drinks soon.

And then Hyunjin and Chris walked in.

You fought a smile at your boyfriend’s face, the way his lips curled up seeing you wear Lix’s spare apron and holding a little notepad. He was wearing a black shirt, as usual, with a black cap hiding his curls and your favourite blue jeans on him, the ones that were tight in all the right places–

“Did you hear that, sweetheart?”

What?

You snapped eyes away from where Hyunjin was laughing, no doubt at how you had been caught ogling Chris.

“I said, a black coffee. No sugar,” the man in front of you repeated.

“Sorry, yes, black coffee. Can I interest you in a sweet treat to go with that? Today’s Whiskey special is a sugar cookie with whiskey jam.”

The man, who probably wasn’t much older than you, looked you up and down calculatively.

“A cookie sounds good. Can I get your number with that, love?”

From behind him, Hyunjin burst out laughing, having to wave his arms and grab Chris’ fists to hold him back. Your eyes widened at the sight. No way was Chris going to punch someone here. In a nice, calm bakery.

“Uh . . no, sorry. That’s not on the menu,” you laughed awkwardly, trying to stay polite. “Was that a yes on the cookie then?”

“Can I get your number with that?” Hyunjin mocked after the man had walked away, making you whack his hand with your notepad.

Chris was watching the man walk away, stiff.

“I should go and kick his ass,” he muttered under his breath.

“Okay, alpha male, we get it,” Hyunjin pushed his friend's arm, making him turn to you. “We want a mixed berry cheesecake, two brownies, an iced americano, a–”

“I don’t want a brownie,” Chris interrupted, still grumpy.

Hyunjin furrowed his brows.

“Did I ask what you want? No, you’re just here to pay for everything.”

You giggled, making Chris finally, finally look up at you.

All of his stress seemed to melt away, the earlier tension and . . jealousy . . leaving his tense shoulders, eased by the smile you sent his way.

“Hello Sir, how can I help?” You jokingly held out your notepad.

“Well, Miss . .” he leaned forward, playing along. “You don’t have a nametag.”

Your facade broke instantly.

“Uh, yeah. It’s Lix’s spare apron . . I’m just helping tonight, I don’t plan on making it a habit,” you admitted, sheepish.

“Good. I don’t want random guys flirting with you.”

You raised an eyebrow at the seriousness in his tone, trying to hide the way your stomach fluttered. Chris never really had much reason to be jealous around you; you went to work and went home, spent your spare time with the guys you considered brothers. So this was new. And it was cute, the way he huffed and glared at the man who asked for your number.

Definitely the knight in shining armour, defending your honour type.

God, he looked extra delicious today . . those pretty pink lips–

“Are you guys done with this freaky roleplay? I really want a coffee,” Hyunjin cut in, making you and your boyfriend sigh in unison.

“Give me a sec, Jisung needed help with the–”

“Fucking shit fuck fuck!”

Friday

There was only a week left until Chris’ comeback fight, the first one in months. He had brought it up to you a while ago, back before all the stuff happened with Ricci, but it seemed so much more real now that it was so close.

Thankfully, you had other things to distract you from the fight.

Today was Lix’s birthday, meaning Jeongin was at the bakery with Minho setting everything up while you and Seungmin distracted the two birthday boys. You had spent the last few hours at a PC Room, getting your ass kicked at almost every game imaginable, and then physically getting your ass kicked by Seungmin when you two paired up as a team and lost.

“How can someone be so bad at just . . pointing and shooting?” Jisung laughed as you all walked back towards your apartment.

“Sorry I didn’t spend my performative years clicking buttons and shouting at a screen,” you huffed. “And I wasn’t that bad. I won a few times.”

Felix gave you a look.

“You know that doesn’t count. There’s no actual winning and losing in Minecraft–”

“I won a few times,” you repeated sternly.

“Oh Y/N, didn’t you say you left your headphones at the bakery?” Seungmin brought up casually. “We could stop by before we go home.”

Jisung frowned, confused.

“Weren’t we going to drop Lix off there anyway . . ?”

“It’s literally your birthdays, dumbass. Of course we’re having a sleepover.”

Jisung and Felix both lit up at this.

“Aww, Y/N. Do you have a cake at home for us? A surprise party? You shouldn’t have,” Jisung teased.

You rolled your eyes.

“You wish. Besides, I’ve been with you guys all day, when would I have done that?”

Felix laughed, pulling out his keys to open the front of the shop. He and Jisung entered first, you and Seungmin looking at each other to make sure the plan was in place. Felix’s hands searched for the light switch, and then a scream of surprise.

“Happy birthday!”

The entire bakery was decorated with yellow and red, Felix and Jisung’s signature colours. Stacks of pizza boxes lined the tables, all surrounding a giant cake split into a sun (Felix) and moon (Jisung) and some early 2000’s disco music began to play from the speakers.

The cake made you smile. It was something you mentioned in passing to Jeongin, back when you first started planning the party. You did say the cake design wasn’t too big of a deal though, as long as it was soft and not chocolate, but somehow . . somehow Jeongin managed to pull it off.

You briefly wondered if it had anything to do with his older brother, now standing behind him and sending you a quick wink.

And then everyone began to sing, and Jeongin and Hyunjin lit firecrackers, making your eyes widen in shock.

What kind of fire hazard–?

Thankfully, Minho seemed to share your thoughts, snatching them from the younger boys and taking them straight to the sinks.

“Fucking idiots!” He shouted back to you all.

You all stood in an awkward silence for a moment.

And then Changbin was laughing, patting Hyunjin and Jeongin’s shoulders. Felix cast a worried look towards the kitchen, wondering if Minho was going to burn down his bakery. Chris was smiling, recording everything on his phone so that he could send it to you later. Seungmin just sighed.

“Happy birthday?” You said, at Jisung and Felix’s stunned expressions.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you properly drunk, princess. Maybe not since . . that night you tried to piss in the bushes.”

You grinned at the familiar voice, your head falling to the side to land on his shoulder. Chris had moved to the back of the room a while ago, checking some things on his phone.

You were glad he came to the party, your family was his family now, and vice versa. Usually, with your quartet, you were the only ones present at your birthdays. But last month you had all been invited to Changbin’s birthday and you realised that maybe you were all one unit now.

Which was nice.

Chris’ shoulder was nice too. Comfortable.

“Always . . always got work in the morning,” you yawned.

His arm snaked behind you, pulling you closer into his side.

Warm.

“You work too hard,” he mumbled, kissing the top of your head.

You pouted.

“I like work.”

He chuckled.

“I know you do. And you’re so good at it . . my little doctor.”

You giggled at his praise, nuzzling into his jacket.

“Chan? Chan. Chan. Channie Chan Chan–”

“So drunk Y/N prefers Chan?” He mused, fingertips tracing your bare arms. It was starting to get colder, but your plans for today were just to go to the PC Room with the guys so you didn’t exactly dress warm.

“Shhh, don’t tell Chris,” you whispered dramatically.

“Don’t tell Chris what?”

You leaned up, as if you were telling him your deepest secret, “Chan is . . so . . cute.”

He faked a gasp, playing along.

“Who’s Chan? Does your boyfriend know about him?”

You furrowed your brows.

“Boyfriend? What boyfriend?”

Instantly, his tone lost all its playfulness.

“Y/N . . That's not funny.”

You laughed, moving back down to get comfortable on his shoulder again.

“I like Christopher. Punchy punch.”

You mimic a whoosh sound, making him smile affectionately.

“Yeah? What do you like about him?”

“Everything. He’s perfect. So nice and strong . . And his lips. Mhm . . I want to bite his lips.”

“Fuck, you’re killing me,” he groaned.

You didn’t respond, a wave of tiredness washing over you. The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, the music was quieter here at the back of the room, where you were in your own little bubble.

Everyone else was at the front of the shop, eating pizza and playing a very dangerous drinking game that Hyunjin brought with him. Said game was the reason for your current state, so you knew just how bad it could get.

After a long day and the busy party, the alcohol was just making you want to go straight to bed. And maybe also overthink. You didn’t know how much time had passed, Chris helping you take a few sips from a water bottle, but you spent what felt like hours sitting there in silence, maybe even drifting off to sleep a few times.

“Do you ever think about work?” Your tired mumble finally broke the silence.

“What do you mean?”

“Real job. Like a lawyer . . Channie the journalist . . or computer guy. You would be a cool computer guy,” you thought out loud.

He laughed again, this time bringing his hand to your forehead to check your temperature.

“Maybe. Sometimes. That’s never going to be my life though,” his words held no sadness, as if he had already fully accepted that. “I know Innie wants it, even if he’s stopped asking for it. And you probably want it too–”

“No. No,” you tried to pull away so that you could look at him properly. You hadn’t fully sobered up, so you stumbled slightly, but he caught you, hands planted firmly on your hips as you leaned closer, pressing your forehead against his and looking deep into his eyes. “I want you, for you. No matter what you do.”

Chris’ tight smile melted at your sincerity.

“God, you make me crazy, Y/N.”

“You’re already kind of psycho without me. You like getting punched . . for fun . .” You didn’t move away, smirking as you spoke.

“And you like sewing up bloody faces for fun. Who’s the real freak, doc?” He retorted.

You nuzzled your nose against his, giggling at the way he scrunched his up.

“Mmm, Jisung. Jisung’s the real freak.”

Chris turned his head to look across the room, where your best friend was absolutely out of his mind wasted, stripping to a Pitbull song.

“Agreed.”

Saturday

You all ended up crashing at the bakery, too drunk to even find proper places to sleep.

You vaguely remember Chris trying to take you home, Jisung snatching you away and screaming that there were flying monkeys in the car, a siege where they . . locked everyone in?

Clearly, Chris lost that fight. He was sleeping underneath you, acting as a pillow but also holding you on the edge of the booth to make sure you didn’t fall. You smiled, even in his tired state he was watching out for you.

You shifted on top of him, unsure if you should wake him so he could go somewhere more comfortable, your apartment wasn’t far, or let him keep sleeping in this awkward position.

“I can feel you staring.”

“You’re awake?”

“Kind of hard to sleep properly on a booth bench . .” he groaned, sitting up a bit with you still on top of him, stretching his arms above his head.

“Can’t relate . . I slept like a baby,” you winked.

Chris just chuckled, shaking his head.

“Glad to be of service, your majesty.”

You looked around at the mess of the party, seeing everyone else still knocked out in random places. Jisung and Minho were wrapped up in each other under a table, knocked out. Seungmin was spread out like a starfish on top of that same table. Changbin and Felix were laying side by side on another booth bench, Jeongin in between them, upside down. And Hyunjin . . where was Hyunjin?

At that exact moment, a crashing noise erupted from the kitchens.

You winced, holding your head at the loud sound.

Fucking hangover.

Changbin made a noise, but no one woke up.

You looked behind you, but Chris didn’t seem to be worried.

And then Hyunjin’s head popped up from behind the counter, followed by his shirtless torso.

Chris sighed as his friend approached you both.

“Dude, where are your clothes?”

Hyunjin just smirked, his hair messy and littered with bits of . . pastry?

“I’ll put something on if you take me out for breakfast,” he bargained. “Plus, we both know Y/N loves it.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Hyunjin, he needs to sleep,” you scolded, ignoring his comment.

“Counter offer,” Chris spoke, tone sickly sweet. “You put a shirt on and I don’t kick the shit out of you for saying that about my girlfriend.”

Before Hyunjin could whine in response, as you knew he was about to, your stomach grumbled loudly.

Man.

You looked down, embarassed.

Hyunjin laughed victoriously, even Chris doing nothing to hide his amusement as he snaked his arms around your waist from behind you, mumbling into your ear, “I guess breakfast it is then.”

The place Hyunjin chose was apparently a regular spot for them, but Chris hadn’t brought you here before. Usually you had breakfast at home, or at the restaurant of whatever fancy hotel you were at. And if you did go out for a morning date, Chris would drive you somewhere scenic to eat.

“I can’t believe he hasn’t brought you to K’s yet,” Hyunjin put a hand over yours comfortingly, as if this was a tragedy against you.

Chris, who was sitting right next to you and could hear him loud and clear, rolled his eyes at the dramatics.

“This place is nowhere near good enough for–”

“You finish that sentence and I am stabbing you with this fork,” Hyunjin threatened.

You looked around at the café, wondering why Chris felt ashamed of this place.

Yeah, it was a little more run down than the places he usually took you, but did he really think you were that pretentious? You had never cared about how flashy things were, so why did he not want to show you the place that used to be a regular spot for the SKZ boys?

Hyunjin said that this was where they all used to hang out, before they became a gang.

Chris and Changbin owned a gym and were looking for help promoting it. Hyunjin was a childhood friend of Chris’ who was getting into social media promotion and offered to help. Minho was an IT guy who accidentally came across some gang related information that he shouldn’t have, leading to Chris taking him in for protection.

And all those years ago, this was their spot.

“It’s nice,” you admitted, looking over to your boyfriend. “We should . . we should come again. If you want,” you added, unsure.

Chris frowned at your tone, about to speak when an unfamiliar voice entered the conversation.

“Oh my God, is that the Bang Chan? And Hwang Hyunjin? In 2025?”

You looked up at the voice, but the boys sat with you didn’t.

Hyunjin cringed, looking down at his food.

Chris was still staring at you, but there was something new in his expression. Something . . guilty?

“Yeah, it’s us. Hi, Dia,” Hyunjin was the one to answer the girl.

You offered her a polite smile, taking her in.

The woman was blonde, with perfect skin, extravagantly manicured nails and sharp eyes. She looked like she should be some kind of model, mewing on the cover of vogue or something. Even the way she was dressed screamed rich, gold and silver jewels around her neck, a heavy looking purse hanging from her wrist.

Yeah, this woman was perfect.

“And who’s this with you? Don’t tell me you’re kidnappers now,” her melodic voice teased.

“I’m Y/N,” you held a hand out to her.

“She’s from the gym,” Chris lied smoothly, before you could introduce yourself.

Hyunjin nodded, quickly adding, “Yeah, she’s helping me with some advertising.”

Okay, what the fuck?

Dia, if that was her name, seemed to accept this lie easily.

“Right, well good luck to you. These two are terrible to work with, especially that one,” she winked at your boyfriend, a familiarity in her gaze that made your stomach turn. “I have to go now but I’ll be in town for a few weeks, my number’s still the same if you need . . anything,” the meaning behind her words was not lost on you, especially considering she was staring directly at Chris when she said them.

“I’m good, thanks,” Chris’ voice was firm.

And you wish you could say it helped. That it was nice to hear him reject her. That it calmed the sickly feeling rising up inside you.

God, maybe you shouldn’t have drank so much last night.

Dia walked away, her hips swaying to some silent tune that made her look less like a woman and more like a fairy.

Fuck.

Hyunjin, of course, was the one to break the awkward silence.

“If you’re not going to eat those eggs then give them to me.”

Giving him a half smile, you pushed your plate towards his side of the table. Reality, and the hangover, was seriously catching up to you.

You were going to be sick.

“Princess, wait–”

But you had already pushed past Chris’ hands, rushing to the bathroom and falling into a stall, hunching over and emptying the contents of your stomach into the toilet bowl. Hands in your hair almost made you jump, but it was just Chris standing over you, pulling the strands out of your face.

This was not your best moment.

You slumped against the wall of the stall, trying to catch your breath while he wiped the side of your mouth with a tissue.

“Feeling better?” His voice was soft.

Your eyes were wide, fearful as you looked up at him.

I bet Dia was never this much of a mess.

You thought back to her perfect blonde blowout, not a hair out of place. Realistically, you knew she was human. Of course she had bad days and good days. But fuck, did you have to meet her on one of your worst days, still recovering from a party the night before?

And as usual, as if he could read your mind, everything clicked into place for Chris.

“She was just a hookup, way before I met you. It was never more than sex and I made that clear every time,” he told you, without you even needing to ask.

God, fuck him and his ability to read your mind.

Yeah, you were feeling sick from all the smells of the food anyway, but how did he know . . ?

Was this what you were? A desperately insecure girlfriend who needed reassurance 24/7? There goes your strong independent doctor lifestyle . .

A fleeting thought of how nice it was crossed your mind. Chris didn’t judge you for your overthinking. In fact, he seemed to predict it and was happy to reassure you.

How did a man like him exist?

“I didn’t . .”

Chris smirks.

“I know what goes on in that pretty little head of yours, doc,” he ruffled your hair. “I promise, that’s been over for a long time. You’re all I want. Forever.”

Forever?

What the–?

“Mmh, less of the forever, Christopher. My real soulmate might be waiting around the corner,” you teased.

He narrowed his eyes at you.

“Watch it, princess.”

“Or what? I’m the hungover one . . you have to be nice to me,” you pouted, making him smile.

“You’re right. Where are my manners?” He held his hand out to help you off the floor.

“Your ex must have taken them with her.”

Chris groaned, making you laugh.

“Relax, baby. I’m kidding. I know you’re a big boy and you’ve fucked around,” you told him honestly. “Besides, if you had a breakdown every time you saw a guy I fucked, they’d have to put you in a mental hospital from freaking out every morning,” you added as he helped you to stand up and make your way over to the sink.

You could see the cogs turning in his brain in the mirror behind you, busying yourself with washing your mouth out.

“What . . what does that mean?” His tone faltered halfway through his question.

You cringed, wondering if you should admit this to him. It was one of Jisung’s favourite things to tease you about, but you weren’t sure if Chris would find it as funny. Cat’s out of the bag now, Y/N . . might as well spill everything.

“Okay, so you know that cereal Jeongin likes?”

“The one with the white chocolate chips?”

“Yeah, so the guy on the . . the guy on the packaging . . the one with the big arms . . and the green shirt . . I used to . . we used to . .”

“Oh, fuck no. Not white chocolate Tom.”

You nodded to him in the mirror, watching his features twist.

“I was young . . he was a model . .”

“Stop talking,” He held a hand up to you, as if in pain. “I need to go buy Innie a new cereal. Now.”

staying at minho’s tn

ji | 19:04

he finally agreed to the astarion cosplay

ji | 19:04

absolute cinema!!!!!

ji | 19:05

That evening, after the cleanup at the bakery and making sure everyone was home safe, you found yourself eating dinner with Chris in his office.

He was working on something on his computer, you sitting on his lap and reading one of his first edition copies of Peter Pan, a childhood favourite of yours. The hardback was so beautiful. You weren’t even that much of a reader anymore, but having access to Chris’ office made you feel like Belle in the Beast's castle when she found the library.

Except, well, your beast was a lot prettier on the outside and on the inside.

You stabbed a piece of the pasta on your fork, holding it up for him to take. Chris ate what you fed him, not even looking away from where he was typing something on the computer.

Damn, did he trust you that much?

“Is that SKZ stuff?” You asked carefully.

Chris hummed.

“Sorting out the budget for one of the casinos . . I think there’s something weird going on,” he sighs, falling back in the chair a bit. You were still in his lap so you went back with him, resting against his chest. “The staff there, someone's skimming off the top. These numbers don’t add up at all.”

You reached up, fingers smoothing out the creases on his forehead.

Chris closed his eyes, leaning into your soothing touch.

“You’ll work it out, baby. You always do,” you assured him.

He smiled, lips spreading to reveal his dimples.

“Is that your expert medical opinion?”

“It’s my expert girlfriend opinion. Don’t you know? Your girlfriend is always right,” you told him matter of factly.

Chris snorted.

“Was she right when she fucked around with white chocolate Tom?”

You stopped smoothing out his forehead, flicking it instead.

He whined in pain.

“What was that for?”

You just grinned.

“Jealousy is a good look on you, Christopher.”

Chris seemed to take this well, returning your smile with a coy one of his own.

“You think so? It looked good on you too this morning. Even with all the . . being hungover and throwing up.”

Ah.

Dia.

“Really?” You frowned, a hint of insecurity lacing your words. “You don’t think it was . . unreasonable? It’s not like you played into it or anything.”

He looked at you in disbelief.

“You’re allowed to feel however you want, Y/N. I nearly punched that guy for flirting with you that day at the bakery. I still might,” he scoffed, as if it was something he’d been daydreaming about.

That made you smile. Of all the things to daydream about, it was just so Chris of him to daydream about revenge on some random dude that hit on you.

“Besides,” he continued. “Even if you did act crazy or unreasonable, which, trust me, you didn’t. My girl telling everyone I’m hers . . that’s so fucking hot,” he paused here, fingers tracing patterns on your skin as they usually did. “As long as you know I don’t want anyone else, then my job is done. You’re the only one who makes me feel like this.”

Oh.

Why was that so smooth?

Keep your pants on, Y/N, he’s working.

“So you’re okay that I was . . jealous?”

Your boyfriend looked at you like you were the crazy one.

“Princess, I don’t know how to say it any plainer. You could’ve asked me for my gun right there and I would’ve handed it over,” he joked.

At least, you hoped he was joking.

Nevertheless, you felt validated for what happened this morning. And even more reassured that Chris wanted you, and only you.

“You’re really down bad, Christopher.”

“I’m anything you want me to be, doc.”

Tuesday

Bringing Chris dinner after work led to Hyunjin snatching you away to his room as soon as your little date was over.

Your boyfriend, begrudgingly, got back to his training, Changbin standing over him as his personal trainer and urging him to finish his sets. You probably could have stayed in the home gym, just watching, but Hyunjin was extremely persistent in needing your help.

“Is the glitter too much? Actually, there’s no such thing as too much,” he seemed to convince himself.

Why did he even need your opinion?

“Why am I here if you’re just going to talk to yourself?” You rolled your eyes, falling back on his bed.

“I don’t know. It’s nice to have a girl's opinion . . and you always have nice dresses,” he admitted.

You smiled a bit at that. Hyunjin, the king of fashion, liked your style?

“What’s the big event anyway?”

Hyunjin looked at you like you were crazy.

“He didn’t tell you?”

Oh. You did not like the sound of that.

“Who . . ?”

“Chris’ comeback fight . . it’s one of the big ones. Like, the annual ones held in a real stadium,” he explained.

Annual ones? His first fight in months and he was going to do a big event?

“Shouldn’t he . . ease back into it?” You weren’t sure how these things worked, but it sounded a bit crazy to you.

Hyunjin, unbothered, just rummaged through a pile of sparkly shirts.

“He’s addicted to getting beat up, you should know this by now.”

Huh.

The majority of your relationship, 3 of the last 4 months, Chris had been in recovery. You almost forgot what he was like in the ring, how much he actually enjoyed his job. Had you been holding him back all this time, demanding he stay in bed and let his injuries heal?

No, Chris enjoyed his time off.

He told you once it felt like a holiday. A honeymoon.

But would he go back to fighting every week like he used to? Like he did before you got together? All those trophies in his office, and in his dressing room at Changbin’s gym . .

You weren’t sure you could handle that.

“So what’s different about the stadium fights?”

Hyunjin explained to you that these fights were sponsored by the rich, and the gang members used different names to conceal their identities. They were treated like real boxers, not criminals, and the fights made a lot more money. He told you that Chris’ first ever win was in a stadium like that, almost 10 years ago now.

“And there’s also real announcers. And ring girls,” Hyunjin added.

You furrowed your brows.

“Ring girls?”

Hyunjin smirked evilly as he explained everything to you.

Wednesday

You sat in the front of the bakery, Jeongin clearing up while you discussed the fight with Felix.

“Why don’t you just ask him?” He suggested. “You two are really good at communicating.”

You smiled at that.

“You think so?”

Felix rolled his eyes.

“Stop rubbing it in, Y/N. Some of us are still sad and single and seconds away from shooting ourselves,” he whined.

You giggled, pulling him down into a half hug.

“Oh, Lix, you’ll find someone,” you patted his head in comfort. “If I can find someone, you definitely can.”

You feel him scoff against you.

“You really don’t give yourself enough credit, Y/N,” there was a seriousness in his tone that made you stop.

“Be serious. Before Chris, who has actually ever asked me out? Properly?”

Felix looked up, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

“Don’t you remember the yacht guy? Said he’d give you 3 goats if you married him.”

You burst out laughing at the memory, the time some elderly man claiming to be a prince at a post Hamilton party tried to barter for you. Seungmin pretended to be your brother and told the guy to make it 5 goats and then he had himself a deal. Needless to say, you declined the offer.

“Not funny, Lix,” you shoved him gently.

“Nah, but it made you smile,” he shared your grin, pearly whites on full display. “Now stop moping around about the boxer. I need your help with these movie soundtracks for the karaoke room.”

You looked over at the forms in front of him, a new question playing on your mind.

“So does that mean . . she’s gone for good?” You hinted carefully.

Felix paused.

The silence stretched for a few more seconds, making you wonder what the hell was going on in his head.

“It’s . . it’s complicated,” he finally said.

What did that mean?

“So she came back?” You furrowed your brows in confusion. “When? It’s been months.”

He winced.

“No. No, she hasn’t come back,” he frowned. “But I thought I saw her . . or I’m just going crazy,” he let out a puff of laughter. “Yeah, it’s probably that. Now are you going to help me or not?”

You decided not to push him any further. If he wanted to talk about matcha girl, he would come to you . . Right?

Friday

“Can I at least eat chocolate?”

You offered the little girl a smile, nodding.

“Not too much, okay? Your stomach is fixing itself right now, you don’t want to make it take extra long, do you?”

The mayor’s daughter being your last patient of the day wasn’t on your bingo card, but it was a welcome surprise. The little girl was sweet as sugar and just wanted you to prescribe her as much chocolate as possible, despite her recovering from a stomach bug.

“L/N, your husband’s here,” Winter announced, making you grin as you removed your coat.

“Boyfriend, not husband,” you corrected, going over to hug Chris and whispering, “Hi,” under your breath so that only he could hear.

“Hi,” he responded, kissing you and holding his hand out to take your bag.

“The man acts like he married you 4 lifetimes ago,” your friend said from behind you, making Chris blush.

“It was only 2 lifetimes ago, actually,” you corrected, waving goodbye and pulling him outside.

“So Hyunjin told me something interesting.”

Chris looked worried.

“He’s capable of intelligent speech? Since when?”

You shoved his shoulder.

“That’s mean.”

The two of you were at a spa, some 5* hotel Chris had booked for a few nights. A spa at a fancy hotel was a usual date night for the two of you, you finding it fun to get out of the house and Chris enjoying the privacy of the staycation.

The hotel he had chosen was near the stadium where he was going to be fighting, so it was not only convenient, but a romantic getaway too.

“I’m kidding, what did he say, princess?” Chris stole a sip of your milkshake.

“The fight is going to be really fancy . . with super rich people?” You tried to watch for his reaction to this.

Chris seemed unbothered though, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, it’s a big event. Why?”

“Why?” You sat up. “Because it’s your first fight in months, don’t you think you should do something a bit more low key?”

Chris sat up, holding your hands in his.

“Y/N, I know what I do isn’t easy for you–”

“Baby, I don’t care that you fight. I don’t,” you cut him off. “That’s what you like and fine, I get it. I care that you’re jumping head first in the deep end and acting like it’s no big deal.”

As if hearing the worry in your voice, he pulled you into a hug.

You stayed like that for a few minutes, his hand rubbing up and down your back soothingly.

“Look, I don’t know what Hyun said, but I can tell that it scared you,” he finally broke the silence. “I promise, it’s just a normal fight. If anything, these ones are easier because there’s more rules, less foul play.”

That . . made sense.

It did.

Screw Hyunjin and his fear mongering.

“Really?”

“Really. Apparently the guy I’m fighting is only 19 and he’s got no experience,” Chris scoffed. “I almost didn’t take it because it’s going to be so easy.”

Chris was going to fight a kid? Someone younger than Jeongin?

“Oh.”

“And don’t think I didn’t see you with that big ass first aid kit in your luggage,” he added, tucking your hair behind your ear with a knowing smile on his face. “I’m going to be fine, you’re going to make sure of it.”

You rolled your eyes.

“What would you do without me, Christopher?”

“Crash and burn?”

You giggled, shaking your head.

There was a pause, before Chris spoke again.

“If I win tomorrow–”

“You’re going to win.”

“If I win,” he repeated, smiling wider now. “It’ll be my 100th victory,” he admitted, hesitant.

His 100th win?

You thought back to the fight with Ricci, where Hyunjin and Minho were commentating. One of them read out statistics, ‘97-6’ wins to losses. So the fight with Ricci would make it 98 wins. And then there was the guy with red hair, Micah Vitteri. 99 wins.

Fuck, this was going to be his 100th win.

You mirrored his smile, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose.

“You’re going to win, baby. I know it.”

Saturday

The stadium was massive.

The fight was being sponsored by a famous energy drink brand, their products all over the posters and on the VIP floor. Yeah, a whole VIP floor. Behind a glass wall, not even part of the regular seating. There were screens here too, if you just wanted to sit back and watch instead of pressing your nose to the glass windows.

“So the guy he’s fighting, he’s not part of . . the usual people?”

Jisung was the only other one of your friends to actually know about SKZ and what the boys did for a living. You all decided it would be best to keep Seungmin and Felix out of the truth about the gang business, mostly because Seungmin might have a heart attack.

“Yeah, he’s actually a rookie boxer,” you answered. “Meant to be a really easy fight.”

“So we’re not going to watch your man get beat up? Boring,” Seungmin sat with his legs up on a foot stool in front of the large flat screen TV, making himself at home in the VIP room.

Changbin shot you a look.

“I’m going to go and check on him. Are you coming?”

Of course, you followed.

You found Chris in a much fancier dressing room than usual. He was in the bathroom though, his friends all lounging around the pretty room.

It was all black and white, with his name on the door and multiple sofas scattered around the room. A TV screen was on the wall, listing the scores for the warm up fights. There was even a bouqet of roses on the table, drawing your attention.

Good luck, Channie.

-- Dia.

Damn.

Dia? Again?

Your eyes met Hyunjin’s as you both read the note.

And you bolted.

“Y/N. Y/N!”

Hyunjin caught up to you in the hallway, pulling you back.

Fuck. You weren’t normally the jealous type. Or maybe you had never been so serious with someone that this kind of thing affected you in such a way. But this wasn’t a hookup. This was your boyfriend of 4 months who kept you safe and happy. Who was slowly becoming your entire world. The man you were falling in love with.

Love.

There’s that word again.

Your chest felt tight. Your face felt warm.

You looked up at Hyunjin.

Maybe you shouldn’t have run. But how could you not? Seeing her name in his room made you want to throw up again. But was that really Chris’ fault? Maybe you should have waited. Chris was always so good at reassuring you, explaining himself.

But it’s not like he had to actually explain anything . . She was the one who sent flowers . . not him . .

And why should he have to always reassure you? He was the one going into a fight.

Damsel in distress, you cursed yourself. Always so needy.

“Y/N, calm down!” Hyunjin was laughing his ass off, half holding the wall to stay standing. “He already said they’re ugly. And she doesn’t know about you–”

“That’s a good point. Why did you guys lie about me?” You demanded.

Was Dia really the villain if she didn’t know Chris was taken?

“Well . . she used to be a ring girl, for the Rubies, a gang. So she doesn’t know Chris’ real name or anything like that. And we can’t really trust her . . so we had to lie. To keep you safe,” Hyunjin admitted, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “Especially after what happened with . . well, you know. Ricci.”

Oh.

You felt dumb.

Of course it was for your safety. When has Chris ever missed an opportunity to scream publicly about how much he adores you?

You thought back to that night Chris told you she meant absolutely nothing to him, that he would hand over his gun and let you shoot her.

“That . . makes sense,” you said slowly.

A small smile made its way onto your face as that rational thought finally broke through. Chris only wanted you, he had made that very clear.

“What happened to her?” Jisung joined the two of you in the white hallway, holding one of the sponsored energy drinks in his hand.

“Her boyfriend got flowers from his ex fuck buddy.”

You winced.

Jisung snorted.

“Kill him,” he proposed, simple.

“He’s forgiven already,” you rolled your eyes.

“Kill her?” Jisung suggested, a little weaker this time.

As if on autopilot, Hyunjin’s regular evil smile crawled back onto his face, an idea brewing.

Oh no.

That look meant something bad was coming.

“Do you feel like trying something completely insane?”

“This is so messed up.”

“Live a little, Y/N,” Hyunjin pulled your shirt down a little. You pulled it back up. He pulled it back down. “Besides, you look good.”

When Hyunjin dragged you and Jisung into a new dressing room, this one lined with pink feathers and smelt like Chanel no.5 in an air freshener, you didn’t question it too much.

But when he introduced you both to a friend of his, a short blonde girl called Claire, and shoved you in a makeup chair, you started to get a bit curious.

“This is so Wattpad,” Jisung cackled, playing with some of the makeup himself. He gave Hyunjin a glitter palette and gestured for him to help him apply it on his eyelids.

“He’s going to kill me. And you,” you deadpanned. “And isn’t this just a bit too much? Like, kind of . . attention seeking?”

“Girl, if I had a rack like yours, I’d seek all the attention in that arena and more,” Claire commented, fluffing up your hair and spraying something in it.

You tried not to let her words fluster you, but it was hard.

You were a grown woman, of course you knew how your body looked. Random strangers had always felt the need to tell you how your body was different, more full than most girls. But you weren’t the type to feel insecure about your curves, especially not in the last few months.

Yeah, you did not need a man to tell you how gorgeous you were, but it helped that the tastiest looking boxer you had ever laid eyes on worshipped your body like he was an archaeologist and you were Atlantis.

“What if I trip and fall? What if–”

“What if you shut the fuck up and have some fun for once?” Hyunjin stared you down. “Come on, Dr. L/N. Don’t you think it’s exciting?”

Exciting?

“What about all those rules? Promising not to leave my seat and stuff?” You asked, unsure.

Changbin had been super serious about those rules back at the first fight, at his gym. He said the crowd was dangerous, and there was no need to draw any extra attention to yourself.

“Yeah, isn’t it a bit of a crazy switch up to get her to do this?” Jisung pointed out.

Hyunjin scoffed.

“That’s for the little fights, at creepy gyms with weirdos. These guys are all real boxing fans. Normal people. I swear I even saw the mayor out there.”

The mayor?

“Really? He should be at home . . his daughter isn’t well,” you mumbled.

Hyunjin giggled.

“Wait, you’re the mayor’s doctor?”

“You’re a doctor?” Claire gaped. “Well, what the fuck are you doing here?”

“She’s making history,” Hyunjin answered for you. “And getting some revenge on her boyfriend.”

“Revenge? I told you I forgive him, Hyunjin– No, there’s nothing to forgive. We already talked about her,” You frowned. “I thought this was to let loose and have some fun?”

“Well, he didn’t need to accept those flowers, did he?”

You looked over at Jisung, who seemed less stressed than you.

Well of course he’s less stressed, he’s not the one doing this.

Or was he?

He was still playing with the eyeshadow, leaning towards the mirror and turning in the light to watch how it glistened at the different angles.

“Ji . . why don’t you go with me?” Your eyes scanned the dressing room, finding a red glitter top and holding it up against him.

You didn’t have to do this, you knew that. But the idea of it all, the adrenaline and the stepping out of your comfort zone made you feel tingly. Plus, you didn’t want to let Claire’s beautiful makeover go to waste.

But your best friend being by your side would make this feel way more natural, confident, and less like a badly written romance novel.

“My boyfriend’s crazier than yours, Y/N.”

Hyunjin held up a finger.

“Debatable,” he giggled, before looking at you. “He can go too, I’ll just check with some people.”

You look over at Jisung, waving the red shirt to entice him.

“Please? Pretty please? I’ll help with your makeup. And I’ll buy your favourite ice cream. And just think how much Minho will love–”

“Alright, alright,” he relented, snatching the fabric from you. Despite his tone, you could sense some excitement in his words. You were sure he agreed with you, this was the kind of thing best friends did together. “Seung is going to laugh at us so bad though.”

“He’s just jealous he can’t wear a little corset and feathers in his hair.”

Sometimes, life was just about having fun.

Up until the moment you stepped out of the West side with your arm looped through Jisung’s, Green Day playing from every speaker, your smiling faces reflected on all 3 large screens in the arena, you were worried.

This was meant to be just a normal fight.

A Saturday night where you watched Chris win and then took him home, kissing him better until you fell asleep in each other's arms.

But this wasn’t like Chris’ other fights.

This was a safe, televised event against a legitimate boxer, sponsored by a real company. You could live a little, as Hyunjin said. And yeah, the old you would never agree to being a ring girl just to fulfil one of Hyunjin’s evil fantasies, but you weren’t the old you anymore.

It would have been harder without Jisung by your side, and you probably wouldn’t have been able to do it without him, but this was going to be something the two of you would never forget.

Dressing up and announcing rounds for a boxing match in front of thousands of people with your best friend, yeah, you were never going to forget this feeling.

The noise of the crowd cheering and clapping and whooping and everything in between made you smile. Adrenaline rushed through you as you unlinked your arm from Jisung’s so that you could both slide under the ropes, quickly holding hands once you were inside.

Thank God neither of you fell over.

You kept your head up to the camera, ignoring the way your stunned boyfriend finally realised what the hell was going on.

Chris and his opponent were going over some rules with the referee, the boxer adjusting his gloves absent mindedly when his eyes met yours. And then they widened. He was wearing his usual matching blue shorts and gloves, shirtless with his hair styled a little straighter and neater tonight for the cameras. Thankfully, there were none of his usual silver chains or earrings that would cause you to overthink about safety hazards. Still though, he looked pretty.

But so did you.

And he noticed it.

Of course he noticed it, you were in the middle of a crowded stadium with your body on full display.

And then you winked, holding up your sign that said ‘ROUND’, Jisung by your side and holding his sign that said ‘01’.

Chris, who previously looked like he was in the zone and ready to kick his opponents ass, now looked like a fish out of water. The music and the cheers seemed to melt away, his eyes were drinking you in, absolutely mesmerised by every inch.

Claire had added crazy volume to your hair, making it fluffy and bouncy. Then there was your makeup, bold and pink to match the final pieces of the look.

And finally, there was the outfit, the final piece to your ring girl cosplay.

A tiny, useless, pink and white lace corset with a matching pink leather miniskirt. The skirt was decorated in rhinestones, perfectly cohesive against Jisung’s red studded vest, making you look like two pieces of the same puzzle.

You tried to ignore the way he was staring, everyone was staring, but Chris’ attention obviously meant something different to you. Claire had been right, your cleavage was a big attention grabber (not as much as Jisung’s though), Chris’ jaw clenched tightly as his eyes travelled down your exposed chest. He looked like he wanted to grab you in front of everyone, take a bite out of you or something.

He was taking in all of your exposed skin in general, to be honest. The studded silver heels that accentuated your legs made you just as tall as Jisung, and Chris was doing nothing to hide how much he appreciated it.

It made you feel . . empowered.

You had only been to two of his fights, but being in the crowd and watching him in his most primal form had always made you feel a certain way. That mixture of being turned on and proud . . was that what he was feeling right now?

Scratch that, he looked like an animal who was going to jump and claw at you at any moment. Body tight and eyes flared with anger as you smirked, shaking your hips a little in front of the camera. You could see the veins twitching in his forearm. The way he was fixed on you, restraining himself from . .

He couldn’t do anything here.

Yeah, this fight had a safer audience than the other ones, but he couldn’t take that risk. Staking his claim on you here would cost you both everything. So he had to stand still, mask his anger, pretend–

The referee thumped your boyfriend on the back to grab his attention, making you hide a smile. Chris shook himself, half nodding at the referee.

Idiot.

You shared a proud smile with Jisung, the both of you circling the ring with your signs and then bowing, leaving through the ropes again as the song came to an end and the cheers calmed down, an announcer speaking.

You didn’t look back, but you did look up at the big screen in front of you as you both walked back to where Hyunjin was waiting at the West entrance. The camera was back on the upcoming fight, Chris still staring out of the ring, eyes sharp with fury.

A wave of relief washed over you.

You did it.

You and Jisung just announced the beginning of the match like classic ring girls, without falling over or embarrassing yourselves. And everyone cheered for you.

That was exhilarating.

“That was so good. If you guys are ever interested in leaving your boyfriends and forming a polycule, come to me first,” Hyunjin greeted you both with a hug, making you giggle.

“But my boyfriend makes me food. And dresses up as Astarion for me,” Jisung joked.

“So you won’t fuck me because I’m not a vampire?”

“No, I won’t fuck you because I am his loyal servant.”

“Never mind, I take it back. You look so good I almost forgot how much of a loser you are,” Hyunjin let out a dramatic sigh. “But then you opened your mouth.”

12 rounds.

Chris was a dirty fucking liar for telling you this would be easier than the normal fights.

12 whole rounds.

You were back in the VIP room, ditching the heels so you could rest your legs on Felix’s lap. Claire, whose job you and Jisung sort of . . stole, was announcing the rest of the fight. Jisung did try to go back out for round 2, but he suddenly disappeared with Minho once his boyfriend caught him.

‘Caught him’ being the correct wording, since he literally chased him down with a knife.

It was round 6 now and they were still gone, but Jisung had texted you to tell you he was fine and that Minho really enjoyed the outfit and the makeup.

“That’s nasty,” Seungmin was looking over your shoulder at the message Jisung had sent you.

You half smiled.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t join him in his amusement.

After the 2nd round, Changbin had gone down to help Chris. You tried to go too but Changbin warned you that as his trainer, he didn’t want Chris distracted by you mid fight, so you were stuck in the VIP area watching your boyfriend tear a kid to shreds.

Because that was clearly what was happening.

You had never seen Chris perform this well. Those months of rest and training must have done him well, because he was like an animal out there. All of you collectively winced every time he threw a punch to the rookie 19 year old he was fighting.

Well, you, Felix and Seungmin winced.

Hyunjin, on the other hand, was cheering, throwing nuts at the screen.

“He’s uh . . he’s doing a lot better than last time,” Felix commented.

He and Seungmin had only attended the match against Micah Vitteri, the one where Chris had been attacked before the fight so he wasn’t on his best form.

“Better? That kid’s a standing corpse,” Seungmin retorted.

Minho and Jisung were still missing, Changbin was out in the real crowd and Jeongin was at the library. He had only made an exception at the last fight for his mothers gallery, but he made it clear he wouldn’t attend any more fights. Which you all respected. You were happy to see how much his relationship with his brother had healed over the last few months, but were slightly worried that it might be tarnished now that Chris was going back to fighting.

You hoped that wasn’t going to happen.

Chris was a lot happier, even if he didn’t admit it in so many words.

“Woah, where are you going?”

Hyunjin was halfway out the door, confused.

“Half time, duh. Need to go laugh at Chrissy for being a bit too violent,” he pauses here, eyes landing on you with a smirk. “I wonder why.”

Half time?

Of course, 12 rounds was a lot longer than the usual 4. And boxing was a sport at the end of the day, why wouldn’t they have a break?

“I’m coming too,” you stood up, this time not caring about Changbin’s voice in your head insisting that it probably wasn’t a good idea.

Hyunjin, of course, enjoyed the drama.

“After you, princess.”

You both made your way down to the dressing rooms, finding Changbin rewrapping Chris’ hands in his private room. Chris barely had two bruises to show for the last 6 rounds, which was an impressive feat. He was unstoppable tonight, dodging every hit like the pro he was.

His head snapped up at the sound of the door, eyes narrowing on you.

“Fuck,” Changbin muttered, glaring at Hyunjin. “You had to bring her here?”

Ouch.

You knew where he was coming from, he didn’t want Chris to go back into the ring upset or distracted, but it still made you pout instinctively.

Before you could defend yourself or Hyunjin, a sharp, low voice cut through the room.

“Everyone out.”

You, Changbin and Hyunjin all looked at each other.

“I said fuck off, all of you,” Chris ordered, still staring at you. He didn’t even blink when Changbin dropped the bandages and dragged a protesting Hyunjin away from you.

All of you? Did that include you?

Fuck him too then.

“Sorry Y/N,” Changbin whispered to you as you turned to follow him out. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way–”

“Not–” Chris stopped you in your tracks. “–You.”

Of course.

Once everyone else had left the room, you crossed your arms over your chest, ignoring the cold air from the A/C hitting all your exposed skin.

“What seems to be the issue, Mr. Bang?” Your tone was light, teasing as you stared defiantly down at him. “You know you’re not my leader, you can’t boss me around.”

You knew exactly why he wanted you alone. To tell you off for the ring girl stunt. But you weren’t about to waste his half time gossiping. At least he wasn’t injured this time to distract you . .

Finally, he stood up.

Still shirtless and sweaty, hair clinging to his neck, Chris made his way over to your side of the room. God, he looked so pretty. How much longer did he need to be at this fight? Couldn’t you just take him home right now?

Stand your ground, Y/N.

He got flowers from another woman.

Finally, he was close enough to touch.

But you didn’t unfold your arms, letting him instead plant his rough, wrapped hands on your bare shoulders to warm them up. His fingers trailed over your collarbone . . your chest.

“You look beautiful,” he finally spoke.

You fought a smile. Fuck, how did he still manage to make you blush like it was the first time you were talking to your high school crush?

“This. Why?” Was all he said, staring down at you with his big eyes.

You finally broke his stare, eyes darting over to the desk with the roses.

Well, the desk that had the roses. Before.

“Where did they go?” You asked, nodding over to where the flowers previously were.

Chris looked confused.

“Where did who go?”

You fought a smile, trying to stay stern.

“The flowers. From her.”

Understanding dawned on Chris’ face, everything falling into place.

“I binned them, the fuck?” He said, as if it was obvious. “Didn’t even want to touch them, made someone else throw them away–” he stopped here, another realisation occuring to him. “Is that why you . . this was revenge?” He half laughed, lifting a hand to his face and covering his mouth with his palm, chuckling.

“That’s so hot, Y/N.”

Instantly, your confident mask slipped.

Your fingers twitched, but you kept your arms crossed. Shifting slightly to not draw attention to the way your stomach fluttered at his words, the way your cheeks were warming slightly.

“I . . it was for fun,” you explained. “It was fun.”

Chris, no longer annoyed, nodded along mockingly.

“Uh huh, I bet it was, princess,” he leaned closer, fingers lowering to play with the ribbons on your corset, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake. “Okay, I’ll play your game. Humour you. You have fun out there? Looking all pretty, showing off what’s mine?”

Fuck.

“I was . . it wasn’t my idea,” you mumbled weakly.

Chris chuckled, face leaning into the crook of your neck to place soft kisses against your skin, teeth grazing you so carefully as his breaths warmed you.

“Don’t worry, princess. I know it wasn’t,” he continued to press his plump lips across your exposed upper body, leaving little marks wherever he could. “Wish you would’ve talked to me . . would’ve told you she means nothing . . less than nothing . . you are everything . .”

This was it.

This was how you die.

In a little skirt in the back rooms of a stadium, half leaning against a wall.

This is the end. The final act. The last page. The–

“You’ve got 5 more minutes!” A bang on the door snapped you out of your haze, Chris laughing at your squeal of surprise. He didn’t let you move though, still gripping your flesh tightly.

“I wish you didn’t have to go back out there,” you whispered.

Chris smiled, looking up at you from where his face was buried in your chest.

“Say the word and I’ll take you back to the hotel right now. Forfeit this whole thing,” he offered.

What?

What the hell?

That snapped you out of whatever spell he had you under.

“But you’re– you’re winning!?”

“So?” He shrugged. “I would also be winning when I get to have you–”

“No. Nope, you can’t say that,” you cut him off. “And you also can’t forfeit the match,” you stared up at him, eyes serious. “It’s your 100th win, baby. Just go and end it . . we both know you could have done it ages ago.”

Chris’ smile was sly.

“What makes you say that? I’m an honest sportsman, doc,” he smirked.

You rolled your eyes.

“But seriously,” he continued. “You know she’s nothing to worry about, right? At all.”

Oh, Christopher. Always worrying about reassuring you.

“I know, baby,” you spoke softly. “I was over it straight away, but this was just a bit of fun. And getting to do it with Jisung . . when am I– when are we ever going to get to do something like this again?”

Chris acknowledged your words, giving you the chance to continue.

You wondered how much more you should reveal.

Should you tell him why this was affecting you so much? Or why, simultaneously, you were able to trust and believe him so easily?

The realisation you had finally understood, from all those weeks ago. That night he killed Dominic Ricci and you caught yourself saying you were in . . in . .

Or was that too far?

You had never been in love before. Not romantically. Maybe you were just confused. How could you accurately confess your feelings if . . you didn’t understand those feelings?

Maybe it wasn’t about that though. Because as you looked down at the man with the pretty pink lips and big brown eyes . . all your fears disappeared. Safety and warmth and most importantly, trust, was all there was.

“And it’s not like I . . you know I would always hear you out. I’m way too deep in– in . . well I– I think I . .” God, how did people say these words so easily? “No, I know I–”

His face split into a shit eating grin, reading your mind, his tongue poking his cheek in that dangerously attractive way.

“If you’re about to say what I think you’re going to say, I’m going to go back out there, knock him clean out in 10 seconds and we are getting the fuck out of here,” he warned, still smiling like he’d won a prize that no one else even knew was up for grabs.

What?

How did he know?

There was no way he knew.

“Was that a threat, Christopher?”

“Come onnnn, princess. Just say it,” he urged. “Would it make you feel better if I said it first?”

Would it?

Maybe . .

Wait, did that mean he loved you?

“You– Do you mean that? You . .”

He scoffed in disbelief.

“Y/N, I’ve meant it for ages. I mean it so bad that I have to physically hold myself back every time it almost slips out because I think it’ll scare you away,” his words were low, honest.

“Why would it–”

“Princess, I know you. You’re fucking terrified of . . honesty. Trust,” he offers you a sad smile. “Seungmin told me you’ve actually never even said the L word seriously. I was . . I was waiting ‘til you’re ready. You know I’d never rush you.”

God, he knew you so well.

Here goes nothing.

“Christopher. I love–”

“I love you,” he cut you off.

“I’m so in love with you it’s actually scary. I’ve never met someone so perfect. Perfect for me. Perfect at understanding me. Perfect at understanding my life, my family. Perfect fit for me to hold and cling to whenever I want. Perfect at making breakfast with me and always making me laugh when I need it,” he paused his motions on your neck, arms tight around your waist as he crawled back up your body while speaking so that you were eye to teary eye when he finished.

Yeah, tears.

Your eyes burned slightly at his words and the sheer emotion in them.

“I– you stole my line!” Your voice cracked slightly. “I love you. I was going to say I love you, you big loser.”

Chris moved to hold your face in his hands, the cloth from his wrappings brushing roughly against your cheeks.

“You love me?” He breathed out, a whisper.

“I love you,” you repeated, firm.

A careful, shy smile twisted its way onto your boyfriend's beautiful lips.

“Well that’s my 100th win,” he sighed.

You knew it was cheesy, calling this a win. Calling your love his big win, but you couldn’t fight the instinctive smile at his words.

And then the door swung open, Changbin looking extremely distressed in the doorway.

“Gloves on, yeah yeah, sorry for interrupting your quickie but you need to be out there in 10 seconds man,” he rushed out, grabbing Chris’ gloves from the other side of the room.

You and Chris shared a look, bursting into laughter together.

“What? What’s so funny?” Changbin frowned, confused. “What did I miss?”

“Poor kid.”

“Are you going to run back and fix him?” Chris’ arm shifted slightly, the bicep you were using as a makeshift pillow making you move along with it.

You rolled your eyes at his comment.

“No, I’m not. I’m sure they have real doctors on standby for an event like that.”

“Real doctors?” He repeated playfully. “What are you then, princess? A fake doctor?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve just been pretending this whole time. Making it up as I go along,” you mocked.

He chuckled, letting you lean into him even closer.

A comfortable silence fell over the two of you, the blue lights of the private hot tub in your hotel room the only thing to distract from where your playlist was spilling out of the open bedroom doors.

He had won the fight almost immediately after your conversation in his dressing room. True to his word, he went back out there and knocked his opponent down a few seconds into round 7. The poor kid really didn’t stand a chance.

Everyone went home, or to the Chris castle to join Hyunjin at one of his famous parties. You and the champion went back to your hotel room though, finding yourselves in the hot tub to soothe his muscles after the fight.

After he . . showed you how much he liked your ring girl outfit, of course.

Said outfit was in scraps behind you, evidence of the way you and your boyfriend behaved like feral animals as soon as you entered the hotel room. You didn’t even ask Claire if you could keep it, you thought guiltily. You would have to ask Hyunjin for her number, and offer to replace it for her.

“About what you said earlier . .” you began, interlacing your fingers with his and playing with his hands.

“The thing about how Minho is always pinching my ass? Or the thing about–”

You smacked his bare chest, trying not to giggle.

“Christopher!”

“I’m kidding, doc. Yes, I remember,” he laughed, leaning forward to press a kiss against your intertwined fingers. “I love you.”

Your heart fluttered.

“I love you,” you paused here. “I’ve never said that to anyone before,” despite your words, there was no fear or hesitation in your tone. “But I know I love you. I can see myself loving you forever, if you’d let me.”

“If I’d let you?” He groaned, the water around you swishing when he threw his head back in exasperation. “You’re fucking killing me, princess. What part of I love everything about you, I want to grow old and have kids with you, is not clicking in that pretty little head of yours?”

Oh.

He . .

Wow.

You turned, looking up at him with your cheek pressed against his arm. He looked beautiful in the moonlight, the glimmer of silver on one side of his face and the reflections of the blue light in the water illuminating the other side. There was only one small cut on his cheek that you had tended to, but he was otherwise unscathed, aside from the sore muscles from prolonging the fight so much.

You couldn’t believe this man just confessed to wanting to spend the rest of his life with you.

You wondered how he could be just as enamoured with you as he was when he first told you in that little diner that you had him obsessed.

Had the novelty not worn off?

You hoped it never would. You hoped that in 1 year, 10 years and 50 years, he still looked at you like you hung the stars. You hoped that he still saw himself in you, and that he still loved and cared for you the way he did right now. That you could look at him and feel such an overwhelming amount of safety and trust . . so much so that you could lean into his chest and find comfort in the soft thumps of his heart.

“What happens when you get tired of reassuring me?” You said, so quietly that if he wasn’t literally underneath you, he would’ve missed it.

You could hear the frown in his voice when he answered you.

“Princess, nothing about you makes me tired. And I know you don’t fully believe that yet, but one day you’re going to see yourself through my eyes,” he sighed dreamily.

“And then you’ll stop acting like you’re a burden. I love you, Y/N. No matter how much you nag about taking care of myself, or need me to do things for you– no, actually, fuck that,” he cut himself off with a scoff.

“I don’t care if you do or don’t need me to do things for you. I want to do things for you. So if you love me, you’ll let me take care of you.”

You almost laughed at the anger in his tone. Why was he getting himself so worked up?

Nevertheless, his words made you smile, your heart full.

“You’re serious?”

Again, he didn’t miss a beat.

“Cross my heart and hope to die, doc,” his tone was solemn, as if he were confessing his deepest secret to you. Which, perhaps, he was. “They’ll have to bury us holding hands.”

Bury you holding hands?

You tried to fight a smile at his morbid romanticism.

“No more watching The Notebook for you, my love.”

“My love?” He spluttered, eyes wide. He looked at you like you just told him you had 12 toes. “Do you want me to fuck you on this balcony?”

You wanted to laugh at the way his whole body jolted in reaction to the petname. You usually stuck to calling him by his name, Chris or Chan, Channie or baby when you were feeling sentimental, Christopher when you were trying to be serious or teasing. But ‘my love’ suited him well, especially now that you had confessed your feelings to him.

Chris was a romantic, you knew that. A Noah from The Notebook, a Westley from The Princess Bride, a Jack from While You Were Sleeping. You definitely needed to show him that last one.

So, with renewed confidence, you smirked up at him.

“My love? My darling? My beloved? My–” You squealed when his strong arms wrapped themselves around you, lifting you out of the water.

“I love you so fucking much.”

“I love you, now put me down! Your arms need to rest!” You laughed.

“I’m never putting you down, doc. Never.”

current taglist: @sspersonally @akusuincoffee @eos-princess @dilfdetector @akindaflora @starlit-rin @ysljoon @btch8008s comment here to be added!