â stand alone stories that focus on one specific character (unless stated otherwise)
â headcanons + short scenarios related to the topic, includes multiple characters at once
requests: closed (they are going to be re-opened once i finish at least half of the ones currently in my inbox)
yeon sieun
â accidental
yandere! sieun you met sieun by accident. the accidents kept happening, until you realized they were never accidents at all. (requested, dark romance)
â kisses gone wrong
you kiss sieun all over his face before school, unaware your new lipstick wonât come off by any means and yet sieun stays weirdly calm about walking around with your lipstick stamped all over him. (requested, fluff)
ahn suho
â promises
yandere! suho your brotherâs best friend, suho, barges into your shared apartment one day and the moment he sees you he realizes that he needs you to be his. (requested, dark romance)
â iâm so conflicted with you two, that i have no idea what to do pt.1 (love triangle feat. beomseok)
â iâm so conflicted with you two, that i have no idea what to do, suho ending
beomseok starts crushing on a girl suho has loved for ages, and she, intrigued by both of them, canât resist teasing the boys. (fluff)
oh beomseok
â control
yandere! beomseok when beomseok meets you, youâre dating suho. tired of living in someoneâs shadow, he decides that if thereâs one thing he wants control over, itâs you. (requested, dark romance, semi-smut)
â bittersweet
your boyfriend beomseok grows jealous of how you interact with his friend suho, and his insecurities make him lash out at you. (angst/comfort)
â hazy nights
after the karaoke fight, beomseok falls into parties and alcohol with the school bullies. one night at a club, he meets you. (canon adjacent, angst/comfort)
â smoke and honey
your boyfriend beomseok drifts into the wrong crowd after falling out with his friends, which stirs problems in your relationship, however youâre determined to help him, whether he wants you to or not. (canon adjacent, angst/comfort)
â iâm so conflicted with you two, that i have no idea what to do pt.1 (love triangle feat. suho)
â iâm so conflicted with you two, that i have no idea what to do, beomseok ending
beomseok starts crushing on a girl suho has loved for ages, and she, intrigued by both of them, canât resist teasing the boys. (fluff)
park humin (baku)
â virtual angel
one random day, baku stumbles across your profile at an internet cafĂŠ. he starts chatting with you and after days of endless conversations, he finds himself falling for you. (requested, fluff)
â never the one
you spend years loving gotak, never realizing that baku was quietly loving you just as much, until heartbreak makes you finally see whoâs been truly choosing you all along. (angst/comfort)
â hot and bothered
when you and your equally inexperienced, sweet boyfriend baku, end up alone in his room, the quiet tension of wanting each other only grows, until neither of you can hold back anymore and you finally act on it. (requested, smut)
â notice me, manager
when the eunjang highâs basketball team finally get a manager, baku spirals head-first into love, determined to impress you no matter what. (requested, fluff)
go hyuntak (gotak)
â manager
the eunjang high basketball team gets a cute new manager and everyone lose their minds about it. hyuntak tries to stay focused and indifferent, but fails spectacularly. (requested, fluff)
â just a drink
hyuntak is forced to take care of you after you get drunk at a bar all by yourself, spiraling from failing an exam you studied weeks for. (fluff)
â charming haircut
your boyfriend hyuntak gets a new haircut that earns him way more attention than youâre comfortable with, while he just finds your jealousy endearing. (fluff)
â forced to be bold
after baku nudges hyuntak about his intimate life with you one too many times, it gets hyuntak thinking. one night, tired of being inexperienced, he finally decides to make a move on you. (requested, smut)
â even bolder
after you and hyuntak tried dry humping together, his poor virgin self starts to yearn for more, eventually leading to an awkward yet sweet and passionate first time. (requested! continuation of forced to be bold, smut)
seo juntae
â coming soon . .
geum seongje
â popular
seongje needs help fixing up his image and becoming more popular, so he reaches out to the most popular and well-liked girl at school. (reader with glinda like personality, fluff)
â real man
you sing about your hurt feelings on stage, unaware that your ex, seongje, is in the crowd, hanging on every word. a confrontation outside the bar sparks something you thought was long dead. (angst/comfort?)
â refuse me
an apathetic, compliant girl catches seongjeâs attention, and over time their complex dynamic slowly blossoms into love, though neither is ready to admit it at first. (fluff)
â villain and violent
you always knew that your boyfriend was violent, but after witnessing what he did to go hyuntak, the dynamics in your relationship shift drastically. (angst/comfort?)
â never meant to make you bleed
you had always struggled with mental health, and one late-night fight with seongje almost leads to a tragedy, leaving him completely broken. (angst/comfort)
na baekjin
â money talks
baekjin insists on paying for your nails, already imagining what theyâll feel like against his skin. (smut)
â ꡸ ěě ë´ë°ě´ě¤, save me
when you transfer to yeo-il high to escape your abusive ex, he finds you anyway. desperate, you turn to baekjin and end up in a fake relationship with him, that unexpectedly becomes real. (fluff, fake dating to lovers)
kang wooyoung
â coming soon . .
jeon seokdae
â coming soon . .
HEADCANONS + SEPARATED SCENARIOS â.á
â texts
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, geum seongje, na baekjin
â pinkette
weak hero boys x fem! reader who has her hair dyed pink
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, seo juntae, geum seongje, na baekjin
â skincare
weak hero boys x fem! reader who decides to do their skincare
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, seo juntae, geum seongje, na baekjin
â manicure
weak hero boys x fem! reader who gets her nails done
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, seo juntae, geum seongje, na baekjin
â a little tease
weak hero boys x fem! reader who surprises them by wearing a sexy lingerie
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, seo juntae, geum seongje, na baekjin
â merry x-mas
what would it look like to spend the christmas season with weak hero boys? (requested)
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, geum seongje, na baekjin, kang wooyoung
â love language
how the weak hero boys show their love / what makes them feel loved (gn! reader)
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, seo juntae, geum seongje, na baekjin, kang wooyoung
â let the world burn
how the weak hero boys would protect you, and the lengths they would go to for your safety and happiness. (requested)
featuring: yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, park humin, go hyuntak, geum seongje
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do u have any fics or headcanons for ahn suho? i just keep rereading the same stuff over and over againđ
Ahn Suho Ultra Masterlist
SFW / FLUFF
001. spending a day with Ahn Suho @whcfreak
002. jealous @whcfreak
003. the type to⌠@10baku
004. helping him with his homework @suhoholic
005. more than u know @suhoholic
006. getting caught helping him (canât find it)
007. I think he loves u more than me now @rose24207 m.list
008. if u say u love me, say it first @rinswirls
009. ?
010. under his skin @lecatty
011. close enough @rurusdiaryy
012. Only he knew by @speedywizardland (no masterlist, no tags but a million fics)
013. bf hcs @sushiyenie
014.Suho as your bf @rurusdiaryy
ANGST / FLUFF
001.crystal shields @weakheronicki
002. I forgot to remember the title (silent storm) @lilswooddd
NSFW / SMUT
001. teach me @eoriu
002. first time together @k1mbe3rly
003. this one has no title @yversz
004. jealous baby @slaybinnie
005. tonight Iâm gonna give u all my love @ylvra
006. actually a whole buffet this m.list @juliettejwnewinesa
007. distraction @parkjihoonswifey
008. seven minutes in heaven @weakheronicki
019.there was one where reader put bandages on him (canât find it)
020. handjob because his hand hurts
mine: check out the masterlist cause I canât add any more links
001.friends help each other out (ft. Sieun) 002. pt. 2 003. birthday boi (ft. Sieun) 004. NSFW alphabet 005. tired after work 006. boyfriend headcanons 007. movie scenes (ft. Kang Wooyoung) 008. boyfriend headcanons (ft. Sieun) 009.fun fair 010.helping him out
021. let me tell you @yversz
022.arguments can be solved w/ a quicky
FICS (x reader)
001. every breath you take @carixie
in which a school ghost noticed suho was avoiding her. could it be that he could see her?
AO3
FICS Ahn Suho x Yeon Sieun
001. your need grows teeth (fic. to be updated/ unfinishesd. fluff. chap. 7 yet. 31.5k. my absolute fave rn)
[Sieun and Suho have hated each other since the first day they met on the college campus. But everything begins to change when a fire at the dorm forces them to share the same room.]
ONE SHOTS Ahn Suho x Yeon Sieun
001. guess thatâs ur purpose (one shot. smut. military au. non-canon. 9.8k)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/82041246
[Or, a military au where Sergeant Ahn Suho goes out of his way to protect Private Yeon Sieun]
002. untouched (one shot. smut. 5.7k)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/71040751
[Sieun has never touched himself. Suho canât help going a little crazy over it.]
003. poison in my mind (one shot. smut. 3.3k)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/77027296
[In which Sieun accidentally takes an aphrodisiac and convinces the one person plaguing his thoughts to help him out.]
004. I was weak thatâs why I needed u (one shot. plot. non-canon. college au. smut. 6.5k)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/74213396
[Or, Sieun takes a liking to a scare actor dressed as Pyramid Head, unaware that the person beneath the mask is exactly who he's dreaming of.]
005. Iâll set u free from ur sanity (one shot. plot. non-canon. college-au. smut. 13.5k)
[In which Sieunâs boyfriend opens their relationship up. And then Sieun meets Suho]
-> Tumblr writers are mild compared to the ones on ao3
Jack Abbott x ER paediatrician who is sunshine personified - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7
Heartbeats and Bombshells
Guilty
Claimed
Youâre My Best-Kept Secret
I Shouldn't Be Here
Surprises
Three-Point Diagnosis (aka: Samira, her girlfriend, and the Human Brick Wall of Emotional Repression) - Part 2 - Part 3
In Sync
âit should not take seeing me with another man to realize you want me.â
âDo you ever wonder what itâd be like if we were actually together?â
"The human body wasn't made to survive this much stress. Just because you haven't exploded doesn't mean you're not about to. Let me help."Â Â
âYouâre supposed to be my safe place, not the reason my chest feels like itâs going to explode.â
Everyone else assumes theyâre together already⌠and they canât quite correct them.
Theyâre in a crowded room, but their pinkies are hooked together the entire time.
"Something is happening"
Jack Abbott doesnât mean for it to turn into this
dr jack abbot doesn't think anything of the way fem!reader does her utmost to avoid him when its not work related
Jack abbot reacts to you crying (out of love) during sex
âAre you flirting with me?â âYou finally noticed?â
âWhy do we keep pretending we donât want to kiss each other?â
Dr jack abbot has a thing for the pretty girl who works in the coffee shop across from the pitt
Work crush
sign language
Jack Abbott doesnât think
Jack abbot (late 40s) is dating reader (24-26) and he has some thoughts about it and what other people think about it. He breaks it off with her. But in the end, he's too in love to let her go.
Dr. Jack Abbot is still just a man
Making out with Jack Abbot
Jack Abbot is Gomez Addams in terms of devotion and adoration for his partner
Welcome to the Pitt masterlist (series - Jack not the love interest)
Measured Risk (The Pitt x 911 cross over)
"What do you want?"
Jack Abbot finds out that you want to kiss him. It breaks his brain a little.
Jack Abbot worries about you.
free use
"Can I keep you?"
"What do you need?"
âIâm gonna take such good care of you.â
Untitled smut
Why Him?
I'd Wait
Three-Point Diagnosis (aka: Samira, her girlfriend, and the Human Brick Wall of Emotional Repression) - Part 2 - Part 3
Jack finds out Samira did the influencers makeup
Thinking that Jack knows on some level that he loves Samira. Samira however has absolutely no clue.
Things You Start to Notice (part of Welcome to The Pitt)
The Push (part of Welcome to The Pitt)
Jack Abbot was shot while doing his swat thing and Samira Mohan patches him up.
âYouâre not getting any younger.â (part of Welcome to The Pitt)
i donât know what to do
Untitled
âThen marry me.â
Titus Danforth who..
Sugar daddy Titus Danforth
Untitled
Reader meets Stan at university, a year after the alien debacle.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
After a long, brutal shift, a sudden accident leaves you reeling. Good thing dr. Abbot is there to make sure youâre okay, hovering somewhere between doctor and guardian angel.
đđđđđđ˛ đđđ§đđŹ, part 02 | @/springtyme
When your daughter ends up in the ER, Jack helps you navigate the chaos with quiet understanding and gentle hands.
Glasses | @marismellow
just be healthy | @/marismellow
jack isnât a fan of fevers.
i didnât mean it. | @/marismellow
jack gets frustrated when he comes home to see your twins arenât in bed. you had a long day at work and you arenât in the mood to argue, but you do.
Imagine | @lifeofanogirl
His wife | @kenziexoxoxo
Dating Jack Abbot Headcanons | @the-bat-writes-imagines
night shift. | @lilyswritings
you and jack break up over hurt feelings and misunderstandings, and when samira joins the night shift, your relief turns into jealousy as you start to believe heâs moving on â unaware that all he wants is to get you back.
What he brings home | @carolina-thiell
living on (a latte and) a prayer | @weinthepitt
nothing to forgive | @/weinthepitt
the space between | @wonderlalicend
sometimes doctors need a second opinion - someone to tell them to slow down. for you, that person is jack abbot. itâs just a massive bonus that heâs also your boyfriend.
jack abbot x f!reader | @babyonboard
Honey | @speaking-to-thevoid
cared for | @sebsbarnes
maybe it was time for jack abbot to stop hiding behind independency and admit he wants to be cared for
Seems to be Her Type | @brxtnxy
They speculate. They assume. They get it wrong. Jack just watches, fed and unbothered, knowing exactly who she chose.
Ask For Help | @girlboss-things
Jack and reader are next-door neighbours, it's hot out, mechanic!reader, reader hurts her hand, and Jack's there to save the day (again), dog!dad Jack
Knowing Me, Knowing You | @traumaone
You and Jack are in an unlabled relationship of unknown seriousness, so unknown you didn't even know he had a second job.
Iâm Sorry. | @ofthepitt
house tour, pt 02 | @domesticblisss
after eight months of having the 12th floor to himself, jack finally has a new neighbour. he has no idea how to react when sheâs the opposite of what he expected.
new year, softly | @pittsick
you knew how exhausted Jack had been for past few days; working at the PTMC's ER during the Christmas holidays wasn't so easy. he was tired, feeling guilty over those he couldn't save and just needed a break. so when he get New Year's Eve as a day off, you decide to throw him a little surprise: fire burning in the chimney, a good dinner with everything he likes, warm blankets on the couch and obviously, all he kisses he needs.
older, better, stronger | @/pittsick
after a long and grueling night shift, you and jack, end up going out for drinks together. what starts as playful banter and mutual venting over work quickly turns into something moreâjackâs subtle flirting and your unspoken attraction spilling into undeniable chemistry. the night ends with both of you finally giving in to what youâve been holding back, leaving open the possibility of something more between you.
Stressing the f*ck out | @dreamland-library
You try to keep your distance from the rumour mill and Abbot, and you fail spectacularlyâŚ
workplace rumors | @stars-from-pluto
ATTRITION | @soulluvrrr
coming off a shift from hell, jack feels guilty for neglecting his pretty wife. donât worry, he knows just how to apologize.
the night shift. | @betonlosingdogs
the night shift always has a bet going on. this time, santos is the unsuspecting victim.
Slow Mornings & Cuddles | @lifeofapittgirl
jack abbot whoâs basically a soft dom. | @santosprincess
iâm on fire | @ivoirerose
jack overhears you talking about going on a date and heâs jealous. then he hears who youâre going on a date with, and he nearly implodes.
get it up | @/ivoirerose
you make a joke about jackâs abilities in the bedroom and he isnât too happy about it
passing ships | @/ivoirerose
short little something about having a work crush on jack, not realising that he kind of has one on you too
TOO LATE ! | @lovebugism
when you and langdon get stuck on the roof of the trauma center together, he decides to stir up the ghost of your relationship to pass the time. but youâve long moved on, and frankâs left haunting the wrong house.
jack abbot taking care of you after a night out with your friends⌠| @ebodebo
police scanner, part two | @suprbrat
Snowstorm | @writeroutoftime
during a once in a decade snowstorm, jack finds you trying to shovel out your car
Impact | @imaginesofwonder
Emergency Contact | @/imaginesofwonder
A Man in Uniform | @callienotcally
you come home to jack trying on his uniform
Missing Parts | @/callienotcally
you and jack have been dating for a few months now, but every time you try to initiate intimacy he becomes distant; and you canât help but feel like heâs hiding something from you
Opposites Attract |Â @/callienotcally
a look into your relationship with a man that couldnât be more different from you, but acts as if you were made for each other
Honesty is the best policy | @moondustfairies
The five times Jack hid you from his PTMC family, and the one time he realized he couldnât be without you.
Chivalry Isnât Dead | @confettighosts
Secret relationship | @secretlovezz
Thinking about being in a secret relationship with Jack Abbot and accidentally giving yourselves away because youâre too tired to try and put up a professional front after a long shift.
Trauma Bonding | @writingismycardio
In this one youâre about to face your biggest fear attending the memorial for the fallen soldiers. Thereâs a certain man who notices your uneasiness and he helps you get through it.
Parking Pass | @atlaslapis
Please Forgive me | @/atlaslapis
transatlanticism. Prologue. | @se7entyrell
Jack Abbot has had a terrible eighteen months. Truly one for the books. Losing his mother, and then you, sometimes he wonders what the point is. If things will ever look up. Until you turn up at the Pitt, with a little girl who looks exactly like him.
Sweet Little Lamb | @oldermenfucker
after years of being away from this place, Jack comes to spend his sabbatical with the woman he left behind, thinking all remains the same, only to find out about things he never thought was possible.
Champagne Problems | @/oldermenfucker
being your parents' only daughter comes with a package, and you only hope Jack can handle it as best as he possibly can. To your surprise, he manages to convince them just fine even though you are left to pick up the pieces. Aka Jack being your fake boyfriend for two days and things turn out to be not too fake.
On a random Tuesday, you wake up tangled together in the late-afternoon light, exhausted and half-asleep, when Jack casually suggests getting married before your shift.
Distance | @s-writing-s
Jackâs a good attending. Heâs nice to you. Polite. But he doesnât treat you like he does the others. He doesnât send you smiles. He never laughs with you, and he never seeks out your company. It hurts enough that youâve decided to leave and take an attending position elsewhere.
After dealing with an abuse case that leads to a bite, you go to The Pitt to get it checked out. Thankfully you have a handsome doctor whos very good at distracting you
frequent flyer | @dolloebaby
youâve worked night shift with jack for years now, so how come the one day he covers day shift for robby, youâre sitting in the waiting room with a nasty bruise on your midsection and a laceration across your cheek
Different Kind Of Treatment | @megalony
(Y/n) and Jack havenât told anyone that sheâs pregnant. But when a patient gets rough with (Y/n), a situation escalates and Jack gets worried.
Sudden Drop | @/megalony
Working in the Pitt isnât easy, especially when (Y/n) has diabetes and there isnât always time for lunch breaks. Itâs a good thing Jack is always looking out for her and checking her sugar levels.
My Soul Knows Who It Belongs With | @multifandomlover01
Jackâs dealing with a pesky resident on night shift who apparently doesnât understand or respect boundaries
You Donât Gamble With Human LivesâŚOr With The Human Heart | multifandomlover01
Jack and his fiancĂŠe have to have a serious conversation about his âhobbyâ and where they stand on themselves and family matters.
Just Behave! | @shoniebalognie
You needed to practice and submit assesments for your nursing program, thinking your doctor boyfriend would be the best. You thought wrong.
Be less obvious | @slthspd
Sadly, Robby knows Jack's wardrobe way too well, and recognizes a certain shirt on you.
The girl next door | @/slthspd
Jack is dying to get to know his neighbor better, even though he knows she should be off-limits. But then she ends up at the ER one nightâŚ
Stay, part 02 | @/slthspd
When he realizes your ex is harassing you, Jack offers to let you stay at his place until it's over. He didn't consider the possibility of getting a little too used to having you around.
In the Way: | @mehchuis
You cannot read social cues to save your life. Unfortunately, Jack Abbot can, and itâs driving him insane.
Nocturnal Sunshine, Part two, part three, | @/mehchuis
Night shift has a heartbeat, and youâre part of it.
STYLISTIC HELP | @b3ttybattz
Where your teenage daughter dresses you up for date night with Jack
When Shifts Collide, Part 2. Part 3. | @voidsagent
When you started your internship at PTMC, thatâs when you first laid eyes on Jack Abbot. Grey curls and all soft crinkles when he smiled. Trying so hard to keep up the tough veteran exterior. Falling for him was the easy part, sneaking around to keep it from your older brother, Robby? Thatâs the hard part.
Meaning: "A quiet, comforting warmth, a softness that lingers like a memory. A gentle sweetness that drifts quietly through the heart."
So'lek te Elusa Kiro'itan x Tamtey
A/n: This was greatly inspired from the fic, As we Grow, written by @atokirinasprite. and that cute cheeky tamtey that I see all the time on @solekpilled
GO CHECK Out THEIR BLOGS!
synopsis:
After a long, exhausting day, Soâlek finally returns to his kelkuâhis sanctuary, and home to the one he loves most.
content warning:
None. Tooth-rotting, cavity-forming fluff! Established relationship between So'tey.
Not the kind of âI am mildly inconveniencedâ enough. Noâthis was the deep, bone-heavy exhaustion that settled into his shoulders and refused to leave, the kind that made every sound sharper, every movement heavier, every thought shorter.
From the moment the sun had climbed, there had been something to fix.
Arrangements. Always arrangements.
The Resistance needed supplies moved, routes reconsidered, patrols adjusted. Someone had miscalculated distance, someone else had misread tracks, and Soâlek had been left to stitch together the consequences like he always didâquietly, efficiently, without thanks and without pause.
And then there was Nor.
Soâlek exhaled sharply through his nose at the thought, his jaw tightening as irritation flared again, fresh despite the hours that had passed. Reckless, loud, careless in a way that made his teeth grindâSoâlek had spent what felt like half the day correcting him, again and again, on positioning, on awareness, on the very basic principle of not getting himself killed because he thought he could handle more than he could.
âYou do not rush into a clearing without reading it,â Soâlek had said, his voice flat, patience already fraying thin.
Nor had grinned.
Actually grinned.
Soâlek had nearly left him there.
As if that were not enough, there had been the Sarentu to train. Eager, too eager at times, with quick hands, quicker questions, and eyes that burned with determination and something softer beneath it. They learned fast, which should have made it easier, but instead they pushed, always pushing, always asking for more, and Soâlek had given it to them.
Again. And again. And again.
He had corrected stances, adjusted grips, repeated instructions until his voice had gone low and rough from use. He did not mind teachingânot trulyâbut today it had felt like pouring water into a vessel that would never quite fill, no matter how much he gave.
And then the hunt.
Eywa.
The animal had been stubborn. clever in a way that demanded respect and patience in equal measure. It had led him through thicker brush than necessary, doubled back twice, and nearly caught him off balance when the wind shifted against him.
By the time he had taken it down, clean but later than he preferred, the sun had already begun its descent, light thinning into evening.
Everything had taken longer than it should have. Everything had asked more of him than he had intended to give.
And now Soâlek was done.
He rolled his shoulder as he walked, feeling the tension pull tight across his back, his hands flexing at his sides, claws curling slightly as if they still remembered the resistance of the bowstring. Fatigue clung to him, heavy and insistent, settling into muscle and bone alike.
All he wantedâtruly wantedâwas to reach his kelku, climb into his hammock, and not wake until the world decided it could function without him again. No voices, no instructions, no Nor. just quiet, just rest, just the absence of everything that had pressed against him since morning.
His pace remained steady at first, his steps sure and familiar along the forest path. Around him, the bioluminescent glow had begun to awaken, soft lights flickering at the edges of his vision as the world shifted from gold into blue, the air cooling with the slow fall of night.
And then, somewhere between one step and the next, a thought surfacedâsmall, simple, almost unremarkable.
But it changed everything.
His hammock.
Not just his.
Tamtey's too.
The one space that belonged to him and to her.
The image came unbidden, as it always did when his mind allowed it: her curled into the woven fabric, limbs tucked in without care, hair spilling messily across the threads, somehow managing to take up space and yet still look small. Sometimes she would be half-awake when he arrived, blinking up at him with sleep-heavy eyes; other times she would already be gone to rest, her cheek pressed into where his chest would be when he joined her.
Waiting.
Or not waiting at allâjust there, as if she had always belonged in that space, as if the hammock itself had been made with her in mind.
Soâlek felt something in his chest loosen. tight and coiled in a way he had not fully noticed until now, unwinding just enough to let him breathe easier. The weight in his shoulders did not disappear, but it shifted, settling into something more manageable, something he could carry.
His steps quickened, subtly at first, then just enough that he could feel the differenceâthe slight lengthening of his stride, the faint forward pull in his posture, as if he were being drawn toward something warmer than the promise of sleep.
The forest seemed quieter now. Softer. Or perhaps it was simply that his mind had stopped cataloguing every irritation, every misstep, every frustration of the day.
He moved past familiar roots and low-hanging branches, ducking without thought, his path carved into instinct. Ahead, the faint glow of his kelku came into view between the trees, unmistakably his.
And there, in that quiet space,
She would be.
Probably already asleep. Probably taking up more of the hammock than necessary, as she always did, leaving him just enough room to fit if he adjusted around her.
Soâlek exhaled again, but this time the breath left him slower, quieter.
And for the first time that day, he found himself looking forward to something.
Just as Soâlek reached the edge of the kelku... He stopped.
Not because he was unsure, nor because anything had changed in the space before him, but because habit held him there, steady and unyielding. Instinct, carved deep into him long before Tamtey and long before even this place, rose quietly to the surface and reminded him of something simple, something ingrained.
You return. You provide.
His gaze flickered once toward the soft glow within, where he knew she would be.
Waiting. Or not waiting at all. It did not matter.
What mattered was that she would be there.
And what kind of mate would he be if he returned empty-handed?
Soâlek exhaled quietly, the sound soft against the stillness of the night, and turned away from the entrance despite the pull in his chest that urged him forward. It was only for a moment, he told himself. It would not take long.
The forest welcomed him back without question, its quiet presence unchanged as he retraced his steps. The path to the cooking space was dimly lit, embers still glowing faintly from earlier preparations, casting low, flickering light across the ground. A few others lingered at a distance, their movements slow, their voices muted, but Soâlek did not acknowledge them, nor did they disturb him.
He moved with purpose nowâtired, yes, but steady, each action deliberate, efficient.
A portion of yerik meat had already been set aside from earlier. He checked it with a practiced eye, ensuring it was properly cooked through, still warm enough to be comforting rather than simply sustaining. Satisfied, he wrapped it carefully, his hands moving with quiet precision.
Then the fruit.
Yolvo.
His hand paused briefly over the selection before choosing oneâripe, unblemished, sweet. He knew her preference by now without needing to think about it, the knowledge settled somewhere instinctive, unquestioned.
Of course he did.
A faint, almost imperceptible shift touched his expression as he held it, something softer threading through the lingering fatigue.
Sweet.
His syulang liked sweet things.
The word settled quietly in his chestâsyulangâfamiliar in a way that still surprised him at times. It had come naturally, somewhere along the way. Not planned, not spoken with intent to change anything, but simply⌠there. In the spaces between words, in the way he looked at her, in the way his hands lingered a moment longer than necessary when they rested on her.
He adjusted his grip on the food, securing it carefully before turning back.
This was simple.
This made sense.
The world beyond this rarely offered clarity, but this? Providing for her, returning to her, ensuring she was cared for in ways both small and necessary?
There was no confusion in that.
Only certainty.
By the time Soâlek made his way back, the forest had deepened fully into night. The bioluminescence had grown stronger, casting soft blues and greens across the path, the air cooler now against his skin. Even the sounds had shifted, quieter, more intimateâthe kind of quiet that wrapped around you rather than pressed in, settling gently instead of demanding to be noticed.
His steps slowed as he approached, not from hesitation, but from awarenessâfrom care. He adjusted the way he held the food so it would not make unnecessary noise, his movements naturally quieter now, more deliberate, each step measured without conscious thought.
The entrance to the kelku came into view once more, that same soft glow spilling outward, drawing him in with a pull that felt stronger now, steadier.
Soâlek ducked inside, and immediately, everything in him softened.
The space was small and familiar, carrying the faint scent of woven fibers, forest air and her. It settled around him in an instant, easing something deep and unspoken as his gaze moved instinctively toward the hammock.
His sarentuâsafe and warm in his space, untouched by it all.
She leaned against the woven edge of the kelkuâs opening, fingers tracing the fibers absently as her eyes scanned the forest beyondâagain, and again, and again.
Nothing.
Only the soft glow of night, the distant flicker of bioluminescent plants swaying gently as if the world itself had already settled into rest.
The eclipse had passed long ago.
She had watched it alone.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she exhaled slowly, the breath heavier than she intended.
He should have been back by now.
Soâlek was not careless. He was not late. He did not linger. If anything, he was the oppositeâefficient to a fault, always returning when he said he would, always exactly where he needed to be, exactly when he needed to be there.
She drew in a slow breath, steadying it the way he had taught her, forcing the tension down even as it resisted. There were explanations. There were always explanations.
The Resistance, perhapsâsomething must have come up. Another arrangement, another correction, another task that only he could fix because no one else ever seemed to get it right the first time.
Or the hunt.
Something could have delayed him. He could still be tracking, still moving through the forest with that quiet patience of his, following something stubborn that refused to be caught.
He could beâ
Her thoughts cut off sharply as she shook her head.
No.
He would not stay out without reason.
Her fingers curled into the woven edge, tightening slightly as the feeling in her chest shifted, sharpening. A steady, gnawing worry that refused to leave once it settled in.
Tamtey pushed herself away from the entrance, pacing once across the small space before stopping again, her movements restless, unfocused.
She should have been asleep by now.
Normally, she would have beenâcurled into the hammock, half tangled in the fabric, drifting off without realizing she had been waiting at all, trusting without question that he would return and find her there.
But tonight, sleep would not come.
Not when his space beside her was empty. Not when the forest felt just a little too quiet.
She sank back onto the hammock with a soft huff, dragging a hand down her face. âYou are being ridiculous,â she muttered under her breath, though the words carried no real conviction.
He was fine. He had to be fine.
Her chest tightened again.
ââŚheâs fine,â she said, firmer this time, as if saying it aloud might force it into truth.
Still, her eyes flicked back toward the entrance.
Again. Just in case.
A long breath left her as she leaned back, staring up through the small opening where the night sky peeked through, stars blinking softly above. The hammock swayed beneath her, slow and familiar, the motion usually enough to pull her into sleep without effort.
Not tonight. Not without him.
Her fingers drifted absently to the space beside her, pressing into the fabric where his weight should have been. It felt wrongâtoo light, too empty, the absence more noticeable than the presence ever was.
Time stretched, quiet settling deeper around her, the stillness growing heavier the longer it remained undisturbed.
Tamtey turned onto her side, facing the entrance now, her eyes half-lidded but refusing to close fully. Her body was tired, aching for rest, but her mind would not let her have it.
A sound interrupts her train of thoughts.
The faint tangle of beads shifting against one another, brushing together in a way she knew before her thoughts could even catch up, the sound threading through her awareness like instinct.
Tamtey stilled.
And then her head snapped toward the entrance.
Her eyes brightened, wide and sharp, something warm rushing through her chest so quickly it almost hurt, relief flooding in before she could even name it.
There.
A shadow at the entrance. A presence she knew without needing to see.
âSoâlekââ
His name slipped from her before she could stop it, soft but alive, relief woven through every syllable.
And just like that, the night didnât feel so heavy anymore.
The moment he steps fully inside, Tamtey doesnât even think.
She movesâfast.
âMA' SO'LEKK!â
Sheâs off the hammock in a heartbeat, all sleepiness gone, all that quiet, gnawing worry bursting into something bright and overwhelming as she launches herself at him.
He barely has time to brace before sheâs in his arms, her own wrapping tightly around his neck, her weight colliding into him without hesitation. Her face buries itself against him, nuzzling into the crook of his neck like sheâs trying to make up for every second he was gone.
âI missed you! where have you beenââ her words tumble over each other, breathless, half-laughing, half-accusing, âyou took so long?!â
And then come the kisses.
Messy, rapid, entirely uncoordinatedâhis cheek, his jaw, the corner of his mouth.
âMwahâmwahâmwahâ!â
Soâlek exhales, something caught between a quiet huff and the beginning of a laugh, as the full force of her affection hits him all at once.
âSarentuââ
But she doesnât stop.
Of course she doesnât.
âI thought you got lostâno, actually you wouldnât get lostâso then I thought something ate youâthen I thought maybe you just forgot me, which is worseââ
âMmm,â he hums lowly, adjusting his stance as she clings to him, one arm tightening instinctively around her waist to keep her steady.
The other arm still holding the food. Carefully.
Because despite her chaos, the way sheâs currently attacking his face with affection he will not drop it. His grip remains firm, secure, the motion controlled even now.
Tamtey pulls back just enough to look at him, her hands coming up to cup his face as her eyes scan him quickly, checking in the only way she knows how.
âYouâre late,â she accuses, though the edge has softened, dulled by the way her thumbs brush over his cheeks.
âYou are still awake,â he counters quietly.
She gasps, offended.
âI waited,â she insists, like itâs the most obvious thing in the world. âObviously.â
Soâlekâs gaze softensâjust slightly, but enough that it lingers.
He shifts the food in his hand, freeing just enough movement before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. Itâs soft, brief, and entirely intentional.
âI missed you too.â
Itâs quiet, almost lost beneath the lingering echo of her energy but it lands.
It always does.
Tamtey freezes for half a second, her expression going completely still and then she melts.
Her entire face softens into something brighter, warmer, her forehead dropping lightly against his as a small, satisfied hum escapes her.
ââŚyouâre forgiven,â she decides immediately.
Of course.
Soâlek huffs softly again, something warmer this time, his free hand rising to rest at the back of her head, fingers threading lightly into her hair to steady her where she leans into him.
âGood,â he murmurs.
Her nose nudges against his again, slower now, softer, the earlier rush of energy settling into something quieter, more content now that heâs here.
Then her gaze flicks downward.
Pauses.
ââŚwhat is that?â
Soâlek follows her gaze, as if only now remembering.
âFood.â
âFor me?â Her voice lifts again, brightâbut softer this time, fond rather than frantic.
He nods once.
âOf course.â
Tamtey stares at him for a moment, something shifting in her expression. something dangerously soft, entirely unguarded.
ââŚyou brought me food,â she repeats, quieter now.
âWhat kind of mate would I be if I did not?â he replies simply.
Thatâs all it takes.
She lets out a small, emotional soundâhalf laugh, half something elseâand immediately leans in again, pressing another series of kisses to his face, slower this time, lingering.
âMwahâyouâre the bestâmwahâdonât ever leave againâmwahââ
âI left for a few hours.â
âToo long.â
He doesnât argue.
Instead, he shifts his hold on her, guiding her back toward the hammock with steady, careful steps. She stays wrapped around him, still clinging, still sneaking little kisses wherever she can reach as they move.
By the time they reach it, sheâs already halfway draped over him again, her energy dimming into something softer, sleepier, her movements slower but no less affectionate.
And Soâlek still tired, still achingâ but no longer weighed down.
They settle into the hammock like itâs second nature, the woven ropes shifting slightly as Soâlek lowers himself first, steadying the structure with a practiced hand before guiding Tamtey down with him. The moment sheâs within reach, she doesnât bother sitting properlyâof course she doesnâtâhalf climbing over him instead, one leg hooked over his, her arms still loosely wrapped around his shoulders like she has no intention of letting go anytime soon.
ââŚyou are difficult,â he murmurs, though thereâs no weight behind the words.
âYou love it,â she shoots back immediately, already reaching for the food he had set aside.
He doesnât deny it. He never does.
The scent of the yerik meat fills the small space as she unwraps it, the warmth and richness of it settling into the air between them. Her expression shifts instantlyâsoftening, brighteningâin that way that always seems to settle something deeper in his chest.
âYou really brought this for me,â she says again, softer now, as though still processing it.
Soâlek gives a small nod. âEat.â
She tears off a piece without hesitation and then, just as quickly, holds it up toward him, her gaze firm with quiet expectation.
âFirst bite is yours.â
âI brought it for you.â
âAnd I am giving it to you,â she counters, tilting her head just slightly as if daring him to argue.
He studies her for a moment.
The way her mouth sets with quiet stubbornness. The warmth in her eyes. The simple, unwavering refusal to lower her hand.
Then, without further argument, he leans forward and takes the bite.
Taletey grins immediately, pleased in a way that is far too proud for something so small.
âSee? Not so hard.â
Soâlek exhales softly. something between a sigh and the hint of a laugh before taking a piece for himself, holding it out toward her in return.
Her smile widens at that.
âOh, now you want to shareââ
âEat,â he repeats.
She does.
And just like that, it becomes a rhythm between them. Back and forth, the two of them sharing in quiet tandem, her fingers brushing lightly against his lips, his hand steady and deliberate as he offers her each bite in return. There is no rush in the way they move, no urgency in the momentâonly care, wrapped in something familiar and deeply unspoken.
By the time they reach the yolvo fruit, Tamtey has already begun to settle further into him, her earlier burst of energy slowly softening into something gentler, something more rooted in comfort than motion.
She hums softly as she takes a bite, her eyes drifting closed for just a moment. âThis oneâs sweet.â
âI know.â
Her eyes open again, flicking up toward him with quiet amusement.
ââŚwhat took you so long?â
The question carries none of its earlier sharpness. No accusation. Only curiosity, gentle and open, as her fingers rest lightly against his arm.
Soâlek is quiet for a moment, not because he hesitates, but because he gathers the words carefully before speaking.
âThe Resistance needed adjustments,â he begins, his voice low and steady. âRoutes were inefficient. Supplies misplaced.â
Tamtey makes a small face at that. âOf course they were.â
A faint flicker of amusement touches his expression.
âAnd Nor,â he adds.
She groans immediately. âNo.â
âYes.â
âWhat did he do this time?â
Soâlek exhales lightly through his nose before answering. âEntered a clearing without reading it.â
Taletey gasps, scandalized. âAbsolutely not.â
âHe survived.â
âWell, unfortunately,â she mutters, though thereâs a trace of reluctant humor in it, before nudging his shoulder lightly. âYou didnât leave him there, did you?â
Soâlek glances down at her, expression calm, almost unreadable.
ââŚno.â
âShame.â
âThey always need training,â she murmurs.
âThey push too hard.â
âThat sounds familiar,â she teases lightly, though her hand settles more firmly on his arm, thumb brushing slowly over his skin in a way that grounds both of them.
Soâlek doesnât pull away.
âThe hunt was delayed,â he continues. âThe animal was persistent.â
Tamtey studies him for a moment, her expression shifting subtly as she takes in his posture, the lingering tension still held in his shoulders. Her hand slides up, resting against him with quiet intention, her touch firm but gentle as she presses into the muscle there.
âYou worked too hard,â she says.
She sighs softly and leans in, pressing her forehead briefly against his jaw, her voice softening even further as she speaks again.
âYou donât always have to fix everything.â
ââŚbut I know you will anyway.â
His hand shifts at her back, steadying her, pulling her just a fraction closer in response, his touch firm but careful, as if anchoring her to him in the same quiet way she anchors him.
She melts into it without resistance.
They fall back into their rhythm easilyâbite for bite, slow and unhurried. Taletey hums softly as she eats, her fingers slightly sticky from the fruit, though she pays it no mind, still talking, still smiling, still leaning into him like she belongs there without question.
She does.
Soâlek watches her for a moment longer than necessary.
Then reaches for her hand.
Not abruptly. Just a steady, familiar motion until her fingers rest in his grasp.
She blinks up at him.
âWhatââ
He tilts her hand slightly and, without ceremony, leans in to lick the trace of fruit from her fingertips
slowly and deliberately, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Tamtey freezes.
Just for a moment.
And then her entire expression brightens.
ââŚoh?â
âSo thatâs what weâre doing?â she says, voice shifting instantly into something playful.
Soâlek releases her hand, calm as ever, though there is the faintest shift in his expression.
âYou were messy.â
She gasps. âExcuse youââ
âYou were messy.â
She narrows her eyes at him, clearly considering her next move, before leaning in closer, inspecting his face with exaggerated seriousness.
ââŚhold still.â
He does not move.
Not because he has toâbut because he wants to see what she will do.
Her gaze traces over his features before she hums softly, satisfied.
âAha.â
âWhat.â
âYou have something,â she says.
âWhere.â
Instead of answering she cups his face and presses a quick, precise kiss to the corner of his mouth, licking away the remnants of the sweet fruit.
âThere.â
Soâlek blinks once.
Then exhales quietly, something warm settling in his chest as he looks at herâreally looks at her in that moment.
ââŚthat was unnecessary.â
She grins, completely unbothered.
âWas it?â
A pause.
âYou didnât stop me.â
He doesnât answer that.
She settles back against him as though nothing happened, as though kissing him were as ordinary as breathing, her head finding its place against his chest once more while her fingers begin to trace slow, absent patterns along his arm.
âNext time,â she murmurs, âtry not to get food on your face.â
ââŚnext time,â he replies quietly, âyou try not to get your fingers messy.â
The hammock sways gently, its motion slow and soothing as the night deepens around them, the woven fibers shifting softly beneath their combined weight.
Tamtey leans back just slightly, tugging him with her until theyâre both angled enough to see through the opening above.
Stars.
Scattered across the sky like something delicate and endless, distant yet constant.
âLook,â she whispers, pointing lazily. âThat oneâs brighter tonight.â
Soâlek follows her gaze without a word.
He doesnât speak. But he watches.
Because she wants him to.
Her fingers find his again, absentmindedly tracing along his knuckles as her voice drifts, soft and unhurried, pointing out shapes that donât quite exist, existing only in the quiet space between them.
He listens. Not to the stars. But to her.
Soâlekâs hand rests at her back, his fingers moving in small, absent motionsâgrounding, familiar, as though confirming without needing to think that she is still there, still real, still beside him.
She tilts her head slightly, her voice slipping into something softer, quieter.
ââŚSoâlek,â she murmurs.
Her fingers shift, trailing along his arm, then down until they rest at his wrist. A quiet question.
He stills for just a moment.
Then his gaze lowers to her.
Sheâs looking up at him now, eyes half-lidded but clear, something deeper settling beneath the softness. something that doesnât need to be spoken aloud.
âCome here,â she whispers.
They move together without hurry, the hammock dipping slightly under the shift as they adjust, sitting up just enough to face one another.
Unhurried. Always unhurried with him.
Her hands rise first, gentle as they find his queue, her touch careful, reverent even in its softness. There is no teasing now, no brightness spilling out of her.
only warmth, steady and sure.
Soâlek mirrors her, his movements precise but controlled, guiding his own queue forward.
For a moment, they pause.
Close enough to feel each otherâs breath, foreheads nearly touching, the space between them thin and quiet.
Her eyes flick to his.
His remain steady on hers.
And then Connection.
The world shifts.
Not in sound, but in presence.
The forest still exists. The night still hums softly around them. The stars remain above, distant and unchangedâbut everything else fades, blurring into something that no longer matters.
Tamtey exhales slowly, her shoulders loosening as something deeper settles over her, the restlessness from earlier dissolving completely into stillness.
Soâlekâs hand steadies at her arms, grounding but gentle, his presence unwavering, solid in a way that holds without pressing.
It isnât overwhelming or loud.
but rather warm and full.
Familiar in a way that goes beyond words.
Her forehead rests lightly against his when they settle again, still connected, her breath slow and even now, her entire body finally at ease.
ââŚhi,â she whispers, like sheâs seeing him all over again.
Soâlekâs lips twitch faintly.
âHi.â
A quiet huff of laughter leaves her, soft and sleepy, her hands sliding down to rest against his chest again as she leans into him fully, letting herself sink into the comfort of him.
The bond lingers between them like a shared heartbeat.
No urgency. No rush.
His hand lifts slowly, brushing along her cheek, his thumb settling just beneath her eye, the motion careful, almost absent in its tenderness as he studies her face in the quiet.
A low hum answers her automatically, his hand shifting at her back in a slow, instinctive motion that draws her closer, keeping her anchored to him even as sleep tugs at the edges of his awareness.
Thereâs a pause, like sheâs weighing the words before she lets them go.
âI visited the tsahĂŹk today.â
Soâlekâs eyes open.
Not sharply. Not with alarm.
But with awareness, the kind that settles into his body before it ever reaches his expression. He stills beneath her, tension threading lightly through his muscles as his focus narrows, sharpening in that controlled way it always does when something feels off.
âThe tsahĂŹk,â he repeats, his voice low, steady.
âWhy.â
His hand moves without drawing attention to it, brushing along her arm, then her side, checking without making the concern obvious.
Tamtey feels it anyway.
She lifts her head just enough to look at himâand then she smiles.
Soft. Sleepy.
Bright in a way that doesnât match his concern at all.
His brow tightens, just slightly.
âYou are injured?â he asks.
âNo.â
âSick?â
âNo,â she repeats, a quiet laugh slipping out, light and unbothered.
His hand stills against her, his gaze sharpening as it lingers on her face, searching now with more focus, trying to understand what she isnât saying.
ââŚthen why.â
Tamtey doesnât answer right away.
Instead, her hand drifts downward, resting lightly against her stomach. small, almost absent in its movement, but entirely intentional.
Soâlek follows it.
And for a moment, nothing happens.
Then, it settles.
The realization doesnât strike all at once; it unfolds, quiet and undeniable, until everything in him goes still.
as though the world has narrowed to that single point beneath her hand.
ââŚsyulang,â he says, more softly now.
She doesnât speak.
She only watches him, that same gentle smile lingering, her eyes warmer now, holding something sheâs been carrying carefully all this time.
His gaze shiftsâfrom her face, to her hand, and back again.
âYou are certain,â he asks, his voice lower than before, each word measured with care.
She nods.
âI am.â
Soâlek exhales, slow and controlledâbut different than before. Something in his chest shifts, deep and steady, unfamiliar in its weight, in its quiet magnitude.
His hand moves, more deliberate than anything heâs done all day, coming to rest over hers where it lies against her stomach. His touch is careful, almost tentative in a way that doesnât come naturally to him, like heâs aware of something fragile beneath his hands.
ââŚours,â he murmurs.
Tamteyâs smile deepens, softening even further as she looks at him.
âOurs.â
His thumb brushes once across the back of her hand, grounding motions that make the moment real, anchor it into something solid.
Taletey watches him, her earlier brightness melting into something quieter, something deeper, her entire expression soft with it.
âYou look like youâre thinking too much,â she whispers.
âI am.â
She huffs softly, nudging her forehead against his in a small, familiar gesture.
âDonât. Youâre going to scare it away.â
Soâlek exhales quietly, the faintest hint of a smile pulling at his mouth.
âThat is not how this works.â
âI know,â she murmurs. âBut still.â
His arm tightens around her then, drawing her closer as he leans down, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her forehead. the contact deliberate and unhurried.
Then lower.
Just above where her hand rests.
Then she melts into him again, her arms wrapping around him as she buries her face into the curve of his neck, her body fitting against his like it always does.
âYouâre happy,â she murmurs.
Not a question. Soâlekâs hand settles firmly at her back, steady and sure.
âYes.â
And now there is something more.
Not just the quiet, steady love they have built between long days and tired nights. Not just them.
Her voice drifts up again, softer now, the edges of her words already beginning to blur as sleep pulls at them.
ââŚwe need names.â
Soâlek answers with a low hum, his eyes heavy, his attention resting only on the warmth against him.
âWe do.â
A quiet pause settles between them, unhurried and full. He can feel her breathing where she lies against his chest, slow and steady, her presence grounding in a way that makes the rest of the world feel far away.
Then, faint but certain, a smile touches her voice.
âItâs going to be something strong.â
âIt will be,â he replies, calm and sure.
âAnd pretty,â she adds, almost immediately, as if the thought cannot wait.
Something soft flickers at the corner of his mouth.
ââŚand strong.â
She shifts against him, nudging her forehead into his chest in quiet protest, stubborn even like this. âBoth.â
His arm tightens slightly around her, keeping her close without effort.
âBoth,â he agrees, his voice gentler now.
After that, their conversation loosens, drifting into something softer. Words come slower, less precise, slipping between them like the night air.
âWhat if itâs loud?â she murmurs, the question barely more than breath.
âIt will be.â
A small huff escapes her. âRude.â
âYou are loud.â
âI am expressive,â she corrects, quieter now but no less certain.
A low breath of amusement leaves him, warm and quiet, his hand moving idly along her arm in a slow, absent motion.
âMm.â
Her voice begins to fade after that, stretching at the edges, her words softening as sleep takes hold.
âBut⌠names,â she insists again, more faint this time, like she is holding onto the thought with the last of her energy.
Soâlek does not answer right away.
âIf it is a boy,â he says at last, his voice low and steady, âhe will earn his name.â
Tamtey hums softly in response, already slipping deeper into sleep, the sound small and content.
âMhm⌠okayâŚâ
The quiet lingers again, gentle and unbroken.
Then his voice returns, softer.
âIf it is a girlâŚâ
ââŚwe will name her Aha'ri... Like your late sisterâ
The name settles between them, quiet and certain.
For a moment, Tamtey does not respond.
Her breath catches, just slightly, enough for him to feel it against his chest. The slow rhythm of her breathing stutters, then stills, like something in her has been pulled backward before she can stop it. Her fingers, resting against him, curl faintly into his side.
Not pain, not fully. But the memory of it. The kind that never really leaves.
Soâlek feels it immediately.
His arm tightens around her without thinking, grounding, steady. He does not rush to fill the silence. He lets her have it, lets the weight of the name settle the way it needs to.
After a moment, she shifts closer instead of away, pressing her face more firmly into his chest as if choosing this over whatever tried to surface.
When she speaks, her voice is softer than before, but clearer than sleep alone would make it.
ââŚshe would have liked that,â Tamtey murmurs.
His hand moves slowly along her arm, a quiet reassurance.
âShe would have,â he answers.
A small breath leaves her, uneven at first, then easing as she settles again. Her grip loosens, though she stays close, closer than before.
ââŚAha'ri,â she repeats, barely a whisper now, like she is testing the name in a gentler place.
Soâlek dips his head again, resting it lightly against her hair this time, his presence steady and certain.
The hammock continues to sway gently beneath them, mulling them to sleep.
Fingers remain loosely intertwined. Foreheads touch. There are soft, fleeting kisses exchanged in the quiet, carrying everything they do not need to say.
At some point, her words begin to fade.
ââŚyou came back,â she murmurs, barely audible.
âI said I would.â
Soâlek looks down at her. Her face is soft now. Lashes resting against her cheeks, lips slightly parted as her breathing evens out. Her cheek presses against his, warm and squishy.
Soâlek exhales quietly, the breath leaving him slow and steady as the last of the day finally loosens its hold.
Soâlek lets his eyes fall shut, his hold on her firm and certain, unyielding even in rest.
And beneath the soft hush of the forest, they fall asleep together.
summary: working as in house counsel means you've become very acquainted with jack abbot and his little scrawl of a signature. god help him.
content: sexually explicit content, age gap, swearing, medical inaccuracy obviously--sue me I'm in law not medicine, blood and wound mentions but this is a medical show so
total wc: 42,468
status: ongoing
godlight (wc: 16.7k) | the first friday of every month you make your way down to the emergency department with a stack of insurance claims in hand to harass robby with, and you leave through the stairs with jack abbot, fresh off his shift and half a step behind you, muttering something lowly in your ear that makes you laugh.
hey, siri (wc: 3k) | you become privy to some abbot-sponsored healthcare fraud.
ornithological jurisprudence (wc: 3k) | bothering jack abbot is your specialty, fuck whatever your actual job is.
goldilocks (wc: 5k) | jack has trouble sleeping. you donât make it any easier.
saint jack (wc: 14.3k) | abbot decides it's your turn to fix what's broken and, lucky for you, he's there to talk you through it.
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PRETTY PLEASE â ONESHOT (SFW Soâlek x Fem Tamtey)
Word count : 11k youâre welcome!
Authorâs note : This fic was not supposed to be this long. I originally planned for something around 8k, but while rereading, I realized a lot of sections had somehow disappeared for absolutely no good reasonâso I had to rewrite and rework a large part of it. And well⌠now itâs 11k. Thatâs also why this took longer than expectedâsorry about that.
Also, I finished editing this at 3 a.m., so there is a very real chance something is still missing or slightly off. If you notice any weird gaps or missing pieces, please tell me and Iâll go fix itâbecause I am absolutely not rereading 11k for the tenth time tonight. I am posting this fully in the dark.
This oneshot is also⌠extremely chaotic. In the best way. Their dynamic is sweet, sarcastic, and steadily becomes more and more unhinged as the alcohol flowsâand honestly, Iâm pretty sure youâre going to love it for exactly that reason. It is SFW⌠mostly. I did sneak in a few sexy jokes here and there, because letâs be honestâat some point, theyâre absolutely going to go there. Just not quite yet.
And for those who donât know me yet, I write Tamtey x Soâlek fics where Tamtey is written as female and the two are already romantically involved. If youâd like more context for this oneshot, I recommend checking out my fic AGE GAP first. Otherwiseâenjoy!
Summary : Soâlek only agreed to stay for a little while. But a festival has its own rules. As music, firelight, and too much alcohol pull Tamtey further out of her carefully built control, a quiet night turns into something tender, reckless, and unexpectedly intimate. Between longing glances, unspoken boundaries, and drunk mischief that goes a little too far, both of them are forced to confront how thin the line between restraint and desire really is. A soft, chaotic oneshot about trust, closeness, and staying far longer than planned.
Warnings: Alcohol use + drinking games, Drunk Tamtey (chaotic edition), Slow burn, Established relationship, Soft intimacy, Flirting, Near-bite (yes, really), Mild sexual tension, Mild suggestive thoughts, Soft cuddling, i think thatâs it.
As always, happy reading.
Soâlek has already said no.
Twice, technicallyâonce with a quiet shake of his head, once with a flat âNo.â Both delivered with the same calm certainty he uses when scouting routes or dismantling RDA tech. Final. Unmovable.
The Zeswa camp sprawls across the plains in the distance, alive with motion and sound. Fires dot the horizon like fallen stars. Drums roll low and steady, a rhythm that carries through the ground itself, vibrating up through bone and muscle. Laughter rises and falls on the wind. The air smells of smoke, fermented drink, and something sweet you donât recognize.
Itâs loud. Open. Too exposed.
Soâlek stands at the edge of it all, arms crossed, posture loose, gaze moving slowly through the crowd with quiet, habitual awareness.
You, on the other hand, feel the pull of the music immediately.
Someone has already smeared pale paint along your cheekbones, careless and uneven. Thereâs more on your hands, faintly luminous where it catches the firelight. You turn back toward him with a grin thatâs just a little too pleased with itself.
âYouâre really going to stand there all night?â you ask.
âYes.â
You roll your eyes and step closer, invading his carefully kept space without hesitation. Your fingers close around his wristâwarm, confident, familiar in a way that makes his jaw tighten.
Soâlek watches the fires for a long moment before speaking.
âYou donât need me for this,â he says quietly. âYou can go. Iâll stay here.â
Itâs meant to be reasonable. Protective. Distance offered the way he always does.
You still. Your ears dip before you can stop them.
Itâs smallâinstinctiveâbut he sees it immediately. The brightness in your eyes dims, not into hurtâbut into quiet, unmistakable disappointment.
You let out a small, tired sigh.
You keep your gaze on him. âI donât want to go alone.â
Soâlek exhales slowly through his nose, gaze dropping for just a moment.
Then he looks at you. Really looks.
He hesitates, weighing something you canât quite read.
You meet his eyes and tilt your head just slightly, ears still low, lashes lifting in quiet, unmistakable appeal.
âPretty please,â you add softly.
He closes his eyes. Just for a second.
Then he rolls them, slow and deliberate, like he canât quite believe this is working.
ââŚFine,â he says.
He pauses, then adds pointedly,
âFor a little while.â
A beat.
âThen I go. Iâm tired.â
Satisfied relief flashes across your face. You grin at him, slow and unmistakably victorious.
âDeal,â you say lightly.
Then, just because you canât help yourself,
âSee? That wasnât so hard.â
His eyes narrow a fraction.
âIâm not dancing.â
You pause. Consider.
Then, wisely, you lift both hands in surrender, smile turning innocent again.
âWouldnât dream of it.â
Before he can add anything else, you lean in and press a quick kiss to his cheek.
It lasts less than a heartbeat. It still hits him like a physical strike.
His breath catchesâjust barely. Heat blooms along his cheek, up the edge of his ear. He stills on instinct, jaw tightening as he forces himself not to turn his head, not to follow the contact youâve already stolen.
By the time he looks at you again, youâre already pulling back, expression far too pleased with yourself.
You turn toward the fires and start walking, not even checking to see if heâll follow. You already know he will.
He keeps his gaze forward.
The closer you get to the heart of the camp, the warmer the air becomes.
The main bonfire rises ahead of you, flames leaping high enough to paint the undersides of clouds in gold and ember-red. The ground around it is packed flat from use, ringed with people sitting cross-legged or sprawled on woven hides, cups in hand, laughter threading through the steady pulse of drums.
This is where everything converges.
Music drifts from one sideâlow strings, breathy flutes, a rhythm that hums beneath the skin rather than demanding attention. On the other, a small crowd has gathered around a cleared circle of earth where two Zeswa warriors spar, bare feet striking the ground in quick, powerful bursts. It isnât aggressive. Itâs skillful. Fluid. Cheers rise when someone lands a clean maneuver, dissolve just as quickly back into conversation.
You slow without thinking, drawn in.
Soâlek stops half a step behind you, gaze moving over the sparring ring, the fire, the shifting crowd.
You glance back at him, eyes bright. âThis is the good part.â
He huffs softly, something between agreement and resignation.
You find a place to sit near the edge of the fireâs glow, close enough to feel the warmth but not so close it scorches. Someone wordlessly hands you a cup as you settle, and this time you accept it without hesitation. You take a sip, make a pleased sound under your breath, then another.
Soâlek remains standing for a moment longer, arms loosely crossed, scanning out of habit more than necessity. When he finally sits beside you, itâs with his back straight, knees drawn up slightly, like he hasnât fully decided this counts as resting.
You glance at him, then at his rigid posture.
âWow,â you murmur. âSo comfortable.â
He huffs quietly.
âBe grateful Iâm here at all.â
You lift both hands in surrender, smile turning innocent again.
âAlright. Iâll behave.â
He doesnât answer.
But after a moment, he shiftsâjust a fraction. One knee lowers, his back easing from its rigid line, posture settling into something marginally more comfortable.
He keeps his gaze forward, expression unchanged. Like this was his idea all along.
Your smile sharpens, unmistakably triumphant.
He stares straight ahead.
Youâve always known he was far too easy to provoke.
Your knee bumps his.
Not enough to apologize for. Not enough to move away from.
The sparring grows more animated, the fighters switching out amid laughter and clapping. Someone near the musicians starts singingâlow and rough around the edges, the kind of voice meant to carry across open land. The crowd joins in where they know the words.
You sway a little where you sit, head tipping with the rhythm. The firelight catches in your eyes, in the faint paint still streaked across your skin.
This time, when you lean closer, it isnât an accident.
Your shoulder brushes his arm, light and deliberate, and you let it stay there.
He stills. Then, slowly, he lets himself remain exactly where he is.
A Zeswa elder nearby chuckles as one of the sparring warriors nearly loses their footing, and you laugh tooâeasy, unguarded. You lift your cup again, then offer it toward Soâlek without looking, already knowing what heâll say.
He hesitates. Then, against his better judgment, he takes it. Just one sip.
Itâs enough to make his throat warm and his head feel ever so slightly lighter. He hands it back without comment, but when your fingers brush his in the exchange, his attention lingers for just a beat longer than necessary.
You catch the look and smile faintly before turning your focus back to the fire.
Around you, the festival carries onâsparring, music, laughter, the quiet intimacy of people simply being together.
And for now, for this little while he promised, Soâlek stays.
âŚ
Youâre enjoying the drink far more than you probably should.
Itâs sweeter than it looks, warming as it settles, loosening something in your chest. You sip without thinking now, eyes half on the sparring ring, half on the way the firelight flickers and bends around the edges of the world. By the time the cup is half-empty, youâre already smiling for no reason at all.
When a Zeswa passes nearby with a fresh tray, you straighten a little, attention snapping to it immediately.
âOhâwait,â you say, lifting your cup.
You turn and press whatâs left of it into Soâlekâs hand before he can refuse, fingers lingering just long enough to make your intent clear. âFinish it.â
He looks down at the cup, then at you.
âIâm fine,â he says automatically.
Youâre already reaching for a new one, accepting it with a pleased little hum. âYou donât get to waste it.â
The Zeswa laughs softly as they move on, clearly amused.
Soâlek exhales, eyes narrowing just a fraction as he studies the dark liquid. He doesnât need it. He knows that. But the warmth from the fire and the press of bodies around them makes refusal feel⌠unnecessary.
He takes a careful drink. Then another.
It settles differently this time. Warmer. Slower. A faint hum blooming behind his eyes.
You glance over at him, eyes bright. âSee? That wasnât so bad.â
He hands the empty cup back to the passing Zeswa, jaw tight. âYouâre enjoying this too much.â
You laugh, tipping your head back slightly as you take your own sip. âThatâs the point.â
Your knee bumps his again, more deliberate this time, and when you donât pull away, he doesnât either. The fire crackles louder, someone cheers as a sparring match ends in laughter, and the music swells.
Soâlek keeps his gaze forward.
But he registers, with quiet precision, the way you lean closer nowâand how he makes no move to stop it.
Your attention drifts as the night deepens. Not to the sparring anymore, or even the musicâbut to the people scattered around the fireâs edge. Couples, mostly. Or pairs that have long since stopped pretending they arenât.
Your fingers rest loosely around your cup as you take it all in.
Once you notice it, itâs everywhereâthe ease with which bodies fit together, affection worn openly and without apology. A woman sits comfortably in her mateâs lap, laughter spilling freely as he murmurs something only she hears. Nearby, someone leans back against a chest, eyes half-closed, utterly unbothered by who might be watching. Tails curl together without thought. Hands rest where they please.
Further back, beyond the firelight, shapes slip behind tents amid quiet laughter. Kisses stolen with the easy assumption that the night belongs to them alone.
You look away before you linger too long. Not because youâre embarrassedâ but because you already know he would never be one of those men.
The feeling remains anyway. Warm. Steady. Not something that demands actionâjust there, humming quietly beneath the surface, in time with the music threading through the camp.
You glance back at Soâlek.
He sits beside you with space between you intact, posture relaxed but contained. He doesnât look at the couples. Or if he does, he gives nothing away. He never has. There are lines he keeps, especially in places like this, among people who know him.
You donât move closer. You donât touch him.
You simply sit there, sharing the firelight and the noise and the unspoken understanding of what is and what is not meant for public view.
The bonfire crackles, sparks lifting into the dark. Laughter rises, fades. Somewhere behind the tents, someone forgets themselves completely.
You stay where you are. So does he.
And the space between you carries more than either of you is willing to cross.
âŚ
Youâre still watching the fire when familiar voices cut through the noise.
âTamtey!â
You turn just in time to see Riânela weaving slightly as she approaches, arm looped firmly through Teylanâs. Her steps arenât sloppy, exactlyâbut theyâre loose in a way youâve never seen on a TsahĂŹk before. Her cheeks are warm with color, her braids swaying as she laughs at something only she finds funny.
Teylan looks⌠overwhelmed.
Heâs holding her cup very carefully, like it might bite him if he does something wrong, eyes darting between her and the ground like heâs afraid sheâll lose her footing if he blinks too long. He looks genuinely relieved when he spots youâand Soâlek beside you.
âOh, thank Eywa,â he says, a little too earnestly. âYouâre here.â
Riânela beams at you, clearly delighted. âWe found you,â she announces, as if this were a great accomplishment. âTeylan wonât dance.â
âI donât want to dance,â Teylan says quickly. âAnd I donât like how it tastes. The drink. Itâs⌠sharp.â He glances at Riânela, lowering his voice. âSheâs had more than enough.â
Riânela scoffs, waving him off with a careless flick of her hand. âIâm fine.â Then she leans closer to you, stage-whispering, âHeâs very serious tonight.â
You snort before you can stop yourself.
For a brief moment, thereâs a flicker of annoyanceânot because theyâve interrupted anything important, but because the quiet bubble youâd been sitting in pops all at once.
It fades almost immediately.
Itâs hard to be annoyed when Teylan looks like a skittish ikran handler and Riânela is smiling like sheâs just discovered a brand-new world.
You glance at Riânela again, really look at herâat the looseness in her posture, the way she laughs without restraintâand your surprise softens into something warmer.
Itâs⌠nice. Seeing her like this.
Riânelaâs gaze drifts toward the dancers near the fire, eyes lighting up. âCome with me,â she says suddenly, turning back to you. âI want to dance. He wonât.â She jerks her head toward Teylan, who immediately stiffens.
âI absolutely will not,â he says, earnest to the point of panic.
Riânela pouts for half a second, then refocuses on you, hopeful and insistent all at once.
You hesitate. Not because you donât want toâbut because you instinctively look back at Soâlek.
Heâs watching the exchange with a calm, unmistakable smile tugging at his mouth. Not sharp. Not guarded. Just⌠there. His posture is easy, shoulders relaxed, eyes warm with quiet amusementâespecially when Riânela nearly bumps into Teylan and he scrambles to steady her like the world might end if he doesnât.
When your eyes meet his, his expression softens further, fond and unbothered. He looks almost content. Like heâs enjoying thisâseeing people he cares about loose and alive and unthreatened.
Itâs fine.
You let out a small breath, already smiling. âAlright,â you say, standing. âIâll go.â
Riânela claps her hands, delighted, and immediately starts tugging you toward the dancers.
Teylan follows you with visible reliefâand more than a little concernâas if heâs just been handed temporary custody of Soâlek instead.
You glance back once more as youâre pulled away. Soâlek hasnât moved. He meets your gaze again, smile still in place, and inclines his head just a fractionâeasy approval, quiet encouragement.
Then youâre swallowed by movement and music, leaving the two men behind by the fire.
Teylan tracks you into the crowdâ then falters.
His attention shifts back to Soâlek, quick and assessing, as if only now remembering the other responsibility he might have just inherited.
He studies him for a second. The straight posture The steady eyes The complete lack of sway.
If Soâlek has had more than he should, it doesnât show. He looks perfectly capable of handling himself.
Teylan lets out a slow breath he hadnât realized he was holding. He glances back at Soâlek.
ââŚSheâs not usually like this.â
Soâlek huffs softly, eyes still tracking Riânelaâs unsteady steps.
âNo,â he says, faint amusement coloring his voice. âBut it suits her.â
And Teylan, still half-convinced Riânela might drag him into the fire next, lets out a small, helpless laugh.
Riânela wastes no time. The moment you agree, she hooks her arm through yours with a delighted laugh and pulls you straight into the movement near the bonfire, braids swinging as the music swells. The heat hits you immediatelyâfire, bodies, sound all pressing in at onceâand for a second youâre laughing just from the sheer excess of it.
Behind you, Teylan exhales like a man spared an imminent death and promptly drops down beside Soâlek with a soft thump.
Soâlek glances at him. Itâs not sharp. Just a lookâmeasured, brief.
Teylan freezes, halfway through adjusting his seat, suddenly very aware of where heâs chosen to land.
Soâlek looks back to the fire instead, posture shifting just enough to make room. The unspoken allowance settles easily between them: Fine. You can sit there. Just until she comes back.
Teylan relaxes immediately.
âOh thank Eywa,â he mutters, rubbing a hand over his face. âShe really stressed me out for a moment there. Sheâs never like that. I meanâsheâs always confident, but this?â He gestures vaguely toward the dancers. âThis is⌠a lot.
âShe seems happy,â Soâlek says, watching Riânela laugh as she spins you around
Teylan huffs a weak laugh. âShe tried to make me dance.â
Teylan snorts despite himself. âYou have no idea.â
He glances toward the dancers again, watching Riânela laugh as she spins you around.
âI thought you enjoyed these things,â Soâlek says mildly.
Teylan lets out a helpless laugh. âI enjoy watching them.â
Soâlek huffs. âFair.â
Teylan lifts a brow at him.
âAnd you?â he asks. âI thought youâd be back at your camp by now, sharpening your knives or brooding at something.
Soâlek huffs before he can stop himself.
âThatâs not all I do,â Soâlek says flatly.
Teylan glances at him, unconvinced.
âMm,â he hums. âYou donât usually come to festivals just to enjoy them.â
A beat
Soâlek looks back to the fire.
ââŚTamtey wanted me to stay.â
Teylanâs eyes flick toward the dancers. Then back to him.
âAh,â he says simply.
That explains everything.
Soâlekâs gaze flicks to him.
âWhat is that supposed to mean?â
Teylan hesitates, clearly choosing his words.
âWellâŚâ
He glances toward the dancers again, then back at Soâlek.
ââŚyou donât usually bend for people like that.â
Soâlek stiffens a fraction.
âThatâs notââ
He stops himself, jaw tightening.
Teylan smiles faintly.
âIâm just saying.
Soâlekâs jaw tightens.
He doesnât answer right away. Because Teylan isnât wrong. He does not bend easily. He does not stay places he doesnât wish to be And he does not make exceptions lightly.
Exceptâ
He looks back toward the dancers, just briefly.
Then away again.
Soâlek exhales through his nose.
âYou read too much into things.â
Teylanâs smile turns knowing.
âOf course I do.â
âŚ
Meanwhile, youâre laughing too hard to care about dignity.
Riânela spins you once more before someone shoves a cup into your hand, and you accept it without hesitation. The drink is warm and sharp and sweet all at once, loosening your limbs and making the world feel just a little brighter around the edges.
Thatâs when Nesim appearsâlike she always doesâgrinning and already holding another cup.
Riânela lights up.
âNesim!â
You laugh and accept the drink someone has just pressed into your hand, clinking cups with Riânela without ceremony. Of course sheâs here. Of course things are escalating.
Nesim slips easily into place beside you, watching the two of you with open amusement.
âSo,â she says lightly. âAre you two actually having fun yet?â
Riânela grins, a little breathless. âI think so.â
Nesim hums, unconvinced.
âThatâs not how the Zeswa usually celebrate,â she says.
You narrow your eyes at her. âOh no.â
Her smile widens.
âDo you want to see how we really celebrate?
You hesitate, studying her.
ââŚThat sounds like a terrible idea,â you say slowly.
Nesimâs grin turns positively delighted.
âThatâs how you know itâs a good one.â
Riânela laughs, brushing a loose braid from her face. âWhat is it?â
Nesim tilts her head, eyes bright with mischief.
âA drinking contest.â
You blink. Of course it is.
Your gaze flicks, without quite meaning to, toward the edge of the firelightâtoward where you know Soâlek is sitting. The thought alone is enough to make you hesitate.
âI donât know,â you say, slower now. âIâm not exactly good at this. Andââ
You gesture vaguely, helplessly.
ââI probably shouldnât.â
Nesim watches you with open amusement.
âYouâre thinking too hard,â she says.
Riânela, on the other hand, brightens immediately.
âOh, you have to,â she says, earnest and warm all at once. âJust one round. For the experience.â
âI really shouldnâtââ
âTamptey,â Riânela interrupts gently, smiling. âWhen was the last time you did something just because it was fun?â
That⌠lands.
You glance between the two of them, then back toward the fire once more.
Finally, you sigh.
ââŚOne round,â you concede. âAnd then Iâm done.â
Nesimâs smile sharpens.
âPerfect.â
She lifts two fingers, signaling someone across the circle.
A moment later, a Zeswa steps in carrying a wide clay jar, heavy enough that it sloshes when itâs set down between you. The smell alone is stronger than anything youâve had so farâsweet and sharp and unmistakably dangerous.
A few people drift closer, sensing whatâs about to happen.
âRules are simple,â the Zeswa says, already pouring. âOne drink per round. No water. No switching cups. First one to give up loses.â
Riânela peers into her cup with immediate suspicion.
âThat is too much,â she says, solemn.
âThatâs the point,â Nesim replies easily.
Someone nearby starts counting.
You lift your cup, hesitate for half a heartbeatâthen drink. It burns.
Not painfully. Just enough to make your eyes water and your chest warm as it goes down.
Around you, cups lower one by one. No one falls over. No one coughs No one gives up.
Riânela even manages a proud little nod, clearly pleased with herself.
Nesim studies you, head tilted.
âHm.â
Then she smiles.
âAlready thinking of quitting?â she asks lightly. âEven Riânela can handle more than youâand I can see sheâs already had plenty.â
Itâs not cruel. Just sharp enough to land.
Something warm and stubborn flickers in your chestânot anger, just that familiar, dangerous spark of pride.
You set your cup down with deliberate care and look back at her.
âAlright,â you say, a slow smile tugging at your mouth.
âThen letâs do this properly.â
A ripple of laughter moves through the small crowd.
The Zeswa with the jar pours again. This time, no one jokes. Cups are heavier now. The smell stronger. The liquid thicker as it settles.
Someone starts counting. You drink. Slower this time.
The warmth hits faster, spreading through your chest and down your arms, a dull, pleasant weight settling behind your eyes.
Around you, the reactions come quicker. One man coughs hard and immediately waves his cup away.
âNope,â he announces hoarsely. âIâm done.â
Laughter breaks out as he stumbles back into the crowd. Another Zeswa grimaces, makes it halfway through the cup, then gives up with a dramatic groan.
And thenâ
Riânela lowers her cup very carefully. She blinks once. Twice.
âThat,â she says with absolute calm, âis my limit.â
She sets the cup down like it might explode.
Nesim grins at her. âAlready?â
âI am a TsahĂŹk,â Riânela repeats solemnly. âAnd I am far too important to die here.ââ
The circle laughs, parting easily as she steps out, still dignified, if a little unsteady.
A few others follow her, shaking their heads and surrendering without shame.
The circle shrinks. Youâre still in it.
Nesim looks at you again, eyes bright.
âGood,â she says. âNow it starts to get interesting.â
The jar comes around again.
By the third round, the circle is already smaller.
The laughter is louder now, a little sloppier. Someone misjudges the cup and spills half of it down their chin, swearing as they give up immediately. Another doesnât even pretend, taking one sip before shaking their head and stepping back to the cheers of the crowd.
You drink. And this time, you really feel it.
The warmth is heavier now, pooling low in your stomach, blurring the edges of the world just enough that you have to focus to keep your balance steady. The firelight stretches when you blink. Your thoughts line up a second slower than they should.
When you lower your cup, there are only three of you left.
Nesim. A broad-shouldered Zeswa with glassy eyes. And you.
The fourth pour comes.
The Zeswa takes one mouthfulâthen laughs, loud and helpless, and gives up without even trying to finish.
The crowd cheers as he stumbles out of the circle. And just like thatâ Itâs only you and Nesim.
The noise shifts. Quieter. More focused.
Nesim studies you, clearly impressed.
You sway, just a little. Catch yourself.
And for the first time all night, you really consider stopping.
You could. You could laugh, admit defeat, and go back to the edge of the fire.
Go find Soâlek. Curl into his side, warm and dizzy and safe. It wouldnât be a bad ending.
The thought lingersâsweet, tempting. And then you look at Nesim.
At her easy stance. At the faint, knowing smile sheâs been wearing since the beginning.
Something stubborn stirs in your chest
The crowd cheers.
By the fire, Soâlek lifts his head.
Heâs been only half-aware of the contest until nowâof laughter and raised voices and the slow tightening of the circleâbut something in the sound shifts his attention fully toward you.
He watches as you take the cup. You donât hesitate.
You laugh when it burns, wipe your mouth with the back of your hand like itâs nothing, and lift your chin with that familiar, reckless spark in your eyes.
You swayâjust a littleâthen catch yourself easily. Soâlek doesnât move.
Heâs always known you were capable. Steady. Harder to unbalance than most.
But as he watches you now, a different thought slips inâdry, uninvited, and entirely practical. He has never actually seen you drunk before. And he has a quiet, sinking suspicion that whatever comes after this is going to be his problem
Beside him, Teylan notices the shift. He follows Soâlekâs gaze toward the circle by the fireâand blinks.
Youâre laughing now, cup in hand, standing far too confidently for someone several rounds into a Zeswa drinking contest.
Teylan studies you for a moment. Then exhales slowly.
Soâlek doesnât look at him.
âWhat.â
Teylan hesitates, clearly deciding how honest to be.
He glances at Riânela, still sitting nearby and already unsteadyâ then back at you, who look⌠far too comfortable.
âI donât know how she is when sheâs drunk,â he admits.
A beat.
âBut sheâs already more unpredictable than Riânela when sheâs sober.â
Soâlek closes his eyes. Just for a second. Then opens them again, resigned.
ââŚThat is not reassuring.â
Teylan offers him a look of pure sympathy.
âIâm very sorry,â he says sincerely.
A Zeswa passes behind them with a tray of fresh cups. Without looking away from the fire, Soâlek reaches out and takes one.
Teylan blinks at him.
âYouâre drinking again?â
Soâlek downs it in a single, controlled swallow. Then exhales slowly.
âPreparing,â he says flatly.
He sets the empty cup aside and turns his attention back to the circle.
âŚ
Across the fire, you lift your cup again.
The jar comes around one last time. The circle is small now.
Just you. And Nesim.
The noise around you fades into something distant, muted by the heat in your head and the steady thrum of your pulse in your ears. Someone is counting again, slower this time, like they already know how this ends.
Nesim takes her cup without ceremony. She studies you over the rim, eyes bright, amused.
âStill with me?â she asks lightly.
You blink once. Focus.
âUnfortunately,â you say, and lift your own.
The drink hits harder than any of the others. It burns. It lingers.
You swallow carefully, forcing it down with more control than you feel, every instinct in your body protesting the decision youâve already made. The warmth spreads too fast now, flooding your chest, your limbs, your head.
For a second, the world tilts. Just a fraction. You plant your feet. Breathe.
Across from you, Nesim finishes hers.
She lowers the cupâand pauses.
Blinks once. Twice.
The smile she gives you is slow and rueful.
âWell,â she says, exhaling.
Then she lifts both hands in surrender.
âThatâs my limit.â
The words take a second to land. The crowd reacts before you do.
Cheers break out, sudden and loud, hands clapping, voices rising as Nesim steps back out of the circle, laughing at herself.
And just like thatâ Itâs over.
Youâre still standing. Barely.
Someone shouts your name. Someone else whoops. The jar is lifted in the air like a trophy. You look down at your empty cup, then up again, slow and disbelieving. You did it.
You sway onceâcatch yourselfâthen straighten with what dignity you can salvage. A laugh spills out of you, bright and victorious and completely unguarded
You donât even have time to process your victory before someone crashes into you.
âTAMTEY!â
Riânela nearly knocks you over in her enthusiasm, arms wrapping around you in a fierce, delighted hug.
âYou did it,â she laughs breathlessly. âYou actually did it!â
âI did,â you agree, a little dazed, a little proud.
She pulls back just long enough to look at you properly, eyes bright, then throws both arms in the air.
âI KNEW it!â
People around you cheer again, someone claps you on the shoulder, and before you can protest, Riânela grabs your wrist.
âCome on,â she insists. âWe have to celebrate properly.â
You laugh, helpless, as she drags you straight back into the movement near the fire.
The music swells. The heat closes in again. For a while, itâs perfect. You dance. Not carefully. Not gracefully. Just joyfullyâlaughing too loud, spinning when Riânela spins you, jumping when the rhythm demands it. The world is warm and bright and wonderfully unimportant.
The alcohol sloshes unpleasantly every time you land. You ignore it.
Riânela, however, does not.
After a few songs, her steps start to falter. She misses a beat. Blinks too long.
When she laughs now, it comes out a little breathless, a little forced.
She presses a hand briefly to her stomach.
âMm,â she mutters.
You catch it immediately.
âYou okay?â you ask, leaning closer.
âYes,â she says at once.
Then, more honestly, âNo.â
She exhales and gives you an apologetic look.
âI think⌠I should sit.â
Relief flickers through youâbecause, if youâre being honest, you were just thinking the same thing.
The jumping, the spinning, the heatâItâs all settled in your stomach now, heavy and distinctly uncooperative.
Youâre still steady. Still laughing. But you are very ready to stop moving.
âYeah,â you admit.
You take her hand and steer her gently back toward the edge of the firelight.
âI think Iâve celebrated enough for one lifetime.â
You steer Riânela away from the dancers, guiding her carefully through the thinning crowd.
The farther you get from the bonfire, the quieter it becomes.
Music dulls into a distant thrum. Laughter fades to background noise. The air cools.
And thatâs when it happens. Not all at once. Just⌠gradually.
Your steps feel a fraction slower than they should. The ground doesnât moveâbut your sense of where it is does.
You blink. Adjust your grip on Riânelaâs hand.Take another step.
And suddenly, unmistakably, you realize:
Oh.
You are really drunk.
Not the laughing kind. Not the confident kind. The kind where your body is only cooperating out of politeness. The kind where every movement has to be negotiated. The kind that arrives late and with intent.
You slow without meaning to. The world feels⌠thick. Heavy at the edges. Warm in your head in a way that is no longer charming.
Riânela stumbles slightly beside you, and you catch her on instinctâ and very nearly lose your own balance in the process.
You recover. Barely.
Your stomach turns, slow and unpleasant, like itâs considering its options.
And with sudden, absolute clarity, you think:
This was a terrible idea.
You glance ahead, toward where you know the others are sitting. You and Riânela emerge back into the edge of the firelight, slower than before.
Riânela is leaning heavily into your side now. You are doing your best to pretend this is normal. It is not.
By the fire, Soâlek sees you the moment you come into view.
He doesnât move. But he sits a little straighter. Just enough.
Teylan notices the shiftâand then his attention goes immediately to Riânela.
Heâs on his feet before he quite realizes it, stepping toward her.
âAre you alright?â he asks, concerned.
Riânela laughs weakly. âDefine alright.â
Soâlek doesnât say anything. Heâs already looking at you. Not sharply. Just⌠assessing.
You decide, with sudden and absolute certainty, that you have done your part.
You have:
â won a drinking contes
â danced until your stomach filed a formal complaint
â and successfully returned Riânela to her assigned caretake.
Your work here is complete.
You gently disengage Riânela from your side and guide her the last step toward Teylan.
âHere,â you say, very reasonably.
Teylan blinks as Riânela immediately leans into him instead.
âWhy me?â he asks, faintly panicked.
You gesture at yourself. Broadly.
In a way that includes your slightly uneven stance, your delayed reaction time, and the fact that you are very much not standing straight.
âDo I look like I can take care of her right now?â you ask.
He opens his mouth. Closes it again. Looks down at Riânela. Sighs.
ââŚNo,â he admits.
He resigns himself to his fate, sliding an arm around Riânela and helping her to her feet.
âCome on,â he mutters.
As he starts walking her away toward the tents, you call after him, far too loudly,
âMAKE SURE SHE DOESNâT THROW UP ON YOU.â
Several people nearby snort.
Teylan freezes mid-step. Very slowly, he turns his head to look at you. The expression on his face is pure, horrified resignation. You grin at him, deeply pleased with yourself. He shakes his head, defeated, and continues walking Riânela away.
Soâlek is still watching you when you finally turn back toward him.
Now that Riânela is gone, now that the responsibility has officially left your hands, the world feels⌠less cooperative than it did a moment ago.
You stop in front of him and grin.
âHeyyy,â you say, stretching the word just enough to make it obvious.
His mouth twitches.
âThere it is,â he murmurs.
He shifts slightly, already making space beside him on the log.
âSit,â he says calmly.
You squint at the space like it has personally offended you. Then at him.
Then you shake your head once, very decisively.
Sitting suddenly feels like a terrible idea. Not because it is â but because he suggested it.
âNo,â you declare.
He lifts a brow.
âNo?â
âNo,â you repeat, nodding to yourself.
Too warm. Too loud. Too many people.
And a very strong, very drunk need to do the opposite of whatever he just told you.
âI donât want to sit,â you announce. âI want air.â
You sway just enough to undermine your argument.
Before he can respond, you reach out and take his hand. Not dramatic. Just sure.Like this is the most obvious solution in the world.
You tug once, already turning away from the fire.
âCome on.â
Heâs on his feet immediately. Not because you pull hardâ but because he was already halfway there in his mind. Because there is no universe in which he lets you wander off alone like this. Not with the night this full.
And your balance this⌠optimistic. You tug him forward with more enthusiasm than balance.
âSlow,â he says at once, steadying you with a hand at your elbow as you immediately overcorrect your first step.
âI am slow,â you insist, even as you lean slightly into him without quite realizing it.
The farther you get from the bonfire, the quieter it becomes. Music dulls into a distant thrum behind you. Laughter blurs into background noise. The air cools, carrying grass and earth instead of smoke, and you breathe it in like itâs a revelation.
âBetter,â you decide solemnly.
Soâlek doesnât disagree.
He keeps his pace matched to yours, hand hovering close enough to catch you if needed.
You donât stumbleâ but you sway a little, like the world has decided to move just a fraction slower than expected.
âYouâre drunk,â he says calmly.
You hum in agreement.
âMmm. Yes.â
âThat drink hits late.â
You glance up at him, eyes bright and unfocused in that gentle, earnest way.
âYou watched me the whole time.â
He doesnât deny it.
âSomeone had to.â
You stop walking suddenly, turning to face him. He halts instantly, attention sharpening. You peer at him like youâre trying to solve something important.
ââŚYouâre very handsome,â you inform him.
His breath hitches before he can stop it. Just once.
âThatâs the alcohol talking,â he says, a little too quickly.
You frown, considering.
âNo,â you say.
âIt just makes me more honest.â
That earns him a soft huff of laughterâquiet, surprised, entirely genuine. He reaches out then, fingers closing around your wrist, grounding without restraint.
âWeâre walking,â he says gently. âNot stopping.â
You smile, deeply pleased with yourself, and let him guide you forward again. The camp is distant now, firelight flickering low behind you.
Ahead, the plains stretch open and cool and quiet, stars sharp overhead. You lean a little closer as you walk, not asking, just existing nearer.
And Soâlek lets you. Because he brought you out here for the air. And because, drunk or not, he was never going to let you go alone.
âŚ
You donât walk far. Just far enough that the noise thins to something distant and harmless, the bonfire reduced to a low glow behind you.
The air is cooler here, clean and steady, carrying grass and earth instead of smoke.
Soâlek slows first. You feel it in his grip before you hear it.
âThatâs enough,â he says quietly, more decision than suggestion.
Thereâs a fallen log half-hidden in the grass, worn smooth with age. He guides you toward it and sits, long limbs folding with familiar ease, posture relaxed but attentive.
Close enough to the path back. Far enough from the crowd.
You linger on your feet. The breeze brushes against your skin, cool and grounding, and you close your eyes for a second to breathe it in properly.
The night feels wide out here. Open.
You sway just slightlyâ not enough to fall, just enough to remind you that gravity is a concept you are currently negotiating with.
Soâlek watches you without comment.
Alert. Calm. Ready, if needed.
You open your eyes and look back at him. You could sit beside him. You could. The thought exists.
You dismiss it immediately.
Instead, you turn and lower yourself straight down onto the ground between his spread legs, settling back until your shoulders meet the solid line of his thighs with a soft, unceremonious plopâlike this is the most obvious place in the world to sit.
Soâlek stills. Not in alarm. Not in surprise. Just⌠processing.
This was not one of the possibilities he had accounted for.
Youâre seated on the cool earth now, back resting against the space between his knees and hips, framed there by his legs as he sits on the log above you.
The height difference makes the closeness immediate. Unavoidable.
You shift once, wriggle slightly, and settle with a quiet, satisfied sigh, fitting yourself there like you belong.
Then you tilt your head back just enough to look up at him.
âHi,â you say, quietly pleased with yourself.
He exhales through his nose, slow and controlled.
ââŚComfortable?â he asks.
âMm-hm.â
His hands hover for half a heartbeat, unsure where to land.
Then, carefully, deliberately, he rests them on his thighs instead of touching youâgiving you space even as he accepts the closeness.
He doesnât speak right away.
For a moment, he simply sits there, still and alert, measuring Drunk. Unpredictable.
He knows that look in your eyes. He knows how quickly this could become something he has to stop.
âYou didnât have to sit there,â he says at last, quietly.
You smile, eyes half-lidded, voice warm and loose.
âI wanted to.â
That⌠changes things.
Not because it makes it safe. But because it makes it intentional.
He exhales slowly through his nose.
Doesnât move you. Doesnât tell you to shift.
He simply adjusts his posture a fraction on the log, grounding himself, letting his presence frame yoursâ bracing for the moment he might have to say enough.
The breeze moves through the grass around you. The distant music fades in and out, softened by distance and time. For the first time all night, everything feels quiet.
And Soâlek stays exactly where he isâlegs bracketing you, watchful and steadyâ not because heâs relaxed, but because heâs ready.
Because if youâre going to rest anywhere like this, it might as well be somewhere safe. With him.
You sit there for a moment, listening. The breeze moves through the grass in soft waves, cool against your skin.
Ahead of you, the festival still burns brightâbonfires glowing, figures moving in loose rhythm, laughter and drums reaching you softened by distance.
Far enough that faces blur and details fade. Close enough that the light still flickers across the plains.
And you remember.
The couples by the fire. The way hands had rested easily, openly. The closeness youâd watched from a careful distance. The quiet, familiar ache that had followed.
You want to be closer. Not urgently. Not restlessly Just⌠closer.
You shift slightly, testing the space. Soâlek doesnât move. His presence behind you remains steady, solid, unbothered.
You tell yourself itâs fine. Youâre far away now. Much farther than before.
Far enough that the fire is just a glow. Far enough that no one could possibly be paying attention to the two of you.
This isnât really public anymore. Not in any way that matters. And he doesnât mind closeness when itâs just the two of you. He never has. SoâŚ
Surely this is fine. Surely he wouldnât mind. At least⌠that makes perfect sense right now
Before you can overthink it, you lean back and rest your head gently against his thigh.
Bare skin. Warm from the firelight, firm beneath your cheek, a sharp contrast to the cool air brushing your face. The contact registers immediatelyâunavoidable, unmistakable.
Soâlek stills. Not because itâs wrongâ but because itâs unexpected.
He looks down at you, breath catching just enough to feel it. The weight of your head there. The trust of it.
You shift minutely, settling more comfortably, cheek pressing against his thigh with a quiet, contented sigh.
âThere,â you murmur, mostly to yourself.
For a long second, he doesnât move.
Then his breathing evens out again.
Slow. Measured.
ââŚYou alright?â he asks quietly.
You nod, eyes already drifting half-closed.
âYeah,â you murmur.
âThis is⌠nice.â
His hands tighten briefly on his thighsâmuscle flexing beneath your cheekâan instinct checked before it goes anywhere else.
He doesnât touch you. Doesnât pull away either.
Instead, he adjusts his leg just enough to support you better, subtle and careful, like heâs making room without drawing attention to it.
In front of you, the festival carries onâfirelight flickering, music drifting, distant laughter threading through the dark.
Here, though, everything feels still.
Minutes pass. Maybe more. Time is a suggestion right now.
You stay where you are, cheek warm against his thigh, breathing slow and even, enjoying the simple fact that nothing is spinning anymore.
And heâs still not doing anything.
No hand in your hair. No touch. Not even an attempt.
You wait.
Patiently, at first. Then⌠less so.
You shift, a faint huff leaving you.
Slowly, deliberately, you angle your eyes up at himâ not turning your head, just giving him the most unimpressed, sideways look you can manage from where you are.
He meets it immediately.
âSoâlek,â you mumble.
âYes?â
You hold the side-eye for another second, brows knitting in slow, drunk accusation.
Then, very plainly:
âPet me.â
The word hits him harder than it should.
Not because of what it meansâ but because of how easily you say it
No hesitation. No embarrassment. Just an expectation, delivered like this is the most obvious request in the world.
He blinks.
Once.
Then again.
For a moment, he genuinely has no idea what to say
Heâs tired. Heâs had more to drink than he should have.
And he is absolutely not used to you giving him ordersâ especially not ones like that.
His mouth opens. Closes again.
Youâre still looking at him with that same unimpressed, sideways stare, clearly waiting for him to fix whatever mistake heâs made.
He exhales slowly through his nose.
Not annoyed.
Just⌠baffled.
âYou canât justââ he starts, then stops, because he doesnât actually know how to finish that sentence.
He rubs a hand over his face, eyes briefly closing like heâs bracing himself.
Of all the things heâd prepared himself for tonightâ this was not one of them.
He stares at you for another second.
Weighing every possible outcome.
Every possible mistake.
And very clearly deciding that the fastest way out of this situation⌠is to make you fall asleep.
He exhales, long and slow.
âYouâre impossible,â he mutters under his breath
You blink at him, waiting.
Still side-eyeing.
Still offended.
Still very much not moving.
He closes his eyes for half a heartbeat.
Then opens them again.
Fine.
His hand lifts.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Like heâs approaching a very unpredictable animal.
He hesitates just above your headâ one last moment of restraintâ then very carefully settles his fingers into your hair.
Light.
Almost nothing.
He moves them in slow, minimal strokes, the kind meant to calm, not to linger.
âThis is not happening again,â he murmurs quietly, more to himself than to you.
His only goal now is simple.
Get you calm.
Get you sleepy.
And get you back to your tent before you decide to make any more requests like that.
The effect is immediate.
The moment his fingers settle into your hair, something in you relaxes with a quiet, satisfied little hum.
There.
Correct behavior has been restored.
You donât say anything.
You donât need to.
Your eyes drift closed, mouth softening into the faintest, most self-satisfied smile.
Inside your head, a very dangerous conclusion takes shape.
Slowly.
Confidently.
You are winning.
Not in any loud, obvious way.
Just⌠fundamentally.
The mighty, disciplined, terrifying Dog-tag warriorâ undone by a single drunk request and a look.
You would never say it out loud.
But the thought settles warm and triumphant in your chest anyway.
You could get away with anything right now.
Absolutely anything.
For drunk you, the logic is flawless.
You are charming.
You are unstoppable.
And clearlyâŚno one here is immune.
In front of you, the festival carries onâfirelight, music, movementâalive and distant all at once.
Here, though, everything feels still.
Soâlek stays exactly where he is, gaze lifting back toward the glow ahead, fingers still moving in slow, absent strokes through your hair.
Alert.
Softened.
And with the night open before you and the warmth of him grounding you where you rest, the closeness feels exactly right.
Your gaze drifts.
Not deliberately.
Just⌠lazily.
From the firelight ahead, to the line of his thigh beneath your cheek, to the subtle shift of muscle when he breathes, to the warmth of bare skin grounding you more than the cool night air ever could.
Itâs muscular.
Solid.
Warm.
His.
The thought arrives slowly this time.
Not sudden.
Not sharp.
JustâŚpersistent.
You could bite it.
Not hard. Just a little. Just enough to leave a mark.
Just enough toâyouâre not even sure.
You donât move right away. You justâŚtilt your head, barely.
The movement is slow. Careless. Entirely unplanned.
Like something guided more by instinct than by thought.
Your lips drift closer. Not touching. JustâŚhovering.
Close enough that you can feel the heat of his skin.
Close enough that the space between your mouth and his thigh disappears by degrees.
Second by second. Millimeter by millimeter.
Your mouth parts. Slowly. Thoughtlessly.
Soâlek notices.
Not when you first think it. But when your head tilts. When your breathing changes.
When the weight of your cheek shifts.
His fingers still in your hair at once. Completely.
âTamtey,â he says quietly.
Right before your teeth could possibly reach him
You freeze. Completely.
Mouth still open. Head tilted.
So close you can feel the heat of his skin against your breath.
ââŚFuck,â you think distantly.
Not out loud.
Just⌠in the very back of your mind.
You stare straight ahead at the dark. Not at him. Not moving. Still thinking. Still pretending this is something youâre carefully weighing.
Because you tell yourselfâyou donât want to.
You really donât. This is stupid.
Reckless. A terrible idea.
And then the thought follows, quiet and merciless:
Who am I kidding.
Of course you want to.
Not because it means anything. Not because youâre trying to start something.
Just because the impulse is there, loud and undeniable now that youâve stopped lying to yourself about it.
Youâre suddenly very aware of your teeth.
Of how close they are. Of how easy it would be.
And the thought settles, simple and dangerous in your head: You do want to.
Even if you absolutely shouldnât.
You stay frozen for another second.
Then another.
Long enough for the thought to settle. Long enough for the last, useless trace of hesitation to fade.
So you move. Just a little. Not fast. Not reckless.
Just enough to finally close the last fraction of distance between your mouth and his skin.
And thatâs whenâhis hand comes up.
Fingers settling along your jaw, gentle but certain.
He tilts your head back with controlled easeânot forcing, just guiding.
The top of your head presses back against his abdomen, solid and warm, and suddenly your balance belongs entirely to him.
You look up at him.
Your pupils are blown wide, dark and unfocused, the firelight fracturing softly around the edges of your vision.
Up close like this, he looks devastatingly handsomeâfeatures calm, eyes steady, expression caught in that dangerous space between restraint and something sharper.
His thumb shifts. Just slightly.
For a brief, unmistakable moment, his hand slips from your jaw to your throatâ resting there, not tightening, not claiming. Simply there.
The contact sends a quiet jolt through you, low and immediate, curling deep in your body before you can think it through.
You feel it settle warm and heavy, breath hitching despite yourself. So does he.
You see it pass across his faceâgone almost as quickly as it appears.
A flicker. Recognition. Control snapping firmly back into place.
He releases you at once. His hand drops away from your neck like it was never there, like he never felt it too.
But you donât move. You keep your head tipped back, resting against him, eyes still on his.
You donât reach for him. You donât push. You both know better.
Not like this
Not with drink-softened edges and a night thatâs already blurred enough.
Whatever this isâwhatever itâs becomingâit deserves clarity. Choice.
A moment neither of you will question afterward.
You blink at him. Once. Very slowly.
School your expression into something wide-eyed and painfully innocent.
âWhat?â you ask softly.
He doesnât believe you for a second.
Not the tone. Not the timing. Not the way your mouth is still a little too close to where it shouldnât be.
His gaze stays steady on yours.
Unamused. Resigned.
ââŚNo biting,â he says quietly
You hold his gaze for a second longer.
Then lift your brows, all wide-eyed innocence.
âI donât know what youâre talking about.
He doesnât answer. He just lifts one brow. Slowly. Unimpressed.
You lower your head again, resting it back against his thigh. The contact is steadier now, intentional. You breathe, slow and measured, letting the night settle around you again.
You think. Not long. Just enough.
Then you move.
Carefully, you turn where you sit, twisting just enough to face him. You donât stand. You donât rush. You end up close to his knees, the grass cool beneath your hands as you look up at him.
Soâlek is already watching you.
His expression doesnât change muchâstill calm, still composedâbut his attention sharpens in that familiar way, like nothing else exists in this moment but you. Firelight traces the lines of his face, catching in his eyes.
For a second, neither of you speaks. Not because thereâs nothing to say, but because this feels like one of those moments where saying anything might break it.
You study him, quiet now, the drunken mischief in you settling into something more thoughtful.
He waits. Patient. Watchful. Bracing, just slightly, for whatever you decide to do next.
You hold his gaze.
Thereâs something thoughtful in the way you look at him now, something quieter than before. Not asking. Not pushing. Just⌠present.
Your lips part like you might say something.
You donât.
After a moment, you glance away, then back again, the smallest smile touching your mouthâsoft, knowing, restrained.
He studies you for a beat longer.
Long enough to decide something.
Then he exhales slowly, the tension easing out of his shoulders.
âCome here,â he says quietly.
Not an order. Not a pull. Just an invitation.
You hesitate. Only a second.
Then shift closer, obeying without quite realizing youâre doing it, moving into the space between his knees.
His hand comes up immediately. Not to stop you.
Just to settle at the back of your neck, warm and firm, guiding you the last inch forward with infuriating ease.
Controlled. Effortless.
Payback.
You look up at him again, suddenly very aware that the balance of this moment has shifted.
That maybeâ just maybeâ youâre not the only one allowed to cause trouble tonight.
He doesnât smile.
But thereâs something unmistakably satisfied in his eyes.
You look at his face firstâcalm and intent, eyes steady on yours.
Up this close, itâs impossible not to notice how little space there is between you now.
The warmth of his hand at the back of your neck.
The solid line of his knees bracketing you.
Without quite meaning to, your gaze drifts.
Just a little.
From his eyes, to his mouth, to the line of his throat, to the broad plane of his chest.
Then lower.
The way heâs seated on the log, legs braced, posture relaxed but unmistakably solid. The quiet span of him around you.
Your eyes dip to his loincloth, to the subtle, unavoidable implication of whatâs beneath it.
And the thought that follows is⌠decidedly not polite.
Itâs quick.
Unfiltered.
Warm and sharp and entirely inappropriate for the amount of alcohol still humming in your blood.
Your eyebrow lifts before you can stop it, a faint, betraying reaction to your own imagination.
Oh.
The realization hits just as fast as the thought itself:
heâs looking at you too.
You snap your gaze away at once, schooling your expression like youâve just remembered yourself. The firelight suddenly seems very interesting. Very safe.
For half a heartbeat, nothing happens.
Thenâ
Soâlekâs mouth curves.
Just a little.
Not a grin. Not anything heâd ever show in front of a crowd. Just the faintest smirk tugging at one corner of his lips, gone almost as soon as it appearsâlike a reflex he didnât bother stopping.
He caught it.
The realization lands warm and embarrassing all at once.
When you dare to look back up at him, heâs composed again, expression smooth, eyes steady on yours like nothing happened.
Like he didnât just see straight through you.
But the smirk lingers in his eyes.
Amused.
Knowing.
You feel heat creep up your neck and huff out a quiet breath, shaking your head slightly like youâre scolding yourself.
He tilts his head a fraction, clearly entertained.
The festival continues in front of youâfirelight, movement, distant soundâbut the space between you feels charged now, humming with the shared understanding of a thought you never said out loudâŚ
âŚand the fact that he absolutely noticed anyway.
You risk a glance back up at him.
Thatâs when you see it.
The smirk is still thereâsmall, restrainedâbut thereâs something warmer beneath it now. Amusement, yes. But also⌠something gentler. Flattered, in a way he doesnât quite bother hiding.
Like he hadnât expected that thought from you.
Like heâs not immune to it.
His eyes soften as they hold yours, the sharp edge of humor easing into something quieter, more intimate. He exhales through his nose, a breath that sounds almost like a huff of laughter he decided to keep to himself.
âSo,â he murmurs, low enough that itâs meant only for you, âthatâs where your mind went.â
Thereâs no reproach in it. No warning.
Just acknowledgment.
The warmth creeps up your neck again, but this time it meets something steadierâsomething groundingâin the way he looks at you. Like heâs not bothered. Like heâs⌠pleased.
His thumb taps once against the log beneath him, an unconscious tell.
âIâll take it as a compliment.â
The words are simple, but the way he says themâquiet, controlled, just a little amusedâmakes your stomach flutter all over again.
He doesnât move closer.
He doesnât pull away either.
He just keeps looking at you like thatâlike the thought didnât scare him, didnât offend him, didnât cross a line so much as brush up against one heâs very deliberately choosing to respect.
And the fact that heâs flattered by it?
That might be the most dangerous part of all.
You see it settle.
Not in anything he saysâhe doesnât need toâbut in the way his expression stays easy, untroubled. Amused, yes. A little flattered. And importantly⌠not closed off.
You recognize that look.
Itâs the one he gets when heâs decided something quietly and moved on from it.
He accepted it. Not because it was appropriate. Not because it was invited. But because it was you.
Because youâre a little drunk, a little loose around the edgesâand because you didnât act on it. You didnât reach. You didnât say anything out loud.
You just⌠thought it. And thoughts happen.
Especially like this. Especially tonight.
The understanding settles something in you.
The heat of embarrassment fades into something softer, steadier. You donât feel reprimanded. You donât feel foolish. If anything, you feel oddly⌠safe.
Seen, but not judged.
You shift your gaze away again, calmer this time, the corner of your mouth lifting just slightly like youâre acknowledging it privately.
Okay, you think.
Noted.
Moving on.
Life moving on.
And between you, the line holds.
Clear.
Intact.
Whatever passed between you just now doesnât need to be resolved or explained. Itâs already been understoodâfiled away with everything else the two of you carry quietly between you.
You stay where you are, grounded again.
And Soâlek stays exactly as he isâamused, a little flattered, and very deliberately choosing to let that be enough for tonight.
And something in you finally⌠eases.
The tension you hadnât realized you were holding loosens in your chest. The heat of embarrassment fades into something softer, heavier.
Tired.
Content.
You let out a quiet sigh.
Not frustrated.
Not disappointed.
Just⌠done thinking about it.
And without making a decision so much as following an instinct, you lean forward and wrap your arms around him.
Soâlek exhales.
He hesitatesâjust long enough to decide not to stop you.
And without making a decision so much as following an instinct, you lean forwardâŚ
Itâs slow, measuredâthe sound of a decision made quietly.
He shifts his weight and eases himself down from the log to the grass, movements careful so he doesnât dislodge you. When he settles, itâs closeâright there with youâbringing himself to your level without breaking the hold you already have on him.
You donât let go.
Your arms stay wrapped around him, firm and sure, as you follow the movement instinctively. You turn into him fully, head coming to rest against his shoulder, face burying into the warm curve of his neck.
Your breath ghosts against his skin as you settle there, clinging without apology.
He stills for a moment.
Then his arm comes around you, secure and steady, drawing you closer until youâre half-lying against him, tucked neatly into his chest. His shoulder supports your head, his body a solid line behind and beside you, grounding you completely.
You sigh softly, content.
You recognize it for what it is.
Even if itâs private.
Even if itâs just the two of you, away from everyone elseâ you got what you wanted after all.
The closeness.
The quiet.
The right to rest like this.
Soâlek lowers his chin just slightly, breath warm against your hair. He doesnât speak. He doesnât need to. His hold is answer enough, firm and patient, letting you stay exactly where you chose.
And so you do.
For a long, quiet while, you stay wrapped up in him like thisâface hidden, arms tight, body slowly loosening as the night settles around you.
And wrapped up in him like thisâface hidden, arms tight, body relaxedâyou donât feel the need to want anything more.
âŚ
For a while, you simply breathe together.
Then, without lifting your head, you mumble, voice thick with sleep and alcohol,
ââŚCome sleep with me.â
Soâlek stills.
This time, itâs immediate.
Not startled.
Just very, very alert.
He looks down at you, really looks at you nowâeyes half-closed, limbs heavy, trust written plainly in the way youâre curled into him like this is the safest place you know.
âHere?â he asks quietly.
You shake your head against his chest, a small, impatient movement. âNo. My tent.â
A pause.
Not long.
But careful.
âYou mean⌠to sleep,â he says, deliberately.
Not accusing.
Not assuming.
Just testing the ground.
You frown faintly, as if the clarification itself is exhausting.
âYes,â you mumble. âSleep. Youâre warm. And I donât want to walk alone.â
Simple.
Dangerously simple.
His jaw tightens just a fraction.
Not because he doesnât want to.
Because he understands exactly what youâre asking now.
Not sex.
Not a line crossed.
But something that looks an awful lot like a line from the outside.
âTamtey,â he says quietly.
You shift, finally lifting your head just enough to look at him, eyes unfocused but earnest.
âJust⌠stay,â you say. âWith me. In my bed.â
Thereâs no seduction in it.
Just tired honesty.
And that might be the hardest version of the request to refuse.
You cling to him for another second, clearly satisfied with the agreement.
Then you pull back just enough to look up at him.
Your eyes flick briefly to his arms.
Then back to his face.
ââŚCarry me?â you ask, hopeful and completely unashamed.
Soâlek just looks at you.
Flat.
Unmoved.
Entirely unimpressed.
âYou can walk fine,â he says.
You blink. ââŚRude.â
âYou walked out here,â he replies calmly. âYou danced. You won a drinking game.â
âThat was earlier.â
He lifts a brow. âFive minutes ago.â
You pout at him, clearly offended by both the accuracy and the tone.
âIâm very tired now.â
He watches you for another beat, then shifts his weight and stands, offering you a hand instead.
âUp.â
You stare at the hand like itâs betrayed you.
ââŚYouâre the worst,â you mumble, but you take it anyway.
He pulls you up easily, steadying you when you sway just a little more than you meant to. His grip doesnât tighten, but he doesnât let go either, keeping you close enough that you canât tip over without him noticing.
âYouâre doing fine,â he says, dry.
You lean into him immediately, arm looping around his waist like youâre making a point. âSee? Basically carried.â
âThatâs walking,â he corrects.
You huff, dramatic and tired, and rest your forehead briefly against his shoulder before straightening again.
âIf I fall, itâs your fault.â
He snorts quietly. âYou wonât.â
And annoyingly⌠heâs right.
You start toward the camp together at an unhurried pace, his steps matched to yours without comment. His hand stays at your back, light but ready, guiding rather than holding you up.
The festival behind you is nearly done nowâfires low, voices sparse and sleepy. Ahead, the horizon has begun to pale just slightly, the promise of dawn threading into the night.
You yawn, long and unguarded, leaning into him again as you walk.
ââŚYouâre staying,â you remind him, just in case.
He doesnât look down at you when he answers.
âI said I would.â
And somehow, even more than being carried, thatâs what makes you feel safe enough to keep going.
The camp is mostly quiet by the time you reach your tent. The last of the fires burn low, voices reduced to murmurs and the occasional laugh drifting on the breeze. Soâlek ducks inside after you, careful not to jostle you as the world narrows down to canvas walls and dim, familiar shadows.
You barely make it two steps before you turn back into him again.
âHere,â you mumble, already reaching for him like gravity has decided heâs the only stable thing left.
He hums in acknowledgment and eases you down onto the bedding, following after without hesitation. The space is small, warm, smelling faintly of smoke and fabric and you.
He settles on his side. And the moment heâs there, you curl into him like itâs instinct.
Your arms wrap around his torso. Your head tucks beneath his chin. Your body presses close, seeking every bit of warmth he has to offer. You snuggle in deeper, like youâre trying to melt right through him and disappear there.
âMm,â you murmur, already half gone.
Soâlek adjusts automatically, one arm sliding around your back, the other braced beneath you so youâre fully supported. He shifts just enough to keep you comfortable, to make sure your weight is settled, your breathing easy.
You sigh once, long and content. Then⌠nothing.
Sleep takes you quickly, decisively, the alcohol finally giving way to exhaustion. Your grip loosens but doesnât let go, breath evening out against his chest, face warm against his skin.
Soâlek stays awake for a while. He listens to your breathing. Counts it without meaning to. His thumb traces slow, absent lines along your backânothing deliberate, nothing demanding.
Just reassurance. Presence.
His thoughts drift. About the night. About restraint. About how easily you trusted him with this.
Eventually, the tension heâs been holding all evening eases out of him too. His breathing slows, his hand stilling where it rests against your back.
He lets his eyes close.
And wrapped around each other in the quiet of the tent, with dawn waiting patiently beyond the canvas,
sleep takes him as wellâ soft and unguarded, exactly like the night deserves to end.
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: Sorry for the wait, collage, exams and seasonal depression has been kicking my ass, but I managed to write this. I'll try to write more in a timely fashion, but i cant promise anything
Part 1, part 2, part 3 (work in progress...)
If you want to be added to the tag list, or I forgot someone, please comment or dm me <3
And so, the courting began. Soâlek showed you how to make special arrows out of spare parts, acrid and sulphur pods. He guided you through hunts, trained with you to be able to shoot in motion, instead of standing around, waiting to be shot. And with every waking moment, you grew closer. So close that you ended up here.
âWould you like to take a quick flight with me?â his deep voice rumbled softly from where he sat beside you next to the fire. The day had been long, filled with hunting and practice, all under his watchful eyes. You were, by all means, exhausted, chasing after sturmbeest all across the forest, but youâd be a fool if you passed up an opportunity to spend time with ever elusive Soâlek.
âIâd like that,â you smiled, watching him stand up, his outstretched hand a silent offering of help. You grasped it, feeling his warm callous skin against yours as he hoisted you up. Stumbling slightly, your chest bumped into his with a quiet huff of a laugh, his eyes softening. Without a word, you both turned, his arm finding purchase around your back, hand between your shoulder blades as he guided you where your two ikran snuggled in the grass.
âWow, I almost feel bad pulling them apart,â you joked, making Soâlek huff out another silent laugh. With a quiet âdonât worry about themâ, he moved towards them. Both of you climbed on the backs of each of your ikran, and with a powerful flap of their wings, you flew up into the cool night air.
The night air felt wonderful. The wind was just the right speed when soaring, just the right temperature to not sweat but not be cold and the moisture enough to make you feel alive. Pandora, as a whole, made you feel alive. No more cramped walls, no stale air that made you chronically lightheaded because of the weird ratio of oxygen and way less carbon dioxide. You learned that with Alma back in TAP days. That humans found the air on Pandora toxic due to high levels of carbon dioxide, as well as hydrogen sulphide. So, in the labs, they had to have their special, more oxygenated air, uncaring about the Naâviâs discomfort.
But this wasnât the night to think about TAP. At least not yet. For now, it was just you and Soâlek soaring through the night, sky littered with hundreds of thousands of stars blinking down at you both. Easy laughter filled the quiet atmosphere, the happy screeching of your ikran as they bobbed closer and father in a playful game.
It wasnât until you saw the green peaks of the Rising Spires that you finally touched down. Landing at the highest peak, you watched as Soâlek jumped from his ikran, before he made his way over. Without a word, his hand stuck out for you to take. You found his eyes in the dark, giant and yellow like liquid gold, his pupils blown out. His face was clear of the colourful war paint he sometimes wore, the striking, dark blue markings on his forehead ever-present. He even went out of his way to change from that damaged tactical vest hung with his infamous dog tags, to a simple harness with a knife at his chest. Overall, the whole situation felt more intimate than it probably should.
But you just smiled, taking his large hand in yours, allowing him to ease you off your ikran, looking up at him. Without letting go, he stepped away, your hand firmly in his grasp as he led you towards the edge. With one last look back at your ikran, you grinned upon seeing them playfully nip and screech at each other.
âThis is lovely,â you grinned at Soâlek, swinging your hands as he guided you towards the edge. You both sat down, thighs touching as you sat. The nature was truly breathtaking. The blues and purples of the bioluminescent forest softly gleaming underneath you two, the colours vibrant but not overwhelming. The stars twinkling above you, the giant planet and the two moons adorning the sky like jewels.
âI wish I grew up under these stars instead of the metal ceiling in our shared room. We didnât even have windows at TAP. All I ever saw above me was the metal ceiling or the support rods of the bunk bed above. Mercer always said Pandora was a vicious land that would devour us the moment we stepped out. And Teylan believed him, but the rest of usâŚwe knew that Pandora was our home, that Mercer didnât âsaveâ us from the world outside. But he needed us to think that,â your words came out quiet, not daring to look at Soâlek, or else the waterfalls would start. âAnd I wish things were different. I wish they didnât keep us from what is rightfully ours. This land that made us, while fierce, is ours. And Iâll never forgive him for what heâs taken from us all these years.â
After your confession, you stared out into the dark for a moment before turning your head to catch Soâlekâs eyes. You didnât expect him to be looking straight at you, you thought heâd look off into the distance like you. Instead, he held your teary gaze with intent. âMercer and the RDA had no right to strip you of what you are. But you, Sarentu, are more powerful thank you think. All of you. Being able to push through what happened to you, able to rise from the ashes and become a powerful, young Naâvi like yourselves is no easy feat. And itâs all a testament to your stubborn clan. Their easy adaptability is what made you able to rise up.â
His words shook something in you. Your heart sat heavy in your chest, his words filling the hollow feel in your ribs. His hand never left yours, only tightened now, bringing you back to reality. âKeep yourself safe, Sarentu. You are the future of your clan.â  Â
At that, silence stretched between you. Soâlek pretty much knew the basics of what happened to you from Riânela, chunks of denial from Alma and always complaining Nor. But rarely from you.
âI was a hunter in the Trrâong clan before the war. A good one. My father was a proud man, and my mother was a weaver. When the war broke out and Toruk Makto showed up, my mother begged me not to go, but I went anyways. I followed my mentor and we fought fiercely. In the end the war was in our favour, with Eywa herself stepping in. My clan, however, was not spared,â he opened up after a long, comfortable silence. Your head turned, looking to see if he was watching you. This time it was him who was looking off into the distance. You didnât say anything, words stuck in your throat, but even then, you were aware that he was going to continue, words for you unnecessary.
âI was 25 years old when I was left alone. Stragglers from my clan scattered into surrounding clans, never to be seen again. I sought out Eywa to guide me, and she showed me a man. The founder of our clan, like youâve seen yours when you touched the Tarsyu flower with your friends. And he urged me to go into the world, not to wallow in despair, but become something. In my travels Iâve stayed with many clans, each teaching me something about myself and the world. Anurai clan and their craftmanship, Tipani clan and their war gear and sighting styles or Tawkami clan and their knowledge. They all taught me something, things Iâm now teaching you. Herbology, fighting style, resourcefulness,â he explained carefully, nodding his head to himself before slightly turning it, catching your eye in the corner of his.
âI was captured by the RDA when I journeyed through this very forest, after I took down one of their helicopters. It was then that I met AlexâŚyes, our AlexâŚAnd he helped me out of my cell. And we took out the base, killing everyone inside. I took their dog tagsâŚthatâs how it started. And after that he led me to the Resistance, where I joined them, taught the poor scientists how to fight, speak our language and later on, I went to help Alma retrieve you guys from the TAP baseâŚthatâsâŚyou now know everything. No more secrets,â he finished his story, his head finally turning to look at you, his eyes almost expectant while his face stayed blank.
You couldnât help but smile softly. You knew Soâlek was a private person. It was rare for anyone to know his whole story. He wasnât one to open up easily. And thatâs why this felt so much more meaningful. Taking you away, taking you on a joy flight to the spires, showing you the beauty of the Pandoran night and then opening up. You wanted to cry, scream, laugh and jump all at the same time, overwhelmed by all the emotions coursing through your veins.
âThank you, SoâlekâŚfor opening up to me. I know you like your privacyâŚthatâs why it means a lot to me,â you gave a wry smile, squeezing his large hand before he intertwined your fingers, nodding his head with a soft smile of his own. âNo problem, sevin,â he hummed back.
Yet another confirmation of your growing infatuation with the beautiful man next to you. And on that sweet note, the night continued easy. Laying in the grass, him pointing out the stars, hushed conversations and the distant screech or your ikran.
âThere are two new sites, I was going to go there, and Iâd like it if you could take the other one. Itâs west of here in the Shadow Wood. Just south of the Tangled Stream. One is a Horizontal miner and the other is a Gas extraction plant. Big sites. It would be great if you could help,â Soâlek said, catching you just as you skipped down the stairs from the sleeping quarters down to ask about any new tasks. You nodded slowly, staring at his face as cogs turned in your head. If youâd come, youâd get an excuse to spend time with him on the way, youâd show him what new things youâve learned, and you could find some RDA artefacts to give him as a courting gift. It was the perfect plan, and it wasnât even you who came up with it.
âSure! That sounds great!â you chirped excitedly, watching him smile and walk past with a mumble of âIâll wait outside for youâ. Your eyes found Riânela across the room, giving you a knowing smile and nod. She knew of your escapade with Soâlek from the previous night, mostly because you yapped her ear off after you returned. And just as you turned, Priya jumped at you.
âHI GIRL!â the human squealed as she looked around before she motioned for you to bend down to her height. âIs it true you finally want to date Soâlek? I overheard you and Riânela gossiping yesterday. Sorry, not sorry! Hehe! I think thatâs really super cute! You should absolutely go for it, ohmigosh! He wants you as well so bad! Like, you can absolutely see it! Dude is absolutely ready to devour you! Go for it, girlie pop. If you ever need anything or you just want to vent or gossip, Iâm here. Whenever!â Her wide excited grin almost blinded you. You wanted to keep this courting journey relatively secret, but Priya knowing was the least of your concerns. After all, she was probably the closest human to your heart. Sure, Alex was nice, Raj okay, Anqa was fun, you werenât sure if Alma counted as a human or Naâvi, probably neither, but Priya was your favourite. She matched your energy, your humour and awkwardness. You two were like two sides of the same coin. One human, one Naâvi.
You grinned at her back, nodding your head before rushing after Soâlek. You grabbed your bow and quiver, attaching it to the back of your silk loincloth, gift from Nefika after she insulted your Resistance given loincloth and tactical vest. As the airlock opened, Soâlek was already outside, tying a saddle to his ikran Iley, while your Katir sat patiently next to them, already prepped. It was a small gesture of prepping your ikran as well, but to you it screamed 'I want youâ. His war paint was back, orange and green blooming over the rich blue of his skin. The simple leather harness exchanged for his usual tactical vest. The metal on the front scratched up and colourful metal tags hanging over them like badges of honour.
âSomeone was bored,â you grinned at him, approaching your mount, humming as she pressed her massive face into your hands for pats.
âJust wanted to make sure we were prepared,â he hummed, turning away, but not before your delusional mind made up the purple flush on his cheeks, the twitch of his ear and a slash of his tail. You really wish it implied what you hope. The gentle, subtle courting of the Naâvi. Small acts of service to make oneâs life easier was common, but probably not what Soâlek was attempting to do. But a girl can dream, right?
âLetâs go, Sarentu. We want to clear them out as soon as possible. The flight itself will take at least an hour,â Soâlek grumbled, looking over his shoulder at you one last time before climbing on his ikranâs back. âLast one there hunts dinner.â Your mouth fell open at his words, staring as a teasing smile stretched on his lips just as he took off into the air. You remember well the same words you told him when making your way home from the Rising Spires escapade. Jumping off the edge, letting Katir catch you and then racing back to the HQ as fast as you could. In the end he lost and had to hunt for a hexapede the next evening. Seems this time he had no intention of doing so again.
âOh, hell no!â you laughed heartily, using the human term of âhellâ that you picked up during your days in TAP. Hell was no concept for you, given Eywa is all loving and all is Eywa. But that didnât matter when it came to cool words. So, with that you jumped on the back of your ikran, your kurus connecting in a quick flash before you were both soaring into the clear blue sky.
It didnât take long for you to catch up. You were aware that after his first bond, he tried to not push his ikran into too extreme situations unless necessary. Allowing him to take it easy. Thatâs why it was so easy to catch up. Your ikran mirrored the excitable temperament you view in yourself, pushing herself and rushing into everything with you on her back.
âWoohoo! Come on, Katir! Leave these bums in the dust!â you screamed over the wind, through your tsaheylu feeling Katirâs wing brush Ileyâs when passing, your eyes finding Soâlekâs surprised face before a small competitive look glazed over the liquid gold of his eyes. You could hear him gently ushering his ikran to catch up, but even with that he was no match.
You could see the hometree towering over the forest in the distance, bonded ikran of the Aranahe circling the top before sitting into the heavy branches of the tree. Under you, the rivers rushed far below, calls of near by animals barely audible over the wind in your ears. Your eyes found the crashes RDA sites under you, a drill youâve taken down days prior, already blooming with Eywaâs flora, and a larger outpost youâve taken on upon the request of the locals for being too close to the hometree. It wasnât difficult that one. Youâve long learned the power of human ignorance when picking them off one by one, always behind the shroud of objects in their view and true aim to the weak spots of their stupid AMP suits. They always thought they were invincible, but one shot to the exhaust on their backs and it was all over. Even better, since your arrows are silent like the night.
It didnât take long for the floating mountains to come into your viewpoint. They were always just there, in the background, looming proudly over the whole of Kinglor forest, but now they were close. You could feel the water spraying at your skin, the swarms of insect buzzing around the greenery of the rocks. And just beyond the floating rubble sat the two eye sores, just there, hiding in the withered, polluted life of Pandora. The sickly orange-brown hue of the area, that mustâve previously boomed with life, made you almost want to cry. Cry and scream. You didnât know this land before TAP, but your heart still ached for what those sky demons have done to a land so pure.
âWhich one do you want?â Soâlek called out over the wind, urging his bonded to fly closer to scream less. His eyes found yours momentarily before you looked off, comparing the two outposts. âIâll take that one!â you screamed back, pointing at the similarly sized outpost more west, closer to the river. You watched him nod before he veered off. You watched him guide Iley downwards, his braided hair flying behind like it was paid to make him look powerful. You could faintly make out the large scars on his back under the war paint, sweat and tactical vest. If you didnât want to fly after him and take a bite, you werenât sure what else you could possibly want. But this was not the time for a dirty mind. This was time to focus and rip that filthy cement hellhole to shreds.
You and Katir touched down close to the plant, worried about being shot at, just like when you accidentally passed the absolutely massive Laser ore processor up north by the cliffsides. You remembered Soâlek very explicitly telling you to steer clear if you value your life, and you tried, but apparently to the RDA you were still too close, and missiles were clearly the correct reaction. Note the sarcasm when you thought that in hindsight. So that night you were knocked into the Black basin and Katir was sulking until you bribed her with a piece of lean nantang meat. And since then, you steered clear of large outposts in fear of being shot down, but this time with no water to save you.
âThatâs the Horizontal miner Charlie. The name pretty much explains what it does. Just three steps and its out of service. Go into the control room and rip into the control panel. Then, stop the cooling feed, just turn the wheel like usual. And then last but not least, shut down the grinders. The switch is in that building way back. Good luck, girl. Just call me up if you need me.â You smiled absentmindedly at Priyaâs sweet, cheery voice. She was always so full of energy, you truly think you found a soulmate in her. But if sheâs on the comms with you, then that means that poor Soâlek received Teylan. And while Teylan is a very knowledgeable guide, heâs too knowledgeable. And he will tell you ever tiny fun fact he can think of. Entertaining, but painfully hindering during a high-risk mission. But you also knew Soâlek has a softer heart for him and would tell him off gently.
So, with that you ventured in, climbing the tall wall carefully, taking out the defenceless humans first, before carefully picking off the lumbering AMP suits. Some with perfectly aimed arrows, some with haphazardly placed bombs and some by hand. It didnât take long for the control room to be wrecked and the water pump to be closed off. All that was left were two AMP suits in that one building and that one switch. You were crouched down, heavy bow drawn tight, aimed perfectly at the exhaust of the towering hunk of metal, just to breathe out and fire.
Except right when you were about to do that, the radio on your shoulder grumbled to life with Soâlekâs voice. âIâm finished here. Iâll head back to the HQ now, maybe hunt something for dinner on the way. Take care.â You gasped, the arrow on the string slipping out of your hand, barely swishing past the AMP suit that whirled around in your direction, the arrow hitting a wall behind it and cluttering quietly to the ground. You dove down the stairs, sliding into the dark corner under the metal stairs. âWhat was that?â the man in the suit called out as he stared where you were. You held your breath, focusing your senses to try and hear him, feel him through the metal. It took several minutes and finally hearing his footsteps to finally crawl out and try again. When you get home, youâve got couple firm words to say to somebody. Probable Priya or Teylan for keeping your radio so loud.
In the end it took two simple shots to the vulnerable exhaust in both the AMP suits, yanking down the lever and ducking into the armoury to hide from the explosions. You watched with a grin as the tall building exploded, a giant hole carved into its side. Turning around, you were greeted with the usual treasures. Keeping quiet had its perks. Like not giving the humans time to evacuate in advance and leaving everything behind. Opening the boxed you found everything from more guns, some shin guards that would definitely be too small on you, made with human legs in mind. Some pare parts you could use for anything, notes about the operation and some other useless junk.
But you could feel the grin stretch on your lips when your eyes fell on the computer in the centre of the room. Exactly what you were looking for. You knew Soâlek would kill for the duty roster you could pull out of that machine. You stalked towards the computer, your fingers finding the flash drive clasped to your silk loincloth, sliding it into the port before you started to tap away at the flat glass that held the holographic keyboard. Moments later, you yanked out the flash drive with the names and stations downloaded, before you were off to fly back home.
Youâve given Soâlek this flash drive at least 3 other times before, but this was different. Because this was the next step of your courting ritual. Subtle gift giving. Gifts that show you listen. Thatâs what Nor said to do. You already started step one, which was opening up to him. Letting him hear your pain, while he let you in on his. Now it was onto giving. Thinking back, you were pretty much gave him your presence and subtle love actions like brushing against him, searching for him in the crowd or sitting next to him at dinners.
So, he basically already knew you were in love with him! This is going to be easy. You snorted to yourself as you walked through the HQ airlock, setting your bow and quiver down by the wall before approaching the small alcove where Soâlek was restringing his bow.
âHey, Soâlek!â you called with a grin, skipping over, hands clutching the flash drive behind your back. His head raised, yellow eyes peering over his eyelashes as a small smile graced his weary features. âHello, Sarentu. Iâm sorry I didnât wait for you back there. I thought it would be more useful if Iâd go back to the HQ and make dinner. Theres sturmbeest roasting with nectar from the Great roots. How did the mission go for you?â he asked gently, finally managing to restring the bow and lean back to examine his work. His tactical vest was still on, but you guessed heâd take it off before dinner like he started doing lately.
âIt was okay. Went fine until it didnât,â you joked, making his head snap up in alarm, eyeing you frantically for injuries but finding none. You had to supress a smile before continuing. âIâm not injured. Certain someone just called through my obnoxiously loud radio just as I was about to take down an AMP. But itâs fine. He didnât see me. Ill just go have couple words after this with the two amazing technics on site.â You grinned, watching his ears swivel back, apologetic look on his face. âI apologise, sevin. I wasnât aware you were near the enemy. Will do better next time.â You had a hard time to not melt over his apology. He was too sweet for your good.
âNah, donât worry about it. I like when you give me updates and besides, Iâm fine, see? And! I got you a little something something.â You grinned as you revealed the flash drive in your palm. His eyebrow muscles moved up as his face morphed back into the smile that momentarily vanished before. âThank you. You know how much this means to me.â He hummed, taking the flash drive from your palm and held it to his chest, nodding in thanks. You beamed back before bouncing off to tell off Priya and Teylan for making your radio so loud. But for today, mission of courting Soâlek accomplished! He absolutely most definitely understood that you want him really bad from a gift youâve been giving him before you even decided to court him! Hell to the yes, baby!
summary: now returned home, so'lek has become so distant he has disappeared. who was he to abandon you when you could not run to find him?
contents: solek x fem!aranahereader, angst, fighting, injury, mild kissing, sad times
notes: yay!! i wrote the next part. i was conflicted making this the last part but there is something i so desperately want to add (perhaps from the ashes) but i am scared to ruin the pacing so it is gonna be in the next part. (and if y'all dont want some good ole angst i won't ruin the story for y'all)
masterlist / previous part / next part
Hometree rose beyond the distance, its large leafy silhouette beginning to reveal itself in the distance. Its roots curled into the forest floor, wrapped in bioluminescent vines that moved with the people. Soon, the sounds of hometree reach your ears, the calls of your people, the rustle of the leaves, the fires crackling.
You wanted to feel a relief.
Yet your body was agonizingly heavy.
A woven mat looped between two thick logs waited at the entrance, worked into a makeshift stretcher. You had been cradled into Soâlekâs chest for the entirety of the long trip back. Your fingers clenched to his vest, unable to trust your own body anymore.
You couldnât find comfort in that time though. Not when Soâlekâs body was as rigid as stone, his muscles wound so tight you were certain they would snap.
Eetu and Soâlek lowered you onto the cot with painstaking care. As if the air itself may hurt you if the wind was too harsh. Eetu murmured soft reassurances, but they barely reached you. Everything was quiet compared to the aching pain that radiated through your leg, up from your ankle and deep into your hip. It anchored so deep into your bones you feared it had decided to live there permanently.
Soâlek was close by the entire time.
His hands lingered too long on your shoulder as you were shifted towards the healerâs circle. His presence hovered as you were lowered to the ground, crouching beside you close enough you could feel the heat radiating off him.
Yet he barely looked your way.
He only spoke when he spoken to.
Etuwaâs hands grazed across your bandages, assessing the ways the Zeswaâs work. âShe cannot bear weight,â She spoke softly. âNot for some time.â
âI know.â Soâlek replied. His voice controlled, even.
Etuwa glanced up at him, her expression tightening. âShe will heal here. She is safe here.â
Safe.
The words felt hollow. Meaningless.
You stared up towards the colourful drapes above you, light filtering through them in soft, shifting hues. The glow should have made you feel peace. Instead, it did nothing to ease the tightening knot in your stomach
Soâlek shifted beside you, his arm grazing you just enough to make you shiver.
âShe will need assistance.â Etuwa continued. âConstantly, and I cannot promise I will be here at all hours.â
âI will make arrangements.â He spoke.
You slowly turned your head towards him. Just enough to see his figure in the corner of your eye. He stood stiff and unmoving, hands clasped tightly in front of him, gaze facing anywhere but you.
He never looked at you.
It stung more than you wanted to admit.
âYou are speaking as if I am not here.â You murmured. Your voice came out gruff and coarse. The winds drying your throat.
Etuwa startled slightly, she hadnât realised you were awake. âAh I apologise.â She stood up wiping her knees. âI will return soon with fresh herbs.â
The space cleared quickly as she left. A daunting silence that clouded the room. Once again it was just the two of you.
Soâlek shifted, adjusting the mat beneath you, smoothing out creases that didnât matter. He arranged your belongings in your reach with meticulous care. Every movement he made was precise and thoughtful.
Yet he was so distant.
âThankyou.â You mumbled quietly.
Soâlek paused briefly, and for a tortuously brief moment you thought he might finally look at you. Instead, he simply nodded. âRest now.â
He turned after, moving toward the exit of the healerâs circle. Still no glance. No soft reassurances. No lingering glances. Just his broad silhouette walking away.
Walking away from you.
As if staying had become too much.
Your mouth twisted into a pained frown as the confusion and heartbreak began blooming in your chest.
He paused for just a second in the doorway, his hands slightly trembling. For just a heartbeat you thought heâd turn back.
Then the curtain fell closed with a final sound.
Your eyes stayed fixed on the curtain long after he was gone. A creeping deluded desperation gnawing inside of you.
The silence and solitary felt suffocating as you heard the faint sounds of hometree moving around you. But you remained anchored to the mat, unable to do anything but lay there and listen.
Thoughts ran through your head.
Heâll be back later.
He is just tired.
He wouldnât just leave like that.
They clouded your consciousness. Swarming your brain to the point a dull headache churned inside your skull. It started to settle in that you were now finally home. Those six weeks stuck with the Zeswa now becoming a memory.
And yet, you couldnât shake the feeling that nothing had truly changed but where you were now forced to lie.
Time moved strangely. The world moved around you yet you felt as if you were frozen in place.
Hours and minutes bled into each other until the difference between day and night blurred. Light shifted through the woven drapes, but you were never bothered to open your eyes. All you could do was sleep. Only awake for when Etuwa or Eetu came by to aid you.
You were grateful but you couldnât help but let your thoughts stray to Soâlek.
He had not returned.
Etuwa came and went, it was the only way you grasped onto fleeting time. She worked gently, her hands firm and careful replacing the herbs and bandages that seemed to fuse into your skin.
âHe will being fresh water later.â She said adjusting the mat below you, fluffing the soft pillow below your head.
âSoâlek?â You asked, naively hopeful.
Etuwa frowned slightly shaking her head. âNo, Eetu shall come.â
You let out a sigh nodding. You were grateful for your peopleâs support, however you were unable to shake off the lingering blooms of disappointment within you.
Eetu came by just as dusk was approaching. A bright smile on his face, a carved cup on his hands.
He crouched beside you his expression warm. âDid you sleep well?â
âNot particularly.â You admitted.
His expression faltered for just a moment. âAhâŚâ He set the water beside you. âGood sleep will come.â
You huffed, facing your head towards the ceiling. âIt is hard to sleep when you areâŚdisplaced.â
Eetu tilted his head, a hand coming to rest on your shoulder. âIt is hard to be home again. Especially when you return changed.â
The words were heavy
Changed.
You glanced down at your leg. Its ugliness concealed in layers of thick leaf bandages and bindings that began to feel more like restraint than protection.
âHave you seen Soâlek recently?â you asked trying to move the conversation along.
Eetu hesitated for a brief moment.
âI saw him when he brought you home.â He said slowly. âHe spoke with Etuwa, he said he had matters to attend to.â
Your heart sank, inhaling a deep breath. âMatters.â
 âYes.â He shrugged. âThe forest does not simply pause because one of us is injured.â
You exhaled a shattered sigh. Trying to put on an understanding face as if the sentence didnât twist something deep inside you. âOf course.â You murmured. âHe has many duties.â
Eetu stayed still for a moment. His eyes studying your expression. âHe carries things heavily.â He said, âHeavier than most.â
You didnât respond.
Because somewhere within you, you hoped you were something he carried.
A couple nights later a realization settled in you uncomfortably deep.
What if Soâlek was only avoiding you? You couldâve sworn you heard his voice outside. Low and controlled. Speaking with Eetu or Etuwa. You were certain it was his voice but no one ever mentioned that he had been visiting.
You were beginning to believe you were going crazy. Catching his cadence in breeze, your body responding before your mind could rationalize what you were hearing. Your breath hitching, heart lifting in anticipation that he would waltz through the curtains and come see you.
As the light dimmed beginning another night, you caught yourself staring into the faint glow of the fire in the other side of the room. Your leg throbbed, but the pain did not subdue the ache in your heart.
You had begun to wonder if you were imagining him entirely.
The way he looked at you.
The way his hands lingered. His touch soft and careful.
Maybe he never thought of you that way. It was just an obligation. Just guilt.
His words stuck with you.
âUntil I can get you back home safely. I will be here.â
And now, you were home. Surrounded by the safety and support of your own people. Perhaps his duty to you had finished.
The thought settled in your stomach like stones.
Etuwa had you sat up enough in the healerâs tent, washing your body with a woven rag and a bucket of water. You told her that you were able to do it by yourself. And yet every movement sent flaring pain through your leg, sweat beading along your spine. But you refused to make your troubles heard.
You were tired of being fragile.
 As Etuwa wiped away your sweat she spoke casually. Filling the silence with small observations. What has been happening outside your small, secluded part of hometree.
âSoâlek came by. He seemed restless.â She mentioned absently.
Your heart jumped at the mention of his name. âSoâlek?â
âYesâ Etuwa hummed, her attention moving to applying a green paste to your wound. âHe has been lingering but never staying long. He is helping the Sarentu find their way within Hometree.â
âHe has been visiting?â Your fingers curl into the mat below you.
âOccasionally.â Etuwa glances up at you, something wary flickering across her features. âAnd not for long. Never longer than it takes to eat a meal.â She corrected gently. âHe makes sure you are tended to. He brought me these herbs here.â She gestured towards the paste on your leg.
âBut he does not come.â You whispered, shuddering at the breeze hitting your damp skin.
Etuwa didnât deny it. âI think Soâlek believes distance is a kindness.â She says after a beat of silence. âSometimes even the toughest of warriors struggle with battles from the heart.â
You let out a humourless laugh. âI am not a battle he needs to fight.â
Etuwa let a hand rest on your shoulder as she rises. âYou are home and surrounded by love.â She speaks. âDo not let distance convince you otherwise.â
But the distance had fangs.
And they were beginning to sink in.
By the third week back home, you stopped listening for him.
It wasnât consciously. Your body still reacted to certain sounds. Footsteps that were too heavy, voices too low. But your mind did not follow. It was easier that way. Soâlek had done his duty. Carried his guilt away with him.
Etuwa no longer mentioned his name, neither did Eetu.
And painfully, you let yourself believe that your time with the Dog-tag warrior had come to and end.
Healing was slow and predictable. A routine engraved into the threads of your day. Etuwa would change your bandages, tested your strength, hands guiding you to slowly move your leg once again.
You had begun to learn the limits of your body. Though it was tiring and painful. It was progress.
You were sitting upright rested against a carved piece of wood when Eetu walked into the healerâs circle. He carried a bundle of small cloths and some fruit, a smile forming on his face as he realized you were awake.
âYou look stronger today.â He spoke.
âDo I?â you ask with a small smile.
He nodded crouching down to sit with you. âMhm. Slowly but surely. You will be walking again I know it.â
Your face warmed as the comment passed you. Your gaze drifting to the curtain. Life beyond the healerâs circle felt so distant. Like life outside was simply a spectacle, unable to participate. But as the days went by you were eager to escape your den. To reach outside, to go back to normal.
âSoâlek will be relieved to hear it.â Eetu said after following your gaze.
You blinked. âWhat?â
Eetu paused, confusion etching on his face. âThat you are improving? He will be happy to hear it.â
Your heart suddenly lurched out of your chest, thrashing against your ribcage. âYouâveâŚseen him?â
Eetu hesitated, clearing his throat. âYesâŚhe was here this morning.â
Your breath caught for a moment. âHere? At Hometree?â
Eetu nodded. A slight frown forming on his face. âHe spoke with Etuwa, brought her some more herbs. Strong onesâŚand many of them.â
It felt like the room was spinning, words jumbling and swarming you. âHe was here?â You repeated faintly.
Eetu studied your expression, assuming the words he had said had made your stomach twist. âHe comes often.â
Often.
The word rang in your head, loud, buzzing and unforgiving.
âHe hasnât.â You shake your head. âNoâŚbecause he hasnât seen me.â
Eetuâs shifted uncomfortably in his place. Realization dawned on him slowly. âOh.â
The silence after was thick and suffocating. Full of words neither of you knew how to say.
âYou thoughtâŚâ He paused picking his words carefully. âThat he had not returned.â
âYes.â The words were tight and sharp. Your tongue snapping like a whip. âBecause no one had mentioned anything. Because I havenât seen him in weeks.â
Eetu lets out a heavy exhale. âI am sorry Ma eylan.â
âSo, he comes,â you whisper, fingers curling into the mat below you. âSees everyone elseâŚbut me?â
Eetu didnât deny it. Which ached more.
Something hot started to burn behind your eyes. âDid he think I wouldnât notice his absence?â Your voice trembled. âThat I wouldnât felt it?â
Eetu reached out, resting a soothing hand on your shoulder. âI think Soâlek believes he is doing the right thing. That you did not want him to mull around you any longer.â
Those words hit hard. Those words are ones you had spewed at him just days before you both left the Upper Plains. The words that hit him right before he said he would be there  for you until you got home.
âHe is wrong.â You say harshly. âBecause thisâŚthis hurts more.â Your chest was tighter, too full. âI took his presence for granted it seems. Even his sorrows still filled this empty void.â You gestured to the room around you.
âI shall talk to him.â Eetu says gently taking your hands. âCome, we will try standing again. Healing must prevail even with its barriers.â
You let out a sigh letting Eetu grasp your hands as he hauled you up. Your healthy leg doing its most to aid you up. The pain radiated through your other leg as you felt the blood rush down.
You stood weakly, trembling in his hands but you were still standing. Regaining back the normalcy in your life you had begun to crave. And yet, with all of your milestones your mind still lingered.
What would a normal life be worth if you had to live without him? Had these weeks made you weak? A woman susceptible to hopeless romance only to be the victim of heartbreak.
That while your entire life stood still in this small room. The man you craved most to bring you out lacked the courage to enter it.
You were laying on your mat, eyes heavy with sleep. Your days that were filled with mundane nothingness still managed to tire you out. Pain still radiated through your body but it started to dim. Eetu had even managed to aid you in walking two steps earlier today.
You thought that was why you were so tired. And it plagued you. Two steps. A motion you took for granted, if you could go back in time before your injury you would never stop running.
As the silence of the night started to creep into hometree you heard an unfamiliar rustle behind you.
Your ears pricked up as you felt the sudden shift in the air. Your chest tightening instinctively, your hands bracing beside you. You heard footsteps. Heavy and familiar.
You didnât have to look to know.
âSoâlek?â
His name felt almost foreign in your mouth, you had not uttered it in so long.
âYes.â His voice was soft, slightly hoarse as he tried to lower his tone.
Your breath hitched, hands gripping onto the mat despite your efforts to stay still. Your eyes fixed themselves on the shelves and jars in front of you.
For weeks you had trained yourself to not expect him. To disallow any hope, you had of him returning. But now you felt your body immediately betray you with one whisper from his tongue.
Silence stretched, you had not found the courage to turn around yet, but you could feel his presence looming closer. His shadow from the warm fire casting over your body.
After another beat of silence you turned to face him. And the room became unfathomably loud. He had barely breached the entrance. His hands clasped together behind his back, his gaze flickered from your small form to the room surrounding you.
âYou have been busy.â Your voice was bitter, sharp and ready to stab.
âYesâŚI have been with the Sarentu.â He muttered softly, walking further into the room. The curtain falling behind him, sealing your privacy.
âAh...how are they?â Your words conveyed little care. Your tongue trying its best to twist the small talk into something meaningful.
âGood.â He spoke. His body was full of tension. Threads woven so tight, one movement he would snap. His muscles were stiff, everything still except his mouth.
Awkward silence filled the room once again. Its presence thick and muggy. Suffocating the space between you. No glances were shared, no words. Just slow, drawn out quiet.
Soâlek cleared his throat pointing his gaze back to you. âEetu said you were standing.â
You hummed. âOnly with help.â
âDo not diminish your achievements. That is progress.â Soâlekâs tone was sweeter now, as if the notion of you healing brought a weight off his heart.
âIt is hard to notice progress when my enclosure stays untouched.â Your words were cruel, referring to yourself as some sort of spectacle to be viewed. No longer a person but a burden to be monitored.
âBut others have noticed it.â Soâlek whispered, his words trying to cool the burn of your speech.
âYou would have too.â Your gaze finally met his, sharp and cruel. Pupils as dangerous as daggers glaring within him. âIf you ever visited me.â
The words landed like a dagger to his heart.
Soâlek stilled to a halt. For a slither of a moment, you thought he may pretend he had not heard a thing. That he would leave the words suspended in the air unanswered. Instead, his shoulders sagged, only just. As if the strength holding him upright had begun to slip.
âI did visit.â He said quietly, almost defeated.
You scoffed before you could stop yourself, turning your gaze away from him. âThen why did I not see you.â
He let out a ragged breath. His jaw tightening. He hovered over you, taking a step closer.
âI came almost everyday.â He admitted. âI made sure you were taken care of.â
âTaken care of? Like I am some sort of chore?â You spat, your words cutting him.
âNo.â He replied quickly, fast enough that his tongue almost tripped on the words. âI thoughtâŚâ He stopped, swallowing hard. âI thought that you did not want me here.â
Your brows knit together, confusion and a growing bloom of anger bubbling within you. âWhat?â
âIn the upper plains.â He said softly, sensing your growing tension. âYouâŚasked me to stop hovering, to not mull around you.â He grimaces as the words leave his mouth, as if they pain him to say it. âThat I was doing more harm than good.â
His voice dropped.
âWhen you returned homeâŚI was not needed. That my presence would only make you feel smaller.â
His words stunned you into stillness.
âSo you decided for me?â you whispered harshly.
âI thought I was respecting you!â His voice raised, the air in the room shifting into something sharper.
âYou think disappearing is respect?â Your voice rose. âYou think leaving me alone in a room I cannot escape is dignity? As if Eywa has not taken my liberties away with her will?â
He grimaced, flinching at the fire you spewed.
âAs if I have not been moved from one prison to another! That I hold my own key but I cannot stand to grab it!â Emotions bubbled within you, every thought, every feeling, every prayer beginning to building within you. Your own emotional eruption imminent.
Soâlek went to say somethingâŚanything. But words failed him. All he could do was listen, watching how much he had failed you.
âI didnât want to be handled.â Your words came out as if you were defeated, your lips trembling with each sentence. âI didnât want to be watched as if I would shatter. I wanted to be seen!â
His eyes widened slightly. His brain reeling with thoughts. How wrong had he been? How much had his guilt clouded his vision? To see what was so clear in front of him.
âYou treated me like I was already gone,â you continued. âLike if you touched me Iâd shatter!â
âI thought I was protecting you.â His voice shook as he crouched beside you.
You shook your head violently, as if you could fling the tears from your eyes. âYou were protecting yourself.â
âNo-â
âI am not fragile.â You hissed, shifting on the mat. Your palms braced on either side of you. Fingers curling into the fibres.
âI never said you were.â His head hung low.
âYour actions did.â You reached back, fingers locking around the log behind you, muscles straining as you pushed yourself up. âEvery time you decided for me.â
âWhat- What are you doing?â Hid head snapped up, panic flaring in his eyes as he watched you drag yourself upright. âMa Eylan- be careful!â
âDonât!â Your voice cracked with warning. âDonât help me!â
âYou will hurt yourself!â Soâlek was already preparing for the worst. His cautions falling on deaf ears. âPlease- do not do this!â
âI must.â You snarl, forcing more pressure on your injured leg. Pain exploded instantly, white hot and vicious. Yet you welcomed it. âI need to! Because I choose to.â
âStop!â His hand closed around your arm. âYou do not need to prove anything!â
You shoved him with enough force he stumbled back, his hand still grasped around you.
âI didnât ask for your permission,â you cried, yanking yourself free.
Your balance shattered.
The world slipped beneath your feet.
For just a heartbeat you were weightless. Toppling down through the air until the floor rushed to meet you.
Pain detonated through your leg. A sharp, broken cry tearing from your throat. Your hands scraped uselessly against the walls as you tried and failed to catch yourself.
Soâlek was there in an instant.
âNo- no, no,â He gasped, hands hovering inches from you, terrified to touch you, frozen by his own fear. Once again, his intervention had caused you harm. âEywa- please.â
âDonât!â you sobbed, shoving weakly at his chest as your body convulsed. Tears burned hot down your cheeks. Your breath coming in shallow, broken pulls. Nausea rising as the pain swallowed everything.
A loud sob erupted from your throat. Shame and regret piling up inside you. Maybe you were as weak and hopeless as everyone else saw you. Were you to ever recover? Had you destroyed the minute progress you had made in a moment of irrational stupidity?
Soâlek was frantic around you, his tail lashing, pupils blown. You laid broken before him, and he was hopeless to helping you. Despite your faint resistance his arms wrapped around you as is Eywa herself were trying to rip you away.
Distance would not save him now.
âWhat were you thinking?!â He choked, his breath ragged, hands brushing your hair from your face. His thumb catching the tears that spilled over your cheeks.
âI just-â A cry ripped from you as a searing white pain shoot through your leg mercilessly. âI donât want to live like this. I donât want to be fragile; I donât want to be cared for- I just want to live again.â
Soâlekâs hold on you was careful. Yet he didnât hold you as if you were something broken- but something that was precious.
âYou were never fragile.â His voice was softer now, nothing but tenderness and care. âYou are so strongâŚso much stronger than I ever could be.â
Your lip quivered, finally leaning into his touch. The warmth of his skin slowly dulling the growing ache in your leg. âDonât leave.â You whimper clutching onto to his chest. A stark difference to the strikes you were landing on him before. âPlease.â
âI wonât.â Soâlekâs head bent down, bringing your forehead closer to his. Your skin resting against each other, noses brushing. âI will be here.â
And in the quiet aftermath, Soâlek finally understood that his fear had never kept you safe, it had only ripped you further away from him.
The ache in your leg lingered, but it no longer screamed.
It pulsed dully, like a bruise pressed too often. Yes, it was painful but survivable. It no longer anchored you to the ground, instead simply an obstacle to overcome.
Soâlek was close, helping you settle back on to your mat. His movements were slow, careful without being suffocating.
He stayed.
Not outside the curtain, watching from a far.
He stayed beside you.
For a while it felt strange. You had become accustomed to his absence, a constant shadow that seemed to follow you. Your body expected the distance as he vanished from you.
Now it didnât know how to be without him.
The world was quiet, but the silence was not suffocating. It was cozy and comforting. The light slowly filtering into the room, its warmth caressing your skin.
Yet your body was still tense. Even in the softest of moments, you found yourself bracing for impact. The fear of another searing hot flare shooting through your body. Your hands curled in on themselves waiting to be swept away again.
âYou should rest.â Soâlek whispered. He noticed the way your shoulders remained tense.
âI am resting,â you replied, though your body betrayed the lie.
He shook his head; a small grin tugging at his mouth. âAhâŚyour body disagrees.â
You rolled your eyes weakly, hissing as your leg twitched. âTraitor.â
A soft sound escaped him, not quite a laugh, but close enough that your chest warmed at the sound.
âAre you feeling restless?â He questioned, his voice rumbling deep.
âAlways.â You replied quickly.
âDo you want to move?â His head tilted down to meet you eyes.
âDo you always ask such stupid questions?â You chuckled looking up at him. âOf course I want to move.â
Soâlek rolled his eyes. âI know that. I mean now. Do you want to try?â
You shake your head, worry in your eyes. âWe know what happened last time.â
Soâlek grimaced. âYou will be fine.â He stood slowly, offering his hand. There was no expectation, he was going to go at your pace.
You placed your weary hand in his. Taking a deep breath.
This time, when your pulled yourself up. It was not an action done to prove something. It was an action made to progress.
Your body didnât panic. The pain was still there, but it didnât swallow you whole. Soâlek stayed still, he let you guide him. He only touched unless you leaned into him. Which you didâŚjust a little.
âOne step Ma Eylan.â He murmured. âYou can do it.â
You nodded, your breath hitching.
You had not taken a step in months. Confined to the walls your own body imprisoned you too. One step was all you needed.
Your foot slid forward, it was stiff and unfamiliar. You stood still for a second glancing down at the small movement you had made, trembling. Then you let out a shaky laugh. âI did it.â
âI knew you could.â He said, pride softening his features. Soâlek took another step backwards, giving you the space to move once again. âAgain. I believe in you.â
You took another step.
Then another.
Each one felt like a victory, while small it was monumental. By the time your leg began to ache, you were grinning despite the sweat beading along your spine.
âYou have done so well.â He said gently, worried you may push yourself too far. âCome.â
He guided you back to the mat, slow and steady as your body limped. He eased you down, then sat beside you. Close enough that your shoulders brushed.
You leaned into him without thinking.
For a heartbeat he frozeâŚthen relaxed. His arm settling around you, firm and warm. You fit there perfectly, as if your body had meant to be there all along.
âI am happy.â You whispered.
He tilted his head, resting his temple against yours. âAs am I.â
Your fingers toyed with the dog tags on his chest, absentminded. âYou knowâ your murmured, âIf you leave again without telling me, I might actually kill you.â
His breath huffed against your hair in a short laugh. âNoted.â
You tilted your head up.
And he was already looking at you.
You didnât realize how close you were until your breath tangled with his.
Soâlek stilled, but he didnât pull away or move closer. As if he was afraid even the smallest shift would shatter this moment. His pupils were blown wide, swallowing the gold of his eyes.
His gaze was fixed on your mouth, pulling him in as if it had become something dangerous.
Something sacred.
âYou are so beautiful.â He whispered, his voice barely sound.
His hand came up slowly, as if he was asking for permission. His thumb brushed along your jaw, tracing your neck, feeling where your pulse raced beneath your skin. His touch was light and tentative, no longer the hands of a warrior but the hands of a lover.
You leaned into it.
And that was all it took.
Your breath stuttered, chest lifting sharply. The hand at your jaw tightened just slightly. His forehead rested against your own. His breath hot and uneven against your lips.
âI have wanted this,â he admitted, his words rough, torn from deep within him. âFor so longâŚbut I feared I did not deserve it.â
Your fingers curled into his vest, fisting the fabric as if it was the only thing keeping you upright. âI need this.â
For just a moment, he hesitated.
Then he kissed you.
Slowly. Carefully.
His lips brushed yours, barely there, a whisper of touch that sent a shock through your body, sharper than any pain. The world seemed to tilt, sensing narrowing until all you could feel was the warmth.
When you kissed him back, he exhaled a broken sound against your mouth.
The restraint shattered.
His hand slid from your jaw to the back on your neck, his fingers threading through your hair, pulling you further into him to deepen the kiss. It was unhurried but certain. His lips moved against yours with precision, slow and thought out. As if he was learning you, memorizing the shape of your lips, the sounds of your mouth, the taste of your tongue.
You had melted into him. The hand on his vest flattened, travelling up to the bareness of his neck feeling his heartbeat race beneath your palm â fast and wild.
He kissed you as if he was grounding himself. Like he was afraid that you may vanish if he didnât hold on.
His thumb brushed your cheek as you let out a small gasp, his lips melting further into you. He could feel the hunger build inside him with every swipe his tongue made against your lips. Hands gripping you tighter pulling you closer into him. He would not end this kiss without your sign. He would move at your pace, by your side for as long as you needed him.
Your lips lingered, pulling away for air. Then they pressed against his, a final kiss, sealing a promise in the space between you. When you finally pulled back, Soâlek held you close, foreheads touching, noses brushing, breath shared.
âI am here.â He whispered.
You smiled, small and real. âI know.â
Later that night, when the fire had burned and the room smelled of crushed herbs and smoke, Soâlek returned.
He had left earlier to gather you some more herbs. You told him that there was already some there, but he was adamant the ones he would gather were better. To your dismay, he was correct.
Soâlek was beside you studying the wraps on your leg. âI made you a drink, it will help you regain strength.â He reached for the water cup beside you.
He held it up. âDrink.â
You obeyed, only to grimace immediately, face contorting as you swallowed. âThis tastes like bark.â
Soâlek chuckled. âIt is bark.â
âGross.â
Soft silence filled the room, Soâlek shifted closer, easing you against his shoulder. The sounds of his comms crackling and talking. âWhat is it?â You asked looking up at him.
Soâlek stifled a frown. âI have to go at first light.â He let out a deep breath. âI have one lastâŚâ He stopped himself looking down at the dog tags that adorn his chest. But you understood what he meant.
âYou will come back.â It wasnât a question.
âOf course.â He promised. âI can show you my home, when I return.â
âAt resistance?â
Soâlek shook his head. âNoâŚit is like,â he smiled looking down âA haven.â
You grinned, fingers tightening around his. âWell, you must take me to see it.â
âI will take you anywhere your heart desires Ma eylan.â
 He pressed his forehead to yours, his lips caressed the soft skin. A promise of his return sealed with a kiss.
Outside the forest begun to shift.
Neither of you knew that this small moment of happiness would crumble so quickly.
a/n: soz if theres any typos i really hate editing LMAO but if u guys want the next part plz tell me i can def end the story here if u want it to have a nicer end but i am conjuring some ideas with the from the ashes pack (also i'd never end this story on a bad ending just am a sucker for MORE angst)
plzplzplz reblog and comment i wanna hear from y'all i appreicate you guys sm! okyeeeee byeeee
pairing: idol/model! jungkook x part time staff! reader
genre: fluff, sfw
wc: 2.7k
synopsis: You offered to do some part time work for a Calvin Klein shoot to earn some quick cash. The job was simple. Do whatever the higher ranked people told you to do. You expected a simple job like making coffee or ordering lunch for the staff. You definitely did not expect the biggest star in the world following you around like a puppy, thinking youâre his soulmate just because a bell rang when you crossed paths with himâŚ
*inspired by jungkooks comment abt hearing bells ring when he meets his soulmate ^^ BUT NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT SOULMATE AU
ây/n, thank you so much for helping us out! Our shoot today is extremely important for the company and we needed all the help we could get! You are aware of who the model is, right?â Sejin, your overall manager for the shoot today approached you as you entered the shooting area.
You immediately noticed how large scale this shoot was, compared to the other shoots youâve been to before. As a college student interested in the modelling sector, you had always tried to find opportunities to get yourself familiarised with the industry, and at the same time earn some money to pay off your school fees. Thus youâve dabbled in helping out with basic chores for shoots, such as buying coffee for the staff, organising the mess on the tables, or the occasional touch up of the modelâs makeup. However, all of the shoots youâve been to so far have been small scale, quick shoots, unlike this shoot which seemed to have about 100 staff members in a rush to get ready. Whoever the model was must have been a huge figure.
âSorry, this job was kind of last minute so I didnât have time to read up on the information. Who is the model?â You replied Sejin with slight embarrassment.
âItâs fine, no need to be sorry. The model is Jeon Jungkook of BTS! Do you know how many fans this guy has? This shoot is going to make our company stocks rise to the max!â Sejin laughed out loud at the mere thought of company stocks rising.
Jeon Jungkook? Wow. Who didnât know Jeon Jungkook? He was the most famous and desired man in the whole South Korea â in fact maybe the whole world. Your jaw hung open. You were going to see Jeon Jungkook? Sure, you were probably not going to reach within a 10 meter radius of him as a small staff, but you were gonna be in the same room as him. You werenât a big fan of him but you had heard of how famous he was. Jeon Jungkook was a household name. Youâve personally heard your mother and siblings fangirling over him. Who would have known that y/n l/n, the only one in the l/n family who did not fangirl over Jeon Jungkook would be meeting him first. You laughed to yourself, imagining your familyâs reaction when you tell them about it.
âAh, y/n, the shoot is about to start, iâm about to get busy. Could you do me a favour and help me get my file for todays shoot? Itâs in my office, you should know where it is.â
âSure! Iâll go now!â You immediately replied, hoping to do good job so you could get on his good side. You bowed at him quickly, before rushing to his office.
When you reached his office, you immediately found the file, with big, bolded letters written on it. âFor Jungkook shoot! Extremely important!â You were about to grab it and leave, when you notice a golden bell beside it, with a post it note written on it. âBring to the shoot! In case I need to get everyoneâs attention since nobody ever listens to me anymore!â You laugh at the note, grabbing both the bell and the notes as you head out of the office.
As you walked in the hallway, you suddenly got a text message from sejin. You placed the bell on top of the file and barely balanced it with your left hand, as your right hand held your phone to read the message.
Help me take the bell too please! Thank you!! - Sejin
You inwardly praise yourself saving a trip back, trying to type a response to sejin with your right thumb.
Just as you were about to hit send, you suddenly felt a hard chest in front of you, harshly colliding into it, sending you to the ground.
Ding! The loud sound of the bell resonated in the empty hallway as it hit the ground.
âWhat the hellâŚâ You rub at your painful head as you lay on the floor, rushing to get up to grab the file before its contents fly around.
Dischevelled, you grab the file and bell, hugging it close to your chest as you glared up at the person who caused the mess.
You definitely did not expect to see a pair of doe eyes looking at you curiously, with a glint of excitement in them. His mouth was open slightly in awe, as if he just saw an angel. But your jaw hung wider than his when you realised you just bumped into THE JEON JUNGKOOK?
âOhâŚOH MY GOD! Iâm so so so sorry!â You quickly sobered up, standing up and bowing at him multiple times. You avoided eye contact as you walked past him and tried running away in embarrassment.
But before you could leave, you felt strong, large hands grabbing your wrist.
âW-wait! Donât go⌠who are you? Are you my soulmate?â
When you heard what he said, you almost burst into laughter. What? Soulmate? What was this famous star on? Was the most famous guys in the world really asking you if you were his soulmate? You let out a muffled laugh, trying your best to hold it in as you say, âExcuse me?â
âT-the bell. It rang when we bumped into each other. Itâs fate.â
You finally let out your laughter at that, laughing uncontrollably at what you thought was a joke, until you noticed his hardened stare and realised maybe he was not joking.
âUm the bell rang because it fell on the floor⌠I donât think we are âsoulmatesâ, sorry man.â You said awkwardly.
The both of you stood in silence, staring at each other. After 30 seconds, the awkward tension started getting to you and you slightly bowed before walking away back to the shoot.
If you thought that would be the the end of the very weird experience, you were very wrong. As you walked, you could feel a presence behind you. Using your peripheral vision, you were 100% sure Jeon Jungkook, the worldâs most desired bachelor was following you around like a puppy. You were starting to get annoyed, the other staff were starting to notice and the attention was definitely not what you needed. You whipped around, face to face with Jungkook.
âWhy are you following me?â You ask infuriatingly.
At your annoyed tone, he lets out a small smirk, suddenly having some newfound confidence.
âIâm not following you, Iâm going the same way as you.â
You let out a frustrated sigh, turning around and stomping at a quicker pace to the shoot area. Of course, he was still following you closely.
When you reached the shoot, you felt an instant relief with the amount of people bustling around.
âJungkook is here!â
âWhat! Where?â
âJungkook!â
The moment Jungkook entered the room behind you, people immediately took notice of him, running to be by his side and crowding around him. You took the opportunity to blend with the crowd and get away from him.
As you turned back to look at him, you noticed he was looking around for you, after losing you in the crowd. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed as he carried a small frown on his face, eyes glancing around the room trying to find you.
For a guy who could get any girl he want, he seemed weirdly obsessed with you. Did he really think you were his soulmate because of the bell? Maybe he was just playing with you like with other girls. You were just a nobody to him after all. You place the thoughts at the back of your head as you get back to work, finding Sejin.
âThanks y/n, you can go take a lunch break. Iâll text you if I need you!â Sejin seemed satisfied at your swift pace as he released you for a break.
You give him a small smile as you walk out to the cafeteria with a sigh of relief. Taking one last glance at Jungkook, he still seemed to be trying to find you, with a small cute pout on his face as he seemed slightly frustrated at his futile attempts.
You sat down on an empty bench as you chewed on your sandwich, glad that you could take a short break before the real demands start coming in when the shoot gets busy.
Emergency: Contact some models to see if theyâre available ASAP. Part time models OK. Get a variety. Jungkook being picky. He doesnât want to work with Nari. - Sejin
You furrowed your eyebrows at the message. Jungkook didnât want to work with Nari? Nari was the biggest female model in Korea. Why didnât he want to work with her? She was âthe most beautiful girl in Koreaâ and every man loved her. Why did he have to be so uncooperative and make my job so hard? You quickly messaged your model contacts, asking them to come as soon as they could.
Of course, all of them immediately accepted. Who wouldnât be dying to get an opportunity to model with Jungkook? You led the 4 models to the shoot, noticing the grim and dark mood as soon as you entered. You could tell there was tension due to Jungkookâs lack of cooperation.
When sejin noticed saw the models, his face immediately lighted up.
âJungkook! The models are here! You can choose any of them to be your partner! These girls are all highly esteemed models and they are all experienced! Any of them would be a great partner!â
You could feel the girls beside you fixing their posture and making a juice pose as they awaited in anticipation for Jungkook to see them.
Jungkook looked up from his phone in disinterest, quickly skimming over the models until his eyes landed on you. Immediately, you noticed a glint of sparkle in his eyes, a child like smile on his face as he pointed at you.
âI want her.â
You instantly tensed up, staring at sejin in shock. You could feel the rest of the staffâs shock as well. You wanted to climb into a hole and die from the tension. Why did he have to cause so much problems for you?
âA-are you sure jungkook? Y/n is a beautiful girl but sheâs a staff, not a modelâŚâ
You looked at Sejin in desperation, slightly shaking your head and telling him with your eyes that it was a no. However, Jungkook was relentless.
âIf itâs not her, iâm not doing this shoot.â He said nonchalantly.
You wanted to smack his handsome little face so bad. You should have just stayed home today. Sejin walked over to you, pulling you aside apologetically.
âIâm so sorry y/n, but you know how important this shoot is to us. Could you please help us out this once? Itâs just for today. We will pay extra and itâll be a great experience! You want to work in the modelling industry in the future right? You could hear desperation in his tone.
You thought about it. Of course this would be a great experience for you, but you were so unprepared. What if you didnât do well? Or worse what if his fans hated on you? You couldnât handle that. But with Sejin staring at you so desperately, you felt that the guilt of rejecting him would kill you on the inside. You knew how excited he was for this shoot.
âFine.â
âThank you! Thank you so much y/n! Here take this file and read up on the looks for the shoot. Iâll bring you a makeup and stylist team ASAP. The shoot will start immediately when youâre ready!â He handed you a file with immense gratitude written on his face.
You reluctantly grabbed it from him, making your way to the makeup room as you tried to avoid the heated jealous stares of the girls around you. You glared at Jungkook as you walked past him, receiving a smirk in return.
When you reached the makeup room and sat on the modelâs chair for the first time, you flipped through the file, reading the contents, your eyes widening and jaws dropping when you read it.
âUnderwear shoot???!!â
You stared at yourself in the mirror after you had gotten your makeup and styling done. You were only wearing Calvin Klein underwear and a Calvin Klein jean jacket. Were you really about to do this? Of course, you looked hot. This was probably the hottest you have been in your whole 21 years of your life. But you were so nervous. You sucked in a deep breath, telling yourself: You have to do this well. This will give you many opportunities. Just suck it up.
You walked out awkwardly, feeling the heat of everyoneâs stares. You could especially feel Jungkookâs heated stare.
ây/n! You look great! Come here! Letâs start the shoot!â Sejin commented in excitement when you came out.
You awkwardly walked over to in front of the camera where Jungkook was already waiting.
âOk, y/n, I need you to sit on Jungkookâs lap and grab his neck while looking up innocently at the camera.â
You looked at Jungkook who had a smug look on his face as he waited for you to approach him. You tried not to stare down at Jungkookâs sudden exposed abs. Sucking up your embarrassment, you did as Sejin said.
Unexpectedly, the shoot went smoother than you expected. You managed to do many of the poses Sejin told you to do, even the intimate ones. Sejin even commented that you were a natural. Looking at the pictures taken, you also noticed that you somehow had a natural chemistry with Jungkook, with all your pictures with him seeming natural, like a real couple. In one of the pictures, you were straddling Jungkook as you both stared into each otherâs eyes as if you both loved each other. You felt yourself blush as you stared at the picture. Despite the slight embarrassment, you couldnât help but feel a new sense of pride when you were praised by everybody there, even staff members who previously did not even acknowledge your presence.
âAnd thatâs a wrap! Thank you to everyone!â Sejin shouted.
You felt a flush of relief feel your body, a sense of tiredness taking over your body as you could finally relax.
You slowly got up from Jungkookâs shirtless body, looking away from him. You could still sense him staring at you as you walked away to change out of the uncomfortable undergarments.
After removing the extravagant makeup and changing into comfortable clothes, you walked out of the shoot feeling much more relaxed. You looked at the time on your phone, noticing it was already 11pm. Everybody must have already left by now.
You let out a content sigh, thinking back on the stressful day.
ây/n, wait! Dont go yet!â
Just as you were about to step out of the building, you heard a panicked voice behind you.
You turn around, seeing Jungkook who was panting hard as he bent down to catch his breath. He had changed into more comfortable clothing, with a hoodie and sweats, without any makeup on his face. Yet with such a natural look, he seemed so much more attractive to you. He must have ran after you if he was panting so much.
You crossed your arms, playfully smiling at him as you asked him why he stopped you. You felt a newfound sense of comfort with him after the shoot with him, maybe because you had been in such intimate positions with him.
âI-I need to tell you something. T-thereâs something wrong with your phone. It doesnât have your number in itâŚâ Jungkook seemed nervous.
You looked at him in confusion, not understanding.
âW-wait! I mean thereâs something wrong with my phone! It doesnât have your number!â Jungkook hit his head in frustration, seeming actually annoyed at himself for not pulling off his pickup line correctly.
âSo what do you want me to do about it?â You ask with a playful smirk on your face.
âYou can fix it by giving me your number.â He said with a shy smile, still slightly embarrassed from his failed pickup line, as he reached out his phone to you.
You laughed out loud at his shyness and relentless determination. Jungkook laughed along with you shyly as you both shared a moment in the sweet darkness of the night.
You grabbed his phone from his hand, typing out your phone number.
*HII IM NEW TO TUMBLR i may make a part two depending on how wrecked i am after seven comes out :â)
Summary: Jungkook doesnât have a lot of time before he needs to enlist for the military, so what happens when his best friends decide to set him up with the girl heâs had a crush on for longer than heâd like to admit? And what happens when you feel the same way about him?Â
Genre: Mini series, fluff, angst, smut, idol au.
Warnings: Three part series (33k total) that will be posted in full for my membership (ko-fi and patreon). Heavily inspired by GOLDEN, let me know how many easter eggs for the songs you can find! Mingyu and Eunwooâs special appearances. Reader is bold, but shy and sweet. Jungkook has such a fat crush. Read parts 2 and 3 at my membership pages!Â
WC: 7k
âUgh, what nowââÂ
Jungkook was mumbling to himself as the intercom of his house started beeping after his doorbell rang not two, but three times. Unfortunately, this had been happening a lot lately; it still surprised him in a very bad way how some so-called fans could feel so entitled to come to his house like this.Â
His address was out on the internet, things like that could never be avoided for long, but it didnât give strangers the right to just show up. What did they think would happen? That Jungkook would just invite them in for tea? Nah, it just pissed him off to the point heâd have to start taking legal action.Â
And now they were doing it this late in the night, too? The clock in the security panel on the wall showed that it was almost two am at this point. The red blinking light showed someone was standing by his door, so Jungkook tapped the security camera icon to seeâ
Of course.Â
The image was a little dark, but it was still enough to calm Jungkookâs nerves as it was no stranger standing out there, but the tall frame that belonged to one Kim Mingyu. And the other man standing next to him, head covered by his hood to escape the light drizzle, was Cha Eunwoo.Â
Those two had invited Jungkook out several times this week, but for half of those, the idol wasnât even in Seoul, and for the other half, he just didnât feel like leaving his home. Much like tonight, as the weather was starting to grow colder by the hour. Jungkook should have expected them to show up here, actually.Â
âWhat do you want?â Jungkook answered the intercom, biting back a grin from how Mingyu was jumping with his hands in his pockets. Â
âOpen uuuuuup, it's cold as balls out here.â the older man groaned with a bit of a slur. Â
âWhat are you doing here?!â Jungkook replied, still not opening the door just out of mischief.Â
âYou wouldn't come out with us!â Eunwoo confirmed his identity by lifting his head up to yell at the security camera.Â
âWait, you said he invited us overââÂ
A third voice made Jungkook freeze as if he was the one standing out in the cold instead of his friends. You moved out from behind Mingyu, whose frame was completely blocking you from the camera view until now. Jungkook had never heard your voice, not like this; maybe in the background of calls or audio messages, but it was muffled by other noises.Â
And he knew it was you, the girl his 97 liner friends kept trying to set him up with for the longest time, someone Jungkook still used his private, secret instagram account to spy on from time to time. The idol had seen you were tagged in one of Mingyuâs posts tonight (also on Mingyuâs private account), but heâd never guess they would have brought you all the way to his house.Â
Annoying Jungkook after a drunken night out was usually a two man job.Â
âWe might have lied.â Eunwoo answered you sheepishly, which made you punch him in the arm. It looked harmless from where Jungkook was watching and Eunwoo overpowered you easily by taking your arms and pulling you into his body instead.Â
âYou two are assholes.â you decided, obviously using Eunwoo to keep yourself warm.
âI'm coming, just give me a minuteââ Jungkook announced, looking around his home in mild panic.Â
âAre you not dressed? We've seen it before.â Mingyu laughed as if he was the funniest guy in the world.Â
Thankfully being away from home for so long this week meant that Jungkookâs apartment wasnât a complete mess. Surely there were dishes in the sink, but they werenât piling up yet, his suitcase was still to be unpacked, open in a corner, and his motorbike helmets werenât stored inside the closet where they should be.Â
But at least his laundry basket wasnât overflowing and the place actually smelled quite nice.Â
Which couldnât exactly be said about his own shirt, which made Jungkook run to the suitcase to find a clean shirt to wear; going for a brand new, black cotton, Calvin Klein piece that was yet to be worn, and he went as far as spraying some of the only perfume he usually brought along on trips.Â
âFinally!â Mingyu was the first to slip into the house after Jungkook unlocked the front door, giving the owner of the place a quick, cold hug.Â
âJaykaaaaay.â Eunwoo was the second one to greet him, hug a lot warmer and a lot more floral, despite the slight stench of alcohol.Â
While the two men took off their jackets and shoes by the entrance, already at ease inside Jungkookâs house, you were a lot more careful with how you walked in. Jungkook locked the door behind you, saving you all from the cold wind, and he really regretted leaving you outside for so long.Â
You had on a thigh-long, faux leather jacket, but you were only wearing a black dress underneath, legs bare and chest⌠Damn. Jungkook averted his eyes to not get caught staring too much at your figure as you bent down slightly to unzip your boots and take off your socks, but he couldnât ignore you.Â
This was the first time the two of you were face to face, a fact that very much excited and terrified Jungkook all at once. Heâd heard so much about you, things like âsheâd be perfect for you if youâd give her a chanceâ, or âsheâs a cool one, youâd get along great if you met herâ, that he couldnât feel like he already knew you somehow.
You let Mingyu take the jacket from you once you slipped it off your arms, turning to Jungkook with an apology ready. âI'm so sorry, I swear they said we were coming over because you invited us.â Â
âIt's okay.â Jungkook assured you, still just standing by the entrance like a malfunctioning Sim Character. He just couldnât help but be captivated by everything about you. The way your hair framed your face, or how your eyes had a little bit of shimmer to them, and your lipsâ Eunwoo fake coughed behind his hand, making Jungkook stop zoning out and bow. âHi.â
âHi.â your smile was enchanting as you bowed your head in greeting, telling him your name as if he didnât know it already. âIt is nice to finally meet you, Jungkook.âÂ
âYeahââÂ
âI thought you said you couldn't come out tonight because you were busy.â Mingyu threw an arm around Jungkookâs shoulder to make his legs move and save him from the embarrassment of being frozen in front of you.Â
âI amââ
âYou don't look busy.â Eunwoo was following right behind and Jungkook could almost hear your smaller steps as the four of you made it to the main living room.Â
âDon't mind them, they had a bit too much at the bar.â you apologized for your common friends, but Jungkook was used to it; the gentle teasing and slight bickering. The three of them were all born in the same year, but Jungkook was still the youngest by a few months, always used to being the maknae.Â
âAnd we're about to have some more.â Mingyu was already circling the kitchen island, rubbing his hands together to open Jungkookâs alcohol fridge.Â
âHow do you handle them?â Jungkook wheezed, turning to you.Â
âYou know what, I have no idea.â despite your fake annoyance as you crossed your arms and leaned your hip against the back of his couch, you still held fondness in your eyes. âMaybe we should ditch them and go out just the two of us next time.â
Jungkook couldnât help the stupid heat on his cheeks or the flush on his neck, biting down a ridiculous grin as it sounded like you were asking him out. While he knew thatâs not what you were doing, merely sending somewhat of a dig towards your friends, it still made Jungkookâs tummy fill with butterflies.Â
The same ones that turned a little green in color as Mingyu called to you:
âWhat are you having, babe?â the tall man was looking at you over his shoulder, waiting for you to tell him what you wanted to drink.Â
âJust water, thank you.â was your easy reply. Despite you also smelling a tiny bit like alcohol, you were pacing yourself a lot better than the other two, obviously the responsible one.Â
âKook?â the older man asked him after reaching for a water bottle and waited for you to approach him to take it.Â
âThe usual.â Jungkook knew his friend was familiar with his kitchen and if they wanted to invade his house like this, Mingyu could go ahead and make his drink.Â
âEunwoo?â Mingyu asked the final guest, who was already coming closer to see it for himself.Â
âI'll check the options.âÂ
As you unscrewed the cold water bottle âJungkook had to hold back from offering to do it himselfâ, you came back to where he still was by the couch, standing just a little closer to him than before.Â
âDo they usually raid your fridge like this?â you asked him with a nod of your head towards the two men who started to serve the alcohol and laugh as if they were alone in their own little world. âI have the same problem.âÂ
Eunwoo still heard you and scoffed. âWe always replace everything we take from there.âÂ
âYou never do that for me!â Jungkook whined, which made his own ears feel hot, but your giggle made it all worth it.Â
âWe like her better.â Mingyu shrugged his wide shoulders, pulling the cap of the whiskey bottle with a dramatic pop.Â
You were laughing again, a little louder than before, and Jungkook wished heâd been the one to have that effect on you. And then you said: âNo need to kiss my ass, you know I already can't say no to you.âÂ
Mingyu was laughing along and sending you a wink and Jungkook really hoped his drink would be ready soon so he could let loose a little more. Realistically speaking, he knew he didnât have any reason to be jealous of you. Firstly because he didnât even properly know you, and, secondly, he knew there was nothing going on between you and Mingyu, or you and Eunwoo.Â
If there was, both hyungs most definitely wouldnât make so many attempts to try and get you and Jungkook to hook up. It was easier to believe that both men were acting like this in front of Jungkook because they knew how he felt about you and were trying to get a rise out of him.Â
If not to get him to do something, then at least to have some fun of their own.Â
Your tiny scoff brought Jungkookâs attention back to you, noticing you were looking around his space. âSo I guess idols are all the same, huh?âÂ
âWhat's that supposed to mean?â Jungkook asked curiously, taking his eyes from you only when Eunwoo passed him his drink.Â
âNot a single painting or poster on your walls,â you noted, still looking around, but not in a way that was supposed to make Jungkook feel bad. âBut you have a workout machine in your living room?â
âIâm not here permanently, just while my house is being built.â Jungkook also didnât want to sound too big for these walls, he loved this home, but it was very much temporary.Â
âKook is building a three story bachelor pad.â Mingyu provided with a bit of a hiccup.Â
âOh?â you turned to Jungkook, hiding a chuckle behind your water bottle and a curious tilt of your head.Â
âItâs not a bachelor pad, I just need more space for my dogs.â he explained to you, trying not to scrunch his face as he tasted his drink that had more whiskey than he ever put in the ones he made. âBut I have some cool stuff here, too.âÂ
âYeah?âÂ
Jungkook took a longer sip of his drink as he walked to the other side of the room and you followed suit. He placed the glass on top of the counter and wiped his hands on his sweats before opening a hidden closet on the wall. Thatâs where he stored his⌠Well, toys.Â
Like his noraebang machine and mics, some action figures, some of the awards he was given ever since GOLDEN came out and his lights. Jungkook had his fair share of girls inside this house, but he never tried to impress any of them with his gadgets, knowing most of his one night stands would either find them boring or he didnât care about them enough to show them those parts of his personality.Â
But for some reason he wanted to show them to you.Â
Jungkook started with a light-up sphere that cast a purple glow over the whole room as he turned it on. It wasnât too bright to hurt your eyes and it looked cooler with the overhead lamps turned off, but you were still excited to hold it.Â
Next, he showed you what looked like a lightsaber, still in a bora-purple color, and went as far as showing you a few tricks heâd been practicing to show ARMY in one of his random lives.Â
âOkay, that is pretty cool.â you had a pretty smile on your face as you let him take back the sphere that was still in your hands. âWhere do you even get stuff like these?â
âThe internet, basically.â Jungkook put his things back into the closet for safe keeping; if he left them out, Mingyu and Eunwoo might as well try to play baseball with them.Â
âI might need to start shopping for more than makeup and shoes.â you mumbled, taking your water bottle back for a new sip.
Jungkook wanted to tell you that you didnât need to wear makeup, but instead: âDon't you work with makeup?âÂ
âClose, I work with hair. That's how I met them.â you corrected him kindly, throwing a quick look to the two idols sitting on Jungkookâs couch. âI used to be a hairdresser for SEVENTEEN, but I worked with Woozi.â
âYeah, until you dropped us.â Mingyu was obviously overhearing the conversation happening between Jungkook and you.Â
âI didn't drop you, you big baby, I just learned to make more money.â you said without turning around to face the man. Instead, you seemed more interested in telling Jungkook more about yourself. âNow I have my own salon. People really pay a lot more for a simple haircut if it's done by an 'idol group's former stylist'.âÂ
âAnd youâre also really good, that helps.â Eunwoo added from the couch.Â
âThanks, Cha.â this time you turned to him quickly to show your gratitude for the praise. âI still do their hair from time to time. When they let me.â
Jungkook wondered if youâd ever do his hair, too.Â
Not that he had much of it at the time, his hair hadnât been this short in years. It was really long a few months ago, but heâd been cutting it shorter and shorter throughout his promotion schedules for his first solo album, hoping that his fans wouldnât be too disheartened when he had to shave his head.Â
âWould you show me where the bathroom is?â you asked Jungkook in a tiny voice, fingers having a bit of a hard time to close the lid on your water bottle.Â
âOf course,â Jungkook nodded, getting into host mode. âThereâs a guest bathroom in the sitting room.âÂ
Jungkook left the living room with you walking beside him, hoping to the universe that you didnât feel the knowing stares from Mingyu and Eunwoo as you both left on your own. And he especially hoped that you didnât think the âohhhhhsâ and gasps they were letting out were aimed at you.Â
The sitting room was just across the narrow hallway from the kitchen and living room, and a little smaller, too. But it was separate enough that you couldnât hear Eunwoo and Mingyu anymore, with a french door that automatically closed every time someone went in or out. If Jungkook intended on staying much longer in this apartment, he wouldâve turned it into a gaming room or a home theater.Â
The only thing about it, and something that Jungkook never got around to really fixing, were the lights. The bulbs for the outlandish chandelier were too expensive and difficult to replace, so he simply⌠Didnât.Â
Instead, he left one of his galaxy projectors already plugged into the socket and left the remote control for it next to the doors. The whole room was illuminated by the ever changing nebulas that went from red, to green, to blue and the many laser dots that mimicked stars and comets.Â
You let out a surprised gasp, looking at the ceiling with that pretty smile on your pretty face again. And if Jungkook already thought you were beautiful before, you were breathtaking right now, under the stars cast by his favorite lamp.Â
âThe bathroom is through that door over there.â Jungkook didnât want to interrupt the moment, as you looked so entranced by the lights, but if youâ
âI didnât really need to use the bathroom.â you admitted. âI was just trying to get you alone.â
Jungkookâs heart skipped a beat and then another. âWhy?â
âSo we can hang out just the two of us.â you continued, pulling the string that was tying itself around his heart. âAnd so I can be the one to tell you about my crush and not those two.â
âY-you have a crush on me?â Jungkookâs lisp only came out when he was nervous and he could definitely admit that thatâs what was happening right now. Â
âSilly, right? To be so into someone I've never met.â you chuckled, smoothing the front of your dress, looking anywhere but him, suddenly shy. And it sounded like something Jungkook had been gaslighting himself into believing since you walked into his house. âBut they talk very highly of you, so it feels like I do know you.âÂ
âI don't think it's silly,â Jungkook chuckled to himself, putting the pieces together, how his friends must be doing to you the same thing they were doing to him. âI feel the same way about you.â
âI know. Mingyu told me.â you were holding your hands at your front, fiddling with your fingers and Jungkook wanted to be the one to do that instead. âBut you never come out to drink with us, so I didnât believe him.âÂ
âI've been busyâŚâ Jungkook might sound like a broken record, but it was true. Heâd been flying in and out of South Korea for the past two months, at least, to follow his solo promotions. Just last week he had filmed a collab with Usher of all people. âNow I wish I made time.âÂ
âWe have time now.â you told him in a soft spoken and hopeful tone that did nothing to calm the storm in his chest. âSo can I ask you something?â
âAnything.â the man sounded breathy as his feet took him a step closer to you.Â
âAre you gonna let me find out what those lip rings feel like?âÂ
All of the air inside Jungkookâs lungs were sucked out of him by your words. Heâd been with bold women before, not usually what he went for, but had a taste for them depending on his mood. But they usually held themselves a little higher, had a little more confidence while doing so.Â
And you were stunning enough to have all the confidence in this world, and yet your eyes were a little wide and your fidgeting was a little shy. This was clearly not something you were used to doing, being the one to chase after what you wanted like this.Â
It could only mean that you wanted Jungkook as much as he wanted you, enough to swallow your own reservations and simply go for it. And that leveled the field for Jungkook a little more, so he could get a little playful.Â
Two of his fingers lifted your chin as he stared down at you, watching as the dancing cosmos above you reflected in your eyes. Your lips parted as you sucked in a breath, making Jungkook smirk before placing his other hand on your hip. You were already menting into him, eyes fluttering as your hands rested on his chest.Â
He leaned in ever so slowly, lips ghosting yours, breathing in the strawberry drops you likely sucked on at some point before coming over. You made the sweetest little sounds as Jungkook had a point of dragging his bottom lip over your mouth, his double piercings drawing patterns over your plump flesh.Â
Both of your breathings were heavy and try as he might, Jungkook couldnât pretend he wasnât as affected about this, couldnât play it cool when the woman heâd been distantly pinning over was right here and in front of him.Â
Willing, pleading.Â
The fingers on your chin slipped to the back of your neck, hold firm and gentle. Yours were bunching up the front of Jungkookâs shirt and he didnât even think you noticed. His mouth pressed more firmly against yours and you pressed your front to his chest, a tiny moan being swallowed by him as his tongue pushed itself between your parted lips.Â
Jungkook tilted his head to one side and his control on your neck made you do the same to the opposite side, lips moving slowly as you followed his lead and let him deepen the kiss. The flicks of his tongue were lazy but determined and you were turning into melted caramel in his arms.Â
And then you were latching your lips around his bottom one and sucking it into your mouth, letting it drag between your teeth before wobbling back into place.Â
âWhat did you think?â he asked you in a deep, low voice that made you tremble in his hold.Â
âDonât think I have enough data to form an opinion yet.â you smiled. âWe should do it again.âÂ
Jungkook chuckled, pressing his lips against yours once more. And if you were bold with him, he hoped you wouldnât mind if he did the same as his hands moved to your sides and stopped on your waist to hoist you up. You let out a squeal that made him laugh, but wrapped your legs around his hips in instinct, hands holding yourself up by his shoulders.Â
He walked with you in his arms to the cream colored couch, plopping down in the middle of it with you in his lap. You adjusted your legs to place them on each side of his thighs, straddling him. Your hands went to his neck and Jungkook closed his eyes as he felt the tip of your tongue flicking his lip rings from one side to the other.Â
âYou like them, huh?â Jungkook smirked, eyelids heavy as he watched you nod. His hands were on your skin, resting just above your knees as he rubbed slow circles with his thumbs.Â
âIâm starting to like you very much.â your small hand cradled the side of his face and Jungkook felt warmth all over. How could you say those things, to someone like him, and not expect him to be even more infatuated with you?Â
âWhat are you doing to me?â he asked you with a groan, eyes closing as he moved forward to kiss down your jaw. The nibbles of his teeth on your skin were making you squirm on his lap and moan softly.Â
âAnything you let me.â was your reply, bold once again as you pressed your legs against his sides. As if suddenly concerned, you quickly added: âI promise I'm not usually this forward.â
âWhat's making you?â Jungkook mumbled against the underside of your jaw, lips parting to lick down your throat. You were rocking your hips on top of him, making his hands slide upwards on your smooth skin and his fingertips reach the bottom of your dress.Â
âI know you gotta leave soon.â your voice was dreamy, but there was a sad undertone to it. âDoesn't sound like an opportunity I'd like to miss.â
The way you said it, so carefully paired with the caressing of his cheek with your thumb, made all the difference. You werenât interested in âsleeping with Jeon Jung Kook of BTSâ. You were interested in him for him, even if your interactions in person had been so short, you wanted to get to know him. Just like he already knew he wanted to get to know you before you even showed up at his door tonight.Â
And he could also understand the urgency.Â
Jungkook was enlisting soon, heâd go into the military with Jimin in a few days, following the steps of their hyungs. As much as heâd like to take you on a date first, spend a few more hours with you before jumping into the physical part of this, Jungkook knew he didnât have that luxury right now. Â
âMe neither.â he agreed, blinking his own daze away so he could look at your face to find swollen lips and blown pupils that shone blue, red and green. âSo you really want this? Here on the couch?âÂ
âUnless you wanna go out there and risk those two catching us.â you looked at the door then, which didnât have a lock.Â
You also revealed the other side of your neck to him and suddenly Jungkook couldnât think straight.Â
âNot a fat chance.â his mouth was on your skin again, covering the side of your throat that he hadnât marked up yet. âIâm okay with this if you are.âÂ
âIâm okay,â you tilted your head to the side to give him more space to cover, hand slipping into his short hair as you rocked your hips back and forth in search of friction. âMore than okay, promise.âÂ
Jungkook mumbled against your skin, biting a spot on your shoulder as your fingers tangled in his dark locks and you tugged. You moaned from the pain, so beautifully that it made his painfully hard cock throb in his pants. Not able to keep his hands off of you for a single second longer, Jungkookâs hands slipped under your dress, on the curve of your ass, and he pulled you flush against his crotch.Â
âFuck.â you moaned, brows furrowed, letting his large hands guide you on his lap so you could rub your clothed core against him. âJungkookâŚâ
âYou sound so fucking sweet, baby.â he praised, looking up at you, reading the want and pleasure on your face. âYou better keep calling my name, yeah?âÂ
âKiss me, Jungkook.â
The manâs hips bucked upwards, rubbing against you for his own search of relief, doing just as you pleaded by reaching for your mouth with his. The kiss was sloppy and deep, wetter with every flick of his tongue. Every time his lip rings scratched your lips, you moaned into his mouth and the gentle tug he felt made it hard to breathe.Â
Your hands were lost in his hair and in the back of his neck, nails pressing down as his fingers kneaded your ass. Every time he squeezed a little harder, you whined a little sweeter.Â
Without breaking the kiss, Jungkook held you against his chest to gently flip the two of you around so you could be laying with your back on the couch and he was on top of you. The faux leader creaked with your movements, but it was comfortable enough. Heâd certainly never fucked anyone on it before, but it wouldnât stop him now.Â
Your legs were parting to fit his hips in between them, yours never stopping grinding against his. Jungkookâs tattooed hand left your back and came to your front, finding your chest and cupping one of your breasts. Your moans were more constant as you got lost in him and soon you couldnât keep up with the kiss anymore. Instead, you chose to wrap your wicked lips around his tongue and you sucked on it slowly, making a mess.Â
Pulling back so he could actually get some air into his lungs as they started to burn, you brought your hands to the bottom of his shirt and gave it a tug. You didnât need to ask him for Jungkook to know you wanted to take it off.Â
With one swift pull, he removed the fabric and let it fall on the ground, watching you watching him. Jungkook was confident in how he looked right now, having just gotten off his promo schedules a few days ago, he was still in what he considered to be his perfect shape. You didnât seem like the type of girl that was fixated on looks rather than chemistry and personality, but it meant a lot for his own ego that this is what he looked like the first time you saw him.Â
You ran a hand down his stomach, fingertips tracing his abs, playfully circling his belly button, coming so close to the elastic band of his sweatpants that his lower tummy clenched.Â
âYouâre so handsome, Jungkook.â you praised, sending shivers up his spine.Â
âAnd youâre devastating, baby.â he almost whispered, watching your smile morph into the prettiest âoâ shape as both of his hands palmed your chest.Â
âKeep calling me that and Iâm not gonna answer for my actions.â you bowed your back off the couch, pressing your tits harder into his hands.Â
Jungkook chuckled gravely, leaning down and over you to kiss under your ear, murmuring: âDo your fucking worse, baby.âÂ
You trembled underneath him, but your hands were pressing against his chest to push him away from you. He gave you space to sit up, watching with interest as you reached behind yourself to pull the zipper down on your dress. The thin straps slipped down your shoulder as the fabric loosened its grip, but instead of letting it fall lower, you wiggled your hips to pull the one piece upwards to reveal your half naked body.Â
You looked deliciously tempting, pebbled nipples on full breasts, pushing your hair behind you as you laid back down. Jungkookâs chest was heaving with his labored breaths as he devoured you with his eyes, from your flushed neck, down to your perfect tits and south. You spread your legs to him, no shame in you upon revealing the wet spot as your drenched underwear was sticking to your folds.Â
âPretty lace.â the idol mumbled, bringing a tattooed finger to play with the delicate fabric barely keeping your cunt covered.Â
âMingyu said you might come out tonight.â you admitted, licking between your lips.Â
âAnd you wanted to look nice for me, hm?â Jungkookâs lips were pulled in a corner, tongue poking the inside of his cheek. âWere you hoping Iâd see this?âÂ
âI would have let you fuck me in the bathroom of the bar, if you were into that.â you were nodding, rocking your hips against his hand. âWould let you do anything. Still will.âÂ
âLet me make you feel good.â Jungkook was glad he wasnât wearing any underwear inside his sweats, the constriction would be painful with how hard he was throbbing just at hearing your words and thinking about everything he wanted to do to you. âLet me taste you.âÂ
âPlease, Jungkook.â
You whimpered, hand finding his hair as the man laid between your legs to kiss the inside of your thigh. Jungkook groaned at your scent and how warm you felt under his lips, fingers hooking on the elastic of your lacy underwear to pull it off of your bent legs.Â
Instead of letting you stretch your legs or even drop one over the edge of the couch, he held your thighs just like that, nestling his face between them. Jungkookâs fingers created dents on your skin as he pulled you lower and close to his face, tongue licking a bold stripe on your folds to hear you whine.Â
âFucking hellââ your back arched as your thighs twitched and Jungkook felt your pussy throbbing just beneath his lips. His tongue pushed between your dripping lips, licking you up and down slowly. âOhh, that feels so goodâŚâ
Jungkook hummed, mouth too busy to tell you how good you tasted, your heady flavor alone was enough to make Jungkook rub his hips against the couch in search of friction. His eyes closed just for a few seconds as he explored you, paying attention to your lewd sounds, learning your body and what you liked.Â
His head followed the movements of his lips, smacking against your pussy, slurping your wetness, circling your hole before bringing his attention up to your clit. Jungkookâs lowered gaze found you watching him with your lips between your teeth and your hands squeezing your tits and rolling your nipples.Â
You were so fucking gorgeous like this that he could cum in his pants just from watching you.Â
Jungkook brought his right hand between your cunt and his mouth, using his pointer and middle finger to spread your lips in front of his eyes. Licking his lips at the sight of you, the twitch on your swollen clit, Jungkook brought his bottom lip to it. As soon as the metal of his lip rings touched it, you cried out and reached for the couch cushions. The idol gently circled and dragged his piercings against your sensitive clit, stimulating you in ways he guessed you never felt before.Â
Being careful not to overwhelm you at once, Jungkook used his tongue to spread the rings on his bottom lip and position your throbbing clit between them, making up and down movements to rub it on both sides as the tip of his tongue flicked your clit up and down.Â
âOh my fucking god, Jungkookâ!â your cries were loud and music to his ears. Your fingers tugged his short hair as you wiggled your hips, craving more.Â
And he was willing to give you the fucking world.Â
His fingers let go of your folds to snake down to your hole and you were so wet and dripping that he coated his digits to make them slippery enough before using his fingertips to circle your entrance. Jungkookâs lips and tongue were still focusing on your clit, starting to add broader licks and sucks to his gentle teasing.Â
âYouâre doing so well for me, baby.â he praised slowly, looking at your face and closed eyes. âNeed to stretch your pretty cunt so I can fuck you, okay?âÂ
âMhmm!â you nodded, teeth worrying your bottom lip as his fingers pushed into you, finding close to no resistance from how wet you were. âJesus fucking christââ
âWhat a dirty mouth on such a pretty baby.â Jungkook spread his fingers inside you, feeling your walls flutter open and clench around them, more of your slick dripping out of you. âBet I can make you cum just like this. I can tell youâre so close already, arenât you?âÂ
âBeen fantasizing about this for so longââ you whined, clenching and sucking his fingers as Jungkook pushed them deeper. âWant you so bad.âÂ
âYou can have me.â it should be scary how truthful that statement was.Â
Maybe you already did.Â
Jungkook hooked his fingers and fucked them upwards into you, finding that swollen patch of skin inside your walls, making you moan out loud, amess of mumbled words that sounded a lot like his name. Thatâs when he knew to bring his mouth to your pussy again, kissing it all over and paying double attention to your clit. As his lips sucked it into his mouth and his tongue rubbed it in circles and figure eights, two of Jungkookâs fingers fucked you hard and steady.Â
âJungkook, please, Iâm gonna cum, Iâm gonna cum so hardââ you didnât need to tell him, not when you were squeezing his fingers so tight and your thighs were shaking so much around his head.Â
âCum for me, baby.âÂ
His words, his permission, were all you needed to let go and let the band snap. You clenched impossibly hard and felt wetter and wetter the more he fingered your cunt, not letting up to make sure youâd ride your orgasm for as long as you could. You were squirming on the couch, body moving easily with your sweaty skin.Â
Jungkookâs own pants felt wet as he got on his knees making him wonder if he actually did cum untouched, the dark spot on the gray fabric being proof enough of how much he desired you. You were slowly coming down, pushing your hair away from your face, basking with a beautiful afterglow.Â
âThat wasââ you had to stop talking to breathe again, making Jungkook smile as he wiped his bottom lip off your release. You were a little delirious as you giggled, watching him as you said: âFuck, youâre so sexy.â
âAnd you taste really fucking sweet.â Jungkook cleared his throat as he swallowed, coming up to lay on top of you as you opened your arms to call him to you.Â
He was nothing but a gentleman, willing to wait for you to recover, or even stop, if youâve had your fill of him, or a change of heart for any reason. But you were reaching for his tattooed wrist and bringing his digits into your mouth. Your tongue worked slowly on his fingers, cleaning them from your cum, keeping eye contact as he knew you wanted to show off what your fucking mouth could do.Â
âWant to fuck you so bad.â Jungkook pressed his fingers gently on the flat of your tongue, reading your reactions, but finding no denial from you as you allowed him to finger your mouth. His hips were rutting his swollen erection against your hip as your hand reached between his legs.Â
You removed his fingers from your mouth, both covered in your spit that started to drip down his wrist. âFuck me, then.â
âYeah?â he whined, lips finding your cheek as your hand worked his cock over his pants.Â
âPlease, Jungkook.â you nodded, looking at him through wet lashes.Â
âWait a second for me, okay?â Jungkook sighed, despite wanting nothing more than to stay right here all night and let you continue to jerk him off.Â
But if your hand already felt this good, he couldnât wait to find out what being inside you was like. You were pouting adorably as he left the warmth of your body and comfort of the couch to pad his way to the bathroom, searching all of the cabinets and drawers until he found a new box of condoms. Taking one and holding the gold wrapper with his teeth, Jungkook walked back into the spare room as he pushed his pants down his hips and kicked them off his legs.Â
You were sitting up with a blinding smile as you watched him wobble as the bottom cuffs of his pants got caught on his heels, but he didnât mind it if he got to see you so happy. And then his hand was wrapping around his cock to give it a few strokes before tearing though the condom and rolling it down his throbbing length. You were licking your lips, but if he let that mouth anywhere near him, Jungkook would come undone down your throat.Â
âAre you ready for me, baby?â Jungkook kneeled on the couch and you spread your legs again, so wide that your left foot ended up on the floor as your right knee was against the back of the couch.Â
âYou tell me.â you teased with the tilt of your head.Â
Jungkook stared at your pussy; lips swollen and glistening from his spit and your orgasm, hole stretched enough for him to fit, clit begging to be played with again.Â
âYouâre something else.â he thought out loud, shaking his head and using the hand that wasnât holding his cock to push his sweaty hair off his forehead.Â
You laid back down with your head on the arm of the couch as Jungkook brought his covered cock to your pussy, brushing it up and down your folds to coat the lubed up latex with even more slick. He really wished he could feel you properly, with no barriers, but that was something that would have to wait. You might have skipped a few steps, gone a little backwards, but this was something that took intimacy and a conversation before either of you could even entertain the idea of.Â
All it took was one firm push and his tip was breaching you, making you groan in slight discomfort and pleasure. You were both watching the way Jungkook pushed more of his cock into you; halfway in, only to pull back almost all the way out. His cock came out covered in your slick each time it came out and every time it went in, the idol pushed it in a little further.Â
âThis okay?â he asked you with choppy breaths, feeling too good to stop now.Â
âMore than okay,â you confirmed with the sweet little moans he was becoming obsessed with. âNever been this fullâŚâÂ
âGood.â Jungkook wiped his forehead with his arm, starting to feel sweat threatening to drip, already noticing the glistening layer making his chest and stomach shine under the ever changing lights of the galaxy projector. âNever gonna be full like this again.âÂ
âGonna ruin me for everyone else?â you moaned, clenching around him as he bottomed out at once. âFuckâ!â
His lips were on your ear as he pulled his hips back once more, before shoving it all the way back in. âIs it working?âÂ
âAll too well.â your hands found his chest as you squeezed his pecs, almost like heâd done to your tits earlier. You used his own sweat to rub and roll his nipples and Jungkook might as well lose his fucking mind tonight.Â
Regret was a word constantly bouncing around in his head as heâd been too stubborn to meet you earlier, he couldâve been doing this with you for a lot longer if he had. Jungkook would absolutely beat himself up for his horrible decisions and introverted traits later.Â
âJungkook.â you complained with half a pout, as he felt so good heâd started zoning out. âWe can cockwarm later, right now I need you to fuck me.âÂ
âFuck.â he was malfunctioning a little with your offer, with your promise of later, body toppling over yours, chest pressing against chest. âI got you, baby.âÂ
âYou better.â you gasped as Jungkook started a steady pace. âBeen wanting you too long.âÂ
Jungkookâs mouth met yours briefly in a quick kiss to parch his thirst for your lips before aiming them elsewhere. His exhaustion from a busy schedule had nothing on his stamina from practicing and performing hard hitting choreographies in the daily, making it quite easy for him to start pounding you into the couch.Â
Your body was almost bouncing underneath him as he upped his pace whenever you became louder and needier, clawing at his biceps to hold on. Your tits were moving with the rest of you, so enticing he had to kiss his way down to your chest before taking a nipple into his mouth.Â
You arched your back and pushed your chest into his face, encouraging him to suck and lick around your swollen bud by scratching your nails against his scalp. You were already squeezing around him stupidly hard, milking his cock as he fucked you with all his pent-up frustration from missing out on you for so long, annoyance about his future and the fact heâd be gone soon.Â
Jungkook wasnât trying to take it out on you, but at least you seemed to like how rough he was being.Â
âIâm gonnaââÂ
âI know, baby, I know.â he shushed you, bringing his face at level with yours, noses bumping as he changed pace to a slower one that hit deeper and more angled, watching your eyes water and your lips part. âI am, too.âÂ
âCum insideâŚâ you whined, gaze hazy, making Jungkook wonder if you were picturing the same thing as him, wanting the same. âFill me up.âÂ
âYeah, I will.âÂ
Jungkook was nodding as you did the same, wrapping your legs around his hips to make his speed even slower, but the rolling of his hips were more controlled. You were holding him by the neck, fingers gently squeezing absentmindedly. Your eyes were locked onto each othersâ as you shared the wistful moment, only closing every now and then when one or the other leaned in for a kiss.Â
After a couple longer strokes, Jungkook pushed all the way into you, pelvis pressing against your clit and tipping you over the edge for a second time. You cried his name, this time with real tears escaping from the corner of your eyes, arms around his neck as you came around his cock.Â
His own orgasm was right behind yours, deep moans and praises mumbled against your lips as you licked his with sloppy and wet flicks of your tongue. Jungkook spilled his release inside the condom, but he pictured his sticky sperm filling up your walls instead, forehead pressed against yours as he fantasized about the mess he wanted to make of you.Â
The two of you were quiet as you recovered from the mutual orgasm, Jungkookâs arms caged you in and you received him into your chest with a level of affection heâd never gotten from his past hookups and one night stands; enough for his tired, blissed out brain to believe that you wouldnât be just a one time fling.Â
âJungkook?â you called him softly, and he only hummed against the side of your boob to let you know he was listening, despite his closed eyes. âHow many days do you still have left?âÂ
His head lifted from your chest, furrowed brows as he did quick math in his head. And then he smiled, confusing the shit out of you before answering: âSeven.âÂ
Want more of this story? Catch parts 2 and three at my membership!
Part 2 - OUT NOW. Check the teaser below:
âI was thinking⌠And you can say no.â you started quietly after what sounded like a tiny sip.Â
âWe both know Iâll say yes.â he chuckled.Â
âHear me out first.â you had that smile on your face, Jungkook didnât need to see it to know. âSo Iâve been researching, and apparently people can send letters and care packages to the soldiers and trainees?âÂ
âUh huh.â was all Jungkook managed to say through the beaming grin that formed in his lips, guessing where this was heading to.Â
âSo I was wondering⌠If I could do that?â
âYou want to write me letters, baby?â you might as well be able to hear his heart from how fast it was beating in his chest.Â
Your breathing also got heavier by the lowered tone of his voice.Â
âYeah⌠I know we can call when you have your phone, and letters would take a while longer with the back and forth butââ you went on a tangent, stopping short as if thinking about what you were asking for. âGod, itâs silly, isnât it? Iâm sorry, itâs not like weâre in the fifties and youâre at war.âÂ
âI would love to get letters from you.â
âReally?âÂ
Jungkook nodded to himself. âI have two addresses, but the one listed on the official military website is for the public.â the one ARMY used to write him letters so they could still feel close to the idol, but those would always take a while longer, if they ever even reached him at all. âIâll give you my personal address, okay? That one comes straight to me and doesnât have to go through the company.â
âOkay!â you chirped, clearly excited as you thought out loud: âOh my god, I need to stock up on envelopes.âÂ
âYouâre so cute, did you know that?â
You were huffing, voice a little muffled as you whined: âStop, you know you canât just compliment me like this.â
If Jungkook had only met you once, if his only experience with you had been that fateful night when you, Mingyu and Eunwoo showed up at his doorstep after a night out, heâd really have the wrong picture of you. At least it would be painfully incomplete. That night you were confident and open, forward with your advances.Â
When in reality, you were⌠Adorable. Yes, you were still sexy and you held yourself in a light that showed you were comfortable in your own skin. But you were also shy when too much attention was on you and you could not handle compliments when you werenât expecting them.Â
âGod, I miss your face.â Jungkook groaned, staring at the speckled ceiling of the small room. âI canât believe I havenât seen it in over a month.â
âYouâre going to forget what I look like, by the time youâre out, wonât you?â you laughed, but it wasnât completely sincere. âI could print out a picture and send it to you? In one of the letters.â
That had Jungkook laughing a full belly giggle, which obviously confused you greatly as you followed up:
âHey, why was that funny?â
âItâs not you, it just made me think about something I heard today.â Jungkook was shaking his head, switching ears as his phone started to feel a little hot. He could hear the pout in your voice and desperately wanted to kiss it. âSome younger trainees were complaining that we canât look up porn while weâre here, soââ
âOh my god, I didn't mean that kind of picture!â you fake gaped with a pretty laugh. âAnd, wait, you really canât watch porn?âÂ
âOur phones are monitored.â Jungkook told you, rolling his eyes at the lack of freedom he had to deal with for the next two years. âWe can make calls and no one is listening to us right now. But trainees canât take videos or pictures, and we canât receive them either. Porn, and I guess, adult magazines, are in the list of forbidden items.âÂ
âOh. So if I did want to send you a nude polaroid, youâd get in trouble?âÂ
Jungkook groaned, air leaving his lungs as he thought of what kind of nude pictures youâd take for him. âBaby, donât put that image in my head.â
âI would send them.â you continued, a little quieter. âIf you wanted me to.â
âYou have no idea how much I want you to.â want was an understatement. He missed you in more ways than sexual, but⌠The image of you writhing underneath him, the feeling of you squeezing around his cock, your mouthâ âYeah, you canât. If I got caught with it, they might take my privileges.â
âIâm sorry, I wonât.â you agreed as he tried to regulate his breathing. âBut how do you, uhâŚâÂ
Jungkookâs brain might be working a little slower right now, but it wouldnât take a genius to figure out what you wanted to know. So he told you: âI havenât.â
âNot once?â
âIâm hardly ever alone.â his laugh was painful and he felt shamelessly sorry for himself.
âWhat about the showers?â
âThey are locker room style, so no stalls. No privacy.â
âDamn, Iâm so sorry.â he believed you. âNow I feel bad.â
âWhy, baby?ââI mean, I⌠I have.â you said with a breathy tilt to your tone. In a cruel twist, you clarified: âTouched myself. Thinking of you.â
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