We’re All Mad Here

She could hear the heavy sounds of boots falling on concrete as his men spread out in search of her.

There weren’t a lot of places to hide in the warehouse. The building clearly wasn’t in use, and there was only a handful of abandoned crates and machinery to provide shelter. She was hidden behind a group of crates, holding her breath as his men started their search for her.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all day, not knowing where you were.” he chuckled, the sound half tired and half something else, something almost manic. She was pushing the limits of his patience. She knew that, but she still couldn’t bring herself to come out of her own accord. She’d work too hard for this opportunity to simply give herself up. 

They both knew that she wasn’t getting away. He’d chased her down and cornered her here knowing full well it was a dead end. He wouldn't hurt her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her slip away.

The sound of tactical boots was closer to her now. They were slowly but surely closing in on her, methodically going over every inch of the warehouse in search of her hiding spot. 

It was a small miracle she’d even gotten this far. No, he never hurt her, but security around her was tight, ensuring that she stayed safely tucked away right where he wanted her. She was always right where he wanted her.

It was infuriating, and somehow his seeming lack of anger made it all the worse. No matter what she did, he had a seemingly endless supply of patience. She could spit in his face, and he’d still smile at her like it was all a game. Even now as she pushed every boundary set for her, he didn’t seem angry. He seemed tired, worried even, but not angry.

The crate she was hiding behind shifted, and an unfamiliar face peered down at her.

“Sir, we’ve found her!” He shouted before turning his attention back to her. “Ma’am.” He tilted his head respectfully, holding out a hand to help her up.

She didn’t take it, not even as she heard the others rapidly approaching.

“Precious.” he breathed a sigh of relief and a smile stretched across his features as she came into view.

Immediately she was pulled up and out of her crouched position as he crushed her to his chest, his fingers tangling into her already messy hair. There was no space between them as he held her close, as though he was frightened she’d slip through his fingers again or disappear altogether.

“There you are.” he murmured into her hair before pulling back so he could get a good look at her face, a smile spreading across his lips as he took her in. “You had me worried sick.” 

She pulled back and stared at him silently, unsure how to proceed or what he was going to do next.

Tenderly, he pushed back the hair obscuring her features, taking in the dirt and dust that had settled over her face and clothes over the course of her adventures with disapproval.  “Let’s get you home, darling.” 

Hoseok scooped her up, keeping her close to his chest as he strode towards the exit to where the car was waiting to take them back to her gilded cage.

Y/N had to wonder as he carried her how she had gotten herself into this predicament in the first place.

It had all started with a funeral

Y/N stared at herself in the mirror trying to figure out how she was going to hide the marks littered across her neck and collarbones for the funeral. She  couldn’t very well show up to her own brother’s funeral looking like she’d just gotten her back blown out. She was fairly impressed by the heart shaped hickey resting on the outer edge of her collarbone though. It was cute in its own way even if it would be a bitch to hide. 

She eventually settled on a high-necked black dress. It had elbow length sleeves to accommodate for the warming spring weather, but the high neck hid the worst of the marks along her collarbones. The rest residing on her neck she could cover with makeup. The ones littering her thighs and hips would thankfully be kept a well hidden secret underneath her dress. 

She was only in the city to arrange and attend the funeral. She’d moved away for college and hadn’t looked back. Kai, on the other hand, had stayed and thrived in the less savory part of the city. He’d already been caught up in it when they were teenagers and had only gotten more entrenched as time had gone by until it had finally caught up with him.

Y/N had gotten a call from one of her brother’s friends last week to let her know that Kai had been shot. Y/N had immediately packed a bag and gotten in the car. By the time she’d made it to the city, Kai was gone.

His friends had graciously offered her a place to stay while she arranged the funeral, but she had declined in favor of staying with a friend of her own who lived in the city. As kind as the offer had been, she didn’t want to have any more contact than needed with her brother’s friends. They were a mix of boys she remembered from her teenage years and new faces, but she knew well enough that they were all at least partially entrenched in the same life that had gotten her brother killed. 

Staring at her neck as she began to apply careful layers of concealer, Y/N was struck again by the thought that a one night stand the night before her brother’s funeral probably hadn’t been her wisest idea. Hana had thought a night out would help get her mind off of everything. Y/N hadn’t thought that she’d intended for the night out to lead to mind-blowing sex and end with her sneaking out of one of the most gorgeous apartments she’d ever seen. Y/N was choosing to blame the lack of judgement on the mix of grief and vodka.

Y/N managed to cover her hickies for the most part. They at least wouldn’t be obvious to anyone at a passing glance. She didn’t really want anyone at the funeral thinking she was a whore even if her actions the previous night had been decidedly slutty.

The funeral itself went much as any funeral did, and then Y/N was left to deal with the seemingly endless throng of people coming to give their condolences. Most of them she knew to be Kai’s friends and associates. The roughened and scarred knuckles and the tattoos peeking out from beneath collars and shirt sleeves all but confirmed it. Kai had some of those same tattoos. She may not have seen or talked to Kai often over the past few years, but she recognized some of those tattoos.

The entire affair was exhausting. Y/N was sick to death of people telling her they were sorry for her loss. She almost thought she might scream if she heard it one more time. When her eyes fell on the newest arrival, she thought she might scream for an entirely different reason.

Her eyes had first been drawn to him because of the odd hush that had fallen over the space. All eyes had gone to him, not just hers, and for good reason. He had an intimidating aura, a presence that demanded respect. He  was shrouded in a pair of dark slacks and a dark button down which had been generously unbuttoned to show off a glimpse of his chest. The jacket that was meant to go with the ensemble was stylishly draped over his shoulders, and gold flashed at his neck and his wrist. All eyes were on him as he made his way over to where she was standing. His making his way to her wasn’t wholly surprising. She was, after all, the only family member for anyone to pass on their condolences to. She’d heard dozens of half hearted apologies for her loss already, but this man didn’t seem the least bit grieved to be there. The expression on his face was more bored than anything else. 

She kept her eyes on him as he approached, analyzing him. He was tall but not too tall.  His build was all lean muscle like a dancer's would be, and he moved with the same grace one would expect of a dancer. The sharp planes of his face combined with his dark hair and his build to make a rather impressive figure overall- one that was undeniably handsome and a little intimidating. 

She wasn’t the only person in the room that seemed to find him thus. Everyone else held themselves still and quiet as they watched him in a mix of respect and apprehension. She did as well, but with a distinct nausea thrown into the mix as well. 

He stopped in front of her, reaching out a slender hand to take hers into his own, her own hand engulfed in his grip as he smiled at her. It was an oddly heart shaped expression though the joy that one would typically associate with a smile wasn’t there. It didn’t meet his eyes, and those, she found, were cold and dead like a shark’s. 

The hands she had shaken all throughout the day were rough and calloused, and most of the suits that she had seen were ill-fitting, nothing like the impeccable fit of the man who stood before her. The man who now faced her was something wholly different, and she couldn't quite place how he had known her brother. Kai had been fairly low in the ranks as far as she had been aware. This man with his elegant hands and designer clothes didn’t seem like a follower. He didn’t sit low in the rank of anything if she had to take a guess. This was a man who wielded a fair amount of power. Worse than that, he was the man she had spent last night with, and he was looking at like the cat who had caught the canary. 

“Hello again, precious.” he purred, and a cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck as she felt all the blood drain from her face. He had yet to release her hand, stroking his thumb across her knuckles. 

“Hoseok.” she whispered his name, still unsure how he had come to be here but becoming increasingly nauseated by the possibilities of why. 

He pouted, lips turned down at her lackluster response. “That’s all I get after last night?” 

Her eyes widened, lips parted in shock at the blatant mention of their previous activities. “Hoseok!” she hissed, ripping her hand from his as her eyes frantically darted around the room to see if anyone had heard him.Unfortunately, most eyes in the room were glued to the two of them, and she could only assume they were all straining to hear what was being said as well. 

“I was so upset to find my bed empty this morning, precious.” He sighed, rolling his shoulders back. “But how lucky I am to find you here! It must be fate!” 

Lips set in a grim line, Y/N reached out and snatched his wrist, all but dragging him from the hall in an effort to get him away from the watchful eyes of the congregated mourners.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed, dropping his wrist as though it had burned her as soon as they were outside of the funeral hall and away from the prying eyes and listening ears within.

“I can’t be here to see you?” He asked flirtatiously. 

“It’s a funeral.” she deadpanned. 

Y/N took a fortifying breath, squaring her shoulders as he met his eye with the best mask of indifference she could muster despite the war of emotions raging within. She didn’t want him there, but she didn’t need to let him know how much seeing him was truly bothering her. 

“What are you doing here?” She repeated.

Hoseok arched a brow, taken aback by her cold reception of him. Hoseok wasn’t normally one for sleepovers, but it had bothered him to wake up that morning without her in his bed. He’d enjoyed their night together, and he’d thought she had too if the multiple orgasms were anything to go by. Panic followed by cold indifference was not the reaction he had been expecting from her, but he hadn’t been expecting to see her at one of his rival’s funerals either. He wasn’t complaining about the turn of events though. If anything, he was intrigued. 

“I’ve come to pay my respects to the recently deceased.” 

Her expression became even colder as she took in that information. It was confirmation of everything she had feared he was when he’d walked through the door. 

“How did you know my brother?” She asked, staring him down with the best intimidating stare she could muster much to Hoseok’s continued amusement.

“Kai and I moved in similar circles.” He admitted nonchalantly. “Though I didn’t know he had such a delicious sister.” 

Her jaw ticked in irritation. “Stop that.” 

“Stop what, precious?” 

“Implying things.”

Hoseok grinned, a wide toothy expression filled with an almost malicious glee. “It’s not an implication if you know, and I do know you, darling- quite intimately.” He leaned in so that they were cheek to cheek, his next words whispered into the shell of her ear. “I can still taste you on my tongue.” 

Y/N flinched back, her cheeks reddening and her nostrils flaring as she tamped down her temper. “Of all the vile vulgar things to say. This is a funeral for god’s sake.” 

His grin widened. “We could always talk about this more privately- back at my place.” 

Y/N stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how much audacity someone had to have to try to seduce someone at a funeral or how stupid they had to be. 

She huffed out a sigh, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her heels had been painfully digging into her toes for the better part of an hour, and she had no patience to deal with this man and his blatant propositions. 

“Are  you absolutely insane? Have you lost your mind?” She asked, taking a step forward into his space much to his surprise. “This is a funeral. Worse, this is my brother’s funeral. Whatever momentary lapse of judgment I had last night- whatever mix of vodka and grief led me to the horrendously bad decision of sleeping with you is done. It’s over. I will not be repeating that particular mistake again. Now would you kindly leave?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “I am trying to grieve in peace.” 

Hoseok stared at her, taking a moment of his own to take in the woman who stood before him. She was red-eyed and irritable, and yet he found her as enchantingly beautiful as he had the night before when he’d taken her to his bed- perhaps even more so now as he was the subject of her ire. 

He laughed, a full bodied high pitched laugh that did nothing to settle her nerves or lessen her anger.

“Precious, you are something else.” he spoke through the last of his laughter. 

“Are you going to leave?” She asked, crossing her arms under her chest.  “Or should I have you thrown out?” 

“I’m Jung Hoseok, darling.” 

He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, as though she should already know what that meant and the implications thereof. 

Y/N stared at him for a second as though that was supposed to mean anything to her before letting out a scoffed sardonic laugh of her own. “I don’t really care who you are. This is still my brother’s funeral, and I don’t want you here.” She shrugged.  “So thank you for coming, but you’re not wanted here.” She gestured lazily towards the exit as she spoke, trying her best to convey to the man, who she was beginning to think was more than a little thick , just where she wanted him to go. 

The smile on his lips froze in place, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he took in her words. “Excuse me?” 

She smiled, the expression mirroring his own shark-like grin as she leaned in, mirroring his earlier move. “The dick wasn’t that good anyway.” She whispered into his ear before backing away, smile still in place. “Thank you for coming, but you can go now.” 

“Precious…” 

“You can go now.” she repeated, dead serious as she stared him down. 

He tongued his cheek, scoffing as he glanced away for a moment before returning his sharp gaze to her. 

“If you came for seconds, there is nothing left for you here.” She interjected before he could say anything. “Lights out, doors closed.” 

Hoseok stared at her, his retort dead on his tongue as she gazed at him expectantly. No one spoke to Jung Hoseok that way, least of all the women that he took to his bed, but here she was staring at him like he was the dirt beneath her shoe. Hoseok could barely picture her as the same woman who had been writhing beneath him in the throes of pleasure just a few mere hours before. This wasn’t the woman whom he’d littered with love bites as he’d made her cum over and over again. That woman had been inviting and enchanting. She’d been more than eager to submit to him. The woman before him now was just as enchanting, but she was cold as ice as she deigned to banish him from the funeral all together. There was nothing submissive about her, and Hoseok didn’t think he’d ever been more turned on in his life. 

As he stood there contemplating the fact that his pants were suddenly a little bit tighter than would be considered comfortable, Y/N had already begun to move away from him, intent on returning to the funeral hall and leaving him behind without so much as a glance back in his direction. 

His hand shot out, quick as a snake, to grab her by the wrist. His hold was tight but not bruising as he pulled her back into his orbit, eyes fixed on her a kind of adoring awe that made the uneasy feeling in her stomach once more develop into fullblown nausea. 

“Precious,” he began, his voice a purr. “That’s not very nice of you- especially not when we got along so well last night.” 

He held back a smile as he watched her lips purse in irritation. 

“Get your hands off of me.” She grumbled, attempting to push his hand from its position gripped against her wrist.

Instead of releasing her, as she so clearly wanted him to do, Hoseok proceeded to pull her even closer, his free arm moving to wrap itself around her waist until he had her almost flush against him. 

“I don’t appreciate disrespect, darling.” He cooed, fingers intimately splayed across her waist. “You’ll learn that with time.” 

“I told you to get your hands off me.” she hissed, struggling against his hold. 

“You liked my hands on you last night.” He pointed out with a grin stretched wide across his features. 

“That is not the point!”

Hoseok shrugged, smirk still playing on his lips. “I think it is.” 

“You’re despicable. This is a funeral.” She huffed, giving up her struggle as she came to the morbid realization that she wasn’t going to get out of his grip if he didn’t want her to. His hold was like steel, unmoveable, and yet surprisingly gentle.There was no intent to harm her in it, only to keep her close. 

“We could have done this this morning if you hadn’t run off. A bouquet by the bedside. Breakfast in bed. Morning sex.” His smile was teasing as he waggled his brows at her suggestively.

“I don’t want any of that with you.” 

“You wound me, precious.” 

She huffed out a frustrated breath, once more pushing against his hold in an attempt to get him to release her. “I’m about to if you don’t let me go.” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

Y/N froze, all thought leaving her head as she tried to process what he’d just said. It seemed too ridiculous a thing for him to actually have said. “I’m sorry. What?” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

It sounded equally as ridiculous the second time. 

“You must be out of your fucking mind.” 

“Only for you, precious.”

Y/N gave one last hard shove, and Hoseok released her, allowing her to take several stumbling steps back as she tried to compose herself, her mind whirring with the insanity of his proposal. Last night had been a mistake. She had already admitted that to herself. She just hadn’t thought that it would have such an array of consequences. Nothing had prepared her for a clingy one night stand, let alone one that ran in the same less than legal circles as her own brother. 

As she straightened out her dress and hair, both disheveled from her time in his arms, Y/N made the mental note never to drink anything mixed with vodka ever again.The aftereffects simply weren’t worth it.

“I think you should go.” 

“Excuse me?” Hoseok’s head tilted to the side like an inquisitive dog as though he was trying to figure out if he had heard her correctly or not.

Y/N rolled her shoulders back, holding her head high as she stared him down. “Leave. You aren’t wanted here.” 

His grin took on a sharklike quality as she spoke, all sharp edges with no real humor behind the expression. “No one speaks to me like that, precious.” 

“Maybe they ought to.” She sniffed primly, a cold mask of indifference shifting into place despite the unease that he sparked within her. 

“That’s not very nice, precious.” 

“You’ve done nothing to deserve nice, and stop calling me that! I’m not your anything, let alone your precious.” she sniffed, disdain dripping from every word. 

“Oh,  I disagree.” He purred, expression still vaguely predatory as he sauntered closer to her, closing the distance between them. “I think you’re very precious, sweetheart. Maybe the most precious thing there is.” 

“Despicable.” She spat, slapping his hand away as he moved to brush away one of the errant tendrils of her hair. 

Hoseok straightened, squaring his shoulders and fixing the lapels of his suit. “I’ll leave you to grieve in peace, precious, but I’ll be seeing you soon.” 

“I hope not.” 

He reached out a slender hand, taking one of hers in his and raising it to his lips brushing a gentle kiss against her knuckles.

She yanked her hand back as soon as his lips made contact with her skin, hiding the offending limb in her skirts.

Hoseok chuckled, a smooth rich sound that carried all the mirth his previous smile had not. “Until next time, precious.” 

Y/N didn’t wait for him to speak again. Instead she turned on her heel, heading back towards the funeral hall with a staunch refusal to sneak a glance backwards to see if he was still there. The prickling sensation of eyes on the back of her neck told her all she needed to know on that account.

No sooner had Y/N re-entered the funeral hall  thanSuho, one of the friends of her brother’s she actually did know, came up to her brows furrowed with concern as he scanned her from head to toe as though trying to assure himself she wasn’t hurt in any way which was odd, but she shoved that thought to the back of her head. It by far wasn’t the strangest thing to happen that day.

“Suho.” She smiled tiredly, allowing the man to hug her. “Thank you for coming.” 

He didn’t respond, releasing her from the hug and grabbing her by the arm to drag her away from prying ears. “You need to leave.” 

“What?”

Suho sighed impatiently, moving them both towards the exit as he did. “I don’t know why Jung Hoseok was here or how you know him, but you need to leave.” 

“Jung Hoseok?” Her brows furrowed quizzically. “He said he was an associate of Kai’s. I don’t particularly like him, but he’s already gone. Not much he can really do to disrupt things now.” 

Suho grimaced at that, practically pushing her out the door into a side hallway. “Jung Hoseok is not our associate. He’s not our friend, and he’s certainly not our ally.” 

That caught her interest. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean that he’s made it his personal mission in life to try to eradicate us.” 

“You don’t mean…”

“I do.”

Y/N froze, her blood running cold as she processed the information. That man had been responsible for her brother’s death however directly or indirectly, and she had fucked him the day before the funeral. 

Bile rose in her throat.

“Oh God.” 

“I don’t like the way he was looking at you, Y/N.” Suho shook his head. “And then he let you drag him out. It wasn’t like him, and I don’t like that at all.” Y/N kept her lips pressed firmly together. There was no need to let Suho know how close to the truth he was on that count. 

“If he’s responsible, why was he even here?” She questioned, her voice a hoarse whisper. 

Suho’s frown deepened as he led her towards the building exit. “I don’t know. Maybe he was here to gloat. Whatever the reason was, I don’t like it,  but I especially don’t like how interested he acted with you. Jung Hoseok doesn’t let anyone drag him around let alone look amused while they do it.” 

After being escorted out of her own brother’s funeral, Y/N was ushered back to the relative safety of her friend’s apartment with strict instructions from Suho not to venture out unless it was absolutely necessary. Y/N thought he would have preferred for her to be out of the city entirely, but there were still things only she could do as Kai’s family and the beneficiary of his will.

She wasn’t entirely sure what Suho thought Hoseok would do to her if he caught her out and about unaccompanied, but she figured his imaginings were much different than what the reality would be. She got the impression that Hoseok was far less interested in hurting her than in a repeat of their first meeting. Suho didn’t need to know that though. She was perfectly happy to keep all the sordid details to herself. There was a chance that Suho’s predictions were correct, but she highly doubted it based on the ostentatious bouquet that had been delivered to her door the morning after the funeral with a card signed JHS. The flowers had promptly been deposited in the trash along with the card and the invitation to dinner it contained. 

The myriad of marks along her body were finally beginning to fade much to her relief. She was running out of ways to keep them from view as she dealt with the legal aftermath of Kai’s death. Soon they would be entirely gone and with them the reminder of the man who left them, not that he was easy to forget. Oh no, Jung Hoseok was doing his best to be a thorn in her side even though she hadn’t set eyes on him since the funeral. 

Bouquets and gifts arrived almost daily bearing with them invitations to dinner or drinks. One had been particularly bold- inviting her directly to a repeat performance of their first encounter. Every note was signed in the same quick decisive hand by JHS, and every single note, bouquet, and gift immediately found its way to the trash. She did have to admire his persistence as unwanted as it was. He was not a man to take no for an answer, but she wasn’t one to be so easily won over- especially not after learning that he was the reason that Kai was dead. 

She wasn’t sure how delusional someone had to be to think they could woo someone whose brother they had killed, but she was sure that it had to be an unhealthy amount. One night of passion wasn’t enough to erase his sins and neither were the endless stream of gifts. Her thoughts on the matter didn’t stop the notes and gifts from coming though.  Hana thought it was romantic, but Y/N knew better. To her it seemed less romantic and more obsessive, and that was not something she wanted to become entangled in.  All she truly wanted was to tie up the loose ends that came with being the sole executor of her brother’s estate and return to the comfort of her own home and the safety of knowing that the city and the majority of its inhabitants were far away from her. 

One of the inhabitants that she dearly wanted far away from her was Suho. Logically, she knew that he was trying to be  helpful. She knew he was trying to do his part to take care of Kai posthumously through her, but he was annoying the shit out of her. Everywhere she went every appointment with lawyers she attended, Suho was right there with her. 

Y/N was fully aware that it was a good thing that he was there. Most of Kai’s assets would be turned back over to Suho and the rest of their cohort. Y/N had no need of them and no want of them. Suho’s signatures were needed for the transfer of property, but she was sick of seeing his face every day. She was sick of him treating her like some sort of delicate flower- treating her like he didn’t know her at all when they’d known each other since they were children. 

Kai and Suho had always been thick as thieves- the best of friends since the moment they’d met in the 3rd grade. They’d all been normal then, just kids, but people don’t stay kids forever. Suho and Kai entered middle school, and the tide began to turn. Suho started hanging out with a different crowd, and Kai followed right along after him like he always did the inseparable duo that they were. Kai was never quite the same after that. 

While Suho had risen through the ranks of their burgeoning group, finding himself in a position of leadership, Kai had not reached such levels of success. He’d stayed firmly in the middle of the pack, a higher up of the lower ranking members of their gang as much of an oxymoron as that seemed. Y/N had always thought it was stupid that he’d thrown his life away for that, but it wasn’t her life, and she didn’t have much say in what her brother did. She never had. As the little sister she’d always been an afterthought, something that trailed along after Kai and his friends. Sure, he loved her, but it hadn’t been enough to stop him from following right after Suho even when she’d begged him not to. 

By the time they were in their late teens, Y/N didn’t feel like she even knew who her brother was anymore, and she couldn’t help but blame Suho for that. She’d never been able to look at either boy the same way again. She still loved her brother, but she couldn’t be around him, not when she was so terribly certain that the path he was on would be his ruin. 

Y/N went to college, and Kai, several years her senior, had remained doing his own thing. After college, she’d left the city, moved somewhere where she could try to forget that her brother was a criminal and the deteriorating state of their relationship with each other. 

She hadn’t seen Kai in years before Suho had called her with the news, a difference in opinion on his life choices had kept them fairly separate. Kai had made his choices, and she had made hers, but it didn’t make the pain of his loss any less hard to bear. The pitying glances she would catch Suho sending her way didn’t help matters either. She didn’t need pity- least of all his. 

She had just escaped Suho and the lawyers to find a moment of quiet and some much needed caffeine when she was met with something far more unpleasant than either Suho or the lawyers. 

Y/N froze, tensing at the feel of the hand on her lower back. Even without looking, she had a sickening feeling she knew exactly who that hand belonged to. 

“Stalking is a crime.” she sighed, her gaze shifting to the side to see if her suspicion had been correct.

It had.

“You’re a hard woman to get a hold of.” He sighed dramatically in turn. “All of my efforts met with silence. I’m starting to think you don’t like me.” 

“I don’t.” she moved forward causing his hand to fall away. “Some people would have gotten the hint.”

Y/N steadfastly ignored the man as she stepped forward to the counter, ready to place her order and get on with her day- hopefully away from Hoseok. “One iced chai latte please.” she smiled at the barista as she started to grab her wallet from her bag only for an elegant hand to appear from the corner of her eye- a black amex extended and at the ready.

“We’ll take an iced Americano as well.” 

“He’s not with me.” she snapped, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as she pulled out her own credit card.

Hoseok gently pushed her hard away, insisting the barista take his card instead.

“It’s the least I can do for my favorite girl.” 

“We don’t know each other that well.”

Hoseok ignored her comment, choosing instead to place a hand on her back again and gently push her in the direction of where they were meant to wait for their drinks.

“You didn’t get my gifts?” he asked once they were out of earshot of the queue. 

“I got them.” 

“You didn’t like them?”

“I wasn’t a fan of the sender.” she shrugged, checking the time on her phone.

“That’s not very nice of you, precious.” 

Y/N glanced up from her phone to find Hoseok staring at her with a hard expression- jaw tight with displeasure despite the smile on his face.

“How exactly did you expect me to respond?” she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.

“A little gratitude would be nice. Maybe a little adoration.” 

The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end. His tone had an arrogant, condescending quality to it that set her teeth on edge. She fully turned to face him, shoulders pulled back and her lips set on a grim line.

“What exactly should I be grateful for? Your tendency to stalk? Your unwanted interest in me? Or the fact that you are the reason my brother is dead?”

Hoseok stared at her, knocked a little off balance by the cold rage in her eyes. He was used to people looking at him with varying levels of anger, but he wasn’t used to the women he showed interest in looking at him like that. He certainly didn’t want her looking at him like that. He definitely wanted her eyes on him but not with that expression. He much preferred the sultry look in her eye from their first meeting. That look had been nowhere to be found lately though. 

Hoseok glanced away, tongue in cheek as he tried to reign in his temper- a dry laugh escaping him as he did.

“If you were anyone else, precious…” 

“You would what?” she interrupted him. “Kill me?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “What would you do?” 

Hoseok’s smile was sharp as he regarded her. “I already warned you that I’m not a patient man, precious. I’d be a little more careful if I were you.” 

She shrugged, moving to take her drink from the counter. “It’s not like any of this matters anyway.” 

That caught Hoseok off guard.

“How so?”

She shrugged again, and Hoseok’s jaw ticked in annoyance.

“Your obsessive stalker tendencies won’t last forever. I’m sure you’ll forget all about me and move on to the next unfortunate woman in no time.” 

Hoseok’s posture relaxed slightly, his smile a little easier. “You’re unforgettable, darling.” 

Y/N made a face. 

“I’m sure distance will help the process along.”  She smiled with as much grace as she could muster, which was admittedly not very much as she began to make her way to the door only for Hoseok to grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“What do you mean distance will help?” he demanded. 

Y/N grimaced in displeasure, trying to wrench her arm away but Hoseok held fast refusing to let her walk away. 

“What do you mean?” he insisted.

She sighed deeply, fully turning to face him. “I don’t live in this city.” She started, keeping her tone even and slow as though explaining something to a child. “I will eventually-sometime soon- go home, and then we can both forget that we ever met each other, and you and Suho can go back to trying to tear each other to pieces without any involvement from me.” 

Hoseok’s grip on her arm tightened, his expression taking on a pinched quality. “Forget each other?” 

“What do you think happens when people no longer interact with each other?” She snapped, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip to no avail. “Will you let go?” She hissed in irritation when his grip held firm. “I have places to be, and you’re harassing me!”

Hoseok stared at her, stone faced except for the occasional irritated tick in the muscle of his jaw.  

“What is wrong with you?” She gasped, finally giving up her struggles to level him with a glare. 

“You can’t leave.” He stated, already moving towards the door with her in tow.

“What are you- What are you talking about?” the space between her brows furrowed in confused irritation as he pulled her along after him, not unlike how she’d pulled him out of the funeral. “Of course I can leave!”

“You can’t leave.” he repeated, completely serious. 

“I don’t even live in this godforsaken city, and thank fuck for that!” 

Hoseok stopped once they were outside the cafe, staring at her and, drinking in the frazzled irritated state she was in as his mind raced. He hadn’t anticipated her leaving. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that she would be leaving the city behind and with it, him. 

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the morning he’d woken up alone. He wasn’t one to pine, but he’d made the choice to let the incredibly sexy woman from his club spend the night with him- something he never did- and had awoken to cold sheets and an empty bed. It hadn’t been an unusual circumstance. Hoseok never let his paramours spend the night in his bed, but he had wanted her to stay and had been more than a little upset that she’d slipped away like a thief in the night.  It had been his incredible luck to find her later that same day- eyes red-rimmed and dressed in black but still as gorgeous as the night before. He’d already been planning on tracking her down. No one walked out on Jung Hoseok. It had been an act of fate running into her again, and he had no intention of letting her slip away twice. The only hiccup in his mind had been his association with the deceased, but it was a minor thing. They could easily move past it. They had a fate together.  

He’d never felt like this about a woman before. She plagued his thoughts, waking and dreaming, and yet she seemed entirely unaffected by him. His attempts to woo her went unanswered, and she gave him about as much regard as one would a bug crawling across the floor. He wasn’t a man used to rejection. He was a man used to everyone around him falling at his feet, but she stood tall against him, regarding him as a nuisance. It was infuriating, maddening, and it made him even more deeply infatuated with the woman she was. It made him crave the breathless submission- the sweet surrender and soft embrace of their first meeting. He wanted her with him- by his side and in his bed. She could regard the rest of the world as dirt beneath her shoe. He’d encourage it, but he wanted her to be soft with him and him only. 

“You can’t leave,” he repeated, grip almost bruising. 

“I can do whatever I want.” she huffed. “Now let go before someone calls the cops on you.” 

“No one is going to call the cops on me, sweetheart.” He smiled sweetly, pulling out his own phone as he did, hand still firmly gripped around her wrist. “Now hush. I have to make a phone call.” 

She squeaked in indignation at the command, but Hoseok didn’t pay her any mind.

His mind had been whirring with possibilities from the moment that she had mentioned leaving. There was absolutely no way that he was going to let her leave the city, not when he hadn’t had the chance to properly woo her. All his attempts so far had been met with outright rejections- not ideal for winning hearts- but Hoseok was convinced that was only because she was upset with him over the matter of her brother.Everything had been fine between them before she’d found out, and with time, it would be fine again. He just needed the time to melt the icy exterior she’d formed around herself after finding out. 

Hoseok fingers flew across the screen even as he gave orders- a plan being formed and set in motion all at once. If time was what she needed, time was what he would give her, but she wouldn’t be leaving the city. 

It wasn’t often that Jung Hoseok had to work for the favor of the women in his life. He simply didn’t have to. Women fawned over him for a multitude of reasons: wealth, looks, skills. There was no need to work adoration when it was so freely given, but this wasn’t to say that Hoseok couldn’t be charming when he wanted to be. Hoseok could be the very picture of charm and grace when he wanted to be. He knew very well how to treat a woman. It was easier to accept baseless adoration than it was to cultivate true devotion. True devotion took effort, and for Y/N, Hoseok was more than willing to make the effort. She didn’t just deserve it, she demanded it. 

Hoseok had a constant stream of diversion around him. Work kept him occupied much of the time, but in the leisure time he did have, there was no shortage of amusements and company to enjoy them with. His initial interaction with Y/N L/N had been much the same. She’d simply been the woman to catch his eye that evening. What had caused him to become so fixated on her was something that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Even half drunk she hadn’t accepted anything less than his full attention, and he had been more than willing to give it to her fixated on the way the silky material of her dress rode up on her thighs and the strands of hair that fell out of her careless updo to hang around the column of her neck. She had been the image of carefully constructed reckless abandon. The scent of jasmine had floated around her, clinging to her skin and wafting up from her hair every time she moved. Everything about her had been curated almost as if to lure him in specifically and leave him drunk on her essence. 

By the time they reached the car, Hoseok had the basics all ready to go. He had never had to force a woman to be with him, and he didn’t plan on starting now, but there was nothing wrong with giving her a push in the right direction. He could be quite charming when he wanted, and he was more than ready to show her just how charming he could be. She just needed a little push in the right direction to get them started as well as a push into the vehicle.

The short walk to the car had been spent planning on his end and with endless struggle on hers, but nothing she’d done had managed to break the iron grip he had on her wrist. Nothing she did broke his grip though, and no one on the street paid her protests any mind. Hoseok didn’t pay her struggles any mind either. 

“After you.” he offered as he held the door to the backseat open.

“Go fuck yourself.” She hissed, kicking out in another attempt to break his hold on her. 

A sharp humorless smile spread across his face as she spoke. “But why would I do that, precious, when I have you?” 

Y/N made a noise half way between outrage and shock as Hoseok scooped her into his arms and swiftly deposited her within the backseat of the vehicle, climbing in after her to ensure that she didn’t climb out the other side. 

Quick instructions were given to the driver as Hoseok climbed into the car, hands already reaching to pull Y/N close to him as she tried to open the opposite door to throw herself out of the vehicle. 

“Stop that.” Hoseok hissed as her elbow made contact with his abdomen.

“Let me out!” She struggled against his hold, trying desperately to get out of his hold. 

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” he scolded as he managed to get her arms trapped tight to her sides so that she couldn’t repeat the earlier motion of jabbing at him.

“Let me out!” She shrieked, throwing her head back in an attempt to headbutt him as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms fully around her torso to stop her from causing herself or him any more harm. 

“Stop.” 

“This is kidnapping!” 

“It’s not kidnapping!” He snapped back in offense. “I’m keeping you from making a mistake.” 

“Psychopath!” 

He huffed out a breath, frustration nearly radiating off of him as he held her down. “You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be, precious.” 

“Boss.” The man driving the car reached back, handing a cloth to Hoseok as he did. 

“Last chance, precious.” 

“Go fuck yourself.” 

“Wrong choice.” 

Quick as a viper, Hoseok had the cloth pressed against her nose and mouth. The pressure, unyielding as he held her firmly. The sweet scent of the cloth seeping into her lungs the longer he kept it pressed against her airways even as she struggled against him. 

Her struggles grew weaker and weaker against him as he held her there until finally, the world grew fuzzy around the edges, and eventually, she saw nothing anymore.

Y/N opened her eyes to a pounding headache and an uncomfortable burning sensation in her nose and the back of her throat. The combined feeling was so uncomfortable, that she closed her eyes, turned over, and buried her face in the pillow, hoping to smother the discomfort by falling back asleep, but this idea was disrupted by the fact that her pillows definitely didn’t smell like spice and citrus and something woody and earthy. The pillows in Hana’s spare room also didn’t smell like that either. 

Her eyes shot back open as she turned back onto her back, eyes staring up at a ceiling she didn’t recognize. Her walls weren’t painted soft beige and neither were Hana’s. In that same thread of thought, the bed was far too comfortable to be the one at Hana’s house. That was little more than a thin mattress rolled out on the floor for an unexpected visitor. This bed was both too large and too comfortable to fit the bill. 

Slowly, she sat up, taking in her surroundings despite the continued discomfort in her nose and throat. The curtains were drawn making the room dim except for the threads of moonlight slipping through. The light was too pale and soft to be daylight  despite it having been daylight the last time she could remember being conscious. Slowly, as more awareness dawned on her, the last conscious memories she had began to filter back. 

The cafe. Hoseok. The car. 

The room had to be his. Though the dim lighting didn’t allow her to see enough detail to confirm or deny if it was the same room she and Hoseok had ended their first ill-fated encounter in, there was no other option of whose room this could be. And if this was his room- she had to assume the man himself wouldn’t be far away. 

Despite the raw burning sensation that still lingered in her airways, Y/N threw off the comforter and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was at this point she noticed that the clothes she was in were hardly her own. The sunny yellow pattern of her skirt and the sensible mock-necked shirt of earlier were gone. In their place was a silk nightshirt that fell down to the top of her thighs. With an ever dawning sense of horror, Y/N realized her bra was missing as well, though thankfully the other half of the set was still where it should have been. 

She made her way to the window, drawing back the curtains to see that the sun had fully set. Moonlight illuminated the garden below the bedroom window, and the high wall that surrounded the property. The garden was moderately sized, but not so large that she had to assume she’d been taken too far outside the city. It did mean that she wasn’t in the same residence she’d been in before though. That had been a penthouse in the midst of the city. This clearly was not. 

Y/N turned away from the window, making her way back towards what she assumed was the door leading out of the bedroom. Much to her relief, the door was unlocked, allowing her to slip into the hall. 

The hall itself was lined with windows, soft yellow lighting making it clear that the house had not gone to bed for the evening, and putting Y/N even further on her guard. She wasn’t sure who would be roaming the house and who was aware of her presence there. She also wasn’t sure where Hoseok was, or if he was even in the house itself. Running into him was the worst case scenario. There would be no sneaky exit if she ran into him within the hallways. 

Softly, she padded through the hall following it towards the end where a staircase made its way to the first floor of the house. Soft light spilled up from the first floor but no sound. The house had been dead quiet so far except for the barely there sound of her own footfalls against the rug running the length of the hall. Cautiously, Y/N began her descent, doing her best as she did to minimize any noise she might make. The quiet of the house made her feel as though she would be able to hear a pin drop. It didn’t give her much hope that any noise she might accidentally make would go unnoticed. 

Just as she reached the last stair, a voice rang out from one of the adjoining rooms. 

“You’re awake.” 

She froze, unsure on if she should stay put or if she should turn tail and flee in whatever direction the front door was most likely to be in. 

The choice was swiftly taken from her as Hoseok emerged into the hall. 

He was as dressed down as she had ever seen him- hair loose over his forehead, slipper clad feet, and loungewear that probably cost more than her rent adorning the rest of him. 

“How are you feeling precious?” he asked, tone soft and concerned as he took in the sight of her, hand lifting as he came to a stop in front of her to brush against her upper lip.

She pulled away with a hiss as he made contact with the raw skin there. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Chloroform is nasty stuff, but I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice coming out in a croak through the raw skin of her throat. 

“You’re home, precious.” 

She took a stumbling step back, heel catching on the last stair of the staircase behind her. Hoseok reached out quick as a viper, snaking an arm around her waist and steadying her before she could finish her fall. 

“Careful, darling.” He chided, pulling her closer and away from the stairs as he did. “Don’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

Y/N shoved his hands away, stepping to the side to avoid another stumble into the stairs. Hoseok allowed her the distance, watching her with a soft teasing smile as her eyes darted around the space, searching for possible exits. 

“I think you should sit down.” he hummed, head tilted to the side. “You look like you need it.” 

She recoiled, snatching both of her arms back in an attempt to avoid him. “Don’t touch me.” 

A long suffering sigh released itself. “You’re overreacting, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“You kidnapped me.” 

“That’s such a vulgar term for it.” he waved his hand dismissively. “It makes it sound so violent. I stopped you from making a decision that was going to ruin what we have.” 

“We don’t have anything! We slept together once! When I was drunk!” She shouted, chest heaving as her breathing grew shallower and faster. “And on top of that you killed my brother! What could we possibly have together?” 

His eyes remained fixated on her, expression soft and adoring as though her tirade meant nothing to him. Everything was right in his world, while she felt several seconds away from total collapse. 

“And yet, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head.” He hummed, stepping forward even as she continued to scramble back. He continued to press forward, pushing her further and further back as he advanced until there was nowhere left to retreat. 

Her back hit the wall, and Hoseok was quick to follow, caging her in with hands on either side of her head, leaning in so their faces were only centimeters apart. His eyes closed in contentment as he took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of her hair as he did. 

“Ever since that night, you’ve been haunting my thoughts.” He murmured, lips brushing against her hair. With a chuckle he continued. “No one has ever walked out on me before.” 

She stayed frozen, barely breathing as he continued. 

“I never let anyone stay the night, but you, you were special. I wanted you to stay- wanted one more night, maybe more, and then I woke up, and you were gone.” he sighed, hand creeping around to cradle the nape of her neck, tilting her head so she was forced to meet his gaze. “That hurt my feelings, precious. I thought I was going to have to scour the city to find you again because no one walks out on Jung Hoseok, but there you were at the funeral. It was fate.” 

“It was an accident.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, the sound barely even a whisper. 

“It was fate.” he insisted, grip tightening just a fraction where his hand held her head in place.

“You killed my brother.” 

He cooed, both hands moving to cradle her face. “No, precious. I didn’t kill him. He was a casualty. I didn’t order his death.” 

“You killed-” 

“You know the dangers his lifestyle posed just as well as I do.” Hoseok interrupted her, gaze boring into hers. “He knew the risks too. His death? That night? The funeral? It was all fate. It brought you to me.” 

She trembled under his touch as the full weight of his delusion settled on her. 

“You… you can’t just kidnap people and call it fate.” she denied, still frozen under his soft touch and adoring gaze. 

He smiled softly, devastatingly, as he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. “Of course I can.” he murmured, voice lowering to match her own hushed trembling tone. “What else would you call it?”  

She didn’ t have an answer for that. Their initial meeting and the following run-in had been a horrible coincidence that even she had to admit seemed almost like the plotline of a drama. His unwavering belief it was fate, wasn’t wholly crazy. His following actions were, but the initial belief that their meeting was fate wasn’t so far out there. The problem was, he couldn’t take no for an answer. 

She didn’t even notice she’d started crying until Hoseok wiped the tears from her cheeks, cooing softly to her. “Don’t cry, precious. I’m going to take such good care of you. You’ll never want for anything. You’ll never even have to lift a finger if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want it.” 

He ignored her. 

“I’ll spend every day worshipping you.” 

“I just want to go home.” 

“This is home, precious.” He murmured, pressing a kiss between her brows,lingering close so that his lips continued to brush against her skin as he spoke. “You just have to accept that.” 

“No.” she whispered. 

“Darling….” 

“No!” she screamed, pushing him back with more force than either of them expected and dashing away, running blindly in the hopes of getting anywhere that wasn’t by him. 

Her feet skidded against the floor as she paused, eyes darting wildly as she tried to puzzle out which direction to go. 

“Y/N!” Hoseok barked from behind her, following at a more leisurely pace despite the clipped tone of his voice. 

The sound of him calling for her spurred her into motion once more. She dashed away, running in what she hoped was the direction of the front door, or any door that could keep her away from him. Hoseok followed behind, not deigning to run after her. 

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Y/N.” he called, irritation bleeding into his previously dulcet tones. “Getting yourself all worked up and for what?” 

She ignored him, almost sobbing in relief as she reached the front door, the handle turning easily under her touch. She didn’t wait to see what Hoseok would do. Unsteadily, she practically threw herself out of the entrance and into the driveway. 

Her mad dash was cut short as she ran almost straight into what had to be a security guard, his concerned eyes looking down at her as his hands steadied her. 

“Are you alright, ma’am?” he asked, taking in the night shirt and her bare feet as he cataloged her appearance.

“She’s fine.” Hoseok called out, voice still clipped as he sauntered over. “Let me go.” She begged, hands clutching at the guards arms as she tried to push out of his hold as well meaning as it was. “You have to let me go.” 

“Ma’am?” 

“She’s fine.” Hoseok repeated, closing the distance and slipping an arm around her waist, easily tugging her away from the guard. “Just a little trouble adjusting. Isn’t that right, darling?” He quirked a brow, as though daring her to disagree in front of his men. 

“Let go!” She hissed, pushing against him. “I don’t want to be here!” 

Hoseok chuckled, though the sound lacked the fondness of earlier. “See?” he shrugged, reaching down to adjust his hold and lift her into a bridal carry. “Just a little trouble adjusting.”

“Let me go!” She shrieked, writhing in his hold. “You’re crazy!” 

“Enough.” 

The word wasn’t yelled. He didn’t even raise his voice. The word was spoken softly but with a finality and authority that was devastating. It calm and quiet and yet deadly. 

“I won’t let you hurt yourself, precious.” he was stern as he carried her back into the house, his touch burning against the bare skin of her legs. “You can cry and rage as much as you want, but you will not put yourself in harm’s way,” 

“I hate you.” She hissed.

“That’s fine too.” He shrugged. “It’ll fade with time.”  

Neither of them spoke again until he carried her into the living room, setting her gently down on the sofa.

“I think we should go over some ground rules, precious.” 

“Fuck you.” 

He grinned, sharp and rogueish. “You will.” The sound she made in response was strangled and outraged. “But for now, ground rules.” 

She stared at him, seething as he spoke. 

“I already promised you wouldn’t want for anything, and I meant it. You’ll be well taken care of. Anything you want, you’ll have.” 

“Except freedom.” 

“You’re not a prisoner, precious.” He disagreed, sinking into the opposite end of the sofa as she curled up into the corner. “You’ll be able to go out, shop, do what you’d like.” 

“But I can’t leave you.” 

“If you want to go out, you’ll either have me or security with you. I have a lot of enemies, precious, but I won’t let them touch you. The escort is for your safety.”

“And to make sure I don’t leave.” 

His answering grin was sharp and predatory. “If you leave me, precious, I’ll enjoy hunting you down.” She stayed quiet, not having a response for the unnerving glint in his eye. It was as if the idea of tracking her down excited him. “If you want to go out, let me or the guards know. A driver will be called for you.” 

“I know how to drive.” she snapped.

“A driver will be called,” he repeated firmly. “You’ll have your own credit card attached to my account.” 

“So you can monitor my purchases.” 

“So I can provide for you.” 

“But also so you can monitor my purchases.” He didn’t deny it. “What about my phone? My wallet? My apartment? My job?” 

“It’s already been taken care of. I’ll give you back your phone once I can trust you with it. Your accounts have been closed, and the funds have already been placed into a joint account that your new credit card is attached to.” 

“You can’t just do that.” She whispered, horrified by how quickly he’d erased her entire life- everything gone in the span of an afternoon.”You can’t just take everything.” 

“We take care of our women in this family.” Hoseok shrugged, unaffected by her horror. “Your brother should have understood that, but he left you to fend for yourself. That won’t happen again- not while you’re with me.”

“And what if you get bored of me? What happens then?” She challenged, chin raised definitely despite the fact her knees were folded to her chest as she curled into the corner of the sofa. 

His smile was slow and devastating, adoring in a way that made her want to vomit. He didn’t know her nearly well enough to look at her like that. 

“I won’t get tired of you, but we’ll call it a trial period if it makes you feel better.” he shrugged. “You won’t do anything to put yourself in harm’s way, and I’ll do my best to woo you.” 

“Woo me?” she scoffed, side-eyeing him as she debated his sanity for what felt like the millionth time that evening. 

“Woo you” He agreed. “Like I was trying to do, but you very stubbornly ignored all of my attempts.” He shot her an accusatory glance. 

“I didn’t want to see you.” Her scowl was met by an indulgent smile. “I want my own room.” She demanded, keeping the stubborn tilt of her chin as she stared at him down. He pouted, honest to god pouted, as she glared at him. “My own room. I’m not sharing a bed with you.” 

“Fine,” he conceded. “You’ll have your own room. For now.” 

“What happens if I’m not won over by your ‘wooing’? Do I get to go home?” 

He smiled indulgently. “That won’t be necessary.” 

“You have a lot of confidence for someone who had to kidnap a woman to get a date.” 

He shrugged, leisurely, spreading his arms across the back of the sofa. “I wouldn’t have needed to resort to such tactics if you hadn’t been ignoring me.” 

“What happens if I try to leave you?” she asked, as he relaxed head reclined onto the back of the sofa and eyes half-lidded. 

“I already told you, precious.” he smiled lazily. “I’ll hunt you down and bring you home.” 

“So I’m supposed to sit around all day and wait for you to want to play with me? Like a doll?” 

“Of course not.” he waved a hand dismissively. “I already told you, you’ll be free to do whatever you want within reason.” 

“Within reason?” 

“Nothing that would put yourself in danger. Nothing that threatens the family. Things like that.” His hand made lazy circles in the air as he spoke, uninterested in her line of questioning as he rattled off the list of things that qualified as unreasonable.

“And what does ‘wooing’ me look like?” 

That caught his attention. He sat up a little straighter, gaze once more fixed on her. “Oh, precious. I’m going to treat you like a princess.” He purred. “Dinners, dates, flowers, jewelry. Anything you want, it’s yours.” 

“And if I don’t want it?” 

“You’ll still be treated like the stubborn little princess you are.” She sat up a little straighter at that, the suggestive tone of his voice making her uneasy. “You might have forgotten, precious, but I remember every detail of that night together and how much you enjoy being treated like a princess.” 

“Shut up.” she hissed, hackles raised at the implication. 

“And of course we’ll have meals together here at home. My schedule varies, so it’ll change from day to day, but we’ll have at least one meal together. It’s good for couples.” 

“We’re not a couple. You kidnapped me like a psychotic bastard.” 

“Semantics.” She opened her mouth to argue, but Hoseok sat up fully, sharp eyes fixed on her. “We are a couple, precious, and as my woman, your only job is to pamper yourself. We take care of our women, and in return, we expect loyalty. I expect loyalty.” 

“And what if I can’t give you that?”

The dead, shark-like quality came back to his eyes as soon as she finished speaking. His gaze was cold and calculating as though he was assessing an asset and not looking at a living breathing person. She certainly felt more like an asset than a person under that gaze. 

“I don’t think you’d like the consequences of that very much, precious.” He started, speaking slowly so that every word washed over her with added weight. “I’m sure you knew some things about your brother’s business, and I’m sure you also know what disloyalty gets you.” 

“What happened to your promises not to harm me?” she challenged, and his answering smile made her blood run cold. 

“There are ways to punish disloyalty without causing you physical harm, precious.” 

The words were flat, spoken without emotion as though the prospect of enacting those consequences didn’t even faze him. She doubted that it did. Kidnapping hadn’t. 

He leaned closer, body shifting on the sofa to close some of the distance between them. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you, and I meant that. I still wouldn’t go testing boundaries if I were you though.” He leaned back again, his eyes raking over her form as he did. “Or do. Maybe you’d find the consequences exciting.” 

“You’re disgusting.” 

He shrugged, continuously unbothered by her ire. 

“I’m a man who knows what he wants. Is it so wrong that I want you?” 

“Yes.” 

He sighed, rolling his neck and rising from the sofa. “You’ll come around eventually, precious, but for now it’s late. Let’s get you to bed.” 

“My own bed.” She asserted firmly. “Not yours.” 

“Your own bed.” He agreed begrudgingly, but it was an agreement none-the-less.

True to his word, Y/N didn’t want for anything. Everything she could possibly want was provided for her within the walls of the house. Her room was beautiful and fully stocked with everything she might ever think to need and them some. The contents of the closet alone were worth more than her car- let alone the collection of jewelry Hoseok had taken to giving her as a sign of his devotion. 

When he’d said he meant to woo her, he had meant it. He treated her like a princess- a princess who was tucked behind the walls of a tower, but a princess none-the-less. Every action on his part was meant to convey the devotion he supposedly had towards her, and every day the adoring gleam in his eye seemed to get worse. No matter how prickly she was to him, he would smile and take it, throwing back barbs of his own as though it was a fun little game that they played and not an expression of her dislike of him. 

Her first full day in the house had been interesting. There was minimal staff, and it was clear they had been given orders not to interact with her more than was necessary. She supposed Hoseok wanted her to rely on him more than anything, but it wasn’t the order itself that she had found so strange. Instead, it had been the staff’s reaction, not to her presence, but to Hoseok’s attitude towards her. The first time they’d shared a meal had been an accident. She’d ventured down the stairs to snoop and had promptly been greeted by a woman she assumed was Hoseok’s chef who had ushered her to the dining table for breakfast. Hoseok himself followed not too long after, greeting her with a tired kiss on the cheek despite her discomfort before taking his seat. The other woman had frozen at the action. It had been a momentary reaction, she’d quickly slipped a mask of professional grace into place before Hoseok could notice her staring, but Y/N had noticed.

While staff in the house was limited, everyone she had encountered had the same momentary shock whenever they saw Hoseok interact with her. He treated her softly, more so than even she anticipated. He treated her as though she were his beloved and cherished girlfriend, instead of a woman he had slept with once, stalked, and kidnapped off the street. It was irritating how little awareness he seemed to have that he had kept her hostage for three months. It was irritating how pleased he seemed by how well she’d integrated into the day to day life of his household. And she had integrated. There was nothing else to do. 

Hoseok hadn’t been lying when he said he wouldn’t harm her, not physically at least, but her more reckless attempts at leaving had left her isolated and with nothing to fill the hours. He’d taken away simple privileges like going outside. He’d taken away access to the TV. He’d taken away her books. Deprivation and boredom had kept her in check. The more sweetly she cooperated, the more quickly Hoseok returned her privileges to her, but true to his word, he never physically harmed her. 

His interest seemed to lie more in forcing her cooperation in his delusion. He had no interest in causing her distress, but he took great interest in her comfort and care. It was baffling to her how he could kidnap her and keep her against her will and yet treat her as the most precious item in his house. At times it seemed like he knew every detail about her, and he used that information to his full advantage. Despite lacking freedom and agency, he made sure her prison was designed to keep her content, and the longer she stayed trapped with him, the deeper he seemed to fall into the belief that they were fated for each other.

“Precious.” Hoseok murmured, coming up behind the chair she was lounging in with her book, leaning down to kiss her cheek, a habit he’d gotten into that she found more than a little irritating. 

“Stop that.” 

“How was your day?” He asked, completely ignoring her ire as he moved to face her. 

“Does it actually matter?” 

Y/N flipped to the next page of her book, steadfastly refusing to look at him knowing full well how sulky he got when she refused to play along and give him the attention he wanted. 

“Of course it does. I always want to know how your day was, precious.”

“Why?” She asked, quirking a brow even though she still refused to look at him. ‘It’s not like my days have that much variation. Besides, if I so much as chip a nail someone is gonna report it back to you.” 

An indulgent smile spread across his face. “I still want to hear it from you.” 

She finally raised her head, looking him in the eye as he gazed at her, smile still playing across his lips. “I sat in this house. I read my book. I was told that trying to scale the walls was not approved behavior. Happy now?” she huffed, turning her attention back to her book without waiting for a response.

“I’m glad they told you. You could have hurt yourself.” He cooed, gently taking the book from her so that he could gather her hands into his- turning them over so that he could examine them for any injuries. “Who knows, you might have actually broken a nail if they hadn’t stopped you. Brick walls aren’t the most forgiving, darling.” 

“And you know this from personal experience?” He laughed softly, his eyes lighting up with fondness as he knelt in front of her. “I have my sources.” Gently, Hoseok lifted her hands, placing a light kiss against the scratched skin of her fingertips. “I wish you’d stop doing things that will get you hurt.” He sighed, taking note of each of the reddened tips of her fingers, and the scratches on her palms from where she had tried to see if the garden walls were scaleable. “I don’t like seeing you hurt, precious.” 

“There’s a very simple solution you know.” He hummed, encouraging her to continue as he continued to take stock of the marks on her hands minimal as they were. “You could let me go.” 

The soft smile that had played across his lips widened, spreading across his face until it was a full blown grin and a full-bellied laugh released itself. 

“That’s funny, precious.” He breathed through the last few giggles. “Now what would you like to do for dinner, hmmm?” he asked, gazing at her 

“Do I have to have dinner with you?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then I don’t care.”  

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her palm before letting her hands fall back to her lap. “Go get dressed, precious. I’m going to take you out tonight.” 

“Out to where?” 

“It’s a surprise.” 

“I don’t want any surprises from you.” 

“Too bad. Your dress is already laid out for you.” he hummed, rising to his full height. “Your shoes too.” 

She scoffed, leaning to pick up her book but making no other move to get up. “Not interested.” 

Hoseok plucked the book from her hands, tossing it aside much to her annoyance as her eyes flashed up to meet his. 

“Oops.” Hoseok shrugged, keeping his tone pleasant and calm despite the dead look in his eyes. “I made it sound like a request, but I wasn’t asking, precious. Your dress and shoes are all laid out. Go get dressed. We’re going out.” 

“How thoughtful. You’ve got it all figured out don’t you.” She hissed, remaining firmly in her chair, arms crossed under her bust. “But I don’t want to go on a date with you.” 

“Consider it your consequence for trying to scale the walls.” He shrugged, reaching down to wrap a long fingered hand around her arm. “Up.” He commanded, pulling her to her feet as he did.  

Her eyes narrowed, but she complied, allowing him to half pull her up as she unfolded herself from her armchair. 

She’d gotten good at reading his mood over her time locked away in his house, and she knew him well enough at this point to know that she’d pushed his buttons enough for the moment. He never hurt her, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be just as petty as she could. He had his ways of making her pay for pushing his buttons even if they didn’t involve causing her any physical harm. Each time she chose to push him had become a careful dance. She could irritate him, rile him up, and he would play along, meeting her challenges with an almost gleeful spirit, but she could only press her luck so far. As soon as Hoseok showed signs of no longer being willing to play along, she would retreat, biding her time and her manners as best she could. 

Hoseok guided her towards the stairs with a hand pressed to the small of her back. Flinching away from his touch now would do her no good even if she despised the heat of it seeping through her clothing and into her spine. For now, she needed to play along, or at the very least acquiesce to his whims until that cold dead look left his eyes again. 

Hoseok walked her all the way to her bedroom, opening the door like a gentleman despite her knowing well that he was not. She thought he would leave her in peace to dress, but as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Hoseok sauntered over to her bed, lowering himself to take a seat beside the dress laid carefully out upon the covers. 

“Pretty isn’t it?” He asked, running a finger across the silky fabric of the dress. 

She stood still, watching him warily to see what his next move would be. He had made his desire for her clear, but he hadn’t pressed her boundaries more than she allowed since he had kidnapped her. She didn’t think that he was going to now, but she would rather be safe than sorry. 

Hoseok lifted his gaze, expression softening as he took in the stiff set of her shoulders and the careful eye she regarded him with. “Don’t look so scared, precious.” He chuckled, gracefully standing and making  his way to her. 

His hands found her shoulders, caressing her arms as they slid down to grasp her own squeezing gently. “Go get dressed, while I pick out your jewelry.” 

The words were spoken softly, but she saw it for what it was- a command. 

Without a word, she stalked to the bed, sweeping the silky material up and making her way to the ensuite to change away from his watchful eyes. 

As much as she disliked him, she had to admit that the wardrobe that he provided for her was beautiful. Each piece was as gorgeous as it was luxurious. This dress was no different. The fabric was soft and silken and a gorgeous shade of muted green. Black lace decorated the bust trailing into the small of her waist. It was beautiful, but so were all the other pieces of the wardrobe that Hoseok had provided for her. Unfortunately for her captor, she was not so easily moved by pretty things. 

It took no time to slip into the slinky dress. Wrestling her hair into an appropriate updo took more time. Eventually, she was able to arrange it into a semblance of a french twist. It was a bit messy, with pieces spilling out to frame her face, but it was neat enough not to bother her in the long run. It would hold through the evening. 

Next she set to work on her make-up. Hoseok had supplied her with all kinds of high end brands to use at her own discretion. Most days she chose not to use it at all. She rarely left the confines of the house as it left a bitter taste in her mouth to know that each time she stepped out with her loyal dog of a guard, her movements were reported back to Hoseok. It left an even worse taste to know that he could veto any outing she wished to take. 

While he had professed freedom, each time she wished to step out of the house, it was swiftly reported back to him and if he did not approve of the outing she simply wasn’t allowed to go. It was demeaning-making her feel more like a child than she had when she was an actual teenager. 

Since she rarely went anywhere since her kidnapping, she didn’t feel the need to doll herself up every day. Instead, she had taken to existing in the variety of loungewear that had been made available to her. Hoseok,though she loathed to admit it, had been thoughtful and thorough in his care of her. Once he noticed her preference for comfortable clothing, more and more of it had appeared in her closet, and he never complained about her lack of effort in her appearance. Instead, when he wanted her dolled up he did exactly as he had done tonight. He would lay out whatever it was he wanted her to wear, ensuring each detail of her appearance matched whatever activity he had in mind and was up to his standards. 

Taking a fortifying breath after giving herself a last look over, she stepped back out of the bathroom, bare feet padding softly against the carpet. Hoseok was waiting for her, sitting on her bed as though he belonged there. 

His eyes drifted to her as she made her way forward. A smile spread across his lips, eyes half-lidded as he took in the sight of her in the dress he’d chosen. 

“You look beautiful, precious.” he purred, standing and moving to meet her halfway.

“I need you to zip me up.” she admitted, cheeks heating in embarrassment as she did. She would have done it herself- would have preferred to- but she couldn’t quite get a grasp on the delicate zipper located at the back of the dress. 

“Of course.” Hoseok grinned as she turned to give him access to her back.

She did her best to suppress a shudder as his fingers brushed against the bare skin of her back as he slowly did up her zipper fixing her into the dress.

 “Come. I have your jewelry all picked out.” 

Silently, she trailed behind him as he led her into the walk-in closet and sat her down at the vanity there. The jewelry he’d chosen was laid out in a glass jewelry dish on the vanity. There was a variety of rings and bracelets laid out there along with a set of diamond earrings- large stones in an emerald cut that attached to a smaller round stone and a smaller emerald cut stone where the peg was placed. 

“Beautiful.” He murmured, leaning down to place a kiss to her head as she began to fix the earrings into place.

“Stop that.” she huffed annoyed as she batted him away. “You’ll ruin my hair.” 

He huffed a little himself. “If I ruin it, I’ll fix it for you.” He shrugged, reaching down to the jewelry tray to pick up one of the bracelets he’d chosen. 

He picked up her left hand and began fixing the stack of bracelets into place. 

“I can do that myself.” she snapped, trying to snatch back her hand, but Hoseok held her firmly in place paying no mind to her protests. 

“Let me do it.” he snapped back,lithe fingers easily fixing the next bracelet into place. 

He repeated the process until all four bracelets were fastened before he set to work on the rings. 

“I think I know how to put on a ring.” she murmured as Hoseok lifted her hand again, slipping one of them into place.

“Just let me.” He huffed, annoyance bleeding through his tone at her continued resistance. “I have a vision.” 

“Of course you do.” 

She huffed again but didn’t protest further as he arranged the rings on her hands as he pleased until he was satisfied with her appearance. 

After the last ring was in place, Hoseok released her hands allowing her to place them in her lap.

“Beautiful.” He murmured again, leaning down to place another kiss to the crown of her head. 

“Would you stop that?” A quick hand darted up to bat him away. 

Just as quickly, Hoseok's hands clasped around her wrist, bringing them down to her waist and keeping them pinned there as he leaned down to nuzzle into the crook of her neck. 

“Would you prefer I kiss you here?” His tone was low and silken, seductive as he placed a kiss to the juncture of her jaw and throat. “You liked when I kissed you here before. Made such pretty noises for me.” She could feel him smirking against her skin as he spoke.

“Get off me.” 

He placed another kiss to her throat but retreated just as she’d requested. 

“I’ll go get ready. Wear the heels by the door.” he grinned, a bright sunny expression that she sourly thought shouldn’t be on the face of someone quite so vile. 

She watched as he practically danced out of the room, deeply pleased with himself and his planning. He’d promised her dates, and as of yet, there had been very few occasions when Hoseok had taken her out of the house. Each of those rare times had been an outing to somewhere private, somewhere where she would be secluded from people who weren’t him or being paid by him. 

She supposed she couldn’t blame him for that. If she had kidnapped someone she probably wouldn’t want them out in public too often either- too much risk of escape or discovery of the crime. Today he was oddly insistent about the whole affair. Normally if he wanted them to have dinner, it was within the confines of his home even if the dinner itself was fancier. There had been one or two nights when he’d dolled her up only for the occasion to be a candlelit dinner in the garden. She didn’t think that that was the case today though. He’d said he was taking her out, and she really did think he meant out. He’d been too meticulous in her presentation for her to think he meant anything else.

She noted sourly that there was no handbag allotted to her for the evening as she slipped on the pair of heels laid aside for her. There wasn’t any need for a handbag when there was nothing for her to carry. Hoseok had yet to return her phone to her. There was no wallet to place into a handbag either or anything for a wallet to even hold. She had access to a credit card as he’d promised her on that first night. It simply wasn’t within her keeping though. Either Hoseok paid for whatever she wanted himself or the credit card was left in the custody of her guard and pulled out for any purchases she may want to make. 

She had to admit however begrudgingly that that was rather clever of him. It ensured that she didn’t have direct access to any funds. Even if she did manage to slip away from him and the guards, she would have no phone and no money to aid in her escape making it all that much harder. It was smart- irritating but smart. 

If she’d had internet access and free use of a credit card she probably would have booked her escape to somewhere far far away and made a much more concentrated effort on slipping her guards. As it stood though she didn’t have access to either of those things. She supposed that her passport was also within Hoseok’s keeping. He’d been quite proud of himself for wrapping up her life previous to him in a neat little bow and tucking it away as though it no longer existed. She had to assume he had all of her important documents. They weren’t the type of thing you left behind if you were looking to keep someone by your side in the long term. 

She tried not to think about that though. Thinking about just how thoroughly and cheerfully Hoseok had trapped her was depressing. Depression wasn’t something she could let herself sink into if she had any chance in hell of finding a way to get away from him. Her chances were slim enough as it was without giving into hopelessness. 

“Are you ready, precious?” Hoseok asked, appearing in the doorway of her bedroom and startling her out of her thoughts. 

She blinked slowly, trying to slow the racing of her heart as she settled after nearly jumping out of her skin. It didn’t help that Hoseok was looking at her with an infuriatingly amused smile as though he found the entire thing cute. 

Y/N glared at him, looking him over from where he stood waiting for her. She was even more irritated to discover that he looked good- infuriatingly good. She wasn’t blind. She knew that Hoseok was an attractive man. It had been half the reason for this entire mess in the first place. If he hadn’t been handsome and charming and available they never would  have had that disastrous one night stand in the first place, and he used that handsome face and charm as a weapon to try to breach her walls and ingratiate himself into her affection. 

Tonight he looked especially handsome. His hair was done in dark waves and swept partially away from his forehead. The black pants clung deliciously to his long legs, and his button black button down was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the first few inches of his chest. If she didn’t know who he was, she probably would have blushed at the devastating smile he was shooting her way, but unfortunately she did know who he was, and all those good looks went to waste on account of the rotten personality within. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Y/N stomped past him, muttering as she went with him happily trailing behind her as she swept through the halls and down the staircase. 

“Y/N precious!” he called as she stomped her way into the foyer calling her to a stop and allowing him to catch up to her, slipping his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. “There.” he sighed in contentment. “Let’s go, precious.” 

Y/N did her best to remain neutral as Hoseok pulled her out of the house and to the waiting car. On the few occasions she’d left the residence, she’d been driven in a nondescript black SUV with windows so tinted she could barely see out of it. This care was not that. It was sleek and black with two doors on either side. She didn’t have a good enough view to see what make and model  the vehicle was, but she assumed it was expensive. It was a feeling that was confirmed as she slipped into the leather interior as Hoseok held the door for her. 

“Where are we going?” Y/N asked, as he pulled out from the gates of the residence. 

“I have someone I want you to meet.” There was something brewing in the way he said it, something vibrating just beneath the surface that she couldn’t quite place.

“Friend of yours?” 

“More like a brother.” 

She couldn’t stop the scoff that slipped past her lips. “Probably equally as horrible as you.”

“You love me, precious.” He shot her a sultry glance out of the corner of his eye. “I know you do.”

“Keep dreaming.” 

The laugh that burst from him was full-bellied and joyous. Clearly his earlier ire had passed, and he was once again delighted by whatever barbs she chose to send his way. 

“Precious, I dream of you every night.” 

“Disgusting.” 

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Hoseok’s hand eventually drifting to rest heavy on her thigh as he drove. She’d attempted to remove it. Twice. Each time she brushed it off, he simply replaced it, his grip growing more firm each time she tried to remove him. After the third failed attempt, she’d simply chosen to accept it rather than picking a fight. She’d picked plenty of those recently and there was only so far she could push him before he snapped. She was waspish but not stupid. 

The restaurant was beautiful, softly lit and quiet. Hoseok helped her from the car, and held the door open for her as they entered the restaurant like the gentleman he pretended to be, barely even glancing at the valet as he passed off his keys. All his attention was focused on her. It was a disconcerting habit of his.

Hoseok didn’t pay much attention to the hostess, confidently striding through the restaurant with a hand firmly placed against the small of her back. 

“Don’t you need to be seated?” 

“Private room, precious.” He murmured, leaning down with a conspiratorial grin. 

She snorted. “Why? Scared I’ll start screaming in the middle of the room?” 

“Go ahead, precious. No one will stop you.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t doubt that she could scream her head off and no one would bat an eye, not while she was with him. If they did, they wouldn’t do anything. No one ever seemed to do anything against him. She’d raged those first few days. She’d kicked and screamed and tried to get the staff to look her in the eye, to help her, but none of it mattered. She’d given up on that after the first few weeks. No one would go against him.

“You like that don’t you?” 

“Like what, darling?” he asked, as they approached the door of the private room. 

“The power. Knowing that you can do anything you want, and no one is going to stop you.” 

Hoseok grinned again- a hint of the devil in his eye. “It’s addicting.” 

He opened the door, ushering her in before him. Already seated at the table was a man she’d never seen before- unsurprising as she didn’t really know much about Hoseok or his life outside of the walls of his home. The man stood, politely as they entered. His dark hair was long, swept away from his face. She admitted it was a handsome face, luminous with a pair of sharp dark eyes that seemed to cut through her in a second. 

“Yoongi!” Hoseok cheered as he closed the door behind him. “Glad you could make it.” 

“You called me here.” the other man replied dryly, retaking  his seat as Y/N took her own. “I brought what you asked for. Is this her?” 

“This is my precious, my Y/N.” Hoseok beamed, staring at her adoringly. “How’s Rosie? Is she good?” Hoseok rattled off questions, taking a sip of the water that had already been waiting for them on the table. 

“Rose is fine.” the man nodded. “Recovering.” 

“Good. Glad to hear it. We were all worried about her.” 

Y/N looked between them, trying to keep up when she didn’t really know either man very well. “Who is Rosie?” 

“My wife.” Yoongi replied, leaning back into his chair. 

“She had a bit of a scare recently. Glad to know she’s doing better.” Hoseok nodded, draping an arm over the back of his chair lackadaisically. “We all love Rosie. You should have seen their wedding, precious. Yoongi here couldn’t stop smiling the whole day.” 

“How long have you been married?” Y/N asked politely, grabbing her own water glass to take a sip. 

“Two years.” 

“Congratulations.” she murmured.

“How do you want to do this, Hob-ah.” Yoongi sighed, pulling out a folder she could only assume had whatever Hoseok had asked him to bring. 

“Dinner first?” Hoseok suggested, fingers lazily gesturing through the air. 

Yoongi shook his head, opening the folder. “Gotta get home to Rose.” 

Hoseok nodded understandingly. “Signatures first then and dinner another day.” 

“Signatures on what?” 

Both men ignored her question as Yoongi started to pull out the papers carefully laid within the folder. “It’s pretty standard. The stipulations you asked for are all there as well.” 

“Yoongi here is the family lawyer.” Hoseok explained, reaching to take the papers that had been handed to him, glancing over them casually. 

Y/N peeked over trying to see just what kind of papers Hoseok had asked the other man to bring. He didn’t bring business around her usually. 

The layout of the table itself put a stop to her snooping. The round table put them just far enough apart and the print was just small enough that it made it hard for her to catch a glance without leaning over into Hoseok’s lap, a position she definitely did not want to be in. 

“It’s all in order. You both just need to sign.” Yoongi explained as Hoseok nodded along. 

“Both?” Y/N asked, perking up as a knot formed in her stomach. 

There wasn’t much that Hoseok would need her signature for. He’d dismantled her entire life without so much as a word to her. Why would he need her signature now? 

Hoseok signed and initialed without so much as a second thought, passing the papers and the pen over to her with a bright smile. 

“Sign here, precious.” 

Y/N picked up the papers, reading through to see just what she would be signing before her eyes snapped up to Hoseok in shock.

“This is a marriage contract.” She whispered, staring at Hoseok with wide eyes. “Why is this a marriage contract?” 

Hoseok reached across the table to grab her hand, smiling softly as he did. “It gives you security, precious. It ensures that you are protected legally.”

“You mean legally tied to you.” 

Hoseok didn’t flinch at the accusation in her tone, continuing to smile at her adoringly. “You knew this was the plan, precious. I don’t know why you’re so surprised.” 

“I don’t want to marry you!” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.” She shook her head, moving as though to stand but Hoseok’s grip tightened keeping her in place.

“Don’t be stubborn, precious.” He murmured, dark eyes boring into hers as Yoongi watched them both carefully from across the table. 

“Excellent proposal, Hob-ah. Very romantic.” Yoongi scoffed, crossing his arms as he waited to see how the situation would unfold. 

Hoseok shot the other man a withering glare before turning his attention back to the woman before him. 

“Precious.” He purred, doing his best to keep an even tone so as not to spook her even further. The color had drained from her face leaving her wan and ashen. “You know I love you. We’re fated. This just makes it official.” 

“I don’t- I don’t want that.” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.”

The word left her as a whisper, but even spoken softly it seemed to echo through the room. 

“It’s not a choice, precious. You’re mine whether you sign the papers or not. You will be Mrs. Jung whether you sign or not. Make it easy, precious. Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, earrings swinging wildly as she did. “You can’t force me…” 

“It’s not force.” Yoongi interrupted. “Whether you sign the papers or not doesn’t really matter. There are ways of getting your signature on them without you signing. It’s been done before.” 

“That’s illegal.” 

Yoongi shot her a flat look. “Which is why you should sign now. Don’t make extra work for everyone.” 

“You can’t just…” 

“I can.” Hoseok affirmed, a little frown marring his features. “Don’t I treat you well? Aren’t you happy?” 

“You kidnapped me. You’ve held me hostage in that house.” 

The frown disappeared, a slow calculating smile taking its place and lighting up his face.  “And think of how much more freedom you’d have with my ring on your finger. We’d be so happy, precious.” 

“I don’t want to marry you.” 

“Of course you do or you will. You just haven’t come around to the idea yet. Always so stubborn.” He tutted with a fond smile. 

She stared in horror at the papers laid out before her. From what the men were telling her, it mattered very little whether she actually agreed to sign them or not. Her signature would make its way onto those papers with or without her say so. This was a courtesy on their part. Hoseok could have had the papers forged and filed without her ever seeing them or knowing he’d done it, but he was in his own twisted way giving her a choice. She also now knew why her ring finger had been left suspiciously empty as Hoseok had bedecked her in jewelry. He had been planning to fill the gap in later. 

“This is cruel.” She whispered, still making no move to pick up the pen laid in front of her.

“This is fate.” She stared at him, trying to figure out how he could say it with such surety because it was clear that he whole heartedly believed that, and he was certain that with enough time and coercion she would too. “Sign the papers, precious. Make the right choice.” 

“Why are you doing this to me?” She demanded. 

The walls seemed to be shrinking in on her as she sat under his scrutiny, the papers and the pen laying traitorously before her. It was one thing to be trapped with him. It was an entirely other thing to be legally bound to him. Legality was an axe hanging over her head. It made the probability of escape so much less likely.

There had been a hope that Hoseok would give up his delusional obsession with enough time. If she didn’t fit the role he had imagined for her, he would let her go. Clearly, Hoseok didn’t have the same thought. Instead he’d presented her with a nail in the coffin. Men in these circles didn’t believe in divorce. They might not always be faithful to their wives, but divorce was never an option. She knew that well enough. This contract would quite literally bind her life to his for the rest of their days. 

“Becuase I love you, sweetheart, and I want you to be my wife.” 

“You’re insane.” 

“Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, pulling her hand away from Hoseok to wrap her arms around herself. “You can’t do this. You can’t make me.” 

Yoongi released a long-suffering sigh, leveling her with a stern look. “Your name is going to end up on those papers one way or another. It’s all been decided.” 

Hoseok stood, slithering to stand behind her chair and bending so that his cheek was level with hers. “Sign the papers, precious.” His hands slid down from her shoulders to her arms, uncrossing them until his hands were over hers, their fingers intertwined. “Think of how much happier you’d be if you just gave in, if you agreed to be mine.” 

Alarm bells sounded in her head.

Hoseok had made the entire ordeal about winning her over to his side. He wanted her consent for his obsession. He wanted her agreement. Signing this paper would give him that. It would open the door to everything that came after. 

“I won’t do it.” 

“Think of how much better things would be, precious. Think of how simple it would be to just be mine- the freedom you would have as Mrs. Jung.” 

“I don’t want it.” 

“You do.” he insisted, speaking directly into her ear. “You want freedom, darling. This paper will give you that.” 

“That’s a lie.” She hissed, leaning away from him as much as she could. “You’re a liar. This is just another way to trap me.” 

“Of course it is.” Hoseok cooed, nuzzling into her hair, loving the slight tremor that had overtaken her and the wide vulnerable look in her eye. He loved when she was fierce, but he loved it even more when she was soft for him. “I can’t have you running off, darling. You’re far too precious to me. This ensures that you’re mine no matter where you are- ensures you’ll always be brought back to me.” 

“You’re sick.” 

He smiled into her hair, grip loosening on her hands so he could pick up the pen. “I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you didn’t keep trying to scale the fucking walls.” 

“Bastard.” 

“Sign the papers, precious. Either you sign them yourself or Yoongi has them doctored. Either way, I win.” 

He placed the pen in her hand, closing her fingers around it and backing away to give her room to sign.

Shakily, Y/N picked up the pen signing her name to the document despite the tremor making her signature messy and out of place next to Hoseok’s own quick and decisive signature. She didn’t doubt him when he said he’d have the paper forged. No matter what she chose to do, legally she’d be Mrs. Jung.

“Perfect.” Yoongi declared, taking the papers back from her once she’d signed and initialed all that was needed on the contract. “Now the certificate.” 

He handed them the paper, and Hoseok signed without hesitation before handing the pen back to her where she signed again much to Hoseok’s delight.

“I’ll get these filed tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, precious.” He smiled for the first time that evening. “Welcome to the family.” 

Y/N sat there shell shocked as he left, disbelieving of her own actions, disbelieving of the fact that she was legally Mrs. Jung Hoseok. 

“We’re going to have the most beautiful wedding, darling.” Hoseok cooed, taking her hand in his to slip the final ring onto her finger. “And you’re going to be the most beautiful bride.” 

Despite the state of shock that Y/N found herself in, Hoseok proceeded with the dinner as though it was a celebration and not her last meal. She supposed that to his mind it was a celebration. He’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted, and she’d walked away more powerless than before. 

Hoseok prattled on about wedding details,and Y/N couldn’t pry her eyes away from the ring sitting very conspicuously on her left hand. The ruby set in the middle was large and dark. Set in an emerald cut, it demanded attention as a statement piece with two smaller baguette diamonds framing it on either side. It was a ring meant to draw notice, and it was distinctive enough that it would be recognized at a glance. It ensured that anyone in Hoseok’s circle would know who and what she was to him as soon as they saw it. 

“Why?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, interrupting Hoseok’s musing on when would be the best time to hold the wedding.

“Why what, sweetheart?” He asked, tilting his head to the side inquisitively as he sipped his wine. 

“Why did you do this to me? Wasn’t holding me hostage enough?” 

The sigh he released was long-suffering in nature. “I don’t think you understand, darling. You’re mine. You were meant to be mine from that very first night, but you just can’t seem to realize that.” He shook his head sadly. “So stubborn.”

“I’m not yours.” 

“You are.” he waved his hand breezily. “There’s no use fighting it, precious. This was always going to happen.” 

Her gaze met his, eyes watery and red though she refused to let the tears fall. She didn’t want him to have that satisfaction. He’d taken enough from her for one night. 

“Why now? What happened to wooing?” 

He smiled indulgently at her. The expression was every bit as patronizing as the man who made it. “Y/N, my darling. My precious girl. You didn’t really think that your attempts to leave me would go unnoticed and unpunished? I already told you. Actions have consequences, and I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you simply stayed where you were supposed to.”

“It’s a cage.” 

“You wouldn’t need a cage if you didn’t try to scale the walls, darling.” He shrugged. “Besides, there are worse things than marrying a man who adores you, and I do adore you, precious.”  

“You barely even know me!” 

“I know you very well, sweetheart. I know you haunt my every thought. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“And what about what I want?” 

He sighed again, leaning back and crossing his arms as he assessed her. She felt less like a woman he claimed to adore and more like a puzzle to be solved under his gaze, like the last three months had been nothing more than a game and he was trying to figure out how to make his end move. 

“It won’t be so bad.” It was a soft assurance, a repeat of what he’d already told her. “And as for wooing you softly, that clearly hasn’t worked. You need a more firm approach.” 

“Excuse me?” She bristled.

He leaned forward, dark eyes focused solely on her. “Trying to win you over softly hasn’t gotten us anywhere. You’re too stubborn, precious. So now we try things my way.” 

“The last three months haven’t been your way?” 

A spark of excitement lit his eyes, a gleeful smile accompanying it. “If I’d had my way from the beginning, you’d have never left my bed. If I’d had my way, you’d have woken up every day in my bed.” 

She hissed, recoiling away from him. “Fucking bastard.” she spat, standing from the table.

Hoseok followed, standing from his own seat. “If I remember correctly, you liked it when we did things my way.” 

“Don’t touch me.” she backed away as he approached, crowding her towards the wall. 

“It’s all I’ve been craving for months.” he murmured, caging her in. “It’s time I treated you like my woman- fully. Enough games, precious.” 

“It’s not a game. I despise you. You make my skin crawl.” 

He hummed non-comitally. “I can make you feel lots of things, if you give me the chance.” 

A resounding crack filled the space, and silence descended onto the room. 

Hoseok’s head stayed turned to the side as Y/N stared at him in shock, her hand stinging from the impact. 

Neither of them moved for a long moment. 

Hoseok stayed eerily still as the handprint reddened across his cheek.

Y/N barely dared to breathe as she waited for his reaction. Never in her life had she raised her hand to someone before, not like this. She remembered playfights with her brother as a child, but she’d never purposefully struck someone before.

Slowly, Hoseok turned back to face her, his face devoid of emotion as he stared down at her. 

“Hoseok…” she breathed, wide eyes meeting his dead stare. 

“I didn’t realize you wanted to play rough, precious.” he exhaled, leaning in to breathe in the scent of jasmine wafting from her skin. His nose trailed along the column of her throat as he held her in place. “We can play rough if you want,” he chuckled, nipping at the delicate skin where her jaw met her neck. “but I think I can think of some other ways to celebrate that would be more fun.”

“No.” 

“Mrs. Jung. Jung Y/N.” he purred, placing open-mouth kisses down her throat to her collarbone. “God, that sounds so fucking hot.” 

“Get off.”

He groaned as her arm snaked up and around his neck, finding cruel purchase in his hair as she tried to yank him away from her. “The things you do to me, precious.” She yanked on his hair again, eliciting another groan. “Keep going, precious. Show me your rage.” 

He pressed his hips against hers, pushing her up against the wall more firmly and causing her to still at the feel of the hardness against her hip. “I’ve been craving this for months.” 

His hands snaked down, caressing her curves as they made their way behind her upper thighs, lifting her suddenly and forcing her to jump if she didn’t want to fall and bunching her skirt up around her thighs. With her legs wrapped around his hips, Hoseok took full advantage of their position to slip his hands beneath the bunched up fabric of her skirt, caressing her bare thighs as he ravaged her neck once more. “My patience has been hanging by a fucking thread.”

“You’re disgusting.”  

 He hummed, kissing his way but up towards her jaw. “You always smell so sweet- just like jasmine.” 

“Pervert.” 

“Mrs. Jung.” He sighed contentedly against her. 

“I”ll scream.” She threatened as he sucked a mark into the place where her jaw and throat met each other. 

“Good..” She yelped as he bit down more sharply. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.” 

She snarled, digging her nails in as she tried again to push him away from her despite the instability of her position pressed up against the wall. “I want you.” He purred, sighing against her skin. “I want you so much is maddening. Just let me adore you, precious. Would that be so bad?”

She hissed as he pressed his hips into hers, nestling into the space between her thighs. “Aren’t you tired, precious? Aren’t you, lonely? Don’t you want to feel loved?” 

“Not by you.” 

“I’m all you’ve got, precious. Let me worship you.” 

“I don’t need you to worship me.” A strangled sound tore from her throat as Hoseok rolled his hips against hers. 

“I know.” he grinned, placing a kiss to her pulse point. “Let me do it anyway.” 

“You’re the worst person I know.” she hissed, melting into his touch despite her own better judgement. 

It had been so long since she’d been held like this- so long since she’d had anyone who wanted her the way that he did. She knew it was wrong. It was twisted in too many ways to even begin to untangle, but despite knowing that, she found a small part of her wanting to give in- wanting to be adored the way that Hoseok promised to adore her. Even if it was wrong, even if it was twisted, it had to be better than isolation.

“You’re the best thing in my life. My heart. My wife.” 

“Stop it.” 

“You don’t want me to.” He whispered against her lips. 

“Despicable.”

She could hear the heavy sounds of boots falling on concrete as his men spread out in search of her.

There weren’t a lot of places to hide in the warehouse. The building clearly wasn’t in use, and there was only a handful of abandoned crates and machinery to provide shelter. She was hidden behind a group of crates, holding her breath as his men started their search for her.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all day, not knowing where you were.” he chuckled, the sound half tired and half something else, something almost manic. She was pushing the limits of his patience. She knew that, but she still couldn’t bring herself to come out of her own accord. She’d work too hard for this opportunity to simply give herself up. 

They both knew that she wasn’t getting away. He’d chased her down and cornered her here knowing full well it was a dead end. He wouldn't hurt her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her slip away.

The sound of tactical boots was closer to her now. They were slowly but surely closing in on her, methodically going over every inch of the warehouse in search of her hiding spot. 

It was a small miracle she’d even gotten this far. No, he never hurt her, but security around her was tight, ensuring that she stayed safely tucked away right where he wanted her. She was always right where he wanted her.

It was infuriating, and somehow his seeming lack of anger made it all the worse. No matter what she did, he had a seemingly endless supply of patience. She could spit in his face, and he’d still smile at her like it was all a game. Even now as she pushed every boundary set for her, he didn’t seem angry. He seemed tired, worried even, but not angry.

The crate she was hiding behind shifted, and an unfamiliar face peered down at her.

“Sir, we’ve found her!” He shouted before turning his attention back to her. “Ma’am.” He tilted his head respectfully, holding out a hand to help her up.

She didn’t take it, not even as she heard the others rapidly approaching.

“Precious.” he breathed a sigh of relief and a smile stretched across his features as she came into view.

Immediately she was pulled up and out of her crouched position as he crushed her to his chest, his fingers tangling into her already messy hair. There was no space between them as he held her close, as though he was frightened she’d slip through his fingers again or disappear altogether.

“There you are.” he murmured into her hair before pulling back so he could get a good look at her face, a smile spreading across his lips as he took her in. “You had me worried sick.” 

She pulled back and stared at him silently, unsure how to proceed or what he was going to do next.

Tenderly, he pushed back the hair obscuring her features, taking in the dirt and dust that had settled over her face and clothes over the course of her adventures with disapproval.  “Let’s get you home, darling.” 

Hoseok scooped her up, keeping her close to his chest as he strode towards the exit to where the car was waiting to take them back to her gilded cage.

Y/N had to wonder as he carried her how she had gotten herself into this predicament in the first place.

It had all started with a funeral

Y/N stared at herself in the mirror trying to figure out how she was going to hide the marks littered across her neck and collarbones for the funeral. She  couldn’t very well show up to her own brother’s funeral looking like she’d just gotten her back blown out. She was fairly impressed by the heart shaped hickey resting on the outer edge of her collarbone though. It was cute in its own way even if it would be a bitch to hide. 

She eventually settled on a high-necked black dress. It had elbow length sleeves to accommodate for the warming spring weather, but the high neck hid the worst of the marks along her collarbones. The rest residing on her neck she could cover with makeup. The ones littering her thighs and hips would thankfully be kept a well hidden secret underneath her dress. 

She was only in the city to arrange and attend the funeral. She’d moved away for college and hadn’t looked back. Kai, on the other hand, had stayed and thrived in the less savory part of the city. He’d already been caught up in it when they were teenagers and had only gotten more entrenched as time had gone by until it had finally caught up with him.

Y/N had gotten a call from one of her brother’s friends last week to let her know that Kai had been shot. Y/N had immediately packed a bag and gotten in the car. By the time she’d made it to the city, Kai was gone.

His friends had graciously offered her a place to stay while she arranged the funeral, but she had declined in favor of staying with a friend of her own who lived in the city. As kind as the offer had been, she didn’t want to have any more contact than needed with her brother’s friends. They were a mix of boys she remembered from her teenage years and new faces, but she knew well enough that they were all at least partially entrenched in the same life that had gotten her brother killed. 

Staring at her neck as she began to apply careful layers of concealer, Y/N was struck again by the thought that a one night stand the night before her brother’s funeral probably hadn’t been her wisest idea. Hana had thought a night out would help get her mind off of everything. Y/N hadn’t thought that she’d intended for the night out to lead to mind-blowing sex and end with her sneaking out of one of the most gorgeous apartments she’d ever seen. Y/N was choosing to blame the lack of judgement on the mix of grief and vodka.

Y/N managed to cover her hickies for the most part. They at least wouldn’t be obvious to anyone at a passing glance. She didn’t really want anyone at the funeral thinking she was a whore even if her actions the previous night had been decidedly slutty.

The funeral itself went much as any funeral did, and then Y/N was left to deal with the seemingly endless throng of people coming to give their condolences. Most of them she knew to be Kai’s friends and associates. The roughened and scarred knuckles and the tattoos peeking out from beneath collars and shirt sleeves all but confirmed it. Kai had some of those same tattoos. She may not have seen or talked to Kai often over the past few years, but she recognized some of those tattoos.

The entire affair was exhausting. Y/N was sick to death of people telling her they were sorry for her loss. She almost thought she might scream if she heard it one more time. When her eyes fell on the newest arrival, she thought she might scream for an entirely different reason.

Her eyes had first been drawn to him because of the odd hush that had fallen over the space. All eyes had gone to him, not just hers, and for good reason. He had an intimidating aura, a presence that demanded respect. He  was shrouded in a pair of dark slacks and a dark button down which had been generously unbuttoned to show off a glimpse of his chest. The jacket that was meant to go with the ensemble was stylishly draped over his shoulders, and gold flashed at his neck and his wrist. All eyes were on him as he made his way over to where she was standing. His making his way to her wasn’t wholly surprising. She was, after all, the only family member for anyone to pass on their condolences to. She’d heard dozens of half hearted apologies for her loss already, but this man didn’t seem the least bit grieved to be there. The expression on his face was more bored than anything else. 

She kept her eyes on him as he approached, analyzing him. He was tall but not too tall.  His build was all lean muscle like a dancer's would be, and he moved with the same grace one would expect of a dancer. The sharp planes of his face combined with his dark hair and his build to make a rather impressive figure overall- one that was undeniably handsome and a little intimidating. 

She wasn’t the only person in the room that seemed to find him thus. Everyone else held themselves still and quiet as they watched him in a mix of respect and apprehension. She did as well, but with a distinct nausea thrown into the mix as well. 

He stopped in front of her, reaching out a slender hand to take hers into his own, her own hand engulfed in his grip as he smiled at her. It was an oddly heart shaped expression though the joy that one would typically associate with a smile wasn’t there. It didn’t meet his eyes, and those, she found, were cold and dead like a shark’s. 

The hands she had shaken all throughout the day were rough and calloused, and most of the suits that she had seen were ill-fitting, nothing like the impeccable fit of the man who stood before her. The man who now faced her was something wholly different, and she couldn't quite place how he had known her brother. Kai had been fairly low in the ranks as far as she had been aware. This man with his elegant hands and designer clothes didn’t seem like a follower. He didn’t sit low in the rank of anything if she had to take a guess. This was a man who wielded a fair amount of power. Worse than that, he was the man she had spent last night with, and he was looking at like the cat who had caught the canary. 

“Hello again, precious.” he purred, and a cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck as she felt all the blood drain from her face. He had yet to release her hand, stroking his thumb across her knuckles. 

“Hoseok.” she whispered his name, still unsure how he had come to be here but becoming increasingly nauseated by the possibilities of why. 

He pouted, lips turned down at her lackluster response. “That’s all I get after last night?” 

Her eyes widened, lips parted in shock at the blatant mention of their previous activities. “Hoseok!” she hissed, ripping her hand from his as her eyes frantically darted around the room to see if anyone had heard him.Unfortunately, most eyes in the room were glued to the two of them, and she could only assume they were all straining to hear what was being said as well. 

“I was so upset to find my bed empty this morning, precious.” He sighed, rolling his shoulders back. “But how lucky I am to find you here! It must be fate!” 

Lips set in a grim line, Y/N reached out and snatched his wrist, all but dragging him from the hall in an effort to get him away from the watchful eyes of the congregated mourners.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed, dropping his wrist as though it had burned her as soon as they were outside of the funeral hall and away from the prying eyes and listening ears within.

“I can’t be here to see you?” He asked flirtatiously. 

“It’s a funeral.” she deadpanned. 

Y/N took a fortifying breath, squaring her shoulders as he met his eye with the best mask of indifference she could muster despite the war of emotions raging within. She didn’t want him there, but she didn’t need to let him know how much seeing him was truly bothering her. 

“What are you doing here?” She repeated.

Hoseok arched a brow, taken aback by her cold reception of him. Hoseok wasn’t normally one for sleepovers, but it had bothered him to wake up that morning without her in his bed. He’d enjoyed their night together, and he’d thought she had too if the multiple orgasms were anything to go by. Panic followed by cold indifference was not the reaction he had been expecting from her, but he hadn’t been expecting to see her at one of his rival’s funerals either. He wasn’t complaining about the turn of events though. If anything, he was intrigued. 

“I’ve come to pay my respects to the recently deceased.” 

Her expression became even colder as she took in that information. It was confirmation of everything she had feared he was when he’d walked through the door. 

“How did you know my brother?” She asked, staring him down with the best intimidating stare she could muster much to Hoseok’s continued amusement.

“Kai and I moved in similar circles.” He admitted nonchalantly. “Though I didn’t know he had such a delicious sister.” 

Her jaw ticked in irritation. “Stop that.” 

“Stop what, precious?” 

“Implying things.”

Hoseok grinned, a wide toothy expression filled with an almost malicious glee. “It’s not an implication if you know, and I do know you, darling- quite intimately.” He leaned in so that they were cheek to cheek, his next words whispered into the shell of her ear. “I can still taste you on my tongue.” 

Y/N flinched back, her cheeks reddening and her nostrils flaring as she tamped down her temper. “Of all the vile vulgar things to say. This is a funeral for god’s sake.” 

His grin widened. “We could always talk about this more privately- back at my place.” 

Y/N stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how much audacity someone had to have to try to seduce someone at a funeral or how stupid they had to be. 

She huffed out a sigh, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her heels had been painfully digging into her toes for the better part of an hour, and she had no patience to deal with this man and his blatant propositions. 

“Are  you absolutely insane? Have you lost your mind?” She asked, taking a step forward into his space much to his surprise. “This is a funeral. Worse, this is my brother’s funeral. Whatever momentary lapse of judgment I had last night- whatever mix of vodka and grief led me to the horrendously bad decision of sleeping with you is done. It’s over. I will not be repeating that particular mistake again. Now would you kindly leave?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “I am trying to grieve in peace.” 

Hoseok stared at her, taking a moment of his own to take in the woman who stood before him. She was red-eyed and irritable, and yet he found her as enchantingly beautiful as he had the night before when he’d taken her to his bed- perhaps even more so now as he was the subject of her ire. 

He laughed, a full bodied high pitched laugh that did nothing to settle her nerves or lessen her anger.

“Precious, you are something else.” he spoke through the last of his laughter. 

“Are you going to leave?” She asked, crossing her arms under her chest.  “Or should I have you thrown out?” 

“I’m Jung Hoseok, darling.” 

He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, as though she should already know what that meant and the implications thereof. 

Y/N stared at him for a second as though that was supposed to mean anything to her before letting out a scoffed sardonic laugh of her own. “I don’t really care who you are. This is still my brother’s funeral, and I don’t want you here.” She shrugged.  “So thank you for coming, but you’re not wanted here.” She gestured lazily towards the exit as she spoke, trying her best to convey to the man, who she was beginning to think was more than a little thick , just where she wanted him to go. 

The smile on his lips froze in place, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he took in her words. “Excuse me?” 

She smiled, the expression mirroring his own shark-like grin as she leaned in, mirroring his earlier move. “The dick wasn’t that good anyway.” She whispered into his ear before backing away, smile still in place. “Thank you for coming, but you can go now.” 

“Precious…” 

“You can go now.” she repeated, dead serious as she stared him down. 

He tongued his cheek, scoffing as he glanced away for a moment before returning his sharp gaze to her. 

“If you came for seconds, there is nothing left for you here.” She interjected before he could say anything. “Lights out, doors closed.” 

Hoseok stared at her, his retort dead on his tongue as she gazed at him expectantly. No one spoke to Jung Hoseok that way, least of all the women that he took to his bed, but here she was staring at him like he was the dirt beneath her shoe. Hoseok could barely picture her as the same woman who had been writhing beneath him in the throes of pleasure just a few mere hours before. This wasn’t the woman whom he’d littered with love bites as he’d made her cum over and over again. That woman had been inviting and enchanting. She’d been more than eager to submit to him. The woman before him now was just as enchanting, but she was cold as ice as she deigned to banish him from the funeral all together. There was nothing submissive about her, and Hoseok didn’t think he’d ever been more turned on in his life. 

As he stood there contemplating the fact that his pants were suddenly a little bit tighter than would be considered comfortable, Y/N had already begun to move away from him, intent on returning to the funeral hall and leaving him behind without so much as a glance back in his direction. 

His hand shot out, quick as a snake, to grab her by the wrist. His hold was tight but not bruising as he pulled her back into his orbit, eyes fixed on her a kind of adoring awe that made the uneasy feeling in her stomach once more develop into fullblown nausea. 

“Precious,” he began, his voice a purr. “That’s not very nice of you- especially not when we got along so well last night.” 

He held back a smile as he watched her lips purse in irritation. 

“Get your hands off of me.” She grumbled, attempting to push his hand from its position gripped against her wrist.

Instead of releasing her, as she so clearly wanted him to do, Hoseok proceeded to pull her even closer, his free arm moving to wrap itself around her waist until he had her almost flush against him. 

“I don’t appreciate disrespect, darling.” He cooed, fingers intimately splayed across her waist. “You’ll learn that with time.” 

“I told you to get your hands off me.” she hissed, struggling against his hold. 

“You liked my hands on you last night.” He pointed out with a grin stretched wide across his features. 

“That is not the point!”

Hoseok shrugged, smirk still playing on his lips. “I think it is.” 

“You’re despicable. This is a funeral.” She huffed, giving up her struggle as she came to the morbid realization that she wasn’t going to get out of his grip if he didn’t want her to. His hold was like steel, unmoveable, and yet surprisingly gentle.There was no intent to harm her in it, only to keep her close. 

“We could have done this this morning if you hadn’t run off. A bouquet by the bedside. Breakfast in bed. Morning sex.” His smile was teasing as he waggled his brows at her suggestively.

“I don’t want any of that with you.” 

“You wound me, precious.” 

She huffed out a frustrated breath, once more pushing against his hold in an attempt to get him to release her. “I’m about to if you don’t let me go.” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

Y/N froze, all thought leaving her head as she tried to process what he’d just said. It seemed too ridiculous a thing for him to actually have said. “I’m sorry. What?” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

It sounded equally as ridiculous the second time. 

“You must be out of your fucking mind.” 

“Only for you, precious.”

Y/N gave one last hard shove, and Hoseok released her, allowing her to take several stumbling steps back as she tried to compose herself, her mind whirring with the insanity of his proposal. Last night had been a mistake. She had already admitted that to herself. She just hadn’t thought that it would have such an array of consequences. Nothing had prepared her for a clingy one night stand, let alone one that ran in the same less than legal circles as her own brother. 

As she straightened out her dress and hair, both disheveled from her time in his arms, Y/N made the mental note never to drink anything mixed with vodka ever again.The aftereffects simply weren’t worth it.

“I think you should go.” 

“Excuse me?” Hoseok’s head tilted to the side like an inquisitive dog as though he was trying to figure out if he had heard her correctly or not.

Y/N rolled her shoulders back, holding her head high as she stared him down. “Leave. You aren’t wanted here.” 

His grin took on a sharklike quality as she spoke, all sharp edges with no real humor behind the expression. “No one speaks to me like that, precious.” 

“Maybe they ought to.” She sniffed primly, a cold mask of indifference shifting into place despite the unease that he sparked within her. 

“That’s not very nice, precious.” 

“You’ve done nothing to deserve nice, and stop calling me that! I’m not your anything, let alone your precious.” she sniffed, disdain dripping from every word. 

“Oh,  I disagree.” He purred, expression still vaguely predatory as he sauntered closer to her, closing the distance between them. “I think you’re very precious, sweetheart. Maybe the most precious thing there is.” 

“Despicable.” She spat, slapping his hand away as he moved to brush away one of the errant tendrils of her hair. 

Hoseok straightened, squaring his shoulders and fixing the lapels of his suit. “I’ll leave you to grieve in peace, precious, but I’ll be seeing you soon.” 

“I hope not.” 

He reached out a slender hand, taking one of hers in his and raising it to his lips brushing a gentle kiss against her knuckles.

She yanked her hand back as soon as his lips made contact with her skin, hiding the offending limb in her skirts.

Hoseok chuckled, a smooth rich sound that carried all the mirth his previous smile had not. “Until next time, precious.” 

Y/N didn’t wait for him to speak again. Instead she turned on her heel, heading back towards the funeral hall with a staunch refusal to sneak a glance backwards to see if he was still there. The prickling sensation of eyes on the back of her neck told her all she needed to know on that account.

No sooner had Y/N re-entered the funeral hall  thanSuho, one of the friends of her brother’s she actually did know, came up to her brows furrowed with concern as he scanned her from head to toe as though trying to assure himself she wasn’t hurt in any way which was odd, but she shoved that thought to the back of her head. It by far wasn’t the strangest thing to happen that day.

“Suho.” She smiled tiredly, allowing the man to hug her. “Thank you for coming.” 

He didn’t respond, releasing her from the hug and grabbing her by the arm to drag her away from prying ears. “You need to leave.” 

“What?”

Suho sighed impatiently, moving them both towards the exit as he did. “I don’t know why Jung Hoseok was here or how you know him, but you need to leave.” 

“Jung Hoseok?” Her brows furrowed quizzically. “He said he was an associate of Kai’s. I don’t particularly like him, but he’s already gone. Not much he can really do to disrupt things now.” 

Suho grimaced at that, practically pushing her out the door into a side hallway. “Jung Hoseok is not our associate. He’s not our friend, and he’s certainly not our ally.” 

That caught her interest. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean that he’s made it his personal mission in life to try to eradicate us.” 

“You don’t mean…”

“I do.”

Y/N froze, her blood running cold as she processed the information. That man had been responsible for her brother’s death however directly or indirectly, and she had fucked him the day before the funeral. 

Bile rose in her throat.

“Oh God.” 

“I don’t like the way he was looking at you, Y/N.” Suho shook his head. “And then he let you drag him out. It wasn’t like him, and I don’t like that at all.” Y/N kept her lips pressed firmly together. There was no need to let Suho know how close to the truth he was on that count. 

“If he’s responsible, why was he even here?” She questioned, her voice a hoarse whisper. 

Suho’s frown deepened as he led her towards the building exit. “I don’t know. Maybe he was here to gloat. Whatever the reason was, I don’t like it,  but I especially don’t like how interested he acted with you. Jung Hoseok doesn’t let anyone drag him around let alone look amused while they do it.” 

After being escorted out of her own brother’s funeral, Y/N was ushered back to the relative safety of her friend’s apartment with strict instructions from Suho not to venture out unless it was absolutely necessary. Y/N thought he would have preferred for her to be out of the city entirely, but there were still things only she could do as Kai’s family and the beneficiary of his will.

She wasn’t entirely sure what Suho thought Hoseok would do to her if he caught her out and about unaccompanied, but she figured his imaginings were much different than what the reality would be. She got the impression that Hoseok was far less interested in hurting her than in a repeat of their first meeting. Suho didn’t need to know that though. She was perfectly happy to keep all the sordid details to herself. There was a chance that Suho’s predictions were correct, but she highly doubted it based on the ostentatious bouquet that had been delivered to her door the morning after the funeral with a card signed JHS. The flowers had promptly been deposited in the trash along with the card and the invitation to dinner it contained. 

The myriad of marks along her body were finally beginning to fade much to her relief. She was running out of ways to keep them from view as she dealt with the legal aftermath of Kai’s death. Soon they would be entirely gone and with them the reminder of the man who left them, not that he was easy to forget. Oh no, Jung Hoseok was doing his best to be a thorn in her side even though she hadn’t set eyes on him since the funeral. 

Bouquets and gifts arrived almost daily bearing with them invitations to dinner or drinks. One had been particularly bold- inviting her directly to a repeat performance of their first encounter. Every note was signed in the same quick decisive hand by JHS, and every single note, bouquet, and gift immediately found its way to the trash. She did have to admire his persistence as unwanted as it was. He was not a man to take no for an answer, but she wasn’t one to be so easily won over- especially not after learning that he was the reason that Kai was dead. 

She wasn’t sure how delusional someone had to be to think they could woo someone whose brother they had killed, but she was sure that it had to be an unhealthy amount. One night of passion wasn’t enough to erase his sins and neither were the endless stream of gifts. Her thoughts on the matter didn’t stop the notes and gifts from coming though.  Hana thought it was romantic, but Y/N knew better. To her it seemed less romantic and more obsessive, and that was not something she wanted to become entangled in.  All she truly wanted was to tie up the loose ends that came with being the sole executor of her brother’s estate and return to the comfort of her own home and the safety of knowing that the city and the majority of its inhabitants were far away from her. 

One of the inhabitants that she dearly wanted far away from her was Suho. Logically, she knew that he was trying to be  helpful. She knew he was trying to do his part to take care of Kai posthumously through her, but he was annoying the shit out of her. Everywhere she went every appointment with lawyers she attended, Suho was right there with her. 

Y/N was fully aware that it was a good thing that he was there. Most of Kai’s assets would be turned back over to Suho and the rest of their cohort. Y/N had no need of them and no want of them. Suho’s signatures were needed for the transfer of property, but she was sick of seeing his face every day. She was sick of him treating her like some sort of delicate flower- treating her like he didn’t know her at all when they’d known each other since they were children. 

Kai and Suho had always been thick as thieves- the best of friends since the moment they’d met in the 3rd grade. They’d all been normal then, just kids, but people don’t stay kids forever. Suho and Kai entered middle school, and the tide began to turn. Suho started hanging out with a different crowd, and Kai followed right along after him like he always did the inseparable duo that they were. Kai was never quite the same after that. 

While Suho had risen through the ranks of their burgeoning group, finding himself in a position of leadership, Kai had not reached such levels of success. He’d stayed firmly in the middle of the pack, a higher up of the lower ranking members of their gang as much of an oxymoron as that seemed. Y/N had always thought it was stupid that he’d thrown his life away for that, but it wasn’t her life, and she didn’t have much say in what her brother did. She never had. As the little sister she’d always been an afterthought, something that trailed along after Kai and his friends. Sure, he loved her, but it hadn’t been enough to stop him from following right after Suho even when she’d begged him not to. 

By the time they were in their late teens, Y/N didn’t feel like she even knew who her brother was anymore, and she couldn’t help but blame Suho for that. She’d never been able to look at either boy the same way again. She still loved her brother, but she couldn’t be around him, not when she was so terribly certain that the path he was on would be his ruin. 

Y/N went to college, and Kai, several years her senior, had remained doing his own thing. After college, she’d left the city, moved somewhere where she could try to forget that her brother was a criminal and the deteriorating state of their relationship with each other. 

She hadn’t seen Kai in years before Suho had called her with the news, a difference in opinion on his life choices had kept them fairly separate. Kai had made his choices, and she had made hers, but it didn’t make the pain of his loss any less hard to bear. The pitying glances she would catch Suho sending her way didn’t help matters either. She didn’t need pity- least of all his. 

She had just escaped Suho and the lawyers to find a moment of quiet and some much needed caffeine when she was met with something far more unpleasant than either Suho or the lawyers. 

Y/N froze, tensing at the feel of the hand on her lower back. Even without looking, she had a sickening feeling she knew exactly who that hand belonged to. 

“Stalking is a crime.” she sighed, her gaze shifting to the side to see if her suspicion had been correct.

It had.

“You’re a hard woman to get a hold of.” He sighed dramatically in turn. “All of my efforts met with silence. I’m starting to think you don’t like me.” 

“I don’t.” she moved forward causing his hand to fall away. “Some people would have gotten the hint.”

Y/N steadfastly ignored the man as she stepped forward to the counter, ready to place her order and get on with her day- hopefully away from Hoseok. “One iced chai latte please.” she smiled at the barista as she started to grab her wallet from her bag only for an elegant hand to appear from the corner of her eye- a black amex extended and at the ready.

“We’ll take an iced Americano as well.” 

“He’s not with me.” she snapped, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as she pulled out her own credit card.

Hoseok gently pushed her hard away, insisting the barista take his card instead.

“It’s the least I can do for my favorite girl.” 

“We don’t know each other that well.”

Hoseok ignored her comment, choosing instead to place a hand on her back again and gently push her in the direction of where they were meant to wait for their drinks.

“You didn’t get my gifts?” he asked once they were out of earshot of the queue. 

“I got them.” 

“You didn’t like them?”

“I wasn’t a fan of the sender.” she shrugged, checking the time on her phone.

“That’s not very nice of you, precious.” 

Y/N glanced up from her phone to find Hoseok staring at her with a hard expression- jaw tight with displeasure despite the smile on his face.

“How exactly did you expect me to respond?” she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.

“A little gratitude would be nice. Maybe a little adoration.” 

The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end. His tone had an arrogant, condescending quality to it that set her teeth on edge. She fully turned to face him, shoulders pulled back and her lips set on a grim line.

“What exactly should I be grateful for? Your tendency to stalk? Your unwanted interest in me? Or the fact that you are the reason my brother is dead?”

Hoseok stared at her, knocked a little off balance by the cold rage in her eyes. He was used to people looking at him with varying levels of anger, but he wasn’t used to the women he showed interest in looking at him like that. He certainly didn’t want her looking at him like that. He definitely wanted her eyes on him but not with that expression. He much preferred the sultry look in her eye from their first meeting. That look had been nowhere to be found lately though. 

Hoseok glanced away, tongue in cheek as he tried to reign in his temper- a dry laugh escaping him as he did.

“If you were anyone else, precious…” 

“You would what?” she interrupted him. “Kill me?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “What would you do?” 

Hoseok’s smile was sharp as he regarded her. “I already warned you that I’m not a patient man, precious. I’d be a little more careful if I were you.” 

She shrugged, moving to take her drink from the counter. “It’s not like any of this matters anyway.” 

That caught Hoseok off guard.

“How so?”

She shrugged again, and Hoseok’s jaw ticked in annoyance.

“Your obsessive stalker tendencies won’t last forever. I’m sure you’ll forget all about me and move on to the next unfortunate woman in no time.” 

Hoseok’s posture relaxed slightly, his smile a little easier. “You’re unforgettable, darling.” 

Y/N made a face. 

“I’m sure distance will help the process along.”  She smiled with as much grace as she could muster, which was admittedly not very much as she began to make her way to the door only for Hoseok to grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“What do you mean distance will help?” he demanded. 

Y/N grimaced in displeasure, trying to wrench her arm away but Hoseok held fast refusing to let her walk away. 

“What do you mean?” he insisted.

She sighed deeply, fully turning to face him. “I don’t live in this city.” She started, keeping her tone even and slow as though explaining something to a child. “I will eventually-sometime soon- go home, and then we can both forget that we ever met each other, and you and Suho can go back to trying to tear each other to pieces without any involvement from me.” 

Hoseok’s grip on her arm tightened, his expression taking on a pinched quality. “Forget each other?” 

“What do you think happens when people no longer interact with each other?” She snapped, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip to no avail. “Will you let go?” She hissed in irritation when his grip held firm. “I have places to be, and you’re harassing me!”

Hoseok stared at her, stone faced except for the occasional irritated tick in the muscle of his jaw.  

“What is wrong with you?” She gasped, finally giving up her struggles to level him with a glare. 

“You can’t leave.” He stated, already moving towards the door with her in tow.

“What are you- What are you talking about?” the space between her brows furrowed in confused irritation as he pulled her along after him, not unlike how she’d pulled him out of the funeral. “Of course I can leave!”

“You can’t leave.” he repeated, completely serious. 

“I don’t even live in this godforsaken city, and thank fuck for that!” 

Hoseok stopped once they were outside the cafe, staring at her and, drinking in the frazzled irritated state she was in as his mind raced. He hadn’t anticipated her leaving. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that she would be leaving the city behind and with it, him. 

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the morning he’d woken up alone. He wasn’t one to pine, but he’d made the choice to let the incredibly sexy woman from his club spend the night with him- something he never did- and had awoken to cold sheets and an empty bed. It hadn’t been an unusual circumstance. Hoseok never let his paramours spend the night in his bed, but he had wanted her to stay and had been more than a little upset that she’d slipped away like a thief in the night.  It had been his incredible luck to find her later that same day- eyes red-rimmed and dressed in black but still as gorgeous as the night before. He’d already been planning on tracking her down. No one walked out on Jung Hoseok. It had been an act of fate running into her again, and he had no intention of letting her slip away twice. The only hiccup in his mind had been his association with the deceased, but it was a minor thing. They could easily move past it. They had a fate together.  

He’d never felt like this about a woman before. She plagued his thoughts, waking and dreaming, and yet she seemed entirely unaffected by him. His attempts to woo her went unanswered, and she gave him about as much regard as one would a bug crawling across the floor. He wasn’t a man used to rejection. He was a man used to everyone around him falling at his feet, but she stood tall against him, regarding him as a nuisance. It was infuriating, maddening, and it made him even more deeply infatuated with the woman she was. It made him crave the breathless submission- the sweet surrender and soft embrace of their first meeting. He wanted her with him- by his side and in his bed. She could regard the rest of the world as dirt beneath her shoe. He’d encourage it, but he wanted her to be soft with him and him only. 

“You can’t leave,” he repeated, grip almost bruising. 

“I can do whatever I want.” she huffed. “Now let go before someone calls the cops on you.” 

“No one is going to call the cops on me, sweetheart.” He smiled sweetly, pulling out his own phone as he did, hand still firmly gripped around her wrist. “Now hush. I have to make a phone call.” 

She squeaked in indignation at the command, but Hoseok didn’t pay her any mind.

His mind had been whirring with possibilities from the moment that she had mentioned leaving. There was absolutely no way that he was going to let her leave the city, not when he hadn’t had the chance to properly woo her. All his attempts so far had been met with outright rejections- not ideal for winning hearts- but Hoseok was convinced that was only because she was upset with him over the matter of her brother.Everything had been fine between them before she’d found out, and with time, it would be fine again. He just needed the time to melt the icy exterior she’d formed around herself after finding out. 

Hoseok fingers flew across the screen even as he gave orders- a plan being formed and set in motion all at once. If time was what she needed, time was what he would give her, but she wouldn’t be leaving the city. 

It wasn’t often that Jung Hoseok had to work for the favor of the women in his life. He simply didn’t have to. Women fawned over him for a multitude of reasons: wealth, looks, skills. There was no need to work adoration when it was so freely given, but this wasn’t to say that Hoseok couldn’t be charming when he wanted to be. Hoseok could be the very picture of charm and grace when he wanted to be. He knew very well how to treat a woman. It was easier to accept baseless adoration than it was to cultivate true devotion. True devotion took effort, and for Y/N, Hoseok was more than willing to make the effort. She didn’t just deserve it, she demanded it. 

Hoseok had a constant stream of diversion around him. Work kept him occupied much of the time, but in the leisure time he did have, there was no shortage of amusements and company to enjoy them with. His initial interaction with Y/N L/N had been much the same. She’d simply been the woman to catch his eye that evening. What had caused him to become so fixated on her was something that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Even half drunk she hadn’t accepted anything less than his full attention, and he had been more than willing to give it to her fixated on the way the silky material of her dress rode up on her thighs and the strands of hair that fell out of her careless updo to hang around the column of her neck. She had been the image of carefully constructed reckless abandon. The scent of jasmine had floated around her, clinging to her skin and wafting up from her hair every time she moved. Everything about her had been curated almost as if to lure him in specifically and leave him drunk on her essence. 

By the time they reached the car, Hoseok had the basics all ready to go. He had never had to force a woman to be with him, and he didn’t plan on starting now, but there was nothing wrong with giving her a push in the right direction. He could be quite charming when he wanted, and he was more than ready to show her just how charming he could be. She just needed a little push in the right direction to get them started as well as a push into the vehicle.

The short walk to the car had been spent planning on his end and with endless struggle on hers, but nothing she’d done had managed to break the iron grip he had on her wrist. Nothing she did broke his grip though, and no one on the street paid her protests any mind. Hoseok didn’t pay her struggles any mind either. 

“After you.” he offered as he held the door to the backseat open.

“Go fuck yourself.” She hissed, kicking out in another attempt to break his hold on her. 

A sharp humorless smile spread across his face as she spoke. “But why would I do that, precious, when I have you?” 

Y/N made a noise half way between outrage and shock as Hoseok scooped her into his arms and swiftly deposited her within the backseat of the vehicle, climbing in after her to ensure that she didn’t climb out the other side. 

Quick instructions were given to the driver as Hoseok climbed into the car, hands already reaching to pull Y/N close to him as she tried to open the opposite door to throw herself out of the vehicle. 

“Stop that.” Hoseok hissed as her elbow made contact with his abdomen.

“Let me out!” She struggled against his hold, trying desperately to get out of his hold. 

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” he scolded as he managed to get her arms trapped tight to her sides so that she couldn’t repeat the earlier motion of jabbing at him.

“Let me out!” She shrieked, throwing her head back in an attempt to headbutt him as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms fully around her torso to stop her from causing herself or him any more harm. 

“Stop.” 

“This is kidnapping!” 

“It’s not kidnapping!” He snapped back in offense. “I’m keeping you from making a mistake.” 

“Psychopath!” 

He huffed out a breath, frustration nearly radiating off of him as he held her down. “You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be, precious.” 

“Boss.” The man driving the car reached back, handing a cloth to Hoseok as he did. 

“Last chance, precious.” 

“Go fuck yourself.” 

“Wrong choice.” 

Quick as a viper, Hoseok had the cloth pressed against her nose and mouth. The pressure, unyielding as he held her firmly. The sweet scent of the cloth seeping into her lungs the longer he kept it pressed against her airways even as she struggled against him. 

Her struggles grew weaker and weaker against him as he held her there until finally, the world grew fuzzy around the edges, and eventually, she saw nothing anymore.

Y/N opened her eyes to a pounding headache and an uncomfortable burning sensation in her nose and the back of her throat. The combined feeling was so uncomfortable, that she closed her eyes, turned over, and buried her face in the pillow, hoping to smother the discomfort by falling back asleep, but this idea was disrupted by the fact that her pillows definitely didn’t smell like spice and citrus and something woody and earthy. The pillows in Hana’s spare room also didn’t smell like that either. 

Her eyes shot back open as she turned back onto her back, eyes staring up at a ceiling she didn’t recognize. Her walls weren’t painted soft beige and neither were Hana’s. In that same thread of thought, the bed was far too comfortable to be the one at Hana’s house. That was little more than a thin mattress rolled out on the floor for an unexpected visitor. This bed was both too large and too comfortable to fit the bill. 

Slowly, she sat up, taking in her surroundings despite the continued discomfort in her nose and throat. The curtains were drawn making the room dim except for the threads of moonlight slipping through. The light was too pale and soft to be daylight  despite it having been daylight the last time she could remember being conscious. Slowly, as more awareness dawned on her, the last conscious memories she had began to filter back. 

The cafe. Hoseok. The car. 

The room had to be his. Though the dim lighting didn’t allow her to see enough detail to confirm or deny if it was the same room she and Hoseok had ended their first ill-fated encounter in, there was no other option of whose room this could be. And if this was his room- she had to assume the man himself wouldn’t be far away. 

Despite the raw burning sensation that still lingered in her airways, Y/N threw off the comforter and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was at this point she noticed that the clothes she was in were hardly her own. The sunny yellow pattern of her skirt and the sensible mock-necked shirt of earlier were gone. In their place was a silk nightshirt that fell down to the top of her thighs. With an ever dawning sense of horror, Y/N realized her bra was missing as well, though thankfully the other half of the set was still where it should have been. 

She made her way to the window, drawing back the curtains to see that the sun had fully set. Moonlight illuminated the garden below the bedroom window, and the high wall that surrounded the property. The garden was moderately sized, but not so large that she had to assume she’d been taken too far outside the city. It did mean that she wasn’t in the same residence she’d been in before though. That had been a penthouse in the midst of the city. This clearly was not. 

Y/N turned away from the window, making her way back towards what she assumed was the door leading out of the bedroom. Much to her relief, the door was unlocked, allowing her to slip into the hall. 

The hall itself was lined with windows, soft yellow lighting making it clear that the house had not gone to bed for the evening, and putting Y/N even further on her guard. She wasn’t sure who would be roaming the house and who was aware of her presence there. She also wasn’t sure where Hoseok was, or if he was even in the house itself. Running into him was the worst case scenario. There would be no sneaky exit if she ran into him within the hallways. 

Softly, she padded through the hall following it towards the end where a staircase made its way to the first floor of the house. Soft light spilled up from the first floor but no sound. The house had been dead quiet so far except for the barely there sound of her own footfalls against the rug running the length of the hall. Cautiously, Y/N began her descent, doing her best as she did to minimize any noise she might make. The quiet of the house made her feel as though she would be able to hear a pin drop. It didn’t give her much hope that any noise she might accidentally make would go unnoticed. 

Just as she reached the last stair, a voice rang out from one of the adjoining rooms. 

“You’re awake.” 

She froze, unsure on if she should stay put or if she should turn tail and flee in whatever direction the front door was most likely to be in. 

The choice was swiftly taken from her as Hoseok emerged into the hall. 

He was as dressed down as she had ever seen him- hair loose over his forehead, slipper clad feet, and loungewear that probably cost more than her rent adorning the rest of him. 

“How are you feeling precious?” he asked, tone soft and concerned as he took in the sight of her, hand lifting as he came to a stop in front of her to brush against her upper lip.

She pulled away with a hiss as he made contact with the raw skin there. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Chloroform is nasty stuff, but I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice coming out in a croak through the raw skin of her throat. 

“You’re home, precious.” 

She took a stumbling step back, heel catching on the last stair of the staircase behind her. Hoseok reached out quick as a viper, snaking an arm around her waist and steadying her before she could finish her fall. 

“Careful, darling.” He chided, pulling her closer and away from the stairs as he did. “Don’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

Y/N shoved his hands away, stepping to the side to avoid another stumble into the stairs. Hoseok allowed her the distance, watching her with a soft teasing smile as her eyes darted around the space, searching for possible exits. 

“I think you should sit down.” he hummed, head tilted to the side. “You look like you need it.” 

She recoiled, snatching both of her arms back in an attempt to avoid him. “Don’t touch me.” 

A long suffering sigh released itself. “You’re overreacting, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“You kidnapped me.” 

“That’s such a vulgar term for it.” he waved his hand dismissively. “It makes it sound so violent. I stopped you from making a decision that was going to ruin what we have.” 

“We don’t have anything! We slept together once! When I was drunk!” She shouted, chest heaving as her breathing grew shallower and faster. “And on top of that you killed my brother! What could we possibly have together?” 

His eyes remained fixated on her, expression soft and adoring as though her tirade meant nothing to him. Everything was right in his world, while she felt several seconds away from total collapse. 

“And yet, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head.” He hummed, stepping forward even as she continued to scramble back. He continued to press forward, pushing her further and further back as he advanced until there was nowhere left to retreat. 

Her back hit the wall, and Hoseok was quick to follow, caging her in with hands on either side of her head, leaning in so their faces were only centimeters apart. His eyes closed in contentment as he took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of her hair as he did. 

“Ever since that night, you’ve been haunting my thoughts.” He murmured, lips brushing against her hair. With a chuckle he continued. “No one has ever walked out on me before.” 

She stayed frozen, barely breathing as he continued. 

“I never let anyone stay the night, but you, you were special. I wanted you to stay- wanted one more night, maybe more, and then I woke up, and you were gone.” he sighed, hand creeping around to cradle the nape of her neck, tilting her head so she was forced to meet his gaze. “That hurt my feelings, precious. I thought I was going to have to scour the city to find you again because no one walks out on Jung Hoseok, but there you were at the funeral. It was fate.” 

“It was an accident.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, the sound barely even a whisper. 

“It was fate.” he insisted, grip tightening just a fraction where his hand held her head in place.

“You killed my brother.” 

He cooed, both hands moving to cradle her face. “No, precious. I didn’t kill him. He was a casualty. I didn’t order his death.” 

“You killed-” 

“You know the dangers his lifestyle posed just as well as I do.” Hoseok interrupted her, gaze boring into hers. “He knew the risks too. His death? That night? The funeral? It was all fate. It brought you to me.” 

She trembled under his touch as the full weight of his delusion settled on her. 

“You… you can’t just kidnap people and call it fate.” she denied, still frozen under his soft touch and adoring gaze. 

He smiled softly, devastatingly, as he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. “Of course I can.” he murmured, voice lowering to match her own hushed trembling tone. “What else would you call it?”  

She didn’ t have an answer for that. Their initial meeting and the following run-in had been a horrible coincidence that even she had to admit seemed almost like the plotline of a drama. His unwavering belief it was fate, wasn’t wholly crazy. His following actions were, but the initial belief that their meeting was fate wasn’t so far out there. The problem was, he couldn’t take no for an answer. 

She didn’t even notice she’d started crying until Hoseok wiped the tears from her cheeks, cooing softly to her. “Don’t cry, precious. I’m going to take such good care of you. You’ll never want for anything. You’ll never even have to lift a finger if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want it.” 

He ignored her. 

“I’ll spend every day worshipping you.” 

“I just want to go home.” 

“This is home, precious.” He murmured, pressing a kiss between her brows,lingering close so that his lips continued to brush against her skin as he spoke. “You just have to accept that.” 

“No.” she whispered. 

“Darling….” 

“No!” she screamed, pushing him back with more force than either of them expected and dashing away, running blindly in the hopes of getting anywhere that wasn’t by him. 

Her feet skidded against the floor as she paused, eyes darting wildly as she tried to puzzle out which direction to go. 

“Y/N!” Hoseok barked from behind her, following at a more leisurely pace despite the clipped tone of his voice. 

The sound of him calling for her spurred her into motion once more. She dashed away, running in what she hoped was the direction of the front door, or any door that could keep her away from him. Hoseok followed behind, not deigning to run after her. 

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Y/N.” he called, irritation bleeding into his previously dulcet tones. “Getting yourself all worked up and for what?” 

She ignored him, almost sobbing in relief as she reached the front door, the handle turning easily under her touch. She didn’t wait to see what Hoseok would do. Unsteadily, she practically threw herself out of the entrance and into the driveway. 

Her mad dash was cut short as she ran almost straight into what had to be a security guard, his concerned eyes looking down at her as his hands steadied her. 

“Are you alright, ma’am?” he asked, taking in the night shirt and her bare feet as he cataloged her appearance.

“She’s fine.” Hoseok called out, voice still clipped as he sauntered over. “Let me go.” She begged, hands clutching at the guards arms as she tried to push out of his hold as well meaning as it was. “You have to let me go.” 

“Ma’am?” 

“She’s fine.” Hoseok repeated, closing the distance and slipping an arm around her waist, easily tugging her away from the guard. “Just a little trouble adjusting. Isn’t that right, darling?” He quirked a brow, as though daring her to disagree in front of his men. 

“Let go!” She hissed, pushing against him. “I don’t want to be here!” 

Hoseok chuckled, though the sound lacked the fondness of earlier. “See?” he shrugged, reaching down to adjust his hold and lift her into a bridal carry. “Just a little trouble adjusting.”

“Let me go!” She shrieked, writhing in his hold. “You’re crazy!” 

“Enough.” 

The word wasn’t yelled. He didn’t even raise his voice. The word was spoken softly but with a finality and authority that was devastating. It calm and quiet and yet deadly. 

“I won’t let you hurt yourself, precious.” he was stern as he carried her back into the house, his touch burning against the bare skin of her legs. “You can cry and rage as much as you want, but you will not put yourself in harm’s way,” 

“I hate you.” She hissed.

“That’s fine too.” He shrugged. “It’ll fade with time.”  

Neither of them spoke again until he carried her into the living room, setting her gently down on the sofa.

“I think we should go over some ground rules, precious.” 

“Fuck you.” 

He grinned, sharp and rogueish. “You will.” The sound she made in response was strangled and outraged. “But for now, ground rules.” 

She stared at him, seething as he spoke. 

“I already promised you wouldn’t want for anything, and I meant it. You’ll be well taken care of. Anything you want, you’ll have.” 

“Except freedom.” 

“You’re not a prisoner, precious.” He disagreed, sinking into the opposite end of the sofa as she curled up into the corner. “You’ll be able to go out, shop, do what you’d like.” 

“But I can’t leave you.” 

“If you want to go out, you’ll either have me or security with you. I have a lot of enemies, precious, but I won’t let them touch you. The escort is for your safety.”

“And to make sure I don’t leave.” 

His answering grin was sharp and predatory. “If you leave me, precious, I’ll enjoy hunting you down.” She stayed quiet, not having a response for the unnerving glint in his eye. It was as if the idea of tracking her down excited him. “If you want to go out, let me or the guards know. A driver will be called for you.” 

“I know how to drive.” she snapped.

“A driver will be called,” he repeated firmly. “You’ll have your own credit card attached to my account.” 

“So you can monitor my purchases.” 

“So I can provide for you.” 

“But also so you can monitor my purchases.” He didn’t deny it. “What about my phone? My wallet? My apartment? My job?” 

“It’s already been taken care of. I’ll give you back your phone once I can trust you with it. Your accounts have been closed, and the funds have already been placed into a joint account that your new credit card is attached to.” 

“You can’t just do that.” She whispered, horrified by how quickly he’d erased her entire life- everything gone in the span of an afternoon.”You can’t just take everything.” 

“We take care of our women in this family.” Hoseok shrugged, unaffected by her horror. “Your brother should have understood that, but he left you to fend for yourself. That won’t happen again- not while you’re with me.”

“And what if you get bored of me? What happens then?” She challenged, chin raised definitely despite the fact her knees were folded to her chest as she curled into the corner of the sofa. 

His smile was slow and devastating, adoring in a way that made her want to vomit. He didn’t know her nearly well enough to look at her like that. 

“I won’t get tired of you, but we’ll call it a trial period if it makes you feel better.” he shrugged. “You won’t do anything to put yourself in harm’s way, and I’ll do my best to woo you.” 

“Woo me?” she scoffed, side-eyeing him as she debated his sanity for what felt like the millionth time that evening. 

“Woo you” He agreed. “Like I was trying to do, but you very stubbornly ignored all of my attempts.” He shot her an accusatory glance. 

“I didn’t want to see you.” Her scowl was met by an indulgent smile. “I want my own room.” She demanded, keeping the stubborn tilt of her chin as she stared at him down. He pouted, honest to god pouted, as she glared at him. “My own room. I’m not sharing a bed with you.” 

“Fine,” he conceded. “You’ll have your own room. For now.” 

“What happens if I’m not won over by your ‘wooing’? Do I get to go home?” 

He smiled indulgently. “That won’t be necessary.” 

“You have a lot of confidence for someone who had to kidnap a woman to get a date.” 

He shrugged, leisurely, spreading his arms across the back of the sofa. “I wouldn’t have needed to resort to such tactics if you hadn’t been ignoring me.” 

“What happens if I try to leave you?” she asked, as he relaxed head reclined onto the back of the sofa and eyes half-lidded. 

“I already told you, precious.” he smiled lazily. “I’ll hunt you down and bring you home.” 

“So I’m supposed to sit around all day and wait for you to want to play with me? Like a doll?” 

“Of course not.” he waved a hand dismissively. “I already told you, you’ll be free to do whatever you want within reason.” 

“Within reason?” 

“Nothing that would put yourself in danger. Nothing that threatens the family. Things like that.” His hand made lazy circles in the air as he spoke, uninterested in her line of questioning as he rattled off the list of things that qualified as unreasonable.

“And what does ‘wooing’ me look like?” 

That caught his attention. He sat up a little straighter, gaze once more fixed on her. “Oh, precious. I’m going to treat you like a princess.” He purred. “Dinners, dates, flowers, jewelry. Anything you want, it’s yours.” 

“And if I don’t want it?” 

“You’ll still be treated like the stubborn little princess you are.” She sat up a little straighter at that, the suggestive tone of his voice making her uneasy. “You might have forgotten, precious, but I remember every detail of that night together and how much you enjoy being treated like a princess.” 

“Shut up.” she hissed, hackles raised at the implication. 

“And of course we’ll have meals together here at home. My schedule varies, so it’ll change from day to day, but we’ll have at least one meal together. It’s good for couples.” 

“We’re not a couple. You kidnapped me like a psychotic bastard.” 

“Semantics.” She opened her mouth to argue, but Hoseok sat up fully, sharp eyes fixed on her. “We are a couple, precious, and as my woman, your only job is to pamper yourself. We take care of our women, and in return, we expect loyalty. I expect loyalty.” 

“And what if I can’t give you that?”

The dead, shark-like quality came back to his eyes as soon as she finished speaking. His gaze was cold and calculating as though he was assessing an asset and not looking at a living breathing person. She certainly felt more like an asset than a person under that gaze. 

“I don’t think you’d like the consequences of that very much, precious.” He started, speaking slowly so that every word washed over her with added weight. “I’m sure you knew some things about your brother’s business, and I’m sure you also know what disloyalty gets you.” 

“What happened to your promises not to harm me?” she challenged, and his answering smile made her blood run cold. 

“There are ways to punish disloyalty without causing you physical harm, precious.” 

The words were flat, spoken without emotion as though the prospect of enacting those consequences didn’t even faze him. She doubted that it did. Kidnapping hadn’t. 

He leaned closer, body shifting on the sofa to close some of the distance between them. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you, and I meant that. I still wouldn’t go testing boundaries if I were you though.” He leaned back again, his eyes raking over her form as he did. “Or do. Maybe you’d find the consequences exciting.” 

“You’re disgusting.” 

He shrugged, continuously unbothered by her ire. 

“I’m a man who knows what he wants. Is it so wrong that I want you?” 

“Yes.” 

He sighed, rolling his neck and rising from the sofa. “You’ll come around eventually, precious, but for now it’s late. Let’s get you to bed.” 

“My own bed.” She asserted firmly. “Not yours.” 

“Your own bed.” He agreed begrudgingly, but it was an agreement none-the-less.

True to his word, Y/N didn’t want for anything. Everything she could possibly want was provided for her within the walls of the house. Her room was beautiful and fully stocked with everything she might ever think to need and them some. The contents of the closet alone were worth more than her car- let alone the collection of jewelry Hoseok had taken to giving her as a sign of his devotion. 

When he’d said he meant to woo her, he had meant it. He treated her like a princess- a princess who was tucked behind the walls of a tower, but a princess none-the-less. Every action on his part was meant to convey the devotion he supposedly had towards her, and every day the adoring gleam in his eye seemed to get worse. No matter how prickly she was to him, he would smile and take it, throwing back barbs of his own as though it was a fun little game that they played and not an expression of her dislike of him. 

Her first full day in the house had been interesting. There was minimal staff, and it was clear they had been given orders not to interact with her more than was necessary. She supposed Hoseok wanted her to rely on him more than anything, but it wasn’t the order itself that she had found so strange. Instead, it had been the staff’s reaction, not to her presence, but to Hoseok’s attitude towards her. The first time they’d shared a meal had been an accident. She’d ventured down the stairs to snoop and had promptly been greeted by a woman she assumed was Hoseok’s chef who had ushered her to the dining table for breakfast. Hoseok himself followed not too long after, greeting her with a tired kiss on the cheek despite her discomfort before taking his seat. The other woman had frozen at the action. It had been a momentary reaction, she’d quickly slipped a mask of professional grace into place before Hoseok could notice her staring, but Y/N had noticed.

While staff in the house was limited, everyone she had encountered had the same momentary shock whenever they saw Hoseok interact with her. He treated her softly, more so than even she anticipated. He treated her as though she were his beloved and cherished girlfriend, instead of a woman he had slept with once, stalked, and kidnapped off the street. It was irritating how little awareness he seemed to have that he had kept her hostage for three months. It was irritating how pleased he seemed by how well she’d integrated into the day to day life of his household. And she had integrated. There was nothing else to do. 

Hoseok hadn’t been lying when he said he wouldn’t harm her, not physically at least, but her more reckless attempts at leaving had left her isolated and with nothing to fill the hours. He’d taken away simple privileges like going outside. He’d taken away access to the TV. He’d taken away her books. Deprivation and boredom had kept her in check. The more sweetly she cooperated, the more quickly Hoseok returned her privileges to her, but true to his word, he never physically harmed her. 

His interest seemed to lie more in forcing her cooperation in his delusion. He had no interest in causing her distress, but he took great interest in her comfort and care. It was baffling to her how he could kidnap her and keep her against her will and yet treat her as the most precious item in his house. At times it seemed like he knew every detail about her, and he used that information to his full advantage. Despite lacking freedom and agency, he made sure her prison was designed to keep her content, and the longer she stayed trapped with him, the deeper he seemed to fall into the belief that they were fated for each other.

“Precious.” Hoseok murmured, coming up behind the chair she was lounging in with her book, leaning down to kiss her cheek, a habit he’d gotten into that she found more than a little irritating. 

“Stop that.” 

“How was your day?” He asked, completely ignoring her ire as he moved to face her. 

“Does it actually matter?” 

Y/N flipped to the next page of her book, steadfastly refusing to look at him knowing full well how sulky he got when she refused to play along and give him the attention he wanted. 

“Of course it does. I always want to know how your day was, precious.”

“Why?” She asked, quirking a brow even though she still refused to look at him. ‘It’s not like my days have that much variation. Besides, if I so much as chip a nail someone is gonna report it back to you.” 

An indulgent smile spread across his face. “I still want to hear it from you.” 

She finally raised her head, looking him in the eye as he gazed at her, smile still playing across his lips. “I sat in this house. I read my book. I was told that trying to scale the walls was not approved behavior. Happy now?” she huffed, turning her attention back to her book without waiting for a response.

“I’m glad they told you. You could have hurt yourself.” He cooed, gently taking the book from her so that he could gather her hands into his- turning them over so that he could examine them for any injuries. “Who knows, you might have actually broken a nail if they hadn’t stopped you. Brick walls aren’t the most forgiving, darling.” 

“And you know this from personal experience?” He laughed softly, his eyes lighting up with fondness as he knelt in front of her. “I have my sources.” Gently, Hoseok lifted her hands, placing a light kiss against the scratched skin of her fingertips. “I wish you’d stop doing things that will get you hurt.” He sighed, taking note of each of the reddened tips of her fingers, and the scratches on her palms from where she had tried to see if the garden walls were scaleable. “I don’t like seeing you hurt, precious.” 

“There’s a very simple solution you know.” He hummed, encouraging her to continue as he continued to take stock of the marks on her hands minimal as they were. “You could let me go.” 

The soft smile that had played across his lips widened, spreading across his face until it was a full blown grin and a full-bellied laugh released itself. 

“That’s funny, precious.” He breathed through the last few giggles. “Now what would you like to do for dinner, hmmm?” he asked, gazing at her 

“Do I have to have dinner with you?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then I don’t care.”  

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her palm before letting her hands fall back to her lap. “Go get dressed, precious. I’m going to take you out tonight.” 

“Out to where?” 

“It’s a surprise.” 

“I don’t want any surprises from you.” 

“Too bad. Your dress is already laid out for you.” he hummed, rising to his full height. “Your shoes too.” 

She scoffed, leaning to pick up her book but making no other move to get up. “Not interested.” 

Hoseok plucked the book from her hands, tossing it aside much to her annoyance as her eyes flashed up to meet his. 

“Oops.” Hoseok shrugged, keeping his tone pleasant and calm despite the dead look in his eyes. “I made it sound like a request, but I wasn’t asking, precious. Your dress and shoes are all laid out. Go get dressed. We’re going out.” 

“How thoughtful. You’ve got it all figured out don’t you.” She hissed, remaining firmly in her chair, arms crossed under her bust. “But I don’t want to go on a date with you.” 

“Consider it your consequence for trying to scale the walls.” He shrugged, reaching down to wrap a long fingered hand around her arm. “Up.” He commanded, pulling her to her feet as he did.  

Her eyes narrowed, but she complied, allowing him to half pull her up as she unfolded herself from her armchair. 

She’d gotten good at reading his mood over her time locked away in his house, and she knew him well enough at this point to know that she’d pushed his buttons enough for the moment. He never hurt her, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be just as petty as she could. He had his ways of making her pay for pushing his buttons even if they didn’t involve causing her any physical harm. Each time she chose to push him had become a careful dance. She could irritate him, rile him up, and he would play along, meeting her challenges with an almost gleeful spirit, but she could only press her luck so far. As soon as Hoseok showed signs of no longer being willing to play along, she would retreat, biding her time and her manners as best she could. 

Hoseok guided her towards the stairs with a hand pressed to the small of her back. Flinching away from his touch now would do her no good even if she despised the heat of it seeping through her clothing and into her spine. For now, she needed to play along, or at the very least acquiesce to his whims until that cold dead look left his eyes again. 

Hoseok walked her all the way to her bedroom, opening the door like a gentleman despite her knowing well that he was not. She thought he would leave her in peace to dress, but as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Hoseok sauntered over to her bed, lowering himself to take a seat beside the dress laid carefully out upon the covers. 

“Pretty isn’t it?” He asked, running a finger across the silky fabric of the dress. 

She stood still, watching him warily to see what his next move would be. He had made his desire for her clear, but he hadn’t pressed her boundaries more than she allowed since he had kidnapped her. She didn’t think that he was going to now, but she would rather be safe than sorry. 

Hoseok lifted his gaze, expression softening as he took in the stiff set of her shoulders and the careful eye she regarded him with. “Don’t look so scared, precious.” He chuckled, gracefully standing and making  his way to her. 

His hands found her shoulders, caressing her arms as they slid down to grasp her own squeezing gently. “Go get dressed, while I pick out your jewelry.” 

The words were spoken softly, but she saw it for what it was- a command. 

Without a word, she stalked to the bed, sweeping the silky material up and making her way to the ensuite to change away from his watchful eyes. 

As much as she disliked him, she had to admit that the wardrobe that he provided for her was beautiful. Each piece was as gorgeous as it was luxurious. This dress was no different. The fabric was soft and silken and a gorgeous shade of muted green. Black lace decorated the bust trailing into the small of her waist. It was beautiful, but so were all the other pieces of the wardrobe that Hoseok had provided for her. Unfortunately for her captor, she was not so easily moved by pretty things. 

It took no time to slip into the slinky dress. Wrestling her hair into an appropriate updo took more time. Eventually, she was able to arrange it into a semblance of a french twist. It was a bit messy, with pieces spilling out to frame her face, but it was neat enough not to bother her in the long run. It would hold through the evening. 

Next she set to work on her make-up. Hoseok had supplied her with all kinds of high end brands to use at her own discretion. Most days she chose not to use it at all. She rarely left the confines of the house as it left a bitter taste in her mouth to know that each time she stepped out with her loyal dog of a guard, her movements were reported back to Hoseok. It left an even worse taste to know that he could veto any outing she wished to take. 

While he had professed freedom, each time she wished to step out of the house, it was swiftly reported back to him and if he did not approve of the outing she simply wasn’t allowed to go. It was demeaning-making her feel more like a child than she had when she was an actual teenager. 

Since she rarely went anywhere since her kidnapping, she didn’t feel the need to doll herself up every day. Instead, she had taken to existing in the variety of loungewear that had been made available to her. Hoseok,though she loathed to admit it, had been thoughtful and thorough in his care of her. Once he noticed her preference for comfortable clothing, more and more of it had appeared in her closet, and he never complained about her lack of effort in her appearance. Instead, when he wanted her dolled up he did exactly as he had done tonight. He would lay out whatever it was he wanted her to wear, ensuring each detail of her appearance matched whatever activity he had in mind and was up to his standards. 

Taking a fortifying breath after giving herself a last look over, she stepped back out of the bathroom, bare feet padding softly against the carpet. Hoseok was waiting for her, sitting on her bed as though he belonged there. 

His eyes drifted to her as she made her way forward. A smile spread across his lips, eyes half-lidded as he took in the sight of her in the dress he’d chosen. 

“You look beautiful, precious.” he purred, standing and moving to meet her halfway.

“I need you to zip me up.” she admitted, cheeks heating in embarrassment as she did. She would have done it herself- would have preferred to- but she couldn’t quite get a grasp on the delicate zipper located at the back of the dress. 

“Of course.” Hoseok grinned as she turned to give him access to her back.

She did her best to suppress a shudder as his fingers brushed against the bare skin of her back as he slowly did up her zipper fixing her into the dress.

 “Come. I have your jewelry all picked out.” 

Silently, she trailed behind him as he led her into the walk-in closet and sat her down at the vanity there. The jewelry he’d chosen was laid out in a glass jewelry dish on the vanity. There was a variety of rings and bracelets laid out there along with a set of diamond earrings- large stones in an emerald cut that attached to a smaller round stone and a smaller emerald cut stone where the peg was placed. 

“Beautiful.” He murmured, leaning down to place a kiss to her head as she began to fix the earrings into place.

“Stop that.” she huffed annoyed as she batted him away. “You’ll ruin my hair.” 

He huffed a little himself. “If I ruin it, I’ll fix it for you.” He shrugged, reaching down to the jewelry tray to pick up one of the bracelets he’d chosen. 

He picked up her left hand and began fixing the stack of bracelets into place. 

“I can do that myself.” she snapped, trying to snatch back her hand, but Hoseok held her firmly in place paying no mind to her protests. 

“Let me do it.” he snapped back,lithe fingers easily fixing the next bracelet into place. 

He repeated the process until all four bracelets were fastened before he set to work on the rings. 

“I think I know how to put on a ring.” she murmured as Hoseok lifted her hand again, slipping one of them into place.

“Just let me.” He huffed, annoyance bleeding through his tone at her continued resistance. “I have a vision.” 

“Of course you do.” 

She huffed again but didn’t protest further as he arranged the rings on her hands as he pleased until he was satisfied with her appearance. 

After the last ring was in place, Hoseok released her hands allowing her to place them in her lap.

“Beautiful.” He murmured again, leaning down to place another kiss to the crown of her head. 

“Would you stop that?” A quick hand darted up to bat him away. 

Just as quickly, Hoseok's hands clasped around her wrist, bringing them down to her waist and keeping them pinned there as he leaned down to nuzzle into the crook of her neck. 

“Would you prefer I kiss you here?” His tone was low and silken, seductive as he placed a kiss to the juncture of her jaw and throat. “You liked when I kissed you here before. Made such pretty noises for me.” She could feel him smirking against her skin as he spoke.

“Get off me.” 

He placed another kiss to her throat but retreated just as she’d requested. 

“I’ll go get ready. Wear the heels by the door.” he grinned, a bright sunny expression that she sourly thought shouldn’t be on the face of someone quite so vile. 

She watched as he practically danced out of the room, deeply pleased with himself and his planning. He’d promised her dates, and as of yet, there had been very few occasions when Hoseok had taken her out of the house. Each of those rare times had been an outing to somewhere private, somewhere where she would be secluded from people who weren’t him or being paid by him. 

She supposed she couldn’t blame him for that. If she had kidnapped someone she probably wouldn’t want them out in public too often either- too much risk of escape or discovery of the crime. Today he was oddly insistent about the whole affair. Normally if he wanted them to have dinner, it was within the confines of his home even if the dinner itself was fancier. There had been one or two nights when he’d dolled her up only for the occasion to be a candlelit dinner in the garden. She didn’t think that that was the case today though. He’d said he was taking her out, and she really did think he meant out. He’d been too meticulous in her presentation for her to think he meant anything else.

She noted sourly that there was no handbag allotted to her for the evening as she slipped on the pair of heels laid aside for her. There wasn’t any need for a handbag when there was nothing for her to carry. Hoseok had yet to return her phone to her. There was no wallet to place into a handbag either or anything for a wallet to even hold. She had access to a credit card as he’d promised her on that first night. It simply wasn’t within her keeping though. Either Hoseok paid for whatever she wanted himself or the credit card was left in the custody of her guard and pulled out for any purchases she may want to make. 

She had to admit however begrudgingly that that was rather clever of him. It ensured that she didn’t have direct access to any funds. Even if she did manage to slip away from him and the guards, she would have no phone and no money to aid in her escape making it all that much harder. It was smart- irritating but smart. 

If she’d had internet access and free use of a credit card she probably would have booked her escape to somewhere far far away and made a much more concentrated effort on slipping her guards. As it stood though she didn’t have access to either of those things. She supposed that her passport was also within Hoseok’s keeping. He’d been quite proud of himself for wrapping up her life previous to him in a neat little bow and tucking it away as though it no longer existed. She had to assume he had all of her important documents. They weren’t the type of thing you left behind if you were looking to keep someone by your side in the long term. 

She tried not to think about that though. Thinking about just how thoroughly and cheerfully Hoseok had trapped her was depressing. Depression wasn’t something she could let herself sink into if she had any chance in hell of finding a way to get away from him. Her chances were slim enough as it was without giving into hopelessness. 

“Are you ready, precious?” Hoseok asked, appearing in the doorway of her bedroom and startling her out of her thoughts. 

She blinked slowly, trying to slow the racing of her heart as she settled after nearly jumping out of her skin. It didn’t help that Hoseok was looking at her with an infuriatingly amused smile as though he found the entire thing cute. 

Y/N glared at him, looking him over from where he stood waiting for her. She was even more irritated to discover that he looked good- infuriatingly good. She wasn’t blind. She knew that Hoseok was an attractive man. It had been half the reason for this entire mess in the first place. If he hadn’t been handsome and charming and available they never would  have had that disastrous one night stand in the first place, and he used that handsome face and charm as a weapon to try to breach her walls and ingratiate himself into her affection. 

Tonight he looked especially handsome. His hair was done in dark waves and swept partially away from his forehead. The black pants clung deliciously to his long legs, and his button black button down was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the first few inches of his chest. If she didn’t know who he was, she probably would have blushed at the devastating smile he was shooting her way, but unfortunately she did know who he was, and all those good looks went to waste on account of the rotten personality within. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Y/N stomped past him, muttering as she went with him happily trailing behind her as she swept through the halls and down the staircase. 

“Y/N precious!” he called as she stomped her way into the foyer calling her to a stop and allowing him to catch up to her, slipping his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. “There.” he sighed in contentment. “Let’s go, precious.” 

Y/N did her best to remain neutral as Hoseok pulled her out of the house and to the waiting car. On the few occasions she’d left the residence, she’d been driven in a nondescript black SUV with windows so tinted she could barely see out of it. This care was not that. It was sleek and black with two doors on either side. She didn’t have a good enough view to see what make and model  the vehicle was, but she assumed it was expensive. It was a feeling that was confirmed as she slipped into the leather interior as Hoseok held the door for her. 

“Where are we going?” Y/N asked, as he pulled out from the gates of the residence. 

“I have someone I want you to meet.” There was something brewing in the way he said it, something vibrating just beneath the surface that she couldn’t quite place.

“Friend of yours?” 

“More like a brother.” 

She couldn’t stop the scoff that slipped past her lips. “Probably equally as horrible as you.”

“You love me, precious.” He shot her a sultry glance out of the corner of his eye. “I know you do.”

“Keep dreaming.” 

The laugh that burst from him was full-bellied and joyous. Clearly his earlier ire had passed, and he was once again delighted by whatever barbs she chose to send his way. 

“Precious, I dream of you every night.” 

“Disgusting.” 

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Hoseok’s hand eventually drifting to rest heavy on her thigh as he drove. She’d attempted to remove it. Twice. Each time she brushed it off, he simply replaced it, his grip growing more firm each time she tried to remove him. After the third failed attempt, she’d simply chosen to accept it rather than picking a fight. She’d picked plenty of those recently and there was only so far she could push him before he snapped. She was waspish but not stupid. 

The restaurant was beautiful, softly lit and quiet. Hoseok helped her from the car, and held the door open for her as they entered the restaurant like the gentleman he pretended to be, barely even glancing at the valet as he passed off his keys. All his attention was focused on her. It was a disconcerting habit of his.

Hoseok didn’t pay much attention to the hostess, confidently striding through the restaurant with a hand firmly placed against the small of her back. 

“Don’t you need to be seated?” 

“Private room, precious.” He murmured, leaning down with a conspiratorial grin. 

She snorted. “Why? Scared I’ll start screaming in the middle of the room?” 

“Go ahead, precious. No one will stop you.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t doubt that she could scream her head off and no one would bat an eye, not while she was with him. If they did, they wouldn’t do anything. No one ever seemed to do anything against him. She’d raged those first few days. She’d kicked and screamed and tried to get the staff to look her in the eye, to help her, but none of it mattered. She’d given up on that after the first few weeks. No one would go against him.

“You like that don’t you?” 

“Like what, darling?” he asked, as they approached the door of the private room. 

“The power. Knowing that you can do anything you want, and no one is going to stop you.” 

Hoseok grinned again- a hint of the devil in his eye. “It’s addicting.” 

He opened the door, ushering her in before him. Already seated at the table was a man she’d never seen before- unsurprising as she didn’t really know much about Hoseok or his life outside of the walls of his home. The man stood, politely as they entered. His dark hair was long, swept away from his face. She admitted it was a handsome face, luminous with a pair of sharp dark eyes that seemed to cut through her in a second. 

“Yoongi!” Hoseok cheered as he closed the door behind him. “Glad you could make it.” 

“You called me here.” the other man replied dryly, retaking  his seat as Y/N took her own. “I brought what you asked for. Is this her?” 

“This is my precious, my Y/N.” Hoseok beamed, staring at her adoringly. “How’s Rosie? Is she good?” Hoseok rattled off questions, taking a sip of the water that had already been waiting for them on the table. 

“Rose is fine.” the man nodded. “Recovering.” 

“Good. Glad to hear it. We were all worried about her.” 

Y/N looked between them, trying to keep up when she didn’t really know either man very well. “Who is Rosie?” 

“My wife.” Yoongi replied, leaning back into his chair. 

“She had a bit of a scare recently. Glad to know she’s doing better.” Hoseok nodded, draping an arm over the back of his chair lackadaisically. “We all love Rosie. You should have seen their wedding, precious. Yoongi here couldn’t stop smiling the whole day.” 

“How long have you been married?” Y/N asked politely, grabbing her own water glass to take a sip. 

“Two years.” 

“Congratulations.” she murmured.

“How do you want to do this, Hob-ah.” Yoongi sighed, pulling out a folder she could only assume had whatever Hoseok had asked him to bring. 

“Dinner first?” Hoseok suggested, fingers lazily gesturing through the air. 

Yoongi shook his head, opening the folder. “Gotta get home to Rose.” 

Hoseok nodded understandingly. “Signatures first then and dinner another day.” 

“Signatures on what?” 

Both men ignored her question as Yoongi started to pull out the papers carefully laid within the folder. “It’s pretty standard. The stipulations you asked for are all there as well.” 

“Yoongi here is the family lawyer.” Hoseok explained, reaching to take the papers that had been handed to him, glancing over them casually. 

Y/N peeked over trying to see just what kind of papers Hoseok had asked the other man to bring. He didn’t bring business around her usually. 

The layout of the table itself put a stop to her snooping. The round table put them just far enough apart and the print was just small enough that it made it hard for her to catch a glance without leaning over into Hoseok’s lap, a position she definitely did not want to be in. 

“It’s all in order. You both just need to sign.” Yoongi explained as Hoseok nodded along. 

“Both?” Y/N asked, perking up as a knot formed in her stomach. 

There wasn’t much that Hoseok would need her signature for. He’d dismantled her entire life without so much as a word to her. Why would he need her signature now? 

Hoseok signed and initialed without so much as a second thought, passing the papers and the pen over to her with a bright smile. 

“Sign here, precious.” 

Y/N picked up the papers, reading through to see just what she would be signing before her eyes snapped up to Hoseok in shock.

“This is a marriage contract.” She whispered, staring at Hoseok with wide eyes. “Why is this a marriage contract?” 

Hoseok reached across the table to grab her hand, smiling softly as he did. “It gives you security, precious. It ensures that you are protected legally.”

“You mean legally tied to you.” 

Hoseok didn’t flinch at the accusation in her tone, continuing to smile at her adoringly. “You knew this was the plan, precious. I don’t know why you’re so surprised.” 

“I don’t want to marry you!” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.” She shook her head, moving as though to stand but Hoseok’s grip tightened keeping her in place.

“Don’t be stubborn, precious.” He murmured, dark eyes boring into hers as Yoongi watched them both carefully from across the table. 

“Excellent proposal, Hob-ah. Very romantic.” Yoongi scoffed, crossing his arms as he waited to see how the situation would unfold. 

Hoseok shot the other man a withering glare before turning his attention back to the woman before him. 

“Precious.” He purred, doing his best to keep an even tone so as not to spook her even further. The color had drained from her face leaving her wan and ashen. “You know I love you. We’re fated. This just makes it official.” 

“I don’t- I don’t want that.” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.”

The word left her as a whisper, but even spoken softly it seemed to echo through the room. 

“It’s not a choice, precious. You’re mine whether you sign the papers or not. You will be Mrs. Jung whether you sign or not. Make it easy, precious. Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, earrings swinging wildly as she did. “You can’t force me…” 

“It’s not force.” Yoongi interrupted. “Whether you sign the papers or not doesn’t really matter. There are ways of getting your signature on them without you signing. It’s been done before.” 

“That’s illegal.” 

Yoongi shot her a flat look. “Which is why you should sign now. Don’t make extra work for everyone.” 

“You can’t just…” 

“I can.” Hoseok affirmed, a little frown marring his features. “Don’t I treat you well? Aren’t you happy?” 

“You kidnapped me. You’ve held me hostage in that house.” 

The frown disappeared, a slow calculating smile taking its place and lighting up his face.  “And think of how much more freedom you’d have with my ring on your finger. We’d be so happy, precious.” 

“I don’t want to marry you.” 

“Of course you do or you will. You just haven’t come around to the idea yet. Always so stubborn.” He tutted with a fond smile. 

She stared in horror at the papers laid out before her. From what the men were telling her, it mattered very little whether she actually agreed to sign them or not. Her signature would make its way onto those papers with or without her say so. This was a courtesy on their part. Hoseok could have had the papers forged and filed without her ever seeing them or knowing he’d done it, but he was in his own twisted way giving her a choice. She also now knew why her ring finger had been left suspiciously empty as Hoseok had bedecked her in jewelry. He had been planning to fill the gap in later. 

“This is cruel.” She whispered, still making no move to pick up the pen laid in front of her.

“This is fate.” She stared at him, trying to figure out how he could say it with such surety because it was clear that he whole heartedly believed that, and he was certain that with enough time and coercion she would too. “Sign the papers, precious. Make the right choice.” 

“Why are you doing this to me?” She demanded. 

The walls seemed to be shrinking in on her as she sat under his scrutiny, the papers and the pen laying traitorously before her. It was one thing to be trapped with him. It was an entirely other thing to be legally bound to him. Legality was an axe hanging over her head. It made the probability of escape so much less likely.

There had been a hope that Hoseok would give up his delusional obsession with enough time. If she didn’t fit the role he had imagined for her, he would let her go. Clearly, Hoseok didn’t have the same thought. Instead he’d presented her with a nail in the coffin. Men in these circles didn’t believe in divorce. They might not always be faithful to their wives, but divorce was never an option. She knew that well enough. This contract would quite literally bind her life to his for the rest of their days. 

“Becuase I love you, sweetheart, and I want you to be my wife.” 

“You’re insane.” 

“Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, pulling her hand away from Hoseok to wrap her arms around herself. “You can’t do this. You can’t make me.” 

Yoongi released a long-suffering sigh, leveling her with a stern look. “Your name is going to end up on those papers one way or another. It’s all been decided.” 

Hoseok stood, slithering to stand behind her chair and bending so that his cheek was level with hers. “Sign the papers, precious.” His hands slid down from her shoulders to her arms, uncrossing them until his hands were over hers, their fingers intertwined. “Think of how much happier you’d be if you just gave in, if you agreed to be mine.” 

Alarm bells sounded in her head.

Hoseok had made the entire ordeal about winning her over to his side. He wanted her consent for his obsession. He wanted her agreement. Signing this paper would give him that. It would open the door to everything that came after. 

“I won’t do it.” 

“Think of how much better things would be, precious. Think of how simple it would be to just be mine- the freedom you would have as Mrs. Jung.” 

“I don’t want it.” 

“You do.” he insisted, speaking directly into her ear. “You want freedom, darling. This paper will give you that.” 

“That’s a lie.” She hissed, leaning away from him as much as she could. “You’re a liar. This is just another way to trap me.” 

“Of course it is.” Hoseok cooed, nuzzling into her hair, loving the slight tremor that had overtaken her and the wide vulnerable look in her eye. He loved when she was fierce, but he loved it even more when she was soft for him. “I can’t have you running off, darling. You’re far too precious to me. This ensures that you’re mine no matter where you are- ensures you’ll always be brought back to me.” 

“You’re sick.” 

He smiled into her hair, grip loosening on her hands so he could pick up the pen. “I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you didn’t keep trying to scale the fucking walls.” 

“Bastard.” 

“Sign the papers, precious. Either you sign them yourself or Yoongi has them doctored. Either way, I win.” 

He placed the pen in her hand, closing her fingers around it and backing away to give her room to sign.

Shakily, Y/N picked up the pen signing her name to the document despite the tremor making her signature messy and out of place next to Hoseok’s own quick and decisive signature. She didn’t doubt him when he said he’d have the paper forged. No matter what she chose to do, legally she’d be Mrs. Jung.

“Perfect.” Yoongi declared, taking the papers back from her once she’d signed and initialed all that was needed on the contract. “Now the certificate.” 

He handed them the paper, and Hoseok signed without hesitation before handing the pen back to her where she signed again much to Hoseok’s delight.

“I’ll get these filed tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, precious.” He smiled for the first time that evening. “Welcome to the family.” 

Y/N sat there shell shocked as he left, disbelieving of her own actions, disbelieving of the fact that she was legally Mrs. Jung Hoseok. 

“We’re going to have the most beautiful wedding, darling.” Hoseok cooed, taking her hand in his to slip the final ring onto her finger. “And you’re going to be the most beautiful bride.” 

Despite the state of shock that Y/N found herself in, Hoseok proceeded with the dinner as though it was a celebration and not her last meal. She supposed that to his mind it was a celebration. He’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted, and she’d walked away more powerless than before. 

Hoseok prattled on about wedding details,and Y/N couldn’t pry her eyes away from the ring sitting very conspicuously on her left hand. The ruby set in the middle was large and dark. Set in an emerald cut, it demanded attention as a statement piece with two smaller baguette diamonds framing it on either side. It was a ring meant to draw notice, and it was distinctive enough that it would be recognized at a glance. It ensured that anyone in Hoseok’s circle would know who and what she was to him as soon as they saw it. 

“Why?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, interrupting Hoseok’s musing on when would be the best time to hold the wedding.

“Why what, sweetheart?” He asked, tilting his head to the side inquisitively as he sipped his wine. 

“Why did you do this to me? Wasn’t holding me hostage enough?” 

The sigh he released was long-suffering in nature. “I don’t think you understand, darling. You’re mine. You were meant to be mine from that very first night, but you just can’t seem to realize that.” He shook his head sadly. “So stubborn.”

“I’m not yours.” 

“You are.” he waved his hand breezily. “There’s no use fighting it, precious. This was always going to happen.” 

Her gaze met his, eyes watery and red though she refused to let the tears fall. She didn’t want him to have that satisfaction. He’d taken enough from her for one night. 

“Why now? What happened to wooing?” 

He smiled indulgently at her. The expression was every bit as patronizing as the man who made it. “Y/N, my darling. My precious girl. You didn’t really think that your attempts to leave me would go unnoticed and unpunished? I already told you. Actions have consequences, and I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you simply stayed where you were supposed to.”

“It’s a cage.” 

“You wouldn’t need a cage if you didn’t try to scale the walls, darling.” He shrugged. “Besides, there are worse things than marrying a man who adores you, and I do adore you, precious.”  

“You barely even know me!” 

“I know you very well, sweetheart. I know you haunt my every thought. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“And what about what I want?” 

He sighed again, leaning back and crossing his arms as he assessed her. She felt less like a woman he claimed to adore and more like a puzzle to be solved under his gaze, like the last three months had been nothing more than a game and he was trying to figure out how to make his end move. 

“It won’t be so bad.” It was a soft assurance, a repeat of what he’d already told her. “And as for wooing you softly, that clearly hasn’t worked. You need a more firm approach.” 

“Excuse me?” She bristled.

He leaned forward, dark eyes focused solely on her. “Trying to win you over softly hasn’t gotten us anywhere. You’re too stubborn, precious. So now we try things my way.” 

“The last three months haven’t been your way?” 

A spark of excitement lit his eyes, a gleeful smile accompanying it. “If I’d had my way from the beginning, you’d have never left my bed. If I’d had my way, you’d have woken up every day in my bed.” 

She hissed, recoiling away from him. “Fucking bastard.” she spat, standing from the table.

Hoseok followed, standing from his own seat. “If I remember correctly, you liked it when we did things my way.” 

“Don’t touch me.” she backed away as he approached, crowding her towards the wall. 

“It’s all I’ve been craving for months.” he murmured, caging her in. “It’s time I treated you like my woman- fully. Enough games, precious.” 

“It’s not a game. I despise you. You make my skin crawl.” 

He hummed non-comitally. “I can make you feel lots of things, if you give me the chance.” 

A resounding crack filled the space, and silence descended onto the room. 

Hoseok’s head stayed turned to the side as Y/N stared at him in shock, her hand stinging from the impact. 

Neither of them moved for a long moment. 

Hoseok stayed eerily still as the handprint reddened across his cheek.

Y/N barely dared to breathe as she waited for his reaction. Never in her life had she raised her hand to someone before, not like this. She remembered playfights with her brother as a child, but she’d never purposefully struck someone before.

Slowly, Hoseok turned back to face her, his face devoid of emotion as he stared down at her. 

“Hoseok…” she breathed, wide eyes meeting his dead stare. 

“I didn’t realize you wanted to play rough, precious.” he exhaled, leaning in to breathe in the scent of jasmine wafting from her skin. His nose trailed along the column of her throat as he held her in place. “We can play rough if you want,” he chuckled, nipping at the delicate skin where her jaw met her neck. “but I think I can think of some other ways to celebrate that would be more fun.”

“No.” 

“Mrs. Jung. Jung Y/N.” he purred, placing open-mouth kisses down her throat to her collarbone. “God, that sounds so fucking hot.” 

“Get off.”

He groaned as her arm snaked up and around his neck, finding cruel purchase in his hair as she tried to yank him away from her. “The things you do to me, precious.” She yanked on his hair again, eliciting another groan. “Keep going, precious. Show me your rage.” 

He pressed his hips against hers, pushing her up against the wall more firmly and causing her to still at the feel of the hardness against her hip. “I’ve been craving this for months.” 

His hands snaked down, caressing her curves as they made their way behind her upper thighs, lifting her suddenly and forcing her to jump if she didn’t want to fall and bunching her skirt up around her thighs. With her legs wrapped around his hips, Hoseok took full advantage of their position to slip his hands beneath the bunched up fabric of her skirt, caressing her bare thighs as he ravaged her neck once more. “My patience has been hanging by a fucking thread.”

“You’re disgusting.”  

 He hummed, kissing his way but up towards her jaw. “You always smell so sweet- just like jasmine.” 

“Pervert.” 

“Mrs. Jung.” He sighed contentedly against her. 

“I”ll scream.” She threatened as he sucked a mark into the place where her jaw and throat met each other. 

“Good..” She yelped as he bit down more sharply. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.” 

She snarled, digging her nails in as she tried again to push him away from her despite the instability of her position pressed up against the wall. “I want you.” He purred, sighing against her skin. “I want you so much is maddening. Just let me adore you, precious. Would that be so bad?”

She hissed as he pressed his hips into hers, nestling into the space between her thighs. “Aren’t you tired, precious? Aren’t you, lonely? Don’t you want to feel loved?” 

“Not by you.” 

“I’m all you’ve got, precious. Let me worship you.” 

“I don’t need you to worship me.” A strangled sound tore from her throat as Hoseok rolled his hips against hers. 

“I know.” he grinned, placing a kiss to her pulse point. “Let me do it anyway.” 

“You’re the worst person I know.” she hissed, melting into his touch despite her own better judgement. 

It had been so long since she’d been held like this- so long since she’d had anyone who wanted her the way that he did. She knew it was wrong. It was twisted in too many ways to even begin to untangle, but despite knowing that, she found a small part of her wanting to give in- wanting to be adored the way that Hoseok promised to adore her. Even if it was wrong, even if it was twisted, it had to be better than isolation.

“You’re the best thing in my life. My heart. My wife.” 

“Stop it.” 

“You don’t want me to.” He whispered against her lips. 

“Despicable.”

She could hear the heavy sounds of boots falling on concrete as his men spread out in search of her.

There weren’t a lot of places to hide in the warehouse. The building clearly wasn’t in use, and there was only a handful of abandoned crates and machinery to provide shelter. She was hidden behind a group of crates, holding her breath as his men started their search for her.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all day, not knowing where you were.” he chuckled, the sound half tired and half something else, something almost manic. She was pushing the limits of his patience. She knew that, but she still couldn’t bring herself to come out of her own accord. She’d work too hard for this opportunity to simply give herself up. 

They both knew that she wasn’t getting away. He’d chased her down and cornered her here knowing full well it was a dead end. He wouldn't hurt her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her slip away.

The sound of tactical boots was closer to her now. They were slowly but surely closing in on her, methodically going over every inch of the warehouse in search of her hiding spot. 

It was a small miracle she’d even gotten this far. No, he never hurt her, but security around her was tight, ensuring that she stayed safely tucked away right where he wanted her. She was always right where he wanted her.

It was infuriating, and somehow his seeming lack of anger made it all the worse. No matter what she did, he had a seemingly endless supply of patience. She could spit in his face, and he’d still smile at her like it was all a game. Even now as she pushed every boundary set for her, he didn’t seem angry. He seemed tired, worried even, but not angry.

The crate she was hiding behind shifted, and an unfamiliar face peered down at her.

“Sir, we’ve found her!” He shouted before turning his attention back to her. “Ma’am.” He tilted his head respectfully, holding out a hand to help her up.

She didn’t take it, not even as she heard the others rapidly approaching.

“Precious.” he breathed a sigh of relief and a smile stretched across his features as she came into view.

Immediately she was pulled up and out of her crouched position as he crushed her to his chest, his fingers tangling into her already messy hair. There was no space between them as he held her close, as though he was frightened she’d slip through his fingers again or disappear altogether.

“There you are.” he murmured into her hair before pulling back so he could get a good look at her face, a smile spreading across his lips as he took her in. “You had me worried sick.” 

She pulled back and stared at him silently, unsure how to proceed or what he was going to do next.

Tenderly, he pushed back the hair obscuring her features, taking in the dirt and dust that had settled over her face and clothes over the course of her adventures with disapproval.  “Let’s get you home, darling.” 

Hoseok scooped her up, keeping her close to his chest as he strode towards the exit to where the car was waiting to take them back to her gilded cage.

Y/N had to wonder as he carried her how she had gotten herself into this predicament in the first place.

It had all started with a funeral

Y/N stared at herself in the mirror trying to figure out how she was going to hide the marks littered across her neck and collarbones for the funeral. She  couldn’t very well show up to her own brother’s funeral looking like she’d just gotten her back blown out. She was fairly impressed by the heart shaped hickey resting on the outer edge of her collarbone though. It was cute in its own way even if it would be a bitch to hide. 

She eventually settled on a high-necked black dress. It had elbow length sleeves to accommodate for the warming spring weather, but the high neck hid the worst of the marks along her collarbones. The rest residing on her neck she could cover with makeup. The ones littering her thighs and hips would thankfully be kept a well hidden secret underneath her dress. 

She was only in the city to arrange and attend the funeral. She’d moved away for college and hadn’t looked back. Kai, on the other hand, had stayed and thrived in the less savory part of the city. He’d already been caught up in it when they were teenagers and had only gotten more entrenched as time had gone by until it had finally caught up with him.

Y/N had gotten a call from one of her brother’s friends last week to let her know that Kai had been shot. Y/N had immediately packed a bag and gotten in the car. By the time she’d made it to the city, Kai was gone.

His friends had graciously offered her a place to stay while she arranged the funeral, but she had declined in favor of staying with a friend of her own who lived in the city. As kind as the offer had been, she didn’t want to have any more contact than needed with her brother’s friends. They were a mix of boys she remembered from her teenage years and new faces, but she knew well enough that they were all at least partially entrenched in the same life that had gotten her brother killed. 

Staring at her neck as she began to apply careful layers of concealer, Y/N was struck again by the thought that a one night stand the night before her brother’s funeral probably hadn’t been her wisest idea. Hana had thought a night out would help get her mind off of everything. Y/N hadn’t thought that she’d intended for the night out to lead to mind-blowing sex and end with her sneaking out of one of the most gorgeous apartments she’d ever seen. Y/N was choosing to blame the lack of judgement on the mix of grief and vodka.

Y/N managed to cover her hickies for the most part. They at least wouldn’t be obvious to anyone at a passing glance. She didn’t really want anyone at the funeral thinking she was a whore even if her actions the previous night had been decidedly slutty.

The funeral itself went much as any funeral did, and then Y/N was left to deal with the seemingly endless throng of people coming to give their condolences. Most of them she knew to be Kai’s friends and associates. The roughened and scarred knuckles and the tattoos peeking out from beneath collars and shirt sleeves all but confirmed it. Kai had some of those same tattoos. She may not have seen or talked to Kai often over the past few years, but she recognized some of those tattoos.

The entire affair was exhausting. Y/N was sick to death of people telling her they were sorry for her loss. She almost thought she might scream if she heard it one more time. When her eyes fell on the newest arrival, she thought she might scream for an entirely different reason.

Her eyes had first been drawn to him because of the odd hush that had fallen over the space. All eyes had gone to him, not just hers, and for good reason. He had an intimidating aura, a presence that demanded respect. He  was shrouded in a pair of dark slacks and a dark button down which had been generously unbuttoned to show off a glimpse of his chest. The jacket that was meant to go with the ensemble was stylishly draped over his shoulders, and gold flashed at his neck and his wrist. All eyes were on him as he made his way over to where she was standing. His making his way to her wasn’t wholly surprising. She was, after all, the only family member for anyone to pass on their condolences to. She’d heard dozens of half hearted apologies for her loss already, but this man didn’t seem the least bit grieved to be there. The expression on his face was more bored than anything else. 

She kept her eyes on him as he approached, analyzing him. He was tall but not too tall.  His build was all lean muscle like a dancer's would be, and he moved with the same grace one would expect of a dancer. The sharp planes of his face combined with his dark hair and his build to make a rather impressive figure overall- one that was undeniably handsome and a little intimidating. 

She wasn’t the only person in the room that seemed to find him thus. Everyone else held themselves still and quiet as they watched him in a mix of respect and apprehension. She did as well, but with a distinct nausea thrown into the mix as well. 

He stopped in front of her, reaching out a slender hand to take hers into his own, her own hand engulfed in his grip as he smiled at her. It was an oddly heart shaped expression though the joy that one would typically associate with a smile wasn’t there. It didn’t meet his eyes, and those, she found, were cold and dead like a shark’s. 

The hands she had shaken all throughout the day were rough and calloused, and most of the suits that she had seen were ill-fitting, nothing like the impeccable fit of the man who stood before her. The man who now faced her was something wholly different, and she couldn't quite place how he had known her brother. Kai had been fairly low in the ranks as far as she had been aware. This man with his elegant hands and designer clothes didn’t seem like a follower. He didn’t sit low in the rank of anything if she had to take a guess. This was a man who wielded a fair amount of power. Worse than that, he was the man she had spent last night with, and he was looking at like the cat who had caught the canary. 

“Hello again, precious.” he purred, and a cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck as she felt all the blood drain from her face. He had yet to release her hand, stroking his thumb across her knuckles. 

“Hoseok.” she whispered his name, still unsure how he had come to be here but becoming increasingly nauseated by the possibilities of why. 

He pouted, lips turned down at her lackluster response. “That’s all I get after last night?” 

Her eyes widened, lips parted in shock at the blatant mention of their previous activities. “Hoseok!” she hissed, ripping her hand from his as her eyes frantically darted around the room to see if anyone had heard him.Unfortunately, most eyes in the room were glued to the two of them, and she could only assume they were all straining to hear what was being said as well. 

“I was so upset to find my bed empty this morning, precious.” He sighed, rolling his shoulders back. “But how lucky I am to find you here! It must be fate!” 

Lips set in a grim line, Y/N reached out and snatched his wrist, all but dragging him from the hall in an effort to get him away from the watchful eyes of the congregated mourners.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed, dropping his wrist as though it had burned her as soon as they were outside of the funeral hall and away from the prying eyes and listening ears within.

“I can’t be here to see you?” He asked flirtatiously. 

“It’s a funeral.” she deadpanned. 

Y/N took a fortifying breath, squaring her shoulders as he met his eye with the best mask of indifference she could muster despite the war of emotions raging within. She didn’t want him there, but she didn’t need to let him know how much seeing him was truly bothering her. 

“What are you doing here?” She repeated.

Hoseok arched a brow, taken aback by her cold reception of him. Hoseok wasn’t normally one for sleepovers, but it had bothered him to wake up that morning without her in his bed. He’d enjoyed their night together, and he’d thought she had too if the multiple orgasms were anything to go by. Panic followed by cold indifference was not the reaction he had been expecting from her, but he hadn’t been expecting to see her at one of his rival’s funerals either. He wasn’t complaining about the turn of events though. If anything, he was intrigued. 

“I’ve come to pay my respects to the recently deceased.” 

Her expression became even colder as she took in that information. It was confirmation of everything she had feared he was when he’d walked through the door. 

“How did you know my brother?” She asked, staring him down with the best intimidating stare she could muster much to Hoseok’s continued amusement.

“Kai and I moved in similar circles.” He admitted nonchalantly. “Though I didn’t know he had such a delicious sister.” 

Her jaw ticked in irritation. “Stop that.” 

“Stop what, precious?” 

“Implying things.”

Hoseok grinned, a wide toothy expression filled with an almost malicious glee. “It’s not an implication if you know, and I do know you, darling- quite intimately.” He leaned in so that they were cheek to cheek, his next words whispered into the shell of her ear. “I can still taste you on my tongue.” 

Y/N flinched back, her cheeks reddening and her nostrils flaring as she tamped down her temper. “Of all the vile vulgar things to say. This is a funeral for god’s sake.” 

His grin widened. “We could always talk about this more privately- back at my place.” 

Y/N stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how much audacity someone had to have to try to seduce someone at a funeral or how stupid they had to be. 

She huffed out a sigh, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her heels had been painfully digging into her toes for the better part of an hour, and she had no patience to deal with this man and his blatant propositions. 

“Are  you absolutely insane? Have you lost your mind?” She asked, taking a step forward into his space much to his surprise. “This is a funeral. Worse, this is my brother’s funeral. Whatever momentary lapse of judgment I had last night- whatever mix of vodka and grief led me to the horrendously bad decision of sleeping with you is done. It’s over. I will not be repeating that particular mistake again. Now would you kindly leave?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “I am trying to grieve in peace.” 

Hoseok stared at her, taking a moment of his own to take in the woman who stood before him. She was red-eyed and irritable, and yet he found her as enchantingly beautiful as he had the night before when he’d taken her to his bed- perhaps even more so now as he was the subject of her ire. 

He laughed, a full bodied high pitched laugh that did nothing to settle her nerves or lessen her anger.

“Precious, you are something else.” he spoke through the last of his laughter. 

“Are you going to leave?” She asked, crossing her arms under her chest.  “Or should I have you thrown out?” 

“I’m Jung Hoseok, darling.” 

He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, as though she should already know what that meant and the implications thereof. 

Y/N stared at him for a second as though that was supposed to mean anything to her before letting out a scoffed sardonic laugh of her own. “I don’t really care who you are. This is still my brother’s funeral, and I don’t want you here.” She shrugged.  “So thank you for coming, but you’re not wanted here.” She gestured lazily towards the exit as she spoke, trying her best to convey to the man, who she was beginning to think was more than a little thick , just where she wanted him to go. 

The smile on his lips froze in place, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he took in her words. “Excuse me?” 

She smiled, the expression mirroring his own shark-like grin as she leaned in, mirroring his earlier move. “The dick wasn’t that good anyway.” She whispered into his ear before backing away, smile still in place. “Thank you for coming, but you can go now.” 

“Precious…” 

“You can go now.” she repeated, dead serious as she stared him down. 

He tongued his cheek, scoffing as he glanced away for a moment before returning his sharp gaze to her. 

“If you came for seconds, there is nothing left for you here.” She interjected before he could say anything. “Lights out, doors closed.” 

Hoseok stared at her, his retort dead on his tongue as she gazed at him expectantly. No one spoke to Jung Hoseok that way, least of all the women that he took to his bed, but here she was staring at him like he was the dirt beneath her shoe. Hoseok could barely picture her as the same woman who had been writhing beneath him in the throes of pleasure just a few mere hours before. This wasn’t the woman whom he’d littered with love bites as he’d made her cum over and over again. That woman had been inviting and enchanting. She’d been more than eager to submit to him. The woman before him now was just as enchanting, but she was cold as ice as she deigned to banish him from the funeral all together. There was nothing submissive about her, and Hoseok didn’t think he’d ever been more turned on in his life. 

As he stood there contemplating the fact that his pants were suddenly a little bit tighter than would be considered comfortable, Y/N had already begun to move away from him, intent on returning to the funeral hall and leaving him behind without so much as a glance back in his direction. 

His hand shot out, quick as a snake, to grab her by the wrist. His hold was tight but not bruising as he pulled her back into his orbit, eyes fixed on her a kind of adoring awe that made the uneasy feeling in her stomach once more develop into fullblown nausea. 

“Precious,” he began, his voice a purr. “That’s not very nice of you- especially not when we got along so well last night.” 

He held back a smile as he watched her lips purse in irritation. 

“Get your hands off of me.” She grumbled, attempting to push his hand from its position gripped against her wrist.

Instead of releasing her, as she so clearly wanted him to do, Hoseok proceeded to pull her even closer, his free arm moving to wrap itself around her waist until he had her almost flush against him. 

“I don’t appreciate disrespect, darling.” He cooed, fingers intimately splayed across her waist. “You’ll learn that with time.” 

“I told you to get your hands off me.” she hissed, struggling against his hold. 

“You liked my hands on you last night.” He pointed out with a grin stretched wide across his features. 

“That is not the point!”

Hoseok shrugged, smirk still playing on his lips. “I think it is.” 

“You’re despicable. This is a funeral.” She huffed, giving up her struggle as she came to the morbid realization that she wasn’t going to get out of his grip if he didn’t want her to. His hold was like steel, unmoveable, and yet surprisingly gentle.There was no intent to harm her in it, only to keep her close. 

“We could have done this this morning if you hadn’t run off. A bouquet by the bedside. Breakfast in bed. Morning sex.” His smile was teasing as he waggled his brows at her suggestively.

“I don’t want any of that with you.” 

“You wound me, precious.” 

She huffed out a frustrated breath, once more pushing against his hold in an attempt to get him to release her. “I’m about to if you don’t let me go.” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

Y/N froze, all thought leaving her head as she tried to process what he’d just said. It seemed too ridiculous a thing for him to actually have said. “I’m sorry. What?” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

It sounded equally as ridiculous the second time. 

“You must be out of your fucking mind.” 

“Only for you, precious.”

Y/N gave one last hard shove, and Hoseok released her, allowing her to take several stumbling steps back as she tried to compose herself, her mind whirring with the insanity of his proposal. Last night had been a mistake. She had already admitted that to herself. She just hadn’t thought that it would have such an array of consequences. Nothing had prepared her for a clingy one night stand, let alone one that ran in the same less than legal circles as her own brother. 

As she straightened out her dress and hair, both disheveled from her time in his arms, Y/N made the mental note never to drink anything mixed with vodka ever again.The aftereffects simply weren’t worth it.

“I think you should go.” 

“Excuse me?” Hoseok’s head tilted to the side like an inquisitive dog as though he was trying to figure out if he had heard her correctly or not.

Y/N rolled her shoulders back, holding her head high as she stared him down. “Leave. You aren’t wanted here.” 

His grin took on a sharklike quality as she spoke, all sharp edges with no real humor behind the expression. “No one speaks to me like that, precious.” 

“Maybe they ought to.” She sniffed primly, a cold mask of indifference shifting into place despite the unease that he sparked within her. 

“That’s not very nice, precious.” 

“You’ve done nothing to deserve nice, and stop calling me that! I’m not your anything, let alone your precious.” she sniffed, disdain dripping from every word. 

“Oh,  I disagree.” He purred, expression still vaguely predatory as he sauntered closer to her, closing the distance between them. “I think you’re very precious, sweetheart. Maybe the most precious thing there is.” 

“Despicable.” She spat, slapping his hand away as he moved to brush away one of the errant tendrils of her hair. 

Hoseok straightened, squaring his shoulders and fixing the lapels of his suit. “I’ll leave you to grieve in peace, precious, but I’ll be seeing you soon.” 

“I hope not.” 

He reached out a slender hand, taking one of hers in his and raising it to his lips brushing a gentle kiss against her knuckles.

She yanked her hand back as soon as his lips made contact with her skin, hiding the offending limb in her skirts.

Hoseok chuckled, a smooth rich sound that carried all the mirth his previous smile had not. “Until next time, precious.” 

Y/N didn’t wait for him to speak again. Instead she turned on her heel, heading back towards the funeral hall with a staunch refusal to sneak a glance backwards to see if he was still there. The prickling sensation of eyes on the back of her neck told her all she needed to know on that account.

No sooner had Y/N re-entered the funeral hall  thanSuho, one of the friends of her brother’s she actually did know, came up to her brows furrowed with concern as he scanned her from head to toe as though trying to assure himself she wasn’t hurt in any way which was odd, but she shoved that thought to the back of her head. It by far wasn’t the strangest thing to happen that day.

“Suho.” She smiled tiredly, allowing the man to hug her. “Thank you for coming.” 

He didn’t respond, releasing her from the hug and grabbing her by the arm to drag her away from prying ears. “You need to leave.” 

“What?”

Suho sighed impatiently, moving them both towards the exit as he did. “I don’t know why Jung Hoseok was here or how you know him, but you need to leave.” 

“Jung Hoseok?” Her brows furrowed quizzically. “He said he was an associate of Kai’s. I don’t particularly like him, but he’s already gone. Not much he can really do to disrupt things now.” 

Suho grimaced at that, practically pushing her out the door into a side hallway. “Jung Hoseok is not our associate. He’s not our friend, and he’s certainly not our ally.” 

That caught her interest. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean that he’s made it his personal mission in life to try to eradicate us.” 

“You don’t mean…”

“I do.”

Y/N froze, her blood running cold as she processed the information. That man had been responsible for her brother’s death however directly or indirectly, and she had fucked him the day before the funeral. 

Bile rose in her throat.

“Oh God.” 

“I don’t like the way he was looking at you, Y/N.” Suho shook his head. “And then he let you drag him out. It wasn’t like him, and I don’t like that at all.” Y/N kept her lips pressed firmly together. There was no need to let Suho know how close to the truth he was on that count. 

“If he’s responsible, why was he even here?” She questioned, her voice a hoarse whisper. 

Suho’s frown deepened as he led her towards the building exit. “I don’t know. Maybe he was here to gloat. Whatever the reason was, I don’t like it,  but I especially don’t like how interested he acted with you. Jung Hoseok doesn’t let anyone drag him around let alone look amused while they do it.” 

After being escorted out of her own brother’s funeral, Y/N was ushered back to the relative safety of her friend’s apartment with strict instructions from Suho not to venture out unless it was absolutely necessary. Y/N thought he would have preferred for her to be out of the city entirely, but there were still things only she could do as Kai’s family and the beneficiary of his will.

She wasn’t entirely sure what Suho thought Hoseok would do to her if he caught her out and about unaccompanied, but she figured his imaginings were much different than what the reality would be. She got the impression that Hoseok was far less interested in hurting her than in a repeat of their first meeting. Suho didn’t need to know that though. She was perfectly happy to keep all the sordid details to herself. There was a chance that Suho’s predictions were correct, but she highly doubted it based on the ostentatious bouquet that had been delivered to her door the morning after the funeral with a card signed JHS. The flowers had promptly been deposited in the trash along with the card and the invitation to dinner it contained. 

The myriad of marks along her body were finally beginning to fade much to her relief. She was running out of ways to keep them from view as she dealt with the legal aftermath of Kai’s death. Soon they would be entirely gone and with them the reminder of the man who left them, not that he was easy to forget. Oh no, Jung Hoseok was doing his best to be a thorn in her side even though she hadn’t set eyes on him since the funeral. 

Bouquets and gifts arrived almost daily bearing with them invitations to dinner or drinks. One had been particularly bold- inviting her directly to a repeat performance of their first encounter. Every note was signed in the same quick decisive hand by JHS, and every single note, bouquet, and gift immediately found its way to the trash. She did have to admire his persistence as unwanted as it was. He was not a man to take no for an answer, but she wasn’t one to be so easily won over- especially not after learning that he was the reason that Kai was dead. 

She wasn’t sure how delusional someone had to be to think they could woo someone whose brother they had killed, but she was sure that it had to be an unhealthy amount. One night of passion wasn’t enough to erase his sins and neither were the endless stream of gifts. Her thoughts on the matter didn’t stop the notes and gifts from coming though.  Hana thought it was romantic, but Y/N knew better. To her it seemed less romantic and more obsessive, and that was not something she wanted to become entangled in.  All she truly wanted was to tie up the loose ends that came with being the sole executor of her brother’s estate and return to the comfort of her own home and the safety of knowing that the city and the majority of its inhabitants were far away from her. 

One of the inhabitants that she dearly wanted far away from her was Suho. Logically, she knew that he was trying to be  helpful. She knew he was trying to do his part to take care of Kai posthumously through her, but he was annoying the shit out of her. Everywhere she went every appointment with lawyers she attended, Suho was right there with her. 

Y/N was fully aware that it was a good thing that he was there. Most of Kai’s assets would be turned back over to Suho and the rest of their cohort. Y/N had no need of them and no want of them. Suho’s signatures were needed for the transfer of property, but she was sick of seeing his face every day. She was sick of him treating her like some sort of delicate flower- treating her like he didn’t know her at all when they’d known each other since they were children. 

Kai and Suho had always been thick as thieves- the best of friends since the moment they’d met in the 3rd grade. They’d all been normal then, just kids, but people don’t stay kids forever. Suho and Kai entered middle school, and the tide began to turn. Suho started hanging out with a different crowd, and Kai followed right along after him like he always did the inseparable duo that they were. Kai was never quite the same after that. 

While Suho had risen through the ranks of their burgeoning group, finding himself in a position of leadership, Kai had not reached such levels of success. He’d stayed firmly in the middle of the pack, a higher up of the lower ranking members of their gang as much of an oxymoron as that seemed. Y/N had always thought it was stupid that he’d thrown his life away for that, but it wasn’t her life, and she didn’t have much say in what her brother did. She never had. As the little sister she’d always been an afterthought, something that trailed along after Kai and his friends. Sure, he loved her, but it hadn’t been enough to stop him from following right after Suho even when she’d begged him not to. 

By the time they were in their late teens, Y/N didn’t feel like she even knew who her brother was anymore, and she couldn’t help but blame Suho for that. She’d never been able to look at either boy the same way again. She still loved her brother, but she couldn’t be around him, not when she was so terribly certain that the path he was on would be his ruin. 

Y/N went to college, and Kai, several years her senior, had remained doing his own thing. After college, she’d left the city, moved somewhere where she could try to forget that her brother was a criminal and the deteriorating state of their relationship with each other. 

She hadn’t seen Kai in years before Suho had called her with the news, a difference in opinion on his life choices had kept them fairly separate. Kai had made his choices, and she had made hers, but it didn’t make the pain of his loss any less hard to bear. The pitying glances she would catch Suho sending her way didn’t help matters either. She didn’t need pity- least of all his. 

She had just escaped Suho and the lawyers to find a moment of quiet and some much needed caffeine when she was met with something far more unpleasant than either Suho or the lawyers. 

Y/N froze, tensing at the feel of the hand on her lower back. Even without looking, she had a sickening feeling she knew exactly who that hand belonged to. 

“Stalking is a crime.” she sighed, her gaze shifting to the side to see if her suspicion had been correct.

It had.

“You’re a hard woman to get a hold of.” He sighed dramatically in turn. “All of my efforts met with silence. I’m starting to think you don’t like me.” 

“I don’t.” she moved forward causing his hand to fall away. “Some people would have gotten the hint.”

Y/N steadfastly ignored the man as she stepped forward to the counter, ready to place her order and get on with her day- hopefully away from Hoseok. “One iced chai latte please.” she smiled at the barista as she started to grab her wallet from her bag only for an elegant hand to appear from the corner of her eye- a black amex extended and at the ready.

“We’ll take an iced Americano as well.” 

“He’s not with me.” she snapped, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as she pulled out her own credit card.

Hoseok gently pushed her hard away, insisting the barista take his card instead.

“It’s the least I can do for my favorite girl.” 

“We don’t know each other that well.”

Hoseok ignored her comment, choosing instead to place a hand on her back again and gently push her in the direction of where they were meant to wait for their drinks.

“You didn’t get my gifts?” he asked once they were out of earshot of the queue. 

“I got them.” 

“You didn’t like them?”

“I wasn’t a fan of the sender.” she shrugged, checking the time on her phone.

“That’s not very nice of you, precious.” 

Y/N glanced up from her phone to find Hoseok staring at her with a hard expression- jaw tight with displeasure despite the smile on his face.

“How exactly did you expect me to respond?” she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.

“A little gratitude would be nice. Maybe a little adoration.” 

The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end. His tone had an arrogant, condescending quality to it that set her teeth on edge. She fully turned to face him, shoulders pulled back and her lips set on a grim line.

“What exactly should I be grateful for? Your tendency to stalk? Your unwanted interest in me? Or the fact that you are the reason my brother is dead?”

Hoseok stared at her, knocked a little off balance by the cold rage in her eyes. He was used to people looking at him with varying levels of anger, but he wasn’t used to the women he showed interest in looking at him like that. He certainly didn’t want her looking at him like that. He definitely wanted her eyes on him but not with that expression. He much preferred the sultry look in her eye from their first meeting. That look had been nowhere to be found lately though. 

Hoseok glanced away, tongue in cheek as he tried to reign in his temper- a dry laugh escaping him as he did.

“If you were anyone else, precious…” 

“You would what?” she interrupted him. “Kill me?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “What would you do?” 

Hoseok’s smile was sharp as he regarded her. “I already warned you that I’m not a patient man, precious. I’d be a little more careful if I were you.” 

She shrugged, moving to take her drink from the counter. “It’s not like any of this matters anyway.” 

That caught Hoseok off guard.

“How so?”

She shrugged again, and Hoseok’s jaw ticked in annoyance.

“Your obsessive stalker tendencies won’t last forever. I’m sure you’ll forget all about me and move on to the next unfortunate woman in no time.” 

Hoseok’s posture relaxed slightly, his smile a little easier. “You’re unforgettable, darling.” 

Y/N made a face. 

“I’m sure distance will help the process along.”  She smiled with as much grace as she could muster, which was admittedly not very much as she began to make her way to the door only for Hoseok to grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“What do you mean distance will help?” he demanded. 

Y/N grimaced in displeasure, trying to wrench her arm away but Hoseok held fast refusing to let her walk away. 

“What do you mean?” he insisted.

She sighed deeply, fully turning to face him. “I don’t live in this city.” She started, keeping her tone even and slow as though explaining something to a child. “I will eventually-sometime soon- go home, and then we can both forget that we ever met each other, and you and Suho can go back to trying to tear each other to pieces without any involvement from me.” 

Hoseok’s grip on her arm tightened, his expression taking on a pinched quality. “Forget each other?” 

“What do you think happens when people no longer interact with each other?” She snapped, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip to no avail. “Will you let go?” She hissed in irritation when his grip held firm. “I have places to be, and you’re harassing me!”

Hoseok stared at her, stone faced except for the occasional irritated tick in the muscle of his jaw.  

“What is wrong with you?” She gasped, finally giving up her struggles to level him with a glare. 

“You can’t leave.” He stated, already moving towards the door with her in tow.

“What are you- What are you talking about?” the space between her brows furrowed in confused irritation as he pulled her along after him, not unlike how she’d pulled him out of the funeral. “Of course I can leave!”

“You can’t leave.” he repeated, completely serious. 

“I don’t even live in this godforsaken city, and thank fuck for that!” 

Hoseok stopped once they were outside the cafe, staring at her and, drinking in the frazzled irritated state she was in as his mind raced. He hadn’t anticipated her leaving. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that she would be leaving the city behind and with it, him. 

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the morning he’d woken up alone. He wasn’t one to pine, but he’d made the choice to let the incredibly sexy woman from his club spend the night with him- something he never did- and had awoken to cold sheets and an empty bed. It hadn’t been an unusual circumstance. Hoseok never let his paramours spend the night in his bed, but he had wanted her to stay and had been more than a little upset that she’d slipped away like a thief in the night.  It had been his incredible luck to find her later that same day- eyes red-rimmed and dressed in black but still as gorgeous as the night before. He’d already been planning on tracking her down. No one walked out on Jung Hoseok. It had been an act of fate running into her again, and he had no intention of letting her slip away twice. The only hiccup in his mind had been his association with the deceased, but it was a minor thing. They could easily move past it. They had a fate together.  

He’d never felt like this about a woman before. She plagued his thoughts, waking and dreaming, and yet she seemed entirely unaffected by him. His attempts to woo her went unanswered, and she gave him about as much regard as one would a bug crawling across the floor. He wasn’t a man used to rejection. He was a man used to everyone around him falling at his feet, but she stood tall against him, regarding him as a nuisance. It was infuriating, maddening, and it made him even more deeply infatuated with the woman she was. It made him crave the breathless submission- the sweet surrender and soft embrace of their first meeting. He wanted her with him- by his side and in his bed. She could regard the rest of the world as dirt beneath her shoe. He’d encourage it, but he wanted her to be soft with him and him only. 

“You can’t leave,” he repeated, grip almost bruising. 

“I can do whatever I want.” she huffed. “Now let go before someone calls the cops on you.” 

“No one is going to call the cops on me, sweetheart.” He smiled sweetly, pulling out his own phone as he did, hand still firmly gripped around her wrist. “Now hush. I have to make a phone call.” 

She squeaked in indignation at the command, but Hoseok didn’t pay her any mind.

His mind had been whirring with possibilities from the moment that she had mentioned leaving. There was absolutely no way that he was going to let her leave the city, not when he hadn’t had the chance to properly woo her. All his attempts so far had been met with outright rejections- not ideal for winning hearts- but Hoseok was convinced that was only because she was upset with him over the matter of her brother.Everything had been fine between them before she’d found out, and with time, it would be fine again. He just needed the time to melt the icy exterior she’d formed around herself after finding out. 

Hoseok fingers flew across the screen even as he gave orders- a plan being formed and set in motion all at once. If time was what she needed, time was what he would give her, but she wouldn’t be leaving the city. 

It wasn’t often that Jung Hoseok had to work for the favor of the women in his life. He simply didn’t have to. Women fawned over him for a multitude of reasons: wealth, looks, skills. There was no need to work adoration when it was so freely given, but this wasn’t to say that Hoseok couldn’t be charming when he wanted to be. Hoseok could be the very picture of charm and grace when he wanted to be. He knew very well how to treat a woman. It was easier to accept baseless adoration than it was to cultivate true devotion. True devotion took effort, and for Y/N, Hoseok was more than willing to make the effort. She didn’t just deserve it, she demanded it. 

Hoseok had a constant stream of diversion around him. Work kept him occupied much of the time, but in the leisure time he did have, there was no shortage of amusements and company to enjoy them with. His initial interaction with Y/N L/N had been much the same. She’d simply been the woman to catch his eye that evening. What had caused him to become so fixated on her was something that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Even half drunk she hadn’t accepted anything less than his full attention, and he had been more than willing to give it to her fixated on the way the silky material of her dress rode up on her thighs and the strands of hair that fell out of her careless updo to hang around the column of her neck. She had been the image of carefully constructed reckless abandon. The scent of jasmine had floated around her, clinging to her skin and wafting up from her hair every time she moved. Everything about her had been curated almost as if to lure him in specifically and leave him drunk on her essence. 

By the time they reached the car, Hoseok had the basics all ready to go. He had never had to force a woman to be with him, and he didn’t plan on starting now, but there was nothing wrong with giving her a push in the right direction. He could be quite charming when he wanted, and he was more than ready to show her just how charming he could be. She just needed a little push in the right direction to get them started as well as a push into the vehicle.

The short walk to the car had been spent planning on his end and with endless struggle on hers, but nothing she’d done had managed to break the iron grip he had on her wrist. Nothing she did broke his grip though, and no one on the street paid her protests any mind. Hoseok didn’t pay her struggles any mind either. 

“After you.” he offered as he held the door to the backseat open.

“Go fuck yourself.” She hissed, kicking out in another attempt to break his hold on her. 

A sharp humorless smile spread across his face as she spoke. “But why would I do that, precious, when I have you?” 

Y/N made a noise half way between outrage and shock as Hoseok scooped her into his arms and swiftly deposited her within the backseat of the vehicle, climbing in after her to ensure that she didn’t climb out the other side. 

Quick instructions were given to the driver as Hoseok climbed into the car, hands already reaching to pull Y/N close to him as she tried to open the opposite door to throw herself out of the vehicle. 

“Stop that.” Hoseok hissed as her elbow made contact with his abdomen.

“Let me out!” She struggled against his hold, trying desperately to get out of his hold. 

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” he scolded as he managed to get her arms trapped tight to her sides so that she couldn’t repeat the earlier motion of jabbing at him.

“Let me out!” She shrieked, throwing her head back in an attempt to headbutt him as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms fully around her torso to stop her from causing herself or him any more harm. 

“Stop.” 

“This is kidnapping!” 

“It’s not kidnapping!” He snapped back in offense. “I’m keeping you from making a mistake.” 

“Psychopath!” 

He huffed out a breath, frustration nearly radiating off of him as he held her down. “You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be, precious.” 

“Boss.” The man driving the car reached back, handing a cloth to Hoseok as he did. 

“Last chance, precious.” 

“Go fuck yourself.” 

“Wrong choice.” 

Quick as a viper, Hoseok had the cloth pressed against her nose and mouth. The pressure, unyielding as he held her firmly. The sweet scent of the cloth seeping into her lungs the longer he kept it pressed against her airways even as she struggled against him. 

Her struggles grew weaker and weaker against him as he held her there until finally, the world grew fuzzy around the edges, and eventually, she saw nothing anymore.

Y/N opened her eyes to a pounding headache and an uncomfortable burning sensation in her nose and the back of her throat. The combined feeling was so uncomfortable, that she closed her eyes, turned over, and buried her face in the pillow, hoping to smother the discomfort by falling back asleep, but this idea was disrupted by the fact that her pillows definitely didn’t smell like spice and citrus and something woody and earthy. The pillows in Hana’s spare room also didn’t smell like that either. 

Her eyes shot back open as she turned back onto her back, eyes staring up at a ceiling she didn’t recognize. Her walls weren’t painted soft beige and neither were Hana’s. In that same thread of thought, the bed was far too comfortable to be the one at Hana’s house. That was little more than a thin mattress rolled out on the floor for an unexpected visitor. This bed was both too large and too comfortable to fit the bill. 

Slowly, she sat up, taking in her surroundings despite the continued discomfort in her nose and throat. The curtains were drawn making the room dim except for the threads of moonlight slipping through. The light was too pale and soft to be daylight  despite it having been daylight the last time she could remember being conscious. Slowly, as more awareness dawned on her, the last conscious memories she had began to filter back. 

The cafe. Hoseok. The car. 

The room had to be his. Though the dim lighting didn’t allow her to see enough detail to confirm or deny if it was the same room she and Hoseok had ended their first ill-fated encounter in, there was no other option of whose room this could be. And if this was his room- she had to assume the man himself wouldn’t be far away. 

Despite the raw burning sensation that still lingered in her airways, Y/N threw off the comforter and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was at this point she noticed that the clothes she was in were hardly her own. The sunny yellow pattern of her skirt and the sensible mock-necked shirt of earlier were gone. In their place was a silk nightshirt that fell down to the top of her thighs. With an ever dawning sense of horror, Y/N realized her bra was missing as well, though thankfully the other half of the set was still where it should have been. 

She made her way to the window, drawing back the curtains to see that the sun had fully set. Moonlight illuminated the garden below the bedroom window, and the high wall that surrounded the property. The garden was moderately sized, but not so large that she had to assume she’d been taken too far outside the city. It did mean that she wasn’t in the same residence she’d been in before though. That had been a penthouse in the midst of the city. This clearly was not. 

Y/N turned away from the window, making her way back towards what she assumed was the door leading out of the bedroom. Much to her relief, the door was unlocked, allowing her to slip into the hall. 

The hall itself was lined with windows, soft yellow lighting making it clear that the house had not gone to bed for the evening, and putting Y/N even further on her guard. She wasn’t sure who would be roaming the house and who was aware of her presence there. She also wasn’t sure where Hoseok was, or if he was even in the house itself. Running into him was the worst case scenario. There would be no sneaky exit if she ran into him within the hallways. 

Softly, she padded through the hall following it towards the end where a staircase made its way to the first floor of the house. Soft light spilled up from the first floor but no sound. The house had been dead quiet so far except for the barely there sound of her own footfalls against the rug running the length of the hall. Cautiously, Y/N began her descent, doing her best as she did to minimize any noise she might make. The quiet of the house made her feel as though she would be able to hear a pin drop. It didn’t give her much hope that any noise she might accidentally make would go unnoticed. 

Just as she reached the last stair, a voice rang out from one of the adjoining rooms. 

“You’re awake.” 

She froze, unsure on if she should stay put or if she should turn tail and flee in whatever direction the front door was most likely to be in. 

The choice was swiftly taken from her as Hoseok emerged into the hall. 

He was as dressed down as she had ever seen him- hair loose over his forehead, slipper clad feet, and loungewear that probably cost more than her rent adorning the rest of him. 

“How are you feeling precious?” he asked, tone soft and concerned as he took in the sight of her, hand lifting as he came to a stop in front of her to brush against her upper lip.

She pulled away with a hiss as he made contact with the raw skin there. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Chloroform is nasty stuff, but I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice coming out in a croak through the raw skin of her throat. 

“You’re home, precious.” 

She took a stumbling step back, heel catching on the last stair of the staircase behind her. Hoseok reached out quick as a viper, snaking an arm around her waist and steadying her before she could finish her fall. 

“Careful, darling.” He chided, pulling her closer and away from the stairs as he did. “Don’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

Y/N shoved his hands away, stepping to the side to avoid another stumble into the stairs. Hoseok allowed her the distance, watching her with a soft teasing smile as her eyes darted around the space, searching for possible exits. 

“I think you should sit down.” he hummed, head tilted to the side. “You look like you need it.” 

She recoiled, snatching both of her arms back in an attempt to avoid him. “Don’t touch me.” 

A long suffering sigh released itself. “You’re overreacting, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“You kidnapped me.” 

“That’s such a vulgar term for it.” he waved his hand dismissively. “It makes it sound so violent. I stopped you from making a decision that was going to ruin what we have.” 

“We don’t have anything! We slept together once! When I was drunk!” She shouted, chest heaving as her breathing grew shallower and faster. “And on top of that you killed my brother! What could we possibly have together?” 

His eyes remained fixated on her, expression soft and adoring as though her tirade meant nothing to him. Everything was right in his world, while she felt several seconds away from total collapse. 

“And yet, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head.” He hummed, stepping forward even as she continued to scramble back. He continued to press forward, pushing her further and further back as he advanced until there was nowhere left to retreat. 

Her back hit the wall, and Hoseok was quick to follow, caging her in with hands on either side of her head, leaning in so their faces were only centimeters apart. His eyes closed in contentment as he took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of her hair as he did. 

“Ever since that night, you’ve been haunting my thoughts.” He murmured, lips brushing against her hair. With a chuckle he continued. “No one has ever walked out on me before.” 

She stayed frozen, barely breathing as he continued. 

“I never let anyone stay the night, but you, you were special. I wanted you to stay- wanted one more night, maybe more, and then I woke up, and you were gone.” he sighed, hand creeping around to cradle the nape of her neck, tilting her head so she was forced to meet his gaze. “That hurt my feelings, precious. I thought I was going to have to scour the city to find you again because no one walks out on Jung Hoseok, but there you were at the funeral. It was fate.” 

“It was an accident.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, the sound barely even a whisper. 

“It was fate.” he insisted, grip tightening just a fraction where his hand held her head in place.

“You killed my brother.” 

He cooed, both hands moving to cradle her face. “No, precious. I didn’t kill him. He was a casualty. I didn’t order his death.” 

“You killed-” 

“You know the dangers his lifestyle posed just as well as I do.” Hoseok interrupted her, gaze boring into hers. “He knew the risks too. His death? That night? The funeral? It was all fate. It brought you to me.” 

She trembled under his touch as the full weight of his delusion settled on her. 

“You… you can’t just kidnap people and call it fate.” she denied, still frozen under his soft touch and adoring gaze. 

He smiled softly, devastatingly, as he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. “Of course I can.” he murmured, voice lowering to match her own hushed trembling tone. “What else would you call it?”  

She didn’ t have an answer for that. Their initial meeting and the following run-in had been a horrible coincidence that even she had to admit seemed almost like the plotline of a drama. His unwavering belief it was fate, wasn’t wholly crazy. His following actions were, but the initial belief that their meeting was fate wasn’t so far out there. The problem was, he couldn’t take no for an answer. 

She didn’t even notice she’d started crying until Hoseok wiped the tears from her cheeks, cooing softly to her. “Don’t cry, precious. I’m going to take such good care of you. You’ll never want for anything. You’ll never even have to lift a finger if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want it.” 

He ignored her. 

“I’ll spend every day worshipping you.” 

“I just want to go home.” 

“This is home, precious.” He murmured, pressing a kiss between her brows,lingering close so that his lips continued to brush against her skin as he spoke. “You just have to accept that.” 

“No.” she whispered. 

“Darling….” 

“No!” she screamed, pushing him back with more force than either of them expected and dashing away, running blindly in the hopes of getting anywhere that wasn’t by him. 

Her feet skidded against the floor as she paused, eyes darting wildly as she tried to puzzle out which direction to go. 

“Y/N!” Hoseok barked from behind her, following at a more leisurely pace despite the clipped tone of his voice. 

The sound of him calling for her spurred her into motion once more. She dashed away, running in what she hoped was the direction of the front door, or any door that could keep her away from him. Hoseok followed behind, not deigning to run after her. 

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Y/N.” he called, irritation bleeding into his previously dulcet tones. “Getting yourself all worked up and for what?” 

She ignored him, almost sobbing in relief as she reached the front door, the handle turning easily under her touch. She didn’t wait to see what Hoseok would do. Unsteadily, she practically threw herself out of the entrance and into the driveway. 

Her mad dash was cut short as she ran almost straight into what had to be a security guard, his concerned eyes looking down at her as his hands steadied her. 

“Are you alright, ma’am?” he asked, taking in the night shirt and her bare feet as he cataloged her appearance.

“She’s fine.” Hoseok called out, voice still clipped as he sauntered over. “Let me go.” She begged, hands clutching at the guards arms as she tried to push out of his hold as well meaning as it was. “You have to let me go.” 

“Ma’am?” 

“She’s fine.” Hoseok repeated, closing the distance and slipping an arm around her waist, easily tugging her away from the guard. “Just a little trouble adjusting. Isn’t that right, darling?” He quirked a brow, as though daring her to disagree in front of his men. 

“Let go!” She hissed, pushing against him. “I don’t want to be here!” 

Hoseok chuckled, though the sound lacked the fondness of earlier. “See?” he shrugged, reaching down to adjust his hold and lift her into a bridal carry. “Just a little trouble adjusting.”

“Let me go!” She shrieked, writhing in his hold. “You’re crazy!” 

“Enough.” 

The word wasn’t yelled. He didn’t even raise his voice. The word was spoken softly but with a finality and authority that was devastating. It calm and quiet and yet deadly. 

“I won’t let you hurt yourself, precious.” he was stern as he carried her back into the house, his touch burning against the bare skin of her legs. “You can cry and rage as much as you want, but you will not put yourself in harm’s way,” 

“I hate you.” She hissed.

“That’s fine too.” He shrugged. “It’ll fade with time.”  

Neither of them spoke again until he carried her into the living room, setting her gently down on the sofa.

“I think we should go over some ground rules, precious.” 

“Fuck you.” 

He grinned, sharp and rogueish. “You will.” The sound she made in response was strangled and outraged. “But for now, ground rules.” 

She stared at him, seething as he spoke. 

“I already promised you wouldn’t want for anything, and I meant it. You’ll be well taken care of. Anything you want, you’ll have.” 

“Except freedom.” 

“You’re not a prisoner, precious.” He disagreed, sinking into the opposite end of the sofa as she curled up into the corner. “You’ll be able to go out, shop, do what you’d like.” 

“But I can’t leave you.” 

“If you want to go out, you’ll either have me or security with you. I have a lot of enemies, precious, but I won’t let them touch you. The escort is for your safety.”

“And to make sure I don’t leave.” 

His answering grin was sharp and predatory. “If you leave me, precious, I’ll enjoy hunting you down.” She stayed quiet, not having a response for the unnerving glint in his eye. It was as if the idea of tracking her down excited him. “If you want to go out, let me or the guards know. A driver will be called for you.” 

“I know how to drive.” she snapped.

“A driver will be called,” he repeated firmly. “You’ll have your own credit card attached to my account.” 

“So you can monitor my purchases.” 

“So I can provide for you.” 

“But also so you can monitor my purchases.” He didn’t deny it. “What about my phone? My wallet? My apartment? My job?” 

“It’s already been taken care of. I’ll give you back your phone once I can trust you with it. Your accounts have been closed, and the funds have already been placed into a joint account that your new credit card is attached to.” 

“You can’t just do that.” She whispered, horrified by how quickly he’d erased her entire life- everything gone in the span of an afternoon.”You can’t just take everything.” 

“We take care of our women in this family.” Hoseok shrugged, unaffected by her horror. “Your brother should have understood that, but he left you to fend for yourself. That won’t happen again- not while you’re with me.”

“And what if you get bored of me? What happens then?” She challenged, chin raised definitely despite the fact her knees were folded to her chest as she curled into the corner of the sofa. 

His smile was slow and devastating, adoring in a way that made her want to vomit. He didn’t know her nearly well enough to look at her like that. 

“I won’t get tired of you, but we’ll call it a trial period if it makes you feel better.” he shrugged. “You won’t do anything to put yourself in harm’s way, and I’ll do my best to woo you.” 

“Woo me?” she scoffed, side-eyeing him as she debated his sanity for what felt like the millionth time that evening. 

“Woo you” He agreed. “Like I was trying to do, but you very stubbornly ignored all of my attempts.” He shot her an accusatory glance. 

“I didn’t want to see you.” Her scowl was met by an indulgent smile. “I want my own room.” She demanded, keeping the stubborn tilt of her chin as she stared at him down. He pouted, honest to god pouted, as she glared at him. “My own room. I’m not sharing a bed with you.” 

“Fine,” he conceded. “You’ll have your own room. For now.” 

“What happens if I’m not won over by your ‘wooing’? Do I get to go home?” 

He smiled indulgently. “That won’t be necessary.” 

“You have a lot of confidence for someone who had to kidnap a woman to get a date.” 

He shrugged, leisurely, spreading his arms across the back of the sofa. “I wouldn’t have needed to resort to such tactics if you hadn’t been ignoring me.” 

“What happens if I try to leave you?” she asked, as he relaxed head reclined onto the back of the sofa and eyes half-lidded. 

“I already told you, precious.” he smiled lazily. “I’ll hunt you down and bring you home.” 

“So I’m supposed to sit around all day and wait for you to want to play with me? Like a doll?” 

“Of course not.” he waved a hand dismissively. “I already told you, you’ll be free to do whatever you want within reason.” 

“Within reason?” 

“Nothing that would put yourself in danger. Nothing that threatens the family. Things like that.” His hand made lazy circles in the air as he spoke, uninterested in her line of questioning as he rattled off the list of things that qualified as unreasonable.

“And what does ‘wooing’ me look like?” 

That caught his attention. He sat up a little straighter, gaze once more fixed on her. “Oh, precious. I’m going to treat you like a princess.” He purred. “Dinners, dates, flowers, jewelry. Anything you want, it’s yours.” 

“And if I don’t want it?” 

“You’ll still be treated like the stubborn little princess you are.” She sat up a little straighter at that, the suggestive tone of his voice making her uneasy. “You might have forgotten, precious, but I remember every detail of that night together and how much you enjoy being treated like a princess.” 

“Shut up.” she hissed, hackles raised at the implication. 

“And of course we’ll have meals together here at home. My schedule varies, so it’ll change from day to day, but we’ll have at least one meal together. It’s good for couples.” 

“We’re not a couple. You kidnapped me like a psychotic bastard.” 

“Semantics.” She opened her mouth to argue, but Hoseok sat up fully, sharp eyes fixed on her. “We are a couple, precious, and as my woman, your only job is to pamper yourself. We take care of our women, and in return, we expect loyalty. I expect loyalty.” 

“And what if I can’t give you that?”

The dead, shark-like quality came back to his eyes as soon as she finished speaking. His gaze was cold and calculating as though he was assessing an asset and not looking at a living breathing person. She certainly felt more like an asset than a person under that gaze. 

“I don’t think you’d like the consequences of that very much, precious.” He started, speaking slowly so that every word washed over her with added weight. “I’m sure you knew some things about your brother’s business, and I’m sure you also know what disloyalty gets you.” 

“What happened to your promises not to harm me?” she challenged, and his answering smile made her blood run cold. 

“There are ways to punish disloyalty without causing you physical harm, precious.” 

The words were flat, spoken without emotion as though the prospect of enacting those consequences didn’t even faze him. She doubted that it did. Kidnapping hadn’t. 

He leaned closer, body shifting on the sofa to close some of the distance between them. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you, and I meant that. I still wouldn’t go testing boundaries if I were you though.” He leaned back again, his eyes raking over her form as he did. “Or do. Maybe you’d find the consequences exciting.” 

“You’re disgusting.” 

He shrugged, continuously unbothered by her ire. 

“I’m a man who knows what he wants. Is it so wrong that I want you?” 

“Yes.” 

He sighed, rolling his neck and rising from the sofa. “You’ll come around eventually, precious, but for now it’s late. Let’s get you to bed.” 

“My own bed.” She asserted firmly. “Not yours.” 

“Your own bed.” He agreed begrudgingly, but it was an agreement none-the-less.

True to his word, Y/N didn’t want for anything. Everything she could possibly want was provided for her within the walls of the house. Her room was beautiful and fully stocked with everything she might ever think to need and them some. The contents of the closet alone were worth more than her car- let alone the collection of jewelry Hoseok had taken to giving her as a sign of his devotion. 

When he’d said he meant to woo her, he had meant it. He treated her like a princess- a princess who was tucked behind the walls of a tower, but a princess none-the-less. Every action on his part was meant to convey the devotion he supposedly had towards her, and every day the adoring gleam in his eye seemed to get worse. No matter how prickly she was to him, he would smile and take it, throwing back barbs of his own as though it was a fun little game that they played and not an expression of her dislike of him. 

Her first full day in the house had been interesting. There was minimal staff, and it was clear they had been given orders not to interact with her more than was necessary. She supposed Hoseok wanted her to rely on him more than anything, but it wasn’t the order itself that she had found so strange. Instead, it had been the staff’s reaction, not to her presence, but to Hoseok’s attitude towards her. The first time they’d shared a meal had been an accident. She’d ventured down the stairs to snoop and had promptly been greeted by a woman she assumed was Hoseok’s chef who had ushered her to the dining table for breakfast. Hoseok himself followed not too long after, greeting her with a tired kiss on the cheek despite her discomfort before taking his seat. The other woman had frozen at the action. It had been a momentary reaction, she’d quickly slipped a mask of professional grace into place before Hoseok could notice her staring, but Y/N had noticed.

While staff in the house was limited, everyone she had encountered had the same momentary shock whenever they saw Hoseok interact with her. He treated her softly, more so than even she anticipated. He treated her as though she were his beloved and cherished girlfriend, instead of a woman he had slept with once, stalked, and kidnapped off the street. It was irritating how little awareness he seemed to have that he had kept her hostage for three months. It was irritating how pleased he seemed by how well she’d integrated into the day to day life of his household. And she had integrated. There was nothing else to do. 

Hoseok hadn’t been lying when he said he wouldn’t harm her, not physically at least, but her more reckless attempts at leaving had left her isolated and with nothing to fill the hours. He’d taken away simple privileges like going outside. He’d taken away access to the TV. He’d taken away her books. Deprivation and boredom had kept her in check. The more sweetly she cooperated, the more quickly Hoseok returned her privileges to her, but true to his word, he never physically harmed her. 

His interest seemed to lie more in forcing her cooperation in his delusion. He had no interest in causing her distress, but he took great interest in her comfort and care. It was baffling to her how he could kidnap her and keep her against her will and yet treat her as the most precious item in his house. At times it seemed like he knew every detail about her, and he used that information to his full advantage. Despite lacking freedom and agency, he made sure her prison was designed to keep her content, and the longer she stayed trapped with him, the deeper he seemed to fall into the belief that they were fated for each other.

“Precious.” Hoseok murmured, coming up behind the chair she was lounging in with her book, leaning down to kiss her cheek, a habit he’d gotten into that she found more than a little irritating. 

“Stop that.” 

“How was your day?” He asked, completely ignoring her ire as he moved to face her. 

“Does it actually matter?” 

Y/N flipped to the next page of her book, steadfastly refusing to look at him knowing full well how sulky he got when she refused to play along and give him the attention he wanted. 

“Of course it does. I always want to know how your day was, precious.”

“Why?” She asked, quirking a brow even though she still refused to look at him. ‘It’s not like my days have that much variation. Besides, if I so much as chip a nail someone is gonna report it back to you.” 

An indulgent smile spread across his face. “I still want to hear it from you.” 

She finally raised her head, looking him in the eye as he gazed at her, smile still playing across his lips. “I sat in this house. I read my book. I was told that trying to scale the walls was not approved behavior. Happy now?” she huffed, turning her attention back to her book without waiting for a response.

“I’m glad they told you. You could have hurt yourself.” He cooed, gently taking the book from her so that he could gather her hands into his- turning them over so that he could examine them for any injuries. “Who knows, you might have actually broken a nail if they hadn’t stopped you. Brick walls aren’t the most forgiving, darling.” 

“And you know this from personal experience?” He laughed softly, his eyes lighting up with fondness as he knelt in front of her. “I have my sources.” Gently, Hoseok lifted her hands, placing a light kiss against the scratched skin of her fingertips. “I wish you’d stop doing things that will get you hurt.” He sighed, taking note of each of the reddened tips of her fingers, and the scratches on her palms from where she had tried to see if the garden walls were scaleable. “I don’t like seeing you hurt, precious.” 

“There’s a very simple solution you know.” He hummed, encouraging her to continue as he continued to take stock of the marks on her hands minimal as they were. “You could let me go.” 

The soft smile that had played across his lips widened, spreading across his face until it was a full blown grin and a full-bellied laugh released itself. 

“That’s funny, precious.” He breathed through the last few giggles. “Now what would you like to do for dinner, hmmm?” he asked, gazing at her 

“Do I have to have dinner with you?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then I don’t care.”  

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her palm before letting her hands fall back to her lap. “Go get dressed, precious. I’m going to take you out tonight.” 

“Out to where?” 

“It’s a surprise.” 

“I don’t want any surprises from you.” 

“Too bad. Your dress is already laid out for you.” he hummed, rising to his full height. “Your shoes too.” 

She scoffed, leaning to pick up her book but making no other move to get up. “Not interested.” 

Hoseok plucked the book from her hands, tossing it aside much to her annoyance as her eyes flashed up to meet his. 

“Oops.” Hoseok shrugged, keeping his tone pleasant and calm despite the dead look in his eyes. “I made it sound like a request, but I wasn’t asking, precious. Your dress and shoes are all laid out. Go get dressed. We’re going out.” 

“How thoughtful. You’ve got it all figured out don’t you.” She hissed, remaining firmly in her chair, arms crossed under her bust. “But I don’t want to go on a date with you.” 

“Consider it your consequence for trying to scale the walls.” He shrugged, reaching down to wrap a long fingered hand around her arm. “Up.” He commanded, pulling her to her feet as he did.  

Her eyes narrowed, but she complied, allowing him to half pull her up as she unfolded herself from her armchair. 

She’d gotten good at reading his mood over her time locked away in his house, and she knew him well enough at this point to know that she’d pushed his buttons enough for the moment. He never hurt her, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be just as petty as she could. He had his ways of making her pay for pushing his buttons even if they didn’t involve causing her any physical harm. Each time she chose to push him had become a careful dance. She could irritate him, rile him up, and he would play along, meeting her challenges with an almost gleeful spirit, but she could only press her luck so far. As soon as Hoseok showed signs of no longer being willing to play along, she would retreat, biding her time and her manners as best she could. 

Hoseok guided her towards the stairs with a hand pressed to the small of her back. Flinching away from his touch now would do her no good even if she despised the heat of it seeping through her clothing and into her spine. For now, she needed to play along, or at the very least acquiesce to his whims until that cold dead look left his eyes again. 

Hoseok walked her all the way to her bedroom, opening the door like a gentleman despite her knowing well that he was not. She thought he would leave her in peace to dress, but as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Hoseok sauntered over to her bed, lowering himself to take a seat beside the dress laid carefully out upon the covers. 

“Pretty isn’t it?” He asked, running a finger across the silky fabric of the dress. 

She stood still, watching him warily to see what his next move would be. He had made his desire for her clear, but he hadn’t pressed her boundaries more than she allowed since he had kidnapped her. She didn’t think that he was going to now, but she would rather be safe than sorry. 

Hoseok lifted his gaze, expression softening as he took in the stiff set of her shoulders and the careful eye she regarded him with. “Don’t look so scared, precious.” He chuckled, gracefully standing and making  his way to her. 

His hands found her shoulders, caressing her arms as they slid down to grasp her own squeezing gently. “Go get dressed, while I pick out your jewelry.” 

The words were spoken softly, but she saw it for what it was- a command. 

Without a word, she stalked to the bed, sweeping the silky material up and making her way to the ensuite to change away from his watchful eyes. 

As much as she disliked him, she had to admit that the wardrobe that he provided for her was beautiful. Each piece was as gorgeous as it was luxurious. This dress was no different. The fabric was soft and silken and a gorgeous shade of muted green. Black lace decorated the bust trailing into the small of her waist. It was beautiful, but so were all the other pieces of the wardrobe that Hoseok had provided for her. Unfortunately for her captor, she was not so easily moved by pretty things. 

It took no time to slip into the slinky dress. Wrestling her hair into an appropriate updo took more time. Eventually, she was able to arrange it into a semblance of a french twist. It was a bit messy, with pieces spilling out to frame her face, but it was neat enough not to bother her in the long run. It would hold through the evening. 

Next she set to work on her make-up. Hoseok had supplied her with all kinds of high end brands to use at her own discretion. Most days she chose not to use it at all. She rarely left the confines of the house as it left a bitter taste in her mouth to know that each time she stepped out with her loyal dog of a guard, her movements were reported back to Hoseok. It left an even worse taste to know that he could veto any outing she wished to take. 

While he had professed freedom, each time she wished to step out of the house, it was swiftly reported back to him and if he did not approve of the outing she simply wasn’t allowed to go. It was demeaning-making her feel more like a child than she had when she was an actual teenager. 

Since she rarely went anywhere since her kidnapping, she didn’t feel the need to doll herself up every day. Instead, she had taken to existing in the variety of loungewear that had been made available to her. Hoseok,though she loathed to admit it, had been thoughtful and thorough in his care of her. Once he noticed her preference for comfortable clothing, more and more of it had appeared in her closet, and he never complained about her lack of effort in her appearance. Instead, when he wanted her dolled up he did exactly as he had done tonight. He would lay out whatever it was he wanted her to wear, ensuring each detail of her appearance matched whatever activity he had in mind and was up to his standards. 

Taking a fortifying breath after giving herself a last look over, she stepped back out of the bathroom, bare feet padding softly against the carpet. Hoseok was waiting for her, sitting on her bed as though he belonged there. 

His eyes drifted to her as she made her way forward. A smile spread across his lips, eyes half-lidded as he took in the sight of her in the dress he’d chosen. 

“You look beautiful, precious.” he purred, standing and moving to meet her halfway.

“I need you to zip me up.” she admitted, cheeks heating in embarrassment as she did. She would have done it herself- would have preferred to- but she couldn’t quite get a grasp on the delicate zipper located at the back of the dress. 

“Of course.” Hoseok grinned as she turned to give him access to her back.

She did her best to suppress a shudder as his fingers brushed against the bare skin of her back as he slowly did up her zipper fixing her into the dress.

 “Come. I have your jewelry all picked out.” 

Silently, she trailed behind him as he led her into the walk-in closet and sat her down at the vanity there. The jewelry he’d chosen was laid out in a glass jewelry dish on the vanity. There was a variety of rings and bracelets laid out there along with a set of diamond earrings- large stones in an emerald cut that attached to a smaller round stone and a smaller emerald cut stone where the peg was placed. 

“Beautiful.” He murmured, leaning down to place a kiss to her head as she began to fix the earrings into place.

“Stop that.” she huffed annoyed as she batted him away. “You’ll ruin my hair.” 

He huffed a little himself. “If I ruin it, I’ll fix it for you.” He shrugged, reaching down to the jewelry tray to pick up one of the bracelets he’d chosen. 

He picked up her left hand and began fixing the stack of bracelets into place. 

“I can do that myself.” she snapped, trying to snatch back her hand, but Hoseok held her firmly in place paying no mind to her protests. 

“Let me do it.” he snapped back,lithe fingers easily fixing the next bracelet into place. 

He repeated the process until all four bracelets were fastened before he set to work on the rings. 

“I think I know how to put on a ring.” she murmured as Hoseok lifted her hand again, slipping one of them into place.

“Just let me.” He huffed, annoyance bleeding through his tone at her continued resistance. “I have a vision.” 

“Of course you do.” 

She huffed again but didn’t protest further as he arranged the rings on her hands as he pleased until he was satisfied with her appearance. 

After the last ring was in place, Hoseok released her hands allowing her to place them in her lap.

“Beautiful.” He murmured again, leaning down to place another kiss to the crown of her head. 

“Would you stop that?” A quick hand darted up to bat him away. 

Just as quickly, Hoseok's hands clasped around her wrist, bringing them down to her waist and keeping them pinned there as he leaned down to nuzzle into the crook of her neck. 

“Would you prefer I kiss you here?” His tone was low and silken, seductive as he placed a kiss to the juncture of her jaw and throat. “You liked when I kissed you here before. Made such pretty noises for me.” She could feel him smirking against her skin as he spoke.

“Get off me.” 

He placed another kiss to her throat but retreated just as she’d requested. 

“I’ll go get ready. Wear the heels by the door.” he grinned, a bright sunny expression that she sourly thought shouldn’t be on the face of someone quite so vile. 

She watched as he practically danced out of the room, deeply pleased with himself and his planning. He’d promised her dates, and as of yet, there had been very few occasions when Hoseok had taken her out of the house. Each of those rare times had been an outing to somewhere private, somewhere where she would be secluded from people who weren’t him or being paid by him. 

She supposed she couldn’t blame him for that. If she had kidnapped someone she probably wouldn’t want them out in public too often either- too much risk of escape or discovery of the crime. Today he was oddly insistent about the whole affair. Normally if he wanted them to have dinner, it was within the confines of his home even if the dinner itself was fancier. There had been one or two nights when he’d dolled her up only for the occasion to be a candlelit dinner in the garden. She didn’t think that that was the case today though. He’d said he was taking her out, and she really did think he meant out. He’d been too meticulous in her presentation for her to think he meant anything else.

She noted sourly that there was no handbag allotted to her for the evening as she slipped on the pair of heels laid aside for her. There wasn’t any need for a handbag when there was nothing for her to carry. Hoseok had yet to return her phone to her. There was no wallet to place into a handbag either or anything for a wallet to even hold. She had access to a credit card as he’d promised her on that first night. It simply wasn’t within her keeping though. Either Hoseok paid for whatever she wanted himself or the credit card was left in the custody of her guard and pulled out for any purchases she may want to make. 

She had to admit however begrudgingly that that was rather clever of him. It ensured that she didn’t have direct access to any funds. Even if she did manage to slip away from him and the guards, she would have no phone and no money to aid in her escape making it all that much harder. It was smart- irritating but smart. 

If she’d had internet access and free use of a credit card she probably would have booked her escape to somewhere far far away and made a much more concentrated effort on slipping her guards. As it stood though she didn’t have access to either of those things. She supposed that her passport was also within Hoseok’s keeping. He’d been quite proud of himself for wrapping up her life previous to him in a neat little bow and tucking it away as though it no longer existed. She had to assume he had all of her important documents. They weren’t the type of thing you left behind if you were looking to keep someone by your side in the long term. 

She tried not to think about that though. Thinking about just how thoroughly and cheerfully Hoseok had trapped her was depressing. Depression wasn’t something she could let herself sink into if she had any chance in hell of finding a way to get away from him. Her chances were slim enough as it was without giving into hopelessness. 

“Are you ready, precious?” Hoseok asked, appearing in the doorway of her bedroom and startling her out of her thoughts. 

She blinked slowly, trying to slow the racing of her heart as she settled after nearly jumping out of her skin. It didn’t help that Hoseok was looking at her with an infuriatingly amused smile as though he found the entire thing cute. 

Y/N glared at him, looking him over from where he stood waiting for her. She was even more irritated to discover that he looked good- infuriatingly good. She wasn’t blind. She knew that Hoseok was an attractive man. It had been half the reason for this entire mess in the first place. If he hadn’t been handsome and charming and available they never would  have had that disastrous one night stand in the first place, and he used that handsome face and charm as a weapon to try to breach her walls and ingratiate himself into her affection. 

Tonight he looked especially handsome. His hair was done in dark waves and swept partially away from his forehead. The black pants clung deliciously to his long legs, and his button black button down was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the first few inches of his chest. If she didn’t know who he was, she probably would have blushed at the devastating smile he was shooting her way, but unfortunately she did know who he was, and all those good looks went to waste on account of the rotten personality within. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Y/N stomped past him, muttering as she went with him happily trailing behind her as she swept through the halls and down the staircase. 

“Y/N precious!” he called as she stomped her way into the foyer calling her to a stop and allowing him to catch up to her, slipping his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. “There.” he sighed in contentment. “Let’s go, precious.” 

Y/N did her best to remain neutral as Hoseok pulled her out of the house and to the waiting car. On the few occasions she’d left the residence, she’d been driven in a nondescript black SUV with windows so tinted she could barely see out of it. This care was not that. It was sleek and black with two doors on either side. She didn’t have a good enough view to see what make and model  the vehicle was, but she assumed it was expensive. It was a feeling that was confirmed as she slipped into the leather interior as Hoseok held the door for her. 

“Where are we going?” Y/N asked, as he pulled out from the gates of the residence. 

“I have someone I want you to meet.” There was something brewing in the way he said it, something vibrating just beneath the surface that she couldn’t quite place.

“Friend of yours?” 

“More like a brother.” 

She couldn’t stop the scoff that slipped past her lips. “Probably equally as horrible as you.”

“You love me, precious.” He shot her a sultry glance out of the corner of his eye. “I know you do.”

“Keep dreaming.” 

The laugh that burst from him was full-bellied and joyous. Clearly his earlier ire had passed, and he was once again delighted by whatever barbs she chose to send his way. 

“Precious, I dream of you every night.” 

“Disgusting.” 

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Hoseok’s hand eventually drifting to rest heavy on her thigh as he drove. She’d attempted to remove it. Twice. Each time she brushed it off, he simply replaced it, his grip growing more firm each time she tried to remove him. After the third failed attempt, she’d simply chosen to accept it rather than picking a fight. She’d picked plenty of those recently and there was only so far she could push him before he snapped. She was waspish but not stupid. 

The restaurant was beautiful, softly lit and quiet. Hoseok helped her from the car, and held the door open for her as they entered the restaurant like the gentleman he pretended to be, barely even glancing at the valet as he passed off his keys. All his attention was focused on her. It was a disconcerting habit of his.

Hoseok didn’t pay much attention to the hostess, confidently striding through the restaurant with a hand firmly placed against the small of her back. 

“Don’t you need to be seated?” 

“Private room, precious.” He murmured, leaning down with a conspiratorial grin. 

She snorted. “Why? Scared I’ll start screaming in the middle of the room?” 

“Go ahead, precious. No one will stop you.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t doubt that she could scream her head off and no one would bat an eye, not while she was with him. If they did, they wouldn’t do anything. No one ever seemed to do anything against him. She’d raged those first few days. She’d kicked and screamed and tried to get the staff to look her in the eye, to help her, but none of it mattered. She’d given up on that after the first few weeks. No one would go against him.

“You like that don’t you?” 

“Like what, darling?” he asked, as they approached the door of the private room. 

“The power. Knowing that you can do anything you want, and no one is going to stop you.” 

Hoseok grinned again- a hint of the devil in his eye. “It’s addicting.” 

He opened the door, ushering her in before him. Already seated at the table was a man she’d never seen before- unsurprising as she didn’t really know much about Hoseok or his life outside of the walls of his home. The man stood, politely as they entered. His dark hair was long, swept away from his face. She admitted it was a handsome face, luminous with a pair of sharp dark eyes that seemed to cut through her in a second. 

“Yoongi!” Hoseok cheered as he closed the door behind him. “Glad you could make it.” 

“You called me here.” the other man replied dryly, retaking  his seat as Y/N took her own. “I brought what you asked for. Is this her?” 

“This is my precious, my Y/N.” Hoseok beamed, staring at her adoringly. “How’s Rosie? Is she good?” Hoseok rattled off questions, taking a sip of the water that had already been waiting for them on the table. 

“Rose is fine.” the man nodded. “Recovering.” 

“Good. Glad to hear it. We were all worried about her.” 

Y/N looked between them, trying to keep up when she didn’t really know either man very well. “Who is Rosie?” 

“My wife.” Yoongi replied, leaning back into his chair. 

“She had a bit of a scare recently. Glad to know she’s doing better.” Hoseok nodded, draping an arm over the back of his chair lackadaisically. “We all love Rosie. You should have seen their wedding, precious. Yoongi here couldn’t stop smiling the whole day.” 

“How long have you been married?” Y/N asked politely, grabbing her own water glass to take a sip. 

“Two years.” 

“Congratulations.” she murmured.

“How do you want to do this, Hob-ah.” Yoongi sighed, pulling out a folder she could only assume had whatever Hoseok had asked him to bring. 

“Dinner first?” Hoseok suggested, fingers lazily gesturing through the air. 

Yoongi shook his head, opening the folder. “Gotta get home to Rose.” 

Hoseok nodded understandingly. “Signatures first then and dinner another day.” 

“Signatures on what?” 

Both men ignored her question as Yoongi started to pull out the papers carefully laid within the folder. “It’s pretty standard. The stipulations you asked for are all there as well.” 

“Yoongi here is the family lawyer.” Hoseok explained, reaching to take the papers that had been handed to him, glancing over them casually. 

Y/N peeked over trying to see just what kind of papers Hoseok had asked the other man to bring. He didn’t bring business around her usually. 

The layout of the table itself put a stop to her snooping. The round table put them just far enough apart and the print was just small enough that it made it hard for her to catch a glance without leaning over into Hoseok’s lap, a position she definitely did not want to be in. 

“It’s all in order. You both just need to sign.” Yoongi explained as Hoseok nodded along. 

“Both?” Y/N asked, perking up as a knot formed in her stomach. 

There wasn’t much that Hoseok would need her signature for. He’d dismantled her entire life without so much as a word to her. Why would he need her signature now? 

Hoseok signed and initialed without so much as a second thought, passing the papers and the pen over to her with a bright smile. 

“Sign here, precious.” 

Y/N picked up the papers, reading through to see just what she would be signing before her eyes snapped up to Hoseok in shock.

“This is a marriage contract.” She whispered, staring at Hoseok with wide eyes. “Why is this a marriage contract?” 

Hoseok reached across the table to grab her hand, smiling softly as he did. “It gives you security, precious. It ensures that you are protected legally.”

“You mean legally tied to you.” 

Hoseok didn’t flinch at the accusation in her tone, continuing to smile at her adoringly. “You knew this was the plan, precious. I don’t know why you’re so surprised.” 

“I don’t want to marry you!” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.” She shook her head, moving as though to stand but Hoseok’s grip tightened keeping her in place.

“Don’t be stubborn, precious.” He murmured, dark eyes boring into hers as Yoongi watched them both carefully from across the table. 

“Excellent proposal, Hob-ah. Very romantic.” Yoongi scoffed, crossing his arms as he waited to see how the situation would unfold. 

Hoseok shot the other man a withering glare before turning his attention back to the woman before him. 

“Precious.” He purred, doing his best to keep an even tone so as not to spook her even further. The color had drained from her face leaving her wan and ashen. “You know I love you. We’re fated. This just makes it official.” 

“I don’t- I don’t want that.” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.”

The word left her as a whisper, but even spoken softly it seemed to echo through the room. 

“It’s not a choice, precious. You’re mine whether you sign the papers or not. You will be Mrs. Jung whether you sign or not. Make it easy, precious. Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, earrings swinging wildly as she did. “You can’t force me…” 

“It’s not force.” Yoongi interrupted. “Whether you sign the papers or not doesn’t really matter. There are ways of getting your signature on them without you signing. It’s been done before.” 

“That’s illegal.” 

Yoongi shot her a flat look. “Which is why you should sign now. Don’t make extra work for everyone.” 

“You can’t just…” 

“I can.” Hoseok affirmed, a little frown marring his features. “Don’t I treat you well? Aren’t you happy?” 

“You kidnapped me. You’ve held me hostage in that house.” 

The frown disappeared, a slow calculating smile taking its place and lighting up his face.  “And think of how much more freedom you’d have with my ring on your finger. We’d be so happy, precious.” 

“I don’t want to marry you.” 

“Of course you do or you will. You just haven’t come around to the idea yet. Always so stubborn.” He tutted with a fond smile. 

She stared in horror at the papers laid out before her. From what the men were telling her, it mattered very little whether she actually agreed to sign them or not. Her signature would make its way onto those papers with or without her say so. This was a courtesy on their part. Hoseok could have had the papers forged and filed without her ever seeing them or knowing he’d done it, but he was in his own twisted way giving her a choice. She also now knew why her ring finger had been left suspiciously empty as Hoseok had bedecked her in jewelry. He had been planning to fill the gap in later. 

“This is cruel.” She whispered, still making no move to pick up the pen laid in front of her.

“This is fate.” She stared at him, trying to figure out how he could say it with such surety because it was clear that he whole heartedly believed that, and he was certain that with enough time and coercion she would too. “Sign the papers, precious. Make the right choice.” 

“Why are you doing this to me?” She demanded. 

The walls seemed to be shrinking in on her as she sat under his scrutiny, the papers and the pen laying traitorously before her. It was one thing to be trapped with him. It was an entirely other thing to be legally bound to him. Legality was an axe hanging over her head. It made the probability of escape so much less likely.

There had been a hope that Hoseok would give up his delusional obsession with enough time. If she didn’t fit the role he had imagined for her, he would let her go. Clearly, Hoseok didn’t have the same thought. Instead he’d presented her with a nail in the coffin. Men in these circles didn’t believe in divorce. They might not always be faithful to their wives, but divorce was never an option. She knew that well enough. This contract would quite literally bind her life to his for the rest of their days. 

“Becuase I love you, sweetheart, and I want you to be my wife.” 

“You’re insane.” 

“Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, pulling her hand away from Hoseok to wrap her arms around herself. “You can’t do this. You can’t make me.” 

Yoongi released a long-suffering sigh, leveling her with a stern look. “Your name is going to end up on those papers one way or another. It’s all been decided.” 

Hoseok stood, slithering to stand behind her chair and bending so that his cheek was level with hers. “Sign the papers, precious.” His hands slid down from her shoulders to her arms, uncrossing them until his hands were over hers, their fingers intertwined. “Think of how much happier you’d be if you just gave in, if you agreed to be mine.” 

Alarm bells sounded in her head.

Hoseok had made the entire ordeal about winning her over to his side. He wanted her consent for his obsession. He wanted her agreement. Signing this paper would give him that. It would open the door to everything that came after. 

“I won’t do it.” 

“Think of how much better things would be, precious. Think of how simple it would be to just be mine- the freedom you would have as Mrs. Jung.” 

“I don’t want it.” 

“You do.” he insisted, speaking directly into her ear. “You want freedom, darling. This paper will give you that.” 

“That’s a lie.” She hissed, leaning away from him as much as she could. “You’re a liar. This is just another way to trap me.” 

“Of course it is.” Hoseok cooed, nuzzling into her hair, loving the slight tremor that had overtaken her and the wide vulnerable look in her eye. He loved when she was fierce, but he loved it even more when she was soft for him. “I can’t have you running off, darling. You’re far too precious to me. This ensures that you’re mine no matter where you are- ensures you’ll always be brought back to me.” 

“You’re sick.” 

He smiled into her hair, grip loosening on her hands so he could pick up the pen. “I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you didn’t keep trying to scale the fucking walls.” 

“Bastard.” 

“Sign the papers, precious. Either you sign them yourself or Yoongi has them doctored. Either way, I win.” 

He placed the pen in her hand, closing her fingers around it and backing away to give her room to sign.

Shakily, Y/N picked up the pen signing her name to the document despite the tremor making her signature messy and out of place next to Hoseok’s own quick and decisive signature. She didn’t doubt him when he said he’d have the paper forged. No matter what she chose to do, legally she’d be Mrs. Jung.

“Perfect.” Yoongi declared, taking the papers back from her once she’d signed and initialed all that was needed on the contract. “Now the certificate.” 

He handed them the paper, and Hoseok signed without hesitation before handing the pen back to her where she signed again much to Hoseok’s delight.

“I’ll get these filed tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, precious.” He smiled for the first time that evening. “Welcome to the family.” 

Y/N sat there shell shocked as he left, disbelieving of her own actions, disbelieving of the fact that she was legally Mrs. Jung Hoseok. 

“We’re going to have the most beautiful wedding, darling.” Hoseok cooed, taking her hand in his to slip the final ring onto her finger. “And you’re going to be the most beautiful bride.” 

Despite the state of shock that Y/N found herself in, Hoseok proceeded with the dinner as though it was a celebration and not her last meal. She supposed that to his mind it was a celebration. He’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted, and she’d walked away more powerless than before. 

Hoseok prattled on about wedding details,and Y/N couldn’t pry her eyes away from the ring sitting very conspicuously on her left hand. The ruby set in the middle was large and dark. Set in an emerald cut, it demanded attention as a statement piece with two smaller baguette diamonds framing it on either side. It was a ring meant to draw notice, and it was distinctive enough that it would be recognized at a glance. It ensured that anyone in Hoseok’s circle would know who and what she was to him as soon as they saw it. 

“Why?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, interrupting Hoseok’s musing on when would be the best time to hold the wedding.

“Why what, sweetheart?” He asked, tilting his head to the side inquisitively as he sipped his wine. 

“Why did you do this to me? Wasn’t holding me hostage enough?” 

The sigh he released was long-suffering in nature. “I don’t think you understand, darling. You’re mine. You were meant to be mine from that very first night, but you just can’t seem to realize that.” He shook his head sadly. “So stubborn.”

“I’m not yours.” 

“You are.” he waved his hand breezily. “There’s no use fighting it, precious. This was always going to happen.” 

Her gaze met his, eyes watery and red though she refused to let the tears fall. She didn’t want him to have that satisfaction. He’d taken enough from her for one night. 

“Why now? What happened to wooing?” 

He smiled indulgently at her. The expression was every bit as patronizing as the man who made it. “Y/N, my darling. My precious girl. You didn’t really think that your attempts to leave me would go unnoticed and unpunished? I already told you. Actions have consequences, and I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you simply stayed where you were supposed to.”

“It’s a cage.” 

“You wouldn’t need a cage if you didn’t try to scale the walls, darling.” He shrugged. “Besides, there are worse things than marrying a man who adores you, and I do adore you, precious.”  

“You barely even know me!” 

“I know you very well, sweetheart. I know you haunt my every thought. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“And what about what I want?” 

He sighed again, leaning back and crossing his arms as he assessed her. She felt less like a woman he claimed to adore and more like a puzzle to be solved under his gaze, like the last three months had been nothing more than a game and he was trying to figure out how to make his end move. 

“It won’t be so bad.” It was a soft assurance, a repeat of what he’d already told her. “And as for wooing you softly, that clearly hasn’t worked. You need a more firm approach.” 

“Excuse me?” She bristled.

He leaned forward, dark eyes focused solely on her. “Trying to win you over softly hasn’t gotten us anywhere. You’re too stubborn, precious. So now we try things my way.” 

“The last three months haven’t been your way?” 

A spark of excitement lit his eyes, a gleeful smile accompanying it. “If I’d had my way from the beginning, you’d have never left my bed. If I’d had my way, you’d have woken up every day in my bed.” 

She hissed, recoiling away from him. “Fucking bastard.” she spat, standing from the table.

Hoseok followed, standing from his own seat. “If I remember correctly, you liked it when we did things my way.” 

“Don’t touch me.” she backed away as he approached, crowding her towards the wall. 

“It’s all I’ve been craving for months.” he murmured, caging her in. “It’s time I treated you like my woman- fully. Enough games, precious.” 

“It’s not a game. I despise you. You make my skin crawl.” 

He hummed non-comitally. “I can make you feel lots of things, if you give me the chance.” 

A resounding crack filled the space, and silence descended onto the room. 

Hoseok’s head stayed turned to the side as Y/N stared at him in shock, her hand stinging from the impact. 

Neither of them moved for a long moment. 

Hoseok stayed eerily still as the handprint reddened across his cheek.

Y/N barely dared to breathe as she waited for his reaction. Never in her life had she raised her hand to someone before, not like this. She remembered playfights with her brother as a child, but she’d never purposefully struck someone before.

Slowly, Hoseok turned back to face her, his face devoid of emotion as he stared down at her. 

“Hoseok…” she breathed, wide eyes meeting his dead stare. 

“I didn’t realize you wanted to play rough, precious.” he exhaled, leaning in to breathe in the scent of jasmine wafting from her skin. His nose trailed along the column of her throat as he held her in place. “We can play rough if you want,” he chuckled, nipping at the delicate skin where her jaw met her neck. “but I think I can think of some other ways to celebrate that would be more fun.”

“No.” 

“Mrs. Jung. Jung Y/N.” he purred, placing open-mouth kisses down her throat to her collarbone. “God, that sounds so fucking hot.” 

“Get off.”

He groaned as her arm snaked up and around his neck, finding cruel purchase in his hair as she tried to yank him away from her. “The things you do to me, precious.” She yanked on his hair again, eliciting another groan. “Keep going, precious. Show me your rage.” 

He pressed his hips against hers, pushing her up against the wall more firmly and causing her to still at the feel of the hardness against her hip. “I’ve been craving this for months.” 

His hands snaked down, caressing her curves as they made their way behind her upper thighs, lifting her suddenly and forcing her to jump if she didn’t want to fall and bunching her skirt up around her thighs. With her legs wrapped around his hips, Hoseok took full advantage of their position to slip his hands beneath the bunched up fabric of her skirt, caressing her bare thighs as he ravaged her neck once more. “My patience has been hanging by a fucking thread.”

“You’re disgusting.”  

 He hummed, kissing his way but up towards her jaw. “You always smell so sweet- just like jasmine.” 

“Pervert.” 

“Mrs. Jung.” He sighed contentedly against her. 

“I”ll scream.” She threatened as he sucked a mark into the place where her jaw and throat met each other. 

“Good..” She yelped as he bit down more sharply. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.” 

She snarled, digging her nails in as she tried again to push him away from her despite the instability of her position pressed up against the wall. “I want you.” He purred, sighing against her skin. “I want you so much is maddening. Just let me adore you, precious. Would that be so bad?”

She hissed as he pressed his hips into hers, nestling into the space between her thighs. “Aren’t you tired, precious? Aren’t you, lonely? Don’t you want to feel loved?” 

“Not by you.” 

“I’m all you’ve got, precious. Let me worship you.” 

“I don’t need you to worship me.” A strangled sound tore from her throat as Hoseok rolled his hips against hers. 

“I know.” he grinned, placing a kiss to her pulse point. “Let me do it anyway.” 

“You’re the worst person I know.” she hissed, melting into his touch despite her own better judgement. 

It had been so long since she’d been held like this- so long since she’d had anyone who wanted her the way that he did. She knew it was wrong. It was twisted in too many ways to even begin to untangle, but despite knowing that, she found a small part of her wanting to give in- wanting to be adored the way that Hoseok promised to adore her. Even if it was wrong, even if it was twisted, it had to be better than isolation.

“You’re the best thing in my life. My heart. My wife.” 

“Stop it.” 

“You don’t want me to.” He whispered against her lips. 

“Despicable.”

She could hear the heavy sounds of boots falling on concrete as his men spread out in search of her.

There weren’t a lot of places to hide in the warehouse. The building clearly wasn’t in use, and there was only a handful of abandoned crates and machinery to provide shelter. She was hidden behind a group of crates, holding her breath as his men started their search for her.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all day, not knowing where you were.” he chuckled, the sound half tired and half something else, something almost manic. She was pushing the limits of his patience. She knew that, but she still couldn’t bring herself to come out of her own accord. She’d work too hard for this opportunity to simply give herself up. 

They both knew that she wasn’t getting away. He’d chased her down and cornered her here knowing full well it was a dead end. He wouldn't hurt her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her slip away.

The sound of tactical boots was closer to her now. They were slowly but surely closing in on her, methodically going over every inch of the warehouse in search of her hiding spot. 

It was a small miracle she’d even gotten this far. No, he never hurt her, but security around her was tight, ensuring that she stayed safely tucked away right where he wanted her. She was always right where he wanted her.

It was infuriating, and somehow his seeming lack of anger made it all the worse. No matter what she did, he had a seemingly endless supply of patience. She could spit in his face, and he’d still smile at her like it was all a game. Even now as she pushed every boundary set for her, he didn’t seem angry. He seemed tired, worried even, but not angry.

The crate she was hiding behind shifted, and an unfamiliar face peered down at her.

“Sir, we’ve found her!” He shouted before turning his attention back to her. “Ma’am.” He tilted his head respectfully, holding out a hand to help her up.

She didn’t take it, not even as she heard the others rapidly approaching.

“Precious.” he breathed a sigh of relief and a smile stretched across his features as she came into view.

Immediately she was pulled up and out of her crouched position as he crushed her to his chest, his fingers tangling into her already messy hair. There was no space between them as he held her close, as though he was frightened she’d slip through his fingers again or disappear altogether.

“There you are.” he murmured into her hair before pulling back so he could get a good look at her face, a smile spreading across his lips as he took her in. “You had me worried sick.” 

She pulled back and stared at him silently, unsure how to proceed or what he was going to do next.

Tenderly, he pushed back the hair obscuring her features, taking in the dirt and dust that had settled over her face and clothes over the course of her adventures with disapproval.  “Let’s get you home, darling.” 

Hoseok scooped her up, keeping her close to his chest as he strode towards the exit to where the car was waiting to take them back to her gilded cage.

Y/N had to wonder as he carried her how she had gotten herself into this predicament in the first place.

It had all started with a funeral

Y/N stared at herself in the mirror trying to figure out how she was going to hide the marks littered across her neck and collarbones for the funeral. She  couldn’t very well show up to her own brother’s funeral looking like she’d just gotten her back blown out. She was fairly impressed by the heart shaped hickey resting on the outer edge of her collarbone though. It was cute in its own way even if it would be a bitch to hide. 

She eventually settled on a high-necked black dress. It had elbow length sleeves to accommodate for the warming spring weather, but the high neck hid the worst of the marks along her collarbones. The rest residing on her neck she could cover with makeup. The ones littering her thighs and hips would thankfully be kept a well hidden secret underneath her dress. 

She was only in the city to arrange and attend the funeral. She’d moved away for college and hadn’t looked back. Kai, on the other hand, had stayed and thrived in the less savory part of the city. He’d already been caught up in it when they were teenagers and had only gotten more entrenched as time had gone by until it had finally caught up with him.

Y/N had gotten a call from one of her brother’s friends last week to let her know that Kai had been shot. Y/N had immediately packed a bag and gotten in the car. By the time she’d made it to the city, Kai was gone.

His friends had graciously offered her a place to stay while she arranged the funeral, but she had declined in favor of staying with a friend of her own who lived in the city. As kind as the offer had been, she didn’t want to have any more contact than needed with her brother’s friends. They were a mix of boys she remembered from her teenage years and new faces, but she knew well enough that they were all at least partially entrenched in the same life that had gotten her brother killed. 

Staring at her neck as she began to apply careful layers of concealer, Y/N was struck again by the thought that a one night stand the night before her brother’s funeral probably hadn’t been her wisest idea. Hana had thought a night out would help get her mind off of everything. Y/N hadn’t thought that she’d intended for the night out to lead to mind-blowing sex and end with her sneaking out of one of the most gorgeous apartments she’d ever seen. Y/N was choosing to blame the lack of judgement on the mix of grief and vodka.

Y/N managed to cover her hickies for the most part. They at least wouldn’t be obvious to anyone at a passing glance. She didn’t really want anyone at the funeral thinking she was a whore even if her actions the previous night had been decidedly slutty.

The funeral itself went much as any funeral did, and then Y/N was left to deal with the seemingly endless throng of people coming to give their condolences. Most of them she knew to be Kai’s friends and associates. The roughened and scarred knuckles and the tattoos peeking out from beneath collars and shirt sleeves all but confirmed it. Kai had some of those same tattoos. She may not have seen or talked to Kai often over the past few years, but she recognized some of those tattoos.

The entire affair was exhausting. Y/N was sick to death of people telling her they were sorry for her loss. She almost thought she might scream if she heard it one more time. When her eyes fell on the newest arrival, she thought she might scream for an entirely different reason.

Her eyes had first been drawn to him because of the odd hush that had fallen over the space. All eyes had gone to him, not just hers, and for good reason. He had an intimidating aura, a presence that demanded respect. He  was shrouded in a pair of dark slacks and a dark button down which had been generously unbuttoned to show off a glimpse of his chest. The jacket that was meant to go with the ensemble was stylishly draped over his shoulders, and gold flashed at his neck and his wrist. All eyes were on him as he made his way over to where she was standing. His making his way to her wasn’t wholly surprising. She was, after all, the only family member for anyone to pass on their condolences to. She’d heard dozens of half hearted apologies for her loss already, but this man didn’t seem the least bit grieved to be there. The expression on his face was more bored than anything else. 

She kept her eyes on him as he approached, analyzing him. He was tall but not too tall.  His build was all lean muscle like a dancer's would be, and he moved with the same grace one would expect of a dancer. The sharp planes of his face combined with his dark hair and his build to make a rather impressive figure overall- one that was undeniably handsome and a little intimidating. 

She wasn’t the only person in the room that seemed to find him thus. Everyone else held themselves still and quiet as they watched him in a mix of respect and apprehension. She did as well, but with a distinct nausea thrown into the mix as well. 

He stopped in front of her, reaching out a slender hand to take hers into his own, her own hand engulfed in his grip as he smiled at her. It was an oddly heart shaped expression though the joy that one would typically associate with a smile wasn’t there. It didn’t meet his eyes, and those, she found, were cold and dead like a shark’s. 

The hands she had shaken all throughout the day were rough and calloused, and most of the suits that she had seen were ill-fitting, nothing like the impeccable fit of the man who stood before her. The man who now faced her was something wholly different, and she couldn't quite place how he had known her brother. Kai had been fairly low in the ranks as far as she had been aware. This man with his elegant hands and designer clothes didn’t seem like a follower. He didn’t sit low in the rank of anything if she had to take a guess. This was a man who wielded a fair amount of power. Worse than that, he was the man she had spent last night with, and he was looking at like the cat who had caught the canary. 

“Hello again, precious.” he purred, and a cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck as she felt all the blood drain from her face. He had yet to release her hand, stroking his thumb across her knuckles. 

“Hoseok.” she whispered his name, still unsure how he had come to be here but becoming increasingly nauseated by the possibilities of why. 

He pouted, lips turned down at her lackluster response. “That’s all I get after last night?” 

Her eyes widened, lips parted in shock at the blatant mention of their previous activities. “Hoseok!” she hissed, ripping her hand from his as her eyes frantically darted around the room to see if anyone had heard him.Unfortunately, most eyes in the room were glued to the two of them, and she could only assume they were all straining to hear what was being said as well. 

“I was so upset to find my bed empty this morning, precious.” He sighed, rolling his shoulders back. “But how lucky I am to find you here! It must be fate!” 

Lips set in a grim line, Y/N reached out and snatched his wrist, all but dragging him from the hall in an effort to get him away from the watchful eyes of the congregated mourners.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed, dropping his wrist as though it had burned her as soon as they were outside of the funeral hall and away from the prying eyes and listening ears within.

“I can’t be here to see you?” He asked flirtatiously. 

“It’s a funeral.” she deadpanned. 

Y/N took a fortifying breath, squaring her shoulders as he met his eye with the best mask of indifference she could muster despite the war of emotions raging within. She didn’t want him there, but she didn’t need to let him know how much seeing him was truly bothering her. 

“What are you doing here?” She repeated.

Hoseok arched a brow, taken aback by her cold reception of him. Hoseok wasn’t normally one for sleepovers, but it had bothered him to wake up that morning without her in his bed. He’d enjoyed their night together, and he’d thought she had too if the multiple orgasms were anything to go by. Panic followed by cold indifference was not the reaction he had been expecting from her, but he hadn’t been expecting to see her at one of his rival’s funerals either. He wasn’t complaining about the turn of events though. If anything, he was intrigued. 

“I’ve come to pay my respects to the recently deceased.” 

Her expression became even colder as she took in that information. It was confirmation of everything she had feared he was when he’d walked through the door. 

“How did you know my brother?” She asked, staring him down with the best intimidating stare she could muster much to Hoseok’s continued amusement.

“Kai and I moved in similar circles.” He admitted nonchalantly. “Though I didn’t know he had such a delicious sister.” 

Her jaw ticked in irritation. “Stop that.” 

“Stop what, precious?” 

“Implying things.”

Hoseok grinned, a wide toothy expression filled with an almost malicious glee. “It’s not an implication if you know, and I do know you, darling- quite intimately.” He leaned in so that they were cheek to cheek, his next words whispered into the shell of her ear. “I can still taste you on my tongue.” 

Y/N flinched back, her cheeks reddening and her nostrils flaring as she tamped down her temper. “Of all the vile vulgar things to say. This is a funeral for god’s sake.” 

His grin widened. “We could always talk about this more privately- back at my place.” 

Y/N stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how much audacity someone had to have to try to seduce someone at a funeral or how stupid they had to be. 

She huffed out a sigh, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her heels had been painfully digging into her toes for the better part of an hour, and she had no patience to deal with this man and his blatant propositions. 

“Are  you absolutely insane? Have you lost your mind?” She asked, taking a step forward into his space much to his surprise. “This is a funeral. Worse, this is my brother’s funeral. Whatever momentary lapse of judgment I had last night- whatever mix of vodka and grief led me to the horrendously bad decision of sleeping with you is done. It’s over. I will not be repeating that particular mistake again. Now would you kindly leave?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “I am trying to grieve in peace.” 

Hoseok stared at her, taking a moment of his own to take in the woman who stood before him. She was red-eyed and irritable, and yet he found her as enchantingly beautiful as he had the night before when he’d taken her to his bed- perhaps even more so now as he was the subject of her ire. 

He laughed, a full bodied high pitched laugh that did nothing to settle her nerves or lessen her anger.

“Precious, you are something else.” he spoke through the last of his laughter. 

“Are you going to leave?” She asked, crossing her arms under her chest.  “Or should I have you thrown out?” 

“I’m Jung Hoseok, darling.” 

He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, as though she should already know what that meant and the implications thereof. 

Y/N stared at him for a second as though that was supposed to mean anything to her before letting out a scoffed sardonic laugh of her own. “I don’t really care who you are. This is still my brother’s funeral, and I don’t want you here.” She shrugged.  “So thank you for coming, but you’re not wanted here.” She gestured lazily towards the exit as she spoke, trying her best to convey to the man, who she was beginning to think was more than a little thick , just where she wanted him to go. 

The smile on his lips froze in place, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he took in her words. “Excuse me?” 

She smiled, the expression mirroring his own shark-like grin as she leaned in, mirroring his earlier move. “The dick wasn’t that good anyway.” She whispered into his ear before backing away, smile still in place. “Thank you for coming, but you can go now.” 

“Precious…” 

“You can go now.” she repeated, dead serious as she stared him down. 

He tongued his cheek, scoffing as he glanced away for a moment before returning his sharp gaze to her. 

“If you came for seconds, there is nothing left for you here.” She interjected before he could say anything. “Lights out, doors closed.” 

Hoseok stared at her, his retort dead on his tongue as she gazed at him expectantly. No one spoke to Jung Hoseok that way, least of all the women that he took to his bed, but here she was staring at him like he was the dirt beneath her shoe. Hoseok could barely picture her as the same woman who had been writhing beneath him in the throes of pleasure just a few mere hours before. This wasn’t the woman whom he’d littered with love bites as he’d made her cum over and over again. That woman had been inviting and enchanting. She’d been more than eager to submit to him. The woman before him now was just as enchanting, but she was cold as ice as she deigned to banish him from the funeral all together. There was nothing submissive about her, and Hoseok didn’t think he’d ever been more turned on in his life. 

As he stood there contemplating the fact that his pants were suddenly a little bit tighter than would be considered comfortable, Y/N had already begun to move away from him, intent on returning to the funeral hall and leaving him behind without so much as a glance back in his direction. 

His hand shot out, quick as a snake, to grab her by the wrist. His hold was tight but not bruising as he pulled her back into his orbit, eyes fixed on her a kind of adoring awe that made the uneasy feeling in her stomach once more develop into fullblown nausea. 

“Precious,” he began, his voice a purr. “That’s not very nice of you- especially not when we got along so well last night.” 

He held back a smile as he watched her lips purse in irritation. 

“Get your hands off of me.” She grumbled, attempting to push his hand from its position gripped against her wrist.

Instead of releasing her, as she so clearly wanted him to do, Hoseok proceeded to pull her even closer, his free arm moving to wrap itself around her waist until he had her almost flush against him. 

“I don’t appreciate disrespect, darling.” He cooed, fingers intimately splayed across her waist. “You’ll learn that with time.” 

“I told you to get your hands off me.” she hissed, struggling against his hold. 

“You liked my hands on you last night.” He pointed out with a grin stretched wide across his features. 

“That is not the point!”

Hoseok shrugged, smirk still playing on his lips. “I think it is.” 

“You’re despicable. This is a funeral.” She huffed, giving up her struggle as she came to the morbid realization that she wasn’t going to get out of his grip if he didn’t want her to. His hold was like steel, unmoveable, and yet surprisingly gentle.There was no intent to harm her in it, only to keep her close. 

“We could have done this this morning if you hadn’t run off. A bouquet by the bedside. Breakfast in bed. Morning sex.” His smile was teasing as he waggled his brows at her suggestively.

“I don’t want any of that with you.” 

“You wound me, precious.” 

She huffed out a frustrated breath, once more pushing against his hold in an attempt to get him to release her. “I’m about to if you don’t let me go.” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

Y/N froze, all thought leaving her head as she tried to process what he’d just said. It seemed too ridiculous a thing for him to actually have said. “I’m sorry. What?” 

“Have dinner with me.” 

It sounded equally as ridiculous the second time. 

“You must be out of your fucking mind.” 

“Only for you, precious.”

Y/N gave one last hard shove, and Hoseok released her, allowing her to take several stumbling steps back as she tried to compose herself, her mind whirring with the insanity of his proposal. Last night had been a mistake. She had already admitted that to herself. She just hadn’t thought that it would have such an array of consequences. Nothing had prepared her for a clingy one night stand, let alone one that ran in the same less than legal circles as her own brother. 

As she straightened out her dress and hair, both disheveled from her time in his arms, Y/N made the mental note never to drink anything mixed with vodka ever again.The aftereffects simply weren’t worth it.

“I think you should go.” 

“Excuse me?” Hoseok’s head tilted to the side like an inquisitive dog as though he was trying to figure out if he had heard her correctly or not.

Y/N rolled her shoulders back, holding her head high as she stared him down. “Leave. You aren’t wanted here.” 

His grin took on a sharklike quality as she spoke, all sharp edges with no real humor behind the expression. “No one speaks to me like that, precious.” 

“Maybe they ought to.” She sniffed primly, a cold mask of indifference shifting into place despite the unease that he sparked within her. 

“That’s not very nice, precious.” 

“You’ve done nothing to deserve nice, and stop calling me that! I’m not your anything, let alone your precious.” she sniffed, disdain dripping from every word. 

“Oh,  I disagree.” He purred, expression still vaguely predatory as he sauntered closer to her, closing the distance between them. “I think you’re very precious, sweetheart. Maybe the most precious thing there is.” 

“Despicable.” She spat, slapping his hand away as he moved to brush away one of the errant tendrils of her hair. 

Hoseok straightened, squaring his shoulders and fixing the lapels of his suit. “I’ll leave you to grieve in peace, precious, but I’ll be seeing you soon.” 

“I hope not.” 

He reached out a slender hand, taking one of hers in his and raising it to his lips brushing a gentle kiss against her knuckles.

She yanked her hand back as soon as his lips made contact with her skin, hiding the offending limb in her skirts.

Hoseok chuckled, a smooth rich sound that carried all the mirth his previous smile had not. “Until next time, precious.” 

Y/N didn’t wait for him to speak again. Instead she turned on her heel, heading back towards the funeral hall with a staunch refusal to sneak a glance backwards to see if he was still there. The prickling sensation of eyes on the back of her neck told her all she needed to know on that account.

No sooner had Y/N re-entered the funeral hall  thanSuho, one of the friends of her brother’s she actually did know, came up to her brows furrowed with concern as he scanned her from head to toe as though trying to assure himself she wasn’t hurt in any way which was odd, but she shoved that thought to the back of her head. It by far wasn’t the strangest thing to happen that day.

“Suho.” She smiled tiredly, allowing the man to hug her. “Thank you for coming.” 

He didn’t respond, releasing her from the hug and grabbing her by the arm to drag her away from prying ears. “You need to leave.” 

“What?”

Suho sighed impatiently, moving them both towards the exit as he did. “I don’t know why Jung Hoseok was here or how you know him, but you need to leave.” 

“Jung Hoseok?” Her brows furrowed quizzically. “He said he was an associate of Kai’s. I don’t particularly like him, but he’s already gone. Not much he can really do to disrupt things now.” 

Suho grimaced at that, practically pushing her out the door into a side hallway. “Jung Hoseok is not our associate. He’s not our friend, and he’s certainly not our ally.” 

That caught her interest. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean that he’s made it his personal mission in life to try to eradicate us.” 

“You don’t mean…”

“I do.”

Y/N froze, her blood running cold as she processed the information. That man had been responsible for her brother’s death however directly or indirectly, and she had fucked him the day before the funeral. 

Bile rose in her throat.

“Oh God.” 

“I don’t like the way he was looking at you, Y/N.” Suho shook his head. “And then he let you drag him out. It wasn’t like him, and I don’t like that at all.” Y/N kept her lips pressed firmly together. There was no need to let Suho know how close to the truth he was on that count. 

“If he’s responsible, why was he even here?” She questioned, her voice a hoarse whisper. 

Suho’s frown deepened as he led her towards the building exit. “I don’t know. Maybe he was here to gloat. Whatever the reason was, I don’t like it,  but I especially don’t like how interested he acted with you. Jung Hoseok doesn’t let anyone drag him around let alone look amused while they do it.” 

After being escorted out of her own brother’s funeral, Y/N was ushered back to the relative safety of her friend’s apartment with strict instructions from Suho not to venture out unless it was absolutely necessary. Y/N thought he would have preferred for her to be out of the city entirely, but there were still things only she could do as Kai’s family and the beneficiary of his will.

She wasn’t entirely sure what Suho thought Hoseok would do to her if he caught her out and about unaccompanied, but she figured his imaginings were much different than what the reality would be. She got the impression that Hoseok was far less interested in hurting her than in a repeat of their first meeting. Suho didn’t need to know that though. She was perfectly happy to keep all the sordid details to herself. There was a chance that Suho’s predictions were correct, but she highly doubted it based on the ostentatious bouquet that had been delivered to her door the morning after the funeral with a card signed JHS. The flowers had promptly been deposited in the trash along with the card and the invitation to dinner it contained. 

The myriad of marks along her body were finally beginning to fade much to her relief. She was running out of ways to keep them from view as she dealt with the legal aftermath of Kai’s death. Soon they would be entirely gone and with them the reminder of the man who left them, not that he was easy to forget. Oh no, Jung Hoseok was doing his best to be a thorn in her side even though she hadn’t set eyes on him since the funeral. 

Bouquets and gifts arrived almost daily bearing with them invitations to dinner or drinks. One had been particularly bold- inviting her directly to a repeat performance of their first encounter. Every note was signed in the same quick decisive hand by JHS, and every single note, bouquet, and gift immediately found its way to the trash. She did have to admire his persistence as unwanted as it was. He was not a man to take no for an answer, but she wasn’t one to be so easily won over- especially not after learning that he was the reason that Kai was dead. 

She wasn’t sure how delusional someone had to be to think they could woo someone whose brother they had killed, but she was sure that it had to be an unhealthy amount. One night of passion wasn’t enough to erase his sins and neither were the endless stream of gifts. Her thoughts on the matter didn’t stop the notes and gifts from coming though.  Hana thought it was romantic, but Y/N knew better. To her it seemed less romantic and more obsessive, and that was not something she wanted to become entangled in.  All she truly wanted was to tie up the loose ends that came with being the sole executor of her brother’s estate and return to the comfort of her own home and the safety of knowing that the city and the majority of its inhabitants were far away from her. 

One of the inhabitants that she dearly wanted far away from her was Suho. Logically, she knew that he was trying to be  helpful. She knew he was trying to do his part to take care of Kai posthumously through her, but he was annoying the shit out of her. Everywhere she went every appointment with lawyers she attended, Suho was right there with her. 

Y/N was fully aware that it was a good thing that he was there. Most of Kai’s assets would be turned back over to Suho and the rest of their cohort. Y/N had no need of them and no want of them. Suho’s signatures were needed for the transfer of property, but she was sick of seeing his face every day. She was sick of him treating her like some sort of delicate flower- treating her like he didn’t know her at all when they’d known each other since they were children. 

Kai and Suho had always been thick as thieves- the best of friends since the moment they’d met in the 3rd grade. They’d all been normal then, just kids, but people don’t stay kids forever. Suho and Kai entered middle school, and the tide began to turn. Suho started hanging out with a different crowd, and Kai followed right along after him like he always did the inseparable duo that they were. Kai was never quite the same after that. 

While Suho had risen through the ranks of their burgeoning group, finding himself in a position of leadership, Kai had not reached such levels of success. He’d stayed firmly in the middle of the pack, a higher up of the lower ranking members of their gang as much of an oxymoron as that seemed. Y/N had always thought it was stupid that he’d thrown his life away for that, but it wasn’t her life, and she didn’t have much say in what her brother did. She never had. As the little sister she’d always been an afterthought, something that trailed along after Kai and his friends. Sure, he loved her, but it hadn’t been enough to stop him from following right after Suho even when she’d begged him not to. 

By the time they were in their late teens, Y/N didn’t feel like she even knew who her brother was anymore, and she couldn’t help but blame Suho for that. She’d never been able to look at either boy the same way again. She still loved her brother, but she couldn’t be around him, not when she was so terribly certain that the path he was on would be his ruin. 

Y/N went to college, and Kai, several years her senior, had remained doing his own thing. After college, she’d left the city, moved somewhere where she could try to forget that her brother was a criminal and the deteriorating state of their relationship with each other. 

She hadn’t seen Kai in years before Suho had called her with the news, a difference in opinion on his life choices had kept them fairly separate. Kai had made his choices, and she had made hers, but it didn’t make the pain of his loss any less hard to bear. The pitying glances she would catch Suho sending her way didn’t help matters either. She didn’t need pity- least of all his. 

She had just escaped Suho and the lawyers to find a moment of quiet and some much needed caffeine when she was met with something far more unpleasant than either Suho or the lawyers. 

Y/N froze, tensing at the feel of the hand on her lower back. Even without looking, she had a sickening feeling she knew exactly who that hand belonged to. 

“Stalking is a crime.” she sighed, her gaze shifting to the side to see if her suspicion had been correct.

It had.

“You’re a hard woman to get a hold of.” He sighed dramatically in turn. “All of my efforts met with silence. I’m starting to think you don’t like me.” 

“I don’t.” she moved forward causing his hand to fall away. “Some people would have gotten the hint.”

Y/N steadfastly ignored the man as she stepped forward to the counter, ready to place her order and get on with her day- hopefully away from Hoseok. “One iced chai latte please.” she smiled at the barista as she started to grab her wallet from her bag only for an elegant hand to appear from the corner of her eye- a black amex extended and at the ready.

“We’ll take an iced Americano as well.” 

“He’s not with me.” she snapped, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as she pulled out her own credit card.

Hoseok gently pushed her hard away, insisting the barista take his card instead.

“It’s the least I can do for my favorite girl.” 

“We don’t know each other that well.”

Hoseok ignored her comment, choosing instead to place a hand on her back again and gently push her in the direction of where they were meant to wait for their drinks.

“You didn’t get my gifts?” he asked once they were out of earshot of the queue. 

“I got them.” 

“You didn’t like them?”

“I wasn’t a fan of the sender.” she shrugged, checking the time on her phone.

“That’s not very nice of you, precious.” 

Y/N glanced up from her phone to find Hoseok staring at her with a hard expression- jaw tight with displeasure despite the smile on his face.

“How exactly did you expect me to respond?” she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.

“A little gratitude would be nice. Maybe a little adoration.” 

The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end. His tone had an arrogant, condescending quality to it that set her teeth on edge. She fully turned to face him, shoulders pulled back and her lips set on a grim line.

“What exactly should I be grateful for? Your tendency to stalk? Your unwanted interest in me? Or the fact that you are the reason my brother is dead?”

Hoseok stared at her, knocked a little off balance by the cold rage in her eyes. He was used to people looking at him with varying levels of anger, but he wasn’t used to the women he showed interest in looking at him like that. He certainly didn’t want her looking at him like that. He definitely wanted her eyes on him but not with that expression. He much preferred the sultry look in her eye from their first meeting. That look had been nowhere to be found lately though. 

Hoseok glanced away, tongue in cheek as he tried to reign in his temper- a dry laugh escaping him as he did.

“If you were anyone else, precious…” 

“You would what?” she interrupted him. “Kill me?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “What would you do?” 

Hoseok’s smile was sharp as he regarded her. “I already warned you that I’m not a patient man, precious. I’d be a little more careful if I were you.” 

She shrugged, moving to take her drink from the counter. “It’s not like any of this matters anyway.” 

That caught Hoseok off guard.

“How so?”

She shrugged again, and Hoseok’s jaw ticked in annoyance.

“Your obsessive stalker tendencies won’t last forever. I’m sure you’ll forget all about me and move on to the next unfortunate woman in no time.” 

Hoseok’s posture relaxed slightly, his smile a little easier. “You’re unforgettable, darling.” 

Y/N made a face. 

“I’m sure distance will help the process along.”  She smiled with as much grace as she could muster, which was admittedly not very much as she began to make her way to the door only for Hoseok to grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“What do you mean distance will help?” he demanded. 

Y/N grimaced in displeasure, trying to wrench her arm away but Hoseok held fast refusing to let her walk away. 

“What do you mean?” he insisted.

She sighed deeply, fully turning to face him. “I don’t live in this city.” She started, keeping her tone even and slow as though explaining something to a child. “I will eventually-sometime soon- go home, and then we can both forget that we ever met each other, and you and Suho can go back to trying to tear each other to pieces without any involvement from me.” 

Hoseok’s grip on her arm tightened, his expression taking on a pinched quality. “Forget each other?” 

“What do you think happens when people no longer interact with each other?” She snapped, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip to no avail. “Will you let go?” She hissed in irritation when his grip held firm. “I have places to be, and you’re harassing me!”

Hoseok stared at her, stone faced except for the occasional irritated tick in the muscle of his jaw.  

“What is wrong with you?” She gasped, finally giving up her struggles to level him with a glare. 

“You can’t leave.” He stated, already moving towards the door with her in tow.

“What are you- What are you talking about?” the space between her brows furrowed in confused irritation as he pulled her along after him, not unlike how she’d pulled him out of the funeral. “Of course I can leave!”

“You can’t leave.” he repeated, completely serious. 

“I don’t even live in this godforsaken city, and thank fuck for that!” 

Hoseok stopped once they were outside the cafe, staring at her and, drinking in the frazzled irritated state she was in as his mind raced. He hadn’t anticipated her leaving. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that she would be leaving the city behind and with it, him. 

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the morning he’d woken up alone. He wasn’t one to pine, but he’d made the choice to let the incredibly sexy woman from his club spend the night with him- something he never did- and had awoken to cold sheets and an empty bed. It hadn’t been an unusual circumstance. Hoseok never let his paramours spend the night in his bed, but he had wanted her to stay and had been more than a little upset that she’d slipped away like a thief in the night.  It had been his incredible luck to find her later that same day- eyes red-rimmed and dressed in black but still as gorgeous as the night before. He’d already been planning on tracking her down. No one walked out on Jung Hoseok. It had been an act of fate running into her again, and he had no intention of letting her slip away twice. The only hiccup in his mind had been his association with the deceased, but it was a minor thing. They could easily move past it. They had a fate together.  

He’d never felt like this about a woman before. She plagued his thoughts, waking and dreaming, and yet she seemed entirely unaffected by him. His attempts to woo her went unanswered, and she gave him about as much regard as one would a bug crawling across the floor. He wasn’t a man used to rejection. He was a man used to everyone around him falling at his feet, but she stood tall against him, regarding him as a nuisance. It was infuriating, maddening, and it made him even more deeply infatuated with the woman she was. It made him crave the breathless submission- the sweet surrender and soft embrace of their first meeting. He wanted her with him- by his side and in his bed. She could regard the rest of the world as dirt beneath her shoe. He’d encourage it, but he wanted her to be soft with him and him only. 

“You can’t leave,” he repeated, grip almost bruising. 

“I can do whatever I want.” she huffed. “Now let go before someone calls the cops on you.” 

“No one is going to call the cops on me, sweetheart.” He smiled sweetly, pulling out his own phone as he did, hand still firmly gripped around her wrist. “Now hush. I have to make a phone call.” 

She squeaked in indignation at the command, but Hoseok didn’t pay her any mind.

His mind had been whirring with possibilities from the moment that she had mentioned leaving. There was absolutely no way that he was going to let her leave the city, not when he hadn’t had the chance to properly woo her. All his attempts so far had been met with outright rejections- not ideal for winning hearts- but Hoseok was convinced that was only because she was upset with him over the matter of her brother.Everything had been fine between them before she’d found out, and with time, it would be fine again. He just needed the time to melt the icy exterior she’d formed around herself after finding out. 

Hoseok fingers flew across the screen even as he gave orders- a plan being formed and set in motion all at once. If time was what she needed, time was what he would give her, but she wouldn’t be leaving the city. 

It wasn’t often that Jung Hoseok had to work for the favor of the women in his life. He simply didn’t have to. Women fawned over him for a multitude of reasons: wealth, looks, skills. There was no need to work adoration when it was so freely given, but this wasn’t to say that Hoseok couldn’t be charming when he wanted to be. Hoseok could be the very picture of charm and grace when he wanted to be. He knew very well how to treat a woman. It was easier to accept baseless adoration than it was to cultivate true devotion. True devotion took effort, and for Y/N, Hoseok was more than willing to make the effort. She didn’t just deserve it, she demanded it. 

Hoseok had a constant stream of diversion around him. Work kept him occupied much of the time, but in the leisure time he did have, there was no shortage of amusements and company to enjoy them with. His initial interaction with Y/N L/N had been much the same. She’d simply been the woman to catch his eye that evening. What had caused him to become so fixated on her was something that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Even half drunk she hadn’t accepted anything less than his full attention, and he had been more than willing to give it to her fixated on the way the silky material of her dress rode up on her thighs and the strands of hair that fell out of her careless updo to hang around the column of her neck. She had been the image of carefully constructed reckless abandon. The scent of jasmine had floated around her, clinging to her skin and wafting up from her hair every time she moved. Everything about her had been curated almost as if to lure him in specifically and leave him drunk on her essence. 

By the time they reached the car, Hoseok had the basics all ready to go. He had never had to force a woman to be with him, and he didn’t plan on starting now, but there was nothing wrong with giving her a push in the right direction. He could be quite charming when he wanted, and he was more than ready to show her just how charming he could be. She just needed a little push in the right direction to get them started as well as a push into the vehicle.

The short walk to the car had been spent planning on his end and with endless struggle on hers, but nothing she’d done had managed to break the iron grip he had on her wrist. Nothing she did broke his grip though, and no one on the street paid her protests any mind. Hoseok didn’t pay her struggles any mind either. 

“After you.” he offered as he held the door to the backseat open.

“Go fuck yourself.” She hissed, kicking out in another attempt to break his hold on her. 

A sharp humorless smile spread across his face as she spoke. “But why would I do that, precious, when I have you?” 

Y/N made a noise half way between outrage and shock as Hoseok scooped her into his arms and swiftly deposited her within the backseat of the vehicle, climbing in after her to ensure that she didn’t climb out the other side. 

Quick instructions were given to the driver as Hoseok climbed into the car, hands already reaching to pull Y/N close to him as she tried to open the opposite door to throw herself out of the vehicle. 

“Stop that.” Hoseok hissed as her elbow made contact with his abdomen.

“Let me out!” She struggled against his hold, trying desperately to get out of his hold. 

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” he scolded as he managed to get her arms trapped tight to her sides so that she couldn’t repeat the earlier motion of jabbing at him.

“Let me out!” She shrieked, throwing her head back in an attempt to headbutt him as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms fully around her torso to stop her from causing herself or him any more harm. 

“Stop.” 

“This is kidnapping!” 

“It’s not kidnapping!” He snapped back in offense. “I’m keeping you from making a mistake.” 

“Psychopath!” 

He huffed out a breath, frustration nearly radiating off of him as he held her down. “You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be, precious.” 

“Boss.” The man driving the car reached back, handing a cloth to Hoseok as he did. 

“Last chance, precious.” 

“Go fuck yourself.” 

“Wrong choice.” 

Quick as a viper, Hoseok had the cloth pressed against her nose and mouth. The pressure, unyielding as he held her firmly. The sweet scent of the cloth seeping into her lungs the longer he kept it pressed against her airways even as she struggled against him. 

Her struggles grew weaker and weaker against him as he held her there until finally, the world grew fuzzy around the edges, and eventually, she saw nothing anymore.

Y/N opened her eyes to a pounding headache and an uncomfortable burning sensation in her nose and the back of her throat. The combined feeling was so uncomfortable, that she closed her eyes, turned over, and buried her face in the pillow, hoping to smother the discomfort by falling back asleep, but this idea was disrupted by the fact that her pillows definitely didn’t smell like spice and citrus and something woody and earthy. The pillows in Hana’s spare room also didn’t smell like that either. 

Her eyes shot back open as she turned back onto her back, eyes staring up at a ceiling she didn’t recognize. Her walls weren’t painted soft beige and neither were Hana’s. In that same thread of thought, the bed was far too comfortable to be the one at Hana’s house. That was little more than a thin mattress rolled out on the floor for an unexpected visitor. This bed was both too large and too comfortable to fit the bill. 

Slowly, she sat up, taking in her surroundings despite the continued discomfort in her nose and throat. The curtains were drawn making the room dim except for the threads of moonlight slipping through. The light was too pale and soft to be daylight  despite it having been daylight the last time she could remember being conscious. Slowly, as more awareness dawned on her, the last conscious memories she had began to filter back. 

The cafe. Hoseok. The car. 

The room had to be his. Though the dim lighting didn’t allow her to see enough detail to confirm or deny if it was the same room she and Hoseok had ended their first ill-fated encounter in, there was no other option of whose room this could be. And if this was his room- she had to assume the man himself wouldn’t be far away. 

Despite the raw burning sensation that still lingered in her airways, Y/N threw off the comforter and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was at this point she noticed that the clothes she was in were hardly her own. The sunny yellow pattern of her skirt and the sensible mock-necked shirt of earlier were gone. In their place was a silk nightshirt that fell down to the top of her thighs. With an ever dawning sense of horror, Y/N realized her bra was missing as well, though thankfully the other half of the set was still where it should have been. 

She made her way to the window, drawing back the curtains to see that the sun had fully set. Moonlight illuminated the garden below the bedroom window, and the high wall that surrounded the property. The garden was moderately sized, but not so large that she had to assume she’d been taken too far outside the city. It did mean that she wasn’t in the same residence she’d been in before though. That had been a penthouse in the midst of the city. This clearly was not. 

Y/N turned away from the window, making her way back towards what she assumed was the door leading out of the bedroom. Much to her relief, the door was unlocked, allowing her to slip into the hall. 

The hall itself was lined with windows, soft yellow lighting making it clear that the house had not gone to bed for the evening, and putting Y/N even further on her guard. She wasn’t sure who would be roaming the house and who was aware of her presence there. She also wasn’t sure where Hoseok was, or if he was even in the house itself. Running into him was the worst case scenario. There would be no sneaky exit if she ran into him within the hallways. 

Softly, she padded through the hall following it towards the end where a staircase made its way to the first floor of the house. Soft light spilled up from the first floor but no sound. The house had been dead quiet so far except for the barely there sound of her own footfalls against the rug running the length of the hall. Cautiously, Y/N began her descent, doing her best as she did to minimize any noise she might make. The quiet of the house made her feel as though she would be able to hear a pin drop. It didn’t give her much hope that any noise she might accidentally make would go unnoticed. 

Just as she reached the last stair, a voice rang out from one of the adjoining rooms. 

“You’re awake.” 

She froze, unsure on if she should stay put or if she should turn tail and flee in whatever direction the front door was most likely to be in. 

The choice was swiftly taken from her as Hoseok emerged into the hall. 

He was as dressed down as she had ever seen him- hair loose over his forehead, slipper clad feet, and loungewear that probably cost more than her rent adorning the rest of him. 

“How are you feeling precious?” he asked, tone soft and concerned as he took in the sight of her, hand lifting as he came to a stop in front of her to brush against her upper lip.

She pulled away with a hiss as he made contact with the raw skin there. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Chloroform is nasty stuff, but I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice coming out in a croak through the raw skin of her throat. 

“You’re home, precious.” 

She took a stumbling step back, heel catching on the last stair of the staircase behind her. Hoseok reached out quick as a viper, snaking an arm around her waist and steadying her before she could finish her fall. 

“Careful, darling.” He chided, pulling her closer and away from the stairs as he did. “Don’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

Y/N shoved his hands away, stepping to the side to avoid another stumble into the stairs. Hoseok allowed her the distance, watching her with a soft teasing smile as her eyes darted around the space, searching for possible exits. 

“I think you should sit down.” he hummed, head tilted to the side. “You look like you need it.” 

She recoiled, snatching both of her arms back in an attempt to avoid him. “Don’t touch me.” 

A long suffering sigh released itself. “You’re overreacting, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“You kidnapped me.” 

“That’s such a vulgar term for it.” he waved his hand dismissively. “It makes it sound so violent. I stopped you from making a decision that was going to ruin what we have.” 

“We don’t have anything! We slept together once! When I was drunk!” She shouted, chest heaving as her breathing grew shallower and faster. “And on top of that you killed my brother! What could we possibly have together?” 

His eyes remained fixated on her, expression soft and adoring as though her tirade meant nothing to him. Everything was right in his world, while she felt several seconds away from total collapse. 

“And yet, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head.” He hummed, stepping forward even as she continued to scramble back. He continued to press forward, pushing her further and further back as he advanced until there was nowhere left to retreat. 

Her back hit the wall, and Hoseok was quick to follow, caging her in with hands on either side of her head, leaning in so their faces were only centimeters apart. His eyes closed in contentment as he took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of her hair as he did. 

“Ever since that night, you’ve been haunting my thoughts.” He murmured, lips brushing against her hair. With a chuckle he continued. “No one has ever walked out on me before.” 

She stayed frozen, barely breathing as he continued. 

“I never let anyone stay the night, but you, you were special. I wanted you to stay- wanted one more night, maybe more, and then I woke up, and you were gone.” he sighed, hand creeping around to cradle the nape of her neck, tilting her head so she was forced to meet his gaze. “That hurt my feelings, precious. I thought I was going to have to scour the city to find you again because no one walks out on Jung Hoseok, but there you were at the funeral. It was fate.” 

“It was an accident.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, the sound barely even a whisper. 

“It was fate.” he insisted, grip tightening just a fraction where his hand held her head in place.

“You killed my brother.” 

He cooed, both hands moving to cradle her face. “No, precious. I didn’t kill him. He was a casualty. I didn’t order his death.” 

“You killed-” 

“You know the dangers his lifestyle posed just as well as I do.” Hoseok interrupted her, gaze boring into hers. “He knew the risks too. His death? That night? The funeral? It was all fate. It brought you to me.” 

She trembled under his touch as the full weight of his delusion settled on her. 

“You… you can’t just kidnap people and call it fate.” she denied, still frozen under his soft touch and adoring gaze. 

He smiled softly, devastatingly, as he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. “Of course I can.” he murmured, voice lowering to match her own hushed trembling tone. “What else would you call it?”  

She didn’ t have an answer for that. Their initial meeting and the following run-in had been a horrible coincidence that even she had to admit seemed almost like the plotline of a drama. His unwavering belief it was fate, wasn’t wholly crazy. His following actions were, but the initial belief that their meeting was fate wasn’t so far out there. The problem was, he couldn’t take no for an answer. 

She didn’t even notice she’d started crying until Hoseok wiped the tears from her cheeks, cooing softly to her. “Don’t cry, precious. I’m going to take such good care of you. You’ll never want for anything. You’ll never even have to lift a finger if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want it.” 

He ignored her. 

“I’ll spend every day worshipping you.” 

“I just want to go home.” 

“This is home, precious.” He murmured, pressing a kiss between her brows,lingering close so that his lips continued to brush against her skin as he spoke. “You just have to accept that.” 

“No.” she whispered. 

“Darling….” 

“No!” she screamed, pushing him back with more force than either of them expected and dashing away, running blindly in the hopes of getting anywhere that wasn’t by him. 

Her feet skidded against the floor as she paused, eyes darting wildly as she tried to puzzle out which direction to go. 

“Y/N!” Hoseok barked from behind her, following at a more leisurely pace despite the clipped tone of his voice. 

The sound of him calling for her spurred her into motion once more. She dashed away, running in what she hoped was the direction of the front door, or any door that could keep her away from him. Hoseok followed behind, not deigning to run after her. 

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Y/N.” he called, irritation bleeding into his previously dulcet tones. “Getting yourself all worked up and for what?” 

She ignored him, almost sobbing in relief as she reached the front door, the handle turning easily under her touch. She didn’t wait to see what Hoseok would do. Unsteadily, she practically threw herself out of the entrance and into the driveway. 

Her mad dash was cut short as she ran almost straight into what had to be a security guard, his concerned eyes looking down at her as his hands steadied her. 

“Are you alright, ma’am?” he asked, taking in the night shirt and her bare feet as he cataloged her appearance.

“She’s fine.” Hoseok called out, voice still clipped as he sauntered over. “Let me go.” She begged, hands clutching at the guards arms as she tried to push out of his hold as well meaning as it was. “You have to let me go.” 

“Ma’am?” 

“She’s fine.” Hoseok repeated, closing the distance and slipping an arm around her waist, easily tugging her away from the guard. “Just a little trouble adjusting. Isn’t that right, darling?” He quirked a brow, as though daring her to disagree in front of his men. 

“Let go!” She hissed, pushing against him. “I don’t want to be here!” 

Hoseok chuckled, though the sound lacked the fondness of earlier. “See?” he shrugged, reaching down to adjust his hold and lift her into a bridal carry. “Just a little trouble adjusting.”

“Let me go!” She shrieked, writhing in his hold. “You’re crazy!” 

“Enough.” 

The word wasn’t yelled. He didn’t even raise his voice. The word was spoken softly but with a finality and authority that was devastating. It calm and quiet and yet deadly. 

“I won’t let you hurt yourself, precious.” he was stern as he carried her back into the house, his touch burning against the bare skin of her legs. “You can cry and rage as much as you want, but you will not put yourself in harm’s way,” 

“I hate you.” She hissed.

“That’s fine too.” He shrugged. “It’ll fade with time.”  

Neither of them spoke again until he carried her into the living room, setting her gently down on the sofa.

“I think we should go over some ground rules, precious.” 

“Fuck you.” 

He grinned, sharp and rogueish. “You will.” The sound she made in response was strangled and outraged. “But for now, ground rules.” 

She stared at him, seething as he spoke. 

“I already promised you wouldn’t want for anything, and I meant it. You’ll be well taken care of. Anything you want, you’ll have.” 

“Except freedom.” 

“You’re not a prisoner, precious.” He disagreed, sinking into the opposite end of the sofa as she curled up into the corner. “You’ll be able to go out, shop, do what you’d like.” 

“But I can’t leave you.” 

“If you want to go out, you’ll either have me or security with you. I have a lot of enemies, precious, but I won’t let them touch you. The escort is for your safety.”

“And to make sure I don’t leave.” 

His answering grin was sharp and predatory. “If you leave me, precious, I’ll enjoy hunting you down.” She stayed quiet, not having a response for the unnerving glint in his eye. It was as if the idea of tracking her down excited him. “If you want to go out, let me or the guards know. A driver will be called for you.” 

“I know how to drive.” she snapped.

“A driver will be called,” he repeated firmly. “You’ll have your own credit card attached to my account.” 

“So you can monitor my purchases.” 

“So I can provide for you.” 

“But also so you can monitor my purchases.” He didn’t deny it. “What about my phone? My wallet? My apartment? My job?” 

“It’s already been taken care of. I’ll give you back your phone once I can trust you with it. Your accounts have been closed, and the funds have already been placed into a joint account that your new credit card is attached to.” 

“You can’t just do that.” She whispered, horrified by how quickly he’d erased her entire life- everything gone in the span of an afternoon.”You can’t just take everything.” 

“We take care of our women in this family.” Hoseok shrugged, unaffected by her horror. “Your brother should have understood that, but he left you to fend for yourself. That won’t happen again- not while you’re with me.”

“And what if you get bored of me? What happens then?” She challenged, chin raised definitely despite the fact her knees were folded to her chest as she curled into the corner of the sofa. 

His smile was slow and devastating, adoring in a way that made her want to vomit. He didn’t know her nearly well enough to look at her like that. 

“I won’t get tired of you, but we’ll call it a trial period if it makes you feel better.” he shrugged. “You won’t do anything to put yourself in harm’s way, and I’ll do my best to woo you.” 

“Woo me?” she scoffed, side-eyeing him as she debated his sanity for what felt like the millionth time that evening. 

“Woo you” He agreed. “Like I was trying to do, but you very stubbornly ignored all of my attempts.” He shot her an accusatory glance. 

“I didn’t want to see you.” Her scowl was met by an indulgent smile. “I want my own room.” She demanded, keeping the stubborn tilt of her chin as she stared at him down. He pouted, honest to god pouted, as she glared at him. “My own room. I’m not sharing a bed with you.” 

“Fine,” he conceded. “You’ll have your own room. For now.” 

“What happens if I’m not won over by your ‘wooing’? Do I get to go home?” 

He smiled indulgently. “That won’t be necessary.” 

“You have a lot of confidence for someone who had to kidnap a woman to get a date.” 

He shrugged, leisurely, spreading his arms across the back of the sofa. “I wouldn’t have needed to resort to such tactics if you hadn’t been ignoring me.” 

“What happens if I try to leave you?” she asked, as he relaxed head reclined onto the back of the sofa and eyes half-lidded. 

“I already told you, precious.” he smiled lazily. “I’ll hunt you down and bring you home.” 

“So I’m supposed to sit around all day and wait for you to want to play with me? Like a doll?” 

“Of course not.” he waved a hand dismissively. “I already told you, you’ll be free to do whatever you want within reason.” 

“Within reason?” 

“Nothing that would put yourself in danger. Nothing that threatens the family. Things like that.” His hand made lazy circles in the air as he spoke, uninterested in her line of questioning as he rattled off the list of things that qualified as unreasonable.

“And what does ‘wooing’ me look like?” 

That caught his attention. He sat up a little straighter, gaze once more fixed on her. “Oh, precious. I’m going to treat you like a princess.” He purred. “Dinners, dates, flowers, jewelry. Anything you want, it’s yours.” 

“And if I don’t want it?” 

“You’ll still be treated like the stubborn little princess you are.” She sat up a little straighter at that, the suggestive tone of his voice making her uneasy. “You might have forgotten, precious, but I remember every detail of that night together and how much you enjoy being treated like a princess.” 

“Shut up.” she hissed, hackles raised at the implication. 

“And of course we’ll have meals together here at home. My schedule varies, so it’ll change from day to day, but we’ll have at least one meal together. It’s good for couples.” 

“We’re not a couple. You kidnapped me like a psychotic bastard.” 

“Semantics.” She opened her mouth to argue, but Hoseok sat up fully, sharp eyes fixed on her. “We are a couple, precious, and as my woman, your only job is to pamper yourself. We take care of our women, and in return, we expect loyalty. I expect loyalty.” 

“And what if I can’t give you that?”

The dead, shark-like quality came back to his eyes as soon as she finished speaking. His gaze was cold and calculating as though he was assessing an asset and not looking at a living breathing person. She certainly felt more like an asset than a person under that gaze. 

“I don’t think you’d like the consequences of that very much, precious.” He started, speaking slowly so that every word washed over her with added weight. “I’m sure you knew some things about your brother’s business, and I’m sure you also know what disloyalty gets you.” 

“What happened to your promises not to harm me?” she challenged, and his answering smile made her blood run cold. 

“There are ways to punish disloyalty without causing you physical harm, precious.” 

The words were flat, spoken without emotion as though the prospect of enacting those consequences didn’t even faze him. She doubted that it did. Kidnapping hadn’t. 

He leaned closer, body shifting on the sofa to close some of the distance between them. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you, and I meant that. I still wouldn’t go testing boundaries if I were you though.” He leaned back again, his eyes raking over her form as he did. “Or do. Maybe you’d find the consequences exciting.” 

“You’re disgusting.” 

He shrugged, continuously unbothered by her ire. 

“I’m a man who knows what he wants. Is it so wrong that I want you?” 

“Yes.” 

He sighed, rolling his neck and rising from the sofa. “You’ll come around eventually, precious, but for now it’s late. Let’s get you to bed.” 

“My own bed.” She asserted firmly. “Not yours.” 

“Your own bed.” He agreed begrudgingly, but it was an agreement none-the-less.

True to his word, Y/N didn’t want for anything. Everything she could possibly want was provided for her within the walls of the house. Her room was beautiful and fully stocked with everything she might ever think to need and them some. The contents of the closet alone were worth more than her car- let alone the collection of jewelry Hoseok had taken to giving her as a sign of his devotion. 

When he’d said he meant to woo her, he had meant it. He treated her like a princess- a princess who was tucked behind the walls of a tower, but a princess none-the-less. Every action on his part was meant to convey the devotion he supposedly had towards her, and every day the adoring gleam in his eye seemed to get worse. No matter how prickly she was to him, he would smile and take it, throwing back barbs of his own as though it was a fun little game that they played and not an expression of her dislike of him. 

Her first full day in the house had been interesting. There was minimal staff, and it was clear they had been given orders not to interact with her more than was necessary. She supposed Hoseok wanted her to rely on him more than anything, but it wasn’t the order itself that she had found so strange. Instead, it had been the staff’s reaction, not to her presence, but to Hoseok’s attitude towards her. The first time they’d shared a meal had been an accident. She’d ventured down the stairs to snoop and had promptly been greeted by a woman she assumed was Hoseok’s chef who had ushered her to the dining table for breakfast. Hoseok himself followed not too long after, greeting her with a tired kiss on the cheek despite her discomfort before taking his seat. The other woman had frozen at the action. It had been a momentary reaction, she’d quickly slipped a mask of professional grace into place before Hoseok could notice her staring, but Y/N had noticed.

While staff in the house was limited, everyone she had encountered had the same momentary shock whenever they saw Hoseok interact with her. He treated her softly, more so than even she anticipated. He treated her as though she were his beloved and cherished girlfriend, instead of a woman he had slept with once, stalked, and kidnapped off the street. It was irritating how little awareness he seemed to have that he had kept her hostage for three months. It was irritating how pleased he seemed by how well she’d integrated into the day to day life of his household. And she had integrated. There was nothing else to do. 

Hoseok hadn’t been lying when he said he wouldn’t harm her, not physically at least, but her more reckless attempts at leaving had left her isolated and with nothing to fill the hours. He’d taken away simple privileges like going outside. He’d taken away access to the TV. He’d taken away her books. Deprivation and boredom had kept her in check. The more sweetly she cooperated, the more quickly Hoseok returned her privileges to her, but true to his word, he never physically harmed her. 

His interest seemed to lie more in forcing her cooperation in his delusion. He had no interest in causing her distress, but he took great interest in her comfort and care. It was baffling to her how he could kidnap her and keep her against her will and yet treat her as the most precious item in his house. At times it seemed like he knew every detail about her, and he used that information to his full advantage. Despite lacking freedom and agency, he made sure her prison was designed to keep her content, and the longer she stayed trapped with him, the deeper he seemed to fall into the belief that they were fated for each other.

“Precious.” Hoseok murmured, coming up behind the chair she was lounging in with her book, leaning down to kiss her cheek, a habit he’d gotten into that she found more than a little irritating. 

“Stop that.” 

“How was your day?” He asked, completely ignoring her ire as he moved to face her. 

“Does it actually matter?” 

Y/N flipped to the next page of her book, steadfastly refusing to look at him knowing full well how sulky he got when she refused to play along and give him the attention he wanted. 

“Of course it does. I always want to know how your day was, precious.”

“Why?” She asked, quirking a brow even though she still refused to look at him. ‘It’s not like my days have that much variation. Besides, if I so much as chip a nail someone is gonna report it back to you.” 

An indulgent smile spread across his face. “I still want to hear it from you.” 

She finally raised her head, looking him in the eye as he gazed at her, smile still playing across his lips. “I sat in this house. I read my book. I was told that trying to scale the walls was not approved behavior. Happy now?” she huffed, turning her attention back to her book without waiting for a response.

“I’m glad they told you. You could have hurt yourself.” He cooed, gently taking the book from her so that he could gather her hands into his- turning them over so that he could examine them for any injuries. “Who knows, you might have actually broken a nail if they hadn’t stopped you. Brick walls aren’t the most forgiving, darling.” 

“And you know this from personal experience?” He laughed softly, his eyes lighting up with fondness as he knelt in front of her. “I have my sources.” Gently, Hoseok lifted her hands, placing a light kiss against the scratched skin of her fingertips. “I wish you’d stop doing things that will get you hurt.” He sighed, taking note of each of the reddened tips of her fingers, and the scratches on her palms from where she had tried to see if the garden walls were scaleable. “I don’t like seeing you hurt, precious.” 

“There’s a very simple solution you know.” He hummed, encouraging her to continue as he continued to take stock of the marks on her hands minimal as they were. “You could let me go.” 

The soft smile that had played across his lips widened, spreading across his face until it was a full blown grin and a full-bellied laugh released itself. 

“That’s funny, precious.” He breathed through the last few giggles. “Now what would you like to do for dinner, hmmm?” he asked, gazing at her 

“Do I have to have dinner with you?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then I don’t care.”  

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her palm before letting her hands fall back to her lap. “Go get dressed, precious. I’m going to take you out tonight.” 

“Out to where?” 

“It’s a surprise.” 

“I don’t want any surprises from you.” 

“Too bad. Your dress is already laid out for you.” he hummed, rising to his full height. “Your shoes too.” 

She scoffed, leaning to pick up her book but making no other move to get up. “Not interested.” 

Hoseok plucked the book from her hands, tossing it aside much to her annoyance as her eyes flashed up to meet his. 

“Oops.” Hoseok shrugged, keeping his tone pleasant and calm despite the dead look in his eyes. “I made it sound like a request, but I wasn’t asking, precious. Your dress and shoes are all laid out. Go get dressed. We’re going out.” 

“How thoughtful. You’ve got it all figured out don’t you.” She hissed, remaining firmly in her chair, arms crossed under her bust. “But I don’t want to go on a date with you.” 

“Consider it your consequence for trying to scale the walls.” He shrugged, reaching down to wrap a long fingered hand around her arm. “Up.” He commanded, pulling her to her feet as he did.  

Her eyes narrowed, but she complied, allowing him to half pull her up as she unfolded herself from her armchair. 

She’d gotten good at reading his mood over her time locked away in his house, and she knew him well enough at this point to know that she’d pushed his buttons enough for the moment. He never hurt her, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be just as petty as she could. He had his ways of making her pay for pushing his buttons even if they didn’t involve causing her any physical harm. Each time she chose to push him had become a careful dance. She could irritate him, rile him up, and he would play along, meeting her challenges with an almost gleeful spirit, but she could only press her luck so far. As soon as Hoseok showed signs of no longer being willing to play along, she would retreat, biding her time and her manners as best she could. 

Hoseok guided her towards the stairs with a hand pressed to the small of her back. Flinching away from his touch now would do her no good even if she despised the heat of it seeping through her clothing and into her spine. For now, she needed to play along, or at the very least acquiesce to his whims until that cold dead look left his eyes again. 

Hoseok walked her all the way to her bedroom, opening the door like a gentleman despite her knowing well that he was not. She thought he would leave her in peace to dress, but as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Hoseok sauntered over to her bed, lowering himself to take a seat beside the dress laid carefully out upon the covers. 

“Pretty isn’t it?” He asked, running a finger across the silky fabric of the dress. 

She stood still, watching him warily to see what his next move would be. He had made his desire for her clear, but he hadn’t pressed her boundaries more than she allowed since he had kidnapped her. She didn’t think that he was going to now, but she would rather be safe than sorry. 

Hoseok lifted his gaze, expression softening as he took in the stiff set of her shoulders and the careful eye she regarded him with. “Don’t look so scared, precious.” He chuckled, gracefully standing and making  his way to her. 

His hands found her shoulders, caressing her arms as they slid down to grasp her own squeezing gently. “Go get dressed, while I pick out your jewelry.” 

The words were spoken softly, but she saw it for what it was- a command. 

Without a word, she stalked to the bed, sweeping the silky material up and making her way to the ensuite to change away from his watchful eyes. 

As much as she disliked him, she had to admit that the wardrobe that he provided for her was beautiful. Each piece was as gorgeous as it was luxurious. This dress was no different. The fabric was soft and silken and a gorgeous shade of muted green. Black lace decorated the bust trailing into the small of her waist. It was beautiful, but so were all the other pieces of the wardrobe that Hoseok had provided for her. Unfortunately for her captor, she was not so easily moved by pretty things. 

It took no time to slip into the slinky dress. Wrestling her hair into an appropriate updo took more time. Eventually, she was able to arrange it into a semblance of a french twist. It was a bit messy, with pieces spilling out to frame her face, but it was neat enough not to bother her in the long run. It would hold through the evening. 

Next she set to work on her make-up. Hoseok had supplied her with all kinds of high end brands to use at her own discretion. Most days she chose not to use it at all. She rarely left the confines of the house as it left a bitter taste in her mouth to know that each time she stepped out with her loyal dog of a guard, her movements were reported back to Hoseok. It left an even worse taste to know that he could veto any outing she wished to take. 

While he had professed freedom, each time she wished to step out of the house, it was swiftly reported back to him and if he did not approve of the outing she simply wasn’t allowed to go. It was demeaning-making her feel more like a child than she had when she was an actual teenager. 

Since she rarely went anywhere since her kidnapping, she didn’t feel the need to doll herself up every day. Instead, she had taken to existing in the variety of loungewear that had been made available to her. Hoseok,though she loathed to admit it, had been thoughtful and thorough in his care of her. Once he noticed her preference for comfortable clothing, more and more of it had appeared in her closet, and he never complained about her lack of effort in her appearance. Instead, when he wanted her dolled up he did exactly as he had done tonight. He would lay out whatever it was he wanted her to wear, ensuring each detail of her appearance matched whatever activity he had in mind and was up to his standards. 

Taking a fortifying breath after giving herself a last look over, she stepped back out of the bathroom, bare feet padding softly against the carpet. Hoseok was waiting for her, sitting on her bed as though he belonged there. 

His eyes drifted to her as she made her way forward. A smile spread across his lips, eyes half-lidded as he took in the sight of her in the dress he’d chosen. 

“You look beautiful, precious.” he purred, standing and moving to meet her halfway.

“I need you to zip me up.” she admitted, cheeks heating in embarrassment as she did. She would have done it herself- would have preferred to- but she couldn’t quite get a grasp on the delicate zipper located at the back of the dress. 

“Of course.” Hoseok grinned as she turned to give him access to her back.

She did her best to suppress a shudder as his fingers brushed against the bare skin of her back as he slowly did up her zipper fixing her into the dress.

 “Come. I have your jewelry all picked out.” 

Silently, she trailed behind him as he led her into the walk-in closet and sat her down at the vanity there. The jewelry he’d chosen was laid out in a glass jewelry dish on the vanity. There was a variety of rings and bracelets laid out there along with a set of diamond earrings- large stones in an emerald cut that attached to a smaller round stone and a smaller emerald cut stone where the peg was placed. 

“Beautiful.” He murmured, leaning down to place a kiss to her head as she began to fix the earrings into place.

“Stop that.” she huffed annoyed as she batted him away. “You’ll ruin my hair.” 

He huffed a little himself. “If I ruin it, I’ll fix it for you.” He shrugged, reaching down to the jewelry tray to pick up one of the bracelets he’d chosen. 

He picked up her left hand and began fixing the stack of bracelets into place. 

“I can do that myself.” she snapped, trying to snatch back her hand, but Hoseok held her firmly in place paying no mind to her protests. 

“Let me do it.” he snapped back,lithe fingers easily fixing the next bracelet into place. 

He repeated the process until all four bracelets were fastened before he set to work on the rings. 

“I think I know how to put on a ring.” she murmured as Hoseok lifted her hand again, slipping one of them into place.

“Just let me.” He huffed, annoyance bleeding through his tone at her continued resistance. “I have a vision.” 

“Of course you do.” 

She huffed again but didn’t protest further as he arranged the rings on her hands as he pleased until he was satisfied with her appearance. 

After the last ring was in place, Hoseok released her hands allowing her to place them in her lap.

“Beautiful.” He murmured again, leaning down to place another kiss to the crown of her head. 

“Would you stop that?” A quick hand darted up to bat him away. 

Just as quickly, Hoseok's hands clasped around her wrist, bringing them down to her waist and keeping them pinned there as he leaned down to nuzzle into the crook of her neck. 

“Would you prefer I kiss you here?” His tone was low and silken, seductive as he placed a kiss to the juncture of her jaw and throat. “You liked when I kissed you here before. Made such pretty noises for me.” She could feel him smirking against her skin as he spoke.

“Get off me.” 

He placed another kiss to her throat but retreated just as she’d requested. 

“I’ll go get ready. Wear the heels by the door.” he grinned, a bright sunny expression that she sourly thought shouldn’t be on the face of someone quite so vile. 

She watched as he practically danced out of the room, deeply pleased with himself and his planning. He’d promised her dates, and as of yet, there had been very few occasions when Hoseok had taken her out of the house. Each of those rare times had been an outing to somewhere private, somewhere where she would be secluded from people who weren’t him or being paid by him. 

She supposed she couldn’t blame him for that. If she had kidnapped someone she probably wouldn’t want them out in public too often either- too much risk of escape or discovery of the crime. Today he was oddly insistent about the whole affair. Normally if he wanted them to have dinner, it was within the confines of his home even if the dinner itself was fancier. There had been one or two nights when he’d dolled her up only for the occasion to be a candlelit dinner in the garden. She didn’t think that that was the case today though. He’d said he was taking her out, and she really did think he meant out. He’d been too meticulous in her presentation for her to think he meant anything else.

She noted sourly that there was no handbag allotted to her for the evening as she slipped on the pair of heels laid aside for her. There wasn’t any need for a handbag when there was nothing for her to carry. Hoseok had yet to return her phone to her. There was no wallet to place into a handbag either or anything for a wallet to even hold. She had access to a credit card as he’d promised her on that first night. It simply wasn’t within her keeping though. Either Hoseok paid for whatever she wanted himself or the credit card was left in the custody of her guard and pulled out for any purchases she may want to make. 

She had to admit however begrudgingly that that was rather clever of him. It ensured that she didn’t have direct access to any funds. Even if she did manage to slip away from him and the guards, she would have no phone and no money to aid in her escape making it all that much harder. It was smart- irritating but smart. 

If she’d had internet access and free use of a credit card she probably would have booked her escape to somewhere far far away and made a much more concentrated effort on slipping her guards. As it stood though she didn’t have access to either of those things. She supposed that her passport was also within Hoseok’s keeping. He’d been quite proud of himself for wrapping up her life previous to him in a neat little bow and tucking it away as though it no longer existed. She had to assume he had all of her important documents. They weren’t the type of thing you left behind if you were looking to keep someone by your side in the long term. 

She tried not to think about that though. Thinking about just how thoroughly and cheerfully Hoseok had trapped her was depressing. Depression wasn’t something she could let herself sink into if she had any chance in hell of finding a way to get away from him. Her chances were slim enough as it was without giving into hopelessness. 

“Are you ready, precious?” Hoseok asked, appearing in the doorway of her bedroom and startling her out of her thoughts. 

She blinked slowly, trying to slow the racing of her heart as she settled after nearly jumping out of her skin. It didn’t help that Hoseok was looking at her with an infuriatingly amused smile as though he found the entire thing cute. 

Y/N glared at him, looking him over from where he stood waiting for her. She was even more irritated to discover that he looked good- infuriatingly good. She wasn’t blind. She knew that Hoseok was an attractive man. It had been half the reason for this entire mess in the first place. If he hadn’t been handsome and charming and available they never would  have had that disastrous one night stand in the first place, and he used that handsome face and charm as a weapon to try to breach her walls and ingratiate himself into her affection. 

Tonight he looked especially handsome. His hair was done in dark waves and swept partially away from his forehead. The black pants clung deliciously to his long legs, and his button black button down was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the first few inches of his chest. If she didn’t know who he was, she probably would have blushed at the devastating smile he was shooting her way, but unfortunately she did know who he was, and all those good looks went to waste on account of the rotten personality within. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Y/N stomped past him, muttering as she went with him happily trailing behind her as she swept through the halls and down the staircase. 

“Y/N precious!” he called as she stomped her way into the foyer calling her to a stop and allowing him to catch up to her, slipping his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. “There.” he sighed in contentment. “Let’s go, precious.” 

Y/N did her best to remain neutral as Hoseok pulled her out of the house and to the waiting car. On the few occasions she’d left the residence, she’d been driven in a nondescript black SUV with windows so tinted she could barely see out of it. This care was not that. It was sleek and black with two doors on either side. She didn’t have a good enough view to see what make and model  the vehicle was, but she assumed it was expensive. It was a feeling that was confirmed as she slipped into the leather interior as Hoseok held the door for her. 

“Where are we going?” Y/N asked, as he pulled out from the gates of the residence. 

“I have someone I want you to meet.” There was something brewing in the way he said it, something vibrating just beneath the surface that she couldn’t quite place.

“Friend of yours?” 

“More like a brother.” 

She couldn’t stop the scoff that slipped past her lips. “Probably equally as horrible as you.”

“You love me, precious.” He shot her a sultry glance out of the corner of his eye. “I know you do.”

“Keep dreaming.” 

The laugh that burst from him was full-bellied and joyous. Clearly his earlier ire had passed, and he was once again delighted by whatever barbs she chose to send his way. 

“Precious, I dream of you every night.” 

“Disgusting.” 

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Hoseok’s hand eventually drifting to rest heavy on her thigh as he drove. She’d attempted to remove it. Twice. Each time she brushed it off, he simply replaced it, his grip growing more firm each time she tried to remove him. After the third failed attempt, she’d simply chosen to accept it rather than picking a fight. She’d picked plenty of those recently and there was only so far she could push him before he snapped. She was waspish but not stupid. 

The restaurant was beautiful, softly lit and quiet. Hoseok helped her from the car, and held the door open for her as they entered the restaurant like the gentleman he pretended to be, barely even glancing at the valet as he passed off his keys. All his attention was focused on her. It was a disconcerting habit of his.

Hoseok didn’t pay much attention to the hostess, confidently striding through the restaurant with a hand firmly placed against the small of her back. 

“Don’t you need to be seated?” 

“Private room, precious.” He murmured, leaning down with a conspiratorial grin. 

She snorted. “Why? Scared I’ll start screaming in the middle of the room?” 

“Go ahead, precious. No one will stop you.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t doubt that she could scream her head off and no one would bat an eye, not while she was with him. If they did, they wouldn’t do anything. No one ever seemed to do anything against him. She’d raged those first few days. She’d kicked and screamed and tried to get the staff to look her in the eye, to help her, but none of it mattered. She’d given up on that after the first few weeks. No one would go against him.

“You like that don’t you?” 

“Like what, darling?” he asked, as they approached the door of the private room. 

“The power. Knowing that you can do anything you want, and no one is going to stop you.” 

Hoseok grinned again- a hint of the devil in his eye. “It’s addicting.” 

He opened the door, ushering her in before him. Already seated at the table was a man she’d never seen before- unsurprising as she didn’t really know much about Hoseok or his life outside of the walls of his home. The man stood, politely as they entered. His dark hair was long, swept away from his face. She admitted it was a handsome face, luminous with a pair of sharp dark eyes that seemed to cut through her in a second. 

“Yoongi!” Hoseok cheered as he closed the door behind him. “Glad you could make it.” 

“You called me here.” the other man replied dryly, retaking  his seat as Y/N took her own. “I brought what you asked for. Is this her?” 

“This is my precious, my Y/N.” Hoseok beamed, staring at her adoringly. “How’s Rosie? Is she good?” Hoseok rattled off questions, taking a sip of the water that had already been waiting for them on the table. 

“Rose is fine.” the man nodded. “Recovering.” 

“Good. Glad to hear it. We were all worried about her.” 

Y/N looked between them, trying to keep up when she didn’t really know either man very well. “Who is Rosie?” 

“My wife.” Yoongi replied, leaning back into his chair. 

“She had a bit of a scare recently. Glad to know she’s doing better.” Hoseok nodded, draping an arm over the back of his chair lackadaisically. “We all love Rosie. You should have seen their wedding, precious. Yoongi here couldn’t stop smiling the whole day.” 

“How long have you been married?” Y/N asked politely, grabbing her own water glass to take a sip. 

“Two years.” 

“Congratulations.” she murmured.

“How do you want to do this, Hob-ah.” Yoongi sighed, pulling out a folder she could only assume had whatever Hoseok had asked him to bring. 

“Dinner first?” Hoseok suggested, fingers lazily gesturing through the air. 

Yoongi shook his head, opening the folder. “Gotta get home to Rose.” 

Hoseok nodded understandingly. “Signatures first then and dinner another day.” 

“Signatures on what?” 

Both men ignored her question as Yoongi started to pull out the papers carefully laid within the folder. “It’s pretty standard. The stipulations you asked for are all there as well.” 

“Yoongi here is the family lawyer.” Hoseok explained, reaching to take the papers that had been handed to him, glancing over them casually. 

Y/N peeked over trying to see just what kind of papers Hoseok had asked the other man to bring. He didn’t bring business around her usually. 

The layout of the table itself put a stop to her snooping. The round table put them just far enough apart and the print was just small enough that it made it hard for her to catch a glance without leaning over into Hoseok’s lap, a position she definitely did not want to be in. 

“It’s all in order. You both just need to sign.” Yoongi explained as Hoseok nodded along. 

“Both?” Y/N asked, perking up as a knot formed in her stomach. 

There wasn’t much that Hoseok would need her signature for. He’d dismantled her entire life without so much as a word to her. Why would he need her signature now? 

Hoseok signed and initialed without so much as a second thought, passing the papers and the pen over to her with a bright smile. 

“Sign here, precious.” 

Y/N picked up the papers, reading through to see just what she would be signing before her eyes snapped up to Hoseok in shock.

“This is a marriage contract.” She whispered, staring at Hoseok with wide eyes. “Why is this a marriage contract?” 

Hoseok reached across the table to grab her hand, smiling softly as he did. “It gives you security, precious. It ensures that you are protected legally.”

“You mean legally tied to you.” 

Hoseok didn’t flinch at the accusation in her tone, continuing to smile at her adoringly. “You knew this was the plan, precious. I don’t know why you’re so surprised.” 

“I don’t want to marry you!” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.” She shook her head, moving as though to stand but Hoseok’s grip tightened keeping her in place.

“Don’t be stubborn, precious.” He murmured, dark eyes boring into hers as Yoongi watched them both carefully from across the table. 

“Excellent proposal, Hob-ah. Very romantic.” Yoongi scoffed, crossing his arms as he waited to see how the situation would unfold. 

Hoseok shot the other man a withering glare before turning his attention back to the woman before him. 

“Precious.” He purred, doing his best to keep an even tone so as not to spook her even further. The color had drained from her face leaving her wan and ashen. “You know I love you. We’re fated. This just makes it official.” 

“I don’t- I don’t want that.” 

“Sign the papers, precious.” 

“No.”

The word left her as a whisper, but even spoken softly it seemed to echo through the room. 

“It’s not a choice, precious. You’re mine whether you sign the papers or not. You will be Mrs. Jung whether you sign or not. Make it easy, precious. Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, earrings swinging wildly as she did. “You can’t force me…” 

“It’s not force.” Yoongi interrupted. “Whether you sign the papers or not doesn’t really matter. There are ways of getting your signature on them without you signing. It’s been done before.” 

“That’s illegal.” 

Yoongi shot her a flat look. “Which is why you should sign now. Don’t make extra work for everyone.” 

“You can’t just…” 

“I can.” Hoseok affirmed, a little frown marring his features. “Don’t I treat you well? Aren’t you happy?” 

“You kidnapped me. You’ve held me hostage in that house.” 

The frown disappeared, a slow calculating smile taking its place and lighting up his face.  “And think of how much more freedom you’d have with my ring on your finger. We’d be so happy, precious.” 

“I don’t want to marry you.” 

“Of course you do or you will. You just haven’t come around to the idea yet. Always so stubborn.” He tutted with a fond smile. 

She stared in horror at the papers laid out before her. From what the men were telling her, it mattered very little whether she actually agreed to sign them or not. Her signature would make its way onto those papers with or without her say so. This was a courtesy on their part. Hoseok could have had the papers forged and filed without her ever seeing them or knowing he’d done it, but he was in his own twisted way giving her a choice. She also now knew why her ring finger had been left suspiciously empty as Hoseok had bedecked her in jewelry. He had been planning to fill the gap in later. 

“This is cruel.” She whispered, still making no move to pick up the pen laid in front of her.

“This is fate.” She stared at him, trying to figure out how he could say it with such surety because it was clear that he whole heartedly believed that, and he was certain that with enough time and coercion she would too. “Sign the papers, precious. Make the right choice.” 

“Why are you doing this to me?” She demanded. 

The walls seemed to be shrinking in on her as she sat under his scrutiny, the papers and the pen laying traitorously before her. It was one thing to be trapped with him. It was an entirely other thing to be legally bound to him. Legality was an axe hanging over her head. It made the probability of escape so much less likely.

There had been a hope that Hoseok would give up his delusional obsession with enough time. If she didn’t fit the role he had imagined for her, he would let her go. Clearly, Hoseok didn’t have the same thought. Instead he’d presented her with a nail in the coffin. Men in these circles didn’t believe in divorce. They might not always be faithful to their wives, but divorce was never an option. She knew that well enough. This contract would quite literally bind her life to his for the rest of their days. 

“Becuase I love you, sweetheart, and I want you to be my wife.” 

“You’re insane.” 

“Sign the papers.” 

She shook her head, pulling her hand away from Hoseok to wrap her arms around herself. “You can’t do this. You can’t make me.” 

Yoongi released a long-suffering sigh, leveling her with a stern look. “Your name is going to end up on those papers one way or another. It’s all been decided.” 

Hoseok stood, slithering to stand behind her chair and bending so that his cheek was level with hers. “Sign the papers, precious.” His hands slid down from her shoulders to her arms, uncrossing them until his hands were over hers, their fingers intertwined. “Think of how much happier you’d be if you just gave in, if you agreed to be mine.” 

Alarm bells sounded in her head.

Hoseok had made the entire ordeal about winning her over to his side. He wanted her consent for his obsession. He wanted her agreement. Signing this paper would give him that. It would open the door to everything that came after. 

“I won’t do it.” 

“Think of how much better things would be, precious. Think of how simple it would be to just be mine- the freedom you would have as Mrs. Jung.” 

“I don’t want it.” 

“You do.” he insisted, speaking directly into her ear. “You want freedom, darling. This paper will give you that.” 

“That’s a lie.” She hissed, leaning away from him as much as she could. “You’re a liar. This is just another way to trap me.” 

“Of course it is.” Hoseok cooed, nuzzling into her hair, loving the slight tremor that had overtaken her and the wide vulnerable look in her eye. He loved when she was fierce, but he loved it even more when she was soft for him. “I can’t have you running off, darling. You’re far too precious to me. This ensures that you’re mine no matter where you are- ensures you’ll always be brought back to me.” 

“You’re sick.” 

He smiled into her hair, grip loosening on her hands so he could pick up the pen. “I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you didn’t keep trying to scale the fucking walls.” 

“Bastard.” 

“Sign the papers, precious. Either you sign them yourself or Yoongi has them doctored. Either way, I win.” 

He placed the pen in her hand, closing her fingers around it and backing away to give her room to sign.

Shakily, Y/N picked up the pen signing her name to the document despite the tremor making her signature messy and out of place next to Hoseok’s own quick and decisive signature. She didn’t doubt him when he said he’d have the paper forged. No matter what she chose to do, legally she’d be Mrs. Jung.

“Perfect.” Yoongi declared, taking the papers back from her once she’d signed and initialed all that was needed on the contract. “Now the certificate.” 

He handed them the paper, and Hoseok signed without hesitation before handing the pen back to her where she signed again much to Hoseok’s delight.

“I’ll get these filed tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, precious.” He smiled for the first time that evening. “Welcome to the family.” 

Y/N sat there shell shocked as he left, disbelieving of her own actions, disbelieving of the fact that she was legally Mrs. Jung Hoseok. 

“We’re going to have the most beautiful wedding, darling.” Hoseok cooed, taking her hand in his to slip the final ring onto her finger. “And you’re going to be the most beautiful bride.” 

Despite the state of shock that Y/N found herself in, Hoseok proceeded with the dinner as though it was a celebration and not her last meal. She supposed that to his mind it was a celebration. He’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted, and she’d walked away more powerless than before. 

Hoseok prattled on about wedding details,and Y/N couldn’t pry her eyes away from the ring sitting very conspicuously on her left hand. The ruby set in the middle was large and dark. Set in an emerald cut, it demanded attention as a statement piece with two smaller baguette diamonds framing it on either side. It was a ring meant to draw notice, and it was distinctive enough that it would be recognized at a glance. It ensured that anyone in Hoseok’s circle would know who and what she was to him as soon as they saw it. 

“Why?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, interrupting Hoseok’s musing on when would be the best time to hold the wedding.

“Why what, sweetheart?” He asked, tilting his head to the side inquisitively as he sipped his wine. 

“Why did you do this to me? Wasn’t holding me hostage enough?” 

The sigh he released was long-suffering in nature. “I don’t think you understand, darling. You’re mine. You were meant to be mine from that very first night, but you just can’t seem to realize that.” He shook his head sadly. “So stubborn.”

“I’m not yours.” 

“You are.” he waved his hand breezily. “There’s no use fighting it, precious. This was always going to happen.” 

Her gaze met his, eyes watery and red though she refused to let the tears fall. She didn’t want him to have that satisfaction. He’d taken enough from her for one night. 

“Why now? What happened to wooing?” 

He smiled indulgently at her. The expression was every bit as patronizing as the man who made it. “Y/N, my darling. My precious girl. You didn’t really think that your attempts to leave me would go unnoticed and unpunished? I already told you. Actions have consequences, and I wouldn’t need legal assurances if you simply stayed where you were supposed to.”

“It’s a cage.” 

“You wouldn’t need a cage if you didn’t try to scale the walls, darling.” He shrugged. “Besides, there are worse things than marrying a man who adores you, and I do adore you, precious.”  

“You barely even know me!” 

“I know you very well, sweetheart. I know you haunt my every thought. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“And what about what I want?” 

He sighed again, leaning back and crossing his arms as he assessed her. She felt less like a woman he claimed to adore and more like a puzzle to be solved under his gaze, like the last three months had been nothing more than a game and he was trying to figure out how to make his end move. 

“It won’t be so bad.” It was a soft assurance, a repeat of what he’d already told her. “And as for wooing you softly, that clearly hasn’t worked. You need a more firm approach.” 

“Excuse me?” She bristled.

He leaned forward, dark eyes focused solely on her. “Trying to win you over softly hasn’t gotten us anywhere. You’re too stubborn, precious. So now we try things my way.” 

“The last three months haven’t been your way?” 

A spark of excitement lit his eyes, a gleeful smile accompanying it. “If I’d had my way from the beginning, you’d have never left my bed. If I’d had my way, you’d have woken up every day in my bed.” 

She hissed, recoiling away from him. “Fucking bastard.” she spat, standing from the table.

Hoseok followed, standing from his own seat. “If I remember correctly, you liked it when we did things my way.” 

“Don’t touch me.” she backed away as he approached, crowding her towards the wall. 

“It’s all I’ve been craving for months.” he murmured, caging her in. “It’s time I treated you like my woman- fully. Enough games, precious.” 

“It’s not a game. I despise you. You make my skin crawl.” 

He hummed non-comitally. “I can make you feel lots of things, if you give me the chance.” 

A resounding crack filled the space, and silence descended onto the room. 

Hoseok’s head stayed turned to the side as Y/N stared at him in shock, her hand stinging from the impact. 

Neither of them moved for a long moment. 

Hoseok stayed eerily still as the handprint reddened across his cheek.

Y/N barely dared to breathe as she waited for his reaction. Never in her life had she raised her hand to someone before, not like this. She remembered playfights with her brother as a child, but she’d never purposefully struck someone before.

Slowly, Hoseok turned back to face her, his face devoid of emotion as he stared down at her. 

“Hoseok…” she breathed, wide eyes meeting his dead stare. 

“I didn’t realize you wanted to play rough, precious.” he exhaled, leaning in to breathe in the scent of jasmine wafting from her skin. His nose trailed along the column of her throat as he held her in place. “We can play rough if you want,” he chuckled, nipping at the delicate skin where her jaw met her neck. “but I think I can think of some other ways to celebrate that would be more fun.”

“No.” 

“Mrs. Jung. Jung Y/N.” he purred, placing open-mouth kisses down her throat to her collarbone. “God, that sounds so fucking hot.” 

“Get off.”

He groaned as her arm snaked up and around his neck, finding cruel purchase in his hair as she tried to yank him away from her. “The things you do to me, precious.” She yanked on his hair again, eliciting another groan. “Keep going, precious. Show me your rage.” 

He pressed his hips against hers, pushing her up against the wall more firmly and causing her to still at the feel of the hardness against her hip. “I’ve been craving this for months.” 

His hands snaked down, caressing her curves as they made their way behind her upper thighs, lifting her suddenly and forcing her to jump if she didn’t want to fall and bunching her skirt up around her thighs. With her legs wrapped around his hips, Hoseok took full advantage of their position to slip his hands beneath the bunched up fabric of her skirt, caressing her bare thighs as he ravaged her neck once more. “My patience has been hanging by a fucking thread.”

“You’re disgusting.”  

 He hummed, kissing his way but up towards her jaw. “You always smell so sweet- just like jasmine.” 

“Pervert.” 

“Mrs. Jung.” He sighed contentedly against her. 

“I”ll scream.” She threatened as he sucked a mark into the place where her jaw and throat met each other. 

“Good..” She yelped as he bit down more sharply. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.” 

She snarled, digging her nails in as she tried again to push him away from her despite the instability of her position pressed up against the wall. “I want you.” He purred, sighing against her skin. “I want you so much is maddening. Just let me adore you, precious. Would that be so bad?”

She hissed as he pressed his hips into hers, nestling into the space between her thighs. “Aren’t you tired, precious? Aren’t you, lonely? Don’t you want to feel loved?” 

“Not by you.” 

“I’m all you’ve got, precious. Let me worship you.” 

“I don’t need you to worship me.” A strangled sound tore from her throat as Hoseok rolled his hips against hers. 

“I know.” he grinned, placing a kiss to her pulse point. “Let me do it anyway.” 

“You’re the worst person I know.” she hissed, melting into his touch despite her own better judgement. 

It had been so long since she’d been held like this- so long since she’d had anyone who wanted her the way that he did. She knew it was wrong. It was twisted in too many ways to even begin to untangle, but despite knowing that, she found a small part of her wanting to give in- wanting to be adored the way that Hoseok promised to adore her. Even if it was wrong, even if it was twisted, it had to be better than isolation.

“You’re the best thing in my life. My heart. My wife.” 

“Stop it.” 

“You don’t want me to.” He whispered against her lips. 

“Despicable.”