Where’s Hyung?

You told yourself it was the lack of sleep from the three days you spent studying for your finals catching up to you, that the shadows you saw in your peripheral and the faint footsteps you heard behind you as you drowsily ran errands were simply hallucinations. You told yourself it was all in your head, but how could you believe that now that you were aware of him?

You had simply gone out to grab groceries, just a seven minute walk from your apartment that wouldn’t take any more energy from your already exhausted body, just craving a home cooked meal before crashing for the next two days. But you could practically hear his breathing as he circled around you in the produce section, feel his eyes staring at the back of your head while you selected a pack of beef and, now, you could see him clear as day as you trailed down the empty streets. You were tempted to stay in the grocery store to stall him, praying he got bored and left, but you made the mistake of going at 9:30 at night, the cashiers urging you to go as they closed at 10. Not a problem, you could just head home, right? But you couldn’t, the looming fear he’d find out where you lived making you whimper in distress. To add insult to injury, you left your cell phone at home because you didn’t think your trip would take so long and most stores were closed now, the street lights and your two bodies the only signs of life in the silent night.

You’d been walking for almost twenty minutes now, passing by your apartment reluctantly with aching feet and a spinning head, your eyes brimmed with tears as you tried to push on in case he caught up to you and hoping your $15 beef hadn’t gone bad by now. You need a miracle, something to ease your anxiety and get you home and away from the unidentified man. And, in the midst of your unfortunate predicament, you saw it: a 7-Eleven.

Your body picked up speed as you rushed inside, the place bright and lively despite only you and the cashier being present and the radio playing softly in the background, the tightness in your chest disappearing with each passing second. You gasped softly at the sound of the door’s chime, your head darting to see the hooded figure from before stepping inside and making an abrupt turn to the candy aisle. What now?

You tried to stay natural, moving to the fridge to pick out a soda that you didn’t want, glancing over to see the man adjacent to you mindlessly picking up bags of chips only to put them down once again, looking in your direction every so often to make sure you haven’t moved. And you did, floating about the store with no destination and him still on your tail, the teenager behind the register not caring as the both of you played a game of hide and seek that left your safety up to fate.

It seemed like you were hopeless but, for some reason, you were starting to get luckier as the night progressed, the door chiming and the boisterous chatter of men filling the fairly spacious convenience store.

“Get anything you want, we’re charging it to Hwa’s card.”

“Like hell you are! Pay for yourselves!”

Laughter followed the bickering of two of the guys echoed off the walls before they spread out, some going in pairs to different sections and some on their own, but the one standing alone in front of a rack of limited edition snacks just so happened to catch your gaze first. He was tall, wearing a coat that looked cute on him but made his upper body appear to be broad and muscular underneath, his face blank and firm as if he’s never smiled a day in his life. He was scary, and perfect.

Yunho’s lips were threatening to form a pout as he struggled to choose. Would he rather have a snack form Japan or Indonesia tonight? Both looked so good but he couldn’t bring himself to choose.

“I’ll get both.” He said under his breath before grabbing both bags, gasping loudly as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

“Oppa, I thought you had work tonight!” You squealed in a faux happy voice, smiling brightly up at the wide and horrified gaze the man gave you.

“W-what?”

“Some guy’s been following me for a while now. Please, just pretend you know me.” You said in a hushed tone, smile faltering as you glanced over to the fridge you once occupied, the eyes you had feared all night staring directly at you, a soft whine leaving you as you peered back at the strange man you latched yourself to, praying he saved you in any way he could.

You gasped as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders, pulling you until your head was flush against his chest, his once stoic face now adorned with a content smile.

“I texted you that I was free but you didn’t respond! I really wanted to see you tonight.” He said in a cute yet teasing tone, your head thrown back to see him smiling down at you, giving a subtle but clear wink to let you know he was on your side, your eyes stinging as you tried not to cry in the unknown male’s arms.

“How about we go grabs some snacks and head back to my apartment? I’ll pay.” He said with a gentle smile, your head nodding reluctantly.

You both made your way to the back of the store where his friends continued to joke and bicker, Yunho’s arm not leaving you for a second although his smile was gone now, eyes still puppy like yet hard.

Considering he was a fairly large guy, it was easy for the others to catch on to his presence but, upon turning to face their groupmate, they found themselves more focused on your meek appearance hiding safely under his arm. You could feel your face burning in both embarrassment and unease at the way they eyed you and the man.

“Who is this?” One asked, his hair a beautiful royal blue and eyes just as sweet as your large bodied savior’s, the way our eyes immediately diverted from his causing a few to laugh but the way you gasped in horror as your eyes locked with your almost hour long stalker, body trembling as you opted to look at the ground. You just wanted to go home.

“This is…. Princess! My girlfriend!” Yunho said, suddenly realizing neither of you knew each other’s names.

“If he’s holding you hostage, blink twice.” Another spoke, his eyes cat-like and face sculpted to reveal his dimples as he smiled playfully at you.

“Why’s it so hard to believe I can get a girlfriend? Bunny, go pick out something to eat. We’ll wait for you so we can pay.” Yunho said affectionately, giving a reassuring squeeze to your shoulder at the way your eyes widened in fear at him, his head nodding you onward as he silently told you he had a plan, eyes never leaving you as you cautiously moved to the glass casing filled with pastries.

“Seriously, Yunho, who is she?” Seonghwa asked, voice low as the other watched you closely. You were holding two plastic grocery bags filled with vegetables and meat, you were probably a university student based on your lazy but comfortable choice of clothing. Nothing about you seemed alarming, but your sudden introduction as Yunho’s girlfriend was enough to make them suspicious.

“Look at the guy in the hoodie. She said he followed her here.” He said in a hushed voice, the unknown man creepily moving close by you before closing in on a sealed pack of donuts but giving you a once-over now that he was close enough to get a better look at you.

You felt your jaw clench as to not cry out for help and set him off. He was only a few feet away from you now, able to grab and harm you just by extending his arm if you dared to alert anyone. That wasn’t a risk you wanted to take.

“Did he follow her car or something? Why would she stop here?” Wooyoung asked.

“Obviously she didn’t drive. She would’ve left her bags in her car if she did.” Yeosang responded, a few of their eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

“Wait, but the only grocery store nearby is almost ten minutes away.” Jongho chimed in.

“By car. If she walked, that would be almost 25 minutes.” Mingi concluded, their bodies running cold at the realization, taking in the severity of your situation.

You tried to seem casual, to make sure he was unaware of the sudden initiation of eight strangers planning to get you away from him as quickly as possible but, in the midst of your overthinking, you managed to wander off to the back of the store, eyes locked on the stands full of ramen in both impatient anxiousness and genuine wonder. There’s no doubt the beef you bought was no good at this point, and that constant walking you’d done really built up your appetite. You couldn’t let the boys pay for you, especially after offering their protection to keep you safe. But, you had your wallet on you, and you had to get in line with them anyways so they can pay for their snacks, so why not grab dinner for yourself while you were at it?

You mindlessly searched for the one you usually ate, even wondering if you should grab two in case you were hungry later while shifting to hold both bags of food in one hand, almost missing the set of eyes on you. Almost.

It felt like before when you were in the grocery store, body freezing as you listened closely but this time aware of the threating presence, only unaware of how close he was now. You slowly let your body rise, not wanting to let your guard down as you finally heard footsteps, the faint chatter of the boys snapping you from your daze as you tried to hurry back to them, yelping as you crashed into a warm body before you.

You held your breath, peering up cautiously before seeing a familiar and bright smile, his jaw slim but chiseled. He was the stranger’s friends, and he was cute. If you weren’t so worried about getting the hell back home safely, maybe you could’ve gotten a better look at each one to see if they were all this stunning.

“Uhm, P-Princess,” Seonghwa cringed at the pseudonym, not sure why Yunho couldn’t just ask for your actual name to begin with.

“We’re getting ready to pay. You got everything you need?”

You glanced at the bowl of instant ramen before nodding, Seonghwa eagerly taking it from your hands to leave it unoccupied, but that didn’t last long as he grasped it to guide you beside him, your sides practically touching. It was a bit confusing, it made you worried that your act would be found out by the mysterious guy following you. But Seonghwa was no idiot, his observation skills heightened since he was brought into your escape plan, trying hard to not send a glare to the creep standing in the place you were moments ago. If he hadn’t noticed him moving closer, who knows what would’ve happened to you.

“Hey, ready?” Yunho asked you softly, your head nodding once more as they began to hand their items to the still disinterested boy behind the register, your eyes examining their mannerisms.

You were a little wary about blindly asking for their help but, from the way they immediately took on the task to protect you by staying at your side, and even now as the short but equally as model-like blue-haired guy complained that he thought they were using ‘Seonghwa’s’ card, only to be met with teasing ‘Thank you, mom’ chants from the remainder which left him looking a bit disgruntled, you knew they were nothing to fear.

You moved forward as they trailed on to the side, setting down your ramen as Yunho kept his place next to you, moving to pull out his wallet but you immediately snatched your hand from Seonghwa’s wanting to give a quick apology but needing to pay before he had the chance to.

“Don’t worry, I can-“

‘It’s only a dollar, Princess, it’s fine.” Yunho said while handing cash to the man, a faint warmth creeping to your cheeks at how casually he used that newly established nickname.

You thanked the man as you grabbed onto yet another bag for the night, all of you eagerly leaving the store and into the parking lot, the suffocating atmosphere now dissipating into relief as you took in a breath of fresh air. That man didn’t follow you out, the ambience felt so light and fun with the group of men joking ahead of you as they walked to a van with a very bold ‘ATEEZ’ on the side, your jaw nearly hitting the ground.

You’ve heard of their group, their music everywhere yet never had the time or desire to actually look them up, which would explain why you didn’t recognize them immediately. Although, the cat-eyed one went viral not too long ago for his charismatic dancing and now, watching him and a tanned guy with a mole beneath his eye he pointed and referred to as ‘Woo’ laugh at something said by the blue haired man while the tall one, one that resembled a prince and fairy all in one, and one that looked scary until he showed a smile so sweet it managed to make him look more youthful, you realized they were all hot. And suddenly the intimidation you thought you were free from came rushing back to you.

“Hey,” The sudden voice pulled you from your thoughts, a yelp leaving you as you faced the first one you met, his smile falling a bit but recovering just as fast.

“Didn’t mean to scare you. Just need to know your address so we can take you home.” He held up his cellphone and a navigation system, your eyes wide as you looked between him and the bright phone screen. They could’ve honestly left you there once that man stopped pursuing you, yet they were still looking after you.

“Or I could call you a cab. We know you probably don’t want to be around a ton of strangers right now.”

“N-no! Thank you, so much, I’m just really thankful I found you guys.”

“Hey, it only cost us a dollar to help you, and I don’t think any of us would feel right just leaving you to protect yourself from that guy.” Yunho said gently.

His tone and eyes were telling you he was being sincere, not that you needed any more convincing to trust him or his friends. Not to mention he was right about you needing a ride home, reality kicking in that you still didn’t have your phone on you and, if your groceries weren’t completely wasted by now, you still had some time to save them.

With a small smile you took his phone from his hands, typing in your address and passing it back to him, your body turning to match his as you head towards the van, the faint sounds of the boys arguing over who would drive and all agreeing that none of them wanted to, leading to an intense game of rock-paper-scissors that Yunho gladly stayed out of, a small giggle threatening to erupt from your lips.

“By the way, you guys don’t feel like strangers. Especially with your group’s name plastered on the side of your car.” You joked, a simple ‘Ah’ leaving him as you stared at you with a smirk, almost a silent way to say he’s discovered your dirty secret.

“You know, at first I thought you were a fan or something and that’s why you came up to me. I didn’t think I’d be right.”

“Uh, actually, I don’t know anything about you guys. I didn’t know you were ‘ATEEZ’ until I saw, well, that.” You gestured back to the vehicle where the boys began to disperse and enter the car, but the loud and bitter comments of them not wanting ‘Mingi’ to drive filling the air followed by an authoritative ‘Do you wanna do it?!’ from the blue-head. Were they aware of how unintentionally funny they were?

“Well, in that case, I’m Yunho.” He smiled, a genuine one that made you breathe out in contentment.

“I’m (Y/n).”

Your introduction was brief, followed by a silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, lingering in the air as you both made it to the van, easing your way inside and finding a seat next to the blue-head and prince-faced boy, giving a small nod and smile that he shyly returned, the three boys behind you too preoccupied in their phones to acknowledge you and, suddenly, the silence gone as Yunho spoke up from his awkward position of setting up his phone to the dashboard, the faint voice of the navigation arising in the background.

“You should introduce yourselves to (Y/n)!”

“Her name’s (Y/n)?” The one in the driver’s seat asked as he started the engine, peering to you from the rear view mirror with bright eyes before putting the car into drive.

“My name is Mingi.”

“I’m Seonghwa.” The guy from the passenger seat said to you as he turned to wave.

“I’m Choi San.” Cat eyes said from behind you, giving a dimpled smile that you easily returned.

“I am Jongho, and this is Wooyoung.”

“Hey! I can introduce myself!” You jumped slightly at the boom of ‘Wooyoung’s’ voice, giving a bewildered look at how fast he went back to his calm and charismatic self.

“I’m Wooyoung.” He reached his hand out to you, which you slowly took as you tried to calm down the giggles bubbling inside of you.

“Yeosang.” The one beside you said meekly, not giving you eye contact as he scrolled through his social media.

“And my name’s Hongjoong!” The blue-haired guy said, giving an enthusiastic wave that was slowly swallowed by the oversized sweater he wore, your breath caught in your throat from how cute he was.

“It’s nice to meet you all and, thank you, so much, for helping me tonight.”

“It’s no problem, we just wanted to make sure you stayed safe.” Mingi stated. You would’ve thought his deep voice would be drowned out by the van’s engine but you heard him perfectly.

“But what made you think we weren’t the creeps? You’re probably in a car full of murders and you don’t even know it-“

“Shut the hell up, Wooyoung, you’re scaring her!” Seonghwa yelled from the front, a hand landing on top of your head to give a small ruffle, your eyes following it to Hongjoong who peered past Yeosang’s head to see you.

“Don’t worry, we’re all good guys.”

“He’s lying! He yells at us all the time!” Jongho whined with a pout, slowly letting it grow into a smirk as Hongjoong glared at him playfully.

“Because none of you listen!” Hongjoong snapped back, an amused laugh from San echoing through the vehicle.

“Oh no, dad’s mad.”

“I’m stuck with ungrateful kids, of course I’m mad!” You couldn’t help but laugh, their bickering growing by the second as the car ride progressed.

It was funny how quickly they forgot there was a stranger riding with them, having conversations that you couldn’t understand about an idol life that you had no part in, Yunho attempting to remind them of your presence to make you feel included, eventually leading you to discuss university life that they couldn’t quite understand and, as mundane as it seemed, was still a bit entertaining.

You could see the familiar street light with a poster for part-time employment at the nearby seafood shop taped to it, signaling you were approaching your apartment a lot sooner than you expected and, as relieved as you were to finally be home and to relax from the horrifying encounter you had, you didn’t want to leave.

Your lips formed a pout as you struggled to adjust the pillow beneath your shirt, stretching the cotton material past its limit as you folded the cushion to stay in place, gasping excitedly with your arms sprawled to marvel at your masterpiece.

You were afraid to admit that you’ve been feeling a bit hormonal recently, so much so that you could only dream and fantasize about lying in bed with your boyfriend with both your hands cradling your pregnant belly, months passing by before you can finally hold the creation you made together, spending every second arguing about who it looked more like. You just hoped they had his hair.

A content sigh left your lips as your hand fondled your fake stomach, no sign of life in the pillow but you still looked at it in your bedroom’s mirror as if it was the baby you always wanted. You felt your eyes begin to water, vision going blurry while you averted your gaze from the plush “fetus” in hopes it’ll clear the fictional scenarios you formed in your head.

“Damn hormones,” You sniffled, shutting your eyes and hoping to regain your composure and get back to your normal mindset before Chan got home but, once you calmed yourself down and peered back up, your eyes landed on the pair of said man’s through the mirror, a loud gasp leaving you as you hurriedly removed the pillow from your top and threw it back to your bed, face hot with embarrassment as he looked at you with amusement.

“Y-you’re finished practice already? That was fast.” You awkwardly stammered, trying to keep eye contact but wanting to hide now that he saw you in what you’d describe as your least graceful moment.

“We actually focused on recording today, since Jisung made a new verse and wanted to see who’s voice fit better with it but- uhm-“ He pointed between you and the pillow, eyebrow cocked with a smirk on his lips as he approached you.

“What were you just doing?”

You wanted to die at that moment. How were you supposed to explain you were teetering between a sexually feral beast one day to a depressed baby wanting… well, baby, the next?

A baby. That was the only way to describe yourself. You were angry about everything while crying over nothing, similar to a fussy infant that just needed a nap. You really felt pathetic, and the thought of admitting it to him made you feel even more pitiful. He’d just make fun of you like he is now, and you’d go back to watching baby and puppy videos on your phone to feed your maternal desires for just a moment in the everlasting day. Why was this happening to you? What the hell was wrong with you?

“Hey, don’t cry. Look at me.” Chan cooed, cupping your face until your eyes were fixated on his concerned ones, both of you ignoring the uncomfortable stickiness between your cheek and his palm from your tears.

“I don’t know why I’m crying. And I’m just constantly thinking about babies, and sex, but mostly babies, and every time I think about either, I just want to cry more.” Your voice cracked slightly as you continued to sob, mainly because his same playful smile returned.

“Stop laughing at me!” You protested, only to be guided into his chest, hands roaming from your face to your arms and finally around your shoulders to keep you in place.

“I’m not, I promise I’m not! It’s just cute.”

“How is this cute, Chris?” You asked, voice muffled against his plain black t-shirt.

“Well, you’re ovulating. And when you ovulate, you can sometimes get a bit emotional and… aroused. So wanting to have babies and make them is completely natural, and I would never make fun of you for wanting either.” He explained in his typical fashion, his awkwardness making the situation a lot less mortifying for you and his accent more prominent than usual, something you noticed happened when he usually ranted. It was comforting. But one thing made your eyebrows knit together in confusion, head tilting back until you were staring at him once more.

“Wait, how did you know I was ovulating? I didn’t even know that.”

“I try to keep track of it so we don’t end up having any pregnancy scares but, seeing as you’re ready to be a mom, I guess I don’t have to anymore.” The mischievous tone returned and you immediately pushed him away, pointing a finger at him in a silent warning.

“No! We both already have too many responsibilities, Chris. You know we don’t have time for a baby.”

“I can multitask and I’ll make time. C’mon, (Y/n/n),” You yelped as he spun you around in a dramatic fashion, wrapping an arm around your waist as his other hand massaged your abdomen, pulling your back flush to his chest as his head rest in the crook of your neck.

“I think you’ll be really cute pregnant. Plus, we’ll have a little boy or girl calling us mommy and daddy, they’ll be busy playing with their uncle Changbin and Felix on weekends while we make them a brother or sister.” He tried to coax, lips pressing to your neck and leaving a trail of kisses from your collarbone to the spot just behind your ear, a breathy sigh leaving you as you shut your eyes in pleasure.

“You’re an idiot,”

“I’m just determined.” He corrected you, hands sliding to rest on your waist only to ease up your shirt to massage your sides, your hand flying behind you to tangle your fingers into his hair for some sort of anchor through the teasing touches that sent your hypersensitivity into overdrive.

“Are you sure we’re ready? We’ve never really talked about this.” You said, slowly twisting in his arms and maneuvering yourself to face him, drawing him away from your now slightly damp neck and his eyes bore into yours with a dark gaze that screamed lust and need.

“The day I met you, I told myself ‘we’re going to get marry and have five beautiful kids’. I haven’t changed my mind on that and I think the sooner we start, the better.” Chan said in a serious tone, the kind of voice that expressed nothing but authoritativeness and certainty, a chill running down your spine and your teeth sinking into your bottom lip, not wanting to seem too shy now at the slightly lewd confession but not wanting to pounce on him then and there and kill the romantic atmosphere.

“I-I guess we should get started then.”

*----*----*----*

You thought everything was said and done, that you’d be nude with your boyfriend rolling around the sheets of your bed in a desperate attempt of procreating one of your soon-to-be many kids, but the excitement you felt just moments ago slowly died as you lied naked on your back, rolling your eyes to your side to see Chan equally as bare with his eyes glued to his phone.

“Chris,” You said sweetly, trying to hide your bitter tone as he refused to look in your direction.

“I know, babe, I’m just trying to find which position would be best for conceiving.”

“Literally any position! We just need the sperm to meet the eggs!” You growled, eyes somehow managing to widen more as he still ignored you, a pout on your lips and a huff leaving your nose.

“I’m taking a nap.”

“Okay, I’ll be done soon.”

Jinhwan

Jealousy level: 2/10

Jinhwan feels secure with both himself and your relationship, so he wouldn’t get too jealous. But he has his moments.

He’d begin to act coldly towards everyone if he starts to feel as if someone is getting between you two, trying to remain nonchalant while simultaneously hoping you hear his silent prays that you do something to remind both him and the potential homewrecker that you’re spoken for.

He can get a bit pouty even when things die down and it’s made clear you’re happily taken, still upset you weren’t all over him the way he wanted, but that’s another issue for another time.

Yunhyeong

Jealousy level: 0/10

Like Jinhwan, he’s secure with himself and your relationship, but he also trust that you can put an end to any flirting or advances made towards you.

But Yunhyeong is no idiot.

He would tell you with a bright smile to go out with them for dinner or to the movies, to enjoy your time with them as if the situation didn’t faze him, but he knew it’d bother you. You’d feel like he was pushing you away, probably upset you were talking about and hanging out with another man that wasn’t him, maybe even upset you haven’t given him the same attention recently.

And, like clockwork, you’ll cancel all your plans to spend your time with Yunhyeong, his demeanor still nonchalant and unbothered while you tried to prove to him you were 100% committed to your relationship. It wasn’t his plan per say, it was clearly your idea to stay with him, he just gave you a bit of a push to come to that decision.

Jiwon

Jealousy level: 2/10

Another member that has no doubt that your relationship is perfect and indestructible. He doesn’t mind people flirting with you or even offering to take you out, a running joke between you two that someone might take you away from him one day. But the thing Bobby didn’t find funny? When guys were a bit too bold with their affection towards you.

You weren’t one to tell people off, especially strangers, leading to some people taking your silent bashfulness as compliance. The way guys would wrap their arms around your shoulders and pull you close drove Bobby crazy but, the way you awkwardly smiled and grimaced at the closeness between you and said stranger, killed any jealousy he felt.

He’d go into a protective stance, being your voice against unwanted predators. He was fine with seeming like the jealous boyfriend, as long as you were safe and comfortable.

Hanbin

Jealousy level: 8/10

Hanbin is a great boyfriend, but his jealousy can make you question your relationship at times.

He could go from silently glaring at the man stealing your attention to wrapping himself around you like a snake, taking PDA to an all-time high to ensure they got the hint but, if they didn’t catch on or if you brushed him off to focus on the stranger, he’d get angry.

He’s a sweet guy, but if he’s angry enough he’ll verbally tell them off, gritting his teeth and giving a stern warning to leave and never come near you again. He’d try to scold you as well, wanting to chastise you for allowing their flirting to go on for so long, but just looking in your slightly angry eyes made him calm down. His mood would switch back to the loving boyfriend you always knew, his PDA still at its highest as he profusely apologized to you, but he knew he had to go through hell and back to gain your forgiveness like always.

Donghyuk

Jealousy level: 1/10

Donghyuk only feels jealous when he’s not your main focus, especially when it’s another guy occupying your time.

He’d become pouty and verbally needy, not ashamed to admit that he’s jealous. His jealousy won’t last long because you’d immediately talk it out, his playfulness keeping things lighthearted and his arms wrapped around you like you’re his greatest comfort.

He wouldn’t mind if you continued conversing with the stranger, especially if you found some way to include him. Possibly the easiest to deal with in terms of jealousy and relationship security.

Junhoe

Jealousy level: 10/10

He’s petty and he doesn’t care that he’s petty. Anyone looks at you? He glares at them. They smile at you? He scoffs. You smile or laugh back? He rolls his eyes. His jealousy knows no bounds.

You’d find it amusing if you weren’t also a target in his unhinged behavior. He’d ignore you and everyone nearby, arms crossed and lips in a permanent pout as he watched you ignore his upset demeanor, silently demanding you go over and comfort him. But, even if you do, he’ll keep up his bitter act, sarcastically asking why you weren’t talking with your other boyfriend.

He’d be the most difficult to make up with, his jealousy fueling your own anger until you found yourselves in a silent treatment match that’d last but so long once you both went to bed, his arm wrapping around you waist and holding you close, a simple “I’m still mad” leaving him as you drifted to sleep.

Chanwoo

Jealousy level: 5/10

Chanwoo would feel jealous but he wouldn’t know how to go about it. He’d be embarrassed if you knew he was jealous, but he also couldn’t stand seeing you laugh with and hug some guy he never met before. If you brought him along so they could meet, he’d space out, his mind going over everything you might have found perfect about the other guy and doubting if this was just step one of you replacing him and finding a new and better relationship.

He’d mentally detach from the situation before physically drifting away as well, eyes reluctantly glancing at you both to watch the potential demise of his relationship. Once you found yourself back at his side, you’d be able to tell right away he wasn’t himself and, after putting two and two together, determined he was just feeling insecure. He’d need a lot of reassurance, just a simple “I love you” not enough to remind him you weren’t going anywhere.

You’ve seen elegance but never at this level, eyes glued to the ceiling that seemed to reach heights you could only dream of, not even thirty basketball players stacked onto one another’s shoulders able to graze the top. The sparkling from the crystal gold leaf chandeliers adding to the fairytale-like atmosphere as servers of all kind bustled around you offering food and drinks at any given chance, your hand reluctantly staying at your side as you declined their generosity. You were starving, but you had a job to do and, that job, was Song Minhyun.

He was the newly appointed Don of the Amarillo family, his father passing away from an unknown condition only a week ago but, based on how fast Minhyun made the world aware that he was now in control of all the illicit acts committed in the name of Amarillo after years of having their identity protected and undisclosed, even going as far as to threaten and betray the various families beneath him in an insane power trip, it was clear his father’s death was no accident. But you were never a fan of that man, he was creepy with a bad attitude to match, so this task wasn’t some gesture of vengeance for him, it was strictly about you and your family.

Just like the Amarillo’s, your family went under an alternative name, Nio’s, which closely resembled the name of the pharmaceutical manufacturing company masking it, Neo Tech. It always made you laugh considering no one caught on to their association, given Nio’s were the largest distributors and exporters of controlled substances in majority of the Eastern hemisphere. But joining Nio’s wasn’t a life you wanted to live, you were practically forced into it, but once you’ve engrained yourself into a life of organized crime, it was impossible to leave. You lived every day with the mindset of kill or be killed, Minhyun’s threats to expose your operations to the NIS who, after the death of Nio’s founder, Kim Dongwan, assumed your family officially ceased activity in the crime syndicate, being your main motive for taking him down. Sure, you were ordered to handle the assassination but, considering you could face life in prison simply for everything you’ve done in the name of Nio’s, you were more than willing. There was one problem though, Song Minhyun was an absolute dream.

Your thoughts seemed to fade into nothingness when you initiated conversation, going with the plan to seduce and kill him only to find he was much more enticing than you anticipated. He was a year or so older than you yet spoke like he was some immortal seer, his wisdom and life stories drawing you in and leaving your heart racing. His smile was so wide and gummy but eyes sharp and attentive, never leaving yours even as he drew you further from the crowd which, according to Taeyong, was not part of the plan. And you couldn’t begin to understand how fucked you were.

You didn’t know where he was taking you, too focused on his words while simultaneously adjusting your silky white dress to reveal more cleavage from the already plunging v-neck and your walk becoming sultrier to expose more of your leg from the thigh-high slit.

“You know, you shouldn’t focus too much on your looks when you’re naturally beautiful.” Minhyun spoke, your eyes darting to him as your hands returned to your sides, a shy giggle echoing in the now deserted hallway he lead you through.

“Can you blame me? Standing next to an attractive man can really mess with a girl’s self-esteem.” You admitted, suddenly feeling like some high schooler in a rom-com.

“Well, I can help with those insecurities. Just tell me where to start and I’ll make you feel like an absolute queen.” Your breath hitched as his body turned to face you, hand reaching to cup your neck but it was large enough that his thumb could glide over your bottom lip with ease, smudging your red lipstick against your skin teasingly but still holding your gaze.

His presence, the sheer dominance he exuded made you whimper in a mixture of fear and pleasure. You weren’t going planning to escape yet he made the initiative to hold you close to him, an arm wrapped securely around your waist making a heat rush through you that could only be described as want, no longer aware of your duties and no longer caring. He was perfect, and you wanted a piece of his perfection. Maybe for the night, maybe forever, you decided you’d choose after whatever surprise he had for you was done in the dark office he dragged you into, your excitement blocking out the burning gaze from just down the hall.

Minhyun shut the door, not bothering to lock it seeing that you were so willing and easy to remain with him. He knew who you were and what you were planning to do. You were an orphan taken in by Nio’s, trained to be a child soldier for a man who couldn’t even hold his own against Minhyun’s father, now under Taeyong’s rules and orders. But knowing that his first encounter with Taeyong was less than stellar and the sudden ultimatum to forfeit all their assets to the Amarillos or be handed over to the police for sentences that can range from 50 years to death for each and every one of his precious borgata, the only thing Taeyong could do was kill him and you, unfortunately were just a pawn in those plans.

“You know, your looks are nothing to be insecure about. You’re beautiful beyond comprehension.” He spoke lowly, inching closer and guiding you to his large desk just by the window, the moonlight that seeped through the blinds the only form of light allowing you to take in his features.

You gasped as he grabbed your hips, spinning you and pressing you over the desk. You sighed in contentment at the feeling of his hands caressing up your thighs, dress riding up and slowly revealing the black thong you had, a low chuckle leaving his lips at the sight. Not just because you were practically bare before him, but at the pocket pistol held securely in its holster that you managed to forget about. It was a Glock 42, making him proud that he did his research on you because, if he was in your position right now, and the number of murders you committed were accurate, he’d be a goner already.

“(Y/n), if only you were as smart as you are beautiful.” He said, your eyes widening at the way he spoke but, more importantly, he knew your name. Your real name. Not the one you were given for this mission.

“How’d you-Ow!” You whimpered as he grabbed your hair, pulling you upwards until your back was flush with his chest.

Tears were pricking your eyes, your breathing heavy as you felt a cool metal press to your temple swallowing hard while simultaneously attempting to reach to your thigh discretely to find your own gun, only to find it was the one in his hand.

“When I read about you, I was so intrigued. So curious. You know there’s only one photo of you online and it’s a mugshot from when you were still living on the streets?” He laughed out loud at that, ignoring the way your body thrashed against his in an attempt to free yourself, head leaning further away from the possibly cocked gun in fear that he was finished monologuing already.

“But you’re really weak. And I’d usually like that in women, especially when they’re this submissive but, them wanting to kill me is a deal breaker. So what am I to do if I have the opportunity to murder my would-be assassin?” His lips were pressed to the shell of your ear, your eyes squeezed shut as you tried to silently apologize to the Nio’s. Sorry that you let your guard down, that you let some pretty face turn you into some horny teenager, the only plus side to your death being that it wouldn’t be Taeyong killing you because you knew how much he loved to torture before doing the deed. And with that final thought, you were ready to die, just hoping that someone else could finish the job you’ve failed tonight. And they did.

The sound of the door colliding with the wall was all you heard, followed by two hollow gunshots. Your eyes flew open as you felt Minhyun’s body fall limp against yours, hand slowly releasing your hair until you could move again, quickly shoving him off to adjust your dress to cover yourself before facing your silent savior, your heart stopping at the fierce, angry, “don’t move or I’ll kill you too” gaze Doyoung was giving you.

It was one thing to piss off Taeyong, you knew what to expect, but with Doyoung? He wasn’t a killer. In fact, he was the medic of your unit, coming along in case things went awry and someone needed instant care. He was a gentle person with a snappy attitude, but never one to act on his threats, so to see him with a gun in his hand, a body lying face first in blood from its skull and chest created by the man himself and approaching you with a scowl so deep you thought his baby face would finally start to wrinkle, you felt more fear than when you were almost dead.

“D-doyoung. Thank yo-“ You gasped as your head turned, eyes stinging with tears and cheek burning in both embarrassment and from the harsh impact his hand left.

You slowly peered up, afraid he’d strike you again just to see Yuta and Haechan slipping by silently, giving you a brief glance while collecting to fallen shells and your gun from Minhyun, only to leave you alone once more with the unpredictable aid.

“Doyoung-“

“Let’s go.”

Those were the only words he said before turning to head out of the office, your body immediately following close behind. He was silent the entire time, stuffing the pistol back into his waistband before buttoning his suit’s blazer to conceal it, leading the both of you through the still bumbling party and to the exit. Everything he did felt so tense despite being so normal. The way he spoke to the valets, how he entered the car without bothering to open the door for you, even his group call letting everyone know the task was done felt hostile. But you said nothing, continuing to wait idly by and praying he forgot about the situation.

You were tempted to break the awkward silence looming between the both of you on this seemingly hours long drive but, from the way he was radiating heat from how angry he was, you felt staying silent would be best. But you didn’t want to stay silent. You wanted to thank him for saving you while simultaneously screaming at him for slapping you, but also have one normal conversation with him. It was painful to admit that for the past few years you both weren’t exactly friendly with one another, no one seeming to care as “this was strictly business”, and you hated it. You never said it but you loved the Nio’s members and knew they loved you and each other as well, but for some reason the only two people that kept this family at arms length were the core members, Lee Taeyong and Kim Doyoung.

You knew Doyoung wasn’t a fan of the family ever since his father introduced him to that life, pissed he didn’t follow in his older brother’s footsteps and leave as soon as possible. He was supposed to be the heir to the family and be the boss of the 18 people living under his roof and the 7 working overseas in China to keep production there running and, as much as you didn’t want the responsibility, he was in too deep to run away. He opted to stop training for field work, developing a phony passion for medicine and surgery which led to him becoming the emergency medic for the team and no longer catching his father’s fancy for taking over their empire, leading to his heirship being rescinded. And as for the spot as heir? Doyoung’s father ordered Taeyong to fill. You knew Taeyong a lot better than the others but were utterly shocked to see him take over so easily. He was obviously a natural born leader but he had a habit of complaining about not always wanting to be in charge, using you as his unwilling therapist when he felt like reverting to his unintimidating, crybaby self. But there was no exit at this point, so what more could you do than make the most of a bad situation by befriending one another and having fun when you felt your lives were no longer in danger? And, whether they liked it or not, they were going to have fun with you and the rest of their constantly growing family.

“Y-you know, I was more scared of you then being killed back there. I’ve never seen you so mad.” You laughed, hoping to at least get a smile or something from him, your eyes glancing over to see his grip on the steering wheel tighten at your words. Maybe you should’ve just shut up.

“Doyoung, I’m sorry I put you in a situation where you had to kill, I know you hate stuff like that but, if it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be dead. Besides, it’s kinda like medicine if you think about it. Except you saved a life by taking one rather than just giving drugs to- OW!” You cried out as he slammed on the brakes, the only thing keeping you from flying through the windshield being your hands on the dashboard and the seatbelt crossed over your chest and waist.

“You bitch!” You snapped at him, watching his blank expression as he removed his seatbelt and turned off the car.

“Meet me in my office. You have five minutes.” Doyoung said plainly, your eyes fixed on him in bewilderment as he exited the car with no concern for you.

You let out an annoyed breath, your fear from before mixed with anger as you hurriedly followed his lead, leaving the car and speed walking to the front door he was entering through. To your surprise, most of the guys were there, not sparing either of you a glance as they knew what had happened and knew better than to interfere, but one person didn’t keep quiet.

“(Y/n), what the FUCK did I tell you?” Taeyong growled, your body practically jumping as he cornered you in the entrance’s corridor, eyes burning with anger and panic that you knew he had no way of controlling. He was always a hothead.

“I-I-“

“I’m having the meeting with her, Taeyong. Don’t bother. You have two minutes.” Doyoung spoke, voice fading as he continued down the hall to the small office he typically frequented to buy and sell shipment for Nio’s personal and professional use.

As soon as he was out of earshot, you grabbed Taeyong’s hands, eyes wide and teary as you tried to plead with him to save you.

“You went off where we couldn’t see you and didn’t even complete the mission. You could have been dead by now.”

“I know and you can punish however you want but, Taeyong, Doyoung is pissed, and I don’t know what to do. He already slapped me, now he’s not even speaking to me,”

“He never talks to you.”

“He does sometimes, when he wants to be a sarcastic asshole! But, please, Taeyong, talk to him. Calm him down so he doesn’t hurt me again.” You tried to use a soft voice, hoping to strike a sympathetic nerve in the doe-eyed man.

“(Y/n/n),” Taeyong sighed, cupping your face and making you lock eyes with him.

“You fucked up and made Doyoung do something he’s sworn to himself and us that he’d never do. His anger is justified. But I’ll be there for you whenever you’re in danger, whether it’d be an enemy or anyone living in this house, I’ll never let you get hurt.” He gave a warm smile, your lips curling to mimic his.

“But not tonight. You put us all at risk as you need to face the consequences.”

“Taeyong!”

“I’ll visit you in the infirmary later tonight.” You whimpered in fear as he kissed the crown of your head and pushed you in the direction of the office, heels clicking against the white marble floor as you stumbled to what might be your imminent doom.

You could taste blood in your mouth from the way you bit down on your tongue to ease your anxiety, your once statue-like body moving forward with caution although the chilly air was urging you to retreat. You couldn’t turn back because Taeyong would just escort you to Doyoung himself but if you went straight to Doyoung, who knows what he’d do. You couldn’t even take a second to cry over your dilemma once you noticed the dark brown mahogany door. The office was soundproof, something you both loved and hated. Whatever Doyoung wanted to scream at you would go unheard by the men possibly showering and preparing for bed after a somewhat successful evening, but then they wouldn’t hear you scream for help. It reminded you of earlier tonight, making the situation a bit more lighthearted until you realized you could’ve died then and would possibly die now.

“Oh god,” You breathed out in a whisper, shutting your eyes and taking a deep breath as your hand gripped the steel doorknob, turning it and entering the spacious and organized room.

“Doyoung.” You spoke lowly, shutting the door behind you but refusing to move any closer to him as he sat with an unrecognizable file before him.

“July of 2016, you were assigned to deliver a new batch of amphetamines to Xu Minghao who ran the Chinese operations of Sebong. Instead of cooperating with Weishen, AKA the Chinese sector of your own team, you thought doing the drop off yourself would be fine, only to let your guard down and let it slip that you were in Nio’s which promptly lead to you not only being ambushed, but Sicheng jumping in to save you and being shot in the lower back in the process.” He said blandly, flipping over the page to yet another as you swallowed hard at the memory, accidentally mentioning Haechan’s name and revealing you weren’t just a middle man in their operation but a direct asset, and Winwin payed the price for your stupidity.

“I remember just fine, but-“

“February of 2017, you knowingly entered enemy territory in Kyoto without alerting Yuta who, as you’ve always known, is in charge of our Japanese affairs. He has people over there for a reason, to handle the shit we can’t while we’re in Seoul. But you waltz over there and initiate a gang war that has only now been resolved.” He said, voice growing in annoyance and animosity that was a complete 180 from his once emotionless tone, your voice caught in your throat as you also remembered that day. You were on vacation and thought it’d be fine as long as you went in some disguise, but you were too well known and the fact you couldn’t speak Japanese only made it worse. You even remembered how Yuta refused to talk to you for months as he traveled constantly to fix your mistake.

“I-I know I fucked up that time but I tried to explain and I-“

“And that brings us to tonight! You had to stay in the spotlight with the man threatening not only your life but everyone you know in Nio’s and neighboring groups, and lead him back to the apartment we set up for you for a simple and quick execution, but you decide to go further into his mansion, expose yourself to him, and allow him to nearly murder you with your bare ass out!” His voice was strained as he screamed this time, your eyes watering as he pushed the large leather chair back to stand, making his way around the desk to approach you.

“I’d remind you about what happened in 2013, but I’m sure you’d never forget that.” He said with no emotion once more, your eyes low as you tried to suppress the urge to touch your slightly sunken head. Your our only job was to shoot if you saw someone escaping during an exchange but, instead, you were hit yourself, every medic working hard to keep you from dying and leaving you with a partially shaved head and a new metal plate in your skull.

“But I want you to tell me who saved your ass that time, (Y/n)?” His voice was playful now, emotions changing like an out of control radio station. Sometimes you wondered if he was just as mentally fucked as Taeyong.

You gasped when you felt his hand gripping your face, forcing your head up and back until your eyes met, a fire behind them that made your stomach swirl in fear but enchantment. You almost even forgot about how rough his grip on your jaw was because his hands were so soft, the warmth he let off no longer intimidating but causing you to turn to putty in his hands and wanting to fall against him in comfort and bliss. But the sudden harsh flick to your forehead made you realize he was anything but comforting.

“Stop acting like a touch starved dumbass and answer me. Who the fuck saved you from bleeding out in a filthy warehouse in the middle of fucking Daegu?” He said harshly, your eyes darkening as you tried to keep your composure.

“You did.”

“And you decided that me handling the responsibility of operating on you was some sentimental, heroic act and that from that day forth, you would make it everyone’s job to save you? That it was my job to save you?”

You felt your eyes tearing up again, lip quivering as a sob threatened to escape you and he could only let out a scoff, harshly pulling his hand back as he watched you cry.

“And now you’re crying.”

“I tried to thank you, I tried to apologize for making you save me yet you won’t let me! You slapped me! You’re screaming at me and making me feel bad when I already fucking feel bad. I know I’m fucking up and it’s hard on you guys but I-I just don’t know what to do! I’m tired and sick of having to live every second of my life knowing there is no one in this world I can trust and that I can never leave and that’s all I want, Doyoung! I just want to leave and be a normal person.”

The silence between you was deafening, almost loud in a way, but it was allowing you both to take in the words you said. You could see the look of conflict and annoyance on his face through your tears, a glimmer of what you both hoped and feared was sadness in his eyes as he rolled them to look anywhere but you. And what Doyoung saw of you was a breeding ground of trauma and dysfunction.

You were no different from anyone there, your life story was so similar to most of theirs that no one had time to pity you. You joined Nio’s when you were only 10, hair matted and filthy like the clothes you wore, hands stained red with blood and a look in your eyes that screamed frustration but hopelessness. You were the perfect tool for his father and it was sad watching yet another lost soul fall into this lifestyle. But you proved to be so capable of yourself, strong and competent but, after the death of his father, something in you changed. You were emotional, distracted, constantly agreeing to do task but never fully connecting mentally. He even noticed you screaming in the middle of the night from nightmares. Whether you remembered or not, you and Doyoung were close, so close it managed to shift the atmosphere of Nio’s into something enjoyable and worthy of being part of, but he knew it wasn’t good for you to stay. Not for any of you. So he gave you a chance to leave, a chance to live your life the way you had always told him you wanted, but you didn’t take it. Your reason? Taeyong. You never explained why he was the reason you were staying but the way you constantly clung to their leader like you were his lapdog was all the clarification that he needed. For Doyoung, the closeness you shared and the desire you both had of living normal lives was nothing compared to the same greed for power you shared with Taeyong. So he stopped trying to save you, stopped focusing on how to help you preserve what little of your sanity was left until now. Seeing you at your breaking point made it clear to him that even if this life would follow you forever, letting you go was better than having everyone killed from your mistakes. And, if you left, whatever problems haunted you would be yours to face alone, and he was fine with that.

“You will never be a normal person. And whatever life you choose to live will be as stressful as this one because you’ll spend every second looking over your shoulder wondering who’s out to get you. But, you’re dead weight now, and it’s unfair we’re the ones that have to keep carrying you. I don’t care when or where you go, just leave.” His tone was harsh and cold, the relief you felt at his words not enough to ease the pressure in your chest.

Doyoung’s no longer had power to make these decisions once Taeyong was appointed as leader, so you knew without the boss’ approval his word meant nothing. But, if you had the chance to run, why not take it? Maybe for one day, you could be free, probably take the time you needed to hide away from Nio’s and the crime world you knew all too well. You had no set plan, but sticking around trying to making one would do you no good.

“T-thank you. Thank you for everything.” You said with a small voice and deep bow, Doyoung not bothering to look at you as you hurriedly exited the room to head to yours and pack any belongings you needed for your new life.

This day was like any other; you come over after Chanwoo invited you, the boys all crowd around you making comments that infantilized you in their attempt to maintain the sweet and innocent persona you presented the night you met them, Chanwoo presses a soft kiss to your forehead before leading you to the sofa in their living room to snuggle against him, and you jokingly say you thought only three of them lived in that home prompting a series of laughter before diverting your attention back to some movie playing on the television. Every week that you came over it was like this, and it was starting to bother you.

You and Chanwoo were approaching your eighth month as a couple and you were hoping things would progress further. Your indoor dates were becoming constants, always at his home or your apartment but you tried not to mind it, knowing he preferred a more private relationship and you’ve happily accepted that, so a night in wasn’t too big of a deal. But it was when, after spending hours alone in a compact space for days at a time, he still wasn’t catching on that you just wanted to fuck. Sure, you could be one of those couples that waited until your wedding night to do the deed, sticking to cuddling and hand holding for the time being, but you were filled with pent-up sexual frustration and you knew he was too, those small kisses becoming more passionate and needy whenever he returned from practice or promotions, the small whimpers he let out when he had to will himself to take things slow, they were clear signs. You wanted him to make the first move, to know for certain you weren’t the only one ready, but it never happened, and you were afraid it’d never come. Until tonight, when a miracle occurred.

“We’re going to that Italian place we tried last week.” Donghyuk stated, dragging you from your daydreams to see the six men pulling on their coats and shoes.

“What? That place is like a 40 minute drive away.” Chanwoo said, arm still wrapped tightly around you as he adjusted himself to sit up straight, your head not leaving his chest.

“I know, but Junhoe kept mentioning it and now we’re all craving it.” Jinhwan said with a sigh, kinda annoyed he has to travel so far just for a bowl of Cacciucco.

“Well, have fun, I guess. We’ll just starve until you come back.” Chanwoo said sarcastically, a soft giggle slipping past you lips as you tried to hide it.

“Shut up, we’re bring you something back. You want anything specific, (Y/n/n)?” Bobby asked, everyone’s eyes suddenly on you as you tried to think, not really caring about food but the heat rising through your body in excitement and anticipation once you realized they’ll be gone for over an hour, wanting nothing more than for them to leave that very second.

“Spaghetti. Regular spaghetti is fine.” You said, giving another bright smile they couldn’t help but coo at.

It didn’t take long for the six men to file out, your eyes watching them closely until the door shut behind, and a sigh of relief leaving your body. You had a golden opportunity right now, to make the first move and take the next step you’ve been itching for. You weren’t nervous or even scared, just ready to make every dream you had of him inside of you come true.

“Channie,” You said cutely, biting down on your bottom lip to gain his attention, his eyes meeting yours and filled with a small glint of curiosity at the sudden distraction. You were usually quiet during movies until he made a comment you’d respond to, so it was a bit odd for you to initiate conversation first this time.

“Do you want to have sex?”

The question caught both of you off guard. You wanted to be direct but the statement felt so strange coming from you, and Chanwoo felt the same. You never talked about sex or made suggestive jokes or comments, so he knew you were being sincere, his only reaction to ask ‘What?’, prompting a scoff to leave you as you practically tore yourself from his arms.

“For the last month and a half, our dates have been at home. We cuddle, watch movies, maybe eat, but that’s all and, you know I don’t mind it, I just got tired of the same thing every time but I started thinking that maybe being inside isn’t so bad. Maybe we can take another step in our relationship and explore the sexual side of it instead of just holding hands and kissing. But, y-you act like you don’t want to, and I don’t want to force you to so, I just want to know if I should stop worrying about it or if you’re ready too.”

The confession was a bit rushed and sloppy, even with all the time you’ve spent mulling over how badly you wanted this, but it was enough to get your point across. Chanwoo couldn’t even look you in the eye, trying to form his own thoughts even as he spent just as long thinking about this. He wanted this, he wanted you, he wanted to take that next step and bring back that spark to your relationship that he could only faintly remember. But your relationship was otherwise perfect, and the thought that an unexpected change could probably drive you away scared him.

“Woo,” You called to him, finally regaining his attention, giving a sad smile as your hand reached to cup his neck, easing your fingers up and into his hair until his face fell into a relaxed state and you couldn’t help by giggle a bit.

“What if you don’t like having sex with me and we break up?” He mumbled, eyes shut to enjoy the scalp massage you gave.

“Chanwoo, I questioned our relationship when you randomly suggested we stop going on dates in public so much. I also questioned our relationship when you let our team die in Apex because you’re a terrible healer,”

“It was my first time being healer, stop bringing that up!” You laughed out loud this time, his eyes opening to see your smile, still as bright and angelic as ever.

“Just think of sex like Apex; you were able to learn how to be a great healer so, if our first time isn’t that great, we can just keep practicing until you’re the best.” Your voice was a bit lower, eyes glazed over and body inching closer to his, his unconsciously doing the same.

“So what if I don’t like anything you do?” He challenged, suddenly more bold now that the situation turned for the better, the tension building around you more pleasant than unbearable, almost enticing you to continue.

You said no words as you moved away from him, his eyes watching your every move like a predator to its prey, except you were both predators, feral and ready to pounce for dominance at any moment, and this was your opportunity to strike.

You were always such an angel, always so sweet and perfect without a flaw, and somehow that statement remained, even with you sat between Chanwoo’s legs, undoing his pants with ease and pulling them down just enough (with his help of course) to release his semi-erect member. Your hands felt so soft on his thighs and your tongue moving effortlessly along the underside of his shaft, dragging up to the tip where you flicked your tongue teasingly, not breaking eye contact with the man above you. Chanwoo tried not show how much you affected him, but he couldn’t stop his underlying desires from taking over, a desperate hand moving to your hair as you took the tip into your mouth, humming playfully at his silent pleas.

You could taste the saltiness of his precum on your tongue, a pulse running to your sex at the various thoughts of him. What positions he’d have you in, how his girthy length will feel once he was inside of you stretching you out, how far you can take him into your mouth as he release his load. That last thought was enough to end your teasing, head falling further down his cock until he was at the back of your throat, not wasting time bobbing your head and hollowing your cheeks so your warm cavern massaged his dick. Maybe it was your oral sex skills or just the build-up of holding back for months, but Chanwoo felt like he was going to explode, body hot as he swallowed every moan and groan threatening to spill from his lips, fingers curling inside of your locks to keep you there, your hands on his thighs the only thing keeping him from thrusting further into your mouth, although it didn’t seem possible. You were taking him so well, using your tongue to swipe along his balls whenever you were down far enough, a pathetic whine breaking the silence formed around you, causing you to notice the movie had been paused all along, but you thought the way Chanwoo tried to keep his eyes open to watch your movements, lips parted in pleasure while letting you hear how good you made him feel was much better than any film you’ve seen.

“(Y/n/n), I’m-“ He sighed as you pulled back, hand slowly relaxing in your hair as he managed to gaze down at you, that same innocent look in your eyes as when you first arrived.

He wanted to stop you when you began to stand, moving away from him and heading towards the halls and bedrooms.

“You coming?” You called, grinning once you heard him rush from the sofa, your feet excitedly carrying you to his bedroom. It was finally happening.

You entered Chanwoo’s room first, eyes scanning to take in the interior. His television was on with a random Twitch stream still playing despite him being in the living room for most of the day, his bed was cleared yet there were various items of clothing strewn about, leaving you to wonder if you’ll be able to find yours once you both were done.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around your waist, lips eagerly lapping at your neck with large hands impatiently worming up your shirt. Sex was always about taking things slow, learning each other’s bodies and creating your own dance that no one else could understand but you two. But you didn’t want to take things slow, you wanted to Tango instead of Waltz, to have a taste of the best dish in the world before learning to make it. You just wanted him.

“Chanwoo, stop teasing.” You breathed out, hands trying to capture his as one began to undo your pants, the other toying with your nipple and making your chest heave in desire.

“After what you pulled,” You bit back a moan at the feeling of his hard-on pressing against your butt, eyes fluttering in his direction in an attempt to see him and the devilish smirk growing on your flesh.

“I think you can wait. Now, I need your clothes off. Now.”His voice was chilling, dominating and unsparing, an obedience you never knew existed inside of you emerging and making you follow his commands.

You listened carefully to his footsteps as he marched past you, giving you space to undress and time for you to predict his next move. You were kicking away your pants by the time he reached his nightstand, pulling out a small clear bottle of lube. You immediately perked up when he faced you, not bothering to hide your excitement while climbing onto his bed, eyes hooded with lust and hunger swirling through your irises. He was silent as he worked, squirting a stream of the clear water-based gel onto his middle and forefinger as he approached the bed. He didn’t care how messy it was, watching it drip onto both the carpeted floor and his palm but coating his fingers the way he needed before kneeling between your spread legs. Your face followed his as he leaned in to you, desperately catching his lips in a sloppy kiss, tongues and teeth clashing with one another. Your head was spinning, the air was stuffy and hot around you as you moaned into Chanwoo’s mouth, hips bucking desperately once you felt his slick fingers tracing along your hole, your body begging him to keep going and, by some miracle, he didn’t tease you too long, slipping inside of you slowly as he stretched out the somewhat virginal opening.

“Chan-“ The pathetic whimper you let out fueled him, his lips moving down to your neck as he began to thrust his digits in and out of you, not wanting to drown your sounds of pleasure any longer.

You weren’t a virgin, yet after eight months of not having sex with Chanwoo, and seven months prior to meeting him of not having sex with anyone, you felt like you were. The way you panted out whines while rolling your lower half into his hand in a haphazardly manner whereas he was curling and twisting inside of you with ease, as if he’s known your body forever, made you realize he had a lot more experience than you initially thought, maybe a lot more than you. And you loved it.

Your eyes were threatening to shut at the various sensations, a burning inside of you from the mixed feelings of his fingertips penetrating the almost hidden spot within you and his lips traveling down your body, but you didn’t want to miss the way his mouth immediately latched onto your sex, a stuttered moan echoing through the somewhat spacious room as his tongue worked against you. You couldn’t believe Chanwoo thought you’d leave him for being bad in bed, and he couldn’t believe he thought your relationship was perfect by staying at first base and that you’d leave if he took anything further, yet here you were; Chanwoo making the coil in your stomach tighten while he watched your eyes roll to the back of your head and his mouth working wonders on you. Taking this next step in your relationship was the best decision of both your lives.

“S-slow down. I’m cl- Ah!” Your legs were twitching, desperate to wrap around his head and pull him close yet your hand remained threaded in his hair, able to pull him away at any second but instead allowing him to ravage you.

You didn’t want to cum yet, you wanted to watch his face contort in pleasure as you fucked him the way you always wanted, yet you could feel the pressure in your body building, limbs tensing and convulsing as your nails clawed at his scalp, hips rolling as high-pitched warnings of your undoing left your lips, Chanwoo watching you closely as you finally released, back arching and body practically frozen as his mouth continued to ride you through your high as he swallowed your juices, mouth and fingers slowly pulling away from you as your labored breathes filled his ears.

“You okay, baby?” He asked lowly, bringing his body up until your faces were aligned again.

Your eyes peeled open, your vision crossed before you could make out his face, a bit of your essence on the corner of his lips as he smiled down at you. You leaned forward, kissing him to suck away the residue, moaning at how sweet you tasted in his mouth and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Do you think you can keep going?” He asked, certain you’d tell him now based on the fucked out expression you had, but the way your hands pulled at his shirt and tossing it away proved him wrong, his hands moving fast to get rid of his pants and boxers as his mouth eagerly found yours again.

At this point, it wasn’t about teasing or taking things slow to see how well your bodies meshed together, it was all about instinct, and Chanwoo couldn’t ignore his any longer. He was glad that you both were on the same page as he slipped his member into your lube-filled hole, a simultaneous sigh of pleasure escaping you both as he bottomed out inside of you. He didn’t hesitate to start moving, grabbing onto your thighs to hoist them around his waist as his hips moved flush against yours. His pace wasn’t too fast but it was impactful, your body shifting along the mattress with each stroke and bouncing as he reached deeper. Your moans were breathy and gentle, only encouraging your boyfriend to pull back just enough to reposition your legs on his shoulder, his pace now faster.

He loved seeing you like this, eyes half-lidded and lips parted until you sank your teeth into them to keep from crying out any louder but to no avail, he even noticed your hand going to your groin to massage your sex, a desperate attempt to bring you to another orgasm. It was amusing to think his perfect angel was a touch starved nympho just begging to cum over and over again.

“Cute.” He cooed teasingly, smirking down at you as your eyes met, desperation and exhaustion filling your gaze.

“You were begging me to fuck you earlier, now you can’t even speak. C’mon, (Y/n/n), tell me how good you feel.” You wanted to roll your eyes at his usual juvenile behavior, but you’d be lying if you said his backhanded degradation wasn’t a turn on.

Chanwoo reached forward to cup your warm cheek, thumb brushing over your plump lips as his movements still haven’t let up.

“You’re speechless now, aren’t you?”                                                                                                

“S-shut up.” You managed to stammer out, a faint yelp leaving you as he came an abrupt stop, hips pressed to yours and cock deep inside the walls of your tight hole.

“If you can still talk, that means I’m not doing a good job.” His voice held a tone that you couldn’t quite describe yet you knew it was trouble, you were even more worried when he leaned forward until your knees were just by your face.

You didn’t have time to process his motives until his hips began moving again, this time at a more brutal pace that made your breath hitch and eyes widen, the same moans you let out before increasing in volume and coming out sporadically, his hips barely leaving yours with each thrust causing the room to fill with the echoes of skin connecting with skin. Your hand left from between your bodies as his abdomen pressed to yours, the friction against your sex more effective than your own hand and every part of your body aching for more, Chanwoo groaning at the way your hole clenched around his member. You couldn’t think straight, wanting to tell him to slow down yet needing him to go faster, wanting him to go deeper yet feeling pain with each stretch of his dick, vision blurry and the Twitch stream you had once forgotten somehow louder while your moans faded into nothingness. Both your breathing was rough, his eyes fixed on your figure and the way it fit beneath him. He waited so long to have you here, wanting this moment to last forever, but the way your head lulled against the mattress, hips eagerly rolling against his as sob-like moans escaped your throat along with his name, he knew he wouldn’t last, already feeling his member twitch inside of you and he could feel you were close to.

“Where?” He asked hurriedly, not bothering to explain as you swallowed hard, trying to find your voice.

“I-inside. Please.” Your voice was simply a whisper at that point but he heard you loud and clear, giving a few more thrust and ready to release into you until-

“Hey, did (Y/n) leave already? We got them their spaghet-“ Hanbin froze at the scene before him, his groupmates not far behind and catching an eyeful of their maknae in such a vulnerable state.

Chanwoo was red faced, eyes squeezing shut and head low as he felt himself release into you involuntarily, your eyes shut as whimpers left your mouth at the feeling of your own orgasm, throat aching from your previous moans, not noticing the group of men staring at the state of you two in the doorway.

“T-the door was open and it sounded like you were playing ‘For Honor’ so we figured we didn’t have to-“

“Just leave. Please.” Chanwoo said hurriedly, your eyes opening to see twelve familiar ones staring down at you, your mouth opening for you to scream but all you could muster was a mortified gasp.

“I’ll just leave this here for you.” He said meekly while placing the bag of food on the floor, shutting the bedroom door without another word as they all felt as awkward as you did.

You weren’t sure if it was the fact they saw you naked, or the fact they potentially witnessed you being fucked, or the fact you weren’t smart enough to close the door for privacy, or the fact they may or may not have watched you have an orgasm while simultaneously being filled with cum, but you were embarrassed. And, from the way Chanwoo tried to avoid your gaze, you could tell he was as well.

“So, you hungry?” He said shyly, your eyes wide in disbelief as he nonchalantly tried to move on, pulling out of you and making his way to the bag lying by his door.

Mark put on the fakest genuine smile he could as the two girls snapped photos, quickly pulling his mask back on as they checked to make sure the pictures came out perfectly. He was prepared to walk away as they said their thanks, bowing politely and even inching further from the area, only to stop with wide eyes.

“Wait, Mark, do you live in this neighborhood? We live just a few blocks away, I can’t believe we haven’t seen you bef-“

“N-no! No, I’m not from the area, I just had to find a fully stocked grocery store is all. Everyone’s been going crazy since the outbreak so-“

“Right!” The girls spoke simultaneously, still not moving away as they discussed how people have been handling Covid-19 so far, Mark staring intently and nodding as if he were listening but, really, he was using all his willpower to not roll his eyes in annoyance.

Mark didn’t hate his fans, he adored them more than anything, but the idea that even during a pandemic they would bother him for photos and autographs, even in a busy and buzzing grocery store, was irritating. He didn’t even want to leave his home that day, but the fact he was running low on toiletries and needed more perishables made the trip essential. But after standing in this one spot for the past ten minutes with a shopping cart filled with food, tissue, and body wash, and two girls that seemed to be in their own world as their topic jumped from Covid to Loona fancams, he was determined to make this his last trip for at least a month.

“But did you see Yves?! She’s so pretty and-“

“Excuse me, I’m going to have to ask you to move from the area and maintain a distance of 2 meters between all of you.” A man said with a cheery voice and smile that could be seen through his mask although it reached his eyes as well.

“Oh! Sorry! Thank you for the photos!” One of them said, dragging her friend along as Mark let out a sigh of relief, the man stepping slightly closer to him but not enough to invade his space.

“You don’t have to leave the area. One of our cashiers said those girls wouldn’t leave you alone and assumed you needed help. Sorry to disturb you.” He said, preparing to walk off before Mark hurried to tap his shoulder.

“Wait, which cashier?” He asked. He was tired of human contact at this point, but really thought they deserved a proper thanking.

“Oh, right there. Her name’s (Y/n).” He said, giving one more smile before finally walking off.

It seems like you had been watching the scene unfold for a while, gaze intense and focused on the male ahead of you and, even as you watched your manager point in your direction, causing him to lock eyes with you, you couldn’t bring yourself to look away. Well, not until you saw him walk in your direction with his cart ahead of him.

You didn’t mean to stare at him, it was natural for your eyes to wander to people entering the store, but to see someone this attractive? It felt like you spotted a unicorn. You would glance up occasionally to see if he’d pass by again, watching him going back and forth in the aisles as if he’d been there forever, yet you’ve never seen him before. Maybe it’s because you were working full-time now that you didn’t have to travel so far out to school, or maybe he was just new to the area. You wanted to ask, but how could you just approach someone like him? He was cool and you were…Well, you. He’d probably walk past you like you were some nobody. But once you saw him stop to speak with two girls, you knew you most likely had a chance, but you couldn’t just interrupt their conversation to start your own. So, you waited. And waited. And waited, until so much time had passed you managed to check out three customers with enough groceries per person to feed five villages, but you couldn’t shake off how expressive his eyes were. He was miserable, obviously not in the mood to stand around and chat all day, and if you weren’t going to start a conversation, you could at least help him go back to shopping and getting back home instead of lingering in the virus hotspot you called work. You thought all would be well and done once you alerted your manager, but you didn’t expect the very man you were creeping on to approach you.

You were freaking out, trying to look busy in hopes he’d go away but the sound of his cart only grew louder, a pathetic whine leaving your mouth once you looked back up, putting on the bright smile you typically did as you greeted him, not wanting to seem even more ridiculous than you did.

“H-hello, sir, are you ready to check out?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Mark said, clearing his throat as he began unloading his cart, eyes trained on you although your head was low, gaze focused on the items slowly approaching you on the conveyor belt.

He couldn’t see your face but he knew you were cute, your voice evidence enough of that. You were working fast but just slow enough for him to notice small quirks about you. You mumbled under your breath about how ridiculously priced a bag of rice was, making some joke about how it was probably the cure to every disease since it was so expensive. You weren’t talking to him but he could tell you had a sarcastic nature to you, your jokes making him stifle chuckles to save you from being anymore nervous around him. He didn’t like the awkwardness though, the way you avoid his eyes to continue scanning the candy he threw onto the belt in an attempt to stay in your line for as long as possible without speaking not what he had planned when approaching you. He was naturally timid, but the way you were watching him proved you knew who he was, so he didn’t have to be himself. Right now, he just had to think of you as one of the fangirls you saved him from, and his idol persona could ease the situation immediately.

“I just wanted to thank you for your help. I don’t think I would’ve gotten out of here if you weren’t watching.”

Your eyes snapped up to see his face, a blush creeping onto your own as you tried to find some excuse as to why you were staring before, nothing coming to mind except maybe just being honest, but is telling him you only noticed his distress because he was so gorgeous the right way to go? No, you had to be cool about this, maybe it’ll keep you from turning into a tomato, especially with the way his eyes went from doughy and sweet to sharp and flirtatious.

“W-well, I figured you just wanted to hurry out of here, y’know? No one wants to be out during a pandemic, right?” You giggled and Mark could’ve sworn he was having a heart attack.

He swallowed thickly, eyes scanning your entire being as you finally bagged the final item, pressing total and reading it back to him, your eye smile all he could see. He figured you knew who he was once he took of his mask earlier, but it seemed like you were completely oblivious. He didn’t want another encounter like before but, knowing he could simply pay and leave at this point was comforting, so giving a quick thanks to a potential fan that saved him wasn’t too big of a deal.

“You probably don’t have idols come by a lot, do you?” He asked, watching to see your reaction, only to find your eyes glancing to the side and brows furrow in confusion, deep in thought before gasping out loud.

“Well, not idols, but Son Heung-Min stopped by once and took photos with some of us! He was a lot nicer than he looks!” You joked, Mark nodding in both understanding and confusion.

So you were more of a sports girl? You certainly didn’t look that way. Even from behind the register, he could tell he towered above you by a good 6 or 7 inches, your introverted personality made it hard to believe you’d work well in a team, and you seemed just a bit too young to care more about sports than idol groups. Not that it was anything rare, but almost every girl in your age group knew one or more kpop group, but you managed to name a soccer player that plays six months out of a year instead of a single idol that had promotions almost year round. You treated him as if he wasn’t famous, like any other customer. And he loved it. He didn’t feel the need to repay you by making your heart flutter at the mere presence of his celebrity status, but rather as a human would another human.

Before he could think of such a way to do so, he found himself in your debt once more, your hands filled with ten bags of various items he purchased, placing them neatly into his cart before sighing in relief, giving another smile to him.

“I’m guessing we won’t see you here for a while.” You joked, his lips unable to curve upward in amusement at the statement, knowing he really had no reason to return any time soon, but his curiosity made it impossible for him to accept that.

You were strange to him. Other idols treated him like a celebrity even when they were at the same height of fame, fans treated him like some god, but you? You were instructing him to use the pin pad to complete his transaction like you did any other person to walk through your line. Maybe you didn’t care that he was an idol, maybe you just didn’t know, but to think you were someone he didn’t have to fear when leaving his home, someone he didn’t have to hide from in case they wanted to invade his privacy and risk his health. Ironically, you were the breath of fresh air he couldn’t seem to get in the outside world.

“Yeah, I guess I won’t be seeing you for a while.” He commented, watching you bow politely before diverting your attention to an elderly man slowly unloading his basket, Mark’s body reluctantly heading to the exit as he tried not to stare at you any longer. It really would be a while before he saw you again.

But a while for Mark was only three days. He made the excuse that he forgot to buy kimchi to come back, scanning the store until he spotted you pushing a shopping cart filled with cans, scanning the shelves before grabbing a few to place them into empty slots. He was hoping he could talk to you personally at your register again, but he figured this would do for now.

You didn’t sense him as you hummed an unfamiliar tune, hands busy tidying the two rows of canned corn before moving on to the canned bread, a grimace on your face at the idea of bread in a tin can.

“That sounds gross.” You nearly screamed as Mark’s voice echoed behind you, your body turning to face him as you shrank under his gaze. It wasn’t scary, just very intense despite his eyes being so soft and inviting.

“Oh. How are you today, sir?” You asked, bowing politely as you smiled brightly at him, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he tried to keep his face from going bright red, silently praying this interaction goes the way he fantasized in his head the past few days.

“’sir’? I’m surprised my hero doesn’t remember me.” He wanted to hide at how stupid that sounded, suddenly rethinking his entire plan of even showing up here, but the way your eyes grew in size while scanning the floor around you, picking apart your memories to decipher what he meant and who he was, slightly put him at ease once more.

“I-I don’t kno-“

“It’s me.” Mark chuckled, pulling his mask down just enough to give you a warm smile before covering his face once more, a relieved giggle leaving you as you realized it was only him.

“You really had me worried. I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.” You admitted, turning back and continuing to placing the cans on the shelves behind you, not wanting to slow down on your work.

Mark was anxious, not wanting to lose your attention but not wanting to seem desperate. You were most likely going ask how was his day then move on without another thought, but he didn’t come all the way back here just to have a two minute conversation with you. But that’s really all he needed, just a bit of normalcy in the now upside down world.

“Yeah, I just needed some kimchi. Didn’t realize I was running low.” He chuckled, growing worried as you remained silent, only to see you jumping pathetically to place a can of mackerel onto a higher shelf, your free hand grasping the shelf below it to hoist yourself up, a gasp leaving you as you stumbled backwards, Mark placing his jar onto the floor and catching you by your waist to hold you steady.

Your eyes were wide, flickering up to him as he set you back onto the ground, grabbing the can from you and placing it into its spot.

“How about I help you? I don’t want you to get hurt.” He said, your cheeks burning as your body felt like it was shrinking in on itself, trying to escape the tingles his invisible handprints left on you, your head low as you nodded with a meek ‘thank you’.

You stood at his side as he placed cans onto higher shelves, you working on the lower ones to keep him from feeling like an unpaid worker. It was a bit too quiet for your liking, your eyes glancing at him every once in a while to take in his appearance, hoping you could find something to talk about. He was only wearing black joggers and a white t-shirt, his hair a honey brown shade, the only thing that stood out was the beauty hiding beneath his mask, but you couldn’t start a conversation like that! It’d be too weird! You had to stop overthinking, the answer right in front of you as you noticed the jar of kimchi waiting idly by as he focused on making each row straight.

“Are you sure one jar of kimchi’s gonna be enough for you? I usually finish an entire jar with one meal.” You said, partially lying considering you could finish half a jar before feeling full.

“Uh, yeah, I don’t really eat it all that often but I was craving it today.”

“Oh.”

More silence. You didn’t bother to speak again, feeling as if he didn’t want to talk to you anymore. Maybe it’s because you’re making him do your work, or you’re just boring, that last idea causing you to feel a little embarrassed seeing as he happily came to you with the intentions of talking, only for you to have nothing to say. You wanted to just crawl back to your tiny register and hide at that point.

“You must work a lot.” He commented, your eyes snapping up as his words, body jolting when you realize he had his eyes locked on you.

“I would’ve figured you’d have a few days off since I last saw you, just so you aren’t too overwhelmed.” He added, a dry laugh leaving you as you returned to your work, crouching down to straighten the bowls of instant ramen that were suddenly mixed up and unorganized.

“Well, I could took some days off but if I don’t work, this place would be in chaos with everyone trying to stock up before this virus gets worse. Plus, it keeps me from being bored at home every day.” You admitted, not thinking the conversation would take such an upsetting turn, your mood a bit down as you finally felt weeks’ worth of exhaustion hit you, your words flowing out precariously as he listened carefully.

“I’m honestly really socially awkward, but I value human connection, so I try to stay positive and pretend nothing’s changed but, it’s like I’m always having one-sided conversations with customers. No one has time to talk when they’re busy trying to stay healthy, so I can’t really blame them. But, I was really happy when you talked to me, I finally had an actual conversation again. Talking to you makes it feel like nothing’s changed.” You giggled, finally facing the man above you.

Mark’s eyes were hard with a strange mixture of sadness and understanding. He had his groupmates to talk to, his family and friends as well, but facetime conversations were nothing like being there and present. It was comforting knowing you felt somewhat normal when talking with him, the same way he felt just by seeing you, but it pained him knowing that he could show up any day and you wouldn’t be here, cooped up in your home with nothing but your thoughts, or him staying home while you assisted customers that only acknowledged you when they were ready to pay and leave. He didn’t know why you made him feel this way, not acting on pity but a protective instinct that seemed to gnaw at his very being with every second that passed. You were his new normal as he was yours, and he wanted you to know that.

“You know, I only really came here to see you.” He admitted, slowly lowering himself until he was crouching at your level, your eyes locked on one another’s as he tried find the right words.

“When I met you, I thought you were so weird, but it makes me want to see you even more. And I hope you’re fine with seeing me too.”

“S-seeing you?” Your voice was small, the way you swallowed as you anticipated his next words was visible as he gave you a final glance before fishing his phone from his back pocket, pressing the ‘Create New Contact’ option and handing it to you, your eyes going between the device and his hidden but noticeably kind face.

“Whenever you’re working, let me know so I can at least stop by to keep you company, even if it’s for a few minutes. And, on your days off, we can talk as much as you want, m-maybe go out to any place that’s open.” He didn’t want that last part to sound like a confession, it was way too soon for that, but he was silently praying you took it that way.

It took a second to comprehend the situation, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside of you as you slowly took his phone, typing away at both letters and numbers before pressing ‘Done’ at the upper corner. Mark allowed you to slip the phone back into his hand, a smile on his lips at the random string of numbers followed by a name he couldn’t stop thinking about since he met you. He hurriedly sent you a text before placing his phone back into his pocket, holding his hands out once more for you to take as you both slowly stood.

“I should probably get back to work. The cool manager isn’t here today.” You joked, hand cupping his as a silent plea for him to stay, but you knew he couldn’t, that’s what his number was for, right?

“You can always reach me if you need someone to talk to. But, I don’t think I’ll be back for a few days.” He said with a sad tone, your head nodding understandingly although your disappointment was evident.

“Don’t overwork yourself, okay?” He released one of your hands to ruffle your hair, your body shrinking under his touch as you giggled unconsciously.

The air around you seemed thick as you watched him collect his jar of kimchi and head down the aisle and away from you. It felt like an empty promise the way he said he’d be there for you, but you knew you couldn’t keep him there forever. It wasn’t fair.

You sighed, returning to the now empty cart to take it back outside for customers to use, but not before checking your phone. It was always on silent because they weren’t allowed to use it during work, but you never knew what kind of emergency could arise during your shifts. You took a quick peak, expecting nothing important before seeing an unsaved number had texted you, your finger quickly opening it and, at that moment, you couldn’t be happier about the sly lie you were just told.

‘I’ll stop by before the store closes :) -Mark’

Ever since then, Mark kept his word. He was always in the store whenever you told him you’d be working, he would pick you up from work and go to any available restaurant to make sure you’ve eaten, and he always text or called you on your days off to either invite you to hang out or just pass the time in your own homes, separate but together. You were two weeks into the new arrangement and haven’t felt more alive, mainly because the nervousness you felt in the presence of someone so handsome turned into a full blown crush, every interaction sending you into a fit of blushes and giggles. You both were shy but grew to be playful and a lot more flirtatious, Mark’s confidence with every pick-up line causing your once bold behavior to fade into the bashful one he experienced upon your first meeting.

He thought you were cute, he said it all the time. You thought he was cute, you admitted it just a few nights ago once you gathered to courage to explain how you ended up “saving him”. He was smart, kind, always sharing funny stories about his old “roommates” that you couldn’t get enough of. He would sing songs softly as they played from the speakers in his car, his voice soft and angelic just like the smile he adorned, everything about him screaming perfection. You never wanted someone more than you wanted him and, tonight, as you finally settled into the passenger seat of his car after an eight hour shift, his free hand in yours as he steered out of the parking lot, you know he felt the same.

“You’re a lot touchier lately.” You joked, your free hand playing with his fingers as his eyes flickered between you and the road.

“What? You don’t like it?” His lips curled into a smirk, your heart stuttering in your chest.

“It’s not that. I just didn’t think you’d be into awkward cashiers.”

“And how do you know I’m into you?” Luckily there was a red light so that Mark could give you his undivided attention, a wave of contentment washing over him as you looked away, still flustered by his simple acts.

“I don’t know. I guess the same way I knew you were a k-pop idol.”

“So you knew?” He chuckled, giving a quick glance to the light that had yet changed.

“You were really obvious about it. You asked me about it when we first met, you sing like an angel, plus you kept saying ‘your friend BamBam’ and, knowing he’s already pretty famous just for being hilarious, it wasn’t hard to find a simple picture of you two with the rest of your group.” You said smugly, almost as if you decoded a million piece puzzle that no one else dared to touch.

“I’d honestly spend hours daydreaming you weren’t an idol, just because the thought of dating a regular person is easier. But you’ll always be an idol, and daydreaming about dating an idol is no different than actually dating one; you’d never have time together so it’d never really work.” It was such a strange confession, almost as if you were pushing him away but begging to be by his side. Your eyes were low, voice filled with sadness at the realization this was all unreal and all fairytales had to come to an end, but Mark didn’t think it had to.

He didn’t expect to be here with you, not this soon or this fast, but the last few weeks felt like months to him. You were his biggest weakness now, a constant fear that his desire to be with you would cause a slip up. Maybe a tabloid will discover your yet-to-be relationship and expose who you are, maybe some fans will catch on he lives in the area with how often he visits you at work. He was scared by how reckless he was being, yet he didn’t care. For every reckless act he was met with a bright eye smile, a warm hug only for you to scream ‘2 meters apart!’ and launch yourself away from him, and the sound of your giggles. You were the best risk he’s ever taken and he’d be damned if he’d give you up after jumping through so many hoops to get to this moment

You looked at your joined hands, his fingers weaving between yours until they were firmly intertwined, your eyes slowly ascending to his face that held no amusement or playfulness, just sincerity and a sternness that demanded you take in his every word.

“(Y/n/n), I could be a million miles away or right next to you every day and night, and I’d always have time for you. And if I don’t, I’d find a way. I promised you that.” You felt like you could faint with the way his eyes bore into yours, or that you could melt with the way his voice was so gentle yet firm, but you damn near died with the way his face slowly inched closer to yours, heart hammering against your ribcage as you silently applauded yourself for taking off your mask earlier so that nothing would slow him down.

Chan

(Back Door Chris has me whipper, I’m gonna cry)

Sad boy hours as soon as he starts asking questions about your blindness. Your conversation would go from a typical fan-idol interaction to a tearful discussion on how you live with your disability without letting it hinder you. Chris is just therapeutic in a way, or maybe like a close friend, letting you express yourself while also showing his genuine curiosity. He’d still crack jokes though, he wasn’t a fan of letting topics get too heavy (he cries easily), but he would always top it off with some heartfelt message about living life to the fullest. It wasn’t something you needed but it was appreciated. I can see him making a comment about being glad you hadn’t seen any embarrassing onstage fails from him because, again, who wants to end a great event on a sad note?

Minho

He’d be scared to hold your hands, treating you as if you’ll break at any moment and ultimately focus on the speaking part of your time together. Unfortunately, fansigning events can get a little noisy with so many people in one area, so he would have to move closer to you in order to give you the experience you paid for, but who knew simply leaning closer and holding onto your hands to balance himself would change the mood of the atmosphere? Minho would feel at ease seeing you actually enjoying yourself, realizing he was overthinking too much and just needed to be himself. His fanservice would go up by a million percent and he’d pretty much forget you were blind, going back to being the charismatic member everyone knows.

Changbin

Changbin would be careful with his words, seeming so unnatural as he spoke. The only things to make him his somewhat normal self (Changbin is kinda an awkward boi, he’s never normal) is to either focus on talking about him and Stray Kid’s music or maybe cracking a few jokes about your disability to let him know it shouldn’t be awkward, but he’s Binnie so you know he’ll still tiptoe around certain topics and words to not offend you and, honestly, who can be mad at that?

Hyunjin

He tries to remain casual but Hyunjin is very expressive with his facial expressions so it’d be obvious to everyone how hard he’s trying to treat you as normal as possible. On the bright side, this would be the first interaction of the day where a fan doesn’t comment on his looks, even if he loved the compliments he would appreciate praise of his rapping better, probably tearing up if you ever say you wish you could see him dance. Just hearing that you love him for his talents, even if it was only one talent of many, he’d be flustered and appreciative.

Jisung

Jisung would try to remain the idol you know: high energy, constantly talking and keeping you smiling before easing into the topic of your blindness. The conversation wouldn’t be long, just him allowing you to explain that you were born blind rather than it happening overtime and him asking to see your eyes. It was a bit weird for you but you obliged, showing your natural grey eyes only to be bombarded with praise. You never heard someone say your eyes complimented your skin and hair well but here you were, hearing it from a boy who stopped holding your hands to slip a bunny headband onto your head and call you cute. Jisung would try to be understanding and respectful, wanting to show he wasn’t fazed by your inability to see but not wanting to completely ignore it since it was part of who you are, but pitying you wasn’t something he’d want to do either.

Felix

TOUCHING WILL BE DONE (Stop thinking what you’re thinking, this is a wholesome reaction)! If you can’t see him, he’ll make sure you can at least feel him. He’ll tell you all about the jokes of his hands being tiny, he’d let you feel his dimples, he’d even let you play with his hair. He’s making the best of a situation he wasn’t prepared for, just wanting you to have the full experience of meeting them with the limitations you had.

Seungmin

He’s honestly the only one that would ask questions about your disability upfront. No awkwardness, no rambling in an attempt to hide his curiosity or concerns, just openness so that he could know you as a fan as much as you knew him as an idol. Seungmin would pretty much forget you’re blind, turning your interaction back into the normal Q&A moments he usually had with fans before sending you off to the next member, leaving you feeling refreshed after hours of people treating your accommodations like acts of pity. Seungmin is just the best boy.

Jeongin

Your mother always said crushes stayed crushes for a reason: they hurt. Bad. But you thought she was wrong, that your feelings for someone could one day be reciprocated later if not sooner, and that’s what led you to him. Kim Hongjoong. The day you met was a complete accident, your body slamming into his as you wandered aimlessly during your freshman year of high school. He was gorgeous with wide brown eyes, beautiful pink lips and cheeks, his hair styled differently from the other boys to reveal his forehead, showing his individuality. He was perfection.

“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” Those were the first words he spoke to you, his voice so gentle, so sweet. And the way he reached out to help you with no hesitation, holding your hands as he pulled you up effortlessly.

It was love at first sight, all until he looked down to your hands, eyes catching a glimpse of your wrist, a row of zeros peeking through the sleeve of your uniform jacket. He slowly pushed the fabric up, both your eyes widening to see your soulmate clock had finally timed out, his hands releasing yours to check his own wrist, a quiver to his lips as his clock matched yours, his once soft eyes now hard as he stared you down.

“Stay far away from me.” He warned, not saying another word as he headed to his homeroom, your body frozen as you watched him disappear. He was so harsh, yet you liked him. Maybe suddenly finding his soulmate scared him, but it was no problem to you! You were bound to end up together so you played the waiting game with him, being the perfect soulmate you could possibly be whether he accepted it or not.

And that led you here, now seniors in college and still acting the way you were when you met. Hongjoong was still cold, treating you like some plague while you could only smile along. You weren’t sure how you missed the fact you lived in a predominantly werewolf area until a public service announcement came on your television one night to remind humans to stay indoors during the full moon, that night dedicated to werewolves being as free as they could be, but it made you even more hopeful when you were on your way home from work one night, taking a shortcut through the woods since it lead right to your backyard.

You were 16 at the time, so the sight of a shirtless person would obviously make you flustered, but a shirtless Hongjoong? Enough to cause a nosebleed. He was 16 as well, the exact age a werewolf develops a mate bond and, seeing as you’ve already been confirmed as soulmates in the human world, the sudden desire to latch onto you and never let you go once you locked eyes only made your lifelong attachment more real, and he was freaking out. He didn’t speak, opting to shift without removing the remainder of his clothes, your eyes wide as he moved deeper through the thick trees and towards the horizon where the orange sky was in full view and, the grin on your face just couldn’t stop growing. You knew werewolves had a stronger drive to their mates, so the idea that he could avoid you forever was laughable. Sure, you were both 23 and he has uped his disdain for you from staying silent to calling you any vile name he could think of, but it was only a matter of time before he came around. You just knew it.

“(Y/n), stop gawking.” Miyeon joked, poking your side to snap you from your daydreams, your eyes widening when you noticed a few of Hongjoong’s friend’s catching your gaze, a blush painting your face as you turned away.

“I wasn’t gawking, just making sure their table was okay. I am their waitress tonight.”

“And every other night because you said, and I quote, ‘I wanna work at any table my Joongie’s going to be at!’” She mocked, your eyes rolling as you looked back towards them.

You took a job at a diner just a few blocks from both your apartment and college campus, the pay great and the distance convenient. It was the only time you had to yourself instead of lingering to Hongjoong, figuring out his classes and breaks to give him snacks and lunches you’d personally make for him since you overheard him complain about the campus food before, only to be told they tasted like shit and he’d find his own food. It was a bit of a kick to the face to hear that, but you had one saving grace: his pack. The first time Hongjoong sent you away with a bitter remark, they were curious about you, tracking you down when they weren’t with their alpha to get more info on who you were and what you found so loveable about the man treating you like some demon. They were surprised by how sweet you were and how accepting you were to be the unwanted luna of an eight-wolf pack. They could never hate Hongjoong but they sure as hell loved you just a little more than him. Unbeknownst to both of you, Yunho and Mingi found out where you worked, making a plan with the others to take Hongjoong there as much as possible so he would have no choice but to interact with you, even if he stayed silent to not appear like an asshole in front of the various strangers dining as well. Hongjoong would honestly never return if he had the choice, but something about the restaurant’s signature burger kept bringing him back, which is why he was here, sipping his soda angrily as he waited on his meal that would be served by his worst nightmare, you.

“I don’t know why you don’t just find someone else. Isn’t it easy for humans to reject soulmates? You could move on with no problems.” She said, helping you grasp onto the steel tray covered in various meals, a huff leaving you as you put on a bright smile.

“Because I know it’s harder to move on for wolves. You guys don’t have a choice on who your mates are, and you just accept it once you meet them. I know Hongjoong will accept me eventually, it’s just gonna take some time.” You gave one more smile before wobbling towards the table in question.

Hongjoong tried not to follow the gaze of his pack as they watched you happily approach them, letting out a huff as you adjusted the tray onto your shoulder, grasping the plates and placing them in front of the respective person, Hongjoong’s nose twitching at the smell of his burgers and fries, not wasting anytime to dig in as the other’s thanked you, but you shyly looked at the male before you, the tray pressed to your chest as you tried to find a casual way to speak with him.

“I-uh- I-I remembered last time you asked for extra cheese, so I decided to put cheese in the burger too! I hope you like it better than the tofu stew I made you for lunch the other week.”

“I didn’t ask for extra cheese this time, so why put it inside my burger where I can’t take it off?” He said spitefully, mouth still full as he set the half-eaten burger down.

Your smile faltered but bounced back as you reached towards his plate.

“O-oh! Well, I can take it back and make you another! This time I ca-“

“’This time’? You should’ve just done it from the start. Your job is to listen and do what you’re told and you can’t even do that? What can you do right?”

You swallowed hard, your eyes wandering to the people now staring at you as the scene unfolded, your heartbeat ringing in your ears as you tried to hold it together. The worst he’s called you in an idiot and that was usually under his breath, so to practically say it out loud, in front of strangers while you were in the middle of a shift and forced to do nothing but smile like you usually would, felt like you were being stabbed and burned simultaneously. You couldn’t keep smiling, looking down as you tried to apologize, only for him to cut you off once again.

“Go bother someone else. Or hide in the back if you’re just gonna keep fucking up this much.”

The space was eerily silent, even with the soft music playing, your eyes not leaving your shoes as you shuffled away. It was a pitiful sight, Seonghwa releasing a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as you went to a neighboring table to retrieve plates and glasses left by a couple from before. He was ready to tear Hongjoong’s head off, not as a gamma to an alpha but as one friend to another, his jaw tight as he prepared to berate him the way he did you but, somehow, Wooyoung beat him by asking a question none of them thought to ask before.

“What did she ever do to you that you have to treat her like that?”

There was a strange but tense silence as they awaited his answer, watching him taking small bites of his fries as he stared ahead at nothing before turning to them with what could only be described as a sadistic smirk.

“Imagine being 13 and finding out the best years of your life, the years of dating, hooking up, just discovering who you are, are gone because your mate decides to show up and take that from you.”

“Are you fucking stupid? That’s the reason we have mates, so we can do those things with one person instead of random people!” Seonghwa nearly yelled, trying to keep his voice low as to not alarm anymore spectators again.

“For the past 7 years, I’ve been trying to get her to leave or just reject me, but it’s clear to me now that she’s just an idiot that doesn’t understand she’s not needed, by me or anyone. And, if you’re as dumb as her, I’ll simplify it for you: she’s unwanted.”

Whatever pain you felt before suddenly disappeared into a numbness you couldn’t explain. He knew you were there, that you could hear him, that you would hear him, and yet he still said it. You were conflicted and sad, your lips curling in a mixture of disgust and anger before settling on a bright smile. Never mind the fact your tears finally spilled over, that your heart ached with every beat and your body felt heavy with the weight of being rejected by someone you waited so long for, you just had to smile. Soulmates were supposed to be a sure thing, supposed to be your happily ever after, yet it just turned out to be a crush, one that you should’ve let die the day you met him.

“(Y/n/n)…” Miyeon spoke cautiously as you made your way towards the bar, your other coworkers watching from beside her as if you were some strange spectacle.

“We have to start cleaning, y’know? It’ll help us get out of here a lot faster tonight.” You said in your usual cheerful tone, tears still flowing and a faint crack to your voice.

“How about you just head home for the day, (Y/n)? We can handle everything from here.” Your manager said, her eyes scanning your face as you moved past them and to the kitchen, their bodies following instinctively.

“What? No! I’m fine! We still have 4 more hours to go and I think if I get a head start with the chefs for tomorrow lunch specials I ca-“

“(Y/n), please-“

“I’m fine, Miyeon! Really! It’s not like I got broken up with or anything, I never even had a boyfriend! Just a crush on someone that thinks I’m a waste of space! Isn’t that super ironic? Spending most of your life chasing after someone that wants nothing to do with you? That’s really funny, right?” You choked out, lips pursing into a thin line to keep in your sobs but your attempts were futile, everything slowly starting to hit you at once until your body collapsed, one of the other servers catching you before you hit the ground.

It was all a blur from there, the words of comfort everyone offered turning into muffled noise as your cries of agony came out freely, the way Miyeon dragged you from the emergency exit at the back of the building and to her car to take you home, and even when you crawled into bed and managed to sleep despite the pounding headache. 7 years came and went and there was nothing to show for it. No soulmate, no boyfriend, no romance, not even a friendship. You were empty and for some reason the only thing filling your heart and mind was the person who broke you.

It felt like time stood still yet hours had passed, Hongjoong back in his own bedroom pressing away at his keyboard, stopping occasionally to write a few notes down from his new composition, but he wasn’t distracted enough to hear his door open, various footsteps entering and even a few bodies settling in on his bed, his eyes not bothering to leave his notebook as he figured this moment would come.

“You don’t need to lecture me.” He grumbled, going back to play a few more notes only to find his keyboard unplugged, Mingi tossing the cord away as his alpha stared him down.

“It’s only a lecture if you listen and learn, which you won’t, so we’re gonna make you feel as bad as possible for driving away the only person that gave a shit about you.” San said with a bright smile, a scoff leaving Hongjoong as he finally turned in his chair to face them, eyes scanning the room to see this situation wasn’t playful but truly hostile, almost like an ambush.

“So, you guys don’t care about me?”

“Trying to get you to accept your soulmate so you don’t die shows we care a lot more than we should.” Yeosang spoke, making himself comfortable as he sat against the pillow and headboard.

“But we’re the real assholes for trying to force her with someone as shitty as you.” Seonghwa finally said, Hongjoong’s head snapping in his direction as he let out a dry chuckle, shifting in his seat so he was leaning backwards, arms crossed as he told himself to stay calm during his friend’s potential tantrum.

“I feel like you have the most to say since you’ve been in love with my mate the longest, so go ahead, tell me how I’m such a bad man, Seonghwa. I’m all ears.” His smugness made the tension worse, Seonghwa stepping closer with clenched fist.

“I’m not in love with you mate, but if I didn’t know someone was waiting for me because we were fated to be together, maybe I would have asked (Y/n) out, because she deserves better than a lowlife with the brain function of a dead goldfish. But I respect her too much as your mate and my luna to not push those boundaries so I tried to help her get closer to you because I know you, Hongjoong. You’re not an asshole or a jerk, but to her? You treat her like shit, when really you’d have no one without her. You’re a short, scrawny, nerdy moron that locks himself in a dark room for days on end just to complete a single project, then emerge to eat cold pizza and watch Despicable Me because your pea-sized brain can’t comprehend anything that isn’t brightly colored animation. If you take away your alpha status, no girl would even look in your direction but you have someone literally at your side, the only human not afraid of you, trying to figure out everything there is to know about you, yet you can’t give her the time of day. You probably don’t even know a damn thing about her.”

“Unfortunately, I know more than enough about her.” Hongjoong spoke, all amusement gone as he glared at the older male, their mindlink clogged with threatening growls and barks, trying to keep their fight from getting physical.

That first sentence alone made Hongjoong’s blood boil, his face contorted in a mixture of pain and disgust. How could Seonghwa even say that to him, plotting to steal his mate all because he was a bit uncertain? That all it was, uncertainty! He didn’t hate you, or wish you weren’t around, he actually grew to anticipate and enjoy your ramblings about your day or whatever new thing caught your attention, he actually even loved the lunches that you’d make for him. He couldn’t help that over the years he grew to crave you more, but the thought of fully accepting you and solidifying that the best years of his life were about to be gone, restricted to one person forever before he could even determine for himself his likes and dislikes, what he considered real love rather than what fate wanted him to feel, was terrifying. So he distanced himself from you, spending the years watching you from afar in hopes that if he didn’t get too close he wouldn’t lose his free will completely.

But it was a bad habit that seeped into your college years, everyone assuming he cared so little for you when he knew everything there was to know. He knew where you worked before any of the boys did, where your apartment was, the fact you were a business major planning to open a bakery once you graduated, he knew you didn’t have classes on Fridays but always came back on campus because you prepared meals for the men’s and women’s wrestling team which is where Jongho first met you, he knew you hated mint chocolate chip ice cream just like him but loved chocolate ice cream with mint chips, he knew you were always cold but overheat at night and wake up at exactly 3am to change into shorts and a tank top to be more comfortable, he knew about the birthmark on your lower back and a scar on your hip from a cat scra-

“Holy shit, you’re insane.” Wooyoung breathed out, Hongjoong’s eyes focusing on the room in front of him, a mixture of shocked expressions and amused ones filling his vision.

“I liked it better when we thought you hated her but, hyung, you’ve been stalking her since your freshman year of high school?” Jongho asked cautiously.

It was a weird feeling bubbling inside Hongjoong, the primary one being embarrassment. He knew he’d sometimes unintentionally rant in their mindlink whenever he was upset but to make an almost decade long secret public to his pack, revealing the intimate details of how you slowly but surely ingrained yourself into not only his brain but his life until he felt like he was going crazy? It made him tear up, his face burn with a blush as he was finally forced to face the truth. He pushed you away but wanted you more than anything. He wanted to spend his years free to explore before finally settling down only to reject every girl that came close to him simply because they weren’t you, and he took that anger out on you. What was he so mad about? The fact you stood by his side with a smile happily accepting him while he tried and failed to lust after other women? Was he that pathetic? He could admit now that he was and, if he could turn back time, he would’ve introduced himself and walked you to class. Just the first step of fully accepting you.

“You’re still ranting in the mindlink, you know?” Seonghwa said softly, regaining the once again lost focus of his alpha who was too consumed in his own pity to notice the tension died down, their gazes soft as they tried to sympathize with their leader.

“Sorry. I wish none of you heard that stuff.” He admitted, sniffling as he realized he’d been crying, hand hurriedly wiping away tears from his cheeks.

“Well, it’s a good thing we did. We still think you’re a moron, but at least we know you’re feeling guilty about all of this.”

“Don’t worry, Joong, if you know (Y/n) like we do, she always sees the best in people, so she’ll forgive you. But you still have to apologize.” San followed up Mingi’s words, wrapping an arm around Hongjoong shoulders while giving a bright smile in response to his weak one.

“She’s my TA in Calc 3 and I have that class around noon tomorrow. She always stays after in case anyone has questions, so I can stall until you get there.” Yunho offered, Hongjoong feeling a slight warmth in his chest thinking about it all. He’d let go of his insecurities, fix everything he’s done wrong, and finally have you as his. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

And tomorrow did come, but you were nowhere to be found. When Hongjoong arrived to Yunho’s class, he was met with a sympathetic apology on the account that you didn’t show up that day, you weren’t even at any of your other classes. The boys even tried to find you at work only to be met with a mob of your pissed coworkers led by Miyeon, threatening to rip their heads off if she saw their faces again. And that lasted for nearly 3 days, Hongjoong’s hope slowly dwindling away until he noticed two figures sneakily meeting halfway at the school’s entrance to exchange a large white cooler.

He recognized those bulky arms anywhere, and the thick Aussie accent was a dead giveaway as well, especially when it was followed by a distinct giggle. There was no mistaking it was Chan, but he could barely see the person with him, their voice low as they spoke to him and face hidden beneath a hood, but the scent emitting from them was strong, and beautiful, his eyes widening as he finally took it all in. You looked different, wearing a dark grey matching sweat suit which was a complete 180 from your usual attire, and you smelled faintly of passionfruit, possibly a change to your normal shampoo in an attempt to disguise yourself, but that thought only made his heart hurt more. Were you intentionally avoiding him? He could understand you hating him now but you were even ignoring the others in his pack, going from friends to complete strangers in a matter of hours and leaving them all devastated. He was going to fix this, here and now, if not for him and you than for his friends.

“Jongho’s been pretty upset about you not responding to his text. It’d really help if you stopped by to at least let him know you’re okay.” Chan pleaded, giving you a dimpled smile and hopeful gaze that made it impossible for you to hide your blushing face and grin.

“I just need a little more time, Chris. It’s like if you broke up with your mate and all the friends you made through her left you too. Except it’s me being broken up with by someone who was never my boyfriend and his friends came to me instead of me going to them. But, still, it hurts all the same.” You laughed slightly, trying to find some humor in the situation.

“You’re the only person that still calls me Chris.” He commented, trying to redirect the conversation as you clearly weren’t fine, neither of you noticing the burning glare just a few meters away.

“I just think it fits you best.” You admitted, neither of you breaking eye contact until you gasped, staring down to the box of food and drinks you bought.

“You should hurry to practice. You need to eat beforehand otherwise you’ll be weak after warmups alone. And I worked hard making those sandwiches and cutting that fruit, if it goes bad because you stayed here to cheer me up, I’ll really be mad.” You tried to put on your best scowl, your scolding undermined by his amused laughter.

“Alright, fine. Just stay safe, please?” You nodded, waving as you watched him turn to head to the school’s gymnasium, missing the way Chan glared at Hongjoong as he continued forward. Chan and Hongjoong’s packs were close, family almost, so the news of what Hongjoong did and why reached them in no time, and Chan was hoping today things would be fixed soon because, apart from you being the wrestling team’s beloved personal chef, you were like a sister to him.

You wasted no time leaving the campus behind, ready to go back into the darkness of your bedroom to forget you existed. You really wish you could disappear, that the ground would split beneath you and swallow you whole, but you couldn’t just leave when your phone was filled with calls and messages from friends and coworkers wondering where you were and if you were fine. So many people cared, what kind of person would you be to leave them all alone like this, especially when all they wanted was to help you? But being alone helped, trying to live life as normal as possible while adjusting to a Hongjoong-free lifestyle helped. It would take some time, but you’d find your normal someday. All you had to do was avoid-

“(Y/n)!” Your body froze.

He rarely called you by your name but his voice was distinct on its own, and it was the most sickly sweet thing you’ve ever heard. You wanted to run, to never have him see you like this. Dear god, how did you even look right now? You felt like shit, you probably looked the part. Dammit, Hongjoong was right all along, you were shit. You were worse than shit, you were just pathetic. A pathetic, lovestruck loser itching to just turn and say hi, to have the conversation you always dreamed of but you knew that wouldn’t happen. He’ll yell at you again. He’ll-

“(Y/n)? H-hi…” Hongjoong said shyly, standing right in front of you as you shrank into yourself.

His brows furrowed as you looked away, mentally arguing with yourself as you went over the days of self-reflecting you did, trying to find some lesson from your solitude to aid in this situation and it was starting to scare him. You were never quiet with him, you always had something to say even if it wasn’t important but, luckily, he had something important to say and hopefully you’d listen.

“I- T-the other day…. I w-was…. I-I’m sorry.” He stammered out, this confession a lot harder than he thought, especially now that you were facing him, eyes just as innocent as the day he met you, but he couldn’t run away this time.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, honestly. Everyone told me I was an idiot and I think they’re right. I treated you like you were garbage for years, all because I didn’t want to be mated so young. I just wanted to date around before I finally settled down with someone and, m-maybe I could’ve just said that, so you didn’t have to wait around for me all these years but, I never hated you, and I can’t hate you. I know you won’t forgive me right away but I think it’s only fair that I can be a good mate to you now.”

He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the desperate ‘please’ he wanted to add as your pupils began to shake, almost as if you were a machine malfunctioning, none of your self-reflecting preparing you for this moment, the only thing coming to mind being some sad blog article you found during your second day of isolation. ‘Forgiving and forgetting too soon is dangerous. Find yourself’. It wasn’t what you wanted but maybe what you need, what he needed. So, without hesitation, you smiled brightly at him although it never reached your eyes, clearing your throat as you tried to keep your voice steady.

“Hongjoong, I can’t forgive you easily. I waited for you, I tried to make you accept me and it always ended up with me getting hurt. Honestly, if I just treated you like a regular crush, maybe we could’ve forgotten we’re meant to be together until after graduation or something.” You laughed awkwardly, wanting to look away as his eyes softened in the saddest way, but you needed to do this, eyes locked on his as you exhaled through your nose.

“I couldn’t be by your side all the time, so whether you dated anyone is still a mystery to me but, I’ve been alone for seven years hoping you’d come around, and I think it’s time I take those years back. I’m not sure if what you said counted as a rejection or if we’re still mates but, if we are, we’ll come back to each other eventually. For now, I just need some time.”

You managed to walk past him without completely collapsing in tears, speed walking back to your apartment as you tried to swallow sobs, not even taking in the way Hongjoong stumbled to follow you, almost like a zombie as he attempted to plead for you to reconsider, to force himself to accept your decision but ask how long you needed, but he couldn’t do that. He tried to picture himself in your shoes, seven years of pining only to be publicly humiliated by the person you were meant to spend the rest of your life with. He couldn’t blame you for not forgiving him, and he sure as hell couldn’t force you, so he let you go, trudging in the opposite direction to his two story apartment just to hide in his bedroom until he didn’t feel like dying anymore.

But as more days passed and it only got harder for Hongjoong. He barely left his room but also never slept, every song he created was played in minor scales to fit his now melancholy life. The charisma he typically exuded was hidden with puffy red eyes from crying and a yellow knit sweater a few sizes too large for his body but it was the only thing that comforted him at this point, especially when knowing you had reconnected with everyone but him.

After exactly one week of distancing yourself from the world, you caved and meet with the boys individually (sans Hongjoong), apologizing for needing space although they completely understood, but the way each interaction ended made your guts churn with guilt. ‘Stay safe, luna’, that’s how all of them addressed you before they left, leaving you filled with the desire to return to how things were before. You missed your friends and, the fact your mate was finally ready to claim you, only made you want to forgive Hongjoong sooner. But you needed to be your own person for once. You had seven years worth of relationships to catch up on and you wouldn’t let them keep you from that.

Except when they did.

You should’ve known it was risky letting them know you had a date so soon, just some other human on campus that had yet found his soulmate. They sounded happy for you, Wooyoung going so far to ask where you met and where your date would be and what time, giving suggestions on what to say and wear since it was “your first”. It was a sweet gesture, and you thought nothing of it, but that information meant everything to him which led to now, the boys huddled together in their living room with a slightly paler and sickly looking Hongjoong curled into the corner of their loveseat.

“So they’re going bowling tonight at 8:30? We could ask her about it tomorrow in case she’s into him because hyung isn’t looking too great.” Yeosang commented, everyone looking to Hongjoong as he managed to drown his entire body within the sweater, only his head visible as he stared ahead like some lost puppy.

“He’s just weak from not being around her for so long, but their bond is still there so he’s fine. But we have nothing to worry about. She won’t fall in love with him so don’t get too involved, she’ll just stop talking to us again if we meddle too much.” Seonghwa warned, a chorus of ‘Okays’ confirming their dismissal as they all stood to retreat to their bedrooms.

“Wait, who is she going out with anyways? There’s only 10 other humans at that school.” Mingi’s question cause everyone to freeze, the silence in the room contrasting with the faint answer Woooyung gave in their mindlink, Hongjoong turning to look at him with hurt and pain.

“Why didn’t you say it was Yugyeom?!”

“I did! Just not to you, until now because I forgot to tune you out.” He said shyly, flinching as Hongjoong ran past him and right out their front door, none of them sure of what to do at that point.

It was such a minor yet major detail. Kim Yugyeom was admittedly the most wanted person any of them could think of. Human girls wanted him, werewolf girls wanted him, most guys couldn’t help but stare whenever he passed by. He was gorgeous with eyes that sparkled every time he smiled. He spoke about his soulmate with so much passion despite never meeting her, following his words with how he’d treat any girl before her with the same love and care. It was a pick up line meant to hook any hopelessly romantic girl in, the sweetest way to say their relationship wouldn’t last. But this was Kim Yugyeom, they knew it was only meant with good intentions, not wanting to string someone along with the false hope they’d be together forever. And that’s exactly what you needed. To explore while knowing you’d always come back to Hongjoong. But that’s not what Hongjoong wanted. He didn’t want you dating anyone else, finding temporary happiness when he was supposed to give you a lifetime of it. And humans were more flexible with their soulmates, they had the privilege to move one without the pain or withdrawals of losing their mate. Werewolves just died if they were rejected, heartbreak and loneliness consuming them, so there was no telling how your heart would react to someone exactly like you. Maybe you’ll fall in love with him. Maybe he’ll abandon his soulmate for you once he learns how amazing you are. Maybe Hongjoong would die from lack of food and sleep before he even reached your apartment, which he was still sprinting full speed towards. It was only 7:30pm, meaning he had an hour before you and Yugyeom went out, but he didn’t have a plan. He had no idea what he was doing, but he needed to stop you before you found yourself in love with someone else.

It was like some scene in a drama, Hongjoong’s chest heaving as he finally came to a stop just outside your apartment. His body felt like giving out as he climbed the two flights of stairs to your door, only to find you waving shyly to Yugyeom just as he turned away, trying not to lock eyes with Hongjoong but Hongjoong’s eyes were only trained on you, yours finding his as a panicked look crossed your face. Should you look away? Go back inside? What was he even doing there? You never told the boys your address… You gasped as he approached you, swallowing hard as you tried to remain calm, but how could you stay calm when you finally got a good look at him?

“Oh my god, are you okay?” You didn’t hesitate to ask, stepping further from your door to examine him, reaching for his face only to stumble back to your original position. You were making great progress, you can’t do that now.

“I’ve been better, but even then I wasn’t fine.” He said with a dry chuckle, your lips curling into a fake smile to not show how much his appearance affected you. He looked like he was on the brink of death. You knew wolves would get sick without their mates, but was it really killing him? Were you killing him?

“Joongi-Uhm, Hongjoong, how about you sit down? You look like you’re going to faint.” You offered, stepping back to allow him inside, watching him stumble past you and straight to your sofa as if he owned the place.

It was such an awkward moment for you, watching the poor boy curl into himself as his sweater practically became his body, a sigh leaving your lips as you shut your door. Instead of healing yourself, you had to heal him. It was oddly pitiful but your instincts screamed at you to do it.

Hongjoong shut his eyes as he eased into your sofa, feeling more comfortable than he was in his own home, even more so with your scent invading his senses, your body warmth radiating onto his as you carefully took a seat, trying to figure out what to do.

“Do you need food, or water? Or a doctor?” You asked, the giggle he let out this time weak but still enough to make your heart beat a bit faster.

“I just need you near me.” He admitted.

You let out a squeak as he shamelessly fell into your lap, head comfortably resting against your thighs as he laid face up. You couldn’t stop your hand from easing through his unnaturally colored locks, melting at how soft they were, bottom lip trapped under your teeth as you had to fight off the desire to cup his face. You’ve never gotten this close to him and he wasn’t telling you to go away, instead letting out content purrs as he nuzzled closer to you, your eyes burning with unshed tears. Why couldn’t he just want you from the start? You’d would’ve been able to hold him like this all the time, to see him happy and healthy rather than a shell of his former self. But he didn’t want you, and now he was at your apartment just to keep himself from dying. It was silly to think he cared about you as much as he did himself.

“Of course you do.” You whispered, laughing bitterly as your hand left his hair, moving to his arm to ease him back up into a sitting position.

You couldn’t get past him no matter how hard you tried, nor did you want to, but every word he said, everything he’s done, followed you like a ghost haunting some poor unsuspecting soul. Why did you have to love someone who didn’t love you the same? Why was this your life?

“Can you just hold me a little longer? P-please?” He asked with a cute whine to his voice.

You sighed and grabbed his arm, gently pulling him back into his previous position, fingers massaging his scalp as he finally opened his eyes to look at you. You were beautiful, even with the frown lines etched into your face. He wonder how long they’ve been there, especially when he’s only seen you smiling. Maybe you spent your alone time more upset than he thought. Where you upset before he came? You couldn’t be when Yugyeom was here, no one could be upset with him around. Except Hongjoong. He felt a grudge building inside him just from the mere thought of him with you. He felt like interrogating you on what he was doing here in the first place and why you gave your address out to just anyone, but it wasn’t his place to ask and probably wouldn’t be for a while, but jealousy and rage was all he felt so any reasonable thinking was thrown out the window.

“I don’t want you to see Yugyeom anymore.” He said definitely, your eyes widened as you stared at him incredulously, an amused giggle leaving your lips.

“That’s not for you to choose, Hongjoong. I told you I need time-“

“Those seven years you’ve been waiting I couldn’t be with anyone else. I always compared every girl I met to you and none of them came close to being as perfect, now I have to watch you date some dance major with pretty eyes because I was an insecure dumbass? He has a soulmate, and he’s always going to choose them no matter how much you like each other, so why not save your feelings? I’ll wait as long as you want me to, but just don’t fall in love with anyone else.”

You tried so hard to hide your smile. This wasn’t something you typically liked, possessive guys being on the list of things you found annoying, but considering it was Hongjoong, his soft eyes hard and sharp as their hue seemed to go pitch black as his words were both sweet and demanding, made you fall in love just a little more than you already were. You wanted to take this as his confession, as a truce in your previous one-sided enemyship, to tell him that you told Yugyeom you couldn’t go out with him because you could only see yourself with Hongjoong, but you needed time. Not time to date and explore the way you thought he had, but to watch him work as hard as you did to prove he was ready and willing to love you. It was a little malicious, sure, but it was all in good fun. He’d always be your mate after all.

“I don’t know, Hongjoong, you really hurt me…”

“It hurt knowing I wasn’t with you.” Your smile cracked through, causing his own to appear, your game already over.

“And how do you think I felt? You think you can make up seven years worth of waiting so easily?”

You squealed as he shot up, magically seeming more alive than when he arrived, eyes full of life and his lips and cheeks the same rosy color as when you met him, hands warm and soft as he cupped your face.

“Good thing I have forever to do it.”

The day went by so fast, maybe because you spent most of it panicking over the fact mark would be over at any moment to punish you for showing up to Professor Ahn’s class to retake your test, but it gave you time to think. After begging your roommate not to leave to do an all-night crash course for her own upcoming exams and taking an hour long stress nap, you realized you weren’t at fault. Mark knew you were going to go, he knew you weren’t satisfied with your grade and couldn’t handle it, and yet you’re in trouble for it? You weren’t going to stand for that crap.

So after taking another nap, showering and fixing yourself up, and building up a bit of confidence, you were ready to put him in his place.

Unsurprisingly, Mark stuck to his words, coming over that evening and entering your apartment as if he lived there forever, calling out to you as he slipped off his shoes. The muffled sounds of your footsteps grew closer as you entered your living room, staring him down with a faux-toughness that you both knew he could see right through. He couldn’t hide his smirk though, finding your behavior cuter than his long sleeved red and black striped shirt and the frog themed socks you wore.

“You look angry.” He commented, stepping closer as you stood your ground, telling yourself not to give in to him.

“I am. You know my personality like it’s your own so you knew I’d go there. And I think it’s unfair for you to make me miss the opportunity for a better grade when we both know I deserve it.”

Mark listened to you carefully, still moving closer as you narrowed your eyes at him, unsure of what he was planning to do. But all he did was sigh, tilting his head to stare you down before calmly suggesting that you both head to your room. But you refused, knowing that once that door was closed, he’d get his way. But what you forgot was, bedroom or not, Mark never faltered when he had a plan.

You yelped as he grabbed onto your waist, pulling you closer so that your bodies were touching, his eyes never leaving yours but his gaze wasn’t amused like before, it was intimidating, causing your persona to die easily as your usual timid and submissive self returned.

“That isn’t the problem. I told you not to risk getting a lower grade by retaking the entire test. I also told you to take some days off to relax and not focus on work, and what did you do?” You stayed silent, wanting to avert your eyes but you knew that’d make things worse. All you could bring yourself to do was give a meek ‘I went’.

“And I even made a promise with you, correct?”

“Y-yes…”

“And, not long after that, you made a promise to me, right?” Your face was hot at the memory; Mark on top of you, pounding into you as he made you repeat ‘I promise to stay home for you’ until the pleasure consumed you.

“I did…” You admitted, swallowing hard and finally allowing yourself to look away, Mark no longer hiding his amusement. You were just too cute.

You groaned once you felt his hands touch your face, pinching your cheeks gently and bring your eyes to his. You hated how your plan backfired but you would be lying if you said you weren’t excited for what he had in mind, your thighs unconsciously closing together as the air around you thickened. Your eyes suddenly reflect his, clouded with lust and sparkling with a playful glint, your teeth sinking into your bottom lip to hide your smirk.

“But you wouldn’t go too hard on me, right? I am still pretty sore from yesterday.”

The positions were suddenly switched, Mark red faced at your suddenly bold behavior, your arms wrapping around his torso to pull him closer until your lips were just a centimeter apart and his semi-hard member pressed to your thigh. It was taking everything in him to not ditch his plan, to just fuck you there and now and call it a night, but he knew better than to give you what you wanted. It’d only make you power hungry and he knew you both fighting for dominance all night would get you nowhere.

“Fine, I’ll go easy on you. You have five seconds to get on the couch, on your back, legs open and underwear off.” He instructed, your smirk widening as your knee moved between his legs, trailing up to gently play with the faint bulge.

“But I’m not wearing underwear.”

“Five… Four…”

You wasted no time unwrapping yourself from his body, following his instructions and finding your spot on the sofa, head resting on the arm of it while your legs spread apart to reveal you already wet core, your eyes glancing to him impatiently as you waited for him to do something, anything.

“Touch yourself.”

You knew exactly how he wanted you to do it, the times you had phone sex being a great map of what he liked and didn’t like, and you knew he liked to touch every sensitive point of your body. Without second guessing, you lifted the shirt to reveal your braless chest, one hand cupping your right breast as the other trailed down your stomach to your heat, your bottom lip being sucked into your mouth at how cool your fingers were. Mark was enjoying every second of watching you work your fingers onto yourself, catching a bit of your juices on your fingertips only to lubricate your clit, rubbing in slow circular motions that made you moan out softly. If he could, he’d stay there and just watch, but the straining against his pants was driving him crazy and, even though he said he’d go easy on you, he wanted to see just how much you could endure before he really began his pleasure-filled torture.

You didn’t stop thrusting your fingers into yourself as Mark moved closer to you, your head turning to see his lower half just by your face. If you weren’t already turned on by the fact he was watching you so intensely, you were definitely turned on now by the way he easily undid his pants, pushing them and his boxers down to his thighs and releasing his cock right by your mouth, watching you hungrily take him in. Double penetration was something you always wanted to try, and although this wasn’t exactly how you pictured it, it was still enjoyable. You were content with the pace you were setting for yourself, moaning constantly against his shaft as he gently brushed your hair back more, still restraining himself from going any further just yet.

“Open your mouth wider for me. And I want you to only focus on your clit.” Mark said in his usual low and demanding tone, a small reminder that he was in charge the situation.

You followed his instructions, your cheeks no longer hollow as you opened your mouth as wide as possible and your fingers slipping out of you to rub harshly against your clit, a shiver shaking your entire body as you did so. Mark knew you didn’t need much to cum, just touching your clit for a few minutes and you’d done for, and he wanted to use that to his advantage.

You moaned out as Mark held onto your head tightly and began thrusting hard and fast into your mouth, his cock ramming at the back of your throat as your fingers continued to assault the bundle of nerves resting above your contracting entrance, his eyes hooded as you stared up to see him looking at your face, your chest heaving as you toyed with your nipples, legs crossing as you tried to press your thighs together for more pressure, the melodic moans seeping from you making him twitch within your mouth. If he weren’t so in control, he’d cum without a second thought, but you both knew he was toying with you, you were just unsure of how far his little game would go.

“Are you close?” He asked, despite your mouth being filled with your saliva and his precum that was now coating the base and length of his cock. You managed to nod before an almost wicked grin crossed his face.

“Good. I want you to hold it, but don’t stop touching yourself.”

Your eyes widened as you hesitated on continuing, your toes curling as you felt the pleasure already building up inside of you but you had never done this before, you weren’t even sure how to keep yourself from cumming. But you didn’t like the way he was smirking at you, positive that you couldn’t do it and just waiting for the familiar squeaks you let out whenever you reached your high. You wanted to prove him wrong. But the more your fingers rubbed the swollen button, the faster he fucked your throat, and the heavier your breathing got, your body screaming for your release as the same sensation you felt just the day before returned, your eyes watering at the thought of ruining your couch by squirting again. Right now, you need a miracle to stop this, to keep him from getting what he wanted.

You and Mark froze at the sound of the front door opening, your roommate, Hyeri, entering while shaming herself for forgetting her textbook on early childhood development, her face dropping into a stoic, but somehow still disappointed , look as she took in the scene before her. The silence was deafening and the air thick, especially when she noticed you and Mark had no intentions of parting from the awkward position. Without another word, she turned and left, knowing she should’ve just stayed out after you told her Mark would be over. But you let out a relieved breath through your nose, glad that you were slowly coming down from your high, much to Mark’s dismay.

“Did I tell you to stop touching yourself?” He asked sternly, finally stepping back and watching his member slip from your mouth, a thin line of saliva trailing from the head to your tongue, your eyes glaring up at him.

“I-I couldn’t keep going while she was here, that’d be so embarrassing!” You said, your neck hurting as your head followed him once more.

Mark made his way to your side and kneeled, not making eye contact as he grabbed your parted legs and turned you towards him, his head now between them. The orgasm that disappeared just a few seconds ago was now back and just as strong from the way his breath fanned against your exposed opening, a weak gasp sneaking past your lips as he sucked harshly against your inner thigh, nipping at your flesh before moving on to the next spot, a collection of purple and red bruises forming.

“I wanted to see if you could get yourself off first,” He spoke, his voice muffled as he continued sucking and easing his way closer to where you really needed him.

“But I guess it really has to be like yesterday.”

You couldn’t even question him before you cried out, his fingers plunging into your soaked core, body squirming as he fingered you at a fast and harsh pace, the feeling of his knuckles colliding with your skin making you clench around his fingers. Your eyes were teary, bottom lip ready to burst from the way your teeth sank into it as he finally placed his tongue on your clit, lapping at your pussy to draw your release closer, unaware that you were already on the edge until your hands clawed at his hair, the way you pant his name and grind yourself onto his digits to cause your fluids to make embarrassingly loud squelching sounds as you ride through your high.

Mark pulled away slowly but kept his fingers moving at the same rhythm, your eyes squeezing shut at how painful it was becoming. It was pleasurable, sure, but you felt like you were overheating, like you were about to piss yourself honestly. You couldn’t help but shut your legs together in an attempt to stop his hand, your voice too weak to warn him it was too much, but you didn’t want him to stop. Through the overstimulation, you felt the vague warmth bubbling inside of you, most of your senses being drowned in a metaphorical white noise as all your energy seeped into your core, allowing you to feel every harsh thrust he gave and even the pulsating of your walls as he finally found your g-spot.

Your eyes rolled back before you let them flutter shut, only to yelp at the sudden slap Mark gave to you thigh, your eyes shooting open to glare at him but your fucked out expression made it impossible.

“You’re enjoying this so much, aren’t you?” He asked, your lips curling upwards teasingly as you went to close your eyes once more, you both knowing you couldn’t answer and that it would only piss him off.

As if everything happened in one swift motion, you were staring into Mark’s eyes as his hand gripped your face, squeezing gently to force your mouth open as he snatched his fingers away from your needy heat before placing them into your mouth, a shocked gasp exiting you as he shoved them as far as they could go, pumping it in and out to leave the taste of yourself on your tongue, your body squirming and legs squeezing together as you retched a few times, Mark finally pulling away to allow you to catch your breath. Despite the fact you were suppressing the urge to vomit all over your lap and Mark’s still out and still very hard cock, you were even more turned on than you were before.

“You good?” He asked, your bottom lip covered in a bit of your saliva as you swallowed hard, nodding at him as he reached out for you once more.

Everything was moving so fast at this point but all you wanted to do was cum again, letting Mark have his way with you just like he did hours prior. You helped him remove his shirt from your body, his eyes taking in your nude form once more before grabbing your waist and rubbing gentle circles on your skin, your heart racing in anticipation even with the soothing gesture. And like a switch, his dominant side was back. He spun you around and placed a hand on you shoulder to help you lean forward, your hands gripping the back of your couch to stabilize as his other one adjusted your hips properly, your head threatening to turn to him as you felt the tip of his cock graze your entrance.

“Can you remind me of what you promised me last night?” Mark asked softly, teasingly letting his hands roam from your hips up to your breast, cupping them gently as he continued to tease your slit with his member, a shaky moan leaving your lips.

“I-I promised to stay home and not think about my test.”

“And did you keep that promise?” His voice was eerily closer to your ear as he pressed harder against you, soft kisses trailing over your shoulder and back as he waited on your response.

“No…” You cried out as his hand struck your left ass cheek in almost lightning speed, the other gripping your hair to keep you from resting your head against the tweed furniture. So much for going easy on you.

“And tell me why you didn’t keep that promise.”

He gave another harsh slap before you could respond, a pained whimper leaving you although it contrasted the way your hips pushed into his dick, hoping to ease him inside of you without having to use your hands. But your actions didn’t go unnoticed, earning you another spanking and a harsh tug on your hair until your back was arched intensely, neck craning as your head met his shoulder, his dark eyes glaring into yours.

“I said tell me.”

“I-It’s because I’m stupid and selfish and don’t listen!” You called out, hoping to appease him and give you some leeway to relax through his rough actions. But it didn’t.

As you cried out in a painfully relieved scream, Mark bit the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning, ramming his entire length into you in a swift motion, the warm skin of his hips meeting your ass as held you there, your hands clawing at your sofa as a tear finally escaped your eye, chest heaving as you’re filled with a clusterfuck of emotions. Were you hurting or happy he was finally in you? All you knew was the way he released your hair and let you fall forward alleviated you of the first sensation, the latter remaining.

“No, you didn’t keep it because you wanted me to fuck you like this.”

He wasn’t wrong. Even if you feared that he’d be rougher than usual, breaking past the limitations you both set in order to give his all, you weren’t against teasing him and getting him worked up just to be in this position, even if it meant pissing him off which was always a scary feat. You knew this wasn’t enough to make him extremely mad but, knowing a major pet peeve of his was being purposely ignored, you thought this would be a good preview of what you’d been missing.

So lost in your daydreams, you missed the words he said, nodding unconsciously after he asked if you understood, both of you still as silence overtook the room, Mark clicking his tongue in disapproval before grabbing your hair again, bringing you back to the same position as before, your tender scalp aching at the way he tugged on it, making sure your head was far back enough so you could see his face, your body shivering at the cold expression he gave.

“You really love pissing me off, don’t you? What did I tell you to do?”

“I-I… I d-don’t know…” You were honestly scared, not sure of what he planned to do, especially with his face showing no signs of if he’d be gentle with you. But the harsh thrust he gave you made your knees buckle, loud cries pouring from you as he kept going. Each thrust was sharp and hard, hitting a spot in you that hurt so bad yet felt so good, it almost felt as if he was barely pulling out of you before pushing back in completely, his eyes still boring into yours and face not faltering despite loving the way you wrapped around him, your eyes watering as he gave you no time to adjust to his momentum.

“Listen to me,” He started, his hips freezing in place the way they were before, pressing deep into your flesh until you felt every single inch of him.

“I told you to you were going to apologize for ignoring me until I let you cum, but that’s obviously asking for too much. So you’re going to make sure everyone on this floor knows you’re sorry and what you’re sorry for.” You gulped.

“W-what should I say?”

“You’re a smart girl, and you know what I like to hear, so I’m sure you’ll find the right words.” He leaned down to press a quick kiss to your lips before releasing your hair again, letting your body fall back into place.

The sweet gesture didn’t leave a lasting impression as he began to thrust into you once more, your body struggling to stay standing as you tried to ignore the brutal satisfaction you felt, your throat struggling to open up as you held back your moans, trying to form coherent words.

“I-I’m sorry f-for not listening to my boyfriend.” You finally spoke, Mark smirking at the sound of your weak voice, even allowing himself to groan for the first time that night, letting you hear just how good you made him feel even if your mind was clouded with the overwhelming sensation of your orgasm.

“Good girl, but I need you to be louder.” Your eyes screwed shut as you rested your head against the couch. All the adrenaline from before wore off, the realization you were about to reach your second orgasm of the day hitting you fast and hard, your mind going back to the fact that if you didn’t speak, you couldn’t cum, and you don’t think you could handle going to bed horny or being fucked into oblivion tonight.

“I’m sorry for not listening to my boyfriend!” You cried out, eyes burning as more tears seeped out. You were so close and it was excruciating.

Even with your core being so wet, allowing Mark to ram himself deeper and faster into you, the way your walls contracted around him made it feel as if he went in dry, a soreness forming within you that caused his arm to wrap around your waist to keep you standing. Mark could feel you getting closer and it was driving him crazy. Last night was great, you managing to handle five orgasm before calling it a night, but he loved the way you pulsated around him now after only two, as if your insides were massaging his member and urging him to release everything into you, and he was ready to, but he need you to get there first.

You sobbed as you felt his fingers toying with your clit, a loud hiccup bubbling from your throat as you whimpered his name, not sure if you can comply with his demands, ready to let the bubble inside your abdomen burst so you can collapse in blissful exhaustion.

“You’re doing so good, baby. Cum for me.” He spoke softly. No harsh demands, no slyness to his words, no conditions or exceptions. Just ragged breaths and loose moans as he buried his face in your shoulder, somehow thrusting faster into you to chase his own high, feeling your walls tighten around him but not relaxing as you mewled, throat hoarse from the cries you let out.

You felt every hair on your body stand as Mark helped you ride out your high, loud breaths leaving you as you relaxed onto the sofa. Mark held onto your waist tightly, pressing you further into his as his teeth sank into your skin, hiding the almost growl-like moan he let out, his hips stilling as he released into you, his cock jerking with each spurt of cum he emitted, both your bodies relaxing as he carefully removed himself from your core, staring down at the mess you both made. His dick was covered in the frothy, almost translucent, cum you both released, his own seeping down your thighs at a snail’s pace.

You didn’t bother opening your eyes as you felt yourself being lowered onto the couch, the sound of Mark fixing his pants echoing in your ears as your senses were slowly going back to normal. You could hear his faint words of praise though, his hands stroking through your hair and his lips pressing to your own, a soft chuckle leaving his mouth as you tried to reciprocate. He honestly felt bad for tiring you out so quickly, especially when he knew he was still holding back. But he didn’t dwell on it too much, listening to your breathing even out before heading down your halls to grab a washcloth and towel to clean you up.

-

The next day was the laziest you’ve ever been and you loved it. You wearing a faded hoodie and leggings, Mark in his boxers and another t-shirt of his you stole, curled up on the spacious sofa and watching a comedy movie neither of you heard of but liked the cover for.

Your laughter blended together loudly, drowning out the sound of the front door opening and closing. Hyeri almost went unnoticed until she kicked her shoes off, hanging up her jacket and bag without giving either of you so much as a glance. Your smile faded as you remembered what she walked into yesterday, not really sure where to start with that conversation. She was beginning to walk down the hallway when you called out to her, slowly standing as to not agitate the soreness between your legs, practically waddling towards her as she stopped, still not facing either of you.

“I’m sorry about what you saw yesterday. I didn’t mean for it to-“

“Look, I just need one week to erase it from my mind, and we’ll be good.” She said bluntly, continuing to her bedroom before disappearing completely, a pitiful moan leaving your lips before heading back to Mark who had paused the movie for you.

“I think she’s mad at me.” You admitted, curling back into his side before he enveloped you in his arms.

“Don’t worry, she never stays mad at you for long. Plus, she got a free show, so is it really that bad?”

“Mark.” You warned, his lips still in a smirk as you gave him a glare.

He pressed play and you both sat in silence as the film continued on, Mark laughing as usual while you were deep in thought, too upset over the fact Hyeri couldn’t even look at you and, even worse, she saw the inside of you. How was she ever going to recover from that? It was something small and predictable for college roommates to stumble onto but it still wasn’t fun to see.

Mark noticed your zoned out expression, sighing before leaning down to your ear, preparing to give you a reality check that you had repressed for the past year and a half.

“Just think of this as you getting equal for the time she hooked up with that guy in your bed after a party and he ended up puking everywhere.”

As he pulled away, he watched your once sad face turn into a disgusted frown, no longer feeling guilty for the acts she saw as you replayed that night in your head, throwing out so many books and clothes because some random drunk guy couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time. You sure as hell weren’t happy, but you were no longer stressing over the situation, which is exactly what Mark planned to make this entire day was about.

You bit your bottom lip as you tried to focus on what your professor was saying, writing notes from the words she spoke in fear it’d be on a future pop quiz, but you couldn’t focus with the pair of eyes boring into you. You were trying to ignore Mark but he refused to look away, wanting you to look at him as he sat by idly at your teacher’s desk.

You weren’t sure what to expect when Mark was announced as the TA for your class, but you didn’t expect him to be, well, himself. You figured he’d try to be professional and fair, giving everyone equal amounts of attention and help whenever necessary, instead he’d always find his way to you, cracking jokes and even flirting. You were doing extremely well in this course, not needing the extra help which upset him a bit, so during times when he couldn’t talk to you up close, or text you in case your teacher saw, he’d stare, hoping to have a silent conversation with you to ease his clingy nature. But you weren’t catching on, his lips threatening to form a pout as he looked away.

“Mark.” His head snapped upwards as your professor called him, his body standing as he waited for her instructions.

“Can you hand out the graded test please? They’re on the corner of my desk.” He nodded, mentally cheering as he prepared himself to speak to you for the first time today.

Despite your professor speaking, you tuned her out, watching Mark anxiously as he went to each person, congratulating those that did well and telling others they can retake the test another day to salvage their grades. You were nervous. You weren’t as confident in this test as you were others and the idea of getting anything less than a 100 made you want to cry. You couldn’t even find ease in the way Mark was approaching you, the smile on his face might be because you did well or because he just wanted your attention, your mind screaming for it to be the former.

Mark gently handed you the booklet like test, your eyes immediately landing on the 98 that sat on the top of the front page, the pressured feeling in your chest not leaving even as an audible sigh left your lips while his hand rested on your head, causing your eyes to meet his.

“Good job.” You couldn’t help but give a small smile, finally giving him what he’s been wanting to see all day.

“Professor Ahn,” One girl, Yeeun, spoke up, everyone’s attention falling to her as she stood.

“Considering your TA is the one who graded the test, and is also (Y/n)’s boyfriend, don’t you think there’s a bit of bias on his part?”

The way she looked over at the both of you as if she had won some battle didn’t sit right with you, your eyes narrowing into a glare while Mark only smirked, continuing passing out the test as your professor sighed heavily.

“Ms. Shin, Mr. Tuan made me aware of his relationship with Ms. (Y/L/N) the day he arrived, which is why I personally grade all her test myself. In other words, the score (Y/n) received is not only valid but the only one to reach over 90% in this class, so I suggest you focus on your own grades instead of worrying about those two.” Mark wanted to laugh at the way she sat down in such a defeated state, scowling at the 73 on the paper as if it were a nuisance.

Professor Ahn repeated Mark’s words, reminding everyone that retakes would happen for the next two days during her free periods and after school before officially dismissing everyone, your body moving a bit slower than everyone else so you were left behind, Professor Ahn heading into her personal office just behind her desk while you approached Mark, his face in a cute pout.

“You didn’t look at me today.”

“I was nervous.” You responded, reaching to cup his face before bringing him into a soft kiss, pulling away before he could take it any further.

“What’s your next class?” He asked, reaching for your hand to lead you out of the room.

“I’m actually done for the day. And, I know you’re free too, so I figured we could just hang out.” The look you gave was hinting to something that could only spell trouble, yet he was hoping it was exactly what he was thinking, his lips forming a smirk as he stepped closer to you.

“Alright, and just where are we heading exactly?”

“I’ll give you a hint; we’ll be at my place, in my room, on a desk.” He didn’t waste a second dragging you down the busy halls, that hint more than clear for him to understand.

Yet he didn’t understand. Well, it was more like you tricked him.

By ‘on a desk’, he was hoping for something with you laid out beneath him with a lot less clothing involved and more x-rated touching. Instead, you were still in the baby pink high waist skirt and white sweater you wore for class earlier, the once seemingly normal and innocent outfit driving him crazy now, the only touching he received were pokes to the temple of his head whenever he read a question from your graded test unenthusiastically, obviously bummed by how the situation turned out. To think not scoring a perfect 100 would bother you so much that you’d make him study with you until you were ready to retake the test.

“Come on, the faster we do this, the faster I can learn what I got wrong.”

“(Y/n), you don’t need to retake the test. You have the highest score of your class, professor Ahn said so.”

“Yeah but what if someone retakes it and does better than me?”

Mark sighed, knowing how stubborn you were when it came to your grades, but he didn’t like the competitive side of you that came with it. He admired your persistence, but watching you drive yourself crazy over something so miniscule was heartbreaking, like when your calculus 3 teacher refused to let you retake his quiz and you couldn’t do anything but cry for days because that was your hardest class and you knew you could do better. But how could he force you out of a habit that he admittedly fell in love with? It was a complete contradiction.

“(Y/n),” you shifted your gaze from the notes and test in front of you to look at him.

“What are three cyanobacterial species?” Your eyes wandered from him, so many words crossed your mind, trying to find the right answers to the sudden question.

“Nostoc commune, nostoc punctiforme, and nodularia spumigena… I think.” You said slowly, watching Mark pull the packet open and flip to the third page, showing you the exact question he asked, an ‘X’ right next to your answer.

“The reason you didn’t get a perfect score is because you missed this one question. You didn’t get it right because you’re always freaking out. But now that you know the answer, and know that you always panic at the idea of not doing well; do you think it’s wise to retake the test and aim for a 100, only to possibly freak out again and end up with the same score or worse?”

You wanted to argue with his logic but it was reasonable, and he was right. You were freaking out for nothing and were honestly surprised you hadn’t dropped dead from all the stress you had, wanting to laugh at how ridiculous you’d been. Mark noticed you staring off into space, probably still scolding yourself like you always do. He didn’t mean to kill your confidence, but what else could he do to make you snap out of your “no mistakes allowed” tunnel vision?

“Baby,” He called, your eyes finding him once more, noticing his arms open and waiting for you to settle into his lap, which you did without hesitation, his hands cupping your face so you couldn’t look away.

“I know you’re smart, and that you could get a perfect score if you tried harder, but you can’t always push yourself like this. It’s okay to not be the best and, sometimes, you’ll learn there are people out there that are the best of the best and you can’t compare.” He said, your lips curling upwards as you released a giggle.

“That was such a backhand compliment.” His laughter mixed with your own, hands easing from your face into your hair.

“Yeah, I could’ve worded that better, but you need to relax. Stressing yourself out won’t make you perfect. Okay?”

You rolled your eyes, feeling a little disparaged but knowing he meant well, truly worried for you and rightfully so. You were a hard ass, you knew that and just couldn’t help it. Maybe that’s why you loved Mark, he was responsible yet relaxed. He had it all figured out and, even when he didn’t, he was nonchalant until he did. It was one of the traits you wish you could take from him and have for yourself.

“Okay, then show me what I should do to relax.” You said, a smirk similar to the one you gave earlier on your lips, his finger darting out to poke you in the center of your forehead, a stern look on his face.

“I should just leave and make you take a nap for tricking me into studying with you. But I have manners, so get on the bed.”

You eagerly climbed out of his lap and followed his orders, removing your top on your way there, not wanting to waste any more time. As you watched him approach you with his eyes taking you in hungrily, you couldn’t help but think of the position you were in.

He’d be busy for the next two days helping students from Professor Ahn’s four classes retake their test. Her other three classes held 60 or so students, a little over double the amount of your class, and the likelihood of everyone from the other classes failing was damn near impossible, but her course was hard so it’s a good possibility almost half the class would want a retake, and thinking of potential students from your own class doing the same, that’d mean Mark and Professor Ahn would have roughly 110 test to grade by the end of the two days. Even if they split the grading load in half, Mark would be busy days later helping her while simultaneously maintaining his own grades, meaning the two day period you thought nothing of would really be four to five days of barely being together, so you were going to bask in this moment.

“(Y/n/n),” Mark called, gaining your attention.

Your eyes darted towards him and noticed he was between your legs, face close to your heat that was now exposed as he tossed your panties away not too long ago, your skirt bunched around your waist as he patiently waited for you to answer, hoping you weren’t uncomfortable and suddenly having second thoughts.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I just realized it’ll be a few days before we can be like this again.” You admitted, unconsciously placing your hand in his hair and stroking it softly. It was still pretty soft despite bleaching and dying it so many times.

“Think about it this way,” He started, placing a small kiss to your inner thigh, your teeth sinking into your bottom lip as you tried to resist the urge to close them, his lips ticking your skin as he continued moving closer to your core.

“Everything I do today is a precursor for the next time I come over.”

You wanted to make a snide remark to keep your banter going, but the way his lips finally connected with your folds made your head spin, any thoughts you had were gone as the foreign yet very familiar and dearly missed pleasure hit you. You can’t remember the last time Mark went down on you, your schedules leaving the both of you available for only quickies in unoccupied classrooms just to make it to your next class on time. But taking the time to go slow and actually savor the pleasure was making the experience a million times better, any memory you had of his tongue being buried within you was replaced with this moment, his tongue taking it’s time to taste you as if you were the best meal in the world.

“Mark,” You breathed out, his head moving back just slightly so his tongue was visible, your eyes locked on the way he teasingly flicked it around your opening while staring straight at you, expertly dragging the pink muscle up to your clit before covering it completely with his lips sucking harshly so that you cried out.

He knew exactly what he was doing and what buttons to push, taking two fingers and rubbing them along your slit to lubricate them before easily sliding them inside, your body nearly jumping away at the feeling. He felt you contract around him, surprised that you might already be so close considering he just started, but that only encouraged him more, his mind running with the thoughts of exactly how long he could make this last and how cute you’d be once you were completely spent from him actions.

You were gripping onto Mark’s hair desperately as your other hand held onto your pillow for dear life, your back arching at the familiar motions of his fingers, simultaneously thrusting into you while drumming against your g-spot, sending small waves of gratification through you. Those little jolts were enough to distract you from Mark moving up your body, kissing from your belly button to your bra cladded breast, his free hand slipping beneath it easily to toy with your nipples, already so hard despite the fact he had only begun stimulating them.

You struggled to crack your eyes open, looking at the man above you as a breathy whine interrupted your seemingly endless moans. His eyes were concentrating on each contorted muscle of your face before finding your eyes, smiling softly at you as if he wasn’t pinching and rubbing at your breast while using his fingers to scissor your pussy. Any words you wanted to say came out almost like squeaks, your hands speaking for you as they moved to his chest, slowly trailing down until they reached the slowly growing, but clearly there, bulge in his black jeans.

He watched in amusement as you impatiently undid his pants, tapping his thumb on your clit to watch you freeze momentarily in an attempt to regain your composure. He was like a sadist but the humane kind. Mark couldn’t help the groan he let out once your hand slipped into his boxers, wasting no time stroking his member at the same pace his fingers moved into you, his eyes squeezing shut as his face dipped into your neck, teeth sinking into your shoulder to control himself from going any further. The juices you let out were making such lewd sounds, and the harder his thumb rubbed against the sensitive nerves just above your entrance, the more your hips rolled into his hands and your walls tightened around him, actual words finally leaving you as you let out a soft ‘please’. It was all becoming too much for him, but he didn’t want to give in just yet.

“Mark,” You called out to him again, his head finally lifting to look at your face. Even though your eyes could barely stay open, your lips trembling as you whimpered pathetically and your breathing labored, you looked amazing.

“What’s wrong?” He asked gently, slowly bringing his fingers to a stop to allow you to speak, the bubble of pleasure you felt fading away.

“I want more. Please.” You continued to pump his cock from inside his briefs, the urge to fuck himself into your hand hard to ignore as your thumb played with the beads of precum leaking from his tip, your hand working faster knowing he was so close to giving you what you wanted.

Instead, he reached between your bodies to grab your wrist, reluctantly pulling it away from his throbbing and needy member and bringing it up to examine it, precum visibly sticking to your thumb and palm.

“I’ll give you everything you want, but you have to be patient.” He warned you, reaching for the hand resting on his chest to bring them above your head, holding them in place so that he could get back to his main objective.

You wanted to scream as he began to move his fingers again, not starting off slow like he usually would but going knuckles deep, his thumb now finding a good pace on your clit as well. It was clear he was trying to get you off first. It wasn’t uncommon for him to let you get your release before him, but this felt different, weird even. He was rough but precise, your g-spot being hit no matter how deep and fast his appendages plunged into you. And the pressure on your clit wasn’t helping either, only making the strange feeling increase.

Your back arched as you moaned loudly, unsure if your roommate was even home but you couldn’t care less about that now, your legs kicking against the bed as if you wanted to escape the way his hand was fucking you but so curious where this feeling was leading and just how good it’d feel. Mark’s cock twitched at the sight of you, every time your hips lifted from the bed he’d see a wet spot forming from the juices dripping from your cunt and his hand, making it obvious that you came already but he wanted to see you orgasm, knowing you were close as you incoherently cried out, begging for him as your thighs clenched together in an attempt to slow him down even though you didn’t want him to stop.

“Look at me.” He said in a soft voice yet stern enough to remind you it was a demand.

You shyly faced him, vision hazy as you focused on his features. You felt his hand leave your wrist before creeping down to comb through your hair, easing to the back of your head and pulling you into him, bringing your lips to his to capture every sound you made. If it wasn’t the way his hand continued to assault your core as it convulsed violently, or the way his teeth nipped at your bottom lip in the middle of your heated make out session, or even the way he pulled away to speak filthy words to you to encourage your release, the thin line of self-control and submission you were walking was gone, your body falling fast and hard into the latter.

Mark’s fingers dug into your scalp to hold you in place, a few moans escaping his throat as you clenched around his digits, pleasured cries falling into his mouth as you no longer focused on your kiss. Your lower half jerked almost painfully, his fingers slowly moving into you to draw out your release, his face pulling away as he felt a bead of your orgasm rolling down his fingers and palm and onto his wrist, the once small wet spot now a puddle beneath your body, your fluids leaving the room and sheets a distinctly sweet smell.

You shut your eyes in relief as Mark finally pulled his hand away, trying to catch your breath as he moved from the bed. You could feel the stickiness on you, your thighs closing to keep the cool air from hitting your sensitive core, the sound of your skin pulling from the sheets making you cringe. No wonder it felt so weird, you squirted for the first time ever and, now, your mattress was ruined. You were contemplating if you should just rest now in your own filthy release or properly clean everything, not having time to form an answer as Mark climbed above you, instantly connecting his lips to the shell of your ear and your neck. You turned to look at him, noticing his pants and boxers were off, his rock hard dick on display between your bodies.

“W-wait, I don’t think I can do that again.” You admitted, your face hot at the thought of being overstimulated, Mark’s gaze meeting yours. His eyes were so dark and clouded, your core unwillingly pulsating again with arousal despite your words.

“If you need me to stop, I’ll stop. I did promise to give you whatever you want earlier.”

The room fell silent as he waited for your answer, your eyes looking away in embarrassment as you opened your legs for him, cursing yourself for being so needy despite what happened only a few seconds ago. Mark smirked and placed a gentle kiss to your cheek, easing his body forward until he was poking at your entrance, preparing to thrust into you but not before he spoke in a definite tone.

“I’m going to make sure you’re too tired to think about the retest and, if I even see you going to take it, we’ll do this all over again.”

And it was a promise. You knew Mark never bluffed, especially when it came to sexual rewards and punishments, so you could do nothing but take those words to heart. Although the next day, after dragging your sore body from the soaked bed you both were too exhausted to flip, and getting ready as normal, you crept your way towards Professor Ahn’s class.

It was her second free period of the day and currently Mark’s accounting class, meaning there would be fewer students there for the retest and he would be out of sight and out of mind. You slowly crept into her classroom, looking to the twelve or so students working silently, Professor Ahn nowhere to be found.

You knew she’d never leave a class unsupervised during a test, so she was most likely watching from her office to see who would or wouldn’t cheat. She was clever that way so it only made sense.

You eagerly headed to the door, knocking gently before hearing an uninterested ‘enter’.

“Sorry for disturbing you Professor Ahn, but I was hoping I could do the retest to-“ You froze.

Professor Ahn and Mark’s eyes left the test and answer sheets around them to stare at you. During her first free period, over sixty students came, leaving your professor overwhelmed at how much grading she’d have to do if she waited until the last minute, her first instinct was to call her TA in for help which he easily accepted, knowing that missing one class wouldn’t hurt him. So the two sat in the once comfortable silence, grading roughly thirty test each. You thought you had it all figured out but didn’t plan for a random setback like this, and neither did Mark, his eyes boring into yours despite you trying to avoid his gaze.

“You were planning to do the retest, (Y/n)?” Professor Ahn spoke up, dropping her red pen and searching for a clean copy of the test from the folder next to her, your eyes widening as you frantically shook your head.

“No! No, it was nothing. I’m sorry for stopping by like this.” You said, preparing to leave but the call of your name from an eerily calm source made you stop, an inaudible whimper leaving you as you turned back to your boyfriend, a seemingly sweet but truly sinister smile on his lips.

“I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

You anxiously smoothed your silk dress shirt before entering the café, eyes wandering to find a man fitting the vague description your friend gave you. ‘He’ll be in a grey shirt with kinda dark hair, unless he dyed it again, but you’ll know him when you see him. Just ask for Danny.’ You sighed, continuing to look around cautiously, not seeing anyone in grey or wildly colored hair and believing you’d been stood up, maybe because he got an equally ridiculous description as the one your friend gave you and didn’t bother looking.

You didn’t like the idea of blind dates. You’ve only ever heard horror stories of being introduced to a complete stranger with the descriptions given by their mutual friends exaggerated to peak interest. You weren’t afraid that your date wouldn’t be attractive or anything, you just didn’t want to end up in an uncomfortable situation with someone you’d never want to see again. But you’ve been single since your freshman year of college, and your friends have been begging you to get a love life for the sake of your (their) sanity. So here you were, scoping out the shop for a guy your roommate so desperately wanted you to meet, and still managing to come up short.

You were ready to leave until a plain grey t-shirt caught your eye, your eyes trailing to his obviously unnatural hair color and defined face. He was fucking gorgeous, but the fact he was sitting with someone else, laughing and taking sips from their drinks made you nervous that he wasn’t who you had to meet. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask, right? Worst case scenario, this beautiful stranger turns out to be someone else and you truly were stood up by Danny.

(Y/b/n) ran a hand through his hair while attempting to adjust the sweaty mess, finally getting a break from practice and trying to enjoy it with his group member who looked equally as disheveled. Faint footsteps were heard beside them before stopping just at their table in the very corner of the coffee shop, his eyes trailing up to see your nervous but kind face, a weird stutter interrupting his heartbeat as he took in your features. Being an idol he had to be reluctant on who he spoke to and interacted with, unsure of their intentions or if they’d be a danger to him, but as soon as you asked if he was Danny, he couldn’t help but say yes, knowing telling the truth would lead to him probably never seeing you again.

You smiled awkwardly and looked to his group member that only gave him a questioning look, trying to figure out who the hell was Danny and, more importantly, who the hell were you.

“I-I’m (Y/n), Ellie’s roommate. I should’ve brought her along if I knew you were with a friend, she’d probably find you cute.” You admitted, mentally screaming at yourself to not make things awkward, but “Danny” spoke up much to your relief.

“Oh no, we just ran into each other here and decided to catch up for a bit.” (Y/b/n) shot him a look, silently telling him to get out, his group member reluctantly agreeing before excusing himself, leaving the seat open for you to occupy.

“So, uhm, tell me about yourself. I heard you work in finance.” You started after a brief moment of silence, straightening your posture and smiling softly, trying to remain friendly and appealing to the hot guy staring at you with an intense gaze.

“Y-yeah, I’ve been doing finance for a few years now, right out of college. It’s honestly boring having to work alone with numbers all day, so thank you for taking an interest in meeting me and saving me from my boredom.” He had no clue about finance or the right terms to use to describe a job in finance, but watching you blush deeply at his final statement helped him ignore the anxiety of possibly being found out.

“But, anyways, what about you? Tell me everything about yourself.” He attempted to take the attention off of him, your eyes rolling upwards in thought as you tried to figure out where to start.

“Uhm, well, I’m the assistant manager at a department store, but I also create clothing at home to sell online.”

“So you’re a designer?” He asked in genuine interest, a more relaxed smile gracing your face this time.

“Yeah, it’s honestly my passion. I wanna expand into streetwear, but the material cost way too much. It’s pretty much the same for formal wear, but it’s what I’m best at and what my clients love.”

“Well, I’d love to have you dress me up one day.” An embarrassed laugh escaped both of you as the atmosphere became much more lighthearted.

You sat there for nearly an hour at this point, talking and learning about each other faster than you had with people you were in actual relationships with. “Danny” was perfect in every way. He maintained a profession he wasn’t crazy about but was enough to get him by in life while never forgetting about his real passion for music. He cared deeply for his friends and family, and was not afraid to embarrass himself with stories of his childhood whenever you became an bashful, red faced mess after one of his flirtatious remarks.

And (Y/b/n) was positive he was in love with you. The moment he learned you had given up television and social media because of stress and never returned, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Not only because you wouldn’t recognize he was an idol, but because it gave him the opportunity to be personal and honest with you. From the questions you asked about “Danny”, he realized your friend was bad with giving info on people, but it worked in his favor, watching you slowly but surely fall for him from the actual facts of his life.

“We should go out again, maybe to that restaurant you said had “the world’s greatest pasta”.”(Y/b/n) stated, your eyes lighting up at the suggestion.

You were about to respond when the faint call of your name gained both yours and (Y/b/n)’s attention, your eyes falling on a tall and also very attractive man in a grey button down shirt with dark red, almost black, hair, a bouquet of flowers in his hands as he slowly approached your table, your body instinctively standing to meet him.

“Hello, do I know you?”

“I’m so sorry I’m late, I got caught up at work, but I’m Seunghoon, or Danny. Ellie calls me that so I assume that’s how she’d introduce me.” He said with a gently chuckle, your face unamused as you looked back to the first man in horror, your body growing cold yet your face hot, uncertain if you were angry or scared.

“So who are you?” You asked softly, wanting some explanation from the man you spent so much time exposing your life to, his eyes large and pleading as he tried to find some way to salvage this.

“You’re (Y/b/s/n) from (Y/b/g), right?” The real Danny asked, your brows furrowing in confusion trying to figure out who and what that was, Danny giving you an incredulous look.

“He’s an idol. Have you seriously never heard of him?”

Your eyes met the man now known as (Y/b/n), his lips moving to find spew some excuse to make you forgive him, but you could only ignore him and think about the red flags. The way he was so relieved when you mentioned you didn’t use social media for almost two years, the fact he tried to hide his face when a few girls nearby were staring, and the way he talked so passionately about performing but not about finance. You should’ve known better that people in finance didn’t give a damn about dancing.