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those few words only confirmed what you thought was bugging him is exactly what's making him act so stupid.

he's in love, and as much as it pains you to give it to him—your blood brother—of all people, he's the one who came to you begging for advice on how to ask a girl on a date. that certain someone, however, is his coworkers who he sees almost every single day of the week, which would make it awkward if he fucked it up.

huh.

maybe that's why he came to you. he knows you won't lead him down a path that results in failure of any kind.

that kinda makes you feel a little bit better about giving him dating advice.

eugh. okay, maybe not that much, but him coming to you is a compliment in itself. or you think it is, at least. the only time he's ever come to you for something is either for money or a favor.

“thrice isn't a word, dummy,” you deadpan, tossing the tv remote at him without caring if he catches it or not.

much to your dismay, he does.

he groans into his hands immediately after, loud and exaggerated. the sound is similar to what an elephant sounds like.

“this is hopeless,” he sighs in defeat. “i mean seriously, in what ways would she benefit from dating a guy like me?”

i, too, wonder.

that thought doesn't leave your mind though. instead, you nudge his shoulder with yours as he flops onto the empty spot on the couch next to you.

you shrug mindlessly. “it's not hopeless. plus, nikki likes spending time with you. you'd entertain her.”

that sounds terrible.

bear seems to realize it too, his hands drifting away from his face slowly as he furrows his brows at you.

“entertain her?” he scoffs, then quickly shakes his head and focuses on everything you said before the last point. “and sure, but she likes hanging out with me as a friend and nothing more. shit, sarah has more of a chance with her than i do.”

“well, maybe…” bear glares at you, then you continue. “but i don't think she's… y'know. well actually i'm not sure, she could be bisexual, for all i know."

“so you're saying i'm right.”

“no,” you sigh, “that means i don't know because i'm not nikki fucking freeman, bear.”

“so you're saying she likes sarah?” he counters, brow cocked. “aw shit, what if they've been dating on the low and she isn't even attracted to guys at all?”

bear looks at you with the saddest eyes you think you've ever seen from him.

it sort of crushes you to see him like this, especially since you know how long he's been pining for her. ever since he moved into town a couple of years ago and got a job at that sketchy music shop downtown, he found himself infatuated with his coworker, nikki. unfortunately for you, you are also just as obsessed with her as he is.

the reality of it, however, is much worse. he's your older brother, for goodness sake, which means you aren't allowed to make your move before he does. it's some kind of unspoken rule between siblings—or maybe it's just some stupid rule you made up in your head to put a barrier between you and the confession that's inevitable.

but seriously, how are you supposed to tell your brother's coworker that you've liked her since the moment you met her at the park when you two were just kids?

it's not like it's your fault bear decided to move out of state and never got the chance to even consider talking to her and finding out what she's really like.

you and nikki have been friends since fifth grade, "two peas in a pod" one might've called you back then, and that bond hasn't changed—not even over the many years that you two have been in contact. sure you drifted away a little bit after graduation but that's just because everyone was trying to find their way and figure out if they were going to continue school or move in a different direction. unfortunately for bear, he made a plan to move out of your childhood home the moment he turned eighteen and had free will.

during the years that he was out of your life—oh, and did you mention that fact that he cut contact with everyone—how exactly did you spend it? great question. you did what he's now wishing he could've: spending time with nikki after that boring gap year between the end of high school and the beginning of your adulthood.

when the awkward stage between what you thought was "freedom" and the realization that it, in fact was not, you and nikki reconnected. in some old, dingy bar downtown just near her workplace, you'd somehow found yourselves sharing a couple of drinks at the counter and chatting it up about what the two of you had been up to in the past year.

you got her number that night, and ever since then, you'd been creating a strong bond that you enjoyed having with her.

and, if you're being honest, and that amusement slowly twisted itself into something scarily similar to the wretched feeling you've always dreaded—love.

well, a crush, really.

love might be too strong for anyone with a developing crush.

oddly, it feels pretty spot-on to you.

but then bear showed up a few years ago, snagged at job at cassell's, and suddenly he was the one who was seeing her everyday instead of you like you used to.

“bear, i—” you pause, the words caught in the back of your throat. truth is, you don't know how to respond to that.

actually you do, you just don't know how to respond to it in a way that would please your brother and calm his nerves.

with anyone else, you'd have replied, “if they're open-minded, maybe they'd let me slide between them.”

but to your brother?

oh, that'd crush his soul in irreparable ways.

instead, you just sigh. “i'm almost fifty-percent sure she's into both guys and girls,” you reassure, nudging his knee with yours. “just don't stress out about it too much. if she likes you, she likes you. if she doesn't, oh well, there's plenty of fish in the sea.”

bear huffs a laugh, exasperation and sadness mixed into the little noise.

he smiles despite himself, quietly grateful for you and your advice. “i don't understand how, but you always know exactly what to say.”

you almost laugh.

if only he knew.

“yeah well,” you hum. “just don't listen to whatever the hell ian is telling you.”

“so don't call her freaky nikki?”

“fuck no, absolutely not!” you exclaim, eyes widening in bewilderment at when and where he'd gotten that idea from in the first place. “who told you to call her that?”

he sighs, the weight on his shoulder suddenly feeling a million times heavier.

then he murmurs,

"ian."

yeah, that checks out.

if you're being completely truthful, you're kind of glad ian gave the guy such god-awful advice. it makes you feel a little bit like a savior, even if you're helping your brother get your crush wrapped around his finger.

you just wish he didn't barge into your life so suddenly and practically forced you to welcome him back home with open arms. that's not how life works, especially not with how he cut all ties with his family the moment he left town when you were younger. and now he thinks he can come in and swoop nikki off of her feet just like that?

yeah, right.

all you can hope is that when, or if he even does, confess his feelings to nikki, she remembers who raced her down sidewalks on old bikes, helped patch her scraped knees when she'd fall trying to jump over fences, and care for her with every fiber in their being. all you can hope is that she knows who was really there for her back then.

and that person?

that's not bear, never him.

because he didn't notice the way she'd absentmindedly talk faster whenever she was bluffing, nor did he notice the small litter of freckles along her nose.

whatever.

the damage is already close to being done.

and nikki deserves someone more mature, someone who is really willing to put themselves out there instead of sitting in silence in the background.

so you'll just push down that quiet wish.

"so yeah, maybe don't say that," you sigh, your disappointment for bear's brainless coworker only growing. "and please, for the love of god, don't ever even consider calling her that. not even when you're really desperate."

bear nods, a little embarrassed.

a dusty pinky hue crosses his face, further emphasizing how humiliating this conversation has turned.

"okay."

"i think i'm done here," you finalize.

"thank yo—"

"wait," you interrupt, suddenly realizing you hadn't really gave him a starting point. "you know what she likes, don't you? you remember things from when we were kids?"

bear sits there, unmoving.

you almost kick him out of your apartment right then and there, because how does he not remember?!

"right... okay," you murmur, continuing, "well, for a start, she likes crystals. she's more of a... her love language, i'm almost one hundred percent sure it's gift giving and acts of service, maybe a little bit of physical touch but you are nowhere near that yet."

he nods, mentally noting everything down.

you add on.

"she's really into things like that. crystals, i mean, and she just recently lost hers down the drain so... i think that might be a good gift to give her before you ask her out," you explain, brow furrowing in thought. "but don't make it seem like you're trapping her. usually when you give people gifts, there's a lot of thought and intention behind it, so don't lose your mind and cry about how much it was worth or some stupid thing like that if she rejects you." you catch his expression the moment the last words leave your mouth.

"if she rejects you."

he isn't even a little bit reassured.

but then you go on, tone softening, "just don't do anything crazy if she thinks you're not the one, okay? it's more likely she might develop feelings overtime if you're calm and understanding about it. and, bear you did just move back into town not that long ago, so keep that in mind."

you see his shoulders relax in real time, his demeanor calming as he leans back into your couch cushions.

a small smile quirks up at the edge of his lips as he hums quietly. "you know a lot about her. it's kinda surprising... you two never really seemed close when we were young."

okay.

now you're really hoping it goes wrong.

—

maybe you should remind yourself what day it is the next time you give someone advice.

furthermore, you should check your calendar the next time you give your big brother advice on how to ask out your mutual crush.

today was not the day you should've spilled all of that to him, because today is the day you'd told most everyone in your and bear's shared friend group to come over and hang. it's the one day everyone has off, and since neither you or your brother have anything better to do, you both thought it was a great idea to invite everyone over.

now, as the sun slowly falls back behind the horizon, most everyone is piled out here.

ian and bear are inside, having fought over who was the better cook a few minutes prior, most likely still trying to settle that point.

you escaped to the front porch for a minute of silence the moment nobody was looking.

you enjoy company, but today is just.. different. bear still has you hot-headed and with the addition of ian's idiotic jokes and even dumber topic choices, you want nothing to do with either of those boys.

nikki and sarah are the only ones you'd probably join back in for again.

but then you remember how bear hugged nikki when she walked in, hands a little lower than would be perceived as one you'd give your friend. and how sarah practically jumped into his arms when it was her turn for a greeting.

so nobody here is really of interest to you.

they're probably all having the time of their lives anyway, chugging down cans of beer and getting shit-faced.

and that's not really—

"...you need a break or have you officially decided you hate us all?"

you turn, startled.

and there she is—the woman of the hour.

nikki stands there, one foot in the doorframe to keep the front door from shutting, the other bent slightly as she extends her arm. in her hand is a soda, and she smiles softly as if she's giving it to you as a peace offering of some sorts.

despite your mood, you reach your hand out and accept the drink anyway. nodding up at her, you scoot over, making space.

"thanks," you murmur, cracking open the can with a small hiss.

she doesn't sit down right away.

instead she leans against the railing, running a hand through her perfectly messy hair.

her smile only grows at the confused look on your face. "they're idiots, you know."

"spot on," you hum in agreement, a small smirk finding its way on your face. "but they're our bunch of idiots. you can't blame me for sneaking off."

nikki huffs a laugh.

then she pushes off the railing and bends to situate herself onto the empty spot on the stairs next to you.

"mostly bear, though."

you laugh. "oh most definitely bear."

something warm bloomed in your chest the moment her laugh reaches your ears again, soft and gentle like always.

that feeling always finds you whenever you're around her, whenever you watch her do literally anything, even if it's just something simple like... like concentrating when she reads a book or cringing when she tries playing an instrument and the note is terribly off pitch or out of tune.

you only realize nikki's been staring at you for a long moment when you turn your head to glance over at her.

she doesn't even try to hide it, and that somehow makes you feel all fuzzy inside. it's embarrassing, honestly, and you can't believe she hasn't noticed your so very obvious crush on the girl.

"you've been helping him a lot," she comments quietly, stretching out her legs across the last step.

her words make you tense.

does she know about your confession advice?

and did bear finally man-up and ask her out in the few minutes you've been outside?

you reply through grit teeth, trying to play it cool, "yeah well, someone has to. he'd never know what to do with himself if i wasn't here... i just wonder how he made it back when he left town all those years ago."

she snickers, shaking her head.

her knee nudges yours, her skin soft and still cool despite the blazing temperatures that summer always promises.

"you're a good sister."

shrugging, you nudge her back. "just want him to be happy, s'all. and he has nobody to look up to since he's the oldest, so..."

her eyes drift down to her can, half-full and dented on the side, dripping with condensation and leftover water droplets from the cooler she pulled it from.

you tear your eyes away from her before you get too greedy, shaking your head subtly and exhaling heavily.

it's useless.

you and bear don't have too many things in common, but being terrible flirts is the one thing you can bond over.

"hey," she chirps.

your eyes meet hers not a second later. "hm."

"can i... can i tell you something?" there's a puzzled look on her face, one you can't really put a name on like you're usually able to. she's a pretty hard girl to read, but you've found it easier and easier over the years.

"always."

she hesitates for a second.

just a second before she's spilling like a high school girl spreading gossip.

"i think..." a small smile spreads across her face slowly, smug and knowing and dangerous. "i think bear likes someone."

you nearly choke on your drink.

shit.

"you noticed?" you murmur, eyes wide.

"i'm not blind, babe."

babe.

okay, that's completely fine.

she calls everyone that. well, she calls a select few people that, but still. it's something she calls most of her friends.

"yeah," you nod. "right."

nikki sighs then, head hanging low now.

you fight the urge to ask her if she's okay, if she wants to go back inside and lay down.

the sun is blazing right now and you wouldn't blame her. you're sure everyone working at cassell's is probably three seconds from dropping to the floor from heat stroke with how that store isn't air-conditioned properly. hell, you wonder how half of their instruments aren't junk by now.

"i just wish..." she trails off, blowing a stray piece of hair from her lips. she stops herself before she can continue.

instinctively, you glance over again.

she doesn't look unwell.

"what?" you whisper.

"...nothing, nevermind," she dismisses, and you fight the urge to push her towards telling you whatever was about to slip out from between her lips.

her name leaves your lips before the logical part of your mind can catch up.

"nikki, come on."

she looks at you then, eyes gleaming.

"i just wish he didn't—" she pauses, stammering for a moment, "—i wish he didn't like me because i—i... don't..."

your smile faltered.

oh, that's going to hurt when he hears it.

"wha—uhm, why?"

she goes quiet for a long moment.

in that moment, you take the silence and comfortable atmosphere to lean back on your palms, skin warming from the hot pavement of the porch.

everything feels like it's spinning right about now, and you almost drop the conversation immediately because if nikki is about to start trash talking your brother, you want no—

nikki speaks again.

"because i like someone else."

your stomach drops.

right.

yeah.

there was no way she was into either you or your scruffy little brother.

"oh," you say, feigning nonchalance. "cool."

she nods, glancing over.

"...yeah," she murmurs. "i just don't know how to tell him. maybe i'll do it when he finally has the guts to ask me out."

you force a smile.

at least she's not going to be an ass about it.

"i hope it works out," you nod over.

"yeah... me too."

silence envelopes the two of you after those words leave her mouth.

birds chirp somewhere up power lines, the leaves on the trees in your yard rustling with the gentle breeze. it's warm and it does nothing to cool either of you off.

you stare at the grass instead of nikki now, trying very hard not to wonder who it was, but even that was no use when the girl who you have a crush on who doesn't have a crush on you is sitting right next to you. it's pretty much useless to even try, because now that's all that will consume your thoughts until she's really in a relationship and you have to let her go for good. maybe then you'll find yourself bonding with your big brother.

nikki simply sits there, taking one last sip from her can before throwing it on the last step and crushing it beneath her boot. the sound makes you flinch, and the girl beside you chuckles quietly before you even realize you did it. that laugh definitely belongs to someone more worthy of it than you.

you really need to start kicking rocks sooner than later. she's obviously way out of your league and—

"you really don't know who it is?" she laughs suddenly, startling you again.

you blink, confusion painted across your face.

"what?" you scoff.

nikki just stares at you like you've missed some very crucial information that is insanely, painfully obvious.

she shakes her head in disbelief.

"i've liked them forever," she continues, gesturing in the air with her hands slowly.

"lucky them."

"they're really kind."

great!

now she's going to start listing off the many qualities she likes about this asshole.

you wish the ground would open up beneath your feet and swallow you whole. this is more than humiliating.

"they're funny," she sings.

"...sounds nice," you deadpan, then whisper, "wish i was."

she laughs and you almost think she heard you until she adds on, "they've always looked after everyone around them even if they didn't have any reason to."

you almost roll your eyes.

this guy sounds like a real poser.

"and they're completely oblivious," she huffs, feigning disappointment. "like it's really funny, honestly."

a frown finds itself creeping onto your lips.

"for the love of god nikki, just tell me already and stop—"

she's already staring at you when you look over again, and the words get caught in the back of your throat.

and then she laughs.

"it's you, stupid."

everything around you freezes.

because there's no way in hell you heard her clearly.

you point to yourself without thinking.

"me—wait, wait, wait, me?"

she nods slowly, waiting for you to fully process her confession.

you don't believe it because she just made it seem like confessions are the easiest thing in the entire world.

like you haven't been rehearsing your own confession for years on end.

"mhm, you."

you just stare at her.

"but i thought you..."

"you thought i liked your brother?" she hums.

you nod frantically, "well yeah!"

she laughs, a full-body laugh that makes her shoulders shake. she even snorts, quiet but still noticeable, and you fight the urge to not burst out in laughter as well.

you've never seen her act like this.

so weird.

it's almost like she's flustered.

"i love bear."

fuck.

you're moving out of state tomorrow.

"...like an annoying older brother."

"okay."

she scoots closer, knee brushing yours now. she doesn't even need to lean over anymore, she's just... there.

it's suddenly very hard to breathe now.

you've never acted like this either.

"i've been trying to flirt with you for months, yn," she confesses quietly, voice just above a whisper as her eyes flick everywhere on your face. "you've just been so blinded by your jealousy caused by bear's crush that you didn't see it."

consider yourself dumbfounded.

and maybe a little embarrassed because sure, okay yeah, maybe what she's saying does carry a little bit of truth.

"oh," you say, volume dropping. "...you have?"

she groans in faux annoyance.

you wince.

jeez, you're really selling this right now.

"oh come on," she exclaims, "you thought i just really liked borrowing your hoodies for long periods of time? you seriously never questioned, even once, why you never got them back?"

"i never gave you your hair ties back either, so... i guess i thought it was an exchange of some sorts."

she drags her hands down her face.

a low groan escapes the back of her throat again, but this time it's ten times louder and twenty times more exaggerated.

"oh. my. fucking. god!"

"i'm sorry nikki, i didn't know!"

"dude, you wouldn't know a good thing if it slapped you across the face."

you laugh nervously.

this is beyond embarrassing.

but at least you have the chance to finally admit your own feelings now.

"i've had a crush on you since we were kids," you confess finally, tone softer now. your guard lowers, shoulders relaxing. "i just never told anyone because of—"

"because of bear?"

you nod. "because of bear. and also because i didn't want to hurt him immediately after he moved back here."

she smiles so softly you almost die on the spot.

"you're sweet," she compliments, smiling way bigger than you've ever seen. "i like that about you, yn."

"i've also apparently been incredibly dense."

"mmh.. maybe a bit," she giggles.

then she reaches for your hand, pushing away your empty can from between you two. your fingers fit together like they'd been interlocked a million times before.

"so..."

"so?"

she glances up. "are you gonna keep helping bear gather the courage to confess?"

you sigh, frustrated at the reminder.

"i think i have to now," you huff.

she laughs, nudging your arm with her free hand. you just shake your head and look into her eyes, grateful.

"we should probably tell him before he does," she suggests. "so we don't break his heart in a different way."

"sounds good," you nod in agreement. "he'll probably kill me though."

"oh absolutely not!"

you grin, tilting your head.

she just nudges you again. "he's sweet as sugar."

a laugh escapes your throat at that, and nikki squeezes your hand once more.

"he'll probably just complain that he spent weeks asking the wrong person for dating advice," she shrugs.

you hum in response. "...worth it?"

she leans over, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek before pulling back.

"absolutely worth it."

You'd almost be mad that you've been demoted to assistant if you didn't receive those messages from Maddy every couple hours.

Bitch, you're so cunt for this.

My entire shoe collection's yours.

Have the best time.

You've pretty much looked up to Maddy Perez since you joined Miss Penzler's agency about three years ago. She joined around the same time, but unlike you, she didn't have to go through rigorous interviews and training and challenges. Apparently she came into a coffee shop and Miss Penzler just hired her, straight-up. So, yeah, that, and the fact that she was a tad older — twenty three to your twenty — just kinda made the idolisation that much easier.

Thankfully, she's not a bitch, she just looks like one.

And when she'd shown you a picture of a seventeen-year-old version of her, you'd kinda been no better than a man in your commentary.

"Holy shit."

"I know.", she'd said, sucking on her teeth after she blew out smoke, watching you zoom in on the picture of her in her little cheerleading outfit sucking face with some tall footballer.

"Wait, he's actually hot."

"Yep."

"But you're, like, hotter."

"I know."

"And he fucked your best friend?"

"And fucked and fucked and fucked."

"That's fucked."

She'd snorted at that, shrugging as she tapped out her cigarette. "Well, if you think that's fucked.", she muttered, tossing you a gaudy pink card with fancy gold writing on it. You held it up to the light, before your eyes widened. "No fucking way."

"Yep."

"They're getting married?"

"They're fuckin' made for each other."

"Why are you invited? Wait, no, better question. Why are you going?", you'd spluttered, gesturing at the dress she'd had dry cleaned and hanging behind her door.

"The girl is Cassie."

A pause.

"The dumb blonde you're managing?"

"Yeah."

"Please be fucking with her."

"No, I'm a woman of God now, baby, come on. I don't do that shit. I need the commission on her, anyway."

"But don't you want to?"

She'd leaned in. "So badly. As badly as I want a fucking Maserati. But I'm not going to."

"You're a stronger woman than I am.", you'd commented, handing her the phone back.

"You didn't let me finish. I'm not going to, but you are."

She'd watched you tilt your head for a moment, tongue slowing on the spoon of ice cream. "I am?"

"Damn straight."

You'd laughed. You'd thought she was probably fucking with you. She likes doing that, she thinks you're cute when you're confused. "Why am I doing that?"

"Because you wanna avenge me."

"Do I?", you asked, stretching the first word a little more than usual.

"Don't you? I mean, if I found out a bitch did that to you in high school, I'd throw hands right now. Fuck mature. I mean, I am, but fuck mature."

You'd raised a brow at her, watching her for a while, waiting for some sort of punchline. It never came. "You seem very over it."

"Listen, you might get to fuck him. You clearly think he's hot, and objectively, he is."

"Dude. Maddy, I am not becoming a homewrecker."

"His fiancée is, was, and will always be a homewrecker, too. They're not married yet. You get him to fuck you and prove he hasn't changed , I mean... I'm saving Cassie from him and herself, at that point, yeah? Win-win."

"Not for him."

"Oh, come on. He'll have gotten to be with three — well, I don't know if I'd count Cass — two really sexy, badass women in his lifetime. He'll live."

You'd pondered it for a while. You were bored, and unlike Maddy, your side-hustle isn't also management, it's remote-work with flexible hours. "Will I get in legal, financial, or mortal trouble?"

"No."

"Will I get paid?"

"In... emotional satisfaction and orgasms, sure."

"Dude." This shit is risky and she knew it. You'd only even thought of considering it because she mentioned the whole 'saving Cassie' idea.

"Fine. Take a cut of my Cassie commission."

"Fuck, yeah."

And so, here you are, four weeks later, following an unnecessarily sexy dumbass around a desolate office, almost two 'yes, sir's away from cracking your clipboard over his head.

"I think we need this shit, don't you?"

"Desperately, sir."

You watch him snap his fingers and point at you, before looking back down at the plans he'd drawn up with no funds to back it up. If you're gonna get to fuck with him — and fuck him — you'd rather he not be bankrupt and devastated. It'd make it a bit harder to enjoy.

"Sir, but we also need funding for that and—"

"You said the P&Z sent you?"

"Environmental Board, Sir. To make sure nothing happens to the fritill—"

"Fritillary, yes, it's always about the fucking fritillary isn't it?"

You pretend to flinch at the slam of his hand on the table that follows, because you've learned his game by now. He gets sexier when he cares, and that's rare.

Nate runs a hand across his face, before he stalks around the table to reach you. "Hey.", he murmurs, and his hand hovers over your head, hesitant. Then, it lowers. And soon enough, he's stroking your hair, gently tugging to get you to look up at him.

This is a step up from the last time, when he'd just apologised. Yes, you let him think he intimidates you so that he can baby you after. So what? Maddy said "any means necessary", and what, you don't deserve some TLC?

"I'm sorry, I'm a little stressed.", he mutters, leaning his head down gently to yours. "Yeah?"

You put on your best rattled face. "Uh, yeah."

He sighs. "You don't seem convinced."

"No, no, I get it. It must be stressful."

He nods. "Let's take care of that goddamn flower, hm?"

It's not long before the lines blur a little more.

He hugs your shoulder.

He calls you beautiful.

Asks about your love life.

Asks about the ring on your finger and if it means something.

You tell him it's a gift from your friend. You don't tell him it's Maddy.

All the while, you're actually helping him figure out this fritillaries thing that you're pretending you're passionate about. "How about incorporating it?"

"Not possible, we're not allowed to use it as a logo or anything."

"No, I mean... letting it spread and creating a garden of them and making that the plan."

Once again, he snaps and points. "You're a fucking genius. You— you're a fucking genius, baby.", he declares, once again making the journey from across the table to the opposite end, where you stand. However, this time, there's no hesitant, apologetic hair-stroke. No, he just grabs your face and kisses the gratitude into your mouth. And weirdly, you don't let him. Sure, you could pretend this is part of your elaborate plan to fuck with him, but you're suddenly filled with some traitorous spark of righteousness. "You're married."

He nods, wiping your mouth with the back of his hand, before bringing your hand to his mouth to clean him up, in some weird, covertly sexual, severely undertoned message, before he speaks. "No. I am not. I am engaged, we're not married."

"Right. You don't love her?"

Nate squints out into the setting sun on the horizon through the window beside you at that, and you have to admit, the sunlight's making him look so dreamlike, you kinda wanna kiss him again. But Maddy warned you about this. Let him come to you, begging. It's apparently much more rewarding. "You know you're the single most interesting person to ever walk into my office?"

Deflection. Sexy.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"You're supposed to hate me. And watch me so I don't fuck with that goddamn flower. And instead you're helping me, so much that I forget you're the enemy."

"The enemy?"

He smiles. "Yeah. My nemesis."

Your tongue runs to the back of your mouth as you try to think up a flirty response to that. But your mind fails you and instead, you just tell him the truth. "I think you're your own enemy, Sir."

"How so?"

"You've got a gorgeous girl waiting for you at home, and you're worried about whether she's your fiancée or your wife. You've got a father that owned and operated the business ready to help you out but you're standing here trying to fix it all yourself."

He licks his lip. "Who died and made you Miss-Know-It-All?"

You smile.

"Come here.", he calls, holding his arm out and gesturing with a waggle of his fingers for you to walk back to him. You do, and he brings you back to the table by an arm over your shoulder, to peruse over the plans. "Garden there. Right?", he asks, pointing at the spot marked with red tape on this miniature diorama of his land. You nod. "Some spiel about life's preciousness and miracles and shit?" You nod once more. "That's fucking perfect. You're a fucking genius."

And this time, you let him kiss you. Against the table. Then against the wall. Then on his desk. You act like you're guilty about it afterward, so that he can talk you into it between tiny presses of his lips to your forehead and nose.

If there's one thing you've learnt about Nate Jacobs from not only Maddy's anecdotes, but also your observations, it's that he needs some sort of a power imbalance to get off to.

And luckily, you're willing to fabricate just that.

"I don't know, dude, like. Lay off."

Maddy rolls her eyes from across the kitchen counter, sliding you your bowl of cereal. "Bitch. No fucking way. Tell me."

"So, it's apparently this, like, flower, or something, I dunno. I didn't have a plan, I just showed up, he said 'you here about the fritillary?', and I just kinda went with it."

"What's so great about a fucking flower?", she asks, furrowing her brows as she pours milk into hers, as well.

"It's apparently endangered. So he can't do shit about it."

She snorts, shaking her head on her way to sit by you on the couch. "So, he's under the mercy of a fucking flower?"

"Yup.", you respond, popping the 'p'.

"Karma, you sexy whore.", she grins, taking a spoonful. "So, you fucked yet?"

"No."

She studies you for a moment. "Uh-uh. No."

"What?"

"No. Uh-uh. Fuck that shit, Y/N. Stop."

"What?!"

"Don't feel bad for him. Don't— nuh-uh, you're not sympathising with Nate fucking Jacobs!"

"Empathizing."

"Same difference, bitch. No. Ew. He's married."

"Engaged."

Her mouth gapes, incredulous. "He's got you believing that bullshit, too."

"What happened to saving Cassie?"

"What happened to avenging me?"

"I—", you groan, setting your bowl down in favour of running your hands through your hair.

"He's in debt because he needs to be. God's plan."

"God's— Maddy, come on. This was never about Nate. You loved Cassie more than you loved Nate. It was about her."

"So? This shit's happenin' to her, as well, yeah? Two birds, one stone, and I don't want you fuckin' with God's plan, okay? Or I'm pulling you out. Understand?"

"Maddy—"

"Understand?"

You bite the inside of your cheek, glancing down at Maddy's finger pointing at your face. "Yeah."

She shakes her head. "When somebody shows you who they are, believe them. And I'm fuckin' warning you that those two have shown me exactly who the fuck they are. Okay? Have your fun, but don't fuck it up."

You nod, earnestly, already deciding you're going to go against whatever she said, because, well...

Nate was growing on you.

The first time Nate fucks you, you see stars, because it's so good, but then... it fades.

He's losing his shit on top of you, you're having post-orgasmic clarity.

You might actually like this punk.

So, you do something reckless. You ask questions.

"What are you going to do about the fritillaries, Sir?"

He frowns at that, eyes still on the rain-distorted stoplight in front of him. "Wait, I guess." His fingers tap along the steering wheel and it times up perfectly with the drops outside.

"For what? Divine intervention?"

"If that's what it takes, yeah. God's plan, right?"

Okay, people have to stop using that to justify shit. "But what if they disapprove the garden-of-miracles idea?"

"We'll figure it out." You watch the back of your hand being lifted to his mouth. "Why are you so workaholic, baby? Relax. You're off the clock."

And he's off his rocker.

"Does your wife know? About the garden? Does she think it's good?"

"My fiancée doesn't know."

You try to put your finger on what sounded off in that sentence, looking out the window at the blur of gold and green, as streetlights and trees alike whizzed by. Suddenly, you turn. "She doesn't know about anything, does she?"

"No."

"What?"

"Butt out of this, I'm warning you."

"You could tell her that y—"

"That what? I can't provide for her? That's my job as a husband."

"What happened to 'fiancée'?", you scoff.

"She's my wife when you piss me off.", he retorts, chuckling as if you were supposed to join in, too. But you're starting to realise some shit, and it's not really making you jovial and happy-go-lucky at this juncture. You yank your hand away from his, sucking on your teeth as you turn back to look outside the window. Maddy was right. He's got you believing there's a difference between cheating and infidelity and engagement and marriage and it's borderline terrifying how subtly this all happened.

"Oh, come on, baby, stop pouting. What are you, twelve?"

"You think this is pouting? I'm two seconds away from decking you."

"Still a twelve-year old ass vibe.", he muses, flicking at your jaw. "Come on, it's weird you're more worried about her being blind to the finances than her realising I'm cheating on her."

"Why's it weird?"

"I'd assume you'd be jealous."

"Of a woman who doesn't know she's bankrupt? Sure."

He snorts loudly at that. "Jesus, you're cold. It's hot.", he remarks, rolling his eyes right after you do. "And for the record, I'm not bankrupt. I'm figuring shit out. It's a rough patch."

It's not long before you start remembering who the fuck you are. "Okay."

He scoffs. "You can't seriously be mad for her. That's insane."

You're actually not mad for Cassie. You could care less about her. You are mad at yourself for being like her, and falling for Nate's bullshit, just like Maddy had warned you about.

Fuck. You decide you'll stay away, especially since he took a fucking sabbatical (from what, you don't know. He barely works, anyway) for his wedding.

Maddy's been weird.

She'd gone to the wedding.

Said she'd be gone a while.

Came back when you were still working at hers (you've taken to doing that, lately, seeing as most of the files you need for Miss Penzler are at her place), which was way too early.

"You didn't go to the reception?"

She doesn't respond, and instead, she saunters over to her room, and leaves you to debate whether to ask a follow-up or not. You decide not to.

She comes back in more comfortable clothes, and stands right in front of you, between the couch you're sprawled on, and the coffee table your laptop's on. "You're gonna fuck him up. I don't know how you're gonna do that shit, but you are. Him and that little cunt. You understand?"

"Maddy, what happened at the wedding?"

Maddy sucks at her teeth, narrowing her eyes at you for a moment before she slaps lightly at your cheek. "Do you fuckin' understand?"

"Listen, I—"

The real slap comes exactly as you expect it to. You should've learnt by now not to instigate her.

"Okay, fine!"

"In front of my fucking eyes, alright? You aren't sympathizing with that freak-ass son of a bitch or his bimbo-ass wife, either."

You shuffle over when she tells you to, and she snaps her fingers to point at your phone. "Do something. You got information on his ass. Call Cassie. Tell her he's been fucking you on the low."

"On her wedding night? Maddy, that's harsh."

She's fighting back tears, and you've never seen her hands quiver like this. It's scaring you and picking at something raw in your heart. Fuck. "I can— I'll do something else."

"Like what?"

"There's this guy, Fred, who's insane with the amount he's investing. I'll let him know this guy can't afford the wedding? Maybe?"

"Do that.", she says, immediately, as she nods. "Now."

Your eyes race from your phone to her face — determined and scarily focused — to recheck if she's not just acting out of whatever had devastated her at the wedding, but her gaze is steadfast and her jaw is set. "Could you go any slower?"

"I gotta search for him, Mads.", you mutter, just as you find the Note on your phone titled : "Sun Settlers Investors".

You copy his wife, Heather's number because you know it's gonna have more impact, and then type out a rough guess as to how much debt he's in.

Maddy lets out a breath once you turn the screen to her and allow her to read it under her breath, lips moving. "Okay."

"Maddy—"

"Nothing. Go to sleep, you got shit to do tomorrow."

"Miss Penzler said it's her dog's funeral, so we get the day off —"

"Sun Settlers has no canine deaths as far as I can remember."

"Maddy, come on—"

"Don't fucking test me right now, okay? You're gonna follow through."

You decide not to test her.

In fact, the next day, when you simultaneously get a text from Maddy :

Get your ass over here. You won't fucking believe who's in my living room.

as well as a text from Nate :

Hey I need you.

In the early morning. Before your alarm even rang.

You drop into Maddy's home, which helps you to understand exactly what Nate probably needs from you, because Maddy opens the door with a fucking grin, and behind her, unpacking shit like it's her job, is Cassie Howard. Well, Jacobs, you suppose. Maybe not, though, if she's here.

"Entire shoe collection's yours, by the way.", whispers Maddy, kissing you on the cheek. "Now, go clock in."

When you reach Nate's house, you immediately know something awful has happened, even before he's ushering you out the door and hopping into your car, briefcase and poster boards in hand. "The fuckin' P&Z hearing's today.", he groans, frantically pulling out of the driveway.

"It's alright, we've got time."

You chew on your top lip, eyes moving out the window as he parks. He gets down, and you do, as well, helping him with his briefcase before giving him an encouraging nod when he sits down in the waiting area.

Maybe you've been too harsh on him. You're manipulating him, too, right? He's just trying to do what's best for him, like you. Except his prize is sex and a fulfilled marital life, and yours is Maddy's validation and her shoes.

He's actually, all things considered... okay.

Sure, he's not exactly a family man, seeing as he's the definition of infidelity but then again, you're not a family girl.

He's pathetic, even, you realise, as you grimace at his little stunt at the P&Z. He knelt. Good God.

But when he's out, he doesn't seem upset or complaining. In fact, he's chiller than usual, even though he's just created a gigantic scene and potentially lost his business. In fact, it's like a ho-hum day at the office, like the two of you shared before his wedding. He just wordlessly tosses your bag into the back of the car like it's normal, at the end of the "working" day.

"Nate?" You're about to ask if you can drive, because he looks borderline manic, the way he's whistling and fake-vibing to the music.

"Cassie left me.", he tells you.

Silence permeates through the car so that you can pretend that you don't know and that you do care.

"Oh." Seeing as she's currently getting assfucked (both literally and figuratively) with Maddy milking the fuck outta her for OnlyFans content, you're not too sympathetic to either of them. Though, yeah, maybe you feel a tiny bit of guilt, but Maddy wanted you to fuck with both of them. And hey. She's fucking with Cassie, so you'll see this through and fuck with Nate. "You... okay?"

You're only used to him babying you.

"Peachy."

"No, I'm— I don't know what to say, so I asked— I didn't mean that."

"Okay."

Another silence. "Is it because sh—"

"Yes, goddamnit, yes! Because she found out we're in debt! That what you wanted to hear? That you were right?", he snaps, but it's thankfully drowned out by the sounds of his palm slamming on the car horn, and the horn itself, so you don't flinch.

"Now what? Gloating? You calling her up in a moment of feminist solidarity?"

"I just wanna go home, Nate."

Nate doesn't reply for a while, switching lanes with care like he's not intending to kill you. . "...Am I allowed to stay?"

"Sure."

"Are we gonna...?" The fucking audacity of him to ask if he's getting laid the night his wife leaves him and the second you're nice enough not to snap right back at his sudden crashout.

"I don't know, Nate."

But Nate gets what Nate wants, and he also gets what he doesn't want, so it's no surprise that he got fucking left. He got the wedding and also the potential divorce.

When you toss your bag onto your couch and your keys behind your back to Nate, you're exhausted and just wanna stay the fuck away from this conniving little prick who's in a dangerously devastating situation that may end up softening you to his potentially perilous tactics. You open the fridge, grab a soda, and chug. He places his bag near the foot of the couch and then comes up behind you like he gets to. "We don't get that much time together, baby, you really gonna spend it being a bitch?"

Your eyes focus on the bright white of the inside of the fridge, scanning it subconsciously for leftovers, and watching the cold air float around you. His arm wraps around the expanse of your collarbone, as his lips pressed up and down your temple.

"Nate." You're tired, but you hope he gets that the last thing you want right now is to help him get over the fact that his wife has left him for his ex, more or less, and he is in severe financial (possibly even mortal, if he has a couple loan sharks he hasn't mentioned to you) peril.

"You do this a ton, y'know? Act all sad and distant so I can kiss it off you and baby you and make you feel like someone actually fucking cares.", he murmurs, breathing you in almost lewdly, giving you goosebumps. He gently pries the soda can out of your hand, before placing it with a tiny clink on the counter behind him.

"What's that, the Maddy strategy?"

To say you freeze would be a severe understatement.

To say he seemed to care enough to comment on it would be even more of one.

"What else she coach you on? She tell you to bite me like that? She tell you I like the tongue thing during makeouts?"

"What?"

"She tell you to wear only pink bras because I fuck with that shit? Or is that you, hm? Is that all you, learning me every single second that we breathe the same oxygen? You think you're slick, don'tcha?"

His teeth attempt to bluntly break the skin of your neck as his inner elbow constricts your throat.

"Nate—"

"Oh, what, am I hurting you?", he asks, scoffing before two fingers pinch into either side of your face, pivoting you around so hard your head hits one of the magnets on the fridge. "You're a fucking bitch, and I don't say that shit lightly."

You can't really say anything, seeing as he's now using his elbow to push at your throat, the magnet digging incessantly into the back of your neck. "Nate, the magnet."

"Yeah, maybe it'll kill you so I won't have to."

"Nate—"

He presses you further into the magnet for a single, terrifying moment, before he clenches his jaw and yanks you back forward. "But where's the fun in that? That's what it was, wasn't it? Fun? You get to have your fun — you and Maddy — by screwing up my life because of one bullshit breakup in high school? What was in it for you? Money? Yeah, Cassie told me Maddy's some big-shot manager now, is that right?''

You shake your head.

"Then? What, you don't get laid enough? You wanted a quick fuck with the bonus of getting into that cunt's good books?"

You can't shake your head again because his lips are pressed against yours, a solid wall of rage. "How long did you think you could get away with it, huh?", he scoffs, unbuttoning your jeans with his free hand. "You thought you'd fuck me till I went bankrupt then you'd leave like I didn't exist? Or did Maddy want something more sinister? Is she the one who sent Nas the wedding invite? Or did you do it, like a stupid fucking minion?", he asks, pressing his fingers deeper into your cheeks to discourage you from fighting against his enraged undressing of you.

"Nate, I promise—"

"BULLSHIT!", he spits, nose against yours now.

"Nate, stop, you're scaring me!"

"AND WHAT ABOUT ME?! Don't I get to be scared?! Everyone around me is FUCKING with me, cutting my toe off, threatening to kill me, leaving me, and now you—", he cuts himself off, breathing harshly against your chest as his forehead collapsed onto your collarbone.

You wait until he gently removes his hands from your pants out of sheer fatigue, licking his lips as he continues to gasp. "You wanna know how I knew you screwed me over?"

You don't respond. It's rhetorical.

"Even I don't have Heather's personal cell, but she called for Fred when he was with me in the office, once, and you took the call."

Huh. You'd considered him too dumb for that level of logical deduction. You're almost inclined to give him a gold star and a pat on the head.

"And Maddy?", you ask, still gripping onto the fridge behind you, because even if he's exhausted and not still borderline assaulting you, he's still gripping onto you like he's still thinking about it.

He looks up, and instead of responding with "wouldn't you like to know?" or, indeed, laughing derisively, he brings his hands to either side of your face, giving you one of the gentlest kisses that you have personally ever had. You'd almost think he loved you and wanted to grow old with you, instead of the truth, which was that he hated you and wanted you dead, right about now.

"You grew on me.", you say, in a last-ditch attempt to convince this clearly very unhinged, manic man who has nothing to lose, that you're not a threat and that he should not kill you or get you fired or whatever the hell he's planning to do.

He chuckles against your lips, shaking his head as he kisses you a couple more times. "I'm sure I did. And I'm sure Maddy told you to nip that at the bud, hm, baby?"

"Well, yeah, because—"

"Because? What, I'll fuck with your head? I'll 'gaslight' you? When did I do any of those things?", he snaps, his hand slamming onto the fridge right next to your head like he's one of those annoying main characters in teen shows. "It was HER who made YOU do that shit to ME! News fuckin' flash, huh? Think about it!"

And so you did. And... sadly... he might be right. You did have an unhealthy need for her validation and yeah, he didn't gaslight you — in fact, he gaslit his wife.

Objectively, yeah, you can see why you liked him. He's never been cruel to you, not the way Maddy described him. He's smart, determined, kind (when he wants to be) and gentle when it matters. He has the tenacity to not jump ship and to see this financial shit through, he has the decency to feign remorse when putting his clothes on even though both of you know he's going to come over again probably the next day. Gentle.

"Did you do it all to ruin our lives because Maddy Perez said to?"

"I thought you were good looking."

The most honest either of you have been to each other since you met.

"I knew it couldn't be all you. You're good, you're pure, you're not a cunt like Maddy.", he whispers, kissing all over your face like you've just gifted him redemption. He continues where he left off with your pants, but slower, this time.

You think it's 'cause he's over this betrayal.

It's actually because he knows you're doubting Maddy's genuineness, and that means, lo and behold, he has someone at his side. Fuck Maddy, FUCK Cassie for being such a pussy that she ran away from her problems. You ran to him, and that's enough.

And yeah, you make mistakes.

Like the time he wasn't at the office and some guy called Nas had shown up and you'd told him Nate was out arranging things for his wedding, and he asked for a picture of the invite. Nate figured it out later. Minor setback. Honest mistake.

He's a magnanimous soul, and he's glad you're starting to see that, because he's done research into you and knows you could — at least, your family could — help him out.

What's funny is, the same way you don't realise he gets off on distorting reality until it favours him, he also doesn't realise that you get off on making him believe he's got control so that the tiny things you do can go unnoticed.

It's like you're meant for each other, like... twisted in ways that complement each other.

You're made for each other, oddly.

“another win today.” namjoon says, leaning back against the couch with a sigh.

jeon jungkook, kim taehyung, park jimin, kim namjoon, kim seokjin, jung hoseok and min yoongi, seven powerful businessmen had spent the whole day in boardrooms acting like actual hunters in sealing the deal that left everyone else speechless. exhausted and filled with the adrenaline of victory, they'd all collectively decided to head straight to one of the city's most exclusive clubs. they didn’t wanna face the quietness and loneliness of going back to their house, where everything seemed too consuming but coming here wasn’t any better.

they had everything one could only ever dream of, endless money, private jets, yachts and influence over the highest ranks yet the men today felt a certain hollowness in their chest. a void that no amount of luxury could fill, it was mocking because they were supposed to celebrate winning billions today.

they were all seated in the vip section that had been prepared for them before they even arrived, their status was known too well by everyone.

jungkook the youngest yet fiercest among them, who is used to getting what he wants slumped back against the cushions, his black suit jacket unbuttoned and his tie hanging loose around his neck, revealing the tattoos that traveled up his arm to the side of his chest. taehyung was beside him as he accepted a glass from the waitress, his own tie loosened as well. jimin fiddled with his cufflinks before tossing them aside while namjoon, who was often like the leader when it came to their business, crossed one leg over the other.

seokjin the eldest ran a hand through his hair, loosening his tie completely to be able to breathe properly. hoseok beside him, probably the least grumpy and bubbliest in the group, leaned forward with elbows on his knees but he also tends to be intimidating at times when necessary. yoongi the quietest and most intimidating was right beside him, lighting a cigarette with a flick of his lighter. he was the most feared and intimidating one among all of them, those sharp eyes alone sent shivers down people's spines.

“it feels empty..” hoseok broke the initial silence as he exhaled smoke from his own cigarette. the vip rooms glass walls allowed a view of what was going on outside but inside it felt too isolated.

“billions more in the bank—we should be celebrating shouldn’t we?”

but even as he spoke, his eyes drifted to the ashtray, his usual vibrant energy dimmed by that same hollow feeling they all shared. they were tired of the constant days of work and the same routine that nothing seemed to spark that feeling of being alive anymore.

“yeah.” jungkook replied with a frustrated tone as he stared into the distance, lost in thoughts of the day that should have left him exhilarated but instead left him numb.

“fuck… it feels like i'm losing myself amidst so much work.”

taehyung nodded slowly, swirling the alcohol in his glass before taking a sip, his gaze distant as he took off his suit jacket throwing it over the armrest.

“i feel it too… there's no excitement anymore, no one to share it with that truly gets it.”

it felt like they'd climbed every mountain to reach the top and they finally had but now the view is just empty sky. the conversation went on between them comfortably until jimin chimed in too.

“i caught myself standing by the office window earlier.” he mutters.

“i was thinking about how we used to make such a big deal of every win. now we’re making billions and i barely feel anything.”

he lets out a dry laugh.

“that's messed up isn’t it?”

namjoon ever the philosophical one, nodded.

“i get it, we spent years working for it convinced it'd make us happy then we get here and.. life just keeps going.”

“exactly.” seokjin added.

“i brought the latest new car last week, the one everyone won't shut up about.”

“and?” hoseok asked making jin snort.

“and nothing, it was cool for ten minutes then it was just another car you'd brought.”

a few chuckles spread around the table. yoongi remained quiet but his rare interjection cut through, taking a drag from his cigarette before speaking.

“every day feels the same lately.”

the others looked up at him.

“wake up, work, make money, go home, repeat.”

“and the worst part?” taehyung says quietly.

“we should be happy..”

“but we’re not.” jimin finished.

silence settled as they sat there with just their thoughts. a stripper began her usual routine just outside their enclosure, her body moving in a seductive dance catching the attention of every single man present there but not one of the seven men so much as glanced her way, their eyes remained unfocused staring into space, occasionally sipping their drinks or puffing smoke out. all their thoughts were interconnected in some way.

jungkook traced the rim of his glass absentmindedly while taehyung's brow lifted when yoongi spoke up again.

“we're sitting here acting like a bunch of depressed old men.”

that earned a few genuine laughs.

“maybe we are old men.” seokjin admits.

“speak for yourself.”

the laughter faded but the mood felt lighter for a moment even though the silence returned because it wasn’t awkward just familiar.

in the main area outside the exclusive section, you walked around balancing a heavy tray full of cocktails and liquors. you'd worked this job for far too long, your sweet smile remained fixed on your lips as always but that never quite reached your exhausted eyes. the uniform you wore was the standard for the club and what all the waitresses here must wear, a tiny shirt and a black blouse with a neckline plunging enough to reveal your cleavage but not overly vulgar. it was tiny and tight leaving little to the imagination and you'd grown used to the wandering eyes and glances of drunk men while working. your feet ached in those heels today and the constant barrage of customers earlier had left you drained but you still pushed forward with determination.

just a few more hours before you can go home and relax and get out of this hellhole.

as you continued serving in the main area moving between tables, you hadn't even glanced toward the vip section yet, focused entirely on the section you were serving placing drinks in front of some loud men nearby but you didn’t know that taehyung's eyes had lifted suddenly, scanning the crowd out of habit before locking onto you. for whatever reason, you caught his attention immediately and completely.

there was something about the way you carried yourself, even from where he sat he could see the tiredness etched deeply in your eyes, the way when you thought no one was watching you let your posture slump. he couldn’t help but notice the subtle bounce of your breasts with each step and the way your hair was styled but slightly messy from the busy night. it wasn’t just the physical allure even though you were one of the sexiest women he had laid eyes on, it was also the authenticity, the way there was something real in you. it was like a cherry on top, making you look even more attractive in his eyes even though he hadn't interacted with you and it made his heart race. unexpectedly.

intrigued taehyung straightened, genuine interest flickering in his usually bored gaze as he leaned toward the others.

“hey all of you, look over there, the waitress serving the main floor.”

the group shifted their attention subtly, eyes following his direction. jungkook raised an eyebrow crushing out his cigarette as he took in the sight of you balancing another tray.

“damn… there's something about her.” jungkook observes.

jimin tilted his head, a small smirk forming as he observed you.

“i know right?”

he was clearly intrigued as namjoon nodded thoughtfully, eyes assessing you even from afar. it reminds them of something genuine almost, she doesn’t even know they're watching and it makes them want to learn more about you. why do you stand out so much? and why even though they haven’t interacted with you, are you already making the night feel less lonely?

jin chuckled as yoongi finally speaks up, his tongue coming down to lick at his bottom lip collecting a stray drop of alcohol.

“she caught my eye too.” he confesses.

they go quiet for a bit just watching you, feeling that unexplainable pull that took away the heaviness from their chest for a fleeting moment. taehyung grinned, eyes still tracking your movements.

“told you she's something else. makes you wanna know more doesn’t it?”

everything else was put aside, now all their fascination is on you as you continue to work completely unaware.

you leaned over a corner table to set a drink in front of a middle aged man with a sweaty face and bloodshot eyes clearly several drinks past his limit. you were about to turn around to leave but that’s when a meaty hand clamped down hard around your wrist. it happened so suddenly that you jumped, turning around to look at him with wide eyes.

“hey there sweetheart.” he slurred, his breath reeking of whiskey and something stale that made your nose wrinkle. his other hand hovered dangerously near your waist.

“what's a pretty thing like you doing serving drinks when you could be sitting on my lap instead? bet you'd look even better with that skirt hiked up. i could show you a real good time.”

you were used to this. it had happened several times before in this club filled with entitled men who mistook your politeness for availability, thinking that they had free rein to touch you or grope you whenever but bills didn’t care about your comfort or the dread you felt, they demanded payment and this job as risky as it was, was what kept the roof on top of your head and food on the table.

some backed off easily when you threatened to call the manager, a kind hearted woman who had always had your back and also all the other girls who worked alongside you, knowing the difficulty of handling men and got security involved without hesitation. others, the way too gone ones or insistent ones, required her intervention and you'd be so grateful each time the guards kicked them out. still the constant risk gnawed at you. you wondered sometimes what if your manager wasn’t nearby, if things escalated too far before help arrived, you could never protect yourself from these men. you weren’t strong enough.

these days you hated the job more than ever but what choice did you have? it was the curse of never having enough money.

you tried to pull your hand away gently at first, twisting your wrist in his grasp while maintaining that professional smile though it felt strained because of the disgust you felt just from his touch.

“sir please let go, i need to get back to work.” you said evenly even as fear started rising in you. his grip was tightening painfully.

“if you don’t, i'll have to call the manager right now. this isn’t okay.”

but he didn’t listen, leaning closer with his lecherous grin.

“aw come on, don’t be like that baby.”

his crude words continued making your stomach churn as you looked around hastily, no other staff was close enough to notice anything and the music drowned the majority of the noises as genuine fear gripped you, now realizing how trapped you were against the wall and the table’s edge.

from the section overlooking the main floor, all seven of them watched the scene unfold with growing anger but before any of them could react, jungkook's eyes narrowed, his tattooed hand clenching around his glass as he watched the man disrespect you. he didn’t think twice and stood up walking straight up to the table. his hand shot forward from behind the drunk man, yanking his grip away from your wrist with such force that the man stumbled back.

you gasped sharply at the sudden interruption, looking up at the handsome stranger who just became your savior. he radiated such power and fury. the man immediately recoiled as he took in jungkook's tall frame and the glare he had.

“w-what the hell man? this isn't your business.” he sputtered, trying to puff up but clearly intimidated.

“it is now, touch her again and you'll regret it. get your hands off her and fuck off before i make you.”

the man tried to protest, his hand reaching towards you once more and that’s when jungkook's control fully snapped. you watched, eyes wide in horror as jungkook grabbed the man's wrist hard before it could touch you once again and twisted it so hard that the crack of bone was audible even over the club's noise as the man howled in pain, doubling over.

“shut the fuck up!” jungkook growled, not wanting the man's scream to pull even more attention and put you in the spotlight.

“or i'll break the other one too. now leave and don’t even think about coming back here.”

the man now pale faced and squirming in pain, nodded frantically before scrambling away, clutching his injured hand. you watched as he disappeared into the crowd. you stood there frozen for a long moment trying to process what just happened, your heart fluttering.

no one had ever defended you like this before and it was so foreign that you struggled to find words now, not being able to compose yourself.

“i… t-thank you.” you managed shakily as you rubbed your sore wrist absentmindedly.

jungkook's gaze softened as he looked at you, scanning you for any other signs of injury.

“are you okay? are you injured anywhere else?”

you nodded attempting a small smile, not wanting to think about what would happen if he didn’t interfere on time.

“yeah i'm… i'm fine. thank you again really. i appreciate it more than you know.”

“you don’t have to worry anymore, i'm jungkook by the way.” he rasps, holding out his hand for you to shake it.

you stared at it for a bit, your lips parting as you shakily gripped his hand, your hand looking comically small and delicate in his tattooed one. he held your hand in his gently like giving you the free rein to pull back if you want, not the forceful grips that you're so used to.

“y/n.” you breathe, his thumb brushing on the back of your hand in a comforting manner but it instead sends a shiver of thrill down your spine.

how long has it been since a man’s touch excited you instead of making you disgusted? and now with you holding his hand, it made you realize how much you’ve been yearning for it.

“y/n.” he repeats as if tasting your name on his tongue.

the emotions swirling in his eyes almost hold you captivated for a long time before you pull your hand away from his as he studies your face for a long moment.

“you don’t have to go back out there right now.” he starts.

“wanna take a break? come sit with me and my friends over there just for a bit.”

his offer surprised you as you hesitated only briefly, your feet ached in your heels and you'd been working for so long, you didn’t want to lose contact with this stranger named jungkook so soon so you nodded.

“okay a little break sounds good.” you whispered.

jungkook's lips curved as he guided you to the vip section amidst the crowd, his presence parting people like they knew who he was but you still didn’t grasp who he was yet as you stepped inside the area, you paused, recognition finally drawing into you. you'd seen their faces a few times in newspapers or news channels even though you'd never paid enough attention to learn about them in depth.

they were extremely rich, powerful businessmen and they looked so different in real life even more fierce and dominant. six of them lounged across the couches and they were big not just in height and muscularness but also in the aura they exuded. they made you feel small and out of place, they looked you up and down taking in the way your uniform hugged your curves tightly.

their gaze didn’t hold anything lustful but something appreciative like you were truly worth noticing and deserved adoration. it made your stomach twist with a strange heat as you shifted on your feet, smoothing your hands down your uniform self consciously, not knowing how to step past the door but jungkook led you further, his hand resting on the small of your back.

“this is y/n.” jungkook announced to the group as he gestured to you.

“figured she could use a minute away from it all.”

the way the men straightened immediately told that they didn’t mind having you in their space one bit as if they'd been dying to have you near, their eyes locking onto you with undivided attention. one by one they introduced themselves, the one with the broadest shoulders spoke up first.

“i'm kim namjoon. nice to meet you y/n.”

next to him, a man with such perfect handsome features smiled.

“kim seokjin but you can call me jin.”

a bright eyed man leaned forward.

“junghoseok.”

right beside him was the quietest man yet with such a piercing gaze that spoke more about him louder than any words can.

“min yoongi.” he offered a small nod only.

the two other men introduced themselves next, the one with plush kissable lips whose name was jimin and the man who noticed you first, a smirk present on his expression named kim taehyung, a little stubble present on his jawline that made him look even sexier, his voice also the deepest among them.

there was so much masculine energy and the smell of male in this small room that you felt fully surrounded by it in the best way possible and that you might as well have just fainted from how weak in the knees you were. you’ve always been so confident in handling everyone in your job but this was the very first time that you were so fidgety.

“come sit please.”

one of them spoke up and you nodded dumbly before taking a seat on an empty couch right in front of them. you realized quickly with just a little introduction of how different they all were yet fundamentally similar to each other in some way. maybe that’s what deepened their bond so much. the men exchanged glances, their thoughts still clearly fixated on the incident outside.

“fucking prick.” jungkook muttered as he settled near you, cracking his knuckles.

“a guy like that thinks he can grab whoever he wants, i saw red when his hand touched her.”

taehyung nodded, his eyes still on you.

“we all did, no one should have to deal with that shit in their workplace.”

“it's good that you handled it kook. i was so close to beating his ass up too.” namjoon turns to look at you.

“are you sure you're okay?”

their protectiveness made butterflies erupt in your stomach.

“yes i'm okay.” you bite your lower lip, looking down at your hands, twisting them together.

you were acutely aware of how their eyes followed your every small movement and the tension was palpable even when there was silence. you noticed one thing, none of them, not once had glanced at the stripper dancing just outside even though the other men were staring at her like a hawk and catcalling her but to these men, it seemed as if she didn’t exist and you were the only center of their attention, like you were the only one that existed in their world.

it was overwhelming.

intoxicating

“so y/n tell us about yourself. how long have you been working here?” jimin broke the silence, wanting to learn more about you.

“i've been working here for a while… pays the bills you know? it's not ideal but it's what i have right now.”

you talked shyly at first but words started flowing more easily than you expected. you shared bits about your long shifts and the exhaustion and how you dreamed of something more stable but life doesn’t always go the way you want it to. they listened intently, asking thoughtful questions as if they really wanted to know more and cared about your life. they also shared about themselves too.

“we just closed a massive deal today… but honestly? it feels empty.” jimin explains.

they looked at you like you were the only spark they'd felt after months, watching you as you laughed lightly at a joke hoseok cracks. you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear with pink cheeks when you felt all their eyes on you at once.

“you're cute when you're shy.” seokjin chuckles.

their compliments weren’t crude, they admired your beauty and the efforts you made at your work, your confidence and how despite everything, you were so strong to do this every day.

time seemed to pass by without any of you realizing when the topic turned deeper, they learned of your financial struggles too. you never let anyone know about your weakness but for whatever reason, you trusted them so easily to let the words flow.

“i manage, i make it work somehow.” you shrugged.

their expressions shifted with concern.

“you also don’t have to worry about that guy from earlier bothering you again, he's suspended from his job.” namjoon clarifies.

information on that man was retrieved by the guard outside and namjoon learned that he worked at a measly low grade company that they could probably buy within seconds but they wanted him ruined so they made him lose his job instead with just a few texts, they held the power to do so. seeing him touch you like that pissed the hell out of them.

you paused, blinking in shock.

“what? y-you did that for me? but why? i'm used to it, men are always around in this place so it's nothing new for me.” you croaked.

they reacted immediately as yoongi's jaw clenched.

“used to it? you shouldn’t have to be. no woman deserves to face this every day.” his voice was low with anger while jin's usually light demeanor hardened.

“you're handling all this out there?”

you smiled sadly, looking down at your lap.

“you really didn’t have to do all that for me—”

but jungkook interrupts you before you could finish your words.

“we'd do it again in a heartbeat. you're worth more than being treated like that.”

you swallowed at their words, almost feeling tears brim in your eyes that you pushed back, your heart not being able to handle such affection and possessiveness but in a good way from them, in a way that you’ve never received before in your life. it left you speechless and with a thousand unknown feelings and little did you know that even to them you seemed even more extraordinary than their words could convey as taehyung leans back on the couch, his eyes locked on yours like he hasn’t missed a single word.

“you know.” he starts speaking.

“most people in places like this… they're always acting like someone else but youre just... you, even after a shift like that its nice to see it honestly.”

the others nodded in confirmation, knowing what taehyung means by heart. they've been constantly surrounded by too many fake smiles and even women who have had eyes on their wallets rather than them. they've had countless encounters before with girls trying to be too close to them because of an intention, none of them were honest and wanted them for who they are.

“yeah i get what he means.” hoseok added softly.

“it's just… refreshing talking to you feels normal like actually normal.”

“o-oh?” your heart thuds harder at their words.

“you're honest.” yoongi said simply.

“people don’t really do that much around us anymore.”

“i'm not that special.” you breathe.

“you are y/n.” jungkook glances at you.

“when that guy grabbed you… you were about to handle it even before i intervened. you're tougher than you look.”

you're the kind of woman who could bring kings to their knees without even trying, that's how they saw you. they made you feel desired, not merely physically but as someone captivating in her entirety, your your smiles and beauty and your confidence mixed with shyness, they loved everything.

you felt this certain heat all over you that pulled you towards them, your legs clenching together and that didn’t go unnoticed at all. sensing the shift and needing a moment to compose yourself amid the overwhelming feeling, you offered them a slightly breathless smile.

“um do you all want some drinks? i can go get a fresh round.” you offered, noting how all their glasses were empty but that none of them seemed even the slightest bit drunk because of how well they were at handling alcohol.

they nodded in agreement and you rose from the couch, feeling their eyes follow every movement as you turned, feeling their stares caressing the curves on your back and it made goosebumps of excitement rise up on you as you walked to the bar, almost hurrying to be back to them, not wanting to waste any second with them.

returning moments later with a tray balanced with their liquors of choice but nothing too heavy, you felt the intensity multiply upon re entering their space. you set the tray down on the low table slowly which required you to bend forward but you did so almost intentionally and coyly so that they'd get a good view of your cleavage. doing a subtle arch of your back that allowed the already short skirt to ride up exposing the curve of your ass, you heard sharp intakes of their breaths and that makes your heart pound harder.

your uniform was so short that you'd always avoid bending down but doing so in front of them made you feel wanted. your cleavage pressed forward against your top, the soft swells visible for the men in front invitingly.

“damn y/n...” jungkook breathed first as he shifted in his seat.

“are you trying to kill us bending over like that?” jimin lets out an appreciative hum, not complaining one bit to have you like that while hungrily tracing your figure.

“she's perfect isn't she?” namjoon murmurs quietly.

seeing you like this is stirring things they haven't felt in ages. you bite back a grin when you hear yoongi let out a growl when he catches a glimpse of your white lace panties. your thighs pressed together subtly as you straightened, feeling exposed yet empowered.

you handed each of them a glass, jin's fingers brush yours when grabbing the glass and the contact makes you gasp.

“easy guys, we've got all night.”

what started as conversations and shared stories had slowly turned into something deeper as the tension and intimacy grew that none of you could deny it anymore. there wasn't anything normal anymore, there was too much need and their eyes were growing increasingly hooded. it was like both of you guys were in a game wanting to see who'd break first and take what they need, challenging each other through eyes alone. jin was the first one to break, not being able to fight the pull anymore.

“come here y/n.”

you watched him manspreading so sexily as he patted his thigh and you let out a shy smile, standing up almost immediately to walk to him. he guides you onto his thick thigh, his large hand resting at your lower back, the heat of his body and his scent make you tremble as you place a hand on his chest. sitting on his lap made your skirt ride up and you made no move to fix it, your feet dangling off the ground because of the height difference with jin and not only him but also all the other six of them were just so huge especially namjoon, whom you guessed was the tallest of all.

you felt a subtle shift of his muscles as he adjusted, supporting your weight with literally no effort. the others watched with appreciative eyes, already jealous that jin gets to have you so close at first, their focus on the cigarettes and drinks was completely forgotten.

“are you comfortable like this y/n?” jin rasps leaning closer, his warm breath hitting your ear.

his hand stayed put, thumb rubbing circles against your thigh and you nodded jerkily, the proximity making it hard for you to breathe. you forgot about the club, the music outside. it was just the seven of them who were pulling you in their spell even deeper. then taehyung, not being able to help himself, leaned forward from his seat.

“can i kiss you sweetheart?” he asked directly, eyes searching yours for any hesitation.

the way he asked for consent made you flush, you were not used to it at all and it only made your need bubble higher and more fiercely.

“yes please.” you plead.

he closed the distance slowly, his hand cupping your jaw before his lips met yours right there with you still on jin's lap. it started soft but quickly deepened, his tongue tracing the seam of your mouth before slipping inside making you moan into it which he swallowed. the breathy sound began to ignite something in all of them because even if your eyes were closed, you could sense their expressions.

the kiss was unhurried, he took his time exploring every inch of your mouth as both your salivas intertwined. he tasted like something entirely different like dark chocolate. his fingers threaded through your hair and he pulled back his eyes half lidded and breathing unevenly.

“fuck you taste good.” he mutters, thumb brushing your swollen lower lip.

hoseok joined right after taehyung, sliding closer on the couch, looking at your lips with dark eyes, wanting permission without any words and you reached for him grabbing the collar of his shirt. while your other hand pressed harder on jin's chest for balance, fisting his shirt. the makeout with hoseok was different, it was hungrier like he couldn’t get enough as he sucked your bottom lip and you let out a louder whimper.

“mmph!”

jin's hand on your back slides lower, brushing against your butt and it makes you shiver, your bottom pressing harder on his thigh. he rearranges you until you are straddling one of his thighs, only causing the entire pressure on your clothed pussy alone making you squeal. you shifted on his thigh to chase more of that friction, your skirt now rode up further revealing your lace panties fully.

one by one they each took their moment and kiss until you were surrounded by heated touches and kisses. namjoon cradled the back of your head as he explored your mouth thoroughly.

“you're so responsive baby.” yoongi growls against your throat, all the men enjoying your cute little noises.

he takes his turn too. yoongi's kiss was full of bites and clashes of teeth from how impatient he was that you were afraid your lips would start bleeding from how he wouldn’t let go. jimin placed slow open mouthed kisses on your neck and jawline while the others observed what made you moan and squirm. like the expert jimin was, he immediately found the sensitive spot below your ear and locked his mouth there to suck a mark while you struggled to breathe into yoongi's mouth.

jungkook held you in place with a hand around your throat, squeezing slightly and his kiss was a bit more rough while he took your mouth like he was starving for it.

jimin took his turn too, sweetly.

their hands roaming everywhere they could find every exposed skin, gripping your waist or thigh, getting busy making out with you or leaving hickies on your throat and cleavage while your hips twitched occasionally on jin's thigh. your lips remained parted, tongues tangling lewdly with each of the men. jin takes your mouth and sucks on your tongue making you whine and rock on his thigh, his hand fully cupping your butt, encouraging you to grind harder.

“u-uh…”

you whined as jungkook's hand caressed your inner thighs so close to your panties. your body responded eagerly, nipples hardening as you pulled away from jin's mouth, panting hard from all their devoted attention feeling yourself melt into a puddle just from touches and kisses alone. you squirmed on jin's thigh, feeling his hard muscle flex beneath you.

the other men breathed heavily too, chests rising and falling, your whimpers and their rough breaths the only sound that could be heard. they were visibly affected too and you could feel the growing hardness pressing against your thigh from jin. their eyes roamed your flushed face and how kiss swollen your lips were, their jaws clenching as after a particularly heated kiss with jimin that left you gasping you pulled back slightly.

a sudden wave of nervousness took over you. the vip room was private, not see through from the outside yet it made you pause when you realized what you were doing in the haze.

“i… i don't do this.” you whispered shakily, glancing towards the door.

“my shift isn’t even over, i should go back out there. this isn’t… i'm not that kind of girl.”

you’ve never slept with anyone here in the club, probably the last time you had sex was years ago with your ex and the heartbreak of it never led you forward to another relationship even though your body pined for the touch of a man who made you feel wanted in every way and for the first time in years, they made you feel that. never in your dreams would you have assumed that it would be seven of them doing so.

the men looked at you but there was no judgment, only understanding and want as jin's hand stayed comfortingly on your back.

“we stop whenever you say but fuck.. we want you, not just like this but more.” taehyung growls in that deep husky voice of his that makes you weak in the knees.

“yeah exactly…” namjoon added.

“you make us feel alive again and we don’t just want a quick thrill here, we want you for the whole night.”

you made the fire in their veins rise once again after years, you made them forget the hollow feeling they’ve been carrying, it eased the second you walked in here even though you were hesitant, your body betrayed you, shifting again on jin's lap and feeling that delicious friction.

“but why me? i'm just… me, a waitress. you guys could have anyone, someone who fits better with your world. i don’t understand.”

the insecurity was evident in your voice and you didn’t understand why they'd want you and care so much when they could have someone of high class. women probably threw themselves at them every day yet they looked at you like this. they look at you like you are the center of their universe. jungkook cupped your cheek, making you face him so you could see the sincerity visible on his expression.

“because none of that other shit matters. you caught our attention because you're you, it feels right and it’s the best thing ever.”

hoseok grinned, tracing a finger along your arm.

“and we can see you want this too baby, those pretty eyes of yours are telling us everything… the little hitch in your breathing.”

your bottom lip quivers at their words as your thighs clench around jin's thigh, the action pulling a small wanton noise from you.

“let us give you the best night of your life sweet girl.”

you remained quiet even if your hand clung onto jin's chest hard

“please?” he breathes.

they dominated everyone, high status companies and billions, yet for you they'd be ready to beg on their knees. your body ached for them but most importantly, it was your heart too that was screaming at you to say yes.

namjoon leans close to you, the tempting column of his throat exposed from where you'd pulled at his shirt while kissing.

“you don't have to decide right now but... come home with us tonight.” namjoon said with such genuineness and the others nodded with him. they murmured their approvals in a chorus as jimin's eyes locked onto yours, seriousness in his expression now.

“no pressure at all beautiful, it's whatever you want…”

they knew one thing for sure, they couldn’t forget the way you looked at them and the way your body responds to every little touch. it makes them want to know how you'd react to touches at your most private places. hoseok reaches out to brush a lock of hair from your face.

“we've got a black card here, if you need anything, leave this job and take this. come with us whatever that helps you feel secure.” he whispers.

it wasn’t about buying you with the card, it was about wanting to give you the world because you deserve it. all their words made your chest tighten with emotions.

you sat there stunned as you thought of their offer. the black card in hoseok's hand represented everything, a lifetime of not worrying about bills, living with no fear of not making ends meet and being able to breathe without feeling like you have to survive but more than that, it was them and you knew money or no money, you wanted this, wanted all seven of them so you made your decision in a heartbeat.

“i… i agree.” you whispered at first almost quietly before finding a bit more strength at their encouragement.

“yes i'll come with you.”

their reactions were immediate as they let out chuckles. yoongi's hand squeezed your knee and he let out the first real grin since he came here.

“that's our girl. fuck you have no idea how happy that makes us.”

getting praised by yoongi made your clit throb, your face falling on his chest as you nuzzled against it while jin rubbed up and down your back.

“we'll take care of everything, you don’t have to worry.” jin confirms.

with the decision made, they didn’t wait any longer, wanting to have you in their place so they could claim you there with all the time in the world. they guided you out of the vip section with possessive hands at your waist. your heart raced so fast you could feel it in your throat and you felt like it might burst right open.

you spotted your manager near the bar, her eyes widening when she saw you flanked by the seven most well known business owners whose faces had been everywhere. she straightened up instantly not finding words, instantly terrified of what might happen as they stopped in front of her.

“she's not working here anymore.” namjoon stated firmly, his arm slipping around your shoulder.

“y/n is coming with us. consider her shift over permanently, we'll handle any necessary paperwork if needed later.”

your manager blinked rapidly, clearly intimidated but nodded quickly.

“o-of course sir, y/n take care of yourself.”

she shot you a quick look but the men's presence left no room for her to question anything else while you still couldn’t grasp the reality fully. feeling freedom and disbelief all at once.

they led you outside to the waiting matte black limo which was pure luxury, starting from the exterior to the interior. they helped you inside and once the door closed, the vehicle started moving and just along with that, their hands on you were at full force.

this time yoongi didn’t hesitate and pulled you onto his lap first, gripping your hips as he ate at your mouth, his tongue tangling with yours drawing out whimpers as the others shifted closer. jimin's hand slid up to cup your breast through the fabric of your uniform making your back arch even through layers of clothing, their touches felt so prominent.

you didn’t know what would happen once you reached their penthouse and they wouldn’t hold back anymore. hoseok sucks and bites on the side of your neck while jungkook placed a loving kiss against your cheek, his eyes blazing as the ride felt too long because of of what was to come.

“can't wait to have you spread out for us at home.”

you couldn’t wait either.

the limo pulled in front of their penthouse and you stepped out on shaky legs still buzzing from their heated touches that had filled the ride over.

the door opened, welcoming you inside the open living room before you could admire the poshness and extravagance of the place, you were surrounded by all seven of them, their presences closing in like a wall of dominance until you were fully trapped between them. like seven predators closing in on their little prey and they wouldn’t let you go easily especially when there was so much impatience and all the teasings from earlier had left everyone on edge and frustrated.

jin and jimin positioned themselves on either side of you immediately, their breaths ghosting over your skin as hoseok's hand boldly slid under the hem of your uniform, tracing your skin and the skin around your belly button.

“you're so damn soft.” hoseok murmured huskily.

jin's lips found the curve of your neck, placing delicate kisses along your throat, tongue darting out to taste your skin while jimin mirrored him on the other side, alternating between pecks and nips that made you gasp softly. they went oh so slow as if they wanted to memorize every inch of you with just their hands alone, pulling you deeper into their circle.

“look at her already trembling for us.”

jimin whispers against your ear before capturing your lips in a hot kiss, his tongue making that sex act of thrusting in and out that left your knees weak, your hand grasping onto one of their shirts.

“can i?” taehyung gruffs out.

his gaze never left yours as he reached for the zipper at the back of your dress.

“y-yes.” you stuttered, letting out excited huffs of breath.

his fingers worked it down slowly while his mouth sucked on the exposed cleavage of your breast as the fabric parted, revealing the expanse of your back and all seven men watched with rapt attention, their fists clenching in need. you could see their hard cocks straining against their suit pants.

namjoon stands behind you now while yoongi leans against the couch with a smirk enjoying the scene, his arms crossed, eyes devouring every revealed inch, jungkook's hand brushed your hair aside to help taehyung pull the zipper down properly as the dress finally slips down your arms and pools at your feet, leaving you in just your heels, stockings and those tiny lacy white panties, your uniform didn’t need a bra so your breasts jiggle free, making them all groan in unison at the sight. your hand instinctively goes up to cover yourself but taehyung holds it, bringing your hand up to his lips to press a kiss against the back of your hand.

“don't hide from us… god you're perfect.”

you let out a needy moan at his words and how they traced every inch of you with such fascination that you felt like the most beautiful woman in the world and most worshipped. you never thought one could be worshipped with eyes alone and for the first time, you also believed that you could feel perfect… because when you viewed yourself through their eyes, you indeed felt that.

“you look like a dream.” seokjin grumbles.

their praises seemed to reach every corner of your soul. they didn’t take off the panties wanting to admire you like this first, watching the way your nubs were pointed in the air into twin peaks the more as cool air brushed against them.

“we've wanted this since we saw you out there…”

namjoon rumbled, his fingers brushing your spine while yoongi stepped closer, his cold facade cracking as he ran a hand down your side making you lean onto him while panting.

“fuck these curves…”

you were driving him fully insane, their chests puffed up because you were letting them see you like this, your body a bit squirmy at first from being bare in front of them while they're all fully clothed but slowly adapting confidence from their words. all their hands joined in touching you until you couldn’t tell them apart anymore, gliding over every curve, caressing your breasts while thumbs brushed against the nipples.

“oh… hahh.” you whined, your head falling back on jimin's shoulder, your panties wetly clinging to your folds as you clenched your legs together hard but it did little to relieve your ache.

hoseok drops to his knees to kiss along the tops of your stockings while his cock throbs inside his pants, the smell of your arousal hitting him so directly that his nostrils flare but before they could start properly and things could escalate further, they all paused suddenly making you look at them with confusion, your breasts rising and falling. they had to force their eyes from your blossoms to speak to you.

“we need to hear it from you y/n. are you sure about this? fully sure?” namjoon asks.

“i am sure.”

you crooned, your lips forming a pout due to them suddenly stopping and it makes their eyes narrow at how the sweet action pulled at their heartstrings. they'd do anything you asked if you gave them those eyes and that expression but they need to finalize a few things.

“you can use the safe word anytime, red for stopping completely, yellow to slow down and green to keep going yeah?”

you nodded, seeing the care in their faces even in between so much tension and need.

“we've seen how men treat you at the club… so we won't do anything without your consent. we want you so bad but only if you want us just as much.” jungkook rasps.

you didn’t know if you'd ever felt so valued and safe before in front of men and it makes tears of gratefulness well in your eyes as you pressed yourself closer to them, giving your body to them fully.

“i've never been more sure in my life. i want all of you please… please.”

you whimper, feeling their chest and nuzzling against taehyung who is in front of you now and he makes a low noise right beside your ear. they were ready to lose themselves in you completely, all their restraints and control gone.

you were laid back on the couch in the center of the room as you looked up at them, nervousness yet anticipation in you, your body already hypersensitive from being touched. jin leans down to your right side when he cups the underside of one of your breasts, feeling its weight. his thumb flicked it, your nipple hardening even more under his ministrations. you felt his touches all the way down to your clit.

“oh god…”

a squeal left you when taehyung left wet kisses along the side of your other breast, not wanting to keep your other breast neglected before he captured the peak between his lips, sucking at first then with more pressure while jin's skilled pinching and rolling combined with taehyung's warm suction. your back arched off the couch as your breaths came out in short gasps, every pull of tongue and twist of fingers on both your nipples drew involuntary moans from your throat.

the others watched everything, their own need evident as they shifted closer even though taehyung and jin were having their moment, the hands of others would occasionally brush your arms or thighs in reassurance.

“ahh.”

you let out a particularly loud moan as taehyung bites slightly on your nipple before soothing it with laps of his tongue making you feel heady as seokjin's mouth joined too, leaving your breasts wet with saliva. your breasts were like a glistening playground of sensation.

“ahh… jin taehyung… it feels so good.” you whimpered, your hand gripping onto the couch from the pleasure. jin lifted his head briefly, his lips shiny.

“yeah? you like when we suck on these pretty tits baby?

“it makes your pussy feel good mhmm?” he asks.

taehyung hummed in agreement, switching to light nibbles and soothing licks, their words making you even more horny as you nodded dumbly.

“she's dripping so much just from getting her nipples played with… just look at that wet patch.”

jungkook comments, all their eyes falling on your panty covered cunt where a damp spot had started forming from the amount of arousal you leaked and the white lingerie made everything see through. meanwhile, namjoon began kissing torturously down your stomach, his tongue leaving a trail as shivers race up your spine as he worshipped your belly, circling his tongue around your belly button. when his teeth scraped a certain ticklish spot, it made you giggle and you grabbed onto taehyung's shirt who was beside you.

“mm…”

taehyung grinned at your giggle while namjoon glowed softly.

“so beautiful, every inch of you.”

he praised, nipping just below your navel. your legs couldn’t stay spread, feeling a little shy from the copious amount of essence you were leaking and also from the building ache but hoseok and jungkook didn’t let you hide away so easily, holding one leg apart, each opening you completely to their gaze. jungkook leaned in first, pressing his face close to your soaked panties inhaling deeply with a guttural groan.

“shitt she smells so good.”

he mutters, his hot breath fanning over your covered core making you twitch.

“i know right?” hoseok adds, already too obsessed from earlier after getting a waft of your pussy when he was so close to it. jungkook begins kissing and sucking marks onto your inner thighs, starting high near the crease and working inward, each harsh suck leaving reddish hickeys.

“j-jungkook..” you stammered as his tongue avoided your pussy entirely and focused around it, only puffs of air hitting it and you squirmed helplessly as hoseok's fingers dug in near your panties.

“spread wider for us princess, let us see how much you need this.” hoseok encouraged when your thighs trembled.

jimin and yoongi were the only ones left to join and they didn't hesitate anymore. their fingers joining to touch you over your panties, fingers expertly finding your swollen clit through the lace.

you whimpered, the pressure was never enough to push you over the edge but just enough to keep you teetering on the brink. jimin's touch was precise, he used the pads of his fingers to rub tight patterns between your folds that made your hips buck, with taehyung and jin watching your pleasured expressions with focused intensity.

“feel that sweetheart?”

yoongi asks as he flicks your clit side to side.

“hmm?” he persists when you don't reply, pressing his thumb against your clit even harder and it felt so much even without them touching you directly.

“y-yes haggh.” you mewled.

yoongi presses the fabric against your folds, rubbing up and down the length of your slit until the lace lewdly sticks between your pussy lips.

“listen to those sounds she's making… fuck.”

seokjin and taehyung conversed among themselves, their eyes focused on your pussy and what the other men were doing and it makes you even more excited if that was even possible, there was something so naughty about having the others comment on you while you were being touched as if there was an audience itself. it doubled the sensations for you as jin and taehyung occasionally tweaked your nubs just to hear you gasp between your moans from the maddening clit rubs that left your pussy clenching, your arousal coating your inner thighs messily now. you couldn't take their teasing anymore as your head thrashes.

“please goshh more... i need more.” you begged breathlessly, not being able to stay still.

jimin offered two fingers, pressing them against your lips.

“open up baby. suck them like you mean it.” he instructed.

you obeyed, eagerly opening your mouth as he slid them past your lips. you swirled your tongue around his fingers, hollowing your cheeks as you bobbed your head slightly. the others watched intently, already imagining you sucking their cocks exactly like this and all their cocks twitched inside their pants while jimin groaned at the wet feeling of your mouth, his eyes growing half lidded wondering how his cock would feel inside your mouth.

“look at that mouth working so well.” jungkook added.

he pushed in his own fingers right next to jimin's, pushing his tattooed fingers so deep that it brushed the back of your throat, his fingers giving slight thrusts as tears brimmed your eyes trying not to gag.

“just like that, get them nice and wet for us.” jimin murmurs.

jin grabs ahold of your hair, not enough to hurt but hard enough to make you feel the slight pain mixed with pleasure as he pulls your mouth to him for a sloppy passionate kiss that leaves you dizzy, swallowing all your noises. you made a throaty sound when jungkook's fingers finally left your mouth, his eyes focusing on your pussy, not being able to stand seeing it covered anymore and from the state of others around, they're impatient as well.

he went down your body as you watched with wide eyes but instead of using his hands to slide them off, he leaned down, your breathing growing ragged. with a dirty glint in his eyes, he caught the edge of the panty between his teeth and began to tug them downwards slowly making the fabric peel away from your core with a wet sound.

your pussy now fully exposed to the seven men and jin and taehyung also joined the others below to look at you making your cheeks flame from the vulnerability of it all and how exposed you felt while two of them spread your legs further until you were eagle spread, your folds parted as well, the soaked panty dragging along your thighs, leaving a trail of your own slickness. your entire body trembles as the cool air hits your center. the panties finally slip past your ankles and jungkook tosses them aside with a satisfied growl.

all of them leaned in closer where you lay bare as if inspecting you and it makes your brow furrow, heart pounding hard. you've never felt more exposed at once while your clit throbbed helplessly. they let out a mix of curses and loud exhales. their eyes held something else entirely, it went far beyond lust like they wanted to eat you whole and never stop. you felt like you were surrounded by seven hungry wolves and you'd give yourself up to them willingly. namjoon's breath hitched audibly, his large hands clenching at his sides as if fighting the urge to touch immediately.

“fuck...” he murmurs.

they'd never seen anything more perfect, it was like you were a work of art.

you were bare except for your thigh stockings and your heels. jin lets out a hum, his plush lips parting as he stared. your folds were swollen and parted slightly to reveal your labia and your gaping entrance, the clit on top shiny from your arousal and throbbing under their gaze. it was as if they were touching you from their stares alone and they hadn't even touched you yet.

“look at how she's clenching around nothing. fuck that's so hot... you're so empty aren't you angel?” jimin asks so adoringly that you let out another soft sound at his endearment.

taehyung stared in awe as he tilted his head, it was as if your pussy itself was begging for their tongues and fingers on its own. they've never wanted anyone more, it was like you're the only woman in the world. they've always appreciated a female body but their bodies never reacted in such a way. they were never so mesmerized. they wanted to learn more about what made you moan or cry, where you liked being touched, what made you giggle and most importantly, what made your precious heart happy.

jimin chuckled with admiration when he saw you hiding your face between your hands because of how overwhelmed you felt from all their eyes on you at once.

“hey baby...”

he removed your hands from your face and pressed a kiss against your forehead.

“don't be shy… you're stunning. look at how hard you make us just from staring at you.”

your eyes fall on their tented bulge and it makes you exhale shakily, it was the proof of how true their words were and it gives you a little more strength. yoongi's tongue darts out to lick his lips.

“i bet she tastes even better than she looks.” he comments, tilting his head making your breath hitch.

jungkook still positioned closest, looked up at you with those piercing eyes. you gulped, feeling your stomach flutter.

“i... i've never had anyone look at me like this.” you whispered, trying to find words to say what you truly wanted.

“especially not all of you, i-it feels… too much but good. i feel wanted.. really wanted.”

your pussy gave a clench along with your words, drawing another groan from them by the sight of it and from your words.

“do you want me to eat your pussy baby? nice and slow mm?”

you nodded desperately and jungkook didn't waste time and dived in first, his tongue pressing against your entrance, dragging upward in one lap stroke all the way up to your clit.

“ahhh mm fuck—”

you squeaked at the sensation of his tongue and lip piercing combined and he let out a hiss at the taste. he took his time, eyes locked intensely on yours the entire time, never breaking contact as he repeated the motion, savoring every drop of you like it was the finest wine. the pressure was perfect, not too light and not too rough yet enough to make your hips jerk and your hands fist into the cushions beneath you.

“she tastes incredible joon.” he murmurs to namjoon beside him. you squirm at the feeling of the cool metal of his piercing hitting your clit.

you tasted sweet and tangy at once, it was everything.

your eyes fall closed, not being able to keep them open as your head falls back in sensation. jungkook paused, biting onto your inner thigh, making you gasp as your eyes pop open.

“look at me while i taste you or i stop.” he threatened.

you let out a long moan and kept your teary eyes open, the touches of others sending jolts straight to where jungkook was eating you. namjoon groped one of your breasts, squeezing it while hoseok rubbed his still clothed cock against your thigh not being able to help himself. a damn spot formed on his pants from the precum.

“you want a taste too?”

jungkook smirked at taehyung, who was watching him eat at you with hungry focused eyes and jungkook moved aside to let taehyung have a chance. his tongue felt different, slow yet so deep as he traced every fold with the tip of his tongue. he suckled gently on your clit, humming around it to make your toes curl. your pussy was blooming more and more for them.

“i could do this for hours mmm.” he moaned against you, his tongue dipping inside your hole a bit to collect your fluids.

during all these, your legs were held open so they could eat your pussy with no resistance at all. namjoon's mouth was on your breast now, replacing his hands sucking on your nipple and also leaving a hickey on the underside of it while yoongi watched everything with hooded eyes, squeezing himself over his pants.

“pleaseee!”

you whined loudly, pressing your hips harder towards taehyung's face, feeling yourself getting close but he pulled back slightly with a chuckle looking down at you.

“not yet darling, we all have to have a taste first don't we?”

from his words you knew that the torture was just beginning and you already felt like you'd cum but they were just beginning, they were about to take their sweet time. jimin pressed his mouth against you giving you teasing flicks of his tongue across your clit quickly that built the pressure rapidly before pulling back, leaving you whining pathetically and he almost felt bad but he enjoyed teasing you.

“aww.” jimin cooed, wickedness present as the others smirked.

“you want more don't you? but this pussy is too good to rush.” he rasps, catching a droplet of your arousal that leaks with the tip of his tongue.

in the meantime, jungkook and hoseok latched onto your nipples, simultaneously sucking and biting while their hands roamed your body taking the chance to discover your breasts too since they didn't before and you grabbed onto their hair, holding them to your chest while sobbing. yoongi grunted, watching your pussy while the denial makes your body shake. the room filled with your breathy moans and the wet sound of their mouths working on your body.

namjoon was the first to slide his fingers along your mound and his intentions make you pant as his middle finger presses against your clit, a needy whimper leaving you.

“so fucking wet baby. this pussy's been begging since the club hasn’t it?”

“want it uh…” you whined needily.

taehyung ran two of his long fingers along your outer lips, spreading them apart with his thumbs so namjoon and he could see every slick detail making your thighs quake.

“feel that? she's pulsing so much.” namjoon observed.

you moaned loudly, head falling back when namjoon's fingers breached your entrance before dipping inside so slowly while taehyung continued his exploration on the outer part of you. the feeling of having something inside you from them even if it's just one finger, felt heavenly almost euphoric as he curled his finger immediately against that spongy spot inside you.

“oh god… oh please.”

you let out brokenly your hand fisting jungkook's hair, who still lets little licks on your sensitive nipple. jimin chuckled, his fingers replacing taehyung's on your clit as namjoon added a second finger, scissoring them to open you up as you bit your lip to stifle the cries that were trying to escape and they didn’t like that one bit, they didn’t like you holding back in any way.

“let us hear you princess. don't hold back… that’s it.”

your lips parted to quiet little “ah ah ahs” as namjoon pumped two of his fingers while jimin and taehyung took turns flicking your clit up and down, side to side, whatever motion they desired. your arousal coated their hands and dripped down to soak the couch. your eyes widen when hoseok's hand joins namjoon's, his fingers teasing your entrance around namjoon's thrusting fingers. namjoon's lips curl up as he makes space for hoseok's, whose two fingers slide inside you so easily considering how wet you were.

“nghh oh god i—”

your words cut off in a cry as you felt your pussy stretch and accommodate four fingers. their fingers were already so thick that you were stretched beyond imagination, stretched more than even dicks alone had done to you from just their fingers. you couldn’t imagine what their cocks would do to you then. the burn was delicious, your hips rocked against them chasing the pleasure, feeling your orgasm get so close.

“unngh!”

you bite onto jungkook's clothed chest because he was the closest beside your head making him fist your hair.

“come on boys, make her feel it.”

he grins, earning aroused laughs from namjoon and hoseok. both their fingers curled against your g-spot while taehyung pressed his thumb on your clit, holding it there with a blinding pressure that has your eyes rolling back. your pussy clenching continuously on their invading fingers as they wiggled and twisted their finger inside you as if they were searching for something deep inside you and your legs thrashed, not being able to take too much.

“shhh… you're going so good.”

taehyung soothes you, sensing the overload of sensations. you cried out, back almost lifting off the couch despite the men holding you from all around, your walls fluttering wildly around the intrusion.

“yess fuckk, ah r-right there!”

you wanted more and wanted to escape at once, your mind couldn't catch up from the stretch and the curl, the constant pressure on your clit from multiple hands now taking turns also your breasts never being left alone. you didn’t even realize when namjoon and hoseok left your pussy so that jungkook's three fingers could take place inside you almost immediately, they slid in with no effort as he pumped them roughly.

squelch. squelch. squelch.

it makes loud wet noises that seem to override even your moans and gasps and the men around you groan at the noises too, a pained look on all their faces from holding back. jungkook watched your face contort in ecstasy, his jaw clenched.

“atta girl, squeezing so tight around me, so damn hot… yess.”

he hisses, his thighs starting to grind against the corner of the couch, wanting stimulation from how crazy you are driving him. jin watched everything with dark eyes rubbing against your inner thighs.

“you ready for two more fingers baby?”

jin asks, stroking one of your butt cheeks as you watch him with a swallow, wondering how you'd take two more fingers while jungkook had three inside already but your orgasm was so close you couldn’t think straight and by the way, your pussy was gaping, you wanted more.

“y-y-yes.” you stammered nervously.

“i'll be gentle yeah?” he coaxes.

slowly jin penetrated two of his fingers alongside jungkook's three moving ones, basically fisting you and you let out a loud cry, your toes curling.

“oh god, oh god.” you chanted.

they all watched the way your pussy accommodated several fingers, lips parting hungrily while you were a mess beneath them. they moved their fingers in and out slowly now, mindful of the fullness in a rhythm that had your juices overflowing with pornographic sounds leaving you. your thighs trembled hard and uncontrollably as you struggled to breathe, choking on your saliva.

“i-i can't... it's too much.. feels so good.”

the others paused their actions just to watch jungkook and jin having their moment, hitting your spots relentlessly. taehyung pressed down on your lower belly to heighten every sensation and to feel their fingers moving inside you. your hips bucked wildly but strong hands pinned you down, forcing you to take every bit of pleasure they gave and it was building higher and higher without mercy.

“ah please please let me cum! i need it, i'm so close hahngh.”

you babbled, not even making sense, your hand gripping hoseok's shirt so hard that it ripped, buttons flying all over. the orgasm was so close to hitting you and that's when they decided to stop altogether, fingers leaving your cunt and their touches stopping.

“noooo why?”

you sobbed out tears streaming down your face now. it was as if someone had just snatched your high from you after so long and it left you heartbroken and your body aching.

“we've got you baby.” jimin murmurs soothingly, his hand rubbing circles on your belly while you try to recover from the denial.

amidst that, taehyung had gone upstairs to grab a bottle of lube from a drawer before walking back downstairs, it's like they knew exactly what they planned to do. taehyung's eyes met yours with a smile that somehow made even this intimidating moment feel safe.

“you ever had your ass played with sweetheart?”

jungkook questions and you flush at the question, the hint of what's about to happen making you restless.

“i-i yes… i did touch myself a few times but i didn't have anyone inside t-there.” you stuttered shyly.

you had experimented and fingered yourself on your back hole during moments of need all alone, you even tried butt plugs but that was pretty much it. you weren't so experienced because no one had you there before.

“yeah? do you want us to be your first?” taehyung questions.

you huffed, leaning onto taehyung, your lips falling onto his throat and sucking a mark.

“just make me cum please.” you sign.

“fuck anything you want sweet baby.” he grunts.

their hands are already soothing over your thighs and palms spreading your legs wider, pressing them upward and against your breasts to give them better access to your lower portion.

“we'll go slow okay?”

hoseok's palm stroked the inside of your knee while jungkook's hand rested on your hip. you shuddered from a mix of nerves and arousal. you felt thrilled and excited for what was to come even despite the fact that they didn't let you cum.

yoongi grabs the lube from taehyung, his eyes falling on you, looking almost feral. he had been controlling himself all this time, watching the others have their fun with you while he didn't intervene at all because he was the type to strike at the right time and also because he wanted the part of you that no one took first so he'd held back. your heart races as you look at him lean over you, your hand gripping his shoulder on its own.

yoongi always did the most calculative unthinkable moves and when he attacked, it was always in the most intense way. he drizzled the lube, making the liquid trickle slowly over your tight asshole, you gasp at the sudden unfamiliar sensation.

“breathe for me, in and out.” he instructed and you tried following him, breathing in and out. he circled the pad of his finger around the puckered rim not pushing in yet, just feeling around.

“mmmmm… yeah…”

his free hand rubbed circles on your thigh, coaxing you to relax.

“you're doing so good already.”

jimin murmurs, leaning in closer from the other side, adding more lube with his fingers. it mixed with the juices already leaking from your pussy making everything even more slick while their eyes watched every twitch of your body and the moans that left you.

“ahh... it's cold but feels… good gahh.”

you whimpered, your hips shifting slightly as namjoon held one of your legs steady. they worked you open with patience. multiple fingers from different men joined in. yoongi's thumb continued rubbing over your rim along with jungkook's finger.

“oh—!”

you squealed as taehyung's two fingers sank back into your pussy, doing that scissoring motion making you sob. it seemed more intensified because of your rear being touched.

“fuck she's so tight back here.” jungkook groans and yoongi nods in acknowledgement before slowly pushing the tip of his finger inside as you tense.

“relax just let me in...” yoongi rasps.

you gripped his wrist, whining, trying to not clench too hard while hoseok grabs your thigh, stroking your skin to distract you from any discomfort. yoongi's finger sank deeper and the lube made him sink all the way in so suddenly that you cried out raw.

“oh god... h-hahh.”

yoongi cursed at the feeling of how tight you are.

“color?”

he asks, your bottom lip quivers at his caring tone despite how long he'd held back.

“g-green.”

you gasped and he smirked slowly, starting to pump his fingers while jimin and jungkook touched around your stretched rim or your clit while taehyung still had his fingers pumping, both of them delivering careful thrusts. there was pleasure, pain and so so much ecstasy. you never thought getting fingered on the pussy and ass could feel so good as you couldn't stop moaning. namjoon's mouth latched onto one of your nipples, sucking hard while his tongue flicked the sensitive nipple.

“haah… haah…”

you felt like you'd burst when hoseok leaned closer to your pussy to lick at it, flicking it over your clit. the dual assault combined with the fingers till stretching and pumping inside both your holes was mind shattering and you could barely think straight. namjoon's suction on your nipple intensified, teeth grazing while the others held your legs open, preventing you from closing them against the overwhelming stimulation. yoongi's fingers curled inside your ass, touching the spot that you didn't even know existed and his fingers were extra long, as were taehyung's and both of them continued fucking you with them.

“ah-ah-ah-ah—fuck!”

you saw stars behind your eyelids with tongues on your pussy and the slide of fingers knuckle deep in your ass and cunt and the pull on your breasts. your nipples felt like they were on fire from the constant sucks and bites they received, they were swollen and almost reddened. all of the several sensations were about to do it for you.

“please… p-please! i can't...”

your voice breaks into a series of whimpers.

“i'm gonna... i need to cum... ahh please let me cum!”

they didn't stop their movements at all, drawing it out even slower to heighten the peak.

“yeah?”

he curled his fingers again and again just to see you tremble.

“you only get to cum when we say so.”

jungkook rasps against your clit before sucking into it even harder between his lips, humming vibrations through it making you twitch and wail out.

“please please.” you chant, your head thrashing side to side.

hoseok licks you all over, lapping at the lube and your juices mixed together. namjoon switched to your other nipple, biting down gently while his other hand massaged the first breast. the pressure built unbearably. your asshole and pussy clenching around the digits, every muscle in your body tensed, toes cuddling in your heels as the orgasm finally crashed over you with their permission.

“that's it, let go. cum for us.” yoongi commanded softly, his hand stroking your thigh.

your first orgasm of the night ripped through you and it was more intense than anything you've felt, the first best orgasm of your life. your pussy gushed around taehyung's fingers and your ass spasmed around yoongi's while you screamed, body shaking violently.

“ahh! fuckkk.”

you cursed as you saw stars behind your eyelids while they continued licking and fingering you through it. spurts of liquid left your pussy soaking the couch and their hands and they all groaned, licking at it. even yoongi leaned down to get a taste while making animalistic noises. the aftershocks making you twitch and whimper, your chest heaving as they slowly eased their fingers out making you whimper at the loss. their hands didn't leave you entirely, now murmuring praises.

“you did so well angel...” jimin cooed, kissing your thigh.

their eyes couldn't get enough of you as yoongi brought his glistening fingers to your lips for you to taste yourself.

“mhmm.” you licked obediently, feeling dazed and blissful, doing the same to taehyung's sloppily while still breathing hard.

they let you catch your breath while they looked at you with hunger and need that it made your chest tighten, wondering what they'd do next. that's when one by one they began to undress themselves fully, shedding off their dress shirts and pants that had already been partially opened. the clink of belts and the metallic sound of it makes your eyes hooded as you swallow, staring at them.

taehyung undressed first, taking off his shirt then pushed down his pants and boxers together, revealing his big cock. your eyes widened at how long it was, flushed at the tip from his need as he kicked away his pants. namjoon was next, taking off his shirt to reveal his muscular body, the type that came from gym sessions. his cock sprang free, thick and heavy, curving slightly upward with a prominent vein running along the underside, already glistening with precum.

jimin had all lean muscle, his abs rippling, the nevermind tattoo and the tattoos on his back as he revealed a perfectly shaped dick, not the longest but girthy enough to make your pussy clench at the sight, it looked like it was perfect to hit every sensitive spot. jungkook revealed his tattooed body next as he stripped, your mouth watering at the sight of his tattoos and muscles, revealing a cock that was both long and thick, veiny and aggressive looking, standing proud and pointing at you.

hoseok was confident in his bareness, he just seemed to have a flexible physique like he could put you in any position he wanted, his huge cock bouncing free, slapping against his stomach. jin moved next, revealing his broad chest and shoulder that you stared at with parted lips, his cock was thick as well and he was utterly shameless in it when he grabbed it and gave it a slow stroke, smirking at the way your eyes widened.

finally yoongi undressed last because he was too busy savoring your reactions to the others getting naked. his body was lean and strong, his pale skin makes him sexier and you gasped when his cock was exposed like it was a weapon, along with a slight thickness that promised deep thrusts and he was leaking steadily.

you were in pure awe as you took them all in, surrounded by such raw masculinity in every way possible. it felt so much more fierce because they were all bare. that you didn't even know whom to admire, you wished you had the capability to admire them all at once and to your heart's content. they were magnificent, each uniquely breathtaking and exerted dominance and masculine perfection and their cocks? they were all intimidating despite being different and you couldn't stop staring at them, you wondered if you were drooling.

you felt so incredibly powerful and unreal that you affected the men like that, they were all hard and leaking precum just for you. your pussy still throbbed from the aftershocks but couldn't stop clenching.

“oh my god...”

you whispered, your cheeks burning as you stared openly unable to look away. nothing in the world mattered in that moment except them, the way their bodies looked and the way muscles shifted under their hard and ready cocks because of you. you still couldn't believe that this was happening.

“you're all... so big.”

your tongue felt loose, the words leaving on their own. the men's egos boosted at your reaction, some smirking while the others looked at you heatedly. jungkook ran a hand through his hair, his piercing caught between his teeth.

“fuckk look at her staring like that, like we're the only thing she's ever wanted.”

he murmurs and namjoon chuckles deeply before nodding. you got that look in your eyes. they've had such powerful companies bow for them yet nothing compared to the way you looked at them right now. they didn't even want to compare you to anyone else, you were that special. they felt irresistible in your eyes.

“keep looking at us like that baby and we won't last long enough for everything we want to do to you.” hoseok grumbles.

you shifted forward onto your knees without needing much prompting, your knees sinking to the hard floor but jin quickly grabbed a cushion from the couch and gently placed it under your knees.

“don't want you bruising those pretty knees princess.” he says, stroking your hair once before stepping back as your heart flutters.

the seven of them formed a circle around you, their cocks at your eye level until you could get their clean male scent so well. your pussy dripping anew with eagerness. yoongi stepped forward first. he gathered your hair into a loose ponytail with one hand, pulling you close with a firm tug.

“open those sweet lips for me baby.” he rasps.

you parted your lips with a whimper and he slowly fed his cock into your mouth inch by inch. the taste of salty precum and clean skin made you moan as you took him deeper, your tongue swirling and he groaned, his eyes half closed in pleasure.

“good girl just like that. your mouth feels incredible.”

you relaxed your throat even more at the praise, wanting to do the best for him, taking him further until your nose brushed his pelvis, your eyes watering at the stretch. he held you there for long moments by your hair, savoring the tight heat then his hips started rolling lazily. his free hand caressed your cheek, thumb wiping away a stray tear.

“look at me while you take it… yeah just like that.” he growls.

the others watched intently, hands stroking their own cocks.

“she's handling yoongi so well.” hoseok commented huskily.

“look at her throat bulging a little, goddamn it.”

yoongi fucked your throat with such deepness that it left you gasping and moaning around him. he took your mouth for several long minutes, knowing others are still waiting so he reluctantly pulled out with a pop.

“perfect start sweetheart.” he praised.

jin moved in next, he tapped the head of his cock against your tongue almost immediately without letting you catch your breath. doing it a few times enough to make you whine.

“tongue out.” he ordered.

you obeyed dragging your tongue along his cock, letting out an “mmm” at the way he throbbed under your attention. then he guided you lower.

“now my balls suck them.”

jin was a balls kind of man, he had such sensitive balls and he loved it when they were sucked nice and gentle so you did exactly that. you leaned in, taking one into your mouth sucking while your tongue massaged it. your hand came up to cradle the other heavy one. jin let out a long satisfied moan, his head falling back.

“just like that... fuck… you're a natural. swirl your tongue more.”

you tried your best to follow his words, alternating between sucking and kicking while your other hand stroked his shaft as well, not leaving any part of him unattended. he grinned at how eager you were taking care of him so well even after everything they did to you earlier. you were worshipping his balls like they were your favorite treat.

“don't forget the rest of us baby.”

namjoon chuckles, the others making amused impatient noises, dying to get the feel of your mouth. your lips were already swollen and glistened when you pulled off jin's balls to breathe and he was about to slide his cock inside your mouth but hoseok was already taking his place next, his cock throbbing as he guided your head with one hand tangled in your hair.

“come here baby.” he murmurs, making your stomach flip.

your lips remained parted on their own so he slid it inside efficiently. your hand was placed on his thighs to hold on as you hollowed your cheeks and sucked.

“shitt.” hoseok groans, his hips beginning to fuck your mouth, each thrust pushing him deeper until the tip of his cock hits the back of your throat. you gagged as you heard wet slaps of his skin meeting your face as he picked up the pace, your moans drawing vibrations around him.

“yes… yes keep sucking like you mean it.” he rasps.

“so fucking pretty with your mouth full.” hoseok rocks into your mouth with a few more rolls.

his fingers tightened just enough in your hair to guide you, snapping his hips and burying himself deeper inside your mouth. from his ragged breaths and groans you felt that he was close and he wasn't letting go so easily. saliva dripped down your chin and onto your bouncing breasts.

“ahh.” hoseok pants as you licked along the underside of his shaft on a particularly hard thrust.

“you're gonna make me lose it if you keep that up.”

you only quickened your movements as the men around you were feeding off the sight.

“easy there hobi, don't wear her out too soon.” taehyung teased.

“yeah save some of that energy for the rest of us, give us a chance,” namjoon added, pumping his fist slowly over his cock. jungkook beside him, doing the same.

hoseok even though he was so close, pulled back, breathing hard as he petted your head as if you'd done a good job. they'd all planned to cum together and hoseok didn't wanna break the rule first. namjoon cupped your jaw, tilting your head up to meet his gaze, his thumb brushing over your precum soaked lips.

“you okay baby? want more?” he asked, checking in before taking his own moment.

“hah y-yes.” you nodded eagerly.

he filled your mouth completely with his cock from how slippery it was from all the fluids of others and your drooling mouth. his hand moved to rest on your throat, just cough to feel the bulge of his cock with every roll forward and you gagged, tears streaming down your face as you tried your hardest to breathe through your nose. his fingers flexed slightly as he controlled the pace so you took him to the hilt, he groans at the way your throat constricts around him.

“this throat feels so tight and good.” he murmurs. eyes half lidded as he watches the outline move under his hand.

“ugnngh!” you make a throaty sound that makes his grip tighten more. he loves the sight of you choking on his cock.

“she's taking it all... so hot.” yoongi observed, his cock still glistening from when you'd sucked his earlier and he used that to stroke himself.

namjoon's thrust grows faster as he fucks your mouth and the eyes and praises of others made your head spin and your thighs squeezing together from the frustration and need to finish once again. jimin stepped up, not wanting to wait any longer and as namjoon's eyes fell on him, he slipped out with a growl.

“perfect... you're absolutely perfect.” jimin hums with a mischievous glint in his eyes. he rubbed the head of his cock along your bottom lip first, tapping it lightly against your tongue without fully entering inside your mouth, pulling back whenever you leaned forward eagerly.

“ah ah, not yet angel.” he cooed.

“chase it… show me how bad you want my cock.”

you let out a whine, eyeing his cock with glistening eyes, tongue out sluttily but he was having his fun making you work for it. you part your lips, your tongue darting out to taste him, only for him to shift his hips to pull his cock away from you at the last second, leaving you whimpering and shifting on your knees. you watched helplessly as a bead of precum left him that you couldn't catch with your tongue, your mouth watering for more.

when he finally let you have him, it was just the tip sliding past your lips before he withdrew again and he let out a smirk. he sure had incredible patience to do this because the others were eager for your mouth while jimin was taking his sweet time. he makes you chase after it, your lips trying to suck him in desperately, each time he allows you just the head of his cock licking off his precum.

“p-please.” you sobbed.

“don't be such a tease jimin.. give our girl what she wants.”

jungkook chuckles hotly and the others nodded with a grin enjoying jimin's little game

“she's loving it though, she'll work even better on me once he's done.” taehyung adds with a grunt, already having made up his mind that he will go next.

“yeah? you want it bad baby?” jimin snarls and before you could reply, he abruptly filled your mouth with his cock, making your eyes widen.

“then suck it good will you?”

you suckled instantly, like you've been given water itself after being thirsty for so long, bobbing your head while making sputtering noises.

taehyung's turn came too slowly as if he knew exactly what he was doing. he sat on the edge of the couch unlike others who decided to take your mouth, standing on his long legs, man spreading so you're able to kneel comfortably between them. his dark eyes locked onto yours without blinking. taehyung's focus was solely on you. he reached down to gently stroke your tear streaked cheeks, it was such a tender touch compared to how hard and throbbing he was against your lips.

“you ready baby?” he murmurs.

you flushed, parting your lips slowly as you enveloped him with your mouth lapping onto the very tip of him as his taste fills your senses. his hand continued to stroke your cheek like you were his darling even as you sucked deeper.

“ugh!” he hissed, hips twitching as he lets you set the pace at first, loving the way you lap at his tip.

“your mouth feels like heaven... keep those pretty eyes on me, don't look away.”

the eye contact made it even more intoxicating as you tried to look up at him through blurry vision due to your tears and it made it even more intimate while he hit the back of your throat.

“just like that.” his head falls back onto the couch with a gasp.

jungkook follows soon, walking up to you with his belt, pulling your mouth off taehyung's cock with a slight tug in your hair that makes you moan. he was so impatient and rough after waiting so long for everyone to have their turns, his hand gripping your hair hard enough for pain to mix with pleasure. taehyung watches with a smirk, a little annoyed that his fun was cut short but he lets the youngest have his fun.

jungkook clasped the belt around your throat like a collar making you gasp, he used it as a handle as he pushed his cock inside your mouth in one go. he growled at the feeling, rolling his hips, throaty noises coming out of you from how immediately he reached the depths of your throat.

“take it deeper… ugh just like that.”

his hips delivered more sharp pumps while pulling your head forward with the help of the belt and you struggled to breathe properly, choking on his cock and your tears, he slowed just a little after a while.

“breathe through your nose baby. you're doing amazing.” he grumbles.

you breathe shakily as he pulls his cock out for a bit to let you breathe.

“mmph-”

your noise gets interrupted because he lets you take one inhale before driving back inside your mouth with full force. what started as you giving jungkook head led to more when the desperation in the group increased and they couldn't keep themselves away especially from how near they were from jerking off and also from the attention you've given to every single one of them differently and you knew what the men wanted without even proper words as you slowly started switching between all seven of them.

there were seven cocks surrounding you in a loose circle and you struggled to even focus properly. one moment your mouth was full with jimin's length sliding in and out of your mouth while yoongi's hand guided your hand to his cock from the side so you'd be able to jerk him off simultaneously.

“ah ah... mmmphmm.”

a mix of their husky moans and your muffled noises was all that could be heard. next you were turning to take namjoon's girth while both your hands jerked hoseok's and jin's cocks in rhythm. your palms were fully slick with spit and precum as you stroked them from the base to the tip.

“she's literally made for this.” namjoon rumbles as he holds your jaw, thrusting into your mouth.

“she can handle all of us together uh-huh?” jungkook lets out an amused groaned noise.

the different tastes and sizes were sensory overload for you, jin's cock filling your mouth and you also switched to sucking his balls like he liked while jungkook rubbed his dick against your face, leaving wet trails of precum on your pink cheeks. their hands didn't leave your body either, fingers tweaking your nipples, stroking your thighs or even guiding your head to the next cock. all this made you drip all over the floor, your pussy producing so much essence. you pulled off taehyun's cock with a gasp, strings of saliva connecting your lips to his tip, only for hoseok to messily kiss you right after, his tongue tangling with yours and he growls at the saltiness from everyone before pushing your mouth back to yoongi's cock.

“oh...” you squealed.

when taehyung rubbed his cock against your cleavage, sliding down to flick your abused nipple with the tip of his cock

“tae pass her to me.” jungkook breathes out.

you whimpered as taehyung pushed your head on jungkook's cock so you'd be able to suck onto him while you twisted and pumped other cocks, occasionally leaning to lick or suck on balls or kiss the heads messily. no one came yet, they were holding back and edging themselves while you rotated between two or three cocks demanding your attention.

they noticed the way your thighs trembled and the sticky mess that was falling on the cushion between your legs and they didn't like neglecting you like that while you were working so hard on them. a shared look of understanding passed between taehyung and jungkook before they kneeled in front of you, making your eyes widen as they positioned you so your legs are spread while your mouth and hands are still able to work on others.

“ah-hahh, shit…”

jungkook and taehyung bury their heads between your spread thighs, their hot mouths devouring your pussy with hunger as your mouth couldn’t stop producing mindless noises. jungkook's tongue dragged slowly from your dripping entrance all the way up to your clit in long strokes, his lip piercing hitting your clit every time, sending shivers up your spine with every pass. taehyung focused on tracing every fold with the tip of his tongue, sucking on your clit whenever jungkook moved his focus on your opening.

“hmm...”

he hummed, the vibration along with the dual sensations was overwhelming. both their mouths worked insistently as if they had all the time in the world, their tongues occasionally brushing against each other sloppily while your hips bucked. around you, the other five men stroked their thick cocks with pumps of their fists, their dark eyes locked on your writhing body.

“fuckk.” namjoon breathes.

his large hand gripped his length firmly, thumb swiping over the leaking tip as he watched jungkook's tongue disappear inside you continuously. you looked so goddamn pretty taking both their tongues like that.

“she's making a mess joon. watch how much she’s leaking.”

seokjin's lips curved up in a smirk as he let out a raspy chuckle with namjoon, both of them stroking their cocks side by side.

“she sure is.” he groans.

jin couldn’t help himself as he leaned down to grope one of your heaving tits to roll and pinch the nipple until you whimpered. hoseok's hips suddenly snapped forward, slapping against your parted lips. he panted smearing his precum on your bottom lip.

“mmph!” you let out a muffled sob when in one go, hoseok stuffs your mouth full of cock, almost cutting off your airflow, his eyes growing half lidded with lust and pleasure. yoongi and jimin were almost hypnotized with the sight of your pussy being so thoroughly eaten as hoseok grabs the belt around your throat that was being used as a collar and uses it as leverage to fuck your throat. pulling you closer with sharp tugs of the belt, fucking your mouth like his personal sex toy while choking you with the collar.

gluck. gluck. gluck.

the wet sounds of your throat getting fucked were all that was ringing in your ears along with the obscene slurps and sucks from between your legs. the men around you let out shared masculine moans and groans. you let out broken whines that you couldn’t hold back no matter how hard you tried, struggling to breathe.

“oh god...”

jungkook growled against your cunt as the two mouths between your thighs pushed you higher and higher. they held you apart when your thighs trembled so the others could get the perfect view.

“you're clenching so damn much baby.”

taehyung grumbles as two of his fingers slide inside you effortlessly from how slippery and wet you were while jungkook's tongue focused on your clit with renewed vigor.

“she's probably gonna cum again… she’s squirming so much.” jimin says and the other men made noises of affirmations.

hoseok pulled his cock out not giving you a chance to catch your breath as yoongi takes position and is already grabbing a fistful of your hair. he feeds you his cock and you couldn't help but clench on jungkook's tongue, making him let out a muffled groan, diving in again while taehyung latched onto your clit.

“taste so fucking sweet, are you gonna cum again for us princess?” taehyung pulls back enough to speak.

“ummmhg.” you let out a whine on yoongi's cock and he smirked

“yeah you will?”

one of his fingers joining to curl inside your pussy, making you sob, your eyes closing on their own. the others around you stroked their cocks right in front of your faces, stroking faster and faster, their breaths growing ragged muscles tensing. they also made you switch between sucking cocks of whomever you could and squeezing until you almost forgot whose cock you were touching or whose one was getting inside your mouth, you just blindly followed whatever they guided on you while jungkook and taehyung kept fingering and licking you beneath, stroking their own cocks. your boobs sometimes groped or squeezed against their cocks and also slid against each other. their eyes devouring your tear streaked flushed face, your body twitching hard.

you knew that they were so close. one by one they began to cum in sequence. all you could hear were groans and curses and the noises of liquid hitting the floor. jungkook pulled back from your pussy when he reached his peak with a harsh breath, stroking himself furiously over your mound before letting thick ropes of cum land across your pussy lips and clit, painting them white.

“fuuuuck yes marking this cunt right up.”

he hissed through gritted teeth while taehyung continued licking around the mess tasting your juices and jungkooks release mixed together with a moan his hand working faster as well. you pant against jimin's thigh, your forehead rested against it, all your attention diverted to the men coming around you instead of your own pleasure. namjoon aimed for your open mouth as you panted, his cum shooting across your tongue.

“shallow for me, take every drop.”

he commanded and you obeyed, gulping down everything. there was a slight bitter edge to his cum and you loved it. seokjin followed next, groaning deeply as he came across your tits and stomach, squeezing the last beads onto your skin while you squirmed.

“shitt yes yes...”

hoseok lets out groans as he cums against your cheek and lips, some landing on your tongue as you lick it up instinctively. jimin and yoongi targeted your breasts and belly, adding to the mess that now coated your upper body and within a few minutes, taehyung cums all over your ass cheeks too. the sticky warm fluid was everywhere and there was so much of it sliding over your curves, dripping down your sides and mixing with your sweat. fingers from some of them joined in pushing their combined release into your mouth, feeding you more as you moaned around the digits.

“such a good little cumslut.”

yoongi murmurs, roughly pushing two fingers coated in cum past your lips for you to suck clean. the taste of their release mixed together was so erotic that you couldn't stop gasping and whimpering. their cum slid down your forehead and eyelashes and they loved it, it made them even more possessive at the sight of you glazed by them.

you were their personal canvas.

taehyung scooped some of his cum from your ass and brought it to your lips too.

“shallow it all down baby, show us how much you love being ours.” he exhales.

jungkook and hoseok rubbed their softening cocks against your cum covered tits, smearing the white fluid further while namjoon and jin worked with their fingers to gather more and feed it to you, making you drink copious amounts of seed.

jin made you clean his cock properly while he groaned in approval before yoongi joined in, letting you clean every trace of his release, sucking at the tip while he stroked your hair. hoseok went next, guiding your head as you took him deeper while residual cum dripped from your chin and onto his shaft. he murmurs out soft praises while you move to clean namjoon as well with slow licks, smiles on all their faces in the afterglow.

you cleaned taehyung and jungkook together while they caressed your cheeks sweetly, ending with jimin, finishing cleaning all of them thoroughly.

your breasts heaved with every inhale as there was silence for a bit while you leaned there on the floor, your thighs quivering from the multiple edges they'd brought you with their tongues and fingers. your mind was hazy after giving all of them head even though they'd made you swallow a lot of it. cum still dropped slowly from your chin and onto your collarbone, you could still taste some on your lips. jungkook panted and moved closer first as he looked at you with lingering hunger as he brushed a strand of hair from your sticky forehead.

“so beautiful covered in us... you took everything we gave you.” he murmurs in genuine awe.

taehyung nodded in response.

“are you feeling okay y/n?”

the others gathered closer too. hoseok wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, jimin biting his lip as he admired the view and yoongi watched you, all of them waiting for your response. you nodded weakly at first, your throat hurting from sucking them and the constant moaning.

“i... am good more than good, that was...”

you couldn't find the proper words to finish your sentence but you were honest, it was everything and you shifted slightly, still feeling the ache of your unfinished release. the men exchanged glances, silent communication passing through them.

“she's still with us guys.”

jungkook said with a grin, leaning down to press a soft kiss against your forehead. jin reaches down to take off the belt from around your throat, letting you breathe properly. the belt left a pink mark that made them let out appreciative noises.

“drink some water first, you've worked hard and if we're gonna keep this going, you need to stay hydrated.”

hoseok coos as he walks over to grab a cool water bottle from the fridge, having no shame in walking around naked, his cock bouncing and it makes you flush harder. he uncapped it, holding it to your lips himself, tilting it carefully so you could sip slowly. it soothed your raw throat as you drank greedily, some of it spilled down your throat mixing with their cum.

even drinking water looked sinful on you.

they let you rest for a few longer minutes, their presence comforting you, hands roaming soothingly on your body while murmuring praises about how responsive you've been and how well you took them.

“think she's ready for more?” taehyung asked the group.

“she's nodding already, she's eager... aren't you angel?”

you smiled as you let out a sigh.

“yeah... i wanna continue.”

you admitted, your voice gaining new strength, no longer hoarse after the water and the break from them. the men lit up with renewed need, their cocks already twitching back to life at your words.

after a few more minutes of the rest period, they also helped wipe you clean with some tissues, not wanting you to be uncomfortable because of the stickiness and for what was coming next and they did that slowly, taking their time even if some of their cocks were already standing hard.

seokjin scooped you up as if you weighed nothing and into a bridal style, your body pressing against his chest. you gasped at the sudden lift, your arms wrapping around his neck, feeling his heart thud beneath your palm which told you that his heartbeat matched with yours. the others followed as jin carried you upstairs, your head resting against his chest, inhaling his scent.

“we've got you beautiful.” jin whispered.

they led you into the massive master bedroom which had a soft light giving a sensual glow. jin laid you gently in the very center of the bed, your body sinking into the mattress while they stood taking you in and how your thighs pressed together instinctively. there was so much desperation and anticipation. you were gonna lose a lot of fluids before the nights over so they were glad that you drank water.

“tell us baby... do you wanna keep going?”

you nodded, feeling impatient but still a little over the moon from their constant checks but you felt so good and naughty that you couldn't stop anymore.

“i want you all raw please... i-i'm on birth control, i want you inside..” you whine sultrily.

you didn't give them a moment to react before you shifted onto your hands and knees in the center of the bed, arching your back, invitingly presenting yourself to him. your ass swayed slightly as you looked over your shoulder and at them with half lidded eyes, your hair falling on one shoulder.

“make me yours tonight, use me like your little toy.”

the words came out confidently with no hint of nervousness, all your shyness and shame gone as you wiggled your hips in an attempt to seduce as if they weren't already. your spread thighs gave them the best view of your cum soaked puffy pussy. you have no idea what you've just unleashed and you're gonna face the consequences of that.

“did you hear that guys? she's already begging to be bred.” namjoon said with a wicked smile.

“that's exactly what we're gonna do.” jimin adds.

they couldn't wait to watch you take every load of cum inside your pussy. they've been pretty lenient with your mouth but they don't think that they'll go any easier on all your holes when you've just given them free rein. hours of pleasure were still to arrive.

yoongi of course was the first one to claim you based on the knowing look from the others who knew that he was going to be first as a primal look took place in his expression. without a word at first, he pulled you onto his lap in reverse cowgirl position making you yelp. your back pressed flush against his chest so that every other man in the room had a perfect view of your body. he gripped your hips firmly before one wrapped up to wrap around your throat making your breath hitch.

“y-yoongi..” you stammered as he bites your earlobe.

“sir. call us sir.” he corrects you, making you swallow, already lifting your hips enough to keep you suspended over his cock.

“sir... ahhh, oh my gosh.”

he rolls his hips, letting the head of his cock drag between your folds teasingly before notching himself right at your entrance and sliding inside you inch by inch while you can't stop writhing.

“nghh.” you let out a mewl when he was fully seated and he didn't waste much time before starting to thrust, the head of his cock dragging inside you with every grind making your walls flutter around him.

“so fucking tight.”

he grunts, his eyes half closing. the feeling was better than any drugs or money could provide, the feeling of your warm tight hole around him. the other men were already feeling jealous and extremely impatient, wanting to get a feel of your pussy too. they started pumping their cock with their hands, all their eyes locked on where yoongi's cock disappeared inside your dripping cunt.

in and out. in and out.

“ahh fuck... you're squeezing me so good like you never want me to leave this pussy.” he growls.

his thrusts remained torturous, sometimes circling his hips in a way to make him go deep and it made you let out the most delicious noises, his lips brushing against your ear as his grip on your throat tightened just a fraction. his free hand slid down to spread your folds wider with two fingers to expose you for the viewing pleasure of others and they could see every intricate detail of how he fucked you. the way his cock filled you and pressed against your inner walls, your body trembled as did your thighs on either side of his legs from their gazes.

you were also shocked at how they were all rock hard again so soon, their cocks hard and heavy as they jerked themselves lazily, enjoying the show yoongi was putting on. your pussy clenched around yoongi's length as he fucked you with measured thrusts that seemed to reach deeper than physically possible. the hand around your throat made your head spin, heightening every sensation until you felt like you might shatter. you were also having a cock inside you after years and he was so big that you couldn't remain still, it felt like you might shatter any moment.

“yoongi… oh god, it's so deep.” you gasped out, hands gripping his thighs for leverage as you tried to meet his thrusts.

he chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest and into your back as he picks up the pace just a notch, snapping his hips up.

“too much for you huh?”

“let them know how much you love it shitt.”

he sent you spiraling, your walls fluttering as you felt the orgasm build for the second time tonight, your entire body tensing. the others couldn't take their eyes off you, their chests tightening along with their hands on their cocks. with a final deep thrust and a loud groan, he buried himself fully inside you, his cock twitching as he spilled thick ropes of cum inside you.

“yess yes...”

you babbled as his cock kept moving, some of his cum pushing out with his pumps. it triggered your own climax crashing over you hard making you convulse hard around him, your juices coming out as your back arched against him.

“that's it.”

he encouraged, his hand loosening on your throat to grip both your thighs as he kept going slowly through both your orgasms, ensuring you felt every throb. the others let out groans as well, their strokes pausing momentarily at how you both orgasmed.

“you tired her out already man.” hoseok laughed breathlessly, his cock twitching.

yoongi stayed inside you for a long moment, grinding to push his cum deeper as you rested against him while breathing hard. he didn't wanna leave the feel of you around him so soonbbut he reluctantly eased out with a wet pop, a trail of fluid leaking down your thighs. you made a frustrated little sound at the empty feeling. hoseok gave yoongi a smirk, the energy was practically wafting off him even before he reached you as he patted yoongi on the shoulder.

“you set the bar high didn't you huh?”

yoongi's lips curled, feeling satisfied but already looking forward to his next turn with you.

“take your time with her then.” he whispers to hoseok.

you were already limp, pussy clenching around nothing, eyes glassy as you looked up at hoseok. he flipped you onto all fours, positioning you to face the large mirror on the opposite wall so you could watch yourself while the others got a view too and it already has you panting. he lined up behind you and right on your slit, his hands gripping your hips hard enough to leave marks. he didn't give you any moment to suck in a breath, it was so abrupt it knocked the air out of your lungs. he slammed home all the way inside with one thrust, stretching you open again amidst yoongi's cum.

“ahhh!” you screamed.

the hard fucking began immediately, his hips snapping forward relentlessly, his balls hitting your clit with every deep plunge. each thrust drove you forward slightly on the bed, your breasts swinging while you watched your face contorted in pleasure in the mirror along with the way his cock drove inside you and it made you even hornier and turned on.

“look at yourself and how good this cunt is taking my cock.” he snarled.

his one hand fisted your hair to keep your head up, forcing you to watch yourself. the others made manly noises enthusiastically, full of dirtiness.

“go harder hobi, she loves it rough.” jungkook urged

“she's absolutely gone.” jimin chuckles darkly, watching you in the mirror, leaning closer for a better view.

“uh… uh… uh…”

you let out with each thrust of his. the position and the angle make hoseok hit that spot inside you over and over and especially that combined with the cum inside you makes everything wetter, sloppier, more obscene. your walls fluttered wildly as you felt another of your orgasms building so fast from the brutal pace.

“s-s-sir, it's so good gahh!” you moaned loudly, pushing back against him desperately.

hoseok had started pounding into you with an intensity, his hands gripping your hips to keep you anchored in one place, your walls fluttering around him as the pressure built higher and higher towards another peak. hoseok's breath came in growls as he chased his own release he was so close to.

“gonna fill this pretty pussy up.” he groans but just as your orgasm hovered right on the brink, it all suddenly stopped.

jungkook moved closer all of a sudden, his hand shooting forward with determination.

“it's my turn now.”

jungkook gruffs out. it was like he was possessed by lust at the sight of your pussy being taken by others and he couldn't control himself, all he wanted was to feel you around him and couldn't even wait for a single moment. he was already pulling hoseok back by the shoulder and he let out a frustrated groan, his cock slipping out of your dripping heat.

“jungkook what the fuck? i was so close, she was right there clenching like she was going to cum any second too.”

hoseok complained, his cock throbbing angrily in the air, glistening as he shot jungkook a half annoyed and half amused glare, wiping sweat from his brow as he stepped aside reluctantly.

“you can have her right after man.” jungkook promised with a smirk at his lips. he scooped you up in a second from the bed as if you were nothing more than a delicate doll made for his pleasure.

“right now i wanna have her like this and fuck her.” he declared smugly, his eyes locked on yours in a way that makes your stomach flip.

it makes you let out a long moan because you loved it and this is what you wanted, wanted them to reduce you to their sexual plaything to pass around and claim as they pleased and it sent a shameful heat to your core. it turned you on more than you care to admit. another gush of wetness trickled down your thighs as jungkook maneuvered you into position. everyone was silent for a beat, a little shocked at the raw power jungkook exerted himself when he lifted you completely off the ground and into a full suspended hold, his strong arms hooked under your knees, folding your legs up and apart and blanching you like that, completely immobilizing you and exposing you. somehow the position made your puffy pussy get even more exposed to everyone. your back pressed against his chest while he stood as if he wasn't just balancing your whole body with just his arms alone.

you yelped sharply at the vulnerability of it all, your body suspended mid air, utterly at his mercy, your heels dangling.

“j-jungkook—”

he cut off your words with a click of his tongue, making a disapproving noise.

“yoongi specified to call us all 'sir' didn't he? you're seeking to get punished hmm?”

your lips part from his words, the position working against you in the nastiest way.

“i'm sorry sir.” you signed.

“now that's more like it.”

“she looks so helpless like that.” namjoon murmurs from the side, watching the way your pussy lips parted invitingly.

“jungkook's showing off his strength again.”

taehyung nods, grabbing a cigarette from the drawer beside him and lighting it with a flick of his lighter, taking a puff of smoke and blowing it out while his other hand strokes his cock.

“stretch that cunt wide for us.” seokjin grins.

“she's probably just soaking even more just from being held like that.”

hoseok adds, watching patiently, waiting to strike as soon as jungkook finishes but enjoying the show as well. jungkook adjusted his grip, his cock nudging insistently against your entrance. he teases you for a bit, rubbing the broad head up and down your slick folds, coating himself in your essence while you whimpered and squirmed in his hold.

“you want this don't you baby? want me to fuck you mid air like the needy slut you are for us?” he growled hotly against your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

“ohh yes please sirr... fuck me..”

and as quick as those words left your lips, jungkook slowly buried himself inside you, the sheer force lifting you slightly higher before gravity pulled you back down on his length. you saw stars behind your eyes from his size and the position made you tighter than anything. you cried out when he started moving using his immense strength to bounce you up and down his cock. each upward drive of his hips sent his cock slamming into you, producing loud wet noises as your juices coated him and dropped down onto the floor below.

“aaahh… yes…”

your body jolted, tits jiggling wildly, your head thrown back against his shoulder as moans poured uncontrollably from your lips. he kept his hands tight below your thighs, it kept unable to do anything more than take everything he gave you. his muscles strained from the efforts, veins popping along his arms and neck but he showed no signs of tiring, only pure focus.

“shittt she's creaming all over your cock already.” jimin observed.

“pound that pussy kook.” taehyung whistles, taking in another puff of his cigarette.

“don't forget to save some for me later, you greedy brat.”

hoseok added with a laugh. jungkook was clearly wearing you out quickly and the words from them only seemed to fuel him further. his thrusts are growing faster and harder, your cries escalating. he adjusted the angle slightly, grinding deep on every downstroke so his cock head kissed your cervix repeatedly while your pussy tightly held him, he felt so much bigger than he already was. the pressure built rapidly inside you, the unfinished orgasm from hoseok has left it coming back in full force so that it was almost painful, your clit twitching hard and untouched.

“sirrr gahh fuck i'm gonna—” your voice breaks in a wail.

“cum for me, let everyone watch.”

he commanded through gritted teeth, his own release approaching fast as he felt your pussy spasming. a loud scream that ended in a sob left you as you came harder than you ever had, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. you'd never squirted ever in your life and it was the very first time that your body couldn't keep up with it. clear fluid gushed out around his pistoning cock in squirts, soaking his thighs fully and landing so much of it down to the floor in a puddle. your vision whitened, every inch of your body locking up in ecstasy. jungkook groaned deeply, the feeling of your squirting pussy pushing him over the edge.

“fuckk yes take it all.”

he roared, burying himself as deep as he could, his cock pulsing hard inside you, thick cum flooding your womb in seconds, filling you to the brim. he held you there suspended, both of you panting and trembling, his cum mixing with your squirt.

“damnn she squirted so much...” hoseok grins, already moving closer.

“good job kook. now hand her over, i still need to finish what i started.”

jungkook slowly lowered you down onto the bed and you fell on your stomach from how exhausted you were even though you anticipated the other five of them. hoseok took his second turn hard and rough, he was already so close due to being inside your pussy the first time and the frustration had left him rougher than usual.

“fuckkk.” he snarls as he slides inside you with a loud noise from behind. you let out a wanton noise, murmuring his name.

“oh shit—oh shit—!”

you let out a string of curses when he reached around to rub your neglected clit in circles, feeling how engorged it is since nobody touched it for a while.

“goshhh yes.” you whined at it. your mouth fell open in an 'o' when it took him just a few more hard thrusts to fill you to the brim. there was so much cum from jungkook before as well that it soaked the sheets and made your thighs sticky with the creamy white mess. he pulled away from you with a shaky breath.

they let you have a few minutes of breath, your head buried on the pillow as your lower body quivered.

jin slowly walks forward, his hands settled on your back, caressing your sweaty skin. your hand fisted the sheets as you turned your head, your eyes longingly looking at his pouty lips and he didn't think twice and pressed his lips against yours, giving you a slow kiss. you whimpered when he pulled back, his arms pulling you close to him. his hands settled on your hips as he lay back against the pillows, one arm casually folding behind his head, his half lidded eyes sparkling with playfulness settled on you he guided you to straddle him, his thick cock standing proud and flushed against his abdomen.

“come on baby.” he whispers, stroking your ass.

“ride me. move those hips for me yeah?” he rasps. you felt a heat pool in your belly at his words as you sat on his hard stomach, breasts heaving as he cupped your cheek. your hips pressed against his abs, he helped you right above his cock, your breaths coming out fast.

“slowly…” he encouraged and you nodded jerkily as the head of him pressed against your puffy entrance.

you felt overstimulated in the best way and from cumming twice, it left you feeling floaty. he slowly stretched you open, giving you that burn that made your thighs tremble around his waist as you bore down more with a few gasps and sank down fully, his girth filling you completely until your ass met his hips and you were fully seated around him.

“hahhh!” you mewled as jin's face twisted in pleasure and at the feeling of your creamy cunt from all the loads you'd taken, it had left you warmer and even better inside. his free hand slid up your side before cupping one of your breasts, his thumb brushing over your nipple in tiny flicks that sent jolts through you.

“fuckk that's it.”

he groaned, his head tilting back slightly to expose the column of his throat, his adam's apple bobbing as he savored the tight heat enveloping him.

“move sweetheart. ride my cock like you mean it.”

he didn't push you at all, his hand caressed one of your butt cheeks, holding it spread so the others from behind could stare at the way his cock was inside you while he let you set the pace. your hands braced on his chest for balance as you began to roll your hips, lifting and sinking down in a slow grinding rhythm that dragged his cock along your inner walls with every motion.

“nnn… nnn… ahhh…”

pleasure started to build and he didn't push you so you were able to please yourself on him and he understood that you were a bit overstimulated so this was really helping you as you enjoyed yourself.

he hit the best spots on every downward stroke and your toes curled at the tingling feeling, your breath came out in needy squeals. sweat trickled down your back as the pace gradually quickened, your breasts bouncing with the movement and jin was hypnotized with the motion. his hand tightened on you, his jaw clenching with restraint as he helped you bounce on him, just bucking his hips up a little bit to meet you driving himself deeper. quiet whimpers left you. from the side of the bed, yoongi had been watching his lips parted slightly, lost in his control even though he'd had this turn at the very beginning but he couldn't help it.

“can't just sit here and watch anymore.”

he mutters huskily as he moves closer on the bed, positioning himself right beside seokjin. his hands gripped your thighs, spreading you wider as you continued riding seokjin and then his mouth was on you so suddenly you choked out and gripped his hair in shock.

“w-what—” you gasped when his mouth grabbed onto your clit, sucking onto it making your entire body jerk.

“mmm so sweet..”

he hummed as he circled your clit, flicking at it with his tongue, teasing it before sucking it fully inside his mouth. his tongue technology was everything, he was an expert and so skilled it was so good, he was the best at eating pussy, sometimes lapping along your folds where they stretched around jin's cock.

“nnn… y-yes.”

your eyes closes, your motions faltering on jin's cock from taking both of them. it felt too much with the drag of jin's cock combined with yoongi's expert mouth devouring you. you almost lost yourself in the sensation of yoongi's tongue when a burst of pain from the spank of jin's hand made your eyes pop open with a cry, his hand immediately soothing the spot.

“don't stop moving.” jin commanded, a glare on his face, delivering another slight spank that made your pussy clench hard around him.

“keep riding me while yoongi eats your clit. you can take it yeah?”

the pain pleasure mix made you moan loudly, your movements resuming on their own with urgency, grinding down harder and faster as yoongi's tongue lapped at the mess where you and seokjin were joined, tasting both of you and also the mix of others that leaked out of you without hesitation, letting out groans at the taste. the others eyes gleamed at the pornographic sight.

“look at her go.”

jungkook breathed, biting his lower lip, watching the way yoongi's tongue worked on you while you quivered constantly and drooled from how intense it was for you.

“ride him harder, make him feel it.” jimin calls out. the others laughed lazily at his words.

“don't go easy on her man!”

he didn't go easy on you at all as jin tensed beneath you, his hips snapping up more insistently now to meet your frantic rides, his cock swelling inside you.

“shit i'm gonna cum.” he gasped.

his hand that was behind his head now gripping your waist with both hands to pull you down hard repeatedly as he thrusts up at you.

“milk me baby cum with me.” he encourages roughly.

all this while, yoongi's tongue never stopped sucking on your clit with the perfect pressure.

“don't stop—don't—ahhh!”

“never gonna stop baby.”

jin promises and after a particularly harsh suck from yoongi that even jin could feel on his cock, he finishes with hot spurts of his cum flooding you that pushed you right over the edge. you came even faster and harder than you expected while his cock draws out every drop. you let out a series of gasps as juices mixed with his cum coated yoongi's chin as he continued licking through it to prolong the contractions. the full wet heat and the sting on your ass from the spanks made you feel like you broke as seokjin held you close, still impaled on his cock. yoongi pulled back with a satisfied noise, lips shiny and swollen.

before you could catch a breath, taehyung and jimin came over to you, not one but two and the thrill of what the two of them were going to do made your eyes go round comically. taehyung was the first to grab your waist and pull you firmly against his chest, the smell of tobacco and sex clinging to him, while jimin slid in from the other side, pressing against your back until the both of them sandwiched you, his lips brushing your ear as his fingers traced patterns on your skin.

“we've been waiting to feel this tight body up close.” jimin whispers, and taehyung nibbled at your collarbone.

“i can already tell she's gonna feel so tight around me.”

he adds, earning a smirk from jimin and you shuddered violently at their words. with slowness, taehyung and jimin both together worked to take off your thigh high stockings and your heels, taking off the only set of clothes on your body and now you were fully naked from head to toe. after that taehyung grabbed a silk tie from the drawer.

“put those hands up..” he coos and you gulp but obey shakily.

he bound your wrists above your head to the headboard. he tied it securely but not too tight, just enough to make sure you couldn't get out of it no matter how hard you tried. he leaned down, pressing soft kisses along your arms, lingering on the pulse point at your wrist, smiling at the way it raced.

“is this okay love? not too tight is it?” he asked and you nodded breathlessly, the vulnerability of being tied down made everything heightened for you. jimin watched, his hands already sliding down to pry your thighs wide apart.

“good.” jimin nods as he holds you open.

“damn they've really did a number on her…” jimin husks, watching the copious amount of cum your pussy seemed to leak.

taehyung settled between your thighs, not being able to hold himself back from the lewd sight of your stuffed cunt. his cock nudges against your folds, coating himself in your juices and he grunts at the feeling of hitting the tip of his cock on your clit, making your hips twitch with a whimper but jimin kept you pinned and open, not letting your thighs close. namjoon slowly joins the duo too, his hand cupping your jaw to turn your face toward him for a kiss.

“mnnn…” you let out a muffled noise, kissing him back, both your tongues tangling messily while his hand roamed to your breasts, rolling and pinching your nipples. taehyung's cock finally on the other hand, pushed inside you inch by thick inch and you moaned and cried loudly into namjoon's mouth, who was busy sucking on your tongue, his fingers tugging your nipples until they ached.

“she feels incredible fuckk.”

taehyung groaned deeply as he bottomed out inside you, his hips flush against yours, pelvis grinding against you which stimulated your clit too.

“so tight so hot, this pussy was made for us wasn't it princess mhm?” he grumbles as he feels you pull him in deeper with every little twitch.

“unngh..”

you let out another moan against namjoon's mouth while taehyung pulled back almost completely before sliding in again with that torturous slowness, making his cock drag against your inner walls and it made a loud squelch sound from how wet you are. namjoon kissed you more insistently, his teeth grazing your lower lip before he pulled back to let you breathe as he watched your face contort from ecstasy, his fingers not stopping playing with your nipples, kneading the flesh until they were more swollen than before, it made a slight pain mix with it.

“hnngh… ngh… mmh…” you let out all your desired noises after namjoon pulled away. he sometimes focused on sucking on your nipple too.

“that's it tae fuck her, watch the way her pussy clenches around you hm.. she's loving every second,”

jimin was mesmerized with the way taehyungs cock slides in and out especially from getting a proper close up view now instead of standing away, his hands faltering on holding your thighs open. taehyung lets out an approved grunt at his words while you struggle to keep up with all three of them playing with your body like this, you can't even move or shift due to being tied down, your hands clenching into tight fists, knuckles turning white. tears welled in your eyes as taehyung hits your g-spot, his breathing growing ragged as he grows increasingly close to his release.

“i'm so close..” he groans, pounding into you, making your body shift forward so hard that you had to grip the headboard.

“ahh.”

you and taehyung let out shared groans as he buried himself to the hilt and came hard. ropes of cum painted your inner walls as he stayed inside next for long moments, grinding to push his release deeper and leaning down into you, kissing your neck. taehyung shoots jimin a look before pulling out with a wet dirty sound, his cum already starting to leak from your used hole as jimin took his place seamlessly in the same missionary position. taehyung was the one now holding your thighs apart, spreading you wider so everyone could see the mess as jimin's cock slid between your cum slick pussy with ease from so much fluid making him so slippery that he lets out a breathless chuckle. namjoon shifted impatiently, watching taehyung and jimin take turns with you and he was the only one left so he rubbed his cock against the side of your face, smearing precum across your cheek before tapping it against your lips.

“open up angel, suck me while jimin fucks you.” he pants.

your lips part wetly to take him in as he slides inside and at the same time, jimin slides inside you.

“ugnngh!” you sobbed around namjoon's cock, tears streaming down your face.

“oh goddd she's even sloppier, it feels like heaven.”

you let out muffled groans around namjoon's shaft as he slowly started pumping. taehyung leaned down to kiss wherever he could reach, your neck, your breasts, your stomach while he kept your legs pinned. the others watched everything, the satisfied group did so after they had their chance, stroking themselves and throwing their dirty crude comments and murmuring among themselves about you and it makes you feel wilder. a bit more animalistic. you were completely a crying mess by now, your body trembling from the overstimulation from your cunt being taken again and again while you couldn't moan or breathe properly due to namjoon's cock. jimin's thrusts grew faster while you sucked namjoon. taehyung hadn't let you cum earlier so even before jimin had cum, you started cumming on him while thrashing, your hair falling messily on your face, your pussy clenching and gushing. your body tried to buck but couldn't from your hands being tied and your legs held.

“yesss!”

jimin moans out, letting out some sweet whimpers too at how hard you were clenching on him like you were trying to milk him for all he was worth. namjoon held your head steadily, giving a few thrusts before pulling back slightly from your mouth and you gasped for air loudly.

“she's our girl for sure… keep going jimin.” namjoon snarls.

the feeling of you cumming around his cock so quick made him cum almost soon after as well, some landing on your stomach as namjoon watched, stroking his saliva coated cock. namjoon carefully turned you onto your stomach and then guided your hips up, positioning you on your knees while your upper body remained pressed against the sheets. he spread your ass to press his throbbing cock against your pussy, groaning low in his throat. behind you, jungkook moved in closer, his lip piercing pressing against your skin as he pressed a kiss to your shoulder blade, your stomach flutters at having him close once again.

“we're gonna take you together now baby, me in this tight ass while namjoon takes this pussy, do you understand?”

“i wanna hear you say it...” he rasps.

your mind was hazy with lust, tears of pleasure drying on your cheeks, it's like you existed for it only and you were willing to take whatever they gave you.

“y-yes p-please... i want it please.” you gasped out, needily pushing back against namjoon's cock.

“i want both of you.”

jungkook chuckles against your skin as he reaches for the bottle of lube on the bedside table that taehyung has brought with him while coming upstairs as if he just knew it'd be needed again soon. he poured a generous amount over his cock, stroking himself slowly, mixing his precum with him and making himself so slick while he breathed heavily. he added more lube directly to the right ring of muscle of your ass that was exposed from being held open by namjoon. he did it patiently, coating your outside completely and some of the cum and fluids had also dripped down to your ass so you were already so wet but he didn't wanna hurt you in any way and wanted to make sure that you were comfortable.

“ohh...”

you moaned when one of his fingers penetrated you, lubing your insides too while namjoon continued rubbing his cock head against your pussy, dipping just the tip in and out to keep you on edge making you tense.

“relax i'm gonna make it feel so good for you sweet girl.”

jungkook promised, his free hand keeps your ass cheeks spread more as he worked a second finger in scissoring to prepare you just like yoongi had done downstairs. he crooked his fingers just right, brushing against the special spot making you sputter as your head thrashed side to side, not being able to make much movement from being tied down. namjoon leaned down, his chest pressing against your back.

“you're taking kook's fingers like a champ.” he praised.

when jungkook finally deemed you ready, your ass stopped clenching too tight and had started fluttering instead in anticipation. he pulled his fingers free and lined up his lubed cock at your ass.

“ohhhhh fuck…”

you sobbed when your ass stretched immensely around his cock, your entire body shaking as he sank deeper, his groans mixing with yours at the feel of the tight channel.

“so fucking tight, let me in... yes.” he gritted out, one hand reaching around to rub your clit to distract you from the pain and it definitely did help as you breathed in and out.

when jungkook was halfway in, namjoon thrusted forward, burying his massive cock into your pussy in one stroke from how slick and gaping you were from taking multiple dicks there and jungkook was on the way to doing to the same training for your asshole too. it felt so overwhelmingly good yet so much, both their cock's met each other through the wall separating your holes, creating a pressure that made your eyes roll back so hard that there was only white visible, your legs kicking on the edge of the bed. namjoon's cock hit that perfect spot inside you while jungkook created a deeper fullness. it felt weird to have something inside your ass but it was forbiddenly good and you wanted more of it, your eyes went unseeing when he went all the way inside, pushing and gushing so much. the lube made everything slick and slippery so jungkook slided in and out with ease. they alternated, one pulling out while the other pushed in, thrusts that rocked your entire body upwards as you held onto the headboard desperately.

“hah… hahgh o-oh.”

namjoon growls, his hand fisting in your hair so your head shifts slightly and the others can see your blissed out face. jungkook's hips snapped harder, his balls slapping against your ass as he buried himself to the hilt. you couldn't stop making wanton noises, your stomach coiling from the dual penetration and it seemed to edge you so fast.

“i'm… i'm gonna oh—”

you wailed as you heard the slapping noises of skin meeting skin and the way namjoon and jungkook fucked you. the others around you were jerking their cocks faster so fascinated yet feeling so animal at the scene before the and they were so close to losing all self control.

you came hard around namjoon's cock, your pussy clenching violently around his shaft while your ass fluttered on jungkook's cock. your limbs shook uncontrollably against the ties as your forehead rested on the headboard as you tried to breathe wildly. namjoon followed right after, his thrusts growing erratic as he buried himself deep and came flooding your pussy with cum.

“fucking shitt.”

he lets out a string of curses, grinding deeper against you to push his release deeper while jungkook continues fucking your ass through the orgasm, drawing it out until you are oversensitive, his cock inside your ass makes you forget about the overstimulation of your pussy momentarily. the feeling of namjoon's cum leaking around his cock as he stayed inside you combined with jungkook's pace left your mind fully blank, you couldn't even produce proper words other than helpless moans. the aftershocks making your holes flutter around their cocks as they held you there, not pulling out yet

namjoon and jungkook slowly pulled out of you after a while, there seemed to be a certain shift in the air, like the wait had finally snapped. after seeing your flexibility and impressive energy, capable of being able to take two cocks at a time. they surrounded you on the bed, closing in like you had nowhere to escape.

namjoon and jungkook and taehyung were still beside you, their eyes all holding obsession and need as their eyes traced your flushed trembling form and the way that there was a large wet spot on the sheets. your wrists were freed from the tie by yoongi so you won't be restricted and they could put you in any position they want.

“color?” hoseok asks you with genuine concern.

“if it's too much, tell us.” taehyung adds.

his hand cupped your cheek, thumb brushing over your swollen lip. their hands hovering, cocks leaking against your thigh but waiting for your consent before proceeding, knowing you already took a lot. jimin leaned in to press a kiss against your temple.

“you're shaking so much but we won't push you unless you're okay.” hoseok croons while you gasp for breath, your heart pounding and slowing down as minutes pass by.

“green...”

that's the only word you managed to get out as you looked at them with glassy eyes and they all groaned together.

“that's our girl for sure.”

jungkook grumbles and the others made noises of agreement at how perfect you are and how your body opened up and gave itself to them so easily even after everything, you wanted to take more. they knew that you were the one for them.

they closed in fully and before you knew it, hands and mouths were on you all at once and everywhere. kisses went down your neck, shoulders, breasts and stomach, open mouthed kisses. teeth grazed your collarbones while tongues soothed the sting, fingers tangling in your hair and stroking your sides and ass. they teased every sensitive spot on your body. it was sensory overload as the heat of their bodies pressed close.

“haa…”

jimin was the first to claim your pussy, sliding his cock through your slit with a groan. he pushed in slowly at first, feeling your walls trying to pull him in like a magnet from earlier orgasms. namjoon positioned himself behind you, his cock pressing against your asshole. he didn't need to use more lube because there were already residuals of it from earlier and you were so full of fluids.

“gahh!”

you made a throaty noise, hands fisting the bedsheets as he worked his way inside your ass as well. jimin's thrusts rubbed against that spot inside you perfectly while namjoon's cock filled your ass. their hips snapping in sync, both their heavy cocks slapping against you, making pating noises while you sobbed out almost pornographic noises, not even recognizing the noises you made yourself. at the same time jungkook moved closer to your head, his hand wrapped around your cock, guiding your mouth open with the tip of it.

“let me feel that throat baby.” he growls, his lower lip caught between his teeth as he pushes deeper.

you moaned loudly as he immediately hit the back of your throat, tears welling in your eyes anew while jimin and namjoon continued fucking. taehyung on the other hand, slides his heavy cock between your breasts, squeezing them together around his length with a groan which were bouncing automatically from thrusts causing friction on his length.

“these are so soft.” he grunts. he loved the way they felt around his cock, his precum causing his dick to glide easily, his thumbs flicking your nipples with every moment. jin and hoseok claim your hands next, wrapping your fingers around their throbbing cocks. your palms were guided up and down their lengths with their larger hands covering yours, setting a firm pace.

“stroke me good baby.” hoseok says, their hips bucking into your grip, abs flexing.

“gahhsh hahh mmphh.”

you make mindless muffled sobbing noises on jungkook's cock while being stimulated in every way possible. they continued without pause, jimin fucking your pussy with deep strokes while namjoon pounded your ass. jungkook used your mouth like a toy, like it was just a warm wet sleeve for him to use as he alternated between deep throats and quicker thrusts. taehyung's cock slid messily between your breasts, leaving them glistening and he let out grunts. jin's and hoseok's cocks were twitching in your grip.

yoongi was the only one left to join and he was standing close to the bed, watching everything and the chaos with feral eyes, tracking every noise of yours and the slap of skin as the other men claimed you. his hand paused on his cock, his chest rising and falling as he saw you being used so thoroughly. jimin was buried deep inside your pussy already but yoongi could see the way your walls clenched and fluttered, begging for more. the stretch was not yet complete and that alone made his cock twitch. you were his adorable little slut and stretched so wide and still hungry for more. the other men also noticed that yoongi didn't join as they egged him on, turning to look at him.

“yoongi's been holding back.”

hoseok chuckled, guiding your hand along his cock. his other hand kept you steady on jungkook so your mouth kept working on him.

“come on yoongi, join us.”

jimin groaned in agreement, his hips never slowing as he looked at yoongi with a flushed smile, knowing exactly what he wants. they've known each other well enough to understand what the other wants without words and right now yoongi holding back means he wants something different, the way his eyes were fixated on your gaping pussy told him exactly that.

“she's so fucking tight even now… but we can make her take us both. get over here and stretch our girl.”

yoongi finally pushed off the bed, his cock bobbing heavily as he approached, making the men chuckle between groans while you struggled to keep up with their words or even understand what they're saying. he added more lube over his length, adding even more to where jimin was already connected to you. the head of his cock pressed against your already stuffed entrance, teasing over the stretched rim where jimin was inside.

“go for it.” jimin smirks at him and yoongi hums.

“you want this baby? want both our cocks splitting this pussy wide open?” yoongi murmurs, his free hand stroking your bulging tummy gently, feeling the outline of jimin inside you. all you could respond with was a muffled sob around jungkook's cock as tears and snot left you, your mind melting.

“that's a yes.” jungkook replies to yoongi with a grin, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek.

your vision blurs when yoongi finally pushed in alongside jimin causing such a burning stretch like you were going to tear open, forcing two massive cocks all the way in together. inch by inch, yoongi's length slid home, the lube easing the way but not diminishing the intense fullness as your tummy visibly bulges outward even more prominently at the dual intrusion.

“hnnngh... mm...” you sputtered with wide eyes around jungkook's cock.

the men groaned, their hands roaming your body, all focused on watching the way you took three cocks, two cocks inside your pussy and namjoon still pounding your ass. your belly bulged with each thrust until you could feel every bit of the detail and veins of their cock. you've never felt so full and complete in your life. the masochist in you barely registered the pain and only focused on the way you were being claimed so thoroughly. yoongi and jimin found a rhythm together, their cocks rubbing against each other, it sent white hot sparks exploring through their nerves. your pussy was overfilled and cum frothing at your entrance with every plunge, dripping down to where namjoon was hammering your ass in perfect counterpoint. jungkook pulls out from your mouth to let you breathe understanding your need for it.

“ah-ah-ah-ah—fuck!”

they treated you like you were a breeding toy, namjoon's hand pressing down on your lower back to arch you further, deepening the triple penetration.

“we're gonna ruin this cunt for anyone else. gonna pump you so full of cum you'll be leaking for days.” jungkook snarls, spitting inside your mouth as you wail, his hand stroking your tear streaked face as he jerks off right on your cheek.

“our cumdump..”

yoongi groans, giving you a few more pounds. you were spiraling higher and higher, murmuring and screaming nonsense, your brain's functions lost, while they were hitting spots inside you you didn't even know existed, rearranging and jostling your insides. just then namjoon leaned down to pinch your clit hard between his thumbs. you fully lost your mind.

“AHHHHHHHH!”

you let out such a loud scream that you were sure others outside the penthouse could hear despite it being soundproof as you gagged repeatedly on jungkook's cock, your breasts beingsqueezed hard by taehyung. you orgasmed hard, pussy cleaning down like a vice, milking yoongi's and jimin's cocks as so much liquid squirted out of you, soaking everyone. your entire lower body was soaked and their thighs were mixing with saliva and precum, your throat constricting around jungkook's. your vision blackened and you fell forward, almost like you lost your senses. yoongi snarled through gritted teeth, his hips rocking faster.

thrust. thrust. thrust.

that was what all of them were doing, jungkook inside your mouth, hoseok and jin fucking your fists, taehyung using your breasts while namjoon fucked your ass and jimin and yoongi fucking your pussy, all their faces contorted, not being able to stop moaning, pushing you to hypersensitivity and every inch of your body felt like it was burning and on fire. they didn't stop continuing to fuck you until they all started cumming, one by one they came all over your body and face and inside all your holes.

all you could smell was sex, sweat, raw masculinity and cigarettes, it all mixed together into something extremely lewd. so much liquid sloshing in your belly, becoming inflated as namjoon, yoongi and jimin dumped it inside you. you all felt less human and more animal like, sex beasts where nothing was enough and the night still wasn't over.

the night went on like that and the hours felt like an endless haze of pleasure as the seven of them continued to use you like their personal fucktoy, rotating through every single one of your holes until no part of you was untouched. groans, moans, cries and the slap of skin against skin were all that could be heard.

creampies after creampies.

“who do you think made her cum the hardest huh? i bet it was me hitting her spot just right.” jungkook chuckled deeply, gripping your ass.

“nahh kook, it was me definitely.” yoongi interrupts.

“y/n baby, tell them, whose dick wrecked you the most?”

but you could barely form words, your mind foggy and from overstimulation so they gave you another round just to prove among themselves actually who was capable of making you cum the hardest as if they all didn't successfully do so several times already. they passed you around with ease, each man claiming a turn while others watched or strokes themselves and joined in to heighten the torment. they also competed about who could make you scream or cry the loudest as they shifted you into several different positions. you were shocked at your body for being so flexible. you didn't even remember your own name at this point as the rotation continued relentlessly.

hours went on with edging and making you cum, sometimes with mating press position or putting both your legs over their shoulders and sometimes they gave it to you in the spoon position so they could take their time with you passionately while they talked among themselves, always discussing who gets to have you next or in which position to put you in.

“y/n are you still with us or did we fuck you dumb already?”

you were far from responding to them, only letting out garbled noises, your body taking them all even now, you felt like you were in heaven and hell together from the pleasure and from the sensitivity. the gangbang went on until you felt like your pussy and ass overflowed with their cum that was constantly pushed back in by insistent fingers and cocks. the sheets were fully ruined, drenched in sweat, saliva and semen, your body was soaked from head to toe too as they made sure not a drop of their cum went to taste. even if they argued among themselves about who made you cum the hardest but at this point your body reacted to even the little brush of fingers because of how hyper used you felt as you babbled incoherently still pushing back against several cocks.

you were also shocked at how much raw energy they had that even after so many orgasms and such exerted force they could still go on, their cocks seeming to get hard within minutes of release but soon you felt them slowly growing exhausted as well after hours of claiming you.

you saw the first hints of morning light through the curtains from half closed eyes, you all didn't even realize that the night had turned to nearly dawn. you felt half conscious yourself, not a single bit of energy left in you, not being able to lift your head as your lower body still convulsed. the bed was a wreck, the sheets half twisted and all wet, some pillows on the floor, pools of cum drying on your body and theirs as well. one pillow was half torn, you'd probably grabbed too hard between your hands but didn't even remember properly. the headboard also had nail scratches and marks from grips.

you lay in the center of it all, voice almost gone from screams and moans, feeling blissfully blank and dreamy, where thoughts dissolved before they could form. your body ached deliciously, bite marks everywhere, handprints reddened your hips and ass, your pussy and ass swollen, still trickling bits of their white seed. they all panted around you, all their cocks softened now, no longer having the power to get hard again as you felt a few sets of arms wrap around your waist, holding you close without crushing you with their weight.

“fuck… baby, are you okay?” jungkook murmurs.

he pressed soothing kisses against your shoulder and you just whimpered, burying your face in taehyung's chest, your body shifting a littl and that made you let out a quiet little cry because it put pressure on your lower body.

“shhh, don't move too much.” taehyung whispers as he places a hand behind your head.

“we've got you.”

“water first, someone get the bottle.”

namjoon says urgently, knowing how thirsty you'd be after everything. jin stands up on shaky legs and goes to grab another bottle of cold water for you, while hands of theirs that gripped and spanked now rubbed slowly over your sore muscles, slightly massaging.

“you did so well baby.”

taehyung nuzzled into your side while yoongi pressed slow apologetic kisses on your stomach and you mewled, melting in the sheets. they made you drink water, making sure you finished the entire bottle to quench your thirst and also for whatever energy you lost. they constantly asked questions about if you were okay, if any specific body part of yours hurt and that they were sorry even if they had no reason to. they constantly made sure that you were comfortable and safe but you had no energy to reply to them to tell them that you enjoyed everything and to not apologize. so you expressed your gratitude through actions, leaning onto them and clutching them as they all enveloped you into cuddles, solid bodies radiating safety until you were cocooned.

your head pillowed on jin's chest, legs tangled with jungkook's and hoseok's, taehyung's arm draped over your waist, jimin's fingers laced with yours, namjoon's hand stroking your hair while yoongi traced up and down your back. they didn’t talk for several minutes, letting you recover, knowing you weren't in the state to reply to them until they felt your breathing regulate more.

“are there any cramps? do you feel dizzy?” jin asks softly and you shake your head weakly.

“good… safe.” you managed to croak out and they all smiled, letting out relieved noises and kissing against each mark and bruise they left on you.

“you worked so hard angel… we're so proud of you.”

they also had scratches and bite marks on their bodies from where you'd grabbed onto them. some nail marks also caused blood to bead a little but all their focus was on you, not caring about themselves. after the blissful recovery they decided it was time for a shower. you also felt a little uncomfortable and sticky everywhere from so many fluids so they carried you to the large bathroom.

during that, the staff had already been notified to clean the sheets and bring fresh food in without a single question or raised eyebrow from them. they knew better than to do that and minded their own place but even shock was evident in their faces because it was the very first time the men had ever brought a woman into their place.

in the shower they treated you like you were something precious and fragile, giving you utmost care as if you were a delicate flower meant to be handled like that. they washed you together, massaging your scalp with shampoo while your head rested on the edge of the tub, warm water making you moan in relief as they cleaned all the fluids from your hair and body.

“lift your leg for me princess.” yoongi instructed affectionately.

then he used a soft towel to clean between your folds and between your thighs slowly as you winced from the pain and soreness but he did that oh so gently, a huge contrast to how he fucked you moments ago as they helped support your legs, massaging between your toes too and it makes you giggle with a tired smile. they didn’t touch any of your sensitive spots or your nipples, noting how swollen and reddened they were, being extremely mindful and checking in with you.

“there we go… nice and clean.” namjoon held you against his chest.

they talked among themselves about what to feed you next or which ointments to apply to your marks in hushed voices so as to not jerk you while they wiped down your body with a dry towel. they wrapped a towel around you and carried you back to the freshly made bed with new sheets and laid you down carefully, making you sigh at the feeling of freshness and no more wetness even though your body ached sweetly. they insisted on feeding you a light snack too despite that you felt so sleepy, not wanting you to fall asleep on an empty stomach and in pain.

“just a few bites… such a good girl yeah?” namjoon coaxed, they were all patient as you managed a few bites. your throat a little sore too from taking so many cocks but the cold fruits helped. after that, they made you have a pain relief tablet before placing extra fluffed pillows behind you.

“we're right here.”

jimin whispered.

“sleep now, we’ve got you.”

you never felt so cared for. it made your heart flutter, your lips curving in a dreamy smile as you buried your nose in the pillow, a kitten like purr leaving you from deep within your chest and it made all the men around you melt into puddles. their bodies forming a protective circle, hands rubbing and massaging your thighs, almost rocking you to a peaceful sleep, their devotion something you'll carry with yourself even in your dreams. they watched you all quietly, you slept so deeply on your stomach, one of your hand squished beneath your cheek making your lips pucker.

“she's out cold... poor thing took everything we gave.”

yoongi said with a rare smile as jungkook pushed a strand of wet hair away from your face. it seemed as if all their heart was being carried in your little palm all alone, like they found what they'd been missing all along.

“she fits doesn’t she?” hoseok murmurs, lost in the haze of watching you too as the others nodded softly.

“she does…”

they knew that they wouldn’t let you go and that they'd keep you, it wasn’t just a contract of one night, it was more that, they didn’t wanna spoil you just for one night but forever.

nothing in the world mattered except you right here in their arms, owned by them, marked by them in every way humanly possible and there was no going back, they knew that even their souls knew that.

“we'll talk to her when she wakes up but she's not leaving, we’ll show her how serious we are.”

you meanwhile, slept unaware that your life had changed for the better and that new beginnings were yet to come with much adoration and sex, yet most importantly, eight hearts connected and meant to beat together.

➥ taglist : @kskskskskskskskss @gukdemonic @jeonette @chelseaad @koosette @mn1jungkook @mrskimjoon @dilflover008 @singularity4joon @yevataeia @kookstempo @ggukiebar @yoongix7 @gld3en @cupidsbling @bethanyyuy @jeonlarity @pinklemonsstuff @furioustrashlover @hainwhatever @wtfanu @elmarimochi9513 @httpjk7 @wintrbears @kawaikisses @polaroidrebel @littleblue-pickle @perfectlyoongi @imjustcrabby @mnimxrva @lohikook @crimsonbangtan @phehehep @goldenjjksworld @sunkissedcheekss @jmscaffeine @mintedagustd @multimxa @tina-20

You moved in together because university housing was overpriced and awful and because somehow, after the events at Herrington High, you and Zeke had remained… friends.

Or something adjacent to friendship.

At first, you’d expected him to be insufferable.

Everyone else at university certainly did.

Zeke Tyler had a reputation before he even stepped into lecture halls. Campus urban legends followed him around like cigarette smoke.

The guy who stopped an alien invasion. The burnout genius. The drug dealer. The mechanic. The freakishly smart biochem major with grades that made professors visibly emotional.

He cultivated the image too.

Black shirts. Smug grin. Leaning back in chairs like authority physically bored him.

But then you moved in with him.

And you discovered:

Zeke always rinsed dishes immediately because “dried food is a nightmare.”

He folded blankets.

He replaced empty toilet paper rolls without being asked.

He knew how to sew.

He made coffee for you before your early literature seminars because “you look dead at eight a.m.”

And once, horrifyingly, you caught him watching a documentary about marine ecosystems while eating yogurt directly from the container.

“You like documentaries?” you asked suspiciously.

“I contain multitudes.”

“You contain lies.”

“Probably.”

Then he offered you the yogurt spoon.

You stared at it.

He stared back.

Something strange happened in your chest.

That became a recurring issue.

Your apartment was tiny.

One bathroom. Thin walls. A kitchen barely large enough for both of you at once.

But it worked.

Mostly because you fit together strangely well.

Zeke liked silence.

You liked comfortable silence.

Zeke studied late into the night.

You read late into the night.

Sometimes you’d both end up in the living room at two in the morning, half-dead from coursework.

He’d sit cross-legged on the floor with chemistry notes spread around him.

You’d curl into the couch with a novel balanced on your knees.

Music low.

Lamp warm.

No pressure to talk.

And every now and then, you’d look up and find him already looking at you.

Not even in a dramatic way.

Just… watching.

Like he found you interesting.

The first time it happened, you asked, “What?”

“You make weird faces when you read.”

“I do not.”

“You absolutely do.”

“I’m literally just sitting here.”

“You frowned three times, looked offended twice, and smiled at the page like a psycho.”

“It’s called emotional engagement.”

“It’s called concerning.”

You threw a pillow at him.

He caught it one-handed without looking.

You hated how attractive that was.

The books started in your second semester living together.

You’d mentioned one offhandedly while unpacking groceries.

A battered copy of The Secret History had fallen out of your bag and Zeke picked it up.

“You’ve read this six times.”

“Seven.”

“That’s unhealthy.”

“It’s art.”

“It’s pretentious murder.”

You gasped.

He smirked.

Then, two days later, he tossed something onto the kitchen table while you were making tea.

You looked down.

A book.

Not just any book.

A first edition copy of a novel you’d been searching for since high school.

You stared at it.

Slowly looked up.

“Where did you get this?”

“Used bookstore.”

“Zeke.”

“What?”

“This is expensive.”

“Nah.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I’m an excellent liar.”

You opened the cover carefully.

Inside, written neatly in black ink:

2024 — Z

Your chest hurt.

“You signed it?”

“You make it sound like I autographed my own body.”

“You kind of did.”

He shrugged, suddenly weirdly casual about it.

“Thought you’d like remembering where it came from.”

You looked at him too long.

He noticed.

His ears turned slightly pink.

That was new.

After that, books started appearing everywhere.

Not constantly.

Not enough to feel overwhelming.

Just enough that every time it happened, your heart betrayed you a little more.

Sometimes he’d leave one beside your coffee mug before class.

Sometimes he’d toss one onto your bed with a muttered, “Found this weird little horror thing you might like.”

Once, during finals week, he handed you a poetry collection and said:

“You get mean when you’re stressed. Maybe this’ll help.”

“I do not get mean.”

“You threatened to kill a professor over comma usage.”

“He deserved fear.”

“You’re terrifying.”

Still, he made you tea that night.

And when you fell asleep reading on the couch, you woke up under a blanket with your book marked carefully halfway through the chapter.

Zeke pretended he hadn’t done it.

You pretended not to notice.

People assumed you were together long before you actually were.

Honestly, you understood why.

There was an intimacy to coexisting with someone for years.

You knew the exact sound of Zeke’s footsteps in the hallway. He knew how you took your coffee. You bought his favourite cereal without thinking about it. He fixed the zipper on your bag while you read aloud to him from your coursework.

You fought like an old married couple too.

Mostly over stupid things.

“Why do you own seven identical black shirts?” you demanded one afternoon while helping with laundry.

“They’re not identical.”

“They are literally the same shirt.”

“One’s charcoal.”

“You’re exhausting.”

“You’re dramatic.”

“You color-code your lab notes.”

“Because I’m intelligent.”

“You’re clinically insane.”

“You cried over fictional lesbians last week.”

“They were in love, Zeke!”

“They weren’t real!”

“They were real to me!”

“You’re impossible.”

“You adore me.”

The words slipped out accidentally.

The room went still.

Your stomach dropped.

Zeke looked at you.

Really looked at you.

Then slowly, slowly—

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I kinda do.”

You stopped breathing for approximately three business days.

Then he ruined it by stealing your fries.

You tried not to fall in love with him.

You really did.

Because Zeke Tyler was dangerous in ways that had nothing to do with aliens or drugs or his tendency to get into fights.

He paid attention.

That was the problem.

You’d once mentioned disliking peppermint tea because it reminded you of hospitals. He never bought peppermint again.

You got overwhelmed in crowded places. He started walking slightly behind you at parties so no one bumped into you.

You had a habit of reading while cooking. He silently moved hot pans farther from your elbows.

And God, he listened.

You could ramble about gothic literature for forty straight minutes and he’d lean against the counter pretending not to care while secretly absorbing every word.

“You know,” you said one night, “Frankenstein is actually deeply emotional and misunderstood.”

“Like me.”

“You’re not Frankenstein.”

“You don’t know my life.”

“You literally grow weed in a lab.”

“Science is beautiful.”

“You nearly exploded the microwave yesterday.”

“That was chemistry.”

“That was soup.”

Then came the flu incident.

It happened during your second winter together.

You got sick first.

Horribly sick.

The kind where your bones hurt and moving felt like a personal attack.

You shuffled into the kitchen wrapped in three blankets and nearly walked directly into Zeke.

He took one look at you.

“Jesus Christ.”

“Rude.”

“You look haunted.”

“Thank you.”

“You have a fever?”

“No.”

“You’re shivering.”

“I’m cold aesthetically.”

“Go sit down.”

“I need tea.”

“I’ll make it.”

You blinked.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Then, because the universe hated you, Zeke spent the next four days taking care of you with terrifying competence.

Soup.

Medicine.

Cold cloths.

Making sure you drank water.

Threatening to physically restrain you when you tried to do coursework.

At one point you woke up half-delirious to find him sitting beside the couch reading your assigned novel because “you kept mumbling about symbolism in your sleep.”

“You’re reading Austen?” you croaked.

He looked offended.

“I can read.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“This guy sucks,” he said, pointing at the page. “Why doesn’t she just hit him with a chair?”

You laughed so hard you started coughing.

He immediately handed you water.

Your heart genuinely didn’t stand a chance.

Then Zeke got sick.

And discovered he was the worst patient alive.

“You’re being dramatic,” you informed him.

He glared from beneath three blankets.

“I’m dying.”

“You have a cold.”

“My organs are failing.”

“You asked me to bring you toast and then fell asleep before eating it.”

“Tragic.”

“You called me crying because the pharmacy was out of your preferred cough drops.”

“They work better.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Still, you stayed up with him anyway.

Because despite all his complaining, Zeke got strangely soft when he was exhausted.

Loose-limbed.

Sleepy-eyed.

Honest.

At three in the morning, while you sat beside him editing essays, he looked over and muttered:

“You always stay.”

You paused.

“What?”

“You stay.” His voice was rough from sleep. “Most people don’t.”

Something sharp twisted inside your chest.

“Zeke…”

He was already half asleep again.

But before drifting off completely, he reached out blindly toward the couch.

Toward you.

You took his hand.

He fell asleep holding it.

By your third year living together, your apartment no longer looked temporary.

It looked lived in.

His records beside your books. Your mugs mixed with his dishes. His jackets hanging beside yours. Plants you bought together slowly taking over the windowsill because neither of you understood moderation.

People stopped asking if you were roommates.

Instead they asked what your deal was.

You didn’t know either.

Not exactly.

There had been moments.

Too many moments.

Late-night eye contact that lasted too long.

Hands brushing.

Him touching your waist absentmindedly while reaching past you.

You falling asleep against his shoulder during movie nights.

Neither of you moving away afterward.

But nothing happened.

Not really.

Maybe because both of you were afraid ruining this would destroy everything.

And this—whatever it was—meant too much already.

Your birthday arrived during midterms.

You’d honestly forgotten about it.

You stumbled home exhausted after a brutal seminar discussion and nearly walked straight into darkness.

The apartment lights were off.

“Zeke?”

No answer.

Then—

Click.

Warm yellow light flooded the kitchen.

You froze.

Zeke stood there awkwardly, one hand shoved into his pocket.

And in his other arm—

Books.

Not one.

Not two.

An entire bouquet made of books.

Special editions. New editions. Hardcovers, paperbacks, some you mentioned wanting once, new copies of old favourites.

Spines wrapped carefully together with deep green ribbon.

Pages fanned delicately like flowers.

Little wrapped chocolates tucked between them.

Tea packets woven into the arrangement.

You stared.

Actually stared.

Because no one had ever looked at you so specifically before.

Not just lovingly.

Precisely.

Like he’d memorized every small thing that made you happy and built something from it.

Zeke shifted slightly.

“You mentioned wanting these.”

Your throat tightened instantly.

He looked almost nervous.

Which was horrifying because Zeke Tyler didn’t get nervous.

“I know bouquets are kinda cliché,” he continued quickly, “but flowers die and these don’t, so—”

“Zeke.”

“And the ribbon thing looked easier online.”

“Zeke.”

“And I may have burned myself with the glue gun but that’s irrelevant—”

You kissed him.

You didn’t plan to.

God, you absolutely didn’t plan to.

But one second he was standing there rambling anxiously with a book bouquet in his arms and the next your hands were grabbing his jacket and your mouth was on his.

Zeke froze.

Completely froze.

Like his brain had stopped functioning.

Then the bouquet nearly hit the floor because he grabbed your waist with both hands and kissed you back hard enough to make your knees weak.

It was devastating.

Absolutely devastating.

Zeke kissed like he did everything else:

Intensely. Completely. Like he was holding himself back until he couldn’t anymore.

You made a soft sound against his mouth.

His grip tightened instinctively.

Then suddenly he pulled back slightly, breathing hard.

“You sure?”

You could barely think.

“Yes.”

His forehead dropped against yours.

“You have no idea,” he muttered, sounding wrecked, “how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

Your heart nearly exploded.

“How long?”

“Honestly?” He laughed breathlessly. “The library incident might’ve done me in.”

You blinked. “The library incident?”

“You climbed a shelf.”

“That narrows nothing down.”

“You were looking for some out-of-print poetry thing and almost broke your neck.”

“Oh my God.”

“You were swearing at the Dewey Decimal System.”

“It deserved it.”

“You looked insane.”

“And that made you want to kiss me?”

“I never claimed mental stability.”

You started laughing helplessly.

Zeke looked at you for a second like the sound itself physically affected him.

Then quieter:

“You really liked the bouquet?”

You stared at him.

“You handmade me a bouquet out of books.”

“Yeah, but—”

“I’m going to marry you someday.”

The words slipped out before you could stop them.

Silence.

Zeke’s eyebrows lifted.

Then slowly, dangerously slowly—

“Yeah?” he murmured.

Heat rushed to your face instantly.

“I didn’t mean—”

“No, no.” His grin spread slowly. “Keep talking.”

“I hate you.”

“You absolutely do not.”

Then he kissed you again.

And this time neither of you held back.

Dating Zeke turned out to be weirdly easy.

Which felt unfair somehow.

You expected some dramatic shift.

Expected things to become awkward or strained.

Instead it was like your lives simply… clicked into place.

Like you’d already been orbiting each other for years and finally stopped pretending otherwise.

Zeke still made your coffee. Now he kissed your forehead while handing it to you.

You still read on the couch at night. Now your legs ended up draped over his automatically.

He still brought you books. Only now sometimes they came with folded notes inside.

This protagonist reminded me of you. Weird little menace.

Or:

Found this and immediately thought “oh this would emotionally destroy her.”

He was impossible.

You adored him.

Which he knew.

Because unfortunately Zeke Tyler became unbearably smug once secure in your affection.

“You’re staring again,” you informed him one afternoon.

He leaned against the kitchen counter unapologetically.

“You’re pretty.”

“You say that like it’s surprising.”

“It is. You look like a librarian who’d poison a husband in 1892.”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“I know.”

“You’re also distracting me.”

“You love me.”

You sighed deeply.

“There it is.”

“There what is?”

“The ego.”

“My ego is earned.”

“You alphabetize spices.”

“You leave books open face-down.”

“We all have flaws.”

“You’re a monster.”

Then he kissed the top of your head while passing by.

Like he couldn’t help himself.

You nearly melted into the floor.

There were still moments where the reality of him caught you off guard.

Like discovering he kept every note you’d ever left him.

You found them accidentally while searching for batteries in his desk drawer.

Tiny scraps of paper.

Don’t forget dinner in the oven.

Good luck on your exam.

Buy milk.

One of them simply read:

You looked happy today.

You stared at them for a long time.

When Zeke walked into the room, he immediately realized what you found.

“Oh,” he said.

“Why do you have these?”

He shrugged, suddenly awkward.

“I dunno.”

“Zeke.”

His gaze flicked away.

“I like things from you.”

Your chest physically hurt.

“You kept a grocery reminder.”

“You drew a smiley face on it.”

“You are unreal.”

“Yeah, well.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You keep every book I give you.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“They’re books.”

“They’re from me.”

You looked at him.

Really looked at him.

At this sarcastic, strange, brilliant man who loved you in quiet devastating ways.

Then you crossed the room and kissed him until he forgot what conversation you were having.

Sometimes love looked dramatic.

Sometimes it looked cinematic and obvious and loud.

But loving Zeke mostly looked like:

Him rubbing your feet under the table while you studied.

You reading drafts of his research papers because he trusted your editing more than anyone else’s.

Late-night grocery runs.

Inside jokes.

Arguments over bookshelf organization.

His hand finding yours instinctively in crowded places.

The way he looked at you when you spoke passionately about something. Like your mind itself fascinated him.

One night, near graduation, you found him sitting alone on the apartment floor surrounded by open boxes.

Packing.

You leaned against the doorway quietly.

“You okay?”

Zeke looked up.

For once, he didn’t immediately joke.

“Yeah.”

Lie.

You crossed the room and sat beside him.

The apartment already felt strange half-empty.

Books gone from shelves.

Records packed away.

Three years of life slowly dismantled into cardboard.

“It feels weird,” you admitted softly.

“Yeah.”

You leaned your head against his shoulder.

“What if everything changes after this?”

He was quiet for a long moment.

Then:

“It will.”

Your stomach twisted.

But he turned toward you then, steady and certain.

“And we’ll figure it out.”

“You sound confident.”

“I am.”

“How?”

His hand slid into yours carefully.

“Because every good thing in my life started when you walked into it.”

You stopped breathing.

“Zeke—”

“No, listen.” His thumb brushed your knuckles. “I spent years thinking I was the kind of person people eventually leave behind.” He laughed softly. “Honestly, I kinda earned that reputation.”

“You’re not—”

“But you stayed anyway.”

Emotion clogged your throat instantly.

“You stayed,” he repeated quietly. “Even before this.” His eyes searched yours. “So I’m not scared of the future with you anymore.”

You kissed him before he could say anything else.

Slow this time.

Tender.

Like a promise.

When you pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours.

“You know what really fucked me up?” he murmured.

“What?”

“The birthday bouquet.”

You laughed softly. “Making it or giving it?”

“Making it.” He grinned a little. “I was standing in the craft store holding ribbon thinking, Jesus Christ, I’m domesticated.”

“You bought ribbon for me.”

“I watched three tutorials.”

“You watched tutorials?”

“Don’t spread that around. I have a reputation.”

You smiled so hard it hurt.

Then quieter:

“I still have it.”

“The bouquet?”

“Mhm.”

“You kept the ribbon?”

“Obviously.”

He stared at you with something unbearably soft in his expression.

“You really love me, huh?”

You touched his face gently.

“Unfortunately.”

“That’s rough.”

“Tragic, honestly.”

“Guess you’re stuck with me.”

You smiled against his mouth when he kissed you again.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

guilt is a strange thing. it doesn’t hit you all at once. instead, it lingers, creeping in slowly until it’s everywhere — woven into the fabric of your thoughts.

for the last few days, you’ve done everything you can to not think about what happened; convinced yourself that if you kept your head down, stuck to your routine and ignored the teasing from your friends, it would eventually fade into the background, becoming nothing more than a weird, blurry memory.

but today — wednesday — the weight of it all finally crashes down on you like a tidal wave.

and the reality of the situation…the one you’ve been desperately trying to ignore, finally catches up to you when you see them together; much closer in person.

karina is standing at the edge of the field, her arms folded as she watches jaewook jog towards her, sweat-drenched but still grinning. she doesn’t move as he reaches her, only tilting her head up, that same unreadable expression on her face.

but then he’s slipping an arm around her waist, pulling her in, and she smiles: soft, familiar, like this is second nature.

you tell yourself to look away; you don’t.

instead, you watch as he leans in, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips, one that she doesn’t hesitate to return with the kind of ease that comes from loving someone — from knowing them.

and why wouldn’t it be easy?

she’s his. watching it, you feel like something inside you splinters.

it isn’t jealousy, at least not in the way people usually mean. it’s not that you want what he has.

it’s more the fact that you shouldn’t have been anywhere near this situation to begin with. this isn’t you. you don’t do messy. you don’t even do relationships.

the last one you had was in high school with a girl named yeji, and even that had been doomed from the start. she had wanted more: more time, more emotions, more of you…but you had never been able to give her that. you were distant, unwilling to let yourself get swept up in anything that required vulnerability and eventually, she stopped asking.

the breakup had been mutual, clean, painless.

“you’re hard to love, aren’t you?” was the last thing she said before closing your chapter together.

that’s the kind of person you are. you keep things simple. controlled. you don’t let emotions dictate your choices.

but somehow, you’ve ended up here, tangled in something so far from simple that it makes your skin itch.

“y/n, please get giselle,” ryujin’s whine pulls you out of your trance, her head hanging out of the passenger window. “we don’t have all day!”

“we do have all day,” yunjin corrects from the backseat, stretching her arms. “but we’d rather waste it inside the house, not out here.”

you roll your eyes, arms crossed as you lean against the door. “yes, yes, i’ll go get her.”

giselle, god bless her soul, has never had a sense of urgency. she does everything at her own pace, stretching time like it exists solely for her convenience.

you’ve lost count of how many times she’s been the last one ready, the last one out the door, or the last one to finish a meal when everyone else is already standing.

and today, as you stand there watching her casually chatting away, you really don’t have the patience for it.

“giselle,” you call out, striding toward them with a scowl. “hurry the fuck up or i’m leaving you behind — the girls are getting pissy.”

“relax,” giselle sighs, waving a dismissive hand. “i was just about to —”

“looking good today,” minjeong interrupts smoothly and your brain short-circuits. “who for?”

for a second, you don’t even register the words, too caught off guard by the fact that she of all people is saying them.

warmth crawls up your neck and you internally curse yourself for it. you should not be flustered, but you are. “uh…thanks, sure as hell for nobody.”

“aw,” ningning teases, grinning. “you blushing?”

“shut up,” you mutter, glaring at her.

she only laughs, clearly enjoying this. “so, excited for dinner?”

you groan, rubbing your temples. “ningning —”

“what?” she smirks while pushing your buttons more. “it’s a date —”

“it is not a date,” you cut her off sharply. “karina literally has a boyfriend — who, by the way, is kissing her in front of everyone right now.” you motion toward the field where, sure enough, jaewook and karina are still wrapped up in each other.

ningning barely spares them a glance before shrugging. “huh. yeah, i guess that does complicate things.”

“you guess?” you grumble at her. “it’s very much complicated. so no, i am not excited for dinner.”

giselle sighs dramatically, finally pulling herself away from the conversation. “alright, alright, we’ll go before y/n here kills you both.”

“thank you,” you mutter, head low. “yunjin and ryujin are getting hangry and if we don’t leave now, they’ll probably kill us both.”

before you can even turn on your heel to leave, giselle is already yelling out for karina’s name. you whip around in horror, eyes widening as you watch karina and her boyfriend turn toward the sound, surprise flickering across her face when she sees you standing there.

fuck.

she waves at giselle first, but then her gaze locks onto you. and when you look at jaewook, your heart skips a beat because he nods at you before facing forward again; a slight acknowledgment.

“he knows,” you point out. “deadass.”

you don’t wave back at her, too caught up in the way she’s looking at you, like she’s actually embarrassed to see you there.

ningning, the instigator, steps on your foot. “wave,” she hisses under her breath.

“i hate you,” you whisper back, but you force yourself to lift a hand in the most awkward, half-hearted wave of your life.

karina’s lips twitch, amusement flickering across her face. you immediately turn away.

“what is your deal?” you growl at ningning, dragging your feet toward the car.

“act normal,” minjeong chuckles, shaking her head. “it’s weird when you don’t.”

giselle starts hugging them goodbyes like she isn’t seeing them tonight at their dorm — to probably make an entertainment out of your suffering.

as you reach the car, yunjin and ryujin immediately start yelling in relief. “fucking finally!”

“sorry babies,” giselle puckers her lips when she clicks her seatbelts on, settling into the car. “ready.”

the drive back to the dorm is quiet, which is unusual, because when yunjin and ryujin are in a car together, silence is normally impossible.

but this isn’t the usual car ride filled with dumb arguments about what to eat or what song to play next. they all know.

you’re lost in your own head, spiralling in thoughts you can’t put into words — stuck in a loop of guilt and confusion that’s been building up since saturday night.

keeping your eyes on the road, the buildings blur past, feeling the weight of something heavy settle in your chest. you don’t want to talk about it, but at the same time, it’s suffocating, pressing against your ribs, demanding to be let out.

giselle must notice, because after a few minutes, she reaches over from the passenger seat, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“it’s gonna be okay,” she says softly.

for the first time in days, there’s no teasing in her voice, no amusement in her expression. just quiet reassurance.

you exhale slowly, gripping the fabric of your jeans, fingers tightening around the material as you finally let it out. “i feel guilty.”

yunjin turns in her seat, looking at you through the rearview mirror. “guilty?”

“because karina cheated on jaewook with me,” you mumble out, the words tasting wrong on your tongue. “and now we’re all acting like he’s not in the picture.”

there’s a beat of silence, before ryujin sighs. “y/n, that’s not on you.”

“but —”

“you were both drunk,” yunjin cuts in, voice firm but gentle. “whatever happened, you weren’t thinking straight. and you definitely weren’t the one in a relationship.”

“yeah,” ryujin adds. “karina’s a big girl. she made her own decisions. that’s not something you should be carrying.”

you shake your head, looking down at your hands. “but i let it happen.”

“you let what happen?” giselle frowns. “existing in the same bed as her while being borderline blackout drunk?”

you let out a dry laugh, but it dies quickly. “it’s not just that.”

“then what is it?” yunjin asks, watching you closely.

you hesitate. you don’t know how to explain it —not in a way that makes sense. but the guilt isn’t just about the sex, or the fact that it happened at all.

it’s merely the fact that now, karina is acting like she wants to be in your life. like she’s fine with it; like this is normal.

and the worst part?

a small, selfish part of you wants to believe her. because if she’s okay with it, then maybe — maybe — you don’t have to carry all of this weight on your own.

“i don’t know,” you admit finally, running a hand over your face. “it just feels…wrong. like i should stop this before it gets worse.”

giselle hums, tilting her head. “but do you want to stop it?”

you should.

you say nothing.

“look,” ryujin says, shifting in her seat. “you don’t have to overthink this. you don’t even know what she wants from you yet. maybe she just wants to be your friend.”

you let out a sharp laugh. “right. because friends take each other to dinner and personally pick them up like after they’ve slept together like it’s some rom-com date.”

“maybe that’s just how she is,” yunjin offers. “she’s rich, isn’t she? rich people love doing unnecessary, dramatic shit.”

“of course,” ryujin nods as you glance at her from the mirror. “maybe this is just a regular weekday for her. maybe she does this for everyone.”

“oh, for sure,” giselle snickers. “karina probably has a roster of people she picks up for dinner every week. y/n’s just the wednesday slot.”

you glare at her. “you’re not helping.”

“sorry, sorry,” she says, holding up her hands with a grin. “but seriously. what if this isn’t a big deal for her? you’re the only one making it into one.”

“she has a boyfriend,” you remind them, voice tight. “even if i didn’t mean for this to happen, she’s the one pretending like it’s normal.”

“so let her,” yunjin shrugs. “if she wants to pretend, let her pretend. that’s her problem. but you can’t keep torturing yourself over something that wasn’t even your fault.”

“just…go to dinner,” ryujin sighs. “hear her out. see what she actually wants from you. if it’s weird, if it feels wrong, then end it.”

“but give her a chance,” giselle adds, nudging you. “just as a friend. nothing more.”

you stay quiet, rolling their words over in your mind. they’re right. you should just hear her out. it doesn’t have to be complicated.

and yet — you know it will be.

“fine,” you mumble, sinking deeper into your seat. “but if this goes south, i’m blaming all of you.”

“noted,” ryujin chuckles. “but let’s be real. it’s already gone south. you just need to figure out where it lands.”

you groan, shoving your face into your hands as the car finally pulls up to your dorm.

this is so not going to be okay.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

when you get back to the dorm, the weight of everything is still pressing against your chest, heavy and suffocating. you can barely think straight as you shut your bedroom door close, let alone process the fact that in an hour or two, karina will be outside, waiting to take you to dinner.

wrapping a cardigan around your shoulders, you head downstairs where everyone else is waiting.

you barely make it two steps into the lounge room before giselle speaks up, voice far too casual. “oh, by the way, she just texted me. she’s picking you up in like five minutes. she said to let her know when you’re ready.”

you stare at her. “she said five minutes?”

“yep,” she confirms, throwing herself onto the couch like this isn’t sending you into full-blown crisis mode. “plenty of time for you to overthink every life decision that led you here.”

“too late for that,” you mutter, dragging a hand down your face. you feel sick. “what the fuck am i even supposed to talk about with her? i don’t know anything about her besides the fact that she has a boyfriend.”

“that’s a good start,” yunjin says, scrolling through her phone. “you can lead with, ‘so, how’s your very committed, very public relationship going?’”

“great icebreaker,” ryujin nods, feigning approval with that shit-eating grin of hers. “really set the tone.”

you glare at them both before collapsing onto the couch beside giselle. “i’m serious. what if it’s awkward? what if we just sit there in silence for hours? what if she realises i’m the most boring person alive?”

the last question is unnecessary — you definitely don’t care if she thinks you’re dull.

“oh please,” giselle waves you off. “karina’s the most interesting person on campus. she could talk to a brick wall and make it seem engaging.”

“that’s not reassuring,” you groan.

“okay, okay,” she hums, thinking. “here’s a fun fact: her real name isn’t even karina. it’s yu jimin.”

you blink, turning towards her. “what?”

“yeah,” she grins, raising her eyebrows. “yu jimin.”

“why the name change?” you ask, genuinely curious.

“branding,” ryujin shrugs. “karina sounds cooler. more mysterious.”

“rich people love reinventing themselves,” yunjin chimes in with a chuckle. “‘oh, i was just a humble girl named jimin, but now i am karina, goddess of yonsei university.’”

“makes sense,” you mutter. “i should’ve known she was born for this level of campus mythology.”

“what else do you wanna know?” giselle smirks, stretching her arms behind her head. “we’re basically a walking biography.”

“does she have any siblings?”

“an older sister,” ryujin answers immediately. “which doesn’t make sense because she has only child energy.”

“big ‘i don’t share my toys’ energy,” yunjin nods, bouncing her leg so fast the sight of it made you anxious. “actually, it makes this whole situation very interesting, don’t you think?”

“i hate all of you,” you mumble, shoving your face into a pillow. “also, can you not bounce your leg at that speed? jesus.”

“y/n, you can be such an ass —“

“we love you too,” ryujin says cheerfully before sitting up suddenly, giving you a once-over. “by the way, your outfit? kind of great. where’d you get that cardigan?”

you glance down at the grey cardigan draped over your shoulders. “uh…i don’t remember?”

“damn,” she sighs. “i was gonna ask if i could steal it, but i already have too many clothes as it is.”

“you really do,” yunjin rolls her eyes, still bouncing her leg. “your wardrobe is basically a department store.”

“a very cool department store,” she corrects, grinning. “but yeah, you look nice, y/n. karina’s gonna lose her mind.”

“shut up,” you groan, but your ears burn anyway. before you can even process any more of this, there’s a knock at the door.

the room falls silent.

“oh my god,” yunjin whispers, eyes wide. “she’s here.”

you panic, not ready at all.

but giselle is already pulling you off the couch and pushing you toward the door, grinning like she’s sending you off to your doom. “go on, y/n. your princess awaits.”

“shut up,” you groan, swatting her arm before grabbing the doorknob. taking a deep breath, you brace yourself, then open the door. and you forget how to breathe.

karina stands there, leaning slightly against the doorframe, wearing an oversized leather jacket over a fitted top, her hair cascading in soft waves over her shoulders. she looks ridiculously good, like she walked straight out of a magazine shoot and landed at your doorstep.

you open your mouth to say something, anything, but your brain completely malfunctions.

“hey,” she says smoothly, offering a small smile. “you look good.”

you…

your words are gone.

she blinks, tilting her head slightly, clearly amused by your sudden inability to function. “y/n?”

“hi,” you finally manage, your voice embarrassingly weak.

“wow,” ryujin mutters behind you. “strong start.”

“shut the fuck up,” you whisper violently before stepping outside, closing the door behind you before your friends can make this even worse.

she raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment, just tucks her hands into her jacket pockets. “ready to go?”

you nod.

because words?

yeah, they’re not happening today.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

the car ride is so awkward you feel like you might actually combust.

her mercedes is too sleek, too quiet and too expensive. the kind of car that makes you painfully aware of every tiny movement you make. even just sitting in the passenger seat, you feel wrong — like you’re tainting the luxury with your presence.

your own little hyundai could never compare. it rattles when the engine starts, the air-conditioning works half the time and there are at least three green stains from ryujin’s grimace shakes on the seats that you refuse to talk about.

but this car?

this car smells like leather and something lavish — probably her perfume, that same ridiculous scent that’s been haunting you since that night. it clings to the air, faint but noticeable and the second it hits you, your brain malfunctions.

you sneak a glance at her, because how could you not?

her side profile is insane.

sharp jawline, high cheekbones, perfectly curled hair that falls effortlessly over her shoulders. the glow of the streetlights flickers across her face, highlighting the curve of her nose, the shape of her lips, the way her fingers tap idly against the steering wheel.

how is she even real?

and how the fuck did you end up here?

yu jimin — yonsei university’s most untouchable person, the one every person on campus either wants to be or be with — is sitting next to you, taking you to dinner, like this is something that happens in your life everyday.

it’s so stupid.

“you okay?” she asks, glancing at you briefly before focusing back on the road.

you physically jolt. “yeah!”

too loud, too fast.

her lips twitch, eyebrows furrowing, but she doesn’t comment on it. “you’re quiet.”

“just…processing,” you mutter, fiddling with the hem of your sleeve. “this whole thing is just…yeah.”

she hums. “what, nobody’s ever taken you to dinner before?”

meaning, you have never slept with anybody then take them to dinner afterwards. in fact, you haven’t even done it with anyone at all in over two years.

“not like this,” you say before you can stop yourself.

her eyebrow lifts slightly. “like this? meaning?”

you internally groan at how much of an idiot you’re being. “i mean…you know, with the — car and the…uh, just — you know.”

she’s fully smirking now and you want to throw yourself out of the moving vehicle. “are you always this articulate?”

“shut up,” you mutter, looking out the window, willing the universe to strike you down.

there’s a pause and then she says, “you don’t have to be nervous, you know.”

sinking deeper into the seat, you want to scream; not expecting her to call it out. you thought she would let you suffer in peace, allow you to pretend that this is totally normal and you’re completely fine.

“i’m not —” you start, but she cuts you off with a knowing look.

“y/n,” her voice is calm, gentle in a way you weren’t prepared for. “it’s just dinner.”

you swallow. “with you.”

“yes,” she nods, smiling. “with me.”

you grip your hands together, trying to keep your voice steady. “do you — do you take a lot of people out to dinner?”

karina raises an eyebrow. “would it make you feel better if i said yes?”

“no,” you say quickly, then blink. “i mean — wait, yes? actually, i don’t know.”

she laughs, properly this time, shaking her head. “you’re cute when you overthink, but seriously, i owe you one for the weekend.”

you short-circuit, the rest of her words not registering with you at all as warmth rushes to your cheeks.

“i —” you choke up, shaking your head. “shut up, no compliments.”

she still looks too amused for your liking, but she lets it go, switching lanes with ease. “so, how have the past few days been for you?”

she’s enjoying this. and you hate it.

you exhale, grateful for the change of topic. “same old. classes, work, dodging my roommates’ nonsense. nothing new.”

“dodging?” she raises an eyebrow. “i thought you were close with them.”

“i am,” you say. “which is exactly why i have to dodge them.”

she chuckles, the corners of her lips twitching like she understands exactly what you mean. “fair enough. how’s law treating you?”

“slow death by legal theory,” you mutter, making her laugh again. “what about you? what have you been up to?”

“hectic week,” she sighs. “midterms are coming up, so professors are losing their minds.”

“midterms,” you groan, shaking your head. “right. because life isn’t hard enough already.”

“tell me about it,” she muses. “and being an econ major means i get to spend my nights staring at graphs and pretending to care about financial models.”

you purse your lips. “wait, you’re an econ major?”

“why do you sound shocked?”

“i don’t know,” you shrug. “i just assumed….something else. business? art?”

“art?” she glances at you. “what about me says i’m an artist?”

“your whole ‘i don’t care about anything but i’m effortlessly cool’ vibe,” you say, making air quotes. “feels very tortured artist.”

“i’ll take that as a compliment,” she smiles at you.

before you can spiral any further, the car slows to a stop. you frown, glancing out the window, and then your stomach drops.

“karina,” you say slowly, staring at the dimly lit, ridiculously expensive-looking japanese restaurant in front of you. “this place is, well, looks like it’s going to cost…a car payment.”

“good thing i already have a car then,” she says smoothly, undoing her seatbelt.

“you could’ve taken me to, like, a normal restaurant place,” you argue, still stuck on how outrageously fancy this place is.

the way you just sounded so fucking stupid makes you cringe.

“this is a normal restaurant place,” she smirks, stepping out of the car. “for me.”

“that’s insane, yu jimin,” you grumble under your breath, following her inside.

she laughs at that, leading you through the entrance, where the inside is just as obnoxious as the exterior — dim ambient lighting, minimalist decor, waiters who look like they judge your financial status the second you walk in.

the kind of place that doesn’t bother listing prices on the menu because if you have to ask, you shouldn’t be here.

“you’re paying for this,” you whisper as you both are led a seat deeper into the restaurant; your stomach twisting into knots.

private rooms weren’t for casual dinners. they were for business deals, for secret meetings, for people who didn’t want to be seen.

and suddenly, this dinner — this whole situation…felt heavier.

“obviously,” she nods, completely unbothered as she looks back at you. “i invited you.”

this wasn’t just a meal between acquaintances.

there was so much more to this than she was letting on.

you hesitate for half a second before stepping inside, feeling like you were crossing some invisible line, stepping into something you couldn’t back out of.

the room is small, intimate, with soft lighting casting a warm glow over the wooden table. the air is thick with the scent of grilled fish and soy sauce, but it does nothing to calm your nerves.

karina moves with ease, like this is just another normal night for her. she shrugs off her leather jacket, draping it neatly over the chair beside her before settling in. she’s completely comfortable, unfazed by the weight in the air.

meanwhile, you feel like you can’t sit still.

“relax,” she says, smirking as she watches you hesitate by the door. “you’re acting like i brought you here to commit a crime.”

“didn’t you?” you mutter, finally sinking into your seat.

“if i did, you’d already be an accomplice,” she muses, casually picking up the menu.

you scoff, rolling your eyes, but it’s fake, a weak attempt to mask the very real panic thrumming under your skin.

this is out of your depth. you shake your head, still processing the fact that you’re here, sitting across from her, in a place where a single sushi roll probably costs the same as your entire grocery budget for the week.

“this is ridiculous,” you mutter, picking up the menu. “this entire restaurant is ridiculous.”

“what?” she tilts her head, watching you carefully. “you don’t like it?”

“i didn’t say that,” you huff. “i just think i could feed my entire dorm for the price of one dish here.”

she grins, resting her chin on her hand. “then i guess it’s a good thing i only brought you.”

your stomach flips.

the way she says it — casual, like it’s nothing, like she isn’t looking at you with that same unreadable expression that makes your pulse skyrocket — it’s too much.

you clear your throat, forcing yourself to focus on the menu. “so, what’s good here?”

she laughs once more, like she knows exactly what she just did to you. “i’ll order for us.”

you narrow your eyes. “is this an ‘i have impeccable taste’ thing again?”

“yes,” she says simply, not even trying to deny it.

you sigh, but you let her do it, leaning back against the plush booth as she orders effortlessly, she’s done this a million times before.

as the server leaves, she turns back to you, gaze steady. “so, y/n…tell me more about yourself.”

you blink, caught off guard. “what do you want to know?”

“everything,” she says easily, leaning forward slightly. “start talking.”

you hesitate, caught off guard by the genuine interest in her voice. you’re not used to people asking about you — not like this.

but for some reason, with karina sitting across from you, watching you closely, waiting…you kind of want to answer.

“how about you start first?”

and surprisingly, the conversation flows. despite the initial tension, talking to her is easy.

she’s quick-witted, sharp and knows how to keep a conversation moving. she talks about her family, her older sister — the golden child, already married, already working under their father. she talks about how her dad owns several businesses, how she’s expected to follow in their footsteps even though she has no idea if that’s what she actually wants.

“business was never my thing,” she admits, swirling her white wine idly. “but my dad doesn’t really care about that.”

“so what is your thing?” you ask before you can stop yourself.

she exhales, lowering her head slightly. “that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?”

you hum, nodding. “must be nice, though. having all these options, being able to choose what you want to do.”

she looks at you carefully, like she’s studying the way you said that. “and you don’t?”

you hesitate before shrugging. “i mean, i guess i could change paths, but law is what i’ve always known. it’s what makes sense.”

“but do you want it?”

you falter. “i think so.”

she doesn’t push, but something flickers in her gaze, like she’s filing that information away for later.

this is a date.

and the closest thing you’ve ever had to one was that awkward high school relationship, where you would sit in the same café after school, pretending to be interested in whatever yeji was talking about while secretly wishing you were at home reading instead.

but…this is different.

because no one has ever gone out of their way for you like this before. no one has ever picked you up in an expensive car, taken you to a restaurant that probably requires a bank loan just to order a side dish and actually wanted to know you.

and that’s what makes this worse.

because she is sitting across from you, watching you closely, her expression unreadable but undeniably focused, like she’s trying to understand you.

and you don’t know what to do with that.

she had a way of making even the most casual topics sound interesting, like she could take something as mundane as a daily routine and make it feel like a secret worth knowing.

somewhere between the first round of appetizers and her casual, smug decision to order for the both of you, you started to let your guard down.

“so you really just don’t go out, huh?” karina asks, leaning back slightly, her fingers playing idly with the rim of her glass.

“i go out,” you say, defensive. “just not to places like this.”

“where do you go then?”

you shrug. “work. classes. home.”

karina raises an eyebrow. “that’s it?”

“sometimes the convenience store,” you add. “for essentials.”

she snorts at that. “right. because instant ramen and energy drinks are essential.”

“they are when you’re studying law,” you say, pointing your chopsticks at her. “you wouldn’t get it, econ major.”

she hums, tilting her head. “actually, i do get it. i survive off caffeine and overpriced sandwiches.”

“the rich struggle too,” you deadpan. “who would’ve thought?”

“we all have our burdens,” she sighs dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. “mine just happen to involve foie gras and a trust fund.”

you let out a quiet laugh before taking a sip of your drink. “must be tough.”

“you have no idea,” she smirks, then rests her chin on her hand. “but really — why don’t you go out?”

you hesitate.

you don’t know how to explain it without making it sound like some kind of tragic backstory, because it’s not. you just…never saw the point.

you were never the type to crave social outings, never had the urge to throw yourself into clubs or attend every party like your life depended on it. even in high school, while other people were busy forming friendships and getting into messy relationships, you were just existing — watching from the sidelines, never feeling the need to participate.

and for the most part, you were fine with that.

until now.

until you’re sitting across from someone who had every reason to never notice you, and yet here she is, looking at you like she actually wants to know.

“i guess i just never saw the point,” you admit finally. “going out, meeting people — it’s never been my thing.”

karina watches you intensely for a moment before nodding slowly. “i get that.”

you raise an eyebrow. “do you?”

“yeah,” she hums. “contrary to popular belief, i’m not actually that social.”

“you’re literally the most popular person on campus.”

“popularity doesn’t mean i like people,” she muses, lips curling slightly. “it just means i tolerate them well.”

you huff out a laugh, shaking your head. “so, you’re saying you tolerate me?”

she smirks. “i think i can handle you.” your stomach flips. before you can even respond to that, karina leans forward slightly. “so, no dating history then?”

you nearly choke on your drink. “what?”

“you said you don’t go out much,” she shrugs. “so i’m assuming you haven’t dated much either.”

you scowl. “that’s a bold assumption.”

“am i wrong?”

you glare at her, but the way she’s looking at you— so smug, so sure of herself — makes you sigh. “no. not since high school.”

karina chuckles. “i knew it.”

you roll your eyes. “what, is that funny to you?”

“a little,” she admits, still wearing the smirk of hers. “just didn’t expect it.”

“why?” you challenge. “because you thought i was some kind of romance expert?”

“no,” she says, biting her lip. “i just thought someone would’ve tried harder to keep you.”

your heart stumbles over itself, your fingers tightening slightly around your chopsticks — you don’t know how to respond to that.

luckily…or unluckily, she shifts gears before you have to because suddenly, the warmth in the conversation diverts.

“you know, it’s kind of weird we’ve never crossed paths before,” she muses, setting her drink down. “giselle’s been my friend for years, and yet you and i? nothing. like we existed in separate universes.”

you chuckle. “maybe i was actively avoiding you.”

“probably,” she smirks. “but still. two years, same campus, same social circles. and yet this is the first time we’ve properly spoken to each other.”

you shrug, trying to ignore the weird tension creeping back in. “maybe the universe was trying to keep us apart.”

“and yet,” she begins, resting her chin in her palms. “here we are.”

you roll your eyes, but you’re smiling, and you hate that she makes you feel comfortable.

but then —

there’s a pause. a long, drawn-out silence where she just looks at you, her gaze steady, unreadable.

the warmth of the conversation dims slightly, something unspoken settling between you. and you know. you know what’s coming before she even says it.

“about that night,” she begins, carefully, like she’s testing the weight of each word. “do you remember?”

you knew this conversation was inevitable, but hearing it out loud sends a rush of panic through you.

and with fingers tightening slightly around your drinks, you admit: “bits and pieces.”

she nods slowly, her gaze dropping for a second, like she’s trying to figure out how to phrase what she wants to say next. “same.”

you don’t speak. you can’t.

“i don’t know what came over me,” she continues, voice quieter now. “but i remember looking at you, and your lips, and your stupidly attractive smile, and it just…happened.”

there it is.

the confirmation.

the final piece of proof that what happened between you wasn’t just a drunken mistake — it was a choice.

your breath catches in your throat, the world suddenly slowing down and shrinking right before your eyes.

karina leans back slightly, exhaling deeply. “i don’t regret it,” she confesses honestly. “but i know it was wrong.”

the words settle between you, thick and heavy. and suddenly, it all clicks. the private room. the secrecy.

“you took me to dinner so you could make sure i keep my mouth shut,” you start off, forcing a dry chuckle, trying to make it lighter than it feels. “i get it. don’t worry. the only people who know are our trusted friends and that’s where it’ll stay. he will never find out.”

“what?” she frowns, seemingly confused, then frowns more. “that’s not why you’re here.”

your stomach tightens. “then why am i here?”

she lets out a sigh; watching you closely, like she’s waiting for you to catch up. “because i don’t want that to be the end of it,” she answers, voice quieter, steadier.

your heart stops.

she leans closer, elbows resting on the table, fingers barely grazing the edge of her glass. “i don’t know what this is, but i know i don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen.”

your brain races, trying to process what she’s saying, trying to understand why she’s saying it.

“karina —”

“jimin,” she corrects softly.”

you swallow, your pulse pounding as you nod gently. “jimin.”

she smiles slightly at that, but her expression stays serious. “let’s continue this. whatever this is.”

your stomach twists. “but you —”

“i know,” she says, cutting you off gently. “i know…but i still want this.”

the weight of the conversation lingers between you, heavy and inescapable. you stare at her, speechless because deep down, for whatever reason, you do too.

you don’t know how to sit still; your fingers trace the edge of your drink absentmindedly, your mind is running at a pace you can’t keep up with. the air in the private room feels thick, charged with something you’re not ready to name, something you don’t know how to handle.

and across from you, she watches you with a gaze that’s too steady, too knowing, like she’s picking apart every hesitation, every moment of doubt playing out in your head.

you have spent your whole life avoiding this exact situation. you don’t do complicated. you keep your world small and your life structured.

and yet, here you are, sitting across from the girl who has single-handedly destroyed every rule you’ve set for yourself.

it terrifies you, but what terrifies you more is that you don’t want to leave.

“we barely know each other,” you finally say, your voice quieter than you mean for it to be, like you’re trying to convince yourself more than her. “this is ridiculous.”

she doesn’t react right away. she takes a slow sip of her drink, her lips pressing together briefly before she sets it down with a soft clink. she tilts her head slightly, considering you, her eyes dark and unreadable.

“that’s the point,” she says finally, leaning forward slightly. “i want to know you, only if you’ll let me.”

your breath catches in your throat.

there’s something about the way she says it — so simple, so assured, like the most obvious thing in the world has already been decided.

your heart beats unsteadily, an uneven rhythm that makes your chest feel tight. “why?”

she exhales, her fingers idly tracing the condensation on her glass. “because whatever i felt that night, i want more of it.”

you can’t look away from her.

“for the first time in a long time,” jimin continues, voice softer now, “i felt…seen. understood.”

the words settle between you, heavy with something unsaid. you know that feeling all too well, understand what it’s like to exist in a space where people only see the version of you they want to see — what it’s like to be looked at but never really known.

but you don’t let yourself dwell on it.

instead, you force yourself to focus on the one thing that keeps clawing at your brain, the one thing that refuses to let you ignore it. “what about jaewook?”

she sighs, leaning back against the booth, running a hand through her hair. “jaewook is…safe. stable.”

you frown slightly. “what do you mean?”

she nods, her gaze flickering to the side briefly before returning to you. “he pursued me for months before i finally said yes. he really tried. so i thought, why not?”

you don’t say anything.

“he’s stable,” she continues, her voice steady, but there’s something underneath it — something detached, like she’s explaining a business decision rather than a relationship. “he’s nice. he’s everything that should make sense.”

“but?” you prompt, even though you already know the answer.

“but it’s not what i expected,” she admits, breathing the words out slowly. “our relationship is all surface level. we look good together, people like seeing us together, but that’s it. there’s nothing deeper. nothing really…real about us.”

you hesitate before asking, “does he love you?”

jimin lets out a quiet, humourless laugh, almost like she’s too hurt to admit it. “i think he likes having me. i think i’m just…another thing that fits into his life. another box he gets to check off. perhaps, it’s his way of showing he loves me.”

you don’t know what to say to that.

“he’s only been to my dorm once,” she continues, her tone almost absent, like she’s only realising it as she says it out loud. “he doesn’t try to know my family, my friends. all he wants is to play football and have a pretty girlfriend.”

you frown, something about that making your chest ache in a way you weren’t expecting. “he doesn’t ask about your life?”

she shakes her head. “if you asked him right now what my major is, he’d probably say law. or communications.”

your eyebrows knit together. “but you’ve been together for over a year.”

“and he still doesn’t know me,” she says simply. “because he doesn’t want to.”

you can hear the quiet frustration in her voice, the resignation.

“so when you asked me all those questions at the party,” she adds, watching you closely, “it was the first time in a long time that i felt like someone actually wanted to know me.”

you inhale sharply, the weight of her words pressing against you.

because you remember now.

-

you hadn’t even wanted to be there.

ryujin and yunjin had thrown yet another one of their weekend parties and because you unfortunately lived with them, you had no choice but to exist in the middle of it. the plan was to just lock yourself in your room, maybe throw in some noise-cancelling headphones and wait it out, but that plan had gone to shit the second ryujin shoved a tequila shot in your hand and dared you to leave.

so you stayed. you drank. and somehow, somehow, you found yourself on the balcony, away from the suffocating crowd, just trying to catch your breath.

and that’s when she showed up.

you had never spoken to her before. you’ve seen her in passing, of course, because who hadn’t?

she was the kind of person people gravitated toward, even when she wasn’t doing anything.

but that night, when she stepped onto the balcony, she looked…different.

tired, almost.

“escaping too?” she had asked, leaning against the railing beside you.

you had hesitated before nodding, head spinning. “not really a party person.”

she hummed, taking a slow sip of whatever was in her cup. “me neither.”

“yeah, right,” you scoffed, glancing at her. “you’re karina.”

“and?”

“and people like you thrive in places like this.”

she turned to you then, eyes sharp, curious. “people like me?”

you shrugged. “popular people. you know, social butterflies. the kind that make parties their personality.”

she let out a short laugh, shaking her head. “see, that’s where you’re wrong. i hate parties. but people expect me to be here, so here i am.”

you frowned slightly, stumbling upon your words. “so you…i mean…do things just because people expect them from you?”

“sometimes,” she admitted, tilting her head. “don’t you?”

you opened your mouth, but nothing came out.

because, well.

you did.

your whole life had been about following a path, about making the right choices, about doing what was expected of you.

she studied you for a second before leaning in slightly, lowering her voice just enough to make it feel intimate. “so what do you actually want, then?”

you had paused. blinked.

then, you looked at her — really looked at her.

at the way her dark eyes flickered in the dim light, the way her lips curled slightly when she was genuinely interested, the way she was leaning in closer than necessary.

“i don’t know,” you had admitted. “maybe more tequila?”

and she had smiled.

“me neither, but i agree with you on that one.”

-

you exhale as your thoughts finally gather, trying to push past the feeling creeping up your spine. “but like i said, we barely know each other.”

“then let me,” she argues, putting a hand over hand — the contact sending jolts throughout your body. “i want to.”

you glance up, meeting her gaze, and fuck, she’s so pretty.

“i feel bad,” you admit, your voice tight. “this goes against everything i believe in.”

jimin tilts her head, studying you. “why?”

“i don’t date,” you say. “i don’t sneak around. i don’t…do this.”

“but you want to,” she prompts and it’s not a question. your pulse stutters. “tell me why you don’t date.”

you exhale, rubbing your temples. “i had one relationship in high school. yeji.”

she raises an eyebrow, arms crossing. “and?”

“and i was terrible at it,” you admit, groaning. “she wanted me to be affectionate, and i just wasn’t. i didn’t know how to be. i was emotionally unavailable and probably the worst girlfriend ever.”

she chuckles, shaking her head. “poor yeji.”

“yeah,” you snort, running your fingers through your hair. “we lasted six months before she realised i was a lost cause.”

“so you think you’re incapable of dating?”

“i think i’m bad at it,” you say honestly. “and i think this…us…is dangerous.”

she nods, letting your words settle before she speaks again. “then let me know when you’re ready.”

you blink, caught off guard. “what?”

“i’ll wait,” she says simply. “if you need time, i’ll give it to you.”

you stare at her, searching her face for any sign of dishonesty, any hint of a game, but there’s nothing.

she means it. you don’t know what to do with that. so you nod, your voice barely above a whisper. “okay.”

and as she leans back, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips, you feel it — the inevitable pull, the thing dragging you toward her, despite everything.

because even though you should run, even though you should shut this down completely —

you already know. you’re going to fall into this…you never stood a chance.

the rest of dinner feels easier. somehow, after everything that had been said, after every unspoken tension that had settled between you, the weight of it all lifted.

you still didn’t know what this was.

but you knew, without a doubt, that you wanted to be sitting across from jimin.

for the first time in years, maybe ever, you weren’t rushing to leave, looking for an exit, counting the seconds until you could be alone again.

she told you more about her family, about the expectations placed on her shoulders from the moment she was old enough to understand what it meant to be a yu.

you told her about your life — about how your world had always been contained, structured. how you had never been the kind of person who sought things like this out, who chased after feelings you didn’t understand.

she listened and you listened back.

and by the time you were both walking toward her car, stepping back into the night, something inside you settled. you still weren’t sure what you were getting yourself into…but it shed some light.

there was no more overthinking. no more agonising over whether you should be here.

you were just here. with her.

the drive back to your dorm is quiet, but it’s not awkward. it’s a kind of shared silence that feels warm, comfortable, it doesn’t need to be filled.

the radio hums softly in the background, playing something slow and easy. you watch the city lights blur past through the window, the occasional streetlamp casting a glow over the dashboard, the soft hum of the car’s engine settling into the silence.

but then, jimin moves.

at first, it’s subtle. a shift, a slight adjustment.

and then you feel it.

her fingers brush against yours where your hand rests between you on the centre console. it’s not a mistake. it’s deliberate.

your breath stutters.

you barely have time to process the rush of warmth that spreads through your chest before she stays there, her fingertips resting lightly against your skin.

your pulse spikes, but you don’t pull away. instead, slowly, carefully, you turn your palm upward, letting your fingers graze hers — an invitation.

she takes it.

her hand finds yours, warm and certain, fingers intertwining with yours like they were always meant to.

you’ve never felt this way before — never felt something as simple as holding someone’s hand feel like a shift in your entire world.

not knowing what to do with it, you don’t say anything. you just squeeze her hand slightly and she squeezes it back.

“your fingers are so soft,” she mumbles out.

when you glance at her, her lips are pulled into a small, knowing smile, eyes still focused on the road, but there’s a softness to her expression, something unreadable flickering beneath the surface.

fuck. you swallow hard, your skin burning where she touches you and you don’t know what to do with any of it.

all you know is that you don’t want her to let go.

as your dorm comes into view, jimin sighs out, fingers tightening briefly around yours before she pulls into the driveway and turns off the engine.

“thank you for tonight,” she begins, her voice quieter now, softer. “i had a really good time with you, y/n.”

you glance at her, lips twitching as you rub circles on her skin. “the food was actually good despite the price tag.”

she scoffs. “you were expecting it to be bad?”

“i was expecting to resent how good it was,” you admit. “but i’ll never talk about the price again.”

“bold claim,” she smirks. “we’ll see how long that lasts.”

the teasing makes you grin, but then she speaks again, her tone shifting, turning serious. “really, y/n, thank you.”

you blink at her, caught off guard by the sincerity in her voice. “for what?”

jimin hesitates for just a second before exhaling. “for this. for giving me a chance.”

something in your chest tightens.

“if it makes you feel better,” she continues, her eyes flickering between yours, “i haven’t done this before either.”

your lips part slightly, surprised by the confession. “you haven’t?”

she shakes her head. “not like this.”

the words sit between you, and for a moment, neither of you say anything. you just look at each other.

it was all happening so fast.

the dim glow from the streetlights outside casts a soft, golden hue over her face, highlighting the curve of her jaw, the slope of her nose, the way her lips part slightly as she watches you.

she’s so pretty.

so ridiculously, unfairly beautiful, like she was carved from light itself, only made to be looked at.

your stomach clenches.

and then —

“can i kiss you?” her voice is quiet, barely above a whisper, but it hits you like a strike of lightning.

all you can do is nod because you can’t even form words. your brain is not functioning.

the second your head moves, she’s already leaning in, already closing the space between you.

her lips press against yours, soft, warm and suddenly, it’s like every single nerve in your body lights up at once.

you inhale sharply, tilting your head gently, and she follows, deepening the kiss with a slow, unhurried ease, like she’s taking her time memorising you.

her hand lifts, fingers grazing your jaw and you swear you dissolve into her.

she tastes like the remnants of her drink, the faintest hint of citrus and something undeniably her, something that makes your head spin.

you have never been kissed like this before. it’s not rushed, not careless. it’s intentional.

it’s like she’s trying to tell you something without saying a word.

and when she pulls away — just slightly, just enough for you to breathe — you don’t even think before you whisper, “do you want to come in?”

she freezes; you watch as her eyes flicker between yours, widening just slightly because she wasn’t expecting you to ask, thrown off for the first time tonight.

you don’t know where the boldness came from. maybe it was the way she kissed you, the way her fingers felt against your skin, the way her lips still tingle against yours. but you don’t regret asking.

she swallows, her gaze flickering toward the dorm, then back at you.

she nods — the beginning of a dangerous game.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

sam shuts the trunk with a low metallic thud, glancing between you and dean as if he’s already exhausted by the argument that hasn’t even formed. “he’s saying it because last time you said you were ‘just checking something’, you ended up in a crawlspace with a ghost.”

“that ghost had answers.”

“that ghost threw a wrench at your head,” dean snaps.

“and missed,” you glare, because you’re a winchester, unfortunately, and sometimes survival has less to do with sense and more to do with being unbearable at the right moment.

dean points at you, the gesture sharp in the cold spill of the impala’s trunk light. “not the point.”

but even as he growls it, there’s something different in the way he looks at you tonight. not less protective. dean’s protectiveness sits under his skin, more part of his personality than sarcasm. still, tonight, he’s letting you stand between him and sam with a gun in your hand, a knife under your jacket, and the case file zipped inside your bag because this is your case. the thought warms you in a small, stupid place you try not to show.

you’d been the one who noticed the missing-person reports clustered around old factory roads, the one who caught that everybody found had been drained but not torn apart, the one who connected the witness statements about the pale man in the mechanic’s jacket. dean called it a vampire at first. sam leaned toward rougarou. you found the old lore entry in bobby’s scanned journal pages, the one about a vetala variant that fed slower, cleaner, almost surgical, usually solitary and territorial.

sam double-checked every source. dean grumbled for two hours about ‘off-brand bloodsuckers’. but they listened. they followed your lead. and now you’re here, boots crunching over gravel wet from an afternoon storm, the air cold enough to bite at your knuckles.

you don’t say how much it matters. that would make it too easy for them to take apart.

“all right,” sam says, pulling the flashlight from his jacket pocket. “we clear the main floor first. victim was last seen near the loading bay. if your theory’s right, it’ll have a nest somewhere dry and dark.”

“my theory is right,” you say.

dean gives you a sideways look. “that confidence better come with a return policy.”

“you’re literally confident with no evidence every day of your life.”

“yeah, but i’m charming.”

sam’s mouth twitches.

you hate that it makes you happy. you hate that being trusted by them feels less like being handed a weapon and more like being handed a place at the table. your brothers love you. you know that. they love you so hard it has bruised every corner of your life. but love and trust aren’t the same thing, and winchester love has a way of locking doors from the inside. tonight, for once, they let you pick the lock.

inside, the mill is a long-boned corpse of a building, all rusted railings, broken windows, and old machinery huddled beneath plastic tarps. rainwater drips through holes in the roof, steady and uneven, tapping against metal beams and puddles in the concrete. your flashlight catches strips of old safety tape, faded signs, a smashed vending machine with warped candy wrappers still trapped behind cloudy glass.

“cozy,” dean mutters.

“you say that about every murder building.”

“because murder buildings keep having terrible decor.”

you bite back a smile and move carefully along the wall, watching the dust, the drag marks, the faint wet smear that isn’t water near the base of a staircase. sam sees it at the same time you do. he crouches, touches two fingers close to it without actually dipping into the blood, then looks up at you.

you nod toward the hall on the left. “loading bay.”

dean’s face changes. not much, just that slight tightening in his jaw, that older-brother switch flipping from banter to business. he steps ahead by instinct. you step with him from sheer stubbornness. for a second, his eyes cut to you. you know that look. it means don’t. you stare back. it means try me.

sam exhales behind you. “both of you, focus.”

the thing is in the loading bay, just where you thought it would be. it drops from the upper beams with a wet, ugly hiss, pale limbs bending wrong, mouth peeling open too wide around teeth stained dark at the edges. 

dean fires first. the shot cracks through the hollow space and sends a flock of pigeons bursting from the rafters. sam moves left, clean and fast, silver flashing in his hand. you take right, heart kicking hard enough to make your ribs feel crowded, and for one bright second, everything works exactly the way it should.

you’re scared. obviously, you’re scared. fear’s not the opposite of courage; dean taught you that by accident every time he gripped the steering wheel too tight and still drove toward the thing everyone else ran from. your hands shake once, then steady. you remember the lore. you remember the weak point. you remember the pattern of its attacks.

the monster lunges for sam.

“sam!” you shout, firing into its shoulder.

it shrieks, twists, and dean’s already there. his knife buries under its ribs, one hard upward shove, and the creature spasms against him. its nails scrape down his jacket. he grimaces, drives the blade deeper, and it drops—ugly, knees folding, body hitting the concrete with a sound that turns your stomach.

silence crashes down after it. for a few seconds, nobody moves.

then dean looks at you, breath coming hard, blood speckled across one cheek. “your theory was right.”

you grin before you can stop yourself. “say it again.”

“don’t push it.”

“no, no, i need the full sentence. maybe with eye contact.”

sam straightens, still watching the body. “it was a clean ID. good work.”

that lands softer than you expect. heavier, too. you look at sam and feel your teasing loosen into something awkward and warm. “thanks.”

dean wipes his knife on the creature’s jacket. “yeah, yeah. gold star. everybody happy? let’s torch ugly here and get gone before this place collapses on us.”

you should’ve left then.

that’s the part you’ll think about later, again and again, when the pain has teeth and sleep comes in broken pieces. you should’ve left. the hunt’s done. the monster’s dead. the three of you are alive, damp, tired, and okay.

sam turns toward the exit first. dean bends to grab the duffel with the lighter fluid and salt. you take one step back, looking over the body, already building the story in your head: how dean will pretend he solved the case by ‘superior instinct’, how sam will argue for research credit, how you’ll demand diner pie as tribute for being correct.

then something moves behind dean. not the dead thing. above him. your brain catches pieces, not the whole. the scrape of claws on metal. the shift of shadow along the beam. sam’s flashlight swinging up too late. another pale shape unfolding from the dark with a mouth already open and one arm drawn back.

dean doesn’t see it.

you do.

there’s no time to say his name properly. no time to think through angles or weapons or whether you’re being brave or stupid. your body makes the choice before your mind catches up, and maybe that’s the most winchester thing about you.

you slam into dean’s side with both hands. he stumbles hard, swearing, the duffel dropping from his grip.

the second creature comes down where he was standing.

the pain is immediate, bright, wrong. at first, you don’t understand it. there’s impact, then heat, then a tearing pressure across your side that knocks the breath clean out of you. the floor jumps up. your knees hit concrete. something inside you seems to tilt out of place.

sam yells your name.

dean yells it louder.

you look down because some dumb, childish part of you needs proof, and proof is there under your hand, slick and dark, spreading too fast through torn fabric. the creature’s claw has opened you from the lower ribs down toward your hip, deep enough that your fingers come away red before you can decide whether to press or pull away.

oh. that’s all you can think.

the monster screams again, but it sounds far off now, dragged underwater. sam moves past you in a blur of long limbs and fury, not calm anymore, not careful. dean’s suddenly in front of you, then beside you, then on his knees, his hands catching your shoulders before you can fold all the way down.

“hey, hey, hey. look at me. look at me.”

you try. his face refuses to stay still. the world flickers around the edges, gray chewing at the lights.

“dean—” you say, but your voice is thin and surprised, which scares you more than the pain.

“nope. don’t do that.” he rips his overshirt open so hard one button snaps and skitters across the floor. “don’t use that little voice on me. you’re fine.”

you want to point out that this is a very obvious lie. you want to say something clever because that’s what you do when dean gets scared. you make him mad so he has somewhere to put it. but the words don’t line up. your thoughts have turned slippery. every breath pulls fire through your side, and there’s so much blood.

dean wads the shirt and presses it hard to the wound.

the sound you make is ugly.

“i know,” he says instantly, face twisting. “i know, baby. i’m sorry. i gotta, okay? i gotta stop the bleeding.”

baby. he only calls you that when he forgets you aren’t six anymore.

behind him, there’s a crash, a snarl cut short, sam’s grunt of pain, then the wet punch of a blade sinking. the second monster hits the ground. for one strange second, you feel guilty that you can’t turn your head to check if sam’s okay.

sam appears anyway, breath ragged, hair falling into his face, knife dripping black-red onto the concrete. “how bad?”

dean doesn’t answer fast enough.

sam sees the blood and goes pale in a way you’ve never seen on a hunt. his hand hovers over you, useless for half a heartbeat, then he drops beside dean and starts pulling supplies from the duffel with shaking efficiency. gauze. bandage roll. tape. 

“we need to move,” sam says. his voice cracks insignificantly on the last word, but you hear it. “dean, we can’t fix this here.”

“i know that,” dean snaps.

you blink up at the ceiling. one of the lights is broken. it hums and flickers and makes everything look chopped into pieces. “did we get both?”

sam looks at you as if the question hurts him personally. “yeah. we got both.”

“good.” you swallow, but your mouth is dry. “my case.”

dean lets out something that isn’t a laugh, not even close. “yeah, congratulations. your prize is me kicking your ass when you stop bleeding.”

“mean,” your brain orders your lips to smile, but all you actually manage is a crooked twitch.

“you haven’t seen mean.” his hand presses harder. “stay with me and i’ll show you.”

sam’s jacket goes over you. then his hands are under your knees and behind your shoulders, and dean shifts to keep pressure while they lift. 

the world breaks open.

you do scream then, or maybe you only think you do. the sound tears your throat raw either way. dean curses, sam says sorry over and over, and you hate them a little for moving you, then love them for not stopping, because stopping means dying on a dirty factory floor beside a dead thing with too many teeth, and you’ve always privately hoped your death would be more dramatic than that. more meaningful. less damp.

your boots drag once. dean barks at sam to watch the door. sam barks back that he has it. their voices keep knocking against each other above you, familiar and frantic, and you hold onto the rhythm because the rest of you feels unstitched.

outside, the cold hits your face so sharply that you gasp.

“there she is,” dean says. “keep those eyes open.”

you do. for maybe two seconds.

the path to the car stretches forever. gravel crunches. rain starts again, light and mean, spotting sam’s jacket across your chest. you can see the impala ahead, black and shining under the thin moon, and for some ridiculous reason you think about how dean’s going to be pissed if you bleed all over the backseat.

“sorry,” you mumble.

“for what?” sam asks, breathless.

“car.”

dean makes a sound near your ear. “are you apologizing to the car right now?”

he opens the back door with one hand while sam lowers you in. it’s clumsy. awful. dean slides in after you without hesitation, dragging you half across his lap, one hand jammed against your side. sam takes the driver’s seat. even through the fog, you understand what that means. dean lets sam drive when the world’s ending or when he’s too broken to pretend his hands belong on the wheel.

the engine roars to life. gravel spits under the tires. your head lolls against dean’s shoulder, and he catches your chin with two fingers, forcing your face up. “nuh-uh. you don’t sleep.”

words tumble from your lips that don’t sound like anything at all. bossy, is what you wanted to muster out.

“you think you get to throw yourself in front of me and then take a nap? that’s rude as hell.”

sam’s eyes flash in the rearview mirror. “dean.”

“what? she likes it when i’m mean.”

you’d smile again, now. the muscles don’t move. 

the road sways. streetlights smear gold through the rain-streaked windows. dean keeps talking, each sentence sharper than the last, rough enough that someone else might think he’s angry at you. you know better. dean’s fear has always worn anger as a jacket because anger has pockets. anger can carry a knife. fear just stands there empty-handed.

“you still owe me twenty bucks from that pool game in omaha,” he says. “and don’t think i forgot. you die on me, i’m collecting from your stash.”

sam takes a corner too fast. your stomach rolls. pain flares white, and for a second there’s no car, no rain, no dean. only your body begging to stop.

“sam,” dean barks, suddenly not mean at all.

“i’m going as fast as i can.”

“go faster.”

“i am!”

the motel is only eight minutes away. maybe ten. it feels longer than every year you’ve been alive. 

you listen to dean’s heartbeat because your ear is against his chest now. it pounds too fast. too human. too scared. his hand is warm and wet where it holds you together, and you wonder if he can feel you slipping under his palm.

“dean,” you manage.

“yeah, i’m here.”

“you okay?”

his breath catches.

then his face comes down close to yours, his cheek rough against your temple for one second, and his voice turns wrecked and furious. “you don’t ask me that right now. you hear me? you do not get to ask me that.”

you want to say you pushed him because he’s your brother. because he would’ve done it for you. because sam would’ve done it for either of you. because this family is a series of bodies stepping in front of other bodies, and you learned the choreography before you were old enough to know there was another way to love someone. instead, your eyes close.

dean says your name. sam says it too.

then everything goes quiet.

when you wake, the first thing you notice is the ceiling. not the pain. not at first. just the ceiling with its ugly popcorn texture and the brown water stain shaped vaguely, stupidly. the motel room is dark except for the blue-gray light leaking around the curtains and the dim yellow lamp near the bathroom. rain taps the window in thin little clicks. your mouth tastes awful. copper and stale air. your body feels too heavy. then the pain arrives.

it comes slowly, not the bright slash from before, but a deep, pulsing misery that wraps around your side and digs in with every breath. your fingers twitch against the blanket. the movement is tiny, but it’s enough. dean wakes instantly.

he’s on the floor beside the bed, back against the mattress, one knee bent, gun loose in his hand. his head snaps up so fast you wonder if he ever really slept. his face is rough with exhaustion, eyes red, hair flattened on one side. there’s blood under his fingernails. your blood.

“hey,” he says, and the word falls apart in the middle.

you try to answer. nothing comes out.

he reaches for the glass on the nightstand, then hesitates as if terrified moving too fast will break you. “water. small sip.”

he helps lift your head. the water is warm and tastes faintly of paper cup, and it’s the best thing you’ve ever had. you swallow twice before he pulls it away.

“don’t chug it,” he mutters. “you’ll puke, and i’m not ready for that.”

your mouth moves before sound shows up. “coward.”

dean freezes. then his face crumples for half a second, so quick you might miss it if you weren’t looking right at him. he laughs once under his breath, no joy in it yet. just relief. “there she is.”

across the room, sam’s asleep in a crooked wooden chair, his long body folded badly, head hanging forward at an angle that guarantees a brutal neck ache. one hand still rests on an open first-aid kit on the table. the other is curled around his phone, screen dark. he looks younger in sleep, but not peaceful. never peaceful. his brows are drawn together, his mouth tight, as if worry followed him under.

dean follows your gaze and softens despite himself. “he’s okay. got clipped, nothing bad. he passed out about forty minutes ago. wouldn’t lie down because he’s an idiot.”

“family trait.”

“yeah, apparently.”

you shift again, trying to understand your body, and pain flashes hot enough to make your vision spot. dean’s on his knees in a second, hand hovering over your shoulder, not touching until he knows where it will hurt less.

“don’t move.”

“what happened?”

his jaw flexes. he looks toward your bandaged side, and you follow the glance despite the dread.

your shirt is gone, replaced with one of dean’s old black tees cut open along the side. thick bandages wrap your middle, bulky and clean now, though rusty red has already started to bloom through one layer. beneath that, you can feel the pull of stitches, tight and ugly.

“we patched you up,” dean says.

“hospital?”

“too far. too many questions. wound missed the worst stuff by a miracle.” his voice goes flat at the edges. “sam cleaned it. i stitched.”

you blink at him. “you?”

his eyes don’t quite meet yours. “yeah.”

your throat tightens in a way that has nothing to do with thirst. “dean…”

“don’t start.”

“is it bad?”

“the stitching? yeah. objectively terrible.” he swallows. “scar’s gonna be nasty.”

sam wakes with a sharp inhale before you can say anything. the chair creaks violently under him, and he looks around with wild eyes until he sees you awake. then he’s up too fast, nearly knocking the first-aid kit off the table.

“hey. hey, don’t—” dean starts.

sam ignores him, coming to the other side of the bed and crouching so he can see your face. “how do you feel?”

“amazing,” you whisper. “thinking of taking up jogging.”

sam’s mouth trembles. he presses it into a line, nods as if accepting this medical information with great seriousness. “okay. terrible, then.”

“neck?”

“what?”

“your neck. the chair looks mean.”

for some reason, that breaks him worse than anything else. his eyes go bright, and he looks down, one hand covering his mouth for a second. when he looks back up, he is holding himself together with visible effort. “you almost died,” he manages.

the room goes still. dean looks away. you know it already. you felt it in the car, in the way the dark came for you, soft and patient. but hearing sam say it makes the truth land in the room with all three of you. not as a possibility. as a fact with wet hair and bloody hands.

“but i didn’t,” you say.

“that’s not the point,” dean snaps, too fast.

your eyes move to him. there’s the lecture. the anger he’s been sharpening because terror is too blunt to use. dean gets to his feet, then seems to realize pacing will make him look frantic, so he stops beside the bed and crosses his arms instead. 

“what the hell were you thinking?”

sam exhales. “dean—”

“no, don’t dean me. she shoved me out of the way.”

“because there was a monster above you,” you say, voice thin.

“yeah, i got that part.”

“then maybe say thank you.”

his eyes flash. “thank you? you want a thank you? fine. thank you for taking a claw to the gut. thank you for bleeding out in the back of my car. thank you for scaring ten years off my life. that work for you?”

you flinch. dean’s loud all the time. but you flinch because underneath it, he sounds young. not your older brother. not cocky, leather-jacket, classic-rock pain in your ass. child young. the kind of young he must’ve been the first time your dad handed him a gun and told him you and sam were his job.

your eyes burn. 

dean sees it and looks immediately miserable, which almost makes it worse. “i’m sorry,” he says, voice dropping. “i’m not—i don’t mean…”

“you mean it,” you say quietly.

he rubs a hand over his mouth. “yeah. i mean it. i mean… what the hell, kid?”

sam sits carefully on the edge of the other bed, facing you, hands clasped between his knees. “you saved dean’s life.”

dean makes a sharp sound.

“you did,” sam says, not looking away from you. “and we know why you did it. nobody’s saying you should’ve stood there and watched him get hurt.”

“i’m saying,” dean cuts in, “that i’m supposed to be the one taking hits for you.”

“that’s not a rule.”

“yes, it is.”

the answer is so immediate, so certain, that it knocks the breath out of you.

sam’s expression folds with pain. he reaches for your hand, fingers closing around yours, warm and careful. “you’re our little sister.”

“i’m a hunter too.”

“i know,” sam says. “we know. tonight proved that.”

“then don’t say it like i’m not allowed to choose.”

“you are,” he says, and that gentleness hurts because he means it. “but we’re allowed to hate that choice. we’re allowed to be scared.”

dean lets out a bitter laugh. “scared doesn’t cover it.”

your eyes fill before you can stop them. you’re too tired to swallow it back, too sore to turn your face away with any dignity. the tears slip hot into your hairline, and dean’s anger vanishes so fast it leaves him looking hollow.

“hey,” he says, softer. “no, don’t. you’ll pull something.”

sam squeezes your hand.

“i didn’t want him to die,” you say, and it’s the stupidest, smallest explanation, barely anything, but it’s all you have. “i just saw it and moved. i didn’t think.”

dean sits on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle you. his shoulders slump. “i know.”

“i’m not sorry.”

his eyes close.

“i’m sorry you got scared,” you add, voice shaking now. “i’m sorry about the blood and the car and the crappy scar. i’m sorry sam had to drive because that means we’re all traumatized forever.”

sam huffs out a laugh that sounds dangerously close to a sob.

“but i’m not sorry i pushed you.”

dean opens his eyes. for once, he has no fast answer. no insult. no joke with teeth. just that look he usually buries under bad attitude.

the tears keep coming, quiet and embarrassing. you aren’t even crying neatly. your chin wobbles, your breathing stutters, and every shaky inhale pulls at the stitches until pain glows beneath the bandages. sam reaches up to wipe your cheek with his thumb, and that makes it worse for some reason. dean looks at you for one more second before his face breaks open with helpless affection and fear.

“come here,” you whisper.

both of them freeze.

“what?”

“hug,” you say, because you might die of humiliation if they deny it. “teary hug. now.”

they move slowly. sam climbs onto the bed first, careful around the wounded side, one arm sliding behind your shoulders with the lightest pressure possible. dean takes the other side, awkward as hell, one knee on the mattress, one hand braced near your hip so he doesn’t lean on you. 

it’s barely a hug at first.  then sam presses his face into your hair. dean’s hand curls around the back of your head. and suddenly it’s real.

you cry harder, silently, because making noise hurts too much. sam murmurs nonsense into your hair, low and broken, telling you you’re okay, you’re here, they’ve got you. dean says nothing for a while. he just holds on, his thumb moving once against your temple as if checking that you’re still warm.

“you ever do that again,” he says eventually, voice rough, “i’m grounding you.”

you sniff. “i’m an adult.”

“don’t care.”

“can’t ground a hunter.”

“watch me.”

you close your eyes, tucked between them, pain and relief tangled so tightly you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. you’re still scared. you thought waking up would end it, but your body remembers the floor, the blood, dean’s hands pressing hard enough to hurt, sam’s voice cracking when he said your name… you’re safe now, or as safe as a winchester gets.

later, there are fresh bandages. painkillers from a bottle with someone else’s name on it. sam reheats soup in the motel microwave and pretends not to hover while you take four whole bites under threat of dean ‘airplaning the spoon’ like the world’s worst nurse. dean changes his shirt but not before you catch him scrubbing your blood off his hands in the sink for too long. 

for the next few hours, they become unbearable in opposite directions. sam keeps track of your fever, your pulse, your pain level, and the timing of every pill with the grim focus of a medical student. dean pretends he isn’t fussing while absolutely fussing, adjusting the blanket with a scowl, cutting your food into smaller pieces, putting a trash can near the bed in case you get sick, then acting offended when you call him sweet.

“i’m not sweet.”

“you tucked me in.”

“you were shivering.”

“sweet.”

“drugged. you’re drugged and confused.”

“sweetheart, even.”

sam makes a strangled noise into his coffee.

dean points at him. “laugh and you’re the one getting stabbed next.”

but he does not leave the bed for long. neither of them does. sam eventually stretches out on the other mattress, one arm flung over his eyes, but his hand stays near the space between the beds. dean returns to the floor because apparently that’s where he has decided he lives now, back against your mattress, head tilted just enough that you can see the exhaustion pulling at him.

the rain lets up near dawn.

you drift in and out, carried by painkillers and the soft scrape of sam turning pages in a book he isn’t really reading. every time you wake, one of them notices. every time you shift, one of them tells you not to. it makes something tender ache under your ribs, somewhere away from the wound. because being loved by them is heavy. too heavy sometimes. it pins you down, wraps you up, steals the room from your lungs. but it’s also dean sleeping on the floor because he wants to be the first thing danger has to climb over. it’s sam ruining his neck in a motel chair because looking away feels worse than pain. it’s mean jokes in the backseat, shaking stitches, soup from a microwave, and two brothers pretending they aren’t hovering while hovering severely.

you let them fuss. just this once.

outside, morning settles over the motel in thin gold strips, and for a while, nobody asks you to be brave.

But he had no file.

That was the problem.

The man sitting across from you in Room 7 did not exist in any official capacity.

No intake form. No admission date. No next of kin. No medication chart. No incident history. No diagnosis. No discharge status.

Only a photograph tucked inside his brother’s file with half the page burned away.

And one handwritten note beneath it:

Do not separate them.

You sat with your knees together, notebook balanced on your lap, pen held too tightly between your fingers. The room smelled of antiseptic, rain, old linen, and something warmer beneath it, something almost impossible inside a psychiatric ward. Amber. Skin. Smoke that had never touched fire.

He sat on the patient’s bed, one bare foot resting against the floor, the other leg bent lazily beneath him. His white institutional shirt was unbuttoned at the throat. His dark hair fell slightly over his eyes, not enough to hide them. Nothing about him looked restrained, though the room had been built for containment.

Padded walls. Bolted bed. Reinforced glass. No loose furniture except your chair.

And him.