#choiminho

You feel stupid for not having noticed it earlier, for being so close-minded that you had observed the life of being with an idol only superficially. If you had known, then you doubt you would have rejected Taemin’s advances or his proposal anyway, but you wish you knew what you were getting yourself into from the get-go. He had a way to charm; he was cheeky and cute and his smile had this boyish charm to it. Now he’s like a brick wall, unsociable, and everything you say to him only receives one word answers. You never know if he’s actually listening to you and it frustrates you to no end.

The look Kkong gives you and the nudge of her head tells you to get out of your head and feed her. Because you may as well be the catsitter, the amount of communication you get from Taemin. So you do. You get up, grab the cat's food bowls and walk into the kitchen. As you open the cupboard, you let out a long sigh, grabbing the wet food and emptying it into the bowls. Kkong is already at your feet so you bend down and let her eat as you run your hand along her body. Ddaeng is nowhere to be seen so you call out for him and when he doesn’t come, you worry. You put the food bowl down on the side and start walking around the apartment, calling his name frantically like a lunatic. When you get to the bedroom, you hear a muffled meow from the bathroom so you open it quickly. Ddaeng is sat there looking up at you and you swear you’re going to kill Taemin. You left before him today because you had extra work to catch up on. So that means Ddaeng’s been stuck in the bathroom all day. You bend down to pick up your baby and talk to him, telling him it’s okay and then walk to the kitchen with him in your arms, popping him down on the counter and letting him eat on there. He deserves it after the day he had.

You sit back down on the sofa and turn on the TV, staring at it completely immersed in thought and you just can’t believe Taemin had locked Ddaeng in the bathroom. You stew on it and get angrier and angrier, minutes of stewing turn into hours and during that time, Kkong and Ddaeng come and busy themselves in your lap. The sound of the door pin being inserted and the door opening catches your attention. Taemin comes in silence and ignores you, walking straight to the bedroom after he changed his shoes to slippers.

You turn off the TV and grab both cats, one under each arm, earning a squeak from Kkong, which you are quick to apologise for. Taemin is already face planted on the bed, clothes unchanged: messy hair, which is now brown and long, one slipper hanging on for its dear life, a white wrinkled t-shirt with sweat stains from dancing, and grey joggers—joggers that left nothing to the imagination—and you just couldn’t help but stare and then tell yourself off for thinking things that were so not appropriate for your mood. Blinking in disbelief, you walk over to the bed and sit down, letting the babies free as they prance over to Taemin. You can’t help but call them traitors in your head. “Taemin?” you say, trying to take the edge off your voice.

He lifts his head only slightly before making a grunt and lazily stretching his hand out to pet the cat. You smile, hoping the lingering side-eye you give him warns of best behaviour. “Ddaeng was stuck in the bathroom all day.” You tell him, trying to swallow down the venom that is coating your tongue.

“Why?”

Inexplicable fury blooms in your chest. "YOU—" You need to calm down if you want this conversion to go anywhere. “You trapped him in there. I know you don’t care about me, but you could at least care about the cats!”

He sighs. “He’s fine, though.” Taemin's apathetic behaviour irritates you and a scream is threatening to come out, clawing its way up your throat. You hold it in and put your head in your hands at wit’s ends.

"Still, you need to be responsible. He’s a cat, not a human. If he’s stuck, he can’t get out, and he could have hurt himself trying.” You say reproachfully, stuck on the fact that he won’t just say sorry and that he won’t do it again.

Taemin sits up suddenly and shoots you a glare, brat, and he walks off to the bathroom. You hear him turn on the water and brush his teeth and you can’t get over the fact that he just walked off and glared at you. Taemin has always been like this; he always sulks when being told off and never takes responsibility for his actions. At first, you thought it was cute. He’d pout and pout and wrinkle his nose until you let it go without an apology. But you got sick of it soon because he wouldn’t let it go if it was the other way around. Whatever, you also need to brush your teeth, so you follow, and when you get in the bathroom, you open your mouth to tell him to give your tooth brush, but he cuts you off, starting harshly, “Stop going on about it. I just want to go to sleep. Just-ease up.” ending tiredly.

So you say nothing and somehow your heart clenches and you feel it throbbing. through your body resonating in your chest and you think you heard it crack. No, it is just the toothpaste lid. Taemin’s gotten your tooth brush and put a pea of toothpaste on it. He shoves it into your hand and you start brushing your teeth mechanically, like a robot. But, even after brushing your teeth, you still have a bitter taste lingering in your mouth.

When you’re both done, neither of you speak and you both get into bed, turning away from each other like a brick wall has been put up. It fucking hurts. It hurts more to cry. More, because Taemin knows. He can hear each breath as it's hiccuped out of your chest, and if you tried to hold it, he’d listen to your silence instead, and in the end, maybe you would explode all over him. You can’t hold this in forever. You can’t feel neglected forever and never say anything; maybe you’re just being dramatic. But still, it hurts.

~

In the morning, you’re woken up by lazy, clumsy kisses peppered all over your face. You barely open your eyes, squinting at the light coming through the bedroom window. You squirm and try to turn over, still upset over last night but Taemin’s hand on your waist stops you and pulls a squeak out of your mouth and you’re slammed back on your back after not getting very far out at all. He pushes himself up against your side, flush against you, and you can feel him.

His peppered kisses turn into sloppy, wet, open-mouthed ones, trailing down your neck as his hand carefully pulls up your top and trails his hand over your stomach, humming into your neck in delight. Your body is flushing hot with arousal; you have missed Taemin. Every part of him—his virility, his soft lips, and his dick. It has been so long; you felt like a nun living in celibacy.

He nibbles lightly on the skin of your collarbone before licking a stripe up your neck and nibbling on your ear. His hand travels down to your heat and he chuckles and takes his hand out of the equation. “Wet already? Did you dream of me.” Smug and confident, he whispered it in your ear. And you can’t speak completely under his spell, heart pounding, with no coherent sentences ready to be formed.

When he finally detaches from your neck, he’s on his next conquest, mouthing all around your breasts, sucking, and biting, and you find it hard to stay still. You squirm and writhe but he holds you still, hands on your hips so brusingly tight. He looks up, lust and hunger in his gaze and smirks. He finds it so funny. Taemin loves teasing you; he treats it like a sport when he can. He gets back to work and lays his tongue flat on your nipple, licking a line and then twirling his tongue around it, his teeth barely nipping. And you whine, jutting your hips up, wanting some release for your core—something to fill you up hot and heavy.

Taemin bathes in the sounds you make; he loves hearing them so he rewards you with a kiss so soft compared to the grip he has on you and you want more; you need to feel that connection. You wonder if you’re the only one whos been sexually frustrated because somehow Taemin is fine apart from his throbbing boner, hot and hard on the side of your thigh, a type of self-control that is inexplicable. You cry out, wanting more of his lips on yours so you reach for his long hair and yank it slightly, unsure if he’d like it. However, you’re pleasantly surprised when he lets out a low growl and his pupils expand. You marvel in amazement.

“So needy,” Taemin tutted and bent down, nipping on your bottom lip and dipping the tip of his tongue between your lips and you relish in his mouth, nibbling and sucking on his top lip and letting out a deep, content breath out of your nose. Your fingers slide in deeper, tangling in his soft, messy hair, surrounding them in his hair and jerking lightly, making the erection between his legs throb against your thigh. You feel like you are in a daze, eyes closed, lips moving lazily against Taemin’s.

Taemin moves away from the kiss and slides his hand into your pyjama shorts and he slowly circles around your clit, sending white heat all over. You move your hands from his hair and grab Taemin's shirt; you know not to interrupt his teasing, your hands twisted up and twisting up further in the white cloth as he uses his other hand to fill your mouth with his fingers, making you moan and your eyes roll back. Taemin loves watching you; he loves voyeurism; he gets off on it; he loves videoing, making sex tapes only to watch them over and over on tour, getting lost in your sounds, face, and body. He once told you that you’re face was perfect for porn. You were offended at first but he explained that you look ethereal while he’s ploughing you in.

Taemin dips his fingers down and teases your hole, dipping in and out of it as you nibble on his finger, wanting him to speed up. But he didn't; instead, he pushed his fingers deeper into your mouth, pressing on the back of your tongue, making you gag, and pulling a deep breathy chuckle from Taemin’s lips. “Calm down,” he demands, with a smile playing on his lips. He is so cruel, but you can’t lie and say it doesn’t get you off. He slips his finger into your hole, finding that spongy flesh and fingering in and out, hitting the right spot over and over as his thumb rubs circles around your clit. Then another finger inside you, in and out.

“Please,” you beg, pulling Taemin’s top over his head and losing him for a second. He smirks at you and pulls his boxers off.

Before you knew what was going on, Taemin had pulled his fingers out, pulled your shorts off, and grabbed your hips as he bent your legs and as he settled down into you, a string of curses and a deep grunt fell out of his mouth as he closed his eyes for a second, letting the feeling take over his body. The feeling was almost too intense, electricity sprialing from your feet to your head, your thoughts clouded, and your pussy desperately begging for some movement as you clenched around him. Taemin seemed to know what you wanted, his hips rolling in one swift motion, thighs pressing against your arse, and his short fingernails lightly scratching over your skin as his fingers dug in.

“I missed you,” Taemin groaned lowly as you gaze at his dick, appearing and disappearing inside of you again and again, the view being the most pleasurable thing you have seen in a while. You have spent so much time watching porn in the past few months that you feel overwhelmed to see a real dick going in and out of you, toes curling into the sheets as you try to not cum straight away.

“You too,” you manage to mumble in a half moan, voice trembling, hands clawing Taemin’s back as you want him deeper inside you. Taemin tries not to let you have your way, but seeing you move so sensually, lifting your hips to try and get him in deeper, your bottom lip stuck between your teeth, eyes hazy and glazed, and strands of hair falling into your face and sticking slightly as small beads of sweat have started forming at your hairline. It makes it hard for him to keep the pace slow.

You have to admit that the sight of Taemin is very appealing—the best view you ever had the honour of seeing. His back feels very soft and taut beneath your palms, making you want to continue touching him, explore the lines of muscles and relearn his body all over again.

“You said I don’t care about you. Do you feel cared for now?” Taemin teases as he takes his dick out of you and before you can whine, he pushes his dick back into your entrance and snaps his hips into you suddenly making you breathless and sending prickles of heat through your body. You run your tongue over your body lip, feeling dry from marvelling up at Taemin because he looks so good right now—golden skin droplets of sweat falling down his face, beautifully catching at his philtrum, making you want to lick it. Such a strong carnal urge takes over you as you grab the back of his head and pull him down into a kiss, not wanting to listen to him talk any more.

Taemin lifts your legs up to his shoulders, making an amazing deepness hitting that spot over and over again. The angle is nearly too much for you, as Taemin leans from the kiss and starts playing with your clit, making you clench around him and earning a groan, sending you off a cliff. You can feel Taemin’s weight inside you; his thrusts are getting more intense and sharp, building up, pushing you down into the mattress; the pressure inside you is building up and the muscles in your abdomen are contracting. Your brain is not functioning fully under the influence of arousal and Taemin. You can feel your orgasm about to come crashing, heart pounding insanely in your chest, feeling like it was about to crack a rib.

Your head lolling back, eyes closed so you don’t have to see how erotic Taemin looks, and your spine arching, welcoming Taemin in deeper as the pressure builds up, coiling, and you’re so close, heavily panting, your nails scratching at his back as you try and take the pounding.

Taemin’s groans and teasing words rolling like waves straight to your core, as he speeds up faster chasing his own orgasm, you take your hands and grab the sheets as he’s pounding you up the bed and white stars flashed behind your eyes as you came undone. Taemin’s relentless pounding didn’t stop; instead, he groans as you tighten and spasm under him, letting out helpless cries and he rides you out on your orgasm. “Look at me,” he instructs, his voice so gruff and demanding that you can’t help but oblige. He whispers dirty, sweet nothings, and then his orgasm hits him hard as his body tenses up, mouth parted open, moans falling out, and his forehead creases, making him look so beautiful and fucked out as sweat drips down his golden chest and his slightly pink face glows in the sun that is cascading through the window.

He clings to you, laboured breaths hitting your lips, his forehead pressed against yours and his eyes so glassy as he looks into your eyes lovingly. “I love you,” he laughs lowly and pulls you towards him, his tongue slowly licking along your bottom lip and then giving you a proper kiss. The kiss is sweet. Taemin places his hand on your cheek as he pulls himself out, sending shivers down your spine and pulling staggered moans from him.

He lays down next to you and pulls your head to play on his chest as you listen to his heart pounding. You look up at him. “I love you too, but what was that for?” you ask cheekily.

“I’m sorry for being a dick; you know what I get like during a comeback but it doesn’t mean you should get used to it. I’ll try and get better, more tolerable, and treat you better. Also, where is your engagement ring?” He apologises and stokes strands of hair out of your face.

“Your maid took it off while cleaning,” You tell him, insinuating that you are his maid, which, he doesn’t find funny. He pouts so you press up on one of your hands to get closer to his face and press a soft kiss to his lips as you say, “I hope you do. What time is it, by the way?”

He stretches his arm out and grabs his phone, checking the time: “five-forty-five.”

Your eyes pop out of your head as you moan, “I could have been sleeping; why’d you get me up so early?"

“You weren’t moaning about the time ten minutes ago," he tells you and you can't help but laugh at him and snuggle into his chest as he strokes your hair.

---

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

Feel free to ask questions on twitter: 0rgell

Jonghyun wasn’t even drunk. There were alcoholic drinks on the table in the cramped karaoke room, but Taemin knew for a fact that he didn’t drink any of them, not even a sip. He was driving tonight, and if there was one thing Jonghyun was, it was responsible.

If he were drunk, it would’ve been easier to accept, maybe, that Jonghyun seemed to only have eyes for everyone but him. Maybe in a drunken haze, Jonghyun thought the girl’s eyes were pretty, and he decided to have some fun with her tonight and forget about her the next morning. He’s done it time and time again, Taemin heard, but it was the first time it was happening in front of his eyes, and it stung.

But Jonghyun wasn’t drunk.

He was into this girl for real, he wasn’t in any drunken state to make him irrational. He liked this girl enough to let her straddle him in the middle of the fucking karaoke room.

The burning intensified.

Although hurt, Taemin tried his hardest to keep his tears from flowing. He smiled and sang along and even danced with everyone to all the happy songs in the karaoke machine. He focused on the lyrics on the screen and held his microphone tight, he sipped on mocktails, and occasionally, he’d nervously rub his thighs with his hands just to focus on something else but Jonghyun.

Despite the age gap between Taemin and the rest, he didn’t feel out of place, even if he was the youngest and they were sometimes treating him like a little kid that needed to be doted on. Jonghyun treated him the same way.

Maybe that was the problem. Jonghyun never saw him as a man, he’s only ever seen the cute, innocent, young Taemin who needs protecting from the big scary world. Jjong was more than willing to offer that protection, but not in the way Taemin wanted it. He assumed the ‘big brother’ role and rolled around with it while Taemin’s feelings grew and grew, to the point where it became painful to be around Jonghyun without clinging to him.

That night, Taemin kept swallowing back his tears, but the burning in his eyes just kept getting worse. He started rubbing them repeatedly, but it would do nothing to ease the discomfort he was feeling.

Eventually, he decided to go home early, made up a pointless excuse no one would remember and headed straight to the door.

“Taem.” Jonghyun called to him, making him turn his head around. Fuck, he hated this. He hoped he could get out without having to see that girl straddling him again, but it appears Jjong unintentionally wanted to remind him one more time that his lap would never be Taemin’s place.

“Yeah?”

“Need me to drive you?”

Yes.

“No.”

“Let us know you’re home safe, then. Mkay?”

“Sure thing.” Taemin faked a smile and got out quickly.

Fuck, he was barely able to see. His eyes hurt, and everything was blurry. The lights hurt him. He rushed home, and he didn’t even know how he got there with how little he was able to see.

Going to the bathroom, he looked in the mirror and almost had a heart attack. His eyes were blood shot; it looked like all his veins in them popped open. Shit, it was scary.

He started googling out symptoms, but nothing checked out. He didn’t think he was allergic to anything he drank tonight; his eyes weren’t necessarily dry, and he didn’t have any allergies or infections (that he was aware of, anyway), so… why was he looking so horrible?

Maybe he was under too much stress. He did have a hard time at Uni lately, and even if his older friends assured him that it’s normal to be stressed in your last year and that everything would be okay, he kept thinking that maybe they were wrong. Maybe he was that one-off case you read about in the news - the young man who gets so stressed, he has a heart attack. He did smoke a bit too much lately, and smoking is a risk factor for the development of blood clots, if he remembers right.

Fuck, maybe he’s dying.

He was trying his hardest to remember how he got in this state. He met Jjong and the rest, they went to karaoke, then Minho called up some girls who turned up, and then that one brunette got on Jonghyun’s lap and-

Ouch. He pressed his hand on his heart and felt his eyes burning up again.

Right.

He started feeling this way when he noticed how much Jonghyun seemed to enjoy that girl’s company, how into her kisses he was, how he couldn’t seem to get enough, so he pressed her against his crotch right there in front of him, how-

Taemin couldn’t think about it anymore; the burning got so intense, he started blinking repeatedly and rubbing his eyes. It was so weird. He wanted to cry, to let it all go and feel his emotions just as he’d always do, but something was wrong this time, for instead of tears, a single, pale green star-shaped thing fell from his left eye.

He managed to catch it before it went down the sink’s drain, and confused, he started inspecting the little thing.

Sure enough, it was a star. A slightly greenish star with five corners.

Bewildered, he tried to touch it with his fingers, but as soon as he did, the small star shattered with a crystalline sound right on his palm.

He looked back in the mirror, and as if by miracle, his eyes returned to their normal colour. They were no longer blood shot and irritated; it was as if he'd imagined the whole thing.

~

The next day, Taemin went to Uni feeling more confused than ever. He’s asked around to see if he’s able to find anything about his condition, as Google didn’t prove to be too useful in his quest. He even went to the infirmary to ask the nurse if she’d ever heard of this before, but she just shrugged and told him to stop taking drugs while it’s still early enough, and that she can help him if he’ll let her.

But hell, he was not high. He didn’t take any drugs. Not willingly, anyway.

Maybe there was something in his drink?

Yeah, that’s the only logical explanation.

Maybe he did dream about everything.

After all, who’s ever heard of crying stars?

~

“Taeminnie!” Jonghyun exclaimed. “Thank God I’m here early. I came to get you. Would’ve missed you if I came by 10 minutes too late. Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“Jjong?” Taemin looked perplexed.

“Did you hit your head?” He ruffled the younger’s hair lovingly, then grabbed the straps of his backpack and forced him to take it off his back. Taemin complied.

“No, I didn’t.” He rearranged his hair while Jonghyun put the backpack on his own shoulder. “But why are you here?”

“Well, for starters, you didn’t message me last night.”

“My phone ran out.” He shrugged.

“And you’re not picking up today.”

“Left it on silent and I didn’t see you calling.”

“You little liar.” Jonghyun ruffled his hair again. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Taemin blushed and turned his head away.

“Did you have fun last night?” He asked, but as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he regretted it.

He didn’t want to know.

“Oh, yeah. I went to Amber’s after dropping everyone else home, had a few drinks, had some fun with her. You know, just the usual.”

“Mhm.” Taemin nodded, swallowing back the lump in his throat. His eyes started to burn again, similarly to last night.

What if it wasn’t a dream after all?

“But enough about me! I want to know how you’re doing. Feels like we haven’t talked in ages!”

“Well, you’re always busy.” Taemin shrugged.

“Don’t be upset, Taeminnie. I made time for you today, haven’t I?”

“Where are we going, anyway?” Taemin stopped in front of Jonghyun’s car, confused by his friend's demeanour.

“Well, since it’s Friday, I thought I’d do you a favour and get you out of the house more.”

“I’m always out of the house with you and the others, though.” Taemin retorted.

“Yeah, but that’s no fun, is it? I meant just the two of us.”

Taemin blushed, and he felt the burning in his eyes suddenly stop.

They hopped in the car and Jonghyun clicked on his playlist, familiar tunes filling the empty space in-between their chats and their laughter.

“The beach?” Taemin asked with a raise of his brow when he looked out the window and saw seagulls.

“Yeah. You told me you haven’t been in years, so I decided, heck, I don’t have any work today, so why the hell not? Good idea, right?”

Taemin scoffed and laughed briefly as they finally reached a parking place.

“Well, I’m glad to be here, but I’m also starving.”

“Of course, I thought about that as well, who do you think I am?” Jonghyun rolled his eyes and opened the trunk, taking out a picnic basket.

“Jjong, it’s freezing. Are we having a picnic?” Taemin laughed enthusiastically and clapped briefly.

“I know the taste of my food will overwhelm all the other senses. Besides, there’s blankets for us, and I even got two coats, just in case.”

Yeah, that’s why Taemin fell in love with Jonghyun in the first place. His attention to detail, to whatever Taemin talks about; he remembers everything, even the small details, and he’s so damn attentive. It’s impossible to not fall in love with such a man.

Even if he doesn’t feel the same.

The burning came back with this thought, but Taemin was quick to shake it away as soon as Jonghyun linked their arms, dragging him towards the beach.

“Now it’s time to take your shoes off.” Jonghyun commanded and pointed to Taemin’s feet while he took his own shoes off himself.

“Jjong, it’s freezing.”

“Taem, we’re at the beach. You don’t walk on fine sand with shoes on, that would be such a waste.”

“Fine. But if I’m catching a cold, you have to nurse me back to health.”

“Not like I have a choice. You’re always soooo clingy when you’re sick!” Jonghyun ruffled his hair lovingly.

“Ugh, stop treating me like a child. You’re only 3 years older!” Taemin stuck his tongue out, when Jonghyun quickly grabbed it with his hands.

After some struggle, Taemin managed to get his tongue back in his mouth and made a disgusted face.

“You didn’t even wash your hands!”

“You’ll live. Now, let’s set the table and eat!” Jjong clapped once excitedly and started arranging the blanket on the sand, putting the basket on one of the corners, and dividing their shoes on the other 3 to prevent the blanket from flying away from the wind.

“This looks amazing. When did you even have time to cook this?”

“Well, your birthday is coming soon, so I thought-”

“My birthday?” Taemin laughed. “We’re only in February.”

“Eh, what’s a few months?” Jonghyun waved his hand in the air.

“Your birthday is sooner. Only two months.”

“Then we’re celebrating my birthday. Try this!” He quickly grabbed a tempura shrimp and put it directly in Taemin’s mouth, and the younger chewed it with a smile.

“Wow, this is actually really good!”

“Well, what else did you expect?!”

“You’re the best.” Taemin chuckled.

“I know I am.”

“Your head will grow too big from the praise.” Taemin shook his head.

“Look who’s talking. You adore praise.” Jonghyun retorted with a roll of his eyes.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do. Wanna bet I can make you blush just by praising you?”

“No.” Taemin laughed briefly and tried to focus on the food, but Jonghyun didn’t want to drop it.

“Come on. You’re doing so great, swallowing food like that. Good job, Taeminnie. Should I give you some toast for being such a good boy?”

“Oh, shut it.” Taemin laughed and playfully slapped Jonghyun’s thigh, trying to hide the blush creeping on his cheeks.

Damn, he really was a praise princess.

“The wind is really picking up.” Jonghyun remarked as one of their napkins flew away.

“Yeah. You made sure to have everything prepared but forgot to check the weather.” Taemin laughed, and just then, some sand blew into his mouth. “Ewww!” He tried to spit it all out, unsuccessful, all the while Jonghyun kept laughing at him.

“If you’re done eating, we should go stick our feet in the sea! Walk along the shore, you know the drill.”

“Jjong, it’s freezing.”

“It’s the third time you’ve said that today.”

“And I’ll keep saying it. We’ll definitely catch a cold.”

“Come on, don’t be so negative. We won’t catch a cold. Let’s go!”

“No. You can’t make me stand up.” Taemin shook his head, but Jonghyun would not take no for an answer, so he bent down and picked the younger by his legs, dragging him away from the blanket through the sand.

When Taemin stood up to protest, Jonghyun took advantage and picked him from his waist, placing him right on his shoulder and running away towards the sea.

“You’re fucking crazy!” Taemin shouted with a laugh. Truth is, this is another part of Jjong that made him love him. He was so persuasive, and always found a way to get what he wants. His personality clashed perfectly with Taemin’s, and every time they’d meet, just the two of them, it was impossible for them to not pointlessly fight about something.

Taemin liked it, for it made everything funnier, and time spent with Jjong was always entertaining.

If someone else were to pick him up like that, Taemin would’ve exploded in anger, but with Jjong, everything was different.

“They say birds of a feather fly together, so I guess that means both of us are crazy.” Jonghyun put him down with his feet right in the water, and Taemin grimaced.

“It’s so fucking cold, I’ll die of hypothermia.”

“You’ll die of drama.”

“Better come to my funeral and apologise when that happens.”

“Will do, Taem. I’ll be on my knees begging for your forgiveness for forcing you to stay with your feet in the water.”

“Freezing cold water.” Taemin corrected.

“Come on, it’s getting warmer by the minute.”

“You’re just getting used to it.”

“And aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Taemin chuckled.

“Then, what if I splash you?”

“Jjong, for the millionth time, it’s freezing. Splashing me with water would be the same as taking me to the electric chair for my execution. I’ll genuinely catch a cold.”

“Just pop an ibuprofen and drink some tea and you’ll be fine~!”

“You’re so carefree, aren’t you?”

“Of course! You know I enjoy my life to the fullest!”

“I’m-”

“Let me guess! Freezing!” Jjong started to laugh. “Okay, you win. Let’s get out, Taem.”

They made their way back to their picnic blanket and Taemin looked down at his wet feet that collected sand on the way from the sea to their little space on the beach. He hated the feeling on his feet, but Jonghyun came once again prepared, and pulled out a large water bottle and a towel so they can remove the extra sand stuck on their skin.

“It’s already getting late.” Taemin observed. “Should we go back home?”

“Home?! No way, Taem, you’re stuck with me for the whole weekend!”

“What?!” Taemin gasped. “But Jjong, what about my homework and-”

“Boring~!”

“You little-” Taemin narrowed his eyes and jumped on Jonghyun, starting to tickle him. The older squirmed and begged to be spared, but Taemin wouldn’t have it.

“Okay, okay! Sorry! I just wanted to spend some quality time with my best friend! Sue me!” Jonghyun eventually managed to get out, breathless by the whole ordeal. He was holding his hands on his belly protectively and feared any unexpected movement from Taemin.

“Okay. Let’s say I do ignore all my responsibilities for the weekend to spend time with you. Where do we sleep?”

“I booked a room at an inn somewhere around here.”

“Good, let’s go and rest, I’m tired as fuck.”

The duo headed towards the inn and got to their room in no time. They kept talking about nothing important for a few hours, before finally taking out two futons out of the closet and arranging them neatly on the floor.

“This is quite comfortable, isn’t it?” Jonghyun asked, taking in a deep breath.

“Yeah. It’s really warm.”

“Ahh, I love this place.”

“Have you been here before?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jonghyun chuckled. “With one of my exes. We came here on her birthday a while ago. Honeymoon periods are the best.”

Taemin hummed, but as soon as he heard Jonghyun, he got that weird sensation in his eyes again.

“She was a really nice girl, but we didn’t really work out.”

“Why not?” Taemin asked, although he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know, because with every word coming out of Jonghyun’s mouth, it seemed the pain in his eyes only intensified.

“Well, we wanted different things from life. She wanted to get married and start a family as soon as possible, whereas I…” He hesitated.

“You wanted to live your life first.” Taemin turned to his side to face Jonghyun, even though it was dark, and they couldn’t see each other.

Of course, Taemin knew this fact about his friend all too well. He knew how much he loved the sea, for instance, and how suffocating the big city they lived in could feel at times. He knew Jonghyun would stop at nothing to see what else was out there. He’d head into the big scary world with no hesitation if it meant expanding his horizons.

JJong has always been that type of person who would without a doubt go to the train station and buy the next ticket to nowhere. If given the chance to have some days off work, he’d hop on a train and sit in a window seat, admiring all the sights their little country had to offer: fields, mountains, rivers, sheep, cows… he wanted to enjoy the wide world his own way, by observing and breathing in some fresh air.

It was one of the many reasons that made Taemin fall in love with him. They were so different in this aspect. Taemin preferred comfort; he hated going out of his bubble and trying new things. If he could, he would only go to the same restaurant to have the same meal on the same day of the week for the rest of his life. He knew which buses and trains he had to take to get to the same familiar places, and if he would never have to get out of his mundane day-to-day life, he wouldn’t mind it.

When Jonghyun came along, he challenged Taemin’s whole world. He challenged him to be different, to step out of his comfort zone and experience new things, which was so scary at first, but with each passing day of Jonghyun pushing him around, he started enjoying experimenting.

From new foods to new places, to new museums, to new parks, and even to new people, Jonghyun made it his mission to force Taemin to go out and explore the world around him.

To both of their surprises, it worked. Taemin was more sociable now, and he discovered he appreciated new things as long as Jonghyun was next to him.

That’s how it started, and that’s how he realised his growing feelings for his best friend.

And now, in the warmth of his futon, Taemin couldn’t help but wonder why Jonghyun seemed to have feelings for everyone but him.

“Yes, exactly! She was perfect otherwise. We had great chemistry, she was a looker, smart, funny. Ugh, life is so unfair!” He chuckled, but Taemin could barely focus on his words.

Ugh, this hurts. He rubbed his eyes, and just as Jonghyun started talking again, seemingly surprised that Taemin knew him so well, he excused himself to the bathroom.

Looking in the small mirror, the same redness as last night was present in his eyes. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

If he was unsure of anything last night, he was absolutely certain now that he didn’t have any allergy, dust didn’t get into his eyes—or was it the sand? No, it couldn’t have been—and there was simply no logical explanation.

He was hurt because Jonghyun happened to come to this inn with another girl, and he truly loved her, enough to remember her God knows how many years later.

Ugh.

He started crying again, and just as last night, no tears came out. There was only a twinkle sound, and a couple of green stars, and once he looked back in the mirror, his eyes were back to normal.

He didn’t bother catching the stars this time; he just let them fall in the sink and shatter. He couldn’t understand it. It made no sense.

And why green?

Out of all colours, why were his stars green?

It almost seemed like, because he was jealous…

No, this couldn’t be it.

He returned to the room and tried to brush the thoughts off, but still, he was unable to shut it down.

“Jjong, do you believe that colours have meanings?” He asked all of a sudden, interrupting his friend. He didn’t hear what he was saying anyway.

“Huh? Colours?”

“Yeah. You know, like… emotions. Red is anger, blue is sadness, green is envy…”

“Oh.” Jonghyun chuckled. “I don’t know. I mean, yeah, colours do make me feel something, but… I prefer to focus on the positive meanings instead. Red is love, blue is calmness, green is nature… you know?”

“Tsk, always such an optimist.” Taemin muttered.

“Why did you ask?”

“I don’t know, I just… I was thinking about it.” Taemin smiled sadly and was glad that his friend wasn’t able to see him in the dark.

It would add up. Last night, he felt jealous seeing that girl in his lap, and today, he felt jealous again as soon as Jjong mentioned his ex.

He cried star-shaped tears of jealousy.

But why?

~

“Why are we here again?” Taemin asked, embarrassed.

“To buy a butt plug, of course.” Kibum grinned from ear to ear.

“This is a very weird bonding activity.” Jinki commented, but curiously picked up multiple items from the shelf and analysed them. “Look, this one has a rhinestone in it!”

“I feel like this trip will unlock a new fantasy for Jinki.” Key chuckled, and all the boys started laughing.

They were trying to pick up a gift for Jonghyun, whose birthday was approaching way too quickly, and although all of them prepared some ‘serious’ gifts, like new books or a new vinyl for his pick-up, Kibum suggested buying something else as well — something he would remember.

Thus, the 4 boys were now in a sex shop, browsing through different types of toys, plugs, condoms and whatnot, and Taemin had no idea why he had to be there in the first place. Key could’ve just picked alone.

“What about this one? It has a little reptile tail. It kinds looks like a dinosaur when you squint.”

“Uhm… does it matter what it is? Will he even use it?” Minho chuckled, and Key rolled his eyes.

“Come on, he’s the type who’d definitely experiment with taking things up his ass.”

“Ï don’t know. He’s not you.” Minho said with a snicker.

“Yo, lamppost, I think I’m gonna shove this up your-”

“Okay, okay!” Jinki got between them and pushed them aside. “Let’s just get the rhinestone one.”

“Hyung, you can get it for yourself if you like it that much,” Taemin commented so quietly, it almost came out as a whisper.

“Should I?” Jinki looked at the little box with a lot of concentration in his gaze. “Then, do we get a matching one for Jjong?”

“Why, are you guys fucking?” Minho asked, and Taemin’s heart dropped. Were they?

“God, no. He’s just my friend. I was just saying.”

“Let’s go with the reptile one.” Taemin butted in, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

“That’s what I’m saying! Good choice, Taeminnie!” Key ruffled his hair, annoying him. He was once again treating him like a baby.

~

“Wow, this is certainly… unexpected.” Jonghyun laughed loudly as soon as he tore open the cute pink packaging and saw the small box.

“Taemin picked it for you!” Key grinned, and Taemin immediately wanted to disappear.

“We all went to the shop!” He protested, trying to avert his gaze away from Jonghyun’s.

It didn’t work, for when he raised his eyes again, Jjong was still looking at him with a determined gaze, as if challenging him again.

“What?” Taemin asked, embarrassed.

“Nothing. It’s cute.” Jonghyun smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Why a dinosaur, though?”

“Well, we always say you look like one, so…”

“I like how many shades of green it has. Quite interesting.” Jjong held the buttplug in the air, examining it under the light of the bulb above, and Taemin immediately frowned.

How many shades of green did Jjong see, exactly?

Taemin barely saw one, and even that looked dull.

“It’s so vibrant, too.” Jjong went further, and all the boys around the table nodded in approval.

What…? Taemin shot up and snatched the plug from Jonghyun’s hands.

“What’s wrong?” Jinki asked, concerned.

“N-nothing. Hey, gotta go. Sorry!” Taemin threw the plug on the table and practically ran out the door, not even hearing the 4 boys shouting after him.

He ran and ran and ran until he got home, and once he did, he opened his computer and typed in the word green in the search bar.

It was like his mind was playing tricks on him, as he certainly didn’t remember colours looking so dull and lifeless.

He typed in pink and was met with the familiar vibrance of colour, which made him more confused than ever. Once again, he typed in green.

Dull. Faded.

But why?

Why didn’t it look as it should?

Why?

~

Weeks have passed and with them, the finals were creeping in faster.

There was a lot of studying Taemin had to do, which inevitably meant less time spent with his friends.

Less time spent with Jjong.

Taemin didn’t notice the weeks passing by, as there was just so much to do. What he did notice, though, was that green was no longer that green.

His sight didn’t return to normal, and he still couldn’t understand why.

He was certain it was because of Jjong, because he was now also experiencing the same symptoms with the colour blue, after noticing that this separation was only difficult for him, as Jonghyun didn’t seem to miss him too much.

Taemin cried pale-blue stars every time Jonghyun took too long to reply to his messages.

Blue. Just like his feelings.

It hurt, but what was there to do? Jonghyun didn’t feel the same.

This thought alone made his vision blurry again, all the symptoms of the Star tear disease starting to reappear instantly.

He couldn’t cry again, not when he had so much to study. He had to think about something else.

Fuck, his eyes stung. Again.

Soon enough a few blue stars followed with a twinkle sound as they shattered against his desk.

He was crying stars again, the blue shade way deeper now, and when he was done spilling his sadness, the ink of his pen looked almost black.

He could barely see the colour blue.

~

“It’s finally over!” One of Taemin’s classmates exclaimed, walking leisurely with his hands above his head, stretching with a yawn. “I swear to God, this exam was so long I thought I might pass out.”

“Tell me about it.” Taemin chuckled.

“Oh, isn’t that the dude you were seeing?”

“Hm?” Taemin turned his gaze towards the gate and saw none other than Jonghyun, waiting for him next to his car. “I’m not seeing him.”

“Really? I thought you were an item or something, he used to come here like everyday.”

Yeah, used to. Rang through Taemin’s head. Ever since Jonghyun’s birthday, they’ve barely spent any time together.

A pang made its way through his heart as he looked at the man waiting patiently.

As Jonghyun saw him, he immediately straightened up and showed him the widest smile.

“Taeminnie!” He said, coming closer and ruffling his hair. “Looking good!”

“Likewise.” Taemin smiled shortly. “What are you doing here, Jjong?”

“What, can’t I come see my favourite person?”

My favourite person.

He doesn’t mean it.

“Besides, wasn’t today your last exam?” Jjong continued asking.

“Yeah.”

“See? I remembered. I’m such a good brother.” He boasted proudly. “I’ll treat you to some good food for all your hard work this semester!” Jjong decided, and there was no space for arguing as he instantly opened the door to his car and shoved Taemin inside.

The way to the restaurant was pleasant like usual, and it was like no time has passed at all since they’ve last seen each other, even if, in reality, almost two months passed.

“So, did you miss me?” Jonghyun asked jokingly, his eyes on the road.

“Mhm.”

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you~” He kept teasing Taemin, unaware of the other man’s inner turmoil.

“I didn’t have time to eat, let alone miss anyone.” Taemin replied, looking away through his window. The trees were a dull shade of green, and the sky had almost no colour to it. It was a blue-tinted grey.

“Aww, you’re so mean! I missed you lots, Taeminnie.”

“Good for you.”

“Hey, did I do something wrong?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

“I’m just hungry.”

“Makes sense.” Jonghyun chuckled. “Me too. We’re almost there.”

And Jonghyun was right. They got to the restaurant less than 3 minutes later, the song that started playing on the radio not even having enough time to get to the end.

To his surprise, Jonghyun took him to an extremely fancy restaurant, and they had a reservation.

“Jjong, is this okay?” Taemin whispered as they were being led to a private room. “Seems really expensive.”

“Of course. Everything for my smart friend.” Jjong smiled brightly. “You deserve this for studying so hard these past months.”

They sat down opposite from each other, and plates of food began being brought to them minutes later. It seemed Jonghyun had it all planned to the notch.

“Do you like it?” He asked after a while, both of their faces stuffed with food.

“It tastes incredible.” Taemin replied delighted. “You know, I always thought expensive restaurants were stupid because they serve such small portions, but eating here definitely changed my mind.”

“I’m glad.”

“So, what have you been up to lately, Hyung?” Taemin asked with a smile that dropped as soon as Jonghyun answered.

“Oh, just the usual. Work, work, and work again. But I met someone new, and we’ve been on a couple of dates, and she seems nice enough.”

The food started choking Taemin, who tried to cough the unchewed bits out.

“Wow, you okay?” Jonghyun stood up, rushing to Taemin’s side to pat his back.

“Yeah, I’m fine. You were saying something about a girl?”

“Oh, yes.” Jonghyun sat down right next to Taemin instead of going back to his place on the opposite side of the table, as he excitedly started describing the lucky woman to him, and all the lollygagging they engaged in these past couple of weeks.

Taemin couldn’t eat anymore, and with each of Jonghyun’s words, he tried swallowing his tears back. His heart was hurting. Couldn’t Jonghyun see the turmoil he was putting him through?

“Why did you even take me out?” Taemin mumbled under his breath, unaware that Jjong would hear him.

“What do you mean?” He titled his head unaware. “I told you. You did so well that I had to-”

“You didn’t do this for any of our other friends.” Taemin countered, cutting him off. “You didn’t take Kibum or Minho or Jinki out, even though they had way more exams than me and even finished Uni and their Master’s.”

“N-no, I didn’t…” Jonghyun rubbed his nape awkwardly.

“Then, why? Why did you take me out, just to talk to me about some random girl you’ve been fucking?” The younger asked harshly.

“What do you mean, Taeminnie?”

“Don’t call me that.” He frowned and turned his eyes to the unfinished food on the table, that was sure to stay unfinished, because he wanted to get away.

No, he needed to get away. Now.

Hastily, Taemin stood up and grabbed his backpack from the floor.

“Wait-” Jonghyun followed suit and grabbed his wrist to force him to stop.

“What?” Taemin asked, without even turning to look back.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you meant, but-”

“Oh, fuck this, Jonghyun. You always do this shit!” He spoke harshly, letting go of all the feelings he’d been suppressing in his chest that were making it hard to breathe.

“What did I do? Taemin, look at me, please.” Jonghyun urged him, and he finally looked back, his eyes full of sadness and disappointment.

“You take care of me. You treat me nice. You take me out on dates that you don’t call dates, only to then break my heart and tell me about how much you love someone else. Why, Jonghyun? Why are you doing this to me?”

“Taemin… what’s this?” Jonghyun watched in awe as a bright red star fell from Taemin’s eyes with a twinkle sound.

“Not this again…” Taemin tried to wipe it off, the sound getting more intense as the stars shattered against his fists.

“Holy fuck! What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“I really can’t do this anymore…”

“Stars…?!” Jonghyun kept looking shocked at his friend.

“I’m in love with you, idiot!” Taemin finally confessed, pushing Jonghyun back, and without waiting for a response, he ran away from the private room right outside, and tried to put as much distance as possible between him and the restaurant.

Red stars continued spilling from his eyes, pouring out all the passion and love from his heart as he kept running away until his lungs ran out of air, leaving star dust on his tracks.

He didn’t know where he was, but knowing that Jonghyun drove him all the way to the restaurant for quite some time, he was aware that there was no chance of going back home on his own. He decided against calling one of his friends and called a taxi instead as soon as his tears dried up and he stopped crying stars.

There wasn’t much money in his pockets, so he asked the driver to just drop him off at the nearest bus station, and the way home took more than an hour.

He had to shut down his phone sometime during the bus drive, because Jonghyun was blowing it up, surely worried about his whereabouts. However, he didn’t have it in him to answer to at least let him know he’s okay, and once he got home, he was glad to see he didn’t come see him.

Taemin laid in bed, wondering how his day could start so well and end so badly.

Why did he have to fall in love with someone who didn’t love him back, he wondered?

Why did it hurt so much?

He couldn’t find any answers to his questions, but glancing around his room, he noticed that the covers of some of his books, once red, were no longer as vibrant.

Loving Jonghyun came at a big price, he thought, and by the time his feelings were dealt with, maybe all the colour would be gone from his world.

~

Taemin was surprised to not hear anything from Jonghyun in so many days. After blowing up his phone that day, he was radio silent.

His absence hurt Taemin even more than his presence, and he found himself crying twinkling stars almost every day. However, they now fell in all colours at once: a blue star, a red star, a yellow star, an orange star… and his world became dull.

Still, he tried his hardest to find joy in the colours he was able to see, so he’d force himself to go out every day, trying not to dwell on the pain in his heart.

16 days later, he found Jonghyun waiting in front of his apartment complex when he returned from one of his walks.

“Taeminnie.” Jonghyun whispered.

“Hi.” The boy answered softly, guarding himself and building walls around him.

“I missed you.”

Taemin didn’t reply.

“I’m sorry for not reaching out to you after that day… I just needed some time to… reflect on things, I guess.”

“I see.” Taemin nodded.

“Taemin, can we talk?”

“We are talking.”

“No, I meant… whatever, you know what? I’ll just say it. I’ll admit that I haven’t really thought of you that way… not consciously, anyway.”

“Okay.”

“But after you confessed, I realised that you were right about everything. Unconsciously, I acted protective of you, and I was careful to not hurt your feelings, and to be there for you… I really took you on dates, even though I hadn't figured out they were dates…”

“Jjong, go straight to the point.”

“Fine. I will. I also like you, Taemin. Let’s date.”

“Wh-what?!” Taemin’s eyes grew wide, as he wasn’t expecting him to say this. He was readying himself for a proper rejection, so this came up completely unexpectedly.

“You heard me. All this time, I’ve been searching for you in all my partners, without even realising it, simply because I was too scared to confront my true feelings for you. I won’t do that anymore.”

“I can’t believe this…”

“I love you, Taemin.” Jonghyun confessed and pressed his lips against the boy’s lips.

Taemin loved him too, but it was too late, for his world has already lost colour, and his cheeks would forever be stained by powdered star dust.

After a long while of brainstorming, Master Choi Minho has an idea, “Why don’t we collect more taxes from the people and place military personnel around our headquarters?”.

There is a wave of silent, approving nods until Chaewon says, “That isn’t much of a plan. What about protection for our people? If their livelihoods are getting strained, they deserve to reap some of the benefits as well!”.

Resounding chuckles fill the air as her cheeks turn pink and her eyes start to well up with tears, feeling embarrassed. However, before she can speak up, Master Chungha smirks. “Oh, you know what, that would be a lovely alteration to the plan! If we were still younglings. Grow up, Chaewon; that isn’t how the world works. We maintain order, and our subjects will be at peace if we are safe. Imagine we are in danger, then they panic; how dangerous that could rapidly become!”.

Most of the Council is clapping for the Master's use of logic when the youngest female Jedi to ever be on the Council, Rei, speaks up, "Yeah, even I know better, and you surpass me by 3 years. You’ll never make it onto the Council if you stay so naïve”.

At this point, Chaewon’s knuckles are white, and she is about to burst with fury at the disrespect.

Luckily, Master Jaeyun diffuses the impending explosion just in time. "All right then, this has been a great start in figuring out how to counteract the Sith issue, but we should dismiss for the day. When we gather next time, let's be more respectful and open-minded. Until next time, stay safe, everyone. Meeting adjourned.”.

Waiting until everyone else leaves to discuss the new developments with Somin and Jihyo, Chaewon remains seated while the rest of the Council files out of the room. Adding insult to injury, Chungha and Rei pat her head as if she were a child as they leave.

As soon as the door shuts, the floods can no longer be contained in her eyes, and Chaewon breaks down. Thankfully, she isn’t alone for long as her allies rush to her side quickly.

Somin reassures her gently while gently rubbing her back, "Let it out, dear; I am so proud of you for standing up for the people and keeping your emotions in check with everything else that happened. While you do need to fine-tune the execution, it was better than staying silent."

Meanwhile, Jihyo kneeled in front of Chaewon with a fierce look in her eyes, “Say the word, and I’ll use my strength training on that prick Minho and his ‘secret’ lover. I’ve been dying to slap them both for so long!” Somin scolds, "Now, why are you listening to those rumors? Whether true or false, it doesn’t concern us or our cause. We need to stay focused, Hyo."

Amongst sniffles, Chaewon chuckles, "I appreciate the offer, but it's okay; we need to make them think we are still aligned with them for the time being.”

At this, Somin looks down at Chaewon with a motherly, proud smile as she kisses the top of her head, and they all head out before curfew is enacted.

Back at Y/N's home shop, she is just finishing her morning routine, getting dressed, and trying to make a game plan for the current list of orders when she hears the bell ring that someone has entered.

Huffing in annoyance, she heads to the front. "I thought I told Huyang to leave the sign off today. Oh well, maybe someone is just lost, and I can get them out quickly,” she mutters.

When she sees who entered the shop, she turns on her heel to walk away, saying, "Look, I have had enough run-ins with you and your gang for a lifetime, so please let me work in peace. Between your elevator ambush, your slightly creepy leader randomly dropping in to apologize for the prior event and slightly offering to work together, then that Winter chick tracking me down, burning my shop, and trying to kill me, I’m all Sithed out, sorry.”

His eyes widen as he pieces together what he has just been told with the argument he heard before leaving. Immediately, he is filled with rage and is concerned for you more than he should be.

Sadly, he doesn’t have time to waste with silly ponderings right now. “Look, I can only speak on my actions, and I apologize if I annoyed you; I was just trying to have a little fun,” he says as his signature shit-eating grin spreads across his face.

He switches modes when he realizes the extent to which you are in no mood for his usual antics. "Okay, look, seriously, I need your help."

You cackle for 2 minutes straight, "Wait, so your crew pesters and threatens me for the last 24 hours, including your insults yesterday, and you think I’ll help you? Get lost.”

Your foot is almost across the threshold of the next room when he says, “You’re right. You can refuse service to anyone. I would, too, if I were you, but I have an offer. I need you to check out and possibly replace my kyber crystal. In exchange, I will pay double your normal service charge to help show you that I am serious about my apology and for information about what happened last night. Do we have a deal?”.

Shocked doesn’t cover how you feel now, “Hold on a minute. Why do you want information about your buddy’s attack? Wouldn’t you just ask them?”

Woo sighs, “ I would, but she is quite emotional right now, and I want the truth. She acted outside of Honjoong’s permission and wounded the integrity of our organization, which, as you know, is already being threatened. She will not know that I know anything or that I got the details from you. The intel will go straight from you to me, then to Hongjoong, who can concoct a story of how he learned about the specifics.”

For once, you can see genuine sincerity in his eyes and give a nod of approval, showing that you understand everything and agree to his terms.

Moving into the connected workshop structure, he sits and watches as you run diagnostic tests on his saber.

After about 15 minutes of this, you start dismantling it in silence so you can replace the crystal that looks like it got jostled by falling off his bedside table or something.

Suddenly, you break the silence. “Wanna know why what you said in the elevator hit such a nerve? Well, even if you don’t too bad. If you can just speak your mind whenever so can I."

Looking taken aback yet endeared at your spunk, he extends his hand in a go-ahead motion.

You continue explaining, "I built this business with my mentor's help after not being taken seriously for 5 years. Just having moved into the city, having no official training, and being a human woman made for an extremely steep uphill climb to where I am now. It was nothing new after a lifetime of having no parents and fending for myself, but there is only so much a person can take. One day, Huyang found me in an alley, about to inject myself with an instant death serum I bought from this shady tent because there was no more hope in my soul. He didn’t realize what it was until he fed me, and I broke down and told him my whole life story.”

Finishing up the saber, you drank some water and proceeded, “I won’t bore you with that, don’t worry. The main point is that after being abandoned and abused multiple times by so-called friends and family alike, I learned I can only depend on myself and, eventually, Huyang. I then put these silver streaks in my hair to remind myself that there is always light in the darkness; the same is true with most people, even those on the Sith side. The way I look at it, they are just misunderstood, and if their methods changed, they would be more respected and less feared.”

Laughing, you realize, “As far as core values go, the Sith is less corrupt than the Council at this point. Your leaders apologize and are protective; you all seem roughly the same rank. On the other hand, the Council likes to pretend to be more open-minded because it has a diverse membership and cares about the people. Yeah right. They overtax and overwork their citizens, who are practically slaves just so they can live posh, secure lives while the rest of us are dying from a myriad of terrible factors. A few secret friends and I in the Council are trying to gather support to overthrow those who have let greed poison them, but who knows if success will happen in my lifetime...”

Realizing you have been rambling for a while now, you feel self-conscious and hurriedly recount the run-in with Winter and tell him which shop was damaged. Thanking him for his time, you rush him out as questions bombard you.

Why did you open up so much to him? That isn’t like you... must still be off from yesterday. That must be it. Yeah. By busying yourself with other orders, you try to forget about your lapse in fortress status.

As Wooyoung stands outside your shop with a newly repaired saber and the old crystal in his pouch, which is special as it was his first, he has much to think about on the way home, more like the burned shop.

Too much is on his mind, and he can use the longer time away as evidence that he didn’t go to your shop so Winter doesn’t get suspicious when Joong has more details about the event later.

Woo is confused on several fronts as he talks to himself throughout his trek, “Why would anyone hurt her? Wait, why do I care? Why would she tell me about her past? It must be a trick to try to protect herself. Is she that type, though? Whatever, I don’t care.”

The last point is immediately disproven upon seeing the damage that Winter caused to the shop. Instinctively, he starts cleaning up the area and making mental notes of supplies to bring next time to fix up the place.

After about 2 hours, he starts heading back, and his inner turmoil has only heightened. He shouldn’t care, so why does he? I mean, you made some excellent points. But he is also under orders to kill you...decisions must be made.

Once dusk hits, you start tidying up the shop, content with the work you got done today (and yes, still repressing the swirl of thoughts from earlier).

Huyang enters with fresh meals he bought from the market nearby. You can both rest and enjoy easy food after the stressful last couple of days.

During the meal, you confide in Huyang about what happened earlier, and he is eerily silent. Not able to take it, after about 5 minutes, you shout, "What?! Just talk, damn... it’s weird when you’re quiet.”

 Clearing his throat, he says, “Apologies, ma’am, I just don’t think you want to hear my notes on this situation as they are similar to the last run-in you had with this Wooyoung. It is admirable that he repented and was able to be sincere with you. As for you, you already know the truth deep down and don’t want to admit it. That is all I shall say”.

Rolling your eyes, you just get up and go to your bedroom as Huyang chuckles to himself.

Unable to sleep due to the mixed emotions, countless questions, and thoughts, you decide to check out your shop at dawn to assess the damage.

 It is evident that someone else has been there as soon as you arrive. All of the lesser damaged items are in one corner, and it looks.... swept. You shrug and are happy that good people exist; they could have easily robbed you, but everything is accounted for despite its state.

Wooyoung, on the other hand, had a restful night’s sleep. Being physically exhausted and pleased that Winter got scolded more due to the intel he gave Hongjoong made him pass out as soon as he lay down.

Unfortunately, he was awoken in the middle of the night. Winter was knelt by his bed, blocking his saber, shaking him awake, “Woo, I cannot sleep. Can I sleep with you instead?.”

Smiling, he rolls onto his side, facing her, and says, “Sure, c’mon in, babe.”

As soon as she is settled in, he opens his eyes and pushes her onto the floor. Yelping with tears in her eyes, she says, “Why did you say sure and call me babe just to do that?!”

Startled fully awake by her screams, Wooyoung realizes what he has done.

In truth, he was dreaming about you too domestically, and in dreamland, her request was presented as yours.

So, when he was met with Winter in reality, he was appalled not only by her presence so close to him but also anxious about the contents of the dream.

He cannot tell her that, though, so he crafts a half lie; “Oh, um, sorry, I was having a dream about this babe I met at the cantina today while I was getting my saber fixed. Go back to your own room, petulant child.”

Whimpering, she refuses, “NO! I am not a child, and I will not be treated like one anymore, not by you especially. Can’t you see how perfect we would be together? Much better than Joong and Y/N; it is so pathetic.”

At the mention of you, Woo bolts upright, “What do you mean?” Winter is confused by his sudden interest. Nevertheless, she explains, “Well, Joong went to Y/N yesterday and plans to go alone tomorrow, too. It seems like he likes her, but, knowing him, he is probably just toying with her.”

Pondering her words, Wooyoung says, “That is his business, and we should not pay any attention to anything he does not discuss with us. Now go to your own room and sleep or not, I do not care, but goodbye.”

As he turns towards the wall, he cannot help but feel a stab of jealousy at this latest information.

Winter goes to her room, kicking herself for being vulnerable yet again, but damnit, she needed a win. Multiple scoldings by Hongjoong lately, along with neither of her crushes giving her the time of day, has her dejected.

She decides to go into an intense isolation period, claiming it is “that time of the month” to ward off Joong and Woo and to get out of doing fieldwork.

The following day, Wooyoung broaches what Winter told him with his leader. "Sir, I have a question: is what she said true? I told her to keep her nose out of your business, but as your second in command, I feel I should know what is going on to aid however I can if needed.”

Shocked at the initiative, Hongjoong smiles, “Thank you for putting her in her place, and I agree. For Bibi's will to be done, there must be nothing but honesty between us. While I admire Miss Y/N’s tenacity, and she is fairly easy on the eyes, I would not be so foolish as to let animal instinct take over. She is merely a pawn in this game, nothing else. Both you and Winter tend to lack professionalism, so I meet up alone to speed up the process.”

Satisfied with his answer, Hongjoong excuses himself from the table and prepares to meet up with Y/N.

Wooyoung waits until Hongjoong is gone to leave for the burned shop and continue making repairs, feeling thankful yet insulted.

Huyang let you sleep in as you caught up on most of the orders yesterday. You awoke with lunch by your bed with a note that he would hang flyers and for you to take it easy today.

Naturally, you ate and paid no mind to the resting part as you wanted to fix your shop more.

About 2 miles from your shop, you see a familiar figure approaching you, but it can't be... it is Wooyoung!

Sadly, there is nowhere to hide from him, so you continue strutting in his direction, acting like his presence is unnoticed.

The moment he gets close to you, anxiety radiates off of him as he tries to make small talk and turns around to walk with you. “What are you doing in the middle of nowhere alone? That is dangerous.” He says.

You scoff, “Since when does the Sith care about the life of a lowly sabersmith? And I can handle myself, thank you very much. The better question is, what are you doing out here? Miss me already?.”

Silence and a heated smirk are all you are met with until you trip him and hold your lilac-hued saber to his throat, “Did you fuck with my shop more? I swear I will slit your throat right now, and you will not like it..”

Attempting to scooch away on his back, he pleads with you, “NO, no, I swear, I did not mess up your shop. I was just.. uh... scouting the area to make sure no defectors from the Sith were in hiding.”

Mainly convinced by his story, you sheath your saber and help him to his feet. He nods and says he has to be on his way but decides not to tell you that Hongjoong is on his way to meet up with you.

It is childish, he admits, but something in him likes that he got to see you today, and Joong did not.

You feel played as soon as you step into your shop; he most definitely fucked with your shop but in a positive way.

It is even cleaner than last time, and repairs are obviously underway. You pin that for the next time you see him and try to focus on the work ahead.

Wooyoung returns to headquarters to hear the sound of things being thrown and screaming; he rushes inside, worried they are under attack, only to find Hongjoong as the source of the cacophony.

Hearing the door close, Joong pauses and half turns around with a crazed look while grinning like a rabid dog. Seeing it is Wooyoung, he starts venting, "Can you believe it? She has the nerve to not respond to my attempts at communication and then stand me up at her own shop?! Does she not realize how much I could fuck up or enhance her life depending on how she plays my game? How could she not want to see me? I am charming, handsome, mysterious; everything a spunky bitch like her would want. That is fine. I will show her what happens when you reject the mighty Hongjoong!”

Before Woo can react, Joong storms into his chambers to plot against Y/N. Just a pawn...sure, Wooyoung thinks to himself.

Wanting to test his newly fixed saber, he heads to the practice room to self-spar. Engrossed in the improvements you made and the scenarios played by the holograms for practice, he only notices Winter watching from the doorway when he trips over his foot and falls.

For once, she is calm as he asks, “H-how long have you been standing there?!” “Oh, only a few minutes, but that’s all I needed to bring you down,” she replies.

Confusion colors his features, “What in the galaxy are you talking about now? How and why would you want to bring me down?”.

She saunters over and stands over him, displaying a newfound dominant aura. “Oh, now you are the naïve one, it seems. Firstly, a girl can only take so much rejection before she snaps and turns on those she once wanted most. Secondly, there is only one smith around here whose trademark is white kyber crystals. You are as good as dead once Joong finds out you lied to him about where you got it fixed.”

Panic evident in his eyes, Woo quickly defends, "Okay, true, that trademark is well known amongst the customers of Y/N, but that does not mean she has a monopoly on them; plenty of other shops have them in stock from time to time. Also, how are you still so childish? Oh noooo, I don’t return your crush, so you are going to vaguely threaten me? Geez, go to counseling or get laid, shit.”

Winter is semi-convinced, so she stays to practice for a bit. Meanwhile, Wooyoung exits to wash off the near-death experience and plans a trip to warn you about a potential second attack from Winter.

After Wooyoung bathes, he heads to your shop, praying Joong does not cross his path. He arrives about the same time as you, and being too tired to argue, you let him in while you hydrate and catch your breath from all the manual labor you just did.

As you rest, he warns you, “Look, Winter saw me sparring with my saber. Great work, by the way! Anyway, now it is seen as betraying the Sith by going to you. You could be in a lot of danger, and while I can’t directly protect you, I can give you a heads up at least."

Furrowing your brows, your only response is, “Why would you, though?” He deeply exhales, “ I don't even know, okay, but there is your warning. Have a good day.”

Confused and amused by his awkwardness, you say, “I will, actually. It has been productive so far, plus my efforts have finally shut down a gambling center where the money goes to the Council, so I am happy! Plus, I have even more followers of my cause!”

Turning away, he grins, happy to see you reach your goals, but that smile fades rapidly as you say, “By the way, I know you were the one who has been helping with my damaged shop. Thanks.”

He leaves since he does not know how to respond or why his motivation has been pro-you and anti-mission lately, but not without quipping, “I mean, why would I help you? But if you want to reward me for this supposed aid, you can give my biological saber lip service next time, doll.”

As he leaves with a wink, you are annoyed, not by him for once, but with yourself. That kind of remark usually elicits nausea and a desire to kill every man.

This time, you just giggle once he leaves and feel your entire body heat up at the thought. Yep, you are screwed.

The next day, after you both have very intense sexual dreams about each other, you decide to go to Tatooine. His reason is simply to attempt to distract his brain, while yours is to check on your small shop.

It is a request-only shop as it is the least trafficked area for you, but with recent events, you might as well check in while you collect more kyber crystals.

As you are about to leave, you get a surprise visit from Hongjoong; shocked and perturbed, you politely excuse yourself; "Terribly sorry, but I was just on my way out; you can come back tomorrow, though, if you'd like.” He does not like that at all and backs you into your workbench.

Displaying a devilish, darkened gaze of determination, he states, “Oh, you foolish girl. I do not want to make the trip tomorrow. I am here now, and I want you. Do you know how much business I could get you? I would even share what I collect from the Sith citizens from ‘taxes,’ aka my fun fund. Stop fighting this attraction. It’s just me, not like I am the big bad wolf darling, though I would love to eat you,” he states, smirking a couple of inches from your lips.

With his eyes closed, you take the opportunity to hit him in the head with one of your tools and run out, hopping on your speeder and quickly zooming away with tears in your eyes.

You are reeling from the encounter and frustrated that your heart wants to flee to Woo for comfort.

With Hongjoong yelling at you that nobody is ever going to love you if you do not let them in or just be grateful that a god like him designed to give you his attention, you decide against walking into the lion’s den; you stay the course to Tatooine ignoring your yearning for comfort.

After a while, you head to the local cantina to grab something refreshing to drink since you have been in the sun crystal mining for 3 hours now.

En route, you notice people fighting and pay no mind, believing it to just be a couple of drunkards squabbling over the bill. Until you get closer, that is, and find that the fighters are Wooyoung and Hongjoong!

Staying a safe distance away yet being able to hear every word of their conversation makes you worried. Yet, you know it would be foolish to get in the middle, so you stand there paralyzed.

It seems that your rejection led Joong to the desert looking for a hook-up at the bar, where he ran into Woo and immediately went on the offensive.

Hongjoong is slurring at Woo, “Why did you go to that bitch for your saber? You know she is mine! Now, you ruin my attempts to get rid of the blue balls she gave me earlier? You are dead, apprentice.”

Wooyoung retorts between defending Joong’s strikes. “First off, she is not a bitch, and she was the closest sabersmith. Secondly, blue balls are not a thing, and you would not be looking for a drunken desperate cunt to sink into if she had initiated it, so stop lying to yourself and to me.”

Hongjoong looks victorious, “HA, so you admit going to her! For once, Winter was the good pupil. Maybe I will send the signal for her to attack Y/N while you are busy here..since you cannot even kill her like you were ordered."

Too worried about you, Woo freezes for a split second, which is enough for Joong to pull out his dagger and slice Wooyoung’s right cheek and left shoulder.

Right after, Joong hears a speeder and does not want witnesses, so he runs away; thank goodness your idea worked.

Helping Wooyoung onto your speeder, you head to your shop. It is not an ideal reason to head over there, but you were already planning on checking on it, so oh well.

Upon arrival, you help support him off the bike as he got beat up quite a beat; laying him on the bed in the back of the shop, you start taking off his robe to assess the wound.

Always a smartass, he smirks, and then he is screeching for dear life. He stares at your attempt at stifling a laugh, "Hey, don’t look so pleased.” You snort, “Sorry, just nice to see you are human sometimes.”

He pouts and turns away, forgetting his cheek is sliced too, so he turns back, defeated, towards you while you tend to his wounds and wrap up his shoulder.

You hate to admit it, but damn, his body looks even better than you thought; no, you scold yourself, not the place or time.

You change the subject, "So why can't you kill me? Or was he drunk?". Still on edge, he barks, "I don't even know, okay?! I warn you; I fix your shop secretly; I duel my master to defend your honor. It is all worth it, but-“

You interrupt. “You don't need to get hurt for me, though, idiot.” He grins. “I know I don’t have to, but I do, and I’m not sure why, but I want to help your cause and think it’s a great thing you’re doing and-“

This time, you interrupt him with a kiss that immediately gets returned. Pulling away, you apologize, “Sorry, but I had to stop your nonsense. I think I know why you do the things you do. It’s the same reason I helped you today, and don’t mind your drop-ins as much as I let on.”

He raises an eyebrow, asking why, to which you lean in close to him again and whisper in his ear, “Because we want each other badly but are scared of being that close and getting hurt.”

Sitting up, you blush. “I mean, maybe it’s just me, but it feels like we are very similar and fated in a way; just tell me if I –“

He stops you with a hungry kiss, supporting himself with his good arm, cradling the back of your head with his left hand as his tongue explores your mouth.

Your boldness peeks through as you lightly suck his tongue and let your hands gently trail down his abs and palm his covered, very strained bulge.

He groans into your mouth as he snakes his hand under your tunic and palms your voluptuous breasts in response, rolling your hardening nipples between his fingers.

This does not last long before his skilled tongue is swirling the buds and sucking on your tits, bringing you to ecstasy quicker than expected.

Sitting up as much as he can, you remove the rest of both of your clothes and straddle him, both of your sweat mixing in an intoxicating concoction of desire and safety in each other as your hands roam all over each other, passionately making out and making up for lost time.

You feel him grow beneath you, and with remarkable quickness, you shimmy down and lick the slit of his leaking tip for a moment or two before engulfing his thickness down your throat with ease earning you a nonverbal good job on the cheek with his veiny hands.

As he approaches his climax, he pulls you up by your hair, your lips releasing him with a pop and gestures for you to kiss him.

He gazes hungrily into your eyes, “I need to be inside of you, Y/N god, like right now.” You look sideways and reveal, “I want that too, but I, um, well... you would be my first. Can we go slow?"

His energy softens as he caresses your face, tucking your hair behind your ear. “Of course, baby, I simply want to be closer to you.”

Nodding, you line yourself up and sink onto him slowly. It hurts a bit at first, but you quickly adjust to the sting, and it feels sinfully good to have your aching cunt being filled by him finally.

The shop is consumed with the sound of your delicious moans and skin coming together more and more rapidly until you are about to reach your high.

Wooyoung can tell you are close to your release and reaches down to play with your clit, “C'mon love, make a mess on me, princess” At his words, your body reacts by cumming so many times you lose count.

With his help, you ride out your high for about 10 minutes as you feel his heat fill you up three times before you both slump over in exhaustive bliss.

Over the next few days, you stay in that shop talking about everything, and he officially decides to join your cause and recant his Sith ways.

You reveal that you chose his kyber crystal on purpose because you saw the light in him. He tears up and hugs you tightly, "I know it's soon, but I love you, my moth."

You kiss him, saying you love him as well, and have for a while through light sobs.

You both return to Coruscant after going to a nearby hair studio for a change of pace.

He adds blonde streaks to his black hair to remind himself of the light inside and has his old crystal fashioned into a necklace to remind him of where he has been and that he has changed.

 You, however, exchange your silver-streaked hair for more of a rust color to match the sentiment of his crystal, promising to keep each other in check and make sure no corruption enters your hearts.

Back at the Council, you, along with Somin, Jihyo, Chaewon, and Wooyoung, expose the corrupt members despite Masters Moonbyul and Jongseob trying to rationalize their actions but failing as they all get carted away to the highest security prison.

Later that day, the secretly good trio became the new faces of the Council and immediately threw a celebration for the city's people, returning all the money that had been wrongly collected.

You and Wooyoung, of course, attend in support. As you are about to steal a kiss, you notice a familiar pair of beady eyes peek behind a pillar.

But now, they are filled with pride and wonder instead of obsession. “What did you see?” Wooyoung asks; you smile and say, “Oh, an old friend, they are shy now but are doing better, I can tell, and I’m happy for them.”